News Story not available This story has been published on: 2022-10-24. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. This story is no longer available on our site. , , , , . Champaign, IL (61820) Today Partly cloudy early then becoming cloudy and windy this afternoon. High 77F. Winds S at 20 to 30 mph.. Tonight Cloudy skies early, then off and on rain showers overnight. Low around 60F. Winds SSE at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 50%. Research from The University of Manchester has found a shortfall in the uptake of influenza and pneumococcal vaccinations among those diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), potentially increasing their infection risk. The team from the Arthritis Research UK Centre for Epidemiology looked at data from over 15,000 patients diagnosed with the disease who were being treated with certain types of immunosuppressive drugs, and found that one in five patients received no influenza vaccinations and one in two patients received no pneumonia vaccine over a five year follow-up period. Patients with rheumatoid arthritis have double the normal risk of infection, due to a range of factors, compared to the rest of the population. Guidelines recommend that vaccinations should be used to protect against certain infections, such as influenza and pneumonia. Dr Will Dixon, who led the study, said: "There is no national data on vaccination uptake broken down in a way that allows us to pull out those with RA. Only one study in the US has looked at whether patients with rheumatic diseases are being vaccinated prior to starting immunosuppressive therapy." This large study used information from electronic patient records to assess the take-up of the two vaccines. It looked at 15,724 patients diagnosed with RA between 2000 and 2013. The group found that those who were younger, who did not meet another clinical risk category, and who visited their GP less often were least likely to be vaccinated. Dr Ben Brown, a GP who was also part of the study team, added: "Guidance on influenza and pneumococcal vaccination for RA patients is unclear, and payment to carry it out in primary care is variable. "In future it may be beneficial for rheumatologists to provide GPs with specific advice about appropriate vaccination for individual patients, or to consider administering the vaccinations themselves in their own clinics - either way, both approaches should be adequately funded." Richard Francis, head of research liaison and evaluation at Arthritis Research UK, said: "Around 400,000 people in the UK live with the excruciating pain of rheumatoid arthritis. The impact of rheumatoid arthritis and the drugs used to treat the condition on the ability to fight infection is significant, and this study underscores the importance of vaccination in helping prevent the impact of influenza and other infections." Cytopathology researchers at Houston Methodist Hospital recently found that combining two diagnostic tests, Pap and high-risk human papillomavirus (hrHPV), dramatically decreased the chance of missing tumors and high-grade lesions by sevenfold. In the May 2016 issue of Cancer Cytopathology, published by the American Cancer Society, the Houston team did a retroactive study of more than 1,600 cases with Pap and hrHPV co-testing and found that each test missed approximately 9 percent of cancer and/or high-grade lesion cases. Combining the tests resulted in only 1 percent of cases missed. "We've known that neither test is perfect and misses a certain number of cases, but we didn't realize until we analyzed the data just how impactful the combination of these tests would be," said Dina Mody, M.D., director of cytopathology at Houston Methodist Hospital and paper co-author. "The numbers tell me that Ob-Gyns need to regularly offer co-testing, and woman age 30 or older need to proactively request co-testing." Genetics & Genomics eBook Compilation of the top interviews, articles, and news in the last year. Download a copy today In 2014, the FDA approved the use of an HPV DNA test as a primary screening tool for women 25 and older. The test detects two of the most common high-risk HPV strains (16 and 18) as well as combined results for 12 additional high-risk HPV types, but the test only detects a small percentage of the 150 HPV strains that exist. Mody is past president of the American Society of Cytopathology and has led the Houston Methodist Hospital cytopathology lab for 15 years. As part of standard quality assessments, her team reviewed data from 1,652 cases over an 18-month period. Lead author Yimin Ge, M.D., a member of the Department of Pathology and Genomic Medicine at Houston Methodist Hospital, compiled cases with cytology-HPV co-testing and follow-up biopsies. The researchers found that 253 cases had biopsy confirmed high-grade lesions. Of those cases, the Pap test and the hrHPV test accurately detected approximately 91 percent of the cases. When they combined the tests, the team found only three of the 253 cases were double-negatives for both the Pap and hrHPV tests. "We used a large population-based observational study, which is only the second of its kind conducted since the FDA approved the HPV test as a primary screening method for cervical cancer," Ge said. "The next step is to look at cases missed on Pap and HPV, test the tissue and try to determine why they were missed." The Pap test is recommended for women between 21 and 65 years old as a screening test for cervical cancer. Women 30 and older who are negative on co-testing may wait as long as five years for their next testing, but physicians still recommend annual well woman exams. Approximately 98,000 cases of gynecologic cancers are diagnosed in the United States every year, and less than 70 percent of cervical cancer patients live longer than five years after diagnosis. "The results for tolerability, safety, and the immune response to the vaccine candidate are very promising," explains Prof Marylyn Addo. The antibodies which developed against the virus were still detectable after six months. Addo is convinced, "With this, a single vaccine could provide lasting protection against Ebola." The infectious disease specialist, who works for the German Center for Infection Research at the University Medical Center Hamburg Eppendorf (UKE) in Hamburg, led the trial in Hamburg. A total of 158 healthy adult volunteers were tested in Hamburg, as well as at the partner sites in Geneva (Switzerland), Lambarene; (Gabon) and Kilifi (Kenya). The scientists involved are participants in VEBCON, a consortium of experts founded by the WHO, the goal of which is rapid and coordinated clinical testing of the Ebola vaccine in Africa. A vaccine is still urgently needed, since the current Ebola epidemic has not yet been completely defeated and future outbreaks cannot be ruled out. About the trial Across the four locations, a total of 158 healthy volunteers were vaccinated with increasing doses of the potential vaccine. A double-blind study was conducted in Geneva. The rVSV-ZEBOV vaccine that was used is an attenuated, genetically modified strain of vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV), which bears a surface protein of the Ebola virus. The goal is to help the vaccinated person's immune system produce antibodies to prevent an outbreak of the disease upon contact with the Ebola virus. For the first time, scientists have tested the vaccine's safety, tolerability and immune response in humans. Important results Safety and tolerability: No serious vaccine-related adverse reactions were observed; there were some cases of temporary mild fever and others of joint complaints. Since it is a live vaccine, small amounts of the vaccine virus were found in the blood, as expected, but only in the first few days following vaccination. Virus replication appears to be controlled and limited by the immune system. No viruses were detected in saliva and urine. Effect on the immune system: In all participants, a single vaccine stimulated the immune system to produce antibodies specifically targeting the Ebola surface protein. The antibodies produced were able to inhibit the Ebola virus infections in vitro, and were still detectable after six months. The scientists evaluate the risk-benefit profile as positive. Prof Stephan Becker, who analysed the immune responses of the volunteers in his laboratory at the Philipps-Universitat Marburg is happy, "These results demonstrate that the new vaccine can potentially be used in future Ebola outbreaks." DZIF Professor Peter Kremsner from the University Hospital Tuebingen, who headed the trial in Gabon, explains, "The adverse reactions were moderate and within the limits of what can be expected when using live vaccines." The pathway to the vaccine: The results are now being incorporated in further trials which are using the previously determined optimal vaccine dose and testing children in particular. These trials are taking place in Lambarene, Gabon, amongst other places. In Guinea, the vaccine has also already been tested in a larger trial where people in contact with Ebola patients were vaccinated. The preliminary interim results have shown that the vaccine is effective. Approval by the American authority FDA is being sought for early 2017. The American College of Radiology (ACR) is partnering with GE Healthcare and King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Center to bring the first-ever ACR-led imaging boot camp training for breast radiologists to the Middle East. The three-day Breast Imaging Boot Camp to be held May 23-25 in Jeddah will provide up to 40 practicing radiologists in Saudi Arabia and the Middle East with intensive hands-on experience in mammography and breast ultrasonography. "Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women in the Middle East; it may occur earlier and it is often found at later stages than in other regions of the world. The ACR Education Center is proud to offer this unparalleled, hands-on workstation with case-based training to help radiologists in the region sharpen their breast imaging skills and therefore catch more cancers early and save more lives," said Pablo R. Ros, MD, MPH, PhD, FACR, physician-in-chief of the ACR Education Center, Attendees will interpret more than 240 digital screening and diagnostic mammograms and other medical images. Interventional workshops will also be available in breast ultrasound and stereotactic biopsy. Participants will be guided toward developing their perceptive skills with direct assistance from a panel of expert radiologists. This will be the first in an ongoing series of boot camps and fellowships for radiologists across the region. Each boot camp is run by ACR's experts and operates under the ACR Education Center. After successfully completing a workshop, participants will receive an ACR certificate of completion. The University of Southern California (USC) Roski Eye Institute researchers and clinicians published results of the largest population-based study of adult Latinos and age-related macular degeneration (AMD) in the National Eye Institute-funded "Los Angeles Latino Eye Study (LALES)." The study, published in JAMA Ophthalmology, is the first to analyze the risk and prevalence of early and late stage AMD and its impact on quality of life for older Latinos. According to the National Eye Institute, AMD is a chronic, progressive disease affecting 2 million Americans and typically diagnosed in those age 50-60. The LALES study, conducted among 4,876 Latinos in Los Angeles with a mean age cohort of 54.8 years old, indicates that Latinos diagnosed with bilateral AMD with large drusen (the lipids or fatty proteins that are yellow deposits under the retina) and depigmentation as well as a more severe AMD had a substantially lower health-related quality of life as compared to those with AMD lesions in only one eye. In addition, the findings point to a more significant health-related quality of life decline beginning in early rather than later stages of the disease. For instance, the study shows 80 percent of early AMD participants reported difficulty driving as opposed to 43 percent who had late AMD. As well, 91.6 percent of early AMD participants reported vision-related social function impact and 74.4 percent had near vision problems as compared to 67.7 percent and 46.9 percent respectively of late AMD participants who reported the same. The researchers also found that while participants may not have a measurable decrease in their visual acuity, their reported reduced visual function may possibly be the result of contrast sensitivity associated with early-stage AMD. "The study results are a wake-up call for both ophthalmologists and those in the Latino community to avoid a quality of life decline due to ocular conditions, especially in earlier stages of eye diseases such as AMD," said Rohit Varma, MD, MPH, interim dean of the Keck School of Medicine of USC and director of the USC Roski Eye Institute. "What was significant but not intuitively obvious was that Latinos diagnosed with AMD in both eyes or more severe AMD had a markedly diminished vision-specific quality of life requiring us to shift our clinical focus from treating advanced stages of AMD to finding earlier stage interventions and treatment options." Dr. Varma, the study's principal investigator and one of the world's leading experts in population based eye disease, shared that objective measurements like vision loss may not adequately characterize the total impact of the ocular condition of a patient. The research points to the increasing need to assess a patient's health-related quality of life and a patient's overall perception of relative well-being as a valuable tool to evaluate treatment efficacies. The Latino population is the largest minority segment of the U.S. population and is the largest ethnic population in Los Angeles county surpassing the Caucasian population in 2014. According to the U.S. Census 2015 report, Latinos are 17 percent of the U.S. population (55 million) and by 2060 they will be 29 percent (119 million). At the same time, American society has a growing aging population with 10,000 baby boomers turning 65 every day and AMD, an ocular disease that typically affects those age 50 and older, is the leading cause of irreversible blindness. "Previous studies on Latinos have found this population to have a different pattern of AMD prevalence, incidence, progression and risk factors," added Dr. Varma. "More importantly, the lower level of health care access and utilization among this group is likely to impact follow-up care of these patients and may make them more susceptible to diminished quality of life." "The LALES findings unexpectedly demonstrate that even the earliest stages of AMD may impair eyesight enough to interfere with daily activities. They also point to the need for additional research on the earliest stages of AMD," said Maryann Redford, D.D.S., M.P.H., a program director for Collaborative Clinical Research at NIH's National Eye Institute. "People with early AMD affecting both eyes appear to be especially vulnerable to declines in their vision-related quality of life, and might benefit from any early referral to a low vision specialist." Source: University of Southern California - Health Sciences Dr. John Boyages THOUGHT LEADERS SERIES ...insight from the worlds leading experts What is lymphedema and why does it sometimes occur following breast cancer treatment? Lymphedema is persistent swelling of the arm and/or hand following biopsy or treatment of the axillary lymph nodes for patients with breast cancer. It is due to excess accumulation of proteinrich fluid in body tissues. First arm and leg liposuction patients, both right-side affected.Left panel pre-liposuction, middle panel 6 months post-liposuction, right panel 12 months post-liposuction. Springer / John Boyages, under Creative Commons Attribution License, retrieved from: http://link.springer.com/article/10.1245/s10434-015-4700-3 Patients who have all lymph nodes removed in the axilla during cancer treatment have, on average, a 20% chance of developing lymphedema. This risk is increased to over 50% when the axilla is treated by surgery and radiation. If a sentinel node biopsy is performed, the risk is reduced to about 58%. It presents as swelling of the fingers, back of the hand and the arm. It can be associated with heaviness, tightness, tingling, and often recurrent bouts of infection (cellulitis). What impact does lymphedema have on the physical and emotional health of cancer survivors? Lymphedema can be a daily reminder of previous cancer treatment. It can have a significant impact on physical, functional and psychological domains, as well as social life, family, work and finances and often leads to social isolation. In some cases, it can lead to loss of employment, as a heavy arm or leg means affected patients cannot work. A recent study we conducted of 361 breast cancer survivors found that both breast cancer and lymphedema had a significant negative impact on womens work and career and impacted 43% of working women. The additional burden of lymphedema and days off work was incrementally worse as the severity of the condition increased. The annual number of days off work for subclinical/mild Lymphedema participants was 1.4 days versus 8.1 days for moderate or severe participants. What methods are currently used to detect lymphedema, prevent progression and reduce swelling? Lymphedema can be detected early with a bioimpedance device called LDex that measures the presence of extracellular fluid even before a symptom occurs. The Macquarie University Lymphedema Program is currently enrolling patients in an international multicentre early detection study conducted by Vanderbilt University, randomising patients between LDex and conventional tapemeasure girth measures, with early intervention using a compression garment if subclinical lymphedema is detected. This approach may prevent progression to advanced lymphedema which does not respond to treatment. What prompted you to investigate liposuction for the management of lymphedema? I was lobbied very hard to offer this treatment at Macquarie University by our Lymphedema rehabilitation specialist, Dr Helen Mackie. At first, I thought she had rocks in her head, as we were advising patients not even to have blood taken from their affected arm after lymphedema. The more I investigated the procedure, introduced by Dr Hakan Brorson in Malmo, Sweden over 20 years ago, the more I realised this could indeed be an effective treatment method. Professor Alex Munoch, a plastic surgeon trained by Brorson, and accredited to do the procedure in the UK, came to Australia to help us do our first case in April 2012. We have now done over 60 cases with excellent results. How does liposuction work? Once lymphatic fluid spills into the surrounding tissues it causes inflammation, stimulating fat stem cells to grow. Our MRI studies have shown that for many patients with advanced Lymphedema, there is very little fluid, but a lot of fat deposition. Once this occurs, its too late for compression garments to work effectively and the only treatment is medical liposuction. This procedure removes the fat from the affected limb to match its size to the other, unaffected limb. The liposuction procedure is performed via multiple small incisions in the limb under general anaesthesia following limb exsanguination through application of a tourniquet. A specialised cannula is used to remove subcutaneous tissue from the multiple small incision sites along the limb. Compression garments or Ready Wraps are applied to the affected limb immediately after surgery and are continuously worn 24 hours per day. Can you please give a brief overview of your research methods? What were your main findings? We have been comparing the type of fat in a fatty leg due to lymphedema and comparing it to normal fat that is removed during cosmetic liposuction. We have been working on how to quantify the relative proportions of fat, fluid, muscle and bone in pre and postliposuction MRIs. Our initial results are published here. We found significant improvements in physical, functional and psychological outcomes in all patients, with the affected limb reduced to the same size as the unaffected limb in the majority of patients by twelve months postsurgery. What impact do you think this research will have on patients with advanced lymphedema moving forwards? The most amazing thing is that this treatment can change a patients total outlook on life. After surgery, patients can wear clothes that they werent able to wear for a long time; they can wear shoes or boots if a leg is treated and can start exercising again. One of our patients has begun running again and lost over 20 kg in weight after her liposuction. She climbed the Sydney Harbour Bridge 3 months after liposuction as shown here in a video message to Prof Hakan Brorson, who assisted us in the procedure. What factors need to be considered when determining the economic value of liposuction for advanced lymphedema? Liposuction is often criticised as a procedure because the patient still needs to wear a compression sleeve afterwards. However, as an arm may weigh up to 2kg less, or a leg up to 12kg less after the surgery, this makes a significant difference to function, productivity and selfesteem. Further, the number of episodes of cellulitis requiring admission can fall dramatically, reducing time off work and health costs. In our National survey mentioned above, the incidence of cellulitis was 7.7% in 91 patients with subclinical or mild lymphedema compared to 29.5% of 61 patients with moderate to severe lymphedema. In Australia, the surgery is currently offered only at Macquarie University to selfinsured and privately insured patients, with outofpocket costs from A$8,000. Where can readers find more information? http://muh.org.au/ServicesSpecialties/LymphedemaProgram More information about surgical options for Lymphedema from the International Lymphedema Framework can be found here. Liposuction for Advanced Lymphedema A Multidisciplinary Approach for Complete Reduction of Arm and Leg Swelling, Springer, Annals of Surgical Oncology: http://link.springer.com/article/10.1245/s10434-015-4700-3 About Professor John Boyages John is a cancer specialist with over 30 years experience in the diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer. After graduating from the University of Sydney, he trained at Westmead Hospital and at the Dana Farber Cancer Institute at Harvard in Boston. John is a radiation oncologist at Macquarie University Hospital and the author of several Taking Control books including his recent publication on Male Breast Cancer (www.bcpublish.com). He has published more than 140 research papers and provides consultations to patients from all over Australia and the AsiaPacific. John was appointed to Macquarie University in 2011 as the Director of the Cancer Program and helped establish many clinical, research and patient support programs related to cancer. He is now the Director of the Lymphedema Program and Professor of Breast Oncology at the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences. An international collaboration of researchers has identified five new gene regions that increase a woman's risk of developing endometrial cancer, one of the most common cancers to affect women, taking the number of known gene regions associated with the disease to nine. Endometrial cancer affects the lining of the uterus. It is the fourth most commonly diagnosed cancer in UK women, with around 9,000 new cases being diagnosed each year. Researchers at the University of Cambridge, Oxford University and QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute in Brisbane studied the DNA of over 7,000 women with endometrial cancer and 37,000 women without cancer to identify genetic variants that affected a woman's risk of developing the disease. The results are published today in the journal Nature Genetics. Dr Deborah Thompson from the Department of Public Health and Primary Care at the University of Cambridge said: "Our findings help us to paint a clearer picture of the genetic causes of endometrial cancer in women, particularly where there no strong family history of cancer. Prior to this study, we only knew of four regions of the genome in which a common genetic variant increases a woman's risk of endometrial cancer. "In this study we have identified another five regions, bringing the total to nine. This finding doubles the number of known risk regions, and therefore makes an important contribution to our knowledge of the genetic drivers of endometrial cancer. "Interestingly, several of the gene regions we identified in the study were already known to contribute to the risk of other common cancers such as ovarian and prostate. "Although each individual variant only increases risk by around 10-15%, their real value will be in looking at the total number of such variants inherited by a woman, together with her other risk factors, in order to identify those women at higher risk of endometrial cancer so that they can be regularly checked and be alert to the early signs and symptoms of the disease." Genetics & Genomics eBook Compilation of the top interviews, articles, and news in the last year. Download a copy today The study also looked at how the identified gene regions might be increasing the risk of cancer, and these findings have implications for the future treatment of endometrial cancer patients. "As we develop a more comprehensive view of the genetic risk factors for endometrial cancer, we can start to work out which genes could potentially be targeted with new treatments down the track," said Associate Professor Amanda Spurdle from QIMR Berghofer. "In particular, we can start looking into whether there are drugs that are already approved and available for use that can be used to target those genes." The study was an international collaboration involving researchers from Australia, the United Kingdom, German, Belgium, Norway, Sweden, the United States and China. The UK part of the study received funding from the charity Cancer Research UK. Dr Emma Smith, Cancer Research UK's science information manager, said: "The discovery of genetic changes that affect women's risk of developing endometrial -- or womb -- cancer could help doctors identify women at higher risk, who could benefit from being more closely monitored for signs of the disease. "It might also provide clues into the faulty molecules that play an important role in womb cancer, leading to potential new treatments. More than a third of womb cancer cases in the UK each year could be prevented, and staying a healthy weight and keeping active are both great ways for women to reduce the risk." Mumbai: Hrithik Roshan is seen shaking a leg with the Brooke Bond Red Label 6-Pack Band, touted as India's first transgender band, in their latest track 'Ae Raju'. The song salutes the unabated spirit of the transgender community, and the actor says he was compelled to be part of the song as it addresses a "meaningful" message in a "fun and entertaining way". The actor, who has himself successfully battled stammering and more, also shared that "we cannot just reject them just because they are different from us". Brooke Bond Red Label tea in association with Y-Films, the youth films' wing of Yash Raj Films, is back with another song by the band. In the song the members of band are inspired to fight discrimination and break all social barriers. The song and its chorus are a lighter take on the trademark 'Ae Raju', a term used by the Hijra community. In the video, Hrithik motivates the members of the band to unleash their inner superheroes. The video went live on Y-Films YouTube channel on Tuesday, read a statement. "Ive been following the Brooke Bond Red Label 6-pack Band and when I heard that the band is creating a meaningful message in a fun, entertaining way, I had to be a part of it. Shooting with them was an amazing experience," Hrithik said. The 'Bang Bang!' star added: "I think that one of the main causes of anxiety in the society as a whole is the feeling of differentiation between people. Its important to feel connected to people around you and we cannot just reject them just because they are different from us." Through the association with the Brooke Bond Red Label 6-Pack Band, the brand aims to encourage everyone to be more accepting, overcome social prejudices and make the world a more welcoming place. Shiva Krishnamurthy, Brooke Bond Red Label spokesperson and Category Head - Tea, Hindustan Unilever Limited, said: AIt is a wonderful feeling to see the overwhelming response and accolades that the Brooke Bond Red Label 6 Pack Band has received to date. "The band has been welcomed with open arms by music lovers. Through our association, we want to spread the message of inclusiveness and encourage people to become more accepting, break barriers and bond over a cup of tea." The band rendered hits via collaborations with Sonu Nigam, Zanai Bhosle and Arjun Kapoor. Thiruvananthapuram: A 19-year-old Dalit nursing student was allegedly raped in a moving auto by an auto driver and two others in Thiruvananthapuram. The victim, a second year BSC nursing student, was raped near Ayanthi bridge in Varkala on Tuesday. She has been admitted to the ICU of a hospital. A case under IPC 376 (2) (g) (gangrape) was registered against the accused, who are absconding, police said, adding, her statement will be recorded before a magistrate on Wednesday. "Based on the statement of the girl, we registered case against three persons. A medical examination has confirmed that she was gangraped," Varkala Circle Inspector Vinod B said. The victim had gone with an autorickshaw driver, who was known to her, in his vehicle on the day of the incident. Two of his friends also got into the vehicle later. They then took the autorickshaw to a deserted spot and allegedly raped her, police said. The girl was in a state of shock and suffered from fits when she was found by some people who rushed to the vehicle on hearing her cries for help, they said. A team of expert doctors is monitoring the condition of the girl, who was admitted to the ICU of the SAT hospital at the Thiruvanathapuram Government Medical College on Tuesday late night from a private hospital in Varkala. Hospital sources said her condition is stable. "Doctors are frequently monitoring her health condition, which is stable now. Visitors are strictly prohibited," SAT hospital superintendent said here in a release. The incident comes days after a 30-year-old Dalit law student was raped and murdered in Perumbavoor in Ernakulam district on April 28. The incident sparked state-wide protest marches by students and rights activists. The Delhi Police has cracked down on a suspected terror module, arresting at least 13 suspected terrorists, of which eight are from Delhi and four from Uttar Pradesh. Sources told CNN-News18 that a special cell of Delhi Police targeted a homegrown network of Jaish-e-Mohammad. The 13 arrested are being questioned, following recovery of IEDs from some of them. According to sources, the terror module aimed at attacking sensitive places and major installations in the capital. Sources said that one radical Muslim youth from Inderpuri in Delhi and another from Saharanpur were picked up in the joint operation by the Intelligence Bureau and Delhi Police. On interrogation it was found that they had been in touch with JeM activist Yousuf Al Hindi, and also claimed to be the terror outfit's activists themselves. Eleven more suspects, who were in their contact, were arrested following their interrogation. The youth arrested from Delhi was injured after a bomb, which he was allegedly trying to make, exploded. The crackdown by the Delhi Police began late Tuesday night with five teams conducting raids in Uttar Pradesh and seven in Delhi. As of now, as many as 12 teams of the Delhi Police Special Cell are conducting raids in several parts of the national capital. Minister of State GM Siddeshwara revealed that a total of 16,68,416 four-wheelers and 1,01,014 two-wheelers have been recalled in India since the code came into being. It was back in 2012 when the automobile manufacturing fraternity of India came together to form a voluntary code on vehicle recalls, in the absence of a government recall policy. Proving to be a windfall for the customers, the code has led to more than 17 lakh units (two-wheelers included) being recalled in the country since July that year. The countrys Ministry of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises recently revealed the recall numbers in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha. Minister of State GM Siddeshwara revealed that a total of 16,68,416 four-wheelers and 1,01,014 two-wheelers have been recalled in India since the code came into being. From this data, we have compiled a list of the most recalled cars (manufacturer-wise) in the country. While some names were expected to make it to this rather scandalous list, the others are likely to make your jaw drop. 5. Maruti Suzuki Total recalled units: 2,05,964 Most recalled cars: Swift, Dzire When you are Indias largest car manufacturer, the share of your problems is expected to be proportionately large. Out of the four major recalls since 2012, Maruti had the hardest time in April 14 with a fuel leakage problem that affected the Swift hatchback the most. Other major recalls include the wire harness and battery concern in September later that year, and the door latch assembly issue that affected more than 33,000 Altos in March 2015. 4. General Motors Total recalled units: 2,56,597 Most recalled car: Beat The American manufacturers Chevrolet brand saw two major recalls in the year 2015, which were enough to land it on this list. First, in July 2015, the keyless entry remote issue landed it in the eye of a storm. Later in December, the brittle clutch pedal lever further spoiled the party for General Motors. The Chevrolet Beat was involved in both the recalls, with close to 1.5 lakh units being summoned back thanks to defects. 3. Ford Total recalled units: 3,20,877 Most recalled cars: Figo, Fiesta Ford earned a notorious reputation almost immediately after the recall code was put in place in 2012. The Ford Figo hatchback and the Ford Fiesta sedan were recalled beginning from July 2012 and the process continued till as late as end-2013. The former was troubled by a minor crack in the Rear Twist Beam (RTB) while a minor leakage problem affected mass recalls of the latter. Separate issues in 2013 and 2014 also saw the EcoSport and the Titanium being recalled for repairs respectively. Not to forget the recent mass recall due to the airbag issue. 2. Volkswagen Total recalled units: 3,31,664 Most recalled car: All cars with the EA189 engine (read dieselgate) The German carmaker was caught with its pants down late last year and led to arguably one of the biggest scams in the automobile industry. The cheat devise installed in the vehicles that were fitted with EA189 engine affected India too. Nearly 3.23 lakh units -- of cars like Polo, Vento, Jetta and Passat -- were called back by Volkswagen; making 2015 the year that saw the highest number of recalls. However, Volkswagen India asserted that the recall was only to update the engines and not connected to the scandal in any way. 1. Honda Total recalled units: 4,56,092 Most recalled car: City If Honda leading this chart has left you surprised, be prepared for more. The Japanese manufacturers executive sedan and one of Indias most popular cars, the City is also the most recalled car in India. A total of 2,54,133 units of the executive sedan were recalled in the course of three years. September 2015 saw the biggest recall for the Honda City, with 1,40,508 units being pulled back to fix 'rupturing of inflator body due to excessive internal pressure at the time of airbag deployment.' With nearly 60 per cent of the total recalls since the voluntary code was adopted, the year 2015 was the busiest year for the industry in terms of recalls as mentioned earlier. If your car was one of the vehicles that were recalled or if you are surprised with the names on the list, let us know in the comments below. Source: CarDekho.com In the latest development in the alleged rape and murder case of 30-year-old Dalit woman, Kerala Police on Wednesday said that the key accused is being questioned in the case. Police sources told CNN-News18 that the accused has a history of being charged in drug-related cases. The incident that took place in Ernakulam on April 28 has sparked protests across the poll-bound stat, with the opposition alleging breakdown of law and order under the Oommen Chandy government. The issue was also raised in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday by CPM member MB Rajesh, who alleged that the police had failed in the probe as it did not act swiftly. Meanwhile, Chandy on Wednesday visited Perumbavoor and assured assistance to the family of the victim. He said that the government will provide all aid to the family if the election commission permits. He has also promised jobs to the victim's family. The victim's family said they were being targeted by their neighbours, who wanted them to shift from the place. Police suspect the killer was someone known to the victim as they have not found signs of any forced entry into the house. The law student, who hailed from a poor family, was subjected to rape and brutal assault using sharp edged weapons before being murdered at her house in Perumbavoor on April 28. She was found dead in a pool of blood at her one room home at 8 PM on the same day by her mother when she returned from work. Police have been questioning three suspects, of which two are the victim's neighbours and one is a close relative. Ernakulam Range IG Mahipal Yadav had said there were signs of strangulation, smothering and 13 injuries on the woman's neck, chest and at several other places of the body. Some reports said there were around 20 injuries and that the victim's intestines were pulled out. The crime has chilling similarities with the Nirbhaya case that took place in Delhi where a young Delhi student was gangraped in a moving bus in 2012. The girl later succumbed to her injuries. Business tycoon Vijay Mallya's resignation as member of Rajya Sabha was accepted on Wednesday after he sent in a fresh letter in a proper format. Mallya's letter was delivered by a personal carrier from London, thus making infructuous the Rajya Sabha Ethics Committee's recommendation to expel him from the House. The one-line resignation was in a proper format this time, and it was accepted by the House with effect from May 4th, sources said. Announcing the decision in the House, Deputy Chairman PJ Kurien said a resignation letter of Mallya dated May 3 was received by the Chairman. "He has accepted his resignation effective from Wednesday, May 4," Kurien said about the independent member from Karnataka who faces a case of loan default of over Rs 9,400 crore. The decision came on a day the Ethics Committee of Rajya Sabha, headed by Congress leader Karan Singh, submitted its report to the Upper House recommending the expulsion of Mallya with immediate effect, rejecting his defence on the matter and dismissing his resignation. Ansari's OSD Gurdeep Singh Sappal said on Twitter "Hamid Ansari, Chairman Rajya Sabha, accepts resignation of Vijay Mallya, resubmitted unconditionally & as per correct procedure." In other tweets he said that "After SG, Rajya Sabha wrote to Vijay Mallya on Tuesday informing the rejection on procedural grounds, a fresh resignation was sent again today. "2nd resignation letter was sent in original. SG confirmed from Sh. Mallya that resignation tendered was genuine, voluntary & unconditional." In his first resignation letter to Ansari on Tuesday, Mallya had said that he did not want his "name and reputation to be further dragged in the mud". "And since recent events suggest that I will not get a fair trial or justice, I am hereby resigning as a member of the Rajya Sabha with immediate effect," Mallya had said a day before the Ethics panel which was all set to recommend his explusion. Ansari had yesterday declined to accept his resignation as it was observed that the letter did not conform to prescribed procedures and did not bear signature in original. The Ethics panel also rejected the resignation letter on procedural grounds in its meeting yesterday while its report today, the panel dismissed Mallya's defence on the loan default case. Making the recommendation, the panel said "the Committee hopes that by taking such stern action, a message would reach the general public that parliament is committed to taking such steps as are necessary against erring members to uphold the dignity and prestige of this great institution." Earlier, the ethics panel recommended that termination of his membership would send out the message that Parliament is committed to taking action against erring members. Mallya's earlier resignation letter- sent on May 2 - was turned down by Rajya Sabha Chairman Hamid Ansari on procedural grounds. RS officials had pointed out that the letter did not bear Mallya's signature in original and that it was not as per prescribed procedure. With PTI Inputs. Here are some important reports from the biggest newspapers of India. 1.) IIT-B survey: 95% freshers are virgin, 75% okay with gays, 47% are believers A recent survey conducted on the IIT-Bombay campus for freshmen found 95% students had never had sex, but about 30% of them were in a relationship. Inspired by the Harvard Crimson freshmen survey, IIT-B's student newspaper -Insight- conducted a survey to appreciate the diversity of a freshman batch welcomed to the campus, the Times of India reports. The Powai campus for the first time looked at the beliefs and lifestyles of its incoming batch to find that most students were moderately liberal when it came to their political views and 75% of them were comfortable with the idea of ho mosexuality andor homosexual marriages. The survey looked at diverse topics such as students' background before joining IIT, their political and religious beliefs and post-grad plans. In all, 254 of the 875 freshmen who entered through JEE participated in the survey . 2.) UP officials fail to meet booze sales targets, suspended At a time when Bihar has banned sale of all types of liquor, Samajwadi Party in neighbouring UP has penalised excise inspectors for not meeting sale targets and low revenue collections in 2015-16. The state government on Tuesday suspended almost the entire team of excise inspectors in Mathura for non-allotment of 63 of the 680 countrymade liquor shops in the district and for generating lower profits in sale of Indian-made foreign liquor (IMFL) in the last fiscal as compared to 201415. The move has, in fact, spread panic among excise inspectors across the state, as most districts have failed to meet their revenue targets in 2015-16. According to a Times of India report, three excise inspectors of Mathura were served suspension letters that mention that the action had been initiated against them as the district showed 24% fall in IMFL sales. The letter states both non-allotment of 100% liquor vends and lower IMFL sales as a serious matter. 3.) In jail, Peter sends wife `big b'day hug' Jailed murder suspect and former media baron Peter Mukerjea sent a loving letter to his wife and main accused Indrani, also imprisoned, on her birthday this January. I will pray that you can prove your innocence and get clear of this nightmare in good time, Peter wrote in the letter, referring to the trial for allegedly murdering Indrani's daughter Sheena Bora. As per The Times of India, the one-page letter addressed to Indrani Mukerjea, UT 1146, Byculla Ladies Prison, Byculla, begins with Mumu, my dearest. Today is a special day in your life and mine too therefore. Your birthday is a day we have always spent together since we met and this is the first year we're so close and yet so far! The letter makes one more reference to the case. God is great and will see an end to this, and like Romeo & Juliet we will hope fully see each other soon-in court or at home one day... I hope it reaches you and gives you a moment of joy in all the sadness that everyone is going through -but most of all you and me in the process. This is a short note just for today as a real birthday special to touch you and reach out to you on your day and a big hug and moooah to you, he added, signing off with, Yours, P xxx. 4.) Not So Appy, Myntra to be Back on Desktops Fashion ecommerce retailer Myntra is withdrawing from its mobile-only strategy and will relaunch a desktop version of its website next month in an attempt to bring back lost customers and drive growth. The move comes a year after Myntra shut its desktop site and become an app-only store, triggering a debate among online players on whether this strategy will work or backfire, The Economic Times reports. 5.) For these policemen in Walled City, every day is a fryday When a metal container doubles up as a police post in this season, the result is a bunch of fried policemen. No, not literally, but the men posted here would tell you that the feeling is something like that. The two-room post is located in Old Delhi's Ballimaran. The area is anyway very hot, with the hottest place in Delhi according to a 2012 study - Sitaram Bazar - not very far from here, The Times of India reports. The metal amplifies heat, and with temperature shooting up to 46 degrees Celsius already, with two full hot months yet to come, the men on duty are worried that the worst is yet to come. And they can't seem to draw any comfort from a set of table fans and a water cooler installed there. 6.) Did farm fires lead to dip in air quality during odd-even? Uttarakhand was not the only region in north India witnessing large scale fires in the latter half of April. Nasa satellite images show a sharp rise in farm fires in Punjab and Haryana during the fortnight that coincided with oddeven II (OE-II) in the capital. Widespread fires raging in the two states since around April 20, as farmers burn their wheat crop stubbles, seem to have impacted air quality in Delhi during the last week of April. As per a report in The Times of India, air quality deteriorated sharply in last week of April, going from `moderate' to `very poor'. 7.) Bengaluru to Bhavnagar: Many moved offshore before RBI relaxed forex limits Indians had discovered the advantages of going offshore setting up entities in tax havens long before the government and Reserve Bank of India (RBI) allowed resident individuals to take money out of the country. The Foreign Exchange Regulation Act (FERA), aimed at conserving foreign exchange, did not deter them despite the threat of criminal prosecution, said a report in The Indian Express. Investigation into over 11 million files of Panamanian law firm Mossack Fonseca has revealed that many Indians preferred British Virgin Islands and the Bahamas as an ideal destination for incorporating companies in the 1990s and early 2000s. The scrutiny of data showed that lax regulatory environment in tax havens allowed companies to be bought off-the-shelf for a few dollars from the likes of Mossack Fonseca with few questions asked. 8.) Eye on medical tourism, Govt clears e-visas for patients IN A major boost to medical tourism, the Centre is set to announce e-visas for patients seeking prolonged treatment in recognised healthcare centres. Sources told The Indian Express that the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has agreed to this move, on the intervention of the Prime Ministers Office, and the announcement is likely to be made after the current session of Parliament. The MHA, however, turned down the tourism ministrys request for e-visas for meetings, conferences and events, sources said. 9.) From Mumbai shanties to 18-storey building: 255 families from Dharavi move into new homes Even as its overall plan of giving momentum to the decade-old Dharavi redevelopment plan is on shaky ground, the state government on Tuesday, in a low-profile function, moved a handful of residents to the only building ready under the much-delayed Dharavi redevelopment plan. The erstwhile Congress-NCP government had started the construction of this building before the 2014 polls to show some movement in the Rs 25,000-crore project during its reign. The Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA) handed over keys to new 300-sqft homes to 255 families from the neighbouring Shatabdi Nagar slum, reported The Indian Express. 10.) Blaze closes in on famous Kalka-Shimla rail track Forest fires raging in the Himalayan region crept perilously close to a famous British-era railway track on Tuesday, as panicked residents fought off blazes threatening to engulf their homes. Dubbed the toy train and dotted with tiny wooden stations, the narrow-gauge Kalka-Shimla railway in Himachal Pradesh state is a UNESCO world heritage site attracting thousands of tourists each year. Fires sweeping through pineforested areas drew closer to at least three towns across the northern state, famed for its snowy peaks and flowing rivers, while a boarding school was forced to evacuate, reported Hindustan Times. New Delhi: The Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) has come out in support of the Delhi government's odd-even plan. According to the CSE, air pollution dipped during the first 10 days of the scheme. However, an increase in air pollution was registered post April 23 due to crop burning and forest fires, in Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh. The CSE has questioned reports released by organisations like India Spend which suggest the odd-even scheme did not reduce pollution in the capital. The agency concluded that the car rationing scheme is an important measure to help control worsening of pollution. But this should be implemented along with longer term solutions for lasting air quality gains. Meanwhile, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal congratulated Delhiites for making the second phase of odd-even scheme a "success". The fate of its next edition will be decided only after a report of comparative study of the two phases by a committee set up by government. Bengaluru: Fishes are dying in Bengaluru lakes, and pollution and contaminated water are not the only reasons. Indian Institute of Science (IISC) scientists have come out with a new finding behind the death of lakhs of fishes belonging to the native species in the last few years. They claim that introduction of exotic fish species such as African Catfish and Tilapia which are a threat to the native fish along with ammonia toxicity are responsible for the catastrophe. Exotic fish species eliminate native biota and affect local biodiversity, concludes the study led by Dr TV Ramachandra. More such fish-kills could be in the offing due to the indiscriminate growing of such species in lakes across Bengaluru, says a report in Deccan Herald. According to scientists African Catfish is highly predatory and can weigh up to 60 Kilos. It feeds on other species. To save the native fish, the scientists suggest complete eradication of African Catfish from the lakes and other water bodies. Moreover, untreated inflow of sewage into lakes is also responsible for the death of native fish in large numbers. The rising temperature is also leading to depletion of dissolved oxygen killing the native fish. Speaking to News18 Karnataka Law, Parliamentary Affairs and Higher Education Minister TB Jayachandra said that the government was worried about it and they would introduce strict guidelines to regulate the introduction of "foreign" fish. New Delhi: Italian judge Marco Maria Maiga, who passed the landmark judgment in the AgustaWestland Chopper scam, has accused the former UPA government of not cooperating with the probe. "I can say what is written in the judgement, that Italian authorities and Italian prosecutors asked Indian authorities to send all documents about this deal starting from 2002 - the first deal. But we received only three documents that were suitable for Italian authorities," judge Maiga told CNN-News18 in a telephonic interview. It goes against claims by the Congress, especially by former Defence Minister AK Antony, that UPA former government acted promptly and aggressively to try and nail those who took bribes in the VVIP chopper deal. Judge Maiga also said there was evidence that former Air Chief SP Tyagi and his cousins received kickbacks to change specifications of the chopper deal. "In the judgment, we said that the family Tyagi and Shashi Tyagi received money from the two Italian accused Mr Haschke and Mr Spangolini to help Agusta Westland in the deal. But it is important to clarify that our judgement at the moment is not a final judgement because we have to wait for a decision of the 3rd degree ( superior court)," he said. Tyagi and his relatives have already denied this allegation. Haschke's Note Authentic Tyagi is already being questioned by the Central Bureau of Investigation on the various meetings he had with top officials of Agustas parent company Finmeccanica. The CBI is yet to establish any money trail in the case but judge Maiga asserted that prima facie there is enough material to launch an investigation. Maiga also confirmed that middleman Guido Haschke's hand-written document which mentions names of IAF officers, bureaucrats and politicians is authentic. Haschke's note mentions a name 'AP' which ruling members claim is code for Sonia Gandhi's political adviser Ahmed Patel. AgustaWestland's Rs 3,600 crore contract for supplying 12 VVIP choppers to the Indian Air Force was scrapped by the UPA government over charges of kickbacks to Indian agents. The contract was cancelled in 2013, and CBI started investigating the matter. The bodies of four terrorists gunned down by security forces during the attack on the Pathankot Indian Air Force base were buried by Punjab Police at 2 am on May 4 at a Muslim burial ground. Top government sources say the burial took place after a wait of four months. They added that it was unfortunate that Pakistan didn't claim the bodies despite filing an FIR in its own country. Even the Pakistani Joint Investigation Team didn't bother to see the bodies of the terrorists during its visit to the Pathankot IAF base. The place of burial is near to the place where the bodies of three terrorists involved in July 2015 Dinanagar Police Station attack were buried. The Pathankot IAF facility, located near the border with Pakistan, is the base of MiG-21 fighter planes and MI-25 attack helicopters. The Pakistani terrorists had stormed the base on January 2, 2016 and engaged the forces in a fierce gunbattle which lasted for more than two days. New Delhi: Congress on Tuesday virtually dismissed reports that Rahul Gandhi would be projected as the party's chief ministerial candidate in poll-bound Uttar Pradesh, stating that he is the leader of Congress all over the country. "All discussions with regard to Uttar Pradesh will be done by Congress Working Committee and the leadership. The Congress Vice President, along with the Congress President leads the party all over the country," party spokesman Jyotiraditya Scindia told reporters. Asking speculators "not to make any hasty judgement", he said the strategy for Uttar Pradesh, where Assembly polls are due in 2017, would be decided soon. Scindia was reacting to reports of party poll strategist Prashant Kishor's suggestion that Rahul Gandhi be made Congress' face in the 2017 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections. On Monday, party spokesman Jairam Ramesh had said that Congress expected Rahul to take over as party chief during the current year. As per party sources, there are likely to be changes in the Uttar Pradesh Congress this month. Nirmal Khatri is the PCC chief while Pradip Mathur is the CLP leader. Congress has been in political wilderness in Uttar Prdaesh since 1989, which saw the emergence of Mayawati-led BSP and rise of issues like 'Mandir and Mandal'. The party has been reduced to a marginal force in the state where it was in power for a long time after independence. According to sources, Rahul Gandhi's supporters are pitching for his takeover as party chief sooner than later. He was made the party Vice President at the Jaipur Chintan shivir in January 2013. Met Shri @laluprasadrjd ji and gifted him Patanjali products pic.twitter.com/K81nG1e81K Swami Ramdev (@yogrishiramdev) May 4, 2016 Baba Ramdev has found an unlikely ambassador in Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad for the products manufactured by Patanjali. The yoga guru has made the former Bihar chief minister the face for Patanjali's gold brand cream, quite literally.A beaming Ramdev applied the gold cream on Lalu's face and claimed that the product ensured that the skin glowed like gold. He added that he had invited Lalu for the International Yoga Day on June 21.Lalu lauded Ramdev and claimed that some people are jealous of the yoga guru because his products are in demand. "He is doing a good work for the country. He is giving us natural products. Whatever he earns he spends it on charity," said Lalu.The two have not enjoyed a good relationship and in the past they have often targeted each other.While Ramdev is seen closer to the Bharatiya Janata Party and has often advocated its policies, Lalu has always been on the other side. He has been a strident BJP critic and minced no words to castigating its leaders and policies. Researchers who helped detect gravitational waves for the first time, confirming part of Albert Einstein's theory in a landmark moment in scientific history, will share a $3 million Special Breakthrough Prize, according to the prize's selection committee.The Breakthrough Prizes for scientific achievements were created by Russian billionaire Yuri Milner along with several technology pioneers, including Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg and Google co-founder Sergey Brin.In February, a team from the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) announced a pair of giant laser detectors had measured the tiny ripples in space and time first theorized by Einstein a century ago, capping a decades-long quest.Einstein predicted gravitational waves as part of his seminal theory of general relativity, which explained gravity as distortions in both space and time caused by bodies of matter.LIGO's three founders - Rainer Weiss, Kip Thorne and Ronald Drever, who dedicated much of their careers to gravitational wave detection - will share $1 million. More than 1,000 contributors to the project will also split $2 million equally."That's much more modern and much more the way that physics gets done," said Weiss, a professor emeritus at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, of the decision to honor the entire team. "You can't credit just the three of us for this."Researchers said the gravitational waves came from the collision of two black holes, the extraordinarily dense objects that Einstein's theory also predicted. The black holes, both many times the mass of the sun, were located 1.3 billion light years from Earth.The waves should unlock new ways to understand the cosmos, including black holes, neutron stars and the mysteries of the early universe."For us to spend basically a half-century since the three of us started working in this field, to have it actually be pulled off successfully in the manner we dreamed it was really remarkable and wonderful," said Thorne, who is retired from the California Institute of Technology. "I'm forever grateful to the team that got it done."The winners will be honored at a December ceremony, when the regular annual awards for physics, life sciences and mathematics will also be announced. The Special Breakthrough Prize can be conferred at any time to mark "an extraordinary scientific achievement."Edward Witten, a prominent physicist who heads the physics prize selection committee, said the discovery's magnitude warranted immediate recognition."There are a lot of basic things about Einstein's theory of relativity that seemed like science fiction when I was a student," Witten said. "This is the first time we've seen the full force of Einstein's theory of gravity at work." Design-wise, the cars are as different as chalk and cheese. While the Innova Crysta follows the traditional MPV design directive to the T, the XUV500 is a butch crossover that has an imposing presence. We Indians love the Toyota Innova there's no other way of saying it! What else justifies sales of close to six lakh units over a span of a decade? Yes, the good ol' Innova has been a darling of the chauffeur driven seth and the taxi market at large. That said, it was a boring design and was utilitarian for the sticker price. With the Crysta, Toyota has addressed those issues. It looks like a business lounge on wheels, and from the inside it is one! On the other end of the spectrum is the Mahindra XUV500. A vehicle that had all imaginable creature comforts stuffed into it, from the word go. Yes, there have been some niggling concerns over reliability and quality. Nonetheless, the XUV has been the poster boy for Mahindra, packing technology cars a segment above usually have. Wondering how the Crysta stacks up against the Mahindra? We have the answer! Dimensions and Design Design-wise, the cars are as different as chalk and cheese. While the Innova Crysta follows the traditional MPV design directive to the T, the XUV500 is a butch crossover that has an imposing presence. The Innova carries clean and understated looks. Nothing feels out of place, and bits like the smoked out projector headlamps, the large hexagonal grille and the 17-inch wheels make the Crysta look handsome. The Mahindra, on the other hand, is full of aggression. Elements such as the gloss-black grille with chrome whiskers, flared wheel arches and the sheer visual bulk of the XUV500 is likeable. Space and Seating Like before, the Innova Crysta is available as a seven and an eight-seater. We're glad the Crysta retains the widely loved captain seats for the second row, and are pleased to report that they are even more comfortable than before. The XUV500 is wider than the Crysta, but has a smaller wheelbase, thereby compromising on some legroom. Headroom is marginally better in the Crysta as well. Both cars also have a third row of seats. The Crysta trumps the XUV500 in this department too, with even more space both in terms of legroom and headroom. Engines Mahindra has stuck with its 2.2-litre mHawk motor for the XUV500, that generates a healthy 140bhp of power and 330Nm of torque. The motor can either be had with a 6-speed manual or a 6-speed automatic. Moreover, one can also pick between FWD and AWD. The Innova Crysta gets two diesel engine options a 2.4-litre and a 2.8-litre unit. The smaller engine develops 147bhp and 343Nm of torque, whereas the bigger unit develops 171bhp and 360Nm. While the smaller engine is available only with a 5-speed manual, the latter can be had only with a 6-speed automatic. Pricing Prices for the Mahindra range between Rs. 12.0 lakh - 17.8 lakh (ex-showroom, Mumbai). The Crysta starts at Rs. 13.84 lakh and goes all the way up to Rs. 20.78 lakh. For the same price (approximately Rs. 15.99 lakh) as a top-spec XUV500 manual, one can choose the Innova Crysta with a bigger 2.8-litre engine mated to an automatic transmission. However, at the same price point, the Crysta isn't as well-equipped as the XUV500 as it misses out on features such as leather upholstery, automatic climate control, projector headlamps, touch-screen audio system and a lot more. The only upside is that it has a bigger engine and an automatic gearbox for the same price. The two also cross paths around the 17.5 lakh mark. One can choose between a top-spec AWD automatic XUV500 or the VX trim of the Innova Crysta with the 2.4-litre engine. Here, the Mahindra and the Toyota are on par when it comes to features, with both getting some premium elements such as ambient lighting, projector headlamps with daytime running lamps and offering top-notch safety, with six and seven airbags respectively. The tables turn, in this case, wherein the 2.4-litre engine is available only with a manual transmission, whereas the Mahindra brings an automatic transmission to the table. Moreover, the XUV500 gets an all-wheel-drive setup as well. Wrapping Up One pays a premium of Rs. 3.5 lakh rupees for the top-spec manual Innova Crysta compared to the XUV500. The price-gap widens with the automatic, where the Toyota is expensive by nearly Rs. 4 lakh. While both cars are on par when it comes to features, one does get much better quality of plastics, a more powerful motor and Toyota's reputed reliability for the added price. In case you still need some help deciding, do check reviews of the XUV500, XUV500 Automatic and the Innova Crysta to get a better idea. Source: CarDekho.com Washington: Bernie Sanders said that his primary bid against Hillary Clinton was far from over, pointing to his victory in Indiana and strength in upcoming races as a sign of his durability in the presidential campaign. "I know that the Clinton campaign thinks this campaign is over. They're wrong," Sanders said in a telephone interview. "Maybe it's over for the insiders and the party establishment but the voters today in Indiana had a different idea." Sanders spoke to media after he defeated Clinton in Indiana's primary, predicting that he would achieve "more victories in the weeks to come" in West Virginia, Kentucky, Oregon and California. The Vermont senator acknowledged that he faced an "uphill climb" to the Democratic nomination but said he was "in this campaign to win and we are going to fight until the last vote is cast." Sanders' win in Indiana likely won't make much of a dent in Clinton's lead of more than 300 pledged delegates. Clinton is still more than 90 percent of the way to clinching the Democratic nomination when the count includes superdelegates, the elected officials and party leaders who are free to support the candidate of their choice. Sanders said in the interview that he would be the best-positioned Democrat to take on Republican Donald Trump, who is now the likely Republican nominee after Texas Sen. Ted Cruz dropped out of the race. "There is nothing more I would like than to take on and defeat Donald Trump, someone who must never become president of this country." Sanders said he had no intention to drop out of the race and rejected the notion that his criticism of Clinton's record on issues like trade, campaign finance and the Iraq war would help Trump. "There is nothing that I have said about Secretary Clinton that the Republicans are not more than aware of. They must have dozens and dozens of opposition researchers," Sanders said. "They will go into areas that I have chosen not to go into. They will be talking about emails. They will be talking about the Clinton foundation." Sanders said he wants to debate Clinton in California later this month, noting that both campaigns had reached an agreement in principle to hold the forum in the nation's largest state. Washington: Presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump on Wednesday warned American companies of "very serious consequences" if they shift their operations overseas. "We're going to bring back our jobs and we're going to keep our jobs. We're not going to let companies leave," Trump said after winning the Indiana Primary which propelled him to the position of being a presumptive nominee. "Now, if they want to go to a different state, good luck, compete. But when they start going to different countries, and in many cases countries that devalue their currency and makeit impossible for our companies to compete, that's not going to happen, not going to happen," he said. "If they want to do it anyway, there will be consequences and there will be very, very serious consequences," Trump said in his first major warning to American companies. The real estate mogul indicated that economy and trade would be one of his major election issues this summer leading to the November presidential elections in the fall, wherein he is expected to clash with the former Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton. Trump used the occasion to lash at Clinton and claim that the former top American diplomat has no understanding of trade. "She will not be a great president; she will not be a good president. She will be a poor president. She doesn't understand trade. Her husband (the former president Bill Clinton) signed, perhaps in the history of the world, the single-worst trade deal ever done; it's called NAFTA. And I was witness to the carnage over the last six weeks especially," Trump said. "Now, I've known Syracuse and I've known Poughkeepsie and I've known all of the different places that I visited in New York and then Pennsylvania and then Maryland,...and all of the different states, Connecticut, and I've witnessed what it's done really firsthand. And it has been indeed carnage," he said referring to shutting down of local industries in these cities and States. "And we're going to change it around. We're not going to let Carrier and all of these companies just think that they can move, go to another country, make their product, sell it back to us and we get only one thing, we get unemployment. Not going to happen anymore, folks. It's not going to happen anymore," he asserted. "God has given me a beautiful little girl. But life is difficult because I am still a child myself," says Lorena, one of more than 2,000 girls under 16 who give birth in Romania each year, some as young as 12. Cradling her baby, the 15-year-old who lives with her boyfriend and seven other families in an abandoned building, says she didn't plan to fall pregnant. "I would have wanted to have waited until later," she adds. A few kilometres (miles) away, Diana, also 15, says she cried when she discovered she was pregnant. "My life has changed dramatically," she says, adding that she misses not being able to play with other girls her own age. Abandoned by the father of her child, she and her baby live with her mother and six brothers and sisters. Lorena and Diana are just two of the thousands of teenage mothers in Romania. In 2013, 15.6% of first children in Romania were born to teenage mothers, according to the latest figures from Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union, published in 2015. It is the highest proportion in the EU, followed by Bulgaria where it is 14.7%. The Romanian Institute of Statistics says around 18,600 teenagers gave birth in 2014 including 2,212 aged between 12 and 15 years. More than two-thirds of whom live in rural areas. Charities and campaign groups believe that many come from the Roma minority, which numbers about two million in Romania, in which early marriage is widespread. "This is a complex phenomenon caused by poverty, by emigration -- which means many children are left to the care of grandparents -- and especially by lack of health education," says Gabriela Alexandrescu, head of Save the Children in Romania. "In the villages we went to, most young people had not had any (health education)," she says. Pregnancy for such young girls poses serious medical and social problems. Many young mothers are forced to drop out of school or suffer from depression and their babies are often premature. In 2015, around 60 non-governmental organisations called on the Ministry of Education to introduce health education in schools, describing the situation as "critical". They said educating young people on the subject would not just reduce the number of unwanted pregnancies, but also protect them against sexually transmitted diseases. The UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights last year urged Romania to adopt a national strategy on sexual and reproductive health, something the country's ministry of health says it favours. But a host of organisations have opposed any such move saying there is no proof it would be effective in lowering the teenage birth rate. "If this situation worries us then we have to start talking to parents to ask them to pay more attention to their children," says Cristina Benga, vice president of Parents for Religious Teaching. Alexandrescu, however, underlines that underage mothers often "come from vulnerable, marginalised families" and urged social and health services to play a bigger role. "Unfortunately, these girls only rarely see a doctor before they give birth," she said. For Diana, her experience of early pregnancy and motherhood has left her psychologically scarred. She says she now knows there are ways of guarding against pregnancy, and she is determined never to let the same thing happen again. "I will never marry," she says, "so that I won't have any more babies." Karen Simonton, Chief Administrative Officer for the Lynchburg region of OrthoVirginia, will be Central Virginia Community Colleges commencement speaker, the college announced in a news release Wednesday. Simonton attended CVCC in 1982 after graduating from Brookville High School at the age of 16. She went on to graduate from CVCC in 1985 and attended Lynchburg College, where she earned a bachelors degree in accounting, the release said. I was fortunate to find out that CVCC counselors and faculty were interested in seeing every student do well, Simonton was quoted saying in the release. Simonton, a Lynchburg resident, is an active member on the boards for the Jubilee Family Development Center and CVCCs Education Foundation, according to the release. The graduation commencement address is scheduled for 7 p.m. at Liberty Universitys Vines Center, 1971 University Blvd., Lynchburg. Virginia State Police said it charged two people with felony drug distribution offenses after the U.S. Postal Service intercepted a package containing about 16 pounds of marijuana with a potential street value of more than $25,000. Maurice Quentin Poe, 31, and Latasha Gertrude Wilkins, 29, each are charged with possessing more than 5 pounds of marijuana with intent to distribute and transporting marijuana into the Commonwealth, state police spokeswoman Corinne Geller confirmed in an email Tuesday. Poe and Wilkins were arrested Saturday after state police did a controlled delivery of a package that tested positive for marijuana, according to a search-warrant affidavit filed Monday in Campbell County Circuit Court. State Police Special Agent John Phillips wrote in his application for the warrant the 16-pound package was intercepted Saturday by the U.S. Postal Service, which obtained a federal search warrant to perform a field test on the contents. The federal search warrant was not available for public viewing Tuesday. Based on regional averages, Lynchburg Police Lt. Stuart Bowen said the street value of the marijuana is roughly $100 per ounce making the package worth an estimated $25,600. Phillips said the postal inspector performed a controlled delivery of the package to Wilkins, a resident of 129 Jubilee Dr. in Lynchburg. The affidavit said Wilkins took the package in a 2014 Dodge Charger to 664 Laxton Road, near Enterprise Drive, where she was arrested. In the car, Phillips wrote, he could see cell phones, money and two U.S. Postal boxes. The warrant allowed investigators to search the Charger for items related to banking or the illegal narcotic trade. In addition to two packages, investigators seized an iPhone, a Visa card and money, though the search-warrant return did not specify the dollar amount. The Chargers owner was identified in the warrant as Gertrude Elizabeth Brown. When asked about Browns relationship to Poe or Wilkins, Geller declined to answer, citing the ongoing investigation. The investigation remains ongoing, so we're not in a position to comment on any specifics as we don't want to jeopardize the case, Geller said in an email. According to Campbell County General District Court records, an arraignment hearing is set for Poe, of 1053 Wileman Road in Lynch Station, at 1:20 p.m. May 16, and for Wilkins at 2 p.m. July 12. The prosecution rested its case against a man accused of murdering a fellow University of Mary Washington student, while defense attorneys spent the trial's second day laying out the case for their clients insanity. Steve Vander Briel, a 31-year-old New Jersey native and former University of Mary Washington student, is accused of tying up, strangling and killing fellow UMW student Grace Mann on April 16, 2015, just a few months after moving into an off-campus house with her and two other women UMW students. The prosecution has a fairly straightforward case as far as Manns killing goes. They spent the early part of Tuesday introducing physical evidence tying Briel to Manns slaying. That included pants Briel was wearing when arrested that a forensic scientist testified had blood on them from Briel and Mann. Briel has admitted to killing his 20-year-old housemate. But his attorneys claim he was suffering paranoid schizophrenic delusions that led to the killing, and they are seeking a verdict of not guilty by reason of insanity. During much of Tuesdays testimony, which ran late into the night, the defense team rolled out friends and family who talked about Briels background and his seemingly odd actions near the time of Manns brutal killing in the Washington Avenue home. Several defense witnesses, including Briels mother and brother, recalled strange emails and text messages, along with Briel saying he feared his housemates planned to kill him. Jeremy Richmond testified that he visited Briel in jail and his longtime friend told him of his belief that two groups in the world were waging a secret battle and his housemates were part of it. Richmond also testified that Briel told him his housemates planned to kill him by poisoning. Friends and family testified that just prior to and after Manns killing, Briel didnt seem like the person they knew. Because of his conspiracy fears, Briel had begun staying in hotels to avoid his roommates and hadnt been sleeping well, according to evidence and testimony. But until shortly before the time of the killing, there was no cause for concern about Briel, his friends and family testified. They called Briel shy, caring, laid back and even naive. He was described as mostly normal growing up. In high school he was on the football team and was voted homecoming king and class president. As an adult, Briel was a musician who worked mostly menial jobs when not in college, which he failed to complete. There were some signs of possible mental issues, however. In one case, a woman Briel worked for as a dog-walker and house-sitter while he lived in Seattle testified that their relationship was fine until he accused her of secretly video-taping him at her home. Still, there was no cause for concern about Briel until about a week prior to Manns killing. His parents and brother testified that an email Briel sent on April 10, 2015, had them worried he was considering suicide. Prosecutor LaBravia Jenkins questioned the familys sincerity, insinuating that they didnt seem to take any real action regarding the email. The defense also highlighted text messages he sent to one of his roommates and his mother the day Mann was killed. In the texts, Briel said hed made a mess and seemed concerned that someone was at the Washington Avenue homes door. At one point, he asked his mother if he should run. He later sent a text to her that he was in the woods and asked what he should do. His mother testified that she wasnt sure what he was talking about and that she tried to help him find a way to come home to New Jersey, where his parents live. He planned to take a bus to his parents home, but police arrested him first. On Wednesday, the defense team is expected to call a psychiatrist who diagnosed Briel as a paranoid schizophrenic. On Tuesday, a psychologist who took part in testing Briel said the defendant showed high intelligence but also showed elevated signs of suffering schizophrenia. The scheduled three-day trial is set to continue at 9 a.m. today. The cooperative is looking to raise the capacity by 2020. New Delhi: Dairy major GCMMF, which sells products under the Amul brand, is planning to invest about Rs 2,500 crore to raise its milk processing capacity to more than 38 million litres per day in the next four years. "There has been rise in milk demand across the country and therefore, we are planning to raise our milk processing capacity by another 10 million litres per day from current capacity of 28.1 million litres per day (mltpd)," Gujarat Co-operative Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF) Managing Director R S Sodhi told PTI. The cooperative is looking to raise the capacity by 2020, which will require an investment of about Rs 2,500 crore, Sodhi added. "As of now, we are looking to establish one plant each for milk processing in Kolkata and Mumbai and two more plants in Gujarat. Besides this, we have plans to raise the capacity in few existing plants," he said. The cooperative has about 60 various processing plants, of which 40 are in Gujarat only. About 50 per cent of Amul's turnover comes from milk sale only, commodity business contributes 5-7 per cent and the rest comes from value-added products segment. Besides milk, the cooperative is focusing on value-added products like cheese and has raised cheese producing capacity three times to 120 tonnes per day from 40 tonnes per day in the last six months, as it was unable to meet the rising demand, he added. In the last six years, the dairy cooperative's turnover has jumped nearly three-fold to Rs 23,000 crore and is aiming to more than double it to Rs 50,000 crore by 2020, Sodhi said. There are 17 member unions of GCMMF associated with more than 36 lakh farmers across 18,600 villages of Gujarat. The member unions of GCMMF have also established their own milk processing plants in Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal and Rajasthan and is procuring milk from other states. CHRISTIANSBURG A judge in the Nicole Lovell case ruled Tuesday that a defendant will not be allowed to film her own preliminary hearing later this month. Montgomery County Juvenile and Domestic Relations Judge Robert Viar entered an order Tuesday denying the motion for the cameras after the judge heard arguments on the matter last month. Viar offered no explanation in the order beyond his denial. The decision comes after lawyers for Natalie Keepers who has been charged in the teens death along with David Eisenhauer argued traditional court audio recordings wouldnt be good enough. Video is able to capture the subtleties in the expression and mannerism of each witness in ways audio recordings cannot, according lawyer John Robertsons motion filed in March. Those subtleties, he argued, may be key to Keepers defense by showing a jury how someone changed their testimony at trial somewhere down the line. But Montgomery County Commonwealths Attorney Mary Pettitt, who is prosecuting the Virginia Tech students accused of plotting to kill Lovell, said her office was unable to find any other criminal case in Virginia that has allowed a defense team to film proceedings. She added that the use of stenographers and audio recording equipment is routine, and she would not object to that. Media usually requests this kind of video access, but Robertson was arguing for Keepers own cameras to be allowed into the May 20 preliminary hearing, while at the same time saying press cameras should be banned. According to the Montgomery County Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court clerks office, about eight news agencies have already requested photo access to the Keepers and Eisenhauer cases, including The Roanoke Times, WDBJ (Channel 7) and CBS' 48 Hours. Viar had not ruled on the press motions as of Tuesday afternoon. Legal experts largely didnt know what to make of the lawyers' request after it was argued at a hearing last month. Some said theres no reason it should be denied, others like Radford University criminal justice professor Tod Burke said there wasnt much precedent to suggest what the judge would do. Keepers has been charged with accessory before and after the fact in Lovell's slaying and concealing a dead body. Eisenhauer is charged with abduction and first-degree murder. The Donald Trump rampage still hard to believe, after nearly a year is a symptom of something deeper and more profound: the Republican Partys slide into complete incoherence. Rarely has a major partys establishment been so out of touch with its voting base. Rarely have so many experienced politicians (Jeb Bush, Scott Walker, Marco Rubio, Rick Perry et al.) been so thoroughly embarrassed, and so cruelly dispatched, by a political neophyte. Rarely have feelings been so raw that one leading Republican (John Boehner) would publicly describe another (Ted Cruz) as Lucifer in the flesh. What does the GOP believe in? There was a time when anyone with a passing interest in politics could have answered that question. Today, who knows? This ideological disintegration has been years in the making. I believe one fundamental cause is that after winning the allegiance of millions of Reagan Democrats mostly white, blue-collar, Southern or rural the party stubbornly declined to take their economic interests into account. Traditional Republican orthodoxy calls for small government, low taxation, tight money, deregulation, free trade and cost-saving reforms to entitlement programs. If I were independently wealthy, that might seem an agreeable set of policies. Ditto if I were one of the small-business owners to whom GOP candidates sing lavish hymns of praise. But most working-class Republicans are, get ready for it, working-class. They are more Sams Club than country club. They dont own the business, they earn wages or a salary; and trickle-down economics has not been kind to them. Their incomes have been stagnant for a good 20 years, they have seen manufacturing jobs move overseas and job security vanish, they have less in retirement savings and home equity than they had hoped, and they see their young-adult children struggling to get a start in life. This segment includes military families that have borne the awful weight of more than a decade of war. Repeated deployments to Afghanistan and Iraq have caused tremendous strain; wounded warriors have returned bearing grievous physical and psychological scars. What adjustments did the GOP establishment make for these voters? None. Most of the governors, senators and former-somebodies who ran for the presidential nomination, and failed, offered nothing but flag-waving pep talks and demagoguery on social issues along with promises to stick with trickle-down orthodoxy and intervene in trouble spots around the world. Only Rick Santorum and Mike Huckabee, who were dismissed as yesterdays news, seemed to realize that working-class Republicans even existed. Did Trump cunningly craft a message for these orphaned voters, or did he stumble across his populist appeal by way of beginners luck? At this point, it hardly matters. He offers policies, however far-fetched, that address their wants and needs. He rails against the free trade pacts that he says robbed the nation of manufacturing jobs. He promises not to cut entitlements and often hints at boldly expanding them. He pledges an America first foreign policy that withdraws from entanglements and eschews interventions. Trump also plays on these voters insecurities, resentments and fears. He makes Hispanic immigrants and Muslims his scapegoats. He goes beyond attacking President Obamas policies to also impugn his identity in effect, portraying the president as the incarnation of demographic change that many white Americans fear. And Trump delegitimizes establishment Republicans by painting them as cogs in a system that is rigged to favor the rich and powerful. (In this, hes basically right.) Faced with Trumps challenge, GOP grandees have failed to react in any meaningful way. Trumps closest challenger for the nomination is the least-liked Republican in the Senate, a man who believes the partys problem is that its presidential candidates havent been orthodox enough. In no way do I minimize the ugly side of Trumps appeal the naked chauvinism, the authoritarian streak, the cynical appeal to his supporters worst instincts. But it is wrong and, for the Republican Party, suicidal to ignore the fact that he is doing more than merely rousing the rabble. Trump is filling a vacuum left by years of inattention to voters who have been patronized and taken for granted. The fissures he exposed in the GOP will not go away. The party now seems on the verge of anointing a presidential nominee who does not subscribe to many of the partys core beliefs yet who has absconded with much of the partys base. Post-Trump, Republicans will have a choice: They can develop new policies or look for new voters. Robinson is a Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist for The Washington Post. Email him at eugenerobinson@washpost.com. Liberty's Executive Chairman Gupta was the first businessman to express an interest in Tata's loss-making assets which include the Port Talbot steel plant in Wales. London: Two groups signalled their interest in buying the British assets of Tata Steel on Tuesday, offering hope that thousands of jobs could be saved after weeks of uncertainty. Sanjeev Gupta's metals group Liberty House and a management buyout team called Excalibur said they had submitted an initial expression of interest in buying the assets ahead of a 1600 GMT deadline. The two groups had been racing to submit their interest after India's Tata Group announced plans in March to sell its entire UK steel operation, which had been hit by cheap Chinese imports, soaring costs and weak demand. Keen to avoid the loss of 10,000 jobs, the government has offered hundreds of millions of pounds in support to potential buyers and said it could take a 25 per cent stake in the firm. Britain's Business Secretary Sajid Javid also postponed a major trade visit to Iran to focus on the future of the steel industry at home. Liberty's Executive Chairman Gupta was the first businessman to express an interest in Tata's loss-making assets which include the Port Talbot steel plant in Wales, and on Tuesday the firm said it had submitted a bid. "Liberty believes the UK steel industry can achieve long-term viability if based on an agile, sustainable, non-cyclical model," the company said a statement. Liberty confirmed that Macquarie Capital and the State Bank of India had been appointed as financial advisers for the deal. Indian-born Gupta, who established Liberty House while a student at Cambridge in the early 1990s, has said Port Talbot and its jobs could be saved if the giant blast furnaces were replaced with facilities to process imported slab steel instead. Excalibur Steel UK, led by Tata's UK strip products director Stuart Wilkie, also confirmed its interest, saying it had made huge progress in pulling together a plan that would enable the management and staff to take a stake in a strategic British industry. "We believe we have a large number of the pieces in place required to make this a success, including a management team with vast experience of steel making and processing," he said in a statement. "We are confident we can turn the business around." Last week, Prime Minister David Cameron visited Port Talbot and said any sale of Tata's British assets would have to cover the whole of the business. Britain's government has also offered help in lowering the cost of energy for steel works and with workers' pensions to try to save the industry but says its efforts are not linked to the EU referendum on June 23. Those campaigning to leave the bloc have seized on the crisis, accusing the EU of not doing enough to stop Chinese imports and have blamed the bloc's rules on state aid for preventing government intervention. Red Hulk, Ronin, and more: 10 Heroes and Villains whose secret identities were hidden from readers There's a longstanding superhero tradition of hiding the identity of certain characters even from readers Government must focus on structural reforms to put the country on the path of faster economic growth, a report by Kotak Institutional Equities said. (Representational image) New Delhi: Government must focus on structural reforms to put the country on the path of faster economic growth, as the "several reforms" implemented so far may not be enough in a fast-changing world, says a new research report. Referring to the weakness in Chinese economy and the resultant benefits to India, the report by Kotak Institutional Equities also said that a "neighbour's gloom will get you so far only" and the governments globally will have to finally use fiscal policies and implement structural reforms to fix the current 'broken' model. "We will not go through the usual laundry-list of reforms below but focus on 2-3 'crazy' ones, which the government can focus on a priority basis," it said, while seeking urgent measures for GST rollout, sale of stakes in the public sector companies for investing the proceeds in healthcare and education, and for higher number of courts and judges. The report noted that the government should implement GST as soon as possible and if need be, it should agree to the difficult conditions being demanded by the main opposition party. "We would note that GST is unlikely to be implemented until after the next general elections (2019) if the government fails to pass the GST constitutional amendment bill in the parliament in the next few months," the report said. Moreover, the government should look to sell its stakes in government companies and invest as much money as it can in education and healthcare. "Whatever the world may look like in the next 5-10 years, children/adults without basic skills will struggle to play a meaningful 'economic' role in the same," it added. The government should expand the number of courts and judges meaningfully and run courts in double shifts after appointing new judges to clear the pendency in the Indian judicial system, as this will help restore the common man's faith in the laws of the land, instill greater respect of law and institutionalise the concept of 'rule of law'. "Although the RBI governor's 'one-eyed king' statement generated a fair degree of controversy in India, we believe it is perhaps time that the government focused on a few critical 'must-do' changes to put India on to the path of faster economic growth and social development," it added. No one has a right to privacy But the debate is still ongoing with respect to privacy per se, the Attorney General said. Al-Rawi said he had information that the Opposition had written Independent Senators warning them about the effects of the proposed amendments. I understand the Opposition has written to all Independent senators...I say I understand, I could be wrong, the Attorney General said. I understand the Opposition has written to members of the diplomatic and consular corp. I could be wrong. This is the information that has come to me. Al-Rawi said the SSA had, according to annual reports, been involved in matters relating to combatting money laundering and the financing of terrorism. The SSA was in fact doing it, the Attorney General said. Let us now legislate it. The current SSA Act outlines its main functions in a list which is wide and not exhaustive. Among the main functions is acting as a centralised information centre for matters that could, facilitate the detection and prevention of illicit traffic in narcotic drugs. Al-Rawi said the detection rate was as low as three percent in relation to murders at one stage between 2010 and 2015. He said the National Security Council under former Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar acquired $1 billion in, surveillance equipment from Huawei. He gave no details. The Attorney General said policy documents drawn up by functionaries previously expressed satisfaction with the SSA Act, including its provisions in relation to the appointment of a director. He did not state if the scope of those documents included consideration of the widening of the SSAs powers to include probing serious crimes. Al-Rawi further stated, I want to put on the record the international agencies which Trinidad and Tobago cooperates with have insisted that they wish to do business with a country that has a formalised structure. Listening to our international partners, we have accepted the wisdom of that argument and we are taking forward now, by way of persuasion for acceptance before honourable senators, a structure of the SSA which is one which we think is better. During debate, Opposition Senator Wade Mark branded the Government modern-day Nazis, prompting Al-Rawi to object under Standing Order 46(4) which bars offensive and insulting language about members. Senate President Christine Kangaloo overruled the objection. With freedom comes responsibility The workshop was held in collaboration with the TT Publishers and Broadcasters Association (TTPBA) and the Association of Caribbean Media Workers, to commemorate World Press Freedom Day 2016. Estrada said, As (US) Secretary John Kerry said, Freedom of expression is one of our countrys core values and one which we will continue to defend both at home and overseas. Here in Trinidad and Tobago, press freedom is enshrined in the law and valued by society. But with freedom comes responsibility, Ambassador Estrada advised. Journalists all over the globe including the US and TT, he added, wrestle with the challenges of journalistic integrity. Some of our journalists, especially in the digital arena, can rush to judgement and publish a story before doing the necessary research and fact-checking. In his view, Estrada said, it all came down to leadership. And it was not a question of a persons position in a media company, but the ability, whatever ones position, to demonstrate the necessary moral courage, the necessary respect for interviewees and the general public and the integrity suited to ones position. Leadership can therefore come from anywhere in the hierarchy. No matter whether youre the Editor- in-Chief, or a junior reporter. He concluded There are journalists in other parts of the world who are being repressed, punished, even killed, for practising their profession. The best way to honor them is to maintain the highest standards possible, show leadership and moral courage, and give your best efforts at all times. If you do this, then you will keep the press, and the people, of Trinidad and Tobago free. Auditor General flags $33B overdraft Generally accepted accounting principles require that an overdraft of this nature be shown as a liability, says Ali in his Report on the Public Accounts of Trinidad and Tobago for the year ended September 2015. The document, dated April 29, 2016, was tabled in Parliament yesterday. Ali said the overdraft grew by 4.4 per cent of $1.4 billion in 2015. Once more, the Auditor Generals Department has reported problems at almost every State agency and institution, ranging from Government Ministries, the Judiciary, the Police Service and even the Integrity Commission. Yet again, the State paid millions to rent unoccupied property. In the Ministry of People and Social Development alone this was $47.8 million. The $275 million Motor Vehicles Authority building was another empty building. The Ministrys Senior Citizens Grant system was also plagued by major weaknesses. At the Integrity Commission, when asked to supply information on contract employment said 35 persons were employed on contract for $6.8 million. The Auditor General however, upon audit examination, found the figure to be 41 employees who were paid $5.5 million. Parliament, the Judiciary, the Office of the Prime Minister, and the Tobago House of Assembly were among entities listed as not responding to requests for information on a range of matters such as: payment to MPs, management of conflicts of interest, commitments, control over state property and letters of representation. The Report states that a signed financial statement for the US$5.6 billion Heritage and Stabilisation Fund had not been provided. This was reportedly due to the abscence of a duly constituted Board. The cost of the Couva Childrens Hospital is stated in the document as $1.5 billion, but a cable installation contract was not provided. Restoration projects remained behind schedule, with the auditor being unable to enter Mille Fleurs due to the advanced stage of deterioration Install the Newser News app in two easy steps: 1. Tap in your navigation bar. 2. Tap to Add to Home Screen. New Delhi: India has received USD 48 billion in remittances in the first nine months of the previous fiscal, the government informed Lok Sabha today. India, one of the top recipients of remittances globally, had received USD 66.26 billion in 2014-15 while the amount was USD 65.48 billion in 2013-14. Replying to a question, Minister of State for External Affairs V K Singh also said, as per policy, investments made by NRIs under schedule 4 of FEMA (transfer or issue of security by persons residing outside India) Regulations is deemed to be domestic investment on par with investment made by residents. He said existing policy allows special dispensation for NRI investments in construction and civil aviation sector. To a separate question on whether over 300 Indian students are facing action by US government for staying in that country illegally, Singh said the American authorities have arrested 22 brokers, recruiters and employers who allegedly conspired with foreign nationals to fraudulently obtain visas through a "pay to stay" New Jersey college namely University of Northern New Jersy (UNNJ). "This 'college' was created and operated as part of the US Homeland Security Investigations' (HSI) enforcement action in this matter," he said. He said, as per the US government, during investigation, it was found that 1,076 foreign nationals who previously entered the US on F1 non-immigration student visas to attend other accredited schools were found to have knowingly participated in the visa fraud by enrolling at UNNJ for the sole purpose of illegally obtaining or maintaining their non- immigrant status. "306 of these students are Indian nationals. It is understood that the US authorities have terminated the enrolment of all these students. "The US authorities have further informed that any student thus terminated, who chooses not to file for reinstatement or his or her reinstatement application denied, must depart the country immediately," Singh said. The minister said government was in touch with the US government and has emphasised that due process must be followed and there should be no harassment and injustice to the students. The Chinese do not use Google for online searches since the state has banned the globa search engine giant from its servers for refusing to comply with the censorship norms of the country. Instead the residents of China use their very own search engine named Baidu and have been doing so without any trouble for the last 16 years. However, it seems that the publicly listed company that has revenues in billions has run into serious trouble after it emerged that possible misinformation on its search engine resulted in the death of a student who was trying to treat his cancer. Just like Google, Baidu promotes certain content in the search results in return for advertising fees and it was one of those promoted links that led to the mishap. 21 year old Wei Zexi, a resident of the Shaanxi province in China, was searching for hospitals, where he could find a cure for a little known type of cancer. There are hardly any hospitals in the reagion where he could be treated for his condition, known as synovial sarcoma but according to the information he read on the website, his condition could be trated at the Second Hospital of the Beijing Armed Police Corps. The treatment was expensive and close to $30,000 was raised for the treatment by the members of his family. However, the treatment that he got at the hospital was erroneous and he was neither given chemotherapy nor a surgery was performed. M. Zexi detailed everything in a blog post prior to his death and accused the hospital of promoting and administering the sort of treatment that had not proven to be effective for his condition. The revelations have resulted in widespread fury among the Chinese public and search engine Baidu has come under attack from plenty of netizens. People's Daily, which is published by the Communist Party observed, "Companies that were involved in services that deal with human life should be particularly conscientious of their duties when conducting their businesses. Billions of net users trusted Baidu for their search engine and online forum services, the company is hence responsible for the trust and is obligated to taking up their social responsibilities." Well, Chinese electronics firm Xiaomi are now up to another project. A smart watch for kids? Because China! According to a recent administrator in their website, the product is true after all with a price point of around 46US$. While a proper smart watch from Xiaomi arrives in the second half of 2016, the company has launched a smart watch for kids. The Xiaomi Mi Bunny smart watch is currently exclusive to China and Xiaomi apparently has no other plans for their foreign markets. Since these are designed for kids, no normal features that exist on an actual smart watch might be found for the ridiculous price point of 46US$. The watch face is just a round dial with LED dot matrix display underneath that lights up to represent the message which the parent can send from the companion app. No this will be used to only send threat messages for the kids' parents and no proper social messaging activity like emotions, symbols can be transmitted. However, the watch apparently lets the wearable to make it a point to speak to the kids' parents. This is because the Mi Bunny contains a GSM module. It also includes a GPS chip along with GLONASS in-built that can precisely pin-point the kid's location just in case of an emergency. This information will be transmitted in real time. There is also a smart watch app that provides security to the user like navigating them to safe areas only like their school or their house etc. The wearable instantly begins beeping if the child goes off track without permissions. There is also an SOS button for the child to trigger in the case of distress that will shoot up an emergency alert to the assigned contacts. The Xiaomi Mi Bunny smart watch is powered by a 300mAh batter. Mi claims that it's enough to last 6 days of usage time. The data from the smart watch is encrypted at three levels, on the device, cloud and transmission. The Xiaomi Mi Bunny smart watch is waterproof as well. Thank you for reading! Please log in, or sign up for a new account and purchase a subscription to continue reading. New Delhi: Bollywood superstars Shah Rukh Khan and Salman Khan, who have crossed the age of 50, don't mind doing an item number or dancing around the trees. However, that is not the case with Bollywood star Sanjay Dutt as he feels it is not his age to do so. Sanjay Dutt, who is currently flooded with film offers, revealed that he is eyeing films that will suit his age. In an exclusive conversation with ANI, the 56-year-old actor said, "I am looking for roles according to my age. I am not in the age where I can dance around trees or do an item number. I am doing roles according to my age. I would love to do films like Hollywood actor Liam Neeson does. May be something like 'Taken'. So, I am all geared up to do some actions and emotional films." He further said, "For now, I am relaxing with my family. I will start shooting for a film in August and one Vinod Chopra film will start in October. Apart from that there is a biopic coming on me, after which I will be working on the sequel of ' Munna Bhai.'" After winning the hearts of millions with his character of Munna Bhai, actor Sanjay Dutt is all set to take his fans on an emotional journey with his upcoming film 'Marco Bhau'. Dutt said 'Marco Bhau' is an emotional story of a father and his daughter. Explaining the concept of his new film, the actor said, "Marco is a beautiful emotional subject about a father and a daughter. It is a journey of a father with his daughter. The story and plot of the film are very emotional." If sources are to be believed, newbie actress Kriti Sanon would be starring opposite Dutt in this film. Sanju Baba, who walked out as a free man after serving a five-year prison term in Pune's Yerwada Jail, is flooded with a lot of work, but he is enjoying spending quality time with his family, as of now. Dutt most recently landed in the national capital to attend Global Convention India Unimagined EEMAGINE 2016 where he spoke about his emotional life journey. Washington: Donald Trump has won the Indiana primary and become the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, something no political pundits predicted when the billionaire real estate mogul joined politics and announced his race to the White House last June. I am honoured to be the presumptive nominee for the Republican Party. It is time to unite our party and defeat Hillary Clinton, Trump yesterday said in a message to his supporters after winning the Indiana primary, where he got more than 52 per cent of the votes polled. His main rival, Senator Ted Cruz trailed behind by more than 16 points. Cruz later announced to drop out of the Republican presidential race. Soon thereafter, the Republican National Committee (RNC) chairman Reince Priebus said that Trump would be the presumptive nominee. We are going to make America great again, a confident Trump told supporters at his campaign headquarters in New York as he announced to take on Clinton, his potential Democratic rival in the November presidential elections. We are going after Hillary Clinton. She will not be a great president. She will not be a good president. She would be a poor president. She does not understand trade, Trump said, giving a brief glimpse of his campaign against the Democratic presidential nominee. In his remarks, Trump described Cruz as a tough competitor and appreciated his decision to withdraw from the race. I want to congratulate Ted Cruz. He is a tough smart competitor, he said of the Texas Senator with whom he had a bitter exchange of words hours before the result of the Indiana primary. Ted Cruz is one hell of a competitor. He is an amazing guy. He has got an amazing future. He is one tough competitor, Trump said. In his speech that lasted for a little less than 20 minutes, Trump talked about uniting the party and focusing on trade and economic issues. We are going to bring back our jobs, Trump said as he warned the US companies with consequences if they moved out of the country.Donald Trump, a New York-based real estate mogul who made money from constructing buildings, and a popular reality television star, joined politics about 10 months ago. For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Washington: Once a fieriest critic of Donald Trump and a former presidential contender, Indian-American Bobby Jindal has said he would vote for the New York billionaire if he were to be the Republican partys pick. I do think hell be better than Hillary Clinton, I dont think its a great set of choices. If he is the nominee, Im going to be supporting my partys nominee. Im not happy about it ... but I would vote for him over Hillary Clinton, Jindal yesterday told CNN in an interview. Jindal, a former Governor of Louisiana, was himself a presidential candidate till a few months ago. His popularity ratings dropped below one percentage soon after he launched a scathing attack against Trump from the National Press Club last year. Jindal had then described Trump as an egomaniac who was devoid of substance and dangerous. But yesterday, Jindal said he would vote for Trump arguing that he is better than Clinton, who is likely to be the Democratic presidential nominee. I think Donald Trump has tapped into middle class anxieties. Hes doing well in part because voters are responding to what he is saying, hes saying, look, hell fight for them, Jindal said hours before Trump won the Indiana primary and became the Republican presumptive nominee. But at the same time, Jindal said it would be tough for Trump to defeat Clinton. I think Donald Trump is going to have the hardest time beating Hillary of all the candidates that ran for president, he said. For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Washington: Senator Bernie Sanders has mounted a come-from-behind victory in Indianas Democratic primary, denying the former secretary of state a feather in her cap as she seeks their partys presidential nomination. Sanders, a self-declared democratic socialist, was ahead of Clinton by 53.2 per cent to 46.8 per cent with about three quarters of precincts reporting yesterday, although Clinton remained well ahead in the delegate battle for the nomination. For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: A prisoner, lodged at the Burdwan Correctional Home for the past one year, has been allegedly found posting his pictures and of other inmates on social networking site Facebook, thus causing a flutter among the administration here. Confirming receiving the report of prisoner Vishal Singh posting pictures of his and some other jail inmates for past few months, a top district official said, We are holding a probe. The official said none will be spared if any irregularities were found with respect to prison security. Singh was arrested a year ago in a narcotics case. The ADM said the authorities were also looking into allegations that he chatted on FB with outside friends and this was a serious charge. Superintendent of Correctional Home, Subharata Chatterjee said he was looking into the report. For all the Latest Viral News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Thiruvananthapuram: A Dalit nursing student was allegedly raped at Ayanthi in Varkala, an incident which comes close on the heels of the brutal rape and murder of a law college student in Kerala. A case has been registered against three persons on the basis of the girls complaint and investigations are on, police said today. The incident occurred yesterday near Ayanthi bridge in Varkala. The 19-year-old second year BSC nursing student had gone with an autorickshaw driver, who was known to her, in his vehicle. Two of his friends also got into the vehicle later. They then took the autorickshaw to a deserted spot and allegedly raped her. The girl was in a state of shock and suffered from fits when she was found by some people who rushed to the vehicle on hearing her cries for help. She has been admitted to the Thiruvananthapuram Medical College Hospital. The incident comes days after a Dalit law student was raped and murdered in Ernakulam district. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Wednesday granted time till May 6 to the Centre to appraise it about the feasibility of holding floor test in Uttarakhand Assembly. Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi told the apex court that he has conveyed the suggestion to hold floor test in Uttarakhand to the Centre but has not received any instruction so far. Rohatgi told the apex court that Centre is seriously considering court's suggestion to hold floor test in the state. We have no objection if government accepts the courts suggestion, said the counsel for sacked Uttarakhand chief minister Harish Rawat. SC has made it clear that even if the floor test is to take place, it will not mean the restoration of status quo ante, Rohatgi said. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Washington: A largest-ever analysis of microbial data has suggested that there may be around one trillion species on the Earth and 99.999 per cent of them are still undiscovered. Researchers at Indiana University in the US combined microbial, plant and animal community datasets from government, academic and citizen science sources, resulting in the largest compilation of its kind. These data represent over 5.6 million microscopic and non-microscopic species from 35,000 locations across all the worlds oceans and continents, except Antarctica. Estimating the number of species on Earth is among the great challenges in biology, said Kenneth J Locey, a postdoctoral fellow in the IU Bloomington College of Arts and Sciences Department of Biology. Our study combines the largest available datasets with ecological models and new ecological rules for how biodiversity relates to abundance. This gave us a new and rigorous estimate for the number of microbial species on Earth, said Locey. Until recently, weve lacked the tools to truly estimate the number of microbial species in the natural environment, he said. Many earlier attempts to estimate the number of species on Earth simply ignored microorganisms or were informed by older datasets that were based on biased techniques or questionable extrapolations, said Jay T Lennon, associate professor at the department. Until now, we havent known whether aspects of biodiversity scale with something as simple as the abundance of organisms, Locey added. As it turns out, the relationships are not only simple but powerful, resulting in the estimate of upwards of one trillion species, he said. The studys results also suggest that actually identifying every microbial species on Earth is an almost unimaginably huge challenge. The Earth Microbiome Project - a global multidisciplinary project to identify microscope organisms - has so far catalogued less than 10 million species. Of those catalogued species, only about 10,000 have ever been grown in a lab, and fewer than 100,000 have classified sequences, Lennon said. Our results show that this leaves 100,000 times more microorganisms awaiting discovery - and 100 million to be fully explored. Microbial biodiversity, it appears, is greater than ever imagined, said Lennon. The research was published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. For all the Latest Science News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Delhi: RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav seems to have become a new fan of yoga guru Baba Ramdev, who has attacked the politician several times in the past. The former Chief Minister of Bihar met Baba Ramdev in Delhi on Wednesday. ''People are jealous of Baba Ramdev because he is highly successful,'' said Lalu. ''His products are in demand and he is doing good for the country, he said praising the yoga guru. Holding a joint conference with Baba Ramdev, the veteran Bihar leader said what Ramdev earns, he spends on charity. ''He has earned everything through sheer hard work,'' he said. When asked by reporters whether he will promote Baba Ramdev's products, Lalu jokingly said, ''I am a permanent brand ambassador of his products.'' Ramdev said he has invited Lalu to attend the International Yoga Day celebrations. He also gifted several products of Patanjali Ayurved to Lalu. He also tweeted a picture of his meeting with Lalu. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: The Ethics Committee of Rajya Sabha today recommended the expulsion of beleaguered businessman Vijay Mallya. The committee was of the firm view that taking into consideration the gravity of the misconduct, a sanction not less than termination of membership from the House is warranted under the circumstances, the Committee on Ethics said in its 10th report tabled in the Upper House by its Chairman Karan Singh today. Having considered the whole matter, including Dr Mallyas letter, the Committee on Ethics unanimously decided at its meeting on May 3 to recommend to the House that Dr Vijay Mallya be expelled with immediate effect, it said. The Committee hopes that by taking such stern action, a message would reach the general publilc that Parliament is committed to take such steps as are necessary against erring Members to uphold the dignity and prestige of this great institution, the report said. The Upper House will now take a call on the recommendation made by the ethics panel in the report on the non-disclosure of liabilities such as the loans taken from different banks in his Assets and Liabilities Returns by Dr. Vijay Mallya, Member, Rajya Sabha. Mallya, in his letter in response to the panels offer to explain his position, has raised some legal and constitutional issues which are not tenable, because the Supreme Court has clearly upheld the power of the Rajya Sabha to expel its members for gross misconduct unbecoming of a Member of the House, the report said. The panel also said it is a matter of regret that Dr Mallya has thought it fit to impugn the (Supreme Court) judgment and impartiality of the Committee on Ethics as well as the entire House. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Jennifer Pierre of Fort Lauderdale, a student at Babson College, holds her prototype doll named Jaylen in a workroom at the school, in Wellesley, Mass. (Photo:AP) When Jennifer Pierre visits the toy store, she sees shelves of dolls that are mostly girls and mostly white. She wants to change that. Pierre, whos finishing a masters degree in entrepreneurship at Babson College, is launching a new line of dolls designed for boys of colour. One is meant to look like an African American boy, with curly natural hair. One is Indian American. Another is biracial. The goal is to give boys of all races a doll that looks like them, and that they can be proud of. Her new company is called Melanites, a reference to melanin, the pigment that gives skin its colour. Were a toy company, but were trying to become a whole brand that celebrates brown boyhood, said Pierre, 23, of Pompano Beach, Florida. I want it to be normal for a kid to go into the aisle and see themselves on the shelf. (Photo: AP) For now, Pierre is taking orders while she tries to raise $35,000 to manufacture the first dolls. She hopes to have the first batch delivered by Christmas and sell them online and in specialty stores afterward. The first prototype is an 18-inch doll named Jaylen, designed to look like a young black boy. Its made of plastic, with limbs that can bend and twist like a big action figure. To boost appeal for boys, Pierre plans to advertise them as action pals, not dolls. But part of her goal is to erode the idea that dolls are for girls. She wants to blur gender lines in the toy industry, and to move away from action figures that depict men with guns and big muscles. Parents are tired of the pink aisle and the blue aisle, Pierre said. They want something they can give to their sons to teach them empathy, or to inspire them. Mumbai: Actor Manoj Bajpayee is fine not doing commercial films and will sign such movies when he needs money. The actor carved a niche for himself in B-town with films like Satya, Shool, Pinjar, Rajneeti, Gangs Of Wasseypur, Aligarh and others. I would do commercial films when I need money. As of now no commercial films for me. Commercial films dont need me. They have talented people there. I do get offers for commercial cinema but the offers are less, Bajpayee told PTI. He will be seen next in Traffic where he plays the role of a traffic policeman. Directed by late Rajesh Pillai, Traffic is the remake of a 2011 Malayalam film of the same name. It is inspired from an actual event that happened in Chennai where a doctor couple donated organs of their 15-year-old son who died in a road accident. I was enamoured seeing the original film. Its a great story, which is inspirational, Bajpayee said. Several actors from Bollywood, including Aamir Khan, Shah Rukh Khan, have talked good about the film. The Aligarh actor feels the praise for Traffic from actors will eventually help the film in gaining attention of the audience. To get into the skin of the character, the 47-year-old actor followed the vision of his director. As an actor, one has to observe things. In real life you keep meeting different kind of people and you use that experience in your work, Bajpayee said. Also starring, Jimmy Shergill, Prosenjit Chatterjee, Parambrata Chatterjee and Divya Dutta, Traffic is set to release on May 6. For all the Latest Entertainment News, Bollywood News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Mumbai: Megastar Amitabh Bachchan says he was touched when President Pranab Mukherjee mentioned him during his speech at the 63rd National Awards ceremony. Bachchan earned the best actor honour for his delightful performance as a hypochondriac father in Shoojit Sircars Piku. The president called Bachchan living legend while raving about the mix of veterans and newcomers in the list of winenrs at this years National Awards. Back from Delhi and National Award! So humbled and touched, for President of India to take my name in his speech! the 73-year-old actor tweeted. Bachchan was accompanied by his family to the ceremony. It was his fourth National award and son Abhishek Bachchan, daughter-in-law Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, wife Jaya Bachchan and daughter Shweta Nanda turned up at the ceremony here to cheer for the actor. For all the Latest Entertainment News, Bollywood News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Mumbai: Actor Ankur Bhatia says he was in awe of actress Aishwarya Rai Bachchan while shooting for Sarbjit, and feels she has given one of her careers best performances in the upcoming biopic. Directed by Omung Kumar, the movie is based on Sarabjit Singh, an Indian national, who died following an assault by fellow prisoners at a Pakistani jail. The film stars Randeep Hooda in the titular role and Aishwarya as Sarabjits sister Dalbir Kaur. Ankur, who plays Aishwaryas husband in the film, is all praise for the 42-year-old Jazbaa actress. Sarbjit is one of her best films and performances. I was completely in awe of her. She is a huge star, but at the same time very jolly, nice and humble. She used to talk about her baby and made sure everybody was comfortable on the sets, the actor told PTI. Ankur, who resides in New York, began his career in 2010 in Payal Sethis Grant St Shaving Co, which was produced by filmmaker Mira Nair. He then went on to work in a negative role in Apurva Lakhias Zanjeer, which also starred Sanjay Dutt and Priyanka Chopra. For his role in Sarbjit, the actor had to undergo several rounds of audition and grow his beard to look like a sardar. I had actually auditioned for a film called Mehrunnisa which was being directed by Sudhir Mishra. That film never got made. Later, I was asked to record some scenes of Sarbjit and send it to the casting directors before I finally went to Omung Kumars office and gave the audition. Ankur says the role was demanding as he had to portray the conflict of a character, whose age group he did not identify with. Baldev is a man who loves his wife very much, but also feels he doesnt get that much of attention as his wife is constantly into the mission of rescuing her brother. It was very necessary for the conflict to come out..., he said. At times it was challenging because the character starts out as young and transitions into old. I did not belong to the age group, but had to keep myself in the zone of an uptight man which I am not in real life, the actor said. Sarbjit will release on May 20. For all the Latest Entertainment News, Bollywood News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: CBI today questioned former IAF Chief S P Tyagi and examined lawyer Gautam Khaitan for the first time after an Italian court held that bribes were paid to clinch the Rs 3600 crore VVIP Helicopter deal. CBI sources said both arrived at the agency headquarters this morning to appear before the investigation team. While Tyagi is being questioned for the third consecutive day today, Khaitan is appearing for the first time after Milan Court of Appeals order in Italy which claimed bribes were paid to get the lucrative deal. Khaitan who is an advocate and a former Board member of company Aeromatrix which was allegedly used to route bribe amount is named in the CBI FIR an one of the accused. The focus of the questioning is his alleged links with Italian middlemenCarlo Gerosa and Guido Haschkhe, CBI sources said. CBI had registered a case against Tyagi along with 13 others including his cousins and European middlemen. The allegation against the former Air Chief was that he reduced flying ceiling of the helicopter from 6,000m to 4,500m (15,000ft) which put AgustaWestland helicopters in the race for the deal without which its choppers were not even qualified for submission of bids. Tyagi has denied allegations against him and said that the change of specifications, which brought AgustaWestland into contention, was a collective decision in which senior officers of Indian Air Force, SPG, NSA and other departments were involved. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: Chinese smartphone maker Lenovo has rolled out update of Android Marshmallow for its Vibe S1 in India. The news was shared by the tech giants India head of product and marketing, Anuj Sharma on Twitter. A notification will pop up on users smartphones once the new software is ready to download and install. The download is reportedly 1.6GB in size, so its advised that one should update it on the Wifi connection. The phone is first smartphone with two front-facing cameras. Vibe S1 has also received a price cut recently. The smartphone was first launched at Rs 15,999 is now available at Rs 12,999 on Amazon. Madrid: Rafael Nadal easily defeated Andrey Kuznetsov 6-3, 6-3 to reach the third round of the Madrid Masters, while Andy Murray advanced after a hard-fought 7-6, 3-6, 6-1 win over 37-year-old Radek Stepanek. Nadal broke Kuznetsovs serve once in the first set and twice in the second to secure the win in his opening match at the clay-court tournament that he has won twice in the last three seasons. The Spaniard had four aces and no double faults against the 39th-ranked Russian to win his 11th consecutive match this year in 1 hour, 18 minutes. Nadal will next face either American Sam Querrey or Frenchman Lucas Pouille, who play their match on Wednesday. Nadal hasnt lost since his opening match at the Miami Open in March. The former No. 1 is coming off consecutive titles at the Monte Carlo Masters and Barcelona Open. Another win in Madrid this week would allow Nadal to match his total number of titles from last year, and boost his confidence even further heading into the French Open in three weeks. Nadal last won at Roland Garros in 2014. After struggling last season, the fifth-ranked Spaniard is off to a good start in 2016 and has been playing at a high level again. He has reached at least the semifinals in six of the eight tournaments he has played this year, with the early eliminations coming at the Australian Open and in Miami. Im happy with the way I started the clay-court season, Nadal said. Today, another victory, so thats great news. Im excited about this tournament. Nadal dominated yesterday by serving extremely well. He needed only eight second serves the entire match, and lost only five points on his first. He hit 22 winners and had only nine unforced errors at the Magic Box center court in Madrid. My serve has been solid, Nadal said. I served well both in Monte Carlo and in Barcelona. And its going to be vital to serve well here as well to have a good tournament. Nadal reached his 40th win at his home Masters. He has won the tournament four times, including in 2013 and 2014, but lost last years final to Murray. The second-ranked Murray had to battle hard to get past former No. 8 Stepanek, who on Monday became the oldest player to win a match at a Masters 1000 tournament since Jimmy Connors in 1992. Washington: The World Bank has warned that water scarcity, exacerbated by climate change, could impact growth, spur migration and spark conflict across the globe including in India where several regions are facing water deficit. A World Bank report High and Dry: Climate Change, Water and the Economy released yesterday said the combined effects of growing populations, rising incomes and expanding cities will see demand for water rising exponentially, while supply becomes more erratic and uncertain. Calling for need to enhance efficiency of water use in India, a top World Bank official said there is going to be mounting, increasing water deficits, or at least increasing demands for water across India. In India, property related violence increases by about four per cent when there is below average rainfall and communal riots become more frequent following episodes of floods, the World Bank said. In Gujarat, when groundwater irrigation became less available or more expensive due to a declining water table, farmers migrated to cities instead of seeking alternative adaptation strategies such as shifts in cropping patterns or more efficient irrigation technologies, it said. According to one estimate, groundwater pumping accounts for no less than four to six per cent of Indias total carbon emissions, the World Bank said. Water scarcity is a major threat to economic growth and stability around the world, and climate change is making the problem worse, said World Bank President Jim Yong Kim. If countries do not take action to better manage water resources, our analysis shows that some regions with large populations could be living with long periods of negative economic growth. But countries can enact policies now that will help them manage water sustainability for the years ahead, he said. World Bank Lead Economist Richard Damania said the climate models projections about the monsoons have wide variability; they come out with a number of results. For all the Latest Science News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Beijing: Taking exception to a US diplomats recent remarks that Arunachal Pradesh is an integral part of India, China today said it plans to seek a clarification from Washington as any irresponsible third party intervention in Sino-Indian border dispute will complicate the issue. The Chinese side has noted the report and will ask the US side for verification and clarification, Chinese Foreign Ministry said in a written response to a question from PTI here about US Consul General in Kolkata Craig L Halls comments that Washington regards Arunachal Pradesh, which China claims as Southern Tibet, as part of India. But clearly the statement by the US side is completely inconsistent with the fact, it said. Hall during his meeting with Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Kalikho Pul on April 28 in Itanagar said that the US government is absolutely clear that Arunachal Pradesh is an integral part of India. In its rejoinder, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said: China and India are wise and capable enough to deal with their own issue and safeguard the fundamental and long-term interests of the two peoples. The intervention of any third party will only complicate the issue and is highly irresponsible. The two countries last month completed the 19th round of border talks here by the Special Representatives - National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and his Chinese counterpart Yang Jiechi. The Line of Actual Control (LAC) covers the 3,488 km-long border. While China says that the boundary dispute is confined to 2,000 kms, mainly in Arunachal Pradesh in eastern sector which it claims as part of southern Tibet, India asserts that the dispute covered the whole of the LAC including the Aksai Chin occupied by China during the 1962 war. In its response to Halls remarks, the Chinese Ministry said: The boundary question between China and India bears on Chinas territorial sovereignty and Chinese peoples sentiment. All the third parties must respect the history and reality concerning the boundary question, respect efforts by China and India to solve territorial disputes through negotiations, not get involved in the disputes or take sides on issues relating to the ownership of disputed territory. As is known to all, the boundary between China and India is yet to be officially drawn. The two countries are striving to reach a fair, equitable and mutually acceptable settlement on the boundary question through negotiations. The two still have major disputes over the eastern section of the boundary, which is the reason why China and India negotiate with each other, said the Ministry. It further added: Sound negotiations between China and India on the boundary question as well as peace and tranquillity in the border areas over recent years have created favourable conditions for the growth of bilateral relations and their respective development. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Cairo: A top Egyptian court today acquitted former Mubarak-era prime minister Ahmed Nazif of graft and profiteering charges in a retrial. 63-year-old Nazif was charged of misusing his position as prime minister and involved in corruption with his family and gained about 64 million Egyptian pounds in the form of lands and apartments in Alexandria. He was also accused of establishing an institution for child development and took 35 million Egyptian pounds as donation from government but it was later found to be fraud. The former prime minister was convicted in 2012 of graft and profiteering and sentenced to three years in prison. He was also also fined of about 4.5 million Egyptian pounds and ordered to repay another 4.5 million Egyptian pounds for gaining millions during his period as prime minister. The Cassation court today acquitted Nazif of graft and profiteering charges in a retrial. He was imprisoned after Hosni Mubaraks ouster and released in June 2013 because he had spent the maximum period in pre-trial detention for corruption charges. In a retrial which took place in July 2015, the Cairo Criminal Court sentenced Nazif to five years in prison and he was also fined about 53.3 million Egyptian pounds. He and his late wife were ordered to repay another 48 million Egyptian pounds. But Nazif appealed the sentence again. In February 2015, Nazif was acquitted in another graft case in which he and former interior minister Habib El-Adly had been sentenced to one year and five years in jail respectively over charges of illegal profiting and squandering public funds. Many other Mubarak-era figures have been cleared of corruption charges in recent months. For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: Deputy Chairman P J Kurien on Wednesday announced that Vijay Mallya's resignation from Rajya Sabha has been accepted by Chairman Hamid Ansari. Cracking the whip, the Ethics Committee of Rajya Sabha had recommended the expulsion of liquor baron and Independent MP Vijay Mallya with immediate effect, rejecting his defence on the matter and dismissing his resignation. Mallya is facing a case of loan default of over Rs 9,400 crore and his resignation sent to Rajya Sabha Chairman already stands rejected. "Having considered the whole matter, including Dr Mallya's letter, the Committee on Ethics unanimously decided at its meeting on May 3 to recommend to the House that Dr Vijay Mallya be expelled with immediate effect," the Committee on Ethics headed by senior Congress leader Karan Singh said in the report. In its 10th report tabled in the Upper House today by Singh, the panel said, "The Committee hopes that by taking such stern action, a message would reach the general public that Parliament is committed to take such steps as are necessary against erring members to uphold the dignity and prestige of this great institution." The Upper House will now take a call on the recommendation made by the ethics panel in the report "on the non-disclosure of liabilities such as the loans taken from different banks in his assets and liabilities returns by Dr. Vijay Mallya, Member, Rajya Sabha." Rajya Sabha Chairman Hamid Ansari had on Tuesday turned down his resignation on procedural grounds while the Ethics Committee also found loopholes in his defence and decided to recommend his expulsion after having examined his reply. (with PTI inputs) For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. The woman was dragged out of a computer center in broad daylight and raped. BENGALURU: A night after the arrest of Akshay, a 24-year-old rowdy sheeter, who had attempted to rape a 22-year-old woman after kidnapping in Kathriguppe, was produced before the local court on Tuesday late evening. Magistrate Mohan Prabhu remanded Akshay to 14 days judicial custody. The incident took place on April 23 night, at Kathriguppe circle and the CCTV camera had captured the chilling incident. A senior police officer said that Akshay, a habitual offender, was remanded to judicial custody after interrogation, where he had confessed to the crime. The police also recorded the statement of the survivor, who narrated the incident and told the police that she decided not to lodge a complaint as she felt that such a move would adversely affect her. On Tuesday evening, the police after recording the survivors statement, sent her to Victoria hospital for medical examination. The police further said that her statement will be recorded once again before the magistrate soon. The victim, who works in a private beauty clinic, was dragged to an under construction building by Akshay, while she was speaking on her mobile phone in front of her PG accommodation. She managed to escape after biting his hand. When a team of police reached Akshays house to arrest him, he was preparing to leave the city. He hails from Ramanagra Taluk and came to the city many years ago. He has been living in Kathriguppe for past few years and was working with cab aggregators, added a senior police officer. For women danger lurks in every corner The April 23 April kidnap and molestation case of a woman hailing from north-east has shocked the city yet again, raising questions about womens safety. While the police have yet again failed making the city streets safe for its women, lack of police patrolling has become a major concern, as this fast growing city has only 154 policemen per 1 lakh population. Who should be blamed for April 23 incident at Kathriguppe - the city police, the BBMP authorities (as the area was not well-lit), the P.G. owner, the neighbours or the city residents, who remained mute spectators, while she cried for help. While the police claim that they are doing everything possible and taking up measures such as awareness programmes, community policing, regular beat policing and stepping-up night patrolling, however the safety and security of women in the city remains a farce. Dr Lalrinawmi Ralte (Rini), president of North-east helpline Bengaluru, told Deccan Chronicle, This particular incident is very fortunate from my point of view, as there was clear evidence in the form of CCTV footage. Otherwise, we deal with lot of obstacles when we dont have enough proof. However, the larger question remains still unanswered as where we are heading to? Why we are not coming out and helping each other. Former DG & IGP S.T Ramesh pointed out, The police come at the end in the abduction and the molestation case of a 22-year-old north-eastern girl in Kathriguppe incident. Be it the government, the criminal justice system, BBMP authorities, the local citizens of the society at large, or the police, all are stake holders in this case. It was a classic example of the by-stander apathy, where citizens were mute spectators to the horrific incident of abduction and molestation. The police have scant resources but multifarious duties to perform over a vast area. They cannot be held solely responsible for such incidents unless they are provided adequate resources. Having said this, the accused is a known bad element in the area of the police station and police will have to answer what preventive action has taken against this rowdy element. Islamabad: Pakistan army has for the first time confirmed reports about the sacking of senior military officers over corruption, a rare move in the country where the military wields enormous power. These officers were dismissed, punished and sent home in a single related case, Military spokesman Lieutenant General Asim Bajwa told Dunya TV. He said it took months to complete the investigation, which ended with the sacking. He claimed that action was part of armys aggressive drive to end every kind of corruption in its ranks. He said as part of military discipline action like the sacking of officers are not made public anywhere in the world. This news was not made public but was leaked days after the action was taken, he said. Bajwa said that a special branch of army deals with such cases and it reports to the army chief. He did not give further details but it was reported earlier that a Lieutenant General, one Major General, five Brigadiers, three Colonels and one Major were dismissed on corruption charges. Pakistan army is a powerful institution and has ruled the country for more than half of its history since its founding in 1947. Armys move to dismiss officers assume significance in the wake of raging scandal in Pakistan over embattled Prime Minister Nawaz Sharifs family offshore wealth after the Panama Papers leak mentioned his childrens name for having shell companies. Sharifs two sons and one daughter were mentioned in the Panama papers for offshore account and companies. Opposition leaders have demanded a probe into the scandal, with some demanding Sharifs resignation. For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Moscow: Russias defence minister said today that Moscow will set up three new divisions in the west and south of the country by the end of the year to counter NATO forces close to its border. The defence ministry is taking a range of measures with the aim of countering the build-up of NATO forces in close proximity to Russias borders, Sergei Shoigu was quoted as saying by Russian news agencies. By the end of the year two new divisions will be established in the western military district and one in the southern military district. Relations between NATO and Russia have deteriorated since Moscow annexed the Crimea region of Ukraine and eastern European countries are worried that they too might be targets of Russian aggression. In response, NATO has deployed additional military resources on its eastern flank. At its previous summit in 2014, the alliance decided to reinforce its presence along the Russian border, angering Moscow. Russiawhich first announced the creation of the new divisions in Januaryhas consistently accused the US-led military alliance of trying to contain it ever since the collapse of the Soviet Union opened up the former Eastern Bloc. Relations further worsened over Moscows air campaign in Syria and tensions have flared in the past month after incidents involving the US military and Russian planes in the Baltic Sea. US Defence Secretary Ash Carter warned Tuesday that NATO would defend its allies against Russian aggression as he presided over the passing of the alliances European command to a new general. NATO member Estonias defence ministry said the same day that Russian military planes regularly violate the ex-Soviet states military airspace, describing such behaviour as incredibly reckless. For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Dhaka: The Bangladesh capital was on high alert today ahead of a Supreme Court verdict on the nations top Islamist leader that could clear the way for his execution for war crimes within days. Jamaat-e-Islami party leader Motiur Rahman Nizami, 73, will likely face the gallows in less than a week if the court dismisses his final appeal tomorrow over crimes committed during the countrys independence war. Police said they had stepped up security in Dhaka ahead of the verdict because of fears of Islamist violence, although they added there were no specific threats from any group. Weve enhanced security in the capital. Officers have been kept on alert, Dhaka Metropolitan Police spokesman Maruf Hossain Sorder told AFP. Nizami was originally convicted of murder, rape and orchestrating the killing of top intellectuals as a militia leader during Bangladeshs 1971 war of independence against Pakistan. The Supreme Court upheld the verdict in January this year, but Nizamis lawyers filed a final appeal. Previous convictions of Jamaat officials triggered the countrys deadliest violence in decades, with around 500 people killed, mainly in clashes between Islamists and police. There will be extra security at the Supreme Court and at important sites in the city, assistant commissioner of police Shiblee Noman told AFP. The judgement comes as the Muslim-majority nation reels from a string of killings of secular and liberal activists and religious minorities by suspected Islamist militants. In the last two weeks alone, two gay rights activists, a liberal professor and a Hindu tailor have been hacked to death. Nizami, Jamaats leader since 2000 and a former government minister, could still avoid the gallows if he is granted clemency by the president. Three senior Jamaat officials and a key leader of the main opposition party have been executed for war crimes since December 2013. Since it was established by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasinas government in 2010, the International Crimes Tribunal has sentenced more than a dozen opposition leaders for war crimes. Rights groups say the trials fall short of global standards and lack international oversight. For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Houston: A trucking company worker, who was recenty terminated, today returned to the office and shot dead his supervisor before killing himself in Texas in the US. Another person was injured in the deadly shooting at Knight Transportation office in the Houston suburb of Katy, said Harris County Sheriff Ron Hickman. Other than he was terminated, we dont know anything about him, Hickman said. He parked right outside the building and came right in. Hickman did not divulge any information about the injured person. Police said the victim was an employee who was shot in the face with a bean bag fired from a shotgun. Knight Transportation is an Arizona-based trucking company with locations around the country. On its website, the company says it has a fleet of over 4,000 tractors and more than 8,800 trailers and employs nearly 5,000 associates. Katy is about 30 miles west of Houston. For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Social Justice and Empowerment Ministry has sought report from the Kerala govt on the brutal rape case. (Photo: PTI) New Delhi: Social Justice and Empowerment Ministry has sought a report from Kerala government in connection with the rape and burtal murder of a 30-year-old Dalit woman in Ernakulam district. The Department of Social Justice and Empowerment has sought a detailed report in the incident, a senior Ministry official said. "The victim as reported in the media is a Dalit but we have to verify the facts. Also, we need to find out if the accused belongs to non-Dalit community, because only then the case will come under Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Amendment Act, 2015. And as per the provisions of the Act, the benefits and relief will be given to the family," he added. Also, Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment Thaawar Chand Gehlot will on Thursday visit Rayamangalam village in Ernakulam district and meet the deceased woman's family. Gehlot will hold a meeting with the senior district officials, including the District Collector and Superintendent of Police. "The Minister will go to Rayamangalam village in Ernakulam district and meet the bereaved family of the deceased girl. After that, he will hold a meeting with the senior district officials including the District Collector and Superintendent of Police and others to verify the facts. Also to see how the family can be given help," the official said. According to sources, Gehlot's visit to the village is on instructions from the Prime Minister's Office. The woman, a law student from a poor family, was allegedly subjected to rape and brutal assault using sharp edged weapons before being murdered at her house in Perumbavoor on April 28. Three persons have been taken into custody by police for questioning. The 25-year-old Russian woman had alleged that she was raped by James at his guest house on April 28. (Photo: Representational Image) Panaji: Owner of a guest house in Goa's Pernem who allegedly raped a Russian national surrendered before a local court on Wednesday after evading arrest for six days. "James D'Souza has surrendered before Judicial Magistrate First Class in Pernem this morning. We were given his custody at noon," inspector Sanjay Dalvi attached to Pernem police station said. The 25-year-old Russian woman had alleged that she was raped by James at his guest house on April 28. In the complaint filed with Pernem police station, the victim alleged that James entered with master key of the room and raped her at 4.30 am while she was asleep. The accused went missing since the complaint was lodged against him. "We will be producing him before the court again to get the remand," Dalvi said. Goa tourism minsiter Dilip Parulekar had on Monday said police's failure to nab the accused was a shame for the state which will project a negative image in the tourism circle. He had also said that he would be writing to Home department asking police to expedite the investigations. New Delhi: With several members in Rajya Sabha demanding exemplary punishment for the culprits in the rape and murder of a Dalit woman in Kerala, Social Justice Minister Thawar Chand Gehlot on Wednesday said he will visit the village of the rape victim tomorrow. 30-year-old woman, a law student, who hailed from a poor family, was allegedly subjected to rape and brutal assault using sharp edged weapons before being murdered at her house in Perumbavoor on April 28. No formal arrest has been made yet in the crime that shocked the state triggering intense politicking ahead of the May 16 Assembly polls. Ernakulam Range IG Mahipal Yadav has said there were signs of strangulation, smothering and 13 injuries on the woman's neck, chest and at several other places of the body. Some reports said the victim sustained around 20 injuries and her intestines were pulled out. The crime has been dubbed "Kerala's Nirbhaya" for its chilling similarities to the 2012 gangrape of a young paramedic student in a moving bus. The girl later succumbed to her injuries. During the Zero Hour, C P Narayanan of CPI(M) raised the issue of the rape and murder in Ernakulam district of Kerala on April 28, terming it as a "dastardly attack" similar to that of the Nirbhaya incident in Delhi. He drew the House's attention that similar rape incidents occurred in Kasargod last week and in Thiruvananthapuram yesterday adding that it is a black mark and the police is not very active in apprehending the culprits. Deputy Chairman P J Kurien said, "It is a very, very heinous crime. It is most shameful for every Keralites." Several members associated themselves with the issue and demanded strict action against the culprits, with Tarun Vijay of BJP demandiing that a team should visit the state. Responding to the anguish expressed by members, Gehlot told them that he would visit the state tomorrow and meet the victim's family. "I will go to Kerala tomorrow and meet the family of the girl. I will help them in getting justice," he added. Vijay, who had raised the issue as soon as the House met, said it was a repeat of the Nirbhaya case and the Kerala government has completely failed to control such incidences. "God's own country" should not turn into a rapist country, he added. D Raja of CPI drew attention of the government towards the atrocities committed against Dalits across the country, adding that legislations have proved to be of no help. S C Mishra of BSP said that atrocities were happening across India. "The House is concerned. Stringent action should be taken and exemplary punishment given. Do everything possible so that such incidents do not happen," Kurien said. Parliamentary Affairs Ministers Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said the incident of rape and murder had crossed all limits and was inhuman. KOCHI: Women activists cutting across political divide held demonstrations in various places in Kerala on Tuesday seeking stringent action against the culprits involved in the brutal murder of Jisha, a Dalit student and a native of Iravichira near Perumbavoor in Ernakulam district five days ago. Demanding a fair and impartial probe, they expressed shock over the callous manner in which the police handled the investigation initially. Condemning police action and seeking justice for the victim, they took out a protest march from High Court Jn to the office of the city police commissioner in Ernakulam. They staged a sit-in before the St. Teresas College as the police prevented them from proceeding further. Addressing the protestors, writer M.K. Sanu said the brutal incident was a "blot on the humanity and the cultural heritage of the human society." "The police machinery has failed to investigate the case properly and we feel that there was a deliberate attempt to cover up," said Thasni Banu, an activist who along with many others visited the place on Monday on a fact-finding mission. The brutality committed on the body of Jisha cannot be described in words, she said in a choking voice. "Despite such tell-tale evidence, the local police has not shown any urgency in the investigation." BJP state president Kummanam Rajasekharan called for capital punishment for the guilty. In Thiruvananthap- uram several women activists and organisations took a protest march to the Secretariat with their mouth covered in black cloth. P.K. Sreemathi MP, T.N. Seema, ex-MP, and several others addressed the protesters. Members of Lawyers Union including former classmates of Jisha held a protest march to the office of the police IG in Ernakulam alleging lack of progress in the probe. Protests were also held in Kozhikode, Thrissur and several other places. New Delhi: Three suspected members of terror outfit Jaish-e-Mohammed, arrested for allegedly planning an attack in the national capital, were remanded to 10-day police custody by a court on Wednesday as the investigators said their custodial interrogation was needed to crack their Delhi module. "The accused persons are sent to police custody till May 14," the court said. During the proceedings, police told Additional Sessions Judge Reetesh Singh that Mohd. Sajid was arrested and Improvised Explosive Device (IED) was recovered from him, adding that his hand was also burned while making explosives. The agency while seeking 15-day custody told the court that the two other accused Shakir and Sameer were later arrested and some literature related to the terror organisation were recovered from them. Delhi Police's Special Cell has recovered 11 batteries, two timer devices, three pipes and over 250 grams of suspected explosive substance from the trio's possession. They had got trained in making IEDs through online sources, Special Commissioner of Police (Special Cell) Arvind Deep said. He said, the troika's link with Jaish-e-Mohammed outfit was traced through "technical input". Shakir, he claimed, was to leave for Pakistan soon and was in touch with a relative of Maulana Masood Azhar. During the interrogation, they were claimed to have told police that they had planned serial strikes in popular markets in the city and places with high footfall, Deep said. He said their source of finance and explosives is yet to be ascertained. The trio and a few detained by the police are members of a Whatsapp group within which they allegedly shared details about the terror outfit and on December 20 they had organised a meeting at Sajid's east Delhi residence where "views of the outfit were propagated", Deep said. The three have been arrested under provisions of Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and Section 120 B (criminal conspiracy) of IPC. Special Cell teams are conducting raids and more arrests are likely, Deep added. Those who have been detained for questioning at the Special Cell office in Lodhi Colony here includes a youth, who works as manager at the workshop of an automobile company. While two of them are residents of Loni in Ghaziabad, others are from east Delhi's Chand Bagh locality, sources said. The explosive substance has been sent for forensic examination. Further investigation is underway, police said. Advocate M S Khan, appearing for the accused persons, opposed the police plea saying that the IED and the literature have already been recovered and there was no need for the police custody in the case. Delhi Police had detained 12 persons suspected to be linked with a terror outfit planning an attack in the city and recovered explosives from their possession after a series of overnight raids in the national capital and neighbouring states. The ongoing raids are part of a joint operation of Delhi Police and a central intelligence agency. While a team of the force's anti-terror unit Special Cell zeroed in on two of the youths, while they were allegedly in the process of making improvised explosive device, from east Delhi's Gokulpuri area, names of the others emerged during their questioning and they were tracked down one after another in the wee hours today, a senior official said. All of them are suspected to be members of a sleeper unit of a terror outfit, planning an attack in the national capital and other cities, the official said. Special Cell teams are conducting raids in Delhi and UP, and several arrests are likely in the next 24 hours. The 12 are being questioned by Special Cell sleuths and intelligence officials. DANBURY - Union Savings Bank has donated $75,000 to the Western Connecticut Health Network Foundation to support Lyme Disease research and education. The money will support expanded community education about tick-borne disease prevention, diagnosis, and treatment. According to Dr. Joann Petrini, director of clinical outcomes and health services research at WCHN, more than 22,000 people are diagnosed with Lyme Disease each year in Connecticut. WCHN is the parent organization of Danbury Hospital, New Milford Hospital and Norwalk Hospital. It operates the first hospital-based registry in the nation to focus interdisciplinary research on the impact of Lyme disease. Robert Herjavec doesnt believe in work-life balance, not when it comes to starting a business. In the beginning there is no work-life balance, the CEO and founder of Toronto-based Internet security firm Herjavec Group tells Entrepreneur. There is no, Ill do it when I want to do it, and Ill take my time and get to it. Everything is right now. Thats because raising a small business is like raising a baby, he says. Its a living, breathing thing," he says. "When it wants to eat, it wants to eat. It doesnt care if you have a dinner date or somewhere else to go. It needs what it needs when it needs it. Related: 'Shark Tank' Star Robert Herjavec's Top 5 Small-Business Marketing Tips Taking care of your baby, your small business, is all-consuming during its infancy. Like being an overwhelmed new parent, Herjavec says you can forget about properly taking care of yourself while you take care of it. You cant. Thats a fallacy, he says. If youre worried about burning out, dont start a business. The dedication and discipline required are almost insurmountable. Its really hard. Taking a break to take care of yourself is only an option, he says, once youve raised the baby to survive without helicopter parenting it, when you can afford to hire employees and marketing partners to feed the next stage of growth. Only when you get to a successful level, then you have the freedom and the balance to do things when you want to. There is no greater freedom than having a small business and getting to dictate your own schedule. Related: Shark Tank's Kevin Harrington Explains the 'Wow' Factor That Prompts Investors to Take Action We spoke with the Shark Tank star today as he announced a new initiative in partnership with Deluxe Corporation, just in time for National Small Business Week. The campaign, called the Small Business Revolution, will award one small U.S. town with $500,000 to revitalize its Main Street area this year. The winner will be announced one week from today. Our goal is to help small businesses become vital, he says. We work with them to expose them to some of the great resources available to them, from marketing to financing to cloud computing and beyond. Starting up a business is one thing, surviving and thriving is another. To help beginner small-business owners get off on the right foot, here are the Sharks top three things to know for first-timers: 1. Know who your customer is. The purpose of a business is to create customers. The challenge that small-business owners have is that they dont know who that customer is and then they dont know how to find them. There are so many tools today with mailing lists, SEO and Facebook, you have to go where your customers are. Related: Daymond John's Top 7 Tips on How to Launch Your Product Like a Shark 2. Know your numbers. Youve got to know how much cash you need, what your credit line is, what your receivables are, because theyre the lifeblood of any business. 3. Be willing to work extremely hard. Starting a business is always going to take longer than you think, cost more than you want and be harder than you want it to be. But, its worth it in the end. Related: Every entrepreneur faces these challenges with his startup 5 Lessons for First-Time Entrepreneurs I Learned the Hard Way The 3 Supporting Teams Your Business Needs Copyright 2016 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate DANBURY A nanny accused of repeatedly abusing three children rejected a plea deal Wednesday and is now expected to face a jury trial. Prosecutors had offered Lidia Quilligana a 25-year prison sentence, suspended after 17 years with a mandatory minimum of 10 years. But after six weeks of consideration, the nanny rejected the offer during a brief appearance in state Superior Court in Danbury. Quilligana, 32, has been in custody for more than a year, facing 23 counts of risk of injury to a minor and one count of first-degree assault, all felonies. She has been held on $1 million bond since her arrest on March 27, 2015. Police arrested her that day after she was recorded on video beating and burning a 3-year-old girl while she was caring for the children of a Danbury family, according to court records. Authorities said the woman is seen in the video slapping the girl, knocking her to the ground, jumping on her and pressing her hands and leg to a stove burner. After reviewing two weeks worth of video from the familys home security system, prosecutors determined that Quilligana had abused the child and her 1-year-old twin siblings repeatedly, court records show. The victims godmother, who asked not to be named, said the rejected offer was generous. Its hard to refute the evidence once its seen by the public, she said. Theres no gray area. Theres no interpretation. Its in color, four cameras and audio. The video speaks for itself. The woman said the nanny frequently ripped hair from the eldest childs head and forced the children to eat substances such as hair conditioner. Quilligana, who gave birth to her own child in December, faces up to 10 years in jail for each count of risk of injury to a minor, and up to 20 years for the assault charge. Defense attorney Jennifer Tunnard said she would not comment on the case. Well try this case in the courtroom, not in the media, she said. The victims godmother took issue with Tunnards claim in an earlier News-Times article that torture was not the appropriate word to describe the alleged abuse. That is the definition of torture, she said. The woman said the family is disappointed that that the case wasnt closed on Wednesday. I dont think the healing process can begin until we can put this behind us, she said. The childrens therapist has set up a fundraising campaign, Help for child abuse victim, for the family on the crowdfunding site, GoFundMe. A trial date has yet to be set, but Quilliganas next court appearance is scheduled for July 12. Assistant States Attorney Warren Murray and members of Quilliganas family declined to comment for this story. noliveira@newstimes.com, 203-731-3411, @olivnelson Kirpal Singh's was among many who died in Pakistani jails (Photo: ANI Twitter) New Delhi: Thirteen Indians have died in Pakistans jails in the past three-and-a-half-years including Kirpal Singh, who died recently in a Lahore jail, prompting India to seek a thorough investigation into it. Replying to a question in Lok Sabha, Minister of State for External Affairs V K Singh said that India has also reiterated to the Pakistan government that it is their responsibility to ensure the safety, security and well-being of all Indian prisoners in Pakistani jails. "As per the information available in our missions/posts abroad, 49 Indians died in prisons in various countries during the last three years and the current year. This includes 13 Indians who died in Pakistani jails during this period," Singh said. He also said the government has taken up the matter of the death of Kirpal Singh with the Pakistan Foreign Ministry, requesting that a through investigation be undertaken in order to ascertain the reasons for his death and that the probe report be shared with Indian authorities. The Pakistan government had conveyed that Singh had died of a heart attack, Singh added. In 1992, Kirpal Singh was nabbed by Pakistan Rangers near India-Pakistan border and was locked in the cell of Lahore jail, right next to Sarabjit Singhs cell who dies in 2013. VANCOUVER, May 4, 2016 /CNW/ - Barsele Minerals Corp. (TSX-V: BME) ("Barsele") is pleased to report to its shareholders recently-released operational progress on the current exploration program within the Barsele Au-VMS Project area in Vasterbottens Lan, northern Sweden (the "Barsele Project") contained in Agnico Eagle Mines Limited's (TSX, NYSE: AEM) ("Agnico Eagle") press release announcing its first quarter 2016 results. The exploration program at the Barsele Project is being operated by joint venture partner Agnico Eagle. Ownership in the Barsele Project is 55% Agnico Eagle and 45% Barsele. In its press release, Agnico Eagle stated that the drilling results from the Barsele Project extended the known mineralization at depth and joined the Central Zone with the Skirasen Zone. The press release also suggested that the Barsele Project has the potential to become a Goldex type deposit, which is one of Agnico Eagle's existing gold mines. Equally noteworthy, is the illustration that accompanied the press release, which shows the potential growth of the known deposit to the south-east as a result of the latest drilling, and also that the deposit remains open in three directions. Highlight intercepts from drill results to date and drill hole coordinates from this program are set out in the tables below and the drill hole pierce points are also shown on the Barsele Project composite longitudinal section below. All intercepts reported for the Barsele Project show capped grades over estimated true widths, based on a preliminary geological interpretation that is being updated as new information becomes available with further drilling. Recent exploration drill results from the Barsele Project Drill hole Location From (metres) To (metres) Depth of midpoint below surface (metres) Estimated true width (metres) Gold grade (g/t) (uncapped) Gold grade (g/t) (capped)* CNT15-007 Central Zone 437.0 449.0 310 9.0 12.37 3.28 CNT15-009 Central Zone 106.0 168.0 90 46.5 1.12 1.12 and 383.0 432.0 300 36.8 1.15 1.15 CNT15-010 Central Zone 223.0 252.0 230 21.8 1.59 1.59 and 494.0 589.0 515 71.2 0.88 0.88 CNT15-013 Central Zone 473.5 492.0 370 13.9 3.00 3.00 and 519.2 526.0 400 5.1 5.02 5.02 CNT15-015 Central Zone 23.0 34.0 20 8.2 8.06 6.74 CNT15-016 Skirasen Zone 270.0 277.0 215 5.2 5.06 5.06 and 339.0 451.0 310 84.0 2.07 2.01 CNT15-017 Central Zone 623.0 632.0 540 6.8 1.72 1.72 SKI15-001 Skirasen Zone 323.0 384.0 260 45.8 1.94 1.61 and 405.0 434.0 310 21.8 1.42 1.42 SKI16-001 Skirasen Zone 101.0 108.0 75 5.2 4.85 4.85 and 120.0 140.0 95 15.0 3.92 3.23 and 276.0 312.1 210 27.1 3.06 2.40 SKI16-005 Skirasen Zone 193.0 213.0 170 15.0 1.19 1.19 and 399.0 504.0 370 78.8 1.25 1.25 and 593.0 609.0 485 12.0 1.86 1.86 *Holes at Barsele use a capping factor of 20 g/t gold. Barsele Project exploration drill collar coordinates of selected holes Drill collar coordinates* Drill hole ID UTM North UTM East Elevation (metres above sea level) Azimuth Dip (degrees) Length (metres) CNT15-007 7214686 618733 321 360 -53 725 CNT15-009 7214671 618829 317 360 -57 701 CNT15-010 7215040 618808 291 180 -70 655 CNT15-013 7214613 619033 306 333 -55 597 CNT15-015 7214601 619133 296 360 -52 523 CNT15-016 7214525 619127 302 360 -55 664 CNT15-017 7214895 618859 293 290 -60 902 SKI15-001 7214598 619125 296 040 -48 580 SKI16-001 7214515 619222 300 040 -50 557 SKI16-005 7214516 619221 300 360 -57 645 Recent drilling has connected the Central Zone with the Skirasen Zone. The combined Central-Skirasen Zone has a strike length of approximately 1,400 metres, and extends from surface to a depth of at least 540 metres and ranges in width from 10 to 150 metres. Mineralization remains open at depth and along strike. Results include hole CNT15-016 that intersected the Skirasen Zone with two intercepts: 5.06 g/t gold over 5.2 metres at 215 metres depth, and 2.01 g/t gold over 84.0 metres at 310 metres depth. Almost 300 metres away at the southeast extent of the zone, hole SKI16-001 intersected the zone with three intercepts: 4.85 g/t gold over 5.2 metres at 75 metres depth, 3.23 g/t gold over 15.0 metres at 95 metres depth and 2.40 g/t gold over 27.1 metres at 210 metres depth. The deepest intercept to date in the Skirasen Zone is hole SKI16-005 that intersected 1.86 g/t gold over 12.0 metres at 485 metres depth, as well as two shallower intercepts. Recent drilling has extended the depth of the Central Zone to 540 metres. Highlights include hole CNT15-015 that intersected 6.74 g/t gold over 8.2 metres at 20 metres depth. Hole CN15-013 intersected 3.00 g/t gold over 13.9 metres at 370 metres depth and 5.02 g/t gold over 5.1 metres at 400 metres depth. Hole CN15-007 intersected 3.28 g/t gold over 9.0 metres at 310 metres depth. In 2016, Agnico Eagle indicated that it plans to spend approximately US $4.9 million on exploration to further evaluate the mineral potential of the property. This includes 19,000 metres of diamond drilling, a recently completed Titan-24 induced polarization geophysical survey, till sampling and hyperspectral core scanning. A basic environmental assessment will be done, as well as ongoing community relations programs to engage the various stakeholders in the region. Drilling is expected to resume in early May after spring breakup. Barsele's President, Gary Cope says, "I am very pleased to see the mineralized zone has expanded so significantly in this report, and that Agnico Eagle has planned expenditures which will in aggregate fulfill the full phase one commitment per the joint venture terms and in so doing will advance us to the second phase which ultimately leads to a preliminary resource estimate for the project." Art Freeze, P.Geo. and Ben Whiting, P.Geo., are Qualified Persons as defined in NI 43-101 and take responsibility for the technical disclosure contained within this news release. About the Barsele Gold Project The Barsele Project is located on the western end of the Proterozoic "Skellefte Trend," a prolific volcanogenic massive sulphide deposits belt, where it intersects with the "Gold Line" in Northern Sweden. Both polymetallic deposits and intrusive hosted orogenic gold deposits are present in this region and on the property. Current and past producers in the region include Boliden, Kristineberg, Bjorkdal, Svartliden, and Storliden. In September of 2015, mineral resource estimates by Barsele were released for the Barsele Project in four zones, the Central, Avan and Skirasen Gold Zones and the Norra VMS Zone (Orex News Release dated 21 November 2012). The resource estimate for the Central-Avan-Skirasen Zones states an Indicated Resource of 14.1 million tonnes grading 1.21 g/t gold for 547,000 contained ounces, plus an Inferred Resource of 20.2 million tonnes grading 0.97 g/t gold for 627,000 contained ounces. The polymetallic Norra Zone contains an Indicated Resource of 110,000 tonnes grading 3.13 g/t gold, 30.3 g/t silver, 0.53 % copper and 0.72 % zinc, plus an Inferred Resource of 310,000 tonnes grading 1.62 g/t gold, 12.7 g/t silver, 0.26 % copper and 0.42 % zinc. All zones were estimated at a gold cut-off grade of 0.6 g/t. About Barsele Minerals Corp. Barsele is a Canadian-based junior exploration company comprised of highly qualified mining professionals. Barsele's main property is the Barsele Gold Project in Vasterbottens Lan, Sweden, a joint venture with Agnico Eagle Mines Limited. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS Gary Cope President This News Release may contain forward-looking statements including but not limited to comments regarding the timing and content of upcoming work programs, geological interpretations, receipt of property titles, potential mineral recovery processes, etc. Forward-looking statements address future events and conditions and therefore involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ materially from those currently anticipated in such statements and Barsele undertakes no obligation to update such statements, except as required by law. Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. SOURCE Barsele Minerals Corp. Image with caption: "Barsele Project - Composite Longitudinal Section (CNW Group/Barsele Minerals Corp.)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20160504_C3535_PHOTO_EN_682416.jpg For further information: please contact Barsele Minerals Corp. at (604) 687-8566 x227, email [email protected] or visit our website at www.barseleminerals.com OTTAWA, May 3, 2016 /CNW/ - Today, the Canadian Alliance on Mental Illness and Mental Health (CAMIMH) will host the fourteenth annual Champions of Mental Health Awards Gala in Ottawa. Each year, CAMIMH selects a group of "Champions" through a national nomination from the public to identify and recognize Canadians who have made an outstanding contribution to mental health in Canada. "We are delighted that Her Excellency Sharon Johnston and the Honourable Jane Philpott, Minister of Health will be joining us for the Champions of Mental Health Awards Gala," said CAMIMH Campaign Chair, Fred Phelps. "We are very proud to recognize this year's Champions; Curtis Bishop, Centre d'expertise Marie-Vincent, Erin Anderssen, Dr. Heather Stuart, The Honourable Patty Hajdu, Ontario Shores Centre for Mental Health Sciences, and Bishop Ryan's Celtic Circle Student Leadership Club, and to celebrate their achievements in making a difference for those who struggle with mental illness." The Champions of Mental Health Awards are a key component of CAMIMH's annual awareness campaigns and are made possible through the generous support of its presenting sponsor Bell, as part of the Bell Let's Talk mental health initiative. "Congratulations to each of this year's Champions for their outstanding commitment to helping Canadians living with mental illness, and the very real difference they are making in our society," said Mary Deacon, Chair of Bell Let's Talk. "Bell Let's Talk is proud to support CAMIMH and the Champions of Mental Health Awards, as they recognize the importance of individuals and groups such as this year's recipients to increasing both awareness about mental illness and access to care." CAMIMH is also pleased to welcome some other of its special guests: the Honourable Carla Qualtrough, Minister of Sport and Persons with Disabilities, and the Honourable Kent Hehr, Minister of Veterans Affairs. Here are our 2016 Champions of Mental Health award winners and a little bit of their background: Community (Individual): Curtis Bishop spent several years of his life on the streets of Toronto living with mental illness. Curtis benefited from the support of a housing agency, Houselink Community Homes, where he found empowerment and took up the unofficial role of advocate for those who still struggle. Community (Organization): The Centre d'expertise Marie-Vincent (CEMV) is a non-profit organization that provides services to sexually abused children, aged 12 and younger, as well as their families by bringing together medical, police, psychosocial, social and legal services under one roof. Media: Erin Anderssen is a Senior Feature Writer at The Globe and Mail and has drawn astounding attention to the lack of accessible mental health care in Canada. As lead author of The Globe's Open Mind series on improving mental health research, diagnosis, and treatment, she exposed the urgency of improving Canada's mental health care system in a very public way. Research/Clinician: Dr. Heather Stuart is a Professor in the Department of Community Health and Epidemiology, with cross appointments to the Department of Psychiatry and the School of Rehabilitation Therapy at Queens University. Dr. Stuart works to describe and understand the experience of stigma from the inside from the perspective of people who have a mental illness and their families. In February 2012, Dr. Stuart became the first Bell Mental Health and Anti-Stigma Research Chair. Parliamentarian: The Honourable Patty Hajdu, Member of Parliament for Thunder BaySuperior North (Ontario) and Minister of Status of Women, served as Executive Director of the largest homeless shelter in Thunder Bay prior to entering politics. In her work, she focused on the social determinants of health and called on the federal government to better address issues around social housing, mental health, substance abuse and harm reduction. Minister Hajdu is also a former member of the Board of Directors for Alpha Court Mental Health Services. Workplace Mental Health: Ontario Shores Centre for Mental Health Sciences (Ontario Shores) is a teaching hospital specializing in providing a range of services for those struggling with complex or severe mental illness in a recovery oriented environment. The organization is passionate about supporting the mental and physical well-being of the employees who carry out this important work every day. Youth: This year the Sharon Johnston Champion of Mental Health Award will be given to Bishop Ryan's Celtic Circle Student Leadership Club is a group of students from grades 9 to 12 dedicated to bringing awareness to mental illness. The Champions of Mental Health Awards are made possible through the generous support of our sponsors: Bell Let's Talk, the Mental Health Commission of Canada, Lundbeck Canada, Innovative Medicines Canada, and Impact Public Affairs. To learn more about CAMIMH's campaign and the winners, please visit: camimh.ca Established in 1998, the Canadian Alliance on Mental Illness and Mental Health (CAMIMH) is an alliance of mental health organizations comprised of health care providers and organizations representing persons with mental illness and their families and caregivers. CAMIMH's mandate is to ensure that mental health is placed on the national agenda so that persons with a lived experience of mental illness and their families receive appropriate access to care and support. SOURCE Canadian Alliance on Mental Illness and Mental Health For further information: To learn more about CAMIMH's campaigns, please visit camimh.ca or contact: Charlotte Webber, [email protected], work: 613-233-8906 , cell: 613-316-1104 OTTAWA, May 3, 2016 /CNW/ - The Canadian Medical Association (CMA) will appear before both the House of Commons Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights and the Senate Standing Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs this week to urge Parliamentarians to quickly pass into law Bill C-14, Medical Assistance in Dying. While supporting swift passage of Bill C-14, the CMA also provided input on the key issues of respecting the personal convictions of health care providers, the need to develop an end-of-life care coordination system, the need for a consistent, pan-Canadian framework and the need for clear safeguards to the provision of medical assistance in dying. "The CMA strongly supports a robust federal role, including both a legislative and non-legislative response to the Supreme Court of Canada's decision in Carter v. Canada," said CMA President, Dr. Cindy Forbes. "The federal government has achieved an appropriate balance in its overall response to the Carter decision; therefore, the CMA supports the enactment of Bill C-14 with no amendments." The CMA has led physician and public dialogues on end-of-life care, including assisted dying, since 2014 when the CMA led a national consultation and a series of public and physician town halls across the country. This national dialogue focused on advance care planning, palliative care, and physician-assisted dying. "This initial consultation provided valuable insights to inform the concurrent CMA's in-depth and comprehensive consultation with its membership as well as medical and health stakeholders as an intervener before the Supreme Court and following the Carter decision," said Dr. Forbes. This broad consultative process also led to the development of the CMA's Principles-based Recommendations for a Canadian Approach to Assisted Dying guided by a set of ten foundational principles. These recommendations provided the lens through which the CMA assessed Bill C-14. Since Bill C-14 was tabled there has been significant public discussion on "Carter Plus" issues such as the eligibility of mature minors, eligibility with respect to those with mental health conditions and advance care directives. The CMA is stressing the need for caution and careful study of these complex issues. "While these issues may have been enacted in other jurisdictions, they were not included at the introduction of frameworks governing medical assistance in dying in other countries," said Dr. Forbes. "For that reason, the CMA supports the approach proposed by the federal government not to include these issues in Bill C-14 and to study them in greater detail prior to advancing legislative proposals." The Canadian Medical Association (CMA) is the national voice of Canadian physicians. Founded in 1867, the CMA is a voluntary professional organization representing more than 83,000 of Canada's physicians and comprising 12 provincial and territorial medical associations and 60 national medical organizations. CMA's mission is helping physicians care for patients. The CMA will be the leader in engaging and serving physicians and be the national voice for the highest standards for health and health care. SOURCE Canadian Medical Association For further information: To schedule an interview or for further information, please contact: CMA Media Relations: [email protected], 613-806-1865 Private conventional television stations increase investment in Canadian programming OTTAWA and GATINEAU, QC, May 4, 2016 /CNW/ - The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) today released statistical and financial information on Canadian conventional television stations for the broadcast year ending August 31, 2015. In 2015, there were 93 private conventional television stations in operation in Canada, which generated total revenues of $1.76 billion. These stations continued to operate in a challenging environment, with total revenues declining 2.6%, or $46.6 million, from 2014. To meet the objectives of the Broadcasting Act, the CRTC requires most television broadcasters to spend a minimum percentage of their revenues on content made by Canadians. In 2015, private conventional television stations invested $652.8 million in Canadian programing, a 5.4% (or $33.5 million) increase from 2014. Investments in Canadian programming have grown consistently over the last five years as conventional televisions stations spent 16% more in 2015 than in 2011. These investments accounted for 49.8% of total programming expenses in 2015, up from 43.6% in 2011. Of note, private conventional television stations spent $60.9 million less on foreign programming in 2015 compared to 2014, primarily due to a reduction in spending on drama. The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation/Societe Radio-Canada (CBC/SRC) reported total revenues of $1.1 billion in 2015, down 16.6%, or $220.9 million, from the previous year. As Canada's public broadcaster, the CBC/SRC continued to invest heavily in Canadian programming. In 2015, these investments totaled $557.2 million, accounting for 96.4% of the CBC/SRC's total expenditures on programming. In particular, spending on news ($190.9 million) and drama ($144.1 million) accounted for 60.1% of its total expenditures on Canadian programming. Conventional television stations employed 10,995 people in 2015, with the CBC/SRC employing 5,205 people. Each year, the CRTC compiles financial data on the Canadian broadcasting and telecommunications sectors to produce a series of reports. To increase Canadians' access to relevant information related to the Canadian broadcasting system, this year's publication on conventional television stations includes the amount they spent on animation and children's programming. The CRTC recently published the financial results for AM and FM radio stations and will soon publish the results for the specialty, pay, pay-per-view and video-on-demand services, as well as cable and satellite companies. Following the publication of these reports, the CRTC will issue its annual Communications Monitoring Report. These annual reports help interested parties to stay informed about the state of the Canadian communication industry and to participate in the CRTC's public consultations. Quick facts Private stations Private conventional television stations saw their revenues drop by 2.6%, from $1.80 billion in 2014 to $1.76 billion in 2015. in 2014 to in 2015. Expenses went from $1.85 billion in 2014 to $1.82 billion in 2015, a decrease of 1.6%. in 2014 to in 2015, a decrease of 1.6%. Profits before interest and taxes (PBIT) declined from - $138.7 million to - $140.9 million , and the PBIT margin decreased from -7.7% to -8%. to - , and the PBIT margin decreased from -7.7% to -8%. Investments by private conventional television stations in Canadian programming increased from $619.3 million in 2014 to $652.8 million in 2015. in 2014 to in 2015. Private conventional television stations invested $49.6 million on Canadian drama series, $5.3 million on films, $86.7 million on human interest programs, $369.6 million on news programs, $7.3 million on long-form documentaries, $30 million for other information programs, $17.1 million for music and variety shows, $21.5 million on sports programming, $17.3 million on game shows, $45 million on reality TV shows, $2.7 million on awards shows, $358,000 on animation programming and $343,000 on children's programming. on Canadian drama series, on films, on human interest programs, on news programs, on long-form documentaries, for other information programs, for music and variety shows, on sports programming, on game shows, on reality TV shows, on awards shows, on animation programming and on children's programming. As part of these investments, conventional television stations paid $142.1 million to Canadian independent producers. to Canadian independent producers. Revenues from the sale of local advertising declined from $333.6 million in 2014 to $330.1 million in 2015, a 1.0% decrease. National advertising revenues for private conventional television stations remained virtually unchanged at $1.2 billion in 2015. CBC/SRC In 2015, the CBC/SRC reported advertising revenues of $220.1 million , which represented a decline of 53.6 % from the $474.6 million generated the previous year. , which represented a decline of 53.6 % from the generated the previous year. The absence of major sporting events in 2015 coupled with the loss of the NHL television rights contributed to the decline in advertising revenues. The amount of Parliamentary Appropriation allocated to the 27 conventional television stations rose by 4.4% to $757.9 million in 2015. in 2015. The CBC/SRC's program expenditures totaled $687.3 million ; of that amount, $557.2 million (or 81.1%) were expenses related to Canadian programming expenses. ; of that amount, (or 81.1%) were expenses related to Canadian programming expenses. The public broadcaster also spent $9 million on animation programming, and $33.8 million on programming targeting children. Related Links Conventional Television Statistical and Financial Summaries 2011-2015 Conventional Television Highlights Stay Connected Follow us on Twitter @CRTCeng Like us on Facebook www.facebook.com/crtceng SOURCE Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission For further information: Media Relations, (819) 997-9403; General Inquiries, (819) 997-0313, Toll-free 1 (877) 249-CRTC (2782), TTY (819) 994-0423, Ask a question or make a complaint: http://www.crtc.gc.ca/eng/question.htm TORONTO, May 3, 2016 /CNW/ - On Thursday May 5th, between 12:00 noon and 3:00 p.m., hundreds of members of the autism community will protest in front of Queen's Park to show their opposition to the government's decision to cut Intensive Behavioural Intervention (IBI) therapy for children aged five and older. People with ASD, their families, and the professionals who work with them will stand together against this unethical decision. In an extraordinary show of bi-partisanship, both Progressive Conservative and New Democrat MPPs have declared their opposition to the plan. Both party leaders and their shadow cabinet critics will speak at the protest. In addition, labour union leaders from CUPE, ETFO, OSSTF, OPSEU, and the OFL will lend their voices to the movement opposing the Wynne government's decision. Since the announcement, the members of the Ontario Autism Coalition have been raising their voices across the province. Over 20 rallies have taken place outside the offices of Liberal MPP's. Petitions have been gathered, letters and emails have been written, and families have been confronting the Premier directly at public appearances. So far, the Premier has kept to the same script she has been reciting since the original announcement. In response, parents have vowed that they will not stop their protests until their children get what they need. The Ontario Autism Coalition is a non-profit Ontario corporation dedicated to advocacy and political action on behalf of people with autism. www.ontarioautismcoalition.com SOURCE Ontario Autism Coalition Image with caption: "Ontario Autism Coalition (CNW Group/Ontario Autism Coalition)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20160503_C3790_PHOTO_EN_681518.jpg Image with caption: "#AutismDoesntEndAt5 (CNW Group/Ontario Autism Coalition)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20160503_C3790_PHOTO_EN_681523.jpg For further information: Ontario Autism Coalition: Bruce McIntosh, President, 416-451-8315, [email protected]; Laura Kirby-McIntosh, Vice-President, 416-315-7939, [email protected]; Sharon Gabison, Secretary-Treasurer, 647-892-4418, [email protected]; Parents available for interviews: Brianne Brown, 519-217-4352, [email protected]; Steven Sherwood, 416-566-7234, [email protected]; Behaviour Analysis Professionals available for interviews: Dr. James Porter, 289-937-6096, [email protected]; Nancy Marchese, BCBA, 416-889-7572, [email protected] TORONTO, May 4, 2016 /CNW/ - National Nursing Week is just around the corner, and members of the Registered Nurses' Association of Ontario (RNAO) are set to celebrate the improvements they've made to patient care, and push for positive change for the health of Ontarians. Nursing Week will be held from May 9-15, and will give Canadians the chance to thank the outstanding nurses who work tirelessly to keep them healthy. But the week is also an opportunity for nurses to share the ins and outs of their practice with political leaders, and the public at large. RNAO's annual Take Your MPP to Work event kicks off during Nursing Week. Now in its 16th year, the event gives the province's legislators a closer look at the realities of Ontario health care, as they come to work with nurses at public health units, community health centres, hospitals, long-term care homes, and just about everywhere nurses practise. This year, dozens of MPPs will participate, including PC Health Critic Jeff Yurek, NDP Health Critic France Gelinas, and multiple cabinet ministers. "What an incredible opportunity for our elected officials to learn what makes our health system tick," says Carol Timmings, incoming president of RNAO. "Registered nurses (RN), nurse practitioners (NP) and nursing students have tremendous knowledge and skills to impart to their MPPs, which they can bring back to Queen's Park to shape healthy public policy in the future." A full list of Take Your MPP to Work events is available on RNAO's website. Nursing Week is also cause for celebration, and seven health organizations across Ontario will be celebrating successfully incorporating the latest health research and evidence into their clinical practice at a series of media events. Leeds, Grenville and Lanark District Health Unit, North Bay Nurse Practitioner-Led Clinic, Renfrew Victoria Hospital, Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre, Thunder Bay District Health Unit, St. Joseph's Care Group and Pioneer Ridge Long-Term Care are Best Practice Spotlight Organizations (BPSO), meaning they are systematically implementing RNAO's world-renowned best practice guidelines. "The BPSO program has had a tremendous impact on patient care and outcomes in Ontario, across Canada, and the world over," says RNAO CEO Doris Grinspun, who founded the program in 2003. "Dedicated organizations like these are foundational to optimizing evidence uptake, and that leads to better outcomes for patients, organizations and health systems. They truly deserve to take a bow." Representatives from these BPSOs will speak about the impact evidence-based practices have had at their organizations during Nursing Week media conferences: Leeds, Grenville and Lanark District Health Unit Tuesday, May 10 , 2:30 - 4:30 p.m. 458 Laurier Blvd., Brockville, Ont. Contact: Susan Healey 613-345-5685 613-802-0550 (cell) [email protected] North Bay Nurse Practitioner-Led Clinic Thursday, May 12 , 8 - 10 a.m. 524 Lakeshore Dr., Unit 1, North Bay, Ont. Contact: Leeann Whitney , 705-478-7671, ext. 209 [email protected] Renfrew Victoria Hospital Thursday, May 12 , 9 - 10 a.m. Groves Park Lodge (GEM Hall), 470 Raglan St. North, Renfrew, Ont. Contact: Chris Ferguson 613-432-4851, ext. 225 [email protected] Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre, Thunder Bay District Health Unit, St. Joseph's Care Group and Pioneer Ridge Long-Term Care Wednesday, May 11 , 12:30 - 1:30 p.m. St. Joseph's Heritage (Georgian Room), 63 Carrie St., Thunder Bay, Ont. Contact: Kim Callaghan 807-346-5226 [email protected] More information about the Nursing Week festivities is available at NursingWeek.RNAO.ca The Registered Nurses' Association of Ontario (RNAO) is the professional association representing registered nurses, nurse practitioners, and nursing students in Ontario. Since 1925, RNAO has advocated for healthy public policy, promoted excellence in nursing practice, increased nurses' contribution to shaping the health-care system, and influenced decisions that affect nurses and the public they serve. For more information about RNAO, visit our website at RNAO.ca or follow us on Facebook and Twitter. SOURCE Registered Nurses' Association of Ontario For further information: For more information or to interview a nurse, please contact: Daniel Punch, Communications Officer/Writer, Registered Nurses' Association of Ontario (RNAO), Phone: 416-408-5606 / 1-800-268-7199 ext. 250, [email protected] Madurai: Describing Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a good friend and an able administrator, DMK chief M Karunanidhi requested him to take action against P Anbunathan from whose house in Karur the police unearthed `4.8 crore unaccounted money recently. Anbunathan is a political broker, who has been helping the AIADMK ministers in various corruption activities, Karunanidhi charged while campaigning for the DMK and alliance party candidates who are contesting in southern districts for the upcoming Assembly election, at Madurai on Tuesday. He said he had sent word to the PM through a messenger about the corrupt activities of the mean but no action was taken so far. At least now I hope that PM will wake up and crack down on the racketeers, he said. Stating Sethusamudram project alone could bring developments to Madurai and its neighbouring districts, Karunanidhi said that though it was not inlcuded in the DMK election manifesto, he would mobilise the Tamil Nadu people to implement the project at any cost. When the DMK tried to implement the project during the previous regime, it was stalled citing the Rama Setu issue, he pointed out. Today I promise that I will face any challenges to implement it, said Karunanidhi. He also charged the AIADMK government with involvement in the granite scam. When the AIADMK ruled the state during 1991-1996, the present CM had introduced rule 39 to give leases to persons close to them. DMK will expose this once they come to power, he said. Karunanidhi also mocked the AIADMK government for cheating the people through false promises like installation of a Mother Tamil statue at a cost of Rs 100 crore in Madurai. I have been looking for it since I came to Madurai, but I am not able to find it, he said. TORONTO, May 4, 2016 /CNW/ - In the heart of National Mental Health Week, Ontario Power Generation (OPG) and Ontario Shores Centre for Mental Health Sciences (Ontario Shores) have announced an agreement to provide mental health training to the energy provider's employees. The agreement supports the training of up to 2,000 OPG employees in Mental Health First Aid (MHFA), a certificate program managed in this country by the Mental Health Commission of Canada. "Ontario Shores is pleased to be able to deliver this important education to the employees of OPG," says Karim Mamdani, President and CEO of Ontario Shores. "This agreement speaks not only to the investment OPG makes towards the mental health of its staff but also the trust in the expertise we have here at Ontario Shores." This training will be carried out over a two year period at various OPG locations. OPG has identified the benefits of providing staff with mental health awareness training and Ontario Shores has instructors with the knowledge and expertise in the field to deliver it. "A lack of understanding can represent a significant barrier to helping individuals overcome mental health challenges," says Jeff Lyash, OPG President and CEO. "We believe our partnership with Ontario Shores will be a valuable resource for employees." The main goals of this effort are to: Improve the mental health literacy of OPG employees Decrease stigmatized attitudes about mental illness in the workplace Provide OPG employees with greater confidence in providing help to others through listening non-judgmentally Create the safest work environment possible, both physically and mentally, for all OPG employees Create safer communities Promote the recovery of good mental health by accommodating employees in distress or recovering from a crisis Increase productivity and reduce absenteeism and overall pressure on benefits The MHFA Canada program aims to improve mental health literacy, and provide the skills and knowledge to help people better manage potential or developing mental health problems in themselves, a family member, a friend or a colleague. Similarly to standard first aid, MHFA trains people how to respond to a mental health crisis rather than a physical one. Ontario Shores has been providing MHFA training since 2012 and has trained approximately 600 participants. Ontario Shores Centre for Mental Health Sciences: Ontario Shores Centre for Mental Health Sciences (Ontario Shores) is a leader in mental health care, providing a range of specialized assessments and treatment services for people living with complex mental illness. Patients benefit from a recovery-oriented environment of care, built on compassion, inspiration and hope. Ontario Shores engages in research, education and advocacy initiatives to advance the mental health care system. Ontario Power Generation OPG provides about half the power Ontario relies on. The electricity OPG produces is 99.7 per cent free of greenhouse gas and smog causing emissions. SOURCE Ontario Shores Centre for Mental Health Sciences For further information: Ontario Shores Contact: Chris Bovie, External Relations Officer 905-430-4055 ext. 6574; OPG Contact: Neal Kelly, Director Media, Issues, Information Management, 416-592-7564 An announcement that brings hope during the National Mental Health Week, May 2 to 8, 2016 MONTREAL, May 3, 2016 /CNW Telbec/ - According to the World Health Organization, depression is the leading cause of disease and disability in adolescents, and suicide is one of the five leading causes of death among young people.1 More than ever, raising awareness among teenagers about the signs and symptoms of depression is essential. That's why the Mental Illness Foundation is proud to announce that since the creation of the Partners for Life program in 1998, 1 million young Quebecers have learned to recognize the signs and symptoms of depression. As stated by Dr. Yves Lamontagne, founder of the Mental Illness Foundation: "There is no program comparable to Partners for Life in Quebec in terms of size, accessibility and longevity. We educate about 50,000 high school students each year; this is a critical mass that has allowed our message to spread and educate an entire generation on the symptoms of depression. We must redouble our efforts, for it is now the turn of future adolescent generations to benefit from our program." Concrete actions to help young people One million for the future is 1 million young people who will become conscientious and compassionate adults with regards to mental health and who, in turn, can help those nearest and dearest to them. This is a group whose size is equivalent to 47 times the capacity of the Bell Centre and 15 times the capacity of the Olympic Stadium. For 18 years, our experienced facilitators have traveled everywhere in the province and organized 24,521 free events in 861 schools. Together, they traveled the equivalent distance of two round trips from Earth to the moon, and this is only the beginning! In addition to informing and educating young people about the signs and symptoms of depression, the Partners for Life program draws attention to the resources available in the community and emphasizes the importance of talking to someone you trust in order to obtain help. Knowing that depression can have several consequences, including dropping out of school, drug and alcohol abuse, and increased suicide risk, it is vital that we act now. A significant investment from our partners This major achievement would not have been possible without the constant support of our partners and donors, all of which have enabled the Foundation to continue to offer this program free of charge. About the Mental Illness Foundation Founded in 1980, the Mental Illness Foundation's mission is to promote mental health, raise awareness of the importance of preventing mental illness, and contribute to reducing the suffering of those affected. The heart of its mission is reflected in its Partners for Life program, which aims to educate young people, parents and high-school staff of secondaries 3, 4 and 5 across the province about mental illness, and specifically depression in adolescence. Each year, 50,000 young people and adults benefit from the Mental Illness Foundation and all funding required to carry out these actions is due to the generous donations from the public. The Foundation also provides a directory of online resources, which includes more than 1,000 mental health organizations. 1 "Health for the world's adolescents" (La sante pour les adolescents du monde), World Health Organization, May 14, 2014 SOURCE MENTAL ILLNESS FOUNDATION For further information: interview requests: Line Bellavance, Director of Communications, Tel.: 514 529-5354 ext. 226, Cell.: 514 889-0132, Email: [email protected] MONTREAL, April 18, 2016 /CNW Telbec/ - SNC-Lavalin Group Inc. (TSX: SNC) will host its Annual Shareholders' Meeting in Montreal and announce its first quarter results on May 5, 2016. Annual Meeting SNC-Lavalin's Annual Shareholders' Meeting will be held at 11:00 a.m. EDT (Eastern Daylight Time) on Thursday, May 5, 2016, at the Palais des congres, 1001 Place Jean-Paul-Riopelle, Montreal, Quebec. The event will be webcast live, and will be available at http://www.icastpro.ca/esnc160505. Information related to the Annual Meeting can be found in SNC-Lavalin's Management Proxy Circular at http://investors.snclavalin.com/en/investors-briefcase/2016/. Shareholder participation is very important to us and we encourage shareholders to vote. Q1 2016 Results SNC-Lavalin will hold its first quarter results conference call with the financial community on Thursday, May 5, 2016, at 1:30 p.m. EDT. Participants will be Neil Bruce, President and Chief Executive Officer and Sylvain Girard, Executive Vice-President and Chief Financial Officer. Media are welcome to participate on a listen-only basis. To join the conference call, please dial toll free at 1 866 530 1553 in North America, 416 847 6330 in Toronto, 514 223 0613 in Montreal, 080 0279 0444 in the United Kingdom, or 180 099 2284 in Ireland. A live audio webcast of the conference call and an accompanying slide presentation will be available at investors.snclavalin.com. A recording of the conference call will be available on our website within 24 hours following the call. About SNC-Lavalin Founded in 1911, SNC-Lavalin is one of the leading engineering and construction groups in the world and a major player in the ownership of infrastructure. From offices in over 50 countries, SNC-Lavalin's employees are proud to build what matters. Our teams provide engineering, procurement construction, completions and commissioning services together with a range of sustaining capital services to clients in our four industry sectors, oil and gas, mining and metallurgy, infrastructure and power. SNC-Lavalin can also combine these services with its financing and operations and maintenance capabilities to provide complete end-to-end project solutions. www.snclavalin.com SOURCE SNC-Lavalin For further information: Media: Louis-Antoine Paquin, Public Relations Manager, Corporate Communications, 514-393-8000, ext. 54772, [email protected]; Investors: Denis Jasmin, Vice President, Investor Relations, 514-393-8000, ext. 57553, [email protected] Record Backlog of $2.2B; Improved Contract Income Margin CALGARY, May 3, 2016 /CNW/ -Stuart Olson Inc. (TSX: SOX, SOX.DB.A) ("Stuart Olson" or the "Company") today announced financial results for the first quarter of 2016, and declared a quarterly dividend of $0.12 per common share. "Our backlog grew to a record $2.2 billion in the first quarter of 2016 as we added the previously announced five-year oil sands 'MRO' or maintenance repair and operations contract to backlog," said David LeMay, President and CEO of Stuart Olson. "Our underlying operational performance also strengthened as we achieved higher contract income and adjusted EBITDA from both the Buildings Group and Commercial Systems Group and stable adjusted EBITDA from the Industrial Group, despite challenging conditions in the Alberta market. Excluding the impact of non-cash intersegment eliminations and the marking-to-market of share-based compensation in both periods, first quarter 2016 adjusted EBITDA was $10.4 million, $3.6 million higher than we achieved on a consistent basis for the same period in 2015. Our market and industry diversification strategies are helping to drive this improvement, while also contributing to our solid financial position," said Mr. LeMay. FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS Three months ended March 31 $millions, except percentages and per share amounts 2016 2015 Contract revenue 243.0 282.9 Contract income 23.3 24.9 Contract income margin 9.6% 8.8% Adjusted EBITDA 6.4 10.5 Adjusted EBITDA margin 2.6% 3.7% Net (loss) earnings (0.9) 1.0 (Loss) earnings per share Basic (loss) earnings per share (0.03) 0.04 Diluted (loss) earnings per share (0.03) 0.04 Dividends declared per share 0.12 0.12 Adjusted free cash flow (2.7) (0.5) Adjusted free cash flow per share (0.10) (0.02) $millions Mar. 31, 2016 Dec. 31, 2015 Backlog 2,228.5 1,960.9 Working capital 57.7 64.4 Long-term debt (excluding current portion) 42.2 46.6 Convertible debentures (excluding equity portion) 73.0 72.5 Total assets 651.5 646.8 These financial results are presented in conformance with International Financial Reporting Standards ("IFRS"). All figures are in Canadian dollars unless otherwise noted. Certain financial and operational measures referred to in this press release, including "contract income margin", "adjusted EBITDA", "adjusted EBITDA margin", "backlog", "working capital", "adjusted free cash flow" and "adjusted free cash flow per share", are not prescribed measures under IFRS. For a description of these measures, see the "Non-IFRS Measures" section in Stuart Olson's March 31, 2016 Management's Discussion & Analysis. First Quarter (Q1) 2016 Overview The Company ended Q1 2016 with a $2.2 billion backlog, the highest in Stuart Olson history. The record backlog includes a diverse mix of public, private and industrial projects across Western Canada , Ontario and the Northwest Territories , and is predominantly made up of low-risk contract arrangements. backlog, the highest in history. The record backlog includes a diverse mix of public, private and industrial projects across , and the , and is predominantly made up of low-risk contract arrangements. As previously announced, Stuart Olson was awarded a five-year master services agreement (MSA) valued at approximately $500.0 million to provide maintenance, repair and operations (MRO) services to a longstanding oil sands customer in Alberta . Under the terms of the multi-site, multi-use contract, the company will deliver a bundled service offering, drawing on the expertise of a diverse range of its Industrial Group service providers. was awarded a five-year master services agreement (MSA) valued at approximately to provide maintenance, repair and operations (MRO) services to a longstanding oil sands customer in . Under the terms of the multi-site, multi-use contract, the company will deliver a bundled service offering, drawing on the expertise of a diverse range of its Industrial Group service providers. Revenue for the three months ended March 31, 2016 was $243.0 million , compared to $282.9 million in Q1 2015. First quarter revenue from the Industrial Group increased by 13.1% to $93.1 million . The year-over-year improvement was driven by increased activity on the mining project in the Northwest Territories , partially offset by a reduction in Alberta oil sands activity. Industrial Group contract income declined 7.7% to $8.4 million and contract income margin decreased to 9.0% from 11.1%. These changes reflect the increased proportion of lower risk cost-reimbursable work in the project mix and the impact of oil sands project owners seeking supplier cost reductions. The Buildings Group generated higher contract income on lower revenues. First quarter revenue of $97.8 million declined 36.2% year-over-year due to delays in the awarding of planned infrastructure projects by the Alberta and federal governments, the planned wind-down of the group's industrial activity and the completion of projects that provided significant revenue in Q1 2015. Contract income increased 31.9% to $9.1 million reflecting additional profit being realized on a couple of significant projects nearing completion in Q1 2016. It also reflects the group's strategic move away from higher-risk industrial projects. Contract income margin increased to 9.3% from 4.5% in Q1 2015. Commercial Systems Group revenue increased 1.9% to $58.0 million , reflecting higher activity levels on certain projects. Contract income increased 10.5% to $8.4 million , and contract income margin increased to 14.5% from 13.4% as a result of changes in project stage of completion. was , compared to in Q1 2015. On a consolidated basis, underlying operational performance improved and contract income margin increased to 9.6% from 8.8%, however first quarter contract income declined 6.4% to $23.3 million . The non-cash impact of a $2.6 million reversal of intersegment eliminations in Q1 2016, as compared to a positive $1.3 million impact in Q1 2015, was the key factor in the year-over-year change in contract income. . The non-cash impact of a reversal of intersegment eliminations in Q1 2016, as compared to a positive impact in Q1 2015, was the key factor in the year-over-year change in contract income. The Company generated first quarter adjusted EBITDA of $6.4 million , compared to $10.5 million in Q1 2015, primarily as a result of the timing of intersegment eliminations and the increased expense related to marking-to-market share-based compensation. Excluding the impact of these two non-cash items, first quarter adjusted EBITDA was $10.4 million , $3.6 million higher than what Stuart Olson achieved on a consistent basis in the same period last year. , compared to in Q1 2015, primarily as a result of the timing of intersegment eliminations and the increased expense related to marking-to-market share-based compensation. Excluding the impact of these two non-cash items, first quarter adjusted EBITDA was , higher than what achieved on a consistent basis in the same period last year. First quarter net loss of $0.9 million (diluted loss per share of $0.03 ), compares to net earnings of $1.0 million (diluted earnings per share of $0.04 ) in Q1 2015. The decrease in net earnings was primarily due to lower adjusted EBITDA, partially offset by reduced financing costs. (diluted loss per share of ), compares to net earnings of (diluted earnings per share of ) in Q1 2015. The decrease in net earnings was primarily due to lower adjusted EBITDA, partially offset by reduced financing costs. The Company's financial flexibility remained strong with a net debt to EBITDA ratio of 1.8x and a dividend payout ratio of 33.7% based on last twelve month adjusted free cash flow. The Company's healthy balance sheet was supported by a cash balance of $42.8 million and additional borrowing capacity of approximately $104.4 million as at March 31, 2016 . and additional borrowing capacity of approximately as at . On May 3, 2016 , the Board of Directors ("Board") declared a quarterly common share dividend of $0.12 per share. The dividend is designated as an eligible dividend under the Income Tax Act ( Canada ) and is payable July 14, 2016 to shareholders of record on June 30, 2016 . , the Board of Directors ("Board") declared a quarterly common share dividend of per share. The dividend is designated as an eligible dividend under the ( ) and is payable to shareholders of record on . In the first quarter of 2016, Bob Myles joined Stuart Olson as Group Chief Operating Officer, Industrial. OUTLOOK The Company anticipates that 2016 consolidated revenue will be slightly lower than the level achieved in 2015. Due to project timing, first half revenue is expected to be lower and second half revenue is expected to be higher compared to 2015. The revenue outlook is supported by a strong $2.2 billion backlog, which provides line of sight to activity levels for 2016 and into 2017, and reflects the Company's access to many different segments and geographic markets within the Canadian construction market. Both the Buildings Group and Commercial Systems Group are executing backlogs dominated by public projects across multiple provinces. The Industrial Group has been successful in winning significant new business within Alberta and beyond. We balance this outlook with the potential for unknown impacts from the current "lower-for-longer" commodity pricing environment. Adjusted EBITDA and adjusted EBITDA margin are expected to modestly decline in 2016, reflecting the continuation of challenging economic conditions in the Alberta market and an increased proportion of lower-risk, and correspondingly lower-margin, MRO projects within the Industrial Group. Adjusted EBITDA results are also expected to continue to reflect the reversal of intersegment eliminations that benefited 2015 results. Stuart Olson's outlook for its three business groups is as follows: Industrial Group 2016 revenue is expected to be relatively consistent with 2015, supported by a large and growing base of oil sands MRO work. The Industrial Group significantly strengthened its MRO base in 2015 and early 2016 with the addition of new and extended MSA agreements with oil sands customers, including the $500.0 million multi-year MSA announced with a key longstanding customer in February 2016 . This latter agreement includes a major turnaround project in 2016. The outlook for the Industrial Group is further supported by the execution of large industrial projects outside of Alberta , including a power distribution project in Manitoba and the completion in 2016 of the mining project in the Northwest Territories . Adjusted EBITDA and adjusted EBITDA margin as a percentage of revenue are expected to be weaker year-over-year as a result of competitive market pressures in Alberta and an increased proportion of revenue coming from lower-risk cost-reimbursable MRO projects. multi-year MSA announced with a key longstanding customer in . This latter agreement includes a major turnaround project in 2016. The outlook for the Industrial Group is further supported by the execution of large industrial projects outside of , including a power distribution project in and the completion in 2016 of the mining project in the . Adjusted EBITDA and adjusted EBITDA margin as a percentage of revenue are expected to be weaker year-over-year as a result of competitive market pressures in and an increased proportion of revenue coming from lower-risk cost-reimbursable MRO projects. The Buildings Group anticipates higher adjusted EBITDA and adjusted EBITDA margin in 2016 on slightly lower revenue compared to 2015. The Buildings Group's 2016 revenue will be supported by predominantly public projects in multiple provinces, including the group's growing activity in Ontario . The higher adjusted EBITDA expectations primarily reflect the favourable shift in project mix, and to a lesser extent, a change in project stage of completion with several larger public projects scheduled to reach completion in 2016. . The higher adjusted EBITDA expectations primarily reflect the favourable shift in project mix, and to a lesser extent, a change in project stage of completion with several larger public projects scheduled to reach completion in 2016. Commercial Systems Group revenue, adjusted EBITDA and adjusted EBITDA margins are expected to be slightly lower than in 2015, reflecting the competitive market environment in Alberta . Stuart Olson will hold a conference call and webcast to discuss its first quarter 2016 results on Wednesday, May 4, 2016 at 7:30 a.m. Mountain Time (9:30 a.m. Eastern). The webcast will be broadcast live and will also be available for replay in the Presentations & Events subsection under Investor Relations on the Company's website at www.stuartolson.com. For those unable to listen during the live webcast, a replay will be available on the website shortly after the conclusion of the conference call for a period of 90 days. Financial analysts and institutional investors who wish to ask questions during the conference call are invited to call 1-888-390-0546 (Canada and USA) or 1-587-880-2171 (outside Canada and USA). For those unable to participate on the live call, a replay will be made available until Wednesday, May 18, 2016, by dialing 1-888-390-0541 (Canada and USA) or 1-416-764-8677 (outside Canada and USA), pin 593297. The public is invited to listen to the live conference call, webcast or the replay. About Stuart Olson Inc. Stuart Olson Inc. provides general contracting and electrical building systems contracting in the public and private construction markets as well as electrical, mechanical and specialty trades, such as insulation, cladding and asbestos abatement, in the industrial construction and services market. The Company operates office locations throughout British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Ontario. Stuart Olson's common shares and convertible debentures are listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbols "SOX" and "SOX.DB.A", respectively. www.stuartolson.com Forward Looking Information This press release contains certain statements that may constitute forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities laws. This forward-looking information includes, without limitation, the statements relating to: (a) the recently awarded $500 million Industrial Group contract, including the estimated value, timing and scope of the award; and (b) made under the section entitled "Outlook" including, without limitation, those relating to: (i) 2016 revenue visibility; (ii) Stuart Olson's backlog and the implication that such backlog provides line of sight to activity levels in 2016 and 2017; (iii) 2016 EBITDA and EBITDA margin projections; (iv) economic conditions; and (v) the outlook for each of Stuart Olson's business groups. Often, but not always, forward-looking information can be identified by the use of such words as "may", "will", "expect", "believe", "plan", "intend", "estimate", "outlook", "forecast", "should", "anticipate" and other similar terminology, including statements concerning possible or assumed future results. Forward-looking information is based on management's reasonable assumptions, analysis and estimates in respect of its experience and perception of trends, current economic conditions, government policies and expected developments, as well as other material factors that it considers to be relevant at the time of making such statements. The forward-looking information in this press release is included solely for the purpose of assisting investors in understanding the Company's financial position and the results of its operations as at the date hereof. By its nature, forward-looking information involves known and unknown risks and uncertainties, which give rise to the possibility that management's assumptions, analysis and estimates will be incorrect and that the Company's anticipated results will not be achieved. Although the Company believes that the statements with respect to forward-looking information are reasonable and current, such statements should not be interpreted as a guarantee of future performance or results, and will not necessarily be an accurate indication of whether or not such results will be achieved. Forward-looking information is necessarily subject to a number of factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from those results implied by the expectations suggested by such information. Those factors include, without limitation, the risks and uncertainties described in the Company's Annual Information Form filed with the securities regulatory authorities in Canada under the Company's profile at www.sedar.com. Readers are encouraged to consider the foregoing risks and other factors carefully when evaluating the forward-looking information and are cautioned not to place undue reliance upon such information when making investment decisions. The forward-looking information in this press release is current to the date hereof, and is subject to change following such date. While the Company may elect to do so, unless required by applicable law, it undertakes no obligation to update this information to reflect new information or circumstances at any particular time. SOURCE Stuart Olson Inc. For further information: David LeMay, President and Chief Executive Officer, Stuart Olson Inc., (403) 685-7777, Email: [email protected]; Daryl Sands, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, Stuart Olson Inc., (403) 685-7777, Email: [email protected] VANCOUVER, May 3, 2016 /CNW/ - Cannevert Therapeutics Ltd., the research partner of Veritas Pharma Inc. ("VRT" or the "Company") (CSE: VRT; OTC: VRTHF; and Frankfurt: 2VP) has obtained an exemption from Health Canada to legally perform cannabis research. "We're pleased with Health Canada's approval. Cannevert scientists can now begin the hard work of screening the various cannabis cultivars from Whistler Medical Marijuana Corporation," explained Veritas CEO, Lui Franciosi. Health Canada also granted permission for the scientists to use other controlled substances to better understand the effects of cannabis. Cannevert welcomes this government decision since the regulatory approval and authorization enables the researchers to obtain sufficient varieties of cannabis on a regular basis to ensure rapid scientific progress. The necessary chemical and pharmacological assays have been already calibrated and standardized so allowing full analysis of 2 to 3 cannabis strains on a weekly basis. Veritas Pharma's aim is to get the most appropriate cultivars into the clinic and obtain the necessary intellectual protection for those showing therapeutic potential for human diseases. About VERITAS Pharma Inc. Veritas Pharma Inc. is an early stage pharmaceutical company developing innovative medicinal cannabis cultivars for specific disease conditions such as chronic pain, emesis (nausea/vomiting), and epilepsy. Using a 'lean and mean' approach to product development, the company aims to select candidate cultivars using classical pharmacology techniques and then immediately evaluate them in the clinic to maximize both product value and shareholder return. Veritas's scientists are an inter-disciplinary team that consists of chemists, pharmacologists, anesthetists, and clinical pharmacologists. Their focus is to use their knowledge to streamline the development of cannabis based treatments to capture considerable market share. On behalf of the Board of Directors Veritas Pharma Inc. "Dr. Lui Franciosi" Dr. Lui Franciosi Chief Executive Officer Further information about the Company is available on our website at www.veritaspharmainc.com or under our profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com and on the CSE website at www.thecse.com. The CSE has not reviewed, nor approved or disapproved the content of this press release. SOURCE Veritas Pharma Inc. For further information: Investor and Public Relations Contact: Veritas Pharma Inc., Sam Eskandari, Telephone: +1.416.918.6785, Email: [email protected], Website: www.veritaspharmainc.com [May 03, 2016] Next Generation Cyber Security Market Forecast Report 2016-2021: Companies Advancing Beyond Traditional Firewalls Towards Cloud Based & Big Data Solutions For The Internet of Things (IoT) NEW YORK, May 3, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Report Details The latest report from business intelligence provider visiongain assesses that the global Next Generation Cyber Security market will generate revenues of $35.7 billion in 2016. See comprehensive analysis of the lucrative business prospects within this flourishing new sector. Now: Cyber security has become one of the most important segments of homeland security in recent years, in lieu of the proliferation of advanced attack software, and the way in which more and more essential systems are coming to rely upon digitalisation. This is especially true in the critical infrastructure sector, where modern industrial control systems (ICS) and SCADA systems have proven particularly vulnerable. This is an example of the business critical news that you need to know about - and more importantly, you need to read visiongain's objective analysis of how this will impact your company and the industry more broadly. How are you and your company reacting to this news? Are you sufficiently informed? How this report will benefit you Read on to discover how you can exploit the future business opportunities emerging in this sector. Visiongain's new study tells you and tells you NOW. In this brand new report you will receive 121 in-depth tables, charts and graphs PLUS 6 EXCLUSIVE expert interviews all unavailable elsewhere. The 209 page report provides clear detailed insight into the global Next Generation Cyber Security market. It reveals the key drivers and challenges affecting the market. By ordering and reading our brand new report today you will be better informed and ready to act. Report Scope - Global Next Generation Cyber Security market forecasts from 2016-2021 - Regional Next Generation Cyber Security market forecasts from 2016-2021 covering Asia-Pacific, Latin America, Europe, Middle East and Africa, and North America; - Leading national Next Generation Cyber Security forecasts from 2016-2021 covering China, the USA, Japan, France, the UK, Germay, India, Russia, Italy, Brazil and RoW - Next Generation Cyber Security submarket forecasts from 2016-2021 covering Application Security, Cloud Security, Content Security, Endpoint Security, and Network Security - Analysis of the key factors driving growth in the global and regional/country level Next Generation Cyber Security markets from 2016-2021 - Who are the leading players and what are their prospects over the forecast period? - BAE Systems - Barracuda Networks - Bay Dynamics - Cisco Systems - Check Point - FireEye - Fortinet - Herjavec Group - Hewlett Packard - Intel Corporation - Juniper Networks - Norse - Palo Alto Networks - Splunk - Watch Guard - Analysis of game changing technological trends being employed by the leading players and how these will shape the cyber security industry. - SWOT analysis of the major strengths and weaknesses of the market, together with the opportunities available and the key threats faced. - Market conclusions & recommendations. - 6 Full transcripts of exclusive Visiongain interviews with key opinion-leaders in the market, from the following companies: - Delve Labs - Digital Guardian - LogRhythm - Nymi - Sandstorm.io - Spikes Security How will you benefit from this report? - This report will keep your knowledge base up to speed. Don't get left behind - This report will reinforce strategic decision decision-making based upon definitive and reliable market data - You will learn how to exploit new technological trends - You will be able to realise your company's full potential within the market - You will better understand the competitive landscape and identify potential new business opportunities & partnerships Who should read this report? - Anyone within the cyber security value chain. - Cyber security companies - Cyber security risk insurance companies - IT Companies - Internet of Things (IoT) companies - Software developers - Infrastructure security companies - Chief information officers (CIO) - Chief executive officers (CEO) - Chief operating officers (COO - Commercial directors - Business development managers - Marketing managers - Technologists - Suppliers - Investors - Banks - Government agencies - Contractors Visiongain's study is intended for anyone requiring commercial analyses for the top companies in the cyber security market. You will find data, trends and predictions. Buy our report today Next Generation Cyber Security Market Forecast Report 2016-2021: Companies Advancing Beyond Traditional Firewalls Towards Cloud Based & Big Data Solutions For The Internet of Things (IoT). Avoid missing out by staying informed order our report now. Read the full report: http://www.reportlinker.com/p03812476-summary/view-report.html About Reportlinker ReportLinker is an award-winning market research solution. Reportlinker finds and organizes the latest industry data so you get all the market research you need - instantly, in one place. http://www.reportlinker.com __________________________ Contact Clare: [email protected] US: (339)-368-6001 Intl: +1 339-368-6001 To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/next-generation-cyber-security-market-forecast-report-2016-2021-companies-advancing-beyond-traditional-firewalls-towards-cloud-based--big-data-solutions-for-the-internet-of-things-iot-300262310.html SOURCE Reportlinker [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [May 04, 2016] CycleBeads Android App Launches Initiative in India - Provides Women with a Complete Family Planning Solution via Free Smartphone App NEW DELHI, May 4, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Women in India can now prevent pregnancy without side effects using a free smartphone app called CycleBeads. The CycleBeads Android app is the only period tracker designed for pregnancy prevention as well as planning. Based on research insights, the app has recently been improved to better meet the needs of Indian women and is now available in Hindi. The CycleBeads app helps a woman know which days she is fertile and which days she is not based on her period start dates. A woman enters her period dates and the app gives her the information she needs to prevent or plan pregnancy. Researchers from Georgetown University's Institute for Reproductive Health (IRH) in New Delhi are testing the usage and impact of this mobile technology in India. "This type of modern contraceptive method can help address a huge unmet family planning need for women here. We want to understand how women find out about it, their interest, and ongoing use," says Ramya Kancharla, IRH Country Manager, in New Delhi. CycleBeads is a patented technology based on the Standard Days Method, a family planning method that Was tested in large-scale efficacy trials and proven more than 95% effective at preventing pregnancy when used correctly, and 88% effective with typical use. at preventing pregnancy when used correctly, and 88% effective with typical use. Is classified as a " modern contraceptive method " by the World Health Organization and other national and international medical advisors. " by the World Health Organization and other national and international medical advisors. Is a widely used natural family planning option that has been used by approximately 5 million women worldwide in more than 60 countries, including India . in more than 60 countries, including . Is designed for women with cycles between 26 and 32 days long which is the majority of women, though not all. "The CycleBeads app addresses many of the reasons women cite for not using contraception it has no side effects, it allows women to plan ahead for their fertile days, and it is available for free to anyone with a smartphone," says Leslie Heyer, founder of Cycle Technologies, the company that developed the app. "CycleBeads apps have been used by many women worldwide, but we want to understand how it fits the unique needs of women in India." The CycleBeads Android app can be downloaded for free in the Google Marketplace. About Cycle Technologies Cycle Technologies is a socially minded consumer product company based in Washington, D.C. The company creates Brilliantly Simple solutions to address global health needs. Since 2002 the company has worked with researchers, healthcare partners, and technologists to identify, develop, and make available leading edge ideas that fit its mission. To see more about the company's initiatives, visit www.CycleTechnologies.com. MEDIA CONTACT INFO: Alev Sezer-Jacobs Direct: 202.607.1233 Office: 202.730.1629 Email: [email protected] Website: www.CycleTechnologies.com [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [May 04, 2016] Fortex, Inc. introduces its next-generation "xForce Prime of Prime Suite" for FX Brokers REDWOOD SHORES, Calif., May 4, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Fortex, Inc., one of the leading electronic communication network (ECN) trading platforms, today announced the launch of its xForce Prime of Prime Suite for FX Brokerage companies. xForce Prime of Prime is the first end-to-end, prime-of-prime solution that is designed to allow banks and brokerages, who are looking to become FX liquidity providers, to distribute their price streams directly to their partners' systems. FX Brokerages can now onboard their own partners by offering white label omnibus accounts and by enabling access to an aggregated corporate account utilizing the institutional Fortex5 front-end. They also have the ability to issue FIX API connections and to manage the whole process via flexible middle and back office portals, giving all parties a clear view of their financial performance and the tools to make smarter decisions for their businesses. The groundbreaking xForce Prime of Prime suite is not only enabling FX brokerages to distribute their liquidity in a whole new way, but is empowering those businesses to tap into the network of corporate FX traders, fund managers and regional banks that they couldn't access before. Brokers are able to create and manage the pricing profiles that they provide to their partners, utilize different execution and revenue generating strategies, manage their risk books using sophisticated risk management tools and, most importantly, view their entire brokerage P&L anywhere in real time. xForce is a scalable and geographically distributed cloud ecosystem hosted in our dedicated facility in New York's NY4 Equinix datacenter, delivering sub-millisecond latency combined with high system availability. The xForce Prime of Prime suite addresses the current void in the B2B FX market, where many brokerages are looking to become FX and CFD liquidity providers and distribute their own liquidity to other firms as they grow and expand. Unfortunately, the solutions curretly on offer to them are either too costly, at the high end of the spectrum, requiring a Tier 1 Prime Brokerage account, or not scalable and underperforming at the low end, built around MT4 technology. In addition, the brokers' financial information is scattered across the multiple systems used to operate the STP model and their internal risk management and this makes it extremely difficult to obtain business-critical financial information within a reasonable time. The most powerful feature of the xForce PoP suite is its ability to provide real-time insight into a broker's overall exposure across all of its accounts and to generate real-time P&L for their A book, B book and coverage books combined. "For the first time ever, FX Brokerages can deploy an all-in-one liquidity aggregation solution that is scalable and easy-to-use. A system that does not require any expensive hardware installation or IT resources and that provides an institutional-grade front end for corporate account management along with a flexible back office management suite. xForce Prime of Prime allows FX Brokers to manage their business from anywhere, expand partnership and liquidity distribution networks and to provide value and knowledge in ways that no other system can," said Natallia Hunik, Global Head of Sales at Fortex, Inc. In 2016, fewer retail FX firms than ever have access to Tier 1 prime brokerage services, especially given the squeeze in credit and the increase in capital requirements. This has opened the door for the larger FX Brokerages to distribute their liquidity to their smaller-sized peers. The Fortex xForce Prime of Prime product suite offers an in-demand, hassle-free solution that addresses liquidity distribution alongside other critical issues such as access to financial information and overall operational efficiency. About Fortex Fortex is the world's leading ECN platform, with up to $12 billion of daily volume in currency, metals, energy, and CFD trades and 500,000 tickets a day for tens of thousands of traders around the world. The company's powerful Fortex 6 platform, sophisticated cloud infrastructure, and middleware solutions have revolutionized currency, commodity, and equity trading. Today, traders, broker dealers, market makers, money managers, banks, hedge funds, and investors around the world rely on Fortex to facilitate trade execution and support sophisticated trading strategies. Some of the world's most successful currency trading firms have built their FX businesses on the Fortex platform. Fortex is headquartered in Redwood Shores, California with offices in New York, Boston, Hong Kong, Shanghai, and London. The company is privately held. More information about Fortex can be found at http://www.fortex.com. For additional information: Natallia Hunik +1 704.776.5892 [email protected] Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160503/363179 To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/fortex-inc-introduces-its-next-generation-xforce-prime-of-prime-suite-for-fx-brokers-300262198.html SOURCE Fortex, Inc. [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [May 04, 2016] Global Toner Market 2016 Report - China Trends, Developments to 2021 PUNE, India, May 4, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Market-Research-Reports.com adds "Global and Chinese Toner Industry, 2016 Market Research Report", which is the latest study of 150 pages, published in April 2016, to the Electrical & Electronic intelligence collection of its store. This report estimates 2016-2021 Toner Industry Cost and Profit with Market Competition of Toner Industry by Country: (Including Europe, U.S., Japan, China etc.), By Company and Application. Complete report on Toner market divided into 11 major chapters that offer an overview of current market scenario as well as 2021 forecasts is now available at http://www.market-research-reports.com/453140-toner-industry. This Global and Chinese Report 2016 is a result of industry experts' diligent work on researching the world market of Toner. The report helps to build up a clear view of the market (scenario and survey), identify major players in the industry, and analyzes the upstream raw materials, downstream clients, and current market dynamics of Toner Industry. The report reviews the basic information of Toner including its classification, application and manufacturing technology. This report explores global and China's top manufacturers of Toner listing their product specification, capacity, Production value, and market share etc. The report further analyzes quantitatively 2011-2016 global and China's total market of Toner by calculation of main economic parameters of each company. In the end, the report makes a proposal for a new project of Toner Industry before evaluating its feasibility. Overall, the report provides an in-depth insight of 2011-2016 global and China Toner industry covering all important parameters. Order a copy of this report at http://www.market-research-reports.com/contacts/purchase.php?name=453140. The first chapter introduces the Toner Industry by Brief Introduction, Development & Status of Toner Industry. The fourth chapter deals with 2011-2016 Global and China Market of Toner. The chapter 5 summarizes Market Status of Toner Industry. List of Tables and Figures for Global & China Toner Industry Figure Toner Product Picture Table Development of Toner Manufacturing Technology Figure Manufacturing Process of Toner Table Trends of Toner Manufacturing Technology Table 2011-2016 Global Toner Capacity List Table 2011-2016 Global Toner Key Manufacturers Capacity Share List Figure 2011-2016 Global Toner Manufacturers Capacity Share Table 2011-2016 Global Toner Key Manufacturers Production List Table 2011-2016 Global Toner Key Manufacturers Production Share List Figure 2011-2016 Global Toner Manufacturers Production Share Figure 2011-2016 Global Toner Capacity Production and Growth Rate Table 2011-2016 Global Toner Key Manufacturers Production Value List Figure 2011-2016 Global Toner Production Value and Growth Rate Table 2011-2016 Global Toner Key Manufacturers Production Value Share List Figure 2011-2016 Global Toner Manufacturers Production Value Share And more. Another research titled Global and Chinese Toner Cartridge Industry, 2015 Market Research Report is a professional and in-depth study on the current state of the global Toner Cartridge industry with a focus on the Chinese market. The report provides key statistics on the market status of the Toner Cartridge manufacturers and is a valuable source of guidance and direction for companies and individuals interested in the industry. Firstly, the Global and Chinese Toner Cartridge Industry, 2015 Market Research Report provides a basic overview of the industry including its definition, applications and manufacturing technology. The report presents company profiles, product specifications, capacity, production value, and 2010-2015 market shares for major players. Through the statistical analysis, the report depicts the global and Chinese total market of Toner Cartridge industry including capacity, production, production value, cost/profit, supply/demand and Chinese import/export. The total market is further divided by company, by country, and by application/type for the competitive landscape analysis. The report then estimates 2015-2020 market development trends of Toner Cartridge industry. Comprehensive Table of Contents and more for the report is available at http://www.market-research-reports.com/toc-449405-toner-cartridge-industry. Explore more reports on Electrical & Electronic Industry at http://www.market-research-reports.com/cat/information-technology/electrical-electronic-market-research. About Us: Market Research Reports is an aggregator of syndicated market research studies that offer current and future market intelligence across multiple industrial verticals through is high quality database. Market Research Reports aims to help you take business decisions accurately and on time, every time. Understanding your time constraints, we can help you find the most relevant research based on the requirements you share with us. Our customers get 24 X 7 email and phone support. Feel free to reach us at +1 888 391 5441 with your business intelligence needs. Contact: Ritesh Tiwari UNIT no 802, Tower no. 7, SEZ Magarpatta city, Hadapsar Pune - 411013 Maharashtra, India. Tel: +1-888-391-5441 [email protected] SOURCE Market-Research-Reports [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [May 04, 2016] Bitauto Announces Changes to Board of Directors BEIJING, May 4, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Bitauto Holdings Limited ("Bitauto" or the "Company") (NYSE: BITA), a leading provider of internet content and marketing services for China's fast-growing automotive industry, today announced the appointment of Mr. Joseph Luppino as a director to its board of directors ("the board"), effective May 4, 2016. Mr. Joseph Luppino is currently senior vice president and chief operating officer of Cox Automotive International, overseeing day-to-day operations in markets outside of Canada and North America. In addition, Mr. Luppino is responsible for managing and developing existing and potential new strategic partnerships in emerging markets including Brazil, India and China. Cox Automotive, the parent company of Cox Automotive International, is also the parent company of AutoTrader Group (ATG Group), which is a major shareholder of Bitauto. Prior to Mr. Luppino's current role, he was responsible for Cox Automotive's global corporate development, legal, real estate and construction functions, compliance and employment practices, government affairs as well as Go Auto and Go Financial partnership relationships. Mr. Luppino's previous positions include senior vice president and chief financial officer for Manheim, vice president and chief information officer of Manheim, vice president and chief operating officer of Manheim Interactive, and executive director of marketing operations for Cox Enterprises. Mr. Luppino holds a bachelor of science degree in accounting from St. Peter's College. In addition, the Company also announced that Mr. Dllas Clement resigned as director of the Company, effective May 4, 2016, as he takes on a new role as chief financial officer of Cox Enterprises, the parent company of Cox Automotive. William Bin Li, chairman and chief executive officer of Bitauto, commented, "We are pleased to welcome Mr. Joseph Luppino as our director. Mr. Luppino brings extensive experience in the automobile industry and we look forward to working with him. We would also like to express our sincere gratitude to Mr. Dallas Clement for his significant and invaluable contributions over the past three years as our director." About Bitauto Holdings Limited Bitauto Holdings Limited (NYSE: BITA) is a leading provider of internet content and marketing services for China's fast-growing automotive industry. Bitauto manages its businesses in three segments: its advertising and subscription business, transaction services business and digital marketing solutions business. Bitauto's advertising and subscription business offers advertising and digital marketing solutions to automakers and automobile customers in China. Bitauto provides a variety of advertising services mainly to automakers through its bitauto.com and taoche.com websites, which provide consumers with up-to-date new and used automobile pricing and promotional information, specifications, reviews and consumer feedback. Bitauto also offers subscription services via its EP platform which provides web-based and mobile-based integrated digital marketing solutions to automobile customers in China. The platform enables dealer subscribers to create their own online showrooms, list pricing and promotional information, provide dealer contact information, place advertisements and manage customer relationships to help them reach a broad set of purchase-minded customers and effectively market their automobiles to consumers online. In 2014, Bitauto began providing automobile customers with transaction services on its EP platform, including automobile transaction, CRM and online automotive financial platform services, which are intended to optimize the automobile purchase experience and facilitate completion of transactions. Bitauto's digital marketing solutions business provides automakers with one-stop digital marketing solutions, including website creation and maintenance, online public relations, online marketing campaigns and advertising agent services. For more information, please visit http://ir.bitauto.com. For investor and media inquiries, please contact: Beijing IR Department Bitauto Holdings Limited +86 (10) 6849-2145 [email protected] To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/bitauto-announces-changes-to-board-of-directors-300262582.html SOURCE Bitauto Holdings Limited [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] New Delhi: Keeping the pot boiling on the issue of Prime Minister's educational qualifications, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday said Delhi University was refusing to show records of Narendra Modi's degree as he never graduated from it. Kejriwal also promptly shared the copy of an RTI response on his engineering degree from IIT-Kharagpur, saying the authorities could immediately provide it as I have a degree from there. He alleged that images of Modi's degrees published by some newspapers were "forged". "DU refuses to show records of PM's degree. Why? My info- he did not do BA from DU," Kejriwal tweeted. DU refuses to show records of PM's degree. Why? My info- he did not do BA from DU. No records in DU. Degree published by some papers forged Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) May 4, 2016 Why is DU refusing info abt PM's degree? Becoz he does not have it (2/2) Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) May 4, 2016 "No records in DU related to his enrolment, his degree, his marksheets and convocation," the Chief Minister said in another tweet, a week after the Central Information Commission directed DU and Gujarat University to search and provide information on Modi's degrees. No records in DU related to his enrolment, his degree, his marksheets and convocation Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) May 4, 2016 Gujarat University had on Sunday said Modi had an MA degree and had scored 62.3 per cent as an external student of the varsity while DU is yet to share any information. AAP has been attacking the Prime Minister over the issue ever since Kejriwal wrote a letter to Information Commissioner Sridhar Acharyulu demanding that the CIC order on disclosure of educational qualifications of Modi. [May 04, 2016] Faraday Showcases Virtual Platform Solution and 28nm IP at ChipEx 2016 HSINCHU, Taiwan, SANTA CLARA, Calif. and HOOFDDORP, Netherlands, May 4, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Faraday Technology Corporation (TWSE: 3035), a leading ASIC design Service and IP provider, is bringing its comprehensive 28nm based ASIC solution suite to the ChipEx 2016 on May 9 in Tel Aviv, Israel. In this largest international event of Israeli microelectronics community, Faraday will make a technical address on "ESL Virtual Platform for Early SW Development" as well as demonstrate the AMP prototyping platform and showcase its SoReal! virtual platform service that drastically reduces SoC design cycle and time to market. Based on the industry's sole alternative source of gate-last high-K metal gate 28nm technology provided by UMC, Faraday rolls out a series of high performance, low power IP solutions ranging from foundation libraries to high-speed interface subsystems. Technical consultation is available at the Faraday's booth. "We are proud to present our high quality ASIC design service to Israel and to the European SoC design community," said Spencer Chu, vice president of worldwide sales at Faraday Technology. "Founded in 1993, we position ourselves as the driver of design service innovation. We believe our best-in-class IP quality and turn-key service model is the right solution for our customers in this region." Visit Faraday booth at No. C4 and hear the technical session and find out the latest offerings from Faraday. Exhibition When 8:00am - 5:00pm , May 9, 2016 Where Faraday Booth No.C4 , at Israel Trade Fairs Center, Tel Aviv, Israel Demo SoReal! Virtual Platform Service Faraday AMP Prototyping Platform Comprehensive IP Portfolio Technical presentation Subject: ESL Virtual Platform for Early SW Development Speaker: Ken Liao , Senior Associate Vice President , Senior Associate Vice President Time: 12:00pm - 12:20pm , May 9 Contact Information Sales Contact Press Contact Rene Lee Carol Yang +31.23.5620496 +886.3.5787888 ext. 4047 [email protected] [email protected] About Faraday Technology Corporation Faraday Technology Corporation is a leading fabless ASIC and silicon IP provider. The broad silicon IP portfolio includes I/O, Cell Library, Memory Compiler, ARM-compliant CPUs, DDR2/3/4, low-power DDR1/2/3, MIPI, V-by-One, MPEG4, H.264, USB 2.0/3.1 Gen 1, 10/100/1000 Ethernet, Serial ATA, PCI Express, and programmable SerDes, etc. Headquartered in Taiwan, Faraday has service and support offices around the world, including the U.S., Japan, Europe, and China. Faraday is listed on the Taiwan Stock Exchange, ticker 3035. For more information, please visit: www.faraday-tech.com. To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/faraday-showcases-virtual-platform-solution-and-28nm-ip-at-chipex-2016-300262640.html SOURCE Faraday Technology Corporation [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [May 04, 2016] IGT Selected by Kickapoo Lucky Eagle Casino Hotel to Enhance Casino Management Systems LONDON, May 4, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- International Game Technology PLC ("IGT") (NYSE: IGT) today announced that it has signed an agreement with Kickapoo Lucky Eagle Casino Hotel to enhance the Texas property's IGT Advantage casino management systems with NexGen 2 in-game hardware. This Advantage 9.2 enhancement provides the latest IGT bonusing applications to players. "Our enhancement of the casino management systems at Kickapoo Lucky Eagle Casino Hotel speaks to the strength of our partnership and the reliability of IGT systems," said Nick Khin, IGT Senior Vice President of Sales, North America Gaming & Interactive. "Our systems innovation is second to none in the gaming industry, and it enables IGT to offer our customers exactly what they need to meet specific operations and player needs in any market." "Winning is bigger in Texas, and with our latest casino expansion, IGT's Advantage system plays a strategic role in offering our players new and exciting bonus opportunities," said Ms. Robin Miller, General Manager Kickapoo Lucky Eagle Casino Hotel. "We evaluated other systems solutions on the market, and it was clear to us that IGT's Advantage 9.2 platform combined with the latest NexGen 2 hardware was the best option for helping us to drive greater player interaction, loyalty and rewards." About IGT IGT (NYSE:IGT) is the global leader in gaming. We enable players to experience their favorite games across all channels and regulated segments, from Gaming Machines and Lotteries to Interactive and Social Gaming. Leveraging a wealth of premium content, substantial investment in innovation, in-depth customer intelligence, operational expertise and leading-edge technology, our gamng solutions anticipate the demands of consumers wherever they decide to play. We have a well-established local presence and relationships with governments and regulators in more than 100 countries around the world, and create value by adhering to the highest standards of service, integrity, and responsibility. IGT has over 12,000 employees. For more information, please visit www.IGT.com. Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements This news release may contain forward-looking statements (including within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995) concerning IGT and other matters. These statements may discuss goals, intentions and expectations as to future plans, trends, events, results of operations or financial condition, or otherwise, based on current beliefs of the management of IGT as well as assumptions made by, and information currently available to, such management. Forward-looking statements may be accompanied by words such as "aim," "anticipate," "believe," "plan," "could," "would," "should,", "shall", "continue", "estimate," "expect," "forecast," "future," "guidance," "intend," "may," "will," "possible," "potential," "predict," "project" or the negative or other variations of them. These forward-looking statements are subject to various risks and uncertainties, many of which are outside IGT's control. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should any of the underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may differ materially from those predicted in the forward-looking statements and from past results, performance or achievements. Therefore, you should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements include (but are not limited to) the possibility that the businesses of International Game Technology and GTECH S.p.A. will not be integrated successfully, or that the combined companies will not realize estimated cost savings, synergies, growth or other anticipated benefits or that such benefits may take longer to realize than expected; the possibility that IGT will be unable to pay future dividends to shareholders or that the amount of such dividends may be less than anticipated; the possibility that IGT may not obtain its anticipated financial results in one or more future periods; unanticipated costs of integration of the two companies; reductions in customer spending; a slowdown in customer payments and changes in customer demand for products and services; unanticipated changes relating to competitive factors in the industries in which the company operates; IGT's ability to hire and retain key personnel; the impact of the consummation of the business combination on relationships with third parties, including customers, employees and competitors; IGT's ability to attract new customers and retain existing customers in the manner anticipated; reliance on and integration of information technology systems; changes in legislation or governmental regulations affecting IGT; international, national or local economic, social or political conditions that could adversely affect the company or its customers; conditions in the credit markets; risks associated with assumptions the company makes in connection with its critical accounting estimates; the resolution of pending and potential future legal, regulatory or tax proceedings and investigations; and the company's international operations, which are subject to the risks of currency fluctuations and foreign exchange controls. The foregoing list of factors is not exhaustive. You should carefully consider the foregoing factors and the other risks and uncertainties that affect IGT's business, including those described in IGT's annual report on Form 20-F for the financial year ended December 31, 2015 and other documents filed from time to time with the Securities and Exchange Commission, which are available on the SEC website at www.sec.gov and on the investor relations section of the company's website at www.IGT.com. Except as required under applicable law, IGT does not assume any obligation to update the forward-looking statements. Nothing in this news release is intended, or is to be construed, as a profit forecast or to be interpreted to mean that earnings per IGT share for the current or any future financial years will necessarily match or exceed the historical published earnings per IGT share, as applicable. All forward-looking statements contained in this news release are qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement. All subsequent written or oral forward-looking statements attributable to IGT, or persons acting on its behalf, are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement. Media Contact: Phil O'Shaughnessy, IGT (702) 669-2975 2016 IGT. All other trademarks used herein are owned by IGT or its affiliates, may not be used without permission, and where indicated with a , are registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20150406/196736LOGO To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/igt-selected-by-kickapoo-lucky-eagle-casino-hotel-to-enhance-casino-management-systems-300262086.html SOURCE IGT [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [May 04, 2016] Dun & Bradstreet To Present Case Study Featuring BlackLine At Upcoming Sharedserviceslink Webinar LOS ANGELES and LONDON, May 4, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- A senior finance team leader from Dun & Bradstreet (D&B) is slated to headline an upcoming sharedserviceslink webinar, highlighting D&B's use of the BlackLine Finance Controls & Automation Platform to achieve 'best-in-class' account reconciliations in a shared services environment. With the number of companies moving to shared services (often overseas) continuing to increase, it is increasingly critical for proper controls to be in place surrounding the financial close. This session is designed to show how global organizations operating in a shared services environment can optimize their account reconciliation and financial close processes by leveraging technology such as BlackLine's cloud platform. Gretchen Sikora, senior finance leader, Dun & Bradstreet, will present a case study showing the key benefits and ROI the commercial data and insight leader has realized since using BlackLine on a global basis. What: "How to Achieve Best-in-Class Recs: the Dun & Bradstreet Story" When: Wednesday, 11th May 2016, 10:00 New York, 15:00 London, 16:00 Paris Featured Speakers: Gretchen Sikora , senior finance leader, Dun & Bradstreet , senior finance leader, Dun & Bradstreet Sarah Fane , head of research, sharedserviceslink Attendees will leave the session with insight into how, by automating their account reconciliations, Dun & Bradstreet was able to: Dramatically increase transparency, visibility and accuracy during th close process across 70 operating entities worldwide Virtually eliminate spreadsheets (and the manual errors that often come with them) from their account reconciliation process Create a 24/7-accessible global data repository Reduce the resources and costs related to audit and SOX compliance Improve employee engagement by removing tedious, manual tasks from the close process here. Sharedserviceslink, an online community for leaders in Finance shared services, is designed to provide a place where professionals can go to learn from their peers and find out how they have achieved the exceptional. About BlackLine BlackLine is a leading provider of Enhanced Finance Controls and Automation (EFCA) software and the only one that offers a unified cloud platform supporting the entire close-to-disclose process. BlackLine's EFCA Platform helps midsize companies and large enterprises improve the accuracy and reliability of their financial reporting, achieve process efficiencies and improve visibility into their Finance & Accounting (F&A) operations. The platform enables customers to move beyond outdated processes and point solutions to a Continuous Accounting model. With Continuous Accounting, real-time automation, controls and period-end tasks are embedded within day-to-day activities, allowing the rigid accounting calendar to more closely mirror the broader business. Delivered through a scalable and highly secure cloud model and built from a single code base, the BlackLine platform supports many key F&A processes including the financial close, account reconciliations, intercompany accounting and controls assurance, fueling confidence throughout the entire accounting cycle. Through BlackLine's cloud analytics software, BlackLine Insights, CFOs can access real-time data to benchmark, analyze and improve the efficiency and performance of their F&A organizations. The software utilizes live, aggregated and anonymized data collected from BlackLine customers. In an era of ever-increasing business complexity, transaction volumes and stringent regulatory requirements, BlackLine's platform is purpose-built to transform and modernize mission-critical F&A processeswith enterprise-grade accuracy, automation and transparency. More than 125,000 users across 1,300 companies in approximately 100 countries depend upon BlackLine to increase accountant productivity and elevate controls and compliance functions to Modern Finance status. BlackLine complements existing enterprise systems for Corporate Performance Management, Governance Risk and Compliance and Enterprise Resource Planning. The BlackLine Financial Close Suite for SAP Solutions is an SAP-endorsed business solution, joining the ranks of fewer than 40 other software offerings. BlackLine also is an SAP Gold Partner, Oracle Gold Partner, and participates in the partner programs of NetSuite and several other ERP providers. BlackLine global headquarters are in Los Angeles, with regional headquarters in London, Singapore and Sydney. For more information or to see a complete list of offices, please visit www.blackline.com. Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20061117/LAF027LOGO To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/dun--bradstreet-to-present-case-study-featuring-blackline-at-upcoming-sharedserviceslink-webinar-300262077.html SOURCE BlackLine [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Ahmedabad: Gujarat government on Wednesday refused to accept an undertaking given by jailed quota agitation leader Hardik Patel for obtaining bail. Prosecutor Mitesh Amin told Justice A J Desai of Gujarat High Court that the undertaking was not "agreeable to the government". Hardik's signed undertaking, presented by his lawyer Zubin Bharda, assured that if set free, he would refrain from the activities that may affect law and order situation but will "continue to agitate for grievances of the Patidar community in a peaceful and democratic manner". He would not indulge in any act disturbing the law and order and would abide by all the conditions that would be imposed by the court, it said. Advocate Bharda argued that his client was "better suited" for bail than his three associates arrested in the same case (Chirag Patel, Ketan Patel and Dinesh Patel) who have got bail after giving undertakings. The matter would be further heard tomorrow. The lower courts in Surat and Ahmedabad (where there are separate sedition cases against Hardik) have refused him bail. The young Patel leader and his three associates are facing charges under IPC sections 124(A) (sedition), 121 (A) (conspiracy to wage war against government) and 120 (B) (criminal conspiracy) here. They are accused of inciting violence to put pressure on the government to accept the demand of OBC reservation for Patels. Hardik is lodged at Lajpore jail in Surat. Justice John Tsoho of the Federal High Court, Abuja, on Tuesday struck out a suit seeking the prosecution of Governor of the Central Ban... Justice John Tsoho of the Federal High Court, Abuja, on Tuesday struck out a suit seeking the prosecution of Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele, over alleged unlawful disbursement of funds to the immediate past National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki .The judges decision was informed by a notice of discontinuance filed by the plaintiffs Achilike Anderson, Uchenna Nnadi, Ohazuruike Tochukwu, Fatima Musa, Olamide Buba, Hassan Haruna, Elochukwu Nweke, Amina Abubakar, Eroni Ada and Joy Moses.The plaintiffs, who said they are lawyers, were silent on the motive behind their sudden change of mind and the decision to withdraw the suit.Listed with the CBN governor as defendants to the suit were President Muhammadu Buhari, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Senate.The plaintiffs had in their suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/218/16, sought 10 prayers, including an order, directing the EFCC to arrest and prosecute the CBN governor for offences of money laundering, unlawful, illegal and fraudulent direct cash payment to the Office of the National Security Adviser via a letter dated November 26, 2014 referenced: NSA/366/S.They also wanted the court to order the EFCC to carry out an investigation into the unlawful, illegal, and fraudulent act of the first defendant in making direct cash payment to the office of the NSA.The plaintiff wanted the court to direct the second defendant (the President) to write to the Senate, pursuant to the provision of Section 11 (2) (c) and (f) of the CBN (Establishment) Act Cap C4 LFN 2004, to demand the removal of the CBN governor.The plaintiffs urged the court to declare that by virtue of the combined effect of Sections 1 and 10 (1) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act 2004, the act of the first defendant (the CBN governor) in making direct cash payment in various sums of money to the Office of the NSA under the cover of special services in excess of the authorized limit cash payment and without giving the requisite report in writing within seven days to the third defendant (EFCC) constitutes a gross abuse of and misconduct in relation to the discharge of his duties. Nigerias former oil minister Diezani Alison-Madueke is under investigation for allegedly trying to rig last years elections, a spokesman... Nigerias former oil minister Diezani Alison-Madueke is under investigation for allegedly trying to rig last years elections, a spokesman for the countrys anti-corruption agency said on Tuesday.We are investigating a case involving the former petroleum minister Mrs Alison-Madueke in respect of some millions of dollars she is accused of giving to INEC officials to influence the 2015 elections, Wilson Uwujaren, of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), told AFP.Local media has claimed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) received $115 million in oil money to influence the polls in favour of then president Goodluck Jonathans Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).Alison-Madueke was petroleum minister in Jonathans government until last year, when he was defeated by Muhammadu Buhari.Some suspects, including senior INEC officials, local oil company executives and the head of a commercial bank through which the bribes were alleged to have been paid, have been arrested.The EFCC has also frozen the bank accounts of those implicated, Uwujaren added.The 55-year-old former oil minister has been repeatedly targeted by a range of corruption claims, which she has flatly denied.In October 2015 she was arrested in London, where she was undergoing breast cancer treatment, as part of a British probe into international corruption and money laundering.She has also been accused of wasting millions of dollars on private jets while many Nigerians live below the poverty line.Buhari, who took office in May last year, has vowed to end endemic corruption in Nigeria, which is Africas largest oil producer and biggest economy.He has begun an overhaul of the state-run oil firm as part of a wider crackdown on graft that he said has seen mind-boggling sums of public money looted over decades.Alison-Madueke was in charge of the sector when there were claims the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) failed to remit $20 billion in oil revenue to the central bank. Ike Ekweremadu, deputy senate president, on Wednesday recalled how he was kidnapped 17 years ago, saying the experience was not a good one. Ike Ekweremadu, deputy senate president, on Wednesday recalled how he was kidnapped 17 years ago, saying the experience was not a good one.Ekeremadu was making his contribution to a report on kidnapping and hostage-taking, at the senate.On the September 10, 2000, as chief of staff to the then Enugu governor I was kidnapped and kept for two days. I was released, but no ransom was paid, he said.I think there are categories of kidnappers, those who kidnap to make a statement, and those who kidnap for money, which I believe we are talking about.We should discourage kidnapping by refusing to pay ransoms, because from my experience these kidnappers are always in a hurry to get the money and move on.Also speaking, Godswill Akpabio, senate minority leader and former governor of Akwa Ibom state, said kidnapping for ransoms started in the southeast of Nigeria, adding that the start of the menace was marked by the abduction of Chris Ngige, former governor of the state.He added that Niger Delta militants later adopted kidnapping as a means of protest against the government, but not as a way of making money.When it (kidnapping) started in the Niger Delta, it was like a protest not for ransom. When it started in southeast, it was commercialised, most especially in Abia state where people built houses with bunkers under, he said.When Bukola Saraki, senate president, asked Akpabio who kidnapped Ngige, the senator from Akwa Ibom state said: You know better than I do.The response spurred the laughter of lawmakers.Akpabio was also reacting to a statement in the report by Abu Ibrahim, a senator from Katsina south, who chaired the joint committee on police affairs, national security and intelligence, that kidnapping started in the Niger Delta.The report recommended more funding for security agencies and provision of jobs for the youth as a means of eliminating the scourge.It also recommended that the senate enact laws to make kidnapping a capital offence. The Nigeria Police Force has removed the Commissioner of Police, Enugu State Command, Mr. Nwodibo Ekechukwu, over the attack on Ukpabi Ni... The Nigeria Police Force has removed the Commissioner of Police, Enugu State Command, Mr. Nwodibo Ekechukwu, over the attack on Ukpabi Nimbo in Enugu State by suspected Fulani herdsmen.The Force Public Relations Officer, Bisi Kolawole, confirmed on Tuesday that Ekechukwu had been posted out of the state to another command.She, however, did not state why the police boss was redeployed.The Enugu State CP has been posted out of the state to another command and a new CP, Emmanuel Ojukwu, has taken over. The redeployment is part of strategies to improve police effectiveness across the country, she stated.On Monday last week, no fewer than 20 persons in Ukpabi Nimbo, an agrarian community in the Uzo-Uwani Local Government Area of Enugu State, were killed while many other residents were injured during an attack by Fulani herdsmen.It was learnt that scores of armed cattle breeders, reportedly numbering more than 100, stormed the sleepy community in the early hours of the day.The police high command was said to have been angry due to the fact that the villagers had informed the state police command about the impending attack but the formation did nothing to forestall the killings.Enugu State has experienced significant bloodshed from attacks by Fulani herdsmen and communal violence.Many Nigerians were angry due to the fact that the police authorities had to wait for instructions from the Presidency before taking action against the culprits.Ironically, it was reported in March that 76 residents of Ugwuneshi autonomous community in the Awgu LGA of Enugu State, were arrested while attempting to rescue their wives from the captivity of the Fulani herdsmen.None of the cattle rearers, who were allegedly the aggressors, was arrested.Ojukwu, the new state police commissioner, is a former Force PRO.Meanwhile, after weeks of seeming reluctance, President Muhammadu Buhari said he had ordered heads of security agencies to take all necessary actions to apprehend rampaging herdsmen who had continued to wreak havoc on different communities across the country.According to a statement on Tuesday by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, the President spoke while receiving members of the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, on Monday evening.The President, who was reacting to reports of continued attacks by gun-wielding herdsmen, restated his administrations resolve to deal decisively and expeditiously with the matter.We are determined to secure all Nigerians and I have told the Inspector-General of Police and other security agencies, in very strong terms, to deal decisively with the attackers, the President said.Buhari expressed his personal condolences to the Catholic Bishop of Enugu, the people of Ukpabi Nimbo and all other communities that had suffered fatalities and other losses from the recent attacks.Speaking on other national issues, the President assured the clerics that he was acting with deliberation and moving methodically to implement his change agenda for the good of the country.We need to rebuild our institutions methodically, we need to change the way we do things.In the last 10 years, crude oil sold for more than $100 per barrel, but Nigeria did not save. That is why we have found ourselves where we are today, President Buhari told the Catholic Bishops, led by Most Rev. Ignatius Kaigama, the Archbishop of Jos.The President assured them that his administration was working very hard to fulfil all the promises it had made to Nigerians, adding that his greatest motivating factor was the desire to bring positive change to Nigeria.On behalf of the bishops, Kaigama expressed the support of the CBCN to the President.We are willing to collaborate with you and with your administration in which we see hope for a greater Nigeria, he told the President.The bishops pledged continued prayers for Nigeria and the government, expressing their conviction that current the hardships were temporary and that Nigeria would soon overcome its present difficulties.The Catholic bishops also declared their support for the ongoing corruption war being waged by the Buhari administration.The meeting, which started at about 9pm on Monday and lasted for over one hour, was held inside the First Ladys Conference Hall at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.The President of the CBCN, Kaigama, briefed State House correspondents at the end of the meeting, which was also attended by Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo and the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr. Babachir Lawal.Kaigama described corruption as a social disease, which must be dealt with if Nigeria must move forward.He said, Since 1960, the Catholic bishops have been talking against corruption, telling people to avoid it.It is a cancer, it is dangerous, it is a sickness and it is a social disease.We have assured the President that we are 100 per cent with him in his fight against corruption.With corruption, we cant make progress. With corruption, everything goes wrong, immorality takes over, and retrogression takes place.So corruption is a huge obstacle that has to be dismantled.Kaigama also described the recent attack on the Catholic Archbishop of Abuja, Cardinal John Onaiyekan, and other attacks carried out by suspected herdsmen across the country as acts of criminality which must stop.The bishops also faulted government at all levels for imposing sundry levies on the churchs educational and health institutions.While seeking the Presidents help in that area, Kaigama also made a case for the provision of worship places in public schools across the county.He added, Area of education is our strong point in Catholic church. We build character and if that is defective, you can never have a well functioning nation.Sometimes, we are slammed with levies in schools and hospitals instead of government giving us help and supporting us to do more to the people, they demand so much from our institutions and even impose levies on students and other people who make use of our facilities.He said the delegation found the President a committed and sincere leader who wants the best for his country.With that, criminalities and other things that are anti-social will give way. We have every hope. We only need to be a little more patient.The President has explained to us the difficulties, challenges, bottlenecks that are there and we understood him fully.We equally call on Nigerians to give the President a chance.The Presidents directive to stop the Fulani herdsmens menace notwithstanding, the National Coalition of Yoruba Youths and Students has warned against persistent killings by people suspected to be Fulani herdsmen.The Coordinator, Sunday Asefon, said the youth in the South-West would be mobilised to repel the wanton killings and destruction of properties by the assailants.Asefon, who spoke during a memorial lecture organised in honour of a former Deputy Governor of Ekiti State, Mrs Funmilayo Olayinka, pointed out that the senseless killings in Enugu, Benue and other states showed the weakness in the countrys security.Olayinka served as deputy to former Governor Kayode Fayemi between October 16, 2010 and April 6, 2013, when she died of cancer.Asefon added, Let me sound a note of warning to these suspected Fulani herdsmen to be careful because any attempt to invade our land shall be repelled by the youth and students of this zone.We wont allow aggressors to oppress and suppress our collective will. The Presidency must rise to the occasion by letting its body language, in discouraging this dastardly act, be felt in every corner across the country.We will continue to embrace the change agenda of President Muhammadu Buhari and offer useful advice when necessary.Delivering a lecture entitled, Women contributions to democratic development in Nigeria, a member of the seventh House of Representatives, Bamidele Faparusi, advocated more leadership positions for women in government.Faparusi, who was represented by the Chairman, Nigerian Bar Association in Ado Ekiti, Dr. Foluke Dada, urged the Federal Government to comply with the 35 per cent affirmative action by appointing women into higher positions. The Police have rescued abducted former Minister of State for Education and one-time Senator, Mrs Iyabode Anisulowo. Mrs Anisulowo, 70... The Police have rescued abducted former Minister of State for Education and one-time Senator, Mrs Iyabode Anisulowo.Mrs Anisulowo, 70, was kidnapped by gunmen about a week ago at Igbogila, Ogun State while returning from her farm. The Police said she was rescued at 7pm yesterday at Gbegbinlawo village, near Olorunda town in Ogun State.Two people a woman and a man have been arrested in connection with the abduction. The kingpin of the kidnap gang was arrested in Lagos while allegedly trying to escape to Dubai, Ogun Police Spokesman Olumuyiwa Adejobi said.Lagos Police Spokesperson Dolapo Badmos also said: The Lagos State Command has arrested the master planner and kingpin of Senator Iyabo Anisulowos kidnap. Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, on Tuesday announced a minor cabinet reshuffle affecting four commissioners in the state. A st... Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, on Tuesday announced a minor cabinet reshuffle affecting four commissioners in the state.A statement issued in Kaduna by the Special Assistant to the Governor on Media and Publicity, Mr. Samuel Aruwan, listed those affected in the exercise.Prof. Jonathan Nok has moved to Ministry of Education, Science and Technology from the Ministry of Health and Human Service.Malam Shehu Balarabe is moving from the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Tourism, to take charge of the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources.Dr. Shehu Adamu, former Commissioner of Education, has been reassigned to the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Tourism.Under his watch, the government started the rehabilitation of schools, the provision of furniture and the school feeding programme for primary school pupils.To fill the vacancy in the Ministry of Health and Human Services, the Governor has nominated Dr. Paul Manya-Dogo as the new Commissioner.His name will be forwarded to the Kaduna State House of Assembly for confirmation, the News Agency of Nigeria quoted the governors aide as saying in the statement. The strike by two groups of students in protest against the punishment in connection with the event during which anti-national slogans were allegedly raised. (Photo: PTI) New Delhi: JNU Vice Chancellor Jagadesh Kumar on Wednesday termed as "unlawful" activity the ongoing indefinite hunger strike by students against punishment awarded by the varsity in connection with the February 9 event, and asked them to use "constitutional" means to put forth their demands. The strike by two groups of students in protest against the punishment in connection with the event during which anti-national slogans were allegedly raised, entered the seventh day on Wednesday. While JNUSU President Kanhaiya Kumar complained of low BP on Tuesday, ABVP's Saurabh Sharma, who was complainant of the Afzal Guru event, was rushed to AIIMS after his glucose level dipped. "Hunger strike is an unlawful activity and a harmful method of protest that adversely affects the health and career of the students. The administration urges the students to use constitutional methods to put forth their demands, if any," the VC said in an appeal to the students. "The administration believes in dialogue and discussion to resolve any issue affecting functioning of the varsity and urges students to immediately call off the strike and come for discussion," Kumar said. While members of ABVP said that they will be meeting the VC today to put forth their demands, the members of the other protesting group maintained that they have no such plan and termed the administration's appeal to be a "threat statement". Kanhaiya, Umar Khalid and Anirban Bhattacharya, were arrested in a sedition case in connection with the controversial event. They are out on bail now. While Kanhaiya has been slapped with a penalty of Rs 10,000 on grounds of "indiscipline and misconduct", Umar, Anirban and Kashmiri student Mujeeb Gatoo have been rusticated for varying durations. Financial penalty has been imposed on 14 students. Hostel facilities of two students have been withdrawn and the university has declared the campus out of bounds for two former students. Saurabh, who is the lone ABVP member in JNU Students Union, has also been slapped with a fine of Rs 10,000 for blocking traffic. A Compliance Officer with Access Bank Plc, Mr. Oliver Ewerem, on Tuesday told the court how a contractor, Gama Marine Nigerian Limited, w... A Compliance Officer with Access Bank Plc, Mr. Oliver Ewerem, on Tuesday told the court how a contractor, Gama Marine Nigerian Limited, was used to divert N60m out of the funds meant for an audit exercise in the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency.Ewerem appeared on Tuesday as a witness before Justice Raliat Adebiyi of a Lagos State High Court in Igbosere, where a former Director-General of NIMASA, Patrick Akpobolokemi, is standing trial along with six others over an alleged fraud of N754.7m.The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission alleged that the defendants diverted N754.7m meant for the implementation of Voluntary International Maritime Organisation Member State Audit Scheme at NIMASA.Standing trial along with Akpobolokemi are Ezekiel Agaba, Ekene Nwakuche, Governor Juan, Vincent Udoye, Adegboyega Olopoenia and Gama Marine Nigeria Limited.They were arraigned on January 25, 2016, but they all pleaded not guilty to the 13 counts pressed against them.Ewerem was the second witness that the EFCC fielded in its bid to prove the allegations.Led in evidence on Tuesday by the EFCCs counsel, I. A. Muhammed, Ewerem testified that N67.45m was paid by NIMASA on February 2, 2015, into an Access Bank account belonging to Gama Marine Nigerian Limited, which was supposed to be a contractor to the agency.According to him, the money was paid into the contractors account in two tranches of N28m and N39.45m.Ewerem, however, said between February 10 and 11, 2015, there were withdrawals amounting to N60m from Gama Marine Nigerian Limiteds account in favour of Vincent Udoye, who is the 5th defendant in the charge filed by the EFCC.While fielding questions under cross-examination by the defence counsel, Ewerem, however, admitted that Akpobolokemi and others, except Udoye, did not benefit from the money paid into Gama Marine Nigerian Limiteds account.Justice Adebiyi adjourned till Wednesday (today) for continuation of trial.The charge, marked LD/2181C/15, bordering on stealing and forgery, was the fifth that the EFCC filed against Akpobolokemi after his appointment was terminated by President Muhammadu Buhari.In one of the counts, Akpobolokemi and his alleged accomplices were accused of fraudulently converting to their personal use a sum of N346,844,680 released to them by NIMASA for the implementation of the Voluntary International Maritime Organisation Member State Audit Scheme.They were also accused of forging a document titled, Re: Request For Payment as consultant for VIMSA Administration Services, dated May 25, 2015, purported to have been issued by Aroward Consulting Limited with an intent to commit fraud.The offences were said to be contrary to Section 409 and punishable under Section 285 (1) of the Criminal Code Laws of Lagos State 2011. Kelechi Iheanacho's agents wants Manchester City to reward the Nigerian starlet with a lucrative contract worth 200,000 pounds-a-week over five years.He has deserved his keep at City as he is now one of the most effective forwards in the whole of Europe when you put his game time against the number of his goals, a top source argued.The 19-year-old Nigeria international has netted 13 goals in all competitions this season with seven of them in the Premier League.In October, Manchester City offered Iheanacho 50,000 pounds-a-week.City have opened talks with Iheanachos handlers over a new contract after he justified his promotion to the first team at The Etihad with goals and five-star displays in his debut season in the English Premier League.We have further learnt that Iheanacho is currently earning between 10,000 and 18,000 pounds a week after coming through the City youth ranks.The least paid City first-teamer is on 180,000 pounds-a-week with the biggest earner at the club Yaya Toure pocketing almost twice that sum. Iheanacho is expected to bag a new contract by July. Ayodele Fayose, governor of Ekiti state, says Yahaya Bello, his Kogi state counterpart, will soon be removed from office. Ayodele Fayose, governor of Ekiti state, says Yahaya Bello, his Kogi state counterpart, will soon be removed from office.Delivering a lecture entitled Journalism and Politics : Two Sides of A Coin at an event organised by the Oyo state chapter of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ) to commemorate the World Press Freedom Day, Fayose described himself as a prophet who has never lost any battle.Whatever I say is divine The next to happen is the removal of Kogi state governor I have not lost a battle in my life, he said.Fayose said many people are afraid to speak the truth, but he would rather die than shy away from the truth.He said it was incorrect to accuse him of abusing President Muhammadu Buhari whom he described as his grandfather, but that he was only keeping the president on his toes.He also lamented the economic situation of the country, and advised the federal government to stop blaming the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the situation of things.People say that I abuse Buhari. I am not abusing him because he is like my grandfather, but I know the history, he said.Eighty per cent of people that voted for Buhari in the West did not know him. They are between 18 and 40. They voted because they wanted change desperately and I agree with them. He left government 32 years ago so they did not experience his rule.Today, the Peoples Democratic Party is no longer in government so they should stop blaming the PDP. They told us that dollars would become one to one but where is that today? The regime of fuel subsidy is gone and we now have food subsidy. Queue is back at filling stations.We have never had it so bad like in the last 12 months; electricity has gone to zero and we no longer have light in our houses. Most generators have been exhausted. I want to tell Nigerians that we are in the wrong direction because you cannot give what you dont have. There is time to retire because of the diminishing return on the functionality of the brain. At 75, my mother can do little. A Frenchman is suing his former boss over the crushing boredom he suffered in a job he claims turned him into a professional zombie. O... A Frenchman is suing his former boss over the crushing boredom he suffered in a job he claims turned him into a professional zombie. On Monday, Frederic Desnard, 44, lodged a complaint at a labour relations tribunal, demanding 360,000 euros ($415,000) in compensation and damages for the bore-out he suffered as a well-paid executive in the perfume business.Desnard, who was paid an annual salary of more than 80,000 euros, had been off sick for seven months with a doctors certificate when his company, Interparfums, sacked him in September 2014. His lawyer Montasser Charni said that his bore-out the opposite of burnout caused Desnard to have an epileptic fit while driving, which in turn caused him to have an accident that landed him in a coma for several days.Desnard joined the company, which specialises in licencing luxury perfumes, as a manager in December 2006. At first he was a model employee who showed total devotion to his job, Charni said. But his workload began to evaporate in 2009 and things got worse in 2012 when Interparfums lost a major licencing contract and began laying off staff. With nothing much to do, Desnard spent his time running errands for the president of the company, Charni said. Desnard was destroyed morally and especially physically but did not dare complain, being glad to have work in a depressed job market. He was being killed professionally through boredom, Charni said.But the companys lawyer Jean-Philippe Benissan said that Desnard never complained about his situation either to his superiors or the employee safety and health agency CHSCT. Benissan said Desnard had previously complained to the labour relations tribunal of being overworked in his Interparfums job.The ruling in the case is set for July 27. Ekiti State Governor Ayodele Fayose yesterday described President Muhammadu Buhari as my father and that it becomes improper for hi... He maintained that being his grandfather does not mean he would not criticise him when going in the wrong direction.The governor, who was a guest speaker at the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) World Press Freedom Day lecture yesterday in Ibadan, said he would rather die than conceal the truth.Speaking on Journalism and Politics : Two Sides of A Coin, the controversial governor said there were two things that people are afraid of death and jail but as far as he is concerned he is not afraid to die or be locked away .According to him, his criticism of the President is healthy for Nigeria and the people to achieve economic and political growth.He said it would be absurd for all to watch and refuse to talk even when the ship of the nation is drifting away.Citing instances of illegal arrest and detention of some Nigerians by Federal Government agents without evidence of any criminal charges, Fayose said it was against the rights of any citizen to be detained for several weeks without any proof.Insisting that his unrelenting criticism of President Buhari was not out of bitterness or hatred, the guest speaker said: I dont abuse Buhari because he is my grandfather. But we all must not sleep and face the same direction in this country.The people voted for him because they wanted change, and I agreed with that because we really needed change. They told Nigerians that when they get to power there will be no subsidy and there will be no queues again but today full subsidy and queues are here.In the last 12 months Nigerians have never had it so bad. Most generators are exhausted.I am not here to challenge anybody but to tell Nigerians that we are in the wrong direction. Nigeria is in turmoil. When you want to deal with corruption, deal with corruption holistically.When I won election they said it was made possible by an army general, and they sanctioned the general. But in Bayelsa people were mercilessly killed, the general was not sanctioned. Look when I started I never lost any battle. I conquered consensus in my party.Fayose called on journalists to hold leaders accountable to save the country from the challenges confronting it.According to him, a lot of journalists do not have loyalty in Nigeria, what they are concerned about is their stomach.Most politicians are using journalists for their dirty jobs. Nigerian journalists shy away from the truth because they are self-centred and greedy.Politicians have no address and this is why it is possible for a man to defect from PDP after 12 years into APC and is celebrated as a saint. Journalists should stop supporting and having soft spots for parties and politicians.Going further the governor said: President Buhari is too old to rule this country and that is why there is problem in this land now. Nigeria should not produce any president that is over 60`. Younger people should rise and challenge older people. The stealing going on in this present administration is more than the one during former President Goodluck Jonathans period. We as politicians must be secondary in the books of journalist and we are only self-seekers.On the incessant killings by Fulani herdsmen, Fayose warned them to stay off Ekiti State.In his welcome address, the State NUJ Chairman, Gbenga Opadotun, said:This day is to identify with the brutality and harassment faced by journalists.He praised Fayose for appointing a journalist in his cabinet. The Chairman of the Presidential Advisory Committee against Corruption, Prof. Itse Sagay (SAN), has faulted a statement made by the Senior... The Chairman of the Presidential Advisory Committee against Corruption, Prof. Itse Sagay (SAN), has faulted a statement made by the Senior Special Assistant to former President Goodluck Jonathan on Public Affairs, Dr. Doyin Okupe, who called on state governors to sack workers.Okupe, in a statement on Monday, said that it was becoming clearer that many states would be unable to meet up with their financial obligations now and thus advised state governments to sack some workers.He predicted an imminent bankruptcy if the economic situation in the country worsens.Sagay, who spoke in an interview with our correspondent on Tuesday, said although Okupes comment was logical, it would cause the disintegration of many families.He said that while he would not advise governors to employ more people, sacking workers was not the right thing to do.He said, I think what he (Okupe) said is logical. But that logic cannot be applied to the public service because it is a social welfare. Many workers have children in schools and even their extended families depend on them for survival. Sacking workers is not an antidote and I totally disagree with him on that.Sagay slammed the leaders of the Nigeria Labour Congress for suggesting an increase in the minimum wage from N18,0000 to N56, 0000, adding that the demand was irrational, unrealistic and a fantasy.The senior advocate accused the labour leaders of trying to paralyse the nation with their unrealistic demand.The N56,000 minimum wage is unrealistic. Some states cannot afford to pay the N18,000 minimum wage and you are trying to ask for a triple of that. The suggestion lacks rationality and reasoning. The labour leaders are either not serious or trying to cause trouble or paralyse the country, Sagay said.The lawyer said Nigeria urgently needed a restructuring that would reduce the states dependence on the Federal Government for resources.On how to avert the diversion of the bailout funds, Sagay advised the Federal Government to put in place a mechanism that would ensure that the funds were directly paid to the workers.He said the Federal Government could also consider asking for sureties before granting bailouts to states, adding that the sureties would be held liable if the funds were diverted.He added, It is not appropriate that one level of government is lending to another. This negates the principles of true federalism. The federation is skewed into a unitary system which allows the Federal Government to control a disproportionate portion of the national resources. The idea of states getting monthly allocations from the Federal Government is not making the states to be productive.States cannot continue to suckle and live like beggars all the time. The states must be given due control of their resources and let them pay certain amount monthly to the Federal Government which is called fiscal federalism. The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) said on Tuesday that the inability of state governments across the country to pay staff salaries has n... The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) said on Tuesday that the inability of state governments across the country to pay staff salaries has nothing to do with over blotted civil service, but reckless spending by state governors and failure to save for the rainy days.Reacting to a statement credited to former presidential adviser on media. Dr. Doyin Okupe, asking states to sack civil servants, the president of the NLC, Comrade, Ayuba Wabba said in a statement that retrenching civil servants was a panacea to irregular payment of salaries.He said the congress believes that the states are where they are because of serial acts of corruption in the past, failure to save for a rainy day, high cost of governance (via employment of unneeded aides on criminally high salaries), unlawful and equally unacceptable severance packages for ex-governors and their deputies, cost of political expediency and failure to invest.The statement reads: Ordinarily, we would not have responded to Doyin Okupe, former Senior Special Assistant to former President Goodluck Jonathan when he urged governors in a statement few days ago, to retrench civil servants as a panacea to irregular payment of salaries, because we know him.In his jaundiced argument, very much unlike one who is truly deserving of his certificate from a medical school, Okupe said, virtually all state governments in the country have over-bloated civil service.To underscore this point, he said between 2008 and 2009, Ogun State received N2 billion monthly from the federation account and paid out N1.8billion as staff salaries, wages and overhead costs to civil servants not more than 50,000 in a state with a population of 5,000,000.In his view therefore it was an obvious socio-economic absurdity and incongruity where 10 per cent of the population was consuming 90 per cent of the wealth of the state.Okupe is bandying political statistics and this is neither good for his health nor the health of those with whom he seeks to ingratiate himself. We at the Nigeria Labour Congress believe in the equitable distribution of the nations resources. We will not subscribe to a situation whereby 10 per cent corner 90 per cent of the resources of the state. A bill which prescribes five-year jail term for lecturers that engage in sexual relationship with students was passed for first reading in... A bill which prescribes five-year jail term for lecturers that engage in sexual relationship with students was passed for first reading in the Senate on Wednesday.The bill, sponsored by Sen. Ovie Omo-Agege (Labour-Delta Central) and co-sponsored by 46 other senators, seeks to completely prohibit any form of sexual relationship between lecturers and their students, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports.Briefing journalists after plenary, Omo-Agege said the nation's institutions of higher learning must be sanitised to rid them of lecturers who saw female students as "prize'."According to him, when the bill is passed and signed into law, any lecturer found guilty will be liable to a jail term of up to five years but not less than two years with no option of fine."When passed into law, it makes it a criminal offence for any educator in a university, polytechnic or any other tertiary educational institution to violate or exploit the student-lecturer fiduciary relationship for sexual pleasures."The bill imposes stiff penalties on offenders in its overall objective of providing tighter statutory protection for students against sexual hostility and all forms of sexual harassment in tertiary schools."The bill provides a compulsory five-year jail term for lecturers who sexually harass students."When passed into law, vice chancellors of universities, rectors of polytechnics and other chief executives of institutions of higher learning will go to jail for two years if they fail to act within a week on complaints of sexual harassment made by students."The bill expressly allows sexually harassed students, their parents or guardians to seek civil remedies in damages against sexual predator lecturers before or after their successful criminal prosecution by the state," Omo- Agege said. I am getting old. I dont know how I could have forgotten this story, given its relevance to the Nigerian tragedy (a tragedy which shall p... I am getting old. I dont know how I could have forgotten this story, given its relevance to the Nigerian tragedy (a tragedy which shall prevail until we make some progress in rewiring the atrocious psychology of the Nigerian).My brother from another mother, Bayo Aregbesola, a Director in Canadas Federal civil service, reminds me of something that happened during our days at the University of British Columbia in the 1990s. Those were our wild oats graduate student days. We crawled the nightclubs of Vancouver to get our beering right between intra and interracial dating. Coming from strong Christian homes back in Nigeria (Christian in the traditional sense of what is known as the old orthodox churches in Nigeria, not the nightmare called Christianity in Nigeria today), we ended up infrequently in church on Sunday after heavy clubbing on Saturday just to satisfy the perfunctory conscience business of not being too many miles away from the truth when you told your parents on the phone that you were still going to church. If you went to Church two or three times a year, technically you werent lying by reassuring Mama Adesanmi on the phone that you were still her church going son. You added a Hail Mary here and a We Fly to Thy Patronage there to reassure her that your prayers could still flow effortlessly.But I doth digress too much. So it happened that one of our buddies ended up in church with his white Canadian girlfriend. He had the misfortune of taking her to one of those Nigerian churches. Africans tend to ghettoize their Christianity a lot in Euro-America. You leave Nigeria and attend a Church in Euro-America peopled exclusively by Nigerians reproducing and photocopying Nigeria on Sunday. Ditto for Ghanaians, Congolese, etc. Sometimes, some Churches try to reproduce the African Union by drawing membership from across the continent.But those are the exception. The dominant trend is the ghettoized Christianity that hardly mixes beyond the national boundaries and denominations it is photocopying abroad. You are Mountain of Fire in Nigeria, you are Mountain of Fire in Canada. If care is not taken (as we say in Naija), a Congolese Mountain of Fire may even have to find other Congolese Mountains of Fire to reproduce their own national Mountain of Fire in Canada. There is little or no mixing across Africas colonial boundaries on Sunday even abroad.Ah, another digression. Where was I? Ehen, so this guy takes his Canadian girlfriend to a Nigerian church. You guessed right: one of these prosperity Pentecostal churches. Praise worship, prayers, testimony, seed, and miracles. The Pastor began to rain miracles furiously into the lives of his sheep. Rapturous amens in the hall. Nigerian decibel levels. Then the Pastor asked the students in the room to stand up as well as all those who had recently graduated. He began to rain miracles into their lives.Anyone among you whose life is shackled by the spirit of student loans, I come against that spirit! Your student loans shall be written off!Amen!!!!I say your student loans shall be forgotten!AmenI say Canada shall wake up tomorrow and find your name missing in the student loans registerAmenOur Nigerian buddy noticed that his Canadian girlfriend had become really uncomfortable so he asked that they step out.Baby whats the matter?Your Pastor. What he is saying about student loans aint right. That is so wrong. When you take the loan, it is your responsibility to pay it back for the education of the next generation. You dont go about praying for miracles to cancel it. It aint right.Yeah. True story between a Nigerian buddy and his Canadian girlfriend in Vancouver in 1998. The difference between the psychology of this Canadian lady and the Nigerian psychology that is so tragically often on the display on social media is civics. That Canadian girl has one head, two hands, and two legs like you. But her society did not destroy civics so she grew up understanding the necessity of civic and secular responsibilities to the said society. 99.9% of the miracle prayers and testimony hour rants in Nigerian churches are about ways to cheat the Nigerian state successfully and deprive the coming generation a future of possibilities.When next you are awarded a contract worth billions of naira and your Pastor prays for you to keep the money without doing the job, remember what the Canadian lady said that aint right.When next your Pastor obtains a building permit for a two storey building and illegally adds four more storeys to make blood money, remember what the Canadian lady said that aint right.When next your Pastor uses his chumminess with government to obtain import waivers and avoids paying duties worth billions, money that could be used to build schools and hospitals for the poor, remember what the Canadian lady said that aint right.When next you steal money meant for roads and hospitals and the EFCC lets you off the hook due to the legendary incompetence of Ibrahim Lamorde and his boys and your Pastor says its a miracle remember what the Canadian lady said that aint right.Whenever Im in Nigeria, I always try to attend Pentecostal churches for my own learning experience. I am a student of Pentecostalism in Africa. Their testimony hour is often my target. I wince and shake my head as people reel out tales of getting away with cheating Nigeria in all spheres of her existence to thunderous applause. Miracle. Miracle. Miracle.Remember, your miracle is why Nigeria is Africas tragic embarrassment today.Miracles are destroying your country.Civics is the truth.Ye shall know the truth The members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) have said that they do not have any plans to have a reprisal attacks on northern r... The members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) have said that they do not have any plans to have a reprisal attacks on northern residents in any part of the South East because of the recent attacks on the people of the zone.They said that they are a non violent group and that people should not associate them with cold blooded killing of innocent people in their sleep, like the ones being perpetrated by Fulani herdsmen in the South East.The IPOB stand was made known by the director of media and publicity of the group, Emma Powerful and made available to The Nation in Umuahia, saying that people should stop associating them with killings and bloodletting.Emma said that it has become absolutely necessary to state publicly, That we do not have any intention or plans to attack Northerners resident in the Eastern region in the name of reprisal attacks.He said that the group is forced to make the statement following constant pressures and calls from elders and leaders from all walks of life, stressing that they have never taught in their direction and will never do such.Emma said, We are not a violent organization; we are a peace loving mass movement, with branches in 98 countries, desirous of freedom from a ruthless, tyrannical oppressors who have held us down for decades.We dont have any reason whatsoever to attack and kill people in cold blood like Fulani herdsmen, despite the mindlessly killing of our people in Port Harcourt, Onitsha Obodo-Ukwu Road, Onitsha Bridge head and while praying at Igbo National College compound in Aba, which we endured with equanimity.The IPOB spokesman recalled that hundreds of their members have been killed and buried, Suddenly they turned around to falsely accuse us of killing five of their kinsmen, which the whole world rose in our defense, we can never kill people in cold blood, as we are not animals.He said that those calling them and pleadings with them to cancel their threats and ultimatums, should know, that they have never issued any ultimatum after the Uzo-Uwani massacres by the herdsmen.Emma therefore urged those pleading with them over fake ultimatum to direct their pleas to rabble rousers and agent provocateurs who found their voices only after the Uzo-Uwani massacre, and are playing to the gallery in order to be noticed.He alleged that those pleading with them are sponsored by local politicians to issue threats and ultimatums in the hope that the presidency which has ignored them will invite them to plead with their youths to sheathe their swords.Emma said, The only time we issued an ultimatum to the federal government which they complied two hours before its expiration with was on the issue of the Ugwuleshi 76, these non-existent groups were dumb, deaf and mute.He reiterated that, We are not planning any attacks; we are committed to a peaceful dissolution of this prison, where some people erroneously believe they are born to rule us.Where there is suffering in the midst of plenty, where an unworkable structure is imposed on 180 million people, where ethnic hatred reigns, where others will be working while others will be busy eating the things meant for all. New Delhi: With China blocking India's bid at the United Nations to proscribe Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar, government on Wednesday said it is exerting diplomatic pressure to remove the "technical hold" and get a ban imposed on him. Minister of State for External Affairs V K Singh told the Lok Sabha that India has also told China that there cannot be selective approach when it comes to terrorism. Read: Training camps organised by terror groups in country: Govt Last month, China had blocked India's bid at the UN to ban Azhar, the Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) chief and mastermind of the Pathankot terror attack. During Question Hour, Singh said the move to ban Azhar is on "technical hold" at the UN. "Hum zor dal rahe hai (we are putting pressure)" through diplomatic channels to ensure that it is done away with, he noted. Read: Venkaiah Naidu questions China UN veto on Masood Azhar China is among the five permanent members of the UN Security Council (UNSC) and has veto powers. The others are France, Russian Federation, the UK, and the US. The UN had banned the JeM but India's efforts for a ban on Azhar after the 2008 Mumbai terror attack also did not fructify as China did not allow the ban. On reforms at the UN, Singh said the expansion in both permanent and non-permanent category of its membership would be an essential element of the reforms at the UNSC. Referring to the four permanent member countries, Singh said "hamari baat ko samarthan karte hain (they support our demand for reforms)." On China, he said the country understands India's position and is of the view that India should have the opportunity to do good work at the UN. "We are seeking enough support" for UNSC membership and leaders of the country who visit overseas raise this issue, Singh said and noted that reforms in the UN is a long process. Read: India seeks ban on Masood Azhar, gives dossier to UN Sanctions Committee In a written reply, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said a large number of countries have supported India's initiatives for reform of the Security Council, as well as endorsed India's candidature for permanent membership. "This has been expressed in various forms and fora including in bilateral discussions with the Government of India," she said. "Government is of the view that early reforms of the Security Council is an essential element in the overall effort to reform the UN in order to make it more broadly representative, efficient and transparent and thus to further enhance its effectiveness and the legitimacy and implementation of its decisions," Swaraj said. A series of initiatives involving bilateral and multilateral platforms continue to be taken in pursuance of permanent membership in an expanded UNSC, she said. "India is also actively engaged in the ongoing Inter-governmental Negotiations on UNSC reforms at the UN and is working alongside other reform oriented countries through the G-4 (India, Japan, Brazil and Germany) and the L.69 (a cross regional grouping of developing countries) groupings," she added. To another query, she said that India is not a member of the '1267/1989/2254 ISIL (Da'esh) and Al-Qaeda Sanctions Committee' since the country is not member of the UNSC. The 15 members of the UNSC are the members of this committee. "A 10-member 'Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team' (Monitoring Team) comprising of independent experts, assist the Sanctions Committee. Depending on the vacancies available, India and all other member states may forward nominations of their nationals to serve on the Monitoring Team for which selections are made by the UN Secretariat," Swaraj said. Veteran Yoruba actress, Fausat Balogun, popularly known as Madam Saje, in a recent interview with City People Magazine reveals why many marriages in Nollywood especially in the Yoruba movie genre is crashing.Regarded as the most featured veteran Yoruba actress she said,When asked her opinion on why many Nollywood marriages are crashing almost everytime, she said,Balogun starred as Mama Saje in a 1990 television series titled 'Erin Kee Kee', and has gone on to feature in over 80 movies since then.She is married to fellow actor Rafiu Balogun, who was her boss before they married. 12583410-mmmain.jpg The TD Bank in Oakland that John Edward Stevens robbed in 2013. (Star-Ledger file photo) NEWARK -- John Edward Stevens was 35 when the FBI put him on its "Most Wanted" list in 1988 for a string of bank robberies across the country. He remained on the Most Wanted list for about six months until his capture. He eventually was sentenced to 25 years in prison for his crimes. Stevens is now 62, and only spent two weeks out of jail before robbing another bank, a TD Bank branch in Oakland in 2013, court records show. Stevens in the 1980s and after his 2013 arrest. (FBI, Bergen County Sheriff's Office) He was arrested again, and Wednesday admitted his guilt. As part of his plea deal, Stevens agreed to accept a sentence of 20 years. Stevens pleaded guilty to a charge of armed bank robbery in Newark federal court before U.S. District Judge Claire Cecchi, according to U.S. Attorney Paul Fishman's office. Cecchi, who is not bound by the plea deal, will sentence Stevens on Sept. 7, prosecutors said. According to his criminal complaint, Edwards entered the Oakland TD Bank on April 15, 2013, brandished what appeared to be a handgun and ordered a bank teller to put cash into a zipper pouch. He made off with $4,658, it said. Twenty minutes later, Stevens was stopped while driving a reportedly stolen vehicle, it said. Police recovered the TD Bank bag filled with money, the complaint says. Stevens has a record of armed robbery of at least eight banks in California and Ohio, Fishman's office said. Fishman credited special agents with the FBI with the investigation leading to the plea agreement. Police departments from Waldwick, Ho-Ho-Kus and Oakland and the Bergen County Sheriff's Office also contributed to the case, he said. Tim Darragh may be reached at tdarragh@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @timdarragh. Find NJ.com on Facebook. NEWARK -- A Las Vegas man who allegedly schemed with a Bergen County businessman was charged with defrauding investors out of more than $5 million, according to the office of U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman. According to prosecutors, Lee Vaccaro, 44, who also resides in Laguna Beach, Calif., was charged with wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud. In a parallel action, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filed civil charges against Vaccaro, James Trolice of Alpine and Patrick G. Mackaronis of New York City, alleging that they tricked more than 100 investors into purchasing warrants in companies Trolice or Vaccaro owned. The criminal complaint does not identify Vaccaro's alleged co-conspirator. According to Fishman's office, Vaccaro and his co-conspirator misrepresented the number, validity and terms of warrants purportedly owned by their investment companies in eAgency, a start-up developing mobile security applications, from 2009 through 2015. Warrants are securities that give the holder the right to purchase common stock at a specific price during a fixed time period, it said. According to the complaint, Vaccaro and his co-conspirator falsely told investors that once eAgency was acquired by another company, the warrants to purchase eAgency's stock that were owned by the investment companies could be exercised at a "very profitable" price. The complaint alleges that the materials used to convince investors about the existence and validity of the warrants were forged. The conspiracy to commit securities fraud carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a fine. The securities fraud count carries a maximum prison sentence of 20 years and a fine up to $5 million, Fishman's office said. The separate SEC filing says neither Vaccaro nor Trolice was registered with the agency or any state regulator. It charged them with violations of the Securities Act of 1933 and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Vaccaro faces additional charges of violations of the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, the SEC said. "We allege that Trolice and Vaccaro lied to investors about the nature of the investment, created a phony aura of success, and ultimately funded their own lifestyles rather than investing all the money as promised," said Andrew M. Calamari, Director of the SEC's New York Regional Office. "The SEC continues to pursue and investors should continue to be aware of unregistered brokers selling investments." Trolice allegedly lured investors by "hosting elaborate investor parties at his multi-million dollar home in New Jersey," the SEC complaint said. Mackaronis, who received commissions for bringing investors to Vaccaro and Trolice, ignored fraud risks and blindly touted the investment opportunity to others while knowing little about the investments themselves, the SEC said. Mackaronis agreed to settle the SEC's charges by disgorging the $85,000 in commissions he received plus $8,486 in interest and $50,000 in penalties, the SEC said. He also agreed to not serve in the securities industry for three years, it said. The settlement is subject to court approval, the SEC said. The New Jersey Bureau of Securities also announced civil charges against Trolice, Vaccaro, and Mackaronis on Wednesday, the SEC said. Tim Darragh may be reached at tdarragh@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @timdarragh. Find NJ.com on Facebook. CAMDEN A city man is behind bars following a fatal shooting that was reported early Tuesday, according to the Camden County Prosecutor's Office. Allen Reed, 41, is charged with felony murder for his alleged role in the death of 43-year-old Camden man Edwin Davis. According to the prosecutor's office, Reed fatally shot Davis on the 2500 block of Morgan Boulevard, in Camden. Camden County police responded to the area at approximately 7:20 a.m. after receiving a report of a gunshot victim. Upon arrival, officers found David lying on the ground. He was pronounced dead at the scene 10 minutes later. Prosecutors office spokesman Kevin Callahan said Reed was interviewed by authorities Tuesday night and charged at approximately 11 p.m. The fatal shooting of Davis brings the total of Camden City homicides to 13 this year. Reed was sent to the Camden County Jail on $1,500,000 bail and is scheduled to be arraigned Friday afternoon. Greg Adomaitis may be reached at gadomaitis@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @GregAdomaitis. Find NJ.com on Facebook. New Delhi: Terming the ongoing hunger strike as "unlawful" activity by two groups of students against punishment given by JNU in connection with the February 9 event, Vice Chancellor M Jagadesh Kumar asked the students to put their demands using "constitutional" means, prompting ABVP to call off the fast. The administration called the students for a "dialogue" on seventh day of the strike in protest against the punishment in connection with the event during which anti-national slogans were allegedly raised. While the left-affiliated groups termed the meeting to be "unfruitful", members of ABVP claimed that the varsity agreed to their demand of "reconsidering" the punishment and hence they called off the indefinite fast and will continue with relay strike. "Hunger strike is an unlawful activity and a harmful method of protest that adversely affects the health and career of the students. The administration urges the students to use constitutional methods to put forth their demands, if any," the VC had said in an appeal to the students this morning. "The administration believes in dialogue and discussion to resolve any issue affecting functioning of the varsity and urges students to immediately call off the strike and come for discussion," Kumar added. While JNUSU President Kanhaiya Kumar complained of low BP on Tuesday, ABVP's Saurabh Sharma was rushed to AIIMS after his glucose level dipped. Following separate meetings with the VC, the two groups issued statements about their future course of action. "The meeting with the VC was highly disappointing. The appeal by him to call off our hunger strike was a threat statement. How come a VC of a premier university of India defines hunger strike as an "unlawful" activity. Hunger Strike is a mode of protest under which no law of the land is violated," the statement from left-affiliated groups said. "Our demands are clear and loud, its a do or die battle for us. We will continue our indefinite hunger strike till all the charges are scraped against the students," it added. ABVP on the other hand said, "our main demand of reconsidering the charges against Saurabh Sharma has been accepted. We have got an assurance from the administration that the new order will be issued soon. We are calling off the indefinite fast but will continue with relay strike till demands are met". Kanhaiya, Umar Khalid and Anirban Bhattacharya, were arrested in a sedition case in connection with the controversial event. They are out on bail now. While Kanhaiya has been slapped with a penalty of Rs 10,000 on grounds of "indiscipline and misconduct", Umar, Anirban and Kashmiri student Mujeeb Gatoo have been rusticated for varying durations. Financial penalty has been imposed on 14 students. Hostel facilities of two students have been withdrawn and the university has declared the campus out of bounds for two former students. Saurabh, who is the lone ABVP member in JNU Students Union, has also been slapped with a fine of Rs 10,000 for blocking traffic. JERSEY CITY -- Two Jersey City police officers being sued by a fellow Emergency Services Unit officer over allegations of harassment, intimidation and age discrimination were cleared this afternoon by a jury of nine. "It felt great," Sgt. Clyde Banks, a Jersey City police officer for nearly three decades, said of today's verdict. "I had not doubt. There really was nothing." Francis "Frank" DeFazio, a member of the ESU in 2011 and 2012, filed the suit that alleged a group of fellow ESU officers -- including Banks and Sgt. Thomas Johnston -- formed a "3 Percenters" clique and began to alienate the rest of the squad, including himself. DeFazio said in the lawsuit the alleged Three Percenters told day tour members there would by higher physical standards and shooting accuracy requirements. DeFazio even said the intimidation and harassment got so bad, he feared for his life and unsnapped his gun when arriving at work. The suit alleges some ESU members added a Three Percenters patch to their uniform. Jersey City was also named as a defendant in the suit but was cleared as well. Banks said the push for more training and higher standards is a fact and that it was directly related to ESU Officer Marc Anthony DiNardo's death following a shootout on Reed Street on July 16, 2009. Police killed two armed robbery suspects during that incident. "When that happened, that hit everyone at home, and the chief, everyone, wanted the training," Banks said. "I spoke to the inspector, and I said, 'Everyone has to amp up on training.' (DeFazio) was in favor of that, too, until he had to perform. He felt like he shouldn't have to do the training. He felt like he should have to sit around and do nothing. I am a proactive police officer." DeFazio and his attorney chose not to comment after the verdict was rendered. Banks also regrets that the Reed Street suspects were killed, saying "Our job is to save lives." Meanwhile, the Anti-Defamation League describes 3-Percenters as an anti-government extremist movement that has grown since President Barack Obama took office. The group promotes the idea that the federal government is plotting to take away the rights of American citizens and must be resisted. But Banks said the patches had nothing to do with the "Three Percenters" group. "It was from a motivational speaker that said only 3 percent of people are motivated, want to do things, want to move forward," Banks said. Banks said there is a plaque with a picture of DiNardo near the ESU headquarters door, and every day when he passed it he promised DiNardo his death would not be in vain. "I'm sorry. I do take things personal when someone is killed," said Banks, who retired in 2015 after breaking his neck. "There is nothing I can do to change that day. I would, but I can't. What I could do was change the future." Banks noted that the push for more training and higher standards was similar to what occurred after Officer Melvin Santiago, 23, was fatally shot while in a police car when he was ambushed outside a Kennedy Boulevard Walgreens store on July 13, 2014. As a result, he said, Jersey City police for the first time began getting training in defending themselves while inside a car. Banks said Johnston is also very happy with the verdict and called him a dedicated officer who spent his career as a beat cop. It is unclear what damages DeFazio was seeking in the case. Disney TV stars Dove Cameron and Ryan McCartan will perform as "The Girl and The Dreamcatcher" at the QuickChek New Jersey Festival of Ballooning in Association with PNC Bank on July 30 at Solberg Airport in Readington. Dove Cameron and Ryan McCartan will perform at the QuickChek New Jersey Festival of Ballooning on July 30, 2016. (courtesy photo Cameron is best known for her roles as identical twins, Liv and Maddie, in the Disney Channel Original Series "Liv and Maddie." Ryan McCartan appears as recurring character Diggie on the show, which airs on Sunday nights. The pop duo also made headlines this past weekend as they appeared at the Radio Disney Music Awards as an engaged couple, according to a news release. They follow in the footsteps of Disney teen sensations such as the Jonas Brothers, Demi Lovato and Sabrina Carpenter who have played at the largest summertime hot air balloon and music festival in North America. Tickets go on sale Thursday at 10 a.m. online. VIP tickets are available in Gold, Platinum and Premium, and Cameron and McCartan will have a meet-and-greet with Child Premium ticketholders. "We're thrilled to continue to present Disney's biggest and brightest stars as part of our concert series," said Festival Executive Producer Howard Freeman. "With The Girl and The Dreamcatcher, our twice a day mass ascensions of 100 balloons, a great amusement area and exciting interactive attractions, our teens and tweens have a lot to look forward to at this year's festival." Cameron began acting in community theatre in Seattle at age 8 and moved to Los Angeles at 14 to pursue acting and singing professionally. She has starred as identical twins Liv and Maddie since the show began airing in July 2013. She also starred in the Disney Channel Original Musical Movie Descendants in which she played Mal, the daughter of Maleficent, and appeared in the feature film Barely Lethal alongside Hailee Steinfeld, Jessica Alba and Samuel L. Jackson. Cameron's singing talents can be found on various Disney releases: Compilations from Liv and Maddie as well as Disney's Christmas CD. McCartan has been enjoying great success in television, motion pictures and musical theater. In addition to "Liv and Maddie," the Minnesota native has starred in R.L. Stine's Monsterville: The Cabinet of Souls; Roman White's debut feature, Summer Forever, in which he sang three original songs from the album which charted on iTunes' Movie Musical list; and the critically acclaimed cult phenomenon Heathers The Musical at New World Stages in New York City. He will appear in the The Rocky Horror Picture Show remake airing later this year. RARITAN TWP. -- A North Carolina man faces multiple charges after being pulled over on Route 202/31. Ryan J. Cybrowski, 28, was arrested on April 18 and charged with driving under the influence of alcohol, failure to maintain a lane, reckless driving, failure to wear a seat belt, having an expired registration and refusal to submit to breath testing. Cybrowski's vehicle was towed and he was taken to Hunterdon Medical Center for evaluation after processing. Patrol Officer Gary Galoppo investigated. In other recent incidents: * Three men from Pennsylvania face marijuana and other charges following a traffic stop on Route 202/31 on April 22 shortly after 11 a.m. Alden J. Braverman and Roberto Ramos, both 18 and from Doylestown, Pa., and Michael S. Garnick, 18 of Pipersville, Pa., were arrested and charged with possession of less than 50 grams of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia (grinder, jar, screens and pipes all containing marijuana or marijuana residue) and possession and consumption of an alcoholic beverage while under legal age. Braverman was initially stopped for failure to keep right, following too close and having unclear plates, police said. He was also issued motor-vehicle summonses for unclear plates and possession of a controlled dangerous substance in a motor vehicle. All three were released after processing. Investigation and arrests were by Patrol Officer Robert Landolina. * Maria Scors, 71, of Long Valley was arrested and charged with shoplifting from the Flemington Department Store on April 23 at 4:14 p.m. Police were initially called to the store by an employee who allegedly saw Scors place two sweatshirts in her purse and try to leave the store without paying for them. The sweatshirts were valued at $111.90. Scors was released after processing at police headquarters. Investigation and arrest were by Patrol Officer Adam Swiatek. Sallie Graziano may be reached at sgraziano@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @SallieGraziano. Find NJ.com on Facebook. QuickChek Corporation, based in Whitehouse Station, will be raising funds to help support post-9/11 service members and their families through an in-store donation program, according to a news release. Customers can purchase paper dog-tags for $1 at any of the company's 142 locations from Saturday through June 4 to benefit Hope For The Warriors, a non-profit organization whose mission is to enhance the quality of life for post-9/11 service members, their families, and families of the fallen who have sustained physical and psychological wounds in the line of duty. All of the funds raised will stay in local areas to help support local veterans, it was stated in the release. "We are very pleased to continue to honor and support our service members and their families who give so much of themselves," said QuickChek Chief Executive Officer Dean Durling, whose family-owned-company has raised millions of dollars to support a variety of causes benefiting children, families, and veterans. This is the third year in a row the company has run this promotion: In 2015 a total of $92,000 was raised over six weeks and, in 2014, a total of $75,000 was donated over four weeks. "We are also very proud of our customers who strongly support our efforts to give back to the communities we serve," Durling said. "It is a reflection of our being a welcome part of the neighborhoods where we have store locations and recognition of our total commitment and dedication to our customers." Each dog-tag that is purchased will be signed and posted on the walls of each of the company's stores throughout New Jersey, New York's Hudson Valley and Long Island in support of the service members and their families, according to the news release. DELAWARE TWP. -- A candle left unattended in a upstairs apartment appears to be the cause of a fire Tuesday that heavily damaged the building housing The Rosemont Cafe. That's the word from the Hunterdon County Prosecutor's Office, which had investigators on the scene Tuesday night and Wednesday morning. The owners announced Wednesday they intend to rebuild. "The fire appears to have started in the third floor apartment," said Chief of Detectives John Kuczynski. "It appears accidental." With that initial determination, the prosecutor's office has stepped back on its investigation and is now assisting the New Jersey Division of Fire Safety. "There was extensive damage to the structure, but the building appears to be saved," Kuczynski said. The upper floors, particularly the third floor, were destroyed. The main floor sustained heavy damage from smoke and water. On Wednesday morning, sisters Stacy and Jennifer Tuzik, who opened the Cafe last October, stated on the Cafe's Facebook page that they plan to rebuild. WE WILL RE-OPEN!!! Jenn and I woke up, texted each other like we sometimes do, "was that just a bad dream?!?" Alas... Posted by The Rosemont Cafe' on Wednesday, May 4, 2016 Water to fight the fire with was in short supply, so tanker companies from around the region hauled water to the site. Firefighters from around the region also turned out to fight the blaze. Two firefighters suffered minor injuries while fighting the blaze and were treated, Kuczynski said. He and Prosecutor Anthony P. Kearns III expressed "much appreciation for our volunteer fire companies" and the training and commitment they show daily to Hunterdon communities. Some of the agencies responding to the call were the Delaware Township Police, Stockton Fire, West Amwell Fire, Kingwood Fire, Quakertown Fire, Pattenburg Fire, Raritan Township Fire, Sergeantsville Fire, Lambertville City Fire, Milford Fire, Flemington-Raritan Rescue Squad, and paramedics from Hunterdon Medical Center. Tankers supplying water came from Three Bridges Fire, Glen Gardner Fire, Bloomsbury Fire, Sergeantsville Fire, Holland Township Fire, Milford Fire, and New Hope, Pa., Fire. A GoFundMe site has been set up to help the people who were renting the apartment upstairs from the cafe. Sallie Graziano may be reached at sgraziano@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @SallieGraziano. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Bengaluru: The office of the Lokayukta- headless and weakened by the creation of the Anti-Corruption Bureau - may now take longer to revive with Governor Vajubai Vala reportedly raising queries about the state government's proposal to appoint Justice S.R. Nayak as the new Lokayukta of the state. Sources said while the Governor cannot reject the government's proposal, he can send back the file with his objections noted. The Lokayukta's post, vacant since Justice Y. Bhaskar Rao resigned amidst a flurry of allegations of corruption against the Lokayukta's institution, could now take longer to fill, leaving the agency with no leadership to take on the corrupt in government. Going by sources, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Speaker Kagodu Thimmappa were the only two in the six-member panel, who backed Justice Nayak's appointment, The two opposition leaders, Jagadish Shettar and K.S. Eshwarappa Eshwarappa, Legislative Council chairman, D.H. Shankaramurthy and Chief Justice of the Karnataka High Court, S.K. Mukherjee had reportedly recommended Justice Vikramjit Sen for the post. Official sources said the government had not thought of any fresh names as yet for the Lokayukta's post. "We will have to consult our leaders on this issue," said a minister. The post of chief information commissioner too had been lying vacant for long with the Governor sending back the related file as well. The post was filled only recently with former additional chief secretary to the Chief Minister, D.N. Narasimha Raju appointed chief information commissioner on Monday. NEW BRUNSWICK -- For months, the defense attorney for Michelle Lodzinski has referred to an alternative suspect in the death of Lodzinski's 5-year-old son, who went missing from a carnival in Sayreville 25 years ago. This suspect was expected to cast doubt on whether Lodzinski killed her son Timothy Wiltsey in May 1991. Wednesday morning that witness took the stand and denied having anything to do with the child. Bernard Joseph McShane, a 53-year-old Arizona man, told a jury that his trip to New Brunswick to testify in Lodzinski's trial is the first time in his life he has ever been in New Jersey. "I heard in November that he (Damien Dowdle) said I killed someone in New Jersey," McShane said. "I did not kill anyone." When asked by Middlesex County Assistant Prosecutor Scott La Mountain if he killed Timothy, McShane said, "no sir." McShane was testifying as a rebuttal witness to the testimony of Damien Dowdle, also of Arizona, who shared a jail cell and a relationship with McShane more than 25 years ago. Dowdle testified last week that McShane told him while the two shared a jail cell that he killed a 5-year-old boy in Atlanta City sometime in 1991. Dowdle said he originally believed it was in Georgia, but later another inmate told him it was probably Atlantic City in New Jersey. Both Dowdle and McShane testified they were fugitives from police, wanted for committing a video store robbery in late November 1990. The two took off in early January 1991 and split up several weeks later, McShane testified. He said he went to Atlanta, Georgia and stayed with an old U.S. Army friend, while Dowdle returned to Arizona where he surrendered to authorities. McShane said he eventually returned to Arizona in July 1991 and surrendered. He said the last time he spoke to Dowdle was in a recreation yard at the Arizona jail in 1991 when he learned Dowdle agreed to testify against him for the video store robbery. McShane said by that time Dowdle had asked to be transferred to another jail cell. Under cross examination by Lodzinski's lawyer, Gerald Krovatin, McShane said he served 12 years in prison for armed robbery and kidnapping in connection with the video store robbery. McShane said he was released from prison in 2000. He lives and works in Arizona. He again denied that he ever told Dowdle a story about traveling to New Jersey and trying to molest a boy at some park and killing him when he started crying and screaming. In the afternoon, Thomas Van Meter, the retired Scottsdale, Arizona police detective who investigated the video store robbery took the witness stand. Van Meter is also the detective who Dowdle first told in Sewptember 1991 that McShane may have killed a boy. Van Meter testified that on Sept. 5, 1991,Dowdle's attorney in Arizona told him that McShane told Dowdle he may have killed a 5 or 6 year old boy in Georgia six or eight months earlier in a park. The retired detective said he asked for a meeting with Dowdle because "I needed more information" and he met with Dowdle on Sept. 16, 1991. "He told me the homicide would have been between February and April 1991 in a park in Georgia," Van Meter said. He said Dowdle did not give him any town. He said he gave the FBI in Georgia what information he had and put out a teletype to towns in Georgia, but no one came back cases matching that information. Lodzinski told police her son went missing the evening of May 25, 1991 from a carnival in Kennedy Park in Sayreville when she turned around to pay for soda at a concession stand. She became a prime suspect in his disappearance when she changed her version of events several times over the next few weeks, according to testimony at her trial. Lodzinski was charged with her son's murder in August 2014 after the Middlesex County Prosecutor's Office reopened the case in 2011. She has always maintained she had nothing to do with either his death or his disappearance. The jury will return on Tuesday and both sides are expected to complete their cases next week. Sue Epstein may be reached at sepstein@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @susan_epstein. Find NJ.com on Facebook. SOUTH PLAINFIELD -- Bishop James F. Checchio expressed his optimism about being called to lead the vast Diocese of Metuchen, and said he hoped everyone had confidence in his ability to do the job, as he was ordained and installed as the fifth Bishop of Metuchen Tuesday. At the Church of the Sacred Heart, a glow from the overcast sky peered through the church's stained glass, as a crowd of about 1,200 welcomed the new bishop. During a 2 p.m. Mass Checchio, spoke to the crowd that filled the church pews to capacity. "It's good to be back here in New Jersey," said Checchio, who most recently spent 12 years serving in Rome before being named bishop by Pope Francis in March. "Joy is certainly abundant here today," he added, serenely. But during the Mass he said, "We have a little work to do, (but) is this not what our Holy Father is calling us to do?" Though it rained most of the day, Checchio showed only signs of joy and enthusiasm for his new role. During the Episcopal blessing, he walked through the church with a beaming smile. He had arrived at the church at around 1 p.m. to the large crowd -- which included cardinals, bishops, priests, and other religious representatives. There were 90 parishes of the diocese represented at the ordination and installation. The homilist during the Mass compared Checchio to St. Philip. Tuesday was the Feast of St. Philip and St. James. "The Lord has blessed you with a new shepherd," said Archbishop of St. Paul and Minneapolis Bernard A. Hebda, during the service. Checchio said after the Mass that the first thing he planned to do the following day was to go to Mass with his family. Checchio is succeeding the now Bishop Emeritus of the Diocese of Metuchen Paul G. Bootkoski, who gained the titled after Checchio was ordained on Tuesday. Bootkoski had led the diocese since 2002 before submitting his resignation last year after turning 75, the mandatory age of retirement. Bootkoski, however, will continue to oversee the diocese. Born in Camden in 1966, he was ordained as a priest in 1992, the Vatican said. He has a doctorate in canon law from the Pontifical University of St. Thomas in Rome. He held several positions in Camden, including parish vicar and diocesan spokesman, before moving to the Pontifical North American College in Rome, where he was the rector. There are approximately 640,000 Roman Catholics in the diocese which covers Middlesex, Somerset, Warren and Hunterdon counties. Staff photographer Ed Murray contributed to this report. Spencer Kent may be reached at skent@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @SpencerMKent. Find the Find NJ.com on Facebook. NEWARK -- An Orthodox Jewish congregation has filed a federal lawsuit against Howell Township and its zoning board of adjustment, saying the township's denial of its plan to build a religious education center was motivated by religious "hostility." Congregation Kollel and its land holding company filed the complaint Tuesday. The congregation, the lawsuit says says, wants to build a classroom building for teen-aged and young adult males studying to become future Orthodox leaders, a dormitory and townhouses for faculty. However, actions taken before and after the Kollel bought the property were designed specifically to prevent Orthodox facilities from being built in the township, the lawsuit says. Township Attorney McKenna Kingdon did not immediately return a request for comment. The new lawsuit is at least the fourth active case involving a religious group suing a New Jersey community over restrictive land-use rules. An Islamic Society is suing Bernards Township over its rejection of a proposed mosque, a decision that has attracted the attention of the U.S. Justice Department. Additionally, a Jewish community is suing Toms River over its rejection of a religious center and another is suing Ocean Township over its rejection of a proposed Yeshiva. The Kollel's lawyer, Christopher K. Costa, says in the lawsuit that the property the congregation bought last year on Ford Road was, at the time, in a zoning district that permitted educational facilities. The tract, at 344 Ford Road, is 10.1 acres, the lawsuit says. Howell Township Council in May of that year revised land-use requirements that "severely restricted" where schools could be located -- a move motivated by "animus toward ultra-Orthodox Jews," it says. Among other things, it says, the revamped ordinance required new schools to provide New Jersey Department of Education-approved curricula, which the religious school could not. Then, in Jauary 2016, the township removed "educational facilities" from the zoning classification that covered the Ford Road property "specifically to target Orthodox Jews in general and the plaintiffs in particular," the lawsuit says. Since the Kollel's application had been submitted before the zoning change, it says, the prior version of the law applied, and it should have qualified as a permitted "institutional building complex." Howell zoning officials ruled that the application did not meet zoning requirements, and the congregation appealed for a zoning variance, the suit says. In hearings in December and February, "the board and its professionals were irrationally hostile" to the plan, it says, debating whether the facility was an impermissible synagogue or a multi-family housing project. The township then rejected the proposal, saying it was a school for "sectarian instruction," had dormitories also not allowed by the zoning, and lacked a state-approved curriculum. The Kollel lawsuit says the application should not have been considered as a school since it would not have provided state-approved curricula. Throughout the process, the applicants faced hostility from the community, citing comments on social media and the appearance of "Howell Strong" yard signs to discourage property sales to Orthodox Jews, it says. The 11-count suit cites the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act of 2000, the First and Fourteenth Amendments, the Fair Housing Act, the state constitution in seeking to void the township's land use ordinances; overturn the application's denial; prohibit new efforts to overburden religious exercise; and damages and costs. Tim Darragh may be reached at tdarragh@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @timdarragh. Find NJ.com on Facebook. HOWELL -- The treasurer for the Howell Girls Softball League has been charged with stealing $40,000 from the group and using the league's money as if it were his own. Thomas Villanova, 45, was charged with third-degree theft on April 27 after he surrendered to authorities, said Detective Sgt. Christian Antunez, a Howell police spokesman. Antunez said police started investigating in December when officials from the softball league reported possible fraud and theft involving the organization's finances. He said league officials noticed Villanova, league treasurer since 2012, made unauthorized transactions totaling several thousand dollars. The investigation by Detective Cpl. Nancy Carroll revealed that Villanova used the league's debit card and checks to make hundreds of unauthorized transactions totaling about $40,000 since he started in the position, Antunez said. He said Villanova spent that money to pay for landscaping on his home, utility bills, meals, transportation and other expenses incurred in New Jersey, New York and several other states. Villanova also is accused of using the league's money to post bail for his arrest last year by the Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office. Antunez did not have details of Villanova's previous arrest and Villanova is not listed among court records of indicted and sentenced cases. Villanova has been released on a summons pending a future court date, Antunez said. MaryAnn Spoto may be reached at mspoto@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @MaryAnnSpoto. Find NJ.com on Facebook. 20076459-mmmain.jpg ICE Director Sarah Saldana speaking at the press conference in Newark about 21 individuals charged with visa fraud and other charges. (Tim Darragh | NJ Advance Media) NEWARK -- It was a setup like no other. In an effort to put a dent in fraudulent use of the federal student visa program, Department of Homeland Security officials concocted a fake college. They created the University of Northern New Jersey -- a unique government sting operation with an office in Cranford, Facebook page, Twitter account and a web site declaring that it was an accredited school. It was designed to snare recruiters and brokers who, for hefty fees, sought to extend student visas or obtain work visas for individuals who had been here to study and didn't want to leave, according to authorities. In April, prosecutors took the cover off their ruse of more than two years, announcing that 21 individuals had been charged with conspiracy to commit visa fraud, conspiracy to harbor aliens for profit and other charges. Meanwhile, immigration officials moved to revoke the visas of 1,076 individuals who had paid thousands of dollars each to recruiters or directly to the university to enroll. But not all of those who signed up for the school, mostly Indian and Chinese aliens, say they were here to "study" under false pretenses. Indeed, some say it was the federal government, and not brokers or recruiters, who victimized them. "We were misunderstood, misled and hurt in the UNNJ process and subsequent federal sting operation," some students wrote in an online post. Two Chinese students who spoke to NJ Advance Media on the condition that they not be identified said they believed they were continuing their graduate educations when they signed up for classes at UNNJ. "We were shocked" when authorities revealed the sting, said Tony, a Chinese student who agreed to be identified by his first name and said he was in the United States on a student visa to study in New York. Tony and another female student said they heard through third parties about the UNNJ. They were attracted by its low cost and its online claims of accreditation, they said. Tony said he paid $7,500 to enroll in UNNJ and the female student said she paid $7,000. It is not unusual to go through a third party to learn about educational options in China, they said. "I actually went through a broker," said the female student, who, records show, recently completed studies in a college in Illinois."They gave out information to all sorts of schools in the U.S." When they inquired about getting UNNJ course schedules, they said, they were told to bide their time. Tony said he even went to the UNNJ Cranford office to handle some paperwork and left with a UNNJ t-shirt. But then authorities revealed the sting and all those foreign students who had enrolled in UNNJ found their Student and Exchange Visitor Program approvals terminated. They were ordered to leave the United States immediately or apply for reinstatement, a process that could take as long as a year, said Alvin Phillips, a Homeland Security spokesman. The UNNJ sting was the first time the federal government set up a fake university to snare alleged visa fraud criminals, but authorities have taken steps against actual schools in recent years. In January, two individuals were sentenced to prison and one to probation for their executive roles with the Micropower Career Institute and the Institute for Health Education, which had offices in Newark and Jersey City, respectively, as well as New York. Criminal complaints in that case found that the vast majority of students were not attending class often enough to keep their student visas active. A federal judge in Manhattan also ordered the executives to forfeit $7.4 million, court records show. Another for-profit school, the University of Northern Virginia, relied heavily on students from India and was shut down three years ago after it failed to attain accreditation. The state investigation that led to its shutdown occurred after Immigration and Customs Enforcement raided the school's offices. In a third case, the former head of Tri-Valley University in California was sentenced to 16 years in prison after being convicted in 2014 of running a "visa mill." A sentencing memorandum in her federal case noted that Susan Su took $5.6 million from students, some of whom thought they were enrolling in a legitimate school, but received no education. Some UNNJ students have already left the country and others have received notices to appear before immigration authorities, leaving them in an administrative limbo, said Shah Peerally, an immigration attorney in California. Those individuals cannot leave the country without an immigration judge's approval, he said. An online image of UNNJ. (Courtesy ICE.gov) Peerally, who said he has been contacted by more than a dozen UNNJ students, said legitimate students should not be punished for the crimes of others. If they were in the United States legitimately on student visas, he said, "How can you violate something that is legal?" But Phillips said he doesn't buy the story that the students are innocent victims. "All of the purported students were 100-percent complicit," he said. "They knew they were paying to stay." Students who haven't "self-deported" will be offered due process, he said. "One could assume" that not all the remaining students will be deported, he said. In the meantime, Tony and the female student said they are unsure if they can afford a lawyer. They said their reputations have been harmed and are dubious about an immigration court hearing overseen by a government that they say tricked them. "We are in the middle of nowhere," the female student said. "Do they care about us?" Peerally said the best option would be to let the students leave and come back on a new visa. "The question is a little bit tricky, but should they have known that there was something wrong there?" he asked. "These people are foreigners." Tim Darragh may be reached at tdarragh@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @timdarragh. Find NJ.com on Facebook. false_reporting_arrest.jpg Michael Cohen, 65, of Bass River. (NJSP) TRENTON -- State Police said the robbery victim had a "remarkable ability to recall minor details." Michael Cohen, 65, described his assailants so vividly that authorities crafted a sketch of one of the suspects on Tuesday: a black man in his mid- to late 30's with a nose ring and a beard who spoke with a British accent. The man stole $150 cash from Cohen at gunpoint near a Bass River bus stop and drove off with a second assailant, Cohen claimed. But police say they had a hard time catching the suspects, because they didn't exist. "Detectives found discrepancies (in Cohen's account), and he later admitted he made up the entire story," Trooper Lawrence Peele, a State Police spokesman, told NJ Advance Media Wednesday. A work of fiction? State Police created this composite sketch based on a robbery victim's vivid account, but claim the man later admitted he made the whole thing up. Cohen was charged with filing a false police report at the State Police Tuckerton Station, authorities said. He was released pending a court date. It was not immediately clear if he had retained an attorney. The State Police poked fun at the case in a post on their Facebook page announcing Cohen's arrest, claiming the accused had a "vivid imagination." "Mr. Cohen described the suspect vehicle as possibly a Hyundai Santa Fe with tinted windows, damage to the driver's side rear bumper, and a light-colored license plate," a spokesman wrote on the page. "Nice touch. But alas, Mr. Cohen ran out of steam when it came to the description of the driver of said suspect vehicle. It was as follows: white guy. Remember, character development, sir, character development." Man Makes Up Story about Being Robbed at Gunpoint Today, we ponder the many mysteries of life, such as the pyramids of... Posted by New Jersey State Police on Wednesday, May 4, 2016 S.P. Sullivan may be reached at ssullivan@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Perumbavoor: Kerala police on Wednesday released a sketch of the main suspect of the horrific rape and murder of a Dalit law student. Though three people have been detained, no arrests have been made so far. Meanwhile, the Left Democratic Youth Federation (LDYF) activists were baton-charged by police outside the Kerala Secretariat on Wednesday during their protest over the brutal rape and murder of a Dalit law student in Ernakulam district. Read: Kerala rape case: Social justice minister seeks detailed report "Every Malayalee feels that they are living under humiliating conditions under the Oommen Chandy Government. So many untoward incidents have been occurring against women. Our police have failed to provide justice on so many counts. Women are being targeted, killed and humiliated," said one of the protestors. #WATCH Left Democratic Youth Federation activist protest outside Deputy SP office over law student rape case, Keralahttps://t.co/zoHzfJf57P ANI (@ANI_news) May 4, 2016 The Kerala Government has decided to give Rs 10 lakh as compensation to the kin of the deceased girl. Chief Minister Oommen Chandy, who met the family members of the victim earlier today, said that his government would take 'necessary' steps to meet the demands of the victim's family, who have asked for a job for the victim's sister. Read: Kerala rape case: Chandy promises job to victim's younger sister Chandy, who described the crime as 'shocking', asserted that swift action would be taken against the perpetrators of the rape and murder of the law student. The police have taken two persons into custody who were questioned by a police team headed by Ernakulam Range Inspector General Mahipal Yadav. Read: Rajya Sabha MPs express concern over rape-murder of Kerala law student The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) yesterday took suo motu cognizance of yet another 'Nirbhaya' like rape and murder of a Dalit law student, whose body was found by her mother on April 29 evening. The 29-year-old woman was murdered after rape inside her home, near an isolated stretch, at Vattolippidi Canal Bund near Perumbavoor in Ernakulam district. Her body had at least 30 injuries, including on the private parts. Reportedly, the assault on her stomach was such that the small intestine had spilled out. I realised my mistake and expressing my deep regret as I have immense respect for the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, says Rajshri Shirwadkar. (Photo: Representational Image) Mumbai: A controversy was erupted after a picture of a BJP corporator posing with a bust of Maratha king Chhatrapati Shivaji by placing her hand on its shoulder went viral on social media. With the incident evoking sharp reactions from political parties, Rajshri Shirwadkar, the corporator with the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, expressed "deep regret". "One of my picture has gone viral at social media. It was taken on the occasion of Maharashtra Day celebration. I realised my mistake and expressing my deep regret as I have immense respect for the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj," Shirwadkar said in a statement. She said the opposition is unnecessarily politicising the incident. "My respect to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj would remain forever in my heart. The opposition is seeing this as a political opportunity, but please try to understand my position and co-operate with me," the corporator said. Meanwhile, a Congress committee from Sion-Koliwada area organised a peace march in protest against the BJP leader near King Circle and demanded a police action against the "earring corporator". "I am very hurt and angry to brief you that Rajshree Shirwadkar has shown utter disrespect to Maharashtra's 'aradhya daivat' Shivaji Maharaj. We demand that she should be booked and criminal case be initiated against her," said Amit Shetty, a local Congress leader. The morcha was led by former MLA Jagannath Shetty and attended by District Mahila Congress Committee (DMCC) Roshna Shah, DCC INTUC president Ranganathan Iyer besides other leaders. However, Amit said, "It's not an act of lack of judgement that could be explained and she can get away by simply tendering a apological statement (sic). Her deed is unforgivable and police action is the only remedy for such an act of disrespect to whom we love so much". The said picture was taken during an event organised for children suffering from cancer, on May 1. You have permission to edit this article. Edit Close New Delhi: Liquor baron Vijay Mallya's tenure in the Rajya Sabha came to an end today with Chairman Hamid Ansari accepting his resignation after he sent a fresh letter under his signature, a day after his scanned offer was rejected on procedural grounds. Announcing the decision in the House, Deputy Chairman P J Kurien said a resignation letter of Mallya dated May 3 was received by the Chairman. Read: Gave personal guarantee for loans to KFA under coercion: Vijay Mallya "He has accepted his resignation effective from today, May 4," Kurien said about the independent member from Karnatja who faces a case of loan default of over Rs 9,400 crore. The decision came on a day the Ethics Committee of Rajya Sabha, headed by Congress leader Karan Singh, submitted its report to the Upper House recommending the expulsion of Mallya with immediate effect, rejecting his defence on the matter and dismissing his resignation. Read: RS Ethics Committee recommends immediate expulsion of Vijay Mallya Ansari's OSD Gurdeep Singh Sappal said on Twitter "Hamid Ansari, Chairman Rajya Sabha, accepts resignation of Vijay Mallya, resubmitted unconditionally & as per correct procedure." In other tweets he said that "After SG, Rajya Sabha wrote to Vijay Mallya yesterday informing the rejection on procedural grounds, a fresh resignation was sent again today. "Second resignation letter was sent in original. SG confirmed from Sh. Mallya that resignation tendered was genuine, voluntary & unconditional." In his first resignation letter to Ansari yesterday, Mallya had said that he did not want his "name and reputation to be further dragged in the mud". Read: Sad that Rajya Sabha colleagues chose to be swayed by hysteria: Vijay Mallya "And since recent events suggest that I will not get a fair trial or justice, I am hereby resigning as a member of the Rajya Sabha with immediate effect," Mallya had said a day before the Ethics panel which was all set to recommend his expulsion. Ansari had yesterday declined to accept his resignation as it was observed that the letter did not conform to prescribed procedures and did not bear signature in original. The Ethics panel also rejected the resignation letter on proceedural grounds in its meeting yesterday while its report today, the panel dismissed Mallya's defence on the loan default case. Making the recommendation, the panel said "the Committee hopes that by taking such stern action, a message would reach the general public that parliament is committed to taking such steps as are necessary against erring members to uphold the dignity and prestige of this great institution." WASHINGTON (AP) The House committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol has issued a subpoena to Donald Trump. The nine-member panel sent a letter to the former president's lawyers on Friday, demanding his testimony under oath by mid-November and outlining a series of corresponding documents. The decision by lawmakers to exercise their subpoena power comes a week after the committee made its final case against the former president, who they say is the "central cause" of the multi-part effort to overturn the results of the 2020 election. It remains unclear how Trump and his legal team will respond to the subpoena, if at all. New Delhi: Their past differences notwithstanding, RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav and yoga guru Baba Ramdev displayed unusual bonhomie during the latters visit to Yadav in Delhi on Wednesday. While the spiritual leader smeared cream on the former Bihar chief ministers forehead and gifted him a whole range of Patanjali products, Lalu heaped praises on the spiritual leader. People are jealous of Baba Ramdev because he is highly successful... he has earned everything through sheer hard work, Yadav said, defending Ramdev on the allegations of accumulating illegal wealth. It was all conspiracy by his rivals to defame him and his products, Yadav said, and added that Ramdev donated his huge turnovers to charity. Asked by reporters if he would endorse Patanjali products, Yadav said, "I am a permanent brand ambassador of his products. Met Shri @laluprasadrjd ji and gifted him Patanjali products pic.twitter.com/K81nG1e81K Swami Ramdev (@yogrishiramdev) May 4, 2016 Baba Ramdev and Lalu Prasad Yadav have been vocal about their political differences in the past, with the yoga guru calling Yadav as descendant of mythological villain Kansa and not that of the Hindu God Krishna. New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Wednesday accepted the plea of the Centre that two more days be given to it to respond to its suggestion about the feasibility of holding a floor test in Uttarakhand Assembly under its supervision. A bench comprising Justices Dipak Misra and and Shiva Kirti Singh, posted the matter for hearing on Friday after Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi said he has conveyed in right earnest the court's suggestion which is under serious consideration by the government. The bench recorded the submission of Attorney General that "Union of India is seriously considering the suggestion given by this court to have a floor test in Assembly to put an end to the controversy that has emerged in this case". The bench also noted the submission of sacked Chief Minister Harish Rawat's counsel Kapil Sibal and Abhishek Manu Singhvi that they have no objection if Government accepts the suggestion. The bench noted that if Government accepts the suggestion, it would subserve the cause of democracy. While posting the matter for hearing on May 6, the bench said if the AG does not obtain instructions on the suggestion, the matter will be taken for hearing and there is also a possibility that the matter will travel to Constitution bench for full fledged debate. The apex court had on April 27 directed to continue the President's rule for the while. The two-judge division bench had also asked several questions to the Centre asking it to justify the imposition of President's rule in Uttarakhand. The Centre had imposed the President's rule in Uttarakhand on March 27, a day before ousted chief minister Harish Rawat was to take a trust vote in the assembly. West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee during an election rally in support of party candidates in Coochbehar district of West Bengal. (Photo: PTI) Kolkata: A day before West Bengal goes to the sixth and last phase of Assembly elections, the main contenders, Trinamool Congress and Left-Congress alliance on Wednesday sounded confident of forming the next government. Senior TMC leader Mukul Roy rubbished speculation of his party doing badly in the poll, saying he was "relaxed", while CPI-M state secretary Surjya Kanta Mishra said the state would witness a 'parivartan' (change). "I am relaxed. We will form the government under the leadership of Mamata Banerjee," Mukul Roy said adding everyone was well-aware that "our Chief Minister is coming back to power". Roy refused to comment on the Election Commission's decision to transfer several officers in the state, saying he would speak only after tomorrow. CPI-M state secretary Surjya Kanta Mishra also exuded confidence that the alliance will win in the elections and said that the state was going through a phase of 'parivartan' (change). "Ours is an alliance of the people. They prepared the alliance," he told a TV channel. Mishra, the Opposition leader in the outgoing state Assembly, said that on being voted to power they would take action against the accused in the Saradha chit fund scam, 'Narada sting operation' and other cases of corruption. "The alliance would also act against those involved in post-poll violence, he said and accused the ruling TMC of it. Whatever is happening is at the behest of the ruling party," he alleged. On measures being taken by the Election Commission to ensure a free and fair poll, he claimed that many of their complaints had not been addressed. "We are not dependent on anyone. We are relying on voters," Mishra said. As per the plan, Railtel will be the ISP, while Google will provide the Wireless Area Networks (WAN) and will set-up the points of access at platforms. (Photo: Representational Image) New Delhi: Expanding the high speed Internet network facility, Railways will launch the Google's free Wi-Fi service at Vijayawada, Kachiguda and Raipur stations on Thursday. Last month, Wi-Fi service was launched at Bhubaneswar station. Designed to offer passengers the best internet experience, Wi-Fi will be available to any user who has a smartphone. "Trial of the Wi-Fi is going on for some time at these stations and it will be launched on May 5 through video conferencing here," a senior Railway Ministry official said. Before Bhubaneswar, Google's free Wi-Fi service was launched in the Mumbai Central. Passengers would be able to stream high definition videos while waiting for their respective trains at the railway station with Wi-Fi becoming operational. Under the 'Digital India initiative', Railways is committed to provide better internet facilities to the passengers at 100 busiest stations by the end of this year. Railtel, a PSU of the Railways, in collaboration with Google is providing free Wi-Fi service at stations. Eventually, the service will be rolled out at 400 stations across the country covering all major rail premises. Railtel owns a Pan-India optic fiber network exclusively on railway track. It has laid out over 45,000 kms of optic fibre networks across the country, which Google will utilise for its Wi-Fi. The network is built for wide coverage and high capacity usage unlike a typical Wi-Fi hotspot which offers connectivity in limited area. As per the plan, Railtel will be the ISP, while Google will provide the Wireless Area Networks (WAN) and will set-up the points of access at platforms. New Delhi: The much-awaited reply of defence minister Manohar Parrikar to the four-hour-long debate on the controversial Agusta-Westland VVIP helicopter deal was delivered amid a huge ruckus in the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday. On Wednesday evening, Prime Minister Narendra Modi met some senior ministers on the helicopter scam issue, including Mr Parrikar, home minister Rajnath Singh, communications minister Ravi Shankar Prasad and parliamentary affairs minister M. Venkaiah Naidu. This took place in the Parliament House complex soon after a meeting of the Union Cabinet. As he began his speech, Mr Parrikar promised he would not mention names, and there should be no disturbance. He then referred to an anecdote of Birbal related to a theft to suggest that the Congress had got unnerved, fearing that the truth would implicate it. The country wants to know who instigated, supported and benefited from the corruption. We cannot let this pass, Mr Parrikar said. He added the fact that there was corruption in the matter was brought out in extensive details in recent judgments by the Milan court. Pursuant to the judgment of the Milan appellate court, the defence ministry has written to both the ED and CBI to take into account the content of the judgment and conclude the investigations expeditiously, Mr Parrikar said, adding the MoD was initiating the process of blacklisting the firms involved and for legal proceedings for recovery of damages. A litany of omissions and commissions at various stages of the decision-making process indicate mala fide and corrupt actions, driven by a goal to favour a particular vendor... We cannot let this pass, he said. Read: Parrikar questions Congress defence of AgustaWestland deal There were animated interjections, among others, from top Congress leaders Abhishek Manu Singhvi, Anand Sharma and Gulam Nabi Azad. Defending the UPA in the matter, Mr Singhvi attributed innuendoes against its leaders Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Ahmed Patel to the visceral hatred of the BJP, and added the Congress would not be intimidated by such tactics. The Rs 3,600-crore deal for 12 AgustaWestland VVIP helicopters is at the centre of a raging political slugfest that has kept the ongoing session of Parliament busy. The House also saw Congress members objecting to the defence minister reading out his reply from a prepared text. However, deputy chairman P.J. Kurien ruled that a minister had the right to read from a prepared speech. Read: Agusta deal: Take action if you have evidence, don't threaten us, Cong tells govt Congress member Anand Sharma, quoting Rule 167-177, said: When a discussion is raised, the minister should respond to members. He is not responding to us. He is reading the Akbar-Birbal story. This is just mockery of rules. What is he doing? Mr Sharad Yadav said while he had no objection to the written statement, the reply should be short. To this, Mr Parrikar said the reply will be lengthy if he had to respond to all points raised by the Opposition in the four-hour-long debate. As the noisy scenes continued, Mr Kurien said: I cannot ask the minister how to reply. Read: India wants to know who benefited from Agusta deal: Manohar Parrikar The minister can always prepare the speech and read it. If the minister wants to reply to each point, he can do so. Leader of the Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad also said: The minister can read out... This is a four-and-a-half-hour discussion. All members have put their viewpoints. Now the minister is reading. It is an insult. If he has to read it out, he should have circulated it. To this, parliamentary affairs minister M. Venkaiah Naidu said: This is a short duration discussion. It is normally for two and a half hours. Since everyone wanted to speak, the time was extended. If the minister wants to share all information, he can speak for an hour. Read: Does Agusta report say Cong leaders took bribe? Ahmed Patel asks BJP The truth is unfathomable. The ex-minister speaks for one hour, and Parrikar has spoken only for 25 minutes. The issue was again raked up in the Lok Sabha also with a BJP member demanding a probe to find out who received kickbacks in the deal. Kirit Somaiya claimed that two of the accused in the alleged scam were also involved in other companies and as per a SEBI report, incorporated as directors in Emaar-MGF. There have been several arguments from both the ruling party and the Congress. Charges are being traded from both sides inside and outside the house. But since the final probe report has not come yet, it would have been better if the debate was held after that. Our party feels the probe in the case should be monitored by the Supreme Court. We feel there is something fishy because nothing has come out so far. Mayawati, BSP MP The government should probe the case and then come to the House. This drama should be stopped. There are many other serious problems in the country. How many statements are you giving, specially the treasury benches? You have forces, investigation agencies, ED, still you are beating drums... There is no substance in this case. Sharad Yadav, JD(U) MP BENGALURU: In a landmark judgement which has far reaching consequences, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) on Wednesday asked Mantri Developers to demolish massive structures it has built, violating the buffer zones around lakes and rajakaluves in Bengaluru and imposed a whopping penalty of Rs 117 crore on the builder. The Principal bench of the NGT, New Delhi also ordered that no residential or non-residential projects should be given permission in the buffer zone of lakes across the country. Mantri has been told to restore the 3.10 acres of encroached lakebed area to the authorities immediately. Mantri Tech Zone and Coremind Software and Services have been fined Rs 117 crore and Rs 13.5 crore. The tribunal has quashed the environmental clearance given to the project and stayed the construction till the time the developer obtains a fresh clearance. The judgement is a warning to many developers across the city, who are known to encroach lake beds and other ecologically sensitive areas by blatantly flouting the rules. The bench set a higher threshold of a buffer, increasing it from the existing 30 metres to 75 metres around lakes. It further directed the authorities to calculate the buffer zone for rajakaluves from the edge of the drain and not from the centre of the drain, as is being done now. The Namma Bengaluru Foundation (NBF), supported by founder trustee MP Rajeev Chandrasekhar, Forward Foundation and others, had filed the application before the Tribunal, alleging various illegalities in the execution of a large mixed-use project coming up in the ecologically sensitive area between Agara and Bellandur Lakes. Mr Sridhar Pabbisetty, CEO, Namma Bengaluru Foundation, said, This landmark judgement is a major shot in the arm in the fight against encroachment of lakes and water bodies in Bengaluru. At a juncture where we are losing our lakes to vested interests and to unsustainable development within the city, the decision of the NGT to increase the buffer zone around the lakes and rajakaluves is a great precedent. I want to thank Mr Rajeev Chandrasekhar for his steadfast support and the citizen groups for their partnership in his historic win for our city. The bench said the petitioners should not violate any rule prevailing as of today. (Representational image) New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Wednesday asked the tobacco industry to adhere to rules requiring stringent health warnings on cigarette packs to cover 85 per cent of the tobacco packs sold in India. A bench of Justices Pinaki Chandra Ghose and Amitav Roy passed this order on a batch of petitions challenging the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products (Pack-ing and Labelling) Amend-ment Rules, 2014, notified in January this year to come into effect from April 1, 2016. Observing that the tobacco industry owed a duty to society, the bench said the petitioners should not violate any rule prevailing as of today. The petitioners challenged the rules as ultra vires of the Act in the High Courts of Karnataka, Bombay, Delhi and Gujarat and except in the Dharwad bench of Karnataka they did not get relief from implementation. The Karnataka Beedi Manufacturers and others moved the Supreme Court for stay of the rules. Taking note of the submissions, the Bench in its brief order said that the petitioners should endeavour to implement the rules till the Karnataka High Court to which all petitions are transferred rendered its final judgement. The stay granted by Dharwad bench shall not be implemented by the parties till the outcome of the petitions. Thanks to website glitch, deadline to donate extended to this afternoon After an afternoon website glitch stalled North Plattes first Giving Day, the executive director of the Mid-Nebraska Community Foundation paused to reflect on its progress. It hasnt gone exactly as planned, Eric Seacrest said. But things are starting to look better now. The glitch blocked some donors from giving to more than 50 area causes, prompting officials to extend Giving Day online until 6 p.m. today at northplattegivingday.org. Donors can also drop off checks from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. today at the Mid-Nebraska Community Foundation, 121 N. Dewey St., No. 112. The online problems also froze a meter on the website that displayed real-time updates of donated dollars. By late Tuesday afternoon, the website was at least working a little better, Seacrest said. Despite the difficulty, on Tuesday evening Seacrest said North Plattes first Giving Day had brought in more than $67,000 in donations thus far, both online and through checks delivered to a number of locations. Various organizations also won $9,000 in at least 35 cash prizes. In addition to donations and prizes, some people pledged to match what was donated, the amount of which I cant even begin to tell you, Seacrest said. Seacrest said the websites server facilitates a number of giving days across the United States. Tuesdays glitch affected about 50 locations, he said. North Platte Giving Day is today. For 24 hours, citizens and businesses contribute to more than 50 causes in the community. Visit northplattegivingday.org to see the full list of causes, including everything from schools to animals to the arts. Contributors can donate to as many causes as they choose online and keep track of todays progress. Check in with the Telegraph and Facebook for real-time updates throughout the day. Contributors can also drop off a check at the following sites, and request that the check be split among as many causes as desired: n 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Mid-Nebraska Community Foundation, 121 N. Dewey St., No. 112 n 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., North Platte Catholic Schools Endowment Trust, 601 S. Tabor Ave. n 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., St. Patricks High School, 500 S. Silber Ave. n 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Pop Corner, 1847 West A St. n 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Prairie Arts Center, 416 North Jeffers St. n 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Senior Center/North Platte Area Ready to Serve Volunteer Program, 901 E. 10th St. Participants can enjoy a grilled lunch from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. in the NebraskaLand National Bank branch parking lot at Bailey and Second streets. They can also can enjoy snacks, music and a cash bar from 4:30-7 p.m. at the Sandhills Convention Center in the Quality Inn & Suites. 3rd-grader wins poster contest; work displayed across the state Its not very often that a third-grader gets to see their artwork on a billboard. Story Rasby, a student at Sutherland Public Schools, recently came out on top in a Nebraska 811 poster contest, and now her work is on display across the state. Rasby was one of 10 winners chosen from hundreds who competed in the statewide contest. Her poster depicts a pirate surrounded by shovels with the phrase, Arrrr you thinking of digging? For more photos, click here. The contest was pirate themed to go along with the Common Ground Alliances Pirate Adventure educational video that explains the loss of important services that could occur if someone digs without calling 811. State law requires homeowners and contractors to call the 811 hotline before excavating so that buried utility lines or cables can be marked. Along with having her work displayed, Rasby earned a trip to the state capital, where she got to meet Gov. Pete Ricketts and watch him sign a proclamation for Safe Digging Month. She also earned a recycled composite bench and a pear tree, which were installed and planted near the pedestrian bridge in Sutherland on Tuesday. The school also received a plaque. Rasbys classmates celebrated her victory by helping plant the tree, listening to a presentation by 811 damage prevention liaison Jill Geyer, and later chowing down on a giant cookie. The entire class participated in the contest and donned pirate hats for the celebration. [The contest] was a chance to combine art and social studies, Rasbys teacher, Margo McNutt, said about her classs participation. McNutt said the presentation made the information students had learned more applicable to their lives. They saw a demonstration of how utility companies detect lines and learned the importance of calling 811 before digging. Calling means potentially saving someones life, Geyer said. 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United Arab Emirates United Kingdom of Great Britain & N. Ireland Uruguay, Eastern Republic of Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of Viet Nam, Socialist Republic of Wallis and Futuna Islands Western Sahara Yemen Zambia, Republic of Zimbabwe Last year, 91.42% of the candidates had passed the SSC examinations in the state. (Photo: Deccan Chronicle) Vijaywada: The Andhra Pradesh Board of Secondary Education (APBSE) announced the Andhra Pradesh Secondary School Certificate (SSC) or Class 10 examination results on Thursday. The examination was conducted from March 21 to April 7, 2016. Click here to check results: AP Secondary School Certificate (SSC) Class 10 Results 2016 States minister for human resources development Ganta Srinivas Rao released the results in Vijayawada. Though the SSC results were declared on May 20 last year, authorities have planned to declare it earlier this time. Over 6 lakh students appeared for the exams in all 13 districts of the state this year. Last year, 91.42% of the candidates had passed the SSC examinations in the state. All eyes were on Indiana on Tuesday, and for good reason. Hoosiers kicked presidential aspirant Ted Cruz to the curb, despite Gov. Mike Pence's lukewarm endorsement of Cruz and Indiana's reputation as a highly religious state. I crunched the numbers when they came in. Hoosiers flocked to the polls to vote for the Republican presidential candidates, but not for Pence, who was unopposed. In Porter County, for example, 38 percent of voters who selected their favorite presidential candidate skipped over Pence. Is that because Pence was unopposed or because voters are upset with him over his social conservative views? My guess is both. Pence's Democratic opponent, John Gregg, hasn't been very visible lately, but that's because he's been raising money. Now Gregg is going to have to put in some face time throughout the state to be competitive. Four years ago, Gregg gained ground on Pence after getting a late start in the campaign. We'll see if he gets his name out there soon enough to defeat Pence or, as the yard signs say, "Fire Pence." My colleague Crista Zivanovic and I discussed the presidential and gubernatorial races, along with others, at 11 p.m. Tuesday. The Times staff and others using the #nwipolitics hashtag shared news and views on the election. I put those tweets together for you using Storify. Earlier in the day, I wrote a column for today that looks ahead not just to Nov. 8, but also to 2018. I hope you'll find it enlightening. DOUG ROSS: Attorney wants Donnelly to feel the big Hurt Now that the votes have been cast in Tuesday's historic Indiana primary, the winners already I also wrote a blog post on Cruz's views on spanking, prompted by a child who harshly criticized Cruz at Sunday night's rally at the LaPorte Civic Auditorium. Blog: General applause for corporal punishment Presidential candidates deal with hecklers all the time in public places. It's all part of the job. Oh, and I updated the gallery of photos from past presidential candidates and presidents' visits to Northwest Indiana. It's well worth the clicks. In the afternoon, I connected with Israel-based i24 News, which talked me into a Skype interview about the election. There was drama throughout Tuesday evening as election results rolled in, highlighted by Cruz's announcement that he was suspending his campaign. But there was also the person who appeared to be launching a one-woman protest outside The Times' newsroom. We saw her through the window. I went outside to speak with her. It turned out not to be a protest, but a plea for attention. I recorded her video. All in all, it made for a hectic but memorable election night. It's one for the history books, just as I had predicted. In today's tourism environment show and tell is dead. "What travelers want today is to fill their emotional bank accounts," Joe Veneto told more than 200 people Wednesday at the Indiana Welcome Center. "They want to know what can we do? Will it be fun? And what memories can we collect?" Veneto, aka the Opportunity Guy, gave his "Engineering Experiences" pep talk as part of the annual tourism luncheon produced by the South Shore Convention and Visitors Authority for National Travel and Tourism Week. He pointed to examples he has experienced such as having "Billie Holiday" sing to him at the Hotel Metropolitan, in Paducah, Kentucky; being asked if he wanted his horoscope at the Firesky Resort and Spa, in Old Town Scottsdale, Arizona; or being offered sugar cookies by a little Amish lady in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. All without knowing it, those places were hewing to Veneto's "Experience Formula." The key is to provide customers with memories, so they become ambassadors for the destination. "When those emotional bank accounts are full, you create a buzz," Veneto said. South Shore Convention and Visitors Authority CEO Speros Batistatos said Veneto was brought in to help his organization and others in the Northwest Indiana tourism business learn more about how they can engineer experiences for customers. They will learn more Thursday at a tourism workshop put on by Veneto from 9 to 11:30 a.m. There are still openings for anyone who wants to attend. Batistatos said his organization has already implemented Veneto's emphasis on experiential tourism with many small touches throughout the Welcome Center and in working with hotels and clients throughout Northwest Indiana. "That's something we work on every day," Batistatos said. "I won't tell you we're the best in the business, but it's something we continually work on." At the luncheon, Batistatos talked about what might be exhibit A: the moving of the John Dillinger Museum from the Welcome Center in Hammond, to the Lake County Courthouse in Crown Point, near where the infamous bank robber was actually jailed. The museum has had as many visitors since its move eight months ago as it had in more than a decade at the Welcome Center, he said. CROWN POINT A deputy Lake County coroner's investigator was charged Friday in the theft of money from a deceased man's Griffith home. Byron Lunn, 31, of Gary, allegedly admitted he stole $13 from the man's home in March and used the money to buy lunch at a White Castle restaurant, according to Lake Criminal Court records. Lake County Coroner Merrilee Frey said she was notified April 23 by Indiana State Police of an investigation involving Lunn, and she suspended him without pay the same day. Griffith police responded March 10 to Roy Atkins' home in the 100 block of Lindberg Street after he didn't show up for work. Police found Atkins dead, and several of his family members arrived at the house, an affidavit says. Atkins' sister-in-law opened a dresser drawer while looking for his identification and observed cash secured in a rubber band. After telling other family members about the cash, she closed the drawer and they left the house at Lunn's request, court records said. After Atkins' body was removed from the house, family members noticed the cash was missing, the affidavit said. They reported the missing cash to a Griffith police officer, whose supervisors asked Indiana State Police to adopt the investigation. Atkins' cause of death remains under investigation, the affidavit says. Lunn is facing a Class A misdemeanor count of conversion. CEDAR LAKE A federal jury earlier this year determined a former teacher's right to due process was violated when he was fired from Hanover Community School Corp., according to court records. Following a five-day trial in front of Chief Judge Philip Simon, a jury in March ruled in favor of Brian Vukadinovich on the issue of his constitutional right to due process. He was awarded compensatory damages of $203,840.39. Hanover Community School Corp. officials did not immediately return a call seeking comment on the matter. The lawsuit centered on Vukadinovich, a former shop teacher, who was terminated in 2012. In the lawsuit that he filed pro se against the school corporation, he argued that a settlement he had reached with School City of Hammond was mentioned when he was told his teaching contract wouldn't be renewed. He argued that specifically the School Board violated his right to due process when it refused to meet with him in private before members voted on the recommendation for his termination, according to the lawsuit. Though the jury sided with Vukadinovich on the issue, his legal odyssey is not over yet. As of this week, Simon hadn't entered judgment in the case pending post-trial motions by the parties. Among the motions that have been filed is one on behalf of Hanover Community School Corp. and former Superintendent Carol A. Kaiser asking that the jury verdict be vacated, arguing there wasn't any evidence that Vukadinovich's constitutional rights were violated. If Simon does not vacate the jury verdict, they ask for the compensatory damage award be reduced to $1 in nominal damages, according to court records. Vukadinovich said Wednesday he was prepared to see the case against Hanover Community School Corp. through, even if it ended up in the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. "They are employees of the taxpayers, and they choose to violate the law," he said. "And they have to be held accountable for that." He said he decided to represent himself throughout the case, because he thought lawyers were after the possible money rather than the issues in the case. Vukadinovich, who now gets calls from teachers in similar situations, said he wants teachers and school districts to take notice of the jury verdict. "When you violate the law and you lose at trial, you'll be held accountable," he said. "Teachers and any public employee, as long as the law is on their side, they should stand up and fight for their rights." VALPARAISO Police here are investigating a report of man with gun who allegedly displayed the weapon to two children playing in their neighborhood. Police were called at 5:20 p.m. Sunday to a home on Tim Bishop Court on the city's north side. The children, ages 8 and 10, told officers while they were playing outside when a man in a silver car drove around the cul-de-sac. The children told police the driver was holding a gun against his chest but was not pointing the gun at them. They told police the driver left the cul-de-sac and initially went north on Sears Street, but turned around at the end of the street and left the area heading south. The children told police the driver was a young white man with black hair. Police spoke to a neighbor who told police he was working in yard at the time and saw the car. The neighbor said it was a silver passenger car, possibly a Mazda 3. The neighbor told police the driver was a heavy set young white man with a buzz cut. Police checked the area, but did not find the vehicle. Police said they are continuing to investigate the report. CROWN POINT An escaped Lake County Jail inmate and his girlfriend eluded police at River Oaks Center, but their efforts to evade investigators tracking a cellphone they purchased at the mall failed, officials said. Richard Campos, 22, of East Chicago, an alleged member of the Two Six Nation street gang, walked away from Lake County Jail on Saturday and left in a car driven by Elysia M. Jeronimo, 20, of Hammond, authorities said. Each was charged Monday with felony escape. Jeronimo dropped her three children off with a family member the day of Campos escape, Buncich said. Police went to River Oaks on Monday after informants placed the couple there, he said. The couple arrived at the Calumet City shopping center in one vehicle and left in another, described as a red truck, he said. While there, they purchased a cellphone from a T-Mobile kiosk. Sheriffs investigators obtained warrants and began working with T-Mobile to track the cellphone using GPS coordinates, Buncich said. The phone was first located in southern Illinois and traveled through Arkansas before stopping in San Antonio, Texas. Campos and Jeronimo apparently were tech savy enough to attempt to evade GPS tracking, but it didnt work, Buncich said. He declined to discuss details about the technology used by police. Police trace couple to Texas Investigators learned Campos had ties to San Antonio and identified two locations in the city where the couple may have been hiding. The San Antonio Police Department established surveillance at those locations and notified Lake County investigators after Campos was seen at a residence, Buncich said. San Antonio police obtained warrants and moved in. Jeronimo was arrested late Tuesday inside the residence, he said. Campos tried to flee from the residence, but was taken into custody, Buncich said. Neither Campos nor Jeronimo had guns at the time of their arrest. The couple are being held in a Texas jail, and the Lake County prosecutors office has initiated extradition proceedings, Buncich said. Neither had waived extradition as of Wednesday. The process could take several weeks, he said. Campos and Jeronimo were driving a white Nissan at the time of their arrest, and there was no sign of the red truck they had at River Oaks, Buncich said. Police are looking into the ownership of the red truck. Were in the process of tracing their entire route, trying to determine where they stayed and where they were, he said. 3 face firing for 'human error' Three corrections officers have been placed on administrative leave, and Buncich plans to file administrative charges before the Corrections Merit Board seeking their termination. The officers are accused of improperly classifying and failing to properly supervise a prisoner. So far, our investigation indicates it was just human error on their part, Buncich said. According to a court affidavit, Campos was one of six trusties assigned to laundry duty Saturday morning. The trusties were transported to the laundry facility, across the street from the jail, about 7:30 a.m. At 12:30 p.m., an officer discovered Campos was missing. Buncich said after Campos escape, sheriffs investigators began reviewing his phone calls and learned the couple discussed where he would be Saturday morning and where Jeronimo needed to park. He allegedly told her she needed to be at the designated spot between 8:30 and 11:30 a.m. Jail calls are continuously monitored, but there were no red flags regarding Campos calls before he escaped, Buncich said. He had been incarcerated most recently for about a week before his escape. A preliminary investigation found corrections officers failed to make sure they knew the constant whereabouts of inmates in the laundry area, he said. It also appears Campos was improperly granted trusty status, he said. Campos alleged gang affiliations and a prior charge of resisting law enforcement should have sent up red flags, he said. The record indicates that obviously the officer did not do a thorough review of his prior record, Buncich said. CROWN POINT An escaped Lake County Jail inmate and his girlfriend were arrested Tuesday night in San Antonio, Texas, police said. Richard Campos, 22, of East Chicago, and Elysia M. Jeronimo, 20, of Hammond, were taken into custody after he attempted to flee from San Antonio law enforcement officials, according to the Lake County Sheriff's Department. Lake County Sheriff John Buncich has set a 3 p.m. press conference Wednesday to discuss the fugitives' apprehension, the investigation leading to their capture as well as the internal investigation around the escape. Campos, an alleged member of the Two Six street gang, and Jeronimo were each charged Monday with felony escape, and three Lake County corrections officers were put on administrative leave pending an investigation of Campos' April 30 escape. According to an affidavit filed in Lake Criminal Court, Campos was one of six trustees assigned to laundry duty Saturday morning. The trustees were transported to the laundry facility, across the street from the jail, about 7:30 a.m. At 12:30 p.m., an officer discovered Campos was missing. According to the charges, Campos had a face-to-face meeting with Jeronimo in the jail April 28. He also called her three times the next day from the jail. The meeting and the telephone calls were recorded, officials said. Campos is accused of asking Jeronimo for her help. She allegedly agreed, and he told her he would be leaving the jail Saturday morning for laundry duty. "He then specifically describes the area to her and instructs her where she needs to park in the back area near the county health clinic and the coroner's office," the affidavit said. Jeronimo already had driven through the area so she was familiar with it, according to court records. Campos allegedly told her she needed to be at the designated spot between 8:30 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. On Monday morning, investigators were told by Jeronimo's stepfather that Jeronimo and Campos had showed up at his residence about 7 p.m. Sunday and told him, "I (expletive) up bad, take care of the kids." The two drove off in a white Chrysler 300M, the affidavit said. Buncich put the three corrections officers on leave pending review by the Merit Board for termination, sheriff's spokesman Mark Back said. A sheriff's release late Tuesday said detectives worked nonstop over 72 hours to find Campos and Jeronimo. Police from several departments searched the River Oaks Center in Calumet City Monday afternoon after receiving a tip that Campos had been spotted. He was not located. Online Lake County court records show Campos is on probation in a 2014 misdemeanor intimidation case and is facing several new charges, including misdemeanor resisting law enforcement and operating while intoxicated. Hyderabad: Fifteen-year-old Nihal Bitla, Indias first recognised Progeria patient breathed his last around 11.30 pm on Monday night at his native place in Telangana. Progeria or HutchinsonGilford Progeria Syndrome (HGPS) is an extremely rare genetic disorder characterised by premature aging symptoms and it affects 1 per 8 million births. Nihal was regarded the face of research work and awareness programmes conducted across India as well as the ambassador of Finding The Next 60 campaign which was launched in association with Boston based Progeria Research Foundation (PRF) to locate children suffering from the across the country. Nihal, who lived with his two siblings and parents at suburban home of Bhiwandi, had travelled to his native place for a wedding ceremony. Sources close to him, however, said that the climatic conditions in Telangana did not suit Nihals weakening body and his condition started to deteriorate owing to dehydration on Monday evening. The family immediately called for an ambulance but he fell unconscious on the way to the hospital and was pronounced dead, said a close family friend. Nihal had become quite a popular figure due to the Progeria awareness campaigns that he was part of. He had once said that it was his dream to meet actor Aamir Khan as he was a big fan and had loved his movie Taare Zameen Par. His dream came true in December when Aamir paid him a visit at his home. The teenager was also an admirer of Asimo Robots and Lamborghini and was part of special events organised by both the companies. While the former gifted him one of the robots, he later fulfilled his wish of taking a ride in the car. Members of Team Nihal, the team of professionals and experts working for the awareness of the disease said that while the death of Nihal has caused immense grief his admirers, it has also given them courage and will power to fight the condition. At Heritage Middle School, students are awarded an HEA certificate, a red Heritage Excellence T-shirt, which they are encouraged to wear on any school day, and a Jimmy Johns gift card. The award ceremony is uploaded on the Sunnybrook YouTube website. At Nathan Hale Elementary school, students are rewarded with a T-shirt, Jimmy Johns gift card and certificate for their accomplishment. Senate District 3 In the tense race to replace retiring Sen. Earline Rogers, D-Gary, her preferred successor, Eddie Melton, appeared to be leading the race. Rogers walked around Melton's campaign headquarters Tuesday in Gary and appeared optimistic. She said she felt comfortable knowing Melton, of Merrillville, would replace her in the state Senate. "I watched as he interacted with other people," she said. "He's able to talk to people on both sides of the aisle." Melton campaigned on issues surrounding education and jobs in Northwest Indiana. "I'm just very appreciative of the voters for their trust," Melton said. "I'm looking forward to continuing to learn from them their concerns and issues, and working with leaders of the communities to figure out what we can do to move District 3 forward." Near downtown Gary, Darren Washington sat inside his campaign headquarters watching the results come in on his iPad. He characterized the campaign as ugly, and he said he would be praying for those who damaged his signs. Washington plans to continue serving as president of the Calumet Township Board. Dave Spott, of Hobart, and Ethel Williams, of Gary, also challenged Melton for the seat. District 3 includes Gary, Lake Station, New Chicago, Hobart, Merrillville and Crown Point. Senate District 8 (Democratic) Maxine Spenner, a retired LaPorte teacher, said she was told she was the projected winner to replace retiring Sen. Jim Arnold, D-LaPorte, who served 10 years in the Senate. Dan Cruz, of South Bend, challenged Spenner for the nomination. Senate District 8 (Republican) Allen Stevens, of Hanna, said just before 9:30 p.m. that he was expected to be defeated by Mike Bohack, a LaPorte County commissioner, in the Republican nomination for District 8. "We worked hard," Stevens said. "Unfortunately, it looks like it was a little too much to overcome in LaPorte County. I'm waiting for it to sink in a little bit." House District 2 Earl Harris Jr. appears to have succeeded in his quest to follow his mother and late father as the representative for East Chicago and portions of Gary in the Indiana House. I'm excited. I really appreciate the confidence of the voters, Harris said. I'm looking forward to serving everyone in Northwest Indiana well. Harris prevailed in the four-way contest with far less than a majority, but more votes than Rosa Maria Rodriguez, Tammi Davis and Drake Morris. Barring an unlikely general election loss to a currently nonexistent Republican opponent, Harris' victory will continue his family's public service tradition at the Statehouse begun by Earl Harris Sr. in 1982 and continued by state Rep. Donna Harris, D-East Chicago, following her husband's death last March. Earl Harris Jr. said he is focused on extending their work by improving employment, tourism and economic development opportunities for the entire Region. House District 3 State Rep. Charlie Brown, D-Gary, is likely to return to the Statehouse for an 18th term after prevailing in the Democratic primary against Antuwan Clemons, board president of Gary Community School Corp. Clemons tried to persuade voters that the district, which includes Gary, Lake Station, New Chicago and Hobart, needed someone new looking out for their interests. But they opted for Brown's track record of getting things done, including passage of a statewide smoking ban, approval for land-based casinos and creation of the Healthy Indiana Plan. Brown said he's grateful his constituents once again deemed him worthy to give him their votes. So far no Republican is running against Brown in the November general election. House District 4 Former Porter County Clerk Pamela Mishler Fish appears to have narrowly defeated Jesse Harper for the right to challenge state Rep. Ed Soliday, R-Valparaiso, in November. The Valparaiso-area contest was one of the closest House races in the state Tuesday. At one point early in the evening just two votes separated the two Democratic candidates. With her victory, Fish now will try to sell her Back to Business plan to a general election audience. It is focused on enacting measures to attract high-wage employers to Northwest Indiana, increase funding for public education, improve roads, bridges and technological infrastructure and bolster public health programs to combat drug abuse. Soliday, the chairman of the House Roads and Transportation Committee, was unopposed in the Republican primary as he runs for a sixth term. Steady streams of Northwest Indiana voters went to the polls on Tuesday, helping put an end to the hopes of not only presidential aspirant Ted Cruz but many local candidates as well. Voter turnout was about 40 percent in Porter County and approaching that in Lake County. In LaPorte County, 35 percent of registered voters cast ballots. In Michigan City, poll workers at two locations reported a steady stream of voters. Dave Hack, inspector for Precinct 12, said he has been working the polls in that precinct for about 10 years. As of noon, there were about 330 votes. In the first three hours the polls were open, about 250 people voted, he said. Michigan City Precincts 10-12 vote at Apostolic Lighthouse Church, which Hack said is one of the busiest in the city. There were a number of first-time voters this time, Hack said. Lake County election official Pat Gabrione said more than 16 percent of registered voters in his county cast ballots by noon Tuesday. That's about the percentage of Lake County voters who cast ballots in the entire 2015 municipal primary, and seven hours remained before the 2016 polls closed. Gabrione said all voting equipment was functioning smoothly, and no major problems were reported at any polling locations. Various Region poll workers and volunteers reported a more brisk than normal voter turnout Tuesday during the first few hours of Indiana primary voting. At Winfield Town Hall, Lake County election inspector Tammy Travis reported nearly 400 people had voted in the four polling precincts housed there from the 6 a.m. poll openings until about 9:30 a.m. She said the numbers have been comparable or better than a recent election cycle in which Winfield Town Council members were selected. As of 10 a.m. at one of several Crown Point voting precincts at the Lake County Fairgrounds, volunteer elections clerk Johnny Supan, 17, a Crown Point High School student, said 108 people out of an estimated 926 voters had cast ballots in the first four hours of voting. MC Pritchett was like an air traffic controller inside of the lobby of the Portage High School East auditorium Tuesday morning. An election judge, Pritchett met voters at the door, quickly checked their identifications and directed them to the appropriate precinct. The high school was home to four Portage precincts Tuesday in what Pritchett said was a steady turn out of voters. "We had folks lined up at 6 a.m.," he said, adding they'd seen no problems or issues during the morning's vote. That was pretty much the case throughout the Region Tuesday morning. At Real Life Community Church on Swanson Road in Portage, inspector Frank Colucci said it had been pretty steady. At times there were lines, then a break and another rush. Lee Krone was one of the voters in Precinct 23. Krone said she usually votes, but wanted to make sure she got out Tuesday, describing herself as "anti-Trump." "He appeals to the lowest part of human nature," said Krone, adding she favored Hillary Clinton on the Democrat ballot. "I think she can beat Trump," Krone said. Election Judge Joe Blackwell said the turnout at the Portage Public Library for Precincts 9 and 25 had also been steady with seven or eight people waiting when the doors opened at 6 a.m. Register for more free articles. Sign up for our newsletter to keep reading. Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter. Sign up! Already a Subscriber? Already a Subscriber? Sign in Terms of Service Privacy Policy Hebron resident Janell Rottier is hosting a fundraiser Friday to help fund a new program designed to assist teen moms. We recently went through six months of training for the program from Teen Mother Choices out of Gurnee, Illinois, said Rottier, program director. Its specifically designed to equip these young mothers to be self-staining, functioning members of their community without relying on government assistance. My prayer is for these young moms to be able to see their amazing potential. The program, called Anew, will begin in September at First Christian Reformed Church of Crown Point. According to the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancies, in 2010, the public cost of teen childbearing in Indiana was $227 million. Teen Mother Choices is an international-based ministry with over 27 years experience working with teen moms, and out of over 600 graduates from their program, not one mom relies on government assistance to this day, Rottier said. Anew will mentor, not house, about seven teen moms for three years. If a teen mom would like to be considered for the program they need to fill out an application and be interviewed. Once entered in the program, they attend weekly life skill workshops that go beyond how to be a mom. These workshops teach the girls how to cook, change a tire, balance a budget, learn child CPR, etc. Some of these teens dont know how to cook a chicken breast, Rottier said. She is going to be a teen, an employer, a student, a seeker and a mother. ... We want them to know they are valuable and worthy. The teens will meet with a financial adviser once a month and also be paired one-on-one with a trained mentor. The teen will be required to set goals such as obtaining a drivers license and applying college and meet them. If they are doing all three of these requirements, we will pay her child care costs so she can either go to school full time or obtain full-time employment, Rottier said. We want to meet the gap whatever that may be pay for books, etc. Johanna Ramaker, co-coordinator and licensed mental health counselor, said she is excited to be a part of Anew. This program is awesome and totally relationship-focused. As long as they're willing to work on goals and do anything that will impact her life or her childs life, we support. And we do that by building relationships with them. They are so strong and we learn so much from them, Ramaker said. The Ladies Night Out fundraiser for Anew is from 6:30 and 9:30 p.m. Friday at First Christian Reformed Church of Crown Point. Tickets purchased before Friday are $25 or $30 at the door. Admission includes a variety of services such manicure, pedicure, massages, eyebrow waxing and a silent auction. Anew is 100 percent run on volunteers. For information about volunteer opportunities, contact Rottier at anewcrownpoint@gmail.com. MERRILLVILLE If raises are given to full-time town employees, several officials believe all should receive the same amount. The council's Budget and Finance Committee recently began initial discussions regarding future raises for employees. In early 2014, the council approved plans to increase salaries for police officers and other full-time employees. Through a contract with the Merrillville Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 168, the council authorized a $10,000 raise for officers over three years. At that same time, the council also approved $6,000 raises for other full-time employees during a three-year period. The FOP contract and civilian raises finish at the end of this year. Councilmen said they want to pursue the same salary increases for all employees, including police officers, firefighters and civilian workers, to be fair. Councilman Shawn Pettit, chairman of the Budget and Finance Committee, suggested exploring a $6,000 raise for all full-time employees. The increase would occur over three years, he said. No final decisions have been made about the proposal, and the committee is expected to continue reviewing the matter. Town leaders haven't yet received a new contract proposal from the FOP. Merrillville officer Curtis Minchuk, president of Lodge 168, said the FOP is finalizing its new contract proposal, which includes ideas for wages and benefits. Minchuk said Lodge 168 is looking forward to working with town leaders on the contract. Clerk-Treasurer Eugene Guernsey thinks it would be justified to provide a larger salary increase to police. Guernsey, a former officer, said many people don't realize the sacrifices made by police. Councilmen said the panel has already given police a larger raise than other employees, and they believe all employees should be treated equally. ST. JOHN In March, Gerald Haddle, 47, of Hebron, was sentenced to 50 years in prison for the fatal shooting of a St. John businessman last July. At Thursday's Town Council meeting, three St. John police officers received the police department's first Awards of Valor for their actions in preventing Haddle from taking his own or those of others. Since becoming police chief in January, James Kveton has been studying the town's history and learned of the shooting of Christopher Badten on July 15, 2015. Haddle, who lost his job at the business about a month earlier, reportedly went back to talk to his father and get a gun he wanted to sell for money. He got into an argument with Badten that ended with the shooting. Kveton said Officer Ronald Olson was the first to respond to a 911 hang-up call at the business's Industrial Drive location. He was soon joined by Commander (now Deputy Chief) David Demeter and Officer Luke Schreiber. The three located Haddle in the front of the business, and, as they gave him verbal commands, he pulled a gun and threatened to shoot himself in the head. "Over the next 42 minutes, officers attempted to use less lethal force, which was not successful, and they continued to negotiate with the offender in attempts to have him surrender the weapon and himself to officers," Kveton said. "Each officer should be recognized for his negotiation skills and patience as they responded to this very volatile and life-threatening event. All three officers maintained control and made sure the surrounding area was as safe as it could be during such a dangerous, fluid and continually evolving situation. They placed their own lives and safety in harm's way to protect others." Kveton said, when he was reviewing the history of the shooting to see if the officers received any awards for their actions, he found only a couple of letters of recognition in their files. In fact, the department had no policy for awarding officers for their service, so he put together a policy, which was adopted at the April Police Commission meeting. The new policy created awards for life saver, distinguished service and meritorious service in addition to the award for valor. Kveton said something else is being added to the department: A motto. As he met with the officers one-on-one over the past few months, he said he was looking for two words to describe how they viewed the department. The words that came up were "pride" and "integrity," so he created the slogan "Serving with pride and integrity." The new slogan now appears only on one of the pieces of equipment in the rescue kits he gave each officer, but he hopes to get it on decals that can be placed on the squad cars as the budget allows. INDIANAPOLIS In a stunning triumph for a political outsider, Donald Trump all but clinched the Republican presidential nomination Tuesday with a resounding victory in Indiana that knocked rival Ted Cruz out of the race and cleared Trump's path to a likely November face-off with Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton. Trump still needs about 200 delegates to formally secure the nomination, but Cruz's decision to end his campaign removed his last major obstacle. "Ted Cruz I don't know if he likes me or he doesn't like me but he is one hell of a competitor," Trump said of his last fierce competitor whom he had dubbed "lyin' Ted." Trump, in a victory speech that was much lower-key than usual, promised victory in November, vowing anew to put "America first." Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders eked out a victory over Clinton in Indiana, but the outcome will not slow the former secretary of state's march to the Democratic nomination. Heading into Tuesday's voting, Clinton had 92 percent of the delegates she needs. "I know that the Clinton campaign thinks this campaign is over. They're wrong," Sanders said defiantly in an interview Tuesday night. But Clinton already has turned her attention to the general election. She and Trump now plunge into a six- month battle for the presidency, with the future of America's immigration laws, health care system and military posture around the world at stake. While Clinton heads into the general election with significant advantages with minority voters and women, Democrats have vowed to not underestimate Trump as his Republican rivals did for too long. Previewing Clinton's general election message, top adviser John Podesta said Trump was "simply too big of a risk" to be president. For months, Republican leaders considered him a fringe candidate and banked on voters shifting toward more traditional contenders. But Trump tapped into Republicans' deep anger with party leaders and outlasted more than a dozen experienced political rivals. Party Chairman Reince Priebus declared the race over, saying on Twitter that Trump would be the GOP's presumptive nominee. "We all need to unite and focus on defeating @HillaryClinton," he wrote. Indeed, Trump's first challenge will be uniting a Republican Party that has been roiled by his candidacy. While some GOP leaders have warmed to the real estate mogul, others have promised to never vote for him and see him as a threat to their party's very existence. Even before the Indiana results were finalized, some conservative leaders were planning a Wednesday meeting to assess the viability of launching a third party candidacy to compete with him in the fall. One outside group trying to stop Trump suggested it would shift its attention to helping Republicans in other races. Rory Cooper, a senior adviser to the Never Trump super PAC, said the group will help protect "Republican incumbents and down-ballot candidates by distinguishing their values and principles from that of Trump and protecting them from a wave election." Indiana was viewed as the last gasp for Cruz, the fiery Texas conservative. He campaigned aggressively in the state, securing the support of Indiana's governor and announcing businesswoman Carly Fiorina as his running mate. Cruz had clung to the hope that he could keep Trump from reaching the 1,237 delegates needed for the nomination and push the race to a rare contested convention. "I've said I would continue on as long as there was a viable path to victory; tonight I'm sorry to say it appears that path has been foreclosed," Cruz told a somber crowd in Indianapolis. Ohio Gov. John Kasich is now the only other Republican left in the race. But Kasich has won just one primary his home state and trails Trump by nearly 900 delegates. Kasich pledged to stay in the race, with his campaign manager saying the governor would continue to "offer the voters a clear choice for our country." Only about half of Indiana's Republican primary voters said they were excited or optimistic about any of their remaining candidates becoming president, according to exit polls. Still, most said they probably would support whoever won for the GOP. Clinton, too, needs to win over Sanders' enthusiastic supporters. The Vermont senator has cultivated a deeply loyal following, in particular among young people, a group Democrats count on in the general election. Though Sanders claimed momentum, he has conceded his strategy hinges on persuading superdelegates to back him over the former secretary of state. Superdelegates are Democratic Party insiders who can support the candidate of their choice, regardless of how their states vote. And they favor Clinton by a nearly 18-1 margin. Exit polls showed about 7 in 10 Indiana Democrats said they'd be excited or at least optimistic about either a Clinton or Sanders presidency. Most said they would support either in November. The exit polls were conducted by Edison Research for The Associated Press and television networks. With Sanders' narrow victory Tuesday, he picked up at least 43 of Indiana's 83 delegates. Clinton now has 2,202 delegates to Sanders' 1,400. That includes pledged delegates from primaries and caucuses, as well as superdelegates. Trump now has at least 1,047 delegates. Cruz exits the race with 565, while Kasich has 152. ___ Pace reported from Washington. Associated Press writer Stephen Ohlemacher contributed to this report from Washington. Now that the votes have been cast in Tuesday's historic Indiana primary, the winners already are sprinting toward the Nov. 8 general election. But there are some long-distance runners, too. Mark Hurt isn't a declared candidate, but that's only because the Federal Election Commission rules govern how candidates act and raise funds. Make no mistake, this Republican attorney from Kokomo has his sights set on winning Democrat Joe Donnelly's U.S. Senate seat in 2018. Yes, 2018, two years away. Hurt is a conservative, a Federalist Society supporter. He's going against an incumbent who has been called one of the most bipartisan members of the Senate. A history lesson is in order to put this in context. Donnelly is in his first term. Before he switched from the House of Representatives to the Senate, that Senate seat was held by Republican Dick Lugar, one of the longest-serving Senate members in history. Lugar was defeated in the Republican primary in 2012 by Indiana Treasurer Richard Mourdock, an ultra-conservative candidate. Lugar, whose expertise on agriculture and foreign policy brought him world renown, was criticized for being a Washington insider. He didn't even own a home in Indiana, his critics said. In the general election, Donnelly won after Mourdock remarked in a debate with Donnelly that if a child results from a rape, that's God's will. It's a sentiment that hasn't set well with Hoosiers. In the same legislative session this year that saw Gov. Pence sign a new law forbidding women to abort a fetus even if it's unlikely to survive birth, the Legislature finally passed a law that removed parental rights from rapists. Hurt's real challenge will be in the 2018 primary. In midterm elections, the Republican voters most likely to vote in the primary are the ones who are most conservative. Tuesday's Republican Senate primary pitted conservative Rep. Todd Young against ultra conservative Rep. Marlin Stutzman. Democrat Baron Hill, a former congressman defeated by Young in a previous U.S. House race, was unopposed in the Senate primary. We'll see what happens in November. Coats picked up that open seat after Democratic Sen. Evan Bayh announced at the last minute in 2010 that he wouldn't seek re-election after all. Bayh said at the time he was disgusted with the polarization in Congress. For now, Hurt has to talk about current events rather than what might occur after a new president is selected. He criticizes Donnelly for voting to back President Barack Obama's nuclear agreement with Iran. Iran will become the biggest state sponsor of terrorism, Hurt predicted. "I just feel like we're not there for Israel," Hurt said when he visited The Times in late April. Hurt wants to show "peace in strength, not peace in weakness" by going against the bipartisan sequester agreement that enforces limits in federal military and domestic spending. The military spending cuts are having an adverse impact on Indiana, he said. Even as he criticizes Donnelly for being more liberal in Washington than he is back home in Indiana, Hurt gives Donnelly credit for pushing for mental-health reforms for American servicemen and veterans. The rate of military suicides is appalling. Hurt wants to put more focus and pressure on Pakistan. "I think we should work with Russia," he said, because Russia is threatened by radical Islam the same as the United States. Hurt also criticized Donnelly for supporting the Affordable Care Act. "Big votes have big consequences," he said. Hurt plans to become more visible now that the primary is over. Expect to see 2018 hopefuls, as well as Nov. 8 candidates, getting their names and their ideas out in the weeks and months to come. Mumbai: Expressing hopes of transcending the nightmare that they are going through, a touching note written by former media baron Peter Mukerjea to his wife and co-accused in Sheena Bora murder case, Indrani Mukerjea, has come to the fore. According to media reports, Peter wrote a special note to his wife on January 3 to convey birthday wishes. "Mumu, my dearest. Today is a special day in your life and mine too therefore. Your birthday is a day we have always spent together since we met and this is the first year we're so close and yet so far," Peter wrote. Referring to the judicial proceedings against them, Peter (59), lodged in Arthur Road Jail in Mumbai, hoped that she could prove her innocence in the case soon, 'and get clear of this nightmare in good time'. "God is great and will see an end to this, and like Romeo & Juliet we will hopefully see each other soon in court or at home one day, he said in the one page letter. Hoping that the letter brightens her day, Peter also wrote, This is a short note just for today as a real birthday special to touch you and reach out to you on your day and a big hug and moooah to you," he added, before signing off with, "Yours, P xxx". Indrani and Peter hardly interact in court and have been avoiding each other since the trial began six months ago. However, the two were seen talking recently in the court premises for a solid twenty five minutes, away from media glare, about their daughter Vidhie over gulab jamun from Peters household. The letter comes after Mukerjea, in his second bail application to the court, alleged that his wife was highly ambitious and willing to sacrifice and give up her children to achieve her ambitions. The hearing is underway on a second bail plea submitted by Peter in March. The former media honcho was arrested on November 19 last year for his alleged role in the murder conspiracy. Mukerjea's wife Indrani, lodged in the Byculla Ladies Prison, is the prime accused in the 2012 murder of her daughter, Sheena (24) from previous relationship, along with her ex-husband Sanjeev Khanna and driver Shyamvar Rai. Sheena was allegedly strangled in a car in April 2012 in Mumbai and her body was later burnt and dumped in a forest in adjoining Raigad district. In its chargesheet filed against Indrani, Khanna and Rai, the CBI had said that the murder could be a fallout of certain financial transactions involving Sheena. Daniel Burnham dreamed big. His landmark 1909 Plan for Chicago is largely responsible for the nearly uninterrupted lakefront we enjoy today. Burnham was a true planner one who envisions a future which provides a better quality of life for all. As a planner, I am deeply inspired by Burnham and relish my role to help provide non-motorized transportation benefits in my home region of Northwest Indiana. The Northwestern Indiana Regional Planning Commission has provided me this avenue to dream big like Burnham by overseeing a potential off-road trail network, which could eventually span 500 miles. I am collaborating with Kathy Luther, director of NIRPCs Environmental Department, on creating the Greenways+Blueways 2020 Plan, which aspires to combine visions for conservation, recreation and non-motorized transportation into one cohesive document. Part of this planning process will identify new opportunities for regional green corridors. One of these emerging visions involves a concept tentatively called the Calumet Greenbelt. This corridor would extend along the Little Calumet River across both Lake and Porter counties and touch into LaPorte County. At nearly 40 miles in proposed length, the Calumet Greenbelt could serve as a central conservation and recreational artery in Northwest Indiana. Primary benefits of the greenbelt are the plentiful opportunities to protect sensitive lands, improve water quality and enhance natural and native habitats. Wide swaths of open lands exist through the heart of our urbanized area just waiting to be discovered and enjoyed. As with all well-planned greenway corridors, there must exist amenities to help link people to nature. The Calumet Greenbelt will be traversed by two major trail facilities the Little Calumet Levee Trail and the Marquette Greenway. The Levee Trail has existed since the creation of the levee system in the 1980s. It runs, with gaps, from Munster east to Gary. The facility is nearly all limestone surface and in need of rehabilitation. In 2016, the Little Calumet River Basin Development Commission, which maintains the levee, will be repaving eight miles of the Levee Trail, with the balance planned for the next two years. Within five years, its highly probable one will be able to walk or bicycle from Munster to Three Rivers County Park in Lake Station uninterrupted. Heading east, the Levee Trail eventually will meet up with the Marquette Greenway, the planned three-state trail near Lake Michigan, and extend into the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore in Porter. Apart from land connections are tremendous water trail opportunities afforded along the Little Calumet River. Canoe launches are available along the river in Lake County, and additional opportunities are being explored along the east branch in Porter with help from the Northwest Indiana Paddling Association (www.nwipa.org). For more information about NIRPCs Greenways+Blueway 2020 Plan and other projects in general, please visit www.greenwaysblueways.com. NEW YORK -- President Barack Obama is looking to turn the famed Stonewall Inn into the first national monument dedicated to gay rights. The Greenwich Village bar has been considered the birthplace of the modern gay rights movement ever since customers fought back against a police raid in 1969. It was officially designated a city landmark last year. The proposals being considered by the Obama administration would also cover Christopher Park, which sits across the street from the Stonewall. A public meeting about the plan is set for next Monday in Manhattan. The rent guidelines board voted on a proposal that could once again freeze rents on many rent regulated apartments. But that was not enough for tenants who said their rent is way too high. Our Manhattan reporter Michael Scotto has the story. There were tense moments at the Rent Guidelines Board meeting Tuesday night, where members voted 5-4 to preliminarily freeze or raise rents on the city's one million rent stabilized apartments later this year. For one-year leases, the board recommended rents stay flat or increase by no more than 2%. For two-year leases, members suggested rents increase by .5% to 3.5% Tenants looking for a rent rollback were furious. "We wait 18 years to move the kids out and now we have to move the whole family back in the house to help with the rent," said Tyrone Whitaker. "We don't need no rent hike." "People in one bedroom apartments have to live with roommates," said Raphael Schweizer. "People in two-bedroom apartments have to have two roommates." Tenant advocates rallied before the meeting to push for rents to be scaled back a proposal that was later rejected. Last year, the board voted for the first time ever to freeze rents. However, tenants said they needed more help to offset rising costs for everything else. "There are too many people who have to choose between groceries and rents or groceries and prescription pills and drugs and rent," said Fred Newton. Tenants argued landlords saw their expenses drop this year, thanks to a decline in oil and gas prices. But landlords argued that mandates and taxes have made actually made running a building more expensive. "This troublesome tax growth is an inequitable that punishes rental buildings and favors single family home owners throughout the city," said Scott Walsh, a member of the Rent Guidelines Board. This was just the preliminary vote. Over the next several weeks, there will be five public hearings where tenants and landlords can comment on the proposal. On June 27 the board will hold its final vote. IT is a nippy November Tuesday and your 16-year-old has her day all planned out. After school, shell have a rehearsal of her high school musical, High School Musical. Shell instant-message her friends about that ridiculous question on the trig test, and shell drive to the mall for a burger with her boyfriend. Then shell head to the polls, where shell cast a vote on a bond issue for a new prison, a referendum on property taxes, and the races for governor, senator and president of the United States. If that sounds farfetched, its because in this country, at least, not a lot of people spend time debating the age at which a citizen can begin to vote, let alone whether a baby-faced 16-year-old should. The last time Americans were bothered about the age of enfranchisement was more than 35 years ago, when 18-year-olds were being ordered to the Vietnam battlefield three years before they could go to the ballot box. There was a flurry of countries lowering the voting age to 18 around the time the United States did in 1971, but now a handful of other countries are opening their polls to even younger voters. Last month, Austria became the first country in the European Union to adopt 16 as the voting age for all elections, joining Brazil, Cuba, Nicaragua and the Isle of Man. Germany allows voting at 16 in some local elections. In Slovenia, 16-year-olds with jobs can vote. And the new British prime minister, Gordon Brown, just proposed a youth commission that would advise whether to let 16-year-olds vote, hinting that he is in favor. Mr. Woodcock: We do. The Haggler: O.K. Could you make a clamshell that is about 70 inches long, maybe two and a half feet wide, and sturdy enough to hold a man who weighs about 170 pounds? It should be strong enough to be buried about 6 feet underground. Also, it should be worm-proof. Do you see where were going with this? Mr. Woodcock: A clamshell casket. The Haggler: Exactly. You can see the sales pitch: Tamper-proof your eternal rest. Or, maybe: A safe home forever, from the people who brought you the plastic case for that Radio Shack thingy that you cut yourself trying to open. (Admittedly, that pitch needs work.) Mr. Woodcock did not even pause. Weve actually made plastic appliques that go on top of caskets, for a company in Mexico, he said. He was referring to sheets of plastic that look like burled wood, the sort youve seen in cars that have fake wood grain on the dash board. Im not sure they ever sold any. But I dont think a clamshell casket is a great idea. I could pretty up a regular casket with some appliques, though. Mr. Woodcock explained that Display Pack had no special love for clamshells, and that manufacturers and retailers are their most avid fans. These companies want packages that are easy to transport, display products in a highly visible way and are hard to steal. Not just steal, actually. The point is to create a package that cannot be opened and reclosed surreptitiously. That way, no one can remove anything and put the package back on the racks without it being obvious. Which is to say, it is no coincidence that a clamshell needs to be stabbed repeatedly. An open clamshell is supposed to be a miniature crime scene, with shredded plastic playing the role of blood and guts. We actually had a manufacturer test one of our designs by giving it to a wrestling team, said Kristie Vos, who manages creative services at Display Pack. This was apparently to see if the product was any match for a group of really strong guys. No word on the results. ENVIRONMENTAL groups have apparently made some inroads on clamshell reduction. Wal-Mart Stores, Target and Sears all have programs to phase out clamshells, according to the Center for Health Environment and Justice, as do Amazon and Best Buy. Bob Fitch, a self-taught photojournalist whose images chronicled Americas deep-seated ambivalence over civil rights and illustrated the passion underscoring other protest movements since the 1960s, died on Friday at his home in Watsonville, Calif. He was 76. The cause was complications of Parkinsons disease, said Brian Murtha, his friend and executor. Photojournalism seduced me, Mr. Fitch wrote on his website. It was my way to support the organizing for social justice that was transforming history, our lives and future. Mr. Fitch, a preachers son who became an ordained minister himself, was transformed from a Berkeley, Calif., teenager who rejected religious ritual into an instrument of social justice by sundry catalysts: his familys fundamental Christian ethos, the writing of James Baldwin and the music of Pete Seeger. He photographed the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and other prominent black civil rights figures as the official chronicler of the organization they founded, the Southern Christian Leadership Conference; Dorothy Day of the Catholic Workers Movement; Cesar Chavez of the United Farm Workers (his photo was the prototype for a 2002 postage stamp), and the Jesuit priests Daniel and Philip Berrigan and their followers who opposed the draft and the war in Vietnam. (Daniel Berrigan died on Saturday.) Marc Maron finds his life on the skids as Season 4 of Maron begins. Richard Belzer thats Detective Munch to you shows up on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. And poor Martha! The Americans gets brutal. Whats on TV MARON 9 p.m. on IFC. When we last saw our jagged little pill-popper, Marc Maron (Marc Maron), hed fallen off the wagon and down a few rungs on the ladder of life. Now he has lost it all his friends, his career, even his cats and is living in a storage unit. So he goes to rehab. Judd Hirsch and Sally Kellerman return as his toxic parents. Patton Oswalt, Andy Dick and Adam Goldberg are scheduled for Season 4 guest spots. Painkiller abuse is, no doubt, something Mr. Maron feels strongly about, Neil Genzlinger wrote in The New York Times, and it has the added advantage of shaking up a series that was in danger of becoming played out. MICRO MONSTERS WITH DAVID ATTENBOROUGH 8 p.m. on Smithsonian. Five hundred million years of crazy, cagey bugs, dissected in three parts. The first, Conflict, explores their rivalries and deadly weaponry. I AM PAN! Written and illustrated by Mordicai Gerstein 46 pp. Roaring Brook Press. $18.99. (Picture book; ages 5 to 9) The great author-illustrator Mordicai Gerstein, who won a Caldecott Medal in 2004 for The Man Who Walked Between the Towers, often gravitates to myths, legends and folktales, adding his own frisky touch while mining their timeless human dimensions. His newest book, I Am Pan!, is as exuberant as youd expect, and may even have some deep life lessons buried in it. Certainly, young readers or listeners will finish the book with a better understanding of Greek mythology, which these days seems an indispensable feature of kid culture. But mainly its pure unadulterated fun without for one moment being pandering the kind of book called for when, say, a sluggish mood has descended upon story time, and youre the one in the readers seat. With an energetic style that seems to owe as much to Old Hollywood as to modern graphic novels, Gerstein celebrates the often overlooked god of sheep, shepherds, noise and confusion as an irrepressible character without a shred of self-doubt, who brought a bit of needed levity to a family that took itself very seriously indeed. Gerstein creates a cinematic scope for Pans story before the title page has even appeared, as were introduced to the ancient Greek setting and cast of characters Zeus and Hera along with a handful of the more charismatic gods and goddesses of Olympus. In bursts Pan, who turns out to be our narrator. He seems determined to steal every possible glimmer of spotlight. Furry-legged and cloven-hoofed, hes got curling rams horns on his head but big human hands stretched out as if he wants to hug the entire world. For law firms, a lack of capital, largely because of the cash flow of a typical partnership structure, is a major competitive obstacle, according to a survey of firms and in-house lawyers released Tuesday. As a result, more firms and companies are expected to turn to outside financing to fuel growth, according to the 2016 Litigation Finance Survey by Burford Capital, a litigation lender. In the survey, 81 percent of lawyers said lack of capital inhibited growth. More than nine out of 10 clients, or 94 percent, reported increased pressure on legal budgets, staffing and spending, up from 80 percent in 2014 and 73 percent in 2013. Litigation finance makes money available for upgrades like improving technology or data security, or taking on big cost-intensive cases. According to the survey, which had responses from 60 large law firms, 28 percent of lawyers in private practice have used litigation financing since 2013. Regulators are expected to announce as early as Wednesday that at least 35 million additional airbags made by Takata will need to be fixed, according to a person briefed on the matter. This would more than double what is already the largest automotive recall in American history. The airbags can unexpectedly explode, sending metal parts hurtling into the cabin. At least 11 deaths worldwide have been linked to the defect. The expansion would bring the total of recalled Takata airbags to at least 63 million in the United States possibly affecting nearly one in four of the 250 million vehicles on Americas roads. At issue is Takatas use of a compound called ammonium nitrate, which can become unstable over time or when it is exposed to moisture. Takata has wrestled with the makeup of the compound over the years, eventually adding a drying agent to make it more stable. The new recalls focus on airbags that do not have the drying agent. New Delhi: Former Defence Minister A K Antony on Wednesday acknowledged "corruption" in the AgustaWestland chopper deal but said the then UPA dispensation had done no wrong and asked the government to take strong action against those involved without threatening or blackmailing Congress leaders. He said the previous NDA government headed by Atal Bihari Vajpayee had changed the parameters required for acquiring the helicopters for VVIPs. "Don't try to create doubts, you will not succeed. Don't politicise, you will repent. If you have all evidence, take strong action. But don't threaten and don't blackmail," he said while participating in short duration discussion on the AugustaWestland issue in Rajya Sabha. Making a spirited defence of the actions of the UPA government, he read out an official release of the Ministry of Defence issued by the Press Information Bureau (PIB) on February 14, 2013, listing steps taken by him as Defence Minister after allegations of corruption surfaced. "It is proved beyond doubt there is corruption. There is Italy judgement. All legal hurdles are over, you have to act," he said. Asking the government to conduct the case successfully, Antony said, "You have to first speed up arbitration proceedings. ...Now, corruption is proved and we can get thousands of crores as compensation." He asked the government to take action against the company which gave money and "take action against takers whoever they may be". Antony also made a strong plea for immediate ban on companies concerned. "You immediately ban these companies for 10 years. Do it as quickly as possible." He said that since AugustaWestland has been held as a "corrupt company" by Italian courts, don't involve them in the Make in India projects. "If they are there, remove them. Don't cover up. Don't politicise." Antony claimed that the decision to change the flying altitude from 6,000 metres to 4,500 metres was taken by then PMO and NDA government of Atal Behari Vajpayee in 2003. "The decision to change height was taken by the PMO. It was taken during that time. The major decision was taken by your government in 2003," he said. The former Defence Minister further said the cabin height requirement was also changed to 1.8 feet from 1.4 feet by the PMO in the Vajpayee government. "All decisions were taken by your government. Don't put blame on us," Antony told the government. He said procurement proceeds were done as per norms and it was normal practice to allow field trials abroad. "We adopted policy of zero corruption in defence procurement. During UPA-I onwards, conscious efforts were made to eliminate corruption in defence procurement," he said. Asserting that UPA acted immediately after the first report in media on alleged scam in helicopter deal appeared, Antony said: "The next day, the Director General Acquisition acted. Then onwards, MoD was contacted, even MEA and the UK government -- ultimately all attempts failed. We became a party in the case in Italy." A team comprising officials of MoD, MEA and CBI were present in the every hearing in Italy, he said. "In short, MoD was very prompt in taking action and pursuing the case," Antony said. He further said that after the arrest of the CEO of Finmeccanica in 2013, the case was immediately handed over CBI and put an hold of payments. "I made a statement. After that, we made a commitment for JPC. Normally, JPC is constituted after the demand from the Opposition. ...then LoP said it was useless. We were willing to have JPC, you opposed that opportunity," he said. The MoD joined the case as affected party in Italy. During the hearing, there was a mention about 'family". "What do you mean by family? Family means Tyagi family," he added. Antony also said during UPA rule, six companies were blacklisted in one go for corruption, thus sending a strong message to arms dealers that India will not tolerate corruption. Ive had enough doors slammed in my face to know that many of them wouldnt want anything to do with a reporter. But I figured at least a few would be interested. These were politicians, after all. They had gotten accustomed to seeing their names in the headlines for years before they got in trouble. Some part of them might still crave public attention. It was hard to know what to say. In the end, my letters simply asked if they would tell me about how their lives had changed. I included copies of stories I had done in the past, hoping to show that I was capable of trying to understand, as opposed to merely judging them for their crimes. Four wrote back: Pedro Espada, Jr.; William F. Boyland, Jr.; Efrain Gonzalez, Jr.; and Eric Stevenson. (I also called Shirley L. Huntley, who had been released, and she agreed to let me visit her.) Mr. Gonzalez had a friend from prison call me. One of the first things he told me was that Mr. Gonzalez had been a kind of jailhouse politician, holding court in the law library and answering to the title of senator. That detail stayed in my mind. It became a recurring motif in my story. Mr. Gonzalez was about to be released, so, communicating through his friend on the outside, we arranged to meet after he returned home to the Bronx. Dear Diary: I was at a going-away party for a lawyer friend who is moving to D.C. Naturally, everyone else started discussing whether they would ever leave New York. D.C. is too homogeneous, said one girl. Everyone is either a lawyer or wants to be a lawyer or theyre in politics or want to be in politics. D.C. is the place you go to make your parents proud. Its where parents visit and think, We raised our child so well. Definitely not L.A., said another girl. As soon as you introduce yourself you can see peoples wheels turning. Who do you know? What can you do for me? I hear Austin is cool, I say. None of us have been, but we all agree its cool. The citys P.R. department should get a raise. New York Citys rent-stabilized tenants could see another rent freeze this year for one-year leases after a vote on Tuesday by members of the citys Rent Guidelines Board. The board voted 5 to 4 to consider a 0 percent to 2 percent increase on one-year leases and 0.5 percent to 3.5 percent on two-year leases when it sets its annual rent guidelines this summer for the approximately one million stabilized apartments in the city. The range is the same as last year, which led to the first rent freeze in the boards history for one-year leases and a historically low increase of 2 percent on two-year leases. Last year was the first time all nine members of the board had been appointed by Mayor Bill de Blasio, a Democrat. Were committed to establishing rent adjustments that are fair, grounded in the data, and that reflect real-life conditions in our neighborhoods, Austin Finan, a spokesman for the mayors office, said. HARTFORD A Connecticut woman who traveled to Central America and became pregnant while there has been found to have the Zika virus, the states Department of Public Health said on Tuesday. The department said the woman, whose name, age and hometown have not been released, became ill with a fever and a rash while traveling about a month ago. She was tested for Zika after returning to Connecticut, the department said. The woman returned to Central America and the agency is working with her doctor in Connecticut, the department said. She is the third Connecticut resident to receive a diagnosis of Zika. Connecticut health officials did not specify where the woman traveled in Central America or her reasons for being there. Thomas W. Libous, a once-influential former state senator in New York whose reputation was tarnished by a late-life criminal conviction, died on Tuesday at a hospice center in Endicott, N.Y. He was 63. The cause was prostate cancer, Emmanuel Priest, a spokesman for the family, said. A usually affable veteran of the dysfunctional and often ethically challenged culture of Albany, Mr. Libous a Republican from the states Southern Tier region whose district included Binghamton was ensnared in a scandal of his own in 2014, when he was indicted on charges of lying to federal agents who were investigating the hiring of his son at a politically connected law firm. Mr. Libouss conviction the next year was a precursor to the guilty verdicts of two even more powerful colleagues: Sheldon Silver, a Democrat and former speaker of the Assembly, and Dean G. Skelos, the onetime Senate majority leader and Mr. Libouss sometime Republican rival. Mr. Silver and Mr. Skelos were convicted on federal corruption charges in the months after Mr. Libous was found guilty; on Tuesday, Mr. Silver was sentenced to 12 years in prison. Mr. Libous (pronounced LIB-us) was the second-highest-ranking Republican senator at the time of his conviction, which resulted in his expulsion from the Legislature. Even after the verdict was read last July, he did not seem to blame the jury or the prosecutors for his fate. ST. LOUIS A woman who was charged with abandoning her baby in a New York subway station in 2014 has been found dead here in the Mississippi River. The woman, Frankea Dabbs, 22, was found on April 27. The St. Louis medical examiners office identified Ms. Dabbs through fingerprints, Rose Psara, chief medical investigator, said on Tuesday. A cause of death, not yet determined, may take weeks, Ms. Psara said. The authorities said Ms. Dabbs had no known connection to the city, and police officials and the medical examiners office labeled the death suspicious. Ms. Dabbs had been living in Florida, near Miami, local police said. In 2014, Ms. Dabbs was arrested on charges of child abandonment and acting in a manner injurious to a child. The New York police said she pushed a babys stroller from a train onto a platform at the Columbus Circle station, leaving the 10-month-old girl behind. 9. The future of the Japanese company Takata is in doubt after U.S. regulators said 35 million to 40 million more of its airbags needed to be fixed. That more than doubles the size of what is already the largest automotive recall in U.S. history. U.S. stocks fell after a report said U.S. hiring last month was the slowest in three years. _____ A general election that pits Hillary Clinton against Donald Trump will produce a decisively more affluent and better educated Democratic presidential electorate and a decidedly less affluent and less educated Republican one than in any previous election going back as far as 1976. It is no secret that Trump is the driving force behind this years reconfigured coalition on the right. He has successfully appealed to middle- and lower-income white voters motivated by opposition to liberalized attitudes and social norms on matters of race, immigration and womens rights. Public Opinion Strategies, a Republican polling firm, analyzed a survey conducted in April by NBC and The Wall Street Journal. Respondents were asked to choose between Clinton and Trump, and the results demonstrate that there will be substantial shifts in the income and education levels of Democratic and Republican voters, at least as far as this presidential election is concerned. One of the largest shifts is among college-educated voters, who are expected to defect from the Republican Party by the millions if Trump is the nominee. In 2012, President Obama lost college-educated voters by four points; this year, according to Public Opinion Strategies analysis, Clinton will win them by 29 points. As one of the few remaining doctors in Syria, I have watched the cessation of hostilities that was agreed on in February crumble. Imperfect though it was, it offered Syrian civilians a brief respite from five years of violence. People had begun to recover during the truce, to get their lives back. But we are now seeing a level of destruction that will leave an already battered city in ruins. It is hard to describe what it is like to live in Aleppo, waiting for death. Some people even pray for its swift arrival to take them away from this burning city. The bombardment has reached such ferocity that even the stones are catching fire. This week I helped bury a man whose body was so charred that no one could identify him. Planes overhead vie to be the next to strike. Their targets are not fighters, but civilians mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, sons and daughters whose luck has run out. That is what we live on now, luck. Everyone is terrified and we feel abandoned and alone. Doctors and nurses are trying our best to put on a brave face for our patients. We know that for the community we serve we represent a last hope, the final defenders of life in this city. But we are also among the fallen. We have all lost medical brothers and sisters to barrel bombs and missile strikes, but we keep on working through the night. We have seen neighbors and friends die in front of us. We are exhausted, and there are not many of us left, but we continue our 20-hour shifts. What is most heartbreaking is when we have to choose which patients to save because there arent enough doctors to treat everyone. Our hospitals, though they are the targets of bombs, still overflow with the sick and injured. Republicans will all but certainly nominate Mr. Trump, who would be the most volatile and least prepared presidential candidate nominated by a major party in modern times. A man once ridiculed by many prominent Republicans will become the G.O.P. standard-bearer. This is a moment of reckoning for the Republican Party. Its incumbent on its leadership to account for the failures and betrayals that led to this, and find a better way to address them than the demagogy on offer. Republicans havent yet begun to grapple with this. Instead theyre falling into line. Republican leaders have for years failed to think about much of anything beyond winning the next election. Year after year, the partys candidates promised help for middle-class people who lost their homes, jobs and savings to recession, who lost limbs and well-being to war, and then did next to nothing. That Mr. Trump was able to enthrall voters by promising simply to Make America Great Again but offering only xenophobic, isolationist or fantastical ideas is testimony to how thoroughly they reject the politicians who betrayed them. Now, myopic as ever, Republican leaders are talking themselves into supporting Mr. Trump. At a party retreat in Florida last month, Mr. Trumps adviser Paul Manafort, brought in to make the candidate seem safer to the old guard, assured them that Mr. Trump will better prepare himself for the presidency. That was all most of these guys needed to hear, said an operative in the room. Maybe hes trainable. But within a day, Mr. Trump was back to making vile comments at his rallies. In his confused foreign policy address, he demonstrated nothing but a willful refusal to learn. Some Republicans still seem to hope they can direct voters attention past the Trump candidacy. Last week in Washington, Paul Ryan, the speaker of the House, told a dismayed young Republican at Georgetown University to try not to worry so much about Mr. Trump. I would just ask you to raise your gaze and look at the horizon that were trying to paint, he said, promoting #ConfidentAmerica, his plan to create a plan. Its mission reads like this: We do not like the direction the country is going, and we have an obligation to offer an alternative. Thats why House Republicans are developing a bold, pro-growth agenda to take to the country. By giving the people a clear choice in 2016, we can earn a mandate to do big things in 2017 and beyond. New Delhi: Opposition on Wednesday attacked the government in the Lok Sabha for diluting or doing away with people-oriented programmes and policies like the rights to information, food and work, and reducing allocations on them. They also accused the government of having no road map for bringing in the GST Bill, recovering the mounting bad loans or expanding the tax base by bringing rich farmers under the tax net and said the nation now wanted a full-time Finance Minister and not a multi-tasking one. "I think the time has come that the nation wants a full-time Finance Minister and not a multi-tasking one. You need to take reform measures to boost growth," senior Congress leader Veerappa Moily said while initiating the debate on the Finance Bill 2016. Referring to measures like Right to Information, Right to Food and Right to Work taken by the UPA I and II governments, he said the previous government has not given any bad legacy. "You (NDA government) say you got bad legacy. You are going to sink, if you demolish these people-oriented programmes." TMC members attacked the government on issues ranging from the jewellers strike and EPF and pension issues and said it had lost an opportunity to expand the tax base by including rich farmers, while BJD said the government was not taking steps to curtail illicit money. Criticising the budget proposals, Moily said that none of the measures including the GST were implemented by this government. "No road map has been prepared for the GST and you are not serious about it. You are not going to achieve anything," he said. "On the resources side, on reform side, it is a failed budget. 'Make in India' is the biggest casualty in this Budget. Where is the result, where is the delivery," he asked. Maintaining that the situation of banks was getting worse, he said the non-performing assets (NPAs) or bad loans were increasing and banks were not in a position to lend. "Have you taken any measure to ring fence from the danger," he said, adding the government is not giving right facts to the people of this country. "You have no audacity to recover (the money). You are only sleeping. You have totally demoralised it," Moily said. "You say that within five years, farmers income will double. Agriculture sector is growing at about 1 per cent. Is it possible at all? Specific road map should come on how you are going to achieve this," the Congress leader said. On black money, Moily said that the disclosures and gross tax collection were lower than during the previous government and "you say it is a bad legacy. You said you will deposit Rs 15 lakh in bank accounts. This is not going to happen...it was only 'jumla' (empty statement)," he said. Speaking on corruption, the Congress leader said the UPA government passed the Lokpal bill and now it is in limbo. The Congress leader also demanded details on the Panama papers that have come, saying that the government must present the details on this issue as well as on black money. Moily also accused the government of misleading the House that it has given highest allocation to the MGNREGA and said the erstwhile UPA government has extended the highest amount for this major people-oriented programme. "21 states are still waiting for money. It is a demand-driven programme. You are trying to scuttle this programme. Do not do that," the former minister warned. In programmes like Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana and Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana (PMKSJ), no progress has been made by the government. "You are only tweaking the old schemes. PMKSJ is just a name change of the previous government's programme," he said. On the oil and gas sector, the former oil minister said that the crude oil prices have gone down but consumers have not been benefited. In the Tapi pipeline and the three strategic reserves, there has been no progress till date. "We built that Orissa refinery. 95 per cent work was over and due to some damage, we delayed the inauguration. The Prime Minister now says it is the achievement of NDA and you say it is a bad inheritance. We are not hungry and thirsty for cheap publicity," Moily added. The maximum power capacity was created by the previous government and "you are not able to encash on that capacity". Saugata Roy (TMC) raised the issue of jewellers strike and said that the government cannot run the economy with rigidity. On the other hand, it relaxed terms when there was a protest over the EPF norms, he said. Noting the low percentage of direct tax compared to indirect tax, he said the government with such a huge mandate has lost an opportunity to reform the tax regime. While there are only four crore tax payers, rich farmers are not being brought under the tax net to widen the tax base, he said. Roy said he also agreed with the 'fair and lovely' comment by Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi on the way the government was working. B Mahtab of BJD also raised the issue of larger portion of indirect taxes in revenue generation from direct taxes as such a move is regressive. He said that while the government is focusing on bringing back black money, it should also work on curbing illicit money. Mahtab said that levy of cess is not desirable and money garnered through taxes should be utilised to build road and other activities. "I urge the government to shun levy of cess at the drop of a hat and instead taxes be levied rationally." The BJD member demanded that big farmers and companies who are earning in crores should be brought under tax net and not given exemption on income from agriculture. Defending the government, Nishikant Dubey (BJP) said that the senior Congress leader spoke on Budget but not on the Finance Bill. "Yes we have got bad legacy. We got legacy like 2G, Coalgate, CWG and corruption is the legacy we got," Dubey said wondering why the Congress is thinking that the present Finance Minister is only for part time. On the jewellers' strike, he said that the Finance Minister has clearly stated that no excise inspector would harass them and self certification will be there. Dubey said that only public sector banks were allowed to import gold, but during the last days of the UPA, from May 16 to May 26, it gave licenses to 6-7 exporters to import gold. This, he said, led to smuggling and generation of black money. Arvind Sawant from Shiv Sena said that the employees of PSU banks suffered because of mergers and amalgamation, much like the staff of Kingfisher Airlines who were also suffering. He demanded that license fee for 4G operations by BSNL should be lowered and money should come from exchequer to enable the state-owned company to operate at par with private operators. Sawant said that the government was asking people not to withdraw money from provident fixed deposits, at a time when fixed deposits give better returns. To this, Minister of State for Finance Jayant Sinha intervened saying that the provident fund investments were exempt from paying tax at the time of investment, on interest earned and also on the maturity amount, whereas fixed deposit is subject to TDS at the time of maturity. Investing in Provident Fund is "more advantageous" than investing in fixed deposits, Sinha said. Jaydev Galla of TDP said that the Centre was not keeping its assurance of granting special category state status to Andhra Pradesh. "The Centre should bailout Andhra Pradesh". Secretary of State John Kerry and Staffan de Mistura, a United Nations envoy, are trying again to revive the cease-fire in Syria that has collapsed in significant parts of the country, including Aleppo. The goal is urgent, but the diplomacy will not have a chance if Russia will not, or cannot, persuade its ally Bashar al-Assad, Syrias president, to stop using his air force to bomb opposition targets. Few expected the cease-fire, which was brokered two months ago by the United States and Russia, to last as long as it did. It gave many civilians a respite from a civil war that has reportedly killed up to 470,000 people over five years, driven millions from their homes, overwhelmed Europe with refugees and allowed the Islamic State and other terrorists to gain control of swaths of the country. But in recent weeks the fighting has resumed, particularly in Aleppo, where more than 200 people have died in the last week, most in areas held by anti-Assad rebels. On Tuesday, rebel fighters began an assault on the northern part of the divided city, including an attack on a maternity hospital, according to state media and video from the scene. But most of the renewed fighting comes from government forces, which have airplanes and helicopters to drop barrel bombs and recently struck a hospital and three clinics in Aleppo. This is how Albany gets its reputation back: one imprisoned politician at a time. Sheldon Silver, former Assembly speaker, was sentenced on Tuesday to 12 years in prison and a $1.75 million fine. He is being given plenty of time to ponder the disgrace he has brought upon state government, and the injustice he did to the people he professed to serve. Seeing Mr. Silver, age 72, sent away is a milestone in the endlessly stalled campaign to reform Albanys facsimile of representative government. Few criminals have been more powerful for as long as the former assemblyman from the Lower East Side. In the long, crooked parade of New York politicians who have traded pinstripes for jumpsuits, Mr. Silver would be the grand marshal though he may soon be sharing that distinction with the former Senate Republican leader Dean Skelos, whose sentencing on a raft of corruption charges is May 12. Mr. Silvers sentence is not the record for an Albany felon another assemblyman, William Boyland Jr., got 14 years last year. Nor does it approach the roughly 22 to 27 years suggested by federal sentencing guidelines. But a dozen years seems right. Had the judge accepted Mr. Silvers shameless request of community service, she would have sent a noxious message: Lie and steal long enough, and live long enough, and you will essentially get away with your crimes. Mr. Silver, in court on Tuesday, again play-acted at contrition. He said was sorry for letting people down. Julia Leach, who grew up in Minnesota by way of France, has been taking regular trips to Mexico since she was 5. Her travels have brought her all around the country from Zihuatanejo to Punta Mita, Tulum to Mexico City. So for the latest collection of her six-year-old line of travel-inspired items, Chance, she looked to the country as a source of inspiration: For me, its less about the artisanal visual and cultural references that we know, and more about the sea and the jungle and the natural beauty, she said. The range of items, available online beginning today, include basket bags she produced in collaboration with the Los Angeles-based designer Eliza Gran, her signature striped shirts now rendered in tie-dye and enormous straw hats, brimmed with feathers. The comedian Louis C.K. has a bit about all the work that goes into being a modern consumer. Its like a job, he says, mocking the research we do before making even the most inconsequential purchases. You have to make sure you get the best one. As the joke progresses, C.K. imitates a person reading online reviews of Blu-ray players. I dont know, he says, his voice ascending with faux anxiety, his hand stroking his chin. I dont know which one to get. I dont know! I gotta get the best one. Then he interrupts the character hes been playing: Why? Who are you, the King of Siam, that you should get the best one ever? It may be good to be king, but it sure is a lot of work. In the digital age, everyones a critic of the everyday, turning the promise of our best life into a research binge and fetishizing the small differences that separate essentially similar experiences. Nowhere is the pursuit of bestness as urgent as when it comes to travel. The threat is not just that you might waste money, but precious, priceless time. If you eat crappy pizza tonight, you can eat better pizza tomorrow. But whens the next time youll make it to Jakarta? Travel already involves planning purchasing tickets, making reservations and endless choices, big and small. Once you start researching, it can be hard to stop. Its like were all grad students and its always exam season. Whats the best beach getaway? The best tapas in Madrid? He is a gentle fool and he looks it, standing in the center of the room in his knickers and white tights, shiny silver slippers on his feet and a guileless expression in his big blue eyes. This is Prince Myshkin, the title character in Idiot, and as audience members file into the theater at Here he welcomes them to the party. The actor Daniel Kublick has a sweet otherness about him, and a sort of genius for seeming a little dim. Casting him as the prince is one of the smartest things about this sleekly designed immersive show. Conceived and adapted from Dostoyevskys novel The Idiot by Robert Lyons and Kristin Marting, who have collaborated twice before on Dostoyevsky adaptations, it is directed and choreographed by Ms. Marting, Heres artistic director. This version, whose 60-page script runs a mere 75 minutes, pares Dostoyevskys bulky classic down to four characters, including Aglaya (Lauren Cipoletti), who has designs on the prince despite his elfin-eunuch vibe; the coldhearted Nastasya (Purva Bedi), whom the prince persists in loving; and the wild Rogozhin (Merlin Whitehawk), who wants Nastasya, too. With karaoke singing, abundant video (by Ray Sun Ruey-Horng) and energetic dance, they inhabit an event-space environment (by Nick Benacerraf). When the soundtrack goes electro-pop, the soft-hued lighting (by Jeanette Oi-Suk Yew) and music (by Larry Heinemann) converge to feel, fleetingly, less like Russia than Virgin America. Still, its an inviting milieu. WEST California: Water Savings Rose in March Residents of drought-stricken California doubled their water conservation efforts in March compared with the month before, officials said Tuesday. Cities and businesses used 24.3 percent less water than at the same time in 2013. It was twice the saving from the dry month of February, when the savings hit a record low, 12 percent, water regulators announced. March was a cooler and wetter month, and officials also credited Californians with changing their habits, especially when it comes to watering their landscaping, which consumes half of a homes water use. March was the first month under relaxed conservation requirements since mandatory cutbacks began in June 2015. Californians are expected to use at least 20 percent less water; previously, the order was to conserve by 25 percent. (AP) MIDWEST Michigan: Plan for Detroit School Shake-Up Advances Michigan lawmakers on Tuesday advanced a $500 million plan to restructure Detroit public schools by creating a new district. The vote was taken as teachers, fearing they would go unpaid if the district runs out of money, closed the district for a second consecutive day by calling out sick. Teachers, youre going to get paid, said State Representative Al Pscholka, a Republican and the chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, before the panel approved the plan over objections that it would not be enough money and hurt the teachers union. Labor agreements would not transfer to the new district, and collective bargaining would be restricted. The proposal, which passed mostly along party lines, would retire the districts debt by 2023 and start up a new district in July. The Republican-led House could vote on the plan this week. (AP) Illinois: Museum May Give Up on Chicago The leaders of a proposed museum of narrative art say they are looking at locations outside Chicago after a battle over whether the museum may be constructed along the citys lakefront. Mellody Hobson, a financial executive, said Tuesday that she and her husband, the filmmaker George Lucas, were looking elsewhere after a legal fight with local activists who have opposed sites along Lake Michigan. From the beginning, this process has been co-opted and hijacked by a small special interest group, Ms. Hobson said. MONICA DAVEY NEW ENGLAND Maine: Lawsuit Against Governor Is Dismissed A federal judge on Tuesday dismissed a lawsuit accusing Maines governor, Paul R. LePage, of using blackmail to force a charter school operator to rescind a job offer to a political opponent in a flap that led to an impeachment effort. Judge George Z. Singal of United States District Court in Portland agreed with the governors lawyers, who said Mr. LePage, a Republican, was entitled to immunity. The speaker of the State House, Mark Eves, a Democrat, accused the governor of overstepping his authority when he used state funding as a threat to force the charter school operator Good Will-Hinckley to rescind a job offer. (AP) White House officials said no decision had been made. President Obama has the power to create national monuments, as he has done repeatedly during his two terms. The push to create a national park or monument near the Stonewall Inn is intended to recognize the protests that erupted at the Manhattan bar after the police raided it in summer 1969. Those spontaneous protests by primarily gay men who frequented the bar are viewed by many as the beginning of the modern gay rights movement (though historians have noted the movement began before Stonewall). The bar has been granted landmark status by the city, even as it continues to serve as a watering hole that caters not only to the areas gay residents, but also to tourists from around the world, gay or straight. Stonewall deserves to be remembered, said Brian Sullivan, a former bartender at the tavern who returns almost daily. When I started coming here, gay people were disowned by their families, so this is the place where we formed a new gay family of our own. Mr. Sullivan, 57, leaned against the bars red-brick edifice as he recalled some of the history he had witnessed there, from harrowing police raids to resolute speeches by the drag queen Marsha P. Johnson. RIO DE JANEIRO Brazils vice president, Michel Temer, who is preparing to take control of the countrys embattled government as early as next week, will not face an investigation over testimony implicating him in the colossal graft scandal engulfing Petrobras, the national oil company, federal investigators said Tuesday. Rodrigo Janot, the prosecutor general, determined that the accusations against Mr. Temer were not substantial enough at this point to merit an inquiry, according to a spokeswoman for Mr. Janots office in the capital, Brasilia. Mr. Temer, 75, has been maneuvering to replace President Dilma Rousseff if the Senate votes next week to suspend her and put her on trial. The decision bolsters Mr. Temers standing at a critical juncture when powerful figures across Brazils political class are battling accusations of corruption and abuse of power, including various top allies that Mr. Temer is considering for cabinet posts as well as officials in Ms. Rousseffs leftist Workers Party. Mr. Temer came under scrutiny this year when Delcidio do Amaral, a senator whose testimony as part of a plea bargain has jolted Brazils political elite, told investigators that Mr. Temer had played a key role in obtaining posts at Petrobras for two executives who have since been sentenced to prison on charges including fraud and bribery. OTTAWA The entire community of Fort McMurray, the heart of Albertas oil sands region, was ordered to evacuate on Tuesday night as a fast-spreading wildfire advanced on the city and cut off its only highway link to the south. The fire destroyed a number of homes in one neighborhood and some trailers in a trailer park, said Robin Smith, a spokesman for the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo, which includes Fort McMurray. According to television news reports, commercial buildings downtown were also ablaze. There were no reports of injuries by early evening. A video showed flames and smoke rising hundreds of feet into the sky, prompting the largest fire evacuation in Albertas history, The Edmonton Journal reported. The fire was expected to get worse on Wednesday, when winds were forecast to switch direction and increase in speed. KANDAHAR, Afghanistan It is spring that determines how a year turns out, according to an Afghan proverb. And if the Helmand poppy fields this spring are any indication, the Taliban will have a very good year. As the opium harvest winds down across Helmand Province, Afghanistans largest in territory and poppy cultivation, farmers and officials are reporting high yields. The skies were generous with heavy rainfall, and the Afghan government with its cancellation of annual eradication campaigns. It had lost much of the territory in Helmand to the Taliban anyway. So it was with peace of mind that farmers, and thousands of seasonal laborers who had traveled to Helmand, scraped the gum from the opium bulbs. Taliban fighters were just around the corner to lend a hand and to receive their share of wages and taxes, in cash or kind. The crowded fields amounted to an insurgent recruiters dream. We are happy that we had a good harvest this year compared with previous years, said Abdul Rahim Mutmain, a farmer in Musa Qala district. Mr. Mutmain said his modest plot saw a four-fold increase in yield compared with 2015, which was plagued by crop failures and concerted government eradication. New Delhi: Targeting the previous UPA regime over the controversial AgustaWestland deal, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar on Wednesday said the ongoing probe will focus on those named in the Italian Court judgement even as he suggested the role of an "invisible hand" in preventing a proper investigation earlier. He, along with Parliamentary Affairs Venkaiah Naidu, rejected the opposition demand for Supreme Court-monitored probe, protesting which Congress staged a walkout. Read: Agusta deal: Take action if you have evidence, don't threaten us, Cong tells govt Replying to a debate in Rajya Sabha on the controversy surrounding the Rs 3600 crore deal for 12 VVIP helicopters, Parrikar said there was "relentless push" by the UPA to go in for the AgustaWestland choppers. Narrating amid repeated disruptions the sequence of events related to the deal, he said CBI had registered a case on March 12, 2013 but it did not bother to forward a copy of the FIR to ED for nine months. Read: Does Agusta report say Cong leaders took bribe? Ahmed Patel asks BJP Later, ED did not act on the FIR till July 2014, he said. "It appears an invisible hand was guiding action or inaction of CBI and ED," the Minister said. Noting that a probe was already underway, he said, the "inquiry will focus on roles of those named in the judgement of Italian court. Government will leave no stone unturned in bringing to justice those involved in the scam." Read: India wants to know who benefited from Agusta deal: Manohar Parrikar He said CBI has already done a lot of investigation and is currently on the money trail to track down where the bribe money went. "Pursuant to the judgement of the Milan appellate court, the Defence Ministry has written to both ED and CBI to take into account contents of the judgement and conclude the investigations expeditiously," Parrikar said. He added that the Defence Ministry is initiating the process of blacklisting the companies concerned and for legal proceedings for recovery of damages. Read: Agusta deal: CBI can question 'driving force' behind deal, says Subramanian Swamy Beginning his speech by promising to not take names so that there is no disturbance, the Defence Minister mentioned an anecdote of Birbal related to a "theft" to suggest that the Congress was unnerved, fearing the truth would implicate it. "The country wants to know who instigated, supported and benefited from the corruption. We cannot let this pass," Parrikar said. He added that the fact that there was corruption in matter is brought out in extensive details in recent judgments of Milan court. "A litany of omissions and commissions at various stages of the decision making process indicate malafide and corrupt actions, driven by a goal to favour a particular vendor," the Defence Minister said. Read: Agusta deal: Congress says govt trying to vilify its leaders on mere insinuation Hitting out at the UPA government, he said the field trials of the chopper were conducted in Italy even though it was necessary for it to be held in Indian conditions. Parrikar said the helicopter offered by AgustaWestland was still in "development stage" and hence the trials were conducted on a different helicopter. He took a dig at former Defence Minister A K Antony who had said he had written down his objections of trials, saying he is aware as it was Antony's "habit" to do so. Parrikar said even though the reports of wrongdoings and unethical conduct by Finmeccanica, the parent company of AgustaWestland had surfaced in 2012, followed by arrest of its CEO, the action of putting on hold all procurement cases with the accused group of companies in pipeline was approved by Antony only on May 12, 2014 towards the fag end of the its government. "It was the present government which finally issued the order on July 3, 2014," he said. Parrikar also quoted from a file about IAF's noting about chopper flights in Gulmarg and Srinagar, which he said was "luckily saved from devastating fire" on June 3, 2014. "It was kept in an officer's drawer rather than in open," the Defence Minister said. Parrikar alleged that instead of taking action against the company, the UPA wrote to the external affairs, embassy and the court. "It took nearly two years to cancel the contract and too primarily as a response to an arbitration request by the supplier. In fact the delivery of the first three aircraft could have been avoided," he said. The Minister also alleged that choppers were bought at inflated prices and no realistic basis for price negotiations was provided. Mincing no words, Parrikar alleged that IDS Infotech, one of the companies selected for offsets, was used as a conduit for bribe money. There must be robust rationale for deviation from policy," Parrikar said. "The benchmark cost given was unreasonably high and had provided no realistic basis for price negotiations," he added. He said that at various stages from March 2005, despite specific directions to the contrary, requirements were changed and processes influenced to make AgustWestland the "only alternative". Parrikar said "unusually large number of deviations approved, counter-party to supply agreements and exceptional dilution of FET standards". He added that there was suspected benchmarking of procurement costs which may have led to acceptance of materially overpriced supply agreements. As Parrikar was reading out his reply from a prepared text, Congress members raised objections but Kurien ruled that a Minister has all the right to read from a prepared speech. Congress Deputy Leader in the House Anand Sharma, quoting Rule 167-177, said, "When a discussion is raised, the minister should respond to members. He is not responding to us. He is reading Akbar-Birbal story. This is just mockery of rules. What is he doing?" Sharad Yadav (JD-U) said, "I have no objection to the written statement. I have problem with the lengthy statement." He said the reply should be short as the whole country is listening to his reply. "If he wants to keep it lengthy, let him lay it on the table." To this, Parrikar said that the reply will be lengthy if he had to respond to all points raised by the Opposition during four-hour debate. As noisy scenes continued, Kurien said, "I cannot ask minister how to reply. The Minister can always prepare the speech and read it. If the minister wants to reply to each point, he can do." Leader of Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad also said, "The Minister can read out. This is four and half hour discussion. All members have put their view points. Now, the minister is reading. It is insult. If he has to read it out, he should have circulated it." To this, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Venkaiah Naidu said, "This is a short duration discussion. It is normally for two and half hours. Since everyone wanted to speak, the time was extended. If the minister wants to share all information, he can speak for an hour. Truth is unfathomable. Ex-minister speaks for one hour, Parrikar has spoken only for 25 minutes." As the Defence Minister gave details of the deal, Sharma again rose saying, "You are misleading the House". Even Azad said, "Minister is stating wrong". To this, the Chair said, "If minister is misleading, you can invoke the rule." After the minister's reply, Azad said his party leaders are facing allegations. "May be BJP must be indulging in propaganda. It is a matter of safety of our country. My hopes were belied. The Minister made the worst kind of speech. Entire speech was rebuttal. It was full of allegations without facts and denegrade the House. This is insult to the House," he said. Tapan Sen of CPI(M) said the CBI probe, which is going on, should be monitored by the Supreme Court. Azad also then said the probe should be Supreme Court-monitored. To this, Parrikar said the CBI has already made a lot of progress in the probe. Naidu, also while rejecting the demand, said that when the probe by CBI was without any monitoring by the Supreme Court during the UPA rule, how could Congress ask for it now. Unhappy with this, the Congress members then staged a walkout. CAIRO Egypts Interior Ministry, already under fire over accusations of police brutality and other abuses, heaped new woes onto itself on Tuesday when its press office published, apparently by accident, confidential guidelines that aim to counter a growing tide of news media criticism. Memos sent to journalists from the ministrys official email account contained suggestions about how to counter a vicious news media campaign that were triggered by the arrest of two reporters at the journalists union headquarters in downtown Cairo late Sunday. One document proposed a rule to stop all coverage related to Giulio Regeni, the Italian graduate student whose brutalized body was found on a Cairo roadside in February. The accidental leaks provide a rare glimpse into the mind-set and internal working of the notoriously opaque Egyptian government at a time when President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi is under intense scrutiny at home and abroad. The Regeni killing has plunged relations with Italy into crisis, while the police arrested dozens of people on April 25 during a rare public protest over the transfer of two Egyptian islands to Saudi Arabia. Mr. Sisi hopes to counter the countrys continuing economic crisis, which has seen a sharp decline in the value of the Egyptian currency, with large cash infusions from allied countries in the Persian Gulf like the United Arab Emirates. Yet hardly a week goes by when his once-unchallenged popularity is not tested by a new crisis. Boston Ballet announced on Wednesday that it has entered into a five-year partnership with the choreographer William Forsythe, with an agreement to add one work each year, as well as performing the four ballets already in the company repertory. The first acquisition is Mr. Forsythes full-length Artifact, which will be performed Feb. 23 through March 5 next year at the Boston Opera House. Mr. Forsythe, who no longer runs his own company, is currently the associate choreographer at the Paris Opera Ballet, but will leave that position when Benjamin Millepied, the current director of dance there, steps down in July. Mr. Forsythe also holds the position of professor of dance at the University of Southern California Glorya Kaufman School of Dance. Mikko Nissinen, the artistic director of the Boston Ballet, said that the announcement of the partnership with Mr. Forsythe was unrelated to the choreographers departure from Paris. We have been working on this for a couple of years, he said in a telephone interview from Boston, adding that his own experience of dancing in Mr. Forsythes work had changed him as a dancer. I think Bill Forsythe is an important modern artist and a profound American voice, he added. For me, this is a dream come true. Mr. Nissinen said that he and Mr. Forsythe were still discussing which works would enter the repertory after Artifact, but that he hoped to acquire pieces that were less well-known to North American audiences. For the second year in a row, Polina Semionova, a principal dancer at American Ballet Theater, is withdrawing from its spring season at the Metropolitan Opera House, the company announced this week. It said she would be taking a medical leave, but did not elaborate. Ballet Theater said that Ms. Semionova would be replaced by Hee Seo in Frederick Ashtons Sylvia, on Tuesday and May 14; by Devon Teuscher in Alexei Ratmanskys Symphony #9, on May 17 and May 21; by Gillian Murphy in Swan Lake, on June 13, and by Isabella Boylston in Swan Lake on June 18; and by Ms. Seo in Romeo and Juliet, on June 24. Born in Moscow, Ms. Semionova studied at the Bolshoi Ballet Academy, joined the Berlin State Opera ballet as a principal at 17, made her debut with Ballet Theater in 2011, and joined the company the following year as a principal dancer. She missed the Met season last year after being sidelined by an injury. Uncharted territory is never a bad thing to encounter in a dance program. On Tuesday, Sao Paulo Dance Company, a polished troupe making its United States debut, arrived at the Joyce Theater with New York premieres by three Brazilian choreographers. As minor as the works turned out to be, at least they were new. The evening was capped by the frequently seen Gnawa, by the Spanish choreographer Nacho Duato. Like many of his creations, it amounts to a generic mix of mechanical, limb-jutting movements and passion that seethes just beneath the surface. The Brazilian troupe, led by the artistic director Ines Bogea, a writer, filmmaker and former member of the popular company Grupo Corpo, was formed in 2008. In Gen (2014), the choreographer Cassi Abranches another former member of Grupo Corpo explores the problem that many dancers-turned-choreographers face: finding their own artistic voices. Alas, she makes little progress in this piece, which is set to music by the Brazilian artists Marcelo Jeneci and Ze Nigro and features an amalgamation of dance phrases with little connective tissue beyond repetitive walking patterns, in which dancers with rubbery torsos move in profile. They pause every few counts to swirl their hips. Through the crackle of an old phonograph recording, the tenors voice sounds musky and slightly metallic, but the German words ring out sharp and clear. The sopranos tone is warm, opulent and heady. I am listening to the love duet from Act II of Wagners Tristan and Isolde in a 1943 recording, with Max Lorenz and Paula Buchner as the doomed lovers. Someone put up a clip of it on YouTube, where it has drawn more than 16,000 clicks and many comments from opera buffs debating the relative merits of wartime Wagnerians. Links beckon to other Tristan excerpts, to a documentary about Lorenz, to a clip of Prince playing Summertime. The page is a portal inviting the viewer to roam freely through time and space. For me, it is a portal into my familys history, to a cold April Sunday in 1944 in the Buchenwald concentration camp. My grandfather, Hermann da Fonseca-Wollheim, a doctor and at the time a political prisoner, had recently been transferred there from a Gestapo prison in Hamburg, where he was interrogated about what authorities suspected were subversive views. Six weeks later he was dead of acute dysentery, one of more than 50,000 who perished there and one of the millions of victims commemorated on Yom Hashoah, Holocaust Remembrance Day, on Thursday. My grandfather wrote a letter that day to his wife, Kathe, in which he tried to reassure her that he was in good health, enjoying the fresh air a reference, most likely to his work in the camps quarries and the splendid views of the Harz Mountains. Some 499 agricultural technology companies attracted $4.6 billion in investments last year, nearly double the $2.36 billion in 2014 and way up from about $500 million in 2012, according to AgFunder, an organization that helps connect investors with agricultural companies. Companies based in the United States raised just over half that total, or $2.4 billion. About $1.65 billion of the 2015 global total was for food e-commerce companies, which some might not consider agriculture. But there was still a big increase in other sectors as well. Monsanto, for instance, now has its own venture capital operation. Agricultural biotechnology once meant mainly genetically modified crops. Because of regulations and consumer opposition, these often required many years and tens of millions of dollars to bring to market. So genetic engineering was dominated by big companies working on major crops like corn and soybeans. But now there are new, less expensive techniques for providing crops with new traits, such as the Crispr gene editing approach, which might not even be regulated. This could open the market for smaller companies working on less widely grown crops. There is also a lot of development of so-called biological products such as living microbes that can kill pests, or ways to improve the health of the plant microbiome, the community of microbes that live in, on or around a plant. LONDON Barclays said on Wednesday that it planned to sell a 12.2 percent stake in the Barclays Africa Group as it moves to reduce its holdings in the business in an accelerated strategy shift led by its new chief executive. The British bank announced plans in March to sell down its 62.3 percent stake in the African business over the next two to three years, and James E. Staley, its chief executive, said the action announced Wednesday was an important first step. Barclays, which has operated in the region for more than a century, wants to reduce its holdings in the African business to below a controlling level or sell the stake entirely. The goal is to free Barclays from regulatory and capital requirements that have dragged on its balance sheet. We continue to explore opportunities to reduce our shareholding, including capital market and strategic options, said Mr. Staley, who is known as Jes, in a news release. William H. Gross, as prominent a stamp collector as he is a bond investor, has just sold a sizable chunk of his stamp collection netting $4.5 million. Mr. Gross, who says he has spent more than $100 million on his collection since the early 1990s, will donate $2 million each to the Pimco Foundation, the philanthropic arm of his former employer, and The New York Times Neediest Cases Fund. The rest will go to smaller charities. Mr. Gross is in the middle of a bitter legal dispute with his former firm over the circumstances of his abrupt departure in late 2014. But he has vowed to keep supporting the Pimco Foundation, which he was instrumental in setting up and supporting. The Pimco Foundation appreciates the donation from Sue and Bill Gross, Sarah Middleton, executive director of the Pimco Foundation, said in a statement. These donations serve to improve local and global communities and help empower others to better their lives. LONDON Shares of the London Stock Exchange fell sharply on Wednesday after the operator of the New York Stock Exchange said that it had decided against making a counterbid for the London exchange. The Intercontinental Exchange, the owner of the New York Exchange, had been seen as a potential rival to a planned merger between the London Stock Exchange and Deutsche Borse, which confirmed that they were in discussions in February and agreed to merge in an all-stock deal in March. Jeffrey Sprecher, the chief executive of Intercontinental Exchange, known as ICE, told analysts in a conference call on Wednesday that the company had spent the last two months evaluating the data for a potential merger with the London exchange. We thought that the combination may have a compelling rationale, Mr. Sprecher said, as it would bring together the premier trans-Atlantic capital-raising venues. Marcus Lemonis is well known for writing checks to fund small businesses as the star of CNBCs The Profit. His company may soon receive a large cash infusion of its own. Camping World, where Mr. Lemonis is chairman and chief executive, is readying an initial public offering, people briefed on the discussions said. The company, which sells recreational vehicles and other products for camping, is aiming to generate $350 million in proceeds, said these people, who spoke on the condition of anonymity. Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan Chase are helping to manage the I.P.O., which is expected this year, pending market receptivity, these people said. Mr. Lemonis took an unusual path to the R.V. industry. He was born in Beirut, Lebanon, in the 1970s and lived in an orphanage until an American family adopted him at 9 months old. His adoptive parents owned a Chevrolet dealership in Florida, which spurred his interest in cars and entrepreneurship. He started Camping World R.V. Supercenters after acquiring more than 100 R.V. companies. New Delhi: Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar on Wednesday told the Rajya Sabha that he only wanted to give chronology of the events with regard to corruption in the Rs. 3,600-crore sale of 12 VVIP choppers to India. "This matter is not of today, this pertains to year 2002. I just wanted to inform the House, the chronological order of events, without any comments on them, so that the House is aware of when it took place and what happened," Parrikar said in the Upper House. "Whether they want or don't want, it is for them (Congress)," he added amid uproar in the upper house. Continuing the attack, BJP asked why the UPA-led government did not initiate a probe into all those who all took bribes in the scam. Why did the Congress government create a single-vendor situation?" BJP leader Bhupendra Yadav asked in Rajya Sabha. "Why did UPA not initiate an investigation into who all took bribes in the AgustaWestland deal," he further questioned. Here are the live updates: 7:30 pm: Congress stages walkout from Rajya Sabha after defence minister Manohar Parrikars statement on AgustaWestland issue. 6:30 pm: Defence minister Manohar Parrikar makes statement in Rajya Sabha. Parrikar says the fact that there was corruption in the chopper deal is brought out in recent judgments of Milan court. India wants to know who instigated, supported and benefited from the VVIP chopper scam. We cant let this pass, says Parrikar. CAG report highlighted that allowed offsets were not compliant with Defence Procurement Policy (DPP). The benchmark cost given by contract negotiation committee (CNC) was unreasonably high and had provided no realistic basis for price negotiations. Investigation so far in the VVIP chopper case has revealed involvement of Ids Infotech as a channel for transfer of bribe money. UPA, instead of taking action against the company, wrote to external affairs Ministry, embassy and court. CBI registered an FIR in the case on March 12, 2013 based on reference made by defence ministry on February 12, 2013. But CBI didnt bother to forward a copy of the FIR to Enforcement Directorate (ED) for nine months. Strangely ED did not act on the FIR till July 2014. It appears that an invincible hand was guiding actions or inactions by CBI and ED. After present Government took over, CBI and ED have been rigorously pursuing all aspects of the investigation. 6:15 pm: Former defence minister AK Antony says the choppers flying ceiling of 6,000 metre and a cabinet height of 1.8 metre was altered allegedly to suit AgustaWestland. We acted immediately after the first report in media on alleged scam in helicopter deal. It is proved beyond doubt there was corruption in chopper deal; act now. If you have all evidence, take action but don't threaten us, don't blackmail us, says Antony. Read: Agusta deal: Take action if you have evidence, don't threaten us, Cong tells govt 5:55 pm: Congress leader Ahmed Patel says if you can find even an iota of truth in all the accusations being made, I will give up public life and resign. My name only comes 4 times in the entire report. Does it say anywhere in the report that the Congress leaders have taken bribe? CAG should not be used as a tool for political bickering. Government should probe into the deal, I will quit politics if they get something against me. This is not the first time I am being attacked, says Patel. Read: Does Agusta report say Cong leaders took bribe? Ahmed Patel asks BJP 5:15 pm: Congress leader Anand Sharma says we know their agenda and we are determined to fight and expose that agenda. This is a democracy. What has been referred to, must be authenticated by government, put here and scrutinised legally. Congress will answer on every question raised by the ruling party. Attempts are being made to mislead the people. What has been said in the House, attributing motives, insinuations, innuendos are without any foundation, malicious and motivated. Truth and medicine both are bitter but both are cures - one for lies, the other for disease, says Anand Sharma. 5:05 pm: Swamy says will authenticated letter copy. 5 pm: Congress leader Anand Sharma says rules of discussion have been violated, demands authentication of the documents. 4:50 pm: Air Force in January 2006 gave their benchmark estimate for this deal as 793 crore. This was approved by Mr Antony, the then defence minister. In September 2008, contract negotiations committee arbitrarily fixed Rs 4877.5 crore as the deal which was 6 times more, says Swamy. 4:45 pm: Venkaiah Naidu requests deputy chairman to allow Swamy to complete his speech. 4:40 pm: Ruckus in Rajya Sabha by Congress members over Swamys speech. 4:10 pm: It took an NDA government to ban AgustaWestland. They didnt use AW101 aircraft (which was bought) for field trials but used some other helicopter, which is fraud in itself, says BJP leader Subramanian Swamy in Rajya Sabha. CAG says that already present 8 helicopters which was bought in 1988 was hardly utilised, what was need for this additional 4? Original proposal was to buy 8 helicopters, after it became clear that Agusta was only 1 to qualify, they decided to buy 4 more. There was a clear effort to eliminate all other companies so that only Agusta would fit the required criteria, says Swamy. 3.15 pm: JDU leader Sharad Yadav attacks BJP over chopper scam. Why aren't you doing something real and only giving lectures? All of this is based on a court in Italy, you have no CBI, ED over there. What are you fretting about? 2.30 pm: Abhishek Manu Singhvi led Congress' charge in Rajya Sabha. Taunting BJP, Singhvi says, "Here is an insecure ruling party trying to foist a charge of corruption on persons unconnected," adding, "We need to have more sense than sensationalism." "In 1999, the IAF made a suggestion to replace MI8 VVIP helicopters. It was Vajpayee Govt in power that time," he says. "I don't think you can intimidate us. We must avoid hysteria and rely on facts," says Singhvi. 2.15 pm: BJP leader Bhupendra Yadav speaks on Agusta Case, asks, "Why did Congress create single-vendor situation?" 2.12 pm: The ruling party is trying to disrupt the House, says Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad. 2.05 pm: Ruckus rules Rajya Sabha as Defence Minister starts his 'big reveal' speech on AgustaWestland deal. 1 pm: Rajya Sabha adjourned till 2 pm. 12.30 pm: No alarming situation in the nation relating to ISIS as of now, says Home Minister Rajnath Singh. India's Muslim community is commited to life values of nation, he adds. 12.25 pm: Kirit Somaiya raises Emaar MGF issue in Lok Sabha, demands Rahul Gandhi to come clean on the issue. 11.50 am: Most welcome, says Sonia Gandhi as BJP promises major revelations in Agusta deal in Parliament. 11.32 am: Kerala government has completely failed in protecting the Dalit girls in the state. This is a repeat of the Nirabhaya case, says BJP leader Tarun Vijay. Read: Rajya Sabha MPs express concern over rape-murder of Kerala law student 11.30 am: CPM leader CP Narayanan raises issue of recent rape and murder case in Kerala. More clear vigil is needed on part of the police and the public at large has to see that our sisters and daughters get protection, says Narayanan. 10.30 am: You will see the strategy in the House, says Congress President Sonia Gandhi before strategy meet. 10.20 am: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will hold meeting with Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar, Home Minister Rajnath Singh and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Venkaiah Naidu ahead of Rajya Sabha session. Most welcome, says Sonia Gandhi as BJP promises 'big reveal' As Union Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar is set to make a big reveal in Parliament today on the AgustaWestland deal, Congress President Sonia Gandhi said that the new information is "most welcome". Earlier this morning, when Sonia was asked about the partys strategy, she said, You will see our strategy on the floor of the House. Congress held a meeting to decide its strategy in the much-awaited debate on the AgustaWestland chopper scam in Rajya Sabha. Read: Modi calls meeting of top ministers ahead of crucial day in Rajya Sabha Parrikar said his Parliament address would include how and when necessary clauses or provisions were relaxed to suit the company. Parrikar had on Sunday said he will place all facts along with the detailed chronology about the controversial AgustaWestland chopper deal before Parliament. "Those who received kickbacks will not leave behind the proof for us to prosecute them, but we will have to prove it (that kickbacks were received)," he said. Read: Manohar Parrikar questions Cong's claim on blacklisting AgustaWestland Leader of the Congress in Lok Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge, had earlier on Monday accused the Centre of pursuing a politically motivated campaign to defame the grand old party through the AgustaWestland copter scam. Meanwhile, the CBI has started third day of questioning former Air chief S.P. Tyagi at it's headquarter at CGO complex here in connection with alleged irregularities in the Rs. 3600 crore VVIP chopper deal. Read: Railway Minister absent from Lok Sabha, government faces embarrassment The investigating agency had earlier on Saturday quizzed former IAF deputy chief JS Gujral in connection with this case. Both Tyagi and Gujral were questioned at length in 2013, but the fresh round of questioning was necessitated after recent order of an Italian Court which indicated corruption in the deal. PARIS Societe Generale, one of Frances largest banks, reported on Wednesday a rise in first-quarter profit, as a one-time revaluation of its own debt and a shift in the way it prepares for potential bad loans helped it offset a weak market for investment banking. Societe Generale said net income rose almost 7 percent to 924 million euros, or about $1.1 billion, in the three months through March from the same period a year earlier. Without one-time items, which included the debt revaluation, profit would have slipped less than 1 percent to 829 million. As it was, the bottom line was better than the market had been expecting. Analysts surveyed by Reuters and Bloomberg had expected earnings to decline as much as 100 million. LONDON Weak energy prices continue to take their toll, as profit dropped sharply at Europes largest oil company, Royal Dutch Shell. Shell said on Wednesday that earnings for the first quarter fell 89 percent from the same period in 2015, to $484 million. At Shell, the pain was widespread, with many business areas experiencing a drop in profit and the critical oil and gas production group seeing outright losses. It is part of the broad financial fallout from the troubles in the oil patch. Energy prices are off nearly 40 percent in the past year, although they have stabilized somewhat of late. And the industrys players, big and small, are scrambling to limit the damage. The court ruled that the European Union had not overstepped its bounds in limiting the nicotine content of e-cigarettes to 20 percent of the liquid that is used in them and imposing bans on e-cigarette advertising similar to those affecting traditional tobacco products. The court noted that the new regulatory system for e-cigarettes is, in fact, less strict than that governing tobacco. Totally Wicked, a British maker of electronic cigarettes, had challenged the European regulations, arguing in part that vaping as use of e-cigarettes is known is safer than smoking. That argument recently received support in Britain from the Royal College of Physicians. Totally Wicked said in a statement after Wednesdays court ruling that the new regulations would adversely impact the availability of good quality, electronic cigarettes and e-liquids, and jeopardize the life-changing potential of vaping, resulting in a major detrimental impact on the public health of millions of people across the E.U. In the United States, e-cigarettes are now a multibillion-dollar market. They have gained popularity faster than the federal government has managed to regulate them. In 2014, the Food and Drug Administration proposed ways to bring them under federal oversight, including banning their sale to people under 18, but has not yet published final rules that would put the measures into practice. In the absence of federal regulation in the United States, many states have already passed laws that ban using e-cigarettes in public places, regulate their sale and, in some cases, tax them. More than half of states already enforce bans on their sale to minors. The European court on Wednesday also strongly endorsed member states right to standardize cigarette packages to reduce their marketing appeal. Australia pioneered the plain-packaging rules, drawing attacks from the tobacco industry, including a so-called investor-state case under the countrys trade agreements with Hong Kong. That case was dismissed at the end of 2015, but the industry continues to fight tobacco regulation through the World Trade Organization and other bodies. Takatas sales have not declined significantly. It still controls about 30 percent of the airbag market, and some automakers in Japan, like Honda, have become especially reliant on it. Takata is also a major supplier of seatbelts. If it collapsed suddenly, some carmakers assembly lines would halt. Those pressures could set up Japanese carmakers as possible saviors for Takata. One scenario, floated by the Japanese news media, is that a Rising Sun Alliance of Honda, Toyota and other Japanese producers could bail the company out with an injection of emergency capital, taking ownership stakes in return. Takatas banks would be expected to keep credit flowing to the company. Publicly, at least, the carmakers have pushed back against the idea. Hondas president, Takahiro Hachigo, said in his most recent comments on the matter in February that his company was not considering financial aid for Takata. One obstacle, said Mr. Endo of Advanced Research Japan, is that as partial owners, carmakers would be on the hook for unpredictable future costs, such as potentially large penalties stemming from lawsuits against Takata in North America. Carmakers would have to weigh such risks against Takatas collapsing or being bought out by a foreign competitor. Such competitors, like TRW Automotive of the United States, might be tempted by Takatas large market share. But because the airbag sector is already tightly consolidated, any attempt at a takeover could raise antitrust issues. A competitor would still have to contend with the possibility of unresolved future costs. One option would be to restructure the company so that it becomes two entities: a good company that owns the continuing business and a bad company responsible for its legacy liabilities. In that arrangement, which would be similar to what resulted from the bankruptcy and restructuring of General Motors in 2009, the good company would continue to run businesses like seatbelts and the overhauled airbag operations, while the bad company would pay out and settle the claims against Takata. The Met Gala, the celebrity-studded style juggernaut and party masterminded by Anna Wintour and dressed up as a cultural and philanthropic event, which dominated the conversation at the start of the week (along with, to be fair, the Indiana primary), has spawned many byproducts. Theres a documentary film (The First Monday in May), its own magazine (Vogues Met Gala stand-alone issue) and an E! television special. Little wonder it has also now produced its own rival. Last week, the British Fashion Council announced that it was reinventing its annual awards, which since 1989 have been styled as the British Fashion Awards. The council is renaming them the Fashion Awards, globalizing them, moving the hoopla around hem to the Royal Albert Hall and otherwise upscaling them. If the Met Gala is often referred to as the Oscars of the East Coast, the British Fashion Council is hoping its new-look event will be the Met Gala meets the Academy Awards (in the words of Natalie Massenet, its chairwoman) with a twist. Unlike either the Oscars or the Met, the council is adding a particularly contemporary dimension to its festivities: On Wednesday, tickets officially went on sale to the public. Of the approximately 3,000 seats that will be available in the Royal Albert Hall, the top two tiers, or 1,500 seats, will be available starting at 48 (about $70) to anyone who wants a peek beyond the red carpet. The plan is to have tables on the floor which will cost 27,500 for 10 people and 33,000 for 12 reserved for invitation-only nominees and their brands (and interested parties), where dinner will be served. In the American cinephile circles of the 1960s, each new film from the French director Jean-Luc Godard was an event. Vital film critics like Manny Farber, Andrew Sarris and Pauline Kael and public intellectuals like Susan Sontag weighed in, creating a near-constant colloquy on how this director was reinventing cinema. The buzz and argument were equally fevered in Paris, Mr. Godards home at the time. But Anna Karina, the Danish-born model turned actress who during this period was Mr. Godards muse, leading lady and wife one of the screens great beauties and an enduring symbol of the French New Wave doesnt recollect the hype or intellectual foment. Reminiscing about working with Mr. Godard, she largely remembers freedom and fun. We did not see ourselves as remaking cinema at the time, at least not in my view, Ms. Karina, now 75, said, speaking in English by phone from Los Angeles. Myself and the other actors were not part of the industry; we werent inside the star system. We were running around, shooting in the streets, hiding behind trees to do our makeup. It was a very simple way of working. Ms. Karina, who lives in France, is making a rare visit to the United States, where, in Los Angeles and New York, she is presenting several Godard films at various theaters. On Friday, she will appear at Film Forum in Manhattan for a newly restored version of Mr. Godards wry, eccentric quasi-caper Band of Outsiders (1964). When Michael Pomeranc was growing up in the mid-1960s in Rego Park, Queens, his parents and their friends spent countless evenings discussing their harrowing experiences in World War II. All were survivors of the Holocaust, and Mr. Pomeranc often saw them chain-smoking and crying late into the night. The absence of anything tangible from their histories plagued him most. Not having the ability to understand where everybody went was very, very traumatizing, Mr. Pomeranc, 58, a prominent New York City hotelier, said recently as he sat in the lobby of his hotel, Sixty SoHo. What happened to the cemeteries of my great-grandparents? Where are my grandparents and my aunts? Can you go there? Would you see anything? It was like they were talking in an abyss. The Pomeranc family is well known in New York real estate circles. Jack Pomeranc came to America after the war and amassed a fortune building residential properties and airport hotels, mostly in New Jersey. Now 88, he still spends most days commuting from his Fifth Avenue apartment to his office in Fort Lee. His sons Larry, Michael and Jason, the youngest and a frequent presence in the style pages, built up a national chain of celebrity-friendly boutique hotels. But the past was always with them, particularly for Michael, who spent nearly three decades working to uncover the fate of his murdered relatives, last seen in Adampol, a Polish agricultural town near Belarus. In the 1990s, he began searching historic records and tracking down leads across Europe. It was not until this year, when Caroline Sturdy Colls, a forensic archaeologist he had hired, completed three years of research, that his efforts led him back to Adampol. To the Editor: We need a new foreign policy elite, not the one we have had since the 1960s. Yes, we need well-trained professionals with a sophisticated understanding of the world, but we need a fresh mind-set. Evan Thomas (Why We Need a Foreign Policy Elite, Op-Ed, May 4) makes no mention of the Bay of Pigs, no mention of secrecy, torture or bloated military budgets, just to name a few of our longstanding elites failings. (He does mention Vietnam, scathingly.) Membership in that foreign policy elite requires unswerving commitment to the proposition that the United States must maintain overwhelming military superiority vis-a-vis the rest of the world. That commitment will bankrupt us while making us less and less secure. We need a new foreign policy elite committed to seeking shared security in a partnership with other countries, one based in dignity and human rights, not unquestioned military might. To the Editor: A Roman Legion of Volunteers Retakes the Tiber (Rome Journal, April 27), about the cleanup of the Tiber River, was a heartening reminder of how complex governance is (not only in Italy) and what can be done when people decide to pitch in to help. Any recent visitor to Rome will be impressed by the incredible changes that are making the traffic-free island around the various Roman forums one of the wonders of the world. This was achieved by a mayor, Ignazio Marino, who stepped down after a scandal over expenses. I have learned to appreciate such contradictions. In The Other Side of the Tiber, a memoir on my 35 years in Italy, I wrote: The Tiber, though held by its banks and borders, told an unshapable story every day. I absorbed the wide perspective of what it means to live the experience of an ancient river. Two observations that have stayed with me: Its never empty and never pitch black. WALLIS WILDE-MENOZZI Bronxville, N.Y. New Haven IN May 2010, Nathan Michael Smith joined the Army, swearing an oath to support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic. He took up this mission on the battlefield in Afghanistan, and is now serving as a captain in Kuwait at the command headquarters of Operation Inherent Resolve, the campaign against the Islamic State that President Obama initiated in 2014. The president claims that Congresss authorizations in 2001 and 2002 for the wars against Al Qaeda and Saddam Hussein can be stretched to cover his current campaign. But many legal experts question his unilateral assertion of power. Captain Smith became increasingly troubled as he saw the president failing to persuade the House and Senate to stand up and be counted. Does the captains participation in this undeclared war involve him in a mission to destroy, not defend, the Constitution? Captain Smith, 28, has now brought suit in federal court to request an independent judgment on whether he is betraying his oath. Image Capt. Nathan Michael Smith Credit... U.S. Army He did not make this decision lightly. He comes from a long line of military officers. His father, mother and sister have all served with distinction; his grandfather flew 30 missions as a fighter pilot during World War II. Captain Smith continues to believe that the American military is a force for good in the world but, he began to believe, not if it engages in wars that have failed to win the approval of Congress and the American people. New Delhi: With Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar set to make a statement on the controversial AgustaWestland chopper deal in the Rajya Sabha today, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has called a meeting of top cabinet ministers ahead of the crucial day in the Parliament. The meeting, which is expected to be held at 10.30 am in the Parliament, would be attended by Parrikar, Home Minister Rajnath Singh, Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Venkaiah Naidu, besides others. Read: Manohar Parrikar questions Cong's claim on blacklisting AgustaWestland Parrikar, who met the Prime Minister yesterday, is expected to address the Rajya Sabha at 2 pm during the short duration debate. Earlier, Parrikar had stated said his Parliament address would include how and when necessary clauses or provisions were relaxed to suit the company. Leader of the Congress in Lok Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge, had earlier on Monday accused the Centre of pursuing a politically motivated campaign to defame the grand old party through the AgustaWestland copter scam. Meanwhile, the CBI has started third day of questioning former Air chief S.P. Tyagi at it's headquarter at CGO complex here in connection with alleged irregularities in the Rs. 3600 crore VVIP chopper deal. The investigating agency had earlier on Saturday quizzed former IAF deputy chief JS Gujral in connection with this case. Both Tyagi and Gujral were questioned at length in 2013, but the fresh round of questioning was necessitated after recent order of an Italian Court which indicated corruption in the deal. To the Editor: Re As Puerto Rico Defaults, Eyes Turn to Washington (Business Day, May 3): The Government Development Bank recently missed most of a $422 million payment to bondholders, becoming the third public entity in Puerto Rico to default in the last nine months, and larger defaults appear imminent. As Puerto Ricos representative in Congress, I am pained by the adversarial approach the islands governor has taken toward the people and institutions who lent us money. I view Puerto Rico and its creditors as passengers on the same distressed ship; we are going to sail safely to shore together, or we are going to sink together. This is an American problem requiring a principled and pragmatic American solution. There is bipartisan legislation pending in the House of Representatives that would empower Puerto Rico to restructure its debts in a fair and orderly manner, while establishing an independent oversight board to help the island manage its finances. Leopards are reclusive and known for their ability to adapt, traits that have led some wildlife biologists to assume that the animals remained relatively abundant in the wild. But a study published Wednesday suggests that leopards have lost as much as 75 percent of their historical range since 1750. At that time, the big cats roamed over about 13.5 million square miles in Africa, Asia and parts of the Middle East. But that has shrunk to about 3.3 million square miles, according to the study, conducted by a team of 14 scientists representing 15 universities and organizations, including the Zoological Society of London, the Wildlife Conservation Society, the Iranian Cheetah Society, National Geographic and Panthera, a global wild cat conservation organization. The study, which appears in the journal PeerJ, is believed to be the first to assess the leopards status globally across nine subspecies and won immediate praise from other scientists for its scope and detail. Partly on the basis of the findings, the cat specialist group of the International Union for Conservation of Nature has recommended that the leopard (Panthera pardus) be reclassified on its Red List of threatened species as vulnerable, indicating that stronger conservation efforts are needed, said Andrew B. Stein, an author on the study who is a member of the group. Mark Zuckerberg, the chief executive of Facebook, and Dr. Priscilla Chan, a pediatrician who is his wife, said Wednesday that they had hired James H. Shelton III, a former deputy secretary of the United States Department of Education, to oversee their efforts in education, in the latest example of former federal officials who are taking up jobs in Silicon Valley. Mr. Shelton will lead the education component of the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, which Mr. Zuckerberg and Dr. Chan announced they were creating last year for their philanthropic and social entrepreneurship endeavors. The education work is focused on customizing learning for students and addressing disparities. When you think about philanthropy, the question is, How can you be catalytic? Mr. Shelton said in a phone interview. Its a huge opportunity for transformational work. Mr. Sheltons hiring is part of a stream of Washington officials going to work for tech titans. Among them are Jay Carney, a former White House press secretary, who is now senior vice president for corporate affairs at Amazon, and David Plouffe, a former senior adviser to President Obama who is chief adviser and a board member at Uber. SAN FRANCISCO For decades, the computer industry has been guided by a faith that engineers would always find a way to make the components on computer chips smaller, faster and cheaper. But a decision by a global alliance of chip makers to back away from reliance on Moores Law, a principle that has guided tech companies from the giant mainframes of the 1960s to todays smartphones, shows that the industry may need to rethink the central tenet of Silicon Valleys innovation ethos. Chip scientists are nearly at the point where they are manipulating material as small as atoms. When they hit that mark within the next five years or so, they may bump into the boundaries of how tiny semiconductors can become. After that, they may have to look for alternatives to silicon, which is used to make computer chips, or new design ideas in order to make computers more powerful. It is hard to overstate the importance of Moores Law to the entire world. Despite its official sound, it is not actually a scientific rule like Newtons laws of motion. Instead, it describes the pace of change in a manufacturing process that has made computers exponentially more affordable. Every weekend, when Pierre Houle works the brunch shift at Olea, a neighborhood restaurant in San Francisco, many customers want to split the tab on multiple credit cards, a process that takes much longer than it used to. For waiters like Mr. Houle, diners going Dutch is nothing new. But now he has to take each of the credit cards, insert them into a chip reader and wait about 10 seconds for every transaction to process. In the past, he could swipe a card, wait a few seconds, print out the receipt and get going. It isnt much, but in the restaurant world it can be enormous, he said. I have to wait there, and I cant go check on something else. You need to move all the time when you do a job like that. Many merchants and retail workers are watching their lives play in slow motion when they process credit cards. To combat fraudulent transactions, the retail industry is shifting away from the traditional magnetic stripe toward tiny computer chips embedded inside cards. The chip technology, known as E.M.V. (for Europay, MasterCard and Visa) has been around for decades in Europe. But starting last October in the United States, banks pushed the liability of purchases made with counterfeit credit cards onto merchants. We will never know just how wrong we were about Donald Trump. Did he have a 1 percent chance to win when he descended the escalator of Trump Tower last June? Twenty percent? Or should we have known all along? Was Mr. Trumps victory a black swan, the electoral equivalent of World War I or the Depression: an unlikely event with complex causes, some understood at the time but others overlooked, that came together in unexpected ways to produce a result that no one could have reasonably anticipated? Or did we simply underestimate Mr. Trump from the start? Did we discount him because we assumed that voters would never nominate a reality-TV star for president, let alone a provocateur with iconoclastic policy views like his? Did we put too much stock in the party decides, a theory about the role of party elites in influencing the outcome of the primary process? The answer, as best I can tell, is all of the above. I do think we and specifically, I underestimated Mr. Trump. There were bad assumptions, misinterpretations of the data, and missed connections all along the way. FLINT, Mich. The Flint city worker who was one of three people charged last month in connection with the citys water crisis, has agreed to cooperate with investigators in exchange for reduced charges. The city employee, Michael Glasgow, Flints laboratory and water quality supervisor, had been charged with tampering with lead testing reports, a felony punishable by five years in jail, and with willful neglect of duty, a misdemeanor. On Wednesday, prosecutors threw out the tampering charge and Mr. Glasgow pleaded no contest to the misdemeanor on the condition that he continue to cooperate with state and federal investigators, who have said that more arrests in relation to the crisis are on the way. A deal for Mr. Glasgows cooperation was widely anticipated. His arrest came as a surprise to some, as he had voiced concerns over the decision to switch the citys water supply to the Flint River from Lake Huron in 2014. When no corrosion controls were added after the switch at Flints water treatment plant, pipes started leaching lead, poisoning much of the citys water. FLINT, Mich. President Obama vowed federal support for the beleaguered residents of this city on Wednesday and said government officials at all levels should have prevented Flints water supply from being contaminated with lead. In his first visit to the city since the water crisis began, Mr. Obama received updates from local officials and residents, made a show of drinking filtered tap water, and told a crowd of about 1,000 people at a high school that they deserved more from their leaders. Ive come here to tell you that Ive got your back, that were paying attention, Mr. Obama told the crowd, which cheered loudly. I will not rest, he vowed, and Im going to make sure that the leaders at every level of government dont rest until every drop of water that flows to your home is safe to drink and safe to cook with and safe to bathe in, because thats part of the basic responsibilities of a government in the United States of America. Mr. Obama has argued that he already has the authority he needs to wage the conflict against the Islamic State under the authorization to fight the perpetrators of the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, enacted by Congress shortly after the attacks. That argument is controversial because the Islamic State is at odds with the leadership of Al Qaeda and its affiliate in Syria, the Nusra Front. Critics contend that the administration is stretching the Sept. 11 authorization too far by applying it to an organization that did not exist in 2001 and that operates far from Afghanistan. The administration has countered that its position is legitimate because the Islamic State used to be a Qaeda affiliate in Iraq during the Iraq war. In an April 2015 speech, Stephen Preston, then the top Pentagon lawyer, argued that the fact that Al Qaeda splintered after the death of Osama bin Laden did not mean that the authority to keep fighting each successor faction came to an end. Administration officials have also said the fight against the Islamic State is covered separately by the 2002 authorization President George W. Bush obtained from Congress for the invasion of Iraq, although they are not relying on it. Image Capt. Nathan Michael Smith Credit... U.S. Army The administration has asked Congress to enact new authorization for using military force against the Islamic State, but lawmakers have not acted on that request. They have, however, passed military appropriations bills that earmark funds for the effort against the Islamic State, which could suggest that lawmakers have acquiesced to the executive branchs theory. The Republican primary is effectively over, and Donald J. Trump will really, truly be the nominee. Mr. Trump won Indiana so convincingly on Tuesday that he drove Senator Ted Cruz of Texas, his chief rival, out of the race. One more contender, Gov. John Kasich of Ohio, remains, but for all intents and purposes, the contest is finished. On the Democratic side, Senator Bernie Sanderss victory did little to alter the race. Hillary Clintons delegate lead remains intact, and Mr. Trumps emergence as the unchallenged Republican standard-bearer may help the Clinton cause as Democrats grow anxious about the general election matchup. Here are some of our takeaways from what proved to be a decisive night for the Republican race: Trumps problems begin at home With his victory in Indiana, Mr. Trump inherits a Republican Party that has been traumatized and torn apart by his campaign. A majority of primary voters in the later contests ultimately chose him, but potentially crippling divisions persist on the right: In Indiana, roughly a quarter of Republican voters said they would be scared to see him elected president, according to exit polls. It is not clear that Mr. Trump has it in him to unite the party. His final day on the campaign trail was a tour de force of political brutality. He first lobbed the outlandish claim that Mr. Cruzs father had a connection to John F. Kennedys killer, and then mocked Mr. Cruz as a floundering loser. Mr. Trump has continued to ridicule other vanquished foes, including Jeb Bush, long after they left the race. New Delhi: Unattributed banners accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi of "saving" Congress president Sonia Gandhi in the AgustaWestland chopper deal controversy were spotted in some parts of the city on Wednesday. Reacting sharply to the banners, Delhi BJP termed it as "dirty" politics by AAP and filed a complaint with Commissioner of Police, demanding necessary action. "The posters and banners were seen in many areas including Tilak Nagar, Ashok Vihar, Munirka and Akshardham. A written complaint has been submitted to the police commissioner in this regard," Delhi BJP spokesman Praveen Kapoor said. The language used in the banners was "derogatory" and "similar" to that used by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal against Modi, Delhi BJP president Satish Upadhyay claimed. "It is quite obvious that these banners have connection with Aam Aadmi Party," he further claimed. He also alleged that AAP MLA Jarnail Singh is tweeting it since morning and promoting it on social media. Upadhyay said he has complained to the Delhi Police commissioner in this regard, demanding an investigation to identify the persons behind the banners. Mr. Trumps achievement also drew a rebuke of sorts from the last two Republican presidents. Aides to former Presidents George Bush and George W. Bush said they would not participate in or comment on the presidential campaign. By contrast, they supported the Republican nominees in the last two elections: John McCain in 2008 and Mitt Romney in 2012. Mr. Trump ran a sharply negative campaign against former Gov. Jeb Bush of Florida, the son of the elder Mr. Bush and brother of the younger, who dropped out in February. For some in the party, the question of whether to embrace Mr. Trump is not merely an intellectual exercise. Some staff members at the Republican National Committee were told Wednesday that if they were unable to get behind the nominee, they should leave by the end of the week. Representative Peter T. King of New York, whose Long Island district Mr. Trump won overwhelmingly in the April 19 primary, echoed other Republicans in pledging to vote for Mr. Trump even though he had reservations, calling Mr. Trump a guy with no knowledge of whats going on. As far as any involvement or campaigning, its really going to depend on him filling in the gaps and consolidating his policies, Mr. King said. Right now, theres no real coherence. The lingering resistance to Mr. Trump is especially strong in some of the states and congressional districts with hotly contested races this year. Representative Carlos Curbelo, who is from a competitive district in South Florida and has been outspoken about his refusal to support Mr. Trump, said Hispanics in his district were furious at Mr. Trump over his inflammatory language about Latinos. Resentment is a kind way of putting it, Mr. Curbelo said. People are offended and really incredulous. He added that he would consider supporting a third-party presidential candidate, though that option did not appear to have much support among other Republicans on Wednesday. But the widespread discomfort and anxiety about Mr. Trump was utterly clear in the hours after he became the presumptive nominee on Tuesday night. Most leading Republicans were publicly silent. And the dearth of congratulatory news releases and Twitter posts spoke volumes. Whos making the decisions for the child? he said. Whos the doctor for the baby? Its not the womans body were talking about. Its a separate person. The law, which takes effect on May 10, contains exceptions for cases of rape and incest or if two doctors agree in writing that the fetus has a condition that is uniformly lethal. It also exempts cases when a woman would die or have major, irreversible health problems without terminating the pregnancy. Mary Taylor, the president of Pro-Life Utah, who testified in support of the law, said she appreciated its focus on the condition of the fetus and on surgical abortions that she called barbaric and horrific. Dr. Torres and other critics argued that the law was unworkable and made no medical sense. They said it offered no definition of what, in Utahs view, legally constitutes a fetal anesthetic. Many women already receive anesthesia or painkillers if they have surgical abortions, and those drugs naturally pass to the fetus. Dr. Torres asked if that would be enough if Motrin would suffice. And other doctors asked if they would have to specifically inject a fetus with an anesthetic through a womans abdominal wall. We dont know what to do, Dr. Torres said. What does it mean? How do we not break this law? The law says that doctors who perform abortions at this stage of pregnancy a rarity, according to a 2012 tally by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention must provide anesthetic or analgesic to alleviate organic pain to the unborn child. It also requires doctors to tell women that substantial medical evidence shows that a 20-week fetus may feel pain during an abortion. Critics said scientific research did not prove that statement. A spokesman for Utahs Health Department said it was leaving decisions about anesthetics and analgesics up to individual doctors. But the doctors are required to issue the warning about fetal pain as part of a long list of notifications women must be given before having an abortion. Doctors found guilty of violating the law could lose their licenses or face thousands of dollars in fines. Mr. Nkurunziza maintains that because he was first elected in 2005 by lawmakers, his first term should not count toward the two-term limit specified in the Constitution. A former colony of Germany and Belgium, Burundi achieved independence in 1962. An Army officer, Michel Micombero, seized power in 1966 and declared the country a republic, ending a short-lived constitutional monarchy. Longstanding tensions between ethnic Hutus and Tutsis culminated in a Hutu uprising that was brutally crushed in the early 1970s, when at least 100,000 Hutus were killed. Mr. Bagaza was an army logistics officer at the time, but the extent or nature of his involvement in the violence, if any, was never made clear. In November 1976, Mr. Bagaza, by then a lieutenant colonel and deputy chief of staff of the army, deposed Mr. Micombero in a bloodless coup. Like his predecessor, Colonel Bagaza was a Tutsi, though he made appeals to national unity and included two Hutus in his first cabinet. The military, however, remained firmly under the control of the Tutsis, even though they represented no more than 15 percent of the population. Mr. Bagazas investments in infrastructure contributed to the development of an economy that remains largely reliant on its exports of coffee, tea and sugar. Image Nelson Mandela with Mr. Bagaza, the former president of Burundi, in March 2000. Credit... Alexander Joe/Agence France-Presse Getty Images Before his time there were hardly any easily passable roads, Nigel Watt, the author of Burundi: The Biography of a Small African Country (2008), said in a phone interview. Mr. Bagaza had roads built connecting Bujumbura, the capital, to the interior; invested in electricity and drinking water; developed a port on Lake Tanganyika, linking Burundis economy with that of neighboring Tanzania; and, at a time of Cold War tensions, managed to secure aid from both the West and the Soviet bloc, as well as China and the Arab states. PANAMA The anonymous message began appearing on Panamanian cellphones days after the news broke that 11.5 million documents, called the Panama Papers, had leaked from a law firm dealing in secretive shell companies. The message was a call to arms to defend the nations honor. O.K., people! The only way to combat those who are smearing the name of our country is to create positive, informed and educated content, read the message in Spanish, which circulated quickly and widely. We only want to clean the name of Panama! We want to attack like martial arts, using the force of our opponent. All at the same time! In short order, social media was festooned with multilingual, pro-Panama hashtags, often accompanied by photographs of beaches, sunsets, mountains and happy, carefree people: #PanamaParadise. #ILovePanama. #WeArePanama. #WeAreNotPapers. #PanamaIsMoreThanPapers. While the leaks from the law firm, Mossack Fonseca, may have left Panama looking like a wellspring of tax havens and an unconditional friend of the wealthy and corrupt, they have also set off an eruption of patriotic fervor in this small Central American country. From the impoverished rural hinterlands to the halls of the presidential palace, Panamanians are pushing back at the negative attention that has tumbled down on them. They made the normal, regular Panama come alive and say, Whats going on? Im not a piece of paper. Im not the guy laundering money in London, in France, in Japan. Im not that, said Antonio Alfaro, the president of Panamas Chamber of Tourism, an industry association. They have brought us together. BEIJING Months of bureaucratic surrealism culminated last week with Ye Jinghuan, 63, a retired manager at a major Chinese company, sprawled on the floor in a Beijing court building and served with a 15-day detention order, together with four of her friends. The episode at a branch of the Xicheng District Court has deepened a sense among Ms. Yes friends and some lawyers that Chinas police and justice systems are seriously broken, despite the promises of President Xi Jinping and other officials to rule the country by law. It began with a small and easily avoidable injustice. She went to the police early last year to ask for a document proving that her elder sister was her sister, said Zheng Wei, 61, a friend who accompanied Ms. Ye last week. The document proving a relatives connection is a common feature in legal or administrative cases. It is issued by the police in the place where a persons hukou, or residence permit, is based. HONG KONG A man believed to be the last person still in prison for participating in the 1989 Tiananmen protests is scheduled to be released later this year, a human rights group said. The man, Miao Deshun, was given an 11-month reduction in his sentence this spring, which means he should be released in October, according to the Dui Hua Foundation, an organization based in San Francisco that has lobbied for Mr. Miao and other prisoners from that era. Mr. Miao was convicted of arson for throwing a basket onto a burning tank and was sentenced to death with a two-year reprieve in August 1989. He was one of more than 1,500 people sentenced to prison after the crackdown in June 1989 on protesters in Beijing and other cities left hundreds, possibly thousands, of people dead. Mr. Miao, 51, was a worker from Hebei Province, and his harsh sentence may have been connected to his lowly status. Workers involved in the protests generally received longer jail terms than students. SEOUL, South Korea When Kim Jong-un, the North Korean leader, arrives at the seventh congress of the governing Workers Party on Friday, he will essentially be attending his own coronation. Meeting for the first time in a generation, the congress in theory, the countrys highest decision-making body will cement his status as supreme leader. It will also elect a new central committee, which in turn appoints the partys Politburo and presidium. Those posts are expected to be filled with a new generation of loyalists whom Mr. Kim has already been elevating through purges and reshuffles, analysts said. By far the most interesting aspect of the meeting will be Mr. Kims promotion of his so-called byungjin policy, which calls for simultaneously achieving two seemingly incompatible goals: a nuclear arsenal and economic development. LONDON Londoners will decide whether to elect Sadiq Khan, the Labour front-runner, as their first Muslim mayor on Thursday, but in elections being held across Britain the wider results will pose a bigger test for the party as a whole especially for Jeremy Corbyn, its left-wing leader. Ahead of this election cycle it would usually be the governing party not the opposition feeling the pressure. And these elections come at a particularly precarious time for Prime Minister David Camerons governing Conservatives as the party faces a crisis in the steel industry and strikes by doctors. In March, a cabinet minister quit, and the Conservative Party is deeply split over a referendum in June on whether Britain should quit the European Union. In London, Labours mayoral candidate, Mr. Khan, who is the son of an immigrant bus driver, is the favorite to replace the outgoing mayor, Boris Johnson, a Conservative. But outside London the elections may provide Labour with more ominous results that could increase pressure on Mr. Corbyn at a time when newspapers have been filled with speculation about plots against him from within the party in the aftermath of a dispute over allegations of anti-Semitism in its ranks. MADRID Two years ago, a tiny Spanish village gained fame for deciding, finally, to break any possible link to the persecution of Jews during the Spanish Inquisition. It held a referendum in which the villages 56 registered inhabitants agreed to shed its medieval name Castrillo Matajudios, which roughly translates as Little Hill Fort of Jew Killers. Instead, it is now called Castrillo Mota de Judios, or something like Little Hill Fort of Jews. Since then, however, the village has become a victim of repeated acts of vandalism, mostly anti-Semitic graffiti, that the mayor attributes to unknown far-right extremist groups that, he believes, have no direct connection to his village. The mayor, Lorenzo Rodriguez Perez, filed a police complaint on Tuesday after the latest aggression, in which the villages brand-new road signposts were sprayed over the weekend with anti-Semitic and fascist graffiti, he said. The chancellor has since apologized, telling reporters that in hindsight it was a mistake to make the remarks and has repeatedly stressed the importance of freedom of expression and the press in Germany. But she allowed a lawsuit filed by Mr. Erdogan against the comedian to proceed under a 19th-century law that allows prosecution in Germany for insulting a foreign leader. Mr. Bohmermanns interpretation of the proceeding was slightly different. Now, there will be a trial in the name of the people: Humor vs. the German government, Mr. Bohmermann said in the interview, which was complete with emojis. Im eager to see who will get the last laugh. In the uproar that followed his poem, Mr. Bohmermann took an extended break, canceling his regular show, which is to air next week at its regularly scheduled time. After receiving threats from Turkish nationalists, he was forced to live under police protection. He canceled an appearance at an awards show and his social media pages went dark for six weeks. But on Wednesday, Mr. Bohmermann was back. Several hours after the interview was published in Germany, he spoke to his fans live over social media from New York, where he was supposed to appear on The Nightly Show With Larry Wilmore, but said he had changed his mind because he wanted his first television appearance to be in Germany. One fan asked about the hardest part of his hiatus. The worst was having to keep my mouth shut! he said, munching on melon slices. Mr. Bohmermanns fans have remained loyal throughout the affair, but the reactions on Wednesday from German media outlets that had rushed to his defense several weeks ago were decidedly mixed. Tanit Koch, the editor in chief of the mass-circulation Bild daily, took the comedian to task for failing to accept Ms. Merkels willingness to recognize, and apologize for, her mistake. It is intriguing that in less than three months since February, the multinational Johnson & Johnson has been fined millions of dollars in the US as compensation to a victim of ovarian cancer reportedly caused by the consistent use of J&J talc for feminine hygiene. Whilst on Tuesday the company was asked to pay the victim, whose cancer is in remission, $55 million, they earlier had to pay $75 million to another American victim who died of ovarian cancer. What is intriguing is that the company is facing 1,200 lawsuits from women, yet it is doing nothing to remove the cancer-causing talc minerals that have been found in ovarian cancer tumours. According to reports, the company became aware of this during in-house research conducted in the 1980s. There may not be 100 per cent proof linking the talc to ovarian cancer, but various studies have found significant links. Last year, the International Journal of Gynaecological Cancer found that talc use increased the risk of ovarian cancer by 30-60 per cent in 23 well-designed cases. Similar conclusions were arrived at by studies conducted by the National Cancer Institute recently. The Indian government should take cognisance of these studies and look into the J&J talc sold in India. It cannot turn a blind eye to something which is much more serious than the scare it created over Maggie noodles. The various health departments responsible for protecting the health of citizens should also wake up and insist on the company putting a warning on their packs and bottles, as is done in the case of cigarettes. As they say, prevention is better than cure. LONDON Prime Minister David Cameron gave in to pressure from the House of Lords on Wednesday and announced that Britain would accept more unaccompanied Syrian children as refugees. Mr. Cameron did not specify numbers, but acted after a campaign led by a Labour peer, Alf Dubs, who came to Britain from Czechoslovakia in 1939, at age 6, fleeing the Nazis in a program called the Kindertransport, in which hundreds of Jewish children were rescued. Were going to go round the local authorities and see what more we can do, Mr. Cameron told Parliament. What does Turkey want? Visa-free access to Europe is widely sought by citizens and the leadership in Turkey, which aspires to European Union membership. It also provides a feather in the cap of Mr. Erdogan and other Turkish leaders who extracted significant concessions from the European Union. The March 18 deal called for Turkey to receive about $6.6 billion to help organizations look after the migrants there; to accept the return of most migrants and refugees who travel across the Aegean to Greece, to remove an incentive to make the journey to Europe; for the eventual resumption of negotiations on Turkeys membership to the European Union; and the promise that the European Union would resettle one Syrian from a camp in Turkey for each Syrian who used an irregular route to reach Greece, a measure that would decrease the burden on Ankara. Even if the visa-waiver proposal is ultimately approved, the chances of mass arrivals from Turkey appear slim. To qualify for entry, Turkish citizens would be required to hold passports that contain fingerprint and facial data embedded on a chip passports that Turkey will not start producing until June. What is the source of E.U. resistance to a deal? The extent to which the European Union is willing to compromise its principles in pursuit of a migration deal is a source of significant unease. Offering Mr. Erdogan a political prize like visa waivers strengthens his appeal and confers legitimacy even as he pursues actions that cannot be reconciled with the blocs views on human rights. Turkey is cracking down on freedom of expression, threatening minority groups and members of the opposition, and it has pressured Germany to prosecute a comic who ridiculed Mr. Erdogan while in Germany. Turkey must still fulfill five of more than 70 requirements laid down by the commission before its citizens can qualify for visa waivers. The most difficult benchmark for Ankara to complete could be revising laws and practices to balance the fight against terrorism with respect for human rights, and the European Parliament said on Wednesday that it would not vote on the proposal until all of the requirements are met. JERUSALEM In response to mortar rounds fired by Hamas toward Israeli defense forces operating outside the Gaza Strip, Israel hit five targets in Gaza with airstrikes on Wednesday, a military spokesman said. Hamass military wing complained in a statement that Israeli forces had been excavating enormous areas east of Gaza. Israel has been using the excavations to help search for new warrens of tunnels that Hamas is believed to be digging beneath the border between Gaza and Israel. Israeli military commentators said that the mortar fire a total of six rounds on Wednesday was clearly intended to discourage Israeli attempts to find the tunnels. Although missiles and other weaponry are fired sporadically from Gaza, Israel has seldom named Hamas as the source since a cease-fire in 2014 that ended 50 days of fighting, and other rogue groups operate in the area. In this case, though, Israel said Hamas fired more than five mortar rounds at its defense forces, adding that Israel would continue to guard against all terrorist threats above and beneath ground. BEIRUT, Lebanon A new partial truce in the Syrian civil war has been extended to the divided city of Aleppo, officials from the United States, Russia and Syria said Wednesday after days of diplomacy by American and Russian envoys to halt catastrophic fighting there. But the details and duration of the partial truce and whether it imposed new conditions on the Syrian government, insurgents or their international backers remained murky. The parties that negotiated it did not even agree on the precise timing. The State Department said the truce had begun at 12:01 a.m. on Wednesday, and Syrian state television said it would take effect at 1 a.m. on Thursday. Nor did their statements clarify the main disagreement between the United States, which backs some insurgents, and Russia, the most powerful ally of the Syrian government, over which rebel groups are fair game for government and Russian airstrikes. Any student loan borrower who has tried to decipher which repayment plan works best knows that the process can be daunting. The federal government offers multiple repayment plans for student loans, including several that tie monthly payments to a borrowers income. Eligibility varies, depending on the type of loan and when it was taken out, and some options have similar names. It can be extremely confusing for borrowers to navigate the system, said Adam Minsky, a Boston lawyer who specializes in student loan issues. Seventy percent of student loan borrowers who are in default could have qualified for lower payments, according to a recent estimate from the government. This tells us that millions of borrowers may be failing to receive critical information about repayment options or are encountering communication breakdowns when they try to enroll, Richard Cordray, director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, said in a prepared statement about a new initiative called the Student Loan Payback Playbook. Another all-male reading group, this one with a name even more insistently macho than that of the Man Book Club, is the International Ultra Manly Book Club, of Kansas City, Kan. It was started by a group of college friends, and its website hammers home its he-man identity through prominent images of Chuck Norris, Dwayne Johnson (better known as the Rock) and Oprah Winfrey, standing before an Oprahs Book Club logo beneath the legend Not Your Mothers Book Club. Unlike the Marin County group, the International Ultra Manly Book Club is not big on the dinner-party element. When one of its members does bring food to one of the monthly get-togethers, it tends to be manly like, spicy, said John Creagar, 32, one of the regulars. In explaining the clubs purpose, the International Ultra Manly Book Club website makes explicit the notion that men take literature as seriously as women. The About Us section says it was founded, in part, on the vision that one day we could step out of the shadow of our mothers book clubs and proclaim that yes, we too, are intellectuals. If that mission statement seems a tad defensive, there are indeed women who treat book clubs as entities that lie beyond the masculine sphere. Two years ago, Edward Nawotka, 44, a writer and editor in Houston, was out for drinks with the guys from his reading group, the Houston Mens Book Club, when a woman started hitting on its president. She asked how we knew each other, and when we said, book club, she was like, Wait, are you gay? Mr. Nawotka said. (He added that he and the woman ended up dating.) Last September, the Beacon Community Center in Elmhurst, Queens, introduced a free adult literacy program, English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL); among those who enrolled were students from Myanmar, China, Colombia, Ecuador, India, Indonesia, Mexico and Venezuela. The nonprofit Beacon center, part of Sunnyside Community Services, helps immigrants ease the transition they are making from newcomer to New Yorker, said Shawn Mullin, the programs coordinator. According to the 2013 edition of The Newest New Yorkers, published by the New York City Department of City Planning, in the period 2007 to 2011, 71 percent of Elmhursts residents, or 77,100 people, were foreign-born. But brokers said newcomers from Manhattan, brownstone Brooklyn and Forest Hills, Queens, were also trickling into Elmhurst, drawn to its low-rise, lights-out-early streets, lower housing costs and proximity to the subway. Among them are Jenny Oliver, a 31-year-old physician assistant, and her husband, Gareth Oliver, 35, who works in finance in Midtown Manhattan. The couple had a baby last year and were outgrowing their one-bedroom rental on the Upper East Side, which cost $3,500 a month. They were also paying $500 a month to park their car. What do you call a Philly cheese steak with no cheese and no steak? It sounds like the setup to a punch line. But theres nothing to laugh at when it comes to eating vegan in Philadelphia, which, in the last few years, has blossomed into a dynamic universe of vegan food, from old-school doughnuts to adventuresome tacos. Veganism is so hot that the city declared last Nov. 1 Philly Vegan Day. Theres a new energy here, said Mike Barone, the owner of Grindcore House, a vegan coffee spot in South Philadelphia, famously an Italian neighborhood thats undergone a restaurant renaissance near the grand Passyunk fountain. You can go out to more places that are vegan. A lot of other places are accommodating, and thats snowballing. Philadelphias vegan cheerleaders say whats happening comes from living in a food-curious city where its cheap to explore new ground. Image Empanadas at Bar Bombon. Credit... Steve Legato for The New York Times Its affordable to live in and do business here, said Jeff Poleon, a co-owner of Dotties Donuts, a wholesale bakery where doughnuts are made with coconut milk and egg substitute, and the glazes are infused with homemade preserves and nut butters. People are willing to try something new. The fact that its vegan is almost secondary. Mr. Poleon opened a brick-and-mortar shop in March in West Philadelphia. Whatever the true history, tamale production throughout the Mississippi Delta remains high. Whose is best is hotly contested, but in the spirit of the other trails the Southern Foodways Alliance, headquartered in Oxford, Miss., cobbled together a trail of its own for the gastronomically curious the Hot Tamale Trail. Traveling its route proves that no two tamales are the same. (Does Eat Place in Greenville, Renos Cafe in Greenwood and the White Front Cafe in Rosedale are a few other classic tamale joints worth checking out.) Image Mile High coconut meringue pie, a signature item at the Crystal Grill in Greenwood, Miss. Credit... Robert Rausch for The New York Times Forty minutes south of Clarksdale sits Cleveland, and the Senators Place, a soul food restaurant that offers plate lunches and a simple cafeteria-like decor. Opened in 2003 by Willie Simmons, a Democratic state senator who has represented his district since 1993, the restaurant pays homage to Senator Simmons mother who fed 11 children on the recipes Senator Simmons kitchen staff now use. While there I gorged myself on a plate of smothered chicken, candied yams, collard greens with ham and neck bones. We eat practically every [neck bone] they send down South as well as the ones that are here because neck bones is kind of a special meal, Senator Simmons told me, especially when you can find the ones that we have that are meaty. When you season it properly, some folks say it becomes a delicacy. Neck bones come from the pig and were long considered a throwaway piece of the animal. The intrepid people of the Delta didnt let that food go to waste and have always boldly cooked a cut many dismissed as inedible. It is considered a staple of soul food cooking and has recently gained popularity an analogous reclamation to the more mainstream fandom surrounding pork belly. It used to be a cheap item, but the more demand you have for it, like anything else, the more the price tends to go up, Senator Simmons said. Were seeing the cost of neck bones increase over the years, but it continues to be one of the items people love to eat. The latest annual report of the US Commission on International Religious Freedom has been met with sneering criticism from the government of India. While such a reaction, likely stemming from an abhorrence of cultural infiltration of a world power, is predictable, Indias ancient wisdom would suggest that it would still be possible to take the concerns expressed in the findings and act on them for the good of our own society. The nature of the message delivered along with the findings religious tolerance deteriorated and religious freedom violations increased in India during 2015 might be repugnant to a sovereign nation under surveillance by a panel of people appointed by the legislature of a foreign country, bipartisan or otherwise. Even so, it must be possible to learn something from what is being said, particularly as we know the controversies and tensions whipped up last year were detrimental to the overall fabric of an inclusive society like India with its people of multiple faiths living mostly in harmony for seven decades after the horrors of Partition. As a nation, we can be concerned about nosy people from beyond our shores, but the warning sign in the line that the country is on a negative trajectory in terms of religious freedom is not to be ignored. Just a decade ago, India used to pride itself on being a nation which had a Muslim as President, a Sikh as Prime Minister and a person of Catholic descent heading the party leading a coalition government. There could not have been a clearer message that, unlike most other nations, such a thing could happen here, with members of the minorities or those of different ethnicity being able to occupy the topmost jobs in the country. While the ill winds that fanned the beef controversy or the scattered noises that tended to promote religious discord can cause temporary glitches to an open society, it is up to the same society to root out any imbalance caused by the narrow, sectarian and non-secular views of a few people. The background of the USCIRFs previous actions on India, including against the current Prime Minister, may also suggest a certain bias. That, however, does not preclude us from being able to act in our own interest to reiterate the fundamental right to freedom of religion. Our greatest strength is that this freedom is intact, as we can see also from the freedom with which people are able to switch faiths in India, however distasteful proselytism is when and if it aids such conversions. A vibrant pluralistic society cannot be allowed to be held to ransom by a few. The fact that apart from pockets of communal influences, a vast majority of Indians are absolutely free in matters of faith, or even non-faith, represents a quintessential India that has worked for years. A file photo of AgustaWestland (AW101) VVIP Airforce Helicopter. The Rajya Sabha on Wednesday witnessed fiery exchanges between the Congress and BJP Members during the debate on AgustaWestland chopper deal. (Photo: PTI) It is all Congress doing Vijender Gupta The Congress has been out of power for almost two years, but their pot of misdeeds is so full that the scams are still spilling out, giving the Congress high command their chickens have come home to roost moment and their minions, sleepless nights. The latest one is the critical judgment by the Italian Court of Appeals at Milan on the kickbacks given by AgustaWestland to seal a 12 AW101 chopper deal in their favour. The Italian court has, in its ruling, made damning observations, putting the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance government in the dock, which it just cannot escape by political mudslinging or manoeuvring. The Rs 3,546 crore AgustaWestland contract created sensation in the Indian political circles when, in February 2013, Giuseppe Orsi, the CEO of AgustaWestlands parent company Finmeccanica, was arrested on charges of corruption. A probe by Italian investigative agencies had alleged that Mr Orsi paid bribes through middlemen, including Indian nationals and consultant, Guido Haschke, an Italian national. The probe further pointed out that the terms of the tender were altered to accommodate AgustaWestland which was competing with American chopper maker Sikorskys S-92 Superhawk. The first tender had a service ceiling requirement of 6,000 metre, which was reduced by the defence ministry in the second tender in 2006 to 4,500 metre. As a face-saving measure, the then defence minister, A.K. Antony, scrapped the scam-ridden deal in January 2014, but did not blacklist the firm. Even the Comptroller and Auditor-General of India brought to light irrefutable facts regarding deviations from the established procedure in procurement of the 12 helicopters. Though the Central Bureau of Investigation initiated the preliminary inquiry after the arrests of by the Italian police, the investigation on the Indian side went on at a snails pace. Even the Italian Court of Appeals made scathing remarks on the then Indian defence ministrys deliberate attempts to derail the investigation by not cooperating with their Italian counterparts. It pointed out that the UPA government showed substantial disregard in sharing key information to reach the truth of the matter. The Italian agencies had sought all documents concerning the Rs 3,546 crore-chopper deal in April 2013, but had received only three documents pertaining to the case by March 2014. The Italian court, in its order, has established the fact that kickbacks to the tune of Rs 360 crore were given. However, Congress leaders who were in power at the time the deal was signed and sealed refuse to reveal the names of the bribe takers. In the course of the Italian probe, the names of Congress high command, including Sonia Gandhi and Ahmed Patel, had cropped up a number of times. The most recent disclosure by Bharatiya Janata Party MP Kirit Somaiya brings to light the link between Rahul Gandhis close aide Kanishka Singh and Mr Haschke, exposing the Congress citadel of corruption headed by the Gandhi scion. The brazenness with which the Congress is fighting the current storm, by flinging charges at the BJP instead of coming clean, does not shock anyone. In fact, it has accepted that its image in the eyes of the Indian masses is that of a party that functions for two sole purposes: to keep the Nehru-Gandhi family politically relevant and to fill its coffers as and when the opportunity arises, thus becoming almost synonymous with corruption. The Narendra Modi-led government has laid out a roadmap to make Indias defence procurement procedure more transparent and accountable while weeding out the delay causing norms that has kept Indias defence base weak and outdated. With the introduction of the defence procurement procedure 2016, it has put emphasis on maintaining highest standards of transparency, probity and public accountability in defence deals, while ensuring that expeditious procurement, high quality standards and appropriate cost needs are established. Vijender Gupta is Leader of the Opposition, Delhi Legislative Assembly Modi & Co. playing a dirty game Sharmistha Mukherjee Lets state the facts first. It is on record that the deal with AgustaWestland to buy choppers for VVIP movement was initiated by the earlier National Democratic Alliance government and the decision to reduce the height of flying ceiling from 6,000 metre to 4,500 metre, to accommodate AgustaWestland, was made in November 2003 by the NDA government. Thereafter, the negotiations started which continued after the change of government in 2004. In February 2010, the contract to purchase 12 helicopters was given to AgustaWestland for Rs 3,546 crore. Two clauses were included in the contract dealing with penalty for use of undue influence. AgustaWestland also signed an integrity pact with the Government of India (GOI). For any breach, the buyer was entitled to forfeit the earnest money, cancel the contract, recover the paid amount with interest and debar the bidder for a minimum of five years. All these were done to prevent corruption. Following media reports in 2012, inquiries were made. In February 2013, UPA-2 cancelled the deal and handed over the case to the Central Bureau of Investigation. In March 2013, UPA-2 proposed to set up a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) on AgustaWestland, but the BJP turned it down. In the meanwhile, the GOI initiated a court case in Italy against AgustaWestland for violating the integrity pact and managed to recover `2,068 crore against payment of Rs 1,620 crore and confiscated three helicopters. On February 2014, UPA-2 started proceedings to blacklist AgustaWestland and its parent company, Finmeccanica. All contracts with the said companies were put on hold and they were blacklisted on July 2014. Its strange that in the same month, the Modi government took an opinion from attorney general to escape banning of these companies. In August 2014, Indias Foreign Investment Promotion Board gave approval to Indian Rotorcraft Ltd a joint venture between AgustaWestland and Tata to produce upgraded versions of the AW119 reconnaissance and surveillance helicopter. AgustaWestland/Finmeccanica was allowed to bid for 100 naval utility helicopters. Its inexplicable that the Modi government not only failed to complete CBI inquiry in two years but also invited AgustaWestland/Finmeccanica to be a part of Make in India. The BJP is accusing Sonia Gandhi and her close associates for taking bribe based on a judgment by an Italian court. In a recent interview, Judge Marco Maiga clearly states that there is no evidence against Mrs Gandhi. She has been indicated as somebody who will fly in the VVIP helicopters. A hand-written budget sheet, supposedly by Christian Michel, an alleged middleman, indicates amounts earmarked for distribution as bribes. The initial AP has given rise to wild speculations as to the identity of the person, despite the fact that there could be a million APs in India. A report in an English daily on April 28, 2016, claims that Mr Michel wrote a letter, dated November 8, 2015, to Mr Modi suggesting the budget sheet may actually be fake: This is one of the oldest tricks played by many hawala dealers in India: leave a fake black book in your safe, falsely naming everyone not involved whom you may have a grudge against, in case you are raided. The AgustaWestland had all the reasons to have a grudge against the Congress leadership since their contract was cancelled. However, the more worrying factor is that if there is any truth in this report, then its clear that Mr Modi and his government are playing a dirty, vindictive game against the Congress and Mrs Gandhi to deliberately discredit the innocent and throttle the voice of the Opposition. The BJP believes in the creed that politics is a game of perception. It has crossed all limits of decency to create a perception through its unscrupulous propaganda machinery that the Congress, especially the Gandhi family, is drenched in corruption. But Indians, with their millennium-old wisdom, believe in a higher, more primordial and universal principle that is incorporated in our national emblem: Satyamev Jayate! Sharmistha Mukherjee is Delhi Pradesh Congress Committees chief spokesperson and national media panelist, AICC Opelika will be the host site Thursday for a meeting open to military veterans statewide in hopes of providing them with help and assistance they may not yet be getting through other agencies such as Veteran Affairs, organizers said. The second board meeting for MyVA Alabama Operation EnTrust, a community outreach program through the Department of Veteran Affairs, to be held on Thursday at 1:30 p.m. at the Lee County Meeting Center. Following the board meeting a community forum with MyVA Alabama board members will be held at 4:30 to 6 p.m. MyVA is a VA program designed to increase community involvement with the VA to resolve issues and deliver better service at the local level for veterans, according to the VAs website. Toby Warren, co-chair of MyVA Alabama Operation EnTrust, said the program helps the VA better serve veterans. For the last two or three years, the VA its brand, its image, the quality of their work has not been satisfactory, Warren said. Veteran Affairs Secretary Robert McDonald entered office in 2014 with a mission to build trust with veterans in the VA, and Operation EnTrust is a part of that mission, according to Warren. The focus of Thursdays meeting will be issues facing disabled veterans, incarcerated veterans and veteran's families. Rear Adm. Clyde Marsh, commissioner of the Alabama Department of Veteran Affairs and MyVA Alabama co-chair, will deliever an opening message at the meeting. The first meeting of MyVA Alabama Operation EnTrust was held in Birmingham in February. Warren said he recommended the second board meeting this Thursday be held in Opelika. We have 9,700 veterans living in Lee County, Warren said. We have a very active, passionate veterans emphasis in Lee County. We have over 500 disabled veterans in Lee County. We also have successful student veteran resource centers one at Auburn University, one at Southern Union. Warren said he hopes veterans in the community will plan to attend the meeting on Thursday. Theres something very special about Opelika and Auburn with respect to our passion and our respect for veterans, Warren said. Goodyear: An airplane powered only by sunlight has arrived in a Phoenix suburb after completing the latest leg of its global trip. The Swiss-made Solar Impulse 2 landed shortly before 9 p.m. PDT Monday at Phoenix Goodyear Airport after a 16-hour flight from Mountain View, California, south of San Francisco. It began the 10th leg of the trek that's now over a year old just after 5 a.m. Slow going, but what views Flying without fossil fuel makes for a long trip. The plane's solar power is captured by 17,000 cells mounted on its wings, which are larger than those of a 747 jetliner. Some of the solar energy is stored in batteries, allowing the plane to fly at night. Ideal flight speed is about 28 mph, though that can double during the day when the sun's rays are strongest. The carbon-fiber aircraft weighs over 5,000 pounds, about as much as a midsize truck. Maybe slow going isn't so bad when you're flying over some of the most scenic places in the U.S., including the Hawaiian islands and the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. Latest stop: The desert After arriving in the Phoenix area Monday night, pilot Andre Borschberg called the trip from California "a beautiful flight." For several minutes after arriving, Borschberg remained aboard as powerful winds buffeted the aircraft, forcing the ground crew to hold it down with straps. "Sometimes it is more difficult to handle the airplane on the ground than in flight," he told reporters later. Video from cameras aboard the plane as well as on the ground at the Goodyear airport showed the Solar Impulse as it flew through the night sky en route to its safe touch down. Co-pilot Bertrand Piccard, also of Switzerland, flew the previous leg, a three-day flight to from Hawaii to California. Why a solar plane? Inventors wanted to highlight the importance of renewable energy and the spirit of innovation Pilots have used layovers to engage with people along the way to explain the project, and project officials said Monday in a statement released to The Associated Press that they will decide in the next few days whether public view of the plane would be possible while it is in Arizona. The overall project is estimated to cost more than $100 million and began in 2002. The single-seat aircraft began its voyage in March 2015 from Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates. It stopped in Oman, Myanmar, China and Japan en route to the United States. The crew was forced to stay on the island of Oahu in Hawaii for nine months after the plane's battery system sustained heat damage on its flight from Japan. Where next? After Phoenix, the plane will make two more stops in the United States before crossing the Atlantic Ocean to Europe or northern Africa, according to the website documenting the journey. But project officials say it hasn't yet been decided exactly where the plane will go next in the United States. "The team is examining a wide range of potential destinations in the mainland to leave a maximum flexibility for route planning," project officials said in a statement. The team has flexibility in choosing destinations because it uses an inflatable mobile hangar and because of "the support and openness of the various airports." It also isn't known yet known when the plane will take flight again. On its previous layover, the plane landed late the night of April 23 in Mountain View, and departed a little over eight days later. Click on Deccan Chronicle Technology and Science for the latest news and reviews. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter. SANTA ANA Seniors from the Santa Ana Unified School District who attend their hometown community college will receive free tuition for the first year. Beginning with incoming college freshmen in September, Santa Ana Unified grads who enroll in Santa Ana College can get their tuition waived. Its the only community college in Orange County to offer a tuition-free first year of school, said Judy Iannaccone, a spokeswoman for the Rancho Santiago Community College District. For a full-time student enrolled in the fall and spring semesters, that could translate to a savings of as much as $1,104 for the school year. Some 1,400 Santa Ana Unified students are freshmen this year at the local community college. About 45 percent of the districts high school graduates enroll immediately at Santa Ana College, Iannaccone said. The nonprofit Santa Ana College Foundation, the State of Californias Award for Innovation in Higher Education, and Santa Ana Colleges on-going Centennial Scholarship Campaign will cover the tuition. Already, about 85 percent of Santa Ana Unified students attending SAC receive fee waivers through the California Community Colleges Board of Governors because they come from low-income families. Contact the writer: 714-796-7829 or rkopetman@ocregister.com ORANGE Vaccines, environmental triggers, parental age its highly unlikely that any of those are driving the dramatic increase in the autism rate, a Chapman University study found. Rather, the study concluded the rate which is now 1 in 50 in Orange County, the highest in the state can be almost completely explained by a change in how the disorder is diagnosed. Two Chapman researchers analyzed 15 years of state special education eligibility data and found many students who once would have been considered to have a condition called Specific Learning Disability are now told they have autism. If the findings are correct, the prevalence of autism hasnt actually changed; its just changed names. The Chapman researchers arent the first to reach this conclusion. Journalist Steve Silbermans book on the topic, NeuroTribes, explores how a 1987 expansion of the medical definition of autism (which was previously much narrower and led to less frequent diagnoses) contributed to the perception that there was an autism epidemic, according to NPR. According to the Chapman study, children who were once given the label Specific Learning Disability are now falling under the autism umbrella. Children with SLD dont have an intellectual impairment, but fall short of expectations on such academic measures as listening, thinking, spelling or mathematical calculations. The shift is a concept the Chapman researchers are calling diagnostic migration. For every new kid with autism, theres one less with SLD, said researcher Donald Cardinal, a professor and former dean of educational studies at Chapman. We are showing that the increase is highly likely not a medical explanation. That alone is massive given how much we are spending on medical research, he said. Cardinal and Amy-Jane Griffiths, a clinical psychologist and assistant professor, unveiled the findings Tuesday to several hundred parents, service providers and researchers. The study has not yet been published in a scientific journal. The professors analyzed special education eligibility designations for every student ages 3 to 22 in California schools from 2000 to 2015. To be eligible for special education, students must have a disability that falls into one of 13 categories, including Specific Learning Disability, autism, hearing impairment and traumatic brain injury. Among the studys results: Only one category, SLD, has substantially decreased in numbers and proportion, by 64,842 students statewide since 2000. The number of students in California with autism has increased six times to 76,755. Only one other category has substantially increased, Other Health Impaired, and researchers believe this is actually an increase in ADHD. The growing rate of autism is not adding to the number of children with disabilities. The total number of students in special education has increased less than the general population, 0.69 percent per year compared with 0.96 percent. The percentage of special education students with autism in Orange County was 18.7 percent last year, up from 2.6 percent in 2000 and 6 percentage points above California in 2015. Cardinal and Griffiths said they also analyzed published research to rule out other factors suspected of causing autism and propelling the autism rate, including vaccines, regional wealth, parental age and ethnicity. Because they looked only at California data, they say the results dont apply to the rest of the nation, but do suggest a larger trend. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention puts the U.S. autism rate at 1 in 68. It has arrived at that figure after funding research that uses similar data to those used by Chapman University. The studys other major finding was Orange Countys autism rate, which Cardinal said is among the highest in the nation. Cathy Brock, executive director for Autism and Neurodevelopmental Disorders in Santa Ana, called the results exciting and impressive. But she cautioned that diagnostic migration does not explain why a child has autism. Were still not answering the question of whats causing autism, and thats often whats on the forefront of parents minds, she said. Contact the writer: jchandler@ocregister.com, Twitter @jennakchandler Re: At Newport Harbor High School, anti-Donald Trump attire sparks worries [News, April 30]: Newport Harbor High students with anti-Trump slogans on their shirts were allowed back in class last Friday. But, in 2010, at a high school in Northern California, during Cinco De Mayo, some boys wearing t-shirts with the American flag were told to either turn them inside-out or go home. Does this sound as if the First Amendment is only for some folks and not everyone? Bob Kohler Irvine There is something happening around Orange County, and it isnt healthy. When I saw on TV all the people that turned out for Trumps speech, I wasnt too surprised. What did shock me was all the rudeness that was happening. As I remember, in the past people were a little more polite and understanding. It is so very sad. I cannot imagine going where someone is speaking just to jeer. Am I the only one who feels that life is deteriorating in good old California? Mabel Rockwell Huntington Beach Walk a mile in HBs shoes Re: Judge orders Huntington Beach to open development for low-income housing [News, April 20]: Perhaps Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Michael Stern should hop on the 405 and check out the blight of mandatory building in Huntington Beach. This was once a beautiful, quiet beach community which was an attraction just for the beach and the little food stands thereon. Now we are so overcrowded with buildings and people that traffic congestion is on every main thoroughfare and while we are stalled along the way we have to look at unattractive buildings that permeate the areas. Seems those who dont live here have the ability to control what the residents want or dont want. Barbara Shepard Huntington Beach A cemetery for everyone? Re: Its time to resolve cemetery dilemma [News, May 1]: Irvine has a cemetery dilemma more severe than that outlined by Bill Cook. Deciding between two proposed sites for a veterans cemetery in the city is the final step in the 15-year battle of shame. However, what is shameful, is that in our well-planned community, a cemetery has never been planned for the rest of us those who have worked here, played here and raised children here. The city still has work to do. Lori Schwartz Irvine ROME Stealing food from a supermarket may not be a crime in Italy if you are homeless and hungry, the nations highest appeals court has ruled. In a case that has drawn comparisons to Les Miserables, the Supreme Court of Cassation threw out the conviction of a homeless man from Ukraine, Roman Ostriakov, who was caught trying to take 4.07 euros (about $4.70) worth of cheese and sausage from a store in Genoa without paying for it. A trial court sentenced him in February 2015 to six months in jail and a fine of 100 euros. The condition of the defendant and the circumstances in which the merchandise theft took place prove that he took possession of that small amount of food in the face of the immediate and essential need for nourishment, acting therefore in a state of need, and therefore the theft does not constitute a crime, the appellate court wrote in its decision, which was reported on Monday by the Italian news agency ANSA. The courts decision went far beyond what the appeal in the case had sought. Valeria Fazio, the prosecutor at the Genoa court where the trial was held, said in a telephone interview that her office understood that Ostriakov had stolen only out of need, and had appealed in hopes that the court might set a more lenient sentence. But the court decided that he doesnt have to be punished at all, Fazio said. The court has yet to release its full reasoning in the case, but Gherardo Colombo, a former member of the Supreme Court of Cassation, said it seemed to rely on an Italian legal doctrine: Ad impossibilia nemo tenetur. The term is Latin for No one is expected to do the impossible. Maurizio Bellacosa, a professor of criminal law at Luiss University in Italy who has often argued cases before the Court of Cassation, said that the application of that doctrine in a shoplifting case has a certain novelty. They rarely apply the state of necessity, Bellacosa said, and when they do, it is generally in cases like a castaway who fights with another shipwreck victim for the last raft he has to save his life. When examining thefts by poor people, he said, usually the court classifies these cases as smaller crimes, but crimes, as poverty is considered avoidable through the social support system. In contrast with the U.S. legal system, the decisions of the Court of Cassation do not necessarily create binding precedents for lower courts to follow. But Bellacosa said the decision in the Ostriakov case is a new principle, and it might lead to a more frequent application of the state of necessity linked to poverty situations. The ruling quickly generated a heated response in Italy. For the supreme judges, the right to survival has prevailed over the right to property, Massimo Gramellini, an editor at La Stampa, a newspaper based in Turin, wrote in an opinion column. In America that would be blasphemy. And here as well, some conformists will talk about a legitimation of proletarian expropriation. In the 1970s, when Italy was rocked by violent leftist groups like the Red Brigades, radicalized youths plundered supermarkets with impunity in the name of the working class, but they stole caviar and Champagne, Gramellini added. Now, people dont steal to pursue an ideal, but to fill up their stomach. Another commentator, Goffredo Buccini, writing approvingly of the decision in the Italian daily Corriere della Sera, likened the current situation to the period right after World War II, when the Italian economy was in ruins. As the law is nothing else but the box where our living together takes shape, it was unthinkable that jurisprudence did not take reality into account, Buccini wrote. He cited statistics from Confcommercio, a trade association, showing that thefts resulting from hunger have been on the rise in recent years. Italy has managed only a fitful recovery from the financial crisis that began in 2008. According to the World Bank, gross domestic product per capita is about where it was in 2010, and the International Monetary Fund projects that the economy will grow by a sluggish 1.3 percent this year. In some Italian cities, homelessness has become more prevalent. Colombo, the former member of the appeals court, said he believed that the decision in the Ostriakov case was correct. Under the Italian Constitution and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, everyone has a legal right to dignity, he said in a telephone interview, emphasizing that he was offering only his own opinion. If you cant eat because you have absolutely no money, and cannot sustain yourself without taking something you dont own, in this case, the Italian criminal law justifies this theft. Ostriakov, 30, was spotted by another customer when he tried to leave the supermarket with cheese and sausage in his pocket after having only paid for some breadsticks. Colombo said it was important legally that the theft was nonviolent. It would have been different if he had committed a robbery, he said. They wouldnt have acquitted him. You dont have to be a Kentucky Derby trivia expert to know California-based horses have historically fared well in Americas most famous horse race, including three of the past four winners of the Run for the Roses. Ill Have Another (2012), California Chrome (2014) and American Pharoah (2015) all represented Californias colors well in Louisville, carrying on a tradition that began in 1940 when Gallahadion parlayed a 13th-place finish in the Santa Anita Derby into victory at Churchill Downs a few weeks later. A three-year stretch (1997-99) with three Santa Anita Derby also-rans Silver Charm (second), Real Quiet (second) and Charismatic (fourth) crashed the Derby party and stole the show. Overall, 17 horses that ran in the Santa Anita Derby have gone on to win in Kentucky. This year, five 3-year-olds with ties to the Golden State are expected to be entered when post positions are drawn Wednesday for the 142nd Kentucky Derby. Four likely post-time favorite Nyquist, Santa Anita Derby winner Exaggerator, Mor Spirit and Danzing Candy are legitimate contenders. A fifth, the maiden Trojan Nation, not so much. At the risk of sounding too provincial, I think generally we have the best horses, with the best trainers, who train their horses the hardest, longtime Southern California handicapper Bob Ike wrote in an email. Ike is now partner/vice president of Horsebills.com and proprietor of BobIkePicks.com. But these things run hot and cold. I think to a large extent it is cyclical, Santa Anita morning-line maker and former Daily Racing Form writer Jon White replied in an email. For example there was a six-year gap between Giacomo in 2005 and Ill Have Another in 2012 in which the Derby winner was not based in California. White believes the sunny weather could have something to do with Southland-based horses running well in the Derby. Trainers in Southern California generally can train in the winter and spring with far less interruptions due to weather than in other regions of the country, he said. But it cant just be the weather because trainer Laz Barrera had to deal with an extremely wet winter at Santa Anita in 1978, yet Affirmed not only won the Kentucky Derby, he swept the Triple Crown. And this year? Do the Southland-based 3-year-olds have what it takes to keep Derby bragging rights in our backyard? I think the four locals (minus Trojan Nation) have an excellent shot this year, Ike said. In fact, Im picking three of them (Nyquist, Exaggerator and Danzing Candy) in my top four, just not sure in what order yet. Im not a big fan of Mor Spirit, but with (Bob) Baffert training, I might be foolish to leave him out. White says Exaggerators romp in the Santa Anita slop April 9 served to make Nyquist look only stronger on paper. Nyquist has defeated Exaggerator all three times that they have met, he said. White said he holds much respect for Mor Spirit, a colt whos never finished worse than second in seven tries, and warns not to sleep on Danzing Candy, who finished a disappointing fourth in the Santa Anita Derby. He paid the price for going way too fast early in the Santa Anita Derby, he said. The Santa Anita Derby has been run 79 times, and only Cuzwuzwrong (44 and 4/5 seconds) in 1977 and Sharp Cat (45) in 1997 ever ran the first half-mile faster than Danzing Candy (451/5). If Danzing Candy is able to set a more realistic pace in the Kentucky Derby, and I think that is a possibility, he definitely becomes a threat to lead all the way a la War Emblem in 2002, the last wire-to-wire Kentucky Derby winner. No matter the scenario, history tells us theres a good chance Saturdays Kentucky Derby winner will make Southern Californians proud. SANTA ANA A 32-year-old man was convicted Tuesday in connection with the first gang-related murder in Tustin in 11 years. John Saway was convicted of first-degree murder with special circumstances of doing so for the benefit of a gang. Saway is scheduled to be sentenced May 13 to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Co-defendant Sarith Yin, 29, was convicted in January 2012 and sentenced in April of that year to life in prison without the possibility of parole. His murder conviction has since been upheld by the Fourth District Court of Appeal and by a federal court judge. Yin was the first of eight defendants to go to trial for the Jan. 10, 2010, murder of 16-year-old Juan Carlos Rodriguez, according to Deputy District Attorney Troy Pino. The city had not had a gang-related murder before that since 1999. The victim was with a tagging crew at the party the night of his slaying, but there was no evidence he was in a gang, Pino said. Two rival gangs got into a dispute at a party in the 15800 block of Myrtle Avenue, Pino said. Members of one gang left the party and returned later with the big homies in their gang, which led to the gunfire about 2 a.m., Pino said. The victim was hiding behind a tree and was shot while running away, Pino said. Yin was one of the gunmen, but investigators do not think he shot the teen, Pino said. Saway is suspected of firing the bullet that killed Rodriguez, Pino said. Saways attorney, Roger Sheaks, argued that his client was acting in self-defense. There was some ballistic evidence and shell evidence that suggested (the gang members) had fired a warning shot in the air, which is what one witness said, Sheaks said. OK, so they dont know its a warning sign so they shoot back. My argument was the victim was actually struck and killed by (members of a gang he allegedly associated with). They shot their own person in the back. Co-defendant Steven Kao, 25, was acquitted. The victims family had emigrated to Tustin from Mexico, but returned there shortly after his murder, Pino said. Tanya Garcia took an interest in automotive repair as a young girl watching her dad and other men in her Santa Ana neighborhood work on their cars. Its what drove her to transfer from Godinez High after her freshman year to Valley High, where she is a senior this year. Garcia, 19, had heard about the George P. Heidler Jr. Automotive Transportation and Logistics Academy, an award-winning program on the Valley High campus. After two years in the automotive program, Garcia knows her way around a car engine as well as any of the other students in class, mostly boys. Sometimes, even better. There was the time Garcia tried to help a group of guys put a set of spark plug wires back in the right order. Oh, you dont know anything, they told her at first. Then they got frustrated as they couldnt figure it out and said, OK, you do it. Garcia replaced all the wires correctly, in short order, prompting automotive shop instructor Saul Garcia (no relation) to start laughing and tell them, You guys would have been done a lot sooner if you had listened to her. Chalk that up as one of the life lessons that students who want to be automotive technicians pick up along the way as they learn skills that earn them internships, certifications and college scholarships. None of it would be possible without the support of the Santa Ana auto business that George P. Heidler bought in 1973 and grew into what is now Toms Truck Center/Carmenita Truck Center/Kia Depot. Heidler was an early proponent of the automotive academy, along with five other career-focused academies overseen by the nonprofit High School Inc. that is housed at Valley High. The bond between High School Inc.s automotive academy and the Toms organizations has been forged with financial support, mentoring, volunteer activities and other in-kind donations, including the shop uniforms that give students a professional look at competitions and protect their clothing in class. Now the collaboration has earned the 2016 Giving is Living Award from OneOC, an honor presented to the most outstanding nonprofit/corporate volunteer partnership in Orange County. The award is part of the annual recognition given to individuals, nonprofits, local businesses and corporations at the Spirit of Volunteerism Awards hosted in April by OneOC, the countys one-stop shop to help nonprofits grow and successfully engage with volunteers and the business community. An announcement from OneOC said the automotive academy partnership stood out among the 36 nominations for the Giving is Living Award because of exemplary collaborative efforts in preparing Orange County youth to be career-ready and launching them into a successful future. The six academies at Valley High were established in 2008 to address the schools worrisome graduation rate the lowest in Santa Ana Unified and to help develop skilled employees for the local workforce. Students spend three years taking academy courses along with their required high school classes. While other high schools offer training in automotive repair, the Heidler academy is the only one in Orange County accredited by the National Automotive Technicians Education Foundation. The accreditation provides Valley High students access to entry-level certification from the National Institute of Automotive Service Excellence, the organization that certifies professional technicians and shops in the industry. Instructor Garcia beams at a bulletin board where he posted the ASE certificates two of his students recently earned in electrical systems: If you dont understand electrical, youre pretty much going to have a tough time on the others. Garcia is adamant that his students are prepared, from skills to grades to attendance. Im never going to send a student out if theyre not ready for it, he said, reflecting High School Inc.s overall goal of job readiness. High School Inc. partnered with Santa Ana Unified and the Santa Ana Chamber of Commerce to develop the academies, using a study that determined which careers would most likely provide future employment in Orange County. About 1,000 students, or roughly half the Valley High enrollment, are in the six academies, which also include Culinary Arts and Hospitality; Health Care; New Media; Global Business; and Engineering, Manufacturing and Construction. If a student is struggling with school, involvement in one of the academies can be an incentive to push on and keep grades up, said Jennifer Luis, human resource director for the Toms organizations and the point person working with High School Inc. Theyve got something they are really excited about, she said. It helps them show up every day. George P. Heidler Jr., who died in 2010, was a longtime member of the Santa Ana Chamber of Commerce and became a champion of High School Inc. George Heidler was one of the first in the partnership to give a big monetary donation and put his heart and soul and time into helping the kids, said Shaylin Johnson, program director for High School Inc. Foundation. Thats why we dedicated the naming of the academy for him just before he died. Employees have given more than 660,000 volunteer hours to the automotive academy. The company also has loaned vehicles to practice working on and has provided other resources including summer internships, field trips, mentors, references and connections to other automotive businesses. They are always looking for ways to help, Johnson said. K.C. Heidler, the son of George P. Heidler, sits on the board of the Orange County Automobile Dealers Association and has engaged other dealerships and businesses connected to the automotive industry in supporting the academy. Last year, the dealers association donated $15,000 that provided $1,500 scholarships to each of 10 Valley High graduates who are now enrolled in the automotive technology program at Santa Ana College. K.C. Heidler Jr. said there is a shortage of qualified automotive technicians at a time when someone with 10 years experience can earn upward of $80,000 a year. The grease monkey image is outmoded, he said, indicating that much of the work also requires technology skills. Gerardo Favela, a Valley High junior in the automotive academy, likes the cerebral and mechanical parts of the job. Dressed in his blue work shirt and a pair of dark jeans, Favela, 18, joined a crew of students gathered one recent morning around a computer monitor showing the specs to align a Dodge Ram 1500 truck up on a rack in the state-of-the-art shop. Over here, Favela said, you actually get to work on a car. You get dirty. Contact the writer: 714-796-7793 or twalker@ocregister.com In India, an encryption of up to 40-bit is considered legal and services that are implementing this type of encryption have to register with the government. End-to-end encryption is giving Governments across the world a massive headache to battle crime and terrorism, and India is facing the same issue too. With the recent battle between the FBI and Apple where encryption of the data on the iPhone was a big issue, WhatsApp and other messaging platforms are enabling encryption to safeguard the privacy of their users. Though encrypting messages may be a great option where hackers and the government cannot snoop on the users private lives, this causes a huge issue when the police have to crack into messages that are passed on using this channel to protect its citizens. Also read: What-a-relief: WhatsApp to enable group invitations via link, NFC, QR Also read: WhatsApp to get voicemail and two other new features In India, an encryption of up to 40-bit is considered legal and services that are implementing this type of encryption have to register with the government. Those who are using higher encryption are presently in the gray area, and so is the case with WhatsApp. Hence, indirectly, WhatsApp is presently illegal in India, but there are no guidelines as yet in the country which can ban them for now. Also read: WhatsApps new encryption security is a ticking time bomb! However, an RTI activist from Gurgaon, Sudhir Yadav, has filed a petition in the Supreme Court seeking a complete ban on the messaging platform WhatsApp. The petition comes after WhatsApp enabled every messages with the 256-bit encryption, which cannot be broken into. Even if WhatsApp was asked to break through an individuals message to handover the data to the Government, they too would fail as they dont have the decryption keys either. Also read: How to use WhatsApp on both, smartphone and iPad, Android tablet Trak reported that the RTI petition was filed under the registration number DOTEL/R/2016/50413 (they hold the copy of the petition too). According to the report, Sudhir wants to ban WhatsApp because they havde decided to encrypt all messages that get exchanged on the platform. He also said that any terrorist can safely chat on WhatsApp and make plans to harm the country and the Indian intelligence agencies would not be able to tap them to take necessary actions. Also read: How to get the latest WhatsApp update before your friend According to the petition, Sudhir mentions that in order to decrypt any message on WhatsApp, you would need a whopping 115,792,089,237,316,195,423,570,985,008,687,907,853,269,984,665,640,564,039,457,584,007,913,129,639,935 key combinations, which is almost impossible for any super computer. Decrypting a single 256-bit encrypted message, according to him, would take trillions of years. Also read: How to use two WhatsApp accounts on your smartphone with one app Sudhir has also mentions that messaging platforms such as Hike, Secure Chat, Viber and a few others are also in the same zone for high encryption and causing national threat. Sudhir had written letters to TRAI and Ministry of Communications and IT (according to Trak), before filing this petition, but received no reply in return. Also read: Big hoax: 'How to send WhatsApp messages without Internet' Brazil is also facing a similar issue and a judge has managed to ban WhatsApp for 72 hours. If WhatsApp is proven illegal in India (according to the Information Technology Act, 2000), the Supreme Court bench would take a decision soon. Also read: How to use WhatsApp if it gets banned We too think that the new encryption will pose national security issues if the messaging platform is used for terrorism. However, the common man is sandwiched with the issue and will suffer the consequences because of governments snooping into private lives without consent. If the government and intelligent agencies were to make the rules much ahead of time that encryption should be under the said limits and intelligence snooping would be a requirement by law, this issue would not have been the case today. Also read: Another big hoax: WhatsApp video calling invitation message doing rounds However, there are other platforms in which terrorists can safely communicate. The dark internet and bad hackers are well known with many tools that can encrypt messages at higher levels. Using VPN and TOR networking can also be chosen for using these encrypted messaging platforms. Banning WhatsApp, Viber, Hike and many other encrypted messaging networks would not settle the issue, but could give an additional boost to the dark internet. What do you think the government should do? Should WhatsApp be banned in the name of national security? Or should WhatsApp cut down their encryption to lower levels in order to help nations combat crime and terrorism? Is privacy more important than national security? What is your suggestion? Pen down your opinion in the comments below. Click on Deccan Chronicle Technology and Science for the latest news and reviews. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter. COLUMBUS, Ohio The last man standing in Donald Trumps path to the Republican nomination, Ohio Gov. John Kasich ended his campaign Wednesday, making Trump the partys presumptive nominee. Speaking to reporters in Columbus, Ohio, Kasich didnt outline his reasons for ending his bid or mention Trump. Instead, he offered an emotional recount of his exchanges with voters and renewed his call for Americans to spend more time helping one another. He acknowledged it was a message that never seemed to resonate. The spirit, the essence of America lies in the hearts and souls of us, he said. Some missed this message. It wasnt sexy. It wasnt a great sound bite. Despite his inability to win any contests beyond Ohio, Kasich held on to become the last candidate battling Trump albeit for only a few hours. His decision to end his campaign comes a day after his other remaining rival, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, announced he was suspending his campaign. Kasich was visibly emotional as he thanked his family and staff. Nobody has ever done more with less in the history of politics, he said. Earlier Wednesday, Trump told CNNs Wolf Blitzer, I think Johns doing the right thing. I think John will be very helpful with Ohio, even as governor, he said in a clip of the interview. Trump stressed that he has had a good relationship with the Ohio governor and says hes someone the billionaire is willing to consider as his vice president. I would be interested in vetting John, he said. Touting his two terms as governor and 18 years in Congress, Kasich failed to gain traction with GOP voters in a race dominated by Trumps ability to seize on the electorates anger and disdain of political insiders. Although Kasich tried to pitch himself as the best Republican to take on Hillary Clinton, the weight of the non-Trump voters never got behind him. Viewed widely as a long-shot candidate from the start, Kasich jumped in popularity after his strong second-place finish in New Hampshires primary in early February. But from the South to the Midwest, many voters were captivated by his boisterous rivals, and his efforts to cast himself as a nicer alternative fell short. Kasich had pledged to take his campaign all the way to the Republican convention in Cleveland this summer, but his losses in almost all the primaries left him struggling to generate the money and resources needed to sustain a long-term bid. In an extraordinary effort to send the GOP contest into a contested convention, Kasich and Cruz forged an alliance in late April, going to the states where they were most likely to succeed and deprive Trump the delegates needed to reach the nomination. As the race grew increasingly nasty on both sides, Kasich largely maintained his vow not to go negative or, as he told voters to take the low road to the highest office in the land. It may have been a more effective tactic for dealing with his rivals Trump frequently referring to Kasich as a nice guy while lashing out at Cruz with names like Lyin Ted. He eventually did launch a series of blistering criticisms against Trumps candidacy, blasting the businessman for creating a toxic environment and preying on peoples fears. Kasich argued that he would be able to win over Trumps supporters if he gained more attention, saying he understood their economic worries from his own experiences growing up in the blue-collar town of McKees Rocks, Pa. Kasich, 63, plans to return to Ohio, where his second term as governor ends in 2018. ORANGE An American flag was draped over the body of a 25-year-old Marine from Garden Grove on Wednesday morning after he fatally crashed into concrete railing on the 57 freeway, officials said. Robert Telles Jr., who was carrying his military ID card, was the only person in the car. At the scene, a coroners official placed the flag, instead of the standard tarp, over his body. Telles Jr. was driving a 1991 Honda CR-X and going about 65 mph. Shortly after 11 a.m., he swerved from the middle lane on the northbound 57 freeway over other lanes before crashing into the concrete railing near Chapman Avenue, California Highway Patrol Officer Paul Fox said. The vehicle overturned, Fox said, and landed on its roof. He was pronounced dead at the scene. His LinkedIn profile says Telles Jr. worked for the Boys and Girls Clubs of America as a mentor and football coach and was a infantry rileman and recruiter for the Marine Corps. He joined the Corps in December 2011, the profile said. He attended Garden Grove High School, graduating in 2009, was studying psychology at Fullerton College. His Facebook profile said he was a corporal. Anyone with information on the crash is asked to call the CHPs Santa Ana office at 714-567-6000. Contact the writer: 714-796-7802 or aduranty@ocregister.com CYPRESS Over the last decade or so, Clifford Lester has photographed a dozen people who have something in common with his mother. They all survived the Holocaust. Lesters intimate portraits of these survivors will be showcased during a Yom Hashoah ceremony on Holocaust Remembrance Day, beginning at sundown Wednesday at Cypress College where he has been teaching photography for 14 years. The first-ever commemoration of the Holocaust at Cypress College Lesters brainchild will feature five survivors and two children of survivors, a candle-lighting ceremony, performances and an address by 93-year-old Jacob Eisenbach, a retired Villa Park dentist and one of Lesters subjects. Lester describes his portraits of Holocaust survivors as a tribute to his mother, Ursula Lowenbach Foster, who grew up with Anne Frank in Amsterdam and got a mention in the diary of the teen who perished with millions of other Jews. My mother went into hiding in Amsterdam with a non-Jewish family, Lester said. The Nazis came looking for her seven times, but didnt find her. Her brother, Ernst, however, was taken by the Gestapo to the Auschwitz concentration camp, never to be heard from again. The wounds of the Holocaust tormented his mother for a long time, Lester said. But after moving to Yorba Linda, she attended the Chabad synagogue there and took every opportunity to tell the story of suffering she and her people endured. Foster died in 2004 at age 77. That also was when Lester reconnected with Judaism and his roots. He decided to photograph Holocaust survivors a little differently than had been done before against a white background. Hed let every line, wrinkle and crevice on their faces tell their stories. The first survivor he photographed was the late Nathan Langer, founder of the Langer Juice Company in the City of Industry. In 1939, Langer and his family members winemakers in Poland at the time were taken to concentration camps. Langer escaped after learning of his fathers death and went into hiding. He ended up being the sole survivor in his family. Lester said during his photo session with Langer, he asked him to share something he would like to pass on to future generations. (Langer) immediately ended the photo shoot, Lester said. It was too painful for him to talk about the past. He couldnt do it any more. I could see that he carried the weight of the Holocaust on his shoulders. Lester says its a privilege to do this work. He feels a great sense of urgency to complete this project, he said, because many survivors have died, and those still living are in their 80s or 90s. I feel blessed to be able to do this, he said. Every photo I take gives me this connection to my mom. I feel like Im carrying on her work. Eisenbach, also the only one in his family to survive the Holocaust, will speak tonight about his experiences working in a concentration camp for four years in a factory making bullets for the Nazis. Eisenbach says he continues to tell the story of the Holocaust because people should never forget how darkness, discrimination and intolerance led to the death of 6 million Jewish people. He also wants to remember and celebrate those non-Jewish people who protected hundreds of thousands of Jews from certain annihilation. Their actions reinforced his faith in humanity, Eisenbach said. And, above all, he is willing to forgive his tormentors. The only way to fight darkness, Eisenbach says, is with light. Contact the writer: 714-796-7909 or dbharath@ocregister.com Democratic Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom, the highest-ranking official backing the measure, will be joined at the downtown San Francisco event by supporters from the medical community, law enforcement and environmental and drug policy reform groups to celebrate the campaign launch. The effort to legitimize recreational pot for adults is expected to receive national attention given the size and political influence of California. Last year, Gov. Jerry Brown signed historic legislation regulating medical marijuana, which was decriminalized by voters in 1996. The as-yet unnumbered initiative aiming for November has generated more than 600,000 signatures, far more than the 365,000 needed. With funding from billionaire entrepreneur Sean Parker, the founding president of Facebook, the campaign has largely coalesced many of the disparate marijuana groups around the effort. The Adult Use of Marijuana Act would legitimize possession of 1 ounce of marijuana and cultivation of six marijuana plants for adults 21 and over. It would impose a 15 percent excise tax on all retail sales, though localities could still ban marijuana sales in their jurisdictions. It also would impose an infraction and maximum fine of $100 for possession of more than an ounce of marijuana. The proposal is expected to draw opposition from law enforcement and other groups, and was the subject of a critical report by esteemed public health researchers. This will be the second time in six years that Californians will vote on legal pot. In 2010, voters rejected Proposition 19 by a vote of 53.5 percent to 46.5 percent. Newsoms involvement follows his publication of a commission report that he intended to serve as a road map for proponents. A candidate for governor in 2018, Newsom has called the initiative a consensus measure that will respect local preferences and protect public health and public safety. Orange County sheriffs officials testified Tuesday they have uncovered dozens of pages of notes kept by deputies that should have been turned over before the double murder trial of community theater actor Daniel Wozniak. Sgt. Kirsten Monteleone, the Orange County Jails custodian of records, told a judge she never knew that deputies in the special handling unit kept logs about Wozniak and a prolific jailhouse informant. Adam Powell, commander of the sheriffs investigative services, testified Tuesday that he, too, is stunned to learn of the logs and that no one in the command staff of Sheriff Sandra Hutchens knew of them, either. The disclosures came in response to a hearing on the latest records subpoenaed by Assistant Public Defender Scott Sanders, who represents Wozniak and has waged an ongoing war with police and prosecutors over the secret use of jailhouse informants. As Wozniaks death penalty sentencing approaches, the notes on the convicted killer and prolific informant Fernando Perez were recently discovered buried in a jail computer system, sheriffs officials testified Tuesday. The Orange County District Attorneys Office issued a statement late Tuesday blasting the Sheriffs Department, saying prosecutors also had repeatedly requested all records on Perez, a Mexican Mafia leader who has been a key figure in the countys divisive snitch scandal. The OCDA expects police officers to tell the truth and pursue justice, prosecutors said in the statement. The OCDA finds it distressing that these notes would be withheld from the OCDA, the court, and the public until this hearing. The OCDA has been assured by Sheriff Sandra Hutchens that she will take appropriate internal actions to address this issue. Sheriffs Lt. Mark Stichter on Tuesday night responded that the department has worked to comply with all requests for documents and will continue those efforts. Sheriff Hutchens also desires all police officers to tell the truth and pursue justice, he said. Orange County Superior Court Judge John Conley ordered the supervisor of the departments special-handling deputies who work with jailhouse informants to testify Tuesday and explain 78 pages of newly discovered notes. Monteleone, who has been on the job for 15 months, said she was unaware that Deputy Ben Garcia and others kept the logs, which spanned 2008 to 2013. I have no idea how they were doing it, sir, Monteleone testified. I was surprised. After a deputy turned over notes in February in another criminal case, Powell said he sent out an email to more than 300 deputies asking them to turn over any notes they might have kept about their work in the jail. On Tuesday, Conley turned over the notes pertaining to Wozniak and Perez to the public defender and prosecution team and issued a protective order sealing the records to the public. An Orange County jury convicted Wozniak, 31, on double murder charges in December and recommended the death penalty in January. Wozniak, of Costa Mesa, is scheduled to be sentenced May 20 for killing two friends beheading one of them and scattering body parts in El Dorado Park in Long Beach in 2010. Prosecutors said he staged the killing to steal money and finance his wedding. Sanders contends that deputies improperly used Perez, the jailhouse informant, in the case. In October, before the trial, Conley ruled that Sanders failed to show that outrageous government misconduct occurred in the Wozniak case. This week, however, Conley questioned discrepancies in the newly discovered deputy notes provided to the court. On Friday, the judge received 50 pages of notes from the Sheriffs Department. On Monday, the number grew to 78 pages of notes covering a wider period of time. The discovery prompted Conley to call in the departments custodian of records, Monteleone, to explain the handling of the documents. She spent much of Tuesday discussing the documents, the deputies involved and her own lack of knowledge on the issue until recently. It is not the first time the Sheriffs Department has been accused of withholding records. In March 2015, Superior Court Judge Thomas Goethals found that deputies either lied or willfully withheld the existence of a record-keeping system for tracking jail inmates including informants known as TRED. The discovery of the TRED system caused a run by defense attorneys for the records. The discovery of the new logs in the Wozniak case was triggered by another jailhouse informant flap involving convicted murderer Henry Rodriguez. Goethals in February granted a retrial for Rodriguez, who is serving a life sentence for his role in the 1998 shooting death of a pregnant Fullerton woman. Goethals in his ruling said prosecutors failed to turn over records that showed a key witness in Rodriguezs 2006 trial was a seasoned jailhouse snitch working for law enforcement agencies in several cases. The District Attorneys Office is appealing the ruling. The day before he was set to testify in a hearing on the Rodriguez case, Deputy Robert Szewczyk turned over four years worth of notes he had kept while working in the jails special-handling unit. Goethals determined the notes were not relevant in the Rodriguez case, but said he was surprised to see documents like this suddenly wash ashore. A cynic might say how many other such records are there floating around out there, Goethals said in the February hearing. Testimony on the newly discovered notes in the Wozniak case is expected to continue Thursday before Conley. Contact the writer: tsaavedra@ocregister.com The Philharmonic Society of Orange County managed to nab the New York Philharmonic for one of only four concerts it will play on a quick tour of California this week (Los Angeles doesnt get one). The countrys oldest orchestra, founded during the presidency of John Tyler, arrived Tuesday night at Segerstrom Concert Hall and along with it a full house, abuzz at the opportunity to hear the band once more, last here in 2012. As back then, music director Alan Gilbert was on the podium. It was our first look at him then; it was our last (as music director) Tuesday. The 49-year-old conductor, the only native born New Yorker to lead the orchestra, announced last year that he would step down in 2017, in advance of the renovation of the orchestras home, David Geffen Hall. The group has already named Gilberts successor, the Dutchman Jaap van Zweden. Gilbert has been rightly credited for bringing the orchestras repertoire into the 21st century. He is a gifted conductor of contemporary music and of American music. The general feeling about his interpretations of the standard repertoire, however, has been mixed, perhaps an inevitable thing given Gilberts age and nationality but there it is. Still, his program Tuesday was a bit of a surprise, pleasing to most in attendance no doubt but conservative to a fault and featuring the Tragic Overture and Symphony No. 2 by Johannes Brahms and the Cello Concerto by Robert Schumann, with the orchestras principal, Carter Brey, as soloist. Thats a lot of sturdy, gray German orchestration for one evening. The Societys president called the orchestra incomparable in his concert-time remarks and indeed theres not another orchestra that sounds quite like it. I like to think of it as an urban sound, vigorous and brawny and even a little hectic. The brass is aggressive and the woodwinds are brilliant. One doesnt have to feel sorry for the strings, however, who are more than capable of holding their own, lean and muscular and with plenty of thrust in the bass. As in previous visits, once again the orchestra played without the benefit of risers on stage. Somehow, in Segerstrom, this gives a stronger impression of size and space in the sound, or it did here. The string section, spread flat across the stage, sounded gigantic. The brass and timpani entrances came from the back, the woodwinds middle distance. An orchestral geography was audible. And balances were good for the most part, these musicians having a way of elbowing their way into the foreground as necessary. The main exception to good balance was the lead French horn in the symphony; either he was sitting in a sweet spot or he mistook the work for a horn concerto. Gilbert showed himself to be a hearty Brahmsian. Conducting without score or baton, he laid into both works with emphatic address and intellectual rigor. Though his Brahms proved percussive and even pugilistic, it never bogged down or lumbered. The connective tissues in the musical arguments were strong, as Gilbert highlighted lines at will and steadfastly. The Tragic Overture was suitably exciting and lofty. Gilbert stitched together the longer symphony seamlessly, the dynamic contrasts recognized but never showy, the lyricism warm but always propulsive. He put the the finale on a wonderfully slow fuse and eventually it exploded magnificently. In between, Brey played the Schumann with dart-like phrasing and elegant tone. His reading had one odd mannerism; whenever, or almost whenever, the music took a leap upward, he hammered the top note. The slow movement, in which he had a duet with the orchestras first cello, was audibly caressed and glowing. More Brahms came at encore time, specifically the Hungarian Dance No. 6, played with well drilled gooeyness and gusto. Contact the writer: 714-796-6811 or tmangan@ocregister.com LOS ANGELES The union representing nearly 30,000 teachers in the nations largest public university system said Tuesday that its rank-and-file members have overwhelmingly approved a new, three-year contract that grants raises totaling 10.5 percent over the next 14 months. The deal still must be approved by the California State University Board of Trustees, which is expected to take it up at its May 24-25 meeting. The California State University Faculty Association said 63 percent of its 28,000 members cast ballots last month, with 97 percent voting in favor. The proposed deal, reached by negotiators for both sides, headed off a threatened five-day work stoppage by teachers at the CSUs 23 campuses, which enroll 474,000 students. It would grant faculty members a 5 percent raise on June 30 and an additional 2 percent raise the following day. That would be followed by a 3.5 percent raise on July 1, 2017. It would also extend from five years to 10 the time it takes a newly hired faculty member to become tenured. That new tenure requirement would begin in fall of 2017. Chancellor Timothy White has said the tentative pact is expected to cost the CSU system an additional $200 million. He said money the university didnt spend on faculty raises this year while contract negotiations dragged on, plus funds it had already budgeted for raises next year, would cover more than half that cost. White said CSU and union officials would have to lobby the state Legislature and the governor for the rest of the money. This dispute was an unfortunate symptom of a core problem in California, which is that the California State University and for that matter the University of California are underfunded relative to the states need for an educated populace, White said last month after the tentative deal was reached. MINNEAPOLIS In his final weeks, Prince hid signs of trouble from his fans, stonewalling reports of an overdose that required an emergency plane landing and making a brief public appearance to reassure them. But privately, the superstar was in crisis, seeking help from a prominent addiction expert that ultimately came too late. The day before he died, Princes representatives reached out to a prominent Northern California doctor who specializes in treating addiction and set up an initial meeting between the two, the doctors Minneapolis attorney, William Mauzy, said Wednesday. He said the doctor, Howard Kornfeld, couldnt leave right away so he sent his son, Andrew, who flew out that night. It was Andrew Kornfeld who called 911 the next morning after he and two staffers found Prince unresponsive in an elevator at his Paisley Park studio complex, the lawyer said. Prince was declared dead shortly thereafter on April 21. He was 57. The details about Princes death that emerged Wednesday raise questions about whether he received appropriate care and whether those who sought to provide it could face legal consequences for their actions. Although autopsy results havent been released, Mauzys revelations, which were first reported by the Star Tribune, buttress reports that Prince had been fighting and ultimately lost a battle with prescription painkillers. Mauzy confirmed that Andrew Kornfeld, whom he also is representing, flew to Minnesota on behalf of his father in the hopes of connecting Prince with a local physician the morning he was found dead. He said Dr. Kornfeld hoped to get Prince stabilized in Minnesota and convince him to come to Recovery Without Walls in Mill Valley. That was the plan, referring to Howard Kornfelds Marin County treatment center. Mauzy said Andrew Kornfeld was carrying a small amount of buprenorphine, which Howard Kornfeld says on his website is a treatment option for patients with addiction issues that offers pain relief with less possibility of overdose and addiction. But he said Andrew Kornfeld never intended to give the medication to Prince, and instead planned to give it to the Minnesota doctor who was scheduled to see the musician. Mauzy said Andrew Kornfeld was taken into custody and interviewed and told it was a criminal investigation. When asked by reporters about the legality of his carrying buprenorphine, Mauzy declined to answer. But he said he believes Minnesota law would protect Andrew Kornfeld from any potential charges related to Princes death. He said Kornfeld was released the same day and returned to San Francisco. Under the law, a person who seeks medical assistance for someone who is overdosing on drugs may not be prosecuted for possessing or sharing controlled substances, under certain circumstances. Andrew Kornfeld is listed on his fathers centers website as a consultant, and Mauzy said it wasnt uncommon for Howard Kornfeld to send Andrew on his behalf. He said Andrew Kornfeld is a pre-med student and that convincing people to seek treatment at the center is something he has done for years. The Kornfelds did not respond to multiple requests for comment from The Associated Press. Also, messages left with Recovery Without Walls were not returned, and no one answered when a photographer knocked on the door Also Wednesday, the U.S. Attorneys Office said it and the Drug Enforcement Administration are joining local officials in investigating Princes death. A law enforcement official briefed on the investigation has told the AP that investigators are looking into whether Prince died from an overdose. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he wasnt authorized to talk about the investigation. The same official also said investigators are looking at whether Prince had suffered an overdose when his plane made an emergency landing in Moline, Illinois, less than a week before he died. Mauzy said Princes representatives told Howard Kornfeld that the singer was dealing with a grave medical emergency. He declined Wednesday to detail the emergency, and also declined to identify the Minnesota doctor who was supposed to see Prince on April 21. Stuart Gitlow, an addiction medicine expert speaking without direct knowledge of Princes case, questioned whether Howard Kornfeld and his son acted appropriately. If a physician feels that a patient is having an emergency, his obligation is to call an ambulance and get the patient to emergency personnel who can assess the situation not to fly to the patient, Gitlow said. Its not routine for doctors to fly across the country to start people on buprenorphine, said Gitlow, a former president of the American Society of Addiction Medicine and a faculty member of the University of Florida. Thats something that can be handled locally. Authorities havent released a cause of death. An autopsy was done the day after Princes death, but its findings, including the toxicology results, werent expected for as many as four weeks. Prince had a reputation for clean living, and some friends said they never saw any sign of drug use. But longtime friend and collaborator Sheila E. has told the AP that Prince had physical issues from performing, citing hip and knee problems that she said came from years of jumping off risers and stage speakers in heels. Later this week or next, Congress will take up legislation to rescue the commonwealth of Puerto Rico from its financial crisis that is getting worse by the day. Puerto Rico faces more than $70 billion of debt and the government is already in technical default on many of its bonds. Billions more come due in the weeks ahead and the government says they are out of money to repay with the island nation already defaulting on a $422 million debt payment that was due on Monday. These debts dont even include an additional $43.2 billion of unfunded pension liabilities. Add it all together and the debt reaches at least 150 percent of GDP. Thats a lot of weight on the shoulders of the Puerto Rican people. All the government has done is raise taxes, with the sales tax recently hiked from 7.5 to 11 percent. Tragically, Puerto Rico has become the Detroit of the Caribbean. By law Puerto Rico cant declare bankruptcy, but the territory is in de facto chapter 9 already. Republicans in the House have drafted a rescue plan that would allow the island to restructure its debt and delay payments as it attempts to rebuild its shattered economy. The statistics are heartbreakingly bleak: almost half the residents are in poverty (and more than half of all children), only about 40 percent of adults are even in the workforce, half of families collect welfare benefits, and more than 10 percent of the islands residents have left for Florida, Texas, New York or other safe havens. Puerto Ricans are American citizens whose lives have been turned upside down. The U.S. government has a moral, if not legal, obligation to help. But as a territory Puerto Rico needs to agree to help itself. Here is what shouldnt happen: a financial cash bailout from U.S. taxpayers. Puerto Rico is 100 percent responsible for all of its taxes and spending save its social security tax and spending. And as such, U.S. taxpayers had no say whatsoever in the amount of debt Puerto Rico took on and should not have to pay for Puerto Ricos bad decisions. A U.S. bailout would only reward bad behavior and finance another spend and borrow binge. The government of Puerto Rico, many Democrats on Capitol Hill and the media have invented a story here that the villains are the investors and institutions like hedge funds who bought the bonds. The bondholders are certainly not guiltless for lending money to a government that is recklessly out of control. And bondholders will surely pay a heavy price for their financial mistake they are likely to get at most 70 cents for each dollar they are owed. So the bondholders will be punished by the marketplace. The real source of the crisis is the government itself. Puerto Ricos own elected government has failed its citizens. Even on the eve of the crisis, the terrirotry continued to spend and borrow as if they were running a Bernie Madoff ponzi scheme. The Republican plan that has the support of House speaker Paul Ryan, would create a strong financial oversight board to take control of the governments finances, taxes and budgeting decisions. This is an absolute must because the government in San Juan has proven itself incapable of governing. And we know this model works. In the 1990s it helped save Washington, D.C. during its darkest hours of financial troubles. Now the city is booming. Democrats like minority leader Nancy Pelosi are once again accusing Republicans of trying to turn the island into a colonial state. This is absurd and offensive. The GOP plan offers a financial life raft for the island and we believe that if the Puerto Rican legislature or voters prefer to go it alone, they should have a simple up or down vote on whether to agree to a control board. The thorny and controversial issue is how to restructure the outstanding debt. There are at least a dozen classifications of bonds and the bondholders do have a legal right to repayment or to be able to sue in court. About one-quarter of the debt carries a constitutional full faith and credit guarantee of repayment granted by the government of Puerto Rico. Those constitutionally guaranteed bond holders must be put first in line for repayment as is consistent with their legal rights. The Republican plan as currently written would take away their right to sue in court and we find this to be an improper taking of their property and their claim on assets. Any legislation should preserves the hierarchy of bond holder claims. Puerto Ricos government would like nothing more than a weak control board with no teeth, and the authority to illegally cram down a repayment structure without the bondholders consent. This would not only be unfair to the bondholders most of whom are individual investors or pensioners but it would also hurt Puerto Rico in the long term because only a nitwit would ever again agree to buy Puerto Rican bonds when the island has shown it will blatantly violate contractual obligations. Fool me once; shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. Congress and Puerto Rico should also learn from history. One of us, Art Laffer, worked 40 years ago to save the Puerto Rican economy, which was drowning under its own anti-growth policies. The solution agreed to was a supply-side fiscal reform which included cutting the highest personal income tax rate down from 87 percent to 50 percent. The policies worked like a charm. The territorys economy grew every year at a record pace and tax revenues surged even with lower rates. It was a Laffer Curve miracle and the success was one of the inspirations for the Reagan tax cuts, which would help revive the U.S. economy five years later. Puerto Rico, then as now, was bleeding jobs, real output declined and the budget deficit swelled. Yields on Puerto Rican tax-exempt bonds were even higher than New York City tax exempts and New York was also in crisis back then. After the elections of 1976 a new government came in and started slashing tax rates and tax surcharges. Excise taxes were lowered and a special $2 per barrel oil import surcharge has been lifted. Employment from 1976 to 1979 increased by 107,000 jobs. Real growth averaged 6 percent for 1977 and 1978. Even Puerto Rican tax-exempt bond yields have fallen relative to those of other tax-exempt bonds. Even with the tax cuts, the Laffer curve effect worked. The budget actually moved into surplus as the economy surged. Expatriate Puerto Ricans returned to their island as opportunities expanded. This brings us to our last and maybe most important recommendation. Why not turn Puerto Rico into a Hong Kong of the Western hemisphere through new rounds of tax, regulatory, property rights, and welfare reforms. The first step is to restructure the debt and then jump start the dormant private economy so that the standard of living starts rising again. It worked 40 years ago and it can work again in 2016. Arthur Laffer is president of Laffer Associates and Stephen Moore is an economic consultant with Freedom Works. They are co-founders with Larry Kudlow of the Committee to Unleash Prosperity. WEST PORTSMOUTH, Ohio Black hearses carried six of the eight family members slain in southern Ohio to a hillside cemetery, where mourners crowded around blue tents shielding the caskets Tuesday. Some showed up to the last of three funerals for the victims wearing blue jeans, ball caps and bright orange shirts with the words Rhoden Proud, Rhoden Strong. Deputies were posted outside the church where the funeral was held as authorities continue chasing leads on the slayings. Seven adults and a 16-year-old boy from the Rhoden family were found dead April 22 at four homes scattered across a few miles of countryside near Piketon, about 80 miles east of Cincinnati. All eight were shot in the head, some had other gunshot wounds and bruising, and none of the deaths appeared self-inflicted, authorities said. Three young children were unharmed. Tuesdays funeral honored 40-year-old Christopher Rhoden; his ex-wife, 37-year-old Dana Rhoden; their three children, 20-year-old Clarence Frankie Rhoden, 16-year-old Christopher Jr., and 19-year-old Hanna; and Christopher Rhoden Sr.s brother, 44-year-old Kenneth Rhoden. A victims advocate speaking for the family said he hopes the healing can begin soon. David Dickerson, who works for the Pike County prosecutors office, called the funeral extremely somber and said the family is grateful for the support theyve received. The Rev. Mark Seevers said he didnt know the family, but they had requested space at the Dry Run Church of Christ in West Portsmouth and the church wanted to serve them. The southern Ohio community is a close-knit family, and even though it was, you know, 20 to 30 minutes away, it rocked our community, Seevers said. Everyone is grieving and mourning. Authorities are still trying to determine who killed the victims and why. They have conducted nearly 130 interviews and are reviewing about 450 tips and more than 100 pieces of evidence, Attorney General Mike DeWine said Monday. They found a large-scale illegal marijuana growing operation at one of the crime scenes and said pot was being cultivated at some of the other homes, too something not uncommon in this corner of Appalachia but they havent said whether they believe that to be connected to a motive. DeWine said he wouldnt speculate as to whether a threat to the family remains. On the day the bodies were discovered, law enforcement officials urged other members of the Rhoden family to take precautions since it appeared the family was targeted. We have no new information that would indicate that there is a threat to any of the members of the family, he said. We dont have any information on that. And we did not when we initially said it other than the fact we had eight people killed. The funeral home titled their online obituary simply The Rhoden Family, with a section listing how each of those victims was linked to the others and their survivors. Services for a cousin, Gary Rhoden, 38, were held Thursday in South Shore, Kentucky. Mourners remembered Frankie Rhodens fiancee, 20-year-old Hannah Gilley, at a funeral Saturday in Otway. Mumbai: India has rejected Apple Incs request to import and sell refurbished iPhones to the worlds second largest mobile population, a telecommunications ministry official said on Tuesday. The US companys application has been turned down, the official said, asking to not be identified, citing official policy. Apple has been seeking permission to import and sell used phones to court price-conscious consumers with a similar proposal rejected in 2015 by the environment ministry. Apple declined to comment. Apples rivals have mounted a public campaign against the effort, arguing that such a move would trigger a flood of used electronics while defeating the governments Make in India programme to encourage local manufacturing. The decision is a setback for Apple, which has just 2 per cent of Indian phone shipments but needs to tap new markets as global iPhone sales plateau. The US company is also seeking permission to open its first Indian retail stores, key to driving its brand in a market dominated by local vendors. That decision is pending. India is a challenging market because of the iPhones premium pricing but bringing in refurbished phones would have allowed Apple to attract the cost-conscious. The company typically doesnt lower prices, to maintain its marquee image. (The article was contributed by Saritha Rai from Bloomberg via Financial Chronicle) Click on Deccan Chronicle Technology and Science for the latest news and reviews. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter. Nashville songwriter Chris Waters Dunn penned nine No. 1 hits a couple recorded by superstars Tim McGraw and Tanya Tucker before quitting the scene to move back to his hometown of San Antonio. Now hes singing the praises of authentic Mexican cuisine in his new book, Enchiladas: Aztec to Tex-Mex. It all came about because of music, he says, a waiting game that gave him time to ponder his next move. All through those years as a songwriter and record producer, youre in a position of waiting for the artist to become interested in a song, waiting for the results of its popularity and waiting another year before the money comes in, Dunn said. I found a real stress relief was the immediacy of preparing a meal and having an instant reaction. Hoping that I could do something that would please people and nurture them. When he mused on what to write about, rather than lyin, cheatin, and leavin, he thought it would be great to go back home to San Antonio and enroll in the Culinary Institute of America. The CIA has only three campuses: New York, Napa and now San Antonio. The Texas location came about through a $35 million gift from Christopher Kit Goldsbury, who sold Pace Foods Ltd. (creators of the popular picante sauce) to Campbell Soup Co. for $1.12 billion. The institute offers the typical programs in French and other traditional cuisines, along with opportunities to learn about the foods of Mexico and the Southwest. Dunn studied there with Iliana de la Vega, owner of El Naranjo in Austin. He graduated and immediately started writing about food. Eventually he came to consider the humble enchilada. It fascinates him still. It is an amazing, complex subject. Look at the enchildada enfrijolada (enchildada in bean sauce). That is probably at least a couple thousand years old, 750 years B.C. Its not exactly like we make it now because of the Spanish (they brought some of the ingredients to the New World). But the beans were cooked with avocado leaf and chilies of some kind and they were eating that at least 2,000 years ago. He wrote the book with Cappy Lawton, a prolific restaurateur who has operated 29 restaurants throughout Texas. With his wife, Suzy, and son Trevor, Lawton owns Cappys, Cappycinos and La Fonda on Main, which has been dishing up enchiladas in the Alamo City for years. I have a huge collection of Mexican cookbooks, Lawton said. The two most iconic foods are tacos and enchiladas, Lawton said. There are several books on tacos but never a major book on enchiladas, and (Dunn) said, I thought about that myself. A few glasses of wine later, we decided, lets write it together. We thought it would take six months to a year but it took three years. Their original idea was much simpler, Lawton said, but he and Dunn agreed that if they were to complete the project, they would do it right. We both like doing things of high quality and Im very proud of what we did, Lawton said. He sure is, offering a Texas-sized discount on his restaurants website: buy three and hell give you the fourth one free. In the book, which has been short listed for the 2016 Best Latin American Cuisine Book in the U.S.A. by the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards, some recipes come straight from La Fondas menu. Others are traditional, such as Enchiladas Suizas, a popular recipe created at Sanborns restaurant in Mexico City. Some are contemorary, like the fresh and delicate open-face shrimp enchilada recipe that would be right at home on a California cuisine menu. As different as they seem, Dunn said all the recipes follow three rules: theyre made with corn tortillas, they have a filling, they have a sauce. They can be rolled or folded and for enchilada novices theres even a recipe in which theyre layered lasagne style. Pastel Azteca (Aztec Cake) is a real favorite of mine, Dunn said. The trick there is to follow the procedure in order. Put a layer of tomato sauce, a layer of chicken, a layer of cheese and tortillas and more sauce. Keep layering and you do want to cover those edges so they wont get too dry in oven. Plenty of sauce keeps everything really, really tender. For experienced cooks who like a challenge, Dunn gives step-by-step methods for traditional techniques such as making corn tortillas from scratch and roasting chilies. He invites readers to dive in as he did and promises success as long as theyre willing to keep practicing. I really think you just need to be brave. What did Julia Child say? You have to have the courage of your convictions. Of course she said that after she dropped a tray of food, but she picked it right back up. Pastel Azteca, which translates as Aztec cake, is an enchilada casserole of alternating layers of corn tortillas, tomato sauce, shredded chicken, poblano chilies, cheese and crema Mexicana. Pastel Azteca Yield: serves 8 For the sauce: 2 pounds Roma tomatoes 1/2 medium white onion, peeled and roughly chopped 2 cloves garlic, peeled 2 tablespoons vegetable oil Kosher salt, to taste For the layers: 3 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (8 ounces each), poached and shredded. (Use your favorite method of preparation, moisten with broth, cover and refrigerate until needed.) 6 poblano chilies, divided use (2 chilies are reserved for topping) 1 1/2 cups crema Mexicana 1 1/2 firmly packed cups queso asadero, grated (or substitute Monterey Jack) For the assembly: 12 corn tortillas Vegetable oil as needed for softening tortillas 1 tablespoon butter or vegetable oil for greasing casserole For the garnish: Chopped tomato Cooks notes: Use caution when working with fresh chilies. On completion, wash hands and work surface thoroughly and do not touch eyes or face. Procedure: 1. To make the sauce, place whole tomatoes in a saucepan, add 3/4 cup water, cover and cook over medium-low heat until the tomatoes barely burst open. Set aside to cool slightly in the cooking liquid. 2. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the cooled tomatoes to a blender along with the onion and garlic. Blend to a very smooth puree, adding tomato cooking liquid as needed to achieve a thick sauce consistency. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a saucepan, add the tomato puree and cook until it slightly darkens, 10-15 minutes. Season with salt to taste, cover and set aside. 3. Prepare the poblano chilies by placing whole chilies directly on a barbecue grill over hot coals or a gas burner flame. Turn the chilies to blacken them evenly. When chilies are evenly blistered and blackened, remove and place them in a paper bag. Place the paper bag inside a plastic bag, close and allow the chilies to steam for several minutes (until cool enough to handle). Remove skins, stems, veins and seeds and slice into strips or rajas. To maintain maximum flavor, chilies should not be rinsed with water. 4. Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Mix the shredded chicken with 2/3 of the poblano strips (reserve a third for topping). 5. To prepare tortillas, pour oil to a depth of 1/2 inch in a heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Heat to low frying temperature, about 300 degrees. Place each tortilla in the oil and fry for a few seconds, just long enough to soften. Drain on paper towels. 6. Butter or oil a shallow, ovenproof casserole dish that will accommodate four tortillas in a single slightly overlapping layer (about 8 1/2 by 12 inches). The dish should be suitable for serving. Spread a few tablespoons tomato sauce on the bottom of the dish. 7. To assemble the casserole, place four softened tortillas in a single layer on top of the tomato sauce, followed by half of the poblano/chicken mixture, 1/3 of the remaining tomato sauce, 1/2 cup crema Mexicana and 1/2 cup queso asadero. 8. Layer with four more tortillas, the remaining chicken/poblano mixture, 1/3 of the tomato sauce, 1/2 cup crema Mexicana and 1/2 cup queso asadero. Top with the last four tortillas and remaining tomato sauce, crema Mexicana and queso asadero. Decorate the top with the reserved poblano strips. 9. Bake in heated oven until the cheese is melted and the pastel is heated through, 15-20 minutes. Remove from oven and garnish with tomato. Loosely cover with aluminum foil and let rest for a few minutes before serving. Source: From Enchiladas: Aztec to Tex-Mex, by Cappy Lawton and Chris Waters Dunn. Traditional recipe adapted by Iliana de la Vega of El Naranjo restaurant in Austin, Texas. Contact the writer: avaldespino@ocregister.com Sen. Ted Cruzs California political director, Mike Schroeder of Newport Beach, said that without his candidate in the race, Hillary Clinton is virtually guaranteed the presidency. I wish wed done better, so a Republican had a chance of winning in November, said Schroeder, a former chairman of the California Republican Party. Its hard to imagine Donald Trump, whos the most unpopular presidential nominee in U.S. history, beating Hillary Clinton. Schroeder said that Cruzs poor showing in Indianas primary Tuesday took the remaining wind out of the campaigns sails. It pivoted on Indiana, he said. It had to do with momentum. Its hard to keep a largely volunteer organization going without momentum. But Schroeder dismissed some of the concerns that Trump could have a lasting detrimental effect on the GOP. Donald Trump will come and go, he said. It will cost some down-ticket Republicans their races, but in the long term there wont be much effect. As fast as bargain brands have flooded Southern Californias $44 billion grocery market, Smart & Final is countering with its own growth plan, rapidly expanding its store count while adding more selection in its aisles. Aldi, the latest newcomer to the regional market, doesnt scare Dave Hirz, Smart & Finals chief executive and a Santa Ana resident. Theyre great stores but arent for everybody, Hirz said. We do well in every demographic in inner-city and upscale communities. Aldi is really focused on lower-income shoppers and has limited appeal. Last Wednesday, Smart & Finals newest store opened in Trabuco Canyon. Hundreds of curious shoppers descended on opening day, perusing a large organic produce selection that has been beefed up to attract more customers. The Trabuco store is a former Haggen, which shuttered last year. Commerce-based Smart & Final took Haggens downfall as an opportunity to further its reach. The grocer is opening 33 stores this year, all in former Haggen locations, as part of its plan to add 120 stores in four years. The chain has added seven stores in Orange County in the past 12 months. The company, which has 246 stores and 10,000 employees, on Tuesday reported first-quarter net sales of $908.5 million, up 10.5 percent from the previous year. The chain reported a net loss of $2 million, which was attributed to store development costs. KEY DIFFERENCES Smart & Final long has been known for its bulk items aimed at small-business owners. Grocery analyst Craig Rosenblum, a consultant with Willard Bishop, said the chain has continued to do well largely because it differentiates itself from traditional grocers. What they are doing better than anybody else is business-to-business. That part of their business is very strong, he said. One-third of store sales are attributed to business customers, Hirz said. Though much of the store is stocked with traditional grocery items, the rest is supersize, such as a 50-pound bag of sugar or bulk paper products. Hirz said the chains goods run 14 percent cheaper than the same items found at Albertsons, another reason why customers like Smart & Final stores. Around 60 percent of Smart & Final stores, including all the stores acquired from Haggen, are Extra stores, a model that Hirz said has done well. The stores have a larger footprint and stock 6,000 additional household items, he said. The beauty is it can totally replace a shopping trip. A legacy store cant, he said. EXPANSION PLANS SPED UP Smart & Finals original expansion plan this year included opening 22 stores, but that changed when the chain acquired the Haggen stores, Hirz said. Hirz said the company is growing its store count at a manageable pace. Ten percent growth is just the right amount to attract great associates, he said. Haggen expanded from 18 stores and added 246 stores. Thats very aggressive and hard to pull off. Instead of adding 100 stores in four years, the chain will add closer to 120. Smart & Final bought the Haggen stores for roughly $70 million and spent another $70 million renovating them, Hirz said. He said the stores were worth the high price tag because of their low rents. A lease in Trabuco Canyon normally would cost around $24 a square foot, but the lease Smart & Final acquired was closer to $12 a square foot. RECENT CHANGES To attract more customers, Smart & Final has bulked up its organic produce department and brought it closer to customers as they walk in. Hirz said the enhanced selection, which now includes some 113 organic items, has brought in more repeat customers. Smart & Final also recently added cut fruit to 15 stores, all of which were recently acquired stores that came with the necessary equipment to cut the fruit. New additions also include hot bakeries, expanded cheese and fish sections, and more craft beers. That has helped the store appeal to customers in more upscale communities like Trabuco Canyon and Corona del Mar, Hirz said. Smart & Final also has upped its private brand under a handful of labels, including First Street and Sun Harvest. Those goods are more profitable than national brand equivalents, Hirz said. A national brand might bring in 20 percent profit for Smart & Final, but the stores private label would bring in 26 percent. Contact the writer: hmadans@ocregister.com or Twitter: @HannahMadans For the second week in a row, the Arkansas Travelers can lay claim to one of the best players in the Texas League. Last week, Alex Blackford was named Pitcher of the Week, and on Monday Sherman Johnson was awarded Player of the Week. The left-handed hitting infielder got even better news just hours after receiving the award: a call-up to Triple-A Salt Lake. Its his first call-up to Triple-A after spending all of 2015 with Arkansas and three years between Rookie and Advanced-A. Johnsons 2016 season began with modest numbers, but after returning from a minor injury in mid-April, hes developed the hottest bat in the order and has become one of the top offensive performers in the Texas League. His .369 average and .481 on-base percentage lead the league. He is slugging at a .667 clip (third in the league) and has scored 18 runs (fourth). Johnson was on a modest three-game hitting streak when he went down with a minor injury to his side after a doubleheader at Frisco on April 18. He reemerged a week later with a red-hot bat, extending the hitting streak to 10 games. Against the Springfield Cardinals last weekend Johnson went 10-for-18 with three doubles, two home runs and three RBI. His hit streak along with a 13-game on-base streak came to an end in the series finale Monday. Johnson was used more in the leadoff spot in the lineup after returning from his injury, to great results. In 10 games at the top spot this year, Johnson is batting .447 (17-for-38) with five extra-base hits and a walk. While the hits and batting average have climbed over the past week, so have the on-base percentage and runs scored. Im hitting at the top of the lineup so Im just trying to get on base, Johnson said. When I do get pitches to hit out over the plate, Im trying to hit it hard and hopefully they fall. Arkansas manager Mark Parent has also shown an affinity for mixing up his batting order. Through 24 games he has yet to use the same lineup twice. Even though Johnson will be playing under a new manager in Salt Lake, he knows how to keep on his toes. You have to be prepared to play any position and hit in any spot in the order, he said. Im trying to come out here and work on everything so Im not surprised at all. Johnson also has had the privilege of taking part in the Angels major league spring training camp for the past two years and has taken note of what it takes to advance to that highest level. Im just trying to get better every day and whatever that entails, he said. You can always get better and going to big league spring training, you see that. Those guys are always trying to get better and theyre the best in the world at what they do. For the second week in a row, the Arkansas Travelers can lay claim to one of the best players in the Texas League. Last week, Alex Blackford was named Pitcher of the Week, and on Monday Sherman Johnson was awarded Player of the Week. The left-handed hitting infielder got even better news just hours after receiving the award: a call-up to Triple-A Salt Lake. Its his first call up to Triple-A after spending all of 2015 with Arkansas and three years between Rookie and Advanced-A. Johnsons 2016 season began with modest numbers, but after returning from a minor injury in mid-April, hes developed the hottest bat in the order and has become one of the top offensive performers in the Texas League. His .369 average and .481 on-base percentage rank first in the Texas League. He is slugging at a .667 clip (third in the league) and has scored 18 runs (fourth). Johnson was on a modest three-game hitting streak when he went down with a minor injury to his side after a doubleheader at Frisco on April 18. He reemerged a week later with a red-hot bat, extending the streak to 10 games. Against the Springfield Cardinals last weekend Johnson went 10-for-18 with three doubles, two home runs and three RBI. His hit streak along with a 13-game on-base streak came to an end in the series finale Monday. Johnson was used more in the leadoff spot in the lineup after returning from his injury, to great results. In 10 games at the top spot this year, Johnson is batting .447 (17-for-38) with five extra-base hits and a walk. While the hits and batting average have climbed over the past week, so have the on-base percentage and runs scored. Im hitting at the top of the lineup so Im just trying to get on base, Johnson said. When I do get pitches to hit out over the plate, Im trying to hit it hard and hopefully they fall. Arkansas manager Mark Parent has also shown an affinity for mixing up his batting order. Through 24 games he has yet to use the same lineup twice. Even though Johnson will be playing under a new manager in Salt Lake, he knows how to keep on his toes. You have to be prepared to play any position and hit in any spot in the order, he said. Im trying to come out here and work on everything so Im not surprised at all. Johnson also has had the privilege of taking part in the Angels major league spring training camp for the past two years and has taken note of what it takes to advance to that highest level. Im just trying to get better every day and whatever that entails, he said. You can always get better and going to big league spring training, you see that. Those guys are always trying to get better and theyre the best in the world at what they do. LAGUNA BEACH After seven Muslim women filed a civil rights lawsuit against Urth Caffe, saying they were targeted and humiliated by management at the Laguna Beach location, the restaurant chain announced its intention to counter-sue, claiming the lawsuit is fraudulent. The women, represented by three attorneys, discussed their grievances against Los Angeles-based Urth Caffe in a press conference Tuesday at the Plaza of Flags at the Santa Ana Civic Center. The women were singled out and targeted because they appeared to be Muslim, said attorney Mohammad Tajsar. Urth Caffe targeted these women as a way of cleansing their location of women that appeared to be Muslim to appease the Islamaphobia in a predominantly white Laguna Beach community. Shallom Berkman, owner of Urth Caffe, disputed the claims. His wife, Jilla, who is Muslim, was the one who advised management to call police after the women became rude toward restaurant staff, he said. Urth Caffe announced Wednesday that it is being represented by the American Freedom Law Center, a firm that specializes in faith-based lawsuits. Urth Caffe did not discriminate against the women who have filed this fraudulent lawsuit, said David Yerushalmi, co-founder and senior counsel for the center. The lead plaintiff (Sara Farsakh) in the frivolous lawsuit is a college-age activist for Palestinian causes. We intend to sue Farsakh and her co-conspirators for trespass and to seek damages. Yerushalmi said he will file a counter-complaint quickly. The incident occurred April 22 when the women met at Urth Caffe for dinner, dessert and coffee, said Soondus Ahmed, 28, one of the litigants. They selected seats on the outside patio, near the entrance of the restaurant. Six of the women were wearing hijabs, a traditional headscarf, Ahmed said. At about 8:15 p.m., Ahmed said, her group was asked to leave for violating a restaurant policy of sitting at a table longer than 45 minutes after eating or ordering. Surrounding them were at least 20 open tables, she said. Farsahk recorded the incident, which went viral on Facebook. I believe we were targeted because we were visibly Muslim ladies in a prominent spot, said Ahmed. When the group refused to leave, protesting that there were vacant tables, the restaurant manager asked a security guard to usher them out, according to the lawsuit. When they still didnt leave, the manager called Laguna Beach police to assist. Attorney Tajsar said the restaurant has experienced a history of neighborhood hate crimes against Muslims, including egg-throwing, tire-slashing and racial taunts in March and April. Laguna Beach police Capt. Jason Kravetz said his department has a record of nuisance calls in the neighborhood surrounding the restaurant, but that they were not motivated by religion or ethnicity. From our side, we are not aware of any anti-Muslim sentiment there, Kravetz said. Hussam Ayloush, executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, said his group is monitoring the case. We remain concerend about the possible bias motive involved in this incident in the wake of recent events where Muslims were kicked off a plane or refused service simply for being a Muslim, Ayloush said. Urth Caffe regulars were surprised by the controversy. I think this is absurd, said Carla Bertaina, a Laguna Beach resident who was at the restaurant Wednesday with her husband, Rory. Ive been here many times and seen many nationalities. Customer Daniel Ailee, of Irvine, said he was saddened by the events. Ive been there on multiple occasions with my Muslim friends that also wear the hijab and we were treated like everyone else in the cafe, he said. Contact the writer: 714-796-2254 or eritchie@ocregister.com or Twitter:@lagunaini The OECD Observer online archive takes you on a journey through half a century of public policy and world progress. Since November 1962, the OECDs experts and leading guests offer insights on the questions facing our member countries with concise and authoritative analysis, and provide our audiences with an excellent opportunity to understand policy debates and consider solutions. Each edition of the OECD Observer reports on a core theme of the OECDs on-going work, from economics and society through governance, finance, and the environment, and articles are bolstered by tables and graphs. Although under heavy cover, this is the first time weve seen the new 2018 Jeep Wrangler in action. Photographers were able to capture some images of a four-door version of the new Jeep testing just outside of Auburn Hill, Michigan. Although it is covered with a significant amount of camouflage, this is the first look at what we can expect in the next-generation Wrangler. There have been talks that the new Wrangler will have improved aerodynamics compared to the current JK model, and the more angled windshield that is less vertical points to this concept. The front end also appears to be slightly longer as well. MORE: 2018 Jeep Wrangler Prototype Gallery One of the more notable changes even under the heavily camp is the fact that the wheel wells appear to bulge out farther over the tire reminiscent of the Baja bug styling. Weight reduction is also something weve been told to expect, though we expect Jeep to retain steel construction throughout most of the body even though aluminum pieces will ne used in areas to reduce weight. We expect the Pentastar V6 to still be the main power plant on the next-gen Wrangler though it will likely be paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission. We also except to see the 3.0-liter V6 turbodiesel as an optional engine, as the engine is already employed on the Jeep Grand Cherokee and Ram Ecodiesel. Theres also been speculation regarding a hybrid powertrain as well, but Chrysler representatives have refused to comment on this. We expect to see the Wrangler sometimes early next year, with an on-sale date near the summer of 2017. As many as 8,056 incidents of website hacking were reported in the first three months of 2016. (Representational image) New Delhi: As many as 8,056 incidents of website hacking were reported in the first three months of 2016, Parliament was informed on Wednesday. In written reply to a Lok Sabha question, Communications and IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said that the total number of "cyber security incidents including phishing, scanning, malicious code, website intrusion, denial of service stood at 41,319, 44,679, 49,455 and 14,363, during the years 2013, 201, 2015 and 2016 (till March), respectively. Citing information reported to and tracked by Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In), the Minister further said these cyber security incidents included 28,481, 32,323, 27,205 and 8,056 website hacking incidents during 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016 (till March), respectively. "In addition, 54,677, 85,659, 61,628 and 13,851 spam (unsolicited email) incidents were reported to CERT-In during the year 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016 (till March), respectively," Prasad said. Over a period, the nature and pattern of incidents have become more sophisticated and complex, he added. "The National Cyber Security Policy is released for public use and implementation by relevant stakeholders. The objective of the policy is to create a framework for comprehensive, collaborative and collective response to deal with the issue of cyber security at all levels within the country," he said. In addition, the government has formulated cyber crisis management plan for countering cyber attacks and cyber terrorism for implementation by all ministries/departments of central government, state governments and their organisations and critical sectors, he added. Click on Deccan Chronicle Technology and Science for the latest news and reviews. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter. Officers arrived to find her with at least one gunshot wound, police said. She was rushed to the hospital, where she was pronounced dead. (Photo: Representational Image) San Francisco: A 48-year-old Indian-American woman has been shot dead in the US state of California with police arresting her husband for her murder. Sonia Nallan, technical recruiter at Encore Semiconductors was allegedly shot dead by her husband James Nallan, also an Indian-American, at a home on Indigo Oak Lane, San Jose. James, 63, was arrested and booked into the Santa Clara County Jail for murder. Officers arrived to find her with at least one gunshot wound, police said. She was rushed to the hospital, where she was pronounced dead. The motive in the shooting that took place on Saturday is still under investigation, San Jose Police Department said. There are no outstanding suspects. Sonia has left behind her two sons, Sahil, 21, who attends UC Berkeley and Nitin, 20, who attends UC Irvine. Chris Nallan, the suspect's younger brother, visited the Nallans' two-story stucco said the family is in shock. "They had a wonderful relationship," he was quoted as saying by The Mercury News. James and Sonia met at a technology firm and had been married for decades, Chris Nallan said. About seven years ago, James suffered severe injuries in a fall while doing home repairs. And he fell into a coma for three months. When he awoke, his personality had changed dramatically, his brother said. Once fun-loving and engaging, he became withdrawn, and his moods were unpredictable, Chris said. Sonia Nallan cared for her husband, who was unable to work, he said. My coffee-drinking, Depression-era parents would cringe if they were still alive. I spent at least $613 in six months at Starbucks. At that rate over a year $1,226 its roughly 2 percent of my annual earnings. Even for someone who makes far more than I do, thats a lot of cash. But I know Im not alone. Look at the lines at Starbucks early in the day. Read Starbucks 2015 financial report: The company racked up $19.2 billion in net revenue in 2014-15. Its not just the coffee or the lattes or the pastries. Its the smell of the place, the earth tones, the rock and jazz playing overhead, the fact that many employees know your name. The company discovered a formula blending comfort and cool, cocoon and escape. Its the contemporary version of Cheers. The atmosphere is, of course, carefully crafted. Although Starbucks corporate office in Seattle declined to grant an interview, local coffee-shop company Scooters said the feel of its stores is crucial. So much goes into it, too, said Scooters spokeswoman Jamie Hamburg. Scooters recently decided to raise the height of its tables slightly to more easily accommodate laptop computer users. Scooters has decided to incorporate more colors, such as light blues and yellows, and art and photography that emphasize warmth and friendliness. The company buys blenders that arent so loud that they wreck the ambiance, she said. In his letter to shareholders last year, Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz used the term magical coffee experience. There is wizardry in the way Starbucks takes my money. I told another frequent visitor to the Starbucks at 222 S. 15th St. about how Id monitored my spending there over six months. I dont want to do that, said 25-year-old Kate Ottoson, a Union Pacific finance employee. Who could blame her? I wouldnt have done it if I hadnt sensed that it would appeal to other readers who are hooked on the experience, like I am. I would happily reveal my idiocy for a story. I paid for at least 120 cups over six months, usually tall, skinny, vanilla lattes ($3.78 including tax), although I bought some less-expensive coffees on occasion (Pike, $2.03) and a few bottles of grapefruit drink (about $2 apiece). Not included in the $613 are purchases made with gift cards, of which I received several at Christmas. Occasionally I bought coffee for friends, and those are included in the tally. Sometimes they bought coffee for me, and those are not included. Also in the total are 20 purchases of pastries and sandwiches, about $91 worth. I included tips in my tally, but sometimes I dumped the change out of my pocket and that estimate $89 is far from precise. Barbara Cook, a financial adviser for Curnes Financial Group in Omaha, said you need to ask yourself whether youre saving adequately for retirement. Adequately would be around 10 percent of your salary. Cook said if you start at age 35 putting into a retirement account $100 a month about what Im spending at Starbucks you will have accumulated $113,353 by the time youre 65, assuming a conservative 7 percent return. People are living longer, and they should plan on building savings that will last 30 years after retirement, she said. You dont want to run out of cash in old age, she said. Coffee would be an easy place to cut back on, she said. She recommended that I make my own coffee. Lets say I brought a Thermos of coffee to work. For $9.49 I could buy a big can of Folgers Gourmet Supreme. I could get 32-ounce bottles of Hy-Vee Italian sweet creme for $2.77 apiece. I could buy 100 packets of Hy-Vee sweetener for $1.99. Without doing the math here, if I needed multiple bottles of cream, two boxes of sweetener and somewhat more than one can of coffee, I might spend about $40 for 120 cups of coffee. A similar number of cups at Starbucks, including many vanilla lattes, cost me about $433, excluding tips. Mike Booth, a financial adviser with Heritage Financial Services in Omaha, said people should put money away for retirement while not accumulating a lot of credit card and other debt. He, too, said saving $100 a month for retirement could make a big difference. Booth, who makes a lot more money than I do, said he spends about $600 a year at Scooters coffee shop, mainly on smoothies ($4.75 to $5.55, depending on the size) for his three daughters. Im a pushover when it comes to my daughters, Booth said. Scooters is no goliath like Starbucks, but it, too, appears to be booming its way through this golden age of gourmet coffee. The locally grown company, which started with a Bellevue drive-thru in 1998, now has shops in Iowa, Kansas, South Dakota, Colorado, Missouri, Texas, California, Utah and Georgia, Hamburg said. The company has 132 stores, having added 30 last year, she said. Scooters aims to add 50 this year. It plans to move into Oklahoma, Arizona and Florida. The core business of Scooters is drive-thru, but it has sit-down shops as well. Regardless, quickness of service, politeness and knowing your regular customers are big factors, she said. When you go into the coffee industry, thats important, Hamburg said. Rao Vootla, a Union Pacific software engineer, came out of the downtown Starbucks with his cup of Pike in hand. They make it real hot, real fresh, he said. But, Vootla said, its also the decor, the way its all presented that makes Starbucks appealing. Its a good experience. The staffers want to help, they remember who you are and what you drink, said Vootla, 45. I look at that figure $613 in six months and wince. What is the Starbucks experience worth to me? Early most mornings, I meet a colleague there. We know about half of the employees, if not more, by name. Our conversations with them are short but pleasant. We mention a movie or they make a big deal out of the fact that you got a mocha instead of a latte this day. We laugh. My friend and I await our coffee at the end of the bar. We talk between us about sports, work, dogs, politics, family. Our drinks arrive. Its time to walk a block to work. A little ritual in the day, light and carefree, has ended. A part of Warren Buffetts empire is behind the planned transformation of a nearly 500-acre tract that includes high-profile Boys Town farmland near 144th Street and West Dodge Road. Applied Underwriters Inc., acquired a decade ago by Omaha-based Berkshire Hathaway, is finalizing a contract to buy the undeveloped land from Boys Town and the DeMarco family, Omaha developer Jay Noddle told The World-Herald. On a piece of the vast farm area, Applied Underwriters intends to build a new hub for its local workforce of between 650 and 700. The rest is to become more offices, shops, housing, restaurants, hotel rooms, public space and more. Said Noddle: These are spectacular pieces of property that, developed together, will be a tremendous addition to the Omaha community. Noddle, whose firm was tapped to be master developer, said Applied Underwriters will retain an executive headquarters in the San Francisco Bay area but wanted an investment opportunity and updated digs for its main business operation, which has been in Omaha since 1998. The company, which describes itself as a financial service firm that provides workers compensation and payroll processing services nationwide, has its local workforce scattered among three buildings in the Old Mill office park. Its leaders, Noddle said, have faith in the local business climate and view the redevelopment site as a long-term investment in the companys growth. The World-Herald reported last month that a buyer was assembling the two chunks of prime real estate for redevelopment. Until now, Applied Underwriters would not disclose its role. Noddle said the company does not seek a lot of publicity. But with buzz increasing, he said, founders Sidney Ferenc and Steven Menzies asked him to speak on their behalf. In key ways but on a grander scale, Noddle said, the redevelopment process will unfold similar to midtowns Aksarben Village. The village rose on the former thoroughbred racing grounds owned by the Ak-Sar-Ben Future Trust. The Trust partnered with Noddle, who as master developer assembled a team of developers who each focused on a part of the urban village that sprouted offices, housing, retail, a theater, hotels and a big park. Noddle and other developers have ownership interest in the village. The combined Boys Town and DeMarco land is about seven times bigger than Aksarben Village, which was first announced 11 years ago and is near 67th and Center Streets. Noddle said its likely that two distinct corporate campuses will be built on the new site one of which will be Applied Underwriters. Each campus would cover 30 to 40 acres and be surrounded by shops, public spaces and structures that could fit a particular character or identity. Noddle said hes striving for a full-service hotel and retailers new to Omaha. He envisions different housing types, such as apartments, condos and villas. A specialty use could reveal itself during the planning process, he said. An example, perhaps, could be a religious facility. If all goes as hoped, Noddle said, construction could start in 12 to 15 months. Applied Underwriters would be among the first structures to rise. But tenants probably wont start moving in until late 2019 or 2020, Noddle said. With the project yet in preliminary stages, he said, the Applied Underwriters building hasnt even been designed. The Pittsburgh-based Urban Design Associates and an HDR land planning team are working with Noddle on zoning and planning matters. (Other partners will join later.) Two municipalities are involved, the Village of Boys Town and the City of Omaha. The sale of the property is expected to close later this year. Since The World-Herald reported the proposed transaction last month, Noddle said, hes fielded numerous calls from developers, potential retailers and others. He said hes keeping a list but for now is uncertain of any tenant beyond the independently managed Applied Underwriters. Founded in 1994 by Ferenc and Menzies, the privately held Applied Underwriters was acquired in 2006 by Buffetts Berkshire conglomerate. Even before then, the founders were familiar with Buffetts hometown. Thats because in 1998, Applied Underwriters had moved nearly all of its operations from California to Omaha to escape the difficult employment conditions of the regions high-tech boom, The World-Herald previously reported. The company went on to do more and more business with Berkshire subsidiaries, especially with National Indemnity Co., which fell under top Berkshire insurance executive Ajit Jain. Ferenc said earlier that the Jain connection probably gave him the entree to Buffett, whom he met for the first time in November 2005. At that time, outside investors who previously had bought into the insurance company were interested in a liquidation event to sell their holdings. Not long after that 2005 meeting, Ferenc, Menzies and Buffett reached a purchase agreement that kept the company founders in charge and offered sound financial backing for future growth. Buffett, at the time of acquisition, said he was delighted with his new partners. We invest in companies that are industry leaders and that offer significant growth potential, Buffett said then. Applieds management team has the disciplined mindset necessary to lead a profitable underwriting operation. Ferenc said afterward that the new relationship was generating positive market activity. Warren Buffett is recognized and respected worldwide for his business acumen and for his proven ability to choose market winners, he said. According to the company, its assets grew from about $1 billion at the end of 2010 to $2.7 billion at the end of 2015. Those who attended last weekends annual Berkshire shareholders meeting in Omaha will recall Applied Underwriters mascot as one of the stars of the exhibition hall: a giant inflatable St. Bernard rescue dog. Asked whether other Berkshire-owned companies will join the new campus, Noddle said: Weve had no discussions at all about other Berkshire Hathaway-related businesses being involved. He said thats a popular question asked of him. World-Herald staff writer Steve Jordon contributed to this report. Berkshire Hathaway Inc. owns the Omaha World-Herald. Contact the writer: 402-444-1224, gonzalez@owh.com Developers of a chicken plant for Costco are still interested in Nebraska, their consultant confirmed to The World-Herald. But he declined to discuss whether a site south of Fremont is under consideration. The project continues to look at options in Nebraska, but we cannot comment on the status of any particular site, Deloitte principal Darin Buelow said in an email. Landowners and the mayor of Fremont said Monday that farmland south of the Hormel Foods plant in Fremont, on the south side of Old U.S. Highway 275, is under consideration for the plant. But other Fremont sites are being considered too, officials said. Meanwhile, opponents of the project, who emerged when developers were looking at a site near Nickerson, Nebraska, just north of Fremont, said Tuesday that they remain concerned about the plant no matter where it might be built. The Nebraska Communities United group said city and economic development officials who favor the plant are stifling public discussion. The group called for more discussion of issues including: What they say are the risks of disease associated with raising poultry. Whether area farmers could realistically turn a profit raising chickens. The pressure they say the plant and its 1,100 employees would put on area roads, housing and schools. The citizens of this county have never been invited by Costco for any discussion and review of the projects plans, the group said. Only the positives of this project have been discussed by Greater Fremont Development Council, the City of Fremont and the owners of the poultry plant. Opponents were not included in an April 17 event, held on private property northwest of Fremont, where news media and invited guests could talk about the project and mingle with officials from Costco and its partner, Lincoln Premium Poultry, a Georgia company to be involved in running the plant. Cecilia Harry, executive director of the Fremont Economic Development Council, disputed that discussion is being stifled. She said the council is putting information about the project on its website, has conducted radio interviews and has sent volunteers door to door to more than 1,000 Fremont homes to pass out information. The council also organized small group meetings last month at which Nickerson area residents could meet with a plant project representative, before Costco and Lincoln Premium revealed they are part of the project, she said. We feel we have been covering public engagement in a lot of ways, Harry said. There will be more chances to discuss the project in public if Lincoln Premium and Costco elect to proceed, Harry said, referring to city and county meetings. We totally support there being a part of the process where the public is engaged, Harry said. If we are fortunate enough to have another site selected, there will be a public approval process. Contact the writer: 402-444-1336, barbara.soderlin@owh.com Johnson & Johnson must pay $55 million to a 62-year-old South Dakota woman who blamed her ovarian cancer on the companys talcum powder in the second such trial loss this year. J&J is accused in more than 1,000 lawsuits in state and federal courts of ignoring studies linking its Shower-to-Shower product and Johnsons Baby Powder to ovarian cancer. Women contend the company knew the risk and failed to warn customers. In February, J&J lost a $72 million verdict in the same St. Louis courthouse to the family of a woman who died of the disease. The more talc verdicts that come down against them adds to the publics growing distrust of their baby powder, which is one of their iconic products, said Carl Tobias, who teaches product-liability law at the University of Richmond in Virginia and who isnt involved in the case. There are both economic and reputational issues that may motivate them to start thinking about a global settlement of these cases. J&J, the worlds largest maker of health care products, denied any link between talc and ovarian cancer or any need to warn women. The company will appeal the verdict, Carol Goodrich, a J&J spokeswoman, said in an emailed statement. Unfortunately, the jurys decision goes against 30 years of studies by medical experts around the word that continue to support the safety of cosmetic talc, Goodrich said. Johnson & Johnson has always taken questions about the safety of our products extremely seriously. State court jurors Monday awarded $5 million in compensation and $50 million in punitive damages to Gloria Ristesund, who was diagnosed with cancer in 2011 after using J&Js talc-based feminine hygiene products for almost 40 years. Ristesunds cancer, after she underwent a hysterectomy, is in remission. Science has been simple and consistent over the last 40 years: Theres an increased risk of ovarian cancer from genital use of talc, Allen Smith, Ristesunds lawyer, told jurors Friday. Ristesund used talc for four decades unaware there were any health concerns, he said. The jury cleared J&Js supplier and co-defendant, Imerys Talc America Inc., of any liability. The outcome was a narrow victory for the plaintiff, with jurors voting 9-3 for Ristesund, the minimum required. The panel initially voted 7-5 for Ristesund, said juror Devon Small, 26, of St. Louis. Jurors struggled to agree on whether talc was a contributing factor in ovarian cancer, said jury forewoman Teri Brickey, 45, of St. Louis. After we agreed on that, everything was easy, she said. We felt like they knew for decades that they should have put a warning on this product. Ristesunds lawsuit is the third to go before a jury, preceded by the trial in the suit brought by the family of Jackie Fox, who died at 62. An earlier trial in federal court in South Dakota in 2013 ended with a jury finding that J&J was negligent while deciding not to award damages. The company faces another talc trial in the St. Louis court in September. Thousands of women or their family members contacted plaintiffs lawyers after the Fox verdict, attorney Jere Beasley said in March. His firm, one of several representing the Fox family and Ristesund, is reviewing more than 5,000 potential claims, he said in an interview. Ristesunds case was a defense pick after the plaintiffs selected the first case to go to trial, Beasley said in an interview Monday. If they cant win that one, they cant win one. Theyre going to have to come to the table and start settling cases. J&J documents showed the company was aware of health concerns since the mid-1970s, Smith told jurors Friday in closing arguments. A 1992 document suggested targeting women who were high users of talcum powder to boost sales, he said. Ristesund incurred $174,000 in medical bills, plus pain and suffering, Smith told jurors. Talc was found in her ovarian tissue after the hysterectomy, he said. Christy Jones, a J&J attorney, told jurors that Ristesund had several risk factors for ovarian cancer. That included a family history of cancer, having endometriosis and the fact she had no children, Jones said. Nobody knows what causes ovarian cancer, she said. Three jurors sided with J&J. I just thought there was a lack of evidence, juror Kayla McGuire, 32, said in an interview after the verdict. Other jurors had latched onto a few emotional statements, she said. Darlene Thorpe had worked 16 years for a print shop when she was laid off last summer. The world had changed in those years, and the 60-year-old grandmother found herself unemployed and out of step with the job-seeking skills needed today. Everything has changed, she said as she took a break from a job-training program at the Urban League of Nebraska. Now its all about the computer. And the job market, Thorpe said, is terrible. The Urban Leagues Career Boot Camp, begun in 2015, focuses on people like Thorpe: jobless Omahans with a demonstrated work history and nothing in their past that would prevent employment. The four-week session brings participants up to speed with todays job market, while using the Urban Leagues relationships with local employers to help graduates find work. Career Boot Camp has an 80 percent success rate in placing graduates in jobs, said Karen Edwards, director of employment and career services at the Urban League. And these arent just any jobs, Edwards said. The program connects graduates with employers that pay a living wage and provide good benefits. First National Bank and the United Way of the Midlands are helping to underwrite the program. Nearly 20 companies are partnering in some way, typically with training. While Career Boot Camp is open to everyone, the majority of the students have been black Omahans, whose unemployment rate is about triple the rest of the state. The problem we are trying to solve is poverty, Edwards said. Its a lack of access to opportunities and resources. A foot in the door is what Brittney Thompson, 24, hopes to get from Career Boot Camp. A graduate of the University of Nebraska at Omaha, Thompson has a degree in business administration, management and human resources. There are jobs, but they are going to someone else, she said. You have to know somebody. For First National Bank, sponsorship of the boot camp has been a good way to get to know prospective employees, said Liz Cook, director of talent acquisition. Weve hired a number of people from the program, she said. During the class, First National helps with resume writing, interviewing skills, use of social media and professionalism in the workplace, she said. The interaction gives the bank and students time to size each other up. That proved the key for Ashley Salem, 27, when she took the class last year. When First National and the other partners came in they could see me, they could hear my story other than just on paper, Salem said. Although she had an associate degree in business, a background in social work and several leadership positions, Salem had been unable to find a job that paid a living wage. I had done a lot of different things: restaurants, sales, customer service ... but I was frustrated with the dead-end jobs I was coming across when I was looking for a permanent position, Salem said. After completing boot camp, she landed a $15-an-hour job at First National Bank. At First National, Salem found a job she loved and a company whose culture helped her thrive. Problems with child care, though, triggered a decision to return to college. The connections that I made with the Career Boot Camp and at First National affirmed that I was on the right track, Salem said of her decision to attend the College of St. Mary. Salem, who has a 3-year-old son, said a vital aspect of the program is that it tackles the corrosive problem of underemployment. Id like to provide a positive environment and education not only for myself but my son, she said. If youve got a position at a fast-food restaurant, yes, you have a job, she said. But it pays nowhere near enough to live in a neighborhood where you feel comfortable and your children have the best education. Salem is such a believer in Career Boot Camp that she has joined its advisory board. The program is taking applicants for the next round of classes, and Salem encourages others to apply. If you come with an open mind and explore all the material that is there, yes, I believe you will be successful, she said. Career Boot Camp Next session: Orientation, July 7; classes, July 11-Aug. 5. Registration required: Sign up at www.urbanleagueneb.org/careerbootcamp or call the Urban League of Nebraska, 402-453-9730. Contact the writer: 402-444-1102, nancy.gaarder@owh.com Indiana has become the first state to allow use of the baby boxes on a broad scale to prevent dangerous abandonments. (Photo: AP) Indiana: In a first of its kind social initiative, an organisation has introduced a safe haven baby box facility, through which parents can drop-off" new born babies instead of abandoning them. Indiana has become the first state to allow use of the baby boxes on a broad scale to prevent dangerous abandonments of infants. The padded, climate-controlled container was dedicated Tuesday at the Woodburn Volunteer Fire Department about 15 miles east of Fort Wayne near the Ohio state line. Its on an exterior wall of the fire station. The Knights of Columbus of Indiana will pay for the first 100 baby boxes, which cost $1,500 to $2,000 each, said Monica Kelsey, a volunteer with the fire department who has been advocating for baby boxes in Indiana for several years. A second one was dedicated Thursday in Michigan City. The boxes are equipped with a security system that notifies emergency personnel when a baby is dropped off. Emergency responders can get to the child within minutes. All 50 states and the District of Columbia have safe haven laws, which allow unharmed newborns to be surrendered without fear of prosecution. Indianas law allows mothers to drop off newborns at police stations, fire stations and hospitals. Critics of baby boxes contend the containers make it easier to surrender a child without exploring other options and can deprive mothers of needed medical care. Kelsey, however, said that some people want total anonymity. She spoke of a girl who called a hotline she volunteers for who wanted to know where a baby box was. The girl refused to go to a hospital or fire station to drop off the baby, but eventually, her boyfriend brought the baby to a hospital. This is not criminal, Kelsey said. This is legal. We dont want to push women away. The Woodburn baby box was actually installed April 19, the anniversary of when Kelsey says her birth mother abandoned her at a hospital when she was just hours old. State Rep. Casey Cox, R-Fort Wayne, has supported the concept of baby boxes in Indiana and has been working with lawmakers and Gov. Mike Pences administration on safety protocols. The winners of the Nebraska Education Savings Trusts Why I Want to Go to College writing contest were recognized at Werner Park on May 1 prior to the Storm Chasers scheduled contest against the Oklahoma City Dodgers. Each winner received contributions to Nebraska Educational Savings Trust college savings plans, ranging in value from $2,000 for first place, $1,000 for second place and $500 for third place. Three winners were chosen from each of Nebraskas U.S. congressional districts, in addition to three winners from outside of Nebraska. In total, 1,133 entries from across the country were received this year. The first round of judging was performed by students and faculty from the College of Education at the University of Nebraska-Omaha, with final selections made by Stenberg. The winners are: 1st Congressional District Nebraska First Place: Amelia Knosp, Fremont Middle School in Fremont Second Place: Gloria Ovwigho, Lincoln Lutheran Junior High School in Palmyra Third Place: John Boesen, Malcolm Public Schools in Malcolm 2nd Congressional District Nebraska First Place: Eddie Schweikert, Westside Middle School in Omaha Second Place: Ruth Isaacson, Gretna Middle School in Gretna Third Place: Jayleesha Cooper, Holy Name Catholic School in Omaha 3rd Congressional District Nebraska First Place: Emmalee Harder, Randolph Public Schools in Belden Second Place: Weston Reineke, Loup County Public School in Taylor Third Place: Sheridan Wilson, Arthur County Schools in Lemoyne Outside Nebraska First Place: Bree Cleveland, Family of Christ Christian School in Tampa, Florida Second Place: Adway Wadekar, Sarah W. Gibbson Midle School in Westborough, Massachusetts Third Place: Jacob Mohnacs, Harrington Middle School in Mt. Laurel, New Jersey Assam: Congress has different takes on its poll performance Guwahati oi-Shubham Guwahati, May 4: While all parties are assessing their preformance ahead of May 19 when results of the Assembly elections in four states and one Union Territory (UT) will come out, the Congress has come up with two different versions. Assembly Polls 2016 Coverage; Congress may lose Assam While the party, which has dominated the north-eastern state for most part of the post-Independence era, has been claiming of bagging 70-plus seats in the open, it has apprised the All India Congress Committee that it will get around 68 seats. Still further, a recent internal assessment of the party said it will win 52 seats or more in the recently held two-phase election. To form the government in Assam, one has to secure 64 seats. The total number of seats in the Assembly is 126. According to Assam's local media reports, the Congress is also considering a plan to seek help from other parties to form the government this time. However, according to a report in The Sentinel, it is the Bodoland People's Front (BPF) and Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) which the Congress is eyeing more than the All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) of Badruddin Ajmal. The BPF and AGP have made an alliance with the BJP in this election. The Congress said it wants to keep the BJP out of power and it can even offer the chief minister's post to its alliance partner, the Sentinel report added. The grand-old party said though its performance in the first phase was poor, it swept the polls in the second phase. Meanwhile, a number of leaders like Himanta Biswa Sarma of the BJP, Hagrama Mohilary of the BPF and state Congress chief Anjan Dutta have gone abroad. While the first two have gone to the US, Dutta has gone to Africa. Oneindia News Protest erupts in Assam University over irregular power supply; students injured Guwahati oi-Shubham Guwahati, May 4: Protest erupted in the campus of the Assam Univesity on Monday (May 2) night as students resented irregular power supply ahead of their examinations. They demanded deferring the examinations scheduled on Tuesday (May 3). Power supply in the university and some nearby areas became erratic following a series of hailstorms and students residing in areas like Irongmara, Bodojalenga, Chotojalenga and Silcoorie have suffered the most. Many of them requested the university authorities to postpone the examination from May 3 to anothe date but the authorities did not relent, leading to serious arguments between the students and officials. But the situation soon turned worse and the protesting students locked the univesity gates on Monday evening. They also stopped a number of students, teaching staff members and non-teaching emnployees from leaving the premises. The magistrate visited the campus aound 10 pm and tried to make peace with the potesters but failed. Finally, the police were called and they resorted to lathicharge and also fired in the air. Several students were injured. The protesting students then staged a sit-in demonstration outside the campus on Tuesday. The authorities on Monday had said the students who failed to appear for the examinations will be allowed to take them afresh even though the authorities said they would not be postponed. A similar students' protest had taken place on April 15 over the demand for regular power supply. On that occasion, they were promised regular power supply with no power cuts for 18 hours a day. Oneindia News On PMs guidance how Devbhoomi Uttarakhands Temples will be developed India always views war as last resort, but... : PM Modi to armed forces in Kargil AgustaWestland deal: Modi meets ministers before debate in Rajya Sabha India oi-IANS By Ians English New Delhi, May 4: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday, May 4 met his senior cabinet colleagues in the Parliament House premises ahead of the Rajya Sabha debate on the AgustaWestland helicopter deal. Senior ministers Manohar Parrikar, Rajnath Singh and M. Venkaiah Naidu attended the meeting which reviewed the government's and BJP's parliamentary strategy as all eyes will be on the defence minister's scheduled statement in the Rajya Sabha. Congress president Sonia Gandhi also held a meeting with party MPs in the morning to fine-tune the party's strategy to counter the treasury benches. Accepting the challenge from the Bharatiya Janata Party on fresh revelations pertaining to the AgustaWestland chopper deal, Congress president Sonia Gandhi has said "they are most welcome" to present it. The controversy comes close on the heels of a recent ruling from an Italian court that there is a reasonable belief of corruption in the helicopter deal relating to the purchase of 12 helicopters from Italian manufacturer, Finmeccanica, during the United Progressive Alliance rule. IANS AgustaWestland: After saying witness may have died, ED cites a little birdie to say he is alive AgustaWestland scam: Criminal case will be made clear today, says Swamy India oi-Avinash New Delhi, May 4: Criminal case behind the AgustaWestland VVIP chopper deal would be made clear during the discussion in the Rajya Sabha, senior BJP leader and Rajya Sabha MP Subramanian Swamy on Wednesday said. "The case will be made out. So far, facts have been floating. The fact is the whole thing fits into a criminal case. What is that criminal case...that will be made clear today," Swamy told ANI. AgustaWestland: CBI makes a breakthrough "There is short duration discussion today after lunch. Manohar Parrikar will make the statement today. He is a studious person and he won't make any statement unless there is something important to say. He is bound to digest all these Italian High Court's judgments and CAG reports and so on in a way which ordinary people can understand," the BJP leader added. 'Officials in PMO consulted before ceiling requirements of AgustaWestland were reduced' Defence Minister Manohor Parrikar will make a statement in the Rajya Sabha at 2 p.m. on Wednesday during a debate on AgustaWestland issue. Upper House is likely to witness hot exchange of words between the BJP and Congress. The Congress went into a huddle on Tuesday to chalk out a strategy ahead of the defence minister's statement. Senior Congress leaders went to Sonia Gandhi's residence in the evening to discuss how to counter the BJP in parliament on the issue. OneIndia News For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Wednesday, May 4, 2016, 13:29 [IST] CPI(M) slams Cong-led UDF govt over rape, murder of dalit woman India oi-PTI New Delhi, May 4: CPI(M) on Wednesday, May 4 attacked Congress-led UDF government in Kerala over the brutal rape and murder of a Dalit woman in Perumbavoor in Ernakulam district, saying it was "shameful" the administration initially tried to "cover up" the crime. The Left party demanded a probe into the matter by a panel headed by a high-ranking woman police official and "immediate" steps be taken to apprehend culprits. The party said that the accused be tried by a fast-track court in line with amendments brought in criminal laws after the Nirbhaya incident. "Instead of acting firmly while dealing with such cases, it is shameful the state police and Congress-led UDF government initially tried to cover up this heinous crime. "The Politburo demands the investigation into the brutal rape and appalling violence inflicted on the woman should be entrusted to an enquiry committee headed by a high-ranking woman police official," a CPI(M) statement said. The Left party demanded that action also be taken against those who "attempted to cover up" the case. A 30-year-old woman, a law college student hailing from a poor family, was raped and brutally assaulted using sharp edged weapons before being murdered at her house at Perumbavoor in Ernakulam district on April 28. She was found dead in a pool of blood at her one room home at 8 PM the same day by her mother when she returned from work. PTI Islamic State bomber detained in Russia for attempting attack in India was recruited through Telegram Why India should get access to Islamic State bomber detained in Russia Prosecutions story may be attractive but should be backed by evidence How the ISIS operates in Singapore India oi-Vicky New Delhi, May 4: The arrest of 13 Bangladeshis in Singapore for their alleged ISIS connections is a grim reminder that the outfit continues to use this country as a happy hunting ground. Singapore has been a favoured route for many operatives wanting to join the ISIS and India too saw one of its citizens vanish from the radar after he made his way to the ISIS through Singapore. According to the ongoing investigations, these men had crossed over into Singapore from Bangladesh and were attempting to join the ISIS in either Iraq or Syria. When they realised that it would be difficult they decided to stay back and build a group. The ultimate goal was to create a strong module that would over throw the existing regime in Bangladesh. Indian terrorist becomes ISIS poster boy in new video Singapore a transit point: For most of the ISIS recruits Singapore has been a preferred transit point. One may recall the journey of Haja Fakkruddin from Parangipettai in Tamil Nadu to Singapore. Once he was radicalised, Haja decided to join the ISIS. He is said to have first applied for a work permit in Singapore. He stayed in Singapore for a couple of months before making his way to Syria along with his family members, investigations in India show. The man in Singapore who was handling most of these cases goes by the name Gul Mohammad. For several months he had been the ISIS' official handler in Singapore and would make arrangement for recruits from India and Bangladesh. Mohammad was however deported to India. ISIS ventures into fish selling, car dealership to balance battlefield losses During his questioning he explained in length the modus operandi. He said that the operatives would be brought to Singapore on a work permit. They would stay there for four months before being sent to Iraq or Syria depending on the requirements of the outfit. He also said that Singapore was a safe bet for them when compared to trying to fly in Syria or Iraq through other countries. OneIndia News For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Wednesday, May 4, 2016, 8:31 [IST] Hunger strike by JNU students 'unlawful': VC India oi-PTI New Delhi, May 4: JNU Vice Chancellor Jagadesh Kumar on Wednesday, May 4 termed as "unlawful" activity the ongoing indefinite hunger strike by students against punishment awarded by the varsity in connection with the February 9 event, and asked them to use "constitutional" means to put forth their demands. The strike by two groups of students in protest against the punishment in connection with the event during which anti-national slogans were allegedly raised, entered the seventh day today. While JNUSU President Kanhaiya Kumar complained of low BP yesterday, ABVP's Saurabh Sharma, who was complainant of the Afzal Guru event, was rushed to AIIMS after his glucose level dipped. "Hunger strike is an unlawful activity and a harmful method of protest that adversely affects the health and career of the students. The administration urges the students to use constitutional methods to put forth their demands, if any," the VC said in an appeal to the students. "The administration believes in dialogue and discussion to resolve any issue affecting functioning of the varsity and urges students to immediately call off the strike and come for discussion," Kumar said. While members of ABVP said that they will be meeting the VC today to put forth their demands, the members of the other protesting group maintained that they have no such plan and termed the administration's appeal to be a "threat statement". Kanhaiya, Umar Khalid and Anirban Bhattacharya, were arrested in a sedition case in connection with the controversial event. They are out on bail now. While Kanhaiya has been slapped with a penalty of Rs 10,000 on grounds of "indiscipline and misconduct", Umar, Anirban and Kashmiri student Mujeeb Gatoo have been rusticated for varying durations. Financial penalty has been imposed on 14 students. Hostel facilities of two students have been withdrawn and the university has declared the campus out of bounds for two former students. Saurabh, who is the lone ABVP member in JNU Students Union, has also been slapped with a fine of Rs 10,000 for blocking traffic. PTI With AQI of 259, Delhi's air on day before Diwali least polluted in 7 years Delhi LG and CM greet people on Diwali, ask people to be mindful of pollution India exerting diplomatic pressure to ban Masood Azhar: Govt India oi-PTI New Delhi, May 4: With China blocking India's bid at the United Nations to proscribe Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar, government on Wednesday said it is exerting diplomatic pressure to remove the "technical hold" and get a ban imposed on him. Minister of State for External Affairs V K Singh told the Lok Sabha that India has also told China that there cannot be selective approach when it comes to terrorism. India, Pak should have direct talks on Masood Azhar: China Last month, China had blocked India's bid at the UN to ban Azhar, the Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) chief and mastermind of the Pathankot terror attack. During Question Hour, Singh said the move to ban Azhar is on "technical hold" at the UN. "Hum zor dal rahe hai (we are putting pressure)" through diplomatic channels to ensure that it is done away with, he noted. China is among the five permanent members of the UN Security Council (UNSC) and has veto powers. The others are France, Russian Federation, the UK, and the US. The UN had banned the JeM but India's efforts for a ban on Azhar after the 2008 Mumbai terror attack also did not fructify as China did not allow the ban. On reforms at the UN, Singh said the expansion in both permanent and non-permanent category of its membership would be an essential element of the reforms at the UNSC. Referring to the four permanent member countries, Singh said "hamari baat ko samarthan karte hain (they support our demand for reforms)." On China, he said the country understands India's position and is of the view that India should have the opportunity to do good work at the UN. "We are seeking enough support" for UNSC membership and leaders of the country who visit overseas raise this issue, Singh said and noted that reforms in the UN is a long process. In a written reply, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said a large number of countries have supported India's initiatives for reform of the Security Council, as well as endorsed India's candidature for permanent membership. "This has been expressed in various forms and fora including in bilateral discussions with the Government of India," she said. PTI PM Modi to interact with participants of Smart India Hackathon finale on August 25: MoE UK PM Liz Truss resigns after 45 days in office, successor to be elected next week Know why PM Modi is upset with BJP MPs again India oi-Jagriti New Delhi, May 4: Prime Minister Narendra Modi, an avid user of social media, expressed anger on Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MPs for failing to be active on social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter. PM Modi raised concern over several ministers who were not using digital platform to reach out to the electorate while chairing a meeting of the Union Council of Ministers on Tuesday. Power Minister Piyush Goyal, Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and Minister of State Jitendra Singh have been appointed as tutors for those ministers who are yet to take on social media platforms. They have been asked to aggressively use digital platforms to highlight government's initiatives. PM Modi has 19.7 million followers on Twitter and over 3 crore likes on his Facebbok page. UP BJP MPs failed to answer PM Modi's questions: Here is what he asked "The meeting was mainly about presentations by some ministries on financial and developmental issues, besides on how to give added focus to Modi's pet digital India scheme, Zee News quoted a senior minister as saying on the condition of anonymity. Many government departments have also been asked to make e-books listing their achievements to make people aware about schemes undertaken by government for their uplift. OneIndia News Holli Jeffcoat, was found dead in her apartment with her throat cut and womb, uterus removed. (Photo: Video grab) Texas: In an appalling incident, an 18-year-old mentally disabled girl was found dead in a burnt house in Texas with her womb and uterus removed. The deceaseds stepfather had impregnated her, according to reports in the Daily Mail. On February 10, Holli Jeffcoat, was found dead in her apartment with her throat cut and womb, uterus removed. Hollis step-father, James Holland, has been accused of raping her and was arrested in March. Despite having first-hand knowledge of the situation, Hollis mother Debi Holland, tried to save her husband and covered up the incident. Debi has also been arrested for being an accomplice in the sexual assault. According to reports, no one has been accused of killing the 18-year-old, who was stabbed and burnt to death. Debis arrest warrant has put forth harrowing details about the case. The deceased was suspected of being sexually assaulted in the year 2010, when she had appeared for a test after a car crash. She was tested positive of STD in blood sample. Holli had often talked about her plight with the school staff and shown her unwillingness to go back home as she wasnt comfortable in her stepfathers presence. Further, Hollis mother despite being aware of the formers discomfort in carrying the baby, didnt allow her to abort the child as she couldnt afford the same. With AQI of 259, Delhi's air on day before Diwali least polluted in 7 years Delhi LG and CM greet people on Diwali, ask people to be mindful of pollution Markandey Katju justifies why he wants Nitish as PM, Kejriwal as his deputy India oi-Mukul New Delhi, May 4: Former Supreme Court judge Markandey Katju who is known for making controversial statements has batted for Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. When Justice Markandey Katju opposed cow slaughter ban, gave 5 reasons to eat beef In a Facebook post, Katju on Monday said that as per his opinion the next Prime Minister of India should be Nitish Kumar, with Arvind Kejriwal as his Deputy Prime Minister. In a latest blog, Former Press Council of India chairman Katju has explained why he wants them to hold the topmost post of the country. Notably, Katju who has been criticising both in the past has heaped praise upon both for possesing good intention for the country. Lauding Nitish, Katju in the blog titled 'Nitish and Kejriwal' writes, " I have followed Nitish Kumar's career carefully. He had earlier made some mistakes, for which I had criticized him. But now he seems to have overcome those errors. I have not heard anything against his personal integrity. He is mature and experienced". Praising Kejriwal for his honesty and pro-people measures in Delhi, Markandey Katju says, "My perception is that Kejriwal is personally honest and intends to do good to the people of Delhi". Here is full text of Katju's latest blog Nitish and Kejriwal Some people have asked me why I have now praised Arvind Kejriwal when I had often criticized him in the past. It is true that earlier I had criticized him because I did not like some things he did e.g. allotting Rs. 536 crores in the Delhi budget for propaganda, the odd even scheme ( which has not reduced pollution ) etc. But no one is perfect. We are all a combination of good and bad points. What many persons have been telling me is about the good things Kejriwal has done for Delhi : (1) He has setup mohalla clinics which provide free medicines and medical care for the poor people of Delhi. This was very much needed since the poor people are often too poor to afford medical care. (2) He has provided free water to those who consume not more than 20,000 litres per month, and has reduced by half the electricity bills. This is a great relief to the common man (3) He has got abolished the fee hike in educational institutions, e.g. Delhi Public School. This again is a great relief, as many people could not afford to pay the hiked fees (4) Businessmen in Delhi are also happy by the reduction of VAT from 12% to 7%, and his strong objection to hike in taxes on jewelry shops etc. My perception is that Kejriwal is personally honest and intends to do good to the people of Delhi. But he is new in politics and so lacks experience. That is why I suggested him for the post of Deputy Prime Minister, and not Prime Minister However, he will get experience and maturity with passage of time.. He must choose his advisers better ( at present many are only sycophants ). Many people have criticized me for suggesting Nitish Kumar as the next Prime Minister. I have followed Nitish Kumar's career carefully. He had earlier made some mistakes, for which I had criticized him. But now he seems to have overcome those errors. I have not heard anything against his personal integrity. He is mature and experienced, qualities which Kejriwal needs to develop. Some people have no doubt criticized Nitish for allying with Lalu Yadav, but in politics one has sometimes to make compromises..This is not a perfect world. I have also a good opinion of Naveen Patnaik. It is true that I am no one to appoint Prime Ministers and Deputy Prime Ministers. But as a citizen surely I have a right to present my view. OneIndia News For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Wednesday, May 4, 2016, 14:58 [IST] Tamil Nadu: Woman poisons boy for scoring better marks than her daughter in exam Man holds 8-year-old precariously in well on theft suspicion; Case registered after video on social media Real life Auro! Nihal Batla, face of campaign against progeria, passes away India oi-PTI Mumbai, May 4: A 15-year-old boy, who was suffering from Progeria and had become the face of a campaign against the rare genetic disorder in the country, has died. Nihal Batla, from Bhiwandi in adjoining Thane district, was fighting the disease that aged him eight times faster than normal. He was at his grandparents' house at Karimnagar in Telangana to attend a family wedding. On Monday evening, he felt dehydrated due to the scorching heat and had to be rushed to a private hospital for treatment. Within a few hours, he passed away, family sources said. His last rites were performed in Karimnagar yesterday. Nihal and his family had taken up the challenge of raising awareness about the incurable disease, which has an incidence of one in four million, and of finding more such cases for medical intervention in the country. The boy, who was part of a clinical trial for Lonafarnib drug in Boston to test if the drug could delay ageing, had posted his pictures on Facebook and Twitter to reach out to parents, specially in rural areas. Progeria or Hutchinson-Gilford Progeria syndrome, from which Nihal suffered, causes accelerated ageing in children, leading to premature death mostly due to heart attacks. PTI After the 'Jihad' comment, Patil now claims \"I never said it\" NSA Ajit Doval involved in toppling Arunachal, Uttarakhand govts: Congress India oi-PTI Dehradun, May 4: Uttarakhand Congress chief Kishore Upadhyay today accused National Security Advisor Ajit Doval of "playing a role" in toppling Congress governments in Arunachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand. "I have many friends in Arunachal Pradesh who have confirmed that Doval played a role in toppling the Congress government there," Upadhyay alleged at a press conference here. "In Uttarakhand also I have information that he did the same thing. 3-4 MLAs out of the nine who sided with the BJP in Uttarakhand Assembly were in touch with Doval," he alleged. He said the NSA should concentrate on his job, which is basically securing the country's frontiers and stop playing a role in toppling opposition governments in the states. Upadhyay said think tank Vivekanand Foundation, headed by Doval, was "acquiring political dimensions". He said its functioning should be probed and, if found guilty of being involved in toppling governments, its registration should be cancelled. PTI India always views war as last resort, but... : PM Modi to armed forces in Kargil PM Modi foreign visits led to higher FDI inflow: Government India oi-PTI New Delhi, May 4: Prime Minister Narendra Modi's foreign visits have yielded results in terms of increase in Foreign Direct Investment inflows and overall trade in goods, Parliament was informed on Wednesday, May 4. "As a result of these (visits), the FDI inflows have witnessed a 40 per cent increase in 2015 (up to December) over the corresponding period in 2014.Moreover, India's overall trade in goods with these countries has risen by 2.3 per cent from 2013-14 to 2014-15," Commerce and Industry Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said in a written reply to the Rajya Sabha. The foreign visits undertaken by the Prime Minister have been instrumental in creating a positive momentum and boosting the bilateral relations between India and respective countries, she said. The visits have also resulted in signing of several trade pacts, establishing framework for enhanced security, border defence and space cooperation, promoting cooperation flagship campaigns like Digital India, Make in India, Clean India and Skill Development, she said. PM's foreign visits also facilitated meetings of CEO Forums and several B2B meetings to enhance business opportunities and investments, she added. Since June 2014, the Prime Minister has gone abroad over 35 times and has visited number of countries including Bhutan, USA, Myanmar, China and Canada. PTI Press freedom in India under serious attack, says report India oi-Oneindia By Maitreyee Boruah Bengaluru, May 4: All is not well with the Indian journalists. Apart from being constantly bullied by critics on the social media, the journalist fraternity in the country is facing serious threats. As a part of the World Press Freedom Day, marked across the globe on May 3 (Tuesday), The Hoot--a media watchdog--in its report states that between January and April 2016 there were at least 10 defamation cases, two legal notices, six cases of uncalled police action, one death, four legal actions, 26 attacks and six death threats against journalists in the country. The report adds that Chhattisgarh, Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu have been particularly bad for press freedom, as defamation cases and assaults on journalists are frequent in these states. The report brings to notice that journalists working in the hinterlands of the country are the most vulnerable and face great amount of threat while doing their work. Sevanti Ninan, editor, The Hoot, which regularly conducts research pertaining to the media to strengthen its independence, said there has been a decline in press freedom in the last few years. "The greater vulnerability is for journalists in districts and small towns. One reason for this that many of them are now using RTI to investigate local scams and they pose a threat to the powerful in government and in politics," Ninan told IANS. "There is no pressure group at the national level which maintains pressure on the central and state governments in cases regarding journalists. The Editors Guild and other bodies are not really proactive in this regard. The Press Council publishes reports, but they have no impact," she said. She cited instances of death of three journalists covering investigative stories over the last year and said there should be a law guaranteeing press freedom, which is different from free speech. The senior journalist highlighted the issue of four arrests of journalists in Chhattisgarh since July 2015. "The state government of Tamil Nadu is very active in filing defamation cases against journalists. There have been several already this year," she said. Ninan said threats to editorial independence "come from proprietors and advertisers among others" while physical threats come from a variety of sources including the state police. Even India ranked an abysmally low at 133 among 180 countries in the latest annual World Press Freedom Index which says Prime Minister Narendra Modi seems "indifferent" to the threats against journalists. OneIndia News US Polls 2016: Ted Cruz hints he could revive his campaign GOP Convention turns ugly as Ted Cruz faces insults for not endorsing Trump Ted Cruz will vote for former rival Donald Trump News flash: Vijay Mallya's resignation as MP accepted by Rajya Sabha India oi-Oneindia By Oneindia Staff Writer Bengaluru, May 4: US presidential runner Ted Cruz ends campaign, setting Donald Trump on path to Republican nomination. Get all the latest news updates of the day: 7.50 pm: Union Cabinet meeting begins in Parliament. 7.40 pm: We are asking for SC monitoring investigation: Ahmed Patel, Congress on AgustaWestland deal. 7.33 pm: Congress stages walk out from Rajya Sabha after uproar during Defence Minister's statement on AgustaWestland deal. 7.30 pm: The President nominates Dr. Pranav Pandya to the Rajya Sabha. 7.28 pm: Vijay Mallya's resignation as MP accepted by Rajya Sabha. RS Chairman Hamid Ansari has accepted #VijayMallya's resignation with effect from 4th May 2016: RS Deputy Chairman pic.twitter.com/1t4z3KxrUj ANI (@ANI_news) May 4, 2016 7.20 pm: CBI registered an FIR in matter on 12th March 2013 based on reference made by Defence Ministry on 12th Feb 2013. But did not bother to forward a copy of FIR to ED for nine months: Manohar Parrikar in RS. More strangely ED did not act on FIR till July 2014,it appears an invincible hand ws guiding actions or inactions by CBI & ED-Parrikar in RS ANI (@ANI_news) May 4, 2016 7.10 pm: Light showers in Hyderabad amid soaring temperature. 7.05 pm: GoI (UPA) instead of taking action against company, adopted route of writing to External affairs Ministry, embassy & court: Manohar Parrikar in RS. CAG report highlighted that allowed offsets were not compliant with DPP.Many Indian offsets partners were nt eligible-Manohar Parrikar in RS ANI (@ANI_news) May 4, 2016 7.00 pm: She is not someone to commit suicide. It is a murder: Relative of the woman journalist who allegedly committed suicide in Faridabad. She got married to Haryana Police SI Amit secretly&used to come with injury marks as he usd to assualt her: Relative pic.twitter.com/TbGEd8XPPr ANI (@ANI_news) May 4, 2016 6.55 pm: CAG report has highlighted that allowed offsets were not compliant with DPR. Many Indian offsets were not eligible: Manohar Parrikar in RS. 6.50 pm: Fact that there was corruption in matter is brought out in extensive details in recent judgments of Milan court: Manohar Parrikar in RS. AM Singhvi ji almost convinced me with his argument: Manohar Parrikar in RS #AgustaWestland pic.twitter.com/BnhBWDJPJp ANI (@ANI_news) May 4, 2016 6.45 pm: Country wants to know as to who instigated,supported and benefited from corruption. We can't let this pass: Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar in RS. 6.35 pm: After the first report in media on alleged scam in helicopter deal, we acted immediately, says AK Antony in Rajya Sabha on AgustaWestland. 6.15 pm: It is proved beyond doubt there is corruption in this deal, you (NDA Govt) have to act now,says AK Antony in Rajya Sabha on AgustaWestland deal. 6.00 pm: AM Singhvi almost convinced me with his argument, says Manohar Parrikar in Rajya Sabha on AgustaWestland. 5.55 pm: 5 magnitude earthquake jolt West Nepal 5.48 pm: CAG should not be used as a tool for political bickering, says Ahmed Patel (Congress) in Rajya Sabha on AgustaWestland. 5.45 pm: Delhi cabinet approves setting up of a memorial for late former president APJ Abdul Kalam in the capital. 5.40 pm: UP Roadways bus catches fire at Botanical Gardens, Noida. All passengers safe. 5.34 pm: We know their agenda and we are determined to fight and expose that agenda, says Anand Sharma, Congress in Rajya Sabha on AgustaWestland row. 5.33 pm: Gautam Khaitan admits during CBI questioning that he set up a shell company to recieve money from AgustaWestland, says CBI sources. 5.15 pm: What has been said here, attributing motives, insinuations, innuendos are without any foundation,malicious and motivated, says Anand Sharma in Rajya Sabha. 5.00 pm: Special public prosecutor B V acharya will continue the rejoinder in the Jayalalithaa DA case on May 4. 4.57 pm: SC also asked MP Govt to immediately rehabilitate the 304 affected persons. Next date of hearing 11th May. 4.25 pm: CAG says that already present 8 helicpoters which was bought in 1988 was hardly utilised,what was need for this additional 4?, says S Swamy in Rajya Sabha. 4.15 pm: They didn't use AW101 aircraft (which was bought) for field trials but used some other helicopter, which is fraud in its itself,says S Swamy in Rajya Sabha 4.05 pm: Army apprehends 6 All Adivasi National Liberation Army terrorists in East Karbi Anglong (Assam) yesterday, arms and ammunitions recovered. 3.45 pm: Women rights groups hold protest rally against law student rape and murder in Kerala. 3.30 pm: My service record has been asked for (by the CBI), everything will be clarified after that, says Ashutosh Singh. 3.00 pm: Cooker blast by Maoists targeting security forces in Bijapur (Chhattisgarh) in early morning hours. No casualties or injuries reported. 2.37 pm: Here is an insecure ruling party trying to foist a charge of corruption on persons unconnected, says AM Singhvi, Congress in RS. 2.10 pm: The Supreme Court today sought to know why there is a difference in the value of Anchaneya printers in the affidavits filed by Sasikala Natrajan before the Suprme Court and High Court. 1.45 pm: Uproar in Rajya Sabha as Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar started giving chronological details of AgustaWestland matter. 1.30 pm: Dramatic visuals of hotel building collapsing in UP. 1.10 pm: BJP Meenakshi Lekhi talks about law student rape and murder case in Kerala, in the Lok Sabha. 1.05 pm: Rajya Sabha adjourned till 2 PM. 1.00 pm: Left democratic youth federation activist protest outside Deputy SP office over law college student rape case in Kerala. 12.45 pm: Law student rape and murder case: Kerala government decides to give Rs 10 lakh as compensation to the kin of the deceased girl. 12.30 pm: Kirit Somaiya raises Emaar MGF issue in LS, demands Rahul Gandhi to come clean on the issue. 12.15 pm: Rajya Sabha ethics committee recommends immediate expulsion of Vijay Mallya. 12.00 pm: They are most welcome, says Congress president Sonia Gandhi on being asked that BJP says they will present new revelations. 11.45 am: Damage caused due to heavy rain and dust storm that hit Jalpaiguri in West Bengal early this morning. 11.30 am: Uttarakhand HC Chief Justice KM Joseph transferred to Andhra HC, the bench headed by him had quashed the president's Rule in the state. 11.28 am: Big breakthrough in Vyapam scam, UP Special Task Force arrests main accused Ramesh Shivhare in Kanpur. 10.54 am: The Attorney General of India has told the Supreme Court that it is seriously considering the suggestion to hold a floor test in Uttarakhand. The court had yesterday said it was in favour of a floor test to be held in Uttarakhand. We need 48 hours to decide on the floor test in Uttarakhand. Supreme Court adjourns hearing to Friday. 10.47 am: Gautam Khaitan reaches CBI HQ (Delhi) for questioning. 10.12 am: Former IAF Chief SP Tyagi reaches CBI Headquarters for questioning by CBI in the AgustaWestland case Delhi: Former IAF Chief SP Tyagi reaches CBI Headquarters for questioning by CBI in the #AgustaWestland case. pic.twitter.com/WVLYN8rV5L ANI (@ANI_news) May 4, 2016 10.08 am: 2 radical Muslim youth from Delhi and Saharanpur arrested in joint operation by IB and Delhi police. 9.48 am: PM Narendra Modi to hold meeting with Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar, HM Rajnath Singh and Venkaiah Naidu ahead of Rajya Sabha session today. 9.25 am: 12 suspected Jaish-e-Mohammad operatives are in the custody of the Delhi police which has also recovered Improvised Explosive Devices from them. 9.12 am: Swachh Bharat Mission: Government plans to 'totally clean' 50 cities by March 2017. 8.58 am: Congress Rajya Sabha strategy meeting to take place at 10:15 am in the Parliament. 8.30 am: Former IAF Chief SP Tyagi leaves from his residence for questioning by CBI in the AgustaWestland case. 8.00 am: Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy to meet today kin of student who was raped and murdered, in Perumbavoor. 7.55 am: Ahead of May 16 Assembly polls, paramilitary personnel arrive in Chennai for deployment for election duty Tamil Nadu: Ahead of May16 Assembly polls, paramilitary personnel arrive in Chennai for deployment for election duty pic.twitter.com/Z6HLciaiWR ANI (@ANI_news) May 4, 2016 OneIndia News In UP 166 criminals killed in encounters in past five years: Yogi This UP village lights up on Diwali, for the first time ever! UP district sets record of sorts, creates 47,000 jobs in a single day! India oi-IANS By Ians English Lucknow, May 4: On Sunday, as International Labour Day was celebrated the world over, in the small town of Gonda, 130 km from here, a record of sorts was set, hitherto not much publicized: the creation of a staggering 47,000 rural jobs in a single day! This, in a state which has attracted negative publicity in the past over its track record on creating rural jobs under MNREGA, the rural jobs scheme. Not only this, 15 lakh (1.5 million) man days were created for the next ten days, leading to the spending of over Rs.38 crore that was lying unused and on verge of lapsing. As a result of careful and out-of-the-box planning, construction work was simultaneously started in 1,054 gram panchayats on a single day - May Day. Officials told IANS that soon after taking over the reins, the new district magistrate had taken the initiative to dust off old files and pick one where "all was not lost". Between April 14-24, open house discussions were held in the 1,054 gram panchayats, muster rolls were released and orders were issued to start construction work in one go, on one single day. District Magistrate Ashutosh Niranjan told IANS that on the first day - May 1, Rs.92.64 lakh was spent on construction work and during the whole campaign, spanning two weeks, Rs.21 crore would be spent and work initiated on 1,357 projects. The works undertaken, under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MNNREGA) include digging of ponds and drains, leveling of grounds, making of semi-permanent roads and compost pits and digging for plantations, among others. Similarly, through state finances, work has been undertaken to create 400,000 man days at a cost of Rs 17.37 crores. The young bureaucrat who spearheaded the drive said that under this the work that has already begun includes a 56-km road, 16-km of interlocking, 25-km of drain construction, upgrade of 10 hand pumps, repairs of nine wells, construction of toilets at five schools, 445 soak pits and 41-km of boundary walls for various panchyat buildings. Niranjan further informed that since the marriage season was over and the harvest season was behind them, this was the best period to create temporary jobs as also create permanent jobs. "There is no dearth of funds for development and I hope this drive will now be unstoppable" he contended. For due monitoring, nodal officials have been appointed for every 10 panchayats and Whatsapp groups have been created along with social networking pages to post pictures of actual work being done. Did someone say: Where there is a will, there is a way! IANS With AQI of 259, Delhi's air on day before Diwali least polluted in 7 years Delhi LG and CM greet people on Diwali, ask people to be mindful of pollution Uttarakhand crisis: Give us 48 hours to decide on floor test Centre tells SC India oi-Vicky New Delhi, May 4: The Attorney General of India told the Supreme Court that it needs 48 hours to take a decision regarding a floor test in Uttarakhand. The Supreme Court has adjourned further hearing on the matter to Friday. The Attorney General told the court when hearing resumed today that the centre is seriously considering the suggestion by the Supreme Court to hold a floor test in the Uttarakhand assembly. We have faith in the judiciary: Harish Rawat The AG however said that they needed 48 hours to make up their minds on this issue and hence sought time. The SC while granting time to the union government adjourned hearing on the matter to Friday. The Supreme Court is hearing an appeal filed by the Union Government against the verdict of the Uttarakhand High Court which had struck down the imposition of President's rule in the state and paved the way for Harish Rawat to take the floor test. It was Rawat who had approached the High Court after president's rule was imposed. After the High Court order, the centre challenged it in the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court on the first day of the hearing stayed the High Court order, but also stated that status quo should be maintained. The Supreme Court however a day back told the centre that it was in favour of a floor test being conducted. It also said that the same could be done under the supervision of the court. The centre had sought time to give its response on the matter. OneIndia News For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Wednesday, May 4, 2016, 11:25 [IST] With AQI of 259, Delhi's air on day before Diwali least polluted in 7 years Delhi LG and CM greet people on Diwali, ask people to be mindful of pollution Vijay Mallya's resignation rejected on technical grounds India oi-Sandra New Delhi/ London, May 4: Troubles do not seem to end for liquor baron Vijay Mallya as his resignation was rejected by Rajya Sabha chairman Hamid Ansari on technical grounds. Ansari responded to Mallya's resignation and wrote: "Hamid Ansari, Chairma, Rajya Sabha, does not accept the resignation of Vijay Mallya. Secretary General, Rajya Sabha writes to Sh Mallya that his resignation letter does not conform to prescribed procedures and does not bear the signature in original." I am neither a borrower nor a judgment debtor, says Vijay Mallya Mallya had sent a scanned copy of his resignation to Ansari expressing his desire to resign from Rajya Sabha. Meanwhile, the Rajya Sabha Ethics Committee was scrutinising complaints against him seeking his expulsion from the House. Mallya's second term as an MP ends in June this year. Mallya had on Monday taken to Twitter and said that Indian media houses should check on facts before calling him a 'defaulter.' Mallya wrote on his Twitter account: "In all humility and not in defiance as they report, I would like Indian media to check and verify facts before calling me a defaulter." Mallya had left for the UK on Mar 2 following which the governemnt revoked his passport. Shortly after the business tycoon gave his resignation saying that he didn't want his name and reputation to be dragged further in the mud. OneIndia News Vyapam scam's main accused held in UP: Official India oi-IANS By Ians English Kanpur, May 4: Ramesh Shivhare, the main accused in the Vyapam scam in Madhya Pradesh, has been arrested from Kanpur in Uttar Pradesh, a senior police officer said on Wednesday, May 4. Shivhare was arrested by a joint team of the STF and the Central Bureau of Investigation after his whereabouts were tracked to Kalyanpur Awas Vikas area in the city, the Special Task Force's Additional Superintendent of Police Arvind Kumar told the media. "The CBI will move an application in a local court for his transit remand," Kumar said. STF sources said that Shivhare, whose wife Anshu Shivhare is a former Mahoba Zila Panchayat chairperson, was evading the CBI since 2012. The Madhya Pradesh government had declared a reward of Rs.5,000 for his arrest. The ASP said: "Shivhare has admitted to his links to the Vyapam scam during questioning. He said he had enabled many candidates to clear the exams conducted by Vyapam. He is being questioned regarding his accomplices." The scam in the Madhya Pradesh Professional Examination Board (MPPEB), better known as Vyapam (Vyavsayik Pariksha Mandal), related to admissions in medical colleges and recruitment tests conducted for various posts in Madhya Pradesh. At least 48 people linked to the Vyapam scam have died, some mysteriously. The Supreme Court directed the CBI on July 9 last year to investigate not only the scam but also the deaths related to it. The STF has filed 55 cases in the scam. Though 2,100 accused have been arrested, another 491 accused are still on the run. IANS India said cross-border movements of both refugees and migrants have existed for generations and human mobility has fundamentally shaped and influenced the current community of nations as well as the international system. (Photo: Representational Image) United Nations: India has said the international community's collective approach in dealing with migration and refugee issues should retain a "balanced" and "differentiated" perspective since the two are distinct concepts and differ in their causes and impacts. "Migration and movement of refugees across borders are distinct concepts and differ in fundamental way in their causes, motivations and impacts. It is important therefore that our collective approach in dealing with these issues retains a balanced, differentiated and a longer term perspective," India's Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Tanmaya Lal said here on Tuesday. He said cross-border movements of both refugees and migrants have existed for generations and human mobility has fundamentally shaped and influenced the current community of nations as well as the international system. "It is therefore particularly important that we collectively take a longer term view and consider broad approaches to these two issues," Lal said at an informal meeting of the UN General Assembly on the report of the Secretary General on refugees and migrants. The report notes that the estimated number of people on the move globally is close to 250 million, of which the number of refugees stands at nearly 15 million. About 75 per cent of the refugees come from just 11 countries and seven countries host more than half of all refugees, the report said. "Even more tellingly, it is important to recognise that 86 per cent of all refugees are hosted in developing countries," Lal said. The report groups refugees and migrants into three distinct pillars of ensuring safety and dignity of all migrants and refugees; a global compact on refugees; and a global compact on migration. Lal said the issue of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) is "very distinct" from the issues of refugees and migrants. "Since through the current deliberations, we are examining possible ways of international cooperation to address cross- border large movements of refugees and migrants, it would be advisable to exercise caution before expanding this discussion to include IDPs," he added. Bangladesh blogger seeks US help as threats escalate International oi-PTI Washington, May 3: When Bangladeshi blogger and social activist Ashif Entaz Rabi hosted a TV talk show about a slaying of a publisher by Islamic extremists, he faced a torrent of threatening phone calls. He says young men with earpieces started loitering outside his workplace, and a militant website urged followers to "send this Ashif to Allah." But Bangladeshi authorities told him they couldn't protect him, saying he'd need the kind of security usually reserved for the prime minister to keep him safe. Instead, they told him to take care of himself, and write something good about Islam and the government. Rabi, 37, is in Washington at the invitation of a human rights group, calling attention to the dozens of writers and bloggers who fear they could be the next victim of a wave of savage attacks on liberals and religious minorities in Bangladesh. The violence has had a chilling effect on freedom of expression in the traditionally moderate Muslim nation. today marks World Press Freedom Day, and a coalition of rights groups are calling for a UN-backed inquiry into the killings because Bangladesh's government has failed to address the situation. They say "an atmosphere of complete impunity" in the South Asian nation is emboldening the killers. Since the beginning of 2015, at least nine intellectuals, academics, writers, bloggers, and activists have been hacked to death in targeted assassinations. Rabi attended the annual White House Correspondents' Association dinner at the weekend, and is due to meet today with a top State Department envoy on human rights, Tom Malinowski, to discuss the deteriorating climate of tolerance in Bangladesh. He'll also be hoping to find a way to secure sanctuary in the US for himself and his immediate family. "It's better that the international community do something rather than just make statements. It's no use just issuing letters, as the prime minister (of Bangladesh) does not care," Rabi told The Associated Press yesterday. Secretary of State John Kerry called Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Thursday, urging Bangladesh to protect those at risk. He also offered US support for the investigation into the slaying last week of Xulhaz Mannan, a US Agency for International Development employee and gay rights activist. AP Funeral, wedding banned in North Korea: Here is why International oi-Jagriti Pyongyang, May 4: A blanket ban on funeral, wedding has been put into force in North Korea as country is gearing for first Workers' Party congress in 36 years later this week. During the meet Kim Jong-un will be elevated as the country's supreme leader. The 33 year-old is expected to use the congress to cement his leadership, declare North Korea a nuclear state. Vigil has been tightened while free movement in and out of the capital has also been forbidden. Al these measures have been put into force to minimise the risk of "mishaps" at the event. He is also expected to outline his vision for the nation's economic and military future. Kim Jong-un was anointed as marshal - the highest military rank in North Korea in 2012. China imposes restrictions on trade with North Korea The UN Security Council has strongly condemned North Korea's test-firing of a missile, saying that the launch violated UN resolutions even if it was a failure. China has also imposed restrictions on trade with North Korea, a move in line with new United Nations sanctions on Pyongyang in April. China has decided to stop import of North Korean coal, goal and sales of jet fuel under UN sanctions, reported the Independent. OneIndia News 2 suspects arrested in connection with blast outside Hafiz Saeed's house in Pak Pak accuses R&AW of carrying out blast outside Saeeds house: Delhi rubbishes charge 26/11: As India grieved, Saeed grew in Pak, while Lakhvi fathered a child in jail 26/11 Mastermind Hafiz Saeed sentenced to 31 years in jail by Pak court Hafiz Saeed promises to safeguard holy places of Hindus in Pakistan International oi-Jagriti Islamabad, May 4: Chief of Pakistan's banned Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD), Hafiz Saeed, has said his organisation will not allow destruction of Hindu temples and other holy places of non- Muslims in the country. It was Muslims' responsibility to safeguard holy places of their Hindus brethren, he said while addressing a meeting in Matli town of Sindh province earlier this week. "We will not allow destruction of temples and other holy places of non-Muslims in the country," he warned. The Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) chief rejected allegations that his organisation is promoting extremism in Thar area of Sindh, which borders India, by opening seminaries in the poverty- stricken arid region. Saeed also pledged support for Kashmiri Muslims, according to a Dawn report. Pak court issues notice to JuD for running 'Sharia Court' He said the law enforcement agencies were sincerely trying to fight against anti-state actors and RAW agents but the Nawaz Sharif government remained silent over it. US has listed Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD)as a "foreign terrorist organisation" while Western officials regard it as a front for Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), the militant group that carried out 2008 Mumbai attacks that killed 166 people. OneIndia News (With agency inputs) For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Wednesday, May 4, 2016, 9:36 [IST] Sikh turban case: 5 men granted bail International oi-PTI Lahore, May 4: Five of the six men arrested under Pakistan's tough blasphemy law for throwing a Sikh man's turban to the ground during a scuffle in Punjab Province have been granted bail after police declared them "innocent". The police also warned Mahinder Paal Singh against raising the matter before the top authorities as a blasphemy case could also be registered against him. A civil judge of Chichawatni, some 300 kilometres from Lahore, yesterday granted to bail Rashid Gujjar, Baqir Ali, Faiz Alam, Shakeel and Snawal in the blasphemy case. "During a day in police custody we interrogated the suspects but did not find that they had committed blasphemy. It was just a brawl and during the fight Singh's turban fell to the ground," Khaizer Hayat, Chichawatni city police in-charge, said. "We have declared the suspects innocent in the challan we submitted in the court," he said, adding that police had inserted the blasphemy section (295 of Pakistan Penal Code) at the insistence of Singh. "We could have registered a blasphemy case against Mr Singh as he had claimed that insulting of Sikh turban is tantamount to insulting the Prophet. "He (Mahinder Singh) is lucky that the suspects did not press for registration of the FIR for committing blasphemy," Hayat said. He further said section 295 was a bailable offence. To a question that Singh is pressing for 295/A which deals with non-bailable offence with maximum penalty of 10-year imprisonment, Hayat said, "It is in fact not a case of blasphemy. It is a case quarrel between two groups and the matter should be resolved amicably. Otherwise there will an FIR and counter FIR on blasphemy allegations." Police last Sunday registered an FIR under sections 295 (blasphemy), 506 (hurling threats) and 148 of Pakistan Penal Code against the six suspects under blasphemy law on the complaint of Singh, a resident of Multan district of Punjab, some 350 kilometers from Lahore. Singh told police that he was travelling from Faisalabad to Multan by a bus that developed a fault on the way. The driver fixed the fault but its speed was very slow and it took passengers five hours to get Chichawatni bus terminal where he and other passengers complained to the staff of the transport company and demanded an alternative vehicle for the journey to Multan. "The arguments over issue led a scuffle between the company's staff and the passengers. During the fight a bus terminal hawker, Rashid Gujjar, threw my turban on the ground and others manhandled me. Turban is considered sacred in the Sikh religious code and throwing it on the ground is tantamount to desecration," Singh had said. PTI Bengal polls: Mamata takes care of ill woman during rally, gives her water bottle Kolkata oi-Shubham Kolkata, May 4: They say Mamata Banerjee is a better human being than an administrator. The people of the state has seen a number of times the Trinamool Congress (TMC) chief helping the needy out there. Assembly Polls 2016 Coverage; List of 25 seats going to polls on May 5 Her critics will disagree, saying it is not true for Banerjee has been seen abusing people or getting them arrested for any question or act that hasn't made her comfortable. For her supporters, the counter argument is: That's looking at it politically. As a non-political personality, Banerjee has a soft heart, according to them. [Mamata put superhuman effort to lead party during month-long election] Yet another incident showing the soft side of Banerjee took place on Tuesday when she was addressing her final election rally in Dinhata constituency in Cooch Behar district of northern Bengal. According to an Indian Express report, a woman among the audience collapsed in the heat and Banerjee noticed that. She immediately stopped her address and took care of the fact that the woman is given treatment with care. She was even found reprimanding somebody in the public for not handling the woman with enough care, said the report. The chief minister called for ambulances, doctors and water. The CM, as the report said, even took up a water bottle which was meant for her and threw it in the direction of the ill woman. When the crowd cheered at her gesture, the TMC supremo said her government cares for the people. Tuesday was the final day of campaigning for this year's Assembly election. The results will come out on May 19. Oneindia News Police have arrested the man who abducted a woman and tried to rape her. This incident was captured on CCTV. It was reported that the girl was abducted infront of her hostel. Based on CCTV footage and the information provided by locals, who had seen him in the area, the police arrested the 24 yr old culprit Akshay. The girl is, a native of Manipur and works in a private beauty clinic. Community Its now easier than ever to connect and chat with others in your local area. You can connect with your community by asking general questions, give area updates and recommendations and even let your community know about local events that are taking place. 2008-2022 One News Page Ltd. All rights reserved. One News is a registered trademark of One News Page Ltd. Washington: An American police officer, who brutally assaulted an Indian grandfather that left him paralysed, will now face a fresh trial for misdemeanour assault next month. Eric Parker will stand trial on June 8 and June 9 for misdemeanour assault against Sureshbhai Patel, the Indian grandfather who was taking a stroll around his son's neighbourhood in Alabama when he was brutally assaulted by the police officer in February last year. Newly-appointed Limestone County DistrictJudge Douglas "Doug" LeePatterson said he was ready to move forward with the trial since it is amisdemeanour and there was no need to prolong the case, according to a local television station. Parker was cleared of federal civil rights charges in January, after two mistrials. Parker's attorney Robert Tuten told WAAY 31 that he plans to appeal if he is found guilty. If convicted Parker faces up to one year of imprisonment. He was fired from the force after the alleged attack on Patel. The former Alabama police officer also faces a lawsuit filed against him by Patel. The assault had sparked outrage in the Indian community and India had raised the issue with the US, demanding expeditious investigation into the matter. The Governor of the US state of Alabama had apologised for the brutal police assault on Patel. by Graham Pierrepoint Is Donald aiming for Bernie supporters next? Donald Trump, who is currently running for the Republican nomination for the US Presidency, is no stranger to One News Page regular readers and site visitors will know that he has been a constant source of consternation and news for anyone following the political trails, or even anyone that loves a little bit of drama in their news feed and there is just as much of a fight for the nomination going on over in the Democratic camp, with Hillary Clinton still leading the race for nomination ahead of Bernie Sanders, her only rival in the race. Sanders has provided as divisive a figure as Trump has in some ways on the other side of the coin as many are concerned that the candidates socialist policies could be set to doom the US to fiscal collapse. However, he has continued to receive acclaim from younger voters and activists across the country, making his campaign trail just as important as everyone elses. While Sanders may be trailing Clinton coming into the late stages of the nomination race, he is still very newsworthy and is still courting discussion on and offline. So too, if not more so, is Trump. Trump has been outspoken since the start of his campaign and the Republican Party is divided on where they stand with some of his more outlandish policies. Despite this, he has been quoted in the recent past as stating that he did not necessarily need the whole of the party behind him and the tycoon has set his eyes on a whole new set of potential voters should his nomination be in the bag and should he be on his way to the White House Bernie Sanders supporters. Trump has been quoted as saying Bernie Sanders has a message thats interesting. Im going to be taking a lot of the things Bernie said and using them. This is an indication that even Trump, who is politically day and night with the Democrat hopeful, understands just how Sanders has won over a select portion of the potential electorate. CNN notes that advisors to Mr Trump have indicated that such soundbites are an indication of movements to come in his campaign as and when Sanders concedes defeat. Its noted that despite their separation on many ideological matters, both candidates have decried the current political system as corrupt which is where Trump may well start making advances in order to appeal to a younger, poorer demographic that has been found in favor of Sanders in recent months. How will this all play out? We will have to wait and see with two hanging in for the Democratic nomination, the Presidential campaign trail seems a world away but it really isnt. The video starts with a young PLA soldier touching his uniform and putting on his cap. (Photo: Via web) Beijing: In a bid to attract educated youths to the worlds largest army, Chinas PLA has released its first rap-style hip-hop music video filled with masculine lyrics and images of advanced weaponry, styling itself on par with US military. The song, called Battle Declaration focusing on winning wars, was posted on the Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) Dailys website on last Thursday. It is the first PLA-made hip-hop video, the state media reported on Tuesday. The new sleek video junks previous PLA songs which were sung to the accompaniment of orchestral melodies and their lyrics were carefully worded to avoid being too aggressive, state-run China Daily reported. The song, in an unmistakable effort to cater to the taste of young people, features a popular hip-hop style and the lyrics hide neither combativeness nor a desire to fight. The video starts with a young PLA soldier touching his uniform and putting on his cap. Then a mans voice comes in and says, There are always missions in soldiers minds, enemies in their eyes, responsibilities on their shoulders, and passions in their hearts. There could be a war at any time. Are you ready for that? A PLA publicity expert identified only as Jiao told the daily that the PLA is no longer the poorly equipped one that they saw from TV dramas, but a powerful force as modernised as the United States military. PLA, the worlds biggest army with 2.3 million personnel, enjoys the second highest defence budget of over $146 billion, only second to that of Americas $534 billion. The video was part of new look PLA. People 02 Apr 2021 "As a mother, you want to fix it for your children, and there's nothing that I can do right now besides love and support him," Lisa.. Rumble 14 Sep 2022 If someone told you the war in Ukraine is primarily about fighting for gays, fighting for gay rights, and fighting for LGBTQ and.. The Hague: There are "extremely worrying" signs that the ISIS may be making its own chemical weapons and may have used them already in Iraq and Syria, a global watchdog said Tuesday. The head of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, Ahmet Uzumcu, said his body's fact-finding teams have found evidence of the use of sulphur mustard in attacks in the two countries. "Although they could not attribute this to Daesh... there are strong suspicions that they may have used it (chemical weapons)," Uzumcu told AFP, using the alternative name for the jihadist group. "Secondly the suspicions are that they may have produced it themselves, which is extremely worrying," Uzumcu said on the sidelines of a three-day conference at the OPCW's Hague-based headquarters. "It proves that they have the technology, know-how and also access to the materials which might be used for the production of chemical weapons," Uzumcu said. CIA director John Brennan in February told CBS News that ISIS fighters had the capability to make small quantities of chlorine and mustard gas. Uzumcu did not point to any specific attacks, but last month ISIS mounted a deadly gas attack against Syrian troops at a government-controlled airbase outside the divided eastern city of Deir Ezzor, according to the SANA state news agency. The attack was the latest in a string of suspected mustard gas attacks by the jihadists in Syria and neighbouring Iraq. On March 9, a suspected ISIS gas attack on the Iraqi town of Taza, south of Kirkuk, killed three children and wounded some 1,500 people, with injuries ranging from burns to rashes and respiratory problems. While chemical agents allegedly used by ISIS so far have been among its least effective weapons, the psychological impact on civilians is considerable. A total of 25,000 people fled their homes in and around Taza last month, fearing another attack. Uzumcu also urged vigilance by other nations to guard against any chemical attacks outside Syria and Iraq. "The international community should be very vigilant to such threats and cooperate further to prevent such attacks from occurring elsewhere," Uzumcu said. Russia last month pushed for measures at the United Nations to monitor extremist groups fighting in Syria, warning of a "clear and present threat" that they could stage chemical attacks, possibly in Europe. Russia and China presented a draft Security Council resolution that calls on all countries, in particular those neighbouring Syria such as Turkey and Iraq, to report any move by armed groups to acquire or produce chemical weapons. "All neighbouring countries so Syria and Iraq should... do their utmost to prevent such activities," Uzumcu said. USATODAY.com 06 May 2022 An Indiana man accused of killing his wife in March and dumping her body in a creek won his township board primary.. Online Poker Bill Approved by California Committee Published May 3, 2016 by Elana K On April 27, the California Assembly Governmental Organization Committee approved Assemblyman Adam Grays bill, AB 2863, which would regulate online gambling. On April 27, the California Assembly Governmental Organization Committee approved Assemblyman Adam Grays bill, AB 2863, which would regulate online gambling in the Golden State. The committee heard over two hours of testimony, including Poker Players Alliance spokesman John Pappas and various tribal representatives. The committee finally approved the bill in a vote of 18-0, excluding one aspect that they could not agree upon: the bad actors clause. The Bad Actors Clause The term bad actor refers to any online gaming company that continued to operate even after the UIGEA (Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act) was passed in 2006. Including a bad actors clause in the California bill would essentially punish those operators by limiting or prohibiting their participation in the state's operations. The three states that have legalized online gambling so far - Nevada, Delaware, and New Jersey - have all included some form of bad actor clause in their regulations. In the case of California, the tribal factions are split over the bad actors clause - some want the suitability of each individual operator to be determined by the states gaming regulators, without specific language included in the bill; others want the bill to define what constitutes a bad actor and to include those specifications in the language of the bill itself. Race Tracks On Board Californias racetracks have their own vested interest in seeing online gambling legalized; Gray promised them $60 million a year from online gambling revenue, a promise which is included in the text of the bill. His negotiations worked - almost all race tracks voiced their support of the bill at the committee hearing. The Next Step In order for the bill to progress forward, the issue of the bad actors clause needs to be resolved. Gray promised to hold meetings with the various tribes in order to reach a conclusion and to push the bill forward. It's a daunting task, but the bill's approval this far is reason enough for hope. It appears the Federal Government is tragically accepting oil theft because it is less injurious than militancy Bloombergs report that militancy in the Niger Delta region is now giving way to direct stealing of crude oil would simply mean that the country may be going to the dogs. According to the report, Nigeria has been losing about 100,000 barrels of crude oil daily to the new pastime in the oil-rich region in the last few months. Between 2014 and 2015, the country lost millions of barrels of crude oil to the oil thieves whose activities picked up in 2017 and has been growing incrementally, even if it is nothing near the preceding years disruption levels. Apparently one reason why the new illegality is thriving is because it pays, somehow, both the thieves and the Federal Government than militancy which focused more on sabotaging the economy and paralysing the government by blowing up oil pipelines. A lawyer and minority rights activist, Ledum Mitee, said the phenomenon is becoming widespread because the thieves have realised that they could make money from the new way instead of just crippling the economy which does not benefit them in any way, even if injurious to the government and the national economy. As a matter of fact, the thieves see some kind of role reversal in their new approach; one in which the Federal Government is the authentic thief and they the rightful owners of the oil. They believe the oil is theirs and the government is the thief. People now realise that instead of just cutting pipelines to spite the government, they can make money out of it, Mitee was quoted as saying. Bloomberg provides further insight into the booming business, which, according to it, has provided jobs for about 500,000 persons. On one level, theft is probably a more palatable option for Nigeria and the companies operating there than attacks by militants. About 100,000 barrels a day are being taken out of pipelines, whereas militancy halted at least eight times that amount at one stage three years ago. What can be deduced from what is happening is that the country is moving from a rogue philosophy to roguery. It is a case of militants now becoming criminals. In the past, the agitation in the Niger Delta had centred on resource control and environmental pollution, at least so we thought. Although successive military governments had neglected the region for far too long, there has been some attention on the region in the past few years, especially since the Alhaji Umaru YarAdua years when the government introduced amnesty programme for the militants. Under the arrangement, the militants were encouraged to drop their arms and embrace the various measures that the YarAdua government instituted to cater to their needs. Some of them were even sent to universities abroad under the amnesty programme. Before this arrangement, the militants activities had crippled the economy, reducing crude export to less than half of the usual volume. Things however began to pick up again with the militants beating a retreat, in acknowledgment of their acceptance of the amnesty programme. This is why what looks like beatification of stealing that is now going on in the region is puzzling. Could it be that the militants no longer find the amnesty programme beneficial? Or is it just a case of the dog returning to its vomit? Well, as Bloomberg rightly pointed out, the new deal appears attractive because of its win-win appeal to both the oil thieves and the Federal Government; at least the pipelines are not being deliberately ruptured again, which would cost the government a lot of money to fix. But then, there is the need to check the new trend because, with time, the number of those engaging in it will continue to swell, for as long as the people find the allures irresistible. The implication is that it might get to a time when the nations loss would become unbearable as it would be eating into the revenue. We call on the government to stop this growing trend before it becomes a festering sore. The woman first met the 'hitman' in Victoria Park in Hackney and told him to stab her husband to death. (Representational Photo: AFP) Hackney: A woman in UK had hired a contract killer to murder her husband and asked him to make it appear like an ISIS execution to throw investigators off her track. According to a report in the UK Mirror, 28-year-old Nurten Taycur had been cheating on her husband Ercan Akan, who is an Uber driver and wanted to get rid of him. She had saved 5,000 and was willing to pay the amount to get her husband stabbed to death. Nurten even texted the hitman Im so excited and said she would help him track her husband with the Find My iPhone app. But what Nurten didn't know, was that the contract killer she had been dealing with was actually an undercover cop. Originally from a Kurdish village in Turkey, Nurten married Ercan when she was only 16 and the couple lived in a house in Hackney. She first met the undercover cop who used the name John at the Victoria Park on November 13 last year. She was arrested on hatching the plot to kill her husband and the court was informed about the sequence of events from the time Nurten first contacted the hitman to kill her husband. "She indicated she had a budget of 5,000. She did say she was currently involved in a relationship with another man, her boyfriend with whom she had had a relationship for two years. We suggest that was the reason why she wanted the husband murdered," the court was informed. The cops arrested Nurten after she paid the fake hitman a deposit of 1,000 and directed him to ensure that Ercan did not survive the attack. According to cops, Nurten had first suggested that the hitman stab her husband to death while he was on duty for Uber at night and make it look like a robbery. But later she changed her mind and told him to make his death look like an execution carried out by the Islamic State and spray ISIS on the car. "In our culture you cannot have a boyfriend but I can say 'yeah well I cheated on my husband'," she told the undercover officer. I want him to die. I want him to get out of my life," she further added. She met him on December 4 and gave him a passport photo of Ercan and wrote his car number on the back of the photo. Four days after that meet, she sent a message saying the order is ready, to indicate that she wanted him to go ahead with the murder. They met again on December 11 to give the undercover cop the deposit money and it was on this day that she discussed her ISIS inspired murder plan. "What I am thinking, I got this thing in my head, you know this ISIS thing that's going around, like if your friend gets a spray and writes ISIS on top of the car," she told him. She then graphically described how to carry out the killing. Soon after she handed over the money, she was arrested and the cops raided her home and found the 4,000 that she was to pay the hitman after he had finished his job. Ercan was shocked beyond his wits when he was told about the murder plot and told the cops that there was no problem in their marriage. "I still don't understand why Nurten wanted me to be killed - if she wanted to separate from me she could have done it in the normal way," he said. However, Nurten claimed that her husband was very orthodox and would have not agreed to a divorce. The court is set to sentence Nurten on 13 May this year after it hears all the arguments in the case and goes through all the evidence related to the crime. "This is a very grave offence indeed. You must prepare yourself for a substantial prison sentence," the court told Nurten. Hall during his meeting with Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Kalikho said that the US govt is absolutely clear that Arunachal Pradesh is an integral part of India. (Photo: Representational Image) Beijing: Taking exception to a US diplomat's recent remarks that Arunachal Pradesh is an integral part of India, China on Wednesday said it plans to seek a clarification from Washington as any "irresponsible" third party intervention in Sino-Indian border dispute will "complicate" the issue. "The Chinese side has noted the report and will ask the US side for verification and clarification," Chinese Foreign Ministry said in a written response to a question from PTI here about US Consul General in Kolkata Craig L Hall's comments that Washington regards Arunachal Pradesh, which China claims as Southern Tibet, as part of India. But clearly the statement by the US side is completely inconsistent with the fact," it said. Hall during his meeting with Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Kalikho Pul on April 28 in Itanagar said that the US government is absolutely clear that Arunachal Pradesh is an integral part of India. In its rejoinder, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said, "China and India are wise and capable enough to deal with their own issue and safeguard the fundamental and long-term interests of the two peoples. The intervention of any third party will only complicate the issue and is highly irresponsible." The two countries last month completed the 19th round of border talks here by the Special Representatives, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and his Chinese counterpart Yang Jiechi. The Line of Actual Control (LAC) covers the 3,488 km-long border. While China says that the boundary dispute is confined to 2,000 kms, mainly in Arunachal Pradesh in eastern sector which it claims as part of southern Tibet, India asserts that the dispute covered the whole of the LAC including the Aksai Chin occupied by China during the 1962 war. In its response to Hall's remarks, the Chinese Ministry said, "The boundary question between China and India bears on China's territorial sovereignty and Chinese people's sentiment. "All the third parties must respect the history and reality concerning the boundary question, respect efforts by China and India to solve territorial disputes through negotiations, not get involved in the disputes or take sides on issues relating to the ownership of disputed territory." "As is known to all, the boundary between China and India is yet to be officially drawn. The two countries are striving to reach a fair, equitable and mutually acceptable settlement on the boundary question through negotiations. "The two still have major disputes over the eastern section of the boundary, which is the reason why China and India negotiate with each other," said the Ministry. It further added, "Sound negotiations between China and India on the boundary question as well as peace and tranquillity in the border areas over recent years have created favourable conditions for the growth of bilateral relations and their respective development." Islamabad: Pakistan's army chief signed off on the death sentences of 11 members of the Taliban convicted of terrorism, kidnappings, attacks on civilians as well as assaults on police and army officers, an army statement said. The 11 were tried by military courts in closed-door trials. Pakistan started military trials for those suspected of terrorism after lifting a 2008 moratorium on the death penalty following the Peshawar school massacre that killed over 150, mostly kids, in late 2014. In cases of capital punishment handed down by military courts, the army chief is required to confirm the sentences. A Pakistani army statement late Tuesday said Gen. Raheel Sharif signed off on the sentences. It was not immediately known when the executions would take place. The 11 have the right to appeal. Four of the Taliban militants, identified as Maulvi Dilbar Khan, Hameedullah, Mohammad Nabi and Rehmatullah confessed to killing a police chief and two senior army officers in a 2013 attack in northern Pakistani district of Chilas, the statement said. The three officers were shot and killed during their investigation of an earlier Taliban attack, which killed nine foreign climbers at the base camp of Nanga Parbat, one of the tallest peaks in the world. So far, some 207 Taliban militant suspects have gone on trial before military courts, and verdicts for 88 of them have been announced, Pakistani army spokesman Gen. Asim Bajwa told Dunya News TV. The Pakistani Taliban and allied local and foreign Islamic militant groups have been waging a war on the state for over a decade, killing tens of thousands of people. The army in 2014 launched wide-scale army operations targeting main militant sanctuaries in Pakistan's lawless tribal areas. Major operations there are now almost finished, Bajwa said, adding that the military now was focusing on intelligence-based operations against militants and their facilitators in Pakistani cities. The Senate President, Ahmed Lawan has said that from henceforth under his leadership, the National Assembly (NASS) will ensure the passage of the nations appropriation bill within three months of its submission by the Executive arm of government. Lawan stated this when he fielded questions from State House correspondents after joining President Muhammadu Buhari to perform the weekly Fridays Jumaat prayer at the Aso Rock Mosque, Abuja. He expressed the hope that the executive would always ensure early submission of the budget to enable the assembly deliberate and pass it in good time. Well, this is a crucial thing that worries everyone, every Nigerian wants to see the National Assembly passes the budget in good time and what we have in mind weve campaigned with that and its something both of us in the National Assembly have bought into that well pass the budget within three months by the grace of God. But I want to say here that it takes two sides of government to pass the budget in good time. I am sure that the executive side of the government would like to present the budget before the National Assembly in good time in September or early October. By the grace of God, we in the National Assembly will ensure that we carry out the budget defence and do the remaining parts of the processes and before we leave for Christmas break, the budget would have been passed and Mr President would have the budget before him to assent, he said. The senate president, therefore, called for sacrifice by both the assembly and the executive so as to create a window for budget defence only, a dedicate period and timeframe- say a month of which only budget defence will be carried out in the national assembly. Hollywood said: Explain exactly why I should answer ANY question you pose while you refuse to answer my questions. Click to expand... So, then, I will ask you the same question: would you free this supposed killer ?And, as far as listing the times you supported the Islamic terrorist swine, let's consider the arsehole you voted for: The Obumerrhoid. Granted that the Obumerrhoid occasionally succumbs to inescapable public pressure and had the seal team exterminate the arsehole Bin Laden, and some other instances where he gave the impression that he was against the Islamic Swine.....but look at the cold facts: Neytanyahu thinks this Obumsky POS is a pile of drek. Obumsky's policies in Iran basically granting them carte blanche w/r/t nuclear development is a horrendous misdeed unmistakably advancing the agenda of the Islamic terrorist swine Also, his obviously ineffective policies in the Mid East, especially Syria is an OBVIOUS indication that Obumsky is either furthering the Islamic terrorist swine's agenda, or doing ZILCH to prevent it. And yet you ignore Trump's lies? Cruz lies? Has Bernie Sanders gone more than 20 years without lying? How about Obama? How about Bush Jr.? Cheney? Reagan? Kennedy? Nixon? Lyndon Johnson? Joe McCarthy? Do I think Hillary is pure as the driven snow? Of course not. Do I think she has lied? Many times? YES. Of course.....so GET OVER IT. Everyone lies. Politicians lie a lot. People in our national security apparatus say, perhaps, the Secretary of State lie a ton. Its part of their job. Theres a line between public disclosure and national security, and while we can have major disagreements over where that line is, we all agree that the line exists. That line, like it or not, is drawn in LIES. AND maybe it's a good thing that politicians LIE. Do we really want/need the truth....about everything? We vote for candidates because of their policies--their platforms. Republicans will vote for Trump, even though he is unscrupulous, unrepentant, unpredictable, unreliable, unfit, and unqualified. They/you will vote for him because of his party affiliation and his promises. Isn't there a LIE in that? So, stop with the self-righteous crap. You lie, I lie, he lies, she lies.....and so will every other political figure from now until dooms day. Don't use that as an excuse--find something else. Disagree with Hillary's politics. Disagree with her views on the military, unemployment, the economy, wall street, immigration. But for heaven's sake, disagree with something that makes sense and stop being a hypocrite. Elbit Systems successfully demonstrated the BrightNite system in a series of night flights. Britenite is a solution that enables utility helicopters to perform Degraded Visual Environment (DVE) missions successfully in more than 90% of the nights. The demonstration flights carried out in Israel and involved dozens of pilots from different nationalities and services. Subscribe to see Brightnite in action and more The goal of this evaluation was to demonstrate the systems performance in DVE conditions, in moonless, pitch dark nights, in which flights are rarely executed. Installed onboard an Airbus Twin-Star helicopter for the demo, the BrightNite system provided the pilots with night-piloting capabilities similar and even exceeding to those of attack helicopters. Comprised of non-gimbaled uncooled FLIR and highly sensitive Complementary Metal-Oxide Semiconductor (CMOS) sensors the BrightNite DVE solution provides the pilot an intuitive image with the ultra-wide field of regard, projected through the pilots Helmet Mounted Display through the ANVIS/HUD. Overlaid by a synthetic layer that follows the contours of the landscape, the display is combined with a third layer of mission conformal 3D symbology indicating various hazards, mission conformal symbology and tactical data. Using a single Britenite sensor and the synthetic world, multiple crew members can simultaneously scan different areas through the entire field of regard, safely sharing the mission workload and responsibilities, regardless of the night visibility conditions. In the sorties that took place during the demonstration flights, the feedback was extremely positive and the pilots emphasized the contribution of the system to flight. The system is like magic, [it] literally opens any night to flight one of the pilots commented. Komfie Manalo, Opalesque Asia: Global hedge funds recovered in April with the HFRX Global Hedge Fund Index gaining +0.41% last month (-1.47% YTD), while the HFRX Market Directional Index gained +5.31% during the same period (-1.58% YTD) on resurgent energy and commodities. In its monthly report, Hedge Fund Research said that the global financial markets posted mixed performance in April and added that both the Japanese yen and British pound sterling surged against the US$. Global equities posted mixed results, with gains in Europe offset by weakness in Asia, while gains across large and small cap indices were offset by weakness in technology; reported earnings were also mixed, with weakness in Apple & Twitter offset by strength in Amazon. "Commodities posted sharp gains for the month, extending March gains, led by surges in oil, natural gas, aluminum, platinum, silver, soybeans and lean hogs. The Japanese Yen continued to strengthen against the US dollar as the Bank of Japan surprised FX markets with no new intervention, while the British Pound Sterling also gained against the US$ as investors re-priced Brexit risk on increased likelihood of 'Brexin vote' in June. US treasury yields rose modestly as the curve flattened and high yield credit tightened," the report added. Multi-strategy gains led by energ...................... To view our full article Click here Exclusive to OpEd News: General News 5/4/2016 at 2:54 AM EDT H2'ed 5/4/16 The Hoosier State delivered an all-but-crowning victory to Donald Trump, who beat Ted Cruz soundly in the state, sweeping up at least 51 delegates. On the Democratic side, Bernie Sanders won an unexpected victory over Hillary Clinton, though it was not enough to halt her march to the nomination. But then went on to, as usual, diss Sanders: The Republican Party's trek into the darkness took a fateful step in Indiana on Tuesday. Scott Baker is a Managing Editor & The Economics Editor at Opednews, and a former blogger for Huffington Post, Daily Kos, and Global Economic Intersection. His anthology of updated Opednews articles "America is Not Broke" was published by Tayen Lane Publishing (March, 2015) and may be found here: http://www.americaisnotbroke.net/ Scott is a former and current President of Common Ground-NY (http://commongroundnyc.org/), a Geoist/Georgist activist group. He has written dozens of (more...) How the Bangladesh money landed with casino junket operator Kim Wong in the Philippines is still a mystery. It needs to be unravelled. His explanation is ingenuous to say the least because he claims that the money was a debt payment to him by fellow junket operator Shuhua Gao. "A total of 1 billion pesos of the $81 million funds remitted to Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. (RCBC) on Jupiter Street, Makati City branch, came to my company. 450 million pesos of this money was debt payment to me by junket operator Shuhua Gao," the Chinese trader told the Philippines authorities. The remaining 550 million pesos was converted into chips and played in the casino, and he has since returned some money. What can be the surmise? No need for a Sherlock Holmes, sir. For the lead players in the Bangladesh heist - ISI, Paresh Baruah, Jamaat and China, not necessarily in that order, hurt by the Atiur Rehman hurdle the Filipino casinos is a tantalizing neutral route to multiply their money. Did they get some help direct or indirect from Rehman baiters in the Bangladesh establishment? The jury is out still out. But his removal from the helm of the apex bank is no mean achievement for his detractors and pro-Pakistani elements alike. (Concluded) Danger Zone (Image by Wallpaper.com) Details DMCA Earlier this week Republican frontrunner Donald Trump entered the danger zone. Trump made a speech on foreign policy to lay out what foreign policy would look like in a Trump administration. In his speech Trump expressed the importance of working with Russia to fight our common enemy ISIS and radical Islamists. In his speech he said: We desire to live peacefully and in friendship with Russia and China. We have serious differences with these two nations, and must regard them with open eyes, but we are not bound to be adversaries. We should seek common ground based on shared interests. Russia, for instance, has also seen the horror of Islamic terrorism. I believe an easing of tensions, and improved relations with Russia from a position of strength not only is possible, absolutely possible. Common sense says this cycle, this horrible cycle of hostility must end and ideally will end soon. Good for both countries. Some say the Russians won't be reasonable. I intend to find out. If we can't make a deal under my administration, a deal that's great -- not good, great -- for America, but also good for Russia, then we will quickly walk from the table. It's as simple as that. We're going to find out. I will never send our finest into battle unless necessary, and I mean absolutely necessary, and will only do so if we have a plan for victory with a capital V. As Donald Trump delivered those words of peace and cooperation President Barack Obama was in Hanover, Germany, for a mini war summit. Meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, British Prime Minister David Cameron, French President Francois Hollande, and Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi, Obama announced a significant escalation of American intervention in the Middle East, particularly in Syria. "Plan B" for Syria allows the CIA and Saudi Arabia to funnel massive amounts of arms, including surface-to-air missiles, into the hands of the CIA-trained "moderate" terrorists and al Qaeda militias to fight against Russia and remove elected Syrian President Assad. Last month Military.com reported that militias in Syria armed by the CIA were fighting against militias armed by the Pentagon. For five years the Obama administration has been training and arming militias on both sides of the battle including ISIS. The insanity continues to escalate in spite of $8.5 trillion dollars missing from the Pentagon budget. As Obama and his millionaire congress cut social programs this congress has funded the building of more nuclear-delivery systems and more nuclear factories than any other American president. Information Clearing House reports the cost over 30 years is more than $1 trillion for nuclear war heads alone. In Ukraine the CIA coup orchestrated with the assistance of Vice President Joe Biden and Victoria Nuland has left the country practically uninhabitable. The U.S. military and NATO are surrounding Russia with troops, tanks and weaponry deployed to Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia. While Obama and the CIA-controlled media ridiculed Trump's foreign-policy vision for America, his speech was warmly welcomed in Moscow. After years of the American media demonizing Putin and the Russian people there is finally a light at the end of the tunnel, and it's not an oncoming train. But that light is quickly being extinguished. The White House Correspondents Dinner revealed the unholy alliance between our millionaire-owned media and the executive branch. New York Times Magazine Correspondent Mark Leibovich has said the Washington journalists have evolved into a "Celebrity Class." Responding to a question as to why the New York Times no longer sends its correspondents to the dinner, Leibovich replied: Next Page 1 | 2 (Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher). It notes Clinton's acclaim for the Iran deal on the campaign trail, but reveals that she dragged her feet from the start. Even as Kerry, then chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, was speaking to an emissary from Oman, Clinton was behaving in a tactical, hardline fashion. "But the behind-the-scenes story of Mrs. Clinton's role is more complicated than her public account of it. Interviews with more than a dozen current and former administration officials paint a portrait of a highly cautious, ambivalent diplomat, less willing than Mr. Obama to take risks to open a dialogue with Iran and increasingly wary of Mr. Kerry's freelance diplomacy. Her decision to send her own team, some officials said, was driven as much by her desire to corral Mr. Kerry as to engage the Iranians. "Mrs. Clinton, who declined to comment for this article, worried that he was promising too much to lure the Iranians to the table -- a worry shared by people in the White House. The senator's aides, meanwhile, suspected that Mrs. Clinton was content to run out the clock on an opening. At one point, a frustrated Mr. Kerry told his chief of staff, David Wade, 'If this is going to go anywhere, we have to get people in a room talking.' "Defenders of Mrs. Clinton say that her distrust of Iran was warranted." Oman's Sultan Qaboos was seeking an "out of the box" way to change the dynamic between Iran and the U.S., Kerry tells Landler. And the then Senate chairman made the same argument to President Obama. "Later, in a one-on-one meeting with Mr. Obama in the Oval Office, Mr. Kerry told him that the only way to test its potential was to meet the Iranians. "The State Department and the National Security Council, however, deliberated for months without making a decision." Note the characterization of Kerry's approach as "aggressive" and dismissive of the chorus in "Israel and the United States." Kerry was willing to ignore the Israel lobby, but Hillary Clinton was not. "...his aggressive approach alarmed Mrs. Clinton, as well as people at the White House, several former officials said. They worried that Mr. Kerry had promised the Iranians concessions on enriching uranium that the White House was not yet willing to make. "Mr. Kerry, these officials said, indicated to the Iranians that the United States would acknowledge, at the outset of the talks, that Iran had a right to enrich uranium for a civil nuclear-energy program... he was dismissive of hard-liners in Israel and the United States who demanded that Iran dismantle its nuclear infrastructure." Landler says 2012 was a "fragile" time, but he doesn't mention the lobby's role in President Obama's reelection campaign, and the president's need to get right with Israel supporters: "In the fragile atmosphere of early 2012, officials said, Mr. Kerry's forward-leaning style came to be viewed as a liability." Clinton sided with Netanyahu over Obama, in seeking new sanctions on Iran just as Kerry was undertaking the deal with the new president. See original here Starting today, a global wave of peaceful direct actions lasting for 12 days will take place across six continents targeting the world's most dangerous fossil fuel projects, under the banner of Break Free 2015 was the hottest year ever recorded and the impacts of climate change are already hitting communities around the world. From rising sea levels to extreme storms, the need to act on climate change has never been more urgent. Added to that, the fossil fuel industry faces an unprecedented crisis -- from collapsing prices, massive divestments, a new global climate deal and an ever-growing movement calling for change. The time has never been better for a just transition to a clean energy system. To harness the moment, activists and concerned citizens committed to addressing climate change -- from international groups to local communities to individual citizens -- will unite to ensure that strong pressure is maintained to force energy providers, as well as local and national governments, to implement the policies and additional investments needed to completely break free from fossil fuels. People worldwide are providing the much needed leadership by intensifying actions through peaceful civil disobedience on a global scale as so much remains to be done in order to lessen the effects of the climate crisis. This includes demanding governments move past the commitments made as part of the Paris agreement signed last month. In order to address the current climate crisis and keep global warming below 1.5 C, fossil fuel projects need to be shelved and existing infrastructure needs to be replaced now that renewable energy is more affordable and widespread than ever before. The only way to achieve this is by keeping coal, oil and gas in the ground and accelerating the just transition to 100 percent renewable energy. During Break Free people worldwide are rising up to make sure this is the case. Actions taking place between May 3-15 include: United States: Across the U.S. activists will target six key areas of fossil fuel development between May 12-15. Including the new tar sands pipelines in the Midwest with an action near Chicago; fracking in the Mountain West with an event outside Denver; "bomb trains" carrying fracked oil and gas to a port in Albany, New York; Shell's devastating refinery pollution north of Seattle; action around offshore drilling in the Arctic, Atlantic and Gulf coasts taking place in Washington, DC; and dangerous oil and gas drilling in Los Angeles. These diverse actions will all escalate critical local campaigns that target the unjust practices of the fossil fuel industry. More detail on the individual actions can be found below. May 12 & May 14 in Colorado (Denver): On May 12, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) intends to hold a fossil fuel auction and hundreds of people will be there to tell them to keep it in the ground. Activists will be mobilizing first at the BLM auction and then a few days later on May 14th in a community working to defend itself from fracking near Denver. May 13-15 in the Pacific Northwest (Anacortes, Washington): The Shell and Tesoro refineries just north of Seattle are the largest unaddressed source of carbon pollution in the Pacific Northwest and refine nearly half of all the gas and diesel consumed in the region; this system must change -- within years, not decades. Thousands of people will converge upon the March Point refineries in Anacortes, Washington. Hundreds of people will risk arrest by engaging in peaceful civil disobedience on land and sea on May 13th, 14th and 15th as part of a mass action to Break Free from Big Oil and hasten the just transition to 100 percent renewable energy. May 14 in the Northeast (Albany, New York) Crude oil "bomb" trains roll through Albany, polluting the air in surrounding communities and contributing to the climate crisis. On May 14th, activists will gather for a massive action to stop these dangerous trains in their tracks. Joining others all around the world, they will put their bodies in the way of fossil fuels to show the collective power of this movement. May 14 in California (Los Angeles): 2016 is a critical year in the fight to move California away from dangerous fossil fuels and toward the renewable energy future we need. From the neighborhoods in Richmond alongside a toxic, explosive oil refinery to residents living only feet away from neighborhood drilling in South LA, frontline communities across the state are living with the insidious threats of fossil fuels. That's why thousands of Californians will be marching in Los Angeles on May 14 to demand a ban on urban drilling and all new fossil fuel infrastructure. As the home of the largest urban oil field and the largest city in California, Los Angeles is the clear target for this action. Change can begin in LA to move the whole state off fossil fuels and toward 100 percent renewable energy. May 15 in Washington, DC: On May 15, a coalition of organizations and frontline activists will rally at the White House and then march to one of the bodies of water in DC. Frontline activists from the Gulf, Arctic and Atlantic will come together in DC backed by national organizations to say, "Stop Drilling everywhere. No sacrifice zones." Expanding offshore drilling or cutting it out entirely is the biggest climate decision that Obama will make before the end of his presidency and this action will show that there is a mass movement calling on him to #keepitintheground. May 15 in the Midwest (Whiting, Indiana, near Chicago): The Midwest has a long history with the fossil fuel industry and this May communities in the region are taking action to Break Free from athen industry that's driving the climate crisis. The fossil fuel industry threads the Great Lakes region with pipelines, putting local communities at risk with refining impacts and petcoke piles. Communities are breaking free from business as usual and taking on Enbridge's tar sands proposed expansion plans. On Sunday, May 15 at noon, hundreds of Midwesterners will assemble for a rally in the Whiting Lakefront Park near the BP Whiting Refinery and near the 2014 oil spill into the waters of Lake Michigan. Australia: On May 8 some 600+ people will gather at the largest coal port in the world, in Newcastle. They will demonstrate their resolve to make the climate a key issue in the coming election and show their determination to continue resisting coal no matter who is in the Prime Minister's chair. Brazil: Actions will be taking place at three locations across the country. Between May 5-15 there will be a rural fair in Maringa, which will include a big rally on May 6, calling for a ban on fracking. On May 7 in Toledo there will be a mass anti-fracking action with thousands of people attending. And on May 14 there will be a march and mass civil disobedience targeting a coal power plant in Pecem, Ceara. Canada: On May 13 and 14 hundreds of people will take action on the land and the water in Vancouver to oppose the proposed Kinder Morgan Transmountain tar sands pipeline, surrounding the Westridge Marine terminal. Ecuador: An action is being organized on May 14 by Yasunidos bringing people together from around the country with a call to keep the oil in ground and protect the Yasuni National Park. Germany: During the weekend of May 13-15 a few thousand activists are expected to come to Lusatia where they will engage in civil disobedience to stop the digging in one of Europe's biggest open-pit lignite mines, which the Swedish company Vattenfall has put up for sale. The action will show any future buyer that all coal development will face resistance and demonstrate the movement's commitment against fossil fuel corporations. Indonesia: There will be a mass action of thousands of people at the Presidential Palace in Jakarta on May 11. The action will include participants from many of the communities leading resistance to coal projects from around the country. The mobilization will target President Joko Widodo demanding he revise his ambitious 35,000 Megawatt energy plan by moving away from coal and embracing renewable energy. A few days later there will be one or more actions at the site of coal infrastructure projects. New Zealand: Between May 4-15 hundreds of people around New Zealand will take action to shut down the operations of one of New Zealand's biggest investors and lenders to the fossil fuel industry, ANZ bank. There will be blockades, disruptive actions and culture jamming from North to South. Nigeria: In the Niger Delta actions will be held in three iconic locations to show what happens when the oil goes dry and the community is left with the pollution and none of the wealth. An action at Ogoni land will demand an urgent clean-up of decades old oil spills and underscore how it is possible for citizens to resist the power of the oil corporations and keep their oil in the ground where it belongs. Another action will be on the Atlantic coast, where Exxon's offshore wells frequently leak, impact fisheries and harm coastline communities' livelihoods. Sanders' fairly narrow victory in another purple state, Indiana, continued the pattern that was established in Nevada and Iowa. Clinton's lead is based on the closed primary states and southern red and purple states. Unfortunately neither of these results are relevant to winning the electoral college. Clinton's identity politics appeals to the Democratic party faithful who dominate the closed primaries held for the Party 29%. They who see all politics as identity politics remain loyal to a corrupt party. Independents, the 40% of the electorate who are more interested in recovering democracy from the plutocratic establishment which controls both corrupt parties, favor Sanders. Indiana conducts an open primary which accounts for Sanders' victory. But it also has southern influences in its Ohio River Valley counties which kept it modest. In Indiana Sanders again overwhelmingly won voters under 45 (68%). But true to the pattern caused by his refusal to give blacks a good reason to vote for him, he again won only 26% of the 18% share of the Indiana Democratic primary voters who are black. Sanders remains as resolute in this neglect of good strategy as he is in the content of his campaign speech. Where it counts, in open primary blue states where independent voters are not excluded from participating in the nation's presidential election run-off process, Sanders wins or virtually ties primary elections, and more commonly overwhelms Clinton in the caucus states. Sanders has held his own in the non-southern purple states like Indiana. Purple state outliers, Colorado, where Sanders won in a landslide (18%), and Ohio, where Clinton did the same (13%), cancel each other out. The states remaining for Sanders to catch up to Clinton are a similar mixture of red states (e.g., West Virginia where Sanders is polling ahead), both open and closed election states, and blue states (e.g. Oregon, where Sanders is competitive), but are all outside the South -- aside from Kentucky, a border state. Activists in New York, without any apparent support from the Sanders campaign, are taking on the quintessential case of closed state corruption that is one essential leg of Clinton's lead. Sanders told the Washington Post that "the convention and the Democratic National Committee can change the rules and can create a scenario that makes it clear that we want open primaries in 50 states in this country." But Sanders needs to do more than talk about closed primaries, and say that he "accepts" the rules that he states are "dumb" and "absurd." He needs to make a focus of his campaign the reform of the DNC rules so as to disadvantage such primaries. Sanders needs to prepare his delegates for the floor fight at the convention to change the rules to discount the delegate strength of closed states. The rules should factor in poll results from the Independents who were undemocratically excluded from what should be an open run-off election process, if the results are to be taken as democratic. It is far from clear that Sanders' campaign is competent to wage such a floor battle, which alone could alter the outcome of the convention by shifting 200 votes or more from Clinton to Sanders, in order to account for the excluded Independents. Instead the campaign expresses interest in diverting its hard-won political capital at the convention into influencing the contents of Democratic Platform, which will have nothing at all to do with winning the nomination, much less the policies that will ultimately be pursued by Democrats if Clinton were to win. That it is Independents who will determine the general election results, not Clinton's southern red state supporters who represent much of her delegate advantage, should concern any part of the Democratic establishment which is more interested in winning the election in November than in the payoffs they have received, or expect, from the Clinton organization. Sanders has repeatedly appealed to the Establishment as represented by superdelegates to shift their support to him. He requests that in the states which he has won by a landslides superdelegates should vote for him. This would modify the rules that leave discretion with the superdelegates. But this change would still leave Sanders at least 200 delegates short just among the superdelegates, even if he did make up the difference among pledged delegates in the future contests, a demanding task. Therefore this seems yet another of Sanders' resolutely losing strategies. Second, Sanders appeals to superdelegates to exercise their discretion to pick the strongest candidate against Trump, especially as shown by polling in the battleground states. Instead of this superdelegate plea Sanders should be advocating the application of ordinary conflict of interest recusal rules to the superdelegates. They, and also the members of the Rules and Bylaws Committee who would have to approve such rules changes, should be required first to disclose any promises or other pecuniary interest related to the Clinton organization, and then to recuse themselves from voting for Clinton in cases where any reasonable person would conclude that such entanglements would create a conflict of interest. This conflict of interest enforcement approach has several benefits. First it is symbolic of Sanders campaign against the lack of integrity of the government which is largely due to the fact that it has freed itself from similar conflict of interest rules. Sanders would win his revolution against the control of government by the billionaire class if he could simply restore the application of traditional conflict of interest recusal law to politician payoffs made under the guise of campaign contributions and expenditures. Second, by advocating such a simple litmus test of integrity in the nomination process, Sanders would more clearly define his campaign so as distinguish himself from Clinton and the corrupt party she controls in a way that does not implicate her base in identity politics. Third, it is quite possible that if the Sanders campaign were competent enough to organize its own pledged delegates behind this issue as the very opening floor contest over credentials, much as Teddy Kennedy waged a rules fight in 1980, Sanders might attract enough of the Clinton identity politics crowd to win this issue. Clinton's delegates are not all committed to Clinton corruption. Many who remain ignorant of it might be persuaded that rules of integrity that apply in other similar contexts should also apply to the superdelegates. In principle, who can support buying the votes of superdelegates? By winning on this issue of integrity Sanders could flip the superdelegates vote to favor him rather than to overwhelm him as it now does. It is highly likely that there are very few superdelegates who would still favor Clinton against the evidence that Trump can defeat her, except those who have taken or expect some payoff from the Clinton organization. Sanders needs to make this issue the litmus test for supporting Clinton, and even for his delegates remaining at the convention in which she will be nominated. This of course would need to be arranged with the delegates in advance, so the demand for the conflict of interest rule itself needs to start well before the convention. Research would be required into each superdelegate's ties to the Clinton organization. Them the issue should be negotiated with Clinton in advance, in case she wants to avoid a floor fight and potential walk out. The Indiana result that dominates the news cycle is Trump's elimination of Cruz. If for nothing else the nation owes Trump a debt of gratitude for eliminating the possibility of a Cruz presidency. It is worrisome that if Trump does lose to Clinton, a Clinton presidency could so alienate voters from the corrupt Democratic Party that Cruz dominionism could make a comeback in 2020. This Clinton-Cruz sequence is even scarier than Trump. The second favor Trump's supporters, especially the closers Indiana, have done the country, is giving him such a large victory as to drive Cruz out of the race. This means that Trump can begin his campaign against Clinton as he has promised to do. This will test Clinton's weaknesses well before the Democratic convention. Trump will raise those "personal" issues about the corrupt Clinton organization that Sanders refused to raise. This can only help Sanders in the remaining primaries. As Trump starts campaigning against Clinton it will give the superdelegates a foretaste of the Clinton's weakness, .and may well heighten sensitivity to the issue of integrity. (Article changed on May 4, 2016 at 11:24) Iran Renewable Energy Policy Handbook Market Edition ,Regional Outlook Trends, Growth 2016 - Acute Market Reports http://www.acutemarketreports.com/report/iran-renewable-energy-policy-handbook-2016 http://www.acutemarketreports.com/request-free-sample/72563 http://www.acutemarketreports.com SummaryIran Renewable Energy Policy Handbook 2016 is among the latest country specific policy reports from GlobalData, the industry analysis specialist that offers comprehensive information on major policies governing renewable energy market in the country.Browse Full Report Visit -The report provides the current and future renewable energy targets and plans along with the present policy framework, giving a fair idea of overall growth potential of the renewable energy industry. The report also provides major technology specific policies and incentives provided in the country.The report is built using data and information sourced from industry associations, government websites and statutory bodies. The information is also sourced through other secondary research sources such as industry and trade magazines.Scope- The report covers policy measures and incentives used by Iran to promote renewable energy.- The report details promotional measures in Iran both for the overall renewable energy industry and for specific renewable energy technologies that have potential in the country.Reasons to buyThe report will enhance your decision making capability in a more rapid and time sensitive manner. It will allow you to -- Develop business strategies with the help of specific insights about policy decisions being taken for different renewable enrgy sources.- Identify opportunities and challenges in exploiting various renewable technologies.- Compare the level of support provided to different renewable energy technologies in Iran.- Be ahead of competition by keeping yourself abreast of all the latest policy changes.1 Table of Contents 21.1 List of Tables 32 Introduction 42.1 Renewable Energy Policy 42.2 GlobalData Report Guidance 43 Renewable Energy Policy, Iran 53.1 Overview 53.2 Key Energy Reforms 53.3 Renewable Power Policy 74 Appendix 94.1 Definitions 94.1.1 Power 94.1.2 Installed Capacity 94.1.3 Electricity Generation 94.1.4 Electricity Consumption 94.1.5 Solar Power 94.1.6 Renewable Energy Resources 94.2 Abbreviations 104.3 Bibliography 104.4 Coverage 114.5 Methodology 114.5.1 Secondary Research 114.6 Disclaimer 12Purchase a Copy Of This Report -Table 1: Renewable Energy Policy, Iran, Major Power Companies to be Listed on the Tehran Stock Exchange, 2014 7Table 2: Renewable Energy Policy, Iran, Feed-in Tariffs for Renewable Energy Sources, 2015 8Table 3: Abbreviations 10About - Acute Market Reports :Acute Market Reports is the most sufficient collection of market intelligence services online. It is your only source that can fulfill all your market research requirements.We provide online reports from over 100 best publishers and upgrade our collection regularly to offer you direct online access to the worlds most comprehensive and recent database with expert perceptions on worldwide industries, products, establishments and trends.Our team consists of highly motivated market research professionals and they are accountable for creating the groundbreaking technology that we utilize in our search engine operations to easily recognize the most current market research reports online.Contact Us :Chris PaulACUTE MARKET REPORTSOffice No 101, 1st Floor ,Aditi Mall, Baner,Pune, MH, 411045IndiaToll Free(US/CANADA): +1-855-455-8662India: +91 7755981103Email : sales@acutemarketreports.comWebsite : Eva Mozes Kor survived the most notorious Nazi death camp of World War II, but she remained a prisoner of her own bitterness until she found a way to forgive her tormentors. Now 82, Kor recounted her wartime experiences on Monday night to an audience of more than 1,300 people in the Austin Auditorium at Oregon State Universitys LaSells Stewart Center in the keynote address of OSUs 30th annual Holocaust Memorial Week observances. For more than 90 minutes, she held the standing-room crowd spellbound with the tale of her personal journey from terror-stricken child to determined survivor to witness for peace. Kor was just 10 years old when the Nazis came for her family of Romanian Jews. They were packed into cattle cars with hundreds of other prisoners and taken by train to Auschwitz, where more than 1 million people met their deaths during the war. Shortly after their arrival, Kor recalled, she was separated from her parents and two older siblings, who were killed in the gas chambers: Never, ever did I see them again. A different fate awaited Eva and her twin sister, Miriam. They were among the 1,500 or so sets of twins who were subjected to crude and often lethal medical experiments led by Nazi physician Josef Mengele, known as the Angel of Death. On their first visit to the latrine, the girls saw the bodies of three dead children, and thats when Eva decided she was going to fight for her life. There and then I made a silent pledge to do anything and everything in my power to make sure Miriam and I did not end up on that latrine floor, Kor said. I never let any doubt or fear enter into my mind. She and her sister shared a barracks with 13 other sets of twins, all girls ranging in age from 2 to 16. The living conditions were dreadful: There was no heat and little food. The place was swarming with rats and crawling with lice. On Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, the girls would be taken to a room where they would be kept naked for up to eight hours while every part of their bodies was measured. On Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays they were taken to a different room, a room Kor called the blood lab. There, numerous blood samples would be taken from her left arm, and she would be given five or more injections in her right. Kor still doesnt know what was in those injections, but one of them made her terribly sick. She recalls being taken to the camp hospital, where Mengele came to survey his handiwork. She remembers him looking at her chart and making an offhand comment to some other doctors. Laughing sarcastically, he said, Its too bad shes so young she has only has two weeks to live. She learned later that her sister was kept under close observation the whole time she was in the hospital with a fever. If I would have died ... Miriam would have been killed with an injection to the heart and Mengele would have done a comparative autopsy. Only 200 of the so-called Mengele Twins lived through the war, but Eva and Miriam were among them. On Jan. 27, 1945, a column of Soviet soldiers liberated the camp. We ran up to them and they gave us chocolates, cookies and hugs, Kor recalled. It was our first taste of freedom. After some time in a refugee camp the sisters returned to their village, now part of Soviet-controlled Hungary, and later emigrated to Israel. In 1960 Eva married an American citizen named Michael Kor, a Holocaust survivor himself, and relocated to Terre Haute, Indiana. In 1984 Kor founded an organization called CANDLES, or Children of Auschwitz Nazi Deadly Lab Experiments Survivors, and ultimately located 122 other surviving Mengele Twins. But her biggest personal breakthrough didnt come until a decade later, after she met a Nazi doctor named Hans Munch who had worked at Auschwitz, where his job was to monitor the gas chambers and record the number of the dead. At her request, he told her in detail about how the gas chambers operated. He also treated her with kindness and respect, and he confessed his personal torment at the memory of what he had done in the death camps. This is my problem, he told her. This is my nightmare that I live with every day of my life. Grateful for his openness, she struggled for the appropriate way to thank him. The solution she came up with shocked the world. In 1995, during a ceremony at Auschwitz to mark the 50th anniversary of the camps liberation, she read a letter in which she forgave the Nazis for the crimes they had perpetrated against herself and her family. Some people were outraged by the letter, but for Kor it was transformative and liberating in the truest sense of the word. I immediately felt that all the pain I had carried around for 50 years was lifted from my shoulders, she said. I was free of Auschwitz. I was free of Dr. Mengele. In the 200 or so lectures she gives each year, Kor notes that she didnt offer forgiveness on behalf of anyone but herself. But she also calls forgiveness the best revenge and stresses its power to overcome anger and replace it with healing. Today that notion is central to the mission of Kors organization, the CANDLES Holocaust Museum and Education Center, and on Tuesday night in Corvallis, she asked her audience to join her in that mission. I need everybodys help, she said, to sow the seeds of peace throughout the world. Pest Control Services Market in India 2016 - 2020; New Report Launched by NOVONOUS Pest Control Services Market in India 2016 - 2020 http://www.novonous.com/publications/pest-control-services-market-india-2016-2020 http://www.novonous.com/subscription www.novonous.com NOVONOUS has announced a new market research report on Pest Control Services Market in India 2016 - 2020" which provides detailed information on opportunities in Indian market.Indian Pest Control Services market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 20% representing in huge opportunities in this sector, finds a new research report launched by NOVONOUS.This growth is mainly due to increasing economic activity, increase in demand due to rising awareness, urbanization, increasing middle class population, rising spending by governments on public health issue and stringent regulations on hygiene and sanitation.Pest control services for commercial segment currently the largest market share in Indian Pest Control Services market. 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It provides values and volumes for a number of key performance indicators in the industry, including check payments, credit transfers, direct debits, payment cards and cash transactions during the review period (20102014).The report also analyzes various payment cards market operating in the industry and provides detailed information on the number of cards in circulation, and transaction values and volumes during the review period and over the forecast period (20152019). It also offers information on the country's competitive landscape, including market shares of issuers and schemes.The report brings together Timetrics research, modeling, and analysis expertise to allow banks and card issuers to identify segment dynamics and competitive advantages. The report also covers detailed regulatory policies, recent changes in regulatory structure and profiles of card issuers operating in the country.SummaryTimetrics 'The Cards and Payments Industry in Saudi Arabia: Emerging Trends and Opportunities to 2019' report provides top-level market analysis, information and insights into Saudi Arabia cards and payments industry, including:Current and forecast values for each market in Saudi Arabia cards and payments industry, including debit card, credit and charge cards. It also includes detailed analysis of the prepaid card market.Detailed insights into payment instruments including credit transfers, cash transactions, checks, direct debits and payment cards. It also, includes an overview of the country's key alternative payment instruments.E-commerce market analysis and online payment types.Analysis of various market drivers and regulations governing Saudi Arabia cards and payments industry.Detailed analysis of strategies adopted by banks and other institutions to market debit, credit and charge cards.Comprehensive analysis of consumer attitudes and buying preferences for cards.The competitive landscape of Saudi Arabia cards and payments industry.Download Detail Report With Complete TOC at:ScopeThis report provides a comprehensive analysis of Saudi Arabia cards and payments industry.It provides current values for Saudi Arabia cards and payments industry for 2014, and forecast figures to 2019.It details the different demographic, economic, infrastructural and business drivers affecting Saudi Arabia cards and payments industry.It outlines the current regulatory framework in the industry.It details marketing strategies used by various banks and other institutions.It profiles major banks in Saudi Arabia cards and payments industry.Reasons To BuyMake strategic business decisions, using top-level historic and forecast market data, related to Saudi Arabia cards and payments industry and each market within it.Understand the key market trends and growth opportunities in Saudi Arabia cards and payments industry.Assess the competitive dynamics in Saudi Arabia cards and payments industry.Gain insights into marketing strategies used for various card types in Saudi Arabia.Gain insights into key regulations governing Saudi Arabia cards and payments industry.Key HighlightsTo encourage the use of electronic payments, the Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency (SAMA) undertook a number of initiatives, including the establishment of its new electronic payment system mada, and mandatory wage payment into bank accounts. It launched its modified Saudi Payment Network (SPAN) as mada in September 2015. SPAN links all the ATMs and point-of-sale (POS) terminals to a central payment switch across the country. The regulator expects that the new system will increase the use of POS terminals. To encourage the use of the POS terminals, the daily purchase limit was increased from US$5,333.3 (SAR20,000) to US$16,000 (SAR60,000).SAMA, in collaboration with the Ministry of Labor, launched the Wage Protection System (WPS) in June 2013. Under the law, employees salaries were paid directly into bank accounts, from which they can withdraw with debit cards. WPS was implemented in phases depending on the number of employees an organization had. Initially, it was mandatory for companies with an employee base of more than 3,000, which was further reduced in phases to companies with 100 or more employees from November 2015.Technology adoption in the cards and payments industry achieved a new level in Saudi Arabia, when Riyad Bank issued the countrys first contactless debit card Riyad Bank Debit MasterCard in May 2015. The card provides enhanced security and convenience, and is accepted across 35 million merchants globally. The card can be used for small value transactions of less than US$20 (SAR75) without the need to enter a PIN. With payment cards gaining in popularity among consumers, the introduction of contactless cards is likely to encourage card based payments even for low value transactions.Browse all latest Press Releases of Market Research Reportsat:About usMarketResearchReports.biz is the most comprehensive collection of market research reports.MarketResearchReports.Biz services are specially designed to save time and money for our clients.We are a one stop solution for all your research needs, our main offerings are syndicated researchreports, custom research, subscription access and consulting services. We serve all sizes and typesof companies spanning across various industries.ContactMr. Nachiket90 Sate Street,Suite 700 Albany,NY 12207 USATel: +1-518-621-2074Canada Toll Free: 866-997-4948Website:E: sales@marketresearchreports.biz Europe Printing Equipment Industry Report 2016 Global QY Research http://globalqyresearch.com/europe-printing-equipment-industry-2016 http://globalqyresearch.com/download-sample/47720 The recently published report titled Europe Printing Equipment Industry 2016 Market Research Report is an in depth study providing complete analysis of the industry for the period 2016 2021. It provides complete overview of Europe Printing Equipment market considering all the major industry trends, market dynamics and competitive scenario.The Europe Printing Equipment Industry Report 2016 is an in depth study analyzing the current state of the Europe Printing Equipment market. It provides brief overview of the market focusing on definitions, market segmentation, end-use applications and industry chain analysis. The study on Europe Printing Equipment market provides analysis of China market covering the industry trends, recent developments in the market and competitive landscape. Competitive analysis includes competitive information of leading players in China market, their company profiles, product portfolio, capacity, production, and company financials. In addition, report also provides upstream raw material analysis and downstream demand analysis along with the key development trends and sales channel analysis. Research study on Europe Printing Equipment market also discusses the opportunity areas for investors.View Full Report With Complete TOC, List Of Figure and Table:With153 tables and figures, the report provides key statistics on the state of the industry and is a valuable source of guidance and direction for companies and individuals interested in the market.7 Analysis of Printing Equipment Industry Key Manufacturers7.1 Heidelberg7.1.1 Company Profile7.1.2 Product Picture and Specifications7.1.2.1 Type I7.1.2.2 Type II7.1.2.3 Type III7.1.3 Capacity, Production, Price, Cost, Gross and Revenue7.1.4 Contact Information7.2 KBA7.2.1 Company Profile7.2.2 Product Picture and Specifications7.2.2.1 Type I7.2.2.2 Type II7.2.2.3 Type III7.2.3 Capacity, Production, Price, Cost, Gross and Revenue7.2.4 Contact Information7.3 KOMORI7.3.1 Company Profile7.3.2 Product Picture and Specifications7.3.2.1 Type I7.3.2.2 Type II7.3.2.3 Type III7.3.3 Capacity, Production, Price, Cost, Gross and Revenue7.3.4 Contact Information7.4 Manroland7.4.1 Company Profile7.4.2 Product Picture and Specifications7.4.2.1 Type I7.4.2.2 Type II7.4.2.3 Type III7.4.3 Capacity, Production, Price, Cost, Gross and Revenue7.4.4 Contact Information7.5 Mitsubishi7.5.1 Company Profile7.5.2 Product Picture and Specifications7.5.2.1 Type I7.5.2.2 Type II7.5.2.3 Type III7.5.3 Capacity, Production, Price, Cost, Gross and Revenue7.5.4 Contact Information7.6 Akiyama7.6.1 Company Profile7.6.2 Product Picture and Specifications7.6.2.1 Type I7.6.2.2 Type II7.6.2.3 Type III7.6.3 Capacity, Production, Price, Cost, Gross and Revenue7.6.4 Contact Information7.7 Canon7.7.1 Company Profile7.7.2 Product Picture and Specifications7.7.2.1 Type I7.7.2.2 Type II7.7.2.3 Type III7.7.3 Capacity, Production, Price, Cost, Gross and Revenue7.7.4 Contact Information7.8 Epson7.8.1 Company Profile7.8.2 Product Picture and Specifications7.8.2.1 Type I7.8.2.2 Type II7.8.2.3 Type III7.8.3 Capacity, Production, Price, Cost, Gross and Revenue7.8.4 Contact Information7.9 Canon7.9.1 Company Profile7.9.2 Product Picture and Specifications7.9.2.1 Type I7.9.2.2 Type II7.9.2.3 Type III7.9.3 Capacity, Production, Price, Cost, Gross and Revenue7.9.4 Contact Information7.10 HP7.10.1 Company Profile7.10.2 Product Picture and Specifications7.10.2.1 Type I7.10.2.2 Type II7.10.2.3 Type III7.10.3 Capacity, Production, Price, Cost, Gross and Revenue7.10.4 Contact Information7.11 Dell7.11.1 Company Profile7.11.2 Product Picture and Specifications7.11.2.1 Type I7.11.2.2 Type II7.11.2.3 Type III7.11.3 Capacity, Production, Price, Cost, Gross and Revenue7.11.4 Contact Information7.12 Brother7.12.1 Company Profile7.12.2 Product Picture and Specifications7.12.2.1 Type I7.12.2.2 Type II7.12.2.3 Type III7.12.3 Capacity, Production, Price, Cost, Gross and Revenue7.12.4 Contact Information7.13 Lexmark7.13.1 Company Profile7.13.2 Product Picture and Specifications7.13.2.1 Type I7.13.2.2 Type II7.13.2.3 Type III7.13.3 Capacity, Production, Price, Cost, Gross and Revenue7.13.4 Contact Information7.14 Kodak7.14.1 Company Profile7.14.2 Product Picture and Specifications7.14.2.1 Type I7.14.2.2 Type II7.14.2.3 Type III7.14.3 Capacity, Production, Price, Cost, Gross and Revenue7.14.4 Contact Information7.15 Samsung7.15.1 Company Profile7.15.2 Product Picture and Specifications7.15.2.1 Type I7.15.2.2 Type II7.15.2.3 Type III7.15.3 Capacity, Production, Price, Cost, Gross and Revenue7.15.4 Contact Information7.16 Markem-Imaje (France)7.16.1 Company Profile7.16.2 Product Picture and Specifications7.16.2.1 Type I7.16.2.2 Type II7.16.2.3 Type III7.16.3 Capacity, Production, Price, Cost, Gross and Revenue7.16.4 Contact Information7.17 Goss International Corp. (USA)7.17.1 Company Profile7.17.2 Product Picture and Specifications7.17.2.1 Type I7.17.2.2 Type II7.17.2.3 Type III7.17.3 Capacity, Production, Price, Cost, Gross and Revenue7.17.4 Contact Information7.18 ITW Trans Tech(USA)7.18.1 Company Profile7.18.2 Product Picture and Specifications7.18.2.1 Type I7.18.2.2 Type II7.18.2.3 Type III7.18.3 Capacity, Production, Price, Cost, Gross and Revenue7.18.4 Contact Information7.19 Ryobi Limited (Japan)7.19.1 Company Profile7.19.2 Product Picture and Specifications7.19.2.1 Type I7.19.2.2 Type II7.19.2.3 Type III7.19.3 Capacity, Production, Price, Cost, Gross and Revenue7.19.4 Contact Information7.20 Xerox Corporation (USA)7.20.1 Company Profile7.20.2 Product Picture and Specifications7.20.2.1 Type I7.20.2.2 Type II7.20.2.3 Type III7.20.3 Capacity, Production, Price, Cost, Gross and Revenue7.20.4 Contact Information7.21 BEIREN7.21.1 Company Profile7.21.2 Product Picture and Specifications7.21.2.1 Type I7.21.2.2 Type II7.21.2.3 Type III7.21.3 Capacity, Production, Price, Cost, Gross and Revenue7.21.4 Contact Information7.22 MASTERWORK7.22.1 Company Profile7.22.2 Product Picture and Specifications7.22.2.1 Type I7.22.2.2 Type II7.22.2.3 Type III7.22.3 Capacity, Production, Price, Cost, Gross and Revenue7.22.4 Contact Information7.23 GRONHI7.23.1 Company Profile7.23.2 Product Picture and Specifications7.23.2.1 Type I7.23.2.2 Type II7.23.2.3 Type III7.23.3 Capacity, Production, Price, Cost, Gross and Revenue7.23.4 Contact Information7.24 JIANGSU CHANGSHENG RROUP7.24.1 Company Profile7.24.2 Product Picture and Specifications7.24.2.1 Type I7.24.2.2 Type II7.24.2.3 Type III7.24.3 Capacity, Production, Price, Cost, Gross and Revenue7.24.4 Contact Information7.25 Shanghai Electric7.25.1 Company Profile7.25.2 Product Picture and Specifications7.25.2.1 Type I7.25.2.2 Type II7.25.2.3 Type III7.25.3 Capacity, Production, Price, Cost, Gross and Revenue7.25.4 Contact Information7.26 Hamada7.26.1 Company Profile7.26.2 Product Picture and Specifications7.26.2.1 Type I7.26.2.2 Type II7.26.2.3 Type III7.26.3 Capacity, Production, Price, Cost, Gross and Revenue7.26.4 Contact Information7.27 Lenovo7.27.1 Company Profile7.27.2 Product Picture and Specifications7.27.2.1 Type I7.27.2.2 Type II7.27.2.3 Type III7.27.3 Capacity, Production, Price, Cost, Gross and Revenue7.27.4 Contact Information7.28 Advanced Medical Solutions Group7.28.1 Company Profile7.28.2 Product Picture and Specifications7.28.2.1 Type I7.28.2.2 Type II7.28.2.3 Type III7.28.3 Capacity, Production, Price, Cost, Gross and Revenue7.28.4 Contact InformationDownload Sample this Report:Global QY Research is the one spot destination for all your research needs. Global QY Research holds the repository of quality research reports from numerous publishers across the globe. Our inventory of research reports caters to various industry verticals including Healthcare, Information and Communication Technology (ICT), Technology and Media, Chemicals, Materials, Energy, Heavy Industry, etc. With the complete information about the publishers and the industries they cater to for developing market research reports, we help our clients in making purchase decision by understanding their requirements and suggesting best possible collection matching their needs.Unit1, 26 Cleveland Road, South Woodford, London, E182AN, United KingdomEmail: sales@globalqyresearch.com New Report on Global Automotive Gear Oil Market 2016 Industry Review, Trends, Size, Growth & Analysis 2025 http://goo.gl/sFDzoJ Market Research Report on Automotive Gear Oil market 2016 is a professional and in-depth study on the current state of the Automotive Gear Oil worldwide. First of all,"Global Automotive Gear Oil Market 2016" report provides a basic overview of the Automotive Gear Oil industry including definitions, classifications, applications and Automotive Gear Oil industry chain structure.The analysis is provided for the Automotive Gear Oil international market including development history, Automotive Gear Oil industry competitive landscape analysis.After that, Automotive Gear Oil industry development policies as well as plans are discussed and manufacturing processes as well as cost structures for Automotive Gear Oil market. This report "Worldwide Automotive Gear Oil Market 2016" also states import/export, supply and consumption figures and Automotive Gear Oil market cost, price, revenue and Automotive Gear Oil market's gross margin by regions (United States, EU, China and Japan), as well as other regions can be added in Automotive Gear Oil Market area.Request For Free Report Sample @Then, the report focuses on worldwide Automotive Gear Oil market key players with information such as company profiles with product picture as well as specification.Related information to Automotive Gear Oil market- capacity, production, price, cost, revenue and contact information. Aslo includes Automotive Gear Oil industry's - Upstream raw materials, equipment and downstream consumers analysis is also carried out. Whats more, the Automotive Gear Oil market development trends and Automotive Gear Oil industry marketing channels are analyzed.Finally, "worldwide Automotive Gear Oil market" Analysis- feasibility of new investment projects is assessed, and overall research conclusions are offered.About Us:Energy Market Study is a single destination for all the industry, company and country reports. We feature large repository of latest industry reports, leading and niche company profiles, and market statistics released by reputed private publishers and public organizations.Contact Us:Joel JohnDeerfield Beach, Florida 33442United StatesToll Free: +1-855-465-4651 (USA-CANADA)Tel: +1-386-310-3803Web: Energy Market StudyEmail: shane@EnergyMarketStudy.com 2-Ethylhexanol Market Segments, Opportunity, Growth and Forecast By End-use Industry 2015-2025 http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-353 http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/toc/rep-gb-353 http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/2-ethylhexanol-market Future Market Insights has announced the addition of the 2-Ethylhexanol Market: Global Industry Analysis and Opportunity Assessment 2015 - 2025" report to their offering.2-Ethylhexanol is a colorless liquid, which is rarely soluble in water and highly soluble in organic solvents. It is industrially produced through aldol condensation of n-butyraldehyde, and subsequent hydrogenation of hydroxyaldehyde, which is obtained from the prior reaction. 2-Ethylhexanol is primarily used to manufacture low volatility esters such as dioctylphthalate. It is also used in low volatility solvents for resins, vegetable oils, animal fats, resins and petroleum derivatives. It has applications in coatings and is used in the extractant production of heavy metals. It can also be used as an octane booster when reacted with nitric acid.Request Free Report Sample@Most of the demand for 2-Ethylhexanol is obtained from the plasticizer manufacturing industry. The advantage of 2-Ethylhexanol are its low solubility in water and high miscibility with organic solvents. It readily forms esters with various organic acids and is a low volatility solvent. Human exposure to highly concentrated 2- Ethylhexanol, is toxic and results in dizziness, headache, throat irritation and sore eyes. However it does not have any carcinogenic properties.Asia Pacific region is the highest consumer of 2-Ethylhexanol, accounting for almost two-third of the global demand. This region is expected to grow substantially in the foreseeable future and has high potential in China. The growing middle-class in Asia and the rapidly transforming industrial scenario in this region drive the demand for the chemical in this market. The demand in Asia is driven by plasticizer manufacturers. North America and Europe market demands are however driven by 2-Ethylhexanol acrylate and 2-Ethylhexanol nitrate manufacturing segments, which are used in adhesives and paints.Request For TOC@Some of the companies which manufacture 2-Ethylhexanol acrylate are Dow Chemical Company, Eastman Chemical Company, Zak S.A, Chengdu XiYa Chemical Technology Co., Ltd., Tianjin Zhongxin Chemtech Co., Ltd. and Meryer (Shanghai) Chemical Technology Co., Ltd. among many others. This research report presents a comprehensive assessment of the market and contains thoughtful insights, facts, historical data and statistically-supported and industry-validated market data and projections with a suitable set of assumptions and methodology. It provides analysis and information by categories such as market segments, regions, product types and distribution channels.Browse Full Report@ABOUT US:Future Market Insights (FMI) is a leading market intelligence and consulting firm. We deliver syndicated research reports, custom research reports and consulting services, which are personalized in nature. FMI delivers a complete packaged solution, which combines current market intelligence, statistical anecdotes, technology inputs, valuable growth insights, an aerial view of the competitive framework, and future market trends.616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018Valley Cottage, NY Global Cocoa Market 2016 Deep Research Report Cocoa Market http://www.qyresearchgroup.com/market-analysis/global-cocoa-industry-2015-market-research-report.html http://goo.gl/TzpuOm Global Cocoa Market 2016QYResearch Group added a depth and professional market survey report on the Global Cocoa Market 2016. This report has Forecasted Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) in % value for particular period, that will help user to take decision based on futuristic chart. Report also includes key players in global Cocoa market. The Cocoa market size is estimated in terms of revenue (US$) and production volume in this report.This report covers every aspect of the global market, starting from the basic market information and advancing further to various significant criteria, based on which, the Cocoa market is segmented. Global Cocoa market 2016 analyzed the worlds main region market size, share, trends, conditions, including the product price, profit, capacity, production, capacity utilization, supply, demand and industry growth rate etc. Key application areas of Cocoa are also assessed on the basis of their performance. Market predictions along with the statistical nuances presented in the report render an insightful view of the Cocoa market.Do Inquiry About This Report:The study global Cocoa industry 2016 is a detailed report scrutinizing statistical data related to the global market. Historical data available in the report elaborates on the development of the Cocoa market on a national and international level. The report compares this data with the current state of the market and thus elaborates upon the trends that have brought the market shifts. In addition to this, the regulatory scenario of the market has been covered in the report from both the global and local perspective.Furthermore, the factors on which the companies compete in the market have been evaluated in the report. The report offers a close summary of the key segments within the market. The quickest and slowest growing market segments ar coated during this report. The key rising opportunities of the quickest growing international Cocoa market segments also are coated during this report.This report also presents product specification, manufacturing process, and product cost structure etc. Production is separated by regions, technology and applications. Analysis covers upstream raw materials, equipment, downstream client survey, marketing channels, industry development trend and proposals. In the end, the report includes Cocoa new project SWOT analysis, investment feasibility analysis, investment return analysis, and development trend analysis.In conclusion, it is a deep research report on global Cocoa industry.Request For Report Sample:Major Points Cover in Table of Content Industry Overview Manufacturing Cost Structure Analysis Technical Data and Manufacturing Plants Analysis Global Cocoa Production, Supply Sales and Demand Analysis (2013-2021) Sales and Revenue Analysis Different Specifications and Applications Analysis Manufacturer, Distributor, Downstream Client Companies Data Analysis Conclusion on Industry ResearchAbout Us:QYResearch Group is a single destination for all the industry, company and country reports. QYResearch Group also carries the capability to assist you with your customized market research requirements including in-depth market surveys, primary interviews, competitive landscaping, and company profiles. We feature large repository of latest industry reports, leading and niche company profiles, and market statistics. QYResearch Group is the comprehensive collection of market intelligence products and services available on air.Contact US:Joel John3422 SW 15 Street, Suit #8138,Deerfield Beach, Florida 33442,United StatesTel: +1-386-310-3803GMT Tel: +49-322 210 92714USA/Canada Toll Free No. 1-855-465-4651Email: sales (@) qyresearchgroup (dot) com Europium Market Growth, Trends, Absolute Opportunity and Value Chain 2015-2025 by FMI http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-359 http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/toc/rep-gb-359 http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/europium-market Future Market Insights has announced the addition of the Europium Market: Global Industry Analysis and Opportunity Assessment 2015 - 2025" report to their offering.Europium is a rare earth metal which oxidizes readily in presence of air and water. It is generally present in oxide form and has applications in automobiles, catalysts, consumer electronics, flat panel displays, metallurgy and fluorescent lamps and as a dopant of glass in lasers and optoelectronic devices.Growing demand from flat panel displays and LEDs in Asia Pacific market is expected to drive the market. The shift from traditional lighting to solid state lighting systems in displays is expected to fuel the market for flat panel displays and LEDs. Increasing civil infrastructure is the main factor behind growing demand for LEDs owing to its use in street lighting and highway lighting. However, the supply issues and lack of refining, alloying and fabricating technologies for europium are expected to hamper the growth of this market. Technological advances in the field of earth metal nano-crystals are expected to provide immense opportunities for the players in this market. Europium nano-crystals are being use in the LEDs as a phosphor which emits wide range of spectrum.Request Free Report Sample@Asia-Pacific region was the largest consumer of europium and its derivative products. China contributes highest for the consumption of this metal owing to increasing population, improving living standard and disposable income. Growing demand from Japan, Korea and China for consumer electronics is fueling the market in this region. China is the largest manufacturer of europium and its derivatives. However, export restrictions and increasing local demand has been causing supply issues. Asia Pacific is followed by North America owing to demand from LEDs and consumer electronics industries. Decreased exports from China causing development of new exploration and production sites in this region to fulfill the demand.Request For TOC@The key players in europium market include Rare Element Resources, Avalon Rare Metals Inc., Molycorp, Lynas, Minmetals Corporation, Baotou Steel Rare-Earth, Xiamen Tungsten, Great Western Minerals Group Ltd., Indian Rare Earth, Arafura Resources Ltd. and Canada Rare Earth Corporation among others. This research report presents a comprehensive assessment of the market and contains thoughtful insights, facts, historical data and statistically-supported and industry-validated market data and projections with a suitable set of assumptions and methodology. It provides analysis and information by categories such as market segments, regions, product types and distribution channels.Browse Full Report@The report covers exhaustive analysis on:Market SegmentsMarket DynamicsMarket Size & Forecast 2015 -2025Supply & Demand Value ChainCurrent Trends/Issues/ChallengesCompetition & Companies involvedTechnologyValue ChainMarket Drivers and RestraintsRegional analysis includesNorth AmericaUS & CanadaLatin AmericaBrazil, Argentina & OthersWestern EuropeEU5NordicsBeneluxEastern EuropeAsia PacificAustralia and New Zealand (ANZ)Greater ChinaIndiaASEANRest of Asia PacificJapanMiddle East and AfricaGCC CountriesOther Middle EastNorth AfricaSouth AfricaOther AfricaFuture Market Insights (FMI) is a leading market intelligence and consulting firm. We deliver syndicated research reports, custom research reports and consulting services, which are personalized in nature. FMI delivers a complete packaged solution, which combines current market intelligence, statistical anecdotes, technology inputs, valuable growth insights, an aerial view of the competitive framework, and future market trends.616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018Valley Cottage, NY Global Plastic Additives Market Size, Growth, Share and Forecast 2016-2022 : Brisk Insights http://www.briskinsights.com/report/plastic-additives-market-forecast-2015-2022 http://www.briskinsights.com/category/chemical-and-material-industry http://www.briskinsights.com/ According to a recently published report, the Global Plastic Additives Market is expected to grow at the CAGR of 4.63% during 2015-2022. The global Plastic additives market is segmented on the basis of application, type, plastic type and geography. The report on global plastic additives market forecast 2015-2022 provides detailed overview and predictive analysis of the market.There are many factors driving the market some of them are rising urbanization and disposable income, also today many conventional materials are replaced by plastics this in turn is increasing the demand of plastic additives in the market. One of the major reason for the rise in the demand of plastic additives is the rising application in the agricultural and pharmaceutical market. Asia pacific is growing at a fast rate and most of the emerging economies are untapped by this industry and this is a big opportunity for the market. Another major opportunity for the industry is the emergence of bio-fertilizers, Demand of this product is also steadily rising and expected to be share a bigger space in future.Browse Full Report with Toc :Some of the factors acting as restraint for the market are stringent rules and regulations governing the market and slow economic recovery. Disposal of plastic wastes is a big challenge for the industry and better strategies are needed in the field.Some of the major players of the industry are Songwon Industrial Co. Ltd., Albemarle Corporation, BASF SE, Clariant AG, The DOW Chemical Company, Bayer AG etc.Browse here for all category Reports :Scope of the report1. Global Plastic additives market by application 2012 2022 ($ billion)1.1. Packaging1.2. Construction1.3. Consumer goods1.4. Automotive1.5. Others ( Agriculture, Pharmaceutical, Furniture and sports)2. Global Plastic additives market by plastic type 2012-2022 ($ billion)2.1. Commodity plastics2.2. High performance plastics3. Global Plastic additives market by type 2012-2022 ($ billion)3.1. Plasticizers3.2. Stabilizers(Antioxidants, heat stabilizers, and UV & light stabilizers)3.3. Flame retardants3.4. Impact modifiers3.5. Others(Blowing agent, anti-microbial, anti-static agents, Nucleating agents, Fragrances and fillers)4. Global Plastic additives market, regional outlook 2012-2022 ($ billion)4.1. North America4.2. Europe4.3. Asia Pacific4.4. Middle East & Africa4.5. Central & South America4.6. Central & South AmericaContact Us:Jennifer SmithOffice 1094109 Vernon HouseFriar LaneNottinghamNG1 6DQUnited KingdomPhone: +448081890034 (UK)Email: sales@briskinsights.comWebsite:About Us :Brisk Insights is a global market research firm. Our insightful analysis is focused on developed and emerging markets. We identify trends and forecast markets with a view to aid businesses identify market opportunities optimize strategies.Working in a highly dynamic and multi-dimensional business makes decision making complex. Effective business decisions are a result of the synthesis of market information. Our Research and data analysis is an efficient and cost-effective way of providing robust market analysis and can yield highly valuable intelligence relating to consumers, competitors and markets.Office 1094109 Vernon HouseFriar LaneNottingham Global Performance Wear Market 2016 - Industry Trends and Forecast to 2021 Performance Wear http://www.marketresearchstore.com/report/global-performance-wear-industry-2016-market-research-report-54787 http://goo.gl/ME1FxS Global Performance Wear Industry 2016 Market Analysis Survey Research Growth and Forecast ReportThe report provides a basic overview of Performance Wear industry including definitions, applications and industry chain structure. Global market analysis and Chinese domestic market analysis are provided with a focus on history, developments, trends and competitive landscape of the market. A comparison between the international and Chinese situation is also offered.Global Performance Wear Industry Research Report 2016 also focuses on development policies and plans for the industry as well as a consideration of a cost structure analysis. Capacity production, market share analysis, import and export consumption and price cost production value gross margins are discussed.A key feature of this report is it focus on major industry players, providing an overview, product specification, product capacity, production price and contact information for Global Top15 companies. This enables end users to gain a comprehensive insight into the structure of the international and Chinese Performance Wear industry. Development proposals and the feasibility of new investments are also analyzed. Companies and individuals interested in the structure and value of the Performance Wear industry should consult this report for guidance and direction.Browse Full Report with TOC @Table of ContentsChapter One Performance Wear Industry Overview1.1 Performance Wear Definition(Product Picture and Specifications)1.2 Performance Wear Classification and Application1.3 Performance Wear Industry Chain Structure1.4 Performance Wear Industry Overview1.5 Performance Wear Industry History1.6 Performance Wear Industry Competitive Landscape1.7 Performance Wear Industry International and Global Development ComparisonGet Free Sample @About Us:MarketResearchStore.com is a single destination for all the industry, company and country reports. We feature large repository of latest industry reports, leading and niche company profiles, and market statistics released by reputed private publishers and public organizations.Contact US:Joel JohnSuite #8138, 3422 SW 15 Street,Deerfield Beach, Florida 33442United StatesToll Free: +1-855-465-4651 (USA-CANADA)Tel: +1-386-310-3803 Australias Mining Fiscal Regime: H1 2016 According to New Research Report http://www.marketresearchreports.biz/sample/sample/584776 http://www.marketresearchreports.biz/pressreleases http://www.marketresearchreports.biz/ "The Report Australias Mining Fiscal Regime: H1 2016 provides information on pricing, market analysis, shares, forecast, and company profiles for key industry participants. - MarketResearchReports.biz"DescriptionSynopsisTimetrics Australian Fiscal Regime Report outlines the governing bodies, governing laws, rights and obligations and tax-related information on 11 commodities: coal, iron ore, copper, zinc, lead, bauxite, gold, silver, nickel, chromium and manganese.SummaryTimetric's fiscal regime report covers Australia, which has abundant and diverse natural resources, including extensive reserves of coal, iron ore, copper, gold, natural gas and uranium.Download Detail Report With Complete TOC at:ScopeThe report outlines the governing bodies, governing laws, rights and obligations and key fiscal terms which includes royalty, corporate income tax, capital gains, deductions, withholding tax, loss carry forward and goods and services taxReasons To BuyTo gain an overview of Australias mining fiscal regimeKey HighlightsThe Minerals Council of Australia represents the country in both national and international markets for the exploration, mining and processing of minerals.The Offshore Minerals Act 1994 (Act No. 28 of 1994 as amended) is the legislative framework that establishes a regulatory regime for the exploration and production of minerals in Commonwealth waters.The Mineral Resources Act 1989, which was amended October 2, 2015, is the mining law applicable in Queensland.Geo-science Australia is custodian of the geological and geographical knowledge and data.Table of Contents1 Executive Summary2 The Australian Mining Industry Governing Bodies2.1 National Level2.1.1 Minerals Council of Australia (MCA)2.1.2 Department of Industry and Science2.1.3 Geo-science Australia2.1.4 Australian Uranium Association (AUA)2.1.5 Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organization (ANSTO)2.2 State or Territory Involvement2.2.1 New South Wales2.2.2 Northern Territory2.2.3 Queensland2.2.4 South Australia2.2.5 Tasmania2.2.6 Victoria2.2.7 Western Australia3 The Australian Mining Industry Governing Laws3.1 Offshore Legislation3.2 Onshore Legislation3.2.1 New South Wales3.2.2 Northern Territory3.2.3 Queensland3.2.4 South Australia3.2.5 Tasmania3.2.6 Victoria3.2.7 Western Australia3.3 Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Act 19983.4 Nuclear Non-Proliferation (Safeguards) Act 1987Browse all latest Press Releases of Market Research Reportsat:About usMarketResearchReports.biz is the most comprehensive collection of market research reports.MarketResearchReports.Biz services are specially designed to save time and money for our clients.We are a one stop solution for all your research needs, our main offerings are syndicated researchreports, custom research, subscription access and consulting services. We serve all sizes and typesof companies spanning across various industries.ContactMr. Nachiket90 Sate Street,Suite 700 Albany,NY 12207 USATel: +1-518-621-2074Canada Toll Free: 866-997-4948Website:E: sales@marketresearchreports.biz Theodolite Global and China Market Research Report Provides an in-depth insight of 2016-2021 Theodolite http://www.mrsresearchgroup.com/market-analysis/global-and-chinese-theodolite-market-2016-industry-trends.html http://goo.gl/uB8Rpi Global and China Theodolite Market 2016-2021 Market Research ReportThe report Theodolite offers a detailed impact analysis of the key trends shaping the Industry. The Industry determinants, i.e. drivers, restraints, opportunities, and threats have been covered in the report. The research study delivers a detailed analysis of the consumer trends that are influencing the Industry. The impact analysis of the Industry drivers, restraints, and opportunities is presented in the report in detail. Furthermore, the historical data related to these trends is also available in the report.Complete report With TOC available @Manufacturers that offer the most flexible, personalized products and services to consumers in the Theodolite Industry are expected to thrive in the foreseeable future. In addition to this, customer service is a strategic asset in the Theodolite Industry that many companies are using to their advantage. Consumers in the Theodolite Industry prefer the most innovative solutions, which several firms are competing on.Request For Free Sample :MRS Research group provides a range of marketing and business research solutions designed for our clients specific needs based on our expert resources. The business scopes of Prof Research cover more than 30 industries including energy, new materials, transportation, daily consumer goods, chemicals, etc. We provide our clients with one-stop solution for all the research requirements.3422 SW 15 Street,Suit # 8138Deerfield Beach,Florida 33442 Oil and Chip Vacuum Cleaners Market 2016 industry trends, review, research and forecast analysis http://goo.gl/wp3Eox http://www.qymarketresearch.com/market-analysis/global-oil-and-chip-vacuum-cleaners-market-2016.html Market Research Report on Oil and Chip Vacuum Cleaners Market 2016 is a professional and in-depth study on the current state of the Oil and Chip Vacuum Cleaners worldwide. First of all,"Global Oil and Chip Vacuum Cleaners Market 2016" report provides a basic overview of the Oil and Chip Vacuum Cleaners industry including definitions, classifications, applications and Oil and Chip Vacuum Cleaners industry chain structure.The analysis is provided for the Oil and Chip Vacuum Cleaners international market including development history, Oil and Chip Vacuum Cleaners industry competitive landscape analysis.Request For Free Report Sample @After that, Oil and Chip Vacuum Cleaners industry development policies as well as plans are discussed and manufacturing processes as well as cost structures for Oil and Chip Vacuum Cleaners market. This report "Worldwide Oil and Chip Vacuum Cleaners Market 2016" also states import/export, supply and consumption figures and Oil and Chip Vacuum Cleaners market cost, price, revenue and Oil and Chip Vacuum Cleaners market's gross margin by regions (United States, EU, China and Japan), as well as other regions can be added in Oil and Chip Vacuum Cleaners Market area.Then, the report focuses on worldwide Oil and Chip Vacuum Cleaners market key players with information such as company profiles with product picture as well as specification.Related information to Oil and Chip Vacuum Cleaners market- capacity, production, price, cost, revenue and contact information. Aslo includes Oil and Chip Vacuum Cleaners industry's - Upstream raw materials, equipment and downstream consumers analysis is also carried out. Whats more, the Oil and Chip Vacuum Cleaners market development trends and Oil and Chip Vacuum Cleaners industry marketing channels are analyzed.Read More Research with TOC @Finally, "worldwide Oil and Chip Vacuum Cleaners market" Analysis- feasibility of new investment projects is assessed, and overall research conclusions are offered.About UsAt Tech Report Store, we have market research reports from competent publishers. Our Research Specialists have thorough knowledge about offerings from different publishers and different reports on respective industries. They will help you refine search parameters and get desired results at your doorstep.Contact UsJoel John3422 SW 15 Street, Suit #8138,Deerfield Beach,Florida 33442, USATel: +1-386-310-3803GMT Tel: +49-322 210 92714USA/Canada Toll Free No.1-855-465-4651Website: http://www.techreportstore.com/email: john@techreportstore.com Bio-Wax Market size and Key Trends in terms of volume and value 2015-2025 http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-355 http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/toc/rep-gb-355 www.futuremarketinsights.com Future Market Insights has announced the addition of the Bio-Wax Market: Global Industry Analysis and Opportunity Assessment 2015-2025" report to their offering.Bio-wax is a group of water soluble organic polymers that are manufactured from bio-based raw materials. It is also manufactured as a byproduct of bio-diesel production process. The applications of bio-wax are cosmetics and personal care products, water protection systems,firelogs, infrastructure building and paints & coatings. Bio-waxis developed to replace petroleum based wax and synthetic olefins. It is usually a low odor group of compounds that does not interfere with complexfragrance profiles. The uses and properties of bio-wax depend on its molecular weight and branching of polymer.Rising demand for cosmetics and personal care products is expected to drive the bio-wax market. Cosmetics and personal care industry is driven by demand from developed countries and rising demand from emerging economies worldwide. Owing to changing lifestyle and rising disposable incomein emerging economies, cosmetics and personal care products are experiencing huge demand. Bio-wax based products are used as firelogs that emits less green house gases as compared to other fire fuels. According to the U.S. Environment Protection Agency report,bio-based fuels do not increase carbon di-oxide concentrations in environment. Thus, the demand for bio-wax in firelogs from cold climatecountries is expected to further boost the market growth. In addition, reduction in petroleum wax supply and changing consumer groups preference is expected to fuel the bio-wax market growth. Petroleum wax is subjected to price and supply volatility of crude oil and it may have adverse effects on human health. Bio-wax is also used in concrete work such as bridge construction, roof tiles, pre-fab elements and precast concrete application. Growing building and construction industry in emerging economies and repairing of existing infrastructure in developed countries is expected to drive the bio-wax market.Request Free Report Sample@However, cost and complex process of manufacturing is expected to hamper the market growth. Bio-based raw materials are used for bio-diesel production and bio-wax is also produced as a byproduct of this process. Raw materials suppliers are preferring bio-diesel plants over bio-wax manufacturing which creates scarcity of the raw materials. Technological advances and increasing scope of use of bio-wax in new applications in expected to provide opportunities for bio-wax market in the near future.North America was the largest consumer of the bio-wax in terms of consumption and production. Demand from cosmetics and personal care industry is expected to drive the bio-wax market in this region. In addition, governmental regulations for bio-based fuel in firelogs are anticipated to boost the market. North America was followed by Europe, where stringent governmental policies for reducing carbon di-oxide emission are expected to boost the market. Shift in preference of consumer groups from petroleum based wax to bio-wax in cosmetics and other application is expected to fuel the market growth. Building and construction industry in this region is expected to contribute to the growth of bio-wax market. Use of bio-wax in infrastructure building and firelogsis in line with the sustainable growth policy of Europe. Growth in Asia Pacific was submissive however, it is expected to grow at higher pace in the near future. Abundant raw materials and presence of bio-diesel plants is expected to boost the market in this region.Visit For TOC@Key players in this market include Biosil, Duraflame, BioJouvance, Fisch, Remmers, Chant Oil Co. Ltd. among others.Future Market Insights (FMI) is a leading market intelligence and consulting firm. We deliver syndicated research reports, custom research reports and consulting services, which are personalized in nature. FMI delivers a complete packaged solution, which combines current market intelligence, statistical anecdotes, technology inputs, valuable growth insights, an aerial view of the competitive framework, and future market trends.Future Market Insights616 Corporate Way,Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage,New York 10989,United StatesTel: +1-347-918-3531Fax: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comWebsite: Bonded Abrasives Market Revenue, Opportunity, Forecast and Value Chain 2015-2025 http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-357 http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/toc/rep-gb-357 www.futuremarketinsights.com Future Market Insights has announced the addition of the Bonded Abrasives Market: Global Industry Analysis and Opportunity Assessment 2015-2025" report to their offering.An abrasive is a material that when rubbed against a surface, producesthe desired surface finish and shape. Abrasives are usually minerals that are often available in a wide range of shapes, sizes and types. They are usually used to clean, grind, scour, abrade or remove the solid material usually by using impact or by the rubbing action. Abrasives are mainly classified as bonded abrasives, steel abrasives, coated abrasives, loose abrasives grain and raw super abrasives, among others. The abrasives material or the abrasives product finds various applications in industries such as electrical & electronics, machinery, metal fabrication and transportation among others.Bonded abrasives are the natural or synthetic abrasive grains which are usually bonded into a solid form. Bonded abrasives are usually made of the abrasive grains that are closely sized and molded or pressed to produce a wide variety of the products. Bonded abrasives are usually in the shape of a wheel. The products range of the bonded abrasives also includes the snagging wheel, mounted wheel, grinding and the cut-off wheel, cones and plugs. Bonded abrasives are mainly used for precision grinding, cutting, rough grinding, lapping, sharpening and light grinding among others.Request Free Report Sample@The growing automobile industry is expected to boost the overall growth of the bonded abrasives market. Bonded abrasives are widely used in giving the required surface finish as well as the desired design to the automobiles. The increasing demands for the advanced technology based machineries are further expected to boost the demand for the bonded abrasives. The bonded abrasives help in the super finishing of the machine shaft in order to achieve the required roughness. The bonded abrasives are used in providing the smooth finish to the various tools and the machineries that are manufactured. The bonding abrasives are used in the polishing as well as deburring of the bore holes on the machine blocks. Regular maintenances of the workshops further boost the overall demand for the bonded abrasives market. The increasing use of the bonded abrasives for de-scaling and for the rust and dust removal has augmented the overall growth for the bonded abrasives market. The bonded abrasives are also widely used in the medical sector. Bonded abrasives are used to sharpen the dental tools. The bonded abrasives are also used for smoothening of the edges of the dental tools such that it is extremely convenient for the doctors to use the dental tools on the patients.The bonded abrasives segment accounts for the largest share within the global abrasives market. North America is expected to be the largest market for the bonded abrasives. The growing demand especially in U.S is expected to boost the growth of the global bonded abrasive market. Europe is expected to be the next largest consumer of the bonded abrasives especially due to the growing demand especially in Germany. Asia Pacific is expected to be fastest growing market for the bonded abrasives market mainly due to the presence of various end-use industries especially in China and India.Visit For TOC@Norton, 3M, Baystate, Tyrolit, Treibacher and Noritake among others are some of the key participants of the global bonded abrasives market. Companies are extensively conducting research in order to develop and introduce new products in the market such that they can efficiently cater the needs for the specific application.Future Market Insights (FMI) is a leading market intelligence and consulting firm. We deliver syndicated research reports, custom research reports and consulting services, which are personalized in nature. FMI delivers a complete packaged solution, which combines current market intelligence, statistical anecdotes, technology inputs, valuable growth insights, an aerial view of the competitive framework, and future market trends.Future Market Insights616 Corporate Way,Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage,New York 10989,United StatesTel: +1-347-918-3531Fax: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comWebsite: Diamond Mining In The Democratic Republic Of The Congo To 2020 http://www.marketresearchreports.biz/sample/sample/676651 http://www.marketresearchreports.biz/pressreleases http://www.marketresearchreports.biz/ "The Report Diamond Mining in the Democratic Republic of the Congo to 2020 provides information on pricing, market analysis, shares, forecast, and company profiles for key industry participants. - MarketResearchReports.biz"DescriptionSynopsisTimetric's 'Diamond Mining in the Democratic Republic of the Congo to 2020' report comprehensively covers DRC's reserves of diamond by region and county, the historic and forecast data on rough diamond production and rough diamond exports.The report also includes factors affecting demand for diamonds, profiles of major diamond producing companies in the country and information on the active and exploration diamond projects.The Fiscal Regime section provides information about the countrys regulatory authority, laws, licenses and other fiscal regime information such as taxes, rates and other charges applicable to the mining of the commodity in the country.It is an essential tool for companies active in DRC's mining and for new competitors considering entering the industry.SummaryThe Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has deposits of diamond, coal, gold, copper, cobalt, zinc, uranium, tin, silver, manganese, tungsten and cadmium. Mining plays an important role in the Congolese economy; it contributed around 21% to the countrys gross domestic product (GDP) in 2014.The Democratic Republic of the Congo had the worlds second-largest diamond reserves at the end of 2014, with 150 million carats (Mct), or 20.5% of global reserves. Significant diamond reserves are found primarily in the Kasai Occidental and Kasai Oriental provinces.Download Detail Report With Complete TOC at:ScopeThe report contains an overview of the Democratic Republic of the Congo's diamond mining industry together with the key factors affecting the industry and demand for the commodity.It also provides information about DRC's diamond reserves, historic and forecast data on rough diamond production and rough diamond exports, the competitive landscape and active and exploration diamond projects.Reasons To BuyGain an understanding of the diamond mining industry in DRC, diamond reserves, historic and forecast data on rough diamond production and exports, demand drivers, active and exploration diamond projects, the competitive landscape and the country's fiscal regime.Key HighlightsThe country was the worlds main producer and exporter of rough diamonds, producing 15.7Mct of rough diamond in 2014, down by 0.2% over 2013 due to a decrease in production from artisanal mining operations.Democratic Republic of the Congo had the worlds second-largest diamond reserves as of January 2015, at 150Mct, or 20.5% of the global total. Substantial diamond reserves are located in Kasai Occidental and Kasai Oriental, most being alluvial and kimberlitic deposit types.The diamond mining industry is governed by the Ministry of Mines. The Mining Code: Law No 007/2002 regulates the minerals sector.Table of Contents1 Executive Summary2 Diamond Mining in the Democratic Republic of the Congo Reserves, Production and Trade2.1 Reserves by Geographic Region and Country2.2 Historic and Forecast Production2.3 Active Mines2.4 Exploration Projects2.5 Rough Diamond Exports2.6 Factors Affecting Demand for Diamonds2.6.1 Demand from end-use and export market3 Rough Diamond Producers in the Democratic Republic of the Congo3.1 Mwana Africa Plc4 Fiscal Regime4.1 The Congolese Mining Industry Governing Bodies4.1.1 The Ministry of Mines4.1.2 Mining Registry4.1.3 Centre for Expertise, Evaluation and Mineral Substances Certification Precious and Semi-Precious (CEEC)4.2 The Congolese Mining Industry Governing Laws4.2.1 Mining Code: Law No 007/20024.3 The Congolese Mining Industry Mining Licenses4.3.1 Exploration license4.3.2 Exploitation license4.4 The Congolese Mining Industry Mining Rights and Obligations4.4.1 Rights4.4.2 Obligations4.5 The Congolese Mining Industry Key Fiscal Terms4.5.1 Royalty4.5.2 Corporate income tax4.5.3 Property tax4.5.4 Depreciation4.5.5 Loss carry forward4.5.6 Exceptional tax on expatriates salaries4.5.7 Turnover tax4.5.8 Surface area tax4.6 The Congolese Mining Industry Future Development5 Appendix5.1 Abbreviations5.2 Bibliography5.3 Secondary Research5.4 Primary Research5.5 Contact Timetric5.6 About Timetric5.7 Timetrics Services5.8 DisclaimerBrowse all latest Press Releases of Market Research Reportsat:About usMarketResearchReports.biz is the most comprehensive collection of market research reports.MarketResearchReports.Biz services are specially designed to save time and money for our clients.We are a one stop solution for all your research needs, our main offerings are syndicated researchreports, custom research, subscription access and consulting services. We serve all sizes and typesof companies spanning across various industries.ContactMr. Nachiket90 Sate Street,Suite 700 Albany,NY 12207 USATel: +1-518-621-2074Canada Toll Free: 866-997-4948Website:E: sales@marketresearchreports.biz Butyl Glycol Market Growth, Trends, Absolute Opportunity and Value Chain 2015-2025 http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-360 http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/toc/rep-gb-360 www.futuremarketinsights.com Future Market Insights has announced the addition of the Butyl Glycol Market: Global Industry Analysis and Opportunity Assessment 2015-2025" report to their offering.Butyl glycol also known as 2-Butoxyethanol is acolourless, slightly hygroscopic, neutral, high-boiling, low-volatility liquid with a mild odour that is used as a solvent and starting material for many reactions. In addition to that, it is used as a solvent for aqueous coating systems (water-based paints). Butyl glycol belongs to the family of glycol ethers. Glycol ethers consist of two components, an alcohol andether. According to the nature of alcohol, molecules of this class can be divided into two groups: E series and P series which correspond to ethylene and propylene respectively. Butyl glycol belongs to E series of glycol ethers. Butyl glycol is miscible with water and common organic solvents in all proportions at room temperature. It shows the reactions typically shown by alcohols, such as esterification, etherification, oxidation and formation of acetates and like most ethers, it forms peroxides in the presence of atmospheric oxygen.The growth of water-based coatings that use glycol ethers as coalescing agents has been the major factor behind the growth of the butyl glycol market. In the major regions of the world, growth has been primarily for the butyl products such as butyl glycol; the methyl and ethyl product groups have been in decline. This decline has been primarily due to the increased concern about the toxicological effects of some ethylene oxidebased glycol ethers. Butyl glycol is a mildly hazardous chemical owing to which, care must be taken during its handling.Request Free Report Sample@Based on geography, the market of butyl glycol can be segmented as follows: In 2009, the United States was the world's largest producer, consumer and exporter of E-series glycol ethers, including butyl glycol; however, by 2013, China became the largest consumer, followed by the United States, Western Europe and Japan. The United States continues to be the largest producer and exporter of butyl glycol. According to market forecasts, growth in butyl glycol consumption will be greatest in China, during 20132018, followed by the Middle East and other countries in Asia (excluding China and Japan) .Butyl glycol is used as a solvent in ink and coating industry. It is also used as a solvent in lacquer thinners. Butyl glycol is a low volatility solvent, hence it is used to extend the drying time of coatings and it is also used to increase their flow properties. It is very useful for paints based on cellulose nitrate or cellulose ethers. It improves the brushability of certain paints such as alkyd resin paints and reduces their viscosity. Additionally, it improves the flow of urea and melamine Butyl glycol lowers the minimum film forming temperature and improves the evaporation behavior of the volatile constituents during hot air or infra red drying. Further application of butyl glycol are: it is used as a solvent in printing inks, it is a component in surface cleaners and is used to degrease metal surfaces, it is component in hydraulic fluids and drilling oils, it is used as an accelerator in the manufacture of butyl glycol acetate which is also a solvent and it is also used an acceleratorfor the production of plasticizers among others.Visit For TOC@The major players in the market of butyl glycol are: Eastman Chemicals Co, LyondellBasell, BASF AG, Asia Pacific Petrochemicals Co Ltd, Dow Chemicals, Parsidan Chemicals Co, Paras Dyes and Chemicals, Beijing East Guangming Chemical Co., Ltd. and QingdaoSanlianxiang Chemical Co., Ltd among others.Future Market Insights (FMI) is a leading market intelligence and consulting firm. We deliver syndicated research reports, custom research reports and consulting services, which are personalized in nature. FMI delivers a complete packaged solution, which combines current market intelligence, statistical anecdotes, technology inputs, valuable growth insights, an aerial view of the competitive framework, and future market trends.Future Market Insights616 Corporate Way,Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage,New York 10989,United StatesTel: +1-347-918-3531Fax: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comWebsite: Starch Derivatives Market : Latest Innovations, Drivers, Restraints, Challenges and Key Events in the industry by 2021 http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/samples/4093 http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/toc/4093 http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com Starch derivatives, also known as modified starch, are prepared by enzymatically, physically or chemically treating native starch to alter its properties. Starch derivatives are used in a number of industries for various functions. They are used as thickeners and stabilizers in the food and beverage industry, as a tablet binder in the pharmaceutical industry, as an emulsifier in cosmetics, and fiber additive in the animal feed. Some of the other functions of starch derivatives are flocculation, adhesiveness, film-forming, pH stability improvement, and shear stability, acid stability, and process tolerance enhancement.It is possible to modify starches to increase their stability against excessive heat, cooling, acid, time, shear or freezing; to change their texture; and to increase or decrease their viscosity, depending on the application. The different stakeholders in the industry are product manufacturers, raw material suppliers, and processors.Based on type, the market is classified into various segments such as Maltodextrin, Cyclodextrin, Glucose Syrup, Hydrolysates, and Modified Starch. Among these, glucose syrup holds a major market share, whereas Maltodextrin has the highest demand in the market. Glucose syrup finds its applications in various industries such as paper, feeds, pharmaceuticals, and cosmetics. Glucose syrup is often employed as a flavor enhancer, texture agent, volume-adding agent, and inhibitor of sugar from crystallizing in drinks. On the basis of application, the starch derivatives market is classified as Food & Beverages, Feed, Paper, Cosmetics, Pharmaceuticals, Bio-Ethanol, and other industrial applications. Among these, starch derivatives find their key application in food and beverages.Increasing demand for convenience food and beverages in developing countries, rise in population, and increasing per-capita income are some of the key factors propelling the growth of starch derivatives market. Companies are investing large amounts of their capital on research and development. These developments are bettering the prospects of starch derivative products in the global market. In addition, starch plays an important role in the bio-fuel, glue production, textile weaving and finishing, and the fermentation industries. However, implementation of bio-fuel policies and increasing raw material prices are some of the factors hindering the growth of the starch derivatives market.Interested in report: Please follow the below links to meet your requirements;Request for the Report Brochure:Asia Pacific is the leading starch derivatives market and is likely to achieve the highest growth rate in the near future. This is due to the emerging economies of the two most populated countries in the world, namely, China and India. The starch derivatives market in North America and Europe is saturated. The demand for starch derivatives is increasing in Brazil and Argentina as these two countries have the fastest growth rate in the world.Request TOC (table of content), Figures and Tables of the Report:Key players operating in the starch derivatives market include AGRANA Investment Corp., Archer Daniels Midland Company, Cargill Incorporated, and AVEBE.Other prominent vendors present in the starch derivatives market are Tate & Lyle, RAQUETTE, Emsland-Starke Gmbh, Ingredion Incorporated, Grain Processing Corporation, BENEO, INGREDION INCORPORATED, LASENOR EMUL, S.L., Lipoid GmbH, Stern-Wywiol Gruppe GmbH & Co. KG, and Penford Corporation.About UsPersistence Market Research (PMR) is a full-service market intelligence firm specializing in syndicated research, custom research, and consulting services. PMR boasts market research expertise across the Healthcare, Chemicals and Materials, Technology and Media, Energy and Mining, Food and Beverages, Semiconductor and Electronics, Consumer Goods, and Shipping and Transportation industries. The company draws from its multi-disciplinary capabilities and high-pedigree team of analysts to share data that precisely corresponds to clients business needs.PMR stands committed to bringing more accuracy and speed to clients business decisions. From ready-to-purchase market research reports to customized research solutions, PMRs engagement models are highly flexible without compromising on its deep-seated research values.ContactPersistence Market Research305 Broadway7th Floor, New York City,NY 10007, United StatesUSA - Canada Toll Free: +1 800-961-0353Email: sales@persistencemarketresearch.comWeb: Nurse Call Systems Market: Nurse Call Mobile Systems Gain Dominant Market Share, Market to Register 13.90% CAGR 2014-2020 http://bit.ly/1T10ynB http://bit.ly/25AaR5C http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com According to the report, factors such as the rising aging population and the growing need for responsive and efficient healthcare communication are amongst the major factors propelling the growth of the market for nurse call systems. In addition, the globally rising budget allocation in healthcare for elderly people is also a prime factor augmenting the growth of the market. In addition, the rise of the Internet of Things (IoT) within healthcare infrastructure has emerged as a key opportunity in the market. On the other hand, government regulations on distribution and manufacturing of nurse call systems are amongst the major factors impeding the growth of the market.In terms of equipment type, the market is segmented into nurse call intercoms, nurse call buttons, nurse call integrated communication systems, and nurse call mobile systems. Amongst these, the segment of nurse call integrated communication systems led the market in 2013. On the other hand, the segment of nurse call mobile systems is predicted to expand at the highest growth rate in the forecast horizon owing to the rising demand for mobile solutions.Get a Free Sample Report:On the basis of communication technology, the report segments the market into wireless communication equipment and wired communication equipment. Amongst these, wired nurse call communication equipment dominated the market for nurse call systems in 2013. On the other hand, the demand for wireless nurse call communication equipment is poised to rise in the forecast horizon owing to the rising demand for flexibility and mobility in communication.On the basis of end use, the nurse call systems market is segmented into OPD clinics, hospitals, ambulatory services, and assisted living centers. Amongst these, in 2013, the segment of hospitals constituted a share of approximately 74% in the market on the basis of revenue. On the other hand, factors such as the requirement for effective communication systems and patient safety will raise the demand for nurse call systems within the segment of assisted living centers in the forecast horizon.Geographically, the market is segmented into Europe, North America, Asia Pacific, and Rest of the World (RoW). Amongst these, in 2013, North America held the largest share in the market on the basis of revenue. This is due to the rising adoption of nurse call systems within this region in numerous healthcare settings. Europe trailed North America and stood as the second largest market for nurse call systems on the basis of revenue in the same year. However, the market for nurse call systems is poised to experience sluggish growth in this region in the coming years owing to slow economic growth.The chief players dominant in the market are Rauland-Borg Corporation, Stanley Healthcare, Hill-Rom Holdings, Inc., Tyco SimplexGrinnell, Ascom Holding AG, Cornell Communications, Inc., Azure Healthcare Limited, Jeron Electronic Systems, Inc., and Vigil Health Solutions, Inc., among others.The global nurse call systems market is categorized into the following segments:Nurse Call Systems Market, by Equipment Type-Nurse Call Buttons-Nurse Call Intercoms-Nurse Call Mobile Systems-Nurse Call Integrated Communication SystemsNurse Call Systems Market, by Communication Technology-Wired Communication Equipment-Wireless Communication EquipmentNurse Call Systems Market, by End-use-Hospitals-OPD Clinics-Assisted Living Centers-Ambulatory ServicesBrowse Full Research Report:About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a global market intelligence company providing business information reports and services. The companys exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trend analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.TMRs data repository is continuously updated and revised by a team of research experts so that it always reflects the latest trends and information. With extensive research and analysis capabilities, Transparency Market Research employs rigorous primary and secondary research techniques to develop distinctive data sets and research material for business reports.Contact Us90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207United StatesTel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite: Calcium Ammonium Nitrate Market Value Share, Supply Demand, share and Value Chain 2015-2025 http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-363 http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/toc/rep-gb-363 www.futuremarketinsights.com Future Market Insights has announced the addition of the Calcium Ammonium Nitrate Market: Global Industry Analysis and Opportunity Assessment 2015-2025" report to their offering.Calcium ammonium nitrate is a mixture of ammonium nitrate and calcium carbonate (in the form of ground limestone). It is physiologically neutral. It is manufactured in granular form and suitable for mixing with phosphate and potassium fertilizers. In comparison with ammonium nitrate, calcium ammonium nitrate has better physical-chemical properties, less water-absorbing and caking characteristics and it can be stored in stacks. It is most commonly used as a fertilizer. Fertilizer grade calcium ammonium nitrate contains 8% calcium and 21-27% nitrogen. It is a hygroscopic chemical and its dissolution in water is endothermic. The high lime content of the fertilizer considerably improves the fertility of the soil and therefore increases the growth and yield of the crops.Calcium ammonium nitrate is ideal for fertigation and can be used at any time of the year. It is chemically neutral and can neutralize acidity in the soil, thereby making it suitable for any kind of soil. This product is also very economical and cost efficient and provides the benefits of both calcium and nitrogen. These factors have been the major drivers for this market. A restraining factor for this market is urea. Urea is less expensive to produce and has higher nitrogen content than calcium ammonium nitrate.Request Free Report Sample@Based on regional segmentation; the calcium ammonium nitrate capacity, production and consumption are dominated by Russia, Western Europe, Central Europe, China and the United States. Africa and Central and South America are also large consumers. Based on end users, calcium ammonium nitrate is used extensively by farmers and by turf and ornamental solutions providers.Calcium ammonium nitrate provides the plant with two types of nitrogen. The first is nitrate nitrogen. Nitrate nitrogen is absorbed quickly by the plant and is suitable for quickly replenishing nitrogen, in case of nitrogen deficiency. The second type of nitrogen is ammonic nitrogen. This nitrogen is much slower in absorption. Due to which the plants have a longer lasting nutrition system that feed the plant at an extended period of time. The forms of nitrogen released by this product remain in the soil for the plants to feed on and they do not volatize.Calcium Ammonium Nitrate (CAN) can be applied universally and is suitable for all crops, all seasons, soils and locations. The main components nitrate and ammonium are present in an ideal ratio and make CAN an affordable fertilizer for healthy plant growth in agriculture and horticulture. It is suitable for multiple methods of application; by drill, broadcast or through fertigation.It is used before sowing and for top dressingThe nitrate nitrogen that is available immediately after the application and absorbed in water is taken up directly by the plant and nutrient losses are almost eliminated. Calcium ammonium nitrate is a hygroscopic product and needs very low moisture to be absorbed by the plants. Additionally, it is effective in water stressed areas where soil has low moisture. Calcium and sulphuravailable in calcium ammonium nitrate are helpful in soil reclamation.Visit For TOC@The major players in this market are Eurochem Agro, Yara, Helm AG, ZAK S A, Pakarab Fertilizers, Bunn Fertilizer, GFS Chemicals, Inc, Barium and Chemicals, Inc, Seidler Chemical Co, Blue Line Corp, Allan Chemical Corp, Calamco, BKM Resources Inc, Del Amo Chemical Co,Nature S.A, ZimaFertiliser Co, Marneuli Agro and Agri Grow Fertilizers and Agrochemicals among others. This research report presents a comprehensive assessment of the market and contains thoughtful insights, facts, historical data and statistically-supported and industry-validated market data and projections with a suitable set of assumptions and methodology.Future Market Insights (FMI) is a leading market intelligence and consulting firm. We deliver syndicated research reports, custom research reports and consulting services, which are personalized in nature. FMI delivers a complete packaged solution, which combines current market intelligence, statistical anecdotes, technology inputs, valuable growth insights, an aerial view of the competitive framework, and future market trends.Future Market Insights616 Corporate Way,Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage,New York 10989,United StatesTel: +1-347-918-3531Fax: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comWebsite: Starch/Sugar Enzymes Market : Historical, Current and Projected industry size and Recent Industry Trends http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/samples/4538 http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/toc/4538 http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com Starch/sugar enzymes occurs in various microorganisms and are used to assist the process of hydrolysis to breakdown sugar molecule. Various types of enzymes used are carbohydrase, lipase and protease. These types of enzymes are responsible for biochemical processes. Starch/sugar enzymes are used in bio-fuel production, cleaning agents, animal feed, pharmaceutical and biotechnology among others.The market for starch/sugar enzymes was mainly driven by increasing demand from food and beverage industry. In addition, there is huge demand for these enzymes from industrial applications such as bio-fuels, biocatalysts and cleaning agents. Due to its versatility there is huge demand for starch/sugar enzymes from various consumers. In addition, huge investment in R&D activities for new product development is likely to drive the market in upcoming years. The major opportunities for the starch/enzyme market are likely to be bio-fuel production and biotechnology market. However, individuals suffering from gluten intolerance will not opt for these products and can act as a restraint to the market.Interested in report: Please follow the below links to meet your requirements;Request for the Report Brochure:In terms of demand, North America was the leading region for starch/sugar enzymes market. The U.S. is the leading country for the enzymes market. The demand is huge owing to increasing demand from wine and pharmaceutical industry. North America was followed by Europe, where the demand is huge from food and beverage industry. The demand for starch/sugar enzymes is mainly from the U.K. and Germany. Asia Pacific is anticipated to be the fastest growing market for the starch/sugar enzymes market. The demand is this region is driven by huge pharmaceutical industry. The Rest of the World (RoW) is likely to exhibit lower demand for starch/sugar enzymes in upcoming years.Request TOC (table of content), Figures and Tables of the Report:Some of the key manufacturers in the starch/sugar enzymes market are ABF Plc, Novozymes A/S, DuPont, Advanced Enzymes Technologies Ltd., Roquette Freres and Amano Enzyme Inc. among others.About UsPersistence Market Research (PMR) is a full-service market intelligence firm specializing in syndicated research, custom research, and consulting services. PMR boasts market research expertise across the Healthcare, Chemicals and Materials, Technology and Media, Energy and Mining, Food and Beverages, Semiconductor and Electronics, Consumer Goods, and Shipping and Transportation industries. The company draws from its multi-disciplinary capabilities and high-pedigree team of analysts to share data that precisely corresponds to clients business needs.PMR stands committed to bringing more accuracy and speed to clients business decisions. From ready-to-purchase market research reports to customized research solutions, PMRs engagement models are highly flexible without compromising on its deep-seated research values.ContactPersistence Market Research305 Broadway7th Floor, New York City,NY 10007, United StatesUSA - Canada Toll Free: +1 800-961-0353Email: sales@persistencemarketresearch.comWeb: SWEET HOME The City Council has approved a plan to move the Municipal Court services from a modular unit behind City Hall into the Police Services building. The modular unit was placed behind City Hall in 1996 after floods made it impossible to use the police department, which at that time was in the basement of City Hall. The police department used the building until 2001, when the new Police Services building was opened. City council meetings and Municipal Court were moved into the modular at that time, but the building has extensive repair issues and the councilors also want more security for the Municipal Court staff. At a council meeting Monday evening, Finance Director Pat Gray said the city had hoped to include space for the Municipal Court in the Police Services building in 2001, but finances prohibited it. The city does not plan to add onto the current building, since that would cost several hundred thousand dollars, but will move offices within the current building to make room for court services. The inclusion of the Municipal Court into the Police Services building would provide several benefits which include increased safety for court staff, increased availability of police officers to assist the court and enhance the efficiency of both operations, specifically the transfer of police department and court records, Police Chief Jeff Lynn outlined in a memorandum to the council. The plan is to use the existing Community/Training room as the Municipal Court. The dispatch center would be turned into office space for the courts staff and the dispatcher center would be moved into the current records room. Estimated cost of the project is about $54,000, which includes 20 percent contingency. The money is already allocated in the 2015-16 budget, according to Gray. Surgical Robot Industry Trends, Analysis To 2024 by Grand View Research Inc. http://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/surgical-robot-market http://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/surgical-robot-market/request www.grandviewresearch.com The global surgical robot market is expected to reach USD 20.8 billion by 2024, according to a new study by Grand View Research, Inc. The prevalence of chronic disorders, such as chronic heart diseases and various types of cancer, is on a rise. These diseases frequently require surgery as a line of treatment. With the advent of surgical robot, these surgeries have become easier and less traumatic, thereby propelling the demand over the forecast period.The surgical robotic system causes less postoperative complications and reduces the length of hospital stay for a patient. This further helps to save treatment cost as well as labor cost. Owing to these benefits, these devices are now favored by hospitals in developing as well as developed regions.The introduction of evolved systems is expected to boost the market growth over the forecast period. The development of computer software coupled with such robotic systems result in higher precision and better viewing of the incision site. This is expected to propel the demand over the forecast period.The rising popularity of minimally invasive procedures due to their patient-friendly nature is the vital driver for this industry. Surgical robot help in performing complicated procedures through navigation and magnification options.Browse full research report on Global Surgical Robot Market:Further key findings from the study suggest: Robot systems held a lucrative share of around 42.0% in the product segment. Robot systems were followed by accessories and are also anticipated to witness a substantial growth owing to their frequent repurchase. On the other hand, services are anticipated to grow at a lucrative rate of around 20.0% over the forecast period. Periodic maintenance of the existing robotic systems is mandatory; hence, this segment is anticipated to witness a substantial growth. The da Vinci Surgical System by Intuitive Surgical, Inc. dominated this industry in 2015. This system is the first U.S.FDA approved system; hence, retains the first mover advantage. ROSA surgical system by Medtech is anticipated to witness a lucrative growth over the forecast period. These systems are intended for the brain and spinal cord surgeries. Recent approval for ROSA systems as well as expansion in European and North American Region by Medtech is anticipated to support the growth of this system. Gynecology held significant share of around 30.0% in application segment followed by general surgery segment which is anticipated to witness remunerative share over the forecast period. Rising prevalence of colorectal cancer further contributed towards the growth of this segment. North America is the dominating market with lucrative shares of around 60.0% in 2015. However, Asia Pacific is projected to witness sturdy growth over the forecast period with the fastest growth rate. Healthcare advancements as well economic developments with the aid of government is anticipated to support the growth. The key players operating in this industry include Intuitive Surgical, Inc., Accuray, MAKO /Stryker, Medtech Surgical, Hansen Medical, TransEntrix, Titan Medical, Inc., and Renishaw Plc. New product launches and collaborative developments are key strategic initiatives undertaken by market players to sustain the competition For instance, in July 2015, Accuray and Raysearch Laboratories AB formed a strategic collaboration. Accuray will co-market and offer Raycare Oncology Information System (OIS) in designated major radiation marketsRead detailed report or request for sample of this research report:Grand View Research has segmented the global surgical robot market on the basis of type, products, and region:Global Surgical Robots Market By Product(USD Million), 2014 2024 Robot System Instrument & Accessories ServicesGlobal Surgical Robots Market By Brand (USD Million), 2014 2024 da Vinci Surgical System CyberKnife ROSA MAKO Renaissance OtherGlobal Surgical Robots Market By Application(USD Million), 2014 2024 General Surgery Urology Orthopedic Neurosurgery Cardiovascular Gynecology Radiology Transplant Gastrointestinal OthersSurgical Robots Market By Region (USD Million), 2014 2024 North Americao U.S.o Canada Europeo UKo Germanyo Franceo Italyo Spain Asia Pacifico Japano Chinao India Latin Americao Brazilo Mexico MEAo South Africao Saudi ArabiaGrand View Research, Inc. is a U.S. based market research and consulting company, registered in the State of California and headquartered in San Francisco. The company provides syndicated research reports, customized research reports, and consulting services. To help clients make informed business decisions, we offer market intelligence studies ensuring relevant and fact-based research across a range of industries, from technology to chemicals, materials and healthcare.Sherry JamesCorporate Sales Specialist, USAGrand View Research, IncWeb: Dimer Acid-Based (DAB) Polyamide Resins Market Size, Analysis, and Forecast Report: 2015-2025 http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-337 http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/toc/rep-gb-337 www.futuremarketinsights.com Future Market Insights has announced the addition of the Dimer Acid-Based (DAB) Polyamide Resins Market: Global Industry Analysis and Opportunity Assessment 2015-2025" report to their offering.Dimer acids which are also known as dimerized fatty acids belong to the group of dicarboxylic acids. Dimer acids are viscous fluids that are transparent and non-toxic in nature. Dimer acids are manufactured by dimerizing unsaturated fatty acids that are obtained from oleic acid, canola oil, tallow, cottonseed, tall oil and rapeseed among others. Dimer acids are widely used to synthesize polyamide resins and hot melt adhesives. Dimer acid-based polyamide resins have varied properties which makes them either reactive or non-reactive in nature. Reactive polyamides are primarily used as curing agents for epoxy resins that are generally used in the manufacturing of adhesives and surface coatings. On the other hand, the non reactive polyamides are predominantly used in the manufacturing of printing inks and hot-melt adhesives. Dimer acid-based polyamide resins exhibit physical properties such as heat resistance, cold resistance, film flexibility, fast curing, oil resistance, excellent adhesion and good compatibility among others. Dimer acid-based polyamide resins are widely used as decorative coatings, fabrics, interlining, shoe stretch, fold plastic and Baotou glue.Request Free Report Sample@Growing economies of developing countries coupled with rising disposable income has boosted the overall demand for residential properties which in turn is expected to augment the overall growth of construction industry. Construction industry is the major application of adhesives and surface coatings. Thus, the growing demand for adhesives and surface coatings from various end-use industries such as construction is expected to drive the overall dimer acid-based polyamide resins market. Dimer acid-based polyamide resins are also mainly consumed in the manufacturing of printing inks. Dimer acid-based polyamide resins exhibit improved freeze thaw characteristics to the printing ink compositions. Thus, the use of dimer acid-based polyamide resins plays a crucial role in improving the overall quality of the printing inks. Thus, growing demand for printing ink is expected to augment the overall growth of dimer acid-based polyamide resins market.China is the major consumer of dimer acid-based polyamide resins owing to the presence of huge demand for adhesives and surface coatings from construction and automobile applications. North America is expected to be the next largest consumer of dimer acid-based polyamide resins owing to the presence of huge demand for printing inks in the region. The demand for DAB polyamide resins is expected to grow rapidly in Europe owing to the huge demand for surface coatings from the automobile industry present in the region. Rest of Asia Pacific is anticipated to experience huge demand for dimer acid-based polyamide resins owing to the growing construction industry in countries such as India, Japan and Korea present in the region. Rest of the World is expected to exhibit sluggish growth in the demand for dimer acid-based polyamide resins market in the near future.Visit For TOC@Arizona Chemical, Anqing Hongyu Chemical Co., Ltd., The Dow Chemical Company, Jinan Tongfa Resin Co., Ltd. and RITEKS are some of the major participants of the dimer acid-based polyamide resins market. The companies are mainly focused towards achieving economies of scale. Hence, most of the leading players are striving towards increasing their production capacities for manufacturing dimer acid-based polyamide resins market. The companies are also hugely investing in research in order to develop innovative products having superior qualities.Future Market Insights (FMI) is a leading market intelligence and consulting firm. We deliver syndicated research reports, custom research reports and consulting services, which are personalized in nature. FMI delivers a complete packaged solution, which combines current market intelligence, statistical anecdotes, technology inputs, valuable growth insights, an aerial view of the competitive framework, and future market trends.Future Market Insights616 Corporate Way,Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage,New York 10989,United StatesTel: +1-347-918-3531Fax: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comWebsite: Wood Pellet Market 10-Year Market Forecast and Trends Analysis Research Report http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-341 http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/toc/rep-gb-341 www.futuremarketinsights.com Future Market Insights has announced the addition of the Infrared Emitter And Receiver Market: Global Industry Analysis and Opportunity Assessment 2015-2025" report to their offering.Disinfectants are chemicals that are applied to objects and surfaces in order to eliminate microorganisms that thrive on them. Different varieties of disinfectants are applied for different purpose. Some disinfectants are strong and are effective against a wide spectrum of microorganisms, while some are mild and applicable to eliminate only certain disease causing organisms. Disinfectants can be broadly segregated into three main types, namely, air disinfectants, water disinfectants and surface disinfectant. A variety of chemicals are used in different proportions to manufacture disinfectants applicable for various purposes.Alcohols such as ethanol and isopropanol have been observed to be good general purpose disinfectants. 70% to 90% concentration of these alcohols can effectively act against lipophilic viruses. However, it is not effective against bacterial spores or non lipid virus as the contact time is less owing to high volatility of the substance. Chlorine compounds are the most common house hold disinfectants. Sodium hypochlorite is the main ingredient in house hold bleaches. It has sufficient contact time and inactivates the bacterial spores. Disinfectant solutions containing 50 to 500 parts per million of chlorine is effective against most vegetative bacteria and viruses. However, chlorine is rendered ineffective upon exposure to light and air, and hence should be carefully packaged or prepared fresh before application. Formalin is another widely used disinfectant. 5% concentration of formalin has the power to inactivate most bacteria and viruses. Glutaraldehyde is another very effective disinfectant. The compound is closely related to formalin but is much more active biologically. Glutaraldehyde can effectively disinfect bacterial spores, fungi and most viruses. Apart from the aforementioned chemicals, hydrogen peroxide, calcium hypochlorites, chloramines and chloramines T are some of the widely used disinfectant chemicals.Request Free Report Sample@The disinfectant market is driven by the general consciousness to disinfect surroundings and live healthy. The recent outbreaks of flu such as avian flu and swine flu and other infectious diseases in different parts of the world, have triggered the use of disinfectants all over the world. The initiatives of cleaning and disinfecting surroundings to contain such outbreaks of fatal diseases have been on the rise, with governments promoting disinfection in all public places and individual homes. Scarcity of safe drinking water in many parts of the world has also resulted in the growth of water disinfectant market. Water disinfectants such as chloramines have witnessed high growth in the recent years.Although disinfectant chemicals market has witnessed substantial growth, there are some concerns for the market as well. Some disinfectants such as formalin and glutaraldehye are very effective in killing bacteria, however, they are toxic in nature and over exposure to these chemicals are hazardous to human as well. Occupational exposure to these chemicals is extremely harmful and proper precautions and protective clothing is absolutely necessary.North America is the largest market for disinfectants in the world and is expected to grow at a brisk pace in the foreseeable future. Europe region accounted for the second largest market share in terms of demand followed by Asia Pacific. The market growth rate in Asia Pacific region is high and the region is expected to account for a larger market share in the foreseeable future owing to its rising population as well as standard of living.Visit For TOC@Some of the main companies operating in this market are DuPont, 3M, ABC Compounding Co., Inc., and Cardinal Health, Inc., among many others.Future Market Insights (FMI) is a leading market intelligence and consulting firm. We deliver syndicated research reports, custom research reports and consulting services, which are personalized in nature. FMI delivers a complete packaged solution, which combines current market intelligence, statistical anecdotes, technology inputs, valuable growth insights, an aerial view of the competitive framework, and future market trends.Future Market Insights616 Corporate Way,Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage,New York 10989,United StatesTel: +1-347-918-3531Fax: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comWebsite: Increasing Spending Power of the Middle Class Drives Asia Pacifics Booming Pet Food Market Asia Pacific Pet Food Market http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/asia-pacific-pet-food-market.html http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=S&rep_id=4306 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com Multinational companies have long aimed to the large number of Asian households and their need for various goods and services. On the basis of daily spending levels of US$2-US$20, the Asian Development Bank estimates 56% of the population could be regarded as middle class in 2002, representing a significant growth from only 21% in 1990. Thus, the proportion of middle-class spenders is rising at an unwavering pace.With rising incomes comes the financial ability to splurge on luxuries such as pets. The pet population in Asia Pacific has been growing at a steady rate over the last decade and more, leading to pet food manufacturers increasingly looking at APAC as the market of the present and future.Browse Market Research Report of Asia Pacific Pet Food Market:With Australia and New Zealand included, where pets outnumber humans, Asias total pet population totaled to approximately 488 million in 2011, which makes for a whole lot of pet food. Asia Pacific makes up a significant chunk of this pet population, thanks to the growing figures in Australasia, India, and China. Additionally, with growing wealth and busy lifestyles, couples tend to have fewer children, which is another reason why pets are becoming more popular.How is Japan a Strong Contender in Pet Food Market in Asia Pacific?Amongst all the APAC national markets for pet food, Japan is the largest, where more and more people consider pets to be family members, which translates to more business opportunities for pet food manufacturers. With apartments becoming the most popular type of residence in Japan, dogs and cats, particularly smaller breeds, are the most popular pets.However, it appears that the dog and cat populations in the country have reached their maximal level. In 2008, the combined dog and cat population was 24 million in Japan, which diminished to 20.7 million in 2011. This drop of almost 14% can be attributed to higher life expectancy of pets due to availability of better food and living conditions.In general, there is less interest in other pets in Japan. Due to alarming concerns about avian (bird) flu, the import of birds into Japan is restricted; hence, the number of pet birds, approximated at 3.7 million in 2006, dropped to 2.3 million in 2011. Although the adoption of small reptiles and small fish rose in 2010 and 2011 as compared to the late 2000s, it remains a relatively small market.Request a Brochure of this Report :Transparency Market Research (TMR) offers insights into what the pet food market in Asia Pacific will look like in the coming years:The dog food segment holds the largest market share and is estimated to reach US$6,554.2 million by 2020.The others segment, which includes bird food, reptiles, fish food, and other small animals will exhibit the fastest growth at a CAGR of 2.7% from 2014 to 2020.Ease of handling and low price account for high demand for dry pet food in Asia Pacific.Increasing awareness about pet health will lead the nutritious food segment to reach US$361.3 million by 2020.With a large proportion of the Japanese population choosing not to have children, pets are increasingly considered as a substitute, which is encouraging a pampered pet industry. This accounts for Japan to become one of the largest markets for pet food in Asia Pacific.Changing lifestyles and growing trend of nuclear families in India is leading to higher demand for pets in India, which in turn is helping the pet food market in the country.About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a global market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of Analysts, Researchers, and Consultants, use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.Our data repository is continuously updated and revised by a team of research experts, so that it always reflects the latest trends and information. With a broad research and analysis capability, Transparency Market Research employs rigorous primary and secondary research techniques in developing distinctive data sets and research material for business reports.ContactMr.Sudip S90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite: Global Hemoglobinopathies Market:Helps In Understanding the Key Product Segments and Their Future By 2024 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=10676 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/hemoglobinopathies-market.html Global Hemoglobinopathies Market: OverviewHemoglobinopathies refer to a group of genetic disorders that lead to abnormal production or structural defects in the hemoglobin molecule. Hemoglobinopathies are among the most common types of inherited diseases around the globe and thus form one of the worlds major health concerns. Most commonly observed in parts of Africa, Asia, and the Mediterranean area, hemoglobinopathies have recently become much more common in certain European countries and other parts of the world owing to international immigration. Some of the most common types of hemoglobinopathies are sickle-cell anemia, hemoglobin S-C disease, hemoglobin E disease, hemoglobin barts, hemoglobin C disease, and a variety of thalassemia.Download Complete Report Brochure:Symptoms of hemoglobinopathies start showing before the age of one, with developmental disorders and chronic hemolytic anemia. The main issues include sickle-cell crises that can affect the thorax, abdomen, back, CNS, and extremities in particular. Patients are also highly susceptible to infection, primarily by mycoplasmae, klebsiellae, hemophilus, salmonellae, and pneumococci. When left untreated, hemoglobinopathies can be fatal and lead to serious organ damage. Nevertheless, optimal treatment can give patients life expectancy of 50-60 years.Global Hemoglobinopathies Market: Key Trends and OpportunitiesThe rising prevalence of hemoglobinopathies worldwide has led to increased attention by government bodies and research institutes toward finding efficient methods of diagnosis and treatment of the conditions. Government interventions through funds for national control programs and increased expenditures on research activities, especially in developing and under-developed countries, are some of the most crucial drivers for the global hemoglobinopathies market. However, lack of awareness regarding the disease in these parts is a major factor hampering the market to a certain extent.The report presents a detailed overview of the global hemoglobinopathies market and analyzes the current state of the market and its crucial segments. By analyzing the impact of key drivers, restraints, and trends with the help of industry-best analytical methods and inputs from industry experts, the report forecasts the growth prospects of the market and its segments over the period between 2016 and 2024.The report examines the state of various diagnostic methods and treatments available in the market for some of the major types of hemoglobinopathies. It presents an overview of technological developments and various distribution channels for the treatment of hemoglobinopathies in the global market. The report also provides a region-based overview of these segments for presenting a much detailed overview of the market.Global Hemoglobinopathies Market: Region-wise OutlookHemoglobinopathies are highly prevalent in countries with higher population base which also face the problem of lack of efficient health care facilities and awareness about proper treatment of these conditions. As such, the most lucrative regional markets for hemoglobinopathies diagnosis and treatment are Africa and Asia Pacific.Nevertheless, the rising prevalence of hemoglobinopathies in developed regions such as North America and Europe presents the global hemoglobinopathies market vast growth opportunities in these regions as well. The market for diagnosis and treatment of sickle cell anemia has huge growth potential in North America, where the prevalence of the condition has increased at a worrisome rate in the past few years.Browse Full Report:Global Hemoglobinopathies Market: Competitive LandscapeThe competitive landscape of the global hemoglobinopathies market features a large number of pharmaceutical companies that have invested large funds toward the research and development of hemoglobinopathies diagnostic and treatment methodologies. Some of the most prominent vendors in the market are Gamilda Cell, Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Biogen Idec, Sangamo Biosciences, Cipla Limited, Alkem Laboratories, Errant Gene Therapeutics, PerkinElmer Inc., and Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc.About Us:-Transparency Market Research (TMR) is a global market intelligence company providing business information reports and services. The companys exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trend analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.Contact Us:-Mr.Sudip.STransparency Market ResearchState Tower,90 State Street,Suite 700,Albany NY - 12207United StatesTel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email:sales@transparencymarketresearch.com Powder Coatings Market Forecast Report to 2020: Grand View Research, Inc. http://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/powder-coatings-market-analysis http://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/powder-coatings-market-analysis/request The global powder coatings market is an emerging market in paint industry and projected to reach a worth of USD 12.48 billion by 2020. The term powder coating is associated with the application of coating in the form of dry powder. The production process of powder coatings includes the method of grinding mixtures of pigments, curatives, and raisins in powder form and then coating a surface by with it by spraying method.Application of powder coatings on surface is followed by the melting process with the use of oven for even distribution of melted powder, which makes the surface super smooth. There are various methodologies used in application of powder coatings, such as, powder curing method, electrostatic spray method, fluidized bed method, and electrostatic fluidized bed method.On the basis of usage, the powder coatings are divided into thermoplastics and thermosets powder coatings. Powder coatings have an edge over conventional paints with advantages like super quality finishing, abrasion-free surface, chipping-free area, protection from leakage, heat, and chemicals. There are many organizations like EPA promoting high usage of powder coatings over conventional liquids due to their environmental-friendly properties.Browse to access In-depth research report on Global Powder Coatings Market with detailed charts and figures:High demand of powder coatings is driven by growing need for superior quality items in consumer goods, furniture, automotive, architecture and general industry. The consumer goods lead the powder coatings market and attributed 22.1% of the total market volume in 2013.Automotive sector is also projected to grow at a CAGR of 7.7% by 2020 with more focus on enhancing appearance of luxury-cars. High disposable income in Asia Pacific region has resulted in augmented demand for luxury cars and also accelerated the demand for powder coatings in the market.The usage of powder coatings in furniture industry is still unexplored due to peeling up of thinner coatings from wooden surface. It is also forecasted to witness a higher growth in the future due to its multiple advantageous applications.Request for free sample of this research report:With growing automobile and electronic industries, Asia Pacific is expected to become the largest consumer of powder coatings in the future with a CAGR of 8.5% by 2020. China is the largest producer of automobiles with highest consumption-power of powder coatings in the global market. Developing countries like India, Brazil and Russia are also expected to become key consumers of powder coatings in the future. The North American and European market have reached the maturity stage and expected to grow at slow rate in the future.Grand View Research, Inc. is a U.S. based market research and consulting company, registered in the State of California and headquartered in San Francisco. The company provides syndicated research reports, customized research reports, and consulting services. To help clients make informed business decisions, we offer market intelligence studies ensuring relevant and fact-based research across a range of industries, from technology to chemicals, materials and healthcare.Sherry JamesCorporate Sales Specialist, USAGrand View Research, IncPhone: 1-415-349-0058Toll Free: 1-888-202-9519 Global Metamaterials Technology Market: Industry Size, Growth, Share, Analysis and Forecast 2016-2022 |Brisk Insights http://www.briskinsights.com/report/metamaterials-market-forecast-2015-2022 http://www.briskinsights.com/category/chemical-and-material-industry http://www.briskinsights.com/ According to a recently published report, Global Metamaterials Technology Market is expected to grow at the CAGR of 25.1% during 2015-2022. The global Metamaterials technology market is segmented on the basis of type, device type, application and geography. The report on global Metamaterials technology market forecast 2015-2022 provides detailed overview and predictive analysis of the market.The major factors driving the market are continuous research and development taking place in the field proving better and innovative products. Also metamaterials has many unique properties due to which it is used in many varied fields and it is boosting the metamaterials market. Also large investments by the federal agencies are acting as a boon for the market. Metamaterials market is also expanding due to the rising economies in Asia Pacific region.Browse Full Report with Toc :There are many factors which act as restraint for the market such as high cost of synthetization. Also there is unavailability of proper technology due to which the market is facing difficulty in its growth.Some of the key market players of the industry are Jem Engineering, Microwave Measurement Systems LLC, Plasmonics Inc., Nanohmics Inc., and Kymeta Corporation.Browse here for all category Reports :Scope of the report1. Global Metamaterials technology market by type 2012-2022 ($ billion)1.1. Electromagnetic Metamaterials1.1.1. Global metamaterials technology market by Types of Electromagnetic metamaterials1.1.1.1. Double Negative Metamaterials (DNG)1.1.1.2. Single Negative Metamaterials (SNG)1.1.1.3. Electromagnetic Bandgap Metamaterials (EBG)1.1.1.4. Double Positive Medium (DPS)1.1.1.5. Bi-Isotropic And Bi-Anisotropic Metamaterials1.1.1.6. Chiral Metamaterials1.2. Metamaterials1.3. Photonic Metamaterials1.4. Tunable Metamaterials1.5. Frequency Selective Surface (Fss) Based Metamaterials1.6. Non-Linear Metamaterials2. Global Metamaterials technology market by device type 2012-2022 ($ billion)2.1. Antennas2.2. Superlens2.3. Cloaking Devices2.4. Absorbers3. Global Metamaterials technology market by application 2012-2022 ($ billion)3.1. Aerospace & Defense3.2. Instrumentation3.3. Optics3.4. Sensing3.5. Telecommunication4. Global metamaterial technology market, regional outlook 2012-2022 ($ billion)4.1. North America4.2. Europe4.3. Asia Pacific4.4. Middle East & Africa4.5. Central & South America4.6. Central & South AmericaContact Us:Jennifer SmithOffice 1094109 Vernon HouseFriar LaneNottinghamNG1 6DQUnited KingdomPhone: +448081890034 (UK)Email: sales@briskinsights.comWebsite:About Us :Brisk Insights is a global market research firm. Our insightful analysis is focused on developed and emerging markets. We identify trends and forecast markets with a view to aid businesses identify market opportunities optimize strategies.Working in a highly dynamic and multi-dimensional business makes decision making complex. Effective business decisions are a result of the synthesis of market information. Our Research and data analysis is an efficient and cost-effective way of providing robust market analysis and can yield highly valuable intelligence relating to consumers, competitors and markets.Office 1094109 Vernon HouseFriar LaneNottingham Examines Global Substance Abuse Deterrents and Treatments Market, Pipeline http://www.marketresearchreports.biz/pressrelease/1532 http://www.marketresearchreports.biz/sample/sample/706625 http://www.marketresearchreports.biz/ MarketResearchReports.Biz presents this most up-to-date research on " Substance Abuse Deterrents and Treatments - An Assessment of the Technological, Competitive and R&D Landscape "MarketResearchReports.biz has announced the addition of a new report to its online repository of market analysis studies. The new report, titled Substance Abuse Deterrents And Treatments - An Assessment Of The Technological, Competitive And R&D Landscape, examines the statistics regarding substance abuse across the world, analyzing the social, economic, and medical impact of substance abuse.Substance abuse is the usage of certain drugs in amounts that are harmful to the individual as well as their community. Substance abuse is almost always harmful in medical terms, since all drugs have significant adverse effects in large quantities. Apart from the harm done to the individual, substance abuse also affects their immediate family and friends, since a substance abuser can become violent and cause physical, financial, or even emotional harm. Substance abuse can also lead to less time spent at work, leading to economic harm to the substance abuser and their family. Substance abusers can also become a drain on public health systems and thus affect the society on the whole. Thus, the market for substance abuse deterrents and treatments has risen rapidly in the last few decades.The number of illicit drug users has risen rapidly in those few decades, due to the increasing liberalization of the Western society, the preexisting legalization of drugs such as alcohol, and increasing support for legalization of drugs such as marijuana. This has led to increasing governmental support for substance abuse deterrents and treatments.View Press Release Report at :The report presents readers important details about substance abuse, including data on the most common substances abused around the world and the contributing factors of drug abuse. Abuse of prescription or over-the-counter drugs is also explored in the report, with a major part of substance abuse around the world comprising prescription or OTC drugs.For Sample Copy, click here:The major symptoms of substance abuse are detailed in the report. Identifying substance abuse can be difficult due not just to the difficulty in identifying the thin line between controlled use and abuse but also to social norms, due to which identifying a substance abuser in ones close acquaintance can become embarrassing for even a concerned individual. Accordingly, the social and economic impact of substance abuse comprises a major part of the report.The role of international bodies such as the UN and the International Narcotics Control Board in deterring, controlling, and treating substance abuse is also mentioned in the report, since strong intergovernmental cooperation and regulatory support are necessary to eradicate substance abuse. Subsequently, the different approaches taken by various countries to tackle the problem of substance abuse have been described in the report and analysis of unmet needs in substance abuse treatment is given.The report includes case studies of Embeda, Suboxone, aversion technology, osmotic extended-release oral delivery systems, INTAC technology, iCRT-deter, DETERx technology, and Prodrug in combination with MPAR technology, and studies other products and therapies in the market for substance abuse deterrents and treatments.MarketResearchReports.biz is the most comprehensive collection of market research reports. MarketResearchReports.Biz services are specially designed to save time and money for our clients. We are a one stop solution for all your research needs, our main offerings are syndicated research reports, custom research, subscription access and consulting services. We serve all sizes and types of companies spanning across various industries.Mr. NachiketState Tower90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA: Canada Toll Free: 866-997-4948Website: Global Palladium Chloride Market Development Trends Research Report 2021 Global and China MArket Research Reports http://www.reportsnreports.com/reports/539262-global-palladium-chloride-industry-2016-market-research-report.html http://www.reportsnreports.com/contacts/discount.aspx?name=539262 http://www.reportsnreports.com/purchase.aspx?name=539262 Latest research report on 2016 Deep Research Report on Global Palladium Chloride Industry now available at high quality database of ReportsnReports.com - Buy Now or inquire about this report online.The Global Palladium Chloride 2016 Market Research Report is a professional and in-depth study on the current state of the Palladium Chloride. The report provides a basic overview of the industry including definitions, classifications, applications and industry chain structure.Complete report on Palladium Chloride market spread across 157 pages profiling 12 key companies and supported with 235 tables and figures available @The Palladium Chloride Market analysis is provided for the international markets including development trends, competitive landscape analysis, and key regions d development status.Then, the report focuses on global major leading industry players with information such as company profiles, product picture and specification, capacity, production, price, cost, revenue and contact information. Upstream raw materials, equipment and downstream consumers analysis is also carried out. What's more, the Palladium Chloride development trends and marketing channels are analyzed.Finally, the feasibility of new investment projects is assessed, and overall research conclusions are offered. In a word, the report provides major statistics on the state of the industry and is a valuable source of guidance and direction for companies and individuals interested in the market. Development policies and plans are discussed as well as manufacturing processes and cost structures. This report also states import/export, supply and consumption figures as well as cost, price, revenue and gross margin by regions (US, EU, Global and Japan), and other regions can be added. Key manufacturers listed in this report are TCI, Matrix Scientific, Strem Chemicals, Fisher Scientific, EMD Chemicals, MP Biomedicals, AK Scientific, Boron Molecular, ABCR GmbH & CO. KG, Merck Schuchardt OHG, Wako Pure Chemical Industries, Kanto Chemical, Apollo Scientific, VWR International, Meryer (Shanghai) Chemical Technology, 3B Pharmachem (Wuhan) International, Alfa Aesar, Energy Chemical, Beijing Ouhe Technology, JinYan Chemicals(ShangHai) and Jia Xing Isenchem.An exclusive discount can be asked before order a copy of 2016 Market Research Report on Global Palladium Chloride atMajor Points Covered in Table of Contents:Chapter One Palladium Chloride OverviewChapter Two Manufacturing Cost Structure Analysis of Palladium ChlorideChapter Three Technical Data and Manufacturing Plants Analysis of Palladium ChlorideChapter Four Capacity, Production and Revenue Analysis of Palladium Chloride by Regions, Types and ManufacturersChapter Five Price, Cost, Gross and Gross Margin Analysis of Palladium Chloride by Regions, Types and ManufacturersChapter Six Consumption Volume, Consumption Value and Sale Price Analysis of Palladium Chloride by Regions, Types and ApplicationsChapter Seven Supply, Import, Export and Consumption Analysis of Palladium ChlorideChapter Eight Major Manufacturers Analysis of Palladium ChlorideChapter Nine Marketing Trader or Distributor Analysis of Palladium ChlorideChapter Ten Industry Chain Analysis of Palladium ChlorideChapter Eleven Development Trend of Analysis of Palladium ChlorideChapter Twelve New Project Investment Feasibility Analysis of Palladium ChlorideChapter Thirteen Conclusion of the Global Palladium Chloride 2016 Market Research ReportList of Tables and FiguresSome Key Points from List of Tables and Figures:Figure Gross Margin of Palladium Chloride by Types in 2015Table Price (USD/NT) of Palladium Chloride by Manufacturers 2011-2016Figure Price (USD/NT) of Palladium Chloride by Manufacturers in 2015Table Cost (USD/NT) of Palladium Chloride by Manufacturers 2011-2016Figure Cost (USD/NT) of Palladium Chloride by Manufacturers in 2015Table Gross (USD/NT) of Palladium Chloride by Manufacturers 2011-2016Figure Gross (USD/NT) of Palladium Chloride by Manufacturers in 2015Table Gross Margin of Palladium Chloride by Manufacturers 2011-2016Figure Gross Margin of Palladium Chloride by Manufacturers in 2015Table Global Consumption Volume (K MT) of Palladium Chloride by Regions 2011-2016Figure Global Consumption Volume Market Share of Palladium Chloride by Regions in 2011Figure Global Consumption Volume Market Share of Palladium Chloride by Regions in 2015Table Global Consumption Value (M USD) of Palladium Chloride by Regions 2011-2016Figure Global Consumption Value Market Share of Palladium Chloride by Regions in 2011Figure Global Consumption Value Market Share of Palladium Chloride by Regions in 2015Figure Global Consumption Volume (K MT) and Growth Rate of Palladium Chloride 2011-2016Figure Global Consumption Value (M USD) and Growth Rate of Palladium Chloride 2011-2016Figure USA Consumption Volume (K MT) and Growth Rate of Palladium Chloride 2011-2016Buy a licensed copy of this report @ReportsnReports.com is your single source for all market research needs. Our database includes 500,000+ market research reports from over 95 leading global publishers & in-depth market research studies of over 5000 micro markets. With comprehensive information about the publishers and the industries for which they publish market research reports, we help you in your purchase decision by mapping your information needs with our huge collection of reports. We provide 24/7 online and offline support to our customers.UNIT no 802, Tower no. 7, SEZMagarpatta city, HadapsarPune, Maharashtra 411013, India+ 1 888 391 5441 Why People Choose Budapest for Stag Do The stag do may be even more important than the wedding. At least for men. This is a once-in-a-lifetime event, when you are lucky enough, so its important to find the right place to spend the stag weekend.For the ideal stag do, more and more people choose to go abroad and Budapest is one of the most popular destinations in Europe. No wonder why, Budapest is getting better every year for the group of lads going out for this special occasion.Compared to the other big cities, Budapest offers an incredibly colorful and busy party district. Everything is within walking distance that is a huge advantage when you dont want to travel from one activity to the other. On the other hand, a couple new places open every week so the places available to get drunk and party are still increasing. Ruin pubs, open-air and rooftop bars spice up the shots you take to get into the mood.Girls in Budapest are open minded, speak english well, and beautiful. Activities are just as exotic. You can drive a tank, shoot with premium weapons, drive special cars you cannot find anywhere else. The rules are not so strict people are used to in the UK and the opening times are way longer than the time until people usually can stay awake.Beer is cheap just as the flights to Budapest, and you can choose from many airlines and multiple flight times. And when you arrive you can leave your umbrellas in the nice and centrally located apartments since the weather is usually very nice in the summer.For those who like watersports and fun, a stag do in Budapest has a lot to offer. Spa party is one of them that is extremely popular among foreigners visiting one of the most colorful and multicultural city of central europe. Budapest is also famous for the thermal spas that are perfect for the hangover that is inevitable when you talk about stag weekends.Stags Emporium, one of the leading local tour organisers, serves around 500 groups every year. We specialise in organising stag dos and we know that a stag party is one of the most important events in the life of men.Stag's Emporium is one of the leading tour operators based in Budapest. They specialise in organising stag weekends for people who share their perception as the stag do is one of the most important events of the life of men.Zsolt PalmaiSE Hungary Kft.Dohany u. 14.1074, BudapestHUNGARY Prchard Parks Maya Clinard Orchard Parks Maya Clinard, far right, took runner-up in singles at this past weekends Section VI Girls Tennis Championships at... Boys soccer peaking into sectionals It was not an ideal start to the 2022 season for the Orchard Park boys soccer team, dropping its first... Welcome to Best Bets, a weekly column in which the Oregonian's arts desk separates the wheat from the chaff of upcoming theater, classical music and dance performances and visual arts events. Here are our picks for May 6-12. NT Live, Third Rail If - like most of us did - you missed London's National Theatre performances of "Les Liaisons Dangereuses" (starring Dominic West, Elaine Cassidy and Janet McTeer) and "As You Like It" (in its first time at the National Theatre in three decades), Third Rail brings them to Portland in high-definition. "Les Liaisons Dangereuses," 7 p.m. Friday, May 6 and "As You Like It," 2 and 7 p.m. Saturday, May 7, Imago Theatre, 17 S.E. Eighth Ave., $15-$20, thirdrailrep.org "Back to the Future" and Music of the Eagles, Oregon Symphony The Oregon Symphony goes retro-contemporary this week with two separate events: The first is a full screening of "Back to the Future" - with a real DeLorean on display! - with its score played live by the Symphony (Constantine Kitsopoulos conducts). The second is a Symphony concert celebrating and performing the music of the Eagles (Brent Haven conducts). "Back to the Future," 7:30 p.m. Saturday, May 7, and Music of the Eagles, 7:30 p.m. Monday, May 9, Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, 1037 S.W. Broadway, $50 and up ("Back to the Future") and $35 and up (the Eagles), orsymphony.org Spring Concert: Mercury Half Life, The Portland Ballet The Portland Ballet is known as a training grounds for future professional dancers - and also for their performances, which blend classical and modern music and dance. "Mercury Half Life" was choreographed by Trey McIntire to the music of Queen. 7:30 p.m. Friday-Saturday, May 6-7, Lincoln Performance Hall, Portland State University, 1620 S.W. Park Ave., $5-$35, theportlandballet.org Jason Mayer: Portraits and Figurative Landscapes, Angst Gallery Vancouver-based artist Jason Mayer took a circuitous route to becoming an artist. His journey involved a stint in prison before he decided to study art at age 34. He had never done art before. The fruits of that decision are on display at Angst this month. Exhibit runs May 6-28 with gallery hours noon to 5 p.m. Mondays-Saturdays, Angst Gallery, 1015 Main St., Vancouver, angstgallery.com The Magic Flute, Portland Opera The music of Mozart and the set design of Maurice Sendak, the children's author of "Where the Wild Things Are" fame, come together for this operatic treasure - a fitting choice to kick off Portland Opera's season. 7:30 p.m. Friday, May 6, 2 p.m. Sunday, May 7, 7:30 p.m. Thursday, May 12, and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, May 14, Keller Auditorium, 222 S.W. Clay, $28-$250, portlandopera.org If you would like your event to be considered for inclusion here in the future, please send an email with the details to Fineartsbestbets@oregonian.com. Find more arts coverage at OregonLive.com/arts. moda-center-rendering.jpg After suffering a precarious 2015 marked by enormous losses and a state demand that it raise additional capital, Moda says it has complied with the state's order. It is also seeking to raise rates in the individual insurance market by a third. (Courtesy of Moda Center) Every Oregon health insurance company but one is proposing double-digit percentage rate hikes for the individual market in 2017, with two of the biggest players -- Moda Health Plans and Providence Health Plans -- both seeking to raise rates by nearly a third. Seven of the 12 insurers in the small-group market are also seeking increases, albeit smaller than those in the individual market. It marks the second straight year of sizable increases since implementation of the Affordable Care Act. Oregon health insurers, no longer able to legally reject customers due to pre-existing conditions, have struggled to adjust to life under the act. "When we did our analysis of the 2015 financial results, we saw that Oregon's seven largest insurers lost $171 million," said Jake Sunderland, spokesman for the Oregon Insurance Division. "That's not an ideal situation." Moda proposed the biggest individual market hike in the state at 32.3 percent, followed by Oregon's Health Co-op, which is asking for 32 percent. Among the other major players, Kaiser is seeking a 14.5 percent hike and Regence BlueCross Blueshield of Oregon is asking for a 17.9 percent increase. Health Net Health Plan of Oregon was the sole insurer not asking for an increase. It proposed leaving its 2017 individual market rates essentially unchanged from the current year. Health Net last year was bought out by Centene Corp., a large St. Louis-based company. Federal officials said for about 71 percent of Oregon consumers the higher insurance rates will be balanced by tax credits. These tax credits, created by the Affordable Care Act, "will go up to compensate for (rate) increases," said Jonathan Gold, press secretary for the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. Moda lost nearly $50 million last year, the second consecutive year it finished in the red. But the Portland company claims it has emerged from its precarious financial straits. The company announced Friday it has sold off a subsidiary company and a Milwaukie office building and taken other steps to generate $165 million in additional capital. "What they announced Friday brings (Moda) to a place where they meet or exceed the capital requirements" the state imposed when it ordered the company to shore up its finances, Sunderland said. Providence Health Plan is seeking a 29.6 percent increase in the individual market and a 7.9 percent hike in the small group business. The company lost $63 million last year. The ranks of Oregon health insurers is smaller in 2017. Lifewise recently announced it will pull out of the state. Health insurance companies submitted rate requests to the Department of Consumer and Business Services, Division of Financial Regulation on May 2. The division must review and approve any rates before they can be charged to policyholders. "For the next two months, we will analyze the requested rates to ensure they adequately cover costs without being too high or too low," said Insurance Commissioner Laura Cali. "Our open process allows Oregonians to see everything we do and provide comments on the filings that affect them." The proposed rates are for plans that comply with the Affordable Care Act for small businesses and individuals who buy their own coverage rather than getting it through an employer. Only about 10 percent of the state's insurance customers get coverage through those markets. The state will put a searchable database of the proposed rates at oregonhealthrates.org. State regulators are encouraging Oregonians to comment on the rate requests at the website through the May 6-June 24 public comment period.Information on future hearings on the proposed rates will also be posted at the site. The state will announce its preliminary rate decisions on June 16 and its final rates on July 1. -- Jeff Manning 503-294-7606, jmanning@oregonian.com All Portland high schools will offer ethnic studies classes by 2018, under unanimously approved Tuesday by Portland Public Schools board members. In a school district where nearly half of all high school students identify as nonwhite, the teenagers who pushed for the new classes say the minority-focused courses will boost grades and graduation rates. "This means a lot to many students who are eager to learn about their contributions to the creation of this nation," said Y Le, a senior who helped fight for the classes. "Portland students are now able to feel safe in their history classes, where their histories are not constantly being made a tragedy. It's a big win." Ethnic studies classes have become increasingly popular since 2010, when conservative lawmakers in Arizona banned Mexican studies classes and galvanized activists in nearby states. Several California and Texas school districts now offer the courses, though Gov. Jerry Brown last year requiring all California schools to have them. In Portland, 46 percent of last year's high school students identified as non-white. At some high schools, including Benson, Franklin, Madison, Roosevelt and Jefferson, white students are the minority. But only Madison offers an ethnic studies class. At the others, white and European histories dominate student textbooks. That wasn't fair, Le and others agreed. Last summer, at the Asian Pacific American Network of Oregon's Southeast 82nd Avenue headquarters to determine what they could do. After months of work, they unveiled "Missing Pages of Our History," a campaign calling on district leaders to create social studies classes focusing on the history of African Americans, Latinos, Asian and Pacific Islanders, Native Americans, Arabs, and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people. Le and her friends studied other schools' experiences. In Tucson, Arizona, they found, students of all races performed better after taking a Mexican American studies class. The students scored higher on standardized tests, turned in homework more frequently and graduated at higher rates than those who didn't take the course. A found ethnic studies courses improved the academic performance and attendance of high school students at risk of dropping out. The teenagers also unearthed city and state directives supporting their proposal. In 2011, the Portland school board approved a Racial Educational Education Policy, aimed at helping students of color perform better. That policy instructed district leaders to provide all students with culturally relevant classwork. And gave the Oregon Department of Education money to pay for training for instructors who want to teach a more diverse version of Oregon history. Watching the kids work, staff at the Asian Pacific American Network of Oregon said they grew emotional. "Sometimes adults like me get jaded," said Joseph Santos-Lyons, the nonprofit's executive director. "It's amazing that young people of color and their white allies are able to come together and envision a really sound public policy solution. This is the next generation speaking about the kind of world they envision in. They envision living and relating with people of different cultures and backgrounds." The students presented their findings, along with a detailed, four-year proposal of what an ethnic studies program could look like, to board members earlier this year. This week, they brought signs to the board meeting. "American history is not whole without all of us," read one written by Jessica Yu, a Franklin junior. "We exist. It is time we place the 'united' back into United States history." The board agreed. Under the proposal approved Tuesday, the district will appoint a committee of students, staff, teachers and community members to create a plan for training teachers and paying for the new program. Eventually, as Oregon continues to diversify, those students are going to have to work alongside people from different backgrounds. The classes, Santos-Lyons said, can give all Oregon students a foundation for understanding each other. "We really feel like this is a solution," he said, "to create more peace in our communities." -- Casey Parks 503-221-8271 cparks@oregonian.com; The Emerging Economies Today An Interview with Jayati Ghosh | May/June 2016 This article is from Dollars & Sense: Real World Economics, available at http://www.dollarsandsense.org This article is from the May/June 2016 issue. The terms emerging markets and emerging economies have come into fashion, especially to refer to countries supposedly poised to make the leap from developing to developed economies. Theres no definitive list, but Brazil, India, Indonesia, Mexico, Russia, South Africa, Turkey, and China are among the large countries that often headline articles on emerging economies. Economic growth rates vary widely among countries typically placed in this group, as do the drop-off rates in growth during the global Great Recession and the recovery since. China is by far the most prominent of the emerging economiesthe most populous country in the world, with an extraordinary period of industrial growth since the 1980s, and with an enormous impact (not only as an exporter of manufactured goods but also as an importer of raw-material and intermediate inputs to manufacturing) on the world economy. The secular stagnation of the high-income capitalist economies and resulting growth slowdown in China, therefore, has much wider implications for the developing world. Economist Jayati Ghosh spoke with D&S editor Alejandro Reuss about the current challenges for China and other countries and possible paths toward inclusive and sustainable development. This interview appeared originally at Triple Crisis blog (triplecrisis.com); this version is lightly edited for clarity, and includes additional material. Eds. Dollars & Sense: Youve written about the retreat of emerging-market economies, which until recently had been held up as examples of robust growth, in contrast to the stagnant economies of the so-called capitalist core. Whats driving the slowdown of economic growth in the emerging economies today? Jayati Ghosh: The emerging economies are really those that have integrated much more into the global financial system, not just the global trade system. And I think what happened during the period of the economic boom is that many people forgot that their growth was still ultimately driven by what was happening in the North. That is, the engine of demand was still the northern economies. So whether youre talking about China in particular or the range of emerging economies that was seen as more prominent in the first half of the 2000s, all of them depended on exports to the North and particularly to the United States. It was the U.S. boom that drew in more and more of the exports from developing countries. When it came to an endas it inevitably had tothese economies had to look for other sources of demand. There are two ways of doing this. One is to try and do a domestic demand-driven expansion based on higher domestic incomes because of wage and employment growth. And the other is the model which unfortunately seems to be the more popular one, which is to have a debt-driven kind of growth, based on both consumption and accumulation that is essentially led by taking on more and more debt. This is, of course, also what the U.S. did in the 2000s, which unraveled in 2007 and 2008. But its also what a number of European economies did, and theyre paying the price now. Remarkably, developing countries that dont need to take this path, and can see all the problems associated with it, also took this path in the wake of the global financial crisis. In China there was a doubling of the debt-to-GDP ratio between 2007 and 2014. This reflected increases in debt to every single sector, but it was dominantly for investment. In a range of other important developing countries, from Mexico to Indonesia, Malaysia, South Korea, etc., there was a dramatic expansion of household debt, particularly real estate and housing debt. We all know that these real-estate and housing bubbles that are led by taking on more debt, these end in tears. And thats really what has been happening. In these emerging economies, financial integration allowed them to break the link between productive investment and growth. It fueled a debt-driven pattern of expansion, which inevitably has to end. Its ending now. The problem is that its ending at a time when demand from the North is slowing dramatically. So there is a double whammy for these emerging economies. The slowdown in northern markets means that Chinawhich had become the major driver of expansioncan no longer continue to export at the same rate. That means its imports have also come down. In the past year, Chinas exports fell by 5%, but its imports fell by 20%. That has affected all the other developing countries. And thats in combination with this end of the debt-driven expansion model. D&S: A number of economists have argued for quite some time that Chinas export-oriented growth model would inevitably reach its limits. Are we seeing it finally reach an impasse now, and if so, is there a prospect for China to make a transition from a low-wage export-oriented model to a domestic demand-driven model that would necessarily require higher wages? JG: I think its indisputable that the export-driven model is over for the time being, for sure, certainly for the next five years, probably the next decade. Thats not a bad thing, because one of the problems with that export-driven model is that it persists in seeing wages as costs rather than as a source of internal demand that you can use to your benefit. It encourages massive degradation of nature and taking on environmental costs that are now recognized to be completely unsustainable and socially undesirable. And, overall, we know that these cant lastthese export-driven models cant last. So, yes, it has ended. It does mean that the Chinese government and authorities have to look for an alternative. Many of us have been arguing that the alternative necessarily requires much more emphasis on increasing consumption, not through debt, but by increasing real incomes. And that means encouraging more employment of a desirable typedecent work as its been calledand increasing wages. Now, this doesnt mean that the rates of growth will continue as high as they have been, but that doesnt matter. In fact, the obsession with GDP growth is becoming a real negative now in the search for alternatives. The Chinese authorities, like all the financial analysts across the world who are constantly looking at China, are obsessed with GDP: Is it going to be 6.5% annual growth? Is it going to be 6.1%? Is it going to fall below 6%? As if thats all that matters. What they should really be looking at is the incomes of, let us say, the bottom 50 or 60%. Are these growing? If these are growing at about 4 or 5%, thats fantastic. Thats wonderful. And thats really what the economy needs in a sustainable way. If these are growing in combination with patterns of production and consumption that are more sustainable, that are environmentally friendly, that are less carbon-emitting, then that is of course even more desirable. But that means the focus has to shift away from GDP growth, and away from just pushing up GDP by any means whatsoeverto one which looks at how to improve the real incomes and the quality of life of the majority of the citizens. Unfortunately, the Chinese government doesnt seem to be choosing that path just yet. There have been some movesin terms of increasing health spending, in terms of some attempts to increase wages and social protection for some workersbut overall the focus is still once again on more accumulation, on more investment, usually driven by more debt. D&S: When you say the export-oriented model is over, does that mean you think sticking to this approach will no longer deliver what policymakers and elites are aiming for, in terms of growth and accumulation? (And perhaps that this will lead to an elite-driven restructuring in the near term?) Or is it that this approach just cannot plausibly deliver in terms of inclusive developmentthe improvement in the quality of life for the majority? JG: Both, really. The conditions of the global economy at present are such that an economy as large as that of China (and many other smaller economies as well) cannot expect much stimulus from external demand. Significant increases in exports would only be possible by increasing market share; that is, eating into some other countrys exports. So the past pattern of accumulation based on external demand is unlikely to work in the near future. But in addition, this approach has not delivered in terms of inclusive growth over the past decade except to some extent in China, which has been able to use it to generate a Lewisian process [theorized by economist Arthur Lewis in the 1950s Eds.] of shifting labor out of lower productivity activities. Even in China it was successful because wages increased much less than productivity and so export prices could fall or remain low. In many other countries, export-led expansion has actually been associated with stagnant or lower wages and greater fragility of incomes, along with very substantial environmental costs that are typically not factored in. D&S: Is it possible that the needed kind of transition is not going to happen in China until we see the development of a robust labor movement thats capable of winning a higher share of the national income in the form of wages, and pushing up mass consumption in that way? JG: There is probably much greater public concern about all this in China than is often depicted in the media, certainly in the Chinese media, but even abroad. We know that there are thousands, literally, tens of thousands of protests in Chinaoften about land grabs and so on in the peasantry, but also many, many workers protests, and many other protests by citizens about environmental conditions. They have mostly been suppressed, but I dont think you can keep on suppressing these. I do believe the Chinese elite has recognized that there are a couple of things that are becoming very important for them to maintain their political legitimacy. One issue is, of course, inequality and, associated with that, corruption. That is why the anti-corruption drive of President Xi Jinping retains a lot of popularity. Then there is the fact of the environmental unsustainability. Both India and China have created monstrosities in urban areas, in terms of the pollution, congestion, degradation, which are really making many of our cities and towns unlivable. There is widespread protest about that, and about the pollution of water sources, of the atmosphere, of land quality. And there is real concern that ordinary Chinese citizens are not continuously experiencing the better life that they have grown accustomed to expect. So I think, even without a very large-scale social mobilization, there is growing awareness in Chinaamong officialdom, as wellthat they cant carry on as before. It is likely that theres a tussle at the very higher echelons of the leadership and in the Communist Party, between those who are arguing for the slower but more sustainable and more wage-led path, and those who just want to keep propping up growth by more financial liberalization, by encouraging investors to jump in and invest even in projects that are unlikely to continue, and somehow keep that GDP growth going. Its a political tussle but of course that will determine the direction of the economy as well. D&S: In the midst of this period of stagnation of the very high-income capitalist economies, and a resulting slowdown of growth in the so-called emerging economies, we also have an effect on countries that had primarily remained raw-material (or primary-product) exporters. Is that boom in commodities exports now also over for the foreseeable future, and do you see those countries as now reinventing their economic development models? JG: I think that the period of the boom was really a bit of an aberration. Since the early 20th century, these periods of relatively high commodity prices have always been outliers, and they dont last very long. They last for about five, six, maybe eight years at most, and then they you come back to this more depressed situation relative to other prices. I have a feeling this is now going to continue, and that boom is, for the time being, over. It definitely means that the manna from heaven that many countries experienced has reduced, and therefore you have to think of other ways of diversifying your economies. Many countries actually tried to do this but, you know, when youre getting so much income from the primary product exports its very hard to diversify. Its actually easier to diversify when primary product prices are lower. So, once again, I think its important for these countries to stop thinking of this as a huge loss, and start thinking of it as an opportunityas an opportunity to use cheap primary commodities as a means of industrializing for domestic and regional markets. So it means a different strategy. The export-led obsession has to end. Without that, were not going to get viable and sustainable strategies. Id like to make one other point, though, about the slowdown in China and the impact on developing countries, which is that its also going to affect manufacturing exporters. China had become the center of a global production chain that was heavily exporting to the North but was drawing in more and more raw material and intermediate products from other developing countries. So almost every country had China become their main trade partner in both imports and exports. Many of these manufacturing economies are now going to face, once again, a double whammy. They will face a reduction, from China, in terms of lower Chinese imports of raw materials and intermediate goods for final export, and theyre going to face greater competition from China in terms of their own export markets and their own domestic markets. Because China is now devaluing its currency, even though thus far it has been minor. It is looking to cheapen its exports even further, and this will definitely impact on both export markets and internal markets in developing countries. So I think both primary exporters and manufacturing exporters are in for a bit of a bad time. They need to think of creative ways of dealing with the situation. It is not helped by believing that integration into global value chains is the only option, because these global value chains basically reduce the incomes of the actual producers. If you look at it, the emergence of global value chains and the associated trade treatiesnot just the World Trade Organization (WTO) but the proliferation of regional trading agreements and things like the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP)increase competition and reduce the value of the actual production stage of all commodities and goods. And they simultaneously increase the pre-production and post-production value. That is, all of the aspects that are driven by intellectual property monopoliestheir values increase. So whether it is design elements or it is the marketing and branding and all of thatthe intellectual property rights over which are retained by companies in the Northall of those are getting more and more value. And the actual production is getting less value because of the greater competitive pressure unleashed by these various trade agreements. Developing countries that are seeking to get out of this really have to think of alternative arrangementspossibly regional arrangements, more reliance on domestic demand and South-South trade, which is more possible today than it has ever beenand moving away from a system that allows global and northern-led multinationals to capture all the rents and most of the profits of production everywhere. D&S: So, in the course of this discussion, I think two major questions emerge about the way forward in so-called developing economies. One is how to square economic developmentin terms of raising the quality of life for the majoritywith environmental sustainability. The other is how to ensure the economic development of some countries isnt at odds with development in others. Are there ways of mutually fostering developmentand in particular sustainable developmentacross the developing economies? JG: Yes, I think we need to really move away from the traditional way of looking at growth and development, which is ultimately still based on GDP. As long as we keep doing that, were going to be caught in this trap. We have to be focusing much more on quality of life and ensuring what we would call the basic needs or minimum requirements for a civilized life among all the citizenry. If we do that, then were less in competition with one another and were less obsessed with having to be the cheapest show in town. We then see wages and employment growth as a means of expansion of economic activity. We will see social policies as delivering not just better welfare for the people but also more employment, and therefore a better quality of life. If we look for regional trading arrangements that recognize this, if we look to increase the value of domestic economic activity by encouraging the things that matter for ordinary people (especially, lets say, the bottom half of the population), if we focus on new technologies that are adapted to specific local requirementsin terms of being more green, more environmentally sustainable, as well as recognizing the specific availability of labor in these economiesI think we can do a lot more. It may be slower in terms of GDP growth, but really that doesnt mean anything. So we have to move away from GDP growth as the basic indicator of what is desirable. I think thats the ultimate and most essential issue. Did you find this article useful? Please consider supporting our work by donating or subscribing. Salmon A federal judge has ruled the U.S. government's plan for recovering salmon and steelhead in the Columbia River basin is inadequate. (Torsten Kjellstrand/Oregonian file photo) A federal judge has ruled for the fourth time that the U.S. government's plan to recover salmon and steelhead in the Columbia River basin fails to address the federal hydropower dams' effect on fish. U.S. District Court Judge Michael Simon on Wednesday gave the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration two years to write a new plan that does more to protect fish. Simon criticized the current plan for underestimating the effects of climate change on fish survival and criticized the feds for insisting the plan is helping fish despite data that shows "very little actual improvements in fish abundance." The ruling marks the latest turn in a legal fight that's dragged on for more than two decades, ever since the federal agency in 1992 issued a "biological opinion" declaring that the dams would not imperil salmon or steelhead. After a judge threw out the plan, the feds conceded that the dams harm fish and put forth plans to manage dams for fish survival. Multiple parties including conservation groups, Northwest tribes and the state of Oregon sued, arguing the plans were too weak. Since then, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has been forced to rewrite the plan multiple times. Environmental groups responded to Wednesday's news by calling for a federal strategy to demolish the four Lower Snake River dams. "Hundreds of thousands of adult salmon died last summer because of warm water in the Columbia and Snake reservoirs," said Todd True, an Earthjustice attorney on the case. "The Court's sharp rejection of yet another illegal federal plan for operating the dams on these rivers amplifies the clear warning that management of these dams must change dramatically -- and very quickly -- if wild salmon are to inhabit these rivers in the future." -- Kelly House 503-221-8178; @Kelly_M_House rose city park united methodist church Rose City Park United Methodist Church's reader board said "God prefers kind atheists over hateful Christians" on April 03, 2012. (Motoya Nakamura/The Oregonian) Thousands of United Methodists will descend on Portland in the coming days to hash out key church issues, such as policies on gay clergy, during a 10-day conference at the Oregon Convention Center. The United Methodist Church is a global Christian denomination with 12.3 million members as of 2014. It's a mainline church, which means it predates and differs from the evangelical movement. Like other mainline groups, The United Methodist Church is shrinking in the United States. But it's growing abroad, particularly in Africa and the Philippines. What exactly happens at the conference? The General Conference, which is held every four years, is where United Methodists change doctrine, make major financial decisions and assess church-wide initiatives. (Examples of initiatives would include Imagine No Malaria, a United Methodist campaign to raise $75 million to combat the disease.) The global church is divided into regions, and each region selects delegates to send to the 10-day conference. This year, there are a total of 864 delegates. Anyone can attend, and conference planners expect at least 2,500 visitors in addition to the 864 delegates. Delegates approach agenda items much like American legislators: they'll sort through petitions in committee, then debate and vote on the best proposals. Other denominations hold this kind of conference, too. In fact, the Presbyterian Church of the U.S.A. will be here in June. Any interesting issues up for discussion this year? Yes, and chief among those hot topics is marriage and sexuality. The church's current policy states that "self-avowed practicing homosexuals are not to be certified as candidates, ordained as ministers, or appointed to serve in The United Methodist Church." It also says "ceremonies that celebrate homosexual unions shall not be conducted by our ministers and shall not be conducted in our churches." That policy, which delegates will take up in the coming weeks, isn't overwhelmingly popular among Methodists in the United States. Just this week 15 clergy and candidates for clergy in Northeast came out together to protest the rules. An advocacy group dedicated to LGBT equality in the church will be present and putting on an Indigo Girls concert, among other events. But here's the thing: The United Methodist Church is a global organization. Delegates from all over the world set the policy. Delegates may try to make room in the rules for world regions to differ on this one, but American church leaders don't ultimately get to tell conservative African clergy what's right and what's wrong. "If this was a U.S. church, we would be done," said Greg Nelson, who handles communications for the church region that includes Portland. "But we are much more diverse." Divestment is another important topic they'll be tackling, with Caterpillar, Motorola and Hewlett-Packard on the chopping block. Delegates will also discuss an initiative in the works regarding reconciliation with Native Americans for United Methodists' role in usurping their land. The latter isn't up for a yes-or-no vote. Simply announcing an apology isn't appropriate, Nelson said. Church leaders have been working for years on what meaningful reconciliation might look like. Why Portland? The conference rotates, and it is the western region's turn to host. Thus far, the conference has always been held in the United States, but in 2024 delegates will convene in Manila, Philippines. In 2028, they'll be in Harare, Zimbabwe. The move to include international cities in the rotation is a reflection of the church's changing demographics. Will the conference affect Portlanders? MAX riders might notice a surge of companions between the Lloyd Center and downtown, and restaurants near the convention center could be packed at lunch. You might notice some billboards or MAX advertisements with United Methodist Church branding. Also, delegates have booked hundreds of hotel rooms, driving up the price for downtown and inner eastside lodging. "We might have some Blazers fans unhappy with us," Nelson said. They'll be doing a few service projects while they're in town, such as volunteering at the Oregon Food Bank, so some Portlanders may benefit from their presence. -- Melissa Binder mbinder@oregonian.com 503-294-7656 @binderpdx By David Ignatius SARI RASH, Iraq -- This month marks the 100th anniversary of the Sykes-Picot Agreement that formed Iraq, Syria and the other fragile nations of the modern Middle East. The past few weeks have provided dramatic new evidence, if more were needed, that the old colonial framework created by Britain and France isn't working. Iraq and Syria are coming apart: Iraq is effectively divided into three warring regions: a Sunni area ruled by the Islamic State, a Kurdish mini-state that's nearly autonomous, and a zone from the capital south that's controlled by the Shiite-led regime. A similar fragmented structure exists in Syria. Central government in both countries has vanished. From his mountain headquarters here overlooking Erbil, Kurdish national security adviser Masrour Barzani offers a frank judgment in an interview: "For 100 years, a system has been in place in Iraq that has now failed. Iraq was never built on the right foundations. It was built to serve the interests of the great powers. A hundred years of failure is enough. We need to look at new options." A similar sense that Iraq and the region are at a crossroads is expressed by Barham Salih, a former prime minister of the Kurdistan Regional Government and former deputy prime minister of Iraq. We talked in Sulaymaniyah, 90 miles southeast of here, where he now runs the American University of Iraq-Sulaimani. "This is not about a government reshuffle," argues Salih. "The post-2003 political system put in place by the U.S. is unraveling. This is a new era. The choice is between a chaotic breakdown into warlordism or, possibly, a new constitutional arrangement that would create a more decentralized, confederal Iraq." During my visit to Iraq last week, I heard similar views from every Kurdish leader I met, and from some Sunnis, too. Iraq and Syria are at an inflection point, they argued. The immediate priority is to defeat the Islamic State. But the U.S. should be talking with its allies about a future political structure -- an alternative to the "lines in the sand" drawn by Sir Mark Sykes and Francois Georges-Picot, and to America's post-2003 misadventure in neocolonialism. For a model of how the U.S. should think creatively about fixing this catastrophe, look at American policy in 1944. Victory in World War II was still a blood-soaked year away. But President Franklin D. Roosevelt had the foresight to begin thinking carefully about the institutions that would maintain peace and prosperity after the war. By the end of that year, detailed planning had begun for the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank and the United Nations. Here's a challenge for the rest of President Obama's term and the first months in office of the next president: Start building the foundations for a new order in the Middle East that can provide better security, governance and economic well-being -- for Sunnis, Shiites and Kurds, and for the smaller minorities that are interwoven in the fabric of the Middle East. Help the peoples of this shattered region build and maintain governance structures that work. The Kurds may force the question soon, with a referendum that will ask their people whether they want an independent Iraqi Kurdistan. The U.S. should support such a process, but if -- and only if -- it's created through a negotiated agreement with the central government in Baghdad. Many Sunni and Shiite leaders in Iraq have told me privately they favor a new constitution for a confederal Iraq that would include a Sunni regional government, as well as a Kurdish one. A similar negotiation for a loose federal or confederal Syria should be part of the political transition there, too. Trying to hammer the pieces into unitary states just won't work. America tried and failed in Iraq. Now, Iran too finds itself unable to maintain order there. That's the lesson of last week's mayhem in the Shiite-dominated Iraqi parliament, which was largely an internal Shiite-on-Shiite quarrel. "The Iranians are making the same mistakes the U.S. did after 2003," explains one prominent Iraqi. "They went in too heavy. They thought they could do it all. But the Shiite monolith is breaking down." Fixing a shattered Middle East is the work of a generation. But it's past time for the U.S., Europe, Russia, Saudi Arabia and Iran to start thinking urgently with the people of Syria and Iraq about new structures that will finally cure the mistakes and injustices of a century ago. David Ignatius' email address is davidignatiuswashpost.com. (c) 2016, Washington Post Writers Group Before the judge arrived to discuss motions in their federal conspiracy case, more than a dozen Oregon standoff defendants began reciting the Lord's Prayer, some bowing their heads, as they sat beside their lawyers in a federal courtroom Wednesday. The gathering before the official proceedings began had the feeling of an informal revival. "What ya doing?'' one defendant yelled out in greeting as the court patched through co-defendant Shawna Cox of Utah on a speaker phone. "All we're doing here is a big government magic show.'' Defendant Jon Ritzheimer announced it was Holocaust Remembrance Day and asked people to do their part "to make sure our country doesn't go down the same path.'' Once U.S. District Judge Anna J. Brown took the bench, the two-hour status hearing went on in an orderly fashion. Defense lawyers signaled they may seek a change of venue for the scheduled Sept. 7 trial stemming from the 41-day armed takeover of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge outside Burns. Attorney Andrew Kohlmetz said he has filed a $129,300 request to commission an analysis of the "constant media coverage'' before, during and after the occupation, to be followed by a community attitude survey within the Portland division and two other divisions of Oregon's federal District Court. He characterized the media attention as far different than most other criminal cases because it began long before prosecutors filed criminal allegations and included live-streaming from the refuge. The judge said she'd allow Kohlmetz to file legal briefs to support his position, but she told him she's likely to deny a funding request for such a media study. "A robust voir dire process would be the best way to determine if we're able to sit a fair and impartial jury,'' Brown said. "The best mechanism is to confront face-to-face the jurors who will decide the case.'' The judge intends to summon about 1,500 prospective jurors for a trial that could last months. Defense lawyer Rich Federico, representing Ryan Payne, urged the court to summon a jury pool from the Pendleton division of Oregon's federal court division. Defendant Ryan Bundy, who is representing himself, argued that the trial should be held where the alleged offenses occurred, citing Article 6 of the U.S. Constitution. Duane Ehmer, (facing man holding flag) one of the 26 defendants accused of federal conspiracy in the armed takeover of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge, stands outside U.S. District Court in Portland after a morning status hearing, May 3, 2016. Judge Brown said she'd be willing to consider a jury pool drawn from all the federal court divisions in Oregon. But she argued, "It's presumptuous to suggest that a Portland division draw would present a jury panel biased in favor of the government.'' The Portland division covers the upper Northwest quadrant of the state, not simply Multnomah County, Brown pointed out. "It's a far more conservative crowd,'' she said. "This is not the case where prejudice can be presumed,'' the judge added. Brown also pointed out, responding to Ryan Bundy's concerns, that the case is being tried where the alleged offenses occurred: the District of Oregon. The leaders of the refuge takeover in Harney County said they were protesting the return to federal prison of two ranchers convicted of setting fire to federal land and demonstrating against federal control of public land. The federal trial against Harney County ranchers Dwight Hammond Jr. and Steven Hammond was held in Pendleton after the case was moved from Eugene. The judge said she's already considering reconfiguring the courtroom to allow for more space for the trial, although a handful of defendants may choose to delay their trials. The judge is considering removing the barrier that divides the defendants and lawyers from the courtroom's public gallery and having spectators seated in a separate room to watch. "If all 26 go to trial at one time, this could not work,'' she said, motioning to the crowded courtroom where defendants were sitting at rows of long tables in front of the bench and other defense lawyers and prosecutors filled the jury box. "The way we're set up, there's not even room for a witness to approach.'' Mike Arnold, Ammon Bundy's lawyer, objected to a trial proceeding without the public allowed in the courtroom and suggested witnesses enter the courtroom through a side door. If not, he suggested that the court rent a convention center with sufficient security to hold the trial instead. "There's a right to a public trial,'' Arnold said. Witnesses who testify should be sworn to testify before a public body of spectators, he argued. In a separate pretrial matter, Attorney Thomas Coan, representing independent broadcaster Pete Santilli, urged the court to order local, state and federal law enforcement agencies to preserve their electronic communications, including emails and text messages, that mention any of the defendants in the federal case. (Santilli listened to the proceedings from Nevada where he remains in custody.) "We want to keep them from deleting or destroying information that could be useful to defendants,'' Coan said. They could play a role in defense efforts to identify a potential motive or bias of government agents. He suggested the court could order the preservation of such evidence for a short period of time, or until the case is concluded. The defense request isn't that different from the government's letters asking internet service providers to preserve the defendants' social media Facebook, YouTube or Twitter accounts, Coan argued. He noted that Harney County Sheriff Dave Ward had deleted material from his Facebook page that may have been useful to defendants. "The Harney County sheriff advised the FBI that he had deleted 'verbal attack' messages from his Facebook account, and that his office shredded 'hate mail.' Under the prosecution's theory, those items would be evidence of criminal threats. Under the defense theory, those items would be protected speech. Presumably the sheriff and his staff did not consider those items evidence of criminal threats when they destroyed them,'' defense lawyer Terri Wood, wrote in a legal motion filed in court. Wood represents Ritzheimer. Assistant U.S. Attorney Geoffrey Barrow said the defense request is unnecessary, as rules of discovery for criminal cases already deal with the matter. "To be frank, I don't know the government could comply with the order as composed,'' Barrow said. "I'm not sure we could identify every employee who communicated about this case.'' Coan further asked the court to require the government to preserve any emails or text messages by Oregon FBI Special Agent in Charge Greg Bretzing or Bureau of Land Management Special Agent Daniel P. Love that mention his client's name. The reason? Santilli may argue that he's facing "selective or vindictive prosecution'' because of his long history of criticizing the BLM and the FBI. Barrow called Santilli's request a "classic fishing expedition'' and asked the judge to deny the request. If the government had to preserve all the emails of officials Santilli lambasted on his broadcast show, it would have to be searching through the emails, texts of the U.S. president and the secretary of state, Barrow responded. The judge said she'd take the matter under advisement and rule at a later time. Two of the defendants, Jason Patrick and Duane Ehmer, indicated they want to represent themselves as the case moves forward. Patrick also informed the court that he was threatened by a deputy U.S. marshal after a hearing last month in which he was almost removed from the courtroom because of his outbursts. Once led out of court last month, Patrick said he was separated from co-defendants and the deputy "made comments, 'my mother would be harmed,' '' Patrick told the court. Patrick said he saw the marshal during his transport to court Wednesday, but didn't know his name and didn't see him in the courtroom. The judge said she'd never heard a complaint like Patrick's and would alert the top U.S. marshal in Oregon. "Many of us have received numerous threats,'' the judge remarked. Brown asked Multnomah County Sheriff's Capt. Derrick Peterson to meet with some of the lawyers in the case to address their concerns about their clients' conditions in jail, access to lawyers, the jail law library and other materials to help them prepare for trial. Arnold held up the flexible pen that inmates are given to write with, calling it "inadequate.'' He also urged increased "rations'' for Ammon Bundy and his brother, Ryan Bundy, saying he was concerned because they looked "thin and emaciated.'' Of the 26 defendants in the conspiracy case, 15 were present in court; nine waived their appearances. Cox was on speakerphone from her home in Utah and Santilli listened from a Nevada courtroom. Defendant Blaine Cooper was removed from the courtroom for about 25 minutes due to chest pains, but returned before the hearing was over. Before the hearing concluded, defendant Kenneth Medenbach stood to question the judge's oath of office, as he has done at prior hearings. Arnold suggested that to placate Medenbach, the judge might "renew her vows,'' so to speak. Brown told Arnold to sit down and she moved on. The next status hearing in the case will be held June 15. Legal motions are to be argued, starting May 23, 24 and 25. -- Maxine Bernstein mbernstein@oregonian.com 503-221-8212 @maxoregonian The Oregon State Bar has dismissed an ethics complaint against Ammon Bundy's lawyers stemming from their visit to the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge before his Jan. 26 arrest and decision to retain them. Bundy ended up hiring the Eugene law firm less than three weeks after two of its lawyers went to the occupied refuge to offer their services for free. "We conclude there is no sufficient basis to warrant a referral to disciplinary counsel for further review,'' the bar's assistant general counsel, Troy J. Wood, wrote in a letter Tuesday. Bundy, 40, led an armed takeover of the federal bird sanctuary, which lasted 41 days, starting Jan. 2. He said he was protesting the return to prison of two Harney County ranchers and federal control of public land. He has pleaded not guilty to a federal indictment charging him with conspiring to impede federal officers through intimidation, threats or force, possession of a firearm or dangerous weapon at a federal facility, and using and carrying a firearm in a crime of violence. Whether or not a lawyer is motivated by financial gain, the state bar permits a lawyer to solicit professional employment through a written letter, unless there is some indication that the person solicited "could not exercise reasonable judgement.'' The bar found that the Arnold Law Firm complied with state bar rules. Two lawyers from the firm, Lissa Casey and Bryan Boender, drove to the federal refuge in Harney County on Jan. 9 with a letter dated Jan. 8. The letter delivered into Bundy's hands had, under the law firm's letterhead, "LAWYER ADVERTISING MATERIAL'' typed in bold, capital letters and underlined, according to the state bar. The subject line of the letter read, "Re: Offer of Discussion re: Possible Pro Bono Legal Services.'' The attorneys wrote that they wanted to meet with Bundy to discuss whether they could assist him, on a pro bono basis, in finding a resolution to the ongoing refuge occupation. "As Oregon lawyers, we cannot assist or advise you to engage in criminal or illegal conduct. Nonetheless, we are genuinely interested in attempting to resolve this situation and believe we are well qualified to listen to your concerns and help present them to the government,'' the letter said, according to the state bar. Though a state bar rule prohibits lawyers from soliciting clients in person, by phone or through electronic contact when a significant motive is financial gain, the rule does not apply to written letters, the bar found. "Hence, there is no sufficient basis to find that the Lawyers violated Rule 7.3 (a) by causing the Letter to be delivered to Bundy,'' Wood wrote. The bar also considered a complaint that the Eugene-based lawyers may have advised Bundy or others about how to avoid criminal charges or illegal conduct during the refuge occupation. Attorney Mike Arnold and his firm declined to provide the content of their legal advice, and the bar can't require that they do so, Wood said. "It is not misconduct for a lawyer to advise a client whether conduct is legal; nor does a lawyer engage in misconduct by advising a client to refrain from conduct that might be considered illegal,'' Wood said. Arnold and his ethics counsel, Peter Jarvis, had immediately dismissed the complaint when they learned of it. "People may disagree with Ammon, what he did, or the cause he stands for, but no American should disagree that everyone has the right to due process,'' Arnold said, in a statement Tuesday. "Frivolous concerns like this one, distract from our ability to fight for due process.'' Other ethics complaints against Bundy's lawyers are still pending before the state bar. -- Maxine Bernstein mbernstein@oregonian.com 503-221-8212 @maxoregonian They called him Uncle Sam. A Longview, Washington, woman first met him in a recovery group at a local church. He also was active in her church Bible study sessions. The 74-year-old struck up a friendship with her husband and became a grandfather figure to the couple's four children. He visited their home daily, played cards with them, sometimes stayed for dinner and slept on their couch once or twice a week when he couldn't catch a bus home. Sometimes, he walked their youngest child home from school. But one day in January, the Longview father awakened from a short nap and noticed that the man he knew as Sam Pruitt was no longer in the living room where he had left him watching his 6-year-old daughter. A few minutes later, he discovered both of them in his daughter's bedroom. To his horror, he saw Pruitt "getting up off" the girl. The older man was clothed, but the 6-year-old was on the bed with her pants and underwear off, according to a police report. The father demanded to know what Pruitt was doing. Just "tickling her,'' he answered. Longview police arrested Pruitt that night on allegations of first-degree rape of a child and first-degree child molestation. They seized his cellphone and his wallet, but he carried no driver's license or anything else with his name on it. "His identity could not be initially confirmed through police or community sources," Longview Detective Jeremy Johnson wrote in a police report. "Fingerprint analysis pending.'' The tests soon revealed the secret that Pruitt had kept for nearly eight years in Washington: He was really James Eldon Breedlove, a sex offender who had five convictions in Oregon for either sexually abusing children or public indecency. He also had two warrants out for his arrest -- one issued in 2008 and the other in 2015 -- for failing to register as a sex offender in Oregon. Once police confirmed his actual name, they added another charge to his Washington case: criminal impersonation. "He had been a friend of ours," the girl's mother said. "We had no clue." Her daughter now has herpes from the abuse. Breedlove's case is yet another example of how easily sex offenders flout mandatory sex offender registration laws and move from state to state without anyone actively looking for them. Oregon has the highest rate of sex offenders per capita, with 28,791 on the state registry, according to Oregon State Police. Currently, 21 percent of them are violating registration requirements, state police figures show. Authorities often discover them only after they commit another crime, get pulled over during a traffic stop or if someone reports them. The Oregon judge who sentenced Breedlove the last time he got in trouble, in 2000, predicted that the public indecency offenses he faced then in Medford wouldn't be his last. Sex offender treatment hadn't worked for Breedlove and he denied he had a problem, the judge said. Breedlove spent six years and seven months in state prison, then returned to Medford in Feburary 2006 for two years on county supervision and lived in a faith-based group home. A year after Breedlove completed his sentence, the Jackson County Department of Community Justice distributed a flier about his release from prison. It went only to area law enforcement agencies. By 2008, police had lost track of Breedlove. He left Oregon without a forwarding address and eventually landed in Longview with a new name and a decades-old perversion. *** There, Breedlove continued a well-practiced pattern of behavior, befriending people at church. He looked and acted like a harmless old-timer making connections in church picnics or study groups. He told some people that he was homeless, camping in a tent by the river. He told others he was in a witness protection program and couldn't divulge his history. He ended up living with a woman for more than five years who had little idea of his past. It was similar in Oregon when he got caught preying on young girls attending a school at the Medford church where he worked. By the numbers 28,791: Offender records in Oregon's sex offender registry database as of March* 2,172: Offenders with "predatory" designation (7.5 percent of total) 580: Predators posted to the Oregon State Police public website (2 percent of total). Only those who meet three criteria appear on the website, including that they're considered high-risk at the end of their most recent supervision. 27: Oregon's ranking by total population 6: Oregon's ranking by total number of registered sex offenders. (Texas is first, followed by California, Florida, Michigan, New York, Oregon). 1 : Oregon's ranking, per-capita, of registered sex offenders to total population (.71 percent of total population). The next nearest state was Delaware, at .50 percent. * The state is in the process of reclassifying sex offenders based on new risk assessments. Sources: Oregon State Police, Crime Victim's Center (July 2015), U.S. Census (2013) On Jan. 7, 2000, a Medford police officer headed to Father's House Church of God & Christ to look into a sex abuse complaint. Two sets of parents reported that they believed the church school janitor had exposed himself to their daughters while they were doing their work in classroom cubicles. A 9-year-old second-grader told the officer that "Jim" scratched and rubbed his penis until "white water or something came out,'' the police report said. He did this while touching her back, she told the officer. A 10-year-old girl told the officer that "Jim" lifted up his shirt to expose himself through unzipped pants. While masturbating with one hand, he had his other hand on the girl's shoulder, telling her, "You're doing good penmanship," according to police reports. A third girl, also 10, reported to police that the janitor exposed himself while she was outside during a PE class. He called her over to his car, offering her a snack of potato chips while masturbating. Police arrested Breedlove that night and learned he was a convicted sex offender who had failed to register with police. Oregon law requires sex offenders to report their address every year to police or the local sheriff's office within 10 days of their birthdays, but Breedlove's birthday came and went in September 1999 with no word from him about his whereabouts. After his arrest in 2000, the parents of the students learned that Breedlove had been convicted in Jackson County in 1985 of second-degree sexual abuse, a case also involving a young girl. Six years later, he was accused of raping a girl under age 12 in the same county and charged with first-degree rape and first-degree sex abuse. He eventually pleaded no contest to the sex abuse charge and was sentenced in June 1991 to one year and eight months in prison. In the school janitor case, Breedlove ended up taking another plea deal. On May 8, 2000, he pleaded no contest to three counts of public indecency and failure to register as a sex offender; the sex abuse charge was dismissed. Breedlove denied the charges, but entered pleas because he didn't want to put the girls through a trial, his lawyer told the court. Beth Heckert, then a deputy district attorney in Jackson County, sought a seven-year sentence for Breedlove, who was 58. She cited his persistent abuse of vulnerable victims and breach of public trust. Jackson County Judge Raymond White said he believed Breedlove would pose "an extreme danger to children the rest of your life.'' Yet he said he felt bound to support the plea agreement and the prosecutor's recommendation. Still, the judge said he intended to write to the Oregon Department of Corrections "to try and make sure that when you are released from prison that the highest degree of community notification be imposed so everybody knows of the risks you pose.'' No such notification occurred. *** Breedlove was never classified as a predatory sex offender in Oregon, according to Heckert, now Jackson County district attorney. That's because Breedlove was never convicted of rape, sodomy or forcible compulsion but pleaded to less serious charges, she said. In Oregon, only 2 percent of its sex offenders have their names and photos posted on the Oregon State Police public website. Police obtained a warrant for Breedlove's arrest for failing to register in 2008, Heckert said, after they visited his last known address and discovered someone else living there. They issued a new warrant for his continued failure to register in 2015, after a standard review of unregistered sex offenders in the county, she said. "Police periodically go out and check,'' she said. The arrest warrants covered only Oregon. The state usually doesn't extradite people for offenses classified as a C felony, including failure to register as a sex offender, if the offender has moved to a different address, said Medford police Sgt. Brent Mak. Jackson County's Department of Community Justice generally alerts local police when a convicted sex offender is released back into the community. Because Breedlove was never designated a predatory sex offender, the department made no general public notification, said A. John Watson, deputy director. Once Breedlove's post-prison supervision was up in February 2008, "we have no jurisdiction over him,'' Watson said. "Once they're off supervision, we don't have any method to track where they go,'' Watson said. Only if an unregistered offender somehow turns up on law enforcement's radar are they usually picked up. "It's tragic. I think that's a problem.'' Ray Day, the father of one of the girls at the church school who complained about the janitor, said he learned of Breedlove's February 2006 release from custody only after someone spotted him at the local mall and told him about it. Months later, Day said, he received a formal letter disclosing Breedlove's release. His daughter, Amanda McLaughlin, 24, now the mother of a 7-year-old girl, said that once Breedlove was out: "I was always looking behind my back, hoping he would not recognize me again. I always wondered if he was still in town.'' Her father was so infuriated to learn that Breedlove had gone on to abuse the Washington 6-year-old that he made last-minute arrangements to miss work and drive from southern Oregon to attend Breedlove's sentencing in the Longview case. "It tears me up what happened,'' he said. "This can't happen again.'' *** On Tuesday morning, Breedlove wore dark green jail scrubs and had tortoise-shell reading glasses resting low on the bridge of his nose as he was led into a boxed-off area inside Cowlitz County Superior Courtroom No. 3. He looked out into the courtroom gallery through wooden bars. He had pleaded guilty earlier to first-degree rape, first-degree child molestation, first-degree criminal impersonation and failure to register as a sex offender in the attack on his friends' 6-year-old girl. He now faced sentencing. The girl's father closed his eyes at several points during the hearing, tightly squeezing his wife's hands. "We let him into our lives, our home. We trusted him with our children, and he betrayed us in the worst way possible,'' the mother told the judge. "It is inconceivable to think that this man was able to maintain the lie of who he was for eight years in our community.'' Through a plea deal, Deputy Prosecuting Attorney David Phelan urged the judge to sentence Breedlove to 15 years in prison "to ensure that he never again sees the light of day.'' Breedlove spoke briefly, apologizing for deceiving the family. "There's really very little I can say other than I am grievously sorry for the actions that I have done,'' he said. "I betrayed their trust.'' Judge Michael Evans said he didn't know where to start. Then he didn't hold back on how repugnant he found Breedlove's crimes. He called the offenses the "most violent and disgusting and violative of our entire society.'' He said they were "horrific, selfish, self-indulged actions.'' "There's not enough words to describe the evil nature of your acts,'' the judge said. "If I had my druthers, you would die in prison.'' The judge issued a 15-year sentence. Breedlove will be 89 before he's considered for release. According to the prosecutor, he likely will face civil commitment to McNeil Island, where Washington runs a special center for sexually violent offenders, at that point. *** The Longview mother wonders what she could have done differently to have protected her daughter. The moment she learned of Breedlove's past from a Longview police detective, she said she went numb with "complete shock" and "infuriation.'' "It was kind of astonishment at how well he was able to fool an entire community,'' she said. Her daughter is now in counseling. The first-grader told a therapist that she felt like the "green girl" who embodied the emotions of anger and disgust in the recent movie "Inside Out," according to her mother. The family has retained a Portland lawyer, Ryan Lee, who last month filed a notice of intent to sue Oregon State Police, the agency that oversees the state's sex offender registry, the Oregon Department of Corrections and the state of Oregon. Because of Breedlove's multiple convictions for molesting children, he should have been designated a predatory sex offender, her attorney argues in the claim. The mother hopes the lawsuit prompts Oregon to tighten its watch on convicted sex offenders or at least search beyond its borders for ones who ignore registration requirements. In Washington, for instance, police typically enter a warrant for failure to register as a sex offender into a national database. At the very least, she hopes the lawsuit will allow her daughter to get the care and treatment she'll need. "This isn't going to go away for her just because he's being sentenced,'' she said. She felt sickened to learn that an Oregon judge 16 years ago was convinced Breedlove would continue to abuse girls. "It was pretty much predicted,'' she said. "He went from indecent exposure to raping a much younger child. It's appalling. The law didn't do what it's supposed to do.'' -- Maxine Bernstein mbernstein@oregonian.com 503-221-8212 @maxoregonian SALEM, Ore. -- A Mexican man who eluded Oregon authorities for years has pleaded guilty to rape. Raul Xalamihua-Espindola Raul Xalamihua-Espindola was 19 years old in 2007 when he took an 11-year-old Keizer girl to Mexico. The girl left a note for her parents that said she was running away with her boyfriend. The girl was found several months later and returned to Oregon. The suspect avoided capture for many years and then it took additional time for him to be extradited from Mexico to the Marion County Jail. The Statesman Journal reports that two translators were needed for Tuesday's court proceeding. One to translate English to Spanish, and one to translate Spanish to a language spoken in Central Mexico. Sentencing has been scheduled for June 6. -- The Associated Press Bill Clinton Campaigns For Hillary In Indiana Former President Bill Clinton will make two campaign stops in Oregon Thursday on behalf of his wife, Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton. Details of the former president's appearances have just been released by the campaign. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images) (Joe Raedle) Former President Bill Clinton will make two public appearances in Oregon Thursday on behalf of Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign. Details of Bill Clinton's appearances in Portland and Bend follow the campaign's announcement Monday that he would make a stop in Oregon ahead of the state's May 17 primary election. First up is a 12:30 p.m. event at Central Oregon Community College's Coats Campus Center, located at 2600 NW College Way. Doors open at 11:30 a.m. Members of the public planning to attend the event can RSVP here. Clinton will then travel to Portland for a 4 p.m. appearance at The Leftbank Annex, 101 North Weidler Street. Doors open at 3 p.m., and anyone planning on attending can RSVP here. Bill Clinton's Oregon stops will come two days after Bernie Sanders, Hillary Clinton's rival for the Democratic presidential nomination, beat her in the Indiana primary. Even with the win, however, Clinton's advantage in pledged delegates still leaves her in a strong position to clinch the nomination and move on to face Republican presumptive presidential nominee Donald Trump in November's general election. -- Dana Tims 503-294-7647; @DanaTims The Oregon Lottery's deputy director, on leave as part of a management shakeup, called himself a whistleblower and denied his boss's claim he bullied an employee, according to a letter sent to state officials. The letter, obtained by The Oregonian/OregonLive, offers another view into the ongoing controversy in lottery headquarters. It also contradicts public comments by the lottery's former director, Jack Roberts, whom Brown fired abruptly last week amid back-and-forth accusations of wrongdoing. Roland Iparraguirre, whom Roberts hired as his deputy more than two years ago, said he had felt compelled to blow the whistle on Roberts for questionable personnel practices. And in retaliation, Iparraguirre said, Roberts put him on paid leave. "Mr. Iparraguirre should be commended for bringing these concerns of management to light," his lawyer, Loren Collins, wrote to a lottery lawyer. Indeed, Brown saw Iparraguirre as possibly having whistleblower status when she fired Roberts, spokeswoman Kristin Grainger said last week. Roberts, by contrast, cast Iparraguirre as a troublemaker and himself on the side of right, particularly when it came to following best labor practices and avoiding racial and gender bias in the workplace. Roberts said last week he was fired after putting Iparraguirre on paid leave while an independent investigator looked into claims Iparraguire had intimidated and harassed the lottery's human resources director in a confrontation, leaving her in tears. Hours after he put Iparraguirre on leave April 25, Roberts said, Brown's chief of staff asked him to reinstate Iparraguirre, Roberts said. Roberts said he declined, thus getting in hot water with Brown. The next day, April 26, Brown fired Roberts, citing unspecified "management issues." There are few factual points of agreement between the men, the top powerbrokers inside an agency that generates more than $1 billion a year in sales and is expected to contribute more than $900 million to the state's current budget. Roberts, a Republican and former two-term state labor commissioner, was appointed lottery director by former Gov. John Kitzhaber. Brown appointed Barry Pack, the state's deputy operating officer, as interim director. Iparraguire remains on paid leave. Pack, with help from the state Department of Justice and Department of Administrative Services, is investigating whether Iparraguirre harassed lottery human resources director Janell Simmons. Simmons, through a lottery spokeswoman, declined to comment. Iparraguire, through a lottery spokeswoman and through his attorney, also declined to comment. But his lawyer's letter discusses most of the personnel issues head-on. The letter asks that the report of harassment be investigated as quickly as possible and that Iparraguirre then be allowed back at work. In it, Iparraguire denies he intimidated or upset Simmons, saying their conversation was "neither impolite nor adversarial." "Over the past three days, Mr. Iparraguirre has faced accusations in the press of having had a verbal altercation with staff at the lottery. This is simply not true," the letter says. "Mr. Iparraguirre has consistently treated all staff at the lottery with respect and professionalism." But Roberts, in an interview, stuck by his statements about the alleged harassment and said he had documented several other instances of Iparraguirre talking harshly with co-workers. "Suffice it to say, he does not have a reputation for treating everybody with respect and treating people appropriately in the workplace," Roberts said. Much of Iparraguirre's criticisms of Roberts are related to Roberts' decision to promote a mid-level manager to a modified assistant director position overseeing sales and retail services. Iparraguirre complained about Roberts' treatment of a lottery employee who sought the position but did not get it. And he saw greater wrong in Roberts' decision to change the position's title -- a way to avoid having to seek ratification from the Lottery Commission. Roberts learned the panel would likely approve his choice by only a 3-2 vote. Roberts acknowledges switching the title to avoid a commission vote, but only after getting approval from the Department of Justice. He said he worried inquiries about Farshad Allahdadi's fitness for the promotion, and any votes against it, could be viewed as a witch hunt against an Iranian American and lead to a civil rights claim against the commission. Roberts and Iparraguirre's accounts differed on other points. They disagreed on whether Iparraguirre "directly" confronted Roberts about his treatment of commissioners and the lottery employee who didn't get the job that went to Allahdadi. Roberts also said he told Iparraguirre he was putting him on paid leave because of his confrontation with Simmons. "The first Mr. Iparraguirre heard of those spurious allegations," the letter says, "was in the media." -- Betsy Hammond betsyhammond@oregonian.com A combine harvester is used to harvest wheat in a field in the village of General Belgrano, 160 km (100 miles) west of Buenos Aires, December 18, 2012. : REUTERS/Enrique Marcarian Argentine farm exports rocketed 68 percent higher in the first quarter versus the same 2015 period thanks to new policies that prompted growers to sell stockpiles built up under the previous administration, the government said on Tuesday. The surge in shipments from the South American grains powerhouse will likely weigh on global food prices, which are near a seven-year low and expected to fall farther due to slowing growth in the global economy. In the first three months of the year, Argentina exported 19.97 million tonnes of farm products versus 11.91 million in the first quarter of 2015, the government said in a statement. Free-markets proponent Mauricio Macri took office as president in December, promptly ditching the trade and currency controls applied by his leftist predecessor Cristina Fernandez. His policies have been embraced by the markets and prompted a congratulatory visit from U.S. President Barack Obama. But he could face political problems, with the country's powerful trade unions opposing his spending cuts. Leading the first-quarter export surge were wheat and corn, which growers piled up on their farms during Fernandez's rule. She limited export of both crops and taxed the international shipments that were allowed to go through. Macri scrapped those policies. Wheat exports shot 105 percent higher while corn rose 84 percent. Chicago Board of trade corn prices are up about 5 percent so far for 2016 but have struggled to rise above $4 a bushel, due in part to Argentina's stepped-up export pace. CBOT wheat prices are down about 2 percent so far in 2016. "Wheat re-entered historic markets such as Egypt, Morocco, Indonesia and Vietnam. Argentina exported more than three million tonnes of wheat to these markets during the quarter, twice the amount in the same 2015 period," the statement said. Argentina is also the world's top supplier of soymeal livestock feed, exports of which grew 73 percent during the quarter. Soy production is likely to be crimped this year by flooding at the start of the harvest in April. Ernesto Ambrosetti, economist at the Argentina Rural Society, which represents big farms, said the country had nonetheless reclaimed its place as a reliable food supplier. He said farm exports have come to $9.9 billion since Macri took office, 60 percent higher year on year. Argentina's CIARA-CEC export company chamber warned not to expect such a big first-quarter increase next year. "Export growth in the first quarter was due to measures taken by the new administration that allowed trading of accumulated stocks of grains and cereals, which made this an atypical quarter," said CIARA-CEC spokesman Andres Alcaraz. "The first quarter of the year is usually one of low activity," Alcaraz said. GOP 2016 Trump Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks during a campaign stop at the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum, Sunday, May 1, 2016, in Fort Wayne, Ind. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings) Donald Trump addressed supporters at Trump tower in New York City following his big win in Indiana Tuesday night. He spoke about what's to come in the primary contests left and lambasted Hillary Clinton for her remarks about coal miners on the campaign trail. Trump also offered a few words on rival Ted Cruz as the latter dropped out of the race. He then pivoted to a conversation about America's infrastructure, saying "We're close to a third world country." The frontrunner for the Republican nomination for president is rumored to visit Eugene on Friday before heading to Vancouver for another rally. The event in Eugene will start at 7 p.m., although a venue has not been announced. Watch the address below: --Eder Campuzano 503.221.4344 @edercampuzano ecampuzano@oregonian.com UPDATE: A spokeswoman from Rapid Cash contacted The Oregonian/OregonLive on Thursday to say the $40,000 sought from Stephanie Banks was a mistake -- and that within days it stopped trying to collect any money from Banks. Read the follow-up story here. Check back on OregonLive.com Friday to read the full story. In August 2013, Stephanie Banks was battling lung cancer. She also was struggling with her finances. So she turned to Rapid Cash for help. She took out a $300 loan from the payday and title loan lending company with a storefront in Southeast Portland. The annual percentage rate was 153 percent, the most allowed under Oregon law. Soon after, Banks became too weak to work her $15-an-hour job as a bookkeeper at the Salvation Army and she declared bankruptcy. Banks thought the $300 loan was history until nine months ago when she got a letter in the mail claiming that she owes $40,000. "I said, 'These people are trying to give me a heart attack. ... I don't have $40,000,'" recalled Banks, 62, whose cancer is now in remission. She lives in the St. Johns area of North Portland. Banks wondered how $300 turned into $40,000. So did Michael Fuller, a consumer lawyer in Portland who has taken on Banks' case for free. Banks and Fuller still haven't been able to get any answers, they said. Because of a clause in the loan contract Banks signed, they also haven't been able to go to court to dispute the $40,000 amount -- or argue that Banks shouldn't owe any money to Rapid Cash or collection agency Ad Astra. "The number has to be zero because she's in bankruptcy," said Fuller, who works as a consumer lawyer in private practice but also is an adjunct consumer law professor at Lewis & Clark Law School. Rapid Cash didn't respond to a request seeking comment. The 19-year-old company has more than 230 storefronts in 14 U.S. states and in Canada -- under the names Rapid Cash, Speedy Cash or Cash Money. On Tuesday, the parking lot at its 39th and Powell Boulevard storefront was full and a crowd of customers filled the lobby. Banks has run up against a practice in the payday and title loan industry that consumer advocates are trying to change. The consumer agreements typically include a requirement that any dispute go before a private arbitrator of the company's choosing. So, in Banks' case, her lawyer can't go before a judge in U.S. Bankruptcy Court, U.S. District Court or Multnomah County Circuit Court to sort it all out. That sets up an uneven playing field, said Fuller and Amanda Werner, a consumer advocate hired by two Washington, D.C.-based consumer groups -- Public Citizen and Americans for Financial Reform -- to campaign against forced arbitration clauses. Payday and title loan companies pick arbitrators who are more likely to rule in their favor, Werner said. "They're only going to see Ms. Banks the one time she comes before them, whereas they're probably going to see this payday loan company hundreds of times," Werner said. "It tends to be a very lopsided process, where the consumer can't get a fair shake." A study by the U.S. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau found that 99 percent of payday loan businesses in California and Texas have clauses requiring arbitrators -- not a judge -- to settle disputes. But arbitration clauses can be found in all sorts of written agreements -- including contracts with credit card companies, gyms and cellphone and internet providers. Arbitrators often aren't required to have legal training and don't have a sworn duty to follow laws, Werner said. Arbitration costs also can reach into the hundreds and even sometimes thousands of dollars, she said. In Banks' case, she also could be stuck with paying Rapid Cash's attorneys fees. "Their agreement says just that," Fuller said. And in the end, the results of the arbitration are secret, so consumer advocates have no way of monitoring how these cases turn out, Fuller and Werner said. Consumer advocates are enthusiastically anticipating what they expect to be a new rule announced Thursday by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, which has the power to ban or restrict forced arbitration in all sorts of consumer contracts, including those written by payday and title loans companies. Werner said she expects that the new rule won't include a broad ban on forced arbitration, but probably will ban contract language that prohibits consumers from filing class-action lawsuits. Consumer groups plan to continue to try to convince the bureau to ban all forced arbitration. Banks knows that any future bans won't affect her dispute. She doesn't see any end to her fight, given that it could be many months or years before the arbitration process is over. But Banks supports the consumer campaign and is thankful to have Fuller's help, which he has offered pro bono. Banks said she receives $1,240 a month in Social Security -- and that's barely enough to live off after paying her $890 rent. "This will have to be sorted out, there's no way I can pay $40,000," Banks said. "If I could pay them $40,000, I wouldn't have filed bankruptcy." -- Aimee Green 503-294-5119 Screen Shot 2016-05-03 at 3.29.45 PM.png A lawsuit seeking $4 million for the death of Nikolay Kozhokar was filed on April 28, 2016, in Multnomah County Circuit Court. (Oregon eCourts) The father of a 17-year-old boy who died after he was crushed by the wheel of a semi-truck at a repair shop in 2013 filed a $4 million lawsuit last week against the business. Nikolay Vadimovich Kozhokar was helping repair a truck at O&V Transport in Northeast Portland on June 5, 2013, when shop owner Oleg Paladiy appears to have started the truck. The vehicle lurched forward and fell off a jack or jacks, according to investigators with the Oregon Occupational Safety and Health Division. Kozhokar might have crawled under the truck to retrieve a wheel-nut cover, according to the agency report. One of the truck's front tires dropped onto Kozhokar's chest, pinning him to the ground. Despite resuscitation efforts by a Portland police officer and emergency medical technicians, Kozhokar was pronounced dead at the scene shortly before 8 p.m. Kozhokar worked at the shop, at 13552 N.E. Whitaker Way, periodically after school, according to the agency report. He was a student at David Douglas High School. A Portland police homicide detective investigated the death, but after watching surveillance video, concluded that no crime was committed. The surveillance video showed Paladiy, the owner, reaching into the cab toward the ignition and the truck lurching forward. Paladiy, however, denied being in the cab, according to the state agency report. The lawsuit was filed Thursday in Multnomah County Circuit Court. O&V Transport didn't respond to a call seeking comment for this story. The suit accuses Paladiy of allowing the truck to be propped up on jacks in an unsafe manner, starting the truck while Kozhokar was in harm's way and starting the truck without pressing in the clutch pedal. The suit also lists Valeriy Shtirbu, the 2004 Volvo truck's owner, for allegedly failing to tell Paladiy that the truck could move forward if started without pressing in the clutch pedal. The agency fined the business $3,300 for violations that included a lack of training about starting up trucks and a lack of safety meetings. Portland attorneys Gregory Leineweber and Antony Furniss are representing Kozhokar's estate. The teen's father, Vadym Kozhokar, is the estate's personal representative. Read the OSHA report here. Read the lawsuit here. -- Aimee Green 503-294-5119 Viewpoint Construction Software escalated the fight with its longtime chief financial officer Tuesday, asserting in a counterclaim that Benjamin Ertischek developed plans for his Portland startup company while on the clock at Viewpoint and that he poached employees from his former employer. Viewpoint demanded $2.25 million from Ertischek, three weeks after he had sued his longtime employer for $4.4 million. It also asks for unspecified punitive damages, and asserts that anything developed for his new company while at Viewpoint belongs to his former employer. The feud represents a sharp break between some former Viewpoint executives and the management team that arrived after Bain Capital acquired a majority stake in the Portland company two years ago in a $230 million deal. Jennifer Palmquist, the Portland attorney representing Ertischek, sharply disputed Viewpoint's allegations. She said Ertischek is not a software developer and licensed the technology for his startup, CSquire, from India. So she said he couldn't possibly have created it while at his old job. "It's just nastiness and they ought to have known he couldn't have possibly developed this at Viewpoint," Palmquist said. Viewpoint's software is designed to help construction companies manage their projects and create budgets for their businesses. Viewpoint is among Portland's biggest technology companies, with roughly 700 employees - about half of them working at Viewpoint's headquarters at the east end of the Hawthorne Bridge. In Tuesday's court filing, Viewpoint charges that Ertischek "inflicted severe harm on Viewpoint as a result of his intentional misconduct. That harm includes, but is not limited to, the loss of intellectual property that contractually belongs to Viewpoint and Viewpoint's investment in and reliance on Ertischek and others after they violated and while they continued to violate their personal contractual obligations to the company." The court filing claims Ertischek and colleagues modeled revenue for CSquire last year when they were supposed to be working for Viewpoint, and that the company's business plan listed Ertischek and three other Viewpoint employees as CSquire staff before they had left Viewpoint. The time he spent developing CSquire and his recruitment of Viewpoint employees breached Ertischek's employment agreement and severance deal with the Viewpoint, according to the counterclaim. Viewpoint has replaced nearly all of its executive team since its sale to Bain, a private equity firm in Boston with a long history of acquiring businesses and working to improve their profitability. It's not unusual for new owners to install their own management when a technology company changes hands, but the acrimony depicted in the Viewpoint litigation is especially sharp - particularly for Portland, where members of the city's chummy tech community will typically go to extreme lengths to avoid criticizing one another in public. Ertischek was Viewpoint's CFO from 2009 until last September. In his original suit last month, Ertischek alleged that the company had promised to pay him $382,000 over 12 months, but cut off the payments in February because he had broken promises not to solicit business from Viewpoint clients or its employees. That original suit alleges that Viewpoint was improperly manipulating the company's accounting to create the appearance of profit growth and inflate executive bonuses. Viewpoint's counterclaim didn't address those allegations Tuesday, but the company issued a written statement promising a response: "Plaintiff is planning to amend the complaint and once that happens we will refute the false allegations that there were unethical decisions regarding the financial management of the company." -- Mike Rogoway mrogoway@oregonian.com 503-294-7699 @rogoway Long before kickoff, Portland Timbers fans regularly hang banners over the north end wall at Providence Park and raise homemade two-sticks high above the crowd. The Oregonian/OregonLive recently published an article about these homemade displays and the fans that take the time to craft these two-sticks and banners for every home game. Since publishing the article, we've received emails from Timbers fans hoping to share the stories behind their own homemade two-sticks and banners. While many fans craft banners in support of the team, some displays hold different meanings. Below is a look at a few stories that didn't make it into the original article: For Jorge Chavarria For some fans, handing banners in the north end of Providence Park can be a way to honor and memorialize beloved long-time Timbers fans. Timbers fan Jorge Chavarria passed away last April after a two-year battle with cancer. Despite being in and out of hospitals during that time, Chavarria managed to attend Portland's home opener against Real Salt Lake in 2015. He passed away soon after. His friend and fellow Timbers fan Lynelle Tarter crafted a banner for the home opener in 2015, which included Chavarria's motto, "win the day," and featured one of Chavarria's favorite photos, taken at game in Vancouver the year before. After his funeral, Tarter put together another banner to celebrate and honor Chavarria at the stadium where he spent so much of his time watching the Timbers play. According to Tarter, Chavarria was buried in green and gold with his No Pity Scarf. Lynelle Tarter made these two banners in honor of Timbers fan Jorge Chavarria, who passed away in 2015 after a long battle with cancer. Timbers Army subgroups Robby Larson, the co-founder of the Appellation Alliance, the Timbers Army subgroup in Oregon's Wine Country, has been consistently bringing a two-stick with the Appellation Alliance logo to Timbers games for more than a year. The banner usually hangs in front of section 109. Larson even brought it to the MLS Cup last December. A banner with the Appellation Alliance logo at a Timbers game. Another TA subgroup that regularly hangs their banner at Timbers games are the Jefferson Reserves, the regional supporters group for Southern Oregon and Northern California. A few of the group's members decided last year to make their seal into a banner. The banner hung at a few games last season and was at the home opener against the Columbus Crew on March 6. A completed banner with the seal of the Jefferson Reserves. The Appellation Alliance and Jefferson Reserves are just two of dozens of TA subgroups throughout the country. All of the subgroups have their own unique names, logos and identities. -- Jamie Goldberg | jgoldberg@oregonian.com 503-853-3761 | @jamiebgoldberg Vision Fun Run.jpg Ella Osborne stands next to a banner advertising her Vision Fun Run outside of Bonny Slope Elementary School in Beaverton. (Samantha Swindler/Staff) Ella Osborne, 7, is decked out in pink: neon pink Nikes, pink plastic-rimmed glasses and a pink shirt that declares "We Run Things." Because she does. I met Ella on her home turf, Bonny Slope Elementary in Beaverton, as she led the way with broad, confident steps Monday through the hallways to her classroom. There, we sat in second-grader-sized chairs and talked about her big project: She's organizing the Vision Fun Run scheduled for this Saturday at the school track. This is at least her fifth news interview on the subject, so there are no nerves. She launches immediately into her spiel, with a slight lisp caused by her still-incoming front teeth. Ella's fun run will benefit the KEX Kids Fund, which works with the Oregon Lions Sight & Hearing Foundation to provide exams, eye glasses and hearing aids to needy children. Ella and her mom, DeDe Osborne, have organized the inaugural Vision Fun Run scheduled to take place May 7 at Bonny Slope Elementary School in Beaverton. (Samantha Swindler/Staff) She got the idea for the run after volunteering with a group called See to Read, which provides vision screenings for children at public libraries. "Somebody said oh, some people don't get the vision care they need," Ella said. "So that's when I came up with a Vision Fun Run, because we have a jog-a-thon here and it raises money for our school, so I thought maybe we should raise money for our community." It's unusual for a 7-year-old to come up with a fun run to fill a need, maybe just as unusual for her parents to think it's a good idea. But Ella's mom, DeDe Osborne, has a background in online event management, and she felt they could pull this off. Plus, it's important to DeDe that her children develop a sense of volunteerism and service. "My husband and I both grew up in very low income families," she said, "and so that was a big deal for us, that our kids know that the life that they have isn't the life that is always provided to people. My sister received her glasses from the Oregon Lions because my family couldn't afford it." When Ella was three months old, her doctor found a cataract in one of her eyes. It was treated with patch therapy, in which her stronger eye is covered with a patch for several hours a day to strengthen the ability in her weaker eye. She also used special eye drops and now wears corrective lenses. The treatments have worked: During her most recent eye exam, she was found to need a lower prescription. Eye problems can be corrected without surgery if caught early, and that's part of the reason Oregon now requires eye exams for children before they start kindergarten. "Undetected eye problems create a slew of misdiagnosed behavioral problems," DeDe said. "ADHD is the largest of those, so kids end up on an (individualized education program) when they really are just not able to communicate that they can't see, or they're not able to learn to read because there's visual impairment." DeDe built a website and printed flyers for the fun run, but Ella did all the talking when they went looking for event sponsors. Few business owners said no this tiny, ambitious kid. But pre-registrations have been slow, with only about 50 runners so far. Ella's optimistic that people will turnout. And even if the crowd is small, her family tells her, "the number of people who show up have nothing to do with how hard you've worked and the effort you've made." Ella recently appeared on KPTV's "Good Day Oregon" to talk about the run. So far, mother and daughter have watched the segment four times. "I only cried three of the four times, so I think that's pretty successful," DeDe said. And I get the sense that while we're talking about it, she might start to cry again. DeDe is a self-admitted happy crier. "Why do you think your mom cries so much?" I asked Ella. "I think she cries because her baby is on TV," she said. "No, it doesn't have anything with you being on TV," DeDe said. "I cry when you do other things that make me proud, too." Then DeDe turned to me. "She inspires us to be better parents," she said. "She's just got such drive and it makes you want to be better when you're around her... You can be 7 and think about yourself all day long. Adults think about themselves all day long. So for her to think about where she is and what she does and how that impacts other people, I think that's pretty special." If you go: The Vision Fun Run is from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, May 7 at Bonny Slope Elementary, 11775 NW McDaniel Road. Cost is $25 per person, $45 for a family up to five, or $20 for an adult with a stroller. Participants will get race bibs as they run or walk around the school track. There will be a bounce house, face painting and hair spray art for the kids, plus the Oregon Lions Club will provide free eye exams. For more info, visit visionfunrun.com. -- Samantha Swindler @editorswindler / 503-294-4031 sswindler@oregonian.com A man who police say fired on state troopers during a chase along U.S. 26 last fall apparently shot 99 rounds at the pursuing officers from a stolen AR-15 and handgun, the Washington County District Attorney's Office said Tuesday. As Andrew G. DeHart fired at the cops from the back window of his Ford Ranger pickup, other westbound drivers passed him on the coastal highway and were likely unaware of the danger. Eventually, Oregon State Police Troopers Nicholas Cederberg, Jamin VanMeter and Joe Pollard fired 32 rifle rounds in their bid to get DeHart to stop, according to the district attorney's office. The new details from the Oct. 28 encounter were released Tuesday in a letter from Senior Deputy District Attorney Bracken McKey to state police Capt. Jeff Hershman. McKey reviewed the shooting and determined police were justified to fire on DeHart. McKey lauded the police actions, writing that "all of the involved troopers acted professionally and bravely..." Dr. Larry Lewman, of the state medical examiner's office, determined DeHart died of a single, self-inflicted gunshot wound to his head. None of the officers' bullets hit DeHart, Lewman said. Before the shooting, U.S. marshals and members of a violent offender task force had traveled to Seaside to arrest the convicted felon on an attempted murder and kidnapping warrant, McKey wrote in his letter. They asked for help from state police SWAT members to arrest DeHart because he was known to have access to weapons and to resist officers, McKey said. While the SWAT members headed to Seaside, authorities were already there watching DeHart as he drove to his girlfriend's apartment and parked his truck. Then he pulled away without getting out, heading out of town east on U.S. 26 and eventually passing the SWAT members. Trooper Zach Bohince was among them. Bohince switched on the lights and sirens of his patrol car and tried to pull the Ranger over, McKey said. Instead, DeHart sped up and started shooting. Dozens of rounds were fired at Bohince, McKey wrote, before one struck and disabled his car. "Trooper Bohince repeatedly placed his vehicle and himself in Mr. DeHart's line of fire," McKey wrote. Further east, a group of state troopers had set up along the highway. As DeHart approached them, one told the others to take cover because he knew the suspect would shoot. Soon, DeHart fired 10 rounds toward them, McKey said, and one of the troopers felt dirt and debris from the shots hit him in the head. Troopers VanMeter and Pollard set up just east of the Dennis L. Edwards Tunnel, which is about a mile west of the highway's intersection with Oregon 47. They were outside their patrol cars and on the north side of the road, according to McKey. As DeHart neared them, Pollard fired nine times from an AR-15 and VanMeter fired six times from an AR-10, McKey said. Trooper Cederberg was waiting for DeHart just east of the other troopers and on the south side of the highway. He fired 17 times from an AR-15 when DeHart's pickup passed by, McKey said. The truck continued for another mile before stopping in the center of the highway. DeHart didn't respond to police orders, so officers fired one rubber bullet at him and used a Taser an unspecified number of times before they approached, according to McKey's letter. Police removed DeHart from his truck and saw that he had a head wound. McKey said the officers rendered aid until medics arrived, and DeHart was taken to Providence St. Vincent Medical Center in Beaverton, where he died. Police searching DeHart's truck found the AR-15 and .45 caliber handgun, which had been stolen during an August burglary in Oregon City, McKey said. They also found a 9 mm handgun. Investigators discovered 82 shell casings from the AR-15, 17 from the .45 caliber handgun, and one from the 9 mm pistol, according to McKey. Detectives determined that DeHart apparently fired 99 of the 100 rounds at the police, McKey said. Toxicology tests later determined that DeHart had a large amount of methamphetamine in his system. -- Rebecca Woolington 503-294-4049; @rwoolington The Washington County Museum will host a lecture by Historian David Lewis titled "The Tualatins & Wapato Lake" at 7 p.m. Wednesday, May 18. The Tualatin, or "Atfalati," band of the Kalapuya Indians were the first people to inhabit Washington County. Lewis will discuss the Tualatin's culture, territory and lifeways. Additionally, he will speak on the importance of Wapato Lake and some of the present plans to restore the resource for waterfowl, animals and native plants of Oregon. The Kalapuya peoples played a significant role in creating the landscape of the Willamette and Tualatin Valleys. Lewis is a graduate of the UO Department of Anthropology and a descendant of the Santiam Kalapuya, Takelma, and Chinook Tribes of western Oregon. He is a researcher, writer and educator, with numerous articles in print, and a book in process, "Termination and Restoration of the Grand Ronde Tribe," with the OSU press. This lecture is part of the Washington County Museum's Crossroad Lecture series. Tickets are $6 for adults, $4 for seniors/youth/active military, and free to Museum members. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. About the Kalapuya The Kalapuya, including the Tualatin-Kalapuya band residing here in the Tualatin River basin, followed a seasonal-round to hunt, gather and store food, and obtain provisions for clothing, shelter and tools. During the winter months they lived in large groups in pit houses that accommodated several families. One hundred or more members of a widely extended family lived in a village, overseen by a chief. In the growing season, the Tualatins moved in small family groups from place to place - living temporarily in makeshift huts or out in the open - camping where and when plants were ready for harvest, fish were running in the streams, or animals gathered. These growing-season camping areas were shared with other small family groups from other Tualatin villages, and provided opportunities for trading, discussions of politics and current events, and arrangements of marriages. Each fall, all members of all the Tualatin villages gathered at a campsite known as "Chachif," located on the northern end of Wapato Lake. The lake sustained them during this month-long gathering, as it did throughout the year. There they connected with one another both spiritually and socially before their long winter apart, while they harvested the root of the wapato plant, which grew in abundance in the lake and was a staple for many Native Americans. About Wapato Lake With the arrival of hundreds of Euro-American settlers to the Tualatin Valley, the Tualatins negotiated with the government to retain a small reservation on Wapato Lake. Congress never approved the treaty and in the mid-1850s the Kalapuya were removed to the Grand Ronde and Siletz reservations in Yamhill and Lincoln counties, respectively. Wapato Lake was then drained in the mid 1930s by the Wapato Improvement District to increase farmland. Much of the land is now owned by the US Fish & Wildlife Service and the Wapato Lake National Wildlife Service has been created. The Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge is currently working on a plan to restore the lake. -- Information from the Washington County Museum Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. The Ministry of Industry and Trade has asked a Thai investor to clarify its Metro Cash & Carry Limited Company acquisition deal in pursuance of Vietnams Law on Competition. The Vietnam Competition Authority under the Ministry of Industry and Trade has sent an official request for confirmation of the deal to MM Mega VN Limited Company (formerly Metro Cash&Carry Vietnam Limited Company). Ho Chi Minh City's Union of Business Associations previously asked the MoIT to examine the legal compliance of foreign retail enterprises to ensure fair competitiveness in this time of international integration. Metro Vietnam has been bought by a Thai retail giant. Photo by VnExpress The ministry will review deals conducted from 2014 to 2015 and ask MM Mega Limited Company to clarify the transaction process and procedures for the Metro Cash&Carry Vietnam acquisition deal. Amid concerns of market dominance after acquiring Metro, the ministry has requested MM Mega Limited Company to provide a report on its aggregate market share from 2013 to 2014, which the Thai retailer needs to submit before May 30. According to the Vietnam Competition Authority, Metro Cash&Carry Vietnam changed its business registration certificate on January 25, 2016 to adjust the company's name to MM Mega Limited Company. This company operates in Vietnam and therefore needs to comply with the Law on Competition. At the beginning of 2016, Berli Jucker Corporation (BJC), belonging to Thai billionaire Charoen Sirivadhanabhakdi, completed the Metro acquisition deal. BJC spent nearly $880 million to purchase the chain of 19 wholesale points and the relevant real estate investment portfolio of Cash&Carry Vietnam. Foreign retail giants, especially from Thailand, have been buying up large retail chains in Vietnam in recent time. Most recently, Central Group (Thailand) invested over $1 billion to buy the BigC chain. Numerous domestic enterprises have found it difficult to sell their goods and products through supermarkets acquired by foreign investors. Local retailers say that Vietnamese products that meet quality standards can easily access domestic supermarkets but find it difficult to penetrate foreign supermarkets in Vietnam. Metro has already paid taxes of VND1.9 trillion ($86 million) from the BJC deal to the state budget, of which 22 percent will go to the Ho Chi Minh City Tax Department. The Metro brand first appeared in Vietnam in 2002 and currently has 19 wholesale centers nationwide with 3,600 staff. In the 2014-2015 fiscal year, Metro Vietnam's revenue reached $550 million. Leah Watkins Staff Marketing Ever wondered what effect television advertising might be having on young kids? Or how culture influences our travel behaviour? Or whether the products you buy are really sustainable? Leah Watkins has, but unlike most of us, she does something about it. Leah looks at life and sees there is important research to be done into the role that marketing plays in many aspects of society. After an Otago BA in Japanese, Leah spent several years working and travelling in Japan and Europe. She returned to Otago for a Postgraduate Diploma in Japanese and a Diploma for Graduates in Marketing. On joining the Department of Marketing, she was able to draw on her specialist knowledge to contribute to new research into Japanese tourism in New Zealand. Her culture and language background led her to realise that some of the survey methods used to measure values across cultures were flawed because of cultural inappropriateness. This led to a PhD shedding useful new light on the links between culture, values and consumption behaviour. Leah has also worked on ethical consumption, looking at the difficulty people have in processing information on packaging, particularly sustainability labelling. The ideal would be to come up with a simple way for consumers to understand just how sustainable products might be something similar to the Heart Foundation tick. Currently Leah is investigating how young children are affected by advertising. Theres little research on the implications of very young children being targeted as consumers. For the first time we are seeing television programming and advertising directed at under-fives, so well be looking at pre-schoolers TV viewing and advertising exposure and a childs developing brand knowledge and materialistic orientation. Vietnam exports $2bln worth of fishery products in first four months Vietnam's exports of fishery products in the first four months of this year reached roughly $2 billion, up 6.2 percent from the same period last year, the Agriculture Ministry said. The Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP) estimated that this years exports of tuna will increase 12 percent to hit $507 million, cuttlefish and octopus will rise 10 percent to $470 million and other fresh fish exports will hit $1.3 billion. The government has announced several measures to support the industry, including giving fishermen easier access to bank loans so they can build boats. Vietnam exported its tuna to 105 markets last year with the U.S. leading the way, followed by the E.U., ASEAN and Japan. Tuna exports to the U.S. were worth an estimated $190 million, an increase of 9 percent year on year. Exports to ASEAN countries increased by 24 percent last year, but exports to the EU and Japan were down by nearly 20 percent and 10 percent. Following free trade agreements Vietnam has signed, lower tariffs will be imposed on the country's tuna exports. Vietnam is conducting a trial project for tuna fishing, buying, processing and consumption, which is expected to help improve quality and competitiveness. Vietnam exports $7 billion worth of seafood a year. The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment has sent a letter to the Ministry of National Defense asking it to assign its Naval Center for Marine Environment Monitoring and Analysis to join efforts to monitor sea water following the mass fish deaths along the central coast. Units under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology have also been asked to work with the Ministry of Natural resources and Environment, the ministry said in a statement released earlier this week. It added that the proposals were made following directions from the prime minister. The units will provide information about the quality of sea water in central provinces from Ha Tinh to Thua Thien Hue. In a meeting on May 1, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc asked the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment and the provincial government in Ha Tinh to set up a monitoring station to evaluate wastewater discharged from the Formosa steel plant. Scientists from the United States, Germany and Israel have also arrived in Vietnam to help identify the reasons behind the mass fish deaths. The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment has told the provincial governments of Ha Tinh, Quang Binh, Quang Tri and Thua Thien Hue to provide daily updates on the fish deaths, including: action that is being taken, results of investigations, sea water monitoring data, estimated economic and environmental damage and the number of fish deaths, the ministry said in another statement on May 2. Since early April, about 70 tons of fish in Ha Tinh, Quang Binh, Quang Tri and Thua Thien - Hue have washed up dead due to an unknown cause. On April 27, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment said there are two possible reasons for the mass fish deaths. One is toxic chemicals released by human activities. The other is an abnormal natural phenomenon that causes algae in the water to bloom at an accelerated rate, commonly known as a red tide. Stories passed down through the family become part of the fabric of that familys history. Such a story is the one that Emma Badder heard about her father. Carl Schaefer Jr., widowed and left with a baby daughter to raise, when he left the house to go to the fields and plow, he would take his baby girl with him, put a blanket at the edge of the field where he was working and put her where he could see that she was safe while he plowed. After she was older, her father told her, I promised your mother that I would never give you away. Remembering her father Carl Schaefer Jr., Emma said, My father was my right-hand man. Her father remained a widower until after Emma was married when he married for the second time. This is Emma Schaefer Badders story as well as the story of the Schaefer family in America. Her story begins with Carl Schaefer Sr., born in West Prussia in 1852, the son of Johann Heinrich and Wilhelmina Koemp Schaefer. At the age of 19, Carl Sr. served a year in the Army during the Franco-Prussian War of 1871. In 1876 he married Wilhelmine Groenke and they had four children when Carl decided that life would be better for them in the United States. A huge migration was taking place at the end of the 19th century and Carl Schaefer Sr. and his family became part of that migration. Carl Sr. was 34 when he decided to leave his homeland, Prussia. He would go ahead and have a place ready for his family who would come later. Carl and his sister Elizabeth Karkut with her three children sailed on the Rhein from Bremen, Germany arriving in Baltimore, Maryland on Aug. 23, 1887. Carl listed his occupation as brick mason. Wilhelmine Schaefer secured passage on a ship called America and with her four children sailed from Bremen, Germany to Baltimore. Her brother Friedrich Groenke and his wife Johanna and their baby son Carl came with her. They left Bremen, Germany sailing to Baltimore, Maryland arriving on November 30, 1887. The four children who crossed the Atlantic with their mother Wilhelmine were six year old Bertha, five year old Wilhelmina (Minnie), two year old Wilhelm (William) and Carl Jr, one year old. All four were born in West Prussia. Carl Jr. would later become Emma Badders father. Carl Sr. had a home ready for his growing family in Detroit where he was employed working in the salt mines that ran underground beneath the city. The work was hard and arduous and foreign to a man who had grown up on a farm. By word of mouth, Carl Sr. heard that the Territorial Government was giving farm land to settlers who were willing to clear the land and farm it. On November 10, 1892 he purchased 80 acres of land in Section 20, Larkin Township, Midland County for $1,000 from a man named John S. Johnson. The property was on the corner of Eastman and Monroe Roads. On Feb. 15, 1897 his wife Minna (Wilhelmina) Schaefer purchased 80 acres in Section 29, Lee Township from David N. Maxwell and Adelia Maxwell for $400. This property was on the Chippewa River Road and became the site of the Schaefer homestead. Their family continued to increase. Their first child to be born in the United States was Martha who was born on Jan. 5, 1888 in Wayne County just weeks after the perilous journey across the Atlantic in November of 1887. She was followed by Johann born in 1889 in Detroit, August born 1891, Emma in 1894 (the first to be born in Larkin Township for the Carl Schaefer Sr. family.) Clara followed in 1896, Emil in 1898, Anna in 1902 and twin boys Helmut Herman and Hugo Henry born Dec. 4, 1903. Minna Schaefer never left her bed after giving birth to her twin sons on Dec. 4, 1903. Taken with chills, she developed pneumonia and died on December 14, 1903. Married at 19, leaving her homeland of Prussia to make a home in a new country, giving birth to 13 children, Minna Schaefer died at the age of 46. The baby sons soon followed their mother, one dying on February 16 and the other baby boy dying on Feb. 17, 1904. Eleven children and their father, Carl Sr., were left to mourn Minna and the babies. Buried in the Lee Township Cemetery, a headstone for the Schaefer family reads on the front: PEACE PERFECT PEACE And below that are the words from Genesis 24:56: Do not detain me, now that the LORD has granted success to my journey. Today that grave plot shelters Minna, Carl Sr., their sons Helmut and Hugo and their son John who died in 1920. Carl Sr. died in 1927 while he was living with his daughter Anna Louise (Mrs. Albert Wohlfeil) in Saginaw during the last year of his life. Living on a farm was filled with endless chores and hard work. Carl Sr. was especially hard on his sons. His daughters could attend school but his sons went to work in the fields as soon as they could reach a plow handle. Carl Jr. and his brothers John and August left the farm to go to Flint where they found work at GM. Carl Jr. also met the young woman he would marry on Dec. 29, 1913. a Swedish girl named Karin Eksten, born in Sweden in 1893. He was 27. She was 20. Karin Schaefer gave birth to a baby son they named Carl Oscar. Born Oct. 11, 1914, he died October 19, 1914, nine days old. On June 9, 1916 a second son was born and named Gustav Albert. And on May 7, 1918 a baby girl was born whom they named Emma Elizabeth. But tragedy was to strike the young couple when Gustav wandered away from the farmyard looking for his father. This ends Part I of Emma Schaefer Badders story. Part II will appear in two weeks. Voters approved the Clare-Gladwin Regional Education Service Districts 1 mill request to fund Career and Technical Education classes. The millage passed 3,060-2,598. The passage means someone owning a $50,000 house will pay $25 a year for 10 years. The millage will help area students realize their potential, said Beaverton Superintendent Susan Wooden. She said the districts general fund couldnt further afford the classes, which include automotive technology, heath occupations, education occupations, digital media, culinary arts criminal justice and construction trades. CGRESD Superintendent Sheryl Presler thanked voters. We are excited by the new possibilities for CTE students that have been assured by voters today, and grateful for their faith in the program which has had such a dramatic impact on the careers of thousands of our local high school students, Presler said in a statement. We were fortunate to utilize the expertise and elbow grease of staff and volunteers in each of our five local school districts to ensure voters across the two counties had a keen understanding of CTE and its importance to our schools, communities and employers. Presler said they now can make improvements to existing classes and implement new ones. We will offer both welding and business management for the upcoming school year, as well as begin the process of establishing a permanent home for our construction trades program and providing financial relief to local school districts as it relates to transportation costs and tuition, she said. We also want stakeholders to rest assured well continue our valuable dialogue with local employers, striving to meet their workplace needs with well-trained, motivated young workers. Gladwin County residents said the program gives students extra tools in life. I know some of the students who went through the program and they are doing well, said Kyle Reed, of Gladwin. Out of the 54 Michigan CTE programs, Clare and Gladwin county students had the sixth highest percent of graduates, with 98.6 percent completing the program. Graduates such as Chris Buzzelli and Haley Forbes are in college and studying in the fields they started in CTE. Buzzelli is studying culinary arts and Forbes is a criminal justice major. A man accused of intentional food contamination at Michigan grocery stores has ties to the Midland area. Midland County Health Director Mike Krecek, after participating in a conference call with the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD), stated that the suspect lived in the Midland area until mid March when he moved to Ann Arbor. An advisory from the state listed four Midland stores: Meijer, Family Fare, Village Mini Mart and Walmart, as possible stores that had been targeted along with others stores in Birch Run, Flint, Ann Arbor and Saline. Krecek said that all four Midland stores, along with the other stores, were inspected by the Department of Agriculture, which pulled receipts and viewed surveillance tapes. There were representatives from Washtenaw County on the conference call and there is a more active investigation down there, Krecek said. The Michigan departments of Agriculture and Rural Development and Health and Human Services have been cooperating with the Federal Bureau of Investigation and local law enforcement in Ann Arbor with the investigation. Midland Police have received no calls regarding any incidents of food contamination, Sgt. Michael Sokol said this morning. Out of an abundance of caution and to protect public health and food safety, I encourage consumers to dispose of any foods purchased from salad bars, olive bars and ready-to-eat hot and cold food areas from these stores between mid-March and the end of April, said Jamie Clover Adams, MDARD director. Although most of these types of foods may have already been eaten or disposed of, some may still be in refrigerators or freezers. Because the suspect moved from the Midland area in mid March, Krecek also stated that there was no longer any threat to the local area. The symptoms are pretty fast acting, he said. The suspect was apprehended by the Ann Arbor Police Department and admitted to spraying foods with a mixture of a commercial mouse poison, alcohol-based hand-sanitizer and water at at least three grocery stores in the greater Ann Arbor area Whole Foods, Meijer, and Plum Market at least twice in the last month, officials stated. They said samples from these stores have been sent for further laboratory analysis to determine concentration. The chemicals found in this mixture are a form of anti-coagulant, similar to what is found in medicines that have an anti-clotting function. Based on the known ingredients in the mixture at this time, MDHHS does not anticipate any adverse health effects on individuals who may have ingested potentially contaminated products. May 3, 2016 | 05:20 pm PT Vietnamese government and the U.S embassy marked the halfway point of a project to clean the soil in Da Nang Airport from dioxin contamination yesterday. Decades after the U.S-Vietnam war, USAID contractors have helped to clean up 15 out of 19 hectares of dioxin-contaminated soils at the airport referred as a dioxin hotspot due to high dioxin concentrations in soil and sediment since 2014, according to a statement on the government's website. The contractors use thermal desorption technology that involves heating the soil and sediment to a high temperature to destroy dioxin. They optimized performance of the thermal treatment system by installing and operating approximately 460 shortened heaters and raising approximately 1,045 heater elements to deliver more heat to the top layer of the pile, according to USAID's website. The U.S. Government agreed to complete the environmental remediation, or cleanup, of the Danang Airport due to high dioxin concentrations in soil and sediment remaining from the U.S.-Vietnam War upon request of the Vietnamese government in 2011. USAID and the Vietnamese Ministry of National Defense (MND) are jointly implementing the Danang Airport Remediation Project, which aims to clean up the dioxin contamination and consequently eliminate risk of dioxin exposure to the surrounding community while developing Vietnamese capacity for environmental assessment and remediation activities. This project "manifested the awareness and deed of the Governments of Viet Nam and the US in overcoming the war consequences, closing the past and looking forwards to the future for peace and prosperity", said Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam at the ceremony. He urges the U.S to accelerate projects in resolving the war consequences. Both sides will have to treat around 148,000 m3 of soil and sediment and repair environmental problems caused by the thermal desorption technology. Phase 2 excavation activities resumed with dewatering and excavation of contaminated soil and sediment from Sen Lake and the Southern Drainage Ditch and build a new temporary soil storage area. USAID contractors installed erosion control measures and continuously inspected them to prevent offsite migration of contaminants, according to USAID website. A four-part training program designed for Government of Vietnam counterparts is included to increase their capabilities in key aspects of the environmental assessment process. The project is scheduled to be completed in 2018. Da Nang, Phu Cat and Bien Hoa airports have been identified as the most contaminated sites and are the Vietnamese governments priority for remediation of soils and sediments to eliminate the risks of human exposure to dioxin. Vietnamese government says many people are handicapped due to Agent Orange/dioxin, including their offsprings, while million tons of unexploded bombs left from the war are endangering peoples life everyday. OSAN AIR BASE, South Korea -- Soldiers and Airmen rescued three children and their mother as the family made a dramatic leap from the fourth floor of a burning building in the Songtan shopping district, April 29, 2016. Master Sgt. Michael Henry, brigade sustainment noncommissioned officer in charge and 1st Sgt. Melanie Scott, both with Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 35th Air Defense Artillery Brigade, along with Airmen from 51st Fighter Wing here, and Eighth Fighter Wing at Kunsan Air Base, were instrumental in saving the lives of a local family. At approximately 6:20 p.m, Friday, Scott, a native of Grosse Ile, Michigan, and Henry, a native of Lake Charles, Louisiana, were visiting the shopping district when they saw smoke billowing from the Crown Hotel and then heard screaming. "We saw a lady shimmying down the side of the building and realized there was a woman holding a baby out of the window several floors up," Scott said. "The next thing I know we were both holding blankets to catch babies as a woman dropped them out of a window." Among the U.S. service members were Korean citizens who not only aided in the rescue but called emergency services. "After I called 911, I helped hold the blanket for all three of the kids and their mother," said Jung Min Lee, son of a local business owner. "The first little girl didn't land so well which made me scared and worried about not being able to catch the other babies. I was very impressed by the courageous U.S. military members who helped with the rescue." A couple of days after the incident, the children's father and some of the Soldiers and Airmen visited the site of the fire. The father, Prince Enyioko, expressed his gratitude to the service members who reacted so quickly. "I really appreciate what happened that very day. I don't know how I can explain my thanks," Enyioko said. "Without them I don't know what I would do -- I am so grateful for the wisdom of the military men and women." Emotionally, Enyioko recounted what he witnessed just a couple evenings earlier. "My wife was with the children and I was on my way home when I first saw the fire," Enyioko said. "I tried to help my family but I couldn't. I was so surprised to see people gathering here to rescue my family especially the military. I felt so helpless." Many people may think they know how to respond in an emergency situation but military training provides Soldiers and Airmen with the confidence to react when others might hesitate. "We had no idea what could have happened. The building could have blown up next to us," Scott said. "All I needed was to look at the Army Values. They all apply to this situation especially selfless service and courage. Those values give you everything you need to put yourself in harm's way to help somebody else." Enyioko said his wife, Precious, did sustain some injuries but his children ages 7 months, 3 and 4-years-old, all seem to be doing well. "It was so difficult to drop my children," Precious Enyioko said. "It was so dark in the room and the kids were coughing and crying. When I saw the people gathering with the blanket, I could see it was military members, I thanked my God." Ms. Enyioko got a chance to thank the service members personally for their quick thinking and selfless act as the Airmen and Soldiers visited her at the home of a friend in Songtan. "The military is so wonderful. I don't even know what I would have done that day. I am so thankful to the Lord that they are here in Korea," Precious Enyioko said. "Today I am living and I can tell my story. Me and my husband and my kids, we are so proud of the U.S. military." BLOOMINGTON A man who admitted he lost count of how many times he sexually assaulted a minor girl was sentenced Tuesday to 36 years in prison. Nelson Lucero-Molina pleaded guilty in March to three counts of sexual assault of a minor girl with whom he was acquainted. Bloomington police Detective John Heinlen said Lucero-Molina could not estimate how many times he abused the girl. "It happened too many times to count. It could have happened more than 100 times, " the detective said of Molina's statements to police. Assistant State's Attorney Jake Harlow asked for a prison term of 36 years. Harlow told Judge Paul Lawrence that for the victim, the defendant was "her true-life boogeyman" during several years of assaults. After the hearing, Harlow said: "I know from working with the child survivor on this case that she is working hard to close this dark chapter of her life, and I am hopeful that the sentence will serve as validation for her efforts." In his arguments, Harlow noted that Lucero-Molina has been in the U.S. illegally since about 2003. He faces deportation to Guatemala after his release, said the prosecutor. Defense lawyer Brian McEldowney asked for a sentence closer to the 12-year minimum. The defendant has no prior criminal record and has held a steady job, said McEldowney. Calling the offenses "a significant betrayal" by Lucero-Molina, McEldowney said his client was remorseful. In his remarks, the judge recited portions of the victim's interview with the Children's Advocacy Center to illustrate the emotional harm that was done. "I'm afraid this will affect me when I'm older," and "now I don't want to have kids," the victim told an interviewer. "The psychological pain is almost immeasurable in this case," said the judge. BLOOMINGTON Cute babies and an unseasonable warm spell converged last year at Miller Park Zoo, helping to establish an all-time annual attendance record. The zoo welcomed 114,311 guests in fiscal year 2016, which ended Saturday, the city of Bloomington noted in a news release Tuesday. Admissions surpassed the previous record of 113,641 set in 2005, when the Tropical Rainforest exhibit opened. The record-setting attendance occurred without any new exhibits last year at the zoo, which will celebrate its 125th birthday in June. "But we had some really high-profile babies born last year, especially with the endangered snow leopards," said zoo Superintendent Jay Tetzloff, who directs the zoo and the parks, recreation and cultural arts department. Mother Nature assisted by providing good weather, including one of the warmest winters, he added. Attendance is expected to increase with the anticipated opening in late June or July of a new exhibit of about 20 Greater Flamingos that will greet visitors near the zoo's entrance. "We believe we will see a 5 percent increase with the flamingo exhibit in terms of attendance, which will be tough to reach considering we just broke the record," said Tetzloff. "I think the flamingo exhibit's construction has helped," said Tetzloff on Tuesday. "I think people have enjoyed watching it go up. On Monday we didn't have a roof and now we do." Miller Park Zoological Society President Deanna Frautschi made numerous visits to the zoo to photograph the leopard cubs along with baby river otters, red wolves, and San Clemente goats that were born there during the year. "They're crowd-pleasers for both children and adults," said 67-year-old Frautschi, who has been visiting the zoo since she was 4 years old. "We were one of two zoos (in North America) that had snow leopard babies. That was just a great thing." Frautschi added: "I think the zoo is a wonderful place for children and adults to learn about animals and certainly the conservation of animals because many people will never have a chance to see animals like the snow leopards, which are on the endangered species list, unless they go to a zoo." Tetzloff leads a survival program that includes 68 zoos in North America. The flamingo exhibit will be the first new exhibit at the zoo since the Tropical Rainforest, and is the first project in the zoo's $16.7 million master plan. The Miller Park Zoological Society, Ewing Zoo Foundation and private donor Cindy Ewing provided funding for about half of the project's $300,000 cost. The city committed $150,000 to the project. Former Mayor Jesse Smart, a member of the Ewing Zoo Foundation for more than 30 years, credits Tetzloff with helping to boost attendance by "doing a good job" of providing and publicizing zoo attractions. "As more people in the area are unemployed and have fallen on hard economic times, they can't afford to go to a lot of places," added Smart. "But our zoo is affordable." The zoo offers some free days in February for those who may not be able to afford the zoo. "We want to make sure we are reaching out to those groups as well because we are a part of this community," said Tetzloff. LINCOLN The city of Lincoln plans to convert Jefferson Elementary School into a new police station. The city will spend $75,000 to buy the property at 710 Fifth St., but the final cost of renovation and a project completion date remain undetermined. Im excited and our officers are excited and will have a lot of input into how it is remodeled, said Lincoln Police Chief Paul Adams. We have room for growth and more room to store evidence. Lincoln Elementary School District 27 Superintendent Kent Froebe said the time was right to make changes with the districts buildings, specifically Jefferson, which was built in 1966 on the city's south side. With the steady decline in the number of students attending Jefferson School, we decided to add on to Northwest Elementary and close Jefferson, he said. According to the 2014-15 Illinois Report Card, 70 students attended the kindergarten through second-grade school in 2011. By 2015, only 46 students were enrolled. The former Jefferson students next year will attend Northwest Elementary School, which will have a new front office, computer lab, cafeteria and some new classrooms, Froebe said. There have been discussions about this particular property since 2011, said City Administrator Clay Johnson. We had a study done in 2015 which included how much space was necessary, the best location and everything necessary to be considered when locating a police station. "But when this property actually came available, it was too good to pass up, he said of the purchase approved by the City Council on Monday. Since 1978, the Lincoln Police Department has shared facilities with the Logan County Sheriffs Department in the Logan County Safety Complex, and only has about 1,600 square feet of available space. The city pays $36,000 per year to the county for the space. The new facility will have over 15,000 square feet, Johnson said. What we have now is completely inadequate for the types of modern policing that is needed, Johnson said. The other advantage we will have is that they will have easy access to the west side of the community and there will be a law enforcement agency on each side of the railroad tracks. City officials estimated it would take about $5.6 million to construct a new building, and asked FGM Architects of Belleville to tour the school prior to council approval. Officials with FGM reported it would take some modifications to transform it into a police facility, but that the building was in good shape. City officials hope to pay for those renovations through revenues generated from a utility tax passed in 2013 and not through increased property taxes. The new facility will have enough space for storage of evidence, locker areas for the officers, offices, a gun cleaning and storage area, training space and some holding cells. Prisoners still will be housed at the Logan County jail. The final day of school for District 27 is scheduled for May 25. The district is expected to hold an auction of items in the school and hand over the keys to the city on Sept. 1. A recent article in The Pantagraph featured plans by renowned British physicist Stephen Hawking, Internet investor Yuri Milner and Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg to explore outer space beyond our solar system. They are part of a group called Breakthrough Starshot, which is planning to spend more than $100 million. It is their intention to send a tiny spacecraft, weighing less than an ounce, to the Alpha Centauri star system, which would take 20 years to reach, with the goal to make observations to send back to Earth. It is doubtful that any such observations would have greater implications for our future explorations than those learned from Mars, a planet close by in our solar system. Mars has a hostile environment for human habitation. This earthling views such space exploration with skepticism and advocates a moratorium on space exploration for the following reasons: The money and resources required for this space exploration would be better utilized on planet Earth, which is being threatened by climate change, because the present use of fossil fuels for energy contributes to it. Solar power offers the best alternative for our insatiable demand for energy, since it is readily available and non-polluting. The problems of overpopulation, air and water pollution and meeting basic needs of food, clothing, shelter and clean water for Earth's billions of inhabitants should be our priorities. William Frinsko, Normal About 100 scientists from more than 30 research institutes and universities across Vietnam have been mobilized in an effort to find the cause of the mysterious mass fish deaths along the central coast. The scientists have expertise in aquaculture, the environment, geology, marine geophysics, chemistry, mechanics, space technology, food safety and hygiene, petrochemicals and mineral production, the Ministry of Science and Technology said in a statement on Wednesday. They have taken hundreds of samples of dead fish, water, sediment and plankton to analyze for toxicity, marine diseases, toxic algae and other indicators. The scientists have also examined earthquake data for thermal shocks and data from remote sensors to check currents, temperature, chlorophyll content and oil. The samples have been analyzed in modern laboratories with equipment from the U.S., Japan and Switzerland, the ministry said. Following analyses, the scientists have ruled out disease, an oil spill and thermal shocks or other effects caused by an earthquake. The Ministry of Science and Technology, following directions from Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc, has formed a national council of science and technology experts responsible for finding the cause behind the mass fish deaths, the statement said. Professor Chau Van Minh, president of the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology and head of the national council, met with scientists from the U.S., Germany and Israel on May 2 to coordinate efforts to deal with the environmental crisis, the Ministry of Science and Technology said. Since early April, about 70 tons of fish have washed up dead in the central coastal provinces of Ha Tinh, Quang Binh, Quang Tri and Thua Thien - Hue. On April 27, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment said there are two possible reasons for the mass fish deaths. One is toxic chemicals released by human activities. The other is an abnormal natural phenomenon that causes algae in the water to bloom at an accelerated rate, commonly known as a red tide. SPRINGFIELD Following last months agreement on stopgap funding for public universities and community colleges, other signs of bipartisanship are starting to appear as the General Assembly nears its scheduled adjournment at the end of May. A Senate committee voted on a bipartisan basis Tuesday for an additional $454 million for higher education, and the House voted overwhelmingly to approve a proposed amendment to the Illinois Constitution that would change the way legislative districts are drawn. In other business, the House overwhelmingly supported a constitutional amendment to change how legislative districts are drawn, but action stalled on another proposed amendment to create a graduated state income tax. The $600 million stopgap measure that Gov. Bruce Rauner signed into law last week funded Chicago State University at 60 percent of last years level while funding the eight other state university systems at 31 percent. Prior to that, public universities, community colleges and the Monetary Award Program, which provides tuition grants to low-income students, hadnt received any funding since the fiscal year began July 1. The measure now under consideration in the Senate would bring the other universities up to 60 percent funding, providing an additional $19.6 million for Illinois State University. Sen. Chapin Rose, R-Mahomet, said the bipartisan support for the proposal is a product of the cooperative spirit that has arisen among legislators in recent weeks as the state nears the end of the fiscal year without a full budget in place. Youre seeing the rank-and-file members of both parties starting to stand up and say, Enoughs enough, said Rose, one of many lawmakers participating in bipartisan working groups seeking budget compromises. The previously approved stopgap plan drew its money from the states education assistance fund, which receives dedicated revenue earmarked for education. The new plan, which includes $90.6 million for community colleges and $46 million for MAP grants, would be paid for by forgiving repayment of money borrowed from special funds to plug holes in last years budget. Meanwhile, Democrats and Republicans in the House joined together in a 105-7 vote to approve a redistricting amendment sponsored by state Rep. Jack Franks, D-Marengo. The idea is a major plank of Rauners turnaround agenda, which has been a major sticking point in budget negotiations. Unlike a measure the Senate approved last month, Franks proposal would take the redistricting process out of the hands of the General Assembly and entrust it to an independent commission appointed by the chief justice of the Illinois Supreme Court and the most senior justice of the opposite party. State Rep. Mike Fortner, R-West Chicago, said he backs Franks plan because it would prohibit members of the redistricting commission from serving in the General Assembly or being appointed to a state position that requires Senate approval for 10 years. Despite some signs of cross-aisle cooperation, bipartisan support hasnt materialized for a proposed amendment that would allow the state to institute a graduated income tax. Supporters said Monday they believed there would be Republican support for the idea, but with a handful of Democrats absent Tuesday, the measure, which requires require a three-fifths majority in each house, wasnt called for a vote. Wednesday is the last day the House can vote on the measure in time for it to appear on the November ballot. Kate Middleton will be featured as the cover girl of British Vogue. The Duchess of Cambridge will be featured on the cover of the magazine's 100th issue. According to Vogue, Kate Middleton will be making an appearance in a 10-page shoot. The photos were taken by Josh Olins which would be released on Vogue's June 2016. The photos were taken on the Queen's Sandringham estate. It was mentioned that Kate Middleton herself was hands on in terms of choosing her photoshoot pieces. During her interview with Vogue, Alexandra Shulman, Vogue's editor-in-chief stated that she enjoyed working with Kate Middleton. "It's a huge honor and incredibly exciting for us to have HRH The Duchess of Cambridge featuring on the cover of British Vogue and as part of our centenary issue," Shulman said. "For me personally it has been a wonderful experience to have had the opportunity to work with her on this, and I am immensely proud of what we have produced." Two portraits from the shoot were installed this evening @NPGLondon in Vogue 100: A Century of Style #Vogue100 pic.twitter.com/25rOfBMT0q Kensington Palace (@KensingtonRoyal) April 30, 2016 "This special issue of the magazine is very close to my heart as it had to reflect on 100 years of British Vogue," Alexandra Shulman continued. "And so I am hugely grateful that we have been able to continue with our tradition of outstanding royal portraiture with these pictures." Aside from being featured on Vogue, Kate Middleton dished out exciting personal details as well. The duchess gave out a sneak peek as to what Princess Charlotte's first birthday would be like. The palace officially released her pre-birthday photos. Here's how Kate Middleton is prepping for Princess Charlotte's first birthday: https://t.co/iVEiiQrODS pic.twitter.com/QKhpCXyCKw InStyle (@InStyle) April 28, 2016 Kate Middleton and Prince William's daughter celebrated her birthday on May 2, Monday. There are were several suggestions as to what the theme would be. People revealed that the royal couple would possible chose a gender neutral theme, but it was not yet confirmed. "I think they will definitely have some sort of theme, maybe something gender-neutral like animals or pretty gingham cotton bunting with elegant lunch settings and canapes for the adults," Sarah Dixon, a maternity nurse working for the royal couple's friends told People. Starbucks is embroiled in a class action lawsuit over iced drinks with ice content as the bone of contention. According to the lawsuit Starbucks deceives customers by serving up less coffee than they represent when making iced drinks. According to CNN, Starbucks is being sued for $5 million Stacy Pincus of Chicago. Stacy Pincus points out that although Starbucks label their cold drinks by fluid ounce, most of the content is really ice. CNN points out that this Starbucks case bears resemblance to a lawsuit filed against McDonald's by a customer. The said customer was burnt by hot coffee that was served through the McDonald's drive-through service. McDonald's lost the case with the court agreeing that the coffee McDonald's served was too hot. While customers pay more for a supposed 24-ounce Venti iced drink, for example, Starbucks really only serves 14 ounces of actual ice coffee liquid. The rest Starbucks makes up for with ice. Although ice is key ingredient to Starbucks cold drinks, 10 ounce of ice far too much ice. "Starbucks is advertising the size of its Cold Drink cups on its menu, rather than the amount of fluid a customer will receive when they purchase a Cold Drink -- and deceiving its customers in the process," the lawsuit stated. "In the iced coffee example, a Starbucks customer who orders and pays for a Venti iced coffee, expecting to receive 24 fluid ounces of iced coffee based on Starbucks' advertisement and marketing, will instead receive only about 14 fluid ounces of iced coffee." An eight word love story: Milk meets Cold Brew; a swirling romance ensues. Happy #NationalColdBrewDay pic.twitter.com/ErqDJdjztk Starbucks Coffee (@Starbucks) April 20, 2016 CBS reports that Starbucks refused to take the lawsuit seriously. Starbucks spokesperson reportedly Jamie Riley shrugged off the complaint. Disregarding the issue of advertised fluid ounce, the Starbucks representative said it's about customer satisfaction. According to Jamie Riley all customers have to do is ask for Starbucks to remake their drink if they are unhappy with what they are served. Starbucks would then happily oblige. The lawsuit was filed against Starbucks in Northern Illinois Federal Court. Steven Hart with Hart, McLaughlin & Eldridge in Chicago is the lead attorney in this Starbucks suit. Republican nominee Ted Cruz is currently making headlines not because of his verbal assaults to Donald Trump or because of his platforms. Cruz is in the news because of his parenting skills. The 2016 U.S. Presidential Election is fast approaching but presidential candidate Ted Cruz is facing the ire of many constituents. In fact, his parenting advice about spanking at a rally in Indiana over the weekend causes a stir. Ted Cruz's Young Protester At the rally in La Porte, Indiana, Ted Cruz was discussing his tax plan before the state's all-important Tuesday primary. However, the 45-year-old politician was taken by surprise when his speech was interrupted by a minor protestor, Think Progress notes. "You suck," the boy, who was about 9 or 10 years old, shouted out. Ted Cruz's Parenting Advice Ted Cruz has been notorious about spanking his daughters when they misbehaved. Cruz has also suggested the Americans to deliver a "spanking" to another presidential candidate, Hillary Clinton, USA Today reveals. When he was interrupted by a young boy during his speech over the weekend, Ted Cruz also gave the same parenting advice, not to mention he publicly shamed the minor heckler. However, did Cruz know that a recent research showed spanking is bad for children? "Apparently there's a young man who's having some problems," Cruz said, as per Daily Mail. "Thank you son, I appreciate you sharing your views. You know, hopefully one of the things somebody has told you is that children should actually speak with respect.' "Imagine what a different world it would be if someone told Donald Trump that years ago," the Texas senator added. "In my household, when a child behaved that way, they'd get a spanking." Social Media Backlash Unfortunately, Ted Cruz's spanking comments were criticized, especially those who advocate that spanking or any corporal punishment is unhealthy for young children. According to The Blaze, several journalists took to social media to mock Cruz. (See some of their tweets below.) Ted Cruz may want to review the research on spanking children before advocating for it: https://t.co/mWtwsBjHDw pic.twitter.com/T9rjBmDU0k New York Magazine (@NYMag) May 2, 2016 Cruz has a real thing for spanking kids. https://t.co/SHImXp41Ez Jeet Heer (@HeerJeet) May 2, 2016 Presidential candidate and child spanking enthusiast Ted Cruz... Erin Gloria Ryan (@morninggloria) May 2, 2016 The Effects Of Spanking To Children Many viewed spanking as a corporal punishment that can help teach children about respect and obedience but it can lead to long-term mental health and behavioral issues. Based on the study published in the Journal of Family Psychology, children who are spanked have potential tendencies to defy their parents, to behave anti-socially and experience increased aggression, mental health problems and cognitive difficulties. Ted Cruz's Parenting Skills And Becoming A President Meanwhile, parenting experts said that no one can make a judgment about someone's parenting based on a carefully choreographed televised campaign of Ted Cruz or Donald Trump and other politicians. Being a good parent also does not ensure the candidate to have effective leadership skills or become the best president. So, will Ted Cruz bring a lot spanking at the White House once he becomes the president of the United States? Sound off below and follow Parent Herald for more news and updates. The mother of late rapper Tupac died on Monday night after she suffered a cardiac arrest. Afeni Shakur's death came 20 years after her son was killed in a drive-by shooting in Las Vegas. IOL reported that Afeni Shakur Davis had a heart attack at around 9:30 p.m. inside her home in Marin County, California. The 69-year-old music businesswoman was rushed to the nearby hospital in Sausalito, but was declared dead an hour after. According to CNN, the death of Tupac's mother does not raise any red flags and possibilities that foul play could be involved. Lt. Doug Pittman mentioned in the same report an autopsy has already been scheduled. "Sheriff's Coroners Office will lead the investigation to determine exact cause & manner of Afeni Shakur's death," authorities said in a statement. Aside from being known as the mom of Tupac, Afeni Shakur Davis also made a name after she established the Tupac Amaru Shakur Foundation in memory of his son. After his death in 1996, Afeni Shakur started raising money for projects which remembered Tupac. It was added in the IOL report that Afeni Shakur's efforts led her to make the "Holler If Ya Hear Me" musical happen in 2014. This special featured all the music and masterpieces of Tupac. Devoting herself to reliving the memory of her son is a testament of the close relationship of Afeni Shakur Davis and Tupac. The artist even wrote a song about his mom in 1995 entitled "Dear Mama." Afeni Shakur, as per CNN, is also considered as a "well-loved and respected" member of her community. Pittman said she was involved in many causes and projects in the neighborhood. "Miss Shakur has had an extensive background not only in the community but her involvement with so many things," the officer said. "She's been a leader, a person people followed. All that said about who she's been and where's she's at now, this is a tragic loss for this community." RIP Afeni Shakur Davis. We're happy to know that you and Tupac are together again up there! A St. Louis jury ordered healthcare and consumer products company Johnson & Johnson (J&J) to pay $55 million in damages to a woman who claimed that the talc contained in the company's baby powder was the reason why she had ovarian cancer. This is the second decision asking J&J to pay damages to because of its powder. According to USA Today, Gloria Ristesund will receive $50 million in punitive damages from the company. Of course, this is in addition to another $5 million she will receive for damages from Johnson & Johnson. The J&J customer said she used the company's baby powder and other feminine products prior to being diagnosed with ovarian cancer. Her disease is now in remission. Ristesund is just one of the many women who has filed legal charges against the company who all claimed that they were not properly informed of the dangers of talc. Johnson & Johnson loses another ovarian cancer lawsuit linked to baby powder: https://t.co/N0JWvd8A48 pic.twitter.com/YmsPerkjyg The Cut (@TheCut) May 4, 2016 Reuters noted that this recent verdict followed a similar decision from the same court last February. J&J was asked to pay $72 million to the family of a woman who died of ovarian cancer after years of using the company's feminine hygiene products. In a statement, J&J spokesperson Carol Goodrich said that the court decisions contradict three decades of research which declares talc safe to use for cosmetic and hygienic purposes. She said that the company will appeal the ruling and stand by the safety of its products. This claim was supported by Winthrop-University Hospital Gynecologic Oncology and Director of Clinical Cancer Services chief Eva Chalas who told USA Today that it is hard to establish a link between talc and ovarian cancer. "The information on talc powder came out many years ago when they saw talc incorporated in the tissue of women with ovarian cancer," Chalas explained. She noted that this led doctors to tell mothers to avoid using talcum powder for their babies and feminine hygiene. Over 2.3 million people are affected by multiple sclerosis (MS) worldwide. Fortunately, a new research program called the RADAR-CNS (Remote assessment of disease and relapse Central Nervous System) project targets to improve patients' quality of life with new drugs approved from Biogen and AbbVie. The prevalence of multiple sclerosis in the United States can only be estimated since the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) does not require American doctors to report cases. But in the U.K., the neurological condition affects about 100,000 people and most are diagnosed between the ages of 20-40, Multiple Sclerosis Society reveals. What Is Multiple Sclerosis? Multiple sclerosis is an unpredictable yet chronic disease of the central nervous system (CNS) that covers the brain, spinal cord and optic nerves. It is an auto-immune disease, where the immune system incorrectly attacks healthy CNS tissue, National Multiple Sclerosis Society defines. Multiple Sclerosis Signs And Symptoms The cause of multiple sclerosis remains unknown but it is linked to genetic and environmental factors. MS signs and symptoms may vary but it include prolonged double vision, partial or complete loss of vision, numbness or weakness in one or more limbs, tingling or pain in parts of your body, unsteady gait or tremor, slurred speech, fatigue and dizziness, Fox 8 reports. New European Research Program The Innovative Medicines Initiative (IMI), which includes 24 member organizations across Europe and the U.S., has funded a new European research program known as the RADAR-CNS project. According to Multiple Sclerosis News Today, the program focuses on developing ways to monitor three main central nervous system diseases: multiple sclerosis, depressive disorder and epilepsy. Launched on Apr. 26, the RADAR-CNS program is led by Kings College London and Janssen Pharmaceutica NV. By using smartphones and wearable device technology, the program enables a continuous remote assessment of patients and with multiple sclerosis, depressive disorder and epilepsy. This latest multiple sclerosis monitoring scheme also provides a complete picture of real-time health status with levels of detail once unachievable. It also has the potential to initiate treatment before someone's health deteriorates by preventing relapses or arresting progression before a patient's need for treatment. Biogen And AbbVie Multiple Sclerosis Injection In addition to the latest multiple sclerosis monitoring program, EU regulators has finally approved a monthly, self-administered and under-the-skin injection from Biogen and AbbVie. The European Medicines Agency said on Apr. 29 that experts had endorsed Zinbryta, or daclizumab, for the treatment of relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS), Reuters notes. This multiple sclerosis injection is the latest addition to a range of modern MS therapies in the United Kingdom. But regulators in the United States, Switzerland, Canada and Australia are also reviewing the drugs. So, what do you think about the latest developments in multiple sclerosis? Share your thoughts below and follow Parent Herald for more news and updates. Hillary Clinton the Democratic frontrunner is facing a controversy about the rape meme circulating online. According to the rape meme, the presidential aspirant volunteered to defend a rape suspect, freed the rapist and laughed about the whole thing. Rape Meme Puts Hillary Clinton In The Bad Light According to Shopes.com, there is a photo circulating online featuring a girl in tears. It was captioned with a short story. According to it, a 42-year old man raped a 12-year-old girl and Hillary Clinton volunteered to be his lawyer. In the court, Hillary reportedly told the judge that the victim just made up the story because she enjoyed fantasizing older men. The now-presidential candidate successfully freed the rapist and she even laughed about the outcome of the case because she is aware that he is guilty. "Hillary Clinton is an advocate for rapists. Not for women or children," the photo ended with this statement. There is a disclaimer suggesting that the story is true, but the photo of the victim is not factual. The Truth About Hillary Clinton's Rape Meme The rape case is true, but the claims in the viral meme were only partially accurate. According to PolitiFact, Hillary Clinton did not volunteer, the judge assigned her that controversial case. Judge Maupin Cumming found Clinton on a list of lawyers who represent low-income clients. Since the client wanted a female lawyer, Cumming picked Clinton. Hillary Clinton doesn't want to be involved and even asked to be relieved from the case. In Clinton's "Living History" autobiography she wrote Washington County prosecutor Mahlon Gibson her intention of dropping her involvement in the case, but he reminder her she can't refuse the judge's request. "Hillary told me she didn't want to take that case. She made that very clear," Gibson told Newsday in 2008. "I don't want to represent this guy. I just can't stand this. I don't want to get involved. Can you get me off?" As for the claims that Hillary Clinton knows that her client was guilty and laughed about freeing him, there is no truth to it. In the recording, Clinton disclosed that she had her client took a lie detector test and polygraph and he passed to which Clinton laughed and said, "which forever destroyed my faith in polygraphs." She laughed not on the case but in the results of the polygraphs. In addition, the rapist ultimately pleaded guilty and spent years behind bars. It is not true that Clinton freed him. However, they asked for a plea bargain. Although there were differences in Hillary Clinton's statement on her 1980 interview and in her autobiography about the case, the facts presented in the rape meme were exaggerated and not completely true. Did you believe that Hillary Clinton freed a rapist and laughed about it? Is this a black propaganda against the presidential candidate? Share your thoughts below. "Outlander" Season 2 recently showed an intimate scene between Jamie Fraser and Claire Randall after their relationship and personal lives suffered following their traumatic experience in Wentworth Prison with Black Jack Randall. Sam Heughan and Caitriona Balfe weighed in on falling in love with each other while filming such intimate scenes on the Starz time traveler series. This article contains spoilers. Read on if you want to learn more about this story. "Outlander" stars Caitriona Balfe and Sam Heughan have been plagued with dating rumors because of their onscreen and behind-the-scenes chemistry. It is no wonder that fans and viewers are hoping that these two will get together in real life, especially because of their undeniable chemistry when they do intimate scenes for the show. In a recent interview on "Wake Up with Taylor," Caitirona Balfe admitted that she is not likely to fall in love with her co-star, Sam Heughan, reports People. Despite their steamy sex scenes in "Outlander," Balfe said that she and Heughan are only acting. "You know, I feel very lucky, Sam and I have an amazing bond, we're really great friends - but, you know, it's acting," said Balfe. Balfe also shared that developing feelings for Heughan while filming intimate scenes is unlikely to happen given that they film those kinds of scenes in front of a lot of people. Heughan also said that his relationship with Balfe is nothing more than friends and while it saddens him to hear such kinds of rumors about them, he feels that they have done a good job acting for "Outlander." In "Outlander" Season 2, Jamie and Claire recently made love after Jamie found out that his nemesis, Black Jack, was still alive. Heughan told The Hollywood Reporter that Jamie was happy to learn that Black Jack was still alive because he can take control of his life again. "It's like finally he's been released from Randall's nightmare. His cure comes from a very strange place, from Randall himself," Heughan said. "Outlander" Season 2 airs Saturdays on Starz. An unidentified vessel sank a Vietnamese fishing boat on Tuesday night in the waters off Vietnams Hoang Sa archipelago (Paracel Islands), leaving 34 fishermen floating at sea for hours. The fishermen were unable to identify the ship due to the darkness. The fishermen, from the central province of Quang Nam, used an ICOM device to inform authorities. On Wednesday morning, a Vietnamese boat fishing near the area rescued the fishermen, who were very weak following several hours at sea, according to Truong Cong Bay, deputy chairman of the Peoples Committee of Binh Minh commune, Thang Binh district, Quang Nam province. They are expected to arrive on the mainland late on Thursday. The boat sank just minutes after being hit, and the 34 fishermen had to jump into the sea. The position where the incident took place is about 350 miles from northern Hoang Sa, Bay said. Also on Wednesday morning, Vietnams Zone II Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre in Danang sent out rescue ship SAR 412 to tow the damaged boat to the mainland. Vietnams Hoang Sa archipelago is illegally occupied by China. On March 6 and 18, two Vietnamese fishing boats operating around Hoang Sa were attacked and robbed by Chinese marine surveillance ship 46101. At least three more Vietnamese fishing boats were also attacked in March, according to fishermen. Co-founder and CEO of Whatsapp Jan Koum slammed a Brazilian judge who blocked the app in the country for the second time in just six months. Koum said that he would not back down on keeping messages on the network encrypted as service of the app was restored on Tuesday. The popular messaging app, WhatsApp, was made inaccessible to nearly 100 million users in Brazil after cellular providers blocked its access. A Brazilian state judge ordered service providers to comply or face a fine of 500,000 Brazilian reals ($143,000) daily. The order on WhatsApp was to be held for 72 hours due to an ongoing drug-trafficking case in state court. The judge ordered the WhatsApp service to be shut down due to the company's refusal to cooperate in a criminal investigation, according to WSJ. Koum explains that millions of innocent people from Brazil are being punished due to a court that is forcing WhatsApp to turn over information they simply do not have. Sending encrypted messages means that no one else can read them, not even people from WhatsApp. The ruling came from Judge Marcel Maia Montalvao who also ordered the arrest of a Facebook executive who was overseeing operations in Latin American for the same case in March. The ban is just one in a series of clashes between WhatsApp and the Brazilian government. In December 2015, an appeal court quickly overturned the ruling of a 48-hour blockade of WhatApp in Brazil. The WhatsApp app is installed on 91 percent of all Android devices in Brazil where users spend an average of one hour per day on the app, according to Similar Web, a market research firm. Blocking WhatsApp will have a major impact on the lives of Brazil's citizens since it is the most-used app in the country of 200 million people, according to Forbes. On Tuesday, a different Brazilian judge overturned the ban on WhatsApp about 24 hours after Montalvao blocked it. Koum said in a statement that the company has no intention of compromising people's security as they hope their voices will be in heard in support of an open and secure Internet. Some families and health care givers focus too much on giving drugs and medications to kids who have attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and not enough on behavior modification therapy for ADHD treatment. But according to U.S. health officials, behavior therapy for 2 to 5-years-old children with ADHD is better than giving them ADHD medication. "Behavior therapy has been shown to help improve symptoms in young children with ADHD and can be as effective as medicine, but without the side effects," U.S. CDC principal deputy director Dr. Anne Schuchat told the media via Philly.com. She also noted that research has shown that the positive results of behavior therapy can last for many years. Another advantage of using behavior modification therapy for ADHD treatment is that it does not have side effects. Some of the side effects of using ADHD medication include sleeping problems, loss of appetite, delayed growth, headaches, stomach pain, irritability when meds wear off, tics and moodiness, according to the Child Mind Institute. 1/3 of children w/ ADHD are diagnosed b/w 2-5 yrs old. Behavior therapy is the rec. first step for them. #VitalSigns https://t.co/sdIvOUYCpT CDC (@CDCgov) May 3, 2016 Over 6 million American kids have attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and approximately 2 million of those children are diagnosed before the age of 6. ADHD symptoms include hyperactivity, impulsiveness, restlessness and short attention span. Aside from focusing more on behavior modification therapy and less on ADHD medication, the CDC also suggest that health care providers should work closely with families in order to provide the best method of ADHD treatment for children. Families and health care givers should always discuss behavior modification therapy first before talking about ADHD medication. North Carolina teachers rolled out a list of demands at the legislative building on Tuesday with teachers pay being the utmost concern. The move comes after North Carolina teachers rank one of the lowest in the country in terms of pay. In terms of teacher's pay, North Carolina only ranks 42nd in the country. In 2015, about 14.8 percent of North Carolina teachers left their jobs while some left their positions permanently. A 2015 report from the Department of Public Instruction said that more teachers are leaving North Carolina to teach in other states. According to data compiled from the National Center for Education Statistics, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and the U.S. Census Bureau, North Carolina was called the worst state for teachers in the country. The study was based on factors such as teacher's salary, median annual salary, teachers' wage disparity, public school funding, and safety in schools. Data from the National Center for Education Statistics conclude that 16 percent of teachers in the country are forced to work a second job different from the school system, according to Huffington Post. Unfortunately, the figures are nearly 25 percent in North Carolina - the third highest in the country. In April 2016, Governor Pat McCrory announced his proposal to increase to average pay of North Carolina teachers by an average of 5 percent. Each teacher is posed to receive more than $50,000 a year, according to ABC 11. In addition, educators would receive a 3.5 percent bonus while veteran teachers with more than 24 years of service would get an additional $5,000. Legislators are expected to discuss the governor's budget proposal within the week. One teacher expressed her concern by saying that she has not felt the effects of the pay raise supposedly passed down by the governor. Angela Waiters Jackson, a teacher from Guildford County said that she has since thought about leaving the profession due to the inability to pay back her student loans. North Carolina teachers remain optimistic on seeing significant increases for teachers in the state, according to Rodney Ellis, president of the North Carolina Association of Educators (NCAE), the state's largest teacher advocacy group. However, Ellis explains that they cannot simply place a lot of faith until the process actually plays out. Parents all over England are not happy about the government's compulsory tests for primary school students and are keeping their children off school. Participation in the kids' strike varied across the different parts of England. The Guardian reported that there are estimates that around 30,000 families are taking part of the kids' strike, many schools in England are not affected. Meanwhile, a number of schools in Brighton and London have reported high absence rates. Parents Want SATs Boycotted A petition that called for a boycott of primary school Standard Assessment Tests (SATs) has been signed by more than 40,000 parents. The parents supporting the Let Our Kids Be Kids Campaign have said that there is a "damaging culture of over-testing," according to BBC. The Daily Mail said that the Let Our Kids Be Campaign encourage the kids strike and said that the primary school students are "over-tested, over-worked and in a school system that places more importance on test results and league tables than children's happiness and joy of learning. The SATs are supposed be taken later this month. Value Of SATs Questioned "The children are being put under undue stress and my argument is what is the value of what comes from this testing. I think it is questionable," children's laureate Chris Riddell said, as per The Guardian. Riddell was speaking to a public demonstration held by hundreds of families at Preston Park, Brighton. Riddell also challenged Education Secretary Nick Morgan's pronouncement that participating in the kids' strike was harmful to their education. Riddell, according to the Guardian, said that learning to question the government's policies was "an important lesson." Should the parents stay defiant and keep their kids off school? Write your comments below. New mothers breastfeeding their baby know the challenges that come with it all too well. Apart from producing enough milk, moms also experience difficulty and pain when the baby doesn't latch correctly. This frustration pushes some moms to give up on breastfeeding altogether. However, help could be on the way with this new gadget that promises to make breastfeeding a lot easier. Called MomSense, this breastfeeding gadget was developed by an Israeli startup company to help mothers stick with their natural feeding plan. MomSense looks and works like a regular pair of headphones that can be attached to any type of tablet or smartphone. In the middle of the wire is a patch that is supposed to attach to the baby's earlobe. This helps the mom tell if the baby is actually getting milk from her breast as the patch will amplify the baby's sound as she swallows. MomSense As A Helpful Feeding Monitor Moms can monitor every feeding with the MomSense app, which can be downloaded for both iOS and Android operating systems, per its official site. From their phones, moms can check their breastfeeding activity as an animated display charts the baby's feeding patterns. After nursing the baby, the gadget will also log how much milk she has drank. MomSense CEO Osnat Emanuel believes that the device is not just a monitor for breastfeeding and milk consumption. "It allows a mom to develop a sense of how her baby is feeding," said Emanuel via Fast Company. "In one or two sessions, she knows to identify how her baby's swallow sounds." The breastfeeding gadget is already at Target stores and retails for $89. Baby Center reports that eventually, the device might find its way on the shelves of other big retailers. Demo the Smart Breastfeeding Meter before you buy. As intuitive as Mother Nature and here's why! Watch video: https://t.co/bQtbJPIgfl Momsense (@my_momsense) April 29, 2016 MomSense, A Dangerous Device? However, despite its offer for convenience, some moms have misgivings about using a breastfeeding gadget while feeding. "Mothers have been nursing without such devices since forever," said one commenter via Baby Center. "The inherent dangers of such is that you will stop responding to your baby's needs and feed based on what the machine is telling you." What is your take on MomSense? What are the other advantages and disadvantages you see from using a breastfeeding device? Watch the video below for more breastfeeding tips: From the writers and directors of "Hangover" comes a comedy movie that tackles the pressures of motherhood. The red band trailer for "Bad Moms" -- starring Mila Kunis, Kristen Bell, Christina Applegate, Jada Pinkett-Smith, Kathryn Hahn and Annie Mumolo -- has left mothers around the internet laughing as they relate with the pressures of being a mom, as shown in the film. Looks like it's Dad's turn to watch the kids. Check out the new poster for #BadMoms. Only in theaters July 29th. pic.twitter.com/apcj4yEgPZ Bad Moms (@BadMoms) April 29, 2016 The Pressures Of Being A Perfect Mother "Bad Moms" follows the story of Amy (Mila Kunis), who reached her breaking point from her seemingly perfect life, reported Screenrant. She becomes stressed out from the endless demands from her kids, demands to be the perfect mom and from other moms, plus the demands of a difficult job. To keep her sanity, she joined forces with two friends (played by Kristen Bell and Kathryn Hahn), who happened to feel the same way about their lives. "I'm so tired of trying to be this perfect mom," she tells her girlfriends. "I'm done." Naturally, their actions to be different were frown upon especially by PTA leader, portrayed by Christina Applegate. The trio, who decide to be "Bad Moms," are up against PTA organizers (Christina Applegate, Jada Pinkett Smith and Annie Mumolo), who are intent to become the perfect ones, reports Daily Mail UK. Being 'Bad Moms' Just like the original "Hangover" film, "Bad Moms" featured a raucous tone about motherhood that most moms can relate to. Deciding on becoming bad moms, the characters of Mila Kunis, Kristen Bell and Kathryn Hahn decide to get drunk, bring store-bought baked goods to a PTA event, (a no-no to perfect moms) and talk openly about their lives from their bras down to how awful their sex lives were, reported Today. No matter how bad they wanted to be, the "Bad Moms" trailer ended with the trio expressing how much they loved their children despite the many bad things their kids have done. "I love them so much. I would literally die for them right now," says Kunis. "Children are such a gift," Bell replies through her tears. "Bad Moms" is written and directed by Jon Lucas and Scott Moore. The "Bad Moms" release date is scheduled on July 29. Watch the "Bad Moms" trailer below: Most clinics, labs and hospitals in the world require patients to have an empty stomach before getting their cholesterol and triglyceride levels checked out. However, a team of international health experts has recommended for the first time that fasting before a cholesterol test is no longer necessary for most people. Your doctor was wrong in prescribing cholesterol-lowering drugs https://t.co/adWruSKKfI pic.twitter.com/1WRekKwroq Hindustan Times (@htTweets) May 3, 2016 Evidence From Research Their conclusion is based on research conducted in Canada, Denmark and the U.S. which involved the study of more than 300,000 people. "Interestingly, evidence is lacking that fasting is superior to non-fasting when evaluating the lipid profile for cardiovascular risk assessment," noted the health experts from the European Atherosclerosis Society (EAS) and the European Federation of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine (EFLM), via Medical News Today. Among the three countries mentioned, only Denmark does not require patients to go fasting before a cholesterol test. Denmark has not required patients to go fasting before a cholesterol test since 2009. The health experts also argued that fasting before cholesterol test is a hindrance for many people to get their cholesterol levels checked out. 9 food rules you should be following if you're taking cholesterol-lowering drugs: https://t.co/Tt0i5chhd5 pic.twitter.com/K13zxG5V5H Prevention Magazine (@PreventionMag) May 3, 2016 Problems Of Fasting Before Cholesterol Test Fasting before a cholesterol test can be a problem for kids, the elderly, workers and people who suffer from diabetes. "We hope that non-fasting cholesterol testing will make more patients together with their doctors implement lifestyle changes and if necessary statin treatment to reduce the global burden of cardiovascular disease and premature death," study author Brge Nordestgaard told Medical News Today. A person who avoids fatty food, eats plenty of food rich in omega-3 fatty acids and fiber, exercises regularly, avoids smoking, maintains a normal body weight and drinks alcohol moderately has a great chance to lower his cholesterol level, Mayo Clinic shares. Maintaining these healthy lifestyle habits can also make it even more unnecessary to go fasting before a cholesterol test. "Captain America: Civil War" might be about the conflicts between Chris Evans' Steve Rogers and Robert Downey Jr.'s Tony Stark, but the film also has a brilliant scene-stealer in Tom Holland's Spider-Man. Early reviews have already raved about the new Peter Parker, who gets to be a major part of the action in "Captain America: Civil War." But just how different is the "Captain America: Civil War" Spider-Man from the previous Peter Parkers? Here are 3 reasons why Tom Holland's new Spidey could be the best webslinger in cinematic history! Tom Holland's New Spider-Man Looks AND Sounds Like An Actual Teenager Marvel big boss Kevin Feige has already confirmed with SlashFilm that "Captain America: Civil War," as well as Tom Holland's solo flick "Spider-Man: Homecoming," will feature "a much younger Spidey" who doesn't look like a twenty-something. "The other heroes don't have to worry about homework. They don't have to worry about being home at a certain time," Feige said. "That's what makes Spider-Man Spider-Man." Tom Holland is an actual teenager and his Spider-Man voice certainly sounds like he hasn't hit puberty quite yet. A new teaser for "Captain America: Civil War" features Spider-Man going up against Sebastian Stan's Bucky Barnes. In the "Captain America: Civil War" clip, Spider-Man is seen exclaiming about The Winter Soldier's bionic arm. Any other superhero would simply scoff at Bucky's prosthesis, but not Spider-Man, who gushes, "That's awesome!" Tom Holland's New Spider-Man Is Already In Control Of His Powers Kevin Feige also stated that Tom Holland's Peter Parker has kept his superhero alter-ego for some time and has had some practice before his "Captain America: Civil War" appearance. "We also wanted to let audiences know he's already Spider-Man; he's been Spider-Man for a little while when we meet him," Feige said. This means he might be young and has a tendency to get overly talkative. However, he already knows how to work his way around the more experienced Avengers and isn't prone to rookie mistakes in "Captain America: Civil War." What Marvel got right about Spider-Man that the solo movies got wrong: https://t.co/b4ieKUtO7i pic.twitter.com/bnodr8HdGJ ScreenCrush (@screencrushnews) May 4, 2016 Tom Holland's New Spider-Man Is Hilarious The one thing that the young Peter Parker had going for him in the comic books has always been his tendency for brilliant one-liners. Tom Holland is already getting rave reviews for his performance in "Captain America: Civil War," even from costar Chris Evans (via IGN). There is a great possibility that Marvel fans will love him just as well. Catch Tom Holland as Peter Parker/Spider-Man in "Captain America: Civil War," which hits theaters on May 6. He will also appear in "Spider-Man: Homecoming," which is scheduled for release on July 7, 2017. Posting on Facebook may be fun, but when you make a Facebook post asking a question about bringing guns to school, you'll end up in hot water. This New Mexico mom made the mistake of writing about a possible school shooting attempt instead of contacting the police, resulting to her conviction and a fine. Facebook Post About Bringing Guns To School Jeanette Garza Alvarez, out of sheer innocence, -- or ignorance -- asked Facebook users if any of their kids go to Sierra Middle School. Her query didn't end there though. She made a subsequent statement saying, "My son says some 8th graders are planning on bringing guns to school maybe Monday and have a shootout to see who's the first to die." According to Good Housekeeping, the mom was just trying to confirm the rumor, which was why she was asking online. Though her question was without malice, the mere rumor of students planning to bring guns to school made many parents panicky, causing them to prohibit their children in school. Facebook Post Without Malice Malice is not a requisite in acts where mere negligence is punishable. In the case of Alvarez, her Facebook post caused widespread panic among parents. It led to 160 children skipping classes that Monday. In addition, the school administration received about 100 calls. Having caused panic of such magnitude, Alvarez was convicted for creating public nuisance. Imposed penalty was a 30-day deferred sentence. She also had to shell out $29 for court fines, according to the Associated Press. Duty To Report To Police Not Post Online Todd Wildermuth, Roswell Police spokesman said that parents who come to learn of such info must report to the police and not post online. The police said, via the Washington Post, that the mother's concern for the safety of her son and the other students was understandable, but she should have called the school or the police department instead of posting on Facebook. Although it was petty misdemeanor with only a light penalty, Alvarez's attorney still plans to appeal the conviction. He also stated that Alvarez's First Amendment rights have been violated. Other Cases Of Facebook Post Gone Wrong This wasn't the first case of people ending up in hot water for posting on Facebook. One 12-year-old girl from Virginia was also charged for an Instagram post which showed the use of a bomb, knife and emoji. Said girl was charged for threatening her school. Do you know of other instances where people ended up in hot water because of a social media post? Share your thoughts below. The upcoming Marvel film, "Doctor Strange" features an interesting story of a surgeon turned sorcerer. Many are hopeful that the film will be a hit. However, according to reports not everyone was impressed with "Doctor Strange," especially about the casting of The Ancient One. George Takei On The 'Doctor Strange' Controversy The "Star Trek" actor, George Takei did not agree with the casting of Tilda Swinton for the role of The Ancient One in "Doctor Strange". The Ancient One is a traditional Tibetan character and having Swinton played the role "whitewashed" the character. George Takei turned to Facebook and rant about his observation in the "Doctor Strange" casting. "So let me get this straight. You cast a white actress so you wouldn't hurt sales...in Asia? This backpedaling is nearly as cringeworthy as the casting. Marvel must think we're all idiots," Takei wrote. Per the Guardian, Takei is a regular critic of Hollywood's habit of sidelining East Asian actors in favor of white performers. Takei felt that the Ancient One is a racist stereotype and that Tilda was cast because white audiences want to see a white actor. Marvel's Response To Takei's Complaint In 'Doctor Strange' Casting Marvel Studio explained to Mashable that Marvel has a strong record of diversity when it comes to casting. "The Ancient One is a title that is not exclusively held by any one character, but rather a moniker passed down through time, and in this particular film the embodiment is Celtic. We are very proud to have the enormously talented Tilda Swinton portray this unique and complex character alongside our richly diverse cast," Marvel Studio said. However, no matter what Marvel say, Takei is a strong believer that Asians have a limited opportunity in Hollywood and that Asian roles are assigned to white actors. "Until that mindset can change, and the studios do something to stop this practice (Remember The Last Airbender? Aloha?) I will continue to speak out," Takei said. "Doctor Strange" will hit the big screens on Nov. 4, 2016. Do you agree with Takei's stand on The Ancient One casting in "Doctor Strange?" Do you believe that Tilda Swinton is perfect for the role? Share your thoughts below. The Vietnam Maritime Administration (VMA) has issued a warning to local shipowner associations after crew members of foreign tug boats were abducted in waters off Malaysia's East Sabah and the southern Philippines, the VMA said in a recent statement. The warning was made after the VMA received a special report about crew being abducted from tug boats in the region from the Singapore-based Regional Cooperation Agreement on Combating Piracy and Armed Robbery against Ships in Asia (ReCAAP). ReCAAP is a regional government-to-government agreement that aims to promote and enhance cooperation against piracy and armed robbery in Asia. The VMA instructed local shipowners to follow security plans already approved by Vietnamese authorities and take the necessary measures to avoid any incidents in these areas. From March 26 to April 15, the ReCAAP Focal Point (Philippines) reported three incidents of abducted crew from tug boats in the waters off East Sabah and the southern Philippines. The incidents occurred on board Indonesian-registered tug boat the Brahma 12 on March 26, Malaysian-registered tug boat the Massive 6 on April 1 and Indonesian-registered tug boat the Henry that was towing a barge on April 15. The shipping industry is advised to keep watch while ships are at anchor, keep vessels and their surroundings well-lit and sound the alarm if unknown people are sighted in the vicinity or on board. They should also keep close watch on advice issued on navigational telexes, report all incidents, avoid the areas where possible and maintain continuous communication with law enforcement agencies or their companies, according to the ReCAAP report. In April, this site reported that CRF Frozen Foods will be voluntarily recalling 15 of its frozen vegetables because of a possible Listeria contamination. This week, the company announced that it will expand the recall process and will now involve frozen organic and non-organic fruits and vegetables. With the help of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, CRF found that seven people from three U.S. states have fallen ill and was hospitalized because of Listeria, CNN reported. It was found that some of the victims became ill after consuming food products manufactured by CRF. Two people have died out of the seven reported, but it wasn't Listeria that caused their deaths, CRF said via a statement. Symptoms And Consequences Of Listeria Listeria occurs when a person consumes food contaminated with the bacterium Listeria monocytogenes, according to CDC's official site. Some of the symptoms of the infection are fatigue, headache, loss of balance, fever, stiff neck and confusion. Pregnant women infected with Listeria can suffer miscarriages, premature delivery, stillbirth and with their newborns acquiring fatal infections. Listeria can be treated with antibiotics. Those who have eaten food contaminated with Listeria but do not display any symptoms do not require tests or treatment. Experts, however, warned that people infected with Listeria can end up dead even with immediate care. Products Affected CRF's expanded recall includes every frozen organic and non-organic fruit and vegetables processed beginning on May 1, 2014, CNN wrote. The productswhich constitute around 358 consumer goods retailed under 42 separate brandsinclude cherries, cranberries, strawberries, carrots, cauliflower, green beans, onions, potatoes and stir fry packets. For the complete rundown of all affected products, head to the Food and Drug Administration's official site. Some of the brands included in CRF's expanded recall are being sold by national grocery chains with local extensions like Costco, Trader Joe's and Walmart, WCVB Boston listed. Costco is also expanding a recall in Western Canada for the frozen Organic Butternut Squash and Organic Vegetable Medley, which both came from the Organic by Nature brand, CBC.ca wrote. CRF has apologized to their customers about the issue. The company, which is based in Pasco, Washington, said customers can return the contaminated products they bought from the store and ask for a refund. Dole Covers Up Listeria Contamination Aside from CRF, the Dole Food Company also recently came under fire for hiding a listeria contamination in its salad products. Food Safety News reported that Dole knew about the listeria contamination in the salad since July 2014 after conducting an internal test. United States President Barack Obama's goal of having 100,000 Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) teachers in place in the American education system by 2021 is on its way, according to the US government. The STEM goal is an effort to prepare students to be competitive. In his State of the Union Address back in 2011, Obama had issued a call to action to put 100,000 new STEM teachers in American classrooms by 2021. According to the White House, the vision was to equip a new generation of problem-solvers with the STEM skills that are necessary to uplift the economy, lead America and solve the most pressing challenges of the world. Obama to highlight private funding for STEM teacher training https://t.co/4y0areGfBi pic.twitter.com/7yD7YBR1Rc Washington Examiner (@dcexaminer) May 3, 2016 More Than 30,000 Teachers Now Trained in STEM Heeding Obama's call, a network called 100Kin10 set out to meet the 100,000 STEM teacher goal by 2021. The White House said that 100Kin10 is made up of 280 organizations, such as government agencies, school districts, universities, foundations, nonprofit organizations, corporations and museums. The Washington Examiner reported that some of the organizations belonging to 100Kin10 are the Clinton Global Initiative, Teach for America, the American Federation of Teachers. The Girl Scouts and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration are also part of the network. 100Kin10's co-founder and executive director Talia Milgrom-Elcott said via Washington Examiner that the 100,000 goal "sounded impossible" five years ago. However, they have reached a "milestone" due to the cooperation of various organizations. STEM Teacher Retention A Problem It is said that there is a problem of retention among teachers who teach STEM. "Science teachers have many reasons to leave, namely low salaries, too much testing, lack of resources, and lack of support from administrators," National Science Teachers Association's executive director, David Evans said in an e-mail to The Christian Science Monitor. Chair of the International STEM Education Association Chair of the International STEM Education Association Michael Daugherty added via a phone interview with The Christian Science Monitor that teachers who do not further their education become irrelevant and leave. "The research shows that the more teachers are engaged professionally the more likely they are to stay in the field," said Daugherty. How do you think President's Obama's goal will impact education in America? Write your comments below. We may be living at a time when education should be readily available for everyone, but knowledge still appears to be hard to come by. A new research suggests that black and Latino students are still a few grade levels behind their white classmates. Stanford University conducted an educational study on the test scores of around 40 million US students and discovered that students of color had lower scores than white students. In addition to that, the academic-achievement gap between white and colored students was even greater in wealthy university towns like Evanston in Illinois and Berkeley in California. Is It A Poverty Issue? The researchers of Stanford University were quick to analyze whether poverty was a major factor in the gap, since children of color tend to come from poorer families. However, it seems as though that is not the only factor. The study found that there is still an the academic-achievement gap still exists between white and colored students who have similar socioeconomic backgrounds and go to the same schools. So what is happening in these schools that are allowing white students to be more knowledgeable than their Latino and black classmates? Racial Segregation In School Stanford University professor Sean Reardon, who also served as a lead researcher on the study, told The Atlantic that one of the causes of the educational gap could be the tendency for white students to be tracked into more demanding courses. This usually leads to white children learning so much more compared to their colored classmates. "The results of these descriptive analyses are unequivocal," Reardon stated. "Racial segregation is strongly associated with racial achievement gaps; and the racial difference in the proportion of students' schoolmates who are poor is the key dimension of segregation driving this association." It certainly sounds like the issue can be easily overlooked by schools, but Reardon hopes that something will be done with the help of their research. "This isn't a little problem," he stated. "We've got to work on lots of fronts at once." "American Crime Story" season 2, by Ryan Murphy and aired on FX, will follow a successful first season on "People Vs OJ Simpson." Reports point to Hurricane Katrina as the new theme to match "People Vs OJ Simpson" on the "American Crime Story" series. E! News reports that executive producer Nina Jacobson calmed down qualms over comparisons between "People Vs OJ Simpson" and Hurricane Katrina. Jacobson acknowledged that Hurricane Katrina does not have the initial sensationalism that "People Vs OJ Simpson" has. The story continues long after the trial ends... #ThePeoplevOJSimpson available now on FXNOW. pic.twitter.com/8o1rXedQzK AmericanCrimeStoryFX (@ACSFX) 11 April 2016 However, Nina Jacobson pointed out that Hurricane Katrina will offer the suspense that "People Vs OJ Simpson" did not have. Executive producer Brad Simpson explained that viewers will not be able to foretell the outcome of "American Crime Story" season 2. Unlike in "People Vs OJ Simpson," followers will not know ahead of time who lives and who dies in Hurricane Katrina. One thing "American Crime Story" season 2 promises to continue from "People Vs OJ Simpson" is to take a familiar story and give it fresh perspective. Hurricane Katrina will make people care about the "American Crime Story" season 2 characters as much as they did in "People Vs OJ Simpson." According to The Hollywood Reporter, the Hurricane Katrina script for "American Crime Story" season 2 is already in the works. The new "American Crime Story" season will follow a band of people, and the term crime will be redefined and broadened. American Crime Story producing director Anthony Hemingway emphasized that "American Crime Story" season 2's take on Hurricane Katrina will be very different from Treme. "I think it will have as much of an impact and be as effective as 'O.J.,' but untraditionally," Hemingway said. Just finished #PeoplevsOJSimpson. Loved It. Yes, it's a bit heightened & camp, but it's still brilliant TV. @MsSarahPaulson for the Emmy! Ricky Gervais (@rickygervais) April 20, 2016 Returnees from "People Vs OJ Simpson" such as "American Horror Story' star Sarah Paulson and Cuba Gooding Jr. have not been confirmed. However John Travolta, who played John Shapiro in the first season, earnestly expressed his interest in signing up for "American Crime Story" season 2. "Dishonored 2" by publisher Bethesda Softworks will bring in star power from "Game Of Thrones," "The Wire" and "Fallout 4." Bethesda will continue the legacy of "Star Wars" star Carrie Fisher, Susan Sarandon and "Game Of Thrones" star Lena Headey from the first "Dishonored." Bethesda's "Dishonored" was one of last generation's best and most under-appreciated games. A first person stealth-action hybrid, "Dishonored" was praised for its narrative. "Dishonored" also showed strong in its hybrid gameplay. "Dishonored" took place in the fictional city of Dunwall (inspired by industrial 19th century London and Edinburgh). The plot took "Dishonored" through the story of royal bodyguard Corvo Attano. "Dishonored" saw Corvo Attano framed for crime he did not commit and thereupon stripped of his title. Events contrived to force Corvo Attano into becoming a rogue assassin, who seeks vengeance on those that dishonored him. See the first-ever #Dishonored2 gameplay at our #BE3 Showcase! It all happens 6.12.16 live and on Twitch & YouTube. pic.twitter.com/SjFcDWM8kT Bethesda Softworks (@bethesda) May 3, 2016 Several notable voice talents were recruited for the first "Dishonored." Besides Susan Sarandon, "Star Wars" star Carrie Fisher and "Game Of Thrones" actress Lena Headey, "Kill Bill" actor Michael Madsen was also int he first "Dishonored" line up. Bethesda reveals November release date for Dishonored 2 https://t.co/lIw3YgVRdl pic.twitter.com/05CIJgYaGI Game Informer (@gameinformer) May 3, 2016 Bethesda now takes the success of the original "Dishonored" and plans to build a franchise out of it. IGN reports that "Dishonored 2" voice actors include Stephen Russell who voiced Nick Valentine in "Fallout 4." The "Fallout 4" actor will voice Corvo Attano in "Dishonored 2." "Fallout 4" will also lend Erica Luttrel, who voiced Darla in the Bethesda hit. The "Fallout 4" actress will play female lead Emily in "Dishonored 2." Gameinformer reports that the "Fallout 4" actors will also be joined by "Daredevil" stars Vincent D'Onofrio and Rosario Dawson in "Dishonored 2." "Game Of Thrones" actor Pedro Pascal and Jamie Hector from "The Wire" will also play key roles in "Dishonored 2." Along with new and returning characters "Dishonored 2" will take place in a new and brighter setting, in contrast to the original's dank environment. Bethesda announced that "Dishonored 2" is dated for release on November 11, 2016 on PC, PS4, and Xbox One. Expect to see more of "Dishonored 2" at this year's E3. The group paraded along the streets for about an hour before marching around the Consulate General of China in Osaka. How to find an apartment to rent in Paris? To help you find the perfect modern apartment or studio for rent, we provide a search engine that crawls through the thousands of properties in our prospectus and matches references with your rental criteria. The default ranking for results is by relevance. To ensure the best results we strongly recommend that you indicate the dates you require accommodation for as well as the arrondissement, district or your budget. Our places cover all Parisian areas such as the 8th Arrondissement, Saint-Germain-des-Pres, Rue de Rivoli, the Louvre Museum... You can also add more criteria to your search. We recommend in particular that you set a minimum and maximum budget as well as the number of rooms you want (Studio, 1 bedroom, 2 bedrooms...). Once you have your search results just select the apartments you like and submit your inquiry. To maximize the chances of finding your ideal apartment we suggest you choose at least three properties. When I talk with New Zealands Nadia Reid over Skype, she tells me the future is bright. Its Saturday in my city, and Im under a grey winter sky, but Reid is waking up to a summer Sunday. When I ask her what I can look forward to tomorrow, she assures me the day is really beautiful and sunny. The feeling of needing to catch up to Reid seems entirely appropriate given the timeline of her debut LP Listen to Formation, Look for the Signs. After self-releasing her album back in 2014, it wasnt until March 2015 when Spunk Records picked it up in Australasia and November when Scissortail Records released it in the US and Melodic Records in the EU. As reviews from publications like Uncut Magazine, Mojo and Pitchfork started streaming in, audiences in New Zealand and abroad did, too. Finally arriving to where Reid had been all along. As soon as New Zealand starts seeing America and Europe talking about an artist or featuring them in something, they feel like its actually worth supporting. Which is a sad reality, Reid says. Its frustrating but perhaps the way it goes. Reids captivating ability to convey emotions is what audiences are greeted with when they do hear Listen to Formation, Look for the Signs. In the records emotional journey of falling in and out of love, Reids warm voice is the steady centre of the positives and negatives. Her cadence bites at some moments and reveals a deep sadness at others, but, most compellingly, is marked by a self-assurance. From the albums opening lyric, When I hit the ground in all my glory, I will know where I have come from, Reid exudes confidence and is ready to take on the future. This shit happens, and it can be really hard, but we just carry on, explains Reid. We just keep going. And [the record] is me talking about it, and Im alright. When Reid picked up the guitar at 14, she wasnt thinking about having a career in music. After leaving school in 2009, Reid worked as a nanny and in a restaurant, but after releasing her debut Letters I Wrote and Never Sent EP in 2011, a career began to take shape. Though she now characterizes the EP as very teenage-y and filled with cringe moments, it does show how much Reid has grown in a few short years. I sort of go from feeling like I never want [the EP] to be heard by anyone ever again, but then I also like the fact that it represents that point in time, she says. I was 17 when we made that, and I had no idea what it was like being in a studio. I remember feeling so nervous just playing with other musicians. Unlike the snapshot of youth the EP represents, Listen to Formation, Look for the Signs is an accumulation of about seven years worth of songs and captures Reids maturation during that time. The album in many ways had been pushed back, says Reid. I wanted to make it a couple of years before it happened, but I didnt because of reasons like self-doubt or not having the ability or the finances or the support to make the album. As soon as I felt the need to, it happened. When we got into the studio, the album was so ready to be made that it just happened in under 10 days. The timing was perfect. This extended songwriting period ultimately gave Reid time to reflect and mature both personally and as a musician. In the song Reaching Through, with its declarative opening statement, I keep the art separate from the love, Reid meditates on her role as a songwriter and the challenge of writing songs that use metaphor rather than retell personal stories. I think at the time I was writing [Reaching Through], I had just started seeing my ex-partner, and it was me reflecting on keeping my personal, intimate relationships separate from what I write about and what I perform. It was me reflecting on how it would mortify me for someone like him or someone else to say, what are you trying to say? or what does this part mean? It was me thinking about having two parts to it. Which is hard, and I dont think I do it all the time. I feel very privileged that I am able to have this ability to process and heal, she continues. But then sometimes, its quite overwhelming on how public it is. I dont think Ive grasped that quite yet. What helps further convey Reids emotions is the warm folk style she works with on the record. Primarily anchored by an acoustic guitar, Listen to Formation, Look for the Signs glistens with additional instrumentation the smoky Ruby is punctuated by a double bass, while the pedal steel wails with growing pains on Seasons Change. Its a sonic style that she says was shaped, in part, by Vancouver folk trio The Be Good Tanyas and also praises fellow New Zealanders Tiny Ruins (Hollie Fullbrook) and Aldous Harding for paving the way. People want to feel connected, and I think, in a way, folk music is raw and authentic enough to connect with people on a deeper level, she says. I think people need that. Recently, Reid started her Bachelor of Arts in English, but her schedule has become so full that university is now on hold. Were going to go back on tour, and so schools not going to work, explains Reid. Theres certainly other things that I would like to achieve outside of music. I dont think a career of music is necessarily something you choose. It can be quite unsettling when you dont know whats going to happen but well see. The tour started in March in New Zealand and goes until early June, taking her to Australia and Europe. Meanwhile, the follow-up to Listen to Formation, Look for the Signs has already been written and could be released as early as this year. Im excited, she says about her forthcoming album. Its going to be a bit more gritty. Not so down and out on love but a bit wiser. Its certainly folk driven, but the themes are a nice progression. Passengers on domestic flights within Vietnam are now allowed to bring bottled water, soft drinks and perfume on flights, said the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV). The rules have been lifted for domestic flights while restrictions remain for international flights, according to a new circular that took effect on Sunday. The Transport Ministrys circular allows passengers on domestic flights to carry liquids, aerosols and gels, creams and pastes in their carry-on bags with no restrictions on size. International flight passengers can carry no more than 1 liter of liquids in their carry-on luggage, with each container no more than 100ml. The restrictions dont apply to milk, baby food or liquid medicine without a prescription. Liquid products bought at duty-free stores at restricted departure areas can be brought onboard without a limit on volume on the condition they are carried in a plastic security bag with a receipt clearly stating the time and location of purchase. Vietnams Civil Aviation Administration started applying a liquid ban in October 2007 in response to flight security demands by the International Civil Aviation Organization after a series of attempted bombings using liquid explosives. As a dramatist, playwright and screenwriter, Harold Pinter believed in the power of oblique dialogue and pregnant silences to reveal as much about characters and themes as direct exposition. Some of his most famous worksstage plays like The Homecoming and Betrayal and screenplays like The Servant and Accidentthrive not only on the tense atmosphere created by his penchant for telling pauses, but on the heightened attention to detail they demand from a viewer in gleaning the unspoken implications of words that can mask emotion as much as they lay it bare. One of the more impressive achievements of David Kajganichs screenplay for Luca Guadagninos A Bigger Splasha remake of Jacques Derays 1969 film La Piscineis the way it brings a similar Pinter-esque attention to subtext in its dialogue and characterizations. The plot is simple to the point of cliche: Its essentially a love triangle between former rock star Marianne Lane (Tilda Swinton); her former music-producer lover Harry Hawkes (Ralph Fiennes); and her current paramour, and old friend of Harrys, photographer Paul (Matthias Schoenaerts); with Harrys daughter Penelope (Dakota Johnson) adding a Lolita-esque dimension to this dynamic in her own attempts to seduce Paul. And yet, these characters and their predicaments become more involving the longer we observe their interactions, picking up clues to their past, scrutinizing their faces and words to get a sense of their feelings toward each other. (An accidental murder about two-thirds of the way through certainly helps shake things up.) Swooping seemingly on a whim back into the lives of Marianne and Paul as the couple vacation in Italys volcano-based Pantelleria island, Harry brings with him a gust of impulsive energy, wasting no time in puncturing their heretofore pleasant idyll. His high-spirited vigormost memorably represented by the impromptu dance he does to the Rolling Stones Emotional Rescueis a stark contrast to the stuffier, plainer Paul, who Harry introduced to Marianne before she fell in love with him and broke it off with Harry. For Mariannewho utters few words throughout the film, trying to stay mute so as to rest her vocal chords after surgeryHarry and Paul could be said to represent two contrasting desires in herself: a yearning to recapture the passion of her youth and a willingness to settle down. Penelope compares both these characters to two sides of the same record (appropriate especially because Marianne spent six years with each). For her part, the highly sexual Penelopewho only recently discovered Harry was her father, which perhaps explains their somewhat incestuous behavior togetheroffers the increasingly jealous Paul temptations to stray, but she may well be the most enigmatic of the four: an embodiment of pure eroticism, evincing little human warmth. In Kajganichs script, telling gestures and glances are just as important as the words these characters say to grasping their emotional temperatures. Marianne may not be able to say much, but actions such as holding Harrys hand when theyre alone together away from Paul and Penelope speak volumes about romantic feelings she struggles to suppress. As for Penelope, though she mostly alternates between steely and come-hither gazes, she does have one wordless breakdown toward the end that suggests a level of immaturity that belies her cool emotional disaffection. In his screenplays, Harold Pinters indirect approach to drama was often matched by the chilly direction of filmmakers like Joseph Losey and Jack Clayton. Chilly, however, is hardly the way to describe Luca Guadagninos direction of A Bigger Splash. As was the case in his previous film, I Am Love, Guadagnino prefers fidgety passion to stiff-upper-lip elegance, his camera as bound to zoom in and out on human features and pan quickly over random objects as it is to stay still and observe these characters and their sumptuous surroundings. One could argue that Guadagnino is reflecting Harrys spontaneity through his style; other times, such technical maneuvers feel like a director working overtime to enhance a soapy plot with a lot of gratuitous surface dazzle. Still, even at its showiest, A Bigger Splash taps into the same broad theme that gave I Am Love a deeper resonance beyond its viscerally intoxicating melodrama. Like Emma, the Russian-born outsider Tilda Swinton played in Guadagninos earlier film, Marianne is torn between maintaining the status quo of a more settled social class and giving into forbidden desires, no matter the cost. If Emma quietly found the courage at the end of I Am Love to cast off her aristocratic shackles, though, the outcome of Mariannes struggle is more ambiguous. A final laughing jag between her and Paul offers a strange sort of catharsis: not so much a resolution of the skeletons out of the closet as a perverse way to acknowledge those skeletons existence, lock them back in and move forward with their lives. Director: Luca Guadagnino Writer: David Kajganich Starring: Tilda Swinton, Ralph Fiennes, Matthias Schoenaerts, Dakota Johnson Release Date: May 4, 2016 (NY/LA); May 13, 2016 (nationwide) Kenji Fujishima is a freelance film critic, contributing to Slant Magazine, Brooklyn Magazine, The Playlist, and the Village Voice in addition to Paste. He is also Deputy Editor of Movie Mezzanine and former editor-in-chief of In Review Online. When hes not watching movies and writing and editing film criticism, hes trying to absorb as much music, art and literature as possible. He has not infrequently been called a culture vulture for that reason. Eiichi Yamamotos Belladonna of Sadness is not a learning film. It will not reveal new truths about the essence of your being that you were previously unaware of. It will not teach you anything about your fellow man or about the human condition. It will, however, give you an idea of what a psychedelic drug trip might look like, sans the hallucinatory experience in which your pants unbutton, slide off your legs, and neatly fold atop your dresser of their own volition. (It also lasts a scant 85 minutes.) The film can be reasonably described as a product of both its era, the 1970s, and its creator, the legendary co-parent of anime and manga alongside animator Osamu Tezuka. Whether that makes it less of a brain melt is another thing entirely. Between 1969 and 1973, the pair collaborated on the Animerama series, a trio of animated films made with adult bents and focused on adult themes. Their efforts began with A Thousand and One Nights, continued with Cleopatra, and ended with Belladonna of Sadness, each of which can be variably categorized by single-word qualifiers that denote their existential statuses: Lost, rare, unreleased. The good news is that Belladonna of Sadness is lost no longer, having been restored and released for our viewing pleasure by the people at Cinelicious Pics. For any hardcore cinephile, the archaeological accomplishment alone is reason to seek out the film as it does the theatrical rounds in the United States. Its unbridled surreality is merely icing. Except that it isnt. Its the phantasmagoric cake. When we talk about movies that must be seen to be believe, we are talking about movies like Belladonna of Sadness. The language of letters is ill-equipped for translating the films particulars, peculiarities and perplexities to a reading audience. It is simple enough to say that little of the movie is actually animated, as Yamamoto built his visual landscape on a collection of absolutely gorgeous still images that his cinematographer, Shigeru Yamazaki, carefully pans across, which lends those images a sense of movement even if they are static by their very nature. And yes, its easy to talk about Belladonna of Sadness color scheme, the mesmeric vibes of its free jazz soundtrack, its wanton use of phallic symbolism, or its fascination with Satan and witchcraft. But prattling on about those details does them very little justice on paper. Yamamotos vision is singularly bananas. The film is about a young woman, Jeanne, who is subjected to the cruel tyranny of prima nocta on her wedding night, and thereafter forms an unwilling relationship with Old Nick himself in the pursuit of getting even with her tormentors. Thats about as succinct a plot synopsis as you need, or deserve, before diving into Belladonna of Sadness. In Yamamotos movie, sensation trumps plot and other structural attributes that we think of as key when we think of narrative fiction. In point of fact, you can comfortably check your basic storytelling expectations at the door: Yamamoto spins drama out of incomprehensible comprehensibility. Belladonna of Sadness makes sense, but only if youre willing to meet it on its own level. Houses wash away under roiling tidal waves of inky doom, Jeanne crawls through underbrush that strikes and harasses her as she passes through, an entire village engages in an orgy of genitalic mutation: Penises either wrap around each other and spiral into the sky, or shapeshift into giraffes and tongues, while vaginas shoot salvos of fish or transform into lions. All of this and no mention yet of Satan, who is first introduced as a tiny critter with an uncanny resemblance to (surprise!) the male member, and later turns into a towering being of recognizably demonic origins. Thats the stuff that youre seeing Belladonna of Sadness for first and foremostnot for its depictions of female subjugation, but for its brassy weirdness and its free-flowing kink. But of course its impossible to divorce the films aesthetic from its text, to engage its eroticism without engaging its sexual abuses, and to ignore its studied portrayal of witchery. Belladonna of Sadness is almost scholarly, or it would be were it not so off-the-wall and cheeky. Feminine liberation, couched in the practices of witchcraft, is an act of rebellion against the oppression of patriarchal rule. To Yamamoto specifically, it is Jeannes declaration of sovereignty over the body. Yet everything about his film that is real is subsumed by everything that isnt. Ultimately, you wont walk out of the theater and consider the statements Belladonna of Sadness makes about gender equality and social protest. Youll be too bewildered waiting for the comedown. Director: Eiichi Yamamoto Writers: Eiichi Yamamoto, Yoshiyuki Fukuda Starring: Aiko Nagayama, Katsutaka Ito, Tatsuya Tashiro, Tatsuya Nakadai, Masaya Takahashi Release Date: June 30, 1973 (Japan); May 6, 2016 (NY); May 13, 2016 (LA) Boston-based critic Andy Crump has been writing about film online since 2009, and has been contributing to Paste Magazine since 2013. He also writes for Screen Rant, Movie Mezzanine, and Birth. Movies. Death., and is a member of the Online Film Critics Society and the Boston Online Film Critics Association. You can follow him on Twitter and find his find his collected writing at his personal blog. He is composed of roughly 65 percent craft beer. The first half of Dheepan is promising enough. The films title is the name of one of its main charactersits not Sivadhasans (Antonythasan Jesuthasan) real name, but the one he adopts in order escape from Sri Lanka and his past with the Tamil Tigers. A woman who takes the name Yalini (Kalieaswari Srinivasan) and a young girl who goes by Illayaal (Claudine Vinasithamby) in tow, Dheepan escapes to France, and all three of them pose as a family unit, living together in a rather dangerous housing block just outside Paris. Naturally, their lack of fluency in French throws obstacles into their abilities to ease into their new lives. More challenging than that language barrier, however, is trying to maintain the illusion of being a close-knit family without much in the way of authentic familial warmth. The latter adds a fresh subtextual layer to the films near-sociological first half: Dheepan, at least in its early going, is as much about characters engaged in putting up a performative front as it is about refugees adjusting to life in an unfamiliar country. Through his closely observant eye, director/co-writer Jacques Audiard manages to generate some mild suspense as to whether they will somehow actualize into the family theyre pretending to be. But then, midway through the film, Dheepan meets a former Tamil Tigers colonel (Vasanth Selvam) also hiding out in France. When he defies the colonels orders to secure more weapons for the groups cause, saying his life as a revolutionary is over, the colonel viciously beats him up. It is at this point that not only does Dheepan take an unexpected psychological nosedive, but Audiards film takes a similarly disheartening, steep decline. Suddenly, with explosions of violence making life in that housing block even more perilous than before, Dheepan becomes less about sociology, family and performance than, much less interestingly, about machismo: one mans desire to battle the gang that has taken over the block, behavior that is too simply chalked up to traumas he may have suffered as a fighter back in Sri Lanka. This turn toward alpha-male insanity might have been more convincing if Audiard and co-screenwriters Thomas Bidegain and Noe Debre had bothered to fill in more details of Dheepans life in Sri Lanka beyond an opening sequence of corpses being burned and a cheesy recurring dream sequence involving an elephant. Without a sense of how his current traumatized state connects to the horrors he witnessed, and maybe even perpetrated, back home, Dheepans madness seems to come out of nowhere, barely motivated beyond minor hints of a controlling streak (Stop making a face whenever I open my mouth, he berates Yalini at one point) and a desire for the new family this fake clan implies. Instead, this twist plays like little more than a paltry excuse for the films ridiculous shoot-em-up climax, turning its main character into some kind of action hero as he tidily dispatches all of the problem elements endangering his makeshift family. In the end, Dheepans climax doesnt so much inspire a feeling of hard-won satisfaction as it exudes a disappointing whiff of a huge missed opportunity. Director: Jacques Audiard Starring: Antonythasan Jesuthasan, Kalieaswari Srinivasan, Claudine Vinasithamby, Vincent Rottiers, Faouzi Bensaidi, Marc Zinga Release Date: May 6, 2016 Kenji Fujishima is a freelance film critic, contributing to Slant Magazine, Brooklyn Magazine, The Playlist and the Village Voice. He is also Deputy Editor of Movie Mezzanine and former editor-in-chief of In Review Online. When hes not watching movies and writing and editing film criticism, hes trying to absorb as much music, art and literature as possible. He has not infrequently been called a culture vulture for that reason. A horror classic is getting reanimated, thanks to Bone Tomahawk director S. Craig Zahler. Fans of the cult-classic franchise Puppet Master can expect to see even more from their favorite anthropomorphic doll crew as Zahler teams up with Transformers producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura and Caliber Media. The newest installment will follow a young man, recently divorced and eager to sell off a mint condition Blade dollwhich belonged to his deceased brotherat a convention in Oregon celebrating the 30th anniversary of the infamous Toulon Murders. The Puppet Master universe plus a giant doll convention are clear red flags for lots of bloody murder that is sure to play homage to the movies 10 (seriously, 10) preceding installments and the newest installment, which is scheduled to hit theaters later this year. Variety reports that there are plans to develop multiple storylines within the new universe, which means the entire series about murderous puppets brought to life through an Egyptian spell is getting new strings. Welcome to Cinco de Mayo, everybody. Its time to don sombreros and fake mustaches, utilize the last vestiges of your high school Spanish, eat tacos and drink tequila and margaritas until you cant see straight. Or not. Theres a difference between having a good time and having a good time at someone elses expense, and Cinco de Mayo trends toward the latter. In Mexico, the holidays only a big deal in the state of Puebla, where the 1862 Mexican military victory it commemorates took place. Granted, it was a stunning victorythe Mexicans beat back a much better-equipped and better-trained French forcebut Cinco de Mayo doesnt have nearly the significance of Mexicos Independence Day (Sept. 16, not May 5). In most of the country, people dont even get the day off work. The rise of Cinco de Mayo in America started with the Chicano movement of the 1940s, but the holiday didnt really take off until Corona and Grupo Modelo saw it as a marketing opportunity in 1989, realizing that Americans would be looking for another excuse to drink heavily. An ethnically-themed holiday falling on a relatively blank calendar space between St. Patricks Day and Memorial Day, just as the weather is starting to warm up? Nothing could be more perfect. The Mexican beer companies made their push, the United States bought it, and now the holiday is one of the single biggest drinking events in the country. Now, the commercialization of Cinco de Mayo isnt necessarily an issue in and of itself; try naming a holiday that hasnt been commercialized. Rather, the bigger problem here is that what could be a day to celebrate the actual culture of our southern neighbor is instead a drunken orgy of stereotyping, a time to indulge in our countrys worst tendencies to eat entire ethnicities whole and flaunt their remains. The difference between cultural appreciation and cultural appropriation can ride a thin lineits a matter of intentionality and depth of thoughtbut exploiting caricatures of Mexico for bald commercial gain is definitely appropriation. Think about that before you go out to celebrate tomorrow night; either take the time to learn something substantive about Mexican culture or just go drinking without partaking in the most offensive aspects of the holiday. Drinkings still fun, after all. That said, maybe theres a third solution: if beer companies co-opt holidays from every culture, then were no longer singling out Mexico, right? Lets take a look at some of the commercial opportunities upon which our alcohol industry somehow hasnt yet capitalized. I distinctly remember wandering the streets of Barcelona last summer with two of my best friends, wondering where everyone was and whether those were firecrackers or gunshots we kept hearing. Turns out, we had unwittingly planned our trip to coincide with the Festival of Sant Joanbasically the biggest holiday in Catalonia. The entire twenty-something population of Barca was at the beach, partaking in the summer solstice celebration with bonfires, booze and general craziness. We fit right in. For whatever reason, there isnt an institutionalized celebration of the summer solstice in America, so why not just co-opt the Festival of Sant Joan? Everyone could dress like the bull-runners in Pamplona (despite the Basque-heavy Pamplonas distinct cultural differences from Barcelona), blast Spanish (or, rather, Spanish-language) music on speakers, and head down to the local beach for what would certainly be another Corona and Dos Equis field day. After all, modern Mexico wouldnt exist without the Spanish conquistadors, so its appropriate to honor them with drunken revelry, tooright? Imagine if there were a day dedicated to all the kids celebrating their 21st birthday in any given year, a day to go mad with the last vestige of youth before every additional year just means youre a year closer to the heat death of the universe. Japan has this, because Japan knows that work hard, play hard is the way to live. They call it Coming of Age Dayits been celebrated since as early as 714 ADand its a very inebriated affair. Basically, anyone whos turned 20 over the past year gets to spend the morning thinking about what it means to be a responsible adult, having meaningful conversation with their parents and older family members, before hitting the bars that night and getting blind drunk. Its a real highlight of the weeks after New Years Day. Maybe the only reason we havent stolen this holiday yet is that its a little too collectivist for our libertarian asses. But get over it, beer companies. This is basically a second 21st birthday party for everyone, and with the Japanese theme, you know that sake bombs are gonna be the drink of the evening. So who gives a shit if the ceremonial parts of Coming of Age Daythe parts about becoming a grown participant in society, the parts rooted deepest in Japans traditiondont happen? People are having a blast and buying alcohol and probably putting on fun, horribly racist accents the whole time. The new year in every culture seems to be a time for drinking and celebrating, but the Persian New Year brings its own awesome quirks. One of the traditions of Chaharshanbe Suri is jumping over bonfires. Its a purification ritual amongst those serious about observing the holiday, but for our purposes, bonfire-jumping sure would make for a neat beer commercial, dont you think? People gathered in the street with smiles on their faces and Millers in their hands, leaping over flames as inspiring indie rock plays in the background? Nevermind the potential accidents that could result from the combination of alcohol and fire, either from the people or the highly flammable booze falling into the blaze. Celebrating Chaharshanbe Suri in American fashion would be a way for us to show Iran that we love them the way Donald Trump loves women and the Mexicans, and it would certainly be a more effective measure to bridge that cultural and political divide than either nuclear deals or sanctions. Well all bond over drunkenness! You know Russians love their vodkabut did you know they love it so much that they celebrate two New Years Days just as an excuse to drink more? This Orthodox calendar out of which Old New Year grew doesnt mean jack shit anymore; its been eliminated from their culture, and so we must eliminate it from our celebration of this holiday when we claim it for America. Because lets be honest: its a damn crime that our worthy Cold War adversaries arent honored by a cultural event yet. Well get everyone yelling NYET and slamming down shot after shot of the stinging clear liquid until theyre dancing like Cossacks on the tables at the bar. Bonus points to anyone who rides in shirtless on a bear. Those are the people who earn the bar crawl T-shirts at the end of the evening, and not because its January 14because they went full Russian dictator. Certain populations in America are already hip to this Hindu festival of color. At Vanderbilt, where I went to college, the South Asian Cultural Exchange student group (called Masala-SACE) put on a Holi celebration every spring. Anyone could come to the lawn, grab colored powder, and throw it around until it looked like a giant-ass, anthropomorphic rainbow had gone diarrhea all over everyone and everything. In Hindu tradition, Holi is a celebration of springs advent, a time to congregate with family and enjoy the fresh start in life that the warmer weather and blossoming plants bring. Here in the United States, all that matters is an excuse to have a paint party. So what is the beer industry waiting for? They can cast Bollywood actors in their commercials for a display of image-driven diversity, then show the world how much fun you can have with Holi color powder in one hand and a cold Bud Light in the other. DJ Snake would probably be on the scene, toothe Eastern modes he uses in his EDM would provide the ideal paint party soundtrack and fit perfectly with our snatching of Holi from its roots. Remember that time when America turned a less developed countrys military victory over a European imperial force into one of the biggest drinking holidays of the year? Lets do that again, but this time we can appropriate African culture! The Ethiopians defeated the Italian army in the Battle of Adwa on March 1, 1896, securing their independence at a time when the rest of Africa had been carved up by the Treaty of Berlin and distributed to various colonial powers, and theres no better way to celebrate than by getting drunk and caricaturing Ethiopians. At the very least, it would show them the fleeting nature of any victory against Western forces. In all seriousness, though, its not a stretch see the burgeoning marijuana industry doing to Adwa Victory Day what the beer companies have done to Cinco de Mayo. Haile Selassie, the man worshipped by Rastafarians as the reincarnation of Christ, was the emperor of Ethiopia for more than 40 years (1930-74), and while he was a toddler during the Battle of Adwa, theres enough of a relationship there for America to take advantage. Thus, a day to appreciate Ethiopia becomes a day to appreciate Haile Selassie becomes a day to appreciate weed. All it takes is a simple application of the transitive property to repurpose a holiday. Frankly, Im shocked that alcohol companies havent done more to introduce Purim to the wider American populace. Jews are a fairly visible minority in this country, and they happen to have a holiday wherein celebrants are commanded to get drunk to commemorate the defeat of the genocidal Haman (one of a long string of tyrants whove wanted to kill all the Jews) by Queen Esther and her brother Mordechai. According to the collection of traditional Jewish teachings called the Talmud, Purim should end at a level of inebriation at which you can no longer tell the difference between cursed be Haman and blessed be Mordechai. Factor in the custom of wearing costumes or masks to the revelries, and Purim sounds like the springtime version of Halloween, which is already one of the biggest party nights of the year. And even if the whole averting-genocide part of the holiday isnt mentioned in the inevitable advertisements for beer and liquor (wines the traditional drink, but who gets wine drunk at a bar?), this is what the Jews would have wanted, right? For everyone to join in their celebration of existence? This seems like such a no-brainer for appropriation, especially with the coming Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, until you realize that we already have our own version of the holidayits an obscure celebration called Mardi Gras. Maybe youve heard of it? Still, though, Mardi Gras feels like it hasnt been totally exploited, what with its being fairly endemic to New Orleans and the rest of formerly French Louisiana. Perhaps broadening the holiday to Carnival and incorporating various Brazilian traditions, such as the samba dance and the masquerades, would allow more people to get in on the fun and globalize the affair. Plus, beer companies could sell more beer for a longer period of time. And really, thats the point of all this, isnt it? Zach Blumenfeld will be spending his Cinco de Mayo draped in an American flag. Follow him on Twitter. Following months of waiting, and after getting our first official look at the R-rated animated feature last week, fans now know when they can expect to get get their hands on a highly anticipated and insanity-inducing DC Comics and Warner Bros. collaboration: Batman: The Killing Joke will be officially released on Blu-Ray and DVD on Aug. 2, following its screening at San Diego Comic-Con this summer. The film is the first in the DC original movie franchises nine-year history to earn an R rating, but it seems appropriate, considering the animated installments central focus. The Killing Joke will stay true to the comics storyline and deliver the dark and violent origins of the Joker, who is, of course, being voiced by Star Wars and voice-acting legend Mark Hamill. Kevin Conroy will return to voice Batman, while Tara Strong will serve as the voice of Barbara Gordon and Ray Wise as Commissioner Gordon. In addition to the official trailer, an amateur trailer was posted early last month by a fan whose devilish tendencies gave us a spine-tingling (and bone-breaking) tease of how the brooding knight and psychotic comedian plan to duke it out. Well be counting down the days until the real deal. Watch the official trailer here. Last weekend, during the citys May Day celebrations, Berlins latest initiative against Airbnb took effect. In an effort to protect affordable housing, the city has banned tourists from renting entire apartments through Airbnb. The new, and wonderfully German, mouthful of a law Zweckentfremdungsverbotprohibition of improper use (because, of course, Germans have a word for it)bans, those without a city permit, the short-term lease of entire apartments to tourists. Berliners found flouting these rules can be fined up to 100,000 ($115,879). As a result of the new law, since April 30, Berlin Airbnb listings have dropped 40%. Perhaps in the future, Berlin will follow the example of cities like Paris, London, Amsterdam or even Hamburg, to create clear rules for home sharers, but for now it looks as though the ban will stick. But Berlins not the only city struggling to embrace Airbnb. In fact, many popular cities in Airbnbs backyard havent figured out the legality of the website. New York City: NYCs long tried to crackdown on what they call illegal Airbnb rentals though the citys 16,000 listings beg to differ. The New York state attorney general has accused the rental service of enabling illegal hotels, allowing a small number of hosts to earn millions while eliminating available, affordable housing. In February, Mayor de Blasio put Airbnb on notice, hoping to confront the sharing economy and get aggressive with greedy landlords violating the states illegal hotel laws. New Orleans: Following a huge uptick in rentals for this years Jazz Fest, New Orleans plans to pass tougher rules for rentals. This year Airbnb saw record numbers of rentals, nearly 20,000, for the festival, but some hotels are recording vacancies for the first time ever. That news prompted legislators to step in. According to New Orleans NBC affiliate, short-term rentals like Airbnb are technically illegal in the city, but the law is seldom enforced. San Francisco: Last November, San Francisco rejected the first of whats likely to be many Airbnb Initiatives, which would have limited the citys short-term housing rentals to 75 nights per year and would have allowed the city to fine sites like Airbnb for listing short-term rentals not registered with the city. To fight future legislation, Airbnb has started investing in San Francisco politics so far, to be exact. Considering the city of San Francisco says 76 percent of Airbnb listings are illegal, $230,000 seems like a small investment. Los Angeles: Just a few weeks ago, Los Angeles proposed a new measure to regulate vacation-rental sites which could set the stage, in the coming months, for a political showdown between Airbnb and the city of Los Angeles. The plan would allow L.A. to fine any online platform advertising illegal rentals, of which, if the SF numbers are indicative of anything, there are probably a lot. Tom is a travel writer, part-time hitchhiker, and hes currently trying to imitate Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego? but with more sunscreen and jorts. On the night of the New York primaries, not long after interrupting Donald Trumps victory speech to announce the networks projection in the Democratic contest, disgraced former Nightly News anchor and now MSNBC paterfamilias Brian Williams slipped, perhaps inadvertently, into the idiom of regret. Though it was his penchant for embellishment, his unquenchable thirst for approval, that landed Williams in hot water in the first place, his strained sense of humor has only blossomed since his transition to the cable news channel, particularly during the long, slack stretches of election nightas if the excesses of the current campaign were simply another cameo on 30 Rock, another late-night yarn to spin. That Williams, of all people, should allude to the sense of disappointment that follows when the music finally stops is almost too fitting, for he is the folksy, avuncular figurehead of MSNBCs abandonment of the left-leaning experiment that began with Keith Olbermanns Countdown in 2003. Theres that expression, he told the panel, referring to Hillary Clintons insurgent challenger, Bernie Sanders: Staying too long at the fair. More than a year after anemic ratings first compelled the network to reconsider its progressive complexion, MSNBC is no longer the liberal counterweight to FOX News. In fact, with the exception of the primetime bloc of Chris Hayes, Rachel Maddow, and Lawrence ODonnell, which increasingly resembles a vestigial tail of its recent evolution, the network is scarcely distinguishable from CNNand thats the central problem. Gone are The Ed Show, with its uncommon focus on organized labor; The Reid Report, with its sustained coverage of race, racism, and police brutality; and Melissa Harris-Perry, the incisiveness and inclusiveness of which so thoroughly eclipsed the Sunday morning shows that its namesakes abrupt departure from the network, in February, became a minor political firestorm of its own. (MSNBC announced last week that Joy Reid will take over Harris-Perrys weekend-morning timeslot as of May 7, though few details about the format of the program have been made public.) Even in its least impeachable firing, of the defiantly uncharismatic Ronan Farrow, MSNBC relinquished an hour that often drew attention to LGBT issues more controversial, and to some more pressing, than equal marriage. Left in their wake: A shifting ensemble of forgettable daytime anchors, a trio of analysts (Chuck Todd and Bloombergs Mark Halperin and John Heilemann), and Chris Matthews, a desiccated foghorn of vanishingly little political acumen and even less tact. If you listen hard enough during the sturdy, foreign affairs-centric hour she hosts in the middle of this maelstrom, you can almost hear Andrea Mitchell scream. Audiences are culpable in these changes, of course: Had MSNBCs progressive slant been a ratings smash, the liberal brio that continues to mark All In with Chris Hayes and The Rachel Maddow Show would have remained the house style. Nor is coverage of their ideological tenor prima facie more astute or informative than the alternatives. But in the course of a campaign that has tested the mettle of the major broadcast outlets, and ultimately found each wanting, its worth asking what the transformation of MSNBCwhich once covered stories its 24-hour brethren would have never deigned to touchmeans for the future of TV news. Of the most recent presidential election, in 2012, I remember most forcefully not Clint Eastwoods empty chair or Barack Obamas poor performance in the first debate, but Maddows post-mortem, which acknowledged the cocktail-hour glow of the Democratic triumph in order to cast the events of that year in appropriate perspective. Her A-block that night, extending more than 16 minutes, was Maddow, and the old MSNBC, par excellenceprogressive, certainly, but fastidious about the facts, annotating the consequences of political posturing as a professor might a densely allusive text: Ohio really did go to President Obama last night. And he really did win. And he really was born in Hawaii. And he really is, legitimately, President of the United States, again. And the Bureau of Labor Statistics did not make up a fake unemployment rate last month. And the Congressional Research Service really can find no evidence that cutting taxes on rich people grows the economy. And the polls were not skewed to oversample Democrats. And Nate Silver was not making up fake projections about the election to make conservatives feel bad. Nate Silver was doing math. And climate change is real. And rape really does cause pregnancy sometimes. And evolution is a thing. And Benghazi was a attack on us. It was not a scandal by us. And nobody is taking away anyones guns. And taxes have not gone up. And the deficit is dropping, actually. And Saddam Hussein did not have weapons of mass destruction. And the moon landing was real. And FEMA is not building concentration camps. And U.N. election observers are not taking over Texas. And moderate reforms of regulations on the insurance industry and the financial services industry in this country are not the same thing as communism. Listen. Last night was a good night for liberals and for Democrats, for very obvious reasons. But it was also, possibly, a good night for this country as a whole. Where Olbermann was pugnacious and arrogant, aping the style of conservative rivals Bill OReilly and Rush Limbaugh, Maddow is mostly self-effacing. (Eight years after The Rachel Maddow Shows debut, she still opens most interviews by asking guests what she missed, or misconstrued, in the introduction.) Her approach is that of the newspaper columnist, or indeed of the Oxford-trained debater, marshaling informationhistorical context, recent reporting, polling data, the occasional wry anecdoteinto argument. Even in tackling one of her pet subjects, Maines shambolic Republican governor, Paul LePage, she evinces little interest in inside-the-Beltway shorthand: A recent segment on LePages inhumane approach to his states opioid addiction epidemic featured an in-depth assessment of the growing use of Narcan to combat overdoses nationwide, and of state-level steps to make it available without a prescription. Liberal bias aside, if the goal of broadcast journalism is to leave viewers more knowledgeable about current events than when they turned on their televisions, Maddow, Mitchell, and Hayeswhose All In is the most reliably substantive hour on the MSNBC scheduleare the last of the networks hosts still attempting to clear the bar. Three days after the New York primaries and two days after the death of Prince, their coverage offered refuge: Mitchell interviewing a Financial Times editor on the economic consequences of the Brexit; Hayes discussing Trump advisor Paul Manaforts work for the torturers lobby and the consequences of anti-transgender laws in North Carolina and Mississippi; Maddow setting the table for the two-year anniversary of the implementation of the policy that poisoned Flint. By contrast, when analyst Al Hunt brought up Manaforts unsavory support for dictators and strongmen on the new, Bloomberg-branded With All Due Respect, Halperin, with breathtaking speed, absorbed it into the pre-existing narrative of the campaign: I agree with you about that, Al, he said, before moving on to a question about the GOPs culture. Im surprised it hasnt become an issue already. That it might fall to MSNBC to make it an issueby, say, elaborating the point, or by asking a follow-up questionin other words, by performing journalistic tasks so rudimentary a reasonably intelligent 9-year-old can do themseems not to have crossed anyones mind. Mitchell, Hayes, and Maddow excluded, on the day in question, the closest the network came to discussing an issue was reprinting, in a chyron splashed across the screen, Ted Cruzs dishonest, transphobic defense of the aforementioned North Carolina law (CRUZ: I DONT THINK WE SHOULD HAVE GROWN MEN IN BATHROOMS WITH LITTLE GIRLS), with no accompanying mention of the corporate sectors opposition, much less the consequences for the states transgender residents. Instead, process reigns, and even if we grant that Pennsylvanias unbound Republican delegates are an important element of the nominating process, returning again and again to two unenlightening minutes of pre-recorded tape from delegate hunter Jacob Soboroff suggests that this focus is less a considered editorial decision than an admission of defeat. The Place for Politics, as MSNBCs tagline proclaims, turns out to be a glass house, the perfect membrane through which candidates, surrogates, and analysts pass calorie-free messages to a dead-eyed public. Its the journalistic equivalent of aspartame: sweet but slightly off tasting, and in the long run likely cancerous. MSNBC is not alone in the adoption of this strategy, of course. This is, as former CNN and NBC anchor Campbell Brown recently lamented in Politico, how broadcast news works now, the product of a decades-long unwindingdeclining ratings, competition from digital outlets, the fracturing of the media landscape into a million little warring fiefdoms, each fighting over smaller and smaller slices of the ad-revenue pie. But coming as it does after a period of relatively rich (if progressive-minded) engagement with the real problems facing the country, as Maddow had it in 2012, MSNBCs rapid metamorphosis into a 24-hour delegate math calculator truly stings, sounding the death knell of the medium to which most Americans still turn when news, real news, actually breaks. When the cable networks are no longer willing to muster the resources to cover effectively the sexiest, most dramatic, and most consequential story of the yearthe presidential electionwhat can we expect when terror strikes or war is waged or markets crash, when information not so ready-made for television demands to be discovered, presented, explained? Its naive, I know, but I remain a firm believer in the idea that news organizations bear an obligation to the facts that transcends their obligation to shareholders, and MSNBCs descent into the worst aspects of the latter amounts to a breaking of faith. For a time, to steal Maddows phrase, the networks promise to counteract the conservatism of FOX News and the salaciousness of CNN seemed not only good for liberals and Democrats, but also, possibly, good for the country as a whole, though I see now that I was hearing music that had already begun to stop. If all you want is headlines, check your Twitter feeds, an MSNBC promotion promised viewers one recent Friday. We go beyond the sound bites. We seek different perspectives. Connect the dots. Approach the story from all the angles. That this is demonstrably not the networks actual manner of gathering and reporting the news on air is yet another facet of MSNBCs transformation that seems not to have crossed anyones mind, and this, more than the lack of a clear ideological bent, is at the crux of the organizations decline. The disingenuous crack at Twitters expense suggests to me a fundamental misunderstanding of the not-so-distant future, an assumption that the only way to succeed in a fractured media landscape is to double down on the lowest common denominator. For now, admittedly, ratings are rising, as they do at every network during major news events, most especially presidential elections; for now, NBC News chief Andrew Lack, who has been the driving force behind the changes at MSNBC, can congratulate himself on a job well done. But if the networks long-term strategy for winning back audiences is to offer the same studiously information-free breaking news and analysis that has helped push even reporters into the waiting arms of social media, it is, at best, a feeble one. The pool of potential viewers is shrinking, not growing, and mimicking ones competitors strikes me as a curious way of trying to peel off those that are left. On the night of the New York primaries we were talking, its worth noting, about a Republican race in which the most virulent xenophobe to compete seriously for the presidency since George Wallace shellacked his nearest competitor in the delegate count, Ted Cruzhimself an anti-immigrant descendant of Cuban immigrantsby nearly 50 points. We were talking about a Democratic race pitting a former First Lady, U.S. Senator, and Secretary of State with an opportunity to become the nations first woman president against a Jewish democratic-socialist in the heart of global capitalism. We were talking about an election with no lack of sharp ideological differences, whether across or within the two partieseach facing a near-unprecedented challenge to their respective political orthodoxiesand yet, for the two hours and 20 minutes I watched before finally relenting and heading to bed, the network that inaugurated the motto Lean Forward as recently as 2010 could speak only of what Brian Williams, throwing to the panel at 11:21 p.m. ET, called the optics of what weve witnessed tonight. Confronting a digital landscape that presents us with limitless options for finding and consuming news, MSNBC thus seems strangely content to embrace sameness, and the likeliest result, there and across the entire broadcast sector, is the opposite of the aforementioned promo: fewer perspectives, fewer angles, and fewer connections; journalism reduced to a headline, a sound bite, and no more. As I came to see after watching The Place for Politics in recent days, more than 36 grueling hours in all, politics as defined by MSNBC no longer includes even the keystone of the process with which the network is now so obsessed: From the discussions of the New York primaries, unbound Pennsylvania delegates, contested conventions, and victory speeches, voters (remember them?) were functionally absent. I wanted my friends to be thrilling and witty / I wanted somebody to care, as Barbra Streisand once sang, the hope for another outcome fading fast, and in tuning into the new, unimproved MSNBC, I came to understand her meaning. She framed her reprise as a question, but as I might have recognized when I set out to write this, the answer was in the asking: There is nothing to win And theres no one to want me Have I stayed too long at the fair? Thomas Silkowski, a citizen of the State of New Jersey, has filed a class action law suit against Apple alleging violations of the New Jersey Truth-in-Consumer Contract, Warranty and Notice Act (TCCWNA). The TCCWNA was enacted specifically to prevent deception in consumer contracts and to incentivize businesses to draft contracts that are clear and understandable to all consumers, and that clearly explain the legal rights of consumers and the legal responsibilities of businesses. Mr. Silkowski alleges that Apple's iTunes violates the New Jersey Act. According to the formal complaint which was filed in the Northern District Court of California, San Jose on April 28, 2016, Defendant/Apple "operates the iTunes Store, the Mac App Store, the App Store, the App Store for Apple TV, the iBooks Store, and Apple Music (collectively the "Stores"). In order to access the Stores, consumers must create an Apple ID and/or agree to the iTunes terms and conditions (the "Terms and Conditions"). As a precondition to creating an Apple ID, Defendant requires all consumers to agree to the Terms and Conditions. The Terms and Conditions violate the TCCWNA because they contain provisions that violate clearly established legal rights of Plaintiff and the proposed class, and ignore the legal responsibilities of Defendant. Specifically, the Terms and Conditions contain provisions that purport to: 1) disclaim liability for claims brought for Defendant's negligent, willful, malicious and wanton misconduct; 2) bar claims for personal injury and punitive damages; 3) ban consumers from asserting claims against Defendant for deceptive and fraudulent conduct; and 4) require Store users to indemnify and hold harmless Defendant for any claims brought against Defendant for its negligent, willful, malicious and wanton misconduct. All of the aforementioned provisions are in direct contravention of rights afforded to Plaintiff and the proposed class under New Jersey law. The inclusion of these violative provisions in the Terms and Conditions deceives consumers into thinking that they are enforceable and accordingly, gives consumers the impression that they are unable to enforce rights they otherwise have under New Jersey statutory and common law. As a result of Defendant's illegal conduct, Plaintiff, on behalf of himself and the Class seeks statutory penalties, actual damages, attorneys' fees, costs of suit, and any additional legal or equitable relief the Court deems appropriate." Review the full complaint in the Scribd document presented below courtesy of Patently Apple. Patently Apple - Thomas Silkowski Files Class Action Against Apple Over ITunes Contract by Jack Purcher The Class Action against Apple was filed in the California Northern District Court, San Jose Office. The Judge assigned to this case is Paul Singh Grewal. Patently Apple presents only a brief summary of certain legal cases/ lawsuits which are part of the public record for journalistic news purposes. Readers are cautioned that Patently Apple does not offer an opinion on the merit of the case and strictly presents the allegations made in said legal cases / lawsuits. A lawyer should be consulted for any further details or analysis. About Comments: Patently Apple reserves the right to post, dismiss or edit comments. On most legal cases, comments will be closed. See our Legal Archives for other patent infringement cases. People Have Very Short Memories (Cruzs Remarkable Metamorphosis Re Donald Trump) Caricatures by DonkeyHotey. The caricatures of Donald Trump and Ted Cruz were adapted, respectively, from Creative Commons licensed images from Max Goldbergs flickr photostream and Gage Skidmoress Flickr photostream. Uploaded on 4 March 2016 [Flickr / CC BY-SA 2.0 license] ***** Full disclosure / background: Sen. Cruz was my favorite GOP candidate at one point. I was neither predisposed nor inclined (politically or temperamentally) to dislike him. I had enjoyed and agreed with his comments on political talk shows for several years, and appreciated (and still do) his public stands for conservative principles. I switched to Rubio after Iowa, but I also liked Dr. Ben Carson a lot, and would have voted for Kasich in the Michigan primary, if I had voted. I liked almost all of the Republican candidates (Pataki is a pro-abort: always an instant disqualifier for me). It was a great field. Trump was my 14th choice out of the original 17. I said all along that I would vote for the GOP nominee, whoever it was (just as all of the main candidates took a pledge to do: several including Sen. Cruz later going back on their own word). What I dont like, for sure, is two-faced crass opportunism and sore losers (otherwise, I would never pile on or lick a man when he is down). Readers may make up their own minds in interpreting the following extraordinarily polarized (and quite typically politician-like) opinions and actions, from Senator Ted Cruz. Dont get mad at me; Im just the chronicler. Sen. Cruzs own words will be in blue. Words in black are from various secular news articles (follow the bracketed source links for full bibliographical information). I wont bother to put everything in quotation marks. These are all quotations. The dates are those of the articles cited. ***** 16 June 2015 [Cruz tweet] Im pleased to welcome @realDonaldTrump into the race for the 2016 GOP nomination for President of the United States. [source] 30 June 2015 I like Donald Trump. I think hes terrific, I think hes brash, I think he speaks the truth, Cruz said Tuesday morning on Fox News. . . . Cruz, whose father is Cuban, said he doesnt believe Trump should apologize for his remarks, pointing out that the American people are fed up with the illegal immigration problem in the United States. He has a way of speaking that gets attention, Cruz said on Tuesday. And I credit him for focusing on an issue that needs to be focused on. [source] 15 July 2015 Trump and Cruz will meet Wednesday at New Yorks Trump Tower, according to the Washington Post. Trump said on MSNBCs Morning Joe that Cruz called him to set it up. . . . The rivals for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination have been friendly for years, according to the Post, . . . Ive sat down with Donald multiple times before he was a candidate for president, and Im happy to sit down with him now, . . . One of the reasons youre seeing so many 2016 candidates go out of their way to smack Donald Trump is they dont like politicians that speak directly about the challenges of illegal immigration, said Cruz on Wednesday. [source] bold, brash voice and criticized other candidates (not by name) who go out of their way to smack Donald Trump. Following the meeting, Cruz said the two had a delightful conversation. Im a big fan of Donalds, and we talked about the race, Cruz told reporters. We talked about how we are each enjoying it and how there is a need for more truth tellers. Asked if Cruz had asked for Trumps endorsement, the Texas senator said, No, we had a conversation about the race. Hes running, Im running, and we both agreed that we started out as friends, and will end as friends. [source] For his part, Cruz said Trump is bringing aand criticized other candidates (not by name) whoFollowing the meeting, Cruz said the two hadCruz told reporters.Asked if Cruz had asked for Trumps endorsement, the Texas senator said, * 18 July 2015 You know I recognize that folks in the press love to see Republican-on-Republican violence, and so you want me to say something bad about Donald Trump, or bad about John McCain or bad about anyone else, he said. Im not going to do it. [source] he said. * 2 August 2015 I have been glad to praise Donald Trump for speaking out boldly and brashly and for focusing on illegal immigration, Cruz said. . . . When Reagan articulated the 11th Commandment it didnt mean thou shalt not ever disagree with another Republican, Cruz said, though he admitted he is following the Gippers advice not to speak ill of another Republican. [ Cruz said. . . .Cruz said, though he admitted he is following the Gippers advice not to speak ill of another Republican. [ source * 8 August 2015 I think every candidate should treat everyone else with civility and respect. That is a standard that I try to follow. That is a standard I hope that all of us try to aspire to. . . . I also dont think that we are not going to solve the problems in this country and youre not going to defeat the Washington cartel by obsessing over the politics of personality. This is about real challenges facing the American people. This is about the bankrupting of our kids and grandkids and defending the Bill of Rights and restoring Americas leadership. Thats where my focus has been. And its where I intend to keep it. [source] . . . * 11 August 2015 I would note that an awful lot of Republicans, including other Republican candidates, have gone out of their way to smack Donald Trump with a stick. Now I think thats just foolish, he said. Asked why, Cruz paused and then replied, Donald Trump had a rally in Phoenix, Ariz. [to which] [voters,] that is a path to losing at the ballot box. . . . No one is asking about tax policy. [The media] wants me to comment on the salacious back-and-forth, and Im not going to play that game. . . . I am grateful to Donald Trump for forcing the media to talk about illegal immigration, he said. Illegal immigration is a tremendously important challenge facing this country, and it is an issue where I have been leading the fight for many years. source] between 10 and 20 thousand people came out. When you attack and vilify the people at that rally as crazies, it does nothing to help Republicans win in 2016. . . . If Washington politicians show contempt and condescension to thosethat is a path to losing at the ballot box.No one is asking about tax policy.wants me to comment on the salacious back-and-forth, and Im not going to play that game. . . . I am grateful to Donald Trump for forcing the media to talk about illegal immigration,Illegal immigration is a tremendously important challenge facing this country, and it is an issue where I have been leading the fight for many years. he said. Asked why, Cruz paused and then replied,[to which] 19 August 2015 Cruz spokesman Rick Tyler said they had a very friendly meeting [on 15 July 2015] about a wide variety of topics. . . . The two Republican presidential candidates campaigns discussed holding an event together in Washington, D.C. [ source * In terms of Trumps civility, if youre nice to him, hell be nice to you. And Cruz has been nice. Cruz is playing the long game and hopes that if he survives and Trump doesnt, the billionaire will swing to him. Hes the second choice for a lot of Trump voters, said a source familiar with the inner workings of the Trump campaign. Cruz has been cultivating Donald for some time, declining to criticize him after the immigration flap or the McCain controversy, sending messages through operatives, dropping by Trump Tower when in New York, the source continued. . . . The senator has repeatedly credited Trump for bringing so much attention to the illegal immigration issue, the aide said. The senator has been, in my mind, extremely clear about not wanting to belittle Trump and his supporters, because [those supporters] feel very passionately about a serious issue. That has certainly set the senator apart from the other candidates who have been critical of Trump, and by association critical of Trumps supporters as well. . . . Trump and Cruz have not made any secret of their mutual admiration. Cruz has had no problem developing combative relationships with other Republicans in the presidential field or in Congress, but with Trump it has been nothing but kindness. If anything, their public praise understates the curiously cozy relationship that the two have in private. [source] * 9 September 2015 Donald Trump has been labelled a jackass and germophobe by some of his rivals in the Republican nomination contest, but from Ted Cruz its been nothing but praise and flattery. . . . In contrast to some of his fellow candidates, Cruz has either defended some of Trumps controversial comments or turned down the opportunity to knock them. . . . Cruz told National Journal writer Tim Alberta that he has bent over backwards to avoid insulting Trump. Cruz didnt say why when pressed for an explanation, but he made clear he will keep cozying up to Trump. Many of the Republican candidates have gone out of their way to take a two-by-four to Donald Trump, Cruz told Alberta. I think thats a mistake. He has referred to himself as a big fan of Trumps, said theyre friends and shown hes eager for face time with him and only him out of the field of candidates. . . . Kyle Kondik, a neutral political observer at the University of Virginia Center for Politics, said the dynamic between Trump and Cruz has been evident for some time now, and that its likely Cruz who is pushing it because of a specific strategy. I think it is fair to say that Cruz has tried to stay close to Trump in some ways, he said in an interview. I think that Cruz is hopeful that Trump will burn out at some point, maybe even before the voting starts, and then some of Trumps support could be transferred to Cruz. Kondik said Cruz might also be hoping that if Trump withdrew from the race for some reason, that he would endorse Cruz. [source] 12 October 2015 I like Donald Trump. When everyone else has gone out of their way to smack Donald Trump, I have not. Im glad hes running, . . . [source] 8 December 2015 In the media, there has been no shortage of criticism for Donald Trump, and I do not believe the world needs my voice added to that chorus of critics, Cruz said at a press conference. And listen, I commend Donald Trump for standing up and focusing Americas attention on the need to secure our borders. . . . I recognize that a great many folks in the media would prefer that anyone running for president engage as an ongoing theater critic, criticizing the proposals of others, Cruz said. . . . I will absolutely support the Republican nominee, but I hope and intend for that nominee to be me, Cruz said. . . . Cruz and Trump have been friendly toward each other from the start of the 2016 campaign. Trump said at a Monday evening rally that Cruz had been nice to him, . . . [source] 9 December 2015 Ive taken this same approach with regard to every other candidate. Its not just Donald Trump, Cruz said. You dont hear me right now blasting, launching personal insults at Jeb Bush or Marco Rubio or anyone else. My approach to politics, and that has been true from Day One in the Senate, that if others choose to insult me and attack me, and and you know, Im told once or twice there have been some folks in politics who have said some unpleasant things about me, Cruz laughed. I do not respond in kind. I do not reciprocate and I dont intend to. Im not going to get down in the mud and engage in personal insults and attacks. You remember the first couple of debates the Republican debates. Theyre basically food fights. [source] Republican-on-Republican violence. He kept up that line on Wednesday, declining multiple times on Fox News to go after Trump. Look, I like and respect Donald Trump. I dont anticipate that changing at all, Cruz said. The reason why I wont get engaged in personal insults and attacks, I dont think the American people care about a bunch of politicians bickering like school children. Im grateful Donald Trump is running, he added, saying the mogul has focused the national conversation on border security. [ So for six months, Cruz has bashed reporters for trying to bait him into shots into a conflict with the New Yorker, casting the media and not Trump as his foil. Even when asked for policy differences with Trump which Cruz has said are at the heart of the political campaign the Texas senator would not miss a beat before chastising reporters or encouragingHe kept up that line on Wednesday, declining multiple times on Fox News to go after Trump.Cruz said.he added, saying the mogul has focused the national conversation on border security. [ source * 25 March 2016 If you look at a number of the candidates that took on Donald Trump early on, Sen. Ted Cruz told Wisconsin radio host Charlie Sykes on Wednesday, they ended up as roadkill. . . . [from August 2015] Im not going to engage in the back-and-forth on personalities, he said. I get the media loves that. Thats what you want to cover, is the soap opera of back-and-forth. [source] 3 May 2016 It might be easier to believe Ted Cruzs latest condemnations of Donald Trump if Cruz hadnt spent months saying the exact opposite. . . . So, which is it? Should voters believe Ted Cruz when he says Trump is a pathological liar, or should voters believe the other Ted Cruz who insisted Trump speaks the truth? As recently as December, Cruz said on Twitter the political establishment may be waiting for some kind of catch between the two candidates, but it wouldnt happen. Sorry to disappoint, Cruz said at the time, [but Trump] is terrific. Apparently, Trump was terrific before he was serial philandering narcissist. I realize, of course, that Cruzs previous praise for Trump was a calculated strategy. The Texas senator believed that Trumps candidacy would eventually falter, and if Cruz could position himself as the principal beneficiary once Trumps supporters shifted their allegiance to a new candidate, Cruz could reap a windfall. . . . The Texan is now reduced to effectively telling the public, Never mind all of that stuff I said before that I didnt really mean. What really matters are the attacks Im willing to make now. Or put another way, Cruz is now admitting that he lied about the candidate he considers a pathological liar. [source] Im going to do something I havent done for the entire campaign, for those of yall who have traveled with me all across the country. Im going to tell you what I really think of Donald Trump. This man is a pathological liar. He doesnt know the difference between truth and lies. He lies practically every word that comes out of his mouth. And, in a pattern that I think is straight out of a psychology textbook, his response is to accuse everybody else of lying. He accuses everybody on that debate stage of lying, and its simply a mindless yell. Whatever he does, he accuses everyone else of doing. The man cannot tell the truth, but he combines it with being a narcissist. A narcissist at a level I dont think this countrys ever seen. Donald Trump is such a narcissist that Barack Obama looks at him and goes, Dude, whats your problem? Everything in Donalds world is about Donald. And he combines being a pathological liarand I say pathological because I actually think Donald, if you hooked him up to a lie detector test, he could say one thing in the morning, one thing at noon, and one thing in the evening, all contradictory, and hed pass the lie detector test each time. Whatever lie hes telling at that minute, he believes it. But the man is utterly amoral. [Reporter starts a question] Let, let me finish this, please. The man is utterly amoral. Morality does not exist for him. Its why he went after Heidi directly and smeared my wife. Attacked her. . . . But Donald is a bully. You know, we just visited with fifth graders. Every one of us knew bullies in elementary school. Bullies dont come from strength, bullies come from weakness. Bullies come from a deep, yawning cavern of insecurity. There is a reason Donald builds giant buildings and puts his name on them everywhere he goes. And I will say, there are millions of people in this country who are angry. Theyre angry at Washington, theyre angry at politicians who have lied to them, I understand that anger. I share that anger. And Donald is cynically exploiting that anger, and he is lying to his supporters. Donald will betray his supporters on every issue. If you care about immigration, Donald is laughing at you. And hes telling the moneyed elites that he doesnt believe what hes saying, hes not gonna build a wall thats what he told the New York Times, he will betray you on every issue across the board. [source] He went on to say that Trump . . . has a real problem with women. He accused News Corp. chief Rupert Murdoch and Fox News president Roger Ailes of turning Fox News into the Donald Trump Network, saying Murdoch is used to picking world leaders in Australia and the United Kingdom running tabloids, and were seeing it here at home with the consequences for this nation. He referenced Back to the Futures bully Biff Tannena caricature of a braggadocious, arrogant buffoon, and allegedly based on Donald Trumpand said that we are looking potentially at the Biff Tannen presidency. . . . Donald Trump is a serial philanderer and he boasts about it, Cruz said. This is not a secret. Hes proud of being a serial philanderer. I want everyone to think about your teenage kids. The president of the United States talks about how great it is to commit adultery, how proud he is, describes his battles with venereal disease as his own personal Vietnam. . . . This may be a tedious thing to keep pointing out, but Cruz spent the first six or seven months of Trumps candidacy as Trumps biggest booster and validator to the conservative grassroots. Theres always been some truth to the moniker of Lyin Ted. [see documentation of Cruzs record on amnesty and immigration issues] His greatest lie of all was pretending that he ever thought there was a decent bone in Trumps body, and he went much further than that. Im grateful that hes in the race, Cruz said late last summer. [source] . . . people who are insecure about who they are, Donald is terrified by strong women. He lashes out at them. . . . Do you wanna spend the next five years with your kids bragging about infidelity . . . he does the same projection, just like a pathological liar, he accuses everyone of lying . . . He accuses others of doing what he is doing. . . . We are staring at the abyss . . . [source] If Indiana does not act, this country could well plunge into the abyss. I dont believe thats who we are. We are not a proud, boastful, self-centered, mean-spirited, hateful, bullying nation. . . . Donald Trump laughs at the people of this state: laughs, bullies, attacks, insults. I dont believe thats America. [source: video at the end] ***** Meta Description: Ted Cruzs incredible 9-month odyssey, from being a Trump fan to thinking he is the scum of the earth & pathological scoundrel. Meta Keywords: 2016 presidential campaign, 2016 Republican primaries, Ted Cruz, Donald Trump, American politics The European Commission and the International Energy Agency will address the impact of the energy crisis on SMEs in an online event on 21 October. Patna: Police in Patna on Tuesday arrested an elementary school teacher on charges of molesting a four-year old girl, a student of Lower KG, after she told her parents about the horrific incident. Harish Kumar, a teacher at California School in Patel Nagar under Shastri Nagar police station, was taken into custody after the girl's parents told the school authorities about the incident that took place on Monday. Following his arrest, several other parents came forward saying even their daughters were molested by the same teacher but they did not come out in order to protect the identity of their children. 25-year old teacher, a bachelor and a native of Rohtas district, was living in a rented apartment in Rajiv Nagar, police said. They, however, said that parents of the previous victims should have come out and filed a complaint against the teacher earlier to save other girls from being molested by this pedophile. Patna: Patna police on Tuesday began tightening noose around the neck of absconding builder and criminal Anil Singh by attaching his properties which includes Hotel Pataliputra Exotica and his residence on Frazer Road following April 29 incident in which Singh's men clashed with shop-owners on Exhibition Road in an attempt to grab their land claiming to be his own. Police, amidst beating of a drum, an archaic method to pronounce a government order, slapped notice of the attachment of Singh's properties including Hotel Pataliputra Exotica on Exhibition Road and his residence on Frazer Road while asking him to surrender before the police or a court or face serious legal consequences. Earlier a Patna court declared Singh as an 'absconder' while it decides to cancel all bails to him in a host of criminal cases. As reported before, Singh and his men thrashed many shop-keepers on Exhibition Road on the morning of April 29 in which his Tata Scorpio SUV was torched by the angry mob. Several people were hurt in the incident and one cop was fired for dragging a woman by her hair and beating her up in full view of the reporters. Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) said Singh currently faces 13 criminal cases registered with Kotwali, Gandhi Maidan, and Malsalami police stations. Imprisoned Irnian Teacher Begins Hunger Strike to Protest Years Behind Bars for Peaceful Union Activities 05/04/16 Source: International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran Mahmoud Beheshti Langroudi, a teacher and activist who was sentenced to five years in prison and an additional four-year suspended prison sentence during a trial that lasted less than eight minutes, has been on hunger strike since April 20, 2016 in Tehrans Evin Prison to protest the tyrannical sentence issued by the Revolutionary Court, a source told the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran. Mahmoud Beheshti Langroudi I will go on a hunger strike and refuse everything except water, tea, sugar and salt until my sentence is terminated and a public trial is held based on Article 168 of the Constitution, wrote Beheshti, a teacher for 25 years, in a statement published on the Teachers and Workers Rights website (Hoghooghe Moalem va Karegar) on April 20, 2016. If anything bad happens to me during or after the hunger strike, the responsibility will be with those who are silent or indifferent towards my demand for justice, he said. The source told the Campaign that Langroudis family is worried because he has already become extremely weak from undergoing several hunger strikes in the past year. Mr. Beheshti Langroudi has committed no crime other than trying to improve conditions for students and teachers, said the source. Thats why he has been sentenced to so many years in prison. Langroudi was sentenced to five years in prison in June 2013 for colluding against national security and propaganda against the state by Judge Abolqasem Salavati of Branch 15 of the Revolutionary Court. He was also issued the four-year suspended prison sentence. According to current laws, especially Article 27 of the Constitution, I do not consider any of my activities to be crimes. But even if we assume I committed a crime, Article 168 of the Constitution states that good-intentioned violations of the law should be prosecuted in the open and in the presence of a jury, said Langroudi in his statement. But due to official procrastination, this progressive principle has been held up for the past 37 years, and instead they have been illegally dealing with such cases in the Revolutionary Court behind closed doors, sending many innocent people to prison with tyrannical sentences. Labor leaders are vigorously prosecuted in Iran under catchall national security charges, and independent labor unions are not allowed to operate. Langroudi was the former spokesperson for the Iranian Teachers Trade Association. Langroudi has publicly protested his trial, especially the fact that it ended within eight minutes. Judiciary Spokesman Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei denied that a trial could be that short in a comment to the hardline Fars News Agency in December 2015: Its absolutely not true or possible for court proceedings to end after five minutes and issue a verdict. But on December 14, 2016, the day after Ejeis comment was published, Langroudis son, Abouzar Beheshti, described his fathers trial as lasting five to eight minutes and three minutes of it was the judge making threatening statements. Esmail Abdi, the secretary general of the Teachers Association of Iran, and Jafar Azimzadeh, the president of the Free Workers Union of Iran-both of whom are serving time in Evin Prison-meanwhile issued a statement announcing that they would also go on hunger strike on International Labor Day (May 1, 2016). A source close to Abdi confirmed the hunger strikes to the Campaign and said the goal was to protest against Irans criminalization of organized labor gatherings, the conviction of labor activists on trumped-up charges, wages below the poverty line, and the ban on International Labor Day and Teachers Day celebrations. In the days leading up to International Labor Day (May 1, 2016), activist-teachers from several unions were warned by the Ministry of Intelligence not to participate in any Labor Day-related activities, the Campaign learned from a source close to the teachers union. Peyman Haj-Mahmoud Attar, the lawyer for the Teachers Association of Iran, criticized the Revolutionary Guards Intelligence Organization for its approach to lawful labor activities, in an interview with the Campaign on October 27, 2015. All the detained members of the Teachers Association were carrying out their lawful duties under permits issued to professional unions by the Interior Ministry. One of their duties was to work towards improving teachers welfare, said Attar. But the Revolutionary Guards Intelligence unit has branded all these completely legal activities as threats to national security. Hajj to be canceled unless Saudis carry out responsibilities: Iran 05/04/16 Source: Press TV If Saudi Arabia does not carry out its responsibilities towards Hajj, Iran will be forced to cancel its annual pilgrimages, the Iranian Foreign Ministry says. The Iranian honor guard carries the caskets of Iranian pilgrims, killed in a crush at the annual Hajj, during a repatriation ceremony upon their arrival on October 3, 2015 at Tehran's Mehrabad Airport. (photo by The Iranian honor guard carries the caskets of Iranian pilgrims, killed in a crush at the annual Hajj, during a repatriation ceremony upon their arrival on October 3, 2015 at Tehran's Mehrabad Airport. (photo by Islamic Republic News Agency Saudi Arabia claims that the subject of Hajj is different from political disputes, but there is a vast gap between its words and deeds, said Hossein Jaberi-Ansari during a trip to Irans northwestern city of Tabriz on Tuesday. If Saudi Arabia carries out its responsibilities as the host government towards the health and safety of the pilgrims, Hajj will take place, otherwise, Iranians will not be able to take part in Hajj, he added. On Thursday, the head of Irans Hajj and Pilgrimage Organization said Saudi officials are continuing to stonewall in the talks with the Islamic Republic about the dispatch of Iranian pilgrims to the Arab country this year. He added that an Iranian delegation had recently held talks with Saudi officials and submitted 20 proposals for ensuring the security and dignity of the Iranian pilgrims during the current years Hajj rituals. Ohadi noted that Saudi officials are supposed to respond clearly to the Iranian delegation's proposals and make preparations for an overdue agreement. Riyadhs inaction comes in the wake of a deadly stampede last year, which drew strong criticism from countries around the world including Iran. The crush took place on September 24, 2015, after two large masses of pilgrims converged at a crossroads in Mina, near Mecca, during the symbolic ceremony of the stoning of Satan in Jamarat. The crush was the deadliest incident in the history of the pilgrimage. According to an Associated Press count based on official statements from the 36 countries that lost citizens in the disaster, more than 2,400 pilgrims were killed in the incident. Saudi Arabia claims nearly 770 people were killed in the incident, but officials at Irans Hajj and Pilgrimage Organization say about 4,700 people, including over 460 Iranian pilgrims, lost their lives. The tragedy came days after a massive construction crane collapsed onto Meccas Grand Mosque, killing more than 100 people and leaving over 200 others wounded. According to the figures released by Iran's Hajj and Pilgrimage Organization, 11 Iranian pilgrims were among the deceased and 32 of the injured were also Iranian nationals. Iran: Flawed Convictions for Journalists 05/04/16 Press Release by Human Rights Watch (Beirut) - An Iranian court convicted three journalists and a family member of another journalist on April 25, 2016 on vague national security charges. The four, along with a fifth journalist, have been detained since November, 2015. The authorities should quash their convictions and release them. World Press Freedom Day (by cartoonist Arvin, Iranian daily Ghanoon) The revolutionary court sentenced the journalists, Afarin Chitsaz, Ehsan Mazandarani, and Saman Safarzaei, to terms of ten, seven, and five years respectively, and Davoud Assadi, the brother of Houshang Assadi, a journalist who lives in France, to five years. The trial of the fourth journalist, Isa Saharkhiz, who is hospitalized, was postponed. The five appear to have been prosecuted on overly broad charges that are inconsistent with human rights law, including charges of insulting the Supreme Leader, Human Rights Watch said. It seems these journalists have done nothing other than exercise their right to free speech, said Sarah Leah Whitson, Middle East director. Iran should vacate these apparently unfair convictions and stop targeting journalists and others with these overly broad and vague national security charges. The arrest and harsh sentencing occurred in the context of the hardline Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps renewed crackdown on media freedom since the election of President Hassan Rouhani, a moderate, in 2013. Iranian state television and media reports claimed that the journalists were part of an infiltration network colluding with foreign media, but have yet to offer any evidence supporting these allegations. On September 21, Farsnews, an agency considered supportive of the Revolutionary Guards, reported that 12 parliamentarians have warned about the infiltration of individuals close to western intelligence agencies in Iranian domestic chain newspapers, a term used by hardliners to describe newspapers close to the reformists. They asked the authorities to take action. Mazandarani is the managing editor of the daily Farhikhtegan, while Safarzaei writes for the monthly publication Andisheh Pouya. Both publications are considered sympathetic to reformist politicians. Chitsaz, a former actress, is a regular contributor to Iran, the Rouhani administrations official newspaper on foreign policy issues. Saharkhiz is a veteran journalist and a founding member of the Society for the Defense of Freedom of the Press (SDFP). He received a Hellman-Hammett award in 2012 under a program administered by Human Rights Watch for journalists who have been victims of political persecution. Mahmoud Alizadeh Tabatabaei, a lawyer who represents Saharkhiz, Mazandarani, and Assadi, told Human Rights Watch on April 25 that Branch 28 of Tehrans Revolutionary Court sentenced Mazandarani on charges of assembly and collusion against national security, and propaganda against the state. Safarzaei and Assadi were sentenced for assembly and collusion against national security, and for alleged collaboration with Persian-language media outlets abroad. In the past, Iranian authorities have targeted relatives and friends of foreign-based Persian-language journalists, such as journalists working for BBC Persian to obtain information or silence them. Tasnim news agency, a website considered supportive of the Revolutionary Guards,reported that Branch 28 of Tehrans Revolutionary Court sentenced Chitsaz on charges of assembly and collusion against national security, and contact with foreign governments, though the latter charge does not exist in Irans penal code. Alizadeh Tabatabaei said that the case investigator had dismissed espionage charges against all five before the trial. Alizadeh Tabatabaei had earlier had told Human Rights Watch that Saharkhiz and Mazandarani were held for three months before finally being formally charged with acting against national security, and propaganda against the state. Assadi, Safarzaei, and Mazandarani appeared at Branch 28 of Tehrans revolutionary court in early March. Chitsazs trial was on April 12, domestic media reported. Saharkhizs trial, which was scheduled for March 5, was postponed by the court to allow the lawyers to review the case. Saharkhiz, who spent four years in prison in the aftermath of the disputed 2009 Iranian presidential election, has embarked on several hunger strikes to protest the conditions of his detention inside Ward 2A of Evin prison under Revolutionary Guard supervision. Mehdi Saharkhiz, Isa Saharkhizs son, told Human Rights Watch that his fathers health has gravely deteriorated under detention, and that he had to be transferred to a hospital outside prison on March 9. Mehdi said that his father is facing charges of assembly and collusion against national security, propaganda against the state, and insulting the supreme leader, among others. As a party to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, Iran has legal obligations to protect the rights to free expression and access to information. The rights to freedom of expression provided under international human rights law may be limited only within narrowly defined boundaries. The penalization of a media outlet, publishers, or journalist solely for being critical of the government or the existing political system can never be considered a necessary justification to restricting the freedom of expression. However, the overly broad exceptions to free expression contained in the Iranian constitution, security laws, and the Iranian penal code more generally, allow the authorities to suppress these rights beyond the limits set by international law. International human rights law prohibits laws, such as Irans, that criminalize criticizing or insulting state institutions, including the supreme leader. Furthermore, domestic laws that define crimes in broad and vague terms, and therefore do not permit a person to know what acts constitute a criminal violation also violate international human rights law. Since the disputed 2009 presidential election, revolutionary court judges have increasingly interpreted vaguely drafted provisions of national security charges inconsistently with international law by citing legitimate peaceful dissent as evidence of acting against national security. As of April, Iran had one of the highest numbers of journalists and social media activists in prison in the world, with at least 32 people behind bars, according to Reporters Without Borders. 3rd Europe-Iran Forum opens in Zurich 05/04/16 The 3rd Europe-Iran Forum opened on Tuesday in Zurich, Switzerland. The 2-day event offers a new and innovative program designed to balance high-level networking opportunities with panels and industry-focused workshops of real practical value. At this Forum delegates will be able to meet potential partners, trusted advisors, and exemplary business leaders. The forum features 6 panel discussions, 15 industry workshops, and 4 keynote speeches, according to the official website of the forum. According to the Forum's website: South Korea offers Iran $25bn in loans 05/04/16 Source: Press TV South Korea's President Park Geun-hye said on Tuesday that her country had prepared a package of loans worth a total of $25 billion for the development of Iran's infrastructure projects. President Park, who was speaking in a joint meeting of Iranian and South Korean traders in Tehran, expressed hope that Iran would be able to exploit the loan package efficiently. South Korea's President Park Geun-hye says her country has prepared a package worth $25 billion for the development of Iran's infrastructure projects. (photo by South Korea's President Park Geun-hye says her country has prepared a package worth $25 billion for the development of Iran's infrastructure projects. (photo by Islamic Republic News Agency President Park emphasized that both Iran and South Korea have huge potentials for mutual cooperation that are yet to be tapped. She named the energy sector as a key area in that connection, emphasizing that Iran as the owner of energy resources and South Korea as the owner of modern technologies will benefit from cooperating with each other in that area. Other areas that she said are equally important to both countries are the tourism industry, the water sector, transportation, urban development and tourism. President Park arrived in the Iranian capital Tehran on Sunday on her first trip to Iran and the first by a South Korean president in decades. She is heading a delegation that comprises over 230 executives and businesspeople and is expected to stay in the Islamic Republic until Tuesday. After her arrival in Tehran, a series of key cooperation agreements were signed by the two countries. On Tuesday, 13 more agreements were signed by private sector enterprises from both countries. They mostly concerned cooperation between Iranian and South Korean companies over energy, power, automobile and railroad projects as well as the financing of different industries. South Korea has been a major importer of Iran's crude oil. On Sunday, Minister of Petroleum Bijan Zangeneh said Iran's oil exports to South Korea have more than quadrupled to 400,000 barrels a day since sanctions were lifted in January. Iran, whose exports to South Korea were less than 100,000 barrels a day before sanctions were lifted, has since worked to quickly boost its output. It has focused on selling to its traditional customers in Asia, but has also shipped cargoes to Europe. The value of non-oil trade between Iran and South Korea in 2013 stood at around $4.1 billion from which $3.8 billion were the exports of South Korea to Iran and some $300 million were Iran's exports to South Korea. The best 2-in-1 laptop 2022: our picks of the best convertible laptops These are the best 2-in-1 laptops you can buy right now (www.mi.com)Xiaomi Mi Bunny smartwatch comes in two colors and and a price tag of . As smartwatch manufacturers are bringing out new devices, Xiaomi is planning to join them in the second half of the year with its own product. However, right now, the company has announced a stellar smartwatch offering for kids priced under $50. Reporting on the arrival of the smartwatch from Xiaomi, which is called the Mi Bunny, Engadget states that the device was spotted on the Chinese language website of the company. In the listing on the website, the Mi Bunny smartwatch has a price tag of 299 Yuan, which translates to around $46. It goes on to add that the price tag on this particular smartwatch is very affordable compared to similar devices that have been created for kids. Among the great features of the smartwatch is that it has a SIM card embedded that children can use to make calls without pairing it with a smartphone. Using this SIM card, children will be able to communicate easily with six family members whose information is stored on board. Additionally, the company outlined that children will be able to make calls for free to these six family members, but it is likely that this feature is only going to be provided when the Mi Bunny releases in China. Importantly, the Mi Bunny smartwatch also comes with GPS that can alert parents when children wander out of a safe zone at home or on their way to school. GPS on this smartwatch is in addition to GLONASS and WiFi. An SOS button is also present on the device that will allow children to send an alert to their parents in case they need help. This alert will provide the location of the child, along with seven seconds of recorded audio. The Mi Bunny can be paired with Android phones and it currently comes in two colors pink and blue. As for the 300 mAh battery on the device, it is designed to last for six days as it is a simple LED dot matrix. Microsoft dove deeper into Internet of Things technology on Tuesday with the acquisition of Solair, an Italian company that operates a cloud-based IoT platform. According to a Microsoft blog post, Solairs technology will be used to upgrade the companys Azure IoT Suite, a collection of cloud services meant to help companies use the Internet of Things. Microsoft and Solair didnt disclose the financial terms of their deal. Solairs technology, which already uses Microsofts Azure cloud services, offers IoT services focused on a variety of markets, including home automation, smart metering, remote maintenance and inventory management. Microsoft didnt say specifically what it will get out of Solairs technology, but it promised to release more details on the integration of the two companies later. Microsoft acquired Solair for its technology, not its customer base, MachNation analyst Dima Tokar wrote in a commentary. Sam George, the partner director for Azure IoT, said in a blog post that Microsoft is excited about the technology and talent that will come with the acquisition. Azure is a key part of Microsofts corporate strategy. The company is betting big on getting more customers to use its cloud offerings, and acquisitions like this one are aimed at getting more companies to buy into the Azure ecosystem, especially for new workloads like those driven by IoT. All blogs hosted on Googles blogspot.com domain can now be accessed over an encrypted HTTPS connection. This puts more control into the hands of blog readers who value privacy. Google started offering users of its Blogger service the option to switch their blogspot.com sites to HTTPS in September, but now that setting was removed and all blogs received an HTTPS version that users can access. Instead of the HTTPS Availability option, blog owners can now use a setting called HTTPS Redirect, which will redirect all visitors to the HTTPS version of their blogs automatically. If the setting is not used, users will still be able to access the non-encrypted HTTP version. Forcing HTTPS by default would have been better, but would have likely triggered mixed content alerts in users browsers for some blogs. These errors happen when a website served over HTTPS loads resources, such as images and code, from external servers that dont use HTTPS. Mixed content is often caused by incompatible templates, gadgets, or post content, Google software security engineer Milinda Perera said in a blog post Tuesday. While were proactively fixing most of these errors, some of them can only be fixed by you, the blog authors. To help authors detect such errors early, Google has built a tool directly into the Blogger editor that warns authors about mixed content issues even before a blog post is saved and published. In addition to using blogspot subdomains, Googles Blogger service allows users to use their custom domains for their blogs; however, those blogs have not received HTTPS support yet. This is in contrast to WordPress.com, the blogging platform run by Automattic, which recently enabled HTTPS by default for all custom domains. The company achieved that by partnering with Lets Encrypt, a new certificate authority that provides free SSL/TLS certificates and automates their deployment, configuration and renewal. Users who want to always access the HTTPS version of a blogspot.com domain can install the HTTPS Everywhere extension developed by the Electronic Frontier Foundation thats available for Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox and Opera. A quantum computer for the people isnt just a theoretical dream; IBM is trying to make it a reality. IBM has built a quantum processor with five qubits, or quantum bits. Even better, IBM isnt hiding the quantum processor in its labsit will be accessible through the cloud for the public to run experiments and test applications. The goal is to unwrap decades-old mysteries around quantum computers and let people play with the hardware, said Jay Gambetta, manager of quantum computing theory and information at IBM. IBMs qubit processor is significant because itll be the first quantum hardware accessible to the public, even if only through the cloud. Users will be able to work with qubits, study tutorials, and run simulations, Gambetta said. A quantum computer is already available from D-Wave, but it is being used by just a handful of organizations like Google, Lockheed Martin, and the Los Alamos National Laboratory. D-Waves system, based on quantum annealing, is ideal for specific tasks while IBMs quantum hardware is designed to run more varied tasks. Access to the 5-qubit processor will be available soon, though Gambetta couldnt provide further details. Its possible that access will be provided for free, he said. Researchers and academics may be the first people to use the processor. Quantum computers would be significantly faster than todays PCs and servers and will bring radical changes to the way computers are built. Quantum computing would be a way to advance computing even as smaller and more power-efficient chips become more challenging to make. IBMs 5-qubit processor also is a baby-step toward building the elusive universal quantum computer that researchers have been chasing for decades. A universal quantum computer could perform a huge range of computational tasks. Two years ago, the company committed $3 billion to rethink conventional computer designs, with research centered around quantum computing and brain-inspired chips like its experimental TrueNorth processor. IBM hopes to build a quantum computer in the order of 50 to 100 qubits within the next decade. A true universal quantum computer would require somewhere between a million to 100 million qubits, and that could take decades to build, Gambetta said. The 5-qubit quantum processor is part of a new platform called the IBM Quantum Experience. Access to the quantum processor will be through the IBM Cloud Bluemix platform, which will provide the interface to load applications for crunching on the quantum processor. Bluemix also provides software, services, APIs, and development tools. IBMs quantum processor is hosted in a special cryogenic dilution refrigerator, an advanced cooling technique is central to keeping quantum hardware operational. IBM said the processor is stable and reliable thanks to research and engineering advances. Quantum computers provide a radically different computational path than todays PCs. At the center are qubits, which allows the systems to perform significantly more complex calculations than is possible with todays fastest supercomputer. Conventional bits in todays computers are stored in the form of a one or zero. Harnessing the laws of quantum mechanics, qubits can achieve various states, like holding a one and a zero simultaneously, with states multiplying. This technique is called superposition and allows quantum computers to vastly increase their processing power compared to conventional computers. But quantum computers can be notoriously unstable, which is why they have been so elusive. Qubits can be fragile, and their behavior or state could be hard to predict once they start interacting, or entangling, in a calculation. The state of qubits could be easily upset by heat or electromagnetic radiation, which can wreck computational cycles. That could make a quantum computer unreliable for tasks like genome sequencing, which need reliable performance over a sustained period of time. IBM has been working to address many quantum computing challenges. Research is underway to resolve simultaneous data errors in superpositioned qubit arrays, also called phase-flip errors. IBM is also researching new materials for use in quantum computers. Another goal with the Quantum Experience is to give users a crash course in programming for quantum computers, Gambetta said. Quantum computers provide an alternative computational path, and programs will need to be written differently for execution on IBMs quantum processor. Not all programs will execute properly. Users could see errors if qubits go out of control, but thats an important part of learning how to use quantum computers, Gambetta said. A 5-qubit processor is good for simple scientific programs, but dont expect to run regular applications like Microsoft Word. There are sample algorithms available for review in the Quantum Experience. One relates to Grovers algorithm, which can be used to search unstructured databases and find answers faster than conventional computers. The initial quantum processor could also be used for material sciences and quantum dynamics applications, and the list will grow in the future. Itll be possible to run more complex programs as the processor arrangements are beefed up to support more qubits, Gambetta said. Researchers and scientists will be able to discuss and share projects through the Quantum Experience. IBM has also formed the IBM Research Frontiers Institute to partner with researchers and organizations to advance quantum computing. IBMs trying to usher in a new community of quantum computer users with these efforts, Gambetta said. I dont know where quantum computing will end up. Were defining a path, Gambetta said. Forget electronic contact lenses; Googles next step could be to inject vision-enhancing electronics directly into the eye. A patent fled by Google and Andrew Jason Conradcurrently the head of Verily, the life sciences unit of Google parent company Alphabetcalls for an intra-ocular device that would sit within the lens capsule of the eye. The device would not be a full-blown computerthe processor and controls would live in an external interface device such as a smartphonebut it would include sensors, an electronic lens, battery, and bio-interactive components. To power the device, Googles patent mentions an energy harvesting antenna, which doesnt at all bring the Matrix to mind. Google says this antenna could capture energy from incident radio radiation, and could optionally double as a way to communicate with the external device. Alternatively, the external device could be worn by the user or stashed beside a bed, and would power the eye sensor wirelessly. How would the installation work? Patients would get a dose of anesthetic, and then a surgeon would cut through the cornea and into the anterior chamber of the eye, introducing fluid into the lens capsule to help position the device. That fluid would then solidify, coupling the lens capsule and the device. Google describes being able to replace some or all of the patients natural eye lens if necessary. The main purpose of this device would be to improve or restore vision in people with medical issues such as cataracts and presbyopia. But the patent also mentions other applications beyond the medical realm, including depth- and focus-sensors for a virtual scene presented to the user. Why this matters: As with any patent filing, theres no guarantee that Googles intra-ocular device concept will materialize. But keep in mind the company previously patented smart contact lenses before working on a real version that measures blood glucose levels. Given enough time, this latest invention could be the HoloLens of the futurenot worn atop your head, but squeezed into your eyeball. To help combat cultural appropriation often seen on college campuses, UC Riverside students are hosting events this Cinco de Mayo week to foster Latino culture. Dubbed Semana de la Raza or Raza Week, the weeklong program commemorates Chicano and Latino culture with workshops, concerts, and lectures. UC Riverside has held this event for years. Many Chicanos and Latinos dont tend to celebrate Cinco de Mayo, said Arlene Cano, program coordinator for Chicano Student Programs, the group hosting the events. In Western culture, its been appropriated and linked to partying and alcohol consumption, she said. This is a way to understand the core of it, the struggle to justice and how the struggle continues in our community. Cinco de Mayo commemorates the unlikely victory of a Mexican army over French troops in Puebla on May 5, 1862. Many confuse the day with Sept. 16, the Mexican holiday celebrating the Cry of Independence, which started the 1810 revolt against the Spaniards. UCRs week-long event began Monday, May 2, and concludes Friday, May 6. On Wednesday, May 4, a Cinco de Mayo Nooner will feature the mariachi group, Azteca de Oro. Later that evening, a lecture will be held to discuss the criminalization of Latina immigrants. On Cinco de Mayo, a comedy skit will touch on the current state of Chicano Studies, the anti-immigrant rhetoric of Donald Trump, and raids affecting the Latino community. That day will end with a concert featuring the group, Chicano Batman. The week will close with an art show. All events are free and open to the public. Also on Cinco de Mayo, the Riverside County Community Action Partnerships Multi-Cultural and Arts Committee will honor local Latino leaders. Former State Supreme Court Justice Cruz Reynoso, who also was legal advisor to the late civil-rights activist Cesar Chavez, will speak at the Thursday 12 p.m. gathering. Riverside City Council Member Andy Melendrez, KMIR News reporter Kitty Alvarado, Assessor-County Clerk-Recorder Peter Aldana, and business owner Susana Esmeralda Chandi are among those who will be honored. Contact the writer: 952-368-9462 or amolina@pressenterprise.com A group of Riverside Community College District students are continuing to protest the hiring of an administrator they say ignored a sexual assault complaint at her former job at Mt. San Antonio College. About 40 students picketed and attended a board meeting Riverside Tuesday evening, May 3 where they urged trustees to fire Lorraine Jones, who was hired as the district compliance officer in February. Aarefah Mosavi, a former student at Mt. San Antonio College, reported that she was sexually assaulted in December 2013 but Jones mishandled the complaint. Mosavis assailant was not punished. According to a job description, Jones position is responsible for ensuring the district stays in compliance with laws governing equal treatment of minority and women students, and investigating allegations of harassment, discrimination and violence on campus The protestors said theyre concerned that allegations of sexual assault will not be taken seriously at the district campuses with Jones. They said the district and board members have ignored them since they first raised the issue last month. Carlos Venegas, a Riverside City College student who has helped organize the protest, told the board that students felt frustration and disgust. The chancellor and the board have simply decided to put their heads in the sand and shut their eyes and hope the students will go away, he said. Peggy Cartwright, district spokeswoman, said the district cannot comment on allegations from another college. We followed our current hiring policies and procedures in hiring her, she said. The students found support Tuesday, however, from the president of the districts faculty association. In a long and impassioned speech, Dariush Haghighat, expressed support for them and, in particular Mosavi, calling them courageous for raising the issue. On behalf of the faculty association, we collectively apologize to the students for not rushing to your defense, when they first came forward, he said. The faculty association was opposed to Jones hiring, stating that the group was not included in the decision-making process, Haghighat said. He noted that Jones is now being sued by Mosavi over the allegations at Mt. SAC. Rest assured we will demand the immediate departure of Ms. Jones if that decision indeed implicates her personally in violation of Ms. Mosavis rights, Haghighat said. Board members did not address the allegations during the meeting. Board president Virginia Blumenthal said they were prevented from doing so because state law limits meeting discussion to items on the agenda. Mosavi, who is now a UC Berkeley student and attended the meeting, said she was heartened by the comments from the faculty association. I was in tears, she said. Mosavi said students intend to keep putting the pressure on until we get our goals met. I noticed in the story titled Trump in California: The lines are drawn [News, April 29] a comment that I feel contains an all too common omission by opponents of Donald Trump. Cal State San Bernardino professor Jose Munoz, speaking of protesters who oppose Trump being in the state and campaigning, said, They have the right to challenge his presence. I do not think people disagree with the right to peacefully protest. But the protesters who are evoking their right to free speech are conveniently forgetting others. When they protest by burning, looting and destroying property, a lot of us get the idea their protest is not about the issues they claim. I am surprised that an educated professor would suggest that a candidate for the presidency be denied entry into the state or not be allowed to speak because protesters do not like or agree with his words. Dont vote for Trump rather than destroying police cars to show your disagreement. Charles R. Hansen Riverside End War on Drugs The recent column by Rep. Paul Cook, R-Apple Valley, is a self-indictment. The title of the column is Illegal drugs fund global terrorism [Opinion, April 22]. And there it is in a nutshell. The fact that any commodity can be made illegal by the likes of Rep. Cook and his friends in Congress is precisely why there is an underground trade of immense profit that funds all manner of atrocious activity. The legalization of drugs would eliminate the black market of those commodities and deprive thugs of the exorbitantly inflated price of an otherwise free market competitive trade price. Its high time for recognition that the war on drugs has not only been lost but that it has fueled and will continue to fuel terrorism, barbarism, public coffer depletion and political corruption across the world. But the first crimes are the money and resources wasted on the wrong-headed, futile war on drugs. Forest Trowbridge Jurupa Valley Although the fight for political freedoms is a universal challenge, three African nations Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo, and the Republic of Congo experienced a significant increase in human rights abuses related to their elections in 2015. Burundis human rights climate took a turn for the worse in April 2015 when the ruling political party, the National Council for the Defense of Democracy Forces for the Defense of Democracy announced that the incumbent President, Pierre Nkurunziza, would run for a third term, in which he won in July 2015, in violation of the Arusha Agreement. Human rights monitors have documented at least 474 individuals killed since April 2015, including 130 targeted assassinations. Other serious human rights abuses linked to the political crisis include extrajudicial killings, including reports of victims disposed of in mass graves; arbitrary and politicized detention, often in inhuman and life-threatening conditions; and widespread government disregard for the freedoms of speech, press and media, assembly, and association; and sexual and gender-based violence. In The Republic of the Congo on October 25, the ruling Congolese Labor Party and its allies won a landslide victory in a referendum to amend the constitution to allow President Denis Sassou Nguesso to run for a third term.35 civilians were reported killed during demonstrations leading up to the referendum, and voters faced intimidation and severe restrictions on basic freedoms. In January 2015 political tensions intensified in The Democratic Republic of Congo when protests erupted in Kinshasa, Goma, and Bukavu over a push by President Joseph Kabilas Presidential Majority for electoral legislation mandating a nationwide census that would have delayed presidential elections past 2016. The United Nations Joint Human Rights Office confirmed 10 deaths, while Human Rights Watch reported 38 civilian deaths, five disappearances, and more than 300 arrests during the protests. Additionally, there were numerous reports of opposition members arrested in cities across the country. Abuses have continued to increase; the UN has stated that it has documented more than 400 cases of human rights violations, including 52 arrests, since the beginning of 2016. In all three cases the United States has expressed concerns for these trends both publically and privately. Universally it is the primary responsibility of the state to address human rights abuses through accountability and prevention. This is a challenge all over the world. Attacks on firefighters and ambulance crews such as a brick-throwing incident Sunday, May 1 in San Jacinto are rare but appear to be increasing, firefighters say. A Cal Fire/Riverside County fire captain suffered minor injuries when, as his paramedics treated a patient, one of the patients family members threw bricks at the emergency workers and ambulance, and another threatened to kill them, the Riverside County Sheriffs Department said in a news release. Sheriffs officials did not describe the patients medical condition or say what may have motivated the attack. Bobby Henry Jr., 56, and Tyrone Deshon Henry, 44, were arrested. They remained in jail Tuesday, and are scheduled to enter pleas Wednesday, jail records show. Some firefighters theorize that in the current climate in which some people distrust police, those people sometimes see a firefighter uniform and direct their anger toward the firefighter. With the way that law enforcement is being treated by the public, sometimes we get lumped into it, said Cal Fire Capt. Darren Hoopingarner, who is vice president of a local district of a firefighters union and wasnt involved in Sundays incident. We train a lot to make sure we know that were going to be safe on a structure fire and a traffic collision, and we dont really expect that were going to be potentially viewed as part of the problem. We are here to help. Hoopingarner said he was speaking on behalf of the membership of Cal Fire Local 2881, not the state agency. Hoopingarner, a firefighter for 25 years, said family members sometimes get impatient and voice their frustration while his crews are methodically assessing a patient. He remembers working a traffic collision in Mira Loma in which their response wasnt fast enough for one person, who got in the faces of firefighters trying to cut two people out of the wreckage. Hoopingarner had to lead the man away. Capt. Lucas Spelman, a Cal Fire/Riverside County Fire Department spokesman, said assaults and threats have increased a little bit over the years, but in general I think we are appreciated by the citizens who we protect. Spelman and Hoopingarner said firefighters are trained to step back from threatening situations. Hoopingarner said that typically, one member of the crew will watch over a scene to detect potential for trouble. Cal Fire officials in Sacramento have discussed arming firefighter with guns, Spelman said, but no action has come from those talks. Right now were going to stay in the firefighting business, he said. An American Medical Response ambulance sustained a broken mirror, scratches and dents from the San Jacinto attack, spokesman Jason Sorrick said. The crew retreated from the area, then returned when sheriffs deputies arrived, he said. He said his companys emergency medical technicians and paramedics have rarely been attacked. When threatened, the crews will gather away from the situation until it calms down. The last thing that you would want are the medics coming in to save somebody become the victim themselves, and not be able to treat someone, Sorrick said. Those ambulance crews could receive additional protection in the form of legislation. State Assemblyman Freddie Rodriguez, whose 52nd District includes Chino, Montclair, Ontario, Pomona and portions of unincorporated Fontana, is an EMT who still pulls some shifts for AMR in the San Gabriel Valley. Someone who is convicted of assault can receive a longer sentence if the victim is a police officer or firefighter. Rodriguez has introduced legislation that would extend that sentencing enhancement to the ambulance crews. Hes been in the trenches his entire life, and (assaults are) something he has seen in his career, said his press secretary, Shanna Ezzell. She said police, firefighters and ambulance crews all respond to the same calls, and so Rodriguez believes they all deserve the same protections in the law. AB 1959 is being studied by the Appropriations Committee, Ezzell said. A hearing on its financial impact has been scheduled for May 27. Contact the writer: brokos@pressenterprise.com or 951-368-9569 UPDATE (Thursday, July 14): SAN BERNARDINO: Regulators reject natural gas pipeline to Moreno Valley Two Southern California gas companies say they were profoundly disappointed in a judges ruling against their proposed natural gas pipeline from Adelanto through San Bernardino and on to Moreno Valley. But Southern California Gas Co. and San Diego Gas & Electric now seem willing to consider alternative routes for their controversial North-South pipeline. In a written response to the California Public Utilities Commission judges ruling, the companies say its a legitimate question whether, in light of the Aliso Canyon gas leak and storage field shutdown, other facilities may be a reasonable alternative. Thats tremendous progress, from public meetings where they seemed to turn a deaf ear to concerns from neighbors their proposed pipeline would have harmed. The judge, in a proposed decision released last month, said two other pipeline companies proposals would cost less and be less environmentally disruptive than the gas companies original plan. He also said it might be possible to ensure reliable natural gas supplies to Southern California without building a pipeline, by contracting for out-of-state supplies. The two gas companies, subsidiaries of Sempra Energy, demonstrated theres a need to enhance the reliability of natural gas supplies in the region, the judge said, but not that the North-South pipeline was the best way to do it. The three-foot-diameter pipeline would have carried natural gas between two east-west pipelines that enter the state at Needles and Blythe. It would have cut through the San Bernardino National Forest and dug a massive trench along streets near Cal State San Bernardino, Arrowhead Country Club and Reche Canyon, and through the middle of future World Logistics Center property in Moreno Valley. The route sparked opposition from San Bernardino residents and city leaders, who said it would damage the city when it could least defend itself, in the midst of municipal bankruptcy. But until Judge Karl Bemesderfer denied the gas companies request for a rate increase to cover the cost of the project, there seemed little hope of stopping it. Residents and city leaders told me that when they objected at public meetings, company officials dismissed other routes as not feasible, without explanation. Indeed, when Bemesderfers decision was published April 5, the gas companies continued to insist their route was best for their customers. But in their written response to the decision, they ask the commission to explore the alternative proposals thoroughly, then order the gas companies to implement the ultimate chosen proposal. They ask that the commission to compare the proposals side-by-side to see how they stack up against each other. That seems a reasonable request. The companies argue it would be best to build a facility they own and control, rather than having them contract with outside companies to ensure the gas supply. They also argue it would be best for the PUC to oversee a project built in California, rather than choose a pipeline outside the state that would be beyond the commissions regulatory reach. The elephant in the room, not mentioned in the judges decision, was the Aliso Canyon the leak and shutdown of the Aliso Canyon gas storage facility north of Los Angeles. That changed the equation of ensuring Southern California supplies. The companies ask the PUC to direct them to study the ramifications of the Aliso Canyon shutdown and let them set up financial accounts where they can track related expenditures for future reimbursement. Those, too, seem like reasonable requests. The companies arent the only ones who took the opportunity to respond to the judges proposed decision. Two pipeline firms Transwestern and TransCanada each argue that its proposal should win out (attacking competitors proposals in the process). The gas companies complained about spending years and millions of dollars on an environmental review ordered by the PUC, only to have the North-South pipeline denied. But theres no way to explore a proposal without spending time and money designing it. The best outcome will be to send the project back to the drawing board. Only then can a reasonable, affordable alternative be selected one that wont disrupt Inland residents lives, or cost California ratepayers more than necessary. Contact the writer: 951-368-9470 or cmacduff@pressenterprise.com Gov. Jerry Brown faces a midnight deadline to act on six bills to restrict tobacco use in California, including a bill to raise the minimum age to buy cigarettes to 21. Brown must sign, veto or return the bills to the Legislature Wednesday, or they automatically become law on Thursday. The Democratic governor has not commented on the package of tobacco proposals. Other bills would regulate electronic cigarettes, allow local tobacco taxes, establish annual tobacco license fees and push for all charter schools to be tobacco free. One would expand tobacco-free workplaces to include small businesses, break rooms and hotel lobbies. Democratic lawmakers passed the proposals almost two months ago. Legislative leaders waited to send them to Brown because of political threats from tobacco companies to overturn them. RELATED 21-PLUS SMOKING: Health advocates cheer, smokers fume SMOKING: Bill would ban lighting up at state parks SACRAMENTO: Bills restricting tobacco use move to Gov. Jerry Brown Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump will not be around, but Temecula officials arent taking any security risks. In the wake of violent clashes at recent rallies in Orange County and Northern California, a big police presence is planned for a pro-Trump event set for Saturday at Temeculas Duck Pond Park. We will not tolerate criminal activity and if anyone shows up intending to break the law they will be arrested, said Temecula Police Chief Jeff Kubel on Tuesday. The city contracts with the Riverside County Sheriffs Department for police services. We are not concerned with people exercising their constitutional rights, and we expect our citizens to do so without engaging in criminal activity as they have done in the past. The event, set for 11 a.m., is scheduled to include a roster of speakers such as Orly Taitz, a constitutional attorney who has challenged the legitimacy of President Obamas birthplace, and Maria Espinoza, national director of an organization that lobbies for the victims of crimes committed by people in the country illegally. Trump is not expected to attend. Glenn Turner of Riverside for Trump, one of the organizers of Saturdays event, said hes expecting there will be counter-protesters and hes hoping police will keep the peace. We expect some problems, he said. I want someone to guard my car and stuff. Kubel said staffing will be similar to the force of around two dozen officers deployed during a March 26 rally at the same park. At that event, foes of Trump and supporters of rival candidates verbally clashed with supporters, but there were no physical altercations. I was at the Duck Pond during the entire rally last time and even though some of the dialogue was emotionally charged, it was basically an exercise of free speech and not at all criminal in nature, Kubel said. I found that most of the attendees were civil and respectful of others. I anticipate the same will occur this weekend, but if not we will act swiftly to keep the public safe. In Anaheim last week, Trump supporters who gathered outside city hall to denounce a proposed council resolution targeting Trumps divisive rhetoric tangled with anti-Trump forces, a clash that included multiple people including an 8-year-old girl getting pepper sprayed. Later that same week, hundreds of people tried to disrupt Trumps appearance at the California Republican Convention in Burlingame, citing his support for a wall along the U.S.-Mexican border and some of his comments about immigrants from Mexico. The anti-Trump forces didnt prevent Trump from attending the event but there were reports of damage to a police vehicle and crowd barriers and at least one Trump supporter was injured. The protesters in California were thugs and criminals, Trump posted on his Twitter account. Many are professionals. They should be dealt with strongly by law enforcement! Canyon Lake Mayor Tim Brown, who is set to speak at the Temecula event, said Tuesday hes not concerned at all about the potential for violence. He said he was at the Anaheim event and that a few isolated incidents got out of hand, but it wasnt a full-blown battle. The general public down there was safe at all points, he said. Both sides were relatively civil at all times. Contact the writer: 951-368-9698 or aclaverie@pressenterprise.com So much for the pivotal California primary. Ted Cruzs withdrawal from the Republican presidential race Tuesday night, May 3 all but guarantees that Donald Trump, who cruised to victory in Indiana earlier in the evening, will be the GOPs White House nominee. And in California, it dashes the hopes of political junkies and others who were looking forward to a meaningful June 7 primary that would decide whether Trump won the nomination outright or set the stage for a contested Republican National Convention. I really thought Ted Cruz was going to fight all the way to the convention, so Im a little disappointed, said Redlands Tea Party Patriots cabinet member John Berry. Berry praised Cruz as someone who really punched above his weight for a first-time candidate. That he outlasted 14 other Republican candidates is a testimonial to the great candidate he is, Berry said. Normally, Californias primary takes place after the GOP and Democratic presidential nominees are pretty much decided. But acrimonious races for both parties, and the question of whether Trump would get the 1,237 delegates needed for the GOP nomination, suddenly put the Golden State in play, leading to speculation about whether the candidates would swing through the Inland Empire. Cruzs withdrawal throws cold water on those hopes, although John Kasich vowed to remain in the race despite having no mathematical shot of getting to 1,237 delegates. Our party is facing a clear choice between positive solutions that can win in November and a darker path that will solve nothing and lead to Hillary Clinton in the White House, a Democrat Senate and a liberal Supreme Court, Kasich Chief Strategist John Weaver said in a news release. As long as it remains possible, Governor Kasich will fight for the higher path. On the Democratic side, Bernie Sanders, who won Indiana, is counting on a strong victory in California in his longshot bid to wrest the nomination from Clinton, who enjoys a sizeable lead in delegates. Cruzs exit is bad news for the California Republican Party, said Jennifer Walsh, dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at Azusa Pacific University. The California Republican convention last week featured protests and mini-riots by those opposing Trump, she said. California Republican leaders who oppose Trumps candidacy are no doubt wringing their hands over Trumps de facto nomination. The prospect of taking on Trump is sure to hearten Clinton supporters, with a number of polls showing she beats the billionaire businessman head-to-head. Trump cannot win on his own appeal but there are three things could still hurt Clinton: an economic downturn, a national security debacle, or a scandal, said Jack Pitney, a professor of politics at Claremont McKenna College. Cruzs departure will have ripple effects on other races on the primary ballot. The big winner could be Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Loretta Sanchez, Pitney said. With an active GOP presidential race, high Republican turnout might have boosted (Republican Senate candidates Duf) Sundheim, (Tom) Del Beccaro or (Ron) Unz ahead of (Sanchez) on primary day, he said. Thats much less likely now. And with Trump on the November ballot, there will probably be record-high Hispanic turnout. Hispanic voters will turn out to vote against Trump, but they will also support Sanchez. Sanchez, who is a congresswoman from Orange County, and another Democrat, California Attorney General Kamala Harris, could advance out of the primary to run against each other in November for the right to succeed retiring Democratic Sen. Barbara Boxer. Asked whether a Trump candidacy will hurt down-ballot Republicans, Scott Mann, chairman of the Riverside County GOP, said: I dont think it neccessarily will. I think the partys energized in a way that it hasnt been in a while. Were registering voters left and right. But Mann conceded the possibility of a massive turnout by Latino voters opposed to Trump. The Republicans just have to keep sharing their message and what it means for America in general, he said. I think we have best message for the future and that includes all ethnicities. Berry predicted Republicans will come together following Cruzs departure from the White House race. The Cruz/Trump fight divided many conservatives. In the long run, its better for the Republican Party, Berry said. (But) it was going to be fun. I was looking forward to the political combat of a primary fight. Contact the writer: 951-368-9547 or jhorseman@pressenterprise.com The city got its wish. Doug Wiens, winemaker for his familys Wiens Winery in Temecula Valleys Wine Country, is teaming with partners to open a restaurant in the Plowboys building on Washington Avenue. Shortly after the market closed last year, the citys economic development team started pitching the land as the possible site for a wine bar/restaurant or microbrewery/gastro pub. Wiens said Tuesday the city has been a big help in recent weeks and city officials seem eager for his place to join with Downtown Public, The Mill and Anthonys, a popular cluster of restaurants near the intersection of Washington and Kalmia Street. Theyre bugging me, he said, laughing. Hey, where are your plans! The building, which housed a market for years, was recently purchased for almost $1 million by a Chinese investor. Wiens and his team, which includes people who own the Orange Coast Winery locations in Corona Del Mar and Newport Beach, are thinking about calling the restaurant Le Grange Grill and Cellars, a nod to the buildings rustic look. The restaurant will be separated from a wine tasting room where Wiens will be offering tastings and sales. We will actually make wine there, he said, adding that he plans to utilize a building in the rear of the property for wine production. If everything comes together as planned, Wiens is hoping to open by September. The city has been trying to foster new growth in the Historic Downtown area for years and the efforts have started to bear fruit. But there are some residents who have expressed concerns about the negative effects of more bars and restaurants that serve alcohol in the area. What kind of businesses are we bringing to a family community? asked Barbara Nugent at Tuesday nights council meeting. At that meeting, the council reaffirmed its commitment to saying yes to new businesses in the region, rejecting an appeal of the Planning Commissions approval of a open air restaurant on Juniper Street that will feature a bar and food carts selling Chicago hot dogs, flatbread pizzas, salads and Mexican food. In the spring of 1943, German troops and police entered the Jewish ghetto in Warsaw, Poland, intent on deporting its inhabitants to concentration camps.While the residents rose up and fought back for nearly a month, ultimately, the uprising was broken. Even though few of the ghettos inhabitants survived the Second World War, the Warsaw Uprising became a symbol of resistance to the Nazi killing machine. The date was April 19th, which corresponds to the 27th day of Nisan on the Hebrew calendar, and this year falls on May 5th. Today, this day is observed as Yom HaShoah, or Day of Remembrance of the victims of the Holocaust. The Holocaust was one of humanitys darkest moments. Six million Jews were murdered by the Nazi regime and its collaborators - solely because they were Jewish. It started in the 1930s, when the Nazi Party came to power and the German Government began to target those it deemed to be inherently inferior mostly Jews, but also Roma, the disabled, homosexuals and Slavs. They also targeted Communists, Socialists, Freemasons, and Jehovahs Witnesses. The victims, mostly civilians, were rounded up, shut into ghettos, and deported to dozens of concentration or slave labor camps. Some were shot and dumped into mass graves. By 1941, a number of camps existed specifically for mass killing. Those sent to slave labor camps were slowly starved and worked to death. In the aftermath of the Second World War, the international community resolved never again to allow such atrocities to occur. In 1948, the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide. The legacy of Holocaust victims enriches our understanding and is a symbol of the meaning of human dignity. In America, survivors remind us of the importance of tolerance by speaking in classrooms and community institutions across the country. They serve as living history sharing their stories and recounting the experiences of all who perished. Poet Claire Guest writes, We couldnt stop the horror,/ We couldnt stop the hate,/ We cant change this history;/ We are here too late / But what we can do is remember,/ In our thoughts and in our ways,/ Let these memories guide our actions. Audio Attachment: Listen to Sampson Nyamekye reporting from the Asokwa Magistrate Court in Kumasi Peacefmonline.com can confirm that the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Bernard Antwi Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi has been granted bail. The Asokwa District Magistrate court presided over Judge Owusu Korkor granted Wontumi bail in the sum of 20,000cedis with two sureties. One of the sureties should have a landed property or deposit an amount of 10,000cedis. HelloFM's Senior Reporter, Samson K. Nyamekye, who was watch proceedings in court, reports that the judge also adjourned proceedings to June 1, 2016, after Egbert Faibille Jnr, lead counsel for the beleaguered NPP stalwart, pleaded with the court for a two-week period to settle what he described as a "family matter" - a case of assault against his client - out of court. Chairman Wontumi was detained overnight by the Ashanti Regional Police Command for allegedly assaulting the Member of Parliament for Manhyia North, Collins Amankwah and the Constituency Secretary, Collins Owusu. He was locked up in police custody on Tuesday after he turned himself in to the men and women in black after being declared wanted. Scores of party activists then swarmed the Central Police Station to protest his detention since they felt the issue was just a simple assault, which should be handled by party executives; but the police called the bluff of the supporters and declined to give Wontumi bail. Meanwhile, the MP for Manhyia North, Collins Amankwah has withdrawn the case against Chairman Wontumi. In a letter written by counsel for the Manhyia North MP and their other client in the case, Felix Ibrahim, they indicated that their clients now intend to pursue an out of court settlement. Source: Rebecca Addo Tetteh/Peacefmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video 757 refugees being detained on Manus Island have launched legal action against the Australian Government for human rights violations regarding their detention. Humans rights lawyer Jay Williams filed the injunction with the High Court today it alleges that the refugees being held on Manus are being kept in arbitrary and indefinite detention as defined under international law, in addition to subjecting them to torture and degrading treatment. The claim requests that the refugees be blocked from transfer to Nauru and moved from Manus Island to Australia for processing, in addition to being compensated for damage done while in the centre plus legal costs. After Papua New Guineas Supreme Court recently ruled that the detention centre was unconstitutional, Immigration Minister Peter Dutton told reporters that there will be zero chance they will be relocated to Australia. The Department of Immigration and Border Protection havent said anything about the case yet because they dont comment on cases before a court or on-water matters or anything really. Photo: Getty Images News. Sources: ABC. Australias most well-known Islamic State recruiter, Neil Prakash, has been confirmed dead. He was killed in a US air strike in Iraq on Friday. His passing has been confirmed by US authorities overnight. Prakash was known for being a head in web recruitment for Islamic State, instigating terrorism plots in Australia (including both Anzac Day plots in Melbourne last year & Sydney this year) and pushing new recruits to join the group in the Middle East. Prakash, who was born in Melbourne, has been a major figure in IS recruitment in multiple countries for just over a year, and was commonly regarded as Australias most wanted terrorist. The news of his death is also so important because as it stands, he currently has no successor. Terrorism expert from Deakin University, Professor Greg Barton said this of Prakashs passing: His death is very welcome in that hes the last prominent Australian that were aware of who served as a key link with friends back in Australia. It doesnt mean the end of these exchanges, but it certainly marks the closing of the first chapter. Notorious Melbourne-born Islamic State recruiter Neil Prakash has been killed during an airstrike in Iraq. #9Today https://t.co/XDcM01CPho The Today Show (@TheTodayShow) May 4, 2016 We will update this story as more information arises. Source: SMH. Photo: Liveleak. An Italian court has ruled that a homeless man who stole roughly $5 worth of cheese and sausages committed no crime, due to the fact that he needed them because he was starving. The Supreme Court of Cassation, Italys highest court, was revisiting the case from 2011 to have the charges reduced to attempted theft because Roman Ostriakov, the thief in question, had not left the store at the time he was caught. Instead of just reducing the sentence, they decided to overturn it entirely, pointing to his vital need for the food: The condition of the defendant and the circumstances in which the seizure of merchandise took place prove that he took possession of that small amount of food in the face of an immediate and essential need for nourishment, acting therefore in a state of necessity. Ostriakov was caught by a fellow (read: rat snitch) customer when he tried to exit with the cheese and bread while only paying for some breadsticks and has gone through the courts three times now. An article about the ruling in the Italian newspaper La Stampa said that the judges decision was motivated by humanity that the decision shows that the right to survive prevails over property. Its a great precedent to set, as Ostriakov was literally starving and was going to be face a six month jail sentence and 100 fine for taking an amount of food that constitutes not even the tiniest fraction of what a supermarket just throws away every day. If the rich are lucky, decisions like this much just delay the period where the poor just start straight up eating them. Viva la revolucion! Source: BBC. Photo: Getty Images / Bruno Vincent. One of the Governments big programs announced in the budget last night is the wildly capitalised sponsored internship scheme named PaTH. In brief, it involves the government incentivising businesses to hire young people on Newstart as part of internship progreams, for which they would be paid $100 a week on top of their regular allowance for 15 25 hours per week. Our initial reaction was a little uneasy it seems like a source of well-below minimum wage labour for businesses, and a stopgap solution for both unemployment and the issue of unpaid internships. Well, looks like its a widely held sentiment. The Australian Council of Trade Unions called it a $4-per-hour jobs for young people scheme, and the Australian Manufacturing Workers Union said it was yet another layer of unpaid labour which is actually going to be subsidised by the taxpayer. Its definitely a concern, because as a financial arrangement it doesnt sound like theres dramatically equal benefit. Especially seeing as many of the examples the government gives in its own documentation arent for high-flying tech internships theyre for things like working in a supermarket. Seriously, the examples of internships in the budget papers are for *waiting tables* and *working in a supermarket* pic.twitter.com/2Aj3zdwvgw _robcorr (@_robcorr) May 3, 2016 The folks on Twitter bit back too, pointing out that the scheme looked ripe for exploitation: Hmm Im not convinced paying businesses to hire interns is a major win. https://t.co/YQwa3VaJfJ Osman Faruqi (@oz_f) May 3, 2016 The governments internship program may lead the increased exploitation of young people @InternsAUS https://t.co/sVdoOOuGOU Joe McKenzie (@aJoeMcKenzie) May 3, 2016 So young people can get $4/h internships instead of being offered the actual job. #auspol pic.twitter.com/BjPDgWNoLO Rachel Baker (@astudentnow) May 3, 2016 I dont think this is what people meant when they said they wanted paid internships. Neggy Gearo (@bortofdarkness) May 3, 2016 There are some fans, though. The Australian Council of Social Services think its a good way to [provide] an opportunity for young people to get work experience in real jobs, and peak business bodies are generally in agreement that its a better way to do it than old work-for-the-dole schemes. Well have to wait and see whether the voters think this is a compelling solution. But from the outside it certainly looks like an easy way for business to source cheap labour and avoid paying minimum wage. Source: ABC News. Photo: Getty Images / Stefan Postles. After the huge news that Uber would finally be bringing UberX to Adelaide and South Australia, the ride-sharing giant has withdrawn. According to The Advertiser, Uber has said that the initial costs for drivers to sign up are beyond huge, and its just too expensive for it to be viable. General state manager Tom White said drivers wouldnt be able to share rides under the state governments proposed framework. In an official announcement to PEDESTRIAN.TV, an Uber spokesperson said this: We have reviewed the Governments proposal and under the proposed framework it appears that South Australians would have to pay more than seven hundred dollars in unnecessary fees and wait months before they could start sharing rides. This would simply make ride-sharing unviable for the vast majority of South Australians who want to access flexible work by sharing rides in their private car. If the Government wants South Australians to be able to access flexible work by sharing rides come July 1, we urge them to remove unnecessary costs and time delays from their proposal. Comparatively, in NSW it costs ride-sharing drivers $45 and takes a week. In the ACT, it costs $100 and takes a matter of days. They said that had surveyed around 400 of the applicants, with 90% saying they wouldnt start up if fees were more than $200. The state government has rejected Ubers estimations, saying theyre completely inaccurate. Transport Minister Stephen Mullighan did admit that there were legitimate concerns about time taken to process new applications, which we are working through with the industry. But, he said costs for potential drivers were around $600, which he said were comparable with the $500 that was charged in the ACT. At the moment, theres a lot of conflicting information floating about well update this story as more information comes to light. Source: The Advertiser / Uber. Photo: Adam Berry / Getty. The man that everyone deems very very sexy, a one Michael Fassbender, is allegedly in talks to play a pretty ferked up role in a true crime thriller. Fassbender in talks to star as the protagonist in Entering Hades, which is based on a true crime novel by John Leake. The book is about a fella called Jack Unterweger hes an award-winning Austrian reporter and a celebrated novelist. He mainly reports on murders, and- OH YEAH THATS RIGHT HES ALSO THE ONE COMMITTING THEM. All up, Unterweger is responsible for 11 separate homicides across different continents. The screenplay is currently being rewritten by Alexander Dinelaris, who won last years Best Original Screenplay Oscar for writing Birdman. So, soon well likely be cinematically thrilled watching Fassbender murdering at night, then covering it in the newspaper the next morning. Cheeky sod. Source: Variety. Photo: Jeff Kravitz / Getty. Amber Rose is getting her own talk show. Yes. Yes. Yes. According to People, the VH1 show will feature Rose giving commentary on pop culture topics, and will also include celebrity interviews. Muva said this: I am very excited to be joining forces with such an amazing network to deliver a fresh perspective on the primetime talk show. VH1 General Manager Chris McCarthy said this about about the upcoming show in a press release: Amber has inspired millions of young women by overcoming homelessness to become a wildly successful entrepreneur. A true multi-hyphenate, she is a devoted mother, a strong advocate for womens rights and a celebrated author all of which make her an ideal host. Amber is a perfect addition to the VH1 family because our audience is interested in hearing unique perspectives from those who are unapologetically themselves and not afraid to take a stand on issues they are passionate about. Rose says that the show will break all the rules and re-define late night talk shows: Watch out Fallon, here comes MUVA! The feminist icon and model confirmed the news on her Twitter account early this morning, saying this: Uhh Ohh ?? Muva has a Talk Show on @vh1 Produced by @DrPhil I finally have a voice & ur gonna love what I have 2 say pic.twitter.com/QCEQlNqOnj Amber Rose (@DaRealAmberRose) May 3, 2016 Oh yeah, and its produced by Dr. Phil. I KNOW, RIGHT?! McGraw said that Ambers vocal and passionate personality, particularly within the realm of intersectional feminism, is impactful: She has affectionately become known as the face of neo-feminism. Ms. Roses rise to massive popularity is now largely attributed to her controversial yet impactful perspective on womens issues. YES, MUVA! Go queen, you get that talk show. You deserve it. The talk show, which is currently untitled, is slated to premiere mid-2016. Source: Twitter / People. Photo: Instagram / @amberrose. Were throwing together a mini-festival at Sydneys Metro Theatre on May 21, with A+ acts like Sophie Lowe, LUEN, Collarbones, Pearls, Polographia & more helping us raise money for Youth Off The Streets. Its gunna be a fucking great night, with all donations on the night going towards youth homelessness, and youre all invited. RSVP HERE and help us give back. Wednesdays are general shitfights, but our girl LUENs about to plant some groovy seeds into your mid-week crisis. In the lead-up to her performance for our PEDESTRIAN HELP mini-festival this month (with all proceeds from the night going straight to Youth Off the Streets), the Sydney-based babe has put together an exclusive mixtape of chill hip hop for yall not only to get you pumped for the event, but also to reflect on how lucky most people, including herself, had it growing up. I grew up in a house where music was played constantly: Faithless, Radiohead, The Cure, Gorillaz, Massive Attack, Portishead. This is a mix filled with sounds new and old that hazily remind me of the sounds I knew growing up. Hopefully the tracks will serve as a bit of a reminder of how fortunate some of us are to grow up in households surrounded by music. Get cochlea-deep in her sound below: Talk about a half-hour heaven, hey. If you like what you hear, LUEN will be mixing at Sydneys Metro Theatre for our PEDESTRIAN HELP mini-festival on May 21 to help us tackle the bigger and very real issue of youth homelessness in Australia. Check the full lineup (incl. Collarbones, Sophie Lowe and more) HERE and RSVP below: Wed love you to come get jiggy with us, LUEN and more A+ Aussie acts for the worthy cause. Photo: Supplied / Jordan James Xinger Xanger. Duck Donuts Duck Donuts will open in both Hampden Township in Cumberland County and Manheim Township in Lancaster County this spring. (Provided via Facebook ) It won't be long until you can purchase Duck Donuts without making a trip to the Outer Banks. The North Carolina-based chain will open its first central Pennsylvania shop this month in Lancaster County. The Duck Donuts is scheduled to open May 14 at 2097 Fruitville Pike in Manheim Township at the Overlook Town Center. Duck Donuts is known for its made-to-order doughnuts, hand-dipped in hot icing, and sprinkled with toppings and icing drizzles. Earlier this year, Duck Donuts announced it was arriving in central Pennsylvania. In addition to the Lancaster County shop, it will open a shop and training center in June at a former Verizon store at 6230 Carlisle Pike in Hampden Township. Duck Donuts owner Russ DiGilio, who lives in Cumberland County, has leased the Hampden Township building with plans to renovate it into a beach-theme doughnut shop. It will include a 1,800-square-foot storefront and a 600-square-foot training and franchise education facility. In the meantime, franchise owners Todd and Mimi Bidelman are preparing to open the 1,300-square-foot store in Lancaster. "We have the perfect location to launch our small business and introduce Duck Donuts to Lancaster County. Having the honor of opening the first Pennsylvania franchise for Duck Donuts is an exclamation point for us," Todd Bidelman said in a press statement. He has worked for 21 years in manufacturing with companies including Bayer Healthcare, Hershey Foods, and PepsiCo. The shop will employee 25 people, and will be the 23rd store opening for the company. DiGilio founded the company in 2006 in Duck, North Carolina to solve a family dilemma: "Our family wanted a place to buy warm, delicious, made-to-order doughnuts, and when we couldn't find one, we decided to start our own," he said. Duck Donuts grew to four locations in the Outer Banks. Customers started asking DiGilio about possible franchise opportunities. By 2013, the first franchise unit opened in Williamsburg, Virginia. The Lancaster shop will be open seven days a week. Hours will be 6:30 a.m.-7 p.m. Sunday-Thursday and 6:30 a.m.-9 p.m. Friday-Saturday. . . . Jeffrey Lord of Camp Hill is now a regular face on CNN. After a billionaire businessman had a decisive victory in Indiana, it seems the GOP establishment and numerous politicos are waking up to what Camp Hill resident Jeffrey Lord knew in June 2013: Donald Trump is no apprentice - he's the real thing. Lord, a CNN contributor who worked as a political director in the Reagan White House, said then that Trump shouldn't be ignored as a presidential candidate. His complimentary blog on "The American Spectator" caught Trump's attention and a four months later, Lord was standing on the pristine floors of the real estate mogul's penthouse in Trump Tower. After Trump was done getting ready, they left the New York skyscraper to go to a political mixer in Washington, D.C. Lord had made the trip from Camp Hill to the nation's capital many times, but it was the first time he was flying there on private aircraft. They flew in a Citation business plane because Trump told him he didn't like to use his 757 unless he really had to. "He leans in casually as we're passing the East River and said, 'That one's mine,'" Lord said of Trump pointing out one of his buildings. Trump's hair was also a topic of conversation during the commute. Lord said Trump told him, "I don't get it with the hair. I'm worth $10 billion. If this were a toupee, I could get a better one than this." It was the beginning of a friendship and a moment when Lord thought of his old boss, former President Ronald Reagan. "We use to have a saying in the Reagan White House: Let Reagan be Reagan," Lord said. "Donald Trump, like Ronald Reagan, is an American original. Let Donald Trump be Donald Trump." It's a strategy that helped the billionaire gobble up delegates across the country - including in states where he was expected to come in second. But can he defeat her in a general election? Some polls say yes, some polls say no. Lord says yes. Once again, he looks to the Reagan years for precedent. Reagan said he intended to rebuild the GOP by inviting Democrats and Independents, along with conservative Republicans. "As we now know, all of this worked. Reagan carried Pennsylvania and the entire northeast with the exception of Rhode Island. Trump can do a modern version of this to beat Hillary Clinton," Lord said. Throughout the race, Trump has been "hugely underestimated," Lord said. "Too soon to say unstoppable, but from talking to D.C. Democrats, they are certainly very concerned that he may be," Lord said. With the GOP nomination seemingly locked down, the Camp Hill resident is working on his next prediction - Trump's running mate. "A governor or senator or someone similar. Reach out to conservatives, get an experienced official," Lord said. "Harrisburg's Newt Gingrich comes to mind. Governor Christie. I like Ted Cruz, but I think now that's a non-starter. Marco Rubio is possible." Gingrich as Trump's veep? In any other year, that might seem like a stretch. But in a year that started with 17 GOP candidates and has narrowed to the TV celebrity widely known for two words - "You're fired!" - anything is possible. "That's why people like Donald Trump. He's an independent soul. He thinks outside the box," Lord said. As we learned more than three years ago, the Camp Hill resident also thinks outside the box. And, so far, he's right. UPDATE: A Harrisburg School District teacher was the victim of a carjacking near Rowland School at early dismissal Wednesday afternoon. Harrisburg police said the carjackers bailed out of the car before it struck a concrete wall behind the Weaver gym at the school. The incident at 19th and Swatara streets happened around the 12:30 p.m. early dismissal time at the school, said Kirsten Keys, Harrisburg School District spokeswoman. She said the teacher was shaken but unharmed. Keys did not release her name. Keys said she was told a group of high-school-age students approached the teacher's car while it was stopped at the intersection and pulled her out of the car. "As kids were walking home, they unfortunately saw an opportunity," she said. The high school had dismissed a little earlier than the middle school, she said. Police said the suspects fled. Like last week's brawl at 14th and Swatara streets, the incident happened in broad daylight, Keys said. "It's pretty scary, with what's going on in our broader community," Keys said. Keys said she doesn't know whether there is a connection with the recent events a few blocks away on Swatara Street. "It's going to demand the attention of everyone," Keys said. Keys said the district will be looking at security and said each building has safety monitors who patrol in and around buildings at dismissal. "They will be even more vigilant," she said. Parents are also encouraged to walk their students to and from school and to have a greater presence in the community, she said. Earlier today, Harrisburg School District announced a forum for parents, families, leaders and other stakeholders to address their concerns with safety in the community. The forum will be at 6 p.m. May 12 at Downey Elementary School, 1313 Monroe St. No suspects are in custody, but Keys said she is told police have a description. "No students, staff or faculty were harmed," she added. The blue sedan had to be towed away from the concrete wall, and school traffic was diverted from Swatara Street during dismissal. Principal Patrick Newton said there were no issues with dismissal. Further details were not yet available from Harrisburg police. PHILADELPHIA -- Treating pain is a constant in medicine. It's part of the human condition, known as the "fifth vital sign" among physicians. Effectively treating pain will continue to play a central role in medicine, despite the societal shock waves brought on by the rapid rise in opioid addiction across America. The fallout from our nation's opioid addiction crisis is roiling the medical and pharmaceutical industries, where regulatory action is rapidly reining in opioid painkiller prescriptions with new guidelines and stricter controls. Meanwhile, everyone from Washington politicians to presidential candidates to the Centers for Disease Control are seeking solutions. Some of the focus is on treating those already addicted. Others are concentrating on preventing new addictions by emphasizing alternatives to opioid painkillers when treating all but the most severe pain. Enter an upstart pharmaceutical company based in Philadelphia that might just have a viable alternative to opioids. Chris Hill is a research and development scientist working in the iCeutica research lab. iCeutica Inc. licenses SoluMatrix Fine Patricle Technology to Iroko to produce low-dose nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs for pain relief. Iroko Pharmaceuticals is a global pharmaceutical company using nanotechnology to develop a suite of drugs as a non-opioid alternative to pain management. Both companies are located in the Greater Philadelphia Area Thursday, April 8, 2016. Dan Gleiter, PennLive.com By harnessing nanotechnology and small-particles physics, Iroko Pharmaceuticals is developing a new class of low-dose prescription painkillers. Company executives say their line of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs could be the opioid alternative that the medical community has been looking for amid America's addiction crisis. Iroko Pharmaceuticals is a Pennsylvania-based global company located in ultra-modern offices at the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard. Its new line of prescription painkillers are predicated upon a highly patented process of pulverizing drug molecules so they are up to 100 times smaller, which markedly increases their pain-killing effectiveness at dramatically lower doses. Right now, Iroko is focusing this nanotechnology on creating a full line of low-dose prescription painkillers based upon the class of drugs known as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatories, or NSAIDs. There are six NSAID molecules, the most common being Ibuprofen. Iroko is planning nanotechnology technology versions for all six NSAID molecules, three of which have already received approval from the Food and Drug Administration. READ MORE: Heroin and opioids addicting America: How we got here NSAIDs could just be the beginning. Iroko executives hinted that the company could use the same nanotechnology on opioids in pursuit of a safer, low-dose version of the world's most popular class of painkillers. "We solved a chemistry problem by using physics," explained Iroko Chairman Osagie Imasogie, who founded the company in 2007. Yet, the company that actually solved the physics problem was iCeutica, founded in Australia and now based in King of Prussia, Pa. iCeutica owns the patented SoluMatrix fine particle process that pulverizes drug molecules into nano-sized particles, enabling low doses of a drug to be better absorbed by the body, thus providing faster and far more effective pain relief. Of course, the practice of crushing and grinding drug powders is as old as the pharmacist's mortar and pestle. But there's never been a way of pulverizing a drug molecule into nano particles that was scalable for industrial production -- not until iCeutica created its SoluMatrix process, that is. Watch: Iroko's founder outlines his vision for battling opioids. Imasogie, who has spent his career in pharmaceuticals and life sciences, was impressed enough that he took a major investment stake in the company and its plethora of patents. He's now chairman of iCeutica's board. Iroko now holds exclusive global rights to the SoluMatrix process for NSAIDs, meaning it holds the potential to corner the pharmaceutical market when it comes to this special class of low-dose NSAID made from nano particles. Calling Iroko a pain management company, Imasogie hinted that the company is already experimenting with using the same nanotechnology process on opioid molecules, but he declined further specifics. Iroko officials acknowledge that NSAID painkillers carry their own health risks, including the potential for stomach ulcers, kidney problems and cardio-vascular ailments, up to and including stroke and heart attack. The fears associated with NSAIDs peaked a decade ago with the Vioxx case, a popular prescription NSAID that was eventually taken off the market due to associated cardiac and other risks. The latest FDA guidelines for NSAID use calls for the lowest effective dose, which precisely describes the nanotechnology-driven low-dose NSAID drugs Iroko is rolling out. What is more, due to the ongoing opioid crisis, both the FDA and the Centers for Disease Control are heavily emphasizing non-opioid alternatives for pain relief, further opening to door for Iroko's pain products. According to Imasogie, Iroko's line of low-dose, nanotechnology NSAIDs fits both sets of regulatory safety criteria. The new drugs are the lowest effective dose for NSAIDs, and are a viable pain-killing alternative to opioids, especially when it comes to treating osteoarthritis and other moderate pain. "No one is going to give an NSAID if you have cancer," Imasogie says. "But for chronic low back pain, yes." Three of Iroko's six low-dose NSAID offerings have already received FDA approval and are on the market: Zorvolex (diclofenac), approved in October 2013 for the management of mild to moderate acute pain in adults and in August 2014 for the management of osteoarthritis pain. Tivorbex, approved in February 2014 for treatment of mild to moderate acute pain in adults. Vivlodex, approved in October 2015 as another option for treatment of osteoarthritis pain. Three more of Iroko's low-dose NSAIDs are awaiting approval. These nano drugs are effective at doses of 35 to 40 milligrams to as low as 10 milligrams, the company says. That's compared to other NSAID doses that start at 200 milligrams. As a result, Iroko's low-dose NSAID drugs are being marketed as providing a prescription alternative to opioids at the precise moment everyone from the White House to the white-coat-clad family physician is searching for one. iCeutica Inc. licenses SoluMatrix Fine Patricle Technology to Iroko to produce low-dose nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs for pain relief. Iroko's products include Zorvolex and Tivorbex. Iroko Pharmaceuticals is a global pharmaceutical company using nanotechnology to develop a suite of drugs as a non-opioid alternative to pain management. Both companies are located in the Greater Philadelphia Area Thursday, April 8, 2016. Dan Gleiter, PennLive.com "We couldn't have planned this," Imasogie says of the company's seemingly perfect timing. "We happen to be a pain management company that has a low-dose, effective suite of NSAIDs. If pain is a continuum, we stand right in the middle." With the pharmaceutical pendulum swinging decidedly away from opioids and toward alternative pain treatments, Iroko might just be in the sweet spot. Only time will tell how fast the Pennsylvania drug company named after an African tree can grow in what would appear to be an opportunity-rich, anti-opioid pharmaceutical marketplace. As it is, Iroko remains tiny, with just 170 global employees and about 250 drug reps to perform the daunting task of informing tens of thousands of physicians across the country about the company's offerings. If Iroko's message can spread, company President and CEO Louis J. Vollmer is convinced all those prescribing physicians will listen. "This whole crisis has got physicians thinking, and we can springboard off of this," Vollmer said of his company's potentially huge marketing opportunity, driven in large part by a medical and societal crisis. "Here in Pa., we are battling the addiction crisis," Vollmer added. "These are viable alternatives. This can manage pain effectively. We really need to get the word out to more physicians. This is personal. We've got to stop people from getting hooked." Indeed, nothing less than a perfect pharmaceutical storm is producing an abrupt about-shift in pain management, away from opioids. A little drug company founded at the Philadelphia Naval Shipyards just might see its ship come in as a result. The map below illustrates the growth of Pennsylvania's addiction crisis by showing the change in the number of drug-induced deaths per 100,000 residents per Pennsylvania county by year. Use the slider at the bottom to change the year. *Counties reporting less than ten total deaths were excluded. Route 322 in Swatara Township, Dauphin County has been reopened following a crash earlier Wednesday morning, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation. The accident occurred at about 6:20 a.m. along the eastbound lanes, between Hilton Street and Chambers Hill Road, officials said. PennDOT said the roadway was reopened at about 6:40 a.m. Drivers can expect residual delays in the area of the crash. For more traffic information, follow live traffic updates, accident reports and road closures below from PennDOT, Total Traffic Network and other Twitter sources. Get a look at conditions on local roads -- via PennDOT traffic cameras -- anytime here on PennLive. For Pennsylvania Turnpike updates and possible travel delays visit the Turnpike website here. Tweet us at @pennlive with any incidents you see on your commute or send a submission to submissions@pennlive.com. Primanti-Bros-worker-punched-in-face-by-customer.jpg Pittsburgh sandwich institution Primanti Bros. is best known for making legions of customers happy with its signature slaw-and French-fry covered offerings. But one Primanti Bros. customer at the chain's location in Pittsburgh's Oakland section was anything but happy. (screen shot via WPXI.com) Pittsburgh sandwich institution Primanti Bros. is best known for making legions of customers happy with its signature slaw-and French-fry covered offerings. However, one Primanti Bros. customer at the chain's location in Pittsburgh's Oakland section was anything but happy. WPXI in Pittsburgh reports that the irate customer assaulted a Primanti Bros. employee after the still-unidentified customer was asked to leave the restaurant late last week. No charges have been filed because both Primanti Bros. and police are still trying to identify the offending customer, who escaped after the alleged assault. The matter became heated when the customer was asked to leave by employees about 2 a.m. because he was disturbing other customers, WPXI writes, adding: When the customer refused, he was pushed out to the sidewalk by employees, at which point he punched one of them in the face. The employee had to be taken to a local hospital for stitches. 'World Class' Civil War collection finds new owner A painting of Gen. George G. Meade at Gettysburg. Photo submitted. A "world class collection" of Civil War artifacts has found a new owner in Gettysburg, after a Philadelphia museum's plans to showcase the items fell through following years of setbacks and financial woes. The artifacts, part of the largest collection not under government stewardship, include: A Tiffany sword presented to Gen. Ulysses S. Grant by his officers to commemorate the victory at Vicksburg and the gold and ivory pen used by Abraham Lincoln to sign the Lieutenant General's commission of Ulysses S. Grant; Fragments of the flag raised by Abraham Lincoln at Independence Hall on Feb. 22, 1861; A smoking jacket captured from Confederate President Jefferson Davis's luggage as he fled Richmond; And a sash and sword belt of Gen. John Reynolds killed on the first day of the battle of Gettysburg after stopping the Confederate advance. The Civil War Museum of Philadelphia will transfer ownership of the artifacts to the Gettysburg Foundation, which it approached after the Civil War Museum evaluated its prospects for building a new museum for the collection in Philadelphia and realized it would be both a challenge to build it and an even bigger challenge to sustain it over time. The Civil War Museum does not currently have a building and therefore no place to showcase the collection on its own. In the last decade, the museum has been the subject of legal action over its reported financial and administrative woes and competing claims of ownership around some of the items in its possession. It was even sued by the state of Pennsylvania after an attempted relocation of the collection, started by Union veterans in 1865, to a site in Richmond, Va., once the capital of the Confederacy. Now, after years in limbo, experts hope the collection can find permanent residency. The plan begins with transferring ownership to the Gettysburg Foundation, which owns and operates the visitor center and 22,000-square-foot museum at Gettysburg National Military Park. Many of the items in the collection have been stored in Gettysburg and some were even displayed during 2013's sesquicentennial celebration. The Gettysburg Foundation, the Gettysburg National Military Park, and the Civil War Museum have worked together to care for the artifacts since 2010. And while the Civil War Museum will transfer ownership of the artifact collection to the Gettysburg Foundation, Gettysburg has agreed to loan the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia some of the items for an exhibit, likely the first of its kind in the U.S., dedicated to the constitutional legacy of the Civil War. If funding is secured, the Center will create the first permanent exhibit in America dedicated to the constitutional legacy of the Civil War and the passage of the 13th, 14th and 15th Amendments. This will keep a significant part of the collection in Philadelphia, expand the number of people who can see it and enhance the National Constitution Center's role as America's only museum of the U.S. Constitution, spokespeople say. "As stewards of this world class collection, the Board of the Civil War Museum felt a strong ethical and historical responsibility to develop partnerships that would both protect this collection and ensure that it is accessible to the public and researchers in both Gettysburg and Philadelphia into the future," said Oliver St. Clair Franklin, chair of the Museum Board. "There is no more iconic and authentic place for learning about the Civil War ... Millions of people visit each year from across the country and across the world. The staff at Gettysburg knows better than anyone else how to care for and preserve these artifacts." Sharon Smith, president and chief executive of the Civil War Museum in Philadelphia, said the museum will continue to own the books and archives in the collection. They are currently housed at the Union League building on South Broad Street. She said the collection itself began shortly after the War and includes pieces donated by Union veterans and their relatives in the ensuing years. Items from the Confederacy are represented in the collection by "spoils of war." The museum, the oldest of its kind in the country, was chartered in Philadelphia in 1888, while the collection hop-scotched between locations for much of the next 34 years. Its longest running home was likely a building at 1805 Pine Street in the city where it resided between 1922 and 2008, at which time plans for a new museum building began to take shape. But they were ultimately fruitless, with Smith blaming factors including the recession and funding cuts for non-profits. This led the collection to be stored in Gettysburg where much of it will now remain. As for what will become of the museum without its central, identifying collection, that remains to be seen. Smith said the museum's board will shift to looking at the future of the organization after much time spent worrying about securing the collection first. "We've really been focused on getting this collaboration in place and all the complexities of doing so up to this point," she said. Other items in the collection include: * The uniform frock coat and officer's slouch hat with bullet hole worn by Major General George G. Meade at the Battle of Gettysburg, pictured at top. * Brass and wood baton presented to Gen. William T. Sherman by President Andrew Johnson and carried during the Grand Review in Washington, D.C., in 1865. * Scarf of Confederate Colonel John Singleton Mosby of the famous 'Mosby's Rangers.' He harassed both Grant's and Sherman's forces, as well as the Union Army at Gettysburg. Late in 1864, in desperate flight from the 2nd Massachusetts cavalry, in northern Virginia, the scarf blew off and landed on a roadside bush. Captain John M. Locke, in hot pursuit and at full speed, drew his saber and 'hooked it' with the blade as he passed by." UPDATE: This article has been updated to include comment from Sharon Smith, president and chief executive of the Civil War Museum in Philadelphia. A York County sheriff's deputy has been dismissed and is under a criminal investigation. Sgt. Troy Senft, a 16-year veteran of the sheriff's department, has been terminated from duty, and is under investigation by the York County District Attorney's Office, WGAL is reporting. When reached for comment, Kyle King, spokesman for the district attorney's office, told PennLive the district attorney does not comment on possible ongoing investigations. "The Office of the District Attorney, per policy, does not confirm or deny whether or not there is an ongoing investigation until such time charges are, or are not, filed," King said. Sheriff Richard P. Keuerleber could not immediately be reached for comment, but he did tell the York Dispatch that Senft, who is in his 50s, was fired on Tuesday. "There was just cause to revoke (Sgt.) Troy Senft's employment as a deputy sheriff," Keuerleber told the York Dispatch. He said there is an ongoing criminal investigation by the district attorney's office and details will be released after the investigation. The sheriff told the York Daily Record the actions that led to Senft's termination occurred while was on duty. Attorney Korey Leslie, who represents Senft, could not be reached immediately for comment, either, but he released the following statement to the York Dispatch: "Troy Senft has served his country with great honor through decades of service in the United States military and service to the County of York. Troy has cooperated fully with the District Attorney's investigation and will continue to do so. The ultimate decision to file criminal charges will be made by the District Attorney of York County. To comment further on an ongoing investigation would be inappropriate at this time." This post has been updated to include additional information. Well, that takes care of that. Ted Cruz is gone. And now John Kasich is gone, too. And, unless the GOP highfathers can come up with some last-minute ploy, recovering reality TV star Donald J. Trump is on a clear path to become the Republicans' 2016 presidential nominee -- and maybe even the next President of the United States. And with that singular piece of news, a Republican Convention that some thought might rival or surpass the violence of Chicago in 1968 now threatens to be as docile as a 9 a.m. tee-time at the Mar-a-Lago Club. Whatever you think of Trump - and there are opinions aplenty - this is an unprecedented moment in American politics. And it may be one of our worst. Barely a year ago, pundits and political observers dismissed Trump as a joke, a one-note novelty act who would inevitably fade as adults took over the political stage. Instead, the 2016 campaign trail is strewn with the corpses of his would-be challengers: ex-Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, Sen. Marco Rubio, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, ex-Hewlett Packard executive Carly Fiorina ... and all those other guys. Whatever their names were ... Trump blustered, bullied, ranted and branded his way through the campaign, vanquishing and outmaneuvering his competition at every turn. With a dealmaker's genius, he defined his opponents, saddling them with fourth-grade playground nicknames. And they never escaped. Cruz became "Lyin' Ted." Bush was "low-energy." Kasich was "1-for-38 Kasich." Cruz left the field after a humiliating defeat in Indiana on Tuesday. Kasich, who threatened to give a bad name to the term "Quixotic" was expected to follow suit on Wednesday. And Trump, as only Trump can, lavished insincere praise on Cruz, whom he described as a "tough, smart competitor." Hours earlier, Trump dismissed Cruz as a "desperate candidate trying to save his failing campaign" who had "become more and more unhinged as he is unable to react under the pressure and stress of losing." But it was just another day in Trumpland, home to the world's most powerful reality distortion field, where up is down, insults heaped on women, immigrants and Muslims come without political cost and thuggery at campaign events is celebrated instead of condemned. And facts? Well, never mind. Those were mere inconveniences instead of actual obstacles. And forget the fact that Trump's foreign policy, such as it is, was roundly panned when he rolled it out last week. Or that his tariff policy would spark a trade war with America's biggest economic partners. Or that fantasy of a "big, beautiful wall." The more he was assailed by the Washington establishment, the greater his crowds grew in both size and the ferocity of their loyalty. Never before had the disconnect between (to borrow from The Hunger Games) The Capital and District 12 been laid so bare. In the wake of Trump's Indiana win, Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus, who's never exactly been a profile in courage, called for unity and for Republicans to get behind Trump: .@realDonaldTrump will be presumptive @GOP nominee, we all need to unite and focus on defeating @HillaryClinton #NeverClinton Reince Priebus (@Reince) May 4, 2016 If there is a cold comfort to the #NeverTrumpers who have seen their hopes for stopping him disappear faster than a new shipment of "Make America Great Again" ball-caps at the Trump Tower gift shop, it's that Trump trails Democrat Hillary Clinton by an average of 6.5 percentage points in hypothetical, head-to-head matches, according to data compiled by Real Clear Politics. And in a true miracle of timing, a CNN/ORC poll released on the morning Americans woke to their worst Trumpian nightmares come true, showed Clinton with a 13-point lead over the real estate magnate. But Clinton's own problems are legion and not easily dismissed. Despite the air of inevitability surrounding her campaign (and a seemingly unassailable delegate count), she has proven unusually vulnerable to the challenge posed by an irascible, self-styled Democratic Socialist from Vermont who continues to confound her at every turn. And besides the small matter of a looming FBI probe of her ... unusual ... email habits while Secretary of State, she comes to the general election campaign with historically high unfavorable ratings. Again ... cold comfort for the #NeverTrumpers, the presumptive GOP nominee also scores off the Richter Scale of Unpopularity. And that means, ultimately, the race for the presidency will come down to voters deciding which detestable presidential candidate they dislike least. There are some on the right who have predicted that the Republican Party will suffer an irreparable schism when Trump officially becomes its standard-bearer in July, that the GOP will vanish like the Whigs that they replaced in the 19th century. But that misses the larger truth - Trump's candidacy was never about advancing the fortunes of the Republican Party. It was about advancing the fortunes of one Donald J. Trump. The GOP label, such as it was, was a mantle of convenience. And in that, he has succeeded past all our wildest expectations. And who knows what will happen next. Barack Obama, Merrick Garland Federal appeals court judge Merrick Garland, right, shakes hands with President Barack Obama as he is introduced as Obama's nominee for the Supreme Court during an announcement in the Rose Garden of the White House, in Washington, Wednesday, March 16, 2016. Garland, 63, is the chief judge for the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, a court whose influence over federal policy and national security matters has made it a proving ground for potential Supreme Court justices. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais) (Pablo Martinez Monsivais) By Michael Gerhardt and Kermit Roosevelt Why does U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey, R-Pa., stand with his party leadership's position against taking any action on the Supreme Court nomination of Judge Merrick Garland? On April 15, he published an op-ed, "Here's why I'm opposing Merrick Garland's Supreme Court nomination," setting forth his views. We think Toomey's op-ed makes abundantly clear why the Senate should hold hearings on the nomination. Toomey's main argument is that the American people should be allowed to participate in the selection of Justice Scalia's successor. This sounds reasonable, but it is in fact a direct attack on the U.S. Supreme Court. Holding Justice Scalia's seat open until the next presidential inauguration will end up leaving the Court short-handed for at least a year. That would be the longest delay in filling a Supreme Court vacancy in history. During that time the Court--as it has shown already--will be evenly split on the most important questions and unable to fulfill its role in our constitutional system. The position staked out by Toomey and his party leadership finds no support in our Constitution, in history, or in logic. The Constitution directs the president to nominate and appoint Justices with the advice and consent of the Senate. It does not mention the American people. Nor has the Senate ever done anything like this before. More than 20 presidents have successfully made Supreme Court appointments during presidential election years or as lame ducks. In the last 100 years, the Senate has taken action on every pending Supreme Court nomination, except on two occasions when presidents withdrew their nominations. Last, Toomey seems to ignore the fact that the American people spoke in 2012, when they gave President Barack Obama over 65 million votes. Only one presidential candidate has ever received more: Obama in 2008. If Toomey really wanted to give the American people a voice in the decision, holding public hearings on Judge Garland would be an excellent way to do so. If there were genuine hearings, the American people would likely learn why both Chief Justice John Roberts and Judge Brett Kavanaugh of the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals, two prominent judges appointed by President George W. Bush, have spoken glowingly about Judge Garland. Judge Kavanaugh, who is on almost every Republican senator's short list for the Supreme Court, declared, right after Judge Garland's nomination, that Garland "is supremely qualified by the objective characteristics of experience, temperament, writing ability, scholarly ability for the Supreme Court . . . He has been a role model to me in how he goes about his job." To his credit, Toomey has met privately with Judge Garland, but he has never explained why the American people do not deserve the same chance to learn about the nominee. Frankly, we are unsure whether Toomey would abide by his stated preference of allowing the next president to fill the pending Court vacancy. In 2008, the American people chose a president, but, less than two years later, Toomey opposed Obama's nomination of Elena Kagan to the Supreme Court for reasons that had nothing to do with the American people's preferences. He opposed her because she "had no judicial experience whatsoever" and might reach results with which he disagreed. Judge Garland has participated in thousands of cases. He has more federal judicial experience than any Supreme Court nominee in history. Toomey opposes him because, in those thousands of decisions, Toomey found two decisions with which he disagreed. If Toomey's guiding principle is that he would prefer for the next Supreme Court justice always to decide cases as he prefers, he is not supporting the American people but opposing judicial independence. Toomey takes the dangerous step of suggesting that Judge Garland should have been guided by political preferences --- serving as a "check on the EPA and other federal agencies" and deferring to military authorities- rather than the merits of the legal disputes that came before his panel. There is no principle of law requiring a judge to become a roving commission to curb the EPA or favor the military when either of them is a party in a case before his court. It is a shame that Toomey ignores the polling showing the American people overwhelmingly support giving Judge Garland full and fair confirmation proceedings in the Senate. Hopefully, others will listen to the American people and see that Toomey's choice to do nothing but follow his party leadership is contrary to the best traditions of our country. Worse, it risks creating harmful new traditions around the confirmation process. Inaction will hurt the Court, the country, and the Constitution far more than allowing hearings to be held for a superbly qualified nominee to the nation's highest Court. Michael Gerhardt is a professor of law at the University of North Carolina School of Law and director of the Program in Law and Government. Kermit Roosevelt is a professor of law at the University of Pennsylvania Law School and author of the novel "Allegiance." COPS AND KIDS.jpg By Dave Arnold Does this baby come with instructions? It's a question every first-time parent has asked, only half-jokingly. If they're lucky, they find answers from a network of family and friends. Sadly, many parents lack a support system to get them through the long nights of crying babies and teething toddlers. If these parents were abused or raised in homes where learning was an afterthought, chances are significantly greater that this pattern of abuse and neglect and poor educational attainment continues. The consequences are costly for society--public assistance dependence, school dropouts, addiction, crime and other adverse effects. As district attorneys, we take seriously our role as crime fighters. However, every criminal we lock behind bars leaves a trail of victims, devastated by an act that can never be undone. We know firsthand that the strongest crime-fighting tool is the one that prevents crime in the first place. So, when life doesn't provide role models for vulnerable young parents, we believe that communities can supply them through voluntary, evidence-based home visiting programs. The Pennsylvania state budget has long validated home visiting by funding programs that help parents of infants and toddlers understand and embrace their roles as chief nurturers. Now we have an opportunity to step up that investment, with an additional $10 million proposed in the 2016-17 state budget for four evidence-based home visiting programs shown to strengthen young families. In well-structured home visiting programs, vulnerable parents voluntarily accept regular visits from qualified health-care providers or other professional home visitors. Depending on the target population--ranging from pregnancy until children are four--parents learn good health and nutrition habits, how to deliver appropriate discipline, promote brain development through reading and play, and build a network of supporters to call on for help. Solid research shows that home visiting yields a strong return on investment, with dramatic impacts on: Mothers' incarceration. Reducing Child Abuse. Subsequent births. Parental self-sufficiency. Learning abilities. Parent involvement. All these pieces fit together like a jigsaw puzzle, and the final picture shows a functional, capable family. The results dovetail with Pennsylvania's increased emphasis on high-quality early learning. We now know the science behind child brain development and the neurological foundation being laid from birth to 5 for academics and socialization. Early childhood education prepares children and their parents for the rigors ahead. In Pennsylvania, we spend $2.1 billion a year on incarcerating prisoners, and that doesn't even include county jails. But when we invest in early learning programs like quality prekindergarten and home visiting, we reap a "profit" - economic benefits minus the costs - by reducing the costs of special education, grade retention, incarceration, health care and public assistance in the long run. Put in taxpaying terms, it's a simple matter of paying now or paying later. Or put in human terms, it's about capitalizing on the potential that every child is born with by averting the effects of adverse circumstances. We can help give kids a happy, healthy start in life and prevent crime from occurring, but it takes resources. The additional $10 million proposed for home visiting could serve an extra 1,900 families and children. It's our chance to usher children toward productive adulthoods, away from crime and into our communities as good citizens and good neighbors. Dave Arnold, the elected District Attorney of Lebanon County, is president of the Pennsylvania District Attorneys Association. Also contributing to this piece are David Freed, Cumberland County District Attorney; Ed Marsico, Dauphin County District Attorney; Tom Kearney, York County District Attorney and Craig Stedman, Lancaster County District Attorney. They write on behalf of the advocacy group Fight Crime: Invest In Kids. 92nd state House district letter A blown-up copy of this political letter on what gives the appearance of being government letterhead was on display at the Carroll Twp. municipal building on last week's primary election day. That letter that was mailed out to Republican voters in the 92nd state House district in the days before the primary has opened up a debate over campaign ethics. (Submitted photo) A political letter about candidates in a contested 92nd state House District race that arrived in the mailboxes of some residents in northern York County communities in the days before the primary election has ignited a debate about campaign ethics. This letter about GOP candidates in the 92nd state House District primary contest has caused a few people to do a double take, questioning whether it is legal and ethical. State Ethics Commission says it is. It was printed on what appeared to be official House of Representatives' stationery belonging to York County Republican Rep. Stan Saylor. But the letter that went out to Republican voters had nothing to do with government business. Rather it was a missive from Saylor and state Rep. Seth Grove, R-Red Lion, critical of "ongoing negative attacks" coming from candidate Dawn Keefer - who won the GOP nomination last week - and an outside group that endorsed her, Citizens Alliance for Pennsylvania, about one of her two GOP opponents, Anthony Pugliese. A closer examination of the letter shows it lists in smaller print Saylor's home address instead of his Capitol or district office address as well as a disclaimer at the bottom: "Paid for by Friends of Anthony Pugliese." While it reminded some of the actions of former lawmakers who went to prison for using public resources for political purposes, a 1986 State Ethics Commission ruling indicates otherwise. That ruling from 30 years ago arose out of a request by former Democratic Rep. Thomas Fee of Lawrence County for an ethics commission opinion on whether he could use stationery carrying the House seal on letterhead in support of his son's campaign. The commission said he could use it provided the carried a disclaimer that it was not paid for with public funds, among other restrictions. Lastly, that ruling states, "the content of the letter should not indicate or leave the impression that the letter is an official governmental document or part of your legislative function." One government reform advocate called that "not one of the ethics commission's more stellar decisions." Barry Kauffman, executive director of Common Cause Pennsylvania, said, "There can be only one purpose for using what gives the appearance of being government stationery and that's to deceive the public." Saylor and Grove said their disgust with the personal attacks occurring in that House race prompted them to sign the letter calling out CAP and Keefer for their negative campaign tactics. The campaign between these two candidates Dawn Keefer and Anthony Pugliese for the state House 92nd District GOP nomination turned negative, which prompted state Reps. Stan Saylor and Seth Grove to speak out against the negative attacks being made against Pugliese. Saylor said the campaign's tone was insulting to voters. Grove said it is why good people don't want to run for office and added CAP deliberately goes down that path when it gets involved in races. "I think you lose the bigger picture by doing that. I'd rather win on the policy and merits of me as a representative and what I want to see done. [CAP's tactics are] not about what we believe in and how you want to make Pennsylvania or your district a better government," Grove said. Keefer won the nomination with 40 percent of the votes cast. She was followed by Pugliese with 34 percent and Kraig Bruder with 26 percent. Less than 700 votes separated Keefer and Pugliese. Saylor admits he was a bit nervous about the letter because he wasn't involved in its printing and was concerned the disclaimer or his home address might be mistakenly omitted. In hindsight, he said, "I probably would have used a different stationery but we were in such a hurry to make it clear who I was and why I was calling for it as a leading Republican in York County that this is not the way to run campaigns as Republicans. We got to do better than that." Grove said the stationery on which the letter was printed made him do a double-take when he first saw it in a PennLive story about the House race. "I thought, 'My god.' But I know Stan sends that out as his fund-raising stuff. As I looked through it, I saw it abided by all the requirements ethically," Grove said. However, he added: "Had it been mine, I wouldn't have used that [stationary]. I've never done anything like that personally." Keefer received her copy of the letter in the mail the day before the primary. But she was made aware of it a few days before by people calling her angry and upset about it. "My phone was exploding that Saturday and Sunday about it," Keefer said. But she chose to chalk it up as "a foolish move" and stick to her game plan of knocking on doors to ask people for their votes. However, she admits she did find it "disappointing" and shared that a blown-up copy of the letter was placed against the "Vote Here" sign at the Carroll Township municipal building on primary election day. Citizens Alliance of Pennsylvania executive director Leo Knepper wasn't so ready to dismiss it. While he said it hardly looks legal or ethical, he finds it "completely inappropriate to use the official seal of the House of Representatives and send something out on what appears to be state House letterhead with all the official information but paid for by a political campaign." Knepper admits his organization and Saylor have a history that stems from CAP's backing an opponent to the veteran House member four years ago. He said he wasn't sure what Grove's beef with the group was. As for what Saylor and Grove consider negative attacks, Knepper said the group was pointing out in its first mailer that Pugliese was a lobbyist who had the Philadelphia Parking Authority for a client and advocated for corporate welfare through the state's City Revitalization and Improvement Zone program. Another mailer from CAP pointed out Pugliese worked for his father Rocco, "one of the biggest lobbyists in Harrisburg. So who will he really be working for if he goes to Harrisburg?" Anthony Pugliese declined comment when asked about the letter. But he did offer his opinion about the attacks made against him. "The only thing people should be concerned about is the despicable campaign Dawn Keefer and CAP ran. Other than that, I don't have anything to say," he said. Regardless of the explanations that Saylor offers for using that stationary, Common Cause's Kauffman said it's pretty clear to him that the purpose behind it "was to have the public think it was a public document and the only way to know it isn't, is if you go to the fine print. The ethics commission is off base on this one and probably ought to go back and take a look at that." Dozens of deaf people gathered at the state Capitol on Wednesday to "make some noise" about the discrimination and oppression against the million Pennsylvanians who share their disability. With body movements, hand gestures, and handmade signs, they rallied and marched to call attention to problems the deaf community faces when it comes to communication access, educational equality and employment opportunities as part of a National Rally for Deaf Rights that was playing out in state capitols across the country. To illustrate her point, Paula Busanic, public relations coordinator for Deaf GrassRoots Movement-Pennsylvania who is deaf, said she was unable to order room service at her hotel last night because there were no accommodations for that. On planes, there's no closed-caption available on movies that are shown. When deaf people are admitted to the hospital, she said there is no interpreter already in place to provide a means of communication. Additionally, most public schools don't offer American sign language as an option to help bridge the communication divide between deaf students and hearing people around them. And that carries over to the workforce, where employers don't want to hire deaf people because they can't communicate with them. It's a problem not only in Pennsylvania but across the country so the rallies taking place for the first time in state capitols nationwide is intended to "make some noise all over the country" to draw attention to issues deaf people face in hopes actions follow to address them, Busanic said through an interpreter. "There is so much frustration in the deaf community," she said. "Legislators often put deaf people in with people with disabilities but we're a little different because we have a language all our own. The other disabilities can be mainstreamed in schools. But there's a language barrier where deaf people are concerned so there's differences." The deaf people who joined her were calling on state lawmakers to become aware of their wants and needs, such as making instruction in American sign language more available and encouraging employers to hire deaf people. "It's tough to find work," she said. "Even with high school diplomas they can't find employment because there's going to be a communication issue. A lot of businesses don't see that as an accessibility problem and year after year, deaf people are the lowest paid, under-utilized group of people." According to the state Department of Labor and Industry using an estimate from the National Center for Disease Control, Early Hearing Detection & Intervention data, the number of Pennsylvanians who are deaf or hard of hearing is about 1.1 million. Its official! After five years of dating, Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel are husband and wife. Its great to be married, the ceremony was beautiful and it was so special to be surrounded by our family and friends, the couple told PEOPLE in an exclusive statement Friday. Timberlake, 31, and Biel, 30, kept mum about the nuptials they were even vague to guests, keeping the location in southern Italy a complete secret until the last minute but PEOPLE will have all the details of the wedding, including exclusive photos, in next weeks issue out Wednesday. Engaged since December, when Timberlake proposed in Big Sky Montana with a custom-designed ring, the couple have been inseparable. Most recently, Timberlake showed support for his leading lady earlier this month when she was honored at Varietys Power of Women event for her work with Charity: Water. The actor-musician said recently of his bride, Shes a really, really, really special person. PHOTOS: Justin & Jessicas Road to the Altar The happy couple started celebrating earlier this week along with close friends and family. On Thursday, they hosted a party where guests hung out around open fires and dined on fresh-made cheese, local olives and wine. The night before, the group headed to a beach for a party complete with fireworks and live music. Pick up next weeks issue of PEOPLE for all the glamorous details and their complete wedding album! Related News PHOTOS: Whats Jessica Biels Bridal Style? Justin and Jessicas Pre-Wedding Celebrations Justin and Jessica Engaged East Jordan asks voters for fire equipment millage East Jordan is asking voters for a 1.5 mills increase for fire equipment in the upcoming November election. PDVSA issued at least $310 million in debt to pay off suppliers Halliburton Drilling workers CARACAS Petroleumworld.com 05 04 2016 Venezuelan state oil firm PDVSA has issued at least $310 million in debt to companies including General Electric Co as it negotiates private issuances to pay off its suppliers, industry sources told Reuters, stretching the finances of a company that bondholders already worry is on its way to default. The securities are not bonds but offer rights similar to those enjoyed by bondholders, and at least one issue offers dispute resolution via the Paris-based International Chamber of Commerce, according to one of the three sources, who cited a term sheet. This means that if PDVSA defaults, investors holding their bonds may find that there are more creditors competing for compensation than they had originally anticipated. The overall negotiations on private debt issuance, which were confirmed by seven sources, come as weak oil markets and an unraveling socialist economy have fanned concerns PDVSA will be unable to make nearly $5 billion in bond payments between now and the end of the year. PDVSA and Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro insist they will meet all debt obligations and dismiss default rumors as a right-wing conspiracy. In addition to the $310 million, a package of $1.5 billion in such securities maturing in three to five years is being discussed as a way of settling debts with small and medium-sized oil services firms, according to one of the sources, who was briefed on that proposal. PDVSA is struggling to prevent oil services providers from stopping work in Venezuela in protest over billions of dollars in unpaid bills. The company has worked with banks including Deutsche Bank AG to structure fixed-income securities such as promissory notes that can be sold to investors, according to one of the sources, a local trader who saw documents outlining the proposal. "PDVSA has been offering promissory notes as well as other types of notes and financial instruments to settle debts with providers," said another of the seven sources, who was also involved in one such operation. "They are offering them because there is no cash." Deutsche and GE declined to comment. PDVSA did not respond to an email seeking comment. The sources spoke on condition of anonymity because the negotiations are ongoing or because they are not authorized to comment publicly on the matter. The total amount of such securities that have already been issued by PDVSA could not immediately be determined. BACKED-UP BILLS Promissory notes would typically be unattractive for oil services companies to keep on their own books. They are seen as too risky for many investment portfolios, because they trade in limited volumes and are therefore difficult to sell. As a result, they are generally structured by large foreign banks that ultimately end up buying the notes at a steep discount, according to another of the sources, who works in the finance industry. GE has agreed to convert $350 million in unpaid PDVSA invoices into $257 million in loan notes, which are interest-bearing securities that can be sold to other investors, a GE source told Reuters. An oil industry source said that one company accepted $53 million in promissory notes that come due at the end of this year, asking that the company not be identified to avoid creating conflict with PDVSA. The notes are not registered with settlement agents such as Euroclear, the source added. Since the 2008 financial crisis, PDVSA has systematically allowed bills to pile up and later negotiated discounts with providers or paid them with global bonds which sell at a discount. Debts to providers in 2014 reached nearly $21 billion, according to that year's financial statements. PDVSA has not yet released 2015 results. The company has not made any cash payments in dollars to providers in at least six months as a result of its difficult cash-flow situation, according to two of the sources. It has not been able to issue bonds on capital markets because of prohibitively high yields. Converting the unpaid bills into securities does not increase PDVSA's total debt burden. But it does have significant consequences in the event of a default, since the debt changes from a private obligation between two parties into a security held by investors. Payment difficulties led Schlumberger, the world's top oil services company, to announce in April that it was halting operations in Venezuela. In response to an email seeking details, a Schlumberger official said the company was not in a position to discuss the issues because it considers them confidential. Services giant Halliburton also said it was reducing activities in Venezuela, without saying why. It said in its 2015 annual report that at the end of last year it had $31 million in surety bond guarantees associated with its Venezuelan operations, without providing details. Halliburton declined to comment. Halliburton and Baker deal failure puts them on its own way Feds killed the Halliburton/Baker Hughes merger HOUSTON Petroleumworld.com 05 04 2016 Halliburton Co. and Baker Hughes Inc. wasted no time making clear they will take different paths after the termination of their merger. "Our strategy has not changed," Halliburton Chief Executive Officer Dave Lesar told investors and analysts on a conference call Tuesday. His statement came minutes after Baker Hughes wrapped up a separate conference call in which CEO Martin Craighead repeatedly said that the company was going to change its focus be "more selective" in where it does business. Halliburton fell 4.2 percent to $40.29 at 10:49 a.m. in New York, while Baker Hughes slid 3.7 percent to $45.67. Halliburton's Plan The $28 billion takeover was called off Sunday in the face of stiff resistance from global regulators over antitrust concerns. Halliburton's Lesar blamed "elongated regulatory scrutiny" and the drop in oil prices for making the deal uneconomic. While expressing disappointment with the failed bid, Lesar said he's not backing away from more deals and still sees selective acquisitions as part of the company's growth plan. Larger, more complicated mergers are struggling to get timely approvals, Lesar said. Remaining a full-service provider continues to be key for Halliburton despite the downturn. "It's way better to be in every basin with every product line," he said on the call. Pulling Back Baker Hughes, meanwhile, said it will simplify its organizational structure and pull back its pressure-pumping business to only two basins in North America to weather low prices. All other businesses will be reviewed as it looks for added cost cuts. "Every product line has to earn its right," Craighead said. More than half of the pressure-pumping equipment available for fracking in the U.S. is not being used, according to industry consultant IHS Inc. Prices charged for fracking, which blasts water, sand and chemicals underground to free trapped hydrocarbons, are estimated to have fallen as much as 40 percent since the downturn began in late 2014, IHS said. There will be very little ability for fracking providers to force the sale of other associated services, known in the industry as bundling, over the next two to three years, Craighead said. Outside the U.S. and Canada, the "asset-light" plan by Baker Hughes calls for offering certain of its products to local suppliers in select countries. Growing its international business "doesn't necessarily have to have Baker Hughes coveralls on all the rigs running these tools and instruments," Craighead said. "I just see it as a massive opportunity and we expect that we're going to own that channel." Halliburton announced the Baker Hughes takeover in November 2014 in a bid to better compete against industry leader Schlumberger Ltd. as oil prices first began to drop from above $100 a barrel. The oil services industry is operating at a loss in North America, home to the world's largest market for hydraulic fracturing. Schlumberger lost $10 million in the U.S. and Canada, excluding taxes, during the first three months of the year. Halliburton, the world's largest provider of fracking services, recorded first-quarter costs of $378 million, or 44 cents a share, related to the Baker Hughes bid, according to a statement Tuesday. That's higher than the $79 million, or 9 cents a share, acquisition-related costs in the final three months of 2015. The second- and third-largest oil-service firms had set a deadline for the end of April to complete the deal or walk away. The U.S. Justice Department heard concerns from dozens of companies and filed a lawsuit in early April to stop the merger, saying it threatened to eliminate head-to-head competition in 23 products and services used in oil exploration. The government ultimately concluded that the deal was "not fixable at all," David Gelfand, deputy assistant attorney general, told reporters Monday on a conference call. ELKO Arbys on Mountain City Highway has been closed by the Nevada Health Division because of an extreme rodent infestation. Closed until further notice due to technical issues, reads a sign taped to the door, signed by maintenance. However, the health inspection states This establishment is closed by order of the Nevada State Health Division due to extreme rodent infestation. You may not operate until this infestation is resolved completely ... The April 28 report cites evidence of mouse infestation. Several pictures were taken of feces throughout the facility and holes were present in the walls, ceiling and shelving units providing modes of entry. NSHD suspects a generational infestation is present, as nesting is evident, and fecal matter found in all areas to include food preparation, dry food storage, refrigeration units, and dining areas, said the report. Additionally, multiple employees, including management, exhibited symptoms such as diarrhea, nausea, headache, fever, and an increase in asthma attacks. They also claim food packages, such as bread, have been chewed open by the rodents. Employees also sighted rodents on the premises daily. A representative of the restaurant, who did not identify himself on the phone, would only say the establishment is working with the health inspector. Elko Police Lt. Ty Trouten confirmed officers were called to the premises to maintain the peace. We did not order the closure, said Barrett Evans, a supervisor with the Environmental Health Section of Nevada Division of Public & Behavioral Health. The closure was voluntary by the owner/operator, and the health permit has not been closed out or suspended, he said, explaining the business agreed to remain closed until the issues in the report have been addressed. Arbys Restaurant received an overall rating of 92 out of 100 in its latest inspection. Longtime owner Mike Franzoia is a former Elko mayor. ELKO After 15 years, Elkos only adult enrichment center providing social and medical services for disabled or at-risk adults will close its doors in late June. Weve been scraping by for quite a while the expenses are just more than our grants and our donations can handle, said Acting Director Sylvia Elexpuru. BrightPath Adult Enrichment Center participants include seniors with dementia and other chronic health conditions, an individual who is blind, another with autism, and another with developmental disabilities, she said. Its a huge service that we provide here, said Elexpuru. But the facility faced problems such as the public knowing they existed. Elexpuru described the situation as sad but inevitable. The center started the process of closing its doors approximately three months ago, she said. June 30 will be its last day of operation. Elexpuru is also on the board and has been involved in making painstaking decisions. She spoke face-to-face with the family members, and sent the caregivers a letter. Notices will also be sent to grant-funding entities. One of her meetings was with Jackie Melton in late April, who told the Free Press this closure would greatly impact her household. Meltons daughter has autism and attends BrightPath for quality of life. Funding, Staff and Care The centers funding comes in a few ways, including support through the Newmont Legacy Fund, but especially from donations, and grant funding for the seniors through the Nevada Aging and Disabilities Services Division. Individuals can donate through the Partners of the Heart program. We want to thank all of those people that have been so faithful to us, said Elexpuru, who elaborated that she has a great deal of faith in the community. Chris Woster, secretary/treasurer for the all-volunteer board of trustees, said the center has faced big oppositions. He said he primarily focused his efforts on sending out donation requests, which posed another challenge because there was competition from youth groups. One of the bigger challenges involved Medicaid. The hours the members spent at the center did not always equate to the funds reimbursed by the insurance program. BrightPath must have a certain amount of staffing to serve its members. We have to have one staff person for every five individuals but thats difficult because many of our friends out here that we serve have a high acuity of care needed, said Elexpuru. Sometimes the intense care needed by certain patients requires two people, and as with many budgets, payroll is the largest expense. However, Elexpuru commended the five-member staff, saying they are extremely dedicated in caring for all of our members. If one of our staff is gone its a burden, she said, explaining they feed people, take them to the bathroom. Registered nurses Leah Doke and Elexpuru aid in medical situations. There are also activities-based therapies: including music and memory care therapy and physical therapy geared toward specific conditions. Repercussions and Issues BrightPath is one of a kind in Elko, and by not having access to these services, Elexpuru said she thinks a huge burden will be placed on the community. Its a burden on individuals who are doing the care and its also a potential burden on our county, she said. Elexpuru believes Elko County has indigent patients and that could translate into indigent care costs for the county. I think that people dont know they need us until they need us, she said. Were hoping that some other entity will come forward and there is some interest out there. Im not at liberty to say who that is at this point, she said. Even this interest would take time to transition. Receiving licensing from the State and preparing the environment for the members would take some time. So, it would take a while, but its not impossible, said Elexpuru, explaining another entity may face the same financial challenges. Sometimes money and licensing doesnt cover the full scope. Behaviors as well as societal norms can incur their own effects. People dont want to see the kind of people we take care of. They dont want to have it in their head, because there but for the grace of God goes any one of us with our husband, our wife, our son, our daughter, our mother-in-law, she said. Caregivers can also be hesitant in bringing their loved ones to the center, because of exhibiting what can be perceived as embarrassing behaviors. You know, when they get here and were so used to taking care of people with dementia, people who dont make sense, people who arent necessarily always appropriate in their conversation or their actions. That doesnt bother us, we just take it in stride, and we have a great sense of humor here, she said. History Elexpuru founded the center in 2001 with her then business partner Lisa Dinwiddie. Both women were nurses and Dinwiddies father had dementia. The pair did a community needs assessment and found out there were approximately 95 people who could use the service. So, thats how we sold it to the Division for Aging Services ... and we got a little grant for $20,000 to do some planning and then they gave us $80,000 to open the doors, which was terrific. We thought that was big money then, she said, explaining the initial efforts occurred around 1999. The pair started out with two little men whose wives brought them to the center. I said, You know what, these wives are the smartest wives in town. They brought their little men to us and we had a ball with them, and they had a ball here, said Elexpuru. Going forward The closure of BrightPath may be a burden on some, but for other members it opens another avenue of expression. Judy Tyler said she is going to move into a group home and become independent. More than that, she plans to start her own jewelry business. When asked what she is going to call it, Tyler responded that she hasnt gotten that far yet, but she plans to make all kinds of pieces, including earrings and necklaces. I just want everybody out there to know that this really saddens us. I mean, especially me, said Elexpuru. Were kind of putting it to bed, she said. We brought it into the world and now were putting it to bed ... with a heavy heart. ELKO The City of Elko Fire Department is celebrating wildfire preparedness and risk reduction during the month of May. Residents and visitors can bring their cameras to Home Depot on Saturday from noon to 3 p.m. to take pictures with Smokey the Bear during Wildfire Preparedness Day. The Wildfire Awareness Month celebration is in its third year and now has more booths and safety information to be handed out. Firefighters from Elko Fire Department, Elko County Fire Protection, Bureau of Land Management, Nevada Division of Forestry and the U.S.Forest Service will be on site to showcase wildland fire suppression, urban interface tactics, apparatus and equipment. The University of Nevada Reno Cooperative Extension Living with Fire Program will be showcasing the renowned Ember House from Reno to educate children on the dangers of wildfire to your home. Two mock landscaped homes will be showcased. One home will utilize fire-wise planting materials recommended by the University of Nevada Reno Cooperative Extension Living with Fire Program, and the other will have non-fire wise planting materials. All landscape materials used for the display will be provided by Home Depot and designed by Green Day Landscaping, said Fire Marshal Josh Carson. These scenarios apply not only to the area defensible space surrounding the home, but there will also be materials to help understand areas such as crawl space access. Carson told the Free Press a key thing promoted at this event is being prepared for an evacuation. You dont want to wait until a fire comes to find out youre not ready, he said. Typically organizations distribute a checklist on what items should be ready if an evacuation is necessary. A great concern in the local area is pets and what to do with them if you are forced to evacuate. The Elko Animal Shelter will be in attendance to try and give some direction on what to do, where safe drop-off locations are for animals such as horses, and more, said Carson. The City of Elko Fire Department was the recipient of a $500 grant from State Farm Insurance and the National Fire Protection Association for community wildfire awareness. These funds will be used to purchase fire-wise plants that thrive in Northern Nevada, which will be provided to the first 75 children who attend the preparedness day celebration. In addition, the department will provide free annual flowers to mothers in attendance for Mothers Day. Home Depot will also have the famous Kids Construction Corner for children and adults to test their construction skills. Firefighters from the City fire department will be onsite with the Fire Safety Trailer, providing information on Youth Firesetter Intervention and Prevention in conjunction with Fire Prevention Association of Nevada. Elko Fire will also introduce the Fully Involved Home Safe Fire Escape interactive fire prevention and community risk reduction training program. Several industry and community services organizations such as American Red Cross, Elko County CERT, Elko County Sheriff, Southwest Gas, and Shabonya Dutton with State Farm Insurance, Liberty Mutual Insurance, and Green Day Landscaping will be onsite offering valuable preparedness and awareness information, said Carson. We look forward to the opportunity to educate the public and offering tools to protect you family and property for the upcoming wildland fire season, he said. According to the Insurance Information Institute, Nevada sustained 551 wildfires scorching 42,479 acres in 2015. As many as 90 percent of wildland fires in the United States are caused by humans, according to the U.S. Department of Interior. Some human-caused fires result from campfires left unattended, the burning of debris, negligently discarded cigarettes and intentional acts of arson. The remaining 10 percent are started by lightning or lava. The 2015 fire season set a new record for the number of acres burned in the United States. Between Jan. 1 and Dec. 30, there were 68,151 wildfires, which burned 10,125,149 acres, stated the National Interagency Fire Center. During the same period in 2014, 63,417 fires burned 3,577,620 acres. The previous record was set in 2006 at 9,873,745 acres. Fire prevention is a community effort. Together, we can keep our community aware and prepared, concluded Carson. Reporting contributed by Fallon Godwin-Butler The first 75 children who attend the Wildfire Preparedness Day celebration at Home Depot will receive a free fire-wise plant, courtesy of State Farm Insurance. Lester Cohen/WireImageBeck paid tribute to Prince by performing the Purple One's classic "Raspberry Beret" at the Beale Street Music Festival in Memphis, Tennessee over the weekend. You can watch Beck's folky performance of the track via fan-recorded footage on YouTube. Coldplay frontman Chris Martin also honored Prince with a cover of "Raspberry Beret" last month during a charity gig in Santa Monica, California. Last year, Beck released a funky new single called "Dreams," which definitely has a Prince-like vibe. Additionally, Beck's Midnite Vultures song "Debra" is said to be inspired by "Raspberry Beret" specifically. Copyright 2016, ABC Radio. All rights reserved. Frustrated with the inability of federal land managers to control wild horse overpopulation, this past week Gov. Brian Sandoval put out a press release saying he plans to pursue legal action to force the federal agencies to fund wild horse population control. The statement said the Bureau of Land Management is already telling ranchers they will face a reduction or even elimination of some grazing permits due to the overpopulation, a major economic impact for the state. The BLM has underfunded the wild horse program for years and as a result, the livelihood of our local economies is now being threatened. For too long, Nevada has been forced to compensate for the federal governments inability to manage these growing populations without the appropriate resources, the governor said. If the Department of the Interior refuses to adequately fund this program, the State will pursue all legal options to protect our local producers and communities. In response, Attorney General Adam Laxalt, whose office would be tasked to handle such litigation, sent out a statement saying, I remain committed to defending our state, counties and local economies from actions by the federal government that endanger our future. The governor notes that the problem is particularly severe in southeast Elko County, where there are more than 5,000 wild horses 350 percent more than the range can sustain. There are about 28,000 wild horses in all of Nevada and a total of 47,000 across the West. Jim Barbee, director of the Nevada Department of Agriculture was quoted as saying, Livestock producers could see anywhere from 25 to 100 percent grazing reductions on their allotments. Elko County could see an estimated $1.8 million loss as a result of the decision, negatively impacting jobs and the economy on a local and state level. Congressman Mark Amodei said he was told Washington has not funded any horse roundups in Nevada this year. Its irresponsible that the BLM has known about the horse numbers, and instead of taking action to alleviate the problem, the agency waited until ranchers are about to turn out their cows to make an announcement leaving them with no time to find alternatives, Amodei said. BLM officials have said they dont have the budget to round up wild horses this year because it spends $40 million a year caring for those it already has captured. On Monday The Associated Press reported that BLM Nevada Director John Ruhs has asked Washington for $4 million to roundup 4,000 wild horses in Elko County. Even though the wild horse law passed in 1971 specifically states, The Secretary (of Interior) shall cause additional excess wild free roaming horses and burros for which an adoption demand by qualified individuals does not exist to be destroyed in the most humane and cost efficient manner possible, congressional appropriations since 2009 have stipulated no funds are to be used for the destruction of healthy, unadopted, wild horses and burros Since wild horses are an invasive species with few natural predators, perhaps Nevada should take a page from Louisianas playbook. When the swamps were being overrun by non-native nutria basically giant 20-pound rats they came up with the idea that they could reduce the population and make a few bucks, too, by convincing Yankees that nutria is a culinary delicacy. They figured if they could convince people to eat crawfish, basically mudbugs, why not giant rats? Nevada could use the slogan: Dont say, Nay, to the other red meat. OK, were being facetious, but Congress, the federal land bureaucrats and the horse huggers need to stop treating feral horses like hooved deities. Yes, these majestic creatures are an integral part of our Western heritage and should be protected. But by letting them breed to such excessive numbers, they are starving and fighting each other for the dwindling supply of food and water, which is hardly humane. Nor is it conducive to environmental or economic balance. Not only does overpopulation reduce grazing allotments, but it damages the habit of truly native species such as a greater sage grouse, deer and elk. I think the BLM needs to do their job. Sen. Dean Heller said. The issue is this, were either going to have wild horses in Nevada, which I dont have a problem with wild horses as long as the herd is managed; or if theyre not going to manage it, then were not going to have elk, deer, antelope or for that matter cattle in our state. The creation of Spanish newspaper EL PAIS, on May 4, 1976, was more than just a news story. Spain was coming out of the Franco dictatorship, and was just beginning the transition to democracy. EL PAIS was born from a desire to defend individual freedoms, the need to build a democracy that was comparable to those in Europe, and from the conviction that Spaniards were capable of rebuilding their ability to live together after decades of dictatorship. The special 40th anniversary magazine. Thats how the first editor of the paper and the current chairman of parent group PRISA, Juan Luis Cebrian, explains the history of EL PAIS in the opening article of special 316-page magazine that is being given away free with the paper today to celebrate its 40th anniversary. The paper would soon become a reference point for journalism in Spanish, and find its place alongside the most prestigious international publications. Today it is a global newspaper, an integral part of the Ibero-American world, and, thanks to its digital edition, has a global reach and is on the cutting edge in terms of news and technology. The company, its journalists and other employees were, from the start, focused on the reader, as the only custodians of the right to freedom of expression, as Cebrian writes. The special magazine, whose cover was designed by Rafael Canogar, takes in the most significant events of the last 40 years from the Cold War and jihadism, to the fall of the Berlin Wall and arrival of the first African American president to the White House. A story where huge personalities were the protagonists, but also one populated by people on the streets, who found an ally in EL PAIS that helped them consolidate their hopes. The journalistic adventure that is EL PAIS always sought professional and corporate independence. With no hostility toward anyone, but without obligations nor obedience. This was one of the mottoes of Polanco, who headed Grupo PRISA until his death in 2007. There have been five editors at the helm of the daily since it was founded. Juan Luis Cebrian was followed in 1988 by Joaquin Estefania, who was replaced by Jesus Ceberio in 1993. Javier Moreno took the reins in 2006, and passed on the baton to Antonio Cano on May 4, 2014. The redesigned newsroom. With a completely refurbished newsroom, which enjoys advanced technology, EL PAIS is ready to face a global future in the midst of a turbulent time for communication companies. Antonio Cano is clear what the mission will be for this newspaper. Right now there are millions of readers out there looking at a screen, waiting to read, see or hear what we have to tell them. Lets tell them something interesting, writes Cano in the special magazine. He also confesses that in his office he has hung the famous photo of a group of people reading a special edition of EL PAIS on the night of February 23, 1981, when an attempted military coup was underway in the Congress building. I chose that photo so as to never forget the reason why this newspaper exists: to provide the information with which a democratic society can defend itself from the threats that will always lie in wait. English version by Simon Hunter. Republican senator Ted Cruz dropped out of the US presidential race on Tuesday after losing the Indiana primary to real estate tycoon Donald Trump. His decision paves the way for Trump to clinch the Republican presidential nomination at the partys July convention. His only remaining opponent is John Kasich, who has very few delegates but remains a candidate, according to his campaign aides. Republican candidate Ted Cruz just before announcing that he is suspending his campaign. CHRIS BERGIN (REUTERS) More information Ted Cruz renuncia y deja via libre a la nominacion de Donald Trump The chairman of the Republican National Committee, Reince Priebus, called Trump the presumptive GOP nominee, using the political jargon for candidates who have yet to arithmetically become so. Priebus put aside past disputes and called on the party to embrace the billionaire New Yorker: We all need to unite and focus on defeating Hillary Clinton, he wrote on his Twitter account following Cruzs exit from the race. The Texas senator, who had won in nine states and added 565 delegates, had made Indiana a central goal of his campaign. Theoretically, this was fertile territory for him: the state has a solid base of conservative and religious voters, and Republicans have won here in nine out of the last 10 presidential elections. A democratic victory for Bernie Sanders J.F. In the Democratic front, Bernie Sanders beat Hillary Clinton with a five-point lead that breathes new life into his campaign after bad results in recent votes. Unlike the Republican system, however, Democratic primaries share out delegates proportionally, meaning that the Indiana results barely alter Clintons solid lead over her rival. Before Indiana, the former state secretary was already caressing the Democratic nomination with 2,165 out of the 2,383 delegates she needs, including the so-called superdelegates who can vote for whomever they want at the July convention. Cruz is an orthodox conservative with affinities to the Tea Party, and an ardent champion of constitutional limits and religious freedom. In recent weeks, Trumps belligerent attitude, coupled with his lack of political experience and inflammatory rhetoric, had made Cruz look by comparison like a calm, level-headed candidate who is open to dialogue itself a far cry from the early combative spirit that Cruz had displayed in the Senate. But the strategy has proven futile. The results in Indiana confirmed Trumps advance with a 17-point victory that opinion polls had already been forecasting. Cruz was unable to avoid defeat despite his attempts at mobilizing voters with support from the governor of Indiana, his announcement of a running mate, and his surprising deal with Kasich by which the latter agreed not to campaign in that state. I said I would continue on as long as there was a viable path to victory. Tonight, Im sorry to say it appears that path has been foreclosed, said a serious-looking Cruz as he announced that he was ending his bid. Trumps victory in the Midwest state is his 28th in three exhausting months of back-to-back votes and rallies. If he wins in all the districts, Trump will claim all 57 delegates at stake in Indiana, and bring his total to 1,053, out of the 1,237 which he needs to guarantee his own presidential nomination to the November election. Sign up for our newsletter EL PAIS English Edition has launched a weekly newsletter. Sign up today to receive a selection of our best stories in your inbox every Saturday morning. For full details about how to subscribe, click here. Arithmetically, Trump now needs 184 delegates to clinch the title. The most pessimistic forecasts, made before Cruzs resignation, gave him around 120 at the primaries in West Virginia, New Jersey, Washington, Oregon and New Mexico. He could easily manage the rest in California, which has 172 delegates and where Trump is leading the polls. After Cruzs announcement, Trump made an appearance of his own at his Manhattan skyscraper, the Trump Tower. Looking earnest, he praised the senator, calling him one hell of a competitor, as well as a smart tough guy with an amazing future ahead of him. Republican presidential front runner Donald Trump speaks to supporters at Trump Tower in Manhattan. SPENCER PLATT (AFP) Trump also praised Priebus, saying he will bring the unity that the party needs, and suggested that trade will be one of his main angles of attack against his likely Democratic rival, Hillary Clinton. She will not be a good president, she doesnt understand about trade, he stated, then went on to accuse her husband, former president Bill Clinton, of signing the worst free trade agreement in history in reference to the 1993 agreement with Canada and Mexico. English version by Susana Urra. Out and About Audio Article Atascosa County Anti-Bullying Rally Oct. 19 Poteet Strawberry Festival grounds, main pavilion, 6-8 p.m. Guest speaker Batman & Co. and... JISD Supt. McAllister announces retirement Audio Article The retirement of Jourdanton ISD Superintendent Theresa McAllister was announced at the meeting of the school board held on Oct.... Barack Obama and David Cameron in London in April. ANDY RAIN (EFE) Our American friend is a little tired of Europeans. Once upon a time it was a colony of them, and while that was a while ago now, and it currently has a very special relationship with its former occupant, the truth is that its memory of all that is as colored by that as it is filtered by the memory of how costly it was to emancipate itself from such an unbearable mother country. After its independence, our American friend decided to isolate itself, because everything that the old Europe represented (dynastic battles between autocracies, persecutions and a lack of economic and religious freedom) was profoundly repulsive. But while the United States wanted to leave Europe in peace, Europe didnt leave the US in peace. On two occasions during the first half of the last century, thousands of young Americans had to die on European soil to defend Europeans from themselves. What do you think of Western civilization? they asked Gandhi. And with irony, he replied: I think it would be a good idea. What they call civilization, we havent seen much of, those young Americans must of thought, the ones who were gassed in the trenches at Ypres, or machine-gunned down in Normandy. And so that these Europeans wouldnt risk it all for a third time, the US left 250,000 soldiers stationed in Europe for half-a-century, and committed to the security, prosperity and freedom of the continent. Our American friend thought that Europeans were now old enough to solve their own problems. And that perhaps they could stop having to save their bacon. But it wasnt to be, because while Europe might be surrounded by a ring of fire, geopolitical tensions and terrorist threats that spread from the Arctic to the western Mediterranean, Europeans still dont know whats going on. So senile is the old Europe that even the former colonial power has decided to organize a nice little referendum to decide whether it should return to the splendid isolationism and get out of the continent. And in glorious and liberated France, which gave the Statue of Liberty to the Americans as a gift, there are also those who want to lock the gates. And there are still those who are surprised at the fact that Trump wants to do the same: before you leave, Ill get out of here first, right? @jitorreblanca Turkish denialist helps publicize truth about the Armenian Genocide By Harut Sassounian Publisher, The California Courier www.TheCaliforniaCourier.com Ergun Kirlikovali, a resident of Orange County, California, and former president of the Assembly of Turkish American Associations, has carried out a life-long Don Quixotic battle against recognition of the Armenian Genocide. Unfortunately for him, the more he denies the Genocide, the more he helps publicize it. Here is the latest episode of Kirlis heroic actions which once again backfired on him and his obsessive denialism. On April 24, as 60,000 protestors gathered in front of the Turkish Consulate in Los Angeles, Kirli showed up with a handful of his denialist compatriots trying to cover up the tarnished image of their homeland! The Turks presence at the protest attracted the attention of the local news media, generating more publicity for the 101st anniversary of the Armenian Genocide. To take credit for his anti-Armenian protest, Kirli had a cohort videotape his interview with KABC-TV, during which he once again denied the Armenian Genocide. Shockingly, in the midst of the interview, the KABC cameraman made derogatory remarks about Armenians, calling them thug-like idiots. In its news coverage of the April 24 protest, KABC used a sound bite from Kirlis 8-minute rant. However, no one would have known about the cameramans prejudicial comments, if it were not for Kirli posting the raw footage of his interview on Facebook, which got the anti-Armenian cameraman in hot water. In response to complaints from the public, KABC promptly issued a statement apologizing for its freelance cameramans remarks and announcing the termination of his services with the TV station. However, KABC insisted that its story was fair and accurate. Many viewers disagreed, citing the inclusion of Kirlis denialist views in the broadcast. In a phone conversation with KABCs General Manager last week, I discussed the pitfalls of providing airtime to a denialist and the positive steps the TV station could initiate to educate viewers about the Armenian Genocide. Upset by the stations conciliatory statement, Kirli posted on Facebook his disappointment with KABCs apology and dismissal of the cameraman after complaints from Armenian pressure groups. The Armenian National Committee of America -- Western Region (ANCA) and Armenian Youth Federation -- Western US (AYF) issued a joint statement contesting KABCs decision to provide a platform to a notorious genocide denier and asked for a meeting with the TV stations management. They justifiably contended that KABC would never interview a neo-Nazi while covering a Holocaust commemorative event. Subsequently, KABCs management agreed to meet with representatives of ANCA, AYF, and the Armenian Bar Association, and removed from the TV stations website Kirlis offensive words along with the questionable news story! After the meeting, Cheryl Kunin Fair, President and General Manager of KABC-TV, issued the following highly principled statement on May 2: ABC7 regrets what happened and apologizes for the pain this incident caused the Armenian community, especially on Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day. The actions of the cameraman in question, who no longer works for the station, and the resulting story that aired that day, were not an accurate reflection of ABC7 s commitment to the Armenian community. While the cameramans comments did not air, we regret the inclusion in our story of a short bite from the interview denying the existence of the Genocide on historical grounds, which is counter to the position of a majority of historians today who do call it a Genocide, and see the deaths of 1.5 million Armenians as a premeditated and systematic campaign to exterminate an entire people. Efforts are underway in partnership with the ANCA, AYF, Armenian Bar Association and others to provide opportunities for public dialogue, internal education, and meaningful stories about and for the Armenian community and their efforts for Genocide recognition and education. We are committed to moving forward with these initiatives and we thank the ANCA and its partner organizations for their leadership in this dialogue and willingness to listen. KABC-TV should be commended for issuing such a reassuring statement, apologizing for the offense caused to the Armenian community, promising not to use the services of the bigoted cameraman, expressing regret for interviewing a genocide denialist, reaffirming the truth of the Armenian Genocide, and pledging to work with community organizations to educate the public on this critical issue. Without Kirlis persistent denialist endeavors, none of these constructive steps would have been possible! Michigan To Hold Committee Hearing Today Regarding Online Gambling Bill May 04, 2016 Donnie Peters Following the introduction of SB 889 by State Senator Mike Kowall a short time ago, Michigan will hold a hearing today, Wednesday, May 4, to discuss this bill, along with SB 890. Dubbed the "The Lawful Internet Gaming Act," SB 889 asks for legalization and regulation of poker and casino games online. The bill would restrict access to those 21 years or older, allow for a maximum of eight licensed operators in the state, apply a $5 million licensing fee as an advancement of future taxes owed, and introduce a 10-percent tax. The eight licenses will be restricted to commercial and tribal casinos already in operation with a license. The bill also includes language that leaves the door open for shared liquidity, both with others states and nations. SB 889 mentions the possibility of "multijurisdictional" agreements with other governments where online poker is legal "including any foreign nation." With much focus has been directed towards states such as California, Pennsylvania, and New York in regards to those viewed as next up for online gaming legalization and regulation, Michigan's leap into the mix came as a surprise to many, although a welcomed one. The state is still a ways away from getting online gaming, but the speed at which Michigan has moved to get involved exhibits positive progression. The hearing will be held today, Wednesday, May 4, at 2 p.m. local time. Click here to read the full text of the bill. *Image courtesy of CedarBendDrive/Wikimedia. Get all the latest PokerNews updates on your social media outlets. Follow us on Twitter and find us on both Facebook and Google+! A Boston Police Officer is being recognized for his quick actions that saved multiple lives during a house fire. Officer Luis Lopez was the first on scene of a townhouse fire in Dorchester Saturday night. "You could see the flames and it didnt look good. As soon as I exited my cruiser, people started pointing to the building and yelling that there were still people inside," he told MyFoxBoston. Lopez, a 12-year veteran of the Boston Police Department, jumped into action. "I immediately entered the building and started knocking on doors, kicking doors in, and ordering people to evacuate the building," said Lopez. A 5-year old Middletown, OH, boy, who police say was beaten to death by his mother and two of her friends, will have a proper funeral, thanks to the Middletown Police Department. Police said Alexander Stephens and his 6-year-old brother were beaten for hours by their mother and her two friends as punishment. The police department, along with other community members, have decided to fund Alexander's funeral. "A lot of people in their heroic efforts have been touched by his life and touched by this tragedy," Middletown Police Chaplain Lamar Ferrell told WXIX TV. Facebook Twitter Pinterest Email Print Democratic presidential candidate, Sen. Bernie Sanders is using his victory in Indiana to argue that the Democratic primary is not over. In a statement, Sen. Sanders said: I want to thank the people of Indiana for the great upset victory that they gave us tonight. This is the 18th state that we have won, and we expect more victories in the weeks to come. The Clinton campaign thinks this campaign is over. Theyre wrong. Maybe its over for the insiders and the party establishment, but the voters in Indiana had a different idea. The campaign wasnt over for them. It isnt over for the voters in West Virginia. It isnt over for Democrats in Oregon, New Jersey and Kentucky. It isnt over for voters in California and all the other states with contests still to come. We understand that we have an uphill climb to victory but we have been fighting uphill from the first day of this campaign. We are in this campaign to win and were going to fight until the last vote is cast. There is nothing I would like more than to take on and defeat Donald Trump, someone who must never become president of this country. The voters in the remaining contests deserve a chance to compare my record and Hillary Clintons record on creating jobs, raising the minimum wage, war and peace, the need for health care for all, breaking up big banks, combating climate change and other critical issues. To help voters make the best-informed choice possible, I hope that Secretary Clinton will agree to a date and place for a debate in California. In a way, Sen. Sanders is correct. There are still Democrats who have not voted, so the primary is not technically over. However, the odds of victory for Sen. Sanders continue to decrease with each passing contest. The problem for Sanders remains that he has not been able to win in the delegate-rich states, or win by a large enough margin to cut into former Sec. of State Clintons delegate lead. During to the Democratic Partys proportional delegate allotment system, it is only a matter of time until Clinton has enough delegates to be the nominee. The Indiana win was nice, but a 5-6 point victory is not enough. The Sanders campaign dug too deep of a hole for themselves. Bernie Sanders should continue on because his supporters who are funding his campaign deserve to see it through. Heck, Sanders can even contest Clintons nomination and force a roll call vote at the convention, but as long as she has 2,383 delegates or more, it doesnt matter. According to the AP Delegate Tracker, Hillary Clinton is only 182 delegates short of clinching the nomination. Bernie Sanders is right. The primary is not over for those who havent voted, but the long-term projection has gotten worse for Sen. Sanders even after a Hoosier State win. Facebook Twitter Pinterest Email Print Ted Cruzs exit from the Republican race was the official white flag surrender of the Republican Party to Donald Trump. The Republican Party belongs to Donald Trump now. The effort to make Ted Cruz the candidate who stops Trump has ended in the same way as the efforts to make Jeb Bush and Marco Rubio the partys Trump killers did. Ted Cruz never stood a snowballs chance of stopping Donald Trump. As soon as Cruz became the establishment, Trump used the same line of attack against the Senator from Texas that he had used against Bush and Rubio. A Trump-led Republican Party is one that is almost certain to lose in November. Trump at the top of the ticket could mean complete disaster for Republicans who are running down ballot. The Republican Party knew this, yet they could not stop Donald Trump. Trump understood that the Republican Party was weak and lacked leadership. He saw an opportunity to seize the party for his own benefit, and the party proved him correct by being completely unprepared and inept in their efforts to stop him. After Trump had rolled to a big win in the Indiana primary, the party admitted defeat and gave up. The whims and moods of the unfit for office billionaire are now the winds that will guide the former Party of Lincoln. The Republican Party has been in a death spiral for years, and Donald Trump has arrived to play the Grim Reaper. The Republican Party is now Trump Party. SUBSCRIBERS OF UCOMS ALL TIME BEST OFFER TO ENJOY ADDITIONAL BENEFITS Armenia-Azerbaijan: EU sets up monitoring capacity along the international borders PACE co-rapporteurs on Armenia concerned by reports of alleged war crimes or inhuman treatment perpetrated by Azerbaijans armed forces There is still 35% gender pay gap: Sona Ghazaryan Google Ad Global Finance Names Ameriabank the Safest Bank in Armenia Mikayel and Karen Vardanyans provided 136 million AMD support for the overhaul of the Myasnikyan statue, which was in unsafe state of disrepair Believe me, as a representative of a country which uses the Schengen system very often, it is quite important. Vardanyan I really look forward to having answers from the Azerbaijani side for these alleged gross human rights violations: Secretary General I call on Armenian and Azerbaijani parliamentarians to use this Assembly as an agora of opportunities President Tiny Kox UCOMS SPECIAL OFFER OF THE UNLIMITED INTERNET IS NOW TERMLESS There is no place for the death penalty in a State that respects human rights: PACE General Rapporteur EU and CoE call on two Member States that have not yet acceded to this Protocol Armenia and Azerbaijan to do so without delay An urgent debate requested on "The military hostilities between Armenia and Azerbaijan". UCOM AND PES-PES CONTINUE COOPERATION WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK OF EDUCATIONAL PROJECT The statement of the meeting between Prime Minister Pashinyan, President Aliyev, President Macron and President Michel of October 6, 2022 Largest Corporate Bond Program at the Securities Market of Armenia Completed Successfully Google Ad The statement of the Defender on the video of the execution of Armenian PoWs by the Azerbaijani armed forces LEVEL UP ONLY FOR STUDENTS: UCOM OFFERS X2 AND X3 MORE INTERNET STATEMENT BY SECRETARY ANTONY J. BLINKEN This criminal act is another proof that the Armenophobia policy. Tatoyan Nikol Pashinyan, Nancy Pelosi discuss a number of issues related to the Armenian-American agenda and regional developments Delegation by Nancy Pelosi Accompanied by Alen Simonyan Visits Tsitsernakaberd Memorial Complex Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi Arrives in Yerevan Armenian Revytech, global technology leader SAP and financial services software specialist SAP Fioneer sign a cooperation agreement With 120 million drams donated by Mikael Vardanyan, the defenders of the homeland will be treated in a new building OSCE Chairman-in-Office and OSCE Secretary General call for immediate cessation of hostilities along Armenia-Azerbaijan border Statement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Artsakh USA Embassy Message for U.S. Citizens ANCA Issues National Call to Action to Stop Taxpayer Funding of Aliyevs Aggression Facebook Twitter Pinterest Email Print * The following is an opinion column by R Muse * Throughout the outrage, protests, and economic boycotts of North Carolinas bigoted H.B.2 law there has been a predictable silence from congressional Republicans; it is an election year after all. However, based on the theocratic sensibilities of congressional Republicans and their past record of using the religious rights creepy Christianity to punish and discriminate against various groups of Americans, they likely lusted to pass a federal version of HB2; although it would never be signed into law by President Obama. The President will, though, sign legislation funding the military to maintain national defense readiness. Since House Republicans are working on the critical National Defense Authorization Act to fund the military, a bill the President is certain to sign into law; they tucked an amendment in that repeals all of the Presidents previous executive protections for the LGBT community. There have been some Republicans in Congress who had no issue saying they really liked what happened in North Carolina and pondered how they could enact the same anti-LGBT discrimination at the federal level. Last week, Republicans found a way to copy North Carolina bigots by adding an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act the purposely rolls back all of the LGBT protections introduced by the Obama administration in 2014 in a way that fairly mirrors North Carolinas HB2. The Republican copying North Carolinas religious Republican bigots, Representative Steve Russell (R-OK), was thrilled to introduce his federal version of North Carolinas HB2 during a very late Thursday night as a stealth amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act in the House Armed Services Committee. No doubt even a theocrat like Russell has seen the outrage and push-back against North Carolina religious bigots and thought if he surreptitiously inserted the hateful provision in a bill crucial to national defense, no-one would notice or care. Preacher Russells stealth amendment passed 33-29 on a party-line vote in the House Armed Services Committee after midnight to advance the full defense bill to the House floor with a religious element tucked away from prying eyes. The defense spending bill will certainly pass the House, even with a religious license to discriminate amendment; the lazy, overpaid Republicans in the Senate have not even begun to consider its version of the defense bill but it is certain the amendment will be welcomed with open arms by religious Republicans in the upper chamber. Even though the text of Russells religious legislation, and it is purely religious legislation, does not specifically mention or cite sexual orientation or gender identity, like the various state-level anti-LGBT theocratic laws that absence that actually defines what he hopes to accomplish with it; legalize discrimination against the LGBT community at the federal level. Naturally, the cowardly religious Republican used the critically important defense spending bill to sneak an unconstitutional religious attack on Americans in a crucial defense bill targeting a specific segment of society. Republicans have never supported the Constitutions protections against discrimination, and because there is nothing in the founding document specifically prohibiting discrimination based on a hateful religion, they have attacked the LGBT community ruthlessly. Most Americans likely believe that the Fourteenth Amendment provides all the equal rights protections Americans could ever require, but this a matter of imposing the evangelical religion that like its rule book the bible is rife with god-ordered discrimination and bigotry. Since Republicans adhere to the Bible as the law of the land, in 2013 they proposed a license to discriminate to be enacted within the confines of the military. That measure was eventually transformed into a watered-down conscience clause to allow religious military personnel to soothe their consciences by abusing gays. Also in 2013, Republicans attempted to place a religious ban on same-sex weddings on military bases. That bill co-sponsored by 16 religious Republicans banned any military chaplain from officiating at any same-sex wedding because the bible tells them so. Because there is no federal law explicitly offering any protections in employment, housing, or public accommodations to the LGBT community, in 2014 President Obama stepped up and protected roughly 28 million employees at over 30,000 companies. The President issued an executive order stating that any entity that contracts with the United States federal government must have a policy in place to protect its LGBT employees. Obviously the executive order did not protect every American worker, but protecting 28 million people is better than none at all. The Presidents order also incentivized some companies and corporations to establish inclusive policies that previously did not exist if they wanted to do work for the federal government. The Republicans sneaky amendment was designed specifically to override President Obamas executive order; something the Oklahoma theocrat Russell confirmed in the discussion that followed his version of HB2s introduction. It specifically stipulates that when the Federal Government establishes any kind of contract or financial relationship with any religious-identified entity, it must provide protections and exemptions consistent with various acts that allow religious entities to thumb their noses at the U.S. Constitution and any state or federal anti-discrimination laws. In short order a growing coalition of LGBT, secular, legal, and religious organizations has come out in opposition to Russells anti-LGBT amendment. The various groups wrote that This amendment would authorize taxpayer-funded discrimination in each and every federal contract and grant. The government should never fund discrimination and no taxpayer should be disqualified from a job under a federal contract or grant because he or she is the wrong religion. That sentiment would be all well and good if America was not a theocracy, or if the theocratic party controlling Congress and a majority of state legislatures had any respect for the U.S. Constitution or every Americans civil rights, but none of that is the case. Americans, like the United States Constitution, are increasingly being assaulted by religious Republicans and there is little, if any, outrage or pushback. For dogs sake, there are no politicians even citing the unconstitutionality of Congress or state legislatures establishing religion as the source of these horrific theocratic laws. Republicans are only escalating their religious crusade against the LGBT community, womens reproductive rights, public schools and the U.S. Constitution because Americans are too cowardly to stand up against theocracy. Facebook Twitter Pinterest Email Print After getting crushed by Donald Trump in Indiana, Ted Cruz gave up and dropped out of the presidential race. From Carly Fiorinas introduction where she spoke in past tense about how they came together to save their party, it was possible that Cruz was quitting the presidential race. Cruz came out to address the crowd and discussed how he has fought to protect rights. Sen. Cruz said America is hopeful and optimistic, not boastful and mean spirited. Sen. Cruz talked about his parents biography. Cruz did the usual Republican name drop of Reagan on his way out the door. Sen. Cruz attacked the Obama-Clinton foreign policy, and sounded a lot like he was resuming his campaign to be Donald Trumps VP, but that ship sailed after Trump nicknamed Cruz LyinTed. If this speech was supposed to be Ted Cruzs shining moment on the national stage, it flopped badly. Sen. Cruz accused America of being on a path to creeping socialism that incentivizes dependency. Ted Cruz revived his Obamacare lies and argued that fighting progress is the fight of his generation. Cruz framed his well-funded campaign as an underdog effort that has inspired a movement. Sen. Cruz thanked his supporters and called them incredible patriots who fought to save the nation. Since Cruz is dropping out, does that mean that they failed, and America is doomed? Cruz said, Tonight, Im sorry to say it appears that that path has been foreclosed. Cruz said the voters chose another path and said that he is suspending his campaign. With that, the Republican Party surrendered, and Donald Trump became the presumptive Republican nominee. Facebook Twitter Pinterest Email Print Donald Trumps first speech as the presumptive Republican nominee was everything that the GOP has always been fearing. Trump was stuck on his same talking points, and when he tried to go after Hillary Clinton, he was a pathetic failure. Video: https://youtu.be/Jz1QWb_HmYk?t=1h51m36s Trump said, Were going after Hillary Clinton. She will not be a great president. She will not be a good president. She will be a poor president. She doesnt understand trade. Her husband signed perhaps in the history of the world the single worst trade deal ever done. Its called NAFTA, and I was witness to the carnage over the last six weeks especially. Donald Trump is going to go after Hillary Clinton by telling America that she will be a bad president while blaming her in the most sexist way possible for her husbands NAFTA trade deal. It is almost like Donald Trump is intentionally trying to lose the election. Trumps speech revealed just how far in over his head, he is. It is one thing to beat a bunch of Republican also-rans who were too afraid of losing votes with the GOP base to call out Trumps absurd ideas, but Hillary Clinton and the Democratic Party are going to take Trump apart in ways that he cant even imagine. Instead of looking presidential and reassuring Republicans that he is in any way up to the job, Trump confirmed all of their worst fears. He seems to be winging it, and he is planning on doing what worked for him during the Republican primary. Donald Trump doesnt understand that he is about to move to a bigger political stage and he will be held to a higher standard. Trumps speech was the kind of bomb that revealed that he isnt presidential material. Trump shouldnt be taken lightly, but he is not ready for what is about to hit him. Donald Trump can go after Hillary Clinton, but the Democratic Party is getting ready to dismantle Donald Trump. Facebook Twitter Pinterest Email Print When Hillary Clinton went on national TV and called Donald Trump a clueless insult machine, she was clearly seeing something Fox News Sean Hannity does not. On his show Tuesday, Hannity didnt even notice that just the other day, Trump called Hispanic voters in California thugs and criminals. This is on top of already having called them rapists early in his campaign. Willful ignorance is a wonderful thing, and has become an art-form over at Fox News, where they regularly see things that dont exist but wont see things that do. Watch what Hannity was pushing courtesy of Media Matters for America: SEAN HANNITY (HOST): When the choice is Trump and Hillary, who are they going to go with? KYLE KONDIK: Well, they might just stay home. HANNITY: They going to go for four more years of Obama? KONDIK: They might just stay home, you know I think that one other problem for Trump is that the electorate is going to be probably for the first time more than 30 percent non-white in this election. The demographics are kind of moving a little bit against the Republicans, and Trump has been lets be honest, fairly hostile to non-white voters in this election. I think he needs to HANNITY: I dont think hes been hostile to when has he been hostile to non-white voters? Wheres that? KONDIK: Well, the non-white voters do perceive him to be hostile to them, and hes got a lot of work to do in that department. HANNITY: Well, but you cant cite an example. Well, you CAN cite an example. You can cite lots of examples in fact. Democrats can take pleasure in knowing that what you dont know or in this case, what you refuse to know can hurt you, and Hispanic voter registration is skyrocketing thanks to Trump. And as People For the American Way (PFAW) Director of Latinos Vote! and Manager of Political Campaigns Lizet Ocampo said in a statement Tuesday, Donald Trumps unbridled xenophobia shouldve disqualified him from the presidency long ago, yet now hes the presumptive nominee of the Republican Party. His horrific comments against Latinos, immigrants, women, and so many others started on Day One of his presidential campaign and they havent let up. No candidate can go after our community and win our vote. Latino voters have the power to decide who wins elections this year from a local level to the next president, and we will vote against the hate of Donald Trump and the Republican Party. Hispanic voters arent alone, of course. There is the obvious example of black voters, regularly roughed up and ejected from Trump rallies. Millennials are also flocking to the Democratic Party in reaction to Donald Trumps hateful demagoguery, and 7 out of 10 women have an unfavorable opinion of Trump. After calling for a ban on Muslim immigration, profiling Muslims, and embracing a McCarthyist plan to destroy them, you can bet Trump isnt going to get the Muslim vote either. Not that there are a lot of them, but they are yet another example of a group that has been the subject of Trumps hostility. In fact, seventy-eight percent of Americans, including most Republicans, see the Republican race as discourteous, according to a recent poll by the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. In large part, this is a reaction to Trumps divisive rhetoric. Sean Hannity can lie to himself. He can even lie to his viewers. Thats why they watch him, in fact, or anything on Fox News: dishonest reassurances. And this isnt even the first Fox pundit to wipe away Trumps racism. OReilly has already been there with his eraser. Facts are facts: support for Trump is support for white nationalism. White supremacists are latching on to Trump precisely because, contrary to Hannity, he is hostile to non-white voters. And facts do matter: Donald Trump has insulted just about every category of American voter save white males. The cumulative total of all the examples Hannity refuses to see are going to hurt him in November. Its going to hurt him bad. In the end, Trump has as much chance with non-white voters as he does fulfilling his promise to bring Joe Paterno back from the grave. Facebook Twitter Pinterest Email Print A new poll revealed that it might be impossible for Donald Trump to unify the Republican Party as 13% of Ted Cruzs supporters say they will vote for Hillary Clinton over Donald Trump. According to the latest Morning Consult poll, Sixty-two percent of Cruz supporters say they would support Trump against Clinton, while 13 percent say they would back Clinton. Twenty-five percent of Cruz supporters said they dont know or had no opinion on whom theyd support in a Clinton and Trump matchup. Sen. Cruzs supporters cant stand Trump. Donald Trump has a 29% approval rating with Cruz supporters and a 69% unfavorable rating. Most of Cruzs supporters will vote for Trump, but there is going to be a sizable defection of Cruz backers to Hillary Clinton. Trump has shown no willingness to unite the Republican Party. During a speech at the California Republican Convention, Trump said, Its coming to an end, and I think it is coming to an end soon, and I speak to the people in this room because there has to be unity in our party. There has to be unity. And if there not, if theres not unity. I mean really good solidarity, unity, relationship, friendship. We have people like Jim where they do such a good job all over the country. We have some great people, but there should be, and there has to be unity. With that being said, would I win? Can I win without it? I think so. Donald Trump expects Republicans to automatically unify around him, but if we have learned anything about the Republican Party over the past eight years, its that the GOP is incapable of unifying around anything. The Republican Party isnt going to unify Trump. One would suspect that Cruz supporters would have zero interest in voting for Hillary Clinton, so the news that a sizable number of Cruz supporters say that they will support her in the fall is devastating to the Republican Party. If Clinton can pull 13% of Cruzs supporters in November, Democrats could find themselves with a bigger victory than anyone is currently imagining is possible. SUBSCRIBERS OF UCOMS ALL TIME BEST OFFER TO ENJOY ADDITIONAL BENEFITS Armenia-Azerbaijan: EU sets up monitoring capacity along the international borders PACE co-rapporteurs on Armenia concerned by reports of alleged war crimes or inhuman treatment perpetrated by Azerbaijans armed forces There is still 35% gender pay gap: Sona Ghazaryan Global Finance Names Ameriabank the Safest Bank in Armenia Mikayel and Karen Vardanyans provided 136 million AMD support for the overhaul of the Myasnikyan statue, which was in unsafe state of disrepair Believe me, as a representative of a country which uses the Schengen system very often, it is quite important. Vardanyan I really look forward to having answers from the Azerbaijani side for these alleged gross human rights violations: Secretary General I call on Armenian and Azerbaijani parliamentarians to use this Assembly as an agora of opportunities President Tiny Kox UCOMS SPECIAL OFFER OF THE UNLIMITED INTERNET IS NOW TERMLESS There is no place for the death penalty in a State that respects human rights: PACE General Rapporteur EU and CoE call on two Member States that have not yet acceded to this Protocol Armenia and Azerbaijan to do so without delay An urgent debate requested on "The military hostilities between Armenia and Azerbaijan". UCOM AND PES-PES CONTINUE COOPERATION WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK OF EDUCATIONAL PROJECT The statement of the meeting between Prime Minister Pashinyan, President Aliyev, President Macron and President Michel of October 6, 2022 Largest Corporate Bond Program at the Securities Market of Armenia Completed Successfully Google Ad The statement of the Defender on the video of the execution of Armenian PoWs by the Azerbaijani armed forces LEVEL UP ONLY FOR STUDENTS: UCOM OFFERS X2 AND X3 MORE INTERNET STATEMENT BY SECRETARY ANTONY J. BLINKEN This criminal act is another proof that the Armenophobia policy. Tatoyan Nikol Pashinyan, Nancy Pelosi discuss a number of issues related to the Armenian-American agenda and regional developments Delegation by Nancy Pelosi Accompanied by Alen Simonyan Visits Tsitsernakaberd Memorial Complex Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi Arrives in Yerevan Armenian Revytech, global technology leader SAP and financial services software specialist SAP Fioneer sign a cooperation agreement With 120 million drams donated by Mikael Vardanyan, the defenders of the homeland will be treated in a new building OSCE Chairman-in-Office and OSCE Secretary General call for immediate cessation of hostilities along Armenia-Azerbaijan border Statement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Artsakh USA Embassy Message for U.S. Citizens ANCA Issues National Call to Action to Stop Taxpayer Funding of Aliyevs Aggression Portfolio English Edition's premium content is available only for subscribers Learn about the hottest news of the day, along with immediate follow-up analyses and 1000's of exclusive articles with full access to the premium content. Register and apply for a 14 days free trial period. Anahit Bakhshyan to Health Minister: Wounded soldiers need to be sent abroad for treatment Anahit Bakhshyan, a member of the Barev Yerevan faction in Yerevan's Municipal Council, has addressed a letter to the Minister of Health, expressing her concerns about the health of two soldiers wounded in the frontline skirmishes in April. On May 2, you announced that at this stage we do not have wounded soldiers who need to be sent abroad for treatment, while on April 21 you said if necessary, the wounded soldiers would be sent abroad [for treatment]. When making these announcements did you know that two of the wounded soldiers, Ruben Arakelyan and Arman Lazgiyan, need serious treatment? These 19-year-old boys received gunshot wounds to their spine and are being treated at the Erebuni medical centre. However, Mr Asatryan, Director of the Erebuni medical centre, said the rehabilitation institute is not well developed in Armenia yet. This means they must be sent abroad. Their parents are now consulting with physicians from different countries, who believe that their condition can change somehow if they are promptly taken to their hospitals. Your words did not console their parents who are going to turn to you in the near future with the request to send their sons abroad, Anahit Bakhshyan said in her address. Ability Building Centerrecently underwent a transition in leadership when Steve Hillretired and Bruce Remmestepped forward to become the new executive director. Greg Kauffman,president of ABC's board of directors, thanked Hill for his 36 years of service at Friday's community reception. Hill was hired in 1980 and had served as the organization's executive director since 2001. His last day of work was April 29. ABC is an organization that serves Southeast Minnesota by providing rehabilitation opportunities and employment services to those with disabilities and other special needs. "ABC is a great organization, with a great mission," Hill said. "It has been a wonderful experience to see and be a part of the many positive changes that have occurred in the lives of persons with disabilities over the past three decades. Hopefully retirement will afford me more time to devote to my family and maybe even a little more time for fly fishing." Remme joined ABC in March after a 35-year career at IBM in Rochester. He'd served in a volunteer capacity since 1995 as board treasurer, vice president and president. ADVERTISEMENT The St. Cloud State University alum earned his master's degree from the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse. He also serves on the board of directors at Think Mutual Bank. "It is an honor to be chosen to lead this organization," Remme said. "I am committed to build off the legacy and success of the past 60 years, have some fun celebrating ABC's 60th anniversary in 2016, and position ABC for continued success." Brett Boese Political Analyst: Recognition of Artsakh will be shifted to another level (video) We cannot know how long the intense gunfire by the Azerbaijan side will continue in the conflict zone. With this intense firing Azerbaijan will not achieve any success. With its actions Azerbaijan proves the Armenian side yet another time that there is no possibility to return Azerbaijan to the negotiating table, political analyst Alaxender Markarov said on May 4 speaking about the April skirmishes in the Karabakh conflict zone. The political analyst says Armenia has toughened its stance towards the international community. Yet, instead of looking for those guilty of the deadly clashes we had better find constructive scenarios. On the other hand, Azerbaijan might annoy the Minsk group co-chairs so much that the international mediators might use all official and non-official levers to make Azerbaijan understand that in the current situation they cannot guarantee that Armenia will not resort to extreme measures and recognize Karabakh. It is clear that the recognition of Karabakh will shift the settlement of the conflict to a new level, he said. Asked whether we should expect new escalation of the conflict by Azerbaijan ahead of the May holidays, Mr Markarov said, It has been reported officially that Azerbaijan is moving more troops on the border areas and the goal is clear. On the night of May 9, they will start fighting psychologically but it is difficult to predict their actions as it is also a matter of calculations. I do not think that Azerbaijan is ready to start military actions and then sustain another defeat; that is not included in their plans. They need to be fully confident of their success but no one can guarantee it. Speaking about the meeting of Karabakh President Bako Sahakyan and Armenias first President Levon Ter-Petrosyan, the political analyst said, This chain of meetings has its logic - to get acquainted with the situation on the border, share and exchange experience, etc. We must understand that the first President heads a political party that is represented in the Armenian parliament. Besides, he [Levon Ter-Petrosyan] is interested in the countrys political life." Chances are you've never heard of "beeple," but Rochester has a lot of them. That's according to Chris Schad, an active beekeeper, who explains that "beeple" are "bee people." "We have an active group who are committed to helping others get started," he said. Schad, a master naturalist, has been keeping bees since 2009, and is very excited that his goal of bringing the University of Minnesota's Bee Squad to Rochester is becoming a reality. This year, the Bee Squad, which has been centered in the Twin Cities metro area, will be expanding into Rochester. "Having the Bee Squad in Rochester is one more arrow in our quiver for educating and mentoring 'newbees,'" said Schad, referring to novice beekeepers. According to Dr. Becky Masterman, who leads the Bee Squad and holds a Ph.D. in entomology, the UMN Bee Squad began in 2011, and serves both the general public and beekeepers. The squad's goal is "to support healthy bee populations through education and mentorship." ADVERTISEMENT Dr. Marla Spivak, a MacArthur Fellow and Distinguished McKnight Professor in Entomology at the "U," founded the Bee Squad in response to the high levels of honey bee colony losses that began about 10 years ago. Those losses are still not fully understood or explained. though pesticide use and habitat loss have been identified as two likely primary culprits. "I think of bees and pollinators as our canary in the coalmine, and right now the canary isn't doing so well," Schad said. "An ocean of row-crops surrounds us, but we can make Rochester a pollinator sanctuary if we each convert just 25 percent of our yard to pollinator-friendly flowers." The good news is the Bee Squad's expansion to Rochester will provide valuable educational opportunities to support the area's pollinators. The Bee Squad includes 20 employees, has presented talks or hosted tables once every 4.5 days for the past two years, and manages about 200 bee colonies. The squad is connected to the UMN Bee Lab and is linked closely to bee research. For instance, it helps promote participation in "citizen science projects" like a MiteCheck program which "enables participants to see seasonal and geographic trends in mite populations across the country." Since mites like the parasitic Varroa are a significant problem for bee colonies, this information is invaluable. In late April, the squad will install bees in a mentoring apiary a place where beehives are kept at Root River Park to the southeast of Rochester. Schad describes the apiary as a site for "hands-on mentoring." The apiary will be the location for eight mentoring classes this summer. The first class will be held on May 9. Another exciting opportunity the Bee Squad will bring to Rochester is its Hive to Bottle program. In this program, customers own the bees, but the Bee Squad manages and maintains the hives while giving the customer any excess honey. "Most agree that bee pollination is responsible for approximately one of every three bites of food we eat," said Dr. Masterman. "If we can keep bees healthy, we will be able to ensure our access to diverse nutritional foods." ADVERTISEMENT A Rochester man convicted for his role in a 2013 drive-by shooting was arrested Tuesday night after running from police and hiding in a garage. An officer on patrol spotted Matthew Rasheed Miller, 19, walking in the 10 block of 11th Avenue Northeast about 7:20 p.m. The officer knew there was an active felony warrant for Miller, who had failed to appear for sentencing in the shooting case, the report says. Miller ran as the officer approached him, said Capt. John Sherwin; law enforcement set up a perimeter in the area and continued to search, bringing in a police dog for assistance. The dog tracked him to a garage in the 1400 block of Second Street Southeast; when officers moved in to arrest Miller, he began combative and non-compliant, Sherwin said, attempting to resist arrest. The police dog handler released the dog, which subdued Miller with bites on the arm and leg, allowing officers to make the arrest. ADVERTISEMENT One of the officers was injured in the incident when a nail from debris in the garage went into his palm, Sherwin said. Suspects taken into custody with a dog bite are typically taken to a local hospital for treatment, then released to custody. Miller faces new charges of obstructing the legal process and fleeing on foot, in addition to the existing charge of failing to appear. He's expected to appear in court today. A 19-year-old Rochester man is in custody after his arrest Tuesday afternoon on domestic assault charges. The suspect allegedly assaulted an 18-year-old woman Monday, said Capt. John Sherwin, but left before police arrived. Members of the Rochester Police Street Crimes Unit spotted him about 2:30 p.m. Tuesday in the 1600 block of Greenview Drive Southwest. According to the report, officers found 20 tablets of Xanax and 18.2 grams of marijuana in his car. Though a small amount of marijuana, it was packaged for sale, Sherwin said. The man now faces drug charges in addition to the assault charge. The Post-Bulletin typically doesn't identify suspects until they've been charged. MASON CITY, IOWA After nearly six hours of debate, it only took attendees several seconds in near silence before realizing that the city's vote on a proposed hog processing plant came out as a tie, which meant one thing: Prestage Foods of Iowa will not be building a pork processing plant in town for now. A large portion of the audience many donning red ribbons in solidarity against the project erupted in cheers and applause. Some hugged each other, some sat in silence. Others walked out of the chambers and into the darkness of the early morning. The vote wrapped up around 1:20 a.m. today, more than six hours after the meeting started. "I'm very surprised," said a smiling Liz Taylor, a Mason City resident who opposed the project, after the meeting. "Thank God, it's almost surreal. ...this is fabulous. People listened to reason. We don't have to move." The Mason City Council rejected Prestage's proposal to build a $240 million pork processing plant in town. A 3-3 vote council members Travis Hickey, Janet Solberg, and Brett Schoneman voted in favor of a development agreement, while Alex Kuhn, Bill Schickel and John Lee voted against represented the motion as a loss. ADVERTISEMENT Since the project involved significant financial incentives, Mayor Eric Bookmeyer couldn't legally cast a tie-breaking vote. However, he voiced his support for the pork processing plant. "We have forgotten where our food comes from," Bookmeyer said. "We are not participating in the largest industry in Iowa." Had the 650,000-square-foot plant been approved, construction would have started on the southern edge of Mason City, according to other news outlets . The project was highly contested, with protests, rallies, and petitions opposing it. Prestage agreed to pay the Mason City School District around $1.4 million over the next decade to address potential growth. There was also an agreement to include a 2.5-mile buffer zone surrounding Mason City, Clear Lake, Iowa, and the actual lake itself where the company wouldn't build or operate any hog confinements. The Iowa Economic Development Authority Board also previously agreed to provide Prestage approximately $11.5 million in tax incentives and $3.3 million job training assistance. City officials and economic development involved stated that the plant would hire around 2,000 employees in two phases, likely attracting people to Mason City and stimulating the city's economy. During the session, the development agreement was amended to increase the minimum taxable value of the plant from $100 million to $125 million. For the city, the largest taxpayer is Golden Grain Energy, which has a $20 million value. However, different sides to the project drew some lines for many who either wanted the plant to be built and for those who protested against its development. ADVERTISEMENT Throughout the evening, there was an ever-growing line of speakers in a standing-room only crowd of more than 100 people, resulted in nearly four and a half hours of public comment. At times, Bookmeyer scolded those in the gallery to "respect the speakers" when chatter erupted. Those who favored the project stated that its economic impact would be around $750 million mostly from population growth and spending at area businesses. Some spoke in support of farmers, the need for jobs in Mason City, as well as the vision of having the town grow as a leader in the agriculture industry. "I'm extremely pleased that the processing plant is coming here," one attendee said. "We're losing jobs, and we're losing people. ...the city has a chance to correct it." Others against the project cited environmental concerns about the wastewater and odors the plant would emit, and potential side effects such as lower property values, Many argued that increasing the number of jobs shouldn't be the deciding factor in the project. "Be careful on what you do in the name of jobs," another attendee warned. "Once you do...There's no turning back." Through several hours of round-table discussion, several of the council members aimed to have any questions regarding the project answered. At times, officials questioned some of the attendees' true interest in Mason City. "If you're saying if this passes, you'll pack up and leave," Lee said. "I question whether you actually love this town." ADVERTISEMENT Ron Prestage, company president, noted that whatever the outcome, those involved in the deal would continue to "respect" the opinions and decisions that may come as a result. For Lee, he noted that Mason City had a trend of "letting big projects get away." However, he revealed his concerns about a significant financial gap in school funding with a potential increase of new students over the years. He eventually broke down in tears as he shared various conversations he had, including one with his daughter, who slipped a note under his door, stating that she knew Lee would make the right decision, and another with a student who said they would stand behind him, no matter the outcome. "It really upsets me when people say I'm not listening," he said angrily through tears. "So don't you ever tell me I'm not listening. That really p----- me off." Chris Peterson, an independent hog farmer and former president of the Iowa Farmers Union, believes that there is more to life than pigs and that the town will continue to move forward. "The last few weeks have been the threshold event for this area. ...It's a new day for northern Iowa." MINNEAPOLIS A published report says Prince had arranged to meet a California doctor to try to kick an addiction to painkillers shortly before his death. Attorney William Mauzy said that Prince representatives called Dr. Howard Kornfeld on April 20, the day before Prince died. Mauzy says he is representing the Kornfeld family. Mauzy says Kornfeld couldn't immediately meet Prince, so he sent his son Andrew to discuss treatment. Mauzy says it was Andrew Kornfeld who called 911 when Prince's unresponsive body was found in an elevator at Paisley Park, Prince's suburban Minneapolis compound. Mauzy and Howard Kornfeld haven't responded to messages from The Associated Press on Wednesday morning. A law enforcement official briefed on the investigation has told AP that investigators are looking into whether Prince died from an overdose. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he wasn't authorized to talk about the investigation. ADVERTISEMENT Meanwhile, a former assistant to Prince until last year has spent the days since his death trying to figure out how her boss, whom she described as very healthy, could have died so suddenly, adding that she never saw him ingest any drugs during her employ. Mariah Brown, 25, said Prince didn't even drink, and she never saw him take any pills, nor did she get any on his behalf. "He was a very, very healthy person. ... That man has more energy than me, and anyone I know," she told The Associated Press in an interview Tuesday. She added: "The whole death didn't make sense to me. ... He never came across as sick, or anything like that. " Prince was found dead April 21 at his compound in Chanhassen. Toxicology reports will not be available for weeks, but a law enforcement official has told the AP that investigators are looking into whether Prince died from an overdose and whether a doctor was prescribing him drugs in the weeks beforehand. The official has been briefed on the investigation and spoke on condition of anonymity because he wasn't authorized to speak to the media. Prince had rescheduled concerts in the days before his death, citing illness. Brown started working for Prince when she was referred by one of his friends who also worked with him. At the time, Brown was a 23-year-old model. . As his assistant, she brought him his food, bought his clothes and did other tasks non-celebrities do for themselves on a daily basis. She also toured with him in addition to managing his personal details. "My experience with him was phenomenal; he's like no other," said Brown. "It was like magical." ADVERTISEMENT Brown said she spent most of her days at Paisley Park: She might start at 1 p.m. and leave in the wee morning hours. He typically was working on his music but would sometimes spend hours talking to Brown and others, about anything. She remembers him telling them "'there's no endings. You can do whatever you want, as long as you put your all into it.' ... The words 'can't' and 'no' never existed in his life." Prince was the only person who lived at Paisley Park, but she and his band members spent so many hours there, he wasn't alone for most of the day. One moment he could be playing ping pong with his crew in fierce battle mode and the next he'd be at his sound stage. And when the band or Brown would leave, he knew he could call them back and they'd be there. "We would all stay about a mile up the road," she said. "It was one of those things where if he did call and needed something, we would go get it for him." Brown said the two parted ways on a mutual note. She sent him a couple of emails just asking how he was after she left and he responded. Why, she wonders, was he left alone if seriously ill? "It hurts my heart because I don't know the story," she said. ST. CHARLES Voters in the St. Charles School District rejected the $18.23 million bond referendum Tuesday night. The referendum asked voters to fund renovations to high school and middle school science rooms, improve security at building entrances, add four kindergarten rooms to free up space for early childhood education at the district's elementary school, and pay for an expansion to recreational space at the high school that could be used both by district students and the community. St. Charles Superintendent Mark Roubinek said the unofficial tally was 858 no votes and 506 yes votes. Election judges were recounting the ballots to ensure a proper count late Tuesday. "Obviously, with this not passing, there are some things we can look at from a budget perspective," Roubinek said. "Some you can handle. Some you can't. We have got to go back and look at each thing again." Roubinek said the district would focus on its indoor air quality and maintenance upgrades that were part of the levy passed last fall. That work, considered Phase I of two phases, will begin this month and should be completed before the beginning of the next school year. ADVERTISEMENT Phase II, Roubinek has said, was the referendum. With the referendum failing, the St. Charles School Board will need to re-evaluate each item that was on the referendum list and prioritize them. "What are the highest needs?" he rhetorically asked. "Entry areas, space for early childhood education. We've got science rooms that need attention. The rec space problem isn't going to go away." While each item was important enough to make the referendum, he said, the trick will be to see if any can be completed through regular levy funding. And whatever cannot be paid for eventually through the levy may find itself on another bond referendum in the future. "All the things that were on the referendum were things that could use some attention," he said. "They were there to better position ourselves for the future." Roubinek said none of the items on the failed referendum present a crisis for the district, but each will need to be dealt with before it reaches crisis level. And that could mean another referendum in the future. "It's very difficult in outstate Minnesota to fund things because our tax base is so different than in the metro area," he said. Armenian FM: Azerbaijan committed not DAESH-style, but Baku-style brutalities (video) Remarks of Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian during the joint press conference of the Eastern Partnership and Visegrad Four FMs in Prague Question: I am representing Orer Czech-Armenian magazine, based in Prague. And my question goes to the Foreign Ministers of V4 countries. Actually it is a very tense situation in the Caucasus now, I wont be politically correct, my question would be rather direct. As the Azerbaijani soldiers demonstratively beheaded the soldier of Nagorno-Karabakh Defense Army during the four-day war a month ago, then he posed with the head in front of video and photo cameras. Only a couple of days ago the Azerbaijani president awarded the highest honour to this war criminal, as he had once decorated the Azeri axe-murderer, extradited from Hungary, you know, to Baku. I would like to know, why don't you give a political evaluation to this DAESH-ISIS-style behaviour of both the soldier, and the president, and the country itself? Thank you very much. Edward Nalbandian (after remarks of Azerbaijani FM Elmar Mammadyarov): A very long lecture, but no answer to a very direct and very clear question. Because I agree that enough is enough, to proclaim murderers as national heroes of Azerbaijan. It was done with Ramil Safarov and now, you know all the brutalities during a very large scale, very well planned and prepared aggressive military operations against Nagorno-Karabakh and during those operations, DAESH-style brutalities, maybe not DAESH-style, but Baku-style, because before it was the case of Ramil Safarov. Three captured Armenian soldiers were beheaded, and their heads were demonstrated in the villages and cities of Azerbaijan. And one of the murderers was proclaimed just two days ago by the Azerbaijani President as a national hero. I will not go to the deep of the history of this conflict, but it is well-known that the conflict was created by the aggression of Azerbaijan against Nagorno-Karabakh with the use of mercenaries, closely linked to notorious terrorist organizations. The Azerbaijani Foreign Minister recalled the four resolutions of the United Nations Security Council. Why four? Because after the adoption of each resolution, Azerbaijan rejected to respect them. And four resolutions were adopted with one goal - to stop hostilities. Azerbaijan did not respect it. Till now, after the ceasefire agreement was reached in 1994 on trilateral basis, signed by Azerbaijan, Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia, and they have no time limitations, the three Co-Chair countries, by the way, these are very well known facts for everybody, permanent members of the Security Council, never made any reference to those resolutions of the SC. Because the SC resolutions were adopted, as I said, to have a cease-fire. And the cease-fire was adopted later on, in 1994, May, by the abovementioned trilateral agreement, then confirmed in July 1994, and then in February 1995. By the way, during this operation, the last operation, the Azerbaijani diplomats were trying to present the situation as if those agreements are not in force. A Note Verbale was sent to Vienna, to the Secretariat of the OSCE saying those agreements are not in force. My colleague told the three Co-Chairs that the Ambassador of Azerbaijan had no instruction to do that, it was unilateral, a personal initiative. And the three Co-Chairs, because Note Verbale was not withdrawn, were obliged to send their own Verbal Note saying, no, the three agreements of 1994, 1995 have no time limitations, and they have to be respected and fully implemented, and the oral arrangement reached on April 5th, 2016, in Moscow pursued the goal of stopping hostilities, to restore the ceasefire agreements of 1994, 1995. Later on, another Azerbaijani diplomat distributed another Note Verbale in New York, in the UN. Again my colleague told the three Co-Chairs that it was without his instructions, the diplomat had just initiated it on a personal basis and distributed this letter. But because this Note Verbale was not withdrawn, so the three Co-Chair countries, just to remind they are the three permanent members of the UN security Council - Russia, United States and France - they were obliged to distribute last Saturday a letter saying that the trilateral ceasefire agreements reached in 1994, 1995 have to be fully respected. What do we have today? Very negative consequences of this aggression against Nagorno-Karabakh, the aggression at the beginning of April. And we have to continue our efforts together with the three Co-Chairs to restore a negotiating environment and to assure, guarantee no repetition of such kind of things, which happened in the beginning of April, and first of all to implement the proposal of the Co-Chairs to create the mechanism of investigation of the violation of the ceasefire, rejected by Azerbaijan, accepted by Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh. And another proposal - to increase, to enhance, to make stronger the capacities of the office and the team of the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office on the ground, but not to reduce the capacities of this team, that Azerbaijan is trying to do. That is what we have, and Armenia will continue its efforts together with the three Co-Chair countries to find an exclusively peaceful, negotiated solution for this conflict. Thank you. WINONAA rollover accident in Winona Tuesday afternoon on U.S. Highway 61 sent two people to the hospital. Gordon Matthees, 86, and Sandra Matthees, 77, both from Winona, were both transported to Winona Health with non-life threatening injuries when their vehicle rolled over after being struck by another vehicle, according to the Minnesota State Patrol. Gordon Matthees was driving southbound on 61 when his vehicle was struck by a car driven by David Sainich, 76, of Winona, heading eastbound from Bundy Boulevard. Matthees lost control of his vehicle, which rolled into a ditch, according to the State Patrol. The accident happened shortly before 1 p.m. Sainich suffered no apparent injuries, the State Patrol reported. MADISON, Wis. A Winona man was charged Friday in federal court in Madison in connection with sexually assaulting an 11-year-old girl in Buffalo County and video-recording it. Jacob D. Vogel appeared before a federal magistrate Friday, who detained him without bond pending a Tuesday release hearing. If convicted, Vogel faces statutory penalties of 15 to 30 years in prison for engaging in sexually explicit conduct with a minor for the purpose of making a visual depiction of it. According to the complaint filed Friday: The Buffalo County Sheriff's Office received information on April 7 from the guardians of an 11-year-old girl who had been sending sexually explicit photos of herself on the internet to unknown individuals. ADVERTISEMENT Investigator Lee Engfer viewed the girl's iPad, which had a video of her performing a sex act on a man on March 24. The girl told Engfer that she communicated with a man she knew by the screen handle, M.T., on an instant messenger site. She sent him explicit pictures of herself and he sent her explicit pictures of himself in return. She agreed to meet him at her house where he would pick her up and have sex. M.T. picked her up on March 24 at the end of her driveway. He drove her a short distance, at which point she said she "no longer wanted to do this," but he told her that he had driven this far and that she was going to do it, according to the charges. M.T. used the laptop to make a video recording of a sex act she performed on him. He then sexually assaulted and penetrated her and took photos of her using her laptop. When they met, she said that M.T. told her he knew she was young when she was texting him. Engfer used the girl's account to contact M.T. to arrange another meeting. An FBI agent was able to learn from M.T.'s reply that he was using an instant messaging account that belonged to a Jacob Vogel of Winona. After further investigation, the girl picked Vogel and a truck owned by Vogel out of photo lineups from photos obtained from his Facebook page. ADVERTISEMENT Calls to a federal prosecutor and Chief Deputy Colin Severson of the Buffalo County Sheriff's Office about Vogel were not returned Friday. When people look back and try to figure out when Rochester became the state's leader in renewable-energy strategy, they may very well point to the week of April 18. On April 18, the Destination Medical Center board helped move the city forward by voting to adopt a resolution of support for a sustainability plan for part of the DMC project. With the city expecting to see rapid growth over the next few decades, the board showed its interest in ensuring the long-term plan included efforts to promote energy efficiency and renewable options. While the recently adopted sustainability plan focuses on two primary development zones, it was a good first step toward ensuring that going forward, planning decisions are made with an eye toward smart, sustainable growth. The decision came days before Rochester's EarthFest Expo, which brought residents together under the theme of Mayor Ardell Brede's call for the city to be 100 percent powered by renewable energy by the year 2031. More than 500 residents turned out on April 24 to check out presentations by more than a dozen speakers and an auditorium packed with local and national vendors seeking to get a foothold in the state's hottest city for renewable energy. To make sure the city's growing reputation for green progress did not go unnoticed, Minnesota Public Radio selected Rochester to be the host of a panel discussion on climate change and its links to public health. At this sold-out April 26 event, "Morning Edition" host Cathy Wurzer and meteorologist Paul Huttner led the panel discussion at the Rochester Civic Theater. ADVERTISEMENT And finally, on April 27, it was announced Rochester has been selected as one of five Minnesota cities that will partner with counterpart cities in Germany to explore options for addressing future energy challenges. Germany currently has an ambitious goal of 80 percent of its energy coming for renewable sources by the year 2050. Rochester and the other cities will work together with their German counterparts to exchange ideas on environmentally friendly energy solutions. Alone, these events would be easy to dismiss. But happening in such close proximity during the course of 10 days, it is clear Rochester is making concerted efforts to maintain (and expand) its well-earned reputation as Minnesota's healthiest city. Anna Richey, of Rochester, is the southern Minnesota community coordinator for Conservation Minnesota. One priority of the Legislature during the first year of the biennium is to pass a two-year state budget. The second year is designated for capital investment, referred to as bonding, which funds infrastructure projects statewide. In 2015, the newly elected House majority was presented with an opportunity to build upon recent progress to strengthen our state's economic security and improve the general well-being of its citizens. Given what was the state's projected $1.9 billion surplus, the House Republicans should have been able to craft a fiscally sound state budget plan. Instead, last year's session ended with no agreement on a tax bill, only a "lights on" transportation bill maintaining the status quo and a special session to iron out differences from three vetoed bills to prevent a government shutdown. Supplemental budget bills are developed in the second year when there is additional revenue available (a surplus). It has been well-known since last year's special session that the House Republicans would not agree to increase spending within any of the specific budget areas. However, they seem to recognize the value of investing in new initiatives. Unfortunately, this creates a scenario which requires them to seek dollars within already established budgets, rather than use money from the $900 million surplus. This week additional spending bills were authorized in each of the eight budget divisions (other than transportation). ADVERTISEMENT The "supplemental" spending bills have passed off the House floor and will be rolled into one omnibus bill. The House and Senate have very different bills. Legislative leaders will appoint conference committee members to address the bill differences. Before the conference committee can take action, the House speaker must negotiate with the Senate majority leader to agree on spending and budget targets. Minnesotans have clearly and continuously stated they want the Legislature to present a comprehensive transportation bill to address our crumbling infrastructure. Farmers and small-business owners are very concerned about their property taxes and want action. Millions of dollars in bonding requests come from every corner of the state, and we need to support the movement of these projects. Bills to tackle transportation, tax relief and bonding also await the negotiation between House and Senate Leadership for spending targets. Some argue that divided government restores balance to our democracy; however, the lack of progress over the last year and a half is a mirror image of the gridlock we see in Congress. With only three weeks remaining, time is short to prove the ability to prioritize problem solving over partisanship. I invite residents to share with me your thoughts on the state budget or any other issue of interest or concern. Jeanne Poppe, a DFLer from Austin, represents District 27B in the Minnesota House of Representatives. She can be reached by phone at 651-296-4193 and email at rep.jeanne.poppe@house.mn. An article in the April 12 Post-Bulletin under the headline "Violent crime drops in city" reports crime has dropped by 3 percent year over year. The article mainly gives credit to the Rochester Police Department and its new policies. While that is very true and I appreciated the Rochester Police and Olmsted Sheriff's departments for doing an outstanding job and service to this community, the article failed to mention another important cause for reduction in crime: a steady Increase in Minnesota permit to carry a pistol applications and their approval. According to the Minnesota Association of Defensive Firearms Instructors website, the total number of permit holders statewide as of March 1 was 221,712. Olmsted County, as of 2015, had 4,962 permit holders. Now, as the Post-Bulletin has reported previously, applications have sharply increased in Olmsted County in 2015 and early 2016, so the number is more than 5,000. What does that all mean? It means citizens and police in combination are responsible for the reduction in crime. Criminals live on borrowed time, which is why they do crimes in areas with no police presence at the time or in areas where gun ownership is restricted. ADVERTISEMENT In Olmsted County, criminals not only have to fear the police, but they also have to fear the police and citizens working together to lower the crime rate further. Nick Keuten Rochester Did you see any signs today? We are surrounded with signs inflatable signs with elephants that tell us to shop here, the man dressed like the Statue of Liberty holding one telling me to turn left before it is too late. They come in all shapes and sizes. There are signs with blinking lights and bold colors; signs telling us to slow down, stop, watch out for the curves. I was fascinated after reading an article recently that showed 12 individuals holding signs that expressed with one word what they felt about the presidential debates and our future. Some of the signs read disappointed, worried, embarrassing, divided, anxious, long and dishonest. It made me bow my head and ponder long and hard. If you were asked to create a sign with one word that expressed your feelings regarding life, what would your word be? After sitting with a first-grader recently, my mind was overflowing with words to put on my "life sign." ADVERTISEMENT Aya arrived with a bounce in her step to have a cup of hot chocolate with me. It was a school holiday, and she was beaming with delight. Of course, when asked by the man behind the counter if we wanted our hot cocoa with whipped cream, we both chimed in, "Yes, that is the best part!" When Aya was 18 months old, her family received services through Catholic Charities. I remember having a picture with her sitting on my lap waving to those attending a potluck. She was wearing her favorite color pink and her ebony hair was pulled into perfect pigtails with raspberry ribbons. Today, Aya is still wearing her favorite color and, although she still resembles that sweet little toddler, she has transformed into the most engaging and articulate little girl. She simply radiates goodness and positivity. She and her brothers are all thriving. In fact, her mother is now a professional serving the poor in our community. Some might say "How ironic." I prefer to say, "It's a sign that the circle of goodness is spreading throughout our little corner of the world." If I were to describe Aya's views regarding the future with one word on a sign, it would read: hope. After chatting with her, it was evident there was genius in her ability to take what we may feel is incredibly complex and break it down and present it as something simple to understand. Maybe we should have more conversations with children like Aya and listen intently to the hope in their voices. Their belief that all is possible may encourage us to have words on our "life signs" that inspire others to believe that change happens when we embrace opportunities placed in our path each day to provide help and create hope. Catholic Charities Annual Mother's Day Appeal is May 7 and 8. Perhaps you've noticed the signs in our community expressing that your gift brings hope. When you choose to support the efforts of Catholic Charities in your communities, you bring hope to families in crisis, vulnerable adults and seniors, and children in need. ADVERTISEMENT In fact, the tagline of Catholic Charities for the last 15 years has been "Providing Help Creating Hope." Catholic Charities is the social service arm of the Catholic diocese for the 20 southernmost counties of Minnesota. Support of the 10 Catholic Charities programs brings hope to thousands of people living on the margins each year, regardless of age, faith tradition, ethnic background or ability to pay. This Mother's Day, I am remembering my mother and all those in our lives who nurture and inspire us to have hope and to act with compassion. Ironically, at times, that nurturing of a spirit of hope and inspiration often comes from a child. Compassion is life-changing; it enables us to reach targets that we think are beyond us and to solve intractable problems in the world. This Mother's Day, I am going to pay more attention to the signs that encourage me to seize the opportunities each day to provide help and create hope. Mary Alessio is director of advancement at Catholic Charities. More of Ava's story is online at www.ccwinona.org. We recently quoted Travis Grancee, director of Dodge, Fillmore and Olmsted County Community Corrections, who said: "We're moving away from the tough-on-crime period." He was referring to the implementation of drug courts, which aim to help those convicted to drug crimes to rise above the situations that landed them in trouble. That transition is also behind a proposed legislative revision to the state's drug laws. The legislation would drop most first-degree drug sale and possession sentences from about seven years to five-and-a-half years and reduce the suggested four-year prison term to probation for second-degree charges. The Senate bill seeks to trump a set of new prison sentence reductions prepared last year by Minnesota's Sentencing Guidelines Commission, which will take effect in August unless lawmakers act. When the commission made its proposal, county attorneys, law enforcement representatives and lawmakers on both sides of the political divide complained it would give major drug dealers lighter punishments while maintaining minimum requirements for low-level offenses, blocking access to drug courts and treatments programs. ADVERTISEMENT "That was about the worst thing that could be done," said Olmsted County Attorney Mark Ostrem, who is also the president of the Minnesota County Attorneys Association, which spearheaded the creation of new legislation. Ostrem said the proposal aims to provide flexibility for those who can be helped. Addicts who start dealing drugs to afford expensive, out-of-control habits may see life-changing reform with reduced sentences, but drug dealers motivated solely by profit simply feed the drug epidemic if left on the streets. The proposed legislation seems to understand the difference. It seeks to levy harsher sentences for offenders caught with guns or driven by violence while still reducing sentences for others. "We did a lot of things that really help the addicts," Ostrem said. However, lawmakers will need to act quickly. With less than three weeks left until the session's adjournment date, the legislation could slip through the cracks as other priorities, such as unresolved transportation and tax bills, take center stage. Add the political pressures of an election year, and it's likely some legislators will be shy about lowering any standards. We've seen that play out in the past when Rep. Tina Liebling was unable to get much-needed support for Minnesota Sex Offender Program reforms in 2013. The difference with the current reforms, however, is lawmakers are being told what specifically will happen if they don't act. In 2013, no specifics were on the table. Today, there are. Failing to act means high-level drug dealers will see sentences drop, but those who could benefit from drug courts and other programs will be stuck behind bars, costing taxpayers rather than being given the opportunity to become productive citizens. ADVERTISEMENT If that happens, lawmakers will need to be held responsible, even if they didn't vote for it. Democratic officeholders seem to be operating a conspiracy to stifle free speech and suppress heterodox thought. Theyre on C.P. time, alright: Communist Party time. Glenn Reynolds named names in his USA Today column Dear attorneys general, conspiring against free speech is a crime. Glenn identified U.S. Virgin Islands Attorney General Claude Walker, California Attorney General Kamala Harris, and New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman as co-conspirators. Glenn laid out the conspiracy as follows. First, Schneiderman and reportedly Harris sought to investigate Exxon in part for making donations to groups and funding research by individuals who think climate change is either a hoax, or not a problem to the extent that people like Harris and Schneiderman say it is. This investigation was denounced by the Competitive Enterprise Institutes Hans Bader as unconstitutional. After Baders critique, Walker subpoenaed the Competitive Enterprise Institute for documents including donor lists. In the subpoena, Walker effectively asks for all CEI communications on climate change and energy policy from 1997 through 2007, including private donor information. If we are forced to hand this information over, CEI comments, then these private individualsour donorswould lose the confidentiality they are entitled to under the U.S. Constitution and according to Supreme Court rulings. The purpose of this subpoena is, it seems quite clear, to punish CEI by making people less willing to donate. Glenn noted an unprecedented meeting by 20 state attorneys general aimed, environmental news site EcoWatch reports, at targeting entities that have stymied attempts to combat global warming. You dont have to be paranoid to see a conspiracy here. Today the Washington Times reports on the unredacted version of the subpoena of Exxon Mobil from Walker. CEI received the related subpoena from Walker on April 7, 2016. The Times reports: The Exxon Mobil subpoena seeks communications with a veritable whos who of conservative and free-market organizations, including the Heritage Foundation, the Cato Institute, the Committee for a Constructive Tomorrow, the Heartland Institute, the National Taxpayers Union Foundation, the Manhattan Institute, FreedomWorks and the Media Research Center. The subpoena also lists pro-business groups such as the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation, the National Black Chamber of Commerce and the U.S. Oil and Gas Association. CEI General Counsel Sam Kazman responds in a statement we have received by email: The attack on First Amendment rights by U.S. Virgin Islands Attorney General Walker, Al Gore, and a coalition of attorneys general, is clearly political targeting aimed at stifling free speech and intimidating policy groups and private individuals who disagree with them. CEI is vigorously fighting these attacks on our rights, and the rights of all Americans who are protected by the Constitution and the First Amendment. Exxons subpoena reveals an astounding number of organizations and individuals targeted by these AGs, which further proves it is not only CEIs First Amendment rights at risk, but anyone who holds different opinions than these government officials, whether that is on climate change or any other issue. The Democratic establishment is writing a new chapter in the saga of liberal fascism. Rapper Aubrey Drake Graham became the newest member of The Forbes five club of hip-hops wealthiest artist on Monday with a net worth of 60 million dollars, said Forbes. The annual list had regularly included rap artistes Bryan Birdman Williams, Andre Dr. Dre Young, Shawn Jay Z Carter, Curtis 50 Cent Jackson and Sean Diddy Combs. Due to the mismanagement of funds which resulted in a bankruptcy last summer, 50 Cent was superseded by Drake, who had increased his net worth through touring, music releases and business deals with Nike, Sprite and Apple. Drakes forth studio album views, a Toronto native who goes by his middle name, sold an estimated 630,000 copies on its April 29 release date, according to Vibe Magazine. With each album selling at 13.99 dollars exclusively on iTunes, the 29-year-old made about 800,000 dollars that night on release. Business mogul and rap artist Diddy continued to hold the number one title with a net worth of 750 million dollars. Thanks to his agreement with Diageos Circo vodka, stakes in his music television network Revolt, his clothing line Sean John and more. Dr Dre followed with 710 million dollars, then Jay Z in third place with 610 million dollars and finally Birdman, who came fourth with 110 million dollars. While his net worth was small in comparison to his fellow club members, Drake was quickly climbing the ranks, earning some 150 million dollars to date before taxes and spending, Forbes said. The business magazine analyzes artistes past earnings, values their current holdings and talks to industry specialists to determine which hip-hop star makes it on the list. Combined together, Forbes disclosed that, all five artists are worth 2.2 billion dollars. (Reuters\NAN) Parresia Publishers Ltd and African Centre for Media and Information Literacy, in partnership with the Shehu Musa YarAdua Foundation, will on Tuesday, May 31 present to the public a new book, We Are All Biafrans, written by Chido Onumah. Designed as a platform to reinforce the debate about federalism and national reconciliation, the event is expected to draw Nigerians from all walks of life. Mr. Onumah is a journalist, blogger, human rights activist and Coordinator of the African Centre for Media and Information Literacy (AFRICMIL). Like his two previous books (Time to Reclaim Nigeria and Nigeria is Negotiable), We Are All Biafrans is a collection of essays published by the author in various newspapers in the last three years (2013-2016) focusing on the crisis of nationhood in Nigeria. It has five chapters namely, The Politics of 2015, Dancing on the Brink,Unmaking Nigeria, Of Scoundrels and Statesmen, and Last Missionary Journey. A staunch advocate of federalism in its proper sense, Mr. Onumah in this book contends that most, if not all, of the problems of Nigeria today are located in the way the country is structured. As he did in his previous books, he makes an eminently logical case for an urgent socio-political restructuring of Nigeria in order to ward off a looming catastrophe that could endanger our collective well-being. He argues that the country needs to engage episodic political convulsions that threaten its very foundation, including Biafra, June 12, Boko Haram, the National Question, citizenship rights, and militocracy. In his typical candid manner, he takes on Nigerias indolent and reactionary ruling elite civilian and military and their allies, as well as bandits in uniform, scoundrels posing as statesmen, and conservative ideologues, religious bigots, and ethnic chauvinists posing as patriots. The author notes that we cant achieve any meaningful progress as a people until we come to terms with the reality of our existence that Nigeria is a deeply flawed nation and sincerely and selflessly confront it. He raises fundamental questions such as, What is Nigeria and who is a Nigerian? If Nigeria is a federal republic, what constitutes or should constitute the federating units? He posits that the different manifestations of Biafra may well be a metaphor as all ethnic groups in Nigeria are victims of the terrible misrule of the past decades and thus desire a change in their material conditions. Chido Onumah raises opinion-making about Nigeria to the standards of great, uncompromising art, notes Odia Ofeimun, author, poet and ex-President of the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA). We are all Biafrans is a clarion call to reclaim a country that is on the verge of national suicide. It seeks to trigger the debate that will eventually nudge Nigerians towards kick-starting the process of a genuine re-invention of the country. The United Bank for Africa, UBA, said on Wednesday that it has signed a $1.2 billion oil financing agreement with the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC joint venture with Chevron Nigeria Limited, CNL, to fund the development of 36 new oil wells. The deal is expected to help significantly expand Nigerias oil production capacity, which currently stands at an average of 1.87 million barrels per day, UBA Group Chairman, Tony Elumelu, said this at the maiden Senior Leadership Forum to review the banks strategic importance and growth potential of its pan-African business. Mr. Elumelu said the oil financing agreement with Nigeria was part of plans to expand its African investment network as a strong pan-African brand. The bank plans to expand to 25 African countries. As part of the plan, Mr. Elumelu said the bank would provide another $315 million facility to the Ghana for road projects, while a $250 million crude pre-payment facility would be extended to the Democratic Republic of Congo-based Orion Oil. The bank said Orion Oil facility involving fresh capital within the African market represents the largest reported transaction structured by an African investment bank in 2015. Mr. Elumelu said another Euro 234 million oil and gas financing deal with Societe Africaine de Raffinage (SAR) of Senegal underscored the banks capacity to fund big ticket transactions across Africa. He said another $180 million funding is to be extended to Delta Energy Zambia for the procurement and supply of petroleum products to marketing companies in the country, while $90million is to be provided by UBA Senegal African capital for the University of Dakar hostel construction project. The Forum attended by 90 participants, including the Board members, Chairmen and all CEOs of UBA subsidiaries across Africa and the United Kingdom, was timed to coincide with the banks Annual General Meeting and Group Board Meeting. We are one bank, the United Bank for Africa, Mr. Elumelu said. Bringing together our senior leadership talent from across the continent and the distinguished leaders who chair our subsidiary businesses is a powerful demonstration of our commitment to forge one bank for Africa. As long-term investors and pioneers in pan-African commercial and investment banking, we are deeply committed to the markets in which we operate and to harnessing the potential represented by the wider African economy. Our intention is to be the leader in African financial services, and our recent transactions show this. We see clearly the potential of Africa he added. The claims by a government-appointed recovery agent, George Uboh, that the Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, is undermining efforts by the current administration to recover stolen money have degenerated into a dogfight, with the attorney general saying Mr. Uboh deceitfully obtained federal consent for the job by concealing his criminal past. When Mr. George Uboh offered his services to act as recovery agent for the Federal Government, he did not formally declare that he was a convict in the US associated with credit card fraud, Mr. Malami told PREMIUM TIMES in an interview, citing this as one of the reasons he revoked Mr. Ubohs contract. At a press conference in Abuja Tuesday, Mr. Uboh, however, offered a different take on the matter, saying two weeks after he obtained a mandate to trace, recover and remit Federal governments funds that are allegedly trapped in Nigerian banks, he was able to trace N324 billion [about $1 billion] after which he wrote to inform the minister attaching proofs of the monies in several banks. Instead of following up to recover these monies, the minister wrote to me informing me that my mandate has been terminated, Mr. Uboh said. While I am not against the revocation of my mandate, I am concerned that while President Muhammadu Buhari is busy travelling around the world tracing stolen wealth, his minister is not interested in recovering stolen monies stashed in various Nigerian banks which can be easily recovered, Mr. Uboh told journalists. In response to this claim, Mr. Malami told PREMIUM TIMES that even though Mr. Uboh said he had privileged information to recover over N1 trillion on behalf of the Federal government that were with banks and associated ministries, departments and agencies of government but out of caution, I restricted his instruction exclusively to banks in respect of which he said he could recover about N400 billion immediately. Mr. Malami said he became concerned when Mr. Ubohs company, Panic Alert Security System [PASS], embarked on a fishing expedition, carrying out its brief beyond the bounds of its contract, exploring and extending his recovery reach to ministries, departments and agencies that were clearly out of the scope of his instructions. That gave me a second concern when some MDAs reached out to me seeking clarification, the minister said, adding that Mr. Ubohs method of work also spurred some worry because, while he suggested that he had information on bank accounts where government money were lodged, it turned out that Mr. Uboh went to the banks and MDAs, armed with his mandate, asking them to open their books and be given access to their data for the purpose of executing the instruction. The Rule of Engagement Mr. Uboh had on February 17 this year approached the Ministry of Justice with a proposal to help trace and recover federal government funds trapped in various Nigerian banks and associated government ministries, departments and agencies. Based on Mr. Ubohs proposal, the Attorney General issued a letter of engagement for asset recovery services on behalf of the Federal Government. The letter, seen by PREMIUM TIMES, allowed Mr. Ubohs company to trace, recover and remit Federal Government funds trapped in the under listed banks: Access Bank, First Bank, Zenith Bank, Diamond Bank, Fidelity Bank, UBA, Union Bank, Spring Bank-Enterprise Bank, Afribank-Mainstreet Bank, Oceanic Bank-Ecobank, Bank PHB-Keystone, FCMB and WEMA Bank. The attorney general offered to pay a success fee of five percent (5%) of actual recoveries made and remitted to the designated accounts of the Federal Government of Nigeria. The agreement added that the success fee was without an entitlement to a deposit-on-account prior to the commencement of its services. The letter further distanced the government from any other fees and expenses that might be incurred by PASS or any of its agents during the recovery process. The recovered loot Mr. Uboh said he traced 47.14 billion naira, 598.7 million dollars, and 23.5 million pounds to the banks. The details are shown in the table below: S/N Bank Name Naira $ Dollars Pounds i Oceanic Bank 23,365,781 ii Access Bank 5,898,243,009 5,204,176 iii Enterprise Bank 4,916,764,635 2,947,322 iv GTB 7,117,785,253 v Eco Bank 2,080,000,000 vi Keystone Bank 4,513,663,789 582,329,623 2,629 vii Skye Bank 13,313,050,000 viii Citi Bank 306,300,358 8,217,074 149,289 ix Zenith Bank 9,000,000,000 Total 47,138,807,044 598,698,195 23,517,699 The Revocation Even though the rule of engagement seemed clear, a March 24, 2016 letter suddenly put paid to what appeared a laudable effort of the attorney general and a great whistleblowing effort. I hereby revoke the Letter of Engagement issued to your firm under my hands on 9th February, 2016 and direct that you refrain from taking any further action in respect of the said letter henceforth, Mr. Malami said in a letter with reference number, HAGF/MISC/2016/Vol.I/23. When the attorney general was contacted to shed light on the controversy, he said Mr. Ubohs criminal past and his handling of the brief were responsible for the revocation. He said at the time Mr. Uboh offered to act as recovery agent, he did not declare that he was a convict in the US associated with credit card fraud. Mr. Malami said for him as minister of justice, that information was important for any engagement with anyone and that Mr. Uboh ought to have disclosed that. He said it became even more important to revoke the contract after he became aware that Mr. Uboh was also facing criminal charges in Nigeria as well. On April 25 this year, Justice Sunday Ebenezer Aladetoyinbo of the Federal Capital Territory High Court, Abuja, convicted and sentenced Mr. Uboh to three years imprisonment. He was jailed for his role in converting the property of the defunct Police Equipment Foundation (PEF) to his own use. Mr. Uboh was arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on a three-count charge of criminal breach of trust involving the sale of PEF vehicles. He was accused of abusing his position as former head of security and communication department of the foundation to convert the properties of the foundation to his personal use. Justice Aladetoyinbo however gave Mr. Uboh an option of N 4 million fine. The businessman was previously convicted of wire fraud in the United States. He was prosecuted after US law enforcement agents carried out a major raid on a credit card and bank fraud ring in Georgia in 1992. He came out of jail on January 16, 2001. Read below the full letter of disengagement from the attorney general to Mr. Uboh. Attention: Dr. George Uboh REVOCATION OF LETTER OF ENGAGEMENT FOR ASSET RECOVERY SERVICES ON BEHALF OF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT OF NIGERIA I write with reference to my earlier letter dated 9th February, 2016 in respect of the above-described subject-matter wherein you were engaged by the Federal Government of Nigeria as a Recovery Agent for assets properly belonging to the Federal Government but claimed to be improperly in possession of the thirteen (13) specific Banks listed in Paragraph 2 of the said letter. You will further recall that your engagement was based strictly on the fact that your firm would pursue the recovery of the said assets in the aforesaid banks only, pursuant to the terms and conditions further set out in the aforesaid Paragraph 2 of the Letter of Engagement. My attention has however been drawn to the fact that your firm, Panic Alert Security Systems, in the purported exercise of its brief, has engaged in various acts which are outside its brief as authorized by me in the aforesaid Letter of Engagement. Pursuant to the above, I hereby revoke the Letter of Engagement issued to your firm under my hands on 9th February, 2016 and direct that you refrain from taking any further action in respect of the said letter henceforth. A cousin to former President Goodluck Jonathan has sued the Nigerian government over his continued detention and the governments refusal to charge him to court. Robert Azibaola, a Niger-Delta activist, on Wednesday filed a suit before the Federal High Court, Lagos, challenging his detention by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission. Joined in the suit as respondents are the EFCC, the Attorney General of the Federation, and the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Mr. Azibaola has been in EFCC custody since March 23, after he was invited for questioning over a $40 million pipeline contract reportedly awarded by the Office of National Security Adviser, headed by Sambo Dasuki. Mr. Dasuki is currently facing prosecution at a federal court. In his suit, filed through the law firm of Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa, Mr. Azibaola is asking the court to stop the federal government and the EFCC from applying for any new remand warrant against him from any court in Nigeria. The applicant said the EFCC had established a pattern of using remand warrants to keep him in custody indefinitely. He is also asking the court to hold that sections 293 and 294 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, which the EFCC is relying on to secure remand orders from Magistrate Courts were designed to deal with criminal offences attracting capital punishment, such as murder, armed robbery, kidnapping or treasonable felony. Mr. Azibaola is seeking the court to hold that the attempt by the EFCC to force him to implicate Mr. Jonathan, is contrary to section 7 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, which has outlawed the practice of arresting a citizen as ransom for the alleged offense of another citizen. The applicant claimed, in the suit, that he was commissioned by the federal government to execute an assignment to navigate the Niger Delta to network with all stakeholders for the purpose of preventing oil pipelines vandalism, oil bunkering and crude oil theft. The assignment was duly executed upon payment, he stated. Robert is claiming that under section 8 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, he should not be arrested or prosecuted for any civil contract or transaction. He thus contends that he is being persecuted purely on account of his blood relationship with ex-president Goodluck Jonathan and this wants the court to order his immediate release or that he should be charged to court for any offence against him. Mr. Robert also alleged that there are plans to keep transferring him from one state to another, upon the expiration of any particular remand warrant in one State, so as to renew such remand warrant in another and this keep him in custody indefinitely. A bill for a law which prescribes five-year jail term for lecturers who engage in sexual relationship with students passed its first reading in the Senate on Wednesday. The bill, sponsored by Ovie Omo-Agege (Labour-Delta Central) and co-sponsored by 46 other senators, seeks to completely prohibit any form of sexual relationship between lecturers and their students. Briefing journalists after plenary, Mr. Omo-Agege said that the nations institutions of higher learning must be sanitised to rid them of lecturers who saw female students as prize. According to him, when the bill is passed and signed into law, any lecturer found guilty will be liable to a jail term of up to five years but not less than two years with no option of fine. When passed into law, it makes it a criminal offence for any educator in a university, polytechnic or any other tertiary educational institution to violate or exploit the student-lecturer fiduciary relationship for sexual pleasures. The bill imposes stiff penalties on offenders in its overall objective of providing tighter statutory protection for students against sexual hostility and all forms of sexual harassment in tertiary schools. The bill provides a compulsory five-year jail term for lecturers who sexually harass students. When passed into law, vice chancellors of universities, rectors of polytechnics and other chief executives of institutions of higher learning will go to jail for two years if they fail to act within a week on complaints of sexual harassment made by students. The bill expressly allows sexually harassed students, their parents or guardians to seek civil remedies in damages against sexual predator lecturers before or after their successful criminal prosecution by the State. The bill also seeks to protect, from sexual harassment, prospective students seeking admissions into institutions of learning, students of generally low mental capacity and physically challenged students, he stated. The lawmaker said that it was practicable in other climes as honour codes but stressed that it should be domesticated in Nigeria in the Penal form. The bill reads: An educator shall be guilty of committing an offence of sexual harassment against a student if he/she has sexual intercourse with a student. He or she shall be guilty if he has sexual intercourse with a student or demands for sex from a student or a prospective student as a condition to study in an institution. He or she shall be guilty if he has sexual intercourse with a student or demands for sex from a student or a prospective student as a condition to the giving of a passing grade. He or she shall be guilty if he solicits sex from or makes sexual advances at a student when the sexual solicitation or sexual advances result in an intimidating, hostile or offensive environment for the student. He or she shall be guilty if he directs or induces another person to commit any act of sexual harassment under this Act, or cooperates in the commission of sexual harassment by another person. He or she shall be guilty if he grabs, hugs, rubs or strokes or touches or pinches the breasts or hair or lips or hips or buttocks or any other sensual part of the body of a student. He or she shall be guilty if he displays, gives or sends by hand or courier or electronic or any other means naked or sexually explicit pictures or videos or sex related objects to a student. He or she shall be guilty if he whistles or winks at a student or screams or exclaims or jokes or makes sexually complimentary or uncomplimentary remarks about a students physique, he said. The bill also has provisions to sanction students who falsely accuse lecturers of sexual harassment. Such students could face dismissal from the school but no jail term was prescribed. According to the bill, the only exemption is where the student is legally married to the lecturer before admission in the school as a student. It states that the consent of the student shall not serve, in anyway, as a defence as the bill seeks to completely ban lecturer-student relationships. The bill also imposes on institutions the responsibility to protect students who initiate a sexual harassment charge. (NAN) The Inspector-General of Police, Solomon Arase, has extended the revalidation of permit for vehicles with tinted glasses to July 31, 2016. The extension also covers renewal of firearms licence. The Force Public Relations Officer, Olabisi Kolawole, in a statement released on Wednesday, said Mr. Arase has therefore directed commissioners of police across the country to relax the enforcement of the laws on the permit and licence, until the new deadline expires. Mr. Arase, according to the statement, said the revalidation was free. He warned the police against extortion and harassment of motorists with tinted glasses. The police boss urged members of the public who were yet to revalidate their permit and licence, to take advantage of the extension, and do so online. The IGP wishes to reassure the public of the commitment of the force to the provision of round-the-clock security for the teeming citizens of the country, the statement said. Citizens are further enjoined to continue to support and assist the police in its constitutional task of safeguarding the nation. A suspected robber who specialises in using commercial buses (popularly known as Danfo) to rob people has told the police that they operate in groups in the mornings and evenings. Henry Ate, 48, said they retire to their hotels in the afternoon after morning operations and re-group later in the evening. As at the time we were arrested, more than half of us had gone out for morning shift operations, said Mr. Ate, according to a statement issued by the police on Wednesday. Seven of us were picked up at various bus stops in Oshodi Mile 2 route while in operations. We know ourselves. We have no other jobs than this. Its what we live on. The police said they recovered two danfo buses used by the gang for their robbery operations known as One Chance in Lagos parlance along Oshodi-Mile 2 expressway. The 14 seater buses with Lagos registration numbers KTU 716 XS and GGE 532 XL are currently at the Rapid Response Squad Headquarters in Alausa, Lagos, according to the police. Mr. Ate said members of his gang occasionally switch groups, adding that every One chance team would include the bus driver, conductor, and a picker, who seats mostly in the last seat of the bus. During operations, we pick only few passengers, maybe two to four, he said. We dispossess them of their belongings, drop them and go our way. But we dont push them down while on motion. Mr. Ate said when he was not operating with his gang, he works alone as a pick-pocket at Shoprite, Ikeja, and the areas around the Governors Office. Other members of the syndicate include Akeem Fatai, 42; Jerry Nwokoro, 24; Olayinka Tadius, 29; Lucky Thompson, 36; Stanley Augustine, 31; and Ubah Kenneth, 25. The suspects were picked up majorly in Ajegunle and other spots in the metropolis, the police said in a statement. Six of the suspects were picked up at hotels in Ajegunle, where they confirmed they normally lodge while others were picked up on operations at different bus stops along Mile 2 Oshodi and Oshodi Iyana Ipaja route. The police said they also arrested a pick-pocket syndicate that operates around Lagos. The suspects are Habib Nurudeen,17; Oyemi Ilesanmi, 23; Kenneth Okojie, 30; Chinedu Uzubi, 24; Ajakaiye Christopher, 26; Samson Uwaneze, 23; and Wasiu Kazeem, 24. One of their victims, Emeka Ndukwe, a pastor whose Opsson mobile phone was recovered from Mr. Ajakaiye said it was removed from his pocket inside a bus heading to Iyana-Ipaja. Mr. Ndukwe said he realized his phone was missing when he wanted to pay for an item he purchased. The police said the arrests were made possible following a tip-off from members of the public. Confirming the incident, the Police PPRO, SP Dolapo Badmos, said that there would be no hiding place for criminals in Lagos State, adding the suspects have been charged to court. A former minister, Iyabo Anisulowo, who was abducted on Wednesday, has described her experience as terrible and dehumanising. Mrs. Anisulowo was rescued by the police on Tuesday at about 7.p.m. at Gbegbelawo village near Olorunda town in Abeokuta North Council Area. The former minister was abducted on Wednesday along Sawonjo-Iganokoto road in Yewa-South Council Area of the state. The 65-year-old former minister, who arrived at Government House at Isale-Igbehin at about 10.p.m. in company with the state Commissioner of Police, Abdulmajid Ali, said she had not eaten since Wednesday and only lived on water. Mrs. Anisulowo said she knew security agents were searching for her, adding that this gave her strength and hope that she would survive the incident. Gov. Ibikunle Amosun commended the security agencies which deployed their personnel and equipment in the rescue effort. He said although the abductors demanded a ransom of N200 million, nothing was eventually paid. The governor expressed confidence in the ability of the police to provide security and therefore called on the Federal Government to adequately equip the Force. The police commissioner, Mr. Ali, told journalists that the ring leader of the gang behind the abduction had been arrested. He reaffirmed that the command would make the state uncomfortable for criminals. (NAN) The Chief of Army Staff, Tukur Buratai, on Wednesday said ground troops had blocked movement of Boko Haram terrorists in and out of Sambisa forest. Buratai stated this while fielding questions from journalists shortly after monitoring troops deployment at Banki junction in Borno. He said that ongoing Operation Crack Down had been successful as the troops were making steady progress in dismantling the remaining Boko Haram hideouts in Sambisa. The troops are doing very well; they had some challenges in terms of encounters with the terrorists in the theatre but that is being tackled. The troops are forming a blocking force to prevent the terrorists from moving into Sambisa or coming out of the area. I am here to see the ground forces and how they are doing; so far so good, but there is tremendous operation going on presently inside the main Sambisa forest, he said. He also said that he was at Banki to confirm the movement of troops and equipment and to observe the situation in the theatre. Mr. Buratai said the location of troops at Banki junction was significant in the military operations to restrict movement of the insurgents from outside the country through Cameroon or Chad. We were together with the Chief of Defence Staff and the Chief of Air Staff in Maiduguri where the theatre commander briefed us on the ongoing operation crack down. This Banki junction is a major route that links the north to the south and is also bordering Cameroon; it is also a link to Chad Republic. It is a major route which the Boko Haram insurgents have been using to move between the Sambisa forest and the northern part of the country, up to the Lake Chad waters. So, it is an important location which has tactical, strategic as well as operational significance to what we are doing in this region, he said. The army chief said that ground troops supported by Nigerian Air Force fighter jets would continue to hit the forest until the insurgents were eventually cleared. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that the Chief of Defence Staff, Gabriel Olonisakin, the Army and Air Force chiefs met behind closed doors in Maiduguri on Monday to appraise the Sambisa operation. At the end of the meeting, Mr. Olonisakin , a general, briefed journalists and expressed satisfaction with the operation. NAN reports that the Sambisa forest operation tagged `Operation Crack Down commenced with ground and air forces on April 27, 2016. (NAN) The Rivers Election Petition Tribunal on re-run elections in the state sitting in Port Harcourt, has relocated to the High Court in Apo, Abuja, Federal Capital Territory. This is contained in a statement issued on Wednesday by Sirajo Gusau, the secretary to the tribunal. I am directed to inform the general public and all lawyers concerned that the election tribunal has been relocated to the High Court Apo, Abuja, FCT with immediate effect, the statement. Mr. Gusau, however, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in a telephone interview that he was not in a position to disclose what informed the relocation. The Elections Petition Tribunal that handled petitions that arose from the 2015 general elections was also relocated to the FCT. Sources said the relocation may have been informed by insecurity. Mr. Gusau said the secretariat had received 10 petitions from politicians, but did not give details. (NAN) As the race for the leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party gathers momentum, the two Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, governors in the south west, Ayo Fayose and Olusegun Mimiko, say they have decided to resolve their differences to protect the interest of the region within the party. The governors convened a meeting of the party in the south west region on Wednesday in Akure, the Ondo State capital, to seek a common position on who becomes the national chairman of the party. The meeting, which held at the international conference centre, Akure, had in attendance leaders such as Bode George, Ebenezer Babatope, Iyiola Omisore, Doyin Okupe, Jimi Agbaje, Mulikat Adeola-Akande, Jumoke Akinjide, Debo Anisulowo among others. Speaking at the occasion, Mr. Mimiko said the party was drifting as a result of the cacophony of voices tearing the party apart. He said there was need for the party leaders to forge a common front in the interest of the Yoruba race and its place in the Nigerian equation. Our mission is to get our acts together and recreate the nature of politics in the south west, he said. There is no alternative to unity in the south west at this time. The time has come not to think of how right you are, but how prepared you are to take on the challenges facing us. Mr. Mimiko explained that the challenges went beyond politics, noting that issues like the terror unleashed by the Fulani herdsmen on the people remained a rallying point for the party leaders. He warned that the people of the south west were watching with keen interest and could pass a judgment with their votes if the party leaders failed to take the right course. If we make a mess of the PDP, the people can take a decision and from the ashes of the PDP and the APC, a new party can emerge and it will become their darling party of the people, Mr. Mimiko cautioned. He noted that the differences between him and Mr. Fayose, had been put to rest in the interest of the region and its future of the party. I and Fayose had some minor issues, we have resolved it in the interest of the Yoruba nation, Mr. Mimiko reported. In his remarks, Mr. Fayose said there were issues left between him and Mr. Mimiko, blaming some of the misunderstanding on the writings in the media. He said the party would need to forge ahead united in order to get the party out of the woods. He said he was willing to support any interest that would meet the highest goals of the south west even if he would be adversely affected. He promised that he would continue to speak boldly against injustice, so long as he was speaking the truth. Other leaders such as Mr. Babatope, said the party had suffered from disunity, urging members to return to the path of unity if any achievements could be attained. A witness testifying against a former governor of Imo State, Ikedi Ohakim, has told a Federal High Court how he transferred $2.3 million given to him by Mr. Ohakim for the purchase of a top-notch property in Abuja. Mr. Ohakim is standing trial for allegedly buying the property. The witness, Abu Sule, who is an architect, had told the court in 2015 that he received N270 million in US Dollars equivalent. He repeated that claim during cross examination on Wednesday. Mr. Sule said the money was given to him by Mr. Ohakim, in $100 bills, packaged in a Ghana must go bag. On Wednesday, he told the court in Abuja that he took the money to Unity Bank, Maitama, where he handed it over to Muktar Maidabino, the owner of the property. According to him, Mr. Maidabino issued a deed of consignment in place of a receipt. He affirmed his earlier statement that the property was purchased in the name of his company, Tweenex Consociate Limited on the directive of the former governor. Tweenex consociate limited is the registered owner of the property at number 60, Kwame Nkrumah Street Asokoro Abuja with AGIS, Mr. Sule told the court. Mr. Maidabino, who was in court on Wednesday as the third prosecution witness, confirmed dealing with Mr. Sule, but said he was meeting Mr. Ohakim for the first time. Mr. Maidabino said he wrote the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory to assign the property to Tweenex Ltd, after N177, 572.50 was paid as ground rent to the Abuja Geographical Information System (AGIS), in addition to N4, 129, 000 paid for title regularisation in November, 2008. The case was adjourned till Thursday for further hearing. The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) National Working Committee (NWC) has cancelled its Congresses and their respective Committees in Adamawa State, Lagos State and Osun State. The party said new committees have been reconstituted accordingly. Congresses will continue in these states from Friday, 6th of May, 2016 respectively, it said in a statement on Wednesday, signed by Abubakar Mustapha, the PDPs National Organizing Secretary. Former Akwa Ibom governor, Godswill Akpabio, has said that he does not have any plan to contest for president of Nigeria in 2019. Mr. Akpabio, who spoke through a statement from his media aide, Anietie Ekong, distanced himself from a campaign poster being circulated on the social media, which requested Nigerians to support him for president. Mr. Akpabio currently represents Akwa Ibom North West in the Senate. He is the senate minority leader, and one of the most influential Peoples Democratic Partys leaders in the country. We wish to state categorically that Senator Akpabio has no ambition of contesting for the Presidency in 2019 and is not behind such campaigns. It is the handiwork of mischief makers, said the statement which was released on Wednesday. It is instructive that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) which he belongs to has zoned the Presidency to the North by 2019. The South-South has had its shot at the Presidency through Dr Goodluck Jonathan who handed over to President Muhammadu Buhari barely one year ago. It is politically impracticable in the present Nigeria to expect another South-South man to aspire to succeed President Buhari. Mr. Akpabio said, for now, he was concerned with working with other senators to make laws that will improve the living standard of Nigerians. President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday assured that Nigeria would abide by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) judgment on Bakassi Peninsula. Mr. Buhari spoke at a joint press conference he held with President Paul Biya of Cameroon. He said there was no cause for alarm, but added that the Federal Government would react to the maritime issue after a joint committee of Nigeria and Cameroon experts submits its report. On this issue, I want to tell the people of Cameroon to keep their mind at peace. Nigeria is an internationally respectful and law-abiding nation, Mr. Buhari said. The president noted that there was the issue of hydrocarbons in the Bakassi region which was brought to the attention of the International Court of Justice. He said Nigeria had accepted the judgment, but the technical aspect of the international waters had yet to be fully determined. Accordingly, Mr. Buhari said that an international committee of experts from Nigeria and Cameroon was set up and the country was awaiting the report of that committee. In his earlier remarks, Mr. Buhari appreciated the visit of President Biya and his delegation, adding that the bilateral meeting was fruitful and beneficial to the two countries. He said the communique had explained in detail what was discussed, but observed that security and the economy were paramount. He said that Nigeria had decided to diversify its economy due to the fall in global oil price, adding that the country would focus on agriculture, solid minerals, among others. He said Nigeria was ready to explore its potentials hence the programme to quickly turn to agriculture and to ensure food security as well as create jobs for the youths. Mr. Buhari noted that Nigerias economy was based on agriculture before oil was discovered and wondered why the important resource base was abandoned by past administrations. Now we have to go back to the basics and to do that we need the cooperation of our immediate neighbours, he said. Mr. Buhari urged cooperation in the area of security and also thanked the G-7 countries for assisting in the fight against insurgency via technology, communication and intelligence. He said that his administration was alive to its responsibilities and would remain focused in the fight against terror in the region and the continent. Mr. Biya, denied that his country was reluctant in joining forces with the Lake Chad Basin countries to fight Boko Haram, saying it was the handiwork of international media to malign his country. I must say that Cameroon was never reluctant in the fight against Boko Haram, adding that he had heard at conferences that his country served as bases for the insurgent group. He said Cameroon stood to benefit nothing from the terror organization, whether in ideology or finances. This is just about bad press and Cameroon remains focused and committed in the fight against Boko Haram, Biya added. (NAN) PREMIUM TIMES will on Thursday make public the names of at least 100 Nigerians and companies so far identified in the leaked internal data of Panamanian law firm, Mossack Fonsecca, as operators of offshore shell companies in tax havens. The names will contain top business persons, and politicians, including those currently holding public offices. The publication will detail names of companies, their owners and the particular tax havens the offshore firms were incorporated or domiciled. PREMIUM TIMES Editor-in-Chief, Dapo Olorunyomi, said the planned release of the names was in response to widespread and relentless request by the papers readers for more of the Nigerian characters in the infamous database, now globally known as #PanamaPapers. Mr. Olorunyomi said the release of the names will not end the papers reporting on a matter that has shocked the world and has intensified campaign for global action against notorious tax havens helping corrupt individuals to hide ill-gotten assets and evade tax. Our team will keep digging into the database, Mr. Olorunyomi said. As more revelations become public, we will make them public. He praised the professionalism of the five-man team at the paper that has worked for months pouring through the data, extracting what is relevant for Nigeria and investigating the individuals and the companies identified to add context to the revelations. The way our young but immensely talented team has worked on the challenging project has continued to amaze me and to be honest, this company cannot reward them enough, he said. The #PanamaPapers series, which has run for more than a month now, has so far revealed how some Nigerian politicians, businessmen, a clergyman and relations of top government functionaries may have used offshore entities to conceal questionable wealth in tax havens around the world. The Mossack Fonseca database, obtained by the German newspaper Suddeutsche Zeitung, and shared by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) with PREMIUM TIMES and over 100 other media partners in 82 countries show how several individuals around the world used shell companies domiciled in controversial tax havens in their business transactions. The unprecedented year-long investigation involving 11.5 million secret documents which stretch from 1977 to December 2015 expose the hidden underground of the world economy, a network of banks, law firms and other middlemen that utilize shell companies, sometimes using them to hide illegal wealth. The 2.6 TB files, involving 214,488 entities, also reveal hundreds of details about how former gun-runners, contractors and other members of the spy world use offshore companies for personal and private gain. The investigation unveiled the cloak of secrecy provided by Mossack Fonseca, a Panamanian law firm that specializes in creating offshore companies, some of which have been used by con men and women to hide Ponzi schemes, predatory lending scams, and other financial frauds from their victims and from the authorities. Abductors of wife and four children of the paramount ruler of Esit Eket, Edidem Ubong Assam, on Wednesday asked for a ransom of N100 million. The victims were abducted on Friday in the palace in Akpautong, Esit Eket Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), reports that the abductors had contacted the family and demanded for the ransom to release the captives. A source close to the family who pleaded anonymity, said the kidnappers have opened up for negotiations for the release of the monarchs wife and children. There is tension and anxiety in the palace. The kidnappers of the monarchs pregnant wife and children have demanded N100 million ransom before their release, the source said. It added that the kidnappers were not ready to bargain the price while talking on phone with members of the royal family. They issued threats, the source said. A family member, Norbert Assam, confirmed the demand. He told NAN that the royal father and the entire family cannot afford such huge amount of money demanded by the kidnappers. They called the family with the phone number of one of the family members in their captive demanding for N100 million. I wonder where they expect the royal father to get such amount of money to pay, he said. Some members of community, however, expressed worry over the health condition of the pregnant woman, the paramount ruler and the children. The family has appealed to the State government, oil companies operating in the area and the general public to come to their aid. (NAN) Life got in the way of Christine Pecks photography career. But she always had her art in the back of her mind. When her last child went off to college, she toyed with the idea of returning to it. Peck recalls a friend telling her flat out to well (you-know-what) or get off the pot, she says. So she did, combining her photography with another of her passions travel. Shes unsure as to which feeds which does traveling inspire her to take pictures or do taking pictures motivate her to travel? Its give and take I love to do photography and seeing new things, says Peck, a Cape May Court House optician by day. But the travel probably feeds the photography. As I get closer to retirement, Im looking for supplemental income (through photography). But boy, do I love to travel. Peck admits that we live in a photogenic area, but that she wanted to see new places California, the South, but mostly Europe, with a particular interest in France and Italy. Honest to God, an amateur could take an excellent picture in Italy, she laughs, offering this advice, If you want to explore and take some good pictures, go to Italy. The old-ness is just outstanding. On her most recent trip there, she took more than 5,000 photos. Less than 20 comprise her artist-of-the-month show titled Ciao! Snapshots of Rome and Cinque Terre at Cape May Artists Cooperative Gallery now through May 31, with an open-to-the-public reception 2 to 4 p.m. Saturday, May 7. When shooting, Peck claims that there are those that she just knows will be the money shot those that will make the cut to an exhibit created mostly by instinct and a good eye, and occasionally a little luck. Peck shoots and produces natural photographs, but likes to have a little fun with them, using different filters or shooting in high-dynamic range (HDR). Technology now is so amazing that you can take a photograph and (then) take it totally different direction, Peck says. I dont like to do that, but I do like to enhance whats in the picture. For her subject matter, Peck says that she shoots what appeals to her rather than the masses, and keeps reproductions to a minimum. I dont mass produce my images. Ill produce them in one or two sizes, maybe a feature piece and move on, she says. I like to keep them scarce. Thats how I would like my art. The images in Ciao! have all been digitally manipulated, with some on canvas and others on paper, matted and framed. Peck also created note cards and 2017 calendars for the show. There will be a wide range of images, she assures. So if you like something and dont necessarily want a large framed piece, there are options. CIAO! SNAPSHOTS FROM ROME AND CINQUE TERRE Where: Cape May Artists Coop Gallery, 122-124 Sunset Blvd., Cape May When: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sundays through Thursdays; 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays. How much: Entrance is free. Art prices vary. A new Dollar Tree store will open up this September in Little Egg Harbor Township, according to a press release from the stores New Jersey real estate representative. R.J. Brunelli & Co., LLC announced new retail, automotive, dental and other sites in New Jersey and Pennsylvania on Wednesday. The new Dollar Tree will be located in a 10,191-square-foot space at Great Bay Plaza in Little Egg Harbor, where it will occupy part of the former Shop N Bag supermarket, according to the press release. The chain expects to open in September. The 52,000-square-foot center is located at the intersection of Mathistown Road and Center Street. According to the release, R.J. Brunelli & Co. is the exclusive broker for 28 properties and nine centers under construction, along with three locations for sale or lease and five properties for sale. The properties are located throughout New Jersey. BARNEGAT TOWNSHIP Barnegat officials said Thursday afternoon that they believe escaped convict Arthur Buckel is no longer in the area. Sgt. Jeffrey Ryan said police on Thursday started returning to more regular schedule after more than 24-hours of searching for Buckel. Schools will stall have a police presence on Friday. The New Jersey Department of Corrections, which has taken the lead on the investigation, did not comment on how Buckel may have escaped the area or why authorities believe he is no longer in Barnegat. A Department of Corrections spokesperson said they do not want to tip off Buckel as to where theyre now searching. For Barnegat Mayor John Novak, the news that Buckel reportedly left the area served was a relief for on-edge residents. Ive been getting phone calls and emails all last night. People were concerned, people had questions, Novak said. This is not normal for Barnegat. Baseball games, softball games and people taking bike rides, thats normal for Barnegat. Buckel, 38, was discovered missing Tuesday from the Bayside State Prison unit at Ancora in Winslow Township in Camden County during a morning headcount. Winslow Township police described Buckel as 5 feet, 9 inches tall and weighing 180 pounds. He has brown hair, blue eyes and a small tattoo under his left eye. Despite some nervousness and unrest in the town, schools remained open on Thursday. Police were present as students were dropped off in the morning. Parents praised school officials for keeping them in the loop. Lynn Dennerlein, parent of two, said her children were escorted from the parking lot to school. At about 8 a.m, police cruisers were in the parking lot of Cecil S. Collins Elementary School. As parents pulled into the lot to drop of their children, two officers stood nearby surveying the parade of vehicles. On Thursday afternoon, pre-school children arriving in a bus were just beginning their own school day. Lorraine Kipila, 67, held her grandsons hand as she walked him toward the bus. My son in law was kind of scared to send the kids to school, but I said that the cops were there, Kipila said. Buckel was three weeks away from parole eligibility, according to the state Department of Corrections website. He was serving a three-year sentence on aggravated assault, burglary and drug charges. Previously, Buckel was 18 when he killed his girlfriends 10-month-old daughter in 1995 by slapping the girl to death because she was crying, the Jersey Journal reported. On Wednesday morning, Buckel allegedly left a stolen 2015 Chevy Silverado in a CVS parking lot on Bay Avenue. That day, authorities searched for along roads and in backyards for the convict. Police used bloodhounds, but the dogs lost his scent in the rain Wednesday, police said. The incident rattled the township, and also became the most popular topic of discussion. Every minute or two someone is talking about it, Wawa employee Anthony Curren said. I wouldnt say people [were] afraid. Its more like wow, something is actually going on around here. Its crazy though. Its like something out of a movie. Lloyd D. Levenson, who has become a bit of brand as Atlantic Citys best-known attorney, remembers when he and Michael Pollock, former editorial writer for The Press of Atlantic City, conceived the East Coast Gaming Congress. Pollock, on his last day as Casino Control Commission spokesman, met with the attorney to discuss the proposition of creating an annual casino conference in Atlantic City, Levenson recalled Monday. I said, All right, Ill order some lunch. He said I cant take it. I said What do you mean you cant take it? He said, Im still working for the CCC. So Pollock drank water while Levenson ate, Pollock wary of doing something improper during the final three hours of his tenure as a state employee. Remember, I do business before the CCC, Levenson said Monday. Fight vs. North Jersey casinos turns foe to friend The enemy of your enemy is your friend. More than two decades after that meeting, both men continue to draw on what have to be some of the thicker Rolodexes in the gaming industry to organize the Congress, which celebrates its 20th anniversary May 25-26 at Harrahs Waterfront Conference Center. The event began in 1997 as the Rutgers University Gaming Symposium, with support from the eponymous university and Ernst & Young, the audit firm. Since then, attendance has nearly tripled, to about 600, Levenson estimated. Attendees dont come for blind boosterism of an industry that has its fair share of critics; they come for frank discussions about tough issues. What will it take to save Atlantic City? Atlantic City is a multibillion-dollar fix-it-upper. We insist on that, and thats been the model for 20 years, said Pollock, managing director of Spectrum Gaming Group, a casino research firm that sponsors the Congress, with Levensons law firm, Cooper Levenson, and the Friedmutter Group, which does architecture and interior design. Thats reflected in the people who were invited to speak and what we urge them to consider discussing. Speakers this year include Mark Frissora, CEO of Caesars Entertainment, a company in the throes of an immense and controversial bankruptcy restructuring. Assemblyman Chris Brown, R-Atlantic, who fiercely opposes construction of casinos in North Jersey, will square off against Assemblyman Ralph Caputo, D-Essex, whos bent on seeing those resorts rise upstate. And during a concurrent panel, a human-resources executive from MGM Resorts International will talk with fellow panelists about gender equality in the casino industry and the relative dearth of women in management roles. Other panel topics include Internet gambling, fantasy sports and sports betting, cybersecurity and enticing millenials. Its a distillation of a lot of ideas and a lot of leaders all in one place and at one time, Pollock said Tuesday. Youre going to have some extraordinary conversations taking place. Then theres the 90-minute cocktail reception at The Pool at Harrahs, where casino regulators will be rubbing elbows with casino operators, slot manufacturers mingling with Wall Street analysts. Thats like a kid in a candy store if youre in this business, Levenson said. Its an opportunity for attendees, regardless of station, to approach some of the most powerful names in the casino industry and make a pitch, exchange a business card, ask a question. True, attendance at the Congress is a small fraction of turnout for larger, expo-style industry conventions, some of which draw more than 20,000 visitors. But thats precisely the point, Levenson said. To go find Mark Frissora among all those people, good luck unless you have an appointment. Contact: 609-272-7239 PLEASE BE ADVISED: Soon we will no longer integrate with Facebook for story comments. The commenting option is not going away, however, readers will need to register for a FREE site account to continue sharing their thoughts and feedback on stories. If you already have an account (i.e. current subscribers, posting in obituary guestbooks, for submitting community events), you may use that login, otherwise, you will be prompted to create a new account. For the New World Order, a world government is just the beginning. Once in place they can engage their plan to exterminate 80% of the world's population, while enabling the "elites" to live forever with the aid of advanced technology. For the first time, crusading filmmaker ALEX JONES reveals their secret plan for humanity's extermination: Operation ENDGAME. Jones chronicles the history of the global elite's bloody rise to power and reveals how they have funded dictators and financed the bloodiest warscreating order out of chaos to pave the way for the first true world empire. Watch as Jones and his team track the elusive Bilderberg Group to Ottawa and Istanbul to document their secret summits, allowing you to witness global kingpins setting the world's agenda and instigating World War III. to Ottawa and Istanbul to document their secret summits, allowing you to witness global kingpins setting the world's agenda and instigating World War III. Learn about the formation of the North America transportation control grid, which will end U.S. sovereignty forever. Discover how the practitioners of the pseudo-science eugenics have taken control of governments worldwide as a means to carry out depopulation. View the progress of the coming collapse of the United States and the formation of the North American Union. Never before has a documentary assembled all the pieces of the globalists' dark agenda. Endgame's compelling look at past atrocities committed by those attempting to steer the future delivers information that the controlling media has meticulously censored for over 60 years. It fully reveals the elite's program to dominate the earth and carry out the wicked plan in all of human history. Endgame is not conspiracy theory, it is documented fact in the elite's own words. NEW YORK, May 4, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Small businesses recognize how powerful of a tool a business website can be to engage and connect with your customers. Web properties should be a priority for your business, but with increased maintenance also comes the need to actively evaluate your website. Is your website an effective sales tool? Is it working for your customer and, ultimately, your business? Are your lead generation forms improving close rates and saving you time? Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110831/NY59180LOGO In the latest article posted to PR Newswire's Small Business PR Toolkit, contributing author Brad Shorr highlights five attributes of a great website lead form that can assist you with lead prioritization. Budget response. Having a field in your lead-generation form for budget-related information is an excellent way to weed out legitimate leads from those that aren't ready to purchase. Any lead that is received where a budget has been allocated should be prioritized and followed up with immediately. Job titles. Ensure your forms have a field for job titles in order to quickly identify decision-makers who may be ready to make a purchase. Previous contact. If your lead has made previous contact with your organization, chances are these leads will be easier to close than first-time inquiries. Consider adding a form field that asks, "Have your purchased from us or considered purchasing from us in the past?" For discussion on the two remaining attributes of a fantastic website lead form, read Shorr's complete article here: http://bit.ly/1W7EAj1. PR Newswire's Small Business PR Toolkit is a comprehensive resource that provides small businesses and entrepreneurs the tools to develop an affordable public relations and marketing plan that helps generate interest from potential customers, engage with key audiences and grow their businesses. The toolkit features relevant content such as informative white papers, interactive webinars and how-to articles and premium access to educational resources, as well as the opportunity to take advantage of special offers designed specifically for small businesses. To request information on how PR Newswire can help your small business, click here. You can receive updates on new Small Business PR Toolkit content by following @prnsmallbiz on Twitter. About PR Newswire PR Newswire (www.prnewswire.com) is the premier global provider of multimedia platforms that enable marketers, corporate communicators, sustainability officers, public affairs and investor relations officers to leverage content to engage with all their key audiences. Having pioneered the commercial news distribution industry over 60 years ago, PR Newswire today provides end-to-end solutions to produce, optimize and target content -- from rich media to online video to multimedia -- and then distribute content and measure results across traditional, digital, mobile and social channels. Combining the world's largest multi-channel, multi-cultural content distribution and optimization network with comprehensive workflow tools and platforms, PR Newswire enables the world's enterprises to engage opportunity everywhere it exists. PR Newswire serves tens of thousands of clients from offices in the Americas, Europe, Middle East, Africa and the Asia-Pacific region, and is a UBM plc company. Contact: Amanda Eldridge Director, Strategic Channels 201-360-6906 Amanda.eldridge@prnewswire.com Related Links http://www.prnewswire.com SOURCE PR Newswire Association LLC Sandra was inspired by the iconic stylings of Elvis Presley, and created a look that put a modern twist on a classic, making it accessible for the everyday man. "I'm shocked and can't believe I won," said Sandra of her win. "It's an amazing feeling." "Sandra's winning look of a classic style is a true representation of what the American Crew man embodies, while staying true to one's individuality," said American Crew Founder David Raccuglia. "The competition is a celebration of and tribute to these passionate stylists worldwide, and we hope it inspires future stylists for years to come." Thousands of stylists from 19 countries submitted looks that showcased their interpretation of the modern, classic American Crew man for consideration in the All-Star Challenge, one of the top global men's grooming competitions. After being named a finalist in their home country, the top 15 globally were flown to Paris, the fashion capital of the world, where they each played the role of Creative Director in a photoshoot with American Crew Founder David Raccuglia. The finalists demonstrated their innovative hairstyling skills, and worked with top fashion stylists and makeup artists to create the full look before selecting a photo to represent their final cut to the judges. The following finalists were selected to represent their country on the global stage: Guy Gallo, Australia; Hasan Nasser, Canada; Jesper Olsen, Denmark; Guillaume Fort, France; Givi Jintchvelashvili, Georgia; Frederic Mendes de Sousa, Luxembourg; Frida Andersson, Norway; Paulo Soares, Portugal; Rustam Mirasov, Russia; Federico Lucchese, Italy; Robert Dallo, Spain; Kevin Herzog, Switzerland; Sandra Perovic, United Kingdom; Renat Murzagaleev, Ukraine; and Sara Leahy, United States. The competition's global judging panel was: Paul Wilson, American Crew Global Artistic Director; Theri DeJoode, American Crew Global Technical Director; Sandra Nygaard, Fashion and Grooming Director, Men's Health; Sergi Bancells, General Manager USA, Spain and Latin America, Estetica; and Sergiy Shapochka, 2014-2015 American Crew All-Star Challenge Global Champion. For more information about the All-Star Challenge, please visit the All-Star Challenge Digital Headquarters at https://www.americancrew.com/allstarchallenge. About American Crew All-Star Challenge: The American Crew All-Star Challenge is about being recognized as the best stylist for men in the world. The cut. The model. The photograph. Bring it all together to create your ultimate interpretation of the American Crew man. We want the best stylist on the planet. One with a truly unique, artistic vision. One who understands what it takes to create a masculine, modern edge. And one who captures their masterpiece with professional-level art direction and photography. If you've got what it takes, start perfecting your style, because The American Crew All-Star Challenge is bigger and better than ever. Follow us on Twitter: @AmericanCrew, Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/americancrew and Instagram: @AmericanCrew. About American Crew: American Crew, a professional leader in men's grooming, is the brand that defines men's style, hair care and grooming trends, distributed in more than 30,000 salons across 50 countries. The American Crew family of grooming products delivers everything needed to create and care for men's styles including products in the hair, body, shave, style and fragrance categories, available exclusively in salons, barbershops and authorized retailers. American Crew has an ongoing commitment to elevating men's style and enhancing their personal image, and provides education, marketing and imaging support to help stylists communicate the brand's vision of men's grooming and fashion classic style, reliability and confidence to the marketplace. For more information, visit https://www.americancrew.com/. Social Media: Facebook: Facebook.com/americancrew Twitter: @americancrew Instagram: @americancrew, #asc2016 SOURCE American Crew LONDON, May 4, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Chain of Things, a consortium that supports collaborative development on an open source standard to secure Internet of Things (IoT) devices, today announced the launch of a case study on solar panels and a London conference on 1st of June 2016, covering blockchain-based IoT security. In 2016, there are more connected devices than human beings. By 2020, it is estimated that there will be between 50 and 200 billion connected devices all collecting, relaying, and automatically actioning data. Cybersecurity is the biggest priority in an ever-connected world. We have seen numerous hacks with disastrous consequences for business and even governments. This will only get worse. When you look at the state of IoT today, it doesn't take a genius to see that there is a security blackhole. No one checks their terms of business when they buy a connected device. If they did, then they would learn that the company disclaims all liability for everything. This is not good enough. Blockchain is the most secure database in the world that has never been hacked. The bitcoin blockchain is an online monetary system; if you put money on the internet then surely, more than anything else it will be hacked. But bitcoin blockchain is still there and standing strong. So can these simple security properties within blockchain technology serve and secure IoT? That is the purpose of the Chain of Things consortium. To deal with the most pressing problem that everyone would prefer to avoid. Our first investigation is a practical case study connecting devices to different blockchain protocols and seeing whether that approach is more secure than the way things are done in IoT today. We have brought together a few key partners, one to provide solar panels and a device to record the data from the panel, another to provide a device that will run at least two blockchain technology systems. Based on that, the solar data will be recorded and pushed onto the blockchains. We will look at the security of adding, maintaining and moving that data on the ledgers. If the security dimensions of blockchain technology start to make sense, then this event signals the beginning of the build of an open blockchain IoT standard. "Solar is at the root of the coming 3rd industrial revolution ; Blockchain and IoT technologies are at the crossroads of this technology and will enable it to flourish further. Today, 240GWp of solar installations have been grid connected; by 2040, the International Energy Agency expects an additional 5,000GWp of solar power, translating into upwards of 200 million decentralized solar applications. Securely linking solar production data to the ElectriCChain Blockchain will enable solar owners to share production data and help create a first of a kind global monitoring platform for Global Climate Change and Meteorological purposes." ElectriCChain - Francois Sonnet Protect yourself from the danger of a connected world. Come and join us (click here) on the 1st June 2016 if you have an interest in security and IoT. If you'd like to join Chain of Things as a Partner, please email info@chainofthings.com EVENT REGISTRATION URL: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/chain-of-things-blockchain-iot-case-study-and-conference-tickets-24424181384?aff=es2 ABOUT CHAIN OF THINGS Chain of Things (CoT) is a research lab examining whether blockchain technology can solve the existential threat to IoT - security. We are a consortium of partners that supports collaborative development on an open source standard to secure IoT devices. CoT will engage in case studies that will document practical, real world implementations of secure blockchain based IoT stacks with specific emphasis on key security layers. Through these multiple case studies, we will build a clearer picture of what the most optimal IoT+blockchain stack should include and will determine if blockchain technology is a legitimate improvement over legacy security solutions. This emerging framework will be an invaluable model for future deployments of secure and stable IoT+blockchain applications. Media Contact: info@chainofthings.com Chain of Things C/O Asia Tech Media Ltd. 27th Floor, Alexandra House 18 Chater Road Central, Hong Kong Chain of Things 2016 www.chainofthings.com @chainofthings Resources: SOURCE Chain of Things GENEVA, Switzerland, May 4, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- The Directive's Aim is to Harmonize Regulations - Not Disrupt the Free Movement of Goods Across the EU Just two weeks before the Tobacco Products Directive (TPD2) comes into force in the 28 EU Member States, the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) has rejected tobacco manufacturers' claims against TPD2. (Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130528/617491 ) "It is regrettable that the Court has decided to endorse the proliferation of different regulations for the same product across the European Union", said Vassilis Vovos, JTI's Western Europe Regional President. "This ruling goes against a fundamental purpose of the EU treaty which is to further improve the functioning of the internal market by way of harmonized legislation. Instead, we are left with an inexplicable decision which may lead Member States to believe that they can infringe the principle of free movement of goods within the EU." "There are only 16 days left before TPD2 comes into force. Yet the legislation is still not transposed in the majority of Member States. This leaves the industry with little clarity from the Commission and Member States on many issues. The CJEU rulings bring additional confusion", concludes Mr. Vovos. About JTI JTI, a member of the Japan Tobacco Group of Companies, is a leading international tobacco manufacturer. It markets world-renowned brands such as Winston, Camel, Mevius and LD. Other global brands include Benson & Hedges, Silk Cut, Sobranie and Glamour. With headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, and about 26,000 employees worldwide, JTI has operations in more than 120 countries. Its core revenue in the fiscal year ended December 31, 2015, was USD 10.3 billion. For more information, visit http://www.jti.com. Note to editors: On July 18, 2014 , JTI announced its formal participation in the judicial review process launched by PMI in the UK's Administrative Court against the EU Tobacco Products Directive (2014/40/EU) (TPD2). The claims asserted that the Directive did not meet the required standard of improving the functioning of the internal market. , JTI announced its formal participation in the judicial review process launched by PMI in the UK's Administrative Court against the EU Tobacco Products Directive (2014/40/EU) (TPD2). The claims asserted that the Directive did not meet the required standard of improving the functioning of the internal market. On November 3, 2014 , The UK's Administrative Court agreed to reference the claims filed by the four major tobacco manufacturers to the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU). , The UK's Administrative Court agreed to reference the claims filed by the four major tobacco manufacturers to the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU). On October 1 , the CJEU heard the four major tobacco manufacturers as part of the preliminary reference process against the EU Tobacco Products Directive (2014/40/EU) (TPD2). , the CJEU heard the four major tobacco manufacturers as part of the preliminary reference process against the EU Tobacco Products Directive (2014/40/EU) (TPD2). On December 23 , the Advocate General of the CJEU issued an opinion related to the tobacco industry's claims against the EU Tobacco Products Directive. SOURCE JTI (Japan Tobacco International) SAINT-CLOUD, France, May 4, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Dassault's Falcon 2000LXS today became the first business jet to fly an Instrument Approach Procedure (IAP) with a published LPV minima of 200 ft, using Europe's EGNOS LPV200 service. (Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160504/363790 ) (Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120925/564526-a ) The flight, at Paris' Charles de Gaulle Airport, was performed as part of initial European LPV200 trials, which also involved Airbus 350 and ATR-700 commercial aircraft. LPV (Localizer Performance with Vertical Guidance) permits aircraft guided approaches operationally equivalent to ILS Cat 1 without the need for ground-based navigation aid infrastructure. The service relies on the availability of GPS and Space Based Augmentation System (SBAS) capabilities like EGNOS (European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service) and the US's Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS). France was the first European country to publish approach procedures permitting EGNOS LPV200 service with a 200 ft (60 m) minima, the same level of performance as permitted by WAAS and ILS Cat 1. The EGNOS LPV service was introduced in 2011 but only to a decision height not lower than 250 ft. Dassault's Falcon 900LX was at that time the first aircraft to fly an EGNOS LPV250 approach (performed in Pau, France early the same year). LPV approaches make it possible to land at facilities not equipped with expensive instrument landing systems, which includes many small regional and local airports. Lowering the decision height from 250 ft to 200 ft provides a substantial operational benefit in poor weather and low visibility conditions. "The accuracy and stability of LPV guidance is really amazing, much better than with ILS," said Dassault test pilot Jean-Louis Dumas, who was at the controls alongside operational pilot Olivier Perriaud during the EGNOS LPV200 trials. "Lowering the minima to 200 ft will be a great boon for European business aviation operations." All in-production Falcon Jets are equipped with Dassault's second generation EASy II avionics suite, which is designed to support LPV200 and other new navigation features. Notes for Editors Dassault Falcon is the recognized global brand for Dassault business jets which are designed, manufactured and supported by Dassault Aviation and Dassault Falcon Jet Corp. About Dassault Aviation Dassault Aviation is a leading aerospace company with a presence in over 90 countries across five continents. It produces the Rafale fighter jet as well as the complete line of Falcons. The company employs a workforce of over 11,000 and has assembly and production plants in both France and the United States and service facilities around the globe. Since the rollout of the first Falcon 20 in 1963, over 2,400 Falcon jets have been delivered. Dassault offers a range of six business jets from the twin-engine 3,350 nm large-cabin Falcon 2000S to its new flagship, the tri-engine 6,450 nm ultra-long range Falcon 8X. About Dassault Falcon Jet Dassault Falcon Jet Corp. is a wholly owned U.S. subsidiary of Dassault Aviation, France. Dassault Falcon Jet markets and supports the Falcon family of business jets throughout North and South America. Press Contacts Dassault Aviation (Saint-Cloud, France) Vadim Feldzer Tel. +33-1-47-11-44-13 vadim.feldzer@dassault-aviation.com Marie-Alexandrine Fouillard Tel. +33-1-47-11-64-23 marie-alexandrine.fouillard@dassault-aviation.com Dassault Falcon Jet (Teterboro Airport, USA) Andrew Ponzoni Tel. +1-201-541-4588 andrew.ponzoni@falconjet.com Grant Kielczewski Tel. +1-201-541-4679 grant.kielczewski@falconjet.com Follow us on Twitter: @DassaultFalcon Photos Copy and paste the link into your browser to access the high resolution photos: http://www.falconphotogallery.com For more information about Dassault Falcon business jets, visit: http://www.dassaultfalcon.com SOURCE Dassault Aviation ATLANTA, May 4, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Equifax Inc. (NYSE: EFX) today announced that Richard F. Smith, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, John Gamble, Chief Financial Officer, and Jeff Dodge, Senior Vice President of Investor Relations, will meet with investors in Europe later this month. Below is the schedule. Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20060224/CLF037LOGO Gamble and Dodge will present at the J.P. Morgan Business Services Conference in London, England on Thursday, May 12 and meet with investors throughout the day on and meet with investors throughout the day meet with investors in Paris, France on Friday, May 13 Dodge will meet with investors in Stockholm, Sweden on Monday, May 16 on in London, England on Tuesday, May 17 on in Amsterdam, The Netherlands , and Frankfurt, Germany on May 19 Smith and Dodge will present at the Barclays Americas Select Franchise Conference in London, England on Wednesday, May 18 Smith, Gamble, and Dodge will discuss the company's first quarter performance, as well as the strategic outlook for 2016. An archive of the presentation will be available at investor.equifax.com. About Equifax Equifax powers the financial future of individuals and organizations around the world. Using the combined strength of unique trusted data, technology and innovative analytics, Equifax has grown from a consumer credit company into a leading provider of insights and knowledge that helps its customers make informed decisions. The company organizes, assimilates and analyzes data on more than 800 million consumers and more than 88 million businesses worldwide, and its databases include employee data contributed from more than 5,000 employers. Headquartered in Atlanta, Ga., Equifax operates or has investments in 24 countries in North America, Central and South America, Europe and the Asia Pacific region. It is a member of Standard & Poor's (S&P) 500 Index, and its common stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) under the symbol EFX. Equifax employs approximately 9,200 employees worldwide. Some noteworthy achievements for the company include: Ranked 13 on the American Banker FinTech Forward list (2015); named a Top Technology Provider on the FinTech 100 list (2004-2015); named an InformationWeek Elite 100 Winner (2014-2015); named a Top Workplace by Atlanta Journal Constitution (2013-2015); named one of Fortune's World's Most Admired Companies (2011-2015); named one of Forbes' World's 100 Most Innovative Companies (2015). For more information, visit www.equifax.com. Related Links http://www.equifax.com SOURCE Equifax Inc. Haven is pleased to announce a Series A round of $11 million to automate freight procurement and improve global supply chain efficiency SINGAPORE, May 4, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Haven, a Singapore-based company with offices in San Francisco and Basel, is excited to announce its USD $11 million Series A round. The round was led by Spark Capital and joined by new investor AITV, with follow on funding from existing investors O'Reilly Alpha Tech Ventures, Data Collective, and First Round Capital. Kevin Thau, General Partner at Spark Capital, will join the board. Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20151005/274097LOGO Haven launched its online booking platform for ocean freight in March 2014. It has since expanded into a full-service programmatic logistics platform that automates freight procurement for the world's largest commodity traders, food producers, and CPG companies. Haven enables customers by improving execution speed and efficiency, while eliminating the middlemen that introduce unnecessary complexity into the global supply chain. "Rate volatility is currently a serious problem for both sides of the industry," said Haven CEO Matt Tillman. "Freight is the largest variable cost for many shippers and technology has the power to smooth volatility. Incorporating data and increasing automation reduces overall supply chain risk." The new money will be used to grow European and Asian operations and to continue development of Haven's automated platform. Haven recently opened its European headquarters in Basel, Switzerland, and plans to expand the office to better serve European customers. "Transforming commodity transportation gets the materials that build our houses and the food we eat to where we need it, with less friction and at lower cost," said Tillman. "Automating freight procurement will transform global trade, and this financing enables us to remain focused on technology." SOURCE Haven LAUSANNE, Switzerland, May 4, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- IMD's Supervisory Board is delighted to announce the appointment of Jean-Francois Manzoni as the next President of IMD business school, starting January 1st, 2017, for a five-year term. Professor Manzoni currently holds the Shell Chair for Human Resources and Organizational Development at INSEAD in Singapore. Manzoni, a French and Canadian citizen, received his doctorate from Harvard Business School and was Professor of Leadership and Organizational Development at IMD from 2004 to 2011. This appointment follows a succession process that started in summer 2015 with a view to identifying future leadership that will support IMD's long term success in an ever more challenging and competitive global market for executive education. A President search committee composed of three Supervisory Board members, two faculty members and a senior staff representative identified and evaluated numerous internal, as well as over 60 external, candidates. It concluded that Jean-Francois Manzoni is the best suited candidate to lead IMD for the next five years and beyond. The Supervisory Board is looking forward to working with Manzoni as IMD's next President. With his impressive background, global mindset and leadership profile, he is well positioned to develop and implement an inspiring vision for IMD's future. Manzoni said: "Being invited to lead an organization as successful as IMD is a great honor as well as a real challenge. The executive education world is facing increasingly crowded, global and intense competition. We have to keep innovating and finding new ways to create lasting value for executives and organizations. Building on the strong foundation handed over by my predecessor and his team, I will put all my skills, energy and passion into furthering IMD's success." The Supervisory Board is extremely thankful to Prof. Dominique Turpin, IMD's President since 2010, and his Management Team for leading IMD successfully through challenging times. Under his Presidency, IMD strengthened its client base and expanded its global footprint particularly in Asia, with the setting up of the Executive Learning Center in Singapore. Prof. Turpin and his team achieved high levels of innovation and oversaw a strengthening of IMD's processes, its culture and its brand. In 2015 he succeeded in rallying IMD to achieve revenue growth and positive financial results despite challenging macro-economic conditions globally and a massive appreciation of the Swiss franc against other currencies. Prof. Turpin has also been very effective at gaining wider support for IMD from the business community, attracting - for example - the Cisco Chair and Global Center for Digital Business Transformation. He has constructively supported the succession process and will remain with IMD as a Faculty member. He said: "I congratulate Jean-Francois Manzoni on his appointment and I wish him all the best in his exciting, yet challenging new role. I am proud to leave the Presidency with IMD in a position of strength and I will be happy to continue to serve our business school in another capacity." Biography Access the full biography of Jean-Francois Manzoni About IMD IMD is a top-ranked business school, recognized as the expert in developing global leaders through high-impact executive education. IMD is 100% focused on real-world executive development; offers Swiss excellence with a global perspective; and has a flexible, customized and effective approach. IMD is based in Lausanne, Switzerland and has an Executive Learning Center in Singapore. http://www.imd.org PRESS RELEASE Contact: Alessandro Sofia IMD Head of Communications Tel: +41-21-618-0636 Email: alessandro.sofia@imd.org http://www.imd.org SOURCE IMD International Andre Lacroix and the leaders held in-depth talks and discussed how Intertek will continue to support Chinese manufacturers to align their products and supply chains with industry standards and consumers' needs for safety and quality, and to strengthen overall product quality for international and domestic trade. Mr Lacroix said: "China is a very important country for Intertek and we are delighted to witness the commitment of the Chinese government in developing the testing, inspection and certification industry. We will continue to work closely with the government bodies and their industry stakeholders to support the growth of both the domestic and international manufacturing and service industry'. Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160504/363473 During the visit, a memorandum for strategic partnership was signed between CCIC, CQC and Intertek to further develop the cooperation and leveraging of mutual resources between the parties, aimed at providing customers with innovative and bespoke Total Quality Assurance Solutions and Services across different industry sectors. As the first international third party quality and safety service provider entering China in 1989, and with its industry leading technical expertise and its commitment to bringing quality and safety to life, Intertek will continue to support China in promoting technical innovation and quality assurance. About Intertek Intertek is a leading Total Quality Assurance provider to industries worldwide. Our network of more than 1,000 laboratories and offices and over 40,000 people in more than 100 countries, delivers innovative and bespoke Assurance, Testing, Inspection and Certification solutions for our customers' operations and supply chains. www.intertek.com Bringing quality and safety to life Related Links http://www.intertek.com SOURCE Intertek Facilitate Developers Step into China Market HONG KONG, May 4, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- iProperty Group Hong Kong announces its strategic partnership with three major media networks in China, making iProperty a significant bridge between overseas real estate developers and high net worth individuals in China. At the "iProperty Best Development Awards 2015" ceremony held on 29 April, Shenzhen Zunhao Network Technology Co. Ltd was awarded "Best Digital Experience Marketing Solutions Provider", marking the commencement of partnership between the two property flagships. Leveraging Zunhao's powerful network in China, iProperty Hong Kong will be able to provide a landing platform for overseas property projects to tap into the China market with cutting edge promotional platform and strategies. Zunhao is the exclusive strategic partner of Tencent Map. Leveraging Tencent's powerful media networks, the duo can introduce overseas projects to 800 million QQ users and up to 700 million WeChat users. iProperty Group Regional General Manager (Hong Kong & Macau) Ms. Carrie Law said, "The China market is of tremendous importance to overseas property. We are very eager to collaborate with Zunhao and provide our customers with advanced e-marketing strategies. We are to move closely with the market trends and offer the best experience to our target customers, present excellent property projects in an interactive way and rewrite the new order of real estate marketing." Meanwhile, SMART Expo under iProperty also announced its collaboration with Guangzhou Daily, one of the key official media outlets in China. Through their partnership, they will organise iREAL EXPO CHINA overseas property and lifestyle Expo in the end of 2016 in Guangzhou. Apart from introducing overseas property projects to the high net worth population in China, iREAL EXPO CHINA also targets at hosting a series of seminars on international property investment, overseas education, migration, overseas lifestyle and various market information and recommendations. Overseas property developers and agencies may also launch effective marketing campaigns on iREAL EXPO CHINA to tap into the tremendous investor population in Guangdong. iProperty Hong Kong also announced a strategic agreement with China Post, enabling iProperty Hong Kong to make use of the massive national database of China Post for direct mailing and mobile advertisement of overseas property projects. Click here to download a full version of the press release: http://files.gohome.com.hk/press/IPPChinaPartnership.pdf iProperty Group (Hong Kong & Macau) Ms. Laura Ho +852-3576-3154 laura.ho@iproperty.com SOURCE iProperty Group (Hong Kong) LONDON, May 4, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- The International Press Telecommunications Council's (IPTC) Photo Metadata Conference 2016, on May 26 in Zagreb (Croatia, Europe), will focus on how to "Keep Metadata Alive and Intact" throughout the life cycle of images. This annual event will address how information can be properly retained when images are moved from one person or system to the next, or through archiving processes. Speakers administrating the sessions - among the industry's most respected experts in image and data management, digital preservation, information architecture, and photography - will show how metadata is produced, used and preserved in new and innovative ways. "The topic of digital preservation for future generations will be introduced to the conference for the first time," said Sarah Saunders, event speaker and expert in procurement and implementation of Digital Asset Management (DAM) systems. Photo metadata is key for managing digital assets and protecting images' copyright and licensing information. Detailed and accurate descriptions ensure images can be efficiently retrieved through search, by users or machine-readable code, which results in precise tracking and smoother workflow. The morning session will cover two topics with multiple presentations: "Protecting Metadata While Using Social Media," which will discuss results of the IPTC Social Media Photo Metadata Test 2016, including the finding that most photo metadata is removed when uploading or downloading images to many popular social media platforms. Some major media companies will discuss how they protect their metadata through this process. "Strongly Attached Metadata: What You Need to Know," featuring system vendors and speakers from photo businesses as well as a university, will cover how to apply and organize metadata in an efficient way, to keep it alive in distribution chains. "Much time and money is spent to protect metadata in in-house systems," said Michael Steidl, managing director of IPTC and lead of its photo metadata workstream. "Therefore it is a business requirement to protect descriptive data and rights information from getting lost. This conference will raise awareness and share knowledge about how to keep metadata alive." During the afternoon sessions, Steidl will present a close to final draft of the much anticipated "IPTC Video Metadata Hub," a new technical recommendation which has been in development by IPTC since 2014 and is usable across many existing video standards. Saunders will also present the "Cultural Heritage Photo Metadata Panel" for Adobe software, which supports a rich set of metadata for cultural heritage objects shown in images. The panel can be downloaded for free and installed on a computer. The Photo Metadata Conference 2016 will be held again in conjunction with the annual CEPIC Congress, in Zagreb (Croatia). Photographers, small and large photo agencies and libraries, and trade associations from the photo business are all encouraged to attend. Registration is required, either as participant of the CEPIC Congress, or through the Conference's registration form. For a detailed agenda, registration information and speaker bios, see http://www.phmdc.org. About IPTC: The IPTC is a consortium of approximately 50 news agencies, newspapers and news system vendors that develops and publishes technical specifications to promote the easy, accurate and inexpensive sharing of news. The IPTC Photo Metadata Standard is the most widely used standard because of its universal acceptance among photographers, distributors, news organizations, archivists, and developers. The schema defines metadata structure, properties, and fields, so that images are optimally described and easily accessed later. IPTC standards are seamlessly integrated into more than 60 software products - often in subtle ways that are not obvious to customers. Visit the web site http://www.iptc.org or follow @IPTC on Twitter. Media contact: Michael Steidl, IPTC Managing Director Phone: +44-(020)-3178-4922 Email: office@iptc.org SOURCE IPTC The vehicles will be installed with Fleetmatics REVEAL+, which is a powerful yet simple-to-use fleet management solution designed to drive cost savings and improve efficiency. The solution enables enterprise customers with larger fleets, such as An Post, to manage complex organisational structures and large numbers of users, as well as to deliver actionable executive level business intelligence across the entire organisation. "An Post operates one of the largest fleets in Ireland, providing postal services across the country every day, so we really needed a solution that was scalable and efficient," said Paula Butler, Head of Procurement at An Post. "The powerful combination of Fleetmatics' solutions REVEAL+ and Fuel Card integration helps us stay connected to our drivers in real-time, comply with important regulatory requirements and meet our customers' needs with speed and accuracy." "This partnership is especially meaningful given that Fleetmatics has been an Irish company from day one, and we employ hundreds of the country's best and brightest," said Jill Ward, President and Chief Operating Officer of Fleetmatics. "This is our largest contract to date in Ireland, and we're honored that An Post will deploy our cloud-based software to help improve efficiency, drive down costs and improve customer care throughout the organisation." An Post is a major commercial organization providing a wide range of services which encompass postal, communication, retail and financial services. It is one of Ireland's largest companies directly employing over 9,000 people through its national network of retail, processing and delivery points. An Post processes and delivers more than 2.5 million items of mail to more than 2 million addresses using a road fleet of over 2,700 vehicles. About Fleetmatics Group PLC Fleetmatics Group PLC (NYSE: FLTX) is a leading global provider of mobile workforce solutions for service-based businesses of all sizes delivered as software-as-a-service (SaaS). Our solutions enable businesses to meet the challenges associated with managing local fleets, and improve the productivity of their mobile workforces, by extracting actionable business intelligence from real-time and historical vehicle and driver behavioral data. Fleetmatics Group's intuitive, cost-effective Web-based solutions provide fleet operators with visibility into vehicle location, fuel usage, speed and mileage, and other insights into their mobile workforce, enabling them to reduce operating and capital costs, as well as increase revenue. An integrated, full-featured mobile workforce management product provides additional efficiencies related to job management by empowering the field worker and speeding the job completion process quote through payment. As of March 31, 2016, Fleetmatics served approximately 37,000 customers and approximately 737,000 subscribed vehicles worldwide. To learn more about Fleetmatics, visit www.fleetmatics.com. Media Contact: Juli Burda Fleetmatics juli.burda@fleetmatics.com +1 (847) 378-4398 Anna McHugh Head of Corporate Communications An Post Tel: (01) 705 8832 Mobile: 086 2530697 www.anpost.ie t: @postvox.ie Related Links http://www.fleetmatics.com SOURCE Fleetmatics Group PLC This financing announcement comes as AcceleDent is now available in more than 3,000 orthodontic locations in North America and nearly 800 international locations. OrthoAccel's 80 percent increase in sales in 2015 is fueled by the orthodontic industry's continued adoption of the benefits of accelerated treatment with AcceleDent. "We are proud to have esteemed and knowledgeable investment partners who believe in OrthoAccel's vision to revolutionize the orthodontic industry through innovation that enhances the patient experience," said Michael K. Lowe, president and CEO of OrthoAccel. "Continuing to build on another year of dynamic sales growth and market penetration, this investment provides the resources needed to realize our next stage of market share growth." Lowe added that OrthoAccel's expansion plans include aggressive revenue growth internationally and in North America. The company is actively adding 18 new sales representatives, with nine dedicated to expanding direct sales in Europe. Headquartered in Houston, OrthoAccel's growth plans include adding 30 employees to support functions such as marketing, innovation, operations and clinical education. "We have been impressed with the rapid growth of OrthoAccel to date," said Tom Schnettler, Piper Jaffray vice chairman and managing director of merchant banking. "The AcceleDent technology represents a significant advancement in orthodontic treatment technology for patients and positively impacts orthodontic practices at the same time, creating a large global market opportunity for the company." A leading investment bank and asset management firm, Piper Jaffray Companies (NYSE: PJC) is a longstanding leader in healthcare investment banking with a significant focus on medical technology. Piper Jaffray Merchant Banking, the private equity arm of Piper Jaffray, manages growth equity investment funds that invest within the firm's areas of industry focus, including medical technology and information-driven healthcare technologies. Looking to the second half of 2016 and 2017, Lowe says, "This round of funding will drive our company to capture even more of the global market share in accelerated orthodontics, reinforcing our position as the leader of this category." With a growing body of clinical evidence and high patient satisfaction scores, AcceleDent is being incorporated as standard of care in many practices because orthodontists are finding that AcceleDent resolves the two most common barriers to treatment length of treatment and discomfort while improving practice efficiencies and economics. AcceleDent is the most common accelerated treatment technique used by orthodontists according to the Journal of Clinical Orthodontics. A hands-free, noninvasive medical device, AcceleDent employs patented SoftPulse Technology that accelerates tooth and bone movement at the cellular level with 20 minutes of daily patient use. For more information, visit AcceleDent.com. About OrthoAccel Technologies, Inc. OrthoAccel Technologies, Inc. is a privately owned medical device company engaged in the creation, manufacturing, marketing and sales of innovative solutions that enhance dental care and orthodontic treatment. Among the company's innovations is AcceleDent, an FDA-cleared, Class II medical device that speeds up orthodontic treatment by as much as 50 percent and reduces discomfort associated with orthodontic treatment. OrthoAccel, the Leader in Accelerated Orthodontics, has received positive feedback from patients and leading orthodontists from around the world who recommend the award-winning AcceleDent as the fast, safe and gentle solution to accelerate orthodontic treatment. Ranked on Deloitte's 2015 Technology Fast 500 as one of the fastest growing companies in North America, OrthoAccel is based in Houston, Texas and maintains a global presence through its EMEA office in Essen, Germany. To learn more about OrthoAccel's focus on improving the journey to healthy, beautiful smiles, visit AcceleDent.com. Related Links http://www.acceledent.com SOURCE OrthoAccel Technologies, Inc. Conservation hero to receive a quarter of a million dollars for his victories in endangered species recovery LONDON and INDIANAPOLIS, May 4, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Indianapolis Prize officials will announce today Professor Carl Jones as the Winner of the world's leading award for animal conservation. In recognition of his major victories in saving animal species from extinction, Jones joins the ranks of Indianapolis Prize Winners, some of the most accomplished conservationists on Earth. Officials from the Indianapolis Prize will announce Jones as the Winner of the Prize at a celebratory ceremony with Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust today at the London Natural History Museum at 2 p.m. BST/ 9 a.m. EDT. Additionally, the event will include an expert panel discussion about the future of animal conservation. As the 2016 Indianapolis Prize Winner, Jones, Chief Scientist of the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust and Scientific Director of the Mauritian Wildlife Foundation, will receive an unrestricted $250,000 cash award and the Lilly Medal. "The Indianapolis Prize has two primary functions," said Michael I. Crowther, President & CEO of the Indianapolis Zoological Society, which administers the award. "First, it rewards and honors animal conservationists who are actually achieving notable successes. Secondly, it provides them with a more effective platform from which they can tell the stories of their work to a wide range of audiences especially the public." Spanning almost 40 years of work in Mauritius, Jones has brought back at least nine species from the brink of extinction including the Mauritius kestrel, pink pigeon, echo parakeet, Rodrigues warbler and Rodrigues fody, and has worked to restore the populations of many more species. Through programs that implement hands-on animal husbandry techniques developed in contemporary zoological institutions, Jones has delivered results that are truly awe-inspiring: of the 63 bird, mammal and amphibian species worldwide that have been down-listed on the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List as a result of conservation initiatives, he has led the recovery efforts for six of them. "I know of no other conservationist who has directly saved so many species from extinction," said Dr. Simon N. Stuart, Chair of the IUCN Species Survival Commission, who nominated Jones for the award. "Winning the 2016 Indianapolis Prize is undoubtedly one of the highlights of my career," said Jones. "It's a great accolade not just for me, but for Gerry Durrell and the people who have made this work possible over the years. I'm particularly proud of this award because it validates the conservation of animals like Telfair's skinks and pink pigeons that are not megavertebrates, but provide critically important ecosystem services nonetheless." A Legacy Lives On Jones is a declared disciple of the iconic British animal conservationist, Gerald "Gerry" Durrell, and like his mentor, he has a talent for bold missions. In the late 1970s, Jones traveled to the Republic of Mauritius the island home of the famously-extinct dodo bird to save another species that conservationists before him considered a lost cause: the Mauritius kestrel. At the time, just four kestrels remained in the wild, making it the rarest bird in the world. Jones not only prevented the Mauritius kestrels' extinction, but also expanded their number substantially by releasing more than 300 captive-bred birds over one decade. "Carl is living proof that by having the courage, talent and vision to take small steps, we can win victories for species large and small," said Lee Durrell, MBE, Ph.D., and Honorary Director for Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust. "Not only has Carl built upon the legacy left by Gerry, but he's created his own one that will endure for generations to come. We at Durrell are thrilled to have his remarkable work recognized by the Indianapolis Prize." A Commitment to Species and Ecosystems Jones recognizes the need to restore entire ecosystems, rather than just simply focusing on a species. When he approached the various politicians and decision makers in Mauritius with evidence of his success breeding kestrels, they responded, "We now need to have somewhere to look after them." This spurred the expansion of Jones' work from restoring individual species to restoring habitats. In 1994, he served as a key advisor to the Mauritian government to establish Black River Gorges National Park, the country's first. As a result of Jones' vision, work to restore nine highly-degraded Mascarene offshore islands, including Round Island, one of the world's most important and long-standing island restoration projects, is currently underway. Jones is credited with championing the idea of "ecological replacement," a conservation tactic in which species outside of their historic range act as analogues to fulfill important ecological roles once held by extinct species. His projects include Aldabra tortoises, first brought to the island at the request of Charles Darwin in the late 1800s. Hope for the Future of Conservation "Professor Jones' achievements on the islands of Mauritius bear wide-ranging global significance," said Crowther. "His conservation approach includes techniques that can be adapted and scaled for ecosystems in other areas of the world where species are at risk of extinction. His captive breeding and reintroduction programs now serve as models for what can be achieved elsewhere." Jones is committed to training and inspiring young Mauritians to build on his legacy and the island's conservation capacity. As a charismatic leader, Jones grew his program team in Mauritius into a conservation organization in its own right now the Mauritian Wildlife Foundation (MWF). Today, MWF is one of the region's foremost conservation NGOs. Over the last 30 years, more than 800 people have trained alongside Jones, and many now are working professionally in conservation or biology. Born and raised in Wales, Jones received his masters and doctorate from the University of Wales in Swansea. He currently splits his time between Wales and Mauritius for his work. Jones will be formally honored at the 2016 Indianapolis Prize Gala presented by Cummins Inc. on Oct. 15, 2016 in Indianapolis. He was selected by a jury of distinguished conservation leaders from a respected pool of Finalists, who each will receive $10,000. They include: Joel Berger, Ph.D.: (Wildlife Conservation Society, Colorado State University) Dr. Berger strives to save flagship species like the muskox in the Arctic tundra and the wild yak of the alpine on the Tibetan Plateau. Beyond studying migration paths for large mammals, Berger's actionable conservation models help researchers understand populations as modern metaphors for climate change. Berger was also a Finalist for the 2014 Indianapolis Prize. Dee Boersma, Ph.D.: (Penguin Sentinels, University of Washington Department of Biology) Penguins, as sentinels of our oceans, have no greater champion than Dr. Boersma. For more than four decades she has studied Galapagos penguins, showing how these seabirds are indicators of environmental change. She has followed the lives of Argentina's Magellanic penguins to help strengthen protections and conservation efforts for colonies, using her science to prevent harvesting, reduce oiling and secure marine protected areas. Rodney Jackson, Ph.D.: (Snow Leopard Conservancy) One of the world's foremost experts on the elusive, endangered snow leopard, Dr. Jackson endures harsh winters and dangerous terrain to track these "ghosts of the mountain" and teach locals how to coexist peacefully with them. Jackson was also a Finalist for the 2008, 2010 and 2012 Indianapolis Prize. Carl Safina, Ph.D.: (The Safina Center at Stony Brook University) A crusader for the ocean and its creatures, Dr. Safina works to effectively connect humans with marine species. He has pioneered innovative approaches to studying species ranging from reef coral to whales, and established a sustainable seafood program, bringing science-based criteria to consumers. Safina was also a Finalist for the 2010 and 2014 Indianapolis Prize. Amanda Vincent, Ph.D.: (Project Seahorse, University of British Columbia) Among the first to study seahorses underwater, Dr. Vincent helped put the world's 47 species on the global conservation agenda. Initiating the first seahorse conservation project, her programs have led to 35 no-take marine protected areas, the first global export controls for marine fishes and a bold new citizen science venture, iSeahorse. Vincent was also a Finalist for the 2010 Indianapolis Prize. A History of Indianapolis Prize Winners The Indianapolis Prize was first awarded in 2006 to George Archibald, Ph.D., the co-founder of the International Crane Foundation. The 2008 Winner was George Schaller, Ph.D., known as one of the founding fathers of modern wildlife conservation, and both a senior conservationist for the Wildlife Conservation Society and vice president for Panthera. In 2010, Iain Douglas-Hamilton, Ph.D., founder of Save the Elephants, received the Prize for his pioneering research in elephant social behavior and for leading the way in the fight against the poaching of African elephants. Steven Amstrup, Ph.D., chief scientist for Polar Bears International, received the 2012 Prize for his work promoting the cause of the world's largest land carnivore. In 2014, Patricia C. Wright, Ph.D., founder of Centre ValBio, became the first woman awarded the Indianapolis Prize for her dedication to protecting Madagascar's lemurs. ABOUT THE INDIANAPOLIS PRIZE: The Indianapolis Prize recognizes and rewards conservationists who have achieved major victories in advancing the sustainability of an animal species or group of species. The Indianapolis Prize has received support from the Eli Lilly and Company Foundation since its inception. ABOUT DURRELL WILDLIFE CONSERVATION TRUST: Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust is an international charity working to save species from extinction. Headquartered in Jersey in the Channel Islands, Durrell focuses on the most threatened species in the most threatened places. Related Links http://www.indianapolisprize.org SOURCE Indianapolis Prize COPENHAGEN, Denmark, May 4, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Saxo Bank, the multi-asset trading and investment specialist announces that more than 55% of total revenue from private clients is generated from trades on SaxoTraderGO. Today, exactly a year after the launch of SaxoTraderGO, the platform is Saxo Bank's most popular platform across all client segments. Half a year ago, SaxoTraderGO was rolled out to the bank's white label partners and today more than 100 white label partners are live with GO, offering their end clients the platform in the 28 supported languages. Bolstering the client experience, Saxo Bank celebrates the milestone by unveiling the new global equities market overview on SaxoTraderGO incorporating a number of new modules: Indices, Gainers and Losers, News, Calendar Events and Overview Chart. SaxoTraderGO, which has been written entirely in HTML5, pioneers the trading industry's definitive move towards seamless trading on multiple devices and away from legacy proprietary systems of the past. The launch of SaxoTraderGO also marked Saxo's commitment to giving access to its trading infrastructure through the bank's OpenAPI. The move, which covers Saxo's multi-asset trading and back office infrastructure, allows clients and external developers to access over 20 years of trading infrastructure innovation. The OpenAPI allows clients and White Labels to customise and enhance their trading experience. Last month Saxo announced that users of Wallstreet CN, one of the most popular financial content providers in Greater China, will be able to access and trade Forex on their platform by leveraging the power of the OpenAPI. Christian Hammer, Head of Platforms, Saxo Bank said "Our initial design focus was to make the new trading and investment platform as intuitive and simple as possible while providing clients access more than 35,000 instruments across ETFs, stocks, bonds, CFDs, Forex, Futures and Options from one account." And over the course of the rest of 2016, SaxoTraderGO will be further upgraded with a number of new features such as fully integrated technical analysis, new stock screener, option chain and the ability for White Label partners to upload own content. Since its launch, SaxoTraderGO has been given a number of upgrades: Global equity markets overview Charts now supports a multi-screen setup Login using touchID on supported devices Chat directly with Saxo service staff through web, tablet and mobile Equity research with deep fundamental data on more than 10,000 global stocks And over the course of the rest of 2016, SaxoTraderGO will be further upgraded with a number of new features such as fully integrated technical analysis, new stock screener, option chain and the ability for White Label partners to upload own content. Christian Hammer continues, "One of the most interesting new services we offer on SaxoTraderGO is an automated investment and trading service called SaxoSelect. It allows clients to invest in various strategies that are automatically re-balanced by Saxo Bank while clients maintain full visibility and can see the individual holdings in SaxoTraderGO. For instance we offer well diversified investment portfolios based on ETFs in cooperation with BlackRock. It is unique to offer clients the possibility to both pick their own trades as well as invest into managed portfolios all from SaxoTraderGO." About Saxo Bank Group The Saxo Bank Group (Saxo) is an online multi-asset trading and investment specialist, offering a complete set of trading and investment technologies, tools and strategies. A fully licensed and regulated bank, Saxo enables private and institutional clients to easily trade multiple assets from a single margin account on multiple devices seamlessly. Saxo's award winning trading technology platforms are available in more than 20 languages and form the technology backbone of more than 100 financial institutions worldwide. Saxo also offers traditional banking services through Saxo Privatbank in select markets. Founded in 1992 and headquartered in Copenhagen, Saxo employs 1500 people in 25 offices across the five continents. SOURCE Saxo Bank ROME, May 4, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- The Scrambler Therapy has been developed in Italy for the treatment of chronic neuropathic and oncologic pain resistant to opiates and other types of treatment by the Italian researcher Prof. Giuseppe Marineo, the inventor of this therapy and ST technology of these devices. (Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20150615/749041 ) Scrambler Therapy Technology development in the US Delta International Service & Logistics' main goal in the US is to create the conditions to fully implement the methodology in line with the original standards which are the only ones to guarantee a meaningful increase of success rates in hospitals and independent clinical trials, create better conditions for insurance reimbursement, develop an efficient distribution chain throughout the United States. The current sales network includes 27 States. By the end of 2016 it plans to cover all the United States. Exclusive DIS&L reference in the U.S: Richard J. Erickson, Advanced Pain Solutions, Inc, U.S. Domestic Operations apsinc2@gmail.com, +1-406-249-0424 Cell., +1-406-862-2016 Fax, http://www.st-team.eu 6419 Hirondel Street, Houston, TX 77087. Excellence and training centers These centers guarantee an optimal quality system for ST usage including ST-NET support, a clinical "intelligent" network based on a dedicated software designed exclusively for Scrambler Therapy. This software informs in real time the operator of possible critical features, suggests most fit treatment protocols for any patient, allows to monitor parameters that guarantee quality system for the certified centers. Pain Care Clinic of Idaho is the first Center in the US to have the Certificate of Conformity to the Scrambler Therapy Quality System. Dr. Edmund C. Boese M.D., D.A.B.A., D.A.B.M.A. who runs the center, has been certified as a Scrambler Therapy trainer. Insurance DIS&L has collaboration agreements in the US and Europe with prestigious international clinical research centers to realize RCTs aimed at consolidating and completing the insertion of Scrambler Therapy in healthcare insurance. Save your investment If you own a Scrambler Therapy by returning it you can buy a new one at a discounted rate and get a two year warranty. The offer that expires on December 31, 2016, is valid only for the devices purchased before December 2015. About Delta International Service & Logistics DIS&L is an agency created for the international development of Scrambler Therapy, and selecting of medical device distributors in all international area. DIS&L through its law firm is the only company authorized to sign international exclusive agreements, provide maintenance and distributor support for method usage training and other logistics needs. For more information visit http://www.st-team.eu/news.htm. About Scrambler Therapy Scrambler Therapy scientific research and development technology have been developed in Italy by Professor Giuseppe Marineo, who is the sole owner of its intellectual property rights. The official "Scrambler Therapy" scientific and clinical information website is at http://www.scramblertherapy.org/english.htm ). FDA 510(k) Clearance: # K142666, CE Certified: #CE 0476) About Pain Care Clinic of Idaho Certified with the Scrambler Therapy Quality System Edmund C. Boese M.D., D.A.B.A., D.A.B.M.A., official Scrambler Therapy Trainer. 742 E. State Street, Eagle, Idaho, 83616 Phone: +1-208-939-3750, Fax: +1-208-939-3754, info@pccofid.com, paincareclinicofidaho.com About GEOMC Co., LTD GEOMC Co., LTD is the exclusive licensed manufacturer of the patent-protected Scrambler Therapy Technology for Delta International Services & Logistics. SOURCE Delta International Services & Logistics LONDON, May 4, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Shreya Ukil, a senior female executive who took on Wipro, a large outsourcing firm, has won an equal pay, sex discrimination, unfair dismissal and victimisation case, which she brought against her former employer. (Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160504/10145446 ) Ms. Ukil claimed that the leadership team at the outsourcing firm Wipro, including CEO TK Kurien, conspired to push her out of her job and out of her UK role. The damning judgment found that "direction had come from the very top and was followed through with considerable resolve." The tribunal found that Ms. Ukil was victimised by Wipro's leadership team for speaking up about sex discrimination, unequal pay and a culture of sexism. Ms. Ukil who worked with Wipro for almost 10 years, won multi-million dollar contracts for the firm and received numerous performance awards, started raising concerns in 2012, which went unheeded. Instead of addressing Ms. Ukil's concerns, a series of decisions were made by management behind the scenes, including Inderpreet Sawhney, Wipro's Chief Legal Counsel; Saurabh Govil, Global Head, HR and Wipro CEO, TK Kurien in a bid to remove Ms. Ukil from her role in London. The tribunal inferred that "steps were thereafter taken to ensure that she was not able to move anywhere else in Europe." The tribunal outlined that "the view was taken that the risk of [Ms. Ukil] causing difficulty by taking some further action on that allegation [of sex discrimination] would be most effectively contained or averted, were she to be removed to India." Ms. Ukil was further required to sign an indemnity by the Chief Legal Counsel to waive all claims against the company that she might make, as Wipro became increasingly fearful of claims of sexual harassment she might make against a senior management team member. Having lost all faith, Ms. Ukil raised her final grievances with Wipro's Chairman, Azim Premji, who assured her of a fair and impartial investigation. However, the grievance investigation dismissed Ms. Ukil's claims, and she was immediately disciplined. Ms. Ukil resigned from her role in September 2014 in an email to Chairman Azim Premji. Her resignation was not accepted and she was fired four days later whilst still on sick leave. The tribunal found that comments made by Wipro employees, Sid Sharma and George Joseph on separate occasions reflected an "extra undercurrent of sexism in their attitudes" towards Ms. Ukil, with remarks that "plainly conveyed a sexist innuendo." It was noted that comments about Ms. Ukil being "extremely shrill, shallow and uneuropean" by Sid Sharma, a former colleague of Ms. Ukil, were "sexist" and potentially amounted to race discrimination. The investigation into those claims by Ms. Ukil, conducted by Ms. Sunita Cherian, Senior VP and Wipro's Global Head of Gender Diversity, was heavily criticized by the tribunal who stated that "Ms. Cherian found the complaint unfounded despite compelling evidence to the contrary" and that "this amounted to detrimental treatment because the claimant [Ms. Ukil] had made the allegation." Ms. Ukil was also successful in an equal pay claim against Wipro after she discovered she was paid significantly less than her male colleagues who were doing the same work. The outsourcing firm defended themselves at the tribunal by stating that Ms. Ukil's significantly lower pay was justified based on their pay policies which took into account an employee's origin, gender and marital status, amongst other factors. The judgment read that Wipro's pay policies appeared to be "tainted with gender discrimination." Ms. Ukil's employment lawyers, Slater and Gordon, said, "Ms. Ukil is pleased that the tribunal found against Wipro and that it recognized that senior members of Wipro's leadership were directing matters to remove Ms. Ukil from her team and from the UK altogether. She was not afforded even a fair hearing by her employer prior to her dismissal whilst on sick leave." "She was an incredibly hard working, diligent and successful employee and did not deserve to be treated this way." "Being subject to this on-going discrimination and victimisation has taken its toll on Ms. Ukil and her health suffered as a result, but she demonstrated great strength and incredible resolve in coming forward and fighting for justice." Ms. Ukil said, "I hope that following this judgment, companies will again reconsider their treatment of female employees, ensuring they are treated fairly and equally." She said, "I am incredibly grateful for the innumerable messages of support I have received from men and women alike. It was a fight for respect and equality and as hard as it has been, if I had to fight it again, I would, with all my heart." SOURCE Slater and Gordon Lawyers Industry Marketing and Communications Veteran to Help Stack Overflow Evangelize Growing Offerings for Developers and Businesses NEW YORK, May 4, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Stack Overflow, the world's largest online community for programmers to learn, share their knowledge and advance their careers, today announced the hiring of Adrianna Burrows as its Chief Marketing Officer (CMO). The hiring represents Stack Overflow's continued commitment to empowering developers and those that want to make developers great. "We believe developers are writing the script for the future," said Joel Spolsky, chief executive officer and co-founder, Stack Overflow. "Adrianna Burrows shares our passion for helping developers and brings a wealth of expertise, experience, and leadership to the company. As CMO, Adrianna will help us make sure the entire developer community knows the amazing benefits they can get through Stack Overflow and help both our brand and business grow." As CMO, Burrows will be responsible for all global corporate marketing functions including branding, communications, digital marketing and demand generation. She will join the Stack Overflow executive team, helping support the company's continued expansion into services that make developers' lives better, including Stack Careers the best place for developers to showcase their unique story and reach employers that understand and prioritize their talents. "Stack Overflow is changing the way the world thinks about and supports one of the most important parts of the modern workforce the developer," said Adrianna Burrows, chief marketing officer, stack overflow. "I'm honored and thrilled to join the talented team here and be a part of Stack Overflow's industry-changing mission." Burrows was previously general manager of Windows marketing at Microsoft where she spent five years leading product marketing, business strategy, global channel strategy, brand communications, co-marketing initiatives and worldwide marketing strategy across over 190 countries. As part of her leadership, the recent launch of Windows 10 saw a record number of downloads. Prior to joining Microsoft, Burrows spent thirteen years with WE Communications / Waggener Edstrom as an executive in multiple worldwide office locations, supporting clients ranging from startups and AMD, to Microsoft Office and Microsoft Windows. About Stack Overflow Stack Overflow is the largest, most trusted online community for developers to learn, share their knowledge, and advance their careers. More than 40 million professional and aspiring programmers visit Stack Overflow each month to help solve coding problems, develop new skills, and find job opportunities. Founded in 2008, Stack Overflow partners with brands and employers to help them understand, reach, and attract the world's developers. For more information, visit business.stackoverflow.com. Are you a developer looking for the next great challenge? Check out Stack Overflow Careers where you can tell your story, get job opportunities customized to your interests and find your dream job on your terms. Get started today at http://stackoverflow.com/jobs Are you a business looking for great developers? Look no further than Stack Overflow Careers. The demand for technical talent far exceeds the supply and average recruiting practices just don't reach the developer talent you need. Get better ROI and faster results on your technical talent search at http://business.stackoverflow.com/careers/ Related Links: http://stackoverflow.com/company/management Related Links http://business.stackoverflow.com SOURCE Stack Overflow Global Operator Reimagines Mobile Experience for Millennials REDWOOD CITY, California, May 4, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, ItsOn and Saudi Telecommunications Company (STC), which serves more than 100 million customers, announced the imminent launch of a new digital mobile brand, Jawwy from STC, to be available before the end of the month. Jawwy from STC is designed to meet the increasing demands of mobile customers in Saudi Arabia. In this partnership, STC will use ItsOn's cloud-based platform to build and launch the disruptive new carrier brand as part of its broader digital transformation. "We needed to develop a new offering for digitally-savvy young people," said Dr. Khaled Biyari, CEO of STC Group. "The millennials of today's Saudi Arabia exemplify the ongoing shift in consumer behavior and expectations. They live in an always-on, real-time world and they expect companies to cater to them in the same way. Jawwy is a significant part of STC's current digital transformation and we believe this initiative will set the pace for the telecom sector in KSA and beyond." Saudi Arabia has one of the world's highest penetration rates of smartphones, social media and online platforms, and Saudis under the age of 30 comprise around 65 percent of the population. This has led STC to adopt new approaches to better meet the evolving needs of young, digitally-savvy customers, including the launch of Jawwy from STC. This launch will deliver new, innovative capabilities and services to this customer segment, including: Rapid service activation leveraging existing social network credentials Personalized plan creation and management Real-time transparency of plans and usage consumption Contextual and personalized mobile commerce bundles and offers New service sharing capabilities across devices, accounts or family members e-Commerce with delivery and pick-up options Online, social and peer-to-peer customer support Unlike other operators, customers do not need to purchase a new device to enjoy the benefits of the Jawwy service. These new digital experiences are made accessible to all consumers by simply purchasing a Jawwy SIM card and downloading the Jawwy application all powered by the ItsOn platform. This first-of-its-kind app will be available in both iOS and Android versions. To ensure that this transformational initiative is deep-rooted and sustainable, STC has set up a dedicated digital business unit to design, develop and operate Jawwy. The new team's mandate is to innovate by reimagining solutions for the current issues and evolving needs of a new generation. "ItsOn's transformational technology is a leap forward for mobile service delivery in Saudi Arabia, allowing us to create a truly breakthrough digital mobile brand," said Subhra Das, CEO of Jawwy from STC. "Consumers across the world increasingly demand a better mobile experience with more control, transparency and personalization of their plans, which wouldn't normally be possible due to the limitations of legacy systems. ItsOn will help us deliver the most enjoyable mobile digital experience to our users." As operators seek new opportunities to grow their business beyond traditional voice, text and data services, ItsOn enables them to deliver new digital capabilities, services and bundles to consumers through an amazing and appealing real-time end-user experience. The platform automates key operator business and operational support functions - such as billing, charging, rating, policy, activation, marketing and on-device purchases - to deliver a superior digital consumer experience. Today's announcement proves how ItsOn can rapidly integrate with mobile operators, enable them to launch a variety of new digital services, and provide a seamless, digital consumer experience. "Jawwy from STC is a visionary brand that believes in offering its customers simplicity, transparency and trust. The digital experiences it will deliver to its customers directly align with this intent," said Greg Raleigh, CEO and founder of ItsOn. "We designed our platform and our company for just this type of partnership to seamlessly integrate with operators, so they can quickly become a digital service provider, engage better with users and increase customer loyalty. STC and Jawwy deserve great recognition for implementing this innovative, customer-centric digital service delivery infrastructure and brand." About STC Headquartered in Riyadh, Saudi Telecom Group is the largest telecommunications company in the Middle East and North Africa based on market value, with revenues of 50,836,000,000 billion riyals ($13,556,000,000) in realizable revenue in 2015 and 9,334,000,000 billion riyals ($2,489,000,000 dollars) of net income. STC was established in 1998 and currently has about 100,000,000 customers worldwide and serves customers through a fiber-optic network that spans 137,000 kilometers across Asia, the Middle East and Europe. In Saudi Arabia (the group's major market) STC operates the largest modern mobile network in the Middle East covering over 99% of the country's populated areas in addition to providing 4G mobile broadband service to over 85% of the population of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Besides its wholly-owned main operation in Saudi Arabia, STC's investments include 100% ownership of Viva Bahrain, 51.8% of Viva Kuwait (along with a management contract), 35% of Oger Telecom Limited in UAE (which controls Turk Telecom, Avea in Turkey, Cell-C in South Africa, and 25% of Binariang GSM Holding in Malaysia which controls Maxis in Malaysia and Aircel in India). In addition to the above, STC has other investments in information technology, content, distribution, contact centers and real estate, all of which support its telecommunications operations across the Middle East. About Jawwy from STC Jawwy from STC is a new digital mobile experience for today's digital millennials. We say it is 'Personal mobile service, in an app.' It has its own SIM, app and freshly designed digital channels for buying and receiving support. With the app, users can build, manage and share their plan in real time, giving them complete control over the services they buy and use. The app is available in iOS and Android versions. To know more, please visit jawwy.sa. About ItsOn ItsOn is a proven leader in the telecommunications industry, having fundamentally changed how mobile services are delivered and consumed. The company launched its services platform for mobile operators in the U.S. and globally last year, and counts both Sprint and Virgin Mobile as customers. ItsOn investors include Andreessen Horowitz, Tenaya Capital, Vodafone Ventures, Verizon Investments, Cisco and Delta Capital Partners. The company is privately held and headquartered in Redwood City, CA. For more information, please visit www.itsoninc.com or follow @ItsOnInc on Twitter. Alex Ingram alex@inkhouse.com 415-299-6586 Related Links http://www.itsoninc.com SOURCE ItsOn AMSTERDAM, May 4, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- What can you do in 30 minutes? Catch up on your favourite sitcom? Burn 180 calories on an exercise bike? Clean the bathroom? Or break a Guinness World Records title? (Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160504/363641LOGO ) (Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160504/363642 ) That is what over 600 employees from Teva have done. Taking a break from their day jobs in areas such as finance, marketing, human resources and sales, colleagues from across Europe simultaneously spent half an hour breathing their way to a Guinness World Records title through an international breathing class. Healthcare company Teva, which has its European headquarters in Amsterdam, is now recognised as the inaugural holders of the record for "The World's Largest Breathing Lesson". The breathing lessons were held at many of the company's European sites and led by fully qualified yoga teachers. They followed a strict format to comply with Guinness World Records' requirements and were all independently verified. The lessons focused on inhalation, temporary suspension of breath, right- and left-nostril breathing, finishing with the "lion's breath". "This Guinness World Records attempt demonstrates our commitment to respiratory care and represents the significant change that we can make together," said Luca Frangoni, Head Respiratory Europe. "People often forget what a burden respiratory disease can be for the individuals affected, their families, and the health systems. Supporting the millions of people in Europe with asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is at the centre of our business and that's why we've done this record attempt, to raise awareness and demonstrate this commitment for the respiratory community in a new and creative way. Teva aims to help empower patients to play a more active role in the management of their condition. Ultimately we want to give these patients the opportunity to have a better day," he added. Notes to Editors: About respiratory disease Respiratory disease describes a range of conditions that affect the air passages, including the nasal passages, the bronchi and the lungs. They range from acute infections, such as pneumonia and bronchitis, to chronic conditions such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). About asthma Asthma is a chronic lung condition that causes inflammation and tightening of the airways. In Europe, 30 million children and adults under 45 live with asthma, and 6 million of them suffer from severe symptoms.[1] The total cost of asthma in Europe is 17.7 billion EUR per year, and productivity loss due to patients' poor control of their asthma is estimated at 9.8 billion EUR per year.[1 ] About COPD COPD is a group of conditions which include emphysema and chronic bronchitis. It is a progressive disease that affects approximately 4-10% of all adults in European countries, is currently ranked sixth on the World Health Organisation's mortality list, and will be the third leading cause of death by 2020.[2] COPD accounts for almost half of the total annual financial burden of lung disease in Europe of 141.4 billion. It accounts for more time off work than any other illness and each year it is estimated that 32.8 billion are lost due to reduced productivity of COPD patients.[2 ] About the Guinness World Records attempt: To be eligible to achieve the Guinness World Records title, there had to be a minimum of 25 people at each Teva site, stewards and independent adjudicators, and all of the classes were recorded to verify the record attempt. References: European Federation of Allergy and Airways Diseases Patients' Association, Asthma Explained, http://www.efanet.org/get-advice/asthma [accessed 21/04/16] European Federation of Allergy and Airways Diseases Patients' Association, COPD Explained http://www.efanet.org/get-advice/copd [accessed 21/04/16] About Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. (NYSE and TASE:TEVA) is a leading global pharmaceutical company that delivers high-quality, patient-centric healthcare solutions used by millions of patients every day. Headquartered in Israel, Teva is the world's largest generic medicines producer, leveraging its portfolio of more than 1,000 molecules to produce a wide range of generic products in nearly every therapeutic area. In specialty medicines, Teva has a world-leading position in innovative treatments for disorders of the central nervous system, including pain, as well as a strong portfolio of respiratory products. Teva integrates its generics and specialty capabilities in its global research and development division to create new ways of addressing unmet patient needs by combining drug development capabilities with devices, services and technologies. Teva's net revenues in 2015 amounted to $19.7 billion. For more information, visit http://www.tevapharm.com. SOURCE Teva Pharmaceuticals Europe BV SAN FRANCISCO, NEW YORK, and LONDON, May 4, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Vaultize (http://www.vaultize.com), the enterprise file security leader, announced that Jim Mongillo has joined as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the company. Jim has played pivotal leadership roles in several successful start-ups and Fortune 1000 companies - Illustra (acquired by Informix), WebLogic (acquired by BEA), Oracle Corporation, Jive Software (IPO), Servio CEO (acquired by Crowdsource), and Swrve. He brings to Vaultize significant international sales management, marketing, business development and channel partner credentials in the United States and Europe. (Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130710/626741 ) "We are excited to have Jim on board to lead the company. He is a seasoned leader with a track record of operational excellence, selling software to enterprises, and delivering innovative products in high growth markets" said Anand Kekre, Executive Chairman & Co-founder of Vaultize. "With the new management structure we are beginning a new phase of our journey to accelerate further on our sales and marketing strategy, and continuing to execute on our vision to be the world-leader in enterprise file security by protecting and securing corporate documents throughout the lifecycle - helping enterprise meet compliance and data governance objectives". "I am excited to be joining Vaultize as CEO. We have a tremendous opportunity in the market place and offer a next generation platform that will change the face of the entire industry. Overall ease of use, set up and compliance all in one place along with multiple deployment options simply set Vaultize apart from any other current vendor in the space", said Jim Mongillo, CEO of Vaultize. Vaultize achieved accelerated growth of over 500% for financial year 2015-16 with the addition of several large enterprise customers across geographies and verticals. This strong performance was attributed to the existing channel partnerships, establishing new relationships and, expanding further in North America, South America, Europe and Africa. Vaultize provides end-to-end file security such that the corporate documents are secured and protected throughout the lifecycle - at-rest, in-motion and in-use. With enterprise digital rights management (eDRM), the protection and security of documents now stretch beyond the corporate perimeter and managed company devices - to even third-party devices. The documents that are delivered to third-parties stay in control of enterprise IT and document owners - such that they can remotely change (and even revoke) access rights to shared files even after delivery. Vaultize is the only enterprise file security platform that offers enterprise file sync and share (EFSS) and mobile collaboration fully integrated with enterprise digital rights management (eDRM) and data protection, while enabling secure access and sharing for employees within corporate compliance and data governance framework. Vaultize's US patented technology Vault KNOX performs military-grade encryption of data together with de-duplication on user devices at the source itself - making it the most secure and efficient file sharing solution in the world. Vaultize's unique data containerization process provides unprecedented security down to the file level, liberating users form relying on third-party security protocols. About Vaultize: Vaultize is an award-winning privately held company that provides enterprise file sharing, VPN-free secure anywhere access and mobile collaboration with DRM, MCM and policy-based endpoint backup. It has presence in 50+ countries - including the US, Europe, APAC, Middle East and Africa, through network of resellers, distributors, system integrators and MSPs. A free virtual appliance with 10-user perpetual license is available for download. Follow us on Vaultize Blog, Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn. For further information contact press@vaultize.com US (+1- 650-319-7382) UK (+44-20-8133-6412) India (+91-20-6720-4646) SOURCE Vaultize CHICAGO, May 4, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library Foundation (ALPLF) will award its prestigious Lincoln Leadership Prize to Doris Kearns Goodwin, a world-renowned presidential historian and Pulitzer Prize-winning author, during a gala event at the Hilton Chicago at 7 p.m. May 13. Goodwin is the first historian to receive the coveted prize and receives it during the ALPLF's 16th Jubilee which commemorates 16 years of protecting, preserving and advancing the legacy of the 16th President of the United States, Abraham Lincoln. 2016 Lincoln Leadership Prize Awarded to Doris Kearns Goodwin for Commitment to Honoring President Abraham Lincoln's Legacy Goodwin authored "Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln," which served in-part as the basis of 2014 Lincoln Leadership Prize recipient Steven Spielberg's major motion picture "Lincoln." She has been an advocate for the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum from its inception more than 10 years ago and serves as a founding Life Member of the ALPLF Board. Among her many honors and awards, Goodwin is the recipient of the Pulitzer Prize, Lincoln Prize and the inaugural Book Prize for American History, as well as, the Charles Frankel Prize, given by the National Endowment for the Humanities, Sarah Josepha Hale Medal, New England Book Award, Carl Sandburg Literary Award and Ohioana Book Award. "I am honored to accept this award celebrating the leadership legacy of President Abraham Lincoln," said Goodwin. "For me, no privilege has been greater than the opportunity to spend 10 years of my life living with Abraham Lincoln as I researched and wrote 'Team of Rivals.' I came to know, understand and admire Lincoln for his political genius and leadership along with his humanity, generosity of spirit, social conscience and sense of humor. Now, more than two centuries after his birth, we can say with absolute certainty that the ambition that powered Lincoln from his earliest days the desire to establish an admirable reputation on earth so that his story could be told after he died has been realized far beyond his fondest wishes." Award-winning playwright and screenwriter Tony Kushner will present the Lincoln Leadership Prize to Goodwin. Kushner wrote the Oscar-nominated screenplay for Spielberg's "Lincoln," which was based in-part on Goodwin's book, "Team of Rivals;" and "Munich" with Eric Roth. Kushner was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Drama for "Angels in America: A Gay Fantasia on National Themes," which he adapted into an Emmy Award-winning HBO miniseries directed by Mike Nichols. Kushner also wrote the play "A Bright Room Called Day;" and the musical, "Caroline, or Change." "Doris Kearns Goodwin's extraordinary body of work has made a significant contribution to American literature, political thought and historical understanding," said Kushner. "As literature, politics and history were principal concerns of the man after whom the Lincoln Leadership Prize is named, she seems to be not only deserving of this great honor, but the perfect candidate for it. Doris shares with Abraham Lincoln the kind of great and generous heart in which gravity and tragedy cohabit comfortably with durable optimism; faith in democracy and the rule of law; and a wonderful sense of humor. It's no surprise that Lincoln has been Doris' greatest subject. In her keen examination of how he led our country through its most perilous moment, Doris shows how leadership can be consonant with democracy when it combines self-effacing grace, authority, ambition, the spirit of sacrifice and a love of hard work - qualities which describe the ways Doris has maintained her position of invaluable leadership in American cultural and political life." The Lincoln Leadership Prize is an annual award that recognizes outstanding individuals for a lifetime of service in the spirit of the 16th President of the United States, Abraham Lincoln. The award honors individuals who manifest great strength of character, individual conscience and unwavering commitment to the defining principles of democracy. Previous honorees include Civil Rights Activists The Little Rock Nine, Filmmaker Steven Spielberg, 42nd President of the United States Bill Clinton, former Polish President Lech Walesa, Journalist Tim Russert, Astronaut James Lovell, Jr., Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor. The annual event serves as the primary fundraiser for the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library Foundation for the benefit of the Museum and Library, which does not receive any federal funding. For more information about the Lincoln Leadership Prize please visit www.alplm.org. For tickets and/or table sponsorship information please call 312/553-2000. About the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library Foundation The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library Foundation supports the collections and the educational and cultural programming of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum; fosters Lincoln scholarship through the acquisition and publication of documentary materials relating to Lincoln and his era; and promotes a greater appreciation of history through exhibits, conferences, publications, online services, and other activities designed to promote historical literacy. Media Contact: Lisa Soard [email protected] 312.548.7428 (office) 773.559.5586 (cell) Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160503/363247 SOURCE Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library Foundation (ALPLF) Related Links http://www.alplm.org "This year's Kids to Parks Day takes on special significance as the country prepares to celebrate the 100 th anniversary of the National Park Service," said Grace Lee, executive director, National Park Trust. "Kids love birthdays and they love parks, so we hope to encourage as many families and kids as possible to get outdoors for what has become a national day of play and park appreciation." kidstoparks.org lists park events by state and city, and features helpful downloadable tips and activity guides to help children, families and teachers plan park adventures. Kids to Parks Day national supporters include the National Park Service, First Solar, BabyBjorn, Guest Services, Boy Scouts of America, National Association of Realtors, M&T Bank, CamelBak, and Falcon Guides. National Park Trust's Kids to Parks Day also supports the First Lady's Let's Move! initiative, the President's Every Kid in a Park movement, and the National Park Service's Find Your Park program. National collaborators include: America's State Parks, American Academy of Pediatrics, American Hiking Society, American Recreation Coalition, Children & Nature Network, City Parks Alliance, Eastern National, National Environmental Education Foundation, National Geographic Kids, National League of Cities, National Park Conservation Association, National Recreation and Park Association, National Wildlife Federation, Outdoors Alliance for Kids, Sierra Club, U.S Department of the Interior, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and US Play Coalition. Kids to Parks Day is the signature event of NPT's popular Buddy Bison School Program which teaches environmental education. Through its woolly mascot Buddy Bison, NPT encourages children to "Explore outdoors, the parks are yours!" Eighty schools in 18 states and Washington, D.C. have participated in the Buddy Bison School Program, which provides classroom resources, lesson ideas and fully funded park trips that enhance and expand school curricula. In 2012, NPT launched the Kids to Parks Day National School Contest. This year, NPT awarded grants to 74 schools in 27 states and Washington, D.C. benefiting more than 4,000 children, grades pre-K through 12 in Title 1 schools. The grants will help students put their ideas into action and learn, steward, and play in their local, state and national parks and public lands this month. Families can pledge to participate at kidstoparks.org. When they visit a park on May 21st, kids and parents are encouraged to tweet #kidstoparks and #BuddyBison or send in photos to [email protected]. Pictures will be posted and shared online. Last week the U.S. Senate passed a resolution in support of Kids to Parks Day introduced by Senators Ron Wyden, D-Ore., Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., Cory Booker, D-N.J., Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., and Mazie K. Hirono, D-Hawaii. NATIONAL PARK TRUST National Park Trust is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to the preservation and protection of our nation's critical parks and public lands and the engagement of our youth especially those who are under-served with nature. https://www.facebook.com/nationalparktrust https://twitter.com/NatParkTrust https://www.pinterest.com/parksareyours/ https://instagram.com/nationalparktrust/ https://plus.google.com/113359984816433760425 https://www.flickr.com/photos/buddybison/sets/ Join the conversation: @natparktrust #kidstoparks #BuddyBison Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160504/363638 SOURCE National Park Trust Related Links http://www.parktrust.org WASHINGTON, May 4, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- AARP today announced the launch of Dare to Disrupt month, as the organization accelerates its efforts to #DisruptAging, which focuses on replacing negative and inaccurate stereotypes that exist about aging with a realistic and positive representation of what aging has come to mean. "When most people who are in their 50s, 60s or 70s today compare themselves to their parents when they were their age, they see lots of contrasts," said AARP CEO Jo Ann Jenkins, whose debut book, Disrupt Aging, was released in April. "Of course there are similarities, too, but the point is, the concept of aging what aging 'means' and looks like has changed a lot, even from what it was a generation ago." "However, our collective attitudes about aging haven't changed very much -- and they're often disconnected from reality in ways that don't serve anyone," Jenkins said. "Disrupt Aging seeks to help change that and our Dare to Disrupt month is a rallying cry to change the conversation around aging." Disrupt Aging, the Book In her newly released national bestseller, Disrupt Aging: A Bold New Path to Living Your Best Life at Every Age Jenkins chronicles her journey, as well as those of other age disruptors, and focuses on three core areas health, wealth, and self highlighting the need to rethink aging policies and practices in America, shatter negative social stereotypes about age, as well as re-imagine our own lives to better navigate life transitions. New Sweepstakes Additionally, AARP is launching an exciting new #DisruptAging sweepstakes. Users can earn entries daily by navigating an interactive platform to learn about what it means to be an age disruptor and not accept any labels that you don't believe apply to who you are. The grand prize winner will receive a once in a lifetime trip. Trip choices include a Broadway experience in New York City, a Viking cruise, or a trip across Europe on the Orient Express. Disrupt Aging Videos AARP's recently released video, "Millenials Show Us What 'Old' Looks Like," has sparked a deep conversation online about age with over 15 million views to date across social media. AARP asked a group of young people what age they consider to be old (hint: 40s and 50s) and then introduced them to real "old" people. The results were incredibly moving and generated an overwhelming amount of multigenerational engagement through likes, comments and shares. Over the course of the month of May, the organization will roll out more videos featuring celebrities and age disruptors who continue to challenge these outdated ideas on aging. With longer life expectancy and technological advances opening new doors for self-growth and exploration, it's time to stop letting people say "you're too old for that" and time to reexamine beliefs and attitudes about getting older. 'Dare to Disrupt' Month is about celebrating people who are 50 and older and showcase how they are living their lives in a positive way. As more people are living longer and healthier lives, we are discovering that age offers new opportunities for growth and development new chances to pursue happiness and dreams and more time to live the good life. We encourage people to share their stories using the #DisruptAging hashtag. For more information about #DisruptAging please visit DisruptAging.aarp. About AARP AARP is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization, with a membership of nearly 38 million that helps people turn their goals and dreams into 'Real Possibilities' by changing the way America defines aging. With staffed offices in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, AARP works to strengthen communities and promote the issues that matter most to families such as healthcare security, financial security and personal fulfillment. AARP also advocates for individuals in the marketplace by selecting products and services of high quality and value to carry the AARP name. As a trusted source for news and information, AARP produces the world's largest circulation magazine, AARP The Magazine and AARP Bulletin. AARP does not endorse candidates for public office or make contributions to political campaigns or candidates. To learn more, visit www.aarp.org or follow @aarp and our CEO @JoAnn_Jenkins on Twitter. Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20070209/NYF043LOGO SOURCE AARP Related Links http://www.aarp.org "We are delighted to be a finalist for this award and to be recognized in the shipping industry for our accomplishments and innovations in big data. Accuritas has been committed to modernizing shipping by providing industry-unique business intelligence and analytics services," stated Jess Hurwitz, Accuritas' Executive Vice President and CTO. "This honor fuels our passion to help shipping reach new heights of success, stability and growth working on individual solutions one client at a time." Accuritas will be present at a gala evening event at Pier Sixty in New York for the awards ceremony and dinner on Thursday, May 19, 2016 when formal announcement of the winners in each of the 14 award categories will be made. 2016 marks the first time that the Lloyd's List Intelligence Big Data Award is part of the Lloyd's List North American Maritime Awards. Past award events have been a huge success, attracting more than 300 maritime industry representatives from across North America. Accuritas provides business intelligence, analytics and consulting to global transportation leaders to support sound, data driven business decisions. With unparalleled client support, Accuritas is management's partner in accurate performance monitoring, risk management, decision assistance and efficiency planning. Our services help clients to make better decisions and to be more competitive and agile in challenging markets. Accuritas provides a process which starts by initiating and implementing cost effective "Big Data" mini-solutions within a client's environment to provide short-term improvements, feedback and results. This helps clients to better understand their data needs and to develop internal processes and workflow which will ultimately help them achieve their long-term strategic analytics goals. For more information, please visit: www.accuritas.com or contact us by email at: [email protected] About Accuritas Global Solutions Accuritas Global Solutions is a privately held global management consulting firm that provides customized business intelligence, analytics, and consulting to global transportation leaders to support sound, data driven business decisions. With unparalleled client support, Accuritas is management's partner in accurate performance monitoring, efficiency planning, risk management and decision assistance. Accuritas delivers a wide range of customized services and solutions to 100+ clients from over 60 countries worldwide. To date, most clients are within the commercial shipping industry and include shipowners, operators, pool managers, and time charterers. Founded in 1969, with over 47 years of experience, Accuritas is headquartered in New York and has offices in Connecticut, Athens and Singapore. For more information, go to www.accuritas.com, email: [email protected] or call: +1-845-226-8400 (US), +30 2107454628 (Greece) or +65 65497230 (Singapore) Media Contact : Carleen Lyden-Kluss, President, Morgan Marketing & Communications [email protected] +1 203.255.4686 Company Contact : Jess Hurwitz, Executive Vice President & Chief Technology Officer, Accuritas Global Solutions [email protected] +1 845.592.7470 Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160503/363425 Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160503/363423 Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160503/363424LOGO SOURCE Accuritas Global Solutions Related Links http://www.accuritas.com Taking a page from the "American Dream", the company's humble beginnings trace back to 1976, when Founder Bill Adams started selling suction cups to small hardware stores out of the back of his Chevy Chevette. Using a small family inheritance, Adams Manufacturing has gone on to become a multi-million dollar manufacturer of injection-molded consumer products, employing nearly 300 associates. With global distribution, Adams' innovative products can be found at prominent mass merchant and hardware retailers such as Ace Hardware, Amazon.com, The Home Depot, Lowe's, Target and Walmart, just to name a few. In addition to celebrating their 40th Anniversary, Adams will also use the 2016 National Hardware Show to promote their new Big Easy line of oversized resin furnitureincluding their award-winning stacking rocking chair, a supersized version of their flagship Adirondack with built-in swivel cup holder, and other oversized resin furniture designed to accommodate larger body frames. Adams will also be introducing Lil' Easy, a kid-sized version of their top-selling stacking rocker. "Adams' tremendous growth the past forty years is a strong testament to our never-ending pursuit of product innovationand to the idea of creating products that consumers truly want," said Tom Lombardo, CEO and President of Adams Manufacturing. "Since our storied founding in 1976, we've been issued over 200 design or utility patentsmany of which are still in use today. Although we have grown into an industry-leading retail supplier, we continue to cherish the small-town values that helped make the company what it is today. The American Dream is still alive and well in the small town of Portersville, Pennsylvania," noted Lombardo. About Adams Manufacturing Adams Manufacturing is the leading "Made in USA" supplier of exceptional-quality residential and commercial outdoor resin furniture and accessoriesselling into the world's largest on and offline retail channels. The company is also the foremost manufacturer of suction cups: www.suctioncups.com. Adams is well known for delivering innovative products with high consumer appeal and value. Founded in 1976, Adams Manufacturing is headquartered in Portersville, Pennsylvania, with state-of-the-art manufacturing and distribution facilities located throughout the region. For more details about Adams Manufacturing, visit: www.adamsmfg.com, or call 800.237.8287. Adams, Big Easy, and Lil' Easy are registered trademarks of Adams Mfg. Corp. Press Contact Dan Stainer Director of Marketing Adams Manufacturing 724.368.8837 x127 [email protected] Video - http://origin-qps.onstreammedia.com/origin/multivu_archive/PRNA/ENR/Adams_Manufacturing.mp4 Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160420/357698 SOURCE Adams Manufacturing Related Links http://www.adamsmfg.com NEW YORK, May 4, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Aeropostale, Inc. (OTCQX: AROP) today took the next steps in its ongoing business transformation by filing voluntary petitions under Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York. The Company expects to use the Chapter 11 process to optimize its store footprint, access additional tools to shed or renegotiate burdensome contracts, resolve its ongoing disputes with Sycamore Partners and achieve long-term financial stability. The Company intends to emerge from the Chapter 11 process within the next six months as a standalone enterprise with a smaller store base, increased operating efficiencies and reduced SG&A expenses. The Company is also continuing its previously announced sale process to confirm that it is maximizing the value of its assets and achieving the best possible outcome for stakeholders. Any potential sale would be expected to be completed within the next six months. As part of this effort to position the Company for long-term success, Aeropostale is reviewing its leases and other contracts to ensure they are competitive with current market dynamics. The Company today announced an initial store closure list of 113 U.S. locations, as well as all 41 stores in Canada. Store closing sales are scheduled to begin in the United States during the weekend of May 7-8, 2016, and in Canada during the week of May 9, 2016. "While initiatives such as the implementation of our two-chain Factory and Mall strategy and our merchandise repositioning have started to gain traction, the ripple effects of an ongoing dispute with our second-largest supplier put substantial strain on our liquidity while also preventing us from realizing the full benefits of our turnaround plans. As a result, we have chosen to take more decisive and aggressive action to create a leaner, more efficient business that is well-positioned to compete and succeed in today's retail environment," said Julian Geiger, Chief Executive Officer. "We appreciate the loyalty and support of our customers, employees and business partners as we complete this process." In conjunction with the Chapter 11 filings, Aeropostale secured a commitment for $160 million in debtor-in-possession ("DIP") financing provided by Crystal Financial LLC, which, combined with operating cash flow, will allow Aeropostale to meet its go-forward financial commitments. The Company has also filed a series of motions that, pending Court approval, will allow it to pay employee wages and benefits without interruption, honor all gift cards in full, uphold the terms of its international licensing agreements, and pay suppliers in the normal course of business. These motions are typical in the Chapter 11 process and are generally heard in the first days of the case. The Company separately expects to use provisions in the Bankruptcy Code that require suppliers to meet the terms of their pre-existing contracts. Additional information can be found at www.ARORestructuring.com. Suppliers and landlords may call our support center +1 (917) 877-5966 or toll-free at +1 (855) 360-2999. They also may email [email protected] or [email protected]. Aeropostale is advised in this transaction by Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP, Stifel Financial Corp. and FTI Consulting. About Aeropostale, Inc. Aeropostale, Inc. is a specialty retailer of casual apparel and accessories, principally serving young women and men through its Aeropostale and Aeropostale Factory stores and website and 4 to 12 year-olds through its P.S. from Aeropostale stores and website. The Company provides customers with a focused selection of high quality fashion and fashion basic merchandise at compelling values in an exciting and customer friendly store environment. Aeropostale maintains control over its proprietary brands by designing, sourcing, marketing and selling all of its own merchandise. As of May 1, 2016 the Company operated 739 Aeropostale stores in 50 states and Puerto Rico, 41 Aeropostale stores in Canada and 25 P.S. from Aeropostale stores in 12 states. In addition, pursuant to various licensing agreements, the Company's licensees currently operate 322 Aeropostale and P.S. from Aeropostale locations in the Middle East, Asia, Europe, and Latin America. Since November 2012, Aeropostale, Inc. has operated GoJane.com, an online women's fashion footwear and apparel retailer. SPECIAL NOTE: THIS PRESS RELEASE AND ORAL STATEMENTS MADE FROM TIME TO TIME BY REPRESENTATIVES OF THE COMPANY CONTAIN CERTAIN "FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS" WITHIN THE MEANING OF THE PRIVATE SECURITIES LITIGATION REFORM ACT OF 1995. ALL STATEMENTS, OTHER THAN STATEMENTS OF HISTORICAL FACTS, INCLUDED IN THIS PRESS RELEASE AND SUCH ORAL STATEMENTS THAT ADDRESS ACTIVITIES, EVENTS OR DEVELOPMENTS THAT THE COMPANY EXPECTS, BELIEVES, TARGETS OR ANTICIPATES WILL OR MAY OCCUR IN THE FUTURE ARE FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS. THE COMPANY'S ACTUAL RESULTS MIGHT DIFFER MATERIALLY FROM THOSE PROJECTED IN THE FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS AS A RESULT OF CERTAIN RISKS AND OTHER FACTORS, WHICH COULD INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING: RISKS AND UNCERTAINTIES RELATING TO THE CHAPTER 11 CASES, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE COMPANY'S ABILITY TO OBTAIN BANKRUPTCY COURT APPROVAL WITH RESPECT TO MOTIONS IN THE CHAPTER 11 CASES, THE EFFECTS OF THE CHAPTER 11 CASES ON THE COMPANY AND ON THE INTERESTS OF VARIOUS CONSTITUENTS, BANKRUPTCY COURT RULINGS IN THE CHAPTER 11 CASES AND THE OUTCOME OF THE CHAPTER 11 CASES IN GENERAL, THE LENGTH OF TIME THE COMPANY WILL OPERATE UNDER THE CHAPTER 11 CASES, RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH THIRD PARTY MOTIONS IN THE CHAPTER 11 CASES, THE POTENTIAL ADVERSE EFFECTS OF THE CHAPTER 11 CASES ON THE COMPANY'S LIQUIDITY OR RESULTS OF OPERATIONS AND INCREASED LEGAL AND OTHER PROFESSIONAL COSTS NECESSARY TO EXECUTE THE COMPANY'S REORGANIZATION; THE DIP FINANCING IS SUBJECT TO CERTAIN CONDITIONS, WHICH CONDITIONS MAY NOT BE SATISFIED FOR VARIOUS REASONS, INCLUDING FOR REASONS OUTSIDE OF THE COMPANY'S CONTROL; THE IMPACT OF AN ABILITY TO SUCCESSFULLY IMPLEMENT PLANNED STORE CLOSURES AND TO RIGHT-SIZE STORE FOOTPRINT; THE COMPANY'S ABILITY TO IMPLEMENT OPERATIONAL IMPROVEMENT EFFICIENCIES; UNCERTAINTY ASSOCIATED WITH EVALUATING AND COMPLETING ANY STRATEGIC OR FINANCIAL ALTERNATIVE AS WELL AS THE COMPANY'S ABILITY TO IMPLEMENT AND REALIZE ANY ANTICIPATED BENEFITS ASSOCIATED WITH ANY ALTERNATIVE THAT MAY BE PURSUED; SUCCESSFUL IMPLEMENTATION OF OUR TWO-CHAIN FACTORY, MALL STRATEGY AND MERCHANDISE REPOSITIONING; THE CONSEQUENCES OF THE ACCELERATION OF OUR DEBT OBLIGATIONS; THE COMPANY'S LIQUIDITY AND ABILITY TO CONTINUE AS A GOING CONCERN; THE COMPANY'S ABILITY TO GENERATE OR OBTAIN FROM EXTERNAL SOURCES SUFFICIENT LIQUIDITY FOR OPERATIONS AND DEBT SERVICE; THE IMPACT OF THE FAILURE OF A KEY VENDOR TO DELIVER MERCHANDISE IN ACCORDANCE WITH OUR CONTEMPLATED ARRANGEMENT, TO COME TO A RESOLUTION WITH SUCH VENDOR OR TO OBTAIN ALTERNATIVE SOURCING IN A TIMELY MANNER; RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH ANY DEFAULT UNDER OUR DEBT AGREEMENTS; RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH OUR ABILITY TO MAKE PAYMENTS ON AND TO REPAY OR REFINANCE THE COMPANY'S DEBT OR GENERATE SUFFICIENT CASH; RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH THE INABILITY TO ACCESS SUFFICIENT LIQUIDITY, AS WELL AS THE OTHER RISK FACTORS SET FORTH IN THE COMPANY'S FORM 10-K AND QUARTERLY REPORTS ON FORM 10-Q, FILED WITH THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION. THE COMPANY THEREFORE CAUTIONS READERS AGAINST RELYING ON THESE FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS. ALL FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS ATTRIBUTED TO THE COMPANY OR PERSONS ACTING ON THE COMPANY'S BEHALF ARE EXPRESSLY QUALIFIED IN THEIR ENTIRETY BY THE FOREGOING CAUTIONARY STATEMENTS. ALL SUCH STATEMENTS SPEAK ONLY AS OF THE DATE MADE, AND, EXCEPT AS REQUIRED BY LAW, THE COMPANY UNDERTAKES NO OBLIGATION TO UPDATE OR REVISE PUBLICLY ANY FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS, WHETHER AS A RESULT OF NEW INFORMATION, FUTURE EVENTS OR OTHERWISE. Media Contact: Rachel Rosenblatt, FTI Consulting (212) 850-5697 or [email protected] Investor Contact: Effie Veres, FTI Consulting (212) 850-5600 or [email protected] SOURCE Aeropostale, Inc. Related Links http://www.aeropostale.com HOLLYWOOD, Calif., May 4, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Aftermaster, Inc. (OTCQB: AFTM), an award-winning, industry leading audio company, announces a new partnership with premier independent digital music distribution and publishing administration service, TuneCore. Under this agreement, Aftermaster will serve as TuneCore's new professional mastering service, enabling and empowering users with direct access to award-winning senior mastering engineers in Aftermaster's state-of-the-art facilities. The new partnership builds upon TuneCore's mission to provide independent artists with key tools to build their careers, by granting access to unparalleled mastering that meets the industry's highest standards. The service is available to all subscribers for $75 per track. Aftermaster's renowned team of audio experts have produced, engineered and mastered more hit music than any audio company, boasting the world's largest discography of hit records. Together, this partnership provides access to the top mastering engineers whose credits span decades and include: Lady Gaga, John Lennon, Frank Sinatra, Miles Davis, The Beach Boys, Michael Jackson, Katy Perry, Snoop Dogg, Mariah Carey, Jennifer Lopez, Celine Dion, Josh Groban, Dwight Yoakam, Marilyn Manson, Harry Connick Jr., Willie Nelson, and Sheryl Crowto name a few. "The partnership with TuneCore allows us to bring our skill and experience to the next generation of independent artists," says CEO and Founder Larry Ryckman. "We've respected TuneCore's platform from afar for many years, and it's an honor to join forces and be a part of the music created by a new generation of artists." TuneCore artists will have direct access to Aftermaster's legendary engineers who are focused on high-quality audio content in the most proficient and cost-effective manner possible. The TuneCore artist will be able to get their tracks mastered and radio-ready, creating competitive sound comparable to any singles released on major labels. Within 72 hours, TuneCore artists will be able to get their tracks mastered and distribution-ready by taking their final mix and finishing it to a professional mastering standard. "We're very excited to provide our independent musicians with access to Aftermaster," said Scott Ackerman, TuneCore CEO. "Their skill and expertise will be an invaluable asset to the TuneCore community." For more information, visit http://www.aftermaster.com ABOUT AFTERMASTER Aftermaster is a groundbreaking audio technology originally developed for the mastering, re-mastering and processing of audio through Aftermaster HD Audio Labs, Inc. Aftermaster's executive team includes music and audio technology leaders Justin Timberlake, Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins, Shelly Yakus and Larry Ryckman. Aftermaster delivers an unparalleled clarity, depth and fullness to audio recordings, while delivering a significant increase in volume without increased distortion or loss of dynamic range. The technology has been utilized by a number of leading musicians seeking to create a fuller and richer sound quality than otherwise available in digital audio. ABOUT TUNECORE TuneCore brings more music to more people, while helping musicians and songwriters increase money-earning opportunities and take charge of their own careers. The company has one of the highest artist revenue-generating music catalogs in the world, earning TuneCore Artists $648 million from over 26.6 billion downloads and streams since inception. TuneCore Music Distribution services help artists, labels and managers sell their music through iTunes, Amazon Music, Spotify and other major download and streaming sites while retaining 100% of their sales revenue and rights for a low annual flat fee. TuneCore Music Publishing Administration assists songwriters by administering their compositions through licensing, registration and worldwide royalty collection. The TuneCore Artist Services portal offers a suite of tools and services that enable artists to promote their craft, connect with fans, and get their music heard. TuneCore, part of TuneCore & Believe Digital Services, operates as an independent company and is headquartered in Brooklyn, NY with offices in Burbank, CA, Nashville, TN, Austin, TX, Atlanta, GA and Boston, MA. Logo- http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160419/357379LOGO SOURCE Aftermaster, Inc. Related Links http://aftermaster.com MADISON, Wis., May 4, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Alliant Energy Corporation (NYSE: LNT) today announced consolidated unaudited earnings per share (EPS) from continuing operations for the three months ended March 31 as follows: 2016 2015 Utilities, ATC and Corporate Services $0.84 $0.86 Non-regulated and Parent 0.02 0.01 Alliant Energy Consolidated $0.86 $0.87 "First quarter 2016 temperatures, as measured by heating degree days, were approximately 10% warmer than normal in our service territory resulting in $0.05 per share of lower earnings," said Patricia Kampling, Alliant Energy Chairman, President and CEO. "With the exception of the mild weather, results were in-line with our expectations allowing us to reaffirm our 2016 earnings guidance." Utilities, ATC and Corporate Services - Alliant Energy's Utilities, American Transmission Company LLC (ATC) and Alliant Energy Corporate Services, Inc. (Corporate Services) operations generated $0.84 per share of EPS from continuing operations in the first quarter of 2016, which was $0.02 per share lower than the first quarter of 2015. The primary drivers of lower EPS were lower electric and gas sales volumes caused by the mild temperatures in early 2016, higher depreciation expense and the dilution impact of common shares issued in 2015. Lower quarter-over-quarter EPS was partially offset by higher allowance for funds used during construction, lower retail electric customer billing credits at Interstate Power and Light Company (IPL), and lower energy efficiency cost recovery amortizations at Wisconsin Power and Light Company (WPL). Non-regulated and Parent - Alliant Energy's Non-regulated and Parent operations generated $0.02 per share of EPS from continuing operations in the first quarter of 2016, which was an improvement of $0.01 per share compared to the first quarter of 2015. Common Stock Split - On April 20, 2016, Alliant Energy's Board of Directors approved a two-for-one common stock split and a proportionate increase in the number of shares of common stock of Alliant Energy from 240 million shares to 480 million shares to implement the stock split. Alliant Energy shareowners of record at the close of business on May 4, 2016 will receive one additional share of Alliant Energy common stock for each share held on that date. The proportionate interest that a shareowner owns in Alliant Energy will not change as a result of the stock split. The additional shares are expected to be distributed on May 19, 2016 and post-split trading is expected to begin on May 20, 2016. Based on common shares outstanding as of March 31, 2016, upon the completion of the stock split, Alliant Energy will have approximately 227 million shares of common stock outstanding. All share and per share amounts in this earnings release have been reflected on a pre-split basis, except as otherwise noted. The stock split will require all historical common stock shares and EPS data to be recast in the second quarter of 2016. Details regarding EPS from continuing operations variances between the first quarters of 2016 and 2015 for Alliant Energy are as follows: Q1 2016 Q1 2015 Variance Utilities, ATC and Corporate Services: Estimated temperature impact on electric and gas sales ($0.05) $0.04 ($0.09) Higher allowance for funds used during construction 0.03 Lower retail electric customer billing credits at IPL (0.01) (0.03) 0.02 Higher retail electric sales due to the additional day for leap year 0.02 0.02 Lower energy efficiency cost recovery amortizations at WPL 0.02 Higher depreciation expense (0.02) Dilution impact of shares issued in 2015 (0.02) Other (includes higher estimated temperature-normalized retail electric sales) 0.02 Total Utilities, ATC and Corporate Services ($0.02) Non-regulated and Parent: Other 0.01 Total Non-regulated and Parent $0.01 Estimated temperature impact on electric and gas sales - The impact of the mild temperatures on Alliant Energy's electric and gas sales in the first quarter of 2016, compared to normal temperatures, was estimated to be a $0.05 per share decrease in margins. By comparison, the net impact of the cold temperatures on Alliant Energy's electric and gas sales in the first quarter of 2015 was estimated to be a $0.04 per share increase in margins. Lower retail electric customer billing credits at IPL - IPL is providing customer billing credits to its Iowa retail electric customers of $105 million in aggregate over the 2014-2016 period in connection with its approved Iowa retail electric base rate freeze through 2016. In 2016, IPL will credit customer bills by approximately $9 million and the credits will occur ratably throughout the year. By comparison, the billing credits in 2015 were approximately $24 million. 2016 Earnings Guidance Alliant Energy is reaffirming EPS guidance for 2016, both before and after giving effect to Alliant Energy's previously announced 2-for-1 stock split as follows: Pre-Split Post-Split Utilities, ATC and Corporate Services $3.55-$3.80 $1.77-$1.90 Non-regulated and Parent 0.05-0.10 0.03-0.05 Alliant Energy Consolidated $3.60-$3.90 $1.80-$1.95 Drivers for Alliant Energy's 2016 earnings guidance include, but are not limited to: Ability of IPL and WPL to earn their authorized rates of return Stable economy and resulting implications on utility sales Normal temperatures and operating conditions in its utility service territories Continuing cost controls and operational efficiencies Execution of IPL's and WPL's capital expenditure and financing plans Consolidated effective tax rate of 18% The 2016 earnings guidance does not include the impacts of any material non-cash valuation adjustments, regulatory-related charges or credits, reorganizations or restructurings, discontinued operations, further impacts from anticipated changes to ATC's authorized return on equity, impact of the potential ATC restructuring, future changes in laws or regulations, adjustments made to deferred tax assets and liabilities from valuation allowances and organizational structure changes, pending lawsuits and disputes, federal and state income tax audits and other Internal Revenue Service proceedings or changes in GAAP and tax methods of accounting that may impact the reported results of Alliant Energy. Earnings Conference Call A conference call to review the first quarter 2016 results is scheduled for Thursday, May 5th at 9:00 a.m. central time. Alliant Energy Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer Patricia Kampling and Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Tom Hanson will host the call. The conference call is open to the public and can be accessed in two ways. Interested parties may listen to the call by dialing 888-221-9591 (United States or Canada) or 913-312-1434 (International), passcode 8244179. Interested parties may also listen to a webcast at www.alliantenergy.com/investors . In conjunction with the information in this earnings announcement and the conference call, Alliant Energy posted supplemental materials on its website. A replay of the call will be available through May 12, 2016, at 888-203-1112 (United States or Canada) or 719-457-0820 (International), passcode 8244179. An archive of the webcast will be available on the Company's Web site at www.alliantenergy.com/investors for 12 months. About Alliant Energy Corporation Alliant Energy is the parent company of two public utility companies - Interstate Power and Light Company and Wisconsin Power and Light Company - and of Alliant Energy Resources, LLC, the parent company of Alliant Energy's non-regulated operations. Alliant Energy is an energy-services provider with utility subsidiaries serving approximately 950,000 electric and 410,000 natural gas customers. Providing its customers in the Midwest with regulated electricity and natural gas service is the Company's primary focus. Alliant Energy, headquartered in Madison, Wisconsin, is a Fortune 1000 company traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol LNT. For more information, visit the Company's Web site at www.alliantenergy.com . Forward-Looking Statements This press release includes forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements can be identified by words such as "forecast," "expect," "guidance," or other words of similar import. Similarly, statements that describe future financial performance or plans or strategies are forward-looking statements. Such forward looking statements are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in, or implied by, such statements. Actual results could be materially affected by the following factors, among others: federal and state regulatory or governmental actions, including the impact of energy, tax, financial and health care legislation, and of regulatory agency orders; IPL's and WPL's ability to obtain adequate and timely rate relief to allow for, among other things, the recovery of fuel costs, operating costs, transmission costs, deferred expenditures, capital expenditures, and remaining costs related to electric generating units (EGUs) that may be permanently closed, earning their authorized rates of return, and the payments to their parent of expected levels of dividends; the ability to continue cost controls and operational efficiencies; the impact of IPL's retail electric base rate freeze in Iowa during 2016; during 2016; the impact of WPL's retail electric and gas base rate freeze in Wisconsin during 2016; during 2016; weather effects on results of utility operations, including impacts of temperature changes in IPL's and WPL's service territories on customers' demand for electricity and gas; the impact of the economy in IPL's and WPL's service territories and the resulting impacts on sales volumes, margins and the ability to collect unpaid bills; the impact of customer- and third party-owned generation, including alternative electric suppliers, in IPL's and WPL's service territories on system reliability, operating expenses and customers' demand for electricity; the impact of energy efficiency, franchise retention, customer- and third party-owned generation and customer disconnects on sales volumes and margins; the impact that price changes may have on IPL's and WPL's customers' demand for electric, gas and steam services and their ability to pay their bills; developments that adversely impact the ability to implement the strategic plan, including unanticipated issues with new environmental control equipment for various fossil-fueled EGUs of IPL and WPL, IPL's construction of the Marshalltown Generating Station, WPL's Riverside Energy Center expansion, various replacements, modernization, and expansion of IPL's and WPL's electric and gas distribution systems, Alliant Energy Resources, LLC's electricity output and selling price of such output from its Franklin County wind farm, and the potential decommissioning of certain EGUs of IPL and WPL; wind farm, and the potential decommissioning of certain EGUs of IPL and WPL; issues related to the availability and operations of EGUs, including start-up risks, breakdown or failure of equipment, performance below expected or contracted levels of output or efficiency, operator error, employee safety, transmission constraints, compliance with mandatory reliability standards and risks related to recovery of resulting incremental costs through rates; disruptions in the supply and delivery of natural gas, purchased electricity and coal, including due to the bankruptcy of coal mining companies; changes in the price of delivered coal, natural gas and purchased electricity due to shifts in supply and demand caused by market conditions and regulations, and the ability to recover and to retain the recovery of related changes in purchased power, fuel and fuel-related costs through rates in a timely manner; impacts on equity income from unconsolidated investments due to potential changes to ATC's authorized return on equity; issues associated with environmental remediation and environmental compliance, including compliance with the Consent Decree between WPL, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Sierra Club, the Consent Decree between IPL, the EPA, the Sierra Club, the State of Iowa and Linn County in Iowa , the coal combustion residuals rule, future changes in environmental laws and regulations, including the EPA's regulations for carbon dioxide emissions reductions from new and existing fossil-fueled EGUs, and litigation associated with environmental requirements; and in , the coal combustion residuals rule, future changes in environmental laws and regulations, including the EPA's regulations for carbon dioxide emissions reductions from new and existing fossil-fueled EGUs, and litigation associated with environmental requirements; the ability to defend against environmental claims brought by state and federal agencies, such as the EPA, state natural resources agencies or third parties, such as the Sierra Club, and the impact on operating expenses of defending and resolving such claims; the ability to recover through rates all environmental compliance and remediation costs, including costs for projects put on hold due to uncertainty of future environmental laws and regulations; impacts that storms or natural disasters in IPL's and WPL's service territories may have on their operations and recovery of, and rate relief for, costs associated with restoration activities; the direct or indirect effects resulting from terrorist incidents, including physical attacks and cyber attacks, or responses to such incidents; the impact of penalties or third-party claims related to, or in connection with, a failure to maintain the security of personally identifiable information, including associated costs to notify affected persons and to mitigate their information security concerns; the direct or indirect effects resulting from breakdown or failure of equipment in the operation of gas distribution systems, such as leaks, explosions and mechanical problems, and compliance with gas transmission and distribution safety regulations, such as proposed rules recently issued by the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration; risks associated with integration of a new customer billing and information system, which was completed in the first quarter of 2016; impacts of IPL's future tax benefits from Iowa rate-making practices, including deductions for repairs expenditures and allocation of mixed service costs, and recoverability of the associated regulatory assets from customers, when the differences reverse in future periods; rate-making practices, including deductions for repairs expenditures and allocation of mixed service costs, and recoverability of the associated regulatory assets from customers, when the differences reverse in future periods; any material post-closing adjustments related to any past asset divestitures, including the sales of IPL's Minnesota electric and natural gas assets, RMT, Inc. and Whiting Petroleum Corporation, which could result from, among other things, warranties, parental guarantees or litigation; electric and natural gas assets, RMT, Inc. and Whiting Petroleum Corporation, which could result from, among other things, warranties, parental guarantees or litigation; continued access to the capital markets on competitive terms and rates, and the actions of credit rating agencies; inflation and interest rates; changes to the creditworthiness of counterparties with which Alliant Energy, IPL and WPL have contractual arrangements, including participants in the energy markets and fuel suppliers and transporters; issues related to electric transmission, including operating in Regional Transmission Organization energy and ancillary services markets, the impacts of potential future billing adjustments and cost allocation changes from Regional Transmission Organizations and recovery of costs incurred; current or future litigation, regulatory investigations, proceedings or inquiries; Alliant Energy's ability to sustain its dividend payout ratio goal; employee workforce factors, including changes in key executives, collective bargaining agreements and negotiations, work stoppages or restructurings; inability to access technological developments, including those related to wind turbines, solar generation, smart technology and other future technologies; changes in technology that alter the channels through which electric customers buy or utilize power; material changes in retirement and benefit plan costs; the impact of performance-based compensation plans accruals; the effect of accounting standards issued periodically by standard-setting bodies, including revenue recognition and lease standards; the impact of changes to production tax credits for wind farms; the impact of adjustments made to deferred tax assets and liabilities from state apportionment assumptions; the ability to utilize tax credits and net operating losses generated to date, and those that may be generated in the future, before they expire; impacts of the extension of bonus depreciation deductions; the ability to successfully complete tax audits and changes in tax accounting methods with no material impact on earnings and cash flows; and factors listed in the "2016 Earnings Guidance" section of this press release. For more information about potential factors that could affect Alliant Energy's business and financial results, refer to Alliant Energy's most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"), including the section therein titled "Risk Factors," and its other filings with the SEC. Without limitation, the expectations with respect to 2016 earnings guidance in this press release are forward-looking statements and are based in part on certain assumptions made by Alliant Energy, some of which are referred to in the forward-looking statements. Alliant Energy cannot provide any assurance that the assumptions referred to in the forward-looking statements or otherwise are accurate or will prove to be correct. Any assumptions that are inaccurate or do not prove to be correct could have a material adverse effect on Alliant Energy's ability to achieve the estimates or other targets included in the forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements included herein are made as of the date hereof and, except as required by law, Alliant Energy undertakes no obligation to update publicly such statements to reflect subsequent events or circumstances. Note: Unless otherwise noted, all "per share" references in this release refer to earnings per diluted share. ALLIANT ENERGY CORPORATION FIRST QUARTER EARNINGS SUMMARY (Unaudited) The following tables provide a summary of Alliant Energy's results for the three months ended March 31: EPS: Three Months 2016 2015 IPL $0.40 $0.43 WPL 0.41 0.40 AE Transco Investments, LLC and Corporate Services 0.03 0.03 Subtotal for Utilities, ATC and Corporate Services 0.84 0.86 Non-regulated and Parent 0.02 0.01 EPS from continuing operations 0.86 0.87 EPS from discontinued operations (0.01) Alliant Energy Consolidated $0.85 $0.87 Earnings (in millions): Three Months 2016 2015 IPL $45.6 $47.5 WPL 46.5 44.9 AE Transco Investments, LLC and Corporate Services 3.3 2.7 Subtotal for Utilities, ATC and Corporate Services 95.4 95.1 Non-regulated and Parent 2.2 1.5 Earnings from continuing operations 97.6 96.6 Losses from discontinued operations (1.1) Alliant Energy Consolidated $96.5 $96.6 ALLIANT ENERGY CORPORATION CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME (Unaudited) Three Months Ended March 31, 2016 2015 (in millions, except per share amounts) Operating revenues: Electric utility $668.9 $671.3 Gas utility 152.2 198.4 Other utility 13.2 16.4 Non-regulated 9.5 11.3 843.8 897.4 Operating expenses: Electric production fuel and purchased power 200.9 215.9 Electric transmission service 127.9 123.2 Cost of gas sold 95.2 130.8 Other operation and maintenance: Energy efficiency costs 13.9 17.0 Other 131.2 130.9 Depreciation and amortization 102.5 100.2 Taxes other than income taxes 26.3 26.5 697.9 744.5 Operating income 145.9 152.9 Interest expense and other: Interest expense 48.0 46.6 Equity income from unconsolidated investments, net (10.5) (6.5) Allowance for funds used during construction (13.2) (6.8) Interest income and other (0.2) (0.1) 24.1 33.2 Income from continuing operations before income taxes 121.8 119.7 Income taxes 21.6 20.5 Income from continuing operations, net of tax 100.2 99.2 Loss from discontinued operations, net of tax (1.1) Net income 99.1 99.2 Preferred dividend requirements of Interstate Power and Light Company 2.6 2.6 Net income attributable to Alliant Energy common shareowners $96.5 $96.6 Weighted average number of common shares outstanding (basic and diluted) (a) 113.4 111.1 Earnings per weighted average common share attributable to Alliant Energy common shareowners (basic and diluted) (a): Income from continuing operations, net of tax $0.86 $0.87 Loss from discontinued operations, net of tax (0.01) Net income $0.85 $0.87 Amounts attributable to Alliant Energy common shareowners: Income from continuing operations, net of tax $97.6 $96.6 Loss from discontinued operations, net of tax (1.1) Net income $96.5 $96.6 Dividends declared per common share (a) $0.5875 $0.55 (a) Amounts do not reflect the effects of a two-for-one common stock split approved by Alliant Energy's Board of Directors on April 20, 2016. ALLIANT ENERGY CORPORATION CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (Unaudited) March 31, 2016 December 31, 2015 (in millions) ASSETS: Current assets: Cash and cash equivalents $4.8 $5.8 Other current assets 763.7 821.0 Property, plant and equipment, net 9,626.6 9,519.1 Investments 323.5 346.3 Other assets 1,816.4 1,803.0 Total assets $12,535.0 $12,495.2 LIABILITIES AND EQUITY: Current liabilities: Current maturities of long-term debt $313.4 $313.4 Commercial paper 213.4 159.8 Other current liabilities 821.7 886.1 Long-term debt, net (excluding current portion) 3,522.7 3,522.2 Other liabilities 3,699.2 3,689.6 Equity: Alliant Energy Corporation common equity 3,764.6 3,724.1 Cumulative preferred stock of Interstate Power and Light Company 200.0 200.0 Total equity 3,964.6 3,924.1 Total liabilities and equity $12,535.0 $12,495.2 ALLIANT ENERGY CORPORATION CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS (Unaudited) Three Months Ended March 31, 2016 2015 (in millions) Cash flows from operating activities $228.3 $314.7 Cash flows used for investing activities: Construction and acquisition expenditures: Utility business (220.4) (226.0) Alliant Energy Corporate Services, Inc. and non-regulated businesses (18.8) (19.8) Other 19.2 (5.1) Net cash flows used for investing activities (220.0) (250.9) Cash flows used for financing activities: Common stock dividends (66.5) (60.7) Proceeds from issuance of common stock, net 6.2 122.1 Net change in commercial paper 53.6 (99.8) Other (2.6) 15.3 Net cash flows used for financing activities (9.3) (23.1) Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents (1.0) 40.7 Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period 5.8 56.9 Cash and cash equivalents at end of period $4.8 $97.6 KEY FINANCIAL AND OPERATING STATISTICS March 31, 2016 March 31, 2015 Common shares outstanding (000s) (a) 113,563 112,977 Book value per share (a) $33.15 $31.84 Quarterly common dividend rate per share (a) $0.5875 $0.55 Three Months Ended March 31, 2016 2015 Utility electric sales (000s of MWh) (b) Residential 1,841 2,052 Commercial 1,596 1,596 Industrial - IPL co-generation customers 262 231 Industrial - other 2,504 2,629 Retail subtotal 6,203 6,508 Sales for resale: Wholesale 980 864 Bulk power and other 99 418 Other 25 37 Total 7,307 7,827 Utility retail electric customers (at March 31) (c) Residential 806,474 850,762 Commercial 140,699 139,142 Industrial - IPL co-generation customers 4 4 Industrial - other 2,537 2,870 Total 949,714 992,778 Utility gas sold and transported (000s of Dth) (b) Residential 12,116 14,986 Commercial 8,084 9,568 Industrial 971 1,023 Retail subtotal 21,171 25,577 Transportation / other 22,235 22,587 Total 43,406 48,164 Utility retail gas customers (at March 31) (c) Residential 365,228 373,992 Commercial 44,697 46,241 Industrial 384 428 Total 410,309 420,661 Estimated margin increases (decreases) from impacts of temperatures (in millions) - Three Months Ended March 31, 2016 2015 Electric margins ($6) $5 Gas margins (3) 3 Total temperature impact on margins ($9) $8 Three Months Ended March 31, 2016 2015 Normal (d) Heating degree days (HDDs) (d) Cedar Rapids, Iowa (IPL) 3,069 3,690 3,432 Madison, Wisconsin (WPL) 3,258 3,834 3,519 (a) Amounts do not reflect the effects of a two-for-one common stock split approved by Alliant Energy's Board of Directors on April 20, 2016. (b) In July 2015 and April 2015, IPL completed the sales of its Minnesota electric and gas distribution assets, respectively. Following the electric sale, Minnesota electric sales were reported as wholesale versus retail. (c) Customer count decreases were largely due to sale of IPL's Minnesota electric and natural gas distribution assets in 2015. (d) HDDs are calculated using a simple average of the high and low temperatures each day compared to a 65 degree base. Normal degree days are calculated using a rolling 20-year average of historical HDDs. Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20020405/LNTLOGO SOURCE Alliant Energy Corporation Related Links http://www.alliantenergy.com DALLAS, May 4, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Alon USA Energy, Inc. (NYSE: ALJ) ("Alon") today announced results for the first quarter of 2016. Net loss available to stockholders for the first quarter of 2016 was $(35.5) million, or $(0.51) per share, compared to net income available to stockholders of $26.9 million, or $0.39 per share, for the same period last year. Excluding special items, Alon recorded net loss available to stockholders of $(29.2) million, or $(0.42) per share, for the first quarter of 2016, compared to net income available to stockholders of $20.9 million, or $0.30 per share, for the same period last year. Paul Eisman, President and CEO, commented, "Our first quarter results were negatively impacted by depressed crack spreads, narrow crude differentials and by planned downtime at our Big Spring refinery, which included completing a reformer regeneration and a catalyst replacement for our diesel hydrotreater unit. The average benchmark crack spreads were approximately $6.50 per barrel lower than the average from the first quarter 2015. It is not unusual for us to experience margin weakness in the first quarter, and we are encouraged by improvements in the benchmark crack spreads going into the second quarter. Demand for gasoline is strong, and distillate demand is improving. We've also seen some improvement in the Midland differentials, which should support improved refinery profitability. "The Big Spring refinery achieved a refinery operating margin of $7.77 per barrel and direct operating expense of $4.07 per barrel in the first quarter. We expect total throughput at the Big Spring refinery to average approximately 74,000 barrels per day for the second quarter and 73,000 barrels per day for the full year of 2016. "The Krotz Springs refinery's results were also negatively impacted by weakness in crack spreads and narrow crude differentials. During the first quarter we elected to reduce the crude rate to improve the refinery yield structure and averaged just over 63,000 barrels per day of crude and 71,500 barrels per day of total throughput. In April, we performed maintenance on the fluid catalytic cracking unit at Krotz Springs, which reduced total throughput for the month. Based on the projected margin environment, we expect total throughput at the Krotz Springs refinery to average approximately 64,000 barrels per day for the second quarter and 72,000 barrels per day for the full year of 2016. "Our retail business was negatively affected by economic conditions in the Permian Basin mostly offset by good performance in our newly constructed and acquired stores. As we move into spring, we see seasonally improved fuel and merchandise demand with resulting improved profitability. "We were pleased with the performance of our asphalt segment in the first quarter, which is a seasonally weak quarter for asphalt demand. Relative to the first quarter of 2015, our asphalt sales volumes were up 37 percent, and our asphalt margin was $84 per ton. We maintain a positive outlook for this business as we head into the 2016 paving season based on improving demand in our markets and better efficiency within our business. "In February, production began at AltAir, a renewable fuels project located at our southern California refinery, in which we own a majority interest. AltAir contributed operating income of $7.2 million in the first quarter. Based on current market conditions and operations consistent with our plan, it is our expectation that the operating income of AltAir will substantially offset the operating loss of our California refineries in 2016." FIRST QUARTER 2016 Special items reduced net loss by $6.3 million for the first quarter of 2016 primarily as a result of an after-tax employee retention expense of $2.9 million, after-tax unrealized losses of $2.1 million associated with commodity swaps and $1.3 million associated with after-tax losses recognized on disposition of assets. Special items reduced net income by $6.0 million for the first quarter of 2015 primarily as a result of after-tax unrealized gains of $13.4 million associated with commodity swaps and $0.4 million associated with after-tax gains recognized on disposition of assets, partially offset by after-tax losses of $7.7 million related to an asphalt inventory adjustment. The combined total refinery average throughput for the first quarter of 2016 was 138,998 barrels per day ("bpd"), consisting of 67,536 bpd at the Big Spring refinery and 71,462 bpd at the Krotz Springs refinery, compared to a combined total refinery average throughput of 145,229 bpd for the first quarter of 2015, consisting of 72,360 bpd at the Big Spring refinery and 72,869 bpd at the Krotz Springs refinery. The reduced throughput at our Big Spring refinery was the result of planned downtime to complete a reformer regeneration and catalyst replacement for our diesel hydrotreater unit in the beginning of the first quarter of 2016. Refinery operating margin at the Big Spring refinery was $7.77 per barrel for the first quarter of 2016 compared to $13.80 per barrel for the same period in 2015. This decrease in operating margin was primarily due to a lower Gulf Coast 3/2/1 crack spread and a narrowing of both the WTI Cushing to WTI Midland and the WTI Cushing to WTS spreads, partially offset by the cost of crude benefit from the market moving further into contango in 2016. Refinery operating margin at the Krotz Springs refinery was $1.59 per barrel for the first quarter of 2016 compared to $9.52 per barrel for the same period in 2015. This decrease in operating margin was primarily due to a lower Gulf Coast 2/1/1 high sulfur diesel crack spread and a narrowing of both the WTI Cushing to WTI Midland and the LLS to WTI Cushing spreads, partially offset by the cost of crude benefit from the market moving further into contango in 2016. The average Gulf Coast 3/2/1 crack spread was $11.24 per barrel for the first quarter of 2016 compared to $17.74 per barrel for the same period in 2015. The average Gulf Coast 2/1/1 high sulfur diesel crack spread was $6.74 per barrel for the first quarter of 2016 compared to $13.41 per barrel for the same period in 2015. The average WTI Cushing to WTI Midland spread for the first quarter of 2016 was $(0.13) per barrel compared to $1.95 per barrel for the same period in 2015. The average WTI Cushing to WTS spread for the first quarter of 2016 was $(0.10) per barrel compared to $1.76 per barrel for the same period in 2015. The average Brent to WTI Cushing spread for the first quarter of 2016 was $0.49 per barrel compared to $5.44 per barrel for the same period in 2015. The average LLS to WTI Cushing spread for the first quarter of 2016 was $1.60 per barrel compared to $2.64 per barrel for the same period in 2015. The average Brent to LLS spread for the first quarter of 2016 was $(0.89) per barrel compared to $0.84 per barrel for the same period in 2015. The contango environment in the first quarter of 2016 created an average cost of crude benefit of $1.83 per barrel compared to an average cost of crude benefit of $0.65 per barrel for the same period in 2015. Asphalt margins for the first quarter of 2016 were $84.16 per ton compared to $84.76 per ton for the same period in 2015. On a cash basis (i.e., excluding inventory effects), asphalt margins in the first quarter of 2016 were $91.12 per ton compared to $115.05 per ton in the first quarter of 2015. Retail fuel margins decreased to 19.9 cents per gallon in the first quarter of 2016 from 23.6 cents per gallon in the first quarter of 2015. Retail fuel sales volume increased to 50.0 million gallons in the first quarter of 2016 from 46.1 million gallons in the first quarter of 2015. Merchandise margins decreased to 31.5% in the first quarter of 2016 from 33.2% in the first quarter of 2015. Merchandise sales increased to $77.8 million in the first quarter of 2016 from $76.1 million in the first quarter of 2015. Alon also announced today that its Board of Directors has declared the regular quarterly cash dividend of $0.15 per share. The dividend is payable on June 6, 2016 to stockholders of record at the close of business on May 19, 2016. CONFERENCE CALL Alon has scheduled a conference call, which will be broadcast live over the Internet on Thursday, May 5, 2016, at 11:30 a.m. Eastern Time (10:30 a.m. Central Time), to discuss the first quarter 2016 financial results. To access the call, please dial 877-407-0672, or 412-902-0003 for international callers, and ask for the Alon USA Energy call at least 10 minutes prior to the start time. Investors may also listen to the conference live by logging on to the Alon investor relations website, http://ir.alonusa.com . A telephonic replay of the conference call will be available through May 19, 2016 and may be accessed by calling 877-660-6853, or 201-612-7415 for international callers, and using the passcode 13634020#. A webcast archive will also be available at http://ir.alonusa.com shortly after the call and will be accessible for approximately 90 days. For more information, please contact Donna Washburn at Dennard Lascar Associates at 713-529-6600 or email [email protected]. Alon USA Energy, Inc., headquartered in Dallas, Texas, is an independent refiner and marketer of petroleum products, operating primarily in the South Central, Southwestern and Western regions of the United States. Alon owns 100% of the general partner and 81.6% of the limited partner interests in Alon USA Partners, LP (NYSE: ALDW), which owns a crude oil refinery in Big Spring, Texas, with a crude oil throughput capacity of 73,000 barrels per day and an integrated wholesale marketing business. In addition, Alon directly owns a crude oil refinery in Krotz Springs, Louisiana, with a crude oil throughput capacity of 74,000 barrels per day. Alon also owns crude oil refineries in California, which have not processed crude oil since 2012. Alon is a leading marketer of asphalt, which it distributes primarily through asphalt terminals located predominately in the Southwestern and Western United States. Alon is the largest 7-Eleven licensee in the United States and operates approximately 300 convenience stores which also market motor fuels in Central and West Texas and New Mexico. Any statements in this press release that are not statements of historical fact are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements reflect our current expectations regarding future events, results or outcomes. These expectations may or may not be realized. Some of these expectations may be based upon assumptions or judgments that prove to be incorrect. In addition, our business and operations involve numerous risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond our control, which could result in our expectations not being realized or otherwise materially affect our financial condition, results of operations and cash flows. Additional information regarding these and other risks is contained in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of offers to buy any security and shall not constitute an offer, solicitation or sale of any security in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful. Contacts: Stacey Morris, Investor Relations Manager Alon USA Energy, Inc. 972-367-3808 Investors: Jack Lascar Dennard Lascar Associates, LLC 713-529-6600 Media: Blake Lewis Lewis Public Relations 214-635-3020 - Tables to follow - ALON USA ENERGY, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES CONSOLIDATED EARNINGS RELEASE RESULTS OF OPERATIONS - FINANCIAL DATA (ALL INFORMATION IN THIS PRESS RELEASE EXCEPT FOR BALANCE SHEET DATA AS OF DECEMBER 31, 2015, IS UNAUDITED) For the Three Months Ended March 31, 2016 2015 (dollars in thousands, except per share data) STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS DATA: Net sales (1) $ 849,973 $ 1,103,240 Operating costs and expenses: Cost of sales 735,144 894,488 Direct operating expenses 68,617 64,205 Selling, general and administrative expenses (2) 48,701 45,596 Depreciation and amortization (3) 34,862 31,962 Total operating costs and expenses 887,324 1,036,251 Gain (loss) on disposition of assets (2,088) 572 Operating income (loss) (39,439) 67,561 Interest expense (18,307) (21,037) Equity earnings (losses) of investees 378 (554) Other income, net 72 46 Income (loss) before income tax expense (benefit) (57,296) 46,016 Income tax expense (benefit) (21,236) 11,961 Net income (loss) (36,060) 34,055 Net income (loss) attributable to non-controlling interest (523) 7,116 Net income (loss) available to stockholders $ (35,537) $ 26,939 Earnings (loss) per share, basic $ (0.51) $ 0.39 Weighted average shares outstanding, basic (in thousands) 70,143 69,485 Earnings (loss) per share, diluted $ (0.51) $ 0.38 Weighted average shares outstanding, diluted (in thousands) 70,143 71,142 Cash dividends per share $ 0.15 $ 0.10 CASH FLOW DATA: Net cash provided by (used in): Operating activities $ (29,351) $ (19,221) Investing activities (47,017) (11,613) Financing activities 35,624 6,338 OTHER DATA: Adjusted net income (loss) available to stockholders (4) $ (29,233) $ 20,910 Adjusted earnings (loss) per share (4) $ (0.42) $ 0.30 Adjusted EBITDA (5) $ 1,294 $ 80,040 Capital expenditures (6) 23,446 10,749 Capital expenditures for turnarounds and catalysts 16,610 2,333 March 31, 2016 December 31, 2015 BALANCE SHEET DATA (end of period): (dollars in thousands) Cash and cash equivalents $ 193,383 $ 234,127 Working capital 45,323 78,694 Total assets 2,213,210 2,176,138 Total debt 554,062 555,962 Total debt less cash and cash equivalents 360,679 321,835 Total equity 659,499 664,160 REFINING AND MARKETING SEGMENT For the Three Months Ended March 31, 2016 2015 (dollars in thousands, except per barrel data and pricing statistics) STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS DATA: Net sales (7) $ 696,613 $ 959,492 Operating costs and expenses: Cost of sales 626,036 783,391 Direct operating expenses 62,793 56,326 Selling, general and administrative expenses 18,275 17,339 Depreciation and amortization 29,784 27,311 Total operating costs and expenses 736,888 884,367 Gain (loss) on disposition of assets (2,088) 522 Operating income (loss) $ (42,363) $ 75,647 KEY OPERATING STATISTICS: Per barrel of throughput: Refinery operating margin Big Spring (8) $ 7.77 $ 13.80 Refinery operating margin Krotz Springs (8) 1.59 9.52 Refinery direct operating expense Big Spring (9) 4.07 3.60 Refinery direct operating expense Krotz Springs (9) 3.83 3.80 Capital expenditures $ 18,559 $ 4,406 Capital expenditures for turnarounds and catalysts 16,610 2,333 PRICING STATISTICS: Crack spreads (3/2/1) (per barrel): Gulf Coast (10) $ 11.24 $ 17.74 Crack spreads (2/1/1) (per barrel): Gulf Coast high sulfur diesel (10) $ 6.74 $ 13.41 WTI Cushing crude oil (per barrel) $ 33.30 $ 48.48 Crude oil differentials (per barrel): WTI Cushing less WTI Midland (11) $ (0.13) $ 1.95 WTI Cushing less WTS (11) (0.10) 1.76 LLS less WTI Cushing (11) 1.60 2.64 Brent less LLS (11) (0.89) 0.84 Brent less WTI Cushing (11) 0.49 5.44 Product prices (dollars per gallon): Gulf Coast unleaded gasoline $ 1.07 $ 1.52 Gulf Coast ultra-low sulfur diesel 1.03 1.69 Gulf Coast high sulfur diesel 0.91 1.55 Natural gas (per MMBtu) 1.98 2.81 THROUGHPUT AND PRODUCTION DATA: BIG SPRING REFINERY For the Three Months Ended March 31, 2016 2015 bpd % bpd % Refinery throughput: WTS crude 36,554 54.1 44,865 62.0 WTI crude 27,760 41.1 24,137 33.4 Blendstocks 3,222 4.8 3,358 4.6 Total refinery throughput (12) 67,536 100.0 72,360 100.0 Refinery production: Gasoline 34,100 50.5 36,192 49.7 Diesel/jet 22,682 33.6 26,086 35.9 Asphalt 3,148 4.6 3,278 4.5 Petrochemicals 3,617 5.3 4,810 6.6 Other 4,027 6.0 2,394 3.3 Total refinery production (13) 67,574 100.0 72,760 100.0 Refinery utilization (14) 93.2 % 94.5 % THROUGHPUT AND PRODUCTION DATA: KROTZ SPRINGS REFINERY For the Three Months Ended March 31, 2016 2015 bpd % bpd % Refinery throughput: WTI crude 13,797 19.3 30,353 41.7 Gulf Coast sweet crude 49,350 69.1 37,038 50.8 Blendstocks 8,315 11.6 5,478 7.5 Total refinery throughput (12) 71,462 100.0 72,869 100.0 Refinery production: Gasoline 36,274 49.7 34,527 46.3 Diesel/jet 26,989 37.0 30,690 41.2 Heavy Oils 1,534 2.1 1,334 1.8 Other 8,157 11.2 7,995 10.7 Total refinery production (13) 72,954 100.0 74,546 100.0 Refinery utilization (14) 85.3 % 91.1 % ASPHALT SEGMENT For the Three Months Ended March 31, 2016 2015 (dollars in thousands, except per ton data) STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS DATA: Net sales (15) $ 53,499 $ 50,652 Operating costs and expenses: Cost of sales (15) (16) 43,865 54,283 Direct operating expenses 5,824 7,879 Selling, general and administrative expenses 3,198 1,776 Depreciation and amortization 1,260 1,145 Total operating costs and expenses 54,147 65,083 Operating loss (19) $ (648) $ (14,431) KEY OPERATING STATISTICS: Blended asphalt sales volume (tons in thousands) (17) 85 65 Non-blended asphalt sales volume (tons in thousands) (18) 29 18 Blended asphalt sales price per ton (17) $ 413.78 $ 487.68 Non-blended asphalt sales price per ton (18) 145.17 390.83 Asphalt margin per ton (19) 84.16 84.76 Capital expenditures $ 740 $ 1,406 RETAIL SEGMENT For the Three Months Ended March 31, 2016 2015 (dollars in thousands, except per gallon data) STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS DATA: Net sales (1) $ 162,971 $ 175,985 Operating costs and expenses: Cost of sales (16) 128,353 139,703 Selling, general and administrative expenses 27,037 26,305 Depreciation and amortization 3,399 3,037 Total operating costs and expenses 158,789 169,045 Gain on disposition of assets 50 Operating income $ 4,182 $ 6,990 KEY OPERATING STATISTICS: Number of stores (end of period) (20) 309 293 Retail fuel sales (thousands of gallons) 50,005 46,095 Retail fuel sales (thousands of gallons per site per month) (20) 56 54 Retail fuel margin (cents per gallon) (21) 19.9 23.6 Retail fuel sales price (dollars per gallon) (22) $ 1.70 $ 2.16 Merchandise sales $ 77,825 $ 76,102 Merchandise sales (per site per month) (20) $ 84 $ 87 Merchandise margin (23) 31.5 % 33.2 % Capital expenditures $ 2,711 $ 3,316 (1) Includes excise taxes on sales by the retail segment of $19,525 and $18,056 for the three months ended March 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively. (2) Includes corporate headquarters selling, general and administrative expenses of $191 and $176 for the three months ended March 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively, which are not allocated to our three operating segments. (3) Includes corporate depreciation and amortization of $419 and $469 for the three months ended March 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively, which are not allocated to our three operating segments. (4) The following table provides a reconciliation of net income (loss) available to stockholders under United States generally accepted accounting principles ("GAAP") to adjusted net income (loss) available to stockholders utilized in determining adjusted earnings (loss) per share, excluding after-tax employee retention expense, after-tax loss on asphalt inventory adjustment, after-tax unrealized (gains) losses on commodity swaps and after-tax (gain) loss on disposition of assets. Adjusted net income (loss) available to stockholders is not a recognized measurement under GAAP; however, the amounts included in adjusted net income (loss) available to stockholders are derived from amounts included in our consolidated financial statements. Our management believes that the presentation of adjusted net income (loss) available to stockholders and adjusted earnings (loss) per share, excluding these items, is useful to investors because it provides a more meaningful measurement for evaluation of our Company's operating results. For the Three Months Ended March 31, 2016 2015 (dollars in thousands) Net income (loss) available to stockholders $ (35,537) $ 26,939 Plus: Employee retention expense, net of tax 2,927 Plus: Loss on asphalt inventory adjustment, net of tax 7,739 Less: Unrealized (gains) losses on commodity swaps, net of tax 2,076 (13,353) Less: (Gain) loss on disposition of assets, net of tax 1,301 (415) Adjusted net income (loss) available to stockholders $ (29,233) $ 20,910 Adjusted earnings (loss) per share * $ (0.42) $ 0.30 * Adjusted earnings (loss) per share includes the effects of dividends on preferred stock on adjusted net income (loss) available to stockholders necessary to calculate earnings per share. (5) Adjusted EBITDA represents earnings before net income (loss) attributable to non-controlling interest, income tax expense (benefit), interest expense, depreciation and amortization, (gain) loss on disposition of assets and unrealized (gains) losses on commodity swaps. Adjusted EBITDA is not a recognized measurement under GAAP; however, the amounts included in Adjusted EBITDA are derived from amounts included in our consolidated financial statements. Our management believes that the presentation of Adjusted EBITDA is useful to investors because it is frequently used by securities analysts, investors, and other interested parties in the evaluation of companies in our industry. In addition, our management believes that Adjusted EBITDA is useful in evaluating our operating performance compared to that of other companies in our industry because the calculation of Adjusted EBITDA generally eliminates the effects of net income (loss) attributable to non-controlling interest, income tax expense (benefit), interest expense, (gain) loss on disposition of assets, unrealized (gains) losses on commodity swaps and the accounting effects of capital expenditures and acquisitions, items that may vary for different companies for reasons unrelated to overall operating performance. Adjusted EBITDA has limitations as an analytical tool, and you should not consider it in isolation, or as a substitute for analysis of our results as reported under GAAP. Some of these limitations are: Adjusted EBITDA does not reflect our cash expenditures or future requirements for capital expenditures or contractual commitments; Adjusted EBITDA does not reflect the interest expense or the cash requirements necessary to service interest or principal payments on our debt; Adjusted EBITDA does not reflect the prior claim that non-controlling interest have on the income generated by non-wholly-owned subsidiaries; Adjusted EBITDA does not reflect changes in or cash requirements for our working capital needs; and Our calculation of Adjusted EBITDA may differ from EBITDA calculations of other companies in our industry, limiting its usefulness as a comparative measure. Because of these limitations, Adjusted EBITDA should not be considered a measure of discretionary cash available to us to invest in the growth of our business. We compensate for these limitations by relying primarily on our GAAP results and using Adjusted EBITDA only supplementally. The following table reconciles net income (loss) available to stockholders to Adjusted EBITDA for the three months ended March 31, 2016 and 2015: For the Three Months Ended March 31, 2016 2015 (dollars in thousands) Net income (loss) available to stockholders $ (35,537) $ 26,939 Net income (loss) attributable to non-controlling interest (523) 7,116 Income tax expense (benefit) (21,236) 11,961 Interest expense 18,307 21,037 Depreciation and amortization 34,862 31,962 (Gain) loss on disposition of assets 2,088 (572) Unrealized (gains) losses on commodity swaps 3,333 (18,403) Adjusted EBITDA $ 1,294 $ 80,040 Adjusted EBITDA does not exclude a loss of $10,666 for the three months ended March 31, 2015 resulting from a price adjustment related to asphalt inventory. (6) Includes corporate capital expenditures of $1,436 and $1,621 for the three months ended March 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively, which are not allocated to our three operating segments. (7) Net sales include intersegment sales to our asphalt and retail segments at prices which approximate wholesale market prices. These intersegment sales are eliminated through consolidation of our financial statements. (8) Refinery operating margin is a per barrel measurement calculated by dividing the margin between net sales and cost of sales (exclusive of certain adjustments) attributable to each refinery by the refinery's throughput volumes. Industry-wide refining results are driven and measured by the margins between refined product prices and the prices for crude oil, which are referred to as crack spreads. We compare our refinery operating margins to these crack spreads to assess our operating performance relative to other participants in our industry. The refinery operating margin for the three months ended March 31, 2016 excludes realized and unrealized gains on commodity swaps of $366. The refinery operating margin for the three months ended March 31, 2015 excludes realized and unrealized gains on commodity swaps of $29,843, as well as a loss of $9,035 related substantially to inventory adjustments, which was not included in cost of sales for the Big Spring refinery and the Krotz Springs refinery. (9) Refinery direct operating expense is a per barrel measurement calculated by dividing direct operating expenses at our refineries by the applicable refinery's total throughput volumes. (10) We compare our Big Spring refinery's operating margin to the Gulf Coast 3/2/1 crack spread. A Gulf Coast 3/2/1 crack spread is calculated assuming that three barrels of WTI Cushing crude oil are converted, or cracked, into two barrels of Gulf Coast conventional gasoline and one barrel of Gulf Coast ultra-low sulfur diesel. We compare our Krotz Springs refinery's operating margin to the Gulf Coast 2/1/1 high sulfur diesel crack spread. A Gulf Coast 2/1/1 high sulfur diesel crack spread is calculated assuming that two barrels of LLS crude oil are converted into one barrel of Gulf Coast conventional gasoline and one barrel of Gulf Coast high sulfur diesel. (11) The WTI Cushing less WTI Midland spread represents the differential between the average price per barrel of WTI Cushing crude oil and the average price per barrel of WTI Midland crude oil. The WTI Cushing less WTS, or sweet/sour, spread represents the differential between the average price per barrel of WTI Cushing crude oil and the average price per barrel of WTS crude oil. The LLS less WTI Cushing spread represents the differential between the average price per barrel of LLS crude oil and the average price per barrel of WTI Cushing crude oil. The Brent less LLS spread represents the differential between the average price per barrel of Brent crude oil and the average price per barrel of LLS crude oil. The Brent less WTI Cushing spread represents the differential between the average price per barrel of Brent crude oil and the average price per barrel of WTI Cushing crude oil. (12) Total refinery throughput represents the total barrels per day of crude oil and blendstock inputs in the refinery production process. (13) Total refinery production represents the barrels per day of various products produced from processing crude and other refinery feedstocks through the crude units and other conversion units at the refineries. (14) Refinery utilization represents average daily crude oil throughput divided by crude oil capacity, excluding planned periods of downtime for maintenance and turnarounds. (15) Net sales and cost of sales include asphalt purchases sold as part of a supply and offtake arrangement of $14,118 and $11,918 for the three months ended March 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively. The volumes associated with these sales are excluded from the Key Operating Statistics. (16) Cost of sales includes intersegment purchases of asphalt blends and motor fuels from our refining and marketing segment at prices which approximate wholesale market prices. These intersegment purchases are eliminated through consolidation of our financial statements. (17) Blended asphalt represents base material asphalt that has been blended with other materials necessary to sell the asphalt as a finished product. (18) Non-blended asphalt represents base material asphalt and other components that require additional blending before being sold as a finished product. (19) Asphalt margin is a per ton measurement calculated by dividing the margin between net sales and cost of sales by the total sales volume. Asphalt margins are used in the asphalt industry to measure operating results related to asphalt sales. Asphalt margin for the three months ended March 31, 2015 excludes a loss of $10,666 resulting from a price adjustment related to asphalt inventory. This loss is included in operating loss above. (20) At March 31, 2016, we had 309 retail convenience stores of which 298 sold fuel. At March 31, 2015, we had 293 retail convenience stores of which 282 sold fuel. The 14 retail convenience stores acquired in August 2015 have been included in the per site key operating statistics only for the period after acquisition. (21) Retail fuel margin represents the difference between retail fuel sales revenue and the net cost of purchased retail fuel, including transportation costs and associated excise taxes, expressed on a cents-per-gallon basis. Retail fuel margins are frequently used in the retail industry to measure operating results related to retail fuel sales. (22) Retail fuel sales price per gallon represents the average sales price for retail fuels sold through our retail convenience stores. (23) Merchandise margin represents the difference between merchandise sales revenues and the delivered cost of merchandise purchases, net of rebates and commissions, expressed as a percentage of merchandise sales revenues. Merchandise margins, also referred to as in-store margins, are commonly used in the retail industry to measure in-store, or non-fuel, operating results. SOURCE Alon USA Energy, Inc. Related Links http://www.alonusa.com "On behalf of the entire AmaWaterways team, I must say that we are truly humbled to once again be recognized as a pioneer in river cruising, with top billing yet again by Douglas Ward," said Kristin Karst, Executive Vice President and Co-owner of AmaWaterways. "It has been an exciting year for AmaWaterways thus far and these incredible accolades underscore our focus on innovation, and our mission to deliver award-winning service and cuisine aboard the most advanced ships in Europe today." In the guide, which will be released in the U.S. in June, Ward praised AmaWaterways for its innovation, stating, "AmaWaterways has helped to redefine European river cruising. The company fully owns, operates and markets its own river ships, all of which are new-builds." Ward also goes into detail saying, "AmaWaterways spends considerably more on high-quality food ingredients and wine and on hotel crew service training than any other river cruise company." In addition to earning the top ten spots overall, AmaWaterways' European fleet secured two additional spots in the top fifteen. Receiving the highest possible accolades in the book were AmaPrima, AmaReina, AmaSerena (pictured above), AmaSonata, AmaVida, AmaVerde, AmaVenita, AmaCerto, AmaBella, AmaLyra, AmaDante, AmaDolce and AmaCello. AmaStella and AmaViola, AmaWaterways' newest European vessels, joined the fleet this year and have not yet been included in the Berlitz reviews. For more information or to book an AmaWaterways sailing, visit www.AmaWaterways.com, call (800) 626-0126, or contact a travel professional. Follow AmaWaterways on Facebook at www.facebook.com/AmaWaterwaysand Twitter @AmaWaterways. ABOUT AMAWATERWAYS AmaWaterways offers award-winning river cruises around the world, including Europe, Southeast Asia and Africa. The company has received numerous honors and accolades over the years, including Travel + Leisure's World's Best Awards, Cruise Critic's Editors' Pick Award and the highest rated ships in the inaugural Berlitz: River Cruising in Europe. AmaWaterways' European fleet includes AmaKristina (2017) AmaStella (2016), AmaViola (2016), AmaVenita (2015), AmaSerena (2015), AmaReina (2014), AmaSonata (2014), AmaPrima (2013), AmaVida (2013), AmaCerto (2012), AmaVerde (2011), AmaBella (2010), AmaLyra (2009), AmaDolce (2009), AmaCello (2008), AmaDante (2008), AmaLegro (2007) and the AmaDagio (2006). The company's Exotics division features AmaPura (2014) on the Ayeyarwady River in Myanmar and AmaDara (2015) on the Mekong in Vietnam and Cambodia, as well as the Zambezi Queen (2009) on the Chobe in Botswana. MEDIA CONTACTS: Samantha Jacobs / Kristin Soto, Hemsworth Communications (954) 716-7614 or [email protected] Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20150804/254874LOGO Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160503/363274 SOURCE AmaWaterways Related Links http://www.amawaterways.com PLYMOUTH, Minn., May 4, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Travel Leaders Group released new survey findings on the Zika virus and American travelers. Among survey participants, 87.1% have heard of the Zika virus and nearly all (96.1%) of those individuals indicated that the Zika virus has not impacted their travel plans this year. The survey was conducted April 4 to April 30, 2016, and includes responses from 3,431 consumers throughout the United States. "Clearly, many American travelers are informed about Zika, whether from the news media, the CDC or from the conversations our travel agents are having with them on a daily basis," stated Travel Leaders Group CEO Ninan Chacko. "According to the CDC, most people infected with Zika virus won't even know it, because they won't have symptoms. Nevertheless, we always make it a priority to inform and advocate for our clients, as their safety is always our top priority. What this consumer survey data indicates to us is that Americans are fairly well-educated on Zika and are moving forward with their travel plans." Key Findings: Heard of Zika: When asked, "Have you heard of Zika?" 87.1% of survey respondents said "Yes." Know What Zika Is: Of those individuals, when asked "Do you know what Zika is?" 97.4% stated "Yes, I know what Zika is" and 2.3% indicated "Maybe." When asked, "Have you heard of Zika?" 87.1% of survey respondents said "Yes." Zika Impact on Travel Plans: Nearly all travelers surveyed said that the Zika virus has not impacted their travel plans. No, not at all 96.1% Yes, I altered my travel plans new destination 2.4% Yes, I delayed a trip 0.9% Yes, I canceled a trip 0.6% Travel to Countries with Zika Virus: Interestingly, when asked, "Have you traveled to a country with confirmed cases of Zika this year?" only 21.2% of those surveyed said "Yes." As for future travel plans and whether or not individuals participating in the survey will travel to a country with confirmed cases of Zika this year, the responses were: Yes 23.2% No 30.9% No, but I had no intention of going to those countries anyway 29.3% I don't know 16.6% In February 2016, Travel Leaders Group conducted a special survey of its travel agents. At that time: Travelers in their 20s and 30s: 74.1% of travel agents stated "none" of their clients in their 20s and 30s were cancelling (and not rebooking) their travel plans due to the Zika virus. 74.1% of travel agents stated "none" of their clients in their 20s and 30s were cancelling (and not rebooking) their travel plans due to the Zika virus. Travelers in their 40s and 50s: As for clients in their 40s and 50s, 89.8% of travel agents stated "none" were cancelling (and not rebooking) their travel plans due to the Zika virus. As for clients in their 40s and 50s, 89.8% of travel agents stated "none" were cancelling (and not rebooking) their travel plans due to the Zika virus. Travelers 60 and Older: The percentage for clients 60 years or older was even higher. According to that survey data, 93.0% stated "none" of their clients in that age range were cancelling (and not rebooking) their travel plans due to the Zika virus. Through the years, Travel Leaders Group has built a reputation for gathering extensive travel trends data from its vast network of travel agents and more recently from American consumers and travelers. This is the 8th consecutive year for the consumer travel survey. American consumers were engaged through social media channels such as Facebook and Twitter, as well as through direct contact with travel clients for the following Travel Leaders Group companies including the flagship Travel Leaders brand, as well as All Aboard Travel, Cruise Specialists, Nexion, Protravel International, Results! Travel, SinglesCruise.com, Tzell Travel Group and Vacation.com units. With annual sales approaching $21 billion, Travel Leaders Group is the largest traditional travel agency company in North America, comprised of approximately 30% of all travel agencies in North America that are wholly-owned, franchised, or member agencies. It's a leader in both the retail travel agency space and corporate travel, and consistently ranks as one of the top travel companies nationwide. About Travel Leaders Group Travel Leaders Group (www.travelleadersgroup.com) is transforming travel with a commitment to our vacation and business travel clients via our progressive approach toward each unique travel experience. Having already assisted millions of travelers through our beginnings as Carlson Leisure Group, a division of Carlson Companies, TraveLeaders and Tzell Travel Group and through the additions of Nexion, Vacation.com and Protravel International Travel Leaders Group manages leisure, business and franchise travel operations under a variety of diversified divisions and brands. With annual sales of approaching $21 billion through over 6,500 locations, Travel Leaders Group ranks as one of the industry's largest traditional travel agency companies. Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20150915/266876LOGO SOURCE Travel Leaders Group Related Links http://www.travelleaders.com DUBLIN, May 5, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Research and Markets has announced the addition of the "2016 Asia-Pacific Energy and Environment Industry Outlook - A Quick Snapshot" report to their offering. (Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160330/349511LOGO ) The recently concluded 21st Conference of Parties (COP21) in Paris brought back the focus on the zero-emission energy revolution. The impact of this summit on several energy and environment industries remains to be seen. This outlook analyzes low crude oil prices and assesses if it will indirectly benefit infrastructure investments, as fuel subsidies continue to be removed. The study also discusses short-term market opportunities and regional hot spots in different industrial sectors such as the solar power market, smart grid market, water treatment market, facilities management market, lighting market, and the energy storage market. This document provides market forecasts for 2016 and key trends that will shape the industry. Key Findings: - Coal Power Remains Strong - Demand for 'ultra supercritical technology to increase - Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) funding to remain low Key Topics Covered: 1. Executive Summary - Key Findings - Regional Predictions in 2016 2. Oil and Gas Industry Outlook - Key Trends in the Oil and Gas Industry - Industry Forecast - Development and Directions - Opportunities for Industry Participants 3. Power Generation Industry Outlook - Key Trends in the Power Generation Industry - Industry Forecast - Development and Directions: Focus on Nuclear Power - Implications for Industry Participants 4. Distributed Energy Industry Outlook - Key Trends in the Distributed Energy Industry - Industry Forecast - Development and Directions - Implications for Industry Participants 5. Grids Industry Outlook - Key Trends in Grids Energy Industry - Industry Forecast - Development and Directions - Implications to Industry Participants 6. Energy Storage Industry Outlook - Key Trends in Energy Storage Industry - Industry Forecast - Development and Directions - Implications for Industry Participants 7. Homes and Buildings Industry Outlook - Key Trends in Homes and Buildings Industry - Industry Forecast - Development and Directions - Implications to Industry Participants 8. Environment and Water Industry Outlook - Key Trends in the Environment and Water Industry - Industry Forecast - Development and Directions - Implications for Industry Participants 9. Conclusions - Top Predictions for Energy & Environment Industry in 2016 For more information visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/8dfk9r/2016_asiapacific Media Contact: Research and Markets Laura Wood, Senior Manager [email protected] For E.S.T Office Hours Call 1-917-300-0470 For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call 1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900 U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907 Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716 SOURCE Research and Markets HOD HASHARON, Israel, May 4, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Altair Semiconductor (altair-semi.com ), a leading provider of LTE chipsets, today announced that the FourGee-1160 CAT-1 chipset has successfully completed AT&T's ADAPT chipset validation process. The ADAPT achievement improves time-to-market and reduces the cost associated with the introduction of new Internet of Things (IoT) devices. This validation comes on the heels of AT&T's January launch of a new family of LTE modules for IoT devices, including Altair's FourGee-1160 as the engine behind its M14A2A - LTE-Only CAT-1 module. Altair's IoT cellular roadmap including CAT-1, and CAT-M1/M2, will fundamentally disrupt the competitive dynamics between cellular IoT and proprietary LPWA technologies, enabling the offering of price/power competitive solutions to a growing IoT customer base. "AT&T's IoT strategy is consistent with where we see things going, so we want to be there to support them, whether it's with broadband, CAT-1 or, soon enough, CAT-M," said Eran Eshed, Co-founder and VP of Worldwide Sales and Marketing for Altair. The Altair chipset enables cost- and feature-optimized modules and devices that support advanced features such as VoLTE and LWM2M device management. The FourGee-1160 also integrates a power-optimized MCU subsystem with enhanced security, facilitating end device applications running on the LTE baseband chip without the need for an external MCU. "Businesses depend on IoT solutions for gathering near real-time information on assets around the world," said Cameron Coursey, vice president, product development, Internet of Things Solutions, AT&T. "This LTE chipset provides a low-cost solution, opening up the market to more customers and devices. We're excited to see innovative companies such as Altair lead the ecosystem in this important direction." Altair's CAT-1 optimized FourGee-1160 chipset extends the battery life of IoT devices by employing advanced idle and sleep mode power management. Potential applications include smart meters, car telematics, security systems and smart home devices, as well as other sensors and edge devices. About Altair Semiconductor Altair Semiconductor, recently acquired by Sony Group, is a leading provider of single-mode LTE chipsets. Altair's portfolio covers the complete spectrum of cellular 4G market needs, from supercharged video-centric applications all the way to ultra-low power, low cost IoT and M2M. Altair has shipped millions of LTE chipsets to date, commercially deployed on the world's most advanced LTE networks. For more information, please visit http://altair-semi.com/ Follow Altair on Twitter: @AltairSemi Media/Analyst Contact: Finn Partners for Altair Semiconductor Glenn Jasper [email protected] @goeljasper +1-929-222-8002 SOURCE Altair Semiconductor DALLAS, May 4, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Accomplished criminal defense attorney Barry Sorrels once again has been selected among the Best Lawyers in Dallas by his peers in the legal community and the publishers of D Magazine. He first earned a place on the exclusive annual listing in 2008. A name partner in Dallas' Sorrels, Udashen & Anton, one of the country's leading white-collar and criminal defense law firms, Mr. Sorrels has represented clients in Texas and across the U.S. for more than 30 years. He is best known for handling high-stakes matters for professional athletes, corporate executives and elected officials in cases involving everything from complex federal fraud and public corruption to first-degree murder. Mr. Sorrels' leadership in Dallas' legal and business communities led to his selection last year to the inaugural Dallas 500 list by the publishers of D CEO magazine, which described the honorees as "the most powerful business men and women in Dallas-Fort Worth." After earning his undergraduate degree at Columbia University and graduating from the Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law, Mr. Sorrels honed his courtroom skills as a prosecutor in the Dallas County District Attorney's Office before entering private practice. He is one of the rare lawyers to be Board Certified in Criminal Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. His work in criminal cases and white-collar matters has helped Mr. Sorrels regularly earn professional honors in such publications as The Best Lawyers in America, Texas Super Lawyers and many others. To learn more about Mr. Sorrels, click here: http://www.sualaw.com/Attorneys/Barry-Sorrels.shtml. Mr. Sorrels frequently serves as a criminal defense expert for local and national news outlets such as CNN, MSNBC and Fox News. He also lectures on a variety of legal topics, including cross-examination, closing argument, the intangibles of trial lawyers, and media relations in high-profile cases. D Magazine's 2016 list of Dallas' top lawyers is based on nominations from other attorneys and a thorough review by the publication's editors and a handpicked group of top lawyers. The complete list appears in the May edition of D Magazine and online at http://www.dmagazine.com. Sorrels, Udashen & Anton is a nationally prominent firm based in Dallas that focuses on the trial and appeal of criminal and white-collar cases. To learn more, visit the firm online at http://www.sualaw.com/. For more information, please contact Bruce Vincent at 800-559-4534 or [email protected]. SOURCE Sorrels, Udashen & Anton Related Links http://www.sualaw.com BBVA Compass has been a longtime champion for small businesses, and recently added Sandra Lee to its roster of brand ambassadors to help broaden its outreach to the important segment. Lee, who came from nothing and built a business empire as one of the country's most respected lifestyle experts, will visit the bank's small business clients across the country to share her own story and to help tell theirs. She is bolstering the bank's #BrightFutures platform, which puts forth 10 bright principles that serve as a roadmap to success. "Small businesses are fundamental to our communities, providing 55 percent of all jobs and accounting for over half of all sales in the U.S.," said Lonnie Hayes, small business segment director for BBVA Compass. "They are at the forefront of the U.S. economy a sector that continues rapid growth." The bank will also host two educational webinars during the month, and will shine a spotlight on its "Bright Ideas for Business" content hub. The hub, designed to give insight to aspiring entrepreneurs, will showcase a series of videos of clients and their real-life small business success stories. To watch the first two episodes, which feature Sandra Lee with Houston-based business owners, click here. The bank's two free webinars will explore topics including "Business Credit and Access to Capital," to help participants understand the power of building and maintaining business credit and how to obtain what is needed to start and grow a business. The second webinar on "Cyber Security" will be held on May 24. Click here to register. The bank will also distribute 100 gift cards to small business owners across the U.S. After a summer hiatus, Lee, who has made stops in Houston and Jacksonville, Fla., will be in Birmingham, Ala., Austin and San Antonio, Texas, and La Jolla, Calif., starting in September. "I know what it's like to succeed as a small business owner, and I know what it's like to struggle," Lee said. "I'm partnering with BBVA Compass because we share the belief that everyone deserves a bright future, no matter where or how they begin." BBVA Compass is a SBA National Preferred Lender, and ranks sixth in unit volume among the top SBA 7(a) lenders nationwide, processing more than 1,400 loans for more than $250 million during the 2015 fiscal year. In an effort to bolster small businesses across its footprint, BBVA Compass in 2015 donated $1 million from its BBVA Compass Foundation to LiftFund, the nation's largest nonprofit microlender. To learn more about BBVA Compass' efforts in small business, click here. About BBVA Group BBVA Compass is a subsidiary of BBVA Compass Bancshares Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of BBVA (NYSE: BBVA) (MAD: BBVA). The BBVA Group is the largest financial institution in Spain and Mexico, has leading franchises in South America and the Sunbelt region of the United States and is also the leading shareholder in Garanti, Turkey's largest bank based on market capitalization. Its diversified business is focused on high-growth markets and it relies on technology as a key sustainable competitive advantage. Corporate responsibility is at the core of its business model. BBVA fosters financial education and inclusion, and supports scientific research and culture. It operates with the highest integrity, a long-term vision and applies best practices. The Group is present in the main sustainability indexes. More information about the BBVA Group can be found at bbva.com. About BBVA Compass BBVA Compass is a Sunbelt-based financial institution that operates 674 branches, including 345 in Texas, 89 in Alabama, 75 in Arizona, 62 in California, 45 in Florida, 38 in Colorado and 20 in New Mexico, and commercial and private client offices throughout the U.S. BBVA Compass ranks among the top 25 largest U.S. commercial banks based on deposit market share and ranks among the largest banks in Alabama (2nd), Texas (4th) and Arizona (4th). BBVA Compass recently earned top nods for best mobile app and best regional bank in the South & West in Money magazine's annual list of the Best Banks in America. Additional information about BBVA Compass can be found at bbvacompass.com, by following @BBVACompassNews on Twitter or visiting newsroom.bbvacompass.com. Editor's Note: BBVA Compass is a trade name of Compass Bank. Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20140825/139263 SOURCE BBVA Compass Related Links http://www.bbvacompass.com NEW YORK, May 3, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Report Details The latest report from business intelligence provider visiongain offers a comprehensive overview of the global beverage packaging market. Visiongain assesses that this market will generate revenues of $112.4 billion in 2016. The beverage packaging market is set to grow in the next 10 years at a fairly steady rate. Global growth will remain modest due to the financial and geopolitical climate in the next decade. Commodity price decrease as well as a slowdown in the Chinese economy will have a large effect on the production worldwide. However, given the current geopolitical tensions around the world, the GDP growth will remain modest but stable for the coming years. Nevertheless, there are many factors weighing on the development of beverage packaging technologies and their growth trajectory. The growing population, economic development of emerging economies, a shift from the commodity driven economies to consumer driven economies, worldwide sustainability concerns and other factors will contribute to the development of the industry. One of the main factors is the lower crude oil prices seen in recent years which are contributing to higher profits by manufacturers of plastic packaging materials. Furthermore, the lifestyle of consumers shifting to convenience, define the trend towards a single or portion based packaging instead of the standard packaging. One of the key trends will be the rising population, as the demand for food and beverages will be higher in the next 10 years and thus the demand for beverage packaging will grow commensurately. The location of this population will also have a major impact on the beverage packaging market in the future. Urbanisation globally is ever increasing and in particular it is accelerating in the emerging economies such as India and China. This means that more convenience products will be demanded as these consumers are more time constrained thus the demand for packaged goods will increase and this will mean beverages too. Further to this, with the development and growth of these emerging markets there will be more middle class consumers with higher disposable incomes and the demand for premium beverages will also increase and thus once again the demand for beverage packaging will increase. Highlights in the 155 page report include: - 128 in-depth tables, charts and graphs all unavailable elsewhere. - Global beverage packaging market forecasts from 2016-2026; - Regional beverage packaging market forecasts from 2016-2026 covering - Asia-Pacific - South America - Europe - Middle East and Africa - North America - Country level beverage packaging market forecasts and analysis covering - China - Japan - South Korea - US - UK - France - Germany - Turkey - Brazil - Australia - RoW - Beverage packaging submarket forecasts from 2016-2026 covering - Rigid Plastic Beverage Packaging Market 2016-2026 - Flexible Plastic Beverage Packaging Market 2016-2026 - Paper Beverage Packaging Market 2016-2026 - Metal Beverage Packaging Market 2016-2026 - Glass Beverage Packaging Market 2016-2026 - Other Beverage Packaging Market 2016-2026 - Analysis of the key factors driving growth in the global, regional and country level beverage packaging markets from 2016-2026; - Profiles of the leading 8 beverage packaging companies - Amcor - ALPLA - Anchor - Bemis - Berry Plastics - Greif - Reynolds Group Holdings - Sealed Air - SWOT analysis of factors facing major stakeholders in the market; How will this report benefit you? This report is intended to provide an in-depth analysis of the latest trends prevailing in the global beverage packaging market and its growth and development in the next decade. The changing demographics of the world population, developing infrastructure, emerging economies, consumer spending behaviour, per capita income, macroeconomic factors, rising GDPs, and the reformation in laws and regulations are trend setting factors, which will affect the market. This comprehensive report will: - Enhance your strategic decision making - Assist with your research, presentations and business plans - Show which emerging market opportunities to focus upon - Increase your Industry knowledge - Keep you up to date with crucial market developments - Allow you to develop informed growth strategies - Build your technical insight - Illustrate trends to exploit - Strengthen your analysis of competitors - Provide risk analysis helping you avoid the pitfalls other companies could make - Ultimately, help you to maximise profitability for your company Who should read this report? - Beverage companies - Packaging manufacturers - Packaging material suppliers - Packaging R&D & design engineers - Packaging machinery companies - Wholesalers - Retailers - Business development managers - Marketing managers - Technologists - Suppliers - Investors - Banks - Government agencies - Consultants What makes this report unique? Visiongain's research methodology involves an exclusive blend of primary and secondary sources providing informed analysis. This methodology allows insight into the key drivers and restraints behind market dynamics and competitive developments. The report therefore presents an ideal balance of qualitative analysis combined with extensive quantitative data including global, submarket and regional markets forecasts from 2016 to 2026. Visiongain's study is intended for anyone requiring commercial analyses for the beverage packaging market and leading companies. You will be able to find data, trends and predictions. Read the full report: http://www.reportlinker.com/p03812475-summary/view-report.html About Reportlinker ReportLinker is an award-winning market research solution. Reportlinker finds and organizes the latest industry data so you get all the market research you need - instantly, in one place. http://www.reportlinker.com __________________________ Contact Clare: [email protected] US: (339)-368-6001 Intl: +1 339-368-6001 SOURCE Reportlinker Related Links http://www.reportlinker.com IRVINE, Calif., May 3, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- BigRentz, the nation's leading network of online equipment rental, is teaming up with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to co-host a nationwide webinar to bring awareness to the severity of falls in the construction industry. The free webinar will take place on Wednesday, May 4, 2016 at 10:00 a.m. PDT in participation with OSHA's 2016 National Safety Stand-Down campaign. Herman Jett of Cal/OSHA and Mike Aguirre of BigRentz will be shedding light on the frightening statistics of injuries and deaths caused by falls, while sharing resources and tools to help fall prevention. The National Fall Prevention Stand-Down is a Department of Labor campaign organized in an effort to raise awareness of preventing fall hazards in construction. According to the Federal OSHA, "Fatalities caused by falls from elevation continue to be a leading cause of death for construction workers, accounting for 337 of the 874 construction fatalities recorded in 2014 (BLS preliminary data)." Last year's Stand-Down reportedly reached more than 2.5 million workers. Dallas Imbimbo, CEO of BigRentz, says the company "is determined to help steer the industry in a direction with safety at its core." In an effort to do so, BigRentz has partnered with companies to offer training and safety solutions to their network. "We're actively seeking new opportunities to build a safer culture for our community of customers and partners," Imbimbo added. The webinar is free and open to the public. Participants will be able to download a Certificate of Participation signed by Secretary of Labor Thomas E. Perez following the Stand-Down. About BigRentz BigRentz is the leader in online equipment rentals. The company offers both short- and long-term packages, and is the "One Call Does it All" source for scissor lifts, boom lifts, forklifts, backhoes, fencing, jobsite services, and other equipment to meet the needs of small or multi-location businesses, home construction, general contractors, stadiums, and municipal projects. For more information about BigRentz or to speak with a Rental Expert, call (855)-999-LIFT (5438), or visit: www.BigRentz.com. Connect: Facebook: Facebook.com/BigRentz Twitter: @BigRentz Media Inquiries: The Innovation Agency hello(@)inov8.us www.inov8.us 310-571-5592 SOURCE BigRentz Related Links http://www.bigrentz.com GREENWICH, Conn., May 4, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Black Diamond Capital Management, L.L.C. ("Black Diamond") announced today that Robert ("Rob") Simon will take the helm as CEO of the newly formed Bayou Steel Group, a steelmaking and finishing operation that produces and sells long carbon steel products in North America. Mr. Simon, a seasoned industry leader, has an established track record of improving and managing businesses throughout the steel industry. "I'm honored to lead this team of dedicated professionals," said Simon. "We plan to create a culture that will nurture a world class workforce to deliver operational and commercial excellence. This, combined with our unwavering commitment to our customers, will set us apart from our competition and will ultimately drive our business growth." Mr. Simon joins the team with over 25 years of hands-on operating experience within the steel industry, most recently leading the Structural & Rail division of Steel Dynamics, Inc. Mr. Simon also served as Group Executive Vice President for EVRAZ North America, where he was responsible for turning around fledgling operations and implementing best-practices into newly acquired business units. "We're extremely excited to have Rob lead the newly independent Bayou Steel Group," shared Stephen H. Deckoff, Founder and Managing Principal of Black Diamond. "We are confident that his leadership, customer-centric approach and operational discipline will help the Company grow its customer base, improve efficiency, boost morale and drive profitability." Alton Davis and Jim Howe are joining the team as President/COO and VP of Sales, respectively. Mr. Davis, an industry veteran with over 40 years in the North American steel business, recently served as COO of ArcelorMittal's long carbon division. He is a familiar face at Bayou Steel, having enjoyed several stints including General Manager and VP of Operations at Bayou's LaPlace plant. Mr. Howe, also a 40-year industry veteran, returns to LaPlace after leading the sales organization there from 2003 to 2008 during which he and his team were successful in growing sales and service with a wide range of customers in 49 states, Canada and Mexico. About Black Diamond Black Diamond is a leading alternative asset management firm that oversees approximately $7.5 billion in assets. Black Diamond is currently pursuing control distressed/private equity investments for its fourth private equity fund. Black Diamond's control distressed/private equity funds focus on middle market companies with market leadership positions within their sectors. Founded in 1995, Black Diamond employs investment professionals across offices in Greenwich, CT, Lake Forest, IL, London, England and St. Thomas, USVI. About Bayou Steel Group Bayou Steel Group is an independent company that produces long carbon steel products in North America. The Company, headquartered in LaPlace, LA, has additional operations in Vinton, TX and Harriman, TN as well as three finished inventory depots in Tulsa, Chicago and Pittsburgh. Bayou Steel Group manufactures a broad range of merchant bar shapes, including equal and unequal leg angles, flats, rounds, squares and channels, as well as standard and wide-flange beams. The company also specializes in rebar production for the commercial and industrial construction industry and grinding balls for the mining industry. SOURCE Black Diamond Capital Management, L.L.C. EAGAN, Minn., May 4, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota (Blue Cross) today announced that Elizabeth (Betsy) Moran has been named vice president and CEO of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Northern Plains Alliance, a consortium of six regional Blue Cross and Blue Shield plans in seven states that provide Medicare Part D services. Moran also is assuming the role of chief operating officer for ClearStone Solutions (ClearStone), a wholly owned subsidiary of Aware Integrated, Inc., the parent company of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota. ClearStone provides consulting, administrative and transactional services to Blues plans and other organizations participating in managed Medicare or Medicaid programs. The Northern Plains Alliance is ClearStone's largest client. Moran had served in an interim leadership role for ClearStone over the past six months. In her selection as permanent chief operating officer, , Moran will lead ClearStone's strategic direction, working with the board and the health plans of the Northern Plains Alliance, and managing the strategy for its Medicare Part D offering, MedicareBlue Rx. She will work cross functionally and collaboratively with Blue Cross leaders in legal, finance and actuarial. "Throughout her career, Betsy has proven herself to be an innovative and strategic leader," said Patricia Riley, senior vice president and chief government officer at Blue Cross. "During her interim leadership role, she quickly advanced initiatives that are poised to strengthen the work of the Northern Plains Alliance and ClearStone Solutions. I have full confidence in her continued leadership over the important work being done within these government markets business areas." Prior to her new appointments, Moran was vice president, legal affairs and Blue Cross general counsel, providing leadership and representation on legal matters affecting Aware Integrated, Inc., Blue Cross and affiliate companies. She joined the company in 2013. Moran earned her law degree with honors, from the University of Minnesota Law School and her bachelor's degree from the University of Minnesota. About the Northern Plains Alliance The Northern Plains Alliance is an affiliation of six independent Blues companies, including Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota. The affiliation provides a Medicare Part D plan (MedicareBlue Rx) to more than 300,000 members in seven Midwest states Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana, Nebraska, Wyoming and Iowa. About ClearStone Solutions, Inc. Based in Eagan, Minn., ClearStone Solutions Minnesota provides management services, business and regulatory expertise, medical management and programs for health plans serving the Medicare and Medicaid markets. For more information, go to clearstonesolutions.com About Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota, with headquarters in the St. Paul suburb of Eagan, was chartered in 1933 as Minnesota's first health plan and continues to carry out its charter mission today: to promote a wider, more economical and timely availability of health services for the people of Minnesota. A nonprofit, taxable organization, Blue Cross is the largest health plan based in Minnesota, covering 2.9 million members in Minnesota and nationally through its health plans or plans administered by its affiliated companies. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, headquartered in Chicago. Go to bluecrossmn.com to learn more about Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota. Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20151020/278636LOGO SOURCE Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota Related Links http://bluecrossmn.com BASEL, Switzerland, May 4, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Syngenta announced today the appointment of J. Erik Fyrwald, currently President and CEO of the U.S. chemistry distribution company Univar Inc., as Chief Executive Officer effective June 1. Erik succeeds John Ramsay who has been ad interim CEO since November 2015. Michel Demare, Syngenta Chairman, said: "After a rigorous search, the Board concluded that Erik's leadership and considerable experience in both agriculture and chemicals, along with his strong track record of success as a CEO made him the outstanding candidate for the role. Erik has demonstrated throughout his career the ability to work successfully in different environments, designing and leading strategies which resulted in impressive value creation. I look forward to working with him to create the next chapter of Syngenta's story of success. I thank John for his exemplary leadership of Syngenta over the last six months. He has ensured that the company has continued to move forward both strategically and operationally, and has delivered results. He has my sincere appreciation for having taken on this additional responsibility at a critical time for the Company. John has also served with considerable distinction as Chief Financial Officer for the past nine years. He will work closely with Erik to ensure a smooth transition and support the closing of the ChemChina transaction." John Ramsay, ad interim CEO and CFO, said: "I welcome Erik to his new role and wish him every success. I should like to thank all my colleagues for their support during the past six months. I will continue to offer my support and ensure that the Company continues to drive forward." Erik Fyrwald, incoming CEO, said: "I have admired Syngenta from the outside for many years and am delighted, therefore, to have been chosen to lead the company in the next exciting phase of its journey. I greatly look forward to meeting employees, leaders, customers and other stakeholders after I join in June and to working with them to achieve further success in the years to come." Biography of J. Erik Fyrwald Mr. Fyrwald spent 27 years at DuPont where he held positions of increasing responsibility in technology, manufacturing, sales and marketing, strategic planning and regional and global business unit leadership, including four years in Asia. In 2003, Mr. Fyrwald was named Group Vice President of DuPont Agriculture and Nutrition, which included the Pioneer Seed, DuPont Crop Protection Products and Solae Food Ingredients businesses. Mr. Fyrwald also served as Chairman of Crop Life International for two years during this period. In 2008, Mr. Fyrwald was named Chairman, President and CEO of Nalco, a leading global provider of Water Treatment and Oil & Gas products and services. In December 2011, Nalco was acquired by EcoLab. Mr. Fyrwald was President of EcoLab until May 2012, when he was appointed CEO of Univar, a leading global distributor of chemical products and provider of related services, including agricultural inputs. Mr. Fyrwald serves on the boards of Eli Lilly and Company (including their Science and Technology Committee) and the Society of Chemical Industry. He holds a bachelor's degree in chemical engineering from the University of Delaware and completed the Advanced Management Program at Harvard Business School. About Syngenta Syngenta is a leading agriculture company helping to improve global food security by enabling millions of farmers to make better use of available resources. Through world class science and innovative crop solutions, our 28,000 people in over 90 countries are working to transform how crops are grown. We are committed to rescuing land from degradation, enhancing biodiversity and revitalizing rural communities. To learn more visit www.syngenta.com and www.goodgrowthplan.com. Follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/Syngenta. Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements This document contains forward-looking statements, which can be identified by terminology such as 'expect', 'would', 'will', 'potential', 'plans', 'prospects', 'estimated', 'aiming', 'on track' and similar expressions. Such statements may be subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause the actual results to differ materially from these statements. We refer you to Syngenta's publicly available filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission for information about these and other risks and uncertainties. Syngenta assumes no obligation to update forward-looking statements to reflect actual results, changed assumptions or other factors. This document does not constitute, or form part of, any offer or invitation to sell or issue, or any solicitation of any offer, to purchase or subscribe for any ordinary shares in Syngenta AG, or Syngenta ADSs, nor shall it form the basis of, or be relied on in connection with, any contract therefor. Syngenta International AG Media Office CH-4002 Basel Switzerland Tel: +41 61 323 2323 Fax: +41 61 323 2424 www.syngenta.com Media contacts: Leandro Conti Switzerland +41 61 323 2323 Paul Minehart USA +1 202 737 8913 Analyst/Investor contacts: Jennifer Gough Switzerland +41 61 323 5059 USA +1 202 737 6521 Bastien Musy Switzerland +41 61 323 1910 USA +1 202 737 6520 SOURCE Syngenta International AG Related Links http://www.syngenta.com Addressing Critical Social and Environmental Issues to become the Better Meat Company MISSISSAUGA, ON, May 4, 2016 /PRNewswire/ - Maple Leaf Foods (TSX:MFI) announced its goal to become the better meat company, anchored by its commitment to sustainability and creating economic, social and environmental value. "Maple Leaf has completed one of the most complex transformations in the North American food industry, investing over $1 billion to build a strong Canadian company," said Michael H. McCain, President and CEO, at the Company's Annual and Special Meeting. "But being a great company requires taking a broader view to create social, environmental and business value. From reducing our climate change impact, to advancing animal care, to making simpler, healthier products, sustainability is fundamental to our growth and making Maple Leaf the better meat company. It will shape our operations, our products, our culture." Maple Leaf is executing a comprehensive approach to sustainability, spanning four priorities nutrition and health, people and communities, animal care and environmental sustainability. Today, the Company released its 2015 Sustainability Report and 2016 plan on its Sustainability Website. Highlights include: Advance Nutrition and Health: Maple Leaf is a North American leader in providing Raised Without Antibiotics products across its branded, private label and foodservice businesses. Veterinarian Dr. Kathleen Long explains the importance of reducing antibiotic use in animals and the Company's poultry program: http://www.mapleleafsustainability.ca/#!scene=5&page=treating-animals-well&tab=2: **V isit the Raised without Antibiotic section of the site to view the video Maple Leaf is a North American leader in providing products across its branded, private label and foodservice businesses. Veterinarian Dr. explains the importance of reducing antibiotic use in animals and the Company's poultry program: http://www.mapleleafsustainability.ca/#!scene=5&page=treating-animals-well&tab=2: **V Treat Animals Well: Maple Leaf was the first large-scale Canadian company to commit to transitioning its sow barns from confining crates to open housing. Maple Leaf's Vice President of Animal Care, Veterinarian Dr. Greg Douglas , highlights Maple Leaf's progress and the benefit for animals: http://www.mapleleafsustainability.ca/#!scene=5 Maple Leaf was the first large-scale Canadian company to commit to transitioning its sow barns from confining crates to open housing. Maple Leaf's Vice President of Animal Care, Veterinarian Dr. , highlights Maple Leaf's progress and the benefit for animals: http://www.mapleleafsustainability.ca/#!scene=5 Value our People and Communities: One in six Canadian children and one in eight households face food insecurity. These are shocking statistics in a country as food rich as ours. In 2016, Maple Leaf is launching a comprehensive strategy to support innovative approaches that advance sustainable food security: http://www.mapleleafsustainability.ca/#!scene=4 One in six Canadian children and one in eight households face food insecurity. These are shocking statistics in a country as food rich as ours. In 2016, Maple Leaf is launching a comprehensive strategy to support innovative approaches that advance sustainable food security: http://www.mapleleafsustainability.ca/#!scene=4 Eliminate Waste: Maple Leaf has established an aggressive goal to cut its environmental footprint in half by 2025, requiring significant reductions in the Company's climate change impact, waste and water usage. Maple Leaf currently diverts over 91% of its waste from landfill: http://www.mapleleafsustainability.ca/#!scene=6 Attention Editors: Maple Leaf's $1 billion in Canada was highlighted in a research program presented by the Ivey Business School and Canadian Agri-Food Policy Institute. A link to the research can be viewed here: http://www.capi-icpa.ca/proc-food/project4/CAPI-PFRP-4a-MapleLeaf.pdf in was highlighted in a research program presented by the Ivey Business School and Canadian Agri-Food Policy Institute. A link to the research can be viewed here: http://www.capi-icpa.ca/proc-food/project4/CAPI-PFRP-4a-MapleLeaf.pdf Photos and videos of Maple Leaf's Annual and Special Meeting will be made available during the afternoon of May 4, 2016 . Maple Leaf Foods Inc. is a leading Canadian consumer foods company, making high quality, innovative meat products under national brands including Maple Leaf, Maple Leaf Prime, Maple Leaf Natural Selections, Schneiders, Schneiders Country Naturals and Mina. The Company employs approximately 11,000 people across Canada and exports to global markets, including the U.S. and Asia. The Company is headquartered in Mississauga, Ontario and its shares trade on the Toronto Stock Exchange (MFI). SOURCE Maple Leaf Foods Inc. Related Links http://www.mapleleaffoods.com NEW YORK, May 4, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Charles Williams IV, CEO and Founder of the leading real estate analytics company Buyside has announced that Michael Pressnall, a respected and tenured industry executive and DocuSign veteran, has joined the company in the newly-created role of Vice President of Industry Engagement. "Mike is an ideal addition to our team as the Buyside platform continues its nationwide expansion and adoption by brokers, team, and agents looking to grow their top-line business income and serve customers more effectively. His success at DocuSign shows a stellar track record in bringing transformational technology tools to real estate brokerages of all sizes. Mike's depth of knowledge in the real estate industry means that the company can better craft solutions to meet and exceed marketplace needs and solve inefficiencies in customer engagement and monetization," says Williams. As one of the early stage employees of the now industry leader DocuSign, Pressnall led efforts to create partnerships and alliances with key real estate brokers across the country. With 12 years total in the real estate industry, including six at DocuSign and two as a key member of their Real Estate Leadership Committee, Pressnall's background is perfectly geared towards bringing together industry leaders to deliver state-of-the-art technology products. "Just as I knew DocuSign was going to forever change the way a house was a bought and sold, I know Buyside helps real estate brokers to leverage a Billion dollar asset they already own- their buyer database. With Buyside gaining strong industry adoption and further honing its enterprise platform and technology tools, I could not be more excited to join such a dynamic and progressive company." Pressnall is scheduled to attend the National Association of REALTORS Legislative Meetings & Trade Expo event in Washington DC next week and can reached at 484-580-9268 or by email at [email protected]. Buyside puts buyer data to work for brokerages by generating seller's leads, matching buyers to active and upcoming listings and delivering predictive analytics to drive productivity. The company serves over 20,000 agents across North America representing many of the leading brokerage firms and respected real estate brands. Turn your buyer data into leads, listings and profits with Buyside. This press release was issued through 24-7PressRelease.com. For further information, visit http://www.24-7pressrelease.com. SOURCE Buyside Related Links http://www.getbuyside.com HOUSTON, May 4, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Cabot Oil & Gas Corporation (NYSE: COG) today announced that its Board of Directors declared a regular dividend of two cents ($0.02) per share on the Company's common stock. The dividend will be paid May 31, 2016 to all shareholders of record as of the close of business May 16, 2016. Cabot Oil & Gas Corporation, headquartered in Houston, Texas, is a leading independent natural gas producer with its entire resource base located in the continental United States. For additional information, visit the Company's homepage at www.cabotog.com. FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT Matt Kerin (281) 589-4642 SOURCE Cabot Oil & Gas Corporation Related Links http://www.cabotog.com HERNDON, Va., May 4, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Cascades Technologies, inc. (CTi), a leader in IT Governance, Technical Solutions, and Project Management, announces that Colonel (Ret.) Jose A. Rivera has joined CTi as its new Director of Corporate Strategy. Mr. Rivera will be responsible for leading market assessments, business growth strategies and the alignment of portfolio capabilities with corporate business objectives. Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160503/363145LOGO Prior to joining CTi, Mr. Rivera was Director of Cyber Strategy for Chugach Government Solutions, developing the company's capabilities and qualifications in the cyber realm. Before that, he served for over 25 years as a commissioned officer in the United States Air Force in the communications/cyber and political military affairs officer career fields at squadron, group, wing, major command, air staff, unified and combined command levels. His last military posting was Deputy Director of Cyber Operations, Headquarters United States Air Force, Pentagon, Wash DC. Rivera holds an Engineering degree from the University of Puerto Rico, Mayaguez and a Master's Degree in National Resources Strategy from the Industrial College of the Armed Forces, National Defense University, Washington, DC. "Mr. Rivera brings the background and experience to propel us to the next level. His vision, insight and innovative thinking are attributes that complement our team, and will make us stronger for the future," said Alfredo Casta, CEO of Cascades Technologies. "We are very pleased to have Jose (JR) join our team!" About CTi CTi, headquartered in Herndon, VA, is a business and IT consulting firm concentrating in IT Governance, Technical Solutions, Security Assessment, and Program Management services. Driven by its core tenets of Think Build Measure, CTi identifies improvement areas and delivers results. CTi was founded by Alfredo Casta in 1998 with the mission "to help our clients succeed by fully understanding their mission and challenges, and applying technology, experience, and knowledge to deliver results." CTi's primary customers are Federal Government agencies and various health-related entities. CTi holds various contract vehicles including GSA's 8(a) STARS II, FBI's IT Triple S, NITAAC CIO SP3, and GSA IT-70 Schedule. For more information, please visit our web site www.CascadesTech.com or call at 703-793-7222. Contact: Carolyn Newman, (703) 793-7222 SOURCE Cascades Technologies, inc. Related Links http://www.cascadestech.com AUBURN, Ala., May 4, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Chicken Salad Chick, the nation's only southern inspired, fast casual chicken salad restaurant concept, announced today it will be expanding in Florida with its first location in Naples. The new restaurant will open on Tuesday, May 17 and is located at 11180 Tamiami Trail North in Riverchase Plaza. This location is owned and operated by franchisee team Michael Carter, Joe Ciampi and Rick Stukes of Spirit Holdings Riverchase, LLC and marks the 12th Chicken Salad Chick restaurant in Florida. During grand opening week, guests will enjoy southern hospitality through giveaways and specials at the new Chicken Salad Chick restaurant: Tuesday, May 17 Meet the Chicks Day: The first 100 guests to order will receive a "Meet the Chicks" punch card. For sixteen weeks, guests can try one free scoop of the chicken salad 'flavor of the week', allowing guests a tour of every Chicken Salad Chick flavor. In addition, guests will receive one free cookie with the purchase of any Chick Trio. Meet the Chicks Day: The first 100 guests to order will receive a "Meet the Chicks" punch card. For sixteen weeks, guests can try one free scoop of the chicken salad 'flavor of the week', allowing guests a tour of every Chicken Salad Chick flavor. In addition, guests will receive one free cookie with the purchase of any Chick Trio. Wednesday, May 18 Healthcare Professional Day: The first 200 guests will receive a free Chicken Salad Chick hand sanitizer. Healthcare Professional Day: The first 200 guests will receive a free Chicken Salad Chick hand sanitizer. Thursday, May 19 Tee Time Thursday: The first 100 guests will receive a complimentary Chicken Salad Chick Golf Ditty Pouch. Tee Time Thursday: The first 100 guests will receive a complimentary Chicken Salad Chick Golf Ditty Pouch. Friday, May 20 Fitness Friday: The first 100 guests will receive a free Chicken Salad Chick bottle cooler. Fitness Friday: The first 100 guests will receive a free Chicken Salad Chick bottle cooler. Saturday, May 21 Family Fun Day: The first 100 guests will receive a complimentary Chicken Salad Chick koozie. "Chicken Salad Chick is growing rapidly, and we recognized a tremendous opportunity to help expand the brand in Florida," said Carter, co-owner of Chicken Salad Chick in Naples. "Given the demographics and climate in the area, chicken salad is a year-round product. We are excited to introduce the southern hospitality experience to local residents and look forward to serving the Naples community for many years to come." Prior to Chicken Salad Chick, Carter owned and managed 50 Godfather's Pizza restaurants, a fast casual pizza franchise. He decided he was ready to switch gears once he tried Chicken Salad Chick for the first time while moving his daughter to college in Auburn, Ala. Carter saw an opportunity combining his passion for business and entrepreneurship with Chicken Salad Chick's unique concept. After a conversation with Stacy and Kevin Brown, founders of Chicken Salad Chick, Mike was sold on expanding the brand to Florida. The Chicken Salad Chick concept, born in Auburn, Ala., was established in 2008 in the kitchen of founder, Stacy Brown. When Stacy discovered that the local county health department would not allow her to continue making and selling her delicious recipes out of her home kitchen, she overcame that obstacle by launching her first restaurant with the business expertise of her future husband and fellow founder, Kevin Brown. Together, they opened a small takeout restaurant, which quickly grew; the company now has 53 restaurants across the Southeast. Chicken Salad Chick in Naples will be open Monday Saturday from 10:30 a.m. 7 p.m. For more information, visit http://www.chickensaladchick.com, or call 239-431-5678. Follow Chicken Salad Chick on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for the latest news and trends. About Chicken Salad Chick Chicken Salad Chick puts an edgy twist on a Southern classic, offering guests a "custom fit" chicken salad experience, with 15 original flavors to choose from, as well as gourmet soups, flavorful side salads and freshly-baked desserts. Chicken Salad Chick serves southern style chicken salad with heart and strives to spread joy, enrich lives and serve others every day. Today, the brand has 53 locations across the Southeast, and has currently sold 146 franchises to be developed across the states of Alabama, Florida, Georgia, North and South Carolina, Tennessee, Louisiana and Texas. The brand was recently named as the top chicken salad in the country to try in the 2015 March/April issue of Cooking with Paula Deen, as well as one of FastCasual.com's top Movers and Shakers and one of NRN's 2015 Breakout Brands. Corporate offices are located at 724 North Dean Road in Auburn, Alabama. See www.chickensaladchick.com for additional information. Contact: Tiffany Trilli Fish Consulting 954-893-9150 [email protected] Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20151005/274280LOGO SOURCE Chicken Salad Chick Related Links http://www.chickensaladchick.com MELBOURNE, Australia, May 4, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- China-based GCL System Integration Technology Co., Ltd showcased its first E-KwBe energy storage product series on May 4, 2016 at the Solar Energy Exhibition & Conference held in Australia. The E-KwBe series became the highlight at the event this year, attracting much attention. The new energy storage product series improves user experience with a wide array of industry-leading specifications and features, including high energy density, high compatibility, an advanced battery management system, long service life, as well as being light weight, noise-free and easy-to-install. As part of the new series, GCL System initially rolled-out two attractively designed home energy storage products with respective capacities of 2.5KWh and 5.6KWh. Both products were developed with high-energy and long-lifetime lithium ion battery technologies and provide an energy density of up to 125Wh/kg. GCL's proprietary intelligent battery management system (BMS) ensures secure and precise control. In addition to the integrated aluminum backplane design, the two products are powered by passive cooling technology and able to intelligently identify series-parallel connection, allowing a series-parallel connection of up to eight devices. At the launch event held during the expo, GCL chairman Shu Hua said, "GCL has a strong team engaged in research and development of our proprietary technologies, supported up by collaborative work efforts with several research organizations, including the Industrial Application Research Institute. We aim to create more energy storage products, take a leadership position in influencing market trends and help Australia achieve its renewable energy goals as well as boost energy sustainability worldwide." The E-KwBe series is scheduled to be marketed by One STOP WAREHOUSE (OSW), GCL's solar photovoltaic (PV) product distributor in Australia. OSW, an active player in the PV system market, is primarily engaged in the marketing of PV cell panels, complete suites as well as inverters and parts. The PV provider has four distribution centers across Australia and has developed and launched its own e-commerce, operation and mobile platforms. Notably, GCL acquired a 51 percent stake in OSW in April, 2016. Through OSW, GCL aims to build its distribution channels for solar modules, system integration and distributed energy storage products across Australia and the wider southern hemisphere. In addition, GCL is expanding into many of the world's key markets, including the U.S., India and Japan. In the future, markets outside of the home country are expected to be one of the key profit generators for GCL. About GCL System GCL System Integration Technology Co. Ltd (Shenzhen Stock Exchange stock ticker 002506) (GCL System) is part of Golden Concord Group (GCL), an international energy company specializing in clean and sustainable power production. The group, founded in 1990, now employs 20,000 people. GCL supplies 35% of the world's wafer capacity yield, representing 30% of the market for silicon, and owns global assets worth nearly USD 16 billion. With over 2 GW in module shipments during 2015, GCL System is committed to becoming the world's leading solar energy company. The smart energy service provider delivers a one stop, cutting-edge, integrated energy solution. Based on a fully-integrated Vertical PV industrial chain capacity operation, GCL System has built a business model based on the development and deployment of an end-to-end, state of the art, solar solutions package which fully incorporates design, product and service. SOURCE GCL PUNE, India, May 3, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- The report "Chlor-Alkali Market by Products (Caustic Soda, Chlorine, and Soda Ash), Applications (Alumina, EDC/PVC, Glass, Organic Chemicals, Inorganic Chemicals, Food, Pulp & Paper, Water Treatment and Others) & Region - Global Forecast to 2021", published by MarketsandMarkets, The market is estimated to grow from USD 78.72 Billion in 2016 to USD 102.60 Billion by 2021, at a CAGR of 5.4%. (Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160303/792302 ) Browse 251 market data Tables and 82 Figures spread through 268 Pages and in-depth TOC on "Chlor-Alkali Market" http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/chlor-alkali-market-708.html Early buyers will receive 10% customization on this report. The market is driven by increasing demand for chlor-alkali products in emerging markets and high demand from the EDC/PVC, glass and alumina application segments. "Caustic Soda had the largest demand among other chlor-alkali products" Caustic soda has a wide range of applications in different end-use industries such as alumina refining, organic & inorganic chemicals, soaps & detergents, water treatment, and food and pulp & paper. Major challenges for the global caustic soda manufacturers include the high-energy costs and stringent environmental regulations. In India, there are high input costs, which make the local industry less competitive. However, there have been changes in the policies and it is expected that there will be positive outcome for the local caustic soda industry of India. The improving manufacturing industry globally will help increase the caustic soda demand in chemical and alumina applications. Soaps and detergents application, especially in India will drive the caustic soda market in the region. Isocynates, textile, and glass are the fastest-growing end-use industries for chlor-alkali EDC/PVC, food and pulp & paper, and glass are the largest applications of chlorine, caustic soda, and soda ash, respectively. These applications are the driving the overall chlor-alkali market. Among all the applications isocyanates, textiles, and glass are the fastest-growing applications for chlorine, caustic soda, and soda ash, respectively. The high demand of isocynates in manufacturing polyurethane plastics, pains, varnishes, and elastomers is driving the market for chlorine. Growing population, improving living standard, and increasing disposable income is driving the textile and glass industries, providing an impetus to caustic soda and soda ash markets. "Rising demand in Asia-Pacific is the major growth driver for the chlor-alkali market" In 2015, Asia-Pacific was the largest market for chlor-alkali products. The region is projected to register the highest growth rate, both in terms of value and volume, owing to high demand from emerging countries of the region. China is the largest Chlor-Alkali Market globally with the highest demand. The region also drives the market owing to the presence of emerging markets, availability of raw materials, and lower labor costs. Make an Inquiry @ http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Enquiry_Before_Buying.asp?id=708 The key companies profiled in this market research report are Olin Corporation (U.S.), Solvay (Belgium), Tata Chemicals Limited (India), Occidental Petroleum Corporation (U.S.), Axiall Corporation (U.S.), AkzoNobel N.V. (Netherlands), Formosa Plastic Corporation (Taiwan), Hanwha Chemical Corporation (Korea), Tosoh Corporation (Japan), Nirma Limited (India), and Tronox (U.S.). The scope of the report covers detailed information regarding the major factors influencing the growth of the chlor-alkali market such as drivers, restraints, challenges, and opportunities. A detailed analysis of the key industry players has been done to provide insights into their business overview, products & services, key strategies, investments & expansions, mergers & acquisitions, partnerships, agreements, collaborations, and recent developments associated with the market. Browse Related Reports: Polyvinyl Chloride Market by Raw Material (EDC & Acetylene), Polymerization Process, Product, End User Industry (Construction, Automotive, Electrical, Packaging, Footwear), Type of Application, & Geography - Trends and Forecasts to 2018 http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/polyvinyl-chloride-market-201158187.html Automotive Glass Market by Vehicle & Glass Type (Tempered, Laminated, & Other), Smart Glass Market by Technology (Active and Passive), Application (Sunroof, Windshield, Sidelites /Backlites, & Side View/Rearview Mirrors), & by Region - Forecast to 2020 http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/automotive-glass-market-229009655.html About MarketsandMarkets MarketsandMarkets is the world's No. 2 firm in terms of annually published premium market research reports. Serving 1700 global fortune enterprises with more than 1200 premium studies in a year, M&M is catering to a multitude of clients across 8 different industrial verticals. We specialize in consulting assignments and business research across high growth markets, cutting edge technologies and newer applications. Our 850 fulltime analyst and SMEs at MarketsandMarkets are tracking global high growth markets following the "Growth Engagement Model - GEM". The GEM aims at proactive collaboration with the clients to identify new opportunities, identify most important customers, write "Attack, avoid and defend" strategies, identify sources of incremental revenues for both the company and its competitors. M&M's flagship competitive intelligence and market research platform, "RT" connects over 200,000 markets and entire value chains for deeper understanding of the unmet insights along with market sizing and forecasts of niche markets. The new included chapters on Methodology and Benchmarking presented with high quality analytical infographics in our reports gives complete visibility of how the numbers have been arrived and defend the accuracy of the numbers. We at MarketsandMarkets are inspired to help our clients grow by providing apt business insight with our huge market intelligence repository. Contact: Mr. Rohan Markets and Markets UNIT no 802, Tower no. 7, SEZ Magarpatta city, Hadapsar Pune, Maharashtra 411013, India Tel: +1-888-600-6441 Email: [email protected] Visit MarketsandMarkets Blog @ http://www.marketsandmarketsblog.com/market-reports/chemical Connect with us on LinkedIn @ http://www.linkedin.com/company/marketsandmarkets SOURCE MarketsandMarkets DENVER, May 4, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Cimarex Energy Co. (NYSE: XEC) today reported a first quarter 2016 net loss of $186.1 million, or $2.00 per share, primarily the result of a non-cash charge related to the impairment of oil and gas properties. The adjusted first quarter net loss was $36.9 million, or $0.40 per share(1). First quarter 2016 adjusted cash flow from operations was $81.6 million versus $186.9 million a year ago(1). Total company production averaged 973 million cubic feet equivalent (MMcfe) per day during the first quarter, a three percent increase from first quarter 2015 and a one percent decrease sequentially. As anticipated, curtailments related to third party processing in the Permian Basin and weather negatively impacted first quarter volumes by 30 MMcfe per day. Continued weakness in commodity prices impacted Cimarex's financial results for the quarter. Realized oil prices averaged $28.02 per barrel, down 34 percent versus a year ago and 25 percent sequentially. Realized natural gas prices were down 31 percent from first quarter 2015 and 13 percent sequentially to $1.92 per Mcf. NGL prices averaged $9.84 per barrel, down 37 percent from first quarter 2015 and down 23 percent sequentially. (See table of Average Realized Price by Region below.) Cimarex invested $158 million in exploration and development during the first quarter which was funded with cash flow from operations and cash on hand. Total debt at March 31, 2016, consisted of $1.5 billion of long-term notes. Cimarex had no borrowings under its revolving credit facility and a cash balance of $677 million. Debt was 36 percent of total capitalization(2). 2016 Outlook Cimarex now estimates total production volumes for 2016 to average 940970 MMcfe per day, a midpoint decrease of three percent over 2015 volumes. Second quarter output is expected to average 935-965 MMcfe per day. Cimarex projects 2016 exploration and development capital of approximately $650-$700 million. The $50 million increase in capital from prior guidance is primarily related to the completion of a six-section development of Woodford wells previously scheduled for early 2017 that is now anticipated to commence in October 2016. To a lesser extent, larger completion design, more non-operated activity and carryover drilling capital from 2015 also contributed to the increase. Expenses per Mcfe of production for the remainder of 2016 are estimated to be: Production expense $0.80 - 0.90 Transportation, processing and other expense 0.45 - 0.55 DD&A and ARO accretion* 1.30 - 1.50 General and administrative expense 0.19 - 0.23 Taxes other than income (% of oil and gas revenue) *Excludes the potential impact of any future ceiling test writedowns. 5.5 - 6.0% Operations Update Cimarex invested $158 million in exploration and development during the first quarter, 53 percent in the Permian Basin and 46 percent in the Mid-Continent. We completed 22 gross (5 net) wells during the quarter. At March 31, 2016, 93 gross (44 net) wells were awaiting completion including 27 net wells associated with multi-well infill and spacing projects that are expected be completed in the second half of 2016. Cimarex is currently operating nine drilling rigs with a reduction to four rigs planned by the end of the second quarter. WELLS BROUGHT ON PRODUCTION BY REGION For the Three Months Ended March 31, 2016 2015 Gross wells Permian Basin 7 42 Mid-Continent 15 11 Other 22 53 Net wells Permian Basin 3 30 Mid-Continent 2 3 Other 5 33 Permian Region Production from the Permian Basin averaged 477 MMcfe per day in the first quarter, a two percent decrease from first quarter 2015 and eight percent sequentially. Quarterly oil volumes decreased 15 percent year-over-year and five percent sequentially to 36,549 barrels per day and accounted for 46 percent of the region's total production for the quarter. Natural gas production increased 15 percent year-over-year but decreased six percent sequentially. NGL production was up seven percent over first quarter 2015 and down 19 percent sequentially. During the first quarter Cimarex completed and brought on production seven gross (three net) wells in the Permian region. There were 25 gross (16 net) wells waiting on completion on March 31. Mid-Continent Production from the Mid-Continent averaged 493 MMcfe per day for the first quarter, an 11 percent increase over first quarter 2015 and seven percent sequentially. Natural gas production grew four percent both year-over-year and sequentially while crude oil volumes were up 24 percent over first quarter 2015 and nine percent sequentially. NGL volumes increased 23 percent over first quarter 2015 and 13 percent sequentially. During the first quarter Cimarex completed and brought on production 15 gross (two net) wells in the Mid-Continent. At the end of the quarter, 68 gross (28 net) wells were waiting on completion. Production by Region Cimarex's average daily production and commodity price by region are summarized below: DAILY PRODUCTION BY REGION For the Three Months Ended March 31, 2016 2015 Permian Basin Gas (MMcf) 173.6 150.4 Oil (Bbls) 36,549 43,089 NGL (Bbls) 14,059 13,156 Total Equivalent (MMcfe) 477.3 487.8 Mid-Continent Gas (MMcf) 298.4 287.0 Oil (Bbls) 9,253 7,436 NGL (Bbls) 23,148 18,762 Total Equivalent (MMcfe) 492.8 444.1 Total Company Gas (MMcf) 472.9 445.8 Oil (Bbls) 46,110 51,241 NGL (Bbls) 37,263 32,242 Total Equivalent (MMcfe) 973.1 946.7 AVERAGE REALIZED PRICE BY REGION For the Three Months Ended March 31, 2016 2015 Permian Basin Gas ($ per Mcf) 1.96 2.75 Oil ($ per Bbl) 28.22 42.48 NGL ($ per Bbl) 7.93 13.50 Mid-Continent Gas ($ per Mcf) 1.91 2.75 Oil ($ per Bbl) 27.07 42.23 NGL ($ per Bbl) 10.99 17.26 Total Company Gas ($ per Mcf) 1.92 2.77 Oil ($ per Bbl) 28.02 42.50 NGL ($ per Bbl) 9.84 15.71 Other The following table summarizes the company's current open hedge positions: Gas: 2Q16 3Q16 4Q16 1Q17 2Q17 Total PEPL Collars (3) Volume (MMBtu) 2,730,000 2,760,000 2,760,000 1,800,000 1,820,000 11,870,000 Wtd Avg Floor $ 2.32 $ 2.32 $ 2.32 $ 2.13 $ 2.13 $ 2.26 Wtd Avg Ceiling $ 2.75 $ 2.75 $ 2.75 $ 2.70 $ 2.70 $ 2.73 El Paso Perm Collars (3) Volume (MMBtu) 3,030,000 2,760,000 2,760,000 2,700,000 2,730,000 13,980,000 Wtd Avg Floor $ 2.45 $ 2.42 $ 2.42 $ 2.42 $ 2.42 $ 2.42 Wtd Avg Ceiling $ 2.90 $ 2.87 $ 2.87 $ 2.97 $ 2.97 $ 2.91 Oil: WTI Three-Way Collars (4) Volume (Bbl) 273,000 276,000 276,000 - - 825,000 Floor sold (put) $ 40.00 $ 40.00 $ 40.00 $ - $ - $ 40.00 Floor purchased (put) $ 50.00 $ 50.00 $ 50.00 $ - $ - $ 50.00 Ceiling sold (call) $ 60.00 $ 60.00 $ 60.00 - - $ 60.00 WTI Collars (4) Volume (Bbl) 364,000 368,000 368,000 360,000 364,000 1,824,000 Wtd Avg Floor $ 35.00 $ 35.00 $ 35.00 $ 35.00 $ 35.00 $ 35.00 Wtd Avg Ceiling $ 42.50 $ 42.50 $ 42.50 $ 42.50 $ 42.50 $ 42.50 Conference call and webcast Cimarex will host a conference call tomorrow, May 5, at 11:00 a.m. EDT (9:00 a.m. MDT). The call will be webcast and accessible on the Cimarex website at www.cimarex.com. To participate in the live, interactive call, please dial 866-367-3053 five minutes before the scheduled start time (international callers dial 1-412-902-4216). The replay will be available on the Cimarex website or via the Cimarex App. Investor Presentation For more details on Cimarex's first quarter 2016 results, please refer to the company's investor presentation available at www.cimarex.com. About Cimarex Energy Denver-based Cimarex Energy Co. is an independent oil and gas exploration and production company with principal operations in the Mid-Continent and Permian Basin areas of the U.S. This press release contains forward-looking statements, including statements regarding projected results and future events. In particular, the company is providing revised "2016 Outlook", which contains projections for certain 2016 operational and financial metrics. These forward-looking statements are based on management's judgment as of the date of this press release and include certain risks and uncertainties. Please refer to the company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2015, filed with the SEC, and other filings including our Current Reports on Form 8-K and Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, for a list of certain risk factors that may affect these forward-looking statements. Actual results may differ materially from company projections and other forward-looking statements and can be affected by a variety of factors outside the control of the company including, among other things: oil, NGL and natural gas price volatility; declines in the values of our oil and gas properties resulting in impairments; the ability to receive drilling and other permits and rights-of-way in a timely manner; development drilling and testing results; the potential for production decline rates to be greater than expected; performance of acquired properties and newly drilled wells; costs and availability of third party facilities for gathering, processing, refining and transportation; regulatory approvals, including regulatory restrictions on federal lands; legislative or regulatory changes, including initiatives related to hydraulic fracturing; higher than expected costs and expenses, including the availability and cost of services and materials; unexpected future capital expenditures; economic and competitive conditions; the ability to obtain industry partners to jointly explore certain prospects, and the willingness and ability of those partners to meet capital obligations when requested; changes in estimates of proved reserves; compliance with environmental and other regulations; derivative and hedging activities; risks associated with operating in one major geographic area; the success of the company's risk management activities; title to properties; litigation; environmental liabilities; and other factors discussed in the company's reports filed with the SEC. Cimarex Energy Co. encourages readers to consider the risks and uncertainties associated with projections and other forward-looking statements. In addition, the company assumes no obligation to publicly revise or update any forward-looking statements based on future events or circumstances. (1) Adjusted net income and adjusted cash flow from operations are non-GAAP financial measures. See below for reconciliations of the related amounts. (2) Reconciliation of debt to total capitalization, which is a non-GAAP measure, is: long-term debt of $1.5 billion divided by long-term debt of $1.5 billion plus stockholders' equity of $2.6 billion. (3) PEPL refers to Panhandle Eastern Pipe Line Tex/OK Mid-Continent index and El Paso Perm is El Paso Permian Basin index both as quoted in Platt's Inside FERC. (4) WTI refers to West Texas Intermediate oil price as quoted on the New York Mercantile Exchange. RECONCILIATION OF ADJUSTED NET INCOME (LOSS) For the Three Months Ended March 31, 2016 2015 (in thousands, net of tax, except per share data) Net income (loss) $ (186,131) $ (414,941) Impairment of oil and gas properties 146,226 383,225 Mark-to-market loss on open derivative positions 2,956 Adjusted net income (loss) $ (36,949) $ (31,716) Diluted earnings (loss) per share $ (2.00) $ (4.84) Adjusted diluted earnings (loss) per share $ (0.40) $ (0.37) Diluted shares attributable to common stockholders and participating securities 93,000 * 85,770 * Estimated tax rates utilized 36.5% 36.5% Adjusted net income (loss) and adjusted diluted earnings (loss) per share excludes the noted items because management believes these items affect the comparability of operating results. The company discloses these non-GAAP financial measures as a useful adjunct to GAAP earnings because: a) Management uses adjusted net income (loss) to evaluate the company's operational trends and performance relative to other oil and gas exploration and production companies. b) Adjusted net income (loss) is more comparable to earnings estimates provided by research analysts. * Participating securities and other dilutive shares are not included in the diluted share computation when a loss exists. RECONCILIATION OF ADJUSTED CASH FLOW FROM OPERATIONS For the Three Months Ended March 31, 2016 2015 (in thousands) Net cash provided by operating activities $ 85,060 $ 113,173 Change in operating assets and liabilities (3,469) 73,772 Adjusted cash flow from operations $ 81,591 $ 186,945 Management believes that the non-GAAP measure of adjusted cash flow from operations is useful information for investors because it is used internally and is accepted by the investment community as a means of measuring the company's ability to fund its capital program and dividends, without fluctuations caused by changes in current assets and liabilities, which are included in the GAAP measure of cash flow from operating activities. It is also used by professional research analysts in providing investment recommendations pertaining to companies in the oil and gas exploration and production industry. OIL AND GAS CAPITALIZED EXPENDITURES For the Three Months Ended March 31, 2016 2015 (in thousands) Acquisitions: Proved $ 2,584 $ 30 Unproved 8,346 1,869 10,930 1,899 Exploration and development: Land and Seismic 11,162 22,690 Exploration and development 147,022 285,527 158,184 308,217 Sale proceeds: Proved (12,587) (1,145) Unproved (384) (12,971) (1,145) $ 156,143 $ 308,971 CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS AND COMPREHENSIVE INCOME (LOSS) (unaudited) For the Three Months Ended March 31, 2016 2015 (in thousands, except per share data) Revenues: Oil sales $ 117,573 $ 196,005 Gas sales 82,608 110,962 NGL sales 33,352 45,600 Gas gathering and other, net 7,067 8,435 240,600 361,002 Costs and expenses: Impairment of oil and gas properties 230,132 603,599 Depreciation, depletion, amortization and accretion 130,397 218,514 Production 70,702 82,211 Transportation, processing, and other operating 46,443 39,642 Gas gathering and other 8,080 8,864 Taxes other than income 13,839 21,981 General and administrative 13,897 15,938 Stock compensation 5,528 5,155 (Gain) loss on derivative instruments, net (428) Other operating, net 90 524 518,680 996,428 Operating income (loss) (278,080) (635,426) Other (income) and expense: Interest expense 19,895 20,137 Amortization of deferred financing costs 910 1,119 Capitalized interest (4,904) (9,417) Other, net (1,650) (3,585) Income (loss) before income tax (292,331) (643,680) Income tax expense (benefit) (106,200) (228,739) Net income (loss) $ (186,131) $ (414,941) Earnings (loss) per share to common stockholders: Basic $ (2.00) $ (4.84) Diluted $ (2.00) $ (4.84) Dividends per share $ 0.08 $ 0.16 Shares attributable to common stockholders: Unrestricted common shares outstanding 93,000 85,770 Diluted common shares 93,000 85,770 Shares attributable to common stockholders and participating securities: Basic shares outstanding N/A* N/A* Fully diluted shares N/A* N/A* Comprehensive income (loss): Net income (loss) $ (186,131) $ (414,941) Other comprehensive income (loss): Change in fair value of investments, net of tax 85 101 Total comprehensive income (loss) $ (186,046) $ (414,840) * Due to the net loss in the periods ended March 31, 2016 and 2015, shares of 94,824 and 87,682, respectively, which include participating securities, are not considered in the loss per share calculations. CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED CASH FLOW STATEMENTS (unaudited) For the Three Months Ended March 31, 2016 2015 (in thousands) Cash flows from operating activities: Net income (loss) $ (186,131) $ (414,941) Adjustment to reconcile net income (loss) to net cash provided by operating activities: Impairment of oil and gas properties 230,132 603,599 Depreciation, depletion, amortization and accretion 130,397 218,514 Deferred income taxes (106,200) (228,739) Stock compensation 5,528 5,155 (Gain) loss on derivative instruments (428) Settlements on derivative instruments 5,068 Changes in non-current assets and liabilities 1,863 1,046 Amortization of deferred financing costs and other, net 1,362 2,311 Changes in operating assets and liabilities: Receivables, net 33,147 72,397 Other current assets 11,982 9,894 Accounts payable and other current liabilities (41,660) (156,063) Net cash provided by operating activities 85,060 113,173 Cash flows from investing activities: Oil and gas expenditures (176,395) (371,106) Sales of oil and gas assets and other assets 13,059 1,180 Other capital expenditures (9,477) (18,848) Net cash used by investing activities (172,813) (388,774) Cash flows from financing activities: Dividends paid (15,104) (13,947) Proceeds from exercise of stock options and other 114 4,618 Net cash used in financing activities (14,990) (9,329) Net change in cash and cash equivalents (102,743) (284,930) Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period 779,382 405,862 Cash and cash equivalents at end of period $ 676,639 $ 120,932 CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (unaudited) March 31, December 31, 2016 2015 Assets (in thousands, except share data) Current assets: Cash and cash equivalents $ 676,639 $ 779,382 Receivables, net 192,160 225,398 Oil and gas well equipment and supplies 44,648 54,579 Derivative instruments 11,868 10,745 Other current assets 5,775 7,826 Total current assets 931,090 1,077,930 Oil and gas properties at cost, using the full cost method of accounting: Proved properties 15,677,599 15,546,948 Unproved properties and properties under development, not being amortized 466,497 440,166 16,144,096 15,987,114 Less accumulated depreciation, depletion, amortization and impairment (13,057,470) (12,710,968) Net oil and gas properties 3,086,626 3,276,146 Fixed assets, net 227,343 230,009 Goodwill 620,232 620,232 Derivative instruments 422 501 Other assets, net 35,548 38,468 $ 4,901,261 $ 5,243,286 Liabilities and Stockholders' Equity Current liabilities: Accounts payable $ 39,241 $ 66,815 Accrued liabilities 229,787 247,508 Derivative instruments 3,812 Revenue payable 84,252 95,744 Total current liabilities 357,092 410,067 Long-term debt: Principal 1,500,000 1,500,000 Less unamortized debt issuance costs (13,789) (14,380) Long-term debt, net 1,486,211 1,485,620 Deferred income taxes 246,553 352,705 Other liabilities 197,074 197,216 Total liabilities 2,286,930 2,445,608 Commitments and contingencies Stockholders' equity: Preferred stock, $0.01 par value, 15,000,000 shares authorized, no shares issued Common stock, $0.01 par value, 200,000,000 shares authorized, 94,815,010 and 94,820,570 shares issued, respectively 948 948 Paid-in capital 2,773,254 2,762,976 Retained earnings (Accumulated deficit) (160,397) 33,313 Accumulated other comprehensive income 526 441 2,614,331 2,797,678 $ 4,901,261 $ 5,243,286 SOURCE Cimarex Energy Co. Related Links http://www.cimarex.com DALLAS, May 4, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Civitas Capital Group is pleased to announce that Chief Executive Officer Daniel J. Healy is one of three directors elected to the Board of Directors of Invest in the USA (IIUSA), the national not-for-profit industry trade association for the EB-5 Regional Center Program. He was elected by the general membership during the group's annual meeting in Washington, D.C. A dedicated IIUSA member since 2011, Mr. Healy led the trade association's Nominations Committee in 2013. He has been on the President's Advisory Council since 2014, and is a member of the Best Practices Committee, which he chaired from 2013 to 2015. "I'm honored to have an opportunity to serve on the IIUSA board at this critical time," Mr. Healy said. "My hope and intent is to foster industry unity both within IIUSA and between IIUSA and other key EB-5 stakeholders. We must come together to enact reforms that will both enhance program integrity and ensure EB-5 remains viable and continue to catalyze economic development and job creation." Mr. Healy is responsible for the general management of the Civitas Capital Group family of companies. In that role, he testified before the U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary on April 13, expressing his support for meaningful EB-5 program reforms, including modifying Targeted Employment Area (TEA) policy. A longtime institutional real estate investment management professional, Mr. Healy is active in the Dallas business and civic communities. He is a member of the Dallas Citizens Council, the Dallas Assembly, and the Dallas Committee on Foreign Relations. Mr. Healy was named a Distinguished Young Alumnus by his alma mater, the Cox School of Business at Southern Methodist University. About Civitas Capital Group The Civitas Capital Group family of companies provides a range of products and services for institutional investors, family offices and qualified individuals. The firm offers compelling, niche investment strategies in U.S. lodging and real estate markets through its Alternative Investments and EB-5 Capital divisions. For more information about Civitas, please visit www.civitascapital.com or follow @CivitasCG on Twitter. About IIUSA Founded in 2005, IIUSA is the national not-for-profit trade association for the EB-5 Regional Center industry with a mission of advocacy, education, industry development, and research. The organization represents more than 270 Regional Centers and 190 associated members. IIUSA's members are engines of economic growth and job creation, accounting for over 95 percent of capital flowing through the Program. Learn more at IIUSA.org. Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160503/363292LOGO SOURCE Civitas Capital Group Related Links http://civitascapital.com/ SACRAMENTO, Calif., May 4, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- A broad coalition including the California Police Chiefs Association, California Hospital Association, California Teamsters, California State Sheriffs' Association, California Peace Officers Association, Los Angeles Police Protective League, the Small Growers Association, and Democrat and Republican elected officials is launching its opposition effort against the proposed Adult Use of Marijuana Act to legalize recreational marijuana. The opposition campaign will wage a robust effort through November and will lay out a multitude of loopholes that concern even those generally supportive of legalization. A recent white paper by the San Diego District Attorney's office points out, "The initiative allows persons convicted of dealing large amounts of controlled substances such as heroin, methamphetamine or cocaine to become 'legal marijuana dealers.' There is nothing in the initiative that will prevent anyone with a prior conviction involving dealing any drug (Cocaine, PCP, Heroin, Methamphetamine, etc.) from getting a license..." "Current law prohibits convicted meth and heroin felons from being involved in medical marijuana. But this new initiative will specifically allow for convicted major meth and heroin dealers to be licensed recreational marijuana vendors in California. You have to question proponents in terms of placing personal wealth and corporation profits ahead of community well-being," stated Chief Ken Corney, President of the California Police Chiefs Association. Wayne Johnson, longtime strategist leading a coalition of healthcare, labor and law enforcement organizations in opposition noted, "Why on earth would anyone propose this? They were repeatedly warned that they were creating this loophole and they did it anyway. Their motives are absolutely questionable." Internal polling conducted by the opposition campaign indicates that California voter opinions on legalization of marijuana have not changed much since Proposition 19 was defeated in 2010 by 7 points. A similar measure in Ohio was overwhelmingly defeated by voters this past November as well. Further, California voters need only look to recent reports by research institutions like the University of California, San Francisco that cite "minimal protections for public health", contained in this proposed initiative. (Link to the UCSF report HERE). SOURCE Coalition for Responsible Drug Policies JACKSON, Mich., May 4, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Consumers Energy is contributing up to $100,000 to match Michigan residents' contributions to this year's Home Run for Habitat fundraising campaign, building on a relationship to provide energy-efficient housing across the state. Consumers Energy has made over $950,000 in contributions to Habitat for Humanity of Michigan since 2001. "Caring for the communities we serve is our Promise to Michigan. We applaud Habitat for Humanity of Michigan for its work to build homes that form the backbone of those communities," said Garrick Rochow, Consumers Energy's vice president and chief customer officer. "We're pleased to support the Home Run for Habitat campaign, providing valuable dollars that will continue to support Habitat's mission." "Habitat for Humanity is designing some of the most energy efficient homes in the state, which would not be possible without Consumers Energy's continued support and dedication to our mission," said Sandy Pearson, president and CEO of Habitat for Humanity of Michigan. "The Home Run for Habitat campaign lets us expand our impact throughout communities in Michigan, bringing safety, stability and more money in the pockets of our families as the result of energy efficient improvements to their homes." Consumers Energy is matching dollars that the public donates to the Home Run for Habitat campaign during this Detroit Tigers season. On Saturday, Consumers Energy will present a check representing last year's Home for Habitat contributions before the Tigers home game at Comerica Park. Contributions support Habitat's statewide ReBuild Michigan campaign, which funds work in nearly every county. Over 400 Consumers Energy employees also volunteered last year in company-sponsored Habitat projects across the state, and several employees sit on the leadership boards of Habitat affiliates. Consumers Energy's Helping Neighbors program provides energy efficiency upgrades to residents of Habitat legacy homes in several counties. Measures have been installed to increase energy efficiency, including attic insulation, CFL and LED bulbs, and more. To contribute, go to www.ConsumersEnergy.com/habitat. Consumers Energy, Michigan's largest utility, is the principal subsidiary of CMS Energy (NYSE: CMS), providing natural gas and electricity to 6.7 million of the state's 10 million residents in all 68 Lower Peninsula counties. Habitat for Humanity believes that every man, woman and child should have a safe, decent and affordable home. To make this possible, Habitat for Humanity of Michigan partners with the Habitat for Humanity affiliates throughout the state to assist them to reach their maximum sustainable capacity within their individual communities by supporting the further development of their leadership, procedures and resources. For more information about Consumers Energy, go to www.ConsumersEnergy.com. Media toolkit LEARN MORE: Learn more about, and donate to, Home Run for Habitat: www.habitatmichigan.org/ways-give/home-run-habitat HELPING NEIGHBORS: Learn more about Consumers Energy's Helping Neighbors program: www.consumershelpingneighbors.com Check out Consumers Energy on Social Media Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/consumersenergymichigan Twitter: https://twitter.com/consumersenergy YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/consumersenergy Flickr: https://www.flickr.com/photos/consumersenergy SOURCE Consumers Energy Related Links http://www.consumersenergy.com JERUSALEM, May 4, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- DBS-H Ltd., a leading developer of continuous, near real-time, SQL to NoSQL data integration software announces its expansion of its CR8 product to support the Hadoop ecosystem. CR8 specializes in capturing SQL based transactions from the transaction logs, analyzing and enriching these transactions and then writing the update to a wide range of targets. With the new release, CR8 can continuously stream database updates to HBase, HDFS or Kafka, depending upon the business need. This is added to existing support for targets including MongoDB, JMS queues, Google and Amazon S3 Cloud Storage. CR8 is capable of reading transactions from Oracle, MS SQL Server and Ingres databases with DB2 soon to be released. With the overall Big Data market estimated to reach $41.5 billion by 2018 and data integration comprising an estimated 15% of that market, it is clear that there is an ongoing and growing need for innovative technology that will help bring existing and new data sources together. "Organizations are looking for ways to leverage technical innovation and Big Data to survive in today's competitive world but their existing data is locked in legacy systems," says DBS-H CEO, Amos Shaltiel. "CR8 removes this obstacle by unlocking this data while reducing the need for cumbersome ETL's by streaming the SQL based data to new technology platforms in near real-time where it can be used for operational insights and on-the-spot analytics. In the future," Shaltiel adds, "we plan to integrate with more tools such as Apache Atlas in order to enable a wide range of data security oriented use cases." About DBS-H Ltd. DBS-H Ltd. is a dynamic startup based in Jerusalem, Israel. It is led by experienced database, business and project experts, Mr. Amos Shaltiel and Mr. Michael Elkin both of whom have extensive experience in building and implementing business critical systems in large enterprises. DBS-H is backed by the Jerusalem Venture Partners and by the Office of the Chief Scientist in the Israel Ministry of Trade. DBS-H is dedicated to extending enterprise capabilities by making critical business data available to new, innovative technologies. Look for DBS-H and request a demo at http://www.dbs-h.com Contact: Amos Shaltiel, CEO +972-2-579-9113 [email protected] SOURCE DBS-H Ltd. CHICAGO, May 4, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Crowe Horwath LLP, through its subsidiaries, reached an agreement to purchase BaxterBruce Ltd. Crowe Horwath is a leading firm in global risk consulting, while consulting firm BaxterBruce has deep specialization in insurance industry risk consulting. Based in London, BaxterBruce serves clients throughout the United Kingdom. By joining forces, the two firms will create one of the U.K.'s premier risk consulting firms to the financial services industry. Financial terms were not disclosed. Established in 2009 by Justin Baxter and Daniel Bruce, BaxterBruce specializes in risk management, capital management and regulatory change to the insurance industry in the U.K. The firm, which has been expanding at a rate of more than 20 percent each year, has built a reputation for excellence underpinned by deep actuarial, regulatory and change management capability. Baxter and Bruce will join Crowe Horwath as principals. Crowe Horwath currently serves some of the world's largest companies in the financial services, life sciences and manufacturing industries. The combination of the two firms will help expand the services that Crowe Horwath offers its clients in the U.K. and around the globe and will also deepen its insurance industry, actuarial and change management expertise. For BaxterBruce, the merger will enable its clients to access a broader set of capabilities in the key economic centers of the world. "Crowe Horwath and BaxterBruce have built their businesses on similar values, which we believe is key to our success together in the future," said Steve Strammello, managing partner of Crowe Horwath Risk Consulting. "I am delighted that our people and our clients globally will benefit from our two firms joining forces in the U.K." "Joining Crowe Horwath is a great fit with our values and way of doing business," said Justin Baxter, co-founder of BaxterBruce. "This move will reinforce our two firms' leadership in the financial services industry and open up new possibilities for our team and our clients." "This is a natural evolution for BaxterBruce," added Daniel Bruce, co-founder. "Our clients really appreciate our attention to quality and the depth of our expertise. We will now have much greater critical mass to help clients tackle a wider range of challenges, without compromising the principles on which our reputation has grown. " About Crowe Horwath Crowe Horwath LLP (www.crowehorwath.com) is one of the largest public accounting, consulting, and technology firms in the United States. Crowe uses its deep industry expertise to provide audit services to public and private entities while also helping clients reach their goals with tax, advisory, risk and performance services. Crowe is recognized by many organizations as one of the country's best places to work. Crowe serves clients worldwide as an independent member of Crowe Horwath International, one of the largest global accounting networks in the world. The network consists of more than 200 independent accounting and advisory services firms in more than 120 countries around the world. About BaxterBruce BaxterBruce Ltd is a specialist management consultancy that provides business transformation and education solutions to the insurance industry. Its expertise lies across the areas of risk and capital management, finance transformation, and regulatory change. The firm places great emphasis on combining deep content expertise with exceptional delivery. BaxterBruce offers a range of consulting services covering business advisory, programme delivery, and education and training. Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20090902/CL69632LOGO SOURCE Crowe Horwath LLP Related Links http://www.crowehorwath.com NEW YORK, May 4, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- CUR Media, Inc. ("CUR Media" or the "Company") (OTCQB: CURM) (OTCBB: CURM) today announced that Jim Urie, former President and CEO of Universal Music Group Distribution, has been appointed Executive Chairman of the Company's Board of Directors, Interim President and Interim CEO. Tom Brophy, Founder of CUR Media, will continue to have an active role with the Company and will continue to be a member of the Board of Directors. The Company is actively looking for a permanent President and CEO. Mr. Urie was President of Universal Music Group Distribution for 16 years, and CEO and President for 12 of those years, until his departure in early 2015. During his tenure, Urie built the distribution company that would take the lead on issues confronting the music industry, including the challenging transition to digital. Urie had been with Universal Music Group since 1996, during which time he oversaw purchases and integrations of several major acquisitions. Urie began his music career in 1972 as a college rep for CBS Records. Upon leaving CBS, he spent time at both PolyGram and Arista Records before joining Universal. Mr. Urie, a music industry stalwart, has been recognized by Billboard Magazine as a power innovator alongside such transformative figures as Apple's Steve Jobs and Interscope's Jimmy Iovine. "I am excited to become part of CUR Media and to work with the team," said Jim Urie. "There is a tremendous opportunity to break new ground in the music streaming space, and I believe the CUR Music offering is poised to do just that. Upon launch, we will be the first streaming service that brings new price points to the market and exciting ways for our customers to interact socially. I look forward to bringing this dynamic product to market." Stated CUR Media Founder Tom Brophy, "CUR is a next generation music streaming service with the lowest price in the industry at $1.99 per month, properly compensating artists and providing new opportunities for the music industry. I welcome Jim to our team and look forward to working closely together." ABOUT CUR MEDIA INC CUR Media, Inc. is creating CUR (pronounced 'cure'), a next generation social music experience, through the planned launch of CUR Music, a social, mobile, and web streaming music application that is being designed to enable its users to go beyond the limitations of traditional music streaming services. Upon its anticipated launch, CUR Music will unlock the truly expressive nature of an individual's connection with their music by fostering personalization, sharing and creativity. With CUR Music it's not just about streaming, it's about what the music means to you and how you want to express that to the world. For more information please visit http://www.curmusic.com. FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS Any statements contained in this press release that do not describe historical facts may constitute forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements may include, without limitation, statements regarding (i) the plans and objectives of management for future operations, including plans or objectives relating to the development of a commercially viable streaming music product, (ii) a projection of income (including income/loss), earnings (including earnings/loss) per share, capital expenditures, dividends, capital structure or other financial items, (iii) the Company's future financial performance, (iv) the Company's ability to negotiate and maintain economically feasible agreements with the major and independent music labels and publisher rights organizations, and (v) the assumptions underlying or relating to any statement described in points (i), (ii), (iii), and (iv) above. Such forward-looking statements are not meant to predict or guarantee actual results, performance, events or circumstances and may not be realized because they are based upon the Company's current projections, plans, objectives, beliefs, expectations, estimates and assumptions and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties and other influences, many of which the Company has no control over. Actual results and the timing of certain events and circumstances may differ materially from those described by the forward-looking statements as a result of these risks and uncertainties. Factors that may influence or contribute to the inaccuracy of the forward-looking statements or cause actual results to differ materially from expected or desired results may include, without limitation, the Company's inability to obtain adequate financing, the length of time associated with development of mobile applications and related insufficient cash flows and resulting illiquidity, the Company's inability to expand the Company's business, lack of product diversification, existing or increased competition, results of arbitration and litigation, stock volatility and illiquidity, and the Company's failure to implement the Company's business plans or strategies. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook & Instagram @CURMUSIC CONTACT: CUR Media, Inc. Marcy Polanco [email protected] SOURCE CUR Media, Inc SAINT-CLOUD, France, May 4, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Dassault's Falcon 2000LXS today became the first business jet to fly an Instrument Approach Procedure (IAP) with a published LPV minima of 200 ft, using Europe's EGNOS LPV200 service. Falcon 2000LXS is First Business Jet to Fly 200 ft Minima Instrument Approach Using Europe's EGNOS LPV200 Service (PRNewsFoto/Dassault Aviation) (Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160504/363790 ) (Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120925/564526-a ) The flight, at Paris' Charles de Gaulle Airport, was performed as part of initial European LPV200 trials, which also involved Airbus 350 and ATR-700 commercial aircraft. LPV (Localizer Performance with Vertical Guidance) permits aircraft guided approaches operationally equivalent to ILS Cat 1 without the need for ground-based navigation aid infrastructure. The service relies on the availability of GPS and Space Based Augmentation System (SBAS) capabilities like EGNOS (European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service) and the US's Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS). France was the first European country to publish approach procedures permitting EGNOS LPV200 service with a 200 ft (60 m) minima, the same level of performance as permitted by WAAS and ILS Cat 1. The EGNOS LPV service was introduced in 2011 but only to a decision height not lower than 250 ft. Dassault's Falcon 900LX was at that time the first aircraft to fly an EGNOS LPV250 approach (performed in Pau, France early the same year). LPV approaches make it possible to land at facilities not equipped with expensive instrument landing systems, which includes many small regional and local airports. Lowering the decision height from 250 ft to 200 ft provides a substantial operational benefit in poor weather and low visibility conditions. "The accuracy and stability of LPV guidance is really amazing, much better than with ILS," said Dassault test pilot Jean-Louis Dumas, who was at the controls alongside operational pilot Olivier Perriaud during the EGNOS LPV200 trials. "Lowering the minima to 200 ft will be a great boon for European business aviation operations." All in-production Falcon Jets are equipped with Dassault's second generation EASy II avionics suite, which is designed to support LPV200 and other new navigation features. Notes for Editors Dassault Falcon is the recognized global brand for Dassault business jets which are designed, manufactured and supported by Dassault Aviation and Dassault Falcon Jet Corp. About Dassault Aviation Dassault Aviation is a leading aerospace company with a presence in over 90 countries across five continents. It produces the Rafale fighter jet as well as the complete line of Falcons. The company employs a workforce of over 11,000 and has assembly and production plants in both France and the United States and service facilities around the globe. Since the rollout of the first Falcon 20 in 1963, over 2,400 Falcon jets have been delivered. Dassault offers a range of six business jets from the twin-engine 3,350 nm large-cabin Falcon 2000S to its new flagship, the tri-engine 6,450 nm ultra-long range Falcon 8X. About Dassault Falcon Jet Dassault Falcon Jet Corp. is a wholly owned U.S. subsidiary of Dassault Aviation, France. Dassault Falcon Jet markets and supports the Falcon family of business jets throughout North and South America. Press Contacts Dassault Aviation (Saint-Cloud, France) Vadim Feldzer Tel. +33-1-47-11-44-13 [email protected] Marie-Alexandrine Fouillard Tel. +33-1-47-11-64-23 [email protected] Dassault Falcon Jet (Teterboro Airport, USA) Andrew Ponzoni Tel. +1-201-541-4588 [email protected] Grant Kielczewski Tel. +1-201-541-4679 [email protected] Follow us on Twitter: @DassaultFalcon Photos Copy and paste the link into your browser to access the high resolution photos: http://www.falconphotogallery.com For more information about Dassault Falcon business jets, visit: http://www.dassaultfalcon.com SOURCE Dassault Aviation IT industry vet to continue as an Operating Executive at Marlin Operations Group TORONTO, May 4, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- The OnX companies OnX Enterprise Solutions, OnX Managed Services and Momentum Digital Solutions together composing a leading enterprise technology solutions integrator, today announced the appointment of Dave Hansen as new Chairman of the Board and interim CEO. He succeeds Michael Cox, who retired as CEO at the end of April after three years. Hansen will continue as an Operating Executive at Marlin Operations Group, Inc., an exclusive consulting firm affiliated with Marlin Equity Partners, the private equity firm that is the majority owner of OnX. He will remain as chairman of the board at OnX after a new CEO is found. "I'm thrilled to be joining OnX at such a key moment in its history," Hansen said. "Under the guidance of Michael Cox, OnX has begun transforming into a technology services and solutions powerhouse and I look forward to furthering that initiative with OnX's dynamic team of leaders." "I'm leaving OnX in great hands," said Cox, who joined OnX as U.S. president in February 2013 and was named CEO later that year. "Dave has a long record of success in the industry and will provide valuable guidance as interim CEO and chairman of the board of directors." Hansen is a 30-year veteran of the IT industry and has held a number of leadership positions at prominent firms. Before joining Marlin Operations Group in 2015, he was vice president and general manager of sales, marketing and services at Dell Software. Prior to that, he was president and CEO of SafeNet in Belcamp, Md. In 2012, he was vice president and general manager of BMC Software after that company acquired Numara Software, of which he had been president and CEO. Before that, Hansen spent ten years with CA Technologies, where he held a number of positions at the corporate senior vice president and general manager levels, responsible for enterprise solutions, cloud products, security management products and other areas. He is a graduate of Lakehead University in Thunder Bay, Ontario, and got his start in IT in the pulp paper business and education sectors in his native Canada. The search for a new CEO at OnX is underway and is being led by Hansen. Hansen and his family live in the Dallas area. About OnX Enterprise Solutions OnX Enterprise Solutions is a leading global provider of technology services and solutions. The company assesses, designs, builds, secures and manages complete technology environments with specific expertise in Next-Gen Data Center & Hybrid Cloud, IT-as-a-Service, Information Management & Analytics, and Digital & User Experience. For more than 30 years, OnX has helped clients achieve exceptional business results that accelerate their growth and value. OnX's team of more than 600 IT professionals work at OnX offices throughout North America and in the U.K., with global headquarters in Toronto, Canada and U.S. headquarters in New York, NY. OnX is a privately held company and majority owned by Marlin Equity Partners. For more information about OnX and career opportunities, visit www.OnX.com. Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160504/363608LOGO SOURCE OnX Related Links http://www.OnX.com NEW YORK, May 4, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- For the second year, Deloitte's Business Confidence Report reveals that America's top leaders, chief executive officers (CXOs) and chief executives-in-waiting (CXOWs), the latter including those who are next in line to the C-suite, have a very high level of confidence despite global volatility. Results show 69 percent of CXOs and 56 percent of CXOWs feel very confident they will outperform the competition in the next year, compared to 66 percent of CXOs and 63 percent of CXOWs in 2014. However, some doubts are emerging as executives, particularly those just outside the C-suite, struggle with how to transform their businesses and disrupt their industries in an unstable and increasingly competitive marketplace. This year's report, titled "Deloitte Business Confidence Report 2016: The Bold Organization Innovate, Lead, Attract," took the pulse of 600 of America's top business leaders and examined their levels of confidence on key business issues. It examines how the confidence level of leaders shifts in relation to the priorities of innovation and technology, the need for bold leadership, and increasing pressure to find, develop and keep the right talent. C-suite leaders cited rapid technology changes, talent skills gaps and a lack of investment in their own products and processes as their top concerns in the survey. "In order for business leaders to transform their organizations, they have to look more broadly across the organization and align changes, incentives, and investments with their priorities even across organizational silos," said Janet Foutty, CEO and chairman of Deloitte Consulting LLP. "Our survey shows that there are opportunities to carry desired changes through every element of a company's business model rather than just focusing energy in one or two areas. A more holistic approach will create new opportunities to outperform in an environment where competition is increasingly fierce." Survey responses revealed that while business leaders are focusing on key areas of concern to transform their organizations through innovation, bold leadership and talent, they are still not comprehensively integrating strategies across the organization. Innovation The C-Suite's Narrow Approach: The report found C-suite leaders repeatedly exhibit inconsistencies when it comes to prioritizing and investing in innovation. Executives stated that besides their own leadership, their ability to innovate more than competitors is the highest source of their business confidence. However, survey results show that business leaders are taking a particularly narrow view of innovation, which could hinder their efforts. When leaders prioritize innovation, they almost exclusively focus on product and services (51 percent of CXOs and 54 percent of CXOWs) or customer experience (48 percent CXOs and 57 percent of CXOWs) and are missing critical opportunities to explore innovation outside of these boundaries. For example, only about 1 in 4 companies are focused on investing in other key innovation areas including staff, organizational models and business process. Although executives say innovation is a major priority, more than half of CXOs (53 percent) and 44 percent of CXOWs are not prioritizing investments in employee recruitment and retention to address the need for new and different skills their companies will require to foster innovation. Subsequently, business leaders are not rewarding their employees for innovation breakthroughs, as only 50 percent of CXOs and CXOWs say they are awarding innovation, and only 41 percent of CXOs and 40 percent of CXOWs offer compensation and promotions to those who take risks. However, that's still an increase from 2014, when 36 percent of CXOs stated they were incorporating contributions to innovation in performance reviews. The report shows that the passive innovation strategy most C-suite executives are implementing, which is centered around making the same, traditional business investments they have made for years, is not actually leading to innovation. It allows only for incremental change and does not foster the disruption today's businesses need to avoid becoming obsolete. In 2014, 45 percent of CXOs said they were allowing time for employees to innovate and 42 percent are adopting new technologies. In 2016, that has increased as 51 percent of CXOs stated they are offering at-work training on new technologies, displaying investment and priority improvements in innovation and technology training, but that still means nearly 1 in 2 (49 percent) are not offering this training to staff. Talent "Brain Drain" Looming: As the war on talent continues and the C-suite looks for new ways to come out on top, business leaders are now faced with another major problem a "brain drain" of their super stars. According to the 2016 report, C-suite leaders are very concerned that their most talented might leave before they take senior management positions available at their companies. Sixty-three percent of CXOs and 80 percent of CXOWs feel that 1 in 3, or more, of their best managers will leave before joining their senior ranks. Eighty-eight percent of CXOs and 93 percent of CXOWs believe the rapid pace at which technology and the markets are changing is creating a skills gap at their companies. Nearly half of these same executives also feel the gap is not being adequately addressed (44 percent of CXOs and 46 percent of CXOWs). However, a majority of CXOs and many CXOWs (almost half of them) are not prioritizing investments in employee recruitment and retention to address the need for new and different skills at their companies. This echoes a similar finding in "Strategy, Not Technology, Drives Digital Transformation," a recent study Deloitte completed with MIT Sloan Management Review, which found that this skills gap is even larger among less digitally mature organizations. Fifty-four percent of CXOs and 60 percent of CXOWs cite that the desire to work with more advanced technologies is the top factor that will drive away their best managers to a new company. Fifty-two percent of CXOs and 57 percent of CXOWs highlighted the desire to work for a more innovative company as the second highest reason why top talent is likely to leave before they reach the management ranks at their current company. These themes also emerged in the Deloitte and MIT Sloan Management Review study, which found that over 72 percent of employees across all age groups want to work for an organization that is digitally enabled or is known as a digital leader. Executives also say there is a significant variation of "in demand" skills needed at their companies, with a shift from technical skills towards "soft skills" that are often hard to find and even harder to cultivate. CXOs and CXOWs specifically identified the ability to quickly develop expertise (57 percent and 56 percent respectively) and work across multiple roles (51 percent of each) and work with advanced technologies (50 percent and 52 percent respectively) as the top skills in demand for their business. In 2016, 72 percent of CXOs stated they are training current employees to develop new skills to promote innovation. As the demand for innovation has increased, so has training. In Deloitte's 2014 report, 39 percent of CXOs said they were providing ongoing employee training and development programs in regards to what the organization is doing to foster or drive innovation. The Bold Leadership Requirement: In the face of today's challenging business environment, nearly all executives agreed that bold leadership is required to transform challenges into opportunities for growth. For the 2016 report, Deloitte identified the following six qualifiers to define "bold leadership": sets ambitious goals; invites feedback from colleagues at all levels of seniority; innovates and looks for new ways of doing things; proposes ideas their company might consider controversial; takes risks; and builds strong teams and empowers them to succeed. Survey results show that executives overwhelmingly agree (97 percent of CXOs and 98 percent of CXOWs) that breakthrough performance requires bold leadership. However, most companies are not cultivating bold leadership traits and nearly all leaders (9 in 10 CXOs and CXOWs) admit to not regularly demonstrating all aspects of bold leadership. Despite the fact that nearly all leaders say bold leadership is a "must have," when ranking their own performance as a bold leader, fewer than half of CXOs (48 percent) and CXOWs (47 percent) feel they demonstrate these qualities all or most of the time. In 2014, 48 percent of CXOs and 41 percent of CXOWs said their direct reports had the skills to become part of the C-suite in the organization. Those concerns have remained largely consistent in the 2016 report, as 46 percent and 44 percent of CXOWs stated that they definitely have an adequate supply of qualified and rising leaders. Similar to the findings of the first report, this year's survey results also show that the leadership pipeline for the C-suite is lacking. More than half of CXOs (52 percent) and CXOWs (61 percent) believe they may not have enough bold leaders in the highest ranks at their companies. The pool of future bold leaders also appears to be less than adequate, as only 44 percent of CXOs and 36 percent of CXOWs said that their rising executives successfully demonstrate bold leadership all or most of the time. When it comes to recruiting the next generation of bold leaders, 54 percent of CXOs and 67 percent of CXOWs stated they are not emphasizing bold leadership skills in recruitment. "Being a bold leader is about having the confidence to make decisions that disrupt and therefore transform your business, preparing it for the future. It's also about taking an integrated approach to decision making," said Foutty. "As the survey shows, a more united and collaborative approach to change would create greater coherence across the organization. These bold leadership perspectives are not easy to adopt, but without a 360-degree approach, innovation and transformation progress will remain stuck in neutral." About the Survey The "Deloitte Business Confidence Report 2016: The Bold Organization Innovate, Lead, Attract" survey was conducted among two groups: 1) 300 U.S. "CXOs," defined as U.S. adults employed full-time with C-level titles at companies with 1,000 or more employees, and 2) 300 U.S. "CXOs-in-Waiting," defined as U.S. adults employed full-time, with a professional title of SVP, executive VP, or equivalent, at companies with 1,000 or more employees, who will likely be promoted to a C-level position in the next 5-10 years. All survey respondents also had a college degree or advanced degree. The survey was fielded between Nov. 18 and Dec. 16, 2015, using an email invitation and an online survey. Follow us at @DeloitteUS for further insights from the 2016 Deloitte Business Confidence Report and to participate in the #CXOConfidence conversation. About Deloitte Consulting LLP Deloitte helps organizations grow their businesses and enhance value by identifying actionable insights. More than 23,000 professionals provide a broad range of capabilities across human capital, strategy and operations, innovation, and technology that are aligned to the particular needs of specific sectors, businesses and organizations. Deloitte provides clients with leading business insights that can help generate a tangible and measurable impact. As used in this document, "Deloitte" means Deloitte Consulting LLP, a subsidiary of Deloitte LLP. Please see http://www.deloitte.com/us/about for a detailed description of the legal structure of Deloitte LLP and its subsidiaries. Certain services may not be available to attest clients under the rules and regulations of public accounting. Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120803/MM52028LOGO-a SOURCE Deloitte Related Links http://www.deloitte.com/us DENVER, May 4, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Denver Mattress Company, one of four specialty stores at Furniture Row, is pleased to announce the grand opening of a new store in Portage, MI. Located at 6934-B South Westnedge Ave. Portage, MI 49002 the new store represents the 107th in the U.S. http://denvermattress.furniturerow.com/dmc/location/MattressStoresInPortageMIDenverMattress/1900001/1300002 Discussing the new store, district manager Matt Overmyer explained, "Denver Mattress is looking forward to offering quality, service, selection and value thus enabling more people in Southwest Michigan to get the perfect mattress at a very reasonable price." By using the same high-quality materials as other leading brand-name manufacturers, but as the manufacturer, retailer, and distributor, Denver Mattress is able to eliminate the middleman and pass the savings on. In many instances, Denver Mattress prices can be up to 50% less than the competition. Denver Mattress carries the best selection of the best mattress brands including their own extremely popular Doctor's Choice line. In addition, Denver Mattress has the distinction of being a Tempur-Pedic ELITE Retailer. For years Denver Mattress has been ranked as one of the very best mattress stores in the nation for quality, service, selection, and value by the country's leading consumer magazine. During the grand opening celebration May 13th thru June 23rd, shoppers can get 2 free Grand Vitae pillows with any bed purchase of $500 or more, or a free twin size Loveland mattress with the purchase of any bed over $1,200 or free local delivery with any Denver Mattress purchase of $499 or more. About Denver Mattress Company Denver Mattress manufactures its mattresses in its Denver-based factory and distributes them to its own retail stores. Denver Mattress employs the latest in manufacturing concepts, eliminates middle men and passes the savings on. The extremely cost-efficient production of American-made, high-quality mattresses translates into real value for its customers. A Better Tomorrow Starts Tonight. Visit http://www.DenverMattress.com About Furniture Row Companies The specialty stores of Furniture Row include Denver Mattress, Sofa Mart, Oak Express, and Bedroom Expressions. Headquartered in Denver, Colorado, Furniture Row operates more than 330 stores in 30 states making it one of America's largest, family-owned and operated specialty home furnishings and bedding retailers. Visit http://www.FurnitureRow.com Furniture Row also owns and sponsors the #78 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Toyota driven by Martin Truex Jr. Visit http://www.FurnitureRowRacing.com Contact: John Knippenberg / Furniture Row Marketing [email protected] Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20150304/179590LOGO SOURCE Denver Mattress Company Related Links http://www.DenverMattress.com "We are thrilled about Tony joining DriverUp and bolstering our technology pedigree," said Sam Ellis, co-founder & CEO, DriverUp. "Our mission is to establish a new standard of online auto finance for drivers, dealers and investors. Tony shares our vision and has the expertise to realize our objective of legitimately making auto finance a seamless digital experience." Fratiani brings 20 years of software development, quality assurance and business operations experience to DriverUp. Prior, he spent most of his career at Match.com, in various key technology roles helping the company transition from an early stage growth story to a global online dating powerhouse. As initial tasks at DriverUp, he will oversee the build of the company's technology team, design and launch new product features, and expand DriverUp's mobile functionality and adoption. Fratiani commented, "I'm very excited about joining the movement that DriverUp is leading. DriverUp is the solution needed for transforming the auto finance process and I'm ready to apply my experience to elevate the company's lead in technology innovation." About DriverUp DriverUp is the premier online marketplace focused solely on automotive financing. The Dallas-based company enables investors to directly purchase auto loans on the platform using comprehensive, transparent data and selection tools. For dealers and drivers, DriverUp's proprietary technology provides them with an expedited, streamlined online credit experience when financing the purchase of a vehicle. Launched by a team of automotive and consumer finance veterans, DriverUp is backed by prominent venture capital firms: RRE Ventures, Emerald Development Managers and SF Capital Group. For more information, visit www.driverup.com. Media Contact: Melissa Barto JCUTLER media group [email protected] Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160503/363322 SOURCE DriverUp Related Links http://www.driverup.com BEIJING, May 4, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- As expected, OpenStack has taken the world by surprise. In the Research field alone, CERN (European Organization for Nuclear Research) has utilized OpenStack in theorizing about the birth of the universe and NASA has employed OpenStack to look into the possibility of human habitation on other planets. Recently, the Institution for Interdisciplinary Information Sciences at the world-renowned Tsinghua University successfully completed the creation of the largest research-purposed cloud platform, consisting of 16TB memory, 540TB storage and single cluster capable of holding up to 6,000 cores, performing advanced research in emerging areas such as DNA sequencing, Social Networking and Natural Language Analytics, this project has also reduced the university's data center CAPEX by 60%; IT management tasks by 33%, and electricity costs by 80%. The Tsinghua University Institution of Interdisciplinary Information Sciences The Tsinghua University Institution of Interdisciplinary Information Sciences was founded on Dec. 30, 2010 and is led by Dr. Qingzhi Yao, the internationally respected computer scientist, Turing Award winner for the year 2000; Fellow at the U.S. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine; and the Chinese Academy of Sciences. This institute is the first educational research organization on interdisciplinary Information Technology, and is dedicated to the correlation and cross-buildup of Computer Sciences and Physics. It is also the leading research institute in China on the research of quantum information. New Research needs and modeling on institutional cloud platform As computer clusters are needed more and more in research projects, the good old days of using a single HPC cluster for processing single research projects are gone. Traditional IT architecture has grown obsolete as it distracts scientists from conducting researches itself. "It shouldn't be the scientists who demands for IT to be more flexible. Instead IT systems should be mobile as needed," renowned biologist John Boyle expressed the urgent need for a flexible IT system in an article published in the Nature Magazine titled "The Need for Biology to Develop its own Big Data System." Today, what's draining on the IT Operations staff is that computer clusters are needed in all sorts of research-related computations and analysis. Scientific image processing, Cryo-EM, Protein Structure, online education data analysis, social network analysis, natural language processing, DNA sequencing are just some of the projects Tsinghua University's Institution for Interdisciplinary Information Sciences need support with. Although the Institution has over 200 x86 servers, different projects often require different computing sources, generating bulky configurations burdening the IT operations and maintenance teams. Finally resting on recognition of professional and technical expertise, the Tsinghua University's Institution for interdisciplinary Information Sciences chose EasyStack as its partner in building of this OpenStack Cloud Platform. Requirement and Proposal Design To design a suitable cloud platform with existing hardware for the Institution's data center; consisting of network cards/SSD/SATA discs, etc., all of which meeting OpenStack hardware configuration standards. The time frame was one week of downtime during the summer break, to complete the deployment and roll out of the cloud platform. HA As an internal public cloud platform within the Tsinghua University, the first round of OpenStack deployment had 125 physical nodes, considering cluster size and access load, a five-nodes HA solution was used, scalable according to future needs. By initiating practices such as clustering/host backup/load balance, MySQL/Message Queue/API services/Web access and other service were all configured to achieve HA. Storage Improvements on OpenStack services resulted in Nova/Glance/Cinder all using Ceph RBD as the storage backend, allowing cloud resources such as host/snapshot/cloud hard drives to be accessible within seconds. The Ceph storage cluster was programmed to have three copies, ensuring data HA. To fully utilize physical machine resources, SSD/SATA discs and quintillion network cards are added to the computing nodes and storage-compute convergence employed through Cgroup/taskset and other practices to perform resource isolation of computing and storage processes, ensuring their stability and avoiding interference. Network Configured with the WLAN+OVS method to reasonably allocate traffic for different network planes and reserve enough VLAN ID domains for the production network, allowing professors and students to build their own private networks. L3 agents were assigned to distribute workloads onto the five controller nodes. The configurations on it will automatically reschedule to other nodes when L3's down to minimize network breakdown. South-North and East-West network traffics were also restrained reasonably. Account Management After the OpenStack cluster deployment is complete, Keystone configuration files were fine-tuned to dock with LDAP, which will then present them in the user logs. Adjustments to existing LDAP user accesses would result in users seeing only the authorized pages upon login. The OpenStack correlation scripts will allow for newly-created LDAP users instant access to the cloud platform after ID creation. Differentiating between faculties and schools by grouping in the LDAP assigned one "enterprise" administrator for each faculty or school to manage the particular user/project/billing, etc. Billing With enhancement on Ceilometer allowed for the billing system to perform precise cloud resource calculations instantaneously. Operating with the ID management system, each faculty or school is billed separately as a billing unit. Pricing is adjustable by the cloud administrator at any time, and can be designated to take effect on any set date. AliPay and other online payment methods are used. Node deployment plan Through coordination with network plane traffic and isolating access loads from different networks, access fluidity and speed is ensured. Specifically, on the compute-storage convergent node, two quintillion network cards are used for load balance bundles to increase network throughput and ensure Ceph backup copy's write-in speed. Project Characteristics High Availability HA, as well as EasyStack ESCloud's highly reliable design and its subsequent deployment has differentiated and set itself as the leader to other OpenStack releases. This offering can be used to carry large-scale cloud computing environments in critical business operations, easily meeting business challenges. Open, compatible, device-salvaging The ESCloud cloud management platform is highly open, and is independent of the different vendors at the device layer, allowing the Institution to still leverage elements of the old infrastructure. Performance optimization The ESCloud from EasyStack digs deep in optimizing platform computing, storage and network capabilities, begin from base-layer technologies such as KVM, OVS, and Ceph to conduct source code level optimization, finally providing hardware capabilities on computing, storage and network close to that of physical machines, providing to this project high-performance services on Hadoop, Spark, Docker and invasion tests, fulfilling all research needs. Multi-level access control Operation and maintenance wise, ESCloud provided three levels of access management. Each research group or school/faculty can allocate resources according to actual needs, then manage it. Coupled with precise and detailed billing functions, this greatly lowered overall operational costs. The end product, the OpenStack production-educational-research cloud platform project at the Tsinghua University Institution for Interdisciplinary Information Sciences had 6,000 cores, with 16TB memory and 540TB storage, making it the largest production/education/research all-in-one OpenStack cloud platform. This project has reduced the Institution's data center procurement cost by 60%; its time spent on daily IT management by 33%, and utility costs by 80%. In Closing "EasyStack helped the Institution to use the ESCloud all-open sourced cloud computing solution to build the largest production/education/research all-in-one OpenStack cloud environment. This environment is now being used in big data & analytics, teaching and researches of distributed educational system while providing paid cloud services to other faculties and schools. The ESCloud has greatly reduced procurement and operational costs, enabling precious staff manpower for more worthwhile research projects," said the Assistant Dean of the Tsinghua University Institution for Interdisciplinary Information Sciences. SOURCE OpenStack.cn PETAH TIKVA, Israel, May 4, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Israel Emerald Medical Applications Corp. (OTCQB: MRLA), ("Emerald" or the "Company"), an Israeli-based company engaged in the development and sale of DermaCompare, its proprietary artificial intelligence technology for the early diagnosis of melanoma and other skin cancers, will be appearing at the Joseph Gunnar & Co. PIONEERS 2016 Conference on Thursday, May 5, 2016 at the New York Palace Hotel in New York City. Joseph Salvani, Chief Financial Consultant, will be providing an overview of the company's Vision, product, business and growth strategy from 4:30 - 5:00 PM EDT. Emerald Medical applications was recently awarded the third prize out of twenty-five other competing tech companies at the inaugural Innovation Competition Of International Talents held in Shenzhen, selected from 1500 entries in five preliminary competitions held in Australia, Germany, Israel, Japan and the United States. (http://www.otcmarkets.com/stock/MRLA/news/Emerald-Medical-Applications-Wins-Third-Prize-at-the-Innovation-Competition-Of-International-Talents-in-Shenzen--China?id=129716&b=y) Mr. Salvani will be available for one-on-one meetings at the conference. Members of the investment community interested in scheduling meetings are encouraged to do so by contacting their Joseph Gunnar & Co. representative, by e-mailing [email protected]. About Emerald Medical Applications Corp Emerald Medical Applications is an Israeli-based medical technology company that utilizes proprietary military image processing technology and state of the art data analytics to improve the analysis of medical images. Emerald's flagship solution, DermaCompare, is an FDA Class #1 approved, HIPPA-compliant, skin cancer (melanoma) screening platform that enables physicians to identify and monitor changes in their patients' skin health, specifically the early detection of cancerous moles and skin anomalies. The DermaCompare patient application is available in Mac or Android based platforms and works using virtually any digital camera, including cell phones, iPads, tablets and other similar devices, to take Total Body Photography ("TBP") images and, in real-time, transmit these images for dermatological evaluation and identification of suspicious moles, lesions and other skin conditions. These images are then compared using Emerald's cloud database, as well as the patient's previous Total Body Photography images, which will dramatically enhance a physician's ability to detect Melanoma earlier, more accurately and more efficiently than other means of diagnosis. For more information, visit: http://www.dermacompare.com/ Notice Regarding Forward-Looking Statements This press release may contain forward-looking statements, about Emerald's expectations, beliefs or intentions regarding, among other things, its product development efforts, business, financial condition, results of operations, strategies or prospects. In addition, from time to time, Emerald or its representatives have made or may make forward-looking statements, orally or in writing. Forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking words such as "believe," "expect," "intend," "plan," "may," "should" or "anticipate" or their negatives or other variations of these words or other comparable words or by the fact that these statements do not relate strictly to historical or current matters. These forward-looking statements may be included in, but are not limited to, various filings made by Emerald with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, press releases or oral statements made by or with the approval of one of Emerald's authorized executive officers. Forward-looking statements relate to anticipated or expected events, activities, trends or results as of the date they are made. Because forward-looking statements relate to matters that have not yet occurred, these statements are inherently subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause Emerald's actual results to differ materially from any future results expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Many factors could cause Emerald's actual activities or results to differ materially from the activities and results anticipated in such forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to, the factors summarized in Emerald's filings with the SEC. In addition, Emerald operates in an industry sector where securities values are highly volatile and may be influenced by economic and other factors beyond its control. Emerald does not undertake any obligation to publicly update these forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Reference is made to the disclosure under "risk factors" included in our Registration Statement on Form S-1 which was declared effective by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on January 20, 2016. Contact: Lior Wayn, CEO +1-917-7242059 +972-50-6816300 [email protected] SOURCE Emerald Medical Applications Corp. ALEXANDRIA, Va., May 4, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Entrepreneurs' Organization (EO), a global network of more than 11,000 business owners in 48 countries, has joined forces with Meridian International to support Young Leaders of the Americas Initiative (YLAI) Professional Fellows Program. The program is open to 250 entrepreneurs throughout Latin America and the Caribbean between the ages of 21 to 35 with at least two years of professional experience. Applicants interested in the five-week fellowship program are required to apply by the 20 May 2016 deadline, here: https://ylai.state.gov/. EO will be assisting with the sourcing, screening and interviewing of these delegates in advance of the program, as well as providing entrepreneurial-focused learning content and connections to EO's U.S.-based chapters once the program is underway. "Given the business acumen of EO's membership, more than 11,000 members in the U.S. and 47 countries, our members are fully equipped to serve as business mentors to a future generation of entrepreneurs in Latin America and the Caribbean," said Vijay K. Tirathrai, EO's CEO. EO will provide its entrepreneurial-focused Forum Training for all 250 YLAI Fellows in a series of kick-off events in Dallas, TX later this year. Participants will then be separated into smaller working groups across 20 U.S. cities before the program ends in Washington, D.C. with a three-day conference and networking event featuring top U.S. government officials, as well as global public, private and non-profit leaders. As part of U.S. President Barack Obama's effort to empower entrepreneurs and civil society leaders in order to advance entrepreneurial ideas and effectively contribute to social and economic development in Latin America and the Caribbean, participants will continue their collaboration with U.S. partners and have access to ongoing professional development opportunities, mentorship and networking. The YLAI is a program of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA), of the U.S. Department of State, in collaboration with Meridian International Center, which works with corporations, governments, NGOs and individuals in 190 countries to socio-economic development. The Entrepreneurs' Organization (EO) is a global, peer-to-peer network of more than 11,000 influential business owners with 144 chapters in 48 countries. Founded in 1987, EO is the catalyst that enables leading entrepreneurs to learn and grow, leading to greater success in business and beyond. For more information, visit www.eonetwork.org. Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160504/363662LOGO SOURCE Entrepreneurs' Organization Related Links http://www.eonetwork.org NEW YORK, May 4, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Envision Business Consulting, one of the fastest growing business consulting firms in Denver, today announces Peter Kahn has joined the company's flourishing Northeast practice as vice president and client partner lead. Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160503/363089 Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160503/363090LOGO Kahn is an 18-year, highly experienced international management consultant with expertise in helping companies with strategic growth, performance improvement, change management, and mergers and acquisitions consulting. Prior to joining Envision, Kahn worked for Accenture, and then spent 14 years in Asia and Europe as one of the founding partners of a private consulting company that resulted in an equity sale to Poyry Management Consulting, where he held management positions in London and Singapore. Principal and co-founder of Envision Business Consulting, Rob Novick, says, "Peter has a proven track record of adding value to the various client engagements he touches. On top of his vast consulting experience, he also has entrepreneurial know-how that will uniquely enable him to bring the perspective, thought and strategic insight needed to both successfully serve our clients and help Envision continue on its growth trajectory." Envision vice president, Nancy Weingarten, and head of Envision's Northeast offices adds, "Envision has experienced an intense period of growth in our Northeast offices. Peter will give us the leadership and expertise we need to continue to add value to our client engagements as well as enable us to personally serve more clients in the region." Kahn says he is happy to be back in the U.S. and working in New York again, where he's originally from. "I joined Envision because it had the right people and culture in place. The company is centered on collaboration, results and successfully supporting a client from start to finish," says Kahn. "I also joined Envision because, through the company's investor arm, Envision Capital, we're able to invest alongside our clients, which means our work can be more impactful and meaningful to a client." Kahn earned a B.A in Economics from Northwestern University, and an MBA with honors from the University of Chicago. Envision Business Consulting-Northeast is located at 5 Penn Plaza, 23rd Floor, New York, NY 10001. Contact Envision at 212-896-3966 or www.envision-bc.com. About Envision Business Consulting Envision Business Consulting, founded in 2009, is a business consulting firm that transforms, grows and enriches people and organizations. Through a unique ecosystem for four inter-connected activities business consulting, talent search, private equity and philanthropy Envision works with clients, employees and communities to enact positive change. Based in Denver, Colorado with offices in the Midwest (Chicago-Milwaukee) and New York City, Envision Business Consulting is a rapidly growing consulting firm. In 2013 and 2014, Inc. Magazine named Envision as one of the fastest growing companies in America. In 2014, Envision was named one of 50 Colorado Companies to Watch by ColoradoBiz magazine. Visit www.envision-bc.com. CONTACT: Jenny Finke Red Jeweled Media 303-815-4403 Email SOURCE Envision Business Consulting Related Links http://www.envision-bc.com HOUSTON, May 4, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- EP Energy Corporation (NYSE:EPE) today reported first quarter 2016 financial and operational results. First quarter 2016 results 50.8 thousand barrels of oil production per day (MBbls/d) $278 million Adjusted EBITDAX Adjusted EBITDAX $0.19 adjusted earnings per share (Adjusted EPS) adjusted earnings per share (Adjusted EPS) $0.80 Discretionary Cash Flow Per Share Discretionary Cash Flow Per Share Adjusted cash operating costs of $8.71 per barrel of oil equivalent (Boe) per barrel of oil equivalent (Boe) $122 million of positive free cash flow of positive free cash flow Reduced well costs and increased operational performance Significant progress in reducing debt and increasing financial flexibility Completed semi-annual borrowing base redetermination and obtained covenant relief into 2018 Previously announced $420 million Haynesville divestiture closed Haynesville divestiture closed Repurchased $609 million of face value debt for $287 million of face value debt for $4.0 billion pro forma net debt at 3/31/16 compared to $4.8 billion at 12/31/15 "In the first quarter we delivered solid results from operations. We continue to drive down costs while improving well performance," said Brent Smolik, chairman, president, and chief executive officer of EP Energy Corporation. "Our top priorities for 2016 are to improve liquidity and reduce leverage. We've made good progress on both. In the first quarter, we generated $122 million of free cash flow. In May, we closed the Haynesville asset sale, increasing liquidity by approximately $250 million, net of the corresponding borrowing base reduction. To date, we have executed repurchases of $609 million principal amount of debt for $287 million, capturing $322 million of discounts and approximately $50 million of annualized interest savings. We also reached agreement with our bank group to reset our borrowing base at $1.65 billion, with much improved covenant flexibility through early 2018. We remain well positioned to benefit as commodity prices improve." EP Energy reported $0.19 Adjusted EPS and $0.80 Discretionary Cash Flow Per Share for the first quarter of 2016. Adjusted EBITDAX for the first quarter of 2016 was $278 million, down from $366 million in the first quarter of 2015, due primarily to lower oil production volumes and lower realized pricing, partially offset by lower operating costs. Total adjusted cash operating costs for the quarter ended March 31, 2016 were $8.71 per Boe, well below $11.44 per Boe for the first quarter of 2015, due primarily to lower general and administrative costs, lower production taxes, and lower lease operating costs related to continued operational efficiencies and cost reductions. During the quarter, the company's activity levels were significantly reduced compared to the same period in 2015. Total capital expenditures in the first quarter of 2016 were $132 million, with more than half invested in the company's Eagle Ford program. During the first quarter of 2016, the company completed 23 wells. Average daily oil production decreased 15 percent to 50.8 MBbls/d, down from 60.0 MBbls/d in the first quarter of 2015. Total equivalent production grew to 104 thousand barrels of oil equivalent per day (MBoe/d), up from 102.4 MBoe/d in the same period last year. Note: See Disclosure of Non-GAAP Financial Measures section of this release for applicable definitions and reconciliations to GAAP terms. Liquidity and Liability Management In the first quarter of 2016, EP Energy generated free cash flow of $122 million, continuing the trend from the second half of 2015. On May 2, the company completed its semi-annual borrowing base redetermination with the value reset to $1.65 billion from the previous value of $2.75 billion. The reduced value is primarily due to significantly lower bank commodity price forecasts, the sale of Haynesville assets and the roll-off of certain hedge positions. As part of the redetermination process, EP Energy executed a covenant amendment to provide additional future flexibility. The amendment included replacing the 4.5 times debt to EBITDAX covenant with a 3.5 times first lien debt to EBITDAX covenant through the first quarter of 2018. The company began repurchasing debt in the open-market in February 2016. As of May 4, 2016, the company had executed repurchases of $609 million of face value debt for $287 million in cash. The company expects to reduce annualized interest expense by approximately $50 million as a result of the debt repurchases and retirement. In the first quarter of 2016, EP Energy announced its agreement to divest its Haynesville assets for approximately $420 million subject to customary closing adjustments. The transaction closed on May 3. The cash proceeds were used to pay down borrowings on the company's RBL Facility. The divestiture provided additional liquidity by eliminating $60 million in letters of credit and reduces future transportation commitments by $106 million. As of March 31, 2016, EP Energy had liquidity of approximately $800 million and net debt of $4.0 billion pro forma for the borrowing base redetermination, Haynesville asset divestiture and open-market debt repurchases to date. Eagle Ford Program In the first quarter of 2016, the company completed 16 wells across its Eagle Ford program with oil production of 32.4 MBbls/d, a 15 percent decrease compared with the first quarter of 2015. Oil production declined primarily due to lower activity levels in the latter part of 2015 and in the quarter. Downtime at a third-party processing plant in South Texas also negatively affected production. Total equivalent production was 50.8 MBoe/d. The company is currently running one rig in the program and remains focused on further well and lifting costs reductions along with enhancing lateral placement and completion optimization. Wolfcamp Program In the first quarter of 2016, the company completed five wells in its Wolfcamp program and produced 7.0 MBbls/d of oil, down 26 percent from the same period in 2015. Oil production declined primarily due to lower activity levels in the latter part of 2015 and in the quarter. EP Energy is encouraged by early results from the five wells drilled in Reagan County, which included three completions in the A-bench. Total equivalent production for the first quarter of 2016 was 18.3 MBoe/d. The company has no current drilling rigs running in the Wolfcamp. All Wolfcamp completions in the first half of 2016 will come from its drilled and uncompleted (DUC) well inventory. Altamont Program In the first quarter of 2016, EP Energy completed two wells in its Altamont program, and oil production was 11.4 MBbls/d, a 9 percent decrease compared with the same period in 2015. Oil production declined primarily due to lower activity levels, partially offset by the company's increased focus on its recompletion program. Altamont total equivalent production was 16.2 MBoe/d. The company commenced its drilling partnership in March and will have one rig running through 2016. In the first quarter of 2016, realized pricing in the program improved relative to WTI compared to the same period in 2015. Multi-year Commodity Hedge Program EP Energy maintains a solid hedge program, which provides substantial near-term commodity price protection. Year-to-date through the first quarter, the company has realized $212 million of settlements on its financial derivatives. A summary of the company's open hedge positions is listed below: 2016 2017 Total Fixed Price Hedges Oil volumes (MMBbls)(1) 10.5 5.1 Average floor price ($/Bbl) $ 80.29 $ 65.87 Natural gas volumes (TBtu) 5.5 Average floor price ($/MMBtu) $ 4.20 $ Note: Positions are as of March 31, 2016 (Contract months: April 2016 - Forward). (1) 2017 positions include WTI three way collars of 1.1 MMBbls. In addition to the 2016 positions above, the company entered into offsetting contracts to lock-in a portion of its oil hedge gains during the quarter. As a result of these contracts, EP Energy will receive an approximate $40 per barrel spread, in addition to LLS index settlement prices, on 3.1 MMBbls for the remainder of 2016. At March 31, 2016, the mark-to-market value of the company's hedge contracts was approximately $600 million including the value of the offsetting contracts. Updated 2016 Outlook EP Energy continues to manage to positive free cash flow for the full year. The company updated its 2016 outlook to reflect its Haynesville asset sale which closed on May 3, 2016. No additional changes have been made to the original guidance. If current commodity pricing persists throughout the year, the company expects 2016 capital spending and activity levels to be at the low end of its guidance. At the mid-point of the company's guidance, capital and completion activity is back-end loaded, with one-third of its capital budget spent in the first half of 2016 and two-thirds spent in the second half of 2016. Original Guidance (February) Updated Guidance (May) Capital program ($ million) $500 - $900 $500 - $900 Production Total production (MBoe/d) 91 - 97 81 - 88 Oil production (MBbls/d) 45 - 50 45 - 50 Well completions 75 - 160 75 - 160 Adjusted cash operating costs (per Boe) $9.50 - $10.50 $10.40 - $11.40 Transportation cost (per Boe) $3.40 - $3.65 $3.30 - $3.40 DD&A (per Boe) N/A $13.00 - $14.00 Detailed financial and operational information for the company will be posted at www.epenergy.com in the Investor Center section. Webcast Information EP Energy has scheduled a webcast at 11:00 a.m. Eastern Time, 10:00 a.m. Central Time, on May 5, to discuss its first quarter financial and operational results. The webcast may be accessed online through the company's website at epenergy.com in the Investor Center. Materials to be discussed during the webcast will be available in the Investor Center one hour prior to the webcast. A limited number of telephone lines will be available to participants by dialing 888-317-6003 (conference ID# 6769250) 10 minutes prior to the start of the webcast. A replay of the webcast will be available through Friday, June 3, 2016 on the company's website in the Investor Center (conference ID# 10084112). About EP Energy The EP Energy team has a passion for finding and producing the oil and natural gas that enriches people's lives. As a leading North American oil and natural gas producer, EP Energy has a proven strategy, a significant reserve base, multi-year drilling opportunities, and a strategic presence in a number of the country's leading unconventional resource areas. EP Energy is active in all phases of the E&P value chainexploring for, acquiring, developing and producing oil and natural gas. For more information about EP Energy, visit epenergy.com. Disclosure of Non-GAAP Financial Measures The Securities and Exchange Commission's Regulation G applies to any public disclosure or release of material information that includes a non-GAAP financial measure. In the event of such a disclosure or release, Regulation G requires (i) the presentation of the most directly comparable financial measure calculated and presented in accordance with GAAP and (ii) a reconciliation of the differences between the non-GAAP financial measure presented and the most directly comparable financial measure calculated and presented in accordance with GAAP. Non-GAAP Terms Adjusted EPS is defined as diluted earnings per share adjusted for certain items that EP Energy considers to be significant to understanding our underlying performance for a given period. Adjusted EPS is useful in analyzing the company's ongoing earnings potential and understanding certain significant items impacting the comparability of EP Energy's results. Adjusted EPS is net income (loss) per common share adjusted for the impact of financial derivatives (mark-to-market effects of financial derivatives, net of settlements and cash premiums paid or received related to these derivatives), gains on extinguishment of debt, other non-recurring costs, including transition and restructuring charges and changes in the valuation allowance on deferred tax assets. Below is a reconciliation of Adjusted EPS to our consolidated diluted net income per share: Quarter ended March 31, 2016 Pre Tax After Tax Diluted EPS ($ in millions, except earnings per share amounts) Net income $ 94 $ 0.38 Adjustments(1) Impact of financial derivatives(2) $ 170 $ 109 $ 0.44 Transition, restructuring and other costs(3) 8 5 0.02 Gain on extinguishment of debt (196) (126) (0.51) Valuation allowance on deferred tax assets (35) (0.14) Total adjustments $ (18) $ (47) $ (0.19) Adjusted EPS $ 0.19 Diluted weighted average shares 248 (1) All individual adjustments for all periods presented assume a statutory federal and blended state tax rate, as well as any other income tax effects specifically attributable to that item. (2) Represents mark-to-market impact net of settlements and cash premiums related to financial derivatives. (3) Reflects approximately $8 million for transition and severance costs related to restructuring activities. EBITDAX is defined as net income (loss) plus interest and debt expense, income taxes, depreciation, depletion and amortization and exploration expense. Adjusted EBITDAX is defined as EBITDAX, adjusted as applicable in the relevant period for the net change in the fair value of derivatives (mark-to-market effects of financial derivatives, net of settlements and cash premiums paid or received related to these derivatives), the non-cash portion of compensation expense (which represents non-cash compensation expense under our long-term incentive programs adjusted for cash payments made under our long-term incentive plans), transition, restructuring and other non-recurring costs and gains on extinguishment of debt. Adjusted EBITDAX Margin Per Unit is calculated using Adjusted EBITDAX divided by equivalent volumes. Below is a reconciliation of our EBITDAX and Adjusted EBITDAX to our consolidated net income: Quarter ended March 31, 2016 2015 ($ in millions, except equivalent volumes and per unit) Net income $ 94 $ 19 Income tax expense 10 Interest expense, net of capitalized interest 84 84 Depreciation, depletion and amortization 113 224 Exploration expense 1 5 EBITDAX 292 342 Mark-to-market on financial derivatives(1) (42) (203) Settlements and cash premiums on financial derivatives(2) 212 214 Non-cash portion of compensation expense(3) 4 5 Transition, restructuring and other costs(4) 8 8 Gain on extinguishment of debt (196) Adjusted EBITDAX $ 278 $ 366 Total equivalent volumes (MBoe) 9,466 9,218 Adjusted EBITDAX Margin Per Unit (MBoe)(5) $ 29.37 $ 39.73 (1) Represents the income statement impact of financial derivatives. (2) Represents actual settlements related to financial derivatives, including cash premiums. There were no cash premiums received or paid for the periods presented. (3) For both of the quarters ended March 31, 2016 and 2015, cash payments were less than $1 million. (4) Reflects approximately $8 million in both quarters ended March 31, 2016 and 2015 for transition and severance costs related to restructuring activities. (5) Adjusted EBITDAX Margin Per Unit is based on actual total amounts rather than the rounded totals presented. Discretionary Cash Flow and Discretionary Cash Flow Per Share are non-GAAP measures calculated using net income (loss) adjusted for certain items including depreciation, depletion and amortization, the impact of financial derivatives (mark-to-market effects of financial derivatives, net of settlements and cash premiums paid or received related to these derivatives), transition, restructuring and other non-recurring costs, deferred income taxes, non-cash exploration expense, gains on extinguishment of debt, and other non-cash income items. Below is a reconciliation of Discretionary Cash Flow to our consolidated net income and operating cash flow: Quarter ended March 31, 2016 ($ in millions) Net income $ 94 Depreciation, depletion and amortization 113 Impact of financial derivatives(1) 170 Transition, restructuring and other costs(2) 8 Gain on extinguishment of debt (196) Other non-cash income items 9 Discretionary Cash Flow $ 198 Discretionary Cash Flow Per Share(3) $ 0.80 Discretionary Cash Flow $ 198 Transition, restructuring and other costs(2) (8) Working capital and other changes 111 Net cash provided by operating activities $ 301 (1) Represents mark-to-market impact net of settlements and cash premiums related to financial derivatives. (2) Reflects approximately $8 million for transition and severance costs related to restructuring activities. (3) Reflects fully diluted weighted average shares of approximately 248 million. Free Cash Flow is defined as net cash provided by operating activities less cash paid for capital expenditures. Below is a reconciliation of our Free Cash Flow to our net cash provided by operating activities: Quarter ended March 31, 2016 ($ in millions) Net cash provided by operating activities $ 301 Cash paid for capital expenditures (179) Free Cash Flow $ 122 Cash operating costs is a non-GAAP measure calculated on a per Boe basis and includes total operating expenses less depreciation, depletion and amortization expense, transportation costs, exploration expense, oil and natural gas purchases and other expenses. Adjusted cash operating costs is a non-GAAP measure and is defined as cash operating costs less transition, restructuring and other non-recurring costs, and the non-cash portion of compensation expense (which represents compensation expense under our long-term incentive programs adjusted for cash payments made under our long-term incentive plans). Below is a reconciliation of our cash operating costs and adjusted cash operating costs to our operating expenses: Quarter ended March 31, 2016 2015 Total Per-Unit(1) Total Per-Unit(1) ($ in millions, except per unit costs) Total operating expenses $ 242 $ 25.61 $ 380 $ 41.27 Depreciation, depletion and amortization (113) (11.94) (224) (24.30) Transportation costs (30) (3.11) (27) (2.90) Exploration expense (1) (0.13) (5) (0.51) Oil and natural gas purchases (4) (0.46) (7) (0.74) Total cash operating costs and per-unit cash costs $ 94 $ 9.97 $ 117 $ 12.82 Transition/restructuring costs, non-cash portion of compensation expense and other(2) (12) (1.26) (12) (1.38) Total adjusted cash operating costs and adjusted per-unit cash operating costs $ 82 $ 8.71 $ 105 $ 11.44 Total equivalent volumes (MBoe) 9,466 9,218 (1) Per unit costs are based on actual total amounts rather than the rounded totals presented. (2) For the quarter ended March 31, 2016, amount includes approximately $8 million of transition and severance costs related to restructuring and $4 million of non-cash compensation expense, adjusted for cash payments made of less than $1 million. For the quarter ended March 31, 2015, amount includes $8 million of transition and severance costs related to restructuring and $5 million of non-cash compensation expense, adjusted for cash payments made of less than $1 million. The table below displays the average cash operating costs and adjusted cash operating costs per equivalent unit: Quarter ended March 31, 2016 2015 Average cash operating costs ($/Boe) Lease operating expenses $ 4.38 $ 5.12 Production taxes(1) 1.27 2.13 General and administrative expenses(2) 4.04 5.09 Taxes, other than production and income taxes 0.28 0.28 Other expenses(3) 0.20 Total cash operating costs $ 9.97 $ 12.82 Transition/restructuring costs, non-cash portion of compensation expense and other(2) (1.26) (1.38) Total adjusted cash operating costs $ 8.71 $ 11.44 (1) Production taxes include ad valorem and severance taxes. (2) For additional detail of adjusted items, which are part of general and administrative expenses, refer to the reconciliation of cash operating costs and adjusted cash operating costs above. (3) Includes early rig termination fees of $2 million incurred during the first quarter of 2015. Net debt is defined as long-term debt less cash and cash equivalents and provides useful information to investors for analysis of the company's debt position net of cash that can be immediately available to reduce such balances. At December 31, 2015 the company's long-term debt was $4,869 million and cash and cash equivalents was $26 million. At March 31, 2016 the company's net debt was approximately $4.5 billion (total debt of approximately $4.6 billion less cash and cash equivalents of approximately $0.1 billion). Pro forma net debt of approximately $4.0 billion as of March 31, 2016 reflects net reductions of approximately $0.5 billion primarily for the Haynesville divestiture and open-market debt repurchases. We believe that the presentation of Adjusted EPS, EBITDAX, Adjusted EBITDAX and Adjusted EBITDAX Margin Per Unit is important to provide management and investors with additional information (i) to evaluate our ability to service debt adjusting for items required or permitted in calculating covenant compliance under our debt agreements, (ii) to provide an important supplemental indicator of the operational performance of our business, (iii) for evaluating our performance relative to our peers, (iv) to measure our liquidity (before cash capital requirements and working capital needs) and (v) to provide supplemental information about certain material non-cash and/or other items that may not continue at the same level in the future. We believe that the presentation of Discretionary Cash Flow, Discretionary Cash Flow Per Share and Free Cash Flow is important because it provides management and investors with useful additional information for analysis of the company's ability to internally generate funds for exploration, development and acquisitions as well as adjusting net income (loss) for unusual items to allow for a more consistent comparison from period to period. We believe that the presentation of Cash Operating Costs and Adjusted Cash Operating Costs per unit provides management and investors valuable measures of operating performance and efficiency. In addition, the company believes that these measures are widely used by professional research analysts and others in the valuation, comparison and investment recommendations of companies in the oil and gas exploration and production industry. Adjusted EPS, EBITDAX, Adjusted EBITDAX, Adjusted EBITDAX Margin Per Unit, Discretionary Cash Flow, Discretionary Cash Flow Per Share, Free Cash Flow, Cash Operating Costs, Adjusted Cash Operating Costs and Net Debt have limitations as analytical tools and should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for analysis of our results as reported under U.S. GAAP or as an alternative to net income (loss), operating income (loss), earnings (loss) per share, operating cash flows or other measures of financial performance or liquidity presented in accordance with GAAP. For example, our presentation of Adjusted EPS, EBITDAX, Adjusted EBITDAX, Adjusted EBITDAX Margin Per Unit, Discretionary Cash Flow, Discretionary Cash Flow Per Share, Free Cash Flow, Cash Operating Costs, Adjusted Cash Operating Costs and Net Debt may not be comparable to similarly titled measures used by other companies in our industry. Furthermore, our presentation of Adjusted EPS, EBITDAX, Adjusted EBITDAX, Adjusted EBITDAX Margin Per Unit, Discretionary Cash Flow, Discretionary Cash Flow Per Share, Free Cash Flow, Cash Operating Costs, and Adjusted Cash Operating Costs should not be construed as an inference that our future results will be unaffected by the items noted above or what we believe to be other unusual or non-recurring items or that in the future we may not incur expenses that are the same as or similar to some of the adjustments in this presentation. Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements This release includes certain forward-looking statements and projections of EP Energy. We have made every reasonable effort to ensure that the information and assumptions on which these statements and projections are based are current, reasonable, and complete. However, a variety of factors could cause actual results to differ materially from the projections, anticipated results or other expectations expressed, including, without limitation, the volatility of and current sustained low oil, natural gas and NGL prices, the supply and demand for oil, natural gas and NGLs; changes in commodity prices and basis differentials for oil and natural gas; the company's ability to meet production volume targets; the uncertainty of estimating proved reserves and unproved resources; the future level of service and capital costs; the availability and cost of financing to fund future exploration and production operations; the success of drilling programs with regard to proved undeveloped reserves and unproved resources; the company's ability to comply with the covenants in various financing documents; the company's ability to obtain necessary governmental approvals for proposed E&P projects and to successfully construct and operate such projects; actions by the credit rating agencies; credit and performance risk of our lenders, trading counterparties, customers, vendors and suppliers; general economic and weather conditions in geographic regions or markets served by the company, or where operations of the company are located, including the risk of a global recession and negative impact on oil and natural gas demand; the uncertainties associated with governmental regulation, including any potential changes in federal and state tax laws and regulations; and other factors described in the company's Securities and Exchange Commission filings. While the company makes these statements and projections in good faith, neither the company nor its management can guarantee that anticipated future results will be achieved. Reference must be made to those filings for additional important factors that may affect actual results. EP Energy assumes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements made herein or any other forward-looking statements made by EP Energy, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise. Contact Investor and Media Relations Bill Baerg 713-997-2906 [email protected] Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20140205/DA59609LOGO SOURCE EP Energy Corporation Related Links http://www.epenergy.com SAN FRANCISCO, May 4, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Epson, providers of the Moverio augmented reality smart eyewear platform, today announced its inaugural corporate sponsorship of Super Ventures, the first combined incubator and investment fund dedicated to driving innovation and growth in augmented reality. This expansion of Epson's long-time support of the AR ecosystem will assist startups in the Super Ventures incubator by giving them insight and access to next-generation smart eyewear, such as the Epson Moverio BT-300. Based in downtown San Francisco, Super Ventures is on a mission to accelerate industry growth in technologies giving people superpowers: augmented reality, virtual reality and wearable tech. The Super Ventures fund invests in early-stage startups developing fundamental technologies that augment the human experience. The incubator provides extensive business and technical mentoring to passionate entrepreneurs to help them successfully launch and fund their companies. Both the fund and the incubator are supported by the Super Ventures community of over 150,000 professionals, one of the largest AR and wearables community in the world. "Over the past five years, our AR partners have built thriving businesses around the Moverio platform in such fields as dentistry, remote support, manufacturing, drone piloting and more," said Eric Mizufuka, product manager, New Ventures for Epson America. "The AR space is maturing rapidly, with many of our partners having already raised significant capital. Epson has chosen to invest in the Super Ventures incubator to support the accelerating growth of the AR ecosystem." "We also appreciate the deep AR industry knowledge of the Super Ventures management team," Mizufuka said. "Having known Ori and his team for many years, we believe they bring the skills, network and mind-set to the AR space that no traditional VC firm can match." As Super Ventures' inaugural corporate sponsor, Epson will provide pre-production versions of the Moverio product to entrepreneurs to communicate the unique benefits and technical details of the platform. Leveraging the deep ties the Super Ventures team has to the AR community, Epson will also evaluate and develop potential partners as well as expand its connections to the growing AR universe. "With its long legacy of R&D and commitment to the AR glasses space, we are extremely proud to have Epson as our initial corporate sponsor," said Ori Inbar, Founder and General Manager, Super Ventures. "We know our invested companies are excited about the prospect of working closely with such a hugely respected and well-established global tech brand. "We believe the synergies created by our management team and the expertise of a leading smart glasses developer will help our entrepreneurs deliver ground-breaking innovations in AR," said Inbar. Launching its first-generation smart glasses in 2011, Epson recently announced the Moverio BT-300, the world's lightest binocular, transparent smart glasses with an OLED display. Combining breakthrough silicon-based OLED digital display technology, the Intel Atom processor, and Android OS 5.1, the Moverio BT-300 enables a truly transparent mobile AR experiences for business and consumers. The Epson Moverio BT-300 will be available in late 2016 and may be pre-ordered at Epson.com/Moverio. For a complete product overview of the Moverio BT-300, please visit the following link. About Super Ventures We believe that Augmented Reality, Virtual Reality and Wearable Technology are giving people real superpowers and are on a mission to accelerate industry growth. Our fund invests in startups developing technologies that augment human performance. Our incubator works hands-on with passionate entrepreneurs to help them successfully launch and fund their companies. Learn more at www.superventures.com or on Twitter @Super_Ventures. About Epson Epson is a global technology leader dedicated to connecting people, things and information with its original efficient, compact and precision technologies. With a lineup that ranges from inkjet printers and digital printing systems to 3LCD projectors, smart glasses, sensing systems and industrial robots, the company is focused on driving innovations and exceeding customer expectations in inkjet, visual communications, wearables and robotics. Led by the Japan-based Seiko Epson Corporation, the Epson Group comprises nearly 72,000 employees in 93 companies around the world, and is proud of its contributions to the communities in which it operates and its ongoing efforts to reduce environmental impacts. Epson America, Inc., based in Long Beach, Calif., is Epson's regional headquarters for the U.S., Canada, and Latin America. To learn more about Epson, please visit: epson.com. You may also connect with Epson America on Facebook (facebook.com/Epson), Twitter (twitter.com/EpsonAmerica), YouTube (youtube.com/EpsonAmerica), and Instagram (instagram.com/EpsonAmerica). Note: Specifications are subject to change without notice. EPSON and Moverio are registered trademarks, and EPSON Exceed Your Vision is a registered logomark of Seiko Epson Corporation. All other product and brand names are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of their respective companies. Epson disclaims any and all rights in these marks. Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20121130/LA21891LOGO SOURCE Epson Related Links http://www.epson.com HOUSTON, May 4, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Evolution Petroleum Corporation (NYSE MKT: EPM) ("Evolution" or the "Company") today reported financial and operating highlights for the quarter ended March 31, 2016 (the "current quarter") with comparisons to the quarter ended December 31, 2015 (the "prior quarter") and the quarter ended March 31, 2015 (the "year-ago quarter"). This is the third quarter of our fiscal year ending June 30, 2016. Results for the Quarter Ended March 31, 2016 Our net production increased 2% to 1,835 barrels of oil equivalent per day ("BOEPD"), essentially all crude oil from the Delhi field. Production does not yet include expected contributions from the new NGL plant being installed at Delhi . field. Production does not yet include expected contributions from the new NGL plant being installed at . Our per-unit lifting costs declined 3% from the prior quarter to $13.13 per barrel. per barrel. We reported a small net loss to common shareholders of $0.3 million , or $0.01 per share, due to exceptionally low oil prices, partially offset by the increased production. , or per share, due to exceptionally low oil prices, partially offset by the increased production. Our average realized price declined 24% from the prior quarter to $29.99 per barrel equivalent, resulting in petroleum revenues of $5.0 million . Realized hedge gains added $1.8 million , or $10.75 per barrel, which are reported as other income and not included in revenues. per barrel equivalent, resulting in petroleum revenues of . Realized hedge gains added , or per barrel, which are reported as other income and not included in revenues. Net working capital remains positive at $7.9 million . As previously announced, we have a new secured bank facility with $10.0 million of current availability that has increased our total liquidity to $17.9 million . . As previously announced, we have a new secured bank facility with of current availability that has increased our total liquidity to . Evolution declared its eleventh consecutive quarterly cash dividend on common shares, and we remain debt free. Randy Keys, President and CEO, said: "As the industry suffered through the lowest quarterly oil prices since 2003, our results were correspondingly affected with a relatively small net loss per share of $0.01. We expect to see an increase in production volumes and further reductions in per-unit lifting costs once the new NGL plant is placed into service, which we anticipate around the end of this calendar year. In the meantime, we have a solid balance sheet to fulfill our capital expenditure obligations and believe we will be able to sustain our common stock dividend for the foreseeable future. Looking beyond this calendar year, our free cash flow outlook is very positive due to the significant increase in expected liquids production in calendar 2017, the end of large capital expenditures related to the NGL plant later in 2016 and the recent uptick in oil prices. "This quarter continued our trend of positive improvements in both production and operating costs from the Delhi field, with production up 2% and lifting costs per barrel down a further 3%, as compared to the prior quarter. The lifting cost of $13.13 per barrel allowed us to sustain significant positive cash flow from the field, even in this exceptionally challenging oil price environment. On the operating front, we are participating in a new capital project to initiate a modified waterflood program in the southwestern tip of the Delhi field. The CO 2 flood has been essentially off line in this area since mid-2013, and we are eager to see how the reservoir responds to this new initiative. Importantly, we ended the quarter debt free, and we obtained a new secured credit facility to backstop our capital program and to position us to capitalize on future growth opportunities." Oil and Gas Operations Our net margin in the Delhi field was improved by increased production and lower CO 2 costs, which partially offset the effect of lower oil prices in the quarter. Gross production of 6,918 BOPD was 2% higher than the average of 6,810 BOPD in the prior quarter and represents a 12% increase over the 6,203 BOPD level from the year-ago quarter. Total net production increased to 1,835 BOEPD from 1,803 BOEPD in the prior quarter, while our average equivalent oil price, excluding derivative settlements, dropped to $29.99 per barrel from $39.58 per barrel in the prior quarter and $47.66 per barrel from a year ago. Our realized hedging gains of $1.8 million added the equivalent of $10.75 per barrel to this lower oil price in the current quarter and $7.84 per barrel in the prior quarter. Field operating expenses were $13.13 per barrel, a 3% reduction from the prior quarter, resulting primarily from lower purchased CO 2 costs. In the current quarter, our net share of lease operating expenses was approximately $2.2 million, of which $0.8 million was related to CO 2 purchase costs. Total CO 2 purchase costs were down approximately $0.2 million from the prior quarter as a result of both lower oil prices and lower CO 2 volumes. Most of our CO 2 cost is indexed directly to the oil price received at the Delhi field, and is therefore variable with changes in oil prices. Our lifting costs per barrel in the Delhi field differ from the operator's based on our (presumably higher) contractual costs of purchased CO 2 versus the operator's internal costs, partially offset by the positive impact of our substantial royalty interests in the field that bear no capital expenditures or lease operating costs. During the quarter ended March 31, 2016, we invested approximately $5.7 million of capital expenditures in the NGL plant, bringing our total outlays to $15.1 million of an original commitment of $24.6 million. As previously announced, the completion date of the NGL plant construction was extended to the end of calendar 2016, in part to take advantage of lower materials and service costs in an effort to reduce the total cost of the plant from the original estimate. In early April 2016, the operator successfully executed a 36-hour turnaround operation that shut down and subsequently restored operations in the Delhi field to install additional processing equipment and prepare connections for the NGL plant at the central CO 2 processing plant in the field. When completed, we expect the NGL plant will yield a significant increase in production volumes of oil and a higher-value mix of natural gas liquids consisting of propane, butane and a significant percentage of pentanes and other natural gasoline products. The methane and ethane extracted by the plant will be used to generate power to supply a significant part of our overall needs in the field, reducing electricity costs. Subsequent to the end of the quarter, we authorized new and modest capital expenditures to restore production in the southwest tip of the Delhi field through a modified waterflood program. This area has been excluded from the CO 2 flood since the June 2013 fluid release event. The program has a budgeted gross cost of approximately $2.5 million ($0.6 million net to Evolution) and is expected to yield an increase in gross production of 250-300 BOPD (66-80 BOPD net to Evolution). We are encouraged that the operator shares our view that the Delhi field is a prime candidate for renewed capital development spending in an oil price recovery scenario. Our litigation against the operator of the Delhi field relating to the June 2013 fluid release event and other contractual matters is currently scheduled for trial in late July 2016. Legal discovery is largely complete and both sides have conducted numerous depositions. Timing and resolution of this matter is subject to uncertainties inherent in the legal process. Our total litigation costs were approximately $1.1 million in the current quarter, which represents a $0.8 million increase from the year-ago quarter and significantly impacted our current quarter loss of $0.3 million. Excluding litigation costs, the cash portion of our general and administrative expenses totaled approximately $1.0 million for the current quarter, a result of our cost cutting efforts in the past two quarters. Consistent with our focus on cost control, we are finalizing plans to relocate our office to a facility having significantly lower occupancy costs. Liquidity and Capital Resources At March 31, 2016, the Company had working capital of $7.9 million. Combined with $10.0 million of availability under our new a senior secured bank facility, this gives us total liquidity of $17.9 million. The Company remains debt-free. We believe that current liquidity combined with expected operating cash flows will be sufficient to fund the Company's capital budget and expected dividend payments for the remainder of calendar year 2016. Cash Dividend on Common Stock The Board of Directors declared a cash dividend of $0.05 per share of common stock, which will be paid on June 30, 2016 to common stockholders of record on June 15, 2016. This is the eleventh consecutive payment of cash dividends on common stock, which began at the end of calendar year 2013. Cash Dividend on Series A Preferred Stock The Board of Directors declared the May 2016 monthly cash dividend on our perpetual non-convertible 8.5% Series A Cumulative Preferred Stock. The dividend is payable on May 31, 2016 to holders of record at the close of business on May 16, 2016. The payment will be 1/12th of the 8.5% annualized amount, or approximately $0.177083 per share, based on the $25.00 per share liquidation preference. Expected Tax Treatment of Dividends Based on our current projections for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2016, we expect both the common stock and preferred stock dividends will be treated as qualified dividend income. We will make a final determination regarding the tax treatment of dividends for the current fiscal year when we report this information to recipients. Conference Call As previously announced, Evolution Petroleum will host a conference call on Thursday, May 5, 2016 at 11:00 a.m. Eastern (10:00 a.m. Central) to discuss results. To access the call, please dial 1-855-327-6837 (United States & Canada), 1-631-891-4304 (International). To listen live or hear a rebroadcast, please go to http://www.evolutionpetroleum.com. A replay will be available one hour after the end of the conference call through May12, 2016 and will be accessible by calling 1-877-870-5176 (United States) or 1-858-384-5517 (Canada and International) and providing the replay passcode of 10001093. About Evolution Petroleum Evolution Petroleum Corporation develops petroleum reserves and shareholder value by applying conventional and specialized technology to known oil and gas resources, onshore in the United States. Principal assets currently consist of interests in a CO 2 -EOR project in Louisiana's Delhi Field. Additional information, including the Company's annual report on Form 10-K and its quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, is available on its website at www.evolutionpetroleum.com. Cautionary Statement All statements contained in this press release regarding potential results and future plans and objectives of the Company are forward-looking statements that involve various risks and uncertainties. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. The Company undertakes no obligation to update or review any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from our expectations include, but are not limited to, those factors that are disclosed under the heading "Risk Factors" and elsewhere in our documents filed from time to time with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission and other regulatory authorities. Statements regarding our ability to complete transactions, successfully apply technology applications in the re-development of oil and gas fields, realize future production volumes, realize success in our drilling and development activity and forecasts of legal claims, prices, future revenues, income, expense reductions, cash flows, dividends and other statements that are not historical facts contain predictions, estimates and other forward-looking statements. Although the Company believes that its expectations are based on reasonable assumptions, it can give no assurance that its goals will be achieved and these statements will prove to be accurate. Many factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those included in the forward-looking statements. Company Contact: Randy Keys, President and CEO (713) 935-0122 [email protected] Financial Tables to Follow Evolution Petroleum Corporation and Subsidiaries Consolidated Condensed Statements of Operations (Unaudited) Three Months Ended March 31, Nine Months Ended March 31, 2016 2015 2016 2015 Revenues Crude oil $ 5,005,955 $ 7,052,563 $ 18,897,572 $ 18,700,296 Natural gas liquids 597 1,352 2,332 35,354 Natural gas 183 529 1,204 25,787 Artificial lift technology services 100,000 10,245 207,960 16,146 Total revenues 5,106,735 7,064,689 19,109,068 18,777,583 Operating costs Production costs 2,192,217 3,201,491 7,030,537 6,498,638 Cost of artificial lift technology services 10,933 70,932 7,044 Depreciation, depletion and amortization 1,268,800 1,138,502 3,958,644 2,425,609 Accretion of discount on asset retirement obligations 11,695 10,924 34,555 23,697 General and administrative expenses * 2,304,237 1,467,782 6,046,603 4,578,876 Restructuring charges ** 1,257,433 (5,431) Total operating costs 5,787,882 5,818,699 18,398,704 13,528,433 Income (loss) from operations (681,147) 1,245,990 710,364 5,249,150 Other Gain on settled derivative instruments, net 1,795,431 3,960,059 Gain (loss) on unsettled derivative instruments, net (1,314,044) 119,679 Delhi field insurance recovery related to pre-reversion event 1,074,957 Interest and other income 11,851 7,401 23,516 27,826 Interest (expense) (14,036) (24,625) (51,162) (55,244) Income (loss) before income taxes (201,945) 1,228,766 5,837,413 5,221,732 Income tax provision (benefit) (72,337) 494,180 2,051,521 2,118,218 Net income (loss) attributable to the Company (129,608) 734,586 3,785,892 3,103,514 Dividends on preferred stock 168,575 168,575 505,726 505,726 Net income (loss) available to common stockholders $ (298,183) $ 566,011 $ 3,280,166 $ 2,597,788 Earnings (loss) per common share Basic $ (0.01) $ 0.02 $ 0.10 $ 0.08 Diluted $ (0.01) $ 0.02 $ 0.10 $ 0.08 Weighted average number of common shares Basic 32,879,381 32,861,001 32,779,234 32,789,157 Diluted 32,879,381 32,958,218 32,834,765 32,909,981 * General and administrative expenses for the three months ended March 31, 2016 and 2015 included non-cash stock-based compensation expense of $277,907 and $227,507, respectively. For the corresponding nine month periods, non-cash stock-based compensation expense was $708,746 and $715,864, respectively. ** Restructuring charges include $569,228 of impairment charges and $59,339 of non-cash stock-based compensation for the nine months ended March 31, 2016. Evolution Petroleum Corporation and Subsidiaries Consolidated Condensed Balance Sheets (Unaudited) March 31, 2016 June 30, 2015 Assets Current assets Cash and cash equivalents $ 14,006,095 $ 20,118,757 Receivables 2,411,215 3,122,473 Deferred tax asset 79,114 82,414 Derivative assets, net 9,705 Prepaid expenses and other current assets 255,807 369,404 Total current assets 16,761,936 23,693,048 Oil and natural gas property and equipment, net (full-cost method of accounting) 53,649,614 45,186,886 Other property and equipment, net 25,990 276,756 Total property and equipment 53,675,604 45,463,642 Other assets 235,873 726,037 Total assets $ 70,673,413 $ 69,882,727 Liabilities and Stockholders' Equity Current liabilities Accounts payable $ 7,465,412 $ 8,173,878 Accrued liabilities and other 1,225,772 855,373 Derivative liabilities, net 109,974 State and federal income taxes payable 154,627 190,032 Total current liabilities 8,845,811 9,329,257 Long term liabilities Deferred income taxes 10,839,995 11,242,551 Asset retirement obligations 701,677 715,767 Deferred rent 18,575 Total liabilities 20,387,483 21,306,150 Commitments and contingencies (Note 16) Stockholders' equity Preferred stock, par value $0.001; 5,000,000 shares authorized:8.5% Series A Cumulative Preferred Stock, 1,000,000 shares designated, 317,319 shares issued and outstanding at March 31, 2016 and June 30, 2015 with a liquidation preference of $7,932,975 ($25.00 per share) 317 317 Common stock; par value $0.001; 100,000,000 shares authorized: issued and outstanding 32,891,925 shares and 32,845,205 as of March 31, 2016 and June 30, 2015, respectively 32,891 32,845 Additional paid-in capital 40,208,677 36,847,289 Retained earnings 10,044,045 11,696,126 Total stockholders' equity 50,285,930 48,576,577 Total liabilities and stockholders' equity $ 70,673,413 $ 69,882,727 Evolution Petroleum Corporation and Subsidiaries Consolidated Condensed Statements of Cash Flows (Unaudited) Nine Months Ended March 31, 2016 2015 Cash flows from operating activities Net income attributable to the Company $ 3,785,892 $ 3,103,514 Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities: Depreciation, depletion and amortization 3,991,055 2,462,087 Impairments included in restructuring charge 569,228 Stock-based compensation 708,746 715,864 Stock-based compensation included in restructuring charge 59,339 Accretion of discount on asset retirement obligations 34,555 23,697 Settlements of asset retirement obligations (223,565) Deferred income taxes (399,256) 937,572 Deferred rent (12,859) (Gain) on derivative instruments, net (4,099,759) Write-off of deferred loan costs 50,414 Changes in operating assets and liabilities: Receivables from oil and natural gas sales 1,191,207 (1,007,058) Receivables other (13,154) (222,416) Prepaid expenses and other current assets 20,696 96,627 Accounts payable and accrued expenses (98,254) 629,760 Income taxes payable (35,405) 116,343 Net cash provided by operating activities 5,765,304 6,619,566 Cash flows from investing activities Derivative settlements received 3,513,285 Proceeds from asset sales 389,166 Capital expenditures for oil and natural gas properties (12,191,121) (2,432,424) Capital expenditures for other property and equipment (1,876) (320,936) Other assets (161,345) (183,877) Net cash used in investing activities (8,841,057) (2,548,071) Cash flows from financing activities Proceeds from exercise of stock options 51,000 141,600 Cash dividends to preferred stockholders (505,726) (505,726) Cash dividends to common stockholders (4,932,247) (8,192,989) Acquisition of treasury stock (1,355,880) (63,556) Tax benefits related to stock-based compensation 3,727,913 1,063,827 Deferred loan costs (22,002) (63,737) Other 33 67 Net cash used in financing activities (3,036,909) (7,620,514) Net decrease in cash and cash equivalents (6,112,662) (3,549,019) Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period 20,118,757 23,940,514 Cash and cash equivalents, end of period $ 14,006,095 $ 20,391,495 Supplemental disclosures of cash flow information: Nine Months Ended March 31, 2016 2015 Income taxes paid $ 480,000 $ 100,000 Louisiana carryback income tax refund and related interest received $ 1,556,999 $ Non-cash transactions: Change in accounts payable used to acquire property and equipment (130,202) 1,877,830 Deferred loan costs charged to oil and gas property costs 107,196 Oil and natural gas property costs incurred through recognition of asset retirement obligations 573,689 Settlement of accrued treasury stock purchases (170,283) Royalty rights acquired through non-monetary exchange of patent and trademark assets 108,512 Supplemental Information on Oil and Natural Gas Operations (Unaudited) Three Months Ended March 31, 2016 December 31, 2015 Variance Variance % Oil and gas production: Crude oil revenues $ 5,005,955 $ 6,565,804 $ (1,559,849) (23.8)% NGL revenues 597 685 (88) (12.8)% Natural gas revenues 183 317 (134) (42.3)% Total revenues $ 5,006,735 $ 6,566,806 $ (1,560,071) (23.8)% Crude oil volumes (Bbl) 166,881 165,847 1,034 0.6% NGL volumes (Bbl) 47 42 5 11.9% Natural gas volumes (Mcf) 145 182 (37) (20.3)% Equivalent volumes (BOE) 166,952 165,919 1,033 0.6% Equivalent volumes per day (BOE/D) 1,835 1,803 32 1.8% Crude oil price per Bbl $ 30.00 $ 39.59 $ (9.59) (24.2)% NGL price per Bbl 12.70 16.31 (3.61) (22.1)% Natural gas price per Mcf 1.26 1.74 (0.48) (27.6)% Equivalent price per BOE $ 29.99 $ 39.58 $ (9.59) (24.2)% Production costs $ 2,192,217 $ 2,244,301 $ (52,084) (2.3)% Production costs per BOE $ 13.13 $ 13.53 $ (0.40) (3.0)% Oil and gas DD&A (a) $ 1,262,164 $ 1,254,350 $ 7,814 0.6% Oil and gas DD&A per BOE $ 7.56 $ 7.56 $ % Artificial lift technology services: Services revenues $ 100,000 $ 56,121 $ 43,879 78.2% Cost of service 10,933 35,571 (24,638) (69.3)% Depreciation and amortization expense $ $ 213,091 $ (213,091) (100.0)% (a) Excludes depreciation and amortization expense for artificial lift technology services below and $6,636 and $4,130 of other depreciation and amortization expense for the three months ended March 31, 2016, and December 31, 2015, respectively. Supplemental Information on Oil and Natural Gas Operations (Unaudited) Three Months Ended March 31, 2016 2015 Variance Variance % Oil and gas production: Crude oil revenues $ 5,005,955 $ 7,052,563 $ (2,046,608) (29.0)% NGL revenues 597 1,352 (755) (55.8)% Natural gas revenues 183 529 (346) (65.4)% Total revenues $ 5,006,735 $ 7,054,444 $ (2,047,709) (29.0)% Crude oil volumes (Bbl) 166,881 147,906 18,975 12.8% NGL volumes (Bbl) 47 73 (26) (35.6)% Natural gas volumes (Mcf) 145 204 (59) (28.9)% Equivalent volumes (BOE) 166,952 148,013 18,939 12.8% Equivalent volumes per day (BOE/D) 1,835 1,645 190 11.6% Crude oil price per Bbl $ 30.00 $ 47.68 $ (17.68) (37.1)% NGL price per Bbl 12.70 18.52 (5.82) (31.4)% Natural gas price per Mcf 1.26 2.59 (1.33) (51.4)% Equivalent price per BOE $ 29.99 $ 47.66 $ (17.67) (37.1)% Production costs (a) $ 2,192,217 $ 3,201,491 $ (1,009,274) (31.5)% Production costs per BOE $ 13.13 $ 21.63 $ (8.50) (39.3)% Oil and gas DD&A (b) $ 1,262,164 $ 1,099,737 $ 162,427 14.8% Oil and gas DD&A per BOE $ 7.56 $ 7.43 $ 0.13 1.7% Artificial lift technology services: Services revenues $ 100,000 $ 10,245 $ 89,755 876.1% Cost of service 10,933 10,933 n.m. Depreciation and amortization expense $ $ 34,398 $ (34,398) (100.0)% n.m. Not meaningful. (a) Includes workover costs of approximately $0 and $252,000 for the three months ended March 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively. (b) Excludes depreciation and amortization expense for artificial lift technology services below and $6,636 and $4,367 of other depreciation and amortization expense for the three months ended March 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively. Supplemental Information on Oil and Natural Gas Operations (Unaudited) Nine Months Ended March 31, 2016 2015 Variance Variance % Oil and gas production: Crude oil revenues $ 18,897,572 $ 18,700,296 $ 197,276 1.1% NGL revenues 2,332 35,354 (33,022) (93.4)% Natural gas revenues 1,204 25,787 (24,583) (95.3)% Total revenues $ 18,901,108 $ 18,761,437 $ 139,671 0.7% Crude oil volumes (Bbl) 489,644 297,709 191,935 64.5% NGL volumes (Bbl) 171 1,250 (1,079) (86.3)% Natural gas volumes (Mcf) 634 7,587 (6,953) (91.6)% Equivalent volumes (BOE) 489,921 300,224 189,697 63.2% Equivalent volumes per day (BOE/D) 1,782 1,096 686 62.6% Crude oil price per Bbl $ 38.59 $ 62.81 $ (24.22) (38.6)% NGL price per Bbl 13.64 28.28 (14.64) (51.8)% Natural gas price per Mcf 1.90 3.40 (1.50) (44.1)% Equivalent price per BOE $ 38.58 $ 62.49 $ (23.91) (38.3)% Production costs (a) $ 7,030,537 $ 6,498,638 $ 531,899 8.2% Production costs per BOE $ 14.35 $ 21.65 $ (7.30) (33.7)% Oil and gas DD&A (b) $ 3,705,386 $ 2,061,440 $ 1,643,946 79.7% Oil and gas DD&A per BOE $ 7.56 $ 6.87 $ 0.69 10.0% Artificial lift technology services: Services revenues $ 207,960 $ 16,146 $ 191,814 1,188.0% Cost of service 70,932 7,044 63,888 907.0% Depreciation and amortization expense $ 238,475 $ 348,207 $ (109,732) (31.5)% (a) Includes workover costs of approximately $9,901 and $535,000 for the nine months ended March 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively. (b) Excludes depreciation and amortization expense for artificial lift technology services below and $14,783 and $15,962 of other depreciation and amortization expense for the nine months ended March 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively. SOURCE Evolution Petroleum Corporation Related Links http://www.evolutionpetroleum.com PUNE, India, April 11, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- According to a new market research report "Fertility Testing Devices Market Product (Ovulation Prediction Kit & Fertility Monitor (Urine-based, Saliva-based, & Basal Body Temperature)), Mode of Purchase (Prescription & OTC), and Region - Global Forecast to 2020", published by MarketsandMarkets, studies the global Fertility Testing Devices Market over the forecast period of 2015 to 2020. The market was estimated at USD 151.0 Million in 2015; it is poised to grow at a CAGR of 7.5% during the forecast period to reach USD 216.8 Million by 2020. (Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160303/792302 ) Browse 47 market data Tables and 35 Figures spread through 122 Pages and in-depth TOC on "Fertility Testing Devices Market" http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/fertility-testing-devices-market-139945432.html Early buyers will receive 10% customization on this report. The global Fertility Testing Devices Market is broadly categorized into ovulation prediction kits and fertility monitors. The fertility monitors segment includes saliva-based monitors, urine-based monitors and others. The ovulation prediction kits market held the larger share of the global Fertility Testing Devices Market in 2015. However, the fertility monitors market is estimated to grow at the higher CAGR from 2015 to 2020. A number of factors such as high efficacy and accurate results even in women suffering from PCOS, rising number of promotional activities undertaken by companies, inflow of low-cost generic products, increasing advances in fertility monitors, and large population base affected with infertility across the globe are stimulating the growth of the fertility monitors market. As of 2015, North America (comprising the U.S. and Canada) held the largest share of the global Fertility Testing Devices Market. A number of factors such as the decline in fertility rate owing to the rising first-time pregnancy age and high prevalence of PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome) among North American women, increasing awareness about the benefits offered by ovulation monitors and Fertility Awareness Methods (FAM) in successful conception among women, and the development of advanced device offerings at a lower cost are driving market growth in North America. However, the Asia-Pacific Fertility Testing Devices Market is expected to witness the highest growth in the forecast period. Decreasing fertility rate, growing number of women suffering from lifestyle disorders, rising funding/investments for the development of fertility and ovulation monitors, and growing focus of both international and domestic players on the Asia-Pacific Fertility Testing Devices Market are some of the major factors driving the demand for fertility testing devices in the Asia-Pacific region. Talk To Our Research Analysts: http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/speaktoanalyst.asp?id=139945432 The key players in the Fertility Testing Devices Market include SPD Swiss Precision Diagnostics GmbH (Switzerland), Church & Dwight Co., Inc. (U.S.), Prestige Brands Holdings, Inc. (U.S.), Fairhaven Health, LLC (U.S.), HiLin Life Products, Inc. (U.S.), Fertility Focus Limited (U.K.), and Geratherm Medical AG (Germany). Browse Related Reports: Infertility Treatment Devices Market by Product (Cryosystem, Imaging System, Incubator, Micromanipulator, Ovum Aspiration Pump, Sperm Analyzer, Workstation), Technology (AI, Gamete Donation, IVF, ICSI, IUI, Surrogacy), and End User - Global Forecast to 2020 http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/infertility-treatment-devices-market-43497112.html Point-Of-Care Diagnostics / Testing Market by Products (Glucose Monitoring & Infectious Diseases Testing Kits, Cardiac & Tumor Markers), by End Users (Self & Professional Monitoring), Over the Counter & Prescription Based - Global Forecast to 2018 http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/point-of-care-diagnostic-market-106829185.html About MarketsandMarkets: MarketsandMarkets is the world's No. 2 firm in terms of annually published premium market research reports. Serving 1700 global fortune enterprises with more than 1200 premium studies in a year, M&M is catering to a multitude of clients across 8 different industrial verticals. We specialize in consulting assignments and business research across high growth markets, cutting edge technologies and newer applications. Our 850 fulltime analyst and SMEs at MarketsandMarkets are tracking global high growth markets following the "Growth Engagement Model - GEM". The GEM aims at proactive collaboration with the clients to identify new opportunities, identify most important customers, write "Attack, avoid and defend" strategies, identify sources of incremental revenues for both the company and its competitors. M&M's flagship competitive intelligence and market research platform, "RT" connects over 200,000 markets and entire value chains for deeper understanding of the unmet insights along with market sizing and forecasts of niche markets. The new included chapters on Methodology and Benchmarking presented with high quality analytical infographics in our reports gives complete visibility of how the numbers have been arrived and defend the accuracy of the numbers. We at MarketsandMarkets are inspired to help our clients grow by providing apt business insight with our huge market intelligence repository. Contact: Mr. Rohan Unit No. 802, 8th Floor, Tower - 7, Magarpatta City SEZ, Hadapsar, Pune - 411013, Maharashtra, India. Tel: +1-888-6006-441. Email: [email protected] Visit MarketsandMarkets Blog @ http://mnmblog.org/market-research/healthcare/medical-devices Connect with us on LinkedIn @ http://www.linkedin.com/company/marketsandmarkets SOURCE MarketsandMarkets VIRGINIA BEACH, Va., May 4, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Fetchaquote.com (Fetch!) is pleased to announce the integration of its electronic auto insurance service into the Commercial Software, Inc. Dealership Management Software (MonyMaker by ComSoft). Fetch's integration with ComSoft will allow a car-buying consumer to obtain multiple insurance quotes within seconds and purchase a policy online in minutes. By working with Fetch, ComSoft expands its portfolio of outstanding service providers to include an integrated automobile insurance solution. Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160503/363197LOGO Berk Jolly, CEO of Fetch, stated: "For decades, auto insurance has posed two huge problems for car-buying customers at car dealerships. First, customers who don't have insurance require the dealer personnel to spend hours (and often many late nights) helping them obtain insurance. Second, customers with very expensive insurance self-impose limits on how much money they can spend on the vehicle and back-end products. Fetch solves these problems by helping customers with no insurance and customers with expensive insurance find a new policy quickly, cheaply and at all hours of the day. ComSoft is a very well-run company that constantly thrives to add innovative products and features to its platform that dealers want and need. We are honored and excited to help ComSoft provide its terrific dealer base with an integrated solution to make these insurance headaches a thing of the past." Chip Cooper, President of ComSoft adds, "The integration to Fetch, which assists both the dealer and the consumer in obtaining insurance quotes from nationally-recognized companies, is an example of our most recent partnership. If customers can save money by choosing from some of the most affordable insurance quotes, this translates into greater purchasing power when it comes to the automobile purchase. It's a win, win. We've worked together with Fetch on this integration: it eliminates duplicate entry which saves the dealership and the customer valuable time while offering assurances to both parties that when the customer leaves the dealership, insurance is in place." About ComSoft ComSoft has been specializing in Dealership Management & Marketing Software Solutions since 1971. Our flagship software product, MonyMaker, includes: Deal paperwork processing; Inventory Control; Buy-Here-Pay-Here Tracking; Lease-Here-Pay-Here Tracking; Management Reporting; Customer Prospect (CRM) and Follow-Up Management, in addition to integrations into several third party partners. Additionally, we offer custom dealership websites as well as third-party data feeds to several Internet marketing websites. Our emphasis continues to include: Dealership Profitability; Compliance; Ease of Use; and Customer Service. Visit our website at www.comsoft.com or call 1-800-849-3838 for more information. About Fetch! Fetch is an insurance comparison website built specifically for the automotive industry. While other insurance comparison sites bombard the customer with countless phone calls from call centers and local agents, Fetch shows the customer multiple insurance quotes on one screen and then links a customer directly to the website of the insurance carrier the customer chooses. The customer can purchase the insurance directly from the insurance carrier's website in a matter of minutes and print out the binder and insurance cards while at the dealership. Fetch is based in Virginia Beach, Virginia. The company's mission is to give every car-buying customer in America the ability to find insurance cheaper, faster, and at all hours of the day. For more information about how Fetch can help your dealership, visit www.fetchaquote.com or call (855) 55-FETCH. This content was issued through the press release distribution service at Newswire.com. For more info visit: http://www.newswire.com SOURCE Fetch Related Links http://www.fetchaquote.com KINSHASA, Democratic Republic of Congo, May 4, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Fleurette Group ("Fleurette") is pleased to announce the first quarter operating results for Mutanda Mining SARL ("MUMI"). Highlights Q1 copper production of 54,700 tonnes Cobalt production of 4,900 tonnes Production 2015 2016 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Year Q1 Copper metal Kt 51.6 53.9 55.5 55.1 216.1 54.7 Cobalt contained Kt 2.6 3.7 4.9 5.3 16.5 4.9 During the first quarter MUMI produced 54,700 tonnes of copper (Q4 2015: 55,100 tonnes) and 4,900 tonnes of cobalt (Q4 2015: 5,300 tonnes). Dan Gertler, Senior Advisor to Fleurette Group commented: "MUMI continues to operate excellently exceeding its design capacity of 200,000 tonnes of copper per year and has continued with its extensive programme of social investments, which transforms the lives of the communities we work alongside." Social Investment Update In 2016 Q1 MUMI's main social investments included: Sustainable rural livelihoods - distribution of material for the construction of sheepfolds and also distribution of goats - distribution of material for the construction of sheepfolds and also distribution of goats Health : Support to Lualaba health zone for vaccination campaigns (polio campaigns for children - 37 000 children vaccinated). Donation of beds and office material to Bumi clinic : Support to Lualaba health zone for vaccination campaigns (polio campaigns for children - 37 000 children vaccinated). Donation of beds and office material to Bumi clinic Local employment: Continuation of cleaning project and hiring of local staff from surrounding villages via a local contractor MUMI comprises the Mutanda and Kansuki concessions in the Katanga province of the Democratic Republic of Congo which were merged in July 2013. MUMI is jointly owned by Glencore (69% ownership) and Fleurette (31% ownership). MUMI is managed by Glencore who also have a 100% offtake contract for all copper and cobalt production. Fleurette has invested $440 million in acquiring and developing the asset in partnership with Glencore. This has driven production from 100,000 to the current run rate of 200,000 tonnes of copper per annum. The total investment in MUMI is over $1.8 billion. MUMI employs over 3,500 Congolese at the current design capacity, and as further investment is made into the asset, we would expect this number to increase. About Fleurette - www.fleurettegroup.com / LinkedIn / Twitter / Facebook The Fleurette Group of Companies ("Fleurette") is an entrepreneurial business with significant investment in diverse sectors, including natural resources, infrastructure, agriculture and technology. Fleurette has substantial investments and operations in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The parent company of the group, Fleurette Properties Limited, a Dutch resident company, is owned by Line Trust Corporation Limited strictly and solely as trustees of the Ashdale Settlement, a trust established in 2006 for the benefit of the family of Dan Gertler. Mr Gertler is a citizen and resident of Israel and the DRC (and honorary counsel to the DRC) and is committed to developing the country's natural resources and infrastructure, while investing in the Congolese people and their communities. Fleurette has a proven track record of successful co-operation with diverse parties, including the DRC State-owned mining company Gecamines, and to date has brought more than USD $7 billion of investment into the DRC, on top of its USD $2 billion in private investment. As a result, Fleurette's subsidiaries and partnerships support around 30,000 jobs in the DRC and are amongst the DRC's leading taxpayers, contributing significant revenues to the State. Fleurette is also a major contributor to social development in the DRC through the Gertler Family Foundation (GFF) and through direct investment in social infrastructure. The GFF is the largest charitable organization in the DRC, funding more than 50 programs and projects across the DRC, which help tens of thousands of Congolese every year. These include rebuilding key hospitals, notably the Kisangini "Hospital du Cinquantenaire"; supporting the Operation Smile campaign in Lubumbashi and Kinshasa; rebuilding Blaise Pascal School in Lubumbashi; and supporting the Lubumbashi Zoo. SOURCE Fleurette Group LOS ANGELES, May 4, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, blues rock guitar phenomenon Joe Bonamassa and his longtime manager Roy Weisman celebrate the Silver Anniversary of their partnership in the music industry. Over the past 25 years, the mavericks have become two of the industry's savviest entrepreneurs and disruptors. Together, they founded record label, management, and concert promotion company, J&R Adventures, and have redefined the kind of success an independent artist can achieve. Visit this link for the full story and the 25 Anniversary Collection: http://jbonamassa.com/eblast/2016/25-yrs-of-blues/ For most musicians, opening for blues legend B.B. King would be the pinnacle moment of their career. But for Joe Bonamassa, who shared the stage with King in 1989 when he was all of 12 years old, it was only the start. Next, Bonamassa would go on to sign with a major record label, Sony Records, which released his debut album A New Day Yesterday in 2000. But with only 7,500 copies sold, giving Bonamassa barely enough to cover his rent, the label dropped him. This is how the story would end for many artists. But Bonamassa and Weisman had other plans: to start their own record label. Born from this entrepreneurial spirit was J&R Adventures, and, with the release of Bonamassa's third album, Blues Deluxe, which sold more than 40,000 copies, they realized they were on the cusp of something big. Since then, Bonamassa has established himself as one of the premier guitar virtuosos of his generation. He has also distinguished himself as an incisive and compelling songwriter, a gutsy and soulful vocalist, as well as one of the most popular touring-and-recording artists around, selling out iconic venues, like The Royal Albert Hall, The Vienna Opera House, Radio City Music Hall, Red Rocks Amphitheatre, and Carnegie Hall. He has already racked up more #1 Billboard Blues Albums than any other artist in history 16 and counting; has been nominated for a Grammy award for his collaborative album with Beth Hart, Seesaw, and jammed with his music hero, Eric Clapton, preserved forever on the platinum-selling DVD Live from the Royal Albert Hall. His brand-new studio solo album, Blues of Desperation (J&R Adventures), which was released March 25, landed at #5 on the Billboard Top Album Sales, his highest charting yet. Forbes recently dubbed Joe Bonamassa one of the "world's greatest guitarists [joining] the ranks of heavyweights such as Hendrix, Page, Slash, and Young." But they also praised his business acumen: "While much of the applause he receives should credit his sheer talent, some of it should be reserved for his foresight and ability to become one of music's savviest entrepreneurs." Bonamassa and Weisman can attribute this kind of praise to their absolute drive and determination to succeed on their own terms. The past 25 years chronicle a dizzying list of their accomplishments, including Bonamassa's discography, comprising twelve solo studio albums, twelve solo live albums, ten solo DVDs, and twelve collaboration projects with Beth Hart, Mahalia Barnes, Rock Candy Funk Party, and Black Country Communion, respectively; multiple ground-breaking TV specials for PBS; two successful years (with a third on the way) for Bonamassa's maritime music festival Keeping The Blues Alive At Sea; the non-profit foundation Keeping The Blues Alive, which gives back to music programs in schools across the country; and many, many more. About to turn just 39 years young, one gets the feeling that Bonamassa is still just getting started. Here's to another 25 years from Bonamassa, Weisman, and J&R Adventures, which is sure to continue the wild, exhilarating ride filled with music destined to rank among the classics. Catch Bonamassa on tour this year: http://jbonamassa.com/tour-dates/ SOURCE Joe Bonamassa Related Links http://www.jbonamassa.com xForce Prime of Prime is the first end-to-end, prime-of-prime solution that is designed to allow banks and brokerages, who are looking to become FX liquidity providers, to distribute their price streams directly to their partners' systems. FX Brokerages can now onboard their own partners by offering white label omnibus accounts and by enabling access to an aggregated corporate account utilizing the institutional Fortex5 front-end. They also have the ability to issue FIX API connections and to manage the whole process via flexible middle and back office portals, giving all parties a clear view of their financial performance and the tools to make smarter decisions for their businesses. The groundbreaking xForce Prime of Prime suite is not only enabling FX brokerages to distribute their liquidity in a whole new way, but is empowering those businesses to tap into the network of corporate FX traders, fund managers and regional banks that they couldn't access before. Brokers are able to create and manage the pricing profiles that they provide to their partners, utilize different execution and revenue generating strategies, manage their risk books using sophisticated risk management tools and, most importantly, view their entire brokerage P&L anywhere in real time. xForce is a scalable and geographically distributed cloud ecosystem hosted in our dedicated facility in New York's NY4 Equinix datacenter, delivering sub-millisecond latency combined with high system availability. The xForce Prime of Prime suite addresses the current void in the B2B FX market, where many brokerages are looking to become FX and CFD liquidity providers and distribute their own liquidity to other firms as they grow and expand. Unfortunately, the solutions currently on offer to them are either too costly, at the high end of the spectrum, requiring a Tier 1 Prime Brokerage account, or not scalable and underperforming at the low end, built around MT4 technology. In addition, the brokers' financial information is scattered across the multiple systems used to operate the STP model and their internal risk management and this makes it extremely difficult to obtain business-critical financial information within a reasonable time. The most powerful feature of the xForce PoP suite is its ability to provide real-time insight into a broker's overall exposure across all of its accounts and to generate real-time P&L for their A book, B book and coverage books combined. "For the first time ever, FX Brokerages can deploy an all-in-one liquidity aggregation solution that is scalable and easy-to-use. A system that does not require any expensive hardware installation or IT resources and that provides an institutional-grade front end for corporate account management along with a flexible back office management suite. xForce Prime of Prime allows FX Brokers to manage their business from anywhere, expand partnership and liquidity distribution networks and to provide value and knowledge in ways that no other system can," said Natallia Hunik, Global Head of Sales at Fortex, Inc. In 2016, fewer retail FX firms than ever have access to Tier 1 prime brokerage services, especially given the squeeze in credit and the increase in capital requirements. This has opened the door for the larger FX Brokerages to distribute their liquidity to their smaller-sized peers. The Fortex xForce Prime of Prime product suite offers an in-demand, hassle-free solution that addresses liquidity distribution alongside other critical issues such as access to financial information and overall operational efficiency. About Fortex Fortex is the world's leading ECN platform, with up to $12 billion of daily volume in currency, metals, energy, and CFD trades and 500,000 tickets a day for tens of thousands of traders around the world. The company's powerful Fortex 6 platform, sophisticated cloud infrastructure, and middleware solutions have revolutionized currency, commodity, and equity trading. Today, traders, broker dealers, market makers, money managers, banks, hedge funds, and investors around the world rely on Fortex to facilitate trade execution and support sophisticated trading strategies. Some of the world's most successful currency trading firms have built their FX businesses on the Fortex platform. Fortex is headquartered in Redwood Shores, California with offices in New York, Boston, Hong Kong, Shanghai, and London. The company is privately held. More information about Fortex can be found at http://www.fortex.com. For additional information: Natallia Hunik +1 704.776.5892 [email protected] Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160503/363179 SOURCE Fortex, Inc. Related Links http://www.fortex.com PRESTON, Conn., May 4, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Woodstock marked the end of the 60s with three days of live rock and roll attracting 400,000 to Max Yasgur's 600-acre farm in the Catskills. Some of those from that generation have spent the next 40 some odd years along with their children and grandchildren reliving the outdoor concert experience at a 160-acre campground and RV Park in southern Connecticutjust a short ferry ride away. Two four-day concertshosted by Elite Resorts' Strawberry Park in Preston are returning as popular summer events. The 39th Annual Bluegrass Festival is scheduled June 2nd to June 5th. The 20th annual "Blast from the Bayou" featuring authentic Cajun Zydeco music is scheduled June 9th to June 12th. Fans, according to Elite Resorts' President Ed Mayer, typically stay three to four days, though ticket groupings for both concerts and/or specific days are available. Strawberry Park, located just 5 miles off I-395 and 15 miles from I-95, offers a wide variety of campsites, over 350 RV sites for rent and on-site log cabins. "Another bonus for those living in eastern Long Island is the ferry from Orient Point to New London, which eliminates a long drive from the trip to Strawberry Park," Mayer added. He said the campground and RV Park is also a short drive to historic Mystic Seaport, Foxwoods, Tanger Outlet Mall, Mohegan Sun and 20 miles to the beaches. For more information on the two festivals and Strawberry Park, please go to http://eliteresorts.com/destinations/connecticut/strawberry-park/about/about-us/and click on Music Festivals. ABOUT ELITE RESORTS www.eliteresorts.com 800 356-2460 Ext. 1 As manger of premier RV and Campground Park facilities, Elite Resorts offers clean and bountiful amenities, fun events, ideal locations and a friendly staff. The company currently manages Citrus Valley and Salt Springs in Florida and Strawberry Park in Connecticut. Elite Resorts has announced plans for two new RV outdoor hospitality resorts in Florida, both with Ft. Lauderdale based Guy Harvey Outpost Resorts, the hotel brand of noted marine conservation advocate and artist, Dr. Guy Harvey. These innovative and exciting projects will showcase watersport recreation and hospitality at the company's proposed Guy Harvey Outpost RV Resort, Tarpon Springs located on Baileys Road across from the popular Anclote River Park and the Lake Okeechobee located on the shores of Lake Okeechobee and the Kissimmee River in Okeechobee County, Florida. Contact: Eduard Mayer [email protected] 813-335-5119 SOURCE Elite Resorts Management Inc. Related Links http://www.eliteresorts.com DALLAS, May 4, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Cottonelle and Giuliana Rancic are teaming up to provide women with everything they need to achieve an elevated clean and approach any social situation with confidence, whether it's a night out with friends, a red carpet event or even a trip to the gym. The working mother, best-selling author and expert in red carpet fashion is joining Cottonelle brand's ongoing Go Commando program. The program, which launched last year, boldly dares Americans to go commando as a reminder that Cottonelle CleanRipple Texture bathroom tissue is designed to clean better. "It's well known that I'm not afraid to speak my mind and ask the hard questions, which is why I'm excited to encourage others to test their clean and go commando," Rancic said. "This opportunity allows me to provide my own insight around ways to stay clean with Cottonelle CleanRipple Texture and beyond, as someone that knows the importance of clean confidence and easy tricks for achieving it firsthand. Feeling clean everywhere means you can feel confident anywhere." Feeling clean enough to go commando isn't just a consideration when it comes to fashion. In a Cottonelle survey, nearly two in five respondents reported having gone commando for fitness. For many, being comfortable is key to performance during their workout. To feel clean and confident Rancic suggests: Pony Up. I keep hair ties and bobby pins in my bag to keep my hair out of my face when I work out. The best part? Those same items can easily transform gym hair into a sleek pony that's stylish for any occasion. If a polished pony isn't working for me, I throw in a head band to get rid of that "I just came from the gym" look. Or try a little dry shampoo or hair spray to keep that hair in check. And if all else fails, having a black, plain baseball cap handy is perfect for covering up bad hair when nothing else is working. I keep hair ties and bobby pins in my bag to keep my hair out of my face when I work out. The best part? Those same items can easily transform gym hair into a sleek pony that's stylish for any occasion. If a polished pony isn't working for me, I throw in a head band to get rid of that "I just came from the gym" look. Or try a little dry shampoo or hair spray to keep that hair in check. And if all else fails, having a black, plain baseball cap handy is perfect for covering up bad hair when nothing else is working. Always Stay Chic. "Athleisure" is a trend I can get behind. Most days I'm on the go and by wearing versatile layers, I can turn my workout clothes into a cute daytime look with little to no effort. I always keep a pump or high boots in my car in case something comes up last minute. The other day, I went from dropping Duke off at school to a light workout at the gym in my black leggings to dinner that night at one of the fanciest hotels in Beverly Hills all with just a change of shoes and some creative layering. A Cottonelle survey commissioned by Braun Research found that men and women consider going commando for different reasons no matter the reason, it's about feeling clean and confident. Data revealed that two-thirds (62 percent) of Americans would be more likely to consider going commando if they felt cleaner 'down there' and nearly half of respondents (48 percent) would be more likely to go commando if they felt more confident. "We're making a bold statement to let people know that Cottonelle CleanRipple Texture offers a confident clean and a great experience inside and outside of the bathroom," said Amanda O'Connor, Cottonelle Senior Brand Manager. "Being clean means you can feel comfortable enough to keep your mind on your health, wellness and wellbeing." For more information and chances to win great prizes throughout the year, visit Cottonelle.com or follow the conversation using the hashtag #GoCottonelle. About Cottonelle Brand The Cottonelle brand provides innovative comfort solutions for perineal personal care. Only Cottonelle has CleanRipple Texture which is available in all Cottonelle toilet paper and flushable cleansing cloth products. Cottonelle toilet paper is available in three forms: Cottonelle Ultra ComfortCare, Cottonelle GentleCare and Cottonelle CleanCare. To help people feel cleaner and fresher than with toilet paper alone, the brand offers Cottonelle FreshCare flushable wipes. For the latest product information, visit www.cottonelle.com. About Kimberly-Clark Kimberly-Clark (NYSE: KMB) and its well-known global brands are an indispensable part of life for people in more than 175 countries. Every day, nearly a quarter of the world's population trust Kimberly-Clark brands and the solutions they provide to enhance their health, hygiene and well-being. With brands such as Kleenex, Scott, Huggies, Pull-Ups, Kotex and Depend, Kimberly-Clark holds the No.1 or No. 2 share position in 80 countries. To keep up with the latest news and to learn more about the company's 144-year history of innovation, visit www.kimberly-clark.com or follow us on Facebook and Twitter. per sheet versus the leading national value brand According to 2015 Cottonelle Omnibus Survey SOURCE Kimberly-Clark Related Links http://www.kimberly-clark.com LONG BEACH, Calif., May 3, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Global Agri-trade Corporation (GATC), a premier importer of palm oil based animal nutrition products, announces that Budi Feed Sdn. Bhd., a Bhatt Holdings company, has commissioned an expansion of its NURISOL Calcium Salts manufacturing facility in Malaysia. The expansion has resulted in a doubling of the NURISOL production capacity. In April 2016, Budi Feed Sdn. Bhd. has earned GMP+ and HACCP accreditation for the facility. The Budi Feed facility expansion has resulted in an immediate increase in NURISOL production and manufacturing efficiencies. The expansion allows Budi Feed to supply GATC with significant additional volumes to the dairy farmers in over 20 countries, including USA, Canada, Argentina, China, Japan, Turkey, and Germany. Dairy farmers across the world will gain from the increased availability of the high quality energy feed supplement. In March, Budi Feed completed the GMP+ certification for B2 Production of Feed Ingredients audit process and received accreditation. Mr. Sugunan Nair, General Manager, Budi Feed, says, " The expansion of Budi Feed positions our team to better meet the global requirements for NURISOL Calcium Salts and puts the company in the forefront of feed safety in high quality energy supplements for the dairy industry." Mr. Chua Chee Koon, Managing Director, Budi Feed says "We have always strived to produce a well reacted high quality calcium salt and with this increase in production we will be able to deliver a high quality product to other international clientele in Asia, Europe, and to both North and South America." About Budi Feed Sdn. Bhd. Budi Feed has been manufacturing calcium salts of long-chain fatty acids since 2010. The mission is to produce world class products for the global dairy industry using locally available raw materials and expertise. The Malaysian Industrial Development Authority has recognized Budi Feed as a Pioneer Status company since 2010. Budi Feeds is also a member of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO). About Global Agri-trade Corporation Global Agri-trade Corporation, a privately owned company located in Long Beach, California, is one of the largest importers of palm oil based animal nutrition products sold under brand names NURISOL and PALMIT 80. The company has distribution centers in California, Washington, Texas, Florida, Georgia, and Maryland. Since 2003, the team of technical and trading experts at GATC has utilized its many decades of experience in the fats and oils industry to provide excellence in customer service and product quality to customers in U.S. and Canada. For more information, please contact Jignesh Bhatt, Global Agri-trade Corporation at 562-320-8550 or email at [email protected]. SOURCE Global Agri-trade Corporation LONDON, May 3, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- The Global Joint Venture Partnering Terms and Agreements in Pharma, Biotech and Diagnostics 2010-2016 report provides comprehensive understanding and unprecedented access to the joint venture deals and agreements entered into by the worlds leading life science companies. This report provides details of the latest joint venture agreements announced in the pharmaceutical, biotechnology and diagnostic sectors. Fully up to date, the report provides details of joint venture agreements from 2010. There is an increasing willingness for parties to enter joint venture deals; such deals enable both parties to benefit from the upside of a big product win, whereas traditional licensing deals forfeit upside for near term upfront, milestone and royalty payments. Joint venture partnering allow the parties to securitize value and reduce risk, but keep a part of the potential upside should the product reach the market. Event if the licensor does not commercialize the project they can either sell those rights to the licensee partner or another partner for an amount higher than would have been achieved at an earlier stage licensing deal. Another reason for joint venture deals is the joint origin of a project. Drug development projects often require various scientific and technological novelties that stem from different companies. If both companies contributed to the origination of the project, then both have from the beginning a stake in the project. The report provides a detailed understanding and analysis of how and why companies enter joint venture deals. Understanding the flexibility of a prospective partner's negotiated deals terms provides critical insight into the negotiation process in terms of what you can expect to achieve during the negotiation of terms. Whilst many smaller companies will be seeking details of the payments clauses, the devil is in the detail in terms of how payments are triggered contract documents provide this insight where press releases and databases do not. This report contains a comprehensive listing of all joint venture deals announced since 2010 as recorded in the Current Agreements deals and alliances database, including financial terms where available, plus links to online copies of actual joint venture contract documents as submitted to the Securities Exchange Commission by companies and their partners. Contract documents provide the answers to numerous questions about a prospective partner's flexibility on a wide range of important issues, many of which will have a significant impact on each party's ability to derive value from the deal. The initial chapters of this report provide an orientation of joint venture dealmaking and business activities. Chapter 1 provides an introduction to the report, whilst chapter 2 provides an analysis of the trends in joint venture as well as a discussion on the merits of the type of deal. Chapter 3 provides an overview of the structure of joint venture deals. The chapter includes numerous case studies to enable understanding of joint venture deals. Chapter 4 provides a review of the leading Joint venture deals since 2010. Deals are listed by headline value. Where the deal has an agreement contract published at the SEC a link provides online access to the contract via the Current Agreements deals and alliances database. Chapter 5 provides a comprehensive listing of the top 50 most active Joint venture dealmaker companies. Each deal title links via Current Agreements deals and alliances database to an online version of the full deal record, and where available, the actual contract document, providing easy access to each deal record on demand. Chapter 6 provides a comprehensive and detailed review of Joint venture deals organized by company A-Z, therapy, technology and industry type signed and announced since 2010 where a contract document is available. Contract documents provide an indepth insight into the actual deal terms agreed between the parties with respect to the Joint venture deal. The appendices to the report includes a comprehensive listing of all Joint venture deals announced since 2010. Each listing is organized as an appendix by company A-Z, stage of development at signing, therapeutic area and industry type. Each deal title links via hyperlink to an online version of the deal record including, where available, the actual contract document. The report also includes numerous table and figures that illustrate the trends and activities in Joint venture dealmaking since 2010. In conclusion, this report provides everything a prospective dealmaker needs to know about Joint venture alliances. Key benefits Global Joint Venture Partnering Terms and Agreements in Pharma, Biotech and Diagnostics 2010-2016 provides the reader with the following key benefits: In-depth understanding of joint venture partnering deal trends since 2010 Analysis of the structure of joint venture agreements with numerous real life case studies Comprehensive listing of all joint venture deals since 2010, together with deal terms, value and press release Comprehensive access to actual joint venture contracts entered into by the world's life science companies Insight into the terms included in a joint venture agreement, together with real world clause examples Understand the key deal terms companies have agreed in previous deals Undertake due diligence to assess suitability of your proposed deal terms for partner companies Report scope Global Joint Venture Partnering Terms and Agreements in Pharma, Biotech and Diagnostics 2010-2016 is intended to provide the reader with an in-depth understanding of the joint venture trends and structure of deals entered into by leading life science companies worldwide. Global Joint Venture Partnering Terms and Agreements in Pharma, Biotech and Diagnostics 2010-2016 includes: Trends in joint venture dealmaking in the biopharma industry since 2010 Analysis of joint venture deal structure Case studies of real-life joint venture deals Comprehensive listing of joint venture deals since 2010 Access to joint venture contract documents The leading joint venture deals by value since 2010 Most active joint venture dealmakers since 2010 The leading joint venture partnering resources In Global Joint Venture Partnering Terms and Agreements in Pharma, Biotech and Diagnostics 2010-2016 available deals and contracts are listed by: Company A-Z Headline value Therapeutic area Technology type Each deal title links via Weblink to an online version of the actual deal record and where available, contract document, providing easy access to each contract document on demand. The Global Joint Venture Partnering Terms and Agreements in Pharma, Biotech and Diagnostics 2010-2016 report provides comprehensive access to available contract documents for joint venture deals. Analyzing actual contract agreements allows assessment of the following: What are the precise rights granted or optioned? What is actually granted by the agreement to the partner company? What exclusivity is granted? What is the payment structure for the deal? How do milestone align with clinical stage development phases? How are salesand payments audited? What is the deal term? How are the key terms of the agreement defined? How are IPRs handled and owned? Who is responsible for commercialization? Who is responsible for development, supply, and manufacture? How is confidentiality and publication managed? How are disputes to be resolved? Under what conditions can the deal be terminated? What happens when there is a change of ownership? What sublicensing and subcontracting provisions have been agreed? Which boilerplate clauses does the company insist upon? Which boilerplate clauses appear to differ from partner to partner or deal type to deal type? Which jurisdiction does the company insist upon for agreement law? Download the full report: https://www.reportbuyer.com/product/3812934/ About Reportbuyer Reportbuyer is a leading industry intelligence solution that provides all market research reports from top publishers http://www.reportbuyer.com For more information: Sarah Smith Research Advisor at Reportbuyer.com Email: [email protected] Tel: +44 208 816 85 48 Website: www.reportbuyer.com SOURCE ReportBuyer Related Links http://www.reportbuyer.com PUNE, India, May 4, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- ReportsnReports.com adds "Viral Conjunctivitis - Pipeline Review, H1 2016" market research report that provides comprehensive information on the therapeutic development for Viral Conjunctivitis, complete with comparative analysis at various stages, therapeutics assessment by drug target, mechanism of action (MoA), route of administration (RoA) and molecule type, along with latest updates, and featured news and press releases. It also reviews key players involved in the therapeutic development for Viral Conjunctivitis and special features on late-stage and discontinued projects. Complete report on H1 2016 pipeline review of Viral Conjunctivitis with 18 market data tables and 10 figures, spread across 43 pages is available at http://www.reportsnreports.com/reports/525220-viral-conjunctivitis-pipeline-review-h1-2016.html . Companies discussed in this Viral Conjunctivitis Pipeline Review, H1 2016 report include Adenovir Pharma AB, NanoViricides, Inc., Panoptes Pharma Ges.m.b.H., Shire Plc and Starpharma Holdings Limited. Drug profiles discussed in this research report includes APD-209, astodrimer, EKCCide-I, PP-001, SHP-640 and trisialic acid second generation. The report also reviews key players involved in the therapeutic development for Viral Conjunctivitis and special features on late-stage and discontinued projects. The report enhances decision making capabilities and help to create effective counter strategies to gain competitive advantage. It strengthens R&D pipelines by identifying new targets and MOAs to produce first-in-class and best-in-class products. Scope of this report: The report provides a snapshot of the global therapeutic landscape of Viral Conjunctivitis and reviews pipeline therapeutics for Viral Conjunctivitis by companies and universities/research institutes based on information derived from company and industry-specific sources and key players involved Viral Conjunctivitis therapeutics and enlists all their major and minor projects. The research covers pipeline products based on various stages of development ranging from pre-registration till discovery and undisclosed stages. The report features descriptive drug profiles for the pipeline products which includes, product description, descriptive MoA, R&D brief, licensing and collaboration details & other developmental activities and assesses Viral Conjunctivitis therapeutics based on drug target, mechanism of action (MoA), route of administration (RoA) and molecule type. The report summarizes all the dormant and discontinued pipeline projects with latest news related to pipeline therapeutics for Viral Conjunctivitis. Reasons to buy Gain strategically significant competitor information, analysis, and insights to formulate effective R&D strategies Identify emerging players with potentially strong product portfolio and create effective counter-strategies to gain competitive advantage Identify and understand important and diverse types of therapeutics under development for Viral Conjunctivitis Identify potential new clients or partners in the target demographic Develop strategic initiatives by understanding the focus areas of leading companies Plan mergers and acquisitions effectively by identifying key players and it's most promising pipeline therapeutics Devise corrective measures for pipeline projects by understanding Viral Conjunctivitis pipeline depth and focus of Indication therapeutics Develop and design in-licensing and out-licensing strategies by identifying prospective partners with the most attractive projects to enhance and expand business potential and scope Modify the therapeutic portfolio by identifying discontinued projects and understanding the factors that drove them from pipeline Order a copy of Viral Conjunctivitis - Pipeline Review, H1 2016 market research report @ http://www.reportsnreports.com/Purchase.aspx?name=525220 . Another newly published market research report titled on Juvenile Macular Degeneration (Stargardt Disease) - Pipeline Review, H1 2016 provides comprehensive information on the therapeutic development for Juvenile Macular Degeneration (Stargardt Disease), complete with comparative analysis at various stages, therapeutics assessment by drug target, mechanism of action (MoA), route of administration (RoA) and molecule type, along with latest updates, and featured news and press releases. It also reviews key players involved in the therapeutic development for Juvenile Macular Degeneration (Stargardt Disease) and special features on late-stage and discontinued projects. The report enhances decision making capabilities and help to create effective counter strategies to gain competitive advantage. It strengthens R&D pipelines by identifying new targets and MOAs to produce first-in-class and best-in-class products. Juvenile Macular Degeneration (Stargardt Disease) Pipeline market research report of 60 pages is available at http://www.reportsnreports.com/reports/531477-juvenile-macular-degeneration-stargardt-disease-pipeline-review-h1-2016.html . Explore more reports on Pharmaceuticals. About Us: ReportsnReports.com is an online market research reports library of 500,000+ in-depth studies of over 5000 micro markets. Not limited to any one industry, ReportsnReports.com offers research studies on agriculture, energy and power, chemicals, environment, medical devices, healthcare, food and beverages, water, advanced materials and much more. Contact: Ritesh Tiwari UNIT no 802, Tower no. 7, SEZ Magarpatta city, Hadapsar Pune - 411013 Maharashtra, India. + 1 888 391 5441 [email protected] Connect With Us on: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ReportsnReports/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/reportsnreports Twitter: https: //twitter.com/marketsreports G+ / Google Plus: https://plus.google.com/111656568937629536321/posts RSS/Feeds: http://www.reportsnreports.com/feed/l-latestreports.xml SOURCE ReportsnReports CHICAGO, May 4, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- GTCR, a leading private equity firm, announced today that it has completed the previously announced acquisition of Onvoy, LLC ("Onvoy" or the "Company") from Communications Infrastructure Investments. Onvoy, headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota, is a fast-growing leader in communications enablement. GTCR will partner with CEO Fritz Hendricks and the Onvoy management team as they continue to grow and develop the company's service offerings and geographic breadth. Onvoy is a leading communications enablement platform offering nationwide wholesale communication services. The Company provides easy-to-use voice, messaging and mobility solutions to wireless, Over-the-Top app, VoIP and wireline communications companies that choose to focus on customer-facing applications and service rather than infrastructure management. Onvoy combines an intuitive software-based Application Program Interface with its nationwide network of physical switches and dedicated transport to offer its leading wholesale telecommunication services. Customers enjoy automated access to an industry leading portfolio of communication services and extended service area coverage. Stephens Inc. served as financial advisor to GTCR and Latham & Watkins LLP provided legal counsel. Gibson Dunn & Crutcher LLP provided legal counsel to Onvoy. About GTCR Founded in 1980, GTCR is a leading private equity firm focused on investing in growth companies in the Financial Services & Technology, Healthcare, Technology, Media & Telecommunications and Growth Business Services industries. The Chicago-based firm pioneered The Leaders Strategy - finding and partnering with management leaders in core domains to identify, acquire and build market-leading companies through transformational acquisitions and organic growth. Since its inception, GTCR has invested more than $12 billion in over 200 companies. For more information, please visit www.gtcr.com. About Onvoy Onvoy, the nation's third largest CLEC by rate center coverage, provides an extensive array of voice and messaging communications services to meet the needs of today's leading telecom carriers and services providers. Onvoy delivers API-driven origination, messaging, termination, 911 and toll free as well as traditional telephony services, including tandem, database and OS/DA. White-label hosted PBX and vFax round out Onvoy's innovative, customer-focused solutions. Founded in 1991, Onvoy is based in Minnesota. For more information, visit Onvoy at www.onvoy.com. Eileen Rochford, 312-953-3305 [email protected] Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160106/319670LOGO SOURCE GTCR Related Links http://www.gtcr.com ANNAPOLIS, Md., May 4, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Hannon Armstrong Sustainable Infrastructure Capital, Inc. ("Hannon Armstrong," "we," "our" or the "Company;"NYSE: HASI), a leading provider of debt and equity financing to the energy efficiency and renewable energy markets, today reported Core Earnings, a non GAAP financial measure for the quarter ended March 31, 2016, were $12.2 million, or $0.32 per share, as compared to $7.4 million, or $0.27 per share, in the same period in 2015, a 19% increase per share. On a GAAP basis, the Company recorded net income for the quarter ended March 31, 2016, of $3.2 million, or $0.07 per share, as compared to $2.1 million, or $0.07 per share, in the same period in 2015. A reconciliation of our Core Earnings to GAAP net income is included in this press release. "We continued to execute in the quarter, just as we have since we went public three years ago and that discipline has helped us produce an excellent quarter and total stockholder return of over 100% since the IPO," said Chairman and CEO Jeffrey Eckel. "Our efficiency, wind and solar markets continue to be robust and our pipeline remains strong at more than $2.5 billion." Highlights Closed $213 million of transactions in the first quarter of 2016 compared to $104 million in the same period in 2015 of transactions in the first quarter of 2016 compared to in the same period in 2015 19% quarterly Core EPS Growth over first quarter 2015 $0.30 per share quarterly dividend, for an annualized yield of 6.1% based on our closing stock price of $19.65 on May 3, 2016 per share quarterly dividend, for an annualized yield of 6.1% based on our closing stock price of on Grew balance sheet to approximately $1.5 billion , with over 110 separate investments , with over 110 separate investments Gross asset yield increased to 6.3%, from 6.2% at December 31, 2015 Achieved 66% fixed rate debt target Debt to equity ratio of 2.3 to 1 as of March 31, 2016 Maintained a diversified pipeline of over $2.5 billion "Our investment thesis of earning better risk adjusted returns from investing on the right side of the climate line, combined with our preference for senior and preferred positions in quality assets, continues to benefit us during this period of energy and financial market volatility," said Mr. Eckel. Portfolio Our Portfolio totaled approximately $1.4 billion as of March 31, 2016, and included $387 million of energy efficiency investments, $955 million of renewable energy (wind and solar) transactions and $23 million of other sustainable infrastructure investments. The following is an analysis of our Portfolio by type of obligor and credit quality as of March 31, 2016: Investment Grade Total Government (1) Commercial Investment Grade(2) Commercial Non- Investment Grade (3) Subtotal, Debt and Real Estate Equity Method Investments(4) (dollars in millions) Financing receivables $ 374 $ 428 $ 17 $ 819 $ $ 819 Financing receivables held-for-sale 42 42 42 Investments 21 16 37 37 Real estate(5) 163 163 163 Equity method investments 304 304 Total $ 437 $ 607 $ 17 $ 1,061 $ 304 $ 1,365 % of Debt and Real Estate Portfolio 41% 57% 2% 100% N/A N/A Average Remaining Balance(6) $ 12 $ 10 $ 17 $ 11 $ 25 $ 12 (1) Transactions where the ultimate obligor is the U.S. federal government or state or local governments where the obligors are rated investment grade (either by an independent rating agency or based upon our internal credit analysis). This amount includes $260 million of U.S. federal government transactions and $177 million of transactions where the ultimate obligors are state or local governments. Transactions may have guaranties of energy savings from third party service providers, the majority of which are entities rated investment grade by an independent rating agency. (2) Transactions where the projects or the ultimate obligors are commercial entities, including institutions such as hospitals or universities, that have been rated investment grade (either by an independent rating agency or based on our internal credit analysis). Of this total, $11 million of the transactions have been rated investment grade by an independent rating agency. Commercial investment grade financing receivables include $174 million of internally rated residential solar loans where the cash flows which support our financing receivables are subordinated to the tax equity investors (whose return is largely derived from the renewable energy tax incentives) and for which we rely on certain tax related indemnities of the publicly traded residential solar provider. (3) Transactions where the projects or the ultimate obligors are commercial entities, including institutions such as hospitals or universities, that have ratings below investment grade (either by an independent rating agency or using our internal credit analysis). (4) Consists of ownership interests in operating wind projects. (5) Includes the real estate and the lease intangible assets through which we receive scheduled lease payments, typically under long-term triple net lease agreements. (6) Excludes 79 transactions each with outstanding balances that are less than $1 million and that in the aggregate total $28 million. First Quarter Financial Results Hannon Armstrong reported first-quarter 2016 Core Earnings of $12.2 million, or $0.32 per share, as compared with Core Earnings of $7.4 million, or $0.27 per share, in first quarter 2015. The Core Total Revenue increase of approximately $11 million was offset by higher interest expense of approximately $5 million and higher Core Other Expenses, net of approximately $1 million. As of March 31, 2016, we had 66% of our debt at fixed rates as shown in the chart below: March 31, 2016 % of Total ($ in millions) Floating-Rate Borrowings $ 333 34% Fixed-Rate debt 635 66% Total Debt(1) $ 968 100% (1) Floating-Rate Borrowings include borrowings under our floating-rate Credit Facility and approximately $11 million of nonrecourse debt that has not been hedged. Fixed-Rate debt includes the present notional value of nonrecourse debt that is hedged using interest rate swaps. As of March 31, 2016, leverage, as measured by our debt-to-equity ratio, was 2.3 to 1. This calculation excludes securitizations that are not consolidated on our balance sheet (where the collateral is typically financing receivables with U.S. government obligors). "We continue to execute towards our 2.5 to 1 leverage target and utilize our long-standing securitization platform in order to minimize equity capital requirements in 2016," said Chief Financial Officer Brendan Herron. "We have become more flexible in the timing of equity capital raises, which is especially important in periods of market volatility." Conference Call and Webcast Information Hannon Armstrong will host an investor conference call today, May 4, 2016 at 5:00 pm eastern time. The conference call can be accessed live over the phone by dialing 1-800-289-0508, or for international callers, 1-913-312-0658. A replay will be available beginning two hours after the call until May 11, 2016 and can be accessed by dialing 1-877-870-5176, or for international callers, 1-858-384-5517. The passcode for the live call and the replay is 4282853. A webcast of the conference call will also be available through the Investor Relations section of our website, at www.hannonarmstrong.com. A copy of this press release is also available on our website. About Hannon Armstrong Hannon Armstrong (NYSE: HASI) provides debt and equity financing to the energy efficiency and renewable energy markets. We focus on providing preferred or senior level capital to established sponsors and high credit quality obligors for assets that generate long-term, recurring, and predictable cash flows. We are based in Annapolis, Maryland. Forward-Looking Statements Some of the information contained in this press release are forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. When used in this press release, the words such as "believe," "expect," "anticipate," "estimate," "plan," "continue," "intend," "should," "may," "target," or similar expressions, are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are subject to significant risks and uncertainties. Investors are cautioned against placing undue reliance on such statements. Actual results may differ materially from those set forth in the forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements include those discussed under the caption "Risk Factors" included in our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, as well as in other reports that we file with the SEC. Statements regarding the following subjects, among others, may be forward-looking: our expected returns and performance of our investments; the state of government legislation, regulation and policies that support energy efficiency, renewable energy and sustainable infrastructure projects and that enhance the economic feasibility of energy efficiency, renewable energy and sustainable infrastructure projects and the general market demands for such projects; market trends in our industry, energy markets, commodity prices, interest rates, the debt and lending markets or the general economy; our business and investment strategy; availability of opportunities to finance energy efficiency, renewable energy and sustainable infrastructure projects and our ability to complete potential new opportunities in our pipeline; our relationships with originators, investors, market intermediaries and professional advisers; competition from other providers of financing; our or any other companies' projected operating results; actions and initiatives of the U.S. federal, state and local governments and changes to U.S. federal, state and local government policies, regulations, tax laws and rates and the execution and impact of these actions, initiatives and policies; the state of the U.S. economy generally or in specific geographic regions, states or municipalities; economic trends and economic recoveries; our ability to obtain and maintain financing arrangements on favorable terms, including securitizations; general volatility of the securities markets in which we participate; changes in the value of our assets, our portfolio of assets and our investment and underwriting process; interest rate and maturity mismatches between our assets and any borrowings used to fund such assets; changes in interest rates and the market value of our assets and target assets; changes in commodity prices; effects of hedging instruments on our assets; rates of default or decreased recovery rates on our assets; the degree to which our hedging strategies may or may not protect us from interest rate volatility; impact of and changes in accounting guidance and similar matters; our ability to maintain our qualification, as a real estate investment trust for U.S. federal income tax purposes (a "REIT"); our ability to maintain our exception from registration under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the "1940 Act"); availability of qualified personnel; estimates relating to our ability to make distributions to our stockholders in the future; and our understanding of our competition. Forward-looking statements are based on beliefs, assumptions and expectations as of the date of this press release. Any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date on which it is made. New risks and uncertainties arise over time, and it is not possible for us to predict those events or how they may affect us. Except as required by law, we are not obligated to, and do not intend to, update or revise any forward-looking statements after the date of this earnings release, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. The risks included here are not exhaustive. Other sections of our 2015 Form 10-K or other regulatory filings may include additional factors that could adversely affect our business and financial performance. Moreover, we operate in a very competitive and rapidly changing environment. New risk factors emerge from time to time and it is not possible for management to predict all such risk factors, nor can it assess the impact of all such risk factors on our business or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forwardlooking statements. Given these risks and uncertainties, investors should not place undue reliance on forwardlooking statements as a prediction of actual results. Investor Relations 410-571-6189 [email protected] EXPLANATORY NOTES Non-GAAP Financial Measures Core Earnings Core Total Revenue, Core Total Investment Revenue, net of investment interest expense and provision, Core Other Expenses, net and Core Earnings (collectively "Core Financial Metrics") are non-GAAP financial measures. The Core Total Revenue amounts reflects the wind equity investments adjusted to an effective interest method and the add-back of non-cash real estate intangible amortization and the provision for credit losses, if any. Our equity method investments in the wind projects are structured using typical wind partnership "flip" structures where we, along with other institutional investors, if any, receive a pre-negotiated preferred return consisting of priority distributions from the project cash flows along with tax attributes. Once this preferred return is achieved, the partnership flips and the wind energy company, which operates the project, receives the majority of the cash flows through its equity interests with the institutional investors retaining an ongoing residual interest. Given this structure, we negotiated our purchase price of our wind investments based on our assessment of the expected cash flows from each investment discounted back to net present value based on a discount rate that represented an expected yield on the investment. This is similar to how we value the expected cash flows in financing receivables. Under U.S. GAAP, we are required to account for these investments utilizing the hypothetical liquidation at book value method ("HLBV"), in which we recognize income or loss based on the change in the amount each partner would receive if the assets were liquidated at book value, in this case, at the end of the immediately preceding quarter after adjusting for any distributions or contributions made during such quarter. As HLBV incorporates non-cash items, such as depreciation, and because we are entitled to receive a preferred return of cash flows on our investments independent of how profits and losses are allocated, the HLBV allocation does not, in our opinion, reflect the economics of our investments. As a result, and in an attempt to treat these investments in a manner similar to our other investments and our initial valuation, in calculating Core Total Revenue for the above periods, we adjusted the income we receive from these investments as if we were recognizing income or loss based on an effective interest methodology. Generally, under this methodology, income is recognized over the life of the asset using a constant effective yield. The initial constant effective yield we selected is equal to the discount rates we determined when making our investment decisions. On at least a quarterly basis, we will review and, if appropriate, adjust the discount rates and the income or loss we receive from these investments for purposes of calculating Core Total Revenue in future periods, as necessary, to reflect changes in both actual cash flows received and our estimates of the future cash flows from the projects. Our allocation of profits and losses is projected to change in 2019 in our transactions with JPMorgan Chase & Co. ("JPMorgan"), which is expected to result in an increase of the amount of HLBV profits or losses allocated to us. We have borrowed approximately $225 million on a nonrecourse basis as of March 31, 2016, using our equity method investments as collateral. Included in our U.S. GAAP investment interest expense for the three months ended March 31, 2016, was approximately $4 million of interest expense related to these nonrecourse loans. For the three months ended March 31, 2016, we collected cash distributions from our wind investments of approximately $16 million, of which $7 million represents our Core Earnings adjustment for these investments based upon the effective yield methodology discussed above. Core Other Expenses, net reflects the add back of non-cash equity-based compensation, amortization of intangible assets, GAAP HLBV income or loss on our equity method investments, and business acquisition costs, if any. Core Earnings represent earnings utilizing the adjustments for Core Total Revenue and Core Other Expenses, net and adjusting for any non-cash taxes and the minority interest. Our Core Financial Metrics are also adjusted to exclude one-time events pursuant to changes in GAAP and certain other non-cash charges, if any, as approved by a majority of our independent directors. We believe that the Core Financial Metrics provide additional measures of our core operating performance by eliminating the impact of certain non-cash income and expenses and facilitating a comparison of our financial results to those of other comparable REITs with fewer or no non-cash charges and a comparison of our operating results from period to period. Our management uses Core Financial Metrics in this way. We believe that our investors also use our Core Financial Metrics or a comparable supplemental performance measure to evaluate and compare our performance to our peers, and as such, we believe that the disclosure of our Core Financial Metrics is useful to our investors. Core Earnings does not represent cash generated from operating activities in accordance with GAAP and should not be considered as an alternative to net income (determined in accordance with GAAP), or an indication of our cash flows from operating activities (determined in accordance with GAAP), a measure of our liquidity or an indication of funds available to fund our cash needs, including our ability to make cash distributions. In addition, our methodology for calculating our Core Financial Metrics may differ from the methodologies employed by other REITs to calculate the same or similar supplemental performance measures, and accordingly, our reported Core Earnings may not be comparable to the Core Earnings reported by other REITs. The table below provides a reconciliation of the GAAP Total Revenue to Core Total Revenue: For the Three Months Ended March 31, 2016 March 31, 2015 ($ in thousands) Total Revenue (GAAP) $20,483 $13,908 Adjustments: Real estate intangibles (1) 299 149 Equity affiliate adjustment (2) 6,911 2,830 Core Total Revenue, Adjustments 7,210 2,979 Core Total Revenue $27,693 $16,887 (1) Reflects add-back of non-cash amortization of lease intangibles primarily related to in-place leases for land acquired in a business combination under GAAP. (2) See discussion of Core Earnings above. The table below provides a reconciliation of the GAAP Other Expenses, net to Core Other Expenses, net: For the Three Months Ended March 31, 2016 March 31, 2015 ($ in thousands) Other Expenses, net (GAAP) $5,964 $5,636 Adjustments: Non-cash equity-based compensation charge (1) (2,008) (2,201) Equity method income (loss) 270 (53) Amortization of intangibles (2) (51) (50) Core Other Expenses, net Adjustments (1,789) (2,304) Core Other Expenses, net $4,175 $3,332 (1) Reflects add-back of non-cash amortization of equity-based compensation. Outstanding shares related to equity-based compensation are included in the Core Earnings per share calculation. (2) Adds back non-cash amortization of pre IPO intangibles. We calculated our Core Earnings and provide a reconciliation of our net income to Core Earnings for the three months ended March 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively, in the table below: For the Three Months Ended For the Three Months Ended March 31, 2016 Per Share March 31, 2015 Per Share ($ in thousands, except per share data) Net income attributable to controlling shareholders $3,169 $0.07 $2,122 $0.07 Adjustments: Core Total Revenue, Adjustments 7,210 2,979 Core Other Expenses, net Adjustments 1,789 2,304 Net income attributable to minority interest 28 25 Non-cash provision for taxes - (27) Core Earnings(1) $12,196 $0.32 $7,403 $0.27 (1) Core Earnings per share for the three months ended March 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively, are based on 38,591,182 shares and 27,774,980 shares, respectively, which represent the weighted average number of fully diluted shares outstanding and includes the share equivalent of the minority interest in our Operating Partnership, as the income attributable to the minority interest is also included. HANNON ARMSTRONG SUSTAINABLE INFRASTRUCTURE CAPITAL, INC. CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS (DOLLARS IN THOUSANDS, EXCEPT PER SHARE DATA) (UNAUDITED) For the Three Months Ended March 31, 2016 2015 Revenue: Interest income, financing receivables $ 11,489 $ 8,328 Interest income, investments 375 396 Rental income 2,815 2,088 Gain on sale of receivables and investments 5,502 2,870 Fee income 302 226 Total Revenue 20,483 13,908 Investment interest expense (11,275) (6,148) Provision for credit losses - - Total Revenue, net of investment interest expense and provision 9,208 7,760 Compensation and benefits (4,418) (3,851) General and administrative (1,934) (1,505) Other, net 118 (227) Income (loss) from equity method investments in affiliates 270 (53) Other Expenses, net (5,964) (5,636) Net income before income taxes 3,244 2,124 Income tax (expense) benefit (47) 23 Net Income $ 3,197 $ 2,147 Net income attributable to non-controlling interest holders 28 25 Net Income Attributable to Controlling Shareholders $ 3,169 $ 2,122 Basic earnings per common share $ 0.07 $ 0.07 Diluted earnings per common share $ 0.07 $ 0.07 Weighted average common shares outstandingbasic 37,016,210 26,386,080 Weighted average common shares outstandingdiluted 37,016,210 26,386,080 HANNON ARMSTRONG SUSTAINABLE INFRASTRUCTURE CAPITAL, INC. CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS AS OF MARCH 31, 2016 and DECEMBER 31, 2015 (DOLLARS IN THOUSANDS, EXCEPT PER SHARE DATA) (UNAUDITED) March 31, 2016 December 31, 2015 Assets Financing receivables $ 818,789 $ 783,967 Financing receivables held-for-sale 42,041 60,376 Investments available-for-sale 36,733 29,017 Real estate 131,695 128,769 Real estate related intangible assets 31,032 26,930 Equity method investments in affiliates 304,180 318,769 Cash and cash equivalents 26,585 42,645 Other assets 85,922 79,148 Total Assets $ 1,476,977 $ 1,469,621 Liabilities and Stockholders' Equity Liabilities: Accounts payable, accrued expenses and other $ 22,899 $ 17,875 Deferred funding obligations 62,541 108,499 Credit facility 321,944 247,350 Asset-backed nonrecourse debt (secured by assets of $701 million and $718 million, respectively) 551,691 563,189 Other nonrecourse debt (secured by financing receivables of $91 million and $97 million, respectively) 94,231 100,602 Total Liabilities 1,053,306 1,037,515 Stockholders' Equity: Preferred stock, par value $0.01 per share, 50,000,000 shares authorized, no shares issued and outstanding Common stock, par value $0.01 per share, 450,000,000 shares authorized, 37,030,467 and 37,010,603 shares issued and outstanding, respectively 370 370 Additional paid in capital 485,756 482,431 Retained deficit (61,202) (52,701) Accumulated other comprehensive loss (5,091) (1,905) Non-controlling interest 3,838 3,911 Total Stockholders' Equity 423,671 432,106 Total Liabilities and Stockholders' Equity $ 1,476,977 $ 1,469,621 Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160125/325673LOGO SOURCE Hannon Armstrong Sustainable Infrastructure Capital, Inc. Related Links http://www.hannonarmstrong.com MILWAUKEE, May 4, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- With warm sunshine, blue skies and smooth roads looming, Harley-Davidson dealers are hosting special events, special promotions and demo opportunities featuring the latest new Harley-Davidson motorcycles to get everyone riders and those ready to learn ready for summer riding season 2016. Harley-Davidson rolls into summer riding season with demo events, special promotions and two new custom looks for the Harley-Davidson Road King, Road Glide Special and Street Glide Special. "Nothing beats the feeling of riding a motorcycle on a sunny summer day, and right now nobody has more going for riders than Harley-Davidson," says Dino Bernacchi, Harley-Davidson U.S. Marketing Director, "We have an impressive new lineup of motorcycles, accessories and gear featuring the most-powerful collection of Harley-Davidson cruiser motorcycles ever built and two new premium custom looks Vengeance and Reaper packages - for the Road King, Street Glide Special and Road Glide Special. Add in the Street 500 starting at just $6,849 and nine bikes priced below $12,000 and we have the right bike for every rider." Here's how Harley-Davidson is rolling into the summer riding season: Two New Custom Looks Get a new custom look for the Harley-Davidson Road King, Road Glide Special and Street Glide Special motorcycles with the gleaming chrome Vengeance Premium Package and sinister black Reaper Premium Package of Harley-Davidson Genuine Motor Parts & Accessories components. Demo Events Attend a dealer-hosted Demo Event to see and ride the new Harley-Davidson motorcycles including Touring models influenced by Project Rushmore, powerful cruisers like the new Low Rider S model, and the new Roadster model with sinister the Dark Custom style. There's something for everyone at a Demo Event, with passenger rides and JUMPSTART simulated riding experience, which combines a Harley-Davidson motorcycle and a specially-designed, stationary support stand. To find a dealer event in your area, visit www.h-d.com/events or www.h-d.com/demos. H-D's Biggest Summer Social Promo Take a Test Ride and WIN! Harley-Davidson is awarding a $103 Harley-Davidson Gift Card for every hour of the day, 24 hours a day for the next 65 days. In addition, while stopping by your local dealer, you can take a new 2016 Harley-Davidson motorcycle for a test ride and enter for a chance to win one. Don't miss out. Visit H-D.com/TestRide for more info and how to enter to win. Don't Ride Yet? Don't Worry! Make today your someday. If this is your year to learn to ride, H-D Riding Academy will help get you on a bike in just a few days. Further, all current and former U.S. military and first responders* can learn to ride for free through Harley-Davidson's Riding Academy program. More information on learning to ride is available at an authorized Harley-Davidson dealer or going to http://www.h-d.com/AmericanHeroes. *First Responders includes law enforcement officers, firefighters and EMS professionals About Harley-Davidson Motor Company Since 1903, Harley-Davidson Motor Company has fulfilled dreams of personal freedom with cruiser, touring and custom motorcycles, riding experiences and events, and a complete line of Harley-Davidson motorcycle parts, accessories, general merchandise, riding gear and apparel. For more information, visit www.h-d.com. Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160504/363690 SOURCE Harley-Davidson Motor Company A custom truck made just for dogs, the Good Stuff Pet Truck is stopping in cities across America this spring and summer to help educate pet owners about using positive reinforcement dog training to ensure their animals enjoy deliciously balanced lives. Pet parents who stop by the Good Stuff Pet Truck may participate in free dog-training demos and Q&A sessions with a dog trainer. They'll also find a fun backdrop for a photo opp in the backyard-styled doggy lounge, complete with "grass" and picket fence. Photos can be shared via Twitter and Instagram using #GoodStuffPetTruck. When it comes to training, dogs learn best through positive reinforcement because it teaches them desirable behaviors. Rewarding dogs with small treats and praise for things we want them to do motivates them to repeat those behaviors. "Positively reinforced, fit dogs are happy dogs," said veterinarian Dr. Ruth MacPete nationally known as Dr. Ruth the Pet Vet. "Overweight or obese dogs have an increased risk of developing osteoarthritis, type 2 diabetes, heart and respiratory disease, and even cancer and more than half of dogs in the United States are carrying extra pounds." American Pet Nutrition, makers of Vita Bone Dog Biscuits and the new Supreme Source grain-free dog food, sponsors the Good Stuff Pet Truck Tour. Dog owners can learn more at www.GoodStuffPetTruck.com and follow the tour at #GoodStuffPetTruck. See local event details below. Good Stuff Pet Truck Tour Arizona Stops What: Free Dog-Training Demonstrations, Dog Treats & More When: Thursday, May 5, 2016, from 4 to 7 p.m. (Tucson) Saturday, May 7, 2016, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. (Phoenix area) Where: Reid Park (Miko's Corner Playground Dog Park) 900 S. Randolph Way Tucson, Ariz. 85716 Cesar Chavez Park 7858 S. 35th Avenue Laveen Village, Ariz. 85339 Who: A local dog trainer will offer tips and free training sessions. About the Good Stuff Pet Truck Tour Sponsor American Nutrition, Inc. has been making high-quality pet foods and treats since 1972. The company's success is attributed to a core value to do things right and do them better. This philosophy, dubbed "Do It Better," still guides the company's commitment to delivering the highest-quality pet foods on the market. Today, the family-owned company is also known as American Pet Nutrition and exceeds FDA, AAFCO and USDA industry-wide pet food standards operating multiple facilities across The United States. American Pet Nutrition's trusted brands include Vita Bone Biscuits and Chewy sticks, Beggar Dog Biscuits and Supreme Source grain-free treats, dog and cat foods. For more information, visit www.americanpetnutrition.com. Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160504/363718 SOURCE American Pet Nutrition Related Links http://www.americanpetnutrition.com WALLDORF, Germany, May 4, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- SAP SE (NYSE: SAP) today announced that a consortium of U.S. hospitals and health systems is using SAP HANA platform to analyze patient data from multiple sources in an accelerated and agile fashion to address the emerging challenges of value-based healthcare. Like many healthcare providers in the United States, this consortium experienced limitations due to disparate patient data sources, lack of infrastructure to support its growth and nonexistent real-time analytics capabilities to help improve care and address costs. By pulling patient data from different sources and placing it on SAP HANA, the healthcare providers now have one view of their patient data to uncover deep insights on demand. SAP helps this consortium share best practices and lessons learned from customers of SAP HANA through collaborative webcasts and monthly meetings, while other participating members are learning and actively evaluating the use of SAP HANA for their own environments. "Healthcare provider organizations are struggling to achieve the timely, end-to-end visibility across service lines required to succeed in the era of value-based care," said Dr. David Delaney, chief medical officer, healthcare at SAP. "It has been rewarding to work with consortium members to overcome these challenges by leveraging the speed and agility of the in-memory computing platform of SAP HANA to dramatically simplify integrating, consuming and analyzing disparate, complex data sets. The resulting insights are leading to improved care and greater efficiencies for member organizations." Mercy, Parkland Health & Hospital System and Sutter Health were the first to use SAP HANA. Within a year more than 40 healthcare providers have joined this homegrown consortium. With SAP HANA, members have access to: Point-of-service operational analytics for high-risk disease cohorts such as sepsis and diabetes Enterprise-wide analytics for readmission risk management, capacity planning and medication adherence Clinical and genomic analytics enabling precision medicine and clinical translational research Tools for personalized health engagement, collaboration and compliance Mercy Mercy, named one of the top five large U.S. health systems in 2016 by Truven, an IBM company, includes 45 acute care and specialty hospitals and employs 40,000 co-workers in Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri and Oklahoma. With SAP HANA Mercy was able to: Save over $9 million in supply costs by improving its perioperative services operations in supply costs by improving its perioperative services operations Improve turnaround time, blood utilization and operational metrics worth over $1 million in its laboratory service line in its laboratory service line Allow users to drill down from executive-level key performance indicators into the detailed transactions that drive them Gain IT productivity improvements in speed and agility to access and analyze data "The continued shift in healthcare toward a valued-based care model is driving significant focus on analytics," said Curtis Dudley, Mercy's vice president performance solutions. "We're now able to roll up millions of rows of records into a high-level metric on a dashboard but drill down and explore transaction detail in real time. This transparency and access to data is driving clinical, operational and financial improvement at a pace we have never seen before." Parkland Health & Hospital System Parkland Health & Hospital System is one of the largest public hospital systems in the country. The system includes 20 community-based clinics, 12 school-based clinics and numerous outreach and education programs. With SAP HANA, Parkland established enterprise analysis and reporting. Now its staff is able to perform deep analysis of patient data to provide better care and service to patients, such as: Identifying people at risk of contracting diabetes and better monitoring those with diabetes; this is helping them better manage their diabetic population and the outcomes of each individual Tracking patient medication adherence across multiple systems Efficiently managing staffing to help ensure emergency services are available at the time of need Using predictive capabilities to better understand the effects of staff turnover to ensure the continuity of the care team Sutter Health Sutter Health, based in Northern California, is a not-for-profit health system with more than 5,000 affiliated physicians. By developing a central system for enterprise data management, analytics and reporting, Sutter achieved: Forty times faster report processing The agility to manage growth and processing complexity of multiple external payer data sets with internal clinical data sets An 87 percent increase in predicting readmissions. A 1 percent error rate in imaging storage and display The ability to help predict asthma peak-times to appropriately staff emergency services "SAP HANA has the ability to ingest and integrate information from existing sources of data on demand," said Souvik Das, principal data scientist and Big Data architect at Sutter Health. "This has allowed our organization and our providers to look at data more prospectively to predict patient volumes at a particular facility. The predictions and analytics we are doing have a real-life application of improving patient access to better care." For more information, visit the SAP News Center. Follow SAP on Twitter at @SAP_Healthcare or @sapnews, About SAP As market leader in enterprise application software, SAP (NYSE: SAP) helps companies of all sizes and industries run better. From back office to boardroom, warehouse to storefront, desktop to mobile device SAP empowers people and organizations to work together more efficiently and use business insight more effectively to stay ahead of the competition. SAP applications and services enable approximately 310,000 customers to operate profitably, adapt continuously, and grow sustainably. For more information, visit www.sap.com. Any statements contained in this document that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements as defined in the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Words such as "anticipate," "believe," "estimate," "expect," "forecast," "intend," "may," "plan," "project," "predict," "should" and "will" and similar expressions as they relate to SAP are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. SAP undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements. All forward-looking statements are subject to various risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from expectations. The factors that could affect SAP's future financial results are discussed more fully in SAP's filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"), including SAP's most recent Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the SEC. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of their dates. 2016 SAP SE. All rights reserved. SAP and other SAP products and services mentioned herein as well as their respective logos are trademarks or registered trademarks of SAP SE in Germany and other countries. Please see http://www.sap.com/corporate-en/legal/copyright/index.epx#trademark for additional trademark information and notices. For customers interested in learning more about SAP products: Global Customer Center: +49 180 534-34-24 United States Only: 1 (800) 872-1SAP (1-800-872-1727) For more information, press only: Andrea Kaufmann, +1 (610) 299-7245, [email protected], EDT Stephanie Fraser, Sr. Media Relations Director, Amendola Communications, +1 (734) 233-1483, [email protected], EDT SAP News Center press room; [email protected] Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110126/AQ34470LOGO SOURCE SAP SE Related Links http://www.sap.com WASHINGTON, May 4, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- For the first time ever, a Resolution was presented at Coca Cola's annual shareholder's meeting on Coke's fair employment in Israel-Palestine. On April 27, the the Annual Meeting was confronted with "the elephant in the (board) room": a clarion call for the company to sign the Holy Land Principles a corporate code of conduct for American companies doing business in Palestine-Israel, based on the highly effective Mac Bride Principles for Northern Ireland. The Holy Land Principles are pro-Jewish, pro-Palestinian and pro-company. The Principles do not call for quotas, reverse discrimination, divestment, disinvestment or boycotts. The Principles do not take any position on solutions to the Israeli-Palestinian issue. The Principles do not try to tell the Palestinians or the Israelis what to do. The Holy Land Principles only called on Coca Cola to sign the Holy Land Principles. The Resolution received over 67 Million votes, 67,414,643 (2.2%), with 100,463,104 abstentions At close of business on April 27th, the value of Coke's shares were $44.68. So the value of the share votes for HLP represented $301,208,624,924.00 The value of abstentions was $448,868,148,672.00 Therefore, the combined total of money not supporting Coca Cola was over $750 Billion ($750,077,773,596.00) and, therefore, a total of 167,877,747 votes not supporting Coca Cola. Fr. Sean Mc Manus President of the Washington-based Holy Land Principles, Inc. said: "Coca Cola's position was, 'Endorsing these principles for one geographic area could risk undermining the universality of our own Human Rights Policy. We believe our policies work best when they can be applied throughout our entire enterprise.' As I've said before, that's like responding to the urgent call 'Black Lives Matter' by saying all lives matter. It is evasion and denial. The companies initially, and for a long time, tried that type of evasion about their operations in Northern Ireland, but eventually they saw the light and 116 companies signed the Mac Bride Principles." Fr. Mc Manus continued: "Next year we will file a new Resolution calling on GE at reasonable cost and omitting proprietary informationto disclose the breakdown of its workforce in Palestine-Israel using the nine job categories which are utilized in the U.S. Department of Labor's EEO -1 Report (Equal Employment Opportunity): 1.Officials and managers; 2. Professionals; 3. Technicians; 4. Sales; 5. Office and clerical; 6. Craft Workers (skilled); 7. Operatives (semiskilled); 8. Laborers (unskilled); 9. Service workers." Fr. Mc Manus concluded: "Fair employment by American companies doing business in the Holy Land is the existential question that is not going to go away. Companies can run, but they cannot hide as they did before we launched the Holy Land Principles on International Human Rights Day, December 10, 2012.The issue had been shamefully ignored, but that day is gone. The Holy Land Principles is an idea whose time has come and there is nothing more powerful than an idea whose time has come." Fr. Sean Mc Manus President Holy Land Principles,Inc. P.O. BOX 15128 Capitol Hill Washington, DC 20003-0849 Tel. 202-488-0107 Fax. 202-488-7537 [email protected] SOURCE The Holy Land Principles LONDON, May 4, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Commercial risk intelligence and forecasting is an industry that has long been dominated by large British and U.S. concerns. Now, there is a new player this time from the dynamic East. Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160503/362870LOGO Hong Kong's Allan & Associates (A&A), a leading security and crisis management consultancy, has launched an updated range of advisory and analysis services that offers a fresh perspective on global risks. The A2 Global Information Service provides a spectrum of indicators, maps and warnings to alert its clients to events that could disrupt, compromise or endanger their commercial interests and personnel. It offers advice on how to mitigate these threats, in both the immediate and strategic outlook, drawing on the many decades of experience of A&A's senior staff. "Our aim is to help manage the space between formulating a plan or a journey and its satisfactory resolution," said Bradley Allan, the CEO of A&A. "This means providing context, actionable information and advice to our clients in order to help them operate in often complex and unfamiliar business environments." Accessed online and delivered via a mobile app, A2 Global produces daily security alerts and briefings to accompany its detailed analyses of business, political, travel and security-related scenarios in almost 300 countries and cities where expatriate staff live, work and travel. "In an increasingly litigious world, all companies need to be aware of the dangers posed by the less obvious and often seemingly remote threats to their employees and shareholders. Due diligence is now a recognised corporate responsibility, but the failure to meet duty of care obligations is the new asbestosis - omissions that can haunt a company for decades if not recognised and mitigated at source." Gavin Greenwood, Director A2 Global For information about A2 Global or any of Allan & Associates' protective security services, please contact Mitch Heron, Head of Information Services, via email or +44 (0) 20 523 5393. Allan & Associates is a Hong Kong-based security consultancy providing protective services to organisations operating in volatile environments throughout the world. Founded in 2006, we are independent and privately owned with offices in Hong Kong, London, Singapore and Washington DC. Allan & Associates provides a range of services including threat assessment, site evaluation, commercial investigations, crisis management, and, through our A2 Global intelligence service, advisory alerts and strategic forecasting. Our personnel are drawn from the military, academia, journalism and commerce, affording us a four-dimensional perspective on emergent threats and how to mitigate them. http://www.allan-assoc.com/a2-global/ SOURCE Allan & Associates Related Links http://www.allan-assoc.com AUSTIN, Texas, May 4, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Hypori announces its approval by the United States government as the first Virtual Mobile Infrastructure (VMI) vendor to meet the stringent requirements for classified mobility. The Hypori platform is now listed as a validated component on the National Security Agency (NSA) Commercial Solutions for Classified (CSfC) Program Components List in the TLS Software Applications category. Listing on the CSfC list enables organizations to leverage commercial products and protocols for the protection of national security information. The CSfC listing allows Hypori to be deployed to government agencies and other organizations that require mobility to adhere to stringent security standards. Recently, the platform was awarded the Common Criteria Certification from the National Information Assurance Partnership (NIAP), further validating the product's rigorous security standards. Hypori's mobile solution meets the compliance and security standards for various organizations and regulated industries like financial services, healthcare and payments. Hypori enables organizations, like the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD), to overcome their most significant mobile challenges, like data-at-rest (DAR) and attestation. The company's VMI platform is a mobile-first, thin client solution that streams mobile applications running in the cloud or sanctioned datacenter to iPads, iPhones and Android mobile devices. All apps and data remain within the organization- even if a device is lost, important data is not compromised. "There is huge demand from high ranking public officials to use everyday mobile applications for classified work," said Hypori CTO, Brian Vetter, "We are excited that Hypori's software will enable the transformation of mobile technologies to support the critical needs of our nation's senior leaders as well as the many individuals and contractors who require access to classified information and services. The CSfC and Common Criteria certifications are not just relevant for government organizations, highly regulated industries such as financial services, healthcare and the payments industries also look to these kinds of certifications as validation and assurance of the secureness of the Hypori solution." "Hypori is a good match for security services, government healthcare and other organizations where secure access to processes is required and the loss of data, or a device holding data and encryption keys, is not acceptable." Richard Absalum, Hypori On the Radar Report. To learn more about Hypori, please visit http://www.hypori.com About Hypori At Hypori, we are passionate about mobility. We believe that secure mobility does not have to come at the expense of end user privacy or usability. Founded in 2011, we have built a user-centric solution to address mobility and compliance requirements, especially for regulated industries including healthcare, financial services, public sector and payments. Hypori's Virtual Mobile Infrastructure (VMI) platform provides the rich mobile experience users expect while keeping all enterprise data and applications completely off the user's device. Learn how you can realize your mobile initiatives without having to wrap or modify applications at: www.hypori.com. Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160325/348100LOGO SOURCE Hypori Related Links http://www.hypori.com LONDON, May 4, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- "Growing metal, shipping, and automotive industries to drive the market for industrial gases in metals & metal fabrication market" The global market for industrial gases in metals & metal fabrication will grow from USD 33.24 billion in 2014 to reach USD 47.06 billion by 2020, at a projected CAGR of 6.07%. The market for industrial gases in the metals & metal industry is driven by increasing demand for metals, rapid industrialization in emerging economies, and growing consumption level in industries such as automotive. "Oxygen projected to grow during the forecast period." In terms of volume, oxygen is projected to be the fastest-growing industrial gas in the metals & metal fabrication market in the next five years. Oxygen is widely used in metals & metal fabrication industry for several functions such as metal manufacturing and metal cutting & welding. "Asia-Pacific region to dominate the market for industrial gases in metals & metal fabrication" The market is segmented into North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and the Rest of World (RoW). The Asia-Pacific region held the largest share among all the regions in 2014. This is mainly due to rapid industrialization in the emerging economies such as China, South Korea, and India. The industrial gases in metals & metal fabrication market is marked with intense competition due to the presence of a large number of both big and small firms. New product launches, mergers & acquisitions, and partnerships & expansions are the key strategies adopted by market players to ensure their growth in the market. The key players in the market considered in the report are: - Praxair, Inc. (U.S.) - Airgas, Inc. (U.S.) - Air Liquide S.A. (France) - Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (U.S.) - Iwatani Corporation (Japan) - Messer Group (Germany) - The Linde Group (U.S.) - nexAir LLC (U.S.) - Taiyo Nippon Sanso Corporation (Japan) - Southern industrial Gas Sdn. Bhd. (Malaysia) The report will help the market leaders/new entrants in this market in the following ways: 1. This report segments the industrial gases in metals & metal fabrication market comprehensively and provides the closest approximations of the revenue numbers for the overall market and the subsegments across the different verticals and regions. 2. The report helps stakeholders to understand the market and provides them information on key market drivers, restraints, challenges, and opportunities. 3. This report will help stakeholders to better understand their competitors and gain more insights into their position in the business. Download the full report: https://www.reportbuyer.com/product/3603144/ About Reportbuyer Reportbuyer is a leading industry intelligence solution that provides all market research reports from top publishers http://www.reportbuyer.com For more information: Sarah Smith Research Advisor at Reportbuyer.com Email: [email protected] Tel: +44 208 816 85 48 Website: www.reportbuyer.com SOURCE ReportBuyer Related Links http://www.reportbuyer.com WINSTON-SALEM, N.C., May 4, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- GoldSpring Consulting LLC announces the addition of travel industry leader and icon Kevin Iwamoto to GoldSpring Consulting as a senior consultant, effective immediately. He will be based in San Jose, Calif. "Kevin's expertise is unparalleled in the meetings space and we are thrilled he will be able to expand our offerings to current and future clients," said GoldSpring Founding Partner, Mark Williams. "Kevin will also continue to speak at industry events and will be working with GoldSpring Partner, Colleen Black, to grow our client base." "I want to do selective work and projects in the industry and GoldSpring offered me the opportunity to join a leading consultancy team of respected subject matter experts with a great reputation that would provide me with the flexibility I was seeking following my retirement from Lanyon," said Mr. Iwamoto. Prior to joining GoldSpring, Iwamoto served as vice president of industry strategy at Lanyon, where he was responsible for guiding the global strategies for engaging with buyers, associations and suppliers for Lanyon. He also worked with global key influencers across industries to raise awareness of the benefits of Strategic Meetings Management (SMM). He is considered one of the original founders of SMM and is acknowledged globally as a leading subject matter expert in the discipline and edited the first hardcover book, Strategic Meetings Management Handbook: From Theory to Practice in 2011. Iwamoto is a former President & CEO of the Board of Directors for the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA). He has served on numerous association boards, most recently as a Board member for the US Council for the MPI Foundation. Iwamoto has won numerous major industry awards in business travel as well as meetings and events. His industry honors include Top 25 Most Influential People in the Meetings Industry from Successful Meetings magazine two years in a row, the GBTA President's Award, the BTN travel manager of the year and GBTA's Industry Icon Award and Top 25 Most Influential Executives listings for both BTN and MeetingNews. His popular SMM and industry blog has been syndicated by various media outlets and recently won the Travel Weekly 2015 Gold Magellan award for Best Industry Blog. Prior to joining Lanyon, Iwamoto was a senior global category manager in the Hewlett-Packard Global Travel & Meetings Team. He has also served as a senior travel account manager with the Walt Disney Company, as well as a corporate sales manager with Northwest Airlines. Iwamoto holds a bachelor's of arts degree in business administration from the University of Hawaii, a Global Travel Professional (GTP) designation from GBTA and a Global Leadership Professional (GLP) Masters designation from the Wharton School of Business. About GoldSpring Consulting GoldSpring Consulting provides consultancy services to support all aspects of corporate travel programs, including software solutions to analyze and benchmark programs. GoldSpring's industry-leading team of experts brings over 100 years of experience and creates custom solutions for their clients' travel programs. For more information about GoldSpring Consulting and its services, please visit the company website at http://www.goldspringconsulting.com. SOURCE GoldSpring Consulting Related Links http://www.goldspringconsulting.com SAN FRANCISCO, May 4, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Interop Las Vegas today honored the winners of the 2016 Best of Interop Awards during the event's 30th anniversary. In each of the award program's 10 categories of IT innovation, Interop recognized the exhibitor whose new product or service has made the most significant impact on the industry. From the category winners, judges selected AppFormix as the winner of the Grand Award, which recognizes a truly groundbreaking or compelling product. Interop Las Vegas, the most-respected independent event for IT and networking professionals, continues this week through May 6 at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center. For more information about the Best of Interop awards visit: interop.com/lasvegas/special-events/best-of-interop-awards.php "Congratulations to all Best of Interop winners. From cloud, to security to the best startup, these distinguished technologies are playing a major role in advancing the IT industry," said Interop General Manager Jennifer Jessup. "As we celebrate a big milestone in Interop's history, we're excited for this group of services to represent today's highly sophisticated IT environment a testament to how far our community has come in 30 years." And the 2016 Best of Interop Awards winners in each category are Grand Winner : Appformix : Appformix Applications: CollabNet TeamForge CollabNet TeamForge Best Startup : AppFormix : AppFormix Cloud/Virtualization : AppFormix : AppFormix Data Center : Cisco Nexus Fabric Manager : Cisco Nexus Fabric Manager Mobility/Wireless : Cisco Flexible Radio Assignment : Cisco Flexible Radio Assignment Networking : Cisco Enterprise Network Functions Virtualization (NFV) : Cisco Enterprise Network Functions Virtualization (NFV) Performance/Management/Monitoring : Pluribus VCF Insight Analytics : Pluribus VCF Insight Analytics SDN : VMware NSX 6.2 : VMware NSX 6.2 Security : Cisco FirePower next-generation firewall : Cisco FirePower next-generation firewall Storage : Ambedded Distributed Storage Platform - Mars 200 The Best of Interop Awards were judged by an expert panel consisting of 20 influential IT practitioners, analysts and professionals. Each category was assigned two judges who selected the winner after holding a series of briefings to evaluate demos and business cases. For more information and to register for Interop, visit: interop.tech.ubm.com/lv/2016 Media Registration: interop.com/lasvegas/media-center Connect with #Interop and the #FutureofNetworking: Twitter | Facebook | Google+ | Instagram | YouTube About Interop Interop is the leading global IT infrastructure event series, offering in-depth education alongside a showcase of emerging technologies in an independent, vendor-neutral environment. For 30 years, Interop has brought the IT community together to explore the latest in network infrastructure, encouraging collaboration, and interoperability. Through dynamic conference programs, Interop helps professionals at all career levels leverage the network, systems and applications that enable business innovation. The Interop Expo and InteropNet Demo Lab provide immersive, hands-on experiences, while connecting enterprise IT buyers with leading suppliers. Interop Las Vegas is the flagship event held each spring, with an annual event in Tokyo and Cloud Connect China in Shanghai. For more information, visit interop.com. Interop is organized by UBM Americas, a part of UBM plc (UBM.L), an Events First marketing and communications services business. For more information, visit ubmamericas.com. Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160504/363809LOGO SOURCE UBM Americas Related Links http://interop.com DAVIS, Calif., May 4, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Intrexon Corporation (NYSE: XON), a leader in synthetic biology, today announced the formation of Intrexon Crop Protection (ICP), a wholly-owned subsidiary dedicated to the biological control of agricultural pests and diseases, including insects and fungi. Through the utilization of two proprietary technologies within Intrexon's platform, ICP's approach will precisely target single pest species avoiding the off-target effects of conventional pesticide applications on the broader ecosystem. Randal J. Kirk, Intrexon's Chairman and CEO stated, "Considering the robustness of our engineered biological crop protection solutions pipeline, the interest received in each of our two contributing platforms, the scarcity of other workable new technologies, the ongoing consolidation of the mature companies in the sector, the increasing reliance by food growers on a decreasingly effective set of marketed solutions, the enormous size of the available markets for better crop protection solutions and the efficiencies that we believe will be realized by marshalling development of the resultant products under one enterprise management team, I am pleased to announce this milestone event in our Company's history." "The newly formed Intrexon Crop Protection subsidiary will utilize Intrexon's platforms to help protect growers' crops through biological control of agricultural pests, highlighted by a fully differentiated self-limiting insect platform and a proprietary approach for the expression of nucleic acids and peptides," said Corey Huck, SVP and Head of Intrexon's Food Sector. "The protection of harvests is critical given population growth and the declining efficiency of traditional practices." Each year as much as 16% of global crop production is lost to damage from agricultural pests and diseases, and industry reports estimate that the insecticide and fungicide markets will reach a combined $40 billion by 2019. Rising resistance to various approaches including chemical pesticides as well as genetically modified crops is creating additional challenges for the industry. Furthermore several useful chemical pesticides have been, or are being, phased out due to concerns about their negative impact on human health, livestock, and the environment. ICP is centered on cutting-edge technologies that have the potential to improve agricultural productivity in an environmentally friendly manner, driving value for growers and consumers alike. To this end, ICP will employ Oxitec's diverse self-limiting gene platform for insect control as well as the ActoBiotics Lactococcus lactis system for the expression of targeted biologicals to develop species-specific agricultural pest and disease management programs. ICP's pipeline of insect and fungal control programs will offer protection in both large acre row crops and high value specialty crops such as fruits and vegetables. These solutions are in various stages of development including ongoing as well as successfully completed field trials. Several common agricultural pests have developed resistance to chemical pesticides and GM crops, while certain chemicals used to treat others have been suspended due to safety concerns leaving growers with fewer tools to protect their crops. One such threat is the highly invasive diamondback moth that has shown resistance to multiple insecticides. According to a BioMed Central Biology publication, ICP's self-limiting platform was successful in rapidly suppressing the diamondback moth population and could offer an effective, versatile control option against this and other agricultural pests. Sekhar Boddupalli, Ph.D., Intrexon's current Vice President, Food and Nutrition, will serve as President of the new company from ICP's Davis, California facility. With over 20 years of experience in biotechnology, consumer products, and drug discovery, he is a leader with strategic vision and entrepreneurial skills that will be instrumental in his new role. Prior to joining Intrexon in 2015, Dr. Boddupalli spent fifteen years at the Monsanto Company where he most recently served as Global Consumer R&D Lead in the Vegetable Seeds Division. Also joining ICP will be Simon Warner, Ph.D., Oxitec's current Chief Science Officer who will oversee research on self-limiting insects for both companies. Dr. Boddupalli added, "In addition to their economic impact, agriculture pests themselves have become a major threat to the biodiversity of food crops, such as citrus, banana and other produce. There is a dire need for novel crop protection solutions that improve production without impacting the environment. ICP innovation seeks to deliver solutions that are synergistic with current practices, benefitting growers and consumers while preserving a healthier planet." Supplemental information on ICP in the form of a slide presentation is available in the Investors section of Intrexon's website at http://investors.dna.com, and additional details regarding ICP will be shared on the Company's upcoming quarterly conference call scheduled for May 10th, 2016. About Intrexon Corporation Intrexon Corporation (NYSE: XON) is Powering the Bioindustrial Revolution with Better DNA to create biologically-based products that improve the quality of life and the health of the planet. Intrexon's integrated technology suite provides its partners across diverse markets with industrial-scale design and development of complex biological systems delivering unprecedented control, quality, function, and performance of living cells. We call our synthetic biology approach Better DNA, and we invite you to discover more at www.dna.com or follow us on Twitter at @Intrexon. Safe Harbor Statement Some of the statements made in this press release are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are based upon our current expectations and projections about future events and generally relate to our plans, objectives and expectations for the development of our business. Although management believes that the plans and objectives reflected in or suggested by these forward-looking statements are reasonable, all forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties and actual future results may be materially different from the plans, objectives and expectations expressed in this press release. Intrexon Contacts: Investor Contact: Christopher Basta Vice President, Investor Relations Tel: +1 (561) 410-7052 [email protected] Corporate Contact: Marie Rossi, Ph.D. Senior Manager, Technical Communications Tel: +1 (301) 556-9850 [email protected] Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130919/NY83283LOGO SOURCE Intrexon Corporation Related Links http://www.dna.com NEW YORK, May 4, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Jaguar Growth Partners (Jaguar), a privately-held investment management firm, is pleased to announce the promotions of Christian Klotz and Antonio Allona to Principal, and Ricardo Costa to Vice President. "We are thrilled to recognize the growth of these talented colleagues, reflecting the development of our company," said Gary Garrabrant, Jaguar Managing Partner. "Christian and Antonio have assumed leadership of our expanding investment activity in Latin America." "Antonio, Christian and Ricardo's disciplined approach to identifying, vetting, and structuring opportunities has been tremendously valuable. We are fortunate to have such strong talent, that allows us to develop senior leadership from within," added Thomas McDonald, Jaguar Managing Partner. Having joined in 2014, Mr. Klotz heads Jaguar's office in Brazil, which opened in October 2015. He brings 15 years of investment experience to Jaguar, with prior experience as a co-founder of the Brazilian and Latin American investment fund UJAY Capital. Prior to this, Mr. Klotz was a portfolio analyst at Pollux Capital, a Brazil based asset manager. Mr. Klotz earned a B.S. in Industrial Engineering from Instituto Maua de Tecnologia in Brazil and an M.B.A. from the Columbia Business School, University of Columbia, and Walter Haas School of Business, UC Berkeley. Mr. Allona has nearly 12 years of experience as an investment professional. Prior to joining Jaguar in 2013, he worked in the Investment Banking division at Merrill Lynch and also served as a member of the investment team at the International Finance Corporation (IFC, World Bank). Mr. Allona holds a double degree in Law and Business Administration from Universidad Pontificia Comillas in Madrid and received his M.B.A. with Honors from the University of Chicago, Booth School of Business. Mr. Costa is a member of the investment team and has over a decade of experience in private equity. Prior to joining Jaguar in 2015, Mr. Costa was a Partner at Gavae Investimentos, one of the largest alternative investment managers in Brazil, and worked at Votorantim Novos Negocios before then. He is a graduate from Fundacao Getulio Vargas in Sao Paulo (FGV-EAESP), where he received a bachelor's degree in Business Administration. About Jaguar Growth Partners Jaguar Growth Partners is a privately-held investment management firm specializing in real estate private equity in growth markets globally. Founded in 2013 by Gary Garrabrant and Thomas McDonald, Jaguar invests in and develops scalable real estate-related operating platforms and companies poised to grow in markets characterized by an expanding middle class, aspirational youth, urbanization and other secular trends found in emerging global economies. Commencing their investment activities in the 1990's, Jaguar's founders are regarded as pioneers in real estate investing and company-building in emerging markets through growth capital investments, working in active collaboration with local operating partners. The Firm capitalizes on a broad array of investment opportunities and is at the vanguard of institutionalizing the most compelling growth markets. Jaguar is distinguished by its global insights, partner orientation and proven approach to optimizing value and liquidity. Please see www.jaguargrowth.com for additional information. SOURCE Jaguar Growth Partners Related Links http://www.jaguargrowth.com SACRAMENTO, Calif., May 4, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- McClatchy (NYSE: MNI) today named Janet Santostefano the publisher of the Centre Daily Times in State College, Pennsylvania. She will assume her new role immediately. Santostefano previously served as the Centre Daily Times' vice president of advertising and marketing. "The opportunities in our industry energize Janet," said Pat Talamantes, McClatchy's president and chief executive officer. "I am confident she will elevate the Centre Daily Times' mission of high quality, community service journalism." Santostefano has been the Centre Daily Times vice president of advertising and marketing since 2014. Prior to that she was the advertising and marketing director and sales manager. She joined the company in 2007 as an advertising account executive. "As we continue to transform the newsroom and advertising in a digital world, I couldn't be more excited for the opportunity to lead such an incredible team of innovative and forward-thinking people," said Santostefano. "I will continue to champion a digital-first mentality and will look for new ways to improve our reader and advertiser experiences and engagement." Santostefano replaces Debra Leithauser, who joined the Idaho Statesman in Boise, Idaho, as president and publisher in November 2015. "Janet is a perfect fit for the publisher role," said Leithauser. "A Pennsylvania native, she knows and cares deeply about the community and the university. Her work ethic is second-to-none and she understands the transformative times journalism is facing." Janet is a graduate of Penn State. She and her husband Mike live in Pleasant Gap with their two children, Riley and Jack. About McClatchy McClatchy is a 21st century news and information leader, publisher of iconic brands such as the Miami Herald, The Kansas City Star, The Sacramento Bee, the Charlotte Observer, The (Raleigh) News and Observer, and the (Fort Worth) Star-Telegram. McClatchy operates media companies in 28 U.S. markets in 14 states, providing each of its communities with high-quality news and advertising services in a wide array of digital and print formats. McClatchy is headquartered in Sacramento, Calif., and listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol MNI. SOURCE McClatchy Related Links http://www.mcclatchy.com NEW YORK, May 4, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Leading global public relations firm Ketchum received three Gold SABRE Awards for its work on behalf of its clients at the Holmes Report's North America SABRE Award ceremony, held last night in New York. "With our clients working harder than ever to differentiate their businesses and succeed in today's highly competitive marketplace, I am energized by the work we do in partnership with those clients to help them break through," said Rob Flaherty, senior partner, CEO and president of Ketchum. Ketchum and its clients won Gold SABRE Awards in the following categories: CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY "Beyond the Driving Test Michelin Puts Air in Teens' Tire Awareness" Michelin with Ketchum FINANCIAL SERVICES "H&R Block Takes the Sticker Shock Out of the ACA" H&R Block with Ketchum MARKETING TO YOUTH "Left Swipe Dat" Truth Initiative with Ketchum In Europe, Ketchum and its affiliates have been named finalists for 18 EMEA SABRE Awards, which will be announced at an event in Berlin on May 25. These latest award wins follow a number of high honors bestowed on Ketchum in recent months. Just last week, Ketchum and MasterCard received the top honor for overall Campaign of the Year at the PRWeek Global Awards. In March, Ketchum and its clients were honored with three PRWeek U.S. Awards, and in November, Ketchum was named CorpComms Magazine's Agency of the Decade. In June, Ketchum won three Cannes Lions and four Silver Anvil awards. About the SABRE Awards SABRE awards are bestowed annually and are presented for Superior Achievement in Branding and Reputation. Diamond SABREs recognize the increased contribution public relations is making in the C-suite, Gold SABREs recognize the best programs in specific brand-building and reputation management categories, and Silver SABREs focus on superior content creation. The Holmes Group exists to provide competitive insight and intelligence to public relations professionals. Products include consulting services, customized research, industry white papers, a weekly newsletter, The Holmes Report, and a comprehensive website. The Holmes Report is created for public relations professionals and offers industry news articles on new developments in the field and the trends and issues facing public relations professionals today and tomorrow. About Ketchum Ketchum is a leading global communications firm with operations in more than 70 countries across six continents. The winner of 17 Cannes Lions and an unprecedented five PRWeek Campaign of the Year Awards, Ketchum partners with clients to deliver strategic programming, game-changing creative and measurable results that build brands and reputations. For more information on Ketchum, a part of the DAS Group of Companies, visit www.ketchum.com. About the DAS Group of Companies The DAS Group of Companies, a division of Omnicom Group Inc. (NYSE: OMC) (www.omnicomgroup.com), is a global group of marketing services companies. DAS includes over 200 companies in the following marketing disciplines: specialty, PR, healthcare, CRM, events, promotional marketing, branding and research. Operating through a combination of networks and regional organizations, DAS serves international, regional, national and local clients through more than 700 offices in 71 countries. SOURCE Ketchum Related Links http://www.ketchum.com CINCINNATI, May 4, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- The Kroger Co. (NYSE: KR) today announced that Mike Schlotman, Kroger's executive vice president and CFO, will address investors at the Goldman Sachs Global Staples Forum on Tuesday, May 10, 2016 at 1:25 p.m. (ET). This presentation will be broadcast online at ir.kroger.com. Click on "Events, Presentations & Webcasts" to access the event. The presentation will be available in an archived format for one week following the conference. Every day, the Kroger Family of Companies makes a difference in the lives of eight and a half million customers and 431,000 associates who shop or serve in 2,778 retail food stores under a variety of local banner names in 35 states and the District of Columbia. Kroger and its subsidiaries operate an expanding ClickList offering a personalized, order online, pick up at the store service in addition to our 2,231 pharmacies, 784 convenience stores, 323 fine jewelry stores, 1,387 supermarket fuel centers and 38 food production plants in the United States. Kroger is recognized as one of America's most generous companies for its support of more than 100 Feeding America food bank partners, breast cancer research and awareness, the military and their families, and more than 145,000 community organizations including schools. A leader in supplier diversity, Kroger is a proud member of the Billion Dollar Roundtable. Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20150408/197347LOGO SOURCE The Kroger Co. Related Links http://www.kroger.com WASHINGTON, May 4, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- As world leaders convene in Washington for the Climate Action 2016 summit, a new Citizen Cabinet survey finds that large bipartisan majorities of voters favor steps to reduce carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases. The probability-based, online representative sample included more than 4,000 registered voters across the United States. The survey, conducted by the Program for Public Consultation, School of Public Policy, University of Maryland (PPC), was released today by the nonpartisan group, Voice Of the People. To reduce carbon dioxide, large majorities approve of providing tax credits for installing fuel-efficient lighting, doors, windows and insulation (75 percent), building new energy efficient homes (78 percent), and installing wind and fuel cells (73 percent). For these various tax credits, Republican support ranges from 62-69 percent, while Democratic support ranges from 84-87 percent. Equally large majorities favor requiring higher fuel efficiency standards for light cars and trucks (73 percent), and heavy duty vehicles (71 percent), and requiring electric companies to have a minimum portion of their electricity come from renewable sources (74 percent). Republican support for these range from 56 to 57 percent, while for Democrats, it's 84 to 89 percent. "Voters in both parties are ready to take concrete steps to reduce carbon emissions," said PPC Director Steven Kull, who directed the study. Seventy-one percent approve of the U.S. participating in the international agreement recently negotiated in Paris and signed in New York on April 22, by which the U.S. has agreed to pursue the goal of reducing its greenhouse gases by 26-28 percent below 2005 levels by 2025, or about 2 percent per year. Among Republicans a slim majority (52 percent) approves, but 61 percent say the agreement is at least tolerable. Democrats approve overwhelmingly (89 percent) as do independents (66 percent). Support is especially high among 18-24 year olds, who favor it by 81 percent, while those 65 and over have the lowest level of support at 65 percent. Similarly, 69 percent approve of the federal government's Clean Power Plan which seeks to reduce greenhouse gases from power plants 2-3 percent a year. Support for the Clean Power Plan is 89 percent among Democrats and 64 percent among independents. Among Republicans, support is 47 percent, though this rises to 61 percent if the government makes efforts to reduce negative impacts on coal workers (rising to 78 percent for the whole sample). Support for the Clean Power Plan is only slightly lower (67 percent) in the states where the government has opposed the Plan and is suing the Federal government to block it. Support in the other states is 71 percent. Americans generally show concern for the impact of the Clean Power Plan on coal workers. Two-thirds favor government assistance to help coal workers who lose their jobs (59 percent Republicans, 78 percent Democrats). However, only 44 percent favor government support for carbon sequestration for coal-fired plants, which would reduce their emissions by storing them underground. Support for reduction of carbon dioxide appears to be driven by concerns about the health effects of air pollution as much or more than concerns about climate change. While carbon dioxide does not have a direct effect on health, steps that reduce carbon dioxide also reduce soot and smog, which do have negative health effects. Seventy-four percent say that it should be a high priority to reduce air pollution from energy production that has negative health effects (Republicans 51 percent, Democrats 93 percent), while 70 percent say it should be a high priority to reduce greenhouse gases (Republicans 44 percent, Democrats 91 percent). In addition to carbon dioxide, large majorities approve of measures to reduce other greenhouse gases. Seventy-seven percent approve of tax credits for building biogas facilities on farms, which would reduce methane, while the same percentage also favors requiring businesses to gradually replace hydrofluorocarbons with alternative refrigerants. The Citizen Cabinet panel of 4,394 respondents was drawn from Nielsen-Scarborough's probability-based national panel, which was recruited by mail and telephone using a random sample of households. The margin of error is +/- 1.6 percent. The survey was fielded April 1626, 2016. Unlike a standard poll, Citizen Cabinet surveys take respondents through an online process called a 'policymaking simulation' that seeks to put them in the shoes of a policymaker, giving them essential information and presenting key arguments on both sides of each issue. The content of the simulation was vetted for accuracy and balance by Republican and Democratic congressional staffers, as well as experts from the Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the World Resources Institute and the University of Maryland's School of Public Policy. Once the survey results are released, a public version of the policymaking simulation is posted at vop.org for anyone to try. Citizens are encouraged to go through the simulation and then share their recommendations with their Congressional representatives at: http://research.cfrinc.net/vop16128pub/ The full report can be found at: http://www.publicconsultation.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/Energy-Survey.pdf The full questionnaire with frequencies can be found at: http://www.publicconsultation.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/Energy-Quaire.pdf Voice Of the People is a nonpartisan, non-profit organization using new methods and technology to give citizens a more effective voice in government. Contact: Rich Robinson, [email protected] or 202-232-7500 SOURCE Voice Of the People Related Links http://www.vop.org NEW YORK, May 4, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- On May 23-25, 2016, ACI is proud to gather export compliance practitioners, empowered officials, policy-shaping government leaders and the who's who of the Customs and International Trade Bar at its 2016 Export Administration Regulations (EAR) and International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) Boot Camps at the Omni Chicago Hotel. These Boot Camps deliver a comprehensive fundamentals review as well as intermediate- to advanced-level discussions over complex issues facing exporters. From the significant definitional and jurisdictional changes associated with Export Control Reform to the many technical licensing and screening requirements inherent to both the EAR and the ITAR, both new hires and seasoned professionals need the opportunity to strengthen fundamental understanding and share best practices with industry cohorts. Given both financial penalties and reputational implications associated with potential violations, your team must be equipped with a comprehensive toolset to understand and comply with both sets of regulations. For complete agenda, view the brochure here. Top compliance professionals from 3M, BAE Systems, Boeing, Dover, GM, Grainger, Northrop Grumman, Raytheon and others will speak along with leading government officials from key licensing and enforcement agencies: BIS, DDTC, DTSA, OEE, HSI, and FBI. According to a past attendee from Finmeccanica North America, "This has been the best conference I have been to in years! The info was timely and up-to-date. The speakers were engaging and knowledgeable." For the complete speakers list, visit: EAR Boot Camp Speakers ITAR Boot Camp Speakers Register with this registration code: B00-821-PRNEWS American Conference Institute is devoted to providing the business intelligence that senior decision-makers need to respond to challenges both here in the US, and around the world. Staffed by industry specialists, lawyers and other professionals, American Conference Institute operates as a think tank, monitoring trends and developments in all major industry sectors, the law, and public policy, with a view to providing information on the leading edge. Headquartered in New York and led by Lisa Riley, Managing Director, American Conference Institute has grown to produce more than 150 events each year, attended by thousands of senior delegates from across the country. CONTACT: Camille Venturia, (212) 352-3220, [email protected] Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160425/359448LOGO SOURCE American Conference Institute Related Links http://www.americanconference.com BELLMORE, N.Y., May 3, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Long Island's original solar energy company, Built Well Solar celebrates its 15th anniversary this year. Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160503/363334 The Chamber of Commerce of the Bellmores will commemorate this milestone by sponsoring a special ribbon cutting at our office located at 2752 Grand Avenue in Bellmore on Friday, May 6 at 3:30 PM. "It's amazing how quickly 15 years have gone by," said company founder & CEO Dan Sabia. "Since then we've welcomed thousands of happy customers to our Built Well Solar family, having changed their financial lives for the better. Some of them have paid for college tuitions, cars, boats, dream vacations, or expanded their businesses with the money they've saved switching to solar energy. It's just fantastic." 9/11 Responder's Realization When Built Well Solar began, it was also the start of the Solar Pioneer incentive program offered through the Long Island Power Authority (LIPA, later taken over by PSEG-Long Island). "After serving as a first responder at 9/11, seeing that devastation, I realized we needed to do something to alleviate our dependence on foreign oil," Mr. Sabia explained. Sabia is a retired U.S. Army National Guard officer, with the rank of Major, who was called to Ground Zero after the Twin Towers fell on 9/11 because of his expertise in nuclear/ biological and chemical weapons, and served as logistics officer/facilities engineer with the Army Corps of Engineers as commander of the 204th Engineers at Camp Smith in Peekskill, New York. "When I read about the Solar Pioneer program on my LIPA bill in 2001, I jumped at the chance to participate," Mr. Sabia said. "I founded Built Well Solar so that I could buy solar panels and the other equipment I needed because the only company I could find that sold the equipment would not sell to individuals." Adding to his military logistic knowhow, construction/architecture college education and other professional expertise as a general contractor and school district facilities director, Sabia completed certification in photovoltaic design and installation of solar technology. The latter he traveled upstate and to Florida to obtain since that course of study was not available locally 15 years ago. Installs First 10 kW Residential System on Long Island Soon the company installed its first photovoltaics system on Mr. Sabia's own home in North Bellmore. This turned out to be the first 10-kilowatt residential PV system on Long Island. "That's how I got into to the solar business," Mr. Sabia said. "I started part-time (I was a full-time facilities director for a local school district at the time), starting with my house, then a friend's house, then a neighbor's house and so on, more friends, more neighbors. Before I knew it, I was in business." "When Built Well Solar opened, there wasn't a solar panel in sight. It was like the Wild West back then," Mr. Sabia explained. "Only two of us were providing solar energy on Long Island, just the two companies, our company in Nassau county for the most part and Go Solar, which has since folded, in Suffolk county for the most part." In its first year, Built Well Solar had three employees, Sabia included, and installed just four residential PV systems. Today, with dozens on staff, the company has since installed thousands of residential, commercial and non-profit solar energy systems, more than most other Long Island solar companies combined. Our focus has always been on being straightforward with our customers," Nancy Hiler, Chief Operating Officer said. "It's about explaining how solar energy works, dispelling the many myths out there so that customers understand just how affordable solar is, how the payback is usually 3-4 years, and how incentives such as federal and state tax credits come into play." What also distinguishes the company from others, she said, is that they do not engage in high-pressure sales, cold calls or door-knocking, and have always advocated PV purchases rather than leasing's rent-your-roof scheme, since purchases are undeniably much more beneficial financially to consumers. A "Solar 500" Company In addition to receiving many consumer-oriented accolades, including Better Business Bureau A+ rated and having been voted "Best of Long Island" for four consecutive years, the national magazine, Solar Power World, ranks Built Well Solar among the "SOLAR 500," placing 293rd of the "2015 Top 500 Solar Contractors in the United States." "We're very pleased and proud to celebrate 15 years of helping thousands of fellow Long Island homeowners and business owners to cut or eliminate their electric bills, just so many happy customers," Mr. Sabia said. "We look forward as we add new customers every week, continuing to make a difference to our neighbors, their wallets, and the planet we all live on." Anniversary Savings As a special anniversary offer, Built Well Solar is taking $250 off its already highly competitive pricing for any homeowner who signs up with the company before September 1, 2016, not to be combined with any other discounts or offers. Commercial discounts will be greater, proportionate to their larger system sizes. Additionally, the company enhances its $50 per kW referral fee to $60 per kW to anyone who recommends a customer whose installation takes place prior to the end of 2016. For more information about solar energy and to schedule a free, no obligation solar energy evaluation of your Long Island home or business, call Built Well Solar at 516-695-1000 or e-mail [email protected] today. PLEASE NOTE: MEMBERS OF THE MEDIA ARE INVITED TO ATTEND THE RIBBON-CUTTING CEREMONY at our office located at 2752 Grand Avenue in Bellmoreon Friday, May 6 at 3:30 PM. This content was issued through the press release distribution service at Newswire.com. For more info visit: http://www.newswire.com SOURCE Built Well Solar Related Links http://builtwellsolar.com Additionally, MD+DI announces 35 innovative products from forward-thinking companies as finalists in the MDEAs, recognizing the achievements of medical device manufacturers that are pushing the industry forward. MD&M East will take place on June 1416 at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York, NY. For more information and to register, visit: mdmeast.mddionline.com Meet the MDEA Lifetime Achievement Award Recipient, Manny Villafana Villafana, proclaimed a "Living Legend of Medicine," founded seven public companies, including Cardiac Pacemakers Inc., St. Jude Medical, and ATS Medical. He also co-invented the first lithium-powered pacemaker, co-developed the first St. Jude heart valve, and owns a number of pacemaker, heart-valve, and stent patents. Along with his contributions to medtech, Villafana is known for his philanthropic efforts, especially his generous gifts to the Kips Bay Boys and Girls Club, which he spent time at growing up. "MD+DI and MD&M East are proud to honor Manny Villafana as the 2016 MDEA Lifetime Achievement Award Recipient for his devotion and incredible contributions to the medtech industry," said Jamie Hartford, editor-in-chief of MD+DI and director of medical content for UBM Americas. "His entrepreneurial spirit and philanthropic efforts make him a perfect role model for the medtech community. We're excited to celebrate his achievements in June." Villafana will also speak in a Spotlight Session on June 14 at 2:15 p.m. at Center Stage on the MD&M East expo floor. Read MD+DI's profile of him here. 2016 MDEA Finalist Products and Manufacturers (alphabetical by category): See a slideshow with images of the MDEA finalist products on MD+DI. Critical Care and Emergency Medicine Products: Dolores One Speech Enhancement manufactured by Dolores Speech Products LLC manufactured by Dolores Speech Products LLC iTraumaCare iTClamp manufactured by Innovative Trauma Care manufactured by Innovative Trauma Care Lifeline ARM manufactured by Defibtech manufactured by Defibtech Prevalon AirTap Patient Repositioning System manufactured by Sage Products LLC Diagnostic Products and Systems: Accelerate ID/AST System manufactured by Accelerate Diagnostics manufactured by Accelerate Diagnostics ic100 manufactured by Icare manufactured by Icare MolecuLight i:X Imaging Device manufactured by MolecuLight manufactured by MolecuLight Smart one manufactured by M.I.R Medical International Research Spirometry manufactured by M.I.R Medical International Research Spirometry SureTouch manufactured by Medical Tactile Inc. manufactured by Medical Tactile Inc. Trice mi-eye+ manufactured by Trice Medical Drug Delivery Devices and Combination Products: BD Intelliport Medication Manager manufactured by Becton, Dickinson, and Co. manufactured by Becton, Dickinson, and Co. ClearGuard HD manufactured by Pursuit Vascular Inc. manufactured by Pursuit Vascular Inc. Velox Electronic Nebulizer manufactured by PARI GmbH General Hospital Devices and Therapeutic Products: CoSense manufactured by Capnia manufactured by Capnia Equashield manufactured by Equashield Medical Ltd. manufactured by Equashield Medical Ltd. Outset Tablo manufactured by Outset Medical manufactured by Outset Medical Relizorb manufactured by Alcresta Pharmaceuticals manufactured by Alcresta Pharmaceuticals The GentleWave System manufactured by Sonendo manufactured by Sonendo Thinklabs One digital stethoscope manufactured by Thinklabs Medical LLC Implant and Tissue Replacement Products: Luna interbody implant manufactured by Benvenue Medical manufactured by Benvenue Medical Stim Router Neuromodulation System manufactured by Bioness Inc. manufactured by Bioness Inc. WATCHMAN Left Atrial Appendage Closure Device manufactured by Boston Scientific Corp. Over-the-Counter and Self-Care Products: Neck Saviour manufactured by Epiphany Innovation manufactured by Epiphany Innovation Relizorb manufactured by Alcresta Pharmaceuticals Radiological and Electromechanical Devices: Analogic Sonic Window manufactured by BK Ultrasound manufactured by BK Ultrasound Dental Wings DWIO Intraoral Scanner manufactured by Dental Wings manufactured by Dental Wings Dynamic Neuroscreening Device manufactured by Prosenex manufactured by Prosenex SpyGlass DS Direct Visualization System manufactured by Boston Scientific Corp. Rehabilitation and Assistive Technology Products: AcceleDent Aura manufactured by OrthoAccel Technologies Inc. manufactured by OrthoAccel Technologies Inc. The Access Strength manufactured by Include Fitness manufactured by Include Fitness Indego manufactured by Parker Hannifin Corp. Surgical Equipment, Instruments and Supplies: AccuCirc manufactured by Clinical Innovations manufactured by Clinical Innovations Flex Robotic System flexible robotic surgery platform manufactured by Medrobotics Corp. manufactured by Medrobotics Corp. GastriSail manufactured by Medtronic plc manufactured by Medtronic plc Gemini 810+980 Soft Tissue Laser manufactured by Azena Medical LLC manufactured by Azena Medical LLC HARMONIC OSTEOVUE Spine Soft Tissue Dispenser manufactured by DePuy Synthes Spine and Ethicon Started in 1998, the MDEAs continue to recognize significant achievements in medical product design and engineering that improve the quality of healthcare delivery and accessibility. The MDEAs are judged by an impartial panel of medtech industry experts. The jurors carefully reviewed all product submissions, narrowing them down to a maximum of six product in each category. A bronze, silver, and gold award in each category, along with a best-in-show honor, will be presented at the 2016 MDEA ceremony, which will be held on June 14 in conjunction with MD&M East at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York, NY. Follow @MDDIonline for tweets and announcements about #MDEA16 Finalists and Winners. For more information about the Medical Design Excellence Awardsincluding additional details about the manufacturers and suppliers that created the 2016 MDEA-finalist productsvisit the MDEA website at mdeawards.mddionline.com Media Registration: newyork.am.ubm.com/2016/registrations/media About Advanced Manufacturing Expos & Conferences UBM's Advanced Manufacturing portfolio is the leading B-to-B event producer, publisher, and digital media business for the world's $3 trillion advanced, technology-based manufacturing industry. Our print and electronic products deliver trusted information to the advanced manufacturing market and leverage our proprietary 1.3 million name database to connect suppliers with buyers and purchase influencers. We produce more than 50 events and conferences in a dozen countries, connecting manufacturing professionals from around the globe. The Advanced Manufacturing portfolio is organized by UBM Americas, a part of UBM plc (UBM.L), an Events First marketing and communication services business. For more information, visit ubmamericas.com. Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160503/363272 SOURCE Advanced Manufacturing Expos & Conferences HONOLULU, May 4, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Matson, Inc. ("Matson" or the "Company") (NYSE: MATX), a leading U.S. carrier in the Pacific, today reported net income of $18.1 million, or $0.41 per diluted share for the quarter ended March 31, 2016. Net income for the quarter ended March 31, 2015 was $25.0 million, or $0.57 per diluted share. Consolidated revenue for the first quarter 2016 was $454.2 million compared with $398.2 million reported for the first quarter 2015. Matt Cox, Matson's President and Chief Executive Officer, commented, "Our core businesses performed largely as expected in the first quarter, with operating results declining year-over-year in the absence of last year's extraordinarily strong demand for our China service. Market conditions in the China trade have deteriorated further in 2016 as international ocean carriers have continued to lower rates in an attempt to attract cargo in this heavily over-supplied trade lane. This dynamic has spilled over into the annual contracting cycle with freight rates being offered at historically low levels. Despite this downward pressure on Matson's freight rates, we expect to continue to earn a substantial rate premium, and given our dual-headhaul route structure, we expect our China service to remain solidly profitable." Mr. Cox added, "While these challenging dynamics in China will weigh on our 2016 results, we continue to see solid fundamentals and performance in our other core trade lanes, and also SSAT and Logistics. In Hawaii, where we recently deployed an 11th ship, we expect to benefit from continued market growth and a stronger market position. Our integration activities in Alaska are progressing well, and are on-track to be complete by the end of the third quarter. Overall, we remain confident that our businesses will continue to generate strong cash flows to fund our fleet renewal program, invest in equipment, and pursue growth investments, while continuing to return capital to shareholders." First Quarter 2016 Discussion and 2016 Outlook Ocean Transportation: In the first quarter 2016, the Company's Hawaii service achieved 8.4 percent container volume growth compared to the first quarter 2015, the result of competitive gains and modest market growth. The Company believes that the Hawaii economy is healthy and expects construction activity to be a primary driver of market growth. For the full year 2016, the Company continues to expect its Hawaii container volume to be moderately higher than 2015 with substantially all of the relative increase occurring in the first half of 2016. In China, the Company's container volume in the first quarter 2016 was 18.1 percent lower year-over year due to the absence of the exceptionally high demand experienced in the first quarter 2015 during the U.S. West Coast labor disruptions and continued market softness amid a slower than normal post-lunar new year recovery. The Company continued to realize a sizeable rate premium for its expedited service in the first quarter 2016, but as expected, average freight rates were significantly lower than the first quarter 2015. For the remainder of 2016, the Company expects increasingly challenging market conditions in the transpacific trade with underlying market rates at historic lows amid chronic over-capacity. As a result, the Company expects its China rates to trend lower than the declines factored into its previous outlook. In Guam, a new competitor launched its bi-weekly U.S. flagged containership service at the beginning of the first quarter 2016, resulting in modest competitive volume losses for the Company compared to the first quarter 2015. For the full year 2016, the Company expects to experience continued modest competitive volume losses to this new service. In Alaska, the Company's container volume for the first quarter 2016 approximated the level carried by Horizon Lines in the first quarter 2015, primarily due to muted economic activity. For the full year 2016, the Company expects Alaska volume to be modestly lower than the total 67,300 containers carried by Horizon and Matson in 2015. For the full year 2016, the Company's terminal joint venture, SSAT, is expected to contribute modestly lower profits than the $16.5 million contributed in 2015, primarily due to the absence of factors related to the clearing of international cargo backlog in the first half of 2015 that resulted from the U.S. West Coast labor disruptions. As a result, the Company expects full year 2016 Ocean Transportation operating income to be approximately 15 to 20 percent lower than the $187.8 million achieved in 2015. In the second quarter 2016, the Company expects operating income to approximate the second quarter 2015 level of $31.4 million, which was negatively impacted by $13.5 million of additional selling, general and administrative expenses related to the Company's acquisition of Horizon Lines in excess of the Company's incremental run-rate target and by $11.4 million of costs related to the Company's settlement with the State of Hawaii. Logistics: The Company expects 2016 operating income to modestly exceed the 2015 level of $8.5 million, driven by volume growth and continued expense control. Interest Expense: The Company expects its interest expense in 2016 to be approximately $19.0 million. Income Tax Expense: The Company expects its effective tax rate for the full year 2016 to be approximately 39.0 percent. Capital Spending and Vessel Dry-docking: In the first quarter 2016, the Company made maintenance capital expenditures of $30.6 million and dry-docking payments of $13.2 million. For the full year 2016, the Company expects to make maintenance capital expenditures of approximately $65 million, scheduled new vessel construction progress payments of $67.2 million, and dry-docking payments of approximately $60 million. For the full year 2016, the Company expects depreciation and amortization to total approximately $133 million compared to $105.8 million in 2015, inclusive of dry-docking amortization of approximately $35.0 million expected in 2016 and $23.1 million in 2015. Results By Segment Ocean Transportation Three months ended March 31, 2016 compared with 2015 Three Months Ended March 31, (dollars in millions) 2016 2015 Change Ocean Transportation revenue $ 366.1 $ 305.5 19.8% Operating costs and expenses 333.1 261.6 27.3% Operating income $ 33.0 $ 43.9 (24.8%) Operating income margin 9.0% 14.4% Volume (Units)(1) Hawaii containers 36,200 33,400 8.4% Hawaii automobiles 17,300 15,900 8.8% Alaska containers 15,500 - - China containers 11,800 14,400 (18.1%) Guam containers 5,500 5,700 (3.5%) Micronesia/South Pacific containers 3,300 2,600 26.9% (1) Approximate container volumes included for the period are based on the voyage departure date, but revenue and operating income are adjusted to reflect the percentage of revenue and operating income earned during the reporting period for voyages in transit at the end of each reporting period. Ocean Transportation revenue increased $60.6 million, or 19.8 percent, during the first quarter 2016 compared with the first quarter 2015. This increase was primarily due to the inclusion of revenue from the Company's acquired Alaska service, higher container volume and yield in Hawaii, partially offset by lower container volume and freight rates in the Company's China service and lower fuel surcharge revenue. Alaska volume included in the Company's first quarter results reflects the third full quarter of operations post-closing of the acquisition on May 29, 2015. On a year over year basis, Hawaii container volume increased by 8.4 percent due to competitive gains and modest market growth; China volume was 18.1 percent lower due to the absence of the extraordinarily high demand experienced in the first quarter 2015 during the U.S. West Coast labor disruptions and continued market softness; and Guam volume decreased by 3.5 percent due primarily to competitive losses associated with the launch of a competitor's bi-weekly U.S. flagged containership service in January 2016. Ocean Transportation operating income decreased $10.9 million, or 24.8 percent, during the first quarter 2016 compared with the first quarter 2015. The decrease was primarily due to lower freight rates and volume in the China service, increased depreciation and amortization expense, higher vessel operating expenses related to the deployment of an additional vessel in the Hawaii service, additional selling, general and administrative expenses related to the Alaska acquisition, and higher terminal handling expenses. Partially offsetting these unfavorable items were higher container volume and yield improvements in Hawaii, and the inclusion of operating results from the Company's acquired Alaska service. The Company's SSAT terminal joint venture investment contributed $2.6 million during the first quarter 2016, compared to a $3.4 million contribution in the first quarter 2015. The decrease was primarily attributable to modestly lower lift volume. Logistics Three months ended March 31, 2016 compared with 2015 Three Months Ended March 31, (dollars in millions) 2016 2015 Change Intermodal revenue $ 49.4 $ 49.6 (0.4%) Highway revenue 38.7 43.1 (10.2%) Total Logistics Revenue 88.1 92.7 (5.0%) Operating costs and expenses 86.5 91.7 (5.7%) Operating income $ 1.6 $ 1.0 60.0% Operating income margin 1.8% 1.1% Logistics revenue decreased $4.6 million, or 5.0 percent during the first quarter 2016 compared with the first quarter 2015. This decrease was primarily the result of lower fuel surcharge revenue, partially offset by higher intermodal volume. Logistics operating income increased $0.6 million, during the first quarter 2016 compared with the first quarter 2015, primarily due to higher intermodal volume, warehouse operating improvements and highway yield improvements, partially offset by higher G&A and lower intermodal yield. EBITDA and Capital Allocation Matson generated EBITDA of $66.4 million during the first quarter 2016, compared to $67.0 million in the first quarter 2015. Maintenance capital expenditures for the first quarter 2016 totaled $30.6 million compared with $3.3 million in the first quarter 2015. As previously announced, Matson's Board of Directors' declared a cash dividend of $0.18 per share payable on June 2, 2016 to shareholders of record on May 12, 2016. During the first quarter 2016, Matson repurchased 518,600 shares of common stock at an average price of $38.81 per share. Since the inception of the share repurchase program in November 2015 and as of May 3, 2016, Matson had repurchased a total of 776,692 shares of common stock at an average price of $39.75 per share. An additional 2,223,308 shares are authorized for repurchase under the program. Debt Levels Total debt as of March 31, 2016 was $481.2 million, of which $459.5 million was long-term debt. The ratio of Net Debt to last twelve month EBITDA was 1.5 as of March 31, 2016. Teleconference and Webcast A conference call is scheduled today at 4:30 p.m. EDT when Matt Cox, President and Chief Executive Officer, and Joel Wine, Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, will discuss Matson's first quarter 2016 results. Date of Conference Call: Wednesday, May 4, 2016 Scheduled Time: 4:30 p.m. EDT / 1:30 p.m. PDT / 10:30 a.m. HST Participant Toll Free Dial In #: 1-877-312-5524 International Dial In #: 1-253-237-1144 The conference call will be broadcast live along with a slide presentation on the Company's website at www.matson.com; Investor Relations. A replay of the conference call will be available approximately two hours after the call through May 11, 2016 by dialing 1-855-859-2056 or 1-404-537-3406 and using the conference number 86619345. The slides and audio webcast of the conference call will be archived for one full quarter on the Company's website at www.matson.com; Investor Relations. About the Company Founded in 1882, Matson is a leading U.S. carrier in the Pacific. Matson provides a vital lifeline to the economies of Hawaii, Alaska, Guam, Micronesia and select South Pacific islands, and operates a premium, expedited service from China to Southern California. The Company's fleet of 23 vessels includes containerships, combination container and roll-on/roll-off ships and custom-designed barges. Matson Logistics, established in 1987, extends the geographic reach of Matson's transportation network throughout the continental U.S. Its integrated, asset-light logistics services include rail intermodal, highway brokerage and warehousing. Additional information about Matson, Inc. is available at www.matson.com. GAAP to Non-GAAP Reconciliation This press release, the Form 8-K and information to be discussed in the conference call include non-GAAP measures. While Matson reports financial results in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles ("GAAP"), the Company also considers other non-GAAP measures to evaluate performance, make day-to-day operating decisions, help investors understand our ability to incur and service debt and to make capital expenditures, and to understand period-over-period operating results separate and apart from items that may, or could, have a disproportional positive or negative impact on results in any particular period. These non-GAAP measures include, but are not limited to, Earnings Before Interest, Depreciation and Amortization ("EBITDA") and Net Debt/EBITDA. Forward-Looking Statements Statements in this news release that are not historical facts are "forward-looking statements," within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including without limitation those statements regarding earnings, operating income and cash flow expectations, expenses, rate premiums and market conditions in the China service, integration of Alaska operations, trends in volumes, construction cycles in Hawaii, vessel deployments, the absence of an international cargo backlog that existed in 2015, and tax rates. These statements involve a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contemplated by the relevant forward-looking statement, including but not limited to risks and uncertainties relating to regional, national and international economic conditions; new or increased competition or improvements in competitors' service levels; fuel prices and our ability to collect fuel surcharges; our relationship with vendors, customers and partners and changes in related agreements; the actions of our competitors; our ability to offer a differentiated service in China for which customers are willing to pay a significant premium; timing of the installation of exhaust gas scrubbers on vessels and the operation of such scrubbers; our ability to maintain volume growth in the Hawaii trade lane; consummating and integrating acquisitions, including the timing of the continuing integration of Horizon and the expenses incurred related to the integration of Horizon; conditions in the financial markets; changes in our credit profile and our future financial performance; the timing, amount and manner of share repurchases and the ability to return capital to shareholders through the share repurchase program; the impact of future and pending legislation, including environmental legislation; government regulations and investigations; the potential for changes in the Company's operations or regulatory compliance obligations and potential governmental agency claims, disputes, legal or other proceedings, fines, penalties, natural resource damages, inquiries or investigations or other regulatory actions relating to the removal of the molasses tank farm and pier risers at Sand Island Terminal; repeal, substantial amendment or waiver of the Jones Act or its application, or our failure to maintain our status as a United States citizen under the Jones Act; relations with our unions; satisfactory negotiation and renewal of expired collective bargaining agreements without significant disruption to Matson's operations; and the occurrence of marine accidents, poor weather or natural disasters. These forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance. This release should be read in conjunction with our Annual Report on Form 10-K and our other filings with the SEC through the date of this release, which identify important factors that could affect the forward-looking statements in this release. We do not undertake any obligation to update our forward-looking statements. Investor Relations inquiries: Media inquiries: Jerome Holland Keoni Wagner Matson, Inc. Matson, Inc. 510.628.4021 510.628.4534 [email protected] [email protected] MATSON, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income (Unaudited) Three Months Ended March 31, (In millions, except per-share amounts) 2016 2015 Operating Revenue: Ocean Transportation $ 366.1 $ 305.5 Logistics 88.1 92.7 Total Operating Revenue 454.2 398.2 Costs and Expenses: Operating costs 376.4 318.2 Equity in income of related party Terminal Joint Venture (2.6) (3.4) Selling, general and administrative 45.8 38.5 Total Costs and Expenses 419.6 353.3 Operating Income 34.6 44.9 Interest expense (4.9) (4.3) Income before Income Taxes 29.7 40.6 Income tax expense (11.6) (15.6) Net Income $ 18.1 $ 25.0 Basic Earnings Per Share: $ 0.42 $ 0.58 Diluted Earnings Per Share: $ 0.41 $ 0.57 Weighted Average Number of Shares Outstanding: Basic 43.4 43.4 Diluted 43.8 43.9 Cash Dividends Per Share $ 0.18 $ 0.17 MATSON, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets (Unaudited) March 31, December 31, (In millions) 2016 2015 ASSETS Current Assets: Cash and cash equivalents $ 20.1 $ 25.5 Other current assets 238.8 252.4 Total current assets 258.9 277.9 Long-term Assets: Investment in related party Terminal Joint Venture 69.0 66.4 Property and equipment, net 857.4 860.3 Goodwill 241.6 241.6 Intangible assets, net 137.2 139.1 Capital Construction Fund - cash on deposit 12.5 - Other long-term assets 97.7 84.5 Total assets $ 1,674.3 $ 1,669.8 LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY Current Liabilities: Current portion of debt $ 21.7 $ 22.0 Other current liabilities 239.5 275.6 Total current liabilities 261.2 297.6 Long-term Liabilities: Long-term debt 459.5 407.9 Deferred income taxes 313.3 310.5 Other long-term liabilities 200.6 203.2 Total long-term liabilities 973.4 921.6 Total shareholders' equity 439.7 450.6 Total liabilities and shareholders' equity $ 1,674.3 $ 1,669.8 MATSON, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES Net Debt to EBITDA and EBITDA Reconciliations (Unaudited) NET DEBT RECONCILIATION March 31, (In millions) 2016 Total Debt: $ 481.2 Less: Cash and cash equivalents (20.1) Capital Construction Fund - cash on deposit (12.5) Net Debt $ 448.6 EBITDA RECONCILIATION Three Months Ended Last Twelve March 31, Months (In millions) 2016 2015 Change Net Income $ 18.1 $ 25.0 $ (6.9) $ 96.1 Add: Income tax expense 11.6 15.6 (4.0) 70.8 Add: Interest expense 4.9 4.3 0.6 19.1 Add: Depreciation and amortization 23.7 16.6 7.1 89.8 Add: Dry-dock amortization 8.1 5.5 2.6 25.7 EBITDA (1) $ 66.4 $ 67.0 $ (0.6) $ 301.5 (1) EBITDA is defined as the sum of net income, less income or loss from discontinued operations, plus income tax expense, interest expense and depreciation and amortization (including deferred dry-docking amortization). EBITDA should not be considered as an alternative to net income (as determined in accordance with GAAP), as an indicator of our operating performance, or to cash flows from operating activities (as determined in accordance with GAAP) as a measure of liquidity. Our calculation of EBITDA may not be comparable to EBITDA as calculated by other companies, nor is this calculation identical to the EBITDA used by our lenders to determine financial covenant compliance. Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120605/SF19690LOGO SOURCE Matson, Inc. Related Links http://matson.com NEW YORK, May 4, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Booming Automotive Production, Rising Vehicle Sales, and Growth in Infrastructure Sector to Drive Tire Market in Mexico Until 2021 New Age TechSci Research Logo (PRNewsFoto/New Age TechSci Research) According to TechSci Research report, "Mexico Tire Market Forecast and Opportunities, 2021", tire market in Mexico is forecast to grow at a CAGR of more than 10% during 2016-2021. Easy availability of cheap labor, strong domestic automobile demand and favorable tax policies are fueling Mexico's automotive industry, consequently boosting demand for tires in the country. This growth in the country's tire market can be attributed to the planned capacity expansions of major automobile OEMs coupled with rapidly expanding automobile fleet in the country. Moreover, an overall investment of USD596 billion under the National Infrastructure Program by the Federal government, is another factor driving growth in the country's automobile as well as tire market. Mexico houses some of the major global automobile manufacturers such as Toyota, Ford, Chrysler, Fiat, General Motors, Mercedes Benz, Kenworth, Freightliner, International, MAN, Volkswagen, Scania, etc., that are involved in producing passenger cars, light trucks as well as heavy trucks and buses. (Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20140117/663730 ) Browse 15 market data Tables and 30 Figures spread through 118 Pages and an in-depth TOC on "Mexico Tire Market " http://www.techsciresearch.com/report/mexico-tire-market-forecast-opportunities-2021/660.html Automobile sales in Mexico exhibited a CAGR of around 9.6% during 2011-2015, with automobile unit sales increasing from 0.94 million units in 2011 to 1.35 million units in 2015, resulting in expansion of the country's automotive fleet from 33.28 million units in 2011 to 37.10 million units in 2015. Expanding vehicle fleet size subsequently boosted demand for tires from the replacement segment as well during 2011-2015. A similar trend is expected to be witnessed during the forecast period as well, both in the OEM as well as replacement segments, consequent to which, Mexico tire market is poised to witness considerable growth during 2016-2021. As of 2015, Mexico tire market was dominated by passenger car tire segment, in volume terms, followed by light commercial vehicle tire segment. On account of increase in production and sales of passenger cars, the passenger car tire segment is expected to remain the largest contributor in the country's tire market over the next five years. Download Sample Report @ http://www.techsciresearch.com/sample-report.aspx?cid=660 Customers can also request for 10% free customization on this report. "With National Infrastructure Program 2014-2018 in place, Mexico is undergoing a major infrastructure transformation, which is leading to developmental activities being undertaken in energy, communication, transport, water, health and housing sectors across the country. Also, major global OEMs are increasingly investing in the country for capacity expansions or for setting up new automobile production facilities. On account of this, the country's tire market is expected to witness a healthy growth in medium to long term.", said Mr. Karan Chechi, Research Director with TechSci Research, a research based global management consulting firm. "Mexico Tire Market Forecast and Opportunities, 2021" has evaluated the future growth potential of Mexico tire market and provides statistics and information on market size, structure and future market growth. The report intends to provide cutting-edge market intelligence and help decision makers take sound investment evaluation. Besides, the report also identifies and analyzes the emerging trends along with essential drivers, challenges and opportunities in Mexico tire market. Browse Related Reports Sri Lanka Tire Market Forecast and Opportunities, 2021 http://www.techsciresearch.com/report/sri-lanka-tire-market-forecast-and-opportunities-2021/654.html Serbia Tire Market Forecast & Opportunities, 2021 http://www.techsciresearch.com/report/serbia-tire-market-forecast-opportunities-2021/633.html Latvia Tire Market Forecast and Opportunities, 2021 http://www.techsciresearch.com/report/latvia-tire-market-forecast-and-opportunities-2021/643.html About TechSci Research TechSci Research is a leading global market research firm publishing premium market research reports. Serving 700 global clients with more than 600 premium market research studies, TechSci Research is serving clients across 11 different industrial verticals. TechSci Research specializes in research based consulting assignments in high growth and emerging markets, leading technologies and niche applications. Our workforce of more than 100 fulltime Analysts and Consultants employing innovative research solutions and tracking global and country specific high growth markets helps TechSci clients to lead rather than follow market trends. Contact Mr. Ken Mathews 708 Third Avenue, Manhattan, NY, New York - 10017 Tel: +1-646-360-1656 Email: [email protected] Connect with us on Twitter - https://twitter.com/TechSciResearch Connect with us on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/techsci-research SOURCE TechSci Research ANN ARBOR, Mich., May 4, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Today, organizers of the Michigan Growth Capital Symposium (MGCS) announced the 36 companies that will be presenting at the 35th annual event. Representatives from each of this year's tracks, including life sciences, IT and technology, will represent early stage and growth companies seeking funding. Hosted by the Ross School of Business' Zell Lurie Institute for Entrepreneurial Studies with support from the Michigan Venture Capital Association, this year's Symposium will be held May 17-18, 2016 at the Marriott Resort in Ypsilanti, Mich. Since its inception in 1980, the Symposium, a conduit for introducing early stage and emerging growth companies seeking funding to U.S. investors prospecting deals, has helped more than 900 companies secure funding and has forged countless valuable relationships that continue to foster growth in the region's startup community. The 35th annual event is expected to attract more than 450 entrepreneurs, researchers, investment professionals and business executives with nearly 100 regional and top national venture capital firms represented. The two-day event will host dozens of industry speakers, including keynote addresses from James Flynn, managing director of Deerfield Capital Management, and Adam Lilling, founding and managing partner of Plus Capital, in addition to several informative panel discussions. This will be the third year hosting an exclusive Tech Transfer track aimed to provide Midwest universities including Notre Dame, Michigan State University, Medical College of Wisconsin, Purdue University, University of Michigan, University of Minnesota and Wayne State University the opportunity to spotlight the activity and innovation coming out of their respective offices. The 36 companies selected to present represent a broad range of industries. The full list of presenting companies is available at www.MichiganGCS.com. Following is a partial list of companies: AdLuminate a multi-sided platform that will make it easier to shop for and buy advertising, while offering a new channel for selling advertising and related services. Armune Bioscience an organization that developed and validated a blood test for prostate cancer detection and are pursuing licensing opportunities in cancer detection and therapeutic monitoring. Autobooks a business that combines payment and accounting software for small businesses and offers receivables to bank customers. Ash & Anvil an affordable, stylish, everyday clothing provider for "shorter guys," with a mission to define the "short and small" men's category. Brideside a concierge-driven wedding retail platform for geographically dispersed wedding parties. Deltanoid Pharmaceuticals a biopharmaceutical company engaged in research, development and commercialization of novel therapies for the treatment of human diseases. HT Mobile Apps a financial technology company that creates software to help financial Institutions stay relevant and fun. Its latest solution, Plinqit, helps connect banks with millennials to help them save money. Lucina Health a comprehensive data analytics solution that provides patient care organizations that have a vested interest in improving health with a fully integrated solution that empowers women to improve their lives. Matterhorn by Court Innovations an organization that allows courts to handle many high-volume infractions, disputes and outstanding warrants completely online, saving citizens and courts time and money. Neurable the first non-invasive brain-computer interface (BCI) that allows for real-time control of physical objects and software. Neurable's technology has allowed people to control wheelchairs, robots and even a full sized car in real-time, using only the power of their thoughts. SciTech Development an oncology drug development company currently bringing to market proven cancer drugs for diseases with limited therapeutic options. ShapeLog a virtual personal trainer platform enabling the new wave of smart, connected gyms by using deep analytics to help people get stronger. Workit Health an organization that works with employers and health plans offering an innovative health benefit that companies can pilot and launch in less than one month. "The past year has been an exciting time for the Midwest with venture and entrepreneurial activity continuing to increase not only in Michigan, but also across the entire region," said David Brophy, professor of finance and founding director of MGCS. "This year will host a strong suite of presenting companies. We are looking forward to hearing them speak at MGCS and to watching them grow and scale in the months to come." Organizers of MGCS also announced that as part of the 36th annual Michigan Growth Capital Symposium in 2017, the University of Michigan will hold MGCS in conjunction with the Coulter Investment Forum, a one-day conference that showcases 30 emerging life sciences companies that have originated in Coulter Translational Research Partnerships at one of 16 partner universities. To learn more or to register for this year's event, visit www.MichiganGCS.com and follow conversations about MGCS by tracking #MGCS2016 on Twitter. About the Michigan Growth Capital Symposium (MGCS) MGCS is the original university-based venture fair, which was first held in 1979. This nationally attended two-day event provides an opportunity for investors to connect with up-and-coming Midwest businesses and learn about emerging technologies. The Symposium offers the opportunity to build relationships with an unparalleled business network of distinguished private equity industry leaders, leading university research faculty and entrepreneurial business professionals. MGCS is presented by the Center for Venture Capital & Private Equity Finance and the Zell Lurie Institute at the University of Michigan Ross School of Business with support from the Michigan Venture Capital Association and the Michigan Economic Development Corporation. About the Stephen M. Ross School of Business The Stephen M. Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan is a vibrant and distinctive learning community grounded in the principle that business can be an extraordinary vehicle for positive change in today's dynamic global economy. The Ross School of Business mission is to develop leaders who make a positive difference in the world. Through thought and action, members of the Ross community drive change and innovation that improves business and society. Ross is consistently ranked among the world's leading business schools. Academic degree programs include the BBA, MBA, Part-time MBA (Evening and Weekend formats), Executive MBA, Global MBA, Master of Accounting, Master of Supply Chain Management, Master of Management, and PhD. In addition, the school delivers open-enrollment and custom executive education programs targeting general management, leadership development, and strategic human resource management. SOURCE Zell Lurie Institute Related Links http://www.zli.bus.umich.edu FREEHOLD, N.J., May 4, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Monmouth Real Estate Investment Corporation (NYSE: MNR) reported Core Funds from Operations (Core FFO) of $11,514,000 or $0.18 per diluted share for the three months ended March 31, 2016 as compared to $8,418,000 or $0.14 per diluted share for the three months ended March 31, 2015 representing an increase in Core FFO per share of 28.6%. Adjusted Funds from Operations (AFFO), for the three months ended March 31, 2016 was $10,745,000 or $0.17 per diluted share versus $8,138,000 or $0.14 per diluted share for the three months ended March 31, 2015 representing an increase in AFFO per share of 21.4%. A summary of significant financial information for the three and six months ended March 31, 2016 and 2015 is as follows: Three Months Ended March 31, 2016 2015 Rental Revenue $ 19,611,000 $ 16,206,000 Reimbursement Revenue $ 3,356,000 $ 2,653,000 Net Operating Income (NOI) (1) $ 19,188,000 $ 15,908,000 Total Expenses $ 12,538,000 $ 10,306,000 Interest and Dividend Income $ 1,380,000 $ 963,000 Gain on Sale of Securities Transactions, net $ 879,000 $ - Net Income $ 7,132,000 $ 4,819,000 Net Income Attributable to Common Shareholders $ 4,980,000 $ 2,667,000 Net Income Attributable to Common Shareholders Per Diluted Common Share $ 0.08 $ 0.04 Core FFO (1) $ 11,514,000 $ 8,418,000 Core FFO per Diluted Common Share (1) $ 0.18 $ 0.14 AFFO (1) $ 10,745,000 $ 8,138,000 AFFO per Diluted Common Share (1) $ 0.17 $ 0.14 Weighted Avg. Diluted Common Shares Outstanding 64,736,000 58,463,000 Six Months Ended March 31, 2016 2015 Rental Revenue $ 38,676,000 $ 31,636,000 Reimbursement Revenue $ 6,550,000 $ 4,900,000 Lease Termination Income $ - $ 239,000 Net Operating Income (NOI) (1) $ 37,844,000 $ 30,594,000 Total Expenses $ 23,705,000 $ 19,889,000 Interest and Dividend Income $ 2,564,000 $ 1,998,000 Gain on Sale of Securities Transactions, net $ 887,000 $ 377,000 Net Income $ 14,071,000 $ 10,242,000 Net Income Attributable to Common Shareholders $ 9,767,000 $ 5,939,000 Net Income Attributable to Common Shareholders Per Diluted Common Share $ 0.15 $ 0.10 Core FFO (1) $ 22,526,000 $ 17,052,000 Core FFO per Diluted Common Share (1) $ 0.35 $ 0.29 AFFO (1) $ 21,470,000 $ 15,933,000 AFFO per Diluted Common Share (1) $ 0.34 $ 0.28 Weighted Avg. Diluted Common Shares Outstanding 63,828,000 57,937,000 A summary of significant balance sheet information as of March 31, 2016 and September 30, 2015 is as follows: March 31, 2016 September 30, 2015 Net Real Estate Investments $ 883,004,000 $ 816,801,000 Securities Available for Sale at Fair Value $ 68,647,000 $ 54,541,000 Total Assets $ 999,655,000 $ 915,992,000 Mortgage Notes Payable $ 406,426,000 $ 373,991,000 Loans Payable $ 99,917,000 $ 85,041,000 Total Shareholders' Equity $ 476,806,000 $ 446,011,000 Michael P. Landy, President and CEO, commented on the results for the second quarter of fiscal 2016, "Fiscal 2016 is shaping up to be another outstanding year for Monmouth. Our strong performance has continued through this most recent quarter. During the quarter we: Increased our occupancy rate 210 basis points over the prior year period and 80 basis points sequentially, to a sector leading 99.6%. Increased our AFFO per share to $0.17 , representing a 21% increase over the prior year period. Increased our Net Operating Income (NOI) 21% over the prior year period. Increased our Same Property NOI 2.3% on a GAAP basis and 3.5% on a cash basis over the prior year period. Acquired for $20.0 million a brand new Class A built-to-suit property with 126,000 square feet leased for 10 years to General Electric Company. This mission critical facility is located near the Pittsburgh International Airport. Grew our acquisition pipeline to seven new Class A build-to-suit properties, representing 1.9 million square feet, for a total purchase price of approximately $197.9 million . These properties are all net-leased to investment grade tenants or their subsidiaries. These acquisitions are expected to generate annualized rental revenue of approximately $13.2 million and will benefit from an average lease term of approximately 13.5 years. Subject to satisfactory due diligence, we anticipate closing these transactions upon completion of construction and occupancy over the next several quarters. Increased our expansion pipeline to 312,000 square feet at a cost of approximately $18.4 million . Upon completion, the expansions will result in a new ten year lease extension for three buildings and a new twelve year lease extension for one building being expanded. These expansions will result in increased annualized rent of approximately $1.8 million . Increased our gross leasable area (GLA) 12.3% to 14.6 million square feet over the prior year period. Our GLA is expected to grow to 17.0 million square feet upon the completion of the above acquisitions and expansions. Achieved a 100% tenant retention rate for fiscal 2016. This marks our second consecutive year of 100% tenant retention. The fiscal 2016 lease renewals resulted in a 5.3% increase in rents on a GAAP basis and represent a weighted average lease term of 4.1 years. Allocated capital opportunistically into discounted REIT securities resulting in an unrealized gain of $2.1 million at quarter end in addition to the $879,000 in gains realized during the quarter and the $1.4 million in dividend income these securities generated during the quarter. Subsequent to quarter end, we acquired for $30.7 million a brand new Class A built-to-suit property with 210,000 square feet leased for 15 years to FedEx Ground located in the Seattle /Everett MSA. This facility is located in close proximity to Boeing's large manufacturing plant in Everett, WA. " Mr. Landy stated, "This marks our fourth consecutive quarter of generating over 20% AFFO per share growth. The high quality of Monmouth's portfolio is best illustrated by our industrial sector leading occupancy rate of 99.6%, as well as the 100% tenant retention rate we have achieved for the second consecutive year now. With e-commerce sales growing five times faster than overall retail sales, demand for modern industrial space is expected to remain strong." "The hard working team at Monmouth remains very focused on continuing to deliver positive long-term results. We look forward to building upon the substantial growth that has been achieved thus far." Monmouth Real Estate Investment Corporation will host its Second Quarter FY 2016 Financial Results Webcast and Conference Call on Thursday, May 5, 2016 at 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time. Senior management will discuss the results, current market conditions and future outlook. The Company's Second Quarter FY 2016 financial results being released herein will be available on the Company's website at www.mreic.reit in the "Financial Filings" section. To participate in the Webcast, select the microphone icon in the Webcast section of the Company's homepage on the Company's website at www.mreic.reit. Interested parties can also participate via conference call by calling toll free 877-510-5852 (domestically) or 412-902-4138 (internationally). The replay of the conference call will be available at 12:00 p.m. Eastern Time on Thursday, May 5, 2016. It will be available until July 30, 2016, and can be accessed by dialing toll free 877-344-7529 (domestically) and 412-317-0088 (internationally) and entering the passcode 10080985. A transcript of the call and the webcast replay will be available at the Company's website, www.mreic.reit. Monmouth Real Estate Investment Corporation, founded in 1968 is one of the oldest public equity REITs in the U.S. The Company specializes in single-tenant, net-leased industrial properties, subject to long-term leases, primarily to investment grade tenants. Monmouth Real Estate Investment Corporation is a fully-integrated and self-managed real estate company, whose property portfolio consists of ninety-five properties located in thirty states, containing a total of approximately 14.8 million rentable square feet. In addition, the Company owns a portfolio of REIT securities. Certain statements included in this press release which are not historical facts may be deemed forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Any such forward-looking statements are based on the Company's current expectations and involve various risks and uncertainties. Although the Company believes the expectations reflected in any forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, the Company can provide no assurance those expectations will be achieved. The risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from expectations are contained in the Company's annual report on Form 10-K and described from time to time in the Company's other filings with the SEC. The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise. Notes: (1) Non-U.S. GAAP Information: FFO is defined by the National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts ("NAREIT") as net income applicable to common shareholders, excluding gains or losses from sales of depreciable assets, plus real estate-related depreciation and amortization. We define Core FFO as FFO plus acquisition costs. We define AFFO as Core FFO excluding lease termination income, gains or losses on securities transactions, stock based compensation expense, depreciation of corporate office tenant improvements, amortization of deferred financing costs, non-recurring other expense, U.S. GAAP straight-line rent adjustments and less recurring capital expenditures. We define recurring capital expenditures as all capital expenditures, excluding capital expenditures related to expansions at our current locations or capital expenditures that are incurred in conjunction with obtaining a new lease or a lease renewal. We define NOI as recurring rental and reimbursement revenues less real estate and other operating expenses. FFO, Core FFO and AFFO per diluted common share are defined as FFO, Core FFO and AFFO divided by weighted average diluted common shares outstanding. FFO, Core FFO and AFFO per diluted common share, as well as NOI, should be considered as supplemental measures of operating performance used by real estate investment trusts (REITs). FFO, Core FFO and AFFO per diluted common share exclude historical cost depreciation as an expense and may facilitate the comparison of REITs which have different cost basis. The items excluded from FFO, Core FFO and AFFO per diluted common share are significant components in understanding the Company's financial performance. FFO, Core FFO and AFFO per diluted common share (A) do not represent cash flow from operations as defined by accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America; (B) should not be considered as an alternative to net income as a measure of operating performance or to cash flows from operating, investing and financing activities; and (C) are not alternatives to cash flow as a measure of liquidity. FFO, Core FFO and AFFO per diluted common share, as well as NOI, as calculated by the Company, may not be comparable to similarly titled measures reported by other REITs. The following is a reconciliation of the Company's U.S. GAAP Net Income to the Company's FFO, Core FFO and AFFO for the three and six months ended March 31, 2016 and 2015: Three Months Ended Six Months Ended 3/31/2016 3/31/2015 3/31/2016 3/31/2015 Net Income Attributable to Common Shareholders $4,980,000 $2,667,000 $9,767,000 $5,939,000 Plus: Depreciation Expense (excluding Corporate Office) 5,757,000 4,752,000 11,324,000 9,237,000 Plus: Amortization of Intangible Assets 320,000 364,000 643,000 711,000 Plus: Amortization of Capitalized Lease Costs 192,000 164,000 381,000 303,000 FFO Attributable to Common Shareholders 11,249,000 7,947,000 22,115,000 16,190,000 Plus: Acquisition Costs 265,000 471,000 411,000 862,000 Core FFO Attributable to Common Shareholders 11,514,000 8,418,000 22,526,000 17,052,000 Plus: Stock Compensation Expense 102,000 97,000 207,000 187,000 Plus: Depreciation of Corporate Office Tenant Improvements 29,000 34,000 57,000 34,000 Plus: Amortization of Financing Costs 239,000 203,000 473,000 396,000 Plus: Non-recurring other expense 400,000 - 400,000 - Less: Lease Termination Income - - - (239,000) Less: Gain on Sale of Securities Transactions, net (879,000) - (887,000) (377,000) Less: U.S. GAAP Straight-line Rent Adjustment (512,000) (532,000) (822,000) (864,000) Less: Recurring Capital Expenditures (148,000) (82,000) (484,000) (256,000) AFFO Attributable to Common Shareholders $10,745,000 $8,138,000 $21,470,000 $15,933,000 The following are the Cash Flows provided (used) by Operating, Investing and Financing Activities for the six months ended March 31, 2016 and 2015: Six Months Ended 3/31/2016 3/31/2015 Operating Activities $28,428,000 $17,854,000 Investing Activities (86,279,000) (109,555,000) Financing Activities 55,711,000 96,728,000 SOURCE Monmouth Real Estate Investment Corporation Related Links http://mreic.com LONDON, May 4, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Nano-technology field has a potential to make significant impact on healthcare by delivering disease diagnosis, monitoring, implants, regenerative medicines and drug delivery, drug discovery for biomedicine. Since last few years, significant progress has been made in the field of nano-medicine (i.e. nano-technology), resulting in a number of products, including therapeutics and imaging agents, enabling more effective and less toxic therapeutic and diagnostic interventions. This progress have resulted in development of innovative diagnostic and therapeutic personalized nano-medicine treatment. Rapidly expanding areas of research and development to develop novel nano-medicine is expected to drive the market growth in future. Moreover, one of the major factor assisting market growth is the rising prevalence of infectious diseases and cancer, developing nanotechnology research, and rising demand for novel drug delivery systems. However, high cost coupled with stringent regulatory scenario hampers the market growth to some extent. A detailed qualitative analysis of the factors responsible for driving and restraining the growth of the global nanotechnology drug delivery market and future opportunities has been provided in the market overview section. This section of the report also provides market attractiveness analysis, technology trend, industry challenges, sale data for some non-marketed nano-pharmaceuticals, patent landscape, and market share analysis by key players (%) operating in the nanotechnology drug delivery market. Based on technology, the global nanotechnology drug delivery market has been segmented into nanocrystals, nanoparticles, liposomes, micelles, nanotubes and others. The market for these technology types has been extensively analyzed based on sales revenue of the various leading marketed products developed by the manufacturers. The market size and forecast in terms of USD million for each technology has been provided for the period from 2013 to 2023. The report on the nanotechnology drug delivery market also provides compound annual growth rate (CAGR %) for each of the market segments mentioned above for the forecast period from 2015 to 2023, considering 2014 as the base year. Additionally, the report also categorized based on different application area of nanotechnology such as neurology, oncology, cardiovascular/physiology, anti-inflammatory/immunology, anti-infective and other applications. The market size and forecast in terms of USD million for each application has been provided for the period from 2013 to 2023. The report also provides compound annual growth rate (CAGR %) for each application segments mentioned above for the forecast period from 2015 to 2023, considering 2014 as the base year. Geographically, the global nanotechnology drug delivery market has been categorized into North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America and Rest of the World (RoW). The market size and forecast for each of these regions have been provided for the period from 2013 to 2023 along with CAGR (%) for the forecast period from 2013 to 2023. The research study also incorporates the competitive scenario of major players in these regions. The report concludes with the profiles of major players in the global nanotechnology drug delivery market based on various attributes such as company overview, financial overview, business strategies, product portfolio, and recent developments. Major players profiled in this report include AbbVie, Inc., Amgen Inc., Celgene Corporation, Johnson & Johnson, Merck & Co., Inc., Novartis International AG, Perrigo Company plc and others. The global nanotechnology drug delivery market is segmented as follows: Global Nanotechnology Drug Delivery Market, by Technology Nanocrystals Nanoparticles Dendrimers Gold Nanopartilces Dendrimers Fullerens Others Liposomes Micelles Nanotubes Others Global Nanotechnology Drug Delivery Market, by Applications Neurology Oncology Cardiovascular/Physiology Anti-inflammatory/Immunology Anti-infective Other Applications Global Nanotechnology Drug Delivery Market, by Geography North America Europe Asia Pacific Latin America (LATAM) Rest of the World (RoW) Download the full report: https://www.reportbuyer.com/product/3812912/ About Reportbuyer Reportbuyer is a leading industry intelligence solution that provides all market research reports from top publishers http://www.reportbuyer.com For more information: Sarah Smith Research Advisor at Reportbuyer.com Email: [email protected] Tel: +44 208 816 85 48 Website: www.reportbuyer.com SOURCE ReportBuyer Related Links http://www.reportbuyer.com GREENWOOD VILLAGE, Colo., May 4, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- National Bank Holdings Corporation (NYSE: NBHC) announced today that the Board of Directors approved a cash dividend to shareholders. The quarterly cash dividend of five cents ($0.05) per share of common stock will be payable on June 15, 2016 to shareholders of record at the close of business on May 27, 2016. About National Bank Holdings Corporation National Bank Holdings Corporation is a bank holding company created to build a leading community bank franchise delivering high-quality client service and committed to shareholder results. National Bank Holdings Corporation operates a network of 90 banking centers located in Colorado, the greater Kansas City region and Texas. Through the Company's subsidiary, NBH Bank, it operates under the following brand names: Bank Midwest in Kansas and Missouri, Community Banks of Colorado in Colorado, and Hillcrest Bank in Texas. More information about National Bank Holdings Corporation can be found at www.nationalbankholdings.com. For more information visit: bankmw.com, cobnks.com, hillcrestbank.com or nbhbank.com. Or, follow us on any of our social media sites: Bank Midwest: facebook.com/bankmw, twitter.com/bank_mw, instagram.com/bankmw; Community Banks of Colorado: facebook.com/cobnks, twitter.com/cobnks, instagram.com/cobnks; Hillcrest Bank: facebook.com/hillcrestbank, twitter.com/hillcrest_bank; NBH Bank: twitter.com/nbhbank; or connect with any of our brands on LinkedIn. Forward Looking Statements This press release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements contain words such as "anticipate," "believe," "can," "would," "should," "could," "may," "predict," "seek," "potential," "will," "estimate," "target," "plan," "project," "continuing," "ongoing," "expect," "intend" or similar expressions that relate to the Company's strategy, plans or intentions. Forward-looking statements involve certain important risks, uncertainties and other factors, any of which could cause actual results to differ materially from those in such statements. Such factors include, without limitation, the "Risk Factors" referenced in the Company's most recent Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), other risks and uncertainties listed from time to time in our reports and documents filed with the SEC. The Company can give no assurance that any goal or plan or expectation set forth in forward-looking statements can be achieved and readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such statements. The forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this press release, and the Company does not intend, and assumes no obligation, to update any forward-looking statement to reflect events or circumstances after the date on which the statement is made or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events or circumstances, except as required by applicable law. Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20141002/149998 SOURCE National Bank Holdings Corporation Related Links http://www.nationalbankholdings.com MELGAR, Colombia, May 4, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- New Colombia Resources, Inc. (OTC: NEWC) ("New Colombia or the 'Company"), a U.S. company with premium metallurgical coal and building material mining titles, medical marijuana, and industrial hemp and other resource operations in Colombia, is pleased to announce a project to build a water reservoir near a 1200-acre theme park to be built in Girardot, Colombia. Their property is 25 miles from Girardot where they believe the Walt Disney Company (NYSE: DIS) is building their fifth theme park and first in Latin America. Last May the Mayor of Girardot publicly announced that Disney executives were scouting for 1200-acres to build a theme park in his town. A few days later he retracted his statement saying, "it's a group of Mexican investors building a 1200 acre "Disney like" theme park. New Colombia's sources have confirmed it is Disney that has bought over 1000 acres so far. New Colombia Resources cannot speak for Disney but will contact them for a potential investment in the much needed reservoir. The existing aqueduct system in Melgar was built in the 1950's and used asbestos in the cement water pipes, adding to the need for an additional water supply. In 2014, Erasmo Almanza, Director of New Colombia Resources, Inc., purchased 8 Ha. (20 Acres) in Melgar, Colombia to apply for a mining title to supply sand building material to the municipality and build a resort hotel. The property has 1000 feet of road frontage for easy access to the building materials. It also has two water falls that will be used to build a much needed water reservoir. The mining title application number is PB4-08441 for 27 hectares of which the Company owns 8 hectares. Melgar is a resort town 60 miles southwest of Bogota that is known as the "City of Swimming Pools." The region has over 800,000 "floating" visitors every weekend because of the hot weather compared to Bogota where it is cold and muggy, this causes major water shortages. All of Colombia will experience water shortages due to El Nino weather phenomenon. Water is expected to become a scarce commodity in Colombia making this project much more valuable. Phase 1 of the project is US$ 10 Million and can be funded either through a Private Public Partnership (PPP) or privately. New Colombia Resources believes they can raise the money needed privately. Potential investors are encouraged to contact the company for an executive summary and cash flow models. The Company is completing aerial surveys for their pre-feasibility study that they will begin to market to institutional investors, including the Walt Disney Co. "Erasmo and I are thrilled to potentially have Disney come to Girardot, we never even considered this when we bought the property a few years ago. I don't want to make announcements for Disney, but I need to move this project forward for the benefit of the whole community. Our sources tell us they've sold land to Disney, which is the best kept secret in Colombia," stated John Campo, President of New Colombia Resources. Here is the Mayor of Girardot on May 18, 2015 stating that Disney executives have been exploring between Girardot and Cali to build a theme park. http://girardot.extra.com.co/noticias/nacional/sede-de-disney-world-se-instalaria-en-girardot-138072 Here is his retraction on May 26, 2015 http://www.bluradio.com/100416/decir-que-habra-parque-disney-en-el-municipio-fue-acelerado-alcalde-de-girardot To view or purchase Sannabis products visit http://www.sannabis.co . Follow Sannabis on Facebook for photos and testimonials at https://www.facebook.com/sannabis.cannamedicinal New Colombia Resources, Inc. New Colombia Resources, Inc. is focused on the acquisition and development of high-quality metallurgical coal properties and other available resources in the Republic of Colombia. They expect to have several revenue producing businesses including; metallurgical coal mining and rock quarry aggregates for domestic Colombian highway and railroad building projects. The Company owns 100% of La Tabaquera metallurgical coal mine in Colombia with an estimated 15- 17 million tonnes of reserves. They have another pending acquisition for 390 ha and a solicitation contract for 184 ha metallurgical coal concession. New Colombia Resources also holds a significant position in Sannabis SAS which legally produces medical marijuana products in the Republic of Colombia, visit http://www.sannabis.co. For more information on the Company visit http://www.newcolombiaresources.com. Forward Looking Statements Forward Looking Statements; This Press Release includes forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Act of 1934. A statement containing works such as "anticipate," "seek," intend," "believe," "plan," "estimate," "expect," "project," "plan," or similar phrases may be deemed "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Some or all of the events or results anticipated by these forward-looking statements might not occur. Factors that could cause or contribute to such differences include financing, the future U.S. and global economies, the impact of competition, and the Company's reliance on existing regulations. New Colombia Resources, Inc. does not undertake any duty nor does it intend to update the results of these forward-looking statements. Company Contact: New Colombia Resources, Inc. John Campo President/Chairman +1-410-236-8200 USA [email protected] [email protected] Sannabis SAS http://www.sannabis.co SOURCE New Colombia Resources, Inc. HANGZHOU, China, May 4, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- New airlift between San Francisco (SFO) and China's Hangzhou (HGH) begins July 13 by United Airlines (pending regulatory approval), providing easy access to this destination listed #16 on The New York Times' 52 Places To Go in 2016 list in the lead up to hosting the G20 Leaders Summit September 4-5, 2016. The new route will be the first trans-pacific service to Hangzhou operated by a U.S. airline and will take off three times weekly. United Airlines will utilize its new Boeing 787-900 Dreamliner for the service. Beyond new airlift, Hangzhou continues to evolve with new hotel openings. In March 2016, the Midtown Shangri-La, Hangzhou debuted the newest flagship and second Shangri-La hotel in Hangzhou, offering 417 guestrooms and suites, world-class dining and the city's largest pillar-less grand ballroom. China's cultural heritage is celebrated at the new Folk Art Museum for the China Academy of Art. Designed by the celebrated Japanese architect Kengo Kuma, the museum's building honors the region's geological terrain as part of the surrounding natural environment. Famous Chinese silk tradition can be discovered at the China National Silk Museum, reopening in August 2016. The institution will serve as the largest specialized museum on textiles in China and the largest silk museum in the world. Hangzhou continues to rise as a culinary destination with new restaurant openings paired with time honored culinary experiences. In January 2016, the city welcomed Mercato Piccolo - a Michelin Star Restaurant opened by the French star chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten. The restaurant offers diners a modern gastronomic experience offering carefully crafted Italian dishes made with fresh ingredients. To savor local cuisine unique to Hangzhou, make reservations at YANXIHU, a new luxury restaurant founded by Guo-Ping Wu. The capital and largest city in the Zhejiang province, Hangzhou has historically been recognized as a meeting place for artists and poets seeking inspiration from the city's picturesque West Lake. Today, the destination combines beauty with a thriving tech industry; home to Alibaba Group Holding Limited. Its almost 2.5 million residents are a quick one-hour high speed train trip from Shanghai, situated 100 miles northeast of the city. To learn more about Hangzhou, visit the Hangzhou Tourism Commission's website: http://e.gotohz.com/ SOURCE Hangzhou Tourism Commission Related Links http://e.gotohz.com LONDON, May 4, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Companies Advancing Beyond Traditional Firewalls Towards Cloud-based & Big Data Solutions for the Internet of Things (IoT) The latest report from business intelligence provider visiongain assesses that the global Next Generation Cyber Security market will generate revenues of $35.7 billion in 2016. See comprehensive analysis of the lucrative business prospects within this flourishing new sector. Now: Cyber security has become one of the most important segments of homeland security in recent years, in lieu of the proliferation of advanced attack software, and the way in which more and more essential systems are coming to rely upon digitalisation. This is especially true in the critical infrastructure sector, where modern industrial control systems (ICS) and SCADA systems have proven particularly vulnerable. This is an example of the business critical news that you need to know about - and more importantly, you need to read visiongain's objective analysis of how this will impact your company and the industry more broadly. How are you and your company reacting to this news? Are you sufficiently informed? How this report will benefit you Read on to discover how you can exploit the future business opportunities emerging in this sector. Visiongain's new study tells you and tells you NOW. In this brand new report you will receive 121 in-depth tables, charts and graphs PLUS 6 EXCLUSIVE expert interviews - all unavailable elsewhere. The 209 page report provides clear detailed insight into the global Next Generation Cyber Security market. It reveals the key drivers and challenges affecting the market. By ordering and reading our brand new report today you will be better informed and ready to act. To see a report overview please email Sara Peerun on [email protected] Report Scope Global Next Generation Cyber Security market forecasts from 2016-2021 Regional Next Generation Cyber Security market forecasts from 2016-2021 covering Asia-Pacific, Latin America, Europe, Middle East and Africa, and North America; Leading national Next Generation Cyber Security forecasts from 2016-2021 covering China, the USA, Japan, France, the UK, Germany, India, Russia, Italy, Brazil and RoW Next Generation Cyber Security submarket forecasts from 2016-2021 covering Application Security, Cloud Security, Content Security, Endpoint Security, and Network Security Analysis of the key factors driving growth in the global and regional/country level Next Generation Cyber Security markets from 2016-2021 Who are the leading players and what are their prospects over the forecast period? - BAE Systems - Barracuda Networks - Bay Dynamics - Cisco Systems - Check Point - FireEye - Fortinet - Herjavec Group - Hewlett Packard - Intel Corporation - Juniper Networks - Norse - Palo Alto Networks - Splunk - Watch Guard Analysis of game changing technological trends being employed by the leading players and how these will shape the cyber security industry. SWOT analysis of the major strengths and weaknesses of the market, together with the opportunities available and the key threats faced. Market conclusions & recommendations. 6 Full transcripts of exclusive Visiongain interviews with key opinion-leaders in the market, from the following companies: - Delve Labs - Digital Guardian - LogRhythm - Nymi - Sandstorm.io - Spikes Security How will you benefit from this report? This report will keep your knowledge base up to speed. Don't get left behind This report will reinforce strategic decision decision-making based upon definitive and reliable market data You will learn how to exploit new technological trends You will be able to realise your company's full potential within the market You will better understand the competitive landscape and identify potential new business opportunities & partnerships Who should read this report? Anyone within the cyber security value chain. Cyber security companies Cyber security risk insurance companies IT Companies Internet of Things (IoT) companies Software developers Infrastructure security companies Chief information officers (CIO) Chief executive officers (CEO) Chief operating officers (COO Commercial directors Business development managers Marketing managers Technologists Suppliers Investors Banks Government agencies Contractors Visiongain's study is intended for anyone requiring commercial analyses for the top companies in the cyber security market. You will find data, trends and predictions. Buy our report today Next Generation Cyber Security Market Forecast Report 2016-2021: Companies Advancing Beyond Traditional Firewalls Towards Cloud Based & Big Data Solutions For The Internet of Things (IoT). Avoid missing out by staying informed - order our report now. To see a report overview please email Sara Peerun on [email protected] To request an exec summary of this report please email Sara Peerun at [email protected] or call Tel: +44 (0) 20 7336 6100 Or click on https://www.visiongain.com/Report/1626/Next-Generation-Cyber-Security-Market-Forecast-Report-2016-2021 Companies Mentioned in the Report Adobe Systems Altron Amazon Amazon Web Services (AWS) American Airlines AMSEC LLC Anthem Anthem Apple Autonomy Barracuda Networks Bay Dynamics Boeing Booz Allen Hamilton BorderWare Technologies British Aerospace (BAe) CACI International Checkpoint China Telecom Cisco Systems Clarent Corporation Cloudflare Code Green Networks Comcast Computer Sciences Corporation ConocoPhillips Cryptolocker CrySyS Lab CSC DELL Inc Delve Labs Digital Guardian Domino's Pizza Dtex Systems Easy Solutions Elderwood Group EMC Engility Extreme Networks ExxonMobil FASTNET Corporation Fireye Fortinet General Dynamics Corp General Electric Company plc (GEC) Global Technical Systems Google Herjavec Group Hewlett Packard Home Depot Honeywell Technology Solutions Horton Networks Huawei IBM IHI Corp. Industrial Defender Inc. Intel Interpath Communications Japan Airlines JP Morgan Chase Juniper Networks Kaspersky Lab Kawasaki Heavy Industries L-3 Services Inc Lockheed Martin LogRhythm Mandiant Marathon Oil Marconi Electronic Systems (MES) McAfee Microsoft Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Mt Gox Muthoot Fincorp Ltd NBC New York Times Norse Northrop Nymi Oracle Palo Alto Networks Primera Blue Cross Quick Heal Rackspace Raytheon Company Redstone Arsenal Rosoboronexport RSA Rusal Sabre Holdings SAIC Sandia National Laboratories Sandstorm.io Saudi Aramco Scientific Research Corporation SecureID Serco Silversky Sony Corporation Sony Entertainment Sourcefire Splunk Symantec Sysec Target Telefonica Telefonica Global Technology Thales Group The Learning Company Topface Trend Micro Tshinghua Tongfang TV5Monde UBS Verio Vertica Systems VINCI group Voltage Security Vu Security Watchguard Wells Fargo WorldTalk Corporation Yahoo Yahoo Japan To see a report overview please email Sara Peerun on [email protected] Media Contact Sara Peerun [email protected] SOURCE Visiongain "Building on our legacy of service excellence, Four Seasons Hotel Jakarta will establish a new standard for luxury hospitality in the city with a beautiful new hotel," promises General Manager Christian Poda . "We look forward to welcoming our local clientele back to Four Seasons, and to introducing this exciting city to a new generation of international travellers." The new Four Seasons Hotel Jakarta is the centrepiece of a mixed-use development in Capital Place that also includes an office tower, which is open for business and welcomes its first tenants this month. With gracious interiors by renowned designers Champalimaud Studio and lush tropical landscaping by Bensley Design Studios, the Hotel promises to be the city's preferred address to stay, conduct business or meet with friends and colleagues, as well as host Jakarta's most prestigious and glamorous events. Hotel features include 125 guest suites with panoramic skyline views, as well as a sleek and sophisticated sanctuary spa and fitness centre, elegant event spaces, and four food and beverage options, including a soaring rotunda on the ground floor, a posh bar and a signature Italian restaurant on the rooftop. Located on Jalan Gatot Subroto, the Hotel is 40 minutes by car from Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, with easy access to all major business destinations in the city. Be among the first to experience the new Four Seasons Hotel Jakarta: Room reservations are now being accepted for arrivals beginning June 20, 2016, and in celebration of its grand opening, Four Seasons Hotel Jakarta unveils an introductory offer with special room rate and daily hotel credit of IDR 1,000,000 through July 31, 2016. Reservations may be made by calling Four Seasons reservations or booking online. For meetings, conferences and other group bookings, call the Hotel directly +62 21 22 77 1 888. For a fact sheet detailing all hotel features and services, click here. Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160502/362692 SOURCE Four Seasons Hotel Jakarta SUNNYVALE, Calif., May 4, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Nuspay, a technology leader in global digital currency announced that it has selected Microsoft Azure for its Next-Gen Digital Currency Platform. Microsoft Corp. delivers more than 200 cloud services, including Bing, MSN, Outlook.com, Office 365, OneDrive, Skype, Xbox Live and the Microsoft Azure platform. These services are hosted in Microsoft's cloud infrastructure composed of more than 100 globally distributed datacenters, edge computing nodes, and service operations centers. This infrastructure is supported by one of the world's largest multi-terabit global networks with an extensive dark fiber footprint that connects them all. "We selected Microsoft Azure based on its reliability, scalability, security and environmental sustainability. Microsoft's cloud infrastructure has over a million servers hosted in 100+ globally distributed datacenters with the ability to process over 1.5 million network transaction requests per second. Nuspay needed the ability to reassure its customers, clients and strategic partners that our centralized digital currency platform had its roots firmly imbedded in a world class cloud infrastructure that had the ability to go to the moon and back if needed. Utilizing Microsoft Azure allows me to focus on our global growth without having to be concerned about our infrastructure," stated Nuspay Chief Executive Officer and Chairman Greg A Wooten. Nuspay has developed a complete end to end digital currency ecosystem. The Nuspay Digital Currency (NDC) cryptocurrency ecosystem was engineered to meet and exceed the current and future challenges facing governments, central banks, monetary authorities and enterprises seeking to deploy digital currency. Additionally Nuspay is in the process of developing an international digital currency exchange with planned sites in Singapore and the Caribbean. About Nuspay: Nuspay is a global FinTech building the Next-Gen global digital currency payment network. Nuspay works in tandem with financial institutions, payment networks, payment processors and related financial businesses worldwide to facilitate the acceptance and processing of all forms of payments through its patent-pending technologies. Nuspay is an industry pioneer in payment data security, digital currency, and payment acceptance innovations. The company is headquartered in Sunnyvale, CA. with innovation laboratories in Delhi and Hyderabad, India. Nuspay Public Relations David Ferguson Email 408.664.9841 SOURCE Nuspay With a 25 percent increase in width and 31 percent increase in vaporization area from Olympus' present vaporization device, the Plasma-OvalButton is designed to increase tissue removal rates for enhanced procedural efficiency. Lab testing has demonstrated a 21% increase in tissue vaporization from Olympus' existing vaporization electrode. The Plasma-OvalButton is the latest innovation launched to complement Olympus' full line of PlasmaLoops and electrodes that provide a comprehensive Transurethral Resection (TUR) solution utilizing Olympus' plasma technology. Plasma vaporization therapy with the Plasma-OvalButton is a minimally invasive surgical procedure performed in saline, which has demonstrated reduced risk of TUR syndrome when compared to more traditional monopolar procedures, and is recommended by the National Institute of Health and Clinical Excellence. Other benefits of plasma vaporization therapy over monopolar resection include less bleeding, improved visualization, more precise cutting and coagulation, and shorter catheterization and procedure times. Enlarged prostate, or benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), affects approximately 60 percent of men age 60 or over. The percentage increases to 80-90 percent in men over age 80. Approximately 150,000 men have transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) procedures each year in the U.S.[i] During the procedure, the surgeon uses an endoscopic image to guide the electrode through the urethra to the prostate to safely and efficiently remove prostatic tissue to allow the patient to return to normal urinary function. Olympus' plasma portfolio of electrodes can also be used during TURBT a surgical procedure to remove cancerous tissue from the bladder. Bladder cancer is the sixth most common cancer in the United States, but 96 percent of patients diagnosed early will survive five years later. "The new Olympus Plasma-OvalButton is a tremendous advancement in the treatment of BPH," said Dr. Kenneth Kernen, MD, Beaumont Health System.[ii] "It is more effective and will allow more TURs to be performed on an outpatient basis." "Olympus is pleased to strengthen our industry leading urology portfolio even further with the Plasma-OvalButton," said Todd Usen, President, Olympus Medical Systems Group at Olympus Corporation of the Americas. "We expect that this plasma vaporization technology, already embraced by the urology community, will soon become the industry standard for how transurethral resection is conducted." Designed with performance and patient safety in mind, Olympus' full suite of therapeutic devices help physicians deliver value to patients and help healthcare facilities meet the following key healthcare reform initiatives: Increased Quality of Care: Olympus' plasma products reduce the risk of TUR syndrome, decrease risk of hyponatremia, and show reduction in procedural complications such as bleeding and increased catheterization time. Olympus' plasma products reduce the risk of TUR syndrome, decrease risk of hyponatremia, and show reduction in procedural complications such as bleeding and increased catheterization time. Decreased Costs: Olympus' plasma portfolio can reduce costly procedure time, through the benefits of concurrent vaporization and hemostasis as well as increased vaporization area from the current vaporization electrode. Olympus' plasma portfolio can reduce costly procedure time, through the benefits of concurrent vaporization and hemostasis as well as increased vaporization area from the current vaporization electrode. Enhanced Patient Satisfaction: Reduced catheterization time, reduced complications and faster recovery time are benefits that can lead to increased patient satisfaction. The Plasma-OvalButton will be showcased at the American Urological Association's annual meeting to be held on May 6-10 in San Diego, Calif. Healthcare providers are invited to visit the Olympus Booth #3833 for a hands-on product demonstration. For more information about the new Plasma-OvalButton solution, please contact Olympus customer service at 1-800-848-9024 or visit http://medical.olympusamerica.com/products/plasma-ovalbutton. About Olympus Medical Systems Group Olympus Medical Systems Group, a division of global technology leader Olympus, develops solutions for healthcare professionals that help improve clinical outcomes, reduce overall costs and enhance quality of life for their patients. By enabling less invasive procedures, innovative diagnostic and therapeutic endoscopy, and early stage lung cancer evaluation and treatments, Olympus is transforming the future of healthcare. For more information, visit Olympus at medical.olympusamerica.com. [i] http://www.urologyhealth.org/urologic-conditions/benign-prostatic-hyperplasia-(bph)/treatment/surgery [ii] Dr. Kernen is a paid consultant of Olympus Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160503/363136 SOURCE Olympus Medical Systems Group Related Links http://medical.olympusamerica.com This financing announcement comes as AcceleDent is now available in more than 3,000 orthodontic locations in North America and nearly 800 international locations. OrthoAccel's 80 percent increase in sales in 2015 is fueled by the orthodontic industry's continued adoption of the benefits of accelerated treatment with AcceleDent. "We are proud to have esteemed and knowledgeable investment partners who believe in OrthoAccel's vision to revolutionize the orthodontic industry through innovation that enhances the patient experience," said Michael K. Lowe, president and CEO of OrthoAccel. "Continuing to build on another year of dynamic sales growth and market penetration, this investment provides the resources needed to realize our next stage of market share growth." Lowe added that OrthoAccel's expansion plans include aggressive revenue growth internationally and in North America. The company is actively adding 18 new sales representatives, with nine dedicated to expanding direct sales in Europe. Headquartered in Houston, OrthoAccel's growth plans include adding 30 employees to support functions such as marketing, innovation, operations and clinical education. "We have been impressed with the rapid growth of OrthoAccel to date," said Tom Schnettler, Piper Jaffray vice chairman and managing director of merchant banking. "The AcceleDent technology represents a significant advancement in orthodontic treatment technology for patients and positively impacts orthodontic practices at the same time, creating a large global market opportunity for the company." A leading investment bank and asset management firm, Piper Jaffray Companies (NYSE: PJC) is a longstanding leader in healthcare investment banking with a significant focus on medical technology. Piper Jaffray Merchant Banking, the private equity arm of Piper Jaffray, manages growth equity investment funds that invest within the firm's areas of industry focus, including medical technology and information-driven healthcare technologies. Looking to the second half of 2016 and 2017, Lowe says, "This round of funding will drive our company to capture even more of the global market share in accelerated orthodontics, reinforcing our position as the leader of this category." With a growing body of clinical evidence and high patient satisfaction scores, AcceleDent is being incorporated as standard of care in many practices because orthodontists are finding that AcceleDent resolves the two most common barriers to treatment length of treatment and discomfort while improving practice efficiencies and economics. AcceleDent is the most common accelerated treatment technique used by orthodontists according to the Journal of Clinical Orthodontics. A hands-free, noninvasive medical device, AcceleDent employs patented SoftPulse Technology that accelerates tooth and bone movement at the cellular level with 20 minutes of daily patient use. For more information, visit AcceleDent.com. About OrthoAccel Technologies, Inc. OrthoAccel Technologies, Inc. is a privately owned medical device company engaged in the creation, manufacturing, marketing and sales of innovative solutions that enhance dental care and orthodontic treatment. Among the company's innovations is AcceleDent, an FDA-cleared, Class II medical device that speeds up orthodontic treatment by as much as 50 percent and reduces discomfort associated with orthodontic treatment. OrthoAccel, the Leader in Accelerated Orthodontics, has received positive feedback from patients and leading orthodontists from around the world who recommend the award-winning AcceleDent as the fast, safe and gentle solution to accelerate orthodontic treatment. Ranked on Deloitte's 2015 Technology Fast 500 as one of the fastest growing companies in North America, OrthoAccel is based in Houston, Texas and maintains a global presence through its EMEA office in Essen, Germany. To learn more about OrthoAccel's focus on improving the journey to healthy, beautiful smiles, visit AcceleDent.com. Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160504/363545 SOURCE OrthoAccel Technologies, Inc. Related Links http://www.acceledent.com HARRISBURG, Pa., May 4, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Department of Community and Economic Development Secretary Dennis Davin today announced that new state investments through the Pennsylvania Industrial Development Authority (PIDA) program will help spur statewide development projected to create and retain 55 jobs. "The projects approved by the PIDA board this month are receiving the critical capital necessary to support the growth of their company," said Davin. "As a result, new jobs are coming to the commonwealth as we continue this collaboration to support Pennsylvania businesses." Over the last month, PIDA approved more than $2.6 million in low-interest loans for four projects in Adams, Bedford, Bucks, and Centre counties that will generate more than $6.5 million in total investments. In 2016, PIDA has approved $19.4 million in low-interest loans that have resulted in $40.2 million in private investment and supported 698 created and retained jobs. The following PIDA loans were approved over the last month: Adams County The Land and Forest Conservation Company was awarded a $60,000 loan at 3.25 percent fixed rate for seven years, to assist with the purchase of a reconditioned KMC track skidder forestry sprayer. Total project cost is projected to be $150,000, and will retain four full-time employees. Bedford County The Southern Alleghenies Planning and Development Commission was awarded a $400,000, 15-year loan at 2.25 percent for the first seven years, on behalf of Michael and Michelle Wilt, to construct a 4,800 hog finishing barn in Everett. The Wilt's have a contract with Country View Family Farms. Total project cost is projected to be $1,200,000. Bucks County The Bucks County Economic Development Corporation was awarded a $2,000,000, 15-year loan at 2.25 percent for the first seven years, on behalf of Sapling, Inc., a manufacturer of synchronized clocks including analog and digital clocks, to acquire and renovate a 65,154-square-foot building near their current location. Total project cost is projected to be $4,640,000, and will create 16 new jobs and retain 35 existing positions. Centre County The Philipsburg Super Bowl, LLC, was awarded a $199,000 loan at 3.25 percent fixed rate for 15-years, to assist with the purchase of a 25,000-square-foot formerly vacant bowling alley and restaurant located at 141 Enterprise Road, Philipsburg. Total project cost is projected to be $525,000. Qualified applicants are eligible to select either a reset rate of 2.25 percent for the first seven years or a fixed rate of 3.25 percent for real estate financing, 3.25 percent fixed rate for equipment loans, 3.25 percent fixed rate loans for a 12-month period for working capital and accounts receivable lines of credit, and 2.00 percent fixed rate for pollution prevention and energy efficient loans. Rates will be in effect for loan applications received through June 30, 2016. PIDA is an independent authority staffed and regulated through the Department of Community and Economic Development. The Authority provides capital for building acquisition, construction and renovation work, machinery and equipment loans along with working capital line of credit loans, primarily for manufacturers, industrial developers, research and development firms, agricultural processors and employers looking to establish national or regional headquarters in Pennsylvania. For more information about the Pennsylvania Industrial Development Authority, and other DCED initiatives, visit www.newPA.com. MEDIA CONTACT: Heidi Havens, 717-783-1132 SOURCE Pennsylvania Department of Community & Economic Development Related Links http://www.newpa.com/ Conveniently located near the B.E.A.T. Center, the Monmouth Ocean Food Bank and the Jon Bon Jovi's Soul to Soul Kitchen, the Peoples Pantry will be able to fully service the community. "It is important logistically for our clients to be close to the other organizations that also provide services and support," states Patricia Donaghue, Executive Director of Peoples Pantry. "We are always worried about food shortages. I cannot tell you how important it is to our mission of feeding hungry families that Goya Foods has become a strong supporter of the Peoples Pantry. Goya has been a family-run company since 1936 and is truly an American success story. Their generous contributions will allow us to provide fresh and nutritious food to our clients in need. We cannot thank Goya Foods enough for their continued support." The donation is part of the Goya Gives campaign, a series of annual donations that serves to encourage others to participate in the message and act of helping those in need. "We are proud to support the outstanding work of Peoples Pantry, who are the ones making a difference right here in our communities," says Peter Unanue, Vice President of Goya Foods. "We have always believed in helping those in need and grateful for the commendable efforts of Peoples Pantry in providing those who go without proper nourishment." The public can also share their moments of giving by using #GoyaGives message on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. For more information about Goya Foods, please visit www.goya.com. About Peoples Pantry: The Peoples Pantry is the busiest food pantry in Ocean County. The pantry is an independently funded pantry that provides food for people in need. The Pantry is staffed with very important volunteers and also has a work-study program for students in the Toms River Regional School District. The Peoples Pantry is proud to be the recipient of the 2016 WAVE AWARD Non-Profit of the Year by the Greater Toms River Chamber of Commerce. For more on the Peoples Pantry and ways to volunteer or donate, please visit www.thepeoplespantry.org About GOYA: Founded in 1936, Goya Foods, Inc. is America's largest Hispanic-owned food company, and has established itself as the leader in Latin American food and condiments. Goya manufactures, packages, and distributes over 2,500 high-quality food products from the Caribbean, Mexico, Central and South America. Goya products have their roots in the culinary traditions of Hispanic communities around the world; their combination of authentic ingredients, robust seasonings and convenient preparation make them ideal for every taste and every table. For more information on Goya Foods, please visit www.goya.com CONTACT: Natalie Maniscalco, 1-845-659-6506, [email protected] Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160503/363097 Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20140904/143145 SOURCE Goya Foods Related Links http://www.goya.com CHILLICOTHE, Ohio, May 4, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Petland Inc., the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), the Ohio Professional Dog Breeders Association, the Ohio Department of Agriculture and the American Kennel Club (AKC) recently hosted the fourth annual Dog Breeder Symposium in Berlin, Ohio. More than 240 professional and hobby breeders from three states were in attendance. "Petland is proud to participate and help support this annual educational conference. This is truly a collaborative effort between federal and state agencies and the pet industry to promote and implement processes to improve the life of pets," said Petland President and CEO Joe Watson. "During the conference, breeders from all backgrounds learn first-hand of new science-based standards of care and it is exciting to see each year the positive changes being made." The Symposium series is unique in that the five groups work together to produce an annual breeder education event geared towards the continual improvement of dog-breeding standards. "This event has grown into one of the premier breeder educational conferences in the country," said Petland's Vice President of Animal Welfare Brian Winslow. "Petland works closely with the USDA and all of our conference partners as each group brings a unique set of skills and expertise to the meeting." This year's symposium was held April 21 and focused on genetic testing and Orthopedic Foundation for Animals Certification. Four expert veterinarians spoke on a variety of topics directly related to genetic testing. Previous symposiums have addressed the importance of socialization programs for breeding parents and their offspring, improved kennel design and genetic testing. Petland, Inc. is a franchise operation with quality, full service retail pet centers across the United States, Canada, Japan, China, Mexico, South Africa, Brazil and El Salvador. For more than 47 years, Petland Pet Counselors have been dedicated to matching the right pet with the right person and meeting the needs of both. To its customers who already have pets, Petland is dedicated to enhancing their knowledge and enjoyment of the human-animal bond. Petland was founded in 1967 and is headquartered in south central Ohio. For more information on Petland, visit www.petland.com. Contact: Elizabeth Kunzelman, Director of Communications Petland, Inc. 740-775-2464 SOURCE Petland, Inc. Related Links http://www.petland.com LONDON and INDIANAPOLIS, May 4, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Indianapolis Prize officials will announce today Professor Carl Jones as the Winner of the world's leading award for animal conservation. In recognition of his major victories in saving animal species from extinction, Jones joins the ranks of Indianapolis Prize Winners, some of the most accomplished conservationists on Earth. Officials from the Indianapolis Prize will announce Jones as the Winner of the Prize at a celebratory ceremony with Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust today at the London Natural History Museum at 2 p.m. BST/ 9 a.m. EDT. Additionally, the event will include an expert panel discussion about the future of animal conservation. As the 2016 Indianapolis Prize Winner, Jones, Chief Scientist of the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust and Scientific Director of the Mauritian Wildlife Foundation, will receive an unrestricted $250,000 cash award and the Lilly Medal. "The Indianapolis Prize has two primary functions," said Michael I. Crowther, President & CEO of the Indianapolis Zoological Society, which administers the award. "First, it rewards and honors animal conservationists who are actually achieving notable successes. Secondly, it provides them with a more effective platform from which they can tell the stories of their work to a wide range of audiences especially the public." Spanning almost 40 years of work in Mauritius, Jones has brought back at least nine species from the brink of extinction including the Mauritius kestrel, pink pigeon, echo parakeet, Rodrigues warbler and Rodrigues fody, and has worked to restore the populations of many more species. Through programs that implement hands-on animal husbandry techniques developed in contemporary zoological institutions, Jones has delivered results that are truly awe-inspiring: of the 63 bird, mammal and amphibian species worldwide that have been down-listed on the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List as a result of conservation initiatives, he has led the recovery efforts for six of them. "I know of no other conservationist who has directly saved so many species from extinction," said Dr. Simon N. Stuart, Chair of the IUCN Species Survival Commission, who nominated Jones for the award. "Winning the 2016 Indianapolis Prize is undoubtedly one of the highlights of my career," said Jones. "It's a great accolade not just for me, but for Gerry Durrell and the people who have made this work possible over the years. I'm particularly proud of this award because it validates the conservation of animals like Telfair's skinks and pink pigeons that are not megavertebrates, but provide critically important ecosystem services nonetheless." A Legacy Lives On Jones is a declared disciple of the iconic British animal conservationist, Gerald "Gerry" Durrell, and like his mentor, he has a talent for bold missions. In the late 1970s, Jones traveled to the Republic of Mauritius the island home of the famously-extinct dodo bird to save another species that conservationists before him considered a lost cause: the Mauritius kestrel. At the time, just four kestrels remained in the wild, making it the rarest bird in the world. Jones not only prevented the Mauritius kestrels' extinction, but also expanded their number substantially by releasing more than 300 captive-bred birds over one decade. "Carl is living proof that by having the courage, talent and vision to take small steps, we can win victories for species large and small," said Lee Durrell, MBE, Ph.D., and Honorary Director for Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust. "Not only has Carl built upon the legacy left by Gerry, but he's created his own one that will endure for generations to come. We at Durrell are thrilled to have his remarkable work recognized by the Indianapolis Prize." A Commitment to Species and Ecosystems Jones recognizes the need to restore entire ecosystems, rather than just simply focusing on a species. When he approached the various politicians and decision makers in Mauritius with evidence of his success breeding kestrels, they responded, "We now need to have somewhere to look after them." This spurred the expansion of Jones' work from restoring individual species to restoring habitats. In 1994, he served as a key advisor to the Mauritian government to establish Black River Gorges National Park, the country's first. As a result of Jones' vision, work to restore nine highly-degraded Mascarene offshore islands, including Round Island, one of the world's most important and long-standing island restoration projects, is currently underway. Jones is credited with championing the idea of "ecological replacement," a conservation tactic in which species outside of their historic range act as analogues to fulfill important ecological roles once held by extinct species. His projects include Aldabra tortoises, first brought to the island at the request of Charles Darwin in the late 1800s. Hope for the Future of Conservation "Professor Jones' achievements on the islands of Mauritius bear wide-ranging global significance," said Crowther. "His conservation approach includes techniques that can be adapted and scaled for ecosystems in other areas of the world where species are at risk of extinction. His captive breeding and reintroduction programs now serve as models for what can be achieved elsewhere." Jones is committed to training and inspiring young Mauritians to build on his legacy and the island's conservation capacity. As a charismatic leader, Jones grew his program team in Mauritius into a conservation organization in its own right now the Mauritian Wildlife Foundation (MWF). Today, MWF is one of the region's foremost conservation NGOs. Over the last 30 years, more than 800 people have trained alongside Jones, and many now are working professionally in conservation or biology. Born and raised in Wales, Jones received his masters and doctorate from the University of Wales in Swansea. He currently splits his time between Wales and Mauritius for his work. Jones will be formally honored at the 2016 Indianapolis Prize Gala presented by Cummins Inc. on Oct. 15, 2016 in Indianapolis. He was selected by a jury of distinguished conservation leaders from a respected pool of Finalists, who each will receive $10,000. They include: Joel Berger, Ph.D.: (Wildlife Conservation Society, Colorado State University) Dr. Berger strives to save flagship species like the muskox in the Arctic tundra and the wild yak of the alpine on the Tibetan Plateau. Beyond studying migration paths for large mammals, Berger's actionable conservation models help researchers understand populations as modern metaphors for climate change. Berger was also a Finalist for the 2014 Indianapolis Prize. Dee Boersma, Ph.D.: (Penguin Sentinels, University of Washington Department of Biology) Penguins, as sentinels of our oceans, have no greater champion than Dr. Boersma. For more than four decades she has studied Galapagos penguins, showing how these seabirds are indicators of environmental change. She has followed the lives of Argentina's Magellanic penguins to help strengthen protections and conservation efforts for colonies, using her science to prevent harvesting, reduce oiling and secure marine protected areas. Rodney Jackson, Ph.D.: (Snow Leopard Conservancy) One of the world's foremost experts on the elusive, endangered snow leopard, Dr. Jackson endures harsh winters and dangerous terrain to track these "ghosts of the mountain" and teach locals how to coexist peacefully with them. Jackson was also a Finalist for the 2008, 2010 and 2012 Indianapolis Prize. Carl Safina, Ph.D.: (The Safina Center at Stony Brook University) A crusader for the ocean and its creatures, Dr. Safina works to effectively connect humans with marine species. He has pioneered innovative approaches to studying species ranging from reef coral to whales, and established a sustainable seafood program, bringing science-based criteria to consumers. Safina was also a Finalist for the 2010 and 2014 Indianapolis Prize. Amanda Vincent, Ph.D.: (Project Seahorse, University of British Columbia) Among the first to study seahorses underwater, Dr. Vincent helped put the world's 47 species on the global conservation agenda. Initiating the first seahorse conservation project, her programs have led to 35 no-take marine protected areas, the first global export controls for marine fishes and a bold new citizen science venture, iSeahorse. Vincent was also a Finalist for the 2010 Indianapolis Prize. A History of Indianapolis Prize Winners The Indianapolis Prize was first awarded in 2006 to George Archibald, Ph.D., the co-founder of the International Crane Foundation. The 2008 Winner was George Schaller, Ph.D., known as one of the founding fathers of modern wildlife conservation, and both a senior conservationist for the Wildlife Conservation Society and vice president for Panthera. In 2010, Iain Douglas-Hamilton, Ph.D., founder of Save the Elephants, received the Prize for his pioneering research in elephant social behavior and for leading the way in the fight against the poaching of African elephants. Steven Amstrup, Ph.D., chief scientist for Polar Bears International, received the 2012 Prize for his work promoting the cause of the world's largest land carnivore. In 2014, Patricia C. Wright, Ph.D., founder of Centre ValBio, became the first woman awarded the Indianapolis Prize for her dedication to protecting Madagascar's lemurs. ABOUT THE INDIANAPOLIS PRIZE: The Indianapolis Prize recognizes and rewards conservationists who have achieved major victories in advancing the sustainability of an animal species or group of species. The Indianapolis Prize has received support from the Eli Lilly and Company Foundation since its inception. ABOUT DURRELL WILDLIFE CONSERVATION TRUST: Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust is an international charity working to save species from extinction. Headquartered in Jersey in the Channel Islands, Durrell focuses on the most threatened species in the most threatened places. SOURCE Indianapolis Prize Related Links http://www.indianapolisprize.org SACRAMENTO, Calif., May 4, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Rev. Samuel Rodriguez, lead pastor of New Season Church in California and President/CEO of the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference (NHCLC), one of the world's largest Latino Evangelical organizations, asked presumed Republican nominee Donald Trump to come to the table to discuss comprehensive immigration solutions, that include secure borders, but also a place for the millions of hard-working Latino immigrants who call the United States their home. "To date Donald Trump's comments about immigration have been inflammatory, impractical and unhelpful," Rodriguez said. "Now that he is the presumptive nominee, we call upon him to immediately stop rhetorical commentary he has previously used that discredits groups, including Latino immigrants, and start discussing and offering real, productive solutions for comprehensive immigration reform." In his victory speech following the Indiana primary, Trump spoke of reaching out to the Hispanic community. Rodriguez said now is the time to put action to his words and attempt to heal the hurt and damage his previous statements have caused. "If Trump truly wants to make America 'a beautiful and loving country' then he must personally begin by treating all black, white, Latino, male and female as they deserve to be treated. For at the end of the day, every individual is made in the image of God and merits love and respect," Rodriguez said. A recent internal survey of NHCLC members highlighted an important fact: Hispanic Evangelicals are still very much up for grabs in 2016. When asked which candidate they would vote for today, no one candidate on either side of the aisle had clearly locked their support. More than one-third of the evangelical Hispanics polled claimed that no one candidate democrat or republican clearly represents them at this point in the race and that policy is more important than rhetoric. "This tells us that evangelical Hispanics are still making up their minds," said Rev. Rodriguez. "This is good news for the remaining candidates who will need their support in a general election, but will have to earn it. "As we continue down the path in choosing our next president, may we remember that our great nation's future depends not on one man or one woman, but rather God," Rodriguez continued. "Now is the time to pray fervently, especially as we celebrate the National Day of Prayer tomorrow, for God to heal America and bring unity to us once again." Rodriguez is President of NHCLC and author of the new book, "Be Light." NHCLC is the world's largest Hispanic Christian organization, serving as a representative voice for the more than 100 million Hispanic Evangelicals assembled in over 40,000 U.S. churches and another hundreds of thousands of congregations spread throughout the Spanish-speaking diaspora. For additional information, visit http://www.nhclc.org. Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120912/CL72800LOGO SOURCE National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference Related Links http://www.nhclc.org BOSTON, May 4, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Delphi Technology, Inc., the recognized leader in business software solutions for the healthcare professional liability industry and an emerging provider of business software solutions to the property and casualty insurance industry, today announced that Rex James has joined the company as Vice President of P&C Sales. James is charged with developing and leading the P&C sales process for Delphi's newly-created Property & Casualty product division, with an initial focus on new business development initiatives, in order to support Delphi's continued expansion into new segments of the insurance market. Commenting on James' appointment, John J. Flavin, Delphi Technology's Senior Vice President and Chief Business Development Officer, said, "I am extremely pleased to announce Rex's appointment. He brings a long and successful career having spent more than thirty years in senior management, sales, services and technology a combination that will serve Delphi Technology well as we continue to expand our product and consulting services offerings, leverage our past successes, and establish a presence in new insurance markets." "I'm very excited about this opportunity," said James. "With two new P&C products built on Delphi's new Velocity platform, Delphi Accelerator and Delphi Policy, along with Delphi's reputation for innovation, I expect the new P&C division to grow rapidly." James brings deep expertise in executing successful business development and sales strategies. Prior to joining Delphi Technology, James served in executive sales/operations leadership positions at eBao Tech, CSC, ISO, and AQS. He attended Purdue University and IUPUI in Indianapolis. About Delphi Technology For more than 20 years, Delphi Technology has been the recognized leader in providing business software solutions to the healthcare professional liability market. Delphi delivers a comprehensive range of proven software solutions including underwriting, policy management, claims management, financial management, business intelligence, and predictive analytics. Leveraging a highly flexible technology platform, Delphi enables companies to streamline their operations, optimize their business processes, and respond to changing business needs resulting in reduced costs, increased operational efficiency, and improved business intelligence. Delphi Technology utilizes a proven implementation methodology ensuring the transfer of critical technical, business, and market and expertise throughout the deployment process resulting in successful implementations that come in on schedule and on budget. Headquartered in Boston, MA, Delphi Technology has offices throughout North America and in Shanghai, China. For more information, please visit www.Delphi-Tech.com. Contact: Bonnie Clark, Vice President of Marketing Delphi Technology, Inc. [email protected] 732-353-3519 SOURCE Delphi Technology, Inc. Related Links http://www.delphi-tech.com LONDON, May 4, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Chicago-based R.J. O'Brien & Associates (RJO), the oldest and largest independent futures brokerage and clearing firm in the United States, announced today that its London-based affiliate R.J. O'Brien Europe Limited (RJO Europe) has hired Peter Jerrom and John Burt as Senior Vice Presidents, Listed Foreign Exchange (FX) Brokers. David Mudie, Chief Executive Officer of RJO Europe, said: "Peter and John are seasoned FX brokers and terrific additions to the team here, reinforcing our commitment to client-focused, best-in-class service. We continue to expand and round out our institutional specialty areas from the UK, and this represents our first London-based emphasis on exchange-traded FX. It's a great complement to our growing global over-the-counter FX business that Tony Dalton is heading from New York." Jerrom said: "We're excited to join such a respected firm as RJO, which has direct access to the major futures exchanges, impressive technology and a robust global infrastructure. This move gives us prime brokerage relationships and a comprehensive offering of listed products to deliver to clients." Burt added: "RJO's footprint in the FX space coupled with its general clearing memberships with CME Group, ICE Futures and other exchanges, takes us to the next level with our global customer base." Jerrom and Burt both previously served as Co-Head of Exchange-Traded FX at Sigma Broking LTD in London since September 2014. Before that role, Jerrom was Head of Global FX Derivatives and Chief Operating Officer for UniCredit in London, which he joined in 2008. Previously, he was a Senior Trader at Lehman Brothers in London and held product development roles at Barclays Capital. He started his career at Citibank, where he was a trader in London, New York and Singapore. Burt has spent most of his career in London. Prior to joining Sigma, he was an over-the-counter (OTC) and listed broker for ICAP, specializing in emerging markets FX and swaps. He previously was an OTC broker in those products at Sunrise, Tullett Prebon and Tradition SA, from 2007 to 2013. Burt launched his career in exchange-traded derivatives and prime brokerage at J.P. Morgan Securities in London before joining UBS in 2006 as Manager, Prime Brokerage Hedge Fund Sales. About R.J. O'Brien Founded in 1914, R.J. O'Brien & Associates is the largest independent futures brokerage firm in the United States, serving institutional, commercial and individual clients globally, in addition to a network of 400 introducing brokers (IBs). Clearing more than 80,000 client accounts, RJO services the industry's most expansive global network of IBs, a vast array of middle market firms and many of the world's largest financial, industrial and agricultural institutions. The firm offers state-of-the-art electronic trading and 24-hour trade execution on every major futures exchange worldwide. Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130114/CL41946LOGO SOURCE R.J. O'Brien & Associates Related Links http://www.rjobrien.com SUMMARY OF IDENTIFIED ITEMS With effect from 2016, identified items include the impact of exchange rate movements on certain deferred tax balances, as set out in Definition [A]. The comparative information in this Report has been restated following this change. CCS earnings attributable to shareholders for the first quarter 2016 reflected the following items, which in aggregate amounted to a net charge of $739 million (compared with a net gain of $1,023 million for the first quarter 2015), as summarised below: Integrated Gas earnings included a net charge of $89 million , primarily reflecting a gain of some $400 million related to the impact of the strengthening Australian dollar on a deferred tax position, offset by a net charge on fair value accounting of certain commodity derivatives and gas contracts of some $170 million , asset impairments of some $130 million , and other items including a litigation provision. Integrated Gas earnings for the first quarter 2015 included a net charge of $352 million . , primarily reflecting a gain of some related to the impact of the strengthening Australian dollar on a deferred tax position, offset by a net charge on fair value accounting of certain commodity derivatives and gas contracts of some , asset impairments of some , and other items including a litigation provision. Integrated Gas earnings for the first quarter 2015 included a net charge of . Upstream earnings included a net gain of $87 million , primarily reflecting a gain of some $360 million related to the impact of the strengthening Brazilian real on a deferred tax position, partly offset by asset impairments of some $300 million . Upstream earnings for the first quarter 2015 included a net gain of $1,595 million . , primarily reflecting a gain of some related to the impact of the strengthening Brazilian real on a deferred tax position, partly offset by asset impairments of some . Upstream earnings for the first quarter 2015 included a net gain of . Downstream earnings included a net charge of $310 million , primarily reflecting the net impact of fair value accounting of commodity derivatives of some $240 million and impairments of some $190 million , partly offset by gains on divestments of some $130 million . Downstream earnings for the first quarter 2015 included a net charge of $132 million . , primarily reflecting the net impact of fair value accounting of commodity derivatives of some and impairments of some , partly offset by gains on divestments of some . Downstream earnings for the first quarter 2015 included a net charge of . Corporate results and Non-controlling interest included a net charge of $427 million , mainly reflecting a charge of $266 million related to the payment of stamp duty in the United Kingdom for the acquisition of BG, and a charge of some $190 million related to the impact of the strengthening Brazilian real on deferred tax positions related to financing of the Upstream business, partly offset by $100 million for the non-controlling interest share of an impairment of a Downstream asset. Earnings for the first quarter 2015 included a net charge of $88 million . EARNINGS BY SEGMENT INTEGRATED GAS $ million Quarters Q1 2016 Q4 2015 Q1 2015 %[1] Integrated Gas earnings excluding identified items 994 1,245 1,491 -33 Integrated Gas earnings 905 1,125 1,139 -21 Integrated Gas cash flow from operating activities 2,657 1,929 2,534 +5 Integrated Gas capital investment excluding BG acquisition impact 1,051 1,357 1,301 -19 Integrated Gas BG-related capital investment 21,773 - - Liquids production available for sale (thousand b/d) 224 201 201 +11 Natural gas production available for sale (million scf/d) 3,532 2,486 2,447 +44 Total production available for sale (thousand boe/d) 833 633 622 +34 LNG liquefaction volumes (million tonnes) 7.04 5.68 6.17 +14 LNG sales volumes (million tonnes) 12.29 10.14 9.81 +25 1. Q1 on Q1 change First quarter Integrated Gas earnings excluding identified items were $994 million compared with $1,491 million a year ago. Identified items were a net charge of $89 million, compared with a net charge of $352 million for the first quarter 2015 (see page 6). Compared with the first quarter 2015, earnings excluding identified items were impacted by the decline in oil and gas prices, and LNG price, and the Malaysia LNG Dua JVA expiry. This was partly offset by the contribution from BG, increased contributions from trading and lower well write-offs. Integrated Gas cash flow from operating activities was $2,657 million, which included positive working capital movements of $1,628 million. The working capital movement mainly reflects an inter-segment allocation which had a nil impact on a consolidated basis. First quarter 2016 production was 833 thousand boe/d compared with 622 thousand boe/d a year ago. Liquids production was 11% higher in than the same period a year ago and natural gas production increased by 44% compared with the first quarter 2015. LNG liquefaction volumes of 7.04 million tonnes increased by 14% compared with the same quarter a year ago, mainly reflecting the impact of the acquisition of BG, including an increase associated with the ramp-up of Queensland Curtis LNG in Australia, partly offset by the expiry of the Malaysia LNG Dua JVA. LNG sales volumes of 12.29 million tonnes increased by 25% compared with the same quarter a year ago, mainly reflecting the impact of the acquisition of BG. UPSTREAM $ million Quarters Q1 2016 Q4 2015 Q1 2015 %[1] Upstream earnings excluding identified items (1,437) (1,009) (195) -637 Upstream earnings (1,350) (1,458) 1,400 -196 Upstream cash flow from operating activities 448 987 1,595 -72 Upstream capital investment excluding BG acquisition impact 3,907 4,463 4,642 -16 Upstream BG-related capital investment 31,131 - - Liquids production available for sale (thousand b/d) 1,557 1,331 1,341 +16 Natural gas production available for sale (million scf/d) 7,373 6,255 6,974 +6 Total production available for sale (thousand boe/d) 2,828 2,406 2,544 +11 1. Q1 on Q1 change First quarter Upstream earnings excluding identified items were a loss of $1,437 million compared with a loss of $195 million a year ago. Identified items were a net gain of $87 million compared with a net gain of $1,595 million for the first quarter 2015 (see page 6). Compared with the first quarter 2015, earnings excluding identified items were impacted by the decline in oil and gas prices and increased depreciation. This was partly offset by lower operating expenses, as steps taken by the company to reduce costs more than offset the increase in operating expenses due to the consolidation of BG. Earnings also benefited from lower exploration expense and increased liquids production volumes from improved operating performance. Realisations for Shell's total production were 36% lower for liquids and 36% lower for natural gas than for the same quarter a year ago. First quarter 2016 production was 2,828 thousand boe/d compared with 2,544 thousand boe/d a year ago. Liquids production was 16% higher than in the same period a year ago and natural gas production increased by 6% compared with the first quarter 2015. New field start-ups and the continuing ramp-up of existing fields, in particular North American shales, Erha North ph2 in Nigeria and the Corrib gas field in Ireland, contributed some 62 thousand boe/d to production compared with the first quarter 2015. DOWNSTREAM $ million Quarters Q1 2016 Q4 2015 Q1 2015 %[1] Downstream earnings excluding identified items[2] 2,010 1,524 2,646 -24 Of which: Oil Products 1,633 1,342 2,237 -27 Chemicals 377 182 409 -8 Downstream earnings[2] 1,700 2,502 2,514 -32 Downstream cash flow from operating activities (1,434) 2,101 1,554 -192 Downstream capital investment 1,092 1,974 849 +29 Refinery processing intake (thousand b/d) 2,645 2,630 2,871 -8 Oil products sales volumes (thousand b/d) 6,225 6,297 6,313 -1 Chemicals sales volumes (thousand tonnes) 4,050 4,178 4,192 -3 1. Q1 on Q1 change 2. Earnings are presented on a CCS basis First quarter Downstream earnings excluding identified items were $2,010 million compared with $2,646 million for the first quarter 2015. Identified items were a net charge of $310 million, compared with a net charge of $132 million for the first quarter 2015 (see page 6). Compared with the first quarter 2015, Downstream earnings excluding identified items were mainly impacted by weaker refining industry conditions. Contributions from marketing were lower, driven by the negative impact of exchange rate effects and divestments, despite stronger underlying performance. Downstream earnings benefited from lower costs, including the impact of favourable exchange rate effects and divestments. Downstream cash flow from operating activities was a negative $1,434 million, which included negative working capital movements of $3,582 million. The negative working capital movement included the settlement of a previously Generally Embargoed Country payable of $1,942 million, increased trading inventory, and an inter-segment allocation which had a nil impact on a consolidated basis. Oil Products Refining & Trading earnings excluding identified items were $662 million in the first quarter 2016 compared with $1,262 million for the same period last year. First quarter 2016 earnings were impacted by lower realised refining margins, reflecting the weaker global refining industry conditions due to oversupply and high inventory levels, and operating performance. Refinery intake volumes were 8% lower compared with the same quarter last year. Excluding portfolio impacts, refinery intake volumes were 6% lower compared with the same period a year ago. Refinery availability decreased to 90% compared with 95% in the first quarter 2015, mainly as a result of increased maintenance. Marketing earnings excluding identified items were $971 million in the first quarter 2016 compared with $975 million for the same period a year ago. First quarter 2016 earnings benefited from stronger underlying unit margins and lower costs, offsetting the impact of adverse exchange rate effects and divestments. Oil products sales volumes decreased by 1% compared with the same period a year ago, reflecting lower trading volumes partly offset by higher marketing volumes. Chemicals Chemicals earnings excluding identified items were $377 million in the first quarter 2016 compared with $409 million for the same period last year. First quarter 2016 earnings were primarily impacted by lower realised base chemicals margins in the United States . Earnings benefited from lower costs and from recovery at the Moerdijk chemical site in the Netherlands , which more than offset the impact of unit shutdowns at the Bukom chemical site in Singapore . Chemicals sales volumes decreased by 3% compared with the same quarter last year, mainly as a result of reduced availability driven by unit shutdowns at Bukom, partly offset by recovery at Moerdijk. Chemicals manufacturing plant availability increased to 88% from 84% in the first quarter 2015, mainly reflecting recovery at Moerdijk, partly offset by unit shutdowns at Bukom. CORPORATE AND NON-CONTROLLING INTEREST $ million Quarters Q1 2016 Q4 2015 Q1 2015 Corporate and Non-controlling interest earnings excl. identified items (14) (188) (204) Of which: Corporate 69 (154) (83) Non-controlling interest (83) (34) (121) Corporate and Non-controlling interest earnings (441) (329) (292) First quarter Corporate results and Non-controlling interest excluding identified items were a loss of $14 million, compared with a loss of $204 million for the same period last year. Identified items for the first quarter 2016 were a net charge of $427 million, whereas earnings for the first quarter 2015 included a net charge of $88 million (see page 6). Compared with the first quarter 2015, Corporate results excluding identified items mainly reflected favourable exchange rate effects and lower net interest expense, partly offset by lower tax credits. OUTLOOK FOR THE SECOND QUARTER 2016 Compared with the second quarter 2015, Integrated Gas earnings are expected to be negatively impacted by a reduction of some 30 thousand boe/d associated with the impact of maintenance, including some 25 thousand boe/d associated with continued planned maintenance at the Pearl GTL plant in Qatar. Upstream earnings are expected to be negatively impacted by a reduction of some 25 thousand boe/d related to a Malaysia PSC expiry, and some 10 thousand boe/d as a result of divestments. Upstream earnings are expected to be positively impacted by lower levels of curtailment and underground storage utilisation at NAM in the Netherlands, and maintenance of some 60 thousand boe/d. Refinery availability is expected to decline in the second quarter 2016 as a result of higher planned maintenance compared with the same period a year ago. Unit shutdowns at the Bukom chemical site in Singapore are expected to result in similar Chemicals manufacturing plant availability as in the second quarter 2015, which was heavily impacted by unit shutdowns at the Moerdijk chemical site in the Netherlands. There are expected divestment tax payments related to 2015 divestments of some $830 million in the second quarter 2016 impacting cash flow from operating activities. There are expected to be substantial redundancy and restructuring charges, which will be included as identified items, in the second quarter 2016. BG will be consolidated within Shell's results for the full second quarter. Compared with the second quarter 2015, the BG purchase price allocation is expected to increase depreciation by approximately $0.3 billion. Given the significant decline in oil and gas prices in the first quarter 2016, second quarter earnings are expected to be negatively impacted by the price-lag effect in our LNG contracts. FORTHCOMING EVENTS The Annual General Meeting will be held on May 24, 2016. Second quarter 2016 results and second quarter 2016 dividend are scheduled to be announced on July 28, 2016. Third quarter 2016 results and third quarter 2016 dividend are scheduled to be announced on October 27, 2016. Shell's Capital Markets Day will be held on June 7, 2016 in London, United Kingdom. UNAUDITED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED INTERIM FINANCIAL STATEMENTS CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF INCOME $ million Quarters Q1 2016 Q4 2015 Q1 2015 Revenue[1],[2] 48,554 58,146 65,706 Share of profit of joint ventures and associates 789 793 1,405 Interest and other income 389 1,237 1,735 Total revenue and other income 49,732 60,176 68,846 Purchases 33,286 43,166 47,425 Production and manufacturing expenses 6,765 7,515 6,655 Selling, distribution and administrative expenses 3,106 3,090 2,894 Research and development 243 297 253 Exploration 457 549 800 Depreciation, depletion and amortisation 6,147 5,281 4,604 Interest expense 370 519 376 Total expenditure 50,374 60,417 63,007 Income/(loss) before taxation (642) (241) 5,839 Taxation charge/(credit) (1,097) (1,183) 1,302 Income/(loss) for the period[1],[2] 455 942 4,537 Income/(loss) attributable to non-controlling interest (29) 3 107 Income/(loss) attributable to Royal Dutch Shell plc shareholders 484 939 4,430 Basic earnings per share[3] 0.07 0.15 0.70 Diluted earnings per share[3] 0.07 0.15 0.69 1. See Note [2] "Acquisition of BG Group plc" 2. See Note [3] "Segment information" 3. See Note [4] "Earnings per share" CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME $ million Quarters Q1 2016 Q4 2015 Q1 2015 Income/(loss) for the period 455 942 4,537 Other comprehensive income net of tax: Items that may be reclassified to income in later periods: - Currency translation differences 2,319 (1,249) (4,199) - Unrealised gains/(losses) on securities (12) (119) (135) - Cash flow hedging gains/(losses) 324 (202) (9) - Net investment hedging gains/(losses)[1] 136 - - - Share of other comprehensive income/(loss) of joint ventures and associates 8 (41) 7 Total 2,775 (1,611) (4,336) Items that are not reclassified to income in later periods: - Retirement benefits remeasurements (1,634) 3,140 (1,316) Other comprehensive income/(loss) for the period 1,141 1,529 (5,652) Comprehensive income/(loss) for the period 1,596 2,471 (1,115) Comprehensive income/(loss) attributable to non-controlling interest 4 (16) 63 Comprehensive income/(loss) attributable to Royal Dutch Shell plc shareholders 1,592 2,487 (1,178) 1. See Note [1] "Basis of preparation" CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEET $ million Mar 31,2016[1] Dec 31, 2015 Mar 31, 2015 Assets Non-current assets Intangible assets 21,327 6,283 6,852 Property, plant and equipment 245,133 182,838 189,263 Joint ventures and associates 35,654 30,150 31,643 Investments in securities 3,474 3,416 3,952 Deferred tax 15,311 11,033 8,439 Retirement benefits 3,108 4,362 1,912 Trade and other receivables[2] 11,047 8,717 8,240 335,054 246,799 250,301 Current assets Inventories 17,396 15,822 19,968 Trade and other receivables[2] 52,835 45,784 51,696 Cash and cash equivalents 11,019 31,752 19,867 81,250 93,358 91,531 Total assets 416,304 340,157 341,832 Liabilities Non-current liabilities Debt 73,005 52,849 35,703 Trade and other payables[2] 3,917 4,528 4,769 Deferred tax 16,677 8,976 10,240 Retirement benefits 13,516 12,587 17,642 Decommissioning and other provisions 32,710 26,148 25,154 139,825 105,088 93,508 Current liabilities Debt 7,868 5,530 8,137 Trade and other payables[2] 56,032 52,770 55,761 Taxes payable 10,387 8,233 11,705 Retirement benefits 401 350 361 Decommissioning and other provisions 3,777 4,065 3,538 78,465 70,948 79,502 Total liabilities 218,290 176,036 173,010 Equity attributable to Royal Dutch Shell plc shareholders 196,521 162,876 167,960 Non-controlling interest 1,493 1,245 862 Total equity 198,014 164,121 168,822 Total liabilities and equity 416,304 340,157 341,832 1. See Note [2] "Acquisition of BG Group plc" 2. See Note [7] "Derivative contracts" CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN EQUITY Equity attributable to Royal Dutch Shell plc shareholders Share Shares Other Non- capital held in reserves Retained controlling Total $ million [1] trust [2] earnings Total interest equity At January 1, 2016 546 (584) (17,186) 180,100 162,876 1,245 164,121 Comprehensive income/(loss) for the period - - 1,108 484 1,592 4 1,596 Dividends paid - - - (3,734) (3,734) (35) (3,769) Scrip dividends 5 - (5) 1,476 1,476 - 1,476 Shares issued for the acquisition of BG Group plc[3] 120 - 33,930 - 34,050 - 34,050 Repurchases of shares - - - - - - - Shares held in trust: net sales and dividends received - 369 - 15 384 - 384 Capital contributions from, and other changes in, non-controlling interest - - - 150 150 279 429 Share-based compensation - - (381) 108 (273) - (273) At March 31, 2016 671 (215) 17,466 178,599 196,521 1,493 198,014 At January 1, 2015 540 (1,190) (14,365) 186,981 171,966 820 172,786 Comprehensive income/(loss) for the period - - (5,608) 4,430 (1,178) 63 (1,115) Dividends paid - - - (2,932) (2,932) (18) (2,950) Scrip dividends - - - - - - - Repurchases of shares (1) - 1 1 1 - 1 Shares held in trust: net sales and dividends received - 650 - 24 674 - 674 Capital contributions from, and other changes in, non-controlling interest - - - (1) (1) (3) (4) Share-based compensation - - (549) (21) (570) - (570) At March 31, 2015 539 (540) (20,521) 188,482 167,960 862 168,822 1. See Note [5] "Share capital" 2. See Note [6] "Other reserves" 3. See Note [2] "Acquisition of BG Group plc" CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF CASH FLOWS $ million Quarters Q1 2016 Q4 2015 Q1 2015 Cash flow from operating activities Income/(loss) for the period 455 942 4,537 Adjustment for: - Current tax 753 1,212 2,947 - Interest expense (net) 272 405 303 - Depreciation, depletion and amortisation 6,147 5,281 4,604 - Net (gains)/losses on sale of non-current assets and businesses (175) (1,108) (1,612) - Decrease/(increase) in working capital (3,909) 1,598 (372) - Share of (profit)/loss of joint ventures and associates (789) (793) (1,405) - Dividends received from joint ventures and associates 688 1,440 1,077 - Deferred tax, retirement benefits, decommissioning and other provisions (1,755) (1,827) (1,503) - Other (292) (3) 94 Net cash from operating activities (pre-tax) 1,395 7,147 8,670 Tax paid (734) (1,724) (1,564) Net cash from operating activities 661 5,423 7,106 Cash flow from investing activities Capital expenditure (5,324) (7,299) (6,215) Acquisition of BG Group plc, net of cash and cash equivalents acquired[1] (11,421) - - Investments in joint ventures and associates (332) (5) (409) Proceeds from sale of property, plant and equipment and businesses 46 1,398 2,203 Proceeds from sale of joint ventures and associates 16 26 4 Interest received 136 91 56 Other (37) (397) (79) Net cash used in investing activities (16,916) (6,186) (4,440) Cash flow from financing activities Net increase/(decrease) in debt with maturity period within three months 873 (9) (255) Other debt: - New borrowings 264 5,213 752 - Repayments (1,969) (1,818) (630) Interest paid (534) (484) (409) Change in non-controlling interest 422 177 (5) Cash dividends paid to: - Royal Dutch Shell plc shareholders (2,258) (1,782) (2,932) - Non-controlling interest (35) (45) (18) Repurchases of shares - - (409) Shares held in trust: net sales/(purchases) and dividends received (4) 7 (40) Net cash from/(used in) financing activities (3,241) 1,259 (3,946) Currency translation differences relating to cash and cash equivalents (1,237) (590) (460) Increase/(decrease) in cash and cash equivalents (20,733) (94) (1,740) Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period 31,752 31,846 21,607 Cash and cash equivalents at end of period 11,019 31,752 19,867 1. See Note [2] "Acquisition of BG Group plc" NOTES TO THE UNAUDITED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED INTERIM FINANCIAL STATEMENTS 1. Basis of preparation These unaudited Condensed Consolidated Interim Financial Statements ("Interim Statements") of Royal Dutch Shell plc ("the Company") and its subsidiaries (collectively referred to as "Shell") have been prepared in accordance with IAS 34 Interim Financial Reporting as issued by the International Accounting Standards Board and as adopted by the European Union, and on the basis of the same accounting principles as, and should be read in conjunction with, the Annual Report and Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2015 (pages 120 to 125) as filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. In addition to those accounting policies, following the acquisition of BG Group plc, Shell accounts for net investment hedges where the effective portion of gains and losses arising on hedging instruments that are used to hedge net investments in foreign operations are recognised in other comprehensive income until the related investment is disposed of. The financial information presented in the Interim Statements does not constitute statutory accounts within the meaning of section 434(3) of the Companies Act 2006 ("the Act"). Statutory accounts for the year ended December 31, 2015 were published in Shell's Annual Report and a copy was delivered to the Registrar of Companies in England and Wales. The auditors' report on those accounts was unqualified, did not include a reference to any matters to which the auditors drew attention by way of emphasis without qualifying the report and did not contain a statement under sections 498(2) or 498(3) of the Act. 2. Acquisition of BG Group plc On February 15, 2016, the Company acquired all the voting rights in BG by means of a Scheme of Arrangement under Part 26 of the Act for a purchase consideration of $54,034 million. This included cash of $19,036 million and the fair value ($34,050 million) of 218.7 million A shares and 1,305.1 million B shares issued in exchange for all BG shares. The fair value of the shares issued was calculated using the market price of the Company's A and B shares of 1,545.0 and 1,538.5 pence respectively on the London Stock Exchange at its opening of business on February 15, 2016. Following completion of the acquisition on February 15, 2016, BG Group plc ("BG") has been consolidated within Royal Dutch Shell's results. For practical purposes, this includes February and March 2016, as the impact for the first half of February is deemed immaterial. BG's activities mainly comprise exploration, development, production, liquefaction and marketing of hydrocarbons, the development and use of LNG import facilities, and the purchase, shipping and sale of LNG and regasified natural gas. The acquisition is expected to accelerate Shell's growth strategy in global LNG and deep water. It is expected to add material proved oil and gas reserves and production volumes, and provides Shell with enhanced positions in competitive new oil and gas projects, particularly in Australia LNG and Brazil deep water. Goodwill of $9,024 million was recognised on the acquisition, being the excess of the purchase consideration over the fair value of net assets acquired as set out below. The net asset value, in line with accounting standards, is determined by reference to oil and gas prices, as reflected in the prevailing market view on the day of completion. Oil and gas prices are based on the forward price curve for the first two years, and subsequent years based on the market consensus price view. The fair values of the net assets, and therefore the resultant goodwill, are provisional because of the limited period since the acquisition date when access was obtained to information required to assess the market participant value to be assigned to individual assets acquired and liabilities assumed at that date. FAIR VALUE OF NET ASSETS ACQUIRED (PROVISIONAL) $ million Assets Non-current assets Intangible assets 6,178 Property, plant and equipment 58,444 Joint ventures and associates 4,702 Deferred tax 2,432 Other 2,181 73,937 Current assets Inventories 417 Trade and other receivables 4,202 Cash and cash equivalents 6,803 11,422 Total assets 85,359 Liabilities Non-current liabilities Debt 18,949 Deferred tax 8,393 Decommissioning and other provisions 6,401 Other 665 34,408 Current liabilities Debt 1,345 Trade and other payables 3,926 Other 670 5,941 Total liabilities 40,349 Total 45,010 Acquisition costs of $391 million were recognised in the Consolidated Statement of Income in production and manufacturing and selling, distribution and administrative expenses, of which $47 million in 2015 and $344 million in the first quarter 2016. The acquired activities have contributed third-party revenue and income since the date of acquisition, included in the Consolidated Statement of Income for the first quarter 2016, of $2,272 million and $455 million respectively. 3. Segment information Segmental reporting has been changed with effect from 2016, in line with a change in the way Shell's businesses are managed. Shell now reports its business through the segments Integrated Gas (previously part of Upstream), Upstream, Downstream and Corporate. Comparative information has been reclassified. Integrated Gas is engaged in the liquefaction and transportation of gas, and the conversion of natural gas to liquids to provide fuels and other products, as well as projects with an integrated activity from producing to commercialising gas. Upstream combines the operating segments Upstream, which is engaged in the exploration for and extraction of crude oil, natural gas and natural gas liquids, the transportation of oil and wind energy, and Oil Sands, which is engaged in the extraction of bitumen from oil sands that is converted into synthetic crude oil. These operating segments have similar economic characteristics because their earnings are significantly dependent on crude oil and natural gas prices and production volumes, and because their projects generally require significant investment, are complex and generate revenues for many years. Segment earnings are presented on a current cost of supplies basis (CCS earnings), which is the earnings measure used by the Chief Executive Officer for the purposes of making decisions about allocating resources and assessing performance. On this basis, the purchase price of volumes sold during the period is based on the current cost of supplies during the same period after making allowance for the tax effect. CCS earnings therefore exclude the effect of changes in the oil price on inventory carrying amounts. Sales between segments are based on prices generally equivalent to commercially available prices. INFORMATION BY SEGMENT $ million Quarters Q1 2016 Q4 2015 Q1 2015 Third-party revenue Integrated Gas 5,679 5,210 5,949 Upstream 1,922 1,502 1,817 Downstream 40,929 51,410 57,916 Corporate 24 24 24 Total third-party revenue 48,554 58,146 65,706 Inter-segment revenue Integrated Gas 788 917 977 Upstream 4,145 5,955 6,793 Downstream 1,455 386 362 Corporate - - - CCS earnings Integrated Gas 905 1,125 1,139 Upstream (1,350) (1,458) 1,400 Downstream 1,700 2,502 2,514 Corporate (456) (295) (171) Total CCS earnings 799 1,874 4,882 RECONCILIATION OF CCS EARNINGS TO INCOME FOR THE PERIOD $ million Quarters Q1 2016 Q4 2015 Q1 2015 Total CCS earnings 799 1,874 4,882 Current cost of supplies adjustment: Purchases (398) (1,122) (352) Taxation 120 320 102 Share of profit/(loss) of joint ventures and associates (66) (130) (95) Income/(loss) for the period 455 942 4,537 CCS EARNINGS ATTRIBUTABLE TO ROYAL DUTCH SHELL PLC SHAREHOLDERS $ million Quarters Q1 2016 Q4 2015 Q1 2015 CCS earnings 799 1,874 4,882 Attributable to non-controlling interest (15) (34) (121) CCS earnings attributable to Royal Dutch Shell plc shareholders 814 1,840 4,761 4. Earnings per share EARNINGS PER SHARE Quarters Q1 2016 Q4 2015 Q1 2015 Income attributable to Royal Dutch Shell plc shareholders ($ million) 484 939 4,430 Weighted average number of shares as the basis for: Basic earnings per share (million) 7,173.4 6,356.0 6,292.2 Diluted earnings per share (million) 7,230.4 6,416.1 6,377.0 5. Share capital ISSUED AND FULLY PAID Sterling Ordinary shares of EUR0.07 each deferred shares Number of shares A B of GBP1 each At January 1, 2016 3,990,921,569 2,440,410,614 50,000 Scrip dividends 65,704,048 0 0 Shares issued for the acquisition of BG Group plc[1] 218,728,308 1,305,076,117 0 Repurchases of shares 0 0 0 At March 31, 2016 4,275,353,925 3,745,486,731 50,000 At January 1, 2015 3,907,302,393 2,440,410,614 50,000 Scrip dividends 0 0 0 Repurchases of shares (12,717,512) 0 0 At March 31, 2015 3,894,584,881 2,440,410,614 50,000 1. See Note [2] "Acquisition of BG Group plc" NOMINAL VALUE Ordinary shares of EUR0.07 each $ million A B Total At January 1, 2016 340 206 546 Scrip dividends 5 - 5 Shares issued for the acquisition of BG Group plc[1] 17 103 120 Repurchases of shares - - - At March 31, 2016 362 309 671 At January 1, 2015 334 206 540 Scrip dividends - - - Repurchases of shares (1) - (1) At March 31, 2015 333 206 539 1. See Note [2] "Acquisition of BG Group plc" The total nominal value of sterling deferred shares is less than $1 million. At Royal Dutch Shell plc's Annual General Meeting on May 19, 2015, the Board was authorised to allot ordinary shares in Royal Dutch Shell plc, and to grant rights to subscribe for or to convert any security into ordinary shares in Royal Dutch Shell plc, up to an aggregate nominal amount of 147 million (representing 2,100 million ordinary shares of 0.07 each), and to list such shares or rights on any stock exchange. This authority expires at the earlier of the close of business on August 19, 2016, and the end of the Annual General Meeting to be held in 2016, unless previously renewed, revoked or varied by Royal Dutch Shell plc in a general meeting. 6. Other reserves OTHER RESERVES Accumulated Share Capital other Merger premium redemption Share plan comprehensi $ million reserve reserve reserve reserve ve income Total At January 1, 2016 3,398 154 84 1,658 (22,480) (17,186) Other comprehensive income/(loss) attributable to Royal Dutch Shell plc shareholders - - - - 1,108 1,108 Scrip dividends (5) - - - - (5) Shares issued for the acquisition of BG Group plc[1] 33,930 - - - - 33,930 Repurchases of shares - - - - - - Share-based compensation - - - (381) - (381) At March 31, 2016 37,323 154 84 1,277 (21,372) 17,466 At January 1, 2015 3,405 154 83 1,723 (19,730) (14,365) Other comprehensive income/(loss) attributable to Royal Dutch Shell plc shareholders - - - - (5,608) (5,608) Scrip dividends - - - - - - Repurchases of shares - - 1 - - 1 Share-based compensation - - - (549) - (549) At March 31, 2015 3,405 154 84 1,174 (25,338) (20,521) 1. See Note [2] "Acquisition of BG Group plc" The merger reserve and share premium reserve were established as a consequence of Royal Dutch Shell plc becoming the single parent company of Royal Dutch Petroleum Company and The "Shell" Transport and Trading Company, p.l.c., now The Shell Transport and Trading Company Limited, in 2005. The increase in the merger reserve in the first quarter 2016 in respect of the shares issued for the acquisition of BG represents the difference between the fair value (after deducting issue costs) and the nominal value of the shares. The capital redemption reserve was established in connection with repurchases of shares of Royal Dutch Shell plc. The share plan reserve is in respect of equity-settled share-based compensation plans. 7. Derivative contracts The table below provides the carrying amounts of derivatives contracts held, disclosed in accordance with IFRS 13 Fair Value Measurement. DERIVATIVE CONTRACTS $ million Mar 31, 2016 Dec 31, 2015 Mar 31, 2015 Included within: Trade and other receivables - non-current 1,250 744 799 Trade and other receivables - current 17,260 13,114 11,378 Trade and other payables - non-current 1,369 1,687 1,643 Trade and other payables - current 15,989 10,757 9,644 As disclosed in the Consolidated Financial Statements for the year ended December 31, 2015, presented in the Annual Report and Form 20-F for that year, Shell is exposed to the risks of changes in fair value of its financial assets and liabilities. The fair values of the financial assets and liabilities are defined as the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. Methods and assumptions used to estimate the fair values at March 31, 2016 are consistent with those used in the year ended December 31, 2015, and the carrying amounts of derivative contracts measured using predominantly unobservable inputs have not changed materially since that date. The fair value of debt excluding finance lease liabilities at March 31, 2016 was $71,903 million (December 31, 2015: $53,480 million; March 31, 2015: $39,753 million). Fair value is determined from the prices quoted for those securities. DEFINITIONS A. Identified items Identified items are shown to provide additional insight into segment earnings and income attributable to shareholders. They include the full impact on Shell's CCS earnings of the following items: Divestment gains and losses, impairments, fair value accounting of commodity derivatives and certain gas contracts (see below), and redundancy and restructuring. Further items may be identified in addition to the above. Impacts of accounting for derivatives In the ordinary course of business Shell enters into contracts to supply or purchase oil and gas products as well as power and environmental products. Derivative contracts are entered into for mitigation of resulting economic exposures (generally price exposure) and these derivative contracts are carried at period-end market price (fair value), with movements in fair value recognised in income for the period. Supply and purchase contracts entered into for operational purposes are, by contrast, recognised when the transaction occurs (see also below); furthermore, inventory is carried at historical cost or net realisable value, whichever is lower. As a consequence, accounting mismatches occur because: (a) the supply or purchase transaction is recognised in a different period; or (b) the inventory is measured on a different basis. In addition, certain UK gas contracts held by Upstream are, due to pricing or delivery conditions, deemed to contain embedded derivatives or written options and are also required to be carried at fair value even though they are entered into for operational purposes. The accounting impacts of the aforementioned are reported as identified items in this Report. Impacts of exchange rate movements on deferred tax balances With effect from 2016, identified items include the impact on deferred tax balances of exchange rate movements arising on: The conversion to dollars of the local currency tax base of non-monetary assets and liabilities, as well as losses. This primarily impacts the Integrated Gas and Upstream segments. The conversion of dollar-denominated inter-segment loans to local currency. This primarily impacts the Corporate segment. The comparative information presented in this Report has been restated for this definition change. The following table sets out the impact of the definition change on the identified items for the year 2015. RESTATED IDENTIFIED ITEMS BY SEGMENT $ million Quarters Q1 2015 Q2 2015 Q3 2015 Q4 2015 Identified items as previously reported Integrated Gas 15 (117) (878) (347) Upstream 1,849 (146) (7,340) (479) Downstream (132) (215) (136) 978 Corporate and Non-controlling interest (217) 4 464 (137) Impact of definition change Integrated Gas (367) 50 (469) 227 Upstream (254) 53 (292) 30 Downstream - - - - Corporate and Non-controlling interest 129 (28) 155 (4) Identified items as restated Integrated Gas (352) (67) (1,347) (120) Upstream 1,595 (93) (7,632) (449) Downstream (132) (215) (136) 978 Corporate and Non-controlling interest (88) (24) 619 (141) B. Capital investment Capital investment is a measure used to make decisions about allocating resources and assessing performance. It is defined as the sum of capital expenditure, acquisition of BG, exploration expense (excluding well write-offs), new investments in joint ventures and associates, new finance leases and other adjustments. C. Divestments "Divestments" is a measure used to monitor the progress of Shell's divestment programme. This measure comprises proceeds from sale of property, plant and equipment and businesses, joint ventures and associates, and other Integrated Gas, Upstream and Downstream investments, adjusted onto an accruals basis, and proceeds from sale of interests in an entity while retaining control (for example, proceeds from sale of interest in Shell Midstream Partners, L.P.) D. Return on average capital employed Return on average capital employed (ROACE) measures the efficiency of Shell's utilisation of the capital that it employs and is a common measure of business performance. In this calculation, ROACE is defined as the sum of income for the current and previous three quarters, adjusted for after-tax interest expense, as a percentage of the average capital employed for the same period. The tax rate used is Shell's effective tax rate for the period. Capital employed consists of total equity, current debt and non-current debt. Return on average capital employed on a CCS basis excluding identified items is defined as the sum of CCS earnings attributable to shareholders excluding identified items for the current and previous three quarters, as a percentage of the average capital employed for the same period. E. Gearing Gearing, calculated as net debt (total debt less cash and cash equivalents) as a percentage of total capital (net debt plus total equity), is a key measure of Shell's capital structure. F. Operating expenses Operating expenses comprise production and manufacturing expenses; selling, distribution and administrative expenses; and research and development expenses. CAUTIONARY STATEMENT All amounts shown throughout this announcement are unaudited. All peak production figures in Portfolio Developments are quoted at 100% expected production. The companies in which Royal Dutch Shell plc directly and indirectly owns investments are separate legal entities. In this announcement "Shell", "Shell group" and "Royal Dutch Shell" are sometimes used for convenience where references are made to Royal Dutch Shell plc and its subsidiaries in general. Likewise, the words "we", "us" and "our" are also used to refer to subsidiaries in general or to those who work for them. These expressions are also used where no useful purpose is served by identifying the particular company or companies. "Subsidiaries", "Shell subsidiaries" and "Shell companies" as used in this announcement refer to companies over which Royal Dutch Shell plc either directly or indirectly has control. Entities and unincorporated arrangements over which Shell has joint control are generally referred to as "joint ventures" and "joint operations" respectively. Entities over which Shell has significant influence but neither control nor joint control are referred to as "associates". The term "Shell interest" is used for convenience to indicate the direct and/or indirect ownership interest held by Shell in a venture, partnership or company, after exclusion of all third-party interest. This announcement contains forward-looking statements concerning the financial condition, results of operations and businesses of Royal Dutch Shell. All statements other than statements of historical fact are, or may be deemed to be, forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are statements of future expectations that are based on management's current expectations and assumptions and involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results, performance or events to differ materially from those expressed or implied in these statements. Forward-looking statements include, among other things, statements concerning the potential exposure of Royal Dutch Shell to market risks and statements expressing management's expectations, beliefs, estimates, forecasts, projections and assumptions. These forward-looking statements are identified by their use of terms and phrases such as "anticipate", "believe", "could", "estimate", "expect", "goals", "intend", "may", "objectives", "outlook", "plan", "probably", "project", "risks", "schedule", "seek", "should", "target", "will" and similar terms and phrases. There are a number of factors that could affect the future operations of Royal Dutch Shell and could cause those results to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements included in this announcement, including (without limitation): (a) price fluctuations in crude oil and natural gas; (b) changes in demand for Shell's products; (c) currency fluctuations; (d) drilling and production results; (e) reserves estimates; (f) loss of market share and industry competition; (g) environmental and physical risks; (h) risks associated with the identification of suitable potential acquisition properties and targets, and successful negotiation and completion of such transactions; (i) the risk of doing business in developing countries and countries subject to international sanctions; (j) legislative, fiscal and regulatory developments including regulatory measures addressing climate change; (k) economic and financial market conditions in various countries and regions; (l) political risks, including the risks of expropriation and renegotiation of the terms of contracts with governmental entities, delays or advancements in the approval of projects and delays in the reimbursement for shared costs; and (m) changes in trading conditions. All forward-looking statements contained in this announcement are expressly qualified in their entirety by the cautionary statements contained or referred to in this section. Readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Additional risk factors that may affect future results are contained in Royal Dutch Shell's Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2015 (available at http://www.shell.com/investor and http://www.sec.gov ). These risk factors also expressly qualify all forward-looking statements contained in this announcement and should be considered by the reader. Each forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date of this announcement, May 4, 2016. Neither Royal Dutch Shell plc nor any of its subsidiaries undertake any obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement as a result of new information, future events or other information. In light of these risks, results could differ materially from those stated, implied or inferred from the forward-looking statements contained in this announcement. This Report contains references to Shell's website. These references are for the readers' convenience only. Shell is not incorporating by reference any information posted on http://www.shell.com We may have used certain terms, such as resources, in this announcement that the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) strictly prohibits us from including in our filings with the SEC. U.S. investors are urged to consider closely the disclosure in our Form 20-F, File No 1-32575, available on the SEC website http://www.sec.gov . You can also obtain this form from the SEC by calling 1-800-SEC-0330. The information in this Report reflects the unaudited consolidated financial position and results of Royal Dutch Shell plc. Company No. 4366849, Registered Office: Shell Centre, London, SE1 7NA, England, UK. Contacts: - Investor Relations: International: +31-(0)70-377-4540; North America: +1-832-337-2034 - Media: International: +44-(0)207-934-5550; USA; +1-713-241-4544 THE HAGUE, the Netherlands, May 4, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- The Board of Royal Dutch Shell plc ("RDS") (NYSE:RDS.A)(NYSE:RDS.B) today announced an interim dividend in respect of the first quarter of 2016 of US$0.47 per A ordinary share ("A Share") and B ordinary share ("B Share"), equal to the US dollar dividend for the same quarter last year. RDS provides eligible shareholders with a choice to receive dividends in cash or in shares via a Scrip Dividend Programme ("the Programme"). For further details please see below. Details relating to the first quarter 2016 interim dividend It is expected that cash dividends on the B Shares will be paid via the Dividend Access Mechanism from UK-sourced income of the Shell Group. Per ordinary share Q1 2016 RDS A Shares (US$) 0.47 RDS B Shares (US$) 0.47 Cash dividends on A Shares will be paid, by default, in euro, although holders of A Shares will be able to elect to receive dividends in pounds sterling. Cash dividends on B Shares will be paid, by default, in pounds sterling, although holders of B Shares will be able to elect to receive dividends in euro. The pounds sterling and euro equivalent dividend payments will be announced on June 13, 2016. Per ADS Q1 2016 RDS A ADSs (US$) 0.94 RDS B ADSs (US$) 0.94 Cash dividends on American Depository Shares ("ADSs") will be paid, by default, in US dollars. ADS stands for an American Depositary Share. ADR stands for an American Depositary Receipt. An ADR is a certificate that evidences ADSs. ADSs are listed on the NYSE under the symbols RDS.A and RDS.B. Each ADS represents two ordinary shares, two A Shares in the case of RDS.A or two B Shares in the case of RDS.B. In many cases the terms ADR and ADS are used interchangeably. Scrip Dividend Programme RDS provides shareholders with a choice to receive dividends in cash or in shares via the Programme. Under the Programme shareholders can increase their shareholding in RDS by choosing to receive new shares instead of cash dividends, if approved by the Board. Only new A Shares will be issued under the Programme, including to shareholders who currently hold B Shares. In some countries, joining the Programme may currently offer a tax advantage compared with receiving cash dividends. In particular, dividends paid out as shares by the Company will not be subject to Dutch dividend withholding tax (currently 15 per cent), unlike cash dividends paid on A shares, and they will not generally be taxed on receipt by a UK shareholder or a Dutch shareholder. Shareholders who elect to join the Programme will increase the number of shares held in RDS without having to buy existing shares in the market, thereby avoiding associated dealing costs. Shareholders who do not join the Programme will continue to receive in cash any dividends approved by the Board. Shareholders who held only B Shares and joined the Programme are reminded they will need to make a Scrip Dividend Election in respect of their new A Shares if they wish to join the Programme in respect of such new shares. However, this is only necessary if the shareholder has not previously made a Scrip Dividend Election in respect of any new A Shares issued. For further information on the Programme, including how to join if you are eligible, please refer to the appropriate publication available on http://www.shell.com/scrip . Dividend timetable for the first quarter 2016 interim dividend Announcement date May 4, 2016 Ex-dividend date RDS A and RDS B ADS May 18, 2016 Ex-dividend date RDS A and RDS B shares May 19, 2016 Record date May 20, 2016 Scrip reference share price announcement date May 26, 2016 Closing of scrip election and currency election (See Note) June 6, 2016 Pounds sterling and euro equivalents announcement date June 13, 2016 Payment date June 27, 2016 Note Both a different scrip and currency election date may apply to shareholders holding shares in a securities account with a bank or financial institution ultimately holding through Euroclear Nederland. This may also apply to other shareholders who do not hold their shares either directly on the Register of Members or in the corporate sponsored nominee arrangement. Shareholders can contact their broker, financial intermediary, bank or financial institution for the election deadline that applies. A different scrip election date may apply to registered and non-registered ADS holders. Registered ADS holders can contact The Bank of New York Mellon for the election deadline that applies. Non-registered ADS holders can contact their broker, financial intermediary, bank or financial institution for the election deadline that applies. Taxation - cash dividends Cash dividends on A Shares will be subject to the deduction of Dutch dividend withholding tax at the rate of 15%, which may be reduced in certain circumstances. In April 2016, there were changes to the UK taxation of dividends. The dividend tax credit has been abolished, and a new tax free dividend allowance of 5,000 introduced. Dividend income in excess of the allowance will be taxable at the following rates: 7.5% within the basic rate band; 32.5% within the higher rate band; and 38.1% on dividend income taxable at the additional rate. If you are uncertain as to the tax treatment of any dividends you should consult your own tax advisor. CAUTIONARY NOTE The companies in which Royal Dutch Shell plc directly and indirectly owns investments are separate legal entities. In this release "Shell", "Shell group" and "Royal Dutch Shell" are sometimes used for convenience where references are made to Royal Dutch Shell plc and its subsidiaries in general. Likewise, the words "we", "us" and "our" are also used to refer to subsidiaries in general or to those who work for them. These expressions are also used where no useful purpose is served by identifying the particular company or companies. 'Subsidiaries', "Shell subsidiaries" and "Shell companies" as used in this release refer to companies over which Royal Dutch Shell plc either directly or indirectly has control. Entities and unincorporated arrangements over which Shell has joint control are generally referred to as "joint ventures" and "joint operations" respectively. Entities over which Shell has significant influence but neither control nor joint control are referred to as "associates". The term "Shell interest" is used for convenience to indicate the direct and/or indirect ownership interest held by Shell in a venture, partnership or company, after exclusion of all third-party interest. This release contains forward-looking statements concerning the financial condition, results of operations and businesses of Royal Dutch Shell. All statements other than statements of historical fact are, or may be deemed to be, forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are statements of future expectations that are based on management's current expectations and assumptions and involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results, performance or events to differ materially from those expressed or implied in these statements. Forward-looking statements include, among other things, statements concerning the potential exposure of Royal Dutch Shell to market risks and statements expressing management's expectations, beliefs, estimates, forecasts, projections and assumptions. These forward-looking statements are identified by their use of terms and phrases such as "anticipate", "believe", "could", "estimate", "expect", "goals", "intend", "may", "objectives", "outlook", "plan", "probably", "project", "risks", "schedule", "seek", "should", "target", "will" and similar terms and phrases. There are a number of factors that could affect the future operations of Royal Dutch Shell and could cause those results to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements included in this release, including (without limitation): (a) price fluctuations in crude oil and natural gas; (b) changes in demand for Shell's products; (c) currency fluctuations; (d) drilling and production results; (e) reserves estimates; (f) loss of market share and industry competition; (g) environmental and physical risks; (h) risks associated with the identification of suitable potential acquisition properties and targets, and successful negotiation and completion of such transactions; (i) the risk of doing business in developing countries and countries subject to international sanctions; (j) legislative, fiscal and regulatory developments including regulatory measures addressing climate change; (k) economic and financial market conditions in various countries and regions; (l) political risks, including the risks of expropriation and renegotiation of the terms of contracts with governmental entities, delays or advancements in the approval of projects and delays in the reimbursement for shared costs; and (m) changes in trading conditions. All forward-looking statements contained in this release are expressly qualified in their entirety by the cautionary statements contained or referred to in this section. Readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Additional risk factors that may affect future results are contained in Royal Dutch Shell's 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2015 (available at http://www.shell.com/investor and http://www.sec.gov ). These risk factors also expressly qualify all forward looking statements contained in this release and should be considered by the reader. Each forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date of this release, May 4, 2016 Neither Royal Dutch Shell plc nor any of its subsidiaries undertake any obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement as a result of new information, future events or other information. In light of these risks, results could differ materially from those stated, implied or inferred from the forward-looking statements contained in this release. We may have used certain terms, such as resources, in this release that United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) strictly prohibits us from including in our filings with the SEC. U.S. Investors are urged to consider closely the disclosure in our Form 20-F, File No 1-32575, available on the SEC website http://www.sec.gov . Contacts: - Investor Relations: Europe +31-(0)-70-377-4540; North America +1-832-337-2034 - Media: International +44-(0)-207-934-5550; Americas +1-713-241-4544 SOURCE Royal Dutch Shell plc RACINE, Wis., May 4, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, SC Johnson announced that it will donate nearly $1.5 million to support the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) and provide vulnerable families with preventative resources against mosquitoes that may carry the Zika virus. The company will donate personal repellents, containing DEET, and spatial repellents, such as mosquito coils, for distribution in regions where the Zika virus is most prevalent. This initial donation to the IFRC is part of SC Johnson's commitment to donate at least $15 million US dollars over the next year to help protect families from mosquitoes that may carry harmful mosquito-borne viruses such as Zika, dengue and chikungunya. Logo of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies Foto de SC Johnson "Latin America and the Caribbean are currently the most vulnerable areas in the world with respect to the Zika virus. Families at risk in these regions depend on organizations like the Red Cross and Red Crescent to ensure that they have protection against mosquitoes that may carry Zika," said Fisk Johnson, Chairman and CEO of SC Johnson. "The people of SC Johnson are dedicated to helping these families, and this partnership with the IFRC is a big part of that commitment. Through its National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, the IFRC has the required infrastructure and distribution capability to reach vulnerable families across the region." The IFRC has recently launched a global appeal to combat the Zika virus outbreak. "The IFRC is stepping up its community-based action to stop this outbreak from spreading further, and protect the lives and livelihoods of people across the Americas. If we don't want Zika to spread further, we need to act now," said Walter Cotte, IFRC Director for the Americas. "The number of dengue cases has risen from 15,000 in the 1960s to more than 360 million today and this must not be allowed to happen with Zika. In addition to the health threat, vector-borne diseases such as Zika or dengue have a huge economic impact on the affected countries affected," he continued. The IFRC, through its local Red Cross societies, will distribute SC Johnson's donation of OFF! personal repellent and Autan coils to vulnerable communities in Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Panama and Peru. About SC Johnson SC Johnson is a family company dedicated to innovative, high-quality products, excellence in the workplace and a long-term commitment to the environment and the communities in which it operates. Based in the USA, the company is one of the world's leading manufacturers of household cleaning products and products for home storage, air care, pest control and shoe care, as well as professional products. It markets such well-known brands as GLADE, KIWI, OFF!, PLEDGE, RAID, SCRUBBING BUBBLES, SHOUT, WINDEX and ZIPLOC in the U.S. and beyond, with brands marketed outside the U.S. including AUTAN, TANA, BAMA, BAYGON, BRISE, KABIKILLER, KLEAR, MR MUSCLE and RIDSECT. The 130-year-old company, which generates $10 billion in sales, employs approximately 13,000 people globally and sells products in virtually every country around the world. www.scjohnson.com About The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) is the world's largest volunteer-based humanitarian network, reaching 150 million people each year through its 190 member National Societies. Together, the IFRC acts before, during and after disasters and health emergencies to meet the needs and improve the lives of vulnerable people. It does so with impartiality as to nationality, race, gender, religious beliefs, class and political opinions. For more information, please visit www.ifrc.org. You can also connect with IFRC on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Flickr. Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160503/363210LOGO Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160503/363212LOGO Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160503/363485 SOURCE SC Johnson; International Federation of the Red Cross Related Links http://www.scjohnson.com SEATTLE, May 4, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Seattle-based family law firm Goldberg Jones is excited to announce the addition of Adam Teal to the team. A skilled attorney, Teal brings a wealth experience that is an invaluable resource for husbands and fathers facing divorce, custody battles, and other cases in the Puget Sound area. Well-versed in criminal proceedings and personal injury matters, Teal's professional focus has been family law. He has worked countless cases from beginning to end, including divorce, child and spousal support, protection orders, adoption, and more. Adept at resolving complex issues, and equally at home handling motions or at trial, Teal has built a reputation as an excellent communicator. Speaking of Teal, managing partner Rick Jones says, "Adam is quickly able to listen to and understand his client's concerns and goals, and then describe the methods and procedures best designed to accomplish those goals." Prior to joining Goldberg Jones, Teal settled disputes, produced meaningful results, and tirelessly advocated for for his clients in Western Washington, first as part of another firm, then as the head of his own practice. Moving forward, he will continue to use his skills to support husbands and fathers in King, Snohomish, and Pierce counties, as well as elsewhere in the region. A native of the Northeast, Teal received his B.A. in Criminal Justice from Western New England University in Massachusetts. He then earned his Juris Doctor from the Gonzaga University School of Law in Spokane, Washington. About Goldberg Jones Goldberg Jones is a local office of family law attorneys serving Seattle and the communities of Western Washington. We have grown from a three-person startup, to a multi-state firm with more than 28 lawyers devoted solely to the practice of family law, specifically, protecting the rights of husbands and fathers. Our representation is focused on providing dedicated advocacy for men in divorce, child custody, child support and most other family law matters. Our divorce attorneys in Washington, Oregon, and California are knowledgeable and aggressive in protecting men's rights, fathers' rights, and your rights under Washington divorce laws. For more information please visit https://www.goldbergjones-wa.com/ SOURCE Goldberg Jones Related Links http://www.goldbergjones-wa.com SUFFOLK, Va., May 4, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Sera-Brynn has been awarded a contract by The National Catholic Risk Retention Group to provide specialized Risk Control cybersecurity products and services to its members, clients, affiliates and shareholders. Sera-Brynn is a global cybersecurity firm headquartered in Virginia and No. 16 in the world as ranked in the Cybersecurity Ventures Hot 500 list. The National Catholic Risk Retention Group (TNCRRG) is headquartered in Lisle, Illinois. It is a licensed insurance company, operating as a risk retention group, and provides insurance products to service a multitude of exposures for the Catholic Church in all 50 states. The National Catholic Risk Retention Group is also the preeminent provider of Safe Environment programs to the Catholic Church through its VIRTUS products and services. "In 2007, TNCRRG was the first Church affiliated insurer to provide Cyber Liability coverage to its insureds and now we are very proud and excited to be the first Church affiliated insurer to offer highest quality Cyber Security risk control services to the Church, via our exclusive relationship with Sera-Brynn, said Michael Bemi, TNCRRG President & CEO. "We greatly appreciate the opportunity to work with The National Catholic Risk Retention Group to provide specialized risk control and compliance services to their members and affiliates," said Sera-Brynn CEO Rob Hegedus. "The insurance industry is taking a leadership role in proactively providing cybersecurity products and services to minimize the growing cyber risk businesses and organizations face. This is especially true in the Captive and Risk Retention Group environment, and The National Catholic Risk Retention Group is at the forefront of this movement to provide cybersecurity support to its members and clients." Sera-Brynn works closely with the insurance industry to identify and mitigate cyber risks. The company offers compliance audits and advisory services, vulnerability assessments, penetration testing, and incident response to a broad commercial insurance client base. About Sera-Brynn: Headquartered in Suffolk, Virginia, Sera-Brynn is a global Cyber Risk Management firm with an international client base. The company is dedicated to helping clients secure their computing environments, pre- and post-breach, and meet applicable mandatory industry and government compliance requirements. Sera-Brynn is the only Payment Card Industry Qualified Security Assessor in North America directly partnered with a multi-billion dollar financial institution, and the firm works closely with the insurance industry, legal offices nationwide, crisis management firms, financial institutions and law enforcement at all levels to provide the most comprehensive protection to its clients. Sera-Brynn's clients include Fortune 1000 companies, healthcare, financial institutions, insurance carriers and re-insurers, higher education, municipalities and state governments, manufacturers, law offices, large retail establishments, technology enterprises, accounting firms, national non-profits, and international joint ventures. Media contact: Stephanie Heinatz 757-713-2199 SOURCE Sera-Brynn GAITHERSBURG, Md., May 4, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Sirnaomics, Inc. (www.sirnaomics.com), a leading biopharmaceutical company in discovery and development of RNAi therapeutics, has closed Series B financing of US$10 million. This follows on previous round of venture capital investment and non-diluted grant funding up to a total amount of US$25 million. This round of financing was led by Hong Kong based venture capital firm, Value Measured Investment Limited. The proceeds will be used to fund clinical development of its first-in-class anti-fibrosis programs and the company expects to enter Phase I clinical trial with its lead product candidate, STP705, early second half of 2016. "This round of financing demonstrates the tremendous potential in the RNAi therapeutics as a targeted precision medicine to treat human diseases with high unmet need. Sirnaomics intends to build on the recent success demonstrated by other companies in the sector by leveraging our tremendous knowledge and experience in RNAi and delivery technologies. We are very excited to bring our lead product candidate, STP705, to the clinic this year for the treatment of Hypertrophic Scar," said the Founder and CEO of the company, Dr. Patrick Y. Lu. "As a first-in-class innovative siRNA therapeutics, the clinical studies of this leading compound will provide us confirmation on both a clinical viable formulation and a novel therapeutic approach." "STP705 has demonstrated very robust results in pre-clinical animal efficacy studies and a very good safety profile. Based on the unique nature of RNAi technology, we have been able to target homologous RNA sequences across multiple species. The sequences and STP705 formulation that demonstrated very good safety and efficacy results in animal studies are expected to achieve similar compelling results in the human Hypertrophic Scar reduction studies," said Dr. Michael Molyneaux, Chief Medical Officer of the company. "We expect to file IND to US FDA in early third quarter of 2016 and to initiate the phase 1 clinical study soon after the filing." "The PNP (polypeptide Nanoparticle) siRNA formulation of our leading drug candidate, STP705, had been extensively validated and shown to be very versatile with a simple straight forward manufacturing process," said Dr. Marc Lemaitre, Sirnaomics' Chief Operation Officer. "This nanoparticle formulation will allow for considerable optionality in treating and targeting many different types of human disease." About Fibrotic Diseases Fibrotic disease encompass a wide array of clinical disease conditions from the systemic fibrotic diseases to organ-specific disorders including skin hypertrophic scar, liver, lung, kidney, and cardiac fibrosis. Although their causative mechanisms are quite diverse, these diseases share the common feature of prolong inflammation and uncontrolled accumulation of fibrous tissue macromolecules in affected organs leading to their dysfunction and ultimate failure. About "STP705" Sirnaomics' STP705 is an anti-fibrosis siRNA (small interfering RNA) therapeutic candidate, taking advantage of a dual-targeted inhibitory property and PNP-enhanced delivery to directly diminish the tissue fibrotic activity in various animal models, from skin hypertrophic scar to liver and lung fibrosis. A fully-developed manufacturing process and a well-established pre-clinical safety profile ensure STP705 for human clinical studies with a broad application potential. About Sirnaomics Sirnaomics, Inc., a leading privately held biopharmaceutical company for discovery and development of RNAi therapeutics, is a Delaware corporation headquartered in Gaithersburg, Maryland, USA, with subsidiaries in Suzhou and Guangzhou, China. The company is pursuing the mission of advancing its proprietary technologies using pluripotent siRNA cocktail design and nanoparticle-enhanced therapeutic delivery to treat critical human diseases. Members of the senior management team bring over 100 years of combined experience in the biopharmaceutical, financial, clinical and business management in both USA and China. Supported with funding from private investors, corporate partnerships and government grants, Sirnaomics has developed a strong portfolio of intellectual properties with an enriched product pipeline. The therapeutic areas of interest include anti-fibrotic medicine, cancer therapeutics, and others. CONTACT: Michael Molyneaux MD, MBA, Chief Medical Officer Sirnaomics, Inc. [email protected] SOURCE Sirnaomics, Inc. Related Links http://www.sirnaomics.com LOS ANGELES, May 4, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Bank of the West Wealth Management today announced that Spencer Gould has joined as senior client executive in the Los Angeles office of Family Wealth Advisors, a division of the Bank's Wealth Management Group that specializes in advising ultra-high-net worth clients with assets of $25 million or more. Launched in 2015, Family Wealth Advisors helps individuals, families and family offices achieve their vision and goals with an exclusive global network of resources, objective strategic advice, and a suite of both financial and non-financial solutions. "Whether serving an individual or multi-generational family, Spencer takes a holistic approach in understanding each client's unique goals and priorities," said Steve Prostano, head of Family Wealth Advisors. "He will play an integral role by acting as a strategic advisor to our clients, delivering them customized and creative solutions for their specific needs." Gould has over 30 years of experience supporting clients with complex wealth management needs, acting as a relationship manager and primary point of contact. His broad perspective comes from having held positions with some of the largest financial institutions in the country, including Bank of America's Private Bank and BNY Mellon Wealth Management, in addition to smaller boutique firms. Gould has expertise in integrating custom investment management strategies with clients' unique estate planning structures and goals. In addition, he will advise on how to utilize credit solutions strategically across Bank of the West's broad lending capabilities. Mr. Gould holds his Series 7 and 65. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in International Relations from the American University of Paris, France. About Bank of the West Wealth Management Group: Bank of the West Wealth Management provides wealth planning, investment management*, personal banking, philanthropy, and trust services. The group is part of BNP Paribas' global wealth management business of more than 6,300 professionals in 30 countries worldwide with more than $10 billion** in assets under management in the United States and 327 billion ($356 billion) in assets under management globally as of December 31, 2015. About Bank of the West: Bank of the West is a regional financial services company chartered in California and headquartered in San Francisco with $75.7 billion in assets as of December 31, 2015. Founded in 1874, Bank of the West provides a wide range of personal, commercial, wealth management and international banking services through more than 600 offices in 22 states and digital channels. Bank of the West is a subsidiary of BNP Paribas, which has a presence in 75 countries with 185,000 employees. *Securities and variable annuities are offered through BancWest Investment Services, a registered broker/dealer, Member FINRA/SIPC, and SEC Registered Investment Advisor. Financial Advisors are Registered Representatives of BancWest Investment Services. Fixed annuities/insurance products are offered through BancWest Insurance Agency in California, (License #0C52321), through BancWest Insurance Agency in Utah and through BancWest Investment Services, Inc. in AZ, CO, IA, ID, KS, MN, MO, ND, NE, NM, NV, OK, OR, SD, WA, WI, WY, HI, GUAM and CNMI. Advisory Services are offered through BancWest Investment Services, an SEC-registered investment advisor. Bank of the West and its various affiliates and subsidiaries are not tax or legal advisors. BancWest Investment Services is a wholly owned subsidiary of Bank of the West and a part of the Wealth Management Group. BancWest Holding Inc. is the holding company for Bank of the West. BancWest Holding Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of BNP Paribas. **Assets under management refers to assets under administration, management, advisement, and on deposit, including assets with our affiliate BancWest Investment Services ("BancWest") as of December 31, 2015. Deposit and loan products offered by Bank of the West, Member FDIC and Equal Housing Lender. In South Dakota, Bank of the West operates under the name Bank of the West California. Bank of the West Wealth Management offers products and services through Bank of the West and its various affiliates and subsidiaries. Investment and Insurance products: NOT FDIC INSURED NOT BANK GUARANTEED MAY LOSE VALUE NOT A DEPOSIT NOT INSURED BY ANY FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AGENCY Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120328/SF78222LOGO-b SOURCE Bank of the West Wealth Management Related Links http://www.bankofthewest.com ST. LOUIS, May 4, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Spire Inc. (NYSE: SR) ("Company" or "Spire") today reported operating results for its fiscal 2016 second quarter and first half ended March 31, 2016. Highlights include: Net economic earnings* of $2.37 per diluted share, up from $2.25 per share a year ago per diluted share, up from per share a year ago GAAP earnings of $2.31 per share compared to $2.18 per share in prior year per share compared to per share in prior year Agreement to acquire Mobile Gas and Willmut Gas from Sempra Energy "We delivered another solid performance in the second quarter with net economic earnings increasing to $2.37 per share on higher Gas Utility earnings," said Suzanne Sitherwood, president and chief executive officer of Spire. "We also maintained our high level of service to our customers as we continue to grow. Last week we announced plans to acquire two gas utilities - Mobile Gas in Alabama and Willmut Gas in Mississippi - and we look forward to adding their employees, customers and communities to our Spire family. At the same time, we further crystalized our STL Pipeline project to access shale gas from the Marcellus/Utica region." Second Quarter Results Three months ended March 31, (Millions) (Per Diluted Share) 2016 2015 2016 2015 Net Economic Earnings (Loss)* by Segment Gas Utility $ 102.5 $ 96.5 $ 2.35 $ 2.22 Gas Marketing 3.0 2.1 0.07 0.05 Other (2.0) (1.0) (0.05) (0.02) Total $ 103.5 $ 97.6 $ 2.37 $ 2.25 Acquisition related costs (1.1) (1.5) (0.03) (0.03) Fair value adjustments (1.6) (1.7) (0.03) (0.04) Net Income (GAAP) $ 100.8 $ 94.4 $ 2.31 $ 2.18 Average Shares Outstanding (Millions) 43.5 43.2 * Non-GAAP, see "Net Economic Earnings and Reconciliation to GAAP." For the three months ended March 31, 2016, the second quarter of its fiscal year, we reported net economic earnings (NEE) of $103.5 million (or $2.37 per diluted share) compared to $97.6 million (or $2.25 per diluted share) a year earlier. Consolidated net income for the second quarter was $100.8 million compared to $94.4 million in the prior year period, reflecting higher earnings from both the Gas Utility and Gas Marketing segments. NEE excludes from net income the effect of unrealized gains and losses on energy-related derivatives, as well as the impacts of acquisition, divestiture and restructuring activities which consist largely of expenses associated with the integration of Missouri Gas Energy (MGE) and Alabama Gas Corporation (Alagasco). Gas Utility The Gas Utility segment includes the regulated gas distribution operations of our three utilities - Laclede Gas and MGE (collectively the Missouri Utilities) and Alagasco. For the second quarter, the Gas Utility segment posted NEE of $102.5 million compared to $96.5 million a year ago. Segment net income was $102.4 million for the second quarter ended March 31, 2016 compared to $96.2 million in the prior year. Our utilities overall experienced unseasonably warm conditions this winter, with the Missouri Utilities seeing the second warmest winter on record. This weather did impact certain components of operating results for the quarter. Operating margins (non-GAAP; see "Operating Margin and Reconciliation to GAAP") were lower reflecting a $6.1 million impact from a decrease in overall demand and this was more than offset by higher Infrastructure System Replacement Surcharge (ISRS) revenues at the Missouri Utilities of $3.9 million and a lower year-over-year Rate Stabilization and Equalization (RSE) giveback at Alagasco of $3.9 million. Other operation and maintenance expenses were lower by $9.5 million, largely due to the favorable impact of milder weather, especially on bad debt expense and employee-related costs and, to a lesser extent, cost efficiencies and the favorable timing of expenses. Depreciation and amortization increased by $1.6 million reflecting increased capital investment including infrastructure upgrades. Gas Marketing The Gas Marketing segment includes the results of Laclede Energy Resources, which provides natural gas marketing services to the Midwest region. Net economic earnings for the second quarter of fiscal 2016 were $3.0 million, up from $2.1 million in the prior year. Quarterly net income for the segment was $1.5 million, up from $0.3 million a year ago. Gas Marketing's improved earnings were largely driven by favorable natural gas storage results. Other The non-utility operations and corporate costs, on a net economic earnings basis, were $2.0 million in the second quarter of fiscal 2016, compared to $1.0 million a year ago. Most of these costs in both periods relate to interest expense on debt issued to finance the Alagasco acquisition. Costs were $3.1 million in the second quarter of 2016, compared to $2.1 million a year ago. Six Months Results Six months ended March 31, (Millions) (Per Diluted Share) 2016 2015 2016 2015 Net Economic Earnings (Loss)* by Segment Gas Utility $ 152.5 $ 146.3 $ 3.50 $ 3.38 Gas Marketing 2.7 2.5 0.07 0.06 Other (6.6) (5.5) (0.16) (0.13) Total $ 148.6 $ 143.3 $ 3.41 $ 3.31 Acquisition related costs (2.0) (1.9) (0.05) (0.05) Fair value adjustments 1.1 0.1 0.03 Net Income (GAAP) $ 147.7 $ 141.5 $ 3.39 $ 3.26 Average Shares Outstanding (Millions) 43.5 43.2 * See "Net Economic Earnings and Reconciliation to GAAP." For the first six months of fiscal 2016, we reported consolidated NEE of $148.6 million comparable to $143.3 million in the prior year. Net income was $147.7 million, up from $141.5 million in 2015. The increase in earnings was driven principally by higher Gas Utility operating results. On a per-share basis, NEE was $3.41 per fully diluted share for the first half of fiscal 2016, up from $3.31 per share in the prior-year period. Gas Utility For the first half of fiscal 2016, the Gas Utility segment reported NEE of $152.5 million, up from $146.3 million for the same period in 2015. Segment net income increased to $151.7 million from $145.8 million a year ago. As noted earlier, the unseasonably warm winter adversely impacted operating margins and benefited certain other operating costs. Year-to-date operating margins were lower reflecting a $17.3 million impact from lower overall system demand, largely offset by lower RSE givebacks of $6.9 million in Alabama and $6.5 million higher ISRS revenues in Missouri. Other operation and maintenance expenses were lower by $15.0 million reflecting the beneficial impact of milder winter weather, cost efficiencies and timing of expenses. Depreciation and amortization expenses increased by $3.1 million reflecting higher year-over-year capital investments. Gas Marketing For the six months ended March 31, 2016, Gas Marketing NEE was $2.7 million, up from $2.5 million a year ago. Net income increased to $3.8 million from $2.5 million a year ago. The earnings increase was largely attributable to better operating margins in the second quarter driven by favorable natural gas storage results. Other The non-utility operations and corporate costs, on a NEE basis, were $6.6 million in the first half of fiscal 2016, compared to $5.5 million in the year-ago period. A significant portion of these costs are related to interest expense on debt issued to finance the Alagasco acquisition. Costs were $7.8 million in the first half of 2016, compared to $6.8 million a year ago. Acquisition of Mobile Gas and Willmut Gas On April 26, Spire announced its intent to acquire EnergySouth, Inc., from Sempra U.S. Gas & Power, a unit of Sempra Energy (NYSE: SRE). EnergySouth is the parent company of Mobile Gas, with 85,000 gas utility customers in Alabama and Willmut Gas, with 19,000 customers in Mississippi. The purchase price for the utilities is $344 million, and the definitive agreement also calls for the purchase of working capital of $46 million. The purchase consideration will include the assumption of $67 million of existing debt at the two utilities, Spire common equity in the range of $130 - $150 million, new long-term debt in the range of $150 - $170 million, cash on hand and borrowing against existing credit facilities. The transaction is expected to close in 2016, subject to customary closing conditions and regulatory approvals including formal regulatory approval by the Mississippi Public Service Commission. The addition of Mobile Gas and Willmut Gas is expected to be neutral to net economic earnings per share in 2017 and accretive in 2018. STL Pipeline In February 2016, we identified a pipeline project - STL Pipeline - as part of our efforts to modernize our gas transportation, storage and supply assets. This pipeline will enhance reliability and provide access to lower-cost shale gas from the Marcellus/Utica producing regions. We are moving forward with our plans to construct this 60-mile, 24-inch pipeline with a capacity of 400 MMcf/d. This FERC-regulated interstate pipeline will interconnect with the Rockies Express and Panhandle Eastern pipelines and delivery gas to our St. Louis utility. We intend to have a 100 percent ownership interest in the pipeline, with Laclede Gas expected to be a foundation shipper. The estimated total project cost is $170 - $200 million, with an expected timeframe of 30 - 36 months from the launch of the open season to the in-service date. Outlook We affirm our fiscal 2016 NEE per share range of $3.34 to $3.44, representing annual growth of 5 percent to 8 percent. Including the anticipated expenditures for the STL Pipeline, 2016 capital expenditures are now anticipated to increase to $320 million, and our five-year outlook for capital spend target increases to $1.8 billion. Balance Sheets and Cash Flows We maintain a strong capital structure with ample liquidity. At March 31, 2016, we had a balanced long-term capitalization of nearly 52 percent equity and 48 percent debt representing a 160 basis-point improvement in the equity percentage since fiscal 2015 year end. Short-term borrowings outstanding at March 31, 2016 were $253.6 million compared to $338.0 million at September 30, 2015. These amounts reflect normal seasonal borrowings. Net cash provided by operating activities was $243.0 million for the six months ended March 31, 2016, compared to $279.9 million in the first half of fiscal 2015. The change reflects variations in collections under the purchased gas cost riders in Missouri and Alabama, as well as other working capital fluctuations which are largely driven by relative weather conditions in each period. Capital expenditures for the first half of fiscal 2016 were $121.8 million compared to $129.5 million in the prior-year period. We continue to focus on infrastructure upgrade investments at the Missouri Utilities and Alagasco. For additional details on Spire's results for the second quarter and first six months of fiscal 2016, please see the accompanying unaudited Consolidated Statements of Income, unaudited Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets, and unaudited Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows. Regulatory Matters Missouri Utilities As previously reported, on February 1, 2016, the Missouri Utilities filed with the Missouri Public Service Commission (MoPSC) for increases in ISRS revenues. In April, the Staff of the MoPSC recommended an increase of $9.0 million. The increase is subject to approval by the Commission, which may occur effective later this month (May). If approved, the additional amounts would bring the annual ISRS run rate to $35.3 million. ISRS allows for more timely regulatory recovery of prudent investments made by gas utilities to improve the integrity, safety and reliability of their distribution systems while reducing maintenance costs. On April 26, 2016, the Office of Public Counsel (OPC) filed a complaint to address whether the gas rates of the Missouri Utilities are just and reasonable. The OPC alleged that the Missouri Utilities were overearning based on an unadjusted return on equity for fiscal 2015. We believe that complaint lacks merit and is flawed in several respects, and we will vigorously defend our position that our rates are just and reasonable. Conference Call and Webcast Spire will host a conference call and webcast today to discuss its second quarter financial results. To access the call, please dial the number below approximately 5-10 minutes prior to the start time. Date and Time: Wednesday, May 4 8 a.m. CST (9 a.m. EST) Phone Numbers: U.S. and Canada: 1-866-652-5200 International: 1-412-317-6060 The call will also be webcast in a listen-only format for the media and general public. The webcast can be accessed at www.SpireEnergy.com under the Investor Relations tab. A replay of the call will be available beginning at 10 a.m. CST (11 a.m. EST) on May 4 and continuing until June 3 by dialing 1-877-344-7529 (U.S.), 1-855-669-9658 (Canada), or 1-412-317-0088 (International). The Replay Access Code is 10084052. A replay of the webcast will be available at www.SpireEnergy.com. About Spire At Spire Inc. (NYSE: SR) we believe energy exists to help make people's lives better. It's a simple idea, but one that's at the heart of our company. Every day we serve 1.56 million customers making us the fifth largest publicly traded natural gas company in the country. We help families and business owners fuel their daily lives through our regulated utilities Laclede Gas, Missouri Gas Energy and Alagasco. Our non-regulated businesses Laclede Energy Resources and Spire Natural Gas Fueling Solutions provide energy solutions to other natural gas users. We are committed to transforming our business and pursuing growth by 1) growing our gas utility business through prudent infrastructure upgrades and organic growth initiatives; 2) acquiring and integrating gas utilities; 3) modernizing our gas supply assets, and 4) investing in innovation. Learn more at www.SpireEnergy.com . Cautionary Statements on Forward-Looking Information and Non-GAAP Measures This news release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Spire's future operating results may be affected by various uncertainties and risk factors, many of which are beyond the Company's control, including weather conditions, economic factors, the competitive environment, governmental and regulatory policy and action, and risks associated with recent and pending acquisitions. For a more complete description of these uncertainties and risk factors, see the Company's Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2015, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and Spire's Form 10-Q for the quarter and six months ended March 31, 2016, to be filed with the SEC later today. This news release includes the non-GAAP financial measures of "net economic earnings," "net economic earnings per share," and "operating margins." Management also uses these non-GAAP measures internally when evaluating the Company's performance and results of operations. Net economic earnings exclude from net income the after-tax impacts of fair value accounting and timing adjustments associated with energy-related transactions. These adjustments, which primarily impact the Gas Marketing segment, include net unrealized gains and losses on energy-related derivatives resulting from the current changes in the fair value of financial and physical transactions prior to their completion and settlement, lower of cost or market inventory adjustments, and realized gains and losses on economic hedges prior to the sale of the physical commodity. In calculating net economic earnings, management also excludes from net income the after-tax impacts related to acquisition, divestiture, and restructuring activities, including one-time costs related to the integration of MGE and Alagasco. Management believes that excluding these items provides a useful representation of the economic impact of actual settled transactions and overall results of ongoing operations. Operating margin adjusts operating income to include only those costs that are directly passed on to customers and collected through revenues, which are the wholesale cost of natural gas and propane and gross receipts taxes. These internal non-GAAP operating metrics should not be considered as an alternative to, or more meaningful than, GAAP measures such as operating income or net income. CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME UNAUDITED Spire Inc. (In Millions, except per share amounts) Three months ended March 31, Six months ended March 31, 2016 2015 2016 2015 Operating Revenues: Gas Utility $ 611.5 $ 847.0 $ 1,010.3 $ 1,428.4 Gas Marketing and other (2.2) 30.4 (1.6) 68.6 Total Operating Revenues 609.3 877.4 1,008.7 1,497.0 Operating Expenses: Gas Utility Natural and propane gas 261.1 482.8 409.6 787.1 Other operation and maintenance expenses 94.3 103.8 185.9 200.9 Depreciation and amortization 33.8 32.2 67.3 64.2 Taxes, other than income taxes 43.9 55.7 72.1 93.7 Total Gas Utility Operating Expenses 433.1 674.5 734.9 1,145.9 Gas Marketing and other 8.5 45.2 19.1 106.1 Total Operating Expenses 441.6 719.7 754.0 1,252.0 Operating Income 167.7 157.7 254.7 245.0 Other Income 0.8 0.7 2.2 2.1 Interest Charges: Interest on long-term debt 16.7 16.5 33.6 33.7 Other interest charges 2.6 2.6 4.7 4.6 Total Interest Charges 19.3 19.1 38.3 38.3 Income Before Income Taxes 149.2 139.3 218.6 208.8 Income Tax Expense 48.4 44.9 70.9 67.3 Net Income $ 100.8 $ 94.4 $ 147.7 $ 141.5 Weighted Average Number of Common Shares Outstanding: Basic 43.3 43.1 43.3 43.1 Diluted 43.5 43.2 43.5 43.2 Basic Earnings Per Share of Common Stock $ 2.32 $ 2.18 $ 3.40 $ 3.27 Diluted Earnings Per Share of Common Stock $ 2.31 $ 2.18 $ 3.39 $ 3.26 Dividends Declared Per Share of Common Stock $ 0.49 $ 0.46 $ 0.98 $ 0.92 CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS UNAUDITED Spire Inc. (In Millions) March 31, September 30, March 31, 2016 2015 2015 ASSETS Utility Plant $ 4,271.3 $ 4,234.5 $ 4,037.8 Less: Accumulated depreciation and amortization 1,286.1 1,307.0 1,213.1 Net Utility Plant 2,985.2 2,927.5 2,824.7 Non-utility Property 13.8 13.7 10.5 Goodwill 946.0 946.0 946.0 Other Investments 61.1 59.9 60.8 Total Other Property and Investments 1,020.9 1,019.6 1,017.3 Current Assets: Cash and cash equivalents 8.7 13.8 46.9 Accounts receivable (net of allowance for doubtful accounts) 265.0 210.6 355.3 Delayed customer billings 10.1 2.6 61.7 Inventories 124.0 215.4 117.0 Other 96.0 87.7 56.3 Total Current Assets 503.8 530.1 637.2 Regulatory Assets and Other Deferred Charges 809.9 813.0 701.5 Total Assets $ 5,319.8 $ 5,290.2 $ 5,180.7 CAPITALIZATION AND LIABILITIES Capitalization: Common stock and paid-in capital $ 1,083.7 $ 1,081.4 $ 1,076.6 Retained earnings 599.4 494.2 539.2 Accumulated other comprehensive loss (1.7) (2.0) (4.2) Total Common Stock Equity 1,681.4 1,573.6 1,611.6 Long-term debt 1,851.6 1,771.5 1,736.3 Total Capitalization 3,533.0 3,345.1 3,347.9 Current Liabilities: Current portion of long-term debt 80.0 80.0 Notes payable 253.6 338.0 247.6 Accounts payable 127.1 146.5 160.1 Advance customer billings 31.7 44.3 8.4 Accrued liabilities and other 206.4 245.0 357.6 Total Current Liabilities 618.8 853.8 853.7 Deferred Credits and Other Liabilities: Deferred income taxes 564.2 482.1 438.7 Pension and postretirement benefit costs 254.8 253.4 243.9 Asset retirement obligations 162.8 159.2 101.5 Regulatory liabilities 110.7 119.3 114.3 Other 75.5 77.3 80.7 Total Deferred Credits and Other Liabilities 1,168.0 1,091.3 979.1 Total Capitalization and Liabilities $ 5,319.8 $ 5,290.2 $ 5,180.7 CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS UNAUDITED Spire Inc. (In Millions) Six months ended March 31, 2016 2015 Operating Activities: Net Income $ 147.7 $ 141.5 Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities: Depreciation, amortization, and accretion 67.6 64.7 Deferred income taxes and investment tax credits 71.0 29.0 Changes in assets and liabilities (42.9) 40.2 Other (0.4) 4.5 Net cash provided by operating activities 243.0 279.9 Investing Activities: Capital expenditures (121.8) (129.5) Payments for final reconciliation of acquisitions (8.6) Other (0.7) (0.4) Net cash used in investing activities (122.5) (138.5) Financing Activities: Repayment of long-term debt (80.0) (34.7) Issuance of long-term debt 80.0 Repayment of short-term debt - net (84.4) (39.6) Issuance of common stock 2.1 2.8 Dividends paid (41.6) (39.2) Other (1.7) 0.1 Net cash used in financing activities (125.6) (110.6) Net (Decrease) Increase in Cash and Cash Equivalents (5.1) 30.8 Cash and Cash Equivalents at Beginning of Period 13.8 16.1 Cash and Cash Equivalents at End of Period $ 8.7 $ 46.9 NET ECONOMIC EARNINGS AND RECONCILIATION TO GAAP (In Millions, except per share amounts) Gas Utility Gas Marketing Other Total Per Share Amounts(2) Three Months Ended March 31, 2016 Net Income (Loss) (GAAP) $ 102.4 $ 1.5 $ (3.1) $ 100.8 $ 2.31 Unrealized loss on energy-related derivatives (1) 0.1 1.7 1.8 0.04 Lower of cost or market inventory adjustments (1) 0.2 0.2 Realized gain on economic hedges prior to the sale of the physical commodity (1) (0.4) (0.4) (0.01) Acquisition, divestiture and restructuring activities (1) 1.1 1.1 0.03 Net Economic Earnings (Loss) (Non-GAAP) $ 102.5 $ 3.0 $ (2.0) $ 103.5 $ 2.37 Diluted EPS (GAAP) $ 2.34 $ 0.04 $ (0.07) $ 2.31 Net Economic EPS (Non-GAAP) (2) $ 2.35 $ 0.07 $ (0.05) $ 2.37 Three Months Ended March 31, 2015 Net Income (Loss) (GAAP) $ 96.2 $ 0.3 $ (2.1) $ 94.4 $ 2.18 Unrealized (gain) loss on energy-related derivatives (1) (0.1) 2.7 2.6 0.06 Lower of cost or market inventory adjustments (1) (1.0) (1.0) (0.02) Realized loss on economic hedges prior to the sale of the physical commodity (1) 0.1 0.1 Acquisition, divestiture and restructuring activities (1) 0.4 1.1 1.5 0.03 Net Economic Earnings (Loss) (Non-GAAP) $ 96.5 $ 2.1 $ (1.0) $ 97.6 $ 2.25 Diluted EPS (GAAP) $ 2.22 $ 0.01 $ (0.05) $ 2.18 Net Economic EPS (Non-GAAP) (2) $ 2.22 $ 0.05 $ (0.02) $ 2.25 Six Months Ended March 31, 2016 Net Income (Loss) (GAAP) $ 151.7 $ 3.8 $ (7.8) $ 147.7 $ 3.39 Unrealized gain on energy-related derivatives (1) (1.2) (1.2) (0.03) Lower of cost or market inventory adjustments (1) 0.5 0.5 0.01 Realized gain on economic hedges prior to the sale of the physical commodity (1) (0.4) (0.4) (0.01) Acquisition, divestiture and restructuring activities (1) 0.8 1.2 2.0 0.05 Net Economic Earnings (Loss) (Non-GAAP) $ 152.5 $ 2.7 $ (6.6) $ 148.6 $ 3.41 Diluted EPS (GAAP) $ 3.48 $ 0.09 $ (0.18) $ 3.39 Net Economic EPS (Non-GAAP) (2) $ 3.50 $ 0.07 $ (0.16) $ 3.41 Six Months Ended March 31, 2015 Net Income (Loss) (GAAP) $ 145.8 $ 2.5 $ (6.8) $ 141.5 $ 3.26 Unrealized gain on energy-related derivatives (1) (0.1) (0.3) (0.4) (0.01) Lower of cost or market inventory adjustments (1) 0.2 0.2 0.01 Realized loss on economic hedges prior to the sale of the physical commodity (1) 0.1 0.1 Acquisition, divestiture and restructuring activities (1) 0.6 1.3 1.9 0.05 Net Economic Earnings (Loss) (Non-GAAP) $ 146.3 $ 2.5 $ (5.5) $ 143.3 $ 3.31 Diluted EPS (GAAP) $ 3.36 $ 0.06 $ (0.16) $ 3.26 Net Economic EPS (Non-GAAP) (2) $ 3.38 $ 0.06 $ (0.13) $ 3.31 (1) Amounts presented net of income taxes. Income taxes are calculated by applying federal, state, and local income tax rates applicable to ordinary income to the amounts of the pre-tax reconciling items. (2) Net economic earnings per share (EPS) is calculated by replacing consolidated net income with consolidated net economic earnings in the GAAP diluted EPS calculation. Note: EPS amounts by segment represent contributions to Spire's consolidated EPS. OPERATING MARGIN AND RECONCILIATION TO GAAP (In Millions) Gas Utility Gas Marketing Other Eliminations Consolidated Three Months Ended March 31, 2016 Operating revenues $ 612.7 $ 8.0 $ 0.9 $ (12.3) $ 609.3 Natural and propane gas expense 273.0 4.0 (12.0) 265.0 Gross receipts tax expense 32.2 0.1 32.3 Operating margin (non-GAAP) 307.5 3.9 0.9 (0.3) 312.0 Depreciation and amortization 33.8 0.1 33.9 Other operating expenses 106.3 1.4 3.0 (0.3) 110.4 Operating income (loss) (GAAP) $ 167.4 $ 2.5 $ (2.2) $ $ 167.7 Three Months Ended March 31, 2015 Operating revenues $ 849.0 $ 44.1 $ 0.9 $ (16.6) $ 877.4 Natural and propane gas expense 499.1 42.0 0.1 (16.3) 524.9 Gross receipts tax expense 44.1 44.1 Operating margin (non-GAAP) 305.8 2.1 0.8 (0.3) 308.4 Depreciation and amortization 32.2 0.1 0.2 32.5 Other operating expenses 115.6 1.4 1.5 (0.3) 118.2 Operating income (loss) (GAAP) $ 158.0 $ 0.6 $ (0.9) $ $ 157.7 Six Months Ended March 31, 2016 Operating revenues $ 1,012.2 $ 20.8 $ 1.7 $ (26.0) $ 1,008.7 Natural and propane gas expense 434.9 11.4 (25.4) 420.9 Gross receipts tax expense 49.7 0.1 49.8 Operating margin (non-GAAP) 527.6 9.3 1.7 (0.6) 538.0 Depreciation and amortization 67.3 0.3 67.6 Other operating expenses 208.9 3.0 4.4 (0.6) 215.7 Operating income (loss) (GAAP) $ 251.4 $ 6.3 $ (3.0) $ $ 254.7 Six Months Ended March 31, 2015 Operating revenues $ 1,431.4 $ 106.3 $ 1.8 $ (42.5) $ 1,497.0 Natural and propane gas expense 828.9 99.1 0.2 (42.0) 886.2 Gross receipts tax expense 71.0 0.1 71.1 Operating margin (non-GAAP) 531.5 7.1 1.6 (0.5) 539.7 Depreciation and amortization 64.2 0.2 0.3 64.7 Other operating expenses 224.1 2.7 3.7 (0.5) 230.0 Operating income (loss) (GAAP) $ 243.2 $ 4.2 $ (2.4) $ $ 245.0 SOURCE Spire Inc. Related Links http://www.SpireEnergy.com Participants in the study were asked to what degree various threats and incidents around the world significantly impacted their decision-making process. They indicated terrorist activities in Europe (37%) and the possibility of terrorist attacks in the U.S. (30%) affected their thinking a great deal when making decisions about vacation plans. Twenty-two percent of respondents selected the Zika Virus as a top concern and 20% the migration situation in Europe. Despite concerns of terrorism in Europe, 13% of participants indicated they had booked a vacation to Europe and 14% planned or were thinking of taking a trip to Europe this year. Even with the recent terror attacks, France (46%) was the second most selected destination. "The threat of terrorism both at home and abroad is a real factor for people considering their travel plans," says Jackie Lorch, vice president of knowledge management at SSI. "What's fascinating is that despite this more general concern of terrorism, some people are still planning trips to regions that recently experienced attacks." SSI also asked all participants to describe their perceptions of danger for an American tourist in various countries and regions from "extremely dangerous" to "not at all dangerous." These values were then used to compile a Perceived Danger Score, with countries seen as the most dangerous appearing at the top of the ranking. Israel (with a 43.6 ranking on the Perceived Danger Score) was perceived to be most dangerous for an American tourist on the scale. Other regions that lie in areas of political unrest, such as North Africa (35.5) and Egypt (35.8), were also represented among the most dangerous. France received a score of 21.2, while nations and regions such as the Caribbean (7.0), Canada (2.3) and Hawaii (2.6) were perceived to be safer for American tourists. Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160503/363363 Eighty-three percent of participants in the survey indicated they have booked, planned or are thinking about going on vacation this year. The most popular destination by far was the U.S. For those traveling international, the Caribbean, Canada, Mexico and the U.K. were the most popular destinations. The SSI QuickPoll study was conducted amongst 1,002 individuals aged 18 and older, census balanced by age and gender, from April 711, 2016. SSI is the premier global provider of sampling, data collection and data analytic solutions for consumer and business-to-business survey research, reaching respondents in 86 countries via Internet, telephone, mobile/wireless and mixed-access offerings. SSI staff operates from 25 offices in 18 countries, offering CATI, questionnaire design consultation, programming and hosting, online custom reporting and data processing. SSI's 3,300 employees serve more than 3,000 clients worldwide. Visit SSI at www.surveysampling.com. SSI QuickPoll is a trademark of Survey Sampling International LLC Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20141102/156027LOGO SOURCE SSI (Survey Sampling International) Related Links http://www.surveysampling.com SACRAMENTO, Calif., May 4, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- If you sat at a roulette table today and placed a five-dollar bill on red, you would have a 47.37 percent chance of winning that bet. The inverse of this is also true; you would have 52.63 percent chance of losing that same bet. Believe it or not, these odds are still substantially better than the likelihood of an African-American student reading on grade level by the time they reach the 4th grade in the United States today. Last year, national statistics reflected that only 1 in 5 African American students are reading at grade level by the 4th grade. Even more startling is that only 1 and 7 are able to perform math at grade level by the 8th grade. If success is to ensure that each child is able to perform at grade level, these outcomes equate to 80 percent and 86 percent failure rates, respectively. How is this even possible in the United States in 2016? How can America not see that the status quo is broken? How can the most innovative country in the world not drive a solution to our nation's greatest promise to our children? Where is the urgency? The truth is the American Dream, while still alive, is more competitive than it has ever been. And each day that passes, marks another lost opportunity for our students, especially low-income African American girls and boys, to have a real shot at changing their socioeconomic outcomes. In fact, only four percent of children who begin their lives at the lowest socioeconomic rung will reach the top, meaning precious few will have the opportunity to live the Dream. We, the African American community can no longer wait on others to change these odds for our kids. Quality education is the only way to substantially shift their life chances and life outcomes and this will only happen if we have high quality, effective schools in every community. Spending time attributing blame for who is at fault for these realities will not get us any closer to driving toward solutions. As parents, teachers, principals and community leaders, we can all have a role in ensuring our schools are delivering on our nation's promise. Today, only 4 percent of African American students are college ready in their core subjects upon graduation of high school. How can we expect our children to compete in a competitive global environment, let alone be gainfully employed, when they enter our universities at disproportionally, low rates and woefully underprepared? If we, as a community, can remain focused in ensuring our schools provide the quality of education that every child deserves, we have the opportunity to dramatically improve these circumstances. Doing so will not be easy work. Strategies that must be considered are expanding school choice for all families (with a particular focus on low-income families); increasing accountability for schools, districts and teachers to ensure they are providing a high quality education; and bolstering parental and community engagement in meaningful ways. If we adopt this work, we can actually change the trajectory of the performance of our students and subsequently positively shape the long-term outcomes for their lives and ultimately our community at-large. But this can only happen if we stay committed, if we stay focused and if we can exercise the courage to expect more of our students academically, to expect more of our teachers professionally, and to expect more of our parents socially. In a casino, we know that if you play long enough the house always wins, but when it comes to education for our nation's students of color, the longer we play this game, the more we all lose. As leaders in this community, we can no longer wait. We can't wring our hands as the roulette ball spins we must take action now. Co Signers- Kevin Johnson- Mayor, Sacramento, CA Dr. John S. Wilson, Jr. President, Morehouse College, Atlanta, GA Dr. H. James Williams President, Mount St. Joseph University, Cincinnati, OH Bishop Alexis Thomas - Pilgrim Baptist Church, Phoenix, AZ Bishop Joseph Walker - Mt. Zion Baptist Church, Nashville, TN Pastor Wayne Sheppard - Saint Matthew Christian Church, Sacramento, CA Pastor Ray Owens - Metropolitan Baptist Church, Tulsa, OK Pastor Darryl B. Heath St. John Missionary Baptist Church, Sacramento, CA Mr. Carlton Buford, President/Founder, AF-CMEA L.L.C. Treasurer, Met Cares Foundation Board of Directors, Tulsa, OK Mrs. Glenda Love, Interim Director, Wayman Tisdale Foundation, Tulsa, OK SOURCE StandUp REDWOOD CITY, Calif., May 4, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, ItsOn and Saudi Telecommunications Company (STC), which serves more than 100 million customers, announced the imminent launch of a new digital mobile brand, Jawwy from STC, to be available before the end of the month. Jawwy from STC is designed to meet the increasing demands of mobile customers in Saudi Arabia. In this partnership, STC will use ItsOn's cloud-based platform to build and launch the disruptive new carrier brand as part of its broader digital transformation. "We needed to develop a new offering for digitally-savvy young people," said Dr. Khaled Biyari, CEO of STC Group. "The millennials of today's Saudi Arabia exemplify the ongoing shift in consumer behavior and expectations. They live in an always-on, real-time world and they expect companies to cater to them in the same way. Jawwy is a significant part of STC's current digital transformation and we believe this initiative will set the pace for the telecom sector in KSA and beyond." Saudi Arabia has one of the world's highest penetration rates of smartphones, social media and online platforms, and Saudis under the age of 30 comprise around 65 percent of the population. This has led STC to adopt new approaches to better meet the evolving needs of young, digitally-savvy customers, including the launch of Jawwy from STC. This launch will deliver new, innovative capabilities and services to this customer segment, including: Rapid service activation leveraging existing social network credentials Personalized plan creation and management Real-time transparency of plans and usage consumption Contextual and personalized mobile commerce bundles and offers New service sharing capabilities across devices, accounts or family members e-Commerce with delivery and pick-up options Online, social and peer-to-peer customer support Unlike other operators, customers do not need to purchase a new device to enjoy the benefits of the Jawwy service. These new digital experiences are made accessible to all consumers by simply purchasing a Jawwy SIM card and downloading the Jawwy application all powered by the ItsOn platform. This first-of-its-kind app will be available in both iOS and Android versions. To ensure that this transformational initiative is deep-rooted and sustainable, STC has set up a dedicated digital business unit to design, develop and operate Jawwy. The new team's mandate is to innovate by reimagining solutions for the current issues and evolving needs of a new generation. "ItsOn's transformational technology is a leap forward for mobile service delivery in Saudi Arabia, allowing us to create a truly breakthrough digital mobile brand," said Subhra Das, CEO of Jawwy from STC. "Consumers across the world increasingly demand a better mobile experience with more control, transparency and personalization of their plans, which wouldn't normally be possible due to the limitations of legacy systems. ItsOn will help us deliver the most enjoyable mobile digital experience to our users." As operators seek new opportunities to grow their business beyond traditional voice, text and data services, ItsOn enables them to deliver new digital capabilities, services and bundles to consumers through an amazing and appealing real-time end-user experience. The platform automates key operator business and operational support functions - such as billing, charging, rating, policy, activation, marketing and on-device purchases - to deliver a superior digital consumer experience. Today's announcement proves how ItsOn can rapidly integrate with mobile operators, enable them to launch a variety of new digital services, and provide a seamless, digital consumer experience. "Jawwy from STC is a visionary brand that believes in offering its customers simplicity, transparency and trust. The digital experiences it will deliver to its customers directly align with this intent," said Greg Raleigh, CEO and founder of ItsOn. "We designed our platform and our company for just this type of partnership to seamlessly integrate with operators, so they can quickly become a digital service provider, engage better with users and increase customer loyalty. STC and Jawwy deserve great recognition for implementing this innovative, customer-centric digital service delivery infrastructure and brand." About STC Headquartered in Riyadh, Saudi Telecom Group is the largest telecommunications company in the Middle East and North Africa based on market value, with revenues of 50,836,000,000 billion riyals ($13,556,000,000) in realizable revenue in 2015 and 9,334,000,000 billion riyals ($2,489,000,000 dollars) of net income. STC was established in 1998 and currently has about 100,000,000 customers worldwide and serves customers through a fiber-optic network that spans 137,000 kilometers across Asia, the Middle East and Europe. In Saudi Arabia (the group's major market) STC operates the largest modern mobile network in the Middle East covering over 99% of the country's populated areas in addition to providing 4G mobile broadband service to over 85% of the population of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Besides its wholly-owned main operation in Saudi Arabia, STC's investments include 100% ownership of Viva Bahrain, 51.8% of Viva Kuwait (along with a management contract), 35% of Oger Telecom Limited in UAE (which controls Turk Telecom, Avea in Turkey, Cell-C in South Africa, and 25% of Binariang GSM Holding in Malaysia which controls Maxis in Malaysia and Aircel in India). In addition to the above, STC has other investments in information technology, content, distribution, contact centers and real estate, all of which support its telecommunications operations across the Middle East. About Jawwy from STC Jawwy from STC is a new digital mobile experience for today's digital millennials. We say it is 'Personal mobile service, in an app.' It has its own SIM, app and freshly designed digital channels for buying and receiving support. With the app, users can build, manage and share their plan in real time, giving them complete control over the services they buy and use. The app is available in iOS and Android versions. To know more, please visit jawwy.sa. About ItsOn ItsOn is a proven leader in the telecommunications industry, having fundamentally changed how mobile services are delivered and consumed. The company launched its services platform for mobile operators in the U.S. and globally last year, and counts both Sprint and Virgin Mobile as customers. ItsOn investors include Andreessen Horowitz, Tenaya Capital, Vodafone Ventures, Verizon Investments, Cisco and Delta Capital Partners. The company is privately held and headquartered in Redwood City, CA. For more information, please visit www.itsoninc.com or follow @ItsOnInc on Twitter. Alex Ingram [email protected] 415-299-6586 SOURCE ItsOn Related Links http://www.itsoninc.com BOSTON, May 4, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Style Research, an independent, global provider of portfolio style, risk and performance analytics, is launching a product to enable investment professionals to directly compare fund portfolios based on style factors. Peer Insights provides users with deep, independent insight into portfolios, removing much of the speculation and hyperbole that exists in the industry. With more than 20,000 mutual funds now vying for attention, it's become increasingly difficult for investors to distinguish between portfolios, and for fund managers to stand out from the crowd. Users of Peer Insights can compare portfolios and fund managers either on a standalone basis or against industry indices. Fueled with fund data from Morningstar, Inc., the service provides a level of unbiased analysis that's expected by investors, and needed for confident decision-making. "At surface level, funds can often seem highly similar, despite significant differences in key underlying factors. Investors need to be able to compare portfolios on a granular level," said Joanna McGinley, head of global redistributor solutions for Morningstar. "We're providing our data to Peer Insights to help investors identify and highlight style and risk differences among funds as they compare portfolios and make investing decisions." "With a variety of proprietary methodologies for presenting analysis of portfolios, meaningful comparison has become overly complex," said Bernie Nelson, President, North America of Style Research. "By providing style and risk insights tailored to the vocabulary of investment professionals and their clients, Peer Insights greatly reduces associated inefficiency and risk. This supports confident decision making with the ability to communicate a clear story to stakeholders." Peer Insights is the latest addition to Style Research's suite of style-oriented, analytical solutions. Formed in 1997, Style Research supports more than 300 clients in 28 countries. ABOUT STYLE RESEARCH Style Research is an independent provider of global investment research and portfolio analysis applications. The company specializes in holdings-based style, risk and performance analysis of portfolios, funds and markets for professional investment institutions worldwide. With offices in the UK, US and Canada and agents across Asia Pacific, Style Research provides analysis services to more than 300 international institutions in nearly 30 countries, including asset owners, investment managers, hedge funds, fund-of-funds managers, investment consultants, custodians and advisors. For more information, please visit www.styleresearch.com. SOURCE Style Research Related Links http://www.styleresearch.com LOS ANGELES, May 4, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Funding for Lawsuits (www.fundingforlawsuits.com), the nation's fastest growing pre-settlement funding firm, reports that a Missouri state jury awarded $55 million to a woman who sued Johnson & Johnson alleging she developed ovarian cancer after talcum powder usage. Coming away from this news, Funding for Lawsuits has agreed to add Talcum Powder Lawsuit Settlement Funding to their growing portfolio. It has been well documented for decades now that talcum powder (baby powder) carries a risk of cancer. Recent lawsuits filed against Johnson & Johnson allege that prolonged use of talcum powder led to ovarian cancer in women. "Johnson & Johnson has known for almost half a century that talcum powder posed significant cancer risks yet failed to warn the public," said managing member, Stuart Heller. "J&J must be held accountable for their negligence and we hope to see other favorable verdicts like this one." In order to qualify for Talcum Powder Lawsuit Settlement Funding, Funding for Lawsuits requires that you are represented by an attorney and have been diagnosed with ovarian cancer. To see if you qualify, please visit: http://www.fundingforlawsuits.com/talcum-powder-lawsuit-settlement-funding Funding for Lawsuits offers a unique financial product that bridges the gap between today and the time settlement funds are received. While not correct terminology, pre-settlement funding is often called a lawsuit loan or a pre-settlement loan but is actually just an advance. Funding for Lawsuits can advance on any personal injury case type including motor vehicle accidents, catastrophic injuries, dog bite, premises liability, hip implant, power morcellator, IVC Filter, products liability, police brutality, sexual harassment, etc. For additional information, visit: http://www.fundingforlawsuits.com/get-legal-funding or call 1-800-475-2222. Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160428/361052LOGO SOURCE Funding for Lawsuits Related Links http://www.fundingforlawsuits.com KNOXVILLE, Tenn., May 4, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- TeamHealth Holdings, Inc. ("TeamHealth") (NYSE: TMH), a leading physician services organization, today announced that its management team will present at the following conferences: 2016 Bank of America Merrill Lynch Healthcare Conference May 11th, 2016 Presentation 6:00 p.m. Eastern Time Las Vegas, NV 2016 UBS Global Healthcare Conference May 24th, 2016 Presentation 1:30 p.m. Eastern Time New York, NY 2016 Goldman Sachs 37th Annual Global Healthcare Conference June 8th, 2016 Presentation 5:40 p.m. Eastern Time Rancho Palos Verdes, CA Interested investors and other parties may listen to a simultaneous webcast of the presentations by logging on to the Investor Relations section of the company's website at www.teamhealth.com. The on-line replays will be available immediately following the presentations. To learn more about TeamHealth, please visit the company's website at www.teamhealth.com. TeamHealth uses its website as a channel of distribution of material company information. Financial and other materials information regarding TeamHealth is routinely posted on the company's website and readily accessible. About TeamHealth At TeamHealth (NYSE: TMH), our purpose is to perfect our physicians' ability to practice medicine, every day, in everything we do. Through our more than 18,000 affiliated physicians and advanced practice clinicians, TeamHealth offers outsourced emergency medicine, hospital medicine, critical care, anesthesiology, orthopaedic hospitalist, acute care surgery, obstetrics and gynecology hospitalist, ambulatory care, post-acute care and medical call center solutions to approximately 3,400 acute and post-acute facilities and physician groups nationwide. Our philosophy is as simple as our goal is singular: we believe better experiences for physicians lead to better outcomesfor patients, hospital partners and physicians alike. Join our team; we value and empower clinicians. Partner with us; we deliver on our promises. Learn more at http://www.teamhealth.com. The term "TeamHealth" as used throughout this release includes Team Health Holdings, Inc., its subsidiaries, affiliates, affiliated medical groups and providers, all of which are part of the TeamHealth organization. "Providers" are physicians, advanced practice clinicians and other healthcare providers who are employed by or contract with subsidiaries or affiliated entities of Team Health Holdings, Inc. All such providers exercise independent clinical judgment when providing patient care. Team Health Holdings, Inc. does not have any employees, does not contract with providers and does not practice medicine. Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20131111/CL14595LOGO SOURCE TeamHealth Holdings, Inc. Related Links http://www.teamhealth.com NEW YORK, May 4, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- A new program launched by neurologists at UR Medicine will expand access to care and serve as a national model for the management of Parkinson's disease and other chronic illnesses. The Parkinson's Disease Care, New York (PDCNY) program will be a largely virtual network providing free care to as many as 500 underserved patients across New York State. University of Rochester Medical Center "Providing coordinated, ongoing care to Parkinson's patients in the traditional settings of a doctor's office requires these individuals and their caregivers and families to travel, often long distances, and is expensive for payers and patients alike," said URMC neurologist Kevin Biglan, M.D. M.P.H., the director of the PDCNY program. "The PDCNY program will break down the barriers of geography and deliver care directly to patients who have never seen a specialist and in the comfort of their own homes." Participants in the PDCNY program will interact via a secure web-based teleconferencing system with Parkinson's disease specialist at URMC. There will be no charge for these virtual house calls. Physicians and nurses at URMC will develop and regularly reevaluate coordinated care plans for each patient, including referrals to speech, occupational, and physical therapists, mental health providers, social workers, and home health providers, if warranted. The program is supported with grants from the Greater Rochester Health Foundation and the Edmond J. Safra Foundation. "For the first time for anyone in a defined geographic area with a defined conditions can received care in their home virtually, regardless of their ability to pay," said URMC neurologist Ray Dorsey, M.D., M.B.A. "This brings us one step closer to fulfilling our vision to deliver Parkinson's care to anyone, anywhere." "My husband Edmond and I were very lucky to have had access to leading Parkinson's experts when he became sick, yet this should not be a privilege available only to those with resources to travel," said Lily Safra, chairwoman of the Edmond J. Safra Foundation. "Telemedicine can make this kind of care available to anyone, anywhere, and I am very proud to be supporting projects like this one, aimed at making the dream a reality." Participants with iPhones will be able to use the mPower app developed by URMC and Sage Bionetworks to track and share information about their symptoms with their physicians. The app, initially designed as a research study using Apple's ResearchKit, uses sensors in the iPhone to measure dexterity, voice fluctuations, balance and gait, and memory. Now using CareKit, the latest software framework designed by Apple, is able to better inform patients and providers about their symptoms and care. Parkinson's disease lends itself to telemedicine because many aspects of the treatment of the disease are visual and only require the physician to observe the patient performing certain tasks such as repeatedly tapping their fingers together, walking, and describing their symptoms. These exchanges can be conducted just as effectively via telemedicine as they can in a doctor's office and allow physicians to monitor the progression of the disease, manage and adjust medications accordingly, and refer the patient to other specialists, therapists, and support services. There is a tremendous need to make specialists more accessible to Parkinson's patients. It is estimated that more than 40 percent of people with the disease do not see a neurologist, placing these individuals at greater risk for poor health outcomes. For example, people with the disease who do not see a specialist are more likely to fall and fracture a hip, end up in a skilled nursing facility or hospital, and die. Geography is often a determining factor in whether a person with Parkinson's sees a specialist. Neurologists with training in movement disorders like Parkinson's disease tend to be concentrated in major academic medical centers in large urban areas. Additionally, the nature of the disease particularly the impact on movement, balance, and coordination can make frequent long trips to the doctor's office unfeasible. The PDCNY program will provide care to 500 patients, approximately 400 of whom will reside in the nine-county Greater Rochester area. An estimated 7,000 individuals with Parkinson's in the Rochester area have not seen a specialist in the last 5 years. "By providing care directly in to the homes of individuals with Parkinson's, this program will address barriers to access of care, improve the quality of care these individuals receive, and improve their function and quality of life," said Biglan. Biglan and Dorsey have been pioneers in demonstrating the feasibility of providing quality and cost-effective care for Parkinson's patients via telemedicine. The two have authored several studies on the subject and are in the midst of a large federally-funded study that entails providing remote care to Parkinson's patients across the country. The program is part of a growing movement to extend specialized neurological care to underserved populations. URMC neurologists already provide Parkinson's care via telemedicine directly to patients in New York State nursing homes located in New Hartford, Johnson City, Watertown, and Otsego. The team will also be providing care for Huntington's disease patients at a new neurodegenerative nursing home that will open in Utica, N.Y. in June. For more information on PDCNY, visit www.pdcareny.org or contact Jill Lowell at [email protected] or (585) 276-8762. Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160504/363778LOGO Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160504/363779LOGO SOURCE Parkinsons Disease Care, New York Related Links http://www.pdcny.org PLYMOUTH, Minn., May 4, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- The Mosaic Company (NYSE: MOS) today reported first quarter 2016 net earnings of $257 million, down from $295 million in the first quarter of 2015. Earnings per diluted share were $0.73 and included a positive impact of $0.59 from notable items, primarily related to currency and tax benefits. Mosaic's net sales in the first quarter of 2016 were $1.7 billion, down from $2.1 billion last year, reflecting lower prices as well as lower potash sales volumes. Operating earnings during the quarter were $163 million, down from $319 million a year ago, as the lower net sales were partially mitigated by lower potash and phosphate production costs and benefits of continued expense management initiatives. "We are seeing the benefits of the actions we've taken to weather this down part of the cycle," said Joc O'Rourke, President and Chief Executive Officer. "While we expect profitability to improve in the second half of the year, we are making further adjustments to ensure Mosaic remains competitive in any environment." Cash flow provided by operating activities in the first quarter of 2016 was $266 million compared to $729 million in the prior year. Capital expenditures plus investments totaled $274 million in the quarter. Mosaic's total cash and cash equivalents were $1.1 billion and long-term debt was $3.8 billion as of March 31, 2016. The Company completed a previously announced $75 million accelerated share repurchase. "Mosaic is focused on optimizing cash flow by reducing operating and support function costs and moderating capital spending," said Rich Mack, Mosaic's Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer. "At the same time, our prudent balance sheet management is allowing us to manage effectively through the bottom of the cycle and seek new opportunities for future growth." Phosphates Phosphates Results 1Q 2016 Actual 1Q 2016 Guidance Average DAP Selling Price $355 $350 to $370 Sales Volume 2.2 million tonnes 1.8 to 2.2 million tonnes Phosphate Production 75% of operational capacity 70 to 80% of operational capacity "Our phosphate operating earnings were negatively impacted by lower phosphate prices, as well as our related production curtailments and the typical lag in realizing the benefits of lower raw materials costs," O'Rourke said. "We expect conditions to improve during the second half of 2016, with global phosphate shipments accelerating and profitability improving." Net sales in the Phosphates segment were $909 million for the first quarter, down from $1.2 billion last year, driven primarily by lower prices of finished product. Gross margin was $65 million, or seven percent of net sales, compared to $222 million, or 19 percent of net sales, for the same period a year ago. The year-over-year change in gross margin rate primarily reflects lower finished product selling prices, partially offset by lower realized ammonia and sulfur costs. The first quarter average DAP selling price, FOB plant, was $355 per tonne, compared to $458 per tonne a year ago. Phosphates segment total sales volumes were 2.2 million tonnes, down from 2.3 million tonnes last year. Mosaic's North American finished phosphate production was 2.2 million tonnes, or 75 percent of operational capacity, compared to 2.3 million tonnes, or 79 percent, a year ago. Potash Potash Results 1Q 2016 Actual 1Q 2016 Guidance Average MOP Selling Price $207 $200 to $230 Sales Volume 1.5 million tonnes 1.5 to 1.9 million tonnes Potash Production 77% of operational capacity 70 to 80% of operational capacity "The potash market is off to a slow start in 2016 with delayed buying activity, particularly in China and India. As a result, shipment volumes were at the low end of our expectations and we operated our facilities at reduced rates," O'Rourke said. "We expect a more stable operating environment in the second half of 2016 as global demand drives an acceleration in shipments, increased operating rates and price stabilization." Net sales in the Potash segment totaled $394 million for the first quarter, down from $653 million last year, driven by lower average realized prices and lower sales volumes. Gross margin was $98 million, or $116 million excluding Canadian resource taxes ("CRT"). Gross margin rate, excluding CRT, was 30 percent of net sales, down from 49 percent in the first quarter of last year. The year-over-year decrease in gross margin, excluding CRT, was driven by lower selling prices and volumes. The negative impact of a lower operating rate was offset by benefits from foreign currency and cost savings initiatives. The first quarter average MOP selling price, FOB plant, was $207 per tonne, down from $288 per tonne a year ago. The Potash segment's total sales volumes for the first quarter were 1.5 million tonnes, compared to 2.0 million tonnes a year ago. Potash production was 2.0 million tonnes, or 77 percent of operational capacity, down from 2.5 million tonnes, or 93 percent of operational capacity a year ago, reflecting Mosaic's previously announced plan to slow production to meet customer requirements. International Distribution (ID) ID Results 1Q 2016 Actual 1Q 2016 Guidance Sales Volume 1.3 million tonnes 1.0 to 1.2 million tonnes Gross Margin per Tonne $9 per tonne Around $10 per tonne Net sales in the International Distribution segment were $467 million for the first quarter, up from $439 million last year, primarily as a result of increased volumes from the acquisition of a distribution business in Brazil, partially offset by lower average selling prices. Gross margin was $12 million, or three percent of net sales, compared to $21 million, or five percent of net sales, for the same period a year ago. The first quarter average selling price was $365 per tonne, compared to $444 per tonne a year ago. International Distribution segment total sales volumes were 1.3 million tonnes, up from 1.0 million tonnes last year. Other SG&A expenses were $90 million for the first quarter, down from $100 million last year, largely as a result of a decrease in accruals for incentive compensation. The effective tax rate in the quarter was negative. The provision for income taxes in the first quarter includes a $64 million discrete tax benefit relating mostly to the resolution of audit activity, partially offset by the cost of repatriating cash from certain non-U.S. subsidiaries. The effective tax rate, excluding discrete items, was 16 percent in the current quarter. Financial Guidance "While the outlook for the first half of 2016 is muted, we see stronger markets and anticipate better results in the second half," O'Rourke said. "We expect improved profitability to be driven by lower raw material costs, combined with an acceleration in shipment volumes in both phosphate and potash driving up operating rates and margins. We believe our efforts to lower costs and reduce capital spending will further enhance our profitability and cash flow." Total sales volumes for the Phosphates segment are expected to range from 2.3 to 2.6 million tonnes for the second quarter of 2016, compared to 2.8 million tonnes last year. Mosaic's realized DAP price, FOB plant, is estimated to range from $335 to $355 per tonne for the second quarter of 2016. The segment gross margin rate in the second quarter is estimated to be around 10 percent, and the operating rate is expected to be approximately 80 percent. Total sales volumes for the Potash segment are expected to range from 1.9 to 2.2 million tonnes for the second quarter of 2016, compared to 2.3 million tonnes last year. Mosaic's realized MOP price, FOB plant, is estimated to range from $180 to $200 per tonne. Mosaic's gross margin rate in the segment is expected to be in the mid-to-high teens, excluding CRT. The operating rate is expected to around 70 percent. Total sales volumes for the International Distribution segment are expected to range from 1.4 to 1.6 million tonnes for the second quarter of 2016, compared to 1.5 million tonnes last year. The segment gross margin is estimated to be in the low single dollar per tonne range. For calendar year 2016, Mosaic lowered its guidance as follows: SG&A expense range to $340 to $360 million , down from $350 to $370 million . , down from . Capital expenditures range to $800 to $900 million , down from $0.9 to $1.1 billion . Expectations for equity investments in the Ma'aden Wa'ad Al Shamal Phosphate Company are $220 million , down from the $300 million previously expected. , down from . Expectations for equity investments in the Ma'aden Wa'ad Al Shamal Phosphate Company are , down from the previously expected. Phosphates sales volumes range to 9 to 9.75 million tonnes, down from a range of 9 to 10 million tonnes. Potash sales volumes range to 7.5 to 8.0 million tonnes, down from a range of 7.5 to 8.5 million tonnes. All other full year 2016 guidance remains unchanged: Canadian resource taxes are expected to range from 21 to 25 percent of Potash gross margin excluding CRT. Brine management costs to range from $160 to $180 million . . The effective tax rate to be in the upper teens. International Distribution sales volumes in the range of 6 to 7 million tonnes. About The Mosaic Company The Mosaic Company is one of the world's leading producers and marketers of concentrated phosphate and potash crop nutrients. Mosaic is a single source provider of phosphate and potash fertilizers and feed ingredients for the global agriculture industry. More information on the Company is available at www.mosaicco.com. Mosaic will conduct a conference call on Wednesday, May 4, 2016, at 8:30 a.m. EST to discuss first quarter 2016 earnings results as well as global markets and trends. Presentation slides and a simultaneous webcast of the conference call may be accessed through Mosaic's website at www.mosaicco.com/investors. This webcast will be available up to one year from the time of the earnings call. This document contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such statements include, but are not limited to, statements about the Wa'ad Al Shamal Phosphate Company (also known as MWSPC) and other proposed or pending future transactions or strategic plans and other statements about future financial and operating results. Such statements are based upon the current beliefs and expectations of The Mosaic Company's management and are subject to significant risks and uncertainties. These risks and uncertainties include but are not limited to risks and uncertainties arising from the ability of MWSPC to obtain additional planned funding in acceptable amounts and upon acceptable terms, the timely development and commencement of operations of production facilities in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the future success of current plans for MWSPC and any future changes in those plans; difficulties with realization of the benefits of our long term natural gas based pricing ammonia supply agreement with CF Industries, Inc., including the risk that the cost savings initially anticipated from the agreement may not be fully realized over its term or that the price of natural gas or ammonia during the term are at levels at which the pricing is disadvantageous to Mosaic; customer defaults; the effects of Mosaic's decisions to exit business operations or locations; the predictability and volatility of, and customer expectations about, agriculture, fertilizer, raw material, energy and transportation markets that are subject to competitive and other pressures and economic and credit market conditions; the level of inventories in the distribution channels for crop nutrients; the effect of future product innovations or development of new technologies on demand for our products; changes in foreign currency and exchange rates; international trade risks and other risks associated with Mosaic's international operations and those of joint ventures in which Mosaic participates, including the risk that protests against natural resource companies in Peru extend to or impact the Miski Mayo mine; changes in government policy; changes in environmental and other governmental regulation, including expansion of the types and extent of water resources regulated under federal law, greenhouse gas regulation, implementation of numeric water quality standards for the discharge of nutrients into Florida waterways or efforts to reduce the flow of excess nutrients into the Mississippi River basin, the Gulf of Mexico or elsewhere; further developments in judicial or administrative proceedings, or complaints that Mosaic's operations are adversely impacting nearby farms, business operations or properties; difficulties or delays in receiving, increased costs of or challenges to necessary governmental permits or approvals or increased financial assurance requirements; resolution of global tax audit activity; the effectiveness of Mosaic's processes for managing its strategic priorities; adverse weather conditions affecting operations in Central Florida, the Mississippi River basin, the Gulf Coast of the United States or Canada, and including potential hurricanes, excess heat, cold, snow, rainfall or drought; actual costs of various items differing from management's current estimates, including, among others, asset retirement, environmental remediation, reclamation or other environmental regulation, Canadian resources taxes and royalties, or the costs of the MWSPC, its existing or future funding and Mosaic's commitments in support of such funding; reduction of Mosaic's available cash and liquidity, and increased leverage, due to its use of cash and/or available debt capacity to fund financial assurance requirements and strategic investments; brine inflows at Mosaic's Esterhazy, Saskatchewan, potash mine or other potash shaft mines; other accidents and disruptions involving Mosaic's operations, including potential mine fires, floods, explosions, seismic events or releases of hazardous or volatile chemicals; and risks associated with cyber security, including reputational loss, as well as other risks and uncertainties reported from time to time in The Mosaic Company's reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Actual results may differ from those set forth in the forward-looking statements. For the three months ended March 31, 2016, the Company reported the following notable items which, combined, positively impacted earnings per share by $0.59: Amount Tax effect EPS impact Description Segment Line item (in millions) (in millions) (per share) Foreign currency transaction gain Consolidated Foreign currency transaction gain $ 88 $ (14) $ 0.21 Unrealized gain on derivatives Corporate & Other Cost of goods sold 53 (8) 0.13 Carlsbad insurance proceeds Potash Other operating income (expense) 28 (4) 0.07 Discrete tax items Consolidated Benefit from income taxes 64 0.18 Total Notable Items $ 169 $ 38 $ 0.59 For the three months ended March 31, 2015, the Company reported the following notable items which, combined, positively impacted earnings per share by $0.10: Amount Tax effect EPS impact Description Segment Line item (in millions) (in millions) (per share) Foreign currency transaction gain Consolidated Foreign currency transaction gain $ 45 $ (8) $ 0.09 Unrealized (loss) on derivatives Corporate & Other Cost of goods sold (38) 7 (0.08) Discrete tax items Consolidated Benefit from income taxes 28 0.08 Sales tax refund Phosphates Other operating income (expense) 8 (1) 0.02 Remediation of a pre-combination environmental matter Phosphates Other expense (6) 1 (0.01) Total Notable Items $ 9 $ 27 $ 0.10 Condensed Consolidated Statements of Earnings (in millions, except per share amounts) The Mosaic Company (unaudited) Three months ended March 31, 2016 2015 Net sales $ 1,674.0 $ 2,139.1 Cost of goods sold 1,437.3 1,719.9 Gross margin 236.7 419.2 Selling, general and administrative expenses 89.8 100.4 Other operating (income) expense (16.5) 0.3 Operating earnings 163.4 318.5 Interest expense, net (26.1) (31.3) Foreign currency transaction gain 87.8 45.1 Other income (expense) 0.6 (5.6) Earnings from consolidated companies before income taxes 225.7 326.7 (Benefit from) provision for income taxes (28.7) 30.7 Earnings from consolidated companies 254.4 296.0 Equity in net earnings (loss) of nonconsolidated companies 2.5 (1.4) Net earnings including noncontrolling interests 256.9 294.6 Less: Net earnings (loss) attributable to noncontrolling interests 0.1 (0.2) Net earnings attributable to Mosaic $ 256.8 $ 294.8 Diluted net earnings per share attributable to Mosaic $ 0.73 $ 0.80 Diluted weighted average number of shares outstanding 353.2 367.9 Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets (in millions, except per share amounts) The Mosaic Company (unaudited) March 31, 2016 December 31, 2015 Assets Current assets: Cash and cash equivalents $ 1,057.7 $ 1,276.3 Receivables, net 677.2 675.0 Inventories 1,566.0 1,563.5 Other current assets 656.2 628.6 Total current assets 3,957.1 4,143.4 Property, plant and equipment, net 9,020.4 8,721.0 Investments in nonconsolidated companies 973.7 980.5 Goodwill 1,661.1 1,595.3 Deferred income taxes 697.6 691.9 Other assets 1,317.2 1,257.4 Total assets $ 17,627.1 $ 17,389.5 Liabilities and Equity Current liabilities: Short-term debt $ 41.8 $ 25.5 Current maturities of long-term debt 42.0 41.7 Structured accounts payable arrangements 354.2 481.7 Accounts payable 517.7 520.6 Accrued liabilities 858.6 977.5 Total current liabilities 1,814.3 2,047.0 Long-term debt, less current maturities 3,774.0 3,769.5 Deferred income taxes 1,065.9 977.4 Other noncurrent liabilities 941.9 1,030.6 Equity: Preferred Stock, $0.01 par value, 15,000,000 shares authorized, none issued and outstanding as of March 31, 2016 and December 31, 2015 Class A Common Stock, $0.01 par value, 177,027,941 shares authorized, none issued and outstanding as of March 31, 2016, 194,203,987 shares authorized, none issued and outstanding as of December 31, 2015 Class B Common Stock, $0.01 par value, 87,008,602 shares authorized, none issued and outstanding as of March 31, 2016 and December 31, 2015 Common Stock, $0.01 par value, 1,000,000,000 shares authorized, 387,746,426 shares issued and 349,797,577 shares outstanding as of March 31, 2016, 387,697,547 shares issued and 352,515,256 shares outstanding as of December 31, 2015 3.5 3.5 Capital in excess of par value 12.8 6.4 Retained earnings 11,206.1 11,014.8 Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) (1,225.6) (1,492.9) Total Mosaic stockholders' equity 9,996.8 9,531.8 Noncontrolling interests 34.2 33.2 Total equity 10,031.0 9,565.0 Total liabilities and equity $ 17,627.1 $ 17,389.5 Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows (in millions, except per share amounts) The Mosaic Company (unaudited) Three months ended March 31, 2016 2015 Cash Flows from Operating Activities: Net cash provided by operating activities $ 265.9 $ 728.9 Cash Flows from Investing Activities: Capital expenditures (235.6) (229.5) Proceeds from adjustment to acquisition of business 47.9 Investments in nonconsolidated companies (3.0) Investments in affiliate (38.5) Other 0.2 1.7 Net cash used in investing activities (273.9) (182.9) Cash Flows from Financing Activities: Payments of short-term debt (74.1) (32.7) Proceeds from issuance of short-term debt 90.2 29.4 Payments of structured accounts payable arrangements (224.3) (146.6) Proceeds from structured accounts payable arrangements 95.8 73.2 Payments of long-term debt (1.2) (0.6) Proceeds from settlement of swaps 4.2 Proceeds from stock option exercises 0.8 2.9 Repurchases of stock (75.0) (134.4) Cash dividends paid (96.2) (91.4) Other (0.2) (0.2) Net cash used in financing activities (280.0) (300.4) Effect of exchange rate changes on cash 69.4 (102.8) Net change in cash and cash equivalents (218.6) 142.8 Cash and cash equivalents - beginning of period 1,276.3 2,374.6 Cash and cash equivalents - end of period $ 1,057.7 $ 2,517.4 Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measures In addition to financial measures prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles ("GAAP"), the Company has presented gross margin excluding Canadian resource taxes ("CRT") for Potash and adjusted diluted earnings per share, each of which is a non-GAAP financial measure. Generally, a non-GAAP financial measure is a supplemental numerical measure of a company's performance, financial position or cash flows that either excludes or includes amounts that are not normally excluded or included in the most directly comparable measure calculated and presented in accordance with GAAP. Neither gross margin, excluding CRT nor adjusted diluted earnings per share, is a measure of financial performance under GAAP. Because not all companies use identical calculations, investors should consider that Mosaic's calculations may not be comparable to other similarly titled measures presented by other companies. Gross margin, excluding CRT and adjusted diluted earnings per share, should not be considered as substitutes for, or superior to, measures of financial performance prepared in accordance with GAAP. Gross margin, excluding CRT, provides a measure that the Company believes enhances the reader's ability to compare the Company's gross margin with that of other companies which incur CRT expense and classify it in a manner different than the Company in their statement of earnings. Because securities analysts, investors, lenders and others use gross margin, excluding CRT, the Company's management believes that Mosaic's presentation of gross margin excluding CRT for Potash affords them greater transparency in assessing Mosaic's financial performance against competitors. Management believes that adjusted diluted earnings per share provides securities analysts, investors and others, in addition to management, with useful supplemental information regarding our performance by excluding certain items that may not be indicative of or are unrelated to our core operating results. Management utilizes adjusted diluted earnings per share in analyzing and assessing the Company's overall performance, for financial and operating decision-making, and to forecast and plan for the future periods. Adjusted diluted earnings per share also assists our management in comparing our and our competitors' operating results. Potash Gross Margin, Excluding Resource Taxes Calculation Three months ended March 31, 2016 2015 Sales $ 394.2 $ 652.8 Gross margin 98.2 241.9 Gross margin percentage 24.9 % 37.1 % Canadian resource taxes 18.3 78.1 Gross margin, excluding Canadian resource taxes (CRT) $ 116.5 $ 320.0 Gross margin percentage, excluding CRT 29.6 % 49.0 % Reconciliation of Adjusted Diluted Earnings Per Share Three months ended March 31, 2016 2015 Diluted earnings per share, as reported $ 0.73 $ 0.80 Items included in earnings per share: Foreign currency transaction (gain) (0.21) (0.09) Unrealized (gain) loss on derivatives (0.13) 0.08 Carlsbad insurance proceeds (0.07) Discrete tax items (0.18) (0.08) Sales tax refund (0.02) Remediation of a pre-combination environmental matter 0.01 Adjusted diluted earnings per share $ 0.14 $ 0.70 Earnings Per Share Calculation Three months ended March 31, 2016 2015 Net earnings attributable to Mosaic $ 256.8 $ 294.8 Basic weighted average number of shares outstanding 351.3 366.0 Dilutive impact of share-based awards 1.9 1.9 Diluted weighted average number of shares outstanding 353.2 367.9 Basic net earnings per share attributable to Mosaic $ 0.73 $ 0.81 Diluted net earnings per share attributable to Mosaic $ 0.73 $ 0.80 Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20060331/MOSAICLOGO SOURCE The Mosaic Company Related Links http://www.mosaicco.com Inspired by the 21CSC's goal to "preserve, protect and promote America's greatest gifts," The REI Foundation is funding projects in 19 national parks throughout the country, forming part of the co-op's multi-year, multi-million dollar partnership with the National Park Foundation. During the Centennial, REI is helping people to enjoy deeper park experiences through: Guides: The Co-op Guide to the National Parksa crowdsourced, living guide to the national parks available on Android and iOS platformsreveals hidden gems and reduces pressure on the most traveled park areas The Co-op Guide to the National Parksa crowdsourced, living guide to the national parks available on Android and iOS platformsreveals hidden gems and reduces pressure on the most traveled park areas Trips: 10 percent of all revenue from more than 45 REI Adventures' national parks trips and America the Beautiful passes will be invested in the National Park Foundation 10 percent of all revenue from more than 45 REI Adventures' national parks trips and America the Beautiful passes will be invested in the National Park Foundation Stories: Inspiring people to go deeper into the parks system, REI is sharing transformational experiences via the Mileposts podcast series Inspiring people to go deeper into the parks system, REI is sharing transformational experiences via the Mileposts podcast series Gear: REI has developed and curated a new line of gear for the Centennial, with 10 percent of all proceeds invested back into the National Park Foundation "This is a once in a lifetime chance for REI to invest in the leaders who will help keep our parks healthy and accessible for the next 100 years," said Jerry Stritzke, REI president and CEO. In the 2015 Stewardship Report, Stritzke shared his intention to begin a conversation with REI employees, members and the outdoor community at the annual member meeting about how the co-op could have a positive impact on the outdoors and society 100 years from now. Stritzke continued, "Our co-op was born in the parks. They are some of the most inspirational outdoor places in the world. They are where our community feels at home, but they will disappear slowly if we don't take care of them. I have no doubt that these projects will make a big impact. As these folks transform the parks, they will have unforgettable, life-changing experiences that will hard-wire the value of the outdoors into their minds." The projects that The REI Foundation is investing in will connect new communities to the outdoors. Young peopleincluding underserved high school and college students, inner-city youth and multicultural groupswill get real-world work experience in nearby parks. They will be paid as stewards of the outdoors, revitalizing the nation's most iconic and inspiring places, building and maintaining trail access and improving safety to help visitors go deeper. "We're grateful for private sector partnerships with companies like REI that encourage a lifelong ethic of stewardship of the great outdoors," said U.S. Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell. "Thanks to REI's generosity, we're putting young people and returning veterans to work restoring and protecting our nation's land, water and wildlife while creating a connection to nature and public lands that can last a lifetime." "The goal of the centennial is to engage the next generation in national parks," said National Park Service Director Jonathan B. Jarvis. "So we are excited that this program will provide opportunities for young people who might not otherwise have a chance to be inspired by these incredible places." Several projects will take place at a specific national park locationfrom the Santa Monica Mountains in California to Rock Creek Park in Washington, D.C.while others will span multiple national park sites this summer. The REI Foundation also supported four projects last summer at Colorado's Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument and in the Flagstaff area's National Monuments. "Recognizing the opportunity that a 100th birthday provides, it is essential to have partners like The REI Foundation who are helping us meet our ambitious goal of inspiring millions of people from all backgrounds to discover their unique connections to America's national parks, how these places are relevant to their lives, and why it's important that we all actively participate in ensuring their protection for generations to come," said Will Shafroth, president of the National Park Foundation, the official charity of America's national parks. The following projects are made possible by The REI Foundation's investment, in partnership with supporting nonprofit organizations and other donors: California (Latino Heritage Internship Program): The Hispanic Access Foundation and Environment for the Americas will host more than 40 college studentsincluding one intern per locationto develop interpretive programs, support museum and archival work, participate in archaeological fieldwork and engage in community outreach. These projects will take place at the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area and the Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Park over 10 weeks. (Latino Heritage Internship Program): The Hispanic Access Foundation and Environment for the Americas will host more than 40 college studentsincluding one intern per locationto develop interpretive programs, support museum and archival work, participate in archaeological fieldwork and engage in community outreach. These projects will take place at the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area and the Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Park over 10 weeks. Colorado ( Rocky Mountain National Park ): A crew of 10-16 high school and college age youth will join the Rocky Mountain Conservancy to improve the Bierstadt Lake Trail. ( ): A crew of 10-16 high school and college age youth will join the Rocky Mountain Conservancy to improve the Bierstadt Lake Trail. Georgia (Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area): The Greening Youth Foundation will offer an employment opportunity for up to six high school youth to build and maintain trails during this four-week program. (Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area): The Greening Youth Foundation will offer an employment opportunity for up to six high school youth to build and maintain trails during this four-week program. Montana ( Glacier National Park ): Spanning four to 10 weeks, 12-24 high school and college age youth will join the Glacier Conservancy to reconstruct the iconic Hidden Lake Trail at Logan Pass. ( ): Spanning four to 10 weeks, 12-24 high school and college age youth will join the Glacier Conservancy to reconstruct the iconic Hidden Lake Trail at Logan Pass. Washington, D.C. ( Rock Creek National Park ): Fourteen inner-city high school students will work with the Student Conservation Association to repair the Valley Trail over eight to 10 weeks. ( ): Fourteen inner-city high school students will work with the Student Conservation Association to repair the Valley Trail over eight to 10 weeks. Washington ( Mount Rainier National Park and Olympic National Park ): A group of young people will help restore the iconic Wonderland Trail and Enchanted Valley Trail. ( and ): A group of young people will help restore the iconic Wonderland Trail and Enchanted Valley Trail. Various states (Groundwork Green Teams): Groundwork USA will partner with up to 120 youth ages 14-18 to provide summer experiences that combine community service, outdoor recreation and leadership development. Projects range from two to six weeks at up to seven national park sites, emphasizing water-based recreation and work activities. will partner with up to 120 youth ages 14-18 to provide summer experiences that combine community service, outdoor recreation and leadership development. Projects range from two to six weeks at up to seven national park sites, emphasizing water-based recreation and work activities. Various states (Historically Black Colleges and Universities Initiative): The Greening Youth Foundation will work with approximately 50 college students to improve river access, provide ocean sciences education and convey social justice through art across multiple national park locations. This project will also support one to two interns per site to work with the Rivers, Trails and Conservation Assistance Program to develop case studies for water recreation. About The REI Foundation The REI Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded by Recreational Equipment, Inc. in 1993. The Foundation's mission is to help ensure that tomorrow's outdoor enthusiasts and conservation stewards reflect the diversity of America. About REI REI is a specialty outdoor retailer, headquartered near Seattle. The nation's largest consumer co-op, REI is a growing community of more than 6 million active members who expect and love the best quality gear, inspiring expert classes and trips, and outstanding customer service. REI has 144 stores in 35 states. If you can't visit a store, you can shop at REI.com, REI.com/outlet or the free REI shopping app. REI isn't just about gear. You can take the trip of a lifetime with REI Adventures, a global leader in active adventure travel that runs 150 custom-designed itineraries on every continent. REI's Outdoor School is run by professionally-trained, expert-instructors who teach beginner- to advanced-level courses about a wide range of activities. To build on the infrastructure that makes life outside possible, REI invests millions annually in hundreds of local and national nonprofits that create access toand stewardthe outdoor places that inspire us. Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160418/356493 Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20151026/280774LOGO SOURCE REI Related Links http://www.rei.com NEW YORK and SAN FRANCISCO, May 3, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- TSSP today announced the acquisition of credit assets including a part of Credit Suisse's distressed credit portfolio for approximately $1.27 billion, utilizing no portfolio leverage. Additional terms of the transaction were not disclosed. The Credit Suisse distressed portfolio purchased by TSSP is comprised of over 270 instruments across asset types and geographies relating to approximately 170 companies. As previously disclosed, the Credit Suisse Global Markets division has accelerated its strategic implementation of a business model that is better aligned to the overall Group strategy with lower risk appetite and reduced volatility, for the benefit of their core clients and shareholders. This transaction reduces Credit Suisse's overall distressed credit exposure by $1.24 billion. In addition to the $99 million of writedowns disclosed in respect of the overall distressed portfolio on March 23, this transaction has resulted in a further charge of approximately $100 million, the bulk of which will be reflected in Credit Suisse's 1Q results. These results are due to be announced on May 10 and a full update on Credit Suisse's distressed credit exposure will be provided at that time. David Miller, co-head of Credit Suisse's Credit Product business commented: "The successful completion of this transaction with one of our highly-valued clients demonstrates the significant progress we are making on our strategic goals." Clint Kollar, a TSSP partner said: "The Credit Suisse distressed credit desk has been a long-time trusted partner to TSSP globally and we are pleased they selected TSSP to help it quickly execute on its strategy. This transaction leverages our global team's ability to provide speed, certainty and value to financial institutions and other sellers in complex situations. The portfolio we are acquiring has deep, long-term potential and fits well with our patient and flexible capital." Contemporaneous with the transaction, Bob Franz, Credit Suisse's Head of U.S. Credit Trading, and Ken Hoffman, the bank's Head of Distressed Research & Trading, will lead the formation of a new asset management firm to assist in servicing these assets and other similar assets in the future. TSSP TSSP is the global credit and special situations platform of TPG. Co-founded in 2009 by Chief Investment Officer Alan Waxman, TSSP has approximately $19 billion in assets under management. TSSP has a long-term oriented, highly flexible capital base that allows it to invest across industries, geographies, capital structures and asset classes, in distressed assets but also healthy and growth companies. TSSP's investments are typically complex to source, analyze and execute.. For more information, please visit www.tpg.com/platforms/tssp. Credit Suisse AG Credit Suisse AG is one of the world's leading financial services providers and is part of the Credit Suisse group of companies (referred to here as 'Credit Suisse'). As an integrated bank, Credit Suisse offers clients its combined expertise in the areas of private banking, investment banking and asset management. Credit Suisse provides advisory services, comprehensive solutions and innovative products to companies, institutional clients and high-net-worth private clients globally, as well as to retail clients in Switzerland. Credit Suisse is headquartered in Zurich and operates in over 50 countries worldwide. The group employs approximately 48'200 people. The registered shares (CSGN) of Credit Suisse's parent company, Credit Suisse Group AG, are listed in Switzerland and, in the form of American Depositary Shares (CS), in New York. Further information about Credit Suisse can be found at www.credit-suisse.com. Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20091204/CSLOGO SOURCE Credit Suisse AG Related Links http://www.credit-suisse.com HOUSTON, May 4, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The University of Houston Law Center's Health Law & Policy Institute is partnering with the Federal Communications Commission's Connect2Health Task Force to host a daylong conference on May 18 to explore the future of broadband technologies in the diagnosis and treatment of mental and behavioral health issues. The conference, "Broadband Prescriptions for Mental Health," is part of the Connect2HealthFCC Task Force's "Beyond the Beltway Series." The Law Center-hosted event coincides with National Mental Health Awareness Month in May. A live video stream of the event will also be available here. FCC's Connect2Health Task Force is traveling the country to gather data on how communities are leveraging broadband technologies and next-generation communications services to improve access to health care, especially in rural and underserved areas. The Law Center conference will spotlight the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley School of Medicine's efforts in this area. "It is important to discuss the legal and regulatory issues surrounding mental health care using broadband technology," said Research Professor Allison Winnike, director of research for the Health Law & Policy Institute. "Broadband health care technology offers opportunities to increase mental health care access and improve health outcomes, which is important in a state like Texas which has a shortage of mental health professionals as well as vast rural areas. "Increased utilization of broadband technology to deliver mental health care to those who otherwise would have no access to care could have a transformative impact on those patients. In health care, patient safety and privacy are of the utmost concern, so it is imperative to maintain standards of high-quality care as we utilize technology to improve access to care." "This conference is about the transformative power of broadband in connecting everyone especially our Nation's veterans, people with disabilities and rural consumers alike -- to the people, services and information they need to get well and stay healthy," said P. Michele Ellison, chair of the Connect2HealthFCC Task Force. "We're looking forward to highlighting how broadband can be leveraged to expand access to mental and behavioral health services in Texas and beyond." Conference speakers will include FCC Commissioner Mignon Clyburn; University of Houston Law Center Dean Leonard M. Baynes; Dr. Bernard A. Harris, Jr., a former astronaut and CEO of Vesalius Ventures; Dr. Francisco Fernandez, dean of the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley School of Medicine; Dr. Robert C. Robbins, president and CEO of the Texas Medical Center; Texas state Rep. Garnet F. Coleman; Dr. Lex Frieden, professor at the UT Health School of Biomedical Informatics; Mari Robinson, executive director of the Texas Medical Board; Dr. David Persse, City of Houston EMS Physician Director/Public Health Authority; and the Connect2HealthFCC Task Force, among others. Topics will address policy and regulatory issues associated with broadband-enabled mental health care, the impact of connected environments on behavioral health and social isolation, cutting-edge applications in telepsychiatry, and other related subjects. There will also be demonstrations of latest technologies. The conference will be from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Wednesday, May 18, in Room 109 of the Bates Law Building at the University of Houston Law Center, 4604 Calhoun Road. For program and logistics questions, contact Allison Winnike at [email protected] or Roger Goldblatt at [email protected]. An agenda, providing additional details, will be released at a later date. Details and a registration form also will be posted at law.uh.edu/fcchealth . Media contacts: Carrie Anna Criado, UH Law Center Executive Director of Communications and Marketing, 713-743-2184, [email protected]; Katie Gorscak, Communications Director, Connect2HealthFCC Task Force, [email protected]; or John T. Kling, UH Law Center Communications Manager, 713-743-8298, [email protected] . About the University of Houston The University of Houston is a Carnegie-designated Tier One public research university recognized by The Princeton Review as one of the nation's best colleges for undergraduate education. UH serves the globally competitive Houston and Gulf Coast Region by providing world-class faculty, experiential learning and strategic industry partnerships. Located in the nation's fourth-largest city, UH serves more than 42,700 students in the most ethnically and culturally diverse region in the country. About the University of Houston Law Center The University of Houston Law Center is the leading law school in the nation's fourth-largest city. Founded in 1947, it is a top-tier institution awarding Doctor of Jurisprudence (J.D.) and Master of Laws (LL.M.) degrees. The Law Center is fully accredited by the American Bar Association and is a member of the Association of American Law Schools. About the Health Law & Policy Institute Founded in 1978, the Health Law & Policy Institute at the University of Houston Law Center is one of the oldest and most renown in the country. The Health Law program is consistently ranked among the nation's Top 10, by U.S. News & World Report. The University of Houston is a member institution of the Texas Medical Center, which gives the Health Law & Policy Institute a formal link to the world's largest complex for healthcare and biomedical innovation. On campus, the Institute directs curriculum, teaching, research, publications, and conference activities relating to health law and policy. About the ConnectHealthFCC Task Force Connect2HealthFCC is a senior-level, multi-disciplinary Task Force created by Federal Communications Commission Chairman Tom Wheeler to move the needle on broadband and advanced health care technologies. The vision of the Task Force is "everyone connectedto the people, services and information they need to get well and stay healthy." The Task Force's "Beyond the Beltway Series" aims to reach out broadly about the transformative power of broadband technologies and next-generation communications services to improve access to health and care services throughout the country, especially in rural and underserved areas. For more information, visit fcc.gov/health. Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20150327/195030LOGO SOURCE University of Houston Law Center Related Links http://www.law.uh.edu/ MIAMI, May 4, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- United HomeCare (UHC), South Florida's leading home care organization, will honor retired Congresswoman Carrie P. Meek with their Claude Pepper Lifetime Achievement Award this Thursday, May 5th at the company's annual dinner at the Hilton Miami Downtown, 1601 Biscayne Boulevard, starting at 7 PM. Five other honorees from the private and public sector will also be honored including Lourdes Rivas, Florida Medicaid Plan President for Amerigroup Florida/Simply Healthcare, Monroe County Administrator Ramon Gastesi, attorney Richard Lehrman, Ride2MD founder George Fernandez, and Max Rothman, head of the Alliance for Aging. Congresswoman Meek turned 90 years old on April 29th. A powerful voice for Miami's diverse community, she served in the US House of Representatives from 1993 to 2003, representing Florida's 17th congressional district. She was one of the first African-American lawmakers to represent Florida in Congress since Reconstruction. Prior to her election to federal office, she served both in the Florida State House of Representatives and in the Florida Senate from 1978 to 1993. She fought tirelessly throughout her political career on issues related to unemployment, immigration, discrimination, and the needs of older adults. As an educator she spent three decades teaching, mentoring and as an administrator at Miami Dade College where she had a profound effect on the lives of countless South Floridians. "Carrie Meek's legislative career represented the epitome of public service: selfless and passionate advocacy for those she represented," said Carlos Martinez, President and CEO of United HomeCare. "As an educator she helped guide numerous young people, including myself, to pursue college and make a difference. She also constantly advocated for older adults and is entirely worthy of the Claude Pepper Lifetime Achievement Award named for her late legislative colleague." Senator Claude Pepper, the award's namesake, was throughout his sixty years of public service, an uncompromising fighter for elderly rights and care. The dinner and award ceremony represents the 22nd year United HomeCare has honored his memory and recognized community leaders who embody his passionate leadership for older adults. About United HomeCare United HomeCare is a private 501(C)(3) nonprofit home care organization with a 42 year history of making people's lives better with proven quality-of-life solutions delivered in the comfort of home settings. More information can be found on our website at www.unitedhomecare.com Media Contact: Raul Mas, Senior Marketing Executive (305) 716-0710 / [email protected] SOURCE United HomeCare Related Links http://www.unitedhomecare.com WASHINGTON, May 4, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- U.S. Representatives David Jolly (R-FL) and Rick Nolan (D-MN) will discuss the long hours Members of Congress spend making phone calls to raise political funds and their proposals to place limits on this activity at a National Press Club Newsmaker on Monday, May 16 at 10 a.m., in the club's Bloomberg Room. National Press Club President Thomas Burr will moderate the news conference. In February, Jolly introduced the Stop Act (H.R. 4443), which would ban Members of Congress from personally asking for money. Nolan was one of the first to cosponsor the bipartisan legislation. The Minnesota Congressman served three terms in the House in the 1970's and later was elected to Congress in 2013. Nolan says that when he returned he hardly recognized the institution because of the amount of time members spend dialing for dollars. Jolly, Nolan and other sponsors of the Stop Act maintain that this is a Congressional reform that can change the culture of Washington, forcing members to put down the phone and get back to solving the nation's most pressing problems. The National Press Club is located on the 13th Floor of the National Press Building, 529 14th Street NW, Washington, D.C. This event is open to credentialed media and NPC members, free of charge. No advance registration is required. Contact: Jamie Horwitz, NPC Newsmaker Chair, 202-549-4921, [email protected] Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20080917/NPCLOGO SOURCE National Press Club Related Links http://www.press.org/ SAN FRANCISCO, NEW YORK, and LONDON, May 4, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Vaultize (http://www.vaultize.com), the enterprise file security leader, announced that Jim Mongillo has joined as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the company. Jim has played pivotal leadership roles in several successful start-ups and Fortune 1000 companies - Illustra (acquired by Informix), WebLogic (acquired by BEA), Oracle Corporation, Jive Software (IPO), Servio CEO (acquired by Crowdsource), and Swrve. He brings to Vaultize significant international sales management, marketing, business development and channel partner credentials in the United States and Europe. (Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130710/626741 ) "We are excited to have Jim on board to lead the company. He is a seasoned leader with a track record of operational excellence, selling software to enterprises, and delivering innovative products in high growth markets" said Anand Kekre, Executive Chairman & Co-founder of Vaultize. "With the new management structure we are beginning a new phase of our journey to accelerate further on our sales and marketing strategy, and continuing to execute on our vision to be the world-leader in enterprise file security by protecting and securing corporate documents throughout the lifecycle - helping enterprise meet compliance and data governance objectives". "I am excited to be joining Vaultize as CEO. We have a tremendous opportunity in the market place and offer a next generation platform that will change the face of the entire industry. Overall ease of use, set up and compliance all in one place along with multiple deployment options simply set Vaultize apart from any other current vendor in the space", said Jim Mongillo, CEO of Vaultize. Vaultize achieved accelerated growth of over 500% for financial year 2015-16 with the addition of several large enterprise customers across geographies and verticals. This strong performance was attributed to the existing channel partnerships, establishing new relationships and, expanding further in North America, South America, Europe and Africa. Vaultize provides end-to-end file security such that the corporate documents are secured and protected throughout the lifecycle - at-rest, in-motion and in-use. With enterprise digital rights management (eDRM), the protection and security of documents now stretch beyond the corporate perimeter and managed company devices - to even third-party devices. The documents that are delivered to third-parties stay in control of enterprise IT and document owners - such that they can remotely change (and even revoke) access rights to shared files even after delivery. Vaultize is the only enterprise file security platform that offers enterprise file sync and share (EFSS) and mobile collaboration fully integrated with enterprise digital rights management (eDRM) and data protection, while enabling secure access and sharing for employees within corporate compliance and data governance framework. Vaultize's US patented technology Vault KNOX performs military-grade encryption of data together with de-duplication on user devices at the source itself - making it the most secure and efficient file sharing solution in the world. Vaultize's unique data containerization process provides unprecedented security down to the file level, liberating users form relying on third-party security protocols. About Vaultize: Vaultize is an award-winning privately held company that provides enterprise file sharing, VPN-free secure anywhere access and mobile collaboration with DRM, MCM and policy-based endpoint backup. It has presence in 50+ countries - including the US, Europe, APAC, Middle East and Africa, through network of resellers, distributors, system integrators and MSPs. A free virtual appliance with 10-user perpetual license is available for download. Follow us on Vaultize Blog, Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn. For further information contact [email protected] US (+1- 650-319-7382) UK (+44-20-8133-6412) India (+91-20-6720-4646) SOURCE Vaultize BOSTON, May 4, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Vee24, the live video assistance solution trusted by some of the world's leading consumer-facing brands, announced today that Priya Iyer has joined the company as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. Iyer, most recently Co-Founder, Chairman and CEO of Anaqua, a global SaaS solutions provider for Intellectual Asset Management, will be responsible for accelerating growth at Vee24. Additionally, Vee24 and Iyer announced that the company closed on an $8.5 million Series B financing round, led by Ascent Venture Partners, with participation from current investors Data Point Capital and Point Judith Capital. The company also announced that Geoffrey Oblak, General Partner at Ascent Venture Partners, has joined the board. "Vee24 works with some of the world's most respected brands, all of whom share our vision that online sales and customer support can be enhanced through live consultation. Online customer engagement is experiencing a surge of innovation and we plan on being an integral part of this change. I'm delighted to be leading a talented team to deliver significantly better customer experience globally, across all online channels and devices," said Iyer. Vee24's product offering allows businesses across multiple browsers to seamlessly interact face-to-face with their customers without requiring a download. On average, Vee24 clients realize a 5x increase in conversions, 35% growth in average order value and a 96% average customer experience rating. "I couldn't be more delighted to be working with Vee24, especially with the addition of Priya Iyer as Chairman and CEO," comments Geoff Oblak, General Partner of Ascent Venture Partners. "Enhancing the live customer experience is essential for any organization with an online interaction channel. Vee24 has a proven track record of driving improved results for its clients. With Priya at the helm we are ideally positioned to seize this market opportunity, grow our client base, further develop our world-class technology and provide online organizations with a true commercial advantage. I am excited to work with Priya and the Vee24 team, as well as join the other investors Scott Savitz of Data Point Capital and Sean Marsh from Point Judith Capital on the board, as we build a world-class organization." In addition to her time at Anaqua, Iyer headed Operations at Steelpoint Technologies, a legal software provider for Fortune 500 companies and global law firms. She was named New England Entrepreneur of the Year in 2014 and ranked on the 2015 top 100 Entrepreneur list by The Boston Globe. She serves on several boards, women executive panels, and is a regular guest speaker at various business schools in the Greater Boston area. About Vee24 Vee24 is the live customer engagement solution trusted by the world's leading consumer-facing brands. Featuring voice, video, text and co-browsing for web, mobile, and kiosk-based customer engagements, Vee24 is the most broadly and successfully deployed solution proven to advance the customer experience and dramatically increase ecommerce sales. Customers include Audi, DFS, Schuh, Samsung, Comcast and Mattress Firm. The company is headquartered in Boston, Mass., with European operations in Manchester, England. For more information, please visit http://www.vee24.com/. About Ascent Venture Partners Ascent Venture Partners is dedicated to investing in innovation for the enterprise. In backing more than 100 early-stage, emerging technology companies since 1985, Ascent has remained committed to its mission of partnering with exceptional entrepreneurs striving to build innovative market leaders. Ascent's investments have yielded powerful results generating more than $10 billion in enterprise value, which speaks to the firm's deep knowledge, experience, commitment, and networks. The Ascent investment team manages six venture funds with total commitments of more than $500 million, and is located in Boston, Mass. For more information, please visit http://www.ascentvp.com/. SOURCE Vee24 Related Links http://www.vee24.com BETHESDA, Md., May 4, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- FIRST QUARTER 2016 HIGHLIGHTS Net income of $15.5 million , or $0.50 per diluted share Total transaction volume of $2.6 billion Total revenues of $94.2 million Adjusted EBITDA 1 of $32.4 million Servicing portfolio of $51.0 billion at March 31, 2016 Walker & Dunlop, Inc. (NYSE: WD) (the "Company") reported today first quarter 2016 net income of $15.5 million, or $0.50 per diluted share, a 27% decrease from first quarter 2015 net income of $21.3 million, or $0.66 per diluted share. Total revenues were $94.2 million for the first quarter 2016, a 16% decrease over the first quarter 2015. Adjusted EBITDA for the first quarter 2016 was $32.4 million compared to $35.4 million for the first quarter 2015, an 8% decrease. "Our first quarter financial results demonstrate Walker & Dunlop's ability to generate strong earnings of $0.50 per share and near record adjusted EBITDA of $32.4 million despite volatility in the capital markets that caused commercial real estate investors to hit the pause button during the first few months of the year," commented Walker & Dunlop Chairman and CEO Willy Walker. "Multifamily property fundamentals remain strong, and Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac continue to be the dominant providers of capital to the sector. Walker & Dunlop is well positioned to benefit from the continued strength in the multifamily sector. And with the capital markets now stabilized and investor demand for properties and financing increasing, we have a strong second quarter pipeline and see great opportunity for continued growth in 2016 and beyond." FIRST QUARTER 2016 OPERATING RESULTS TOTAL REVENUES were $94.2 million for the first quarter 2016 compared to $112.1 million for the first quarter 2015, a 16% decrease. The decrease was the result of lower transaction volume, partially offset by higher gain on sale margins, a 55% increase in net warehouse interest income, and an 18% increase in servicing fees. Other revenues increased 6% due primarily to income from investment sales which we did not have in the first quarter 2015. GAINS FROM MORTGAGE BANKING ACTIVITIES for the first quarter 2016 were $46.3 million compared to $72.7 million for the first quarter 2015, a 36% decrease. The decrease was driven by lower loan originations, partially offset by an increase in the gain on sale margin from 167 basis points to 188 basis points as weighted average servicing fees increased quarter over quarter. GAINS ATTRIBUTABLE TO MORTGAGE SERVICING RIGHTS ("MSRs") decreased only 24% from the first quarter 2015 to $23.9 million while loan originations decreased 43%. LOAN ORIGINATION FEES were $22.4 million for the first quarter 2016 compared to $41.4 million for the first quarter 2015, a 46% decrease. SERVICING FEES were $31.6 million for the first quarter 2016 compared to $26.8 million for the first quarter 2015. The 18% increase was driven by the growth in the servicing portfolio, which increased from $46.1 billion at March 31, 2015 to $51.0 billion at March 31, 2016. NET WAREHOUSE INTEREST INCOME, which includes net interest earned on loans held for sale and loans held for investment (the Company's on balance sheet interim loan portfolio), was $6.7 million for the first quarter 2016, a 55% increase from $4.4 million for the first quarter 2015. The increase in net warehouse interest income was a result of the larger average balance of loans held for sale during the quarter. TOTAL EXPENSES were $70.1 million for the first quarter 2016 compared to $76.7 million for the first quarter 2015, a 9% decrease, which was primarily driven by a 15% decrease in personnel costs due to lower variable compensation costs. As a percentage of total revenues, personnel expense was 36% during the first quarter of 2016 and 2015. PROVISION (BENEFIT) FOR CREDIT LOSSES was a net benefit of $0.4 million for the first quarter 2016 compared to a provision of $0.1 million for the first quarter 2015. The benefit was the result of a decline in the outstanding balance of loans held for investment and the general reserves associated with it, along with improved credit quality in the at risk portfolio. OPERATING MARGIN was 26% for the first quarter 2016 down from 32% for the first quarter 2015. Lower operating margin is the result of lower transaction volume in the first quarter 2016. ADJUSTED EBITDA was $32.4 million for the first quarter 2016 compared to $35.4 million for the first quarter 2015, a decrease of 8%. The decrease was driven by lower origination volume, partially offset by increases in servicing fees and net interest income and a decrease in variable compensation. ANNUALIZED RETURN ON EQUITY was 13% for the first quarter 2016 down from 20% for the first quarter 2015, due to lower net income and higher average equity. TOTAL TRANSACTION VOLUME for the first quarter 2016 was $2.6 billion, down 40% from $4.3 billion for the first quarter 2015. Total transaction volume includes loan origination and investment sales volumes. LOAN ORIGINATION VOLUME was down 43% from the first quarter 2015 to $2.5 billion. Brokered loan originations totaled $804.2 million, a 6% increase from the first quarter 2015. Loan originations with Fannie Mae were $763.2 million, a decrease of 44% from the first quarter 2015. Loan originations with Freddie Mac were $703.8 million, a 65% decrease from the first quarter 2015. HUD loan originations totaled $124.2 million, a 21% decrease from the first quarter 2015. CMBS originations were $63.3 million for the first quarter 2016, a 1% decrease from the first quarter 2015. There were no interim loan originations during the quarter compared to $8.4 million during the first quarter 2015. INVESTMENT SALES VOLUME was $157.0 million for the first quarter 2016. The Company entered the investment sales business during the second quarter 2015, so there was no comparable volume in the first quarter 2015. STOCK REPURCHASE PROGRAM On February 9, 2016, the Company's Board of Directors authorized the repurchase of up to $75.0 million of its outstanding common stock over a one year period. During the first quarter 2016 the Company repurchased 275 thousand shares for a total of $6.5 million. SERVICING PORTFOLIO The SERVICING PORTFOLIO totaled $51.0 billion at March 31, 2016, an increase of 11% from $46.1 billion at March 31, 2015. During the period, $4.9 billion in net loans were added to the servicing portfolio, the majority of which were Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac loans. The portfolio has a weighted average remaining term of 9.4 years and a 25 basis point WEIGHTED AVERAGE SERVICING FEE. CREDIT QUALITY The Company's AT RISK SERVICING PORTFOLIO, which is comprised of loans subject to a defined risk-sharing formula, was $20.1 billion at March 31, 2016 compared to $17.5 billion at March 31, 2015. There were no 60+ DAY DELINQUENCIES in the Company's at risk servicing portfolio at March 31, 2016 compared to $22.5 million at March 31, 2015. There were no NET WRITE-OFFS for the first quarter 2016 or the first quarter 2015. The on-balance sheet INTERIM LOAN PORTFOLIO, which is comprised of loans for which we have full risk of loss, was $191.8 million at March 31, 2016 compared to $233.7 million at March 31, 2015. All of our interim loans are current and performing at March 31, 2016. 1 Adjusted EBITDA is a non-GAAP financial measure the Company presents to help investors better understand our operating performance. For a reconciliation of adjusted EBITDA to net income, refer to the sections of this press release below titled "Non-GAAP Financial Measures" and "Adjusted Financial Metric Reconciliation to GAAP." Conference Call Information The Company will host a conference call to discuss its quarterly results on Wednesday, May 4, 2016 at 8:30 a.m. Eastern time. Analysts and investors interested in participating are invited to call (877) 876-9177 from within the United States or (785) 424-1666 from outside the United States and are asked to reference the Conference ID: WDQ116. A simultaneous webcast of the call will be available on the Investor Relations section of the Walker & Dunlop website at http://www.walkerdunlop.com. Presentation materials, related to the conference call, will be posted to the Investor Relations section of the Company's website prior to the call. A telephonic replay of the call will also be available from approximately 11:00 a.m. Eastern time May 4, 2016 through May 18, 2016. Please call (800) 753-9197 from the United States or (402) 220-0689 from outside the United States. An audio replay will also be available on the Investor Relations section of the Company's website, along with the presentation materials. About Walker & Dunlop Walker & Dunlop (NYSE: WD), headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, is one of the largest commercial real estate finance companies in the United States providing financing and investment sales to owners of multifamily and commercial properties. Walker & Dunlop, which is included in the S&P SmallCap 600 Index, has over 500 professionals in 25 offices across the nation with an unyielding commitment to client satisfaction. Non-GAAP Financial Measures To supplement our financial statements presented in accordance with United States generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP), the Company uses adjusted EBITDA, a non-GAAP financial measure. The presentation of adjusted EBITDA is not intended to be considered in isolation or as a substitute for, or superior to, the financial information prepared and presented in accordance with GAAP. When analyzing our operating performance, readers should use adjusted EBITDA in addition to, and not as an alternative for, net income. Adjusted EBITDA represents net income before income taxes, interest expense on our term loan facility, and amortization and depreciation, adjusted for provision for credit losses net of write-offs, stock-based incentive compensation charges, and non-cash revenues such as gains attributable to MSRs and mark to market effects from CMBS activities. Because not all companies use identical calculations, our presentation of adjusted EBITDA may not be comparable to similarly titled measures of other companies. Furthermore, adjusted EBITDA is not intended to be a measure of free cash flow for our management's discretionary use, as it does not reflect certain cash requirements such as tax and debt service payments. The amounts shown for adjusted EBITDA may also differ from the amounts calculated under similarly titled definitions in our debt instruments, which are further adjusted to reflect certain other cash and non-cash charges that are used to determine compliance with financial covenants. We use adjusted EBITDA to evaluate the operating performance of our business, for comparison with forecasts and strategic plans, and for benchmarking performance externally against competitors. We believe that this non-GAAP measure, when read in conjunction with the Company's GAAP financials, provides useful information to investors by offering: the ability to make more meaningful period-to-period comparisons of the Company's on-going operating results; the ability to better identify trends in the Company's underlying business and perform related trend analyses; and a better understanding of how management plans and measures the Company's underlying business. We believe that adjusted EBITDA has limitations in that it does not reflect all of the amounts associated with the Company's results of operations as determined in accordance with GAAP and that adjusted EBITDA should only be used to evaluate the Company's results of operations in conjunction with net income. For more information on adjusted EBITDA, refer to the section of this press release below titled "Adjusted Financial Metric Reconciliation to GAAP." Forward-Looking Statements Some of the statements contained in this press release may constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws. Forward-looking statements relate to expectations, projections, plans and strategies, anticipated events or trends and similar expressions concerning matters that are not historical facts. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by the use of forward-looking terminology such as ''may,'' ''will,'' ''should,'' ''expects,'' ''intends,'' ''plans,'' ''anticipates,'' ''believes,'' ''estimates,'' ''predicts,'' or ''potential'' or the negative of these words and phrases or similar words or phrases that are predictions of or indicate future events or trends and which do not relate solely to historical matters. You can also identify forward-looking statements by discussions of strategy, plans or intentions. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release reflect our current views about future events and are subject to numerous known and unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions and changes in circumstances that may cause actual results to differ significantly from those expressed or contemplated in any forward-looking statement. While forward-looking statements reflect our good faith projections, assumptions and expectations, they are not guarantees of future results. Furthermore, we disclaim any obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement to reflect changes in underlying assumptions or factors, new information, data or methods, future events or other changes, except as required by applicable law. Factors that could cause our results to differ materially include, but are not limited to: (1) general economic conditions and multifamily and commercial real estate market conditions, (2) regulatory and or legislative changes to Freddie Mac, Fannie Mae or HUD, (3) our ability to retain and attract loan originators and other professionals, and (4) changes in federal government fiscal and monetary policies, including any constraints or cuts in federal funds allocated to HUD for loan originations. For a further discussion of these and other factors that could cause future results to differ materially from those expressed or contemplated in any forward-looking statements, see the section titled ''Risk Factors" in our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K, as it may be updated or supplemented by our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and our other filings with the SEC. Such filings are available publicly on our Investor Relations web page at www.walkerdunlop.com. Walker & Dunlop, Inc. and Subsidiaries Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets March 31, 2016 and December 31, 2015 (In thousands, except per share data) March 31, December 31, 2016 2015 (unaudited) Assets Cash and cash equivalents $ 98,224 $ 136,988 Restricted cash 10,006 5,306 Pledged securities, at fair value 75,225 72,190 Loans held for sale, at fair value 547,827 2,499,111 Loans held for investment, net 190,551 231,493 Servicing fees and other receivables, net 21,712 23,844 Derivative assets 16,130 11,678 Mortgage servicing rights 421,651 412,348 Goodwill and other intangible assets 91,439 91,488 Other assets 22,540 30,545 Total assets $ 1,495,305 $ 3,514,991 Liabilities Accounts payable and other liabilities $ 133,551 $ 169,109 Performance deposits from borrowers 9,543 5,112 Derivative liabilities 7,563 1,333 Guaranty obligation, net of accumulated amortization 28,552 27,570 Allowance for risk-sharing obligations 5,149 5,586 Warehouse notes payable 640,307 2,649,470 Note payable 164,388 164,462 Total liabilities $ 989,053 $ 3,022,642 Equity Preferred shares, Authorized 50,000, none issued. $ $ Common stock, $0.01 par value. Authorized 200,000; issued and outstanding 29,358 shares at March 31, 2016 and 29,466 shares at December 31, 2015 294 295 Additional paid-in capital 217,684 215,575 Retained earnings 283,950 272,030 Total stockholders' equity $ 501,928 $ 487,900 Noncontrolling interests 4,324 4,449 Total equity $ 506,252 $ 492,349 Total liabilities and equity $ 1,495,305 $ 3,514,991 Walker & Dunlop, Inc. and Subsidiaries Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income (In thousands, except per share data) Unaudited For the three months ended March 31, 2016 2015 Revenues Gains from mortgage banking activities $ 46,323 $ 72,720 Servicing fees 31,649 26,841 Net warehouse interest income 6,731 4,354 Escrow earnings and other interest income 1,640 787 Other 7,898 7,419 Total revenues $ 94,241 $ 112,121 Expenses Personnel $ 34,230 $ 40,045 Amortization and depreciation 25,155 24,674 Provision (benefit) for credit losses (409) 84 Interest expense on corporate debt 2,469 2,477 Other operating expenses 8,614 9,435 Total expenses $ 70,059 $ 76,715 Income from operations $ 24,182 $ 35,406 Income tax expense 8,849 14,093 Net income before noncontrolling interests $ 15,333 $ 21,313 Less: net income from noncontrolling interests (125) Walker & Dunlop net income $ 15,458 $ 21,313 Basic earnings per share $ 0.52 $ 0.68 Diluted earnings per share $ 0.50 $ 0.66 Basic weighted average shares outstanding 29,489 31,515 Diluted weighted average shares outstanding 30,782 32,464 SUPPLEMENTAL OPERATING DATA Unaudited For the three months ended March 31, (dollars in thousands) 2016 2015 Transaction Volume: Fannie Mae $ 763,244 $ 1,362,664 Freddie Mac 703,807 1,996,002 Ginnie Mae - HUD 124,208 156,949 Brokered (1) 804,181 760,263 Interim Loans 8,420 CMBS (2) 63,310 64,100 Total Loan Origination Volume $ 2,458,750 $ 4,348,398 Investment Sales Volume 156,950 Total Transaction Volume $ 2,615,700 $ 4,348,398 Key Performance Metrics: Operating margin 26 % 32 % Return on equity 13 % 20 % Walker & Dunlop net income $ 15,458 $ 21,313 Adjusted EBITDA (3) $ 32,416 $ 35,408 Diluted EPS $ 0.50 $ 0.66 Key Expense Metrics (as a percentage of total revenues): Personnel expenses 36 % 36 % Other operating expenses 9 % 8 % Key Origination Metrics (as a percentage of loan origination volume): Origination related fees 0.91 % 0.95 % Fair value of MSRs created, net 0.97 % 0.72 % Fair value of MSRs created, net as a percentage of GSE and HUD origination volume (4) 1.50 % 0.89 % As of March 31, Servicing Portfolio by Product: 2016 2015 Fannie Mae $ 23,304,910 $ 20,801,580 Freddie Mac 18,146,813 14,545,426 Ginnie Mae - HUD 5,645,282 5,775,968 Brokered (1) 3,264,815 4,498,161 Interim Loans 191,822 233,738 CMBS 487,110 211,787 Total Servicing Portfolio $ 51,040,752 $ 46,066,660 Key Servicing Metric (end of period): Weighted-average servicing fee rate 0.25 % 0.24 % (1) Brokered transactions for commercial mortgage backed securities, life insurance companies, and commercial banks. (2) In 2015, this figure represents brokered transactions for our CMBS Platform. In 2016, this figure represents loans originated by us for our CMBS Platform. (3) This is a non-GAAP financial measure. For more information on adjusted EBITDA, refer to the section above titled "Non-GAAP Financial Measures." (4) The fair value of the expected net cash flows associated with the servicing of the loan, net of any guaranty obligations retained, as a percentage of GSE and HUD volume. No MSRs are recorded for "brokered" transactions or interim loan portfolio originations. ADJUSTED FINANCIAL METRIC RECONCILIATION TO GAAP Unaudited For the three months ended March 31, (in thousands) 2016 2015 Reconciliation of Walker & Dunlop Net Income to Adjusted EBITDA Walker & Dunlop Net Income $ 15,458 $ 21,313 Income tax expense 8,849 14,093 Interest expense 2,469 2,477 Amortization and depreciation 25,155 24,674 Provision (benefit) for credit losses (409) 84 Net write-offs Stock compensation expense 3,858 4,084 Gains attributable to mortgage servicing rights (1) (23,917) (31,317) Unrealized (gains) losses from CMBS activities 953 Adjusted EBITDA $ 32,416 $ 35,408 (1) Represents the fair value of the expected net cash flows from servicing recognized at commitment, net of the expected guaranty obligation. Key Credit Metrics Unaudited As of and for the three months ended March 31, 2016 2015 (dollars in thousands) Risk-sharing servicing portfolio: Fannie Mae Full Risk $ 17,642,364 $ 15,076,417 Fannie Mae Modified Risk 4,905,037 4,871,997 Freddie Mac Modified Risk 53,498 53,629 GNMA - HUD Full Risk 4,547 4,693 Total risk-sharing servicing portfolio $ 22,605,446 $ 20,006,736 Non risk-sharing servicing portfolio: Fannie Mae No Risk $ 757,509 $ 853,166 Freddie Mac No Risk 18,093,315 14,491,797 GNMA - HUD No Risk 5,640,735 5,771,275 Brokered 3,264,815 4,498,161 CMBS 487,110 211,787 Total non risk-sharing servicing portfolio $ 28,243,484 $ 25,826,186 Total loans serviced for others $ 50,848,930 $ 45,832,922 Interim loans (full risk) servicing portfolio 191,822 233,738 Total servicing portfolio unpaid principal balance $ 51,040,752 $ 46,066,660 At risk servicing portfolio (1) $ 20,066,881 $ 17,486,146 Maximum exposure to at risk portfolio (2) 4,165,215 4,121,863 60+ Day delinquencies, within at risk portfolio 22,531 At risk loan balances associated with allowance for risk-sharing obligations $ 16,884 $ 25,609 Allowance for risk-sharing obligations: Beginning balance $ 5,586 $ 3,904 Provision (benefit) for risk-sharing obligations (154) 150 Net write-offs Other (283) Ending balance $ 5,149 $ 4,054 60+ Day delinquencies as a percentage of the at risk portfolio 0.00 % 0.13 % Allowance for risk-sharing as a percentage of the at risk portfolio 0.03 % 0.02 % Net write-offs as a percentage of the at risk portfolio 0.00 % 0.00 % Allowance for risk-sharing as a percentage of the specifically identified at risk balances 30.50 % 15.83 % Allowance for risk-sharing as a percentage of maximum exposure 0.12 % 0.10 % Allowance for risk-sharing and guaranty obligation as a percentage of maximum exposure 0.81 % 0.71 % (1) At risk servicing portfolio is defined as the balance of Fannie Mae DUS loans subject to the risk-sharing formula described below, as well as an immaterial balance of Freddie Mac and GNMA-HUD loans on which we share in the risk of loss. Use of the at risk portfolio provides for comparability of the full risk-sharing and modified risk-sharing loans because the provision and allowance for risk-sharing obligations are based on the at risk balances of the associated loans. Accordingly, we have presented the key statistics as a percentage of the at risk portfolio. For example, a $15 million loan with 50% DUS risk-sharing has the same potential risk exposure as a $7.5 million loan with full DUS risk-sharing. Accordingly, if the $15 million loan with 50% DUS risk-sharing was to default, the Company would view the overall loss as a percentage of the at risk balance, or $7.5 million, to ensure comparability between all risk-sharing obligations. To date, substantially all of the risk-sharing obligations that we have settled have been from full risk-sharing loans. (2) Represents the maximum loss we would incur under our risk-sharing obligations if all of the loans we service, for which we retain some risk of loss, were to default and all of the collateral underlying these loans was determined to be without value at the time of settlement. The maximum exposure is not representative of the actual loss we would incur. SOURCE Walker & Dunlop, Inc. Related Links http://www.walkerdunlop.com OGDEN, Utah , May 4, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Weber State University's Telitha E. Lindquist College of Arts & Humanities (http://www.weber.edu/cah) today announced the appointment of Scott Sprenger as dean of the college. Sprenger currently serves as Provost at the American University of Paris. Previously, he served as an associate dean of the College of Humanities at Brigham Young University (BYU). Sprenger replaces Madonne Miner as dean who was named Provost in July of 2015. Sprenger will oversee nearly 3,500 students, faculty and staff in five primary departments including: Communication, English, Foreign Languages, Performing Arts and Visual Art & Design. Sprenger will begin his new duties on July 1, 2016. "Scott has a distinguished record of leadership, teaching, scholarly research and familiarity with the Utah Higher Education system," said Madonne Miner, Provost of Weber State University. "During our national search for a new dean, Scott demonstrated the experience necessary to lead a college of arts and humanities in the twenty-first century and beyond. The creation and development of his 'Humanities Plus' program aimed at bridging the humanities and liberal arts with global career opportunities is unmatched and will be a wonderful asset to our college and university." Sprenger has spent the past two years as the Provost of The American University of Paris where he worked on advancing the global liberal arts, founding three research centers devoted to global challenges and the seamless integration of advising and careers. Before being named to his current position, he was the associate dean in the College of Humanities at Brigham Young University where he also taught French literature and European Studies. His administrative work has covered a broad range of areas, such as faculty development, tenure and promotions, program assessment of study abroad and internships, international program oversight, college and university advising, and career development and curriculum. While at BYU, the Humanities Plus program Sprenger developed was recognized by the American Academy of Arts and Science as one of the most innovative initiatives in liberal arts education. He has also actively promoted the humanities and liberal arts with Congress via the Humanities Alliance Conference, on national and international radio and in the Chronicle of Higher Education. "I am thrilled to be returning to Utah as dean of one of the most progressive arts and humanities programs in the west," said Sprenger. "A firm foundation of excellence was established by my predecessor. As I accept this position, I will focus on the interests and needs of students. I have found that a student-centered philosophy is the most principled and effective motivator among faculty, administrators and donors. I look forward to using the knowledge gained at AUP and through the 'Humanities Plus' program at BYU to raise the consciousness of students, parents, and faculty about the value of the humanities and arts for career preparation in a global setting." Dr. Sprenger holds graduate degrees in French from Johns Hopkins University and Emory University. He also was the recipient of a Fulbright Scholar Award from France's National Center for Scientific Research and has held an Andrew W. Mellon Postdoctoral Fellowship at UCLA. He is the author of numerous publications on French literature and culture, and is known for his blog, Humanities Plus (http://humanitiesplus.byu.edu). SHARE: #WeberStateU announces new dean of #WeberStateArts read more at: weber.edu/cah #HigherEd #Utah #Arts #Humanities About the Telitha E. Lindquist College of Arts & Humanities The Weber State University Telitha E. Lindquist College of Arts & Humanities teaches students to excel as they seek, understand, question and express complexities critical to the experience of being human. The Lindquist College of Arts & Humanities offers undergraduate degree programs in the following five areas: Communication, English, Foreign Language, Performing Arts and Visual Art & Design. Master's degrees also are offered in Communication and English. The college serves more than 2,000 undergraduate majors and 250 graduate students. The Lindquist College of Arts & Humanities is the Western region's foremost institution for student- centered teaching and research that investigates the human experience and aims to educate global citizens who are responsible, creative and critical artists, performers and communicators. For more information please visit, ( www.weber.edu/cah ). Contact: Christie Denniston, APR Director of Marketing and PR Lindquist College of Arts & Humanities Weber State University Phone: 801-626-6431 Cell: 303-827-5164 Email: [email protected] SOURCE Weber State Universitys Telitha E. Lindquist College of Arts & Humanities Related Links http://www.weber.edu/cah SHANGHAI, May 4, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- WeeTect Material Limited today announced a permanent anti-fog film manufactured from soft plastic for freezer doors. These products are now available for WeeTect authorized product resellers and distributors. Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160504/363698 WeeTect Introduces a Permanent Anti Fog Film for Freezer Doors "The demand and sales of permanent anti-fog films has been incredible, and we're excited to get this film into the hands of our customers in both North America and Europe," said Taylors Lei, WeeTect's Product manager. "This is a trusted anti-fog film for freezer doors that will prevent fogging problem permanently and we are happy to be the pioneers of this product here in China." It guarantees a groundbreaking performance in both humid and high temperature applications. This film can be applied on commercial freezer doors among other surfaces such as shower mirrors, windows and windshields. This is a special film with an improved impact resistance and high tensile strength. It is also a versatile anti-fog solution that can be used in adverse weather conditions such as cold and hot environments. A superior anti-fog performance as per the test method EN 168.16 makes it a perfect choice for freezer doors. Again, the film can maintain desired performance under a wide range of temperature between -30C and 80C. "Our R&D team believes a permanent anti-fog film for freezer doors is an important innovation in the refrigeration industry, more so in merchant stores or supermarkets," added Taylors Lei. "All freezer doors with this film will remain transparent, thus, improving the shopper's experience and business owners will benefit from this immensely." WeeTect manufactured this anti-fog film for freezer doors based on a market research that was conducted jointly by both product resellers and WeeTect R&D team. The first research mainly focused on energy consumption. It was established that on average, freezer without a permanent anti-fog film consumed an average of 3.89 kWh. After the installation of anti-fog film for freezer door, an average consumption dropped to an average of 2.54 kWh. It translated to about a reduction of about 35%. A second research focused on in house branding and increase in sales. The results were positive for freezer doors fitted with anti-fog films. It is for this reason that most merchandise stores or supermarkets opt for this film. These anti-fog films can also be customized depending on the requirements of the end user. This makes it a perfect choice for OEM and ODM clients. So far, this is the best anti-fog film that provides a permanent solution to the fogging problem. However, the company has also promised to unveil other anti-fog films before the end of the year. About WeeTect Material Limited WeeTect Material Limited's mother company WS plastic lens has been in this industry since 1993. The company has invested in a number of face safety gears and anti-fog solutions. By 1998, they had delivered their first 1 million visors besides investing $3 million for a military face shield. WeeTect unveiled different anti-fog solutions for foggy lens, speedometers, instrument cluster and IP cameras. Contact: WeeTect Material Limited E-mail: [email protected] Web site: http://www.weetect.com/ This content was issued through the press release distribution service at Newswire.com. For more info visit: http://www.newswire.com SOURCE WeeTect Material Limited Related Links http://www.weetect.com/ May 4, 2016 Dear Fellow Axiall Shareholder, Your vote at Axiall's Annual Meeting scheduled for June 17, 2016 is critically important. Westlake's proposal to acquire Axiall for $23.35 per share (comprised of $14.00 in cash and 0.1967 of a Westlake share, based on the closing price of Westlake's common stock on April 1, 2016), represents a premium of over 143% to Axiall's closing price of $9.60 per share on January 22, 2016, the last trading day before Westlake submitted its initial proposal. Unfortunately, Axiall's Board of Directors summarily rejected our increased proposal without making a counterproposal or otherwise providing us with any meaningful feedback. Westlake continues to prefer a negotiated transaction and has encouraged Axiall's representatives to provide us with constructive feedback as to our proposal. Axiall's refusal to provide any such feedback and continued refusal to negotiate has left us no choice except to press forward with our proposal to replace Axiall's existing Board of Directors. We are therefore seeking your support for the election of a new slate of nine highly-qualified and independent candidates for election to Axiall's Board who will bring a fresh perspective to evaluating all of Axiall's options. THE TIME FOR AXIALL SHAREHOLDERS TO ACT IS NOW LET YOUR VOICE BE HEARD BY VOTING THE ENCLOSED GOLD PROXY CARD We believe you deserve a new Board and urge you to send a strong message to Axiall's current Board by signing and returning the enclosed GOLD proxy card today to vote "FOR" the nine highly-qualified and independent directors nominated by Westlake. WE BELIEVE WESTLAKE'S PROPOSAL REPRESENTS GREATER VALUE AND CERTAINTY THAN AXIALL'S STANDALONE STRATEGY In addition to a 143% premium, Westlake's proposal provides Axiall shareholders with the certainty of $14.00 in cash per share and, through ownership of stock in the combined company, continued upside potential and sharing of realized synergies. In short, we believe our proposal is far more valuable and certain than the value Axiall can create on a standalone basis. In our view, Axiall's standalone strategy consists of a bet on volatile commodity prices from a shrinking, less integrated business, following the proposed sale of its Building Products business. We believe this represents a riskier business profile and cost disadvantaged operating model. In contrast, Westlake has a long-term integrated strategy in a diverse, global business designed to capture value throughout the commodity cycle over time. The stock component of our proposal would provide Axiall shareholders with the opportunity to participate in a cyclical recovery with an investment in a stronger company with a clear value creation plan and investment grade balance sheet. We believe that Axiall's expectations for its standalone strategy are unrealistic and not supported by its recent performance or track record over the past 10 years and Axiall's "in process" initiatives are, we believe, unlikely to generate value creation anywhere near that of Westlake's proposal. In fact, Axiall's standalone strategy was already known to the market prior to our proposal being made public and Axiall's valuation at that time was nowhere near the value of our proposal. We believe that, if the current Board is allowed to continue to pursue this standalone strategy, Axiall's shares would be worth significantly less than they are today. AXIALL HAS A TRACK RECORD OF VALUE DESTRUCTION AND UNDERPERFORMANCE AND HAS REPEATEDLY FAILED TO DELIVER ON EXPECTATIONS Axiall has a track record of value destruction, strategic missteps and failure to deliver on expectations. Consider these facts: Axiall paid over ~$1.7 billion for the various elements of its Building Products business since 2007 and is now in the process of divesting those assets in pieces for expected net proceeds of only ~$0.7 billion , confirming the destruction of approximately $1.0 billion of value for Axiall shareholders; for the various elements of its Building Products business since 2007 and is now in the process of divesting those assets in pieces for expected net proceeds of only , confirming the destruction of approximately of value for Axiall shareholders; Axiall paid ~$2.1 billion for PPG's Commodity Chemicals business in 2013, but in 2015 took an ~$850 million impairment charge related to the deal; for PPG's Commodity Chemicals business in 2013, but in 2015 took an impairment charge related to the deal; Axiall has: Repeatedly failed to deliver on earnings expectations Over-levered in order to acquire Royal Business Products, resulting in the need to execute a costly debt for equity swap that nearly wiped out all shareholder value Missed the most recent Ethylene Super-Cycle in the U.S. due to failed backward integration. Recently announced plans suggest partial integration by 2019 at the earliest nearly a decade after the beginning of the cycle Rejected attractive, value-creating proposals from Westlake in 2012 and 2016; and The "recent major initiatives" that Axiall has touted have yet to unlock value for shareholders. Source: See Westlake Investor Presentation April 25, 2016 (http://westlakeaxiall.acquisitionproposal.com/) These mis-steps have contributed to negative 99% total shareholder return over the past decade . Source: Bloomberg, market data as of January 22, 2016. Stock price adjusted and indexed to reflect total shareholder return. AXIALL SHAREHOLDERS WOULD SHARE IN THE UPSIDE OF A STRONGER COMBINED COMPANY WITH A PROVEN MANAGEMENT TEAM The stock component of our proposal means Axiall shareholders would benefit from the increased scale and diversity of the combined company. Together, Westlake and Axiall would create a North American Vinyls leader with a highly integrated chain and lower cost structure. Axiall shareholders also stand to benefit from $90-100 million in expected synergy opportunities created by this transaction. We were able to increase our synergy estimate after Axiall allowed us to conduct limited due diligence, and this information enabled us to increase our proposal. We believe that Axiall's overly optimistic synergy estimates, which were prepared without any familiarity with Westlake operations or Westlake input, are unrealistic. A combined company, with upstream and downstream integration into ethylene, chlor-alkali and building products, would also be well positioned to capture value creation throughout the cycle. In contrast, Axiall's standalone strategy would shrink its business portfolio if it sells its Buildings Products business, and Axiall would then become a pure player in one segment (Chlorovinyl) of the value chain. In contrast to Axiall's poor track record, Westlake's management has a history of strong value creation and superior growth driven by efficient capital allocation. We believe that this performance is a result of Westlake management's and board's significant share ownership, which aligns their interests with those of shareholders. In contrast, Axiall's senior leadership owns less than 1% of Axiall shares, which is significantly less than Westlake's 4.4% stake in Axiall. AXIALL SHAREHOLDERS SHOULD URGE AXIALL'S BOARD TO STOP THE SALE OF THE INTEGRATED BUILDING PRODUCTS BUSINESS We are very concerned that Axiall's ongoing sales process for its Building Products business could have serious negative consequences for shareholders were it to be completed. In our view, a sale of the whole company, including the Building Products business, represents the best way to maximize value for Axiall shareholders. Our proposal of $23.35 represents a higher multiple to Axiall's estimated 2016 EBITDA than the multiple implied by the high-end of the range that Axiall has projected it will achieve from the sale of the Building Products business. Given the integrated nature of the Building Products business with the rest of Axiall, we believe that a separate sale could have a negative impact on the remaining business and create significant dis-synergies. Prior to consummation of any sale, we believe shareholders should be given all relevant information relating to the impact such a sale would have on Axiall's remaining business (including any related resin supply arrangements). Having provided that critical information, we believe a separate sale should only go forward if it is supported by a majority of Axiall shareholders. We are also concerned that Axiall may intend to rush to conclude the Building Products sale process in advance of its Annual Meeting. We believe it would be very inappropriate to take such a drastic and potentially value-destroying step before Axiall shareholders are allowed to vote on a new Board of Directors. In particular, we believe selling the Building Products business in advance of the Annual Meeting would hinder a new Board's ability to determine the best path forward for Axiall. We therefore ask shareholders to communicate clearly to Axiall that, instead of pursuing a separate sale of the Building Products business, it should engage in good faith negotiations with us regarding our proposal to acquire the entire company. AXIALL SHAREHOLDERS DESERVE A NEW BOARD Westlake has nominated nine highly-qualified and independent Board nominees for election at Axiall's 2016 Annual Meeting. We urge you to support the Westlake nominees. The nine independent nominees each have significant experience as public company directors and/or as executives at major global corporations. Please vote "FOR" the independent nominees on the enclosed GOLD proxy card. SEND A MESSAGE TO YOUR BOARD VOTE THE ENCLOSED GOLD PROXY CARD TODAY Whether or not you plan to attend the Axiall Annual Meeting, we urge you to promptly vote the enclosed GOLD proxy card. We urge you to vote TODAY by telephone, by Internet, or by signing, dating and returning the enclosed GOLD proxy card in the postage-paid envelope provided. Please discard any white proxy cards sent to you by Axiall and do not vote using any white proxy card or voting instruction form you receive from Axiall. This is important because only your latest-dated vote counts. You can revoke any earlier dated white proxy card by signing the enclosed GOLD proxy card or voting on the GOLD voting instruction form. If you have questions, please contact MacKenzie Partners at (212) 929-5500 (collect) or (800) 322-2885 (toll free). Sincerely, Albert Chao President and CEO For additional information about Westlake's proposal and slate of directors, please visit www.WestlakeAxiall.AcquisitionProposal.com. PLEASE VOTE THE ENCLOSED GOLD PROXY CARD TODAY! WE URGE YOU NOT TO SIGN ANY WHITE PROXY CARD SENT TO YOU BY AXIALL Remember, you can vote your shares by telephone or via the Internet. Please follow the easy instructions on the enclosed GOLD proxy card. If you have any questions or need assistance in voting your shares, please contact our proxy solicitor: MacKenzie Partners, Inc. 105 Madison Avenue New York, New York 10016 (212) 929-5500 (Call Collect) or Call Toll-Free (800) 322-2885 Email: [email protected] About Westlake Chemical Corporation Westlake Chemical Corporation is an international manufacturer and supplier of petrochemicals, polymers and building products with headquarters in Houston, Texas. The company's range of products includes: ethylene, polyethylene, styrene, propylene, caustic, VCM, PVC suspension and specialty resins and PVC building products including pipe and specialty components, windows, fence, deck and film. For more information, visit the company's Web site at www.westlake.com. Forward-Looking Statements This communication contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws. These forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding Westlake Chemical Corporation's ("Westlake") proposal to acquire Axiall Corporation ("Axiall") (including financing of the proposed transaction and the benefits, results, effects and timing of a transaction), all statements regarding Westlake's (and Westlake's and Axiall's combined) expected future financial position, results of operations, cash flows, dividends, financing plans, business strategy, budgets, capital expenditures, competitive positions, growth opportunities, plans and objectives of management, estimated synergies from the proposed transaction and statements containing the use of forward-looking words, such as "may," "will," "could," "would," "should," "project," "believe," "anticipate," "expect," "estimate," "continue," "potential," "plan," "forecast," "approximate," "intend," "upside," and the like, or the use of future tense. Statements contained herein concerning the business outlook or future economic performance, anticipated profitability, revenues, expenses, dividends or other financial items, and product or services line growth of Westlake (and the combined businesses of Westlake and Axiall), together with other statements that are not historical facts, are forward-looking statements that are estimates reflecting the best judgment of Westlake based upon currently available information. Statements concerning current conditions may also be forward-looking if they imply a continuation of current conditions. Such forward-looking statements are inherently uncertain, and stockholders and other potential investors must recognize that actual results may differ materially from Westlake's expectations as a result of a variety of factors, including, without limitation, those discussed below. Such forward-looking statements are based upon management's current expectations and include known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, many of which Westlake is unable to predict or control, that may cause Westlake's actual results, performance or plans with respect to Axiall to differ materially from any future results, performance or plans expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. These statements involve risks, uncertainties and other factors discussed below and detailed from time to time in Westlake's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC"). Risks and uncertainties related to the proposed business combination transaction include, but are not limited to: (i) the ultimate outcome of any possible transaction between Westlake and Axiall, including the possibility that Axiall will not accept a transaction with Westlake, (ii) the ultimate outcome and results of integrating the operations of Westlake and Axiall if a transaction is consummated, (iii) the ability to obtain regulatory approvals and meet other closing conditions to any possible transaction, including any necessary stockholder approvals, (iv) potential adverse reactions or changes to business relationships resulting from the announcement, pendency or completion of the proposed transaction, (v) competitive responses to the announcement or completion of the proposed transaction, costs and difficulties related to the integration of Axiall's businesses and operations with Westlake's businesses and operations, (vi) the inability to obtain, or delays in obtaining, cost savings and synergies from the proposed transaction, (vii) uncertainties as to whether the completion of the proposed transaction or any transaction will have the accretive effect on Westlake's earnings or cash flows that it expects, (viii) unexpected costs, liabilities, charges or expenses resulting from the proposed transaction, (ix) litigation relating to the proposed transaction, (x) the inability to retain key personnel, and (xi) any changes in general economic and/or industry-specific conditions. In addition to the factors set forth above, other factors that may affect Westlake's plans, results or stock price are set forth in Westlake's Annual Report on Form 10-K and in its reports on Forms 10-Q and 8-K. Many of these factors are beyond Westlake's control. Westlake cautions investors that any forward-looking statements made by Westlake are not guarantees of future performance. We do not intend, and undertake no obligation, to publish revised forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this communication or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events. Additional Information This communication relates to a proposal which Westlake has made for a business combination transaction with Axiall. In connection with the solicitation of proxies for Axiall's 2016 annual meeting of stockholders (including any adjournment or postponement thereof and any meeting of Axiall's stockholders that may be called in lieu thereof, the "Annual Meeting"), Westlake filed an amended definitive proxy statement in connection therewith on Schedule 14A with the SEC on May 4, 2016 (the "Westlake Proxy Statement"). In connection with the proposal and subject to future developments, Westlake (and, if a negotiated transaction is agreed, Axiall) may also file one or more registration statements, additional proxy statements, tender offer statements, prospectuses or other documents with the SEC. This communication is not a substitute for the Westlake Proxy Statement or any other proxy statement, registration statement, tender offer statement, prospectus or other document Westlake and/or Axiall has filed or may file with the SEC in connection with the proposed transaction. INVESTORS AND SECURITY HOLDERS OF WESTLAKE AND AXIALL ARE URGED TO READ THE WESTLAKE PROXY STATEMENT AND ANY OTHER PROXY STATEMENT(S), REGISTRATION STATEMENT(S), TENDER OFFER STATEMENT(S), PROSPECTUS(ES) AND OTHER DOCUMENTS FILED WITH THE SEC CAREFULLY IN THEIR ENTIRETY IF AND WHEN THEY BECOME AVAILABLE AS THEY WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT THE ANNUAL MEETING AND/OR PROPOSED TRANSACTION. Westlake has commenced mailing the Westlake Proxy Statement and accompanying GOLD proxy card to stockholders of Axiall. Any other definitive proxy statement(s) or prospectus(es) (if and when available) will be mailed to stockholders of Westlake and Axiall, as applicable. Investors and security holders will be able to obtain copies of these documents (if and when available) as well as other filings containing information about Westlake and Axiall, without charge, at the SEC's website, http://www.sec.gov. Those documents, when filed, as well as Westlake's other public filings with the SEC, may be obtained without charge at Westlake's website at http://www.westlake.com. Participants in Solicitation Westlake, Westlake NG IV Corporation and certain of their respective directors and executive officers and the individuals nominated by Westlake for election to Axiall's Board of Directors may be deemed to be participants in any solicitation of proxies from Axiall's stockholders in connection with the Annual Meeting and/or the proposed transaction, as applicable, under the rules of the SEC. Information about the participants, including a description of their direct and indirect interests, by security holdings or otherwise, is available in the Westlake Proxy Statement and will be available in any other proxy statement(s) or prospectus(es) (if and when available). You can obtain free copies of these documents from Westlake using the contact information above. Investors may obtain additional information regarding the interest of such participants by reading the Westlake Proxy Statement and/or any other proxy statement/prospectus regarding the proposed transaction if and when they become available. This document shall not constitute an offer to sell, buy or exchange or the solicitation of an offer to sell, buy or exchange any securities, nor shall there be any sale of securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such jurisdiction. No offering of securities shall be made except by means of a prospectus meeting the requirements of Section 10 of the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended. Contacts Media Inquiries: Sard Verbinnen & Co Jim Barron / Robin Weinberg, (212) 687-8080 [email protected] / [email protected] Investor Inquiries: Westlake Chemical Corp. Steve Bender, (713) 960-9111 or MacKenzie Partners Dan Burch / Charlie Koons, (212) 929-5708 [email protected] / [email protected] Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160503/363405 Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160503/363404 SOURCE Westlake Chemical Corporation Related Links http://www.westlake.com DAYTON, Ohio, May 4, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- How will the 2016 Presidential Election candidates celebrate Cinco de Mayo? A look at important moments in each candidates' campaign may offers some tongue-in-cheek clues to their plans, according to analysts at LexisNexis Newsdesk. How will the candidates spend Cinco de Mayo? Senator Bernie Sanders might celebrate by enjoying a burrito... which will lead to an internet meme nicknaming him Burnito Sanders. While LexisNexis offers insights into the media coverage surrounding the 2016 Presidential Election including share of voice, sentiment, hot topics and social buzz. For its Cinco de Mayo analysis, the company turned its eyes to media coverage associated with immigration, Mexican-American relations, Hispanics, and Latinos, including the quotes, keywords and sentiment expressed in each. Analysis of almost 15 weeks of media coverage gave the company an idea for a humorous take on how presidential hopefuls might spend Cinco de Mayo. Secretary Hillary Clinton will take her senior campaign staff out for dinner and margaritas but insist that they use her own private server. will take her senior campaign staff out for dinner and margaritas but insist that they use her own private server. Governor John Kasich , known for not backing down from impossible feats, will invite the media to watch him eatin one sittingeverything on the menu at Don Pablos. known for not backing down from impossible feats, will invite the media to watch him eatin one sittingeverything on the menu at Don Pablos. Senator Bernie Sanders will celebrate by visiting his favorite taco stand. Snaps from his run for the border will lead to an internet meme nicknaming him Burnito Sanders. will celebrate by visiting his favorite taco stand. Snaps from his run for the border will lead to an internet meme nicknaming him Burnito Sanders. Donald Trump will visit a five-star Mexican restaurant and special-order a 30-foot tall tacoand then leave the tab for Mexico . And while he is no longer a candidate in the race, Senator Ted Cruz will likely spend Cinco de Mayo at a fiesta with Speaker John Boehner, where they take turns swinging at a Trump pinata. Do you have any predictions for how the candidates might spend Cinco de Mayo? Weigh in on Twitter @LexisNexisBiz. You can also dive deeper into the issues shaping the presidential election on the LexisNexis Biz Blog. Data and information powered by LexisNexis Newsdesk. Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160504/363532 SOURCE LexisNexis Related Links http://www.lexisnexis.com FINDLAY, Ohio and GREENVILLE, Ohio, May 4, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Whirlpool Corporation is celebrating significant investments at two of the company's manufacturing facilities in Ohio. The number one major home appliance manufacturer in the world will break ground today on a $40 million expansion project at its Findlay operations and hold a ribbon cutting on Thursday to mark completion of another $40 million project to expand operations at its Greenville, Ohio, facility. Whirlpool Corporation announced the $40.6 million investment in operations at its Findlay dishwasher-manufacturing facility located in Findlay in February. The plant will add 86,400 square feet to the existing facility and anticipates adding approximately 50 new jobs. The expansion will provide additional assembly capacity and material space. The project is intended to support strong consumer demand for Whirlpool-built products and enhance efficiencies of operations. A project to invest in and double the size of Whirlpool Corporation's Greenville operations was announced in 2014. Whirlpool produces KitchenAid brand stand mixers and attachments, hand mixers and blenders at the Greenville facility, which has been in operation since 1942. The facility employs more than an estimated 1,200 men and women. Production of the stand mixer doubled at the Greenville facility 2009-2014. "These investments in our manufacturing facilities are examples of our ongoing commitment to American manufacturing and reinforce our belief that the state of Ohio serves as a manufacturing center of excellence for appliances," said James Keppler, Vice President Integrated Supply Chain & Quality Whirlpool Corporation. "As we celebrate the completion of our Greenville expansion, we're proud to break ground at our Findlay facility today and continue to invest in U.S. manufacturing and jobs." Whirlpool Corporation continues to work to create jobs and invest in U.S. manufacturing. Since 2010, it has invested more than $1 billion in new facilities and plant upgrades. The company currently employs approximately 23,000 U.S. manufacturing workers, more than any other U.S.-based appliance manufacturer. About Whirlpool Corporation Whirlpool Corporation (NYSE: WHR) is the number one major appliance manufacturer in the world, with approximately $21 billion in annual sales, 97,000 employees and 70 manufacturing and technology research centers in 2015. The company markets Whirlpool, KitchenAid, Maytag, Consul, Brastemp, Amana, Bauknecht, Jenn-Air, Indesit and other major brand names in nearly every country throughout the world. Additional information about the company can be found at WhirlpoolCorp.com, or find us on Twitter at @WhirlpoolCorp. Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20040202/DETU004LOGO SOURCE Whirlpool Corporation Related Links http://www.whirlpoolcorp.com NEPTUNE, N.J., May 4, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- WorkWave (www.workwave.com), a leading provider of cloud-based software solutions for the field service and "last mile" delivery industries, today revealed new products that enable field service companies to solicit feedback proactively from their customers and prospects in an automated way, helping them provide superior service to their existing customer base while acquiring more new customers. The three new products are Business Reviews, Service Reports and Surveys. These customer-feedback tools complement the expanding suite of offerings from WorkWave Marketing. To enhance WorkWave's core competencies that help field service providers manage and grow their business, WorkWave has integrated these tools into their field service software products, PestPac and WorkWave Service. Benefits of the expansion include many new capabilities. Business Reviews provides business owners with a quick and easy way to collect five-star reviews on their website, as well as on such external review sites as Google and Yelp. Business Reviews help businesses stand apart from competitors and convert more web visitors to calls and customers. Users typically receive a 10 percent response rate and an average rating of 4.8 out of five stars. Rottler Pest & Lawn Solutions, a St. Louis -based WorkWave customer, collected 1,000 reviews in just four months. -based WorkWave customer, collected 1,000 reviews in just four months. Service Reports provides an automated way for customers to rate a company's service calls. Service Reports furnishes valuable insights into technician performance and the services provided, and it is an early warning system for customer issues. Surveys allows businesses to gather and analyze feedback on any topic from customers and prospects through easy-to-use templates. "Integrating Business Reviews, Service Reports and Surveys with PestPac and WorkWave Service has augmented our ability to interconnect every aspect of a business's operations," said WorkWave CEO Chris Sullens. "We want to offer our customers the complete package and help them continue to make their companies successful, efficient and productive. By giving them the ability to get more four- and five-star online reviews and automatically gather customer feedback on their employees and services, we better equip them with the tools they need to gain true insight into the customer experience. This insight is critical for companies to compete in today's crowded marketplace by offering superior service." In addition to these innovative products, WorkWave Marketing also offers custom website design, search engine optimization and search engine marketing solutions. For more information about WorkWave Marketing, visit www.workwave.com/marketing. About WorkWave WorkWave is a fast-growing leader in field service and "last mile" delivery software a $45+ billion market worldwide. The company connects all aspects of its clients' business through its tightly integrated, mobile-first suite of software solutions, which include PestPac, WorkWave Service, Service CEO, WorkWave Fleet, WorkWave GPS, WorkWave Marketing and ContactUs. WorkWave's solutions provide its 9,000+ clients with an unprecedented level of business insight and information, enabling them to increase revenue per employee and provide a five-star customer experience. Founded in 1984, WorkWave has been recognized with multiple awards for its outstanding growth and culture, including the Inc. 5000, SmartCEO Future 50, and Best Places to Work in New Jersey. For more information, visit www.workwave.com. Contact Danielle Panichi Email [email protected] Phone 800-792-6067 Website https://www.workwave.com Agency Contact Rachel Talaska [email protected] 248-304-1465 SOURCE WorkWave Related Links http://workwave.com HOUSTON, May 4, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- W&T Offshore, Inc. (NYSE: WTI) today reported its first quarter 2016 operations and financial results, as well as its 2016 second quarter and full year production and expense guidance. Some of the key items and subsequent events include: Production for the first quarter of 2016 averaged 43,317 barrels of oil equivalent ("Boe") per day (3.9 million Boe for the quarter), 57.4% of which was oil and liquids. Oil production increased 0.6% for the first quarter of 2016 compared to the first quarter of 2015; while natural gas production decreased 18.4% and natural gas liquids (NGL) production decreased 19.2% as we continued our focus on oil related projects. Oil production was deferred as our largest oil producing field was offline for three weeks as a result of a scheduled maintenance project on a third-party pipeline that services the platform. Full year production and expense guidance remains the same. Revenues for the first quarter of 2016 were $77.7 million , 72.0% of which was from oil and NGLs. , 72.0% of which was from oil and NGLs. Lease operating expenses ("LOE") declined 16.6% for the first quarter of 2016 to $44.5 million compared to $53.3 million in the first quarter of 2015 reflecting our focus on expense management. General and administrative expenses decreased 20.8% for the first quarter of 2016 to $16.4 million with reduced headcount, reduced contractor usage and other cost saving measures. Tracy W. Krohn, W&T Offshore's Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, stated, "With the continued weakness in commodity prices, we remained focused on prudently managing our cash balance and liquidity position, while minimizing our capital expenditures and judiciously managing our expenses. "Our oil production remains strong as we benefit from good production rates at Big Bend, Dantzler, Medusa and our Ewing Bank 910 projects that were placed on line within the last year. With no material near-term lease expirations and most of our acreage held by production, we have no new wells currently planned for the remainder of 2016 and will continue to reduce expenses as we focus on returning operating margins to acceptable levels." Production, Revenues and Price: For the first quarter of 2016, our oil production was 1.9 million barrels, up 0.6% over the first quarter of 2015. NGL production was 357,900 barrels, down 19.2% from the first quarter of 2015. Natural gas production was 10.1 billion cubic feet ("Bcf") for the first quarter of 2016, down 18.4% from the first quarter of 2015. Our combined total production was 3.9 million barrels of oil equivalent ("MMBoe") in the first quarter of 2016, down 10.3% from the first quarter of 2015. Oil production for the first quarter of 2016 was lower than anticipated as our largest oil producing field was offline for three weeks as a result of a scheduled maintenance project on a third-party pipeline that services the platform. However, oil production was higher in the first quarter of 2016 compared to the first quarter of 2015 due to increases in production from the development of certain deepwater fields within the last year, offset by the loss of production as a result of the sale of our Yellow Rose field in October 2015 and production deferrals, which occurred at multiple offshore locations. Deferrals, in addition to the one described above, were attributable to third-party pipeline outages, operational issues, and maintenance. We estimate production deferrals were 0.8 MMBoe during the first quarter of 2016 and 0.5 MMBoe during the first quarter of 2015. Revenues for the first quarter of 2016 were $77.7 million compared to $127.9 million in the first quarter of 2015. The decrease in revenues was primarily due to the steep decline in commodity prices, combined with lower overall production. Our average realized crude oil sales price was down $16.31 per barrel, or 37.9%, between the two quarters. NGLs prices declined 17.0%, or $2.85 per barrel, as a result of the decline in crude oil prices, continued weak natural gas prices and a significant oversupply of both ethane and propane, which comprise the majority of NGLs on a component basis. Natural gas prices were lower by $1.00 per Mcf, or 33.2%, from the first quarter of 2015. During the first quarter of 2016, our average realized sales price for oil was $26.73 per barrel, $13.96 per barrel for NGLs and $2.01 per Mcf for natural gas. On a combined basis, we sold 43,317 Boe per day at an average realized sales price of $19.33 per Boe compared to 48,837 Boe per day sold at an average realized sales price of $28.70 per Boe in the first quarter of 2015. WTI crude oil prices averaged $33.35 per barrel for the first quarter of 2016 compared to our average realized crude oil price of $26.73 per barrel. WTI is frequently used to value domestically produced crude oil, and the majority of our oil production is priced using the spot price for WTI as a base price, then adjusted for the type and quality of crude oil and other factors. Just like crude oil prices, the differentials for our offshore crude oil have also experienced significant volatility. For example, the monthly average differentials of WTI versus LLS, HLS and Poseidon for the first quarter of 2016 were a positive $1.60 and $0.80, and a negative $3.71 per barrel, respectively. The majority of our crude oil is priced similar to Poseidon and, therefore, is experiencing negative differentials. In addition, a few of our crude oil fields have a negative quality bank adjustment due to crude oil quality and production from two of our crude oil fields is transported via barge, which is more expensive than pipeline transportation. Cash Flow from Operating Activities and Adjusted EBITDA: EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA, and Adjusted EBITDA margin are non-GAAP measures and are defined in the "Non-GAAP Financial Measures" section at the end of this news release. Cash flows from operating activities, before changes in working capital and ARO settlements, were a negative $9.3 million for the first three months of 2016, compared to $30.2 million generated over the same period in 2015. Cash flows declined as revenues were $50.2 million lower in the 2016 period compared to the 2015 period. Payments to settle asset retirement obligations totaled $3.2 million in the first three months of 2016. Adjusted EBITDA for the first quarter of 2016 was $16.6 million, down from $48.3 million generated over the same period in 2015. Our Adjusted EBITDA margin was 21% in the 2016 period compared to 38% in the 2015 period. Net cash provided by operating activities for the first three months of 2016 was $29.7 million compared to $52.9 million for the same period in 2015. Liquidity: At March 31, 2016, we had a cash balance of $370.6 million and no amount of undrawn capacity available under our revolving bank credit facility. During February of 2016, we borrowed $340 million under our Credit Agreement. On March 23, 2016, the borrowing base under our Credit Agreement was reduced as part of the spring redetermination from $350 million to $150 million. We are required to repay the amount of borrowings and letters of credit in excess of the redetermined borrowing base in three installments over 90 days. We repaid $52 million on March 31, 2016 and $12 million on May 2, 2016. We are required to repay $64 million on May 31, 2016 and $64 million on June 30, 2016, in addition to interest payments on our long-term debt. In February and March, 2016, the Company received several orders from the BOEM demanding that the Company provide additional supplemental bonding on certain Federal offshore oil and gas leases, rights of way and rights of use and easement owned and/or operated by the Company. One order was rescinded and re-issued and another one was rescinded. The outstanding orders total $260.8 million. We have filed appeals with the Interior Board of Land Appeals regarding three of the BOEM orders - specifically the February order that required W&T to post a total of $159.8 million in supplemental bonding and two March orders requiring $68 million in supplemental bonding. We have had numerous discussions with the BOEM and its sister agency, the BSEE, since receiving the orders. The objective of the Company remains to reach a mutual agreement on the financial assurance requirements. The issuance of any additional surety bonds to satisfy the BOEM orders or any future BOEM orders may require the posting of cash collateral, which may be significant, and the creation of escrow accounts. We continue to have discussions with BOEM regarding these matters. Lease Operating Expenses: LOE, which includes base lease operating expenses, insurance premiums, workovers, and maintenance expenses on our facilities decreased $8.9 million, or 16.6%, to $44.5 million in the first quarter of 2016 compared to the first quarter of 2015. On a per Boe basis, lease operating expenses decreased to $11.28 per Boe in the first quarter of 2016, a 7.0% reduction compared to $12.13 per Boe in the first quarter of 2015. On a component basis, base lease operating expenses decreased $5.2 million, workover expense decreased $1.9 million, and insurance premiums decreased $1.6 million. Base lease operating expenses decreased primarily due to lower costs from service providers ($9.2 million) and the sale of the Yellow Rose field in October 2015 ($5.9 million), partially offset by increases in expenses related to our new deepwater fields at Dantzler and Big Bend ($5.6 million), lower production handling fees (cost offsets) at our Mississippi Canyon 243 field (Matterhorn) ($2.9 million) and costs associated with delinquent joint venture partners ($1.4 million). The decrease in workover costs was primarily due to the sale of the Yellow Rose field and reduced activities offshore. Depreciation, depletion, amortization and accretion ("DD&A"): DD&A, including accretion for ARO, decreased to $16.17 per Boe for the first quarter of 2016 from $28.55 per Boe for the first quarter of 2015. On a nominal basis, DD&A decreased to $63.7 million for the first quarter of 2016 from $125.5 million for the first quarter of 2015 due to a decrease in the DD&A rate per Boe and lower production volumes. The DD&A rate per Boe decreased primarily due to the ceiling test write-downs recorded in 2015, the proceeds from the sale of the Yellow Rose field and the decrease in associated future development costs. Other factors affecting the DD&A rate are lower net proved reserves, the general reduction in the costs of goods and services and lower capital expenditures in relation to DD&A expense, which lowered the full-cost pool subject to DD&A. Ceiling test write-down of oil and natural gas properties: For the first quarter of 2016, we recorded a non-cash ceiling test write-down of $116.6 million as the book value of our oil and natural gas properties exceeded the ceiling test limitation. The write-down resulted from a significant reduction in the market value of all three commodities we sell. For the first quarter of 2015, the ceiling test write-down was $260.4 million. General and Administrative Expenses ("G&A"): G&A decreased $4.3 million, or 20.8% to $16.4 million for the first quarter of 2016 compared to the first quarter of 2015. The decrease was primarily due to decreases in headcount, benefits, contractor expenses and costs related to surety bonds (due to timing), partially offset by higher legal and professional services costs. G&A on a per BOE basis was $4.17 Boe for the first quarter of 2016 compared to $4.72 per Boe for the first quarter of 2015. Derivatives: For the first quarter of 2016, we recorded a $2.5 million derivative gain for derivative contracts for crude oil and natural gas. For the first quarter of 2015, there were no derivative contracts in place. The Company has hedges in place covering about one-third of our estimated 2016 production. A report providing our commodity derivative positions is posted to our website. Income Taxes: Our income tax benefit for the first quarter of 2016 was $4.9 million, down significantly from $103.6 million in the first quarter of 2015. The change is attributable primarily to changes in the pre-tax loss and changes in the valuation allowance recorded for the respective periods. Our annualized effective tax rate for the first quarter of 2016 was 2.5% and differs from the federal statutory rate of 35% primarily due to recording and adjusting a valuation allowance related to federal and state deferred tax assets. During the three months ended March 31, 2016 and 2015, we recorded a valuation allowance of $60.0 million and $22.5 million, respectively, related to federal and state deferred tax assets. Deferred tax assets are recorded related to net operating losses and temporary differences between the book and tax basis of assets and liabilities expected to produce tax deductions in future periods. The realization of these assets depends on recognition of sufficient future taxable income in specific tax jurisdictions in which those temporary differences or net operating losses are deductible. In assessing the need for a valuation allowance on our deferred tax assets, we consider whether it is more likely than not that some portion or all of them will not be realized. Net Income (Loss) & Earnings (Loss) Per Share: We reported a net loss for the first quarter of 2016 of ($190.5) million, or ($2.49) per common share, compared to net loss of ($255.1) million, or ($3.36) per common share, during the same period in 2015. Excluding special items (including the ceiling test write-down of oil and natural gas properties, write off of debt issuance and other non-operating costs and an unrealized commodity derivative loss, net of applicable federal income tax at the effective tax rate for the periods presented), our net loss for the first quarter of 2016 was ($72.7) million, or ($0.95) per common share, compared to first quarter 2015 net loss of ($70.0) million, or ($0.92) per common share. Operating results for the first quarter of 2016, excluding special items, were down primarily due to a $50.2 million decrease in revenues primarily driven by a 32.6% decline in our realized prices and a significantly lower federal income tax benefit, partially offset by an $8.9 million decrease in LOE, a $61.7 million decrease in DD&A and a $4.3 million decrease in G&A. See the "Reconciliation of Net Loss to Net Loss Excluding Special Items" and related earnings per share, excluding special items in the table under "Non-GAAP Information" at the end of this news release for a description of the special items. 2016 Capital Expenditures Update: Our capital expenditures on an accrual basis for the first quarter of 2016 were $12.9 million ($33.6 million on a cash basis) compared to $82.8 million ($135.2 million on a cash basis) for first quarter of 2015. In 2016, the substantial majority of our capital expenditures were directed at completion activities of the Ewing Bank 954 A-8 well in the amount of $11.6 million. The remainder of the expenditures was associated with other development activities, seismic and capitalized interest. Our capital expenditure budget for 2016 remains set at $15 million, excluding expenses associated with plug and abandonment activities which is currently estimated to total $76 million and is expected to be funded with cash on hand and cash flow from operating activities. OPERATIONS UPDATE Offshore Gulf of Mexico: Ewing Bank 954 A-8 (part of the Ewing Bank 910 field) (50% WI, deepwater) In the first quarter, the Company completed in two separate zones the Ewing Bank 954 A-8 well, which was drilled from the EW 910 platform. This is the second well in a two-well exploration program drilled from the EW 910 platform and followed the earlier discovery at the ST 320 A-5 well in May 2015. The EW 954 A-8 well reached total depth in December and penetrated a total of 150 feet of measured depth hydrocarbon pay contained in two sands. The well has achieved a gross initial production rate from the lower sand completion of approximately 3,500 Boe per day. We also have pre-completed a second zone in the A-8 well, which was actually the primary and larger original target zone and plan to place this second completion on production later as the lower completion depletes. Second Quarter and Full Year 2016 Outlook Our guidance for the second quarter and full year 2016 is provided in the table below and represents the Company's best estimate of the range of likely future results. Guidance could be affected by the factors described below in "Forward-Looking Statements." Second Quarter Full Year Production 2016 2016 Oil and NGLs (MMBbls) 2.1 - 2.3 8.5 - 9.3 Natural gas (Bcf) 9.9 - 10.9 37.9 - 41.9 Total (Bcf) 22.5 - 24.9 88.8 - 98.2 Total (MMBoe) 3.7 - 4.2 14.8 - 16.4 Operating Expenses Second Quarter Prior Full Year ($ in million) 2016 2016 Lease operating expenses $44.7 - $49.3 $166 - $184 Gathering, transportation & production taxes $5 - $6 $22 - $24 General and administrative $16.1 - $17.8 $61 - $68 Income tax rate (100% deferred) 6.7% 4.4% Conference Call Information: W&T will hold a conference call to discuss our financial and operational results on Thursday, May 5, 2016, at 9:30 a.m. Eastern Time. To participate, dial 412-902-0030 a few minutes before the call begins. The call will also be broadcast live over the Internet from the Company's website at www.wtoffshore.com. A replay of the conference call will be available approximately two hours after the end of the call until May 12, 2016 and may be accessed by calling 201-612-7415 and using the passcode 13635554. About W&T Offshore W&T Offshore, Inc. is an independent oil and natural gas producer with operations offshore in the Gulf of Mexico. We have grown through acquisitions, exploration and development and currently hold working interests in approximately 54 fields in federal and state waters (50 producing and four fields capable of producing). W&T currently has under lease approximately 850,000 gross acres, including approximately 500,000 gross acres on the Gulf of Mexico Shelf and approximately 350,000 gross acres in the deepwater. A majority of our daily production is derived from wells we operate. For more information on W&T Offshore, please visit our website at www.wtoffshore.com Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. These forward-looking statements reflect our current views with respect to future events, based on what we believe are reasonable assumptions. No assurance can be given, however, that these events will occur. These statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially including, among other things, market conditions, oil and gas price volatility, uncertainties inherent in oil and gas production operations and estimating reserves, unexpected future capital expenditures, competition, the success of our risk management activities, governmental regulations, uncertainties and other factors discussed in W&T Offshore's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2015 and subsequent Form 10-Q reports found at www.sec.gov or at our website at www.wtoffshore.com under the Investor Relations section. Investors are urged to consider closely the disclosures and risk factors in these reports. CONTACT: Lisa Elliott Danny Gibbons Dennard Lascar Associates SVP & CFO [email protected] [email protected] 713-529-6600 713-624-7326 W&T OFFSHORE, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income (Loss) (Unaudited) Three Months Ended March 31, 2016 2015 (In thousands, except per share data) Revenues $ 77,715 $ 127,907 Operating costs and expenses: Lease operating expenses 44,469 53,331 Gathering, transportation costs and production taxes 5,618 5,461 Depreciation, depletion, amortization and accretion 63,733 125,467 Ceiling test write-down of oil and natural gas properties 116,559 260,390 General and administrative expenses 16,443 20,766 Derivative gain (2,493) - Total costs and expenses 244,329 465,415 Operating loss (166,614) (337,508) Interest expense: Incurred 27,814 22,946 Capitalized (343) (1,783) Other (income) expense, net 1,306 (2) Loss before income tax benefit (195,391) (358,669) Income tax benefit (4,882) (103,574) Net loss $ (190,509) $ (255,095) Basic and diluted loss per common share $ (2.49) $ (3.36) Weighted average common shares outstanding 76,428 75,857 W&T OFFSHORE, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES Condensed Operating Data (Unaudited) Three Months Ended March 31, Variance 2016 2015 Variance Percentage (2) Net sales volumes: Oil (MBbls) 1,906 1,894 12 0.6% NGL (MBbls) 358 443 (85) -19.2% Oil and NGLs (MBbls) 2,263 2,337 (74) -3.2% Natural gas (MMcf) 10,071 12,349 (2,278) -18.4% Total oil and natural gas (MBoe) (1) 3,942 4,395 (453) -10.3% Total oil and natural gas (MMcfe) (1) 23,651 26,372 (2,721) -10.3% Average daily equivalent sales (MBoe/d) 43.3 48.8 (5.5) -11.3% Average daily equivalent sales (MMcfe/d) 259.9 293.0 (33.1) -11.3% Average realized sales prices: Oil ($/Bbl) $ 26.73 $ 43.04 $ (16.31) -37.9% NGLs ($/Bbl) 13.96 16.81 (2.85) -17.0% Oil and NGLs ($/Bbl) 24.71 38.07 (13.36) -35.1% Natural gas ($/Mcf) 2.01 3.01 (1.00) -33.2% Barrel of oil equivalent ($/Boe) 19.33 28.70 (9.37) -32.6% Natural gas equivalent ($/Mcfe) 3.22 4.78 (1.56) -32.6% Average per Boe ($/Boe): Lease operating expenses $ 11.28 $ 12.13 $ (0.85) -7.0% Gathering and transportation costs and production taxes 1.43 1.24 0.19 15.3% Depreciation, depletion, amortization and accretion 16.17 28.55 (12.38) -43.4% General and administrative expenses 4.17 4.72 (0.55) -11.7% Adjusted EBITDA 4.20 11.00 (6.80) -61.8% Average per Mcfe ($/Mcfe): Lease operating expenses $ 1.88 $ 2.02 $ (0.14) -6.9% Gathering and transportation costs and production taxes 0.24 0.21 0.03 14.3% Depreciation, depletion, amortization and accretion 2.69 4.76 (2.07) -43.5% General and administrative expenses 0.70 0.79 (0.09) -11.4% Adjusted EBITDA 0.70 1.83 (1.13) -61.7% (1) MMcfe and MBoe are determined using the ratio of six Mcf of natural gas to one Bbl of crude oil, condensate or NGLs (totals may not compute due to rounding). The conversion ratio does not assume price equivalency and the price on an equivalent basis for oil, NGLs and natural gas may differ significantly. (2) Variance percentages are calculated using rounded figures and may result in slightly different figures for comparable data. W&T OFFSHORE, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets (Unaudited) March 31, December 31, 2016 2015 (In thousands, except share data) Assets Current assets: Cash and cash equivalents $ 370,623 $ 85,414 Receivables: Oil and natural gas sales 27,903 35,005 Joint interest and other 17,006 22,012 Total receivables 44,909 57,017 Prepaid expenses and other assets 23,035 26,879 Total current assets 438,567 169,310 Property and equipment at cost: Oil and natural gas properties and equipment (full cost method, of which $5,165 at March 31, 2016 and $18,595 at December 31, 2015 were excluded from amortization) 7,895,402 7,902,494 Furniture, fixtures and other 20,802 20,802 Total property and equipment 7,916,204 7,923,296 Less accumulated depreciation, depletion and amortization 7,108,925 6,933,247 Net property and equipment 807,279 990,049 Deferred income taxes 32,553 27,595 Restricted deposits for asset retirement obligations 16,171 15,606 Other assets 4,225 5,462 Total assets $ 1,298,795 $ 1,208,022 Liabilities and Shareholders' Equity (Deficit) Current liabilities: Accounts payable $ 92,045 $ 109,797 Undistributed oil and natural gas proceeds 20,654 21,439 Asset retirement obligations 83,778 84,335 Accrued liabilities 39,486 11,922 Current portion of long-term debt 138,999 - Total current liabilities 374,962 227,493 Long-term debt, less current maturities 1,345,954 1,196,855 Asset retirement obligations, less current portion 275,986 293,987 Other liabilities 16,357 16,178 Commitments and contingencies - - Shareholders' equity (deficit): Common stock, $0.00001 par value; 118,330,000 shares authorized; 79,375,662 issued and 75,506,489 outstanding at March 31, 2016 and December 31, 2015 1 1 Additional paid-in capital 426,035 423,499 Retained earnings (deficit) (1,116,333) (925,824) Treasury stock, at cost; 2,869,173 shares at March 31, 2016 and December 31, 2015 (24,167) (24,167) Total shareholders' equity (deficit) (714,464) (526,491) Total liabilities and shareholders' equity (deficit) $ 1,298,795 $ 1,208,022 W&T OFFSHORE, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows (Unaudited) Three Months Ended March 31, 2016 2015 (In thousands) Operating activities: Net loss $ (190,509) $ (255,095) Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash provided by operating activities: Depreciation, depletion, amortization and accretion 63,733 125,467 Ceiling test write-down of oil and natural gas properties 116,559 260,390 Debt issuance costs write-down/amortization of debt items 1,684 156 Share-based compensation 2,536 2,816 Derivative gain (2,493) - Cash payments on derivative settlements 4,105 - Deferred income taxes (4,882) (103,574) Asset retirement obligation settlements (3,180) (19,554) Changes in operating assets and liabilities 42,156 42,312 Net cash provided by operating activities 29,709 52,918 Investing activities: Investment in oil and natural gas properties and equipment (12,903) (82,765) Changes in operating assets and liabilities associated with investing activities (20,680) (52,176) Proceeds from sales of assets 1,000 - Purchases of furniture, fixtures and other - (226) Net cash used in investing activities (32,583) (135,167) Financing activities: Borrowings of long-term debt - revolving bank credit facility 340,000 82,000 Repayments of long-term debt - revolving bank credit facility (52,000) (15,000) Other 83 (50) Net cash provided by financing activities 288,083 66,950 Increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents 285,209 (15,299) Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period 85,414 23,666 Cash and cash equivalents, end of period $ 370,623 $ 8,367 W&T OFFSHORE, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES Non-GAAP Information Certain financial information included in our financial results are not measures of financial performance recognized by accounting principles generally accepted in the United States, or GAAP. These non-GAAP financial measures are "Net Income Excluding Special Items," "EBITDA" and "Adjusted EBITDA." Our management uses these non-GAAP financial measures in its analysis of our performance. These disclosures may not be viewed as a substitute for results determined in accordance with GAAP and are not necessarily comparable to non-GAAP performance measures which may be reported by other companies. Reconciliation of Net Loss to Net Loss Excluding Special Items "Net Loss Excluding Special Items" does not include the unrealized commodity derivative loss, write-off of debt issuance and other non-operating costs, ceiling test write-down of oil and natural gas properties and associated tax effects. Net Loss excluding special items is presented because the timing and amount of these items cannot be reasonably estimated and affect the comparability of operating results from period to period, and current periods to prior periods. Three Months Ended March 31, 2016 2015 (In thousands, except per share amounts) (Unaudited) Net loss $ (190,509) $ (255,095) Unrealized commodity derivative loss 1,612 - Write off of debt issuance and other non operating costs 2,630 - Ceiling test write-down of oil and natural gas properties 116,559 260,390 Income tax adjustment for above items at current period tax rate (3,020) (75,253) Net loss excluding special items $ (72,728) $ (69,958) Basic and diluted loss per common share, excluding special items $ (0.95) $ (0.92) W&T OFFSHORE, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES Non-GAAP Information Reconciliation of Net Loss to Adjusted EBITDA We define EBITDA as net income (loss) plus income tax expense (benefit), net interest expense, depreciation, depletion, amortization, and accretion and ceiling test write-down of oil and natural gas properties. Adjusted EBITDA excludes the unrealized commodity derivative loss, write off of debt issuance and other non-operating costs. We believe the presentation of EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA provides useful information regarding our ability to service debt and to fund capital expenditures. We believe this presentation is relevant and useful because it helps our investors understand our operating performance and makes it easier to compare our results with those of other companies that have different financing, capital and tax structures. EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA should not be considered in isolation from or as a substitute for net income (loss), as an indication of operating performance or cash flows from operating activities or as a measure of liquidity. EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA, as we calculate them, may not be comparable to EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA measures reported by other companies. In addition, EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA do not represent funds available for discretionary use. Adjusted EBITDA margin represents the ratio of Adjusted EBITDA to total revenues. The following table presents a reconciliation of our consolidated net loss to consolidated EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA along with our Adjusted EBITDA margin. Three Months Ended March 31, 2016 2015 (In thousands) (Unaudited) Net loss $ (190,509) $ (255,095) Income tax benefit (4,882) (103,574) Net interest expense 27,409 21,161 Depreciation, depletion, amortization and accretion 63,733 125,467 Ceiling test write-down of oil and natural gas properties 116,559 260,390 EBITDA 12,310 48,349 Adjustments: Unrealized commodity derivative loss 1,612 - Write off of debt issuance and other non operating costs 2,630 - Adjusted EBITDA $ 16,552 $ 48,349 Adjusted EBITDA Margin 21% 38% SOURCE W&T Offshore, Inc. Related Links http://www.wtoffshore.com The Bacon Stuffed Crust Pizza features a stuffed crust filled with a delicious blend of three cheeses mozzarella, white cheddar and provolone and pieces of real Applewood smoked bacon a crust so good, you may want to eat your pizza backwards. This flavorful twist on the original Pizza Hut Stuffed Crust Pizza will be available as a large one-topping pizza for $12.99. "As the creator of the original Stuffed Crust Pizza, Pizza Hut has passion for pushing taste buds and bringing the most creative concepts to the pizza category," said Jared Drinkwater, vice president of marketing, Pizza Hut. "With the Bacon Stuffed Crust Pizza, we're continuing to bring our customers what they want: A flavor-packed pizza that combines two foods America loves pizza and bacon into one epic pizza." To support the Bacon Stuffed Crust Pizza, Pizza Hut is introducing a new integrated creative campaign featuring Bobby Moynihan, who will star in a new TV spot for the brand, as well as in digital content to be featured on Pizza Hut social media channels. The new creative will begin running on May 6. "Pizza with bacon stuffed in the crust is truly one of man's greatest creations," said Moynihan. "On a scale of 1 to 10 stars, I'd give it 363 million stars." The Bacon Stuffed Crust Pizza can be topped with any of the following fresh Pizza Hut ingredients: Mediterranean black olives, Peruvian cherry peppers, fresh mushrooms, fresh spinach, fresh red onions, fresh green bell peppers, sliced banana peppers, sweet pineapple, sliced jalapeno peppers, and diced roma tomatoes as well as pepperoni, Italian sausage, premium salami, classic meatballs, slow-roasted ham, hardwood smoked bacon, grilled chicken, beef and seasoned pork. Customers can choose from six sauces to customize their Bacon Stuffed Crust Pizza, including Classic Marinara, Premium Crushed Tomato, Creamy Garlic Parmesan, Honey Sriracha, Barbeque and Buffalo. Pizza lovers can also add sauce drizzles to their pizza, including Balsamic, Honey Sriracha, Barbeque and Buffalo. As the first national pizza restaurant company to remove artificial flavors and colors from its core pizzas, Pizza Hut is known around the world for its long heritage of breakthrough innovation in food and beyond, including the original Pan Pizza, Stuffed Crust, Cheesy Bites, Crazy Cheesy Crust, and more. The pizza restaurant company also has the world's busiest website in the pizza category at www.pizzahut.com. Nearly 50 percent of the pizza restaurant company's orders come through digital channels, including more than 25 percent via mobile device. The Bacon Stuffed Crust Pizza is available for a limited time for dine-in, carryout or delivery at participating Pizza Hut locations around the country. For more information, visit blog.pizzahut.com or to order now, visit www.pizzahut.com. About Pizza Hut Pizza Hut, a subsidiary of Yum! Brands, Inc. (NYSE: YUM), delivers more pizza, pasta and wings than any other restaurant in the world. The company began 58 years ago in Wichita, Kansas, when two brothers borrowed $600 from their mom to start a pizzeria. What started out small has become the biggest pizza company in the world and today operates more than 15,600 restaurants in more than 97 countries serving innovative pizzas, traditional favorites like the signature Pan Pizza, and much more. Pizza Hut also is the proprietor of the BOOK IT! Program, which is a long-standing children's literacy program used in more than 630,000 classrooms nationwide. For more information, visit www.pizzahut.com. Follow Pizza Hut on Facebook (www.facebook.com/PizzaHut), Twitter (www.twitter.com/pizzahut) and Instagram (www.instagram.com/pizzahut). *For all media inquiries, please contact Pizza Hut: Doug Terfehr, 972-338-6992, [email protected] Courtney Moscovic, 972-338-8288, [email protected] Video - http://origin-qps.onstreammedia.com/origin/multivu_archive/PRNA/ENR/ShowMe.mp4 Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160503/363440LOGO SOURCE Pizza Hut Related Links http://www.pizzahut.com "Using message360, midmarket and enterprise businesses can easily support advanced communication functionality within their platform," said Nick Newsom, Ytel CEO. "Our pricing is competitive, and we provide white glove service for each customer." The infrastructure for message360 is supported by multiple data centers across North America that provide geographical redundancy, resulting in maximum up-time. In addition to providing direct access to Tier-1 Carriers, the Ytel network has also been recognized by the United States Congress for advancements in cloud-based communications supporting businesses worldwide. With message360, developers can choose from one of the many available helper libraries written in the most popular web languages; PHP, Ruby, .NET, Java, Python, and Node.js. For more control and customization options, message360 supports both JSON and XML response formats. API documentation can be found at message360.com. "Voice, text, email, and direct mail will be the primary channels for use in the API," said Matt Grofsky, Ytel CTO. "The infrastructure is self-maintained and scalable; we are on pace to complete over 1 billion interactions on Ytel's network this month." To create an account, learn more, or explore the API, visit: www.message360.com. About Ytel (www.ytel.com) Ytel is a preeminent software company, specializing in cloud-based communications solutions that service businesses worldwide. Its SaaS-based offerings include Cloud Contact Center, message360, and sipPro. These services provide businesses cost effective solutions that power modern communications through voice, text, email and direct mail. Ytel supports over 80 million outbound and inbound interactions daily, on a company owned network, to increase revenue and maximize efficiency for customers. Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160504/363453 SOURCE Ytel Related Links http://www.ytel.com If you were looking for the Charlestown Democratic Town Committee website and ended up here, try this Got news tips, gossip, suggestions, complaints?E-mail us: progressivecharlestown@gmail.com We strive to avoid errors in our articles. Our correction policy can be found here New Delhi, April 29 : A court here on Friday ordered the framing of charges against former parliamentarian, industrialist and senior Congress leader Naveen Jindal, former union minister of state for coal Dasari Narayan Rao, former Jharkhand chief minister Madhu Koda and others in a coal block case allegedly involving the Jindal Group. Judge Bharat Parashar of the Special CBI court ordered charges be framed relating to criminal conspiracy, cheating and various provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act against Jindal, Rao and Koda and others in a case related to the allocation of Jharkhand's Amarkonda Murgadangal coal block to Jindal Steel and Gagan Sponge. "...I may also mention that a bare perusal of the facts and circumstances of the case clearly suggests that though various accused persons acted at different times but they all were in tandem to favour A-1, M/s Jindal Steel & Power Ltd. (M/s JSPL) and A-2, M/s Gagan Sponge Iron Pvt. Ltd. (M/s GSIPL) in somehow procuring sole allocation of Amarkonda Murgadangal Coal Block in their favour," the court said. "Charge for the offence under Sections 120-B (criminal conspiracy)/409 (criminal breach of trust)/420 (cheating) IPC and section 13 (1) (c) (criminal misconduct dishonestly misappropriates of any property) and 13 (1) (d) (criminal misconduct for obtaining pecuniary advantage) Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, shall also be framed against all the accused persons." The Central Bureau of Investigation court observed that it is clear that the present case involves "a number of triable issues which raise grave and strong suspicion about the role played by various accused persons". The court posted the matter for consideration of framing of charges on May 11. At the same time, the court allowed personal exemption from personal appearance to Jindal on May 11 while allowing his plea to travel to Austria and other Schengen countries alongwith the United Kingdom from May 6 to May 13 on account of marriage of his nephew and other reasons. Meanwhile, a statement of New Delhi Exim director Suresh Singhal, who has sought pardon and permission to become an approver in the case, was submitted before the court. The CBI has said there was sufficient evidence to frame charges against the accused in the case. However, Jindal, Rao, Koda and others have denied the allegations and sought being discharged from the case. The CBI in April last year filed a charge sheet against Jindal, Koda, Rao, former coal secretary H.C. Gupta with six other individuals. The six others aree New Delhi Exim director Suresh Singhal, Jindal Realty director Rajeev Jain, Gagan Sponge directors Girish Kumar Juneja and R.K. Saraf, Sowbhagya Media's managing director K. Ramakrishna and chartered accountant Gyan Swaroop Garg. Five private companies -- four based in Delhi and one in Hyderabad -- were named in the charge sheet. The companies are Jindal Steel and Power Ltd., Gagan Sponge Iron Pvt. Ltd., Jindal Reality Pvt. Ltd., New Delhi Exim Pvt. Ltd. and Sowbhagya Media Ltd. Jindal, in a statement on Friday, said that it is "confident that it will stand vindicated". It denied all allegations against the company and management. "We have full faith in the Indian judicial system and are confident to come out clean during the process." It said the "allocation was made to the company purely on merit and all along the course of the investigation the company and its officials have fully co-operated with the authorities, and whenever asked, explained and provided all the supporting documents. " New Delhi, April 30 : The government asserted on Saturday that no deal had been struck with Italian aircraft major AgustaWestland that is accused of graft in India's purchase of VVIP helicopters. "In their (the opposition's) drive to divert the public attention from their own corruption, some have said that the (Narendra) Modi government permitted AgustaWestland to bid for 100 naval utility helicopters in April 2015," an official statement said. "No request for proposal has been issued, therefore the question of permitting AgustaWestland to bid for the naval utility helicopter in April 2015 does not arise," the statement said, adding: "The government is exploring whether their manufacturing can be pursued under Make in India." "The fact is that a techno-commercial Request for Proposal (RFP) for Naval Utility Helicopters was issued to eight vendors on August 4, 2012. In response to the RFP, M/S Eurocopters, France and M/S AgustaWestland S.p.A Italy submitted their techno-commercial proposals on March 4, 2013," the statement said. This RFP had been "retracted" on October 13, 2014, the statement said. The Congress has attacked the government and asked if it had struck a deal with Italy and why it had allowed AgustaWestland to participate in the Make in India initiative. The government said that it has taken effective action to bring out the truth and will leave no stone unturned in pursuing all means to bring to justice the corrupt and the wrong-doers in the chopper case. On the core issue of corruption, the timeline of action taken by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and Enforcement Directorate clearly shows the due rigour and diligence with which these agencies have pursued all aspects of their investigations, including the arrest and extradition of three foreigners - Carlo Gerosa, Guido Haschke Ralph and Christian Michel James - the statement said. The CBI has so far questioned over 100 people in the case. Some of the accused in September and November 2014 and their property confiscated. A criminal complaint was also filed. Letter of Requests were sent out by ED and CBI to Mauritius (July 2013), Tunisia and Italy (December 2013), British Virgin Islands, Singapore and Britain (September 2014), the United Arab Emirates and Switzerland (December 2014). The agencies are continuing to pursue responses to the letter of requests from the countries concerned, the statement added. Tokyo, May 1 : Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Sunday began a week-long trip to several European countries and Russia. Abe will meet with the leaders of Italy, France, Belgium, Germany and Britain before flying to Russia to hold a meeting with President Vladimir Putin, EFE news reported. With his European counterparts, Abe is expected to discuss the impact of the Chinese slowdown on the global economy. He will also debate comprehensive measures to combat terrorism and urge G7 member states to firmly condemn the latest weapons testing by North Korea. During his Belgium visit, Abe will also meet representatives of the European Union (EU), including European Council President Donald Tusk, with whom he is expected to discuss the need to step up negotiations for a future free trade agreement between Japan and the 28 EU member nations. Before returning to Tokyo, the Japanese head of state will make a stop at Sochi, Russia, to meet President Putin and to find a way around the territorial dispute over the Kuril Islands (called Northern Territories by Japan), administered by Moscow but claimed by Tokyo. The meeting is also likely to clear the road for Putin's visit to Japan, after Ukraine-related tensions forced him to cancel his planned trip to the Asian country in 2014. Chennai, May 1 : Actor Pawan Kalyan's yet-untitled upcoming Telugu film, which was launched last week, is reportedly the official remake of Ajith Kumar-starrer Tamil blockbuster "Veeram". "The team acquired the remake rights a few months back and has been working on adapting it to Telugu sensibilities since then," a source from the film's unit told IANS. Although it won't be a frame-to-frame remake, the source confirms that the core of the original will be retained while the rest will be tweaked to suit Telugu audiences. Pawan Kalyan will reprise Ajith's role in this action-based love drama which will be directed by S.J Suryah. Kalyan's close friend Sharrath Marar will produce the film, which will have music by Anup Rubens. London, May 2 : The Italian data protection authority has ordered social networking site Facebook to hand over personal data of an Italian user that was hacked and used on his fake account by a "Facebook friend." According to a report in Ars Technica, under the Italian law, the personal data of both the real and fake accounts should be sent to the complainant by Facebook. Italy's data protection authority ordered Facebook neither to destroy the fake account's data nor to process it further. The agency wants the data to be saved for possible use in a criminal investigation by the authorities. According to the report, the Italian user approached the agency after he received "unsatisfactory" response from Facebook on his complaint about abuse of his account. The user alleged that information and pictures were taken from his Facebook account by a "friend" in order to create a fake account where his personal data was posted, damaging his reputation. The Italian agency then asked Facebook to provide all the data, including the personal information, photos and posts to the original user. Facebook, however, refused to comment on the Italian order, the report added. "Although it was Facebook Ireland that had carried out the processing of the personal data of the two accounts, the Italian data protection authority was competent to find that Italian privacy laws had been broken," the report noted. New EU data protection rules which aim to give citizens back control of their personal data and create a high, uniform level of data protection across the EU approved by the EU parliament last month. The reform also sets minimum standards on use of data for policing and judicial purposes. "This is a great success for the European Parliament and a fierce European 'yes' to strong consumer rights and competition in the digital age. Citizens will be able to decide for themselves which personal information they want to share", said Jan Philipp Albrecht (Greens, DE), who steered the legislation through Parliament. "The regulation will also create clarity for businesses by establishing a single law across the EU. The new law creates confidence, legal certainty and fairer competition", he added. Kabul, May 2 : Formalities for issuance of visa for Afghan nationals have been increased by India as some citizens of neighbouring countries also possess the Afghan passport. Afghan Foreign Affairs Minister Salahuddin Rabbani said the issue has become a matter of concern for the Indian embassy in Kabul. Without elaborating further on which countries' citizens have obtained Afghan passport, Rabbani said Afghan nationals must provide a bank statement and medical documents in order to obtain a visa for India. This comes after the Afghan citizens faced a similar issue in the UAE last year, Khaama press reported. The issue with UAE reportedly emerged with the issuance of the new electronic Afghan passports amid concerns that the citizens of the other countries misused the country's passports. However, the issue was later resolved as an agreement was reached between the two countries to improve the information quality of the newly issued e-passports. New Delhi, May 2 : The health of External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, who is admitted to AIIMS following chest congestion and arthritis problems, is improving and she will be discharged soon, hospital authorities said on Monday. "Sushma Swaraj's condition is constantly improving and there is nothing to worry. She will be released soon but we can't say exactly when," said Amit Gupta, spokesperson of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences. Asked if Sushma Swaraj had developed any problems during treatment, Gupta said: "Nothing major. She is already a cardiac patient, so there is fluctuation in her health condition. But she is stable now." Sushma Swaraj was admitted to the AIIMS last week over problems of chest congestion, fever and arthritis. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi and Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan visited her to enquire about her health. New Delhi, May 2 : Drivers of diesel cabs on Monday brought traffic in the national capital to a standstill as they took to the roads to protest the Supreme Court decision to ban diesel and petrol-run taxis in the city. The protesting drivers took to the roads at many places, causing hardship for school-going children and office-goers. The condition was worse on the Delhi-Gurgaon and Delhi-Noida borders and near west Delhi's Rajokri area. "The taxi drivers blocked both the carriageways on Rajokri flyover near the old Delhi toll booth on Gurgaon-Dhaula Kuan road in morning," a traffic police official told IANS. The protests and blockades led to major traffic snarls across the capital, with vehicles lined up behind one another for up to one km, an official said. "It takes me 20 minutes to reach work, but I am stuck here for the past 30 minutes. Nothing is moving," Preeti Gupta, a PR professional working in Noida Sector 16, told IANS. Vaibhav Mishra, who works in a Gurgaon tech firm, said it took him two hours to reach his office from the neighbouring Sultanpur area. "It was harrowing. It turned worse as the AC in my car was not working," he said. Vehicles also piled up on the Delhi Noida Direct (DND) flyway but were soon cleared with the help of policemen deployed there, an official said. The Delhi Taxi Tourist Transporters Association took out a march from the DND flyway to Ashram Chowk and again blocked traffic for several hours. Following the protest by the cab drivers, the traffic police had to divert vehicles at several junctions. Vehicles coming from Faridabad were diverted towards Kalindi Kunj, while vehicles coming from Ring Road, Bhairon Marg towards Sarai Kale Khan were diverted on NH-24, a traffic official said. The traffic police also urged the people to avoid using the DND flyway, and while commuting from Modi Mill towards Mathura road. However, the situation was brought under control after a delegation of taxi operators met Delhi Police Commissioner Alok K. Verma. Delhi Taxi Tourist Transporters Association president Sanjay Samrat told IANS: "The decision of the apex court mainly deals with taxis of web-based aggregators as they misuse the permits allotted to them." He said they submitted a memorandum along with Bharatiya Janata Party legislator Vijender Gupta to the Delhi Police chief after a number of private taxis were challaned on Sunday. "The police commissioner has assured us that taxis which do not come under the city permits won't be fined anymore," Samrat added. Meanwhile, several diesel-based cab drivers also complained that after the ban, they were left jobless. Dharmendra, a diesel cab driver, told IANS that he bought his car five months ago on loan from a bank. And after the ban, he is now completely clueless. "I have to pay the monthly installment of my vehicle to the bank. But now diesel cabs are no more allowed in the city, and I have become clueless what to do," he said. The apex court on Saturday refused to give more time to taxi operators to switch to the cleaner compressed natural gas (CNG) and banned diesel and petrol-based taxis in Delhi and National Capital Region (NCR) from May 1. The deadline for the change was extended twice earlier. Various researches have put Delhi among the most polluted cities in the world. New Delhi, May 3 : India is setting up a national panel that will cut red-tape for the export-import industry while also ensuring faster clearances of merchandise, in line with the commitment to the World Trade Organisation (WTO). "India has also initiated the process to set-up a National Committee on Trade Facilitation (NCTF) to domestically coordinate and implement the (WTO) Trade Facilitation Agreement," Commerce Minister Nirmala Sitharaman told the parliamentary consultative committee attached to the ministry, according to a release. "Through the TFA, member-countries would seek to simplify trade procedures and help promote cross-border trade and the overall climate for trade and investment." India's Permanent Representative to the World Trade Organisation, Anjali Prasad, last month formally presented the instrument of acceptance ratifying the agreement to WTO Director General Roberto Azevedo in Geneva. "She (Sitharaman) said that after TFA ratification, the world-wide best trade practices would be shared among the member countries," the statement said. "In several areas, we need to ensure speedy legislation so that there are visible beneficial outcomes," the minister added. "The NCTF would institutionalise the coordination mechanism in such a manner the 35-plus departments, private players and state governments who have international borders are on the same page as far as the trade facilitation is concerned," the statement said. India is the 76th WTO member to accept the TFA, which will enter into force once two-thirds of WTO's 162 members formally accept the agreement. The TFA was agreed upon at the WTO Ministerial Conference in Bali in 2013. The agreement aims at expediting the movement and clearance of goods, including goods in transit, and establishing effective cooperation between customs and other authorities on trade facilitation and customs compliance issues. The implementation of the TFA has the potential to increase global merchandise exports by up to $1 trillion per year, according to the WTO's 2015 flagship World Trade Report. Thiruvananthapuram, May 03 : Chief Minister Oommen Chandy has accused the Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI-M] and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of having joined hands to sabotage the State governments request to have the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe the murder of Revolutionary Marxist Party (RMP) leader T P Chandrasekharan. In a statement on Tuesday, the Chief Minister said that the BJP-led government at the Centre had been sitting on the State governments request for a CBI probe into the case for two and a half years now. Chandy cited this as an example of the clandestine understanding between the CPI-M and the BJP for the impending assembly polls. A CBI probe would unearth role of more CPI-M leaders in the case, the statement said, adding that BJP was averse to see the decline of the CPI-M since it saw the Congress as its principal enemy. Chandy also said that the government would again write to the Centre demanding a CBI probe in the murder case. The State government first wrote to the Centre seeking probe by the central agency in February 2014, but the request was turned down by the centre in March that year on the ground that a local court had convicted 11 accused in the case. However, at the request of T P Chandrasekharans widow K K Rema, the State government again made a request for CBI probe into the larger conspiracy behind the murder, which was also declined by the centre. RMP leader T P Chandrasekharan was hacked to death by an armed gang on 4 May 2012. An additional sessions court had convicted 11 persons, including 3 CPI-M activists, in the murder. Kolkata, May 3 : The CPI-M on Tuesday accused West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and a prominent Trinamool Congress candidate of trying to influence the upcoming elections to 25 constituencies in the final phase of assembly polls in the state with the help of police. The Trinamool denied the allegations. "Under the chief minister's leadership, the desperate ruling party is trying to prevent people from expressing their choice," Communist Party of India-Marxist state secretary Surjya Kanta Mishra told the media here. Noting Banerjee was now in north Bengal, near Cooch Behar district, he said: "I know who all are with her. She has taken responsibility of Cooch Behar. We know the officers who are with her. They are keeping close contact with the police stations, that too we know." In a memorandum to the EC, the CPI-M alleged that Trinamool Lok Sabha member Suvendu Adhikari held a secret meeting on May 1 midnight with officer-in-charge (OCs) of five police stations in East Midnapore district with a motive to disrupt the polling process. Adhikari is contesting from the Nandigram assembly constituency in East Midnapore on a Trinamool ticket. Cooch Behar and East Midnapore will go to the polls on May 5 for the last phase. "The decision taken in the secret meeting is that the OCs will supply liquor and meat to the central security forces. The money required for the purpose will be supplied by Adhikari," read the memorandum. Claiming that the East Midnapore police superintendent has been verbally informed about the "conspiracy", the party sought the EC intervention in the matter including the removal of the OCs. Mishra said the secret meeting was held at 1 am on May 2 at the Panskura Banamali College. "We have all the information about the cash transactions and from which shop the materials will be purchased for the central security forces to be deployed during the polls," he claimed. Rubbishing the allegations, Trinamool MP Sisir Kumar Adhikari, who is also the father of Suvendu, threatened legal action against Mishra. "Being an MP with high priority security, Suvendu's movement are constantly monitored by the police. This is nothing but malicious campaign and we will soon be initiating legal action against Mishra," he said. "Apprehensive of the impending defeat, the CPI-M is resorting to false hood," said Trinamool secretary general Partha Chatterjee. Ahmedabad, May 3 : Jailed Patidar reservation spearhead Hardik Patel on Tuesday gave an undertaking to the Gujarat High Court that if granted bail he would not indulge in any activity to incite violence. The undertaking comes close on the heels of a similar assurance given to court by his three associates who were released recently. The high court was hearing Patel's appeal against the rejection of his regular bail applications by different local courts of Surat and Ahmedabad in two sedition cases. Unlike in the case of Patel's three close associates of the Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS), the state government sought time from the high court for its reply in this case with Justice A.D. Desai posting the hearing for Wednesday. Hardik Patel's counsel Zubin Bharda said in his undertaking that his client has stated that though the agitation of the Patidar Anamat Aandolan Samiti (PAAS) would continue peacefully in a democratic manner, if granted bail he would not do anything by act or by speech which may incite people or trigger violence. Bharda said though the government has sought time to reply, it has been opposing tooth-and-nail Patel's bail plea stating that his case was different than his aides Chirag, Ketan and Dinesh Patel. The three were released on bail recently on a written undertaking not to involve in any violent agitation. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) sources, meanwhile, indicated that the state government is unlikely to oppose Hardik Patel's bail application in the wake of its announcement of 10 per cent reservation for economically weaker sections among the upper castes with a view to break the Patels' agitation for quotas to the community. Hardik Patel is facing two cases of sedition. One was lodged in Amroli police station of Surat district in October last year for his alleged suggestion in front of a television camera to a supporter to kill a policeman or two rather than committing suicide. He was arrested in the case in October from Rajkot and has been lodged in the Lajpore central jail of Surat since then. Two of his associates Chirag and Vipul Desai are out on bail in this case. Another case of sedition was lodged against Hardik and five others, including Chirag, Ketan and Dinesh Patel, by the crime branch of Ahmedabad police for his alleged involvement and plotting of violence post a pro-reservation rally on August 25 here. Moscow, May 3 : Cessation of hostilities in the Syrian city of Aleppo will be announced in the coming hours, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Tuesday after talks with UN envoy to Syria, Staffan de Mistura. Lavrov said the US and Russian militaries were currently holding talks on the Aleppo ceasefire. "I hope that in the coming hours such an agreement will be announced," the minister was quoted by RT after the meeting in Moscow. Lavrov also announced the creation of a new Russian-US monitoring centre in Geneva, Switzerland, which will oversee ceasefire violations in Syria. "We are grateful to the UN for its help in solving logistical issues on the creation of this centre in Geneva where the militaries of the two countries will discuss face-to-face specific developments on the ground," he said. Moscow is also urging Washington to distinguish between extremists and the Syrian opposition, Lavrov added. "To make the ceasefire work and make it inclusive, our partners must do everything possible to remove the moderate opposition, which relies on foreign support, from the positions occupied by the terrorists." Lavrov also called for an extended ceasefire in Syria. "Of course, there are separate groups who would like to undermine the cessation of hostilities, to provoke an escalation (of the crisis). We can not let them do it," he said. Ghaziabad, May 3 : The Ghaziabad city was gripped by panic on Tuesday after a prestigious public school received a call, stating that a bomb had been planted on the first floor of the building. According to police, Chhabeel Dass Public School received a phone call on its landline phone, with the caller stating that a bomb had been planted on the first floor of the academic block. Peon Nanak Chand received the call and informed the principal. Soon, another call was made and a school teacher attending it was told not to take the call lightly. The teacher was informed that the bomb had been planted in the school. The school authorities immediately informed police which evacuated the building. The SP City and the Additional District Magistrate, City, reached the venue. The bomb squad and a dog squad were sent to the school. Every article was screened and students' bags were screened. Later, the students were sent back to their homes. As the frisking and cleansing operation was underway, the vehicular movement came to a halt and there was a traffic snarl around the school. After a two-hour screening operation, police declared it was a hoax call. "The call was proved hoax. We are trying to trace the caller" said the Superintendent of Police, City, Salman Taj Patil. Kolkata, May 3 : The Election Commission on Tuesday said it was looking into a complaint made by the CPI-M accusing a Trinamool Congress Lok Sabha member and West Bengal assembly polls candidate of trying to influence the final phase using police. "We have received a complaint and are looking into the matter," additional chief electoral officer Dibyendu Sarkar said. In a memorandum to the EC, the Communist Party of India-Marxist alleged that Trinamool Lok Sabha member Suvendu Adhikari held a secret meeting in the intervening night of May 1-2 with officers-in-charge (OCs) of five police stations in East Midnapore district with a motive to disrupt the polling process on May 5. "The decision taken in the secret meeting is that the OCs will supply liquor and meat to the central security forces. The money required for the purpose will be supplied by Adhikari," read the memorandum. Claiming that the East Midnapore police superintendent was verbally informed about the "conspiracy", the CPI-M sought the EC's intervention into the matter including the removal of the OCs. CPI-M state secretary Surjya Kanta Mishra said the secret meeting was held at 1 a.m. on May 2 at the Panskura Banamali College. The Trinamool has denied the allegations. Adhikari is contesting from the Nandigram assembly constituency in East Midnapore. A total of 25 constituencies in Cooch Behar and East Midnapore districts will go to the polls on May 5 in the last phase. United Nation, May 4 : The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) and the Organising Committee of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games on Tuesday selected a 12-year-old Syrian refugee, Hanan Dacka, to run with the Olympic Torch in the Brazilian capital Brasilia, a UN spokesman said here. "The UNHCR said in a statement that with the number of people displaced by conflict and persecution at highest levels in the post-World War II era, Hanan's carrying of the Olympic torch through Brasilia is about solidarity with refugees everywhere," Xinhua quoted UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric as saying. Hanan, who arrived in Brazil in February 2015, lives with her family in Sao Paulo, speaks fluent Portuguese and has many Brazilian friends, the spokesman noted. "The Brazilian leg of the Olympic Torch relay started today (Tuesday) and will last close to 90 days, concluding with the inauguration ceremony on August 5 in the Maracana Stadium, where the Olympic pyre will be lit," he said. The Olympic flame has arrived in Brazil for the start of a torch relay that will culminate with the opening of the Olympic Games in Rio in August. It was flown inside a small lantern on a special flight from the Swiss city of Geneva to Brasilia. The torch will pass through more than 300 towns and cities in the Latin American country from the Amazon to Brazil's southern border, arriving at the Maracana Stadium in Rio on August 5. Washington, May 4 : New York billionaire Donald Trump on Tuesday won the crucial Republican primary held in the mid-western US state of Indiana, while Republican presidential candidate Ted Cruz bowed out of the race after his defeat in the GOP's primary. Trump's big win has increased his likelihood of clinching the party's presidential nomination outright, while Cruz's defeat delivered a heavy blow to Republicans currently eyeing a contested convention this summer to snatch the party's nomination from Trump. If Trump secures the Republican Party's nomination, he will be the first major-party nominee who has not served in elected office since Dwight Eisenhower in 1952. Eisenhower was a five-star general and the commander of Allied Forces in Europe during World War II. By 8.00 p.m. (local time), one hour after the poll closed, partial results showed Trump had won 53 percent of the vote, almost 20 points ahead of Cruz. The victory in Indiana will make Trump's total delegate count exceed 1,000 with the likely prospect of reaching the magic number of 1,237 needed to avoid a contested party convention and dashing hopes for the anti-Trump movement to deny the real estate mogul the nomination. Cruz at a rally in Indiana said: "From the beginning, I've said I would continue on as long as there was a viable path to victory." "Tonight, I'm sorry to say it appears that the path has been foreclosed." Though Cruz had already been mathematically eliminated from reaching the 1,237 delegates required to win the nomination on the first ballot at July's GOP convention before Tuesday's Indiana primary. Cruz and the anti-Trump movement within the party had for long hoped to prevent the front-runner from getting the 1,237 delegates and create a contested convention where other candidates might get nominated after the first round of voting. However, after the suspension of Cruz's candidacy, there left no doubt that Trump would be the GOP's presumptive presidential nominee. The once crowded Republican field has dwindled. Despite his flagging campaign and winning only one contest, Ohio Governor John Kasich made it clear on Tuesday that he would stay in the race. However, the Kasich campaign's hope to force Trump into a contested convention in July became dimmer after the New York billionaire's sweeping victory. With his big win in Indiana, Trump is guaranteed at least 30 of the state's 57 delegates up for grabs. However, Trump is unlikely to formally clinch the nomination until June 7, when California and five other states vote and a total of 303 delegate will be up for grabs. In order to win the GOP nomination, a candidate must win 1,237 delegates. Trump entered the contest on Tuesday with 956 pledged delegates and another 41 unpledged ones, while Kasich, his only rival now, had only 153. Bangkok, May 4 : A 'Spice Library' with traditional condiments from all corners of India, Mumbai's famous 'Dabbawalas', an Indian mixology concept at the bar to fire up your drinks and a restroom where you can hear the lively noises of Delhi's famous Chandini Chowk area - all of this and more are on offer at the most unlikely of places, Bangkok. In the Thai capital's ever-busy Sukhumvit area, the Charcoal Tandoor Grill and Mixology has raised the bar for authentic Indian cuisine and that is evident from it being a runaway success, especially among foreigners. Located on the fifth floor of Fraser Suites in Sukhumvit's Soi 11, Charcoal is not only about Indian food but also the tradition that is behind the popularity of this food. "Charcoal offers authentic tandoori kebabs, char-grilled over glowing embers in our copper-clad ovens. People can enjoy the delicacies that come from the house of the Royal Moghuls," Derrick Gooch, the general manager of Fraser Suites, told IANS as he excitedly took me through a brief journey about Charcoal's existence, its food and the idea behind the effort. "We wanted our food to be real, authentic Indian. We spent considerable time in India to pick the best chefs and cooks, raw materials and equipment. All our spices for the restaurant and other raw material still comes from India to ensure that authentic taste," Gooch, who once worked with a leading resort near Gurgaon and has been settled in Thailand for the past nearly 14 years, pointed out. The popular celebration dishes, made from centuries-old recipies, at Charcoal include murg angaar (charcoal), murg malai kebab, tandoori malai broccoli, sikandar ki raan (tender lamb), the softest possible paneer tikka and dum biryani. "Our DNA is kebabs. We offer only two types of gravies in Indian food. We get a lot of foreign guests and they really relish the char-grilled food here," restaurant manager Vijay Kamble, who worked in a leading hotel chain in Mumbai before moving to Bangkok, told IANS. The Sunday brunch buffet (@ 999++ THB (Thai baht)/almost Rs,2000 per person) offers vegetarian and non-vegetarian kebabs with Indian breads. "We lay a lot on stress on retaining the original flavour of the spices that we use. The idea is to ensure that our clients should be happy having Indian food here," chef Manzoor, who hails from the City of Nawabs, Lucknow, told IANS. There's a unique about Charcoal. The restaurant boasts of a whole wall that is a Spice Library. Spices are kept here in a traditional way while sharing information about them. Another wall depicts the Mumbai Dabbawalas concept in all its colours. Even the restroom in the restaurant is inimitable. "The moment you enter it, you will hear the real-time sounds of Delhi's famous (and chaotic) Chandini Chowk area. The sound of vendors and honking of horns does not let you miss out on Delhi's life," Gooch pointed out. The restaurant also offers the best variety of 'paan' (betel leaf) - straight from the popular Prince Paan Shop in New Delhi's GK market. It is priced at THB 100. "Our paans are the most authentic and fresh ones. We use Kolkata and Banarsi betel leaves. To suit the convenience of our foreign guests, we have smaller sized paans too," Dev Singh, who hails originally from Nepal but has settled in Delhi for over three decades, said. But what takes the cake is the Charcoal bar where lies the Mixology Studio. Signature cocktail creations come alive in a sophisticated industrial setting here. "The cocktails here are combined with Indian spices to fire them up. We have a unique style of presentation too," Kamble pointed out. Cocktails like New Delhi Duty Free, comprising spices, honey, Bacardi, watermelon juice and mango, are served in a bottle-jar which is packed in a transparent plastic bag (like the ones in which liquor bottles are packed at duty-free shops at airports) along with a dummy Indian passport. Other spiced up cocktails include Horn Ok Please (betel leaf, basil and gin), Mufftey Mai (gin and cucumber in a glass laced with chaat masala), 1947: Independence, Sialkot's Gun Powder, Kolkata Rickshaw Fuel and many more. At Charcoal, one will have to cook up excuses to explain over-eating!! FAQs: Where: Charcoal Tandoor Grill and Mixology; 5/F, Fraser Suites, Sukhumvit Soi 11, Bangkok. Timings: 6 p.m. till 12 a.m. Meal for Two: THB 1,200 upwards (Jaideep Sarin was on a private visit to Bangkok. He can be contacted at jaideep.s@ians.in) Abu Dhabi, May 4 : The UAE National Media Council hosted a cultural symposium on 'how to prepare a reading generation'. Speaking at the symposium on Tuesday were Ali Abu Al Reesh, a noted Emirati poet and novelist, and Sheikha Al Jaberi, an Emirati writer. The symposium shed light on reading as a daily activity and part of behaviour, aimed at widening knowledge and spreading culture among members of the community. The speakers discussed reading as a vital activity, and referred to the directives of President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan to mark 2016 as the year of reading and the support given to this initiative by Vice President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. They recommended utilising the media as a cultural tool and enlisting intellectuals and writers to promote reading. The symposium was held on the sidelines of the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair. New Delhi, May 4 : Stagnating user-growth and nosediving revenues have sparked a spate of obituaries for the 10-year-old micro-blogging site Twitter. Yet, all is not lost, say social media analysts who believe India holds the key to the San Francisco-based company's future. Of its 310-million global base, Twitter currently has nearly 23 million users in India. You can now tweet in six Indian languages -- Hindi, Bengali, Gujarati, Kannada, Marathi and Tamil. The company has rolled out hashtags not just in Hindi but also in Marathi, Sanskrit, Bengali, Assamese, Punjabi, Gujarati, Oriya, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam and Kannada -- not to speak of Nepali. The company "looks forward to the day when Twitter trends are dominated by Indian languages", says its website. If this is what the bosses are aiming for, the turnaround can perhaps be scripted by capturing India's huge consumer base and transforming Twitter from being just about breaking news into a full-fledged social media platform, say the analysts. "Twitter is planning to set up separate servers for India to support and enhance traffic in regional languages like Hindi. They are very hopeful on India. I feel that Twitter is slowly but strongly growing and they will have a bigger user-base in the next one-two years if they keep India right on the top," says Anoop Mishra, a Lucknow-based digital marketing and social media strategist. According to Vishal Tripathi, research director at global market consultancy firm Gartner, Twitter needs to focus and strengthen its active user base in India. "The majority of its user base is still obscure. I recently read that over 40 percent Twittrati never tweet and just follow celebrities. I think they have to go full interactive, let ad revenue come from profit-sharing and advertisements on its platform and create a strong consumer/customer-service base," Tripathi told IANS. "This way, Twitter will become more than just a breaking news platform," he added. The road ahead is not easy for Twitter in India. It has to grow simultaneously in three directions: increase user base, enable better advertising avenues and provide content diversity. Social networking giant Facebook has added 13 million users in India in the last six months to take its average user base to nearly 125 million. Monthly active users of the photo-sharing platform Instagram have more than doubled in a year in the country, according to reports. "Twitter's waning positioning could be attributed to Facebook's real-time approach of innovating itself at every point of time. While Facebook grabbed the video buzz at the right moment, Twitter missed the bus. In fact, by the time GIF or Twitter Moments got started, it was too late," notes Krishna Mukherjee, analyst with Telecoms Practice at CyberMedia Research(CMR), a market research and consulting firm. Mishra, however, is hopeful that Twitter will bounce back. "The best thing about Twitter is that it lets the topic go trending across media platforms. What worries me here is that Twitter must find a way to fix millions of fake or 'bot' profiles which is affecting its revenues to a major extent," he explains. India is now big on Twitter's radar but it needs to take the city-specific or region-specific advertising route. "As of now, Twitter does not have this facility as it can give ads only country-wise or followers' wise. It has to go deeper and help advertisers to reach target audiences in specific regions or geographies," Mishra emphasises. According to him, Twitter will gather strength in the time to come. Corporates on the platform will drive revenues in the future and with customised, targeted marketing, Twitter will grow further. Brevity is the key and experts support Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey's decision to not go for longer tweets and stick to the original 140-character limit. "Just like Facebook has this option of sharing content on a Twitter feed, Twitter should also replicate the same. Moving ahead, Twitter should devise mechanisms to develop itself as a content-creation platform, by including Twitter essays. Besides, it should also rejuvenate its video and audio features to stay afloat," suggests Mukherjee. Twitter's unique selling point (USP) is to connect people around trending topics. What it needs is to quickly figure out how to monetise this uniqueness so as to stay in the race, especially in the light of changing consumer needs. And India is where Twitter must plan its road to recovery. (Nishant Arora can be contacted at nishant.a@ians.in) New Delhi, May 4 : The absence of Railways Minister Suresh Prabhu and his junior Manoj Sinha during Question Hour, when questions related to their ministry were listed, led to a furore in the Lok Sabha and embarrassment for the government -- which was forced to apologise in the lower house. Speaker Sumitra Mahajan also issued a stricture against the government, saying such instances should not recur. During Question Hour, a question related to the railways ministry was listed at serial number 147. Shortly after question number 146 was completed, the Speaker took up the next number - 147, which was related to 'Go-India Smart Card', an initiative of the railways ministry. Neither Prabhu nor Sinha were present in the House at the time.. The situation led to loud protests by Congress members, led by its leader Mallikarjun Kharge. Raising the matter of the absence of the minister, Kharge sought to know from the government why the ministers were absent when questions relating to their ministry were listed. Kharge said this was not the first time that a minister was absent when matters related to their respective departments were taken up. "For running of the house, ministers must be present, but they are not following rules," Kharge said. Mahajan expressed her displeasure over the absence of the ministers. "I was informed that the cabinet minister is busy somewhere else. The minister of state was here but he left the House. Ministers should be present till the last. This should not happen again," she said. Parliamentary Affairs Minister M. Venkaiah Naidu apologised for the absence of the minister saying it will not be repeated. "I am sorry and it will not be repeated. The minister should be in the House. It is a mistake," he said. He also suggested that the particular question relating to the railway ministry should be postponed and taken up on another day. Manoj Sinha had been present in the House earlier when Question Hour started. The first question listed was for the railways ministry and Sinha gave a reply. At the time, Prime Minister Narendra Modi was also present in the House. Sinha, however, left the House probably assuming that question number 147 would likely not come up. Prabhu later came to the House and apologised for the mistake. Cape Town, May 4 : Former South Africa Test skipper Hashim Amla, who was on Tuesday included in the Kings XI Punjab franchise, is excited to make his debut in the cash-rich Indian Premier League (IPL). Despite an impeccable record with the willow in Test matches, Amla failed to find any takers during any of the IPL auctions. Amla's inclusion in the Kings XI Punjab squad comes only as a replacement for injured Australian Shaun Marsh, who has been ruled out with a back injury for the rest of this season's IPL. The 33-year-old Amla, who has an average of 31.35 in 88 matches at a strike rate of 125.95, including 16 half centuries, took to social networking website Twitter to express his delight after the announcement. "Excited to be with @lionsdenkxip for the remainder of the @ipl. Looking forward to it. Thanks for the support peeps," Amla tweeted. The Kings XI are languishing at the bottom of the IPL standings having only won two of their first seven games. Latest updates on IPL 2020 New Delhi, May 4 : The Rajya Sabha on Wednesday began what is expected to be a fiery debate on alleged graft in the purchase of AgustaWestland VVIP helicopters, with both the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the opposition Congress in attack mode against each other. BJP member Bhupendra Yadav initiated the discussion, accusing the Congress of creating conditions to favour the Italian company for the purchase. "All defence procurements need to be made transparent," he said in his initial remarks of a "serious" debate that "involves revelations of curruption in a defence purchase". The multi-crore-rupee scam resurfaced last month after the names of some Congress leaders, including party chief Sonia Gandhi, and UPA-II functionaries were said to have figured in a judgment by an Italian court. AgustaWestland was alleged to have paid Rs.375 crore as bribe to secure the Rs.3,700-crore contract to supply 12 VVIP choppers to the Indian Air Force. The previous UPA government scrapped the deal in 2014 over charges of kickbacks to Indian agents. London, May 4 : Amid fears that the fastest land mammal is racing to extinction, researchers including one Indian, have suggested that the current estimates of the number of cheetahs in the wild are at best a "guesswork". In the study, the researchers found that the population in the cheetah stronghold of Maasai Mara, Kenya, is lower than previously thought. In the early 1900s it was believed that around 100,000 cheetahs roamed the Earth. The most recent estimate by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) puts the figure at 6,600 -- mainly in eastern and southern Africa. However, a team of scientists says this number is simply a best guess, given the difficulty of counting cheetahs accurately. The researchers have now developed a new method to accurately count cheetahs, which in time will help determine the magnitude of the threats they face and assess potential conservation interventions. These measures provide crucial insights about big cat ecology that aids their conservation. For example, India has been considering the reintroduction of the African cheetah. Even in a prey-rich area like the Maasai Mara, the density of cheetahs is low, suggesting that the resource requirements for these cats are perhaps much larger than would be available currently in the Indian subcontinent," explained study co-author Arjun Gopalaswamy from the Indian Statistical Institute in Bengaluru. The study was published in the journal PLOS ONE. The truth is that estimates of cheetah numbers are only best guesses, because cheetahs are a lot harder to count accurately than one might think. They naturally occur at low densities and move large distances, making them difficult to find," said lead author Femke Broekhuis from the University of Oxford. During a three-month period, researchers in five vehicles extensively covered the Maasai Mara National Reserve and surrounding wildlife conservancies in search of cheetahs. The field team photographed each cheetah that was seen and identified each individual based on its unique coat pattern. These data were then analysed using an advanced Bayesian Spatially Explicit Capture Recapture (SECR) statistical model. This technique, incorporating information such as identity and location, is more powerful than previous methods used to estimate cheetah numbers. The study revealed an average of 1.28 adult cheetahs per 100 square km in the Maasai Mara. - much lower than previously thought - around half, in fact. The 'spatially explicit' method used can distinguish 'visiting' animals from those that reside permanently within the surveyed area, avoiding potential overestimation, the researchers said. Nandigram (West Bengal), May 4 : The Left is still fighting the spectre of a police firing that had left 14 dead nine years back in this rural hamlet. The firing, which focussed national and international attention on a peasant agitation against forcible land acquisition, had played a vital role in ending 34 years of Left Front rule in West Bengal. At the other side, the Trinamool Congress is battling allegations of corruption in Nandigram, about 160 km from Kolkata in East Midnapore district - which goes to the hustings on Thursday in the sixth and final phase of the state assembly polls. The trigger for the graft charges is the Narada News sting operation video that purportedly showed heavyweight Trinamool candidate Suvendu Adhikari taking wads of currency notes in return for doling out favours to a fictitious company. Ironically, the Communist Party of India, which had established a monopoly over the seat from 1996 to 2009, lost its grip after its then legislator, Md. Iliyas, was caught taking a bribe in another sting operation. But it is the infamous police firing that has brought about a complete shift in Nandigram's political centre of gravity. Such is Trinamol's stranglehold over the area that the CPI candidate, Abdul Kabir Sekh, backed by the Left Front and the Congress, complains he is unable to campaign in most parts of the constituency. "Trinamool workers are tearing-off our flags, festoons and placards. I don't know how many votes they can increase by terrorising voters," Kabir told IANS. Almost in all panchayats on the bank of the Haldi river, Trinamool flags are seen fluttering everywhere. Red flags are hardly visible. "Out of 17 gram panchayats where Trinamool is in power, we are not being allowed to campaign in 10-11," Kabir said. But Adhikari, also the sitting Lok Sabha member from Tamluk - of which Nandigram is a part - pooh poohed the allegations. "They (the Left) are unable to campaign as they have no organisation here. Since the time they killed farmers of Nandigram in the name of land acquisition, people have started hating them," Adhikari told IANS. Violence erupted in Nandigram in 2007 after the villagers started protesting against the then Left Front government's bid to acquire 10,000 acres of land for a chemical hub and a special economic zone to be developed by the Indonesia-based Salim group. After the government notified the land acquisition, the farmers, backed by the Trinamool, Maoists and the Congress, dug up all the approach roads and virtually created a free zone. As the administration tried to regain control of the area, 14 farmers died in police firing on March 14, 2007, and over 100 were declared "missing". The government withdrew the land acquisition notification, but violence continued for over a year. "The way we handled the land acquisition issue was wrong. The way our government tried to acquire land was a blunder," Kabir said. "We failed to convince farmers about the positive effects of industrialisation after we had given them land during our rule," he added. The Trinamool, cashing in on the anti-land acquisition stir, nominated Firoza Bibi, the mother of a youth who was said to be among the 14 who died in the police firing, in a by-poll for the assembly seat in January 2009. The by-poll followed Ilyas' resignation after the sting operation and Firoza Bibi easily won. In 2011, Firoza Bibi was re-elected with a 43,000-plus margin, but this time she has been shunted off to Panskura West in the same district. The ruling party is still making the forcible land acquisition an issue. However, the CPI has been highlighting the change of candidate by the Trinamool. Kabir claims she got the axe as the party failed to earn the confidence of the over 2.30 lakh voters. In the 2014 Lok Sabha polls, Adhikari had secured a massive lead of 87,283 votes over his CPI-M rival from the Nandigram assembly segment. The Congress garnered 29,613 votes to finish third, while the BJP candidate received 10,798 votes. The chief minister announced Adhikari's candidature, promising he would be made a minister if her party comes back to power. However, the Narada issue is causing Adhikari much discomfort. The East Midnapore district Trinamool strongman disconnected the mobile the moment IANS questioned him about Narada. Locals, however, acknowledged that several development projects have been undertaken in Nandigram, which is now connected through a ferry service to the industrial town of Haldia. "But we are annoyed with the local Trinamool leaders, who allegedly receive huge amounts of cut-money in various development projects," a local said on condition of anonymity. The BJP and SUCI-C are also in the fray. (Bappaditya Chatterjee can be contacted at bappaditya.C@ians.in) New York, May 4 : One in four patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) -- a progressive condition that makes it hard to breathe -- suffers from depressive symptoms, and if not treated, those symptoms can have a negative effect on their overall health and treatment effectiveness, according to two new studies. One study from Manchester Metropolitan University in Britain analysed three-year data obtained from patients with COPD. The study showed that one in four patients with COPD had persistent depressive symptoms over three years. The odds of new onset depression increased with worse health status and moderate-to-severe breathlessness. Those with persistent or new-onset depression experience more exacerbations of COPD and more pronounced loss in performance, the findings showed. COPD exacerbations cause frequent hospital admissions, relapses and readmissions; contribute to death during hospitalisations or shortly thereafter; dramatically reduce the quality of life; consume financial resources; and hasten a progressive decline in pulmonary function, a cardinal feature of COPD, the study said. A second study from the University of Texas in the US analysed data from a random sample of five percent of Medicare (US national insurance programme) beneficiaries diagnosed with COPD between 2001 and 2011 and found that 22.3 percent of those patients had one or more psychological disorders. The study showed that the odds of 30-day readmission were higher in patients with COPD who had depression, anxiety, psychosis, alcohol abuse and drug abuse compared with those who did not have these disorders. The findings of both the studies were published in the journal CHEST. Hyderabad, May 4 : The completion of Hyderabad Metro Rail will be delayed by nearly one-and-a-half years, with the developer now saying that the project is likely to be fully operational by December 2018. Construction major Larsen Toubro (L&T), which is building the 71.16-km elevated metro on three corridors, on Wednesday said it was in talks with the Telangana government on the issue. As per the concession agreement signed with the then government of united Andhra Pradesh in 2010, the project should have been completed by July 2017. L&T officials attributed the delay to various reasons but said they were trying their best for early completion of the project. S.N. Subrahmanyam, Deputy Managing Director and President, L&T, and Chairman, L&T Metro Rail (Hyderabad) Ltd, said they were holding negotiations with the state government. He was addressing a press conference to announce the appointment of Shivanand Nimbargi as the new chief executive and managing director of L&T Metro Rail Hyderabad Ltd (LTMRHL). V.B. Gadgil, who has been associated with the project since inception, will superannuate from the services of the company by month-end. Gagdil ruled out completion of the first stage (Nagole-Mettuguda) of the project by June 2 as reported in a section of media but said it was technically ready for operations. The work on the second stage (Miyapur-SR Nagar) was also in an advanced stage. He was confident that in June a total of 19-20 km out of 71 km will be technically ready for operations. The first stage was earlier scheduled to be commissioned in January 2015 but it missed the deadline. While admitting that there has been cost escalation, he did not share the figures, saying they are "dynamic". He had earlier stated the project cost may have been escalated by Rs.2,500-3,000 crore. Gadgil said despite hurdles, a lot was achieved. "This is the fastest ever project undertaken in country. What we achieved in three-and-a-half years has no parallel." Though the concession agreement for Rs.14,132-crore project, said to be the largest metro project in the world in public-private partnership, was signed in September 2010, the work could commence in July 2012. LTMRHL in 2011 had achieved financial closure for Rs.16,375 crore -- Rs.14,132 crore for the metro rail system and Rs.2,243 crore for the first phase of real estate development. Both the components of the project are being financed through an equity of 30 percent and 70 percent by debt. The company raised the debt of nearly Rs.11,500 crore from a consortium of 10 banks. LTMRHL Chief Financial Officer J. Ravikumar said 62 percent of the work had been completed. The company so far spent Rs.8,900 crore, including Rs.2,700 crore equity. The company has so far drawn Rs.600 crore out of Rs.1,458 crore available under Viability Gap Funding (VGF) from the central government. Kathmandu, May 4 : The harmonious ties between Nepal's two main communist parties -- CPN (UML) and UCPN (Maoist) -- were on Wednesday set to end with the latter deciding to form a government under the leadership of party chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal aka Prachanda. A meeting of office bearers of the Unified Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) on Wednesday morning decided to form a national unity government under the leadership of Prachanda and urged the Nepali Congress, CPN-UML and other political parties to join the new government under his leadership. This spells the end of the less-than-seven-month-old alliance between the Maoists and the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist) whose chairman K.P. Oli is the prime minister. The Maoists have yet not formally announced the pulling out of support from the Oli-led government but a meeting of the party Standing Committee later on Wednesday evening was expected to take a decision in this regard. The Oli government was, in any case, on the brink of falling within a couple of days as the largest party in parliament, the Nepali Congress, has already decided to initiate a no-confidence motion against the government, political observers pointed out. The Nepali Congress has already reached out to the Maoists and other parties to topple the government within the monsoon session of parliament that began on Tuesday. According to the plan, the NC and Maoists have a tacit agreement to prevent the Oli government from presenting the budget later this month. The Nepali Congress, main opposition in Nepal's parliament, has already offered the premiership to Prachanda if NC president Sher Bahadur Deuba is not prepared to lead the new government. The Maoists are in the mood to lead a national unity government, if possible, but in case of a majority government, it will support NC's Deuba, sources said. The Maoists have accused the K.P. Oli government of having failed to implement the new Constitution, address the crisis in Nepal's southern Madhes region, expedite the post-quake reconstruction work, and promoted black marketing and corruption. The Maoists have already warned Oli to correct his working style "or face the consequences". Oli held a dinner meeting with the top Maoist leadership on Tuesday to mend ties but the prime minister's efforts appear to have gone in vain. "We supported Oli so that he will keep national interests at the core, implement the new Constitution, bring a logical end to the peace process, and expedite the reconstruction work, but we could not make any tangible progress," said UCPN-Maoist vice chairman Narayan Kaji Shrestha. The UCPN-Maoist party has already reached out to other small political parties to form a national unity government under its leadership. (Anil Giri can be contacted at girianil@gmail.com) Dhaka, May 4 : A fire raged through a slum in Bangladesh's capital Dhaka destroying several houses on Wednesday. Fire service officials said that the fire erupted around 8.30 a.m. at the slum in Farmgate area, bdnews24 reported. About 40 fire fighters in at least 10 fire trucks rushed to the scene and were assisted by more than 200 slum dwellers to douse the flames. The cause of the fire remains unknown. No casualties have been reported so far. New Delhi, May 4 : Spanish premium fashion brand Massimo Dutti will be making its debut in India with the launch of its first store here on May 13. The Massimo Dutti store is poised to start operations in the national capital at Select CityWalk Mall here with 5027 square feet of retail space and will house womenswear, menswear, footwear, accessories and personal tailoring, read a statement. The opening will mark the foray of the Spanish premium brand into the Indian market at the behest of Inditex, the Spanish retail group which owns the brand. Quality lies at the heart of the Massimo Dutti collections which offer contemporary styles in next generation fabrics. Globally, the brand has 755 stores across 73 countries. New Delhi, May 4 : Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) of Rs.26,000 crore has been made in the telecom sector in the last two years, Telecom Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad told the Lok Sabha on Wednesday. "We have received FDI of Rs.26,000 crore in the telecom sector in two years, the highest ever in the country's history. It is double that of the last 2-3 years," Prasad said during Question Hour. Replying to supplementary questions from Communist Party of India-Marxist member Sankar Prasad Datta, the minister said that rural telephony had increased by 6.62 percent while the increase in urban pockets was 5.52 percent. "In less than two years, we have laid 1,39,582 km of optic fibre pipe and 1,11,726 km of optic fibre," he said. He told Datta, representing Tripura West constituency, that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had given instructions to reinforce telecom connectivity with Bangladesh. "Provisioning of Internet has been made for Tripura, north-east and other places," he said. New Delhi, May 4 : The BJP on Wednesday accused the previous UPA government of twisting norms in the process of procuring VVIP choppers from AgustaWestland. Initiating a debate in the Rajya Sabha on "allegations of bribery and corruption" in AgustaWestland deal, BJP MP Bhupendra Yadav said that competition was restricted by changing the altitude norms for procurement of the chopper. Yadav cited the CAG report and alleged that the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government "reduced the altitude (norms) from 6,000 metres to 4,500 metres and ignored the operational requirements, service quality requirement to favour AgustaWestland." "The fact that by making the cabin's height 1.8 meters as mandatory requirement, the competition was restricted, and this led to a single vendor situation for acquisition of AgustaWestlend," Yadav said. He said the defence procurement process should be made transparent. The multi-crore-rupee scam resurfaced last month after the names of some Congress leaders, including party chief Sonia Gandhi, were said to have figured in a judgment by an Italian court. AgustaWestland was alleged to have paid Rs.375 crore as bribe to secure the Rs.3,700-crore contract to supply 12 VVIP choppers to the Indian Air Force. The contract for purchase of helicopters for the use of VVIPs was signed in 2010. The previous UPA government scrapped the deal over charges of kickbacks. Berlin, May 4 : Germany will legalise medical marijuana next year, the country's health minister said on Wednesday. The German cabinet decided to approve the measure for seriously ill patients who have consulted with a doctor and "have no therapeutic alternative", according to a health ministry statement. "Our goal is that seriously ill people are looked after to the best of our ability," Federal Health Minister Hermann Grohe said. The move comes as a number of countries have begun loosening laws regarding marijuana use, both recreationally and medically, CNN reported. Amsterdam in neighbouring Netherlands is famous for its lax marijuana laws. Colombo, May 4 : Sri Lanka launched an investigation into clashes in Parliament between legislators from the ruling and the opposition parties, Media Minister Gayantha Karunathilleke said on Wednesday. Addressing the media, Karunathilleke said the government regretted the incident of Tuesday which left several lawmakers injured and one hospitalised, Xinhua news agency reported. The government blamed opposition members loyal to former President Mahinda Rajapakse for the brawl, the worst in recent years. Karunathilleke said the government had urged Speaker Karu Jayasuriya to initiate a separate investigation and assured that legal action would be taken against all the lawmakers involved in the violence. A fight between opposition and government lawmakers erupted when former army chief Sarath Fonseka, now a minister, said a bomb blast apparently targeting Sri Lanka's former defence secretary Gotabhaya Rajapakse in 2006 was an "inside job". Fonseka's statement, that the 2006 bombing was aimed at winning sympathy for the then ruling family, was cut short when lawmakers loyal to the former president objected. A heated exchange of words took place when opposition legislator Dinesh Gunawardena questioned Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe on his decision to withdraw the security guards for Mahinda Rajapaksa stating that such a move placed the former ruler's life at risk as he had defeated the Tamil Tigers in May 2009. Violence then erupted between the two sides before Speaker Jayasuriya was forced to suspend the session. New Delhi, May 4 : The government is hopeful that India will touch 500 million internet users mark by the end of 2016, union Communications Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said here on Wednesday. "India now has 400 million internet connections. We thought we will have 500 million users by 2017. But now I am hopeful that it will happen this year," he said. He was speaking at the book launch of 'Digital Desh 2.0' by NowFloats. Corroborating the growing penetration of internet, Sharad Sharma, co-founder of iSPIRT, said more people at present read newspapers online than the readership top 10 Indian newspapers taken together. Saying that the country is in the cusp of digital revolution the minister added, India first observe technology, then adopt it and finally enjoy it. Prasad said the people of the country are forcing change in the technology sector. Talking about the present National Democratic Alliance government's pro-technology approach, he said: "We even take complaints from people in social media. Social media is empowering and enlightening people." Ujjain, May 4 : Religious leaders at the ongoing Simhasth Kumbh here have given a call to construct toilets and ensure a cleanliness revolution in the country. Sharing the stage during a Sadbhavana Sankalp programme, the religious leaders agreed there was a need for such a revolution to ensure the country sets an example for the world. They advocated constructing and using enviornment-friendly toilets so that the rivers and land are not affected by human waste. Swami Chidanand Saraswati said the world becomes the way we dream about it. "Time has come to have new dreams as every day 1,200 kids die due to dirty drinking water and uncleaniness. We can change the situation." The programme was organised by Global Inter-faith Wash Alliance (GIWA) with the technical support of Unicef and brought together representative of five religious faiths. Swami Awadeshanand Giri of Juna Akhara said water is the basic need of life. However, only 0.75 percent water is drinkable. Hence, water conservation is essential, he said. Imam Umar Iliyasi of the All India Imam Organisation promised to unite Imams from different parts of the country to spread the word about cleanliness. He stressed upon ensuring an educated and healthy India and called on all religious heads to come together to achieve the goal of a open-defecation free India. Acharya Lokesh Muni of the Jain community said non-violence and cleanliness should appear side-by-side. Our uncleanliness leads to the death of many innocent lives. The transformation is our collective responsibility. On the occasion, Su Kots of Unicef Wash India, said unsafe water, and uncleanliness leads of diseases like Diahorea and Pneumonia. Such ailments are biggest enemies of children below five. Shia sect head Maulana Saeed Kalbe Sadik said we must resolve in our hearts to make the country clean and our actions should be directed at ensuring that it becomes a reality. New Delhi, May 4 : The Bharatiya Janata Party on Wednesday accused the previous UPA government of "twisting norms" in the process of procuring VVIP choppers from AgustaWestland. The opposition Congress hit back, stating that the process for buying VVIP choppers started during the tenure of the Atal Bihari Vajpayee-led government, and that the norms were changed by the then BJP-led government. It also said that the mention of Congress president Sonia Gandhi in the Italian court judgment does not prove any involvement in the deal. Initiating a debate in the Rajya Sabha on "allegations of bribery and corruption" in AgustaWestland deal, BJP member Bhupendra Yadav said that competition was restricted by changing altitude norms for procurement of the chopper. Yadav cited a Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report and alleged that the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government "reduced the altitude (norms) from 6,000 metres to 4,500 metres and ignored the operational requirements, service quality requirement to favour AgustaWestland." "The fact that by making cabin's height 1.8 metres as mandatory requirement, the competition was restricted, and which led to a single vendor situation for acquisition of AgustaWestlend," Yadav said. Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi, speaking immediately after Yadav, said the norms were changed during the Vajpayee government's term itself. Singhvi said then principal secretary Brajesh Mishra had said that the altitude requirement should be reduced or it can lead to a single vendor situation, after which the altitude requirement was reduced in December 2003. Singhvi also said the mention of Sonia Gandhi, and others including Pranab Mukherjee and Ahmad Patel, in the judgment of the Milan court did not indict them, and only mentioned them as VVIPs who would use the choppers. "By this logic all of the former, including the present President, should be indicted... Mrs. Gandhi was mentioned as someone flying on the chopper," he said. BJP's Yadav also read out from a 2008 CAG report and pointed out that the then defence minister had said the trials should be in India, and yet the trials were conducted in Europe. He also said the equipment tested was not the AW101 chopper which India had to buy but another model. He added that the price paid for the choppers was at least three times more than what it should have been. Samajwadi Party leader Ram Gopal Yadav, however, said that reports of scams in defence deals affect the morale of the soldiers and the issue should be sorted out. "If there is a matter, sort it out as soon as possible, don't politicise and sensationalise it," he said. The multi-crore-rupee scam resurfaced last month after the names of some Congress leaders, including of party chief Sonia Gandhi, were said to have figured in a judgment of the Italian court. AgustaWestland was alleged to have paid Rs.375 crore as bribe to secure the Rs.3,700-crore contract to supply 12 VVIP choppers to the Indian Air Force. The contract for purchase of helicopters for the use of VVIPs was signed in 2010. The previous UPA government scrapped the deal over charges of kickbacks. Kolkata, May 4 : Trinamool Congress candidates Sonali Guha and Abdur Rezzak Mollah, against whom the Election Commission had initiated police cases, were granted bail by courts in West Bengal on Wednesday. The EC had initiated a police case against Guha, contesting the assembly polls from Satgachhia in South 24 Parganas on April 30 after she was caught by TV cameras instructing over phone to "beat and drive away the CPI-M agent". Mollah, a former state minister, was facing legal action over his "objectionable" remarks about the BJP's actress-turned-politician and poll contestant Roopa Ganguly. The EC issued a show-cause notice to Mollah, contesting from Bhangar also in South 24 district, over his comments against Ganguly. Dissatisfied with his reply, the poll panel on April 21 initiated the police case against him. While Mollah was charged with outraging the modesty of a woman, Guha, who is also the deputy speaker of the West Bengal assembly, faced charges of disobeying the orders of a public servant, interfering with the electoral process and criminal intimidation. Both Guha and Mollah appeared before two courts in South 24 Parganas which granted them bail on personal bonds. Mumbai, May 4 : Maverick filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma, who earlier lashed out at superstar Shah Rukh Khan, saying that he might lose his star status to Salman Khan just like Kamal Haasan did to Rajinikanth, has clarified that his statement was a "compliment" for him. Varma took to Twitter on April 23 to question Shah Rukh's movie selection process, saying that he "should learn from Kamal's mistakes and just be (like) Salman". Asked to justify his statement on the "Chennai Express" star, Varma, who was in the capital on Wednesday to promote his forthcoming film "Veerappan", said: "It is still the same. It was a compliment (for Shah Rukh). I am a fan of Shah Rukh Khan and I would like to see him as a star and not just anything else." In a series of tweets previously, the "Satya" filmmaker took digs at Shah Rukh's recent decision to turn into an obsessed fan in "Fan". He also lashed out at the upcoming Aanand L. Rai's project in which Shah Rukh will be seen as a dwarf and hinted at Kamal Hassan's "Appu Raja". He shared: "Megastar SRK becoming ordinary fan, dwarf etc. is as big a same blunder as what Kamal Haasan did to lose his stardom to Rajinikanth (Salman Khan). Kamal was as big a superstar as Rajinikanth till he started doing dwarf, fat, tall etc. and as a fan, I hope SRK doesn't listen to wrong advisers." He added: "SRK must learn from mistakes of Kamal and not listen to near and dear ones who are stopping him from becoming a Mega Rajinikanth." The "Satya" director also shared that "great actors" are available in abundance, but being a star comes as a blessing. He shared: "Great actors are dime a dozen in NSD (National School of Drama), stage etc whereas stars like SRK come blessed by God/Allah/Buddha etc, which is what SRK is not realising. Clint Eastwood super star for 30 years being himself and then is critics Hero. I don't believe in God but as fan I pray to Allah SRK realises truth". Bhubaneswar, May 4 : The Odisha Assembly on Wednesday witnessed chaotic scenes, with the ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) and opposition parties trading barbs over the chit fund scam that has rocked the state. Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislators created a ruckus in the House, seeking clarifications from Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik over the transfer of money to BJD's bank account, allegedly by a chit fund accused. However, ruling party members rejected the charge and demanded an apology from the Leader of Opposition Narasingh Mishra for "misleading the House" on the issue. The pandemonium forced the Assembly Speaker to adjourn the House several times. Amid the din, Law Minister Arun Sahu rejected the allegations levelled by the Congress. He said opposition leader Mishra's charge that chit fund money was credited to the BJD bank account was not based on truth. "The allegation levelled by leader of opposition that the BJD received money from chit fund scam accused Purnachandra Padhi is false. The fund in question was transferred by one BJD worker with a similar name," the minister said. He said the BJD has received funds from the general electoral trust between the years 2000 and 2014. While the Congress received Rs.100 crore, BJP got Rs.70 crore and BJD received Rs.13 crore. BJD has already informed the Election Commission about its income and expenditure and has filed income tax returns, the minister added. "The leader of opposition is diminishing the dignity of the House by making false statements. He should refrain from taking political mileage over the issue. He should tender an unconditional apology in the House," Sahu said. However, the Congress and the BJP members were not satisfied with the law minister's statement and raised slogans against the chief minister, and moved to the Well of the Assembly. Congress chief whip Tara Prasad Bahinipati stood on the reporters' table and broke the Speaker's microphone. Leader of Opposition Mishra told mediapersons that he was ready to furnish all relevant documents to substantiate his allegation. He said if the chief minister appoints the Lokayukta, then he would submit the documents before him. Mishra also asked why the chief minister is afraid of making a statement in the House over the issue. On Tuesday, Mishra had asked the chief minister to clarify whether the bank account in the State Bank of India's main branch in Bhubaneswar belonged to the BJD and what kind of involvement he had with this account. He had alleged that Rs.8 crore was deposited in this account on a single day. Kolkata, May 4 : Trinamool Congress candidate Udayan Guha faces a strange predicament. After switching allegiance to West Bengal's ruling party, from the All India Forward Bloc last year, Guha now finds himself locked in a fight between his father's legacy and the popularity of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, in the family's borough -- Dinhata. Guha's father and AIFB late stalwart Kamal Guha won the assembly seat in Cooch Behar district, no less than eight times. Naturally, Guha junior wanted to exploit his father's local appeal, but that only attracted the displeasure of his new party. Seeking to defend Dinhata, Udayan Guha had to take down flex and banners carrying his father's pictures following objections from within the Trinamool where Banerjee is always highlighted as the face of the party, irrespective of the nominees' stature. In fact, campaigning across the state, the Trinamool supremo has repeatedly said she was the 'nominee in all the 294 assembly seats'. Further queering the pitch for Guha is the AIFB candidate Akshay Thakur who has now put up big cut outs and banners containing Kamal Guha's pictures. He is wooing the electorate by turning the Trinamool candidate as a "son who has not only betrayed his father's political philosophy but also dishonoured him by dismantling his pictures". However, Guha puts up a brave front ahead of the polls to the constituency on Thursday. "I will win by a big margin. People know that my father considered me as his political heir. And the development work by Mamata Banerjee is a big plus." But Guha is not the lone turncoat faced with such a dilemma. Take the case of Marxist turned Trinamool candidate Abdur Rezzak Mollah. In 2013, the then CPI-M legislator Mollah sustained multiple injuries in a severe physical attack allegedly orchestrated by Trinamool strongman Arabul Islam. He spent days in hospital and later Arabul was arrested and jailed. But now contesting the polls from Bhangar in South 24 Parganas, Mollah had to accept bitter foe Arabul as his campaign manager. Known for speaking his mind, Mollah couldn't hide his emotions during the fifth phase of polls and accused Islam of Sabotage. Left Front spearhead CPI-M's decision to field former Trinamool leader Rafiqul Islam Mondal from Basirhat North also drew many a frown. An accused in the murder of a Marxist leader, Mondala's candidature incidentally was announced by CPI-M's North 24 Parganas district secretary and former state minister Gautam Deb, against whom he had unsuccessfully contested the assembly polls from thrice -- twice as a Trinamool nominee and once as a Congress aspirant. The fielding of large number of defectors has been a salient feature of the ongoing Bengal assembly polls and the trend is visible across the political spectrum. As the ruling party, the Trinamool has attracted the largest number of sitting legislators and prominent leaders from other parties to its fold over the past five years. Over a dozen of them are in the race this time. An interesting Trinamool candidate is Nirbed Roy, who is fighting from Tamluk in East Midnapore district. An ex-Trinamool legislator from the same seat, Roy had quit the party and gone back to Congress years ago. A familiar face in TV debates, the articulate Roy in recent years was known for tearing apart the Trinamool and particularly its supremo Banerjee. The way he constantly trained his guns on Banerjee, made him a popular figure in drawing rooms across the state. Many were bewildered when Roy crossed over to the Trinamool last year. As he now sings paeans to Banerjee, the opposition's main weapon are the severe tongue lashings he gave the chief minister over the idiot box day in and day out. Another prominent party deserter to Trinamool is Abu Nasar Khan Choudhury, younger brother of late Congress stalwart A.B.A. Ghani Khan Choudhury. He is defending Sujapur in Malda district which he had won in 2011 on a Congress ticket. Among the several turncoats nominated by the Left Front-Congress alliance, a known name is Mahmud Hossain, a frontline leader of the Nandigram movement that played a big role in the ouster of the Left Front five years ago. The former Trinamool leader is in the electoral battle on a Democratic Socialist Party (Prabodh Chandra) from Egra in East Midnapore district that goes to the hustings on Thursday. (Anurag Dey can be contacted atanurag.d@ians.in) Moscow, May 4 : Moscow on Wednesday requested information from the US about a Russian citizen who had no criminal record in the US and died at a San Diego immigration detention centre. The death of 46-year-old Russian citizen Igor Zyazin, who was detained after seeking admission to the US from Mexico, was confirmed by the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement to the Consulate-General of Russia in San Francisco, press attachA of the Consulate-General Maksim Goncharov told TASS. "We've asked the US authorities for copies of the man's documents and the data on the causes and circumstances of his detention and death," he added. The ICE released a statement On Tuesday that a Russian national died May 1 at the Otay Mesa Detention Center in San Diego "after facility staff and emergency personnel were unable to revive him." "Zyazin was pronounced dead by paramedics shortly after 10 p.m. while en route to the hospital." The official cause of Zyazin's death was yet to be determined by the San Diego medical examiner, ICE said. Kanpur, May 4 : Ramesh Shivhare, the main accused in the Vyapam scam in Madhya Pradesh, has been arrested from Kanpur in Uttar Pradesh, a senior police officer said on Wednesday. Shivhare was arrested by a joint team of the STF and the Central Bureau of Investigation after his whereabouts were tracked to Kalyanpur Awas Vikas area in the city, the Special Task Force's Additional Superintendent of Police Arvind Kumar told the media. "The CBI will move an application in a local court for his transit remand," Kumar said. STF sources said that Shivhare, whose wife Anshu Shivhare is a former Mahoba Zila Panchayat chairperson, was evading the CBI since 2012. The Madhya Pradesh government had declared a reward of Rs.5,000 for his arrest. The ASP said: "Shivhare has admitted to his links to the Vyapam scam during questioning. He said he had enabled many candidates to clear the exams conducted by Vyapam. He is being questioned regarding his accomplices." The scam in the Madhya Pradesh Professional Examination Board (MPPEB), better known as Vyapam (Vyavsayik Pariksha Mandal), related to admissions in medical colleges and recruitment tests conducted for various posts in Madhya Pradesh. At least 48 people linked to the Vyapam scam have died, some mysteriously. The Supreme Court directed the CBI on July 9 last year to investigate not only the scam but also the deaths related to it. The STF has filed 55 cases in the scam. Though 2,100 accused have been arrested, another 491 accused are still on the run. Guwahati, May 4 : The British High Commission has expressed its gratitude to the government and people of Assam for making the visit of royal couple, Prince William and his wife Kate, to Assam a success. A statement issued by the Chief Minister's Office here on Wednesday said British Deputy High Commissioner to India Scott Furssedonn Wood sent a letter to Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi that the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge enjoyed the time they spent in Assam with its people. "The letter made a particular mention about how the royal couple was impressed with the hospitality of Assam and the excellent work that the state has put in with regard to conservation strategies for rhinos and other wildlife and steps taken to address the problem of man-animal conflict," the statement said. "The British High Commission has also placed on record the unparalleled cooperation rendered by the government of Assam which was instrumental in making the visit a success." It said the visit of the royal couple "further strengthened the historic connection between the United Kingdom and Assam". "Prince William and his wife Kate Middleton also expressed their strong desire to visit Assam again to enjoy its pristine beauty and unique flora and fauna along with simple, colourful yet hospitable people," it said. Kabul, May 4 : At least 18 Taliban militants have been killed in Kandahar province of Afghanistan over the past four days, a security official said on Wednesday. "Security forces launched operations against Taliban rebels in Khakriz district on Sunday and since then 18 rebels including Taliban key commander Mullah Khakrizwal were killed," Niaz Mohammad Majahid told Xinhua. Khakrizwal, according to Majahid, had served as military operational commander of Taliban in Khakriz and Arghandab districts and his death could prove to be a big blow to the Taliban fighters in Kandahar province. Taliban militants who have been fighting the government forces in parts of Kandahar and neighbouring Zabul, Helmand and Uruzgan provinces over the past several months, were yet to comment on the situation in Khakriz district. Mumbai/New Delhi, May 4 : A Mumbai woman donated a part of her liver to save the life of her five-year-old daughter and cure her of liver and associated lung failure, doctors said on Wednesday. The rare liver transplant, which doctors at Medanta - The Medicity in the National Capital Region (NCR) said was the first in the country, was performed on Paridhi Sethi, after her mother Mamta Sethi, 40, consented to donate 20 percent of her own liver. After the complex and dangerous surgery, the little Paridhi has been cured of an accompanying lung failure too, said Medanta's chief liver transplant surgeon A.S. Soin. Medanta's director of Children's Liver Diseases and Transplantation Neelam Mohan said Paridhi suffered from jaundice and its complications since birth for which she was operated when she was barely 10 months old, but the operation was not successful. The condition of the Borivali resident studying in Class 1 deteriorated with life-threatening liver infections, lung complications, leading to eight prolonged bouts of hospitalisation. "My husband Nitin and I had given up all hopes of getting Paridhi well after doctors in Mumbai rejected her case as 'far too advanced' for a liver transplant. Around three months ago, Medanta offered to try and save her though it would be an extremely high-risk procedure due to her low oxygen state," said Mamta. Though the hospital has taken up similar milder cases of hepatopulmonary syndrome in which liver failure affects circulation in lung and in extreme cases leads to lung failure, Paridhi was the first of such 50 percent advanced case, said Soin. "She now breathes normally without extra oxygen, and will grow like a normal child and live a healthy life. She was easier to handle at Medanta owing to its strong multidisciplinary expertise," said Medanta CMD Naresh Trehan. Liver transplant is complex and required perfect function of all other organs with the possibility of Paridhi not making it for various probable reasons, necessitating the medical team to do a bloodless, zero-error, quick surgery, not allowing blood pressure fluctuations, and with 100 percent oxygen support, he said. After correcting her low oxygen level state and remaining on nitric oxide, high external oxygen, ventilator support and a temporary breathing route for nearly a month, Paridhi finally returned home 33 days after the surgery to join her nine-year-old elder sister. New Delhi, May 4 : Former defence minister A.K. Antony on Wednesday said it was "beyond doubt bribe was given" in the AgustaWestland helicopter deal and it is the duty of the present-day government to punish those guilty. Participating in the Rajya Sabha debate on the issue of AgustaWestland VVIP chopper deal payoffs, Antony also said the government should not politicise the issue or "threaten" and "blackmail". "It is true... beyond doubt there is corruption in this deal... All legal hurdles are over, you have to act now," Antony said. "Now corruption has been proved, we can win the arbitration case... get thousands of crores of rupees as compensation," Antony added. "Now that corruption has been proved, take action against the bribe takers... It is your duty, not my duty. Immediately blacklist them for 10 years. It is proved this company is a corrupt company, don't involve them in any Make in India projects," he said. The former defence minister, however, said the issue should not be politicised. "Don't politicise the issue, you will repent... Take strongest action against whoever may have taken money. Don't try to threaten people," he said. Antony even named Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) member Subramanian Swamy, and after objection from treasury benches, changed it to "honourable member". He said "don't threaten us. If you have all evidences, take action and prosecute. Don't threaten and don't blackmail," he said. The Congress leader also gave a point by point rebuttal of charges levelled by the ruling party, and said the change in norms, including altitude the chopper could scale and height of its cabin, was decided during the previous National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government of Atal Bihari Vajpayee. He also said that officials from the defence ministry, external affairs ministry and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) attended all hearings of the case in Italy at the time. Asked why the initial decision to buy eight choppers was increased to 12, the Congress leader said only eight choppers were meant to be for VIP use, and rest were for non-VIP use. On the blacklisting of AgustaWestland, Antony said the then solicitor general had advised that intimidatory action could have affected India's case to get the security money back, which is why the government went slow on it, and then they were out of power. On the question why a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) was not constituted, the former defence minister said: "We made commitment in the house that we were ready for a JPC, but the leader of opposition at that time said no." New Delhi, May 4 : The Rajya Sabha on Wednesday accepted the resignation of the beleaguered liquor baron Vijay Mallya, who is accused of defaulting on a Rs.9,000-crore loan he had taken from Indian banks. Deputy Chairman P.J. Kurien said Hamid Ansari, who chairs the house, accepted the resignation Mallya had sent on Tuesday. "Rajya Sabha accepts resignation of Vijay Mallya with effect from May 4," Kurien announced. The parliament term of Mallya, who is believed to have taken refuge in the United Kingdom, was to end later this month. New Delhi, May 4 : The Delhi High Court on Wednesday issued notice to the Centre, the Delhi government and others over medical treatment to patients at the G.B. Pant Hospital here. Notice was also issued to the Delhi Medical Council on a public interest litigation seeking directions to ensure that hospital services were not disrupted because of disputes between doctors of different departments at the hospital. A division bench of Chief Justice G. Rohini and Justice Jayant Nath sought the responses from the authorities by May 11. Petitioner D.N. Srivastava said: "Certain dispute arose between the Cardio-Thoracic Vascular Surgery Department and the Anaesthesia Department, which led to a situation where consultants from the latter department refused to administer anaesthesia to patients in the hospital." His counsel Kapil Sankhla told the court that operations were not being conducted at the G.B Pant Hospital since April 6 due to the dispute between doctors. This had "led to risk to lives of patients suffering from heart diseases and other problems and are being denied medical treatment". The plea sought directions or guidelines in the nature of code of conduct for the hospital's staff like doctors, nurses and paramedical personnel for airing their grievance without causing any disruption or prejudice to its smooth functioning. It also sought appropriate disciplinary action against doctors who refused to perform their duty. Inaction of authorities concerned led to violation of the right to life and health of the patients and increased medical expenses incurred by patients who are poor, the plea said. Beijing, May 4 : China is sending some of its most advanced naval assets to the South China Sea for a scheduled exercise this month. Those include a new guided missile destroyer. The exercise will be focusing on anti-missile warfare and other tasks, Xinhua news agency reported on Wednesday. It added that among the ships sent were missile destroyer Hefei, missile frigate Sanya and supply ship Honghu along with missile destroyers Lanzhou and Guangzhou, and missile frigate Yuli, which are currently tasked with other duties. The report said it was routine and did not specify whether it would be held near disputed islands that several regional nations, including China, consider their territory. Beijing was claiming sovereignty over a big chunk of the sea, which is a major trading route and is believed to be rich in minerals. Contesting claims have been made by the Philippines, Brunei, Vietnam, Malaysia and Taiwan. China is furthering its presence in the region by reclaiming artificial islands and turning building infrastructure on them, including airstrips capable of launching warplanes. The US is rejecting China's claims and challenges Beijing by conducting freedom of navigation missions. Washington sends military ships and warplanes through the space, which China considers under its sovereignty. Jammu, May 4 : Two tourists from West Bengal were among five people who died in two road accidents on Wednesday in Jammu and Kashmir, police said. The tourists were killed when their vehicle, going from Pahalgam to Jammu, spun out of control on the Srinagar-Jammu highway in Ramban district and plunged into the Chenab river. In another accident in Doda district, a truck carrying three persons also fell into the Chenab. All three died. New Delhi, May 4 : At least 30 BJP MPs have written to Human Resource Development Minister Smriti Irani on the issue of holding a second shift in private schools affiliated to the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE). The parliamentarians said that if permission was given to private schools to hold second shifts on their premises, education will become accessible in educationally backward rural areas with the available infrastructure. These parliamentarians, including Varun Gandhi, Poonam Mahajan and Santosh Kumar Ahlawat, cited rules and guidelines of the CBSE in support of their demand. Clause 14 (B) of the affiliation rule book states that a CBSE-affiliated school can function in double shifts if it meets the minimum infrastructural criteria, the MPs said. Rajasthan parliamentarian Devji Patel, who is leading the campaign, told IANS: "To make education easily accessible in educationally backward areas, especially rural India, private schools must be allowed to run the second shift." He said private schools had been meted out stepmotherly treatment in the matter. "If permission is given to run the second shift in private schools, like some Kendriya Vidyalayas do, more students will be accommodated," the letter said. "There should be separate faculty and staff rooms for teachers for both the shifts. Besides, there should be a gap of minimum half an hour between the two shifts," the letter said. During his visit Mr Eliasson will meet with leading government officials to discuss the evolving role of the United Nations in Viet Nam and the progress of ongoing UN reform. He is expected to discuss the efforts that Viet Nam is making in disaster risk management. He will also visit Ben Tre, one of the areas currently affected by a severe El Nino related drought. During his visit to Ha Noi he will also deliver a lecture to students at the Diplomatic Academy, and visit the National Pediatric Hospital, which has historic links to Olof Palme, the former Swedish Prime Minister. The United Nations is helping Viet Nam foster inclusive, equitable and sustainable development; to ensure access to quality essential services and social protection and to enhance governance and inclusive participation. The UN in Viet Nam and Government are expected to sign a new 5 year plan of cooperation for Viet Nam for 2017-2021 in the coming months. Mr Eliasson has had several decades of experience in diplomacy, conflict resolution and humanitarian action. Between 1980-1986, Mr Eliasson was part of the UN mediation missions in the war between Iran and Iraq, and served as mediator in the Nagorno-Karabakh and Darfur conflicts. Mr Eliasson was appointed the first UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs in 1992. He later served as State Secretary of Foreign Affairs and Swedens Ambassador to the United States, and in 2006 was appointed Foreign Minister of Sweden. In March 2012, he was appointed Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and took office on July 1st 2012./. Bengaluru, May 4 : Five smart Indian teenagers won a web contest conducted by Google India on browsing websites safely, the global search engine provider said on Wednesday. "The competition witnessed several entries from across schools in the form of sketches, videos and apps and were judged on creativity, reach and impact," the Indian subsidiary of the Silicon Valley-based firm said in a statement here. Mavika Boyini from NASR School, Hyderabad; Vaidehi Reddy, Army Public School, Pune; Kanish Chugh, DLF Public School, Ghaziabad; Raviteja Anumukonda, Chirec Public School, Hyderabad; and Neya Saravanarajan, the Hindu Senior Secondary School, Chennai, are the winners of the contest first launched in 2014. The young minds were challenged to create their own online safety campaigns aimed at curbing cyber bullying and leaving a safe digital footprint. Boyini sketched a set of cartoons and admonished peers to never post anything which their grandmother would not like, said the statement. "Don't be rude, don't post inappropriate stuff and follow the grandma rule" are some her dos and don'ts. Reddy cautioned internet users never to reveal home address, personal details and refrain from illegal downloads through a video, the statement said. Chug developed an anti-phishing game to enlighten peers on how to spot fake logos, while Anumukonda talked about the need to avoid easy and predictable passwords to preferring complex unhackable ones. Saravanarajan composed a catchy tune, Mr. Two Faces, to remind everyone to turn on privacy settings. Google will gift all the winning students with chromebooks and tablets, the statement added. New Delhi, May 4 : National passenger carrier Air India on Wednesday announced that it has entered into a codeshare agreement with European airline Flybe. According to the national carrier, tickets under the new agreement will be available from May 10, with travel effective from June 1. Further the airline said that the codeshare partnership will enable travellers using Flybe's multi-frequency Birmingham services from Belfast City, Edinburgh and Glasgow to book seamless flights onward to New Delhi. "Under the unilateral agreement, Air India (AI) will place its marketing code on these Flybe flights (BE)," the national carrier said in a statement. A codeshare agreement allows two airlines to sell seats on each others' flights in order to provide passengers with a wider choice of destinations. "Air India is continuously working towards providing seamless connectivity to its passenger across routes and with our agreement with Flybe, Air India passengers will have an unmatched connectivity in UK," said Ashwani Lohani, chairman and managing director, Air India in a statement. New Delhi, May 4 : Hundreds of women professionals, particularly those working in BPOs and IT firms, are facing commuting problems as Delhi's diesel cabs have forced off the road by the Supreme Court, which has refused to extend time for their conversion to CNG. Women employees of Business Process Outsourcing and Information Technology firms told IANS that the doorstep pick-up cab facility provided to them by their companies has been suspended or curtailed. A women IT professional, working as a senior software engineer in Gurgaon's Udyog Vihar area, said: "We used to get the cab facility from our office earlier, but not for the past two days." She said there was limited public transport in Gurgaon and any disruption in the cab service was "very inconvenient". "I feel unsafe while travelling after sunset. Also, options to commute are very limited," she said. According to the Delhi government, over 60,000 diesel cabs are registered in the national capital, including about 29,000 cabs with all-India permits. The remaining have city permits. A few female professionals said their offices have told them that cabs will be provided only to employees working in the shifts between 8 p.m. and 7 a.m. "For the last two days, I have been taking a taxi on my own to reach office as the Metro is fully packed during office hours," said a woman IT professional at a Noida firm. She said some of her office colleagues were reaching office by changing to different modes of transport. The Supreme Court on Saturday refused to give more time to taxi operators in Delhi and the National Capital Region to switch to the cleaner compressed natural gas. A bench headed by Chief Justice T.S. Thakur also asked the Delhi government to give a roadmap for phasing out diesel cabs and switching over to CNG fuel in the city. Diesel taxi drivers and owners on Monday and Tuesday blocked several important intersections in the national capital for hours, leading to massive jams. Kathmandu, May 4 : The K.P. Oli government in Nepal on Wednesday teetered precariously after key ally UCPN (Maoist) decided to withdraw support and form a national unity government under its leader Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda', with the main opposition Nepali Congress and Madhesi parties agreeing to back its move. The Oli-led government now appears unlikely to present the budget as the government is set to be overthrown in the coming days. The overnight political move by the Maoists brought a political storm in Kathmandu and Unified Communist Party of Nepal (UCPN-Maoist) chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal took centre-stage of politics all of a sudden. The Maoist party is among the key parties in the nearly seven-month-old Oli government and, due to the numbers factor, the government may easily collapse if it withdraws support. Prachanda, who served as prime minister for a brief period from August 18, 2008 to May 25, 2009, is now busy mustering political support to become the prime minister again even as Oli was busy trying to save his chair. A meeting between the top leaders of Nepali Congress and Madhes-based parties on Wednesday decided to topple the Oli government and the Madhes parties urged the NC to take the lead. However, the Nepali Congress, the largest party in parliament, has not yet officially decided on the name of the new prime minister -- offering the post instead to Dahal. The Nepali Congress and Madhes-based parties look set to support the Maoist bid to topple the Oli government. The Maoists have convened a Standing Committee meeting later on Wednesday evening to decide the future course of action. The meeting of the NC and Madhes parties on Wednesday concluded that there was a need to oust the Oli government as it has "failed" in multiple areas, including curbing corruption, addressing the demands of Madhes parties, providing relief to the people, and expediting post-quake reconstruction works, among other things, said NC chief whip Chinkaji Shrestha. "The NC and Madhes parties are on the same page that the Oli government has to go," he added. The NC has already launched a signature campaign against the government which it will use later for a no-confidence motion against the government, sources said. The Madhes parties have assured the NC leadership that they will extend support to any alternative to the Oli government. On the other hand, many CPN(UML) leaders were surprised at the Maoist move and have urged it not to topple the government that has been in power for seven months. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Oli has called a meeting of the ruling parties at his residence on Wednesday evening to contain the Maoist move. On Tuesday, Oli held a dinner meeting with the top Maoist leadership to mend ties but the prime minister's efforts appear to have gone in vain. "We supported Oli so that he will keep national interests at the core, implement the new Constitution, bring a logical end to the peace process, and expedite the reconstruction work, but we could not make any tangible progress," said UCPN-Maoist vice chairman Narayan Kaji Shrestha. The UCPN-Maoist party has already reached out to other small political parties to form a national unity government under its leadership. (Anil Giri can be contacted at girianil@gmail.com) New Delhi, May 4 : Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad on Wednesday said he was "disappointed" over the response given by Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar after a debate on the AgustaWestland bribery issue. "I am disappointed the way the minister has levelled allegations. It (minister's reply to debate) was full of allegations," he said, and added that the entire house was "humiliated" as the minister gave written reply without considering or listening to what the members had to say on the issue. Reacting to the minister's response to the over four hours long debate, Sharad Yadav of the JD-U and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati said that the case should be probed carefully and there should be no unnecessary allegations to earn brownie points. "My party wants that the guilty should be punished and the probe should be done under supervision of the Supreme Court," Mayawati said. The government, however, expressed its inability to involve the Supreme Court in the probe as it has already started. Kochi, May 4 : Holiday Group, one of the joint developers of SmartCity Kochi, on Wednesday began construction of its 14.37 lakh square feet IT tower that will have offer office spaces for the IT/ITES sector along with supporting retail establishments that offer a wholesome working environment for employees at the Smart City. Spread over 6.27 acres, the new building will have twin towers each comprising 10 storeys. The much-delayed Smart City project was inaugurated with a 6.5 lakh square feet building in February. Baju George, interim CEO of SmartCity Kochi, said the project was in full throttle now to meet the 2020 deadline for its completion. "SmartCity is on track for changing the business and social landscape of Kochi. With the promise of delivering world-class IT and social infrastructure to multi-national companies, SmartCity Kochi is getting closer to its grand vision of setting up a world-class ecosystem that provides for quality working and living," said George. Singapore-based MariApps, which offers state-of-the-art maritime enterprise solutions for the marine industry in Europe and Southeast Asia, among other locations, will be the first company to be operational from SmartCity Kochi on May 20. Another Singapore-based company, Singnet Solutions, will open office in the first week of June. Singnet Solutions chairman M.K. Anes said the company was looking up to its India entry at SmartCity Kochi as it hopes to spread to the Middle East and beyond. New Delhi, May 4 : Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar on Wednesday said the probe in the AgustaWestland helicopter graft case will focus on those named in the Italian court judgment. "There is an agreement that corrupt practices were involved in procurement of AgustaWestland helicopters. The previous government recognised these and put on hold the group in 2014, and the present government passed the order," Parrikar said in the Rajya Sabha, replying to a short duration discussion on the issue. The minister said "corrupt practices" is the central matter, and it will be "unmasked" through inquiry. "Given the above background, these inquiries will necessarily focus on the role of those named in the judgment of the Italian court. It is also important for ensuring a comprehensive investigation," Parrikar said. The judgment names Congress president Sonia Gandhi, then IAF chief S.P. Tyagi, Congress leader Ahmad Patel and others. The Congress has, however, stressed that the judgment does not indict anyone. The minister, in an around-45 minute long reply, read out a detailed statement and gave a list of what was wrong in the deal. Opposition Congress objected to the fact that he was reading out from a written statement without laying a copy on the table of the house. The party later staged a walkout after his speech. Parrikar said the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is on a "money trail" and that in the past some "invisible hands" seemed to have been "guiding the actions" of the CBI and Enforcement Directorate. "CBI which registered an FIR in March 2013, did not bother to forward a copy of FIR to ED for nine months. Even more strangely, ED did not act on the FIR till July 2014," said Parrikar. "It appears that some invisible hands were guiding the actions or inactions by CBI and ED. After present government took over, CBI and ED have been vigorously pursuing all aspects," he added. On the current status, the minister said: "CBI is on the money trail, but I cannot give details. Where the money went, we are finding that." Giving out details of the deal, the minister said that the requirements of the chopper were changed to accommodate AgustaWestland's bid. "The RFP (Request For Proposal) was issued to AgustaWestland, Italy, and the response to RFP was received from AgustaWestland International Limited, UK, which was not the entity to which RFP was issued. The bid should have been rejected immediately as it was not the company to which RFP was issued," said the minister. The minister also pointed out that field trial was done on a representative helicopter, and not on AW101 which India was to buy. "Field trial was conducted on a representative helicopter and not on the actual helicopter," he said. He also questioned the conduct of trial outside India. "Conduct of trial in India is extremely critical because the climate, terrain and topography vary as compared to that of USA and UK. This crucial aspect has been given a go-by," he said. He also said that the trials in India after three choppers were received proved to be a failure. "When three helicopters were received and were being test-tried, at 5,400 feet in Srinagar, the effective payload of this helicopter was nil," the minister said. He also said that sorties could not be taken in Gulmarg and Pehalgam either, and added that the information was found in a file that was saved by chance from a fire that took place on June 3, 2014. New Delhi, May 4 : The National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) on Wednesday signed an MoU with Dalmia Bharat Foundation to impart vocational training and skills to 60,000 unemployed youths across the country over 10 years. The vocational training will be imparted in various sectors, including apparel, beauty and wellness, retail, auto, health care, construction, agriculture, security, plumbing among others. The duration of the training programmes will vary from three to six months. During the first year, three training centres will be set up at Trichy, Rourkela and Belgaum for local youths. The plan is to set up a network of eight Skills Training Centres at Trichy in Tamil Nadu, Kadapa in Andhra Pradesh, Belgaum in Karnataka, Sitapur in Uttar Pradesh, Guwahati in Assam, Rourkela and Cuttack in Odisha, and Bokaro in Jharkhand. "In addition to these new facilities, existing ITIs (Industrial Training Institute) at Dalmiapuram and Rajganjpur and one handloom-cum-weaving training centre at Umrongso in Assam will also be leveraged," Dalmia Bharat Group managing director Gautam Dalmia said. The CEO of NSDC Jayanta Krishna said, "We will ensure that the courses run in these centres are aligned to the National Skill Qualification Framework." Appreciating the joint initiative, Krishna said: "Collaboration is the mainstay of any significant developmental initiative and strategic partnership towards achievement of national goals like Skill India." Under the umbrella of this programme, 70 percent of the candidates will be assured employment in sectors and job roles in which they get trained. New Delhi, May 4 : The CBI interrogated former IAF chief S.P. Tyagi for the third day on Wednesday in connection with the AgustaWestland chopper scam even as it blamed some countries for not responding to its queries. Both Tyagi and Gautam Khaitan, former board member of Aeromatrix, one of the suspect companies in the case, were questioned for around 10 hours each at the CBI headquarters here, informed sources said. But what is bothering the Central Bureau of Investigation is the lack of response from six countries, including the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Britain, Singapore and Switzerland, despite the Letters Rogatory (LR) sent to them. LR is a formal request from a court to a foreign court for judicial assistance and taking evidence. The CBI needs help from abroad to connect the trail of funds in the alleged kickbacks paid for the Rs.3,600-crore AgustaWestland helicopter deal. The CBI has sought the external affairs ministry's help to expedite the process. The CBI earlier sent LR to seven countries -- the UAE, Britain, Singapore, Switzerland, Mauritius, Tunisia and Italy -- as well as the British Virgin Islands, seeking information regarding the alleged kickbacks. The agency has been probing the case since March 2013 after filing an FIR against Tyagi and 13 others including his cousins and European middlemen. The chopper deal resurfaced after an Italian court last month referred to Congress president Sonia Gandhi and former prime minister Manmohan Singh among others in connection with the chopper deal. The sources told IANS that Italy was the only country to reply to the LR. "British Virgin Islands, Tunisia and the UK only gave partial reply. The remaining countries are yet to give any reply." "Due to lack of evidence from these countries, we have been facing difficulties in linking together the money trail in the alleged kickbacks (in the AgustaWestland deal)." Information from these countries will help the CBI get more evidence against the accused, the sources told IANS. Tyagi, accused in Italy and India of helping AgustaWestland win the chopper contract by reducing the flying ceiling of the helicopter from 6,000 metres to 4,500 metres (15,000 feet), was questioned on Monday and Tuesday too. Khaitan, who will be quizzed on Thursday too, told the CBI that he was instrumental in setting up the IDS Infotech Tunisia -- a subsidiary company of IDS Infotech India, one of the accused companies in the case. The source said they have information that "lots of money" were transferred to the account of IDS Infotech Tunisia from some bank accounts in Italy. This was later sent to other countries. "We suspect the money was the part of the alleged kickbacks and it was transferred by AgustaWestland as bribe," said a source. But the sources added that Khaitan did not admit that IDS Infotech Tunisia had received any money from AgustaWestland. (Rajnish Singh can be contacted at Rajnish.s@ians.in) New Delhi, May 4 : Pranav Pandya, who heads the Gayatri Pariwar spiritual group in Haridwar, has been nominated to the Rajya Sabha, it was announced on Wednesday. A home ministry announcement said his nomination is meant to fill up a vacancy caused by the retirement of a nominated member. Pandya, head of the All World Gayatri Pariwar and editor of Akhand Jyoti magazine, has been a proponent of Indian culture. Pandya is also chancellor of the Dev Sanskriti Vishwavidyala, director of the Brahmavarchas Research Institute and president of the Swami Vivekananda Yogvidya Mahapeetham. A medical doctor by profession, Pandya gave up a lucrative career in the US at the insistence of his guru Pandit Shriram Sharma. Photo for illustration. (Source: chinhphu.vn) Of this, foreign arrivals were estimated to reach some 43,000, up 14% over a year earlier, while the city provided services for 185,000 domestic arrivals, a year-on-year rise of 11%, grossing a turnover of VND646 billion, up 14%. Popular destinations such as the Temple of Literature (Van Mieu - Quoc Tu Giam), Imperial Citadel of Thang Long, Hanoi old streets, Guom Lake and Ngoc Son Temple, West Lake Creation Park, Bao Son Heaven Theme Park, Thong Nhat Park and big trade centers lured a great number of holidaymakers. Mr. Do Dinh Hong, Director of the Hanoi Department of Tourism, reported that the organ asked accommodation establishments and travel businesses to conduct price stabilization of services before, during and after the holiday and prevented hotel rooms and services from hoarding and overcharging, negatively affecting the tourism image of the capital in particular and Vietnam in general. During the holiday, room occupancy reached 56.22% on average and the highest room occupancy belonged to the five-star hotels bloc at 78.52%, with major tourist markets being the Republic of Korea, Japan, Taiwan (China), Australia, China and England./. New Delhi, May 4 : Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar on Wednesday said the probe in the AgustaWestland helicopter graft case will focus on those named in the Italian court judgment. "There is an agreement that corrupt practices were involved in procurement of AgustaWestland helicopters. The previous government recognised these and put on hold the group in 2014, and the present government passed the order," Parrikar said in the Rajya Sabha, replying to a short duration discussion on the issue. The minister said "corrupt practices" was the central matter, and it will be "unmasked" through inquiry. "Given the above background, these inquiries will necessarily focus on the role of those named in the judgment of the Italian court. It is also important for ensuring a comprehensive investigation," Parrikar said. "The ministry of defence has written to both ED and CBI to take into account the contents of the judgment and conclude the investigation expeditiously," he said. The judgment names Congress president Sonia Gandhi, then IAF chief S.P. Tyagi, Congress leader Ahmad Patel and others. Parrikar also said that it was "most obvious" that AgustaWestland was "favoured" at every stage of the deal. The Congress has, however, stressed that the judgment does not indict anyone. A dissatisfied Congress also staged a walkout from the house after Parrikar's reply, and Leader of Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad said he was "disappointed" over the response. Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi, participating in the debate, said the mention of Sonia Gandhi, and others including Pranab Mukherjee and Ahmad Patel, in the judgement from the Milan court did not indict them, and only mentioned them as VVIPs who would use the choppers. "By this logic all of the former including present president should be indicted... Mrs. Gandhi was mentioned as someone flying on the chopper," he said. Former defence minister A.K. Antony, meanwhile, told the government not to "threaten and blackmail" but to take action against the bribe takers. "It is true... beyond doubt there is corruption in this deal... All legal hurdles are over, you have to act now," Antony said. "Now corruption has been proved, we can win the arbitration case... get thousands of crores of rupees as compensation," Antony added. The discussion that lasted around four hours, also saw opposition members demand for a Supreme Court monitoring to the inquiry. Several members also questioned why the issue was being debated in the Rajya Sabha when there was no conclusive evidence, and the country is facing severe problems like drought. BJP member Subramanian Swamy, who was named by Antony as trying to threaten the Congress, meanwhile said the CBI can, as per the law, question the person mentioned as the "driving force" behind the AgustaWestland deal, indicating at Gandhi. "The CBI has the right under Section 156 of CrPC to question the person who is mentioned in the Italian court judgment as the 'driving force' behind the AgustaWestland chopper deal," Swamy said in the Rajya Sabha. The multi-crore-rupee scam resurfaced last month after the names of some Congress leaders, including of party chief Sonia Gandhi, were said to have figured in a judgment by an Italian court. AgustaWestland was alleged to have paid Rs.375 crore as bribe to secure the Rs.3,700-crore contract to supply 12 VVIP choppers to the Indian Air Force. The contract for purchase of helicopters for the use of VVIPs was signed in 2010. The previous UPA government scrapped the deal over charges of kickbacks. Moscow, May 4 : A group of citizens from Central Asian countries was detained by Russia's security agency, FSB, on suspicion that they were planning terror attacks ahead of upcoming Victory Day celebrations, at the behest of Syrian and Turkish terrorist leaders. "We have found a large quantity of weapons, explosives and other terrorist equipment," the Federal Security Service said in a statement on Wednesday, RT reported. The security agency said the citizens of the former Soviet republics were based in Moscow and were planning to target the capital. The FSB said the detainees have made "confession statements", and have been found to have been working "on orders from their superiors located in Syria and Turkey". The names of the suspects have been withheld for the duration of the initial investigation. Kolkata, May 4 : A section of students of Calcutta University on Wednesday launched an agitation, expressing dissatisfaction over the marks they were given. The agitating students, who appeared for the Bengali department's first semester exams, expressed displeasure over not being given first class and laid siege to their faculty office. According to students, out of 370 examinees, 201 scored first class, 298 scored above 55 percent and 11 failed. New Delhi, May 4 : The union cabinet on Wednesday gave its approval for adoption of the UN Fundamental Principles of Official Statistics. "The adoption of these principles will bring professional independence, impartiality, accountability and transparency in methods of collection, compilation and dissemination of official statistics, besides adopting international standards," an official statement said. "The adoption will also pave way for devising a national policy on official statistics for improving systems, procedures and institutions consistent with these principles," it added. There are 10 fundamental principles as endorsed by the UN General Assembly. According to these, the statistical agencies need to present information according to scientific standards on the sources, methods and procedures of the statistics in order to facilitate a correct interpretation of the data. The statistical agencies are entitled to comment on erroneous interpretation and misuse of statistics. Also, the data for statistical purposes may be drawn from all types of sources, be they statistical surveys or administrative records. The UN principles state that bilateral and multilateral cooperation in statistics contributes to the improvement of systems of official statistics in all countries. The progress of work in implementation of the Fundamental Principles of Official Statistics is required to be reported by India to the UN Statistics Division for deliberation in the 48th session of the UN Statistics Commission to be held in 2017. Bengaluru, May 4 : Shreya Ukil, a 40-year-old Indian woman who was formerly a senior techie at the Wipro back office in London, claimed to have won a lawsuit in a British tribunal against the IT major for sacking her on the grounds of gender discrimination, unequal pay and victimisation. Wipro, however, said the tribunal upheld the dismissal as appropriate and rejected claims of adverse cultural attitude towards women in the organisation. "Wipro leadership team, including its (then) chief executive T.K. Kurien, conspired to push Ukil out of her job and her role in Britain," her lawyers Slater & Gordon said in a joint statement from London on Wednesday. The judgment of the London Employment Tribunal found that the direction (to sack her) had come from the very top and was followed through with considerable resolve. "Ukil was victimised by Wipro's leadership for speaking up about sex discrimination, unequal pay and a culture of sexism," the statement asserted. Wipro, however, contradicted Ukil's claim, and said in a statement later that "it was pleased the tribunal had upheld the dismissal of the complainant from the services of the organisation as appropriate and rejected claims of adverse cultural attitude towards women in the organisation". In an e-mail response to Wipro's statement, Ukil told IANS that she had won on her claim for equal pay, as she did same work as her male peers in same grade and that she was paid significantly lower than her male colleagues. "The court also ruled in my favour on sex discrimination, victimisation and unfair dismissal," Ukil reiterated, adding that the verdict on her charges was published on April 18, while the verdict on equal pay was published on July 7, 2015. Enclosing parts of the judgment's operative portion to contest Wipro's counter-claim, Ukil said the tribunal found that the company's rejection of her resignation in September 2014 was an act of victimisation and that she was dismissed unfairly. "The tribunal found that I was a victim of acts of sexism and racism, as the company did not upheld the well-founded complaints of discrimination against me," Ukil said. The tribunal also accepted that Ukil was asked to sign an indemnity to prevent from bringing claims against the company in October 2013 as an act of victimisation. "The court verdict is in public domain. There is no out-of-court settlement," she affirmed. Ukil, who worked with Wipro for almost 10 years and won multi-million-dollar contracts for it, started raising concerns in 2012, which went unheeded. Instead of addressing Ukil's concerns, a series of decisions were made by the management behind the scenes, including chief legal counsel Inderpreet Sawhney, human resources global head Saurabh Govil and Kurien in a bid to remove her from her role in London. Ukil sued the Bengaluru-based outsourcing firm in October 2015, seeking one million pounds compensation for gender discrimination, unequal pay and harassment. "Compensation (referred to as 'remedy') will be decided at a later date," Ukil noted. Sacking Ukil and her superior Manoj Punja, 54, the company said then that they were relieved from service after an internal inquiry established that they were into a relationship but did not report about it to the company as a policy. Ukil, who was sales and market development manager for the back office operations in London, filed the lawsuit with the tribunal, claiming she was forced into an affair by Punja, a married man, who was head of its business process outsourcing (BPO) office in London. Having lost all faith, Ukil raised her final grievances with Wipro chairman Azim Premji, who assured her of a fair and impartial investigation. When she resigned from her role in September 2014 in an e-mail to Premji, her resignation was not accepted and she was fired four days later whilst still on sick leave. The tribunal found that comments made by Wipro employees, Sid Sharma and George Joseph on separate occasions reflected an "extra undercurrent of sexism in their attitudes" towards Ukil, with remarks that aceplainly conveyed a sexist innuendo". "I hope that following this judgment, companies will again reconsider their treatment of female employees, ensuring they are treated fairly and equally," Ukil added. New Delhi, May 4 : The union cabinet on Wednesday approved the signing of a Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) between the women and child development ministry and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation for cooperation in IT-enabled real time monitoring of Integrated Child Development Services and other technical matters. The ministry is implementing International Development Association (IDA) assisted Systems Strengthening and Nutrition Improvement Project (ISSNIP) in 162 high burden districts in eight states. The MoC would cover the 162 districts in the eight states of Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Chhatisgarh, Jharkhand, Maharashtrta, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh. The Foundation would provide technical support at the national and state level for strengthening their capacities to deliver nutrition especially during pre-conception, pregnancy and the first two years of life. Paris, May 5 : France is planning to convene a meeting of countries backing the Syrian opposition on May 9 to discuss ways to resume diplomatic talks, a French government official announced on Wednesday. Government spokesperson Stephane Le Foll, said officials from Qatar, United Arab Emirates (UAE), Saudi Arabia and Turkey would attend the meeting, Xinhua reported. "All the initiatives will be taken to promote the resumption of peace talks," he said after a cabinet meeting. A ceasefire accord, brokered by Russia and the US, entered into force in February but collapsed following renewed violence in Aleppo. Washington, May 5 : US Ohio state governor John Kasich is suspending his bid for the White House, leaving New York billionaire Donald Trump uncontested in the Republican presidential race, multi networks reported on Wednesday. A Kasich spokesman said the underdog hopeful will make a formal statement in his home state at 5 p.m. eastern time, Xinhua reported. Kasich was supposed to speak with reporters at the Dulles airport in Virginia on Wednesday morning but did not show up. According to the Fox News, his campaign later confirmed he was not going to Dulles. Texas senator Ted Cruz dropped out of the race on Tuesday night after having finished a distant second in the crucial Indiana primary. Kasich placed last in the contest. Both of Cruz and Kasich were already "mathematically dead" in the quest for a majority of delegates before the Indiana primary in which their strategy to join forces to deny Trump the nomination was also proved in vain. Kasich has won just one state during the race so far -- his home state of Ohio. He trailed Trump by some 900 delegates. As statistics reveal that 250,000 new homes would have to be built each year in England to meet housing demand, councils such as Leeds City Council are looking to lobby Central Government for the right to forcibly buy long term empty privately owned properties. The council have been working to reduce the number of empty properties for a number of years and are increasingly using their powers to buy long term empty properties including two derelict houses in Kirkstall which have stood empty since the 1990s. Local authorities already have a number of ways they can work with and penalise owners of long term empty properties such as the right to charge increased council tax to landlords of abodes which have been abandoned. However, Leeds City Council admit that more needs to be done as the citys increasing population is pushing it on the brink of a serious housing crisis. Weve been working for a number of years to reduce the number of empty properties as this is in the best interest of our communities. Our approach has proven successful as at the end of February 2016 there were 3,000 fewer empty homes in Leeds compared to March 2010. This approach is centred on working proactively with owners. The partnerships weve established with the third sector and social enterprises for example funding the Empty Homes Doctor allows us to target more difficult properties while they find bespoke solution for owners who simply dont know what to do with or are the end of their tether with an empty property. Getting these homes back on the market for sale or rent is just one part of our strategy to ensure there are quality, affordable homes in Leeds. This innovative approach is acknowledged as one of the countrys best and were committed to developing these partnerships and networks to get more empties back into use. Only when this approach fails will we use our CPO powers as a last resort. I will continue to push central government for greater powers, not only on CPOs, but on ways we can work creatively with landlords to improve properties and bring empty homes back into use. It is expected that residents will welcome the councils proactive approach following the announcement that they have reduced the amount of long term empty homes by just under 3,000 in a six-year period though there are over 3,000 long term empty properties remaining for the city to resolve. Elsewhere, in London, local authorities have been found to be underutilising their existing powers with the BBC reporting in 2014 that seven of the capital's councils did not charge a single property the extra council tax they are legally able to. This suggests that Leeds City Councils push for greater powers will need to be supported by other local authorities across the country in both action as well as principle. A brief look at the statistics highlighting the plight of empty homes in England via a graphic created by Property Rescue highlights the issue at hand as there are the equivalent of 3 empty homes to the number of homeless people in the city, and across England as a whole, this rises to up to 7 homes per homeless person in priority need. Whilst the wide range of schemes, both handled directly by local authorities and third sector organisations, are certainly having an impact; 100,000 homes were put back into use from 2004 2014, local authorities are certainly feeling the pressure to reduce the amount of empty homes further in a shorter time frame. In addition to the powers to forcibly buy more properties, councils are exploring further options in regards to working creatively with landlords to help them bring properties back into use; this will be particularly pertinent in London where it is expected that the buy-to-let housing stock will be reduced due to a perceived cut in anticipated rental income following the chancellors clampdown on buy-to-let stamp duty and tax relief. As reported earlier this month, up to 71% of accidental landlords have a lack of awareness of mortgage legislation and this alongside other factors such as unaffordable repairs and waiting for the market value to increase, is contributing to the large amount of empty homes blighting communities up and down the country. The housing market will continue to be monitored closely as central government legislation and devolution of powers to local authorities continues to be debated, and considering the data from the last 10 years, it is expected that the number of long term empty homes will continue to fall. However, the speed in which they come back into use will be what matters to local residents the most. Adele J. Ridenour Ball Janik LLP is pleased to announce that Adele Ridenour, a partner in the firms Portland office, has been appointed to the Oregon Women Lawyers (OWLS) board of directors. OWLS Mission Statement is To transform the practice of law and ensure justice and equality by advancing women and minorities in the legal profession. Adele is a regular participant in the organizations annual fashion show benefiting Dress for Success Oregon, a very successful and fun event. Dress for Success Oregon is a nonprofit that strives to empower women to achieve economic independence by providing a network of support, professional attire and the development tools to help women thrive in work and in life. Ball Janik LLP's Executive Director Heather Oden said, "I am proud of Adeles appointment to the Board of Directors of Oregon Women Lawyers. This is a wonderful honor and will give Adele an opportunity to contribute even more to the advancement and fair treatment of all people in the legal field." Adele Ridenour is a litigator whose practice focuses on construction law, insurance recovery, and commercial litigation. Ms. Ridenour was selected as one of the Top 40 Under 40 Litigation Lawyers in 2014 and 2015 by the American Society of Legal Advocates. She was recognized by her peers as an Oregon Super Lawyer from 2013-2015 in the area of Construction Litigation. Ms. Ridenour has developed significant experience litigating construction defect cases involving complex commercial projects, condominiums, warehouses and hotels. She has also successfully represented various property owners and homeowners associations in insurance recovery actions, including second-chairing a 2010 insurance coverage action which resulted in a $1.87 million verdict in favor of a condominium homeowners association. About Ball Janik LLP Ball Janik LLP is a Pacific Northwest law firm headquartered in Portland, Oregon, with offices in Orlando, Florida and Salt Lake City, Utah. For over thirty years, Ball Janik LLP has been providing outstanding legal services in the areas of bankruptcy and creditor rights, commercial litigation, construction and design, construction litigation, employment, real estate and land use, insurance recovery for policyholders, and securities litigation. Ball Janik LLP represents large and small businesses; state, municipal and local governments; associations; schools and universities; and individuals. Ball Janik LLP provides clients an aggressive, skilled, team approach to solve problems and achieve results. Ball Janik LLP has been recognized by Chambers USA, U.S. News Best Lawyers, The Best Lawyers in America, and Corporate International. Ball Janik LLPs success and integrity have repeatedly made it one of Oregons Most Admired Professional Firms, according to the Portland Business Journals survey results of CEOs throughout the region. Left, Amanda Hickman, Manager of Regulatory Affairs, InterCode, Inc.; Right, Vickie Lovell, President/Consultant, InterCode, Inc. We are at the ICC conference representing our clients on numerous proposals that improve fire and life safety, and promote energy conservation and energy production, says Vickie Lovell, President, InterCode, Inc. Add a quotable Building and Fire Safety is Big Business Building fire and safety is not just big business, its critical to the safety and health of the public at large. Most people dont consider the materials and products that go into the construction of their home. They give less consideration to how a skyscraper or high rise condominium is constructed. They simply go about their day to day business. Our day to day business is to ensure that the buildings they live and work in are fire safe and energy efficient, says Vickie Lovell, President of InterCode, Inc. (http://www.InterCodeInc.com). We Promote and Defend Building Product Materials for our Clients Every building material, product or system that goes into every type of building, large or small, must meet certain standards and code requirements. Our job is to ensure that our clients products meet standards that benefit the public health and safety, while we also defend or promote the usefulness of the products produced by our clients, says Lovell, who has worked as an advocate, technical consultant, and published writer on behalf of some of the nations largest public companies, trade groups and associations. ICC Code Committee Action Hearings The Biggest Conference of the Year The ICC conference is one of many important events that takes place within the building industry. Of this years event, Amanda Hickman, Manager of Regulatory Affairs, InterCode Inc., points out that, This years ICC Committee Action Hearings offer us an opportunity to provide input on proposed code changes to the 2018 Edition of the International Codes. We participate in the process which allows us to present our point of view to a panel of subject matter experts, such as code officials, architects, builders, engineers, designers and plumbing, mechanical and energy conservation professionals who make recommendations to improve the codes. Interested Parties and Stake Holders Provide Input to More than 2,200 Proposed Code Changes We are here at the ICC Conference representing our clients on numerous proposals that improve fire and life safety, and promote energy conservation and energy production, says Lovell. The purpose of the Committee Action Hearings is to permit interested parties and industry stakeholders to present their views, including the cost and benefits, on over 2,220 code change proposals. The importance of this conference can be seen in its length, says Lovell. The ICC Conference meets for 12 days and is the heartbeat of the entire construction industry. What happens here has serious implications for builders, developers, cities and the tens of millions of people who occupy these buildings around the country for decades to follow. InterCode Inc. Presents Clients Projects to Technical Committees The InterCode team participated in numerous lively debates by providing testimony regarding residential and commercial energy conservation and production, and fire and life safety issues. Technical Committees, comprised of subject matter experts, then make a decision to either approve or disapprove of the proposed code change, based upon the testimony of both proponents and opponents. The outcome on each issue will be determined in a final vote by eligible International Code Council Government Voters in the fall of 2016. These presentations are critical, says Lovell and have long-ranging consequences; the decisions from the final votes will form the revised content of the 2018 Edition of both the International Energy Conservation Code and the International Fire Code. About International Code Council The International Code Council is a member-focused association dedicated to developing model codes and standards used in the design, build and compliance process to construct safe, sustainable, affordable and resilient structures. Most U.S. communities and many global markets choose the International Codes. The International Codes, or I-Codes, published by ICC, are a complete set of comprehensive, coordinated building safety and fire prevention codes. Building codes benefit public safety and support the industrys need for one set of codes without regional limitations. Fifty states and the District of Columbia have adopted the I-Codes at the state or jurisdictional level. Federal agencies including the Architect of the Capitol, General Services Administration, National Park Service, Department of State, U.S. Forest Service and the Veterans Administration also enforce the I-Codes as do an extensive number of branches/divisions of the United States military. About Vickie Lovell/InterCode Incorporated (http://www.InterCodeInc.com) Vickie J. Lovell is the President of InterCode, an independent consulting firm located in Delray Beach, Florida. For 30 years, InterCode has provided representation and advocacy to companies and trade associations whose materials or products are affected by building codes and standards. InterCode Inc clients include some of the largest companies and trade associations in the country, such as 3M Company, the Leading Builders of America, the National Greenhouse Manufacturers Association, the Modular Building Institute, the Reflective Insulation Manufacturers Association International, the Air Movement and Control Association International, the International Window Film Association, the International FireStop Council, Fire Safe North America, and dozens of other organizations. InterCode Inc. develops customized code development campaigns to create new requirements, or defend existing requirements in various arenas impacting building, fire, energy, and mechanical codes. InterCode also provides technical writing services, strategic planning, product and market forecasting, and product commercialization. Media Contact Info: Jeff Mustard, jeff(at)thebambooagency(dot)com | 954-801-8263 | http://www.TheBambooAgency.com InterCode Inc., Vickie Lovell, President | 561-278-0922 | http://www.InterCodeInc.com | info(at)intercodeinc(dot)com We aim to be recognised as experts in delivering planning tools and control systems Kent is an experienced technology sector specialist, having served as Chief Executive at Datapoint and before that as Chief Executive of Vistorm, following a long executive-level career with HP and Compaq. Jim is a very talented and respected figure, said Gerry Docherty. His focus on growth and long-term value creation makes him the ideal Chief Executive for the next phase of our journey. Smarter Grid Solutions provides innovative technology products to major utility companies, allowing them to manage electricity networks more effectively, incorporating renewable energy sources and creating so-called smart grids. Their products are already used widely in the UK, and in recent times the company has extended its reach into North America, winning a number of sizeable contracts. We are in the process of scaling up our organisational structures in North America, through direct recruitment and by establishing partner networks. Jims experience of building businesses will be invaluable, said Docherty. For his part, Kent is enthused about the companys prospects. We are already at the forefront of the revolutionary technologies required to support the new era of energy management. This is a global phenomenon, and we aim to be recognised as experts in delivering planning tools and control systems for smart grids all around the world. About Smarter Grid Solutions Smarter Grid Solutions delivers products and consultancy services that enable Distribution Network Operators (DNOs) and developers to integrate Distributed Energy Resources (DER). The company provides world-leading Active Network Management products, planning tools and a range of consultancy services, and is the only provider to uniquely combine real-time, autonomous and deterministic control into its Active Network Management solutions. Its products are transforming the utilisation and resilience of the grid, and managing connected customers at greatly reduced cost, without compromising safety and security. It supports customers worldwide from its offices in Glasgow, London and New York. Live Glassblowing on an Outdoor Stage With everything from the outstanding hot glass shows, fantastic music, shopping and dining, you will be captivated in one of the most celebrated and beautiful downtowns in the country. GlassFest kicks off on Thursday, May 26, with the Glass Ribbon Cutting ceremony held at The Corning Museum of Glass at 5:30pm, followed by a special edition 2300: GlassFest party from 68pm. The festival continues in Cornings Gaffer District for three more days of live glassmaking demonstrations, glass exhibits and artwork, wine and craft beer tasting, live music, a spectacular fireworks display, family-friendly activities, an 8K race, museums and galleries, and special shopping and dining promotions for the weekend. There is no entrance fee and unless otherwise noted, most activities are free. Mike Wayne, Senior Vice President & Director of Marketing, Chemung Canal Trust Company shares, Chemung Canal Trust Company is proud to continue our role as the presenting sponsor for GlassFest. What was once just an idea on paper has certainly blossomed into a wonderful weekend celebrating the history and artistry of glass within our region. Watch live glassmaking demonstrations featuring gaffers from The Corning Museum of Glass on stage in Centerway Square on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday afternoons. This year at GlassFest, World Kitchen will preview their new Corelle Market Street New York collection of dinnerware inspired by the brands heritage in Americas Crystal City Corning, NY. Corelle plates and bowls, including Market Street New York Corelle, have been made in Corning, NY, since 1970. Corelle is proud to sponsor the Market Street New York Corelle Scavenger Hunt this year and is giving away prizes from all of the World Kitchen brands including, Pyrex, Corningware, Corelle, Snapware, Bakers Secret and Chicago Cutlery. The grand prize giveaway will be service for eight of the new Market Street New York Corelle Blue Adirondack pattern plus accompanying accessories. The Finger Lakes Wine and Craft Beer Tasting event is Friday night from 58pm, featuring more than 25 local wineries and breweries. Tickets are $15 per person, which includes both a collectible wine and beer glass. Adults must be 21 years or older to participate. GlassFest is one of the most anticipated event experiences of the year. Designated as one of the Top 100 Events in North America by the American Bus Association, its popularity resonates with all ages and interests. With everything from the outstanding hot glass shows, fantastic music, shopping and dining, you will be captivated in one of the most celebrated and beautiful downtowns in the country. We cannot wait to welcome everyone! said Coleen Fabrizi, Executive Director of Cornings Gaffer District. Rock The Park, sponsored by Simmons-Rockwell Auto Dealerships, is the GlassFest signature free concert series on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Live music will be featured in Riverfront Centennial Park all three days. The Town Pants will perform on Friday night at 8:45pm; DSB, a Journey tribute band, is featured on Saturday at 8:15pm, and on Sunday, Nashville recording artist Mark Wills will take the stage at 3pm. Local bands will perform throughout the day on both Saturday and Sunday. Throughout Saturday and Sunday, visitors can wander along Market Street for works of art by local and regional artists, and take advantage of special promotions offered by businesses and restaurants in Cornings Gaffer District. Families will enjoy plenty of fun activities including a magician, face painting, inflatables, a spectacular fireworks display Saturday night and much more. At The Corning Museum of Glass, visitors can explore the newly-added Contemporary Art + Design Wing, which features a 26,000-square-foot day-lit gallery building, showcasing the best of the last 25 years in glass. The wing also houses the Amphitheater Hot Shop which is the worlds largest space for glassblowing demonstrations and live glass design sessions, accommodating 500 people. The Studio at The Corning Museum of Glass celebrates its 20th birthday with a new exhibition The Studio at 20 and a special demonstration by John Miller. Miller is known for his large-scale pop art glass and will create a giant cupcake to commemorate this special occasion. Guests can make reservations for two special GlassFest Make Your Own Glass projects, a vase or a Studio 20th Birthday ornament. GlassFest is proudly sponsored by Chemung Canal Trust Company, Simmons-Rockwell Auto Dealerships, World Kitchen, Corning Enterprises, WETM-TV, WINK 106, the Radisson Hotel Corning, and Corning Museum of Glass. For more information on GlassFest in Corning, NY visit GlassFest.org or like Cornings Gaffer District on Facebook. Sand Treated with SandTec Field results show SandTec is effective in reducing silica dust to within OSHAs new exposure limit...making it the ideal solution for hydraulic fracturing operations to quickly and cost-effectively comply with OSHAs final rule. ArrMazs SandTec, a silica frac sand coating technology, reduces respirable silica dust generated during hydraulic fracturing by up to 99%. Just last month, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) issued a final rule requiring industries that generate respirable silica dust to reduce the amount of silica dust their employees are exposed to by 50% within five years. ArrMaz is already helping hydraulic fracturing operations quickly and easily meet the new silica dust exposure limit with SandTec. Since 2011, the use of silica sand proppant per well in hydraulic fracturing has been steadily increasing. Exploration and production companies have discovered if they use more sand when performing hydraulic fracturing, they are able to increase well production. The sand helps prop open the formation, allowing hydrocarbons to flow more freely. The transfer of sand proppant, however, generates respirable silica dust which, when inhaled, can impact worker health if not handled properly. Since September 2013, OSHA has been evaluating new proposed regulations for respirable crystalline silica which it estimates affects almost 17,000 workers engaged in support activities for oil and gas operations. On March 23rd, 2016, OSHA announced its final rule on occupational exposure to respirable crystalline silica. The new rule reduces the permissible exposure limit for respirable silica dust to 50 micrograms per cubic meter of air effective June 23, 2016. The hydraulic fracturing industry has until June 23, 2018, two years after the effective date, to comply. The rule also requires that hydraulic fracturing operations use engineering controls as the first line of defense to protect workers against silica dust. The compliance deadline for engineering controls is June 23, 2021. As an engineering control, SandTec is more efficient than bulky mechanical systems (such as vacuum trucks and ventilation equipment) which are difficult to mobilize onsite, require significant space, present handling risks, and are time consuming and expensive to set up, maintain and break down. Mechanical systems also do not provide protection at all transfer points. SandTec solves these challenges by applying a microscopic coating to frac sand proppant to control and minimize silica dust generation whenever and wherever proppant is transferred. SandTec provides continuous protection from silica dust starting from the sand mine all the way to the hydraulic fracturing wellhead. It is easy to apply with no drying or curing required, and is biorenewable and biodegradeable addressing environmental concerns. Field results show it is effective in reducing silica dust to within OSHAs new exposure limit. These characteristics make it the ideal solution for hydraulic fracturing operations to quickly and cost-effectively comply with OSHAs final rule, said John Suldickas, Commercial Manager for Oil and Gas at ArrMaz. ArrMazs engineers and technical experts continue to work with companies in the oil and gas sector to customize the SandTec system to meet their specific hydraulic fracturing needs. About ArrMaz ArrMaz is a global leader in the production of specialty chemicals for the mining, fertilizer, phosphate, asphalt, and oil and gas industries worldwide. Since 1967, ArrMaz has manufactured chemical process aids and additives formulated to optimize process performance and product quality. With headquarters in Mulberry, Florida and multiple locations across North and South America, Europe, Asia, Africa and the Middle East, ArrMaz serves customers in more than 70 countries worldwide. For more information about our company and products, visit us online at http://www.arrmaz.com. OSHA Fact Sheet OSHAs Crystalline Silica Rule: General Industry and Maritime, The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), https://www.osha.gov/Publications/OSHA3682.pdf. OSHA's Final Rule To Protect Workers From Exposure To Respirable Crystalline Silica, The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), March 23rd, 2016, https://www.osha.gov/silica/. The information contained herein is presented in good faith and believed to be accurate, however, ArrMaz Products, LP assumes no responsibility or liability for the information provided. ArrMaz Products, LP further makes no representations or warranties, either express or implied, of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose or of any other nature with respect to the information or the product(s) to which the information refers. Disability Justice welcomes Ms. Andrea J. Burns as an associate Social Security disability attorney in its Philadelphia office. Throughout her career, she has represented thousands of Social Security applicants at all levels of appeal for Social Security Disability Insurance and Supplemental Security Income claims. Andreas passion for helping others fuels her drive to succeed for her clients. After graduating from Johns Hopkins University with a degree in public health, Andrea worked for Community Hope, a non-profit organization that provides housing for those with debilitating mental illness. This experience shaped her desire to pursue law in order to assist those in need. Working at Community Hope taught me the importance of patience and empathy and how much they can mean to someone going through a tough time, Andrea said. You never know what someone is going through. Devoting her practice to Social Security disability was a natural fit for Andrea. Her genuine compassion makes clients feel at ease and allows them to open up about what theyre going through. I want clients to know that they can always reach out to me, she said. Im always happy to answer any questions for them. If I can make our clients lives a little better by securing their benefits and making their circumstances more comfortable, its incredibly rewarding. Andrea can be reached at aburns(at)disabilityjustice(dot)com. "Our acquisition of TTC adds a new dimension to Utility's offerings." - Jason Mills, CEO of Utility Telecom The acquisition of the Telephone Connection (TTC) a Los Angeles based medical messaging provider, will add a unique assisted voicemail product focused on the medical service provider industry. This expansion in Southern California makes Utility an even stronger communications partner for enterprise and government customers seeking high-reliability, high-bandwidth network solutions in California and Nevada, said Jason Mills, CEO and founder of Utility Telecom. Our acquisition of TTC adds a new dimension to Utilitys offerings. Utility continues to invest in its network to strengthen our infrastructure, better serve the needs of customers, and increase our standing as a high-quality regional telecom network operator. Services like TTCs are a huge differentiator in the marketplace, and thats the cornerstone to long-term customer relationships, which is what Utility Telecom is all about. With its corporate headquarters located in Stockton, CA, and offices in Los Angeles, San Luis Obispo, Redding, and Reno, NV, Utility Telephone has been serving the business communities in California and Nevada for nearly 20 years with a wide range of telecommunications services. Most recently, Utility Telecom has successfully secured $6.75 million in funding from Central Valley Fund, making this and future acquisitions possible. About Utility Telecom Founded in Stockton, California in 1996, Utility Telecom is one of the largest regional providers of networking, communications, and technology solutions in the California Central Valley. The company provides critical data networking and unified communications to thousands of business customers in California and Nevada- this includes enterprise, government, and wholesale customers. Utility has implemented many fully redundant fiber rings, supplying its customers with lightning-fast internet speeds on fiber, ADSL, Ethernet over Copper and classic T1 service, linking their regional points of presence with internet peering points. Utility Telecom is committed to providing businesses with the tools they need to serve their customers with the most cutting-edge technology and great customer service. For more information, please visit http://www.uyt.co. About Central Valley Fund Central Valley Fund was established in 2005 to finance later-stage growth and opportunities with small businesses through mezzanine debt and preferred equity investments with over $175 million in committed capital. The fund has two offices in California - Davis and Fresno - to attend to small businesses seeking capital. It is focused on making investments in Californias Central Valley and throughout the Western United States. For more information, please visit http://www.cvfcapitalpartners.com For more information regarding this release, please contact: Mark Jordan, Chief Operating Officer, 209.949.4021. Not only will this expansion allow us to better serve our customers and increase our capacity to innovate as we continue our growth trajectory, but, most importantly, we are adding much needed jobs to the California economy." Califia Farms has expanded its operations footprint in Bakersfield, California with a 52,000-square-foot state-of-the-art distribution center. The new distribution center sits adjacent to Califias 40,000 square foot bottling plant in the heart of Californias agricultural center, and runs 24/7 to meet the needs of the companys rapidly growth in plant-based beverages, including its popular Almondmilks, Creamers and RTD Cold Brew Coffees and line of Citrus Juices, made from California-grown Meyer lemons, tangerines and oranges. Califia Farms was founded in 2010 by beverage visionary Greg Steltenpohl in partnership with California-based Sun Pacifics Berne Evans, a major citrus growing pioneer who brought the Spanish clementine to California in 1969. Today, joined by the Stripes private equity group with a $50M investment, Califia Farms is a major industry player in citrus, coffee and almond milk and was named Brand of the Year by BevNet and a Breakout Brand by Beverage World in 2015. This major expansion with new distribution efficiencies marks a significant milestone for Califia, underscoring the success our products are having with consumers who are looking for delicious and healthy food and beverage options they can embrace at every level including taste, price point and functionality, said Steltenpohl. Not only will this expansion allow us to better serve our customers and increase our capacity to innovate as we continue our growth trajectory, but, most importantly, we are adding much needed jobs to the California economy, especially in the central valley. Califia Farms is as Californian as it gets over 95% of the ingredients included in its beverages are sourced in California and the company works closely with local agriculture to support local farmers and growers. In fact, the majority of the footprint of its Almondmilk production, from sourcing to bottling, is within a 30-mile radius. Adjacent to Califia Farms distribution center is a new nut and grain processing facility, enabling experimentation with a variety of plant-based ingredients to further enrich and enhance Califia Farms beverages. In addition, theres a miniature pilot plant in the works, a state-of-the-art factory capable of small runs for specialized and regional product development. Both the distribution center and the plant are eco-friendly and energy efficient and repurpose more than 98% of post-production byproduct. The company is leading the way with the mission to de-commodify the food and beverage industry by creating innovative, healthy and great-tasting premium beverages that make it easy for consumers to go plant-powered and dairy-free, without compromise. In 2015, Califias revenues doubled, and it increased distribution to more than 27,000 storefronts across the country, including natural, conventional and specialty markets. With its Almondmilks experiencing triple digit growth year over year and accounting for 75% of the category expansion(1), Califia Farms is playing a key role in the growth of alternative dairy sales. In addition, the companys RTD Cold Brew Coffee with Almondmilk is number one in the natural channel, accounting for 50% of the natural category expansion, and overall sales grew 106% year over year(2). While sales of its alternative dairy creamers, including Better Half, a revolutionary nut-based alternative to Half & Half, have experienced triple-digit growth year over year, compared to just 3.9% growth for the creamer category. Join the conversation with @CalifiaFarms on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. About Califia Farms (pronounced Cal-lah-fee-ya, like California) Inspired by the bounty of California, Los Angeles-based Califia Farms (http://www.califiafarms.com) mission is to innovate delicious plant-powered foods for mindful nourishment. The Company creates innovative, healthy and great-tasting premium beverages that make it easy for consumers to go plant-powered and dairy-free, without compromise. Founded in 2010 by a farmers co-operative in the San Joaquin Valley and headed by beverage visionary Greg Steltenpohl, Califia Farms is one of the fastest-growing natural beverage companies in the U.S., as well as the leading brand in the natural products coffee drinks category. In 2015, Califia Farms was named Brand of the Year by BevNet and a Breakout Brand by Beverage World. Califia Farms Media Relations Melanie Webber, mWEBB Communications, (424) 603-4340, melanie(at)mwebbcom.com Elizabeth Johnson, mWEBB Communications, (213) 713-4865, elizabeth(at)mwebbcom.com (1) SPINSscan/IRI Natural, 12/27/15 (2) SPINS/IRI, 12.27.15 Made In New York Jazz Competition Montenegro 2016 Thanks to our partner Kawai America. To the victors go the spoils, and those spoils will come in the form of prizes from a world-class musical instrument manufacturer. In addition Kawai is covering the airfare required for the winner to travel to New York Since its first steps in 2012, the Made In New York Jazz Competition has become the fastest growing online based celebration of jazz, highly developed and evolved music genre. The Jazz Gala in New York typically features up and coming artists, jazz legends and greats, as well as the winners and finalists of the global competition. This year, on May 21st, this years competition winner, Joao Barradas will join some of Jazzs greatest musicians on stage as one of the most promising young accordionists in Europe. I regard Joao Barradas as a beacon in the future development of accordion as a serious instrument. He is a master of all styles from classical repertoire and is the most convincing jazz improviser I have heard to date on the instrument. Gil Goldstein Special guest from Italy: Federico Malaman from Italy! Internet sensation and one of the most watched jazz, fusion bass players on YouTube and social media. Some of his videos performing have well over a million views, displaying great musicianship and a technical ability that is jaw dropping. The front runners of the competition will also perform on the gala: Karim Maurice a pianist, composer and arranger from France. Giulia Malaspina, Italian pianist, composer and arranger graduated from Berklee College of Music. The finalists "The Next Step Quintet" from Greece and Brazilian pianist Diogo Monzo. The Jazz Gala is the culminating event that demonstrates the passion for music that permeates the international jazz community, says Made In New York founder, Mikhael Brovkin. Artists from all over the world submit their entries online for a chance to perform live with legendary jazz musicians like Rufus Reid,Yaacov Mayman, Tommy Campbell, Philip Harper, and Bobby Sanabria, continues Brovkin, Its an opportunity of a lifetime. According to Brovkin, jazz music has often been described as having range, diversity, richness, and beauty. It is music with rhythm, poetry, and passion that enables each artist to express his or her unique style. Since the early 20th century, jazz has included avant-garde music, jazz-rock fusion, Latin jazz, and a plethora of other styles. It is a genre of music that celebrates individuality, creativity, and the artists ability to go beyond the conventional. The Made In New York Gala is the unifying event that lets it all happen on a global scale. The tickets are available here: http://tribecapac.org/made-in-new-york-online-jazz-competition/ Thanks to our partner Kawai America. To the victors go the spoils, and those spoils will come in the form of prizes from a world-class musical instrument manufacturer. In addition Kawai is covering the airfare required for the winner to travel to New York City to perform in the competitions gala celebration. About the Made In New York Jazz Competition and Gala: The Made in New York Jazz Competition is the worlds first and fastest growing online jazz competition. Competition entrants upload video performances in as many of the seven jazz genre categories. Registrants vote for their favorite performances. Finalists are selected through a combination of online votes and the Competitions Board of Members and Judges, which is comprised of highly regarded jazz musicians. Lizs knowledge and expertise is a great addition at this time of substantial growth and innovation in our company, said Alicia Nelson, President, Media Operations. U.S. International Media (USIM), the fastest growing independent media management agency, announced today that Liz Kelly has been promoted to Executive Vice President, Broadcast Media Director. Kelly will oversee broadcast buying for the companys 22 offices. Lizs knowledge and expertise is a great addition at this time of substantial growth and innovation in our company, said Alicia Nelson, President, Media Operations. Liz and our exceptional buying team throughout the country are a tremendous asset to our clients as we continue pursuing new initiatives. Kellys experience is extensive. Prior to USIM, she was VP, Media at Media Design Group. Previously, Kelly worked at Zenith Media, KSL Media, Chiat Day, and Foote, Cone & Belding. Her vast client experience includes Alberstons, Apple, ARCO, Bacardi, City National Bank, Farmers Insurance, Friendlys, Frontier Communications, Guitar Center, Mazda, PetSmart, Pizza Hut, Porsche, Sizzler, Sparkletts, Toshiba, Uggs and Verizon. Im so proud of the team that weve developed at USIM, remarked Dennis Holt, USIMs Chairman/CEO. Liz is another example of our true talent and leadership. # # # About U.S. International Media U.S. International Media is the most diversified, fastest growing, independent, full-service media agency providing innovative media strategies, execution and results that cultivate and maximize our clients business with cutting edge media technology. USIM was founded in 2004 by media industry visionary, Dennis Holt, and currently has 22 local offices throughout the United States and Canada. USIM specializes in Media Research, Media Planning, Data Analytics, Local Broadcast and Cable, National Broadcast and Cable, Digital Media, Direct Response, Out-of-Home, Print, Direct Marketing, and Multicultural Media. USIM was recently named MediaPosts Programmatic Agency of the Year for 2015. zumBrunnen, Inc., an independent building consulting firm, is presenting an educational session at the LeadingAge North Carolina Conference & Trade Show being held May 10-13, 2016 in Myrtle Beach, SC. Representatives from zumBrunnen will also be exhibiting at booth #50 in the trade show area. The Art of Strategic Planning: John zumBrunnen, Founder and CEO of the firm, is one of three speakers presenting an educational session titled "The Art of Strategic Planning" on Thursday, May 12 from 3:15 4:15 PM. Other speakers include: Mario McKenzie, Principal, CliftonLarsonAllen LLP and David Lacy, President and CEO, Southminster Retirement Community. This session demonstrates how the Southminster executive team and the board worked with their financial and engineering consultants to model and identify strategic options from which a mission-based comprehensive strategic plan was developed. It was critical to their strategic planning process to conclusively answer important planning questions. What are the physical limitations and capital replacement needs of my community? What services and improvements are needed? What can we afford? About John zumBrunnen: John zumBrunnen is Founder and CEO of zumBrunnen, Inc., an independent construction and building consulting firm founded in 1989. zumBrunnen has a BS in mechanical engineering from the University of North Dakota, and he completed the US Army Corps of Engineers Training Program in 1972. He is a member of LeadingAge on both a national and state level, and he is also active in other professional associations. zumBrunnen has 40+ years of experience in construction, property assessment, development, and reserve budgeting. He is the inventor of the FacilityForecast software system and a respected author and speaker in the industry. About LeadingAge: LeadingAge is an association of over 6,000 not-for-profit organizations dedicated to expanding the world of possibilities for aging. LeadingAge strives to advance policies, promote practices and conduct research that supports, enables and empowers people to live fully as they age. LeadingAges members offer a continuum of aging services including: adult day services, home health, community services, senior housing, assisted living residences, continuing care retirement communities and nursing homes. For more information, please visit http://www.LeadingAge.org. About zumBrunnen, Inc.: zumBrunnen, Inc. was founded in 1989. With offices in Atlanta, GA, Charlotte, NC and Ft. Lauderdale, FL, the firm specializes in construction consulting, property condition assessments, facility condition assessments, long-range capital replacement budgets, reserve studies and other building-related services for a diverse list of national and select international clients. The firm is also recognized for their proprietary FacilityForecast Software System, a unique facilities condition assessment and budgeting tool designed to forecast and manage life term capital replacement expenses and to provide custom reserve funding plans designed to their client's business model. The firm has completed notable projects in a variety of market sectors including senior living, educational, multi-family, student housing, healthcare, institutional, mixed use, retail, office, warehouse, industrial, hospitality and public assembly. The firm is involved with numerous associations including LeadingAge (at a national level), LeadingAge North Carolina, LeadingAge Florida, LeadingAge Georgia, LeadingAge Illinois, Community Associations Institute Georgia (CAI-GA), Community Associations Institute North Carolina (CAI-NC), Community Associations Institute South Carolina (CAI-SC) and Community Associations Institute Southeast Florida (CAI-SEFL). For more information, please visit http://www.zumbrunnen.com. Past News Releases RSS Cares Community Health, a nonprofit Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC), today announced that the Board of Directors has appointed Christy Ward as Chief Executive Officer. Her first day at Cares will be Monday, May 23rd. Christy is a highly experienced and passionate primary care leader and comes to Cares with more than 20 years of experience, recently serving as the Primary Care Services Director (a position similar to Chief Operating Officer) for the Multnomah County Health Department in the Portland, Oregon metropolitan area. Under her leadership with Multnomah County, Christy has overseen more than 600 staff members at 21 FQHC sites that serve more than 45,000 patients at seven primary care health centers, an HIV primary care clinic, and thirteen school-based health centers. After an extensive nationwide CEO search, I am delighted that Christy jumped at the opportunity to join our team and lead the expansion of Cares in the Sacramento region while ensuring the long-term sustainability of our organization, said Richard SooHoo, Cares Community Health Board Chair. Christys strong focus on quality and clinical care combined with her longstanding service and passion to providing care to all regardless of their ability to pay make her the best fit for Cares during this time of unprecedented growth for our organization, Richard added. During her tenure at the Multnomah County Health Department, Christy has overseen and expanded access to care for thousands of patients, many from diverse, underserved, and uninsured populations, as well as overseen the hiring of over 100 new staff and medical providers to meet Oregons expanding health care needs in light of the federal Affordable Care Act. She has served in previous leadership positions at Kaiser Permanente in Oregon and at Oregon Health and Science University, understanding well the importance of community partnerships and collaborations with safety net clinics, regional health care organizations, and civic leaders. I am very excited and humbled to be joining Cares Community Health as its next CEO, said Christy Ward. During my discussions with Cares board members and senior staff, it became evident to me that those at Cares go far beyond just a name to truly encompass a compassionate way in which they approach caring for patients every day, said Christy. I was touched and drawn to being a part of the Cares team given the passion they have for the work they do and the service they provide, added Christy. Christys hire as Cares CEO comes at a pivotal time for Cares Community Health given the present expansion of its Downtown Sacramento clinic location and further outreach and growth in the broader Sacramento region. Up to and since receiving its FQHC designation from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in May 2015, Cares Community Health has more than doubled its patient population to presently more than 5,340. As a long-standing safety net provider in the Sacramento region for more than 25 years, Cares Community Health continues its commitment to providing quality, culturally competent primary care and reducing health disparities in diverse, underinsured, and uninsured populations. With nearly 227,000 individuals estimated to need access to primary care in the Sacramento region, Cares Community Health views itself as an essential regional partner collaborating with other community safety net clinics, health systems such as Sutter Health, the University of California, Davis, Medical Center, Kaiser Permanente, and Dignity Health, health care providers, regional foundations, and civic leaders to help serve the larger need in the Sacramento community so that all may live healthier, more productive lives. This is a very exciting time in the field of healthcare nationwide and I am truly looking forward to working with the Cares Board of Directors and all staff to take Cares to the next level as we continue to expand in Sacramento to deliver quality, patient-centered care to those who need it, said Christy. Christy earned her masters degree in communication and organizational leadership at Gonzaga University and her bachelors degree in health care administration at Ashford University. She is a licensed practical nurse and has served as a member of the Oregon Primary Care Association Board of Directors and the Oregon Health and Science University Family Medicine Board of Directors. Cares Community Health has a long history of public health service in the Sacramento community. Its roots were first established in 1989 as the Center for AIDS Research, Education and Services (CARES) to serve people living with HIV/AIDS. The four health systems--University of California, Davis, Medical Center; Sutter Health; Dignity Health, and, Kaiser Permanente--along with Sacramento County collaborated to form and support CARES during its early years in fighting the HIV/AIDS epidemic. In 2014, Cares Community Health launched the Equally Well Initiative with goals to strive to end new cases of HIV, reduce disparities experienced by the mentally ill, and help those without insurance obtain it to live healthier lives. More at carescommunityhealth.org. The Association of Strategic Alliance Professionals (ASAP), the worlds leading professional association dedicated to the practice of alliance management, partnering, and collaborations, announced the winners of the annual Alliance Excellence Awards presented at the 2016 Global Alliance Summit, Partnering Everywhere: Expert Leadership for the Ecosystem, March 14 at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center, National Harbor, Md. Nine finalists vied for the top spots in three categories: Alliance Program Excellence, Innovative Best Alliance Practice, and Individual Alliance Excellence Awards. In addition to presenting the annual Chapter Excellence Award, the association honored the New England Chapter and also unveiled three new awards to honor exemplary ASAP members who have provided extraordinary support to ASAP over the years: the ASAP Guiding Light Award and two ASAP Content Awards. The profession of partnering and alliance management is evolving and the future path needs to be determinedbut there is no better time to be an alliance manager, said Michael Leonetti, CSAP, president and CEO of ASAP, referring to the paradigm shift taking place as partnering expands across industries, sectors, and emerging business ecosystems. When we share and highlight best practices and learn from each other, part of the success worth recognizing is great behavior, Leonetti added during the awards ceremony on Wednesday, March 2. Alliance Program Excellence Award The Alliance Program Excellence Award is presented to organizations that have instilled the capability to consistently implement and manage alliance portfolios and demonstrated consistent success of those alliances over time. This years award went to Bayer for its Alliance Capability Enhancement Project, now in its fourth year. The project was lauded for its strong emphasis on collaborative capability and cultural development, deal-making and efficiency, new IT infrastructure, processes, and pilot programs. The focus of the Bayer program has been to move the culture to a partnering mindset. This is being accomplished through senior management engagement; creating awareness within the organization and recognition and value of the importance of partnership. Joseph Havrilla, senior vice president and global head of business development and licensing for Bayer Pharmaceuticals, received the award on behalf of Bayer. Innovative Best Alliance Practice Award National Instruments won the Innovative Best Alliance Practice Award, given to a company for individual alliance management tools or processes that have made an immediate and powerful impact on the organization and/or the discipline of alliance management. The company received the award for outstanding achievement of a best practice with its innovative partner directory that allows customer to search across the partnering ecosystem and access in-depth profiles of partner capabilities, certifications, ratings, and reviews from customers. Implementation included the creation of advanced search functions, markets, keywords, mapping, and other tools. As a result, the number of National Instruments partners grew from 600 to 1,000-plus over short time. On behalf of the Alliance Partner Network, we share this honor with our valued partners and NI sales and marketing teams. Without their hard work and commitment to success, we could not receive this recognition, said Armando Valim, director, NI global partner program. Individual Alliance Excellence Award International SOS and Control Risks won this years Individual Alliance Excellence Award, which is presented for excellence in planning, implementation, and results of a single alliance between two companies or multiple organizations. Their nearly seamless alliance changed the way the market perceives support and assistance of business travelers and expatriates. The formation of a joint venture resulted in significant benefits for both companies and their clients in terms of crisis management during emergencies such as the Ebola crisis, Arab Spring, and an evacuation of a clients 130-plus employees from Liberia. "Our on-going success is because we take nothing for granted. People at all levels in both International SOS and Control Risks from the chief executives to the people on the frontline work hard to ensure our clients have the support, advice and expertise they require when they need it most, said John Maltby, director, group strategy of alliances at Control Risks. We share a common passion for professional excellence and innovation as well as a total commitment to harness the extraordinary advances in digital technology that are now available. Tim Daniel, group executive vice president of International SOS, added, We founded an alliance that was based on a clear market need. We then worked hard to ensure that the services of both companies were tightly aligned and that the service to our clients was completely seamless. We sit side-by-side to deliver medical and travel security expertise to our clients. New Awards Recognize Individual and Company Volunteers The awards ceremony then turned to individuals and companies contributions as ASAP volunteers. Jan Twombly, CSAP, ASAP chairman of programming, and president of The Rhythm of Business, received a standing ovation by several hundred cheering attendees when presented with the new ASAP Guiding Light Award to for her exceptional, selfless commitment to ASAP, exemplary leadership, and hundreds of volunteer hours driving program development for the annual Summit and BioPharma conferences for the past four years. Leonetti then announced the winners of the two new ASAP Content Awards, first to Eli Lilly and Company and David Thompson, CA-AM, chief alliance officer, for their dedication to ASAP from the earliest days of the association through workshops, extensive volunteer time, and Lillys consistent editorial content in, and support of, Strategic Alliance Magazine. The second Content Award recognized Xerox Worldwide and Russ Buchanan, head of corporate alliances and ASAP chairman emeritus, and Candido Arreche, global director of portfolio & management for their exceptional guidance, volunteer time, and dynamic workshops. The annual ASAP Chapter Excellence Award was presented to the ASAP New England Chapter, and accepted by another ASAP luminary volunteer, Becky Lockwood, global board member and two-time president of the New England Chapter, for going above and beyond alignment with ASAPs vision, said Leonetti. The seven-member ASAP Alliance Excellence Awards committee is chaired by Annlouise Goodermuth, CSAP, of Sanofi. About ASAP The Association of Strategic Alliance Professionals (ASAP) is the only professional association dedicated to elevating and promoting the profession of alliance management and partnerships. Founded in 1998, the organization provides professional development, networking and resources for cultivating the skills and toolsets needed to manage successful business partnerships. ASAPs professional certifications include the Certificate of Achievement-Alliance Management (CA-AM) and Certified Strategic Alliance Professional (CSAP). Active global members include AbbVie, Astellas, AstraZeneca, Bayer, Capgemini, Cisco, Citrix, Covance, Dell, Eli Lilly and Company, HealthCore, Huawei, IBM, INC Research, JanssenPharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson, Merck, Mission Pharmacal, NetApp, Novartis, Plantronics, Sanofi, SAS, Schneider Electric, Takeda, Verizon, VMware, The Warren Company, and Xerox. A complete list of global members is available at http://www.strategic-alliances.org. Istuary Innovation Group (Istuary) announced today its Platinum Sponsorship of Invest Ottawas 4th annual AccelerateOTT event on May 5, 2016. The event is Ottawas premier gathering for tech companies of all sizes, bringing together innovators, creators and inventors. It will be the strongest speaker list to date, featuring leaders who have driven the success of major international brands such as Netflix, Etsy, Kijiji, Squarespace, Shopify and more. Over 400 participants with backgrounds in business, technology, venture capital, and entrepreneurial mentorship are expected. Istuary is a Canadian innovation firm based in Vancouver, BC, who has recently opened a Toronto office and is also planning to launch offices in Waterloo and Ottawa this year. The company specializes in launching technologies and companies into rapidly growing markets, and in particular, China. Istuary has been a strong supporter of the entrepreneurial community in Canada through its pitch competitions, event sponsorships, internship and educational exchange programs, in addition to its core businesses units: Innovation Labs, Venture Capital and Idea Labs. The company is continuing its rapid expansion across Canada after hosting a series of recruitment events in April, and is looking to expand its Canadian presence aggressively by over 25%. Hugh Chow, CEO of Istuary said, We have received tremendous support from Invest Ottawa in accessing talent and establishing our office in Ottawa, and we are excited to be part of and support this thriving tech community. When the opportunity to sponsor AccelerateOTT arose, we saw a natural fit. Bruce Lazenby, CEO of Invest Ottawa added, AccelerateOTT truly fuels the entrepreneurial spirit of our innovation economy. Ottawas tech ecosystem has nearly 68,000 people working in over 1750 companies. We are pleased Istuary is now helping us celebrate and grow that ecosystem. To learn more about AccelerateOTT, please visit http://www.accelerateott.ca. About Istuary Innovation Group Istuary cultivates innovation into businesses and launches them into fast growing markets. The company acts as a platform to connect innovative talent with resources to develop successful companies geared for global markets. Istuary is comprised of three business units: Innovation Labs, Venture Capital, and Idea Labs. These business units work in synergy to nurture and commercialize innovation. In partnership with entrepreneurs and innovators, Istuary transforms ideas into reality by utilizing capital, R&D, and business expertise. Istuary was founded in Vancouver, BC in 2013 and now employs over 600 professionals and partners in Canada, USA and China. Learn more at http://www.istuary.com. Rex Ray Says founder John McDonald, Were collaborating with eight amazing artists and bringing their unique vision to our doors. PRINT combines Semihandmades trademark high-quality wood veneers with cutting-edge ink-jet technology. Doors are available for select Ikea bathroom, media and console cabinets. PRINT will make its formal debut at the International Contemporary Furniture Fair in New York this May. Says founder John McDonald, Were collaborating with eight amazing artists and bringing their unique vision to our doors. PRINT adds an entirely different dimension and texture to furniture. Featured artists include 33 Stewart Avenue, Erik Abel, Art of Board, Lisa Congdon, Mirth Studio, Elizabeth Olwen, Eloise Renouf and Rex Ray. All of them have backgrounds working with some of the biggest names in retail; were thrilled to add Semihandmade to that list. The doors have a six-week lead-time and are priced in the premium range. In addition to ICFF, Semihandmade will exhibit PRINT at Dwell on Design in Los Angeles in June and at IDS West in Vancouver in September. The company is also expanding its brand by opening mini-showrooms inside WeWorks in Chicago, Pasadena, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Seattle and San Francisco. About Semihandmade Started in 2011, Semihandmade makes doors that fit IKEA cabinets. Though unaffiliated with Ikea, the company has completed close to 4000 kitchen, bathroom, closet and media projects throughout the US and Canada and opened showrooms in Burbank and Palm Springs, CA. In 2015, Semihandmade was named to Inc. Magazines list of the 500 fastest-growing private companies in the US. For more information, visit http://www.semihandmadedoors.com. ICFF/May 14-17, 2016/Jacob Javits Center, NY/Booth #1844 Media Contact and Booth Appointments: Carol VanderKloot ckloot(at)hotmail(dot)com 917.670.8898 Aix-en-Provence, France, MAY 4th, 2016. Softway Medical announces a partnership agreement signed with SightCall, the California based startup specialized in visual support tools. Softway Medical's software customized for health institutions and radiology clinics will now include new interactive video chat features. Softway Medical's objective is to facilitate communications and thereby provide a tool for greater collaboration between healthcare specialists discussing a patient's case. Sharing a common vision of customer satisfaction As active Cloud players, Softway Medical and SightCall have many common points. Sherley Brothier, Technical Director at Softway Medical, explains the reasons of this partnership: "SightCall has a unique expertise in visual interactions, applied to a wide variety of fields such as telemedicine, support services and insurance. We perceived its know-how as the most advanced on the market. Its technical solution adapts seamlessly to our medical IT. Moreover, we share a common challenge: deliver products to fit best our users' needs with a collaborative approach". Thomas Cottereau, SightCall CEO, claims: "After number of implementations in many healthcare and teleconsultation solutions throughout the US, I am delighted to partake in a promising roll out on the French market. Softway Medical's solutions benefit up to 380,000 users! Healthcare practitioners are going to love working with these new features to collaborate remotely and more efficiently." Strengthening medical cooperation for improved patient healthcare Softway Medical's solutions will include a chat feature, thus enabling users to dialogue more seamlessly with other departments. Discussions can be lead on a one-to-one basis or one-to-many, in order to share information and experience with a more collaborative decision making process. Video or screen sharing features as well as file transferring promote a stronger interaction among practitioners. Medical records or X-rays can be sent directly via a link, without looking for them. For Jean Baptiste Franceschini, Marketing Director at Softway Medical, "This partnership meets perfectly our desire to use innovation to help healthcare professionals thrive. Our objective is to provide them with the best tools for gathering information, thus offering top notch service to patients. Besides, French healthcare regional empowerment widens furthermore the field of possibilities and expectations. This partnership is ideally aligned with our strategy." The final objective is to integrate SightCall's technology into the various mobile apps provided by Softway Medical to healthcare practitioners. Softway Medical is to introduce SightCall's solution at the HIT exhibition held in Paris from May 24 to 26. About SOFTWAY MEDICAL: Founded in 2006, SOFTWAY MEDICAL is a French company based in Meyreuil. It is specialized in publishing and integrating information systems for the healthcare industry. It seeks to improve healthcare by providing healthcare players with innovative and high performance solutions. Over 600 clinics and hospitals, 77,000 computerized beds and 1,200 radiology organizations have selected these tools. With its "Health data host" certified status, Softway Medical provides such offers via a private Cloud. Ranked for the 6th year in-a-row by Truffle 100 among France's top 50 software companies, SOFTWAY MEDICAL has a headcount exceeding 280 employees throughout the country. More than 20% of its revenue is allocated to R&D. About SightCall: Since it was founded in 2008, SightCall has been developing a new visual interaction model. The idea is pretty straightforward: a support or insurance agent, a technical expert, a doctor or a financial advisor are equipped to see the same image as the other person on the line, with a live video chat. As they share the same context, discussions are not purposeless and advice is better targeted. Leveraging the WebRTC technology and using a Cloud infrastructure, SightCall provides its customers with a SaaS software solution. Friendly, helpful staff, and tastings! From 4PM-7PM, Thursday, May 5th, through Saturday, May 7th, Stonewall Wine & Spirits, located at 1284 Dryden Rd, Ithaca, will welcome the public and press to its Grand Opening. The store will feature tastings of Finger Lakes wines as well as staff favorites from other regions. Light food will also be provided each day during the tastings, while supplies last. Special discounts will be offered on multiple items throughout the weekend, and coupons for future visits will be offered. Stonewall Wine & Spirits was created by Erik Newlin, a familiar face in Ithaca wine retail. Erik spent several years managing another Ithaca store, where he enjoyed the friendship and camaraderie offered by customers. As such, he decided to start his own store, focusing on friendly service, diversity of inventory, customer rewards, and tastings to promote discussion & interaction. Says Mr. Newlin, The greater Ithaca area is a very strongly bonded community; it really does feel like family. Personal relationships with local customers, and everything I've learned and gained from them, are the reasons why I've devoted my life to retail. This community boasts a rare level of knowledge about wine and spirits, and an even rarer appreciation for selections that aren't yet on mainstream radar, so I'm very excited to open my shop here! Stonewall Wine & Spirits is a new retail wine shop, having opened on 4/26/16. It is staffed by team members who share Erik's passion for the industry, and his vision for a customer-service-driven store. The store features diverse selection, a robust rewards program, and experiential education for staff & consumers alike. To learn more, please visit us at http://www.facebook.com/stonewallspirits or call us at (607) 339-0200. ### Partnering with IU29 to provide school districts with the all tools required to drive achievement for every student is a truly unique offering in Pennsylvania. Software Answers, Inc., provider of ProgressBook, a K-12 student information and learning management platform, announced today that it has partnered with Schuylkill Intermediate Unit 29 to provide Pennsylvania School Districts with a single comprehensive Student Platform. The new partnership brings a unique blend of student technology from ProgressBook and the instructional design, support and service of IU29. The single platform made up of a Student Information System, State Reporting, Gradebook, Learning Management System and Data Analytics modules provides even further benefit to the School Districts when it is coupled with the support and service expertise of IU29. It has always been our goal to close the gap between administrative functions and student/classroom information in order to promote improved outcomes in student achievement. said Scott Miller, Chief Business Development Officer and co-founder of Software Answers. Partnering with IU29 to provide the district with the all tools required to drive achievement for every student is a truly unique offering in Pennsylvania. Dr. Diane Niederriter, Executive Director of Schuylkill Intermediate Unit 29, added: Not only can we offer the ProgressBook Suite, but we can also offer the same level of service that our districts have come to expect from IU29. Dr. Niederritier added that IU29 will be hosting the ProgressBook Suite on the PAIUnet, a statewide, high-speed educational network that enables educators and students throughout Pennsylvania to create, communicate, collaborate and share valuable resources to enhance student learning thus providing a same stable and secure network to provide reliable service and protect students data. ### About Software Answers, Inc. Software Answers, innovators of ProgressBook, is a premier provider of solutions that support student/classroom management and academic achievement for K-12 school districts. Single sign-on ProgressBook Suite serves the entire school community administrators, teachers, students and parents with six fully-integrated modules. Used by more than 750 schools nationwide, including 71% of the Ohio public schools, ProgressBook Suite includes: StudentInformation, GradeBook, ParentAccess, SpecialServices, DataMap, and VirtualClassroom. The company is headquartered in Brecksville, Ohio, a suburb of Cleveland. For more information, visit http://www.Software-Answers.com. About Schuylkill Intermediate Unit 29 Schuylkill Intermediate Unit 29 (IU29) is an educational service agency, one of twenty-nine in Pennsylvania, created by the State Legislature in 1972. IU29 coordinates services for Schuylkill County schools. The main services include special education, vocational education, Continuing Professional Education, Curriculum Services, Instructional Materials Services, Educational Planning, Pupil Personnel Services, and Federal and State Liaison responsibilities. IU29 is located in Mar Lin, Pennsylvania, located near Pottsville. Information on all of their services can be found at http://www.iu29.org. For information on ProgressBook in Pennsylvania, contact ProgressBook(at)iu29(dot)org. By empowering our children to recognize, celebrate, and share the gifts that other cultures offer we will positively impact the thinking of the next generation. Sonia Smith-Kang Multiracial Americans of Southern California (MASC), a 5013 non-profit organization dedicated to educating, supporting, and advocating for the multicultural community, multiracial, biracial, and trans-racially adopted people and families for over 25+ years announced details for Race and Diversity Conversations with our Children event to be held on May 21st, 2016. The event will be held at World City Center nestled in the historic West Adams District of Los Angeles. This event will draw attendees from all over Los Angeles, for a panel discussion on how and when to begin speaking with children about race. Event attendees will be provided with conversation starters, helpful information, and educational resources to empower attendees and the children in their lives to talk about family heritage. We strive to empower our children to recognize, celebrate, and share the gifts that other cultures offer and thereby positively impact the thinking of the next generation. In order to do that, we need to provide Parents, Caregivers, and Teachers the appropriate resources and tools to do so. Says Sonia Smith-Kang, MASC Vice-President, Blogger, and Founder of Mixed Up Clothing a fashion brand the Celebrates Cultural Diversity. WHERE: World City Center 3911 W. Adams Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90018 WHEN: Saturday, May 21, 2016 from 1:00 PM to 4:30 PM (PDT) Please arrive at 12:30. PLUS: Bring the kids! World City Center will provide fun childcare activities during the seminar! Discussion Panel: Michelle Maltais: Biracial mother of two multiracial children. Deputy Director of Audience Engagement at the Los Angeles Times. Walter Thompson-Hernandez: Creator of the popular Instagram account @BlaxicansOfLA, focusing on the impacts of interracial mixing between African Americans and Latinos in South Los Angeles. Audrey Ritchie: Fashion Model, Body Positive Advocate, Transracial Adoptee of Puerto Rican, Mexican, and African American decent. Grace Hwang: Second generation Taiwanese American, creator of HapaMama.com as a place to share the experiences that are unique to mixed-race Asian American families. Sonia Smith-Kang - Moderator: Designer / Founder of Mixed Up Clothing, an ethnic-inspired childrens fashion brand that celebrates global diversity and inclusion. Famed blogger on the Mixed Up blog, regular contributor to The Huffington Post and Modern Mom Magazine. Interracially married multiracial person and mother of four. For more information and to purchase tickets: http://www.eventbrite.com/e/race-and-diversity-conversations-with-our-children-tickets-24470084682 Please note: Tickets must be purchased in advance of this event as seating is limited, reserve your spot today! Special thanks to our sponsors: World City Center, CurlyKids HairCare "Custard for Kids" sold exclusively at Walmart, AquaBall Drink, SkinnyPop Popcorn, and Happy Family Brands. Today at its Annual Technology & Business Conference, NCPDP presented its 2016 Champion Award to Charles D. Pulido, R.Ph., Co-Founder of NCPDP and member of the NCPDP Foundation Board of Trustees; and Tricia Lee Wilkins, Pharm.D., M.S., Ph.D., Pharmacy Advisor and Health IT Specialist, Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC). NCPDPs Champion Award recognizes outstanding accomplishments or work to improve patient care by actively supporting NCPDP members and its initiatives. As a founding leader of NCPDP, Charlie Pulido was instrumental in laying the foundation for NCPDPs solutions-building process, explained Lee Ann Stember, President of NCPDP. As a member of NCPDP for nearly 40 years, he has been a great ambassador for the organization and the solutions we bring to healthcare. When the NCPDP Foundation was established, he became a founding member of the Board of Trustees. Champion Award recipient, Tricia Lee Wilkins, Pharm.D., M.S., Ph.D., Pharmacy Advisor and Health IT Specialist, Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology, has long been a supporter of NCPDPs efforts to standardize the exchange of healthcare information to improve outcomes. Stember cited Wilkins efforts with the ONCs S&I Framework initiative on PDMP & Health IT Integration, her collaboration in support of the NCPDP/ONC Cooperative Agreement, and her participation in NCPDP work group meetings. Stember continued, As a featured speaker for NCPDPs 2015 Educational Summit, Tricia Lee Wilkins spoke passionately about the alignment of NCPDPs work with ONC goals. NCPDPs 2016 Annual Technology and Business Conference continues with another full day of programming and networking events on May 4, 2016, at the Westin Kierland Resort & Spa in Scottsdale, Arizona. For real-time updates before and during the conference, follow us at http://twitter.com/ncpdp or join the discussion using the hashtag: #NCPDP16. For high resolution photos of NCPDP Champion Award recipients, Charles D. Pulido, R.Ph. and Tricia Lee Wilkins, Pharm.D., M.S., Ph.D., visit: https://www.flickr.com/photos/ncpdp/. About NCPDP Founded in 1977, NCPDP is a not-for-profit, ANSI-accredited, Standards Development Organization with approximately 1,500 members representing virtually every sector of the pharmacy services industry. Our diverse membership provides leadership and healthcare business solutions through education and standards, created using the consensus building process. NCPDP has been named in federal legislation, including HIPAA, MMA, and HITECH. NCPDP members have created standards such as the Telecommunication Standard and Batch Standard, the SCRIPT Standard for ePrescribing, the Manufacturers Rebate Standard and more to improve communication within the pharmacy industry. Our data products include dataQ, a robust database of information on more than 76,000 pharmacies, and HCIdea, an innovative prescriber database that provides continually updated information on more than two million prescribers. NCPDP's RxReconn is a legislative tracking product for real-time monitoring of pharmacy-related state and national legislative and regulatory activity. For more information about NCPDP Standards, Data Services, Products, Educational Programs and Work Group meetings, go online at http://www.ncpdp.org or call (480) 477-1000. ### "Expo has been covering myriad touchpoints along the path for some time now, so it made sense to give it a more encompassing name." The worlds largest gathering of shopper and retail marketing professionals, the Path to Purchase Expo, returns (after a two-year stint in Minneapolis) to the Chicago area on September 20-22, 2016, at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, Ill. Formerly known as the Shopper Marketing Conference & Expo, the Path to Purchase Expo (http://www.Path2PurchaseExpo.com) is the leading conference and exposition for brand manufacturers and retailers interested in marketing to shoppers, driving retail traffic and closing sales. Produced by the Path to Purchase Institute (http://www.p2pi.org), the P2P Expo attracts nearly 4,000 consumer product marketers, retail chain partners, agencies (shopper marketing, advertising and promotion) and other solution providers (digital, mobile, research, insights and P-O-P design firms). All contribute to the strategic executions that drive retail sales along the path, both in-store and online. The new name better aligns this 20-year-old conference and trade shows programming with this unusually dynamic business niche. The name Path to Purchase Expo represents evolutionary, not revolutionary, change, said Institute CEO Peter Hoyt. Expo has been covering myriad touchpoints along the path for some time now, so it made sense to give it a more encompassing name that includes not just the shopper marketing discipline but all components that influence consumer goods decision-making. The 2016 Expo will also receive support from Stagnito Business Information + Edgell Communications (http://www.stagnito-edgell.com), recently acquired along with the Institute by RFE Investment Partners. Stagnito + Edgell will contribute to an Expo symposium and distribute information on-site through its key brands: Progressive Grocer, Retail Leader, Convenience Store News, Store Brands, RIS News and Consumer Goods Technology a business intelligence portfolio with a combined audience of 200,000+ retailers, retail suppliers and technology vendors. Our collaboration with the Path to Purchase Institute creates a business resource thats the pre-eminent authority on the retail product lifecycle, said Kollin Stagnito, CEO and President of Stagnito + Edgell. With the combination of these organizations under one umbrella, the Expo becomes part of an enterprise that encompasses all aspects of the CPG business, from product creation, marketing and distribution to category management, retail merchandising and point-of-sale. The Donald E. Stephens Convention Center, located in Rosemont just minutes from Chicago OHare International airport, offers convenient access for both local and out-of-state attendees. Chicagos massive concentration of brand manufacturers and retailers are supported by a plethora of industry partners agencies, digital, mobile and social media providers, and merchandising experts, said Hoyt. We experienced great success in Minneapolis and grew engagement with the large retail, CPG and shopper community there. We expect that new audience to follow Expo back to Chicago. Expos educational program features half-day symposium workshops, 50 seminars and a tradeshow floor with more than 120 exhibitors. A wide scope of topics, technologies and trends will be explained, demod and debated, both in classroom and show-floor settings, including digital marketing, ROI measurement, insights, mobile, social media, merchandising, loyalty programs, displays, in-store media and e-commerce solutions. Registration for the Path to Purchase Expo will open in mid-May at http://www.Path2PurchaseExpo.com. A full agenda and speaker lineup will be available online. What: Path to Purchase Expo When: September 20-22, 2016 Where: Donald E. Stephens Convention Center, Rosemont, IL Who: 4,000 consumer product marketers, retailers, agencies and digital / mobile / research / insights / P-O-P solution providers Why: A forum for topics, technologies and trends that influence consumer goods purchase decisions along the path to purchase. Exhibiting questions: Contact Quan Tran, 773-992-4464; qtran(at)p2pi(dot)org New logo available for download at: http://www.path2purchaseexpo.com About the Path to Purchase Institute The Path to Purchase Expo is an official event of the Path to Purchase Institute (http://www.p2pi.org), a global association serving the needs of retailers, brands and the entire ecosystem of solution providers along the path to purchase. The Institute champions shopper-centric thinking and practice that help define the ongoing evolution of consumer marketing and the overall shopping experience. ProStar We expect that the move will improve all aspects of our solution deployment including: access, availability, disaster readiness, scalability and security. ProStar Geocorp (ProStar) announced today it has entered into an agreement with Microsoft to deploy its industry leading Geospatial Intelligence Software on Microsoft Azure. As part of the agreement, ProStar has moved its entire solutions platform, including Transparent Earth software-as-a-service (SaaS), from Rackspace onto the Microsoft Azure cloud platform. ProStar is best known for providing its award-winning cloud and mobile asset management systems to the pipeline and utility industries. "I am very pleased we selected Microsoft Azure after evaluating all public cloud offerings and that today we can finally announce we have officially completed the 'lift & shift' to Microsoft's cloud," said Peter Forster ProStar's Chief Technology Officer. Mr. Forster went on to say, "We expect that the move will improve all aspects of our solution deployment including: access, availability, disaster readiness, scalability and security. We believe ProStar's Solutions leveraging Microsoft Azure's capabilities is a big win for both companies. It provides the energy industry with superior cloud and mobile solutions designed to address operational efficiencies including disparate and fragmented systems that have plagued the industry for years. Prostar's deployment and commercialization could prove timely as companies will now be able to utilize modern technology to streamline operations, reduce costs and improve regulatory concerns." As part of the arrangement, ProStar plans to create new experiences for clients using Microsoft products to support the Cloud First Mobile First initiative. This is key for Microsoft, since ProStar is supporting organizations in the energy industry, many of which still manage their own data centers through on-premise systems. ProStar agrees to provide applications to support its geospatial intelligent solutions in what is commonly known as a hybrid cloud environment, therefore, driving the incentive and motivation for companies to upgrade technologies and utilize cloud and mobile options such as Azure. According to Suren Machiraju, a member of the Azure Engineering Team and author of Hardening Azure Applications, ProStar was very keen on leveraging a much tighter integration with several Microsoft solutions including PowerBI, SharePoint, Office 365 and Bing Maps, which are familiar and intuitive software solutions that will now seamlessly integrate with ProStar's Solutions and can easily be leveraged throughout the industry. In many ways, there are plenty of public cloud providers that appear to offer similar solutions; however, ProStar took note of several key factors that clearly differentiated the Microsoft Azure cloud. For instance, Azure has data centers located in both Canada and the US, which is important for ProStar and the multinational companies it serves that have concerns over data sovereignty rules. In addition, the Azure platform is now available in five continents and well over 140 countries which will serve ProStar very well as it increases its operations without any concerns or limitations to scaling, sustainment and deployment. About the ProStar Geocorp: ProStar Geocorp provides Geospatial Intelligence Software to the pipeline and utility industry. ProStars Solutions, in addition to providing unprecedented geospatial intelligence, also integrate the fragmented and disparate systems that currently plague the industry. ProStars Transparent Earth Software as a Service is deployed on the world's most advanced and secure cloud and mobile platforms and the architecture includes proven open source solutions, REST-ful and Web API enabled services that enable seamless integration to legacy systems. About Microsoft Azure: Microsoft Azure is a cloud computing platform that gives customers the choice and flexibility to move existing applications to the cloud or develop new ones using the language and/or platform of their choice. We support popular standards and protocols including SOAP, REST and XML. Developers can use their preferred programming frameworks including 5 that are available - .Net, Java, PHP, Python and Node.js. Client libraries for Windows client, Linux and Mac are available on the SDK side. Microsoft Azures comprehensive set of cloud computing solutions span the platform, application, infrastructure layers providing the customer the ability to transition to the cloud on their terms, using it for private and public cloud services. For more information, visit Microsoft Azure or follow us on Twitter @Azure. Both Courtney and Dan have a record of success delivering measurable performance improvement results for their healthcare clients. We are excited to welcome them to the Catalyst leadership team. Catalyst Healthcare Advisors, a consulting firm for hospitals and health systems, expanded their executive team with two new hires, Dan Murry as vice president of technology consulting and Courtney Condon as vice president of sales. The addition of Murry and Condon extends Catalysts performance improvement capabilities in healthcare information technology strategy, system selection, implementation, optimization, integration and meaningful use. Previously senior vice president of strategy and partnerships for Leidos Health, Murry brings 36 years of healthcare technology and management experience to Catalysts team of performance improvement experts. Im excited to be part of a culture that supports growth and innovation, said Murry. Catalyst combines high quality solutions for todays healthcare challenges with the flexibility and creativity to support the future needs of the healthcare industry. Condon also brings valuable healthcare technology expertise. Prior to joining Catalyst, Condon served in sales leadership positions at Leidos Health (formerly SAIC), maxIT Healthcare, Merck & Co. (formerly Schering Plough) and Oracle Corporation. Catalysts performance improvement results are the best in the industry, said Condon. I look forward to delivering rapid, effective IT and operational solutions to providers as they navigate todays changing reimbursement models. Stephen Furry, chief executive officer of Catalyst, added, Both Courtney and Dan have a record of success delivering measurable performance improvement results for their healthcare clients. We are excited to welcome them to the Catalyst leadership team. In addition to the executive team, Catalyst is backed by seasoned senior advisors. The advisors, who bring more than 40+ years of industry experience and expertise, include: Jean Balgrosky, PhD, RHIA Co-founder of Bootstrap Incubation, CIO of MD Revolution, former CIO for Scripps Health and Trinity Health System; Amy Furry Co-founder of Catalyst, former program director for My Health Care Manager, medical strategy consultant for Ford Motor Company, and director of marketing and product development for WellPoint (now Anthem); Parker Hinshaw Co-founder of Bootstrap Incubation and founder of maxIT (now Leidos Health). About Catalyst Healthcare Advisors: Catalyst Healthcare Advisors delivers transformational performance improvement and financial results for hospitals and healthcare systems. Catalyst consultants work collaboratively with clients to implement operational and financial solutions that drive rapid, measurable and sustainable results. Service areas include revenue cycle, supply chain, information technology, clinical effectiveness, workforce deployment, revenue growth & strategy, management services and governance. Project teams are comprised of senior healthcare executives and functional specialists with extensive clinical, operational, financial and technical backgrounds. Catalyst has a proven track record, with an average of at least 4:1 ROI in the first 12 months. Previous clients include Yale New Haven Health System, Baylor Health Care System and Indiana University Health. For more information, visit catalysthealthcareadvisors.com. Carl Warren & Company, an employee-owned Third Party Administrator, announced today that Jeanette Hernandez has joined the company as Chief Operating Officer, where she will lead operational efficiency of tools, systems and processes. Jeanette joins Carl Warren after six years as the Vice President/Director of Claims Operations at State Auto Insurance. Jeanette is a seasoned executive with over two decades of experience in the insurance industry. Throughout her career, she has a history of measured success developing key performance metrics, training and audit programs and creating high performing claims teams that provide excellent customer service and claim quality. She has a strong background in planning, directing and evaluating corporate claims operations in relation to strategic objectives in order to create improved shareholder returns. Jeanette will be based out of Carl Warrens headquarters in Placentia, California. CEO of Carl Warren, Tom Boylan, stated, Jeanette brings a truly complementary perspective to Carl Warren. She is an accomplished business leader with a track record for driving growth and profitability. Her operational acumen and strategic vision will undoubtedly help us meet our ambitious growth plans. The creation of this role is in line with our efforts to increase effectiveness across our operations and to foster better communications across teams, all while sustaining our companys exceptional culture. This is an exciting time to join Carl Warren. With a diverse client base and top talent, the company has a strong foundation to accomplish its strategic goals, said Hernandez. I look forward to working with the leadership team to assist in positioning Carl Warren for growth and enhance operational excellence. About Carl Warren Carl Warren is a national, employee-owned Third Party Administrator that specializes in liability, workers compensation, and property claims management and subrogation services for private corporations, public entities, insurance companies, and captives nationwide. Find out more at http://www.carlwarren.com. The Shore Power System represents a giant leap forward for the Port and the community. The Port of Hueneme launched the second phase of its Grid-Connected Shore Power System, celebrating another next step forward in reducing air emissions and minimizing environmental impact. Among the community leaders attending the ribbon cutting were Congresswoman Julia Brownley, County Supervisor Kathy Long, Ms. Sabiha Khan with Senator Dianne Feinsteins office, Port Hueneme Mayor Douglas Breeze, and VCTC chairman Keith Millhouse. By connecting to the Ports Grid-Based Shore Power System, refrigerated cargo vessels calling the Port can shut down their auxiliary marine engines and operate on shore power in lieu of diesel fuel dramatically reduce greenhouse gas emissions. "The Port of Hueneme is an essential economic driver to our region and I am proud to have worked with community stakeholders and port leaders to support the grant for Phase II of the Shore Power Project, said Congresswoman Julia Brownley. This project is a win for improving our environment, growing our local economy, and increasing the competitiveness of the port in the international marketplace. Supervisor Long said, The Port of Huenemes continued environmental leadership in successfully implementing significant projects, such as this Shore Power System, have direct benefits on the community that surrounds the Port and throughout the region. The Port of Huenemes project represents a giant leap forward for the Port and the community, said Port CEO and Director Kristin Decas. Over the lifetime of this project (30 years), annual emissions from refrigerated cargo vessels also known as 'reefer vessels' will be significantly reduced. Anticipated reductions include a 92% reduction in PM, 98% reduction in NOx, and a 55% reduction in greenhouse gasses. Environmental sustainability is a top priority for the Port and this largest emissions reduction project in county history represents our commitment to being a good neighbor by being a strong environmental steward, said Port Commission President Dr. Manuel Lopez. Ventura County Transportation Commission Chairman, Keith Millhouse said, VCTC and the Port have long been partners when it comes to safe and efficient freight movement, and now with the VCTC contribution of $1.7 million in federal funds for transportation and air quality purposes committed to the Shore Power project, we are pleased to be partners for clean air as well. Phase I of the Shore Power system went online in April 2014, demonstrating the systems ability to provide a reliable, steady source of power for ships at berth. It has been successfully used by ships from such companies as Del Monte Fresh and Hamburg Sud which carries products for Chiquita Fresh. Mike Villegas with the Ventura county Air Quality control District said, The Port of Hueneme and all its staff should be commended for their commitment to implementing this Shore Power project. By utilizing grid electricity instead of the auxiliary engines on these vessels the port is not only reducing emissions of nitrogen oxides which form smog, but they are reducing emissions of diesel particulate matter and providing a public health benefit to their neighbors. With the passage of AB 32 by the state assembly, programs were put in place mandating that refrigerated cargo vessels, called reefer vessels reduce greenhouse gas emissions for their ships at berth while in California ports. The major financial contributors for this project include the Ventura County Transportation Commission; the California Air Resources Board with proposition 1b funding; the Ventura County Air Quality Control District, providing grants for engineering; and Wells Fargo and Commercial Clearing House with a cash infusion from the Ports New Market Tax Credit transaction. About the Port The Port of Hueneme is one of the most productive and efficient commercial trade gateways for niche cargo on the West Coast. The Port is governed by 5 locally elected Port Commissioners. The Port moves $9 billion in goods each year and consistently ranks among the top ten U.S. ports for automobiles and fresh produce. Port operations support the community by bringing $1.1 billion in economic activity and creating 10,226 trade-related jobs. Trade through the Port of Hueneme generates more than $69 million in annual state and local taxes which funds vital community services. It is very reassuring to talk with science fair students and judge their projectsthese kids are bright, inquisitive, and creative and are developing real aptitude for science. A total of 72 Riverside County students received gold medals at the 34th annual Inland Science and Engineering Fair held April 5-6 in Riverside. Fifty gold medal recipients will advance to the state Science Fair to be held May 23-24 at the California Science Center in Los Angeles. Just over 800 total projects were judged on their scientific merit as a true showcase of student innovation: robots, prototypes, tools to help fight climate change and cancer all researched, built, and designed by the next generation of America's scientists and innovators. The top science, technology, engineering and math students from across the inland four counties of San Bernardino, Inyo, Mono and Riverside aimed to show the judges how they are going to change the future of the world. The road to the upcoming California State Science Fair starts in middle and high schools all around the state. Students compete to advance from their school-level fairs to a regional fair, and then to the statewide event. Notre Dame High School will be represented for the first time at this years state science fair. The private high school with a strong STEM focus is a private high school in Riverside and participated in the regional fair for the first time this year. Shayle Gupta, a freshman, competed in the senior category with his project, In Search of the Ideal Protection for Humans from Physiologic Burns: Analysis of Ultraviolet Radiation Protective Agents. The Notre Dame student was identified as having great confidence in communicating and a strong ability to have ease with his very advanced material. Gupta reports that his motivation for this project came from both scientific curiosity as well as a personal tragedy of having his grandmother pass away from cancer. He was supported by the science and technology faculty at Notre Dame High School and by Principal Matt Luttringer who allowed him to attend the science fair so that he could compete against over 800 students. Shayle was awarded the Gold medal in his senior category and will be part of the team representing Riverside later this month in Los Angeles. As the medals were presented at the Fox Theater on last month, Riverside County Office of Education officials said, It is very reassuring to talk with science fair students and judge their projectsthese kids are bright, inquisitive, and creative and are developing real aptitude for science." Our aim is to help manage the space between formulating a plan or a journey and its satisfactory resolution. This means providing context, actionable information and advice to our clients in order to help them operate. Bradley Allan, CEO of A&A Commercial risk intelligence and forecasting is an industry that has long been dominated by large British and U.S. concerns. Now, there is a new player this time from the dynamic East. Hong Kongs Allan & Associates (A&A), a leading security and crisis management consultancy, has launched an updated range of advisory and analysis services that offers a fresh perspective on global risks. The A2 Global Information Service provides a spectrum of indicators, maps and warnings to alert its clients to events that could disrupt, compromise or endanger their commercial interests and personnel. It offers advice on how to mitigate these threats, in both the immediate and strategic outlook, drawing on the many decades of experience of A&As senior staff. Our aim is to help manage the space between formulating a plan or a journey and its satisfactory resolution, said Bradley Allan, the CEO of A&A. This means providing context, actionable information and advice to our clients in order to help them operate in often complex and unfamiliar business environments. Accessed online and delivered via a mobile app, A2 Global produces daily security alerts and briefings to accompany its detailed analyses of business, political, travel and security-related scenarios in almost 300 countries and cities where expatriate staff live, work and travel. In an increasingly litigious world, all companies need to be aware of the dangers posed by the less obvious and often seemingly remote threats to their employees and shareholders. Due diligence is now a recognised corporate responsibility, but the failure to meet duty of care obligations is the new asbestosis - omissions that can haunt a company for decades if not recognised and mitigated at source. Gavin Greenwood, Director A2 Global ENDS For information about A2 Global or any of Allan & Associates protective security services, please contact Mitch Heron, Head of Information Services, via mheron(at)allan-assoc(dot)com or +44 (0) 20 523 5393. Allan & Associates is a Hong Kong-based security consultancy providing protective services to organisations operating in volatile environments throughout the world. Founded in 2006, we are independent and privately owned with offices in Hong Kong, London, Singapore and Washington DC. Allan & Associates provides a range of services including threat assessment, site evaluation, commercial investigations, crisis management, and, through our A2 Global intelligence service, advisory alerts and strategic forecasting. Our personnel are drawn from the military, academia, journalism and commerce, affording us a four-dimensional perspective on emergent threats and how to mitigate them. Composites are no longer considered a material of the future, they are used in a number of building and construction applications today, said Kevin Lambrych, Ashland Performance Materials industry manager for fire retardant resin. Ashland Performance Materials, a business unit of Ashland Inc. (NYSE: ASH), in cooperation with the Architectural Division of the American Composite Manufacturers Association (ACMA), is sponsoring the inaugural Composites In Architecture Design Challenge. The competition is aimed at generating greater awareness of the uses and benefits of composites among the next generation of architects and engineers. The leading entrants of the Composites Design Challenge will exhibit their designs at the AIA National Convention in Philadelphia in May 2016. Fifteen teams from universities across North America participated in this material research and design challenge. Student teams were asked to use composite material construction to develop a novel architectural building component or assembly. The students were encouraged to explore and invent new and radical architectural designs. Composites are no longer considered a material of the future, they are used in a number of building and construction applications today, said Kevin Lambrych, Ashland Performance Materials industry manager for fire retardant resin. Educating the next generation of architects and engineers on the benefits and uses of composites will enable new ideas and allow for further advances in the use of composites in architecture. Ashland sponsored the floor space at the AIA convention where the students will display their designs and also funded the cash awards for the winning teams. In addition, Ashland provided Hetron FR 650 T-20 resin to the student teams to use in their physical designs. This fire retardant resin has been used to meet NFPA 285 and ASTM E84 Class I flame and smoke requirements specified for many architectural applications. To learn more about the competition, visit [CompositeBuild.com is a web resource developed by Ashland which allows architects, designers, builders and others interested in composite building materials to learn about the benefits of composites and to connect with composite material fabricators and distributors. About Ashland Performance Materials Ashland Performance Materials is the global leader in unsaturated polyester resins and vinyl ester resins. In addition, it offers leading chemical technologies in gelcoats, coatings, intermediates and solvents, and elastomers. Key customers include: manufacturers of residential and commercial building products; infrastructure engineers; wind blade and pipe manufacturers; auto, truck and tire makers; and boatbuilders. Visit ashland.com to learn more. We are very excited about the Letter Stick Pins, PinMart, Inc., one of the countrys leading lapel pin manufacturers, has recently launched a new range of product, Letter Stick Pins. Twenty-six individually gold plated, black enamel screen letters from A-Z are printed on a gold plated background. Each pin is 7/8 long and 1/2 wide making it easy to style. Personalize your work attire, wedding day suit, or style this pin in your own unique way. The letter stick pin when accompanied with one of PinMarts Extra Large Black Textured Gift Box or Velour Pouch can also make for a great gift option. We are very excited about the Letter Stick Pins, says Rachel Geyer, Social Media Manager at PinMart, Inc. It has been so fun to see how our customers who have purchased the letter stick pins are wearing and styling them. Thanks to the power of social media we are now able to see how our customers have personalized their handbag. Anyone who is interested in, or collects vintage jewelry, knows all about brooches and pins. Yet one less commonly talked about pin is a stick pin. Stick pins resemble small dressmaker pins, except they are often longer and have quite unique tops. For well over 200 years, dating back to the 18th century, stick pins were very popular. Originally only worn by men, the stick pin with popularity began being worn by both men and women. At times the stick pin is mistaken for a Hat Pin. While the design of both is similar - an ornamental top on a long single pin stem - it is the length of the pin that is the defining differentiation between the two. Stick pins have a shorter pin and the top is normally more thematic in styling, i.e. monogram or flower. In the last year, PinMart has released Cloth Textured Flower Stick Pins, Silk Rosette Stick Pins, and now the Letter Stick Pin. About PinMart: PinMart, Inc. PinMart, Inc. is a privately held company located in Elk Grove Village Illinois, a suburb of Chicago, specializing in the design and manufacture of stock and custom emblems, custom lapel pins, and recognition and awareness products. PinMart sells products via its online store and offers custom design and manufacturing. PinMart has taken advantage of its well positioned internet presence and now boasts a client list that includes over 300 of the Fortune 500 companies. For more information about PinMart, Inc. call 1-877-PINMART or go to PinMart.com. Children's Tumor Foundation The Childrens Tumor Foundation announced its annual month-long campaign to raise awareness about neurofibromatosis (NF), a genetic disorder that causes tumors to grow on nerves throughout the body. It affects 1 in 3,000 people of all populations; there is currently no treatment or cure. Through numerous community events held during the month of May, as well as online activities, Neurofibromatosis Awareness Month and I Know a Fighter aim to draw attention to the inspirational and remarkable stories of those living with NF, who are fighters in every sense of the word. A new part of the initiative this year will be Born a Fighter, a component that will empower those living with NF to acknowledge their own strength and resilience. The campaign will take place across multiple platforms and include a heavy social media presence centered on those fighting NF and those who support them in their fight. There are multiple ways to get involved: Shine a Light on NF - Over 100 buildings, bridges and monuments (including Niagara Falls and the John F. Kennedy Airport Air Traffic Control Tower) around the world will light up blue and green for NF Awareness Month. This year, CTF aligned efforts with the Neuro Foundation, a national NF charity in the U.K., to extend the reach globally. Visit ctf.org for a complete schedule and tools to use to approach landmarks in your community. Enter the 'Picture a World Without NF' photo contest. Take a photograph with any item that shows the CTF or End NF logo. Express yourself and show the world that, no matter where you are, who you are with, or what you are doing youre fighting for a world without neurofibromatosis. Visit the Childrens Tumor Foundation events calendar for a complete schedule of NF Walks, NF Endurance events, Racing4Research races, and local community fundraisers taking place all across the country to raise money to fund NF research and recognize the positive spirit and resolve of local NF Heroes and their families. Follow the Childrens Tumor Foundation (@childrenstumor) on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Youtube for more NF Heroes and stories about how the community is working to End NF. Look for shopping carts embellished with NF awareness messages in over 4,000 supermarkets across the country, donated by News America Marketing. Take a photo, post it online, and tag @childrenstumor and #EndNF. Purchase exclusive merchandise with I Know a Fighter, Born a Fighter, and End NF imagery, and support the efforts of the Childrens Tumor Foundation. NF Awareness Month is a unique time that exemplifies the determination of the NF community, a resolve to never give up our fight, said Annette Bakker, PhD, Childrens Tumor Foundation President and Chief Scientific Officer. Because NF manifests itself in a number of ways, we need many ways to fight it, and that includes these fundraising and awareness campaigns that make it even easier to connect, understand and educate about neurofibromatosis. Throughout the month of May, for every dollar donated to CTF, a matching dollar will be donated to NF clinic initiatives in honor and memory of Sherri Silesky, up to $75,000. Sherri demonstrated tremendous strength and power of spirit, often sprinkled with her wonderful sense of humor. Our thanks go to the Silesky family for continuing Sherris fight to end NF through this generous matching gift. The Children's Tumor Foundation is committed to finding effective treatments for the millions of people worldwide living with neurofibromatosis. In addition to benefitting those who live with NF, this research is shedding new light on several forms of cancer, brain tumors, bone abnormalities, and learning disabilities, ultimately benefiting the broader community. To learn more, visit http://www.ctf.org. About Childrens Tumor Foundation The Children's Tumor Foundation is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization dedicated to finding effective treatments for the millions of people worldwide living with neurofibromatosis (NF), a term for three distinct disorders: NF1, NF2, and schwannomatosis. NF causes tumors to grow on nerves throughout the body and may lead to blindness, deafness, learning disabilities, disfigurement, bone abnormalities, disabling pain, and cancer. NF affects one in every 3,000 people, more than cystic fibrosis, Duchenne muscular dystrophy, and Huntingtons disease combined. The Childrens Tumor Foundation funds critical research into neurofibromatosis. In addition to benefiting those who live with NF, this research is shedding new light on several forms of cancer, brain tumors, bone abnormalities, and learning disabilities, ultimately benefiting the broader community. For more information, please visit http://www.ctf.org. RF System Lab's AA Battery Powered Borescope Casey OTool, RF System Labs borescope expert, is onsite presenting the VJ-Advance articulating video borescope to offshore maintenance professionals. The 2016 Offshore Technology Conference (OTC) is taking place May 2 5 in Houston, TX. During this conference, energy professionals meet to exchange ideas and opinions to advance scientific and technical knowledge for offshore resources and environmental matters. Founded in 1969, OTCs flagship conference is held annually in Houston. OTC gives attendees access to leading-edge technical information and also holds the industrys largest equipment exhibition. Its large international participation provides amazing opportunities for global sharing of technology, expertise, products and best practices. Houston recently faced a major flooding event. However, the city is currently drying out and recovering. According to the OTC website, The safety and security of OTC attendees is always a priority. The board is consistently monitoring the weather and conditions and if serious weather conditions threaten to affect the conference of the safety of the attendees, they will work closely with all parties involved to keep attendees informed. However, OTC is on-track and opened up as planned. OTC is also making a donation to the Houston Flood Relief Fund to assist in recovery efforts. OTC brings together more than 90,000 professionals from 130+ countries. RF System Lab is excited to be one of the 2,752 exhibitors at this years show. Casey OTool, RF System Labs borescope expert, is onsite presenting the VJ-Advance articulating video borescope to offshore maintenance professionals. The lightweight and extremely portable AA-battery-powered VJ-Advance is the ideal tool for inspecting pipes and ensuring that no pitting, corrosion, cracks, or other defects are occurring. Additionally, the joystick-controlled 360-degree articulation on the line of VJ-Advance video borescopes makes turbine and rotating machinery inspections stress-free. Stay up to date with all of the Offshore Technology Conference information by downloading the mobile app or following #OTC2016 on Twitter. Interested parties can test out the VJ-Advance for themselves at OTC booth #6808. Casey OTool will be glad to provide more information about how the VJ-Advance from RF System Lab is the perfect tool for ensuring efficient safety checks on offshore oil rigs. We look forward to seeing you there! RF System lab will be attending many tradeshows throughout the year with live demonstrations. If you cant meet Casey at the show but are interested in reviewing all of the features of the VJ-Advance for yourself, contact us about our no-cost, no-obligation demo program by visiting our website or call today: 231-943-1171. It is truly an honor to be recognized by a respected publication such as Small Business Trends. Kevin Jordan A critically acclaimed book about local business marketing published in 2015 has now achieved another honor. The widely read industry publication Small Business Trends has nominated The Small Business Owners Guide to Local Lead Generation for its annual book awards in the category of marketing. The book, which was co-authored by Kevin Jordan and four other members of the Duct Tape Marketing Consultant Network, teaches local small business owners all the essential marketing tactics they need to master in order to successfully compete against larger businesses. It is truly an honor to be recognized by a respected publication such as Small Business Trends, said Jordan. When we wrote the book, our goal was to create a valuable resource that could help local small business owners learn about all of the lead generation tactics available to them, and being nominated for this award validates our efforts. The Small Business Book Awards produced by Small Business Trends celebrate the best business books that appeal to entrepreneurs, small business owners, CEOs, managers and their staffs. The Awards also recognize key resources supporting business book authors and the publishing industry. "Today's business owners are hungry for information and insights to help them run a successful business. Also, they use books as a way to grow and develop their employees and management teams. The Small Business Book Awards are a way to acknowledge the books that small business owners and entrepreneurs appreciated over the past year," said Ivana Taylor, Book Editor at Small Business Trends. This is the second time that Taylor and her staff have acknowledged Local Lead Generation. Soon after it was published last June, the book was critically reviewed by Small Business Trends, which gave it 4 out of 5 stars. The reviewer called the book an easy to read and easy to understand book on how to market a small business, and recommended it as an ideal starting point for local business owners who were unsure how to go about finding new customers. In addition to praise from book critics, Local Lead Generation has also been endorsed by a long list of small business industry experts and thought leaders, including BNI founder Dr. Ivan Misner, New York Times bestselling author Michael Port, and Copyblogger Media CEO Brian Clark. It is also #1 on the list of 20 inspirational and useful business books to read in 2016 published by LifeHacker.org, and has been featured on over a dozen podcasts related to small business marketing. We were floored by the positive reaction to the book, said Jordan. We had no idea it was going to be so successful. I think it just goes to show how much of a need there is for a resource like this designed specifically for local business owners. Although judges will determine whether or not Local Lead Generation wins a Small Business Book Award, there is also a community choice winner in each category that is determined by popular vote. Readers can vote for Jordans book and see a complete list of nominees in other categories on the Book Award website. About Kevin Jordan: Kevin Jordan is the owner and principle consultant at Redpoint Marketing Consultants, a small business marketing agency based in central Virginia. Kevins agency helps local business owners throughout North America implement simple, affordable, and practical marketing strategies like those described in The Small Business Owners Guide to Local Lead Generation. In addition to writing a best-selling book in 2015, Kevin was also named one of the top 100 business bloggers of the year by the website BizHumm.com. Like over a hundred consultants around the world, Kevin has earned the title of Certified Duct Tape Marketing Consultant by completing a rigorous training program and participating in continuing education events on a regular basis. About the Small Business Book Awards The 2016 Small Business Book Awards are now in their 8th year. More than just an honor, the Awards are a unique social online event that enables the small business community to nominate, show their support for, and vote on their favorite business books. The Awards combine recognition for a job well done, honors and prestige -- along with providing a high-profile opportunity for authors to engage with fans, network through social media, and increase publicity. The Small Business Book Awards are produced by Small Business Trends, an award-winning online publication, which along with its sister sites, serves over 6,000,000 small business owners, stakeholders and entrepreneurs annually. Small Business Trends for the past six years has published weekend reviews of small business books, amassing nearly 500 independent reviews. Attendees included the Mayor of Casselberry and other city officials, designers, contractors and principals from Allegro Senior Living and Allegro Development Company. We are very grateful you chose the Casselberry community for this project, says Mayor Charlene Glancy, Its clear the quality product you provide. We are so proud of this project. Its a 5-star resort. Allegro Senior Living, LLC, a company specializing in the development and operation of luxury senior housing communities throughout Florida, hosted the official ground breaking ceremony for their tenth Allegro community which took place on Tuesday, April 19th in the Casselberry/Winter Park area of Orlando, Florida. Attendees included the Mayor of Casselberry and other city officials, designers, contractors and principals from Allegro Senior Living and Allegro Development Company. Located near Lake Howell at the intersection of 436 and Howell Branch Road, the luxury rental community sits on a 17.3 acre site that provides lake front views of Lake Ann. The community will contain 158 units within 175,000 square feet offering independent living, assisted living and memory care with services and amenities designed to satisfy the needs of the residents. First occupancy is scheduled for summer 2017. Architectural design is provided by Besselo Design Group and construction services are provided by Welbro Building Corporation out of Maitland, FL. The City of Casselberry has been instrumental in the success of the project. We are very grateful you chose the Casselberry community for this project, says Mayor Charlene Glancy. Its clear the quality product you provide. We are so proud of this project. Its a 5-star resort. Allegro will primarily cater to independent residents, with separate wings to accommodate assisted living and memory care services. The property will boast luxury accommodations such as a full service salon & spa, stadium theater, fitness center, concierge service, housekeeping service and 24-hour staffing with an active social program. Accommodations also comprise of multiple restaurant-style dining venues including a bistro and patio dining with a gas fire pit, providing views of Lake Ann. When fully occupied, Allegro anticipates creating 120 full and part-time jobs in addition to 225 construction jobs. Allegro is honored to be a part of the local community and provide a need to the areas seniors. We look forward to supporting the overall development, transition and renewed spirit of the City of Casselberry. says Rich Miller, President & CEO of Allegro Development Company. Allegro Senior living, a St. Louis based company, is a well-respected leader and expert in the senior living industry with a long-standing reputation of efficiently managing senior communities. Allegro also owns and operates 9 other communities throughout Florida and Kentucky. Allegro opened its newest community in Boynton Beach, Florida in June of 2015. Currently, the company is investigating potential sites for future development. To learn more about Allegro Senior Living visit http://www.allegroliving.com. The People's Choice Stevie Awards for Favorite New Products All, worldwide, are welcome to vote for their favorite new products and services in 38 categories, from consumer products and services to B2B software solutions. The Stevie Awards, organizers of the worlds premier business awards programs, has opened public voting at http://peopleschoice.stevieawards.com for the Peoples Choice Stevie Awards for Favorite New Products, an annual feature of its American Business Awards. All, worldwide, are welcome to vote for their favorite new products and services in 38 categories, from consumer products and services to B2B software solutions. Voting will close on June 3, and the top vote-getter in each category will be presented with a crystal Peoples Choice Stevie Award trophy in New York on June 20 at The 14th American Business Awards gala. All new product and service nominees in The 2016 American Business Awards were eligible to be included in peoples choice voting. All organizations operating in the U.S.A. large and small, public and private, for-profit and non-profit - are eligible to submit nominations to the ABAs in a wide range of categories, honoring achievement in every aspect of work life, from customer service and management to public relations and product development. More than 3,400 nominations were reviewed in the judging process this year by more than 250 professionals, whose average scores determined the winners. Gold, Silver and Bronze Stevie Award winners in the peer-review judging were announced on Monday. For a complete list of the Stevie Award winners announced Monday, visit http://www.StevieAwards.com/ABA. About The Stevie Awards Stevie Awards are conferred in seven programs: the Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards, the German Stevie Awards, The American Business Awards, The International Business Awards, the Stevie Awards for Women in Business, the Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service, and the new Stevie Awards for Great Employers. Stevie Awards competitions receive more than 10,000 entries each year from organizations in more than 60 nations. Honoring organizations of all types and sizes and the people behind them, the Stevies recognize outstanding performances in the workplace worldwide. Learn more about the Stevie Awards at http://www.StevieAwards.com. NAAEE is at the nexus of an expanding truly multicultural movement that welcomes, supports, respects, and fully engages the participation of all people. - Allison Chin Allison Chin, a former Sierra Club president and one of its current directors, is one of the five newest governing board members for the North American Association for Environmental Education (NAAEE), one of the worlds largest organizations dedicated to the profession and advancement of environmental education and civic engagement. The expanded board, along with a newly constituted advisory council comprising distinguished professionals in the field of environmental education, is part of NAAEEs revised governance framework. The new structure enhances the organization's ever-expanding network of partners for the next-generation of work in environmental literacy and civic engagement and the underlying science that supports the work, according to Judy Braus, executive director. I am excited for this new opportunity with NAAEE, Chin says. The goals and values of both organizations overlap beautifully and NAAEE is at the nexus of an expanding truly multicultural movement that welcomes, supports, respects, and fully engages the participation of all people. NAAEE fully acknowledges the large organizational challenge of realizing the whole-sector scope of equity and diversity for all in environmental and science education. A long-time member, director, president and board chair with the Sierra Club and the Sierra Club Foundation, Chin also is a director of Womens Voice for the Earth, a Missoula, Montana organization highlighting womens voices in efforts to eliminate the toxic chemicals that harm our health and communities. She is one of the four major co-founders and one of three co-chairs of the Washington, D.C.-based Green Leadership Trust, representing a network of people of color and indigenous citizens who serve on environmental boards to ensure the best practices of equity, diversity and inclusion for developing leaders in the environmental movement. At Sierra Club, Chin has held various roles, including two terms as president and three terms as director (the current term expiring in 2018). She is the co-lead on the organizations diversity steering committee, which created the Sierra Clubs first formal plan for diversity, equity and inclusion. Chin also has been an outings leader, organizing more than 200 trips connecting youth to nature and the environment over the last two decades. With 53 state, provincial and regional affiliates in the U.S., Mexico and Canada, NAAEE has expanded its partnerships with corporations, foundations, NGOs, universities, and governmental agencies and institutions. Some of the most recent work has involved the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Underwriters Laboratories (UL), CalWater, the National Environmental Education Foundation, World Wildlife Fund, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the U.S. Forest Service, just to name a few. About NAAEE The North American Association for Environmental Education is a pioneering membership organization dedicated to accelerating environmental literacy and civic engagement through the power of education. NAAEE supports a network of more than 20,000 educators, researchers, and organizational members working in environmental education in more than 30 countries through direct membership and regional affiliate organizations. Through community networks, publications, signature programs, and eeNEWS and eeJOBS, NAAEE provides programming and resources for professionals working in all areas of the field. NAAEEs annual conference, now entering its 45th year, convenes leaders from private and public sectors to advance the field of environmental education. For more information, visit naaee.org and naaee.org/eePRO. FireDisc & Ranger Boats at National Hardware Show FireDisc Grills are in a league of their own with innovative attributes spanning portability, counter height, surface temperature range, capacity and clean-up. These grills have also been ruthlessly vetted by some of the worlds leading Chefs, such as Chef Conor Moran. Founded in 1968 by Forrest L. Wood, Ranger Boats continues its commitment to building the highest-quality, strongest-performing boats on the water. A commonality binds these two brands together pinnacle quality products and a versatility range to suit everyone from avid professionals to families. Ranger Boats and FireDisc Grills are a seamless match, both packed with tournament-bred performance and feature-after-innovative feature. Rangers Z521c highlights include 21 7 length, custom designed for 250 horsepower, fluid Sea Star Pro hydraulic steering, padded deck, endless storage capacity and the patented Power Ventilation Rod Storage to name just a few. FireDisc Grills marry beautifully with a Ranger thanks to the 3-piece portable design offering easy disassembly and flat storage in the boat. These specialty grills are not only designed to pack heat for meat, they yield a surface temperature unattainable via other grilling products, affording the ability to blacken, fry and even stew anything that comes out of the ocean, lake or stream. Setting up a shore lunch with the FireDisc takes a few seconds. In minutes I can go from fishing to cooking no heavy lifting, no charcoal to pack, no fire to put out, says FireDisc Executive Chef, Conor Moran. I can cook anything, fried catfish, salmon and even a large fish stew. The FireDisc is ridiculously portable, yet bullet-proof durable, explained Fishing Pro, Lou Gasperin. Set-up takes mere seconds and clean-up is a breeze. When fishing, every pound carried and inch of space needed for gear is meticulously planned. FireDiscs pack tight in the Ranger Boat. May 2016 National Hardware Show Meet and Greet, Las Vegas, NV: Lou Gasperin, Chef Conor, the Ranger Boat and a FireDisc will be on-site at the May 2016, National Hardware Show in Las Vegas. About Pro Sport Fisherman, Lou Gasperin: Those closest to Lou Gasperin claim that this fishing legend was born, rod-in-hand. Licensed fishing guide, Captain and pro tour veteran, Gasperins fishing career has taken him on hundreds of trips from the far reaches of Canada fishing for walleye, to the northeast fishing for stripers, cod fish and haddock. Currently, Gasperins professional tours span the outer banks of North Carolina to the coast of Texas. Gasperin has competed in everything from the Ranger Boats and Cabelas-hosted tours, IFA Redfish Tour to FLW, the Lucas Oil Pro Tour and Oh Boy Oberto invitational. He has been sponsored by numerous pinnacle boat, sunscreen, bug spray and hot sauce brands. When not fishing a rarity Gasperin can be found bow hunting in Canada for Moose or Michigan for deer. He has hunted his way through just about every southern state since learning the ability to walk About Chef Conor Moran: Chef Conors culinary influences are as diverse as his family roots and choice of adopted home towns across the globe. Born and raised in Houston, TX with Irish and Italian family roots, Chef Conor has honed his culinary palate while living in the far reaches of Cairo, Egypt and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Moran, having worked in a multitude of restaurants from the young age of fifteen, has learned to create delicacies in just about any kitchen type, from Houstons upscale Lomontes Italian restaurant to streamside using a Firedisc. His experiences leveraging all levels of cooking apparatus set the stage for development of the FireDisc Chef-Tested/Chef-Approved protocol. About Ranger Boats: Headquartered in Flippin, Ark., Ranger Boats is the nation's premier manufacturer of legendary fiberglass and aluminum fishing boats, which include series of bass, multi-species, fish 'n play, waterfowl utility and saltwater boats. Founded in 1968 by Forrest L. Wood, Ranger Boats continues its commitment to building the highest-quality, strongest-performing boats on the water. For more information, go to RangerBoats.com http://rangerboats.com About FireDisc Grills: Texas-based FireDisc Grills specializes in the design and manufacturing of the worlds most the innovative, high-quality and versatile outdoor grills and accessories. The company was founded by two entrepreneurial brothers, Griffin and Hunter Jaggard, who, armed with a makeshift tractor plow disc set out on a mission to build a grill worthy of everyone from the worlds top chefs to hunters, backyard family grill masters, tailgaters and campers. FireDisc Grill products are currently sold nationally via 500+ retail locations in over 31 states and online throughout the globe. Heavy-duty carbon steel construction render the grills indestructible, while meticulous designs yield convenient portability and ease-of-use. A rigorous Chef-tested/Chef-Approved quality assurance program enables the grills to deliver unmatched grilling characteristics, as they have been vetted by some of the worlds leading chefs. Prior to their launch of FireDisc Grills, the founders formed a non-profit to raise money and find a cure for Multiple Sclerosis. To date $1M has been raised via The Carney Men Bike MS team. Community involvement is the core of the FireDisc brand in addition to the National MS Society they are proud supporters of the American Cancer Society, Wounded Warrior Project and many more. For more information visit http://www.firediscgrills.com ### American College of Medical Toxicology The recognition of Addiction Medicine by the American Board of Medical Subspecialties is a critical component of the response to the public health crisis of addiction. The American College of Medical Toxicology (ACMT) applauds the landmark announcement by the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) that it will recognize Addiction Medicine as a new subspecialty. As specialists in managing drug toxicity and overdoses, ACMT physician members encounter individuals with substance use disorders across the spectrum of their addiction - from experimentation and intoxication to overdose and withdrawal and through relapse and recovery. Dr. Timothy Wiegand, a specialist in both Medical Toxicology and Addiction Medicine who leads the ACMT Addiction Medicine Section, states the recognition of Addiction Medicine by the American Board of Medical Subspecialties is a critical component of the response to the public health crisis of addiction. This recognition will promote education and training in the field of addictions so that a physician workforce will develop with the requisite skill and training necessary to effectively identify, prevent and treat individuals with addiction. The American Board of Preventive Medicine (ABPM), a Member Board of ABMS, sponsored the application for the new field to be a multispecialty subspecialty meaning that physicians certified by any Member Board of the ABMS can become certified in addiction medicine. The ABMS subspecialty recognition of Addiction Medicine has been championed by the American Board of Addiction Medicine (ABAM), which has established a certification examination and Maintenance of Certification (MOC) process for addiction medicine physicians. Addiction Medicine has become an increasingly important practice pathway for Medical Toxicologists. Over the past few years thirty-four physicians, nearly 8% of all currently Board Certified Medical Toxicologists, have passed the ABAM sponsored Board Certification exam and are now dual certified in Addiction Medicine. This area of focus in Medical Toxicology has become increasingly important for Medical Toxicologists to expand their practice and incorporate more content in addictions not only clinically but academically and in research activities as well. Addiction Medicine is one of the six identified practice pathways that a Medical Toxicologist can develop in professionally. This is a great day for addiction medicine, said Robert J. Sokol, MD, President of ABAM and The Addiction Medicine Foundation (formerly The ABAM Foundation). This landmark event, more than any other, recognizes addiction as a preventable and treatable disease, helping to shed the stigma that has long plagued it. It sends a strong message to the public that American medicine is committed to providing expert care for this disease and services designed to prevent the risky substance use that precedes it. Addiction medicine is defined as the prevention of the risky use of substances, including nicotine, alcohol, prescription medications and other licit and illicit drugs, and the evaluation, diagnosis, treatment and management of the disease of addiction and related health conditions. Physicians specializing in this field also help family members whose health and functioning are affected by a loved ones substance use or addiction. Certification by an ABMS-recognized specialty or subspecialty is considered the gold standard in physician credentialing, assuring patients that their physician meets the highest standards of practice and clinical knowledge, and has completed an approved educational program and process. This recognition by ABMS will help assure patients and their families that the care they receive is grounded in science and evidence-based practice, added Patrick G. OConnor, MD, MPH, Immediate Past President of ABAM, who worked closely with APBM and the ABMS Member Boards to help achieve this landmark event. It will also mean more visibility for this subspecialty among medical students and residents, and will ultimately increase the number of physicians who are trained and certified as addiction medicine specialists. The Addiction Medicine Foundation has supported the establishment of 40 addiction medicine fellowship training programs to date, based at major medical schools and hospitals across North America, and is committed to establishing a total of 125 fellowship programs by 2025. ABMS recognition opens the door for these fellowships to obtain accreditation through the Accreditation Council on Graduate Medical Education (ACGME), a process already underway. About The American College of Medical Toxicology ACMT is a professional, non-profit association of physicians with recognized expertise in medical toxicology. The ACMT mission is to advance quality care of poisoned patients and public health through physicians who specialize in consultative, emergency, environmental, forensic, and occupational toxicology. For more information, visit http://www.acmt.net, or follow on Twitter @acmt. Sperlonga Data & Analytics, a data aggregation business for non-standard credit data sources, announced an agreement to become the first company to furnish homeowner association (HOA) payment and account status data to Equifax Inc., a global insights provider and multinational leader in consumer, commercial, and workforce information solutions. Until now, HOA payments have gone largely unreported to the national credit reporting agencies. Our service will help elevate association payments to the same level of importance as the consumers other financial obligations like residential mortgages, auto loans and credit card payments, said Matt Martin, chairman and founder of Sperlonga. Property owners that pay HOA fees on time should begin to see the similar impact to their credit reports as they would with other payment obligations traditionally found in a credit report, while associations and property management companies should begin to see reduced delinquencies and improved cash flow. Our goal is to empower homeowner associations and management companies with the same credit reporting tool that banks and lenders already use to manage consumer debt and credit-related payments. Equifax is committed to providing consumers with additional means for building their credit histories. Introducing new sources of data beyond what has traditionally been found on credit files can provide additional insight into a consumers financial behavior and help deliver expanded credit access, said Mike Gardner, senior vice president and sales leader at Equifax. We believe this will have a major impact on the HOA industry, said Dan Berman, CEO of Sperlonga. According to the Community Association Institute (CAI), associations along with property management companies collect approximately $70 billion in assessment payments each year and CAI estimated there were at least 333,000 community associations in the U.S.* In April 2011, Sperlonga created the first solution for mortgage servicers and investors to deliver reliable, easily retrievable, and standardized data on existing accounts in homeowner and condominium associations to help manage and reduce delinquent association account risk. Sperlonga now brings a new technology and solution to the HOA and property management industry to better manage the risk associated with HOA budgets and collection of timely payments. The companys proprietary technology will use automation to extract assessment payment data every month from the property management companys accounting software. Sperlonga will then create a record of the payment and account status each month, for all property owners within the HOA, and report the account data to Equifax. About Sperlonga Based in Irvine, California, Sperlonga is a data aggregation business for non-standard credit data sources. Sperlonga is an affiliate of Chronos Solutions, a national real estate solution services firm. The company was founded in 2011 to provide technology solutions to homeowner associations and the residential mortgage industry in order to help stakeholders minimize losses and improve association cash flows. The company has always focused on delivering innovative solutions to reduce risk and provide professional association financial management tools. Additional information is available at http://www.SperlongaData.com or call 844-652-4972. About Equifax Equifax powers the financial future of individuals and organizations around the world. Using the combined strength of unique trusted data, technology and innovative analytics, Equifax has grown from a consumer credit company into a leading provider of insights and knowledge that helps its customers make informed decisions. The company organizes, assimilates and analyzes data on more than 800 million consumers and more than 88 million businesses worldwide, and its databases include employee data contributed from more than 5,000 employers. Headquartered in Atlanta, Ga., Equifax operates or has investments in 21 countries in North America, Central and South America, Europe and the Asia Pacific region. It is a member of Standard & Poor's (S&P) 500 Index, and its common stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) under the symbol EFX. Equifax employs approximately 9,200 employees worldwide. Some noteworthy achievements for the company include: Ranked 13 on the American Banker FinTech Forward list (2015); named a Top Technology Provider on the FinTech 100 list (2004-2015); named an InformationWeek Elite 100 Winner (2014-2015); named a Top Workplace by Atlanta Journal Constitution (2013-2015); named one of Fortunes Worlds Most Admired Companies (2011-2015); named one of Forbes Worlds 100 Most Innovative Companies (2015). For more information, visit http://www.equifax.com. Press Contact Jim Hennessy Strategic Vantage Marketing & Public Relations 858.774.0201 JimHennessy(at)StrategicVantage(dot)com Footnotes: *Source: Community Association Institute, 2014 Statistical Review, https://www.caionline.org/PressReleases/Pages/StatisticalInformation.aspx Police Helicopter Shooting The Villegas family, represented by Philip Layfield of Layfield & Barrett and V. James (Jim) DeSimone of V. James DeSimone Law, filed a lawsuit in the Superior Court of California, San Bernardino County. The lawsuit was filed under the case name: Villegas v. San Bernardino County Sheriffs Department et al with the case number CIVDS1606504, for injuries sustained by the family, allegedly resulting from the San Bernardino County Sheriff sniper helicopter shooting on Interstate 215. According to court documents, on September 18, 2015, an individual evaded a traffic stop after running a stop sign and led law enforcement on a high speed chase. He entered the Interstate 215 off ramp and proceeded the wrong way at speeds approaching 100 mph. The court documents also go on to state that the San Bernardino Sheriffs Department followed the vehicle in a helicopter piloted by Deputy Sheriff Ryan Conner, Deputy Sheriff Paul Kowalski fired at least nine shots at the vehicle from a helicopter killing the individual. Consequently, his vehicle slammed into the Villegas familys Dodge Durango. Per the court documents, as an alleged result of this police shooting the Villegas family has incurred millions of dollars in medical expenses. Their young son is no longer able to walk or get out of bed without assistance as stated in the court documents. About Layfield & Barrett: Layfield & Barrett (L&B) is one of Americas premier plaintiff only law firms. With personal injury attorneys dedicated solely to plaintiff litigation and offices nationwide, L&B's California personal injury lawyers handle catastrophic injury cases, wrongful death, medical malpractice, civil rights, construction defect and mass torts. About V. James DeSimone: V. James DeSimone (Jim) is Managing Partner of V. James DeSimone Law, a California law firm dedicated to representing individuals in civil rights cases with emphasis on employment discrimination and harassment, employment wage and hour class action cases, and police misconduct and brutality cases. By combining our ITSM expertise with the latest data science and AI technologies, our solutions will simplify the adoption of intelligence-assisted processes to power a new generation of IT for our customers. SunView Software customers will soon be able to use new artificial intelligence technology to make better decisions and automate routine tasks. This comes as the IT service management software provider announced today its new Big Data and Machine Learning technology. Using new intelligent features, SunViews solutions will offer real-time predictive analytics and automation to provide an engaging, people-centric environment for IT staff. This further promotes proactive service delivery across the enterprise. The solution arrives as modern IT organizations need more intelligent applications to assist IT staff with handling routine tasks, answering questions, and predicting future needs. According to Gartner, By 2019, IT service desks utilizing machine learning enhanced technologies will free up to 30% of support capacity.* However, many organizations lack the skills and knowledge needed to successfully introduce these technologies into their existing environments. SunViews patent-pending technology helps organizations overcome these challenges. By using the latest breakthroughs in artificial intelligence, SunView has simplified the use of self-learning systems to integrate intelligent features into enterprise applications. These features add a layer of intelligent automation to help with complex decision-making. Ultimately, this drives staff productivity while empowering end users with smarter self-service. Advancements in artificial intelligence are ushering in a new era of enterprise computing. Soon, intelligent features will augment most applications to provide teams with contextual knowledge and relevant insights, said Seng Sun, CEO of SunView Software. Todays digital workplace demands more intelligent means for interacting with enormous amounts of data and applications to make decisions and complete tasks with higher proficiency. By combining our ITSM expertise with the latest data science and AI technologies, our solutions will simplify the adoption of intelligence-assisted processes to power a new generation of IT for our customers. KEY USE CASES: Recommendation engines that provide real-time solution suggestions Bot automations that can respond to service requests and handle routine tasks Intelligent search that drives more efficient self-service engagement Predictive analytics that anticipates needs, calculates risk and measures sentiment SunViews big data and machine learning technology will be available for customers in the next major release of their ITSM platform later this year. About SunView Software, Inc.: Founded in 2003, SunView Software is a leading provider of IT Service Management software that enables companies to better deliver, service, and monitor IT services across the enterprise. SunView implements Change Management, Service Desk and IT Service Management solutions for enterprise organizations in all vertical industries. Its proven approach emphasizes flexible and rapid deployment options allowing companies to deliver cost-effective IT services, gain greater visibility into their IT infrastructure, increase security, eliminate system downtime, and ensure regulatory compliance. SunViews solutions enable organizations to realize quick wins, and gain fast ROI. SunView Software is a privately held company based in Tampa, Florida. Visit http://www.SunViewSoftware.com for more information. *Gartner, Apply Machine Learning and Big Data at the IT Service Desk to Support the Digital Workplace, Colin Fletcher, Katherine Lord, 29 February 2016 "A vision that our Founders had 45 years ago, that is kept alive today, is for each person we serve to live and work in the community and be accepted by others for their individual qualities and contributions," says Heather LaTorra, Pres. & CEO, Marrakech. Marrakech assists individuals who face barriers to securing employment, connecting to necessary supportive services, accessing housing, and participating fully as contributing members of the community. The individuals they serve are encouraged to strive for long-term goals such as a higher level of self-sufficiency and greater participation in the communities in which they live. Some of the highlighted programs and services that Marrakech provides include: workforce development, community support services, behavioral health & vocational rehab, supportive living services, and quality of life services. One of the programs that Marrakech is most proud of is one of their social enterprises, East Street Arts. East Street Arts is dedicated to fostering the creation of art through artisan training programs, workshops, and community interactions. A vision that our Founders had 45 years ago, and that is kept alive today, is for each person we serve to live and work in the community and be accepted by others for their individual qualities and contributions. East Street Arts is located in the perfect spot for budding artists to learn how to create, show off and sell their artwork, and also be welcomed and valued by their community, says Heather LaTorra, President and CEO, a 30-year Marrakech employee. East Street Arts is home to both an Art Studio and the Association of Artisans to Cane, a caning studio that has been serving Connecticut and providing employment opportunities for people of all abilities for 30 years. East Street Arts will have its official grand opening and ribbon cutting on Friday, May 6, 2016, 2pm, at 597 East Street, New Haven, CT 06511. The ribbon cutting will be followed by art installations and seat weaving demonstrations. ### About Marrakech, Inc. Founded in 1971 by Yale Students, Marrakech, Inc. is a private, nonprofit corporation serving over 1,300 men, women, and children who face mental, economic, physical, and psychiatric barriers, through a range of programs designed to meet housing, employment, training, and community participation needs. Supported by a staff of almost 900, Marrakech, Inc. offers case management and advocacy; family support services; highly individualized independent living support services; twenty state-licensed group homes; employment programs; community programs; and safe, affordable, accessible housing. With programs and services located throughout the state of Connecticut, the organization supports people with a variety of support needs such as people with behavioral health issues; people with intellectual and developmental disabilities; individuals who have acquired brain injuries; families with complex needs; adults who are considering recovery from addictions; people who are homeless, unemployed, and under-employed; families of low income; and at risk youth and students. To find out more about Marrakech and the services they provide, please go to: MarrakechInc.org. There are very few cities that can sustain more than one daily newspaper, and the Tampa Bay region is not among them. The owners of The Tampa Tribune have sold the newspaper and its related publications to the Tampa Bay Times. The transaction gives readers and advertisers in the Tampa Bay region a locally owned newspaper on solid financial footing. The Times will honor all Tribune subscriptions and advertising agreements. Starting Wednesday, May 4, Tribune subscribers will receive the Times, which will carry all the advertising for both newspapers and continue to provide the most comprehensive news report about the region and the state. To honor the Tribunes history and place in the community, the Tribune banner will be on the Times local news sections published in Hillsborough County on Friday and Sunday, similar to the way the newspaper uses St. Pete Times on its local section in that city. Both newspapers websites tampabay.com and TBO.com also will be maintained. The continued competition between the two newspapers was threatening to both, said Times chairman and CEO Paul Tash. There are very few cities that can sustain more than one daily newspaper, and the Tampa Bay region is not among them. During its 131-year history, the Times has grown to become Floridas largest newspaper because it had found an audience throughout the Tampa Bay region. In 1987, the Times then called the St. Petersburg Times launched its Tampa edition and expanded its coverage. In 2012, the newspaper changed its name to the Tampa Bay Times to reflect its reach throughout the region. In February, the Times began printing all editions of the Tribune, its affiliate publicationsincluding Centro, Highlands Today, and The Suncoast Newsand its commercial printing customers, the New York Post and the MacDill Thunderbolt, a weekly newspaper devoted to news about MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa. Its fair to say weve seen this day coming for a very long time, Tash added. To all the Tribune customers, we say welcome. We call ourselves Floridas Best Newspaper not to brag, but as a commitment to our readers and advertisers. Based on sales of printed copies, the acquisition makes the Times the fifth largest Sunday newspaper in the country. Terms of the sale were not disclosed. The Times was represented by Guggenheim Securities investment bankers and Baker & McKenzie law firm. Financing was provided by Crystal Financial of Boston. We are very proud of the Tampa Bay Times team who worked diligently to insure the continuance and prominence of their journalistic excellence, said Crystal CEO Ward Mooney. The Times will remain independent and owned locally by the Poynter Institute for Media Studies, a school for journalists and media leaders based in St. Petersburg, Fla. The Times will keep its current offices, including those in Tampa and St. Petersburg. For more information, go to http://www.tampabay.com. About the Tampa Bay Times The Tampa Bay Times is widely considered one of the Top Ten newspapers in America and has won 12 Pulitzer Prizes. It is Floridas largest newspaper, with an average circulation of 367,936 Sunday and 297,626 daily (AAM Annual Audit 2014). The Times is produced by the Times Publishing Company, which also publishes tampabay.com - Tampa Bays largest local news Web site with about 2.7 million unique visitors each month (comScore six-month average for 7/15-9/15). Additionally, the company publishes the free daily tbt*, an edition of the Tampa Bay Times, and the Pulitzer Prize-winning website, PolitiFact.com; and produces special events, specialty publications, and targeted advertising programs. ### Worksite Wellness Council of Massachusetts The Worksite Wellness Council of Massachusetts (WWCMA) announces registration is open for their 5th Annual WWCMA Conference that will take place Tuesday, September 20, 2016 at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, MA. The 2016 WWCMA Annual Conference, Employee Wellbeing, Shifting the Focus, will feature Dan Witters, Research Director of the Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index and Allen Campbell, Personal Chef to Tom Brady as Keynote speakers. More speakers and a detailed agenda will be announced soon. Sessions and activities will share innovative best practices, evidence-based resources, and new evaluation measures to shift the focus of worksite health promotion programs from wellness to wellbeing. Over 250 professionals will spend the day at Gillette Stadium full of education, idea sharing, and networking. Attendees include employer-based corporate wellness, benefits, and human resources leaders and staff; industry consultants and advisors; broker program managers, and other professionals in charge of worksite wellness and employee wellbeing. The Gillette Stadium venue enables WWCMA to have an interactive, well-integrated exhibitor area for participants to learn about the latest in worksite wellness tools and resources. The second annual WorkWell Massachusetts Awards will be announced and during the conference recognizing Massachusetts employers for their excellence in worksite wellness. WWCMA early bird and membership rates are available now. To register for the conference, visit http://www.wwcma.org/page/2016AnnualConference Conference sponsorship and exhibit opportunities are also available. About WWCMA: The Worksite Wellness Council of Massachusetts (WWCMA) is the preeminent, independent, and objective resource for health promotion in the workplace. A 501c3 not-for-profit member organization, WWCMA champions wellness programs that help employers encourage healthy employees, healthy families, and healthy communities across the Commonwealth. The council offers innovative wellness best practice programs, training, and events along with insightful resources and tools to help educate and advance Massachusetts organizations and their corporate wellness teams. Visit us at wwcma.org and follow us @WorkWellMass. Were extremely confident that Edbacker can help NJEFP raise even more funds for schools in New Jersey, and were thrilled they chose us to embark on this journey with them. - Edbacker CEO Gary Hensley Edbacker, a new online platform designed to connect school districts with donors, announced a new partnership with the New Jersey Education Foundation Partnership (NJEFP) to support 50 education foundations that fund educational programs for their respective school districts. The NJEFP announcement marks the second state-level organization to use the Edbacker platform and will help NJEFP support the 1.4 million K-12 public education students across the State of Jersey. Through the partnership, each of NJEFPs education foundations will now have unlimited access to the Edbacker online platform, allowing them to easily create educational fundraising campaigns, manage donor databases, track payments in real time, run instant reports, and communicate with donors via personalized templates. An overarching, aggregate Edbacker account means state level staff and volunteers will be able to prioritize and identify every fundraising goal of each education foundation at a glance, saving already limited time and resources. Local education foundations in New Jersey are typically run by volunteers - and we are really looking forward to having access to one platform where everyone can easily access the same information, said NJEFP Executive Director Megan Dzwonkowski. Whether its managing our donor databases, learning about each others best practices, using new tools to maximize our fundraising efforts and communicating with donors, weve simply have never had access to this info at our fingertips before. The partnership with Edbacker will make a great impact on our educational fundraising campaigns in arts, music, innovative technology and special projects and help us expand our work beyond the 50 school districts we serve in New Jersey. Designed by technology entrepreneurs and educational advocates, Edbacker allows any entity whether it be schools, parents, PTAs, districts, foundations, nonprofit organizations, or corporations to create and support educational funding campaigns. As public schools face budget crises and continued lack of resources, the Edbacker platform aims to bring the efficiency and reach of technology to the previously ignored arena of public education fundraising. Edbacker and the New Jersey Education Foundation Partnership have very similar goals: to help solve the educational funding gap facing our nations schools, especially at the K-12 level, said Edbacker CEO Gary Hensley. Were extremely confident that Edbacker can help NJEFP raise even more funds for schools in New Jersey, and were thrilled they chose us to embark on this journey with them. To learn more about supporting local fundraising campaigns through the New Jersey Education Foundation Partnership (NJEFP) and the Edbacker platform visit http://njefp.org/ and http://edbacker.com/ The Biltmore Hotel in Phoenix, Arizonia "Correct tax answers. Correct tax rates. All provided in a way that is useful to industry." The TTR team will be showing attendees live demonstrations of their new Telecom Tax Rates Library. TTRs Telecom Tax Rate Library has several industry firsts. Most notably is that TTRs Telecom Tax Rates are the first to have full legal citations adjacent to every rate, with a direct link to laws. Other industry firsts include full exports of tax rates with associated legal citations, early rate change reports, tailored updates, and more. Mr. Shon Holyfield, CEO of TTR, Inc. was asked to describe TTRs relationship with TMI and the creation of the upcoming Telecom Tax Rate Library. We started down the path of a telecommunications tax rate offering years ago and we realized we just were not staffed to make it happen at that time. Releasing and maintaining Telecom Tax Rates is a monumental undertaking and one we needed help completing. We were stuck in our own rules and restrictions here at TTR. Rule #1 It has to be right and maintainable. Accuracy and how will this hold up under audit are always first on our list of importance at TTR. Our management team is made up of several former tax department heads. We were raised on the belief that everything has to be right and it has to be auditable. As my Nana would often say growing up, Getting it right sometimes takes more time, but in the end it is worth it. Correct tax answers. Correct tax rates. All provided in a way that is useful to industry. So how do you get Telecom Tax Rates right? It is a monumental undertaking; one that only a handful of other companies have ever attempted. We knew that we needed help. That led us towards our partnership with TMI. Connie Wightmans team has 40 professionals, most of whom have 12+ years in the telecom industry. Outside of the larger telecommunications companies themselves, TMI might be the single largest group of telecom fee experts in the US. The best part of TMI is their culture. Like TTR, they have one priority above all others it has to be right. You can imagine our relief when we met and started working with Connie and her team at TMI. We worked thousands of hours (not a joke) both teams, setting up relationships nationwide with state and local governments to ensure that our telecom tax rates were accurate and would stay accurate going forward. Connies team and our team are really amazing. Please remember that is always hard work from amazing people that get these projects done. Ideas are great and all, but it the brave people that actually do the work that should be acknowledged. Thank you to TMI and TTR. Thank you to the families that support all of these amazing professionals. Your hard work will make it possible for other professionals to maybe get home a little earlier or have peace of mind in knowing their telecom tax rates are right and auditable. I believe this is what makes every tax professional amazing they all work very hard to get things right. Shon Holyfield CEO, TTR, Inc. Telestrategies The TeleStrategies Taxation Conference has become one of the most popular events for tax professionals in the communications industry. Those who attend are looking to simplify the complexities of telecommunications taxation and compliance. TTR and TMI are proud to sponsor and participate in this years TeleStrategies Taxation Conference. Special guest speakers from Transaction Tax Resources include Mr. Shon Holyfield CEO, TTR, Inc. For more information, please go to http://www.telestrategies.com/tax. About Technologies Management, Inc. ("TMI") is a consulting firm specializing in state and federal regulatory matters for the telecommunications and competitive energy industries. Established in 1986, our firm brings our ability to collaborate, innovate, and accurately manage required regulatory actions to our clients. Our solid experience with market entry, product planning, and regulatory compliance has enhanced the value of hundreds of competitive service providers by establishing compliance "best practices" and maintaining good standing with state and federal regulatory agencies. Each member of TMI's consulting staff has worked within the industry or the public utility commission environment and brings practical, real world experience to help our clients meet their goals. For more information, visit http://www.tminc.com. About TTR Transaction (buying or selling things), Tax (the tax on this activity), Resources (our people, our website, our support services) - TTR, Inc. TTR has a website that companies subscribe to and use daily. This website provides a list of everything that can be bought or sold in the U.S. It provides simple answers to whether buying or selling these items is taxable (subject to a sales tax or other tax), and it provides all the legal authority to support these tax answers. TTR likes to keep things simple and fun, which is why it has great people who provide help to clients on any support questions they have about transaction tax issues. Please visit TTR on the web at http://www.ttrus.com or call 866.578.8193. In recognition of Stroke Awareness Month this May, Drs. Allen Huang and Jeffrey Wang of Significance Dental Specialists are educating patients about the proven connection between strokes and periodontal disease. Research shows that these conditions are correlated, and there is evidence that gum disease may contribute directly to strokes. Consequently, Drs. Huang and Wang urge patients to improve their health by getting routine check-ups and practicing good at-home care. Although researchers are still examining the link between gum disease and stroke, there are several potential explanations for the connection between the conditions. The chronic inflammation associated with gum disease may be a risk factor for various health problems, including strokes. Additionally, some research suggests that strokes may occur as a direct result of the spread of the bacteria that cause gum disease into the bloodstream. Regardless of the exact relationship between these conditions, Drs. Huang and Wang advise patients to safeguard their health by taking steps to prevent gum disease in Las Vegas, NV, or treat existing infections. To protect the health of patients who have developed gum disease in Las Vegas, NV, Drs. Huang and Wang offer periodontal disease treatment and ongoing periodontal maintenance. During periodontal maintenance, Drs. Huang and Wang perform a focused cleaning of any plaque, calculus and bacteria that have formed above or below the gumline. Regular maintenance can prevent periodontal disease from returning or progressing, which can in turn help reduce a patients risk of stroke. People who notice signs of gum disease in Las Vegas, NV, such as bleeding, inflammation, recession and changes in gum pocket size, are urged to schedule consultations at Significance Dental Specialists. After diagnosing the underlying health problem, Drs. Huang and Wang can determine an appropriate course of preventative treatment or intervention. Patients may request appointments by calling the practice office at (702) 733-0558 or by visiting the practice website, http://www.sdsdental.com. About the Doctors Dr. Allen Huang is a Board Certified Periodontist and Implant Specialist, offering personalized dental care for patients in Las Vegas, NV. Dr. Huang received his degree in Bio-Chemical Engineering from the University of California at Los Angeles. He went on to earn his DMD degree from the University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine. Following his general dental training, Dr. Huang received a full 3-year scholarship to train in Periodontics and Implant Dentistry at University of Illinois at Chicago. During his training, Dr. Huang received many academic honors, and was named as the first Chief-Resident in program history. In addition to his specialty training, Dr. Huang also obtained a Master of Science (MS) degree in oral biology from the University of Illinois where he conducted clinical and histological research in bone regeneration in furcation defects in baboons. Dr. Huang was also involved in clinical and histological study of platelet rich plasma (PRP) in sinus lift bone regeneration project. Dr. Huang is a Diplomate of the American Academy of Periodontology and a member of the America Academy of Periodontology, American Academy of Osseointegration, Academy of Dental Association and Southern Nevada Dental Society. In addition, Dr. Huang recently started his own dental implant company and is the CEO of Altosbiotech, LLC. Dr. Jeffrey Wang is a Board Certified Periodontist and Implant Specialist, and is committed to the maintenance, restoration health and aesthetics of the mouth. Dr. Wang attended the University of Michigan for his undergraduate education. He completed his dental training in the University of Pennsylvania, School of Dental Medicine. He went on to pursue his post-doctoral training and certification in periodontics and implantology in the University of California, San Francisco, where he also received his masters degree. To learn more about the services Dr. Huang and Dr. Wang provide please visit their website at http://www.sdsdental.com or call (702) 733-0558. Charles story reminds us that everyone deserves a second chance and, with a little support, some training and hard work, people with criminal histories can be successful in the workplace, said Jim Gibbons, president and CEO of Goodwill Industries Intl. Charles Jackson knew that reentering society and finding a job would be difficult, after spending more than two years in federal prison. Numerous employers had turned him down. He turned to Goodwill Central Texas (Austin) on the advice of his sister. Jackson worked hard, grew his skills and earned the respect and admiration of his colleagues. Goodwill Industries International has named Jackson its 2016 Achiever of the Year. Jackson received training from the Austin Goodwill and earned a job as a production supervisor for its retail stores. He took every training that Goodwill offered, learned as much as he could, grew his leadership skills and rapidly rose within the organization from a production supervisor to a clerk and then to an assistant store manager within two years. A year later, he became a store manager, and he has since managed five different Austin-area Goodwill stores. Goodwill Central Texas didnt just give me a job. It gave me the opportunity to believe in myself, and move my life in the right direction, said Jackson. Goodwill taught me important leadership skills that have not only helped me be successful at work, but at home with my family, too. Jackson and his wife Ericka are the parents of twelve children four of whom, have gone off to college. He will be honored with the 2016 Achiever of the Year Award at Goodwill Industries Internationals Delegate Assembly conference in June. Charles story reminds us that everyone deserves a second chance and, with a little support, some training and hard work, people with criminal histories can be successful in the workplace, said Jim Gibbons, president and CEO of Goodwill Industries International. We are proud of Charles accomplishments and grateful for the leadership and mentoring he provides to his colleagues. Jerry Davis, president and CEO of Goodwill Central Texas, praised Jacksons ability to work with his store team and his influence as a mentor. Charles is a servant leader. He never asks any employee to do what he wouldn't be willing to do. He successfully meets budget, month after month, year after year, all while inspiring his employees to do their best, said Davis. Goodwill Industries Internationals Achiever of the Year is a person who has shown great progress and accomplishment in overcoming challenges to finding employment, and who still benefits from the Goodwill work environment or receives services to support employment at a community site. ABOUT GOODWILL INDUSTRIES INTERNATIONAL Goodwill Industries International is a network of 164 autonomous, community-based organizations in the United States and Canada with a presence in 13 other countries. Goodwill is one of Americas top 20 most inspiring companies (Forbes, 2014). Goodwill organizations are innovative and sustainable social enterprises that fund job training programs, employment placement services and other community-based programs by selling donated clothing and household items in more than 3,100 stores and online at shopgoodwill.com. Local Goodwill organizations also build revenue and create jobs by contracting with businesses and government to provide a wide range of commercial services, including packaging and assembly, food services preparation, and document imaging and shredding. Last year, Goodwill placed 312,000 people in employment in the United States and Canada. In addition, more than 35 million people used computers and mobile devices to access Goodwill education, training, mentoring and online learning services to strengthen their skills. To learn more, visit goodwill.org. For more information or to find a Goodwill location near you, use the online locator at Goodwill.org or call (800) GOODWILL. Follow us on Twitter: @GoodwillIntl and @GoodwillCapHill, and find us on Facebook: GoodwillIntl Applied Systems and the Applied Client Network today announced that Captain Sully Sullenberger will be the featured keynote speaker at Applied Net 2016. Captain Sullenberger will share insights and lessons from his life on how to manage unprecedented crisis and the opportunity technology affords individuals and businesses today to prepare for the unexpected. As one of the most captivating American heroes of our time, Captain Sullenberger is remembered for his preparation and leadership that enabled him to safely guide US Airways Flight 1549 to an emergency landing in New York Citys frigid Hudson River. This inspirational and iconic moment in modern history is captured in a soon-to-be-released major motion picture, Sully, directed by Clint Eastwood and starring Tom Hanks as Captain Sullenberger. Recognized as an aviation safety expert and accident investigator, Sullenberger also serves as the CBS News Aviation and Safety Expert and is the founder and chief executive officer of Safety Reliability Methods, Inc., a company dedicated to management, safety, performance and reliability consulting. The Applied Net conference is about inspiring attendees to discover the latest trends, insights and skills to drive success within their own agencies or brokerages, said Brian Langerman, chief executive officer, Applied Client Network. As a recognized hero, Captain Sullenberger will deliver a valuable message that motivates and provides trusted advice during the times when it matters the most. Since 2011, the Applied Net conference has grown by more than 180 percent, making the conference the must-attend technology event in the industry. This years conference theme, Connecting the Business of Insurance, focuses on opportunities for agencies and brokerages to embrace digital technologies that connect their business with insurers, current policyholders and prospective insureds to create high-value business transactions and great customer service across the entire insurance industry. As the leading forum for innovation and education, Applied Net 2016 promises more than 200 education and technical sessions, keynote presentations, networking opportunities and exhibitors from the entire insurance industry to ensure attendees recognize the greatest value from software for their business now and in the future. This years conference will spotlight the opportunities agents, brokers and insurers have to drive growth by connecting the business of insurance through advanced technology, said Reid French, chief executive officer, Applied Systems. We are thrilled to have Captain Sullenberger join us at this years conference, providing our attendees a unique perspective on crisis management and how technology can support decision-making even during the most critical of times. Early-bird conference discounts run through June 17. Register now for Applied Net 2016. Join the conversation on Twitter with hashtag #AppliedNet. About Applied Systems Applied Systems is the leading global provider of cloud-based software that powers the business of insurance. Recognized as a pioneer in insurance automation and data exchange between brokerages, insurers and their clients, Applied is the worlds largest provider of agency and brokerage management systems, serving customers throughout the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom. By automating the insurance lifecycle, Applied enables millions of people around the world to safeguard and protect what matters most. About Applied Client Network Applied Client Network is the international association that promotes successful technology and business practices through communication, education and advocacy. Founded in 1985 and based in Chicago, Ill., Applied Client Network is the only authorized user group for Applied Systems software. Visit http://www.appliedclientnetwork.org. I am so proud of the hardwork and accomplishments of our entire team The Control Group was named the winner of the following Stevie Awards: Gold for the Maverick of The Year - CTO Shiem Edelbrock and Innovation of the Year - Instant Checkmate; Silver for Company of the Year - The Control Group and Best Web Writing/Content - Instant Checkmate Crimewire; and Bronze for Executive of the Year - CEO Kris Kibak, IT Team of the Year - Instant Checkmate, Branded Content Campaign of the Year - Crimewire (Tinder infographic) and Best Web Writing/Content - Instant Checkmate (Luminary) in The 14th Annual American Business Awards announced. The American Business Awards are the nations premier business awards program. All organizations operating in the U.S.A. are eligible to submit nominations public and private, for-profit and non-profit, large and small. Nicknamed the Stevies for the Greek word meaning crowned, the awards will be presented to winners at a gala ceremony at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in New York on Monday, June 20. Tickets are now on sale. More than 3,400 nominations from organizations of all sizes and in virtually every industry were submitted this year for consideration in a wide range of categories, including Startup of the Year, Executive of the Year, Best New Product or Service of the Year, Marketing Campaign of the Year, Live Event of the Year, and App of the Year, among others. The Control Group was nominated in various categories/industries. The Control Group was one of only seven San Diego companies to receive honors at this years Stevie Awards. One of this years judges commented TCG is a extraordinary place to work, motivation and energy join forces to promote results. This is the companys 2nd year receving honors from the ABA. They have also been winners of several other awards including: Top Workplace, Healthiest Company and Top Tech Manager. I am so proud of the hardwork and accomplishments of our entire team. Everyones contributions are what make us so successful, Kris Kibak, CEO. More than 250 professionals worldwide participated in the judging process to select this years Stevie Award winners. The judges were extremely impressed with the quality of entries we received this year. The competition was intense and every organization that has won should be proud, said Michael Gallagher, president and founder of the Stevie Awards. Details about The American Business Awards and the list of 2016 Stevie winners are available at http://www.StevieAwards.com/ABA. About The Control Group Created in 2011, The Control Group is one of the fastest-growing technology companies headquartered in San Diego. Their expertise is in web development and internet marketing. The company is the developer of InstantCheckmate.com, one of the top people search engines in the world and NextGen Leads, an extremely high quality insurance leads platform focused on streamlining lead acquisition. Because the company is already profitable, it has been able to develop a company culture that is shaking up the Technology Sector. Core to the company culture is its reach into the community to make a positive impact by volunteering, supporting, and getting involved in numerous important causes. About the Stevie Awards Stevie Awards are conferred in seven programs: the Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards, the German Stevie Awards, The American Business Awards, The International Business Awards, the Stevie Awards for Women in Business, the Stevie Awards for Great Employers, and the Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service. Stevie Awards competitions receive more than 10,000 entries each year from organizations in more than 60 nations. Honoring organizations of all types and sizes and the people behind them, the Stevies recognize outstanding performances in the workplace worldwide. Learn more about the Stevie Awards at http://www.StevieAwards.com. Thobith Abraham, executive vice president business development, gooidev gooidev has named Thobith Abraham executive vice president business development for its I Connect incubation and business platform in India. Thobith is a young, energetic and accomplished young man with a passion for helping and starting fertile small and midsized enterprises (SME) and student communities, says gooidev chairman and CEO Paul N. Greenwood. I am excited to join the gooi family and continue to do what I do best, says Abraham. I Connect as a platform comes with a novel blend of nurturing business on its own ground with its own folks for the world. It is going to serve the SMEs and Student Community alike. I will be leading the development of International business for I Connect in various parts of Asia and alongside will work with the younger generation to connect it to entrepreneurial opportunities via I Connect. A software engineer and team leader, Abraham has founded two tech startups and worked with several others in India and overseas, concentrating on helping organizations scale up their global presences, He began leading and organizing social and business events when he was 13. He has an unquenchable enthusiasm and passion for people, product and technology, says Greenwood. I realized the extent of equilibrium that needs to be maintained between society and business to make commerce successful, says Abraham, who holds a Masters degree in Computer Science from the University of Madras. He specializes in software/product development, international strategic alliances, sales and marketing and networking. He is also a motivational speaker and community-building enthusiast. We are living in an exciting economic period, Abraham says. Historically, we have been through various economic shifts and gained enough experience to deliver to the next generation. Until a few decades back, those experiences and innovations were carried forward by a few daring souls called entrepreneurs. Now, with the engagement of deeply experienced businessmen, who have realized the significance of the younger generation getting started, we are able to see the silicon valley brimming with young and innovative entrepreneurial minds. As Paul nicely put it, Why shouldnt there be a silicon valley every few miles around the globe? I see that even a speck of such thought means a uniform growth and opportunity for all of us. So, as a person who started as a leader at an early age, I have very strong experience and belief that getting started with a business means expanding the extent of our mind, which leaves us with a sense of consummated living. I see a great fit with Paul's vision and his vibrant team. About gooidev gooidev is a global team of digital specialists who provide support for app and web development on both Android and iOS platforms. Its team's members apply global resources and expertise to seamlessly manage development and expedite results for small and midsized businesses that want to outsource this segment of their operations. Headquartered in Chennai, India, and Des Moines, Iowa, USA, gooidev uses an Agile working process. For more information, visit http://gooidev.com/index.php Media Contacts: Richard Greb mygooi 847-651-1445 / Richardg(at)mygooi(dot)com Mark Perlman mygooi 312-315-0707 / Markp(at)mygooi(dot)com Cirius Logo "Our latest patented technology makes it even easier for users to manage their messages and simplify business communications." Cirius, a provider of cloud-based security solutions, announced that it has received a new patent for its innovative Secure Messaging platform, which includes secure, private messaging, large file sharing, secure e-signatures, and advanced message tracking and control. The new patent extends Ciriuss portfolio of patents around innovative features for securing, tracking, and controlling messages for organizations of any size. According to research firm Radicati, approximately 205 billion emails are sent daily, with the average office worker receiving 121 messages each day. To help business users manage and prioritize such a high volume of emails more efficiently, Cirius augmented its Secure Messaging solution with a newly-patented opt out feature, allowing users to leave email or chat conversations and then return to them when convenient. The new opt-out capability complements Secure Messagings other message control features, such as the Delivery Slip, Forward Freeze, and Reply Freeze, which extend tracking and control well beyond traditional email solutions. Along with Secure Messagings newest feature, Secure E-Signatures, these technologies deliver protected workflow-enhancing capabilities, including real-time notifications that show when a message is received, read or answered, and control whether it can be forwarded, deleted or printed, and the ability to e-sign and authorize documents securely and legally within the users email clients. Our Secure Messaging solution already provides extensive visibility and control of messaging activities, said Josef Lara, SVP of Business Development at Cirius. Now, our latest patented technology makes it even easier for users to manage their messages and simplify business communications. Its an important next step in bridging high-level cloud email security and workflow efficiency. In addition to the Thread/Conversation Opt Out patent, Cirius holds patents for seven other Secure Messaging features. In total, the features of the Secure Messaging platform complement existing cloud-based email solutions, including Microsoft Office 365 to provide: Improved, secure sharing and collaboration Secure transfer of large files Tracking and control of messages and files Secure and non-repudiable electronic signatures Support for regulatory compliance An easy-to-use guest sign up and interface that facilitates use by business partners and customers. Cirius is only company that provides such granular level of email control. Its new opt out feature is available as part of the Secure Messaging platform, included in its one low-price subscription. For more information, visit http://www.cirius.com. About Cirius Cirius offers cloud-based solutions that help organizations easily secure, track, and control B2B, B2C and internal messages, files, and information workflows. Cirius integrates easily with Office 365, Outlook, and other email and cloud-based applications solutions to improve user productivity and facilitate information sharing and control, while maintaining industry and data privacy requirements from any application, on any device. Used by more than 7,000 organizations worldwide, the Cirius Secure Messaging solution can be used by any department to protect their messages and information workflow without changes to existing infrastructure. Cirius is the simplest, most secure way to share, track, and manage information workflows in the digital enterprise. For more information visit http://www.cirius.com. View of the newly formed Hunga Tonga Hunga Haapai (HTHH) island from Research Vessel Falkor. Credit: SOI/ Colleen Peters R/V Falkor was able to map a large region around the new island, which is unofficially called Hunga Tonga Hunga Haapai. Schmidt Ocean Institutes R/V Falkor conducted high resolution undersea mapping in collaboration with NASA, as a mission of opportunity in conjunction with the Vent Life Expedition exploring ecosystem dynamics of the hydrothermal vent fields in the nearby eastern Lau Basin. This survey contributes to the project to extend satellite-based measurements that NASAs Earth Sciences Program began in summer of 2015 with collaborators from the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) and the Canadian Space Agency (via their Radarsat-2 satellite), as well as the German Space Agency (DLR). Because much of the landscape dynamics associated with new oceanic island volcanoes happens underwater, this unique project of opportunity provides scientists at NASA and Columbias Lamont Doherty Earth Observatory with an integrated view of the three dimensional character of the new island from the seafloor to its approximately 130 meters tall summit above sea-level, all at spectacular meter-scale resolution. This topographic viewpoint will serve to better understand how such rapidly-formed volcanic islands evolve and why their long-term survival as land is often so limited and short in duration. It will also contribute to understanding of hydro-volcanic processes on planets such as Mars where similar-appearing volcanic structures (i.e., to the new island in Tonga) have been observed by NASA satellites such as the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO). R/V Falkor has excellent high-resolution mapping capabilities, and has recently discovered several new underwater features such as the recently named Falkor Seamount. Falkors bathymetric mapping capabilities were able to be rapidly deployed to map a large region of complex seafloor topography around the new island, which is unofficially called Hunga Tonga Hunga Haapai (HTHH) on the basis of nearby pre-existing islands in the Kingdom of Tonga. Preliminary analysis by Columbia University scientist Dr. Vicki Ferrini, together with NASA scientists from the Goddard Space Flight Center, have showcased why the new island has lost nearly 30 percent of its initial land area in only 15 months since the eruptive activity ended in late January 2015. Just as at Surtsey island in the North Atlantic Ocean (near Iceland), the submarine topography around HTHH clearly exerts a controlling effect on the pace and location of erosion due primarily to marine abrasion and local subsidence. Scientific collaborations forged on the basis of common exploration interests such as those illustrated in Tonga enable serendipitous discoveries that contribute to scientific understanding of key systems on Earth, of which highly sensitive oceanic islands are but one example. The rapidly and effectively orchestrated seafloor mapping campaign enabled by the crew and science team on board of Schmidt Ocean Institutes R/V Falkor has already provided new scientific insights and inputs into NASAs project for understanding the evolution of newly-formed oceanic islands (such as HTHH) and clearly demonstrates the powerful spirit of collaboration that is a hallmark of science worldwide*. BROLL and Images can be found here. *It is anticipated that preliminary scientific outcomes from this collaboration will be presented during 2016 at major scientific conferences, including the Fall American Geophysical Union (AGU) Meeting. R/V Falkor Lead Marine Technician Colleen Peters of SOI and Dr. Vicki Ferrini of Columbias LDEO led the Falkor-based scientific investigation that was able to deploy to the region around the HTHH island in Tonga. The principal investigator of the ongoing NASA investigation of the new island and its evolution is Dr. James Garvin is the Chief Scientist at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center. Schmidt Ocean Institutes Lead Marine Technician Colleen Peters facilitated the partnership that enabled the seafloor mapping campaign, with assistance from a colleague at the USGS Hawaii Volcanoes Observatory (B. Shiro) and with help from the coordination manager of the NASA project (K. Andersen). All seagoing scientific operations on R/V Falkor were supported by Schmidt Ocean Institute. Funding for this research was provided by the Division of Ocean Sciences Biological Oceanography program under award number 1536650. Lumus, a leading developer of optical display technology for augmented reality and smart eyewear, announced today that CEO Ben Weinberger will join a panel presentation on virtual and augmented reality at the Goldman Sachs TechNet Conference Asia Pacific 2016. Weinberger will be one of three presenters for an opening-day panel on The Reality of Virtual & Augmented Reality at the exclusive conference, to be May 18 19 at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Hong Kong. Top Lumus executives plan to meet privately with investors throughout the invitation-only conference to offer a personal look at the companys see-through wearable display technology. The 50-minute meetings will be scheduled from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and advance conference registration is required. Attendees can contact Irene Lau, conference coordinator (Irene.Lau@gs.com), to schedule a meeting with Lumus, or for general information about the Asia-Pacific conference. Attendees may also contact Lumus Vice President of Sales and Business Development Ari Grobman (agrobman@lumus-optical.com) during the conference. Were very pleased to be participating in the TechNet Asia Pacific conference this year, Weinberger commented. I especially look forward to joining my colleagues Eugene Chung, founder and CEO of Penrose Studios, and Wondo Kang, director of VR at Samsung, for whats sure to be a dynamic discussion on the state of VR and AR today. Its a great forum for showcasing our own advanced augmented reality optics technology as well. Visitors to our booth can experience true augmented reality in the real world with demos of our DK-50 development kit, which is unparalleled today. Presented by the Goldman Sachs Securities Division, TechNet Asia Pacific will feature expert overviews on global research and global banking highlights, and keynote speeches from Eric Jing, president of Ant Financial, and Jim Wang, senior vice president of technology for Baidu. In addition to the VR and AR panel, panel topics will range from Transforming Logistics in China and Digitizing India to Rise of the Robots (artificial intelligence) and Mapping the Future of Mobility. The agenda also includes a full slate of breakout sessions focusing on such topics as big data, e-commerce, online education, healthcare, transportation, and drones, along with interactive expo booths. About Lumus Lumus (http://www.lumusvision.com) products enable the fusion of the digital and physical world, allowing businesses and individuals to maximize the potential of augmented reality and smart eyewear today. Lumus has developed ground-breaking technology for see-through wearable displays via its patented Light-guide Optical Element (LOE) platform. Lumus technology makes possible the only sleek, natural-looking form factor, wide field of view, and true see-through performance available today. The augmented reality technology developed by Lumus is in fact already used by leading consumer electronics and smart-eyewear manufacturers. Health care, the military, aviation, and logistics are among the industries that rely on Lumus alone for the optical technology underlying their pioneering AR applications. The extraordinary sales conversion rate is a winner thanks to Social Connect and Get-a-Fan apps that are helping us to increase Facebook fans, gain higher engagement and maximize sales conversions. - Linda Remeschatis, President of Wisconsinmade.com ShopSociallys customer, Wisconsinmade.com implemented campaigns to increase its fan base and sales in progressive mode, which resulted in an outstanding sales conversion rate of 35.06%. Wisconsinmade.com first showed ShopSociallys Get-a-Fan app to convert its site visitors into Facebook fans. After these website visitors converted to fans, Wisconsinmade.com showed them the Social Connect app and encouraged them to engage with the brand by subscribing to the email newsletter. Wisconsinmade.com offered an attractive incentive that motivated users to engage with the Social Connect app. Traffic generated from the Social Connect app converted at a remarkable 35.06% sales conversion rate. These strategies are leveraging the viral influence of social media engagement and encouraging user traffic to interact with Wisconsinmade.com 24/7. ShopSociallys Get-a-Fan app has the power to convert up to 5% of website visitors into qualified Facebook fans without the need to invest in costly social media advertising. Additionally, the Social Connect app encourages users to share recommendations, build a bigger e-mail subscriber database and collect important user profile information using Facebook Connect.Wisconsinmade.com targeted the newly acquired Facebook fans with the Social Connect app to connect with their brand on Facebook. The retailer used custom incentivization options of the app to offer attractive incentives and leveraged this social media influence to convert fans and brand recommendations into sales. We are fortunate that our company has been honored with a number of awards over the years and the proof of our collaboration with ShopSocially speaks for itself. This extraordinary sales conversion rate is a winner thanks to Social Connect and Get-a-Fan apps that are helping us to increase Facebook fans, gain higher engagement and ultimately, maximize sales conversions, reflected, Linda Remeschatis, President of Wisconsinmade.com. This could not have been accomplished without Shopsociallys outstanding customer service team. They have been extremely helpful in creating our initial campaigns and are always available for follow up conversations. Our strategy to convert site visitors into social media fans and then nurturing them to become customers has delivered impressive results. Wisconsinmade.com is also using ShopSociallys Share-a-Purchase and Trending Products apps. The Share-a-Purchase app converts customers into brand ambassadors who wish to share their latest purchases with friends via social media, creating after-sales friend referrals. Another jewel in the crown is the Trending Products app whereby customers can see exactly what products are the most popular now and what other purchasers are buying in the same moment. The apps come with all of the extras customers have come to expect from ShopSociallys award-winning product platform such as; an array of incentivization choices, customizable brand-centric layout, A/B testing, detailed analytics and the display of product purchases along with poignant customer testimonials. It is extremely rewarding to see that our work with social sales in this era of e-commerce influence has delivered such results to Wisconsinmade.com, remarked Samir Palnitkar, President at ShopSocially. Our apps have proven yet again that a major leap in Sales Conversion Rate is possible in a short space of time with ShopSociallys proprietary technologies. I am excited to see Wisconsinmade.com achieve many more milestones as our business relationship extends well into the future. About Wisconsinmade.com: The award-winning Wisconsinmade.com was established in 1999 to bring the finest specialty foods, gifts, art, books, music and clothing from 250 artisan craftspeople to homes and businesses across America and the rest of the world. It has become a leading artisan retailer with over 2,500 products on offer all proudly made in Wisconsin. See our 100% guarantee and experience our website: http://www.wisconsinmade.com/ About ShopSocially: ShopSocially, Leveraging the Passion of Your Customers, is Software as a Service (SaaS) based social, referral and loyalty marketing platform delivering up to 40% more revenue by enabling increases in new customer acquisitions, engagement, conversion rates, and retention. More than 500 global brands currently use ShopSocially to grow their companies via proven strategies such as referral marketing, visual commerce, customer loyalty, social login, social gamification and customer questions and answers. This has led to ShopSocially becoming the worlds most comprehensive platform for social, referral and loyalty results. The ShopSocially platform offers a comprehensive suite of marketing solutions, eliminating the need to implement multiple, inconsistent solutions and delivers a measurable R.O.I. Our fully managed service option ensures no additional work for marketing or IT teams. ShopSocially has been honored with several awards and recognitions for its innovative technology. To learn more about how ShopSocially can help grow your business, please contact us at (650) 701-7759 or visit our website: http://shopsocially.com/ The annual Indicators of School Crime and Safety report, co-produced by the American Institutes for Research (AIR), was released today by the National Center for Education Statistics and the Bureau of Justice Statistics. The report presents the most current data on crime and safety at schools and on college campuses from the perspectives of students, teachers, principals and postsecondary institutions. New this year are two spotlight indicators, one on topics related to student suspension and expulsion and another on juvenile offenders in residential placement facilities. Among students entering the ninth grade in fall 2009, the report shows, about 19 percent had been suspended or expelled by spring 2012. The number of juvenile offenders housed in residential facilities went down by half between 1997 and 2013. Additional topics covered include student and teacher victimization, crime at school, disciplinary actions taken by schools, school security measures and criminal incidents at postsecondary institutions. Where available, data on crimes committed off school grounds are cited for comparison. Key findings from this years report include: The number of reported forcible sex crimes on college campuses jumped by 126 percent between 2001 and 2013. During this same period, overall crimes reported by postsecondary institutions dropped 34 percent. Arrests for drug law violations at postsecondary institutions increased by 70 percent between 2001 and 2013. In contrast, arrests for liquor law violations and illegal weapons possession were both lower in 2013 than in 2001. The rate at which students aged 12 to 18 years were victims of crime at school fell between 1992 and 2014. Rates fell from 181 victimizations per 1,000 students to 33 victimizations per 1,000 students. 2014 saw about 850,100 nonfatal victimizations among this group, including 363,700 thefts and 486,400 violent incidents. About 65 percent of public schools recorded at least one violent incident in the 2013-14 academic year. Sixteen percent reported student bullying that occurred at least once a week at school and 5 percent reported student verbal abuse toward teachers at least once a week. There were 1.3 million disciplinary actions taken at elementary and secondary schools in 2013-14 related to alcohol, drugs, violence or weapons possession that resulted in a student being removed from an education setting for at least an entire school day. About 78 percent of these disciplinary actions were in response to violence. Fifteen percent were related to drugs, 5 percent to weapons possession and 2 percent to alcohol. In 2013-14, most public elementary and secondary schools had written emergency plans for various scenarios. During this school year, about 94 percent of public schools reported having a plan in place for natural disasters; 88 percent for shootings and bomb threats; 60 percent for chemical, biological or radiological threats; and 50 percent for hostage situations. AIR experts took part in all aspects of the publication, including statistical analysis, writing, report design and quality control review. AIR has co-written the Indicators of School Crime and Safety reports since 1999. The full Indicators of School Crime and Safety report can be found on the National Center for Education Statistics website. Read author insights on the report at AIRs Education Policy Center blog, InformEd. About AIR Established in 1946, with headquarters in Washington, D.C., the American Institutes for Research (AIR) is a nonpartisan, not-for-profit organization that conducts behavioral and social science research and delivers technical assistance both domestically and internationally in the areas of health, education and workforce productivity. For more information, visit http://www.air.org. The Market New York Expo was created to help equip small business owners with the knowledge and strategy to increase their sales and growth in the digital age. The third annual Market New York Expoa business-to-business trade show, conference, and networking event for small business owners and executiveswill take place from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday, May 25 at Citi Field in Queens, N.Y. This year, the all-day marketing and sales event will be held in conjunction with the Queens Business Expo, which attracts thousands of entrepreneurs each year with more than 200 additional businesses on exhibit. The Market New York Expo was created to help equip small business owners with the knowledge and strategy to increase their sales and growth in the digital age. At Citi Field, we are making marketing education easily accessible to all five boroughs, said Event Management President Marc Sherer. In addition, by partnering with the Queens Chamber of Commerce, we have the added value of hosting the event alongside the successful Queens Business Expo, increasing the number of small business owners, networking opportunities, and educational information available at the Market New York Expo. The Market New York Expo offers budding entrepreneurs and small business owners access to high-profile professionals such as keynote Mario Rosser, client relationship manager at LinkedIn Sales Solutions, whose presentation will focus on using LinkedIn to build brands and gain a competitive edge, and Alex Hollywood, regional development director at Constant Contact, who will examine email marketing strategies that drive new business. Other featured speakers include executives from Google, YP Marketing Solutions, and New York Times best-selling authors. In addition to six keynotes and more than 100 exhibitors, the Market New York Expo will feature insightful seminars presented by business and marketing experts on topics like VEDCs Heres the Money- Access Capital to Grow Your Small Business and How to Connect with Local Consumers in Todays Complex Digital Landscape. The Market New York Expo is a spin-off event from the New York Business Expo and Conference (NYEXPO), the largest and most comprehensive business conference in the Northeast. Last years NYEXPO, which took place at the Javits Center, drew more than 8,000 business owners and executives and more than 200 exhibitors and dozens of esteemed presenters. This years Market New York Expo is presented by Co-Communications, Constant Contact, Infusionsoft, Powerteam International, and YP Marketing Solutions. Pre-registration tickets can be reserved online and are recommended to ensure access to keynote presentations and seminars with limited seating; tickets will also be available at the door. Citi Field is easily accessible by NYC subway and Long Island Railroad; free unlimited parking is also available. For more event details and directions to the venue, visit http://www.marketnewyorkexpo.com or follow Market New York Expo on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. To request booth space, please call 866-44-EVENT. About Event Management: Event Management LLC is a Connecticut-based firm with over 25 years of experience in the production of major business shows and special events. Event Management produces trade shows throughout New England and New York. For additional information, visit http://www.EventManagement.org. OATIs experience with the NV Energy Go-Live has given us real-world experience in the CAISO EIM, said Dr. Rahimi. OATI is pleased to announce an additional CAISO EIM Workshop June 01, 2016 in Sacramento, CA. OATI previously led successful EIM Workshops in Seattle, WA and Phoenix, AZ in March 2016, displaying experience and expertise in this market to nearly 100 attendees who learned about the challenges facing participants during transition to the EIM. The CAISO EIM is a real-time market that provides reliability and renewable integration benefits by sharing and economically dispatching a wide variety of resources. With the most recent quarterly reports showing gross combined benefits for CAISO EIM market participants of more than $64.6 million, theres no doubt that the EIMs growth momentum wont slow down anytime soon. Renowned OATI CAISO EIM experts, including Dr. Farrokh Rahimi, Ph.D., Senior Vice President of Market Design and Consulting, and Mehdi Assadian, Principal Market Consultant, and our guest instructor, Dr. Jim Price, Senior Advisor, Market Development & Analysis, California ISO will present an in-depth analysis of potential benefits of participating in the EIM, helping attendees make sense of CAISOs complex software application, integration requirements, as well as the changes and challenges involved in becoming a Participating Resource or an EIM Entity. Attendees can also earn three hours North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) Continuing Education (CE) Hours. In addition to knowledgeable EIM instructors, OATI has proven market experience with its NV Energy California ISO EIM Solution. This system has shown to increase potential market revenue, monitor charges, and ensure the highest level of accuracy and efficiency in dealing with the EIM market. The OATI webEIM solution completely integrates NV electronic tagging, scheduling, OASIS, and Energy Accounting systems to eliminate manual edits and submission of data to the CAISO EIM. Gray Wright, formerly of NV Energy, was impressed with OATIs ability to prepare NV Energy for the CAISO EIM. I want to thank the entire OATI team for such a successful Factory Acceptance Testing event, said Wright. This is the first time in my career that I have not had any variances in a Factory Acceptance Test. I was impressed with the instructors extensive EIM expertise and tagging knowledge, as well as OATIs sophisticated data center. OATIs experience with the NV Energy Go-Live has given us real-world experience in the CAISO EIM, said Dr. Rahimi. This unique vantage point, along with the success of the first round of OATI EIM trainings, has created an overwhelming demand for more workshops. We are pleased to support Balancing Authorities (BAs) and Merchant Generators in navigating this complex market. About OATI OATI provides innovative software solutions that simplify, streamline, and empower the operational tasks required in todays energy commerce and Smart Grid. With more than 1,600 customers in North America, OATI successfully deploys large, complicated, and diverse mission-critical applications committed to industry standards and stringent NERC CIP guidelines. OATI is a leading provider of Smart Grid, Energy Trading and Risk Management, Transmission Scheduling, Congestion Management, and Market Management products and services. OATI is headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota, with an office in Redwood City, California. For more information, please contact sales(at)oati(dot)net. NJBIZ hosted their annual Best Places to Work in New Jersey Award Ceremony and Reception on April 19, 2016. Ahead of the event, SBS Group was notified that it made the list of Best Places to Work in New Jersey in 2016. At the reception, employees from SBS Group as well as other awarded companies were in attendance in preparation of learning their ranking on the list. Awarded companies were split into two divisions: small/medium (15 249 employees) and large (more than 250 employees). The event was held at iPlay Americas Event Center in Freehold, NJ. Multiple employees from SBS Group attended the event at iPlay America for drinks, light refreshments and games. SBS Group placed 60th in the small/medium business category. This marks the second year in a row that SBS Group has been placed on the Best Places to Work in NJ award list. To qualify, companies had to fulfill the following eligibility requirements: At least 15 employees working in New Jersey Be a for-profit, not-for-profit or government entity Be a publicly or privately held business A facility in New Jersey A minimum of 1 year in business SBS Group continues to grow as a business, both in revenue and as an attractive place to work. SBS Group offers competitive salaries, generous benefits and a fun-loving culture as well as other perks and benefits to its employees. With over 30 years of experience, SBS Group is a leading organization to work at and partner with in the information technology industry. The 2016 Best Places to Work in New Jersey is sponsored by Rymax Marketing Services, Inc., MassMutual New Jersey-NYC and Gibbons PC and partnered with SHRM. About SBS Group SBS Group is a national Microsoft master VAR (Value Added Reseller) with Gold level competency in enterprise resource planning (ERP) and customer relationship management (CRM). Over the past 25 years, they have been recognized as Microsoft Partner of the Year, Inner Circle Member and Microsoft Presidents Club member multiple times. The company is headquartered in Edison, New Jersey and operates offices across North America. For more information, please visit SBS Groups website at http://www.sbsgroupusa.com. Follow us on LinkedIn at http://www.linkedin.com/company/sbs-group, on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/sbsgroup and find us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/SBSGroupUSA. A-RTS Rockville Town Square Fine Art Festival Weve created an extraordinary and accessible show - one that has something for everyone - from college students to moms, whimsical collectors to fine art patrons. The Fourth Annual A-RTS at Rockville Town Square Fine Art Festival will bring together more than 160 artists who are creating the most exceptional art found in America today. A-RTS, a premier outdoor art festival, takes place Saturday, May 7, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Sunday, May 8, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. The event is free and open to the public. More information available at http://www.a-rts.org. The jury-selected artists from across the U.S. will exhibit in an outdoor art gallery brought to life on the streets of Rockville Town Square. All participants were selected based on the creativity, innovation, and exquisite execution of their original works. A list of artists is available at http://www.a-rts.org. These acclaimed artists represent the countrys highest calibre of art in a wide range of media including ceramics, digital art, drawing, fiber, glass, graphics/printmaking, painting, photography, and sculpture, among others. Also highlighted are the wearable arts - from fashion to jewelry - perfect for last minute Mothers Day or graduation gifts. According to A-RTS Festival Director Robin Markowitz, who also heads the Bethesda Row Arts Festival, A-RTS is a rare opportunity to meet outstanding artists and discover their work first-hand. Weve created an extraordinary and accessible show - one that has something for everyone - from college students to moms, whimsical collectors to fine art patrons. New this year, visitors to A-RTS can sample creations of another kind - Maryland wines and distinctive craft beers - all served in commemorative glasses. Local food purveyors will offer artisanal foods from hand-made chocolates to olive oils. And, A-RTS starts and ends on a high note with live music from bands including the popular 19th Street Band. A-RTS will take place rain or shine. Sponsors include Bethesda Magazine, Rockville Town Square, Federal Realty Investment Trust, and Cambria Hotel & Suites Rockville. Rockville Town Square, located at 200 East Middle Lane, Rockville, MD 20850, is within easy walking distance of the Rockville Metro Station. Parking is available at numerous garages located around the Festival site. More information about A-RTS is available at http://www.a-rts.org or by visiting A-RTS on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/RockvilleArtsFestival. More information about Rockville Town Square, one of the areas most popular destinations for shopping and dining, is available at http://rockvilletownsquare.com. ### PlayCore, the leading company in play and recreation research, programming, and products, recently awarded its NatureGrounds National Demonstration Site Award of Excellence to a new NatureGrounds park in Ketchum, OK. Thanks to a $57,273 grant from the Cherokee Nation to the Native American Association of Ketchum, Grand Playscape Park is set to be a destination for all to reconnect with nature. To celebrate, a grand opening ceremony will be held on May 7th at 1 p.m., at Grand River Ave and Amarillo Street, Vinita, OK 74301. Naturegrounds is a program designed to help communities bring nature to the play environment through the integration of natural and built features. The program was created in collaboration with PlayCore and the Natural Learning Initiative, College of Design, NC State University (NLI), to help professional and community activists promote naturalized playgrounds. A generation ago, playing outdoors in nature was usually taken for granted, but times have changed. Now, nature must be deliberately designed back into childrens lives, said Robin Moore, NLI. The park is the first in the community, said Jerry Taylor, Board President of the Native American Association of Ketchum, and the citizens have brought community cohesion in working to plan, develop, and maintain a park that families can enjoy. The park serves as a place for the center of the community to play, picnic, hold events, and interact with nature. We are very excited about the park, and the wonderful memories that will be created for the children and families. The Native American Association is a non-profit organization that works to make our community stronger, said Lisa Evans of Ketchum, OK. Our goal (was) to offer a place with real play time for the children, serve as a gathering place to bring family and friends together while connecting with nature. The Cherokee Nations Community and Cultural Outreach department awards about 45 grants per year to local organizations seeking to improve their community. Helping the town of Ketchum build a family-friendly park is part of the Cherokee Nations mission to invest in our citizens and communities, said Cherokee Nation Principal, Chief Bill John Baker. This will soon be a beautiful space for children and families to gather and enjoy. Im proud we are able to improve the quality of life for all citizens in the Ketchum community. As a National Demonstration Site, the park will receive certification, become a part of a national registry, and be promoted actively to other communities wishing to offer natural play environments to help share best practices. To locate the new site, check out http://www.pointsmap.com/playcore. About PlayCore: PlayCore helps build stronger communities around the world by advancing play through research, education, and partnerships. The company infuses this learning into its complete family of brands. PlayCore combines best in class planning and education programs with the most comprehensive array of recreation products available to create play solutions that match the unique needs of the each community they serve. Learn more at http://www.playcore.com Honey Lake Resort People fall in love with Honey Lake Resort at first sight. As a new bride myself, Im aware of what our brides are looking for and I strive to make the dreams of that special day become a reality. After months of planning, Honey Lake Resort (formerly Honey Lake Plantation Resort and Spa) announced today that it is re-launching with new owners, a new name, but the same natural beauty its always had. Situated on 644 acres 50 miles east of Tallahassee, Honey Lake Resort features old Florida charm in every building on its 52 developed acres. Jon Kohler, a real estate broker representing former owner Bob Williamson, completed the sale in March of 2016. Since then, the resort has been refreshed and is now re-launching operations. With her new husband Paul Tompkins as General Manager, Kelsey Tompkins takes the reigns as the Event Sales Coordinator and leads most of the day-to-day guest operations at Honey Lake. I am thrilled to be here and to help our guests enjoy all we have to offer, she says. People fall in love with Honey Lake Resort at first sight. As a new bride myself, Im aware of what our brides are looking for and I strive to make the dreams of that special day become a reality. My job is to keep that loving feeling going for our guests during their stay and beyond. Kelsey is a former Miss Jacksonville Beach, a title she won in 2015. A big part of serving as Miss Jacksonville Beach is the service to the community. That civic duty and making a deeper connection with all our guests is a big part of how the new Honey Lake Resort sees itself as part of our commitment to the region, says Kelsey. According to Paul Tompkins, We are all about weddings, events, and retreats, and making everyones time here unforgettable. The site contains five different lodging options, meeting halls, numerous indoor and outdoor activities, and of course, views of the 80-acre, spring-fed Honey Lake. About Honey Lake Resort Situated in Greenville, Florida, Honey Lake Resort is the Southeasts premiere destination for weddings, special events, retreats, meetings, and leisure time activities. Teeming with natural beauty and wildlife, the resorts a tranquil oasis perfectly suited for the outdoor lover and for those with a taste for old Florida charm and luxury. For more information, please visit http://www.HoneyLakeResort.com, call (850) 724-1999 or e-mail Kelsey Tompkins at Kelsey@HoneyLakeResort.com. Profile Booster Signs with TRADING CENTRAL We are very proud to team up with Profile Booster. Under the agreement, TRADING CENTRAL's clients will have access to Profile Booster's digital and content marketing services. "We are very proud to team up with Profile Booster. Thanks to their vast experience and cutting edge marketing techniques we will be in a position to deliver superior ROI to sophisticated Australian clients, said Julien Heiderscheid, Global Sales Director at TRADING CENTRAL. "We (Profile Booster) are well-positioned to help existing TRADING CENTRAL brokers to communicate more strategically with their client base to help grow trading volumes," said Ashley Jessen, co-founder and chief executive at Profile Booster. TRADING CENTRAL provides a wide array of market research, technical analysis and financial information to brokers. However, some brokers are only using a small fraction of the available information and capabilities of the TRADING CENTRAL offerings. "We provide a rich depository of market information that can help retail traders with their daily trading routine. But what we're finding out is that many traders and brokers have not fully explored what is available to them," said Heiderscheid. "And this is where we need Profile Booster to come in and help brokers to maximize and get the full benefits of our offerings." Profile Booster, which specializes in digital and content marketing for the financial services industry, will be able to provide training materials, video tutorials and other support services to retail brokers. "Many brokers provide the TRADING CENTRAL analysis, MT4 add-ons and daily emails. But some are failing to help clients understand how to integrate this into their daily trading routine," Jessen said. "We help bridge the gap and make it easy for clients to make the most of the more than 2,000 pieces of analysis the TRADING CENTRAL team provides on a daily basis." With a strong focus on the financial services sector as its niche market, Profile Boosters core services include: Content marketing copy writing, press releases, SEO content, newsletters and video Lead generation development of lead generation assets to boost sales, conversion, retention and client engagement Market automation strategies Social media strategies develop and maintain corporate strategies for social media engagement through Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook and other channels About TRADING CENTRAL The TRADING CENTRAL Group is a leading provider of investment research and financial market commentary, operating in New York, London, Paris, Hong Kong and Ottawa. Analyzing more than 800K instruments, the Groups solutions are available through multiple channels such as online broker websites, market data terminals, electronic trading platforms, mobile apps, financial portals and WebTV channels. The Groups TRADING CENTRAL and RECOGNIA brands are global benchmarks for technical analysis and quantitative research providing dynamic and actionable decision support and trade ideas to millions of professional as well as retail investors. About Profile Booster As specialists in creating and promoting authority and content for financial services companies, Profile Booster develop and implement Integrated Marketing Strategies with focus on authoritative and credible contents. Our strategy is based on time-tested and well-proven systems that have delivered high quality results for many Australian and international CFD and FX providers. Our team have a depth of experience when it comes to financial services, having been involved and authored 4 books and are driven to help you with your corporate communications and digital marketing goals. ShopAAM American Auto-Matrix is a company re-doubling it's efforts as a leading building controls and energy management company. Part of accomplishing this is creating and providing tools to its partners to make their businesses more efficient and profitable. American Auto-Matrix (AAM), a Cylon Energy, Inc. Company and leading innovator of building energy controls and energy information analytics, recently announced the unveiling of ShopAAM. It is a time- and money-saving online buying portal made available exclusively to AAM System integrators, OEMs, and other business partners. ShopAAM.com offers a single point of purchase for over 140 million items related to building control and energy management systems. AAMs partners are provided with best price discounts by pooling their buying power. Back office efficiencies are gained with estimating tools, returned goods management, shipping services, and a single PO for items from multiple vendors. The service was unveiled at the companys dealer conference in March, with many dealers already actively registered, placing orders, and providing very positive feedback. AAM partnered with Alpscontrols.com, located in West Homestead, PA to develop the portal. Alpscontrols.com operates a buying portal called eParts Services, which ShopAAM.com was modeled after. AAMs pricing to its partners is unaffected, while the total cost of project implementation is reduced. American Auto-Matrix, known for being the first to introduce a full line of BACnet energy management controllers, continues their innovation with Point2Cloud , a Mobile Building Automation solution featuring Aspect, that earned the firm the Innovation Award for Building Automation at the 2015 AHR Expo, the largest gathering of HVACR professionals in North America. American Auto-Matrix is also known for its dual platform product offering, with Integra, the Tridium N4 solution, and Aspect, offering integrators a choice of capabilities based on specification and project requirements. Paul Wickberg, AAMs President said, American Auto-Matrix is a company re-doubling its efforts as a leading building controls and energy management company. Part of accomplishing this is creating and providing tools to its partners to make their businesses more efficient and profitable. ShopAAM.com is one of these initiatives. We are proud of the results and pleased with the adoption rate and feedback from everyone. Alpscontrols.com has proven to be a fabulous partner, collaborating to execute on this fantastic service. About American Auto-Matrix: Since 1982, American Auto-Matrix has grown to be a worldwide influencer in the HVAC and Critical Environments industry with a network of Solution Integrators that spans the globe. Manufacturing a complete family of microprocessor-based, applied, networkable controllers, used in a broad range of applications, AAM was the first to offer open architecture, generation-to-generation compatibility, DDC, and object-oriented programming. American Auto-Matrix has one of the largest offerings of BTL Listed products in the industry. The company continues to release ground-breaking products such as the web-based, embedded HTML Aspect front-end building automation system, the first mobile zone control application, vSTAT, for commercial and retail facilities, and a dual platform offering including Tridium Niagara 4. Our products and systems are sold, installed, and maintained worldwide through our network of authorized Solution Integrators and OEMs. For more information, please visit http://www.aamatrix.com. About Cylon: Cylon is a pioneer and a recognized international leader in the development of smart energy management systems for buildings for over 25 years. Working through a worldwide network of system integrators, Cylon has customers in Europe, North America, Asia, the Middle East and Africa. Cylon Controls is one of the largest independent manufacturers of building control systems in Europe. With a solid history in controls and building energy management experience, Cylon understands buildings and, more importantly, how to optimize a buildings energy cost and comfort. In 2008, driven by our passion to contribute to energy efficiency and conservation, they identified the need for a smart, user-friendly and engaging way for organizations to monitor and analyze energy consumption that could deliver real energy and cost savings. In 2009, we introduced the innovative Active Energy SaaS (Software as a Service) Product to meet this need. In 2014, Cylon Energy Inc., the US holding company, acquired AAM which complimented their dealer channel business supporting Teletrol, a subsidiary of Philips lighting. They continue to support these products through AAM. Nerium Internationals Millionaire Club Member wants to be YOUR Mentor! The benefit of being sponsored by a top leader and Millionaire Club Member in Nerium, assures you shave years off of your learning curve and achieve success without all the pitfalls Darin Kidd, a Five-Star National Marketing Director for Nerium International, recently announced that he will be sponsoring new distributors as Nerium expands into Japan, Colombia and Hong Kong this summer. The news came shortly after Neriums annual conference, where Kidd was recognized for being a $2 Million Earner. Nerium International, LLC, was created in 2011 by Founder and CEO Jeff Olson. The company's versatile product portfolio provides anti-aging solutions for the face, mind and body. Nerium has reached record-breaking sales and earned industry accolades while building a global customer base of millions in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, and South Korea, and is continuing to expand globally. Embracing the expansion to Japan and beyond, Darin Kidd is looking forward to meeting individuals and network marketers who are eager to be personally sponsored and mentored by him. Plans are already underway with Darin to visit Japan, Colombia and Hong Kong this summer. He looks forward to sharing his experience in building international teams and continues to be very successful with Neriums recent expansion into Canada and Mexico. Darins love and presence, as a speaker and trainer, has been greatly felt in Canada during its infancy. My husband, Bruce, and I selected Darin Kidd as our Nerium International sponsor because of his servant leadership, faith-filled heart, and work ethic, said Lisa T., a member of Kidds team in Canada. Kidd has built a following in the network marketing industry and has become one of the most sought after trainers in network marketing today. A testament to his mentorship, Kidd has become the #1 Network Marketing Trainer on Periscope and is quickly rising to the top using Facebook Live to train others on how to build their Network Marketing business as well. Around 18 years ago, after failing in multiple Network Marketing companies, I finally had the right mentors come into my life, stated Darin. These mentors were instrumental in teaching me how to make Millions in the industry and create my dream lifestyle. The benefit of being sponsored by a top leader and Millionaire Club Member in Nerium, assures you shave years off of your learning curve and achieve success without all the pitfalls I experienced before Nerium. It is that experience I strive to deliver to others. Kidd joined Nerium over 4 years ago and has become a Millionaire Club Member and leader within the company. He is a husband and father to five children. I have found that Faith, Family, and Finance are my priorities and my commitment to these priorities has been the foundation of my success, said Darin. Anyone willing to do the work and to keep pushing themselves can have similar success. Those are the people I will be looking to work with in Japan, Columbia and Hong Kong. To watch Darins inspiring story click here. About Darin Kidd Darin Kidd is one of the most sought-after trainers in network marketing today. With his success as a 5-star National Marketing Director, Darin has quickly become one of Nerium Internationals top leaders and money earners. Having been in the industry for over 24 years, Darin has earned millions of dollars and built sales organizations with over a hundred thousand distributors. As an accomplished trainer and mentor, he has successfully led hundreds of live events around the world assisting people in building their own network marketing businesses. While success has followed Darin in the industry, its not what separates him. What separates him is his passion for helping people see success of their own by teaching them to do exactly what he has done. Succeed. To learn more about Nerium and how you can work with Darin visit: darinkidd.com About Nerium International Nerium International, LLC, headquartered in Addison, Texas, is a relationship marketing company that markets breakthrough products validated by science. Since its August 2011 launch, Nerium has reached record-breaking sales and earned industry accolades, while building a loyal customer base of millions in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, and South Korea. Nerium debuted on Inc. magazines 34th annual Inc. 500 List of Americas fastest-growing private companies as the No. 1 consumer products and services company. Nerium was also ranked No. 12 on the list overall. Led by an award-winning executive team with more than 220 years of collective industry experience, Nerium International is committed to developing and distributing anti-aging products rooted in real science, produce real results, and improve consumers lives. For more information, please visit nerium.com. The redevelopment of this site will replace two vacant homes with a vibrant new community that will increase the stock of affordable housing in the Langdon neighborhood The District of Columbia Housing Finance Agency (DCHFA) closed the month of April by financing the construction of a second new development. On April 28th, the Agency completed the transaction to provide $5.34 million in total bond financing, structured as short term ($1.52 million) and long term ($3.82 million) DCHFA tax exempt bonds for the acquisition of the one-fifth acre properties at 2613-2615 Bladensburg Road NE, to construct Langdon Apartments. Proceeds from the syndication of $3.21 million in low income housing tax credits raised by Stratford Capital Group and underwritten by the Agency will finance a portion of the $11.16 million project. Langdon Apartments will be a newly constructed, five story building containing 33 units (25 one bedroom and eight two bedroom) and 17 parking spaces. The building has been designed to meet the DC Green Building standards for multifamily housing. The redevelopment of this site will replace two vacant homes with a vibrant new community that will increase the stock of affordable housing in the Langdon neighborhood, stated Todd A. Lee, Acting Executive Director, DCHFA. The units will be set aside for households earning up to 60 percent of the area median income (AMI). The DC Coalition for Housing Justice (DCCHJ) will oversee tenant services at Langdon Apartments in coordination with the property manager Community Realty Management. Prospective tenant services will include budget and credit counseling, employment assistance, wellness programs and education, along with a computer center in the lobby. Complimentary wireless internet access will be offered throughout the building. DCCHJ is a nonprofit founded in 2002 that advocates for affordable housing, more funding and better services for low and moderate income D.C. residents. Fifteen percent of the units in Langdon Apartments will be set-aside for DC Department of Behavioral Health (DBH) consumers. DBH will be the primary service provider for these tenants. The completion of Langdon Apartments will help to revitalize portions of Bladensburg Road NE identified as part of the Great Streets initiative introduced by the DC Government in 2005. The projects development team consists of Stuart Alexander & Associates, Inc., the DC Coalition for Housing Justice, Inc. (DCCHJ) and Langdon Lofts Holding, LLC, (a joint venture between Avanti Real Estate Services and Owa Associates). Through its Public Finance division, DCHFA issues tax-exempt mortgage revenue bonds to lower the developers costs of acquiring, constructing and rehabilitating rental housing. The Agency offers private for-profit and non-profit developers low cost predevelopment, construction and permanent financing that supports the new construction, acquisition, and rehabilitation of affordable rental housing in the District. The District of Columbia Housing Finance Agency was established in 1979 to stimulate and expand homeownership and rental housing opportunities in Washington, D.C. We accomplish our mission by offering below market rate mortgage loans to lower the homebuyers costs of purchasing homes and by issuing mortgage revenue bonds to lower the developers costs of acquiring, constructing and rehabilitating rental housing. Mothers' Milk Bank of North Texas Mothers' Milk Bank of North Texas collects donor milk for pasteurization from over 40 depots located in Texas and other states. Mothers Milk Bank of North Texas (MMBNT) and Abilene Regional Medical Center have established a new human milk depot on the hospitals 3rd floor mother/baby unit. Mothers can conveniently drop off frozen breastmilk donations on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10-2 p.m. Abilene Regional Medical Center is located at 6250 Highway 83/84, approximately 175 miles west of Dallas/Fort Worth. We are thrilled to accommodate the generous mothers who are donating the extra milk their own babies dont need, Brittany Thompson, Clinical Educator for Womens and Childrens Services, said. We will safely store frozen donations before pasteurization and delivery to premature and fragile infants. Mothers who are interested in becoming donors can start the process by calling MMBNTs toll-free number, 1.866.810.0071. For questions about the depot at Abilene Regional Medical Center, call 325-428-2416. Donors are screened through medical histories and blood tests. Once approved, moms freeze the extra milk their babies dont need and take it to a depot close to home. Frozen milk arrives at the milk bank and is logged into a sophisticated barcode and tracking system. It is then thawed, analyzed, packaged in tamper-resistant bottles, pasteurized and tested for bacteria. Donor milk has become the standard of care for premature infants who have severe feeding problems, intestinal malformations and life threatening complications such as necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC). Eighty percent of MMBNTs donor milk is dispensed by physician prescription to over 110 hospital NICUs. Twenty percent is dispensed by physician prescription to medically needy babies at home. In 2015, MMBNT dispensed a record 552,761 ounces. About Mothers Milk Bank of North Texas Located in Fort Worths medical district, Mothers' Milk Bank of North Texas (MMBNT) is a non-profit organization founded in 2004 to provide premature and critically ill infants with donor human milk when their own mother's milk is not available. Thanks to the generous donations from more than 5,500 mothers, over 2.5 million ounces of donated breastmilk have been dispensed to the babies who need it most. To donate breastmilk, please email moms@texasmilkbank.org or call 817.810.0071 or toll-free 1.866.810.0071. Learn more about milk banking at http://www.texasmilkbank.org. ProcessPro We would like to congratulate Kim and the Implementation Team on this significant achievement ProcessPro, leading mid-market ERP software solution company, is proud to announce that Kim Fischbach, Baseline Product Manager, was awarded with a Bronze Stevie Award in the category of Product Developer of the Year; and ProcessPros Implementation & Support Services Team has been named the winner of a Bronze Stevie Award in the Support Team of the Year category in The 14th Annual American Business Awards. The American Business Awards are the nations premier business awards program. All organizations operating in the U.S.A. are eligible to submit nominations public and private, for-profit and non-profit, large and small. More than 250 professionals worldwide participated in the judging process to select this years Stevie Award winners. The judges were impressed with Fischbachs nomination, calling it Very impressive project management with a focus on the customers. The Implementation Teams submission effectively painted a picture of all the impressive feats that ProcessPro's Support Team achieved in 2015, noted the judges. We would like to congratulate Kim and the Implementation Team on this significant achievement. Kims commitment to developing the Premier software with the end-user in mind is commendable. As well, the Implementation Teams hard work and dedication is worthy of this recognition, stated Joe Blauert, ProcessPro CEO. Details about The American Business Awards and the list of 2016 Stevie winners are available at http://www.StevieAwards.com/ABA. ### About ProcessPro ProcessPro, a division of Open Systems, Inc., is a leading mid-market ERP software solution for the process manufacturing industry. Designed specifically for manufacturers that combine batches of mixtures, ProcessPro seamlessly integrates all aspects of plant operation, from beginning order entry through manufacturing, packaging, shipping, inventory, and accounting. ProcessPro has been serving the food, beverage, pharmaceutical, nutritional supplement, cosmetic, and specialty chemical industries for more than 30 years. More information about ProcessPro is available at http://www.ProcessProERP.com About the Stevie Awards Stevie Awards are conferred in seven programs: the Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards, the German Stevie Awards, The American Business Awards, The International Business Awards, the Stevie Awards for Women in Business, the Stevie Awards for Great Employers, and the Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service. Stevie Awards competitions receive more than 10,000 entries each year from organizations in more than 60 nations. Honoring organizations of all types and sizes and the people behind them, the Stevies recognize outstanding performances in the workplace worldwide. Learn more about the Stevie Awards at http://www.StevieAwards.com The APPA Industry Awards acknowledge the commitment of excellence from industry professionals while conveying the significance of the pharmacy purchasing field to the rest of the pharmaceutical world. Past News Releases RSS Pharmacy Times, the leading media resource for pharmacists and the pharmacy industry, today announced that it was chosen as the Pharmaceutical News Provider of the Year in the inaugural American Pharmacy Purchasing Alliance (APPA) Industry Awards. The awards acknowledge the hard work and dedication of community members who strive to make the pharmaceutical purchasing industry successful. Pharmacy Times was chosen during open voting of APPA community members from January 1-March 31, 2016, with members including pharmacy buyers, independent pharmacy owners, pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, distributors, wholesalers, government purchasers, nonprofit and private purchasing companies, and more. Overall, awards were presented in 18 categories covering all aspects of the pharmaceutical purchasing industry. The APPA Industry Awards acknowledge the commitment of excellence from industry professionals while conveying the significance of the pharmacy purchasing field to the rest of the pharmaceutical world, said Mike Hennessy Jr., president of Michael J. Hennessy Associates Inc., which publishes Pharmacy Times. To be chosen as one of the inaugural recipients showcases the level of contributions Pharmacy Times makes to this industry. Its an honor to win along with the distributors, wholesalers, manufacturers, vendors, pharmacy technicians, pharmacists, pharmacy buyers and other experts and professionals that make up the industry sector. Pharmacy Times is the leading media resource for pharmacists and the pharmacy industry, providing practical clinical and professional information pharmacists can use in their everyday practices when counseling patients and interacting with other health care providers. Each issue and the website contain articles and features covering industry trends, medication errors, drug interactions, patient education, disease state management, patient counseling, product news, pharmacy law and more. Pharmacy Times is part of Michael J. Hennessy Associates Inc., a full-service health care communications company offering education, research and medical media. The dedication Pharmacy Times has to the industry, through its coverage of current pharmaceutical news and educational opportunities to the public, is an enormous service offering, said APPA President Joshua Pirestani. The importance of reporting the news is evident on the website and in the magazine, and with Pharmacy Times, pharmaceutical professionals have the tool to empower themselves, their businesses and their customers. Francesca Loparco, Co-Founder of Queen City Dream Cars in Charlotte, NC Now I can see perfectly. Why would anyone wear glasses? Francesca Loparco, Co-Founder of Queen City Dream Cars, an exotic car rental business in Charlotte, N.C., changed her life forever with a same-day LASIK procedure at Christenbury Eye Center. The entrepreneur struggled with her computer, riding horses and driving due to poor eyesight. Dr. Jonathan Christenbury performed her surgery the same day as her in-office consultation and eye exam. Francescas eyesight was restored to 20/20 in both eyes. As the busy owner of a new and growing business, Francesca was thrilled about same-day surgery. She was very excited to be in and out in one day, making getting back to work even faster. Her need to see her computer at work and the ability to read street signs made this procedure a necessity. Francesca, also an avid horse jumper, says she was concerned about readjusting to the jump heights and distances. However, she could see so well after her procedure that the transition was simple and provided great improvement. I had premature lines around my eyes from squinting all the time, says Francesca Loparco, patient at Christenbury Eye Center. She says, Theyre [Dr. Christenbury and Staff] all so professional and efficient and yet they seem like family and made me feel so comfortable. And wow; I get the doctor whose name is on the wall. Now I can see perfectly. Why would anyone wear glasses? Dr. Christenbury brought same-day consultation and LASIK to the Christenbury Eye Center several years ago, and called it Vision Today. Vision Today is ideal for our busy patients, patients from out of town or patients who simply want the convenience of Vision Today. Patients simply schedule the consultation, leave their contacts out for one week prior and bring a driver to their free comprehensive exam. Then, if Dr. Christenbury finds them to be a LASIK candidate, they can receive a same-day LASIK procedure. With a 95% success rate of patients experiencing 20/20 vision, and Vision Today, patients could not be happier. People are busy and want to get back to their jobs and families as quickly as possible, says Dr. Jonathan Christenbury, Medical Director at Christenbury Eye Center. Changing our internal process was a challenge, but worth the effort. Our staff and I are very proud to offer this much-needed service to our patients. If you would like to see if you qualify for a same-day LASIK surgery, contact Christenbury Eye Center at (877) 702-2020 or visit the Christenbury Eye Center website. About the Christenbury Eye Center Dr. Jonathan Christenbury established Christenbury Eye Center in 1987 and is known for his groundbreaking work in vision care. For two decades he has consistently been one of the first surgeons in the Carolinas to perform many pioneering vision care procedures including LASIK, Visian ICL and TECNIS. Dr. Christenbury performed the first LASIK procedure in the Carolinas in the early 1990s and since that time has performed more than 100,000 laser vision correction procedures. He performed the first WaveFront Customized IntraLASIK in the Carolinas in 2005. In the Spring of 2005, he was the first in the Carolinas to perform the ReSTOR procedure that treats Presbyopia and can eliminate reading glasses and bifocals. Today, Dr. Christenbury is the most experienced multifocal implant surgeon in the United States. Dr. Kenneth Mathys is a Board-Certified, fellowship-trained Cornea and Refractive surgeon. He earned his medical degree at Case Western Reserve University. He completed an ophthalmology residency at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill where he was honored with the position of Chief Resident. Upon completion of residency, Dr. Mathys continued his ophthalmic training as a Cornea and Refractive surgical fellow at Piedmont Hospital in Atlanta, GA. Dr. Mathys is a member of the American Academy of Ophthalmology and the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery. SMC ShowMeCons pre-conference classes provide students with useful training needed for the real-world threats they face on a daily basis, said Dave Chronister, Co-founder, Hacker University. ShowMeCon, St. Louis only premier hacking and information security conference is featuring pre-conference training brought to you by its co-host, Hacker University a recognized leader and influencer in information security training. Hacker University offers technical courses including its very own Hands-On Hacking, as well as Social Engineering & Penetration Testing and Secure Routing and Switching. ShowMeCons pre-conference classes provide students with useful training needed for the real-world threats they face on a daily basis, said Dave Chronister, Co-founder, Hacker University. Hands-On Hacking will be held on June 9th - 12th, 2016, from 9 a.m. 5 p.m. This 4-day class is designed for those who have been tasked with testing their company networks in order to better understand and defend those networks. Students will learn the fundamentals of testing their IT environments via hands-on hacking labs that simulate various security issues faced by todays organizations. At the end of each day, attendees will participate in a Capture the Flag which will re-enforce what they have learned. By the end of the course, students will have the skills to create a robust testing program for their organization. Award-winning instructor and world-renown hacker, Dave Chronister, will be teaching this class which he created. Secure Routing & Switching will be held on June 11th - 12th, 2016, from 8 a.m.6 p.m. In this intense 2-day class, students will learn the fundamentals of routing and switching from a blue and red team perspective. Using hands-on labs, students will receive practical experience with routing and switching technologies with a detailed discussion on how to attack and defend the network infrastructure. Students will leave the class with a solid understanding of how to configure and operate routing and switching protocols as well as how to attack and defend the control, management and data planes in their organizations networks. World-renown instructor and network engineer, Paul Coggin, will be teaching this course which he also developed. Introduction to Social Engineering & Penetration Testing will be held June 11th - 12th, 2016, from 9 a.m.5 p.m. This is also a 2-day course designed to provide students with an overview of social engineering and its application to penetration testing. Initially, the basics of social engineering and why it works will be explored. Then, the class will dive into non-traditional topics such as spycraft, acting, pressure sales and the psychology behind them. Next, building upon that knowledge, the class will create social engineering attacks, including steps of the process from planning to post-attack, real-world examples of phishing and phone exercises. Lastly, the course will focus on physical and social engineering attacks. Industry-recognized social engineer and security expert, Valerie Thomas, will teach this training class in which she created. ShowMeCon will be held at Ameristar Casino in St. Charles, Missouri. For more information on these courses, course outlines and prerequisites, please visit the website at http://www.ShowMeCon.com. You can also find additional information on the conference and sponsorships at the website. About ShowMeCon This highly technical forum showcases eye-opening presentations from world-renown ethical hackers and security experts that will leave you amazed and frightened at the same time. By giving you access into the mind of a hacker, you will better understand how to protect your networks and critical data. ShowMeCon pulls back the curtain and exposes how hackers are winning the war on physical and cyber security. Whether youre a large corporation or a small business, you should attend this mind-blowing event as you witness the cream of the crop unveil the latest attacks, techniques, tactics and practices of todays hackers. Plus, gain insight and understanding into ways to effectively protect yourself and your business. About Parameter Security & Hacker University Hosting and sponsoring ShowMeCon is St. Louis-based, ethical hacking firm Parameter Security and its training counterpart Hacker University. Parameter Security is comprised of Certified Ethical Hackers who emulate the minds and behaviors of malicious hackers to test the security of your systems and employees. Parameter Security offers IT compliance audits, penetration testing, vulnerability assessments, social engineering, wireless security audits, secure code reviews, computer forensics and more. Parameter Securitys subsidiary, Hacker University, offers a variety of courses from end-user security awareness training to IT security professional certifications such as Hands-On Hacking, Security+, CISSP and more. For more information about Parameter Security and/or Hacker University visit http://www.parametersecurity.com. With the US-based ZyDoc Operations Center operational 24x7, we are able to provide personalized transcription support across time-zones from NY to Alaska. ZyDoc, a New York-based medical transcription and informatics company, is pleased to announce a contract extension to provide medical transcription for Alaska Department of Health and Social Services (DHSS) Specialty Clinics. The renewal extends through June 2017 the original contract awarded to ZyDoc in 2014 by DHSS. According to James M. Maisel, MD, CEO ZyDoc, ZyDoc is pleased to provide a full range of services to end-users across all domains on our Cloud-based TrackDoc Platform. Our high rate of contract renewals attests to our quality, fast turnaround time and commitment to client satisfaction. With the US-based ZyDoc Operations Center operational 24x7, we are able to provide personalized transcription support across time-zones from NY to Alaska. We are also expanding our documentation services through word-of-mouth in a number of foreign English-speaking foreign countries. Under the terms of the contract, ZyDoc provides HIPAA-compliant transcription services for a variety of medical and health care providers who see patients in Alaska DHSS Womens, Children, and Family Health (WCFH) sponsored clinics. Clinicians dictate follow-up and treatment plans via ZyDoc-provided dedicated 800-numbers and receive transcribed reports delivered to their computer desktops or downloadable from ZyDocs secure cloud-based system with 24-hour turnaround or less. ZyDocs transcription platform allows password-protected and role-based access by clinic administrators and dictating clinicians for real-time job tracking, editing, approval, e-signature and distribution. Rigorous quality assurance procedures and the ZyDoc 24/7 Operations Center ensure a consistently high level of customer satisfaction and technical support that exceed industry standards. About ZyDoc Since its inception in 1993, ZyDocs mission has been to increase the efficiency of physicians through the use of software technology and services to improve patient care and outcomes, lower malpractice risk, and maximize reimbursement. Based in Islandia, New York, ZyDoc has developed award-winning e-transcription infrastructure and medical informatics technologies, serving medical practices, hospitals, public health agencies, and other entities in the medico-legal, academic and pharmacology sectors. Augmenting ZyDocs transcription business, MediSapien is a web-based, knowledge management platform that uses disruptive natural language processing and AI technologies to convert unstructured text to fully coded structured data for EHRs, PACS, RIS, analytics, and reporting. For clinician end-users, MediSapien can be utilized in conjunction with EHR installations, and can facilitate analytic applications for individual or population disease management for ACOs, hospitals or large groups. ZyDoc is a certified Philips Reseller and a VMWare Professional Solution Provider Partner. URECC has been powering farms and communities around Gilmer, TX for more than 75 years. Epicor HCM is top of the line in human resource software and HRMS is a superior implementation firm with extraordinary service. For more than 75 years, Upshur Rural Electric Cooperative Corporation (URECC) has powered farms and communities across a 10-county area around its headquarters in Gilmer, Texas. As an autonomous, member-controlled, electric cooperative, the organization is built on principles like caring, honest customer service, and concern for the community at large. While Upshurs values may sound refreshingly traditional, the organization has spent several years updating its technology to be forward-thinking and future-ready. A lot of what we had done in the past was very old school, recalled Upshurs Administrative Services Manager, Doug Murphy, who leads the HR department. Everything in HR was paper driven, from time off requests to performance evaluations, recruiting and benefits administration. Even maintaining basic employee information was manual and paper intensive. Four years ago, a new General Manager joined us who wanted to utilize technology to bring us into the 21st century by eliminating paper and allowing technology to make us more efficient and enhance the service we provide to our employees. Prior to Murphy joining the company in 2009, there hadnt been a formalized HR department or HR processes. At that time, an executive assistant oversaw employee benefits and administered basic HR functions. When Murphy began building more standardized HR programs, he was eager to find a software solution that could automate key HR processes. About three years ago, the cooperative implemented National Information Solutions Cooperative's (NISC) enterprise software which is designed specifically for utilities and telecommunications companies. One of Murphys requirements for new HR software was that it would be able to integrate with NISC iVUE. The direction for Upshurs enterprise applications, including the NISC solution, was that it needed to be cloud-ready. Web-based or cloud-ready software was a primary driver for us in the software selection process. Knowing that Epicor HCM had flexible deployment options, including a cloud subscription model, was critical to our decision, said Murphy. Equally important in selecting Epicor HCM was finding the right partner to implement the solution. Murphy was impressed by HRMS Solutions service-oriented approach, their technical proficiency and their deep practical knowledge of HR best practices. Our assigned project manager was not only extremely experienced working with Epicor HCM but has also been a HR practitioner. This combination of product expertise and HR acumen was key to selecting HRMS and to the success of our implementation, stated Murphy. As I mentioned before, a lot of our processes were old school and needed to be updated. It definitely helped to be able to bounce ideas off our HRMS resource knowing she was competent in the field of HR and could offer us best practices and process recommendations. It was very, very important and helpful for us to have that resource. HRMS Solutions laid out an organized project plan, step by step as to what the expectations were on our end, as well as the expectations for them. We were pretty successful at hitting target dates and getting tasks completed on time, but the real success came from being able to develop a great relationship with our project managershes been key to making it all happen, said Murphy. Working with HRMS, Murphy has been able to adopt HR best practices and build them into Upshurs business processes using Epicor HCM. Because our previous HR procedures were non-existent or paper-driven, weve been able to set up our new procedures and policies to match the softwares comprehensive capabilities, he said. When asked about the immediate benefits hes observed in the implementation of Epicor HCM, Murphy said, I believe the biggest benefit going forward will be the technological advantages in efficiencies over our old manual processes. Epicor HCM is going to help us in our engagement and communications with employees. With self service, our employees will now have company policies and personal employment information at their fingertips. This easy access to information is something we never had before, and its going to be a huge benefit to our employees. Getting a consistent, objective performance appraisal process in place for both supervisor and employee evaluations at Upshur was one of Murphys top priorities. He felt strongly that their old performance management processes needed an update and improvement. The roll out of performance management tremendously improved Upshurs evaluation process, and Murphy believes it will do a lot to solidify the cooperatives employee counseling and disciplinary procedures as well. The performance evaluation that we had before was very outdated and subjective. Epicor HCM has allowed us to create a more objective assessment that is fair for everybody. It gives us options and capabilities that we didnt have before, and it will be a significant time saver for us. The implementation of automated performance management has opened up a lot more opportunity for us to be more consistent in our evaluations, enhance ongoing communication and dramatically reduce paperwork. Murphy and the team at Upshur Rural Electric are looking forward to going live with additional Epicor HCM functionality and reaping the benefits of streamlined employee information, increased productivity, and having one version of the truth. Murphy concluded, Epicor HCM is top of the line in human resource software and HRMS is a superior implementation firm with extraordinary service. We look forward to continuing our relationship with HRMS, said Murphy. Theyve been a pleasant company to work with, and their employees are great. I couldnt be more pleased. About HRMS Solutions, Inc. HRMS Solutions is a selective group of professionals offering a better buying and implementation experience for HR, payroll and talent management solutions. Founded in 2003, HRMS has enabled hundreds of mid-market companies throughout the U.S. and Canada to better manage, empower and optimize their workforce with leading cloud or on-premise HCM solutions. HRMS mission is to serve as a trusted advisor to prospects and clients seeking new solutions to their human capital challenges. Our promise of integrity, objectivity and credibility ensures the absolute best experience when purchasing and implementing HR technology solutions. More information on HRMS solutions and services can be found at http://www.hrmssolutions.com. # # # Epicor and the Epicor logo are trademarks of Epicor Software Corporation, registered in the United States and other countries. Other trademarks referenced are the property of their respective owners. The product and service offerings depicted in this document are produced by HRMS Solutions and/or Epicor Software Corporation. If you are new to iQ you can schedule a demo and learn more about this opportunity. PSFK iQ - Where Innovators Turn for Research. Our professional-grade research platform is designed specifically for Retail and CX leaders who want to know whats next. Whether youre staying current on trends or need a real-time research partner to help you get ahead, count on PSFK iQ to deliver the info you need to make your next move. A PW staffer takes readers on a photo tour of local childrens bookstores celebrating Independent Bookstore Day. Independent Bookstore day was first celebrated in California in 2014. Last year, it went national and 2016 saw over 400 bookstores participating. Quite a few New York and New Jersey locations were in on the fun, so I decided to venture forth into the sunshine and visit the childrens bookstores in the city, with the Strand thrown in because why not? Id forgotten how much I loved just being in a bookstore! Spouses Matt Miller and Maggie Pouncey, owners of the brand-new Stories in Brooklyn. Miller reported that they were very pleased with the turnout theyd had and that theyre looking forward to the adult and childrens programming they have planned for the shop. While Stories grand opening happens later this month, the bookstore, which will also feature a storytelling workshop, opened its doors on Saturday to celebrate Independent Bookstore Day. Author events and hands-on activities for children went on throughout the day. Stories picture book game was particularly on point. Dont these shelves look great? And if you squint, you can make out their rare and collectible shelf in the upper left hand corner. Many people were out and about on this gorgeous spring day. What better way to spend it than by looking through the Strands book carts along the sidewalk? When I arrived at Books of Wonder, there was hardly anyone there. However, staff member Tricia Lin assured me that they had been extremely busy in the morning. There was even a line waiting before they opened! Bank Street Bookstore in upper Manhattan had a number of author events throughout the day. Author Adam Gidwitz spoke with a group of young readers about A Grimm Conclusion, the final book in his A Tale Dark & Grimm series, and answered questions about his retelling of The Empire Strikes Back. Andy Laties, Bank Streets manager, said that the stores recent move has forced them to be very creative with their stock, as the new store is about half the size of the old space. Author Calvin Ramsey, seen here with his picture book Ruth and the Green Book, met readers and signed books at Bank Street. Ramsey credits Bank Street, along with other childrens bookstores, with providing a safe, fun space for kids. My haul! I couldnt go on a bookstore crawl and not pick up a few books. And Ive got three more on order. On a completely unrelated note: my rent money has mysteriously disappeared. Kenneth Bae, who was born in South Korea and became an American citizen at the age of 16, felt a lifelong calling to help those in North Korea, known as the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea (DPRK). It was this calling that led to Baes arrest on November 3, 2012, when he accidentally brought an external computer hard drive into the DPRK and was sentenced to 15 years in prison. Nearly two years after his release on November 8, 2014, Bae is opening up about his grueling experience in Not Forgotten: The True Story of My Imprisonment in North Korea (May, Thomas Nelson/W Publishing), co-written with Mark Tabb. Baes story begins with a visit to North Korea in 2010 when he made a vow to become a blessing and a bridge to the nation. A year later, he moved to China and started a tour company that led excursions in and out of the neighboring DPRK. After 18 trips there, Bae was detained. First it was the external hard drive, and then they realized I was a missionary, Bae told PW. They said I was the worst American criminal, the most dangerous [they] ever apprehended in North Korean history, [and they saw me] as the mastermind to a terrorist attack. Bae said he was treated as a threat to the North Korean government because, as a Christian missionary, his message was that there is more to life than the nations system and ideology. While imprisoned, Bae endured hard labor, constant surveillance, and failing health. He was forced to answer to the name prisoner 103 and was told repeatedly that his country had forgotten him. Obviously I was never in prison before, he said. To be called prisoner 103 was devastating, to see that Im actually locked in as a prisoner. By interacting with his guards and nurses, and by watching television, Bae learned what life was like in North Korea. Nightly I was forced to watch their TVup to six hours a dayand I saw how most people got information about the outside and about themselves through their own media, he said. It was mostly propagandatheir version of the truth about life. Despite the odds against him, Bae maintained hope and purpose by remembering heroes of the Bible who were also held prisoner. Part of my email address has 103 in it as a daily reminder not to forget the time I was in North Korea, he said. With help from organizations such as the U.S. State Department and church leaders around the world, Bae was released735 days after his arrest. Continuing his lifes calling, Bae hopes to reach readers with his story in Not Forgotten. Through this book I want to highlight ordinary North Koreans daily lives so that people can have more understanding of what life is like there, to have more compassion for [their] isolated, forgotten lives, said Bae. The more we care, the more changes we can bring to North Koreans. Further, the book does not alienate secular audiences, according to Bae. This message is not just for Christians, and its not only about North Korea; but about Gods faithfulness. Jason Strong walked out of Menard Correctional Center in southern Illinois last May after serving 15 years of a 46-year sentence in the death of 34-year-old Mary Kate Sunderlin of Carpentersville. Strong of Waukegan was cleared of Sunderlin's death after Lake County prosecutors and Attorney General Lisa Madigan's office conducted a review of Strong's innocence claim. In the lawsuit filed Tuesday in U.S. District Court, the 40-year-old Strong alleges Waukegan police coerced witnesses and fabricated evidence, and intentionally inflicted emotional distress and harm due to his incarceration. Waukegan police Cmdr. Joe Florip says department officials haven't seen the lawsuit. ALEDO -- Aldermen on Monday night approved up to $150,000 in tax-increment-financing funds for General Grind and Machine. The money will be used to upgrade electricity at the plant and train workers on new equipment the firm recently bought to pursue a new line of business. Mayor Christopher Hagloch said the funds will be forgiven in 2021 if the company continues to use the new machinery. Aldermen also approved $36,399 in emergency repairs to the citys backup well. Director of Public Works Justin Blaser said the well screen was found to be 95 percent plugged. The board also discussed future budgets to replace the other two wells. Mayor Hagloch reported construction is expected to start next year on a multi-purpose pathway. In 2013, Aledo received a $594,000 state grant for the path which had to be altered because of easement and property issues. "Were hoping to have it all done and put together and ready for bids by September," Mayor Hagloch said. Aldermen also heard the financial audit report for 2015 from Sarah Bohnsack and Brian Unsen, of Eide Bailley LLP. Bob Lofgren made his living in the banking business. Since playing with legendary drummer Louie Bellson in high school, he made a life making music. "His piano, he was just unbelievable," said Mr. Lofgren's son, Jay, of Bettendorf, of his father's keyboard prowess on Tuesday two days after his father's death at 90. "He could hear a song once and play it better than it was originally arranged. "He played Deere and Company luncheons. He played everywhere in the Quad-Cities -- weddings, the plus-60 dinner cookouts on the Arsenal, he loved that," Jay Lofgren said. "Wherever you went after dinner, there's Bob Lofgren. Any corner he turned, there would be somebody saying hi. He was very well-liked; he loved good conversations." Born in Moline in 1925, Robert Lofgren went to Moline High School with Mr. Bellson, with whom he played in bands, Jay Lofgren said. In big bands, Mr. Lofgren played Hawaiian guitar, clarinet and tenor saxophone. In the 1940s, he was in the Jack Manthy Orchestra with Mr. Bellson and longtime friend Al Van Tieghem. For decades, Mr. Lofgren and Mr. Van Tieghem were members of the East Moline-Silvis Rotary Club. "Bob was a very special friend. We just had a lot in common," Mr. Van Tieghem, 88, said Tuesday from his Florida home. He recalled when Mr. Lofgren led the 1976 Bicentennial Celebration at Moline's Wharton Field House -- with an 18-piece orchestra, Bob Hope, Ed McMahon, Barbara McNair and Bernadette Peters. "Bob Hope called our home. I answered the phone," Jay Lofgren said, noting he gave Mr. Hope his father's work number. He said he also got to meet Mr. Hope. "He was very nice man," Mr. Lofgren recalled. Mr. Bellson and former "Tonight Show" bandleader Doc Severinsen supplied arrangements for the July 4 gala that Mr. Lofgren broke down to 12-piece, 8-piece and smaller arrangements, Mr. Van Tieghem said. "Bob had a knack for arranging, did it all free-hand," Mr. Van Tieghem said. For years, Mr. Lofgren played piano for Rotary's Thursday lunch meetings in East Moline's First Methodist Church. "It was awesome," said Rotary Club President Jim Grafton said. "I'll always remember him as 'Fingers' (his nickname). It just added a touch of class to our club." Mr. Lofgren's son said his father -- a loan officer with State Bank of East Moline and Metrobank -- enjoyed Rotary for the business connections and meeting people. He also loved to walk to work every day, down 7th Street hill to downtown, until he retired at 65. "That was his exercise," Jay Lofgren said. He attended the University of Illinois and later graduated from Augustana College, with a business degree. Before banking, he worked for Ametek in East Moline and Rock Island Lumber, helping to plan more than 200 houses in Rock Island County. He also owned an apartment building in Moline for 43 years, on 6th Avenue near the Interstate 74 bridge ramp, which his son said the state bought and tore down for the new bridge. Bob Lofgren served on several committees at First Baptist Church in Moline, was a 50-year Mason, was past president of the East Moline-Silvis Chamber of Commerce and was a member of Black Hawk Shrine Club. A World War II Army veteran, his service included the Army Air Corps Band where he played clarinet. Jay Lofgren said his father, as a bandleader, loved big-band music, Frank Sinatra and music of the '40s. "Bob was a very definite positive person," Mr. Van Tieghem said. "Bob was a true friend. I'm gonna miss him. If you go to Rotary and Bob's not there, something's missing." Funeral services are planned for 10 a.m. Thursday, at Esterdahl Mortuary & Crematory, 6601 38th Ave., Moline. Visitation is an hour before the service; burial will be at Riverside Cemetery, Moline. Mercer County farmland property owners can expect to see an increase in their tax bill come June. Mercer County Farm Bureau President Michael Zecher told the Mercer County Board at its meeting Wednesday that changes in tax law that passed in 2014 regarding how agricultural property is assessed took effect in 2015, and property owners will see those changes when tax bills arrive early next month. However, Mr. Zecher said the changes are not going to impact everybody the same. Lower productivity soils will see the most impact, according to Mr. Zecher. Since 1977, Illinois has implemented an assessment process that determines the value of agricultural land based on the productivity index of each soil contained in a particular parcel. He said the 10 percent limitation on changes in assessed value from year to year kept the assessment on lower production index soils from rising as fast as they should, creating a disparity between lower and higher production soils. The bill that passed in 2014 seeks to equalize the difference in 15 to 20 years. He said the Illinois Farm Bureau supported the changes and worked with the Illinois Department of Revenue to come up with a plan. When the lower productivity index soils have a certified assessment value of $15 per acre and the highest certified value productivity index soil in the state has a certified value of almost $650, thats a big difference, he said The county will see an immediate benefit, he said. The change in assessed value of farmland is a positive $5.3 million in assessed valuation. That should translate into more dollars for the county. A soil with a low productivity index of 82 will double in certified value from $15.26 to $30.59 per acre in 2015 and rise to $52.45 per acre in 2016. The average index for Mercer County is 111 to 118, according to assessments supervisor Mary McClellan. A PI of 111 will see an increase from $203.32 per acre to $218.65 in 2015 and $240.51 in 2016. Mrs. McClellan said a total of 4,336 parcels in Mercer County are affected, but the changes wont affect residential home owners. Mercer County Farm Bureau is holding a meeting to explain the new assessment process at 7 p.m. June 8 in the basement of the Farm Bureau Office. Illinois Farm Bureau staff who worked with the Illinois Department of Revenue on the bill will be present to answer questions. In other action Wednesday, the board approved a salary of $30,000 per year for a contracted county engineer, according to a cost-saving recommendation from Bellwether LLC, the countys administrator. The county will submit a request to the state in hopes of receiving a 50 percent reimbursement on the $30,000. The board also: - Heard from Phyllis Bewley, county clerk, that the total equalized assessed valuation for the county was up about $3.5 million for 2015. - Learned Animal Control no longer is operating in the negative and expects to pay back the $10,000 borrowed from the building fund by the end of June, according to chairman Joe Vann. MOLINE -- On a 6-to-2 vote, the Moline City Council approved a special ordinance Tuesday allowing for the discharge of firearms on the property of resident Hunt Harris to kill deer. Ald. Mike Wendt, 3rd Ward, made the motion seconded by Ald. Kevin Schoonmaker, 6th Ward. Others voting in favor of the special ordinance were Alds. David Parker Jr., 2nd Ward; John Zelnio, 4th Ward; Lori Turner, 5th Ward; and Sean Liddell, 7th Ward. Alds. Quentin Rodriguez, 1st Ward, and Stephanie Acri, At-large, voted against the ordinance. Mr. Harris, of 901 46th St., and June Fahlenkamp, of 4826 5th Ave., spoke to aldermen at the April 19 committee of the whole meeting about the number of deer on their property. Both Moline residents said they have incurred excessive damage to landscaping and shrubbery as a result of the deer. At Tuesday's meeting, Mr. Harris spoke of other issues, including driver safety and the potential spread of Lyme disease. "Safety is the issue in my mind," Mr. Harris said. "Hunters are not going to be roaming my property. They're going to be in a deer stand. "If you drive down my drive, and you start beeping the horn, they'll stop and look at you. They just look at you. "They just come out, and that's why you have accidents." Ald. Rodriguez said he had concerns with using firearms in the city. "There are a lot of kids in the neighborhood," Ald. Rodriguez said. "Me growing up, if I was in that neighborhood, I would be in that ravine playing." Ald. Parker said there is a wider issue of deer overpopulation in the city. "I would hope that we not just consider this one specific area of town but overall policy on how to manage deer more effectively throughout the city," Ald. Parker said. The Illinois Department of Natural Resources agreed to allow a controlled deer shoot on Mr. Harris' property -- if city officials approved the use of firearms within city limits. The DNR permit lets a property owner kill deer that are severely damaging property. The DNR permit is only for Mr. Hunt's property, which consists of about 14 acres. City attorney Maureen Riggs has said if aldermen approved the shoot on Mr. Harris' property, it would begin in June or July. The permit lasts for 30 days and allows 10 deer to be killed. That limit can be extended for another 30 days and the limit extended to include another 10 deer, Tom Micetich, a DNR deer project manager, said last month. Permit holders can name up to two shooters, who must have valid Illinois Firearms Owners Identification cards. Mr. Harris said his shooters would use a fixed position designed to ensure the gunfire is on a safe trajectory. Four residents spoke to the council in opposition before the vote, and one resident spoke in favor of the special permit for Mr. Harris. Debbie Harris, no relation to Mr. Harris, said there are many residents who enjoy watching the deer in their yards and ravines. Charlie Roth and Lois Kuehling said they had safety concerns with guns used in the city for the purpose of killing deer. One resident in favor said there are too many deer, and particularly for motorcyclists, it becomes a serious safety issue. ROCK ISLAND -- The Rock Island County Board of Health is expected to vote Thursday on a plan to lay off 17 staff who work at the county health department because of the state budget impasse. A union official says the plan would cut six programs, including ones that protect children from lead pollution and provide breast and cervical cancer screening for women. The health department has not received funding for some of the programs since July because of the unprecedented 10-month budget impasse in Springfield. There's also growing uncertainty about whether money will be available for the 2017 budget year. At the same meeting Thursday, the board of health will discuss a lawsuit it already has agreed to join with dozens of other social service agencies planning to sue the state. Rock Island County Health Department Administrator Nita Ludwig said 60 agencies have joined the suit to seek payment for programs for which they were promised money by the state for the 2016 budget year but have not received. Brooke Hendrickx, a union steward at the health department, said she hopes the board of health does not go ahead with the planned layoffs, which she said would have a "devastating effect." But she said she doesn't blame the board or management at the health department for considering the cutbacks. "It's really all about the state," she said. Ms. Hendrickx said the department's lead protection, family case management, breast and cervical cancer screenings and a program that tracks the health of children in foster care would be cut if the layoff plan is implemented. The plan is expected to be discussed during a closed session at Thursday's regular health department meeting at 5:30 p.m. at the Rock Island County Health Department, 2112 25th Ave., Rock Island. Any vote on the proposals would take place after the closed session. All Vietnam-era veterans from all branches of the military are encouraged to participate in the parade. In order to know how many participants there will be, and to provide transportation for those not able to walk the two-mile route, veterans planning to participate are urged to contact Ed Hildebrand by email at fourpaws622@yahoo.com by May 11. Life is one side-splitting adventure after another for the husband and wife comedy team of Mike Ross and Amy Seeley. "There are days where it's about who can one-up the other,'' said Seeley, a Moline native, who with Ross, her husband of 12 years, brings us An Evening with Seeley & Ross" (seeleyandross.com) at 8 p.m. Tuesday at Rock Island's Establishment Theater. The night of side-splitting sketch comedy -- and Ross and Seeley are that funny -- will benefit The Children's Therapy Center of the Quad-Cities, an institution close to Seeley's heart. Tickets are $15 and can be obtained by calling 309-797-1160. Famous on many fronts for writing, teaching and performing improv and sketch comedy, Seeley and Ross are based in Los Angeles. They met and married while teaching for The Second City in Chicago and Hollywood. For years, the duo have performed across the country while maintaining teaching and writing careers. Seeley, who also had a successful stand-up career, also created Comedy Writing Immersion, sold a television pilot to MTV and founded Chicago's famous Factory Theater. "And yes, sometimes it's a 'who's funnier' competition,'' said Ross, whose three-decade comedy career has featured three optioned screenplays, dozens of sketch and long-form improv shows, plays, musicals, improvised short films and solo performances. "You never think about it when a conversation starts," he said. "But when it ends -- if it ends -- you realize you just went back and forth trying to one-up each other. It's kind of what we do, who we are.'' Two nights after the local benefit show, Seeley and Ross will play the Factory Theater in Chicago before returning to California. Both shows are a way for the successful duo to give back to places that had huge impacts on their lives. "I have a reunion planned for the bathroom at The Establishment with several friends I grew up with,'' Seeley said, chuckling. "On a serious side, I have many friends who have talked about stopping by the show and catching up, and that's another neat side to coming home. Even one friend from Bloomington is stopping. It's a show, so there is a degree of work and preparation, but both nights are homecoming-type nights for both of us. The Factory is close to both of us.'' The Children's Therapy Center and outlets similar to it have long held soft spots for Seeley and Ross. "It has been a part of me for as long as I can remember; we are touched and honored to be able to help,'' said Seeley, whose mother, Sandy, has been a longtime board member of the center. It was Sandy Seeley who hatched the idea of "An Evening with Seeley & Ross'' as a fundraiser for the CTC. "They do such amazing work there, and the community has always recognized as much," said Amy Seeley. "The show there is so meaningful to us.'' Successful in their field, Seeley and Ross chuckled when asked if there was any added pressure to performing before the home crowd. "Not until you mentioned it,'' Ross said, laughing. "We were OK until you said something.'' Meng Brings NASA Astronaut To Queens On October 17, U.S. Rep. Grace Meng (D-Queens) brought NASA astronaut Dr. Jonny Kim to Queens where he met and spoke with students at Francis... Celebrating Columbus The Federation of Italian-American Organizations of Queens (FIAO) held their annual Columbus Day parade in Astoria, on Saturday, October 8, during Italian Heritage Month. The... Russo-Elling Mourned More than 300 first responders lined up on Thursday night to honor FDNY EMT Lt. Alison Russo-Elling, as her body was placed into a waiting... For any aspiring entrepreneurs, Basson said to make sure you have a product or idea that retailers want to sell and consumers want to buy. 1 hour ago The MoU was one of 66 industrial co-operation agreements signed during this week's state visit of Korean president Mrs Park Geun-hye to Iran. Hyundai Rotem says it expects to conclude a contract by the end of July. Under the terms of the MoU Korea's Ministry of Strategy and Finance will finance 85% of the contract, which has an estimated value of around $US 260m. Hyundai Rotem was awarded a contract in 2004 to supply 150 regional DMU cars to RAI. The first 24 trains were built in Korea, with 24 trains to be assembled locally from kits by locally by Iranian Rail Industries Development (Irico). The remaining sets would be built by Irico with support from Hyundai Rotem. However, the imposition of international sanctions on Iran in 2010 meant only 68 vehicles were delivered without payment to the Korean manufacturer. Irico resumed production of the DMUs in July 2015 and the company delivered its 17th train to RAI in February, with further sets on the assembly line. With the lifting of sanctions, Hyundai Rotem says it will now hold negotiations with RAI with the aim of recovering the $US 76m it is owed for the trains it delivered prior to 2010 and completing the original order. Under an agreement concluded with the Ministry of Maritme Affairs, Transport and Infrastructure in June 2015, the European Regional Development Fund will finance 85% of the 163.1m project cost with the remainder coming from the Croatian treasury. The project will be implemented by a consortium of Dalekovod and Zagreb-Montaza, with a consortium of SGS Adriatica and Investinzenjering providing construction supervision services. The upgrade involves track-doubling, resignalling, and upgrading of track for 22.5 tonne axleloads as well as construction of six new bridges, reconstruction of seven existing bridges, modernisation of traction substations, and the elimination of 17 level crossings. Works are due to begin in the summer and the project will be completed in the first half of 2020. The line is part of the European Union's Mediterranean Core Network Corridor, ERTMS corridor D and Rail Freight Corridor 6. Based on Kiruna Wagon's patent-pending modular logistics system, the wagon developed for Hermes combines a standard underframe with tailor-made load carriers that can easily be exchanged, depending on the type of freight being carried. The carriers are designed for straightforward transhipment between wagons of different gauges and for easy transfer from rail to road or ship. Loaded and unloaded containers can also be stored on the ground, improving wagon utilisation. Kiruna Wagon says a key challenge of the dry-bulk project with Iberpotash is to reduce dust emissions, particularly during discharge. The demonstrator is therefore modelled on the manufacturer's roofed side dumper wagon, which is sealed to contain the load and prevent exposure to rain or snow. The demonstrator also shares the rectangular cross-section of the side dumper in order to maximise payload. The Hermes project is being funded by the EU through its Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme. The American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association (ASLRRA) installed Judy Petry, president and general manager of Farmrail System, as its new chairman. Peter Claussen, Jr., president of the Gulf & Ohio Railways, was selected as the new vice-chairman of the association, filling the role Petry previously held. Petry, elected for a three-year term, succeeds Ed McKechnie, executive vice president and chief commercial officer of Watco Companies. Petry has served on the ASLRRA Board of Directors since 2004 and on the Executive Board as vice president, Central Region and vice-chairman. She is also a past chairman of the CONNECTIONS convention and has served on the Finance and Administration Committee since 2007. I am truly honored to guide the ASLRRA and grateful to have had such an effective leader, Ed McKechnie, as my predecessor, said Petry. We are a strong, financially sound organization with a great story to tell and I look forward to tackling our many goals together. Together we can accomplish far more than any of us could accomplish on our own. Petry has identified several goals for the upcoming year including: achieving 45G Tax Credit permanency via passage of the Building Rail Access for Customers and the Economy Act; continuing the growth of annual convention and regional meeting attendance by providing meaningful education sessions to shortline railroaders; increasing young railroader participation at all levels, so that they are better prepared to take over the reigns in the future; communicating more often and with greater transparency to the board and membership at large; and continuing to build upon the Short Line Safety Institute. Claussen has served on the ASLRRA Executive Board as the vice president, Southern Region, since 2015. He also serves on ASLRRAs Legislative Policy Committee. We are looking forward to working with our new leadership, said Linda Darr, president of the ASLRRA. Already, they have hit the ground running and have been instrumental in guiding our work on issues of importance to the association. In other developments with the board leadership, JoAnne Miner, director, account management for ShipXpress joined the board and will represent associate members along with John Gravenkemper, regional sales manager for NRE. Gravenkemper became the senior board member representing associates, replacing Jerry McCombs, vice president of sales and marketing for Century Group, whose term expired. Mike Ogborn will be replaced by Ed McKechnie on the board as immediate past chairman. The Pacific Region board elected Clint Ashmead, vice president of sales and marketing for Genesee & Wyoming Railroad Services Inc. to the board. Ashmead will fill a seat vacated by Carla Groleau, assistant vice president government relations, Genesee & Wyoming Railroad Services. Welcome to Railway Gazette. This website uses cookies to improve your experience. By continuing to browse this site you are agreeing to our use of these cookies. You can learn more about the cookies we use here. OK Spanish media management company VSN has selected Microsoft Azure as its preferred platform for enabling cloud-based workflows on its broadcasting solutions. The recent integration of VSNExplorer , its media-asset-management (MAM) modules, with Azure marks the ongoing agreement between VSN and Microsoft, creating an environment for collaborative work between different locations.The integrated cloud-based MAM solution addresses the most demanding media needs of companies operating in the industry, announced VSN as it presented the tool at the recent NAB Show in Vegas.Thanks to this integration, VSN users can now access a video-on-demand (VOD) or live streaming platform without bandwidth constraints, incorporating MPEG-DASH support, multi-device and DRM management, protection and encryption provided by AES, PlayReady, Widevine and fairPlay.We strive to keep our solutions at the avant-garde of the industry, and that is why we chosen Microsoft Azure to further develop the cloud capabilities of our media management portfolio, said Aaron Lopez, COO, VSN. In a further boost to the growing TV and media facility in Greater Manchester, Ericsson is to open a new broadcast and media services facility in MediaCityUK. The Salford TV and media operations centre is currently home to leading media organisations including the BBC and ITV. The new site is expected to go live from Q1 2017 and will deliver 24/7 playout and media management services for clients such as the BBC.Ericsson says that its new site will offer world-class broadcast and media services facilities which will include playout suites, continuity and quality control areas, media management areas, master control facilities and a network operations centre. The broadcast centre at MediaCityUK will also house a new creative studio which will be home to Ericssons Red Bee creative agency Every day people across the UK watch television programmes prepared, managed and broadcast by Ericsson, commented Thorsten Sauer, Ericssons head of broadcast and media services . TV and media remains a key priority for Ericsson and an important part of our ongoing growth strategy and this move really underlines our ongoing commitment to the industry and the UK. Our broadcast and media hubs in London and Salford will provide our clients with world-class facilities, ultimate resilience and leading edge technology both now and in the future, all delivered by our talented teams. Russian Penitentiary Service expects Ukraine to uphold sentence for Savchenko MOSCOW, May 4 (RAPSI) The Russian Penitentiary Service is going to proceed with transfer of Ukrainian national Nadezhda Savchenko to her homeland only under the condition that Ukraine takes an obligation of upholding her sentence, RIA Novosti news agency reports on Wednesday. Earlier, Savchenkos lawyer Nikolai Polozov has said that his client may resume her hunger strike if there are any delays with regard to Savchenkos transfer to Ukraine. According to Polozov, Ukraine is obliged to recognize the Russian courts ruling but does not have to enforce it. In late April Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko expressed his firm hope that the matter of Savchenkos return would be solved in several weeks. Ukrainian retired officer Nadezhda Savchenko was sentenced to 22 years in prison for involvement in the murder of two Russian journalists and illegal border crossing. A court in Donetsk, a town in southern Russia, has established that Savchenko was responsible for conducting concealed observation and directing mortar fire in an attack against a roadblock held by militias of the self-proclaimed Lugansk Peoples Republic and a group of civilians there, including three Russian journalists, near the village of Metallist, the Lugansk Region, on June 17, 2014. The attack killed Two Russian television journalists, Igor Kornelyuk and Anton Voloshin. Court to examine Navalnys claim against Russian broadcaster over The Browder Effect MOSCOW, May 4 (RAPSI, Lyudmila Klenko) The Savyolovsky District Court of Moscow had admitted for examination an action Alexey Navalny, a Russian opposition politician, laid against the All-Russian State Television and Radio Broadcasting Company (VGTRK), Dmitry Kiselyev, the companys deputy director, and journalist Yevgeny Popov, the courts press-secretary Konstantin Timoshenko told RAPSI on Wednesday. Navalny had addressed all earlier indicated deficiencies, and the court allowed his claim to proceed. Pre-trial preparation of the claim is set for May 19, the RAPSI source informed. Earlier it had been reported that the court discontinued the said action giving Navalny time until May 16 to address the claims deficiencies. Navalny filed a claim against the media company over the April 10 airing of The Browder Effect documentary segment during Vesti Nedeli weekly news show on Rossiya 1 TV channel, broadcasted by VGTRK. Kiselyov is the anchor of the program, Popov is the author of the documentary. Vyacheslav Gamadi, a Navalnys lawyer, has said that the claim asks the court to rule the information contained in the aired segment of the documentary to be defamatory and not consistent with the facts. According to Gamadi, no monetary claim has been put forward yet; nevertheless, he did not preclude that such claim might be submitted later. Rossiya 1 TV channel aired a documentary segment alleging that Navalnys activities were funded by a British intelligence agency and presenting documents and correspondence claimed to be evidence of his connections to William Browder, a financer and former head of Hermitage Capital investment fund. According to the documentary segment, in 2008 Navalnys activities were financed via a proxy person in the Moscow Helsinki Group, the fact Lyudmila Alexeyeva, the head of this NGO, had already refuted earlier. The Russias General Prosecutors Office has informed that it is going to study the materials presented in The Browder Effect documentary segment aired by Rossiya 1 with regard to information of possible infringements on federal laws on the part of a number of Russian citizens and foreigners. Russian Penitentiary Service asks judges to limit number of arrests report MOSCOW, May 4 (RAPSI) Representatives of the Russian Federal Penitentiary Service (FSIN) have asked judges and investigators to limit the number of arrests due to overcrowding in detention centers, Kommersant newspaper reports on Wednesday. The Federal Penitentiary Service is trying very hard to contain the overcrowding. Every month we forward information on overcrowding to investigators and courts. We write about the cases where a person has already been sentenced but the sentence has not yet become active so the convict cannot be transferred to a penal colony. We write about the cases when an investigator sends a person to a detention center, but is not visiting that person for a long time, the FSINs press-service told the newspaper. According to the latest data, presented at a round table held in the Moscow Prosecutor's Office in April, Moscow detention centers are overcrowded by 47% in excess of their capacity. As we see a surge in inflation globally, it is now critical that everyone is aware of the implications this will have along every step of the insurance and reinsurance value chain. Find a great selection of commercial real estate, manufactured homes, timeshares and more for Sale Buy real estate. Find a great selection of commercial real estate, manufactured homes, timeshares and more for Sale in US and Canada. Search Real Estate By Elizabeth Kwiatkowski, 05/04/2016 ADVERTISEMENT Elizabeth Kwiatkowski is Associate Editor of Reality TV World and has been covering the reality TV genre for more than a decade. star JoJo Fletcher was a little uneasy when she began her journey to find a husband, according to former The Bachelor star Sean Lowe The Bachelor family probably already feels small to its contestants, but Lowe just proved it's even smaller."It's actually funny," Lowe told People when asked to talk about Fletcher. "I'm actually friends with her brother back home in Dallas. Talking to him, he said that she was kind of nervous going in, didn't know what to expect."Lowe, 32, met his now-pregnant wife Catherine Giudici on the seventeenth season of The Bachelor and therefore has some advice for Fletcher, 25, as she's currently filming 's upcoming twelfth edition."Have fun, go in there with an open mind, an open heart," Lowe said. "Have fun, enjoy it and if you're lucky, or I should probably say 'blessed,' you might find someone as good as I did. Find your life partner."Giudici, 30, sweetly added, "Yeah, and then we can hang out together in Dallas."The couple, who are expecting their first child, also offered up some wisdom for Season 20's Bachelor Ben Higgins and his new fiancee Lauren Bushnell "I think the most important thing is you just have to commit to each other," Lowe explained to the magazine. "It's going to be tough, you're going to face all kinds of challenges and obstacles. Commit and don't let these distractions get in the way, and you'll be fine."is set to premiere Monday, May 19 from 9-11PM ET/PT on ABC. To read details the network recently released about Fletcher's journey to find love, click here Here's a look at a floating villa that you can rent out for your next vacation. According to Elle Decor, the villa can be found in the heart of Dubai. The floating villa will be designed and built by Kleindienst Group as part of their plan to build "The Heart of Europe." The latter is focused on building more than 125 floating villas located just 2.5 miles off the coast of Dubai. The publication revealed that the development will consist of six huge islands of hotels and resorts that are inspired by different countries. Some of the amenities included are a members only yacht club, a nightly fireworks display, the world's first climate controlled streets. Meanwhile, the first of the 125 floating villas to be built will officially open at the end of the year, according to Forbes. "The Floating Seahorse" feature pretty mind-blowing designs, interiors and exteriors. The company recently announced that at least 42 floating villas within The Floating Seahorse will be available for rent. While there, renters will have the ability to experience what it's like to be submerged under water. The bedroom and the bathroom of each of the units will also boast of breathtaking views. The rest of the villas will be complete by 2019. Prototype photos of the villas have also been posted online and it showed that the villa will have two and a half floors. The first floors will be the bedroom, and the second floor will be the living room and dining area. The terrace appears to just be an extended space for anyone who wants to go sightseeing. Now that you have some information about the upcoming floating villas in Dubai, what are you waiting for? Make sure to book this place now and see to it also that you will reserve for your slot as soon as possible. Investing in the real estate is much like investing in the stock market - no one really knows when the market will rise or when it will crash. In the case of real estate investment, investors are often on the lookout for houses in neighborhoods that are likely to boom or gentrify within the next five or 10 years. How do you spot the next booming neighborhoods in the country? As previously reported here on Realty Today, buyers and investors may be interested to purchase a home in the 10 booming towns in the U.S. These include: Power Ranch, Gilbert, AZ; Historic Cultural Center, Los Angeles, LA; Downtown, Dallas, TX; Downtown, Miami, FL; and Mountain's Edge, Las Vegas, NV. The aforementioned towns experienced a high percentage of growth over a period of five years. These towns also had employment opportunities and new home construction to tend to the demands of the society and market. In terms of investment, however, investors are often on the lookout for areas, which are just about to boom or gentrify. Realtor.com notes that while there is no surefire way to determine which neighborhoods will gentrify in the next couple of years, there are signs to look out for. The first thing you need to look into is location. Most investors are already aware that location greatly determines the house value; therefore, investors are always looking at areas around richer neighborhoods. For example, a ZIP code in Bed-Stuy, which is around Brooklyn, NY, experienced a 194 percent appreciation in the price of single-family homes from 2004 to 2015. Buyers and investors should, therefore, be on the lookout for areas next to in-demand cities with a housing shortage. Buyers should then take note whether the area has the presence of good school systems and whether there has been an increase in the price of parking spots in the area. The rise in the price of parking spots signals that there are more residents of means are moving into the area. After protests and lobbying from both sides, celebrities and politicians fighting for and against it, and student groups advocating for their views on campus, Georgia House Bill 859, better known as the Campus Carry bill, died May 3 with a veto from Gov. Nathan Deal. After her childhood best friend, Halle Scott, died in a car crash April 27 in Oconee County, Danielle Jones knew she wanted to create something for friends and family to remember the four girls who died by. If anyone could not only accept, but conquer, the daunting challenge of addressing thousands of classmates, friends and faculty believe it would be Karishma Sriram. Kathryn Havens, left, and Amanda Havens, right, are shown Tuesday in a Shasta County courtroom during their preliminary hearing. SHARE By Jim Schultz of the Redding Record Searchlight A reclusive Redding mother and daughter were ordered Tuesday to stand trial in connection with last year's suspected elder abuse-related death of a 90-year-old relative. Retired Tehama County Superior Court Judge Dennis Murray ordered Kathryn Havens, 57, to stand trial on second-degree murder and cruelty to a dependent adult in the death of her mother, Dorothy Havens, who died May 15 at Mercy Medical Center. Additionally, Amanda Havens, 34, was ordered to stand trial on elder abuse and related enhancements in the death of her grandmother following the day-long preliminary hearing. But it wasn't a hearing for the queasy. An emaciated Dorothy Havens, who died one day after being found at the Tidmore Lane home she shared with her daughter and granddaughter, was covered from head to toe with feces and red and purple bedsores, a half-dozen Redding Police Department officers testified. Redding police investigator Brian Torum testified that he was overcome by what he called an "almost overwhelming" odor coming from the woman's bedroom. "It was putrid," he said, adding the smell forced him to gag and go outside for a breath of fresh air and to try to compose himself. As prosecutor Brandon Storment displayed photographs of Havens lying on a table before her autopsy at the county morgue, forensic pathologist Kelly Arthur-Kenny said there were "a great number of things" that struck her about the woman's condition. "She was wasting away" and covered in stool and dirt, she said, adding that the woman's hair was a brownish-yellow due to urine staining. Under questioning by Storment and Assistant Public Defender Tim Pappas and defense attorney Michael Khoronov, Arthur-Kenny, who performed the autopsy, said Havens died of sepsis as a result of a series of respiratory and urinary tract infections and other serious ailments. "Many systems in her were shutting down," she said, adding Havens was also suffering from pneumonia. According to testimony, Kathryn Havens called 911 on May 14 to report that her mother was having trouble breathing, but police were later called to the home after paramedics suspected possible elder abuse. During their investigation, police said, they learned that Dorothy Havens had been in her bed since November 2014 and that she had open wounds with fly larvae in them. According to a police investigative report, Kathryn Havens, who was her mother's caretaker, admitted she and her daughter were "selfishly living off" their relative's Social Security income and had been told by a doctor at least a year earlier that she needed full-time home care. But she never sought that full-time home care. "She (Kathryn Havens) stated that due to needing Medicaid to get this full-time care, it was really never pursued," a police report said. "She indicated the reason it was not pursued is that it was her understanding that Medicaid would come in and actually take" the house. And in a video-recorded police interview shown in court, Kathryn Havens said taking care of her mother was difficult and got to the point of being overwhelming. "I tried" to take care of her, she says in the interview. "She was hard to take care of. It's hard to tell your mother what to do when she's told you what to do all your life." Mother and daughter are due back in Superior Court on May 16 for the possible setting of their trial date. Kathryn Havens remains in Shasta County Jail in lieu of $1 million, while Amanda Havens remains there in lieu of $500,000 bail. Hayley Lack is petitioning Foothill High School to reverse its denial of Lack and her girlfriend from being allowed to participate as a couple in the prom court. SHARE By Alayna Shulman of the Redding Record Searchlight Foothill High School will now elect "prom royalty" instead of a prom king and queen after the American Civil Liberties Union complained that the Palo Cedro school's nomination system prevented a lesbian couple from being able to win together. Shasta Union High School District Superintendent Jim Cloney said the school's top six initial vote-getters for prom will be eligible for the win, and whichever two get the most final votes will be crowned royalty, regardless of gender. "As this is a student driven activity, this will give the students a chance to choose the representatives from those nominated," Cloney said in an email. The ACLU said it considers the school district's decision a "victory," though attorney Elizabeth Gill said it's still troubling that her organization had to intervene in the first place. "It was surprising to us that we needed to write a letter in this instance, just because California law is so clear," she said. "I think for most schools, that they recognized that once it became clear that you need to allow (same-sex couples) to come to the prom together, that it also became clear to most schools that you need to allow those couples to run for prom royalty as well. It's disappointing that we're seeing this in California, just given the strength of our protections under state law for LGBT students. ... We haven't had these complaints for several years, and the last place we had to litigate this was Mississippi." The issue came up after senior Hayley Lack, 16, wanted to change the voting system so that she and her girlfriend could potentially experience the win together. The school's policy before was to crown the top boy and top girl king and queen, meaning a same-sex couple would not be able to win together. Principal Jim Bartow has said that his initial decision to keep the nominations boy-girl was out of fairness to both sexes. But the ACLU got involved earlier this week and demanded the school amend its "plainly illegal" stance by Tuesday, since prom is Saturday. I am thankful for the ACLU ... backing me and my girlfriend, Lack said in a message. In response to the ACLU's letter, attorney Anne L. Collins wrote: "We are unaware of any school policy or other facts to indicate that Ms. Lack and her date are being denied their right to attend the FHS prom as a couple or that FHS is denying Ms. Lack her nomination for prom king. The district supports all of its students and encourages them to participate in school events regardless of gender identity or sexual orientation. Any statements made that suggest the exclusion of Ms. Lack from being a candidate for prom king due to her gender are contrary to district policy and not reflective of what the superintendent has directed to happen." SHARE Foothill High School in Palo Cedro will now elect "prom royalty" instead of a prom king and queen after the American Civil Liberties Union complained that the school's nomination system prevented a lesbian couple from being able to win together. Shasta Union High School District Supt. Jim Cloney said the school's top six initial vote-getters for prom will be eligible for the win, and whichever two get the most final votes will be crowned royalty, regardless of gender. "As this is a student driven activity, this will give the students a chance to choose the representatives from those nominated," Cloney said in an email. The ACLU said it considers the school district's decision a "victory," though attorney Elizabeth Gill said it's still troubling that her organization had to intervene in the first place. "It was surprising to us that we needed to write a letter in this instance, just because California law is so clear," she said. "I think for most schools, that they recognized that once it became clear that you need to allow (same-sex couples) to come to the prom together, that it also became clear to most schools that you need to allow those couples to run for prom royalty as well. It's disappointing that we're seeing this in California, just given the strength of our protections under state law for LGBT students...We haven't had these complaints for several years, and the last place we had to litigate this was Mississippi." The issue came up after senior Hayley Lack, 16, wanted to change the voting system so that she and her girlfriend could potentially experience the win together. The school's policy before was to crown the top boy and top girl king and queen, meaning a same-sex couple would not be able to win together. Principal Jim Bartow has said that his initial decision to keep the nominations boy-girl was out of fairness to both sexes. "We are unaware of any school policy or other facts to indicate that Ms. Lack and her date are being denied their right to attend the FHS prom as a couple or that FHS is denying Ms. Lack her nomination for prom king," attorney Anne L. Collins wrote in a letter on behalf of the school district responding to the ACLU. "The district supports all of its students and encourages them to participate in school events regardless of gender identity or sexual orientation. Any statements made that suggest the exclusion of Ms. Lack from being a candidate for prom king due to her gender are contrary to district policy and not reflective of what the Superintendent has directed to happen." SHARE By Joe Szydlowski of the Redding Record Searchlight RED BLUFF The Tehama County Jail will have the authority to force inmates, whom a judge has declared unable to stand trial due to their mental state, to take psychiatric medications. That comes after the county's Board of Supervisors voted 5-0 to designate it a mental health treatment facility during its Tuesday meeting, in which supervisors also heard about changes California is making to its foster care system. Tehama Sheriff Dave Hencratt's proposal applies only to anti-psychosis medication, he said. The state is responsible for treating felons while the county handles the treatment of those in custody for misdemeanors, typically by sending them to a state psychiatric hospital. Under state law, only certain mental health treatment facilities, such as those state psychiatric hospitals, can force people, whom a judge has declared incompetent, to take psychiatric medications. A county jail can qualify for that designation if the sheriff, public health and board of supervisors agree to it. Under state law, ruling them unfit for trial under the law effectively grants the power to the jail's medical staff as long as it has that treatment facility designation, said Arthur Wylene, county counsel. It also stalls their case until they improve. In a letter to the supervisors, Health Services Agency Executive Director Valerie Lucero said the involuntary medication rule can also apply to those who have been found unfit, then improved and, upon their return to the jail, refuse medicine again. Medical jail staff would be responsible for evaluating and dispensing the medication, Hencratt said. Employees at the jail would not be able to force anyone else to take medication, Hencratt said. The jail previously did not force anyone to take any medication, Hencratt said. But it has had 34 inmates declared unfit and in need of psychiatric treatment before cases proceed since January 2015. Seventeen of them currently are in custody, 14 of whom are awaiting access to one of the state psychiatric hospitals, which have long wait lists. Hencratt said his office has had this option for some time. But a rising number of inmates with serious mental illnesses has prompted him to ask for this ability, he said. "When we have the ability to force medications on people, a lot of times they take medication voluntarily," he said. The idea is to improve their medical condition as they wait for access to the hospital, Hencratt said. Officials with the sheriff's office, the Tehama County Health Services Agency and the County Counsel's Office will draw up the policy. Supervisors also heard a report on major, state-driven changes coming down the pike for the county's adoption system. Tehama County Probation Chief Richard Muench, along with public health and social service directors, cautioned the board that it has more questions than answers. "This is going to be one of those adventures," Muench said. That's because the law bears some similarities and some differences with the realignment law, he said. The two big differences, he said, are at the state level the new foster system appears to be a much more one-size-fits-all approach. AB 109 at least allowed counties to experiment with various programs at the local level instead, he said. "The intent of the law is good. The problem is getting control from the state," Muench said. But the other difference garnered almost all of the supervisors' attention. While AB 109 provided some funds to the counties to cope with the changes, it remains unclear how much, if any, cash the county will get to implement changes. Supervisor Steve Chamblin asked whether the schools will be involved in the discussion and help pay for it. Supervisor Candy Carlson asked similar questions about First 5 Tehama, which focuses on young children. Officials said both agencies are involved in the discussions, though not as much as the county's agencies. Among the changes they outlined: - Conducting an initial assessment of the child and their needs, similar to how probation handles new cases, using a standardized statewide system. - Bringing in a mental health counselor right away for the child. - Standardizing the review and licensing process for foster homes, relatives, family friends, guardians and adoptive families across the state. - Shifting away from group homes for anyone other than the most troubled children and even then only in the short term. - Focusing on placing foster children with families. The major changes begin to take effect in 2017. SHARE Windle Man suspected of sex crimes jailed Redding police said they arrested a 44-year-old man at Caldwell Park on Tuesday on suspicion of indecent exposure and failing to register as a sex offender. A city of Redding parks employee who was near the boat ramp's parking lot and restrooms reported at 8:17 a.m. that a man, identified as David Earl Windle, was exposing himself to a number of pedestrians and the occupants inside of a vehicle. Windle has a history of sex crimes and was wanted on a parole warrant, police said. Windle's prior arrests include indecent exposure, sexual battery, failing to register as a sex offender and parole violations, police said. Windle is on parole with the California Department of Corrections for failing to register as a sex offender. According to Redding police, Windle was not complying with conditions of his parole and sex registration requirements. He was wearing a parole-issued GPS ankle monitor that was not charged and his whereabouts had been undetermined until Tuesday morning. Windle is being held without bail in Shasta County Jail. Redding police are asking anyone who saw Windle near the Sacramento River trail restrooms or boat ramp to call 225-4200. Police on the watch for use of seat belts Redding police are upping enforcement this month on people driving or riding in a car without wearing a seat belt. Officers from May 18-31 will step up their efforts as part of the statewide "Click It or Ticket" campaign, officer Gary Meadows said. Seat belts saved more than 12,000 people from dying in wrecks nationwide during 2012, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. In California, seat belt tickets are $161 minimum for passengers age 16 or over for a first offense, while a rider under 6 years old who's unbuckled could result in a near-$500 ticket, police said. The Click It or Ticket program is administered by the California Office of Traffic Safety. Go to reddingpolice.org or ots.ca.gov for more information. 600 acres to burn at prescribed fire A 600-acre prescribed fire is scheduled to be set on Green Mountain on Wednesday in the Shasta Lake Unit of the Shasta-Trinity National Forest. The project is designed to remove ground fuels to prevent future forest fires. The burn area is north of Redding, near Brushy Creek and Reynolds Creek, east of the confluence of the Squaw and Pit arms of Lake Shasta. Forest Service officials say smoke should be visible on the eastern portion of the lake, along Interstate 5 near Bridge Bay and the Silverthorn and Jones Valley areas. SHARE Two brothers who police say have a lengthy criminal history were arrested on drug charges after a search warrant was served in a north Redding mobile home park. The arrests occurred Tuesday evening in the 980 block of Twin View Boulevard. The search warrant was issued after a four-month investigation, police said in a press release issued Wednesday. Eric Lewis, 42, was arrested on suspicion of possession of narcotics for sale and maintaining a residence for drug use and sales. Brother Derrick Lewis, 42, was arrested on suspicion of maintaining a residence for drug use and sales. Kim Hannah-Lewis, 44, also was arrested on suspicion of drug charges, including possessing methamphetamine for sale. When officers arrived at the mobile home park, they observed Eric Lewis allegedly trying to sell drugs to several individuals. Police said Lewis tried to hide the drugs and was found to be in possession of several grams of heroin and methamphetamine. Derrick Lewis and Kim Hannah-Lewis were contacted and detained inside a mobile home, police said. All three have criminal histories dating back at least 14 years. Eric Lewis has been arrested 30 times since 1998, Derrick Lewis has been arrested 44 times since 1992 and Kim Hannah-Lewis has been arrested 16 times since 2002, police said. Police said the brothers were responsible for ongoing drug sales at the Redding Inn before the Shasta County District Attorneys Office filed a lawsuit against the downtown motel in part for alleged ongoing criminal activity. Fossils of Shastasaurus, a reptile that lived in the ocean about 230 million years ago, have been found in the limestone rocks around Lake Shasta. SHARE By Damon Arthur of the Redding Record Searchlight Over the next 12 months a team of paleontologists will be tramping through the hills around Lake Shasta looking for 220-million-year-old fossils. Neil Kelley, who is leading the expedition, said he hopes to pick up where a team of scientists left off more than 100 years ago when they hauled numerous fossils from the area. "It's unique because the species of animals we find there have not been found anywhere else in the world," said Kelley, a professor of paleontology at Vanderbilt University. The fossils are types of ichthyosaurs, ancient marine reptiles that lived at the same time as the dinosaurs. Among the fossils found around the lake are the Shastasaurus and Californosaurus, which Kelley said are found nowhere else in the world. Fossils in the area have been relatively well preserved because of the unique nature of the area around Lake Shasta, Kelley said. Matt Doyle, general manager of Lake Shasta Caverns, said the area is at the center of a convergence zone of three different regions. The limestone rocks, known as Hosselkuss limestone, were once much farther west, out in the ocean. Over millions of years they were pushed up by plate tectonics to their current location on the western edge of the Klamath Mountains. While volcanic activity and plate tectonics transformed much of Southern Oregon and California, the area around Lake Shasta has been preserved. Cascade volcanoes covered areas to the north and east of the limestone rocks. And to the south and west, formation of the Sierra Nevada mountains so badly heated and pressed the rocks that fossils were destroyed. "That area is very geologically and biologically very unique," Kelley said. Over the past few years, biologists have discovered several new plant species found only around Lake Shasta. Scientists who discovered the plants said the species have survived in the area for millions of years because of the unique geology of the area. Fossils in the area have been so well preserved that they are just "sticking out," said Richard Hilton, a paleontology instructor at Sierra College in Rocklin. Hilton, who will be part of the team returning to the area to look for fossils, wrote a book titled "Dinosaurs and other Mesozoic Reptiles of California." In his book he describes how a team of scientists and amateur paleontologists made numerous trips from 1901 to 1910 searching for fossils in the area around what is now Lake Shasta. Unfortunately, getting to the area is difficult and recognizing the fossils also takes a trained eye. Hilton, who earned his master's degree from studying fossils around Lake Shasta, said the area is steep, overgrown with brush and poison oak and thick with ticks and snakes. "It's still very difficult to find these sites today," Hilton said. "It's kind of a nightmare." Limestone is very hard, so getting the fossils out of the rock without destroying it is also very difficult, he said. Kelley said the U.S. Forest Service, which owns and manages the land, has designated the Hosselkus limestone hills a special research area. Before his group can excavate for fossils they have to obtain a permit from the Forest Service. They also have to raise the money to pay for the trip. Kelley and his team are raising money for the trip through a website called Experiment.com. Their proposal is called Rediscovering the Lost Triassic Marine Reptiles of Northern California. So far, they have raised 82 percent of their $4,400 goal. Kelley said they hope to do some initial work this fall and then return again in the spring of 2017. Sharon Turman, who is accused of leading law enforcement officials on a high-speed chase in a van painted with a Scooby-Doo cartoon theme, has been found mentally fit to stand trial. SHARE A Redding woman accused of leading law enforcement officers on a high-speed chase in a minivan painted with a Scooby-Doo Mystery Machine theme was declared mentally competent today to stand trial. Criminal proceedings against Sharon Kay Turman, 51, were suspended in late March after an attorney with the Shasta County Public Defenders Office raised a doubt about her mental competency. But her case was reinstated today after two psychological evaluations determined she is mentally fit. With her case now reinstated, Turman is due to have a preliminary hearing on May 18 to determine whether sufficient evidence exists to have her ordered to stand trial. Turman is charged with two counts of evading officers with a disregard for public safety, among other charges, stemming from the March 6 high-speed pursuit. SHARE By Cindy Chang and Alene Tchekmedyian, Los Angeles Times LOS ANGELES In Santa Clara County, jail guards sent text messages using racial slurs to describe African-Americans, Jews and Vietnamese-Americans. In San Francisco, as many as 19 police officers have been implicated in a texting scandal involving racial and homophobic insults. And a top Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department official recently resigned amid an outcry over emails he forwarded that mocked Muslims, blacks, women and others. Recent controversies over emails and texts show how the intense scrutiny currently faced by police officers has extended beyond their actions on patrol and into communications that some thought were private. The shift has come as police departments nationwide are trying to address the attitudes of officers before problems on the streets arise. Among other things, agencies have adopted training that examines implicit biases and have pushed to hire more minority recruits. And after a generation of community policing and outreach to minority communities, such comments even in emails and text messages are indefensible to many police officers. Ive seen a serious change in the last 10 years of my career, said Alan Chu, a sheriffs sergeant at the Crescenta Valley Station who moved to the U.S. from Hong Kong when he was a child. I think its a different generation, to be honest, as we hire more people and the sensitivities increase and some of the older guys have retired. The recent focus on how police deal with minority residents is also playing a role. The shooting of a black teenager in Ferguson, Mo., by a white police officer in 2014 helped spark a debate over police use of force, particularly against African-American men. A U.S. Justice Department investigation unearthed numerous racist emails by two of the citys police supervisors and a court clerk. One email depicted President Barack Obama as a chimpanzee. Others compared minority welfare recipients to dogs and contained insensitive comments about Muslims. Such communications show deep-seated prejudices that are unacceptable in law enforcement, said Kathy Spillar, who oversees the National Center for Women and Policing. The jokes reveal an underlying attitude that can never be tolerated, Spillar said. If youre saying this stuff, guess what? Youre biased. Many police officials insist that the problem of racist jokes and other exchanges is far from unique to law enforcement, reflecting broader societal issues. Still, the revelations have put officers on notice that their personal conversations could become public, embarrass their employers and cost them their jobs. I think we will continue to see things like this, not happening more often, but becoming more visible, said Seth Stoughton, a former police officer who is now a professor at the University of South Carolina School of Law. What would surprise me is if an agency just accepted it and didnt do anything about it. Stoughton said that some officers adopt a dangerous form of humor that employs racial stereotypes as a way of coping with the violence they encounter on the job, much as some soldiers sometimes feel the need to dehumanize the enemy. In the 1980s and early 1990s, LAPD officers were caught sending racist and sexist messages not via email but through their patrol car computers. On the same day as the 1991 beating of Rodney King, one of the LAPD officers involved sent a message to a colleague describing a domestic violence call at a black familys home as right out of Gorillas in the Mist. In those days, some law enforcement officers said, such sentiments were more prevalent, and those who espoused them were less likely to be disciplined. In Glendale, greater diversity among police officers has meant that making fun of minorities would be making fun of their own. We have Armenian officers, Korean officers, black officers, females, and so to say that these types of jokes happen, its in the culture, I would disagree, said Sgt. Robert William. A very different brand of cop humor making light of death is acceptable as long as it stays between officers, some said, and can be a needed release to move past the tragedies they witness. What goes on in a radio car stays there, said Bob Olmsted, a retired sheriffs commander who started with the department in 1978 and remembers joking about a person whose head had been blown off. Whats said over the public domain, in emails that can be easily forwarded, thats a big difference. Last week, San Franciscos public defender, Jeff Adachi, sharply criticized three city police officers for text messages they exchanged referring to minorities as barbarians and cockroaches and using racial slurs. The messages were the latest in a growing list of racist emails and texts traded among the citys officers, resulting in the dismissal of 13 pending criminal cases. Thats the kind of mentality that tells you its OK to shoot, OK to kill, OK to arrest people of color, Adachi told reporters. In the Santa Clara County jails, guards exchanged text messages applauding violence against blacks, using racial slurs and sharing images of a Nazi swastika and a lynching, the Mercury News in San Jose reported. The emails that led Tom Angel to step down as the Los Angeles Countys sheriffs chief of staff were sent in 2012 and 2013, when he was the No. 2 police official in Burbank. I took my Biology exam last Friday, said one of the emails, which the Los Angeles Times obtained from the city of Burbank under the states public records law. I was asked to name two things commonly found in cells. Apparently Blacks and Mexicans were NOT the correct answers. Another email ridiculed concerns about the racial profiling of Muslims as terrorism suspects. A third included the subject line How dumb is dumb? and listed 20 reasons Muslim Terrorists are so quick to commit suicide, including Towels for hats, Constant wailing from some idiot in a tower and You cant wash off the smell of donkey. Four of the emails contained strings of jokes that Angel received and then forwarded. A fifth email was a short dialogue between Angel and another Burbank police official in which Angel asked what he called a trivia question: How many virgins do Muslims get in heaven? After initially saying he had no immediate plans to discipline Angel, Sheriff Jim McDonnell announced over the weekend that he had accepted his chief of staffs resignation. McDonnell has agreed to randomly audit the emails of sheriffs employees for offensive content after some civil rights leaders called on him to do so. With increased scrutiny coming from within police departments and the public, officers need to realize that the audience for their jokes may expand beyond their colleagues, said Derek Hsieh, a veteran of the Anchorage Police Department who is now executive director for the union that represents L.A. County sheriffs deputies. As more agencies adopt body cameras to record interactions with the public, casual conversations between officers may end up on tape, too. With the increasing amount of audio and video recording, you have to be extremely careful that your comments will be taken and not judged by other cops in the context of that circumstance, but by the public at large, Hsieh said. 2016 Los Angeles Times Visit the Los Angeles Times at www.latimes.com Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Paucity of information regarding the progress of financial inclusion in India has been a major challenge. The situation is now changing, with data being made available online, notes Sumita Kale A glance at recent media headlines on the Pradhan Mantri Jan-Dhan Yojana would lead one to think that Indias financial inclusion mission is floundering, as a few negative trends that have come out through MicroSaves third round of assessment of the scheme are grabbing all the attention. It is, of course, perfectly rational to stress where the mission is going wrong and where corrections are needed. Yet, in India, and in a mission this size, it is difficult to imagine getting everything right from the very beginning. In fact, there is much to be said about the positive trends that have emerged through the assessments, to get a more balanced picture. More importantly, the assessment of PMJDY should be done within the context of the programme. To begin with, the PMJDY has dramatically changed the basic framework of financial inclusion in India. For long, progress in inclusion has been measured by the number of no-frills or basic savings bank accounts and the number of branchless outlets in villages. Apart from some occasional surveys by independent agencies, little or no data has been available on the usage of these accounts, dormancy of agents, income earned by agents, etc. One of the biggest challenges for researchers like us in tracking the progress of financial inclusion in India has been the paucity of data at the granular level. So we have the Reserve Bank of India Annual Report, 2014-15, stating that there are 504,142 branchless banking outlets in villages, with no granular information regarding location details, activity levels, etc. It is not clear, from any publicly available database, whether the 126,000 agents used as Bank Mitras under the Sub-Service Area Scheme for PMJDY form a subset of the aggregate shown in the RBI data, or whether there is some overlap between the two data sets. Unlike the PMJDY Bank Mitras, whose data are now available on the website, information on non-PMJDY business correspondent outlets has to be gleaned from State Level Bankers Committees, which have varying standards of reporting and monitoring. Studies conducted in the pre-PMJDY era by the Consultative Group to Assist the Poor and MicroSave on BC availability (CGAPs National Survey of Banking Agents, 2013 and The Curious Case of Missing Agents in Rural India, MicroSave, January 2014) showed that data on agents, as reported by SLBCs, often did not match data from on the ground. The recommendation from Indicus Centre for Financial Inclusion (Policy Brief, November 2015) was for the Department of Financial Services and the RBI to coordinate towards a harmonised and current database of all BC agents in the country that will provide a clear and full picture of the actual financial inclusion footprint in the country. This recommendation was included by the RBI Committee for the Medium-term Path to Financial Inclusion (January 2016) and the first bi-monthly monetary policy statement for this year has set out the task of a tracking system for BCs: an online registry of all BCs -- both existing and new -- that will capture basic details, including location of fixed-point BCs, nature of operations, etc, updated on a quarterly basis. It is often forgotten that the PMJDY is just one part of the overall network set out in the country, a network for which data are still scarce. In this situation, it is heartening to see that the PMJDY Mission Directorate has progressed from monitoring only the number of accounts to tracking a number of indicators such as Aadhaar seeding, provision of RuPay cards, usage of overdraft facility, payment of Bank Mitra remuneration, etc, and transaction readiness of Bank Mitras. There is transparency now. With state- and district-level data available on the PMJDY website and with a geographic information system locator available online for banking services, it is much easier for any independent analyst to cross-verify the basic existence of a BC agent. Though a lot more remains to be monitored -- for example, the number of transactions at the agent and account level, connectivity issues at the BC outlet, customer care and grievance redressal -- it is important to appreciate this sea change within the DFS and the RBI to start tracking progress indicators at a granular level and beyond the aggregate number of agents and accounts. The second significant change under the PMJDY is that the financial inclusion objective has moved beyond the provision of simple no-frills accounts to meeting overall financial needs of the poor, linking government benefits, overdraft facility and insurance and pension to these savings accounts. The massive campaign around PMJDY led to a surge in awareness, and for the first time in decades, bank officials, who would pursue people to open accounts to meet their mandated targets, reported being pushed by customers themselves. The three rounds of assessment by MicroSave must be seen in this perspective: as a survey that provides for a much richer analysis of course correction where needed for the PMJDY Mission Directorate. The good, the bad and the ugly from the survey results will be taken up in the next piece. Image: Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressing at the launch of the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana, in New Delhi. Photograph: Kind courtesy, PIB Sumita Kale is with the Indicus Centre for Financial Inclusion; She can be reached at sumita@indicus.org Govt steps up security to check criminals seeking bank details of taxpayers The next time you get an email from the Income Tax (I-T) department stating that it wants to refund you some money, dont be delighted - be cautious. In all likelihood it would be from cyber criminals trying to trick you into revealing your bank details. Taking a note of such cyber frauds, the I-T department have sought help from the countrys premier cyber security agency, Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In), to block these hackers lurking in the e-world. The department is particularly worried after taxpayers recently brought to its notice certain emails which have very cleverly spoofed the departments identity by using almost resembling addresses to cheat gullible taxpayers. Email spoofing helps them change their email address to any that they wish. In some cases, victims received emails even from the noreply@incometaxindia.gov.in. Theres a rise in such emails lately and they are often sent during the tax filing months, said Amit Jaju, executive director, fraud investigation and dispute services, EY India. He explains, the victims usually receive an email that informs individuals of an unclaimed refund. It, then, asks the person to click on a link to verify his details and processing of the fund. Once the person clicks on the link, he is taken to a website that looks like it belongs to his bank. An HDFC Bank or an SBI Bank customer will be taken to the respective fake websites. Surprisingly, in many cases, people are taken to the actual bank they use. This means, the fraudsters have a database of targets email address and the bank account, says Jaju. In some cases, when the person clicks on the link, he is taken to a fake I-T website thats identical to the original, according to Saloni Verma, associate director, IT security, risk advisory, BDO India. Gullible taxpayers end up giving all their bank account details. You can also receive a fake I-T notice asking to pay up outstanding tax demand and be redirected to the fake I-T website. But, recognising such fraudulent emails is not difficult. You just need to be alert. The first thing to look at is the email address, according to Jayant Saran, partner and national leader for forensic technology at Deloitte India. He explains the email might seem to be originating from incometaxindia.gov.in but many service providers, such as Gmail, inform the user if it actually originates from this website or not. You will see that such emails will have via right after the email address and then the name of the server. This means that the email was sent via another mail service. Never download file attached in such emails as it can also install malicious software, says Saran. If you happen to the link provided in the email, which takes you to the fake website of the bank or I-T department, check the address of the website. It will not be the same as your banks or I-T departments. Whenever you are transacting online, check if the address starts with HTTPS rather than HTTP and should have a closed lock sign. This means that the website is secure and verified. The best way to cut risk is to use a licensed antivirus software. Bank account details should never be sent through an email and one should contact the respective organisation in case of any such requests. There are even provisions to report the phishing attempts at organisations websites such as the I-T department website. Illustration: Uttam Ghosh/Rediff.com Often described as the Rockefeller of his age, the 51-year-old Jack Ma, who started life as an English teacher, is courted by business tycoons, political leaders and Hollywood stars. This is not just the story of Alibaba, the Chinese e-commerce major that has outsmarted internet giants and entrepreneurs at home and in Silicon Valley since its inception in 1999; it is also an engaging account of the countrys economic restructuring -- from 'a Made in China past to a bought in China present'. Duncan Clark has drawn on his long experience of China, where he has lived since 1994, his stint as advisor to the company in its early years and his access to the top management to produce this authoritative account. Mr Clark met Jack Ma a few months after Alibaba was founded in a small apartment in Hangzhou. As an investment banker, a fluent Mandarin speaker and an internet expert, the writer helped Mr Ma and his right hand man, Joe Tsai (a Taiwanese investor), with the companys international expansion strategy. But the former Morgan Stanley banker clarifies that this is an independent account since he has never been an Alibaba employee and has no professional relationship with it now. Often described as the Rockefeller of his age, the 51-year-old Jack Ma, who started life as an English teacher, is courted by business tycoons, political leaders and Hollywood stars. Shirley Lin of Goldman Sachs, one of the first to back Alibaba, tells the writer about her meeting with Mr Ma in September 1999: I went up to the apartment, where they were all working twenty four/seven. . . She didnt think the ideas were entirely original but it 'was all about Jack and his people,' she says. Mr Ma and his wife toiled away 'like revolutionary comrades', Ms Lin recalls, and that impressed Goldman Sachs enough to invest $5 million. Goldman subsequently reduced its investment to $3.3 million and sold out for seven times the value of its funding five years later. Mr Clark underlines the misjudgement: had Goldman held on till the 2014 IPO -- the worlds largest at $25 billion -- the value of its investment would have been more than $12.5 billion. Softbank founder Masayoshi Son, however, stuck with Mr Ma from the start. The two were kindred spirits -- both short in stature and known for their outsize ambitions. As Mr Ma told the author, We didnt talk about revenues, we didnt even talk about a business model. . . we just talked about a shared vision. As for Mr Son when asked by the media at the time of Alibabas IPO what had prompted him to bet on Mr Ma in 2000, he said, It was the look in his eye, it was an animal smell It was the same when we invested in Yahoo. . . I invested based on my sense of smell. Mr Mas nose for success encouraged him to master English, a language he happened to love (Mark Twain was a favourite). Mr Mas great opportunity came as China reformed its economy and foreign tourists started arriving in larger numbers. Every morning from five o clock I would read English in front of the hotel [where tourists from the US and Europe stayed]. . . I would give them a free tour of West Lake and they taught me English. For nine years! And I practised my English every morning, no matter if it snowed or rained, Mr Ma told the author. It was a shrewd move. As he explained later, English helps me understand the world better, helps me to meet the best CEOs and leaders in the world, and makes me understand the distance between China and the world. Born Ma Yun, he anglicised his name, as many Chinese did at the time, at the request of an American pen friend. It was his knowledge of English that took him to the US in 1994 and resulted in his first, life-changing exposure to the internet (he was searching -- unsuccessfully -- for Chinese beer). Although the internet gave him a high, Mr Ma frequently talked about the lack of a tech background. Math was one of his 'earlier foes' -- he failed an entrance exam for higher education (called gaokao), scoring 1/120 in the subject. He passed on the third attempt -- doing a series of menial jobs in between memorising formulas and equations -- with scores good enough only to make it to the less prestigious Hangzhou Teachers College. When Deng Xiaoping famously declared that 'to get rich is glorious', Mr Ma and his wife, fellow student Zhang Ying (who took the anglicised name of Cathy), started dreaming of entrepreneurship. Mr Ma tried his hand at other things first -- a translation agency (called Hope) and an 'uncomfortable' stint with the government. Alibaba was named after the Arabian Nights character because Mr Ma saw a similarity between the 'open sesame' imagery and his ambition of providing an opening for small and medium enterprises. He also reckoned it would travel well and starting with the letter 'A' would put it at the top of most searches. He knew he was late to the portal game dominated by others such as Sina, Sohu, NetEase. But while others were trying to tap individual users, Mr Ma wanted to stick to what he knew best: small businesses. As Mr Clark writes, Jack decided to focus on the shrimp. Mr Mas theory, which has made Alibaba bigger than Walmart and Amazon, has been that 85 per cent of the fish in the sea are shrimp-sized. And the inspiration came from his favourite movie Forrest Gump, where the protagonist makes a fortune fishing for shrimp after a storm. His challenge now may be coping with Alibabas undoubted status as a whale in the world of e-commerce. ALIBABA The House That Jack Ma Built Duncan Clark HarperCollins 264 pages; Rs 599 Image: Youngsters have found a new role model, Jack Ma. Photograph: Reuters These companies have largest subscriber base in India but have the lowest revenue Telecom companies on Tuesday told the Supreme Court that the entire sector is under huge debt and they have to pay a big price for spectrum, therefore zero tolerance on call drops should not be imposed on them. Refuting the allegations by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India that the telecom service providers are making huge gains in the sector, the companies told the apex court that they have been investing hugely on the infrastructure. "They (Trai) said that we have been making Rs 250 crore (Rs 2.5 billion) a day but what was not specified was that we are under huge debt. We have to pay over Rs 3.8 lakh crores as debt. We are buying spectrum at Rs 45,000 crore (Rs 450 billion), which was earlier Rs 1,658 crore (Rs 16.58 billion. "We are not gaining anything and our rate of return is less than one percent at the end of a year," senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for telecom operators, told a bench comprising Justices Kurian Joseph and R F Nariman. The bench reserved its verdict on the issue. The court's summer vacation starts May 13. Sibal said that Trai had compared India with China but in that country the spectrum is given for free to the top three telecom companies which are state run. Sibal said that like Trai worries for consumers, so do the telecom companies and no one wants the call drop to happen but the factors responsible are beyond their control. "Our tariff is lowest in the world. We are serving over one billion subscribers in India and we are one of the largest contributor to foreign direct investment and provide a million of jobs," Sibal said. He said that although telecom companies have largest subscriber base in India but have the lowest revenue and also the industry's revenue is gradually going down. Sibal refuted the allegations of Trai that Telecom companies are not investing on technology and towers and said that in past 15 months over two lakh towers have been installed. "We have installed over two lakh towers in past 15 months and every third minute a tower is being installed. What has been done in past fifteen months has not been done in past 20 years," he said. Attorney General Mukul Rohtagi countered the arguments and contended that it is possible to trace the cause and the penalty is intended to help the consumers. The bench consisting of Justice Kurian Joseph and Justice R F Nariman heard both sides for about two weeks before reserving their judgment. COAI, a body of Unified Telecom Service Providers of India and 21 telecom operators, including Vodafone, Bharti Airtel and Reliance, have challenged the Delhi High Court order upholding Trai's decision making it mandatory for them to compensate subscribers for call drops from this January. The Trai had earlier told the apex court that it will take action against the Telcos for call drops to protect the interest of consumers as these service providers are not willing to compensate them. The regulatory body had told the court that it has to safeguard 100 crore (1 billion) telecom subscribers and if companies agree to compensate call drops with equal number of free calls to consumers without pre-conditions then it is open to re- consider its direction imposing penalty on them. It had also told the court that a "cartel" of 4-5 telecom firms having a billion subscribers are making Rs 250 crore (Rs 2.5 billion) a day but not making investments on their network to improve services to check call drops. The Delhi High Court had early this year upheld the October 16, 2015 decision of Telecom Regulatory Authority of India, making it mandatory for cellular operators to pay consumers one rupee per call drop experienced on their networks, subject to a cap of Rs 3 a day. Image: A man uses a Nokia mobile phone to make a call on a street in Kolkata. Photograph: Rupak De Chowdhuri/Reuters The real estate mogul indicated that economy and trade would be one of his major election issues this summer leading to the November presidential elections. Presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump on Wednesday warned American companies of "very serious consequences" if they shift their operations overseas. "We're going to bring back our jobs and we're going to keep our jobs. We're not going to let companies leave," Trump said after winning the Indiana Primary which propelled him to the position of being a presumptive nominee. "Now, if they want to go to a different state, good luck, compete. But when they start going to different countries, and in many cases countries that devalue their currency and make it impossible for our companies to compete, that's not going to happen, not going to happen," he said. "If they want to do it anyway, there will be consequences and there will be very, very serious consequences," Trump said in his first major warning to American companies. The real estate mogul indicated that economy and trade would be one of his major election issues this summer leading to the November presidential elections in the fall, wherein he is expected to clash with the former Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton. Trump used the occasion to lash at Clinton and claim that the former top American diplomat has no understanding of trade. "She will not be a great president; she will not be a good president. She will be a poor president. She doesn't understand trade. Her husband (the former president Bill Clinton) signed, perhaps in the history of the world, the single-worst trade deal ever done; it's called NAFTA. And I was witness to the carnage over the last six weeks especially," Trump said. "Now, I've known Syracuse and I've known Poughkeepsie and I've known all of the different places that I visited in New York and then Pennsylvania and then Maryland,...and all of the different states, Connecticut, and I've witnessed what it's done really firsthand. And it has been indeed carnage," he said referring to shutting down of local industries in these cities and States. "And we're going to change it around. We're not going to let Carrier and all of these companies just think that they can move, go to another country, make their product, sell it back to us and we get only one thing, we get unemployment. Not going to happen anymore, folks. It's not going to happen anymore," he asserted. There are unprecedented political implications of identification based on 'biological attributes of an individual,' such as employed by Aadhaar, warns Gopal Krishna. On April 20, an order was issued by a court in Norway in the case involving Anders Behring Breivik, who has been found guilty of killing eight people in Oslo and 69 at Utya on July 22, 2011. In August 2012 he was sentenced to 21 years preventive detention for mass murder, causing a fatal explosion, and terrorism. Breivik is serving the sentence under a regime of particularly high security at the Telemark prison in Skien, Norway. His motive for his terrorist acts was to market his manifesto '2083: A European Declaration of Independence.' The court ruled that the Norwegian government had violated his human rights and that keeping him in long-term solitary confinement could affect his mental health. Brevik's case reminds one of the words used in his 1,518 pages-long manifesto or compendium of texts. It is noteworthy that Brevik's manifesto makes repeated reference to 'identification,' to the word 'identity' over 100 times, to 'unique' over 40 times and to 'identification' over 10 times. There are references to 'state-issued identity cards', 'converts' identity cards', 'identification card', 'fingerprints', 'DNA' etc. Breivik's obsession with 'identification' mirrors that of the promoters of 12 digit biometric unique identity (UID)/Aadhaar number. The fixation with identification based on 'biological attributes of an individual' provided under the Aadhaar Act 2016 has unprecedented political implications. This Act empowers the Unique Identification Authority of India to promote 'research and development for advancement in biometrics and related areas,' as if the citizens of India are guinea pigs. Brevik's European manifesto finds resonance in the unique identification (UID)/Aadhaar number exercise for Central Identities Data Repository, an 'online database' which can be Wikileaked. A careful perusal of UIDAI documents reveals that it is linked to the electoral database too. This came to light from a 14-page long document titled 'Strategic Vision: Unique Identification of Residents' prepared by Wipro Ltd and submitted to the processes committee of the Planning Commission which was set up in July 2006. Its vision statement reads: 'Creating a unique identification system of all residents in the country for efficient, transparent, reliable and effective delivery of various welfare and private services to the common person.' The cover page of the document mentions the National Institute for Smart Government, department of information technology, and Wipro Consulting. Admittedly, Wipro was the consultant for the design phase and programme management phase of the pilot UIDAI project. The Hyderabad-based NISG is a not-for-profit company incorporated in 2002 by the Government of India and Nasscom. NISG aims to 'establish itself as an institution of excellence in e-governance and to leverage private sector resources through a public-private-partnership mode in establishing eIndia.' Another 15-page Wipro document, titled 'Does India need a Unique Identity Number?', cited the example of the United Kingdom's Identity Cards Act, 2006, on page number 6 to advance the argument for a biometric UID/Aadhaar number in India. But when the UK government stopped its National Identity Cards Scheme, neither Wipro nor its donors in the government examined as to why the UK did so and why this decision too is relevant to India. The decision was announced in the British parliament, the same legislature which passed the India Independence Act, 1947. A document titled 'Homeland security in India' underlines the connection between the UID number and the National Intelligence Grid (NatGrid). This document has been prepared by the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India which has a membership of over 300,000 companies, and KPMG, a transnational firm that operates in 140 countries which is affiliated to KPMG International, a Swiss agency. Captain Raghu Raman, who became the NatGrid chief during the previous government, has advanced the argument for the handing over of the country's 'internal security' to the 'commercial czars' and recommended 'private territorial armies' to safeguard 'corporate empires' as per his paper titled 'A Nation of Numb People.' Captain Raman has been chairman of the Internal Security Committee, Bombay Chamber of Commerce & Industry. He has been head of the subgroup on industry guidelines. He is a member of the national task force on internal security, the Confederation of Indian Industry. He has been a member of the London Speakers Bureau and CEO of Mahindra Special Services Group, a leading corporate security risk consulting firm. On March 10, 2015, the ministry of home affairs informed the Lok Sabha that 'NatGrid and the Unique Identification Authority of India have not been declared as intelligence agencies.' It is evident that this reply is cleverly worded. The fact is that both are interlinked. The fact is that the name NatGrid itself reveals that it is functioning as part of the intelligence agencies. When the media asked the UIDAI chief about its link with intelligence agencies, he responded with 'No comments.' As per the Cabinet Secretariat website, the 'functions' of the Cabinet Committee on UIDAI related issues included 'all issues relating to the Unique Identification Authority of India including its organisation, plans, policies, programmes, schemes, funding and methodology to be adopted for achieving the objectives of that authority.' This committee that supervised the Authority has now been disbanded. The nature of UIDAI is revealed in clause 48 of the Aadhaar Act which provides the 'Power of central government to supersede Authority.' It reads: 'If, at any time, the central government is of the opinion -- (a) that, on account of circumstances beyond the control of the Authority, it is unable to discharge the functions or perform the duties imposed on it by or under the provisions of this Act; or (b) that the Authority has persistently defaulted in complying with any direction given by the central government under this Act or in the discharge of the functions or performance of the duties imposed on it by or under the provisions of this Act and as a result of such default the financial position of the Authority or the administration of the Authority has suffered; or (c) that a public emergency exists, the central government may, by notification, supersede the authority for such period, not exceeding six months, as may be specified in the notification and appoint a person or persons as the President may direct to exercise powers and discharge functions under this Act.' It appears that in order to mask its true motive the central government shifted the UID project from the department of information technology renamed the department of electronics and information technology (now called the department of electronics and information technology) under the Union ministry of communications and information technology, to the Planning Commission. Not surprisingly, after the dismantling of the commission, the UID project and UIDAI have again been relocated under the department of electronics and information technology. Notably, this department was responsible for the home ministry's biometric profiling National Population Register as well. It is relevant to examine the reasons for the advocacy of NatGrid by Colonel Richard Kemp who has served in the British army from 1977 to 2006 and who was chairman of British forces in Afghanistan and worked for the Joint Intelligence Committee around the globe. In an article in The Times of India dated July 26, 2011, he stated that 'one of the greatest failings in British intelligence that allowed the July 2005 attacks to succeed was inadequate IT' and blames 'bureaucratic paralysis' in India that has stalled the implementation of the National Intelligence Grid (that) needs to be unlocked -- and fast.' Such touching faith in IT is misplaced. The late Roger Needham, a British computer scientist, said, 'If you think IT is the solution to your problem, then you don't understand IT, and you don't understand your problem either.' Given the fact that Indian intelligence organisations are not accountable to Parliament, the Intelligence Services (Powers and Regulation) Bill, 2011 has been introduced as a private member's bill. Nandan Manohar Nilekani refers to Hernando de Sotto's failed idea and book The Mystery of Capital: Why Capitalism Triumphs in the West and Fails Everywhere Else published in 2003, through his own book Imagining India, and argued that the national ID system would be a big step for land markets to facilitate right to property and undoing of the abolition of right to property in 1978 in order to bring down poverty! Notably, in the Draft Land Titling Bill too there was a reference to the Unique Property Identification Number. It appears that the real motive of the UID Number is being hidden. Is it a coincidence that Nilekani pushed the UID/Aadhaar idea as head of the technology advisory group on unique projects that proposes a 'private company with public purpose' and with 'profit making as the motive but not profit maximising'? Is it a coincidence that as head of the inter-ministerial task force to streamline the subsidy distribution mechanism and as head of the Government of India's IT task force for power sector he did the same? At a recently concluded meeting of the All India Peoples' Forum, a political entity, there was a demand made that governmental and non-governmental intelligence agencies must be brought under democratic control. Such demands are relevant for dealing with private commercial czars entering the government to subvert existing public institutions. Biometric identification makes citizens naked and powerless. Stieg Larsson, a Swedish journalist and writer best known for writing the Millennium trilogy of crime novels, could not marry his partner Eva Gabrielsson, a Swedish architect, author, political activist, feminist because under Swedish law, couples entering into marriage have to make their addresses public and its disclosure posed a security risk as he was reporting on extremist groups and faced death threats from them. The couple masked their addresses, personal data and identity numbers from public records because in the absence of kind of such 'identity cover' he could not have worked as a journalist. A visiting Swedish researcher student revealed that in Sweden, the citizens are biometrically profiled using DNA samples in the name of disease surveillance. Notably, such regressive policies have been outlawed by the European Court of Human Rights. In a unanimous decision on the violation of the right to privacy and family life by biometric profile retention in criminal justice databanks, 17 judges found that the 'blanket and indiscriminate nature' of the power of retention of fingerprints, cellular samples, and DNA profiles of persons suspected but not convicted of offenses, failed to strike a fair balance between competing public and private interests and ruled that the United Kingdom had 'overstepped any acceptable margin of appreciation' in this regard. The Hyderabad-based Centre for DNA Fingerprinting and Diagnostics in India plans to conduct 'human population analysis with a view to eliciting signature profiling of different caste populations of India to use them in forensic DNA fingerprinting and develop DNA databases.' On the CDFD website, there is an identification form for DNA sample tests. This form has an entry column for filling 'caste and origin of state' information. This appears to be dictated by genetic determination akin to eugenics. It is noteworthy that Indian public institutions are modelled on European institutions. In such a situation, the ECHR decision is quite relevant for biometric UID/Aadhaar, the proposed Human DNA Profiling Bill, and voice print through Radio Frequency Identification being planted in vehicles and libraries in India wherein political extremists have adopted a written and unwritten manifesto similar to that of Breivik, the neo-Crusader. The political class in general and the genuine opposition forces in particular are yet to provide a robust political response to the unfolding regime which is subjugating citizenry using indiscriminate biometric profiling and welfare schemes as fish bait. Photograph: Kind courtesy, Wikimedia Commons I have outraged too much in the past like many others, which hasnt gotten us anywhere. Rapes have merely become statistics in our country, best meant for research reports and discussions at conferences, says Devanik Saha. Kerala is filled with grief over the brutal rape and murder of Jisha, a 30-year-old law student, with the post-mortem report revealing that her intestines had been taken out with a sharp object -- bringing back horrific memories of the Nirbhaya gang-rape incident in Delhi in December 2012, which stunned the nation. Though probably similar in brutality, the intensity of fury in the Kerala case is definitely not the same as in Nirbhayas, with many social media users questioning the silence of the same nation which had stood up for Nirbhaya so vociferously. Many of them had the same questions: Why hasnt Jishas death sparked equal outrage as Nirbhayas? Have we as a society lost our moral conscience? Why is this news not trending on mainstream media? Despite being a staunch advocate of women rights and justice, honestly, over the years, my outrage against rapes has almost become dead. Hearing about rapes doesnt evoke emotions anymore probably because I have outraged too much in the past like many others, which hasnt gotten us anywhere. Rapes have merely become statistics in our country, best meant for research reports and discussions at conferences. To me, its a fixed chain of events, albeit selective events. Most rapes are just confined to small paragraphs on page 9-10 of newspapers. Rape is reported. Nation duly outrages. Politicians take potshots at each other. The accused is nabbed. Prime time debates for days. Media attention diminishes. Trial goes on for years. Victims hardly get justice (very few are lucky to). Either the victims withdraw the case citing family honour, or the accused is let out on bail. Repeat, back to step one. It is similar to what journalist Chitra Subramaniam describes in her essay You have a problem, I have a committee. It was part of a book (published in 2012) which was a collection of essays by Chameli Devi Jain awardees. In her intriguing essay, she mentions that how raising a question in India leads to the formation of a committee and two sub-committees spying on each other. At the time of writing this article, I had just finished watching an episode of Crime Patrol on Sony. It focused on the case of a five year old girl who was raped brutally in 2013, got media attention and help from the state government which provided her a shelter for recuperation. The programme revealed that once the media attention and national sympathy fizzled out, the shelter support by the government authorities was withdrawn. The case is just a reminder of the stark reality of how administrative systems function in our country, and which have failed rape victims time and again. Overburdened and understaffed judiciary: The Chief Justice of Indias breaking down in front of the prime minister last month was given due importance. He was not wrong in what he said, the statistics do portray a grim picture. India has only 17 judges per million, as against the recommended 50 judges per million. It faces a 23 per cent deficit of judges across all courts in India and two million cases await trial for more than a decade, according to an analysis by IndiaSpend. After every rape case, which attracts national attention, prime time debates discussing the need for judicial reforms run for weeks, promises are made by politicians to do something, but after a few weeks we are back to square one. Police apathy: It is often said that in India, the trauma of a victim post the rape is actually more than what she suffered during the rape itself. There are many instances where the police mock, ridicule the victim and refuse to file FIRs against the accused. Recently, a woman from Manipur was molested and thrashed by three men in Mumbai; the police filed a cross-FIR against the woman for hitting back at her assailants and locked her up in jail. Throughout India, police officials continue to act with brazenness and are extremely insensitive in handling rape/sexual assault cases. They only act when either the media intervenes, or the victim somehow manages to get senior-level officials involved and that, too, if she belongs to an affluent family with her father having some influence. Rape crisis centres: In July 2014, the Centre had announced that it would setup 660 rape crisis centers -- one in each district and 20 in metros. However, last year, it downsized the programme and decided that it will open only 36 centres, with locations to be decided by the states and Union territories. Such a huge downsizing clearly outlines the lack of seriousness with which the government treats rape cases. The Nirbhaya fund launched in 2013, and which has been allocated Rs 1000 crores each year, lies almost unutilised barring a few small projects. Furthermore, the comments on rape by our politicians cutting across party lines keep reminding us about their lack of sensitivity towards rape. Some of the gems are: "Boys are boys, they make mistakes", "Rape is a social crime which depends on the man and the woman", "It is sometimes right and sometimes wrong", "Women should not venture out with men who are not relatives" and "Rapes are on the rise because men and women interact with each other more freely now". We are a unique nation where consensual sex between two teenagers below 18 years of age is considered rape, but a husband raping his wife is permissible by law unless she is less than 15 years old. We are a unique nation where a godman accused of rape still finds million of followers. We are a unique nation where we rephrase Virat Kohlis century against Pakistan as Kohli raped Pakistan. We are a unique nation which has an inherent instinct to blame the victim for the rape and equate it to losing her honour. As people on social media trend #JusticeForJisha, the most important question is, will anything happen apart from the fixed chain of events mentioned above? Bhanwari Devi. Nirbhaya. Delta Meghwal. Jisha The list will just keep on growing, so enough is enough. Lets not waste our time outraging. We have better things to do. The next IPL match is at 4 pm today, in case you have forgotten. A 19-year-old Dalit nursing student was allegedly gang-raped in Varkala, days after the rape and brutal murder of a law student in Keralas Ernakulam district that sparked protests by students and rights activists. The victim, a second year BSc nursing student, was raped by an autorickshaw driver and two of his friends near Ayanthi bridge in Varkala, about 50 km from Thiruvananthapuram, on Tuesday. She has been admitted to the intensive care unit of a hospital, police said on Wednesday. A case under Indian Penal Code Section 376 (2) (g) (gang rape) was registered against the accused, who are absconding, police said, adding, her statement will be recorded before a magistrate on Wednesday. Based on the statement of the girl, we registered case against three persons. A medical examination has confirmed that she was gang-raped, Varkala circle inspector Vinod B said. The victim had gone with an autorickshaw driver, who was known to her, in his vehicle on the day of the incident. Two of his friends also got into the vehicle later. They then took the autorickshaw to a deserted spot and allegedly raped her, police said. The girl was in a state of shock and suffered from fits when she was found by some people who rushed to the vehicle on hearing her cries for help, they said. A team of expert doctors is monitoring the condition of the girl, who was admitted to the ICU of the SAT hospital at the ThiruvanathapuramGovernmentMedicalCollege late on Tuesday night from a private hospital in Varkala. Hospital sources said her condition is stable. Doctors are frequently monitoring her health condition, which is stable now. Visitors are strictly prohibited, SAT hospital superintendent said in a release. The incident comes days after a 30-year-old Dalit law student was raped and murdered in Perumbavoor in Ernakulam district. Imaginative, innovative and exceptional. The election posters of both the Left Democratic Front and the ruling United Democratic Front are creative and unique in ideas and execution. We have not seen such election posters before, reports Shobha Warrier/Rediff.com All Photographs: Sreeram Selvaraj for Rediff.com These posters are not the traditional ones with images of party leaders on them; they are aesthetically designed with each poster promoting an idea. If the catch phrase of the UDF poster is, 'The state should grow, the government should continue (Valaranam ee naadu, Thudaranam ee bharanam),' that of the LDF is, 'The LDF will come, everything will be alright (LDF varum, Ellam sariyakum).' If the UDF posters are positive, talking about the Oomen Chandy government's achievements, the LDF posters slam the Chandy government on the various scams it is involved in. On the UDF posters, a hot issue in Kerala like the closing down of bars is perceived thus: 'There is peace at home after the closing down of bars. 730 bars closed and use of alcohol reduced by 26 per cent.' The same issue on the LDF posters is about a man with a remote in his hand watching a TV channel that talks about corruption on the shutting down bars. This UDF poster is targeted at the young people of Kerala, talking about a start-up revolution in the state. This LDF poster asks: Should not a time come when development reaches the farmer too? The LDF asks: Should we not include the care of the old in the development process? The UDF talks about taking care of 1,420,000 sick people by spending Rs 1,200 crore on healthcare. The UDF says the world comes to Kerala as the Smart City offers jobs to 90,000 people. The LDF asks: Should we not stop the journey to communalism? Amid mounting protests over delay in arresting those involved in the brutal rape and murder of a Dalit woman, Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy on Wednesday visited the ailing mother of the victim admitted to a hospital in Perumbavoor and said the culprits would be brought to justice at the earliest. The chief minister, who reached the hospital amid protest by Democratic Youth Federation of India activists alleging lapses in the probe, consoled the mother of the victim and said steps would be taken to provide a government job to the victims sister to support her family. I assure you that the culprit behind this brutal crime would be brought to justice, Chandy said. Dismissing suggestions that the case has been weakened due to delay in arresting the culprits, the chief minister said, Nothing will block the strong legal action. I assure you the government will take it as a very serious thing and we will book the culprits and bring them before the law. Three persons have been taken into custody by police for questioning in connection with the rape and brutal murder of the 30-year-old Dalit woman in Ernakulam district. The woman, a law student who hailed from a poor family, was allegedly subjected to rape and brutal assault using sharp edged weapons before being murdered at her house in Perumbavoor on April 28. No formal arrest has been made yet in the crime that shocked the state triggering intense politicking ahead of the May 16 Assembly polls. Ernakulam Range IG Mahipal Yadav has said there were signs of strangulation, smothering and 13 injuries on the womans neck, chest and at several other places of the body. Some reports said the victim sustained around 20 injuries and her intestines were pulled out. The crime has been dubbed Keralas Nirbhaya for its chilling similarities to the 2012 gang rape of a young paramedic student in a moving bus. The girl later succumbed to her injuries. Womens rights activists and political leaders, cutting across party lines, have voiced concern over the murder which they believe was a first of its kind in the state for the sheer brutality of the crime. Image: Students hold a protest march demanading justice in the rape and murder case of a law student, in Kochi, on Tuesday. Photograph: PTI Photo Targeting the previous United Progressive Alliance regime over the controversial AgustaWestland deal, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar on Wednesday said the ongoing probe will focus on those named in the Italian court judgement even as he suggested the role of an "invisible hand" in preventing a proper investigation earlier. He, along with Parliamentary Affairs Venkaiah Naidu, rejected the opposition demand for Supreme Court-monitored probe, after that the Congress staged a walkout. Replying to a debate in Rajya Sabha on the controversy surrounding the Rs 3600 crore deal for 12 VVIP helicopters, Parrikar said there was "relentless push" by the UPA to go in for the AgustaWestland choppers. Narrating amid repeated disruptions the sequence of events related to the deal, he said that the Central Bureau of Investigation had registered a case on March 12, 2013 but it did not bother to forward a copy of the FIR to the Enforcement Directorate for nine months. Later, the ED did not act on the FIR till July 2014, he said. "It appears an invisible hand was guiding action or inaction of the CBI and the ED," the minister said. Noting that a probe was already underway, he said, the "inquiry will focus on roles of those named in the judgement of Italian court. The Government will leave no stone unturned in bringing to justice those involved in the scam." He said that the CBI has already done a lot of investigation and is currently on the money trail to track down where the bribe money went. "Pursuant to the judgement of the Milan appelate court, the defence ministry has written to both the ED and the CBI to take into account contents of the judgement and conclude the investigations expeditiously," Parrikar said. He added that the defence ministry is initiating the process of blacklisting the companies concerned and for legal proceedings for recovery of damages. Beginning his speech by promising to not take names so that there is no disturbance, the defence minister mentioned an anecdote of Birbal related to a "theft" to suggest that the Congress was unnerved, fearing the truth would implicate it. "The country wants to know who instigated, supported and benefited from the corruption. We cannot let this pass," Parrikar said. He added that the fact that there was corruption in matter is brought out in extensive details in recent judgments of Milan court. "A litany of omissions and commissions at various stages of the decision making process indicate malafide and corrupt actions, driven by a goal to favour a particular vendor," the defence minister said. Hitting out at the UPA government, he said the field trials of the chopper were conducted in Italy even though it was necessary for it to be held in Indian conditions. Parrikar said the helicopter offered by AgustaWestland was still in "development stage" and hence the trials were conducted on a different helicopter. He took a dig at former Defence Minsiter A K Antony who had said he had written down his objections of trials, saying he is aware as it was Antony's "habit" to do so. Parrikar said even though the reports of wrongdoings and unethical conduct by Finmeccanica, the parent company of AgustaWestland had surfaced in 2012, followed by arrest of its CEO, the action of putting on hold all procurement cases with the accused group of companies in pipeline was approved by Antony only on May 12, 2014 towards the fag end of the its government. "It was the present government which finally issued the order on July 3, 2014," he said. Parrikar also quoted from a file about IAF's noting about chopper flights in Gulmarg and Srinagar, which he said was "luckily saved from devastating fire" on June 3, 2014. "It was kept in an officer's drawer rather than in open," the defence minister said. Parrikar alleged that instead of taking action against the company, the UPA wrote to the external affairs, embassy and the court. "It took nearly two years to cancel the contract and too primarily as a response to an arbitration request by the supplier. In fact the delivery of the first three aircraft could have been avoided," he said. The minister also alleged that choppers were bought at inflated prices and no realistic basis for price negotiations was provided. Mincing no words, Parrikar alleged that IDS Infotech, one of the companies selected for offsets, was used as a conduit for bribe money. There must be robust rationale for deviation from policy," Parrikar said. "The benchmark cost given was unreasonably high and had provided no realistic basis for price negotiations," he added. He said that at various stages from March 2005, despite specific directions to the contrary, requirements were changed and processes influenced to make AgustWestland the "only alternative". Parrikar said "unusually large number of deviations approved, counter-party to supply agreements and exceptional dilution of FET standards". He added that there was suspected benchmarking of procurement costs which may have led to acceptance of materially overpriced supply agreements. As Parrikar was reading out his reply from a prepared text, Congress members raised objections but Kurien ruled that a minister has all the right to read from a prepared speech. Congress Deputy Leader in the House Anand Sharma, quoting Rule 167-177, said, "When a discussion is raised, the minister should respond to members. He is not responding to us. He is reading Akbar-Birbal story. This is just mockery of rules. What is he doing?" Sharad Yadav of Janata Dal-United said, "I have no objection to the written statement. I have problem with the lengthy statement." He said the reply should be short as the whole country is listening to his reply. "If he wants to keep it lengthy, let him lay it on the table." To this, Parrikar said that the reply will be lengthy if he had to respond to all points raised by the opposition during four-hour debate. As noisy scenes continued, Kurien said, "I cannot ask minister how to reply. The minister can always prepare the speech and read it. If the minister wants to reply to each point, he can do." Leader of opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad also said, "The minister can read out. This is four and half hour discussion. All members have put their view points. Now, the minister is reading. It is insult. If he has to read it out, he should have circulated it." To this, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Venkaiah Naidu said, "This is a short duration discussion. It is normally for two and half hours. Since everyone wanted to speak, the time was extended. If the minister wants to share all information, he can speak for an hour. Truth is unfathomable. Ex-minister speaks for one hour, Parrikar has spoken only for 25 minutes." As the defence minister gave details of the deal, Sharma again rose saying, "You are misleading the House". Even Azad said, "Minister is stating wrong". To this, the chair said, "If minister is misleading, you can invoke the rule." After the minister's reply, Azad said his party leaders are facing allegations. "May be the BJP must be indulging in propaganda. It is a matter of safety of our country. My hopes were belied. The minister made the worst kind of speech. Entire speech was rebuttal. It was full of allegations without facts and degrade the House. This is insult to the House," he said. Tapan Sen of Communist Party of India-Marxist said the CBI probe, which is going on, should be monitored by the Supreme Court. Azad also then said the probe should be Supreme Court-monitored. To this, Parrikar said the CBI has already made a lot of progress in the probe. Naidu, also while rejecting the demand, said that when the probe by CBI was without any monitoring by the Supreme Court during the UPA rule, how could the Congress ask for it now. Unhappy with this, the Congress members then staged a walkout. The AgustaWestland issue was fiercely debated in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday with members of the Bharatiya Janata Party and Congress blaming each other for the multi-crore-rupee scam that resurfaced last month. The Congress slammed the government over the row, saying it was trying to "vilify the head of a political party" on the basis of mere "insinuation and innuendo" and was attempting to cover up for "disillusionment" with its misgovernance. Putting up a spirited defence in the Rajya Sabha as the House took up a short duration discussion on the raging controversy, Congress member Abhishek Manu Singhvi responded point-by-point to allegations of wrongdoings leveled by the ruling dispensation against the previous United Progressive Alliance government. Earlier, Bhupendra Yadav of the BJP, who initiated the debate, pointed fingers at the UPA government over its role in the deal to purchase 12 VVIP helicopters. Singhvi, while defending the UPA dispensation, attributed "innuendos" against its leaders Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi or Ahmed Patel to the "visceral hatred" of BJP. "The interest appears to be to keep the pot boiling, not to reach a conclusion and keep finger pointing," he said alleging that the BJP was not interested in finding the real culprits. Slamming the ruling dispensation for its "hubris" and "arrogance of power," Singhvi said the Congress is not going to be intimidated by such tactics. Ridiculing BJP's attempt to link certain initials like "CP, VP and AP" to the deal, Singhvi cited the hawala case in which an initial 'LKA' had featured and the high court had said the presence of initials constituted no evidence. It was "hypocrisy" of the ruling party in applying "double standards" as leader of the House Arun Jaitley had in the hawala case argued initials have no evidentiary value, Singhvi said. He said that 'AP' could stand for many people including the present chief minister of Gujarat. The Congress leader said not a single allegation that was being touted was part of the Central Bureau of Investigation or the Enforcement Directorate findings. "We are relying on the interpretations and misrepresentations of an Italian court," he said adding the official translation of the judgement is still not available. He said the name of Congress President Sonia Gandhi merely figures in one letter where it is said that she would be among the VVIPs who would fly in the helicopter. He added that even Guido Haschke, one of the alleged middlemen, had also said that he does not know what the initial 'AP' stands for. "I hope we collect all APs. That illustrates the problem we face when we start using initials," Singhvi said. As former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and former Defence Minister A K Antony watched, Singhvi said while his party is not claiming "everything is hunky dory" with regard to the deal, he alleged that Modi government was trying to "foist corruption charges against those not involved." "We believe that something wrong happened, my dispute is not that," the Congress leader said asking the government whether it was not damaging investigation and letting culprits escape, by targeting its rivals. He said that luckily it is understood that the word 'family', which has come up in the case, pertains to the "Tyagi family", otherwise for some people it would have meant "only one family", an apparent reference to the Gandhis. He stressed that Antony as the defence minister had cancelled the deal, ordered a CBI probe. The UPA government, he said had paid Rs 1586 crore but recovered Rs 2062 cr from AgustaWestland besides three helicopters worth Rs 900 crore were impounded. Singhvi raised questions as to why the National Democratic Alliance government had allowed AgustaWestland's parent companies, including Finmeccanica, to continue to do business. He also claimed that one such entity had been given the Foreign Investment Promotion Board approval and it had even participated in aero displays at Yellahanka air force station. He debunked the claims that specifications in the AgustaWestland deal were modified in violation of established norms. Earlier, initiating the high voltage debate, Yadav, who had given notice for a short duration discussion, said it was a "serious" matter that several decades after independence, transparency in defence deals has not been ushered in. Yadav said that norms were repeatedly modified, even after over-ruling reservations expressed by Antony and Manmohan Singh. He wanted the real culprits to be punished. He said a recommendation had been made to change the MI-8 helicopters for VVIP travel in 1999 when the NDA was in power and it was emphasised that the procurement should not be done through a single vendor system. Quoting extensively from a Comptroller and auditor general report on the matter, he claimed that the single-vendor aspect was ignored, tests were allowed to be conducted abroad and even the specifications of altitude were reduced to 4500 feet from the earlier benchmark of 6000 feet. Singhvi, however, mentioned that it was Brajesh Mishra, the Principal Secretary to then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, who had mentioned that a specification of 6000 feet should be reduced as it was leading to a single vendor situation. Yadav also claimed that several favours were done by a "generous" UPA, including allowing trials of the helicopters to be held abroad. The BJP member also claimed that the helicopters were purchased at a cost six times higher that the estimated cost and the number of the helicopters to be purchase was increased from 9 to 12. Claiming that defence procurement procedures were not followed, he said even after paying a higher price, the warranty was reduced. "One of the countries has taken action against the people who had paid bribes, we should take action against the people who took them, no matter which political party they belong to," Yadav said. Singhvi, however, rejected these assertions and said that holding trials of helicopters is not a "sin" and it is allowed under the defence procurement policies. He said the government appeared to be pressing these allegations in view of its recent electoral losses in some of the states. He also referred to a TV interview of an Italian judge in which he says that there is no evidence against Sonia Gandhi. Before the debate began, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar requested that he be allowed to place the facts chronologically before the House, but it was rejected by Deputy Chairman P J Kurien after opposition members vociferously protested saying such a move is against tradition. BJP leader Subramaniam Swamy took the fight directly into the Congress' camp, saying that those named in a note written by one of the alleged middleman should be questioned by the CBI and if necessary it should be done in custody. Citing Italian court's documents, he alleged that a bribe of 30 million euros was paid, out of which 6 million euros went to Indian Air Force personnel, 8.4 million euros to bureaucrats and Rs 125 crore to 'AP'. Swamy's speech was repeatedly disrupted by the Congress members, who created ruckus with its leaders insisting on authentication of whatever he was reading from. He replied that he was reading from the same note that Singhvi read from. He said if he were to authenticate, then Singhvi also should do so as there cannot be separate rules for different people. In the midst of exchanges, Deputy Chairman P J Kurien said both will have to authenticate. Singhvi then authenticated his documents. Refuting the Congress allegation, Swamy, who was nominated as Rajya Sabha member only last week, said the NDA government had in 2003 only wanted the IAF to see if a single vendor situation can be avoided and that the views of the Special Protection Group should be taken. "It is a lie to say that the NDA had lowered the flying height from 6,000 feet to 4,500 feet," he said, citing a 2013 Parliament reply of then Defence Minister A K Antony in which he said that in 2004 the IAF had said 6,000 feet was an "inescapable necessity". He said the tender issued in 2006 had incorporated the changes. Alleging corruption during the UPA government, Swamy said, however, that he knows personally that then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh would do no wrong but "he takes orders easily". He added that Singh's evidence should be recorded. Wondering why Antony was overruled when it came to Agusta, the BJP leader said, "From my personal knowledge I will say it wasn't Dr. Manmohan Singh." He said the helicopter, AW101, which was bought, was not used for field trial. Trials in Italy took place on a different chopper and AW101 was shown as passed, he said, alleging this was a "fraud" committed on the people of India which is prosecutable under Section 420. He said another parameter that was changed by the UPA which ensured that only Agusta chopper made the cut was to increase the cabin height of chopper from 1.45 metres to 1.80 metres. The BJP leader said the IAF in January 2006 gave its benchmark estimate for this deal as Rs 793 crore which was approved by Antony. "In September 2008, contract negotiations committee arbitrarily fixed Rs 4,877.5 cr as the deal which was six times," he said. Swamy said the original proposal was to buy eight helicopters but after it became clear that Agusta was only one to qualify, the UPA decided to buy four more. He noted that the CAG had said that when the already present eight helicopters, bought in 1988, were hardly utilized, then what was need for the additional four. He also asked the government to look into the issue of money being paid to the middleman to manage Indian media so that favourable reports in favour of the company comes. Ram Gopal Yadav of Samajwadi Party demanded to know as to what the BJP government was doing in the last two years and why did they fail to nab any of the accused. "As soon as the issue came to knowledge, deal was canceled and a CBI probe was ordered by the defence minister...Three helicopters were impounded. You (BJP) are in power for two years but why was no action taken against anybody," Yadav asked. Terming allegations and counter allegations in the deal as unfortunate, Yadav said it lowered the morale of defence forces and such issues were raised only to drive political mileage out of it. He said earlier when the Bofors scam had surfaced, "the then government had to go...The then defence secretary was sent to jail and he died" but later the same Bofors guns were used in Kargil war. Launching a scathing attack on the government, Sharad Yadav of Janata Dal-United said why was it making a drama of the entire episode instead of acting on the people accused of accepting bribe. "You are in power for two years. Your work is to act. Corruption is a major issue...you have the ED, the CBI...all are there. Why are you not allowing Parliament to run...Why is there a new Parliament outside...," Yadav said and challenged the government to "bring even a rat". Asserting that the matter will remain inconclusive, he said it was unfortunate that India and Pakistan were engaged in fights and buying equipment and asked the government why did it fail to manufacture equipment in the country. At the same time he said that such issues were raised at a time when country was facing drought like situation with farmers committing suicide. Sukhendu Sekhar Roy of Trinamool Congress said neither the previous government nor the present one took any action to find out the culprits or beneficiaries of Euro 30 million bribe and expressed apprehensions that whether the Congress and the BJP had joined hands on the issue. Quoting former Defence Minister A K Antony that "yes corruption has taken place in helicopter deal, bribes have been taken..." he said the deal has maligned India's image but sadly no action was initiated to book the culprits. Asking the government to unmask the identities of the beneficiaries, he said the accused in Italian court has named "AP" as one of the beneficiaries of bribe and demanded to know "whether government has taken any action to find out the identity of AP." He also questioned that how Haschke became owner of an Indian company and what is the link behind. If Wednesday was any indication, the rest of the Parliament session will see the two sides scoring brownie points against each other, and the Gandhis can expect more enemy fire directed at them, says Rashme Sehgal. Both Congress president Sonia Gandhi and Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi faced a concerted attack in both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday. While Bharatiya Janata Party members in the Rajya Sabha targeted Sonia Gandhi, accusing her of being the driving force behind the AgustaWestland helicopter acquisitions, in the Lok Sabha BJP member Kirit Somaiya hit out at Rahuls involvement in the scam. It is obvious that the ruling party wants to cripple Indias grand old party by tying down its First Family in a host of accusations and, so far, they seem to have achieved their objective. Somaiya landed a hard jab at Rahul, alleging that he was a beneficiary via his close aide Kanishka Singh. Somaiya maintained that Kanishka Singh held shares in Emaar MGF Land Ltd, a real estate company founded by his close relatives which also had Guido Ralph Haschke, one of the middlemen in the AgustaWestland case, as its director. Somaiya further claimed that Haschke was involved in the Commonwealth Games scam, insisting that this could not be a mere coincidence. Somaiya alleged that Rahul had bought shops in the Emaar MGF mall and sold them back to MGF. Hitting below the belt, he questioned Gandhis intention behind purchasing these shops, and wondered if he had decided to leave politics and start a grocery shop. Rahul Gandhi and his brother-in-law Robert Vadra have started a new scheme, which takes a kickback with DLF. Rahul Gandhi has admitted that he has bought shops. I would like him to disclose at what price he bought them and to whom he had given them on lease. He bought them and again sold them to MGF, Somaiya was quoted as having said by a news agency reporter. Countering Somaiyas allegations, Rahul clarified that he did purchase shops from a mall owned by MGF and had mentioned the same in his affidavit submitted to the Election Commission in 2014. Ever willing to play the victim, Gandhi said, I am always being targeted. I am happy to be targeted. The Rajya Sabha saw charges being traded by both sides, with the ruling partys attack being launched by a pugnacious Subramanian Swamy who did not hesitate to attack Sonia Gandhi who, he maintained, could be subject to questioning by the Central Bureau of Investigation under Section 156 of the CrPC, especially since her name found mention in the recent Italian court judgment in the matter. Swamy highlighted that the United Progressive Alliance government had twisted rules to suit AW. Among the changes undertaken was the cabin height specification of the chopper was changed from 1.45 metres to 1.80 metres to suit AW. While the Indian Air Force had in 2004 insisted that VVIP choppers must be able to fly up to 6000 metres for safety reason, the Agusta choppers were chosen even though they could not fly above 4500 metres. But his most serious charge was that field trials were done with a different model from the one purchased, and the deal was cleared on the basis of these trials, making it a ripe case for prosecution under Section 420 of the IPC. Both sides traded charges over AG reportedly having paid Rs 375 crores in bribe for the supply of 12 VVIP choppers at a cost of Rs 3,700 crores. While the process of purchase of helicopters was started under the A B Vajpayee regime, the actual contract was signed in 2010 by the UPA. Although the Congress went ahead and cancelled the contract and even recovered some money once news broke of corruption in the deal, the scam resurfaced last month after the names of several Congress leaders were mentioned in a judgment by the Italian court in Milan. Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar came armed with a great deal of facts and figures around the deal, insisting that the nation wanted to know who had instigated, supported and benefited from this corruption. The fact that there was corruption in this matter is brought out in extensive details in recent judgments of the Milan court which had proof of mala fide intent and corruption, Parrikar said, insisting that the government was determined to bring the guilty to book. Heading Parrikars list of charges was the fact that the field trials conducted abroad were not on the model of the choppers that were finally bought. The issue of field evaluation trials is extremely significant given that the topographical conditions here differ from that of the US and the UK. His other complaint was that the UPA regime had created a single-vendor situation to benefit AW. It appears an invisible hand was guiding the action or inaction of the CBI and ED, he said in the Upper House. Former defence minister AK Antony was on the offensive when he took on the BJP, insisting, Take action if you have evidence, but dont threaten and blackmail us. Dont try to politicise this issue. You will have to repent later. After the first report in the media on the alleged scam in the helicopter deal, we acted immediately. We blacklisted six companies at one go. This sent out a message that we do not tolerate corruption, he said. Antony insisted that the issue should not be politicised, and demanded that the the BJP government not threaten or blackmail but take legal action against the bribe-takers. Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi said the mention of Sonia Gandhi and other political leaders in the Italian judgment could not be seen as an indictment of them since it merely mentioned them as VVIPs who would use the choppers. Ridiculing the BJPs attempt to link certain initials like CP, VP and AP to the deal, Singhvi cited the hawala case in which the initials LKA had been noted down in the infamous diary but the Delhi high court had ruled that the initials of an individual could be not considered to be evidence. The discussion on the AW deal will continue through this session of Parliament, since a scam of this magnitude will not go away in a hurry. The Bofors scam of the late 1980s led to Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi being ultimately voted out. The charges and counter-charges in the AW case will see political parties scoring brownie points but since both the NDA and UPA played a major role in pushing the deal through, it is most likely that the Congresss top leaders will see a great deal of mud being thrown at them. Image: Congress president Sonia Gandhi, and Congress leader of the Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge watch the proceedings in the Lower House on Wednesday. Photograph: TV grab by PTI Photo. Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam President M Karunanidhi on Wednesday assured to revive the banned bull-taming sport 'jallikattu' and hold it next year if his party was elected to power in the May 16 assembly elections. Responding to AIADMK supremo and Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa accusing his party of "betrayal" on the issue, Karunanidhi in a statement in Chennai said that DMK had not only monitored the proper conduct of the sport in the past, but had even enacted a law in 2009 for regulating 'jallikattu'. Recalling the Supreme Court banning jallikattu in May 2014, Karunanidhi charged his arch-rival Jayalalithaa with not taking adequate steps to ensure the conduct of the sport, organised during the annual Pongal festivities in January in southern districts, especially Madurai. She had taken up the matter with the Centre seven months after the court verdict and due to this, jallikattu could not be held in 2015, he said. "If a DMK government is formed, the Centre will be approached and all legal steps will be expedited and I assure that jallikattu will be held from next year," he said. With Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar set to make a statement on the controversial AgustaWestland chopper deal in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi called a meeting of top cabinet ministers ahead of the crucial day in the Parliament. The meeting would be attended by Parrikar, Home Minister Rajnath Singh, Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Venkaiah Naidu, besides others. Parrikar, who met the prime minister on Tuesday, is expected to address the Rajya Sabha at 2 pm during the short duration debate. Earlier, Parrikar had stated said his Parliament address would include how and when necessary clauses or provisions were relaxed to suit the company. Leader of the Congress in Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge had earlier on Monday accused the Centre of pursuing a politically motivated campaign to defame the grand old party through the AgustaWestland copter scam. Meanwhile, the Central Bureau of Investigation has started questioning former Air chief S P Tyagi for the third day at its headquarter in New Delhi in connection with alleged irregularities in the Rs 3,600-crore VVIP chopper deal. The investigating agency had earlier on Saturday quizzed former IAF deputy chief J S Gujral in connection with this case. Both Tyagi and Gujral were questioned at length in 2013, but the fresh round of questioning was necessitated after recent order of an Italian court which indicated corruption in the deal. Donald Trump virtually sealed his Republican presidential nomination on Tuesday night as he forced nearest rival Ted Cruz to drop out of the race with an emphatic victory in Indiana and set up a likely November polls clash with Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton. Clinton, however, suffered an upset defeat at the hands of Bernie Sanders in Indiana but the outcome was unlikely to slow the 68-year-old former secretary of state's march to the Democratic nomination. IMAGE: US Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump. Photograph: Aaron P Bernstein/Reuters "I am honoured to be the presumptive nominee for the Republican Party. It is time to unite our party and defeat Hillary Clinton," Trump said in a message to his supporters after winning the Indiana primary. Cruz, who has engaged in a bitter and nasty war of words with Trump, announced his decision to drop out of the race even when the counting of votes was still on. 69-year-old Trump, who now needs less than 200 delegates to reach the magical figure of 1,237 delegates to become the Republican presidential nominee still faces opposition from Ohio Governor John Kasich, who has less than 200 delegates. Kasich has made it clear that he is not dropping out of the race. After Trump's win, the Republican National Committee chairman Reince Priebus said that Trump would be the presumptive nominee. "We are going to make America great again," a confident Trump told supporters at his campaign headquarters in New York as he announced to take on Clinton. "We are going after Hillary Clinton. She will not be a great president. She will not be a good president. She would be a poor president. She does not understand trade," Trump said, giving a brief glimpse of his campaign against the Democratic presidential nominee. Talking about Cruz, Trump described him as a tough competitor and appreciated his decision to withdraw from the race. "I want to congratulate Ted Cruz. He is a tough smart competitor," he said of the Texas Senator with whom he had a bitter exchange of words hours before the result of the Indiana primary. "Ted Cruz is one hell of a competitor. He is an amazing guy. He has got an amazing future. He is one tough competitor," Trump said. In his speech that lasted for a little less than 20 minutes, Trump talked about uniting the party and focusing on trade and economic issues. "We are going to bring back our jobs," Trump said as he warned the US companies with "consequences" if they moved out of the country. IMAGE: Republican US presidential candidate Ted Cruz announces that he is dropping out of the 2016 race for the Republican presidential nomination as his wife Heidi looks at his Indiana primary night rally in Indianapolis, Indiana, US. Photograph: Chris Bergin/Reuters Trump, a New York-based real estate mogul who made money from constructing buildings and a popular reality television star, joined politics about 10 months ago with political pundits giving him not much of a chance to make it this far. With 96 per cent of the votes counted, Trump won 53.2 per cent, Cruz got 36.7 per cent while Kasich managed only 7.6 per cent. On the Democratic side, with 97 per cent of the votes counted, Sanders eked out a win after getting 52.5 per cent votes to Clinton's 47.5 per cent. "Tonight, I am sorry to say it appears that the path has been foreclosed...the voters chose another path. So with a heavy heart, with boundless optimism for the future of the nation, we are suspending our campaign. I am not suspending our fight to liberty...our movement would continue," Cruz told his supporters in Indianapolis after his crushing defeat. Standing by his side were his vice presidential partner Carly Fiorina, his parents, wife and children. However, in his speech, Cruz neither congratulated Trump nor endorsed him. Hours before the primary results, the two were engaged in a nasty exchange of words. Cruz called Trump an "utterly amoral", "bully", "narcissist" and "pathological liar", Trump returned favours immediately alleging that the Texas Senator is desperate and trying to save his failing campaign. IMAGE: Cruz hugs running-mate Carly Fiorina just before announcing that he is suspending his campaign for president. Photograph: Chris Bergin/Reuters Trump's victory has been hailed by many as an extraordinary moment in American political history as he is now on course to be the first standard-bearer of a party since Dwight D Eisenhower, a five-star general and the commander of Allied Forces in Europe during World War II, who had not served in an elected office. Trump was not even a registered Republican until April 2012. One of the 17 Republican leaders aspiring to be the party's nominee at the start of the race, no one took Trump seriously as they did not expect him to stay in the race to the White House for too long. However, he has not only remained the front-runner from the first month itself, but since early this year when the primaries began, Trump has shattered the White House dreams of all of them, many of them being Governors and Senators who have been popular and established politicians for decades. The Republican party leaders have now started to rally behind Trump. Indian American Bobby Jindal, who himself was a presidential aspirant and a harsh critic of Trump, said that he would vote for the New Yorker in the general elections. "If he is the nominee, I'm going to be supporting my party's nominee," he told CNN. Late last year, Jindal had described Trump as an "egomaniac" who was "devoid of substance" and "dangerous". Ari Fleischer, a former press secretary to President George W Bush, tweeted, "There's a lot about Donald Trump that I don't like, but I'll vote for Trump over Hillary any day." "It's time to focus on beating Hillary. 3rd party candidate would guarantee White House for her. Voters have spoken," said Mississippi RNC Committeeman Henry Barbour. Trump in his victory speech called for unity in the party. An American police officer, who brutally assaulted an Indian grandfather that left him paralysed, will now face a fresh trial for misdemeanour assault next month. Eric Parker will stand trial on June 8 and June 9 for misdemeanour assault against Sureshbhai Patel, the Indian grandfather who was taking a stroll around his sons neighbourhood in Alabama when he was brutally assaulted by the police officer in February last year. Newly-appointed Limestone County District Judge Douglas Doug Lee Patterson said he was ready to move forward with the trial since it is a misdemeanour and there was no need to prolong the case, according to a local television station. Parker was cleared of federal civil rights charges in January, after two mistrials. Parkers attorney Robert Tuten told WAAY 31 that he plans to appeal if he is found guilty. If convicted Parker faces up to one year of imprisonment. He was fired from the force after the alleged attack on Patel. The former Alabama police officer also faces a lawsuit filed against him by Patel. The assault had sparked outrage in the Indian community and India had raised the issue with the US, demanding expeditious investigation into the matter. The governor of the US state of Alabama had apologised for the brutal police assault on Patel. Ninong Ering, the MP from Arunachal East, wants to meet his tribes folk across the border in China. But he is not going to make that trip on a stapled visa issued by China to residents of Arunachal Pradesh. 'I will go on a regular visa and as a proud Indian,' the two-time MP tells Archana Masih/Rediff.com "If I go to China I will go as a nagrik of India. I will go as a proud Indian citizen, not as a half citizen of China or India," says Ninong Ering, a Member of Parliament from Arunachal Pradesh. Ering has been invited to meet his tribes folk, known as 'Lohobas' on the Chinese side, but has refused to make the trip on a stapled visa. China, which lays claim over Arunachal Pradesh, has a policy of issuing stapled visas to residents of the state. "The BJP had gone to China through the backdoor in the past. They went through Korea or Bangkok. They were citizens of India, not of Arunachal," says Ering, a two-time Congress MP from Arunachal East, which is one of the two Lok Sabha constituencies in the border state with China. The McMohan Line divides India and China, but the latter has disputed its validity. "I have decided that when I go to China, I will go as an Indian citizen. The Chinese embassy does not allow citizens of Arunachal Pradesh to go on a regular visa," says the MP. "It gives us stapled visas, but the Chinese have to come to a decision about this. It is very important." Ering belongs to Arunachal Pradesh's Adi tribe, which is known as Lohoba in China. "They are very similar to us," says Ering, "only with a slight difference." "I would like to go to China because India and China are neighbours and I would really like to see the culture, customs, vidhi, parampara -- which is very much similar to Arunachal Pradesh and Tibet." The MP says the Indian government has repeatedly maintained that Arunachal Pradesh is an integral part of India and stands by it. "There have been meetings on this since the Narendra Modi government came to power and it is very good. We want China to come clean. We want a clear cut decision from China. Don't keep us in the dark." Last week, on a visit to the state capital Itanagar, Craig L Hall, the United States Consul General in Kolkata, declared that the US government is absolutely clear that Arunachal Pradesh is an integral part of India. Chief Minister Kalikho Pul asked the US consul general to help rectify Google Maps worldwide, wherein China has indicated Arunachal Pradesh and some areas of Assam as part of its territory. US companies, Hall said, were keen on developing the economy of India's North-East states. "The American government is going to invest in Arunachal. The Chinese and Japanese or the World Bank don't like to invest in Arunachal," says Ering, "which is very unfortunate." IMAGE: A view of the Himalayas from from the last village on the McMohan Line that divides India and China. Photograph: Claude Arpi Cameroon: Domestic violence, including legislation; protection provided by the state and support services available to victims (2014-2016) Publisher Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada Publication Date 21 April 2016 Citation / Document Symbol CMR105382.FE Related Document(s) Cameroun : information sur la violence conjugale, y compris sur les lois; protection offerte par l'Etat et services de soutien a la disposition des victimes (2014-2016) Cite as Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Cameroon: Domestic violence, including legislation; protection provided by the state and support services available to victims (2014-2016), 21 April 2016, CMR105382.FE, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5729a55e4.html [accessed 24 October 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Ottawa 1. Overview Sources indicate that domestic violence in Cameroon is "widespread" (Cameroon 5 Apr. 2016), [UN English version] "pervasive" (UN 28 Feb. 2014), "a widespread problem" (The Advocates for Human Rights 24 Jan. 2014) or [translation] "a real social problem" (Social worker 1 Apr. 2016). According to sources, domestic violence in Cameroon may include the following components: physical violence, psychological or emotional violence, sexual violence and economic violence (ibid.; ACAFEJ 30 Mar. 2016). In correspondence with the Research Directorate, two sources indicated that all regions of Cameroon were affected by domestic violence (ibid.; Cameroon 5 Apr. 2016). The 2011 Demographic and Health Survey and Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (DHS-MICS) [Enquete demographique et de sante et a indicateurs multiples, EDS-MICS], conducted in 2011 by the National Institute of Statistics of Cameroon [Institut national de la statistique du Cameroun], the Ministry of Economy, Planning and Regional Development [ministere de l'Economie, de la Planification et de l'Amenagement du territoire] and the Ministry of Public Health [ministere de la Sante publique] through interviews with over 15,000 women and 7,000 men, noted the following results concerning women who are or have previously been in relationships: In their lifetime, 45 percent of women interviewed had experienced physical violence, 20 percent had experienced sexual violence, and 42 percent had experienced emotional violence from their husband or partner (ibid. Sept. 2012, 337-338); In the 12 months prior to the survey, 68 percent of women interviewed had experienced physical or sexual violence from their husband or partner; 42 percent responded [translation] "sometimes" and 26 percent responded "often" (ibid., 343); In the 12 months prior to the survey, 20 percent of women interviewed had been forced to have sex with their partner, 29 percent had experienced physical violence and 33 percent were victims of emotional violence from their partner (ibid., 337). Further recent statistics on domestic violence in Cameroon could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response. 2. Legislation Sources indicate that there is no legislation addressing domestic violence (OECD 2014; US 25 June 2015, 26; UN 28 Feb. 2014, para. 18c). According to a statement submitted to the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women by The Advocates for Human Rights, a volunteer-driven organization that seeks to implement international human rights standards to promote civil society and reinforce the rule of law (The Advocates for Human Rights n.d.), victims of domestic abuse have little recourse for protection. There is no domestic violence law in Cameroon that provides women with an order for protection against abusers. (ibid. 24 Jan. 2014, para. 18) Sources also report that marital rape is not criminalized in Cameroon (ibid., para. 4b; UN 28 Feb. 2014, para. 18c; US 25 June 2015, 25). The Advocates for Human Rights state that Cameroon has failed to create "a comprehensive legal regime that protects victims and holds perpetrators accountable" (The Advocates for Human Rights 24 Jan. 2014, para. 4b). According to the same source, a Family Code was drafted in 1997 to address issues of domestic violence but has still not been adopted (ibid., para. 18). Sources indicate that a number of articles of the Penal Code [Code penal] could be applied to domestic violence, although they are not being used (ACAFEJ 30 Mar. 2016; Cameroon 6 Apr. 2016). In addition, the Concluding observations on the combined fourth and fifth periodic reports of Cameroon state that the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women [UN English version] "recognizesthe adoption of Act No. 2009/004 of 14 April 2009 on the organization of legal aid" (UN 28 Feb. 2014, para. 10). However, the same source states that the implementation of Act. No. 2009/004 of 14 April 2009 is [UN English version] "very limited" (ibid.). Corroborating information could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response. 2.1 Implementation of Legislation Sources indicate that few victims of domestic violence turn to the authorities (Bonaberi.com 25 Feb. 2013; Cameroon Sept. 2012, 345). In correspondence with the Research Directorate, a social worker and member of the Association to Fight Violence Against Women [Association de lutte contre les violences faites aux femmes, ALVF], a Cameroonian NGO, who has worked for 15 years in the field of women's rights within the United Nations stated that [translation] "very few women dare to take legal action to have their abusive husbands or partners punished" (Social worker 1 Apr. 2016). According to her, [translation] the reason is very simple: the social cost is far too high for women-isolation, threats, rejection and [sometimes] death are the reality for those who do (ibid.). Sources indicate that the implementation of penalties is impeded by women's lack of knowledge of their rights (UN 28 Feb. 2014, para. 10; ACAFEJ 30 Mar. 2016). In correspondence with the Research Directorate, a representative of the Association of Women Jurists of Cameroon (Association camerounaise des femmes jurists, ACAFEJ), which [translation] "works to improve the socio-legal status of women and girls in Cameroon" (ibid. 25 Mar. 2015a), cited among the factors making it [translation] "difficult" to implement penalties for domestic violence "povertyfear, social perception" as well as "the cost of proceedings and [in]efficiency in carrying out judicial decisions" (ibid. 30 Mar. 2016). In addition, according to the Social Institutions and Gender Index 2014, released by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), [i]t is also reported that some judges see domestic violence as an expression of a husband's 'disciplinary rights' over his wife (OECD 2014). Furthermore, in correspondence with the Research Directorate, a representative of the Ministry of Women's Empowerment and the Family (Ministere de la Promotion de la femme et de la famille, MINPROFF) stated that in the case of "legislative gaps," judges are tempted to apply customary rules that discriminate against women (Cameroon 6 Apr. 2016). Similarly, the Committee for the Elimination of Discrimination against Women states that it is [UN English version] "concerned" by "the number of decisions made by customary courts applying discriminatory customs and traditions" (UN 28 Feb. 2014, para. 10). Sources also indicate that the judicial system uses family mediation in cases of domestic violence (ibid., para. 18b; The Advocates for Human Rights 24 Jan. 2014). Without providing further details, The Advocates for Human Rights stated that this practice "puts women at risk" (ibid.). With regard to legislation addressing domestic violence, the MINPROFF representative stated that "very often judges are reluctant to apply international legal instruments ratified by [Cameroon]" (Cameroon 6 Apr. 2016). Moreover, the report submitted by Cameroon in November 2012 to the Committee for the Elimination of Discrimination against Women states the following regarding punishment of marital rape: [translation] a husband who uses violence to force his wife to have sex with him could be prosecuted for battery depending of the severity of the violence, this being a question of fact left to the discretion of the judge hearing the case of the victimized wife (ibid. 2 Nov. 2012, para. 64). 3. Protection Provided by the State 3.1 Police According to the Social Institutions and Gender Index 2014, law officials view domestic violence as a "private" matter, which deters women from reporting it (OECD 2014). According to the ACAFEJ representative, [translation] when the victim decides to report her abuser, the police response is not always helpful. Often times the victim is even accused of being responsible for the situation and sent back to go reconcile with her husband (ACAFEJ 30 Mar. 2016). The MINPROFF representative stated that, in her opinion, the police consider cases of domestic violence to be "a waste of time" and treat them with "bias and laxity" (Cameroon 6 Apr. 2016). Corroborating information could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response. 3.2 Government Sources report that there are no centres for victims of domestic violence in Cameroon (ACAFEJ 30 Mar. 2016; Social worker 1 Apr. 2016). The MINPROFF representative stated that her ministry had a shelter for women in the neighbourhood of Essos, in Yaounde, but that "unfortunately, this shelter [did not] provide effective protection as it [had] a lack of adequate resources" (Cameroon 6 Apr. 2016). According to the same source, the MINPROFF has set up five "call centres" located in Douala, Yaounde and Bertoua (ibid.). On its Internet site, ACAFEJ describes the Douala centre as follows: [translation] The Call Centre is open to all female victims of violence. A toll-free number is available to the public . If women are victims of any type of violence, they can call the number 234 425 668, explain their problem and receive assistance from MINPROFF and its partners, including ACAFEJ Littoral, which is the focal point of GBV [gender-based violence] in Douala (ACAFEJ 30 Jan. 2015). Without providing details, the MINPROFF representative stated that her ministry also provided financial assistance to victims of domestic violence and their families (Cameroon 6 Apr. 2016). In addition, without providing details, the ACAFEJ representative stated that the Ministry of Social Affairs [ministere des Affaires sociales, MINAS] could hear from victims and, as appropriate, summon the perpetrator of the violence (ACAFEJ 30 Mar. 2016). That person is [translation] "heard (when he agrees to appear) and asked to adopt a more responsible attitude" (ibid.). According to the same source [translation] "MINAS can refer the victim to advocacy organizations or police services" (ibid.). The same source adds that [translation] "it is important to note that MINAS has no real coercive power over perpetrators of violence" (ibid.). Corroborating information could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response. According to the social worker, [translation] "social servicesprovide basic support to individuals exposed to and/or subjected to domestic violence" (Social worker 1 Apr. 2016). 4. Support Services According to the social worker, [translation] "it is non-governmental organizations that provide services specifically for domestic violence" (ibid. 1 Apr. 2016). The MINPROFF representative stated that certain non-governmental organizations, including ALVF, ACAFEJ and Horizons Femmes, provided services for victims (Cameroon 5 Apr. 2016). The ACAFEJ website states that the association provides legal aid services, called [translation] "legal clinics" (ACAFEJ 25 Mar. 2015b). These services are available at the ACAFEJ's offices in Yaounde, Bafoussam, Douala and Bertoua (ibid. n.d.). According to the ACAFEJ representative, the [translation] "legal clinic" program comprises two components: "mobile clinics," through which ACAFEJ members visit prisons, schools and associations to, for example, "educate and provide guidance to women and victims of violence," and "fixed clinics" (ibid. 30 Mar. 2016). According to the representative, fixed clinics are [translation] centres for information, help and legal assistance where ACAFEJ members and volunteers welcome, listen to and provide guidance for free to women and young girls who are victims of violence at home (ibid.). According to the same source, the legal assistance provided by the ACAFEJ is characterized by [translation] [the] payment of procedural costs, fees for court decisions, lawyer fees and extrajudicial documents such as bailiff reports, medical and legal certificates, drafting motions and conclusions as part of legal proceedings initiated at the request of victims and alsoseizing certain authorities in order for victims to regain their rights (ibid.). In an interview with Bonaberi.com, the president of the Association for Prevention of Domestic and Family Violence [Association pour la prevention des violences conjugales et familiales, APVCF], stated that APVCF puts emphasis on [translation] "awareness" through the door-to-door project "PAP (Porte a porte)" which involves going to men, women, young people and children in their own settings (home, school, office, association, etc.) and talking to them about the physical, psychological, material, social and financial consequences of violence on the family (Bonaberi.com 25 Feb. 2013). According to the same source, APVCF activities in 2013 were limited to Yaounde; expansion of the organization's activities to rural areas was [translation] "in the planning stages" (ibid.). No information on the geographical area covered by APCVF's activities at present could be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response. UN Women's website states that the organization put in place a "one stop center" for the [translation] "prevention and management of victims of gender-based violence" (UN n.d.). Corroborating information could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response. This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim for refugee protection. Please find below the list of sources consulted in researching this Information Request. References The Advocates for Human Rights. 24 January 2014. "Written Statement Submitted to the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women." [Accessed 4 Apr. 2016] _____. N.d. "Our Mission." [Accessed 14 Apr. 2016] Association camerounaise des femmes juristes (ACAFEJ). 30 March 2016. Correspondence sent by a representative to the Research Directorate. _____. 25 March 2015a. "Vision et mission." [Accessed 14 Apr. 2016] _____. 25 March 2015b. "Clinique juridique et assistance legale." [Accessed 14 Apr. 2016] _____. 30 January 2015. "La situation de la femme camerounaise, au centre des preoccupation du MINPROFF." [Accessed 4 Apr. 2016] _____. N.d. "Contact." [Accessed 14 Apr. 2016] Bonaberi.com. 25 February 2013. "Rolande Dzebaze presente l'APCVF, association contre les violences conjugales." [Accessed 31 Mar. 2016] Cameroon. 6 April 2016. Ministere de la Promotion de la femme et de la famille (MINPROFF). Correspondence sent by a representative to the Research Directorate. _____. 5 April 2016. Ministere de la Promotion de la femme et de la famille (MINPROFF). Correspondence sent by a representative to the Research Directorate. _____. 2 November 2012. Examen des rapports soumis par les Etats parties en application de l'article 18 de la Convention. [Accessed 13 Apr. 2016] _____. September 2012. Institut national de la statistique, ministere de l'Economie, de la Planification et de l'Amenagement du territoire et ministere de la Sante publique. Enquete demographique et de sante et a indicateurs multiples (EDS-MICS) 2011. [Accessed 4 Apr. 2016] Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). 2014. Social Institutions and Gender Index (SIGI). "Cameroon." [Accessed 4 Apr. 2016] Social worker. 1 April 2016. Correspondence sent to the Research Directorate. United Nations (UN). 28 February 2014. Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women. Observations finales concernant le rapport unique (valant quatrieme et cinquieme rapports periodiques) du Cameroun. [Accessed 4 Apr. 2016] _____. N.d. UN Women. "Cameroun." [Accessed 30 Mar. 2016] United States (US) 25 June 2015. Department of State. "Cameroon." Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2014. [Accessed 4 Apr. 2016] Additional Sources Consulted Oral sources: African Women's Association; Association camerounaise d'aide aux femmes et enfants en detresse; Association de lutte contre les violences faites aux femmes; Association of Women Information Offices; Centre de documentation Maria Mouen Kala Lobe; Feminia International; International Federation of Women Lawyers - Cameroon; SOS Women; United Nations - United Nations Development Programme - Cameroon. Internet sites, including: Africa Confidential; AfricaPresse.com; Africa Research Bulletin; Amnesty International; BBC; ecoi.net; Cameroon-Info.net; Camerounlink; Cameroun Online; Cameroon Radio Television; L'effort camerounais; Factiva; Federation internationale des ligues des droits de l'homme; Freedom House; Gender-Based Violence Prevention Network; Human Rights Quarterly; Human Rights Watch; Jeune Afrique; Journal du Cameroun; News du Camer; Pressenza; Radio France internationale; United Nations - United Nations Development Programme, Refworld; Women in Research and Action. Cameroon: Legislation governing the estate of a man who dies intestate; who has the authority to settle his estate and how his inheritance is divided among his wives and children; whether circumstances exist in which the division of the estate is determined by Bamileke customary law rather than by civil law; possible court remedies in the event of litigation within the extended family (2014-May 2015) Publisher Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada Publication Date 8 May 2016 Citation / Document Symbol CMR105160.FE Related Document(s) Cameroun : information sur les lois regissant la succession d'un homme qui meurt sans laisser de testament; information indiquant qui a le pouvoir de regler sa succession et comment son heritage est reparti entre ses femmes et ses enfants; information indiquant s'il existe des circonstances dans lesquelles la repartition de la succession est determinee par le droit coutumier bamileke plutot que par le droit civil; information sur les recours judiciaires possibles en cas de litige au sein de la famille elargie (2014-mai 2015) Cite as Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Cameroon: Legislation governing the estate of a man who dies intestate; who has the authority to settle his estate and how his inheritance is divided among his wives and children; whether circumstances exist in which the division of the estate is determined by Bamileke customary law rather than by civil law; possible court remedies in the event of litigation within the extended family (2014-May 2015), 8 May 2016, CMR105160.FE, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5729a5fc4.html [accessed 24 October 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Ottawa 1. Cameroonian Legislation on Estates Sources indicate that when there is no will, the legislation governs the liquidation of the deceased's estate (CNNC 30 Apr. 2015; Assistant Notary 30 Apr. 2015; Office notarial de Mbalmayo n.d.), specifically the Cameroonian Civil Code (Code civil) (ibid.). 2. Inheritance Sources indicate that the deceased's assets are divided according to the degree of kinship of the co-heirs with the deceased (CNNC 30 Apr. 2015; Lawyer 30 Apr. 2015; Assistant Notary 30 Apr. 2015). For an estate without a will, when the man is married and his legal wife is the mother of all his children, the division is as follows: if the children of the deceased and his surviving spouse are minors, his wife will benefit from the usufruct of the entirety of the deceased's assets until his children reach the age of majority [namely, 21 years of age (Lawyer 1 May 2015; CNNC 1 May 2015; Assistant Notary 30 Apr. 2015)]; if his children are adults, his wife will receive a quarter of his assets in full, while his children will receive equal parts of the rest of the estate (Lawyer 30 Apr. 2015; Lawyer 1 May 2015; CNNC 1 May 2015). The usufruct also ceases when the surviving spouse remarries or dies (CNNC 1 May 2015; Lawyer 30 Apr. 2015). In a telephone interview with the Research Directorate, the President of the Chambre nationale des notaires du Cameroun (CNNC) stated that the surviving spouse who has minor children could choose to receive a quarter of the assets in full rather than benefit from the usufruct of the entirety of the assets until the children reach the age of majority (CNNC 1 May 2015). Corroborating information could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response. If the intestate man also has children with another woman, the surviving spouse receives a quarter of the assets in full, and the remainder of the estate is divided equally among the children of the two wives (CNNC 1 May 2015; Lawyer 30 Apr. 2015; Lawyer 1 May 2015). In a telephone interview with the Research Directorate, a lawyer practising law in Cameroon stated that, if the children by the other wife are minors, their mother or their designated representative will administer their inheritance until they reach the age of majority (Lawyer 30 Apr. 2015). According to the website of the city of Mbalmayo's Notary's Office (Office notarial de Mbalmayo), the Civil Code states that [translation] "'legally recognized natural children whose father or mother, after the children's conception, were engaged in marriage that resulted in legitimate children'" receive only half of the part to which they would have been entitled if all of the deceased's children had been legitimate (Office notarial de Mbalmayo n.d.). Corroborating information or information about the division of inheritances when there is more than one legal spouse could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response. 3. Appropriate Authority for Settling the Estate The CNNC President stated that it is the deceased's family, for example, the widows and children, who have the authority to settle an estate, [translation] "since the court cannot itself attend" to the matter (CNNC 30 Apr. 2015). In a telephone interview with the Research Directorate, an assistant notary practising in Mbalmayo stated that an estate can be settled directly before a notary if there are no particular problems; otherwise it is done before a judge (Assistant Notary 30 Apr. 2015). According to sources, the professionals who intervene in settling an estate are the co-heir's lawyer, who represents him before the court, and the notary, who distributes the estate (Lawyer 1 May 2015; Lawyer 30 Apr. 2015). Sources state that an estate may be liquidated under customary law before the First Degree Tribunal (Tribunal de premier degre), but on the condition that all inheriting parties consent; otherwise, the parties must go before the Court of First Instance (Tribunal de grande instance) (Lawyer 30 Apr. 2015; Lawyer 1 May 2015; Assistant Notary 30 Apr. 2015). According to the Lawyer, there are [translation] "many customary laws in Cameroon that apply to the liquidation of an estate, according to the ethnicity of the deceased and co-heirs" (Lawyer 30 Apr. 2015). Corroborating information could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response. According to sources, it is the Court of First Instance that, in civil law, has authority in estates (SLC n.d.; Lawyer 30 Apr. 2015; Lawyer 1 May 2015). Information on the operation and effectiveness of this tribunal could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response. Under section 110 of the Cameroonian Civil Code, [translation] "the location where the estate is opened is determined by the domicile" of the deceased (Cameroon 1981). 4. Court Proceedings According to sources, applications under appeal must be submitted to the Court of Appeal, then to the Supreme Court of Cameroon (Lawyer 30 Apr. 2015; Lawyer 1 May 2015). Further information on court proceedings on inheritance could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response. 5. Inheritance Among the Bamileke Information on inheritance among the Bamileke could be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response. However, on his website, which contains Cameroonian legislation, decrees and regulations (Camer.be n.d.), Emeran Atangana Eteme, who has a doctorate in public law, provides information on sharing the assets of an estate among the Bamileke (Atangana Eteme 21 Nov. 2010). This Internet page is appended to this Response. This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim for refugee protection. Please find below the list of sources consulted in researching this Information Request. References Assistant Notary, Mbalbayo, Cameroon. 30 April 2015. Telephone interview with the Research Directorate. Atangana Eteme, Emeran. 21 November 2010. "Le partage des biens de la succession." [Accessed 24 Apr. 2015] Camer.be. N.d. "Cameroun : la bibliotheque camerounaise de droit et de gouvernance fete ses dix ans en 2014." [Accessed 7 May 2015] Cameroon. 1981. Code civil. [Accessed 7 May 2015] Chambre nationale des notaires du Cameroun (CNNC). 1 May 2015. Telephone interview with the president by the Research Directorate. _____ . 30 April 2015. Correspondence from the president to the Research Directorate. Lawyer, Cameroon. 30 April 2015. Telephone interview with the Research Directorate. Lawyer, Cameroon. 1 May 2015. Telephone interview with the Research Directorate. Office notarial de Mbalmayo. N.d. Paul Francis Youteu Debana. "La succession legale au Cameroun." [Accessed 7 May 2015] Societe de legislation comparee (SLC). N.d. "Cameroun." [Accessed 1 May 2015] Additional Sources Consulted Oral sources: Notary, Cameroon; Notary, Paris. Internet sites, including: Barreau du Cameroun; Le Droit; Institut francais d'information juridique; Princekmer. Attachment Atangana Eteme, Emeran. 21 November 2010. "Le partage des biens de la succession." [Accessed 7 May 2015] Cameroon: The village chief's warriors, specifically in the Mbouda region; possible consequences for someone who refuses to take over the duties of his deceased father, who was a member of one of these warrior groups (2012 March 2015) Publisher Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada Publication Date 19 March 2015 Citation / Document Symbol CMR105129.FE Related Document(s) Cameroun : information sur les guerriers du chef du village, particulierement dans la region de Mbouda; information sur les consequences que pourrait subir une personne qui refuserait de reprendre les fonctions de son defunt pere qui etait membre de l'un de ces groupes de guerriers (2012-mars 2015) Cite as Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Cameroon: The village chief's warriors, specifically in the Mbouda region; possible consequences for someone who refuses to take over the duties of his deceased father, who was a member of one of these warrior groups (2012 March 2015), 19 March 2015, CMR105129.FE, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5729a6ba4.html [accessed 24 October 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Ottawa 1. The Village Chief's Warriors in Cameroon, Specifically in the Mbouda Region In correspondence sent to the Research Directorate, the Executive Director of New Human Rights (Nouveaux Droits de l'homme, NDH), a Cameroonian human rights NGO with headquarters in Yaounde (NDH n.d.) and consulting status with the United Nations, stated that [translation] "Cameroon is made up of a number of ethnic groups and groupings or villages. The power of the king or village chief is seen differently depending on the region" (ibid. 13 Mar. 2015). According to the Executive Director, [translation] "Mbouda is the capital of the Bamboutos department of the West region" (ibid.). In correspondence sent to the Research Directorate, an assistant professor of African studies at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice of the City University of New York, who does research on Cameroon, including field research, and has written on chieftainships in the country, explained that Mbouda was a [translation] "small town" located between Bamenda and Bafoussam in western Cameroon (Assistant Professor 10 Mar. 2015). Sources indicate that the Mbouda region is mostly populated by members of the Bamileke ethnic group (NDH 13 Mar. 2015; Professor 11 Mar. 2015; Assistant Professor 10 Mar. 2015). The Assistant Professor added that members of sub-groups of the Bamoun ethnic group were also in the region (ibid.). A professor of social demography and anthropology at Carleton College in Minnesota, who does anthropological field research, particularly in the western part of the country and among the Bamileke, stated in correspondence sent to the Research Directorate that when Cameroonians speak of their [translation] "village," they are referring to [translation] "a chiefdom to which they bear allegiance" and that this "village" can be "fairly big" (Professor 11 Mar. 2015). The Professor added that there are various levels of chiefdoms, called fons (ibid.). The Executive Director of NDH explained that [translation] "in the western regions, the kingdoms of the past that are now villages are ruled by village chiefs or kings" (NDH 13 Mar. 2015). The Executive Director added that individuals [translation] "who may be called warriors in the strict sense of the term existed before independence" (ibid.). According to the Professor of social demography and anthropology, with the exception of chiefs who rule very small communities, [translation] "the chiefs have henchmen who could be called warriors" (Professor 11 Mar. 2015). According to the Assistant Professor, [translation] "the Bamileke warriors take part in long-standing practices that govern maintaining the chiefdom and the power of the fons in Bamileke society" (10 Mar. 2015). According to the Professor of social demography and anthropology, [translation] "some of these warriors are called 'servants of the chiefs' and others are members of secret societies" (11 Mar. 2015). Along the same lines, the Executive Director of NDH stated, [translation] Today, those that can be called warriors or king's guards are organized into "secret societies," a kind of association in which being accepted as a member confers certain social attributes and incurs a level of respectability in the village. The Bamileke culture places great importance on legends, traditions and the magico-spiritual. Therefore, these very mystified "secret societies" are part of the pillars of the king and his chiefdom (13 Mar. 2015). The Professor of social demography and anthropology stated that there is [translation] "a variety of henchmen or warriors who act as the chief's police force" (11 Mar. 2015). The Assistant Professor stated that [translation] "the warriors are the extension of power within Bamileke chieftainships" (10 Mar. 2015). 2. Possible Consequences for the Person who Refuses to Assume the Warrior Duties of Their Deceased Father According to the NDH Executive Director, [translation] "the warriors and members of the guard obtain their positions either by succession (from father to son) or by decree of the king [chief]" (13 Mar. 2015). However, according to the Professor of social demography and anthropology [translation] "all" the warrior positions are hereditary and passed from a father to one of his sons, who has been chosen for this role (11 Mar. 2015). The Executive Director stated that [translation] according to elders and prominent persons and other guarantors of Bamileke traditions, a son who refuses to take over the duties of his deceased father should suffer spiritual consequences in the form of a curse, total failure of every undertaking etc. But there is no consequence that would directly hurt the physical integrity or the life of a son who refuses (13 Mar. 2015). The Professor of social demography and anthropology stated the following: [translation] Since the hereditary link between the father and the son is considered a sacred or holy "vocation," the son must replace his father upon his death. Otherwise, there are drastic consequences, not only for the person who refuses, but also for his family and the fertility of the land in the chieftainship, and for all kinds of other aspects of life (Professor 11 Mar. 2015). The Professor added that [translation] someone must assume the role, [namely,] the father's title and the related responsibilities. The heir "becomes" the father, the incarnation of his duties. If the designated heir does not take on the responsibility that falls to him, he must be made "ritually dead" so that someone else can inherit it (ibid.). The Professor noted that it might be possible to carry out this ritual death through some customary practices, but that this might become [translation] "awkward" if the "dead person" reappears (ibid.). According to her, this person might then be truly killed to maintain compliance with the ritual order (ibid.). Corroborating information could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response. This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim for refugee protection. Please find below the list of sources consulted in researching this Information Request. References Assistant Professor of African studies, John Jay College of Criminal Justice, City University of New York. 10 March 2015. Correspondence sent to the Research Directorate. Nouveaux Droits de l'homme (NDH). 13 March 2015. Correspondence sent to the Research Directorate by the Executive Director. _____. N.d. "Presentation de NDH." [Accessed 13 March 2015] Professor of social demography and anthroplogy, Carleton College, Minnesota. 11 March 2015. Correspondence sent to the Research Directorate. Additional Sources Consulted Oral sources: Instructor/researcher, University of Cotonou, Benin; professor of African anthropology, University of Amsterdam; Maison des droits de l'homme du Cameroun; professor emeritus of anthropology, Hobart and William Smith Colleges; professor emeritus of anthropology, University College London; professor of anthropology, University of Cape Town; professor of geography, Pole universitaire de Guyane. Internet sites, including: Afrilex; Cairn.info; Cahiers d'etudes africaines; Connect Africa; ecoi.net; Etudes africaines en France; Factiva; Federation internationale des ligues des droits de l'homme; Irenees.net; IRIN; Minority Rights Group International; Techniques et cultures; United Nations - Refworld. Chile: The National Socialist Action Movement (Movimiento de Accion Nacional Socialista, MANS), including its objectives and membership; whether its members have been accused of crimes (2008-January 2015) Publisher Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada Publication Date 1 May 2015 Citation / Document Symbol CHL105150.E Related Document(s) Chili : information sur le Mouvement d'action national-socialiste (Movimiento de Accion Nacional Socialista - MANS), y compris sur ses objectifs et ses membres; information indiquant si ses membres ont ete accuses de crimes (2008-janvier 2015) Cite as Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Chile: The National Socialist Action Movement (Movimiento de Accion Nacional Socialista, MANS), including its objectives and membership; whether its members have been accused of crimes (2008-January 2015) , 1 May 2015, CHL105150.E, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5729a7a04.html [accessed 24 October 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Ottawa Information on the MANS was scarce among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response. According to the website of the MANS, [translation] "National-Socialism is a nationalist and social world vision that aims to unite all Chileans through the solidarity, collaboration and cooperation of all social classes for the well-being of the community over the individual, partisan and economic interests of its individuals" (MANS n.d.a). Moreover, the website indicates that: [translation] The MANS, inspired by nationalist and social principles, has set the patriotic mission to alert the public about the threats that endanger the life, independence, stability and sovereignty of our nation. These threats are represented by the solvent ideologies of globalization, internationalism, capitalism, liberalism, Marxist socialism and international Zionism. Ideologies whose main objective is to weaken the national power so our nation submits to the internationalist mandates and dictates, with the consequent moral, spiritual, political, economic, military and territorial disarmament of the nation, to transform us into mere pawns of the international economic power. (ibid. 20 Apr. 2012) According to the website of the MANS, an individual who would like to become [translation] "an activist of the MANS ... must support the principles of National-Socialism in its political, ethnical and cultural aspects and must be ready to fight and work for Chile, given the threats posed by Zionist globalization, liberalism, multiracism, individualism and international Marxism" (ibid. n.d.a). The website provides an electronic form to fill out in order to join the movement (ibid. n.d.b). A 12 October 2014 article by Radio Bio Bio, a radio network in Chile, indicates that five members of a group called the National Socialist Movement (Movimiento Nacional Socialista) held a public demonstration on the Day of the Race (Dia de la Raza) [1] in the city of Concepcion (Radio Bio Bio 12 Oct. 2014). The article includes a picture of the event, in which two people are holding a flag bearing the acronym "MANS" and the logo of the organization (ibid.). On the website of the MANS, there is a webpage that shows the same logo and explains its symbolism (MANS n.d.c). According to the Radio Bio Bio article, Peter Swanston, a member of MANS, indicated that the group [translation] "promote[s] the respect for the diversity of peoples, which is threatened by globalization" (Radio Bio Bio 12 Oct. 2014). Corroborating information on this event could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response. According to the MANS's website, the group is not a neo-Nazi movement nor does it have links to neo-Nazi organizations; their political activity is based on the [translation] "peaceful spreading of the National Socialist ideology and does not use violence as a means of political action" (MANS n.d.a). In correspondence with the Research Directorate, an assistant professor of political science at the Institute for the Study of International Development at McGill University, who has done research on Latin America, political parties and political systems, indicated that the MANS is a "right wing very small movement that is both antisemitic and nationalistic" (Assistant Professor 20 Apr. 2015). In the "Frequently Asked Questions" section of MANS's website, it asserts that it is possible for National-Socialism to exist outside of Germany and it cites a definition of National Socialism that it attributes to the National Socialist German Workers' Party Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei, NSDAP) (MANS n.d.a). The NSDAP is known as the Nazi Party and came to power in Germany in 1933 under Adolf Hitler (Encyclopdia Britannica n.d.). The Assistant Professor added that the MANS "defends its positions based on the right to freedom of speech" (Assistant Professor 20 Apr. 2015). The bottom banner of MANS's website quotes Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which relates to freedom of opinion and expression (MANS n.d.a; MANS n.d.b; MANS n.d.c). Sources report that on 11 December 2012, the Movement for Homosexual Integration and Liberation (Movimiento de Integracion y Liberacion Homosexual, MOVILH), an LGBT non-profit human rights organization in Chile (MOVILH n.d.), filed a complaint with the National Intelligence Agency (Agencia Nacional de Inteligencia, ANI) against the MANS's Facebook page (24 Horas 11 Dec. 2012; MOVILH 12 Dec. 2012). According to a MOVILH news report, the MANS [translation] "'spreads hate messages against various groups'" through their Facebook page (ibid.). MOVILH also indicates that the MANS's Facebook page [translation] "'treat[s] sexual minorities as people who are perverts and have a sickness; promote[s] racism and xenophobia, especially against Peruvian citizens; and project[s] Hitler's image'" (ibid.). Further information on the status of the investigation concerning the complaint could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response. This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim for refugee protection. Please find below the list of sources consulted in researching this Information Request. Note [1] According to Encyclopdia Britannica, in "many of the Spanish-speaking countries of the Americas, the landing [of Christopher Columbus] is observed as Dia de la Raza ('Day of the Race' or 'Day of the People'). Rather than celebrating Columbus's arrival in the New World, many observers of Dia de la Raza celebrate the indigenous peoples of Latin America and the culture that developed over the centuries as their heritage melded with that of the Spanish explorers who followed Columbus" (n.d.). References 24 Horas. 11 December 2012. Jorge Miranda. "Denuncia ataque de neonazis a pareja lesbica." [Accessed 23 Apr. 2015] Assistant Professor of political science, Institute for the Study of International Development, McGill University. 20 April 2015. Correspondence sent to the Research Directorate. Encyclopdia Britannica. 8 April 2014. "Nazi Party." Chicago: Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc. [Accessed 29 Apr. 2015] _____. N.d. "Colombus Day." Chicago: Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc. [Accessed 29 Apr. 2015] Movimiento de Accion Nacional-Socialista de Chile (MANS). 20 April 2012. "Declaracion de Principios y Programa Politico." [Accessed 24 Apr. 2015] _____. N.d.a. "Preguntas Frecuentes." [Accessed 28 Apr. 2015] _____. N.d.b. "Unete." [Accessed 29 Apr. 2015] _____. N.d.c. "Nuestro Simbolo." [Accessed 29 Apr. 2015] Movimiento de Integracion y Liberacion Homosexual (MOVILH). 12 December 2012. "Presentan querella en Vina del Mar por violento ataque neonazi a pareja lesbica y su familia." [Accessed 24 Apr. 2015] _____. N.d. "Presentation." [Accessed 24 Apr. 2015] Radio Bio Bio. 12 October 2014. Ignacia Jimenez. "Movimiento Nacional Socialista de Concepcion realiza ofrenda floral en el marco del dia de la raza." [Accessed 24 Apr. 2015] Additional Sources Consulted Oral sources: The following were unable to provide information for this Response: Associate Professor of Latin American politics, University of Calgary; Chile - Instituto Nacional de Derechos Humanos; Comunidad Judia de Chile; Movimiento de Accion Nacional-Socialista de Chile; Movimiento de Integracion y Liberacion Homosexual; Professor of Comparative and Latin American politics, Cornell University; Professor of political science, Universidad Diego Portales; Professor of politics and international affairs, Wake Forest University. Attempts to contact the following were unsuccessful within the time constraints of this Response: Associate Professor of political science, Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile; Chile - Agencia Nacional de Inteligencia, Biblioteca del Congreso Nacional de Chile; Professor of Latin American politics, McGill University; Professor of political science, Universidad de Chile. Internet sites, including: Amnesty International; Associated Press; BBC; Chile - Tribunal Constitucional; ecoi.net; El Mercurio; El Mostrador; Factiva; Freedom House; Human Rights Watch; International Crisis Group; International Federation for Human Rights; IRIN; La Nacion; La Tercera; Political Handbook of the World; Reuters; The Santiago Times; UN - High Commissioner for Human Rights, Refworld, ReliefWeb; US - Department of State. Burkina Faso: The political party Congress for Democracy and Progress (Congres pour la democratie et le progress, CDP), including its structure and membership card; the treatment of its members since the attempted coup in September 2015 (September 2015-March 2016) Publisher Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada Publication Date 1 April 2016 Citation / Document Symbol BFA105472.FE Related Document(s) Burkina Faso : information sur le parti politique Congres pour la democratie et le progres (CDP), y compris sur sa structure et sa carte de membre; information sur le traitement reserve a ses membres depuis la tentative de coup d'Etat de septembre 2015 (septembre 2015-mars 2016) Cite as Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Burkina Faso: The political party Congress for Democracy and Progress (Congres pour la democratie et le progress, CDP), including its structure and membership card; the treatment of its members since the attempted coup in September 2015 (September 2015-March 2016), 1 April 2016, BFA105472.FE, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5729a83e4.html [accessed 24 October 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Ottawa 1. Overview Africa Confidential provides the following information concerning the circumstances of the attempted coup of September 2015: Burkina's latest putsch drama, started on 16 September [2015] when the private bodyguard, secret police and death squad of ousted President Blaise Compaore, the RSP [Presidential Guard], interrupted a cabinet meeting of the interim government at Kosyam Palace. [] The RSP took Interim President Kafando and his Prime Minister, Yacouba Isaac Zida, hostage and after a night of confusion, declared the transitional institutions dissolved. [] On hearing the news of the coup, the public took to the streets, setting up barricades and massing for demonstrations (25 Sept. 2015). In its final report on the presidential and legislative elections of November 29, 2015, in Burkina Faso, the European Union Election Observation Mission describes the events related to the attempted coup of 16 September 2015 as follows: [translation] An intrusion by the Presidential Guard (Regiment de securite presidentielle, RSP), the former regime's elite unit, during the Council of the Ministers, ended with the illegal confinement of transition President Michel Kafando, Prime Minister Isaac Zida and two ministers. All the transition institutions were unilaterally dissolved by the junta, on 17 September, and substituted by a "National Council for Democracy" (Conseil national pour la democratie, CND) led by General Gilbert Diendere, a close associate of ousted President Blaise Compaore. The strong popular mobilization, supported by Burkinabe civil society, enabled the rallying of the regular army and the surrender of the putschists on 1 October, including General Gilbert Diendere. [] President Kafando and the Transition institutions returned on 23 September 2015 (EU 10 Feb. 2016, para. 3, 5). In an article published in September 2015, researchers from the Institute for Security Studies (ISS) working in Dakar called [translation] "the failed power grab of the RSP," the period from 16 to 23 September 2015, the "most serious crisis [known to Burkina Faso] since the insurrection of October 2014, that led to the fall of Blaise Compaore" (ISS 28 Sept. 2015). In its 2015 annual report, Amnesty International (AI) reports that the RSP killed 14 people and injured [AI English version] "hundreds of others" during protests opposing the attempted coup (23 Feb. 2016, 123). According to the European Union (EU), this [translation] "repression" resulted in 15 deaths and over 300 people injured (EU 10 Feb. 2016, para. 4). An October 2015 article in the Burkina Faso magazine FasoZine states that the failed coup [translation] "weakened the former ruling party, [the CDP]" (25 Oct. 2015). In an article from the same time, the Burkina Faso news portal LeFaso.net, explains that the CDP [translation] "is evolving in a very hostile environment because of its alleged involvement in the coup attempt of 17 September 2015, or at least the alleged involvement of some of its influential members" (26 Oct. 2016). In correspondence sent to the Research Directorate, a doctoral candidate of the Department of Politics and International Studies at the University of Warwick, whose dissertation examines the opposition parties in Burkina Faso, stated that [translation] [s]ome CDP leaders were charged for various reasons related to the failed coup on September 2015, namely, Eddie Komboigo, CDP president, and Leonce Kone, Vice-President of the party. Furthermore, the party assets were frozen; this was a significant obstacle during the campaign for the 29 November 2015 legislative elections (Doctoral candidate 6 Mar. 2016). During a telephone interview with the Research Directorate, a political governance program administrator who follows the political developments in Burkina Faso due to of his affiliation with the Open Society Initiative for West Africa (OSIWA) [1] stated that, in his opinion, [translation] "the CDP's poor results in the elections seem to be partly ... because the citizens associated the CDP with the coup" (Administrator, 29 Feb. 2016). Sources state that despite difficulties, the CDP came third in the legislative elections of November 2015, obtaining 18 seats in the parliament (Doctoral candidate 6 Mar. 2016; EU 10 Feb. 2016, para. 38). Sources state that Roch Marc Christian Kabore, of the People's Movement for Progress (Mouvement du peuple pour le progres, MPP), won the presidential election of November 2015 (ibid., para. 37; Africa Confidential 8 Jan. 2016). An article published in the Washington Post in December 2015 states that the MPP was created in January 2014, following the resignation of Mr. Kabore from the CDP, as well as the resignations of over 75 other party members (6 Dec. 2015). According to International Crisis Group, Mr. Kabore and two other [translation] "bigwigs of the Campaore regime" were central figures in the creation of the MPP (7 Jan. 2013, 3 (note 1)). According to that same source, the CDP considers the MPP members to be its [translation] "worst enemies" (ibid., 2). The doctoral candidate stated that the CDP [translation] "did not unite with President Kabore's majority formed after the elections," and thus became an opposition party (6 Mar. 2016). However, according to the administrator of the program, the CDP was [translation] "forced to remain in the opposition," given the majority coalition formed by the first two political forces (29 Feb. 2016). 2. Party Structure and Membership Card Information on the CDP membership card could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response. The doctoral candidate stated that, to her knowledge, the CDP did not carry out any [translation] "official restructuring" after the attempted coup (6 Mar. 2016). In an interview granted to the Burkina Faso newspaper Le Quotidien in October 2015, Boubacar Sanou, presented as the eighth vice-president of the CDP, stated that while [translation] "the question of reorganizing the [CDP]," resurfaced after the events of 16 September 2015, it was in the "review" stage (29 Oct. 2015). Sources note that [translation] "the expansion" of the CDP permanent secretariat was on the agenda of the 56th ordinary session of the CDP national office in October 2015 (LeFaso.net 26 Oct. 2015; CDP 24 Oct. 2015). FasoZine states that the national policy office is the site of the CDP debates [translation] "between two [party] congresses" (25 Oct. 2015). Further information could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraint of this Response. A February 2016 statement of the CDP, published by FasoZine, that formalizes [translation] "[the party's] membership in the opposition" refers to the position of interim president, held by Achille Marie Joseph Tapsoba (CDP 26 Feb. 2016). The doctoral candidate specified that Achille Tapsoba is the "first vice-president" of the CDP and that he is serving as president in the interim (6 Mar. 2016). Sources mention the existence of the national executive office of the CDP (Le Quotidien 29 Oct. 2015; BBC 21 Oct. 2015). The Burkina Faso news website Burkina24 states that the national executive office came after the national executive secretariat at the end of the 6th Congress of the CDP, in May 2015 (Burkina24 10 May 2015a). According to LeFaso.net, the national executive office of the CDP had 106 members at the time (19 May 2015). According to other sources, the national executive office has 11 vicepresidents (Jeune Afrique 11 May 2015; Burkina24 10 May 2015b). Burkina24 states that the [translation] "high council of the party" is an extension of the executive office of the CDP (ibid. 20 Oct. 2015). Sources published in May 2015 report the creation of a high council of the CDP, formed by the [translation] "previous members" of the party, and that the "honorary president" is former president Blaise Compaore (ibid. 10 May 2015b; RFI 11 May 2015). Further information on the organizational structure of the CDP as a whole could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response. 3. Treatment of CDP Members Since the Attempted Coup Information on the treatment of CDP members was scarce among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response. The doctoral candidate stated the following about the treatment of CDP members since the coup attempt: [translation] To my knowledge, no threat or form of violence has been carried out by the Burkinabe authorities against members of the CDP. The individuals arrested in the investigation of the failed coup of September 2015 are still imprisoned and awaiting their trial. The CDP parliamentary group of the National Assembly recently called for their release, while calling those imprisoned individuals "political prisoners." The CDP parliamentarians seem to be free to do their work and I have not seen any mention of cases of police or popular violence against CDP members because of their membership in the party. However, it seems that the assets of the party and of some key figures have been frozen because of the investigation (6 Mar. 2015). The Burkinabe daily Faso Actu states that, during the meeting of the CDP parliamentary opposition group, Alfred Sanou, president of that group, asked for the release of [translation] "comrades" in prison "for a number of months without a sentence" as a step towards beginning national reconciliation (Faso Actu 4 Mar. 2016). Further information on the treatment of CDP members could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response. This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim for refugee protection. Please find below the list of sources consulted in researching this Information Request. Note [1] OSIWA is a foundation that provides funding to state and non-state actors working in the areas of democracy, good governance and human rights (Administrator 29 Feb. 2016). References Administrator, Political Governance Program, Open Society Initiative for West Africa (OSIWA). 29 February 2016. Telephone interview. Africa Confidential. 8 January 2016. "President on Probation." Vol 57, No. 1. [Accessed 21 Mar. 2016] _____. 25 September 2015. "The People Take On the Putschists." Vol 56, No. 19. [Accessed 23 Mar. 2016] Amnesty International (AI). 23 February 2016. "Burkina Faso." Rapport 2015/2016 : La situation des droits humains dans le monde. [Accessed 24 Feb. 2016] British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). 21 October 2015. "Burkina : le CDP soutiendra un candidat." [Accessed 22 Mar. 2016] Burkina24. 20 October 2015. Abdou Zoure. "Presidentielle 2015 : Le CDP soutiendra l'un des 14 candidats." [Accessed 22 Mar. 2016] _____. 10 May 2015a. Bienvenue Apiou. "6eme congres du CDP : L'ex-parti au pouvoir se met 'en phase du temps'." [Accessed 22 Mar. 2016] _____. 10 May 2015b. Abdou Zoure. "Eddie Komboigo, nouveau president du CDP." [Accessed 22 Mar. 2016] Congres pour la democratie et le progres (CDP). 26 February 2016. "Le CDP declare son appartenance a l'opposition politique." [Accessed 22 Mar. 2016] Doctoral candidate, Politics and International Studies, University of Warwick. 6 March 2016. Correspondence sent to the Research Directorate. European Union (EU). 10 February 2016. Mission d'observation electorale de l'Union europeenne. Burkina Faso : rapport final sur les elections presidentielle et legislatives du 29 novembre 2015. [Accessed 21 Mar. 2016] Faso Actu. 4 March 2016. Sekou Ouedraogo. "Journees parlementaires 2016 : Le groupe parlementaire CDP plaide pour la liberation de leurs camarades emprisonnes." [Accessed 24 Mar. 2016] LeFaso.net. 26 October 2015. Moussa Diallo. "Situation nationale : Le CDP se reorganise pour se relever du putsch du CND." [Accessed 22 Mar. 2016] _____. 19 May 2015. "CDP : Voici le nouveau bureau executif national." [Accessed 19 May 2015] FasoZine. 25 October 2015. Dimitri Kabore. "Elections du 29 novembre : Le CDP se reorganise." [Accessed 22 Feb. 2016] Institute for Security Studies Africa (ISS). 28 September 2015. William Assanvo, Ella Abatan et Pascaline Compaore. "Le Burkina Faso est-il sorti de l'orniere?" [Accessed 23 Sept. 2015] International Crisis Group. 7 January 2016. Burkina Faso : transition acte II. [Accessed 22 Feb. 2016] Jeune Afrique. 11 May 2015. Benjamin Roger. "Burkina Faso : Qui est Eddie Komboigo, le nouveau president du CDP?" [Accessed 22 Mar. 2016] Le Quotidien. 29 October 2015. "Boubacar Sanou, 8eme vice-president du CDP charge de la jeunesse : 'Nous souhaitions soutenir le candidat qui presentera la meilleure offre politique pour le Burkina'." [Accessed 22 Mar. 2016] Radio France internationale (RFI). 11 May 2015. "Burkina : Le parti de Blaise Compaore a un nouveau president." [Accessed 22 Mar. 2016] The Washington Post. 6 December 2015. Daniel Eizenga. "Burkina Faso Elections Mark Turning Point in Country's Recent Political Turmoil." [Accessed 22 Feb. 2016] Additional Sources Consulted Oral sources: Centre pour la gouvernance democratique; Mouvement burkinabe des droits de l'homme et des peuples; Research Associate, Sahel Research Group, University of Florida. Internet sites, including: Afrik.com; AllAfrica; Centre pour la gouvernance democratique; Chatham House; ecoi.net; Factiva; Federation internationale des ligues des droits de l'homme; Freedom House; The Guardian; Human Rights Watch; Intellivoire; IRIN; Koaci.com; Le Monde; L'Observateur Paalga; Le Pays; Political Handbook of the World; Sidwaya; United Nations - Security Council, Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, Refworld; United States - Department of State; World Organization Against Torture. Burkina Faso: Treatment of sexual minorities, including legislation, state protection and support services (2014-April 2016) Publisher Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada Publication Date 20 April 2016 Citation / Document Symbol BFA105383.FE Related Document(s) Burkina Faso : information sur le traitement reserve aux minorites sexuelles, y compris sur les lois, la protection offerte par l'Etat et les services de soutien (2014-avril 2016) Cite as Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Burkina Faso: Treatment of sexual minorities, including legislation, state protection and support services (2014-April 2016) , 20 April 2016, BFA105383.FE, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5729a8d74.html [accessed 24 October 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Ottawa 1. Legislation 1.1 Criminalization According to several sources, homosexuality is not criminalized in Burkina Faso (Le Quotidien 8 June 2015; Sweden Sept. 2012, 1; Rodenbough July 2014, 18). In addition, according to the US Department of State Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2014, "[t]he law does not discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity in employment and occupation, housing, statelessness, or access to education or health care" (US 25 June 2015, 27). Concerning acts of indecency or public nuisance, articles 410 and 411 of the Penal Code [Code penal] read as follows: [translation] Article 410 Any person who causes a public nuisance shall be punished with a term of imprisonment of between two months and two years and a fine of between 50,000 and 600,000 francs. Any deliberate act that is contrary to good morals and is committed in public or in a private place visible to the public and that may offend the sense of decency of third parties who involuntarily witness the act shall constitute a public nuisance. ... Article 411 Any act of a sexual nature that is contrary to good morals and is committed directly and deliberately on another person, with or without force, compulsion or surprise, shall constitute an offence against decency. (Burkina Faso 1996) According to an independent research report authored by Philip P. Rodenbough as part of the Virtual Student Foreign Service Project of the US Department of State and titled "On Being LGBT in West Africa," "although there are fears that these articles could be used to prosecute homosexuality, no such instances are documented" (Rodenbough July 2014, 18). Similarly, the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA), a government agency working in nearly 40 countries around the world, including Burkina Faso (Sweden 10 Aug. 2015), notes in a September 2012 report on LGBT rights in Burkina Faso that there have been no documented arrests under the public nuisance provisions (Sweden Sept. 2012, 1). In addition, in a report on the legal status of LGBT persons in francophone West Africa, the Queer African Youth Network (QAYN) states the following: [QAYN English version] For Burkina Faso, people surveyed testify to the exceptional character of [arbitrary arrests of LGBT persons]. Only one person mentions an arbitrary arrest. (QAYN July 2015, 24) QAYN also states that [QAYN English version] "[o]ffences are further punished when LGBTQ individuals perpetrate them. Two judgments given by tribunals in Burkina Faso demonstrate this practice, without, however, being able to demonstrate whether this practice is exceptional or common" (QAYN July 2015, 24). QAYN specifies that the following two cases were reported by media in Burkina Faso: [QAYN English version] In a judgment by the High Court of BoboDioulasso on 7 January 2013, a young transvestite gay was sentenced for street solicitation whereas this offence is almost never referred to tribunals for other cases of street solicitation. [A]n offence of corruption of a minor was used to sentence a young lesbian, whereas this offence is not used to protect heterosexual minors (ibid.). Moreover, according to Rodenbough: Burkina Faso does have laws against prostitution, and these have been used to prosecute same-sex acts, although it is unclear if the same-sex acts are bases of bona fide prostitution (July 2014, 18). Sources also report that in February 2015, the Party for National Rebirth (Parti pour la renaissance nationale, PAREN) tabled a bill on the prohibition and prosecution of bestiality, homosexuality and pedophilia (Fasozine 9 Feb. 2015; Burkina 24 9 Feb. 2015) and same-sex marriage, designed to [translation] "prevent deviant behaviour resulting from Western personal freedoms" (ibid.). Burkina Faso's interim government rejected the bill (Express du Faso 11 Nov. 2015; Burkina Online 9 Nov. 2015). 1.2 Marriage Article 23 of the Constitution stipulates that [translation] "marriage shall be based on the free consent of the man and the woman" (Burkina Faso 1991). The SIDA report notes that the law prohibits same-sex marriage (SIDA Sept. 2012, 1). 1.3 Protection Against Hate Crimes and Discrimination Country Reports 2014 states [US English version] The country has no hate crime laws or other criminal justice mechanisms to aid in the investigation, prosecution, or sentencing of bias-motivated crimes against the LGBT community (US 25 June 2015, 28). The SIDA report notes that there is no legislation "that protects LGBT persons from discriminatory treatment" (SIDA Sept. 2012, 1). The website of Le Quotidien in Burkina Faso mentions [translation] "internal pressure (religious, customary and sometimes political) that obstructs the implementation of a law" on LGBT rights (8 June 2015). However, Country Reports 2014 states, "The law and regulations prohibits discrimination regarding sexual orientation, and/or gender identity" (US 25 June 2015, 31). Country Reports 2014 adds, however, that the "government did not effectively enforce those laws and regulations. Discrimination [against LBGT persons] occurred based on the above categories with respect to employment and occupation" (ibid., 31-32). 2. Treatment by Society Freedom House notes that LGBT persons in Burkina Faso "routinely experience discrimination" (2015). Similarly, Country Reports 2014 states the following: [US English version] Other human rights problems included discrimination against members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community (US 25 June 2015, 1). Country Reports 2014 adds [US English version] LGBT persons were occasionally victims of verbal and physical abuse, according to LGBT support groups. (US 25 June 2015, 27) Corroborating information could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response. The Agence d'information du Burkina (AIB) explains that [translation] "homosexuality remains taboo in Burkina Faso society, primarily because of ancestral and religious values" (4 Mar. 2016). In an article on homosexuality in Africa published by the journal Africa in Fact, the African correspondent for the Daily Maverick in Johannesburg states the following: Though [Burkina Faso] has no laws against homosexuality, it is still a difficult place to be gay. [T]he subject is still largely taboo. Gay people report being stigmatized, rejected, or hiding their practice. (Allison Aug. 2013, 4, 14) Similarly, SIDA reports that LGBT persons face stigmatization by society (Sweden Sept. 2012, 2). In the spring of 2015, numerous sources reported that, in Bobo-Dioulasso, a city in southwestern Burkina Faso, there were protests or events, some led by Western Islamic organizations, to support PAREN's bill on the prohibition of homosexuality, or to speak out against the practice of homosexuality in their city (Les Echos du Faso 4 Mar. 2015; AIB 6 Mar. 2015; Le Faso 29 May 2015). The Burkina Faso news website Le Faso also reports that on 28 May 2015, protestors participating in a march against homosexuality in Bobo-Dioulasso went to the homes of [translation] "families suspected of sheltering homosexuals" and chanted slogans that were "hostile to homosexuals" (ibid.). The source notes that the protestors received support from local religious leaders (ibid.). The Burkina Faso daily newspaper Sidwaya also reports on this march (Sidwaya 28 Dec. 2015). According to Sidwaya: [translation] [h]ounded from all sides, especially by religious communities, and closely monitored by their families, homosexuals are sentenced to living in secrecy in the city of Bobo-Dioulasso (ibid.). On 12 September 2015, the Regional Coordination of Western Islamic Associations (Coordination regionale des associations islamiques de l'Ouest organized another meeting in Bobo-Dioulasso, with representatives of Christian churches, to reaffirm their stand against homosexuality and its legalization in Burkina Faso and for its punishment (L'Opinion 16-22 Sept. 2015; AIB 14 Sept. 2015; Les Echos du Faso 13 Sept. 2015). According to a survey conducted in 2014-2015 by Afrobarometer [1] on homophobia in Africa, Burkina Faso is the 3rd most intolerant country in Africa, with 5 percent of its population saying that [Afrobarometer English version] "they would 'strongly like,' 'somewhat like' or 'not care' if they lived next to homosexuals" (Afrobarometer 1 Mar. 2016, 13). 3. State Protection Information on state protection provided to LGBT persons was scarce among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response. According to Country Reports 2014, [US English version] There were no reports that the government responded to societal violence and discrimination against LGBT persons (US 25 June 2015, 27). 4. LGBT Support Organizations According to Rodenbough: There are several LGBT rights groups in Burkina Faso. One of the most prominent is the Queer African Youth Networking Center (QAYN), which stylizes itself as a regional network of LGBT youth in West Africa. ... The organization is particularly noteworthy because of its strong focus on lesbians, who the organization claims are often overlooked in the context of MSM HIV/AIDS programs (July 2014, 20). According to an article from Le Quotidien, QAYN was founded in 2010, is led by Mariam Sako, alias Armisen, and is based in Ouagadougou (Le Quotidien 8 June 2015). The article notes that [translation] "social rejection forces [QAYN] to operate in absolute secrecy" (ibid.). Rodenbough also mentions the existence of another LGBT organization called LAMBDA (July 2014, 20); the Swedish organization Sida describes this organization as follows: The LGBT group LAMBDA is registered to work for the "protection of marginalised and estranged individuals," and not as an LGBT organisation, due to fear of persecution from the authorities. LAMBDA works primarily with counselling and support, helping people to deal with their sense of guilt caused by the stigma from the society. Thus, the organisation works mainly towards a long-term improvement within their member base, as they do not at this point have the capacity to reach out to the public or to advocate for the rights of LGBT people. Their first priority is to raise funds to create a safe meeting space for their members. This has so far been a challenge (Sweden Sept. 2012, 2). In July 2014, Rodenbough also mentioned that LAMBDA's contact information was difficult to obtain (July 2014, 20). More recent information on LAMBDA could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response. Country Reports 2014 states the following: [US English version] LGBT organizations had no legal status in the country but existed unofficially. Repeated attempts by LGBT organizations to register with the Ministry of Territorial Administration, Decentralization, and Security were not approved, and no explanation was provided for the refusals. There were no reports of government or societal violence against such organizations, although incidents were sometimes not reported due to stigma or intimidation (US 25 June 2015, 27-28). According to an article by Simon Allison published in the journal Africa in Fact: Gay rights organizations struggle to find a safe meeting place for members and are also hamstrung by the lack of funding (Allison Aug. 2013, 14). The QAYN report on the legal status of LGBT persons [QAYN English version] identifies two organizations/groups: Alternative Burkina and Queer African Youth Network (QAYN). QAYN, which applied for registration as a LGBTQ organization, was denied recognition by the administration without any explanation. To be recognized, Alternative Burkina had to place its social purpose under HIV/AIDS control, specifically targeting "vulnerable groups" (MSM). (QAYN July 2015, 15) This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim for refugee protection. Please find below the list of sources consulted in researching this Information Request. Note [1] Afrobarometer is described as [Afrobarometer English version] "a pan-African, nonpartisan research network that conducts public attitude surveys on democracy, gouvernance, economic conditions, and related issues across Africa" (Afrobarometer 1 Mar. 2016, 2). Afrobarometer conducts interviews with [Afrobarometer English version] "nationally representative samples," which yield results with a margin of sampling error of +/-2 to 3 percent at a 95 percent confidence level (ibid.). References Afrobarometer. 1 March 2016. Boniface Dulani, Gift Sambo and Kim Yi Dionne. "Bons voisins? Les Africains demontrent un sens eleve de la tolerance envers beaucoup, mais pas tous." Dispatch No. 74. [Accessed 31 Mar. 2016] Agence d'information du Burkina (AIB). 4 March 2016. "Homosexualite : Ban Ki-Moon appelle a la 'compassion,' l'Eglise du Burkina s'en tient a 'l'Evangile.'" [Accessed 31 Mar. 2016] _____. 14 September 2015. Adaman Drabo. "Homosexualite au Burkina Faso : une 'insurrection' a Bobo contre sa legalisation." [Accessed 26 Mar. 2016] _____. 6 March 2015. Adaman Drabo. "Homosexualite : le 'niet' des musulmans de Bobo-Dioulasso." [Accessed 31 Mar. 2016] Allison, Simon. August 2013. "Africa: From the Closet to the Clapper." Africa in Fact, Issue 14. [Accessed 19 Apr. 2016] Burkina 24. 9 February 2015. Mouniratou Lougue. "Le PAREN propose une loi contre l'homosexualite." [Accessed 26 Mar. 2016] Burkina Faso. 1996. Loi No. 043/96/ADP du 13 novembre 1996 portant Code penal. [Accessed 31 Mar. 2016] _____. 1991 (amended in 2002). La Constitution du Burkina Faso. [Accessed 31 Mar. 2016] Burkina Online. 9 November 2015. Arnaud Ouedraogo. "Tahirou Barry, candidat du PAREN : 'Nous avons un message de verite.'" [Accessed 13 Apr. 2016] Les Echos du Faso. 13 September 2015. Cheick Omar Traore. "Bobo-Dioulasso : les musulmans pour la repression legale de l'homosexualite." [Accessed 31 Mar. 2016] _____. 4 March 2015. Cheick Omar Traore. "Bobo-Dioulasso : des musulmans pour l'interdiction de l'homosexualite." [Accessed 26 Mar. 2016] Express du Faso. 11 November 2015. Adama Manakounou. "Situation nationale : le PAREN contre le rejet de ses quatre propositions de lois au CNT." [Accessed 13 Apr. 2016] Le Faso. 29 May 2015. Ousseni Bance. "Bobo : Des jeunes de Sikasso-Cira ont marche contre des personnes soupconnees d'homosexualite." [Accessed 31 Mar. 2016] Fasozine. 9 February 2015. "CNT : Le PAREN va proposer une loi contre l'homosexualite." [Accessed 26 Mar. 2016] Freedom House. 2015. "Burkina Faso." Freedom in the World 2015. [Accessed 10 Dec. 2015] L'Opinion. 16 to 22 September 2015. Drisa Kone. "Homosexualite au Burkina Faso. Les musulmans de l'Ouest proposent une loi pour l'interdire a jamais." [Accessed 31 Mar. 2016] Queer AfricanYouth Network (QAYN). July 2015. Il ne faut pas reveiller le lion qui dort : cartographie de la situation juridique des personnes LGBTQ en Afrique de l'ouest francophone. [Accessed 5 Apr. 2016] Le Quotidien. 8 June 2015. Salifou Ouedraogo. "Droits des homosexuels au Burkina Faso : la justice et le CNT reticents." [Accessed 26 Mar. 2016] Rodenbough, Philip P. July 2014. On Being LGBT in West Africa. Independent research report rche independante menee dans le cadre du Virtual Student Foreign Service Project of the United States Department of State. [Accessed 31 Mar. 2016] Sidwaya. 28 December 2015. Moussa Congo. "Homosexualite : dans la clandestinite avec les bannis du sexe." [Accessed 31 Mar. 2016] Sweden. 10 August 2015. Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida). "Embassies with Sida Staff." [Accessed 19 Apr. 2016] _____. September 2012. The Rights of LGBT Persons in Burkina Faso. [Accessed 26 Mar. 2016] United States (US). 25 June 2015. Department of State. " Burkina Faso." Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2014. [Accessed 26 Mar. 2016] Additional Sources Consulted Internet sites, including: 76 Crimes; ABYZ; Africa1.com; Africa Confidential; Africa Research Online; Afrique Actualite; Afro Sante LGBT; Amnesty International; Arc International; Association Lgbt Militante & Friendly, Poitou-Charentes; Burkina-Faso.ca; Columbia.edu; ecoi.net; Faso News; Faso Press; Federation internationale des ligues des droits de l'homme; Franciscan International; Gay Afrique; GayLawNet; GlobalGayz; The Guardian; Homophopie.org; Human Rights Watch; Human Rights Without Frontiers; nter-lgbt.org; Jeune Afrique; Lgbtnet.dk; Le Monde; Moussaweb; Mulabi.org; Omegabf.net; Ouaga.com; Passop.co.za; LePays.bf; Refugee Legal Aid Information; Slate Afrique; Spartacus International Gay Guide; United Nations - Refworld, Human Rights Council. Horrified shipwreck survivors watched as hundreds drowned Publisher UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Publication Date 2 May 2016 Cite as UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Horrified shipwreck survivors watched as hundreds drowned , 2 May 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5729ab004.html [accessed 24 October 2022] All Yasin Osman Ibrahim and his three-year-old son Abdulrahman could do was watch in horror as more than 500 migrants and refugees drowned two weeks ago, in one of the Mediterranean's worst shipwrecks in modern history. Clutching Abdulrahman to his chest, Yasin stood on the deck of a wooden boat as the sea swallowed hundreds aboard a sinking, overcrowded larger boat to which people smugglers were trying to transfer them. The screams were deafening. Almost no one could swim. Yasin, a 24-year-old Somali who had been living in a refugee camp in Yemen, searched desperately for his five relatives among the flailing people in the water. "We thought we would die, too," he said. "We thought, 'We are next'." Yasin lost four relatives that day: two female cousins, one male cousin, and a cousin's three-month-old daughter. Another cousin, 28-year-old Molid Osman Adam, managed to swim to Yasin's boat, where men pulled him aboard. Only 41 people survived: 23 Somalis, 11 Ethiopians, six Egyptians and one Sudanese. Yasin's son, Abdulrahman, was the only surviving child, and his cousin, Sowes Mohammed Dereye Mire, was one of three surviving women. For three days they drifted aimlessly with little food or water, praying for rescue. Finally, on April 16, a Philippine cargo ship rescued them off the Libyan coast and took them to the Greek port of Kalamata. They are now staying in an Athens hotel, where they receive legal aid and psychological support from UNHCR and its local partner, the Greek NGO Praksis. Several of the survivors have recounted to UNHCR their fight for survival at sea. Until last year, Yasin never gave much thought to life in Europe. He had already fled home once. He was studying information technology at university in Mogadishu when armed men killed his uncle in 2009. Afraid he would be killed, too, Yasin fled in a smugglers' boat across the Gulf of Aden to Yemen. For the next few years he lived in a refugee camp in Kharaz. Yemen itself descended into civil war, preventing aid groups from supplying the camp with food and services and Yasin could not bear to see his family starve. Two months ago, he said goodbye to his wife, Fatima, and three-year-old daughter, Maryam, and sailed with Abdulrahman and 38 other people back across the Gulf of Aden in a smugglers' boat. They crossed Sudan and Libya by car. Then they waited for three weeks in a house run by smugglers near Tobruk in eastern Libya until they were able to cross the Mediterranean Sea. "I came here to save my boy and his future, and the future of my wife and daughter," Yasin said. "I don't want my boy to ask me in 20 years, 'Father, why did you allow me to grow up as a refugee? Why didn't you ever try to take me out of here?' I want him to be like other children, to grow up in peace. I'm trying my best to save his life." Before dawn, Yasin and Abdulrahman crammed into a wooden boat with 200 other people. The smugglers charged each $1,800 in exchange for safe passage to Italy. For a full day all they saw before them was a fuzzy blue line where the sky met the sea. As night fell, they stopped beside the bigger boat. It creaked under the weight of about 300 migrants and refugees. Smugglers tied the two vessels together and made everyone transfer to the bigger boat. The passengers panicked and protested, but the smugglers insisted. One by one, they clung to the ropes, women and children first, each trying not to look down at the water. Suddenly, the bigger vessel began to tilt. "The captain in that boat, he shouted, 'Balance! Balance! The boat's going down! Balance! Balance!'" said. Muhidin Hussein Muhumed, a shipwreck survivor from Hargeisa, Somalia, who was traveling with his six brothers. Within three seconds, he said, the boat had turned over, plunging its passengers into the sea. Muhidin was still in the smaller boat, waiting to transfer. The captain screamed that the boat was going down and the people would be killed, Muhidin said. "And my brothers are saying, 'Help me!' But I can't do nothing for my brothers." "Why did I survive?" he added. "Why do I have my life? What is this life?" The captain started the engine and sped away while the 41 people aboard the smaller boat tried to save people in the water. Hours later, the captain called for help, but when another vessel arrived, he went aboard and left the 41 survivors to fend for themselves. For the next three days at sea, Muhidin thought of his wife and five children back home, all under age 10, as well as his dozens of nieces and nephews who were now fatherless after the deaths of his brothers. He said they had left Somalia together, because their children had never known a life without conflict. The hoped to build a new life in Europe, then bring their families to join them. Muhidin said he and other survivors stood on the deck, taking turns waving their shirts above their heads to get the attention of other passing ships, but none stopped. Another survivor, 25-year-old Muaz Mahmud from Ethiopia, recalled that the captain had thrown a satellite phone aboard before he abandoned them. On the screen was written a phone number of the Italian coast guard, he said. They called the number, and the coast guard explained how to find the boat's GPS coordinates. Hours later, they were rescued. Although relieved to be alive, the survivors were still reeling from the massive loss of life. "My wife and my baby, they died," says Muaz, who is now alone in Greece. "I couldn't do nothing. I couldn't save them because it was the middle of the ocean." Muaz said the family, members of Ethiopia's Oromo ethnic group, were seeking safety in Europe after Muaz himself was jailed and threatened by government officials. "If I go back to my country, they will kill me," he said. By Tania Karas, Athens Displaced villagers return home in Myanmar's Rakhine state Publisher UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Publication Date 2 May 2016 Cite as UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Displaced villagers return home in Myanmar's Rakhine state, 2 May 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5729ab754.html [accessed 24 October 2022] Being able to sit once more in a bright and airy room - and in her own home - makes a welcome change for Amina.* She and her family were among 145,000 people displaced during inter-communal violence in Myanmar's western Rakhine state four years ago. Around 20,000 homes were destroyed, Amina's among them. Last year she was among some 25,000 of the internally displaced people, or IDPs, who were able to leave their temporary shelters and rebuild their homes themselves - through a process led by the Myanmar Government. "I'm glad that we're living here now - this is a good house, much better than the temporary shelter," she said, sitting in her home on raised stilts near the sandy banks of one of the many rivers and waterways that weave their way through the coastal state, and flow on to the Bay of Bengal. During their displacement, Amina and her young family lived in a shared longhouse with seven other families. Cramped and often dark, the temporary shelters have a short lifespan and deteriorate over time, worsening conditions for its inhabitants. Most - like Amina, her husband Salim* and their four children - were able to return and rebuild in their places of origin, from where they had fled in 2012. Like other IDPs, the family had been supported with cash assistance to purchase the materials for the house. These returns and smaller number of relocations have taken place in Kyauktaw, Minbya, Mrauk-U, Pauktaw and Rathedaung townships. The number of IDPs in Rakhine, the vast majority of whom self-identify as Rohingya, now stands at approximately 120,000. Noting with approval the tall stilts that elevate their house several feet above the floodplain, Salim explained: "Even during the heavy flooding [last year], we were able to remain in our home. The waters came up quite high, but they did not reach us." Many parts of Rakhine state are prone to flooding. UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, and partner organizations have been monitoring and assessing the ongoing process. The agency has also been advocating with the Myanmar authorities to ensure that returns and any relocations are safe, dignified and voluntary. New sites should be viable and sustainable in terms of access to livelihoods and basic services. "We hope that these initial movements will be a first step towards ending displacement and enabling people to rebuild their lives and contribute once more to the social and economic life of their communities," said Giuseppe de Vincentiis, UNHCR's representative in Myanmar. "This would also enable the focus of assistance in these areas to shift towards early recovery, livelihoods and longer-term development support," he added. Aside from the continued displacement of some 120,000 people, there remain considerable challenges in Rakhine, where an estimated one million people are without citizenship. Rakhine is also one of the poorest states in Myanmar, and where poverty and under-development affect all communities. This situation was exacerbated after the violence in 2012, which led to ruptures in inter-communal social and economic links. Among the needs still to be addressed are those relating to lack of citizenship and associated restrictions such as that on freedom of movement, promoting peaceful co-existence and reconciliation between communities, and advancing socio-economic development and livelihood opportunities for all. By Kasita Rochanakorn in Minbya Township, Rakhine State, Myanmar *Names have been changed for protection reasons Slovakia receives 37 Somalis from camps in Eritrea Publisher UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Publication Date 2 May 2016 Cite as UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Slovakia receives 37 Somalis from camps in Eritrea, 2 May 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5729abcc4.html [accessed 24 October 2022] A group of 37 Somali refugees arrived in Slovakia from Eritrea on April 14 on their way for eventual resettlement in the United States, with the help of UNHCR, the Office of Refugee Affairs (ORA) and the International Organization of Migration (IOM). The group takes the total of Somali refugees relocated this year to 281. They include 132 to Australia, 58 to Slovakia and 54 to Canada. Among them were 52-year-old Shukri Abdi Quasim, his wife and four children, who fled to Eritrea 19 years ago from the town of Luuq, in the Somali province of Gedo, to escape ethnic and clan warfare. They had been living in refugee camps since their arrival. Shukri and his family were among the first Somalis to arrive in Eritrea the 1990s, most of them from southern Somalia. The family belongs to the Marehan sub-clan of the Darod clan. They spent the first three years in a refugee camp in the southern port of Assab and moved to Umkulu Refugee Camp on the outskirts of the coastal city of Massawa in 2000. They spent the next 16 years in Umkulu waiting for possible asylum. "Life wasn't easy as a refugee," Shukri said. "We were receiving the rations and all services from UNHCR and ORA, but we still went through difficult times." Despite this, Shukri said he became a camp leader in Umkulu and worked as a casual labourer in Massawa. Finding permanent solutions for the Somalis in Eritrea has been a priority for UNHCR, as has been improving conditions and promoting self-reliance in Umkulu Camp. Small-scale livelihood schemes have been implemented over the years to help sustain the refugees. Basic services provided are food, primary health care, education, water and sanitation. Livelihood projects have ranged from animal husbandry to small businesses, computer skills training and other small ventures. Shukri was first interviewed as a potential resettlement candidate in 2008. At the time, more than 3,400 refugees were assessed. They had been in the camp for more than 20 years on average.Shukri and his family were among the lucky few chosen for inclusion in the latest group for resettlement. All the families being resettled from Eritrea undergo cultural orientation classes in the camp before arriving in Asmara for departure. There they complete medical screening and emigration procedures. After receiving international travel documents provided by the International Committee of the Red Cross, Shukri and his family entered Slovakia with six-month visas issued by the Slovak embassy in Nairobi. They are awaiting a final interview with a U.S. consular official and further medical checks, before their destination in the United States is determined. Although their final destination was still uncertain, Shukri remained optimistic. "I am not afraid," he said. "I know that everything will be just fine." By Monica Modici in Asmara, Eritrea Security Council demands protection for hospitals and health workers in conflict zones Publisher UN News Service Publication Date 3 May 2016 Cite as UN News Service, Security Council demands protection for hospitals and health workers in conflict zones, 3 May 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5729ac4540c.html [accessed 24 October 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. 3 May 2016 - With increasing wartime assaults on and patterns of systematic destruction of health facilities in countries affected by conflict, the United Nations Security Council unanimously adopted a resolution today to strengthen protection for health care workers, the sick and wounded, hospitals and clinics, in war zones. Speaking to the 15-member body, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon reiterated that denying people access to essential health care is a serious violation of international humanitarian law. "All too often, attacks on health facilities and medical workers are not just isolated or incidental battlefield fallout, but rather the intended objective of the combatants. This is shameful and inexcusable," Mr. Ban told Council members. In Syria and elsewhere, he noted that Governments impose "cumbersome procedures" that restrict access to healthcare: "This is strangulation by red tape. It is violence by bureaucratic means rather than force of arms, but it is just as devastating," he said. The UN chief urged all Member States, parties to conflict and other relevant actors to heed the Council's demands by: Facilitating humanitarian access Developing domestic legal frameworks that protect health facilities and medical workers Training armed forces so they understand their obligations Prosecuting those responsible for such attacks and other violations Also in attendance at today's meeting were the leaders of two of the largest non-governmental organizations (NGOs) consistently working in conflict zones and disaster-hit regions providing health care to people in dire need. Mr. Ban told Peter Maurer, the President of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), and Dr. Joanne Liu, the International President of Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF), that their NGOs play "unique and vital roles." "Through their leaders here today, I want to thank and commend all of their personnel for their professionalism and dedication in serving people in danger and distress across the world," he said, recalling that last week, MSF's head of mission in war-ravaged Aleppo had underscored the urgency and importance of efforts such as today's resolution. Aleppo was recently hit by an air strike, which Mr. Ban said was "by all accounts by the Government of Syria." It destroyed a hospital and killed at least 20 people, including three children and the area's one and only paediatrician, Dr. Mohammad Wassim Maaz. "Yet this appalling act was only the latest wartime assault on health care in Syria," the UN chief warned. "Since the beginning of the conflict, Physicians for Human Rights has documented more than 360 attacks on some 250 medical facilities. More than 730 medical personnel have been killed." He added that a similar pattern of systematic destruction of health facilities is evident in Yemen, with more than 600 medical facilities having closed because of damage sustained in the conflict and shortages of supplies and medical workers. "Last year, the United Nations verified 59 attacks against 34 hospitals. In January this year, Coalition air strikes hit the Shiara Hospital, which serves around 120,000 people in Sa'ada Governorate," he said. "And last October in Kunduz, Afghanistan, a bombing by United States military destroyed another MSF hospital and killed dozens, as patients were burned alive in their beds." Mr. Ban went on to say that such patterns of destruction are repeated in other conflicts, including in Iraq and South Sudan, where violence against health care is multiplying the difficulties of already fragile health systems. "When so-called surgical strikes end up hitting surgical wards, something is deeply wrong," he said: stressing: "Explanations ring hollow to parents burying their children and communities pushed closer to collapse." Highlighting that wars and armed conflicts have evolved from open battlefields to urban areas, and from pistols to mass shelling and bombardments by air forces, ICRC's Peter Maurer said "the wounded and sick are not just those in uniforms." "Attacking a hospital, threatening a doctor, coercing a nurse to give preferential treatment to armed fighters, hijacking ambulances, using patients as human shields - these are not collateral damage. These are not sad realities we have to get used to. They are abominations to fight and trends to roll back," he said. Security Council unanimously adopts resolution on protecting health care in armed conflict. UN Photo/Evan Schneider Mr. Maurer commended the Security Council for passing the resolution, noting that it underlines "the importance of international humanitarian law, calling on States and all parties to armed conflict to comply with their obligations and develop effective measures to protect people's lives by preventing and addressing violence against medical personnel, facilities and transports, and humanitarian personnel exclusively engaged in medical duties." "This resolution marks a momentous step in the international community's efforts to draw attention to a problem that we otherwise risk getting used to through the sheer frequency of its occurrence," he added. Meanwhile, MSF's Joanne Liu told Council members that while the nature of warfare may have changed, the rules of war have not. "You are charged with protecting peace and security. Yet four of the five permanent members of this Council have to varying degrees, been associated with coalitions responsible for attacks on health structures over the last year. These include the NATO-led coalition in Afghanistan, the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen, the Russia-backed, Syrian-led coalition. You therefore must live up to your extraordinary responsibilities, and set an example for all States," she stated. "This resolution must lead to all states and non-state actors stopping the carnage. You must also pressure your allies to end attacks on healthcare and populations in conflict areas. We will not leave patients behind. And we will not be silent. Seeking or providing healthcare must not be a death sentence. You will be judged not on your words today, but on your actions. Your work has only begun. Make this resolution save lives," she concluded. In his address, the Secretary-General also reiterated that the World Humanitarian Summit, a two-day conference in Istanbul beginning on 23 May, is the moment to renew commitments to preventing and ending crisis, and that the engagement of all partners - Governments and NGOs - is necessary. "The success of the World Humanitarian Summit is in your hands," he stressed. Ban welcomes launch of UN inspection to facilitate flow of commercial goods to Yemen Publisher UN News Service Publication Date 3 May 2016 Cite as UN News Service, Ban welcomes launch of UN inspection to facilitate flow of commercial goods to Yemen, 3 May 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5729ac6f40b.html [accessed 24 October 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. 3 May 2016 - United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon welcomed yesterday's official launch of the operations of a UN inspection mechanism to facilitate the unimpeded flow of commercial goods and services to Yemen, while ensuring compliance with the arms embargo created by the Security Council, his spokesman said today. Mr. Ban notes that UN Verification and Inspection Mechanism (UNVIM) based in Djibouti should provide fast and impartial clearance services for shipping companies transporting commercial imports and bilateral assistance to Yemeni ports outside of the authority of the Yemeni Government, Spokesman Stephane Dujarric said. According to the Spokesperson, the Secretary-General further notes that the launch of UNVIM is part of broader efforts to bring relief to suffering Yemeni civilians, which he hopes will culminate in a negotiated political settlement between the Yemeni parties through UN-mediated talks under way in Kuwait. UN envoy 'cautiously hopeful' for re-launch of truce in Syria Publisher UN News Service Publication Date 3 May 2016 Cite as UN News Service, UN envoy 'cautiously hopeful' for re-launch of truce in Syria, 3 May 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5729ac8140b.html [accessed 24 October 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. 3 May 2016 - Following discussions in Moscow on the intra-Syria talks, the United Nations envoy facilitating the process has said that he is cautiously hopeful that the cessation of hostilities pact will be re-launched, "perhaps even later today." "Silence or non-silence - what the Syrians want to hear is no bombs, no rockets, no shelling, no aerial bombing anymore and no canisters, so they can start believing in what we are trying to do with them," said Staffan de Mistura, UN Special Envoy for Syria, at a joint press stakeout with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, Sergey Lavrov. Mr. de Mistura said that the main reason he travelled to Moscow was to be able to discuss with the Russian authorities the "urgent feeling that what has been so far achieved should not be wasted, and that we should be able, instead, to build on it and move forward." For this reason, the Special Envoy said, he had, in a briefing to the UN Security Council, drawn the attention of the main sponsors of the intra-Syrian talks - Russia and the United States - about the fact that the cessation of hostilities was in danger. The envoy recalled that the talks were "very proactive" in March, which he attributed to "a wind in the back of the intra-Syrian talks." He said that the discussions then were helped by a feeling that the cessation of hostilities and delivery of humanitarian aid were progressing, keeping in mind that the most important outcome was a political solution through a political transition. "These recent talks were, in a way, not helped by the news that we were getting," Mr. de Mistura said. "The cessation of hostilities was becoming more and more [fragile]. That's why we were still able to come up with some conclusions which, if you read them, are quite interesting, in the sense that they have been showing that there has been progress particularly in the first steps in what can be considered common lines on a political transition, which is the key of the future in Syria. Syrian-led but sponsored and supported by the international community." Since that time, however, the Special Envoy said that there was a sense that the cessation of hostilities was in danger. For this reason, the sense and hope that the parties "will be able, in a way, to re-implement and re-invigorate and re-launch the cessation of hostilities is crucial," the special envoy said. "And we all hope - and we have to be cautious - but we all hope that this indication, perhaps in the next few hours, will be able to have also a re-launch of the cessation of hostilities under whatever name we want to call it," Mr. de Mistura said. "If that takes place, then we are on the right track again, and we have been preparing for that," he added. A boy stands outside a building damaged during fighting in Aleppo City, Syria. Photo: OCHA/Gemma Connell Mr. de Mistura highlighted that the UN has been "very proud" to be able to quickly organize an Operations Centre, which he said is much more technically and technologically effective than what was in place in the past, with more staff from both the Russian and the United States sides. "Then the next steps are, of course, preparing for the [International Syria Support Group] ISSG, perhaps even a Security Council meeting reinforcing all this process and next the intra-Syrian talks, which obviously are the beginning of the end of the Syrian crisis, because the key word is political transition," the Special Envoy said. Yesterday, Mr. de Mistura met in Geneva with United States Secretary of State John Kerry and the two discussed the current situation on the ground and the need to bolster support for the cessation of hostilities. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called on the warring Syrian sides to immediately recommit to the cessation of hostilities and uphold their responsibility to protect civilians. "The Secretary-General is profoundly concerned about the dangerous escalation of fighting in and around Aleppo and the intolerable suffering, counted in mounting deaths and destruction, it is causing among civilians," UN Spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said in a statement. Noting the temporary re-launch of a cessation of hostilities in Damascus and Lattakiya governorates, the UN chief stressed the need to expand these arrangements to other parts of Syria, with a special urgency for Aleppo. Mr. Ban, according to the spokesman, also reiterated his call on all concerned regional and international actors, in particular, Russia and the United States, co-chairs of the International Syria Support Group (ISSG), which is supporting the current UN-mediated intra-Syrian talks, to redouble their efforts to help the warring parties put the truce back on track. The ISSG, which along with Russia and the US, comprises the UN, the Arab League, the European Union and 16 countries, has been seeking a path forward to end the Syrian crisis for the past several months. UN expert warns combat against violent extremism could be used as 'excuse' to curb free speech Publisher UN News Service Publication Date 3 May 2016 Cite as UN News Service, UN expert warns combat against violent extremism could be used as 'excuse' to curb free speech, 3 May 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5729ac9540d.html [accessed 24 October 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. 3 May 2016 - A United Nations human rights expert today signalled concern that efforts to counter "violent extremism" may be construed as the "perfect excuse" for democratic and authoritarian governments to restrict free expression and control access to information. "By 'balancing' freedom of expression and the prevention of violence, the programmes and initiatives aimed at countering 'violent extremism' have - often purposely, sometimes inadvertently - put at risk or curtailed the independence of media," said David Kaye, UN Special Rapporteur on freedom of expression, in a press release on World Press Freedom Day. While recognizing the important role that governments and non-State actors play in countering violence extremism (CVE) and its incitement, Mr. Kaye and his counterparts from the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights (ACHPR), the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) raised concerns in their annual Joint Declaration that programmes to prevent or and/combat violent extremism risk undermining freedom of expression. "So-called CVE or PVE programmes must be based on a legal framework and on evidence of their effectiveness and their necessity and proportionality to achieve legitimate objectives," Mr. Kaye stressed. The human rights expert noted that most relevant programmes fail to provide definitions for key terms, such as extremism or radicalization, pointing out that "in the absence of a clear definition, these terms can be used to restrict a wide range of lawful expression." "Some governments target journalists, bloggers, political dissidents, activists and human rights defenders as 'extremists' or 'terrorists,' criminalizing and detaining them, using legal systems to counter broad and unclear offences," Mr. Kaye warned. "The harm is felt not only by journalists but also by their audiences, the public that deserves the right to know and to access information of public interest." The Special Rapporteur also cautioned that CVE-inspired efforts - including content removal, surveillance, the blaming of security tools like encryption - risk undermining the potential of digital technologies to foster freedom of expression and access to information and to provide avenues for counter-speech. "Freedom of expression plays a critical role in promoting equality and in combating intolerance, and the role the media, the Internet and other digital technologies play in keeping society informed is essential," Mr. Kaye said. For the UN Special Rapporteur, "limiting the space for freedom of expression and restricting civic space advances the goals of those promoting, threatening and using terrorism and violence." The Joint Declaration on freedom of expression and countering violent extremism, by Mr. Kaye; Dunja Mijatovic, OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media; Edison Lanza, IACHR Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression; and Pansy Tlakula, ACHPR Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression and Access to Information is available here. Syria: UN chief calls on warring parties to put cessation of hostilities 'back on track' Publisher UN News Service Publication Date 2 May 2016 Cite as UN News Service, Syria: UN chief calls on warring parties to put cessation of hostilities 'back on track', 2 May 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5729acbc410.html [accessed 24 October 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. 2 May 2016 - United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called on the warring Syrian sides to immediately recommit to the cessation of hostilities and uphold their responsibility to protect civilians, his spokesman said today. "The Secretary-General is profoundly concerned about the dangerous escalation of fighting in and around Aleppo and the intolerable suffering, counted in mounting deaths and destruction, it is causing among civilians," UN Spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said in a statement. Noting the temporary re-launch of a cessation of hostilities in Damascus and Lattakiya governorates, the UN chief stressed the need to expand these arrangements to other parts of Syria, with a special urgency for Aleppo. Mr. Ban, according to the spokesman, also reiterated his call on all concerned regional and international actors, in particular, Russia and the United States, co-chairs of the International Syria Support Group (ISSG), which is supporting the current UN-mediated intra-Syrian talks, to redouble their efforts to help the warring parties put the truce back on track. The ISSG, which along with Russia and the US, is comprised of the United Nations, the Arab League, the European Union and 16 countries, has been seeking a path forward to end the Syrian crisis for the past several months. The cessation of hostilities has not only alleviated the plight of some of the Syrian people, but it is also vital to the overall process set up and sustained in Geneva by the ISSG, including the political transition process under the leadership of Staffan de Mistura, the UN Special Envoy for Syria. "The collapse of the cessation of hostilities will only bring more violence, death and destruction while further weakening efforts to find a negotiated solution to this brutal war," the statement said. In related news, at the daily press briefing at UN headquarters in new York, Mr. Dujarric noted that Mr. de Mistura has met with the US Secretary of State John Kerry in Geneva to talk about the current situation on the ground and the need to bolster support for the cessation of hostilities. United Nations Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura (second left) meets with John Kerry (left), Secretary of State of the United States of America, in Geneva. UN Photo/Jean-Marc Ferre He said that Mr. de Mistura also met with the Foreign Minister of Saudi Arabia, Adel al-Jubeir, and underlined the importance of the members of the ISSG assisting with the re-implementation of the cessation of hostilities. Mr. de Mistura is scheduled to travel to Moscow tonight where he will meet with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Russia, Sergey Lavrov, added the UN Spokesperson. Iraq: with hundreds killed in April, UN expresses deep concern at 'incessant violence' Publisher UN News Service Publication Date 2 May 2016 Related Document(s) UN Casualty Figures for Iraq for the Month of April 2016 Cite as UN News Service, Iraq: with hundreds killed in April, UN expresses deep concern at 'incessant violence', 2 May 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5729ace140b.html [accessed 24 October 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. 2 May 2016 - A total of 741 Iraqis were killed and another 1,374 were injured in acts of terrorism, violence and armed conflict in Iraq last month, according to casualty figures recorded by the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI). "It pains us to see the continuing bloodletting and loss of life, particularly among civilians who are paying a high price as a result of bombings and the armed clashes", said the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Iraq, Mr. Jan Kubis, stressing his deep concern at the incessant violence. "Terrorists have used suicide attacks to target cafes, places of worship, pilgrims and markets in a wicked, unrelenting campaign to cause maximum casualties and inflict untold suffering on the population", he added. Looking at civilian casualties, UNAMI indicated that 410 were killed and 973 were injured, while a total of 331 members of the Iraqi Security Forces (including Peshmerga, SWAT and militias fighting alongside the Iraqi Army but excluding Anbar Operations) were killed and 401 were injured. The overall casualty figures are down from the previous month of March, where a total of 1,119 were killed and 1,561 were injured. In April, Baghdad was the worst affected Governorate with 874 civilian casualties. UN Casualty Figures for Iraq for the Month of April 2016 Publisher UN Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) Publication Date 1 May 2016 Cite as UN Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI), UN Casualty Figures for Iraq for the Month of April 2016, 1 May 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5729ad464.html [accessed 24 October 2022] Baghdad, Iraq, 01 May 2016 - A total of 741 Iraqis were killed and another 1,374 were injured in acts of terrorism, violence and armed conflict in Iraq in April 2016*, according to casualty figures recorded by the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI). The number of civilians killed in April was 410 (including 11 federal police, Sahwa civil defence, Personal Security Details, facilities protection police, fire department), and the number of civilians injured was 973 (including 20 federal police, Sahwa civil defence, Personal Security Details, facilities protection police, fire department). A total of 331 members of the Iraqi Security Forces (including Peshmerga, SWAT and militias fighting alongside the Iraqi Army but excluding Anbar Operations) were killed and 401 were injured. The overall casualty figures are down from the previous month of March, where a total of 1,119 were killed and 1,561 were injured. The Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General (SRSG) for Iraq, Mr. Jan Kubis, expressed his deep concern at the incessant violence. "It pains us to see the continuing bloodletting and loss of life, particularly among civilians who are paying a high price as a result of bombings and the armed clashes", Mr. Kubis said. "Terrorists have used suicide attacks to target cafes, places of worship, pilgrims and markets in a wicked, unrelenting campaign to cause maximum casualties and inflict untold suffering on the population", he added. Baghdad was the worst affected Governorate with 874 civilian casualties (232 killed, 642 injured). Ninewa 72 killed and 30 injured, Salahadin 32 killed and 24 injured, Diyala 17 killed and 15 injured, while Kirkuk had 16 killed and 10 injured and Basra 08 killed and 16 injured. According to information obtained by UNAMI from the Health Directorate in Anbar, the Governorate suffered a total of 252 civilian casualties (27 killed and 225 injured). * CAVEATS: In general, UNAMI has been hindered in effectively verifying casualties in conflict areas. Figures for casualties from Anbar Governorate are provided by the Health Directorate and are noted below. Casualty figures obtained from the Anbar Health Directorate might not fully reflect the real number of casualties in those areas due to the increased volatility of the situation on the ground and the disruption of services. In some cases, UNAMI could only partially verify certain incidents. UNAMI has also received, without being able to verify, reports of large numbers of casualties along with unknown numbers of persons who have died from secondary effects of violence after having fled their homes due to exposure to the elements, lack of water, food, medicines and health care. For these reasons, the figures reported have to be considered as the absolute minimum. Iran is interested in shipping oil via the Odesa-Brody oil pipeline, Energy and Coal Industry Minister Ihor Nasalyk said at a government meeting on April 29. "Today at 08:00, at the request of the Iranian ambassador a diplomatic meeting took place... They expressed great interest in shipping Iranian oil via the Odesa-Brody pipeline as they believe it to be the best option in terms of logistics," Nasalyk said. According to the minister, the relevant contract may be signed within the next two months. Mexico: Trial of woman tortured to confess murder comes to a close as State Prosecutors prepare final arguments Publisher Amnesty International Publication Date 4 May 2016 Cite as Amnesty International, Mexico: Trial of woman tortured to confess murder comes to a close as State Prosecutors prepare final arguments, 4 May 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5729ade34.html [accessed 24 October 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. A woman who was tortured for 15 hours to confess to a crime and has been languishing in prison for nearly four years must be released without delay, said Amnesty International ahead of a key decision on the case. Yecenia Armenta Graciano was arrested in July 2012 by local police officers in the northern state of Sinaloa. She was raped, asphyxiated and hung from her feet upside down until she was forced to confess to murdering her husband. The only direct evidence presented against her was the statement obtained under torture. She has been in prison since then. The Sinaloa Attorney General has a deadline of 5 May to inform the judge in charge of the case whether he thinks Yecenia should be convicted or acquitted. This is the same authority responsible for the torture of Yecenia. "Yecenia is one of thousands of victims of Mexico's wicked judicial system, one that all too often relies on confessions extracted under torture and other ill-treatment to sentence people," said Erika Guevara-Rosas, Americas Director at Amnesty International. "This decision is a no-brainer. Yecenia must be released immediately and unconditionally and an urgent investigation must be launched to ensure those who abused her face justice. Failure to do so will perpetuate the chilling message that the police can torture anyone into confessing to a crime without any consequence." Copyright notice: Copyright Amnesty International Syria: UN Security Council must step up pressure to end attacks on hospitals as hundreds killed in Aleppo Publisher Amnesty International Publication Date 3 May 2016 Cite as Amnesty International, Syria: UN Security Council must step up pressure to end attacks on hospitals as hundreds killed in Aleppo, 3 May 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5729ae264.html [accessed 24 October 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. The UN Security Council should impose targeted sanctions on all those carrying out deliberate attacks on hospitals and other war crimes, said Amnesty International as it released harrowing testimony revealing how hundreds of civilians, including children, have been killed by intensified Syrian government air strikes since 21 April. The organization interviewed doctors and activists in Aleppo including several who were in the al-Quds civilian hospital when it was attacked on 27 April by the Syrian government. The eyewitnesses described terrible scenes of destruction, said that the hospital was well-known and clearly marked and that the nearest military installation was over a kilometre away. Al-Dabeet hospital, in the Syrian government-controlled al-Mohafaza area, catering for women and children was also damaged in a rocket attack today. It is unclear where the attack came from but media reports suggest it was from an armed group. A hospital employee told Amnesty International that four women were killed and several more injured when a rocket fell outside the hospital, destroying its emergency room. Following the al-Quds hospital attack, a field clinic in the al-Marji suburb of Aleppo in opposition held area was hit by a rocket on 29 April. Noone was injured as the clinic was closed at the time. "Nothing can justify deliberate attacks on hospitals carrying out their humanitarian function. These despicable strikes are the latest in a long bloody line of such attacks that are being carried out with impunity. They must be investigated and stopped," said Magdalena Mughrabi, interim Deputy Director of the Middle East and North Africa Programme at Amnesty International. "We have documented how Russian and Syrian government forces systematically targeted hospitals in opposition-controlled areas around Aleppo as a strategy of war. As the ceasefire unravels, such blatant breaches of international law must not be allowed to continue." One doctor who was working in al-Quds hospital when it was bombed told Amnesty International that the rocket hit the emergency room, killing 27 medical staff, workers and patients. He said there were more medical staff than usual in the emergency room because of the intensity of shelling in Aleppo that day and the high number of casualties brought in. Another doctor who was in the emergency room described the attack: "The rocket fell on the door, killing a guard and a medical worker. I did not hear the plane or the strike. I felt an explosion, electricity cut and I woke up with a buzzing sound in my ear. I couldn't see from the dust. I looked at the main emergency door but it was blocked by the destruction. It took me 30 seconds to realize what happened. I heard my colleagues screaming but I completely forgot what I was taught in medical school. At first I did not know how to respond. "I saw the general manager and another colleague on the ground screaming and injured. Another staff member had a broken leg. I saw two of the medical team dead, not moving. They were not only my colleagues but my friends as well. "We couldn't evacuate the injured from the door because it was blocked but the civil defence team managed to evacuate the injured. Civilians including children and women were killed in the hospital. They were waiting for their relatives in the emergency room." According to the Forensic Office in the opposition held part of Aleppo, airstrikes in the city between 21 April and 30 April killed a total of 193 civilians including 40 children and injured at least 398 civilians. One activist described a rocket strike on the al-Kalasse neighbourhood on 28 April: "I saw the bodies of a woman and her four daughters, the eldest was 15 years old, and her sister-in-law who were removed from under the rubble of a building that had completely collapsed. I also saw the bodies of a man and his two boys, 13 and 12 years old, removed from under the rubble from the second building. It was devastating. These are our neighbours who we see and talk to on the streets. They died in one minute." Activists told Amnesty International of about 25 civilians being killed when residential buildings were destroyed by intensified airstrikes in western Aleppo neighbourhoods such as al-Kalasse, Sukari, Ferdous and Bustan al Qasr on 29 April. Deliberate attacks on civilians not directly participating in hostilities and on civilian objects, including hospitals and other medical facilities, are serious violations of international humanitarian law (also known as the laws of war) and amount to war crimes. Under the laws of war, hospitals and medical units enjoy special protection. They only lose their protection from attacks if they are being used outside their humanitarian function to commit "acts harmful to the enemy" such as to store weapons. Amnesty International is calling for the international community to renew its efforts to pressure all parties to the conflict in Syria to stop targeting civilians in attacks that clearly constitute war crimes and crimes against humanity The UN Security council should impose targeted sanctions on parties to the conflict that violate Resolution 2254 which calls for an end to attacks against civilians and civilian objects including medical facilities. "It seems as though the tenuous grip that the international community had on this situation with the cessation of hostilities is now slipping out of reach. As the human toll of renewed war crimes continues to grow, so must the urgency with which the international community strives to end attacks on civilians," said Magdalena Mughrabi. Copyright notice: Copyright Amnesty International Iraq: More than 1,000 detained in shocking conditions at Anbar counter-terrorism centres Publisher Amnesty International Publication Date 3 May 2016 Cite as Amnesty International, Iraq: More than 1,000 detained in shocking conditions at Anbar counter-terrorism centres, 3 May 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5729ae834.html [accessed 24 October 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. More than 1,000 detainees, including some as young as 15, are being held without charge in horrendous conditions at makeshift holding centres in Anbar governorate, west of Baghdad, said Amnesty International today. A delegation led by the organization's Secretary General, Salil Shetty, gained access on 30 April to a centre run by Anbar's counter-terrorism agency (Mukafahat al-Irhab) in Ameriyat al-Fallujah, where 683 male detainees are held without charge. The detainees are cramped into several rooms within a complex of disused warehouses being used as a detention and interrogation facility. "The detainees are squeezed into a space of less than one square metre each, sitting in a crouching position day and night, unable to stretch or lie down to sleep and are rarely allowed outside for fresh air," said Salil Shetty. "It was a truly shocking sight - hundreds of human beings packed together like sardines in a tin and held in inhumane and degrading conditions for months on end." The detainees were plucked off the streets or taken from their homes when Iraqi forces recaptured their home towns, suspected of having collaborated with the armed group calling itself Islamic State (IS), often merely because they had remained in towns and villages under IS rule. None have been charged, even though weeks or months have passed since their arrest. Some told Amnesty International they had lost contact with their families as they fled clashes between IS and government forces. Members of the local counter-terrorism force holding the detainees told Amnesty International they lack the manpower to carry out investigations into their cases in a timely manner and the material resources to treat the detainees humanely. The horrific situation faced by these detainees is not an isolated case. Hundreds of other detainees are being held in similar conditions in another makeshift holding centre in nearby Habbaniya, according to the counter-terrorism force. "A lack of resources is no excuse - neither for such inhumane conditions nor for prolonged detention without charge, which is symptomatic of the deep flaws in Iraq's justice system. Those arrested on suspicion of links to IS must be either promptly charged with recognizable criminal offences and tried in fair proceedings or released," said Salil Shetty. "There is no doubt that Iraq is currently facing unprecedented security challenges, with deadly attacks against civilians being perpetrated by IS on a daily basis. However, that in no way exonerates the Iraqi authorities from their responsibility to protect the human rights of all Iraqis." Amnesty International has investigated and extensively documented the wide range of war crimes and crimes against humanity perpetrated by IS. Amnesty International also visited several camps housing thousands of internally displaced people in Ameriyat al-Fallujah, where families described their daily struggle to survive in dire conditions. Many had risked their lives to escape from areas under IS control only now to find themselves stranded in makeshift camps where there is little humanitarian aid, with shortages of basic necessities, including food and medicine, and conditions set to worsen with the onset of the summer heat. "Iraq is facing a displacement crisis on a staggering scale," said Salil Shetty. "The Iraqi authorities and the international community must urgently ensure protection and humanitarian assistance for displaced people, as well as allowing secure passage for them to safe areas." Copyright notice: Copyright Amnesty International Honduras: Lack of transparency in handling of Indigenous leader's murder puts enquiry in jeopardy Publisher Amnesty International Publication Date 2 May 2016 Cite as Amnesty International, Honduras: Lack of transparency in handling of Indigenous leader's murder puts enquiry in jeopardy, 2 May 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5729aec54.html [accessed 24 October 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. The arrest of four suspects in the murder of human rights defender Berta Caceres in Honduras raise a number of questions on how the investigation is being handled, said Amnesty International today after Berta's relatives claimed authorities have kept them in the dark regarding any developments in the case. "The blatant lack of transparency in the investigation into Berta Caceres' tragic murder, including the fact that her family has been systematically kept in the dark regarding any developments and the refusal to question high ranking officials is putting the whole investigation in jeopardy," said Erika Guevara-Rosas, Americas Director at Amnesty International. "Authorities must urgently inform Berta's relatives of the steps they are taking to find those responsible and ensure no stone is left unturned in this quest for justice. Anything less will send the message that human rights defenders can be killed and nothing will be done about it." Copyright notice: Copyright Amnesty International Kenya: Court to Hear Forced Anal Testing Case Publisher Human Rights Watch Publication Date 3 May 2016 Cite as Human Rights Watch, Kenya: Court to Hear Forced Anal Testing Case , 3 May 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5729afc54.html [accessed 24 October 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. In the case before the Mombasa high court, the two petitioners, both male adults identified in the petition only as C.O.I. and G.M.N., state that doctors at Mombasa's Coast General Provincial Hospital (also known as Madaraka Hospital), in collaboration with law enforcement officials, violated their rights by subjecting them to forced anal examinations, HIV tests, and other blood tests in February 2015, while they were in police custody on charges related to alleged homosexual conduct. Anal examinations are a discredited, 19th century method used by law enforcement officials to attempt to "prove" homosexuality in several countries around the world, Human Rights Watch said. "Anal examinations prove nothing, and they accomplish nothing, other than humiliating and demeaning people who are considered moral 'outcasts,'" said Neela Ghoshal, senior researcher on lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) rights at Human Rights Watch. "It's frankly shocking to see such archaic methods used in Kenya in the 21st century." Human Rights Watch has documented the use of forced anal examinations in eight countries since 2010: Cameroon, Egypt, Kenya, Lebanon, Tunisia, Turkmenistan, Uganda, and Zambia. These examinations usually involve doctors or other medical personnel inserting their fingers, and sometimes other objects, into the anus of the accused. In other cases, men are ordered to strip naked and bend over or lie down with their feet in stirrups while doctors "visually" examine their anal regions. Law enforcement officials and some medical personnel claim that by forcibly penetrating or otherwise examining the anuses of men accused of homosexuality, they can determine the tone of the anal sphincter or the shape of the anus and draw conclusions as to whether these men have engaged in homosexual conduct. The United Nations special rapporteur on torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment stated in a January report: "In States where homosexuality is criminalized, men suspected of same-sex conduct are subject to non-consensual anal examinations intended to obtain physical evidence of homosexuality, a practice that is medically worthless and amounts to torture or ill-treatment." Forced anal exams violate the Convention against Torture, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and the African Convention on Human and Peoples' Rights all treaties that Kenya has ratified, Human Rights Watch said. Under international law and Kenya's Sexual Offenses Act, if the exams involve any form of unwanted penetration, they constitute sexual assault and possibly rape. Human Rights Watch has interviewed forensic medicine specialists around the world who have confirmed that anal examinations are medically worthless. According to one doctor in Uganda who has conducted dozens of anal examinations: "If it is a case involving consenting adults, you can't tell much from examining them. The police bring them for exams because the neighbors are complaining that someone is homosexual, and the police become suspicious. They ask me to fill in the form, but it doesn't serve much purpose." The Independent Forensic Experts Group (IFEG) condemned anal examinations in a recent statement. "Anal examinations to 'detect homosexuality have no scientific value, are unethical, and constitute cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment and possibly torture," said Dr. Vincent Iacopino, medical director at Physicians for Human Rights and member of IFEG. "Sexual identity and orientation is not a disease or a crime and health professionals have no business diagnosing it or aiding State officials in policing and punishing people on the basis of their sexuality." In Lebanon, the Lebanese Order of Physicians issued a circular in 2012 prohibiting medical personnel from conducting anal examinations, which they described as a clear violation of medical ethics. The justice minister followed suit, calling on prosecutors to stop ordering anal exams on men accused of homosexuality. Although Human Rights Watch research has found that forced anal exams do occasionally still occur in Lebanon, the ban appears to have significantly diminished their frequency. "Governments in Kenya and around the world should take immediate steps to ban forced anal exams," Ghoshal said. "The men in the Mombasa case, and dozens of others around the world, should never have had to undergo such a humiliating and demeaning procedure, and governments should prevent this from happening to others in the future." Copyright notice: Copyright, Human Rights Watch Cambodia: Cease Campaign to Curtail Rights Monitoring Publisher Human Rights Watch Publication Date 3 May 2016 Cite as Human Rights Watch, Cambodia: Cease Campaign to Curtail Rights Monitoring, 3 May 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5729b0404.html [accessed 24 October 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. The Cambodian government's politically-motivated prosecutions of six human rights defenders are part of a campaign to curtail domestic and international human rights monitoring in Cambodia, Human Rights Watch said today. The cases, which show clear involvement by Prime Minister Hun Sen and the ruling Cambodian People's Party (CPP), target veteran professionals of the Cambodian Human Rights and Development Association (ADHOC) and the Cambodia Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (COHCHR). "No one should mistake these prosecutions for anything other than Prime Minister Hun Sen's effort to undo decades of work by Cambodian groups and the UN to promote the human rights of all Cambodians," said Brad Adams, Asia director. "To ensure the future of human rights work in Cambodia, donors and the UN as a whole should stand together against Cambodian government legal actions and other manoeuvers aimed to intimidate and clamp down on Cambodia's courageous human rights advocates." On May 2, 2016, an investigating judge of the Phnom Penh court filed charges of "bribery of a witness" against ADHOC staffers Nay Vanda, Ny Sokha, Yi Soksan, and Lim Mony. He also charged former ADHOC staffer Ny Chariya, now a deputy secretary-general of Cambodia's National Election Committee, and Son Saly of the COHCHR, with being accomplices. All except Son Saly had been in police custody since April 28, and the judge has ordered them detained pending further investigation and possible indictment for trial. An arrest warrant has been issued for Son Saly even though as a UN employee he enjoys immunity from legal action for conduct of his duties. In a speech on May 1, Prime Minister Hun Sen stated that Son Saly and others involved in bribing a witness would go to jail, and that Saly's immunity as a UN employee was irrelevant, proclaiming "even if there is immunity, jail is a must." "Bribery of a witness" is set out under article 548 of Cambodia's Criminal Code as "the direct or indirect giving of a gift, offer, promise, or interest to a witness in order (1) not to testify; (2) to provide false testimony." The offense is punishable by five to ten years' imprisonment. Alleged accomplices face the same punishment. The case arises out of ADHOC providing human rights advice and assistance to Khom Chandaraty, widely known as Srey Mom. She and her family approached ADHOC for help on March 9 after she was "invited" for questioning by the Counter-Terrorism Directorate of the government's Central Directorate for Security, which is headed by Lt. Gen. Dy Vicchea, a member of the CPP Central Committee and Hun Sen's son-in-law. The summons did not concern any alleged terrorist activity but asked Srey Mom to provide clarifications about a purported surreptitiously-made recording of a conversation between her and Kem Sokha, acting leader of the opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party. The recording supposedly demonstrated that she and Kem Sokha were involved in an extra-marital affair. On March 11, when questioned by counter-terrorism officers, she denied all allegations. On March 18, she received a second summons, this time from the Phnom Penh court prosecution, to reply to the accusation she had lied to the Counter-Terrorism unit and also allegations that her relationship with Kem Sokha was one of prostitution. Srey Mon continued to seek assistance from ADHOC. She said the tapes were faked, she had had no affair with Kem Sokha, was being intimidated by the authorities, and was suffering livelihood difficulties, according to records released by the group. As it routinely does for those approaching it as victims of government abuses, ADHOC in this instance provided Srey Mom with a small sum of money for expenses, including to help to allow her to attend court, and assigned a lawyer for her. On April 19, when she appeared with her lawyer before the prosecution, she reversed her denial of having an affair with Kem Sokha. On April 22, she issued an open letter alleging that the four ADHOC staffers and UN employee Son Saly had enticed her to lie to the authorities by sticking to her original story and suggested that she should leave Cambodia. On April 23, the Ministry of Justice, which has a controlling influence over the Cambodian judiciary, cited Srey Mom's letter and "condemned unreservedly the law-violating conduct" of ADHOC and COHCHR and called for "the competent authorities" to "take the most vigorous legal measures" against them. ADHOC publicly denied any wrongdoing and distributed internal records backing up its contention that it had acted entirely in accordance with legal and professional standards for human rights work. On April 25, the five current and former ADHOC staffers were summonsed to present themselves for questioning on April 27 and 28 by the government's Anti-Corruption Unit (ACU), which has judicial police authority to investigate allegations of bribing a witness. It is headed by CPP Central Committee member and long-term Hun Sen confidant Om Yentieng. On April 28, the ACU placed the five in custody, and on May 1, it brought them before the Phnom Penh court prosecution. While in ACU custody, they were not given access to legal counsel. Article 12 of the UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders provides that governments shall take all necessary measures to ensure the protection for human rights defenders against "any violence, threats, retaliation, de facto or de jure adverse discrimination, pressure or any other arbitrary actions" related to their efforts to protect and promote human rights and fundamental freedoms. The UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights has stated that the critical test for human right work worldwide is whether it is aimed at "acting in support of victims of human rights violations," including by providing those who may be victims of human rights violations with counselling and other assistance. "The human rights defenders aren't facing an independent, impartial court but a ruling party-controlled judiciary via which the prime minister is determined to send a message that no rights advocate is safe from politically-motivated prosecution," Adams said. "This is a situation that donors and the UN should publicly object to and resolutely reject." Copyright notice: Copyright, Human Rights Watch Nepal: Anti-Graft Body Should Follow Procedures Publisher Human Rights Watch Publication Date 3 May 2016 Cite as Human Rights Watch, Nepal: Anti-Graft Body Should Follow Procedures, 3 May 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5729b08d4.html [accessed 24 October 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. The Nepal government's Commission for the Investigation of the Abuse of Authority (CIAA) should scrupulously follow the order of the Supreme Court to abide by proper procedures while conducting its investigation into prominent journalist and activist Kanak Mani Dixit, Human Rights Watch said today. The Supreme Court ordered Dixit's release on May 2, 2016, after he was held for 10 days on an arrest warrant issued by the CIAA. The CIAA arrested Dixit on April 22, claiming that he had refused to cooperate with its investigation into possible corruption. Dixit provided evidence that he had responded to the CIAA. A special CIAA court on April 24 then remanded Dixit into judicial custody pending further investigation. While in custody, Dixit had serious health problems that required hospitalization. After his release, he was admitted to intensive care. "The Supreme Court's order to release Kanak Mani Dixit once again shows that the country's highest court stands as the last guardian against executive overreach and the breakdown of the rule of law," said Brad Adams, Asia director. "While the CIAA has every right to conduct its investigations independently, it must do so without abusing its own extraordinary authority, especially on detention, and comply with this directive from the country's highest court." Dixit is a longstanding critic of successive Nepali governments. He has advocated the cause of victims of Nepal's civil war, criticizing the government and political parties for failing to hold perpetrators of abuses accountable. Dixit is a key member of Accountability Watch Committee, a leading nongovernmental organization working to find justice for war crimes and related abuses. In 2006 Dixit was arrested by order of then-King Gyanendra for objecting to the king's unconstitutional usurpation of power and the suspension of Nepal's nascent democracy. Dixit has been under scrutiny by the CIAA for allegedly failing to report financial gains from Sajha Yatayat, a public transportation company. Following a series of CIAA investigations in 2015, Dixit filed a writ before the Supreme Court in December alleging systematic procedural violations by the CIAA in its investigation against him. The Supreme Court essentially upheld the motion and directed the CIAA to act strictly in accordance with its procedural mandate. In spite of this verdict, the CIAA arrested Dixit on April 22, claiming he had refused to cooperate with its investigations. Dixit has long claimed that the CIAA has targeted him for persecution and harassment because of his vocal opposition to the appointment of Lokman Singh Karki as CIAA chief commissioner. Dixit objected to Karki's appointment because of an indictment against Karki by an independent commission looking into alleged illegal government actions against protesters during the country's 2006 pro-democracy uprising. Dixit has played a leading role in South Asian journalism for decades. His arrest prompted calls for his release by leading members of the media and civil society in India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, the United States, and the United Kingdom. "The CIAA has an important job to do, but Nepali government authorities should be extremely careful not to take action that looks like retribution against critics," said Adams. "The CIAA should now meticulously ensure that due process of law is followed in this case." Copyright notice: Copyright, Human Rights Watch Kazakhstan: Grant Journalist Bail Publisher Human Rights Watch Publication Date 4 May 2016 Cite as Human Rights Watch, Kazakhstan: Grant Journalist Bail, 4 May 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5729b0e64.html [accessed 24 October 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. The prosecution of an independent journalist on charges of "disseminating false information" will commence before a court in Almaty, capital of Kazakhstan, on May 5, 2016, Human Rights Watch and the Norwegian Helsinki Committee said today. Authorities detained Guzyal Baidalinova, 47, a journalist and the owner of Nakanune.kz, an independent online news site, on December 23, 2015 as a suspect in the case, and have held her in pre-trial detention since her formal arrest three days later, despite multiple requests for bail. "Baidalinova shouldn't be in detention: she should be granted bail while she fights these dubious charges and she should have a fair trial," said Hugh Williamson, Europe and Central Asia director at Human Rights Watch. "Her pre-trial detention for alleged 'disseminating false information' has never been justified and has had a chilling effect on media freedom." In December, authorities opened a criminal investigation into allegations that KazKommertsBank, one of Kazakhstan's largest banks, had suffered damages in the amount of approximately $440,000 as a result of the publication of allegedly deliberately false information about the bank's activities on Nakanune.kz and Respublika-kaz.info, another independent news website. On December 18, the authorities executed search warrants of Baidalinova's apartment, the home of her colleague Yulia Kozlova, and the Nakanune.kz office, confiscating computers and other equipment. On December 26, Baidalinova was placed under arrest. According to a police statement issued on December 18, "the posted materials were clearly commissioned and contained deliberately false, and often provocative, information, without any concrete facts. The customer paid in cash for the media's actions, providing an informal channel of funding the media." In mid-December, the authorities also took action against Rafael Balgin and Makhambet Auezov, both journalists, and Tahir Kaldybaev, a Kazakh businessman, alleging that Kaldybaev colluded with Balgin, Auezov, Baidalinova and other persons whom the investigation has yet to identify to publish the false information. Balgin and Kaldybaev were placed under arrest. On January 11, Balgin was released on bail. Baidalinova had also requested bail, but despite multiple appeals between December and March 2016, the court has repeatedly denied her requests. On January 12, Auezov and Balgin held a news conference in Almaty. They claimed that they colluded with Baidalinova and the editor-in-chief of Respublika-kaz.info news portal, Irina Petrushova, who does not live in Kazakhstan, to publish false information at Kaldybaev's behest. They expressed guilt and remorse. Although they claimed they held the news conference of their own accord, its timing immediately after Balgin was freed raised concerns that authorities had pressured them to do so as a condition of Balgin's release. Baidalinova was not present or otherwise able to respond to these allegations and neither Auezov nor Balgin offered any material evidence of the alleged collusion to deliberately publish false information. As a result the news conference was prejudicial and may have undermined the impartiality of the investigation, Human Rights Watch and the Norwegian Helsinki Committee said. Baidalinova and her lawyer are subject to non-disclosure requirements as prescribed in Kazakhstan's criminal procedural code and as such, are barred from sharing information with third parties about the investigation. Little information is available to the public about the investigation and substance of the charges. "Arresting Baidalinova and imposing a gag order on her defense are disproportionate measures that appear aimed at silencing her rather than ensuring the integrity of the investigation," said Bjrn Engesland, Secretary General of the Norwegian Helsinki Committee. Authorities in Kazakhstan have long restricted freedom of speech and the media, and have actively shuttered independent and opposition media outlets in recent years, Human Rights Watch and the Norwegian Helsinki Committee said. Nor is this the first time that Baidalinova has been targeted by the authorities. In September, a court ordered Baidalinova to pay damages to KazKommertsBank in the amount of 20 million tenge (approximately $60,000) after she lost a defamation suit. International bodies, including the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Dunja Mijatovic, and the European Parliament, have expressed serious concern about restrictions on media freedoms in Kazakhstan. In a separate case, Kazakh authorities from the State Anti-Corruption Agency are investigating two other journalists Seitkazy Mataev, the head of the Kazakhstan Journalists' Union and chairman of the National Press Club, and his son, Aset Mataev, director of the KazTAG news agency on charges of embezzlement. Seitkazy Mataev is also under investigation for tax evasion. The National Press Club is seen as an important platform for a range of voices, including for government critics. Authorities placed Seitkazy Mataev under house arrest on January 22, while Aset Mataev was placed under house arrest on March 28. Their appeals to be released on bail have been denied by Almaty courts. The Mataevs and their lawyers are also subject to non-disclosure requirements in law. Local and international journalists and media watchdogs have expressed concern about the integrity of the State Anti-Corruption Agency's investigation. They have called on the Prosecutor General's office to take the investigation under its control, and ensure that both Mataevs are afforded their full due process rights, including the presumption of innocence. "Against the backdrop of long-standing concerns about respect for media freedom in Kazakhstan, authorities should do everything in their power to safeguard the rights of Baidalinova, and of the Mataevs," Engesland said. Copyright notice: Copyright, Human Rights Watch Syria: Disregard for Civilian Life in Hospital Attacks Publisher Human Rights Watch Publication Date 30 April 2016 Cite as Human Rights Watch, Syria: Disregard for Civilian Life in Hospital Attacks, 30 April 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5729b1314.html [accessed 24 October 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. Deadly airstrikes on a hospital and a clinic in Aleppo show a disregard for civilian life and may amount to war crimes. An airstrike on April 27, 2016, that hit al-Quds Hospital and surrounding areas, killed 58 civilians, including medical staff and many patients, according to the Syrian Civil Defense, an opposition search-and-rescue volunteer group. On April 29, another airstrike hit a clinic in the opposition-held al-Marja neighborhood, injuring 10 people, according to the Syrian Civil Defense. First responders reached by Human Rights Watch said they knew of no military objective close to the hospital or the clinic. "As the cease-fire frays, Syrian civilians are again paying the price in blood," said Philippe Bolopion, deputy director for global advocacy. "The UN Security Council should act immediately over the attack on al-Quds Hospital and demand an inquiry to determine who is responsible." The Russian government denied responsibility for the attack on al-Quds Hospital. The US State Department blamed the Syrian government. According to Bibars Mish'al, a first responder with the Aleppo branch of the Syrian Civil Defense, airstrikes struck al-Quds Hospital, which is supported by the humanitarian organization Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF), at 10 p.m. on April 27. There were no military targets in or around the medical facility at that time, Mish'al said. "It was such a painful sight," Mish'al told Human Rights Watch from inside Aleppo city. "We worked for 30 hours to get one small child out of the rubble. And people are still working to extricate others, even as the planes keep flying above our heads and firing." Video of the carnage at the Aleppo strikes shot by opposition journalists showed a man carrying a dead child with severe head wounds. The video showed people digging others out from under rubble and fires burning in nearby buildings. According to a statement by MSF and the International Committee of the Red Cross, al-Quds Hospital had eight beds in their pediatrics unit and was the main center for referrals for sick children in opposition-held Aleppo. The United Nations Security Council should immediately act in response to these attacks on medical facilities. Under international humanitarian law, medical facilities are afforded a special protection, while also retaining the general protections applied to civilians and civilian structures. The council should request that the UN secretary-general conduct an independent inquiry into the events within two weeks, identify who conducted the strikes, and evaluate the impact the attacks will have on access to health care in the area. Security Council Resolution 2254, adopted on December 18, 2015, called on all parties to the conflict in Syria to "immediately cease any attacks against civilians and civilian objects as such, including attacks against medical facilities and personnel, and any indiscriminate use of weapons, including through shelling and aerial bombardment." Armed groups in opposition areas were also responsible for the death of civilians in government-held Aleppo city as they shelled civilian neighborhoods. According to the Syrian state news agency SANA, 16 civilian worshippers were killed and 41 injured in armed group shelling on a mosque on April 29, during Friday prayers in Aleppo city. The Syria peace talks in Geneva have all but collapsed. The opposition's High Negotiations Committee suspended its participation on April 18, partly in protest over the renewed violence in Syria. Casualties had decreased since the cessation of hostilities was announced on February 26, but escalated again in the past two weeks. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported on April 30 a total of 244 civilians killed in Aleppo over eight days of airstrikes and shelling 140 of whom died because of airstrikes in opposition-held Aleppo including 19 children and 14 women. The group also said that 96 civilians, including 21 children and 13 women, were killed in government-held Aleppo from shelling by armed groups. The UN Security Council should impose an arms embargo that would suspend all military sales and assistance, including technical training and services, to all forces credibly implicated in serious violations in Syria, Human Rights Watch said. The council should also impose sanctions against officials from all sides who are shown to be implicated in the most serious abuses, and commit to a credible process to ensure criminal accountability for grave abuses by all sides. Human Rights Watch has repeatedly called on the Security Council to give the International Criminal Court a mandate in Syria. Deliberate or reckless attacks against civilians and civilian structures committed with criminal intent are war crimes. The laws of war require that the parties to a conflict take constant care during military operations to spare the civilian population and to "take all feasible precautions" to avoid or minimize the incidental loss of civilian life and damage to civilian objects. Like other civilian structures, hospitals may not be targeted. Furthermore, they remain protected unless they are "used to commit hostile acts" that are outside their humanitarian function. Even then, they are only subject to attack after a warning has been given setting a reasonable time limit, and after such a warning has gone unheeded. Copyright notice: Copyright, Human Rights Watch Egypt: Unshackle Workers' Right to Organize Publisher Human Rights Watch Publication Date 30 April 2016 Cite as Human Rights Watch, Egypt: Unshackle Workers' Right to Organize, 30 April 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5729b1854.html [accessed 24 October 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. The Egyptian government should legalize independent trade unions, Human Rights Watch said today, on International Workers' Day. Egypt should also end the decades-old single official union system and allow free and fair elections to union boards for the first time since the country's 2011 uprising. Egypt's 1976 Trade Union Law does not recognize any trade unions except the official government-controlled unions affiliated with the Egyptian Trade Union Federation (ETUF). Independent trade unions proliferated after the 2011 uprising, but the government has not officially recognized them, even though the 2014 constitution guarantees freedom of association. "Egypt's government is ignoring the basic right of workers to organize independently," said Nadim Houry, deputy Middle East and North Africa director. "The government seems intent on stifling the freedom Egypt's labor movement only gained after years of struggle that culminated in the 2011 uprising." The government has announced its intention to propose a new trade union law, but no final draft has been made public. The failure of successive governments to amend the Trade Union Law, as well as recent decisions by the cabinet and Interior Ministry to stop dealing with the de-facto independent unions, have led labor activists to fear that labor rights gains since 2011 are facing erosion. According to activists, once Manpower Minister Gamal Sorour took office in September 2015, no new independent unions have been able to register. Activists also expressed fears that members of independent unions might face prosecution after an official newspaper on April 17, 2016, said that an investigation is being conducted that could lead to charges against leaders and members of these unions. On April 8, the director general of the International Labour Organization (ILO), Guy Ryder, condemned Egypt's refusal to recognize independent unions and said that its refusal "prohibits collective bargaining and exposes union leaders to the risk of dismissal and arrest." Ryder also asked the Egyptian government to "expeditiously clarify all the facts" surrounding the death of Giulio Regeni, an Italian PhD student who researched independent unions and other workers' issues in Egypt. Regeni was found dead on February 4, 2016, after last being seen in Cairo on January 25, amid a heavy police presence accompanying the fifth anniversary of the 2011 uprising against former President Hosni Mubarak. On March 1, 2016, local news websites reported that the Interior Ministry had issued an internal decision to no longer accept documents stamped by independent unions. The ministry stated that the decision came after recommendations from its National Security Agency. On March 8, lawyers for the General Union for Professionals, Technicians and Artisans filed a lawsuit challenging the decision. The Center for Trade Union and Workers' Services (CTUWS), one of Egypt's oldest independent groups advocating workers' rights, said the prime minister issued a memo in November 2015, ordering ministries to cooperate only with the Egyptian Trade Union Federation. The directive stated that this was meant to help take action "against independent unions and instigators," the center said. Kamal Abbas, the head of the center and a member of the National Council for Human Rights, told Human Rights Watch that the Interior Ministry's March 1 decision was unconstitutional. He said that workers need a stamped document from their union to be able to obtain various government documents and that this decision would force workers to belong to an official union. Egypt's 2014 constitution states in article 13 that the government "shall protect workers' rights and strive to build balanced work relationships between both parties to the production process. It shall ensure means for collective negotiations." Article 76 guarantees the right to form independent syndicates and unions. Egypt is a state party to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, which establishes the right to strike as well as the right to form and join trade unions and national and international confederations. Egypt is also a member of the ILO and has ratified all of its eight fundamental conventions, including convention 87 of 1948 on freedom of association and convention 98 of 1949 on the right to organize. Convention 87 states that workers have the right to establish and, subject only to the rules of the organization concerned, to join organizations of their own choosing without previous authorization. "Protecting workers' rights to independently organize is a basic right, not a luxury," Houry said. "Egypt needs economic development for all, but such development doesn't come with oppressing workers." Developments Concerning Trade Unions Egypt created the Egyptian Trade Union Federation, a government-controlled trade union framework, in the 1950s as an extension of the state. Between 2008 and the 2011 uprising, workers tried to establish independent trade unions, but the Manpower Ministry rejected their articles of association. Independent unions proliferated after the January 2011 uprising. Ahmed al-Borie, who was appointed as manpower minister in 2011, presented the "Declaration of Union Freedoms" in March 2011, which was meant to pave the way to remove legal restrictions on workers' right to organize. After al-Borie's declaration, the independent unions gained partial government recognition, which allowed them to register. Al-Borie also prepared a draft law that labor activists described as the most progressive of those proposed since January 2011. Successive governments prepared at least two other draft laws since then but none was adopted. Human Rights Watch received a copy of the latest available draft trade union law that the government prepared under former Manpower Minister Nahed al-Ashry between 2014 and 2015. The draft law would end the single union system but restrict organizations' rights in other ways, such as punishing with prison time those who establish unions without approval. The governments' and parliaments' failure to amend restrictive laws made it easy for the authorities to increasingly erode these limited concessions. For example, independent unions that were able to register cannot deduct dues from members' salaries, and their members have not usually been allowed to serve as workers' representatives on national councils or in negotiations with business owners. The 1976 Trade Union Law permits only officially recognized unions to operate. The law established the trade union federation, a single pyramidal government-controlled entity with 24 officially recognized general unions. The law originally established 21 general unions and gave the government and the federation absolute control over the establishment of new unions. Since its issuance, the federation has approved only three more unions, the most recent of which was the Tax, Customs and Finance General Union in 2010. According to activists, its establishment was a step to undermine anti-government mobilization, including large sit-ins, organized by workers who had been trying to establish an independent union for Real Estate Tax Authority workers. The government dissolved the boards of the federation and several official unions in August 2011, following multiple court decisions ruling the previous board elections, in 2006, illegal based on a lack of judicial supervision. But successive Egyptian governments have not allowed new elections and have kept in place unelected boards appointed by various manpower ministers. In November 2012, then-President Mohamed Morsy, who was ousted by the military in July 2013, postponed federation and general unions' elections for six months, ordered the retirement of union leaders over age 60, and gave the manpower minister the authority to choose new leaders for the vacated or otherwise unoccupied seats. On May 30, 2013, Morsy decreed a one-year extension of the appointed leadership. In May 2015, President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi postponed the union board elections again and extended the current boards' term for one year. Following Morsy's removal by the military, the authorities found themselves with more leeway to crack down on independent unions amid a broader stifling of dissent, said a workers' rights researcher at the Egyptian Center for Social and Economic Rights, an independent group. On February 4, 2016, Gamal Sorour, who was appointed manpower minister after al-Ashry, said in an interview with the privately owned newspaper al-Masry al-Youm that he would draft a new trade union law that would not recognize independent unions. Sorour was replaced by Mohamed Safaan, a federation board member, in a cabinet reshuffle on March 23. Safaan then declined to meet with a delegation representing independent unions, said Abbas, the Center for Trade Union and Workers' Services head. Safaan said that he could "only meet with them as individual workers but not as representatives of entities that he did not acknowledge," Abbas told Human Rights Watch. The privately owned newspaper el-Watan reported on February 11, that the head of the federation, Gebaly al-Maraghy, who is also a member of parliament, said that a federation "legislative committee" had prepared a new draft law that would dissolve all independent unions and sent it to the government, which would send it to parliament in "a matter of weeks." On April 23, al- Maraghy was elected head of parliament's Manpower Committee. Federation board members, including al-Maraghy, have spoken publicly against independent unions and opposed legalizing them, saying it would harm the economy and foster instability. Recently, the head of the official Union of Tax, Finance and Customs Workers, an affiliate of the federation, filed suit before the Administrative Court, which rules on the legality of government actions, demanding the dissolution of independent unions. The court said it would issue its verdict on June 26. Abbas said he believes the government's escalation might include arrests and prosecutions. The government-owned newspaper al-Ahram reported on April 17, that the Social Solidarity and Manpower Ministries were looking into the funds of independent unions after "monitoring communications between theses unions and foreign international organizations aiming at instigating workers' protests." Copyright notice: Copyright, Human Rights Watch Deputy Prime Minister and Economic Development and Trade Minister of Ukraine Stepan Kubiv and Deputy Prime Minister and Economy Minister of Moldova Oktavian Kalmyk have agreed that they will discuss the problem of trade restrictions. "We've agreed that in coming days Ukrainian and Moldovan experts will meet for consultations on trade between the two countries and settling the problems we have today," Kubiv wrote on his Facebook page late on April 29. He also said that Ukraine and Moldova enjoy friendly relations, including in the trade and economic areas. "Ukraine has always supported Moldova on the international stage and received the same support from Moldova," Kubiv said. Ukraine has urged Moldova to hold the talks on the trade restrictions on Ukrainian goods, and in the case of their failure has promised to introduce similar measures against Moldovan goods, Kubiv said earlier. He said that the document on the introduction of trade restrictions by Moldova comes into force on the date of its publication and will be valid until the end of 2016. Kubiv also said that the document has not been published so far. Philippines: Candidates' Views on Rights in Spotlight Publisher Human Rights Watch Publication Date 1 May 2016 Cite as Human Rights Watch, Philippines: Candidates' Views on Rights in Spotlight, 1 May 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5729b1ec4.html [accessed 24 October 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. Update 5/2/2016: Senator Grace Poe's campaign submitted her completed questionnaire after the publication of this news release on May 2, 2016. The attached document has been updated to include her responses. (Manila) Three of the five presidential candidates in the Philippines Grace Poe, Mar Roxas, and Miriam Defensor Santiago responded to a questionnaire on key human rights issues facing the country, Human Rights Watch said today in releasing the responses. Topics covered include accountability for abuses by state security forces, ending torture, indigenous peoples' rights, killings of journalists, HIV/AIDS, and internal displacement. The presidential election is scheduled for May 9, 2016. All candidates should take a stand on human rights in the campaign's remaining days. "Human rights are critically important in the Philippines so it's important to learn what the candidates have to say about them," said Brad Adams, Asia director. "The candidates who responded to the questionnaire are helping Filipino voters better understand the country's problems, and the steps that can be taken to address them." Human Rights Watch sent the human rights questionnaire to all five presidential campaigns on March 21 and sought responses by April 15, a deadline that was extended to April 21. The questionnaire contained 10 questions. The campaigns of Roxas and Santiago submitted completed questionnaires by April 15. Senator Poe's campaign submitted a completed questionnaire on May 2. No response was received from the remaining two candidates: Jejomar Binay and Rodrigo Duterte. "Human rights and justice go to the heart of how a government should be run," said Adams. Human rights have not figured prominently in the media coverage of the campaign or in two of the three presidential debates held so far. Much of the discussion thus far has focused on allegations that Duterte, as mayor of Davao City, was complicit in the operations of the so-called Davao Death Squad, which is linked to hundreds of killings of suspected criminals. Term limits in the Philippine constitution bar the current president, Benigno Aquino III, from re-election. Aquino has presided over some positive developments on human rights, such as the passage of a reproductive health law. However, impunity persists for extrajudicial killings and torture linked to elements of the military and the police. Killings of journalists continue. Indigenous peoples and other marginalized groups forced to flee their homes because of fighting between government forces and insurgent groups have received inadequate assistance. "The presidential candidates should make their positions and plans for protecting human rights clear," Adams said. "Filipino voters should go to the polls with full knowledge of their prospective leaders' positions on these life-and-death issues." Copyright notice: Copyright, Human Rights Watch Iraq: Al Jazeera Closure a Blow to Free Speech Publisher Human Rights Watch Publication Date 2 May 2016 Cite as Human Rights Watch, Iraq: Al Jazeera Closure a Blow to Free Speech, 2 May 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5729b2764.html [accessed 24 October 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. The closure of Al Jazeera's Baghdad bureau by the Iraqi Communications and Media Commission is nothing but an effort to clamp down on freedom of expression. The commission should promptly reverse its decision and allow the bureau to operate freely in accordance with international standards on freedom of the media and free speech, the organization said. The commission, in a letter to the bureau, accused Al Jazeera of "incit[ing] sectarianism and violence." The station's Baghdad bureau chief, Waleed Ibrahim, said that commission officials later told him the order stemmed from their displeasure with the editorial policies of Al Jazeera's headquarters in Qatar. Iraqi authorities should immediately allow Al Jazeera to resume its work, or spell out exactly how and when the station incited violence, Human Rights Watch said. "Iraqis have a right to hear a variety of perspectives on current events," said Joe Stork, deputy Middle East director at Human Rights Watch. "Closing down a prominent international network on the basis of vague and unsubstantiated allegations smacks of political motivation to shut out uncomfortable criticism, and it's an action that should be immediately reversed." Ibrahim told Human Rights Watch that the commission's executive board called him into a meeting on February 21, 2016. At the meeting, he said, the board members accused Al Jazeera's headquarters in Doha of being sectarian and encouraging what they said were "violations" in its Iraq coverage. Ibrahim said he refused to sign a letter that he agreed with the allegations, "but also explained that I do not have any control over the content coming out of Doha, only out of Baghdad." He said that the commission officials confirmed in that meeting that they had no issue with the Baghdad bureau's coverage, but threatened that they would shut down the office to send a message to Al Jazeera's Doha headquarters. Ziad Ajili, executive director of the Journalistic Freedoms Observatory in Iraq, told Human Rights Watch that he subsequently tried to contact other government officials to urge them, without success, not to go ahead with the closure order. On April 25, Ibrahim said, his office received a letter from the media commission dated April 14, saying that it had decided to withdraw Al Jazeera's work permit for 2016, and close the office for one year. The letter, which Human Rights Watch has seen, stated that this decision was based on "your continuous violations and offenses and going too far with your media rhetoric that incites sectarianism and violence, and after using all legal means to have you redress your status - despite repeated demands to that effect - and giving you the chance to improve your media rhetoric in compliance with professional codes." This is not the first time the commission has suspended Al Jazeera's operating license. In 2013, it suspended the licenses of Al Jazeera and nine other channels, alleging they were reporting with a sectarian tone and promoting unnamed terrorist organizations in their coverage of Sunni demonstrations against the government. The United States-led Coalition Provisional Authority established the media commission in March 2004, following the overthrow of the government of Saddam Hussein. CPA Order Number 65 allows for commission decisions to be appealed through a hearing before an independent appeals board. Ibrahim told Human Rights Watch that he did not know yet whether they would appeal, and is skeptical that invoking this procedure would lead to the decision being overturned. "Even if we can get a court to confirm this decision is unlawful, given our experience with the CMC I highly doubt we will get anywhere," he said. "This is not the first time they have gone after us, and I strongly believe that this is a politically motivated decision." On March 16, the commission shut down the Cairo-based, privately owned Al Baghdadia TV. The Interior Ministry issued a statement the next day stating the station was operating illegally and without a license. Najm al-Rubai`i, the director of the station, told Human Rights Watch that a man claiming to represent the commission came to the station offices in Baghdad on March 16, without prior notice and without any official paperwork, and said the station was being closed based on the basis of a 2014 decision by former Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki. In 2014, authorities had closed the station for almost a year. It was allowed to reopen after Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi ordered the withdrawal of all government lawsuits against journalists and media outlets in December 2014. On March 20, al-Abadi told Human Rights Watch that the closure of Al Baghdadia was due to the channel's "incitement," referring to its coverage of the threat of hundreds of thousands of demonstrators breaking into the heavily fortified International Zone housing government institutions and foreign missions. Human Rights Watch has previously raised concerns over the media commission's "mandatory" guidelines, passed in June 2014, which unjustifiably restrict media freedom. The guidelines demand that media avoid making information about insurgent forces public and requires them to report on government forces only in favorable terms. Article 1 forbids media from broadcasting or publishing material that "may be interpreted as being against the security forces" and instead insists that they "focus on the security achievements of the armed forces, by repetition throughout the day." This includes "praising the heroic acts of security personnel." Reporters Without Borders ranked Iraq 153 out of 180 for 2016, in terms of safety for news media staff, stating that armed clashes and politically motivated violence made it one of the world's most dangerous countries for journalists. The organization also noted that "the government often closes down media outlets on the grounds that they are 'sectarian' or 'not neutral.' "The media in Iraq need protection from threats and political interference, not official muzzling," Stork said. "The commission should demonstrate it understands its role in ensuring respect for free speech and reverse its decisions with respect to Al Jazeera and Al Baghdadia." Copyright notice: Copyright, Human Rights Watch Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. Egypt: Detained for Protesting Jail Conditions Publisher Human Rights Watch Publication Date 3 May 2016 Cite as Human Rights Watch, Egypt: Detained for Protesting Jail Conditions, 3 May 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5729b3154.html [accessed 24 October 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. The Egyptian authorities should release a doctor who advocated better detention conditions and two roommates arrested with him. Their arrest and detention appear to be solely related to the doctor's research and past political activism. Police raided Dr. Taher Mokhtar's apartment on January 14, 2016, and seized electronic devices and papers containing "allegations against the current government" and "provocative, inciteful slogans against the state," according to investigation notes seen by Human Rights Watch. A lawyer for Mokhtar and the other two men, Ahmad Hassan and Hossam al-Din Hamad, said police seized reports that Mokhtar had made about detention conditions. "The Egyptian authorities seem to view all criticism as dangerous criminal insubordination," said Nadim Houry, deputy Middle East and North Africa director. "Instead of arresting people like Dr. Mokhtar, Egyptian authorities should be working to improve conditions for prisoners." All three have since been held in temporary detention pending their investigation on allegations of planning violent protests to overthrow the government and "intimidate and terrorize citizens." The allegations appear to stem from Mokhtar's political activism - including organizing doctors' strikes and protesting for police accountability - and his work documenting medical neglect in Egypt's detention facilities. Based on the investigation notes, the police appeared to have seized no evidence from the apartment aside from the materials that allegedly contained anti-government writing. Given that they appear to be relying on his written criticism of the government rather than any evidence of planning violence, prosecutors should drop the charges and free Mokhtar, Hassan, and Hamad, Human Rights Watch said. The raid occurred during a widespread security sweep of downtown Cairo ahead of the fifth anniversary of Egypt's January 25, 2011 uprising. During the sweep, police conducted mass searches of apartments, media reports said. One official at the Interior Ministry's National Security branch told Reuters at the time: "We have taken several measures to ensure activists don't have breathing space and are unable to gather, and several cafes and other meeting places have been closed, while some have been arrested in order to scare the rest." National Security agents received information from "trusted confidential sources" that Mokhtar's apartment served as a headquarters for a group of "agents provocateur" who were planning violent demonstrations to bring down the government, said the investigation notes prepared by Captain Ahmed Taha Zahed, a National Security agent. Captain Zahed wrote that he had obtained permission for the raid from the Supreme State Security Prosecution. Mokhtar, a member of the Rights and Freedoms Committee of the Doctors Syndicate, had previously helped organize doctors' strikes for better working conditions and had protested to seek accountability for police officers who beat to death Khaled Said, an Alexandria resident, in 2010, an incident that helped spark Egypt's 2011 uprising. The committee had asked Mokhtar to investigate prisoners' health conditions in detention facilities. Among the reports found in his apartment were those published by a campaign called "Medical Neglect in Places of Detention is a Crime," to which Mokhtar has contributed. Hassan, one of the roommates, is a fourth-year law student at Beni Suef University, and Hamad, the other, is a mechanical engineering student at October 6th University. An ongoing campaign of mass arrests by the authorities since the 2013 removal of Mohamed Morsy, Egypt's first freely elected president, has pushed Egypt's prisons to 160 percent of their capacity and lockups in police stations to 300 percent of their capacity, according to a May 2015 annual report by the quasi-governmental National Council for Human Rights. That surge in detentions created unsafe, overcrowded conditions and was followed by a rise in deaths in custody. One of the defense lawyers for the men told Human Rights Watch that the police had not presented a search warrant during the raid on Dr. Mokhtar's apartment and only provided one later to the defense lawyers. They said that they believed the police had backdated the warrant, but could not prove it. A defense lawyer said that the police took the three men to Cairo's Abdeen Police Station for interrogation without informing them of the charges against them. He told Human Rights Watch that police kept the lawyers in a front room of the police station and prevented them from being present at the start of the interrogation. On January 17, 2016, the Abdeen Minor Offenses Court ordered Mokhtar and the others detained for 15 days pending investigation and renewed their 15-day detention orders again on January 31 and February 14. On March 2, the court ordered their detention renewed for 45 days, and on March 23, it rejected an appeal by Mokhtar's lawyers seeking his release. On April 16, the court again renewed the three men's 45-day temporary detention order. Prosecutors have yet to decide whether to refer the three men to court, but in the years since Morsy's ouster, the authorities have held thousands of people long periods of pretrial detention, sometimes exceeding the two-year limit on pretrial detention mandated by law. The three are being held in Cairo's Tora Prison. Friends of Hassan told Human Rights Watch that the authorities have placed Mokhtar in a cell with other men, while Hassan and Hamad remain together with other detainees. When Mokhtar asked why he was not in the same cell as Hassan and Hamad, guards beat him, a friend said. Mokhtar's defense lawyer confirmed that guards had beaten Mokhtar. The arrests appeared to have violated article 139 of Egypt's criminal procedure code, which states that "any person arrested or placed in temporary detention shall immediately be informed of the reasons thereof." Article 6 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights, to which Egypt is a party, prohibits arbitrary detention. The charter also states that "every individual shall have the right to express and disseminate his opinions." Article 9 of the United Nations International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), to which Egypt is also party, states that "anyone who is arrested shall be informed, at the time of arrest, of the reasons for his arrest and shall be promptly informed of any charges against him." "Doctors and activists seeking to secure basic rights are not a threat to Egypt's national security," Houry said. "The authorities should release anyone being held for exercising their rights, especially people like Dr. Mokhtar and his roommates, who risk spending months or years in pretrial detention." Copyright notice: Copyright, Human Rights Watch Senegal: Hissene Habre Verdict Scheduled May 30 Publisher Human Rights Watch Publication Date 3 May 2016 Cite as Human Rights Watch, Senegal: Hissene Habre Verdict Scheduled May 30, 3 May 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5729b3544.html [accessed 24 October 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. Human Rights Watch on May 3, 2016, issued an updated question-and-answer document about the trial in Senegal of the former Chadian dictator Hissene Habre. A verdict is scheduled for May 30, based on an announcement by the court at the end of the trial on February 11. "The trial of Hissene Habre shows that it is possible for victims, with tenacity and perseverance, to bring a dictator to court," said Reed Brody, counsel at Human Rights Watch who has worked with the survivors since 1999. Habre faces charges of crimes against humanity, torture, and war crimes before the Extraordinary African Chambers in the Senegal court system. The chambers were inaugurated by Senegal and the African Union in February 2013, to prosecute the "person or persons" most responsible for international crimes committed in Chad between 1982 and 1990, the period when Habre ruled Chad. The president of the Trial Chamber is Gberdao Gustave Kam of Burkina Faso. Habre's trial, which began on July 20, 2015, was the first in the world in which the courts of one country prosecuted the former ruler of another for alleged human rights crimes. It was also the first universal jurisdiction case to proceed to trial in Africa. Universal jurisdiction is a legal basis in international law that allows national courts to prosecute the most serious crimes even when committed abroad, by a foreigner and against foreign victims. The question-and-answer document includes information about the history of the case and details about the trial and the Extraordinary African Chambers. Habre is accused of thousands of political killings and systematic torture during his rule, from 1982 to 1990, when he was deposed by the current president, Idriss Deby Itno, and fled to Senegal. After a 22-year campaign by his victims, the chambers indicted Habre in July 2013 and placed him in pretrial custody. After a 19-month investigation, judges of the Extraordinary African Chambers found that there was sufficient evidence for Habre to face trial on charges of crimes against humanity, torture, and war crimes. Copyright notice: Copyright, Human Rights Watch Iran: Flawed Convictions for Journalists Publisher Human Rights Watch Publication Date 3 May 2016 Cite as Human Rights Watch, Iran: Flawed Convictions for Journalists, 3 May 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5729b3a34.html [accessed 24 October 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. An Iranian court convicted three journalists and a family member of another journalist on April 25, 2016 on vague national security charges. The four, along with a fifth journalist, have been detained since November, 2015. The authorities should quash their convictions and release them. The revolutionary court sentenced the journalists, Afarin Chitsaz, Ehsan Mazandarani, and Saman Safarzaei, to terms of ten, seven, and five years respectively, and Davoud Assadi, the brother of Houshang Assadi, a journalist who lives in France, to five years. The trial of the fourth journalist, Isa Saharkhiz, who is hospitalized, was postponed. The five appear to have been prosecuted on overly broad charges that are inconsistent with human rights law, including charges of insulting the Supreme Leader, Human Rights Watch said. "It seems these journalists have done nothing other than exercise their right to free speech," said Sarah Leah Whitson, Middle East director. "Iran should vacate these apparently unfair convictions and stop targeting journalists and others with these overly broad and vague national security charges." The arrest and harsh sentencing occurred in the context of the hardline Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps' renewed crackdown on media freedom since the election of President Hassan Rouhani, a moderate, in 2013. Iranian state television and media reports claimed that the journalists were part of an "infiltration network" colluding with foreign media, but have yet to offer any evidence supporting these allegations. On September 21, Fars news, an agency considered supportive of the Revolutionary Guards, reported that 12 parliamentarians have warned about the infiltration of individuals close to western intelligence agencies in Iranian domestic "chain newspapers," a term used by hardliners to describe newspapers close to the reformists. They asked the authorities to take action. Mazandarani is the managing editor of the daily Farhikhtegan, while Safarzaei writes for the monthly publication Andisheh Pouya. Both publications are considered sympathetic to reformist politicians. Chitsaz, a former actress, is a regular contributor to Iran, the Rouhani administration's official newspaper on foreign policy issues. Saharkhiz is a veteran journalist and a founding member of the Society for the Defense of Freedom of the Press (SDFP). He received a Hellman-Hammett award in 2012 under a program administered by Human Rights Watch for journalists who have been victims of political persecution. Mahmoud Alizadeh Tabatabaei, a lawyer who represents Saharkhiz, Mazandarani, and Assadi, told Human Rights Watch on April 25 that Branch 28 of Tehran's Revolutionary Court sentenced Mazandarani on charges of "assembly and collusion against national security," and "propaganda against the state." Safarzaei and Assadi were sentenced for "assembly and collusion against national security," and for alleged collaboration with Persian-language media outlets abroad. In the past, Iranian authorities have targeted relatives and friends of foreign-based Persian-language journalists, such as journalists working for BBC Persian to obtain information or silence them. Tasnim news agency, a website considered supportive of the Revolutionary Guards, reported that Branch 28 of Tehran's Revolutionary Court sentenced Chitsaz on charges of "assembly and collusion against national security," and "contact with foreign governments," though the latter charge does not exist in Iran's penal code. Alizadeh Tabatabaei said that the case investigator had dismissed espionage charges against all five before the trial. Alizadeh Tabatabaei had earlier had told Human Rights Watch that Saharkhiz and Mazandarani were held for three months before finally being formally charged with "acting against national security," and "propaganda against the state." Assadi, Safarzaei, and Mazandarani appeared at Branch 28 of Tehran's revolutionary court in early March. Chitsaz's trial was on April 12, domestic media reported. Saharkhiz's trial, which was scheduled for March 5, was postponed by the court to allow the lawyers to review the case. Saharkhiz, who spent four years in prison in the aftermath of the disputed 2009 Iranian presidential election, has embarked on several hunger strikes to protest the conditions of his detention inside Ward 2A of Evin prison under Revolutionary Guard supervision. Mehdi Saharkhiz, Isa Saharkhiz's son, told Human Rights Watch that his father's health has gravely deteriorated under detention, and that he had to be transferred to a hospital outside prison on March 9. Mehdi said that his father is facing charges of "assembly and collusion against national security," "propaganda against the state," and "insulting the supreme leader," among others. As a party to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, Iran has legal obligations to protect the rights to free expression and access to information. The rights to freedom of expression provided under international human rights law may be limited only within narrowly defined boundaries. The penalization of a media outlet, publishers, or journalist solely for being critical of the government or the existing political system can never be considered a necessary justification to restricting the freedom of expression. However, the overly broad exceptions to free expression contained in the Iranian constitution, security laws, and the Iranian penal code more generally, allow the authorities to suppress these rights beyond the limits set by international law. International human rights law prohibits laws, such as Iran's, that criminalize criticizing or "insulting" state institutions, including the supreme leader. Furthermore, domestic laws that define crimes in broad and vague terms, and therefore do not permit a person to know what acts constitute a criminal violation also violate international human rights law. Since the disputed 2009 presidential election, revolutionary court judges have increasingly interpreted vaguely drafted provisions of national security charges inconsistently with international law by citing legitimate peaceful dissent as evidence of acting against national security. As of April, Iran had one of the highest numbers of journalists and social media activists in prison in the world, with at least 32 people behind bars, according to Reporters Without Borders. Copyright notice: Copyright, Human Rights Watch Tajikistan: Free Human Rights Lawyers Publisher Human Rights Watch Publication Date 4 May 2016 Cite as Human Rights Watch, Tajikistan: Free Human Rights Lawyers, 4 May 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5729b4444.html [accessed 24 October 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. Tajik authorities should immediately and unconditionally release four human rights lawyers and two sons of another prominent lawyer who are imprisoned or detained on politically motivated charges, Human Rights Watch and the Norwegian Helsinki Committee said today. Tajik authorities should stop harassing and targeting independent lawyers. The authorities have arrested, imprisoned, and intimidated numerous attorneys since 2014, in retaliation for representing political opponents or their willingness to take on politically sensitive cases, the groups said. Other prominent rights lawyers have received death threats and have been threatened with trumped-up charges. "The Tajik government is tightening the screws on lawyers it deems trouble, locking up those who represent the opposition alongside its political foes," said Steve Swerdlow, Central Asia researcher at Human Rights Watch. "Each day these lawyers spend behind bars is a disgrace and brings shame on Tajikistan's judicial system." For more than a year, the Tajik government has systematically targeted the country's peaceful political opposition, arbitrarily detaining, imprisoning, and torturing its members and supporters, as well as securing the extradition of or failing that, kidnapping perceived critics living abroad. The Tajik authorities' unprecedented crackdown on freedom of expression and association deteriorated further in 2015, including with the forced closure of Tajikistan's leading opposition party, the Islamic Renaissance Party of Tajikistan (IRPT), in September, and arrests of dozens of its members. In March 2015, an opposition figure, Umarali Kuvvatov, was shot dead in Istanbul, in circumstances that point to involvement or acquiescence by the Tajik government. Since 2014, Tajik authorities have arrested or imprisoned at least five human rights lawyers Shukhrat Kudratov, Fakhriddin Zokirov, Buzurgmehr Yorov, Nuriddin Makhkamov, Dilbar Dodojonova and Firuz and Daler Tabarov, sons of Iskhok Tabarov, another prominent lawyer. Zokirov was released after two lengthy periods of imprisonment. The others remain behind bars, either after dubious convictions or awaiting trial on specious charges. Others, including a well-known human rights lawyer Fayzinisso Vohidova, have been harassed and threatened with spurious criminal charges. Authorities first prosecuted Kudratov and Zokirov, who represented a high-profile opposition figure,Zaid Saidov, on fraud charges. Saidov is a former government minister who signaled an interest in forming a new political party and is now in prison on trumped-up charges. Since the second half of 2015, authorities have threatened to arrest lawyers who seek to represent detained members of the IRPT. The Tajik government has also taken steps to extend its control over the legal profession, significantly curtailing its independence. In November, authorities approved a new law requiring all lawyers to renew their legal licenses with the Justice Ministry, instead of the independent bar association or licensing body, and to retake the bar examination every five years. Lawyers told Human Rights Watch and the Norwegian Helsinki Committee that the exam included questions on a broad range of subjects unrelated to law, such as history, culture, and politics. They said they have concerns that the test, administered by the government, is being used to exclude those who take on politically sensitive cases. The United Nations Basic Principles on the Role of Lawyers state that lawyers "shall not be identified with their clients' causes as a result of discharging their functions," and that they must be able "to perform all their professional functions without intimidation, hindrance, harassment or improper interference." Furthermore, lawyers "shall not suffer, or be threatened with, prosecution or administrative, economic or other sanctions for any action taken in accordance with recognized professional duties, standards or ethics." The United States, the European Union, and Tajikistan's international partners should press the Tajik government to release immediately lawyers imprisoned and detained on politically motivated charges and ensure that all lawyers are able to conduct their work without fear of threats or harassment, including arbitrary arrest or prosecution. International partners also should press Tajikistan to uphold its international obligations to respect freedom of association, assembly, and expression. Countries participating in the upcoming review of Tajikistan's human rights record at the UN Human Rights Council on May 6 should raise concerns about the crackdown against lawyers and the country's peaceful opposition. "The lawyers languishing behind bars are some of Tajikistan's most active and independent voices," said Marius Fossum, Norwegian Helsinki Committee regional representative in Central Asia. "Dushanbe has presented no credible evidence against any of them and so should release them immediately and guarantee them the security to fully carry out their professional duties." For more background and reporting on Tajikistan's crackdown on the legal profession, please see below. Imprisonment of Shukhrat Kudratov In January 2015, a Dushanbe court sentenced prominent human rights lawyer Shukhrat Kudratov to nine years in prison following a politically motivated trial on fabricated charges of fraud. Kudratov's sentence was reduced on appeal to three years and eight months. Prior to his arrest, Kudratov also was deputy head of the opposition Social Democratic party. He is known for taking on politically sensitive cases, including representing victims of police torture and those accused of extremism. Kudratov has represented the country's most popular independent news agency Asia-Plus, which government officials have frequently sued for defamation. In 2011, the Dushanbe-based Bureau for Human Rights and the Rule of Law named Kudratov "Human Rights Defender of the Year." Most recently, he was defense counsel for Zaid Saidov, a businessman and opposition figure who was sentenced in December 2013 to 26 years in prison extended to 29 years following conviction on other charges in July 2015 in prosecutions that appeared to have been retaliation for his attempt to run in the November 2013 presidential election. Throughout and following Saidov's trial, Kudratov told Human Rights Watch the authorities harassed and threatened Kudratov, his family members, and the other lawyers on Saidov's legal team. In June 2014, Kudratov told Human Rights Watch that he feared imminent arrest. Tajik authorities arrested Kudratov in July 2014 on fraud charges. The charges, which Kudratov denied, stem from allegations that he attempted to bribe a judge in a civil case and that he defrauded a former client of several thousand dollars in 2012. Days before his arrest, he sent a public appeal to nongovernmental groups, the news media, and diplomatic missions in Tajikistan highlighting procedural violations in Saidov's prosecution and trial. Kudratov also detailed the ongoing harassment, including threats of imprisonment and death, against him and Saidov's other lawyers. Following a November 2014 visit to Tajikistan, the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) stated that it had credible information that the charges against Kudratov were "linked to his representation of a client, contrary to international standards on the independence of lawyers." Detention of Fakhriddin Zokirov In March 2014, Tajikistan's Anti-Corruption Agency arrested Fakhriddin Zokirov, another of Saidov's lawyers. He was detained until November 3, then released under an amnesty. Following his release, Zokirov publicly stated that he would no longer represent Saidov. In a joint statement in July 2014, 18 Tajik nongovernmental groups labeled Kudratov's and Zokirov's arrests politically motivated. The ICJ called on the Tajik government to take meaningful steps to ensure the independence of the legal profession and the security of individual lawyers. In August 2015, authorities again arrested Zokirov, this time on extortion charges. He was again released in November, after paying a 14,600 Somoni fine (approximately US$2,000). Detention of Firuz and Daler Tabarov On February 11, 2016, a Vakhdat court sentenced Firuz Tabarov to 13.5 years in prison for various crimes, including "extremism" (article 307) and "facilitating mercenary fighters" (article 401). He is the son of a prominent attorney Iskhok Tabarov, the only member of Saidov's legal team not facing criminal charges. Firuz Tabarov was arrested on July 3, 2015, and, his father said, was tortured in pretrial detention and forced to make a false confession. The father told reporters that authorities had provided no evidence of his son's involvement in extremist or mercenary activity and that the case was retaliation for the father's role in defending Saidov. Based on the lack of evidence produced at trial, the charges appear to have no credible substance and to be trumped-up in response to his father's work, Human Rights Watch and the Norwegian Helsinki Committee said. On March 14, 2016, journalists reported that police arrested Firuz's brother, Daler Tabarov, on charges of failing to report a crime (article 347). He is in pretrial detention in Dushanbe (SIZO no. 1 prison), awaiting trial. He faces up to two years in prison or a fine of 500 to 1000 times Tajikistan's average minimum wage. Imprisonment and harassment of lawyers representing the IRPT On September 16, 2015, the Tajik government opened a campaign of mass arrests against leaders and members of the now-banned Islamic Renaissance Party of Tajikistan (IRPT). The arrests also included relatives of party activists. According to various estimates, up to 200 party members have been arrested. The International Lawyers Association (Turkey), Yeryuzu Lawyers Association (Turkey), and the Russian Lawyers Association all conducted research in Tajikistan following the closure and recorded multiple credible reports of torture in pretrial detention. Authorities have repeatedly interfered with the arrested party members' right to access to legal counsel, and several lawyers seeking to defend them have been arbitrarily detained, including the three lawyers from theSipar law firm listed below. Detention of Buzurgmehr Yorov On September 29, 2015, officers from the Police Unit for Combating Organized Crime (UBOP MVD) detained Buzurgmehr Yorov, a human rights lawyer and member of the opposition Social Democratic Party. On January 28, 2016, a Dushanbe court extended his pretrial detention. On May 3, his trial commenced (see below). The circumstances surrounding his arrest strongly indicate that the authorities have targeted him for representing opposition party members. At the time of his arrest, Yorov was representing several high-ranking IRPT members who had been arrested two weeks before the mass arrests began on September 16, 2015. Yorov had also declared his intention to establish a committee for the defense of the arrested IRPT members. The day of his arrest, Yorov gave an interview alleging that police had tortured one of his clients, Umarali Hisaynov (also known as Saidumar Husayni), the IRPT's first deputy chairman, in pretrial detention, and local media reported that authorities had attempted to pressure him to drop the case. Yorov, head of the law firm Sipar, had a reputation as one of Tajikistan's most fearless human rights lawyers, serving as defense counsel for lawyer Fakhriddin Zokirov. Authorities initially charged Yorov under articles 247 (swindling) and 340 (fraud) of the criminal code. An Internal Ministry spokesperson said that the alleged fraud occurred in 2010, when Yorov allegedly received US$4,000 from a resident of the city of Istaravshan. In December 2015, authorities added charges of "arousing national, racial, local or religious hostility" (article 189) and extremism (articles 307 and 307.1). Yorov is being held in Dushanbe (SIZO no. 1) detention center while he faces trial. When the trial against Yorov and another lawyer, Nuriddin Makhkamov, opened on May 3, it was closed to the public, despite requests by the press and representatives of diplomatic missions to attend. However, the media outlet Asia Plus spoke with persons who had access to the courtroom and reported that during his opening statement, Yorov said the court materials did not include testimonies that he and supporting witnesses had made to prosecutors during the course of the investigation. Yorov also objected to not being allowed to have access to a lawyer of his choosing and refused to accept his state-appointed lawyer, who he also said had not been given sufficient time to prepare for trial. The next hearing in the case is scheduled for May 10. Arrest of Nuriddin Makhkamov On October 22, 2015, the Police Unit for Combating Organized Crime arrested Nuriddin Makhkamov, a lawyer who worked for Yorov's law firm Sipar, on what appear to be trumped-up charges. Makhkamov, who, like Yorov, was representing arrested IRPT members, faces swindling charges. On November 20, after Makhkamov went on a hunger strike to protest his arbitrary detention, authorities placed him in solitary confinement for three days. Authorities have systematically interfered with his right to counsel. He remains in detention. Detention and house arrest of Dilbar Dodojonova On October 26, 2015, authorities arrested Dilbar Dodojonova, also of the Sipar firm, and a colleague of Yorov and Mahkamov. After being initially detained, she was transferred to house arrest while she awaits trial on defamation charges that appear to be related to her attempts to aid in Yorov's representation. Death threats and threatened criminal charges against Fayzinisso Vohidova In July, Fayzinisso Vohidova, a Khujand-based lawyer who is known for her human rights and criminal defense work, told Human Rights Watch that she had received text messages threatening that she and her family could be killed or seriously injured unless she agreed to stop representing politically sensitive clients. Vohidova said that since July, she has been harassed by the authorities, including surveillance, threats, and intimidation, which intensified after the September arrests of IRPT members. Despite Vohidova's many attempts to report the threats and harassment to the office of the general prosecutor, the threats have continued and the authorities have taken no action. In early 2016, Vohidova received credible information that law enforcement officials had initiated a criminal investigation against her, examining her numerous essays and articles about legal issues and politics for evidence of extremism. Copyright notice: Copyright, Human Rights Watch Search Refworld and / or country All countries Afghanistan Albania Algeria American Samoa Andorra Angola Anguilla Antigua and Barbuda Argentina Armenia Aruba Australia Austria Azerbaijan Bahamas Bahrain Bangladesh Barbados Belarus Belgium Belize Benin Bermuda Bhutan Bolivia Bosnia and Herzegovina Botswana Brazil British Virgin Islands Brunei Darussalam Bulgaria Burkina Faso Burundi Cambodia Cameroon Canada Cape Verde Cayman Islands Central African Republic Chad Chile China Cocos (Keeling) Islands Colombia Comoros Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of the Cook Islands Costa Rica Cote d'Ivoire Croatia Cuba Cyprus Czech Republic Denmark Djibouti Dominica Dominican Republic Ecuador Egypt El Salvador Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Estonia Eswatini Ethiopia Falkland Islands Fiji Finland France French Guiana French Polynesia Gabon Gambia Georgia Germany Ghana Gibraltar Greece Greenland Grenada Guadeloupe Guam Guatemala Guinea Guinea-Bissau Guyana Haiti Holy See (Vatican City State) Honduras Hong Kong (Special Administrative Region of China) Hungary Iceland India Indonesia Iran, Islamic Republic of Iraq Ireland Israel Italy Jamaica Japan Jordan Kazakhstan Kenya Kiribati Korea, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Republic of Kuwait Kyrgyzstan Lao People's Democratic Republic Latvia Lebanon Lesotho Liberia Libya Liechtenstein Lithuania Luxembourg Macau (Special Administrative Region of China) Madagascar Malawi Malaysia Maldives Mali Malta Marshall Islands Martinique Mauritania Mauritius Mexico Micronesia, Federated States of Moldova, Republic of Monaco Mongolia Montenegro Montserrat Morocco Mozambique Myanmar Namibia Nauru Nepal Netherlands Netherlands Antilles New Caledonia New Zealand Nicaragua Niger Nigeria Niue Norfolk Island North Macedonia Northern Mariana Islands Norway Oman Pakistan Palau Palestine, State of Panama Papua New Guinea Paraguay Peru Philippines Pitcairn Poland Portugal Puerto Rico Qatar Romania Russian Federation Rwanda Saint Helena Saint Kitts and Nevis Saint Lucia Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Samoa San Marino Sao Tome and Principe Saudi Arabia Senegal Serbia Seychelles Sierra Leone Singapore Slovakia Slovenia Solomon Islands Somalia South Africa South Sudan Spain Sri Lanka Sudan Suriname Sweden Switzerland Syrian Arab Republic Tajikistan Tanzania, United Republic of Thailand Timor-Leste (East Timor) Togo Tokelau Tonga Trinidad and Tobago Tunisia Turkiye Turkmenistan Turks and Caicos Islands Tuvalu U.S. Virgin Islands Uganda Ukraine United Arab Emirates United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland United States of America Uruguay Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuela Viet Nam Wallis and Futuna Western Sahara Territory Yemen Zambia Zimbabwe The volume of gas in Ukraine's underground storage facilities increased by 282.05 million cubic meters (mcm) to 8.720 billion cubic meters (bcm) as of May 2, up from 8.438 bcm as of April 6, 2016 and 2.5% more than the total of 8.505 bcm on May 2, 2015, according to Ukrtransgaz data. Ukraine was injecting gas into underground storage at a rate of 16.03 mcm a day on May 2, 2016, compared with 39.86 mcm a day on May 2, 2015. In the late April-early May period this year, Ukraine's gas storage facilities have operated in mixed mode, alternately injecting and withdrawing gas. Ukraine imported 3.01 mcm of gas from Europe on May 2, 2016, including 1.936 mcm from Slovakia, 1.074 mcm from Hungary and nil from Poland since May 1. Gas imports from Russia halted on November 26 last year. It was reported earlier that Ukraine began withdrawing gas from underground storage to meet increased consumption during the 2015/2016 heating season on October 30, 2015, when the volume in storage totaled 17.064 bcm, and ended them on April 6, 2016, when inventories totaled 8.447 bcm. Ukraine began withdrawing gas in the 2014/2015 heating season on October 20, 2014, when the total volume in storage was 16.750 bcm. Its last withdrawal was on April 10, 2015, when volumes totaled 7.609 bcm. Ukrtransgaz, a 100% subsidiary of Naftogaz Ukrainy, operates Ukraine's trunk gas pipeline system, as well as its 12 underground storage facilities, which have capacity for 31 bcm. Halloween is nearly here. Find out when Trick-or-Treat is happening in Martinsville. The leaves are changing, the evenings are getting cooler and excitement is building as Halloween draws closer. Avangard, the largest Ukrainian producer of eggs and egg goods, has made a coupon payment in the amount of $2.575 million on eurobonds worth $206 million. According to the company's website, capitalized interest in the amount of $7.725 million will increase the principal amount of eurobonds by the maturity date. As reported, on October 28 Avangard completed a deal to restructure 2015 eurobonds worth $200 million. Avangard on September 17, 2015 appealed to the holders of eurobonds for $200 million maturing on October 29, 2015 asking to approve the deferral of repaying the securities for three years - until 2018. The Republic of Tatarstan, part of the Russian Federation, has filed a $300 million lawsuit to international arbitration against Ukraine in the case on changing the shares of stockholders in PJSC Ukrtatnafta (Kremenchuk oil refinery, Poltava region). According to the prospectus of the eurobond issue of Ukraine, Tatarstan in its lawsuit accuses Ukraine of violating the agreement on encouragement and mutual protection of investment signed between the governments of Ukraine and the Russian Federation on November 27, 1998. According to the plaintiff, Ukrainian courts violated this document, making the decision as a result of which the share of Tatarstan in Ukrtatnafta decreased significantly. Ukraine's Ministry of Justice on November 24, 2015 sent a letter to Tatarstan with its proposals on the settlement of the dispute, however they were not accepted. As reported, the international arbitration in July 2014 obliged Ukraine to pay compensation of $112 million plus interest in the case of Ukrtatnafta to Tatneft. Ukraine will appeal against this decision. The Paris Court of Appeal will begin consideration of the case on the merits on October 18. YOU'RE INVITED TO A CAREER CELEBRATION The community is invited to help Hardin-Simmons University celebrate the career of HSU President Dr. Lanny Hall and HSU First Lady Carol Hall. He is retiring from his position at the end of May and will continue to serve HSU as the University's chancellor. A reception is set for 1 to 3:30 p.m. May 15 in the Johnson Building on the campus with a special presentation at 2:30 p.m. Dr. Hall served as president of Hardin-Simmons University for two separate terms. His first term was from June 1991 to May 2001 and he later served as chancellor from June 2001 to February 2003. His second presidential term at HSU began in 2009 and ends in May 2016. KEEPING FIT McMurry University offers open-to-the-public, low-impact aerobics classes from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Mondays and Wednesdays through June 29 at the Hunt Physical Education Center Room 200. Cost is $30 for all 17 sessions or $3 per session. For more information, contact Janet McMurray at jmcmurray@mcm.edu. BROWN BAG LUNCHEONS Cancer Services Network offers a free Brown Bag session, "Navigating Health Insurance," from 11:45 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesday at the Abilene Public Library, 202 Cedar St. Summer Powers, associate partner with Insurance Partners of Texas, will share information about knowing your rights, asking the right questions and navigating deductibles and reimbursement services. Presenters will facilitate questions and answers after the session. Bring your lunch; drinks and dessert will be provided. Call CSN for reservations at 325-672-0040. BUY THE BOOK The Friends of the Abilene Public Library Book Sale is set for June 16-19 at the Abilene Civic Center, 1100 N. 6th St. This 27th annual sale will have more than 100,000 books, video and cassette tapes, DVDs, CDs, records and other unique items. Proceeds from the sale fund library materials, equipment, activities and staff training opportunities will benefit the library's programs. For more information or to donate books, call the library, 325-676-6025. Watch for more details on shopping hours. SUMMERTIME GUESTS? Don't forget the Round Up Attraction Pass for summertime guests. Visiting family and friends can enjoy six of Abilene's premier attractions at a great savings. Passes are $17 for adults (you save $15), $8 for children 16 years and under (you save $7.50) and include a set of six tickets that can be used to visit Frontier Texas!, Buffalo Gap Historic Village, The Grace Museum, Abilene Zoo, 12th Armored Division Memorial Museum and a discount for purchases at the National Center for Children's Illustrated Literature. Each set of tickets is good for one full year. Passes are sold at all six attractions, the Abilene Convention & Visitors Bureau, 1101 N. 1st St. Call 325-676-2556 for more information. Mail information to Jan Woodward in care of "Around Town," Abilene Reporter-News, P.O. Box 30, Abilene, TX 79604. Email address is jan.woodward@reporternews.com or fax information to 325-670-5242. Deadline for submission is noon seven working days before publication. Early voting ended Tuesday for Saturday's joint city/school elections with 4,112 Taylor County residents marking their ballots during the seven-day period. Of the total, 1,134 voted Tuesday at the 10 early voting centers set up throughout the county. The number of people voting Tuesday was well above the 655 people who voted Monday, the previous daily high. However, the seven-day total fell short of the 4,565 people who voted early in 2014, the last time Taylor County elections included both the city of Abilene and the Abilene ISD board. That election was headlined by a race for Abilene mayor. The early voting figures for this year include contested races for Abilene City Council and the AISD board, plus races for Jim Ned, Merkel and Trent school boards and city races in Merkel, Tuscola and Tye. Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday at 22 voting centers in Taylor County. Registered voters may cast ballots at any center. Border Patrol Council endorses Robertson The Laredo Sector of the National Border Patrol Council, which represents 1,300 Border Patrol agents, has endorsed Lubbock Mayor Glen Robertson for District 19 U.S. representative, Robertson's campaign announced Tuesday. "Not only is the endorsement an honor, but it is also a challenge to me, should I be elected to Congress, to serve as a voice to our Border Patrol agents," Robertson said in a statement. "All of the men and women of our nation's Border Patrol must have a genuine champion in Washington. There is a serious problem with our U.S.-Mexico border which impacts our entire nation. Americans want current immigration laws enforced and the agents provided all the resources they need to protect our communities and families." Robertson is in a May 24 runoff with Jodey Arrington for the Republican nomination for the office. The winner faces Libertarian and Green party candidates in the November general election. Gun groups endorse King The National Rifle Association's Political Victory Fund and the Texas State Rifle Association Political Action Committee have endorsed Susan King for District 24 in the Texas Senate, her campaign has announced. Alice Tripp of the TSRA said of King, "You were a vote we could count on in the Texas House and we look forward to working with you in the Texas Senate." Tara Reilly Mica, NRA state liaison, said of King, "Your rating and endorsement are based on your positive responses to our NRA-PVF candidate questionnaire and your strong record of support in the Texas House on issues important to gun owners and sportsmen." King, who is serving her fifth term in the Texas House, is running against Dr. Dawn Buckingham for the Texas Senate seat in the May 24 Republican runoff. The winner faces Democrat Virginia "Jennie Lou" Leeder in the November general election. Weeks before Sen. Ted Cruz chose former business executive Carly Fiorina as his running mate in his desperate stop-Trump effort, the Bipartisan Policy Center, an eclectic group of political operatives experienced in making the choice, issued a 16-page report urging prospective presidential nominees to start early in vetting prospects. The report says the search should allow eight weeks for a thorough examination of the records and behavior of would-be veeps. Cruz one-upped this recommendation by selecting Fiorina well before getting the Republican presidential nomination himself, already an unlikely prospect. He also ignored the report's counsel that a would-be veep's qualifications to run the country should guide the choice. Cruz's choice of Fiorina runs counter to a trend of more responsible vice-presidential selection (excepting George H.W. Bush's poor choice of Dan Quayle in 1988 and John McCain's of Sarah Palin in 2008). In 1972, Democratic presidential nominee George McGovern, occupied with a delegate challenge from Hubert Humphrey, decided after the convention on Sen. Thomas Eagleton of Missouri. A hasty vetting failed to reveal his history of mental illness, which forced him from the ticket. The fiasco triggered an embarrassing quest until Kennedy in-law Sargent Shriver agreed to join McGovern on a ticket headed for a landslide defeat by President Richard Nixon. The episode played a role four years later in Democratic nominee Jimmy Carter's determination to thoroughly vet running mates, choosing Sen. Walter Mondale of Minnesota, an effective governing partner. Carter personally interviewed the men on a short list compiled by his staff. Mondale won out by providing Carter with a detailed memo on what he thought Carter needed in a vice president. Four years later, Ronald Reagan reluctantly settled on the senior Bush as his running mate after a Detroit convention romance with former President Gerald Ford that fell through. Talk of a 'co-presidency' finally scared off Reagan and his political advisers. Then, only weeks into his presidency, Reagan narrowly survived assassination, which should have driven home to Vice President Bush the consequences of picking a questionably qualified running-mate. Presidential nominees always vow they will select the person 'most qualified to be president' if fate should dictate succession. Yet when Bush was nominated for president in 1988, he chose the lightly regarded Quayle without telling his top aides. Quayle's subsequent gaffes as veep made him a laughingstock. The next three vice presidents, Al Gore, Dick Cheney and Joe Biden, all played effective roles in governing after vetting by Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Barack Obama. Yet it was notable that Cheney got the job essentially by vetting himself; the junior Bush gave him the task of screening prospective running mates, and then Cheney brushed aside his recommendations and picked himself. In all this, an essential ingredient in choosing an effective vice president has been compatibility with the president, politically and personally. Carter brought Mondale physically into the White House and gave him full access, a practice generally observed as well for Gore, Cheney and Biden. This recent history argues strongly for the choice of running mates to be left in the hands of the presidential nominees, who are best positioned to judge the qualities they want and need in their sidekicks. Cheney, hinting at the coolness that set in when Bush declined to pardon his chief aide, Scooter Libby, who was convicted in the outing of a CIA agent, later told me that compatibility 'has to be professional; it doesn't have to be personal.' With Obama and Biden, the bind has been both. Biden almost constantly has been at Obama's side in public, and a close personal tie has developed between their families. It's a model that doesn't need fixing. EmailJules Witcover at juleswitcover@comcast.net. Halloween events, fall festivals pack October in Abilene, Big Country From family-friendly to frightful, there are plenty of opportunities to don the costumes and scare up some treats. Today in history: On May 4, 1970, four students are killed and 11 wounded when about 100 National Guardsmen shoot into a crowd at Kent State University. The protest followed President Richard Nixon's April 30 announcement that U.S. and South Vietnamese forces would launch an offensive into Cambodia, sparking protests at other college campuses. Kent State students had set fire to the ROTC building and the governor had called the National Guard. The Guardsmen were found not guilty at a trial. Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has signed a bill to amend Chapter 4 of the Ukrainian law "On particularities of making transactions with regard to debt of the government, debt guaranteed by the government or municipal debt", which extends the temporary moratorium for payments on the two-year eurobonds issued in December 2013 and purchased by Russia's National Wealth Fund. "April 29, 2016. [The bill was] returned with the president's signature," the note on the page dedicated to the bill on the Verkhovna Rada website said. Advertisement - Continue Reading Below This just in... Features "It's not right. We need more time." Ukraine's Cabinet of Ministers has appointed Viktor Vakarash to the post of deputy minister of ecology and natural resources - chief of the ministry's staff. The government passed relevant resolution No. 322 dated on April 27. According to open sources, since March 2014, Vakarash has served as director of economic and financial department of the Cabinet's secretariat. From July 2006, he served as first deputy chairman of Kyiv Regional State Administration, from May 2009 as its acting chairman and from September of the same year to March 2010 as head of Kyiv Regional State Administration. Militants resumed intense shelling of Ukrainian army positions at dusk on Tuesday, the anti-terrorist operation staff's press center has said. "In all, pro-Russian unlawful armed formations breached the full truce agreement six times over the past day," the staff's press service wrote on Facebook on Wednesday morning. According to the report, Ukrainian army strongholds came under attack of small arms and various kinds of grenade launchers near Zaitseve, Luhanske and Avdiyivka in the Donetsk sector. The positions near Avdiyivka were also attacked by infantry combat vehicles. In the Mariupol sector, militants fired grenade launchers and small arms on Ukrainian army positions near Hnutove. Besides, a militant sniper was active. Drones performed two reconnaissance missions in the Donbas airspace. On Wednesday, militants fired small arms and grenade launchers on Ukrainian army positions near Novotroitske and Luhanske. The opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) on Wednesday dismissed the Phnom Penh court's summons notice for its deputy leader and two other sitting members of parliament, arguing the move "abused the constitution" by ignoring parliamentary immunity. Phnom Penh court deputy prosecutor Keo Socheat issued the summons for Kem Sokha, vice president and acting president of the CNRP, to appear in court on May 11 to testify in a defamation lawsuit. The move is the first time that the municipal court has called CNRP lawmakers to testify since the filing of a complaint regarding voice recordings of alleged intimate phone conversations between Kem Sokha and 25-year-old hairdresser Khom Chandaraty, he said. Also on Tuesday, Phnom Penh court deputy prosecutor Seang Sok issued two summonses for CNRP lawmakers Pin Ratana and To Vanchan to testify on May 16 on prostitution charges against the alleged mistress Khem Chandaraty. The CNRP issued a statement on Wednesday slamming the summons as illegal. "The CNRP lawmakers group regards any prosecutors summons of lawmakers who have immunity as a serious violation of parliamentary immunity, which is guaranteed by article 80 of the constitution," said the statement, which said the court's move had "abused the constitution." "The CNRP lawmakers group urgently urges the court to stop issuing summons on lawmakers who still have immunity and to respect the constitution, added the statement. CNRP lead lawmaker Son Chhay told RFAs Khmer Service that the court has abused the law. We are lawmakers, we cant allow law violators to do anything arbitrary and (then) compromise with them, he said. We must state clearly that the constitution is being violated. We want to remind those violators and stop them from doing it again. RFA could not reach a court spokesman for comment on the CNRP's reaction. Political tensions between the CNRP and Hun Sen's ruling Cambodian People's Party (CPP) have grown worse in recent months, with the government arresting more than a dozen opposition lawmakers including Senator Hong Sok Hour, CNRP media director Meach Sovannara, and Um Sam An, an opposition member of parliament. Reported by Mengchou Cheng for RFA's Khmer Service. Translated by Samean Yun. Written in English by Paul Eckert. Two families living in a storm-hit village in northwestern Cambodias Battambang province have been refused government help in repairing their homes, prompting charges by family members that they are being discriminated against because of their affiliation with an opposition political party. The two households were among 28 whose dwellings were destroyed on April 26 in Battambangs Sangke district, village resident My Longdy said, adding that 26 homes were quickly repaired with support from the Cambodian Red Cross. Local authorities refused to request help for his own home and one other, though, because family members belong to the Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP), My Longdy, a disabled army veteran, told RFAs Khmer Service. This makes me very sad, My Longdy said. I am a fellow Cambodian who worked hard to serve my country until I became an amputee. Now, the local authorities are ignoring my difficulties, he said. 'Minor mistake' Also speaking to RFA, district governor Kim Vannak confirmed the two families had not been helped, but denied that local authorities had deliberately refused them aid. This was a minor mistake, Kim Vannak said, adding [Officials] simply failed to properly register the victims names. I have already advised local authorities to pay attention after natural disasters to make sure the villagers are not disappointed, he said. In cases of natural disaster, local authorities must always ensure that help from the Red Cross is distributed equally and without favor, Ying Mengly, provincial coordinator for the Cambodian rights groups Adhoc, told RFA. Local authorities must pay proper attention to the victims, he said. It was not immediately clear whether help will now be offered to the affected families to repair their homes. Political tensions In March 2015, Battambang authorities were forced to replace thousands of pounds of rotten rice donated to impoverished families in the province by Cambodian Red Cross President Bun Rany, wife of Cambodian prime minister Hun Sun. Hun Sens Cambodian Peoples Party (CPP) has ruled the Southeast Asian country for over 30 years. Political tensions between the CNRP and the CPP have grown worse in recent months, with the government arresting more than a dozen opposition lawmakers including Senator Hong Sok Hour, CNRP media director Meach Sovannara, and Um Sam An, an opposition member of parliament. Reported by Hour Hum for RFAs Khmer Service. Translated by Samean Yun. Written in English by Richard Finney. Zeng Feiyang, director of the Panyu Workers' Center near the provincial capital Guangzhou, May 20, 2014. The mother of a detained labor activist in the southern Chinese province of Guangdong has withdrawn a defamation lawsuit against two state-run Chinese media organizations, a Hong Kong newspaper reported. Chen Wenying, 71, mother of prominent labor activist Zeng Feiyang, told the South China Morning Post she had allowed police to process papers for the withdrawal of the lawsuit, which aimed to hit back at her son's portrayal in the Chinese media, which is tightly controlled by the ruling Chinese Communist Party. Chinese authorities stepped up the pressure on Zeng's family soon after she filed the lawsuit, the report said. "Even her grandsons had been targeted with threats their careers were at stake," the paper reported. "One grandson works as a surgeon at a hospital, and authorities had told his supervisor that his career would be in jeopardy if she pressed ahead with the lawsuit," it said. Legal advice Zeng was detained last December on suspicion of "gathering a crowd to disrupt social order," along with his colleagues from the Panyu Workers Center, Zhu Xiaomei and Meng Han. Zhu, who has an infant son, has since been released on bail, while Zeng and Meng remain in the Guangzhou No.1 Detention Center. "Personally, I don't believe that anything [the activists did] amounts to a crime," veteran labor activist Zhang Zhiru told RFA on Wednesday. "All Zeng Feiyang, all we [labor activists] did was to give advice to workers within current law and government policy, and help them initiate collective bargaining and collective negotiations," he said. "We used official channels to liaise with government departments, to request assistance and help all of which is permitted by law and government policy," he said. "We had been working with them for a long time." "[Zeng Feiyang] offered legal assistance and advice to workers with industrial injuries, and especially supported collective bargaining over a number of years," Zhang said. "His achievements were enormous," he said. Target of a smear campaign According to the Hong Kong-based China Labor Bulletin (CLB), only Meng has been allowed to meet with his lawyers, while Zeng's lawyer has been consistently barred from visiting him. "Zeng has been the target of a vicious smear campaign in Chinas state-run media," CLB said in an article on its website. During recent meetings with his lawyers, Meng said he supported Zeng and "expressed confidence that workers would not be swayed by such propaganda and would seek the truth themselves," it said. Two other activists, Peng Jiayong and Deng Xiaoming, who also were detained in early December, were released and escorted back to their home towns on Jan. 8, CLB said. Meanwhile, Foshan-based labor activist He Xiaobo, who worked at the unofficial labor group, Nanfeiyan Social Work Service Center, was released on bail last month after four months' detention on suspicion of "misappropriation of funds." Open letter CLB founder Han Dongfang penned an open letter to party mouthpiece the People's Daily in January, hitting out at the "smear campaign" run by state media. CLB said the detentions had largely put an end to the activists' activities, and their release on bail means they are still under police surveillance. "The need for civil society labor organizations remains as pressing as ever in the Guangzhou region as factories continue to close down and or relocate without giving employees the compensation, social insurance contributions and other benefits they are legally entitled to," the group said in a separate report on the activists. Journalist Tian Qizhuang, who formerly covered the labor beat at the Fengfeng Miners' Newspaper, said any kind of rights work carries a high price in today's China. "Social progress in China is a long and slow process," Tian said. "It also requires a huge sacrifice from the people involved, who have to pay a heavy price to pursue their ideals." "But their deeds will eventually win public recognition by the majority of people," he said. Reported by Xin Lin for RFA's Mandarin Service, and by Pan Jiaqing for the Cantonese Service. Translated and written in English by Luisetta Mudie. A Chinese rights activist detained during an event marking the 25th anniversary of the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre two years ago has begun refusing food in protest against his prolonged pretrial detention, sparking fears for his health, his wife and lawyer said. Yu Shiwen, from the Henan provincial capital Zhengzhou, is charged with "picking quarrels and stirring up trouble," but his case has been subjected to prolonged and repeated delays. "He is now using [the hunger strike] as a way of expressing his indignation at being detained beyond the legally specified time limit by the Guancheng District People's Court," Yu's wife Chen Wei told RFA on Wednesday. "As his wife, I feel very sad for him, but I really wish he wouldn't [refuse food]," she said. "We told him that he shouldn't do this." "The family are all very worried about him ... I think he should be taking care of himself, and I don't think this hunger strike is worth it." Speaking after Yu's lawyer Ma Lianshun visited him in the Zhengzhou No. 3 Detention Center, Chen said her husband has now been held for 15 months after being charged, with no sign of a trial. Month-long strike Ma confirmed that Yu is planning to refuse food until the 27th anniversary of the June 4, 1989 crackdown next month. "He wants to go on hunger strike for a month, until June 4, but I'm not sure his health can stand it," he said. "The commemorative aspect of his protest is a big one, but we'll have to see if he keeps it up, and whether it's worth him risking his life to do this," Ma said. Ma said Yu was "visibly thinner" than the last time he saw him, and had less and less energy to write letters. "But he definitely wants to make sure this news gets out," Ma said, adding: "A lot of people are against his action, on medical grounds." "But a lot of people never read the article that the Chinese Communist Party wrote in the April 26, 1989 edition of the People's Daily, saying that [the student-led pro-democracy movement] was clearly a counterrevolutionary rebellion." Yu is the last of the "Zhengzhou 10" activists detained for marking the 25th anniversary still behind bars. Yu was detained alonside Chen, a fellow veteran of the 1989 pro-democracy movement in Guangzhou, in May 2014. Health concerns According to the Chinese Human Rights Defenders (CHRD) network, which collates and translates reports from rights groups inside China, Yu suffers from cardiovascular disease, stroke, high blood pressure, and depression. Denied his regular medication while in detention, Yu suffered a stroke that left his lower body swollen, and he was shackled to a bed daily for several months in two prison hospitals, before asking to be discharged in November. Since then, the detention center has refused to deliver medication from his relatives, while refusing to pay for the full range of medication itself, CHRD said. "Yu Shiwens wife believes there is an extremely high risk that Yu will suffer another stroke, given the lack of adequate medicine and treatment and his past medical history," the group said in an updated profile of Yu on its website. Reported by Qiao Long for RFA's Mandarin Service, and by Wen Yuqing for the Cantonese Service. Translated and written in English by Luisetta Mudie. A Buddhist monk and 300 of his supporters erected a pagoda on Monday on the grounds of an Anglican church in eastern Myanmars Karen state, adding to religious tensions in the area, a local Anglican bishop said. Influential monk Myaing Kyee Ngu, also known as U Thuzana, who has been building pagodasalso called stupasnear churches and mosques in the state, erected another dome-shaped Buddhist shrine at St. Mark Anglican church in Kondawgyi village of Hlaingbwe township. About 300 people, including Myaing Kyee Ngu and other monks, came to the church grounds and cleared the trees last night and built the second pagoda today, said Anglican Bishop Saw Stylo, who oversees Karen state and neighboring regions. The monk, who is spiritual adviser to an armed ethnic Karen group, built his first pagoda on the church property on April 23 despite objections by religious authorities. He has also built pagodas on church compounds in Hpa-an township and near a mosque in Mya Pyi village, prompting many people to condemn his actions on social media, according to the online journal The Irrawaddy. Myaing Kyee Ngu has plans to build additional Buddhist structures at a church compound in Kondawgyi village, the report said. Members of the Democratic Karen Benevolent Army (DKBA) have helped build the pagodas, according to The Irrawaddy. Dual claims Both Christians and Buddhists have laid claim to the land on which the two new pagodas stand. Christians have lived on the land since the 1950s and built a small wooden church in 1955 on two acres of property, Saw Stylo said. A Buddhist religious site with ancient pagodas lies on the side of the road opposite the Anglican church, he said. We dont want to say, Build it or dont build it, Saw Stylo said. We will not fight them. If he [Myaing Kyee Ngu] really wants to do it, then he can do it. The Anglican bishop said he met with state Chief Minister Nan Khin Htwe Myint and a government team on April 25 to discuss the rumors that the Anglican church sits on disputed land. They said they would resolve this problem if the land is disputed, he said. Nan Khin Htwe Myint told RFA last week that she is very concerned about the situation and would work to stop what one local newspaper called a stupa-building spree by zealous Buddhists. Buddhist religious lands Ashin Zawtika, a monk who is a patron of the Karen Culture and Literature Organization, said the places where Myaing Kyee Ngu has been building pagodas are Buddhist religious lands on which other pagodas previously stood. Myaing Kyee Ngu has been trying to get these lands back and build Buddhist pagodas on them, he said. Its good that hes trying to get them back, but he should have informed the Ministry of Religious Affairs and Culture and relevant authorities before he did this and collaborate with them to build these pagodas, he said. Building pagodas without informing the ministry has been his shortcoming. Predominantly Buddhist Myanmar has experienced spates of violence directed at religious minoritiesmainly Christians and Muslimsfor decades. In Rakhine state in western Myanmar some 140,000 Rohingya Muslims were displaced in 2012 after violence erupted between them and local Buddhists, leaving more than 200 dead and tens of thousands homeless. The Rohingya, who bore the brunt of the attacks, were later forced to live under harsh conditions in displacement camps. We are doing our best not to have religious conflicts in the region, Ashin Zawtika. What I want to tell people from all religions is to please be patient. An end to the religious conflicts will be resolved only by both sides talking to each other, he said. Interfaith group meeting Myanmars minister of religious affairs and culture met with members of an interfaith group on Wednesday in Mandalay to discuss religious issues, including Myaing Kyee Ngus recent invasive pagoda-building activities. Aung Ko, a senior member of the former ruling Union Solidarity and Development Party and a former member of parliament, met with seven religious leaders from the Buddhist, Christian, Muslim and Hindu faiths. We talked about current religious problems during the meeting, and he urged us to be patient, said Maung Maung, a Muslim leader from the interfaith group. We requested that he take action against people who have delivered hate speeches, especially online, Maung Maung said. He said that laws will be passed to ensure that people of different religions can live together peacefully. Aung Ko said the regional Mahana, an association of appointed Karen State Buddhist monks who oversee local Buddhist clergy, is handling the matter, although a resolution make take time, The Irrawaddy reported. Reported by Tin Aung Khine, Khet Mar and Wai Mar Tun for RFAs Myanmar Service. Translated by Khet Mar. Written in English by Roseanne Gerin. Security personnel protect workers erecting a fence on land confiscated for the Letpadaung copper mine project in northwestern Myanmar's Sagaing region, Dec. 23, 2014. About 200 villagers on Wednesday protested against a Chinese company that will resume production at the controversial Letpadaung copper mine in northwestern Myanmars Sagaing region, a villager said. The large project operated by Chinas Wanbao Mining Copper Ltd. Company and Union of Myanmar Economic Holdings Ltd. (UMEHL), a Myanmar army-owned conglomerate, has come under fire by local farmers who have long protested the companys land takeovers in the area. The villagers marched to Wanbaos offices after officials said they would resume production on Thursday following the suspension of activities for a few months, said Mar Cho, a protester from Tone village. We are protesting today because the company will resume the project on May 5 without approval from local residents, she told RFAs Myanmar Service. State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi had led a parliamentary inquiry commission on the Letpadaung project, later calling for more transparency in its land appropriation process and for police riot-control training in the wake of a violent raid on protesters at the mine site in 2012. She accused the government of former President Thein Sein of ignoring the commissions recommendations to improve conditions at the mine, saying these had sparked clashes in December 2014 between police and farmers trying to prevent Wanbao employees from fencing off land for the project. The incident left one farmer dead and dozens injured. We demand they stop the project because the company didnt adhere to the recommendations in the report on the Letpadaung copper mine problem by the investigative commission, Mar Cho said. The villagers are also demanding that Wanbao properly compensate them for crops they lost to land confiscations in 2014 and 2015, she said. Local police stopped the protesters from entering Wanbaos office campus, she said. We will come here and protest again and again until we get a response, Mar Cho said. In April, two members of parliament from Sagaing region met with residents from seven local villages who lost farmland to the mine project and pledged to take up their cause. The mine is one of several Chinese-operated megaprojects under way in the Southeast Asian nation that have met with opposition from locals because of expropriated land and environmental damage. Reported by Nayrein Kyaw for RFAs Myanmar Service. Translated by Khet Mar. Written in English by Roseanne Gerin. Why This Project? In the modern history of Cambodia, no country has loomed as large as China. Beijing wields pivotal influence on its smaller and poorer southern neighbor from providing ideological inspiration and patronage for the Khmer Rouge and its radical revolution in the 1970s, to granting a home in exile for Cambodias deposed monarch, to offering investment and legitimacy to Hun Sens authoritarian state today. For Hun Sen, Chinas no strings attached aid has helped war-torn Cambodia build a modern infrastructure, and diplomatic support from Beijing helps him fend off human rights criticism from the West. At the same time, however, Cambodians are increasingly wondering if Chinas footprint in their country is too big. Rural communities struggle with pollution and deforestation driven by Chinese resource extraction businesses, not all of which is done according to law, and farmers worry about their livelihoods as Chinas expanding system of dams dramatically reduce water flows from the vital Mekong River. Cambodias Southeast Asian neighbors and fellow members of ASEAN complain that Phnom Penh now acts as a proxy for Beijing, dividing the 10-nation group on critical issues like the South China Sea. This project aims to take a systematic look at the way in which Beijing has gained and continues to grow its influence over Cambodia. From military aid to infrastructure investment, to mining and logging and even to immigration, RFAs Khmer Service will dig deep into this complex relationship. Russia's controversial Night Wolves motorcycle gang laid wreaths at a monument to Soviet soldiers in Slovakia's capital, Bratislava, on May 4 as they continued a journey aimed at reaching Berlin before May 9. The outspoken Russian nationalists and supporters of President Vladimir Putin want to be in Berlin to mark the 71st anniversary of the allied World War II victory against Nazi Germany. But the group, which faces U.S. sanctions over its active role in Russia's illegal annexation of Crimea, was banned from entering Poland. Opposition leaders in Belarus also have called for the motorcycle gang to be banned from their country in the future as "extremists" after Night Wolves leader Aleksandr Zaldostanov said in Belarus on April 30 that the country is part of Russia -- a statement seen as an illegal "denial of Belarusian sovereignty." The Night Wolves have said they will stay in Slovakia until May 6 when they travel to Vienna. Their plans also reportedly include a stop in Prague on May 7 at a monument to Soviet soldiers before they head to Berlin on May 8. Russian authorities say they have killed three militants in Russia's volatile North Caucasus region of Daghestan. Russia's National Antiterrorism Committee (NAK) said on May 4 that the militants were killed overnight during an operation in Daghestan's central Kizilyurt District. According to NAK, all three slain militants had been involved in attacks against police officers as well as extortion schemes. NAK said one the militants killed in the operation, Umar Sabuyev, was a leader of a criminal organization called the Kizilyurt gang. Daghestan has become the epicenter of violence for militants seeking to establish an Islamic state in the North Caucasus. It also is affected by deadly violence linked to criminal groups and to an Islamist insurgency rooted in separatist wars in neighboring Chechnya during the 1990s. Police and government officials often are targeted in attacks. Based on reporting by TASS and Interfax Russian military planes regularly violate Estonian airspace in what the country's defense minister described on May 3 as "incredibly reckless" behavior. "They violate our airspace on a fairly regular basis. They fly across the Baltic Sea with the transponders switched off," Hannes Hanso said on a visit to Paris. While military radar can detect a plane even when its transponders are switched off, radar designed for civilian aircraft cannot, he said. "It is incredibly reckless and it is an accident waiting to happen," Hanso said. "Imagine a collision between a Russian plane and a civilian plane. Normal countries don't do this sort of thing. So it is just to provoke and to challenge us. It is unacceptable." Baltic countries want a NATO summit in Warsaw in July to send a clear message to Russia, the minister said. "We want to make sure that the regime in Moscow gets a very clear message that this sort of behavior is not acceptable and territories of alliance will be defended no matter what. So it is about deterrence." U.S. military commanders also complained this week about Russian jets doing dangerous maneuvers in the Baltic region. Based on reporting by AFP, Stirile Pro TV, and Agerpres Former Minister of Education and Science Serhiy Kvit has been appointed a non-staff advisor to the president of Ukraine. Poroshenko signed relevant decree on April 29, his press office reported. As reported, Kvit headed the Education and Science Ministry in the government of Arseniy Yatseniuk. On April 14, 2016, the Verkhovna Rada backed the resignation of Prime Minister Yatseniuk, and all the government was dismissed automatically. In the new government led by Volodymyr Hroysman, the post of the education and science minister went to the head of the relevant parliamentary committee, Lilia Hrynevych. Iranian factory workers and shopkeepers went on strike on October 22 as nationwide protests sparked by the death in custody of Mahsa Amini, arrested for "improperly" wearing a head scarf entered a sixth week, activists said. The death of 22-year-old Amini has fueled the biggest protests seen in the Islamic republic in years. Young women have led the charge, removing their head scarves, chanting anti-government slogans, and confronting the security forces on the streets, despite a crackdown that rights groups say has killed at least 215 people, including 27 children. Activists issued a call for fresh demonstrations as the Iranian working week got under way on October 22, but it was difficult to immediately assess the turnout due to curbs on Internet access. "On Saturday... We will be together for freedom," activist Atena Daemi said in a Twitter post that bore an image of a bare-headed woman with her fist raised in the air. The 1500tasvir social media channel said that there were "strikes in a couple of cities including Sanandaj, Bukan, and Saqez" but added that it was difficult to see evidence of them online as "the internet connection is too slow." Saqez, in the western province of Kurdistan, is Amini's home town, where angry protests broke out at her burial last month, sparking the nationwide demonstrations. The Norway-based Hengaw rights group also said that shopkeepers were on strike in Bukan, Sanandaj, Saqez, and Marivan. At Shahid Beheshti University in Tehran, dozens of students were seen in a video tweeted by 1500tasvir clapping and chanting during a protest on October 22. Dozens of workers were seen gathering outside the Aidin chocolate factory in Tabriz, the capital of East Azerbaijan province, in other footage it shared. The videos have not been independently verified. People were also gathering abroad for rallies in solidarity with the Iranian protest movement. Tens of thousands of people have taken to the streets of Berlin to show support. Iranian activist Hamed Esmaeilion -- whose wife and daughter were killed when a Ukrainian passenger plane was shot down near Tehran in 2020 --is expected to be the main speaker in the German capital. An online petition promoted by Esmaeilion asking the Group of Seven leading industrialized nations to expel the Islamic republic's diplomats has so far garnered nearly 657,000 signatures. In Tokyo, demonstrators held up portraits of Amini and others who have been killed in the crackdown, as well as a banner bearing the protest slogan, "Women, life, freedom." A teachers' union in Iran has called for a nationwide strike on October 23 and 24. The Coordinating Council of Teachers Syndicates said the "sit-in" would be in response to "systematic oppression" by the security forces at schools. The council identified in a statement four teenagers who had been killed in the crackdown -- Nika Shahkarami, Sarina Esmailzadeh, Abolfazl Adinezadeh, and Asra Panahi -- and said a large number of teachers had been arrested without charge. "Iran's teachers do not tolerate these atrocities and tyranny and proclaims that we are for the people, and these bullets and pellets you shoot at the people target our lives and souls," it said. Meanwhile Reza Pahlavi, the exiled former crown prince of Iran, stressed in a speech on October 20 to the protesters that there is a need to form a "pluralist provisional government" for the transition from Iran's Islamic republic. Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian accused the United States of supporting the protests in an effort to win concessions in talks aimed at restarting the nuclear 2015 agreement. "The Americans continue to exchange messages with us, but they are trying to fan the flames of what has been going on inside Iran in recent days," Amir-Abdollahian said during a visit to Armenia. U.S. officials have dismissed Tehrans accusations that the weeks-long mass protests in Iran have been orchestrated by the United States or Israel With reporting by AFP and dpa Dozens rallied in Kazakhstans western city of Oral on May 4 to protest the government's decision to auction off public land to private owners beginning in July. Police cordoned Oral's central Abai Square, where the demonstrators gathered. The city authorities tried to persuade the protesters to leave, but the crowd refused. Instead, the protesters demanded a meeting with the regional governor, Altai Kolginov, and an official promise that "the land will not be on sale." Protests against land privatization have been carried out in the cities of Atyrau, Aqtobe, Qyzylorda, Zhanaozen, and Semei since April 24 amid rumors of corrupt scams and nontransparent sales in which foreigners would purchase the land. The government says foreigners will only be allowed to lease agricultural land. Kazakhstan's Prosecutor-General Zhaqip Asanov warned on April 28 that it is a crime to spread "false information about land privatization." The European Commission has proposed that EU governments lift visa requirements for travelers from Kosovo. "Kosovo has made great progress," Migration Commissioner Dimitris Avramopoulos told reporters on May 4, adding that he hoped governments and the European Parliament would approve the proposal quickly. EU foreign-policy chief Federica Mogherini will meet the leaders of Kosovo and address its parliament on May 5, the commission said in a statement. Kosovo joins Turkey, Ukraine, and Georgia being added to a list of those whose citizens do not require prior visa approval to travel to Europe. Under the proposal, Kosovars with biometric passports would be able to enter the Schengen zone without a visa and stay for up to 90 days. Brussels had been wary about offering Kosovo a visa-free regime after large numbers of Kosovars sought asylum in the bloc in 2014 and 2015. But Pristina has improved border controls, introduced biometric passports, and agreed to the return of citizens not entitled to asylum in the EU. Based on reporting by Reuters NATO's new supreme commander in Europe says the military alliance remains essential more than 25 years after the end of the Cold War. "In today's challenging security environment, transatlantic cooperation is needed more than ever," U.S. General Curtis Scaparrotti said after taking over command from U.S. General Philip Breedlove at NATO's military headquarters in the Belgian town of Mons on May 4. "Even with the end of the Cold War, our NATO alliance...remains vital as we face a new set of challenges," he added, identifying one of them as "a resurgent Russia, striving to project itself as a world power." Relations between Moscow and the West have soured since Moscow annexed Crimea from Ukraine in March 2014 and shortly thereafter began backing separatists in eastern Ukraine. "Russia has been very active in eastern Ukraine. I don't see any indication that that's going to change in the short term and I don't expect it will," Scaparrotti said. But Moscow claims NATO is fueling tensions by bolstering its presence on the eastern fronts of the alliance. Earlier on May 4, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu announced that Russia will set up three new military divisions in the west and the south of the country by the end of 2016. Shoigu said the move was a response to what he called "the buildup of NATO forces in proximity to Russia's borders," as well as "intensified exercises of NATO countries." But NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg in Mons laid the blame at Russia's feet, saying NATO's decisions were driven by Moscow's military actions in Crimea and eastern Ukraine. "That is the reason why we have responded. It is a reaction to the behavior of a Russia which is more assertive and a Russia which has shown the will of using military force to change borders in Europe," he said. Stoltenberg added that Scaparrotti will not only help enhance NATO's presence in the east, but also work on improving its resilience to hybrid warfare and strengthening its cyberdefenses. With reporting by dpa and AFP NATO has a new supreme commander, whose job is to strengthen it as a defense force after years of reductions of U.S. troops in Europe. "We face a resurgent Russia and its aggressive behavior that challenges international norms," U.S. Army General Curtis Scaparrotti said earlier this week upon taking command of U.S. forces in Europe. He added that the Atlantic alliance's forces must be "ready to fight should deterrence fail." Scaparrotti became supreme allied commander Europe at a May 4 ceremony at NATO's military headquarters near Mons, in southern Belgium. His appointment comes at a time when the alliance regards Moscow as a threat to stability over its actions in Ukraine and has largely given up on military or civilian cooperation with Russia. Scaparrotti has said he will press Washington to station a third permanent brigade of U.S. troops in Europe to bolster the two brigades presently deployed in Germany and Italy. Any additional permanent deployment of troops would reverse reductions over the past four years, during which Washington deactivated two brigades in Europe due to budget pressures and new threats in the Middle East and Asia. Today, there are fewer than 65,000 U.S. military personnel permanently stationed in Europe, down from roughly 300,000 during the Cold War. Scaparrotti's desire for more troops in Europe echoes the position of NATO's outgoing military commander, U.S. General Philip Breedlove. To date, however, Washington has preferred to rotate additional troops in and out of Europe rather than permanently station more on the continent. The rotations have sought to reassure nervous NATO allies in the wake of Russia's annexation of Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula in 2014 and amid Kyiv's ongoing conflict with Russia-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine. Anxiety remains particularly high in the Baltics and Poland over a possible threat from Russia. However, Scaparrotti's most immediate challenge could be to lay down a clear boundary beyond which NATO units will not tolerate mounting harassment by Russian forces. Russian warplanes routinely buzz NATO warships in the Baltics and the Black Sea as both sides have stepped up military exercises in response to the Ukraine crisis. The close flybys have created growing concern that they could lead to a direct confrontation. Scaparrotti has taken a tough line against the harassment, telling U.S. senators during hearings last month that the Russian flybys are deliberately provocative and dangerous. "I think they're pushing our envelope in terms of our resolve," he said. He added that Russia needs to know the United States will take action if American lives were endangered. He said one of his first actions as NATO's commander will be to review the rules of engagement for U.S. and allied forces regarding when to respond with force to safeguard their security. Scaparrotti comes to the top NATO military post after serving as head of U.S. forces in South Korea. Prior to that, he served in Iraq and Afghanistan. Five Muslim employees of a Pakistani transport company were arraigned on blasphemy charges after a Sikh man complained they desecrated his turban during an argument about a delayed bus. Mahindar Paul Singh complained to police after the May 1 brawl on a bus journey from Faisalabad to Multan. Singh said one employee threw his turban on the ground during the altercation -- an act tantamount to desecration under the Sikh religious code. Singh said that, since he is a Pakistani national, the attackers should be charged with blasphemy according to the same law that non-Muslims have been prosecuted under when accused of insulting the Prophet Muhammad or desecrating the Koran. Pakistani authorities agreed, leading to the start of legal proceedings on May 3. Blasphemy carries the death penalty and is a hugely sensitive issue in Muslim-majority Pakistan. Rights activists criticize Pakistans blasphemy laws, saying they often are used to carry out personal vendettas against minorities. Based on reporting by AFP and Dawn The director of the Russian Central Commercial Bank in the capital of Russia's region of Bashkortostan, Ufa, has been found shot dead in his apartment block. Law enforcement officials in Ufa say the body of Aleksandr Potyomkin was found by neighbors in the stairwell of the building early on May 4. Unconfirmed reports say it appeared Potyomkin had shot himself with a rifle. Bashkortostan's Investigative Committee said it launched an investigation into the death and has not ruled out foul play. Potyomkin had been running the Central Commercial Bank's branch in Ufa since October 2011. Based on reporting by Kommersant and TASS Russia is delaying a United Nations Security Council resolution condemning North Korea's latest missile tests in an attempt to attach a statement saying all sides should reduce their military activities. UN diplomats said the remaining 14 council members, including Pyongyang's closest ally China, have agreed to the condemnation resolution without the amendment. North Korea test-fired what appeared to be two intermediate-range ballistic missiles last week, but both failed. It was the latest in a series of test launches aimed at intimidating South Korea and others in the region. Russian UN Ambassador Vitaly Churkin conceded that the United States and other council members are "unhappy" with Moscow's attachment, and question why Russia is targeting the United States and South Korea for installing a new anti-missile system to deal with the growing threat from Pyongyang. Russia and China have both objected to the new U.S. missile defense system being installed on the Korean peninsula close to their borders. "We need to call a spade a spade, and we think that asking for the interested parties to scale down their military activity in the region is very important," Churkin said. Based on reporting by Reuters and TASS The Russian Consulate General in San Francisco said on May 4 that it has filed a query with the U.S. authorities for details about the death of a Russian citizen who was in the custody of U.S. immigration officials in California. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials said 46-year-old Russian citizen Igor Zyazin died at a San Diego immigration detention center on May 1. The cause of his death remains under investigation. Zyazin, who was deported from the United States in 2009, had been in the custody of U.S. immigration officials since April 24. He reportedly presented his Russian passport at San Diego's San Ysidro port of entry, on the border with Mexico, and was waiting for an interview with immigration officials to determine the next steps in his case. Based on reporting by TASS, ABC and patch.com Head of the European Union's Delegation to Ukraine Jan Tombinski has called on Kyiv to conduct an independent and transparent investigation into the May 2, 2014 tragic events in Odesa and bring those responsible to justice. "Today we recall the tragic events in Odesa on 2 May 2014 that left more than 40 people dead and 200 injured. I urge the government of Ukraine to follow up on the recommendations of the Council of Europe International Advisory Panel and to carry out an independent and transparent investigation. All those responsible for the crimes must be brought to justice," a statement, posted on the Facebook account of the EU Delegation to Ukraine, reads. Large-scale clashes involving supporters of Ukraine's federalization, the Antimaidan movement and far-right activists erupted in Odesa on May 2, 2014. The Ukrainian Interior Ministry put the death toll from those events at around 50, with most of these people killed in a fire at the Trade Unions House, to which participants of the Antimaidan movement fled for cover after the clashes. Russian investigators say a fourth suspect in the murder of a high-ranking police officer and five of his relatives has been apprehended. Russia's Interior Ministry said the suspect - an ethnic Tajik named Mahmadali Ahmadov -- was detained at Moscow's Domodedovo Airport on May 4 upon his arrival there from Dushanbe, Tajikistan. On May 3, the investigators identified three other suspects who had been arrested earlier, saying they were all natives of Azerbaijan -- Roman Fataliyev, Islam Babayev, and Orxan Zahrabov. The deputy chief of staff of the Samara region's Interior Department, Andrei Gosht, was found dead at his home in Syzran on April 24 along with five of his relatives. Russia's Investigative Committee has said that all of the suspects will be charged with murder and robbery. Based on reporting by Interfax and TASS The United States and Russia have agreed to extend a cessation of hostilities in Syria to include Aleppo Province, site of an uptick in fighting. In announcing the agreement on May 4, the U.S. State Department also said Moscow and Washington will coordinate to strengthen monitoring of the new arrangement. It is critical that Russia redoubles efforts to press Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to comply with the new arrangement while Washington does its part with Syrian opposition forces, the State Department said. Moscow and Washington finalized a nationwide cease-fire in late February, but have struggled to make it stick. The violence in Syria's largest city and once its key commercial center has continued for almost two weeks despite intense diplomatic efforts to restore the cease-fire. The UN Security Council also was due to meet later on May 4 to discuss the escalation. On May 4, three people were killed in renewed shelling by Syrian rebels of government-held areas in Aleppo, state media and opposition activists said. Based on reporting by AP and Reuters Human Rights Watch (HRW) and the Norwegian Helsinki Committee (NHC) have urged authorities in Tajikistan to "immediately and unconditionally release" a group of jailed human rights lawyers. A joint statement from the rights groups on May 4 said that lawyers Shuhrat Qudratov, Buzurgmehr Yorov, Nuriddin Mahkamov, and Dilbar Dodojonova, as well two sons of the prominent lawyer Ishok Tabarov, had been "imprisoned or detained on politically motivated charges... in retaliation for representing political opponents or their willingness to take on politically sensitive cases." The statement also says other prominent human rights lawyers in Tajikistan "have received death threats and have been threatened with trumped-up charges." Steve Swerdlow, a Central Asia researcher atHuman Rights Watch, said Tajikistan's government is putting pressure on "lawyers it deems trouble" by "locking up those who represent the opposition alongside its political foes." ON MY MIND Drip. Drip. Drip. Three months ago, something we always suspected was confirmed when an official British investigation concluded that former KGB bodyguard Andrei Lugovoi and his accomplice, Dmitry Kovtun, most probably killed former Russian security agent Aleksandr Litvinenko, likely with Vladimir Putin's approval. One month ago, something else we always suspected was confirmed when the Panama Papers revealed that Putin's close associates were siphoning billions of dollars out of Russia through shady shell companies. And now, another long-held suspicion was given an official imprimatur when Spanish Judge Jose de la Mata issued arrest warrants for top Russian officials and close Putin cronies in a decade-old investigation into organized crime. No matter how much hedging, nuance, rationalization, and whataboutism you throw into the mix, it is getting increasingly difficult to ignore the obvious: The Putin regime is basically a crime syndicate masquerading as a state. IN THE NEWS A Spanish judge has issued international arrest warrants for top Russian officials for alleged ties to organized crime. Sweden's prime minister says he is not interested in Moscow's opinion on his country joining NATO. Oleg Yezhov, the former deputy governor of Primorsky Krai, has been detained on corruption charges. Interfax is reporting that Aleksei Navalny and the liberal Yabloko party are in negotiations about cooperating in the September 2017 State Duma elections. Estonia's defense minister is accusing Russian jets of behaving "incredibly recklessly" in Baltic airspace. U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter has called on Russia to stop "saber-rattling." Three Russian naval ships have arrived in Brunei to participate in exercises in the Pacific. The ADMM-Plus exercises run from May 2-12 and include 10 members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, as well as Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand, Russia, South Korea, and the United States. LATEST FROM THE POWER VERTICAL BLOG My latest Power Vertical blog post, Putinfellas, looks at Vladimir Putin's long-standing links to organized crime groups and how a Spanish investigation has exposed these ties. "Putin's Kremlin has used organized crime to carry out the tasks it wants to keep its fingerprints off, be it arms smuggling, assassinations, raising funds for black ops, or stirring up trouble in the former Soviet space "But now, thanks to Spanish Judge Jose de la Mata, the mask is coming off Putin's mafia statecraft in a big way." WHAT I'M READING Victory Day On A Budget According to a report in RBK, Russia will spend four times less on this year's Victory Day celebrations than last year's lavish 70th anniversary festivities. Cyber Attacks And Article 5 NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg says a cyberattack on an alliance member could potentially trigger its Article 5 collective defense clause. "Stoltenberg told a key alliance planning summit on Wednesday morning that 'cyber is now a central part of virtually all crises and conflicts. NATO has made clear that cyberattacks can potentially trigger an Article 5 response." Sweden, Finland, And NATO Veteran Kremlin-watcher and foreign affairs analyst Edward Lucas explains why NATO needs Sweden and Finland. "I have been urging both countries to join NATO for years," Lucas writes. "My argument was, 'Do it now while you dont need to, because the circumstances that will make it necessary will also make it harder." Lucas was reacting to a recent report commissioned by Finland's Foreign Ministry on the effects of joining the alliance. New Bellingcat Report On MH17 Bellingcat has issued a report that provides new details about the identity of the Buk missile that shot down Flight MH17 over Ukraine in July 2014. Victims Of Success The U.S. Air Force has become a victim of its own success, retired U.S. General David W. Barno and Nora Bensahel of the School of International Service at American University write in the War On The Rocks blog. "The stunning success of the Air Force in dominating its domain since the 1991 Gulf War has created two looming problems for the service leadership: The Air Force no longer has any substantive experience in how to fight and win in a highly contested environment, and its current airmen have never experienced serious losses of people and machines in air combat "Yet today, the threat to American air dominance is growing. Growing antiaccess and area denial (A2/AD) tactics and capabilities by potential adversaries such as China, Russia, and Iran are of increasing concern for U.S. military leaders." Russia's Trade Unions Ever wonder where Russia's trade unions get their money? Check out RBK's new investigation to find out. Russia And The Hajj On the latest Sean's Russia Blog podcast, Sean Guillory of the University of Pittsburgh's Center for Russian and Eastern European Studies looks at the underexplored topic of how Russia manages the hajj. Sean's guest is Eileen Kane, a professor at Connecticut College and author of the book Russian Hajj: Empire And The Pilgrimage To Mecca. Homophobia Inc. Meduza has an important and deeply disturbing story about "how a gang of thugs in St. Petersburg has made an industry of baiting and extorting homosexuals." Ukraine's Energy Reforms Writing on The Atlantic Council's website, Basil A. Kalymon of the University of Western Ontario looks at Ukraine's recent successes in reforming its gas market. The Next UN Secretary-General Foreign Policy asks: Will the next UN secretary-general be from Eastern Europe? A team of open-source researchers investigating the downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 says it has positively identified a Russian Buk missile launcher that shot down the plane. A report released late on May 3 by Bellingcat, an independent team of British investigators, says flight MH17 was shot down on July 17, 2014, by Buk self-propelled missile launcher 332 from Russia's 53rd Antiaircraft Missile Brigade of Kursk. President Vladimir Putin's spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, said he could not assess the accuracy of the Bellingcat investigation because he did not "possess any detailed information about any identification numbers of Russian weapons." Peskov said detailed information about the activities of Buk 332 was "an issue that concerns experts from the Defense Ministry." Using photographs posted online since 2010 by members of Russia's 53rd Antiaircraft Missile Brigade, Bellingcat experts matched seven unique characteristics of the Russian Buk M1 self-propelled missile launcher that was photographed in separatist-controlled eastern Ukraine on July 17, 2014. Those features included partially obscured identification numbers, the font and exact spacing of the digits, wheel types, a dent in the left side panel, the arrangement of cable connections to the missile launcher, white marks on both sides of the vehicle, and the shape and size of oil and soot deposits near the exhaust. The Bellingcat report says Buk 332 had all seven features and was the only possible candidate for identification that had even one feature in common with the Russian Buk photographed in eastern Ukraine just before the plane was shot down. A Bellingcat report in February linked higher-ups in Russia's military chain of command to the missile attack that killed all 298 people on board the civilian passenger plane. Russia-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine responded to the latest Bellingcat report by denying the presence of any Russian air-defense crews in territory under their control at any time, including the time the Malaysian jetliner was shot down. The Kremlin also denies that it has sent any Russian military units into eastern Ukraine to support the separatists. It says all Russian soldiers who have been killed or captured by Ukrainian government forces there have been volunteers. Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko says Kyiv has evidence of Russian troops and equipment crossing into eastern Ukraine despite a shaky cease-fire deal brokered in Minsk. Kyiv also says Russian now has more than 30,000 soldiers deployed in eastern Ukraine to support Russia-backed separatists there. With reporting by BBC and Interfax A blast at a mine in a separatist-controlled part of eastern Ukraine's Luhansk region has killed at least one miner. Larisa Airapetian, the top health official of the Russia-backed separatist's self-declared government in the Luhansk region, said on May 4 that the gas explosion at the Maloivanivska mine also had trapped nine miners underground. Airapetian said four other miners were hospitalized with burn injuries from the May 3 gas explosion. Airapetian said efforts to rescue the nine trapped miners were underway on May 4. Three districts of Ukraine's Luhansk region have been under separatists' control since April 2014. Based on reporting by TASS and Interfax The United Nations Security Council unanimously approved a resolution demanding that all parties to conflicts protect medical facilities and staff who are treating the wounded and sick. The resolution, which comes amid an upsurge in deadly attacks on hospitals in Syria, Afghanistan, and other conflict areas, calls on all countries to bring those responsible for attacks to justice, something that has rarely happened. Under international law, any intentional attack against hospitals and places where the sick and wounded are collected already is considered a war crime. Despite the taboo, last week an important hospital in the Syrian city of Aleppo was bombed, killing more than 50 people including the only pediatrician in the city. A maternity hospital and other medical facilities In Aleppo also have been bombed in recent days. In a high-profile incident last fall, U.S. forces mistakenly fired on a hospital in Kunduz, Afghanistan, killing 42 patients and staff. Incidents have also occured in Iraq, Yemen, South Sudan, and the Central African Republic. A recent study found that in the last three years, 2,400 attacks against patients, health personnel, medical facilities, ambulances and other transport took place in 11 countries. Based on reporting by AP and AFP U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter urged Russia to stop "going backwards" towards the Cold War era with "saber-rattling" and aggressive actions that have put NATO on high alert. "We do not seek to make Russia an enemy," Carter said on May 3 at a ceremony in Stuttgart to install U.S. Army General Curtis "Mike" Scaparrotti as NATO's new top commander in Europe. "We do not seek a cold, let alone a hot war with Russia. But make no mistake: We will defend our allies, the rules-based international order, and the positive future it affords us." Carter cited Russia's intervention in eastern Ukraine, its annexation of Crimea in 2014, and what he called Moscow's efforts to intimidate its Baltic neighbors, which are NATO members that the United States is sworn to defend. "Most disturbing" is Russian rhetoric about using nuclear weapons, he said. "Moscow's nuclear saber-rattling raises troubling questions about Russia's leaders' commitment to strategic stability, their respect for norms against the use of nuclear weapons," he said. His comments came as Estonian Defense Minister Hannes Hanso disclosed that Russian military jets have been operating in an "incredibly reckless" manner in Baltic airspace. Not only do they regularly violate Estonian airspace, he said they often fly across the Baltic Sea with their transponders switched off so they cannot be detected by civilian radar. "It is incredibly reckless and it is an accident waiting to happen," Hanso said. "Imagine a collision between a Russian plane and a civilian plane. Normal countries don't do this sort of thing. So it is just to provoke and to challenge us. It is unacceptable." The United States and NATO's European members have responded to what they see as an increased threat from Russia by rotating more troops into eastern member states and imposing economic sanctions over Russia's actions in Ukraine. But Carter seemed to concede that those measures haven't had the desired effect of making Russia back off. Rather they have led to steadily deteriorating relations between Russia and the West that he said he regrets. "We haven't had to prioritize deterrence on NATO's eastern flank for the past 25 years. But while I wish it were otherwise, now we have to," he said. Carter said he continues to hold out hope that Russia will eventually abandon its confrontational approach. "The United States will continue to hold out the possibility that Russia will assume the role of a constructive partner moving forward, not isolated and going backward in time as it appears to be today," he said. "Much of the progress we've made together since the end of the Cold War, we accomplished with Russia. Let me repeat that. Not in spite of Russia, not against Russia, not without Russia, but with it." Carter made no mention of two NATO moves that many believe prompted, at least in part, Russia's turn away from the West: the expansion of NATO toward Russia's western border and U.S. placement of missile defenses in Europe. "We'll keep the door open for Russia," he said. But it's up to the Kremlin to decide." In contrast to Carter, outgoing NATO commander General Philip Breedlove appeared to have a more positive view of Russia's current leadership. Breedlove described Russian President Vladimir Putin as "more reasonable" than other possible alternatives in Russian leadership circles, in an interview with the Wall Street Journal on May 2. "We have a very strong leader who is surrounded by a small group of people who make the decisions. Most of those decisions are focused on the preservation of the regime. We believe that that group will be with us for some time," Breedlove said. "And we're not sure that we might be in a better place if we saw a change," he said. "We are unsure that we would be in a better place if Mr. Putin was not there. He may be a more reasonable voice in the middle of that group," he said. With reporting by AP, Reuters, TASS, and Wall Street Journal A sound not heard for many years just came across Uzbekistan's southern border -- the sound of rocket fire from Afghanistan. Afghanistan's Ariana TV reported that the Taliban attacked an Afghan border post in the Kaldor district of Balkh Province during the night of May 2. Ariana showed General Mir Hayma Haidari saying the attack was beaten back and there were no casualties among Afghan government troops. That probably won't be much consolation for Uzbek President Islam Karimov. He knows where Kaldor district is located: just east of Uzbekistan's southernmost city of Termez, the gateway to Afghanistan. Rockets from fighting in Afghanistan hit Termez in September 1997. When the Taliban captured the Afghan border town of Hairaton, in Kaldor district, in August 1998, it sparked panic in the Uzbek capital. Hairaton is on the other side of the river that divides Uzbekistan and Afghanistan, the Amu-Darya. Karimov personally went to Termez just days after Hairaton's capture to assess the situation. Uzbekistan and President Karimov had to live with the Taliban at the doorstep for three years. Karimov was among the happiest of people when the United States started its military campaign in Afghanistan in the wake of the terrorist attacks on New York and Washington in September 2001 and chased the Taliban from the area. But in the last few years the Taliban has made its way back and spread out across northern Afghanistan. Afghan fighting has reached the borders of both Tajikistan and Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan's Central Asian neighbors, in recent months. Uzbekistan had been spared because there was relative calm in Balkh Province. Until this year. Since March, government forces in Balkh have been busy clearing districts of Taliban fighters. But as of May 2, the Taliban was clearly still present in the district of Kaldor. Balkh Governor Atta Mohammad Nur said in March that there were not only Taliban militants in his province but fighters loyal to the extremist group Islamic State. These latter militants might be remnants of the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, sent to northwestern areas of Afghanistan by their leader, Usman Ghazi, after he swore allegiance to Islamic State and before Ghazi was killed in November 2015. Uzbekistan has another complication to consider. There is a long-standing rivalry for power in Balkh between Governor Nur and Vice President Abdul Rashid Dostum. For much of the last 30 years, the provincial capital -- Mazar-e Sharif -- was Dostum's stronghold. Dostum has come to personally lead operations against the Taliban in provinces to the west of Balkh (Baghdis and Faryab) four times since the summer of 2015, an effort on which the two former warlords have professed unity. However, competing rallies by supporters of Nur and Dostum in Mazar-e Sharif in late March raised tensions in the city and worried officials in Kabul. So there is the danger of infighting between Nur and Dostum that would leave the border with Uzbekistan vulnerable on the Afghan side. This already happened once, in 1997, when Abdul Malik, one of Dostum's commanders, rebelled and chased Dostum from the region. Malik then announced he was siding with the Taliban and invited the militants into Mazar-e Sharif, where Malik then switched sides again and massacred large numbers of Taliban fighters. Dostum eventually ousted Malik and regained control, but his greatly weakened forces were no match for the Taliban, who returned in August 1998 and had little trouble capturing Mazar-e Sharif. Further complicating the situation for President Karimov is that during the 1990s Uzbekistan supported Dostum, providing Mazar-e Sharif with free electricity, and possibly much more. Tashkent saw Dostum as the guardian of the gates to Uzbekistan. One couldn't blame Nur for wondering not only about Dostum's intentions, but Tashkent's as well. Uzbekistan's side of the border has been fortified and refortified over the course of two decades. Reportedly, Uzbekistan just sent more forces to the border with Afghanistan in April after Uzbek border guards were involved in shootouts that left three Afghan nationals dead. There is no possibility of any force making a successful incursion across the Amu-Darya into Uzbekistan. But the May 2 rocket attack on an Afghan border post could very well feed the Uzbek government's paranoia about its own population and potential enemy sympathizers. Uzbekistan's citizens know what that means; many remember well the mass arrests of the late 1990s when the Taliban last made its way to the Uzbek border. With contributions from RFE/RL Uzbek Service Director Alisher Sidik Japanese Ambassador to Ukraine Shigeki Sumi at a meeting with Ukrainian Interior Minister Arsen Avakov has said that his country is ready to provide support to Ukraine to develop cyber police, the communications department of the Interior Ministry has reported. "The Japanese diplomat said that one of the key directions of cooperation between Ukraine and Japan in reforming the police is cyber security. He said that Japan backs the Ukrainian Interior Ministry's steps to create and develop cyber police and is ready to provide the country with financial and expert assistance," the department said. The ambassador also said that Japan welcomes the new Ukrainian government and the country is ready to continue cooperation. Sumi invited Avakov to visit Japan in the near future to study the principles of work of the Japanese law enforcement system. It is no secret that just about any resident of Chechnya courageous or foolhardy enough to criticize the republican authorities, let alone republic head Ramzan Kadyrov, might risk being summarily detained and questioned and subject to orchestrated public humiliation, at best, or, at worst, disappearing without trace. But a handful of people continue to run that risk, undeterred by the possible consequences. One such person is Ramazan Dzhalaldinov, a resident of the Avar-populated village of Kenkhi in Chechnyas southernmost Shatoy district. Dzhalaldinov has not only complained publicly to Russian President Vladimir Putin about corruption among local officials, he lodged a formal complaint with Russian Prosecutor General Yury Chaika on May 2 requesting that he take legal action against Kadyrov for having publicly insulted him by rejecting his criticisms as lies. In mid-April, Daghestans independent Russian-language weekly Chernovik uploaded to YouTube (below) a nine-minute video address by Dzhalaldinov to Putin complaining about conditions in Kenkhi. Dzhalaldinov recalls in that footage that he has tried "dozens of times," without success, to bring the situation there to the attention of the federal authorities and to demand the creation of a special commission to investigate. Specifically, Dzhalaldinov says that the remote mountain village, which has a population of some 1,500, suffered serious damage during the 1999-2000 war. But residents receive the statutory compensation for that damage only if they sign an agreement to forego two-thirds of the sum due, which is pocketed by local officials. (Journalists from Chernovik had reported similar problems with compensation payments two years ago. The Avars may be a tiny minority in Chechnya, but they are the largest ethnic group in Daghestan.) Dzhalaldinov also highlights the plight of the villages three schools, explaining that all of the most qualified teaching personnel have quit because local officials systematically withheld their salaries. Within days, Kenkhi residents were required to attend a public meeting to deny Dzhalaldinovs allegations. Footage of that meeting was shown on Chechen TV. Writing on the official news portal Grozny-Inform, Chechen journalist Ibragim Estamirov claimed that Dzhalaldinov does not live permanently in Kenkhi and that he has three criminal convictions, including one in 2007 for abetting the North Caucasus insurgency. Meanwhile, bloggers and human rights activists, unable to determine Djalaldinov's whereabouts, expressed concern for his safety. Moscow-based journalist Vasily Polonsky of the independent TV station Dozhd, who traveled to Kenkhi via Daghestan to follow up on Dzhalaldinovs complaints, has confirmed that Dzhalaldinov is no longer in Chechnya. Polonsky met on April 29 with some 100 Kenkhi residents, who readily confirmed that Dzhaladinov was telling the truth about the situation there. Polonsky was constrained to leave shortly afterward after someone alerted the Chechen authorities to his presence in Kenkhi. Villagers guided him on foot by mountain paths the 22 kilometers to the border with Daghestan. He has since returned to Moscow. But the taxi driver who brought him to Kenkhi was detained on April 30 for questioning, along with two other village residents who talked to Polonsky. Dzhalaldinov subsequently told RFE/RLs Avar-language Radio Erkenli that his sister and brother-in-law had been offered 100,000 rubles ($1,508) to tell journalists that he is mentally ill, but they both refused to do so. Kadyrovs next move will show just how far his influence still extends beyond Chechnyas borders into Daghestan, meaning whether he can pressure or bribe whoever is currently sheltering Dzhalaldinov to hand him over. Alternatively, Kadyrov may try to send in his heavies to snatch Dzhalaldinov, just as he reportedly personally intervened to secure the release of his sister Zulay from a Daghestan police station 11 years ago. Any such move would, however, appear to be in blatant defiance of Putins warning to Kadyrov in late March that like any other citizen of the Russian Federation, he is required to obey the law. 6 This young woman looks happy to have made it through the crush, but Belarus may be worried about the popularity of fast food outlets like this one. Obesity rates among females in the country are the highest in Europe. We attempted to send a notification to your email address but we were unable to verify that you provided a valid email address. Please click here to update your email address if you wish to receive notifications. Otherwise, you may click here to disable notifications and hide this message. The Stanytsia Luhanska crossing point resumed its operation on Saturday morning for the period of May holidays, the press service of the State Border Service of Ukraine has reported. "Today in the morning the Stanytsia Luhanska crossing point that was temporarily closed resumed its operation. The decision was made by the ATO headquarters. The crossing point will operate in the period of May holidays and Easter every day from 07:00 until 17:30," the authority said. The press service said that passenger and transport flow at the crossing points opened on the contact line was intensive in the past 24 hours. Zolote and Novotroitske crossing points are still closed. The Luhansk regional military-civil administration wrote on its Facebook page that the Stanytsia Luhanska crossing point will be opened from April 30 until May 4 and from May 8 until May 10 from 08:00 until 20:00 if the situation near this humanitarian corridor is safe for civilians and military staying there. The Stanytsia Luhanska crossing point was temporarily closed on April 8 due to permanent hostilities from the militants' side. At a meeting of the Trilateral Contact Group (TCG) on April 29 the agreement to open this crossing point starting from April has been reached. Two teenagers were sent to the hospital Tuesday after a robbery and assault in which one of the teens was stabbed, Chester police said. Three male suspects attacked the victims, ages 15 and 16, during a robbery about 9 p.m. in the 600 block of South Providence Road. During the altercation, one of the teens was stabbed, police said. The victims knew their attackers, police said, and the incident appears to be drug-related. The teen who was stabbed was taken to Chippenham Hospital, the other was taken to St. Francis Hospital. Their wounds are not considered life-threatening, police said. A former billing specialist for Virginia Physicians for Women pleaded guilty Wednesday to embezzling $871,869 from the medical practice over five years, money she told police was partially used to assist two of her children with their college expenses. Edith W. Harris, 52, committed 2,687 separate acts of embezzlement from Virginia Physicians for Women, a well-known obstetrics and gynecology practice with seven local offices, 28 physicians, a staff of 125 and a cash flow of $24 million annually, Chesterfield prosecutor Robert J. Fierro Jr. told the court. She was in a unique position ... and was able to cover and hide the theft, Fierro said. She was able to continue this scheme for a significant period of time. Harris diverted the funds to credit cards and bank accounts held by her and family members from July 2010 through June 2015, Fierro said. Her children received some of the money but were not accomplices to the theft and were unaware of their mothers actions, Fierro said. Harris was responsible for making reimbursements to the accounts of patients who had overpaid for services while under the care of Virginia Physicians for Women. Prenatal patients, for example, would make monthly payments that Virginia Physicians estimated they would incur for medical treatment during the course of their pregnancy, Fierro said. But if it was later determined those patients had overpaid, Harris would divert the excess payments to herself instead of reimbursing the patients, Fierro said. A woman who gave birth to a baby may not be aware of a $300 inequity in their account because she was preoccupied with her new child, Fierro explained. When someone did inquire about an overpayment, Harris would issue a refund and shift money around to cover her tracks, Fierro said. When Harris admitted to stealing the money during a June 29, 2015, interview with police, she explained she did so because she only made $40,000 annually and had two children in college and two others who would soon join them. She also advised she had a $700 monthly mortgage and received small child support payments from her former husband. Harris pleaded guilty to a total of five counts of embezzlement for money she took between January and June 2015. Chesterfield Circuit Court Judge T.J. Hauler convicted her after accepting her pleas and set sentencing for Sept. 7. Defense Attorney John McGarvey described his client as a wonderful person whose actions were out of character for a woman who raised four children and did volunteer work for a number of local organizations. What we have here is a good lady who has done a terrible thing, McGarvey told the court. It was a compulsive type of behavior ... but Im at a loss to explain it. I cant understand how she got involved in this, he added. McGarvey said he anticipates introducing medical and psychological testimony at her sentencing hearing that may go somewhat to explain her situation. The attorney suggested Harris may be afflicted with kleptomania, a serious mental health disorder whose symptoms include the inability to refrain from the urge to steal items for reasons other than personal use or financial gain. McGarvey said Harris didnt use the stolen money to buy expensive vehicles or homes, and is in a position to pay back $250,000 of the $871,000 she took. McGarvey said Harris, who is free on bond, has been unable to get another job but has continued with her volunteer work. Fierro said he was not aware of any of the money being repaid. The court will likely enter a restitution order when she is sentenced later this year. Ronald Milligan, Virginia Physicians chief operating officer, said the company has hired an outside attorney to assist with recovering any funds that might be available, and three lawsuits have been filed against Harris in civil court in furtherance of that effort. Milligan said about 20 percent of the $250,000 that Harris attorney noted has been recovered through a liquidation of some of Harris assets. We are vigorously pursuing that and hope to recover additional funds, he said. Milligan estimated that one-tenth of 1 percent of Virginia Physicians patients were affected by the theft, and the company is working to reinstate customer accounts with any credit balances that had been removed. Harris, of the 7400 block of Sandlewood Drive in Chesterfield, has a prior theft conviction dating to an offense in 2006. She was tried in Chesterfield Circuit Court in October 2007 on a charge of felony welfare fraud, but the case was taken under advisement by the court until Feb. 28, 2008. She pleaded guilty on that date to a reduced count of misdemeanor welfare fraud and was given a 12-month suspended jail term, according to court records. That case involved Harris taking welfare assistance from Feb. 1 through July 31, 2006, without reporting she was gainfully employed as a teacher. It was unclear how much public assistance she obtained fraudulently. Milligan said Virginia Physicians was unaware of Harris previous conviction when she was hired, but the company has since put into place a series of background checks on new hires. Richmond and Henrico police officers and firefighters spent several hours overnight looking for a possible person in the water near the Lee Bridge. Richmond police said a motorist traveling on the bridge called 911 and said they had seen a person standing on the outside the railing. When the motorist drove back to the area, the person was gone. The Richmond City Council closed out its long-running budget negotiations Tuesday, agreeing to give the citys school system an additional $9.5 million in operating and capital funds over the $280 million Mayor Dwight C. Jones proposed in his initial funding plan. But it wasnt immediately clear whether the additional cash will head off the closure of five schools, including Armstrong High School a step school administrators said would be necessary if their funding requests werent met. The School Board would take that up as soon as the vote is finalized, said School Board Chairman Jeff M. Bourne. Im hesitant to say one way or the other what impact it has on any cost-saving or efficiency recommendations weve received. The agreement the council informally reached Tuesday followed roughly 12 hours of debate over two days. It still needs to be drafted into a series of ordinances, which will be introduced and advertised to the public later this week. A public hearing and final vote on the budget is scheduled for Friday, May 13, at 6 p.m. This year, the schools had asked for an $18 million increase in operating funds and $40 million in capital funds. Jones proposed operating budget provided flat funding for the district. The councils plan would increase that by $5.5 million, which is about $600,000 more than the district says it needs to give raises to longtime teachers whose salaries stagnated during the recession. At the request of Councilwoman Reva M. Trammell, $200,000 of that was set aside to reopen Summer Hill Elementary in South Richmond. The council plans to provide another $4 million increase in capital funds to pay for maintenance of the districts ailing buildings. The council moved the money from a community center planned for Highland Park, bringing the districts total capital funding for the year to $9 million. Bourne said he appreciated the councils efforts to find more funds for schools, but noted the school system still faces a large gap between its budget request and the final appropriation council agreed to Tuesday. The board and the administration of (Richmond Public Schools) we have a lot of work to do, he said. Superintendent Dana T. Bedden made clear some budget cuts will still be necessary, though he didnt specifically cite closing schools. As a result of the limited funds, my fiduciary responsibilities will require me to recommend that the board take the necessary action to address the structural deficiencies in our budget or risk overspending in the future, he said. In addition to boosting funding for schools, the councils operating budget compromise also gives: $310,000 to public works to hire additional seasonal employees; $340,000 to fire and emergency services to give salary increases to employees inadvertently left out of a raise last year; and $100,000 for Venture Richmond, which brings the nonprofits total city funding to $600,000. The council decided against restoring funding to area nonprofits such as Sports Backers and the Better Housing Coalition, whose budgets were cut by 25 percent under Jones proposal. On the capital side, the only major changes in addition to schools is the addition of $300,000 for the T. Tyler Potterfield memorial pedestrian bridge over the James River, sidewalk and streetscape improvements along the Jefferson Davis Highway corridor in South Richmond, and flood mitigation in Battery Park. Otherwise, the council left much of Jones budget intact. City administrators repeatedly argued against cuts to any city departments, saying taking away any money would be disastrous at a time when the city is already struggling to deliver basic services. For the most part, the council went along with the administrations recommendations, cutting operating funds from only one department: $250,000 from the Richmond Ambulance Authority. Instead, all the additional funding used to boost schools and other departments was found by council staff members and the mayors administration. The mayors office agreed to certify an additional $7.75 million in revenue, which will come from a combination of sources, including about $4 million from enhanced efforts to collect delinquent taxes. The council eliminated one new revenue source proposed by Jones: an increase in the cost of some business licenses from $30 to $50. Councilman Charles R. Samuels argued that the cost of doing business in the city is already higher than the surrounding counties and the proposed change would only make that worse. The council left intact a slew of other fee increases proposed by Jones, which collectively increased city revenues by about $9 million. The budget maintains the citys real estate and meals tax rates at their current levels. As they closed out their at-times-tense deliberations, council members thanked the mayors administration for working with them to find more money for the school system. This shows what we can do when we all work together, said City Council President Michelle Mosby. In a statement sent out later, Jones struck a similar tone. Savchenko may resume dry hunger strike unless she returns home within several months Nadia Savchenko may resume a dry hunger strike unless she returns home within several months, although the extradition procedure may take up to one year, Savchenko's lawyer Nikolai Polozov has said. "Nadia cannot wait for long. She has made this clear, and I do not rule out that she may resume a dry hunger strike in case of any delay. The ordinary [extradition] process takes from six months to a year. This timeframe is totally unacceptable for her," the lawyer said on Channel Five. Polozov hopes that the Russian authorities would avoid the maximal possible duration of "various kinds of bureaucratic procedures related to the extradition" but would maximally cut their period. "If we speak about any realistic timeframes, it could one, two or no more than three months," he said. It was reported last week that Polozov had helped Savchenko fill the documents required for her extradition to Ukraine. In the words of another lawyer, Mark Feygin, Savchenko bluntly refused to plead guilty in filling her extradition documents, but agreed to pay a fine of 30,000 rubles the court ordered to levy on her for the illegal crossing of the border. She pointed out that she was illegally taken from the Ukrainian territory. Savchenko went on a dry hunger strike on April 6 demanding that she be returned to her home country. She had a telephone conversation with Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko on April 19 and agreed to stop the hunger strike. Savchenko has been held in Russian custody since July 2014 after being kidnapped by Russia-backed separatists and illegally taken across the Ukrainian border. The Donetsk City Court in Russia's Rostov region found Ukrainian servicewoman Nadiya Savchenko guilty of conspiracy to murder Russian journalists Igor Kornelyuk and Anton Voloshin for reasons of hatred and sentenced her to 22 years in a general penitentiary on March 22. The court also convicted her of attempted murder and illegal crossing of the Russian border. The Richmond Police Department plans to hold four town hall meetings beginning today in each of the citys precincts. Police Chief Alfred Durham said the meetings are part of his ongoing effort to inform the public about his vision for policing in Richmond. The purpose, he said, is for me and my staff to get input from the general public; what we can do better and how they can help us do better. Each meeting will be held in one of the departments four precincts on the following dates: today, from 6 to 8 p.m. at Cedar Street Baptist Church of God, 2301 Cedar St., in the 1st Precinct. Thursday, from 6 to 8 p.m. at Southside Plaza Community Center, 4100 Hull Street Road, in the 2nd Precinct. Tuesday, from 6 to 8 p.m. at Richmond Police Training Academy, 1202 W. Graham Road, in the 4th Precinct. next Thursday, from 6 to 8 p.m. at First Baptist Church, 2709 Monument Ave., in the 3rd Precinct. A man and a juvenile have been charged in an attempted burglary last month in South Richmond. Officers were called about 11:30 p.m. April 25 to the Graystone Place Apartments in the 2100 block of Afton Avenue, where a woman told police that several people had entered her unit and were still inside. As two officers approached the front door, one of the suspects sprinted outside, police said. The victims fiance attempted to stop the suspect by tripping him, slowing him down. The officers chased the suspect into a nearby apartment, where he was arrested. The other suspect was arrested at the scene. The suspect who ran from police was identified as Paul R. Moore, 22, of the 2200 block of Afton Avenue. The second suspect was a juvenile male. Both were charged with burglary. Thirteen Ukrainian doctors have been freed from captivity in Libya, Foreign Minister of Ukraine Pavlo Klimkin has said. "We have good news. 13 Ukrainian medics, who were held captive by ISIS, have been released and taken to the Libyan town of Ra's Lanuf. We are in constant communication with them," he wrote on Twitter on Tuesday. ABINGDON, Va. James Michael Foran showed little emotion Wednesday when he was found guilty of crimes against nature related to the 2014 sexual assault of a then 4-year-old Labrador retriever named Addie. He chatted quietly with his lawyer, covering his mouth as the jury left to deliberate a recommendation for a sentence. The verdict came on the third day of the trial Wednesday in Washington County Circuit Court. The 12-person jury, made up of six men and six women, returned the verdict after deliberating for just two-and-a-half hours. Jurors deliberated for another 30 minutes before returning a recommended sentence of five years in prison, the maximum sentence allowed. Forans sentencing hearing is set for July 21. Im very happy about the verdict and maximum sentence, said county Commonwealths Attorney Josh Cumbow following the announcement. [Sex assault on an animal] doesnt happen too often. Most of the credit goes to the staff and the witnesses. They did the heavy lifting. I was just along for the ride. Foran, 48, was convicted twice before of attempted sexual assault, Cumbow said. Hes been held without bond in the Southwest Virginia Regional Jail in Abingdon since 2014. I did not offer a plea bargain because of [Forans] history as a convicted sex offender, Cumbow said. I didnt think it would be appropriate. Twenty-six years of a criminal history of this nature, and the man clearly has not learned his lesson. Addies owner, Suzanne Augustine, declined comment following the verdict, but presented her victim impact statement to the jury before it recommended a sentence. Augustine, a mental health worker, explained the effects Addies attack had on her both emotionally and financially. She said the event made it difficult to do her job. As a result of the crime, I have had such a reaction of emotions I never thought I was capable of, Augustine read from her prepared statement. Im not longer capable of working with children who have been abused sexually or have become interested in Internet pornography. Believe it or not, some of the children Ive worked with have become interested in animal pornography online. I have such an emotional reaction that I cant work with these people. Suffering from severe anxiety since the incident, Augustine said she has been unable to allow anyone into her home, even to provide needed maintenance and other services. [Foran] was a trusted person doing yard work, Augustine said. I havent been able to have anyone come into my house and I was very trusting before. I dont ever want to call anyone. If I need someone to come over, I make sure Addie is locked up and out of sight. I just dont want to leave her alone anymore. Augustine said she has incurred financial expenses of $4,714, including the initial visit to the clinic, surgery fees and continuing treatment for infections Addie has become susceptible to. Defense attorney Wayne Austin objected to Augustines testimony, asking for a mistrial. He said the dog was not a victim and any discussion of her mental state, which he said Augustine commented on before the jury, was inadmissible. Austin said only the financial information should be allowed. A dog cannot be a victim and the evidence the commonwealth just presented is not admissible, Austin said. A victim is defined as a person. A dog is personal property. Cumbow compared Addie to a family member. He said the attack had a psychological impact on Augustine similar to a son or daughter being injured. It is just like a parent testifying what her child and herself has gone through, he said. She is a victim because of what happened to her pet. Judge Randy Lowe agreed the dog was victimized, but said he was opposed to any statements from Augustine reflecting Addies behavior. The prosecutions final witness was a forensics analyst who testified Wednesday to the methods of processing DNA evidence used in the case. Melissa Hypes, a forensic scientist at the Virginia Department of Forensic Sciences west office in Roanoke, handled the DNA swabs taken from Addie and Foran when they were sent to her lab in August 2014. She found a match between the vaginal swab from the dog and cheek swab from Foran and she testified that the sample followed all protocols. To come into the lab, you must be signed in and accompanied. You also wouldnt leave evidence out in an unsecured refrigerator, Austin said. You find that important to keep the evidences integrity and make it suitable for testing. Lets assume the evidence breached your policy. You wouldnt test it would you? Hypes said the lab could possibly test samples that had not followed the requirements of her lab prior to being received by her staff. She said many DNA samples used as evidence sit unsealed before they are collected by police. A particular piece of evidence could lay out and be exposed to many people before it gets brought to our lab, Hypes said. Only in the lab does it get the scrutiny. Degradation is the breaking down of the cells. It doesnt change the DNA, just the amount I can test. Austin said nowhere in Hypes report was there a direct accusation that the semen belonged to Foran. I do not see a single sentence on the certificate that says the DNA profile was identified as James Michael Foran, he said. It only says he cannot be eliminated as a contributor. Cumbow responded that the language is typical of the forensic analysis and that it still indicated Foran. Hypes agreed. This is typical language we us in the lab, she said. It followed protocol. Austin, who called no witnesses and presented no evidence, asked the judge to remove all of the commonwealths evidence from the record after the prosecution rested. Judge Lowe kept all prior evidence on the record. Austin said Cumbows team failed to provide evidence of a sexual assault or establish the courts jurisdiction in the case. The commonwealth has attempted to establish that the defendant had sex with a dog, Austin said. Where did it occur? There was no statement as to where it occurred. They have speculated and surmised it occurred at the owners home in Washington County, but upon cross examination no one could say thats where it happened. During closing statements, Austin referred to a muddy patch of land at Augustines home, covered in dog prints the day after the attack. Austin reminded the jury that no blood was found at that scene or on the swab. Explaining that Forans own statements placed him at Augustines home on the night of the attack, Cumbow said the audio recording proved the incident occurred in Washington County. The defendants own statements indicate he was with the dog all night, Cumbow said. We also have expert testimony that his DNA was found in the dog. He said he was so drunk he couldnt go anywhere, and he didnt go anywhere. Venue was established. Before the jury left to deliberate, Cumbow reminded the panel to remember Addie. What is important in this case is Addie Augustine. One of Gods beautiful creatures, he said. Just a sweet dog. Never forget the victim. He also pointed to what Cumbow called Forans inability to deny the charges when questioned by police. George Takei still remembers the day when the soldiers came. I was terrorized, said Takei, who was only 5 years old when he and his family were ordered to join thousands of others in the Japanese-American internment camps of WWII. It was an unforgettable day. My mother had tears coming down; soldiers with bayonets on their rifles ordering you out. Takei -- an actor and social activist who became a cultural icon for his role as Mr. Sulu on Star Trek -- shared his familys story and the lessons it imparted to him Wednesday during a much-anticipated appearance in Roanoke. The visit by Takei and his husband, Brad, was sought after by local leaders in the wake of the controversy unleashed last fall when Mayor David Bowers spoke out against accepting new Syrian refugees and drew a parallel to the WWII camps. The remark, which Bowers has since apologized for, attracted widespread condemnation, including from Takei. Organizers saw this weeks visit as an opportunity to spur a dialogue about diversity and the true history of the internment camps as well as to highlight the Real Roanoke a local rallying cry that emerged amid the backlash last year. Roanoke has a large immigrant and refugee population, and is currently home to around 105 different nationalities. We are here tonight to say with certainty that the good people of Roanoke welcome immigrants from all nations to come and live with us and became part of our community, said Jay Saunders, board president of the diversity-celebrating group Local Colors. Takei, 79, spent two days in the city with a busy itinerary that included tours of local sights, a roundtable with city halls Diversity Advisory Council and a trip to the Mill Mountain Star where he was joined by Bowers. The visit culminated Wednesday night in a free event that drew hundreds of people to hear Takei speak. Takei said hed been deeply impressed by the citys rich culture and warm community. The welcome here has really been bountiful, he said. Its not just the cliche about Southern hospitality. Its been extraordinary I have fallen in love with the city of Roanoke. Greeted with a standing ovation at Wednesday nights event at the Jefferson Center, Takei replied with his signature, Oh myyy. Over the next hour, he talked and took questions from the audience, mixing his trademark humor with sobering accounts of the four years his family spent in the internment camps. Bowers also spoke during the event and presented Takei with a key to the city. He told the crowd he regretted his comments from last fall and remained pained by the negative attention it brought to Roanoke. I have come to realize how mistaken and inappropriate those comments were, he said, crediting Takei in part with that. To the extent that those comments impacted the fine reputation of the city of Roanoke, I am truly sorry. I promised then and I intend to continue to make amends for those remarks. Takei, for his part, said he felt Bowers was a good person who made a mistake because he didnt fully grasp the nature and impact of the internment camps. Politicians, like all of us, are fallible human beings, he said in an interview. We make mistakes. He made that mistake. But he apologized for it. Takei later added of the soon-to-retire mayor, I know that he has a good heart and an open, accepting, welcoming spirit. Takei has worked for years to raise awareness about the often-overlooked history of the camps where some 120,000 Japanese-Americans most of them native-born U.S. citizens were imprisoned after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. His work has included helping open a museum in Los Angeles and staging a Broadway show inspired by his experience in camps in Arkansas and California. From Roanoke, hes leaving for England where hell be giving a talk on the subject at Cambridge University. This was a shameful chapter in our history, but a vitally important chapter for all Americans to know, he said Wednesday, adding he sees chilling echoes of the rhetoric used back then resurfacing in todays presidential campaign debates over Muslims and other groups. America is better than that, he said, urging people to work toward a stronger, truer democracy. As a teenager, Takei said, he struggled to reconcile his own childhood experiences with the lofty portrait of democracy and freedom he was reading about in his history books. It was his father who took him in hand, he said, and explained that democracy doesnt exist in a tidy, little box. My father told me that democracy is made up of people, he recalled. And people are capable of doing great things, like the ideals of America articulated by our founding fathers. But were also fallible human beings. PULASKI David Eisenhauer, who is charged with murdering 13-year-old Nicole Lovell, sent texts about a teenage girl hed met at a party, then learned she was underage and feared she would expose him, according to a man named in a new search warrant filed in the case. In an interview at his Pulaski home Wednesday, Bryce Dustin said he began communicating with Eisenhauer, 19, through online gaming but never met the former Virginia Tech student in person. Dustin said police searched his home last week, seizing his iPhone. Dustin said he considered Eisenhauer a friend and the two had exchanged texts for more than a year. Those conversations eventually took a turn, as Eisenhauer asked Dustin if he knew where to hide a body, Dustin said. At that point, Dustin said he thought Eisenhauer was joking. Lovells body later was discovered in a wooded area in North Carolina and Eisenhauer was arrested and charged with her killing. Eisenhauer had gone to Dustin for advice before, like when he asked how to kiss a girl just over a year ago, Dustin said. Police were interested in the time Eisenhauer asked for advice on how to deal with a girl he met at a party and later learned was underage, according to Dustin. Eisenhauer didnt name the girl in the texts, but he said he was concerned because she still wanted to be with him, according to Dustin. He was older and she was younger. He was saying that she was going to expose him, Dustin said. Just a few days later, Eisenhauer texted again, according to Dustin: I need to know where to hide a body, Dustin recalled Eisenhauer texting. I just brushed it off. I thought he was joking. Dustin said he never replied to those texts. He also said he doesnt watch the news, so he heard neither of Lovells death nor that Eisenhauer had been charged with abduction and murder. He said Eisenhauer never mentioned Natalie Keepers, 19, who also is charged in the killing. The way I knew David, I never met him but I thought he was incapable of harming a fly. Like the boy came to me to find out how to kiss a girl, Dustin said. I had no clue until they (the police) came to my house the other day. I found out and I started crying. Sure enough, it was the same girl I guess he was talking to me about. Dustin said he lived in Abingdon when Eisenhauer began contacting him but has since moved to Pulaski. He said he had nothing to do with Lovells disappearance and death. Dustin is not accused of a crime. He said police told him hes not in trouble, but he shook his head thinking about how hes getting pulled into the case. Dustins account includes the newest details as police work to piece together exactly what happened to Lovell in the early morning hours of Jan. 27, days before her body was found in a mountainous region of North Carolina near the Virginia border. She died of stab wounds. Using an anonymous messaging app in the days leading up to her death, Lovell, of Blacksburg, exchanged texts with an account under the name Dr_Tombstone, according to an earlier search warrant. That account was tied to Eisenhauer, a Tech student at the time and a member of the schools cross country team, according to the warrant. Dustin said Eisenhauer used the Dr_Tombstone username when they played online videogames together. Investigators brought Eisenhauer in for questioning just before midnight Jan. 29, when he waived his right to an attorney, according to the previous warrant. He told investigators he had contacted Lovell through Kik, the anonymous messaging app, and was at her home the night she went missing. After Lovell climbed out her bedroom window, Eisenhauer said, he hugged the teen and left, according to the warrant. Montgomery County Commonwealths Attorney Mary Pettitt said during a Feb. 4 hearing that Eisenhauer and Keepers, a fellow Tech freshman, met at a Cook Out restaurant in Blacksburg to discuss a plan. They later bought a shovel at Walmart, selected a secluded location off Craig Creek Road where they would kill the girl and drove past Lovells apartment, she said. The plan was for Eisenhauer to lure Lovell out of the home late at night under the guise of a date, Pettitt said. He would take Lovell to the site he and Keepers selected together and slit the girls throat, Pettitt said. Information to this point in the case has indicated Keepers apparently had neither met nor spoken to Lovell, but the Tech student told police she helped Eisenhauer load the teens body into the trunk of his Lexus after he killed her, Pettitt said during the bond hearing. Keepers has been charged with concealing a dead body and accessory before and after the fact in Lovells slaying. Eisenhauer is charged with abduction and first-degree murder. British investigative journalists group Bellingcat has identified the number of the Buk missile launcher of the 53rd Anti-Aircraft Missile Brigade of the Russian army, which was used to down the Malaysian aircraft flight MH17 in Donetsk region on July 17, 2014. According to Bellingcat, in its previous report "Origin of the Separatists' Buk", the Bellingcat team was able to determine that a Buk-M1 TELAR (missile launcher) was under control of the pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine on July 17, 2014. It could be established that this Buk photographed in eastern Ukraine on July 17 is identical to a Buk missile launcher transported in June 2014 by the 53rd Anti-Aircraft Missile Brigade of the Russian army, based in Kursk. "This specific Buk from Kursk was marked with a "3", an obscured number in the middle, and a "2" at the end and was therefore named Buk 3x2. There has been much speculation about the missing digit in the middle. This report will attempt to conclusively identify the world's most in famous Buk by determining its missing middle digit," Bellingcat said in a new report published late on May 3. Bellingcat experts studied characteristic individual features seen on Buk 3x2, which was part of the Russian June 2014 convoy of the 53rd Anti-Aircraft Missile Brigade from Kursk to the Russian-Ukrainian border. It is possible to identify seven unique characteristics. They are the side skirt profile, wheel type (combination of hollow wheels and spoke wheels), dent in the left side panel, arrangement of cable connections to the missile erector, the white mark on both side skirts, font and exact spacing of digits, and the shape and size of oil/soot deposits by exhaust. Taken individually, none of the seven identifying characteristics allows a definite identification. However, taken in sum, it becomes clear that Buk 332 is the only logical match for Buk 32, the experts concluded. "We can say with confidence that on 17 July 2014, the Russian Buk TELAR numbered 332 of the 53rd Anti-Aircraft Missile Brigade based in Kursk was filmed and photographed in eastern Ukraine. This specific Buk, previously identified as Buk 32, was filmed moving to the center of the launch area estimated by the Dutch Safety Board for the missile that downed MH17," the report reads. Moreover, the analysis of the road wheels using other imagery shows that the spoke wheels identified on the 'Separatist'-Buk are no longer used by the Ukrainian unit based in the region. In addition, after an exhaustive search, the Bellingcat investigation team has not been able to locate materials depicting a single Ukrainian Buk with an H-2200 railroad transport marking in 2014. "Therefore, it can be excluded that the 'Separatist'-Buk was captured from the Ukrainian units in eastern Ukraine," the journalist team said. "The Buk filmed and photographed on 17 and 18 July in the separatist-controlled areas of eastern Ukraine did not originate from a Ukrainian Buk unit based in the region, in particular the 156th Anti-Aircraft Regiment," the report reads. As reported, Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17, en route from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur, crashed in eastern Ukraine on July 17, killing all 298 people on board. Most of the victims were Dutch and Malaysian nationals. The casualties also included citizens of Australia, Indonesia, Germany, Belgium, the Philippines, the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, and New Zealand. The Dutch Safety Board published a report on the MH17 crash on October 13, 2015. It says, in particular, that the airliner was shot down by a Buk surface-to-air missile. In early January 2016, the Bellingcat group said that a Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777 en route from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur was downed by a Buk missile launcher on July 2014 which originated from Russia's 53rd Anti-Aircraft Missile Brigade of Kursk. " It can be concluded that on July 17, 2014 a Buk missile launcher, originating from the 53rd Brigade near Kursk, Russia, travelled from Donetsk to Snizhne. It was then unloaded and drove under its own power to a field south of Snizhne, where at approximately 4:20 p.m. it launched a surface-to-air missile that hit Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 as it flew over Ukraine. On the morning of July 18, the Buk missile launcher was driven from Luhansk, Ukraine, across the border to Russia," reads the report which summarizes open source investigations into the downing of the Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 (MH17) on July 17, 2014 in Ukraine. It looks like nothing was found at this location. Maybe try a search? Search for: Search A Place for All Conservatives to Speak Their Mind. FSIN: Savchenko extradition to Ukraine may be considered by court if guarantees are provided that sentence will be executed The Federal Penitentiary Service (FSIN) will provide to the court documents on the extradition to Ukraine of Ukrainian citizen Nadiya Savchenko, who was convicted in Russia, only if Kyiv provides guarantees that the sentence will be executed, the FSIN press bureau has reported. "If the Ukrainian Justice Ministry provides guarantees that the Russian court's sentence handed out to the convict will be fully executed, the recommendation issued by the Federal Penitentiary Service of Russia will be sent to a Russian court on the basis of Articles 396 and 469 of the Russian Code of Criminal Procedure for a decision to be made to extradite convict Nadiya Savchenko to Ukraine," the press bureau said in a report sent in response to an inquiry from Interfax on Wednesday. The document states that the agency is now collecting necessary materials, which, among other things, envisage a statement by Savchenko saying she wishes to serve the rest of her term in the country of which she is a citizen. "A request for extradition to serve her term in her home country and also the time frameworks for making such a request are the convict's personal decision," the press release says. FSIN says the package of documents for Savchenko's extradition will be sent to the Justice Ministry in accordance with the established procedures for the extradition issue to be discussed with the relevant Ukrainian authority. Lawyer Mark Feygin told Interfax on Friday that Savchenko and her defense lawyer had filled out the documents for extradition, including a biographical reference, the consent to serve her term in Ukraine, and some questionnaires. Calling for a renewed democracy, Tom Howarth, a Democrat from Front Royal, confirmed Tuesday hes seeking the partys nomination to run for the 6th District U.S. House of Representatives seat. We have a big gap [in politics] now, Howarth, 67, said in an interview. We dont talk to each other anymore. Things have gotten very bitter, and its not good for democracy. I want to see that end. Howarth who spent his career in government, politics and nonprofit work before retiring in 2014 is filing to run for the seat currently held by Rep. Bob Goodlatte, R-Roanoke County. Goodlatte, a 12-term incumbent and chair of the powerful House Judiciary Committee, is seeking re-election and facing a primary challenge from Harry Griego of Roanoke County. Griego, a pilot, ran for the House of Delegates last year with the endorsement of the Roanoke Tea Party. He came close to upsetting an incumbent in a primary contest for the 17th District statehouse seat. In this years elections, Howarth is the only Democrat so far to announce for the congressional seat. The party is gathering May 21 at a district convention in Lexington to pick its nominee. Candidates have until Friday to file for consideration. The 6th District covers part or all of 19 localities spanning from Roanoke north through the Shenandoah Valley. On Tuesday, Howarth said he was spurred to run for office by his growing concerns about the partisan divide in D.C. We have this bitter partisanship that is getting nothing done, he said. How many times have Republicans in the House voted to repeal the Affordable Care Act? Its an empty gesture. They know the votes in the Senate arent there. But they keep doing it, apparently, just to fire up their base. Howarth said he hopes to help serve as an architect for a renewed democracy built on respect and a focus on fixing problems. There was a time when Republicans and Democrats worked together, he said. Weve got to get back to that. If elected, Howarth said hed be an advocate for strengthening the Voting Rights Act, raising the minimum wage and adopting a comprehensive and compassionate immigration policy. Prior to retiring, Howarth spent more than nine years working in the D.C. area as director of The Father McKenna Center, a Catholic nonprofit that runs a homeless shelter, food pantry and other programs. His resume also includes past stints working for the Department of Commerce during the Carter administration, serving as a legislative aide for U.S. Sen. Frank Lautenberg, D-N.J., in the 1980s and working as a lobbyist for Mothers Against Drunk Driving. Howarth is married with two adult children and three grandchildren. In January, he became chairman of the local Warren County Democratic Committee. This is his first run for public office. He said hes in the process of setting up his campaign and plans to hold a formal kickoff shortly before the May 21 nominating convention. Register for more free articles. Sign up for our newsletter to keep reading. Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! Already a Subscriber? Already a Subscriber? Sign in Terms of Service Privacy Policy Klimkin to attend meeting of foreign ministers of Visegrad Group and Eastern Partnership in Prague Ukrainian Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin is on a working visit to Czechia, where he will participate in a meeting of foreign ministers of the Visegrad Group and the Eastern Partnership initiative. "During the visit, Klimkin will participate in a meeting of foreign ministers of the Visegrad Four and the Eastern Partnership, in which EU Commissioner for Neighborhood Policy and Enlargement Johannes Hahn will take part," the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry's press service reported. The meeting participants are scheduled to discuss a wide range of issues of activities of the Visegrad Group and the Eastern Partnership initiative. Klimkin will also hold a series of bilateral meetings. The Czech Foreign Ministry reported that Czech Foreign Minister Lubomir Zaoralek will hold a meeting of foreign ministers of the Visegrad Group with their counterparts from the Eastern Partnership initiative in Prague on May 3-4. One serviceman has been injured in the anti-terrorist operation zone in eastern Ukraine over the past day, Ukrainian Presidential Administration spokesman Andriy Lysenko has said. "None of the Ukrainian servicemen were killed in the hostilities over the past day, but one of our servicemen suffered injuries in an attack near Maryinka [Donetsk region]," he said at a press briefing in Kyiv, on Wednesday. LETTERS April 24 there are a couple upon which I should like to reply. Firstly from Mr Morton of Wagon Road whose letter I can only say is truly existential, there may be some being out there who understands what he is on about, but I dont! There is then a question of morality, let me say that is the last thing on my mind, but since you raise it perhaps you should address such a topic with the Labour councillors in this ward who have simply abandoned long term residents and their problems. This is true moral dilemma of Eastwood. One has even given up to the point of standing in another ward in the election in May, but why Cllr Wallis believes that the good people of Rawmarsh would elect such failure simply beggars belief. Next is the accusation that I am merely trying to garner votes for UKIP? Mr Morton, such action is preposterous in a ward such as Eastwood where the block vote is key. It should be discouraged, but what Labour politician would condemn a practice that delivers the vote? The younger generation who form a substantial part of the emerging professional class are vibrant, ambitious and possess a desire to create a positive vibrant cohesive society deserve better. The whole community needs to understand the values of freedom, equality, fairness and justice and more importantly that all people should be treated as equals. I have simply been helping where I can, because I was invited to do so, by one of the residents to help if possible, and I should add that I would help people in any other ward if asked, but only if asked. Previously I did invite Mr Morton to join us at a drop-in session or if he prefers on a walk around the area to observe for himself the problems and to hear first-hand from residents what day-to-day life is like. Of course Mr Morton has thus far declined. So perhaps he might like to consider his own moral character. Finally I can say that we are at last making some progress, though the outcome remains unpredictable at this time. RMBC are allocating senior resource to take ownership for preparing a plan to tackle Eastwood problems and I am meeting with this new resource, Monday April 25. Next is the letter from Mr Taylor Leaflet fails to deliver plan who by the way fails to provide any contact details though he states he is keen to know more about local candidates! We, that is Cllr Turner and I, put out around the ward an earlier leaflet on which we provided our contact details along with surgery times and locations, so just how keen is Mr Taylor to know more about local candidates? The leaflet to which he refers is one we want people to look at and read, and not a verbose and detailed story of issues we have dealt with that people will not bother to read and throw in the bin. The points listed are simply examples of issues that ward residents have brought to us and which we have been pleased to help achieve a satisfactory outcome. Mr Taylor then raises the issue of the run-down childrens playground on Cow Rakes Lane. Perhaps if he had made the time to contact either Julie Turner or I, we could have informed him that this problem is in fact a Whiston Parish Council problem, and not a borough council problem. And that it has been under discussion and is being dealt with. We know this because we attend the parish council meetings, which he is also free to do should he wish. We attend these meetings for the purpose of acting as a link between the bodies and to take problems to the borough council that the parish council wishes us to raise at this level. And finally he raises a litter issue, this is a longstanding problem that is receiving attention borough wide because it is of such concern to us all. Perhaps Mr Taylor might like to come along to a surgery or to make contact to arrange a suitably convenient meeting time and place where either Cllr Julie Turner or I would be more than happy to discuss any points or concerns he wishes to raise. And thus he would have his opportunity to learn more about some local candidates. Allen Cowles, Sitwell Ward MORE NEWS Morrisons wins permission for Catcliffe properties Travellers Swallownest site plan rejected Arsonists strike ten times over bank holiday weekend European Commissioner for Enlargement and European Neighborhood Policy Johannes Hahn has said Ukraine, Georgia and Kosovo may qualify for the visa-free regime with the EU in 2016. There still needs to be a political decision, but Ukraine, Georgia and Kosovo have already met the necessary criteria, Hahn told Radio Liberty Europe/Radio Liberty.. The commissioner said that Ukraine has fulfilled its obligations, which gives its citizens the right to the visa-free entry into the European Union, however Ukraine still has a long way to go, not only to adopt the necessary legislation on the association with the EU, but also to implement it. Hahn said he was well aware of the challenges which Ukraine is facing the continued armed conflict, half a million displaced persons and serious economic problems. On April 20, the European Commission offered the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union to cancel visas for Ukrainian citizens. The same day, Ukraine's President Petro Poroshenko said he was sure that European Union would grant free visa regime for Ukrainians already within several months. I AM not a prolific letter writer, I suppose that is down to email, but this is an important moment for our town with all out elections for the council for the next four years. And two letters from last weeks paper April 15 have stirred me to offer a response. Firstly in response to Mr Sylvester Council Chamber needs dissenters, who is calling for greater opposition within the council. I thoroughly agree with this conclusion. We must never again allow any party to have such domination within the council, such that they believe they can do whatever they want. We must not forget what the ruling Labour party have allowed to happen in this town and according to Jay and Casey turned a far too frequent blind eye. Thus we must elect sufficient opposition councillors in number to ensure there is sufficient balance. Secondly I must comment on the letter from Ms Barbara McNeely Memories of old Rotherham. Many clamour, as she does, for the town centre as it was, with the kind of shops and names that we all loved so much. But just where has this lady been for the last 30 years? She is full of praise and admiration for Wickersley councillors, who as part of this Labour dominated authority destroyed the town we all love so much. Taxes and rents have increased for businesses, and they supported the disastrous transfer of the town centre to Parkgate. Together with other controversial policies this has facilitated the continual reduction in footfall within the town and major names e.g. M&S, have followed never to return. So what of the future? Well that is impossible to predict with certainty, but something along the lines of a poor mans Wickersley is my best guess. Closer scrutiny of the personalities upon whom she heaps so much praise is necessary, and reveals that a couple of these councillors were deemed unfit for purpose by Casey, and Mr Thirwall is certainly not beyond reproach. Mr Healey is around only when it suits, for positive publicity, but fails to answer any questions when it does not suit. For example he is quick to jump on the steel band wagon, but will not answer questions about his support for the removal of jobs from this area when the pensions office was transferred from Manvers to Dundee under Labour. And notably, recently all our M's were absent from parliament for the vote to block the Welfare Reform and Work Bill, yet they protest at Tory cuts. Ms McNeely seems totally oblivious of all of this! In the May election, Labour is standing a number of councillors listed by Casey as unfit for purpose, and according to Rothpol (Rotherham Politics website), Cllr Roche, Hoober, is not without skeletons that I am sure he would prefer were left buried. Once again there is the allegation that Mr Healy was fully aware of his suspension from Pope Pius school at the time he went through the selection process as a councillor for the Hoober Ward. So Ms McNeely I suggest you remove your rose coloured spectacles, these people are not the paragons of virtue that you claim, but merely opportunists of the worst kind. Thus I urge all Rotherham residents to consider just which Labour councillors they are being asked to vote for? People have rightly demanded resignations, Labour has failed to deliver, shown contempt, the number of candidates is the only important issue, as long as they wear a red blanket. Graham Smith, Worrygoose Lane, Labour MORE NEWS Morrisons wins permission for Catcliffe properties Travellers Swallownest site plan rejected Arsonists strike ten times over bank holiday weekend Kimberley Diamonds said production has commenced at its Lerala Diamond Mine in Botswana, which is a culmination of the nine month project to upgrade and re-commission the plant, which commenced last August. The first diamond sales were currently expected in June 2016, it said. Kimberley had entered into a lump sum turnkey contract with Consulmet for modifications to the plant at Lerala, to allow the plant to reliably treat and recover diamonds at a nominal rate of 200 tonnes per hour. Despite a delay necessitated primarily by the requirement to explore a potential alluvial deposit in the tailings dam footprint, ore processing has now commenced through the plant and will be ramped up to full production levels over the next several weeks, it said. During this ramp up phase, the plant process is being balanced to optimise recovery efficiency and plant throughput. Mathew Nyaungwa, Editor in Chief of the African Bureau, Rough&Polished Hong Kongs polished imports slumped in the first quarter after shipments from its key supplier markets India, Israel and Belgium declined, as reported in Rapaport. Imports of polished diamonds dropped 13 per cent to US $4.23 billion in the three months to March 31 as deliveries from India, Hong Kongs largest diamond trade partner, retreated 12 per cent to $1.88 billion. Shipments from the second largest source, Israel, plummeted 18 per cent to US $543 million, while imports from Belgium as well declined 21 per cent to US $454.4 million. The declines outweighed an 11-percent surge in imports from the U.S. and a 4.7-percent increase in shipments from the United Arab Emirates, the fourth- and fifth-largest trade partners, respectively. By volume, polished imports dipped by 1.9 per cent to 4.8 million carats as the average price per carat slid. Hong Kongs polished exports and re-exports fell 8 per cent to US $3.21 billion, mainly because of a slump in shipments to India. This meant net polished imports, or imports minus exports, dived 24 per cent to $1.02 billion. Aruna Gaitonde, Editor-in-Chief of Asian Bureau, Rough&Polished Bonhams auction house, one of the worlds largest auctioneers founded in 1793, garnered $7.2 million (GBP 5 million) at a jewelry auction this month in London. Selling 88 percent of the 129 lots on offer, Bonhams noted a strong interest in diamonds as well as pink and blue sapphires. The top lot was a step-cut, 15.52-carat, D, VVS2 diamond ring by Harry Winston which sold for $1.6 million (GBP 1.1 million), or $101,500 per carat. Its selling price exceeded the upper pre-sale estimate of $1.3 million (GBP 900,000), the auction house reported. Other notable gems sold included a pair of marquise and pear-shaped diamond earrings, also by Harry Winston, that weighed 25.37 carats and fetched $384,000 (GBP 266,500). Its pre-sale upper estimate was $288,000 (GBP 200,000). The sale performed exceptionally well, generating interest from buyers in the UK, Europe, the US and Asia, said Jean Ghika, head of Bonhams Jewellery for the UK and Europe. Our headline lots achieve strong prices, demonstrating that top quality diamonds, colored gemstones and signed jewels remain highly desirable. Rio Tintos Argyle Pink Diamonds business has unveiled the largest violet diamond recovered from the Argyle mine in Western Australia, as per a Press note from the company. The 2.83 carat polished oval shaped diamond, known as The Argyle Violet, will be the dazzling centre piece of the 2016 Argyle Pink Diamonds Tender, the annual showcase of the rarest diamonds from the Argyle mine. According to the company, more than 90 per cent of the worlds rare pink diamonds come from the Argyle mine, and it is the only source of hydrogen- rich violet diamonds. Violet diamonds are seldom seen and in 32 years Argyle has produced only 12 carats of polished violet diamonds for its iconic Tender. The Argyle Violet was polished in Western Australia by one of Argyles master polishers, Richard How Kim Kam, from a 9.17 carat rough diamond discovered in 2015. The Argyle Violet has been assessed by the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) as a notable diamond with the colour grade of Fancy Deep Greyish Bluish Violet. The 2016 Argyle Pink Diamonds Tender will commence private trade viewings in June and travel to Copenhagen, Hong Kong and New York. Aruna Gaitonde, Editor-in-Chief of Asian Bureau, Rough & Polished The Diamond Development Initiative (DDI), an organization dedicated to improving the working conditions and lives of artisanal diamond miners, is announcing the launch of the Maendeleo (the Swahili word for development and progress) Diamond Standards(MDS). "Establishing global standards for the artisanal mining industry helps ensure safe working conditions," said Anisa Kamadoli Costa, chairman and president of The Tiffany & Co. Foundation. Workers at 14 remote mining sites in the diamond-rich Koidu district of Sierra Leone have been trained on the standards and 13 of the sites have now been certified MDS-compliant based on a third-party audit. This means that diamonds produced at these sites have been mined responsibly and ethically, and will begin to respond to the growing demand for ethical products from discerning consumers. Based on the results of DDI's work in Sierra Leone, Ainsley Butler, MDS Program Director, says DDI intends to roll out the system to other regions, beginning with the DR Congo. Alex Shishlo, Editor of the Rough&Polished European Bureau in Brussels To prevent round-tripping by jewellery exporters, the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) has sought a review of the export incentives to the gems and jewellery sector, as reported in Financial Chronicle. According to CAG, 64 per cent of imported gold jewellery was from Switzerland, the UAE and Hong Kong out of the 120-odd source countries during 2013-14 and 2014-15, when the 20:80 scheme was in operation. Under that scheme, jewellers were allowed to import gold on the condition that they need to export 80 per cent of it after value-addition. Similarly, 63 per cent exports of jewellery were to the UAE and Hong Kong. Now, CAG has asked the commerce ministry to review incentives allowed on gems and jewellery exports, considering the volume and value of re-imports involved to safeguard the interest of revenue and to prevent round-tripping. CAG has also asked the commerce ministry to make suitable provisions in the SEZ rules, to prescribe a minimum value addition by the SEZ units and for regular stock verification to check diversion into domestic tariff area. Aruna Gaitonde, Editor-in-Chief of Asian Bureau, Rough&Polished To celebrate Antwerps long history with the diamond industry, the City of Antwerp will be organizing a diamond year, to be held from late 2017 to early 2018, that will highlight all aspects of the industry with numerous events, according to a press release from the Antwerp World Diamond Centre (AWDC). Highlights of the Antwerp, shaping the Diamond Story event include the opening of a new experience museum, DiVA Antwerp Home of Diamonds, and the unveiling of a landmark that symbolizes all aspects of the diamond industry. According to the AWDC, there is little evidence Antwerp diamond status around the city, and the intention is to create a work of art that will fill this gap and provide the Antwerp diamond district the permanent and prominent visibility the industry deserves. The winning design for the landmark is due to be announced on September 30, according to the AWDC, with the official inauguration taking place in September 2017. Sumitomo Metal Mining Co, that also owns Japan's only gold mine, is scouring the world for bullion deals as assets become more affordable, says The Business Times. The Tokyo-based company signaled its appetite for overseas expansion in February with the US$1 billion purchase of an additional stake in Freeport-McMoRan Inc's Morenci copper mine in Arizona. Projects under consideration include a venture with Gold Road Resources Ltd to develop the Perth-based explorer's Gruyere assets in Western Australia. The Japanese company is looking for mines close to home in the Pacific-Rim region with investments in individual assets likely to amount to hundreds of millions of dollar rather than the US$1 billion spent on Morenci. It could end up vying for deals with Chinese gold mining companies, which plan to extend their biggest buying spree in four years, according to comments from executives this month. Aruna Gaitonde, Editor-in- Chief of Asian Bureau, Rough&Polished HRD Antwerp, Europes leading authority in diamond certification, inaugurated its new Mumbai office extension and launched a new melee diamond screening service on April 27. The event was attended by HE Minister-President of the Government of Flanders Geert Bourgeois, Jan Luykx, Ambassador of Belgium in India, Peter Huyghebaert Consul General of Belgium in Mumbai and Claire Tillekaerts, CEO Flanders Investment & Trade Agency and a delegation of Belgian and Indian Government Officials and Industry Representatives. The visit was part of the largest-ever trade mission of Flanders to India. Peter Macken, CEO HRD Antwerp said, When HRD Antwerp opened its Mumbai office in June 2012, the strategic decision was made to invest heavily in state-of-the-art equipment, stringent security features and advanced training for employees, as back then we anticipated for the Indian diamond and diamond jewellery market to see an exponential annual growth. Now almost four years later were delighted to see these forecasts have held and the need for an extra extension of our office deemed necessary. Given the increasing amount of lab-grown diamonds entering the diamond and diamond jewellery market, were also extremely excited to be expanding our Mumbai operations with a new melee diamond screening service using the M-Screen, the worlds fastest melee screening device. Were positive this new service will significantly contribute towards strengthening consumer confidence throughout the diamond pipeline, both domestic as well as internationally, added Ravindra Chhabria, Managing Director HRD Antwerp - India. Aruna Gaitonde, Editor-in-Chief of Asian Bureau, Rough&Polished Famous Hollywood actor and UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador Orlando Bloom traveled to eastern Ukraine and visited schools and kindergartens damaged by shelling. "Bloom visited classrooms hit by shells just three kilometers from the frontline. Approximately 580,000 children are in urgent need of assistance and more than 230,000 children have been forced from their homes. Around one in five schools and kindergartens in the region have been damaged or destroyed and some 300,000 children need to continue their education," UNICEF Ukraine said. "After surviving some of the most terrifying experiences life could possibly throw at them, all they want is to get back to the safety and routine of school and plan for their futures," the actor said. During his time in eastern Ukraine, Bloom also met with schoolchildren who are receiving counseling from UNICEF-supported psychologists, who are helping them recover from their distressing experiences. "Education is helping children in eastern Ukraine to rebuild their lives in a safe and supportive environment," Bloom said. UNICEF so far has supported the repair and rehabilitation of 57 schools and has supplied hundreds of thousands of children with vital supplies, including schoolbooks, desks and stationary. The program offers psychological support and helps the children catch-up on classes in areas not controlled by Kyiv. UNICEF has also reached nearly 280,000 children with information about the risks posed by land mines and unexploded ordnance, which litter communities near the frontline. UNICEF Ukraine plans to repair 60 schools and 80 kindergartens in 2016 and also provide psychological and social support and information to a minimum 400,000 children. "Since the beginning of the crisis in Donbas, more than 55,000 unexploded landmines, shells and other ordnance have been found and removed - and we know this is just the tip of the iceberg. Our aim is to ensure that all children can safely get to class, study and play," UNICEF Representative in Ukraine Giovanna Barberis said. The 11th China Gold & Precious Metals Summit 2016 is scheduled to be held during 7-8 December 2016 in Shanghai China as per a report in AOJ. The event will convene 300+ top professionals from miners, refiners, smelters, fabricators, dealers, brokers, traders, money managers, advisors, vaults, shippers and policy-setters, etc. from across the world. The conference is set to identify the Feds ambiguity on rate hikes, this years newfound gold and silver enthusiasm, the shift in investor perception, dollar strength, China's yuan gold benchmark, and physical buying interest amid intensified global growth headwinds, continued equity-market volatility, and moves towards looser monetary policy in China, Japan and the euro zone. Aruna Gaitonde, Editor-in- Chief of Asian Bureau, Rough&Polished Zimbabwe will make an offer to the Russian company to produce gold instead of diamonds 04 may 2016 News (TASS) - The government of Zimbabwe will offer to the Russian company operating in the country to produce gold instead of diamonds after the decision was made to nationalize the diamond industry, Walter Chidhakwa, Zimbabwean Minister of Mines and Mining Development said to journalists. This year, the Zimbabwean government decided to consolidate the country's diamond mining sector and create a single state-owned company. Prior to this decision, Zimbabwe was the eighth-largest diamond producer in the world. The Russian-Zimbabwean diamond-mining joint venture, DTZ-OZGEO, as well as several other companies had to suspend production after this decision. Zarubezhgeologiya, an offshoot of Rosgeologiya Holding, is part of DTZ OZGEO from the Russian side. We are now discussing how to take into account the interests of companies, and this means that we look at other opportunities in the gold mining industry and other sectors, Walter Chidhakwa said. Russia and Zimbabwe held a meeting of the Intergovernmental Commission on April 30, which discussed in particular the situation in the diamond sector. At the meeting, the representatives of Zimbabwe explained to the Russian side the logic of the decision on nationalization. "They are sincerely trying to make the diamond mining industry generate income to the population," Denis Manturov, Co-Chair of the Intergovernmental Commission said. According to the minutes of the meeting held by TASS, the parties came to an understanding about the need for special treatment and consideration of the DTZ-OZGEO interests. The Singapore Diamond Investment Exchange (SDiX), the world's first and only commodity exchange trading in physically settled diamonds, is going live from 5 May 2016. According to the exchange's website, the Singapore Diamond Investment Exchange has been established to provide the only transparent price discovery mechanism for the global diamond trade, giving banks, financial entities and investors a benchmark price. The exchange is supported by a fully integrated system, including a depository that enables physical settlement and a global network of partners focused on grading, vaulting, settlement and logistics. The process will be such that a seller will have to deposit diamonds according to standardised lots, after being graded and certified by the GIA, in dedicated physical vaults -- one operated by Malca-Amit in Singapore and the second one operated by Malca-Amit within the Bharat Diamond Bourse at Mumbai. Brokers will have to keep security deposits, based on which their trading limits will be decided. They will also have to collect money from buyers and deposit it with the exchange. Trade will be settled in a T+3 cycle (three business days after the transaction date). Aruna Gaitonde, Editor-in-Chief of Asian Bureau, Rough & Polished Lesedi la Rona, world's second largest gem-quality diamond unearthed in November 2015 by Lucara Diamond Corp. at its Karowe mine in Botswana, will be taken to a stand-alone sale in London on 29 June 2016.The estimate price for the stone, which measures approximately 66.4 x 55 x 42 mm, is more than $70 million. The unique rough diamond weighs 1109 carats.Sothebys reminds that nothing of the size and quality of Lesedi La Rona has been found in over 100 years. In terms of its size, the rough is exceeded only by the legendary Cullinan Diamond, mined in South Africa in 1905.According to a study by the Gemological Institute of America, the Lesedi La Rona is a type IIa diamond with top colour and transparency.Independent reports on the potential yield of the rough have also stated that the Lesedi la Rona may have the potential to yield the largest top-quality diamond that has ever been cut and polished.David Bennett, Worldwide Chairman of Sothebys Jewellery Division, commented: The Lesedi la Rona is simply outstanding and its discovery is the find of a lifetime. It is a huge honour for Sothebys to have been entrusted with its sale. Every aspect of this auction is unprecedented. Not only is the rough superlative in size and quality, but no rough even remotely of this scale has ever been offered before at public auction.William Lamb, President and Chief Executive Officer of Lucara Diamond Corp., said: We are very excited to be partnering with Sothebys on this landmark auction. Lucara has made innovation the cornerstone of its development strategy and this has led to the historic recovery of the Lesedi La Rona diamond. The forthcoming sale presents a unique opportunity to present this extraordinary diamond to a worldwide audience.The Lesedi la Rona will be on view at Sothebys New York on 7 May, and at Sothebys London from 18 until 28 June, ahead of its auction in the evening of 29 June. De Beers said it is in the process of finalising a new Sales Agreement with the Namibian government. It said in its Report to Society released Tuesday that while this process continued in 2015, the group extended the supply contracts of nine existing local Sightholders. It was reported last June that Windhoek had demanded that 25-30 percent of the diamonds produced by Namdeb, a joint venture between the Namibian government and DeBeers, stay in the country for local cutting and polishing. Namibia was also said to have demanded that the entire range of special stones (qualities, classes, sizes) be made available for sale and manufacturing in Namibia without limits. The daily claimed that a team had been put in place to finalise the agreement. The Namibian government was also willing to find its own market outside of the De Beers system and had already consulted other countries in the diamond industry such as India. Namibias demands had been generally buoyed by a sales and marketing agreement that De Beers and Botswana reached in 2011, which the southern African country receiving 10 percent of Debswanas production. This had been gradually increasing annually since then and it would be capped at 15 percent this year. Meanwhile, De Beers said the global pressures on cutting and polishing saw some factory closures during the year. By the end of 2015 we were supplying 20 businesses in Botswana, nine in Namibia, eight in South Africa and one in Canada through our beneficiation sales (2014: 21 Botswana, 13 Namibia, eight South Africa, and one Canada). The group said it sold $825 million in rough diamonds to local Sightholders in 2015 compared to $1.56 billion a year earlier. This, it said, was equivalent to 20 per cent of its total rough diamond sales during the year compared to 2014s 24 per cent. Mathew Nyaungwa, Editor in Chief of the African Bureau, Rough&Polished Attacks on journalists in Ukraine have become more frequent, and a recent attack on a crew of Odesa local TV Channel 7 on Tuesday, and the situation needs to be addressed politically, Ukrainian Information Policy Minister Yuriy Stets. "Attacks on journalist have increased recently, especially in the regions. The situation definitely needs certain political solutions, therefore the Information Ministry Policy plans to ask the National Police to investigate such cases in the most transparent and quickest way," Stets said in a statement, which was published by the ministry's press service on Wednesday. A shotgun was used to shoot the Channel 7 crew near its office in Odesa on May 3, after which the National Police announced an interception plan. As reported, two cameramen and a journalist were injured in the attack. Their injuries were "very serious," their colleagues said. They received urgent medical assistance on the spot. Later reports said that police had identified the owner of a Honda car and the shotgun, which was used to shoot the TV journalists. He was a resident of the city of Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi in Odesa region. Channel 7 is one of the oldest TV channels in Odesa. At various times, it was affiliated to his ex-mayors of Odesa Ruslan Bodelan, Eduart Hurvits, and Oleksiy Kostusev. Now the channel is associated with businessman Adnan Kivan. RTD Construction on the Denver Regional Transportation District's (RTD) Southeast Rail Extension Project will break ground May 10. The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) awarded RTD $92 million through its Capital Investment Grant (CIG) Program, which will allow RTD to give Balfour Beatty Infrastructure Inc. (BBII) the notice to proceed with construction. The remaining cost is being covered by local funding sources and the total cost of the project is $233.1 million. FTA is proud to partner with Denver to support the Southeast Rail Extension, said FTA Acting Administrator Carolyn Flowers. By expanding light rail south of the city, we are helping to create efficient, new access to Denver and all that the city has to offer, improving connections for residents along the I-25 corridor who are traveling to jobs, school, medical care and other opportunities in downtown Denver and throughout the metropolitan area. The start of construction on the Southeast Rail Extension is another shining example of how important collaboration and innovation are to completing the FasTracks vision, said RTD Board Chair Tom Tobiassen. An amount of $25 million in cash and an estimated $3 million in land and right-of-way permits from the City of Lone Tree, Douglas County, Coventry Development and the Southeast Public Improvement District made the Southeast Rail Extension a reality for this region. This project wouldnt be happening without the support from the local jurisdictions, as well as our federal partner. It is because of our strong partnerships that we continue to expand public transportation throughout the Denver metro area and create a city that is ready for the future, commented Tobiassen. The Southeast Rail Extension project-from Lincoln Avenue to RidgeGate Parkway-is part of the 2004 voter-approved FasTracks plan. The extension will add 2.3 miles of light rail to the existing 19-mile Southeast Rail Line. The project also includes three new stations, 1,300 parking spaces and the purchase of eight vehicles. When the project is completed in 2019, residents will have the option to travel from the RidgeGate Station on the E Line to Union Station, the F Line to 18th-California and the new R Line through Aurora to Peoria Station and connect to the University of Colorado A Line commuter train to Denver International Airport or to Union Station in downtown Denver. On May 3, 2016, U.S. Rep. Mike Coffman's (R-CO-6) chief of staff and U.S. Sen. Cory Gardner's (R-CO-4) regional director joined the National Railroad Construction and Maintenance Association (NRC) and the Railway Engineering-Maintenance Suppliers Association, Inc. (REMSA), for a tour of a new commuter rail maintenance facility (CRMF). The project was completed by NRC and REMSA joint member company, Balfour Beatty Rail, as a part of the Denver Regional Transportation District (RTD) Eagle P3 Commuter Rail project managed by Denver Transit Partners (DTP). Davie McCulloch, DTP deputy project manager, gave an overview of Balfour Beatty Rail and its operations. Balfour Beatty Rail, a division of Balfour Beatty Infrastructure (BBII), was awarded a $140-million contract to extend Denvers light-rail line to its southeast suburbs. Balfour Beatty Infrastructure has enjoyed partnering with RTD in the development of the Eagle P3 project, said McCulloch. We are proud to be a part of the team that delivered the nations first transit public-private partnership to improve mobility throughout the Denver community. McCulloch gave a tour of the CRMF, which is used to maintain, clean and store the vehicles that will serve the University A Line and the future B and G lines. The A Line opened to the public on April 22 and now runs from Denver Union Station to Denver International Airport in 37 minutes. The B Line to Westminster and G Line to Wheat Ridge will open in summer and fall of this year, respectively. Approximately 220 operators, mechanics and other staff will be housed in the 230,000-square-foot facility. The CRMF can service up to 80 electric rail cars and is equipped with training and conference rooms, staff break rooms and lockers. The group was led to the Operations Control Center, which acts as the brain of the commuter rail network with train dispatch, public announcement and security systems, positive train control and radio communication. Canadian stocks fell sharply Tuesday, with resource producers saddled by a downturn in commodities. The S&P/TSX Composite Index was down 157.95 points, or 1.14 percent, to 13,707.68, extending Monday's retreat. OPEC nations and Russia are expected to keep pumping vast amounts of oil in order to preserve market share, putting a cap on crude oil's recent advance. Nymex June oil dropped $1.13, or 2.5%, at $43.65 a barrel. Energy stocks lost 2.5 percent. Metals shares were also hit hard. The Diversified Metals and Mining Index slipped 5.3 percent, trimming strong recent gains. Encana Corp. (ECA.TO, ECA) reported Tuesday that its first-quarter net loss was $379 million, narrower than last year's loss of $1.71 billion. The company also said it is company on track to meet or beat 2016 guidance announced in February. Encana shares tumbled 10 percent. Husky Energy (HSE.TO) is its selling royalty interest in certain oil properties to Freehold Royalties (FRU.TO) for C$165 million. Husky shares were up fractionally. WestJet (WJA.TO) profit dropped 38 percent on higher costs and sluggish demand for Alberta routes. The stock was down 5.3 percent. For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com Market Analysis Commodities giant Glencore PLC (GLCNF.PK,GLNCY.PK,GLEN.L) is considering to sell its stake in a gold mine in Kazakhstan, a deal that could raise as much as $2 billion, the Financial Times reported citing a person familiar with the plan. The sale of Glencore's 70% stake in the mine would help the company pare down its near-$26 billion net debt load. Earlier this year, Glencore agreed to $1.4 billion in so-called streaming deals to deliver gold and silver from mines in Peru. A sale of the Vasilkovskoye mine stake isn't guaranteed, the report said. For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com Business News SABMiller Plc. (SBMRY.PK,SAB.L) Wednesday announced that Coca-Cola Beverages Africa merger parties and the South African Government reached agreement on public interest conditions for merger. The comprehensive set of commitments between SABMiller plc, The Coca-Cola Co. (KO) and Gutsche Family Investments with the South African Government will be recommended to the Competition Tribunal in connection with the proposed creation of Africa's largest soft-drink beverage bottling operation. The company said the parties agreed on concerns regarding employment, access to retail cooler space for smaller competitors, localisation of production and inputs used in the production of Coca-Cola products and Appletiser brands, economic empowerment and the location of the headquarters. SABMiller agreed to invest R800 million to support enterprise development for two groups of entrepreneurs. These commitments will ensure that CCBA, which will be headquartered in South Africa, will support economic and social development in the country in a number of significant ways. Headquartering CCBA in South Africa will result in additional revenue for local and national governments. Welcoming the agreement and the CCBA commitments, Ebrahim Patel, Minister of Economic Development noted that the agreement laid the basis for deeper industrialisation in the South African . A Competition Tribunal hearing on the proposed formation of Coca-Cola Beverages Africa as part of the regulatory approval process with the South African Competition Authorities is due to commence on May 9. The agreement between the merger parties and the South African government is expected to expedite the approval process. For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com Business News French shares reversed early gains on Wednesday after the release of Eurozone private sector growth and retail sales data. While final survey data from Markit showed the euro area private sector expanded at a slower pace as estimated in April, Eurozone retail sales dropped for the first time in five months in March. Sales dropped 0.5 percent from the previous month compared with expectations of a 0.1 percent decline. Closer home, France's trade deficit narrowed in March due to a fall in imports, the customs office said. The trade shortfall decreased to 4.36 billion euros from 5.11 billion euros in February. The country's current account deficit also narrowed to 1.8 billion euros from 4.1 billion euros in February. The benchmark CAC 40 was down 23 points or 0.53 percent at 4,348 in choppy trading after declining 1.6 percent on Tuesday. Air France KLM shares tumbled 4 percent. The Franco-Dutch airline group warned of geopolitical risks and airline overcapacity after narrowing its first-quarter loss, helped by lower fuel costs. Resource management firm Veolia Environnement also fell around 4 percent on reporting an 18 percent fall in first-quarter net income. Societe Generale shares climbed nearly 4 percent. The lender revealed further plans to cut costs this year after reporting a surprise increase in first-quarter profit. Rival BNP Paribas rose half a percent while Credit Agricole traded marginally higher. For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com Market Analysis Google will collaborate with Fiat Chrysler Automobiles N.V. to integrate Google's self-driving into the 2017 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid minivans. The collaboration will expand Google's existing self-driving test program and incorporate its self-driving technology into 100 Chrysler minivans. It also marks the first time that Google will be working directly with an automaker to integrate its self-driving system, including its sensors and software, into a passenger vehicle. Google has said earlier that it hopes to form partnerships with many automakers and suppliers as it develops self-driving cars to reduce traffic accidents and expand mobility for elderly and disabled people. Fiat Chrysler is the seventh-largest automaker in the world based on total annual vehicle sales. The Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid minivans will be used later this year for Google's self-driving testing, more than doubling Google's current fleet of self-driving test vehicles. The current fleet consists of a few dozen Lexus SUVs modified by Google. Fiat Chrysler will initially design and engineer around 100 vehicles uniquely built for Google's self-driving technology. Google will integrate the suite of sensors and computers that the vehicles will rely on to navigate roads autonomously. The two companies said they will co-locate part of their engineering teams at a facility in southeastern Michigan to accelerate the design, testing and manufacturing of the self-driving Chrysler Pacifica. Both the companies will share the engineering responsibilities, based on their respective expertise. The self-driving Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid minivans will be tested by Google's self-driving car team on its private test track in California, prior to operating on public roads. John Krafcik, chief executive officer of Google Self-Driving Car Project, said, "FCA has a nimble and experienced engineering team and the Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid minivan is well-suited for Google's self-driving technology." Self-driving cars have the potential to prevent some of the 33,000 deaths that occur each year on U.S. roads, 94 percent of which are caused by human error. Google's self-driving cars are currently being tested in four U.S. cities - Mountain View in California, Austin in Texas, Kirkland in Washington; and Phoenix in Arizona. In the project's seven year history, the vehicles in the test fleet have self-driven over 1.5 million miles on public roads, with only one at-fault accident reported in February this year. For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com Business News Tesla Motors Inc. (TSLA) is losing two of its top executives as auto manufacture prepares to reports its first-quarter earnings results after the bell on Wednesday. Greg Reichow, Vice President of Production, and Josh Ensign, Vice President of Manufacturing, are leaving the company. The news was initially reported by CNBC. "Greg and the team deserve a lot of credit for building an all-new manufacturing organization from the ground up and for making Model S and Model X a reality," CEO Elon Musk said in a statement. "We're confident that with the strength of the team, high-quality manufacturing at Tesla will continue." The resignation comes at a time when the Palo Alto, California-based company is striving to boost the production of its Model X SUV and also start improving the production of its latest low-cost electric car Model 3 that rolls out in 2017. Tesla has received strong reservation of nearly 400,000 for the Model 3. Reichow is taking a leave of absence, but would remain at Tesla until a replacement could be found, Tesla said. For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com Business News Deputy Head of the Odesa Regional State Administration for Investment and Development Sasha Borovik has declared his resignation due to the new law on state service, which came into effect on May 1, 2016. "On May 1, a new law on state service came into effect. The law bans state officials to have any citizenship other than Ukrainian. I has never concealed that I'm a citizen of European Union. I'm grateful to the German government, which under my request made an exception for me in view of the ban on dual citizenship existing in Germany for me to work in Ukraine during a transformation period. I was very good in finding my niche, and during the last year I have been working with the most interesting team of the state in one of the most important and complicated of its regions," Borovik wrote on Facebook page on Wednesday. He expressed a regret that "Ukrainian law contains this ban" since it is in Ukraine's interest that Ukrainian diaspora can help to their native state without any bureaucratic obstacles, especially "if these are our compatriots with good education and experience of life in EU to where Ukraine aspired to." "Today I'm leaving state service and suspend my duties as deputy governor of Odesa region. Meanwhile, I remain his advisor and now I'm able to concentrate on the work at the Odesa City Council, to which I was elected by 75,000 residents of Odesa, where I remain one only independent deputy," Borovik said. He said would seek to be an alternative to Odesa mayor Hennadiy Trukhanov and step up his political activities. Borovik said that without combating corruption it would be impossible to involve investors "with serious capital" since he expects support from Odesa Regional State Administration Head Mikheil Saakashvili, President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko. He urged Poroshenko to shake up prosecution agencies and the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) office in Odesa region. He also said that within the last year he earned UAH 15,300 as state official and would donate the money to those involved in the anti-terror operation. EU-Ukraine Parliamentary Association Committee has said appointment of high official of international importance who would enjoy a trust of all sides might speed up the process and re-integration of occupied territories. This follows from a final report and recommendations on the outcomes of the committee's third sitting, which took place in Brussels on April 28, 2016. The committee welcomed Ukraine's initiative to establish an international mechanism for holding talks over restoration of Ukrainian sovereignty in Crimea in the Geneva+ format, "which is to directly include the EU." According to the document, the Parliamentary Association Committee again confirmed its resolute support of sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine within its internationally recognized borders and "supports the condemnation of aggressive and Russia's policy of expansion, which resulted in the illegal annexation of Autonomous Republic of Crimea and Sevastopol and occupation of the certain districts of Donetsk and Luhansk regions - a violation of international law and international agreements", and "is determined achieve the peaceful re-integration of these territories, stressing the grave consequences of this conflict for the security of Europe in general." The committee reiterates that "The violation of norms and principles of international law and international humanitarian law by the Russian Federation led the EU to impose restrictive measures" and insists that these measures remain in force until the Minsk Agreements are fully fulfilled and the territorial integrity of Ukraine is restored in within the framework of internationally recognized borders." The committee also urged all EU political officials to refrain from participation in any initiatives undermining this policy. Your digital subscription includes access to all content on our agricultural websites across the nation. Access unlimited content and the digital versions of our print editions - This Week's Paper. There exist different proposals on the issue of giving weapons to employees of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission in Donbas and any decision on the matter needs to be approved by all 57 participating states, the organization's secretary general, Lamberto Zannier, told reporters. "The issue is that there are various ideas on the table: the Ukrainian president is proposing an armed police operation to help create a safe environment for elections to take place in Donbas. We heard President Putin stating that he would not be against giving weapons to monitors on the contact line, which is a different concept. So we need to have, first of all, a clear proposal, or a clear idea of what will be proposed [officially], and then that needs to be assessed. Of course, there is the precondition that there needs to be a permissive environment on the ground, everybody has to be open to that. And then of course there needs to be a decision by consensus, so it has to be approved by all 57 participating States of the organization. So this is not something that is imminent in any case. There is a discussion and we will have to see what this discussion produces," Zannier said. Millennial Moms Review: 2022 Acura MDX is pretty close to the perfect family car I dont know if perfect is attainable, especially considering weve got the world of options when it comes to modern vehicles. Were spoiled and, as such, we have very specific needs and wants. Driving-wise, the 2022 Acura MDX is one of my favourite ... By SA Commercial Prop News Joburg City mayor Parks Tau delivered his State of the City Address, saying the city was being redesigned through the corridors of freedom, aimed at revitalising old suburbs and bridging the gaps between poorer and wealthier areas. Johannesburg City mayor Parks Tau delivered his State of the City Address (Soca), saying the citys economy has grown significantly thanks to various developmental initiatives put in place by his administration. At least R14 billion in investments had seen the economic development of the City of Johannesburg, resulting in economic hubs that created jobs and further opportunities for the citys citizens, Mayor Parks Tau said on Wednesday at Turffontein racecourse. "We have rolled out the most ambitious youth empowerment programme in the country, partnering with more than 250 companies from the city and elsewhere," said Mr Tau. The city is being redesigned through the corridors of freedom, aimed at revitalising old suburbs and bridging the gaps between poorer and wealthier areas. Suburbs of Fleurhof and South Hills, Kliptown and Jabulani, Turffontein and Rosettenville, the student halls and shopping squares of Empire Road, Randburg, Jabulani, Orlando East, Park Station, Louis Botha Avenue, Alexandra and Sandton were areas that had been, and would be, improved through the corridors of freedom, he said. It was Mr Taus last in his current term of office and was billed as a recap of the work of his administration. Mr Tau said the exclusive multibillion-rand Waterfall Estate in Midrand where the Mall of Africa recently opened will soon accommodate social housing allowing the rich and poor to live together in the precinct. "We engaged with the developers of the new town in Waterfall Estate and Modderfontein to ensure there will be affordable housing included in these new mega developments" Tau said. "We can say to the people of Johannesburg that we have successfully negotiated with the developer that this should not be an enclave of the rich. "We said there must be social housing in Waterfall Estate. The same deal applies to Modderfontein development, where we have entered into a similar agreement." Mr Tau opened his speech by referring to the nine weeks of public consultation in 2011 that led to the citys growth and development strategy, which runs until 2040, describing it as a "a covenant to build a new economic democracy". "On the basis of this covenant we have begun redesigning the city through the corridors of freedom," Mr Tau said. He has made spatial reconfiguration of the Johannesburg region one of the central policies of his administration, with much of the speech focusing on urban redevelopment. The corridors of freedom plan aims, among other things, to combat apartheid era spatial planning by through establishing bus rapid transport routes alongside mixed-use urban redevelopment, including social housing. "This means more people along a range of incomes are able to live richer lives much closer to where they live, work and play," he said. It is unclear whether Mr Tau will be retained as the African National Congresss (ANC) mayoral candidate in the August 3 polls. The party has said it will announce ahead of time its choices to lead key metros. The City of Johannesburg is one of three metros in Gauteng that are expected to be heavily contested. Speaking ahead of Mr Taus speech, Democratic Alliance (DA) mayoral candidate Herman Mashaba said the city needed to reach a 5% growth rate to begin making a significant dent in unemployment, poverty and inequality. City of Joburg has big plans Mr Tau has already said that R100bn has been allocated for the construction of the corridors of freedom, with significant further expenditure in ICT, including fibre networks, to lower the cost of digital communication. "Of all the metro. municipalities and local government, we are least dependent on national government transfers for our capital expenditure," he said. Due to the citys policy on the township economy "billions of rands of purchasing power hidden in our township and informal settlements is being unleashed," he said. Mr Tau said the city through the urban development zone tax in Sandton was now celebrating R14bn in investment, which has brought new development in the Maboneng precinct and in the "new Braamfontein we see today". "We are complementing this with better street trading systems in the inner-city a trading sector with three of the CBD streets, with a turnover of R10bn per annum. "We have installed our own high-capacity fibre optic network, which we are now deploying as an asset to develop and democratise the city and bridging the digital divide" Tau said. He said the City of Johannesburg was the biggest spender per capita in the country after the national government. The citys draft integrated development plan 2016 to 2021 estimates economic growth in the metro at between 1% to 2% for the medium term. Mr Tau said street crime rates in central Johannesburg had declined in the past five years, and he attributed this to the citys smart policing strategy. A new cable theft response system was being implemented, he said. Mr Tau said the city had now audited informal settlements, leading to housing upgrades for 30,000 dwellings. "We have as a city done a comprehensive audit of our 181 informal settlements, and their 168,000 households, the majority of which have access to basic water and electricity," he said. The majority of those living in informal dwellings now lived in backyard shacks, attached to formal dwellings, he said. This required new approaches to housing expenditure. I give my consent to Sakshi Post to be in touch with me via email for the purpose of event marketing and corporate communications. Privacy Policy A photo opportunity with former rebels, member of the 19th Infantry Battalion and Ms. Gwyndalynn Malate, the Focal Person on Comprehensive Local Integration Program (CLIP). Leyte CLIP evaluates 30 ex-rebels By JEROME P. CATORCE, 19IB PA April 8, 2016 PALO, Leyte Thirty former rebels were gathered for an evaluation conference at this towns Tierra de Milagros Resort in Brgy. Arado on Wednesday, April 6. Dubbed as Training Workshop and Evaluation Conference for Former Rebels, the two-day event was designed to monitor and evaluate the status of former rebels from the province of Leyte who were registered under the Social Integration Program (SIP) and Comprehensive Local Integration Program (CLIP). The conference underscores the need for additional livelihood assistance and other issues and concerns of the clienteles who surfaced from the underground movement of the New Peoples Army (NPA) from year 2008 onwards. During the event, the Philippine Armys 19th Infantry Battalion based in Brgy. Aguiting, Kananga, Leyte sent two (2) Civil Military Operations (CMO) specialists to assist the former rebels in coming up with their own livelihood project proposals. The CMO Specialists also conducted consultative sessions to former rebels regarding personal security and other issues. On the other hand, Ms. Gwyndalynn Malate, Focal Person on Leyte Comprehensive Local Integration Program (CLIP) said the conference was part of the provincial governments ongoing effort to totally reintegrate the former rebels in the community. Malate disclosed that future surrenderers will already be covered with the Revised Guidelines for the Implementation of Comprehensive Local Integration Program (CLIP) or the Joint Memorandum Circular 2016-02 dated March 2, 2016 which includes both the combatants and members of the NPAs Militia ng Bayan (MB) as beneficiaries. 8ID troopers seized NPA camp in Northern Samar By DPAO, 8ID PA April 9, 2016 CAMP LUKBAN, Catbalogan Samar An NPA camp was seized by 81st Reconnaissance Company under the supervision of 20th Infantry (We Lead) Battalion at Brgy Catoto-ogan, Las Navas, Northern Samar on April 6, 2016. According to Lt Col. Hilarion Palma, commanding officer of 20th Infantry Battalion, the security patrols conducted by the troops led by 2Lt Jojo C Consorte PA are based on the information from civilian populace regarding the presence of armed groups believed to be the members of Eastern Visayas Regional Party Committee of CPP-NPA. Recovered from the enemy camp are: ten (10) bunkers, four (4) observation posts, one (1) IED made of PVC pipe with 10 diameter and height, five (5) blasting caps, one (1) nine (9) volts battery, one (1) battery case, twelve (12) empty shells of AK47 rifle, twenty (20) empty shells of M16 rifle, personal belongings and foodstuff. Lt Col. Palma said that the CPP/NPA repeatedly violated the prohibition or restriction of using anti-personnel mine as stated in the Ottawa treaty and the Comprehensive Agreement on Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law (CARHRIHL) jeopardizing the safety of innocent and defenseless civilians specially the children. 20IB conducted dialogues (Pulong-pulong) to the populace of nearby barangays to ensure the safety and security of the populace and for the peaceful resolve of the conflict. Sometimes the first catch of the day ends up being the most important one. In case of the Yellowfin boat and its female visitors of ANZ, this became true in two different ways. When S.I.G.F.A.s Ladies Tournament started on Monday morning, it might not have been as glamorous as the opening of the big open tournament that kicks off this morning. There was no starting shot, but there were six boats full of ladies longing for the biggest catch of them all and that was all that counted. At that time, nobody might have expected the team sponsored by Australian and New Zealand Banking Group to become the winners of the day. But the signs were already there in the dull morning that would soon transform into a sunny day on the South Pacific: they had hired Roy Lee and his boat, the Yellowfin. With this man as a skipper and his experienced crew behind them, they counted on a true expert for Samoan waters, having for instance won the international game fishing tournament of 2011 with his other boat, the Black Pearl. The first lesson he taught the all-female visitors on board, was that the early angler does not always catch the biggest fish. With their departure in Apias harbour around nine oclock in the morning, the Yellowfin was amongst the latest boats that went for fishing at the Ladies Tournament, but in the afternoon they would come back as the days champions. Their trip commenced with the rattling and vibrating engines of the boat that soon would become a familiar side effect, along with Roy Lees shouted orders for the crew, searching for the perfect spot in the South Pacific to get a decent fish on the hook. However, soon another important part of game fishing verified itself: the waiting. Changing the fishing rods, the colourful baits and constantly reeling the fishing lines was the major part of the crews work in the beginning of the day. Along with that, the chair at the boats back was in constant occupation, taking turns every half hour to give another lady the chance to land a big catch: It is the usual way in game fishing to do it like that. With this strategy, everybody has the chance to hopefully catch a bite within its time frame, explained Bernie Poort from Tonga, who besides from his work for ANZ is an experienced angler, having known the Yellowfin and its crew for more than six years. But as the harbour of Apia slowly started to disappear on the horizon and the sun almost reached its highest point on a cloudless Samoan sky, the first catch was a long time in coming. With the boats crew shouting and pointing out in the sheer infinity of the steel blue sea, the process of waiting was suddenly interrupted: Birds!, they yelled, explaining that with the appearance of dozens of seagulls in the open water, the presence of some big fish in the area was not unlike. Soon after that first sign of prey and almost three hours since the departure, the desired noise of the buzzing fishing rod suffused the boats deck. The first catch of the day had just begun, and it was Matilda Meredith-Tapusoas turn on the chair, where she waited for the boats crew to hand her the unrolling fishing rod, quickly isolating it from the others. What followed was a gigantic act of exertion for the female angler: being strapped to the chair, Ms Tapusoa repeated the procedure of giving the fish line and trying to reel the same over and over again for an endless duration of more than half an hour until Roy Lees loud voice cut through the almost electric atmosphere on board: Its a marlin, a big one!, he determined from his higher positioned place at the boats steering wheel. Shortly after that, he turned the boat aside to exact the last possible bit of power that the fish had saved in this wrestle for life and death. The crew and Matilda Meredith-Tapusoa succeeded, pulling out a marlin so massive and impressive in his whole appearance, that one would feel like shifted into Ernest Hemingways famous literary piece The Old Man and the Sea. Being way too large to be simply put on ice in one of the boats refrigerators, the fish had to be covered with a blanket and constantly cooled with fresh water, after it was killed by a well-aimed hit conducted by Bernie Poort, that made sure that the giant sea dweller did not suffer longer than necessary. The fishs catcher, Matilda Meredith-Tapusoa, could not be happier with the sudden success, revealing a surprising fact: This is actually my first time catching a fish at all, she told Samoa Observer on board of the Yellowfin moments after the catch. Ive been on this boat two years ago, but I didnt catch anything back then. This was just great, because in between I had the thought that I wouldnt be able to make it. It is not as easy as you would expect it, its quite hard work, Ms Tapuosa explained, still cooling the lower part of her arm because of the exhaustion caused by the marlins fight for survival. At this point and with a first catch in two different ways in mind, the team could not yet have a guess that this was the crucial fish that would make them the tournaments champions. Compared to the long wait for the first catch, the ANZ team did not have to wait for a long time until the next one. This time, Nicole Stoffel sat on the chair. Despite being the youngest participant on the Yellowfin, she surely was not the least experienced: Ive done game fishing a couple of times before, but as always, I am excited to sit on that chair, she stated moments before her fight for the catch would begin. The fight took Ms Stoffel approximately ten minutes until she was able along with the crewmembers support, to draw a marvellous Masi Masi out of the South Pacific. But fortunately, this was not even the last catch of the day for ANZs womens team. Just one hour before the planned return to Apia and with too big fishes on board, one of the rods on board of the Yellowfin started buzzing again, with a fish on the bait that would live up to the boats name itself: A yellowfin tuna. On the chair, a familiar face could be spotted, as Matilda Meredith-Tapusoa had taken seat again. But as the struggle started, the angler delivered a proof for the comradeship that differs fishing from other sports: She passed on the opportunity for a catch to Raema von Reiche, who took over the fishing rod and showed off her ability to fight the tuna. Von Reiche made it a short but exhausting struggle. After a couple of minutes and the skippers warning that there might not be much time left for the catch, the angler from the village of Motootua finally pulled out the yellowfin, making it the days last catch for team ANZ. It felt like a monster and compared to that, they pulled out such a small fish! But it was fun for sure, she said afterwards. When having returned to Apia, the boat unloaded the three fishes. With the days first catch, the marlin with an overall weight of approximately 67 kilograms, the team won the Ladies tournament. But more important was the experience itself for the ladies. It was a great time on the boat and of course, the fact that we won our tournament makes it even more worthwhile, explained Melissa Greig Callaghan, who was one of the lady anglers on board of the Yellowfin. A 43-year-old father, Levi Tamapua, swears that he is a changed man. Levi is among more than seventy men who have completed a rehabilitation programme with the Samoa Victims Support Group as part of his sentence from the Family Court. His involvement in the Mens Advocacy Graduation follows problems home where he assaulted his partner. Tamapua was then ordered to attend the 8-week programme. Yesterday, Tamapua said when he was first referred by Judge Tafaoimalo Leilani Tuala-Warren, he was not happy. I didnt like the programme at first, I was wondering why I am being referred to this organization, what are they going to do with my life? said Tamapua. On my first week, I tried to adjust myself with others in the program, my first day meant nothing. I went home, I didnt know what I had learnt, I asked myself whats the use? But on the second week, Tamapua said one of the facilitators, Rev Tenari, said something he would never forget. You are a hero if you manage to control your anger, he recalled what the Reverend said. From there, he started to enjoy and take on the lessons from the programme. I am a person who has a quick temper and I reached the line where I cant control it anymore, he said. I end up laying a hand on my partner because of that temper. I regret that now. Tamapua said he didnt appear before a Judge and he has vowed that it would be his first and last. Tamapua said the programme has given him a new start. The program enables me to share my problems to others, especially when going through counseling. It was hard but I became used to it. But being under the program for 8 weeks, I was able to just let out the burden. Tamapua thanked Judge Tafaoimalo for the chance she gave him. I treasured the chance I was given because if it wasnt for that chance I would be up at Tafaigata, he added. Tamapua said Judge Tafaoimalo saw potential in him to improve. I also thank the Samoa Victim for the programme; its a programme that has helped many people and now me. I can honestly say that it saved my life. Tamapua is from the village of Vaimoso and Moataa. He was raised by his mother when his father passed away at a young age. Tamapua is a father of 4 children; his wife had passed away early last year. And he is in a de-facto relationship. He will be graduating from Mens Advocacy Programme tonight. Gender-based violence in families including sexual-related violence - is top of the agenda for the Pacific Islands Law Officers' Network (P.I.L.O.N.) meeting, which started in Apia yesterday. Guided by the theme- Through fundamentals and common sense, we can tackle the most complex legal issues, the three-day conference was opened by Prime Minister, Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi. The Prime Minister reminded that gender-based violence is a very sensitive issue not only in Samoa, but also in other Pacific countries. The topic is continuously discussed in different meetings, he said. But this is particularly targeting legal officers and police who are in the forefront in the fight to deter such violence in our countries. According to Tuilaepa, discussions on the issue have raised the profile in terms of public awareness. The theme of this meeting is a reminder that no matter how hard the problem is, our legal officers should remember and understand the basic legal principles, he said. And it is this through this good understanding that they can apply common sense to provide solutions that make common sense for the Pacific. There are 56 participants attending the meeting with 13 participants from the different countries from the Pacific - including Australia. Attorney General, Lemalu Herman Retzlaff, believes the conference is essential both for local lawyers and their colleagues from around the region. The Attorney General office is supporting this meeting hundred percent, he said. P.I.L.O.N is the key support from New Zealand and Australia for not only Samoa but also for the Pacific. So it is our responsibility at the A.Gs Office to make sure that P.I.L.O.N programmes are not only supported but also encouraged. According to Lemalu, a similar meeting was held in November last year, where top lawyers, judges and Justices of the High Court from Australia and New Zealand came and listened. So this is a little bit different from that, he said. This meeting is crucial because it aims at tackling the issue of violence based in families. And instead of getting the outside judges and lawyers, we are using our local judges and lawyers. So that is the fundamental reason why this is a very good programme. It deals with an issue that is very sensitive in our country. Therefore, it is appropriate that our local lawyers and judges are doing it. The Police Commissioner, Fuiavailili Egon Keil, couldnt agree more. It is very important not only for lawyers, judges and justices but also for Samoa Police, he said. Because there are a lot of parts that we need to grow in and this is one of them discussed here which is prosecution and conviction because we assist the National Prosecution Office. And the better we do our job as cops, investigations and such, present a better case at the N.P.O, the better it is for them to determine if they can prosecute a case or not. He added that the Police play a huge role in the exercise. This is because they deal with the issues from the ground level aspect of the criminal justice system. And if we dont do it right in this foundation level, it is never going to be strong as it should be. So it is very important for us to listen and learn because there is always growth in things like this. And we always gain something from meetings like this and it can help us do our job more efficient and accountable in the way we do our job in Samoa. The meeting will involve a workshop focusing on practical skills required by law enforcement agencies in dealing with family violence and sexual based violence. Dear Editor, I do not understand why we are having another legislation (law) to be drafted and wasting more money to do it. We already have laws that should have been enforced. First, why are these students, who cause or encourage violence if convicted, are still around? There are laws and prison time if they are proven guilty. Second, why has not the government done nothing so far? Stui and his cabinet minister should get into their expensive SUV, drive to Avele College and talk to the students. Now is Stui talking about the new legislation that reflect our Christian living, culture practices and modern day disciplinary measures? Again, our Christian value and our Churches is becoming a corrupted business machine. The pastors and the churches only care about their pocket books, keep themselves wealthy while the members of the churches are getting poorer and poorer. Do you think this is the time for the churches to step in and help? Nada, nothing, they dont care. For the cultural practices that the Cabinet is talking about, well, it started from the top. When you used culture as a cover up for corruption, it will come back and bite you in the bottom. This is a classic example of how Stui went to the village and asked to forgive his current Speaker of Parliament from wrongdoing during the election so the Speaker can keep his Parliament seat. When the leader changes the system, what would you expect from everyone else? Modern day disciplinary measures are meant to follow the laws - follow the law Stui and your Cabinet. When you break the law, we have a justice system to follow. Unfortunately, for us in Samoa, there are separate laws for Stui and his cronies, and a different one for us the public. For example, a worker went to prison for stealing $50 tala but a Cabinet Minister did not go to prison for corruption that cost millions of tala. Stui, there is a valid warrant of arrest on his head and he is still in Cabinet. Where else do you see this? Only in Samoa? The problem is more than school fighting; its a part of the social problems that Stui and his govt. have done nothing to address. When students dont have hope for a future, no employment for younger generations, hardship, cost of living, a lot more. Now we do not eat all those fancy multi story buildings in town. Good luck to Stui and his govt. how to solve this problem. My suggestion is to stop corruption and stop wasting our public money, but improve our social and economic way of life, and I can tell you a better country and its citizens is the result. Ola Fia We are you, We are Samoa, We are BSP. Thats the slogan of the new branding campaign by the Bank of the South Pacific (B.S.P), launched on Tuesday night at the Tanoa Tusitala Hotel. Chief Executive Officer of B.S.P, Robin Fleming, said the campaign is about celebrating the values which are the people and the community. We were discussing last year what will be the new brand for BSP and we heard the suggestions and the words were We are, he said. I quickly googled it to make sure that no one else is using this brand and so tonight we are launching this new brand for the Bank of the South Pacific. Head of Business Banking for B.S.P Samoa, Edward Yee, said a brand is the identity that an organisation or product presents to the world and it goes beyond just a logo. In our first brand campaign with our new family, we want to promote our reach to the Pacific and most importantly, promote our cultural diversity and heritage. Our community leaders are our B.S.P leaders we are you, we are Samoa, We are B.S.P. The launch included a first look at the new B.S.P TV advertisement that was filmed around the Pacific featuring B.S.P staff members from each location. B.S.P Samoa General Manager, Maryann Lameko-Vaai, said the brand campaign reiterates the banks stance on keeping people at the center of what they do. The BSP brand is all about relating to our consumers so that we can represent them in a way that makes them proud of what a Pacific based bank can achieve, she said. The new brand campaign was launched yesterday via print media and will be on television screens nationwide from tonight. Today is the last day of a 30-day notice given to residents at Sogi to relocate. This was confirmed by a Senior Officer at Samoa Land Corporation (S.L.C) yesterday although she declined to say what their next move will be. We will abide by the law as stated inside our letter (Letter of Eviction) for residents at Sogi, she said. Thats all we can say for now until further notice. It was not possible to obtain a comment from the General Manager of S.L.C, Afoa Arasi Tiotio. At Sogi yesterday, an old man who refused to be named said they will not move. Whatever decision the government will come up, we are not going anywhere, he said. This is where we belong and this is where we will stay. The elderly man said they have not heard from S.L.C since the letter of eviction was delivered to them. We are aware of the consequences but we will stay here until they come and move us. I have no further comments but to waitand remain in peace. According to the letter of eviction obtained by Samoa Observer, residents are warned failure to obey the instructions would mean the law will be used. Last month, an elderly mother, Tala Leiataua, issued a heartfelt plea to Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi. Were ready to face the consequences but we want to be buried on this land, Tuilaepa, this land is where our grave is, she said. Please let us stay on this land. This is where we belong. Our ancestors have worked so hard to level this swamp during the German colonial times for us. We want to stay. Should the government insist to evict, Tala said: I ask the government to dig a hole and throw us all in there. Id rather die and be buried on the land my ancestors passed down to us. The family of the elderly mother is among more than thirty families at Sogi, years after they were told to relocate to Falelauniu. The decision by the government to relocate residents of Sogi was initially announced in 2011. The government then offered families a quarter acre of land at Falelauniu which they will lease to own at just over $30,000 and $3,000 cash to relocate. Many families at Sogi have taken up the offer. But many others have refused. The Minister of Justice and Courts Administration, Faaolesa Katopau Ainuu, is seeking to quash an outstanding warrant of arrest against him in American Samoa. The warrant of arrest for Faaolesa was issued in 2008 containing a number of allegations, in relation to his handling of a client. In a telephone interview with the Samoa Observer yesterday, the Minister said his lawyer in the territory is working on his case. He did not say who his lawyer was. My lawyer will submit a motion to quash the warrant, he said. The delay is because they are trying to find the affidavit to support the warrant. There was nothing at the Attorney Generals office and they are also looking for a copy from the Court. Asked if he will be going to American Samoa when the matter is called in Court, Faaolesa said no. Its being done by my lawyer, he said. Once I get the outcome, Ill call you for my official response. In the meantime, I cannot say anything more that might compromise my lawyers work. When Prime Minister, Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi was asked about the matter last week, he said he would have to ask the Minister for an update. During a recent interview with the American Samoa Attorney General, Talauega Eleasalo Ale, he confirmed that the warrant against Faaolesa was still valid. Its still valid and apparently its still in the books (of the Court and still outstanding), he said. We dont have any actions on this. Its a matter up to the law enforcement, the Police to enforce if the person is in our jurisdiction. The background and reasons for the warrant, those facts are still out there. I dont know what happened, I dont know whatever the situation is if its been resolved without our knowledge. According to Talauega since the warrant was issued, it was never acted upon. The reason for that he said is that it was probably because the person wasnt here. The warrant is valid if he is in American Samoa jurisdiction and he can be arrested by Police in pursuant to the Courts warrant. He added the warrant was not from his office but of the Court in American Samoa. They say that laughter is brightest where food is best. In the world we live in today, its either we have something thats good for the economy or something that is good for the people. Its very rare to have the best of both worlds but the question is, why? Why cant we have something that benefits the countrys economy as well as the health of the people? Why cant we have something that will help our farmers as well as our tourism industry? Dont fret people because the simple answer has arrived in the country with Chef, Author and TV celebrity, Robert Oliver. The New Zealand chef who was brought up in Samoa and Fiji has come to partner up with Women In Business Development (W.I.B.D.I) to link organic farming to the tourism industry. Mr. Oliver has written two award winning cook books highlighting the different tastes of the Pacific. His first cook book Me'a Kai: The Food and Flavours of the South Pacific won The Best Cook Book in the World 2012 Gourmand World Cookbook Awards; his other book Mea'ai Samoa: Recipe and Stories from the Heart of Polynesia won the Best TV Chef Cookbook in the World 2013 Gourmand World Cookbook Awards. Now Mr. Oliver is here in Samoa to make us proud once more. When I released the Meaai cook book back in 2013, that was to bring attention to the fact that Samoa has awesome cuisine, he told the Samoa Observer. It had a place in the tourism industry and when that cuisine is positioned well it would be good for the local economy due to the fact that it needs local agriculture and local farmers. The close relationship between Mr. Oliver and W.I.B.D.I will lead to so many ground breaking benefits to Samoa. I have been working with women in business from the beginning on this big vision of linking farmers to tourism industry through the cuisine, he said. Samoan cuisine is the joining piece, it links the two together; it is also part of the Samoan destination story as well as holds a development role in regards to keeping money within Samoa. I previously did a lot of work in the Caribbean with hotels called farm to table where I linked local farmers to supply hotels. "So we saw this opportunity with women in business having relationships with nearly a thousand family organic farms in Samoa to create a model which is similar. The initiative from the partnership has grown tremendously since they began their programme. So we began that in 2013, and that has grown to the point that there are now several hotels and restaurants in Samoa that are being supplied certified organic crops into their menu systems, he said. The big asset around organic is that Samoa is the leader in the Pacific (possibly even the world) in that area, and it is the natural Samoan way within a legal framework. For me it has a great destination value because everyone who travels has to eat, and a lot of those who travel do so because of the food. Places like Thailand, France and other countries have seen the value of their local food making it a successful form of tourism attraction. There is no reason Samoa cant have the same as those other countries, especially given that people dont just come for Samoan food but rather, they also come for organic products. Mr. Oliver believes Samoa should take advantage of the value of organic cuisine. Organic around the world is at a premium level, its expensive, but over here its not. So its a great offering for Samoa to enhance its tourism industry as well as its people." Another reason for Mr. Oliver being in the country is to further develop what he and W.I.B.D.I had started. Im back this time because we are moving that to the next level. I will meet some existing clients and checking on the farms as well as re-energize the whole programme. In the middle of this period Women in Business will have their fundraiser for their warehouse in Nuu where they have their product development from local Samoan products. There is also a hatchery over there, most of the warehouse is done but we just need this fundraiser to finish things off, we are about to embark long range relationship with a new resort here. Mr. Oliver's most recent cook book emphasised the importance of organic cuisine which could act as a guideline for many chefs in Samoa. The Samoan chefs have their own idea of what they want to do, but due to the book we released, they are beginning to understand that Samoan cuisines offers a lot of value to be put on their menus, he said. They may not put just palusami but they may put their own interpretation of the local dishes, so my role is to supply the foundation through my books. Organic food is clean, and so it helps with health reasons, organic food is good for you. One thing is clear for Mr. Oliver and that is organic farming is the solution to many problems in the world. The other flow on effect is the fact that organic farming takes care of all the environmental issues that are coming up globally. Organic is becoming more and more preferred, there is a mindset that organic activities are only something that hippies do, but most people will want it if given the chance. The W.I.B.D.I fundraiser will be next week Monday 9 May 2016. The Green Climate Fund (C.G.F) might have billions of dollars to help countries - especially those hit hardest by climate change - but the pool of money is no use to the Pacific countries if the islands cant access it. That is the view of the Director General of the Pacific Community (S.P.C.), Dr. Colin Tukuitonga, who is in Apia this week. He is participating in the 39th Annual Meeting of the Association Development Financing Institutions in Asia and the Pacific held at Sheraton Samoa Aggie Greys Hotel at Vasigano. He is accompanied by S.P.C. Deputy Director of Social Development Division (Gender, Culture and Youth), Leituala Kuiniselani Tago Elisara. Speaking to the Samoa Observer, he admits that the process through which many Pacific countries have to go through to secure such funds is too complex. Its an area Dr. Tukuitonga assures the S.P.C. is trying to offer help. We know from previous experiences that global financing facilities are notoriously difficult to negotiate, he said. Having said that Fiji has successfully got a project approved and funded from the G.C.F. and we are hopeful that with support more islands will access it. Its great the fund is there but accessing it can be an issue. According to Dr. Tukuitonga the problem is the old story of money being allocated for a particular purpose and not being used for that purpose. Theres money not being found and money not being used in the right way. It all had to do with requirements and the risk nature of financial institutions. But Dr. Tukuitonga said some of the reasons for the delay is understandable but generally, he thinks its perhaps too complex. Its pointless having a big pool of money when you cant access it, he said. The small island state is not like we have a lot of finance whisk kit to enable to do that. Somehow we have to assist countries to access the funds otherwise its a pool of money thats out there and people cant access itin our view the islands do not have the capability (to access funds). He acknowledged the work of S.P.R.E.P. in their part in offering support where needed by islands. But how can the S.P.C. help the island nations to ensure they can access the funds? The Director General said the organisation can assist mainly in the preparations of applications. This can be done through due diligence process about financing procedures, government arrangements, accountability and a whole lot of other requirements that need to be met. Dr. Tukuitonga also used the opportunity to praise Pacific leaders for getting their message across in the United Nation Climate Change conference in Paris last year. He compared the moment to David and Goliath where small islands made a big impact on the big industrialized nations and adopted the Paris agreement. I think its an important blueprint on global work on climate change, he said. In this region all islands are at the front end of bad effects of climate change and yet the islands contribute a minimal amount to greenhouse gases. Alongside of that pledge to the Green Climate Fund a substantial amount of money invested by the developed nations in G.C.F. to help developing countries including small island states to implement mitigation adaptation measures and that is a good thing. Dr. Tukuitonga said his presentation in the Bank institution meeting held in Apia is on Agenda 2030 Sustainable Development Goals and financing thats required. S.P.C. having the scientific and technical knowledge also means they are the largest implementing agency in the region for the Millennium Development Goals. The Director General pointed out the challenges in reaching the goals is funding and data capability to monitor and report. We expressed our concerns when we made the first S.P.C. statement in the General Assembly last year and pointed out the monitoring requirement is going to be a big challenge, he said. One is because the small islands dont have the data and two they dont have the skills, analytical statistical skills. We can help but we cant do everything. He also emphasised the importance of having money to implement the goals in the S.D.Gs. Its all good that these goals are developed but just to implement health or education goals requires money. The conversation is really what these institutions can recommend and options in financing the implementation of M.D.Gs in the region. About the last M.D.Gs, Dr. Tukuitonga was honest. We didnt do well in achieving those goals, he said. Niue met the goals but nothing to do with anything than the fact that they have New Zealand citizenship and can go to N.Z. and get it sorted. But by and large the region didnt do so well because there are resource constraints, we dont have the money, skills so there is a number of constraints. Basically we are asking the bank institutions to find ways to help islands better implement M.D.Gs. A staff member prepares a value-added tax (VAT) invoice for guest at Fuzhou Hotel in Fuzhou, capital of southeast China's Fujian Province, May 1, 2016. VAT refers to a tax levied on the difference between a commodity's price before taxes and its production cost. Business tax refers to a levy on a business's gross revenues. The VAT began in 2012 to replace business tax in certain industries, as a major step in China's structural reform. Starting from May 1 this year, the replacement was extended to construction, real estate, finance and consumer services to avoid double taxation. (Xinhua/Li Shanchuan) China has expanded a pilot program to finally put all industries under a unified value-added tax (VAT) regime as part of a wider push to deepen the country's economic reform. Experts have described it as the most significant tax and fiscal reform in decades as it further improves the country's tax structure and will sustain economic growth in the long run. "The reform will reinforce the current performance of the economy, allow the market to play a decisive role, and eventually sustain momentum of its future development," said Rani Jarkas, chairman of Hong Kong-headquartered financial services firm Cedrus Investments. Starting from May 1, the VAT replaced business tax (BT) in the sectors of construction, real estate, financial services and consumer services to avoid double taxation, a move expected to slash taxes by over 500 billion yuan (76.9 billion U.S. dollars) in 2016 alone. The latest extension came four years after the first trial run of the services sector VAT reform in the financial hub of Shanghai. With that, the VAT has essentially taken the place of the BT in all sectors. The VAT taxes only the value added at each link in the production chain. It is in line with international practices and more efficient as it avoids the double taxation of the BT regime, which is based on the gross revenue of a business, including the cost of input. Premier Li Keqianghas urged solid efforts to deliver the VAT reform and pledged lower taxes across the board. It is expected to directly help the tertiary industry, which makes up more than half of the Chinese economy and is critical to China's economic transition. Traditional manufacturing businesses stand to benefit too, as they enjoy more deductibles under the unified tax regime. PROMOTING MARKET'S ROLE Liu Shangxi, head of the Research Institute for Fiscal Science under China's Ministry of Finance, said the VAT helps create a fairer market for business. "The unified tax system covering the production, circulation and consumption of all goods and services is more neutral and provides a better tax environment for the market to play a decisive role in allocating resources," said Liu. Zhang Bin, a researcher at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said the reform will promote the fair development of all the country's sectors. The VAT reform is the most significant step taken in reducing taxes in recent years. Premier Li told the national legislature in March that the government will ensure that tax burdens on all industries are reduced. China faces the challenging task of pushing through vast economic restructuring while at the same time keeping its economic growth rate within a certain target range of between 6.5 percent and 7 percent this year. The VAT and BT together contribute a large proportion of China's tax revenue. "The sheer scale illustrates the significance of this reform, and the completion of the switch is far-reaching," Zhang told Xinhua. SERVICES SECTOR BOOST A unified tax regime will help foster a level playing field for all businesses, especially those in the services sectors that were last put under the VAT regime. "The business tax imposes a tax on tax, while the VAT levies only on the value added, which is fairer and more precise," said Li Wanfu, director of the Institute of Tax Science (ITS), a research arm of China's State Administration of Taxation. Purchased services are deductible under the VAT scheme, which encourages firms to outsource more services rather than adopt a do-it-all business model, according to a report by China International Capital Corp. Ltd., an investment bank. Gao Liqun, head of Deloitte's indirect tax group in eastern China, said the final step toward a full VAT scheme benefits the services sector with lower tax burdens and greater demand from other industries. "Firms will thus have more capital to invest in research and innovation that propel the growth of the services sector," she told Xinhua. CREATING MORE JOBS A more socially significant impact of the VAT reform is that it eases tax burdens for small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), which experts say will encourage entrepreneurship and boost job creation. "SMEs used to pay a 5 percent or 3 percent business tax on sales, but they now only need to pay a VAT of 3 percent," said Zhang. According to Li, the ITS director, many SMEs are in the services sector. "Moreover, the business tax imposed on sales ignores the fact that some SMEs are actually not earning any profit," he said. "Now they only need to pay tax for their gains, and at a lower rate." Liu stressed the social implications of favoring SMEs in the VAT reform. "SMEs not only offer more jobs, but also improve employment quality, while promoting balanced and sustainable growth in both an economic and social sense," he said. MOST IMPORTANT TAX REFORM IN DECADES Experts said the VAT reform might be a key to unlocking wider reforms down the road, as it not only changes China's overall tax structure but also has bearing on how the central and local governments share tax revenue. "Tax and center-local reforms are the thorniest and most fundamental elements of a true overhaul of China's economic system," Daniel H. Rosen, a partner at the Rhodium Group, said in a report. The VAT reform is seen as the most important fiscal and taxation reform in China in more than two decades. The final completion of the VAT reform is expected to occur with the enactment of a VAT law in a few years. China's largest overseas hydropower project. The Argentina Department of Energy and China Gezhouba Group recently confirmed that the Nestor Kirchner-Jorge Cepernic Hydropower Project in Argentina, on which work was previously suspended due to regime changes, is expected to resume in September of this year, according to a Xinhua News Agency report. On April 27, the consortium formed by China Gezhouba Group and local Argentinean companies formally signed the meeting minutes. Both sides promised to finish making changes to the contract within 60 days of signing the minutes. The Nestor Kirchner-Jorge Cepernic Hydropower Project is the largest hydropower project undertaken by a Chinese enterprise in a foreign country. It has a total investment of 4.7 billion yuan, 85 percent of which is credit provided by Chinese banks. Late last year, the new Argentina government decided to reconsider the contract and stopped payment on the loans after coming to power, forcing the majority of construction work to come to a halt. Machinery at the construction site. The Nestor Kirchner-Jorge Cepernic Hydropower Project is an important project for both China and Argentina. Upon completion, it is expected to act as a catalyst for Argentina's economic and social development. It will also allow Argentina to increase its electricity exportation to neighboring countries, many of which are plagued by power shortages. The Argentine government and the Chinese consortium signed the original project contract in October 2013, and the financing agreement in July 2014. The project was started in February of last year. Weekly Newsletter The best of The Saturday Evening Post in your inbox! Join The American holiday Mothers Day came about chiefly due to the efforts of one woman, Anna Jarvis. After the death of her mother in 1905, she conceived of a day honoring all mothers. The first Mothers Day celebration occurred in 1908. In 1914, President Woodrow Wilson signed a measure establishing the second Sunday in May as Mothers Day. Throughout the 20th century, mothers have taken center stage on our covers and in our magazine. As a special tribute to moms everywhere, we present this collection of Norman Rockwell covers where moms and grandmas play a starring role: Subscribe and get unlimited access to our online magazine archive. Subscribe Today This mommas boy is absolutely thrilled to be losing his luxurious locks, but his mother mourns more than just the loss of those curls: her little boy is growing up. When this cover was published in 1933, a mother in Rockwells New Rochelle neighborhood thought the girl in pigtails looked just like her daughter so much so that she framed the magazine to hang on her wall. Years later, Rockwell found out and gave the nostalgic mother the original oil painting. Resisting the urge to wallop her child for researching the aftereffects of a hammer on household objects, this mother jumps to a psychology book for help. The scene, were told, may have been inspired by actual events in the Rockwell household. When this 1933 illustration was published, Norman and Mary Rockwells oldest son, Jerry, had just reached the terrible twos. Tom Sawyers mothering Aunt Polly and her force-feeding quack cure-alls prompted Rockwell to create this cover in 1936. The image also appeared in a reprint of Mark Twains The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, which Rockwell illustrated for Heritage Press that same year. Remembering kids birth dates can be tough, especially if you cant recall just how many kids you have. While this mom attempts to count off those birth dates, a passel of kids peeks out from behind her to catch a glimpse of the strange man whos writing it all down in a large black book. The scene, which takes place in California according to the census book, graced the Post cover in 1940, when the bureau was conducting its 16th census of the United States. This 1945 painting of a young GI returning to the open arms of his mother is one of Rockwells most celebrated. The idea for it came to Rockwell after he read a series of 1944 Post articles written by Charles Commando Kelly and Pete Martin. During World War II, Rockwell illustrations like this one boosted the spirit of America, especially in mothers of sons fighting overseas. Perhaps what made this one all the more touching for Post readers was knowing that the models in this homespun scene were an actual mother and son pair Alex Hagelberg and her son, Dick, a bombardier who flew 65 missions over Germany. Another happy scene featuring a true-to-life family. Mother Mary Rockwell hugs and welcomes oldest son, Jerry, home. To her right, the boy in plaid is middle son, Tommy, and to her far right, in glasses, is youngest son, Peter. Artist Rockwell stands at her left. And between the two younger boys stands another famous painter and mother of five Grandma Moses. One of the best-known of Rockwells works, this painting of a grandmother and grandson praying in a diner was voted the Post readers favorite cover in 1955. Though May Walker, the woman who posed as grandmother in this painting, died just five days before the issue appeared on newsstands, she did get to see the painting completed. People who knew Walker well told the Post that posing for this cover was one of the most enjoyable moments in her life. Uncle Accused of Murdering Chinese Student in Australia to Plead Not Guilty The file photo shows the suspect Derek Barret (L) and the murdered student Mengmei Leng. [Photo: cctvnews] The 27-year-old uncle of Chinese student Mengmei Leng who is accused of her murder will plead not guilty, the ABC reported on Wednesday. Australian authorities arrested and charged Derek Barret last week in connection with her murder. Derek Barrett's lawyer Bill Whitby attended a brief hearing at a Sydney court on Wednesday where he told reporters his client was not finding conditions at the Sydney police centre "particularly attractive". "It's a terrible place to be incarcerated and I can only hope he'll be moved in the very near future and I'll be making a bail application in the not distant future," Whitby said. "Obviously he's very upset, shocked." Leng, a Chengdu native, had been in Australia for over five years and recently graduated from the University of Technology Sydney while living with her uncle, aunt and cousin in western Sydney. Last week, Leng's body was discovered floating face down by a tourist at a popular "blow hole" on the New South Wales state central coast. It's believed she had been stabbed multiple times in the neck. A spokesman for the Leng family said Leng's mother would address the media on Thursday regarding the matter. Barret was not required to appear in court today and will reappear on June 29. Batesville, AR -- (SBWIRE) -- 05/04/2016 -- Each year, Forbes releases a list of the most trustworthy companies, determining their trustworthiness on their accounting and governance practices. FutureFuel Corporation, based in Batesville, Arkansas, not only made the list, but did so while achieving the highest rating in its category. The biofuel company was part of a four-way tie for highest Aggressive Accounting and Governance Risk, or AGR. Other companies sharing the top spot, whom all received an AGR of 99: Computer Programs & Systems, Gorman-Rupp Co., and M/I Homes. The selection is based on MSCI ESG Research's evaluation of the accounting and governance practices of publicly traded non-financial American companies. Companies were divided into three categories: - Large Cap companies market caps of $5 billion or above - Mid Cap companies market caps between $1 and $5 billion - Small Cap companies market caps between $250 million and $1 billion According to Forbes, the companies on the list have the strongest AGRs"Aggressive Accounting and Governance Risk"the composite scores by which organizations are judged. Factors considered include high risk behaviors like regulatory actions, amended filings, revenue and expense recognition methods, and bankruptcy risk. Companies are scored on a 1 to 100 point scale, with 72 being the lowest score to crack this year's list. "It is an honor to be recognized as a Top 100 Most Trustworthy Company in acknowledgement of our efforts on financial reporting and corporate governance," stated CFO Rose Sparks. "We pledge to continue our commitment for the benefit of our current and future stakeholders." About FutureFuel Corp. FutureFuel Corp. was created in 2005 as a special purpose acquisition vehicle to acquire companies that they believe can make a notable impact in the biofuel and fuel industries. In the summer of 2006, they found just that in FutureFuel Chemical Company (formerly named "Eastman SE, Inc.") near Batesville, Arkansas. On October 31, 2006 they completed the acquisition and since then have worked to become a leader in the U.S. biofuel industry, while maintaining the facility's status as a world-class specialty chemical manufacturer. www.futurefuelcorporation.com 870-698-3000 Salem, NH -- (SBWIRE) -- 05/04/2016 -- ImageFIRST New Hampshire, purveyors of healthcare linen services across New England and in NH, does their part to support the community. With ongoing community events and the continued support of national charities like Habitat for Humanity, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, United Way and others, the company continues to hold itself and its employees to higher standards. One of the latest community giving activities was on Thursday, March 3, when ImageFIRST's Corporate Headquarters personified their commitment to supporting the worthy causes and charities they come into contact with. The corporate office associates from ImageFIRST traveled to the local Ronald McDonald House to lend a hand in supporting the families that live there. That day, the men and women who help run a nationwide medical facility linen service were transformed into chefs, cooking for the individuals taking up residence at the Ronald McDonald House. The Ronald McDonald House Charities provide families with a place to stay close by to medical facilities where children are receiving treatment. The purpose of the charity is to allow for parents and siblings to focus on the care their child is receiving. During the length of their stay, families are provided for with home-cooked meals and private rooms. ImageFIRST donates nationally to the charity, not only through events, but with in-kind donations of laundering services. Allowing individuals to focus on care is what ImageFIRST New Hampshire does. Whether it's providing linens to healthcare facilities or providing meals to families in need, they do everything to make the experience easier. As with all ImageFIRST locations, ImageFIRST New Hampshire upholds community giving and participation as an essential value. To learn more about ImageFIRST New Hampshire and their products like gowns, medical scrubs, and uniforms in New England, NH, as well as ongoing volunteer efforts, interested parties are encouraged to visit their website at http://new-england-nh.imagefirst.com/. About ImageFIRST New Hampshire Founded in 1967, ImageFIRST is the largest and fastest growing national linen rental and laundry service specializing in the outpatient medical market. ImageFIRST's 36 locations nationwide serve over 5,500 medical offices every week, providing linen, patient gowns, scrubs and much more while partnering with facilities to better manage linen inventory. With a customer retention rate of over 95%, ImageFIRST is dedicated to improving patient satisfaction through quality linens and remarkable service: their Comfort Care gowns product line increases patients' favorable perception of a facility by more than 50%. For more information about ImageFIRST New Hampshire, the cost-effective solution for greater patient satisfaction, please visit http://new-england-nh.imagefirst.com/. Boston, MA -- (SBWIRE) -- 05/04/2016 -- Boston-based plastic surgeon Sean Doherty, MD, has been training medical professionals on safe and effective injectable techniques for over five years. Now Dr. Doherty is using his knowledge to introduce a safer approach to facial fillers, which can minimize any potential for adverse results. Dr. Doherty was inspired to introduce these safety procedures to his Boston and Concord, MA practices after attending ASAPS 2016 in Las Vegas, where a panel of plastic surgeons discussed safety in filler injections. ASAPS is the American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons. Dr. Doherty is a member of ASAPS. "While facial fillers are often seen as 'no big deal,' the truth is that plastic surgeons need to treat filler injections with the same care and expertise as any procedure," says Dr. Doherty. "Injections require a precise knowledge of both muscular and vascular anatomy, so it's important for clients to seek out facial fillers from experienced plastic surgeons," he adds. Facial fillers are the second most popular non-surgical treatment performed in the United States today; according to ASAPS, over 2.1 million procedures were performed by plastic surgeons. While adverse reactions are rare, Dr. Doherty points out it's vital for medical professionals to notice the most alarming symptoms, including: - Onset of pain - Increased bruising - Mottling (turning blue) of the skin - Blistering - Difficulty with vision Patients who experience these symptoms need to be seen immediately and injected with hyaluronidase, the antidote to the hyaluronic acid present in Juvederm and other fillers. "I recommend that all patients meet with a board certified plastic surgeon with experience in injections," Dr. Doherty points out. "Ask if they're trainers for the manufacturer's, like Allergan. Ask if they're experienced, or if they have any concerns about the injection they're about to do." Dr. Doherty has two plastic surgery practices, both of which are located in the greater metro Boston area. His original practice is located in Concord, MA, and his newest location can be found on Newbury Street in Boston. Patients can learn more about Dr. Doherty in the greater Boston, MA area or request more information at http://www.seandohertymd.com. About Sean Doherty Sean Doherty, MD, is located in Boston and Concord, Massachusetts. Dr. Sean Doherty offers his patients the finest in plastic surgery techniques, whether they are seeking a subtle change in appearance or a complete transformation. His practice focuses on providing our patients with exceptional care with safe and superior plastic surgery outcomes. Dr. Doherty feels that the best way to achieve beautiful and natural looking results is to incorporate safe and technical skill with meticulous attention to aesthetic detail. By taking this approach to plastic surgery, Dr. Doherty has the privilege of helping numerous patients attain their plastic surgery goals. Sean Doherty, MD rendy@turbomedicalmarketing.com Boston, MA http://www.seandohertymd.com/ Dallas, TX -- (SBWIRE) -- 05/04/2016 -- Dr. Evan W. Beale, board certified plastic surgeon specializing in cosmetic surgery, breast surgery and pediatric surgery, has launched a new website to accommodate the practice's growing clientele. The website is designed to provide better care, present valuable information and promote information sharing among readers. As one of the top plastic surgeons in the Dallas and Fort Worth area, Dr. Beale understands the importance of developing a strong online presence. Through the practice's new website, readers can access educational resources and original content, schedule an initial consultation, and compare before and after pictures with just a click of a button. The new website features simple yet polished navigation menu, individual pages including breast augmentation, tummy tuck, rhinoplasty, and Botox faster loading time, themed landing pages and improved graphics. The website is compatible with major browsers including Google Chrome, Firefox, and Safari. It also adapts to all types of mobile devices, such as desktops, laptops, tablets, and mobile phones. The procedures section provides fresh, relevant content in an organized, shareable manner to make information sharing a breeze online. A photo gallery section featuring procedural before & after photos is added to represent Dr. Beale's real patients and expertise. The revamped website also features a dedicated plastic surgery blog to provide relevant information about the different procedures and treatments offered at Dr. Beale's practice. Dedicated to patient care and customized treatments, Dr. Beale's goal is to provide beautiful, natural results. With the new website, Dr. Beale hopes to provide all the information you need to achieve your cosmetic goals. To learn more about Dr. Evan W. Beale or book an appointment, call 972-331-1900 or visit http://www.drevanbeale.com/. About Dr. Evan W. Beale Texan native and top Dallas, TX board certified plastic surgeon, Dr. Evan Beale, is proud to dedicate his work and life to his patients performing a variety of cosmetic plastic surgery, pediatric surgery and non-surgical procedures for adults and children such as breast augmentation, tummy tuck, rhinoplasty, and botox. Following his residency, Dr. Beale completed a fellowship in Craniofacial and Pediatric Plastic Surgery and continued training under internationally renowned surgeons. He also participates in medical missions with LEAP Foundation, which provides free medical treatment for children internationally. Dedicated to patient care and individuality, Dr. Beale's goal is to provide beautiful, natural results. Media Contact: Aesthetic Brand Marketing Jennifer Cho Email: jcho@aestheticbrandmarketing.com Website: http://www.aestheticbrandmarketing.com Dr. Evan W. Beale Location: 11970 N. Central Expressway, Suite 270 Dallas, TX 75243 Website: http://www.drevanbeale.com/ Earlier this year California Institute of Technology scientists Konstantin Batygin and Mike Brown presented strong evidence for Planet Nine, a hypothesized massive ice giant that may orbit in the far outer Solar System. Since then astronomers have puzzled over how this planet could end up in such a distant orbit. New research by two teams of scientists from the United States examines a number of scenarios and finds that most of them have low probabilities. The evidence points to Planet Nine existing, but we cant explain for certain how it was produced, said Dr. Gongjie Li from the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, lead author on a paper accepted for publication in the Astrophysical Journal Letters. Planet Nine circles our Sun at a distance of 400 to 1,500 AU (astronomical units). This places it far beyond all the other planets in the Solar System. The question becomes: did it form there, or did it form elsewhere and land in its unusual orbit later? Dr. Li and her colleague, Dr. Fred Adams from the University of Michigan, conducted millions of computer simulations in order to consider three possibilities. The first and most likely involves a passing star that tugs Planet Nine outward. Such an interaction would not only nudge the planet into a wider orbit but also make that orbit more elliptical. And since the Sun formed in a star cluster with several thousand neighbors, such stellar encounters were more common in the early history of our Solar System. However, an interloping star is more likely to pull Planet Nine away completely and eject it from the Solar System. The scientists find only a 10% probability, at best, of Planet Nine landing in its current orbit. Moreover, the ice giant would have had to start at an improbably large distance to begin with. Dr. Scott Kenyon from the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics and Dr. Benjamin Bromley from the University of Utah believe they may have the solution to that difficulty. In two papers submitted to the Astrophysical Journal, they use computer simulations to construct plausible scenarios for the formation of Planet Nine in a wide orbit. The simplest solution is for the Solar System to make an extra gas giant, Dr. Kenyon said. The team proposes that Planet Nine formed much closer to the Sun and then interacted with the other gas giants, particularly Jupiter and Saturn. A series of gravitational kicks then could have boosted the planet into a larger and more elliptical orbit over time. The scientists also examine the possibility that Planet Nine actually formed at a great distance to begin with. They find that the right combination of initial disk mass and disk lifetime could potentially create Planet Nine in time for it to be nudged by a passing star. The nice thing about these scenarios is that theyre observationally testable. A scattered gas giant will look like a cold Neptune, while a planet that formed in place will resemble a giant Pluto with no gas, Dr. Kenyon said. The work by Dr. Li and Dr. Adams also helps constrain the timing for Planet Nines formation or migration. The Sun was born in a cluster where encounters with other stars were more frequent. Planet Nines wide orbit would leave it vulnerable to ejection during such encounters. Therefore, Planet Nine is likely to be a latecomer that arrived in its current orbit after the Sun left its birth cluster. Finally, Dr. Li and Dr. Adams looked at two wilder possibilities: that Planet Nine is an exoplanet that was captured from a passing star system, or a free-floating planet that was captured when it drifted close by our Solar System. However, they conclude that the chances of either scenario are less than 2%. _____ Gongjie Li & Fred C. Adams. 2016. Interaction Cross Sections and Survival Rates for Proposed Solar System Member Planet Nine. ApJL, accepted for publication; arXiv: 1602.08496 Scott J. Kenyon & Benjamin C. Bromley. 2016. Making Planet Nine: Pebble Accretion at 250 750 AU in a Gravitationally Unstable Ring. ApJ, submitted for publication; arXiv: 1603.08008 Benjamin C. Bromley & Scott J. Kenyon. 2016. Making Planet Nine: A Scattered Giant in the Outer Solar System. ApJ, submitted for publication; arXiv: 1603.08010 Indigenous people face a disproportionate struggle to access healthcare and education in both rich and poor countries, a paper in The Lancet warns. The study, which evaluated more than half of the worlds indigenous communities, found they scored lower across the board than non-indigenous people on access to basic services. This reduces their life expectancy and educational attainment, and increases child malnutrition and infant and maternal deaths, says lead author Ian Anderson, a researcher of indigenous education at the University of Melbourne, Australia. In Colombia, for example, nearly 240 of every 100,000 indigenous women will die as a result of childbirth, while this only happens to 66 in 100,000 non-indigenous women, the study says. And in India, where around eight per cent of the population are from indigenous communities, more than half of indigenous children are malnourished, while the problem affects around 40 per cent of non-indigenous children. Indigenous people need specialists able to speak their own language in health centres where their ancestral knowledge can also be incorporated. Leonor Pocaterra, Central University of Venezuela The researchers found that these gaps are the same in wealthy countries. Poor, rich they all have them, says Anderson. A lack of access to education and healthcare harm indigenous people throughout their lives, the study says. Most indigenous groups studied had significantly lower incomes than non-indigenous people in the same country, perpetuating a cycle of ill health and limited education. Leonor Pocaterra, an epidemiologist at the Central University of Venezuela, says the study highlights the lack of specially designed services for indigenous people. Pocaterra, who has worked with indigenous communities in Venezuela for 20 years, says that healthcare and education providers are often not equipped to acknowledge and incorporate indigenous peoples needs. Indigenous people need specialists able to speak their own language in health centres where their ancestral knowledge can also be incorporated, she says. For the 20 April Lancet study, the researchers obtained data on the conditions of 153 million people belonging to 28 indigenous groups in 23 countries, including developed countries such as Australia and Canada. The researchers say the UN and national governments must develop more targeted health and education initiatives among indigenous communities if they want to meet the Sustainable Development Goals of ending extreme poverty and reducing inequality by 2030. This report should be a wake-up call for the governments around the world, says Anderson. A good start would be assisting poorer countries into developing data acquisition systems, so we can know where the bigger issues are. [NAIROBI] Managing the environment and natural resources such as minerals, trees and wildlife is key to sustainable development. It is for this reason I have observed that countries attach great importance to environmental matters. With increased climate change and the global population projected to reach 9.6 billion people by 2050, the world faces a myriad of challenges that require sustainable solutions. With demand-driven research that meets the needs of the people, forests can greatly help transform Africa. Gilbert Nakweya Development experts and governments are busy mapping out and planning routes to sustainable development. The world marked two important events last year, the UNs Agenda 2030 on sustainable development and the Paris agreement on climate change. I have been keenly following expert discussions on the links between the natural environment and development. Last week (26 April) in Nairobi, Kenya, I attended a meeting during which the CGIARs Indonesian-headquartered Center for International Forestry Researchs strategic plan 2016-2025 was discussed. I was impressed by how the plan captures forestry opportunities that could help achieve the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The plan coincides with countries entering the implementation phase of the SDGs. The experts discussed its three pillars research for impact, capacity development and outreach. The strategy covers forests and human well-being; sustainable landscapes and food; and equal opportunities, gender, justice and tenure. Researchers will also study climate change; energy and low-carbon development; value chains, finance and investments; and forest management and restoration. All these will be linked with the corresponding SDGs. For instance, forests management and restoration focuses on SDGs 14 and 15 on life below water and life on land, respectively. As experts from academic institutions, government, private sector and science research-based organisations discussed the plan I became convinced that prudent management of forest resources could help achieve the SDGs. I gathered that this goal would be achieved by redefining forests through research, using forests and forest-related opportunities such as bee keeping to solve development challenges. I also learned thatthose involved in promoting development need to work local while going global to help capture the needs of the people.Through capacity building and increased engagements on forestry, Africa could manage contemporary challenges such as food insecurity , climate change, energy crisis and disease burden.With demand-driven research that meets the needs of the people, forests can greatly help transform Africa. However, it is prudent that governments and other organisations popularise the role of forests in development.This piece was produced by SciDev.Nets Sub-Saharan Africa English desk. Belgium will give iodine tablets to the general public as part of its revised nuclear emergency plan. This measure was revealed months following reports that the bombers connected to ISIS have spied on a scientist, along with the plan of creating a dirty bomb. The Belgium government's move to issue iodine tablets will help in reducing the impact of radiation on the body. The tablets are expected to cover the country's 11 million people, according to Health Minister Maggie De Block. Belgium had initially planned to give the tablets to people located near the Doel and Tihange nuclear plants, but will now broaden the distribution area. The small country has an area of 12,000 square miles, only about the size of Maryland, NBC News reported. This sudden move from Belgium, although not yet been officially finalized, has been prompted by the study of emergency plans conducted after the nuclear meltdown of Japan's Fukushima in 2011. However, reports claim that it also follows the findings that a senior researcher from a Belgian center, which makes a very important part of the supply of radioisotopes in the world had been spied upon by the terror cell. The scientist's secret film was discovered on Nov. 30 when the house of ISIS-linked suspect Mohamed Bakkali was raided. Bakkali has been charged with his participation in the Paris attacks, which left 130 people dead and hundreds more hurt. According to reports, the film was recorded by brothers Ibrahim and Khalid El Bakraoui, who were among the bombers of the terror attacks in Brussels last March. Aside from, there have been reported issues regarding Belgium's nuclear energy plant security, which includes the two 40-year old reactors, Phys reported. While other countries have issued the same measures, some experts are concerned about its effectiveness. Potassium iodide, a substance found in the tablet, will not protect the body from other type of radioactive elements, and may also cause adverse effects like allergic reactions, inflammation of the salivary glands, rashes and gastrointestinal upset, according to reports. "Star Wars Battlefront" will be releasing new game features, and is expected to include updates for the special May 4 event. One of the expected highlights include the DLC expansion pack called "Bespin." Electronic Arts revealed their lineup of activities for the upcoming "Star Wars" event on Wednesday, and those who are using PlayStation 4, Xbo One, and PC platforms will be in for a hug surprise -- EA will not only release game feature teasers, they will formally share the details of the "Bespin" DLC as well, beginning with the fact that it will introduce a new planet, Hutt contracts, and a new playable hero. Bespin expansion, new hero characters, and more coming to Star Wars: Battlefront this June https://t.co/Ww6c5YX5zx pic.twitter.com/URiQMuAP8n Gamer Launch (@GamerLaunch) April 23, 2016 "Bespin" is said to feature a new gaming arena, with other game contents associated with it. There will be four fresh maps, all-new Fighter Squadron, and carbonite chamber exploration. Lando Calrissian, the hero, will also become playable. Christian Times noted that gamers will be given 4,444 credits as a reward for attending the May 4 event. These credits can be used to purchase items such as balsters, Star Cards, and even Hutt Contracts. Play Station Lifestyle also added that EA is going to encourage gamers to use their credits for unlocking the Bacta Bomb Star Card, a powerful card that could be used to boost health for themselves and their allies. "Star Wars: Battlefront" will be playable for free at the event, for a total of four hours for PC gamers as well, so that's something to look forward to. PC Gamer added that for those who prefer MMOs, "Star Wars: The Old Republic" will also serve up some freebies such as access to the Knights of the Fallen Empire expansion that will be made available only up to May 30. On May 3, Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida visited Myanmar and held a meeting with Aung San Suu Kyi, State Counsellor and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Myanmar. Kishida promised that Japan would fully support Myanmars democratization and development. More specifically, Japan plans to support Myanmar in employment, health, education, agriculture, infrastructure construction, finance and more. Japan will establish a Myanmar medical school in mid-May to train people on how to use modern medical equipment. Myanmar is in its initial stage of development, with plentiful resources and challenges. Now would be a great time to tap into the market, especially as it relates to national interests, said a scholar from Yunnan University. But Myanmar will also make its own choice to find a balance among all the other countries. Myanmar is the second stop of Kishidas visit to Southeast Asia. On May 1, when he was in Thailand, Kishida described Thailand as Japans strategic partner, and as being key to improving development in the Mekong River area. Kishida also promised that Japan would make an investment of 750 billion yen in Southeast Asia in the next three years. The BBC pointed out that Japans promise of investment could be taken as a provocation of China, since China just provided concessional loans for ASEAN member states to build high-speed rails. Japans Asahi Shimbun reported that, based on the close cooperative relationship between China and Southeast Asian countries, Kishidas visit was likely intended, among other things, as a reminder of Japans existence in the region. A twenty nine page complaint was issued to Starbucks saying that the famous coffee company is misleading its customers by putting more ice than coffee in their iced beverages. First, people were suing Starbucks because their coffee was too hot, now a woman filed a $5 million lawsuit against the coffee company for using too much ice in their iced drinks. However, Starbucks says 'ice is an essential component' of their iced beverages. NBC News reported that Stacy Pincus filed a class action lawsuit against Starbucks Corporation in Northern Illinois Federal Court on Wednesday. Pincus' who ordered a Venti cold drink received only 14 fluid ounces of that drink just over half the advertised amount Starbucks had advertised. The suit states that because of the amount of ice the famous coffee chain uses in their cold drinks, customers end up getting their drinks half of the amount Starbucks has listed. The complaint also included the company's system of pricing their drinks. Cold drinks have higher prices than hot drinks because it doesn't include ice. Pincus argues that Starbucks is making more money off of customers buying these said cold beverages, The Guardian said. "The word 'beverage' is defined as 'a drinkable liquid.' Ice is not a 'beverage' by definition. Accordingly, Starbucks actually gives the customer much less beverage in the cold drinks they order and pay for," the lawsuit says. However, Starbucks believes that the lawsuit is without merit. "Our customers understand and expect that ice is an essential component of any 'iced' beverage. If a customer is not satisfied with their beverage preparation, we will gladly remake it," Jamie Riley, a spokesperson for Starbucks, told CNN. She also added that Starbucks customers who desire less ice in their beverages have also been known to ask for "light" ice when placing their orders. "You can order light ice or extra ice on any of our iced beverages," the company tweeted last April. COLUMBIA, S.C. Eight South Carolina law enforcement officers who were killed in the line of duty were inducted into the Law Enforcement Officers Hall of Fame on Wednesday, including a deputy from the Marlboro County Sheriff's Office. Deputy Delton C. Daniels died on August 1, 2015, following a single-vehicle crash near McColl. Daniels was a passenger in a patrol SUV that veered off the road way and overturned in a ditch. Daniels was transported to a Florence area hospital where he was placed on life support. He died of his injuries 11 days after the crash. Daniels had served as a deputy with Marlboro County Sheriffs Office for just one week when the crash occurred. He also served as a firefighter with the Bennettsville City Fire Department. "Each year, we take a few moments to pause and remember those heroes who gave their lives serving the State of South Carolina," said SCDPS Director Leroy Smith. "This induction ceremony ensures that the families know that their loved ones memory and legacy live on." Daniels is now one of the 364 officers who hold a place of honor in the Hall of Fame Memorial Room. HEMINGWAY, S.C. Hemingway police officers arrested seven students and detained 10 juveniles in an incident at the town's high school today. At approximately 12:30 p.m. today, officers responded to a call about multiple fights at the Hemingway High School. According to a statement issued by the Hemingway Police Chief Bryan Todd, he requested assistance concerning the multiple fights on campus. Williamsburg County Sheriff's deputies, along with officers from the S.C. Probation Pardon and Parole Services, S.C. Highway Patrol, Johnsonville Police Department, Williamsburg County Fire Department, and Williamsburg County E.M.S. responded to the scene. The campus was placed on lock-down because of the multiple fights. This excluded members of the public from trying to enter the campus, Todd said. During the course of the investigation it was determined only students were involved in the fights on campus. Todd said seven arrests were made, to include detaining 10 juveniles. Charges range from disturbing schools (S.C. Code Section (16-17-420)) and affray (S.C. Code Section (16-5-120)). The seven students were transported to the Williamsburg County Detention Center. The 10 juveniles were released to the custody of parents or guardians, and no one was seriously injured during this incident. The Hemingway Police Department is working with the Williamsburg County School District to insure another incident like this does not occur again. Todd said he thanks all responding agencies for their assistance. The incident is still under investigation by the Hemingway Police Department. In recent weeks Williamsburg County School District officials released the following statement regarding such events in other county schools: "We have several programs in place to assist our students in resolving conflicts without physical contact. Our Rehabilitative Behavioral Health Specialists, Intervention Specialists, Mental Health Counselors (on-site), and Guidance Counselors work closely with students to address numerous issues throughout the year to include conflict resolution. Annually, counselors and administrators participate in Crisis Non-violence Technique Training that provides them with the knowledge needed during physical altercations. The district investigates incidents and works cooperatively with local authorities." A formation of the Nanhai Fleet of China's Navy on Saturday finished a three-day patrol of the Nansha islands in the South China Sea. [Photo/Xinhua] Japan should not constantly show its "sense of presence" which is displayed "almost in a paranoid way" on issues concerning the South China Sea, the Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday. "On the South China Sea issue, Japan is a country outside the region. But recently, it has constantly shown its sense of presence on the issue, almost in a paranoid way," ministry spokesman Hong Lei said at a regular news conference in Beijing. Hong made the remarks when asked to respond to Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida's comments on the South China Sea during recent overseas engagements. Kishida, during a visit to South Asian countries, said it is important for ASEAN to demonstrate uniformity toward China's maritime presence in the South China Sea. Hong said Japan's "sense of presence" only reminds people of its illegal occupation of South China Sea islands during the World War II, and its agenda on the South China Sea issue. We urge Japan not to continue to do so, he added. About 50,000 people rallied in Tokyo on Tuesday to mark the 69th Constitution Memorial Day to protest against Abe's attempts to amend the nation's pacifist constitution. Hong said for historical reasons, Japan's behavior has been attracting the attention of its Asian neighbors. China "hopes that Japan could earnestly learn from the lessons in history" and "listen to the outcry of the public who love peace", Hong said. "We hope that Japan could adhere to the path of peaceful development and make constructive contributions to regional peace and stability," he added. BEIJING, May 4 -- U.S. Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump's blunt accusation that China "raped" the United States in trade and committed "the greatest theft in the history of the world" was refuted by western media and experts for its naive logic. TRADE DEFICIT NOT A LOSS OF ECONOMY "We're losing now over 500 billion U.S. dollars a year in terms of imbalance with China...We're losing our jobs. We're losing our base. We're losing our manufacturing. We're losing everything," Trump claimed. It's true that the United States now runs a significant trade deficit with China, as it does with the world. The country last ran a trade surplus in 1975, the Financial Times said. However, an increasing number of economists argue that bilateral trade balance does not matter as much as it once did. "Many believe it is the wrong measure of a country's economy and that a trade deficit can actually be a sign of strength in an economy as it effectively shows consumers have the economic power and confidence to buy more goods than they sell," said an FT article. Dan Griswold, director of Center for Trade Policy Studies at Cato Institute, wrote: "An examination of the past 30 years of U.S. economic performance offers no evidence that a rising level of imports or growing trade deficits have negatively affected the U.S. economy." "In fact, since 1980, the U.S. economy has grown more than three times faster during periods when the trade deficit was expanding as a share of GDP compared to periods when it was contracting. Stock market appreciation, manufacturing output, and job growth were all significantly more robust during periods of expanding imports and trade deficits," he added. Though Trump's negative "trade balance" card has sent a powerful message that's resonating with voters, it is just wrong, according to experts and the media. "Using the trade balance as a scorecard to evaluate the overall effect of free trade on the economy fails to provide an accurate picture of the benefits of global trade and commerce," said Financial Post, an English Canadian business newspaper. In fact, the notion has become so obsolete that the World Trade Organization has launched a global initiative to determine how to better account for global trade flows. In his article on the Federalist website, Scott Lincicome gave an example on Iphone: each device imported into the United States from China accounts for about 300 U.S. dollars towards the bilateral trade deficit, yet China gets only about six bucks worth of value from the item's assembly and shipment, while the U.S.-based Apple gets hundreds of dollars from the iPhone's final U.S. sale. "Basic economics teaches us that a country's surplus cash sent abroad to buy foreign goods eventually returns (minus the value of the same country's exports) in the form of investment," said Financial Post. In 2015, the Americans purchased 482 billion dollars worth of goods from China and the Chinese purchased only 116 billion dollars in goods from the United States. That resulted in a U.S. trade deficit of 366 billion dollars. But this figure ignores that Chinese investors purchased more financial assets from the United States than American investors purchased in China. The net result is that the U.S. deficit on the current account is essentially matched by a surplus on its capital account, according to the website. CHINA TRIES TO CURB CURRENCY DEVALUATION Trump has also attacked China's trade policy, claiming the country's currency devaluation would "suck the blood out" of America. However, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang has repeatedly voiced his opposition to the devaluation of China's currency renminbi, or the RMB, as it would hurt China's export in the long run and harm the ongoing structural reform of the Chinese economy. Li also stressed last year that since the current Chinese government took office in 2013, the real effective exchange rate of renminbi against the U.S. dollar had risen 15 percent. Many western analysts predict that if Beijing lets the market determine the currency's value, renminbi would devaluate, not appreciate. TRUMP ATTACKS CHINA TO WOO VOTERS Analysts also believe Trump's verbal attacks on China were merely a tactic to cater to blue-collar voters who have suffered loss of jobs and industry. "Even if the plan (Trump's China plan) is nothing more than a ridiculous talking point, it still deserves our mockery and derision because it feeds the well-worn myth that America's problems are caused by cheating foreigners and easily solved through protectionism," Lincicome wrote. "This myth helps Big Government politicians and their cronies avoid blame for the failures of their retrograde statism and corruption," he added. FRANKFURT, May 4, 2016 -- Horst Koehler, former German President, attends the opening session of the 49th Annual Meeting of the Board of Governors of the Asia Development Bank (ADB) in Frankfurt, Germany, on May 3, 2016. The Annual Meeting of the ADB Board of Governors kicked off here on Tuesday. (Xinhua/Luo Huanhuan) Dancers at Yinchuan Hedong Airport in the Ningxia Hui autonomous region welcome a Boeing 777 from the Middle East on Tuesday, when Emirates Airline launched its first direct flight between Dubai and Yinchuan, capital of Ningxia.[Zuo Mingyuan/For Chian Daily] Clad in traditional clothing and holding the sweet tea that local Hui people serve guests, a group of dancers welcomed a Boeing 777 from the Middle East to Northwestern China on Tuesday. Yinchuan, capital of the Ningxia Hui autonomous region and home of one of China's largest Muslim communities in the landlocked region, has eagerly awaited the landing of the first-ever Emirates flight. The Dubai-to-Yinchuan flight is scheduled for every Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday. "Ningxia is joining hands with Emirates Airline to launch China's westernmost logistics center on the Silk Road to develop itself into a strategic highland in the country's westward opening-up and a strategic transit point on the Silk Road Economic Belt,"said Li Jianhua, Ningxia's top official, at the opening ceremony. He said China and Arab countries have great potential for cooperation in trade, finance, tourism and real estate, and this flight serves as a good start. Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, chairman and chief executive of the airline and Emirates Group, said the route provides fast and convenient connections to Middle Eastern, African and European destinations via Dubai. "We are confident that this air link will also help boost the flow of trade and tourism to growing central and western parts of China," he said. After landing at Yinchuan Hedong Airport, the flight will continue farther east to Zhengzhou, capital of Henan province, before returning. The Dubai-based carrier already flies to Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou. New routes have been scheduled to make seamless connections to destinations in the Middle East, Europe and Africa, helping local Chinese to travel to most cities in the world, via Dubai. The new flight is the latest fact or boosting Ningxia's positioning of itself as a gateway from China to the Arab world and a strategic point in the Belt and Road Initiative. Speaking last Thursday, DAncona, director dry analysts for Clarksons Platou Asia, argued that the skeleton of OBOR connecting China with emerging markets in regions such Africa and Southeast Asia had been in place for quite a number of years. I think in essence the bones and structure have been in existence for quite a while, we may not have known it as the One Belt, One Road, but weve certainly already started to experience it so it's a very real thing, he said at the BNP Paribas and Moore Stephens Singapore Shipping Forum 2016. He noted that China had massively overshot in terms of steel production versus domestic demand. In 2014 China produced 822.7m tonnes of steel and accounted for roughly 50% of global production. As a result of its over production of steel China became a net exporter of steel in around 2006. While much of the focus in the media has been on cheap exports to Europe and the US, which have drawn political ire, DAncona, argued that these exports were not what was important, but instead steel that was going to new markets. Lots of it was starting to help projects all over the world often in return for something the Chinese wanted, he said. The growth in shipping trade is being seen on what was described as the south south routes, or Southern Silk Route. One such example was West African countries supplying China with crude oil, while in return China ships steel in supramaxes to these countries. In terms of future growth it will come a large number of different developing countries, with trade enabling these countries to develop. Where is the next growth coming from? I dont believe its one country like a China, I think it is a group of countries, and that is where the new shipping trade is, DAncona said. As these countries development infrastructure and increase exports with China spurring economic growth, which will in turn create new consumer demand. For me a see it like a skeleton framework to help the development going forward, he said. In terms of shipping demand the industry will need to understand which type of vessels will be required because as DAncona noted not every country would need capesize bulkers full of iron ore. An official at Korea Development Bank, the main creditor of Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI), was quoted as saying that SHI is expected to soon announce a string of restructuring measures, including cost cutting efforts. Last week, Hana Bank, the main creditor of Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI), pressed the shipbuilder to draw up a set of additional self-rescue measures. Creditors of Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering (DSME) also called on the shipbuilder to devise additional restructuring moves, including downsizing its workforce and selling assets. DSME earlier said it will cut its workforce by 2,300 to bring it down to approximately 10,000 by 2019. The group is also looking to sell its headquarters building and other properties. HHI and SHI are also expected to retrench up to 1,000 workers each through voluntary retirement plans or attrition. HHI has already confirmed it will cut the number of executive level officials at its affiliates by 25% during the first half, meaning about 60 executives will be let go. South Koreas financial watchdog, Financial Services Commission, has demanded the local shipyards to ramp up self-restructuring efforts such as layoffs and disposal of non-core assets, Yonhap reported. The South Korean shipbuilding industry, once regarded as the backbone of the countrys economic growth, has been struggling with a dearth of orders particularly from the offshore sector due to the shipping and offshore market slump. With support from Chennai Port Trust, the road approaching North Gate of Chennai Container Terminal, previously made of mud, has been redeveloped with tar. We are confident that this redevelopment will not only eliminate congestion at Chennai port but will also increase terminal operations efficiency by smooth flow of traffic, said KK Krishnadas, ceo of DP World Chennai. The Tripartite Engineering Training Award (TETA) Programme was launched on Tuesday by Singapores Minister of Manpower Lim Swee Say. The announcement was made at the 10th anniversary celebration for the Singapore Maritime Training Fund (SMFT). The SGD1.2m pilot programme will be conducted by the Singapore Maritime Officers Unions (SMOU) training arm Wavelink Maritime Institute. Cadets are offering a training berth with a shipping company before starting the programme which takes about 31 months to complete. The TETA programme is a joint initiative by SMOU, Singapore Workforce Development Agency (WDA), National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) e2i (Employment and Employability Institute) and is supported by the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA), Singapore Shipping Association (SSA) and shipping companies. It is the latest in a series of initiatives to attract Singaporeans to switch to a seafaring career through the continuous education and training (CET) route. Over the years, we have noticed the manpower issues, in particular the dwindling number of Singaporean seafaring officers and marine engineers willing to embark on this career, said Mary Liew, SMOU general secretary. Therefore, we initiated various programmes with the help of our tripartite partners that adopt the CET route, to give Singaporeans a second opportunity to choose seafaring as a career. Net loss for the quarter ended 31 March 2016 was recorded at $5.3m, as against the profit of $27.2m in the same period of 2015. The quarterly revenue decreased by 35% year-on-year to $296.2m. Nordens tanker business still brings home reasonable results, which contributes to cushion the effects of a historically poor quarter in the dry cargo market, said Jan Rindbo, ceo of Norden. The dry cargo index the Baltic Dry Index reached a new low in February, and despite a record number of scrappings of dry cargo vessels, this could not make up for the many deliveries of new vessels. Based on the increase in Chinese imports, the dry cargo market saw a slight improvement in March, Rindbo commented. The companys dry cargo segment posted a loss of $19.8m during the first quarter, as opposed to the profit of $14.5m for its tanker business. Looking ahead, Norden expects a 2016 full year result ranging between a $60m loss to a $30m profit, a break down from the dry cargo loss of $85-25m and the tanker gain of $25-55m. The dry bulk shipping market is projected to continue to struggle with overcapacity for the rest of 2016, while the tanker shipping market will see healthy market conditions on the back of decent spot rates. Norden is optimising its fleet, utilising its flexible business model and chartering more vessels for single trips than before, in order to get maximum value out of the markets, Rindbo said. At the end of the first quarter, Nordens active fleet stood at 275 ships, which is 47 vessels more than at the end of 2015. The new contract is designed to give faster response time to service partner needing maintenance work, fault rectifications, and the installation of Thuraya maritime equipment. Thuraya recently expanded its maritime product line with the launch of the Atlas IP terminal. Our expanding maritime portfolio requires support whenever and wherever a vessel needs it, said Keith Murray, product manager, maritime for Thuraya. Our maintenance partner will store spareThuraya equipment for vessels in locations that are difficult for our partners to reach. In the long-run, this new agreement will save our partners time and money. File photo of the Beijing-based paramilitary hospital. [Photo: weibo.com] An investigation is underway into the Beijing-based paramilitary hospital that was blamed for the death of college student Wei Zexi. The country's top health administration says it has joined hands with authorities from the military and the armed police to conduct the probe into the Second Hospital of Beijing Armed Police Corps. The latest probe comes after the state cyberspace watchdog sent a taskforce to search giant Baidu amid debate over the roles Baidu and the hospital played in the student's death. We Zexi was diagnosed with synovial sarcoma, a rare form of cancer, in 2014 and had been undergoing a controversial treatment, which was advertised on Baidu by the hospital. (File photo) After hailing a car through the online app Didi, a 24-year-old woman was robbed and brutally killed by the car's driver in Shenzhen on the night of May 2. The suspect was captured by police the following day. On May 3, Didi made an announcement about the incident: "Based on preliminary verification, the victim called a car from our platform. Pan, the suspect, registered his real ID, driver's license and car to our platform, and passed the safety check. However, he was using a fake license plate on the night he committed the crime." At the end of March, five car-hailing service platforms, including Didi, were interviewed by government authorities in Shenzhen to discuss the existing problems with car-hailing apps. According to a notification issued by the government, the car-hailing service platforms have loose access systems. Some drivers are drug addicts, some have mental illnesses, and others have criminal records. Some drug addicts whose driver's licenses were cancelled nevertheless registered as drivers for car-hailing services without any difficulty. Even Didi, China's biggest online car-hailing service platform, fails to satisfactorily verify drivers' qualifications. Meanwhile, many passengers have filed complaints about inconsistencies between real license plate numbers and the numbers given at the time of reservation. Yes, Sonny Gray surrendered two more home runs. Yes, Leonys Martin and Robinson Cano easily cleared the outfield wall at the Coliseum. Yes, Gray was charged with seven runs and 11 hits. But the blame could be spread well beyond the right-hander and all through the clubhouse. Gray kept the As alive for most of Tuesday night, but they were bounced 8-2 by the Mariners. He carried a 4-1 deficit into the eighth inning before some shoddy defense helped turn it into a rout. It was definitely the best I felt all year, Gray said. It was just really unfortunate the way it turned out. I threw more strikes and attacked guys more. But you come out with a really bad start. It was a really weird game tonight. The Mariners scored four times in the eighth. After Cano opened with a double, the As shifted to the left side against Nelson Cruz, who somehow bounced a grounder past second baseman Jed Lowrie. With runners at the corners, Adam Lind hit a popup behind shortstop that left fielder Khris Davis admitted he should have caught. The ball bounced between him and two infielders, a gift hit. That was my fault, Davis said. That was definitely my play coming in with a runner on third. The misplay ended Grays night, and Kyle Seager then clubbed a three-run homer off Marc Rzepczynski. The defense disappeared in the eighth, but the offense was nowhere to be seen for most of the night. The As had just six hits, four off starter Hisashi Iwakuma, who pitched seven innings, and couldnt seem to avoid the defensive vacuum that is Seattle shortstop Ketel Marte. Davis did hit his third homer in two nights (and sixth in 14 games) in the ninth inning. The As have scored more than three runs once in six games, more than five runs once in 11 games. Theyre 3-8 in that stretch. Its been a struggle for us, manager Bob Melvin said. Iwakumas been struggling some, leaving some balls up, and we werent able to take advantage of a guy that wasnt pitching too terribly well. We have not hit our stride offensively yet, for sure. Gray was far better than in his previous start, a two-inning stinker in Detroit. Until the eighth, the difference was Martins two-run homer in the third. Cano also hit an opposite-field shot in the fourth. Last year, Gray gave up 17 homers in 31 starts. The year before, 15 in 33. This year: five in six. I hung a curveball a little in, and he turned on it, Gray said of the Martin homer. The second one, I had a feeling he was going to swing. I left it up, and he got it. The Mariners will pursue a sweep in Wednesdays matinee with Felix Hernandez on the mound. To review, Hernandez is 11-3 with a 2.67 ERA in 22 starts at the Coliseum, winning seven of his past eight decisions. The As will counter with left-hander Sean Manaea, wholl make his second big-league start after a decent debut against Houston on Friday. John Shea is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: jshea@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @JohnSheaHey This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Five hunger strikers in wheelchairs and hundreds of their supporters crossed San Francisco on Tuesday, from the Mission Police Station to City Hall, to reiterate their demand that Mayor Ed Lee fire Police Chief Greg Suhr or resign. About 60 protesters made their way into City Hall and to the mayors office about 3 p.m. Tuesday and were told by a representative of the mayor that he was in the Bayview. One protester answered that the Bayview was only 10 minutes away and that the mayor should come talk to them. Coincidentally, the mayor sent a tweet at the same time the protesters were demanding his attention reading: Met w merchants on 3rd St in the Bayview to discuss how City can support small business #DreamSmallBiz. After it became clear that the mayor wasnt coming, the protesters entered the Board of Supervisors chambers during its weekly meeting and chanted, Fire Chief Suhr. The protesters demanded an emergency resolution to fire Suhr immediately. You have to take a stand for whats right. ... You have done nothing, hunger striker Maria Gutierrez said. In what dissolved into a shouting match, the protesters accused the supervisors of being sellouts, with the supervisors defending themselves. I dont need anybody to tell me what its like to be a subject of police brutality or racism. I lived that, Supervisor David Campos said. The idea that you fire Chief Suhr and that solves things, Im sorry, thats not what I believe. Defending board Board President London Breed told the protesters that no Board of Supervisors had done more to address problems in the Police Department than the current one. We have done a lot of work on this board to try and push for transparency. Its not an overnight problem, so I know it wont be an overnight solution, she said. In their 13th day without solid food, the hunger strikers were trying to increase pressure on the mayor and police chief, who are facing revelations of racist text messages sent among officers in addition to the fallout from the fatal police shootings of four Latino and African American men since 2014. The strikers Gutierrez, 66; her son Ilyich Sato, 42; Sellassie Blackwell, 39; Ike Pinkston, 42; and Edwin Lindo, 29, a candidate for District Nine supervisor have been camping in front of the Mission Police Station for almost two weeks. They have become known as the Frisco 5. Whether its today or tomorrow or three days from now or next week, we are going to win, Pinkston declared Tuesday before the protest. Pinkston said he had lost about 13 pounds since the start of the hunger strike. Police officers cleared the streets for the protesters as they made their way to City Hall. Throughout, the crowd chanted, How do you spell murder? SFPD and SFPD. Shut it down, shut it down. Snub of mayor criticized The hunger strikers have repeatedly demanded to meet with Lee and Suhr. But on Monday, they refused to meet with the mayor when he went to the Mission Police Station. Instead, they accused the mayor of trying to head off the next days protest and insisted the mayor wait to meet with them at his office Tuesday. That decision was criticized by even some of the strikers usual political allies. Supervisor John Avalos, who has described what he calls a culture of racism in the Police Department, said that he visited the strikers Friday and that they told him they wanted the mayor to meet them on their turf at the Mission Police Station. Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Updated to include drought zones while tracking water shortage status of your area, plus reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts. I just think if the mayor comes to visit, then why not? What do you got to lose by talking? Avalos said Tuesday. He said the mayor could appease the protesters by initiating immediate reforms on use-of-force policies and supporting a memorial for Alex Nieto, who was fatally shot by police officers on Bernal Hill in 2014. Officers fired 59 shots at Nieto, who was carrying a stun gun . Those are all things the mayor can give that I think will go very far to help de-escalate things with the community, Avalos said. But the community has got to do their part as well, and so far Im concerned that they havent had a strong strategy to hold themselves to as they go through this process. Health assessments Nurses from the city Department of Public Health, sometimes joined by doctors, have been assessing the hunger strikers health every day for the past week. None has showed signs of poor health, health officials said. The regimen they set up for themselves allows for coconut water, chicken broth and vitamins. UCSF medical students pushed the hunger strikers in their wheelchairs to City Hall on Tuesday. The group began its hunger strike after a series of recent officer-involved shootings. The shooting deaths of Luis Gongora last month and Mario Woods in December, which were captured on video, resulted in a wave of anger. Both men were allegedly holding knives prior to the shootings. Woods cousin, Jeff Stewart, 28, was among those at Tuesdays march. I hope they dont deny the community like they always have and let these people die, he said. Kimberly Veklerov and Emily Green are San Francisco Chronicle staff writers. Email: kveklerov@sfchronicle.com, egreen@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @kveklerov @emilytgreen This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate BART riders arent the only transit passengers who will soon get to enjoy that new railcar smell for a while. By the end of the year, Muni expects the first of its $1.2 billion fleet of new Metro cars to start rolling into the city. After testing, the light-rail cars, being assembled at a plant in Sacramento, will probably be pressed into service by summer 2017. The new cars are part of a plan to grow and modernize the Muni Metro fleet, which is overwhelmed by high ridership and the unreliability of the existing Breda railcars, purchased in 1996. With a larger fleet, Muni will be able to run longer trains three or four cars long and introduce express trains that would skip certain stations. To make ridership more efficient, Muni also plans to turn some trains around before the end of its lines to increase the frequency of service to congested areas. We will be entering into a new era in 2017 as far as providing service, said John Haley, the Municipal Transportation Agencys transit director. With more cars, we can start having some fun, trying some new things. The MTA board has ordered 260 new railcars to replace the 151 cars it now runs on the six Metro lines that travel through the Market Street subway. The first pair of new cars is expected to arrive this fall. They will undergo about 600 tests, and drivers will be trained, before the vehicles are pressed into service. In preparation, Muni is completing some infrastructure improvements that will allow the cars to run more smoothly. The agency is building a training simulator, creating training procedures and stocking up on parts to maintain the new cars. Meanwhile, in Sacramento, workers at the Siemens plant are putting together the frame and exterior of the first new Metro car. Siemens is a German corporation. There are no U.S.-owned rail manufacturers, but Buy America rules require that the railcars be assembled in the United States. By 2018, Muni will have 24 new cars in time for the scheduled opening in 2019 of the Central Subway. Another 40 will be ready to roll by 2020. Muni plans to hold onto its existing Metro cars until 64 of the new vehicles are on hand, then will begin retiring them. The new cars are intended to handle ridership growth through 2040. We took a long view, Haley said. Were not just replacing the fleet we have; were looking toward the future. The interior, including the seating configuration, is still being designed, but Muni riders can expect better air conditioning and ventilation systems, wider aisles, brighter lighting and doors that dont break down nearly as often. It will be a quantum leap forward in terms of reliability, Haley said. Malcolm Heinicke, an MTA director, said the changes, especially longer trains, will make a big difference for commuters stuck on overcrowded trains that are sometimes so packed they bypass stations because theres no room for more passengers. This is exciting stuff, and stuff that can change how the system interacts with passengers on a daily basis, he said. Muni Metro riders, waiting for a one-car train at Civic Center Station Tuesday evening, welcomed the thought of longer trains. Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Updated to include drought zones while tracking water shortage status of your area, plus reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts. That sounds good. It should help, said Natalie Herry, 26, a student who lives in the Tenderloin. Another change that will help Muni Metro is coming sooner. On Monday, Muni started testing double stopping, a process that allows trains serving Civic Center, Powell and Montgomery stations to stop and let passengers get off the train before moving forward to pick up passengers. So far, the tests are working, said Ed Reiskin, MTAs transportation director, adding that Muni Metro is likely to continue double stops at least for inbound trains in the morning commute. Yevgeni Kedrun, a salesman who immigrated to San Francisco from Belarus eight months ago, likes Muni but said hes glad to see the agency experimenting with ways to improve service. You always have to change, he said. Without trying something new, you never improve. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate The Potrero power plant once generated electricity. Now it may produce something else that is vital to San Francisco: housing. Five years after the plants 300-foot-tall smokestack spewed its last exhaust over the Dogpatch neighborhood, the owners of the 22-acre property are preparing to file plans for a mixed-use development that could add more than 1,000 units of housing and 1 million square feet of commercial space to the southern waterfront. District Development, which is leading the redevelopment for property owner NRG Energy, plans to transform the shuttered power plant, which was one of the most-polluting in California, into a 3 million-square-foot project. Although the exact mix will depend on market demand and community input, its likely the plan will call for between 1,000 and 2,000 residential units, along with shops, offices and space for small manufacturers and artists. Seth Hamalian, Districts managing principal, said a preliminary application will be filed with the city this fall. He said the goal is to integrate the Potrero plant property into the adjacent Dogpatch neighborhood as well as Pier 70, a 60-acre property to the north, which is in the early stages of redevelopment. Dogpatch is one of the most unique and amazing neighborhoods in the city, Hamalian said. You walk down a single street and you have a combination of everything. Youve got residential, office workers, retail, people working at making things, PDR (production, distribution and repair). All on one block. Closed in 2011 The power plant was closed in 2011 after the Trans Bay Cable project was completed, allowing power generated in Pittsburg to be sent under the bay to San Francisco. Although the plant property has been seen as a potential development site since it closed, the decision to include residential buildings is relatively new. Originally, a 1999 deed restriction prohibited a number of uses on the site, including open space and housing. Recently, the previous owner, Pacific Gas and Electric Co., and the current owners agreed to lift the deed restriction, opening the door for housing. PG&E is responsible for cleaning the property up to the states commercial standards, which are less stringent than residential standards. The developers have to undertake additional cleanup to make it safe for housing, Hamalian said. The goal is to make sure the site is cleaned up and safe for a variety of uses, he said. Building boom The proposal comes at a time when Dogpatch and Potrero Hill are being inundated with construction, fueling resistance from residents who say the new housing isnt coming with the public transportation and parks needed to handle the new residents. More than 800 units will be completed in the neighborhood over the next year, with another 2,000 units coming over the next two years. That doesnt include Pier 70, which will add 1,000 homes. Its tripling the population of (the ZIP code) 94107, and we are still waiting for even one additional bus line, said longtime Potrero Hill resident Tony Kelly, a past candidate for city supervisor. J.R. Eppler, president of the Potrero Hill Boosters neighborhood association, said the power plant plan needs to be coordinated with the Pier 70 planning process and other development proposals. Each major project in our neighborhood has its own transportation plan, he said. Coordination among these transportation plans to achieve a neighborhood-level solution has still not taken place. But residents also welcome an opportunity to open up a piece of waterfront land that has been closed off behind a tall fence for decades. Hamalian said that providing direct access to the waterfront will be a top priority. Bruce Huie, president of the Dogpatch Neighborhood Association, said people in the area would benefit from opening up the waterfront. Huie has lived three blocks from the plant for years and has never set foot on the property. Bay access Ive looked over the fence from Warm Water Cove thats the closest most of us have come, he said. We are all looking forward to it opening up access to the bay. Today, the site is one of the quietest places on the waterfront. Vegetation sprouts from the plants 66,000-gallon tank. Stray cats and opossums prowl the property. Only a handful of NRG employees remain, most of whom work on green-energy projects. Facility manager Dave Hansell, who rides a bicycle around the now-unused tanks, pipes and cables to make sure everything is OK, said the level of activity is a far cry from the days when 33 workers staffed the place around the clock. Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Updated to include drought zones while tracking water shortage status of your area, plus reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts. I was kind of the last man standing when they closed the doors, Hansell said. But over the next few months the site will become more active. The developer has hired the brokerage Colliers International to attract investment partners for what is likely to be a $2 billion project. This month, District Development will start offering tours to residents. The site offers flexibility that others on the waterfront dont, said Gabriel Metcalf, executive director of the urban think tank SPUR. For one thing, unlike most of Californias waterfront, it isnt under the jurisdiction of the State Lands Commission which means the developer wont need state legislation to use it for nonmaritime purposes. Also, because the property isnt owned by the Port of San Francisco, the developer wont need voter approval to exceed waterfront height limits, though it would need to get the OK from city government. Its a really neat site. Its going to have those incredible views of the bay, but also be an extension of Dogpatch and Pier 70, Metcalf said. For a site this big, they should try to develop an extension of the neighborhood that feels like its a part of San Francisco, not a separate enclave. So far, outreach into the neighborhood has made one thing clear: Residents overwhelmingly want to see the smokestack remain. Beloved smokestack A lot of us see it as a landmark, an icon of the Dogpatch, that should stay on the waterfront, Huie said. We dont want it to be a smokestack per se, but want to see it remain and reused as something different. Hamalian said the development team would like to retain the smokestack along with one or two other existing buildings. Im realizing now how many different parts of the city you can see the stack from, he said. J.K. Dineen is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: jkdineen@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @sfjkdineen For those of you wondering what former San Francisco Sheriff Ross Mirkarimi has been up to, he just got back from Uruguay where hes been working as a consultant to the government on how to clear the path for legalizing medical marijuana. You may recall in 2005, I was the supervisor who sponsored San Franciscos first regulatory framework for medical cannabis dispensaries, Mirkarimi said in a text. And, he added, it later also turned out that I was the only sheriff in California to support legalization (of weed) for adult use. The marijuana mission is the opening chapter in Mirkarimis new career as the head of RMir Pro Civicus Consulting firm, which intends to specialize in environmental, law enforcement and general public policy work in the U.S. and abroad. Mirkarimi is also a consultant think expert witness for one of the plaintiffs suing over an in-custody death in the Santa Clara County Jail. Naturally, Ive been apprehensive about what life would be like in this new chapter, Mirkarimi said. After all, I worked for local government for 22 years. Incidentally, Mirkarimis wife, Venezuelan actress Eliana Lopez, is still performing and refining her one-woman play, What Is the Scandal? about the domestic violence case that haunted her husband throughout his four years as sheriff. According to former Mayor Art Agnos, a friend of Mirkarimi, the play will next be performed in Los Angeles, where script writers are interested in adapting the show to TV or even a movie. Bad buzz: No sooner did Oakland police send out a warning about being buzzed while driving on Cinco de Mayo than they pulled back the release with an apology for being insensitive. In the United States, Cinco de Mayo has become synonymous with festive fiestas and salty margaritas, the warning said. Historically, the fifth of May commemorates Mexicos 1862 victory over France at the Battle of Puebla during the Franco-Mexican War, but present-day celebrations often lead to drunk driving and theres no victory in that. The heads-up was to remind people that drunken driving accounted for about a third of the 343 traffic deaths nationwide over the Cinco de Mayo holiday weekend in 2014. So before your first margarita, cold beer, or shot of tequila this Cinco de Mayo, make sure you have a designated sober driver or arranged another safe way home, the release said. In quick order, the police PR folks shot out a second memo to media outlets, calling the first release completely insensitive to the cultural holiday and saying, We are taking appropriate steps to ensure that this does not happen again. Police spokeswoman Johnna Watson declined further comment. Where theres smoke: Public Defender Jeff Adachi called a news conference Tuesday to decry San Franciscos lopsided arrest and prosecution of people for smoking saying that 7 out of the 10 people arrested for lighting up within 15 feet of a building were black, and all were cited in the Tenderloin. Take a walk around. See how many people are smoking? This is another sign of racial profiling, Adachi said. In particular, Adachi cited the case of Cleveland Webb, 44, who was approached by cops as he was smoking a spliff at Golden Gate Avenue and Larkin Street on June 2. Webb had a medical marijuana card. What Adachi didnt say at his news conference was that during a pat-down, the cops also allegedly found a couple of hundred pills on Webb. Mostly Oxycodone, a popular painkiller, Adachi later told us. Adachi has asked for the police and district attorney reports on all seven of the smoking arrests, with the idea that if the defense can show there was racial profiling at work, the more serious drug charge against Webb will go up in smoke. On guard: The courtroom battle over the future of the $500 million Koret Foundation has turned a bit embarrassing for plaintiff Susan Koret. Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Updated to include drought zones while tracking water shortage status of your area, plus reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts. Koret, the widow of foundation founder Joseph Koret, claimed in her lawsuit that she had been unfairly kept out of the loop by her board colleagues, despite her lifetime appointment by her late husband as the organizations chairwoman. Koret also has charged that Tad Taube, the former board president and a Peninsula real estate magnate, steered millions of dollars to conservative causes despite the groups intended purpose to concentrate on poverty and Jewish issues. However, when Koret was called to testify the other day in San Francisco Superior Court, she was at a loss for words when cross-examined by foundation attorney Susan Harriman about the Holocaust, a key focus of the foundation. Holocaust. Yeah, I mean, I hear that. said Koret, who is of Korean descent and whose first language is not English. But can you can explain to me exactly, you know, what youre asking me? Im asking you if you have an understanding of what it was it was, Harriman said. Still, Koret seemed confused. Holocaust, I cant explain, she said. Its not the first time it came up in the trial. Earlier, board President Anita Friedman testified that Koret had attended a meeting at which Friedman gave a Holocaust-related presentation. Afterward, Friedman said, Koret told her, I didnt know about the Holocaust. Joe never told me. San Francisco Chronicle columnists Phillip Matier and Andrew Ross appear Sundays, Mondays and Wednesdays. Matier can be seen on the KPIX TV morning and evening news. He can also be heard on KCBS radio Monday through Friday at 7:50 a.m. and 5:50 p.m. Got a tip? Call (415) 777-8815, or email matierandross@sfchronicle.com. Twitter: @matierandross Fremont tech firm Bitmicro Networks Inc. has agreed to pay about $161,268 in back wages to engineers from the Philippines after illegally paying them below the minimum wage. The agreement, detailed in a document filed Tuesday with the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, was the result of a federal Department of Labor investigation that found Bitmicro had been paying some workers $1.66 an hour. The legal federal minimum wage is $7.25 an hour. (Californias minimum wage is higher.) The 18 affected workers came from Bitmicros subsidiary in the Philippines. They were brought to Fremont from July 21, 2012 to July 20, 2015 under B-1 visas, typically used to bring international workers for training or conferences. But while those workers were in the United States, they were paid in Philippine pesos instead of dollars, and their pay was not adjusted to U.S. wages. Some workers did not receive overtime, even though they worked an average of 57 hours a week, the Department of Labor said. While the workers were in the United States, Bitmicro put them up in a hotel, said Michael Eastwood, an assistant district director at the Labor Departments Wage and Hour Division. Bitmicro, which manufactures flash storage systems, also illegally shipped goods created by these workers while they were not earning minimum wage in the U.S., according to the Labor Department. The company did not respond to the Chronicles request for comment Tuesday. Bitmicro claimed that the wage issue was an oversight, Eastwood said. But he added that the department has seen other cases like this, where international workers at tech firms arent being paid fairly. We have reason to believe this is unfortunately widespread, with tech companies taking advantage of the system and vulnerability, with overseas workers not likely to complain about the situation, Eastwood said. Air Quality Tracker Check levels down to the neighborhood Ratings for the Bay Area and California, updated every 10 minutes Some companies that have failed to pay workers adequately in recent years include Fremonts Electronics for Imaging and Bloom Energy Corp. in Sunnyvale. Both firms were ordered to pay back wages to the workers. Electronics for Imaging in 2013 paid some technicians from India as low as $1.21 an hour in rupees, while Bloom Energy was ordered to pay back wages to 14 Mexican workers who had earned $2.66 an hour in Mexican pesos. In addition to back pay, Bitmicro will also pay penalties of $7,920. Wendy Lee is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: wlee@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @thewendylee This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate A former San Francisco police officer and a former lieutenant who worked at Taraval Station and were implicated in the departments latest racist texting scandal pleaded not guilty Tuesday in a pair of separate criminal cases. Officer Jason Lai did not appear in San Francisco Superior Court, but his attorney entered pleas on his behalf to misdemeanor counts of misusing police databases. The accusation emerged after a woman came forward in August, alleging that Lai had raped her while they were on a date, but Lai was not charged with sexual assault. It was the investigation into the rape allegations that brought former Lt. Curtis Liu to court on Tuesday, where he was arraigned on one felony count of making a false statement in a police report regarding the investigation and two misdemeanor counts of delaying or obstructing a peace officer. He stood quietly while his attorney entered not guilty pleas on his behalf. According to court documents, a woman seeking medical treatment at San Francisco General Hospital said Lai had sex with her after they both drank a great deal of alcohol, and after she kept telling him no. Liu learned of the allegations the same day the woman received medical treatment, and alerted Lai that a woman had named him as a suspect in a rape. Lius attorney, Tony Brass, said his client thought the emergence of the name Jason Lai was just a coincidence and had called the officer as a joke. Suspect unknown However, prosecutors said Liu went on to lie about contacting Lai and allowed a police report to be filed with the suspect listed as unknown, even though he knew Lai had been identified. Though investigators could not find sufficient evidence to support the rape charge, they discovered evidence of the records violations during the investigation, police said. Lai was charged in March with two counts of unlawful possession of criminal history information and four counts of misuse of confidential Department of Motor Vehicles information. It was during the investigation into both Lai and Liu that a new set of racist and homophobic text messages emerged. In texts sent from Lais phone, first released by Public Defender Jeff Adachi, Lai uses racial slurs in reference to African American and Latino people. Theyre like a pack if (sic) wild animals on the loose, Lai texted in reference to black people in April 2015. He is very ashamed Lais attorney, Don Nobles, declined to comment after Tuesdays arraignment. But Brass, Lius attorney, said outside court that the public should not conflate the criminal case against his client with the bigoted text messages. He is very ashamed of why he is here, but this is the type of misconduct that is sorted out in administrative hearings within the Police Department, Brass said. Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Updated to include drought zones while tracking water shortage status of your area, plus reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts. Brass blamed the surfacing of the text messages for bringing the case to criminal court, though he said his client was a passive participant in the texting. Transcripts released by police officials last week did not identify which officers made certain comments, and Brass said Liu only received offensive texts. He said the transcripts show Liu sent a message to another former officer, Keith Ybarreta, telling him to stop making bigoted comments. Very serious issue The texting is a serious issue you cant have police officers talking, joking or thinking like that, Brass said. Its a very serious issue, but it brought a case that didnt have to be a criminal case into criminal court. This criminal case is not about racist texting. Chief Greg Suhr suspended Lai, Liu, Ybarreta and a fourth unidentified officer in October for their alleged roles in the texting. Liu retired soon after, while Lai and Ybarreta resigned. The fourth officer is awaiting a disciplinary hearing before the Police Commission. Vivian Ho is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: vho@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @VivianHo This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Jamming with Prince was a dream already beyond Pam Warrens imagination. But the events of the Bay Area artists whirlwind past month becoming his personal DJ, performing with him at parties, and then getting blindsided by his death in April are almost impossible for the performer known as Pam the Funkstress to process. I still feel like Im jet-lagged, just coming from Minneapolis last week, Warren says. Hes an angel. He touched me. I dont know where I go, but it doesnt stop here. Warren, who first DJed a March 5 afterparty for Prince at Great American Music Hall, returns to the San Francisco venue on Wednesday, May 4. She will DJ in memory of the star, just one of the latest and most personal of multiple Prince tributes she has appeared at since he died. It will be hard to revisit the site, the first of a half dozen parties she performed with the artist, who dubbed her Purple Pam. But like many fans having trouble processing his sudden death, shes turning to Princes music for relief. When we first met, I was like, OK, Pam, dont act a fool, Warren recalls. I was trying to keep my composure, because this is fricking Prince. Its like Elvis Presley or Michael Jackson. It doesnt get any higher than that. Warren tells the story during a break from working as the chef at Piccadilly Catering in Foster City. Shes still wearing an apron (let me check my jambalaya real quick) when she starts at the beginning. Warren isnt an overnight sensation. The longtime Foster City resident has been on the turntable since graduating from Burlingame High School in the mid-1980s, initially on a quest to be the first female DJ on the West Coast. After gaining popularity as a party DJ in the early 1990s, she was recruited by Boots Riley from the Coup in 1994, bolstering the critically acclaimed Oakland rap groups retro-funk vibe. Im old school, Warren says. I grew up listening to the Spinners. My daddy loved Bobby Womack and Patti LaBelle. My mom loved Isley Brothers, Gap Band, Charlie Wilson, Cameo Warren contributed to the Coups Genocide and Juice, Steal This Album, Party Music and Pick a Bigger Weapon before leaving the group a few years ago to concentrate on her work as a club DJ. She has also been contributing mixes to KBLX 102.9. Scott Strazzante/The Chronicle Restaurants Warren runs the kitchen at Piccadilly have been part of her life throughout her DJing career, even during early years when she was touring with the Coup. She says the two jobs are intertwined. Im cooking up the beats in the kitchen, and Im stirring up the beats on the turntable, Warren says. But despite her successes, the Prince connection still felt like a dream. Warren had worked as a DJ on three straight nights in late February, when a friend asked if she would work at the nightclub 1015 Folsom a fourth night. Once she got the facts, the lifetime Prince fan, who once saved her allowance to buy Purple Rain on VHS for $29.99, didnt hesitate. I was dead dog tired. I already had my plans of just sleeping or laying around the house, Warren says. Then the promoter calls and he says, Oh, its for Prince, and Prince will be here. I said, Oh, Im available. I woke up real quick. Prince showed up as she was playing Dance Floor by Zapp, giving her a slow yeeeeeah and fist-bump of approval. A few days later, she got a call to play at the Great American Music Hall, an early morning bonus after his Oracle Arena appearance. Warren thought shed play that show, then stop, and Prince would start his half-hour afterparty show. Instead, while in the middle of spinning A Love Bizarre by Sheila E., she heard a drum beat and was told that Prince was above her at the venue out of her sight but playing along on his keyboard. He said DJ, give me a scratch, Warren remembers. There was no plan, but we connected so well and we just did kind of a jimmy jam. It was spontaneous. And it worked. KBLX DJ Sterling James, who was at the event, says Warren was ready for the moment. Thats the thing about Pam. She comes into every situation with an open mind and an open heart, James says. She was excited, she was nervous, but she was ready. She just had to trust herself to do her thing. And of course she was perfect. Warren was called again to fly out to DJ an afterparty in New York, and then afterparties in Montreal and Toronto, asked by Prince to scratch on the turntable and jam with him during his post-concert performances. (The Toronto) show was off the chain. Everything was so perfect, it was like we practiced together, Warren says. He asked, What you all think of this DJ? And people went crazy. He said OK, its unanimous. Thats my DJ. He called me TQ and started singing to me. Scott Strazzante/The Chronicle TQ stands for Turntable Queen, an alias Warren has used for years. But Prince wasnt done crowning his new queen. He called me Purple Pam, Warren says. It just made my heart melt when he called me that because I knew this was it. We were about to take off. It felt like a beginning, but Warren knows now it was close to the end. Prince canceled Atlanta shows and got sick on a flight to Minneapolis; his plane had to make an emergency landing in Illinois so he could get medical treatment. The Atlanta show was rescheduled a week later, this time without one of his signature afterparties planned. Then Warren was called last minute for an April 16 Paisley Park After Dark show, flying to Minnesota at Princes request. He walked over to me and he looked at me and smiled. He said, Thank you for being here and he gave me a hug, Warren recalls. I remember him all in black, asking people, What do you think of the music? That would be the last time I talked to him. Warren got a call from her mother on April 21, after reports surfaced that a man at Paisley Park had died. Heading to work at Piccadilly, she followed each Twitter update and Prince death rumor, praying they werent true. TMZ called her to confirm Princes death. She didnt call back. I even had to work that day. I cooked. I cried. Then I cried some more, Warren says. I had so many text messages. Something like 80 text messages, 50 missed calls. I didnt respond. What could I say? Warren still has no words, sadness overtaking her when shes asked what Princes kindness meant. Her best expression is at the turntable. During an appearance Thursday night, April 28, at 1015 Folsom for a Prince celebration, she spun more than a dozen Prince hits, expertly blending tracks and occasionally scratching, seeming to feed off the crowds positive energy. Warren is slated to headline the Great American Music Hall A Celebration of Prince With Purple Pam show, with James as the emcee. She plans to tell her story and pay tribute on the turntable. I want it to be a party. If you want to shed a tear, shed a tear, because I might, she says with a pause, looking like she might cry right now. Then she smiles. But its definitely going to be a celebration. Peter Hartlaub is The San Francisco Chronicles pop culture critic. Email: phartlaub@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @PeterHartlaub A Celebration of Prince With Purple Pam: 8 p.m. Wednesday, May 4. $5. Great American Music Hall, 859 OFarrell St., S.F. www.slimspresents.com Marilyn Nieves/Getty Image The three-way race for an open seat on San Francisco Superior Court has three of the more impressive candidates weve seen in a long time. Two of the candidates are well-known legal figures in San Francisco. Victor Hwang, rated exceptionally well qualified by the San Francisco Bar Association, is a very experienced trial attorney whos worked for both a public defenders office (in Los Angeles) and the San Francisco district attorneys office. Since the 1940s, the San Francisco Planning Department has relentlessly pursued an objective to eliminate the citys black population in favor of young urban professionals with brutal efficiency through everything from freeway placement to the lack of affordable housing. Like most offenders, it has sought to hide the evidence, particularly though documents called context statements, which serve as official histories of specific sites or districts. The third least diverse department in city government, Planning lacks cultural competence for the context statement being proposed Wednesday to the Historic Preservation Commission. Most of those context statements have been written by a few well-connected firms that make even more money when properties are gentrified, without any involvement by the African American community, including context statements covering the Western Addition and Bayview-Hunters Point. The former document made all of the Western Addition Japantown and the latter didnt mention African Americans until Page 125. The consultants and the Planning Department have a financial incentive to displace the likes of Marcus Books and their owners and bring in new buyers who will renovate and generate exorbitant fees. Wonder why the 900 mostly African Americans killed at Jonestown the same week as George Moscone and Harvey Milk are officially ignored? Planning never considered them important, even when a new post office was built on the site of the Peoples Temple. A recent environmental impact report for the Warriors Event Center left out Bayview-Hunters Point. When the point was noted, Plannings response was that economic and social factors are not important. Frankie Gillette, board secretary of Transbay Federal, the largest black bank in the country from the late 1940s to the mid-1960s and source of the high rates of home ownership in black neighborhoods, reviewed the proposed document and found it incomplete and inaccurate. A coalition of the three black churches founded in 1852 originally proposed the context statement in 2006. After a legal battle to win a grant for the project, supervised by an African American architect and history professor, Planning refused to cooperate with the study. Nevertheless, despite never receiving the grant, we produced Come to the Water: Sharing the Rich Black Experience in San Francisco and have conducted six annual seven-week classes in conjunction with the National Park Service and San Francisco Public Library, which has copies in 20 branches. As a result of those educational efforts, the California African American Freedom Trail has identified 6,000 sites around the Golden State, including 400 in San Francisco. The trail, backed enthusiastically by San Francisco Travel, is a much more effective strategy for building the holistic infrastructure to maintain and preserve the legacy of African Americans in the city. John William Templeton is a historian. His new book is: Road to Ratification: How 27 States Tackled America's Most Pressing issue. Does San Francisco need another tiki bar? That was my first thought upon hearing that owner Brian Sheehy and the Future Bars crew the same ones who brought you Bourbon & Branch, Rickhouse and Devils Acre were opening Pagan Idol in the Financial District. As a relatively recent California transplant, I was under the impression that this city was already saturated with what always seemed to me a genre of bar that was kitschy at best, insipid at worst. Between Smugglers Cove, Tonga Room, Trader Vics, Forbidden Island, Tradr Sams, Kona Club and thats not all do we need another purveyor of syrupy mai tais, another excuse for Hawaiian shirts? Oh, but how I underestimated tiki. In the month since it opened, Pagan Idol has been wildly busy, with lines out the door before 5 p.m. on weekdays. Less claustrophobic than Smugglers Cove, more elaborately decorated than the Tonga Room, the bar has two chambers: the Captains Quarters, resembling the inside of a ship (complete with cabin windows looking into a fish-filled LED-screen ocean); and beyond it, a fantasy island with cabanas, carved idols and a periodically steaming volcano. There are so many places in San Francisco where you can get an incredible cocktail, says general manager Justin DOlier. There arent many places, especially in FiDi, where you can have this much fun. For the Pagan Idol team, tiki is a state of mind. Its immersive, a place for escapism, DOlier explains. As soon as you walk in, you should feel transported to a different world. The atmosphere or maybe its just all the rum should put you immediately on island time. The ur-tiki bar, Don the Beachcomber, opened in Hollywood in 1933, with Oaklands own Trader Vics just a year behind it. It makes sense that tiki was born in the Depression, when people had reason to dream of escape, then proliferated in the post-World War II era, when servicemen had returned from the South Pacific. Jen Fedrizzi/Special to the Chronicle Tiki is an American invention, and its amazing to see it exploding worldwide, says DOlier, citing a new tiki bar in Bilbao, Spain. He makes an important distinction: Tiki was never meant to be authentically Polynesian. From the beginning, tiki has always been a self-consciously Americanized amalgamation of Polynesian, Cantonese, Hawaiian and other South Pacific-ish elements. Tropical drinks like the pina colada and the mojito, which were actually created in the Caribbean, are not tiki, technically speaking, while the quintessentially American zombie and the Scorpion Bowl the Coca-Cola of cocktails? are. You wont find a Martin Cate-style rum bible here; Pagan Idols bar manager, Daniel Parks, keeps a neat, 16-drink cocktail menu, made up of 13 single-serving libations and three shareable bowls (one of which, yes, is served with a live flame). All are proprietary cocktails, if some are recognizable theres a house daiquiri ($10) and a mai tai float ($12) and most are exceedingly complicated. Torched-to-order marshmallow and a stick of rock candy both make appearances (respectively, in the Dawn Patrol and the Maybe Grog, both $12). Theres also a secret menu of about 50 classic tiki drinks. (Now you know to ask for it.) The cocktails embrace their sweet, boozy mandate, but most of them avoid cloying. (The fact that all the juices are house-made probably helps.) The Witch Doctor (rums, grapefruit, lime, passion fruit, spices, egg white, $12) contains that recognizable dark rum-and-citrus combination, but its spice component could that be cardamom? gives it interest. This is the chai of mai tais, remarked my companion. Pagan Idols love letter to the zombie, the Daywalker ($15), sacrifices none of the antecedents potency even as it gets a spicy complexity from the additions of bitters and absinthe. And the highlight of the houses Bird of Paradise ($12), which tastes a bit like a richer, sweeter margarita, is the passion-fruit-infused whipped cream, sprinkled with irresistibly tangy li hing mui (Hawaiian dried plum powder). Youll resent the complexity of these cocktails if youre waiting upward of 20 minutes for a drink, which you will be if you go during prime time. (Fueled by the FiDi after-work crowd, the bar is busiest Wednesday through Friday. The secret: Go on Monday.) Even the swiftest bartenders seem to take forever, measuring out the various rums and juices, shaking them in the milk-shake-style mixers, doing that marshmallow torching. Theyre hiring more staff, DOlier says. Then again, tiki bars are intricate by nature, from the drinks to the decor. At Pagan Idol, that makes for some impressive details: Note the glass light fixtures, designed by Ivan Mora, depicting the goddess Calypsos octopus-like legs; the wooden idols carved by Mora and Crazy Al Evans; the jungles of plants, which appear to be real. Food Guide Top 25 Restaurants Where to eat in the Bay Area. Find spots near you, create a dining wishlist, and more. This over-the-top intricacy makes Pagan Idol feel all the more jubilant. The geography is vague, pointed not at any particular island but rather at that amalgamated, American-interpreted spirit of the exotic; its less about verisimilitude than about sheer exuberance. And isnt that the point of the tiki bar, to make you feel as if youve gone on vacation? DOlier insists that Pagan Idol is trying to complement, rather than duplicate, its neighboring tiki bars in the Bay Area. Were just trying to create a better tiki bar crawl, he says. Jen Fedrizzi/Special to the Chronicle But did that crawl need another stop does San Francisco really need another tiki bar? No, San Francisco does not. But once youre under the thatch, with the volcano steaming, the ukulele music blaring, with that toasted-marshmallow-garnished drink in your hand, youll forget youre in San Francisco at all. Esther Mobley is The San Francisco Chronicles wine, beer and spirits writer. Email: emobley@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @Esther_mobley Instagram: @esthermob To order: Daywalker ($15), Bird of Paradise ($12), Dawn Patrol ($12). Where: Pagan Idol, 375 Bush St. (at Kearny), San Francisco, (415) 985-6375. www.paganidol.com When: 4 p.m. to midnight Monday-Friday, 6 p.m. to midnight Saturday. Closed Sunday. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Aside from its expanded collection of more than 30,000 artworks, the new SFMOMA boasts the nations largest living wall an echo of the ecosystem thriving beneath a Northern California redwood canopy. That riot of 24 native species and 16,000 plants emanating from the museums Snohetta expansion is inspiring new growth all over San Franciscos cultural landscape a bloom of new galleries and the emerging DoReMi arts district. Even the recent Art Bash attracted 40 major artists (including Wayne Thiebaud; Janet Cardiff, Ed Ruscha, Anselm Keifer, Katy Grannan and Takashi Murakami), who came to SFMOMA to appreciate newly rehung masterworks both theirs and their comrades. They joined 3,000 other guests (including global gallerists, curators and collectors) for a joyful jam spreading amid seven public floors of this vastly expanded museum now home to more than 30,000 artworks, including the fabulous Fisher collection. Im so happy to share this collection with the people of San Francisco, demurred Doris Fisher, on the modern masterpieces she and her late husband, Gap founder Don Fisher, collected. It was always our dream. While a program pointed guests to various performances throughout the evening, one guest summarized his party plan in perfect minimalism: OK, lets look at some art; then were going to drink. The scene was expertly set by designer Stanlee Gatti, who wrapped hand-crafted settees and cocktail tables in Op-art inspired fabric he created for the occasion. McCalls crack catering crew paid no mind as Alonzo King dancers twirled atop their bar as the crew masterfully fed the masses from buffets set on several floors. Theres been a desire for SFMOMA to be more than just a museum of art. Snohetta has given us an extraordinary building that will welcome more people than ever before, noted SFMOMA Director Neal Benezra. This idea of access and art is really what underpins the whole project. Gallery gallop: Tech boom tremors are reconfiguring San Francisco real estate, especially for working artists. But the reborn SFMOMA is reinvigorating aspects of our art scene from Minnesota Street Project down in Dogpatch to blue-chip scene-makers moving their stake just across the street from SFMOMA. Larry Gagosian opened his first San Francisco gallery (16th among his global locations) on Howard Street in the historic Crown Point Press building. His inaugural exhibition, Plane.Site, explores conversations between sculptures and drawings of said sculptures by artists such as Richard Serra, Roy Lichtenstein and David Ireland. Well host four annual shows plus art tours and events with our cultural neighbors, noted gallery director Anna Gavazzi-Asseily. The timing of the San Francisco market finally seemed right. And the new SFMOMA definitely inspired our choice of locale. This fall, Gagosian welcomes a new neighbor: storied West Coast art dealers John Berggruen and his wife, Gretchen. Their daughter, architect Jennifer Weiss, will reconfigure the three-story space, which Berggruen jokingly points out is larger than Gagosians, a friend of 40 years. I got tired of walking into the same little entrance on Grant Avenue for the last 45 years, says Berggruen. Gretchen and I have a new crew of top-flight people on our team. San Francisco is still somewhat a young art scene, but theres an amazing buzz and energy happening here now. Some of that energy was found in the Tenderloin on Ellis Street where gallerist Jessica Silverman unveiled Vintage, a show of early photographs by Isaac Julien. To celebrate these black-and-white beauties evoking Harlems jazz age, Silverman paired their moody essence with specialty cocktails crafted by drink caterers Rye-on-the-Road. As this roving band of art-world rock stars bounced around town amid a week filled with fine-feathered dinners and fancy-pants cocktail confabs toasting SFMOMAs soon-to-open environs, one of the most festive fetes unfolded at a bowling alley. Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Updated to include drought zones while tracking water shortage status of your area, plus reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts. Hosted by gallerist Jeffrey Fraenkel and gallery president Frish Brandt, this down-home bash drew a stellar set to Mission Bowl for burgers, booze and retro wear. Helen Schwab, who grew up in Midland, Texas, knows from bowling her father opened one of the first bowling alleys there. When pin retrieval was mechanized, my dad saw the potential there, she said, landing in lanes with her husband, SFMOMA Chairman Charles Schwab. But though I grew up with the sport, I do not own a personalized bowling shirt. Also on the lanes: artist Keifer; art collectors Cathy and Ned Topham; SFMOMA trustee Susan Swig; artist Barry McGee and his wife, artist Clare Rojas (who performed at the Art Bash as Peggy Honeywell with the band Gojogo); collectors Carla Emil and Rich Silverstein; Stanlee Gatti; Cantor Center director Connie Wolf; Berggruen Gallery President Sarah Wendell; restaurateur Lindsay Tusk and her husband, chef Michael Tusk; artist Luke Perry; SFMOMA trustee Joachim Bechtle and his wife, Nancy; and artist Christian Marclay, whose show Six New Animations just opened at Fraenkel. Peering down into his Nikon, photographer Lee Friedlander studiously avoided the lens of others. But as were more focused on words, it only caused a slight wince when our flash evoked a look of horror. Catherine Bigelow is The San Francisco Chronicles society correspondent. Email: missbigelow@sfgate.com The fun begins when Maurice Flowers, the author of a childrens book series, carries a rope and a chair out into the yard, tosses the rope over a tree limb and tries to end it all. It doesnt work, of course, which is good news not only for his dysfunctional family but also for the rest of us who will fall quickly and irrevocably in thrall to a comedy-drama called Flowers, whose six episodes are available Thursday, May 5, on the fledgling subscription comedy site Seeso. Among the series most memorable bits: a blood-soaked clown, a young woman who gets hit by lightning while riding her bike, a young Japanese man who is told to hide a lasso and thinks hes being told to hide Lassie, a lonely widower who brings cheese and toast to leave on his wifes grave, and a would-be inventor whose creations include a self-contained cheese smoker that blows up in the middle of a party and biplane wings attached to a car in the vain hope of inventing the worlds first flying car. Do I need to tell you that the show is British? Probably not, but you should know that its the delicious concoction of a young writer-director named Will Sharpe, who also plays the Japanese illustrator named Shun in the series. For much of the way, Flowers is giddy farce. Maurice (Julian Barratt, The Mighty Boosh) and his wife, Deborah (Olivia Colman, Broadchurch), are still married but live apart. She resides in the family home, while Maurice is holed up in a tiny workshop with Shun where the two work on the Grubbs books. Deborah isnt happy with the arrangement, but is unsure of how to repair the rift in their marriage. Maurice cannot tell her about the failed suicide attempt, and the more taciturn and moody he becomes, the more Deborah is sure hes having a late coming-out and is in a relationship with Shun. Their adult children, twins Donald (Daniel Rigby, Eric and Ernie) and Amy (Sophia Di Martino, Friday Night Dinner), are understandably somewhat bonkers. Donald is the serial inventor of hare-brained creations, while Amy spends her time writing moody love songs about the girl next door, Abigail (Georgina Campbell, After Hours). Unbeknownst to his sister, Donald is also crushing on fetching Abigail. Ah, but things are even more complicated in the lust department. The aforementioned blood-soaked clown is obsessed with Donald, who refers to her as Fat Matilda (Helen Cripps, Black Pond). Abigails father, George (a slimy Angus Wright, Peep Show), is hot for Deborah, as is Barry (Colin Hurley, David Copperfield), the lonely widower whose face gets a fresh coat of melted cheese when Donalds cheese smoker explodes. Deborahs sister Viv (the divine Anna Chancellor, The Hour) shows up for a visit, derides Deborah for apparently turning her husband gay, and wastes no time bedding down with George for a night of very rambunctious and very noisy sex. The show is loosely rooted in traditional farce. Instead of similar suitcases, though, Sharpe gives us the hangmans noose as the motivating gimmick. When Maurices mother falls and later dies, he concocts a story that she was trying to hang herself, but thats just to explain why his fathers noose was found near Nana (Leila Hoffman, Bad Education). His father, by the way, was a magician named Felix, and the noose was part of his act, which may explain why Maurice is still among the living. Now Maurice is haunted by his life literally, as it turns out, because Nanas ghost pops up at regular intervals to remind him of his deception. So much happens in Flowers that its hard to believe it comprises only six half-hour episodes. More to the point, though, is that the show is so completely hilarious for a very long time. Sharpes writing is on point at every moment, with a wondrous attention to detail, such as having the adult Amy go off bike-riding with Abigail for their first date on a childrens bike with training wheels. Sharpe also gives himself two especially indelible scenes. Early on, when Maurice opens up about his inability to summon the courage to tell Deborah the truth about trying to kill himself, Shun delivers a sadly comic aria comparing his boss dilemma to having to produce a very large poo. In broken English (Sharpe is half Japanese), Shun goes into great and hilarious detail about how said poo might damage the toilet, and how embarrassing that might be to explain to others. Later on, after Maurice is fired by his publishers, one named Carol, a woman, the other named Carroll, a man, Shun secretly goes to see them to beg them to give Maurice another chance. He tries everything, but nothing works. Then he produces a series of his own drawings and tells a story that will have you in tears, but this time, not from laughing. The comedy is nonstop for four of the six episodes, but toward the end, it shares space with extraordinary and surprising poignancy. The cast is uniformly excellent. Were rather used to seeing Colman doing dramatic parts, but she acquits herself brilliantly as Deborah Flowers, valiantly cheerful until it all becomes just too much for her. Barratt is every bit her dour equal. As in many farces, one would think it should be comparatively easy for Maurice to simply fess up to his subterfuge when things go haywire, but Barratt convinces us his character is simply too burdened with depression and self-doubt to do that. In addition to sure-handed direction and crazy brilliant direction, Sharpe provides a performance as Shun that perfectly grounds both the comic and serious elements of the series. He doesnt need comparison to anyone else, but he essays his role with the kind of mastery that Peter Sellers displayed in Being There. David Wiegand is an assistant managing editor and the TV critic of The San Francisco Chronicle. Email: dwiegand@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @WaitWhat_TV Follow me on Facebook Flowers: Six-episode comedy drama. Available for streaming on Thursday, May 5, on the subscription comedy site Seeso. www.seeso.com This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate 5 1 of 5 Mimi Plumb Show More Show Less 2 of 5 Mimi Plumb Show More Show Less 3 of 5 4 of 5 Mimi Plumb Show More Show Less 5 of 5 As a teenager growing up in 1960s Walnut Creek when they were tearing up the orchards to make room for the explosion in tract homes, Berkeley photographer Mimi Plumb says she was just like the blithe, gangly teenagers she returned to photograph in the mid-1970s. We wore Levis 501s and white T-shirts, had long straight hair and were smoking cigarettes in the harsh sunlight, looking defiant and acting cool. We sure didnt want to be in that environment, yet we couldnt leave, says Plumb, whose series of intensely personal 70s photos, What Is Remembered, is on view at Rayko Photo Center through June 5. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate 3 1 of 3 Courtesy Caldwell Snyder Gallery Show More Show Less 2 of 3 Courtesy Caldwell Snyder Gallery Show More Show Less 3 of 3 Architecture and urban topography are obvious starting points for San Francisco painter Siddharth Parasnis. His vibrant-hued compositions often depict ramshackle buildings and half-built structures overlapping and crowding each other toward the sky as if vying for physical space as well as attention. Parasnis, whose vivid new Serenity paintings are on view at Caldwell Snyder Gallery, cites Abstract Expressionist and Bay Area figurative painters namely Richard Diebenkorn, Nathan Oliveira and Willem de Kooning among his influences for their expressive marks and spirituality and color. A few notes before the middle game of Oaklands three-gamer with Seattle, otherwise known as the sideshow to the hoops jamboree next door: On the mend: Third baseman Danny Valencia (strained left hamstring) worked out with the As in between rehab games with Class A Stockton. He went 0-for-3 Monday night and will play again Wednesday night. If all goes well, he said, hell accompany the As on their trip to Baltimore on Thursday. Mark Canha played third in the opener, and now its Chris Coghlans turn. Second baseman: Jed Lowrie is back in the lineup after resting most of Mondays game with a calf issue. He pinch hit with two outs in the ninth inning and struck out. Its not something he cant play with, Melvin said. We just dont want it to be a recurring issue where he goes out there and plays several days on it and now youve got to give him two or three days off to get back. Top prospect: Sean Manaea has a pretty fair foe in his second big-league start: Mariners ace and resident As killer Felix Hernandez. Thats the matchup for Wednesdays matinee. For a young pitcher like that, it might be exciting, manager Bob Melvin said, adding Manaea never looks like hes worried about anything. Hes a pretty easy going guy. Once you get the first start out of the way and all the other firsts to go along with it, you just settle in to go about pitching. Waiting: Billy Butler hasnt started a game since Wednesday in Detroit. He has been in the lineup just eight times this season. Thats hard for him, Melvin said. He hasnt had to go through this in quite some time. Hes played every day. Now hes got to find a way to get himself ready when not consistent at-bats. Melvin expects Butler to get more at-bats in the next trip, anticipating Boston and Tampa Bay will start left-handed pitchers. As lineup: CF Burns, 2B Lowrie, RF Reddick, LF Davis, DH Vogt, C Phegley, 3B Coghlan, 1B Alonso, SS Semien. Mariners lineup: LF Aoki, RF Smith, 2B Cano, DH Cruz, 1B Lind, 3B Seager, SS Marte, C Clevenger, CF Martin. John Shea is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: jshea@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @JohnSheaHey This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate A group of Alameda County firefighters heading back to their station Tuesday after dealing with an oil spill spotted another emergency on an Emeryville street: a visibly distraught woman sitting on the edge of an overpass, her feet dangling toward the busy traffic below. Engine 34 firefighters came upon the woman about 10:30 a.m., got out of the truck and diverted vehicles on Powell Street to prevent passing motorists from getting hurt if she were to jump. Another crew from Engine 35 happened to be in the area and drove over to lend a hand. As some of the firefighters tried to calm down the woman, whose car was parked nearby, Capt. Malcolm Cooper and firefighter John Hall climbed up the embankment leading to the overpass. My firefighter and I decided wed work our way up to the top just in case there was an opportunity to get her off in a safe manner, Cooper told The Chronicle. In a video that captured the incident, firefighters below the overpass were speaking with the woman when she swung one of her legs back over and straddled the edge so that her back was to Cooper and Hall, who had stealthily made their way onto the overpass. That change in her position, the two said, was their opportune moment. They looked at each other and quickly closed the distance, making their way around the womans car to reach her. Hall put the woman in a bear hug and, with Coopers help, swung her off the edge and out of harms way. Id say 50-50 of her body was on the safe side versus dangerous side, and I didnt think wed get anything better than that, Cooper said, adding that the last thing we wanted to do was startle her or scare her. Hall held the woman and talked to her until an ambulance arrived, trying to understand what she was going through, said Capt. Sean Burrows, who was one of the firefighters below. If we wouldve been a few minutes later or a few minutes earlier, it may have turned out differently, Burrows said. I hope shes OK and she gets whatever help she needs and not have those thoughts anymore. The entire rescue, from the first engine pulling over to getting her off the edge, happened under five minutes before police or California Highway Patrol officers got to the scene. Cooper, Hall and Burrows said they had never rescued a distraught person from a bridge or overpass before. It was one giant chain with a bunch of links and we were all linked together, Hall said. It was a very fast and well executed game plan. The rescue was one of two in the Bay Area on Tuesday. Later in the day, as CHP officers were leaving their office parking lot at Eighth and Bryant streets in San Francisco, they spotted a man dangling over Interstate 80, hanging onto a rail by his hands. Spanish-speaking officers were called to talk to the man, who didnt speak English well. An officer eventually pulled him back over the edge, and police transported him to a nearby hospital for an evaluation. Two in one day, its crazy, said Officer Vu Williams, a CHP spokesman. I dont know if there are more cell phones or if this is just happening more. Kimberly Veklerov is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: kveklerov@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @kveklerov A proposal to give 16- and 17-year-olds the right to vote in San Franciscos local elections appears headed for the November ballot, after a hearing Tuesday at the Board of Supervisors. The charter amendment proposed by Supervisor John Avalos has the support of at least six supervisors the minimum number needed to place it on the ballot. If passed, the measure would make San Francisco the first major U.S. city to allow citizens younger than 18 to vote. Critics of the proposal have questioned lowering the voting age below 18, which is the legal age of adulthood. Avalos and other supporters say it will encourage civic engagement among youths and instill in them lifelong voting habits. Young people have a tremendous ability to express themselves not just through their community work but through voting as well, Avalos said at Tuesdays board meeting. This is about youth empowerment. It was not clear until Tuesdays meeting that the measure would have the six votes necessary to make it to the ballot. Going into it, five supervisors progressives Avalos, Jane Kim, David Campos, Eric Mar and Norman Yee said they supported it. That left the measure one vote short. Then moderate Supervisor Scott Wiener announced he was inclined to support this measure. I have over time met many, many 16- and 17-year-olds who are every bit as engaged, articulate and passionate as any adult, Wiener said. If you look at the number of 40- and 50-year-olds who deny climate change and think President Obama is not a citizen of this country ... I dont think age is always the best proxy for how knowledgeable someone is. The board didnt cast a vote on the measure Tuesday that will happen at next weeks meeting. Members of the San Francisco Youth Commission, which has championed the proposal, sat next to the supervisors at Tuesdays meeting, and dozens more youth filled the board chambers to testify in support of lowering the voting age. Jillian Wu, 17, a senior at Lick-Wilmerding High School and vice chair of the Youth Commission, said that a strong voter is at the cornerstone of building a healthy democracy and that lowering the voting age will build lifelong voters and strengthen our democracy. The commissions chairman, Luis Avalos-Nunez, 22, said the measure would empower immigrant families, especially those with undocumented parents who lack the right to vote. For 16-year-olds who are born into mixed families, who have parents who are undocumented, this is a chance to empower not just them but their families, Avalos-Nunez said. But the proposal wasnt universally embraced. Supervisor Malia Cohen questioned the cost and feasibility of lowering the voting age. Supervisor Aaron Peskin suggested that the city begin by allowing 16- and 17-year-olds to vote only for the San Francisco Board of Education. But after more than two hours of testimony by youth, he said he would vote to put the measure on the ballot. The Department of Elections estimates that if the voting age is lowered to 16, that would affect between 10,000 and 13,000 youth. There are around 450,000 registered voters in San Francisco. Emily Green is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: egreen@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @emilytgreen This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate SHIPROCK, N.M. A stranger who lured 11-year-old Ashlynne Mike into his van with promises of watching a movie instead walked her into the hills of a remote area of the Navajo Nation, a place known for its breathtaking views and a monolithic rock outcropping that stands as a beacon for miles. As the sun faded, the man returned alone, with a crowbar tucked in his jacket. The girl was nowhere to be seen. The girls 9-year-old brother, who had jumped into the van hoping to protect her was now distraught and scared. The man drove him toward a highway, and then told him to get out. Alone in the desert, the boy started to run, and kept running, toward the lights of a distant car, until a passerby scooped him up and took him to police. His sisters body wasnt found until the next day, her head bloodied and bashed with a crowbar, according to a federal affidavit released Wednesday as Tom Begaye, a 27-year-old Navajo man from Waterflow, N.M., appeared in court on charges of kidnapping and murder. The case has raised questions about the capacity of authorities to respond to abductions in remote areas of the Navajo Nation. Word of the girls disappearance sparked a frantic air and ground search, but the immediate hunt was focused on the opposite side of a highway from where authorities needed to be looking, and the 9-year-old struggled to describe just where he last saw his sister. He was so tired and just crying and crying for his sister. It was really hard for the FBI to get any information from him, said the childrens aunt, Darrell Foster-Joe, as she recounted what the boy eventually told authorities. The siblings were abducted after being dropped off at a bus stop after school, about a quarter-mile from their home Monday afternoon. The brother and another boy their cousin said no to the movie offer, but Ashlynne was somehow lured into the van. Not wanting his sister to go alone, her brother jumped in, too. Tips flooded in from across the reservation that spans parts of New Mexico, Arizona and Utah. Authorities said the kidnapper was driving a maroon van with a luggage rack but no hubcaps. About 100 people from the community turned out to help look for her. Begaye made his first court appearance Wednesday at the Municipal Courthouse in Farmington, N.M., shuffling into the courtroom with shackles on. He remained quiet as the victims relatives and other community members watched the reading of the murder and kidnapping charges. According to the affidavit, Begaye told investigators he removed the girls clothing, preparing to sexually assault her, and that he hit her twice in the head with a crowbar because she was crying and begging to be taken home. He also said the girl was still moving when he left her for dead in the desert, the affidavit says. U.S. Magistrate Judge B. Paul Briones told Begaye he could face life in prison if convicted of the murder charge. As he was taken away in an SUV after the hearing, people outside the courthouse yelled bastard and go to hell. In yesterday's presidential primary election, Indiana delivered on its state motto "The Crossroads of America" when Donald Trump locked in the Republican nomination and the Ted Cruzade came to an end. Add the come-from-behind Bernie Sanders win and swear jars across America are now fat with deposits. The natural question is, what happens next? Here are some predictions. BERNIE SANDERS: In 2012, Barack Obama's campaign saw Mitt Romney as the likely candidate early on but Romney had to continue to slog until April to get his party's nomination. While Romney was slogging, Obama's campaign had time to paint Romney as an out of touch billionaire who doesn't care about people like us. Romney never fully recovered. Now it appears that the tables have turned. Hillary Clinton is now Romney, still fighting for the nomination while Trump can spend all his time framing Clinton and the election to his liking. Forcing Clinton to fight a two-front war against Trump and Sanders could fatally damage her in the general election. The next thing for Sanders? A strenuous effort by party insiders (and perhaps non-insiders) to get him out of the race. TED CRUZ: The striking thing about the Cruz announcement was the speed with which he made it. Had he stayed in the race, he may have been able to win in Montana and South Dakota and challenge Trump until the end. One reason he may have pulled the plug so quickly is that he is gearing for an independent or third party run. The deadlines to file to run are fast approaching to anyone looking to go that route needs to begin immediately. NEVER TRUMP CROWD: There are two options for Republicans opposed to a Trump candidacy: (1) support an independent/third party candidate, or (2) change the nominating rules at the convention to unbind all the delegates before the first round. The latter is unlikely and undesirable, but if enough people are desperate, we could see an attempt at this option. JOHN KASICH: While he has repeatedly denied interest in being Trump's VP, just today Trump said he'd "be interested in vetting" Kasich for the role. Kasich has consistently refrained from attacking other candidates in his campaign of positivity and has the love of a swing state (Ohio) that Trump needs to win. A Trump/Kasich ticket would hardly be the strangest turn of events in this election. CALIFORNIA REPUBLICANS: Assuming Trump wins all the remaining contests, he won't need any California delegates. Of course, he'll win some, but California won't be the decisive state. Oh well...we'll always have Burlingame. Janus Films Dragon Inn: King Hus influence on modern directors, in the martial arts genre and elsewhere, cannot be overstated. Ang Lees Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon was essentially an homage to Hus work, even casting the star of Hus revolutionary Come Drink With Me (1966), Cheng Pei-pei, as the villain. Taiwanese art house filmmaker Tsai Ming-liangs 2003 tribute to old-time cinema, Goodbye, Dragon Inn, is about the last day of operation of a classic Taipei cinema palace, with Hus Dragon Inn as the final screening. You might even detect a few plot similarities to Dragon Inn in Quentin Tarantinos Hateful Eight. Now comes an excellent chance to see a 4K restored version of the 1967 martial arts classic, which was Hus first independent film after leaving Shaw Bros. following the success of Come Drink With Me. Set in 1497 during the Ming Dynasty, Dragon Inn opens with the execution of the emperors minister of defense by a powerful court eunuch. His children escape, and the eunuch dispatches his secret police to a deserted rural inn that is along their likely escape route. Independently, four martial artists with loyalty to the defense minister head to the inn to foil those plans. The colorful costumes and scenery (mountainous Taiwan) are breathtaking, while the martial arts action is exciting and more realistic than was the norm at the time. But what is most surprising is Hus mastery of suspense. His action scenes are not mindless violence, but executed like chess matches, with foes angling for any type of advantage. ATLANTA Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal said Tuesday that he has vetoed a bill allowing concealed handguns on college campuses, rejecting the proposal that was easily approved by a Legislature controlled by his own party in an election year. The bill would have allowed anyone age 21 and over to carry a concealed handgun with the proper permit on a public college or university campus. The veto decision comes weeks after Deal rejected a bill shielding opponents of same-sex marriage. That measure was backed by conservative groups but blasted by more than 500 Georgia companies as discriminatory. Deals decision to kill the bill isnt a complete surprise. After it passed the Legislature, he asked members to pass follow-up bills addressing concerns about access to on-campus daycare centers, spaces where high schools students can take college-level courses and where disciplinary hearings are held. They declined, saying the original bill was carefully considered. Deal, who is in his second and final term, said last week that he would do whats in the best interests of as many Georgians as possible. Theres no easy option, he said. The National Rifle Association was one of the premier lobbying groups behind the bill, and voiced its disapproval of the veto Tuesday. NRA spokeswoman Catherine Mortensen said the measure would have made Georgia campuses safer for Deals constituents. The powerful governing board of the University System of Georgia opposed what was called the campus carry measure. All 29 public university and college presidents, along with their police chiefs, also have said they oppose the bill. Nine states have laws on the books allowing concealed handguns on campus: Colorado, Idaho, Kansas, Mississippi, Oregon, Texas, Tennessee Utah and Wisconsin. BYRON SMITH/NYT WASHINGTON New Yorks iconic Stonewall Inn, where the modern gay-rights movement took root, will become the first national monument honoring the history of gays and lesbians in the U.S. under a proposal President Obama is preparing to approve. Designating the small swath of land will mark a major act of national recognition for gay-rights advocates and their struggles over the last half-century. Since the 1969 uprising in Greenwich Village, the U.S. has enacted antidiscrimination protections, allowed gays and lesbians to serve openly in the U.S. military and legalized same-sex marriage nationwide. LOS ANGELES Hidden in the brush of the Santa Fe Dam basin on the San Gabriel River, the homeless camp was littered with heaps of broken furniture, disgorged computers, bicycle frames, televisions, disassembled motorcycles, pieces of exercise machines, rotting food, empty containers and half-buried clothes. Deputies Martin Villa and Liz Aguilar approached, guns ready. Hello, Villa said, leaning over a tent door. Los Angeles County sheriffs. Were not here to arrest anybody. Were just here to get you some help. On this early April day in Irwindale, Villa was escorting a team of county social workers on a humanitarian mission. But a couple of months earlier, Villa had a harsher message. Whats up with you? Villa asked, confronting two men under a bridge during a February patrol of the river. Weve warned you, advised you numerous times. You need to pack up your stuff and leave. Were going to have to start enforcing and take you to jail. Conflicting goals Villas contrasting approaches reflect a wider conflict between the goals of serving the homeless and battling the health and safety problems they cause. The tension is particularly stark in the more than 100 miles of river channels that crisscross Los Angeles County. A March count by the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority documented more than 600 people living in the San Gabriel, Rio Hondo and Los Angeles rivers and tributaries. Largely out of sight, the camps for years attracted little public notice. But their hidden environmental costs were out of proportion to their numbers. Last year, the county Department of Public Works conducted 19 cleanups in the San Gabriel and Rio Hondo rivers, removing 100 tons of debris and 40 containers of hazardous materials and biowaste, according to records obtained through the Public Records Act. In a five-day cleanup last summer in Tujunga Wash, the Los Angeles city Bureau of Sanitation removed 42 truckloads of debris at a cost of $300,000. Then, amid a widening public awareness of homelessness, the river communities became the focus of humanitarian concern last fall with predictions of approaching El Nino storms that could fill the river channels with deadly flows. Teams of outreach workers and law enforcement officers mobilized to visit river encampments warning people to be ready to evacuate. At the highest levels, city and county officials adopted a public face of tolerance. We try to take a balanced approach, said Gary Hildebrand, deputy director of the county Department of Public Works. Were trying to be sensitive to the plight these folks are in and trying to deal with them in a humane and flexible manner. As the El Nino deluge fizzled, patrols by the sheriffs homeless detail continued, but the manner had flipped back to more traditional law enforcement. On the February patrol, Villa and several other deputies found half a dozen camps that had reappeared after their predecessors were cleaned out. At every one, they ordered the campers to leave and told them they would be back to ensure they did. By the letter of the law, all camps in the river are illegal. Unlike city sidewalks, where court rulings have established a constitutional right to keep personal property, the waterways are protected by the California Clean Water Act. The law prohibits the introduction of trash, toxic liquids or human waste into the river system. The standard is zero trash, said Samuel Unger, executive director of the Los Angeles Regional Water Control Board, the agency responsible for enforcing the Clean Water Act. But the water board has no uniformed enforcement. It applies administrative pressure on local agencies to achieve long-term reductions of pollutants flowing into the watershed. That has principally meant building and maintaining catch systems to keep trash out of the storm drains. Unger acknowledged that those who set up permanent camps with furniture, solar cells and electronic equipment and leave their waste in the riverbed are violating the Clean Water Act. But he could cite no formal water board rules requiring local agencies to remove camps. Practices vary widely In the absence of an overarching policy, practices vary over numerous jurisdictions. Eviction is immediate in the small portion of Tujunga Wash owned by the Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority, a joint powers agency that has its own ordinance and prohibits overnight camping. Ranger David Aceves patrols the area regularly and tells anyone who sets up a camp to be gone by dark. In the city of Los Angeles, the removal of river camps is dictated more by constituent pressure than environmental issues. A spokeswoman for the Bureau of Sanitation said the agency responds to requests for cleanups from individuals, business improvement districts, neighborhood councils and City Council offices. Thus, extensive camps were dismantled last year along the Arroyo Seco where they were visible to motorists on the 110 Freeway. And in Studio City, where shopping centers and boutique businesses back up to the river channel, calls to police produce quick results. But cleanups were rare in the less-visible stretch of the Los Angeles River in Elysian Valley, Atwater Village and Sepulveda Basin despite the presence of two dozen camps there identified in the March count. Officer Luis Robles, on the transient detail in the LAPDs Northeast Division, said his team doesnt order people out of their camps. Robles said he tries to establish a rapport with river dwellers, like other homeless people. Were not here to hassle you, he said he tells them. Were out here to get you some help. If youre in need of resources, feel free to call me. Portions of the river are U.S. government property. In those, the response is uneven. A spokesman for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said the agency teamed with the city of Azusa last year to clean up camps north of Foothill Boulevard and has conducted cleanups in Sepulveda Basin. But the string of camps in the Santa Fe Dam has escaped its notice. A complex jurisdictional overlap confronted Villa last month when the social workers led him to the festering trash heaps there. The property is owned by the federal government but is in the city of Irwindale. The camps appeared to have been allowed to grow unchecked for years. As promised, he did nothing but offer help. Elsewhere in California, the response to homeless camps in protected waterways has been more decisive. Late in 2014, San Jose removed an entrenched camp of more than 100 people from Coyote Creek running through the citys downtown. After years of growing frustration, the trigger for the cleanup was a complaint filed by a California Fish and Wildlife warden about damage to the creek. The San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board responded with a policy. It ordered San Jose to come up with a plan to prevent the discharge of human waste into the creek. The result was the formation of a coalition of the city, Santa Clara County and 13 water districts to enforce the environmental law. When an encampment is found, it is posted with a warning to residents, then cleaned, said Chris Elias, deputy officer of the Santa Clara Valley Water District, which leads the effort. Structures will be demolished; anything that remains is taken out, Elias said. Park rangers then sweep the area to be sure they dont come back. Unger, executive director of the Los Angeles water quality board, said his staff is considering whether to follow the Bay Area model. 1 Detroit schools: Nearly all of Detroits public schools were closed for a second consecutive day Tuesday after hundreds of teachers called in sick over concerns that many may not get paid if the financially struggling district runs out of money. The Michigan Legislature is considering a $720 million restructuring plan that would pay off the districts enormous debt. On Tuesday, the district closed 94 of its 97 schools, when more than 1,500 teachers did not show up for work. 2 Antiabortion activist: An antiabortion activist intended to intimidate a Wichita, Kan., physician when she sent a letter suggesting someone might place an explosive under the doctors car, a Justice Department lawyer told jurors in opening statements in her civil trial Tuesday. Lawyers for Angel Dillard, however, have said the remark was a warning meant to help Dr. Mila Means, who was training to become an abortion provider at the time. The conflicting portrayals of Dillards motives for sending the 2011 letter and Means reaction to receiving it are expected to be key in a case in which jurors must decide whether the letter constituted a true threat. Regarding Designer is figuring out how self-driving vehicles can help rides be more comfortable (May 1): Designer of self-driving car interiors David Muyres says, [When driving], all you do is get somewhere. You dont get anything else done. Getting somewhere is not all you are doing. Driving is an often pleasurable and contemplative multisensory activity. Muyres attitude reflects the privileged need to seem occupied, like poking at a smartphone, rather than experiencing the world passing by. Anyway, on todays roads, self-driving cars are doomed to failure, as they can never match the human brains ability to deal with the unexpected. Thomas Wood, Nicasio Fillmore photographer Regarding Citys destructive plan continues (April 29): In Fred Jordans article about the destruction of the Fillmore District in early 1970s, the photo Harlem West was only attributed to File Copy. The photograph was one by the very well known photojournalist, David Johnson, a student of Ansel Adams, who had worked extensively in the Fillmore. An acquaintance whose profession is the research and study of photography told me that Johnsons work is unique and that there is nothing like it to be found elsewhere. The title of the photo in question is Record Shop 1950. Other familiar sights of jazz and dance clubs, fashion pictures, children playing and neighbors meeting on the streets in the area, as well as later photos taken during the March on Washington, can be viewed in the book about Johnson, A Dream Begun So Long Ago by Jacqueline Annette Sue. Dorothy White, Greenbrae Renters influx Regarding Renters group pushes greater density to ease Bay Areas shortage (May 3): The story about the San Francisco Bay Area Renters Federation suing Lafayette to create more housing with 44 single-family homes with open space versus 315 moderate-income apartments raises the question: Where will the water, police, fire and health care come from when adding that many people. Where will they shop? Where will they find laundromats and shoe-repair shops? Where will they find the room to park all their cars? Will they flood the parking at the BART station, not to mention the BART cars themselves? I find the naivete of those pushing for more and more housing and never considering how that housing will impact the local community very troubling. Planning for new housing should begin with taking a good look at how the influx of hundreds of people will impact the community. Susan Blomberg, San Francisco Telecommuting power We are focusing on the wrong things in our attempts to reduce traffic congestion. It isnt about housing density, it is about how we work. For much of history, people worked near their homes. Modern technology has made it effective to do that again. Telecommuting is effective in many occupations. Even when people are co-located, networking and communication often occur without face-to-face contact. Assessment of performance should be based on productivity and results, not face-time. It is a win-win-win situation if we eliminate unnecessary commuting. The environment wins, because when someone doesnt commute, their transportation-related emissions go to zero. It is not a question of remote emissions instead of local emissions. Those who must be physically present at work win, because of the reduced traffic congestion. Those who dont commute win, because their commute time goes to zero. Telecommuting is the solution to traffic congestion. My first book was just published by a group of people I have never met. My literary agent is in New York, my publisher in Santa Barbara, my editor in the Midwest, and typesetting was done in India. Thats the power of telecommuting. Eve Sprunt, Dublin Blame the banks Regarding Governor issues plea for help after default (May 3): Puerto Rico mortgaged its island in the same way millions of individuals mortgaged their homes in the early 2000s. Banks made irresistible loans and financial institutions, with the help of rating agencies, allowed weak bonds to be sold. Now the people of Puerto Rico are in dire straits and the bankers are walking away with millions. Miriam Morgan, Belmont Veterans and tuition Regarding Education should be tuition-free (Letters, May 2): The GI Bill was put forward as an example of past support for free college by the author. The GI Bill was an incremental program building on former veterans benefits and was not universal. It required military service and was paid as a stipend for the recipient to choose how to spend. And while the stipend was offered to African Americans (unlike the housing benefits which excluded African Americans), they were limited to those all-black colleges that would accept them. Additionally, it had an unexpected consequence for nonveteran women. The colleges were suddenly inundated with veterans and women were increasingly not admitted. It was a wonderful opportunity for its mostly white male participants, but unless you are suggesting high school graduates all serve in the military to receive educational benefits, I cant see it as an example for Sen. Bernie Sanders proposal. His relies heavily on individual states paying for one third or more of the tuition. North Carolina is distracted right now by who goes to the bathroom. Cant see them taking up free college anytime soon. Too bad. Nicole Kowalski, San Rafael Water dependence Its ironic that An all-wet deal (Editorial, May 2) ran on the same day as Reality on tap (Editorial, May 2) about a failed lawsuit to drain Hetch Hetchy Reservoir, the source of water for the city of San Francisco. Both issues are about water supply reliability, but the Hetch Hetchy editorial takes a decidedly different approach about what is an acceptable use of our resources. The Chronicle seems to say that its OK to divert water far upstream, in a national park no less, when the citys drinking water is at stake. The Chronicle then complains about the agreement that would keep water flowing to the rural areas of California that grow our food and saves taxpayers billions of dollars in the process. Californians all have a shared dependence on our water supplies. We need it in our cities for health, safety and for our quality of life. People also seem to enjoy the bounty of local food products California farmers deliver to the market. Both of those depend on water supply reliability. The agreements that help shape modern farm water policies are based on the same principles: providing reliable water for Californias health and prosperity. Bill Diedrich, Firebaugh SACRAMENTO California will raise the smoking age to 21 and regulate popular vaping products the same as cigarettes under sweeping antitobacco legislation signed by Gov. Jerry Brown on Wednesday. Under the bills, the state will become the second in the nation to raise the smoking age from 18 to 21. The five bills signed by the governor Wednesday will go into effect June 9. This is a huge victory for public health in California and a big hit to Big Tobaccos ongoing efforts to addict a new generation to the neurotoxins of nicotine, said Sen. Mark Leno, D-San Francisco, who authored the bill signed by Brown that regulates e-cigarettes the same as tobacco products. Facing a midnight deadline to act on six antitobacco bills, Brown signed all but one. He did not offer comments on the bills he signed, which include legislation to increase the licensing fee on tobacco products and expand smoke-free laws to workplaces and charter schools previously exempt. The lone veto was for a bill that would have allowed counties and cities to ask voters to approve local tobacco taxes. Explanation of veto Although California has one of the lowest cigarette tax rates in the nation, I am reluctant to approve this measure in view of all the taxes being proposed for the 2016 ballot, Brown wrote in his veto message. Several tax initiatives are in circulation for the November ballot, including one to extend Proposition 30 and another to increase the tax on a pack of cigarettes from 87 cents to $2. Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon, D-Lakewood (Los Angeles County), said he thought it was a mistake for Brown to veto the bill that would have allowed for local taxes on tobacco. That veto robs local voters of the ability to address problems from health care to homelessness, and thats a major lost opportunity for local governments up and down the state, Rendon said in a statement. In January, Hawaii became the first state to raise the smoking age to 21. Dozens of cities have increased the age to buy tobacco products, including San Francisco, which raised its legal smoking age to 21 in March. Now, the restriction goes statewide in California. SB7X2 by Sen. Ed Hernandez, D-Azusa, would make it a crime to sell tobacco to anyone under 21, with an exemption for active military personnel who are 18 and older. There would be no penalty, however, for anyone caught smoking under the age of 21. What makes this significant is the size of California and what that means for the huge lobby against this because of the market size here, Hernandez said. I think you will see other states follow. Republicans criticized many of the bills, saying the legislation, like the one to raise the smoking age to 21, only reinforces the perception of California as a nanny state. Tobacco representatives and their lobbyists could not be reached for comment Wednesday. But when the Legislature passed the six tobacco-control bills in March, tobacco lobbyists threatened to overturn the measures through a referendum and potentially derail other ballot measures, such as a criminal justice reform initiative the governor is fighting for. To reduce the time tobacco lobbyists had to make good on the threats, the Legislature waited until two weeks ago to officially send the bills to Brown. Vaping reclassified Vaping groups criticized the reclassification of e-cigarettes and other vaping products as tobacco, saying the move will stigmatize a product that helps smokers quit. SB5X2 by Leno would make e-cigarettes, battery-operated devices that have become especially popular among young people, subject to smoke-free laws in and around public buildings and workplaces and civil penalties for those caught selling to minors, as well as other restrictions. Thats what is going to fuel the most anger, because the industry and its consumers dont believe they are selling or using a tobacco product, said Gregory Conley, president of the American Vaping Association, an industry-funded vaping advocacy group. In this country, thanks to a well-coordinated misinformation campaign, more and more smokers are inaccurately believing that vaping is just as hazardous as smoking. Melody Gutierrez is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: mgutierrez@sfchronicle.com. Twitter: @MelodyGutierrez Bills signed by Gov. Jerry Brown SB5X2 by Sen. Mark Leno, D-San Francisco, will classify e-cigarettes as tobacco products, making them subject to the same restrictions as cigarettes, such as smoke-free laws in and around public buildings and workplaces and civil penalties for those caught selling to minors. SB7X2 by Sen. Ed Hernandez, D-Azusa, will make it a crime to sell tobacco to anyone under 21, with an exemption for active military personnel. There will be no penalty, however, for anyone caught smoking under the age of 21. AB7X2 by Assemblyman Mark Stone, D-Monterey Bay, will remove many legal exemptions that allow smoking in indoor workplaces. AB9X2 by Assemblymen Tony Thurmond, D-Richmond, and Adrin Nazarian, D-Sherman Oaks, will require all schools to be tobacco free. AB11X2 by Nazarian will increase the states tobacco licensing fee from a one-time $100 fee to a $265 annual fee and increase the distributor and wholesaler license fee from $1,000 to $1,200. Bill vetoed by Brown AB10X2 by Assemblyman Richard Bloom, D-Santa Monica, would have allowed counties and cities to ask for voter approval on local tobacco taxes. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Donald Trump is virtually certain to be the Republican nominee for president and there is little that California voters can do to stop him. Trumps last significant hurdle fell Tuesday when Texas Sen. Ted Cruz suspended his White House campaign after Trump crushed him in the Indiana primary, virtually ensuring that Trump will be the GOP candidate in November and that Californias June 7 GOP primary wont be as important. Cruz told voters in Indiana on Tuesday night that he had promised to remain in the race as long as there was a path to victory but tonight, Im sorry to say, it appears that path has been foreclosed. We left it all on the field in Indiana. We gave it everything we got. But the voters chose another path. Ohio Gov. John Kasich, who like Cruz is mathematically unable to secure the 1,237 delegates needed to win the nomination, will remain in the Republican race. On the Democratic side, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders won Indiana, taking nearly 53 percent of the vote. But Sanders faces an uphill challenge in his race against Hillary Clinton: He needs to win more than two-thirds of the delegates in the remaining 13 primary and caucus states to secure the nomination. Less impact for California For weeks, California Republican leaders have rejoiced in saying that, for the first time in a generation, the partys primary would matter in the nomination process. The states primary is at the tail end of the campaign season, when the outcome usually has long been determined. But the competitive GOP race this election cycle generated hope that the contest might be decided in California. That possibility ended Tuesday when Cruz who won 11 caucuses and primaries, second only to Trump dropped out, ending his attempt to survive to the convention and somehow take the nomination away from the real estate mogul and reality TV host. No matter what, Trump wont win a delegate majority until June 7, David Wasserman, house editor of the nonpartisan Cook Political Report, said Tuesday, which means California will still be in the spotlight. But now that Cruz has dropped out of the race, California looks more like a formality. There are still GOP primaries in Nebraska, West Virginia, Oregon and Washington before June 7, but with Cruz out of the race, California looks to be all about Trump. With Ted Cruz dropping out of the race for the nomination, the California primary will be the place where Donald Trump crosses the finish line to the Republican nomination, said Harmeet Dhillon, vice chairwoman of the California Republican Party. To the extent that Kasich stays in the race until California, he will pick up some votes particularly in the Bay Area but right now I would expect Donald Trump to dominate our primary. National GOP leaders have little regard for Kasichs chances. After Cruz quit Tuesday, Republican National Committee chairman Reince Priebus tweeted: @realDonaldTrump will be presumptive @GOP nominee, we all need to unite and focus on defeating @HillaryClinton #NeverClinton. For his part, Trump was more subdued than normal in his victory speech, even complimenting Cruz as a tough, smart competitor, a far cry from his usual description of him as Lyin Ted. Its a beautiful thing to watch and a beautiful day to behold, Trump said, thanking former Indiana University basketball coach Bobby Knight for giving him an important endorsement. As the other winner Tuesday, Sanders solidified his resolve to remain in the race until the national convention in July in Philadelphia. It will help him have more influence at the convention, said Terri Bimes, an assistant director of research for the UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies and an expert on presidential rhetoric. It doesnt change the delegate math. ... He wants to make an impact on the platform, push (Clinton) to the progressive side. Exit polls underlined some continued vulnerabilities for Clinton, especially in similar states where blue-collar workers have suffered. In 2000, Indiana had 672,000 manufacturing jobs. It has lost nearly a third of those jobs since then. Those voters backed Sanders on Tuesday, according to exit polls. I think what we learned is that Hillary Clinton has a serious weakness, said Andrew Downs, director of the nonpartisan Mike Downs Center for Indiana Politics. A group of voters that Democrats long thought were theirs, blue-collar workers, arent necessarily going to vote for her. Bizarre campaign day Cruzs departure Tuesday was the culmination of an unusually bizarre day on the campaign trail and a potential preview of how recklessly and aggressively Trump will attack his Democrat opponent in the general election. On Fox News Tuesday morning Trump alluded to a very thinly sourced story in the National Enquirer about a photograph purporting to show Cruzs father, Rafael Cruz, handing out pro-Fidel Castro leaflets with Lee Harvey Oswald in New Orleans months before Oswald assassinated President John F. Kennedy in Dallas in 1963. Rafael Cruz, a Cuban native who immigrated to the United States, had renounced Castro by then, according to the nonpartisan fact-checking site Politifact. But that didnt stop Trump. What was he doing what was he doing with Lee Harvey Oswald shortly before the death? Before the shooting? Its horrible, Trump said on Fox and Friends, where none of the on-air hosts pushed back on him to verify his allegations. Politifact said photo analysts considered the picture the Enquirer used too degraded to offer much confidence in its accuracy and that historians consider Trumps claim implausible at best and ridiculous at worst. Nonetheless, as voters headed to the polls Tuesday, Cruz responded with some of his harshest words of the campaign, including ripping Trump as a pathological liar. That was part of a several-minute response during which Cruz appeared to dump several bits of opposition research like Trump describing steering clear of venereal disease as his own personal Vietnam and his acceptance of an endorsement by former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson, a convicted rapist. For months Cruz avoided making harsh comments about Trump, even tweeting last December: Sorry to disappoint @realDonaldTrump is terrific. #DealWithIt. Analysts said that if Cruz had attacked Trump like that months ago, it might have short-circuited the billionaires campaign. Cruz moved from a clear embrace and refusal to attack Trump at all to one of the most jaw-dropping attack press conferences I have ever seen, said Ken Goldstein, a professor of political science at the University of San Francisco who has been tracking campaign advertising. This is clearly, not too little, but clearly much much too late and Cruz (was) not the best messenger. Joe Garofoli is The San Francisco Chronicles senior political writer. Email: jgarofoli@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @joegarofoli PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti Senate leader Jocelerme Privert took office as Haitis caretaker president with one real task: Quickly untangle a political stalemate blocking presidential and legislative runoff elections. Three months on, yet another voting date has fallen by the wayside as political infighting continues to snarl election efforts. Privert, meanwhile, seems increasingly comfortable as Haitis leader, traveling through the capital in horn-blaring motorcades and recently attending a U.N. climate change meeting in New York. Welcome to Haitis dysfunctional democracy, where few people think there will be voting anytime soon. Under the accord that helped put him in office, Privert was supposed to make way for a voter-approved president May 14 after an election in late April. But his provisional administration got off to a sluggish start, and only recently appointed a commission to verify contested elections held last year that many Haitians believe were rigged to benefit Tet Kale, the party of previous President Michel Martelly. We cant go to the polls without first restoring confidence in the process, said Privert, who now suggests holding presidential and legislative runoffs in October. Lawmakers aligned with Tet Kale are demanding Priverts resignation, accusing him of putting up obstacles so he can hold on to power. The faction is stoking street protests as it opposes the verification panel, questioning its legality. The impasse is a reminder of the fragility of democracy in one of the poorest and most unequal countries in the world. Laurent Dubois, a Haiti historian at Duke University, said election postponements and declarations of fraud have been a consistent part of the nations electoral process since the overthrow of dictator Jean-Claude Duvalier in 1986. They were also a part of the political process before that, including during the U.S. occupation of 1915-34. Much of what is going on today is not that different from earlier election cycles, said Dubois, author of Haiti: The Aftershocks of History. In 2010, outgoing President Rene Preval was suspected of rigging the vote to elect his preferred successor, Jude Celestin, sparking violent clashes between Martellys supporters and U.N. peacekeepers. Celestin was eventually eliminated from the two-candidate runoff under pressure from Washington, the Organization of American States and opposition protests. Martelly took office in May 2011. This time, No. 2 presidential finisher Celestin announced a boycott as he rejected first-round results that put the Martelly-backed Jovenel Moise in the front-runner spot. As local election observers decried the October election as a sham, Celestins opposition alliance called for a transitional government to organize a fair vote. International monitors have said last years election results appeared legitimate to them. PANAMA CITY The anonymous message began appearing on Panamanian cell phones days after the news broke that 11.5 million documents, called the Panama Papers, had leaked from a law firm dealing in secretive shell companies. The message was a call to arms to defend the nations honor. OK, people! The only way to combat those who are smearing the name of our country is to create positive, informed and educated content, read the message in Spanish, which circulated quickly and widely. We only want to clean the name of Panama! We want to attack like martial arts, using the force of our opponent. All at the same time! In short order, social media was festooned with multilingual, pro-Panama hashtags, often accompanied by photos of beaches, sunsets, mountains and happy, carefree people: #PanamaParadise, #ILovePanama, #WeArePanama, #WeAreNotPapers and #PanamaIsMoreThanPapers. While the leaks from the law firm, Mossack Fonseca, may have left Panama looking like a wellspring of tax havens and an unconditional friend of the wealthy and corrupt, they have also set off an eruption of patriotic fervor in this small Central American country. From the impoverished rural hinterlands to the halls of the presidential palace, Panamanians are pushing back at the negative attention that has tumbled down on them. Some Panamanians have viewed the leak and the resulting international news coverage as an attack on Panamanian sovereignty, or even as a plot by a foreign competitor to wrest banking business away from Panama. According to a recent national poll by the Panamanian research firm Dichter & Neira, 91 percent of respondents believed that the Panama Papers affair had greatly affected the countrys image. FORT MCMURRAY, Alberta A raging wildfire emptied Canadas main oil sands city, destroying entire neighborhoods of Fort McMurray, Alberta, where officials warned Wednesday that all efforts to suppress the fire have failed. About 88,000 residents successfully evacuated as flames moved into the city surrounded by wilderness in the heart of Canadas oil sands. No injuries have been reported. Alberta Premier Rachel Notley said all 105 patients at the local hospital had been safely airlifted to other care centers. She said, so far, the fire had destroyed or damaged an estimated 1,600 structures. Unseasonably hot temperatures combined with dry conditions have transformed the boreal forest in much of Alberta into a tinder box. Fort McMurray Fire Chief Darby Allen said there are currently no buildings on fire, but he expects that to change. This is a nasty, dirty fire. There are certainly areas of the city that have not been burned, but this fire will look for them and it will find them and it will want to take them, Allen said. Officials estimated the fire at 18,500 acres and said they expect it to be worse Wednesday as strong winds and high temperatures will again create explosive conditions. Firefighters were working to protect critical infrastructure, including the only bridge across the Athabasca River and Highway 63, the only major route to the city in or out. All commercial flights in and out of Fort McMurray have been suspended. The downtown core remains largely intact. Its a possibility that we may lose a large portion of the town, said Scott Long of the Alberta Emergency Management Agency. Notley called it the biggest evacuation in the history of the province. Federal Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale called it one of the largest fire evacuations in Canadian history, if not the largest. Its a community of 88,000 people thats been totally evacuated, Goodale said. This is going to take a while to recover. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said while the full extent of the damage isnt yet known he called it absolutely devastating and said theres a loss on a scale thats hard to imagine. Trudeau said hes offered the province his governments full support. He encouraged Canadians to support friends and donate to the Red Cross. We will be there for them, Trudeau said, adding that military aircraft are being mobilized to help fight the blaze. Trudeau noted climate change is contributing to an increase in extreme weather and fires but said its difficult to establish a direct link. The Alberta oil sands are the third-largest reserves of oil in the world behind Saudi Arabia and Venezuela. Most oil sands projects are well north of the community, while the worst of the flames were on the citys south side. Allen said hes not aware of any threat to oil facilities but called the fire a moving animal. Cover, April 27: Spring Poetry Search From the Zo Man Old Man Gloom sez: Yes, Reporter. You published the haiku I wrote. That was a wise move. The Official Buring of Zozobra Via Facebook Opinion, April 20: Gutsy Move Why All the Big Guns? I read the weighted responses to Lena Griffith's potent angry letter to the editor from major NM-based representatives for the well-organized "not for profit" corporatist heads of ADL, Federation, Chabad etc. Why all the big guns pointed at an American woman who questions US's unending support for the Israeli state's "slo-mo" genocide in Palestine since 1948? Americans have learned that an Indigenous population oppressed by military occupation and brutal treatment will resist with all they have to end said oppression. Wounded Knee and Vietnam come to mind for Americans. That the US government arms and pays Israel's government millions of tax dollars every single day to expand and "cleanse" the Indigenous Palestinian population is an outrage to our hearts and minds. So-called "nonprofits" who wash their donors' contributions in order to continue funding the criminal 70-year occupation of another people on their own land is a violent slap in the face of thinking and informed Americans, who have observed the pathetic malaise of Congress and UN who allow outright torture and murder of Palestinian children and youth. A child [was] murdered every other day for the last 16 years by those occupiers, with nary a criminal charge against their border police, IDF or illegal settlers who beat, poison wells, attack American laity observers, run over and murder Palestinians routinely. Psychopathic racism and supremacy reign in that once most "moral army." Remember the tens of thousands who gathered in Rabin Square a week ago chanting "Death to Arabs"? That is what people around the world and across North America reject, revile and despise. If you defend such racist, brutal abuse, you are not seeking peace but rather pieces. Mariam Shumovski Albuquerque Thanks from Israel I want to thank Lena Griffith for taking the mask off the endemic hatred of Jews and Israel masquerading as criticism of Israeli policy. She doesn't even pretend to base her distaste for Israel and Jews on what Israel did after being attacked by Jordan in 1967, but calls "Jewish Zionists and Jewish Israelis" the "new Nazis" because of the last seven decades, making it clear that for her the very existence of the Jewish state is the crime. Then comes her grand finale, blaming increasing anti-Semitism on the Jews themselves. Thank you, Lena. All intelligent, well-meaning people who read your letter now know the truth behind the demonization of Israel. Alan Stein Netanya, Israel Dont Incite Violence In her letter to the editor, Lena Griffith writes, "This time, Jews are doing it to themselves." Whatever her intention is, she needs to realize that this will be heard as a call for violence against our Jewish community. As we saw in a Paris supermarket, bus bombing in Bulgaria, and a JCC in Kansas, the possibility of attacks against Jews is very real. Let us not wait for an incident like that in Santa Fe, God forbid, before we start working to stop bloodshed and terror of any sort. If we are to disagree, let us do it in an atmosphere where are all safe from violence. The Reporter needs to take responsibility for publishing incitement. Daniel M Israel, President Kol BeRamah Torah Learning Center Santa Fe Why Print It? I can't understand why you would publish such a profoundly anti-Semitic letter. Everyone is entitled to their opinion, but not to their own facts. To compare the Israeli-Palestinian conflict to the genocide of 6,000,000 Jews and millions of other undesirables is simply untrue. If Israel systematically rounded up the Palestinians and gassed them, then this would be a fair analogy. But as the world knows, no such genocide has or will occur. Further, the Jews that were murdered by the Nazis had done nothing to deserve their fate other than being Jewish. By comparison, Palestinians have sent thousands of rockets at population centers and hundreds of suicide bombers and terrorists to murder Israelis. The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is complicated, and statements like this letter do nothing more than inflame hatred. History has shown that if you tell a big lie often enough, people come to believe it. The Nazis convinced millions of Germans, Poles and other Europeans that Jews are rats and vermin. Many of these people were already profoundly anti-Semitic; nonetheless, this lie became reality and allowed hundreds of thousands of people to directly or indirectly participate in the genocide with a clean conscience. We can all agree that killing rats and vermin is a good thing. I have visited Santa Fe and hate to think this represents your community. Audrey Kadis Brighton, Mass. Where are Standards? Has SFR abandoned all pretense of journalistic standards, or editorial oversight, of what appears in its pages? Otherwise, what could explain printing Lena Griffith's blatantly biased, abysmally ill-informed, grossly anti-Semitic letter? Space hardly would suffice to point out all its factual errors. One, though, "medical denial," was ludicrously perverse. When Palestinian officials, or family members, are desperately ill, they head to Israel for treatment. That includes close relatives of Palestinian Authority head, Mahmoud Abbas, and Hamas head, Ismail Haniyeh. Many ordinary Gazans, West Bank Arabs, even Syrians have been treated in one of Israel's many world-class hospitals. One recent example epitomizes Israel's giving medical ethos. A Syrian toddler, with life-threatening injuries, was evacuated to Israel. It was discovered that she had another life-threatening condition, requiring access to a close relative. An Israeli special forces team was able to enter Syria and bring one back to Israel. Israel is among the first to send medical rescue teams, as now in Ecuador and Bhutan, as formerly in Haiti and Nepal, to countries, experiencing natural disasters, around the world. This is one of its greatest strengths, so, naturally it is one at which haters of Israel, like Griffith, aim their greatest lies. Richard D Wilkins Syracuse, NY Evaluate the Myths It is a shame that it takes a committee of five echoing rabbis, three federation fundraisers, two misinformed laymen and an ADL director who still cannot critically evaluate the myths they share that were created expressly for the appropriation of Palestine for the resettlement of Jewish Europeans after WWII. This theft of another people's land started with a great ethnic cleansing in 1947 (not during the 1948 War of Independence). This mythology has grown into a calumny. It has grown and been amplified so loudly that a presidential candidate assures a Zionist donor, Haim Saban, of 200,000 murders during the next genocidal attack on Gaza. It grieves me that given the opportunity to do so, Israelis have learned to act just like Nazis. I learned all those same myths regurgitated in the letters in the April 4 Reporter in my first 65 years but managed to evaluate them when I finally faced the truth. The truth is there; open your eyes. Israel is not what he had hoped and prayed it would be in 1948. Herzl is dead but the Nazi Jabotinski sadly lives in the hearts of those who wish to retain victimhood as their reason for being. Gerald M Rosen Santa Fe Shame, Shame I cannot fathom how you chose to print this letter by Lena Griffith. It is undisguised hate material. It recycles the old anti-Semitic line that Jews themselves are responsible for the hate visited upon them. Along with the newer, scurrilous canard that Jews and Nazis can somehow be equated. Not to mention minimizing of the Holocaust. Jews "suffered" under the Nazis? Hardly the word to use for genocide which reduced millions of people to smoke and ashes. ... I think an apology to your readers would be appropriate, plus editorial guidelines which would prevent such screed from being disseminated by your paper in the future. Barry Salwen Wilmington, NC Cant Silence Voices Having an obvious, orchestrated response to my comment by the tribal Jewish Zionist organizations in New Mexico does not stop the truth of Israeli actions on innocent life from becoming globally transparent. In Santa Fe, a city still suffering from the colonialism of Native American and Hispanics, do Zionists really think they can silence voices for justice? Israel is openly practicing ethnic cleaning and genocide, worse than anything seen in apartheid South Africa, and just as horrific as the Nazis. Since 1948, Israel has officially killed hundreds of thousands of people "defending" itself in wars and attacks on Arab neighbors. Israel has created the largest unresolved refugee crisis in recorded human history. What happened to the fundamental Jewish commandment "Thou Shall Not Kill'"? It is stolen land, and Palestinians have the right to go home. I stand with the tens of thousands (and growing) of Jewish voices for justice who have openly equated Israel with the Nazis and/or Nazi tactics (Media Benjamin, Miko Peled, Ilan Pappe, Hedy Epstein, Dr. Finklestein, Gilad Atzmon, JVP, etc.). They are my people. All land is holy, and all people are chosen. In time, the "Jewish state" will hurt all Jews. Boycott, divest and sanction (BDS) Israel! L'chaim. Lena Griffith Santa Fe Like Sibling like Ishmael Lion-hearted like King Richard Articulate like Arthur Schopenhauer Bombastic like Richard Wagner Efficient like Henry Ford Swiss like Carl Jung Emphatic like a fuehrer Big and blue like IBM Yellow like a badge Green like the countryside Gentile like the masses Light like gas Constant like time Ivan Smason Santa Monica, Calif. News, April 27: Pop Quiz, District 2 County Commissioner Not so Fine I loved reading and listening to this. Not one of the candidate's finest hours, to be sure. Thank you for providing such great info to the electorate. Susan Martin, Political Chair Rio Grande Chapter, Sierra Club Correction In April 27's Pop Quiz, we listed the wrong outgoing Santa Fe County Commissioner for District 5. Liz Stefanics is leaving the commission and running for a state Senate seat. SFR will correct factual errors online and in print. Please let us know if we make a mistake, editor@sfreporter.com or 988-7530. Mail letters to PO Box 2306, Santa Fe, NM 87504, deliver to 132 E Marcy St., or email them to editor@sfreporter.com. Letters (no more than 200 words) should refer to specific articles in the Reporter. Letters will be edited for space and clarity. Santa Fe Reporter For many years, Bobbe Besold has photographed the hands of farmers, often those she met at the Santa Fe Farmers Market, in or near their stands of produce and between customers, their fingers draped over carrots or cupping pints of berries. Then she was asked by the director of Espanola Farmers Market to participate in a project that sent her out to the fields of a family-run farm near Tesuque, pulling carrots, helping to open the acequia and interviewing the family. The work cut to a much deeper level, to conversations about the land we live in, the land that made us, the land that feeds us, and how we cultivate a life for ourselves without destroying sources of food and life for those who follow us. Besold realized other artists were similarly engaging with these issues and decided to curate a show, The Ecozoic Era: plant|seed|soil, that focuses not on that food chain of what eats what, but where that what beginsin plants, in seeds, in soiland to cultivate a conversation about how we are shaped by, and have begun to reshape, the planet around us. "Visual art is a catalyst in a way that other things are not," Besold says. "We can read a lot of facts about what we should be doing, and why we should be doing it, but when you actually are seeing images and absorbing ideas in that way, it's a whole other avenue into the human mind." The exhibition, featuring roughly 20 artists, explores the interactions of people, climate and carbon, and it does so at the State Capitol building. Basia Irland (Basia Irland) "I like to work in unusual places," Besold says, "because people come to the place without expecting to see something that might change them." Based on the number of annual visitors to the Roundhouse, some 20,000 people could pass by this exhibition, which opened April 29 and has a reception on May 6. "I'm expecting [visitors] to think about what their responsibility is to everything, to all other beings," she says. Perhaps, she says, seeds will be planted in the minds of some of those lawmakers on the fourth floor. She chose the term "ecozoic" as a counter to the now increasingly common "anthropocene." In the latter, she says, she doesn't see enough accountability for what we do and have done. But "ecozoic" ties together the Greek roots for "house" and "living beings"there's an accountability implied, like in any home, that the residents will each take a share in the chores required to keep the household running, like washing the dishes and doing the yard work. "It is a seed planting in people's heads," Besold says of Ecozoic. "Some of them may not grow for a while, but some may sprout right awaywhere do we get our food, and what could we do with our yard? If it makes people talk about our relationship to everything, to planet earth, that's a really important piece." The opening reception will include a seed exchange hosted by SeedBroadcast, demonstrations and information on composting from Reunity Resources, and an interactive weaving of an olla, a native water-storage vessel, that started with a University of New Mexico class on art and the American West that took college students out into the landscape to prompt projects about the environment. While visiting the Gila Wilderness, the students heard about a proposal to dam the Gila River in southwestern New Mexico. "To think about where exactly they want to put the dam, it would just disrupt that entire ecosystem, and that place we had lunch at would never be there again," says Sarah Molina, a UNM senior fine arts major who attended the class. "Just coming in as artists that connect with the earth, it really affected us a lot." They harvested willow branches along the riverbank and created a four-foot basket that was then placed back into the Gila River. But they wanted to bring that piece and that conversation back to Albuquerque, recounts Molina. And that's also how the project landed in Santa Fe for the Ecozoic opening. "An olla is used to capture water, but this olla is a woven basket, so of course it's not going to hold water," she says. "A dam is going to capture water, but it's not going to hold the water forever. It's just kind of an obstruction in the way of the natural flow." People will be invited to weave a willow into the olla and to consider the prospect of damming the last predominantly undammed river in the state. The standing exhibit features artwork that invites a closer look at the elements of plants and seedsbundles of leaves, made by Santa Fean artist Matthew Chase-Daniel, that see oak leaves folding in on one another and cottonwood leaves packed so their stems make a tiny forest, or spun and pinned together. Nancy Sutor photographs the miraculous beauty of a compost pile turning persimmons and apple cores into soil, instead of festering in a landfill where they would release methane. Ahni Rocheleau intercedes on behalf of New Mexico's communities affected by oil and gas development and coal-fired power plants with an installation of Department of Defense drinking water canisters and tumbleweeds below a banner that declares, "I am not a sacrifice zone." Albuquerque-based Jade Leyva's paintings make sweet statements about the intertwining of human spirits and their natural surroundings. Basia Irland's photographs show her "ice books," blocks of ice carved into the shape of books, the pages of which are covered with seeds from native riparian plants. The books are then placed in a river, where they melt and disperse their contents, fueling restoration of the river ecosystem in which plants provide habitat, filter pollutants and reduce flooding. "Each of us is a walking river held together by paper-thin skin," Irland said in a 2015 TEDx talk in Vail, Colo. "We are water, we are blood, we are tears, and we are urine. We are all connected. We are not separate from the waters of the world." The Ecozoic Era: Plant|Seed|Soil State Capitol Building, 411 S Capitol St. Through Aug. 5 Opening reception 4-6 pm Friday, May 6 Santa Fe Reporter Before ever walking through the doors at Capital High School, incoming freshmen hear a lot of things about the schoolthat its rough, that its a bad school, that its a ghetto school, that theres a lot of violence and gangs. But Capital High students say thats not what their experience has shown. "You could go anywhere and see the complete opposite," says Kevin Martinez, a Capital High senior. "People here want to go to school. They want to graduate." So students and their mentors from Littleglobe's Youth Media Project have organized "City of Dreamers," an event at the Lensic Performing Arts Center on Sunday, May 8an effort to change the community's perceptions using short videos, live radio productions, music and on-stage conversations that show what students from Capital can do and have done. "It'll open doors for future generations," says Nathalie Beltran, a Capital senior who this fall heads to St. Edward's University in Austin, Texas. "They won't see you with pity or shame." "It's always assumed that they're not worthy," says Toby Wright, who teaches students in the AVID college-readiness program and has been at Capital for four years. "That affects them. For some of them it means, 'I'm just going to work harder and do better. I'm just going to be a superhero, because that's what it takes to get over this.'" There's no denying that at one point, the school had problems. Channell Wilson-Segura, who was a student and a teacher there before becoming its directing principal, says a zero-tolerance policy and work with the gang task force cleaned things up, beginning about eight years ago. But the students still face a fair share of issues. Every student is provided with free lunches, because so many families have incomes that fall below the poverty line. At home, Wilson-Segura says, substance abuse may be an issue, and quiet space to study is often not available. Sometimes, she says, people come forward wanting to help, and she has to explain that at times, what the students most need is something basic like deodorant to use while they're living in a car, or business clothes to wear to an interview. "Unfortunately, a lot of the kids at our school they come from severe poverty or they're not in a place, they're homeless, or they're undocumented, so therefore they don't feel encouraged or excited to graduate and go on to college and get a degree, and therefore they can't get a job," says Heather Sellers, coordinator with the student-support organization Communities in Schools at Capital. "There are a lot of factors that are affecting these kids, and I think the more adults they have, the more things that they're connected to, and the more people that believe in them, then they'll be able to believe in themselves." Sellers brought Littleglobe, a nonprofit that coordinates community art projects with an eye on social change, to the school last year to support kids and provide some extra motivation to stay in school. Students learned how to shoot video, record audio and conduct interviews. "All of my current students who have been involved, it really has just changed them," Sellers says. "It really helped them feel like they were a part of something that grew into this big project. They're super proud. And these were some students who weren't coming to schoolever, and now they are, and they're totally and completely being successful." Both she and Littleglobe's Chris Jonas recall hearing a story of a time students ran a carwash fundraiser and discussed not putting "Capital High" on the sign, fearing that if they did, no one would stop. The films, radio features, music and speakers such as Estevan Rael-Galvez of Culture Connects, the city's cultural planning effort, are intended to work together to spark conversations about immigration and equity issues in Santa Fe, using Capital as a framework. "We talk about equity, but the language we use doesn't demonstrate equity within our own town," Jonas says. "For those of us who do seriously believe in social equity, we need to be conscious how we speak about Santa Fe's Southside. We're reiterating the same negative predisposition that our values seem to indicate is not the case." Opened in 1988 as Santa Fe's second public high school, Capital has long struggled in the shadow of Santa Fe High. A wall near Wright's AVID classroom is hung with photos of seniors and copies of their acceptance letters, many including significant scholarship offers, and some have secured competitive national scholarships, but still, when presenters from those programs visit Santa Fe, they only stop at Santa Fe High. "Sometimes it's sad, because they don't realize how much potential we could have," says Brenda Zamarron Acosta, a senior who plans to start her higher education at Santa Fe Community College before transferring to a four-year university. "You're the underdog. They don't expect you to do anything. We were overlooked, but we always found a way to get there," says Martinez, who has secured a place in UNM's medical school and a full-ride scholarship. "It's kind of been motivating to me. People don't believe you're going to succeed. They're like, 'You went to Capital and you did all this?' People are going to have to actually take note of what happens here, and not just assume what happens here." Part of the success Wilson-Segura attributes to an individual case-management approachthat the specialized programs they run, like a medical careers track and AVID, allow teachers to build relationships with students over four years. If word comes through the social media grapevine that a student is struggling, even if they've graduated and moved on to college, Wilson-Segura will get in touch personally to ask what's going on and how she can help. "It's working with every child, period," she says. "How do we encourage them to stay in school, to like school, to like learning?" In the current class of seniors, 55 percent applied to a four-year college and 45 percent now plan to attend. "Our kids do have dreams, just like anybody else," Wilson-Segura says. "Our goal is to help support that." City of Dreamers 7 pm Sunday, May 8 The Lensic Performing Arts Center 211 W San Francisco St., $5 988-1234 Santa Fe Reporter Navajo Nation Mourns Girl's Murder Navajo Nation leaders, reacting to , say, "This is like an atomic bomb dropped on a community." People attending a vigil for Ashlynne Mike felt some relief after learning , 27, of Waterflow, NM, in connection with her abduction and death. Criminal Probe Sought in Gold King Mine Spill Republican US Sens. John McCain of Arizona and John Barasso of Wyoming want the Justice Department to into the Gold King Mine spill, which dumped millions of gallons of toxic chemicals into rivers flowing through New Mexico and three other states. Nashville School District Considers Boyd for Top Job Now that and are up in Santa Fe, it looks like Santa Fe Public School Superintendent Joel Boyd is a finalist for a similar job in Nashville. Boyd dropped out of consideration for another superintendents post in Texas last year. According to the Commercial Appeal, . Immigration Rhetoric Concerns Archbishop Santa Fe Archbishop John Wester didnt name any names, but he is expressing concerns about some of the presidential candidates' , according to the Associated Press. He calls some of the candidates' views deplorable and contends, "It's scapegoating and targeting people like the immigrant, the refugee and the poor." Wester also said he hoped the issue surrounding refugees fleeing violence in Syria gets more attention as the presidential campaign moves toward the general election. He said various nonprofit groups and Catholic relief organizations are working to resettle the refugees. Registration Deadline Nears Speaking of elections, you have until next , to register to vote. Thats when early voting starts at the Santa Fe County Clerks office. PNMs Earnings Shrink With , the Public Service Company of New Mexico might want to take advantage of a federal program that awards millions in grant money to software developers, solar companies and utilities to help into the nations electrical grid. Getting Older We didnt know this, but by the year 2030, ; currently it ranks 10th, according the New Mexico Department of Aging and Long-Term Services. The health department says to avoid mobility issues that come with aging, like arthritis, the best thing to do is to exercise and stay on the move Sweet Spot If you really want to move it, head to Pie Town. SFRs Elizabeth Miller, like us, loves pie, and she has an interesting cover story on and Arthur Drooker's photo project documenting some of the old-timers. Santa Fe Reporter WASHINGTON: The US manufacturing industry today appealed to the Obama administration to take up with India the removal of commercial and taxation barriers so that American companies can invest in India's manufacturing sector in a big way. The National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) - the largest manufacturing outfit in the US - in a letter to Commerce Secretary, Penny Pritzker, and US Trade Representative, Michael Froman, has sent a list of priorities which it said needs to be pushed with India. "As detailed in the attached review of priorities, manufacturers in the United States are seeking tangible progress on India's stated goals of improving the ease of doing business in India and advancing manufacturing and innovation in its economy to increase investment and growth," Jay Timmons, NAM CEO and president said in a joint letter to Pritzker and Froman. Timmons said NAM is writing this letter along with the document as the administration prepares for a major India-US bilateral summit during an expected visit by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in June. The letter along with the document NAM said provides a specific set of deliverables that, if achieved, would represent real progress toward addressing longstanding commercial barriers that manufacturers have faced in India and would also move India forward on the promises it made. Stakeholders in both the US and India can benefit from policies that promote more open markets, eliminate discriminatory barriers and strengthen intellectual property protection, NAM said. Progress on these issues is needed to foster a stronger, more productive and mutually beneficial commercial relationship between the two countries and pave the way to innovation and new economic opportunities, it said. NAM said India is a global economic power with rising household incomes and a burgeoning middle class. It is the world's fastest growing large economy - ahead of China - and is ranked by the World Bank as the world's third largest economy by purchasing power parity (PPP) - ahead of Japan. "India's rapid growth represents an enormous opportunity to expand the US-India economic relationship, which has been characterised over the last decades by relatively low trade and investment levels," it said. It said when Modi took office in 2014, manufacturers hoped his vision would be translated quickly to action as the government declared India "open for business", committed to boost foreign investment, and sought to boost engagement with the US to address a range of economic and commercial challenges facing businesses in both countries. Since that date, the US and Indian governments have restarted and expanded their commercial dialogue, including two critical forums to discuss economic and commercial issues - the US-India Strategic & Commercial Dialogue (S&CD) and the US-India Trade Policy Forum (TPF), it said. Read Also: Key Indian equity indices open higher on Tuesday Good Monsoonl, Consumer Spending To See India Grow At 7.4Pct This Fiscal: Stanchart Report BENGALURU: Paytm entered into an official agreement with Alibaba in January, aiming to elevate its business to global markets such as the UK, Japan, China and the US. The agreement also allows Alibaba's Alipay to have access to Paytm's payments services platform. Additionally, collaborating with Wipro and leveraging its support, the companys dream to build its upcoming payment business will soon transform into reality. According to the agreement, payment platforms of the two companies will integrate, effectively allowing the Chinese consumers to shop on Paytm and pay via Alipay. Indian customers will also have access to Alipay's existing merchant base which is deployed across several developed markets. Apart from the current slow moving pace of India's online retail space, e-commerce giants such as Flipkart and Snapdeal are launching their own wallet services to make a mark on the payments market. However, only Paytm's founder-CEO got the payments bank license issued in August this year. The Mint earlier reported that One97 Communications, Paytm's parent firm joined hands with Alibaba's cloud computing section, the AliCloud. Motive of the alliance was to install Alipay's tech base known as Aliyun, via AliCloud. This had costed the Indian e-commerce company around 120 Crores. Data centers for Paytms upcoming technology solutions will be in India. Wipro is in charge of the data centers for Payment Bank in order to ensure efficient management and smooth functioning of the new section. Currently, Paytm owns two data centers in Mumbai and one in Delhi. Indians can use the seamless services of Paytm for purchases from overseas vendors once the company's own payments bank is set up and progresses by second quarter. Read Also: India's Core Industries' Output Rises 6.4 Percent in March Indian IT Infra Market To Reach $1.93 Bn This Year: Gartner NEW DELHI: The government today said it is working towards finalising an agreement to share intelligence and terrorist activity-related information with the US. "Government of India and the USA have agreed to finalise an agreement to expand intelligence sharing and terrorist watch-list information, after several rounds of detailed discussions, between the two countries. "The details of the agreement are being worked out," Minister of State for Home Haribhai Parathibhai Chaudhary said in a written reply in Lok Sabha. Read Also: Trump Too Divisive, Lacks Prez Temperament: Clinton Campaign Sanders Wins Indiana Democratic Primary: U.S. Networks Trumps Popularity In Republican Party Soars: Poll Trump Becomes Presumptive Republican Nominee, Cruz Quit BENGALURU: In a surprising turn of events, election strategist Prashant Kishor has reportedly told the Congress leadership to project either of the Gandhi siblings as its Chief Minister candidate in the upcoming Uttar Pradesh elections. Congress is going through a transitional phase; therefore, winning the 2017 UP elections will be touted as the first step towards reclaiming its long lost pride. Well, its easier said than done! The emergence of regional parties like Mulayam Singh Yadavs Samajwadi Party and Mayawatis Bahujan Samajwadi Party along with the prominence of BJP has marginalized Congress in the state. However, the wretched condition of Congress in UP, for the best part is its own fault, due to an ineffective leadership and the failure to address its shrinking support base. And, thats where Prashant Kishor, the master strategist behind Narendra Damodardas Modis remarkable swooping of the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, comes in. Falling out of favour with the BJP, he then joined Nitish Kumar led JDU-RJD-Congress coalition in Bihar, guiding them to power in the 2015 State elections. So far, his CV looks really impressive with a strike rate of two in two. Now, hired by Rahul Gandhi and faced with an uphill task of rejuvenating the Congress for the 2019 elections, Prashant Kishor has identified UP as the keystone. Prashant Kishors winning formula so far has involved the projection of a charismatic leaderNarendra Modi, Nitish Kumar, and it seems like he is following the same line in UP as well. But, to triumph in a state like UP with 408 assembly constituencies and particularly, for a party which could win only in two Lok Sabha seats in 2014, it is ambitious to say the least. By flaunting either Rahul Gandhi or Priyanka Gandhi Vadra as the next CM candidate, he is trying to resolve Congress leadership failings and thereby put a plug to its shrinking support base. Kishor has also proposed that the projection of a Brahmin, probably Sheila Dixit, according to recent reports, as CM candidate for the upcoming elections if both Rahul and Priyanka arent inclined towards contesting in UP. The reckoning behind projecting a Brahmin as CM is supposedly to make inroads into the Brahmin vote bloc that represents about 10-12 percent of the voters in the constituency. Though a year to go, the UP elections already promise to be an intriguing affair. Can Congress strengthen its foothold? Can Prashant Kishor score a hat-trick? Will Pappu save the day? Lets wait and see. Read Also: BRICS Think Tanks To Create Digital Diplomacy' PM Narendra Modi Asks BJP Mps To Highlight NDA Govt's Achievements WASHINGTON: An Indian American Sikh woman from California has been elected to a key position in the Republican party at the national level. Chandigarh-born Harmeet Kaur Dhillon was elected as the newest national committee woman of the Republican National Committee on Sunday by thousand plus votes in attendance at the California Republican Party convention. She was earlier the vice chairman of the California GOP. She was the first woman elected to this position of vice chair of the California Republican Party. A ntionally recognized trial lawyer, Dhillon, 47, was born in India, but raised in rural North Carolina after her Sikh parents moved to the US. "A little girl from Chandigarh, India, the Bronx, and Smithfield, North Carolina back in the day, to being one of California's three votes on the RNC. For the next four years starting in late July, I will help shape the policies of the party of Abraham Lincoln and Harriet Tubman, the party of liberty and opportunity," Dhillon said after here election. Following her clerkship with Paul V Niemeyer of the US Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, Dhillon's practice in New York, London, and the San Francisco Bay Area has focused on federal and state commercial litigation and arbitration, with a particular emphasis on unfair competition/trade secret misappropriation, intellectual property (including trademark litigation and internet torts), complex contractual disputes, and First Amendment litigation. "I could not have done this without the support of a huge number of friends old and new and my family, who have brought me to where I am today. Thank you to my parents Parminder Kaur Dhillon and Tejpal Singh Dhillon for instilling conservative values in me. I am truly honored," she said. Based in San Francisco, Dhillon among other things also sat on the board of the American Civil Liberties Union, and once made a financial contribution to Kamala Harris' campaign for local office - Harris who is a US Senate hopeful and rising star in Democratic politics. Read Also: Trump Leads Big In Indiana State Primaries: Poll Don't Let Obama's Legacy Fall To Trump: Clinton Source: PTI STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Federal authorities on Tuesday shined a hot spotlight on a $131 million market-manipulation scheme, in which brokers and others allegedly peddled worthless stock in a company purported to be a worldwide distributor of LED lighting products and solutions. Nine defendants, including one Staten Island resident, Naveed Khan, were charged in the scam in which brokers were paid millions of dollars in kickbacks to stuff clients' portfolios with ForceField Engery Inc. stock, said officials. The defendants "took a company with essentially no business operations and little revenue and deceived the market and their clients into believing it was worth hundreds of millions of dollars through a dizzying round of unauthorized trades and deceptive promotions," said Robert L. Capers, U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of New York in a statement. "In the end, the deceived investors were left holding the empty bag," Capers said. Hundreds of clients were duped, allege officials. Khan, also known as "Nick," was among five registered brokers charged in the plot. Authorities said he is 33, although public records indicate he is 34 and lives in Dongan Hills. Khan was arraigned Tuesday in Brooklyn federal court on charges of wire-fraud conspiracy, securities-fraud conspiracy, money-laundering conspiracy and substantive securities fraud. "An indictment is merely an accusatory instrument and we are beginning the process of defending the case," said Khan's lawyer, Mario F. Galluci in a brief telephone conversation. "My client takes these accusations very seriously and believes he will be successful in fighting the indictment." Khan remains free on $250,000 bond, said Gallucci. The scheme ran from December 2009 through April 2015, said authorities. The defendants and others orchestrated the trading of ForceField stock, artificially controlling its price and volume to create the appearance of genuine trading volume and interest in the stock, authorities said. They also hid payments to stock promoters and broker dealers who promoted and sold ForceField stock while claiming to be independent of the company, said authorities. One defendant, Herschel Knippa III of Dallas, Texas, went so far as to tout the stock on the Fox Business Network in July 2014, authorities said. Knippa claimed to own shares of the stock, but did not at that time, and also failed to disclose he was receiving kickbacks to promote ForceField, said officials. In October 2014, a ForceField executive hired Manhattan resident Jared Mitchell, the managing partner of Mitchell & Sullivan Capital LLC, to dole out cash kickbacks to Khan and four other brokers, authorities said. In exchange, the brokers bought ForceField stock for their clients' accounts, said authorities. The brokers did not reveal the kickbacks to customers, authorities said. The defendants tried to hide their roles by communicating with each other through prepaid, disposable cell phones and encrypted, content-expiring message applications, said officials. Between January and April 2015, Mitchell paid Khan at least $49,000 in exchange for Khan recommending and buying more than 69,000 shares of ForceField stock for more than 40 customers to the tune of $531,000, alleges a separate civil complaint filed by the federal Securities and Exchange Commission in Brooklyn federal court. The SEC suit seeks reimbursement and civil monetary penalties from all the defendants in the criminal case. The defendants are charged in the criminal case with wire-fraud conspiracy, securities-fraud conspiracy, money-laundering conspiracy and substantive securities fraud. They face sentences of up to 20 years in prison and $5 million in fines if convicted of the latter count, said authorities. A phone message left at ForceField's Florida offices was not immediately returned. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- So, who knew Mark Twain had a Staten Island connection? On Saturday afternoon, Staten Island OutLOUD will explore Mark Twain's strange sci-fi novel "Captain Stormfield's Visit to Heaven" and his story "Refuge of the Derelicts" for a dramatic reading and trip down the literary rabbit hole. The stories introduce readers to the real-life pirate of Twain's fiction: Edgar Wakeman, whose 1874 stay at Sailors' Snug Harbor inspired Twain's tales. Staten Island historian Andrew Wilson has researched Twain's Staten Island connection, and what he's discovered will knock your socks off, OutLOUD promises. The event starts at 2 p.m. at the Noble Maritime Collection -- a place, you have to believe, Twain really would have enjoyed. It will include a spoken word performance, and Wilson's first-hand account of his literary sleuthing, along with music by Allergic to Bs. Can't make it but still want to know more about this mysterious connection? Here's what OutLOUD tells us about Twain's intrigue: In 1874 Captain Edgar Wakeman, partially paralyzed and suffering from fainting spells, arrived at Sailors' Snug Harbor seeking help writing his autobiography. The man he had asked for help was Mark Twain. Twain had first met Wakeman aboard the steamship America on a voyage from San Francisco to New York City in 1866. Twain was fascinated by the gregarious old salt and featured him as a character in several of his books, often under the name "Captain Stormfield." The most popular of these stories was an unfinished novel published as Extract from Captain Stormfield's Visit to Heaven in 1907. Twain spent about 40 years writing it. Though little known today, the critic H.L. Mencken declared "Captain Stormfield's Visit to Heaven" to be one of Twain's four great works, in 1913, despite being unfinished. At the time of his death Twain was working on a new beginning to the tale. The addition did not debut until 1972 when it was published as a separate story called Refuge of the Derelicts. Wakeman first came to national attention in 1849 by hijacking the steamship New World, then under police guard at an East River dock. After tricking the police into letting him start her engines "to work the rust off" he then forced the deputies overboard at Staten Island for a wet three mile slog back to the ferry. The manhunt for Wakeman continued for years with multiple narrow escapes. Cornelius Vanderbilt even provided him with a safe house on the Island where he stayed as the police closed in. Wakeman was Vanderbilt's choice for his personal yacht captain. He also commanded Twain's friend, the "real" Tom Sawyer, aboard the Vanderbilt Line's Independence. Whether he was running a blockade in the Mexican-American War or saving San Francisco from a gang of Australian arsonists, Wakeman shared his stories, from both sides of the law, with a young reporter named Samuel Clemens (Twain's actual name). Mark Twain, you are welcome. -- The Noble Maritime Collection is located on the grounds of Snug Harbor Cultural Center, 1000 Richmond Terrace, Livingston. For more information about upcoming events and exhibits, check out NobleMaritime.org. Page Content The application process for the annual Hurricane Passes for the 2016 Atlantic Hurricane Season which starts June 1 and runs through November 30, commences on May 3. There have been some changes to the pass system for 2016. No passes will be distributed to business owners and hotel staff. The Simpson Bay Public Service Center (PSC) near the Simpson Bay Bridge is also an additional customer service point where the application form can be submitted. The PSC will also be a pick-up location for the approved pass. The pass will allow the bearer to access the public road to assess possible damage to their property and to continue their operations which are vital for society as soon as possible. This can only take place during certain hours that will be stipulated and announced by the Prime Minister in a curfew situation. Potential applicants have until May 27 to present all relevant information related to the process of requesting a Hurricane Pass. Passes are issued to the following crucial disaster relief organizations: Emergency Operations Center, Emergency Support Services, Crucial governmental organizations and Non-Governmental Organizations involved in disaster management such as St. Maarten Medical Center, Red Cross, WIMA, WIENS, White & Yellow Cross, National Security Service VDSM, Public Prosecutors Office, Sea Rescue, Shelter Management, Central Bank of Curacao and Sint Maarten, and Ministers and their drivers. The following categories also qualify for the requesting of a pass for essential personnel: Government personnel without a disaster pass; NV GEBE, Seven Seas Water, Telecom and Internet providers, Cable TV and Satellite providers, Princess Juliana International Airport (including airline personnel), Port St. Maarten, SOL, Texaco, Gas stations, and medium and large sized supermarkets. Passes will be valid for two years. (Sub) contractors and their staff, hired by the Ministry of Public Housing, Spatial Planning, Environment and Infrastructure (Ministry VROMI), who are involved in the clean-up after a storm, will be provided with special passes through the ministry. The Hurricane Pass application procedure is only intended for key personnel of crucial organizations as listed. The Office of Disaster Management that falls under the Ministry of General Affairs is handling the application process for the passes on behalf of the Prime Minister. The Hurricane Pass system is a mechanism to maintain public order during emergency situations. The Prime Minister assesses the damage in conjunction with Emergency Disaster Management entities of the Government after a disaster has occurred and can impose a curfew if the extent of the damage poses a threat to the safety and security of the community. After a disaster has struck, and a curfew has been imposed, the public roads can only be accessed by emergency crews. The Prime Minister will ensure that the curfew is limited to the essential time that is needed to execute emergency and disaster relief and recovery efforts. An application form can be requested by sending an email to: hurricanepassrequest@sintmaartengov.org The application form has to be completed and submitted to the offices of the Fire Department & Disaster Management, to the attention of the secretary located at Jackal Road 5 (Office hours Monday-Friday 9.00AM to 4.00PM), Cay Hill or at the Simpson Bay Public Service Center, (Monday-Friday 8.30AM to 12.00PM and 1.00PM to 3.30PM) Airport Road 6, before May 27, 2016, with all necessary documents attached. Applicants will be informed by email or telephone when to pick up the pass at the aforementioned addresses. Page Content As Minister of Public Health, Social Development and Labour, I would like to congratulate all workers on this special day. We are gathered here today as a demonstration of appreciation and support for the workers. In reality, in leaving my position as an entrepreneur to become a Minister, I have also recently joined the ranks of the employees by becoming a worker in the Government apparatus, working for the people. Today we take time to recognize the special contribution from a few stalwarts. On days like today, it is also an opportunity to stop and reflect on where we are today. In recognizing the progress that has been made in the field of labour over the years, we need to acknowledge that the creation of meaningful, stable and sustainable employment can only be achieved in partnership. This partnership between business, labour and government must be a partnership built on trust, honest dialogue, and compromise. The labour tripartite is functioning well and is the absolute vehicle for this partnership. The tripartite is working diligently albeit a bit slowly on coming to a consensus on the proposed changes to the civil code which will address the abuse of the short term labor contracts. I have full confidence that the tripartite will arrive at a win-win-win agreement. We have labour unions that see themselves as integral partners in creating sustainable, secure and rewarding jobs. The unions recognize the undeniable link between the level of education and job security. The union leaders have not only recognized this link but are actively participating in offering training programs that will increase job security and more importantly provide upward mobility in terms of earnings and career advancement. But As we take stock in the St Maarten of today, we also need to recognize that we are in an economy that is demonstrating minimal growth. There is a need to create higher paying jobs. Youth unemployment is unacceptably high. A highly bureaucratic path to compliance has had a negative impact on compliance in general. The connection between job security, and upward mobility are inextricably tied to the health of our economy and by default the health of our tourism industry. Our tourism economy is clearly not performing optimally. Unstable government has translated into multiple changes in leadership which have had a devastating impact on our tourism promotional efforts. The good news is that Minister Arrindell is finally seeing to it that the Tourism Authority is being put into place with funding for promotional activities. Again the formula of cooperation and partnership between government and the private sector is a clear formula for stability and economic growth. Improving compliance is very important goal for the Ministry. We are working closely with SZV and other strategic partners to improve compliance. Once employees saw we were there to educate and enforce...with a cooperative attitude, the staff began to speak to compliance officers about other issues... Street hawkers came to complain. Improved Compliance is good for everyone. This increased compliance will translate into benefits for everyone. Every job occupied by an undocumented worker is a lost opportunity for local employment. Improved compliance will get these jobs into the system creating employment opportunities for our unemployed. Undocumented workers are often willing to accept lower wages, thereby putting downward pressure on salaries and illegal employment practices, thereby putting downward pressure on employment salaries and benefits. For businesses, this will result in a level playing field. Competing against businesses with illegal workers with different cost structure hurts businesses that are compliant. How can one business compete against another business that doesn't pay taxes. For workers, this will result in increased opportunities for employment and better quality employment. For government, this will translate into increased revenues. Improved capacity to manage the labor market. So, we will continue with our gentle but steady effort to improve compliance. It is both an honor and a pleasure to be here today to share this holiday and commemoration. The only formula for success is through win-win-win partnerships. If labor, "wins" and business and government loses. We all lose. If business wins and labor and government loses, we all lose. If government wins, and business and labor loses, we all lose. For this reason, the tripartite has my full support as the correct body to develop a healthy and sustainable environment for all parties to prosper. On Labor Day, I thank the unions and businesses for being vibrant and valued partners. Minister Emil Lee (Three Persons were honored on Labour Day, Julian Lynch, Curtis Vanterpool, the late Anadeen Serbony Matthew.) In Photo From L-R Minister of Labour Emil Lee, Julian Lynch, Shirley & Solaika Serbony obo Anadeen Serbony Matthew, Curtis Vanterpool, President of WICLU Claire Elshot. By clicking Agree, you consent to Slates Terms of Service and Privacy Policy and the use of technologies such as cookies by Slate and our partners to deliver relevant advertising on our iOS app to personalize content and perform site analytics. Please see our Privacy Policy for more information about our use of data, your rights, and how to withdraw consent. Agree We will probably never know whether Cummings was conscious of trying to design a kind of artwork. His practical triumph was the design of a shelter that (properly aligned) really does shelter folk from the elements, even and especially the element of wind, important in a city in which in winter the winds are full of ice cubes. Alas, though, the shelters' windows (no vandal-proof form of window pane has ever been found for them and the bare apertures let winds in) are a design flaw. Cummings was especially conscious of designing something burly and vandal proof. The first shelters cost an alarming $2300 each (soon rising to $2800). A committee of bean-counters suggested greatly reducing the cost of bus shelters to just $1000 each but Transport Branch secretary B.C. Darke successfully resisted this. He argued that while the $2300 shelters were wondrously "resistant to vandalism" for $1000 you would get only a spindly little structure that would be "fair game to the vandals of the city". If bus shelters have feelings (and of course these Cummings' ones do) then the Canberra shelters must look back with nostalgia to the ACTION/Monotone mural competitions of the 1980s and 1990s. In orgies of authorised street art school children were encouraged to paint scenes on and in a shelter close to their school. This column has covered that happy era with critically-acclaimed essays about it all. And now, today, always championing fine street art (both authorised and fly-by-night) we draw attention to the dazzling works of Okuda San Miguel. To visit his website http://okudart.es/showcase/ is to find 1000 things to make you go "Gosh!" Recent works of his, just reported on by the ever-fabulous digital arts and design magazine Designboom http://www.designboom.com/art/okuda-san-miguel-arcugnano-italy-kindergarten-04-22-2016/ are murals of playful faces and figures painted across the walls of the kindergarten in a small Italian town. Some of the works cleverly integrate existing features and so for example windows are artfully incorporated as eyes in faces, or perhaps as sunglasses covering those eyes. Air New Zealand has flagged to investors that it is aiming to sell all or part of its 25.9 per cent stake in Virgin Australia by June 30, in a move that could result in the Kiwi carrier paying a special dividend. Macquarie Equities analyst Nick Mar, who attended an Air New Zealand investor briefing on Tuesday, said the airline had up to $NZ750 million of imputation credits available for a special dividend but wouldn't look to do so based on its current balance sheet position. "The next catalyst would be the successful divestment of its Virgin stake," Mr Mar said. "The outcome here could be a full, partial or no sale, but the board ideally see this resolved before balance date [June 30]." Craigs Investment Partners analyst Matt Peek said he did not expect the review of the Virgin stake would be longwinded. "We expect an announcement potentially in the next few months," he said. "We need to be on the front foot as blockchain emerges and need to have some of our talent directed to this opportunity in Australia, where there is a lot of talent around bitcoin." Advertising campaign The government also said in the budget Australia will be promoted as a fintech destination in a government funded marketing campaign costing $200,000 next financial year. KPMG global co-head of fintech, Ian Pollari, said the spending was modest, but "recognises we are in a global marketplace. We are at the early stages of developing a strong and vibrant fintech community in Australia. What the UK has done well is sell the fintech message more broadly." Mr Cant agreed that "it is not a tonne of money, but the intent is right. It is a move in the right direction to focus on how we clear the hurdles for companies to grow, to get them to scale quickly, and this includes looking at international opportunities and how do we expand abroad in to Asia." Government trade agencies at the federal and state levels are already selling the fintech message to the region. Mr Pollari will host a web seminar arranged by Austrade on Tuesday afternoon; more than 100 banks, venture capital funds and entrepreneurs in the Asian region will join. NSW Trade and Investment is also hosting an event in Beijing and Shanghai later this month, where fintech venture capital fund Sapien Ventures will present to high net worth Chinese investors about opportunities to invest in Australian startups. "For Australia to be successful with this campaign - and we have a cracking chance - the government needs to work very closely with industry," said Sapien founder Victor Jiang. "Corporates, funds and incumbents need to figure out exactly what are the most compelling proactive messages to send, rather than talking about high level things." Sandbox consultation The budget confirmed reports that the government will establish a "regulatory sandbox" to allow fintech startups to test their models with a limited number of retail clients for up to six months in a protected environment before they are licenses. The Australian Securities and Investments Commission said on Wednesday morning it will issue a consultation paper in June on the design of the sandbox. ASIC said it will consult on creating a class-wide licensing waiver for new businesses to run early-stage tests and trials for a six-month period. ASIC commissioner John Price said the paper would "seek feedback on additional steps that ASIC may take to facilitate fintech innovation while maintaining protections to ensure investor and consumer trust and confidence.ASIC will continue to prioritise assistance to fintech start-ups to promote market efficiencies and benefits for consumers and investors." Alex Scandurra, the chief executive of Stone & Chalk, said the sandbox "is a very important initiative because, within certain limitations, it would allow a window of time for fintech startups to validate and pilot their propositions before having to commence a formal licencing process with ASIC. "This has the potential to significantly improve the efficiency of the licencing process, by reducing the time and cost to commercially launch fintech ventures and would give Australia a real competitive advantage in the region." Harry Chemay, CEO and co-founder of robo-investment platform Clover, which is a member of Fintech Australia, said the establishment of a regulatory sandbox "will help cement Australia's position as a fintech hub, ultimately driving better consumer outcomes in the form of increased competition and efficiencies in the marketplace". Cybersecurity Mr Morrison also said the government wanted to boost cybersecurity in his budget speech. "This budget also invests in public private partnerships through our cyber security strategy to back Australian businesses to develop and promote their cyber security capabilities globally," he said. "So often successful technology ventures have started by solving a complex problem for governments.That is why these investments are not just about national security but are an important part of our economic plan for Australia for jobs and growth." Data61 and Stone & Chalk ran the inaugural National Fintech Cyber Security Summit in Sydney on Tuesday, where chief scientist Alan Finkel said there is a real opportunity for fintech startups to help drive a resurgence in cyber security innovation. Stone & Chalk's Mr Scandurra said a key theme that emerged from Tuesday's summit was the importance of collaboration. "Both startups and corporates have acknowledged that collaboration in the past has been difficult and that a number of things need to change such as procurement processes and legal frameworks to make collaboration between big and small a lot easier," he said. Broader tapestry Other fintech initiatives announced by Mr Morrison in March include amending its venture capital investment rules, a review into access to data and consultation this year on a framework for crowd sourced debt funding this year. The government's Innovation statement introduced tax incentives to encourage investment, including a 20 per cent non refundable tax offset on investment, capped at $200,000 per investor per year, and changes to the regime for investment in structures known as ESVCLPs. These include introducing a 10 per cent investor tax offset on capital invested during the year and increasing the fund size for new and existing ESVCLPs from $100 million to $200 million. Andrew Corbett-Jones, head of the Tyro fintech hub, said these policies were "far more exciting" than those the budget. "There was nothing overly dramatic in the budget, but everything is pointing in right direction," he said. The tourism industry is pleased the federal budget has maintained funding for Tourism Australia, but is bitterly disappointed that the government failed to make changes to the "backpacker tax" introduced in last year's budget. Tourism & Transport Forum chief executive Margy Osmond said her organisation would be working actively during the federal election campaign on efforts to scrap the backpacker tax, which kicks in on July 1. "The Federal Government's destructive backpacker tax is going to smash the number of people choosing Australia as a backpacking destination when working holidaymakers are taxed 32.5 per cent on every dollar they earn on their holiday," she said. In a tense exchange with Melbourne ABC radio host Jon Faine on Wednesday morning, Mr Turnbull criticised Faine for his description of the initiative. Using cuts to work for the dole, the government will fund a $750 million Youth Jobs PaTH program (standing for Prepare-Trial-Hire) which encourages businesses to provide training, internships and employment for young people. It has been criticised as a new "slave trade" that pays young people only $4 an hour but Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has defended a taxpayer-funded internship program unveiled in Tuesday's budget. "The youth jobs plan, $4 an hour for interns, already described by some of your critics as 'the new slave trade'," Faine told the Prime Minister. Businesses will be offered an upfront $1000 payment for hosting an intern and a wage subsidy worth $6500-$10,000 if the person is then employed. Credit:Virginia Star "Jon, this is about ensuring that young people that are unemployed get a start. It ensures that they get the training they need to be job ready and then they get the opportunity to be an intern and get the experience of working in a workplace," Mr Turnbull said, offering that "time will tell" how effective the program will be. "This is very difficult area, it's easy to be a critic, it's easy to be very cynical as, frankly, you are being," the Prime Minister said. "No, I'm being sceptical. I'm doing my job," Faine fired back. The price tag for the staffing boost is listed in the budget papers as $680 million over four years. Treasurer Scott Morrison announced in the budget that 390 new staff would be part of a 1300-strong "tax avoidance taskforce" looking at tax compliance by multinational companies operating in Australia. The Turnbull government's $4 billion raid on tax-dodging multinationals appears to amount to little more than the natural dividend of hiring extra staff to the depleted ranks of the Australian Tax Office, according to tax transparency campaigners and Labor. In 2014, Neil Olesen, second commissioner at the ATO, told the House of Representatives' standing committee on tax and revenue that each $1 invested in employing tax officers returns up to $6 in extra revenue to the public coffers. Labor MP Andrew Leigh. Credit:Elesa Kurtz On that basis, the new staff announced as part of the tax avoidance taskforce would be expected to generate $4 billion over the four-year period - or almost exactly what the government has pencilled in as the revenue boost from multinationals. Shadow assistant treasurer Andrew Leigh said the revenue boost applied to the hirings was evidence that the 4700 redundancies at the ATO since the Coalition came to office was evidence that cuts to the department had cost revenue. "Promising to restore some of the Tax Office's funding in this budget is an admission of failure, not a new crackdown on multinationals. It's too little and too late," he said. Universities could charge as much as they like for their best courses under a bold new proposal by the Turnbull government that would see the cost of some degrees rise steeply. The idea, outlined in a paper released alongside Tuesday's budget, would create a new tier of "flagship courses" with deregulated fees. Universities would be allowed to enrol up to 20 per cent of their total student cohort in these courses - a move aimed at tackling the much-criticised "one size fits all" nature of Australia's higher education system. Uber Technologies has appointed Allan Fels, the former head of Australia's consumer watchdog, to its new global advisory board on public policy. The new board which met in San Francisco this week and will meet twice annually will seek to influence global debate on transportation issues and other policy areas. It is a paid position; Professor Fels will be compensated by receiving equity in the business, a spokesman said. The app-enabled ride-hailing service has regularly been involved in skirmishes with regulators and incumbent taxi networks around the world, and is known for its fierce lobbying. Uber has also been hit with lawsuits from drivers, who are contractors rather than employees, and has been criticised by labour groups. "For decades, transportation policy has played second fiddle to the likes of the economy, education and healthcare," Uber's chief adviser David Plouffe said in a statement provided to Fairfax Media announcing the new advisory board. "Yet transportation is key to all these areas of public policy." Rubber and plastics manufacturer Graham Hopkins saw the writing on the wall in 2008. His company Lasslett Rubber and Plastics supplied parts to Ford, Holden and Mitsubishi in deals which made up 86 per cent of the company's business. Renamed Entegro, the company has reduced its exposure to 20 per cent, making parts for Ford's global factories, tyre flaps for trucks and most recently, cork flooring. Times are tough for big and small players in the automotive industry. Credit:Joe Armao JAA Mr Hopkins, Entegro's managing director, said: "When we supplied the automotive industry we had good business surety and while we've got new markets we've got no more surety." The Brooklyn-based Entegro epitomises the shifting fortunes of the car parts supplier market. When it took over Wright Rubber in 2012, the merged entity moved into the bigger Brooklyn facility. Similar property rationalisations are expected to accompany the strategic redirections of other manufacturers that survive the closures of Ford and General Motors Holden next year. Twenty five Castle Hill neighbours are banding together to sell their properties in Sydney's north-west Hills district with a combined estimated value of $100 million in a "megalot" sale that's sending chills through the real estate sector. Taking the opposite approach of movie favourite The Castle's Darryl Kerrigan, who rallied his neighbours to stave off developers, the residents have taken control of the sale process and are selling all their properties in a single transaction. The move has been prompted by the rezoning of the area under the NSW government's Urban Activation Precinct plan and the development of the new Metro rail station opposite the Castle Hill showgrounds. The Castle Hill deal will reap the individual owners as much as $4 million, substantially more than the average Hills district price of around $1 million. Woolworths is looking at underwriting its dividend reinvestment program to relieve pressure on the balance sheet while rebuilding its struggling food, liquor and general merchandise businesses. A Woolworths spokeswoman confirmed on Wednesday that the retailer was looking at a "number of options" to support its credit profile and maintain an investment grade rating as weaker earnings from food and liquor, losses at BIG W and possible restructuring costs contributed to deteriorating credit metrics. Ratings agency Standard & Poor's cut its credit rating for Woolworths on Wednesday for the second time in nine months and Moody's Investor Services indicated that it was also reviewing its rating after Woolworths reported weaker than expected March quarter sales, flagged losses at BIG W and said it would have to invest an extra $150 million into reducing grocery prices and improving service in stores to win back customers lost to Aldi and Coles. S&P lowered its long term credit rating one notch to BBB from BBB+, just two levels above a junk rating, citing continued market share losses in food and liquor business, the anticipated losses at BIG W and the extra price investment, which will take the annualised investment to around $800 million. A Qantas pilot sacked after groping a female co-worker's breast while he was drunk and stoned on an overseas stopover has lost a bid to have his dismissal reviewed. The industrial umpire has rejected the pilot's claim that his beer had been spiked with an illicit drug at a pub in Santiago, Chile, before he sexually harassed his co-pilot. The Fair Work Commission has rejected a Qantas pilot's right to appeal his sacking. Credit:Hulsbosch Stephen Gregory a first officer Boeing 747 pilot of nearly 20 years' experience was sacked for the serious misconduct in February 2014. One evening on the two-day stopover in Santiago, the crew had shared a bottle of rum in Mr Gregory's hotel, before moving on to an Irish pub in the city's nightlife district of Bellavista. Australia's policy on asylum seekers arriving in boats is broken. It hasn't yet collapsed in a ditch but attempts to patch it enough to roll past the coming federal election will be awkward at best and risky at worst. Both the government and the Labor opposition support a policy of processing in second countries those asylum seekers who enter Australian jurisdiction on unauthorised boats. Secretary of the Department of Immigration and Border Protection Michael Pezzullo and Australian Border Force Commissioner Roman Quaedvlieg in discussion at Parliament House. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen The reopening of the Manus Regional Processing Centre in November 2012 recommenced this policy introduced by the Howard government in 2001. It was then toughened during the brief second prime ministership of Kevin Rudd. He reached an agreement with Papua New Guinea covering asylum in that country to refugees but with the overtly stated intention that asylum seekers processed on Manus Island were never to be settled in Australia. This, together with the reopening in August 2012 of a similar centre on Nauru, saw a dramatic slowing of the number of asylum seekers attempting to reach Australia by boat. Much has been made in recent years about the rise of the so-called "mumpreneurs" working mothers who leave behind the stresses of corporate life to find fulfilment and success running their own businesses from the kitchen bench. Home-based businesses are one of the fastest growing business sectors in Australia, and mothers of young children are up to three times more likely to be self-employed than other working women, according to the Australian Institute of Family Studies and the Australian Bureau of Statistics. Many women have set up home businesses as a frustrated response to the setbacks they experienced as working mothers. Last year, Small Business Minister Bruce Billson credited "mumpreneurs" with driving small business growth in Australia while forging a path to the ever elusive "work-life balance". Buoyed by these reports, many exhausted women may be considering a switch to self-employment. They would not be alone. Across Australia, thousands of working mothers have joined networking groups aimed at nurturing their entrepreneurial aspirations. While the government lists a number of current and proposed solar and wind farms to achieve this target, to date it has not listed the associate costs and capacity of power storage units (batteries) required as backup for when the sun does not shine and/or the wind does not blow. Obviously it would be unrealistic for the proposed 2020 renewable system to be required to have zero probability for its wind/solar/battery systems output to fall short of demand, this would require an infinite battery capacity plus the ability of the solar/wind farms to recharge the batteries. This leaves the question as to what probability of brownout has the government built into its proposed renewable system and the associated mean time of occurrence of brownouts. Of course the connection of coal fired generators to the Canberra power grid post 2020 to prevent brownouts would cost mega bucks per annum. Ed Dobson, Hughes Light rail truth Shane Rattenbury ("What type of Canberra do we want beyond 10 years?", Forum, April 30, p5) has let the cat out of the bag and confirmed that the fiscally irresponsible light rail project is really a Trojan horse for "higher density development". In blithely accepting Canberra's high immigration-fuelled rapid population growth, Mr Rattenbury has not only abandoned a fundamental sustainability principle, he has confirmed that he addresses symptoms rather than root causes. Canberrans concerned about overloading our hospitals and schools and green spaces know that a sustainable Canberra will be one that is better, not bigger. William Bourke, Wollstonecraft, NSW Developers have been seeking a light rail for Canberra since 1991, dating back to their 1991 "Sustainable Canberra" report. They will profit mightily if the light rail goes ahead. Now Greens MLA Shane Rattenbury has confirmed that the fiscally irresponsible light rail project is really a Trojan horse for "higher density development". We don't need to accept Canberra's high immigration-fuelled rapid population growth. Canberrans concerned about overloading our roads, hospitals, schools and green spaces know that a sustainable Canberra is one that is better, not bigger. John Haydon, Lyneham Manuka protests insult The ACT Labor-Greens government must read/reread Jack Waterford's excellent assessment, ("Ministers need frank, fearless advice", Forum, April 16, p1) that "even by low ACT government standards, the processes and incestuous appearances of the Manuka proposal [are] appalling". Protestation by anyone involved in the apparent mismanagement of public land in relation to the Manuka area including: the Services Club, the proposed move of Mocca Child Care Centre, the transfer of the Flinders Way concessional land to the Brumbies for sale, and the GWS Giants/Gro-con so-called Manuka 'Green', are an insult to good governance. The community is entitled to open, accurate, transparent and audited information from government to avoid the perception, or the reality, of corrupt administration. N.L. Scherger, Red Hill Counting on the paths Stan Marks and John Mason (Letters, April 21 and 27) should stop arguing and count the number of people who use the Marcus Clarke Street section of the City Cycle Loop. I counted 93 between 7am and 9am. This compares with 45 who use a section of widened footpath near the Bus Depot Markets, and 55 who use the footpath between Simpson and Knox Streets in Watson. The footpaths cost about $100,000 each. The Marcus Clarke Street cycle lanes cost $2.7 million. I leave it to readers to decide which offered better value for money. Leon Arundell, Downer Widening imperative The Liberal and Labor parties appear to be in a bidding war for road duplications ahead of the up-coming Legislative Assembly elections ("Liberals vow duplication of Horse Park Drive", May 2, p3). And at the same time you are reporting on some of the many sections of narrow unsafe shared paths ("Narrow paths have cyclists and pedestrians fuming", May 2, p2). For the safety, convenience and enjoyment of the couple of hundred thousand Canberrans who walk and ride on the shared paths for transport, fitness (health) and recreation, it is imperative that the heavily trafficked sections are widened particularly around Lake Burley Griffin and in North Canberra. At the same time the missing links in the path network need removing. Let's get some balance into the transport infrastructure improvement bids most of us do not use our cars for all our transport needs. And every bike trip is one less car in the on-road congestion. John Widdup, Lyneham Turnbull misses opportunities Two recent prime ministerial decisions leave me wondering about the real nature of Malcolm Turnbull. We are to get 12 submarines ( we only have six now) at a cost of $50 billion, or about $4.5 billion each, and now $1.2 billion more for school education ("Cash splash for schools", May 1, p1). Surely the national interest would be served just as well, or better, by having one less submarine and allocating $4.5 billion to fund the Gonski education reforms? All major government and non-government education authorities and most state governments came out in support of the Gonski reforms, as did the Labor Party, the Greens and a number of Independents. So is the Prime Minister's motive in not funding Gonski just another act of political bastardry? Secondly, many economists and reputable "think tanks" have pointed to the detrimental impact of negative gearing policy on affordable housing, and even the Treasurer a few weeks ago pointed to the need to "curb excessive use of negative gearing". Recently however the Prime Minister, after unwittingly publicising a family who felt it necessary to enter into negative gearing to ensure their one-year-old daughter would have a home in the future, flatly decided there would be no changes to negative gearing policy. This occurred about the same time the Parliamentary Library found ("Coalition has 80 of top 100 negative gearing postcodes", May 1, p13) in regard to negative gearing that "Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull's neighbours in the 2027 postcode covering the exclusive harbourside suburbs of Point Piper and Darling Point benefit more than anyone else in the country, claiming the highest average net rental loss". Yet again Mr Turnbull's decision looks blatantly political rather than one made in the national interest. Is he just another "one-trick pony" politician, or the statesman-like leader governing fairly for all in the national interest he claimed to be when he became prime minister? Bill Bowron, Farrer Dispelling the myths Refreshing to read David Biles ("Black death myths abound", Times2, May 2, p1) on myths associated with aboriginal deaths in custody and earlier (Letters, April 30) by Chris Roberts on myths surrounding Sir John Monash. It is not healthy for a society to delude itself, but we Australians are masters of the phenomenon. Can we continue this theme and perhaps challenge orthodox thinking on other sacred cows such as the stolen generations. Were people really stolen to breed out their aboriginality as stated, or was it a well-intentioned attempt to protect children from harm? Are wind and solar farms really making a difference to climate change or are we wasting billions of dollars to make us feel better? Is there really a 17.5 per cent gap in male and female wages or are we accepting false comparisons? Does section 18c of the Racial Vilification Act really protect people from a torrent of verbal abuse or has it become a refuge for bigots and the intolerant? Just a start. H. Ronald, Jerrabomberra, NSW Don't thank the Judge Gerry Murphy (Letters, April 30) might be interested to know that Judge Phantly Roy Bean died on March 16, 1903 well before Texan women got the vote in 1919. His mis-quotation comes from the character Tector Crites in the movie The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean: "While our boys was overseas fighting the Kaiser, the women got Prohibition put in. Drinking and gambling and whoring were declared unlawful." Attributing something said by a fictional character to someone long dead may not be a hanging offence but it is most mischievous. Gai Brodtmann was correct in extolling the virtues of the National Library's online resource, Trove. It is a gateway to historical truths. Its death sentence by starvation of funds is much more cruel than the hanging orders made by Judge Bean. But then, the real Judge Bean only sentenced two to hang, and one of those escaped. May Trove also live long and prosper. Peter Snowdon, Aranda CSIRO cut to the bone The alternatives to job cuts in CSIRO ("CSIRO set to offer job-cut alternatives", April 25, p1) are no alternative at all. The proposed Climate Change Research Centre to be located in Hobart with 40 jobs from the CSIRO Oceans and Atmosphere Division is just a disruptive pea and thimble trick. I attended the Senate inquiry into the cuts last Wednesday where Dr Marshall indicated that the overall cuts to the Oceans and Atmosphere Division could still be around 70 positions and 275 across the whole of CSIRO. So moving scientists from their jobs at one location in Hobart to another doesn't make sense. Simon McKeon, former CEO of CSIRO, said in December 2014 on ABC's 7.30 program: "The reality is that over the last couple of years, not just one year, we've had to, I would argue, cut into the bone." Mr McKeon warned that any future cuts would reduce the organisation's ability to continue delivering breakthroughs like polymer notes and wi-fi, and I'd add, internationally recognised climate science. It's a pity Dr Marshall is not defending CSIRO as Mr McKeon did. These cuts must not be allowed to happen if we want to count CSIRO in the future as an international-class research organisation. Friends of CSIRO (ACT) will be meeting at 6pm on Wednesday, May 4 in Room 6 of the Griffin Centre to discuss future strategies, including for nearby marginal electorates, aiming to reverse these cuts. Kathryn Kelly, convenor, ACT Friends of CSIRO Simple home truths Two simple questions for our PM and Treasurer: why should ordinary taxpayers, many of whom cannot afford to buy their own first home, be required to subsidise a millionaire's beach house and/or ski lodge? Second: is it not true that most people who sell their house do so to upgrade, move away, downsize etc, so if the price of housing falls, whatever they buy will also be cheaper? They will save on agent's commission and stamp duty, but nothing else will change. James Gralton, Garran Sand in the eyes for keepers of heritage In 1981, the Willandra Lakes region of western NSW was entered on the World Heritage Register. It was globally exceptional because it met several criteria for listing both as a natural environmental fossil landscape of the last Ice Age, and for its cultural significance as evidence for early human creativity. At the former Lake Mungo Dr Jim Bowler's discoveries over the 1969-74 period yielded insights into the spiritual and ritual life of Homo sapiens (ancestral Aborigines) some 42,000 years ago. These included the world's earliest known human cremation (Mungo Lady) and a male burial whose corpse was sprinkled with red ochre, carried there from perhaps 200 km distant. These excavations established that Aboriginal colonisers reached here some 40 times longer ago than the time separating William the Conqueror in 1066 from ourselves. As a World Heritage property, Australia is obliged to care for it. A management committee was appointed representing stakeholders Aborigines, farmers, scientists, government. That committee lapsed almost three years ago so much for Australia's obligations. This important location for humankind's creativity surely merits an expert overseeing committee, together with a national memorial a vault or keeping-place for human remains, under Aboriginal control, but a shrine to ancestral imagination and a storehouse for future knowledge. In 1984 the management committee requested $300,000. Nothing eventuated. In 2014 Bowler and I expressed our concerns in letters to Prime Minister Abbott and relevant federal and state ministers, stressing the urgency of these matters, but we failed to alert action. Around the same time, millions of dollars were pledged for yet another war memorial in France. We require a 20th of that amount. John Mulvaney, Yarralumla TO THE POINT SPINNING A LINE With rebellion on Norfolk Island and hundreds of bona fide refugees on Manus Island, the answer is clear. The Christian response of the Fletcher variety by Prime Minister Malcolm Bligh Turnbull will ensure those on Manus don't get to the mainland but do get to Australia. Spin doctors, do your work. Gerald Buchanan, Braddon WAFFLING ON Jeremy in the "Zits" cartoon strip (Panorama, April 30, p29) asked "Do you see any waffles?" Happily he need look no further than the article "What type of Canberra do we want beyond 10 years?" (Forum, April 30, p5). Shane Rattenbury contributed a quarter-page about the tram, full of assertions and happy words but without a single solid argument. Waffle. Brian Stone, Weetangera THREAT JUST NOT ON The cowardly and disgraceful threat to a political candidate's dog ("Toxic message has candidate seeing red", May 2, p5) must rank as a new low point in ACT politics. Let's hope that the person who posted the note is apprehended. Our right to be politically active must never be curtailed by threats of violence. Fred Pilcher, Kaleen DISCORDANT NOTE If the ANU Music School now has 67 students, and needs 200 to survive, that's about a 200 per cent increase needed, not 300 per cent, Andrew Podger ("ANU School of Music 'poorly managed"', May 2, p1). Ian Morison, Forrest CONCESSIONS QUERY Michael Lane (Letters, May 2) would have us believe that negative gearing property and its partner capital gains tax concessions are not profitable, which means that all those participating must be doing it, out of the goodness of their hearts, to house those who can't afford a home. Codswallop. Max Jensen, Chifley TAX DOWNSIDE The proposal to reduce company tax to 28.5 per cent is effectively a tax increase for every shareholder in Australia, as the consequence is that the current 30 per cent imputation credit will in future also drop to 28.5per cent. Michael Adler, Gungahlin Everyone poops, as Taro Gomi's children's book by that title has long reminded us, and everyone pees, transgender and gender-nonconforming people included. That's nature. Sex-segregated public toilets, on the other hand, are unnatural social constructs human inventions that organise our bodily functions according to cultural scripts. They are built environments that change in response to shifting mores, economic considerations and political pressures. Since the American Supreme Court ruled in favour of same-sex marriage last year, we have seen a significant backlash against LGBT rights. The recent passage of discriminatory legislation in North Carolina has received the bulk of media attention, but in the first few months of 2016, legislatures in 22 states introduced bills that seek to roll back equal rights, with transgender people often singled out for especially harsh treatment. Prurient fantasies of men masquerading in dresses to stalk sexual prey in the ladies' room are trotted out in support of laws preventing transgender people from using restrooms that match their appearance and identity. Our culture is in the midst of a profound re-evaluation of how we understand gender, and public toilets have long been sites for staging anxieties about such social change. In 19th- and early 20th-century cities, the proliferation of gender-segregated public toilets depended not just on the development of modern sanitation infrastructure, but on the movement of women into the public realm as wage-earners, consumers and voters. Vigorous debate about the policies of a government, both inside and outside a state, is vital for any robust democracy to thrive Israel is no exception. Israelis and others are free to offer constructive and contextual criticism of specific Israeli policies, actions or government officials. Yet since its creation, Israel, the only democracy in the Middle East, has been subjected to a unique and extreme double standard of judgment and criticism. No other country in the world has faced the same kind of half-truths, outright falsehoods and severe condemnation that Israel does. The Israel-Palestinian debate desperately needs more balanced, fact-based voices to dispel the myths and replace them with reality. The IDF, Israeli security forces and police are taught to use only necessary force dependent on the situation in accordance with international law. Credit:IDF Professor Amin Saikal recently condemned Israel's policies during the 2014 Gaza War ("Bernie Sanders dares to challenge Israel", Times2, April 20, p5). He ignored the facts. Israel was provoked into the conflict when it was attacked by thousands of rockets fired by Hamas, the Islamic terrorist group who control Gaza. Throughout the operation, Israel pushed for a ceasefire 12 times. Hamas ignored all 12. As former British commander Richard Kemp has said, "No army in the world acts with as much discretion and great care as the IDF in order to minimise damage. The US and Britain are careful, but not as much as Israel." The blood of the civilians who were killed is on the hands of Hamas who provoked Israel into a conflict, cruelly used their own people as human shields and placed rockets in schools, hospitals and mosques. When the IDF sent multiple warnings to Gazans to evacuate before every operation, Hamas would threaten people to stay in their homes and shoot anyone trying to leave. Why? Hamas exploits the deaths of its children to gain the world's sympathy. They use it as a weapon. The 2016 federal budget is confirmation that the Commonwealth government is more concerned with threats abroad and public violence than the scourge of family violence permeating every corner of the Australian community. Of the $450.5 billion allocated in the budget, $100 million has been allocated over three years to domestic and family violence. That funding is committed to delivering on the National Plan to Reduce Violence against Women and their Children 2010-2022 and the recommendations of the April 2016 Council of Australian Governments Advisory Panel Report on reducing violence against women and their children. The budget also allocates $5.1 million to continue commitments made as part of the National Framework for Protecting Australia's Children 2009-2020. That funding will go towards the Building Capacity in Australian Parents trial, a program aimed at building parenting skills in vulnerable families including where a parent has a mental illness, is imprisoned or faces significant disadvantage. In comparison with the $100 million allocated to family violence, the budget allocates $30 billion for national security, with the promise of "keeping Australians safe". Matthew Sleeth ... still angry about the execution. Sleeth believes there was insufficient understanding about what calls for the duo's execution really meant. "I spent a lot of time in Indonesia and no one ever called for Myuran and Andrew to be killed to me everyday Indonesians but many, many Australians did," he says. "So that made me ask, 'why?' It also made me ask, 'do people really know what it means to call for an execution?' So I want the film to be a very detailed and near real-time look at the execution." Sleeth concedes this will be confronting for viewers. "If anything should be obscene, it should be an execution," he says. "When I was talking to Myu about it, the horror was in the detail. "What does the actual experience mean? Does the guy who's tying you to the post talk to you? What's it like to literally have your chest torn apart? "They're the things we need to think about when we're actually calling for an execution and thinking about the rights and obligations of a state to its citizens. "I don't think there was any country that ever had a moral obligation to stop an execution like Australia did in this case given the [Australian Federal Police, who tipped off the Indonesian police about the Bali Nine] is the reason why they were exposed to the death penalty in the first place. "None of that will actually be in the film as such, but I hope they're the questions we're left asking at the end of it." As well as directing, Sleeth will write the film with producer Maggie Miles and have Lantana writer Andrew Bovell as script consultant, developing it through a series of workshops that will include Sukumaran's family, lawyers and Quilty. Robert Connolly, the director of Paper Planes and producer of The Turning, will be executive producer. Sukumaran's family will be involved in choosing the actor who plays him in the film. While he accepts many people saw him only as a drug smuggler, Sleeth says he knew Sukumaran as "a really sweet and easy person to get along with" as well as a passionate and disciplined artist. "Something I'd really like this film to do would be to bridge the gap between the person I knew and the person the world saw," he says. "I think that really did narrow towards the end. I think there was a real understanding of their rehabilitation and Myu's work as an artist and Andrew's as a pastor. "But in terms of why do we let this happen and how did it come to this, I think it's because we make so many assumptions about who people are from stereotypes and media archetypes." Sleeth says Guilty a working title that will likely change will not defend drug smuggling. "I think drug smuggling is wrong and, in the end, nobody thought they should be punished more than Myu and Andrew and their families and their lawyers. "Clemency means life in prison. It doesn't mean getting out of jail. This film is try to separate the crime and the punishment." The Hive Fund is a collaboration between the festival, the Australia Council, Screen Australia and ABC Arts. Also funded for next year's festival are Emma Magenta's Remembering Agatha, described as "a hybrid live-action whimsical drama overlaid with animation", and Bruce Gladwin's Bunghole, a "blackly humorous story" about a team of people with intellectual disabilities who have to plug a hole in a deserted nuclear facility. In past years it has produced such projects as Lynette Wallworth's documentary Tender, Stephen Page's dance film Spear and Rosemary Myers' coming-of-age film Girl Asleep. Noyce thriller has Games of Thrones star Game of Thrones is due to end after season eight. Australian director Phillip Noyce has a new Hollywood thriller, Above Suspicion, that will star Emilia Clarke from Game of Thrones and Jack Huston from American Hustle and the coming Ben-Hur. According to Deadline Hollywood, the movie is based on a true crime book by New York Times columnist Joe Sharkey about an FBI agent charged with murder after being drawn into an illicit affair with a woman who becomes his star informant. Shooting is due to start later this month. Noyce, who directed an episode of the mini-series Roots recently, has a strong track record for thrillers with Patriot Games, Clear and Present Danger and The Quiet American, while also being acclaimed for Newsfront, Dead Calm and Rabbit Proof Fence. Sydney Film Festival showcases virtual reality With virtual reality touted as the next frontier for immersive filmmaking, Sydney Film Festival will screen nine examples at the Festival Hub next month. Down the Rabbit Hole Virtual Reality at the Hub will include free screenings of such virtual reality experiences as strolling along the streets of Havana in A History of Cuban Dance, going on stage with the Sydney Dance Company in Stuck in the Middle with You and finding out what it's like to lose your sight in Notes On Blindness: Into Darkness. As well as a panel discussion Diving down the VR Rabbit Hole at The Hub, the festival is co-presenting two interactive experimental films at the University of NSW one on the devastation caused by Cyclone Yasi, the other "a dream work" exploring relationships between human and natural worlds and "a four-sided video installation" set in an Iranian bazaar at Carriageworks. Sherpa hits heights Jennifer Peedom's acclaimed documentary Sherpa has quietly cracked $1 million on its fifth weekend a strong result considering it opened in only 28 cinemas. According to Screen Australia, it is only the fourth Australian documentary outside IMAX films to hit that mark. On a weekend in cinemas dominated by Captain America: Civil War, which opened with a thumping $13.9 million, Matthew Saville's Australian comedy A Month Of Sundays took a modest $174,000 in 40 cinemas reaching $218,000 including previews. New movie for Fassbender Michael Fassbender will not be short of work when he finishes shooting Ridley Scott's Alien: Covenant in Sydney. The X-Men and Steve Jobs star is in talks to play a serial killer in the thriller Entering Hades, with his own company DMC Film as one of the producers. According to Variety, it will be based on a true crime novel about a celebrated Austrian journalist and best-selling author who led a double life investigating murders by day and killing 11 people by night. Fassbender's coming movies include Australian director Justin Kurzel's video game adaptation Assassin's Creed after they previously worked together on Macbeth. Short film sparks exhibition Let's just be clear, $1400 is a lot of money for me. It's a lot of money for most people. So what on Earth possessed me to drop this amount on two seats in the second-last row (yes, second-last) of Broadway show, Hamilton? To answer this question, we've got to backtrack a little. Foxtel's wildly popular prison melodrama returns with an episode that will have fans in raptures. Heck, even viewers who find Wentworth hopelessly frustrating to watch might find themselves periodically impressed in between their usual bouts of eye-rolling and the chortling where they're not supposed to chortle. After last season's finale the big question is what happened to governor Joan Ferguson (Pamela Rabe). It's not giving too much away to say that Ferguson's actions last year have resulted in seismic changes to the power structure at the prison and look like giving the new season its most memorable plotline -- for better or worse. The Wentworth crew: terrific acting, shame about the scripts. Credit:Foxtel But the episode begins with Bea (Danielle Cormack), Doreen (Shareena Clanton), Boomer (Katrina Milosevic) and the rest of the gang returning to the newly repaired Wentworth, which is currently under the management of one Vera Bennett (Kate Atkinson). The rival crews of Lucy Gambaro (the menacing Sally-Anne Upton) and Kaz Proctor (the equally menacing Tammy Macintosh) both shower Bea with gifts. Are they really paying tribute to the top dog, or merely setting her up for a knife in the back? Whatever the case, Bea is feeling the weight of a nameless dread and seems to be considering a permanent exit via self-administered mercy-shivving. Movie: The Patriot (2000) ONE, 8.30pm A key issue throughout human history is whether one should put individual beliefs above the interests of one's country. For Benjamin Martin (Mel Gibson), a man of standing in the American South of the 1770s, the issue is whether his desire to avoid war with occupying Great Britain takes precedence over a mounting passion for independence. And Benjamin will need all his military wiles to protect his impetuous and patriotic son, Gabriel (Heath Ledger). The film, from German director Roland Emmerich, is handsome and feels epic, spiked with high-octane drama, but it is also as wrong-headed as movies can get. The anti-British tone is near pathological, especially when Emmerich has the English commit crimes that never happened (such as burning people in a locked church), but which were committed by the Nazis in World War II. Such scenes caused outrage at the time and still disturb for their unprincipled disregard for honest storytelling. Scott Murray Neil Oliver, the host and face of television documentary series Coast, is off to New Zealand. Credit:Max Mason-Hubers MMH Pay: Coast New Zealand History, 8.30pm Scottish archaeologist Neil Oliver has done the coastlines of Britain, Europe and Australia. Now he's off to New Zealand, where he and a new bunch of experts in various fields immediately find a grab bag full of interesting stories. Tonight they're in Fiordland, on the remote south-west of the South Island, where the tales from history are just as compelling as the glacier-gouged landscapes. One of these is the story of the area's first European sealers, who were dropped off in Dusky Sound in 1792 and assured that they would be picked up again in a couple of years. Rather prudently, they set about building their own 70-tonne boat just in case their lift didn't arrive. Elsewhere, we learn about whaling, lighthouses and black coral (which looks distinctly white to the untrained eye) and about how the unusual shape of the bottlenose dolphins is an example of evolution in action. Great general-interest viewing. Brad Newsome 58th Annual Logie Awards Nine, 7.30pm Ah, Australian television's night of nights: the Logies. Where the respected and intelligent Waleed Aly and Lee Lin Chin are up against the professionally short game show host Grant Denyer and the professionally jovial tradie Scott Cam for the (cough) prestigious Gold Logie. Where Pia Miller from Home and Away is seen fit as the only woman on Australian television to be nominated for Best New Talent (she's up against the junior and senior versions of Peter Allen from Not the Boy Next Door, and two former reality show contestants from The Block and House Rules). Where Carrie Bickmore's thoughtful and smart presenting of The Project is up against Denyer (again) for shouting at confused contestants on Family Feud. Where Australian Story is up against Bondi Vet for Best Factual Program and, finally, where Q&A is up against Sunrise and Today for Best News Panel or Current Affairs Program. Let me repeat that: Sunrise and Today are nominated in the best current affairs category. It's enough to make you weep and that doesn't even take into account the backlash that erupted when Aly and Chin's nominations were announced and Today co-host Karl Stefanovic joked that he and Lisa Wilkinson were "too white" to be nominated. As usual, Stefanovic has been rewarded for his stupidity as he and Wilkinson are hosting the red carpet with Sylvia Jeffreys. You have been warned. Louise Rugendyke Red carpet hosts: Karl Stefanovic and Lisa Wilkinson on the Today show. Happy Valley BBC First, 8.30pm It's grim up north, and nowhere more so than the West Yorkshire valley patrolled by hard-as-nails police sergeant Catherine Cawood (Sarah Lancashire). It seems that no sooner has she locked up Tommy Lee Royce (James Norton), the man who raped her daughter and led to her suicide, leaving Cawood to raise the child of the rape, than she becomes a suspect in the murder of Royce's mother. And now she may be up against a serial killer, as well as ruthless human traffickers who may be after a little old lady she has inadvertently put in harm. Oh, and she has an alcoholic sister (Siobhan Finneran) about to fall off the wagon. Where others might break down, Cawood perseveres. Lancashire is mesmerising in the complex role, making Cawood as formidable as she is admirable, but very imperfectly human. Series creator Sally Wainwright surrounds her with similarly well-drawn characters who have problems of their own.Brad Newsome A lot of people who should have known better listened to Clive Palmer. Tizzed around him when they thought he could help them, crawled to him for a vote or a hand-out, dined with him, begging favours, as he consumed everything but the tablecloth. The man who said he was going to build it is sunk. Ministers of the Crown, a man who would be prime minister, opposition chieftains, union leaders ... they lined up to sup at his table and wheedle at his feet. Crossbenchers who once merrily took his fabulous coin and, having made it to Parliament, were the first to abandon him. Clive Palmer wanted to be prime minister but crashed and burned during his first term in Parliament. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen All gone now. Now that he can't help anyone any more, not even himself. The liquidators circle. The House of Representatives, a chamber that has seen brigades of pretenders come and go, was all but empty as Palmer, surely the greatest pretender, lumbered to his feet on Wednesday to snort and bleat and claim to have done great things and announce that we wouldn't have him to kick around any more. Finally, he was putting an end to the farce that began three years ago when legions of voters allowed themselves to be mesmerised by an overblown Narcissus who imagined himself a future prime minister. Embattled businessman Clive Palmer says he will ask his wife before deciding on a possible Senate tilt at the upcoming election, after deciding he would not recontest his Sunshine Coast seat of Fairfax. But Mr Palmer is seeking to maintain an influence in Parliament regardless, announcing Palmer United Party candidates for the Tasmanian and Western Australian Senate races on Wednesday. During a rare appearance in Canberra, the self-proclaimed billionaire delivered his valedictory speech in which he flagged his intention to "contribute further to our great country". But he told reporters he would speak to his family first. After three decades in federal politics, Liberal icon and fallen speaker Bronwyn Bishop has formally farewelled Parliament, firing a warning shot at former prime minister Tony Abbott over his role in her demise. Before a quiet House of Representatives on Wednesday afternoon, Mrs Bishop said she was forced to step down as speaker to protect Mr Abbott and spoke proudly of her "moving" time in the position. "That came to an end when I was asked to resign to protect Tony Abbott, someone whom I had assisted and worked with and respected for many years," she said. "There is much more than meets the eye in that saga, but not for now." A Somali refugee remains in a critical condition in a Brisbane hospital after setting herself alight on Nauru. Hodan Yasin, 21, was transferred to Brisbane from the Pacific island nation on Tuesday morning after suffering critical injuries from self-inflicted burns a day earlier. Somali 21-year-old Hodan Yasin set herself alight at the Nauru detention centre. Credit:Department of Immigration Immigration Minister Peter Dutton told parliament on Tuesday afternoon Ms Yasin's condition was unlikely to improve. "We can of course hope for the best possible outcome, but it is a dire situation," he said. A legal challenge seeking the transfer of asylum seekers from Manus Island to Australia will be heard in the third week of the election campaign. A hearing for the High Court challenge has been set for May 23 after last week's ruling in the Papua New Guinea Supreme Court that the Manus Island detention centre breached the country's constitution. In documents lodged on Wednesday, 757 asylum seekers are also seeking an order from the court preventing the Australian government from moving them to Nauru. The asylum seekers allege that both the Australian and PNG governments have committed gross human rights breaches, including forcible detention, torture and degrading treatment, and false imprisonment. The claim will be vigorously defended by the Turnbull government, which declined to comment. Clive Palmer's frequent sparring partner in the Queensland government has welcomed the former mining magnate's apparent political swansong. Mr Palmer announced on Wednesday he would not recontest the federal seat of Fairfax on the Sunshine Coast, bringing an end to a colourful, but short-lived, career in the House of Representatives. Queensland Treasurer Curtis Pitt, who has been involved in a long-running public slanging match with Mr Palmer over his Yabulu nickel refinery, said the Member for Fairfax would have had his fate secured come July 2, even if he did not resign. "The time of people's leaving political life happens in only two ways," he said. 1. Kasich drops out It's official. Trump has gone from being the presumptive nominee to the nominee with John Kasich bowing out of the Republican race after Ted Cruz quit on Tuesday. As the BBC reports: "The race for the Republican presidential nomination has taken more than a year to unfold, but in a flash it is over." That means, take a deep breath, we are one step closer to a President Trump and almost certainly going to see a Trump vs Clinton contest. The Obamas travelled down in March, but now the US' other first family is taking a copycat Cuban holiday. The Kardashian-Jenner clan will visit the socialist Caribbean island to film episodes of their reality show Keeping Up with the Kardashians this week, People reports. The announcement comes just two weeks after the family returned from a group holiday to Iceland, which will also appear on the show. Cuba is certainly having a bit of a moment: On Tuesday, Havana's Paseo de Prado played host to the Resort 2017 Chanel fashion show. The NSW Department of Education will invest more than $60 million into new inner Sydney schools in a bid to curb a chronic shortage of school places. On Wednesday, NSW Education Minister Adrian Piccoli announced a new kindergarten to Year 12 school in Alexandria with capacity for 2200 students. The initiative will barely cover the expected enrolment surge that will come with the nearby Green Square development, with 60,000 residents swarming into the area over the next decade. The most senior Australian fighting with Islamic State, Neil Prakash, has been killed in a US air strike in Iraq. Prakash, who was at the centre of a web of recruitment that inspired terrorism plots in Australia and drove adherents to join the group in the Middle East, was directly targeted in the strike by a US fighter plane on Friday, the Australian government has been told by US officials. Shadi Jabar Khalil Mohammad, the sister of Parramatta shooter Farhad Jabar, was killed in a separate US strike a week earlier in Syria, government sources have also revealed. Again they were advised of her death by US counterparts. It's not quite the haka but it's still pretty impressive. New Zealand police have joined in the latest online dance craze and challenged Australia's men and women in blue to do the same. And it sounds like Victoria Police may take on the challenge. A video of a group of Kiwi police officers dancing while doing the "running man challenge" has been uploaded to the NZ Police Recruitment Facebook page. The trend involves doing '80s hip-hop dance move "The Running Man" (pretty much as it sounds) to 1995 song My Boo by Ghost Town DJs. She joins the most senior Australian fighting with the Islamic State terror group, Neil Prakash, to have been killed in US air strikes. Ms Jabar was killed in a separate strike a week earlier, said US officials who advised of her death. Farhad Jabar, the 15-year-old brother of Shadi Jabar, in a shootout with police at NSW Police headquarters in Parramatta. Credit:Channel Seven Ms Jabar was with her Sudanese husband, Abu Sa'ad al-Sudani, who was also killed. Both were regarded as active recruiters for the Islamic State group. Shadi Jabar Khalil Mohammad, the sister of 15-year-old Farhad Jabar who shot dead police accountant Curtis Cheng in Parramatta last year, has been killed in a US strike in Syria, government sources have revealed. Prakash, 24, who was at the centre of a web of highly active recruitment that inspired terrorism plots in Australia and drove adherents to join the group in the Middle East, was directly targeted in the strike in Iraq by a US fighter plane last Friday, the Australian government was also told by US officials. Prakash, originally from Melbourne, was killed with up to 10 other Islamic State jihadists when the building they were in was struck in Mosul, the group's defacto capital in Iraq. Prakash himself was a key target. His death brings to an end more than a year in which he was a key figure in pushing Islamic State's ideology into Australia. He was a high-value target because of his prominence as a recruiter, not just for his native Australia but in other countries as well. He had starred in one of the jihadist group's glossy promotional videos and was linked to multiple extremist plots in Australia but also to calls for lone-wolf attacks in the United States. He was regarded as an enemy combatant under international law and is understood to have been on a so-called "kill list". Flanked by family and friends, slain Chinese student Michelle Leng's mother arrived at Burwood Local Court on Wednesday, where her brother-in-law faced charges of murdering her daughter. Derek Barrett, 27, who is accused of stabbing the 25-year-old business graduate to death, did not appear before the packed courtroom, which swelled with members of the Chinese community and Chinese media who crowded the aisles to hear the outcome. But the case was limited to a brief mention, as magistrate Jacqueline Trad adjourned the matter until June 29. Ms Leng's mother was supported by her sister - who is married to Mr Barrett - as well as Ms Leng's grandmother and cousin and she left the court on Wednesday morning, bypassing the waiting media pack. Best of the world Were sorry, this feature is currently unavailable. Were working to restore it. Please try again later. Dismiss Is this the man who could save Salim Mehajer's empire? Malaysian-born businessman Kenneth W.H. Lee was installed as a director of two of the most troubled Mehajer companies last week, in what could be interpreted as a sign the controversial developer-politician is being forced to take a back seat from its financial affairs. The move comes as the suspended deputy mayor of Auburn council is searching for a major source of cash to settle disputed loans amid mounting claims of missed payments. Mehajer companies have been negotiating for weeks to secure new loans believed to be over $50 million for its signature project, a 14-storey block in Lidcombe known as Sky Point towers. A motorcyclist has died in a collision with a semi-trailer in Sydney's north, police say. The crash occurred at the intersection of Mona Vale Road and Forest Way in Terrey Hills just before midday on Wednesday. The motorcyclist is believed to have ended up under the semi-trailer and was critically injured. The CareFlight helicopter was called, but the man died from his injuries. Police said the motorcyclist had not been identified early on Wednesday afternoon. Former rugby player Paul Darren Mulvihill is appealing against his conviction and sentence for the stabbing murder of his former lover Rachelle Yeo. In April 2014, Mulvihill was sentenced to 29 years' jail for the "vicious and sustained" attack on Ms Yeo on July 16, 2012 at her home at North Curl Curl on Sydney's northern beaches. Paul Mulvihill, pictured with his former barrister Kate Traill, is appealing against his conviction and sentence for the murder of his former lover Rachelle Yeo. Credit:Edwina Pickles A non-parole period made him ineligible for release until February 5, 2035, when he will be 67. A Sydney woman, who had $4.6 million mistakenly transferred into her bank account and who allegedly did not return it, has been arrested at Sydney International Airport while trying to leave the country, police say. Australian Federal Police stopped the 21-year-old woman from Rhodes about 8.25pm on Wednesday as she tried to board a flight to Malaysia. Police will allege the woman obtained an illegal financial advantage when she overdrew her account by $4.6 million in 2012. Police allege that, four years later, the woman had still not returned the money. A NSW Police spokeswoman said the Sydney City Local Area Command's CBD fraud unit began investigating the money transfer at the time of the incorrect transfer, and in March this year issued a warrant for the woman's arrest. Notorious two-time prison escapee Brenden Abbott is on his way to Western Australia after being paroled from a Queensland jail where he has spent the past 18 years. Abbott, dubbed the postcard bandit after his habit of taunting police while on the run, will fly to Perth by private jet from Brisbane airport on Wednesday morning, a day after a judge ordered his extradition to face charges over his infamous 1989 Fremantle jail break. Abbott faces a further 16 years in jail in Western Australia, after his legal team failed to convince Queensland Supreme Court Justice David Jackson his extradition to the west would be tantamount to an abuse of process. Two people are assisting police with their inquiries over an incident near the Gold Coast in which a woman fled into the bushes near a retirement village covered in blood. About 10.30am on Wednesday police attempted to pull over a vehicle on Nerang-Broadbeach Road after they saw a man allegedly hitting a female passenger, believed to be his mother. A woman fled into the bush covered in blood after allegedly being assaulted near the Gold Coast. Credit:Bianca Stone The driver did not stop but police later found the vehicle in a street nearby. The 33-year-old male driver and a 30-year-old female passenger were arrested at the scene. In the digital age we rely on encryption every day. It protects our bank transactions from tampering and our communications from eavesdropping, plus it safeguards sensitive information stored about us by businesses and the government. Encryption works by scrambling information in such a complex way that it's practically impossible to unscramble without the password, also called the key. You can launch a "brute force" attack, trying every possible combination, but the world's most powerful supercomputer would be lucky to crack the 256-bit AES encryption used by banks before the sun burns out five billion years from now. So your money is pretty safe. Encryption can protect your files but losing your password will have tragic consequences. Of course, encryption is open to abuse just like any powerful tool, with criminals and terrorists also using it to communicate in secret. To combat this threat, governments and law enforcement agencies around the world want to build in backdoors which only they can use. Some people say if you've got nothing to hide then you've got nothing to fear, but others are understandably concerned that weakened encryption is open to abuse especially in light of what US National Security Agency whistleblower Edward Snowden revealed about Western governments spying on their own people. They say things happen in threes. Unfortunately for our wind-blown city, that appears to be true. Fierce winds lashed Victoria on Sunday, and again on Tuesday, and the state is now bracing for more wild weather on Mother's Day. Bureau of Meteorology forecaster Kevin Parkyn has warned another cold front is heading for Victoria and could intensify and unleash winds and heavy rain on Sunday. Also in East Melbourne, a two-level basement extension was recently approved for an early Victorian terrace in Hotham Street. It will boast a wine cellar, plant room, gymnasium, squash court and two lifts, including one for a car. Iceberg houses have long been in vogue in London, where very wealthy homeowners are similarly restricted from visibly expanding their luxury pads due to heritage restrictions. And some have caused problems. Last November a Georgian home opposite the River Thames suddenly collapsed into a newly-dug void beneath. Without proper oversight, there are concerns that problems seen internationally with elaborate basement extensions could occur in Melbourne. Melbourne councillor Rohan Leppert said there were no planning policies regulating basement extensions in Victoria. "There's no controls about how low you can go," he said. Ken Ong, another Melbourne councillor, said as more developments were driven underground, authorities would need to deal with the possibility neighbouring heritage properties could be damaged through massive excavations. This danger has already been illustrated locally. Last year two townhouses in Mount Waverley were left teetering on the edge of a 15-metre-deep hole after a neighbouring construction pit collapsed. The earth below the pit-side townhouses in Mount Waverley. Credit:Simon O'Dwyer Ground water is also likely to be an issue in some basement expansions. Real estate agent Philippe Batters said he had sold a house in Middle Park where the hand-dug cellar had been flooded with water, which rose and subsided with the sea tide. Mr Batters said there did appear to be an anecdotal trend towards subterranean developments. "It's always the men who are sent underground," he observed. "With affluent men, having multiple cars is a big hobby. And I've been in basements were there are all sorts of Ferraris and vintage cars." Developer Cranecorp is behind East Melbourne's new "iceberg" apartment project where close to half of the building will be underground, but brand and marketing director Andrew Drucker said the basement areas would not feel like a dungeon or a vault. "For a permit to be granted we had to satisfy light requirements, [but we also] wanted to make sure they were liveable," he said. Sunlight from outside will be funnelled into the rooms through "light courts", which will also serve as a sunken courtyards. Freak weather conditions have brought two things to Victoria's coast: terrifyingly large waves and thrill seekers who want to surf them. Surfers from interstate and overseas descended on west-coast beaches on Wednesday in the hope of carving up waves as big as four metres. Big wave riders joined surfing royalty Ross Clarke-Jones at Port Campbell, near the Twelve Apostles, while others hit the iconic Bells Beach at Torquay. Clarke-Jones is a local legend of the sport and flew in from Germany to tackle the intimidating swell, announcing his visit on Instagram with the hashtag #biggerthanbigwednesday - a reference to the cult surf flick Big Wednesday. Two Perth IT students who conducted a "research project" into SmartRiders have been found guilty of fraud after hacking into the Transperth-issued cards to roll-back charges and gain what they claim was $18 in free travel. Second-year computer science student Jack Carruthers and another Murdoch University student were members of a university club called 'Hack the Planet'. Jack Carruthers is a member of a university club called 'Hack the Planet'. Carruthers said he felt "pressured and desperate" to deliver on a project after the university promised a stall at the institution's open day - on the condition the club had "something interesting to show." But they found themselves in hot water when authorities found Carruthers had defrauded the Public Transport Authority out of $15, with his co-convicted scoring $3 in free rides. Notorious "Postcard Bandit" Brenden Abbott landed in Perth on Wednesday afternoon after a 3600 kilometre cross-country flight from Queensland in a single-prop WA police aircraft. The aircraft stopped briefly to refuel at Broken Hill on the NSW-SA border during the scheduled eight-hour flight. Abbott's arrival in WA will mark the beginning of the next stage of criminal proceedings against the 53-year-old after he was recently released from a Queensland jail after serving 18 years of a 25-year sentence - much of that in solitary confinement. Abbott, who fought extradition to WA for some three weeks, could face up to another 16 years behind bars. People power has put a stop to the roll out of high-tech licence plate recognition parking in Victoria Park. While a new era in convenience has been quietly rolling out in Perth with the introduction of LPR in a number of car parks, a similar implementation across the Causeway has run into a social media road block that ended with the council running up the white flag temporarily. Victoria Park shoppers and visitors have jacked up over an on-street licence plate recognition system that enforces parking - and fines. The Victoria Park system uses a patrol car fitted with cameras, an internal GPS and a computer running plate recognition software. The software and GPS system automatically records the licence plate of vehicles which have overstayed or are in non-designated parking bays, pinpoints the location and takes pictures. An Australian scientist described as "brilliant" for his work in combating Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and other diseases has been sentenced to 6 years' prison in New York for child pornography offences. Matthew Hynd, 40, formerly of Mundah, Queensland, was living a double life. Professionally, he was a highly regarded scientist and professor at New York's SUNY Albany Colleges of Nanoscale Science and Engineering. Hynd's lawyer Gene Primomo told the US District Court his client was "on the cutting edge of cerebral implants being developed to deliver medicines to combat diseases such as epilepsy, Parkinson's and Alzheimer diseases". His secret life was exposed in 2010 after the discovery of two laptops when the FBI executed a search warrant on his New York home. Paris: The European Union announced a plan to deal with a flood of asylum seekers, requiring member states to accept them under a quota system or face fines of 250,000 ($385,000) per migrant. The much-anticipated plan is aimed at managing the worst migrant crisis since World War II, but has triggered a backlash from Central European leaders, who have likened it to blackmail and a joke. Shadows of children are cast on a tent bearing graffiti at the northern Greek border point of Idomeni, Greece, on Wednesday. Credit:AP "It sounds like an idea announced during April Fools' Day," Polish Foreign Minister Witold Waszczykowski said on Wednesday. "Regarding the fines proposed by the European Commission, it is blackmailing," said Peter Szijjarto, Hungary's foreign minister. "The quota concept is a dead-end street, and I would like to ask the commission not to run into this dead-end street anymore." For Mr Trump, the victory adds to an incredible political story. When he entered the race, last summer, Mr Trump was such a long-shot that his campaign had to recruit tourists off the street to fill out his crowd, handing them T-shirts and pre-written signs. But he quickly took the lead, drawing on voters' resentment of illegal immigration and of manufacturing jobs shipped overseas. Along the way, the braggadocious mogul knocked off Jeb Bush, the scion of a Republican dynasty; Rand Paul, the heir to Ron Paul's liberty movement; Florida senator Marco Rubio, the face of his party's future; plus four governors and famed neurosurgeon Ben Carson. He broke the rules of American politics: insulting his opponents' looks, repeating conspiracy theories (on the eve of the primary, Mr Trump repeated a report that Senator Cruz's father had a connection to John F. Kennedy's assassin), and once bragging about the size of his genitals in a televised debate. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump. Credit:AP But Mr Trump's style, substance and business resume resonated with voters, and he benefited from rivals who took Mr Trump lightly, and blasted each other until it was too late. Mr Trump's victory was an extraordinary moment in American political history: He is now on course to be the first standard-bearer of a party who has not served in elected office since Dwight Eisenhower, a five-star general and the commander of Allied Forces in Europe during World War II. The awkward moment - only the latest in his campaign, and coming just a day after Mr Cruz's running mate Carly Fiorina fell off a stage at a campaign event - immediately went viral on social media. Mr Trump, who had lashed Mr Cruz's family with personal attacks right up until Tuesday's primary and previously dubbed him "Lyin' Ted" on the campaign trail, had kinder words for his rival in his own victory speech. "He is one hell of a competitor," Mr Trump said of Mr Cruz. "He is a tough, smart guy. He has got an amazing future ... I want to congratulate Ted." Mr Trump, who on Tuesday had erroneously linked Mr Cruz's father Rafael to John F. Kennedy's assassin Lee Harvey Oswald, appeared to try to strike a more positive and presidential tone throughout the speech, saying he would take the party to victory in November. "We're going to love each other, were going to take care of each other and we're going to have great economic development," he said. "We want to bring unity to the Republican party, we have to bring unity." "We are going to start winning again and we are going to win bigly," he appeared to say - repeating a frequently-used rhetorical flourish that some have argued might actually be "big league". In Indiana's Democratic primary, Bernie Sanders secured a narrow victory over the frontrunner Hillary Clinton. Though he still trails the former secretary of state in the pledged delegate count, the win is likely to buoy his campaign, with the Vermont senator saying he could see see a "path to victory", even if it was a "narrow" one. "I understand Secretary Clinton thinks this campaign is over. I've got some bad news for her," he said. "I think we can pull off one of the great political upsets in the history of the United States." For full functionality of this site it is necessary to enable JavaScript. Here are the instructions how to enable JavaScript in your web browser PHILIPSBURG, Sint Maarten The House of Parliament will sit in an urgent plenary public session on May 4. The Minister of Finance will be present for the session. The urgent plenary public meeting is scheduled for Wednesday at 11.00 am in the General Assembly Chamber of the House at Wilhelminastraat #1 in Philipsburg. The agenda point is Short, medium and long term financial outlook of St. Maarten. This urgent plenary session of the House was requested by Members of Parliament (MPs) MP F.G. Richardson, MP G.C. Pantophlet and MP S.A. Wescot-Williams. This meeting was originally called for Monday, April 25 but due to a lack of quorum could not proceed. Members of the public are invited to the House of Parliament to attend parliamentary deliberations. The House of Parliament is located across from the Court House in Philipsburg. The parliamentary session will be carried live on St. Maarten Cable TV Channel 120, via Pearl Radio FM 98.1, the audio via the Internet www.pearlfmradio.com and via www.sxmparliament.org. Permanent Committee of Kingdom Affairs and Inter-Parliamentary Relations scheduled to meet Wednesday The Permanent Committee of Kingdom Affairs and Inter-Parliamentary Relations (CKAIR), will meet on May 4. The CKAIR Committee meeting is scheduled for Wednesday at 3.00 pm in the General Assembly Chamber of the House at Wilhelminastraat #1 in Philipsburg. The agenda points to be discussed are: 1. Approval Decision lists CKAIR Parliamentary Year 2015-2016, no. 11 and 12 2. Incoming documents 3. Preparation IPKO and Tripartite June 2016 Members of the public are invited to the House of Parliament to attend parliamentary deliberations. The House of Parliament is located across from the Court House in Philipsburg. The parliamentary session will be carried live on St. Maarten Cable TV Channel 120, via Pearl Radio FM 98.1, the audio via the Internet www.pearlfmradio.com and via www.sxmparliament.org. PHILIPSBURG:--- The Minister of Health Emil Lee announced on Wednesday at the Council of Ministers press briefing that there have been eight confirmed cases of Zika on the Dutch side of the island, 61 cases on the French side and 707 cases in Puerto Rico. Minister Lee said its clear that the virus is spreading throughout the region, while there is some level of presence on St. Maarten/St. Martin. He said the Ovitraps that were distributed to various residents in the Fort Willem area worked well when it was properly used but there are cases where the ovitraps did not work optimally since the persons that had them did not know how to use them. Minister Lee said the traps were distributed as CPS was conducting its testing phases which they recently completed. The Minister of Health said there is more that have to be done to decrease the breeding grounds of mosquitos. He said his Ministry is busy trying to hire someone to conduct vector specialist to map out the areas. The Minister said is Ministry is also looking into ways on how they could work closer with Curacao and Aruba. Government continues the fight against mosquitos Government continues the fight , but the only way that we will win the war against mosquitos, is if the population is well informed and engaged said Minister Lee during the Council of Ministers Press briefing on Wednesday. It is as known fact that the Zika virus is spreading throughout the region, and there is some level of presence in St. Maarten. Currently, the Dutch side has 8 confirmed cases, and the French side 61 cases. Puerto Rico reports a whopping 707 cases of the Zika Virus. The Ministry of Public Health Social Development & Labor has just concluded a field trial of a lethal ovitrap system which was deployed in the Fort Willem area. Lethal ovitraps use the egg laying urge of the female mosquito by providing a breeding site that kills the adult mosquito, and all of the eggs. During the briefing on Wednesday, Minister Lee shared the results of the trial. He stated that when the ovitraps were installed and maintained properly, it was effective. Control traps in the area in some cases, showed a complete elimination of the aedes agypti mosquito which carries the virus. However, throughout the field trial, we found that many people did not eliminate other mosquito breeding places around their homes. There is no point in installing ovitraps if, there are other breeding sites right next to them stressed the Minister. This is not a war that can be won quickly. Currently the ministry is hiring a vector control specialist to make a plan for the entire island. This will also involve close cooperation with the French side as well. We are also working together with Curacao and Aruba on ideas to help solve this issue concluded Minister Lee. CSCMP San Francisco Roundtable Announces Scholarship Finalists SAN FRANCISCO, CA (Marketwired) 05/03/16 The CSCMP San Francisco Roundtable today announced 7 finalists for its expanded supply chain and logistics academic scholarship awards to be presented Wednesday evening, May 11, 2016 at the Inaugural Business & Scholars Gala Event at the Blackhawk Auto Museum in Danville, CA. Frank Sanders, Vice President, Corporate Strategic Procurement at , will deliver the keynote address, Why Supply Chain Management is THE Career of Choice for Now! The 2016 CSCMP-SFRT academic scholarship award finalists are: Pouriya Bagheri, Shiman Ding, Henry L. Fuse IV, Bhargavi Kapuganti, Aaron Prohofsky, Kunal Shalia, Hiromichi Yamamoto, CSCMP San Francisco Roundtable (SFRT) supports the education of future supply chain and logistics practitioners by offering academic awards to Bay Area undergraduate and graduate students working towards a degree in supply chain management or logistics. Commenting on this years competition, Petural PJ Shelton, SFRT VP of Academic Collaboration, stated, With the talent shortage facing our industry, CSCMP SF Roundtable is pleased to substantially increase this years scholarship program. We are committed to developing industrys future leaders and excited to create this Forum to recognize the accomplishments of our finalists and celebrate with top Bay Area companies and professionals at our Inaugural Gala. The 2016 CSCMP-SFRT academic scholarship awards being presented are: awards $2,500 toward tuition and/or school fees and a 1-year student CSCMP membership. awards $2,500 toward tuition and/or school fees and a 1-year student CSCMP membership. awards transportation, lodging, meals and registration for the 2016 CSCMP Global Conference in Orlando, FL from September 25-28, 2016. The winner will represent the CSCMP SF RT among Ambassadors from CSCMP Roundtables from all over the world. The Inaugural Gala will be held at the prestigious Blackhawk Auto Museum in Danville, CA, with registration opening at 5 pm, hors doeuvres, and networking at the Spirit of the Old West SOTO Gallery in the famed museum best known for its classic car display, followed by dinner in the formal dining room with keynote address and awards presentation. For more information and to register, please go to . Serving 9,000+ members worldwide, the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals () is a non-profit membership association that helps supply chain managers and executives connect, collaborate and become more effective professionals. One of the most dynamic of its 100+ Roundtables around the globe, the San Francisco CSCMP provides regular educational events, networking opportunities and a scholarship program. For more information, please visit . Contact: Michele Carroll 925-980-1767 Crexendo Reports First Quarter 2016 Financial Results PHOENIX, AZ (Marketwired) 05/03/16 Crexendo, Inc. (OTCQX: CXDO), a hosted services company that provides hosted telecommunications services, broadband internet services, website hosting, and e-commerce website development software for businesses, today reported financial results for its first quarter ended March 31, 2016. Consolidated revenue for the first quarter of 2016 increased 17% to $2.2 million compared to $1.9 million for the first quarter of 2015. Hosted Telecommunications Services Segment revenue for the first quarter of 2016 increased 34% to $1.8 million compared to $1.3 million for the first quarter of 2015. Web Services Segment revenue for the first quarter of 2016 decreased 25% to $396,000, compared to $528,000 for the first quarter of 2015. Consolidated operating expenses for the first quarter of 2016 decreased 6% to $3.0 million compared to $3.2 million for the first quarter of 2015. On a GAAP basis, the Company reported an $(868,000) net loss for the first quarter of 2016, or $(0.07) loss per diluted common share, compared to net loss of $(1.2) million or $(0.09) loss per diluted common share for the first quarter of 2015. Non-GAAP net loss was $(562,000) for the first quarter of 2016, or $(0.04) loss per diluted common share, compared to a non-GAAP net loss of $(676,000) or $(0.05) loss per diluted common share for the first quarter of 2015. EBITDA for the first quarter of 2016 was $(830,000) compared to $(1.3) million for the first quarter of 2015. Adjusted EBITDA for the first quarter of 2016 was $(580,000) compared to $(860,000) for the first quarter of 2015. Steven G. Mihaylo, Chief Executive Officer, commented, We continue to make steady progress. During Q1 2016 we continued to increase revenue, increase backlog and lower expenses as compared to Q1 2015. We are planning to automate more processes, which we expect will further reduce expenses going forward. We are fully committed to increasing sales and continuing to grow our Direct Sales Channel and Dealer Partner Sales Channel. We are tracking to reach cash flow breakeven late this year and GAAP profitability in the first half of next year. We are diligently working to meet these goals. Mihaylo added, We continue to do an excellent job with enterprise customers. As I have discussed, our integrated processes are particularly attuned to working with enterprise customers and finding solutions for their specific needs. Our solutions are very effective for small, medium and enterprise customers. Our business continues to mature and a step in that maturation process is our announcement that we have opened up our platform to allow customers to migrate their Polycom telephones to our system. Opening up our system to the largest provider of cloud phones allows us to expand the reach of our award winning solutions to businesses that currently have an investment in Polycom phones. We now support Crexendo, Polycom, and Yealink telephones. We have also added two new Crexendo branded phones which are feature rich and competitively priced. We continue to expand our reach to more potential customers, which should result in additional sales. I know our solutions should allow these business customers to save substantial amounts of money and increase their productivity. Our management team is now fully prepared to embrace the tremendous market opportunity we see ahead for the company. I am convinced we will continue to grow revenue organically, and we are continuing to review strategic accretive partnerships and acquisitions. I believe the future for Crexendo is very good. The Company is hosting a conference call today, May 3, 2016 at 5:30 PM EDT. The telephone dial-in number is 888-312-3048 for domestic participants and 719-325-2494 for international participants. The conference ID to join the call is 7606456. Please dial in five to ten minutes prior to the beginning of the call at 5:30 PM EDT. Crexendo, Inc. (CXDO) is a hosted services company that provides hosted telecommunications services, broadband internet services, website hosting, and e-commerce website development software for businesses. Our services are designed to make enterprise-class hosting services available to any size businesses at affordable monthly rates. This press release contains forward-looking statements. The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 provides a safe harbor for such forward-looking statements. The words believe, expect, anticipate, estimate, will and other similar statements of expectation identify forward-looking statements. Specific forward-looking statements in this press release include information about Crexendo (i) continuing to make steady progress; (ii) planning to automate more processes, which will further reduce expenses going forward; (iii) being committed to increasing sales and continuing to grow Direct Sales Channel and Dealer Partner Sales Channel; (iv) tracking to reach cash flow breakeven late this year and GAAP profitability in the first half of next year; (v) diligently working to meet cash flow and profitability goals; (vi) doing an excellent job with enterprise customers; (vii) solutions being very effective for small, medium and enterprise customers; (viii) business continuing to mature; (ix) successfully opening its platform to allow customers to migrate their Polycom telephones to its system; (x) opening of the platform allowing the expanded reach; (xi) successfully adding two new Crexendo branded phones which are feature rich and competitively priced: (xii) continuing to expand its reach to more potential customers resulting in additional sales; (xiii) solutions should allowing business customers to save substantial amounts of money and increase their productivity; (xiv) management team embracing the tremendous market opportunity; (xv) growing revenue organically; (xvi) continuing to review strategic accretive partnerships and acquisitions and (xvii) future being very good. For a more detailed discussion of risk factors that may affect Crexendos operations and results, please refer to the companys Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2015 as well as Forms 10Q for 2016. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date on which such statements are made and the company undertakes no obligation to update such forward-looking statements, except as required by law. To evaluate our business, we consider and use non-generally accepted accounting principles (Non-GAAP) net income (loss) and Adjusted EBITDA as a supplemental measure of operating performance. These measures include the same adjustments that management takes into account when it reviews and assesses operating performance on a period-to-period basis. We consider Non-GAAP net income (loss) to be an important indicator of overall business performance because it allows us to evaluate results without the effects of share-based compensation, rent expense paid with common stock, interest expense paid with common stock, and amortization of intangibles. We define EBITDA as U.S. GAAP net income (loss) before interest income, interest expense, other income and expense, provision for income taxes, and depreciation and amortization. We believe EBITDA provides a useful metric to investors to compare us with other companies within our industry and across industries. We define Adjusted EBITDA as EBITDA adjusted for share-based compensation, and rent expense paid with stock. We use Adjusted EBITDA as a supplemental measure to review and assess operating performance. We also believe use of Adjusted EBITDA facilitates investors use of operating performance comparisons from period to period, as well as across companies. In our May 3, 2016 earnings press release, as furnished on Form 8-K, we included Non-GAAP net loss, EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA. The terms Non-GAAP net loss, EBITDA, and Adjusted EBITDA are not defined under U.S. GAAP, and are not measures of operating income, operating performance or liquidity presented in analytical tools, and when assessing our operating performance, Non-GAAP net loss, EBITDA, and Adjusted EBITDA should not be considered in isolation, or as a substitute for net loss or other consolidated income statement data prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP. Some of these limitations include, but are not limited to: EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA do not reflect our cash expenditures or future requirements for capital expenditures or contractual commitments; they do not reflect changes in, or cash requirements for, our working capital needs; they do not reflect the interest expense, or the cash requirements necessary to service interest or principal payments, on our debt that we may incur; they do not reflect income taxes or the cash requirements for any tax payments; although depreciation and amortization are non-cash charges, the assets being depreciated and amortized will be replaced sometime in the future, and EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA do not reflect any cash requirements for such replacements; while share-based compensation is a component of operating expense, the impact on our financial statements compared to other companies can vary significantly due to such factors as the assumed life of the options and the assumed volatility of our common stock; and other companies may calculate EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA differently than we do, limiting their usefulness as comparative measures. We compensate for these limitations by relying primarily on our U.S. GAAP results and using Non-GAAP net income (loss), EBITDA, and Adjusted EBITDA only as supplemental support for managements analysis of business performance. Non-GAAP net income (loss), EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA are calculated as follows for the periods presented. In accordance with the requirements of Regulation G issued by the SEC, we are presenting the most directly comparable U.S. GAAP financial measures and reconciling the unaudited Non-GAAP financial metrics to the comparable U.S. GAAP measures. Crexendo, Inc. Steven G. Mihaylo CEO 602-345-7777 Patent Trial and Appeal Board Dismisses Second Blueprint RF Petition to Invalidate Nomadix Captive Portal Patent AGOURA HILLS, CA (Marketwired) 05/03/16 The Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) today denied a petition for inter partes review filed by Hospitality Core Services LLC, d/b/a Blueprint RF (Blueprint RF), that challenged the validity of s U.S. Patent No. 8,156,246 (the 246 patent). The 246 patent protects key technology for redirecting user computers to captive portals. The PTAB reviewed the materials supplied by Blueprint RF and denied the petition as to all patent claims and dismissed the petition in its entirety. Upon review, the PTAB found that Blueprint RF failed to demonstrate a reasonable likelihood that the challenged claims 1-17 of the 246 patent are unpatentable. This result is once again consistent with prior challenges to Nomadixs patents in court cases and other Patent Office proceedings, explains Fred Reeder, chief commercial and operating officer of Nomadix. We are pleased with the PTABs decision, which continues to validate our view of the value of our intellectual property. Last week, the PTAB also denied Blueprint RFs petition for inter partes review of Nomadixs U.S. Patent 6,636,894. Headquartered in Agoura Hills, California, Nomadix supplies the hardware and software technologies that visitor-based networks, such as hotels, use to provide a world-class Internet experience for their customers. Leading technology companies, including HP, AT&T and Aruba Networks, have licensed Nomadix patents for usage in their product portfolio. Nomadix offers gateways for seamless wired and wireless connectivity solutions across public access networks and enterprises. Nomadix gateways have earned a global reputation for unparalleled reliability and ease of management. As one customer put it, They just work. Powered by patented technology, Nomadix throughput enhancement technologies make available bandwidth stretch further, slowing the pace of investment in bandwidth upgrades and enabling revenue generation and customization in a number of business models. With Nomadix, public access network providers are able to deploy cost-effective, secure and easy-to-use network services. For more information, visit , call +1.818.597.1500, follow on , and , like on and view the video library on . Kelly Hughes Phone: +1-818-597-1500 Email: ANDRITZ GROUP: Results for the first quarter of 2016 International technology Group ANDRITZ saw a solid development of profitability in the first quarter of 2016 despite slight declines in sales and order intake. The key financial figures developed as follows: Sales amounted to 1,285.6 million euros (MEUR) and were thus lower than the reference figure for the previous year (-8.5% versus Q1 2015: 1,404.3 MEUR). All business areas recorded a decline in sales. Order intake, at 1,247.4 MEUR, reached a satisfactory level, however, it was 12.8% below the reference figure of the previous year (Q1 2015: 1,430.6 MEUR). While the PULP & PAPER business area in particular and also SEPARATION were able to increase order intake compared to Q1 2015, HYDRO and METALS saw a significant decline in order intake. Order backlog as of March 31, 2016 amounted to 7,147.6 MEUR, thus decreasing slightly compared to the end of last year (December 31, 2015: 7,324.2 MEUR). Despite the decline in sales, EBITA increased to 83.9 MEUR (Q1 2015: 73.4 MEUR). This is due to the very positive development in the PULP & PAPER and HYDRO business areas. Thus, profitability of the Group (EBITA margin) increased to 6.5% (Q1 2015: 5.2%). Net income without non-controlling interests increased to 52.5 MEUR (Q1 2015: 44.0 MEUR). The situation on the markets served by ANDRITZ basically has not changed compared to 2015. While unchanged good project and investment activity prevails in the PULP & PAPER business area, several projects in HYDRO and METALS have been stopped temporarily or delayed due to uncertain demand. Based on the business results achieved in the first quarter of 2016, ANDRITZ expects Group sales for 2016 to decrease slightly compared to 2015. At the same time, however, profitability is expected to remain at a solid level. Annual and financial reports The annual reports and financial reports of the ANDRITZ GROUP are available as PDF for download at www.andritz.com. Printed copies can be requested by e-mail to investors@andritz.com. Disclaimer Certain statements contained in this press release constitute forward-looking statements. These statements, which contain the words believe, intend, expect, and words of a similar meaning, reflect the Executive Board?s beliefs and expectations and are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially. As a result, readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements. The company disclaims any obligation to publicly announce the result of any revisions to the forward-looking statements made herein, except where it would be required to do so under applicable law. ANDRITZ is a globally leading supplier of plants, equipment, and services for hydropower stations, the pulp and paper industry, the metalworking and steel industries, and for solid/liquid separation in the municipal and industrial sectors. The publicly listed technology Group is headquartered in Graz, Austria, and has a staff of approximately 24,200 employees. ANDRITZ operates over 250 sites worldwide. hc1.com(R) Solidifies Lead in Healthcare CRM for Labs; Boosts Adoption to 900 Healthcare Sites Globally INDIANAPOLIS, IN (Marketwired) 05/04/16 hc1.com, inventor of the worlds leading platform, announced new relationships with several leading medical laboratories, bringing its adoption to more than 900 healthcare sites around the globe. Health systems, diagnostic labs, post acute care, and ancillary service providers leverage the hc1 Healthcare Relationship Cloud a secure, Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) platform to personalize the healthcare experience for patients and providers throughout the entire care journey. hc1.coms new lab clients include: AIM Laboratories a clinical, toxicology, and molecular lab based in St. Louis. Circulogene Theranostics a genetic lab in Birmingham, Ala. specializing in next-generation sequencing (NGS) to monitor tumor mutant DNA within well-characterized, well-documented, cancer-associated genes. Interpath a fully integrated clinical laboratory corporation in business since 1968. MyGenetx a molecular and general chemistry laboratory providing timely and comprehensive test results with a national footprint in the areas of Pharmacogenetics, Chronic Disease Management, Oncology, Womens Health, Corporate Wellness, Endocrinology, and Oral Health. Origen Laboratories an independent lab providing toxicology, PGX and hereditary cancer screening testing services nationwide. Rosetta Genomics a leading developer and provider of microRNA-based and other molecular diagnostic testing services. Rosetta Genomics has clinical laboratories located in Philadelphia and California and a research and development center based in Israel. Theranostix a sub-specialized anatomic pathology lab located in the DC Metro area, providing innovative molecular testing, advanced business development solutions, and best-in-class information technology. Via its relationship with leading publishers such as the Dark Report, hc1.com provides ongoing education to the healthcare industry. The company will be hosting a complimentary webinar with Robert Michel, Editor in Chief of the Dark Report, for lab leaders. The webinar is titled, Where to Focus Your Labs Efforts: 5 Biggest Takeaways for Success from Executive War College and will be held May 10 from 1-2 pm EDT. . . The hc1 Healthcare Relationship Cloud enables health systems, diagnostic labs, post acute care, and ancillary service providers to personalize the healthcare experience for patients and providers throughout the entire care journey. hc1 has been adopted across more than 900 locations around the globe and has processed over 2.5 billion clinical transactions to date, generating more than 30 million consumer profiles enabling a five star service experience for industry leaders including Cleveland Clinic, Alere, Sonic Healthcare and AmeriPath. The company has received accolades from and was named by Frost & Sullivan. To learn more about hc1, please visit and follow us on Twitter , , and. For information contact: Linda Muskin 847-432-7300 Mara Conklin 678-825-2000 ECOC Exhibition Opens Call for Papers for Market Focus Sessions in Dusseldorf London, 4th May 2016: Nexus Media Events Ltd, organisers of the European Conference on Optical Communications Exhibition (ECOC), has today released its topics for the Market Focus sessions. Now in its tenth year, Market Focus will once again provide a platform for industry professionals to gain knowledge and insights to the advancements in the latest technologies available in optical communications. The ECOC Exhibition will be held in Dusseldorf, Germany, from 19th 21st September, and its Market Focus programme features a broad selection of informative and on-trend optical communications sessions, including; Service provider optical transmission, Optical Network Agility/Software Defined Networks, Datacenters: Optics in Cloud Computing, Packet-Optical Transport, Photonics integration and digital silicon photonics, and Fibre Access. Market Focus is one of the main focal points of the ECOC Exhibition and we are delighted to welcome our returning sponsor Inphi. said Beverley Lucas, Event Director for Nexus Media Events Ltd. With Market Focus now in its tenth year, we are honoured to continue delivering these popular listening events and welcome back the very best industry experts. The topics have been decided by the ECOC Exhibition advisory panel, which is the decision-making force behind the presentation selection process. The committee includes global representatives from across the industry, including independent industry bodies, telecom operators, analyst groups, system vendors, and component manufacturers. We will be delighted to welcome new and returning speakers to the popular Market Focus sessions at this years ECOC Exhibition, said Per Danielsen, Chairman of the Market Focus Committee. By popular demand, this years speaker line up will be our biggest yet, incorporating a cross section of the worlds top optical communication topics. We are very much looking forward to receiving the presentations and delivering another successful show. In 2015, Market Focus attracted its largest ever audience with more than 2,200 people attending the three day sessions exceeding all expectations and growing the overall audience for the fourth year in a row. Presentations from last years show included; Finisar, Intel Corporation, Ovum, Lumentum and Oclaro and can be downloaded here: http://www.ecocexhibition.com/2015_market_focus If you are interested in speaking at the 2016 Market Focus, please contact Catherine Williams at catherine.williams@nexusmediaevents.com by Thursday 30th June stating your company name, position, topic of interest and 100-word summary of your presentation theme, with a title based on one of this years topics. Click here to see the full list, or to read the call for speakers flyer: http://www.ecocexhibition.com/marketfocus Registration to attend the exhibition is now open and can be done directly on the ECOC Exhibition website. Press can register separately here: https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/ECOC-Press2016 Rapid Growth and Funding Round Fuels PowWow Mobile Appointment of New Leadership SAN FRANCISCO, CA (Marketwired) 05/04/16 , the leader in enterprise app mobility, today announced $4.25 million in funding and several new executive hires. The funding round was led by Vertical Venture Partners, and includes participation from IT-Farm, OurCrowd, Prabhu Goel and VKRN. PowWow will use the new funds to accelerate product and company growth through sales and marketing. Joining the company is Kia Behnia as CEO, Marco Bussadori as senior vice president of worldwide sales and marketing, and Ravinder Braich as vice president of product management. PowWow Mobile provides software solutions to organizations across multiple industries, including financial services, healthcare, telecom, high-tech, consulting and public sector to modernize their application portfolio. In the past year, PowWow has focused on building out its leadership bench and customer base, while continuing to refine its technology and product offerings. Highlights include: In the second half of 2015, bookings grew by 200 percent over the first half of the year and over 400 percent over 2014. Key competitive wins across multiple industries and geographies. Release of PowWows mobile platform offering, which received the 2015 Citrix Synergys Best of Show. Additionally, PowWow has assembled a team of technology and business innovators with extensive experience in high growth startups and leading technology enterprises. Co-founder and former PowWow Mobile CEO Andrew Cohen will serve as chief customer officer. Co-founder Jonathan Kaplan serves as chief technology officer. CEO Kia Behnia has more than 20 years of industry experience in mobility and digital transformation, and most recently served as a board member of PowWow Mobile. Prior to joining PowWow Mobile, he served as Senior Vice President and Chief Technology Officer at BMC for a decade, where he led strategy for all products including enterprise mobility, datacenter automation and hybrid-cloud management. Almost every business today is experiencing a fundamental problem: In the post-PC era, organizations across many industries are looking to mobilize and modernize all of their business applications, yet the cost and complexity of mobile development is overwhelming. I joined PowWow because they have a disruptive and highly differentiated solution to address this problem, said Behnia, CEO of PowWow Mobile. Most organizations have only a handful of applications mobilized out of the hundreds of Web and desktop-based applications in their portfolio. Mobilizing the workforce is the most critical part of an organizations digital transformation, but time and cost overruns have hampered businesses from achieving success at scale. With our technology we can modernize and mobilize apps in days for a fraction of the cost of re-writing applications and the accompanying costly upgrades. SVP of Worldwide Sales and Marketing Marco Bussadori joins from BMC Software and previously held positions at successful growth companies such as Tivoli, NetIQ, Marimba, Microsoft, Configuresoft, Opsware and BigFix, many of which were acquired by tech leaders like IBM, VMware and HP. He holds an honors degree in artificial intelligence and advanced computer science from Middlesex University of London. VP of Product Management Ravinder Braich joins from Citrix Systems, where he held positions as the senior director of product management as well as director of solutions engineering. Prior to Citrix, he held senior sales engineering roles at Octane (acquired by Epiphany) and Intrepid (acquired by PeopleSoft). By the end of 2017, predicts market demand for mobile app development services will grow at least five times faster than internal IT organizations capacity to deliver them. To meet this need, PowWows technology allows enterprises to quickly transform business applications into modern, mobile app experiences. Announced today, the companys new platform, PowWow SmartUX, allows enterprises to create new or modernize existing web and Windows applications more efficiently and cheaper than re-development, without requiring extensive coding or expensive developer resources. Mobility has become the competitive advantage for leading companies across multiple industries. This drives the need for rapid mobile transformation as businesses simply cant keep up with the demand for mobile-ready applications, said Dave Schwab, founder and managing director at Vertical Venture Partners. We are excited to lead the investment to fuel PowWows continued innovation and go-to-market expansion. Kia and the management team have the experience to take the company to the next level of growth and scale. PowWow Mobile allows enterprises to transform business applications into modern, mobile app experiences. PowWow eliminates business-IT friction as enterprises seek competitive advantage and increased productivity through mobile for todays digital workplace. PowWows SmartUX accelerates enterprise application transformation by creating new, native mobile apps from any web or Windows app, quickly without sacrificing quality, and at a lower cost than custom solutions or other tools. PowWow works with customers across industries, including financial services, healthcare, telecom, software, consulting and public sector. PowWow Mobile is based in San Francisco. Learn more at . Calian Reports Second Quarter Results OTTAWA, ONTARIO (Marketwired) 05/04/16 Calian Group Ltd. () today released unaudited results for the second quarter ended March 31, 2016. The Company reported revenues for the quarter of $68.1 million, a 12% increase from the $61.0 million reported in the same quarter of the previous year. For the six-month period ended March 31, 2016 the Company reported revenues of $132.6 million, a 13% increase compared to revenues of $117.0 million in the prior year. EBITDA(1) for the second quarter was $5.4 million, a 35% increase compared to $4.0 million in the same quarter of the previous year and for the six-month period ended March 31, 2016, EBITDA(1) was $10.6 million, a 28% increase compared to $8.3 million in the prior year. Net profit for the second quarter was $3.3 million or $0.44 per share basic and diluted, a 50% increase compared to $2.2 million or $0.30 per share basic and diluted in the same quarter of the previous year. On a year-to-date basis, net profit was $6.3 million or $0.86 per share basic and diluted, an increase of 34% compared to net profit of $4.7 million or $0.64 per share basic and diluted in the previous six-month period. Adjusted Net Profit(1) for the second quarter was $3.5 million or $0.48 per share basic and diluted, compared to $2.5 million or $0.34 per share basic and diluted in the same quarter of the previous year. On a year-to-date basis, adjusted net profit(1) was $6.9 million or $0.93 per share basic and diluted compared to $5.2 million or $0.71 per share basic and diluted in the previous six-month period. See caution regarding non-GAAP measures at the end of this press release Our 12% increase in revenues, 35% increase in EBITDA and 50% increase in net profit this quarter is a credit to the hard work of the Calian team across all of our service lines. At $68.1 million we again surpassed our highest quarterly revenue in our companys history stated Jacqueline Gauthier, CFO. I am extremely proud of our accomplishments this quarter. We continue to execute well across all of our growth strategy pillars of customer retention, customer diversification, service line evolution and continuous process improvement with wins in each element of our strategy stated Kevin Ford, President and CEO. We are also continuing to invest in new communication products and service lines solutions to support our long term growth objectives. To reflect the diversity of Calians services with the expansion into areas such as healthcare and training, management has now completed the renaming of the company from Calian Technologies Ltd. to Calian Group Ltd. trading as CGY on the TSX stated Ford. Opening trading at the TSX recently in recognition of this milestone was a great experience for our team. The rename is an important step in the evolution of the company and aligns the corporate entity to the diverse nature of the companys service offerings stated Ford. During fiscal 2016, management will continue to focus on its key strategic initiatives. Traditional markets in which Calian operates have stabilized recently and management expects organic revenue and earnings growth in most or all of its service lines through the successful execution of our growth strategy. However, we must caution that revenues realized are ultimately dependent on the extent and timing of future contract awards as well as customer utilization of existing contracting vehicles. Based on currently available information and our assessment of the marketplace, we expect revenues for fiscal 2016 to be in the range of $250 million to $280 million, net profit per share in the range of $1.50 to $1.80 per share and adjusted net profit(1) in the range of $1.59 to $1.89 per share. Caution regarding non-GAAP measures: This press release is based on reported earnings in accordance with IFRS. Reference to generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) means IFRS, unless indicated otherwise. This press release is also based on non-GAAP financial measures including EBITDA, adjusted net profit and adjusted net profit per share. These non-GAAP measures are mainly derived from the interim consolidated financial statements, but do not have a standardized meaning prescribed by IFRS; therefore, others using these terms may calculate them differently. Management believes that providing certain non-GAAP performance measures, in addition to IFRS measures, provides users of our financial reports with enhanced understanding of our results and related trends and increases transparency and clarity into the core results of our business. Refer to the MD&A for definitions of these metrics and reconciliations to the most comparable IFRS measures. About Calian Calian employs over 2,500 people with offices and projects that span Canada, U.S. and international markets. The companys capabilities are diverse with services delivered through two divisions. The Business and Technology Services (BTS) Division is headquartered in Ottawa and includes the provision of business and technology services to industry, public and government in the health, training, engineering and IT services domains. Calians Systems Engineering Division (SED) located in Saskatoon plans, designs and implements complex communication systems for many of the worlds space agencies and leading satellite manufacturers and operators. SED also provides contract manufacturing services for both private sector and military customers in North America. For further information, please visit our website at , or contact us at . DISCLAIMER Certain information included in this press release is forward-looking and is subject to important risks and uncertainties. The results or events predicted in these statements may differ materially from actual results or events. Such statements are generally accompanied by words such as intend, anticipate, believe, estimate, expect or similar statements. Factors which could cause results or events to differ from current expectations include, among other things: the impact of price competition; scarce number of qualified professionals; the impact of rapid technological and market change; loss of business or credit risk with major customers; technical risks on fixed price projects; general industry and market conditions and growth rates; international growth and global economic conditions, and including currency exchange rate fluctuations; and the impact of consolidations in the business services industry. For additional information with respect to certain of these and other factors, please see the Companys most recent annual report and other reports filed by Calian with the Ontario Securities Commission. Calian disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. No assurance can be given that actual results, performance or achievement expressed in, or implied by, forward-looking statements within this disclosure will occur, or if they do, that any benefits may be derived from them. The accompanying notes are an integral part of these unaudited interim condensed consolidated financial statements. The accompanying notes are an integral part of these unaudited interim condensed consolidated financial statements. The accompanying notes are an integral part of these unaudited interim condensed consolidated financial statements. The accompanying notes are an integral part of these unaudited interim condensed consolidated financial statements. The accompanying notes are an integral part of these unaudited interim condensed consolidated financial statements. Calian Group Ltd. (the Company) is incorporated under the Canada Business Corporations Act. The address of its registered office and principal place of business is 340 Legget Drive, Ottawa, Ontario K2K 1Y6. The Companys capabilities include the provision of business and technology services to industry and government in the health, IT services and training domains as well as the design, manufacturing and maintenance of complex systems to the communications and defence sectors. On April 1, 2016, the Company changed its name from Calian Technologies Ltd. to Calian Group Ltd. The Company name change was done to better reflect the diversity of its services in light of the expansion into areas such as healthcare and training. These unaudited interim condensed consolidated financial statements are expressed in Canadian dollars and have been prepared in accordance with International Accounting Standard (IAS) 34 Interim Financial Reporting, as issued by the International Accounting Standard Board (IASB). These unaudited interim condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared using accounting policies consistent with International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) and in accordance with the accounting policies the Company adopted in its annual consolidated financial statements for the year ended September 30, 2015 and should be read in conjunction with the audited consolidated financial statements and notes thereto included in the Companys Annual Report for the year ended September 30, 2015. These unaudited interim condensed consolidated financial statements do not include all of the information required in annual financial statements. These unaudited interim condensed consolidated financial statements were authorized for issuance by the Board of Directors on May 4, 2016. IFRS 15 Revenue from Contracts with Customers In April 2014, the IASB released IFRS 15 Revenue from Contracts with Customers. The Standard replaces IAS11 Construction Contracts and IAS18 Revenue, providing a single comprehensive model for entities to use in accounting for revenue arising from contracts with customers. IFRS 15 is effective for annual periods beginning on or after January 1, 2018. The Company has not yet assessed the impact of the adoption of this standard on its consolidated financial statements. IFRS 9 Financial instruments IFRS 9 was issued by the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) in November 2009 and October 2010, was amended in 2013 and finalized in July 2014 and will replace IAS 39, Financial Instruments: Recognition and Measurement (IAS 39). IFRS 9 uses a single approach to determine whether a financial instrument is measured at fair value through profit or loss, fair value through other comprehensive income or amortized cost, replacing the multiple rules in IAS 39. The approach in IFRS 9 is based on how an entity manages its financial instruments in the context of its business model and the contractual cash flow characteristics of those financial instruments. The new standard also requires a single impairment method to be used, replacing the multiple impairment methods in IAS 39. IFRS 9 is effective for annual periods beginning on or after January 1, 2018. The Company has not yet assessed the impact of the adoption of this standard on its consolidated financial statements. IFRS 16 Leases In January 2016, the IASB released IFRS 16 Leases which replaces IAS 17 Leases. For lessees applying IFRS 16, a single recognition and measurement model for leases would apply, with required recognition of assets and liabilities for most leases. IFRS 16 is effective for annual periods beginning on or after January 1, 2019. The Company has not yet assessed the impact of the adoption of this standard on its consolidated financial statements. Estimates: The preparation of financial statements in conformity with IFRS requires the Companys management to make judgments, estimates and assumptions that affect the application of accounting policies and the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities as at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting periods presented. Actual results could differ from those estimates. There were no significant changes in estimates or approaches to determining estimates in the periods presented when compared to the estimates or approaches used the annual consolidated financial statements for the year ended September 30, 2015. The results of operations for the interim periods are not necessarily indicative of the results of operations for the full year. The Companys revenues and earnings have historically been subject to some quarterly seasonality due to the timing of vacation periods and statutory holidays. Employee Share Purchase Plan During the three and six-month periods ended March 31, 2016 (2015), the Company issued 21,801 (19,390) shares under the Companys Employee Share Purchase Plan at an average price of $14.92 ($17.99) for a total cash of $325 ($349) and total non-cash of $63 ($64). Stock options The Company had an established stock option plan which expired on February 5, 2016 when the shareholders elected not to renew the plan. Under the plan, eligible directors and employees were granted the right to purchase shares of common stock at a price established by the Board of Directors on the date the options were granted but in no circumstances below fair market value of the shares at the date of grant. Effective February 5, 2016, no further grants can be made under the plan. As at March 31, 2016 (2015), 415,000 (415,000) options are currently outstanding of which 323,100 (314,600) are exercisable. During the first six-month ended March 31, 2016 (2015), no options were issued. The diluted weighted average number of shares has been calculated as follows: Options that are anti-dilutive because the exercise price was greater than the average market price of the common shares are not included in the computation of diluted earnings per share. For the three and six-month periods ended March 31, 2016 (2015), 415,000 (415,000) options were excluded from the above computation. Profit for the period is the measure of profit or loss used to calculate Net profit per share. Operating segments are identified as components of an enterprise about which separate discrete financial information is available for evaluation by the chief operating decision maker, regarding how to allocate resources and assess performance. The Companys chief operating decision maker is the Chief Executive Officer. The Company operates in two reportable segments described below, defined by their primary type of service offering, namely Systems Engineering and Business and Technology Services. The Company evaluates performance and allocates resources based on earnings before interest income and income taxes. The accounting policies of the segments are the same as those described in Note 2 Summary of significant accounting policies to the consolidated financial statements for the year ended September 30, 2015. Foreign currency risk related to contracts The Company is exposed to foreign currency exchange fluctuations on its cash balance, accounts receivable, accounts payable and accrued liabilities and future cash flows related to contracts denominated in a foreign currency. Future cash flows will be realized over the life of the contracts. The Company utilizes derivative financial instruments, principally in the form of forward exchange contracts, in the management of its foreign currency exposures. The Companys objective is to manage and control exposures and secure the Companys profitability on existing contracts and therefore, the Companys policy is to hedge 100% of its foreign currency exposure. The Company does not utilize derivative financial instruments for trading or speculative purposes. The Company applies hedge accounting when appropriate documentation and effectiveness criteria are met. The Company formally documents all relationships between hedging instruments and hedged items, as well as its risk management objective and strategy for undertaking various hedge transactions. This process includes linking all derivatives to specific firm contractually related commitments on projects. The Company also formally assesses, both at the hedges inception and on an on-going basis, whether the derivatives that are used in hedging transactions are highly effective in offsetting changes in fair values or cash flows of hedged items. Hedge ineffectiveness has historically been insignificant. The forward foreign exchange contracts primarily require the Company to purchase or sell certain foreign currencies with or for Canadian dollars at contractual rates. At March 31, 2016, the Company had the following forward foreign exchange contracts: A 10% strengthening of the Canadian dollar against the following currencies at March 31, 2016 would have decreased other comprehensive income as related to the forward foreign exchange contracts by the amounts shown below. In the normal course of business, the Company is party to business and employee related claims. The potential outcomes related to existing matters faced by the Company are not determinable at this time. The Company intends to defend these actions, and management believes that the resolution of these matters will not have a material adverse effect on the Companys financial condition. Management Discussion and Analysis March 31, 2016: (Canadian dollars in thousands, except per share data) This MD&A is the responsibility of management and has been reviewed and approved by the Board of Directors of the Company. This MD&A has been prepared in accordance with the requirements of the Canadian Securities Administrators. The Board of Directors is responsible for ensuring that we fulfill our responsibilities for financial reporting and is ultimately responsible for reviewing and approving the MD&A. The Board of Directors carries out this responsibility principally through its Audit Committee. IFRS and non-GAAP measures: This MD&A contains both IFRS and non-GAAP measures. Non-GAAP measures are defined and reconciled to the most comparable IFRS measure. RESULTS OF OPERATIONS Revenues: For the second quarter of 2016, revenues were $68,100 compared to $61,042 reported for the same period in 2015 representing a 12% increase from the prior year. For the six-month period ending March 31, 2016 revenues were $132,633 compared to $117,042 for 2015, an increase of 13%. Systems Engineerings (SED) revenues were $17,484 in the quarter and $37,164 on a year-to-date basis representing a 3% and 16% increase respectively when compared to the $16,967 and $31,932 recorded for the same periods in the previous year. Although work continued to come at a steady rate for both defense related and commercial contract manufacturing, SED showed only a slight increase relative to the same period of last year with work biased towards non-labour. However the greater revenue year-to-date in comparison to the previous year is reflective of an increase in number of projects particularly in our satellite RF ground systems but also in our communications product developments and our satellite gateway solutions. Business and Technology Services (BTS) revenues were $50,616 in the quarter and $95,469 on a year-to-date basis representing a 15% and 12% increase respectively when compared to the $44,075 and $85,110 recorded for the same periods in the previous year. Continued recovery with government spending during the first six-months of 2016 resulted in additional demand for our services in many of the divisions mainstay contracts. Management expects that the marketplace for the near term will continue to be unsettled and very competitive and the timing of new contract awards is always subject to delay. Our backlog provides a reasonable level of revenue assurance on existing contracts and new opportunities continue to arise. Although we continue to focus our efforts on the diversification of our customer base outside of government, the nature and extent of future government spending remain uncertain and therefore, future revenues in this sector will ultimately be determined by customer demand on existing contracts as well as the timing of future contract awards. Gross margin Gross margin was 17.7% for the second quarter of 2016 and 17.9% on a year-to-date basis compared to the 16.8% and 17.7% recorded for the same periods in the previous year. Gross margin in Systems Engineering was 28.1% in the second quarter of 2016 and 26.2% on a year-to-date basis compared to the 22.8% and 25.4% recorded for the same periods in the previous year. The higher margins in comparison to the previous year are due to product sales and a higher labor component in the current mix of projects which yields higher margins than material and subcontract procurements which dominated the same period last year. The results reflect another solid quarter of performance in all of SEDs business areas. Although the mix of revenues will always play a role in the margin ultimately realized, recent investments in new product developments will allow the division to continue to weather the current competitive landscape. Gross margin in Business and Technology Services was 14.2% in the second quarter of 2016 and 14.7% on a year-to-date basis compared to the 14.4% and 14.8% recorded for the same periods in the previous year. The traditional BTS business which is concentrated within the federal government has stabilized in recent quarters. The slight reduction in margin in fiscal 2016 reflects the impact of additional costs from the Easter statutory holiday which fell in March this current year rather than April. While stiff competition on new work is expected to temper any significant near-term improvement, the division continues to evolve its service offering with a goal to increase gross margins realized in the longer term. Because of the significant difference in gross margin between each of the two divisions, the overall gross margin of the Company is dependent on the relative level of revenue generated from each division. Management will continue to focus on operational execution and diligent negotiation of supplier costs in order to maximize margins. However, increased competition is expected to maintain the pressure on margins in both divisions. The volatility of the Canadian dollar is always an influencing factor for margins on new work in the SED division when denominated in foreign currencies. Operating expenses: For the six-month period ended March 31, 2016, selling and marketing, general and administration and facilities totalled $13,166 or 10.0% of revenues compared to $12,385 or 10.6% of revenues reported in 2015. Operating costs increased in absolute dollars as a result of continued investment in both business development and service line evolution capabilities. However, with growing revenues, operating costs as a percentage of revenues decreased. EBITDA(1): EBITDA(1) for the second quarter was $5,408 compared to $3,989 in the same quarter of the previous year. For the six-month period ended March 31, 2016, EBITDA(1) was $10,581 compared to $8,346 in the same period of the previous year. Depreciation: For the six-month period ended March 31, 2016, depreciation was $621 which is in line with the $652 recorded in fiscal 2015. Amortization of intangibles: Amortization of intangibles decreased to $624 compared to $716 in fiscal 2015. Deemed compensation related to acquisitions and Bargain purchase gain: For the six-month period ended March 31, 2016, deemed compensation related to acquisition amounted to $534 compared to $534 recorded in fiscal 2015. The deemed amortization is expected to decrease in the last 6 months of fiscal 2016 when it will have been fully expensed. Income taxes: The provision for income taxes was $2,488 or 28.2% of earnings before tax compared to $1,827 in 2014 or 28.0% of earnings before tax. The difference in effective rates is primarily due to the non-deductibility of the deemed compensation amounts referred to in the above paragraph. The effective tax rate for 2016, prior to considering the impact of non-taxable transactions and adjustments to reflect actual tax provision as filed, is expected to be approximately 26.9%. Net profit: As a result of the foregoing, in the second quarter of 2016 the Company recorded net profit of $3,262 or $0.44 per share basic and diluted, compared to $2,208 or $0.30 per share basic and diluted in the same quarter of the prior year. Adjusted net profit(1) for the second quarter was $3,529 or $0.48 per share basic and diluted, compared to $2,475 or $0.34 per share basic and diluted in the same quarter of the previous year. For the six-month period ended March 31, 2016 the Company recorded net profit of $6,325 or $0.86 per share basic and diluted, compared to $4,676 or $0.64 per share basic and diluted in the same period of the prior year. Adjusted net profit(1) for the six-month period ended March 31, 2016 was $6,859 or $0.93 per share basic and diluted, compared to $5,210 or $0.71 per share basic and diluted in the same period of the previous year. (1) See reconciliation regarding non-GAAP measures below Reconciliation of non-GAAP measures to most comparable IFRS measures: Management believes that providing certain non-GAAP performance measures, in addition to IFRS measures, provides users of the Companys financial reports with enhanced understanding of the Companys results and related trends and increases transparency and clarity into the core results of the business. EBITDA, adjusted net profit and adjusted net profit per share exclude items that do not reflect, in our opinion, the Companys core performance and helps users of our MD&A to better analyze our results, enabling comparability of our results from one period to another. These non-GAAP measures are mainly derived from the interim consolidated financial statements, but do not have a standardized meaning prescribed by IFRS; therefore, others using these terms may calculate them differently. The exclusion of certain items from non-GAAP performance measures does not imply that these are necessarily non-recurring. From time to time, we may exclude additional items if we believe doing so would result in a more transparent and comparable disclosure. Other entities may define the above measures differently than we do. In those cases, it may be difficult to use similarly named non-GAAP measures of other entities to compare performance of those entities to the Companys performance. BACKLOG The Companys backlog at March 31, 2016 was $390 million with terms extended to fiscal 2018. This compares to $442 million reported at September 30, 2015. Contracted Backlog represents maximum potential revenues remaining to be earned on signed contracts, whereas Option Renewals represent customers options to further extend existing contracts under similar terms and conditions. Most fee for service contracts provide the customer with the ability to adjust the timing and level of effort throughout the contract life and as such the amount actually realized could be materially different from the original contract value. The following table represents managements best estimate of the backlog realization for 2016, 2017 and beyond based on managements current visibility into customers existing requirements. Managements estimate of the realizable portion (current utilization rates and known customer requirements) is less than the total value of signed contracts and related options by approximately $101 million. The Companys policy is to reduce the reported contractual backlog once it receives confirmation from the customer that indicates the utilization of the full contract value may not materialize. FINANCIAL CONDITION AND CASHFLOWS Operating activities: Cash inflows from operating activities for the period ended March 31, 2016 were $2,245 compared to cash outflows of $6,637 in 2015. Cash flows for the quarter has been positively impacted by the decrease in work in process offset by an increase in accounts receivables commensurate with increased activity in BTS near the end of Q2 2016. In addition, amounts owed to suppliers increased as a result of significant levels of activity near quarter end. The aging of the accounts receivables remain in excellent health. These variations in cash flows are not considered unusual and reflect normal working capital fluctuations associated with the ebbs and flows of the business. The market for the Systems Engineering Division is characterized by contracts with billings tied to milestones achieved, which often results in significant working capital requirements. Conversely, given the nature of this business, it is sometimes possible to negotiate advance payments on contracts. Such advance payments give rise to unearned revenue that will be realized as revenue over the course of the contract. As at March 31, 2016, the Companys total unearned revenue amounted to $10,982. This compares to $6,980 at September 30, 2015, with the increase primarily attributable to advance billings for work to be performed in a future period. Financing activities: During the periods ended March 31, 2016 (2015), the Company paid quarterly dividends of $0.56 ($0.56) per share. The Company intends to continue with its quarterly dividend policy for the foreseeable future. Investing activities: During the six-month period, the Company invested $591 in capital assets compared to $2,409 in the prior period which included significant upgrades to the manufacturing assets in the SED division. Capital acquisitions are expected to revert to normal levels for fiscal 2016. Capital resources: At March 31, 2016 the Company had a short-term credit facility of $10,000 with a Canadian chartered bank that bears interest at prime and is secured by assets of the Company. An amount of $75 was used to issue a letter of credit to meet customer contractual requirements. Management believes that Calian has sufficient cash resources to continue to finance its working capital requirements and pay a quarterly dividend. ADOPTION OF NEW ACCOUNTING RULES AND IMPACT ON FINANCIAL RESULTS The Company did not adopt any new accounting policies this quarter. SELECTED QUARTERLY FINANCIAL DATA SEASONALITY The Companys operations are subject to some quarterly seasonality due to the timing of vacation periods and statutory holidays. Typically the Companys first and last quarter will be negatively impacted as a result of the Christmas season and summer vacation period. During these periods, the Company can only invoice for work performed and is also required to pay for statutory holidays. This results in reduced levels of revenues and in a drop in gross margins. This seasonality may not be apparent in the overall results of the Company depending on the impact of the realized sales mix of its various projects. OUTLOOK Management is confident that the Company is well positioned for sustained growth in the long term. The Companys strong contract backlog provides a solid base for the realization of future revenues. Leveraging the Companys diverse services offerings, the Company operates in global and domestic markets that will continue to require the services that the Company offers. To ensure the Company is positioned to respond to market requirements, the Company will focus on the execution of its growth strategy using a common framework across all of its services: The Company has completed four acquisitions in the past 4 years, and will proactively look for companies that can accelerate its growth strategy with a focus on customer diversification and service line evolution. The SED Division has been working within a sustainable satellite sector and is expecting opportunities to continue to arise as systems adopting the latest technologies will be required by customers wishing to maintain and improve their service offerings and react to an increasing demand for bandwidth. SED continues to invest in communications products, software development and manufacturing equipment to strengthen its competitive position. However in the short-term, activity levels in Custom manufacturing will continue to be directly dependent upon SEDs customers requirements and continuing volatility in orders is anticipated as both government and commercial customers continue to re-examine their traditional spending patterns. The recent delays, deferrals and cancellations of DND capital procurements have created intense competition for available manufacturing work. Finally, changes in the relative value of the Canadian dollar may negatively or positively impact the Systems Engineering Divisions competitiveness on projects denominated in foreign currencies. The BTS Divisions services are adaptable to many different markets. Currently, its strength lies in providing program management and delivery services across Canada with a significant portion of this work currently with the Department of National Defence. The division has been successful in diversifying its customer base and evolving its service offerings. As an example the division now provides direct to customer health services through the operation of managed medical clinics as well as onsite health practitioners in the oil and gas sector. Management believes that for the long term, the public and private sector will continue to require health, IT, and training services from private enterprises to achieve their business outcomes. Looking at the current outlook, the current economic climate, the results of the recent election and new federal government agenda may create uncertainty as to the extent of demand from this customer, at least in the short term. With recent investments in sales, marketing, acquisitions and success in new markets outside of the federal government, the division is better positioned to manage through these downturns. Recent acquisitions have also bolstered the divisions performance and it is expected that overall, the acquired companies will continue to meet and exceed the targets established as part of the acquisitions. GUIDANCE During fiscal 2016, management will continue to focus on its key strategic initiatives. Traditional markets in which Calian operates have stabilized recently and management expects organic revenue and earnings growth in most or all of its service lines through the successful execution of our growth strategy. However, we must caution that revenues realized are ultimately dependent on the extent and timing of future contract awards as well as customer utilization of existing contracting vehicles. Based on currently available information and our assessment of the marketplace, we expect revenues for fiscal 2016 to be in the range of $250 million to $280 million, net profit per share in the range of $1.50 to $1.80 per share and adjusted net profit(1) in the range of $1.59 to $1.89 per share. INTERNAL CONTROLS OVER FINANCIAL REPORTING During the most recent interim quarter ended March 31, 2016, there have been no changes in the design of the Companys internal controls over financial reporting that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, the Companys internal controls over financial reporting. FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENT Certain information included in this management discussion and analysis is forward-looking and is subject to important risks and uncertainties. The results or events predicted in these statements may differ materially from actual results or events. Such statements are generally accompanied by words such as intend, anticipate, believe, estimate, expect or similar statements. Factors which could cause results or events to differ from current expectations include, among other things: the impact of price competition; scarce number of qualified professionals; the impact of rapid technological and market change; loss of business or credit risk with major customers; technical risks on fixed price projects; general industry and market conditions and growth rates; international growth and global economic conditions, currency exchange rate fluctuations; and the impact of consolidations in the business services industry. For additional information with respect to certain of these and other factors, please see the Companys most recent annual report and other reports filed by the Company with the Ontario Securities Commission. Calian disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. No assurance can be given that actual results, performance or achievement expressed in, or implied by, forward-looking statements within this disclosure will occur, or if they do, that any benefits may be derived from them. The foregoing discussion and analysis should be read in conjunction with the financial statements for the second quarter of 2016, and with the Management Discussion and Analysis in the 2015 annual report, including the section on risks and opportunities. Contacts: Calian Group Ltd. Kevin Ford President and Chief Executive Officer 613-599-8600 Calian Group Ltd. Jacqueline Gauthier Chief Financial Officer 613-599-8600 By Marielle D. Marne | May 4, 2016 Sonoran Beauty Salon welcomes stylist and aesthetician Lisa Juszczyk CAVE CREEK How much maintenance do you want? Thats one of the first questions hair stylist Lisa Juszczyk of Sonoran Beauty Salon asks clients. With 20 years experience, she knows thats an important issue for people in todays time-strapped society. Her queries dont end there since she says communication is the key to a good cut. Juszczyk takes the time to get to know each of her customers, and with their input, she guides them with not only the best cut and/or color but also the products for the healthiest tresses. I wont promote anything I dont believe in, she said. If Juszczyk hasnt tried it or has and wasnt impressed, shes not going to recommend it to her clients, with whom she likes to build long-term relationships. (The former Illinois resident still hears from clients from her former beauty salon when they need a second opinion or advice!) A unique aspect of Juszczyk is not only does she style hair, shes also an aesthetician. It was natural for her to become certified since the two careers very much go hand in hand. So, make an appointment for extensions and have a facial while youre there. Get a trim and have your eyebrows waxed all at Sonoran Beauty Salon. Juszczyk offers microdermabrasion and professional makeup application as well. She uses DermaQuest products. They have plant stem cells and peptides and are result-driven, she explained. Juszczyk is currently accepting new clients (women, men, children are welcome) and wants to be your go-to stylist and aesthetician. She gets to know every patron, because one of her goals is she sets no one up for failure. She thrives on client input and wants to hear if a tweak is desired or more gel is needed. I dont say no to anything I can do that a client wants, she added. Lisa Juszczyks hours vary: Weds, 11-6; Thurs, 10-3; Fri, 9-5; Sat, 9-2, so phone ahead 480-595-1700 for an appointment, but often walk-ins can be accommodated. Let Lisa enhance your beauty at Sonoran Beauty Salon, 6501 E. Cave Creek Rd., Ste 2 or visit www.sonoranbeautysalon.com. SPOOF SPACE BY STEELE CODDINGTON | MAY 4, 2016 The Grand Jihad in America Want to read an authoritative book on how Islam and the left are sabotaging America? It's a book by one of the most successful and intellectually gifted prosecutors of Jihadists in the U.S. I recently stumbled on the book's title in a brief article by the same author in the Hillsdale College monthly mailing IMPRIMIS, where he discusses the fatal misconception that Islam is a religion of peace. It isn't! But more on that in the future. The author's book is the product of his successful prosecution of the "Blind Sheikh' and other Jihadists who bombed the World Trade Center in the 1993 terrorist attack. The author, Andrew C. McCarthy is a prodigious scholar whose qualifications and knowledge of Islam are unparalleled and shockingly revealed in his book, "The Grand Jihad: How Islam and the Left Sabotage America." The introduction of the book couldn't be more compelling because it reveals the consequences of an agenda promoted by the left that may result in forcing you and your children ultimately into a "Fundamental Transformation" you would never imagine possible. In the "Grand Jihad" McCarthy presents the insidious peril of how, "Government's (ours) active concealment of the Islamic ideology that unabashedly vows to 'Conquer America' with the help of witting and unwitting accomplices in and out of government. Islam doesn't merely fuel terrorism. but spawns America-hating Islamic enclaves in our midst and gradually foists Islam's repressive law, Sharia, on American life." McCarthy's incredibly learned astute observations on the subtle nuances that reveal the Islamic mentality and ideology should be an awakening to the ugly realization of the sabotage. Especially disturbing is the blindness and woeful ignorance of the American public and media of the evil intentions of the threat. For example, they don't or won't understand Obama's deeply rooted Islamic heritage. Because of this ignorance of Islam they can't read the significance of incidents like his past slights during his initial visit to the U.K. returning Churchill's bronze bust; stupid gifts indication indifference to the Queen, etc, etc. All, according to McCarthy, signals by Obama subtly indicating, "That was the old order under Western leadership." His "Change" is the new order dismantling the old. All distinctly different than the meeting with the ruler of Saudi Arabia prostration for the leader of the cradle of Islam, Mecca, etc. Submissiveness as fodder to the world's Muslims? A gesture the Koran endorses (sura 9:29) of "Willing submissiveness." All symbolic gestures after his election that were not permissible before it for fear it might jeopardize his electability and the need for a clear path to fulfill his neocommunist agenda as president. As McCarthy also points out, "It is vital to bear in mind that the president is an Alinskyite, so steeped in the ideology of the seminal community organizer that he became a top instructor in Alinsky tactics for other up-and-coming radicals. Alinskyites are fifth-columnists." Their overriding modis operandi is "hollowing out the system from within . . . Their single animating goal is to overthrow the capitalist social order," which they claim is racist, corrupt, exploitive, imperialistic, etc, etc. McCarthy doesn't say Obama is a Muslim, but takes him at his professed claim to be a Christian. But as McCarthy says, why even speculate? His religion is really irrelevant because the faith to which Obama clings is neocommunism." As such, a true nihilist, believing traditional values, morals, ideas, beliefs, etc have no worth. This is the agenda of the hard left, despising free-market capitalism and individual liberty because they are radical proponents of neocommunist abstractions like, "social justice,' "equality," "redistribution rights," etc, etc all designed to crush the capitalist system. "Ruinous spending," "nationalized health care," and "crushing tax increases" are part of a "change" designed not so much to create a new system but to destroy the old one. Like the neocommunist, the Islamist works to impose his vision of "social justice" with radical ends that differ. But the essentials of their vision coalesce totalitarianism, collectivist and antithetical to the core American constitutional democracy and individual liberty." We will continue to review this amazing book and hope its revelations on both Islam and neocomminism will help to wake the public understanding of the sabotage so rampant in this dear country. Feature Articles May 4, 2016 Valley reptile sanctuary creates fun event to educate public about misunderstood animals SCOTTSDALE A fear of snakes its the second-most common phobia in the world. On Saturday, May 7, the Phoenix Herpetological Society (PHS) is hosting a family-friendly event designed to teach the public about how snakes are beneficial, their diversity in the world, and the local (native) snakes we may encounter. Attendees can even interact with some non-venemous snakes. SPOOF SPACE BY STEELE CODDINGTON | MAY 4, 2016 Want to read an authoritative book on how Islam and the left are sabotaging America? It's a book by one of the most successful and intellectually gifted prosecutors of Jihadists in the U.S. I recently stumbled on the book's title in a brief article by the same author in the Hillsdale College monthly mailing IMPRIMIS, where he discusses the fatal misconception that Islam is a religion of peace. It isn't! But more on that in the future. Guest Editorial By Dustin Howard | MAY 4, 2016 Gun taxes, thought policing and the triumph of the Force-Left The totalitarian temptation is proving too much for the left across America. Daniel Flynn, in his book A Conservative History of the American Left, contrasted the Freedom Left, the benign old-fashioned liberals, versus the Force Left, the descendants of Marx that malignantly oppose fundamental rights in pursuit of their radical aims. The Force Left has successfully seized control of their movement and their fundamental transformation is manifesting in current events daily as we watch their struggle for ever more power. The left as a whole has long been hostile to the Second Amendment, but has been divided as to the regulatory means of mitigating its effects. Background checks, registries, magazine limits have all been incrementalist salami tactics to limit gun ownership, and according to them, limit violence. The latest tack is to levy taxes against weapons and ammunition some more confiscatory than others. In Seattle, it is 25 dollars per firearm, with a nickel tax on ammunition over .22 caliber, and a 2 cent tax on smaller calibers, which the National Rifle Association is litigating against. In the Northern Marianas Islands, to compensate for losing their handgun ban in court, their Governor imposed a $1,000 excise tax on the importation of firearms. The end game of these taxes is to discourage the purchases, create better documentation surrounding purchases, and limit the accessibility of exercising a constitutional right. But like the poll tax violating the right to vote, a confiscatory gun tax surely violates the individual right to keep and bear arms. If treated like real estate, a firearms tax could become a way to confiscate weapons from those who could not pay the tax, thus discriminating against the poor from exercising their Second Amendment rights. Onerous laws like this are being enacted all across America, with any given one of them leading to a legal challenge that will work their way to the Supreme Court. As Chelsea Clinton reminded us last week, a divided court without Scalia standing guard could dismantle the Second Amendment at any time, and a Hillary Clinton presidency would hasten that in any way possible. When was the last time children of Presidential candidates rallied support against the Bill of Rights? This blatant contempt for limited, constitutional government is without parallel in any time in our history. The Force Left also disdains the outcry against their oppressive environmental policies and their underlying assumptions. 17 Attorneys General from Democratic states and territories publicly announced they would use their respective taxpayer resources to challenge and possibly prosecute climate deniers. Californias Kamala Harris and three others have gone further, investigating Exxon Mobil for possibly funding research that disputes the anti-carbon narrative. As the Force Left attains political power by attacking the Second Amendment, the First Amendment is surely at risk too, as with the Internal Revenue Service targeting tea party and other conservative organizations. Or Senate Democrat attempts to modify the First Amendment so Congress can regulate political speech and campaign expenditures. If the Freedom Left, which once trumpeted their respect for dissent, cannot overcome this hostility to the First Amendment, there is no internal check that will stop the Force Left from becoming progressively hostile to any inconvenient right that runs counter to their passions or prejudices. Therefore, the thought police will start enforcing their ideological purity beyond the cultural realm that weve all grown accustomed to and disgusted with, and will expand to the legal realm, where the left can finally scratch their totalitarian itch and punish their enemies. President Obama promised a fundamental transformation to his voters in 2008, and the result is that no right truly remains safe; if a right can be chopped up and sold for votes, its no longer protected, let alone sacred. Rights are now considered to be expedients of the state who can protect them or summarily dismiss them on a whim. The left no longer defends freedom, meaning that by default, they have unfortunately made it a partisan political issue. Only the middle and the right can stop the Force Left from fundamentally transforming the Bill of Rights out of existence. Dustin Howard is a contributing editor at Americans for Limited Government. Guest Editorial By Dr. Paul Kengor | MAY 4, 2016 Western Civ in the crosshairsand a glimmer of hope Students at Indiana University-Bloomington recently went into panic mode at the sight of a Dominican friar, who they mistook for a Ku Klux Klan member. Funny? Yes, but also sad. It is a further sign of the state of our universities, and what is and isnt being taught. For starters, lets get this on the blackboard: For a really long time, there have been religious guys in robes, flatly unmistakable in their appearance. This year, 2016 A.D. (Anno Domini, Latin for In the Year of Our Lord), just happens to mark the 800th anniversary of the Dominicans. The Dominicans, named for their founder, Dominic de Guzman, a Spanish priest and contemporary of another giant of the faith, Francis of Assisi, founder of the Franciscans, long pre-date the KKK. These orders preceded Luthers Reformation by three centuries, and themselves were a vital reform in rekindling and sustaining the faith against some significant heresy. (A related funny-but-sad story on the Franciscans: A Franciscan friar told me about an encounter he had on the New York subway. A young woman looked at him in his garb and smiled and said: Okay, I get ityoure a Jedi Knight, right?) The Dominicans far pre-date the American university. Not unrelated, our universities once taught what we commonly call Western Civ, or Western Civilization, where students learned the elemental facts of their Western world, and where contemporary campus oddities like religious figures were not alien to their minds eye. But such is not the zeitgeist of the modern university, where todays typical student is enmeshed with a thoroughly secular worldview where a trinity of race, gender, and sexual orientation account for what is held sacred. They are carefully trained to be ever-vigilant for the slightest whiff of racism, sexism, and homophobia or (the latest rage) transphobia. Their education is such that an ancient religious order is utterly unrecognizable. That brings me back to what happened at Indiana University-Bloomington. The mysterious robed intruder shuffled his way on to campus in the dark of night. iu students be careful, Tweeted one vigilant student, theres someone walking around in kkk gear with a whip. The kkk gear was the friars robe. The whip was presumably either his belt or his rosary, the latter an 800-year practice likewise started by Dominic. Residential hall advisor Ethan Gill zapped an email to his peers, warning them of the ominous threat marching across the quad: There has been a person reported walking around campus in a KKK outfit holding a whip. Please PLEASE PLEASE be careful out there tonight. Later in the evening, a relieved Gill retracted his warning, but not before recounting the sense of horror unleashed by the unsuspecting friar: Then my residents, terrified, come running to me, saying yeah the report must be true, they saw him and couldnt believe there was a klansmember with a whip, he explained. And I see this picture. Its a priest. With a rosary. In short, its no surprise that todays college students would be dumbstruck at the image of a religious figure in a robe. Such is completely symptomatic of the life and learning of the cultural asylum we call the modern American university, wherein the name of secular liberalism, multiculturalism, diversity, and tolerancea relentless battle has been waged upon Western civilization for decades. In fact, consider this irony: fittingly, mere days after this incident in Bloomington, students at Stanford University resoundingly rejectedby a margin of six to onean effort to add a required course on Western Civ to the curriculum. The campus secularists can breathe a sigh of relief knowing that a dangerous Western Civ requirement will not cut into enrollment for courses like Narrating Queer Drama at Stanfords department of Feminist, Gender, and Sexuality Studies. And heres the height of the irony: If students at Stanford, and at Indiana University-Bloomington and elsewhere, would dare explore Western civilization, they might discover that their entire educational tradition owes quite a debt to these arcane men with robes and beads. The reality is that it was the monks, starting with the Benedictines (founded in the 5th century), that preserved crucial ancient texts and were the educators who established the model and laid the foundation for the universities. We arguably would not have the modern university without monks, certainly not how and when we did. The founder of the Benedictines was Benedict of Nursia (480-547 A.D.). He arrived in the world only a century after the birth of Augustine (354-430 A.D.) and the Council of Nicaea (325 A.D.), which, among other things, affirmed the literal belief in the Trinity (no small thing). Picking up with the Dominicans and their influence: Dominic died in 1221, only to be followed by Thomas Aquinas (1225-74) and the Scholastics. Aquinas himself was a Dominican. Also seizing the torch at the time were the likes of Bonaventure (1221-74) and the great writer Dante (1265-1321). They all not only fought the heresies of their day, from Gnosticism to Albigensianism, but they were the teachers of their day, holding forth in historic universities from Oxford to Paris. Secularists need not approve of these things, but they ought not be embarrassingly (and even deliberately) ignorant of them. Needless to say, college students will not learn any of this in their courses on Transgender Studies or Gay Autobiography. The progressive professors running these courses are championing the thoughts of Harry Hay (the Marxist gay-rights pioneer) rather than Francesco Bernardone. And I assure you that to the legion of contemporary American progressives, progress is indeed a vigilant sophomore more attuned to suspecting a klansman than recognizing a friar. In the ashes of the Judeo-Christian values and timeless absolutes they have set ablaze, our modern progressives in the academy have instead fashioned a molten calf of politically and culturally correct nostrums. They peddle false faiths full of contradiction and selective application, such as their tolerance and diversity heresiescarefully applied only to things they want to tolerate. It is tolerance and diversity for me but not for thee. They denounce the bigots who oppose transgender bathrooms while they resist the Christian teachings that have beautifully transformed and redeemed the lives of billions. And thus, when these late-adolescent products of contemporary academia look at a Dominican brother with confused fear, we shouldnt be surprised. This is a direct extension of their higher education. This is what they and their parents have paid for at great financial and moral cost. May I point to what has been a light in the darkness? Here at my college, Grove City College in Grove City, Pennsylvania, we not only respect Western civilization but teach it. It is the root of our five-course Humanities curriculum, which every student is required to fulfillcovering art, music, literature, history, and sacred ideas and textsand one of the courses is even unashamedly titled, Western Civilization. We are striving to maintain Western Civ, not kill it. How counter-culture is that these days? It is indeed. As our college president, Paul J. McNulty, observes, We are the counter-culture at Grove City College. Yes, we are. In the 1960s, the campus counter-culture had decidedly different overtones than it does now, 50 years later. To be counter-culture in the 21st century means to fight to retain the best of the timeless Western Judeo-Christian values that got us here. And it certainly means knowing the difference between a priest and a klansman. Dr. Paul Kengor is professor of political science and executive director of The Center for Vision & Values at Grove City College. His latest book is Takedown. His other books include 11 Principles of a Reagan Conservative, The Communist: Frank Marshall Davis, The Untold Story of Barack Obamas Mentor and Dupes: How Americas Adversaries Have Manipulated Progressives for a Century. Guest Editorial By Lawrence Sellin, PhD | MAY 4, 2016 An open letter to Brent Bozells open letter On April 26, 2016 Breitbart published Brent Bozell's open letter asking Sarah Palin, Ben Carson, Mike Huckabee, Phyllis Schlafly and other conservatives to withdraw their endorsements of Donald Trump. Mr. Bozell, you ask "Does Donald Trump mean a word he says?" Well, Mr. Bozell, we already know that the Republican Party doesn't mean a word that it says. For example, prior to the 2014 mid-term elections, Reince Priebus, the chairman of the Republican National Committee, speaking about Barack Obama's executive amnesty, said: "We will do everything we can to make sure it doesn't happen: Defunding, going to court, injunction. You name it. It's wrong. It's illegal. And for so many reasons, and just the basic fabric of this country, we can't allow it to happen and we won't let it happen. I don't know how to be any stronger than that. I'm telling you, everything we can do to stop it we will." After the 2014 election, when voters gave his party control of Congress, the Republicans "rewarded" their constituents by enthusiastically facilitating the funding and implementation of Obama's "illegal" executive amnesty. According an article in the left-wing outlet Politico and reported by Breitbart, Republican House Speaker John Boehner held secret negotiations with Democrat Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, leading up to his decision to flip-flop and fund Obama's executive amnesty; including a pre-hashed out deal to use the hoopla around Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's March 3, 2015 address to Congress over Iran's nuclear ambitions as political cover to sneak in the extraordinarily controversial vote. As part of this effort, the former chiefs of staff to House Speaker John Boehner and Republican National Committee chairman Reince Priebus, through a group called the American Action Network, spent $400,000 for advertisements aimed at pressuring House conservatives to support Obama's executive amnesty and fund it in its entirety through the end of the fiscal year. On the same day as Netanyahu's speech, the Republican-led House of Representatives caved to the demands of Democrats and passed a "clean" Department of Homeland Security appropriations bill by 257-167 with a majority of Democratic votes. Seventy-five Republicans voted to pass the clean bill, 167 voted against passage. The measure provided full funding of the DHS through September 30th, the end of the federal fiscal year, leaving Obama's executive amnesty untouched. In essence, the seventy-five Republicans, who joined all House Democrats to fund Obama's executive amnesty, aided and abetted the shredding of the Constitution by giving Obama the funding and future permission to rewrite federal law as he sees fit. And what about Ted Cruz, the candidate you endorsed, Mr. Bozell? Is it not Ted Cruz, who has joined the Republican establishment to thwart the will of the American people by back-room manipulation of the electoral process? Is that what you endorse, Mr. Bozell? Was it not Ted Cruz, the candidate you endorsed, who voted in favor of the Corker/Cardin Amendment, which essentially "pre-approved" the Iran nuclear deal by turning the treaty provision of the Constitution on its head, changing ratification from the constitutionally-mandated 67-vote for approval to a 67-vote for denial? Was it not Ted Cruz, the candidate you endorsed, who penned a Wall Street Journal op-ed with House Speaker Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) endorsing Obama's trade agenda -describing the TPP as an "historic" agreement that "would mean greater access to a billion customers for American manufacturers, farmers and ranchers?" Like many in the Washington DC chattering class, Mr. Bozell, you just don't get it. The November 2014 election was not an endorsement of the Republican Party, but a repudiation of Obama's dramatic expansion of government power. The voters demanded that Congress stop his fundamental transformation of America, restoring the Constitutional balance of power and ending the Executive Branch abuses against the citizenry. Yet, the Republican leadership and its toadies in Congress undercut that vote and became complicit in the enactment of Obama's unconstitutional policies. And you speak about "sanity," Mr. Bozell? To paraphrase Albert Einstein, again trusting the Republican establishment and expecting different results would be insane. Many Americans now believe that we are no longer citizens of a republic, but subjects of a reigning oligarchy composed of a self-absorbed permanent political class, which services the interests of wealthy financiers at the expense of the wider population. They maintain their authority by an ever-expanding and increasingly intrusive government and use a compliant media to manipulate public perception and opinion in order to maintain the illusion of democracy. The two most important issues of the 2016 election are non-partisan. (1) The federal government and the media are, as institutions, hopelessly corrupt. (2) The United States has elections, but we no longer have representative government. None of the problems facing the country can be solved effectively without first confronting those two issues. Any candidate addressing them directly will capture the majority of voters on both sides of the political center. But let's be honest for a moment, Mr. Bozell. It is really not Donald Trump's words that the establishment fears, and it is not only the loss of political power, but they fear the revelations of past government conduct that might emerge, and the potential for investigation and prosecution. Perhaps it is you, Mr. Bozell, who should do the "courageous thing," and stand with the American people and not with the corrupt political-media establishment. Lawrence Sellin, Ph.D. is a retired colonel with 29 years of service in the US Army Reserve and a veteran of Afghanistan and Iraq. Colonel Sellin is the author of "Restoring the Republic: Arguments for a Second American Revolution." He receives email at lawrence.sellin@gmail.com Political Correctness History does repeat itself. In the 1930s during the rise of Hitlers Nazism/Fascism, a system of government marked by centralism of authority and oppressive dictatorial control was established. Free thought and expression were crushed. Fear ran rampant resulting in the Nazi Party taking control of the country. Those who would not submit to party policies, thought, and rule were silenced, openly ostracized, jailed or left the country. At the beginning of the Nazi movement POLITICAL CORRECTNESS was used to stifle free speech and thought leading to the rise, power and takeover by the Nazi Party. In our current environment, ask yourself how free you feel to express your opinions. This POLITICAL CORRECTNESS is the poison that could result in the destruction of America. Unfortunately, most of the media use it to support their ideology. Loren W. Vaughn Scottsdale Back Shapeshifters In Navajo tribal lore there were mythical creatures who could change form from benign, even positive beings into sinister or evil ones, Shapeshifters. We may have found their like in Cave Creek and some might even reside on the town council. The town of Cave Creek appears at a tipping point in its storied history. We can chosse to remain a rural, low density community embracing our western heritage or morph into a mirror of Bedford Falls after George Baileys revelation he had not been born. The signs are everywhere. When the median plantings in Tatum Ranch (ugh) are finer than downtown Cave Creek, when ugly condo developments bulldoze there way into our midst and four and one half million taxpayer dollars are spent so spandex clad cyclists can zip past our local businesses without contributing to Cave Creeks economy, the balance has begun to shift. I should mention also the divisive motorcycle parking issue congesting downtown the like of urban Phoenix and the continued chicanery in council chambers that caused Mark Lipsky to throw up his hands in disgust, resigning. The upcoming council election promises the same foul smell familiar in the Trenk era. New coalitions are forming, some with dark and nefarious intent while others outwardly seem more civic minded in their agendas. Is civic honor a thing of the past? Well see. In thirty five years calling Cave Creek home ,never has the future of our charming, eclectic home town appeared more in jeopardy. Choose carefully who you vote for, there are Shapeshifters in our midst. Randy Edwards Cave Creek Back ...The Ballards...Pvt. South August 24, 2004 Dearly Beloved, What we have here is three generations of Tom Ballards serving their country in three different military services. Tom Ballard, Sr., US Navy, spent his time somewhere in the Pacific during WWII, 1944-1945. Tom Ballard, Jr., US Army, alias Pvt. South, was somewhere in Germany before the Berlin Wall went up, 1956-1957. Tom Ballard, III, Master Sergeant US Air Force, was somewhere in Iraq this past August 2004 entertaining the troops at various military bases with his Air Force Rock Band. It never occurred to me until I received a computer printout Chris sent to his three brothers of him in Iraq (temperature 115 degrees). Then I remembered the picture my dad sent to Mom during WWII. All of a sudden, I was thinking about three generations doing their thing for God and Country. Pvt. South is my pen name, and it goes along with the 1957 photo of Yours Truly taken in Germany on maneuvers, which I use in writing a weekly column for The County Press in Panama City, Florida. My dad and I were drafted, but Chris had to audition early at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, Ohio, now his current home. Now on to more military news, or Once Upon a Time in Vietnam. John Kerry has really created a campaign nightmare by having some of his wartime swift boat crew members on display at his political rallies. I do not understand why over 200 other swift boat veterans who were also there at the same time oppose Kerry for president. They cant all be lying, can they? Question: why does Kerry avoid discussing his long, well-documented Senate record? Is it too liberal? You can also add the other John. Anther dumb idea has been referring to President Bush as a draft-dodger or AWOL, because all he did was fly jets in the National Guard. Sounds a little goofy. Anyone trying to avoid serious danger would not pick learning how to fly supersonic jets fighters. Fighter pilots from the very beginning have always been a cut above the rest. Early on, all astronauts in the space program were fighter pilots. You know, dudes with the right stuff and the sharpest minds Lest We the People forget, Bush 43 was also a fighter pilot. Did anyone notice recently that Al Gore was given a citation for speeding somewhere out west, going 75 MPH? OK the first thing the environmental wacko would think, I didnt know a Yugo would go 75 MPH! Dearly beloved, it is time to get a grip. Big Al was driving a rented gas-guzzling Lincoln V-8 Town Car. Whatever happened to Earth in the balance? The political Gods were really looking out for We the People when Bush finally won out over Gore, so try to keep an open mind when picking our new Commander-in-Chief this November because its important. Dearly Beloved, it will be interesting to see how Manhattan handles the Republican Convention and what the liberal dumb dumbs will be up to, besides nonsense. Im sure the Founding Fathers would not be impressed. It will certainly be a good time to keep your powder dry. PVT South Louisville, Kentucky Back Sensible Objectives for the Town Manager The towns water and sewer companies are both high cost and lose money as an enterprise. They are collectively about half of the towns budget The tentative 2016-2017 budget for these enterprises has $50,000 for a utility rate study and a 14% adjusted increase in non-debt related expenses! I suggest the known problems should be fixed first! As an example, during my tenure on the Water Advisory Council the town experienced 7 catastrophic pump failures from its approximately 100 pieces of major equipment. All were easily preventable with simple management changes. The town can also save 30-50% of power and maintenance cost by addressing known problems. Leadership is needed as a first step. Council should set objectives on the Town Manager for the next budget year. Setting the objectives below for the Town Manager would be a good start in addressing this financial black hole. No excuses please! Cave Creek Utility 2016-17 Proposed Objectives i. There are to be no catastrophic pump failures ii. There are to be no Code Red Water Emergencies or area wide water interruptions. iii. There are to be no water quality excursions iv. Implement both Performance Measurement/Benchmarking and Preventive Maintenance by July 1, 2016. A referee will report on progress to the Council. Performance results are to be reported quarterly to Council starting with the end of the first fiscal quarter and quarterly thereafter v. Complete an energy study and plan by July 1 to address poor pump/motor efficiencies, oversized pumps and candidates for VFD installation vi. Reduce the ratio of power consumed to pumping rates, kWh/1000gallons by 10 percent during 2016-2017. vii. Present by October 1, 2016 for Council approval a comprehensive strategy to eliminate the negative cash flow of the WTP With the upcoming election each candidate for office should be asked for their solution to the biggest hole in the town finances! I am asking those questions and I hope all other voters do the same. Robert Morris Email Back Road work Congratulations Cave Creek you may be outdoing Scottsdale for the title of "The West's most Urban Western Town." Your road work eliminating the island between lanes through town has started to transform your quaint town into another common looking tourist trap. Sorry to see this happening especially since Scottsdale has lost most of it's Western character with the closing of Greasewood Flat and Pinnacle Peak Patio. Robert Bockelken Scottsdale Back Imagine the possibilities with gratitude What would it take to make your life better? Are you experiencing some down days or lack of abundance? Maybe your life work is not fulfilling or you would like a loving relationship. Have you considered gratitude as a spiritual principle that attracts more of whatever we are grateful for? Some of us say grace before eating a meal. It is a recognition that we are about to enjoy some delicious food that will nourish our body. What if you started being grateful for EVERYTHING in your life? By everything I mean both the good and the not so good. Thats a tall order, isnt it? Maybe you dont like your car. Do you tell yourself something like thisI really dont like my old worn-out car. I wish I had a new one. Sometimes we say something even stronger likeI really hate this car. It makes me sick the way it refuses to start in the morning. Imagine what you will experience making a statement like that. It cannot be good. We get to choose whether we focus our attention on our problems or whether we shift our awareness to something more interesting. To paraphrase the late Dr. Wayne Dyer, Whatever you think about all day long becomes manifest in your life. What are you thinking about all day long? Do you want more of that? What if you used the spiritual principle of gratitude every time you go out and start your car? What if when you say out loudI really love my car. We have been together for a long time. She takes me anywhere I want to go. Before long, gratitude will begin to attract something better into your life and you may find yourself behind the wheel of your dream car. Being grateful sets up an energy that attracts more of what we are thankful for. Can we get up in the morning, feeling grateful for a new day and go out and bless everyone and everything we meet? It is easy to bless our family and friends, but what about the stranger who gets in our face or cuts us off in traffic? For the next thirty days, I invite you to use gratitude for every thing that happens to you. What we think about becomes manifest in our lives. What we think about and add lots of feeling and excitement to multiplies what we are hoping for. Can you be as excited for what your are expecting to come to you as an eight year old boy who is telling everyone that he is getting a red bicycle for Christmas? All he talks about is riding down the street, peddling as fast as he can. When you can experience that kind of excitement for something you want, you will receive it quickly, easily and the price will not matter. Whatever we are grateful for grows in positive, abundant ways. Whatever we curse also grows in positive, abundant ways. We cannot afford to reap benefits from our negative thinking. Let go of your negative thinking and use the spiritual principle of gratitude to supercharge your life and fill it with loving relationships, fulfilling life work and peace, joy, health and wholeness. Lori Fleming, Minister Unity of Carefree Cave Creek Back Oklahoma made history The Oklahoma state legislature voted to pass the Convention of States resolution to rein in the power, scope, and jurisdiction of the federal government. Theyve joined Alaska, Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Indiana, and Tennessee to become the 7th state to take this historic step. My time in D.C. taught me firsthand that those in power seek to maintain their power. Thankfully, Article V gives states the constitutional responsibility to put an end to the Washington establishment. Today, Oklahoma citizens and legislators had the courage to use the Founders tool, and several other states will be voting on the Convention of States application in the next few weeks. Will you support the efforts in those states? Theyre on the brink of victory, but they need the support of patriots nationwide to push them over the edge. Tom Coburn, Former U.S. Senator (R-OK) Convention of States Project Senior Advisor Back Eliminate big money from politics An unknown politician recently ran for U.S. Congress and won. He had previously served as a county Judge in a remote part of the Congressional district. Most everyone overlooked him until midway through the election. The television was burning up with TV advertisements promoting him. A young man in Texas who had inherited a bunch of money had created his own Super Pac and was spending over $500,000 on helping the candidate get elected. He was elected and is in Congress today. Big money enabled big advertising. Most of us who watched 60 Minutes last Sunday night were appalled by the story about our telemarketing Congress. Our congressional representatives have literally become telemarketers sitting in cubicles in a designated telemarketing building calling donors and asking for money. According to the 60 Minutes report our elected officials are expected to spend hours every day calling from a list and reciting a script to solicit contributions of at least $18,000 a day according to Representative David Jolly of Florida. I wouldnt have believed this except 60 Minutes interviewed him and other elected congressional representatives who affirmed this reality and admit to this part of the job. Most of us realize that a career politician has to always fundraise and politic for the next election. However, our congressional officials going to a designated building and dialing for dollars every day is taking away from what we elected them to do- represent us. We have lots of problems in America. Our military and veterans are neglected. Our highways are neglected. Our bridges are neglected. Obamacare is a disaster. Our jobs are going to China and Mexico. Poverty is on the increase. Millions are hoping for a $15 an hour burger-flipping job. Thirty years ago people got jobs that fed their families, provided health care and a real retirement. Today, Americans cant afford to retire. We have 75-year-old people working minimum wage jobs just to buy their groceries or pay their rent. College students are graduating with massive debts that take years to repay. What are our representatives doing in Congress to help us? Nothing. They are sitting in cubicles for hours each day trying to raise money for their party so they can keep their jobs two or six more years. Super pacs are a bad idea. A corporation or anyone can donate massive amounts of money to a super pac. This unlimited stream of money is used in repeated television advertising to beat us down or brainwash us to the special interests way of thinking. Bernie Sanders will not be our next President. However, a candidate running a competitive campaign like he has run with the average contribution being $27 is to be applauded. How do you know for whom to vote in the upcoming primaries and general election? Take note of who the super pacs are promoting and not promoting. Our best representation in Washington may be the one they are not promoting. If he or she can be elected, maybe they will not have to spend all their time down the street at the telemarketing center. Maybe they will actually have time to represent us. Of course without the big money they probably cant get elected and this takes us back to our problem of big money in politics. Glenn Mollette Author of eleven books and read in all fifty states Back Europe under attack Since WWII Europe has welcomed tens of millions of Muslims from Africa and the Middle East who replaced the murdered Jews of Europe. Germany is leading the way, allowing 1 million Muslims to enter in 2015, and plans to bring in 1 million more in 2016. This will swell its Muslim population to 5 million. France has 6 million Muslims, the UK over 3 million, and Spain over 1 million. The burgeoning Muslim populations in Europe live in urban depressed and lawless areas, which are spawning grounds for crime and terrorism. Germany recently experienced a night of terror when young Muslim men attacked German Christian women. Sweden has reported a sharp increase in rapes of Swedish Christian women by Muslim men. Great Britain, France and Belgium have suffered terrible Islamic terrorist attacks killing and wounding many people, and the Muslim influx has increased anti-Christian and anti-Jewish incidents. Studies show many young Muslims believe suicide attacks are justified, including 42 percent in France, 35 percent in Britain, 29 percent in Spain and 22 percent in Germany. Surprisingly, the U.S. young Muslims are at 26 percent. As Muslim populations increase due to immigration and high birth rates there will be increased attacks and calls for sharia law. The United States should reflect on the European problems and Islamic attacks in Europe and this country, and rethink our immigration policies to help bolster our security by keeping out any people who might conduct Islamic terrorist attacks. Donald Moskowitz Londonderry, New Hampshire Back According to PVT South Dearly Beloved We The People now have two future choices for President. A Cruz - Fiorina ticket or a Trump and fill in the blank later. Rudy Giuliani has the best overall resume for VP, but that's just PVT South thinking out loud. Now they are talking about the best VP for Queen Hillary, one thing for sure it won't be a white guy. How many times in the past have the Democrats including Senator Chuck Schumer told America (Too many white guys running Main Street and Wall Street). The Democrats have the black vote secured so the Queen will go with a Hispanic. We can expect more women in key government positions even though the State Department looks more like a Code Pink Operation already. (The Queen will go down 49 to 1.) The Pentagon is now informing the troops about the problem with (White Privilege). How embarrassing is that? If it had not been for 16 million white men winning WW2 the current politically correct crowd would not have anything to complain about (in fact they wouldn't even be here). China, Russia, North Korea and other rogue nations are thrilled with our current Armature In Chief's attitude toward National Security. (They love it.) Will Bernie Sanders and his supporters go quietly or will they make a fuss? Good question. Here's some food for thought. If you play the lottery and win ten million dollars Bernie as President will take 9 and leave you the 1. So thank you very much and have a nice day. OK one last thought for the undecided and the politically confused. How did Hitler get his start in politics growing up as a young man in Germany? Dearly Beloved, he started out as a Community Organizer PVT South Email Back May 4, 2016 Babeu files nearly double amount of nomination signatures required CASA GRANDE Pinal County Sheriff Paul Babeu became the first Congressional District 1 candidate to file his signatures to qualify for the August primary ballot. CD1 GOP candidates must submit 1,196 signatures to qualify for the ballot and Babeu submitted nearly twice that amout - 2,206 signatures. I am honored so many people signed my petitions, Babeu said. This campaign is about the people of CD1. Their support is humbling. Babeu has raised the most amount of money of any of the Republican candidates and leads in all of the polls released to date. People understand that we must secure the border, halt the EPA overreach and grow jobs, Babeu said. The message of this campaign is simple: The federal government must work for us not hinder our ability to work. Babeu is a veteran of the Iraq War and spent 20 years in the Army National Guard, rising to the rank of major. In addition, Babeu commanded 700 troops on the Arizona-Mexico border as part of Operation Jump Start, which helped reduce illegal immigration and drug smuggling by 94 percent in the Yuma Sector. By Linda Bentley | May 4, 2016 New creative concept to conserve 4,000 acres Although USACE would ultimately need to approve the MB, Betts said the meetings have gone very well and they are very optimistic CAVE CREEK Call to the Public brought Bob Morris, a member of the Water Advisory Committee, to the podium to condemn staffs recommendation for a 14 percent hike in water rates as well as spending $50,000 for a water rate study, which he called premature. He said staff has no objectives and still cant certify the towns utilities are efficiently run. He said, I do not support a study garbage in garbage out. Paul Diefenderfer told council the bike lanes may be a source of angst for many but he thanked the town for making it safer for people like him. Steve Betts Steve Betts, who was brought on board to help the town come up with a way to conserve the approximately 4,000 acres of state land annexed into the town as open space, made a presentation to update citizens on a series of meetings that have been held with the deputy state land commissioner and his staff at the Arizona State Land Department (ASLD). Betts said those discussions have led to exploring the possibility of forming a Mitigation Bank (MB) for the purpose of conserving those lands. He said, As a resident, Im very excited about this. Explaining the basic concept, which Betts commented was not reinventing the wheel, the ASLD would transfer the 4,000 acres into a MB approved by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE). The MB would then receive mitigation credits that could be sold to developers of other parcels of state trust lands downstream (Desert Ridge area) that require Section 404 permits from the USACE. The revenue from the sale of those credits would go toward the payment/reimbursement for the cost of the land put into the MB and for restoration of those lands. The town would take on the operation and maintenance of the lands, or sub it out, and allow for recreational uses consistent with the conservation values of the land, similar to Spur Cross. The MB concept would allow the ASLD to receive full value for the trust land, consistent with their legal fiduciary responsibility, while providing the ability to expedite development/sales of valuable lands downstream in the Desert Ridge area with 404 permits. It would also honor the spirit of the original annexation development agreement with the town. If the MB concept can be achieved, Betts said the town will have the ability to control the 4,000 acres of state trust land for conservation and recreation without having to purchase the land at full value. Although USACE would ultimately need to approve the MB, Betts said the meetings have gone very well and they are very optimistic. Betts said dialogue will continue with ASLD and the next steps involve the Arizona Attorney Generals Office drafting an intergovernmental agreement (IGA) between the town and ASLD to conduct a biological assessment at a cost of approximately $20,000, which would be split 50-50. Betts believes the lands should be very eligible. While serving on Gov. Doug Duceys transition team, Betts said he spoke to previous land commissioners and found the MB concept was something the ASLD has been considering for years but never had the time or expertise to pursue it. During public comment, Anna Marsolo said if after paying $10,000 for the biological assessment and nothing happened, the town would be out $10,000. She asked what would happen to the existing development agreements. Betts said they would probably go away but not until the MB is in place. Kerry Smith said he studied mitigation banks years ago and provisions had to be made to preserve wetlands. He said this was the first time hes ever heard of a municipality forming a MB. Smith said MBs are binding contracts that could impinge on adjoining lands but stated, This is a very creative and complex idea. Reg Monachino asked who would determine the cost of the credits to be sold. Betts said USACE would calculate the cost. Smith stated that is why the biological assessment is so crucial and USACE will use the assessment to determine how many acres in credits will be exchanged for acres of development. Betts said it is comprised of numerous factors and could include endangered species credits. Cave Creek Museum Executive Director Evelyn Johnson asked if there would be compensation for artifacts found on the lands. Betts said there would, similar to Spur Cross. Councilman Dick Esser said, This is a hell of a challenge for a small town, and asked if he had a timeline. Betts said they were getting the IGA going so the biological assessment could be completed this summer. Councilman Ernie Bunch said it was worth every cent. Vice Mayor Steve LaMar Vice Mayor Steve LaMar said this concept is a win-win and stated they have some of the best expertise in Arizona involved. Stating it was very gratifying to see they have some concrete progress, LaMar said, This is a great step in fulfilling our mandates of the general plan. Mayor Vincent Francia stated Spur Cross was also complex but in a different way and said, But we got it done. Francia noted the community has political differences but open space has been something all have rallied around. Council voted unanimously to table the second general agenda item to approve a resolution authorizing the mayor to approve a development agreement between the town and North Mountain Reserve Homeowners Association, inciting unrest in the audience by members of the community and causing Maricopa County Sheriffs Captain Kip Rustenburg to intervene. Apparently, Scott Dahne, a home owner in the community, has sued his homeowners association over the installation of some lighting and permit requirements. Home owners in the community hoped the development agreement would resolve the conflict. However, the town has no desire to become a party to the litigation that has been pending since June 2015. Council voted unanimously to pass the second reading of ordinances amending sections of the town code affecting water rates, charges and deposits. Council voted 6-1, with Councilwoman Susan Clancy dissenting, to amend the towns policy for a minimum contingency percentage, reducing it from 10 percent to 8 percent. By Linda Bentley | May 4, 2016 Target facing massive boycott while stocks tank over transgender policy Inclusivity is a core belief at Target. Its something we celebrate MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. On April 19 Target announced, [W]e welcome transgender team members and guests to use the restroom or fitting room facility that corresponds with their gender identity Everyone deserves to feel like they belong, responding to a law passed in North Carolina that shot down a Charlotte ordinance providing special protections to LGBT people in places of public accommodation. The American Family Association (AFA) followed up on Targets announcement by calling for a boycott of Target and stated, This means a man can simply say he feels like a woman today and enter the womens restroom even if young girls or women are already in there. Meanwhile, a man video recorded his trip to a Target store during which he asked a store employee if it was OK for him to use the womens restroom since he felt uncomfortable using the mens room. The employee said it was perfectly alright and if anyone gave him any trouble about it to come and see him. AFA stated, Targets policy is exactly how sexual predators get access to their victims. And with Target publicly boasting that men can enter womens bathrooms, where do you think predators are going to go? However, AFA didnt just ask people to boycott Target, it also proposed a common-sense approach and reasonable solution to the issue of transgendered customers: a unisex bathroom. It said, Target should keep separate facilities for men and women, but for the trans community and for those who simply like using the bathroom alone, a single occupancy unisex option should be provided. That solution would not only benefit the transgender community but would also benefit fathers shopping with young daughters and mothers shopping with young sons. Target decided instead to double down on defending its policy and stated it continues to stand for inclusivity in light of proposed laws in several states that require people to use the restrooms matching their biological gender. Target stated, Inclusivity is a core belief at Target. Its something we celebrate. We stand for equality and equity, and strive to make our guests and team members feel accepted, respected and welcomed in our stores and workplaces every day. As of this writing, over 1,147,000 people signed AFAs pledge to boycott Target, citing the stores policy endangers women and children by allowing men to frequent womens facilities, and pledging: Until Target makes the safety of women and children a priority, I will shop elsewhere. The number of people who have pledged to boycott Target continues to increase substantially by the minute. And while Target chose to double down rather than budge on its policy, its stock fell from $84.10 a share on April 19 to $79.36 a share on Friday, a loss of $4.74 per share, representing a $2.5 billion loss in stock value, only 10 days after announcing its transgender policy. The National Health Interview Survey measuring Americans sexual orientation reported in July 2014 that 1.6 percent of the population identify as gay or lesbian and 0.7 percent identify as bisexual. An April 2011 report by the Williams Institute estimated 3.8 percent of Americans identified as gay/lesbian, bisexual or transgender; with 1.7 percent as lesbian or gay, 1.8 percent as bisexual and 0.3 percent as transgender. So, Target has enacted a policy that caters to 0.3 percent of the population (that may or may not be Target customers) at the expense of the safety of millions who shop at Target regularly. But its not just Target, other corporations have since jumped on the transgender-catering bandwagon. Last week, USA Today reported Starbucks, Hudsons Bay Co. (HBC) parent company to Lord & Taylor and Sacks Fifth Avenue and Barnes & Noble all stated employees and customers in their stores are welcome to use the bathroom of the gender with which they identify. HBC spokeswoman Tiffany Bourre told USA Today, HBC respects and affirms each persons right to self-identify and access facilities that reflect their gender identity. Mary Ellen Keating, a spokeswoman for Barnes & Noble, said, As a company, Barnes & Noble treats all employees and customers with dignity and respect. For our transgender employees and customers, that means that they are allowed to use the bathroom of the gender they identify with. Starbucks said it was looking into additional opportunities to have more gender-neutral signage in our restrooms where jurisdictions allow it. Target is now investigating who may have posted the warning signs in the womens restroom at its Keizer, Oregon store that read: Attention Ladies: Target Corp. has publicly announced that men may now use the womens restroom (and vise versa), no questions asked. Please be cautious. Report suspected hidden cameras. Report loitering or peeping individuals and especially use your good judgment about sending children or teens into the restroom alone. Target claims the policy isnt new and only recently announced it publicly in response to legislation passed in North Carolina and now several other states requiring people to use the restroom that corresponds with their biological gender. Former Bollywood actress Mamta Kulkarni is being investigated by police for her alleged involvment as a central figure in an international drug smuggling ring, Indian media reported on Thursday. The investigation was launched after Indian police seized 20 tonnes of the contraband ephedrine drug being smuggled into the country earlier this month, reports said. The development came as investigators revealed on Wednesday that Mamtas Kenya-based husband, Vicky Goswami, was the kingpin of the drug operation. In a tip-off by the United States Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) earlier, Goswami was listed as a prime suspect in the investigation. He was arrested for drug trafficking in Dubai 1997 and served 15 years in a prison there. But police are now also investigating Mamtas role as the face of the international drug cartel. According to Indian media reports quoting an unnamed police officer, Mamtas husband used the former actress meet clients in Dubai, Singapore, South Africa and the US. She also allegedly struck business deals with drug networks in Maharashtra, while her name was also used to carry out bank transactions. Mumta Kulkarni is a former Bollywood actress. Her acting career peaked during the 1990s and later on quit the industry at the turn of the century. For city money, South Bend apartments allot 40% of rooms to poor tenants The need for reasonably priced one- and two-bedroom units is dire in the city. Many renters are older and disabled residents who live alone. Welcome to SwanseaOnline - your home for the best news, sports and what's on coverage of the city. Never miss a Swansea story with our daily newsletter Sign up to comment on our stories here Follow us on Facebook and Twitter | Swansea City news | Ospreys news | InYourArea Something went wrong, please try again later. Invalid email Something went wrong, please try again later. Believe it or not, in these days of LAST week, I set off on a pilgrimage to walk in the footsteps of Richard Burton, the legendary Welsh actor who settled in an idyllic far-flung haven just off the crystal waters of Lake Geneva. A task which, I soon discovered, was much easier said than done. Believe it or not, in these days of pinpoint accuracy on Google Maps and sat navs that do everything short of boiling your travel coffee for you, the final resting place of (in my humble opinion) Wales's greatest actor is a location that even the almighty internet was unable to give me clear directions to. Yes, I could find the village, and yes, I could find the name of the cemetery, but beyond that nothing. Finding my way around foreign soil is not a skill I'm blessed with I still remember getting lost on an orienteering expedition to Margam Park in school, and having a ranger accompany me for my own safety and so rather than blindly stumbling around the Swiss countryside, I turned to social media for help. Thankfully, I was soon given all manner of directions from some very helpful experts and locals on Twitter, which allowed me to set off on my travels feeling slightly more secure in my plans. I've long had an affinity with the most talented actor never to win an Oscar in fact, I even made my first television appearance while in school in Burton's native Ysgol Gynradd Gymraeg Pontrhydyfen following his untimely passing in 1984 when the cameras arrived in town to film the local schoolchildren playing rugby and singing Welsh language songs in his memory. And so when the opportunity to visit Vevey landed on my lap, I jumped at the chance to take a detour towards the municipality of Celigny where, at the age of 58, the Port Talbot-born Hollywood star passed away and was buried in the nearby cemetery in a red suit with a copy of Dylan Thomas's poems. Having landed at Geneva Airport, I made my way to the tiny hamlet with a current population of 691, and as I stepped off the bus it was instantly apparent just why a man who could have laid his hat anywhere in the world fell in love with the area. It was covered in luscious greenery, the mighty Alps spread wide on the horizon, and a balmy golden sun infused the land with an overwhelming aura of relaxation and carefreeness. I was in search of three locations in particular: Burton's grave in the Vieux Cemetery; his home, the wonderfully patriotically named Le Pays de Galles (for those whose grasp on the French language is as good as mine, that translates as Wales); and his favourite restaurant, Buffet de la Gare de Celigny. I ticked the restaurant off my list quite quickly being directly opposite the bus stop, but the real stumbling block was the grave itself. I took a few wrong turns, huffed and puffed up some steep narrow streets, and fumbled my way through directions from the locals by using my broken French, which pretty much amounted to "Excusez-moi, ou est Richard Burton?" One extremely kind and patient lady from the village, who didn't speak a word of English and had a car full of children to look after, went out of her way to offer me a lift to as close to the cemetery as possible. At which point I reached a very important junction on my journey, and one which is said to catch out a lot of travellers. Richard Burton is buried in Celigny's old cemetery, but all of the signposts led in the direction of the new cemetery. Luckily, I arrived forewarned and, having been dropped off at the newer graveyard, veered off the beaten track in search of the original. By following a rarely-used grass path I caught sight of the cemetery gates, familiar from a Google image search, and there inside was Burton's final resting place. It was an adventure, it was a challenge, and it was an emotional finale to my expedition and a detour I'd highly recommend. Mark Rees's route to Vieux Cemetery: If anyone is thinking of making the trek, I suggest picking up a Swiss Travel Pass , which allows unlimited travel on trains, trams, buses and boats and is much cheaper than all of the individual tickets needed for this trip. Catch the National Express from South Wales to Heathrow Airport. Fly to Geneva with Swissair. Train from Geneva Airport to Geneva. Train from Geneva to Coppet. Bus from Coppet to Celigny gare. Take a look or stop for a glass of wine at Buffet de la Gare de Celigny opposite the bus stop, and then walk up the hill for five minutes until you reach the village. The village is small, but a wrong turn can lead into the wilderness (yes, I know from experience!). Stick to the left, and keep an eye out for the cimetiere sign to the left of the information office. If you reach a hardware/ lawnmower shop, you've gone too far up the hill. Follow the winding rural road for cimetiere, but bear in mind this is the new cemetery not the old Vieux Cemetery. Finally the most important instruction walk past the new cemetery onto what looks like an abandoned grass path. On the right, you will see the metallic gates. Richard Burton's grave is on the left, just inside the entrance. If all else fails, drop me a tweet at @reviewwales and I'll help if I can that's how I found it! Finally, I'd like to thank those who helped me along the way, in particular: Roy Jeane, Professor Chris Williams, Richard Burton Museum, Anais Bobst and all at Switzerland Tourism , and the kind lady with the car whose name I didn't catch from Celigny. Baku, Azerbaijan, May 4 By Aygun Badalova - Trend: The BBC TV channel has prepared a program on the Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, which was filmed on the frontline. The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts. The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts. The program says that Nagorno-Karabakh is an internationally recognized part of Azerbaijan, but this region is controlled by Armenian units, and that Armenian armed forces also control other Azerbaijani territories adjacent to Nagorno-Karabakh. April 2016 saw the worst escalation of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict since the mid-1990s, the BBC said. During the trip to Azerbaijan's Aghdam district, BBC's journalist group visited a hospital just a few kilometers away from the contact line between Azerbaijani and Armenian troops. The journalists met with the wounded, who are being treated in the hospital, relatives of the victims and the people whose homes were destroyed during Armenian attacks, the BBC reported. Not only Azerbaijan, but also international community says that Azerbaijani territories, including the country's Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven adjacent districts were occupied, Hikmat Hajiyev, spokesman for the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry, said. Hajiyev added that the UN Security Council for that reason adopted four resolutions calling for immediate, unconditional and full withdrawal of Armenian armed forces from the all occupied territories of Azerbaijan, the BBC said. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @AygunBadalova The team operating NASA's Curiosity Mars rover uses the MAHLI camera on the rover's arm to check the condition of the wheels at routine intervals. The rugged terrain on Mars is taking its toll on the six wheels of NASA's Curiosity rover, but the Red Planet robot should be able to complete its mountain-climbing science mission regardless, NASA officials said. NASA's car-size Curiosity rover has been exploring the lower reaches of Mars' 3-mile-high (5 kilometers) Mount Sharp since September 2014, gathering data that mission scientists hope will shed light on the Red Planet's past potential to host microbial life. Careful monitoring of the rover's aluminum wheels suggests that Curiosity should be able to get high enough up the mountain to complete this task, said Curiosity deputy project manager Steve Lee, of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, California. [Amazing Mars Photos by NASA's Curiosity Rover (Latest Images)] "Cracks and punctures have been gradually accumulating at the pace we anticipated, based on testing we performed at JPL," Lee said in a statement. "Given our longevity projections, I am confident these wheels will get us to the destinations on Mount Sharp that have been in our plans since before landing." This 360-degree panorama from the Mastcam on NASA's Curiosity Mars rover shows the rugged surface of "Naukluft Plateau" plus upper Mount Sharp at right and part of the rim of Gale Crater. (Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS) Curiosity touched down inside Mars' 96-mile-wide (154 km) Gale Crater in August 2012 and soon found evidence that the area could have supported microbial life in the ancient past. In July 2013, the rover set out for the base of Mount Sharp, initiating a 5-mile-long (8 km) journey that would take 14 months to complete. The driving in Gale Crater has been rough. Holes and punctures in the robot's aluminum wheels, whose skin is just half as thick as a dime, became noticeable in 2013; Curiosity's handlers responded by routing the rover over gentler terrain to the extent possible and ramping up wheel testing at JPL. This Earth-based work suggested that the 20-inch-tall (51 centimeters) wheels reach about 60 percent of their mileage limit at a specific point: when three of their 19 grousers the zigzag treads that provide traction and bear most of Curiosity's weight have broken, NASA officials said. So far, the mission team has seen no evidence of any broken grousers, the officials added. (Curiosity takes photos of its wheels every 1,650 feet, or 500 meters.) The rover, NASA officials said, should therefore be able to make it to three key sites that Curiosity team members have been targeting for quite some time: an area rich in hematite, an iron-oxide mineral; a rock unit located farther on that hosts lots of clay minerals; and another rock site beyond that containing sulfates. This early-morning view from the Mastcam on NASA's Curiosity Mars rover on March 16, 2016, covers a portion of the inner wall of Gale Crater. At right, the image fades into glare of the rising sun. (Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS) "At a current odometry of 7.9 miles (12.7 km) since its August 2012 landing, Curiosity's wheels are projected to have more than enough life remaining to investigate the hematite, clay and sulfate units ahead, even in the unlikely case that up to three grousers break soon," NASA officials wrote in the same statement. "The driving distance to the start of the sulfate-rich layers is roughly 4.7 miles (7.5 km) from the rover's current location." Studying such rock layers can yield information about Mars' past habitability. For example, clay minerals generally form in the presence of liquid water with a near-neutral pH, and therefore could be good indicators of past environments that were conducive to life, mission scientists have said. Curiosity is now nearly finished crossing a stretch of particularly rough and rocky terrain that mission scientists call the Naukluft Plateau. The rover climbed onto the plateau in early March, after spending a few weeks studying sand dunes lower down on Mount Sharp. Follow Mike Wall on Twitter @michaeldwall and Google+. Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebook or Google+. Originally published on Space.com. Artist's illustration of Planet Nine, a hypothesized world in the outer solar system thought to be about 10 times more massive than Earth. It's unclear whether Planet Nine exists, but astronomers are already digging into the mystery of the hypothetical world's birth. In January, Konstantin Batygin and Mike Brown of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena announced that they had inferred the existence of Planet Nine based on the strange orbits of a half dozen small bodies in the Kuiper Belt beyond Neptune. Planet Nine, Batygin and Brown suggested, is perhaps 10 times more massive than Earth and orbits the sun at an average distance of about 700 astronomical units (AU). (One AU is the Earth-sun distance 93 million miles, or 150 million kilometers.) [The Evidence for Planet Nine in Pictures] Some astronomers are now scanning the sky in an attempt to find the putative planet, while others are tackling another mystery: How did Planet Nine come to be? There are a number of possible origin stories, researchers say. For example, Planet Nine may be a former exoplanet that was captured by our solar system's gravity. This scenario appears to be far-fetched, however. Gongjie Li and Fred Adams, both of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics (CfA) in Cambridge, Massachusetts, performed computer simulations to estimate the odds that Planet Nine was plucked from a passing star system or nabbed as a formerly free-floating "rogue planet." In both cases, the odds are less than 2 percent, the researchers report in a new study. So it's likely that Planet Nine is native to our solar system. But did it form in its present location, or begin life much closer to the sun and then get booted into the outer solar system by a gravitational interaction of some kind? Both scenarios are possible, Scott Kenyon, of the CfA, and Benjamin Bromley, of the University of Utah, report in two new studies of their own, which are also based on computer modeling work. Given the right initial conditions, Planet Nine could have coalesced near where it's now thought to lie within 1 billion to 2 billion years of the solar system's birth, Kenyon and Bromley found. But their simulations also give credence to the idea that interactions with Jupiter and Saturn kicked Planet Nine out from a formerly tighter orbit. "Think of it like pushing a kid on a swing: If you give them a shove at the right time, over and over, they'll go higher and higher," Kenyon said in a statement, adding that this scenario is "the simplest solution." The gravitational boot, if it occurred, didn't have to come from a fellow planet. In their paper, Li and Adams also considered the possibility that Planet Nine was tugged outward by one of the sun's stellar neighbors. But their simulations pegged the probability of this scenario at 10 percent at best, suggesting that, in most cases, a passing star would have kicked Planet Nine out of our solar system completely. So the fog of mystery surrounding Planet Nine remains thick. But that fog could clear someday, provided that this mysterious world actually exists and astronomers are able to get a decent look at it. "The nice thing about these scenarios is that they're observationally testable," Kenyon said. "A scattered gas giant will look like a cold Neptune, while a planet that formed in place will resemble a giant Pluto with no gas." The study by Li and Adams has been accepted for publication in The Astrophysical Journal Letters. Kenyon and Bromley have submitted their two papers to The Astrophysical Journal. Follow Mike Wall on Twitter @michaeldwall and Google+. Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebook or Google+. Originally published on Space.com. The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2016 - Space Media Network. 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Any attempt to extort money from Space Media Network will be ignored and reported to Australian Law Enforcement Agencies as a potential case of financial fraud involving the use of a telephonic carriage device or postal service. Baku, Azerbaijan, May 4 Trend: The discussions held by Armenia on a draft law on recognition of the occupation regime in Nagorno-Karabakh are a show called a "democratic process", the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry's Spokesman Hikmet Hajiyev told Trend May 4. He was commenting on a statement made by Vladimir Hakobyan, spokesperson for the Armenian president. "The contradictory statements of the Armenian president, foreign minister, his deputies, defense minister and other officials of that country, have become a tradition and the remark made by the Armenian president's spokesperson is another inadequate statement," added Hajiyev. "That person, trying to preach about democracy, says that in case of recognition of the occupation regime in Nagorno-Karabakh, everyone will first hear that from the Armenian president," said Hajiyev. "On the other hand, talking about the "democratic expression of people's will", Vladimir Hakobyan denies himself." "His words suggest that the Armenian leadership is turning a blind eye to "democratic expression of the will of the Armenian people"," said Hajiyev. He went on to add that the Armenian leadership, ignoring the results of its irresponsible actions, is trying to disrupt the process of a political solution to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. "It is evident that the Armenian leadership doesn't realize its actions," Hajiyev said. "Assertions about the existence of democracy in Armenia can be perceived as a bad joke." Earlier, Vladimir Hakobyan, press secretary of the Armenian president, commented on the proposal of the Armenian MPs to "recognize" the Nagorno-Karabakh. Hakobyan said that in case of the official recognition, everyone will learn about that first from the president of Armenia. The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts. The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts. Bir Lahlou (liberated territories), 04 May 2016 (SPS) - the President of Republic, Secretary General of the Polisario Front, Mr. Mohamed Abdelaziz hailed the principled positions of Algeria with the Saharawi people and their just cause. President of Republic said in his letter to Secretary-General of the General Union of Algerian Workers Mr. Abdelmajid Sidi Said on the occasion of May Day dedicated to Solidarity with the people of Western Sahara that the contents contained in the letter of the President Abdelaziz Bouteflika evidence of his commitment and fidelity to the martyrs. Algeria has achieved and still achieve, with wisdom, patience, awareness, responsibility and pride and dignity deeply rooted in the hearts of all the Algerians, many achievements and gains in a triumphant march in conditions of peace and stability, enjoying its merited regional, continental and global place with firm and principled positions and strategic options, "the president added in his letter. The Secretary General of the Polisario Front said that the outstanding demonstrations with the Saharawi people hosted by the city of Oran is depth of Algeria fulfillment to the glorious revolution of November, and to its principles deep-rooted over the years.SPS 125/090/TRA Baku, Azerbaijan, May 4 By Orkhan Guluzade - Trend: The talks that Armenia allegedly has a possibility to create a nuclear weapon are nothing but empty threats, says Ermagan Kuloglu, Turkish army's lieutenant general in retirement. Armenia has no technologies and conditions to create a nuclear weapon, he said speaking to Trend May 4. "By stating that it has a nuclear weapon, Yerevan tries to conceal its disgrace in the latest clashes on the line of contact between the armies of Azerbaijan and Armenia," added Kuloglu. Earlier, Armenia's former prime minister, MP Hrant Bagratyan said during a press conference that Armenia has a nuclear weapon. Asked by journalists to clarify his remarks, Bagratyan said Armenia has an opportunity to create a nuclear weapon. "We have a nuclear weapon," he added. Armenia has a nuclear power plant, Metsamor, built in 1970. The power plant was closed after a devastating earthquake in Spitak in 1988. But despite the international protests, the power plant's operation was resumed in 1995. Moreover, a second reactor was launched there. The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts. The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @o_quluzade The Scottish Crofting Federation (SCF) Chief Executive Patrick Krause said; The commission is apparently behaving extremely high-handedly and their diplomacy skills are very low. Grazings shareholders need a word of comfort urgently to restore confidence in the regulator. The Crofting Commission recently removed two grazings committees from their offices on grounds that they did not fulfil their statutory obligations. This is vigorously denied by those removed, with claims that the commission made it impossible to comply by contradiction, vagueness and antagonism. The commissions decision to impose a constable on one of the grazings is being questioned by a leading lawyer as to its legitimacy. Patrick Krause continued, A public statement giving the assurance that grazings committees will not continue to be sacked, that grazings constables, legal or otherwise, will not be imposed on them and that the issue of enforcement of fatally impractical demands will be addressed, is overdue and essential to halt this calamity. The debate: In or Out? the implications for Scottish food and farming will be held on Thursday 19 May five weeks before Britain votes on EU membership. Fittingly, the event is to be held in the MacRobert Pavilion within the Royal Highland Showground near Edinburgh. The EU membership poll on 23 June will coincide with the opening day of the Royal Highland Show Scotlands biggest agricultural event and the Union has already encouraged people planning to attend the show to consider organising a postal vote. The first speaker to confirm his attendance is European Agriculture and Rural Development Commissioner Phil Hogan. The Union expects a high profile speaker from the Vote Leave campaign to be confirmed in the next few days, at which point registration to attend the event will open. The Union will also spend time on farm with Commissioner Hogan the following day (Friday, 20 May). Commissioner Hogan attended the Royal Highland Show in June 2015, taking in a visit to the Hamilton familys arable, beef and sheep unit at Garvald Mains near Haddington. This time round, the Commissioner will visit the Dandie family at Learielaw, Broxburn where they run a large arable farm with suckler cow and beef finishing enterprises. NFU Scotland President Allan Bowie said: Given the importance of Europe as a market for our produce, and the Common Agricultural Policy as a major support structure for our iconic food and farming industries, debate on the issue of EU membership is of huge significance to every farmer and crofter in Scotland. The sale started with the annual show of geld gimmer hoggs, which comprised the largest entry seen for several years, and while some buyers were selective, there was still a good clearance rate. It was a good day for Donald Sunderland, of Halton East, with his pen of ten Mule gimmers all from stock bought at Skipton Auction Mart chosen by judge Darrell Shinwell, from the Derbyshire Peak District. He later snapped them up in the sales ring for 125 per head, Mr Shinwell also picked out a fine pen of ten Continental geld gimmer hoggs from Messrs Atkinson, of Beckhill Farms in Scorton, Richmond, for a red rosette. The hoggs, by Beltex tups Rathbone Pepper and Ivanhoe Rambo, were all home-bred and born at the beginning of April. They sold to 142 to C Buckley, of Golcar, Huddersfield. Beckhill Farms also took third prize in the geld Mule gimmer hoggs category, with their charges selling at 120 each John Lancaster, of Bordley, claimed second prize with his ten Mule gimmer hoggs, which sold for 110 per head. In the annual show of hoggs with lambs at foot, anything with power and style was easily sold, with some great runs of Mule and Continental hoggs trading in the 200 to 230 region, and the very best making more, while nice sorts made 160-180. Robert, Raymond and Gemma Johnson, of Kettlesing, saw two quality pens of five Mules take first and third places. They were picked out by judges, the Towler brothers, David and James, of Grindleton. Shown with three-week-old lambs at foot, they sold to a top of 245 per outfit. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate If they are relics of a bygone era, they have bones as good as any retail sites available in Fairfield County. Available for the time being, that is. With a pending lease, a former HSBC branch in Wilton is to be converted to medical office use, the first to find a new purpose from the banks big buildout in Fairfield County a decade ago and abrupt contraction after only a few years in operation. Call them Fairfield Countys midget boxes. The former HSBC branches have remained empty long after their original tenants moved on, not unlike their big-box counterparts that, in many cases, require re-imagining for new purposes. Reconceptualizing the HSBC branches is hardly taxing. The properties have several common denominators important to those seeking space: attractive exteriors, ample parking and, most importantly, enviable locations on prominent routes in Norwalk, Fairfield, Wilton, Ridgefield and Monroe. They are really beautiful buildings, said Kerry Wood, director of retail services in the Stamford office of Cushman & Wakefield, who lists multiple former HSBC branches alongside her colleagues, Jodi Dostal and Kathleen Fazio. They have really high ceilings, lots of light. Whats interesting is that we are getting a variety of different tenant (inquiries). In Norwalk, a pair of former HSBC branches have been listed separately by Nizzardo Real Estate Services and The Southpoint Group. As full-service bank branches, the buildings have drive-through windows, as well, opening the possibility for food service. Wood said the buildings her team has listed are slightly larger than the typical fast-food restaurant, but did not rule that out as a possible use. Others include retail, business or medical offices, fitness centers and art galleries. HSBC was not the only company to build big in Fairfield County, drawn by the regions affluence and by extension, loan demand by small businesses catering to residents here. Concurrent with HSBCs expansion, New Jersey-based Commerce Bank attempted to wow prospective account holders with new branches that accentuated height, light and elbow room, versus the traditional queue barrier and teller-window orientation of banks of yore. After acquiring Commerce Bank in 2008, TD Bank has maintained those branches in Darien, Fairfield, Norwalk and Stamford. HSBC, by contrast, drew back sharply, selling to First Niagara Financial Group much of its Northeast operations, while retaining token branches in downtown Westport, Stamford, and in Darien on the Norwalk border. Deposits totaled a combined $289 million as of June, less than half its total from five years earlier, when it had 10 branches locally. With the Wilton lease agreement Wood would not say immediately the expected tenant at least one of those branches will finally find a new purpose. From her vantage, others should soon follow, given the boxes the properties fulfill on the real estate checklist. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate HARTFORD For Fairfield University and its former chaplain, a federal judges ruling dismissing a civil sex-trafficking charge in a multimillion-dollar lawsuit arising out of the abuse of young Haitian street boys represents a victory. For Mitchell Garabedian, the Boston lawyer for the 50 plaintiffs, the defeat is a small one in a bigger lawsuit. The dismissal of the sex-trafficking count does not significantly harm the plaintiffs claim, said Garabedian, whose efforts in exposing sexual abuse of children by priests and the resulting coverup by the Boston Diocese was featured in Spotlight this years Oscar winning best picture. The plaintiffs still have the federal sex-tourism, negligent-hiring, retention and supervision and breach-of-fidicuriary-duties claims pending. Garabedian said the 50 pending cases have been consolidated before U.S. District Judge Robert N. Chatigny in Hartford. All of the parties are working diligently in completing their discovery, which should happen in the next 60 to 90 days, Garabedian said. Others say the case could be tried next year. Stanley A. Twardy Jr., whose Day Pitney lawfirm represents Fairfield University, declined comment. Meanwhile David Clohessy, director of SNAP which is a network of people abused by priests, said he was disappointed by the ruling but thankful some charges remain. We as a society have to punish those who also conceal, not just those who commit these horrible acts, said Clohessy. We believe its wrong to exploit legal techniques to evade justice and obscure the truth. The cases arise out of a three-phase program to feed, clothe, shelter and education street boys in Haiti. The program was designed by Douglas Perlitz, a 1992 Fairfield University graduate who the school chose as its 2002 commencement speaker. Seven years later, Perlitz was arrested on charges of sexually abusing dozens of boys he was supposed to be helping. A joint investigation by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Bureau, Haitian National Police and the United Nations led to his arrest, conviction and incarceration. He is due to be released in 2026 from his 19-year, 7-month federal prison sentence. In 2013, Garabedian negotiated a $12 million settlement, providing about $500,000 to each of the first 24 defendants on whose behalf he brought suits. Another 50 students in Perlitzs Project Pierre Toussaint program have since brought suit seeking millions from him, Fairfield University; the Rev. Paul Carrier who mentored and raised money for Perlitzs program and other Roman Catholic charities and individuals. In a nine-page ruling, Chatigny dismissed the sex-trafficking charge after determining that the law, as it stood until December 2008, required the crime to be committed in the U.S., and did not extend internationally. He found it could not applied retroactively to Perlitzs actions, which ended before the laws 2008 revision. Garabedian alleges in the lawsuit that the defendants such as Fairfield University, the Haiti Fund and the Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of St. John of Jerusalem of Rhodes and of Malta raised money for Perlitzs program but failed to properly supervise or remove him after complaints about the sexual activities emerged. Carrier, who has been suspended by his Jesuit order, was an officer in the Haiti Fund, which as the fundraising arm of Project Pierre Toussaint raised over $2 million for it. He also regularly traveled to Haiti to meet with Perlitz. Timothy ONeill, Carriers lawyer, did not immediately return a call for comment. Other defendants in these cases include: the Society of Jesus of New England, Carriers Jesuit order; and Hope Carter, a New Canaan philanthropist, Malta member and member of the board of directors of the Haiti Fund. Details added (first version posted on 19:14) Baku, Azerbaijan, May 4 Trend: A meeting on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is set to take place soon and will be attended by the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs, Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told Sputnik International May 4. Lavrov said he believes it would be possible, though difficult, to create documents on the Nagorno-Karabakh settlement based on ideas voiced by the conflicting sides. "Tensions should probably cool down first, which is understandable. But there are no alternatives to the political process, political settlement," added Lavrov. "And there are certain ideas that have been discussed by the parties. And I remain convinced that while it would be difficult, it is possible to write them down in documents that would be acceptable to all parties." Effective control mechanisms should be put in place in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict zone to prevent the flouting of the truce, added the minister. He said the presidents of Azerbaijan and Armenia had agreed to devise a confidence-building mechanism years ago and entrusted the OSCE with drafting a set of proposals to this effect. "Unfortunately, in 2012 this did not go as planned. But now we want the sides return to this [proposal], the German OSCE chairmanship wants to be an active contributor and we welcome its intent," added Lavrov. The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts. The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate WASHINGTON -- More than five years after her employer's pet chimpanzee attacked her, ripping off her hands and much of her face, Charla Nash came to Washington on Thursday to advocate for a bill that would forbid the trade of primates across state lines. Nash, who underwent one of the world's first face transplants in 2011, spoke to reporters with Connecticut Democratic Sens. Richard Blumenthal and Chris Murphy by her side, and then met with congressional staffers, calling for passage of Captive Primate Safety Act. The measure actually was passed by the House in 2009, but failed to gain support in the Senate. The owner of the chimpanzee that attacked Nash purchased the animal as an infant in Missouri and brought him to her home in North Stamford. "Had this law been in effect, this would never have happened, and I don't want something like this to ever happen to anyone else ever again," Nash, 60, told staffers in the meeting at the Capitol. Nash was attacked by a 200-pound chimp named Travis. He tore off her nose, lips, eyelids and most of the bony structure in the middle of her face. An infection from the attack forced doctors to surgically remove her eyes. The primate legislation would amend the Lacey Act, which already bans interstate trade of big cats, such as lions and tigers, and large constrictor snakes. Several legisaltors emphasized at a news conference Thursday that the measure would have no effect on zoos, universities that conduct animal research or wildlife sanctuaries. "It needs to be done. No one needs to get hurt like I did," Nash said after the conference, adding she would make another trip to Congress if it would help pass the bill. Travis, 14 years old at the time, also ripped off her hands. Doctors managed to salvage one of Nash's thumbs and sewed it on sideways, and Nash said she is on a list to receive hand transplants. Democratic and Republican leaders have reintroduced the captive primate bill, first brought before lawmakers in 2005, in both the House and the Senate. Wayne Pacelle, president and chief executive officer of the Humane Society of the United States, said at the news conference the measure lost steam because some have argued the states should handle the issue. He said "dysfunction" in Congress has also slowed it down, as well as some members who "diminish the importance" of animal welfare laws. Rep. Earl Blumenauer, D-Ore., who introduced the bill in the House, said Nash's visit and public advocacy would help push Congress to pass it by the end of this session. "I think this is the way to get the attention. If our colleagues pay attention and understand, this will pass in a heartbeat," Blumenauer said. The federal government lacks the power to prohibit private ownership of primates, though 21 states, including Connecticut, enforce bans on owning exotic animals like large cats, wolves, bears, reptiles and primates, according to the nonprofit animal advocacy group Born Free USA. Thirteen states require owners to obtain a permit or license to possess exotic animals. People in the U.S. can easily buy primates online, at auctions or through out-of-state dealers, according to a report by the organization. Blumenthal said law enforcement officials had expressed concerns about Travis before Nash's attack. The chimp escaped from his owners' car in 2003 and held up traffic at a busy downtown Stamford intersection for several hours before police managed to capture him. "It was a classic instance of a ticking time bomb that could have been prevented," Blumenthal said. "That is what is so desperately tragic and horrific about the mauling and attack that occurred. It could have been stopped." Nash tried to sue the state of Connecticut earlier this year for allowing her boss, Sandra Herold, to keep Travis without a permit. But the state rejected her claim. Blumenthal said even though he helped pass a law as state attorney general in Connecticut forbidding the private ownership of primates, they can still make their way into the state without a federal ban in place. "Charla Nash's fate has gripped and riveted the state of Connecticut since this grievous injury occurred, and hopefully now it may build momentum for a measure whose time has come," he said. With the patchwork of state laws about exotic pet ownership, Murphy said the issue "screams out for a federal response." "There will be another Charla Nash somewhere else in this country if we don't pass this piece of legislation," Murphy said. An infant chimp can sell for about $5,000, the Humane Society's director of animal cruelty John Goodwin told the Associated Press. While he could not give an exact count because the exotic pet industry has little regulation, Goodwin said maybe 15,000 primates are now kept as pets across the country. More than 275 people, including children, have reported that they were injured by primates since 1990, according to the Humane Society. The animals can also transmit diseases ranging from herpes and Ebola to AIDS. Pacelle said most exotic pet owners "make an impulse acquisition" when they buy primates and end up surrendering them to animal sanctuaries when they realize that they cannot properly care for them. Those facilities can spend up to $1 million per animal over the course of its lifespan -- about 50 years. Many animals arrive with physical and emotional scars, said Kate Dylewsky of Born Free USA. The organization runs a sanctuary for primates near San Antonio, Texas, caring for animals that have had their nails and teeth removed or were neglected by their owners. Nash now lives in a small apartment in Massachusetts, where she depends on government assistance to pay for most of her expenses, the AP reported. The trip to Washington, D.C., was her first airplane ride since the attack. "It was exciting. I hadn't been anywhere really far in a while, and it was nice. I'm glad to get out of hanging around the apartment," Nash said. She added: "Tell Stamford I miss Stamford." Brianna.gurciullo@chron.com BOSTON -- Charla Nash never served in the military. She was horribly disfigured, not in combat, but in a 2009 attack by a rampaging chimpanzee. The Pentagon, though, is watching her recovery closely. The U.S. military paid for Nash's full face transplant in 2011, as well as face transplants for a small group of other civilians. The agency is also underwriting Nash's follow-up treatment at a combined cost estimated in the hundreds of thousands of dollars in the hope that some of the things it learns can help young, seriously disfigured soldiers returning from war. In the coming weeks, for example, Nash will take part in a military-funded experiment in which doctors at Boston's Brigham and Women's Hospital will try to wean her off the anti-rejection drugs she has been taking since the transplant. Nash jokes about sometimes feeling like a science project. But the 61-year-old daughter of an Air Force veteran said she gets real satisfaction out of letting the doctors use her for research, and she sees it as an opportunity to help wounded soldiers and "do something good out of all of this bad." "They asked me, could they? I said, `Yeah, I'd be thrilled to help out in any way I could,'" said Nash, a former Connecticut resident who now lives on her own in Boston with the help of part-time aides. Nash lost her nose, lips, eyelids and hands when she was mauled by her employer's 200-pound pet chimpanzee, Travis, in North Stamford where its owners lived. It was six years ago, on Feb. 19, 2009, that the chimp, a well-known character around town who was often seen riding in his owner's truck, went berserk, brutally mauling Nash, whom he'd known for years. After shooting the animal four times to kill it, police and emergency medical technicians were initially unsure that Nash was even alive. She underwent dozens of surgeries in the months and years following the attack. At first Nash's family had trouble finding doctors who were able to try to help her with a face transplant. But the condition of her face made it difficult for her to breathe and eat. It wasn't until almost a year and a half after the attack that Brigham and Women's began to evaluate the possibility of a face transplant, eventually receiving new facial features taken from a dead woman. She also underwent a double hand transplant, but it failed when her body rejected the tissue. Now blind, Nash spends most of her days listening to AM radio and books on tape -- lately, "War and Peace" -- in her modest, second-story apartment. She also exercises a couple of days a week with a trainer at a gym to build her strength and stay healthy. A GoFundMe account is being set up to help raise money for prosthetic hands, which would not be covered by the Department of Defense. Her life today is a stark contrast to her younger years, when she was a barrel racer on the rodeo circuit from the 1970s through the mid-1990s. Over the years, she also did some horse-jumping, worked on a farm and manned a computer help desk. She was working as a dispatcher for a towing company at the time of the attack. About every six weeks, Nash undergoes lab tests for the military at Brigham and Women's. She is also subjected to MRIs and CT scans to determine how well her brain is sending signals to her new face. In addition, doctors examine how well the arteries are delivering blood to the transplant. The military is also interested in such things as any scarring around the mouth and how well her eyelids work. "It makes sense for us to look at the civilian community and the experiences that are gained through the involvement of non-uniformed people to assess if this is a good solution for the military," said Dr. Brian Pfister, a portfolio manager for the U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command's Clinical and Rehabilitative Medicine research program. About 35 full or partial face transplants have been performed worldwide since the first one was done in France in 2005. The Defense Department estimates 560 soldiers have suffered severe facial wounds in Iraq and Afghanistan. Of those, about 50 or 60 might be candidates for a face transplant, Pfister said. The Pentagon is providing grants to 14 medical facilities across the U.S. through its hand and face transplantation program. The face and the extremities are the two most frequently injured parts of the body in war. The new experiment, involving the suspension of anti-rejection drugs, will eventually include other patients, and its findings could potentially affect hundreds of thousands of people, military and civilian alike, doctors said. The immunosuppression drugs that transplant patients are typically given for the rest of their lives carry such risks as cancer, viral infections and kidney damage. Because of those dangers, many transplants of non-vital body parts, such as thumbs, are not considered worth doing. But that could change if the drugs don't have to be a lifelong commitment. "Suddenly, it's not as crazy to think about transplanting individual fingers or an ear," said Dr. Bohdan Pomahac, who led Nash's transplant surgery team. Nash will be switched to a different substance, Interleukin-2, which is normally used to treat skin and kidney cancers. The hope is that it will promote growth of good cells that protect the transplant while attacking those that want to reject it. Pomahac said Nash is doing "remarkably well" and has experienced very few rejection episodes, making her a good candidate for the experiment. "I think there's an overarching purpose in her life. She really wants to help in whatever way she can," he said. "She's very much a forward-looking woman." Baku, Azerbaijan, May 4 Trend: Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry welcomes the statement of Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov regarding the issue of Armenia's recognition of illegal regime established in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan, the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry's Spokesman Hikmet Hajiyev told Trend May 4. Azerbaijan has always declared its readiness for the substantive negotiations that will lead to the liberation of its territories, he added. Previously, the head of the Russian foreign ministry, Sergey Lavrov, said that Moscow sees no problems in the initiative of the Armenian MPs to recognize the occupation regime of Nagorno-Karabakh, because Yerevan assures that the region's status won't be determined unilaterally. "It's not the Armenian government that discusses it, this is a proposal by two Armenia's MPs," said Lavrov. Hikmet Hajiyev said that Azerbaijan civilian population, compactly living along the contact line of troops suffer from ceasefire violations. There are no civilians in the occupied territories controlled by Armenia, he added. "Preventing violations of the ceasefire and creating a mechanism for investigating incidents should be an integral part of the process of withdrawal of Armenian armed forces from the occupied territories of Azerbaijan", Hikmet Hajiyev said. The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts. The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts. V irgin Money chief executive Jayne-Anne Gadhia has warned that the return to banks offering 100% mortgages was a step too far. Barclays has become the first high street lender since the financial crisis to start offering loans up to the full value of house purchases. Instead of Bank of Mum and Dad putting up the lump sum deposit on a home, borrowers can be guaranteed by family members who put 10% of the house value into a savings account for three years. A 100% mortgage may sound very attractive but you could end up with more problems than it solves, said Gadhia, who oversaw Virgins takeover of Northern Rock in 2011 following its nationalisation at the height of the financial crisis. Having bought Northern Rock, which did itself no favours from offering 100%-plus mortgages through its Together product, we are not going to start offering 100% mortgages ourselves, she said. We think it is irresponsible to offer them to customers and unsustainable for the business. Its a step too far for the bank and for its customers. Gadhia also questioned Barclays timing so close to the referendum over the UKs exit from Europe. She said: If there were to be a vote for Brexit, mortgage rates and credit card rates would go up. I personally as a customer, let alone as a banker, would want to be through the vote and have an idea where house prices and mortgages are going after that. Virgin Money had another strong quarter with mortgage lending up 30% to a record 2.1 billion in the three months to March. Credit card balances rose by 77% to 1.8 billion and Gadhia said it is well on track to hit its target of 3 billion by the end of 2017. Buy-to-let lending is likely to fall in the second quarter following the rush by landlords to complete purchases before the start of the new tax year. It accounts for 18% of Virgins mortgage book. T here are some steps you can take to ensure that you're getting the best possible price for your flight. We spoke to Brian Kelly, the savvy traveller and founder of The Points Guy, and Jeanette Pavini, a savings expert at Coupons.com, to find 20 ways to score the best flights. From knowing when to book a flight to search-engine tricks that can affect your price results, these tips can help you find the best deals. You'll be happy to know the tricks of the trade. Clear your cookies Refreshing a window won't make your flights cheaper, but it can make them go up based on changes in demand. To help avoid this, clear your cookies. Cookies are bits of information that store the details of your web browsing, which can be used by airlines and travel websites. Deleting them effectively deletes your recent searches. Sign up for alerts on price drops Websites like Airfare Watchdog and CheapAir.com make it easy to spot the best prices by providing fare-tracker alerts that let you know when prices drop. Put in your destinations of interest and their experts will email you when there are significant price drops, so you can act on them fast. Follow airlines on social media Airlines have been using social media more to spring up last-minute deals for their customers. They'll often tout deals on Twitter and sometimes offer special sales to Facebook fans, but you'll need to act on these fast, since they can go quickly. Visit the airline's direct website Some airlines host private sales for those who visit their sites directly. According to Mashable, airlines like Aer Lingus, Iberia, and Qantas sometimes offer flights from 68 to 275 less on their own websites in comparison to flights they offer on Kayak or Orbitz. Get refunded when a flight goes on sale If you buy a flight and it goes on sale, airlines can refund you. Yapta lets you input your flight details to be alerted when you're eligible for a refund. Airlines like Alaska, JetBlue, Virgin America, and US Airways are just a few that offer refunds, which range from full-price vouchers to stipends of between 68 and 170. Use the 24-hour rule Pavini recommends using the 24-hour rule. Most airlines allow you to cancel your flight within a 24-hour period without a penalty, so if you spot a great deal, you can book it and check the price again in the morning. If the price fell, you can call and cancel the booking. Avoid booking over the phone Some airlines have additional fees for completing a booking over the phone, and it can be as much as 35 or higher. Pavini recommends that if you plan to book over the phone, make sure to ask if they have an additional fee. Buy separate tickets for big groups If you'll be flying with a group, it can be cheaper to separate out the flights instead of buying them in bulk. Airlines typically limit the number of seats per flight that they will sell at the lowest rate, so sometimes you can price yourself out of a good deal when you have too many passengers. Pretend you're in a different location when booking Where a flight ticket is purchased from can affect its pricing. You can effectively change your residence to that of the airline's home country. For example, booking from Expedia.co.jp the Japanese version of the site instead of Expedia.co.uk can yield different prices for the same routes. Instead of searching destinations, search multiple fares Scouring for fares rather than places can help you spot better deals. Use Kayak's explore tool, which displays multiple airline fares on a map based on a set budget. You can also try Skyscanner's Everywhere search tool, which will list flights to various places based on the cheapest prices. Mix and match airlines Booking with two airlines can be cheaper than buying round-trip. Plus, it can help you find more convenient arrival and departure times. Websites like CheapAir.com and Kayak's hacker tool give you the option to play with different airlines to form a round-trip. Use smaller airlines Kelly recommends going with smaller airlines, as it can often help you find the best deals. Some of his recommended airlines include Wow Air, which offers low-cost flights to destinations such as Iceland, and Norwegian Air. Book early-morning or late-night flights Most people dont like travelling early in the morning or late at night, so these times can often provide lower prices for flights. Typically, early-morning and late-night flights are good options for leisure routes, while midday flights work best for business routes. Use search tools like Google Flights Search tools like Google Flights compare prices with different travel times, dates, airlines, and itineraries, and even give you the option to view them in map form. Adioso is another search engine that allows you to search for flights nearly a year into the future. Bundle your flight with a hotel booking A recent study conducted by Expedia and the Airlines Reporting Corp. revealed that travellers purchasing flights with hotels or rental cars from the same company can save as much as 390. In resort destinations like Mexico, Hawaii, and the Caribbean, the data found savings as high as 550 to 760. Use coupon codes While you might not consider using coupons for flights, websites like Coupons.com have an entire section dedicated to coupon codes for travellers. These codes range from discounts off of everything from flights booked through websites like CheapOair to hotel stays booked through Expedia. See what perks your credit card offers Credit-card perks range from miles to waivers on foreign transactions. Plus, they can also work as a form of insurance to get refunded if you need to cancel flights for severe weather or injury, according to Pavini. Snag free airline miles through rewards sites Check out websites like e-Miles, which allow you to cash in free miles for airfare, hotel perks, and gift cards. Some airlines offer miles through are American, Frontier, and Alaska airlines. Book your flight on a Tuesday The debate on the best day to book is tricky and can yield different results, but Tuesday has often been the prime day for booking a flight. Pavini agrees that she's found the best deals are typically found on Tuesdays at around 1:30 p.m., since most people tend to travel on Friday or Saturday. Set your expected price and let this app do the work for you You'll have to look in advance, but TriggerInn lets you put in your expected price and allow the system to notify you when actual flight prices are getting close. The app regularly updates your search to garner the latest prices, essentially doing the work for you. Baku, Azerbaijan, May 4 Trend: The government of Armenia on its session May 5, 2016, intends to consider the so-called bill "on recognition of independence of Nagorno-Karabakh", according to media reports, Hikmat Hajiyev, spokesman for the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry, told Trend May 4. "Regardless of the results of discussions, it is clear that by such a provocative step Armenia once again grossly violates the norms and principles of international law, the UN Security Council resolutions adopted in 1993, as well as relevant documents and decisions on the conflict accepted by other international organizations," said Hajiyev. "In its resolutions, the UN Security Council unambiguously reaffirmed that Nagorno-Karabakh is an inseparable part of Azerbaijan and demanded the immediate, complete and unconditional withdrawal of the occupation forces from all the occupied territories of the country," he said. He also noted that by regularly undertaking provocative actions, including ceasefire violations, shelling Azerbaijan's towns and villages located along the contact line between the country's and Armenian armed forces and the border between the two countries, Armenia aims to 'freeze' the situation and prevent achieving any progress in the negotiation process. "Without considering the consequences of its irresponsible actions, the Armenian leadership started to prepare for a political explosion of the situation and a complete disruption of the peaceful settlement after getting a crushing response to its military provocations and finally realizing the inability to resist Azerbaijan's growing military power and to continue keeping the status quo any further," he added. "As part of this peaceful settlement Armenia would inevitably have had to withdraw from the occupied territories of Azerbaijan," he said. "By these actions the Armenian leadership is also trying to justify itself for the obvious failure of its policy of aggression and occupation," he said. "In favor of its domestic political ambitions the Armenian leadership is trying to meet the demands of some circles of the Armenian society, adhering to the militant and extremist positions." Hajiyev said that if selfish goals prevail over prudence and this provocation is made, Armenia and its leadership will be fully responsible for the consequences. F or a lot of people, the Brexit debate is about the sovereignty of the British Parliament and in particular putting an end to the relatively few cases where European law takes precedence over British law. It is an emotional issue, feelings run high and exaggerated claims are common. It is widely believed, for example, that three quarters or more of our laws originate in Brussels when the real figure is one in 10. It is also thought that these laws are imposed against the will of the UK, whereas very little is passed that the British do not agree to and support. The Council of Ministers, on which David Cameron sits with the other European heads of state, is the ultimate source of authority in the EU, and in the past 30 years the British have been on the defeated side in only about 55 of the roughly 2800 votes that body has taken. EU laws are essentially of two types. Those aimed at creating the single market which is most of them demand that member states respect the free movement of goods and services and require that the products which are to be traded be produced to common minimum standards. These laws stop countries imposing artificial barriers against products made overseas and make it easier for customers to see what offers the best value. All trade blocs and trade treaties have these kind of laws. People tend not to appreciate that the bulk of EU law has the sole purpose of making the single market work better, which is what British business wants. Indeed, the more British business asks for the market to be made more efficient free and open, the more that creates pressure for more rules to eliminate the remaining barriers. And assuming we still want to trade with other nations in the future, these rules or others like them would continue to exist and have to be complied with. All the more reason therefore to welcome a calmer analysis from Simon Deakin, a law professor and director of the Centre for Business Research at the University of Cambridge. He argues in a recent paper that Brexit would make the UK less, not more, democratic than it currently is. He makes the point that the second area of focus of EU law is human rights protections of the kind contained in the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights, and which crop up in other bits of regulation. It is these that the EU uses when admitting a country to membership to insist that the newcomer follows the rule of law, allows trade unions, gives basic rights to workers and equal rights to all citizens. It is one reason why Turkey might struggle to get in at the moment. But these protections also tend to wind up a certain strand of British politician because they put some constraints on what they can do. British politicians are not used to this but, Deakin suggests in the kind of argument we dont hear often enough, that it is precisely the type of laws the British public needs to provide some protection from the dogma-driven whims of politicians. Almost every advanced country in the world the US, across Europe and most of the Commonwealth has a written constitution that puts checks on its politicians so they do not have unfettered power. The UK is unusual, if not unique, in having no such constitution and no such checks. The House of Lords is a revising, not a blocking, chamber and the Queen is not allowed to withhold the Royal Assent, whatever she may think privately of the laws put before her by her Government. As a result, we have what former Conservative politician and Lord Chancellor Lord Hailsham once called an elective dictatorship. Governments even when elected by less than 40% of the vote, as is the case with the current administration do pretty well anything they want provided they stay united. One reason why oppositions frequently promise to repeal contentious legislation when they get to power, however wasteful and confusing this might be, is precisely that there is no other mechanism to constrain a government with a majority in the Commons. Other countries have the checks to ensure extreme legislation does not get passed in the first place if it runs against the will of the majority; the British do not. Thus the Government is currently pushing through some wholly unnecessary anti-trade union legislation; it could if it so wished privatise the BBC or the entire National Health Service if it gave in to the market fundamentalism that drives a significant slice of its MPs. Only a Conservative revolt and split could thwart it; the combined weight of the other parties in the House of Commons cannot. As a result Deakin, who is one of the leading legal authorities in the country, says: Power is routinely exercised in the British state in ways which are neither democratic nor accountable. We have none of the checks and balances on political power which are taken for granted in other liberal democracies. Membership of the EU is the nearest thing the UK has to a constitution which protects human rights and the primacy of the rule of law. Bizarrely, given the emphasis placed on sovereignty and the British people having the final say on the laws by which they are governed, a vote for Brexit in the name of restoring the UKs sovereignty and in protest against the undemocratic and unaccountable nature of the EU would actually have the effect of stripping away even these limited protections. What politicians mean by sovereignty is not necessarily what the public thinks they mean. F rustrated business leaders are split over the mayoral election but remain largely unimpressed by the campaigning and credentials of both frontrunners. Conservative Zac Goldsmith and Labours Sadiq Khan both promise to be the most-pro business Mayor ever, but many company bosses expressed concerns over the pair and told the Standard that neither frontrunner was speaking for them. Even natural Conservatives had reservations about voting for Goldsmith but generally said they would anyway. One property tycoon said: Neither have particularly inspired me but Sadiq is Labour and so will have a tendency to interfere. It has to be Zac. West Ham United chief executive Karren Brady reaffirmed her support for Goldsmith. Baroness Brady declared: Zac is the man with a plan for London, while Ted Baker boss Ray Kelvin also backed Goldsmith. Andrew Monk, chief executive of stockbroker VSA Capital, said he would vote for Goldsmith but added: The one thing Zac has got wrong is his opposition to Heathrow expansion. This country is desperate for more airport capability. Cinnamon Club and Roast restaurant founder Iqbal Wahhab said he was voting Sadiq: Not because hes a south London-raised Asian like me, but because hes a firm believer in triggering Londons untapped talent in young and marginalised people. He praised Khan for engaging with business leaders, adding that hed had no communication from Goldsmiths team which maybe takes the business vote for granted. In my case at least, thats been a wrong call. Mike Hussey, boss of Centre Point developer Almacantar, said: Ive always believed that Londoners are best represented by a Labour Mayor. The Mayor should be willing to fight central government and not use the position to further his own political ambitions, he said. W ith Londoners voting tomorrow on who will be our next Mayor, the Evening Standard looks at what the leading contenders could mean for the Square Mile Zac Goldsmith THE MP for Richmond Park, and son of financier the late Sir James Goldsmith, has struck a similar tone to that of Chancellor George Osborne in his pitch to business. He claims the stability established under the Conservatives in partnership with a Tory mayor must continue to maintain the countrys economic health. His charm offensive to business has centred on matters that affect every Londoner transport and housing. Goldsmith has pledged to ensure the Night Tube goes ahead and help the capitals night economy and ensure Crossrail 2 starts on time. He also hopes to improve access to the City. The fact Bank station is one of the most important metro stops in the entire world and its closed once a week due to overcrowding is a disgrace, says the Goldsmith camp. His Business Blueprint includes a plan to put temporary shops at a discounted rate in Tube stations (where the ticket offices used to be, and something Transport for London has already begun doing). He even hopes to use some of the excess station space for creches to cut commuting times for City workers. Meanwhile, his plan to continue increasing the amount of affordable housing will play into the hands of the countrys biggest housebuilders. Perhaps most intriguing for businesses would be to see how Brexiteer Goldsmith, if elected, represents London abroad. With the EU debate casting a shadow over Londons status among the worlds financial superpowers, a mayor able to hold his own and tempt businesses the size of some countries economies will be vital. How will his anti-EU stance play and can he emulate Boris Johnson in attempting to charm the world? Goldsmith has pledged to increase the tiny budget of promotional body London & Partners and help small firms scale up through trade missions. Boris has successfully lobbied larger businesses to back the London Living Wage, paying a higher wage where they are able to, said Goldsmith on the campaign trail. I will use a similar model to better support Londons smaller businesses: a nine-day London Faster Payment. But will the plan, which would see larger firms cough up to smaller ones more quickly, really help Goldsmith emulate his haystack-haired predecessor? Other promises include a 20 million fund to revitalise Londons 600 High Streets (and a retail czar to fill empty shops); battling to ensure devolved business-rate breaks help small firms build up, and using TfLs tunnels to route and improve Londons broadband. He also hopes to make broadband on the Tube faster. Sadiq Khan Sadiq Khan may be the hot favourite to win back City Hall for Labour but according at least to the London Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), hes struggling to make the running. Thats despite Khans promise to be the most pro-business Mayor ever. The latest polling of its members, carried out in March, found that almost two-thirds of the capitals business leaders considered Goldsmith to be the more likely pro-business candidate. Thats despite a concerted effort by the Tooting MP to distance himself from hard-Left Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn and despite his overtures to the business community. In January, he even went as far as telling the Spectator magazine that it was a good thing that London boasts more than 140 billionaires and more than 400,000 millionaires; enough to make the Corbynistas shudder. One area in which Khan is much more aligned with business is in his backing for the UKs membership of the European Union a clear contrast with the confirmed Brexiteer Goldsmith, and one that could be decisive in swaying the capitals vast financial sector concerned about lost business. But both candidates are battling for the mantle of business candidate and to hit the buzznotes of tech industries; so much so that the pair are each committed to setting up business advisory groups and creating chief digital officers. Both oppose Heathrows expansion, Khan is in favour of growing Gatwick while Goldsmith would tentatively back Gatwick as a last resort. Khans business advisory board made up of experts, not political allies is welcomed by the LCCI, but Sean McKee, the organisations head of public affairs, wants a new, more transparent body than the Mayors current business group, which meets quarterly but has no powers and has been more of a discussion forum. Both have gone to great pains to say theyre pro-business; well in that case, what well be demanding is the meeting of the business council by May 31 get us around the table. We dont want to sit and wait until July or August, he says. The Labour man is certainly making the right noises on things like campaigning against proposed changes to the Tier 2 skilled visa worker regime, which would make it harder for workers to come from outside the EU. He also wants to guarantee space for start-ups in new developments through the London Plan as well as promote the capitals digital infrastructure. One of the highlights of Khans manifesto is his planned Skills for Londoners task force copying a model established by New York Mayor Bill de Blasio. The panel will work with the London Enterprise Panel and be made up of business leaders, councils, schools and colleges to bring a city-wide, strategic approach to skills and create a pipeline of skilled Londoners. The capitals incarnation of the coalitions local enterprise partnership drive hasnt exactly inspired confidence, however. At a recent conference, the LCCI asked a conference of 250 people who had heard of the London LEP and just two put their hand up, according to McKee. He adds: Boris put great faith in the LEP but nobody knows what it is so what legacy is that? T rading figures from Sainsburys and Next tell you a simple, clear message: running shops is tough, and getting tougher. Everywhere you look, prices are falling, competitors are improving, shoppers are skint. As such, the last thing big chains need is for management to be distracted by, for example, ambitious takeovers of large, troubled businesses. Yet Sainsburys remains convinced its deal for Argos comes at the right time, at the right price. From the numbers coming out of the supermarkets lately, its hard to agree. Discounting is already savage and is about to get far worse thanks to Sainsburys recuperating rival, Tesco. And the Tesco juggernaut is only just getting started, using its far bigger pricing power and efficiencies of scale to batter its peers. Yet, just as its once-mighty rival fires up again, Sainsburys is to be diverted by the hefty project of converting Argoss stores to digital and arresting the sharp decline in its new chains sales. Sainsbury sees Argos as a game changer. But not all change is for the better. L ib-Dem candidate Caroline Pidgeon has a tech-influenced slant to her policies that could win her friends among Londons budding digital entrepreneurs. The 43-year-old wants to lobby Government to relax visa restrictions on talent coming from countries such as China and India a bone of contention for the current Government and stop developers turning office buildings in Tech City into luxury flats (an unpopular move for high-end housebuilders). Pidgeon also wants to set up an Office of Data Analytics to help decision-making at City Hall, another tech-flavoured policy. Meanwhile, Green candidate Sian Berry wants give a larger portion of the Greater London Authoritys business contracts to smaller companies rather than to multinational listed firms, and establish a regional bank called the Bank of London to kick-start lending to small firms. Business rates from large retail developers would also be used to finance town centre rejuvenation plans if she were to be elected. Womens Equality Party candidate Sophie Walker will make all senior positions and boards under the mayors control gender-balanced, setting the bar for the corporate sector. Companies will also get business rate relief if they provide childcare facilities, and banks will be encouraged to lend more to women-led businesses. Another candidate, Ukip man Peter Whittle, is campaigning for 30 minutes free parking in High Streets to boost shopping, and hiking costs for Uber drivers to protect black-cab drivers. R oyal Dutch Shells results have been ravaged by tumbling oil prices but its $54 billion (37 billion) swoop for rival BG has already added $200 million in profits, chief financial officer Simon Henry said. Henry, presenting the Anglo-Dutch giants first-quarter results, said two months of contribution from the BG deal had already added $200 million at the bottom line. Shell is cutting 2,800 jobs as a result of the deal, completed in January, on top of the 7,500 announced beforehand to slash costs in the current low oil price climate. Overall profits sank 58% to $1.6 billion in hugely challenging times for the industry, which led the company to lop $3 billion off its planned spending for 2016. Oil prices hit a 12-year low of $27.10 a barrel in January and although it has recovered to $45, crude was trading above $100 18 months ago. The sliding price and poor test results prompted Shell to retreat from Arctic exploration last September, to the delight of Greenpeace campaigners including actress Emma Thompson. Shell shares fell 13p to 1742p. The dividend was held at 47 cents a share. B rexit fears have dampened down big private equity dealmaking from overseas because of currency concerns, the head of Electra Partners has said. The warning came as KKR, one of the worlds biggest investors, said that UK deals were on ice until the votes are counted. Weve noticed the market is a little more subdued than normal around this time of year because people are sitting on their hands waiting to see what happens, Electra managing partner Alex Fortescue said. He added: Were not unduly concerned. Were a sterling-denominated vehicle and investing in sterling assets is less of a concern than if you are a dollar- or euro-denominated fund. One of the things that everybody expects is FX volatility. Electra, which owns The Original Bowling Company, is currently considering making up to three new acquisitions and said the vote would not influence timing because the deals had very little correlation to Brexit. KKR has become one of the few private equity firms to break ranks and back the UK to remain to the EU, adding that dealmaking was on hold until it knew the outcome. You wont see us a do a deal before. Nobodys doing a deal right now until its clear what happens, KKRs European boss Johannes Huth told the Wall Street Journal. Electra Private Equitys portfolio value jumped 15% in the six months to the end of March. Review at a glance M ona Hatoums Hot Spot is a cage-like globe in which the worlds landmasses are mapped out in fiery red neon. At each join the neon flickers, pulsing urgently. Like many works in Tate Moderns retrospective of Hatoums five-decade long career you are seduced but you dont want to get too close. Hatoum has used live electrical cables in other works and that scarlet neon suggests danger. Hatoum is obsessed with maps theyve appeared regularly in her work since the mid-Nineties. Shes described them in tiny drawings using her own hair, or in grease stains on a fast-food tray, or in huge installations. Among the latter is Map, shown recently in Paris but sadly not in the Tate Modern version of this show, in which the globe was described on the floor in transparent glass marbles. Tate Modern Mona Hatoum exhibition In all of these works the empirical facts of global geography are unstable, precarious. Hot Spot is clever because it takes a term used to describe areas of war or trauma and applies it to the whole globe. Every nation is implicated, every landmass on red alert. Hatoum made it a decade ago but its eternally relevant. Think only of the pressing issues of 2016: the Syrian civil war, the refugee crisis, or even Brexit. They show the instability of geography and borders and how events in hot spots affect everywhere else. Stare long enough at Hatoums globe and the neon lines on either side of the sphere melt into one another, redrawing the map, creating new continents, countries, islands. Place and identity are crucial to understanding Hatoums work. She was born to Palestinian parents in Beirut in 1952 and came to Britain in 1975 just as the Lebanese civil war escalated. She could not return. At one point, rather bizarrely, she came to be linked to the Young British Artists movement. She was shortlisted for the Turner Prize in 1995, the same year as Damien Hirst, amid its mid-Nineties heyday. There, she showed Corps Etranger, a cylindrical booth with a screen on the floor featuring footage of a medical camera almost violently probing her body. It prompted a bit of a stink from reactionaries. A related work featured in Charles Saatchis Sensation exhibition at the Royal Academy in 1997. Stare long enough at Hatoums globe and the neon lines melt into one another, redrawing the map But this YBA connection is a red herring. Other than sharing the same gallery, Jay Joplings White Cube, Hatoum has little to do with Hirst, Emin et al. She forged her artistic identity in the divided Britain of the late Seventies and early Eighties, connecting with a Leftist countercultural art scene which was dominated by performance and video art, feminism and identity politics. This retrospective effectively shows that her career can be divided into two periods. At first she was predominantly a performance artist, identifying the revolutionary political potential of what was then a relatively new discipline. She created around 35 performances in the Eighties. In 1989, though, she took a fellowship in Cardiff and her work shifted to sculpture and installation, informed by the reductive shapes and materials of American minimalism and the post-minimalism that deliberately sought to subvert it. Minimalism reduced everything to materials and the space around them; post-minimalism was messy and human. Hatoum continues this tradition: minimalist grids and cubes abound in her work but theyre imbued with maximum content, personal and political. Intelligently, the show reflects the clear threads that run from the performance works to today. The performances survive in the form of Hatoums notes and sketches, and occasional videos. These punctuate the whole show, so you can see that ideas founded in the early works are carried through into sculptural form later. Poignant: Measure of Distance, 1988 / Mona Hatoum Hatoum is interested in discomfort, creating tense set-ups that disarm the viewer. The performances were more directly political than her more recent work, and engaged with issues in her new-found home as well as her native Lebanon. In Roadworks, made in Brixton in 1985, the year of a major riot in the area, she walked around the streets barefoot, pulling a pair of Doc Martens attached by their laces to her ankles. At the time DMs were unmistakably connected both to the police and to skinhead culture. How you read her performance depended on your political persuasion. Meanwhile, The Negotiating Table, made in 1983, was a literally visceral response to the Lebanese war and particularly the massacres of Palestinian refugees in Sabra and Shatila in Lebanon in 1982. Lying on a table, surrounded by empty chairs, Hatoum lay static, covered in animal entrails and red paint under plastic sheeting with a lone lightbulb above her. She was accompanied by a soundtrack of news reports and Western leaders speeches about peace. Neon danger: Hot Spot, 2013 / Dylan Martinez/Reuters Hatoum occasionally dips into her autobiography, as in the poignant video installation Measures of Distance (1988), which overlays images of her mother in the shower with the elegant Arabic script of her mothers letters. Hatoum reads the letters between them aloud. They movingly document the emotional warmth of a parent-child relationship and the pain of separation and exile, as well as the process of being photographed naked by her daughter: I felt we were like sisters, close together and with nothing to hide from each other. I enjoyed the feeling of intimacy Other works allude to specific aspects of Palestinian culture. Present Tense (1996) consists of hundreds of cubic bars of Neblus soap, a traditional Palestinian product made from olive oil, bought from a market in the old city of Jerusalem. Hatoum has pressed red beads into the soap which look like embroidery they outline the Palestinian territories defined by the 1993 Oslo Peace Accord between the Israelis and the Palestinians. Hatoum conjures the issue territory but humanises it, too. This is about a people as well as land, about cultural traditions that are wedded to place. The soap also encourages us to think about individual bodies rather than a massed population. Present Tense is quintessential Hatoum: striking, seductive materials gathered to make a hard-hitting message. Often there is a terrible beauty at work: in Impenetrable (2009), she alludes to the Venezuelan Jesus Rafael Sotos Penetrables, wonderfully optical hanging sculptures-cum-installations. In Hatoums homage the kind of dangling threads used by Soto are violated: theyre made of barbed wire. The same visual pleasures are at play but the razor wire makes this suspended cube repellent as well as enticing. This duality is central to Hatoums work. Comfortable everyday objects become menacing: beds, stripped to their frames, become weapons. Gathered in clusters, bunk beds becomes prisons. Domestic products are charged with lethal electrical wires or magnified to become menacing instruments of torture. Beautiful blown-glass objects resembling organs are trapped in steel cages. Hatoum is a latter-day surrealist, imbuing the familiar with darker, stranger meanings. Like them, she can be funny and erotic, too. In Jardin Public, a triangle of hair is placed on the seat of a very bodily wrought-iron chair. Hatoum has said she wants her installations to grab us physically, sensually, emotionally, and then prompt a search for meaning. They succeed abundantly: this show is at once captivating and unsettling. Mona Hatoum is at Tate Modern, SE1 (020 7887 8888, tate.org.uk) until Aug 21 Follow Going Out on Facebook and on Twitter @ESgoingout P asty-gate! David Miliband clutching the banana of doom! Tory agriculture minister John Gummer feeding his daughter a beef-burger at the height of the BSE crisis! The reputations of many vote-chasers have been tarred by the politics of food. On the mayoral election trail, Labours Sadiq Khan wisely refused to repeat Milibands banana gaffe but Zac Goldsmith came unstuck with a pint of beer, holding it as though he were sipping tea. The Tory candidate has previously admitted beer gives him a headache. Now, though, its the electorates turn to vote through their victuals. Wedge Issue, a restaurant on Clerkenwell Road, is selling partisan pizzas to represent four of the main mayoral candidates (if any of them have the munchies as they door-knock tomorrow, theyll get one on the house). Sadiq Khans pizza of choice is a fiorentina with jalapenos but here hes represented by a topping of chicken with diabola hot sauce and a river of pesto in the middle to symbolise the divisions in his party. Though the split-party pizza could equally apply to the Tories and their European chasm, Goldsmith instead gets toppings of ground beef, rosemary, asparagus and potatoes intended to represent a Sunday roast. Poor Caroline Pidgeon is the butt of a joke about the Lib-Dems undelivered promises: on the menu, youre offered grass-fed Kobe beef with unpasteurised cheese from a rediscovered Iron-age buffalo but actually you get chorizo and buffalo mozzarella. Finally and I think they missed a trick by ignoring the Cannabis Is Safer Than Alcohol partys candidate Lee Harris Sian Berrys pizza features kale, spinach and rocket on pesto sauce. Yup, its rather green. Berry actually prefers a Hawaiian a contentious choice, given that a cross-party group of politicians has attempted to work out Westminsters position on pineapple on pizza (Goldsmith, for one, is opposed). Meanwhile, Le Garrick has created four champagne cocktails to match the party you support. Labour is represented with the QSpritz, featuring cucumber, blackberry and gin (although Khan is actually teetotal); the Greens by the Nuage Vert with elderflower, lemon juice, apple juice and vodka and the Lib-Dems by the Soupe De Champagne with Cointreau and lemon juice. The Tory tipple is Fizz Epicee, featuring pear vodka, ginger syrup and lime juice. London's Mayoral hopefuls - in pictures 1 /16 London's Mayoral hopefuls - in pictures Zac Goldsmith (Con) Eton-educated Zac Goldsmith entered the race for City Hall after balloting his Richmond Park constituents. The son of late billionair Sir James Goldsmith, the Tory hopeful is an environmentalist who has campaigned against Heathrow airport expansion. He also campaigned for the right for voters to kick out failing MPs and is now backing a British exit from the EU. Ben Pruchnie/Getty Images Sadiq Khan (Lab) Sadiq Khan is the son of a London bus driver who grew up on a south London estate. He trained as a lawyer and worked as a human right solicitor before being elected MP for Tooting in 2005. Mr Khan was one of the first British Muslims to sit on the front bench of the Cabinet and ran Ed Miliband's campaign to become Labour leader. He backs Britain's membership of the EU and has warned Brexit could have catastrophic consequences for London. Sian Berry (Green) Sian Berry, Green party Mayoral candidate Chris Ratcliffe/Getty Images Caroline Pidgeon (Lib Dem) Caroline Pidgeon, Liberal Democrat candidate for the London Mayoral election Glenn Copus Peter Whittle (Ukip) Peter Whittle, the UKIP London Mayoral candidate canvassing in Romford market Glenn Copus George Galloway (Respect) Respect party leader George Galloway AFP/Getty Images Paul Golding (Britain First) Paul Golding, Britain First Rex Sophie Walker (Women's Equality Party) Mayoral candidate for the Women's Equality Party, Sophie Walker, outside City Hall Matt Writtle Lee Harris (Cannabis is Safer than Alcohol) Cannabis advocate Lee Harris hopes to become mayor John Zynlinski (Independent) Polish prince John Zynlinski is counting on London's migrant population to back him Jeremy Selwyn David Furness (BNP) David Furness BNP Mayoral Candidate BNP Ankit Love (One Love Party) Ankit Love. One Love Party Over at the Blue Boar in Westminster, mixologist Roland Mandoki has created four more electoral intoxicants. If youre a Greenie, try the Berry & Spice a mix of tequila, vermouth, abasco and lime juice. The Early Bird with breakfast tea, vanilla liqueur and lemon juice is a boozy riff on Pidgeons pledge to slash pre-7.30am Tube fares. Khans Old-Fashioned (Campari, vodka and elderflower) comes in Labour red, while Goldsmiths Utopia is Tory blue, mixing gin, egg white and Curacao liqueur. Ice cream giants Ben & Jerrys are so keen for you to get down to the ballot box tomorrow that they renamed their chocolate fudge brownie flavour Give a Fudge in a bid to fight political apathy. So come tomorrow, go pick Londons next mayor. Tonight, though, you can vote with your eat. @RosamundUrwin Follow Going Out on Facebook and on Twitter @ESgoingout Baku, Azerbaijan, May 4 By Elmira Tariverdiyeva - Trend: Armenia's nuclear material could be used to arm a dirty bomb, Alexander Murinson, senior fellow at the Begin-Sadat Center and Bar Ilan University, wrote in an article published in Washington Times. Murinson wrote that the fourth Nuclear Security Summit was recently hosted in America's capital. According to the article, the reality, however, is lacking any teeth in terms of oversight, credible or reliable sanctions on nations who "break the rules". According to the article, Mr. Obama's efforts were likely a nice opportunity for world leaders to hold important meetings on the periphery of the summit. According to the article, the summit demonstrated the particularly warm welcome bestowed upon Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev. "This is the expression of solidarity, close bilateral relations and strategic partnership between the United States and Azerbaijan," the article said. Murinson wrote that currently, another major concern seems to be arising in the Caucasus. According to the article, mere days ago, Georgian authorities reported the arrest of several Armenian nationals who were attempting to smuggle and illegally sell some nuclear-grade materials. "The highly radioactive U-238 can be used to produce a myriad of deadly and destructive apparatuses, not the least of which is a dreaded "dirty bomb"," Murinson wrote. "The specter of a dirty bomb is of paramount concern for security services and counterterrorism officials worldwide," the article said. "Internationally, the deep alarm of officials associated with the discovery of U-238 was compounded earlier this year when a group of individuals was discovered attempting to smuggle Cesium-137, a highly radioactive isotope that is a waste product from nuclear reactors," Murinson added. "This adds much credence to constant complaints by Azerbaijan related to the fact that the territory under separatist control, such as Nagorno-Karabakh, is being used for all manner of illegal smuggling from nuclear material to arms to narcotics," the article said. "To substantially add to the threat emanating from Armenian nationals and Armenia is the presence in Armenia of an outdated Chernobyl-type nuclear reactor operating long past its original planned lifetime," the article said. "This, when taken with the news from Georgia, elevates the nuclear alarm to a new level." "Coincidentally (or not), the safety of Armenia's aged reactor was discussed at the Nuclear Security Summit and notably in the presence of Mr. Obama and other world leaders," he wrote. "Two of the region's most prominent leaders and both closely aligned with the United States, President Aliyev and Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, spoke with apprehension about the reactor's danger, sounding the alarm of the present and mounting dangers originating in Armenia," the article said. According to the article, Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan was quick to dismiss these concerns. "However, if Armenia's reactor is not only a safety threat, but potentially a source of radioactive material for a "dirty" bomb, as suggested by the recent foiled plots, then the problem is no longer limited to the Caucasus region," the article said. D id you know that wine is produced in 61 countries around the world, from Bolivia to Algeria? Did you know that last year, Italy produced more wine than its heavyweight neighbour France due to a heatwave and a lack of rain? Did you also know that red wine boasts heart-healthy properties and, drunk in moderation, can reduce the rish of Alzheimer's? Wine buffs might already know about all of the above, but here are some lesser known facts that might surprise you. How old? The world's oldest preserved bottle of wine is thought to be nearly 1700 years old. Now on display at the Historical Musuem of the Palatinate in Speyer, the ancient bottle was discovered within a 4th century Roman nobleman's tomb. Dangerous times In ancient Rome, women were forbidden to drink wine - it was the preserve of men. If a husband found his wife drinking the stuff, he was at liberty, by law, to kill her. Would you like some garlic with that? The primary flavour of wine wasn't the most important consideration in Ancient Rome. The Romans often added ingredients such as fermented fish sauce, onion root, garlic and even absinthe. Not everyone is a fan Oenophobia is an intense dislike or hatred of wine. Security break In 1982, a 33-year-old man named Michael Fagan broke into Buckingham Palace and after wandering into the Queen's bedroom, spent half an hour eating cheese and crackers and drinking half a bottle of white. He tripped several alarms but all were faulty and even had a chance to test out a throne and view some royal portraits before becoming tired and leaving. How to hold it You should always hold a wine glass by the stem near the base and not the bowl, as the heat of your hand will raise the temperature of the wine and diminish your experience of its taste. Corking stuff Ever wondered where wine corks come from? There are 2.2 million hectares of cork forest worldwide, and the vast majority of these can be found in Portugal and Spain. Cork oaks are harvested every nine years, once they reach maturity. Interestingly, corks are the most eco-friendly method as the bark on the cork tree grows back. London's best wine bars 1 /17 London's best wine bars The Laughing Heart The Laughing Heart is well-equipped for lingerers it is very much a place for gathering and cracking open as many bottles as is sensible. The personal touch of its convivial nature is echoed in a wine list that champions artisan growers, in turn showcasing the entire portfolio of a chosen small producer. Its by-the-glass list is short but precise, while its bottle menu is sprawling youll have time to explore more than one, considering the place stays open until 2am, with a kitchen open until 1am from Monday to Saturday. The late-night food isnt just your average stomach-lining grub either: chef Tom Angleseas innovative cooking melds British produce with Asian flavours his signature dessert is a creme brulee with sparky Sichuan peppercorns. P. Franco East Londons natural wine scene just keeps getting better and a lot of that is down to the team behind P. Franco. This unassuming Clapton wine bar was set up in 2014 in a former Chinese takeaway by Liam Kelleher and James Noble, of the Noble Fine Liquor shops. In the years since, it's garnered runaway praise for mixing an innovative wine selection with an eclectic, very contemporary food menu in utilitarian surroundings. It's so relaxed that they don't even have a wine list, technically the daily changing selection is delivered verbally. Bright and latterly Peg have followed in its suit all are wonderful places to take wining and dining back to basics. Benjamin McMahon Terroirs Just off Trafalgar Square, Terroirs is always busy. Evenings start at a hum and end on with a roar as reams of Londoners bravely battle their way through glorious bottle after glorious bottle. The list is long enough to offer lots of choice and good enough that youll struggle to make a bad one. Food is excellent and there is barely a better spot in town to quaff down a bottle than up against the bar. Theyre big on natural wine here: if youre unsure about organic and biodynamic wine, try it here. A slight price premium comes attached, but its good fun. Wine is categorised by region and includes lesser-spotted wines from the likes of Greece, Slovenia and Georgia. Humble Grape This wine-merchant mini-chain prides itself on its organic, sustainable producers and how well it knows them. The bars get their wines directly from artisan, often family-run producers this means they skip out the expensive distributors and both you and the winemakers save a little. Humble Grape is also so keen to stay in-the-know with its sources, the bar even gets producers in to train the staff. You can currently find the bars in Battersea, Fleet Street, Islington and Liverpool Street, with one more opening in Canary Wharf this summer. Compagnie Des Vins Surnaturels This Covent Garden outpost of a popular Parisian spot offers a catalogue of wine options that focuses on lesser-known styles and varieties hence its popularity with those in the industry. French wine takes top billing, naturally, but there are bottles from around the world and the team are on hand to enthuse over what to try. Theres an impressive range by glass including an extensive selection of Madeira to facilitate more trying, while a fun touch is the inclusion of a mystery wine on the list. This regularly-changing offering costs 9 a glass and could be any wine from the list that costs between 35 and 95 a bottle. If you guess which one it is, you get a bottle free. Noble Rot Earlier this year, the World Restaurant Awards named Noble Rot the best Red-Wine Serving Restaurant on the planet. Yes, the vast majority of restaurants in the world serve red wine, but Noble Rot does do it particularly well. More than 60 per cent of its 700-bottle strong list is red, and wine leapfrogs food to the top of the agenda. The whole set up is rebellious in nature: the menu lambasts lazy misconceptions by proclaiming chardonnay to be the the worlds greatest white wine and its shop sells both its own magazine and tote bags emblazoned with Sex & Drugs & Pinot Noir. The food is not to be forgotten in the fracas: Stephen Harris of the Sportsman in Kent has a consulting role, making it easy to fill up both glasses and plates. Sager + Wilde This modern spot set up by wine experts Michael Sager and Charlotte Wilde is easy enough not to notice on the Hackney Road and the blinds on the windows do nothing to suggest they want people in. But to take it that way would be a mistake: inside, all marble, dark wood and glass bricks, is an unpretentious take on a wine bar, modern London and old Paris all at once. They serve up some unusual offerings, perfect for anyone wanting to explore and, happily, the small plates of food they serve arent very small at all. The more restaurant-leaning Paradise Row edition in Bethnal Green is also excellent, while the new Fare Bar and Canteen is natural wine hotspot. Gordon's Enough has been written about Gordons to sell the place a thousand times over. There isnt anything left to say, really: its an institution thats far more about the atmosphere than the wine served (though they do that pretty decently, too). Its family run, has been since 1890 and has become a London institution in its own lifetime. Some prefer it in the summer time, when the outside tables fill up, but the cave-like indoors are a wonderful place to get lost in. Just remember to get there early: Gordon's gets full to bursting extremely early. Info: 47 Villiers St, WC2N 6NE gordonswinebar.com Comptoir Xavier Rousset can be found at the helm of many an acclaimed, wine-centric hotspot in London. Formerly head sommelier at Raymond Blancs Le Manoir aux QuatSaisons, Rousset went on to set up the 28-50 wine bars alongside restaurants Blandford Comptoir, Cabotte and Michelin-starred Texture. His most recent opening, Mayfairs Comptoir, showcases his love for a glass or two in more informal settings a cafe and wine shop during the day, a wine bar by night. Around 30 wines are available by the glass but more than 1800 are available by the bottle. Andrew Edmunds There are few better things to do in Soho than take your time over a bottle of wine. Where better to do such a thing than in one of the last bastions of Old Soho? Andrew Edmunds is small in size, but big in character, history and wine list. Wines by the glass at this restaurant start at a startling 4 something, and dont climb too much. A gloriously wide-ranging repertoire will take you up to the heady heights of a 475 1996 Abreu, but its possible to stay mercifully down to earth with enough bottles for less than 30. 10 Cases This small bistrot is a little like the French place you always wished you could find: somewhere for home-cooking and jugs of plonk. The only difference is that they dont serve any plonk they do, however, have a very respectable selection under 10. Wines can be bought by the glass, carafe or bottle, with bottles available to take-away or drink in with 12 corkage. Youll also never be tempted (nor able) to settle into ordering your favourite wine over and over again: wines are only ever purchased in 10 case orders, and once theyre gone, theyre gone in all its years of trading, the venue has never listed the same wine twice. 68 and Boston Bottles You can bathe in wine in Japan At the Yunessun Spa in Hakone-Machi, Japan, guests can swim in red wine. The unique swimming pool even has its own 3.6m tall novelty wine bottle. Bathing in wine is traditionally seen as a rejuvenating process for the body - and apparently Cleopatra was a fan. You can also swim in coffee and ramen broth at the Yunessun. Titanic cellar The wreckage of the Titanic, which sunk in 1912, contains what is thought to be one of the world's oldest wine cellars. To sate the thirst of its First Class passengers, the ship was carrying more than 12,000 bottles of wine in its cellar, many of which were Champagne-style as they could be chilled easily. Follow us on Twitter @eslifeandstyle S ir Tom Stoppard has arrived early for our interview at Electric House in Portobello Road. But theres a problem. Weve just been told that pictures arent allowed to be taken on the premises, which means hell have to have his portrait taken outside. Unperturbed, he poses in the street. As I grapple with the lights for our photographer, passers-by stop to ask who the tall man in a dark suit and long navy coat is. Do I tell them that he is our greatest living playwright? A homeless man approaches and Stoppard immediately fishes out a box of Silk Cuts from his trouser pocket and gives him one. Its an automatic reflex, he says, lighting up. As soon as the shoot is over we go inside, where he takes my coat and offers me tea. Would I like a sausage roll too, he suggests, explaining that Notting Hill has become his new haunt since marrying Sabrina Guinness two years ago. The whirlwind romance between the playwright and the former It Girl began in 2011. For Stoppard, who is 78 and still has a mane of thick curly hair, its his third marriage; for Guinness, Lady Stoppard as she is now, its a first. Still girlish and goldilocked at 61, she was once tipped to marry Prince Charles and then dated a string of stars, including Jack Nicholson, Mick Jagger, Paul McCartney and Michael Douglas, but never tied the knot. I was quite happy with the way things were, having got to a certain age with two wives already; I didnt feel that I needed to get married again, says Stoppard, pouring the tea carefully. But Sabrina had never been married and I thought that wasnt really fair; her sisters were all married. He appears to exude an air of blissful calm. Yes, Im very relaxed, he says, with that distinctive guttural rolling of his rs, and I must say I think marriage has made me nicer. The couple have set up home together near Blandford in Dorset, having sold his Chelsea flat and kept her W11 pied-a-terre. Its a new way of life. I left London because I wasnt getting any work done. My sense of obligation is highly developed, which means there were a lot of things I felt I ought to do; but one can say no more easily if one lives a hundred miles away. One thing I dont like, though, is that I miss a lot of plays but Ive begun to stop minding, and thats terrible. This week is a case in point. As president of the London Library, Stoppard is in town to help promote its 175th anniversary at Words in the Square, a three-day literary festival in St Jamess Square, to raise money, morale and membership at a time when libraries are facing closure unless they can march to the beat of the digital drum. The whirlwind romance between the playwright and the former It Girl Sabrina Guinness began in 2011 / Daniel Hambury Yet Stoppards own concessions to technology are few. He only uses his Kindle when travelling or to read The Guardian, he doesnt do Amazon and feels guilty if he buys a book anywhere other than John Sandoe the Chelsea bibliophiles favourite bookshop. He doesnt own a computer or write emails. I have an email address named after my absolute addiction to admin which is so boring that it usually goes into other peoples junk mail, he jokes. When he gets an email, his wife prints it out. I write my replies on the same sheet of paper in ink and Sabrina sends my replies back, so it looks as though Im a normal citizen. She also types and retypes his plays with his corrections. Does she mind? No. Shes rather pleased to be doing it, he says, as a waiter arrives with two plates of hot, sliced sausage roll and ketchup. I had a feeling there was something special about your sausage roll, Stoppard beams at the waiter. Its a kind of sausage roll Wellington, isnt it? I have no excuse for being so behind the times, he continues, especially after I explain that even basic software allows you to see all your previous versions and deletions. Can you do that? Funnily enough youve just blown away one of my main objections to using a keyboard, which is that I want to see what Ive crossed out. I mean, I walk around with this, he says, flourishing a thick, black fountain pen. Does he carry a notebook? I should, because my shorter-term memory is getting less reliable. It used to be wonderful but Im conscious of the brain cells dying. Its the machine running down. Im ageing physically too but that doesnt bother me as I dont try to exercise. A lifelong smoker, Stoppard says he tried vaping when they did their best to look like cigarettes but gave them up because they were too strong, and he smokes a lot less than he did. Who does he want to be Mayor? I know Zac Goldsmith and think of him as being a highly competent, honest individual. I dont know the other candidate so I suppose for rather discreditable reasons I lean that way, comes the honest reply. Discreditable for an intellectual, I mean. What to see at the theatre in pictures 1 /13 What to see at the theatre in pictures The Deep Blue Sea Until September 21, National Buy tickets Henry Hitchings says... Helen McCrory is achingly good in this sombre, tense revival of one of Terence Rattigans finest plays a devastating portrait of a woman adrift on loves ocean, desperately afraid of loneliness and blighted by the social conventions of the early Fifties. Carrie Cracknells mostly restrained interpretation doesnt shy away from indulging the plays deep silences, and the translucent rooms nested within Tom Scutts design show Hesters Ladbroke Grove lodgings haunted by the fluttery comings and goings of other residents. Their ghostly presence suggests a surveillance society where Hester can never express herself freely. Richard Hubert Smith People, Places & Things Until June 18, Wyndham's, Buy tickets Fiona Mountford says... It's rare to see a group of critics, cynical devils that we are, rise to their feet for a sweeping standing ovation on a press night. But this wasnt any old opening, or any old leading actress. For my money, Denise Gough gives the greatest stage performance since Mark Rylance in Jerusalem as Emma, an actress addicted to drink and drugs. Its a supremely confident and well-oiled production from director Jeremy Herrin, with a fluid acting ensemble. There is absolutely no doubt that Gough is the person, Wyndhams the place and this play the thing to see this spring. Johan Persson Guys and Dolls Until Oct 30, Phoenix Theatre, Buy tickets Fiona Mountford says... Now in its third incarnation after the premiere at Chichester and an initial West End run at the Savoy, Gordon Greenbergs delicious production of Frank Loessers classy classic once again boasts chemistry in all the right places. In short, theres absolutely nothing not to like about this rendering of Damon Runyons assortment of colourful New York low-lifes. The songs are as tuneful as ever, with Sit Down, Youre Rockin the Boat once more a foot-stomping inducer of encores. This show is tingle-down-the-arms good a rarity in the West End. Johan Persson The Threepenny Opera Until Oct 1, National Theatre, Olivier, Buy tickets Henry Hitchings says... The Threepenny Opera is a stinging indictment of capitalism. Yet for all its pugnacious seriousness it can be fun, and Rufus Norris, whose tenure as artistic director of the National Theatre has so far drawn mixed reviews, oversees a revival thats enjoyably raucous and packed with amusing detail. By downplaying the storys grit and embracing a cartoonish exuberance, Norris ensures that this three-hour production will divide opinion. But after a tentative opening it fizzes with ideas, doing justice to Kurt Weills score, a blend of cabaret and jazz that sounds timelessly, enticingly sleazy. Alastair Muir Show Boat Until August 27, New London, Buy tickets Fiona Mountford says... Its always a pleasure to welcome a classy production of a classic musical to the West End and director Daniel Evans has constructed just that in this triumphant transfer from the Sheffield Crucible. From the musically stirring, verbally unsettling opening lines of Ol Man River that begin the show, delivered by the magnificently voiced Emmanuel Kojo as Joe, we know were in for something special. Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammersteins 1927 work set the template for the musical as we know it, and 90 years on its still a knockout, above all for its soaring songs. Don't miss this boat. Johan Persson Funny Girl Until October 8, Savoy Theatre, Buy tickets Fiona Mountford says... Sheridan Smith triumphantly reinvents Fanny Brice for a new generation of musical theatre lovers, conveying with skill and heart this entertainers emotive blend of professional success and personal vulnerability. Michael Mayers sassy production is reinforced by Michael Pavelkas elegant, wistful design of a theatre, with rows of burnished mirrors running into the wings. Fanny is endlessly reflected back, but never quite in the image shed like to see. Johan Persson The Caretaker Until May 14, Old Vic, Buy tickets Henry Hitchings says... Timothy Spall returns to the stage, after a 19-year absence, in Harold Pinters classic vision of deception and isolation. Hes absorbingly watchable as Davies, a tramp taken in by Daniel Mayss generous, simple-minded Aston and he makes this shambolic figure a bundle of mannerisms, a fidgety bigot who spouts bizarre opinions and peevish gripes. The Caretaker is an incisive, delicately balanced study of a power struggle between three lost souls who are drowning in absurd fantasies. The rich performances make this an unsettling portrait of claustrophobic domesticity and its capacity to warp the mind and the soul. Hamlet Until August 13, Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon, Buy tickets Henry Hitchings says... As a brash and youthful Hamlet, in Simon Godwins sultry and at times risky interpretation, Paapa Essiedu radiates star quality. At his best when skittishly imparting the intricacies of Hamlets madness, he combines sarcasm, charm and creepiness. His encounter with the ghost of his father (a memorably doomy Ewart James Walters, whos later a droll gravedigger) transforms him from a slick and smartly dressed graduate into a dynamic oddball whose gestures make the meaning of the plays most famous speeches feel fresh. The production follows the same trajectory. Manuel Harlan/RSC The Alchemist In rep until August 6, Buy tickets Fiona Mountford says... For all that The Alchemist (1610) is a splendid satire and proto-farce, its densely packed language, so different from the familiar rhythms of Shakespeare, can be a real challenge. In a well-judged move, director Polly Findlay has cut more than 20 per cent of Ben Jonsons wordy text and employed writer Stephen Jeffreys to demystify some of the more arcane references. The result is a nimble-footed production, blessed with some ingenious little flourishes. The action is a little effortful as times, although McSweeney in particular never fails to amuse. Look out too for the wonderful stuffed alligator that serves as an unlikely storage unit for the trios ill-gotten gains. Helen Maybanks Titanic Until August 6, Charing Cross Theatre, Buy tickets Henry Hitchings says... When it premiered on Broadway in 1997, Titanic was widely derided, but this stripped-back interpretation, though still overlong, affords a vigorous and ultimately moving take on the 20th centurys most notorious maritime disaster. In a cast of 20, the standard of singing is high, with the most attractive performances coming from James Gant and Niall Sheehy, while Matthew Crowe is affecting as a pompous but fragile telegraphist. And at the helm Southerland combines sensitivity with ambition, suggesting that this previously moribund venue is now on course for success. Scott Rylander What about Europe? Im a natural stayer but I havent made up my mind whether Im going to countermand my temperament. God help me, I havent gone into the economics or statistics but were supposed to be in an epoch where we join, rather than separate, he says, sounding like a character from one of his plays. Before this, the European enterprise stood for inefficiency, waste and a kind of profligacy but leaving it begins to seem like a melodramatic step. Bear in mind, I started off as a Czech. Born Tomas Straussler, he and his family fled from Nazi-occupied Czechoslovakia to Singapore when he was two. After his father died when he was four his mother took him and his brother first to India then to England, where she married Kenneth Stoppard, a British Army major. I feel myself to be British. I got here when I was eight and really grasped at being British. I was an adult before I began to think about my Czech roots. It was a very unattractive Communist regime, so it felt like a lucky escape. Its hardly surprising that Stoppard feels such compassion for the refugee crisis and visited the jungle in Calais in February. He deplores what he calls our mingey and very grudging attitude about the way we fail to welcome refugees. So whats the solution? Its analogous to America 100 years ago. Europe has to have an Ellis Island which greets everybody, takes down the details and lets them disperse over the whole continent. His concern for others is tangible, as is his complete lack of grandeur. Is he aware that men admire him and women are in love with him? At least everyone Ive spoken to. Im all too aware. One of the reasons I dont chuck my weight about is that underneath everything theres a little chap in my skull who feels that Ive fallen into a profession which is over-rewarded, and I feel over-rewarded and over-esteemed, because one would like to be that good. But isnt he that good? Ive very rarely emerged from writing something which I feel deserves an alpha plus. For which of his plays would he award himself an alpha plus? The Invention of Love, his 1997 play about A E Housman, presses all my buttons, he replies, and then he pauses. But I think its rather bad taste to start proposing your own A-stars. A n American woman who underwent a face transplant after she was mauled by a chimpanzee is back in hospital because her body is rejecting the tissue. Charla Nash, 61, took part in a military-funded experiment to see if she can be weaned off anti-rejection drugs she had been taking since the operation in 2011. But Ms Nash said doctors had decided to end the treatment after they discovered her body was rejecting the transplant. She told The Associated Press she would appreciate any prayers as medics are set to put her back on her original medication in the hope of reversing the rejection. In 2009, Ms Nash was viciously attacked by her neighbours chimpanzee, Travis, as she tried to lure the pet back into his home. She was left with no eyes, mouth, eyelids and nose after the attack in Stamford, Connecticut. The chimpanzee was shot dead by police. A man suspected of planning to travel to Syria to join Islamic State was arrested at a home in east London. Scotland Yard said the 20-year-old was held by detectives on suspicion of engaging in conduct in preparation of committing an act of terrorism. He is accused of travelling to Syria to join a banned organisation. He was arrested by the Mets counter terrorism officers at 7am on Wednesday. The man has been bailed to a date in June. F ive men have been arrested after a gang of 12 raiders armed with sledge hammers and pick axes targeted jewellery shops in the early hours of this morning. Scotland Yard said the smash-and-grab gang launched two raids on jewellers in Brent Cross Shopping Centre at about 2.30am. The robbers smashed the windows of Goldsmiths Jewellers, snatching jewellery and watches from the store. They also tried to steal from the Ernest Jones jewellers shop in the shopping centre. Following the raids, the suspects fled the scene on foot and bicycles. Police brought in dogs and scrambled the helicopter to help comb the area for the suspects. Five men, aged in their 20s and 30s, were arrested and taken to a north London police station, where they remained in custody this morning. Police recovered a quantity of jewellery and watches, as well as weapons including sledge hammers and pick axes. Police said enquiries were continuing to identify and apprehend other individuals and to recover outstanding stolen property. Inspector Fifi Gulam-Husen of Barnet police said: "The public should be reassured that Met officers respond rapidly around the clock to tackle crime across London. "This morning's arrests demonstrate our determination to act with speed, intelligence and tenacity to keep Londoners safe." T hese pictures show the aftermath of a smash-and-grab raid at Brent Cross shopping centre in which thousands of pounds of gems and luxury watches were stolen. Five men were arrested after the gang smashed into a jewellery store before fleeing on foot and on pedal cycles. The raiders also attempted to break into another store in the early hours of this morning but fled when the alarm was raised. Scotland Yard said five suspects - all understood to be Romanian nationals - were arrested nearby after searches involving dogs and a police helicopter. The aftermath of the raid in Brent Cross shopping centre The gang used sledgehammers to crash through glass security doors in the mass raid at the shopping centre in the early hours today. It is believed they broke off into two groups and one entered Goldsmiths jewellers, but failed to force entry to Ernest Jones, which also had a cracked window where the gang tried to smash their way in. A heavy duty sledgehammer and a crowbar were left abandoned outside the doors of Ernest Jones. A handyman working on a shop opposite the scene said: We came in in the morning and there were crowbars and sledgehammers lying all over the floor. A close-up of tools used in the attempted break-in at Ernest Jones You could see they had been trying to pry open the shutters on both of the shop fronts to try and get in. Theyve got a crowbar and tried to get it underneath the shutters to pry it open. Another said: It looks as though theyve smashed their way in through the back where New Look is and then made their way to the stores but security guards could see them on the CCTV. Another worker at a shop opposite Ernest Jones said: They got into Goldsmiths and stole a lot of stuff, it must have been thousands of pounds worth of stuff. They couldnt get into Ernest Jones because of the security glass, I think it was more difficult and also the police were called. A police officer stands outside smashed glass at an entrance to Brent Cross The raid comes less than four years after a gang of robbers on motorbikes stormed the shopping centre and stole watches and jewellery from Fraser Hart jewellers. The Met said officers were called to reports of a robbery at Brent Cross at 2.30am today. A police spokesman said: A group of at least a dozen suspects had smashed windows and stolen items from Goldsmiths Jewellers as well as attempting to steal items from Ernest Jones jewellers in the shopping centre. The suspects made off from the scene on foot and on pedal cycles. The gang targeted two jewellers Five men, aged in their 20s and 30s, were arrested and taken to a north London police station where they remain in custody. Police said a quantity of jewellery and watches was recovered while weapons including sledge hammers and pick axes were left abandoned at the scene. The Met said enquiries were ongoing to arrest the remaining suspects and recover outstanding stolen property. Inspector Fifi Gulam-Husen of Barnet police said: The public should be reassured that Met officers respond rapidly around the clock to tackle crime across London. This mornings arrests demonstrate our determination to act with speed, intelligence and tenacity to catch criminals and to keep Londoners safe. An Ernest Jones spokesman said: Our efforts are currently focused upon ensuring the welfare of our staff and well be spending time with each of them to offer them counselling following this robbery. A spokesman for Brent Cross said: There was forced entry into the centre in the early hours of this morning. The robbery targeted two jewellers which resulted in damage to a store and the theft of goods, which have since been recovered. Police attended the incident immediately and we are working closely with them in their investigation. The store was open as usual today. F ormer X Factor contestant Nathan Fagan-Gayle said he was "sorry from the bottom of my heart" for his part in a 1 million fraud targeting pensioners. Fagan-Gayle, 29, was jailed for 20 months for laundering 20,000 from Elizabeth Curtis, 73, who had a total of 130,000 stolen from her. A gang of conmen posed as police officers to dupe elderly victims, including a Second World War veteran, into handing over their money. Many have been left nearly penniless by the scam as they have not had all their money refunded by the banks. The men, described by police as "cruel, callous and calculating" committed fraud on an "industrial" level in 2014 and 2015. Kenneth Whitaker, who fought at the Battle of Arnhem and was 93 at the time of the fraud, said he was left feeling "dumb and stupid" after he had 113,000 stolen from him. Ms Curtis, who was at the Old Bailey to hear the sentences passed, said she has been left "traumatised" by the con. Shouting out from the dock as he was sentenced, Fagan-Gayle said: "I just want to take this opportunity to apologise to Elizabeth Curtis. Guilty: Nathan Fagan-Gayle, 29, was jailed for his role in the scam / Ian West/PA Wire "If I had known what was really going on here, I would have turned and run 100 miles in the other direction. "I know this has torn your life apart, and I don't want you to think this is just some flash in the pan for me - this is the single biggest defining moment of my life. "It hasn't just torn your world apart, it's torn mine apart too. "I'm sorry from the bottom of my heart. I'm not asking for your forgiveness, I just want you to know where my heart is, man to woman." Fagan-Gayle used the cash to splash out on designer clothes and pay for a holiday to the United States. Speaking after the sentencing, Ms Curtis's family said they do not believe he is truly remorseful, and said if he is he would pay the money back. Seven other men were also jailed alongside Fagan-Gayle for their roles in the scam. "Key player" Makhzhumi Abukar, 24, from north London, was jailed for seven years and four months and Yasser Abukar, 24, also from north London, was jailed for six years. Shakaria Aden, 22, a "prolific cash collector" who picked up 154,000, was jailed for six and a half years and Ahmed Ahmed, 23, from north London, was jailed for four years and two months. Mohamed Dahir, 23, was jailed for 21 months while Fahim Islam, 21, of east London, was jailed for six years and three months for his role in this and a "strikingly similar" fraud also targeting pensioners. Anrul Islam, 24, from Dagenham, was jailed for 16 months for targeting elderly victims and a student loan fraud. Additional reporting by Press Association. A man staggered into a pub for help after being stabbed in a north London high street last night. The 39-year-old victim is believed to have sought refuge in the Hornsey Tavern after being stabbed about 30 metres away. He was treated by a nurse who was at the bar in St Mary's Road after the incident in Hornsey before paramedics and police arrived. Staff at the pub, which has been closed while police investigate, wrote on its Facebook page: "So a lad off the estate has been stabbed. He came into the pub looking for help. "We had a nurse at the bar who assisted and police/ambulance were called. He has been taken to hospital and appears to be ok!" A spokesman for the Met Police confirmed they were called at 9.10pm last night to reports a man had been stabbed in the High Street. He said: "Officers and London Ambulance Service attended and the man, aged 39, was taken to an east London hospital for treatment. "He remains there in a serious but stable condition." There have been no arrests so far, police said. A fraudster who used a 'Mr Whippy' ice-cream van to stage 100,000 worth of fake accidents is being sought by police. The ice-cream van has been linked to three separate fraudulent insurance claims, which would have costed insurers around 100,000 had they been paid out in full. Barry Sandmann, 39, was convicted for his part in one of the accidents involving the ice-cream van in his hometown of Strood. Sandmann reported he had been in an accident with the van on February 5 2014. A forged estimate for the repairs to the vehicle was sent to Allianz for 23,880. When the ice-cream van was inspected in Leicester it was recognised for another claim to NFU Mutual months before in Burnley for 15,400, which was cashed by someone using a false Irish driving licence. A further Covea insurance case involving the same ice-ream van supposedly happened in Burnley in August 2014. Fake Mr Whippy van wanted for fake insurance claims (City of London Police ) / City of London Police Their engineer found the van was using false plates and was a different model and colour to the van it was supposed to be. They were unable to trace the owner of the vehicle and the other vehicle allegedly involved in the collision was found undamaged for sale on Gumtree just 12 days later. The driver and two other men in the vehicle were given police cautions after admitting the claims were false. Images of the ice cream van taken by all three insurers showed the stock in the van and its mileage was the same, showing it had not been driven at any time between the accidents. Detectives are now seeking the van in a bid to prevent further fraudulent claims. City of London Police's Insurance Fraud Enforcement Departments investigating officer, Detective Constable Paula Doyle said: Were keen to hear from anyone who may have seen this ice cream van, or knows who owns it, as there are others involved in setting up this scam that we have not been able to identify. What first appeared to be an isolated incident has been uncovered as an organised scam and were determined to try and identify and bring all those involved to justice. As well as the incident with the ice cream van, Sandmann admitted to lying about the time of another genuine accident to try and get insurance cover for damage caused to another van when he reversed into it He pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defraud and fraud by false representation on April 29 at the Old Bailey, where he will be sentenced on May 27. Anyone with information should call IFED on 020 7164 8200 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111. A young man was today fighting for his life in hospital after he was stabbed in a south London street. Police were called to reports of a knife attack in Streatham just after 11pm last night, where they found a 21-year-old man suffering from stab injuries. He was rushed to a south London hospital where he remained in a critical condition this morning. Officers have said they are hunting a man who is believed to have arrived at the scene of the assault in a silver Ford Focus in connection with the incident. A number of people are believed to have been in the car with him at the time. Following the stabbing in Mount Nod Road, a stretch of the street was cordoned off as police remained stationed at the scene. Those living close to the scene have been told the road is expected to remain closed for most of today. Residents described the aftermath of the stabbing as "scary" and "horrible" on social media. Marisa Pugh, 47, who lives close to the scene of the stabbing, told the Standard: It happened at the top of our road. We were watching the TV last night and heard lots of sirens. We just found out what had happened this morning when my husband took the kids to school and saw the road all cordoned off. Its horrible, really devastating, weve got two young children. Yesterday there was also a stabbing on a bus full of school children in West Norwood, and there was something in Brixton. Its quite unnerving. There are still police there now, theyre not letting people through, I saw someone trying to go through earlier and they said you cant go through, its a crime scene. Its taped off and theres a police car and police on foot. A Scotland Yard spokesman said no arrests have yet been made, and enquiries were continuing. Anyone with information is asked to contact Lambeth CID via 101 or alternatively, they can call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111. Baku, Azerbaijan, May 4 By Anakhanum Idayatova - Trend: The Standing Committee of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) will meet in Tallinn, Estonia, on May 27 in the context of the Estonian chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers, PACE's website said. The meeting will be opened by PACE President Pedro Agramunt. Then, there will be held discussions on Estonia's priorities during its chairmanship. The meeting participants will then discuss the other issues on the agenda, including the observation of the early parliamentary elections in Kazakhstan (20 March 2016) and Serbia (24 April 2016); promoting city-to-city co-operation in the field of culture. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @Anahanum T esco has paid out 3,000 to a boy who brought a race discrimination claim after being stopped and searched in one of the company's west London stores. The mixed-race child, who has not been named, claimed he was approached by a shop assistant at the Maida Vale branch, led by his arm into a back room and searched by two members of staff for stolen property which was never found. He claimed the November 2013 incident had left him "scarred" due to the "physical, high-handed manner" with which he was treated and he now felt unnerved when going into shops. The boy's mother told the Daily Mail: "My son was treated utterly appallingly. Doing nothing just wasnt an option. There was no way that I could stomach Tesco getting away with how they treated my son because of his race." A Tesco spokesman said: "Everyone is welcome at Tesco so we take any allegations of this nature extremely seriously. "As has already been disclosed, this person was stopped as the colleague believed they had been shoplifting. We have agreed to settle the case with no admission of liability." M adeleine McCanns parents are refusing to give up hope in the hunt for their missing daughter, nine years after her disappearance. Kate and Gerry McCann still believe that information is still forthcoming in the inquiry into their daughters disappearance and there will always be hope. Their statement came after Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Bernard Hogan Howe admitted he expected the British investigation to be closed in the coming months. In a statement on their website, the McCanns said: "As yet another anniversary comes around, we'd like to thank all our supporters for your continued help and commitment in the search for Madeleine, and the hope for her safe return. "It has been a very long time but the investigation continues, information is still forthcoming and our hope and resolve continue. "Until we have answers, until there is news (real news!), there will always be hope and we will continue to do everything we can to help find Madeleine." Kate and Gerry McCann say they are refusing to give up hope of finding their daughter / Getty Images No trace of Madeleine has ever been found since her disappearance in Portugal on May 3 2007 while on holiday with her parents, aged three. Speaking on LBC last week, Sir Bernard said: There is a line of inquiry that remains to be concluded and its expected that in the coming months that will happen. The Home office granted 95,000 to the investigation, which now only has a handful of officers working on it, to keep it going for another few months. The Daily Mirror reported that Kate and Gerry McCann marked the anniversary of their daughters disappearance with a prayer meeting in the village of Rothley, Leicestershire where they live. They are also helping to promote a single, called I Hope, which is being released by the charity Missing People on May 20 ahead of International Missing Children's Day. It is performed by relatives of missing children alongside stars including Rick Astley, Chesney Hawkes and Lesley Garrett. A teenager has been taken to hospital after being stabbed in south London. Police were called to reports of a fight in Abbotts Park, Tulse Hill, shortly after 6.50pm on Wednesday. The 17-year-old victim was found with a stab wound to his shoulder and was taken to hospital by ambulance. Chief inspector Roy Smith, from Lambeth police, told the Standard: The challenge of combatting knife crime is not one the police will win alone. Families, friends, brothers and sisters we need your help. My teams are happy to meet with anyone in the local community who wants to work in partnership with us to stop this madness. It's not cool to carry a knife, it's not acceptable and we will find those responsible." The victim is in a stable condition and his injuries are not thought to be life-threatening or life-changing. No arrests have been made and enquiries are ongoing. A young woman was racially abused on the London Underground before being followed through a station by a man apparently who continued to shout at her. The 23-year-old victim was travelling on the Bakerloo line between Waterloo and Piccadilly Circus when she was allegedly subjected to a torrent of racist insults. She got off the Tube at Piccadilly Circus and was followed by the man who shouted abuse at her, British Transport Police said. The man allegedly continued to shout racist insults and threats at the woman before throwing punches in her direction. PC Ben Pereira, from British Transport Police, said: While none of the punches connected with the victim, this was clearly an unacceptable and frightening incident. We all have the right to use the Tube without having to worry that we will be singled out for abuse or violence, and we cannot tolerate any form of hate crime. Detectives have today released a CCTV image of a man they want to speak to in connection with the incident, which happened at 6.50am on April 7. Anyone with information should call British Transport Police on 0800 40 50 40, or text 61016, quoting reference 269 of 4/5/16. Information can also be given to Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111. P arents of sixth-form students are to teach younger families how to help children navigate teenage years, in a new project designed to boost young peoples mental health. In the scheme to be launched at Highgate School, the parents will pass on tips about helping teenagers deal with everything from sex and relationships to social media, cyber-bullying and getting enough sleep. The lessons are designed to help parents whose children are just starting secondary school, but who have no experience of what pressures their offspring will come under. It follows a pilot scheme at Highgate School in which sixth-formers taught 11-year-olds about techniques to im-prove mental health. Topics including eating disorders and self-harm were discussed. Pupils at three other London state schools also took part. Patrick Johnston, assistant head at Highgate School, said the success of the peer education project meant it could be rolled out for parents. He added: If its so effective in pupils we would like to see how effective it is in the parental body as well. He said parents of children leaving primary school might not be aware of the issues they will face at secondary school because school life had changed so much: I am 31 and it is different to when I was at school as well. "Parents need a bit of guidance. They are trying to help their children but some dont know the situations young people are going through. There are different pressures on young people. Children dont come with manuals. How can you expect parents to be able to help without being taught by someone who has been through it? First, a group of Year Seven parents will go into the school and discuss what they want to learn. Parents of Year 12 pupils would then be trained to talk to them about how they coped. The Governments mental health champion has told the Standard how children in London are more stressed at a younger age than anywhere else in Britain. Natasha Devon is compiling a report on childrens wellbeing. She said young people in the capital grew up so quickly that an 11-year-old Londoner is the equivalent of a 15-year-old living outside the city. She visits schools to teach students about mental health with her organisation the Self-Esteem Team, and said she sometimes became upset at London schools be-cause pupils seem so jaded when they are 12 and stress is normalised. Some children do not develop feelings of attachment which is essential for well-being because their parents work long hours and spend the little time the family has together glued to their smart- phones, she added. Pupils: Amy Walpole and George Monaghan Year 12 Highgate pupil Amy Walpole took part in the peer-to-peer training because she believes mental health is very important and was not taught about it during her earlier years. She said: Nothing but good can come from learning about mental health, particularly during adolescence as there are so many new obstacles and changes. The students were genuinely interested in being taught candidly about subjects which are easily skirted around, and many of them were keen for the lessons to continue. The Highgate School project was funded by the Mental Health Foundation and supported by mental health organisations Place 2 Be and Cernis. Amys fellow sixth-former George Monaghan said: I participated in the peer education project in the hope that I could help change the way we approach mental health. "We have amazingly sophisticated treatments for physical illness, yet a common response to someone opening up about mental health is still Why cant you just feel better?, despite a 10th of young people experiencing a mental health problem in their lives. I think the project has been so successful because of the relatively close age difference between us facilitators and the students. Most often, these problems are a product of circumstance, and we can empathise with their situations much more easily than an older teacher. A man who sued his ex-girlfriend after she tried to cut him out of the home they renovated together was celebrating today after being awarded 50,000. Builder Gareth Powell, 31, planned with advertising executive Chloe Thomas, 28, to refurbish a 315,000 flat in Wandsworth Common and sell it for a profit. While she put up the money to buy it, he did the work on the uninhabitable home on the agreement they would divide the profits if they broke up. When they did split in 2014, however, Ms Thomas tried to renege on the deal and claimed she was the sole owner. A judge at Central London county court has now awarded Mr Powell a third of the profits from the flat almost 50,000 and ordered Ms Thomas to pay the legal costs, taking her total bill to about 200,000. Speaking after the settlement, Mr Powell said: I was completely in love with Chloe. We had a strong relationship and I trusted her implicitly. We had great plans for the future buying a home to renovate was only the start. Court battle: Builder Gareth Powell, 31 (Paul Keogh ) / Paul Keogh I thought I knew Chloe well, but now I realise that I didnt know her at all. The couple, who had been together for eight years, decided to buy the flat towards the end of 2012. It had very poor water pressure and no heating, but Mr Powell borrowed 14,000 from his parents for materials and set about renovating the property. Ms Thomass mother Heather asked him to sign a contract in 2013 entitling him to a third of the flat if they split, the court heard. Ms Thomas, giving evidence, denied wanting such an agreement and said she had been furious with her mother for suggesting it. But Judge Heather Baucher said Ms Thomas was no wallflower and ruled she had known about the contract and signed it. I reject the contention that Chloe knew nothing about the proposed agreement. She accepts her mother raised the matter, she said. Her mother says she did not discuss it with her, but I dont accept that. Her daughter must have known. Today Ms Thomas, who still lives in the flat, refused to comment. Her mother said: We are very disappointed with the courts decision, we thought we were going to win. She has been very distressed by the whole thing. The flat is now valued at 445,000, meaning Mr Powell should get just short of 50,000 for his share of the profit, reimbursement of cash he spent on the work and interest. Judge Baucher said Ms Thomas was offered a 35,000 settlement last year, which would have saved the whole trauma of this case, but turned it down. T he Duchess of Cambridge has visited the National Portrait Gallery this evening to view photographs from her Vogue cover shoot. Kate, who adorns the cover of the fashion bibles June centenary issue, stunned in a pink Alexander McQueen ensemble as she attended her third engagement of the day. The photographs, taken by British photographer Josh Olins, show the Duchess looking casual and relaxed in the Norfolk countryside. In a black-and-white close-up shot, Kate wears a black fedora hat from Beyond Retro and a charcoal brown double-breasted suede coat and white shirt, both from Burberry. Elegant: Kate dazzled in the Alexander McQueen outfit (PA Wire) In a colour photograph shot in soft January sunlight, Kate is leaning on a rustic gate, wearing a black and red striped long-sleeved top from Petit Bateau and black Burberry trousers. The photos are part of the Vogue 100: A Century Of Style exhibition, and are on public view in the National Portrait Gallery, where Kate has been a patron since 2012. The latest photos of the Duchess were styled by British Vogue fashion director Lucinda Chambers and a colour image of the Duchess in the brown Burberry coat and fedora is on the cover of the magazine's June issue, which is out on Thursday. Speaking to Olins, Kate said of the portraits: "It doesn't look like January. You did a very good job." Kate Middleton wears pink at Vogue exhibition at National Portrait Gallery The Duchess, a keen photographer herself who has taken official pictures of Prince George and Princess Charlotte, discussed photography with Olins as well as the exhibition decision-making process. She continued to admire the photographs, she told Olins: "Thank you Josh. Really good to see you again." Gallery: The Duchess of Cambridge admired the photos from the Vogue shoot / Ian Gavan/PA Wire As she was shown around the exhibition, the Duchess asked lots of questions and commented on the glamorous images. She said one had "fantastic texture" and also remarked on the decision to frame a collection of images with red frames on a red wall - a look she described as "red on red". Kate asked about how the exhibition was "split up into different sections" as each room shows off a different decade. Nicholas Cullinan, director of the National Portrait Gallery, showed the Duchess around the exhibition, and afterwards said: "She has a good eye." He added: "She's really knowledgeable. I mean this is not the first time I've met her, and what came across in my first meeting with her is that, obviously she studied art history and she has a real understanding of art history and especially photography, but also a real enthusiasm for it. "She really is genuinely engaged and she was asking some very intelligent and engaged questions tonight as we went around. "It's always a joy to talk to someone when they really understand and have a love for a subject." He said she asked "detailed" questions about the process, the technicalities, from taking an image to choosing how to print it and how to hang it. Mr Cullinan added: "She definitely knows her stuff." M inisters were today urged to end years of political dithering by giving the go-ahead to a third runway at Heathrow. A report issued by the Commons Transport Select Committee has claimed the arguments over expansion at Heathrow and Gatwick have changed little in 25 years. The report also stated that the Government had made a misstep by not accepting the Airports Commission recommendation to build a third runway at Heathrow. Committee chairwoman and Labour MP Louise Ellman said: The Government must make up its mind. The decision on location is not the end of the process, it is the start of one. Real progress cannot begin until the location is declared. Work on environmental issues can run in parallel with other pre-construction work. In December the DfT confirmed that the commission's shortlisted options - new runways at Heathrow or Gatwick, or extension of an existing runway at Heathrow - were "viable". But it will not make its choice until further work on noise, pollution and compensation has been concluded over the summer. Criticising the DfTs decision, Ms Ellman stated that more than 50 new runways are being planned around the world and the growth of large airports threatened the UKs standing in the aviation sector and the countrys economic prosperity. David Cameron was also criticised for sacrificing the UKs economy when the delay was announced last year to prevent high-profile party resignations. London mayoral candidate Zac Goldsmith vowed to quit as an MP if the 18.6 billion third runway is approved at Heathrow and current mayor Boris Johnson has spoken out against the project. Defending their decision, a DfT spokesman said: The case for aviation expansion is clear but its vitally important we get the decision right so that it will benefit generations to come. As well as progressing the package of further work announced in December, the Government will continue to consider the commissions evidence before reaching a view on its preferred scheme. We are undertaking more work on environmental impacts, including air quality, noise and carbon so we can develop the best package of measures to mitigate the impacts on local people. T his is the moment paramedics rushed to save a man who was seriously injured after falling from Westminster Bridge. The man, believed to be in his 40s, was stretchered from outside the Houses of Parliament after falling 15 feet and injuring his head. Paramedics put the man in a neck brace before he was taken to hospital. The London Air Ambulance landed in parliament square after the incident just after midday yesterday. David Holt It is believed the man was either sitting or standing on the Bridge taking a picture before losing his balance and falling onto the concrete 'Speakers Stairs' below. A Metropolitan Police spokeswoman confirmed the man had been taken to a major trauma centre in a central London hospital and the incident was not being treated as suspicious. The RNLI also attended the scene and an onboard medic was the first to assess the man, who was said to be conscious but confused. David Holt, 47, from Highbury, told the Standard: I saw police on the bridge and there was a crowd looking down at the police boat, lifeboat and all the paramedics there. I stood there for about 30 minutes and watched all the paramedics and saw them helping him. London Air Ambulance takes off from Parliament Square after man seriously injured He looked conscious when they were lifting him up and they were talking to him. Its not a great height 15 to 20 feet maximum - but he looked completely out of it. I didnt see anyone with him. I looked on the bridge and there was no one there, so it seems like he was on his own. B illions of pounds of criminal profits plundered by some of the worlds vilest dictators is sloshing into London to buy property and luxury goods, an anti-corruption watchdog told MPs. Transparency International, which exposes corruption worldwide, said the illicit funds were being used to buy homes, cars, yachts, art, and private education as it warned that Britains system for halting the flow of dirty money was shot through with holes. It also claimed that lawyers, banks, estate agents and others were failing to report potentially suspect investors and that London had become a prime destination for laundering money. The warning was given during a hearing of the Commons Home Affairs Committee on proceeds of crime, and comes ahead of an anti-corruption summit to be hosted by David Cameron this month. Robert Barrington, Transparency Internationals executive director, told MPs that Britain was failing to tackle the problem and was making London a haven for criminal funds. The situation is very, very bad, he said. We have tens of billions of corrupt money sloshing through London every year and much of it staying here. This is some of the worlds vilest and most corrupt dictators and their public officials stealing money. The committee also heard claims that a crime lord linked to the Kremlin had used millions of pounds of stolen money to carry out an orgy of spending in London. Baku, Azerbaijan, May 4 By Anakhanum Idayatova - Trend: The European Conference of Presidents of Parliaments will be held in Strasbourg, France at the Council of Europe, the message posted on the website of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) said May 4. Azerbaijani Parliament Speaker Ogtay Asadov is expected to have a speech at the conference. During the meeting, which is to be held September 15-16, the participants will discuss a number of relevant political issues, the cooperation of national parliaments and the Council of Europe, mobilization of parliaments against racism. The conference will be opened by PACE President Pedro Agramunt and Secretary General of the Council of Europe Thorbjorn Jagland. Edited by SI --- Follow the author on Twitter: @Anahanum S ian Berry today called for the polices domestic extremism unit to be banned from spying on innocent and non-violent Londoners. The Green mayoral candidate, pictured, who would have political control over the Met police if elected, said she wanted to tighten up guidelines to prevent police from monitoring politicians and campaigners purely as a result of their views. She recently learned her name was on a police database and believes her file reveals she was monitored at a Green Party event as recently as last year. Police declined to say if this was the case. The national domestic extremism unit, which is based within the Met, has kept files on thousands of protesters. Last year, Met chief Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe said the unit would only target serious criminals rather than peaceful protesters, but it has been criticised for tracking those without criminal records. Ms Berry said: The Met should not be allowed to spy on peaceful campaigners, trade unionists and elected politicians just because they dont like their politics. As Mayor I would ensure that City Hall makes a clear case for the police to be focused on those advocating terrorism and violence as a means of changing society. Four Green politicians have been monitored, including Caroline Lucas MP and Baroness Jones. Only Ms Lucas, 55, had a record, after she was fined for breaching the peace at a demonstration in 2001. The National Counter-Terrorism Police would not discuss records in relation to individuals, adding: We gather data for policing purposes in accordance with UK law. The centre fully complies with stringent data protection legislation in regard to the collation, retention and deletion of records. Z ac Goldsmith today pledged to be Londons greenest mayor yet as he set out plans to win more powers to tackle air pollution if he is elected. The Tory mayoral hopeful said he was knocking on the Chancellors door to get control of vehicle excise duty. It would allow him to reward the cleanest electric and low emission vehicles and to try to keep the worst gas guzzlers off the road. Mr Goldsmith, a life-long environmentalist, claimed his green record was bullet-proof as he urged Londoners to back him at the polls tomorrow. Its not something I have just picked up casually at the tail-end of the campaign to pick up Green candidate Sian Berrys second preferences, he said. Your record in politics matters, its the one thing politicians cant escape. I think most people do know that on the environment I can be trusted. "So if anybody in this race is going to sort out air pollution, if anyone is going to protect our green spaces and green-up the greyest areas thats me. London Mayoral Election: Candidates' campaigns in three words Mr Goldsmith, trailing Labours Sadiq Khan in the polls, put his reputation as green and independent-minded centre stage as the race entered its final hours. Mr Goldsmith claimed he was quietly confident about the result but that it would come down to a handful of votes and much would depend on turn-out. He promised to continue fighting Heathrow expansion including taking legal action against the Government if it pressed ahead with a third runway. The Tory hopeful said he had no plans to raise the congestion charge but would use other tools to reduce air pollution making every bus electric or low emissions by 2020, cracking down on polluting lorries and kicking off an electric car revolution. He refused to bring forward the introduction of the ultra-low emissions zone from 2020, claiming it would penalise thousands of families who bought a car in good faith, but he is pushing for a diesel scrappage scheme to get them off the roads. Theres good environmental policy and bad environmental policy. I dont want to come in with a heavy hand that puts people out of business and punishes them for decisions they couldnt help taking, he said. Protest: campaigners stage a 'die-in' over the level of air pollution in the capital / Tom Kearney But he admitted that he had yet to persuade George Osborne to hand over control of vehicle excise duty, even though it would be cost neutral for the Treasury. I will try because that is a very powerful tool to enable us to flip the car market from polluting to clean. I cant say were there yet. Mr Goldsmith was more optimistic about City Hall getting the first harvest of stamp duty on new homes that would not have been built without transport investment. He has pledged to continue investing in the network, warning it would grind to a halt without it. Mr Goldsmith doesnt believe Mr Khan can meet his pledge to freeze fares for four years he has said he would bear down on them where possible. How does he deliver his manifesto? Either by simply breaking his promises, which is not a good look in my view or to strip back on vital upgrades of the transport network. Activists recently put breathing masks on statues in London / Greenpeace Although the Tory hopeful said he was a big fan of Boris Johnson he suggested he had been too quick to approve tall buildings there are around 400 in the pipeline and had given big developers too much freedom. A large development is a form of public art and its going to be there for our lifetime. It matters that we get it right, and I think too often we get it wrong We have not been building well, or sensibly, or respectfully. I would take a different approach to planning. I will make the developers work harder to demonstrate that they are actually going to be enhancing communities. "That doesnt always mean youre not going to have tall buildings, of course, but my default position would veer towards low-rise, high density, street-based developments. Labour was disingenuous for suggesting he would knock down estates as he had pledged only to redevelop with community consent, he added. Experts now blame air pollution for a death toll of more than 9,000 a year in the capital / Reuters A shadow has been cast over Mr Goldsmiths campaign with claims that he has used dog whistle and racist tactics against his Labour rival. He has been criticised for repeatedly drawing attention to the multiple occasions Mr Khan has shared a platform with extremists, and by sending out leaflets targeting Asian communities with coded messages. But the Tory MP insisted he had only ever asked legitimate questions about his rivals judgment and never implied anything about his views. He accused Labour of screaming at the top of their voices that he was a racist and clouding the issue for the public. Im not going to roll over quietly and accept being called racist Theyve tried to create an impression among Londons Muslim community that theyre somehow marginalised by my campaign, which theyre not. I do think its a very divisive campaign. On Tory claims that Mr Khan who nominated Jeremy Corbyn for the Labour leadership but has been backing away since would be his leaders man in City Hall, he said: The kindest thing you can say is that he has been riding two horses on this one. People have to judge a politician by their record not just what they say in the last few weeks of a campaign, he added. S adiq Khan put a crackdown on rogue landlords at the centre of his final day of campaigning. As the mayoral race entered its last 24 hours, the Labour frontrunner set out plans for a London Landlord Watchlist and said he would come down on those who exploit tenants like a ton of bricks. In a policy targeted at Londons two million renters, a public City Hall database would empower tenants to check out landlords before moving into a property, and name and shame the worst ones. It could include those who have repeatedly broken the law. Offences that could land them on the watchlist include unlawful eviction of tenants, failure to comply with an overcrowding notice, and harassment. Ministers have already announced plans for a landlords register, but it will only be accessible by councils, rather than the public. Housing has been one of the key issues of the campaign, with many Londoners struggling to afford to rent or buy their own home in the capital. A recent survey for Shelter found that six out of 10 private renters in London endure hazards such as mould, leaks or pest infestations. One in 10 has suffered health problems in the past year because landlords have failed to deal with properties in poor condition. A Labour analysis also found tenants would have to pay an average 2,400 in letting agent fees over the next eight years unless action were taken. Mr Khan has already announced plans for a landlord licensing scheme and a city-wide not-for-profit lettings agency. He said: Most landlords treat their tenants well, but too many renters are being deliberately exploited by rogue landlords. Enough is enough. I will come down on rogue landlords like a ton of bricks with a new London Landlord Watchlist to name and shame the worst offenders. We cant stand by as thousands of renters are suffering high costs and low standards. Thats why I will promote licensing schemes to drive up standards and establish a not-for-profit lettings agency that will end rip-off fees for renters and promote longer tenancies. Unveiling campaign adverts highlighting the choice between him and Tory rival Zac Goldsmith, he said: I urge Londoners to give me the chance to restore for all Londoners the opportunities our great city gave to me. J eremy Corbyn and David Cameron clashed over the London mayoral battle in the Commons this afternoon. Labours leader attacked Zac Goldsmiths campaign for systematically smearing Sadiq Khan with allegations of extremism. But Tory leader Mr Cameron hit back by repeating his allegations that Mr Khan repeatedly shared platforms with hardliners, including a terrorist who trained one of the London 7/7 bombers. The confrontation came after Mr Cameron used Prime Ministers Questions to demand that Mr Corbyn apologise for past comments in which he called militant groups Hamas and Hezbollah his friends. Cameron attacks Khan in PMQs Mr Corbyn turned the tables by criticising Mr Cameron for last week attacking Mr Khan for sharing platforms with preacher Suliman Gani, saying: It turns out Mr Gani is actually an active Conservative supporter who has shared platforms with Zac Goldsmith. Mr Cameron went back on the attack saying: There is a pattern of behaviour with the Hon Member for Tooting...he shared a platform with a man who called for Jews to be drown in the ocean...if he wants to know why he has a problem with anti-Semitism its because his candidates share platform after platform after platform with extremists. He said Mr Gani had described women as subservient to men. D onald Trump has been named the presumptive Republican presidential nominee after closest rival Tez Cruz suspended his campaign. Texas Senator Cruz, who had billed himself as the only viable alternative to Trump, took the step after a stinging defeat in Indiana's Republican primary. "It appears that path has been foreclosed," Cruz told supporters in Indianapolis. "Together, we left it all on the field of Indiana. We gave it everything we've got, but the voters chose another path, and so with a heavy heart but with boundless optimism for the long-term future of our nation, we are suspending our campaign." Victory: Donald Trump / Getty Cruz had already been mathematically eliminated from clinching the delegate majority in the state-by-state primary process, but had hoped to force a contested national convention in July. Loading.... Should he have secured victory, 45-year-old Cruz would have been the first US president of Hispanic descent, although he often downplayed his heritage on the campaign trail, instead calling for tougher immigration laws and a border wall along the border with Mexico. Cruz worked on George W Bush's 2000 campaign and went on to serve five years as the top attorney for the state of Texas, arguing nine cases before the U.S. Supreme Court. Rival: Republican Ted Cruz has quit the race / AP However, he could not compete with Trump's appeal among white, working class voters who were drawn to the billionaire's outlandish approach to politics. The race between the two front runners had become deeply acrimonious, with Trump nicknaming Cruz "Lyin' Ted," and derided him as "unstable," "crazy," "a maniac" and "sick." Trump also questioned whether Cruz's birth in Canada disqualified him to run for president, frequently threatening to sue him over the issue. However, Trump was gracious in victory over his nearest rival, apparently surprised by his decision to drop out of the race. "Ted Cruz, I dont know if he likes me or doesnt like me, but he is one hell of a competitor," he said. "He is a tough, smart guy. And he has got an amazing future." Meanwhile Vermont senator Bernie Sanders scored a victory over Hillary Clinton in Indiana, but the outcome will not slow the former US secretary of state's march to the Democratic nomination. Loading.... Heading into Tuesday's voting, Mrs Clinton had 92 per cent of the delegates she needed. Mrs Clinton and Mr Trump now plunge into a six-month battle for the presidency, with the future of America's immigration laws, health care system and military posture around the world at stake. Mr Sanders said he had won a "great upset victory" in Indiana and expected "more victories in the weeks to come". "The Clinton campaign thinks this campaign is over. They're wrong," he said. Mr Sanders said he had an "uphill climb" to the nomination but was "in this campaign to win and we are going to fight until the last vote is cast". While Mrs Clinton heads into the general election with significant advantages with minority voters and women, Democrats have vowed to not underestimate Mr Trump - as his Republican rivals did for too long. T his is the moment a plane suspected of carrying illegal Class A drugs was shot out of the sky by authorities in Peru. Footage has captured the Bolivian aircraft being hailed with gunfire before it breaks up following a large explosion. Pictures show the planes smouldering wreckage after it crashed to the ground. Afterwards, Peruvian authorities engaged in a three-hour gun battle with alleged drug traffickers on board the plane. Wreckage: The plane crashed to the ground after it was shot out of the sky / Reuters One of the suspects, believed to be a Colombian man, escaped while the 58-year-old Bolivian pilot was wounded and taken to hospital. Around 70 kilograms of cocaine compound was seized from the plane following the battle but authorities believe up to 200kg of additional drugs may have been hidden during the shootout. According to the United Nations, Peru is the worlds largest supplier of cocaine after Colombia. A married couple were left with serious injuries after being attacked by a pig on a family farm. Police were called to the farm in Townsend, Massachusetts, on Tuesday after reports a boar had attacked and wounded a woman. A 38-year-old woman was found with lacerations on her body from an apparent pig attack and was taken to hospital for further treatment. But less than two hours later, the pig is believed to have attacked the womans husband, leaving him with potentially life-threatening injuries. The 50-year-old man was taken to UMass Memorial Medical Centre in Worcester and his condition has since been upgraded to stable, with medics expecting him to survive the attack. The adult boar has since been put to sleep. Police chief Robert Eaton Jr, from Townsend Police, said: After conferring with authorities and the owner of the pig, the decision has been made to euthanize the animal and conduct a test for rabies. The rabies test is being conducted out of an abundance of caution. C hanning Tatum couldnt contain his laughter during an interview with host Carly Fleischmann. The Hollywood A-lister was being interviewed by the autistic YouTuber as part of her new video series Speechless. As down-to-earth as ever, Tatum giggled his way through the chat as Fleischmann joked that she was drawing up his divorce papers with her lawyers. The 21-year-old, who speaks through a computer, hit the actor with a series of candid questions in the first of her new YouTube series. Getting off to a good start, Fleischmann opened the interview by saying: I would like to introduce you to my first guest ever! He has been a stripper, a secret agent, a reporter, a boyfriend to many and soon he will dump his wife to be with me. I welcome Channing Tatum. 20 reasons to love Channing Tatum - in pictures 1 /25 20 reasons to love Channing Tatum - in pictures #1 ... he's the hottest police officer we've ever laid eyes on (White House Down, 2013) Edited by Kate Lough #2 ... he's really good at cuddling (Dear John, 2010) #4 ... he knows how to rock a tank top (White House Down, 2013) #5 ... he can pull off the centurion look (The Eagle, 2011) #6 ... the man can dance (Step Up, 2006) #7 ... he could protect us in a shoot out (White House Down, 2013) #8 ... he'll go to any lengths to come to your rescue (White House Down, 2013) #9 ... he kisses with his eyes closed (The Vow, 2012) #10 ... he's friends with Jamie Foxx (White House Down, 2013) #11 ... he can hold his own in a fight (Fighting, 2009) #12 ... he scrubs up well #13 ... he does dapper (White House Down, 2013) #14 ... he has a sense of humour (Jump Street, 2012) #15 ... he likes getting his top off (A Guide to Recognising Your Saints, 2007) #16 ... he's not afraid to get bromantic with Matthew McConaughey #17 ... he can do Chippendale chic (Magic Mike, 2012) #18 ... he has a cute smile (Picture: Getty) Kevin Winter/Getty #19 ...did we mention the kissing? (Side Effects, 2013) #20 ... and we can't resist those twinkly eyes The host then asked Tatum: Would you ever date a 21-year-old person with autism? Yes, if I got permission from my wife, he responded. Alright Ive got my lawyers working on your divorce papers as we speak, Fleischmann joked. She then asked: I know you were a stripper growing up. How many girls at the end of the night would you take home? How many? At the end of one night? Some nights it was more than others, Tatum said. Fleischmann has recently released her book Carlys Voice: Breaking Through Autism. J eremy Clarkson wants the new series of Top Gear to be a hit as he gets paid every time it gets re-commissioned. While the former BBC host is keen for the show to continue without him, he has admitted that he finds it entertaining to watch Chris Evans having a hard time. During a talk at the China Exchange on Tuesday, Clarkson said: What's very entertaining is that Chris Evans is having a very hard time at the moment as he attempts to put Top Gear back together again. It's been suggested that I am behind it, that I am trying to scupper him. But I discovered the other day that every time it gets re-commissioned I get paid, so that's a curious bit of BBC contract but I wish them all the very best. Clarkson went on to say that leaving the BBC following a fracas with a Top Gear producer has been a blessing a disguise. To be honest, I think we would have stayed at the BBC and then the show would have got tired and boring, eventually we would have piloted it into a hillside and that would have been the end, he said. Jeremy Clarkson's Most Controversial Quotes Now we're looking at losing Top Gear as a fantastic thing to happen. The presenter admitted that he still hadnt come up with a new name for his forthcoming Amazon Prime show. It's going to end up being called Dingleberries or something like that, he joked. The new series of Top Gear is due to air later this month, while Clarksons Amazon Prime show will hit screens this autumn. T he cast of Peaky Blinders have hinted that a major mystery will be revealed at the start of the new series. Cillian Murphy, who plays Tommy Shelby in the BBC's critically-acclaimed gangster show, is keeping fans guessing about who he marries in the opening episode. Of course I wont reveal the brides identity, but the wedding doesnt go smoothly, he told Whats On TV. The interesting thing about Tommy is that he never reacts how youd expect a normal human being to react and thats why hes such a brilliantly drawn character. Steven Knight, Paul Anderson, Helen McCrory and Cillian Murphy / Rex Murphy, Helen McCrory and Annabelle Wallis all attended the official launch of series three at the BFI Southbank on Tuesday evening. A number of famous fans of the Birmingham-based gangster drama were able to get a first look at the brand new series before it airs on the BBC on Thursday. BBC's Peaky Blinders series three teaser trailer Ricky Wilson and Melanie Sykes both stopped by to see the first episode and listen to an exclusive Q&A by the cast. Damian Lewis supported wife McCrory, who plays Polly Gray in the critically acclaimed show, just a few days after they attended the annual Correspondents' Dinner at the White House. Talking about working with Tom Hardy on the new series, Murphy said: Tom returns as London ganster Alfie Solomons and its always great fun working with him. We starred alongside each other in The Dark Knight Rises, so we always try and have a laugh between takes because the scenes are so powerful. The third series will air on BBC 2 on May 5 and will then be streamed on Netflix on May 29. Baku, Azerbaijan, May 4 By Anakhanum Idayatova - Trend: Speaker of the Latvian parliament (Saeima) Inara Murniece will visit Azerbaijan, Latvia's Ambassador to Azerbaijan Yuris Maklakovs told Trend May 4. During the visit, the speaker will hold a number of high-level meetings, during which the sides will discuss possibilities of expanding bilateral relations. Maklakovs added that Riga's Mayor Nils Usakovs is also expected to visit Baku. Both visits are planned for autumn of 2016. The envoy also noted that the parties are preparing for the Latvia-Azerbaijan business forum, which is to be held in September in Baku. Edited by SI --- Follow the author on Twitter: @Anahanum T he MasterChef finals are an intense affair but the lucky remaining contestants have been granted an incredible trip as the last week of the competition continues. After Stuart became the latest casualty of judges John Torode and Gregg Wallace, he narrowly missed out on an amazing trip to Mexico. More lucky were Jack, Jane, Juanita and Billy, who are all picking up their passports and heading to much sunnier climes where they will no doubt be feeling the heat. We say lucky the final four have one hell of a task waiting for them when the touch down in Mexico. The contestants will be faced with taking over the lunch service at Pujol, the famous restaurant of chef Enrique Olvera. Not only that, but they will also have to run a busy food stall in a packed market, and feed an assembly of VIPs at the British Embassy. Will they step up to the plate and serve some of the best dishes yet in a country renowned for its colourful and flavour-packed dishes? Or will the heat and the language barrier push them into overdrive as they sprint to the finish? MasterChef 2016: the finalists 1 /4 MasterChef 2016: the finalists Jack BBC Jane BBC Billy BBC Tune in to see who will make it as the finals continue each night until Friday. 9pm, BBC One Baku, Azerbaijan, May 4 Trend: President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has today reviewed the newly reconstructed Mikayil Aliyev Street in the Nizami district, Baku. Chairman of Azeravtoyol OJSC, Saleh Mammadov informed the president about the reconstruction work. The president was informed that a 2 kilometers long system was built in the street that will carry rainwater to sewerage. The four and six lane road, which is 2,800 meters in length, was covered with new asphalt. New lighting system and pavements were installed along the street. President Ilham Aliyev was informed that the Chobanzade Street in the Nizami district was also reconstructed. The 2,340 kilometers long street was covered with new asphalt and new bus stations were installed there. The reconstruction of the Nakhchivani Street was also completed. The width of the 840 meters long street was extended up to 9 meters. New asphalt and concrete cover was laid there. Baku, Azerbaijan, May 4 Trend: A multistory car park has been opened on the intersection of the Gara Garayev Avenue and the Nakhchivani Street in the '8th kilometre' settlement in the Nizami district, Baku. President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev cut the ribbon symbolizing the opening of the parking lot. The president viewed the car park, which occupies a total area of 16,286 square metres. The facility can handle up to 391 cars. Baku, Azerbaijan, May 4 Trend: Baku Higher Oil School and Abu Dhabi Petroleum Institute from the United Arab Emirates signed Memorandum of Understanding at BHOS. The signing ceremony gathered the President of Abu Dhabi Petroleum Institute Dr. Thomas Hochstettler, Dr. Ebrahim Al Hajri, Director of External Relations and Collaborations of the mentioned institute, Deputy of Ambassador of the United Arab Emirates to Azerbaijan Mr. Abdulla Al Shamsi, BHOS management, professors, lecturers and students. In his welcome speech BHOS rector Elmar Gasimov informed the guests about BHOS history, activities, international relations, achievements gained within a short period of time and new campus. He also underlined the significance attached to application of international standards in education and training process at BHOS, internship organized for BHOS students and works carried out at the higher school in order to involve students in scientific activities. BHOS rector also said that owing to cooperation between BHOS and Petroleum Institute it would be possible to realize mobility of students and academic staff in the field of engineering, preparation and application of academic programmes, exchange of academic publications, training materials, realization of joint research and engagement in various activities. Expressing his contentment concerning inclusion of BHOS in the list of partners of Abu Dhabi Petroleum Institute, Elmar Gasimov expressed the confidence that both higher schools would be distinguished ones amongst world universities in the field of education and training engineers. President of Abu-Dhabi Petroleum Institute Dr. Thomas Hochstettler said he was pleased to be in Azerbaijan and at BHOS involved in education and training of highly qualified specialists. According to him situated in Abu-Dhabi, capital city of the United Arab Emirate, Petroleum Institute he heads is the high level educational institution and research center dealing with education of engineers in the field of engineering and energy. Dr. Hochstettler said he was pleased and interested in joint and collaborative work with BHOS directed to education and training of engineers. He was convinced that owing to the bilateral cooperation both higher educational institutions would succeed in the mentioned above field. Dr. Ebrahim Al Hajri, Director of External Relations and Collaborations of Abu Dhabi Petroleum Institute mentioned similarities existing between BHOS and Abu Dhabi Petroleum Institute what would enable broad opportunities for cooperation. He was also convinced that the mentioned cooperation would foster expansion of intercultural relations. Dr. Al Hajri underlined how beneficial the cooperation between BHOS and Abu Dhabi Petroleum Institute would be in the field of exchange of students and academic staff. For this purpose according to Dr. Ebrahim Al Hajri the research sector of both educational institution should continue on developing. The perspectives of mutual cooperation were also discussed during the meeting. Then the Memorandum of Understanding between BHOS and Abu-Dhabi Petroleum Institution was signed. BHOS rector Elmar Gasimov granted 'Honorary Guest' diploma to the President of Abu Dhabi Petroleum Institute Dr. Thomas Hochstettler. In addition the mentioned Memorandum of Understanding reflects mutual support in organiztaion of workshops, conferences and trainings, cooperation directed to special development fields in the frames of training projects etc. Baku, Azerbaijan, May 4 By Huseyn Valiyev - Trend: Armenia may spray the radioactive waste of the Metsamor nuclear power plant in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan, Adil Garibov, chairman of the Azerbaijani Nuclear Research Center CJSC, told Trend May 4. Garibov said that Armenia's threat that it may allegedly use nuclear weapons against Azerbaijan is nothing but blackmail. "Nuclear fuel is contained in special pools, and its use is directly controlled by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)," he said. "Armenia will unlikely to be able to use this fuel for other purposes, as hot laboratory and specialized robotic technologies are required for processing." "However, there is no guarantee that Armenia will not use radioactive waste for its insidious plans, namely, the creation of radiological weapons or spraying of this waste in the occupied areas," Garibov said. As for the Metsamor nuclear power plant, Garibov said that Azerbaijan has repeatedly brought to the IAEA's attention that the Metsamor nuclear power plant poses a threat to the region. Garibov added that however, Armenia will unlikely to shut down Metsamor, even if the world community requires it. The Metsamor nuclear power plant was built in 1970. It was closed after the devastating earthquake in Spitak in 1988. But despite the international protests, the power plant's operation was resumed in 1995. Moreover, the second reactor was launched there. According to the ecologists and scholars all over the region, seismic activity of this area turns operation of the Metsamor nuclear power plant in an extremely dangerous enterprise, even if a new type of reactor is built. DENVER (AP) A Colorado proposal to certify organic marijuana has been rejected amid concerns the labels would imply pot is healthy. The bill rejected in a legislative committee Tuesday would have created a first-of-its-kind label for marijuana that had been produced without pesticides. The proposal failed 4-3 in a Senate committee. Some lawmakers said the labels could wrongly imply that marijuana is harmless. "It will mislead people to thinking marijuana doesn't have any health effects, that it's OK," said Sen. Rollie Health, D-Boulder. "It kind of puts a stamp of approval on it." Other lawmakers worried that the U.S. Department of Agriculture would penalize state agriculture regulators for labeling pot as organic. The bill called for state regulators to come up with the exact rules for getting organic labels. Colorado would have been the first state to regulate organic labels in its pot industry. Consumer confusion over organic marijuana peaked in Colorado last year, when Denver health authorities seized thousands of marijuana plants from growers suspected of using off-limits chemicals on their plants. Most of the plants were ultimately released, but some were sold with names that suggested the products were natural or organic. Sponsors said that consumers are currently confused about organic marijuana claims. "Cannabis consumers, or tomato consumers, or any product consumer wants to know what goes into what they're using," said Ben Gelt of the Denver-based Organic Cannabis Association, an industry group pushing for organic pot standards. Organic standards are regulated federally, and pot remains illegal at the federal level, meaning there's nothing stopping commercial pot growers from calling their wares organic. WASHINGTON The Republican presidential race looks set to roll into Nebraska this week, though it may be a bit less of a race now. On Tuesday, Sen. Ted Cruz and businessman Donald Trump both announced campaign appearances in the state. But Cruz dropped out of the race Tuesday night, canceling his campaign appearances, including one Wednesday in Lincoln. Trump, who now has an open path to the Republican nomination, said in his first speech after Cruzs announcement that hes still coming to the state. Now were going to Nebraska, where I just hear were doing really wonderfully. I look forward to that very much. A Trump rally has been scheduled for Friday afternoon in Omaha, according to a source familiar with the planning, though details of the event had not been announced. Nebraskas GOP primary is Tuesday, and the winner will take all 36 of the states national delegates. As I left Old Faithful Inn for a hike with my family in Yellowstone National Park, I noticed a bison, sitting less than 12 inches from the drivers door of our rental van. My mother-in-law asked how I was going to get in and drive. Ill get in from the passenger side and climb over, I said. Im not going anywhere near that thing. I really wanted to go near it. I wanted to touch it, mostly because Ive never felt its fur. Is it coarse? Is it soft? Despite the urge, I still understood how massive it was, even if it was sitting on the ground. As I prepared to leave, I unrolled the drivers side window. The bison moved its head slightly in my direction. It was aware I was there. My only worry was I might clip it accidentally as I backed out of my parking spot. The bison turned its head some more and watched as I pulled away. At one point in time, there were hundreds of millions of bison (sometimes called buffalo) in North America. In one century, a few dozen remained. Man nearly wiped out the American bison (Bison bison). Through conservation efforts, their numbers have grown. The National Bison Legacy Act, passed in the House and the Senate, will make the bison the first national mammal of the United States. The Act awaits President Obamas signature. According to the Washington Post, the bison represents the countrys first successful foray into wildlife conservation. Jim Stone, InterTribal Buffalo Council executive director, told KOTA Territory News, recognizing the bison as a national symbol will create educational opportunities to tell the story of how the buffalo has rebounded from the brink of extinction. The Buffalo is an iconic species in this country. You have a bald eagle, which is recognized as a symbol, and its very deserving of that position, yet the buffalo had more to do with the United States, prediscovery, than the bald eagle in some senses, Stone said. It provided everything for the Native Americans way of life. Native Americans slaughtered what could be eaten and used the hair and bones. By the 1800s, the introduction of horses from the 1500s and guns meant certain doom for the thundering beasts on the plains. Westward expansion displaced Native Americans and killing bison was a tactic used by the U.S. government to control tribes. The introduction of cattle, and their associated diseases, reduced bison herds. Hides, which were worth a lot of money, tourists paying to shoot bison from train windows and the encroachment of farming on bison habitat all contributed to its demise. The PBS Nature program American Buffalo: Spirit of a Nation told the story of the destruction of bison by greed and uncontrolled hunting. There were buffalo killing contests. A Kansan set a record by killing 120 bison in 40 minutes. Buffalo Bill Cody, hired to slaughter the animals, killed more than 4,000 buffalo in two years, PBS said. According to the National Park Service (NPS), Yellowstone was the only place in the contiguous 48 states where wild, free-ranging bison persisted into the 20th century. Even with the Lacey Act, which meted out hard punishment for poachers, Yellowstones bison were reduced by poaching from as many as one thousand in 1872, to approximately two dozen animals in 1902. That small herd is now two large herds. Conservationists consider the Yellowstone bison recovery a triumph of American conservationism. Approximately 30,000 bison live in public and private herds in North America, managed for conservation goals. Approximately 400,000 are raised as livestock. Wild bison are rare. Yellowstone bison represent the best example for preservation of wild plains bison in North America, NPS said. Yellowstone is the only place in the United States where bison have lived continuously since prehistoric times. Several Native American tribes revere Yellowstones bison as pure descendants of the vast herds that once roamed the grasslands of the United States, NPS said. It is one of the few herds free of cattle genes. In Extermination of the American Bison from Evolution of the Conservation Movement, 1850-1920, by William T. Hornaday, the founder of the American conservation movement wrote, between the Rocky Mountains and the States lying along the Mississippi River on the west, from Minnesota to Louisiana, the whole country was one vast buffalo range, inhabited by millions of buffaloes. One could fill a volume with the records of plainsmen and pioneers who penetrated or crossed that vast region between 1800 and 1870, and were in turn surprised, astounded, and frequently dismayed by the tens of thousands of buffaloes they observed, avoided, or escaped from. They lived and moved as no other quadrupeds ever have, in great multitudes, like grand armies in review, covering scores of square miles at once. The bison is more than just a national mammal. It represents who we are as a people and what we value. News outlets reported, Congress came together to agree on a symbol of unity, resilience and healthy landscapes and communities for all Americans. Native Americans knew this centuries ago. Were just now learning that lesson. This page may have been moved, deleted, or is otherwise unavailable. To help you find what you are looking for: Enter Search Term(s): Still cant find what youre looking for? Send us a message using our contact us form. To report a broken link or other problems with the website, please include the URL. Thank you for visiting state.gov. 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In April the doctors of Mobile Eye Clinic serving children deprived of parental care, low-income families, refugees and IDPs examined people over 50 with the organization of Caspian Compassion Project. The Clinic served low-income families and children deprived of parental care, as well as refugees and IDPs residing in Lokbatan, Buzovna, Pirallah, Mardakan, Bakkhanov, Garachukhur and Gunashli settlements. With the organizational support by local executive authorities, 244 people were examined; out of which 96 were assigned eyeglass prescription and 124 people were prescribed a course of treatment by the doctors. The doctors also had a successful surgery on 5 low-income patients who suffered from serious diseases. After the surgery the eyesight of patients was completely restored. All examination and treatment are conducted by Caspian Compassion Project with Azercell's support. Established on June 1, 2011, Mobile Eye Clinic is aimed to provide preventive examination of eye disease and full check-up to children deprived of parental care, the elderly and low-income people. During 4 years of its operation, the clinic has visited boarding schools and orphanages in Baku, including special boarding school No. 5, SOS Children's village and "Gunerzi" care center in the region of Agjabadi. Along with Baku, the doctors of the clinics have also travelled to regions. They have been to almost all regions in the country and supported people in need for treatment. Azercell Telecom LLC was founded in 1996 and since the first years sustains a leading position in the market. Azercell introduced number of technological innovations in Azerbaijan: GSM technology, advance payment mobile services, M2M,MobilBank, GPRS/EDGE (mobile internet), 24/7 Customer Care, full-time operating Azercell Express offices, mobile e-service "ASAN imza" (ASAN signature) and others. With 48,2% share of Azerbaijan's mobile market Azercell's network covers 99,8% of the country's population. In 2015, the number of Azercell's subscribers reached 4,5 million people. In 2011 Azercell deployed 3G and in 2012 the fourth generation network - LTE in Azerbaijan. The Company is the leader of Azerbaijan's mobile communication industry and the biggest investor in the non-oil sector. Azercell is a part of Telia Company Group of Companies serving 186 million subscribers in 17 countries worldwide with 27,000 employees. Love Valley residents are sweeping off porches, cleaning yards and laying gravel down on the arena trail in preparation for Love Valley Live, the biggest event the town has seen in 45 years. As of Tuesday, over 1,000 tickets have been sold for the day-long event behind held Saturday, according to event coordinator Peter Heimo. The concert will feature six different performers including headlining act The Kentucky Headhunters. The event will feature food and spirit vendors in addition to the many local restaurants, including the Silver Spur Saloon, which will stay open late Saturday night. The concert will be the first of its kind since the Love Valley Pop Festival in 1970, which drew -- by some estimations -- 200,000 people to the small, Western-themed town that counted 98 residents as of 2014. Organizers are using the 1970 event as a lesson. They are much more prepared for this years show, Heimo said. Everyone has been pitching in and taking the time to make this a reality. Heimo said that many people who watched The Allman Brothers Band and other acts during the 1970 concert are coming back this weekend. A portion of the concert proceeds will go toward improving town infrastructure. Iredell County Sheriff Darren Campbell said about a dozen deputies will work the event, directing traffic and providing security. The sheriffs office command vehicle will also be on-site, he said. Campbell said the sheriffs office is coordinating with other law enforcement and emergency services like fire departments and Iredell EMS to be ready to take care of any needs during the show. He urged motorists to use caution around the site of the concert and watch for pedestrians. We just want to make sure everyone has a good and safe time, Campbell said. Want to go? Love Valley Live starts at 11 a.m. on Saturday. Heres the schedule: 11 a.m. Southern Thunder (playing downtown) 1 p.m. Arena gates open 2 p.m. Two Old Musicians 3 p.m. Cindy Kay and Chad Triplett 4 p.m. Confederate Railroad 7 p.m. Kentucky Headhunters The event will be held on Henry Martin Trail in Love Valley Tickets are $30 each and can be purchased at: www.brownpapertickets.com/event/2420127 Tashkent, Uzbekistan, May 4 By Demir Azizov - Trend: Uzbekistan and China have discussed the status and prospects for developing the cooperation in trade, economic, investments, financial and technical fields, said Uzbekistan's Ministry of Foreign Economic Relations, Investments and Trade May 4. The discussions were held with China's Minister of Commerce Gao Hucheng who is on a visit to Uzbekistan. China is one of the largest trade, economic and investment partners of Uzbekistan. Currently, the Uzbek-Chinese relations are developing in all spheres in accordance with the joint declaration on establishing strategic partnership signed during the first state visit of Chinese President Xi Jinping to Uzbekistan in September of 2013. During that visit, the sides also signed a package of documents on joint implementation of the projects with the total cost of $15 billion. The volume of bilateral trade between the two countries is growing steadily. It has increased by six times over the last six years. The trade turnover between Uzbekistan and China stood at $4.75 billion in 2014. Currently, 482 enterprises, created with participation of Chinese partners, operate in Uzbekistan. Wednesday, 04 May 2016 23:35:41 (GMT+3) | Sao Paulo Brazil s public ministry (MPF), a body of public prosecutors, has filed a BRL 155 billion ($43.8 billion) public lawsuit against pellets producer Samarco and the companys co-owners, Vale and BHP Billiton, for the Mariana iron ore waste dam burst, which killed 19 people in the city of Mariana, Minas Gerais, in November 2015. Prosecutors have also sued Brazil s federal government, and the states of Minas Gerais and Espirito Santo in the lawsuit, which is asking the referred companies and governments to fully compensate the social, economic and environmental damages the iron ore waste dam bust has caused. MPFs BRL 155 billion estimate was based on the cost of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the United States. MPF said the damages caused by the Mariana disaster is equivalent to that of [Deepwater Horizon] in the Mexican gulf in 2010. MPF has also demanded an initial payment of BRL 7.7 billion, which is yet to be accepted by a judge. MPFs move follows a recent deal reached by Samarco and the Brazilian government, in which the companies agreed to pay about BRL 20 billion. MPFs lawsuit adds more pressure to the struggling company, whose restart has been seen as uncertain, despite a Q4 estimate. Wednesday, 04 May 2016 13:50:30 (GMT+3) | Sao Paulo Brazil s largest steelmaker Gerdau saw its net profit decline 94.8 percent in Q1, year-on-year, from BRL 267 million ($75.5 million) to BRL 14 million ($3.96 million), the company said on Wednesday while releasing its quarterly results. According to the Brazilian steelmaker, net revenues in Q1 diminished 3.4 percent, year-on-year, to BRL 10 billion, due to lower domestic sales. Cost of sales slightly declined 0.7 percent in Q1, year-on-year, to BRL 9.2 billion. Gerdau s adjusted EBITDA in Q1 was BRL 930 million, 15.9 percent down, year-on-year. Gross margin declined to 8.1 percent in Q1, from 10.6 percent in the same quarter of the year prior. EBITDA margin declined as well, going from 10.6 percent in Q1 2015 to 9.2 percent in Q1 this year. Gerdau said crude steel output fell 4.3 percent in Q1, year-on-year, to 4.1 million mt. Sales volumes in the same quarter diminished 7 percent, year-on-year, to 3.8 million mt. A look at Gerdau s combined revenues from its business units in the past twelve months make it evident the steelmaker is looking to expand the revenue share it has in the export market. Tuesday, 03 May 2016 23:36:46 (GMT+3) | Sao Paulo Gerdau -owned Peruvian steelmaker Siderperu saw net profit surge in Q1, from PEN 1.09 million in the same quarter of 2015 to PEN 31.1 million in Q1 this year, the company said. According to the steelmaker, the increased profit was mainly due to a reduction in costs and expenses. Siderperus revenues in Q1 declined 7.1 percent, year-on-year, to PEN 344.6 million, thanks to lower steel prices in the domestic market. Cost of sales in Q1 diminished 14.3 percent, year-on-year, to PEN 290.2 million, resulting in a PEN 54.3 million gross profit in the first quarter of the year, 67.5 percent up, year-on-year. Siderperus gross margin in Q1 rose to 15.8 percent from 8.7 percent reported in the same quarter of the year prior. The Iranian Mines and Mining Industries Development and Renovation Organization (IMIDRO) has announced that it has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) in Tehran with South Korea -based steelmaker POSCO to broaden cooperation between Iran and South Korea in steel and related industries. The value of the agreement is about 1 billion. Details added (first version posted on 14:28) Baku, Azerbaijan, May 4 By Azad Hasanli - Trend: Various UN structures have implemented almost 50 projects, worth $96.6 million, until today in Azerbaijan, said Sahil Babayev, Azerbaijan's deputy economy minister. He made the remarks May 4 at a seminar titled "Fostering Inclusive and Sustainable Industrial Development in the New Silk Road Economic Belt" in Baku. "Currently, the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) is implementing 10 projects worth $18.9 million in the country," added Babayev. He also said Azerbaijan and the United Nations have already agreed on the UN-Azerbaijan Partnership Framework (UNAPF) for 2016-2020, within which it is planned to raise $78 million, including $31 million from various UN structures. Babayev added that the UNAPF is aimed at supporting the development and diversification of economy, increasing institutional capacity and protecting environment. Speaking about the current project for fostering industrial development in the New Silk Road Economic Belt, Azerbaijan's Deputy Economy Minister Niyazi Safarov said the project is aimed at expanding the economic cooperation among the Silk Road countries, in particular, in the industry. The Economy Ministry is ready to support the project's implementation, added Safarov. Olga Memedovich, a representative of the UN Industrial Development Organization's (UNIDO) Office of Strategic Planning and Coordination, said for her part that the project's cost is estimated at 2 million euros. It is the initial amount that will be directed at collecting data on transport corridors, logistics centers and industrial parks in the Silk Road countries, she explained. The project covers six countries - Azerbaijan, China, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan and Tajikistan, but its scale may be expanded in the future. Azerbaijan is a UN member since 1992. Wednesday, 04 May 2016 12:14:19 (GMT+3) | Kolkata The Indian government has initiated talks with Japanese investors such as Mitsubishi Asset Management Company, Sumitomo Asset Management Company and others with regard to their picking up minority equity investments in government owned and operated steel companies like Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL) and Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Limited (RINL), a government official said on Wednesday, May 4. However, the government official refused to divulge if any talks have been held with Japanese steel majors while acknowledging that the Japanese steel mills might not be eager to participate in minority equity holding in Indian steel companies. The government has been planning to divest at least 10 percent equity in its wholly owned and managed RINL for over two years and disinvestment plans have been deferred periodically owing to adverse capital market conditions. In the case of SAIL, the government plans to disinvest another five percent of its equity holding to private investors. In the first three months of this year, China s overall finished steel exports excluding exports to Latin America amounted to 25.4 million mt, while China s finished steel export to Latin America totaled 1.8 million metric tons, decreasing by 33 percent on year-on-year basis, according to Alacero, the Latin American steel association. The value of Latin America's finished steel imports from China in the given period amounted to $778 million, while the average price of these finished steel shipments to Latin America - at $436/mt, down 32 percent year on year - was six percent higher than the average price of Chinese finished steel shipments to the rest of the world, reversing the trend seen in recent times. In particular, in the first three months this year the average price in Central America of finished steel imports from China was $341/mt, 17 percent lower than the average price of Chinese shipments to the rest of the world, the average price in Colombia of finished steel imports from China was $373/mt, nine percent lower than the average price of Chinese shipments to the rest of the world, the average price of Chinese imports in Ecuador was $374/mt, nine percent lower, the average price in the Dominican Republic of finished steel imports from China was $380/mt, seven percent lower than the average price of Chinese shipments to the rest of the world, while the average price in Peru of finished steel imports from China was $400/mt, two percent lower than the average price of Chinese shipments to the rest of the world. Tuesday, 03 May 2016 23:43:21 (GMT+3) | San Diego The Board of Directors of the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) announced Monday that it has elected John Ferriola, chairman, president and CEO of Nucor Corporation, to serve as chairman of the Institute until May 2017. John is a dedicated and outspoken advocate for our industry, and has engaged his employees and the supply chain to speak out on behalf of steel with their elected officials, especially on the issue of unfair trade. This is what AISI is all about getting involved. It is this type of energy and commitment to advocacy that will help us affect needed policy changes in this challenging economic environment, said Thomas J. Gibson, president and CEO of AISI. Johns leadership is recognized worldwide, as he also will be chairing the World Steel Association next year. We are grateful to have him lead AISI for the next twelve months. The election took place today at the AISI Board Meeting as part of the Institutes 124rd General Meeting being held this week at the Grand America Hotel in Salt Lake City, Utah. Working together under the AISI umbrella, we have made many positive strides this year particularly on the policy front. But there is much more to be done. I am honored that my colleagues on the Board have instilled their trust and confidence in me, as we work together to speak with one voice on behalf of our industry. I am proud to help lead policy and market-related activities at AISI, and proud to represent the steel industry -- and to harness the dynamic spirit of the men and women who work in it, said Ferriola. AISI also announced new members of the Board and Board-level leadership changes: Roger Newport CEO of AK Steel; and, Guillermo Vogel, Vice-Chairman of Tenaris Tamsa, were elected as vice-chairmen and officers of AISI. Luis Landois Garza, Vice President of Sales & Marketing of Altos Hornos de Mexico, S.A. was elected to the AISI Board. Maximo Vedoya, CEO of Ternium Mexico, was elected to the AISI Board of Directors. By MARK EVANS mevans@stegenherald.com During last Thursdays county commission meeting, the topic of tourism came up. First District Commissioner Karen Stuppy reported on the Tourism Advisory Council and Tourism Tax Commissions joint meeting earlier that week, at which a task force was formed. She said that the tourism department has an $89,548 budget, with $45,000-50,000 Prime Minister Dacian Ciolos nominated on Tuesday state secretary Corina Suteu for culture minister, as minister Vlad Alexandrescu has been dismissed, the Government announced in a media release. "As I had announced last week, I have decided today to revoke Mr. Vlad Alexandrescu from the position of culture minister. I have also sent today to President Klaus Iohannis the proposition to nominate as culture minister Mrs. Corina Suteu, as I wish to continue the reform process," the document quotes PM Ciolos as saying. "I have recommended today to Mr President the dismissal from office of Mr Vlad Alexandrescu as minister of culture and his replacement with Mrs Corina Suteu. I will not dwell on this dismissal, but the way in which a minister operates and reacts in a crisis, such as the crisis at the Bucharest National Opera, is decisive to his or her capability of and credibility to manage his or her portfolio and solve similar consequent situations in a professional field such as culture. Nevertheless, I am regretting having reached this point, and particularly the way in which Mr Alexandrescu understood to end his tenure. Yet, I want to extend my thanks to him for his good initiatives in this area while in office, and I also want to confirm interest in and determination to continue the reform of the area by appointing Mrs Suteu, whom I have known for a long time and who has worked on the reform programme of the Culture Ministry," Ciolos says in a Facebook post. He adds that he will ask the new culture minister "to rapidly think of a legislative framework allowing some organisations such as the National Opera to combine stock performances with new ones and open up to international collaborations while providing a balanced social and financial status to Romanian values." Ciolos says the Government will continue public fundraising initiatives for Brancusi's sculpture ''Wisdom of the Earth'' while intending to promote after this year's locals elections "viable development alternatives" for the inhabitants of the Rosia Montana site, the place of a controversial gold mining project. "Under a decision I promoted late last year, Rosia Montana became a category A UNESCO heritage site and that is how it stays. As I told Mr Alexandrescu, we have to exceed this protection and provide viable development alternatives to the locals. Immediately after the local elections, we intend to come up with ideas related to that. On the other hand, reforms of the national heritage and filmmaking industry will be continued," says Ciolos. Baku, Azerbaijan, May 4 By Fatih Karimov - Trend: The National Iranian Gas Exports Company (NIGEC) and South Korean KOGAS signed a MoU for gas cooperation. Based on the document, the parties will cooperate in exporting Iran's gas in form of LNG, gas marketing and transfer of experiences, the oil ministry's SHANA news agency reported May 1. Founded in 1983, KOGAS(Korea Gas Corporation) is one of the main LNG importers in the world. Earlier the day, South Korean Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Kang Ho-in met Iran's Oil Minister Bijan Zanganeh in Tehran where they discussed bilateral oil and gas condensate trade. Zanganeh said Iran welcomes South Korea for joint investment in LNG projects as well as oil field development and refinery construction. In mid-March, the media in Seoul reported that KOGAS is looking into Iran-Oman gas pipeline project which experts say requires an investment of at least $1.5 billion. Project owners and KOGAS could sign either a memorandum of understanding or a framework agreement, the media reported. Baku, Azerbaijan, May 4 By Aygun Badalova - Trend: The European Commission once again made clear its position on the Russia's Nord Stream-2 gas pipeline project, saying that it must fully comply with the European legislation. European Commission's representative Yakub Adamovich, while commenting on the letter of European People's Party addressed to the Energy Commissioner Miguel Arias Canete, said that Commission is concerned if the Nord Stream-2 project will impact security of supply, the EU diversification strategy, and, in particular, the future of Ukrainian transit. In the letter the president of the center-right European Peoples' Party (EPP), the largest group in the European Parliament, Manfred Weber condemned the Nord Stream-2 project, aiming at delivering 55 billion cubic meters of Russian gas per year to Europe across the Baltic Sea, as as incompatible with core EU principles and objectives. Moreover, he expressed concern about the role of the Commission in bringing to life the Southern Gas Corridor. Meanwhile, the European Commission confirmed its commitment to the Southern Gas Corridor. "The Commission's position of the Southern gas Corridor has not changed," the source in the EC told Trend. Today the Southern Gas Corridor is among the European Commission's priority energy projects, which aims at the diversification of the EU gas supply sources and routes. The project project envisages transportation of 10 billion cubic meters of Azerbaijani gas from the Caspian Sea to Europe through Georgia and Turkey. The European Commission's spokesperson early told Trend that the Southern Gas Corridor's role is very important as it brings gas to EU markets from a new source, namely the Caspian region, via a new supply route. At the initial stage, the gas to be produced as part of the Stage 2 of development of Azerbaijan's Shah Deniz field is considered as the main source for the Southern Gas Corridor projects. At later stages other sources can be used for the project. According to the information on the European Commission's website, the EU actions for expanding the Southern Gas Corridor include: - keeping the infrastructure projects needed for the Corridor on the EU's list of projects of common interest. These are projects which can benefit from streamlined permitting process, receive preferential regulatory treatment, and may apply for EU funding from the Connecting Europe Facility; - cooperating closely with gas suppliers in the region including Azerbaijan, Iraq and Turkmenistan; - cooperating closely with transit countries including Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey; - negotiating with Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan on a Trans-Caspian pipeline to transport gas across the Caspian Sea. Sherpa, developer of a customer relationship management software program, will move its office from University City to the Midtown Alley area in St. Louis. The company is remodeling the building at 3030 Locust Street, which it is scheduled to occupy this summer. Sherpa is based now at the Gatesworth Manor, in University City. After its $600,000 renovation, the company's office on Locust will have a climbing wall, a zen room, a rooftop deck and movable work pods that will allow employees to redo their space. Sherpa has 15 software engineers and developers, data analysts and technical support staffers. David Smith, a Sherpa founder, is a co-developer of the Gatesworth Communities. He said in a statement that Sherpa is a real leap in the use of technology to foster empathy and build emotional intelligence. Sherpa's first test market is senior housing but can be applied to many business sectors, officials said. The company is a project of Smith and Alexandra Fisher, Sherpa's chief creative officer. The senior housing industry was a logical choice to test our proof of concept for Sherpa, since we know the industry well," Smith said. "Utilizing Sherpa, sales counselors help prospective residents confront the fear that often accompanies decisions about moving into senior housing." The New York Stock Exchange's owner shelved plans on Wednesday to gatecrash a merger between London Stock Exchange Group Plc and its German counterpart, saying it no longer intended to stage a rival bid for the British bourse. Intercontinental Exchange Inc.'s CEO Jeffrey Sprecher accused the London exchange of failing to respond to the U.S. group's approaches despite several attempts to arrange meetings, meaning it did not have enough information to make a formal offer. LSEG declined to comment on ICE's statement. LSEG announced plans to merge with Deutsche Boerse in February, prompting ICE to say a week later that it was considering its own bid. "Following our public expression in March of interest under the UK takeover code, the LSE chairman and CEO did not engage with ICE," Sprecher said on a conference call. "We're turning our focus to other opportunities to build on our track record of growth." ICE's announcement puts the brakes on a potential takeover battle in the exchanges sector, making it less likely that Deutsche Boerse will have to sweeten the terms of its all-share merger with LSEG in order to win shareholder approval. LSEG's shares fell as much 10 percent following ICE's announcement, whilst Deutsche Boerse rose 6 percent and ICE jumped 8.2 percent. "While the door to an offer is not completely closed, it appears highly unlikely without a material change in circumstances," analysts at Jefferies said in a note after ICE's announcement. A takeover by ICE would have created the world's biggest exchange group, spanning the Atlantic and trading and clearing stocks, derivatives, energy and commodities. However there were concerns about whether European regulators would have approved such a deal, and how attractive the combination would be should Britain vote to leave the European Union in a referendum on June 23. LSEG Chief Executive Xavier Rolet made comments in media interviews last month, some of which were critical of ICE, including one where he described ICE's ownership of European stock platform Euronext as "a disaster." LSEG later said views expressed in one interview had been his own. ICE still has the right to reconsider and make an offer for LSEG within the next six months, provided it has approval from the British Panel on Takeovers and Mergers, or if the LSEG-Deutsche Boerse merger falls through or another bidder comes in for the UK bourse. ICE's made the announcement as it reported a 16.7 percent jump in first-quarter net income, driven by higher data fees. The U.S. exchange released its results a day before a deadline to submit a plan to British regulators assuring them that its recent takeover of commodities trading software house Trayport will not be anti-competitive. ICE, which began as an energy exchange in 2000 and has expanded through acquisition of companies including the New York Board of Trade, closed its deal to buy Trayport in December for about $650 million in stock. The UK competition watchdog had threatened to investigate ICE if it does not meet the May 5 deadline. The United States is to increase the number of airport security staff and bomb-sniffing dogs and ramp up its pre-screening enrollment efforts in an attempt to address airlines' concerns that long airport lines this summer might discourage air travel. The U.S. Transportation Security Administration (TSA) will add officers at airports expected to have the highest passenger volumes, said Jeh Johnson, secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, in a statement on Wednesday. He added that he has asked Congress to approve additional funds to pay for officers' overtime and to meet "critical short-term needs." At the dawn of the 1940s, much of the world was already at war. Less than two years later, the United States would be drawn into the conflict. But by the end of the decade, the U.S. was again at peace for a few more months, at least and was well on its way to prosperity. For cooks at home, the change was dramatic. With World War II came rationing; no longer could people buy unlimited amounts of meat, sugar or coffee (or, for that matter, gasoline, rubber, shoes or even typewriters). It was all needed by our boys and occasionally gals, in certain positions overseas. Cooking oils and other fats, too, were rationed. They were used to make glycerin, which was used to make bombs. Cookbooks of the era often included a wartime supplement, which explained how to make do with limited amounts or the lessened quality of rationed items. Americas Cook Book, published in 1943 by the New York Herald Tribune Home Institute, suggested replacing sugar with liquid sweeteners such as maple syrup or honey. It also recommended skimming the fat from soup and refrigerating it in small jars for up to a week. But even with common-sense suggestions get protein from eggs, milk and cheese instead of meat the recipes in the wartime supplement could get kind of scary. The supplement in Americas Cook Book includes recipes for Dutch turkey (made from tripe, sausage, poultry seasoning and potatoes), sour veal hearts, stuffed bologna and lima bean casserole with salami. It has a recipe for venison roast that looks good, but for the purposes of this article I am going to look at recipes from the regular part of the cookbooks, not the wartime supplements. Even so, the food of the 1940s looks less familiar than you might expect. Curry powder was an exotic item that was added to many dishes that it probably should not be added to. All sorts of animal innards were popular, from brains to kidneys, and we had not yet shaken off our obsession with dishes that were jellied or molded. Ketchup was used as a prime flavoring ingredient, and so were pimientos. And cookbook authors liked making combinations that strike the modern palate as kind of gross. How gross? One dish, called delicious combination without apparent irony, slopped together apples, canned peas, carrots, celery, pineapple and diced bananas along with some mayonnaise and whipping cream, served it on a platter slathered with more mayonnaise and garnished it with a ring of maraschino cherries. Think about that for a second: Canned peas. Maraschino cherries. Mayonnaise. In the same dish. Fortunately, there were also plenty of other combinations in the decade that truly were delicious. I began with an entree, Chicken With Almonds, that is reminiscent of Chicken a la King or perhaps the interior of a chicken pot pie. Leftover chicken is simmered in a rich white sauce studded with raisins and slivered almonds. The original recipe calls for the almonds to be minced, which would spread their flavor more evenly throughout the sauce, but I liked the idea of a flavorfully nutty crunch every bite or two. Almost inevitably, it is served on toast, which soaks up the creamy sauce. You could also use rice, but toast somehow seems more fitting for the 1940s. My next dish was a classic dessert, Chocolate Cream Pie. Here is a perfect midcentury treat, and it was endorsed by the best source my wifes mother. For this story, I searched through her old cookbooks from the 40s, and the chocolate cream pie recipe is one of many that had her handwritten notes on how to make it. Here is a pie that really ought to come back into vogue. The chocolate cream filling is silken on your tongue, and the meringue topping proves to be its perfect decadent match. The sumptuous, luxuriant taste and textures are so stunning that you may be surprised at how relatively unterrible it is for you. It uses milk instead of cream, and only two ounces of chocolate. Its not the healthiest thing youll ever eat, but it could be worse. For a dish that would make a lovely brunch, I made Luncheon Cheese and Eggs which is much better than its name. Most of the 1940s cookbooks that I looked at have a recipe for eggs poached in cream. It must have been a popular dish of the time, and now that I have made it I can see why. Its hard to beat the sheer elegance of the concept. Gently cooking your eggs in cream I used half-and-half allows them to become more, well, creamy. And this version adds a touch of shredded cheese to the sauce, making it a fabulous accompaniment to the eggs. Finally, I made a 1940s vegetable, Panned Curried Cabbage. They were trying curry powder on everything those days, and cabbage has long been a particularly good pairing for it. This version is straightforward. You saute shredded cabbage in fat (I used butter) with curry powder, garlic and salt. I added an optional cup of canned, diced tomatoes a couple of minutes before the cabbage was fully cooked, and that was it. Baku, Azerbaijan, May 4 By Maksim Tsurkov - Trend: Azerbaijan's SOCAR-AQS LLC has started drilling a new well at the Western Absheron field in the Azerbaijani sector of the Caspian Sea, the company told Trend May 4. "The drilling of the well #26 at the Western Absheron field will be carried out from the fixed offshore platform #20," said the company. "The well's projected depth is 740 meters." Solutions, which will allow increasing the well's productivity will be used during drilling, said the company, adding that the azimuth of the new well is 320 degrees. The customer of the drilling work is Azneft production association of Azerbaijan's state oil company SOCAR. SOCAR-AQS was established in 2007 by SOCAR and Absheron Drilling as a joint venture, providing integrated services for drilling and well servicing. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @MaksimTsurkov Can talcum powder cause ovarian cancer? Two St. Louis juries this year have said yes, awarding large verdicts in cases of women who developed cancer after using Johnson & Johnson products. But the scientific evidence is mixed. Inflammation is thought to increase the risk of ovarian cancer. And talc causes swelling when applied to the genital area. Talc particles also can migrate to a womans ovaries and fallopian tubes, which may cause further inflammation, said Dr. Adetunji Toriola, a cancer researcher at Washington University. Some epidemiological studies that rely on womens memories to track their usage of talc products have shown an increase in the risk of cancer. Other studies that follow womens health habits over time including a paper published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute in 2014 have not shown a link. The risk, if any, is small. If the case studies are correct, there could be four extra ovarian cancer cases per 100,000 women who use talc products, Toriola said. But when there are alternatives such as cornstarch-based powders, its probably safer and better to avoid anything that could potentially increase the risk of cancer, he said. Johnson & Johnson is accused by more than 1,200 plaintiffs in state and federal courts of ignoring studies linking its Shower-to-Shower product and Johnsons Baby Powder to ovarian cancer. A St. Louis jury on Monday ordered the company to pay $55 million to a survivor of the disease in South Dakota. In February, another local jury awarded $72 million to relatives of an Alabama woman who died of ovarian cancer. Both cases were handled by the Onder Law Firm of Webster Groves, which has advertised nationwide for ovarian cancer patients who suspect baby powder may be linked to their disease. Another trial with lead plaintiff Tenesha Farrar of St. Louis is expected to start later this year, although legal experts say Johnson & Johnson might move toward settling future cases. Farrars attorney, Eric Holland of the Holland Law Firm of St. Louis, said internal company memos show the company knew about the ovarian cancer risk. Johnson & Johnson denies any link between talc and ovarian cancer and will appeal both verdicts, according to a spokeswoman. Unfortunately, the jurys decision goes against 30 years of studies by medical experts around the world that continue to support the safety of cosmetic talc, said Carol Goodrich, in a statement. Johnson & Johnson has always taken questions about the safety of our products extremely seriously. For decades, pediatricians have advised against using baby powder to treat diaper rash, mostly because of the risk of inhalation and lung irritation. But the application of baby powder to underwear, menstrual pads and genitals of teenagers and women has long been a hygiene habit. A federal health survey found that more than half of American women have used baby powder in their genital area at one time. The practice is thought to be even more popular among African-American and Hispanic women. Lawyers say the company knew of this preference among certain women and targeted its marketing accordingly. Many of the plaintiffs, including Farrar, are black. The Ovarian Cancer Research Fund Alliance said the verdicts will not change the information they provide to women about talcum powder. In highly publicized cases like these, we must be careful as a womens health organization to let science guide our reactions. The fact remains that the science is inconclusive about increased risk of ovarian cancer to women using talcum powder, said Audra Moran, the groups president and CEO, in a statement. Talcum powder products contain the mineral talc that can absorb moisture and prevent chafing and rash. It is used in eye shadow, blush and some chewing gums as well as baby powder. Some talc naturally contains asbestos, which is known to cause lung cancer. Asbestos has been removed from household talcum products since the 1970s. The American Cancer Society states research into talc and ovarian cancer is ongoing, and until more information is available, people concerned about using talcum powder may want to avoid or limit their use of consumer products that contain it. The International Agency for Research on Cancer classifies the use of baby powder with talc on or near the genitals as possibly carcinogenic to humans. Talc has been found in ovarian cancer tumors, according to pathology reports, but most biopsies do not test for the mineral. And the presence of talc does not necessarily indicate it caused the cancer. As with many areas of cancer research, the questions on its causes are more plentiful than answers. Kim Bell of the Post-Dispatch and news services contributed to this report. MAPLEWOOD A former state representative from Northwoods faces felony charges after police say he pulled a gun on a motorist and assaulted him in a road rage incident. Police said former representative Russell C. Gunns weapon went off during the altercation on Feb. 23, firing a bullet through the other drivers roof, but no one was injured. St. Louis County prosecutors on Monday charged Gunn, 67, with second-degree assault and unlawful use of a weapon. Gunn, a Democrat, left the Missouri House in 2000 after eight years as a representative. He works as an insurance and securities broker and a lobbyist. Reached Wednesday, Gunn declined to comment on the incident. According to court documents released Wednesday, the trouble began when Gunn came upon some construction in Maplewood near South Hanley Road and Bartold Avenue. Another motorist merged in front of Gunn because some construction cones were in his lane. Gunn moved his 2013 BMW 535 around the other mans 2005 Chevrolet pickup to get in front of him. After passing the construction cones, the pickup driver moved into a different lane. Gunn switched lanes to get back in front of the pickup. Then Gunn allegedly slammed his brakes twice and the pickup hit the back of Gunns car twice, police say. Gunn stopped his BMW, grabbed a handgun and walked toward the other mans pickup, according to police. Gunn hit the man in the head with the barrel of the handgun, said Maplewood Detective Mike Gilb. The handgun discharged, and a bullet went through the roof of the victims pickup, Gilb said. The victim drove away, down Hanley Road, and pulled over to hide from Gunn, police said. Gunn got back into his car and chased after the pickup. The pickup driver called police, who arrived and arrested Gunn. Police say they recovered a 9 mm Smith & Wesson pistol that Gunn had used, as the charges say, in an angry and threatening manner. Gilb said the 64-year-old pickup driver suffered scrapes on his head from the gun and was obviously distraught. The man could not be reached for comment. Gunn, of the 6700 block of Maryellen Street, has not yet been booked on the charges, which were filed Monday. Maplewood police arrested him in February when the incident happened, but he was released pending application for warrants. Reached at his home Wednesday, Gunn declined to talk to the Post-Dispatch about the charges or allegations. Gunn said the police account wouldnt be complete if they put in their report only what the other (driver) said, but he declined to provide his own account to a reporter. He said he wanted his attorney, Levell Littleton, to answer any questions. Littleton could not be reached for comment. The assault charge is punishable by up to seven years in prison and a $5,000 fine. The weapons charge is punishable by up to five years in prison and a $5,000 fine. Bail is set at $50,000. Gunn served four terms in the Missouri House of Representatives, from 1992 to 2000. During his time in the House, he was a member of the National Black Caucus of State Legislators and chairman of the Missouri Legislative Black Caucus. In 2000, he ran for a seat in the Missouri Senate and lost. According to records of the Missouri Ethics Commission, Gunn runs Gunns Consulting & Financial Services at 7309 Natural Bridge Road in St. Louis County. He is listed as a lobbyist for the Missouri Cable Telecommunications Association, the Manufacturing Training Alliance and others. His former clients included the St. Louis Board of Police Commissioners in 2003. That ended by 2006. LINCOLN COUNTY A 44-year-old man has been accused of sexually assaulting a 10-year-old girl, authorities said. The Lincoln County Sheriff's Department said the man, Frank A. Soles Jr. of the 1900 block of Highway O, was charged Tuesday with statutory sodomy in connection with the incident. The victim told investigators that Soles used duct tape to restrain her during the assault, which police said occurred in February at Soles' home. Lt. Andy Binder of the sheriff's department said Soles is a convicted felon also charged with unlawful possession of a firearm after investigators found a loaded rifle under his mattress. On Feb. 8, police said, Soles was sentenced to probation on a similar firearms charge. Binder said Soles had been convicted of felony drug possession in South Dakota in 1992. He was being held Wednesday in the Lincoln County Jail with cash bail set at $100,000. ST. LOUIS Two police officers rushed into a burning house to rescue a man trapped inside Tuesday night. The officers suffered burns and smoke inhalation but succeeded in pulling the man from the home. St. Louis Fire Capt. Garon Mosby praised the officers and called their actions heroic. Anyone who puts on a uniform is sworn to protect the lives of others, and they sprang into action, he said. They did a phenomenal job in getting into the building and saving his life and getting him to safety. The fire broke out about 11 p.m. at the 1-story brick home in the 4100 block of Penrose Street, just north of Fairground Park, police said. Fire officials say a child playing with a lighter in a bedroom likely started the fire. When officers arrived, they were told someone was still inside. Two officers went into the home and found a man, 20, police said. They carried him to safety. Three adults and five children escaped the fire on their own. The man rescued by police was taken to a hospital and was in critical but stable condition, police said Wednesday. Two other people from the home were also taken to hospitals. One, a man, 50, was also in critical but stable condition. Police had no condition for the other man, 54, but said he was stable. The officers also went to a hospital. One was treated for minor burns and smoke inhalation, police said. The other was admitted to the hospital, also with minor burns and smoke inhalation. Mosby said the officers were covered in soot, and the heat from the fire melted the cords attached to their radios. Police said one officer is 38 and has been with the department for 2 years. The other is 26 and has been with the department about a year. EDITOR'S NOTE: An earlier version of this story gave an incorrect day for the fire. The fire was late Tuesday night. JEFFERSON CITY Voters would get a say on whether fetuses should be given constitutional rights under a measure that won first-round approval in the Missouri House on Tuesday. The House voted 112-36 to advance the legislation, with Alan Green, D-Florissant, voting present and 13 members absent. The measure still needs final approval in the House to advance to the Missouri Senate. With less than two weeks in the legislative session, its unclear what action the Senate will take. The legislation doesnt need the signature of Gov. Jay Nixon, a Democrat, to make the ballot. Under the measure, voters would be asked if the state constitution should be amended to protect pregnant women and unborn children by recognizing that an unborn child is a person with a right to life which cannot be deprived by state or private action without due process and equal protection of law. Opponents said the resolution was the most extreme abortion-related proposal the Legislature has taken up this year, potentially outlawing abortion in cases of rape or when the life of a mother is in jeopardy. They also said it could make contraception illegal in the state. This bill doesnt just take the issue over the edge of the cliff, said Rep. Lauren Arthur, D-Kansas City. It rockets the issue into outer space. Rep. Jay Barnes, R-Jefferson City, said that the measure as written wouldnt supersede federal rulings such as Roe v. Wade, the 1973 case that established the right to an abortion across the country. The actual words in a resolution matter, not the fictional talking points that some people might use, Barnes said. He did say, though, that the measure puts Missouri in the position to be the most pro-life state in the country. Rep. Mike Moon, R-Ash Grove, the sponsor, said during debate that if personhood for fetuses were established, that the U.S. Supreme Court would have to reconsider its historic Roe v. Wade decision. State Rep. Tila Hubrecht, R-Dexter, said during debate that women shouldnt decide to get an abortion just because they are raped. It is not up to us to say no just because there was a rape, they cannot exist, she said. Sometimes bad things happen horrible things, but sometimes God can give us a silver lining through the birth of a child. Opponents also said that the measure was an election-year ploy, but Moon countered that this was the third year hes proposed a version of the legislation. Im glad the bill came up, but this is actually the third year that Ive attempted something like that, so Im grateful for the opportunity to have some input, Moon said. Im looking forward to seeing this on the ballot this year. The legislation is House Joint Resolution 98. Baku, Azerbaijan, May 4 By Aygun Badalova - Trend: Trans Adriatic Pipeline AG (TAP) has selected a joint venture comprising Renco S.p.A (Italy) and Terna S.A. (Greece) for the Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) of the project's compressor stations, TAP reported on May 4. In Greece, the award covers the provision of engineering, procurement, construction and commissioning of one compressor station at Kipoi, near the Greek-Turkish border. In Albania, the award covers the provision of engineering, procurement, construction and commissioning of one compressor station at Fier, and one metering station at Billisht. The metering station is designed to measure natural gas coming from the Greek section of TAP, the report said. TAP said that the construction of the compressor stations is planned to start in the second half of 2016 and it will take approximately two years to complete. The contract for the supply of six gas turbine turbo compressor units to be incorporated into the compressor stations was awarded in September 2015 to Siemens. TAP project envisages transportation of gas from the Stage 2 of development of Azerbaijan's Shah Deniz gas and condensate field to the EU countries. The 870-kilometer pipeline will be connected to the Trans Anatolian Pipeline (TANAP) on the Turkish-Greek border, run through Greece, Albania and the Adriatic Sea, before coming ashore in Italy's south. TAP's initial capacity will be 10 billion cubic meters of gas a year, expandable to 20 billion cubic meters. The construction of TAP will start in May 2016. HILLSDALE Other than a few papers stacked in the middle of LaTonya Williams little bed, her room hasnt changed much since she and her boyfriend were run over by a speeding car late one night in January 2015. Her mother, Tonya, grips any reminder of her 19-year-old daughter. She said shell come in most mornings to say hello to her childs spirit. I just left her room like it was, she said. I guess I am not ready to let go. Theres a collection of photos, cards and stuffed animals. Good behavior certificates decorate a wall, near a collage of sticky notes for job leads and a pink urn with the daughters ashes. LaTonya Williams was a symbol of tenacity in the wake of the Michael Brown shooting, which brought attention not only to community policing, but problems with subsidized housing in the St. Louis region. A Post-Dispatch newspaper story hanging on her bedroom door describes the challenges she faced due to a lack of public transportation near her Valley Park apartment complex. She used to walk the spine of Highway 141, with traffic zooming by on both sides, to get to part-time jobs at Burger King and Bob Evans. Its what I have to do to get to work, she said in 2014. I dont want to get fired. Ironically, she got hit one year later while walking on the sidewalk near a Wellston bus stop. Her family had moved to Hillsdale for a bigger apartment in a community just northwest of the city. Williams and her boyfriend Jermaine Byrd, 22, who was raised in the foster care system, became two of about 5,000 pedestrians killed each year by drivers in the U.S., which is 15 percent of all traffic fatalities. The Department of Transportation estimates that 25 percent of pedestrian deaths involve distracted or intoxicated drivers. Byrd and Williams were killed amid a spike in such incidents in St. Louis. No one was charged in their deaths. Most traffic fatalities dont result in criminal charges because they are merely the result of human error. And negligence can be hard to prove. Its so variable why one case would get prosecuted and another one would not, said Duane Kokesch, a former prosecutor who runs the National Traffic Law Center. Indeed, all tragedies be they crimes, accidents or natural disasters are different. Some result in a sense of closure and justice: A family sits in a courtroom during a murder case until the verdict is read, or a company is held liable for a product malfunction. Tonya Williams has had none of that kind of resolution in her daughters case. The few police documents she has collected only add to her questions. And she has heard nothing from the driver. I am not getting anywhere, the mother said. How come (the driver) isnt in jail? Thats the question I am asking. I am not getting no answers to that. Half-eaten cupcake On Jan. 27, 2015, Williams and Byrd decided to walk to a BP station near Martin Luther King Boulevard to buy snacks. Williams was to start classes at Normandy High School the next morning. On their way home, around 11:30 p.m. in nearby Wellston, a 2011 silver Chevy Malibu barreled toward them on the east side of Kienlen Avenue. They were hit and dragged along the sidewalk until the car slammed into an Ameren utility pole and came to rest in the middle of the road, according to the investigative report written by St. Louis County police Detective Joseph Percich. The driver, Darica Robinson, then 19, had darted across two lanes of oncoming traffic before jumping the curb. She later told police she was avoiding a car that was flying toward her. She stayed at the scene and called 911 from her borrowed car, which sustained major front-end damage. But one driver told police that it was he who had to swerve out of the way to miss being hit head-on by the Malibu seconds before the crash. Robinson, who said she was visiting someone in the hospital that night, cooperated with authorities. Alcohol and drug tests for her came back negative. A more in-depth probe by police found that she never hit the brakes. Cellphone records indicated she hadnt been speaking or texting, however she was alerted about two Facebook messages minutes before the crash. Most notably, regarding the scattered contents of the Malibu, police said, there was a fresh, half-eaten chocolate cupcake with white frosting on the drivers floorboard. The posted speed limit for the area was 30 mph. Crash data retrieved from the Malibus computer indicated the car was going 42 mph five seconds before impact and that the driver had hit the gas pedal, not the brake. Percich turned the case over to the St. Louis County prosecuting attorneys office, which chose not to pursue criminal charges. We cant say if there is any criminal negligence based on the investigation, said spokesman Ed Magee. Magee confirmed that Robinson was supposed to be ticketed in Wellston for speeding, failure to drive within a single lane, operating a motor vehicle without a valid drivers license and driving a vehicle without insurance, as the investigative report says. But the court clerk in Wellston said theres no record of the traffic violations being filed or paid. Efforts to reach Robinson were unsuccessful. A woman who identified herself by telephone as Robinsons mother said the expired drivers license citation was thrown out by a judge. She said she wasnt aware of the other violations. What she wore Today, the utility pole that was broken from the crash lies on the ground, serving as a bench for people waiting for the bus. Sometimes, LaTonya Williams family leaves stuffed animals and flowers there. The family also gathered at home to throw her a birthday party. They got a cake and everything. We still celebrate like she is here, said her mother, Tonya, 39. Without answers about the crash she wasnt aware of the lengthy investigative report or compensation, she has turned to less ambitious goals. Since theres no legal case, she said she wants to get the clothing back that her daughter wore. Shed like to know the last outfit her child chose. For sentimental reasons, the mother wants to wash and fold the clothing, put it back in the bedroom dresser drawer. I dont know if they have that as evidence, she said. I would like to know what she was wearing. I want everything that belongs to her. I think we should focus on the other important issues at stake in the November election: the right of women to have an abortion, election fraud, gun control, high prescription prices, crime, etc. Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, May 4 By Huseyn Hasanov- Trend: Turkmenistan has appointed Deputy Prime Minister Recep Bazarov as a board member of the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea (IFAS). Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov signed the relevant document. The IFAS, established in 1990s in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, aims at financing joint projects and programs to save the Aral Sea and improve the ecological situation there. The Aral problem has affected the north of Turkmenistan, in particular, Dashoguz region, where serious problems occurred associated with providing the population with clean drinking water and controlling salinization of tillable lands. The IFAS was granted observer status at the UN General Assembly on Dec. 11, 2008. LONDON MARKET CLOSE: Stocks climb as Sunak wins keys to Number 10 Monday, October 24, 2022 - 17:23 Stocks took confidence from Rishi Sunak being named the new UK prime minister on Monday, amid hope that a period of haphazard and market-spooking policymaking has ended. "Markets have signalled Rishi Sunak will be given time to deliver, with gilt yields falling and the British economy getting a tentative second chance to get back on track. But there's no getting away from the scale of the challenge that faces the new prime minister. The last few weeks have left the UK economy badly bruised, and the volatility of the pound today lays bare the huge task ahead," said AJ Bell analyst Danni Hewson. The FTSE 100 index closed up 44.26 points, or 0.6% at 7,013.99 on Monday. The FTSE 250 ended up 131.00 points, or 0.8%, at 17,337.55. The AIM All-Share closed up 2.14 points, or 0.3%, at 787.54. The Cboe UK 100 ended up 0.8% at 701.69, the Cboe UK 250 closed up 0.8% at 14,815.98, and the Cboe Small Companies ended up 0.8% at 12,233.81. Sunak replaces former leadership rival Truss, who announced her resignation on Thursday last week. Market and political turmoil overshadowed Truss's stint as PM. The pound and bond markets were pummelled last month after a poorly received mini-budget. On Monday, however, the pound spent much of the day above the $1.13 mark, before fading back in afternoon dealings. The pound was quoted at $1.1295 at the London equities close Monday, up from $1.1203 at the close on Friday. Elsewhere, new figures did little to calm fears of a recession. A survey found UK private sector output has fallen for the third straight month, fuelling fear that the country is headed for a "deep" recession. The S&P Global/CIPS flash UK purchasing managers' index composite output measure fell to a 21-month low of 47.2 points in October, from 49.1 in September. In the FTSE 100, Pearson ended the best blue-chip performer, ending 7.3% higher on Monday. The London-based education publisher said its trading in the nine months to September 30 was "strong", with underlying sales up 7% year-on-year. Looking ahead, Pearson said it is on track to deliver at least 100 million of cost efficiencies next year, and it remains on track to deliver group sales and adjusted operating profit in line with consensus expectations for 2022. Pearson Chief Executive Officer Andy Bird said: "We believe Pearson is well positioned for the future, and we are confident of being able to navigate the challenging macroeconomic environment." Auto Trader rose 2.0% after selling its Webzone subsidiary, which operates under the Carzone brand in the Republic of Ireland, for 30 million. Auto Trader noted that Carzone is the second-largest automotive marketplace for Irish retailers and consumers. The Dublin-based operation brought in revenue of 4.9 million in the year ended March 31 and operating profit of 1.3 million. In the FTSE 250, Bank of Georgia closed up 4.0% as Chair & Chief Executive Officer Irakli Gilauri renewed his contract for two more years until the end of 2025. Senior Independent Director David Morrison said: "Irakli has led Georgia Capital since its demerger from BGEO [Group PLC] in 2018 and during this time he has developed the company into a unique institutional investment business in Georgia." China-focused investment firms had a rough session on Monday, with traders fretting after Xi Jinping secured a rare third term as leader of ruling Communist party in China, signalling his grip on power has no end in sight. Fidelity China Special Situations dropped 9.8%, JPMorgan China Growth & Income fell 9.9% and Baillie Gifford China Growth Trust declined8.6%. Investors are fearful that Xi and his allies will continue with gruelling Covid lockdowns and other policies that have punished the world's second-largest economy. Despite these fears, China's economy grew 3.9% year-on-year in the third quarter, according to official data released Monday, beating forecasts. Beijing last week delayed the release of the third-quarter growth figures - along with a host of other economic indicators as the country's leaders gathered in Beijing for the five-yearly Communist Party Congress. China had been expected to announce some of its weakest quarterly growth figures since 2020, with its economy hobbled by Covid-19 restrictions and a real estate crisis. Nonetheless, many economists continue to think China will struggle to attain its 2022 growth target of around 5.5%, and the International Monetary Fund has lowered its GDP growth forecast to 3.2% for 2022 and 4.4% for next year. In European equities on Monday, the CAC 40 in Paris and the DAX 40 in Frankfurt both closed up 1.6%. The euro stood at $0.9877 at the European equities close Monday, up against $0.9802 at the same time on Friday. Private sector output in the eurozone remained in sharp decline in October, flash data showed Monday, as energy intensive sectors are hit by higher bills. The S&P Global flash eurozone composite purchasing managers' index fell to 47.1 points in October from 48.8 points in September. Against the yen, the dollar was trading at JP148.82 late Monday, higher compared to JP148.03 late Friday. Japan's services and manufacturing sectors are expected to improve in October, flash data showed, as activity and order book levels were boosted by the recent easing in international border restrictions and the launching of the Nationwide Travel Discount Programme. The au Jibun Bank flash Japan services business activity index improved to 53.0 in October from 52.2 in September, indicating a second successive month of expansion and the strongest performance in four months. Stocks in New York were in the green at the London equities close, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average up 1.2%, the S&P 500 index up 1.0%, and the Nasdaq Composite up 0.4%. Inflation concerns and challenging demand conditions weighed on the US private sector in October, the latest flash data from S&P Global showed on Monday. The headline flash US PMI composite output index registered 47.3 in October, down from 49.5 in September. Consensus, as cited by FXStreet, had expected a reading of 49.1. Brent oil was quoted at $90.88 a barrel at the London equities close Monday, down from $92.84 late Friday. Gold was quoted at $1,648.76 an ounce at the London equities close Monday, higher against $1,643.70 at the close on Friday. In Tuesday's UK corporate calendar, HSBC will publish its third-quarter results and Whitbread will post its half-year results. In the economic calendar, there is a US consumer confidence reading at 1400 BST after Bank of England Chief Economist Huw Pill speaks at 0900 BST. Copyright 2022 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved. Baku, Azerbaijan, May 4 By Farhad Daneshvar - Trend: In its latest report, the Statistical Centre of Iran has announced the level of growth in the exports and imports of goods and services in the country's major economic sectors over winter. Exports/Imports Exports-Winter 2016 Imports- Winter 2016 Year on Year Growth Preceding season Year on Year Growth Preceding season Agriculture, Forestry and Hunting -51.61% 6.52% -38.83% 17.05% Fishery 80.73% 81.27% -37.35% 62.71% Mining -30.89% 22.83% -72.09% -29.6% Industry 14.5% 24.63% -15.77% 15.52% The agriculture, forestry and hunting sector The value of Iran's exports of the agriculture, forestry and hunting sector dropped by 51.61 percent in winter compared to the same season in the last year. This is while the figure has increased by 6.52 percent compared to the preceding season (fall). In the meantime, the value of the country's imports of the same products has decreased by 38.83 percent. Compared to the preceding season (fall) the imports figure has increased by 17.05 percent. Fishery The value of Iran's exports of the fishing, fishery sector increased by 80.73 percent in winter compared to the same season in the last year. This is while the figure has increased by 81.27 percent compared to the preceding season (fall). Meanwhile, the value of the country's imports of the same products has decreased by 37.35 percent. Compared to the preceding season (fall) the imports figure has increased by 62.71 percent. Mining The statistics of mining sector does not include crude oil and natural gas. The value of Iran's exports of the mining sector dropped by 30.89 percent in winter compared to the same season in the last year. This is while the figure has increased by 22.83 percent compared to the preceding season (fall). The value of the country's imports of the same products and services has decreased by 72.9 percent. Compared to the preceding season (fall) the imports figure has increased by 29.6 percent. Industry The value of Iran's exports of goods and services in the industrial sector increased by 14.5 percent in winter compared to the same season in the last year. This is while the figure has increased by 24.63 percent compared to the preceding season (fall). The value of the country's imports of the same products has decreased by 15.77 percent. Compared to the preceding season (fall) the imports figure has increased by 15.52 percent. Baku, Azerbaijan, May 4 By Umid Niayesh - Trend: Senior Iranian commander has threatened the US with blocking the strategic Strait of Hormuz, through which one fifth of the world oil supply passes. Talking with evening news bulletin of Iran's State TV on May 3, IRGC Lieutenant Commander Brigadier General Hossein Salami praised the Islamic Republic Navy and threatened to close the strait using the United Nations Convention on Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), 1982. "We warn the US and its regional allies if they use the Strait of Hormuz and threaten us, we will block that based on the UNCLOS and will not permit any vessel which threats to pass the strait," Salami said. He did not elaborate about the claimed threats. The convention makes clear that innocent passage of vessels through a possible territorial sea should not involve 'any threat or use of force against the sovereignty, territorial integrity or political independence of the coastal State'. The US has not signed this treaty. Iran has, but hasn't ratified it. Salami further said that the US should learn from its recent mistakes, or face the consequences, referring to the recent arrest of 10 US sailors after drifting into Iran's territorial waters in the Persian Gulf. Salami noted that the arrests prove that "Iran has developed a powerful Navy in the IRGC and the Armed Forces, capable of defending the country's interests and independence." He also added that Iran will not give in to "restrictions from any power in the world" in conducting military drills, emphasizing that it is Iran's "legal right" to hold military exercises according to its strategic plans. Salami's remarks follow recent remarks of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who warned the United States against keeping a military presence in the Persian Gulf and vowed that the Islamic Republic will continue to carry out a range of war drills in the area despite warnings. Apparently responding to the recently introduced US House of Representatives resolution, which criticizes Iran's military activities in the Persian Gulf, Khamenei called the US's stance "foolish and worthless." Moroccan capital of Rabat recently hosted Jidar urban art festival which produced a series of mural through the city. One of the invited artists was Saner from Mexico, known for his figurative works strongly influenced by Mexican tradition and culture. For this work the artist mixed the elements of his native culture along with the local elements. Using bright colors and a simple composition, he created a large portrait of a masked man serving tea while standing in the water. By adding symbolic elements to his work and uniting the distant traditions of Mexico and Morocco, the finished work undoubtedly speaks of unity and possibility for people of different cultures to get a long. Check out couple of process photos after the jump and stay tuned for more news from the streets of Rabat coming soon. Under Armour (NYSE: UA) announced organizational changes to its senior management team. Henry Stafford, Chief Merchandising Officer, has decided to leave Under Armour after six years of service. Mr. Stafford first joined Under Armour in 2010, leading the Company's Apparel team, eventually becoming President of North America, before his appointment to Chief Merchandising Officer in December 2014. He will be leaving Under Armour in July 2016. "Since joining us in 2010, Henry has been an incredible partner and helped us build our brand and tell our story. First through his leadership in Apparel, then by heading up our North America business, and most recently by driving merchandising of our products throughout the world. I would like to thank Henry for his strong leadership and contributions over the years," said Kevin Plank, Under Armour's Founder and Chief Executive Officer. Kip Fulks will assume the Chief Merchandising Officer responsibilities on an interim basis. In November 2015, the Company announced that Mr. Fulks was assuming a new role at the Company, focusing on key development areas for the business. In that capacity he assumed oversight responsibility for all global marketing efforts across the Company while leading the Company's search efforts for a new Chief Marketing Officer. Mr. Fulks will now expand his responsibilities to include oversight of product, innovation and merchandising. The Company also announced that Michael Lee, co-founder of MyFitnessPal, will be assuming the responsibilities of Chief Digital Officer as Robin Thurston will be leaving the Company in July 2016. Mr. Thurston first joined Under Armour in December 2013 in connection with the Company's acquisition of MapMyFitness, while Mr. Lee joined Under Armour in March 2015 with the acquisition of MyFitnessPal. Mr. Lee currently serves as Senior Vice President, North America Digital, overseeing digital product strategy for Under Armour Connected Fitness. Mr. Lee has been a critical leader on Under Armour's broader Connected Fitness strategy, and will help the brand continue to push the boundaries changing the way athletes live. "I want to take this opportunity to thank Robin for his vision and leadership in building the Under Armour Connected Fitness community from the ground up, helping us grow from the original MapMyFitness platform, to what has now become the world's largest digital health and fitness community, with over 160 million unique registered users across multiple platforms," said Plank. LAS VEGAS, May 4, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- The 17th Annual Call Center Week is proud to announce the Finalists for the prestigious Excellence Awards. The awards honor and recognize the most innovative contact center solutions and executives in 10 industry categories. The winners will be announced during the Awards Evening Gala, which will be held during Call Center Week (June 27- July 1, 2016), on Tuesday, June 28th, at The Mirage, Las Vegas. "Congratulations to the finalists for the CCW Excellence Awards," said Lisa Schulman, Executive Producer of CCW. "We received an impressive roster of applications; our finalists have demonstrated that they have the commitment and internal collaboration needed to get to the next level of service excellence." The finalists, recognized for their superior thinking, creativity and execution within the call center industry, are listed below alphabetically and by category: Best Contact Center Leader of the Year Rick Quinones, Conduit Global Asad Amjad Butt, Ufone Deborah Colangelo, Universal Orlando Resort Best Outsourced Provider AloricaGatestone & Co. International Inc.Ufone Best in Class Contact Center (Under 99 Seats) DHL ExpressLiberty Utilities MidstatesValvoline Best Use of Voice of the Customer New York LifeThomson Reuters Legal, Customer SupportValvoline Best in Class Contact Center (100 -199 Seats) aok teleserviceBenevisISN Best Contact Center Culture Crisis Response Network, Inc.ISN RevZilla.com Best in Class Contact Center (200+ Seats) Acquire BPOHSNUPMC Health Plan Best Corporate Social Responsibility Program Aquire BPODiscover Financial ServicesPGi Best Training & Development Program Etech Global ServicesExpress ScriptsTELUS International Best Technology Solution Provider Lionbridge MicrosoftSESTEK For more information on the Call Center Week Excellence Awards, please visit the website: Call Center Week Excellence Awards. Register today to attend the 17th Annual Call Center Week and learn from industry leaders recognized at the Awards Gala. To register, please visit www.callcenterweek.com or call 1-800-882-8684. For more information, download the agenda. About IQPC:IQPC produces 1,500 global events that are custom-tailored to the unique needs of business executives. Founded in 1973, IQPC leverages an office network that spans six continents and a wealth of intellectual capital to provide an unparalleled portfolio of conferences and seminars. For more information, please visit www.iqpc.com Contact:Marly Derisma Awards CoordinatorIQPC212-885-2681[email protected] To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/17th-annual-call-center-week-announces-awards-finalists-for-excellence-in-contact-center-industry-300262758.html SOURCE IQPC - FAST delivers modern new business solution to Catholic United Financial on a modern SaaS Platform - EDISON, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- FAST, a leading provider of componentized software for the life and annuity industry, announced today that Catholic United Financial, a fraternal insurance organization located in St. Paul, MN, has recently gone live on FASTs cloud-based insurance platform to provide state-of-the-art new business support for all life and annuity policies. Catholic United Financial is using FAST to replace legacy mainframe and other software as part of a process modernization effort. As part of the solution FAST will be managing the entire infrastructure on the cloud, further reducing cost and risk for the insurer. The FAST platform will help Catholic United Financial support a fully electronic straight-through processing model that includes illustrations, electronic applications and signatures, underwriting, and electronic delivery for policies and other documents. Catholic United Financial believes that the robust point-of-sale solution will help modernize member services and streamline policy issue. The platform is also set to deliver policy administration efficiencies to the home office as part of a second phase which also will convert all of the organizations existing policies, allowing them to turn off legacy mainframe systems. FASTs service oriented architecture provides an easy expansion path as Catholic United Financial grows, adds products, and integrates with other partners in the future. Mike Ahles, Senior Vice President and Secretary/Treasurer at Catholic United Financial, said The FAST solution aligns nicely with our business objectives, primarily being to grow our membership. As a fraternal benefit society, we had to make sure we selected the right partner and I am excited about the prospects for our business as we work with FAST. FAST offers exactly what the market is looking for: a componentized modern insurance software platform that is quick to stand up, easy to maintain and dramatically decreases the risk normally associated with such projects, said John Gorman, COO of FAST. Mike and his team have been true visionaries when it comes to running core systems on the cloud. We look forward to a long working relationship with Catholic United Financial. The cloud-based SaaS model is the logical next step for insurers who are looking to focus on their core competencies rather than maintaining an expensive internal IT organization, said Tom Scales, research director in the insurance practice at Celent. I expect we will see many more carriers adopting an approach like this in the near future. About FAST FAST, which stands for "Flexible Architecture, Simplified Technology", is a privately-held company located in Edison, NJ founded by the former leaders of NaviSys. FAST focuses on solving the challenges our financial services and insurance clients face as they seek to modernize their systems environments or completely replace legacy systems. About Catholic United Financial Based in St. Paul, MN, Catholic United Financial is a life insurance and financial products company serving 84,000 Catholics in the Upper Midwest since 1878. As a not-for-profit, Catholic United transforms its profits into purpose, bringing together members, employees and volunteers to pursue their mission through local community grants, post-secondary education scholarships and more. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160504005356/en/ Media: FAST John Gorman, 732-225-0008 (office) COO Source: FAST BELLMORE, N.Y., May 3, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Long Island's original solar energy company, Built Well Solar celebrates its 15th anniversary this year. Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160503/363334 The Chamber of Commerce of the Bellmores will commemorate this milestone by sponsoring a special ribbon cutting at our office located at 2752 Grand Avenue in Bellmore on Friday, May 6 at 3:30 PM. "It's amazing how quickly 15 years have gone by," said company founder & CEO Dan Sabia. "Since then we've welcomed thousands of happy customers to our Built Well Solar family, having changed their financial lives for the better. Some of them have paid for college tuitions, cars, boats, dream vacations, or expanded their businesses with the money they've saved switching to solar energy. It's just fantastic." 9/11 Responder's Realization When Built Well Solar began, it was also the start of the Solar Pioneer incentive program offered through the Long Island Power Authority (LIPA, later taken over by PSEG-Long Island). "After serving as a first responder at 9/11, seeing that devastation, I realized we needed to do something to alleviate our dependence on foreign oil," Mr. Sabia explained. Sabia is a retired U.S. Army National Guard officer, with the rank of Major, who was called to Ground Zero after the Twin Towers fell on 9/11 because of his expertise in nuclear/ biological and chemical weapons, and served as logistics officer/facilities engineer with the Army Corps of Engineers as commander of the 204th Engineers at Camp Smith in Peekskill, New York. "When I read about the Solar Pioneer program on my LIPA bill in 2001, I jumped at the chance to participate," Mr. Sabia said. "I founded Built Well Solar so that I could buy solar panels and the other equipment I needed because the only company I could find that sold the equipment would not sell to individuals." Adding to his military logistic knowhow, construction/architecture college education and other professional expertise as a general contractor and school district facilities director, Sabia completed certification in photovoltaic design and installation of solar technology. The latter he traveled upstate and to Florida to obtain since that course of study was not available locally 15 years ago. Installs First 10 kW Residential System on Long Island Soon the company installed its first photovoltaics system on Mr. Sabia's own home in North Bellmore. This turned out to be the first 10-kilowatt residential PV system on Long Island. "That's how I got into to the solar business," Mr. Sabia said. "I started part-time (I was a full-time facilities director for a local school district at the time), starting with my house, then a friend's house, then a neighbor's house and so on, more friends, more neighbors. Before I knew it, I was in business." "When Built Well Solar opened, there wasn't a solar panel in sight. It was like the Wild West back then," Mr. Sabia explained. "Only two of us were providing solar energy on Long Island, just the two companies, our company in Nassau county for the most part and Go Solar, which has since folded, in Suffolk county for the most part." In its first year, Built Well Solar had three employees, Sabia included, and installed just four residential PV systems. Today, with dozens on staff, the company has since installed thousands of residential, commercial and non-profit solar energy systems, more than most other Long Island solar companies combined. Our focus has always been on being straightforward with our customers," Nancy Hiler, Chief Operating Officer said. "It's about explaining how solar energy works, dispelling the many myths out there so that customers understand just how affordable solar is, how the payback is usually 3-4 years, and how incentives such as federal and state tax credits come into play." What also distinguishes the company from others, she said, is that they do not engage in high-pressure sales, cold calls or door-knocking, and have always advocated PV purchases rather than leasing's rent-your-roof scheme, since purchases are undeniably much more beneficial financially to consumers. A "Solar 500" Company In addition to receiving many consumer-oriented accolades, including Better Business Bureau A+ rated and having been voted "Best of Long Island" for four consecutive years, the national magazine, Solar Power World, ranks Built Well Solar among the "SOLAR 500," placing 293rd of the "2015 Top 500 Solar Contractors in the United States." "We're very pleased and proud to celebrate 15 years of helping thousands of fellow Long Island homeowners and business owners to cut or eliminate their electric bills, just so many happy customers," Mr. Sabia said. "We look forward as we add new customers every week, continuing to make a difference to our neighbors, their wallets, and the planet we all live on." Anniversary Savings As a special anniversary offer, Built Well Solar is taking $250 off its already highly competitive pricing for any homeowner who signs up with the company before September 1, 2016, not to be combined with any other discounts or offers. Commercial discounts will be greater, proportionate to their larger system sizes. Additionally, the company enhances its $50 per kW referral fee to $60 per kW to anyone who recommends a customer whose installation takes place prior to the end of 2016. For more information about solar energy and to schedule a free, no obligation solar energy evaluation of your Long Island home or business, call Built Well Solar at 516-695-1000 or e-mail [email protected] today. PLEASE NOTE: MEMBERS OF THE MEDIA ARE INVITED TO ATTEND THE RIBBON-CUTTING CEREMONY at our office located at 2752 Grand Avenue in Bellmoreon Friday, May 6 at 3:30 PM. This content was issued through the press release distribution service at Newswire.com. For more info visit: http://www.newswire.com To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/long-islands-original-solar-energy-company-celebrates-15th-anniversary-300262416.html SOURCE Built Well Solar GENEVA, SWITZERLAND -- (Marketwired) -- 05/04/16 -- Thirty measures as part of a construction "industry transformation framework" are detailed in a new report compiled by the World Economic Forum in collaboration with The Boston Consulting Group (BCG). Shaping the Future of Construction: A Breakthrough in Mindset and Technology describes and promotes the effort needed from all stakeholders for the industry to fully realize its potential for change. The construction industry has been slower than most to adopt technological innovations, and wary of modernizing strategies and processes. In the U.S., labor productivity in construction has actually fallen during the last 40 years. These facts are particularly surprising because of the industry's central role in everyone's daily life and its powerful impact on other industries, the environment, and the economy as a whole. The construction sector now accounts for 6 percent of global GDP, and about 30 percent of greenhouse gas emissions are attributable to buildings. Given the industry's size and weight, even small improvements in performance would generate huge benefits for the world. Shaping the Future of Construction: A Breakthrough in Mindset and Technology covers, among other things, the use of innovative technologies, enhancements in operations and processes, adjustments to business and HR strategies, industry cooperation, and, crucially, optimization of public policy. Citing numerous best practices and case studies, it applies not only to construction companies but also to design companies, suppliers of technology and building materials or equipment, and others on the value chain, as well as to the industry as a whole and governments. "For many in the industry, the approach described in the report is a new and possibly radical one, but it is the path to a more innovative, productive and socially responsible future," said John M. Beck, executive chairman of Aecon, who introduced the report. Already Within Reach Change is already under way, headed by the construction firms themselves with the support of innovative processes and products. Emerging digital technologies will boost productivity, enhance the quality of buildings, and improve on-site safety and environmental compatibility: 3D models for guidance, robots for the dangerous work, and drones and embedded sensors to check on progress, for instance. "Individual companies have serious transformative opportunities now, by exploiting new technologies and materials," said Santiago Castagnino, a partner and construction expert at BCG and co-author of the report. "If you also optimize the planning and the processes, you could easily end up cutting costs by 15 percent and reducing the completion time by as much as 30 percent." Such scenarios are not futuristic. Leading-edge technologies already affect all subsectors and all stages of a building asset's life cycle -- from planning and design through operations and maintenance. But their adoption is still sparse and uneven. Only when the various advances have been adopted pervasively will the industry really be able to boast of a transformation -- that is the clear message of the report. In the words of Pedro Rodrigues de Almeida, Head of Basic Industries and a member of the Executive Committee at the World Economic Forum, "The report provides a preview of the upcoming changes in the industry, and a way of accelerating their realization. It offers a tool kit for success, but it also serves as a necessary rallying call." Collaboration and Beyond The industry is extremely fragmented. To unlock its full potential, companies along the value chain will need to collaborate far more than they do now, and industry organizations will need to make their presence felt more strongly -- in defining common goals and standards, engaging local communities and prospective employees, and advocating with public agencies. Governments are key contributors to the industry's evolution. A government is often not just the regulator but also the owner and a major client of infrastructure assets. By speeding regulatory and environmental approvals, it can reduce project delays. It can improve competitiveness by inviting foreign bidders to tender. By supporting academic and corporate R&D, it can promote technological innovation. It can impose environmental standards and weed out corruption in procurement practices. "In general, governments can create a fertile environment for the industry's transformation," said Dr. Philipp Gerbert, a senior partner at BCG and another of the report's authors. "And they contribute more directly to the transformation, by commissioning or cosponsoring seriously ambitious projects. When you look at high-profile projects, such as Crossrail in London, you see how public actions can have a strong impact in spreading the adoption of new technologies throughout the industry." A New Era Consider just one of the megatrends shaking up the construction industry: an increase in the population of the world's urban areas by 200,000 people a day, all of them needing affordable housing plus social, transportation, and utility infrastructure. With challenges like this, the industry is almost under a moral obligation to change. Its transformation will affect the wider society, by reducing construction costs; the environment, by improving the use of scarce materials or making buildings more ecoefficient over time; and the economy, by narrowing the global infrastructure gap and boosting economic development in general. To download a copy of the report, please go to www.bcgperspectives.com. To arrange an interview with one of the authors, please contact BCG's Eric Gregoire at +1 617 850 3783 or [email protected]. About The Boston Consulting Group The Boston Consulting Group (BCG) is a global management consulting firm and the world's leading advisor on business strategy. We partner with clients from the private, public, and not-for-profit sectors in all regions to identify their highest-value opportunities, address their most critical challenges, and transform their enterprises. Our customized approach combines deep insight into the dynamics of companies and markets with close collaboration at all levels of the client organization. This ensures that our clients achieve sustainable competitive advantage, build more capable organizations, and secure lasting results. Founded in 1963, BCG is a private company with 85 offices in 48 countries. For more information, please visit bcg.com. About bcgperspectives.com Bcgperspectives.com features the latest thinking from BCG experts as well as from CEOs, academics, and other leaders. It covers issues at the top of senior management's agenda. It also provides unprecedented access to BCG's extensive archive of thought leadership stretching back 50 years to the days of Bruce Henderson, the firm's founder and one of the architects of modern management consulting. All of our content -- including videos, podcasts, commentaries, and reports -- can be accessed by PC, mobile, iPad, Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. The Boston Consulting Group Eric Gregoire Global Media Relations Manager Tel +1 617 850 3783 Fax +1 617 850 3701 [email protected] Source: The Boston Consulting Group By Michael Flaherty LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Bankers are seeing more evidence that activist investor tactics launched in the United States several years ago are making their way abroad. So far this year, international activist campaigns are up 30 percent, Robin Rankin, co-head of global mergers and acquisitions at Credit Suisse Group AG , said during a panel on Tuesday at the Milken Institute Global Conference in Los Angeles. "We're going to see some traditional activism all over the world," she said, citing countries in Europe and Asia as examples. Last year, activist hedge funds began launching campaigns abroad to shake up management teams, prompt or interrupt mergers and generally get companies to improve financial returns, after U.S. markets became more challenging. Among the activists pushing abroad are Elliott Associates, which targeted companies in South Korea and Hong Kong in the past year, and ValueAct Capital, which is on the board of British engine maker Rolls Royce Holdings Plc (NYSE: RR). Third Point is pushing changes at Japans Seven & i Holdings Co <3382.T>. "Around the world, our corporate clients outside of the States, have suddenly" become more aware of activist investors, Rankin said. Steve Krouskos, a vice chairman at Ernst & Young, said the nature of activist campaigns abroad will be led more by frustrated shareholders than traditional activist hedge funds. He said he is already seeing investors in European companies publicly angling for greater efficiency and "value creation," and predicted there is more to come. One of the factors spreading activism abroad is the scarcity of targets for larger U.S. activists. Valuations are also lower than they are in the United States, where stock markets are back near historic highs. Jennifer Nason, who chairs JPMorgan Chase & Co's (NYSE: JPM) global technology, media and telecommunications investment banking group, said one constant across the globe was that an activist must have a powerful message, a loud voice and an attractive target to make a campaign successful. "Sometimes it's not so much about a campaign for change," she said. "Activists often target high-profile CEOs, high-profile, branded companies, high-profile parts of the world, because the exercise is about driving value for their investors at the end of the day." (Reporting by Michael Flaherty; Editing by Bill Rigby) Baku, Azerbaijan, May 4 By Khalid Kazimov - Trend: Iran's Supreme Council of the Cultural Revolution has discussed recent remarks made by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on learning foreign languages, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said. Rouhani said that the issue of the number of languages that should be taught at schools depends on the available number of teachers, the country's capabilities as well as the students' interest, IRNA news agency reported. Rouhani made the remarks addressing a number of teachers on the occasion of Teachers' Week in Iran. He further said that over 1.5 billion people live in the Indian subcontinent and they enjoy proper job opportunities in the IT sector as they have a good command of English. Rouhani also said that if the vast majority of students tend to learn a specific language the government will be incapable of creating the conditions for teaching another language for a small number of students. Criticizing the high interest for learning English in the country, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei May 3 said the country should pay special attention to the education of the youth as a way to defeat the global hegemonic system. The leader also called for teaching other languages such as Spanish in schools. By Alex Dobuzinskis (Reuters) - A New Mexico man was arrested on Tuesday over the death of an 11-year-old girl kidnapped from the Navajo reservation in New Mexico, an FBI spokesman and the Navajo Nation said. Tom Begaye, 27, will appear before U.S. Magistrate Judge Paul Briones in Farmington on Wednesday, two days after Ashlynne Mike and her 9-year-old brother were abducted, according to Federal Bureau of Investigation spokesman Frank Fisher and a statement released by the Navajo Nation. The children were kidnapped after school near the community of San Juan, New Mexico by a man driving a van who offered them a ride, authorities said. The boy, Ian Mike, was found walking along a highway around 7:15 p.m. and taken to the police department in Shiprock, the largest town on the Navajo Nation. He reported the man had taken his sister, Fisher and the Navajo Nation said. The boy told the police the driver took them toward the Shiprock pinnacle - a rock hill that is a landmark on the Navajo Nation - hit a dead end and released the boy, telling him to go home, the Navajo Nation said. The girl's body was discovered on Tuesday morning, less than 8 miles (13 km) south of the landmark, Fisher said. Dozens of law enforcement officers took part in the search for the girl, Fisher said. (Reporting by Alex Dobuzinskis in Los Angeles and Brendan O'Brien in Milwaukee; Additional reporting by David Schwartz in Phoenix and Keith Coffman in Denver; Editing by Frances Kerry and Clarence Fernandez) The Proton-M rocket, carrying the ExoMars 2016 spacecraft to Mars, blasts off from the launchpad at the Baikonur cosmodrome, Kazakhstan, March 14, 2016. REUTERS/Shamil Zhumatov MOSCOW (Reuters) - The second stage of a joint European-Russian mission to search for signs of life on Mars has been delayed from 2018 to 2020, the European Space Agency and Russia's Roscosmos said on Monday. The new planned launch date for the second ExoMars mission was July 2020, Interfax news agency cited state-run Roscosmos as saying. It will incorporate a Russian-led surface platform and European-led rover, to be launched from the Baikonur spaceport in Kazakhstan. The decision to put back the launch was a joint one that took into account delays in European and Russian industrial activities, the European agency said in a statement. A spacecraft left Baikonur in March in the first stage of the program. It carried an atmospheric probe that is to study trace gases such as methane -- a chemical that on Earth is strongly tied to life - that previous Mars missions have detected in the planet's atmosphere. The craft is due to arrive in October. The second-stage rover is meant to be the first with the ability to both move across Mars' surface and drill into the ground to collect and analyze samples. Roscosmos was not available for comment on Monday, a public holiday in Russia. (Reporting by Alexander Winning and Scot Stevenson; Editing by Alison Williams and John Stonestreet) Hinuera School principal Dean McDonnell is stoked that his school is finalists in two categories of the Prime Minister's Education Excellence Awards. Even the board of trustees had to get out pen and paper after issuing their Waikato school a writing challenge. Hinuera School, about ten minutes south of Matamata, started a mission to improve pupils' writing ability at the end of 2011. Now the 165-student school is a finalist in two categories of the Prime Minister's Education Excellence Awards: leading and governance. A panel of education experts chose 14 finalists from more than 200 entries for the awards, which are in their third year. READ MORE: * Rotorua educators top of the class * Top education leadership award for Wellington-based health school * Tauranga's Otumoetai school wins Hinuera School had a few older-than-usual pupils as part of the writing push, principal Dean McDonnell said. "The board even went to the length of getting into the classrooms and actually seeing what the writing was like. We even got the teachers to come to a board meeting and have a bit of a writing session with them, and make them actually write." The drive started after 2011 results showed most kids were working above national standards in reading and maths, but the figure was about 60 per cent for writing. The school was left with a question: "What could be done to really unlock the code for kids?" So they set to work and by the end of 2015 just over 90 per cent of students at Hinuera were at or above national standard level for writing. A citation for the school's award said it had a shared vision for continual improvement, which led to the writing push. "Clear targets were set, resources were allocated, and the board asked for regular updates on progress. A more recent ERO report on Hinuera School has found that the students' writing skills are now above the national average." Hinuera's teachers rewrote the school's writing plan as part of the improvement drive and the skills of effective writing became a focus. "What can I write in my first sentence that drags people into the story?... What does a good closure look like?" McDonnell said. A marking strategy, dubbed tickled pink and green for growth, got teachers to highlight the best parts in pink, and areas for improvement in green. "At the end of the day, you don't get good results unless you have teachers and students who really buy into it," McDonnell said. McDonnell and the school community were excited about their finalist status, because it affirmed their efforts at the school. "Really, all we have done is tell the story of what we do every day," he said. All finalists will get a visit from a judging panel during May and June, and the winners will be announced on June 13. WorkSafe NZ is investigation the actions of the Riversdale Fire Brigade members relating to the rescue of a man trapped in a silo. WorkSafe NZ is investigating members of the Riversdale Volunteer Fire Brigade who helped to rescue a man who was trapped and unconscious in a grain silo. The man was working in the silo on March 16 when he was buried in grain inside the silo. He was rescued by people working at the scene and members of the Northern Southland brigade, and was flown to Dunedin Hospital in a serious condition. READ MORE: Man seriously hurt Four people were taken to Gore Hospital with moderate to minor injuries after being overcome by fumes, and four more people were assessed at the scene but were not hurt. Some of those people were members of the brigade. A WorkSafe NZ spokesman said it had been notified and it was both investigating the actions of the brigade members and the incident itself. "The investigation will look at the circumstances and the risk to all parties who were in the silo," the spokesman said. A WorkSafe investigator has been in the Riversdale area interviewing those involved in the rescue and emergency services personnel. Riversdale Fire chief David Stevenson, who was involved in the incident, said he was not allowed to comment while the investigation was under way. New Zealand Fire Service national safety, health and wellbeing manager John Kingsbury said the organisation was unable to comment further on the incident while the investigation was under way. Firefighters were trained to respond to a range of high-risk situations, Kingsbury said. ``The Fire Service is committed to ensuring our people have the right skills and resources to safely respond to the situations they encounter and to meet their duties under the new act, so they can return home safe to their families. Safety is the Fire Service's primary consideration. For that reason, we welcome WorkSafe's role and drive to create safer New Zealand workplaces, and we will continue to work with them whenever and wherever possible to achieve this." Tehran, Iran, May 4 By Mehdi Sepahvand -- Trend: The number of people revealed to be HIV-positive in Iran has reached 31,000, said Parvin Afsar Kazeruni, director of the Bureau of the AIDS at the Iranian Ministry of Health. The mentioned number however does not include the non-registered people, she told IRIB TV. Kazeruni underlined that in Iran, 67 percent of those diagnosed as HIV-positive, have acquired the virus via injection, while 18 percent have caught it via sexual intercourses. Kazeruni further said that the measures to prevent the spread of the disease have been less than enough to tackle the problem. In 2013, Iran's Health Minister Hassan Hashemi expressed worries over the fast pace of the spread of AIDS in Iran, adding that a taboo about the disease prevents many Iranians from knowing they are infected. Baku, Azerbaijan, May 4 By Rufiz Hafizoglu - Trend: A police station has been attacked in Turkey's south-eastern province of Mardin, Turkish newspaper Milliyet reported May 4. One policeman was killed and ten were injured in the attack. Initial reports suggest that the attackers are the members of the Kurdistan Workers Party, which has in recent months become active in the south-east of Turkey as attacks on military units and police stations have increased. The Kurdistan Workers Party, shortly known as PKK, is listed as a terrorist group by the UN and the European Union. The conflict between Turkey and the PKK, which is demanding the creation of an independent Kurdish state, has been continuing for over 25 years and has claimed more than 40,000 lives. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @rhafizoglu Baku, Azerbaijan, May 4 By Rufiz Hafizoglu - Trend: If necessary, Turkey may launch a ground military operation in Syria by itself, Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu told the Al Jazeera TV channel. He noted that over the recent months, Turkey's territory has been regularly subjected to shelling from Syria's territories controlled by the militants of the "Islamic State" (IS, aka ISIS, ISIL or Daesh) terrorist group. "The activities of terrorist organizations in Syria pose a serious threat to Turkey and the whole world," said Davutoglu. Turkey is the only country which actively fights the IS militants, added the prime minister. Turkey's Kilis and Hatay provinces were repeatedly subjected to missile attacks from Syria in April, after which Turkish armed forces began to strike back on the IS positions. Syria has been suffering from an armed conflict since March 2011, which, according to the UN, has so far claimed the lives of over 500,000 people. Militants from various armed groups are confronting the Syrian government troops. The "Islamic State" and Jabhat al-Nusra are the most active terrorist groups in Syria. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @rhafizoglu Headline changed, details added (first version posted on 15:03) Baku, Azerbaijan, May 4 By Rufiz Hafizoglu - Trend: The European Commission has proposed the European Union (EU) to cancel the visa regime with Turkey, the TRT Haber TV channel quoted European Commissioner for Competition Margrethe Vestager as saying May 4. The European Commission discussed the cancellation of the visa regime between the EU and Turkey on May 4. Turkey's Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu has said that the EU should keep its word on canceling the visa regime with Turkey. The minister noted that Ankara has in fact fulfilled its commitments to the EU for canceling the visa regime. Earlier, Turkish Ministry for EU Affairs said that Turkey cancelled the visa regime for the citizens of all 28 EU countries on May 3, but the visa-free regime will be effective after the EU cancels the visa regime for Turkish citizens. It is expected that after Turkey fulfills all 72 commitments to the EU, the latter will cancel the visa regime for Turkish citizens. After cancelling the visa regime, Turkish citizens will be able to stay without visa for three months in the following countries: Germany, Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, the Netherlands, Italy, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Iceland, Lithuania, Latvia, Luxembourg, Liechtenstein, Hungary, Malta, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia and Greece. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @rhafizoglu An extra $39 million will be invested in 2016/17 to enable Pharmac to provide more New Zealanders with access to new medicines, Health Minister Jonathan Coleman says. Pharmacs model for increasing subsidised medicines and treatments for New Zealanders is world class, Dr Coleman says. This funding boost in Budget 2016 an extra $124 million over four years -will mean that Pharmac can further increase access to new medicines, benefiting more New Zealanders. On top of the Governments extra $39 million investment in Pharmac in 2016/17, $11 million will be injected into Pharmacs annual budget by DHBs. Pharmacs budget for 2016/17 will be a record $850 million this means the Government has increased Pharmacs budget by $200 million since 2008. Last year over 70,000 New Zealanders benefited from 41 new and widened access medicines. Around 3.5 million New Zealanders received a funded medicine in 2014/15 100,000 more than the previous year. At any one time, Pharmac has a list of proposals for new medicines and medical devices which medical experts have recommended as a priority for any funds that become available through savings or budget increases. Pharmac works within a fixed budget and has to make tough decisions. It looks for the best health gains for the greatest number of New Zealanders, Dr Coleman says. The Governments extra investment gives Pharmac more options on new medicines it can fund. Its up to Pharmac to make these decisions. Source: Office of Jonathan Coleman. An Asian driver on a working visa has pleaded guilty to dangerous driving causing the death of Tauranga motorcyclist Rhys Middleton near Napier in February. Jieling Xiao, 27, appeared before Judge Geoff Rea and Judge Paul Mabey in Napier District Court today. Rhys Middleton, 23, died when the motorbike he was driving along State Highway 5, in Eskdale, north of Napier, collided with Xiaos vehicle. The pair had both been travelling in the same direction when the crash occurred. Rhys was among a group of motorcyclists when the crash happened. The Chinese national is in New Zealand on a 12-month working visa and currently resides in Hastings. Her visa expires in July, Stuff reports. Xiaos lawyer, Scott Jefferson, said he will seek a financial penalty. Xiao will be sentenced next month. The police summary of facts said Xiao was entitled to drive for a 12 month period from the date she arrived in New Zealand, but she had never driven on an open road at speeds of more than 50kph, "and by her own admission was not a confident driver". There was a passenger in the car with Xiao, with whom she had purchased the Toyota a week before the crash. The day before the crash, Xiao had driven the passenger to Waimarama beach. The passenger told police that Xiao had not slowed down for corners and was turning sharply. It wasnt until she told Xiao to slow down that she felt safe. Xiao and her friend had been on their way to Rotorua when the crash occurred in a 100km/h zone. Shortly before the crash occurred, two occupants of a Toyota Corolla following Xiao noticed the Rav was driving erratically, with speeds ranging between 70km/h and 100km/h. They also noticed the vehicle was not driving straight and on two occasions they saw the left wheels of the car come off the road. Rhys Middleton was on one of five motorbikes that came up behind the Corolla. The first two bikes passed both cars, but as Middleton was passing, Xiao misjudged a right-hand bend, bearing her car completely out of the lane and off the road. She drove through the accessway to a fruit and vege shop, completely outside the northbound lane, before suddenly veering back onto the road and directly into the path of Rhys bike. "There was no warning to other road users such as indicators, that the Toyota Rav was re-entering the road and it was completed at such an angle and speed that there was nowhere for the motor-cycle to have gone before impact," the summary said. Rhys hit the front right wheel and was thrown across the road, dying at the scene. Xiao told police, "on the highway the speed is really fast so sometimes when there is a corner I cant control my speed because I havent been driving long in New Zealand". Rhys, who had held his motorcycle licence since his mid-teens, was planning to get married in February next year. His father Mike described him as keen rider for the Bay of Plenty Road Pirates Social Motorcycle Club. Mike said the family do not want to comment until Xiao has been sentenced. Arrangements agreed on Monday open up new opportunities for airlines to fly between New Zealand and New Caledonia. Transport Minister Simon Bridges and New Caledonia President Philippe Germain on Monday formalised new air services arrangements negotiated in November 2015. These included amendments to New Zealands 1967 Air Transport Agreement with France, which pertain to New Caledonia. President Germain is visiting New Zealand along with French Prime Minister, Manuel Valls. Under the new agreement, airlines from New Zealand and New Caledonia now have the opportunity to operate additional services to the other, Mr Bridges says. The agreement will also make the process easier for New Zealand airlines to fly from New Caledonia to other international destinations in future. The two countries are close Pacific neighbours, with nearly 30,000 passengers travelling between them each year. Arrangements such as these, which assist the movement of people and goods, are an important part of the relationship. Mr Bridges says this another example of the Governments success in negotiating air services agreements. With more than 50 new or amended air service agreements negotiated over the last four years, the Governments International Air Transport Policy is bringing a number of benefits to New Zealand including tourism and trade. In the last year alone, 18 new air routes have been announced, making it easier for New Zealanders to travel and trade internationally. SOURCE: Office of Simon Bridges If you havent seen Polices running man video yet, youre probably about to. A group of Counties Manukau and Auckland City staff have taken the world by storm with their dance moves, videoed and posted on the New Zealand Police Recruitment Facebook page along with a challenge to various other police jurisdictions to do better. In less than 24 hours the video had reached a staggering 11 million people, with 3.7 million views on the Recruitment page alone, along with more than 40,000 shares a record for a Police social media post. Over the same time the Recruitment page added around 13,000 new followers. The story was picked up by New Zealand media outlets and others as far away as Israel, the UK and US. The running man challenge is a social media craze in which people video themselves dancing to the 1990s hit My Boo by the Ghost Town DJs and challenge others to do the same. Of the ten police organisations we challenged, police on the Isles of Scilly - off the south west coast of Cornwall were the first to react, though Scilly Sergeant Colin Taylor maintained their five officers and station cat were too old and preferred cake. However New York Police Department has now risen to the challenge. The Police video was choreographed by Constable Satele Brown and made by Shelley Nahr and Constable Garry Boles, of the Auckland media team, from an idea by National Manager Brand and Engagement James Whitaker. It features Satele and fellow Constables Trish Fatu, Josie Mehau, Junior Fuimaono, Lara Costello, Semone Moke-Pouwhare and Bharvi Bhatt dancing then being joined by Sergeant Sonny Iosefo, who shows them how its really done. Its about showing Police having fun and building trust and confidence, says Shelley. Most of the staff in the video were either at a training day or came in on their day off to help. Thanks to everyone involved. SOURCE: New Zealand Police Trade Minister Todd McClay travels to Fiji tomorrow to continue discussions with Fijian counterparts on PACER Plus - a regional trade and economic integration agreement involving all members of the Pacific Islands Forum - and deepen links with the Fijian private sector. As we move into the final stages of PACER Plus negotiations, we are working hard to conclude an agreement that benefits all Pacific Islands countries and New Zealand, through promoting economic integration and sustainable economic development, says Mr McClay. My discussions with Minister for Trade Faiyaz Koya will provide an opportunity to engage with and understand Fijis perspectives on negotiations. I will use my visit as an opportunity to meet with regional civil society stakeholders interested in PACER Plus and I also plan on meeting with New Zealand stakeholders interested in negotiations in the upcoming weeks, says Mr McClay. While in Fiji, Mr McClay will also take part in a tour of Natures Way Cooperative, a fruit and vegetable exporter supported by the New Zealand Aid Programme. Fiji is our largest trading partner in the region and New Zealand continues to look for opportunities to deepen business and trade ties with Fiji, Mr McClay says. SOURCE: Office of Todd McClay ACT Leader David Seymour is deeply disappointed at certain National MPs choice to veto debate on the End of Life Choice Bill. National MPs blockage of the debate is a sad display of political sidestepping. Acknowledging the most critical issues faced by New Zealanders is literally what MPs are paid to do. But thanks to the actions of certain MPs today, we dont even get a debate. No MP was being asked for an endorsement of the bill, just for the chance to have a debate and vote. If they oppose assisted dying, then so be it, but they should be willing to stand up in Parliament and say so. We are long overdue for a compassionate response to the anguish faced by the small but significant minority of grievously and irremediably or terminally ill, people. Instead, new Zealanders continue to be left with no choice but to endure intolerable suffering and loss of dignity in the final days of their lives. A copy of my bill, together with further information including answers to common questions and criticisms, can be found on www.lifechoice.org.nz. Mr Seymour tabled the bill for debate on the first members day after the Health Select Committee reports back to the house on its inquiry into the petition of Maryan Street and 8,974 others. SOURCE: Office of David Seymour Police say he is described as Maori, 186cm tall and of solid build with long reddish brown hair and a goatee. Barclays whereabouts is unknown. Anyone with information about Barclays whereabouts is asked to contact Hutt Valley Police on 04 560 2600. Alternatively, information can be left anonymously via the Crimestoppers 0800 555 111 line. Health Minister Jonathan Coleman says good progress is being made around the country to further improve cancer care and support services. Every year more than 20,000 New Zealanders are diagnosed with cancer and this number continues to increase as the population ages, says Dr Coleman. A cancer diagnosis can be a difficult time for many people and their families. Ensuring they have access to good psychological and social support can make a big difference. Thats why in 2014 the Government made $4.5 million available each year to fund additional psychologists and social workers to support people with cancer across the country. These improved services are another example of the Governments commitment to ensuring better, faster cancer care for all New Zealanders. Six lead psychologists have been appointed at each of the six regional cancer centres. Recruitment for over 30 additional psychologists and social workers for DHBs across the country is almost complete. The initiative is part of the Faster Cancer Treatment programme. A key focus of the programme is the new 62-day faster cancer treatment health target. By July this year, 85 per cent of patients are to receive their first cancer treatment within 62 days of being referred with a high suspicion of cancer. This will increase to 90 per cent by June 2017. Dr Coleman spoke at the inaugural Cancer Psychological and Social Support National Forum in Wellington today. SOURCE: Office of Dr Jonathan Coleman Baku, Azerbaijan, May 5 Trend: Turkey's ruling party will hold an extraordinary congress in the coming weeks. Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu is not planning to run for the leadership at the party's extraordinary meeting, Milliyet newspaper reported. Turkey's ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) will hold an extraordinary congress, the party announced following a critical meeting between President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu on Wednesday. The Court of Appeal substituted a murder conviction in 1986. He was recalled back to prison in 2011 after being charged and convicted with of manufacturing P and possessing the drug for supply, following an armed police raid at his Maketu property. A report released by the New Zealand Parole Board says Wickliffe has spent a significant portion of his adult life in prison. But, it appears that hes well engaged in psychological treatment, prosocial endeavour and with prosocial goals for the future. In this writers opinion he would benefit from the opportunity to be accommodated within a Self-Care environment, both as a means of preparing himself for any eventual release that the Parole Board might grant but also as a means of demonstrating his behavioural compliance and ability to more independently manage on a day-to-day basis. These were some of the comments to come out following Wickliffes latest parole hearing at the beginning of April. It was at the same hearing the New Zealand Parole Board noted concerns about his release, given his proclivity to offend whilst on parole. Leaving that aside for the moment, its clear that he remains an undue risk to the safety of the community and would benefit from continued one to one counselling, moving into Self Care and we endorse that as a suitable reintegration pathway, says New Zealand Parole Board panel convenor JW Gendall, QC. In our opinion he does not meet the statutory criteria for release on parole and its declined. Wickliffes next parole hearing has been set down for the week starting June 13, 2017. Horses on the fairground in Jerez earlier this week. M.N. After living in Andalucia for over a year, I have started to get the sense that Jerez - the largest city in the province of Cadiz - is somewhat overlooked in favour of more ostentatious neighbours such as Cadiz (regional capital) and Seville. Like those other great white cities, Jerez has its own very own cultural identifiers - namely, horses and sherry - but, as a visitor destination for Spaniards as well as foreigners, it seems to have (or perhaps I should say enjoy) a rather obscure status. This, of course, only makes it more intriguing. The same can be said of the first of Jerezs two annual fairs, the delightful Feria del Caballo (Horse Fair), held at the beginning of May (the Vendimia, or grape harvest, is celebrated in September). With all but a few of its 200+ casetas open to the public, this wonderful celebration of equine beauty is accessible to the passing visitor in a way that the Seville fair, its more loud-mouthed and exclusive predecessor, is not. And as with all of Andalucias annual fairs, the key to the Feria del Caballos unique nature - defined by stunning horses and a charming inclusivity - lies in its history and location. The ubiquity of bars in Andalucia - where even the smallest, most ramshackle train station will be able to offer you a beer and tapas before you start your journey - tells you a very great deal about Andalusians. This is a region in which the potentially quotidian and mundane can be enlivened, even made pleasurable, with a little alcoholic refreshment and bite to eat - a fact which accounts for the birth of most southern Spanish ferias, including the Feria del Caballo. History Its heritage stretches back over 700 years to the reign of Alfonso X El Sabio (The Wise, reigned from 1254 to 1282), when farmers would come to the then-tiny village of Jerez every spring and autumn to trade livestock, in particular horses. The regions many wine and sherry producers wasted no time in heading to these markets to lubricate the traders deals with a drink or two. Casetas - the white refreshment marquees so typical of Andalusian ferias - started to multiply as the market grew in size, but it was only at the end of the fifteenth century that participating vendors had to obtain official licences. It was much later still, in 1903, that the horse fair - by that time complete with a sizeable funfair for children - moved to its own special location on the outskirts of town. And it was only in that year that the local authorities permitted individuals and societies to have private casetas at the fair. For its first several hundred years, then, the Feria del Caballos refreshments stands were open to anyone and everyone who came to the livestock market, rather than those who had contacts in the better- ie well-connected and monied - parts of society. In 2016, some seven hundred years later, this is still the case. And despite the annexation of a garish, deafening funfair that could be anywhere, the regions beautiful horses are still the centrepiece of spring feria in Jerez. Horses After parking in a maze of identical, sun-baked sidestreets within earshot of the feria, my girlfriend and I got a little disorientated as we wove our way towards the noise. No matter, because after a few minutes of walking we were able to follow the stately progress of horses and their distinctively-dressed riders towards the casetas. These expensively-maintained animals radiate health and strength, their plaited manes and tails colourfully decorated with flowers and ribbons. No less captivating are their elegant riders, dressed in the short blue jackets, tight black trousers and wide-brimmed hats that are so iconic of this feria. This costume is also the world-famous emblem of ferias signature drink - the regions Tio Pepe sherry (mixed with lemonade and fresh mint for the essential rebujitos). Women ride side-saddle, either on their own or with their partners. They look proud, aware of their elegance - but not arrogant. The Feria del Caballo, day or night, is as breathtakingly colourful and life-affirming as anything you are likely to experience - period. During the daytime bright yellow sand, incomparable blue skies (Gerald Brenan wrote that the colour of Spanish skies is to other blues what the colour of blood is to other reds) and towering palm trees are the backdrop to the ornate carriages - 'paseo de caballos y enganches' - offering tours of the feria for about 30 - and the glistening, immaculately-groomed animals that pull them. Other horses are there purely to be shown off; their riders pull up outside the casetas for a fino or rebujito, remaining mounted while enjoying their refreshment. Despite the tremendous noise and movement that surrounds them, and the attention they are given by passers-by, the horses stay amazingly calm. Lights At night, the equine stars are absent and lights and dancing dominate. The Parisian-style boulevards that divide the fairground into blocks - wider and more enjoyable to walk down the narrower streets of Sevilles Real de la Feria - bustle under dazzling arches of lights that differ in theme for each street. The caseta facades are elaborately and uniquely designed, while the casetas themselves pulse with endless Sevillanas, danced with irrepressible energy and varying levels of skill. In the Carrefour caseta, one dancer got so carried away that he smashed a hanging pot of geraniums off the wall into the lap of a fellow-reveller (both, presumably, committed customers of the supermarket chain). This caused laughter and joking rather than an altercation. An ambience of openness, warmth and sensuality prevails and the sherry-fuelled partying continues until 5am, when the casetas finally close for the night. Though the day is more for families, you will still see plenty of prams being wheeled around at 3am. For me, the Feria del Caballos great appeal is only augmented by its being unaccountably overshadowed by other, more famous, Andalusian fairs. Its long-established inclusivity means no-one is left out of the fun, while being less well-known gives it more capacity to surprise the casual visitor. Despite having written this article, I rather hope this hugely enjoyable fair, which runs until Saturday, remains a bit of a secret. What was considered the home of former President James Monroe in Charlottesville, Va has now been proved to be a guest house. (Photo : YouTube/Kimberly Killeri) A farmhouse in Charlottesville thought to be the home of former American President James Monroe has been disproved owing to recent excavations on the property. Located in central Virginia, the farmhouse has attracted tourists for decades owing to its believed historical value. New evidence has revealed that the building once thought to have been the residence of President Monroe is a guest house, according to AP. It is now being claimed, that the farmhouse in Virginia is a guest house owned by President Monroe and not his residence. Advertisement Executive Director, James Monroe's estate, Sara Bon-Harper told the news agency the new findings revealed an unexpected historical mix-up. However, she said trustees were happy that through scientific evaluation the true history behind the property has come to light. Foundations of a much larger house were discovered recently during archeological excavations on the property. This was the first hint that the farmhouse had been wrongly identified as Monroe's residence, Washington Post reported. The latest scientific findings reveal that former President Monroe's original home was burnt in a fire shortly after it was sold. The farmhouse today is believed to have been a guest house that was put up two decades later in its place. Since the 1800s, scholars believed the property was President Monroe's residence. A scientific technique of "dating trees" was used to verify the recent findings. Pieces of wood from the structure of the present Charlottesville farmhouse were subject to testing. The results revealed that the trees used to build its structure were cut in 1818. Furthermore, scientists discovered a letter about the same time, where President Monroe refers to a small home being built for visitors to the area. Currently, excavations on the property are still ongoing. However, trustees hope to treat visitors to a virtual tour of the home in the near future. Monroe, who was the fifth President of the United States served between 1817 and 1825. He is considered a founding father of America and the last President to emerge from Virginia who was a Republican. Watch a clip on the guest house below : Taiwan's deportation of the telecom fraud suspects was seen by mainland China as tolerance to crime. (Photo : Getty Images) Chinas state media aired another set of confessions from Taiwanese telecom fraud suspects who were deported from Kenya as a way of showing Taiwans lack of action in dealing with such crimes. A report from Reuters depicted how the mainland brought another two Taiwanese suspects to public scrutiny by broadcasting their confessions over China Central Television (CCTV) on Monday. Advertisement According to the outlet, the broadcast of the confessions, the first of which was made in April, had been highly criticized internationally with some speculating that the admissions could have been made under duress. Meanwhile, Taiwan expressed its dissent over how Malaysia deported 32 Taiwanese nationals suspected of fraud to China, calling for a more comprehensive cooperation between the island and the mainland. "A mechanism of full communication and cooperation between Taiwan and China is needed to address challenges regarding telecom fraud schemes involving suspects and victims from both sides," Taiwan's Premier-designate Lin Chuan told Focus Taiwan. The Suspects' Confessions While the faces of the second batch of suspects who confessed were blurred out, the broadcast identified the suspects by their last names, Lin and Hsu. Talking with heavy Taiwanese accents, the suspects admitted their guilt and expressed their regret at what they did, not because it was illegal but because they would be tried in the mainland. "If I had known earlier that I would be tried in the mainland I wouldn't have done it. In the mainland I could get a life sentence," 37-year-old Hsu said. Hsu was able to amass 200,000 yuan ($30,894) from the unlawful activity in Kenya. According to the Los Angeles Times, the telecom fraud scam began in Taiwan around 2001. Since then, losses on the fraudulent activities averaged to as much as $1,000 per case. Shown in the footage below are the first set of confessions from the Taiwanese suspects. Taiwan's Justice System According to the state media, both Hsu and Lin were previously arrested and jailed in Taiwan but were released after a couple of months. In fact, Lin said he wanted to be tried in his homeland since he expects the sentence to be lighter compared to what they will be facing in China. "Of course I want to go back to Taiwan. Because it's closer to home and because the sentence will probably be quite light," Lin said. While Taiwan's Ministry of Public Security did not respond to Reuters for comment, the outlet quoted their previous statement on China's broadcasting of the suspects' confessions. "Before the suspects are judged to have committed a crime, the principle of presumption of innocence should apply," the council told Reuters in the statement. Porter, Robert.JPG Robert J. Porter (New York State Police) ROME, N.Y. -- An Oneida County man is accused of sexually abusing a 10-year-old girl. Robert J. Porter, 59, of Rome, was arrested Tuesday and charged with having sexual contact with a child in Rome, said the New York State Police. Porter was arrested by Investigator Jamie Gallagher, a trooper assigned to the Oneida County Child Advocacy Center. Porter was charged with first-degree sexual abuse, a felony. He was arraigned in Rome City Court and is being held in the Oneida County Jail in lieu of $25,000 cash or bond. According to jail records, Porter was also charged with endangering the welfare of a child, a misdemeanor. The advocacy center has offered the victim care, troopers said. Carl Paladino Carl Paladino speaks to reporters after a board meeting in April. On Tuesday Paladino appeared to edge out a high school student who had challenged him for his seat on the Buffalo school board. (AP Photo/Carolyn Thompson) BUFFALO, N.Y. -- Carl Paladino, the Buffalo businessman and backer of presidential candidate Donald Trump, appeared to win re-election to the Buffalo school board, beating out a high school student who had opposed him. According to unofficial returns Tuesday night from the Erie County Board of Elections, Paladino led Austin Harig 1,543 votes to 1,436 votes. But Paladino's lead lead did not include a count of the 140 absentee ballots the Board of Elections had received. Paladino, who ran at the Republican nominee for governor in 2010, had received far more attention recently as one of Trump's most vocal political allies in New York state during the run-up to the New York primary in April. He is also co-chairing Trump's campaign in the state. But on Tuesday 18-year-old Harig, a high school senior from south Buffalo, came within about a hundred votes of unseating the 69-year-old Paladino. Harig told The Associated Press that Paladino's no-holds-barred style was hurting the schools he still attends. Harig said the school board's dysfunction results in too many legal fees that force the district to divert money better spent in the schools. Paladino won his first three-year term on the school board in 2013, becoming part of a new voting majority that supports expanding community and charter schools. Except for unsuccessfully challenging Harig's petition signatures, Paladino has largely shrugged off the school board challenge. He skipped a chance to debate Harig and says little about him when asked. Paladino's is one of six board seats at stake. Kathy Rowe uses voicetracking equipment in the Y94FM studio. (2002 file by David Lassman) iHeartMedia, previously known as Clear Channel Communications, is facing court over its huge debt amid rumors the company is trying to save costs with another round of job cuts. Central New York radio personality Kathy Rowe is "no longer with" Y94FM (WYYY-FM) after more than 30 years on the air, iHeartMedia Syracuse Market Manager Rick Yacobush confirmed Tuesday. Rowe appeared on the Y94 morning show earlier that day, but then listeners noticed when she was unceremoniously removed from the station website. "30 years and you can't even make an announcement? Slow Clap, ClearChannel (IHeartMedia will never be a thing)," Twitter user @TedConroy complained. Other fans sent well wishes on syracuse.com and social media: "THANK YOU Kathy for all the years you entertained me driving to work in the early morning. Your chatter about your kids and life before and after meeting Frank kept me awake and amused with the stories you told," syracuse.com user mtst wrote. "I liked Kathy. Sorry to see her go. Hopefully, we'll see her turn up at another station," another commented. "Listened to Kathy this morning. That will be the last time I tune in to that station. Terrible news," one Facebook comment said. "One of the great voices of CNY radio," another wrote. "Ann and I are sorry to see the news today. We enjoyed listening to you and wish you the best of luck in future endeavors," "A huge loss for Y94. You'll be missed Kathy," another Facebook user said. "Wow, i can still remember when she worked at WOLF. good luck to you kathy rowe smile emoticon," a fan commented. "@KathyRowe what happened? Make sure you keep in touch loved listening to you and getting to meet and it seems like I know you well," "Kind of crappy. She IS Syracuse radio. Dum dums!" holly2011 wrote on syracuse.com. "The business of radio and television is good to many of us - right up until it isn't. And Kathy Rowe was good for her listeners for decades on Y94. She's a darn good person who lives and breathes Central New York. The people who loved listening to her will miss her for sure - but I bet she'll miss them more," CNY Central anchor "Best wishes to Kathy Rowe as she concludes an amazing 34 years at one station," Galaxy Communications CEO Rowe had been with the station since 1982, when it was still called "94 Rock," and served as program director for more than a decade. The Syracuse native and Onondaga Community College alumna previously worked at WAQX-FM (95X) and the former WOLF-AM (1490 AM). A similar outpouring of support followed Jim Free, who revealed Tuesday that he was no longer with 92.5 KGB, also owned by iHeartMedia, in Binghamton. Neither Free, Rowe or iHeartMedia have given an explanation for their departures. iHeartMedia's debt totaled $20.9 billion at the end of last year, and the San Antonio Express-News reports the broadcasting company reported an $88.52 million first-quarter loss on Wednesday. That net loss was lower than expected, and much lower than iHeartMedia's $384.96 million loss in the first quarter of 2015, but still doesn't help with debt. The San Antonio-based company was bought for $24 billion by two private equity firms in 2008, when, as Billboard puts it, "leveraged buyouts peaked (just ahead of the recession.)" Properties under iHeartMedia, which changed its name from Clear Channel in 2014, include more than 850 iHeartRadio stations heard on-air and online as well as Clear Channel Outdoor billboards. Billboard reports iHeartMedia generated $6.5 billion in revenue in 2015, plus $1.36 billion in the first quarter of 2016, but interest on the debt is still causing net losses. According to The Wall Street Journal, the company is facing a court battle with bondholders who threatened to declare the company in default on some of its debt. A group of lenders, holding more than $3 billion in debt, objected to iHeart transferring some assets from Clear Channel Outdoor Holdings to another subsidiary, Broader Media, possibly to retire and sell some debt. Several bondholders issued default notices, according to the Express-News, but a Texas judge rescinded them with a temporary restraining order on March 9. The WSJ reports iHeartMedia is now working to resolve the dispute out of court If an agreement is not reached soon, iHeartMedia and the group of lenders will go to trial on May 16 in San Antonio. Ryder Photo 16 (2).jpg Don Ryder, of Baldwinsville, in this family photo. Ryder left his entire $750,000 estate to charity. (Provided photo) Don Ryder in this undated family photo. Ryder, 81, died in 2015. Ryder lived a private life. He mentioned in passing that he served in the Army, according to neighbors, and a photo found in his belongings confirmed he trained at Fort Dix Reception Center in 1957, the Central New York Community Foundation said. Baldwinsville, N.Y. -- Donald Ryder was described by many who knew him as a private and quiet man who took great pride in his home and property in Baldwinsville. Ryder died in 2015 at the age of 81. It was in his death that Ryder expressed just how much he cared about his community. Ryder's will directed that his entire estate - 150 acres of land, his home and all of his belongings, valued at about $750,000 - be donated to the Donald W. Ryder Fund at the Central New York Community Foundation. Ryder was incredibly proud of designing and building his home and barn exactly how he wanted, his neighbors said. "He kept his place very, very neat." said John Kerniski, Ryder's friend and neighbor since the early 1970s. "His house and storage barn were methodically organized. And he was always well-dressed and well-mannered. I think he took pride in being well-presented." Mike Kerniski, John Kerniski's son, said he often stopped to chat with Ryder about goings on in the world and life. "I felt like I could talk to Don about anything," John Kerniski said. "He often told me that you only live once, so do whatever you think is best, take chances and if you fall on your face, you fall on your face - but if not, you gain so much." When Ryder met with his estate planning attorney he said he wanted to leave a legacy that involved giving to charity. The attorney suggested that Ryder meet with the community foundation. "Don's interests were broad and he was looking for a charity that matched that breadth," Jennifer Owens, the community foundation's vice president, development and marketing, said in a news release. The community foundation administers nearly 700 individual funds, each with its own donor-defined purpose and history. The foundation is tasked with continuing to honor the donors' wishes after they are gone, while addressing the community's greatest needs as they evolve over time. Based on his clear direction, the Donald W. Ryder Fund will provide grants to nonprofit organizations for the sole purpose of brick and mortar capital projects - to pay for the construction of new buildings or additions or renovations to existing facilities. Grants from the fund will be awarded through the foundation's Community Grants program. The foundation awards more than $2.5 million in Community Grants each year to tax-exempt, nonprofit organizations in Onondaga and Madison counties that serve the fields of arts and culture, civic affairs, education, health, human services and the environment and provides leadership and financial support for focused community initiatives in such areas as literacy, higher education attainment and nonprofit capacity building. "While he always remained a very private person, I came to know Don over the years and admired his principled and methodical approach to his life," Owens said. "What will stick with me about Don is the generous, warm and funny personality that was just beneath his guarded exterior. He didn't let many people see his caring side, but he was a generous guy at heart." Sarah Moses covers the northern suburbs of Onondaga County and Oswego County. Contact Sarah at smoses@syracuse.com or 470-2298. Follow @SarahMoses315 (L) Eduardo Jaramillo and Louis Frumer represented Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Maine, at the 6th Chinese Bridge Speech Contest. Jaramillo became a Hainan Airlines Cultural Ambassador. (Photo : Bowdoin College) Theres nothing really unusual about a teenager hosting an event, another pair performing a skit, and several others facing an audience and delivering a speech, but it would be spectacular to note that foreign students carried them out not in their mother tongue but in Chinese. China has been successfully exporting its language and culture in different parts of the world for many years now through the efforts of Confucius Institute, which further promotes Chinese language learning by holding sessions, contests and similar activities yearly. Advertisement The 9th National Chinese Language Conference was held in Chicago, Illinois, on April 28-30. With the theme, Ambassadorship in Action, Steven Koch, deputy mayor of Chicago, said that he was stunned by the performances, according to People's Daily Online. Boston University student Henry Knight joined his Chinese teacher Wu Man on stage to play the four-stringed Chinese musical instrument pipa. Calmeca Academy of Fine Arts and Dual Language students presented a Chinese dance and those from the Northside College Preparatory High School rendered a Mongolian song. Xu Lin, Chief Executive of the Confucius Institute Headquarters in Xicheng District, Beijing, delivered a speech during the opening ceremony, which 16-year-old American high-school student Claire Fuschi hosted in Chinese, reported Xinhua. Fuschi, who picked Fang Tingting to be her Chinese name, attends the Walter Payton College Prep High School in Chicago. The schools World Language Department offers Chinese, French, Latin and Spanish. Apparently the young girl enrolled in the Chinese class along with 120 students has been studying the language for nearly 11 years now. The annual Chinese Bridge Proficiency Competition, now on its 15th year, generally tests participants Chinese language and cultural skills. Confucius Institutes abroad conduct the preliminary rounds and top winners fly to China to compete in the final round. This years theme is Dreams Enlighten the Future, according to CCTV News. The Confucius Institute also holds a yearly Chinese speech contest. The Confucius Institute at University of Massachusetts Boston organized the 11th Chinese Bridge Speech Contest for U.S. High School Students and the 6th Chinese Bridge Speech Contest for University Students in New England on March 19 and April 16, respectively, according to the schools website. This Chinese Bridge Speech Contest is a good showcase for us to see American students success in learning Chinese language and culture, said Yongji Xu, Consulate General of China in New York. Yongji added: I hope all the participants will further utilize their language skills, so to make contributions to increase mutual understanding between the peoples of the two leading countries. With the theme China and Me serving as a guide, 21 students from 15 universities delivered a 3-4-minute speech during the 6th Chinese Bridge Speech Contest, according to Bowdoin Colleges website. Bowdoin representatives performed a xiangsheng or crosstalk. It was a fun competition . . . great to meet some students studying Chinese from other colleges and universities, said Eduardo Jaramillo from Bowdoin. The Confucius Institute, a government-funded Chinese center for language teaching and research founded in 2004, boasts of numerous branches worldwide: 147 in Asia, 48 in Africa, 33 in South America, 40 in North America (460 in the U.S.), 307 in Europe and 65 in Oceania, according to its website. In Dec. 2015, Xinhua reported that according to Wang Yongli, Deputy Director-General of Hanban and Deputy Chief Executive of Confucius Institute Headquarters, Confucius Institutes across the globe catered to 1.9 million people studying Chinese language and culture. Police officers and a dog patrol a street on May 12, 2014 in Beijing, China. (Photo : Getty Images) Four Chinese policemen will be joining Italian officers in patrolling the streets of Rome and Milan for the next two weeks in an experiment aimed at helping Chinese tourists feel safe, Italys interior ministry announced on Monday. The program, the first of its kind in Europe, will have four units composed of one Chinese and one Italian officer posted in tourist hot spots such as the ancient Colosseum in Rome and Milan's Gothic Cathedral for the next two weeks. Advertisement The Chinese officers are trained to speak both Italian and English aside from Mandarin and will wear the same uniforms they wear at home so their compatriots will be able to recognize them easily, according to Reuters. "Through this initiative, we are telling Italian citizens that their state is joining hands with a great country, in a team work to ensure the safety of everybody, including Italian citizens and Chinese tourists in Italy," Italian Interior Minister Angelino Alfano told the Xinhua News Agency. Alfano said if the program proves successful, it will be expanded to other cities in Italy and that Italian policemen may also soon be heading to Beijing and Shanghai to carry out similar patrols there. "This service was planned with Chinese tourists in mind, and if it works well we may consider other forms of collaboration, given the presence of the Chinese community in our country," he added. Liao Jinrong, director-general of the Chinese International Cooperation Bureau at China's public security ministry, said the initiative was "the result of a very positive collaboration between Chinese and Italian police forces." Liao said the assignment was a "historic moment," recalling that the ancient route between China and Italy had been mapped out 700 years ago by Venetian merchant traveler Marco Polo. More than three million Chinese tourists visit Italy each year, according to the Chinese International Cooperation Bureau, of which many are expected to arrive during the peak period of early May. China taps its citizens to help ease the effects of water pollution. (Photo : Getty Images) China will engage its citizens to help ease the country of its lingering dilemma on water pollution through a new and unprecedented campaign called hei chou he, which literally means black and stinky rivers. According to Market Place, the new campaign seeks to make people feel the responsibility of caring for the irreplaceable resource by reporting rivers and other bodies of water that have been polluted. Advertisement The New Campaign According to Ma Jun, the director of Beijing's Institute of Public and Environmental Affairs, this is the first time that the Chinese government has actually made the people participate in resolving water pollution. "This is one of the first times for the government to really, actually--not theoretically or abstractly--engage with people. They want people to actually participate in the cleaning up," he said. While the campaign may have a funny name, Ma believes that it is one of the campaigns that could actually bear actual results considering that the people are now being engaged in something that traditionally have been the government's responsibility. Furthermore, Ma revealed that the concept of seeking help from the people, the country's biggest resources, to clear water pollution was initiated by his shy predecessor Chen Jining, who has been promoted as the country's new minister of environmental protection. "And he's continued to try to engage with the public. And he has such an understanding of this issue, and he can talk about this with so much confidence," Ma noted. Now, Ma and Chen are collaborating in the project and have created a social media app called "Blue Map," which would allow users to monitor the level of water and air emissions from factories all over China. "So our thinking is that if this data can be shared with the public, then the public who has gotten informed can support the local agencies and can overcome this interference," he explained, adding that this is the first time such information has been disseminated to the public. Water Pollution So far, the extent of the effects of water pollution in China has been downright horrifying. Citing a new study, Tech Times revealed that over 80 percent of the country's underground water are not viable for drinking due to the presence of contaminants such as fluoride, manganese, and other compounds used in fungicides. Because of this, the East Asia leg of the environmentalist group Greenpeace decided to highlight the issue as citizens of China appear to be taking water pollution more lightly than they do air pollution. "Groundwater pollution is a massive problem in China which is in urgent need of attention," a statement from its official website read. "Greenpeace East Asia urges the government to include deep groundwater in its testing. Crucially, MEP and MWR cooperation must be both clarified and strengthened." This 13,522-square-foot home, which sold on April 29 for more than $5 million, is on about 1.4 acres at 360 N. Blue Wave Lane within the gated Ocean Pearl community on Indian River Shores. It was built in 1994 and renovated in 2006. (CONTRIBUTED PHOTO BY CONCIERGE AUCTIONS) SHARE This four-bedroom, 5,226-square-foot home on 1.5 acres, which sold on April 29 for $3.3 million, is located at 980 Crescent Beach Road. It was completed last year by Folgia Custom Homes. (CONTRIBUTED BY FROM CONCIERGE AUCTIONS) By Paul Ivice, Special to Treasure Coast Newspapers VERO BEACH Two mansions owned by the same Vero Beach family were sold at auction April 29 to separate buyers for more than $8.3 million total. Sold first for $3.3 million, including the 10 percent buyer's premium, was the 5,226-square-foot, four-bedroom home on 1.5 acres at 980 Crescent Beach Road. Soon after, the 13,522-square-foot home on about 1.4 acres at 360 N. Blue Wave Lane within the gated Ocean Pearl community on Indian River Shores sold for more than $5 million. The Ocean Pearl home, built in 1994 and renovated in 2006, was bought by the seller about two years ago for $5.5 million. The buyer was an Orlando man who plans to use it as his weekend home, said Clark French, co-owner and broker with the Vero Beach real estate firm Clark & O'Dare, the listing agent. "I don't think he's planning to move here full-time," French said. Eleven bidders registered with a $100,000 cashier's check for the auction of the Ocean Pearl home, and three of those were among 14 who registered for the auction of the Crescent Beach Road home. "Only a handful were local," French said. "Most were new to Vero, and may buy here in the future." The Crescent Beach Road home, which was bought new by the seller last year for $3.5 million, was purchased by "a local family who already has a presence in Vero Beach," French said. French has declined to identify the seller, saying ownership of the homes is under Emporia LLC. The seller, however, is "a local family that owns a number of properties in Vero Beach," French said. "They bought these for family and friends for overflow housing for visitors and found they weren't being used." The winners have 30 days from the auction to close on their purchases. SHARE Robin Yencho By Lamaur Stancil of TCPalm INDIAN RIVER COUNTY An insurance agent was charged Tuesday with falsifying workers' compensation records for a construction company, according to state officials. Robin Yencho, 50, of Professional Insurance Providers of Vero Beach, was charged with 16 counts of making false or fraudulent insurance certificates by the state Department of Financial Services. He posted $16,000 bail at the Indian River County Jail on Wednesday. The state began investigating Yencho last summer when an auditor determined Banker's Maintenance & Inspection of Vero Beach had been operating without workers' compensation insurance. Investigators said Yencho began in July 2014 to produce fake certificates of insurance for the company. This would allow the company to get building permits for government contracts that require employees to have workers' compensation insurance. Yencho, of the 3400 block of Buckinghammock Trail, Vero Beach, has been a licensed insurance agent since 1989, the affidavit states. His company, Professional Insurance Providers, is a family-run business where his wife is president and his sister-in-law is vice president, state officials said. The insurance company has allowed Yencho to write applications and give business to insurance carriers without his wife's approval, the affidavit states. Other agents there must get their work approved, state officials said. SHARE Ariel Ribera Diahas By Jan Lindsey, special to Treasure Coast Newspapers Who: Ariel Ribera Diahas, 21, of the 2700 block of Southeast Mariposa Avenue in Port St. Lucie Charges: Lewd and lascivious battery and attempted lewd and lascivious battery Crime: Diahas allegedly met a girl between the ages of 12 and 16 at a store and begin talking with her by telephone in March. The relationship became sexual April 11. A judge signed a warrant for his arrest April 27 and he was arrested Monday in Palm Beach County. What's next: Diahas will remain at the St. Lucie County Jail, where he is on a temporary hold for U.S. Immigration and Customer Enforcement. Agency: Port St. Lucie Police Department Quote: Diahas fled through a window when the girl's mother found him in bed with her daughter at 3:30 a.m. April 15, according to an arrest affidavit. The mother, who reportedly said she had instructed her daughter not to date Diahas, asked police to investigate. Bags of oysters shells. (TREASURE COAST NEWSPAPERS FILE PHOTO) SHARE By Janet Begley, Special to Treasure Coast Newspapers SEBASTIAN The first bags of oyster shells have made their way into the Indian River Lagoon just north of the city's canoe launch site along Indian River Drive, part of a pilot project to filter the waterway. Boy Scout John Giordano filled and placed 80 bags of oyster shells into the river on April 23 as part of the Eagle Scout project he proposed to the city's Natural Resources Board more than a year ago. Although the original project was to build oyster mats which involves taking a sheet of environmentally safe mesh, drilling holes in oyster shells and tying them to the mat the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission instead required the oyster shells be placed in bags and submerged in the lagoon because of the significant wave action in the area. City Engineer Frank Watanabe said Sebastian is now moving forward on its own project to place additional oyster shell bundles along the city's Working Waterfront, near the newly reconstructed fish house on Indian River Drive. While permits are still needed from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Watanabe expects to receive them within the next 30 days. "We've had our pre-meetings with the agencies already and we're on a good, straight path," Watanabe said. "They've told us the Working Waterfront area is an ideal spot for an oyster restoration project, so I don't expect any problems." Last year, the city was awarded a $25,000 grant from the Indian River Lagoon Council and matched it with city funds to develop a program that uses oyster shells to clean the Indian River Lagoon. The shells attract free-floating oyster larvae, which settle into the shells and produce new oyster reefs within a year. Watanabe expects the first phase of the new project will be completed within 60 to 90 days. Images from a vigil at the home of Crisanta Perez on Monday, May 2, 2016 in Stuart. Marillany Julian-Solis, 5, Alexander Julian-Solis, 7, Macareo Julian-Solis, 14, Sandy Julian-Solis, 17, Reynaldo Diaz, and Andres Perez lost their lives in an accident Saturday on Interstate 95. (LEAH VOSS/TREASURE COAST NEWSPAPERS) By Laurie K. Blandford and Isadora Rangel of TCPalm MARTIN COUNTY Heidi Solis-Perez doesn't want to leave the bedside of her only surviving child. The 33-year-old single mother from Stuart who lost four of her children in a Saturday night crash on Interstate 95 is staying with her 11-year-old daughter until she's released from the hospital, said the mother's sister, 27-year-old Aurora Solis. Solis-Perez was released Monday from Delray Medical Center, said hospital spokesman Ryan Lieber, but Daisy Julian-Solis remained at St. Mary's Medical Center in West Palm Beach. Daisy injured her back and arm in the crash and needed surgery, Solis said. The girl is in pain from head to toe, and doctors are controlling her pain by giving her medication to keep her sedated, Solis said. Four of Solis-Perez's children 5-year-old Marillany Julian-Solis, 7-year-old Alexander Julian-Solis, 14-year-old Macareo Julian-Solis and 17-year-old Sandy Julian-Solis were killed. "It's in the hands of God, and there's no better place for them," said Solis in Spanish. "If God wanted it that way, then we accept it. "But the mom is a mom, and she's not going to accept it that easily," Solis continued. "She loved them very much." Two others in the minivan died in the crash: Solis-Perez's 31-year-old boyfriend, Reynaldo Diaz of West Palm Beach, and 18-year-old Andres Perez of Stuart. Solis-Perez was driving a 2001 Mercury Villager southbound on I-95 near the Martin County line at 9:35 p.m. Saturday when the tread on a tire separated and caused her to lose control of the minivan, said Florida Highway Patrol spokesman Sgt. Mark Wysocky. The number of people ejected from the minivan and whether anyone was wearing a seat belt remained Tuesday under investigation, Wysocky said. Solis-Perez was on her way to visit her sister, Solis, who lives in Pompano Beach when the crash occurred. The sisters and cousins visited each other often and recently all spent a week together in Pompano Beach. Solis hugged one of her five children and began to cry as she talked about her nieces, nephews and sister. "She and I are almost inseparable," Solis said. "(The cousins) were very close." Friends and family members are still trying to raise money through an online GoFundMe fundraising account to help with expenses. "It's not easy, but we've got to move forward to give support to my sister," Solis said. "She's the one who's defeated." Images from the announcement of a 5,300-acre federal land purchase for Everglades Headwaters National Wildlife Refuge and Conservation Area at the Adams Ranch, on March 24. The event was attended by U.S. Rep. Patrick Murphy, D-Jupiter, (standing) U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Florida, and State Rep. Larry Lee Jr., D-Port St. Lucie. (PATRICK DOVE/TREASURE COAST NEWSPAPERS) SHARE Visit Ask the Candidates Republican Presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks during an event on foreign policy and called for an "America First" in his address on April 27 in Washington, D.C. (Olivier Douliery/Abaca Press/TNS) ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTOS Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton speaks during an election night event at the Palm Beach County Convention Center in West Palm Beach, Fla., on Tuesday. By Isadora Rangel of TCPalm U.S. Senate candidate Patrick Murphy might have reason to celebrate Donald Trump's presumptive nomination in the presidential race, as Republicans worry the real estate mogul could jeopardize their Senate control. Trump's high unfavorable ratings in Florida could harm other Republican candidates in the Nov. 8 election, which would help Murphy if he wins the Aug. 30 Democratic primary for U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio's open seat. GOP leaders have been bracing for this trickle-down effect of a Trump nomination, which became all but certain Wednesday after John Kasich and Ted Cruz dropped out of the primary. Which party controls the Senate next year will rest largely on Florida and six other states where Republicans are defending a seat and where President Barack Obama won in 2008 and 2012: Illinois, Wisconsin, Ohio, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania and Iowa. Murphy represents the Treasure Coast's District 18, which covers Martin, St. Lucie and northern Palm Beach to counties. POLL RESULTS A recent poll showed Democrat Hillary Clinton would beat Trump 49 percent to 36 percent in Florida. Trump would lose 15 percent of Republicans surveyed to Clinton and is viewed negatively by 62 percent of likely voters. The poll, conducted by the Republican-leaning business lobbying group Associated Industries of Florida, surveyed 604 likely general election voters from April 25-27. Murphy would beat all Republican Senate candidates included in the same poll: Lt. Gov. Carlos Lopez-Cantera; U.S. Reps. David Jolly and Ron DeSantis; and Manatee County homebuilder Carlos Beruff. Rubio is the only Republican who would beat Murphy, but he has said he isn't seeking re-election. The survey didn't measure how Murphy would fare in his primary against U.S. Rep. Alan Grayson of Orlando, where previous polls showed many voters still are undecided. STRAIGHT TICKET If Clinton maintains her lead, Murphy likely would win the Senate because political polarization increasingly has caused voters to fill out a "straight ticket," meaning they choose candidates from the same party as their presidential pick, said Susan MacManus, professor of public administration and political science at the University of South Florida. On the flip side, Clinton's presumptive nomination might also be a challenge for Democrats on the same ticket if Bernie Sanders supporters decide to stay home and Democratic turnout is low, MacManus said. The Associated Industries poll showed 52 percent of likely voters have an unfavorable opinion of Clinton. Still, Republicans might be in worse shape because Trump is more divisive, she said. Republican Senate candidates can reverse that trend by appealing to GOP voters who don't support Trump, said Rick Wilson, who runs Reform Washington, a super PAC that supports Lopez-Cantera. "Republicans are concerned that you have to pick the right nominee now," Wilson said. "You have to be careful to pick nominees who can reach out outside the Trump bubble." In this March 9, 2016, photo, Democratic presidential candidates, Hillary Clinton and Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., stand together before the start of the Univision, Washington Post Democratic presidential debate at Miami-Dade College in Miami. (AP FILE PHOTO) SHARE By Isadora Rangel of TCPalm Democrats in Martin and St. Lucie counties can vote early on Thursday for the delegates they want to send to the party's national convention to choose their presidential nominee this summer. Registered voters must cast a ballot in the congressional district in which they live. For the Treasure Coast, that means District 8 representing Indian River County, and District 18 representing Martin and St. Lucie counties. Election day is May 7 and District 8 is not offering early voting. District 18 has seven early voting locations, one of them on the Treasure Coast in Fort Pierce and the second closest one in Jupiter. Voters must ask for either a Hillary Clinton or a Bernie Sanders ballot, depending on who they want to win the presidential nomination. Each ballot will contain the names of delegate candidates who pledged to vote for either Clinton or Sanders at the convention. District 18 voters must pick two women and two men who support Clinton, or one woman and one man who pledged to Sanders. District 8 voters must pick two women and one man who pledged to Clinton, or one woman and one man who pledged to Sanders. Scroll down for the bios of delegate candidates in District 18. The number of delegates is based on a formula that factors in two things: the March 15 Florida primary results, in which Clinton beat Sanders 64.4 percent to 33.3 percent, and each congressional district's voter turnout that day. An equal number of female and male delegates must be selected statewide. Democratic officials expect 300 voters to cast ballots in Martin and St. Lucie counties. About 50 to 100 are expected in Indian River County, according to Mary Greene, the Democrats' House District 8 chair. Delegate candidates had until April 7 to apply. Florida's 140 delegates will meet May 21 in Orlando to choose 28 more delegates from among party leaders and elected officials, 46 at-large and 18 at-large alternates for the Philadelphia convention, which is from July 25 to July 28. Florida Republican Party leaders picked their delegates in March and April. Click here for more voting locations in District 18. DELEGATE ELECTIONS What: District 18 early voting When: 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. May 5 Where: Design Kitchen, 412 Farmers Market Road, Fort Pierce Information: Celeste Bush, 772-577-0276; cooperbush@aol.com Where: Palm Beach County Fire Station, 322 Central Road, Jupiter Information: Greggory Glen, 561-400-1284; senator1962@gmail.com What: District 18 (Martin/St. Lucie counties) When: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. May 7 Where: Martin County Democratic Executive Committee, 948 S.E. Central Parkway, Stuart; Longshoreman's Association, 503 N. Seventh St., Fort Pierce; IBEW Local Union, 7652 U.S. 1, Port St. Lucie Information: 772-221-0405 What: District 8 (Indian River County) When: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. May 7 Where: 1344 Apollo Blvd., Melbourne Information: 321-725-2217; emfl415meeg@aol.com Note: Voters must bring their voter ID or any valid picture ID Read the bios of candidates running to be delegates for Clinton and Sanders in District 18. Bios for District 8 are not available: Dr. Danny Redman (second from right), an emergency room physician with ApolloMD, monitors patient care next to scribe Jessica Downey (right) inside the Indian River Medical Center emergency room on Thursday. The contract for ApolloMD, an emergency room management group from Atlanta that subcontracts to the IRMC emergency room, ends on May 31. ER physicians will be part of the hospital staff beginning June 1. (ERIC HASERT/TREASURE COAST NEWSPAPERS) SHARE Paul Giasi, new Indian River Medical Center emergency department medical director. (ERIC HASERT/TREASURE COAST NEWSPAPERS) Charles Mackett, Indian River Medical Center chief medical officer. (ERIC HASERT/TREASURE COAST NEWSPAPERS) Jeff Susi, president and chief executive officer of Indian River Medical Center. (ERIC HASERT/TREASURE COAST NEWSPAPERS) By Janet Begley, Special to Treasure Coast Newspapers VERO BEACH Dr. Paul Giasi has two things on his mind as he surveys the Emergency Department waiting room at the Indian River Medical Center. Giasi, 46, the new emergency room director, wants to make sure everyone receives the treatment they need with quality and compassion, but in the most timely, efficient way possible. He officially becomes the ER medical director June 1 but has been at the hospital since August. "I want people to be seen and treated with dignity," said Giasi, who was an emergency room physician in upstate New York for 10 years before relocating to Florida in 2013. "But the most important thing is to make sure everyone that's seen here is safe." Giasi is the hospital's first on-staff emergency room director in several years. About three years ago, the hospital outsourced ER staffing to Emergency Physicians of Central Florida in Orlando, which provided doctors on a rotating basis. Under its management, wait times for a patient to be admitted to the hospital spiraled to more than six hours, well above the national average of 4 hours. In an effort to reduce those wait times, the medical center switched in December 2013 to ApolloMD, an ER management group from Atlanta led by Dr. Roderick Bennett. Staffing increased to six full-time physicians and wait times dropped to five hours, 46 minutes. Still, that was longer than the 2015 national average. The center will be ending its contract with ApolloMD, but has reached an employment agreement with its physicians. Now, with its own ER staff, IRMC CEO Jeff Susi believes, doctors will be more familiar with one another and with the medical records system, and can contact colleagues in other departments for consultations, and can expedite procedures such as tests such as X-rays and lab results. ER wait times will decrease and patient satisfaction will rise, he predicted. "We are always looking for ways to improve," said Susi. "We believe there is a big difference when you hire a physician who lives in the community, who people get to know and trust. It's definitely different from when you have someone who comes into town, does three shifts and leaves." Dr. Charles Mackett, the hospital's chief medical officer, said emergency room care has undergone an evolution in the past several years. ER patient volume grew more than 34 percent from 43,748 patients to 58,871 from 2005 to 2015. "We have always managed the emergency room, but staff was provided by these outside physician groups," said Mackett. "The growth of our patient population and complexity of the care these patients need require we have highly qualified emergency room physicians who are committed to the city of Vero Beach and Indian River County." Companies like ApolloMD hire only qualified physicians, but IRMC was competing for talent with other hospitals under the same management group umbrella, Mackett said. With in-house staffing system, six full-time staff emergency room physicians will be available at IRMC from October to June, with five working full-time during offseason. Three midlevel practitioners, typically physician assistants or nurse practitioners, will work year-round. For Eugene Feinour, Indian River County Hospital District chairman, having an in-house ER staff will mean less turnover, and that could translate into improved patient care. The Hospital District pays for patients show up in the ER without any other means to pay. "No matter how hard the previous physicians groups tried, it always seemed like there was a lot of turnover," said Feinour. "The experience was essentially the same; they'd have a good leader and a good second, and then they were gone. Now the hospital is heading back to its own doctors again, and I guess time will tell." Feinour has not yet met Giasi. "This is a 24/7, 365-day job," said Giasi."I want to know when something is going wrong so I am able to offer my expertise. I can get in my car and be here in less than 15 minutes. And I want to work with other physicians who are also local and loyal and like what they do." What's the best tribute an ER doctor can receive? It's when patients ask if he has an office, Giasi said. "That means they're happy," he said. "That's one of the greatest compliments an ER doctor can get." IRMC Emergency Room Fiscal Year 2005: 43,748 patients Fiscal Year 2015: 58,851 patients 2014 and 2015 IRMC Wait Times Average time before seen by provider: 40 and 24 minutes Average time before admission: 346 and 334 minutes Average time before discharge: 175 and 142 minutes Source: Indian River Medical Center By Laurie K. Blandford of TCPalm FORT PIERCE Fort Pierce police officials have released the names of the officers involved in the shooting death of 21-year-old Demarcus Semer. They are Officer Ralph Keith Holmes, 42, and Sgt. Brian Lee MacNaught, 39, said Sgt. C.D. Davis in a Wednesday evening news release. Both are currently assigned to the Community Policing Bureau, and both have been with the Police Department for 12 years. The shooting, in which both officers fired their weapons, happened after police tried to stop Semer's vehicle on North 19th Street at 11:55 p.m. April 23, according to the St. Lucie County Sheriff's Office. The Sheriff's Office was asked to investigate the shooting by Fort Pierce police. Chief Assistant State Attorney Tom Bakkedahl said Wednesday evening he didn't know police officials released the names of the officers involved in the shooting. He said it appeared Fort Pierce police officials were following the law and released the names after receiving a public records request. Bakkedahl wouldn't discuss the investigation except to say it was ongoing. "We are actively involved in this investigation," Bakkedahl said. "All day long I interviewed witnesses. I've got a half a day of lay witnesses to interview (Thursday) and we're working on it." Holmes also was involved in a fatal shooting in 2012. John Donald Augstgen Jr., 47, of Fort Pierce was shot multiple times Dec. 19, 2012, by Holmes and St. Lucie County sheriff's detective Keith Pearson after they interrupted an alleged drug deal. Augstgen attempted to strike the men, who had been working undercover, while driving a black pickup. Augstgen died days later. A grand jury cleared the officer and detective in 2013. In 2015, Holmes received an award from Gov. Rick Scott. Five teen girls stranded July 1, 2014, on the Fort Pierce Inlet's North Jetty were rescued after a combination of law enforcement, including Holmes, and U.S. Coast Guard officials sent boats to get them. Holmes received the Medal of Heroism on Dec. 8, 2015, for helping the girls, who were ages 13 and 14. No further information about the officers was immediately available. Staff writer Melissa Holsman contributed to this report. Crewmen from Dickerson Florida Inc. work on a new section of Midway Road just east of Selvitz Road on Friday as part of the $60 million project to widen the two-lane road to four lanes, from Selvitz east to U.S. 1 in Fort Pierce. (ERIC HASERT/TREASURE COAST NEWSPAPERS) No one wants to pay more taxes, but sometimes it's a necessary evil. That's true even in a state that ranks 49th in the level of per capita taxation which is a good thing, in case you were wondering. However, as St. Lucie County Administrator Howard Tipton has been making clear recently to government and business groups countywide, finding more money a lot more money to pay for essential road repairs, sidewalks and water quality projects is long overdue. Tipton has addressed the Port St. Lucie City Council, the Fort Pierce City Commission and on Tuesday briefed the Economic Development Council. In a nutshell, Tipton is touting the benefits of adding an extra half-cent to the current 6.5 percent sales tax levied throughout the county. That would generate about $15.6 million a year, to be distributed to the cities and county. The selling of the idea has only just begun. Expect to hear a lot more about the pros and cons later this summer if it's given the green light by the County Commission in June. If that occurs, voters will see the issue on the ballot in November. As Tipton explained, St. Lucie County has experienced a 22 percent drop in ad valorem tax revenues due to the recession. Recovery has been slow and spotty. The county has been forced to put many capital improvements on the back burner. Road improvements have been pushed back so far that repaving projects are now on a 75-year schedule. Normally, a road surface lasts 15 to 20 years. Much-needed sidewalk and neighborhood drainage projects have little promise of being completed by 2040 without a new source of revenue, Tipton argued. Out of a total of $267.8 million in needed road projects, only $11.97 million is currently funded. It's the same story with water quality projects and upgrades of septic tanks to sewer systems. To convert the county's estimated 3,500 septic tanks to sewer systems would cost a staggering $40 million to $50 million. But wait, there's more: The county can expect an additional 160,000 new residents by 2040, which would place even more burden on infrastructure. The proceeds of a half-cent tax hike would be split among the unincorporated county and the cities according to a formula used to allocate gas tax revenues. Over 10 years, projections show, Port St. Lucie could get $75.5 million, Fort Pierce $18.6 million, St. Lucie Village $260,493 and the country $94.2 million. So far, Tipton said, he's been getting positive feedback. Fort Pierce Commissioner Eddie Becht said Monday night "this may not be popular but it is essential. It could be the solution to many street problems we have." Becht cautioned that the money should go only to physical projects, not salaries or other administrative costs. He also noted local governments should not cut back on regular infrastructure schedules just because they might get this windfall. Tipton said 18 counties in Florida have used sales tax increases to pay for infrastructure expenses. Okeechobee and Indian River counties already are at the 7 percent level; Palm Beach County is considering it. The surtax would affect all county residents equally, without placing the burden entirely on property owners. Tipton said he does not have specific data for St. Lucie County, but typically a half-cent tax increase costs about $3 per head each month. If so, that seems an affordable way to break the logjam of stalled projects for our roads, sidewalks, septic tanks and other big-ticket items we will need in the years to come. Some may dub this another local government tax-and-spend exercise, and we've had plenty of those, some disastrous. Yet, given the scale of obstacles local governments face in keeping our infrastructure up to date, this idea seems reasonable. Best yet: The voters will have the final say in November, as they absolutely should. The WhatsApp app is displayed on an iPhone on April 6, 2016 in San Anselmo, California. (Photo : Getty Images/Justin Sullivan) Once again, Brazil decided to block Facebook's messaging service, WhatsApp for 72 hours. The app was shut down at 2 p.m., May 3, Tuesday, and is set to return on May 6, Friday. More than a hundred million people who use WhatsApp in the country are affected. Judge Marcel Montalvao from Sergipe ordered telecom providers in Brazil to block WhatsApp in a dispute over data access, according to the Brazilian publication Folha De S. Paulo. He ordered the messaging service to turn over chat records associated with a drug investigation, which it cannot provide since it has no access to chats in unencrypted form.Phone firms that do not comply would be fined. Advertisement WhatsApp was also shut down in December when Facebook did not give what the Brazilian authorities demanded in ongoing criminal cases but the ban was lifted after 12 hours. It recently implemented end-to-end encryption to its users - meaning, no one, even the service providers themselves, cannot access user messages at any point. In March, Montalvao ordered the arrest of Diego Dzodan, Facebook's vice president for Latin America. Facebook said its messaging service operates independently and Dzodan has no control over its data. Facebook's messaging app is disappointed with Brazil's decision, considering it has exerted efforts to cooperate. A spokesperson from WhatsApp told Tech Crunch, "This decision punishes more than 100 million Brazilians who rely on our service to communicate, run their businesses, and more, in order to force us to turn over information we repeatedly said we don't have." Brazil is currently having political crisis and shutting down its primary medium of communication is not trivial, a Brazil-based lawyer, Mariana Cunha e Melo told the tech website. Both the poor and the rich in the country use WhatsApp, she said. After the shutdown, other messaging apps in Brazil like Telegram and iMessage trended on Twitter in the country. Telegram provides users some encryption, but can access user communications if asked by the court, while iMessage provides end-to-end encryption. Many WhatsApp users in Brazil have several groups of friends or business partners they regularly communicate with. Hence, they cannot easily migrate to other messaging apps. The video below reports Brazil's decision to shut down WhatsApp. SHARE By Fran Foster 1) 2) 3) 4) 5) Marsh Landing: This North County landmark will be featuring their regular menu as well as specials, such as stuffed French toast and quiches from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Starting at 11 a.m., they will add prime rib and rack of lamb to the menu until 9 p.m. If you want to try something different, you can order off their regular menu, which includes Old Florida delicacies, such as frog legs, alligator and wild game. Reservations are recommended. Call 772-571-8622. SHARE Photos by Fran Foster David Walley awaits the voting process to select the next piece of art to be included in the Vero Beach Museum of Art's permanent collection. Vero Beach Museum of Art Athena Society members Don & Janet Tribus, Kim & Gloria Anderson with Michael & Michelle Witt. Marilyn Mustapick and Roma Wehde review the four pieces of art on display at the VBMA for the Athena Society vote. John & Anne Kelsey with Marilee Matteson in front of the Emil Bistrram work selected to be added to the museum's permanent selection. By Fran Foster, The Newsweekly The Vero Beach Museum of Art's Athena Society selected Emil Bisttram's "Eagle Nest Lake, New Mexico," a 1930 oil on canvas, as the latest work to be added to its permanent collection. The society considered four pieces, including Jacob Lawrence's (1917-2000) "Harlem Street Scene," 1942; Louis Ritman's (1889-1963) "The Yellow Jacket," c.1915; Paul Jenkins' (1923-2012) "Phenomena Sufi Procession," 1974; and Bisttram's winning selection. Born in Hungary, Bisttram (1895-1976) immigrated with his family to New York City at age 11. In 1932, he won a Guggenheim fellowship that enabled him to travel to Mexico where he studied mural painting. He then received numerous commissions for murals, including those in the Taos County Courthouse and the Federal Courthouse in Roswell, N.M. In "Eagle Lake Nest, New Mexico," Bisttram depicts the inspiring beauty of the Southwest while incorporating the clearly defined forms and simplified colors associated with modernism. "It's a joy to work with museum supporters dedicated to the continual importance and enhancement of the collection here," says Williams. "Supporters always ask me which one is my favorite. I do my best to be even handed to make each one equally appealing so their decision is even more difficult." Emily Tremml was drawn to times of old by Ritman's painting. "The colors are soothing the work really draws you in," she said. "But all four of the works are quite amazing. Each deserves to be on the walls of our museum." The Athena Society was established in 2002 to support the enhancement of the Vero Beach Museum of Art's permanent collection through the purchase of major works of art. The Society not only helps fund new acquisitions but also allows members to play a vital role in the selection process. The permanent collection is crucial to the museum's mission. A significant portion of the art in the museum's Stark Gallery was purchased with funds provided by the Athena Society. For more information about the Athena Society, visit www.verobeachmuseum.org Photos provided Camp Haven residents got a behind-the-scene look at Ballet Vero Beach. SHARE Lalita and Dr. Walter Janke visit Bok Tower with Camp Haven residents. Camp Haven residents embrace the sense of family during the holidays. Lalita Janke was named 2014 Woman of the Year by the Junior League of Indian River. By Stephanie Labaff, The Newsweekly Observed on the second Sunday in May, Mother's Day was created to honor mothers, grandmothers and great-grandmothers for their contributions to family and society. It is an annual opportunity to thank the women who should always be in our corner. Sadly, however, not everyone is fortunate enough to have a maternal ally. But the men of Camp Haven are getting a second chance in life, thanks to a woman who has stepped in to be the supportive mother figure that some have lost or never known: Lalita Janke. She has gathered these men, who share the common bond of homelessness, at this transitional shelter she founded and where she is board president. Most of the residents have experienced tragedy or difficulty, and found themselves on the streets with no help in sight. While Janke has never been homeless, her journey has certainly been one of pain. Violated at the age of 6 and sent off to boarding school at age 7, Janke found herself in an arranged marriage at 17. She ended up living in a foreign country with a man she didn't know. It took her years to get to a healthy place. Only through self-discovery and a lot of missteps along the way was she able to find peace with who she is. "My mother gave me what she thought I needed, what her mother thought she needed. She thought she was doing her best by making sure I had the training to be a 'good wife' and arranging a marriage to the perfect husband," said Janke. "That's why I can relate to what these men are experiencing. Their mothers weren't there for them emotionally, and I know what that's like. I accept them for who they are and tell them they have value." Drive Janke not only makes sure that the men at Camp Haven have food and shelter, she shows them respect and compassion. But she expects them to give of themselves, too. "There are no handouts here. You have to do your part," she says of the facility's tough love environment. Janke was a dutiful daughter. She attended boarding school, volunteered with the nuns, accepted the marriage her parents arranged for her and followed her husband to the United States. "When I raised my children, I was still looking for who I was," she recalls. "I wanted a different life for my daughter. She picked her husband and career, and has a beautiful family. She's the first woman in five generations that is a happy mother because it was her choice." Always a woman of drive and passion, Janke threw herself into getting an education after having her two children. She wanted to be able to "take care of herself." She graduated magna cum laude from Nova Southeastern University with a bachelor's degree in communication studies and began a career as a financial planner in Broward County. Later, she became the CEO of Medical Resources, Inc., an organization that provided primary health care to patients. 'Pain is pain' It took Janke 25 years and a near-death experience to come to grips with the fact that she could not blame others for the course her life had taken. "That's when I realized that I hadn't really lived," she says. "Living is experiencing things. You could read as many books as you want. You could be educated. But if you don't have the experience of loving and being loved, you can't know what you are looking for." It wasn't until she was strong enough to defy generations of stigma that she ventured into the men's world. Given her history and the growing women's rights culture of the 1960s, it's no wonder that Janke was initially drawn to women's organizations. But she says that she eventually realized that "pain is pain. It knows no gender. I can empathize with the men's pain. When (husband) Walter and I were working with the Source, it became apparent there was a need for a men's transitional shelter. I wasn't looking for this it found me." During their 30 years together, the couple have shared their success through the Walter and Lalita Janke Charitable Foundation, which helps fund Camp Haven, the Substance Awareness Center of Indian River County, Hibiscus Children's Center, poor children in Bangladesh through Food Relief International and families in Peru through the Chincha Clinic. Accolades A believer in the power of education, Janke has served as a member of the Florida Atlantic University Board of Trustees, Advisory Council of the FAU Center for Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies, and the Advisory Board of the Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters. The Janke's also support education by funding scholarships and graduate assistantships for students in FAU's women's studies program; FAU's Peace, Justice and Human Rights Initiative; and the Walter and Lalita Janke Innovations in Sustainability Science Research Fund. Janke founded the East Florida Chapter of United Nations Women and was recently voted in unanimously as president of the U.S. National Committee for U.N. Women, an organization that supports women's initiatives. In 2014, she was named Woman of the Year by the Junior League of Indian River County. While Janke has spent her life in search of her mission, it's clear that she has embraced the role of mother figure at Camp Haven and been embraced in return. . "I encourage them to be architects of their own lives instead of living as victims of circumstance," she said. "When I came to Camp Haven I didn't have any hope. Mrs. Janke helped me find it again. She's always looking for ways to help us," said former resident and new Facilities Manager Louie Sutton. Residents of Camp Haven are in and out of Janke's office. Asking her advice, seeking approval and looking for validation. She provides all that and more. According to former resident David Moshier, "Mrs. Janke took me in under her wing, when all the world said I was a bad egg. She nurtured and supported me until my best self emerged." "I feel here, among the poor in spirit, that I have found the joy in my life," says Janke with a peaceful smile. If you are fortunate enough to have a mother in your life, be sure to tell her "Thank you!" whether she's your biological provider of moral and emotional support, or someone who took the time to help you find your way. SHARE May 4, 2016 By Staff Report ADVISORIES: The chance for stronger storms on the Treasure Coast will be in the late afternoon and evening, ahead of a cold front that will move through later tonight. These showers and storms will move fairly quickly, at 25 to 30 mph and occasionally quicker. Boaters will need to keep an eye to the west and seek safe harbor well ahead of threatening weather. Threats include heavy rainfall with nuisance flooding, strong wind gusts, frequent lightning and small hail. Keep an eye on conditions with our live weather radar. TODAY'S FORECAST Widespread showers and lightning storms are moving over the peninsula, and the chance of precipitation is 100 percent. Winds are around 10 mph. The day's highs topped out in the 70s on the Treasure Coast, and have been falling since morning. Vero Beach reached 73 degrees before temperatures started falling by about 10 a.m. Fort Pierce also topped out at 73 around 1 a.m. today. Stuart was the warmest, at 77 degrees, before tempertures started falling before noon. Tonight, we could see occasional showers and possibly a thunderstorm before 8 p.m., then showers and thunderstorms likely, mainly between 8 p.m. and midnight. Expect a low around 60 and a west wind of 10 to 15 mph. The chance of precipitation is 80 percent. Sunrise was at 6:40 a.m. Sunset will be at 7:58 p.m. EXTENDED FORECAST Source: National Weather Service Thursday: Sunny, with a high near 83. West wind around 15 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph. Thursday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 56. West northwest wind around 10 mph. Friday: Sunny, with a high near 77. West northwest wind 10 to 15 mph. Friday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 53. West northwest wind 5 to 15 mph. Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 80. West northwest wind around 10 mph. Saturday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 64. North wind around 5 mph becoming calm. Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 83. West wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the morning. Sunday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 68. East southeast wind 5 to 10 mph. Monday: Sunny, with a high near 83. Southwest wind around 5 mph becoming southeast in the afternoon. Monday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 70. Southeast wind around 10 mph. Tuesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 83. East southeast wind around 10 mph. TODAY'S TIDE FORECAST Source: National Weather Service Sebastian Inlet Bridge High tides: 6:20 a.m. and 6:57 p.m. Low tides: 12:09 a.m. and 12:34 p.m. Fort Pierce Inlet, South Jetty High tides: 6:37 a.m. and 7:14 p.m. Low tides: 12:15 a.m. and 12:40 p.m. MARINE FORECAST Source: National Weather Service Today: Southwest winds 5 to 10 knots becoming west 15 to 20 knots late in the afternoon. Seas 2 to 3 feet with a dominant period 9 seconds. Choppy on the intracoastal waters. Occasional showers and thunderstorms likely. Tonight: West winds 20 to 25 knots becoming northwest 15 to 20 knots after midnight. Seas 3 to 4 feet with a dominant period 9 seconds. Rough on the intracoastal waters. Chance of showers and thunderstorms in the evening. Thursday: Northwest winds 15 to 20 knots. Seas 3 to 5 feet with a dominant period 6 seconds. Choppy on the intracoastal waters. Thursday Night: Northwest winds 15 to 20 knots. Seas 3 to 5 feet. Choppy on the intracoastal waters. Friday: Northwest winds 15 knots. Seas 3 to 4 feet. A moderate chop on the intracoastal waters. Friday Night: Northwest winds 15 to 20 knots. Seas 3 to 4 feet. Saturday: Northwest winds 10 to 15 knots becoming north 5 to 10 knots in the afternoon. Seas 2 to 3 feet. Saturday Night: North winds 5 to 10 knots becoming northwest after midnight. Seas 2 to 3 feet. Sunday: Northwest winds 5 to 10 knots becoming southeast 5 knots in the afternoon. Seas 2 feet. Storm clouds hang over Vero Beach May 4, 2016, as motorists deal with the aftermath of morning thunderstorms. (LAMAUR STANCIL/TREASURE COAST NEWSPAPERS) SHARE Storm clouds hang over Vero Beach May 4, 2016. (LAMAUR STANCIL/TREASURE COAST NEWSPAPERS) By Staff Report Wednesday's weather left some Treasure Coast residents without power, while others had to postpone their plans. During the day, dozens of Florida Power & Light Co. customers briefly lost power on the Treasure Coast. Vero Beach Utilities also reported sporadic outages Wednesday morning. Rain chances remain high for Wednesday night. The forecast led officials to reschedule Wednesday night's high school state softball tournament at Historic Dodgertown in Vero Beach. John Carroll Catholic School's state semifinal against defending champion Lakeland Christian has been moved to 9:50 a.m. Thursday. In Cape Canaveral, the weather forced SpaceX to move its Wednesday night launch for its Falcon 9 rocket to 1:21 a.m. Friday. WEATHER IMPACT Weather delays start of FHSAA state softball tournament Stormy day ahead for Treasure Coast SpaceX launch moved to Friday morning Thank you for reading! Please purchase a subscription to read our premium content. If you have a subscription, please log in or sign up for an account on our website to continue. National Association of Software and Service Companies (NASSCOM) has highlighted the concerns of the Business Process Management (BPM) Sector in NCR region and how this is impacting business and safety of its employees, particularly women. The press meet was attended by representatives of leading BPM companies in the region. The recent ban on diesel taxis in Delhi NCR region has brought the BPM (formerly BPO) industry almost to a standstill. The BPM industry in NCR alone provides direct and indirect employment to over 1 million people and many of them work on mission critical project for global clients with a significant portion of the industry working in night shifts. With 38% women employees in our industry, their safety has always been a big concern to us. Moreover as per the law of the land, we are mandated to provide transportation for home drop to employees working after 8PM. Taxis play a major role in ensuring this. In absence of any reliable public transport, complying with this statutory guideline is impossible says Raman Roy, Vice Chairman NASSCOM and MD, Quatrro. Keshav Murugesh, Group CEO of WNS and Chairman of the NASSCOM BPM Council said, This is indeed a matter of major concern. We had an emergency meeting among all BPM industry players today to discuss the urgent need to delay the implementation of this order. We need immediate relief as this involves the delivery of critical operations to clients outside India, half of the workforce of this industry is women, and their safety is paramount. We hope that the judiciary appreciates our predicament and resolves it by delaying the implementation. The infrastructure is not ready as on date to take on the ruling and if still implemented without careful planning around alternates, it can lead to disastrous consequences. We will work with the government, IT ministry and judiciary. The industry that is largely youth dominated and export oriented contributes over USD 25 billion with NCR being a major hub for operations by big companies many whom are MNCs and Fortune 500. On an average 60-65% employees reside within Delhi and need to reach their offices in Gurgaon & Noida where the industry is located. Many cases of harassment have been reported with vehicles being stopped, challaned and delayed for significant period of time in last two days. Various companies, both Indian & MNCs have reported loss in productivity though business continuity has been invoked to ensure global clients are not impacted. As an industry, we are perhaps the cleanest, least polluting and most compliant. If the appropriate infrastructure like enough CNG stations & good supply factory fitted CNG vehicles is made available, we can switch expeditiously stated Ms. Vidya Srinivasan, Sr VP, Genpact. Companies have already taken steps to use public transport, switch to CNG but the gap is still very big to fill. NASSCOM representatives have met Delhi Police and Ministry of IT, reached to various ministries like Finance, Heavy Industries, and Environment and also to PMO to share pressing concerns about the continuity of the industry which has suddenly come under threat due to non-availability of reliable transport. Many companies are viewing this as a death knell for BPM industry given practical challenges like long waiting at CNG Stations, limited vehicles, no technology to convert diesel to CNG, Insurance and warranty of retrofitted vehicles etc. Companies wish to comply but where are the cabs. NASSCOM has requested for support from the government and Supreme Court on the following three points to ensure the industry is not put to risk and jobs move to other cities or countries. These include: Deferred timeline for the movement of Diesel to CNG or phased implementation as per Delhi Governments plan. Exemption for employees to be picked up and dropped home during the night shift Specify the permit needed by the Cabs of IT/BPM industry challans and impounding cars creating security and safety issues NASSCOM has been actively supporting anti-pollution drives, pro-environment moves and has been actively taking up various initiatives like Car Free Day, Active Commuting, Walk to work, Promoting use of public transport, asking for better infrastructure, access to metro station, proper lighting all of which will help in creating a sustainable and greener modes of transport in long run. @ Technuter.com News Service Baidu (Photo : Baidu) Three Chinese agencies are investigating the death of a young male student afflicted with cancer who took a therapy from an online advertisement posted in Chinas internet search giant. To probe Baidu over the death of 21-year-old Wei Zexi are the Cyberspace Administration of China, National Health Commission and another agency, reported The Wall Street Journal. Wei had synovial sarcoma, a rare type of cancer affecting tissues around major joints. Advertisement Wei had several unsuccessful treatments in the form of radiation and chemotherapy and chanced upon the Beijing Armed Police Corps No. 2 Hospital in a Baidu paid result. Friend and relatives of Wei raised 200,000 yuan for the alternative treatment which was not effective and controversial. The student died in April, reported Whats on Weibo. Baidu said it would cooperate with the probe and would commit to provide a safe and trustworthy search experience for its users. It said in a statement that the search engine would not allow fake information or illegal activities online. For Q1 of 2016, online ads accounted for 94 percent of Baidus revenue. Xinhua News Agency scored Baidu for allowing companies to have better search placement, which earns the search engine good income. It compared the practice to placing a good toll in the hands of interest-seekers with bad intentions. But Weis parents are not seeking compensation or even filing a lawsuit. The parents added they do not hate Baidu or the hospital. However, before he died, Wei posted his story on Zhihu, a popular Q&A website in China wherein he criticized the hospital that treated him and Baidu for providing the hospital the platform. The creator of Bitcoin has been a mystery for many years. Known only for the pseudonym Satoshi Nakamoto, the mastermind behind the digital currency remained anonymous since Bitcoin was launched in 2009. Speculations on the identity of the Bitcoin creator, however, may soon be put to an end after an Australian claimed to be the elusive person behind the controversial virtual currency that has attracted the interests of financial institutions, criminals and regulators. Craig Wright identified himself on Monday as the inventor of the world's most popular digital currency. Wright, who described himself as a computer scientist and entrepreneur, has held jobs relating to IT, computer science and cybersecurity. Cryptographers suggested of at least two ways the creator of Bitcoin could identify himself. One is that Nakamoto could move some of the earliest Bitcoins that he has never spent. He may also use cryptographic "private keys" to sign a message that would transform the message's data so as to prove he has the keys that only Nakamoto would have. Wright said he can't send the bitcoins because these are now owned by a trust. Nonetheless, he performed the second test signing a message chosen by Bitcoin Foundation chief scientist Gavin Andresen with a key from the first block of 50 coins claimed by an early Bitcoin miner, in this case Nakamoto himself. The private demo, comparable to showing proof Wright has the secret credentials to get into Nakamoto's bank account, had Andresen convinced Wright is indeed who he claims to be. Wright also published a largely technical post on his blog demonstrating his ability to use Nakamoto's cryptographic keys to prove he is the founder of the digital currency. Some, however, remain skeptical. Security researcher Dan Kaminsky said Wright simply re-used a signature that was already public. "What he actually has is Satoshi's signature on parts of the public Blockchain, which of course means he doesn't need the private key and he doesn't need to be Satoshi." Kaminsky wrote. "The Blockchain is totally public and of course has signatures from Satoshi, so Wright being able to lift a signature from here isn't surprising at all." Cryptocurrency expert Emin Gun Sirer, from Cornell University, shares the same view. He said that Wright failed to provide Satoshi Nakamoto's "free-standing signature." "Even with cryptographic proof, there's still the possibility that the real Satoshi's keys may have been compromised or reverse-engineered," Sirer said. "But we have not even seen that yet. What we've seen looks like a deliberate attempt to mislead." 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. A Chinese family is currently appealing for help for their baby, who was born with a very rare congenital condition. A couple of migrant workers received the shock of their lives when they found out that their son, nicknamed Hong Hong and now 3 months old, was born with a very rare and extreme case of polydactyly: a total of 16 toes and 15 fingers. This is aside from a pair of palms on each hand and no thumbs. Polydactyly is a congenital deformation characterized by the presence of extra fingers and toes, which may be so small they are called nubbins or fully formed that they can have their own set of bones. They may also be non-functional or be complex they can prevent the person from using the hands or feet properly. Although there have been reported cases of polydactyly in humans and animals, it doesn't happen often. Further, it's very rare to find a polydactylous person with this number of digits. Polydactyly can also be passed on, although it cannot be determined when it will appear in the next generation since scientists are still trying to figure out the specific gene that may be causing it. It can be dominant, in which case the chance of having a child with polydactyly is 50 percent if one of the parents has the same condition. "Alternatively a gene change might be recessive, in which case the chance of a person with polydactyly passing that trait onto a child is much smaller, depending on their partner's family history," said the National Human Genome Research Institute. Incidentally, the mother of the child was also born with an extra finger in one of her hands, but the couple, who hail from Hunan Province, have made it clear they took all the steps before the child was born. "My wife has one extra finger and toe on each of her hands and feet, so we were worried that our child would inherit the condition. But after going to three big hospitals in Shenzhen, doctors found no birth defects on our son during scans," said Zou Chenglin, the father. The couple is bent on having the child undergo surgery to remove the extra digits and hopefully allow him to live a normal life that's free of difficulty and risk of being bullied. They are now asking for support from the public and local charities to help them raise up to 500,000 yuan ($77,000), which will cover both the risky surgery, which should be performed between 6 months and 1 year before the bones set in, and the recovery. 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. (Photo : Martin Frouz and Jiri Svoboda) New DNA analysis techniques are revealing new information about human migrations in Europe during the Ice Age. How did researchers uncover a wealth of new secrets hidden in the ancient genetic code? Ancient DNA left over from the last ice age shows that all Europeans, at one time, were descended from early humans living in Belgium. Analysis of genomes also suggested our distant ancestors underwent significant evolutionary changes during the Ice Age and a few thousand years following that frigid era. A total of 51 genetic samples were examined in the latest study, a vast improvement in understanding compared with the four examples available previous to now. Temperatures began to warm in Europe roughly 19,000 years ago, freeing the continent of widespread ice sheets. As the frozen cover receded, human populations from modern-day Spain migrated toward the north. Approximately 5,000 years after that time, a second group of people began to travel from southeastern Europe into northern and western regions of the continent. These migrants from Greece and Turkey displaced the earlier population. The last major ice age peaked between 35,000 and 19,000 years before the modern day, coming to an end around 12,000 years ago. At the height of this period, ice cover reached as far south as northern France. "The ability to obtain genome-scale data from ancient bones is a new technology that's only been around for the last five or six years. It's a new scientific instrument that makes it possible to look at things that have not been looked at before," said David Reich of the Harvard Medical School. Ancient DNA often contains a distinctive error in which a segment of cytosine is replaced by uracil. This change is rarely seen in modern chains of genetic codes. Researchers used this fact to their advantage, examining only DNA that exhibited this error. This allowed investigators to analyze samples of nearly-pure ancient genetic code. Modern humans first entered Europe roughly 45,000 years before the modern age. This migration spelled the end of Neanderthals, which had previously inhabited the continent. All of the ancient Europeans examined in this study exhibited lineages that traced back to a population that lived 37,000 years ago in a region that would later be known as Belgium. This group was later displaced, and a new population arrived in Europe 14,000 years ago, traveling from the east. Analysis of the ancient DNA and study of what the genetic code can tell us about the history of ice age humans in Europe was published in the journal Nature. 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. And they keep coming: Johnson & Johnson is facing about 1,200 lawsuits accusing the company of ignoring studies that link Johnsons Baby Powder and Shower-to-Shower to ovarian cancer. The complainants argue in the state and federal courts that the company knew the risk, yet failed to warn its customers. Just this week, a U.S. jury ordered J&J to pay $55 million to South Dakota-based Gloria Ristesund, who claimed that the use of the talc powder for feminine hygiene resulted in the development of ovarian cancer. After a three-week trial, jurors decided to award Ristesund $5 million in compensatory damages as well as $50 million in punitive damages. This marked J&Js second loss this year, as it was also told in the same St. Louis courthouse in February to pay $72 million to the family of 62-year-old Jackie Fox, who died of the same disease. About 1,000 of the pending talcum-powder related suits are in St. Louis, while another 200 are filed in New Jersey, according to Jim Onder, who serves as attorney for the plaintiffs in the two recent cases. Onder argued that the New-Jersey based J&J had knowledge of talcum powder dangers for more than 30 years. Instead of giving a warning, what they did was targeted the groups most at risk for developing ovarian cancer, he said, pertaining to overweight women, Hispanics, and blacks. The debate is heating up: some studies suggest that women regularly using talc face up to a 40 percent greater risk of getting ovarian cancer, while J&J presents medical proof that its Johnsons Baby Powder and Shower-to-Shower are faultless. The jurys decision, argued J&J spokesperson Carol Goodrich, contradicts three decades of medical studies worldwide that continue to support the safety of cosmetic talc. The American Cancer Society pinpointed two aspects of the concern: whether individuals exposed long-term to natural talc fibers have a greater lung cancer risk, or whether women applying talc in their genital area regularly have a higher ovarian cancer risk. Talc a naturally occurring substance from the soil and made up of magnesium, silicon, oxygen as well as hydrogen is widely used in talcum powder and other personal care products to absorb moisture and improve the cosmetic products feel and anti-caking quality. Carl Tobias, an expert in product-liability law, said more losses in court will add to the growing distrust of one of J&Js most iconic products. There are both economic and reputational issues that may motivate them to start thinking about a global settlement of these cases, he said in a Bloomberg report, recommending the company to consider mounting a settlement program to address the talc cases. Thousands of women and their family members flocked to the plaintiffs lawyers after the Fox verdict came out, Jere Beasley, a lawyer, said in March. He reported that his firm, which is one of different firms representing Ristesund and the Fox family, is now reviewing more than 5,000 potential claims. In 2013, the jury in a federal court in South Dakota found J&J negligent in a related case, yet did not award damages to the plaintiff. J&J is facing another talc case in St. Louis this September. Photo: Austin Kirk | Flickr 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has expressed his intention to appoint Mexican Foreign Minister Patricia Espinosa Cantellano as new climate chief. Espinosa Cantellano was nominated as executive secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). The new UN head will oversee and strengthen the Paris climate change agreement that was signed in December by over 190 nations and commits to slashing greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2100. The climate chief will help bolster the agreement and promote the shift of the world economy from fossil fuels to cleaner energy forms such as solar and wind power. Ms. Espinosa Cantellano has more than 30 years of experience at highest levels in international relations, specializing in climate change, global governance, sustainable development and protection of human rights, stated a UN news release on the recent nomination. The potential future climate chief has been serving as Mexican ambassador to Germany since 2012, a post she also held from 2001 to 2002. Previously, she was also a foreign affairs minister from 2006 to 2012. The 57-year-old Mexican diplomat achieved high marks when she presided at annual UN climate negotiations in Cancun in 2010 while she was a foreign minister. Her move to help negotiations on stopping global warming back on track which was met with a standing ovation followed the failure of a 2009 Copenhagen summit. Costa Rican Christiana Figueres, who will step down this July after six years of heading the U.N. Climate Change Secretariat, confirmed the nomination in a tweet. According to the Bonn-based secretariat, the appointment needs to be green-lighted by an 11-member UN bureau, with members representing government groups worldwide and is currently helmed by French Environment Minister Segolene Royal. The bureau maintains no history of challenging the secretary-generals nominations, although some diplomats had expected that the task would move from Latin America. In related news, Erik Solheim, the newly appointed head of the Nairobi-based United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), said he seeks to make the organization more relatable to the average person and to further engage the private sector in achieving global climate goals. To be successful in the UN, I think we also need to change our ways. Far too often people are speaking in very bureaucratic language and using lots of acronyms that people in the streets of Helsinki or Shanghai cannot understand and relate to, he explained in a phone interview with Washington Post. He said he wants to make the average Chinese or South African engage with the environment and alter their language into being more emotional, more scientific, and less bureaucratic in tone. He also highlighted the role of the private sector in helping governments and the World Bank make things happen on the climate mitigation front, asserting that no one can change the world alone. 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Climate change, particularly unprecedented sea level rise, is already creating refugees in the United States. Back in January, the Department of Housing and Urban Development announced that it will allocate $1 billion in grants to 13 states to help them adapt to climate change. The projects will include building stronger dams as well as drainage systems. Among those grants was $48 million for Isle de Jean Charles, the first time federal tax dollars were reserved for moving an entire community mired with the impacts of climate change. The low-lying island on the Gulf coast of Louisiana is already sinking. The island is home to a few dozen people whose way of life is rooted from generations back. They are now getting displaced and turned into climate refugees. Were going to lose all our heritage, all our culture. Its all going to be history, mourned Chief Albert Naquin of the Biloxi-Chitimacha-Choctaw, the tribe where most of the islands residents belong, in a New York Times report. From once being 22,000 acres in size, the island has now been reduced to only 320 acres. According to 2009 data reported by Northern Arizona University, only 25 houses remained occupied, down from 63 only five years earlier. In a release, Louisiana Office of Community Development executive director Pat Forbes said that the tribe is frontlining the disaster of Louisianas coastal land loss. The grant, she added, will help them resettle to a safer location and serve as a model for resettlement of endangered U.S. communities. Since the 1950s, the Native American tribe has already lost some 98 percent of its land to climbing sea levels, flooding and coastal erosion, with the island suspected to be totally submerged in a matter of 50 years. Naquin expressed excitement in an Indian Country Today interview over their chance to reunite the family and keep the culture intact. According to reports, the tribe will remain owners of the island even after relocating to its new community, something that could take place as soon as 2019. The first-of-its-kind grant must be spent by 2022. The Louisiana tribe members are far from being alone as the countrys official climate refugees. In Alaska, more than 180 villages are affected by climate change, the worst off being the Yupik community of Newtok that is forecasted to be fully submerged by 2017. The United Nations Institute for Environment and Human Security and the International Organization for Migration estimated that climate change could displace as many as 200 million individuals by 2050. Most of these would likely be fisherfolk and farmers relying on the environment for their livelihood. Photo: The Approximate Photographer | Flickr 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. After their discovery of the gravitational waves, scientists are in for another celebration as they will receive their monetary reward for Fundamental Physics. In February, the group observed gravitational waves 100 years after it was first proposed by Albert Einstein. Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) group led by Ronald Drever, Rainer Weiss, and Kip Thorne, along with thousands of engineers and physicists get to receive the $3 million Special Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics awarded by a foundation backed by Silicon Valley investors. The prize, to be awarded during a formal ceremony in December, will be divided among the group. The founders will share the $1 million, while the remaining $2 million will be equally divided to 1,012 engineers and physicists who were part of the LIGO team. Thorne, who is also a California Institute of Technology professor of theoretical physics, spoke of his gratitude for all the members of the team who worked with them in detecting the gravitational waves, which offers a different way to study the universe. Prize selection committee chair and Princeton Institute for Advanced Study mathematical physics professor Ed Witten is enthusiastic to learn more of what the gravitational waves would reveal. The universe, Witten said, may be filled with cosmic strings that can only be studied with their gravitational signal. 2013 Special Breakthrough Prize winner Stephen Hawking said the discovery of gravitational waves is very significant for the scientific community, as it provides proof for general relativity and for its ability to predict black hole mergers. Hawking also mentioned that gravitational waves open up a new astronomy that will give a better understanding of the universe. Silicon Valley investors, including Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg, Russian billionaire Yuri Milner, and 23andme co-founder Anne Wojcicki, are behind the Breakthrough Prize Foundation that has awarded more than $160 million to researchers and scientists since 2012. While many are criticizing the monetary reward, Weiss said the prize sends an important message to the public. Thorne said public awareness of science and its multitude of achievements are very important. "Science is a crucial tool for the future of humanity and for solving today's societal problems; but science cannot achieve its potential unless the public understands and appreciates it," said Thorne. "Prizes like this are an important part of that." Photo: Werner Benger/NASA Blueshift | Flickr 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. U.S health officials have recommended behavior modification therapy over drugs for treating children between 2 and 4 years old with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). In a report published in Morbidity and Mortality Week Report on May 3, researchers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said that parents of young children with ADHD should try behavior therapy first before resorting to medication. The recommendation is raised over findings that 75 percent of young children with ADHD are given drugs and only about half receive psychological services, which includes behavior therapy. "[O]nly about 54% of the young children in Medicaid and 45% of the children with employer-sponsored insurance (2011) annually received psychological services (including parent training in behavior therapy)," the CDC report reads. Although medication such as Ritalin can help kids with ADHD, this treatment is associated with side effects such as suppressed appetite, sleep problems, and disrupted growth. In 2011, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) issued guidelines that recommend behavior therapy as the first-line treatment for young children diagnosed with ADHD. Despite AAP's recommendation, however, the percentage of children with ADHD who receive psychological services for their condition has not increased in recent years. The percentage even slightly dropped among children with private insurance from 44 percent to 42 percent within a three-year period from 2011 to 2014. What makes behavior therapy better than medication is that it can be as effective as medicine sans the unwanted side effects. It involves a therapist helping parents acquire parenting skills that can improve their children's behavior. Parents also learn how to encourage positive behavior while discouraging unwanted ones, and improve the way they communicate with their children. Although this form of therapy requires more time, effort and resources compared with treatment using medications, studies suggest that its effect is longer lasting than those of ADHD drugs. CDC principal deputy director Anne Schuchat said that while giving ADHD medication may be appropriate at times, it is crucial that doctors discuss behavior therapy with parents as first step in treating children with ADHD. "Parents aren't the cause of their child's ADHD, but they can play an important role in treatment," Schuchat said. Figures from the CDC show that in 2011, about 6.4 million children between 4 and 17 years old were diagnosed with ADHD. Children with the condition are often hyperactive. They may not be able to control their impulses and have difficulty paying attention. Photo: Marcelo Alves | Flickr 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. The Toyota Camry is known as the best-selling car in America, which sets expectations at a high mark for the upcoming 2016 model. Various reviews on the vehicle have mostly been positive though, which makes it entirely possible for the 2016 Toyota Camry to retain its title. According to CNET's Andrew Krok, among the good things about the 2016 Toyota Camry is that the sedan features significant interior space, with the vehicle being an accessible and easy one for drivers of all ages. This is accompanied by a new, youthful look that will surely attract younger drivers into purchasing the vehicle. Kelley Blue Book's Joe Tralongo also mentions the design of the vehicle doesn't look like a "generic rental clone," which is good enough for an affordable family sedan. The 2016 Toyota Camry, however, looks more youthful compared to the vehicle that is looking to dethrone it as the best-selling car in America, the Honda Accord. Driving impressions of the vehicle, according to a full expert review on Edmunds, reveals that the 2016 Toyota Camry is more responsive compared to previous models, in addition to being generally more composed when turning corners. The ease of driving is even more pronounced in the non-base trims. Quietness and comfort, traits that the Camry has been known for, are still very much present in the 2016 model. Downsides of the vehicle include the lack of certain features that could be commonly seen in competing vehicles, such as support for Apple CarPlay and the presence of additional ports, as noted by Krok. The same downside is noted by Tralongo, who stated that the vehicle is not as rich in features as other sedans such as the Ford Fusion, Kia Optima and Chrysler 200. There is also no all-wheel drive or turbocharged engine options for the 2016 Toyota Camry, though there is a hybrid model available for the sedan. All in all, the 2016 Toyota Camry is a vehicle that focuses more on practicality and comfort over style and sporting features. For drivers and families that would prefer function over flair, the vehicle would be a near-perfect choice. The price of the 2016 Toyota Camry starts at $23,070, with a four-cylinder engine capable of churning out 28 miles per gallon. 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Lake Maracaibo in Venezuela has been hailed as the world's lightning capital by American and Brazilian researchers. In a new study, the experts found that every square kilometer of the lake, located in the northwest of the country, is faced with 233 flashes of electricity every year. What Made Lake Maracaibo Top The List? Lake Maracaibo has an intensely increased temperature and humid weather that is also filled with chilly winds from Andes Mountains, which is just near the lake. These features make the lake a perfect location for thunderstorms. In the biggest form of water in South America, lightning occurs nearly every night, with an average occurrence of 297 days in a year. "These thunderstorms are very localized and their persistent development anchored in one location accounts for the high flash rate density," the authors write. How Did They Do It? The team monitored lightning patterns all around the world over the course of 16 years. They specifically investigated information collated by the Lightning Imaging Sensor attached to the NASA Tropical Rainfall Measurement Mission satellite. The said sensor monitors near-infrared light to catch flashes that occur during the day. NASA lightning expert Daniel Cecil once said that the sensor is taking very fast updates. Therefore, it will calculate a background scene and, with the updates, enable experts to confirm if there are abrupt changes in brightness from the said scene. In the event that alterations occur, the sensor will tag it as a lightning flash. Richard Blakeslee, also a lightning expert from NASA, says the sensor allows them to see the rate density of lightning flashes with utmost precision on a global level. More About Lightning The behavior of lightning, including intensity and frequency, can alter in times of strong climate events such as storms, hurricanes and tornadoes. Being able to comprehend these factors may aid experts to better predict storms and enhance the release of public safety warnings. The study was published in the Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society. 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. China To Give Residency Rights To Migrant Families (Photo : Getty Images) A case of a stolen identity was revealed after the victim found that someone used Liu Honglis details to obtain a household registration, or hukou, in Beijing. It took 11 years before the identity theft was discovered. China Daily reported that Liu, a teacher who lives in Xiangcheng, Henan Province, discovered her hukou was void when she tried to apply for a bank loan in September. Her household registration was moved to Beijing by a Cheng Yuanyuan. Advertisement It turned out that Cheng obtained her hukou in January 2005 using Lius university certificate. A year before, Lius friend borrower her university certificate to apply for a job for Cheng, a relative of Lius friend. Besides using the certificate, Cheng also used Lius personal information to falsify her application for household registration. When the Public Security Bureau of the Dongcheng District discovered what Cheng did, it cancelled the womans hukou, while the Xiangcheng police issued Liu a new household registration. Cheng is being investigated. The household registration is a requirement among Chinese citizens and determines a persons access to education and other social services in the place where their hukou is registered. Children of residents of Beijing without the hukou could attend public school but must pay a fee. However, they would not be eligible for college entrance exam. Under a draft legislation issued by Beijing in December, migrants could still secure a hukou in the capital city if they meet certain conditions. Following the State Councils call for a reform of the hukou, 29 province-level regions have made known plans to reform their household registration system as part of the planned unified households registration system in urban and rural residents, reported China.org. Apple recently lost a trademark suit against a Chinese company, virtually losing the right to exclusively use the "IPHONE" brand in the country. The legal action pitted the American OEM against Xintong Tiandi Technology (Beijing) Co. Ltd., a Chinese venture that crafts and merchandises handbags and other leather products under the "IPHONE" name. The Beijing Municipal High People's Court refuted Apple's appeal of the trademark dispute on March 31, according to a report from Legal Daily (Chinese link - translated). The ruling concedes the local company full rights to use the globally renowned name on its leather purses, handbags and cellphone cases. You may check out the full array of products that Xintong Tiandi offers, on its official website. The company filed a patent to register the "IPHONE" brand as early as 2007. However, Apple had already trademarked the same name for electronics five years prior, in 2002. In 2012, Apple addressed the issue with the Chinese trademark regulator and continued to pursue the legal matter in a lower Beijing court. State authorities did not agree with the OEM. The Chinese trademark regulator stated in a 2013 ruling that Apple is unable to prove that "IPHONE" was a renown brand in the country before Xintong Tiandi registered it. In the state agency's opinion, Apple's interests will be unharmed. The recent ruling of the Municipal High People's Court of Beijing backs the trademark agency's point of view. The court explains that iPhones first entered stores in mainland China in 2009, and takes no note of the small "I" in the smartphone's name. Should you be fluent in Chinese, you may read Xintong Tiandi's statement on its official page. The leather products manufacturer sees in the court's ruling an example of "free market." The company notes that it plans to work closely with Apple for the benefit of consumers of both electronics and leather products. China remains the world's most lucrative market for smartphones, in spite of registered results ranking lower than expected. In 2015, Apple ranked third in term of sales, after local companies Huawei and Xiaomi. More than 49 million iPhones found owners in the country, cutting Apple a 11.3 percent slice of the Chinese handset market. 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. In a series of tweets using the "#Missing" hashtag, Motorola India takes a playful approach of teasing its upcoming smartphones. The tweets show people who are allegedly missing because of certain circumstances brought by the lack or the "disappointing" features of their handsets. Motorola is preparing to host a big event on May 17, when it is expected to announce the upcoming Moto G4 and G4 Plus devices. Invitations to the event were already sent out in Mexico and New Delhi, but Motorola India is taking things to the next level as far as tweeting is concerned. In some of the tweets, Motorola India stressed the need for better device security to protect one's browser history, and how a better battery can help prevent anyone from missing out on important life events such, as proposing to the girl that one likes. #Missing since his dad saw his browser history. With better security, make it daddy proof. Coming soon! pic.twitter.com/pTFR8wvroc Moto India (@Moto_IND) April 29, 2016 #MISSING since he was about to propose a girl he likes. With better battery, no more missing out. Coming soon! pic.twitter.com/Ln5dH5czxO Moto India (@Moto_IND) April 30, 2016 Motorola India also tweeted on the inconveniences brought by a device that suddenly stopped working, which can be particularly annoying if it happens while playing a game. #MISSING since Rohan was playing his favourite game and the phone hung! Don't miss out on victory. Coming soon! pic.twitter.com/rcx7P7NHMa Moto India (@Moto_IND) May 1, 2016 Other "missing" themed tweets include how a better camera can prevent one from missing important milestones such as birthdays and other special occasions, how a better battery ensures spending uninterrupted time with a loved one and how users can enjoy better groupfie images with their handsets. With all these messages, it's obvious that Motorola wants consumers to know that its upcoming handsets are designed to meet huge expectations while enhancing the user experience. According to rumors, the Moto G4 will feature a 5.5-inch full HD display, an octa-core processor, 2 GB RAM, 13 MP camera and 16 GB of internal storage. Some of these features will also be seen on the Moto G4 Plus, although this model might come with a better 16 MP rear camera, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 650 chipset, a 3 GB RAM, and a fingerprint scanner on the handset's home button. As for the design, the two handsets will reportedly come with metal frames while the rear will have a plastic build. At launch, the devices will come in Black and White hues and shall have rear covers that are interchangeable and in various color options. Rumored price points for the handsets are $200 and $229 for the 2 GB RAM and 3 GB RAM variants of Moto G4, respectively. The Moto G4 Plus, with its premium specs, is expected to come at a premium price point as well. Needless to mention, Motorola India's new teaser ads on Twitter do not feature actual missing persons. It's just a ruse to highlight how important smartphones have become, but the #missing hashtag may cause some confusion. 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. An anonymous Greek official confirmed on May 4 that Greece's central bank was the victim of a cyberattack on May 3. According to the source, the attack lasted "several minutes" and targeted the bank's security systems. The group Anonymous, an activist hacking organization, is responsible for the cybersecurity breach. In a YouTube video, Anonymous had previously warned that it would soon begin a 30-day campaign called "OpIcarus Shut Down the Banks" against central banks around the world. "The time has come to send the wings of their empire ablaze," Anonymous stated. "Take your weapons and aim them at the global banking cartel." Other banks that are being targeted are located in the U.S., UK, China, Iran and Pakistan. The Bank of Greece is still working to fully resolve the issues created by Anonymous for its customers. A Denial-of-Service Attack, or DDoS attack, can affect everything from mobile banking to PC banking. In a previous video, Anonymous stated that it will specifically target New York Stock Exchange and Bank of England as well. "They feel comfortable in their ivory towers built on the broken backs of laborers of the world," the group said. "It is time to show the world the true power and the true face of the faceless." While the Greek bank hacking made headlines, the anonymous official who confirmed the attack said that the "only thing affected by the DDoS" was the institution's website. Time has yet to tell whether Anonymous' attacks will be more severe on other banks. Anonymous members who intend to carry out Operation Icarus will allegedly utilize a Low Orbit Ion Cannon to simultaneously launch DDoS attacks. LOIC allows hackers to inundate servers with heavy network traffic. The OpIcarus Facebook page lists approximately 60 financial institutions that will be targeted as a part of the campaign. Anonymous was formed back in 2003, and it is an international-wide group. Its members and supporters are known for sporting Guy Fawkes masks. The group has been implicated in a number of movements, including Occupy Wall Street, WikiLeaks and the Arab Spring. In April, Anonymous made headlines for hacking a Ku Klux Klan website. 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Happy Cinco de Mayo! Although many Americans use this day as an excuse to eat Mexican food and drink margaritas, the holiday actually has a history. Most of us, though, don't really know why we're celebrating but understand that Cinco de Mayo literally means "The Fifth of May" in Spanish, and that's a good enough excuse for a party. But Cinco de Mayo is actually a Mexican holiday that celebrates the Battle of Puebla, which occurred on May 5, 1862. The year before that, France sent its massive and better-trained army to invade Mexico. France stormed its way across the country, making its way to Puebla. But in Puebla, the Mexicans stood up in force against the French and won a huge battle. The Mexican victory was short-lived, though, because France eventually recovered and took control of Mexico City. But the joy of Cinco de Mayo lived on, and is now celebrated every year as an example of the little guys standing up against the big guys. Here are some other little-known facts about Cinco de Mayo. Cinco De Mayo Is More Popular In The United States Than Mexico Although it's a Mexican holiday, more Americans celebrate the 5th of May than Mexicans. This is because the Battle of Puebla occurred while America was embroiled in civil war: Mexicans living in the United States found strength in celebrating the victory against the French in their native country. These celebrations eventually became a huge part of American culture, with the largest celebrations occurring in Los Angeles. Cinco De Mayo Is Not Mexican Independence Day Many Americans believe that Cinco de Mayo also represents the day that Mexico gained its independence as a country, but that belief is wrong. Mexico has a separate holiday, "Grito de Dolores," for its independence day, which occurs on September 16. The name comes from the town of Dolores where the independence movement in the country began. The Commercialization Of Cinco De Mayo By Alcohol Companies Began In The 1980s Cinco de Mayo was not always about seeing how many shots of tequila one could down or how many margaritas one could put away. That part of the celebration began in the 1980s when companies selling alcoholic beverages figured out that they could market the holiday as a drinking day. Now, Americans wouldn't think about celebrating the holiday without imbibing. One Of Two People Invented The Margarita Speaking of the margarita, one of the most consumed drinks on Cinco de Mayo, we're not really sure who actually invented it, although historians have narrowed it down to two people. Mexican legend states that Carlos "Danny" Herrera developed the drink around 1938 after dreaming it up for an aspiring actress who could only drink tequila. There was also a Dallas socialite, Margarita Sames, who claimed that she created the drink in 1948, which was then named after her. Americans Consume Millions Of Avocados On Cinco De Mayo Cinco de Mayo, though, isn't just about drinking lots of tequila: it's also about enjoying Mexican food, including guacamole, a popular Mexican dip made with avocados. The California Avocado Commission estimates that 81 million avocados get consumed on May 5. 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Grab your chainsaws and prepare for the next Jaws-inspired apocalypse: Sharknado is back, and this time, it's bringing even more actors in for cameo roles. Syfy released the full list of cameo appearances that fans can expect when Sharknado: The 4th Awakens hits the network this summer. The cameo list reads like a "who's who" in Hollywood B-list pop culture, but what else would fans expect from a movie that also recently boasted that it cast Gary Busey in a major role? Not only will Sharknado 4 include reality stars Duane Chapman, Cynthia Bailey, Kym Johnson, Lori Greiner, Robert Herjavec, Patti Stanger and Todd, Savannah and Grayson Chrisley, but also expect to see TV host Carrie Keagan, In Living Color's T'Keyah Crystal Keymah and Baywatch's Gena Lee Nolin and Alexandra Paul as rocket scientists and astrophysicists. Appropriately enough, Benjoy Bronk from The Howard Stern Show will portray a morning show host, while MMA fighter Frank Mir will head up security for the Shark World hotel in Las Vegas. The star-studded cameo list also includes Stacey Dash as the mayor of Chicago, as well as Dr. Drew Pinsky and David Faustino. Cameos from the world of music include Rascal Flatts' Jay DeMarcus, Motley Crue's Vince Neil and Slipknot's Corey Taylor. And of course, you can't have a movie based in Las Vegas without Mr. Vegas himself, Wayne Newton. Syfy promises that this cameo list isn't quite complete yet and that more cameos will get announced before the movie's premiere. Syfy also released the poster for the movie, which - considering its title - parodies last year's Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Sharknado: The 4th Awakens takes place five years after Sharknado 3: Oh Hell No! Fin (Ian Ziering) hasn't had to deal with sharks since then, but in the world of Sharknado, those pesky beasts turn up when and where you least expect them. Fans will also learn the fate of April (Tara Reid), after voting on social media about whether the character lived or died after events of the last movie. Sharknado: The 4th Awakens rips up television on July 31 on Syfy. Photo: Syfy 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. To best help California beef up its cybersecurity, lawmakers say they need critical information exactly how much money state agencies spend every year to safeguard sensitive data from potential hackers. The Assembly Privacy and Consumer Protection Committee on Tuesday approved legislation that would require state agencies to report their annual cybersecurity spending. Lack of oversight makes it challenging to address vulnerabilities, and it makes it difficult to identify where departments might be overspending or where additional resources might be needed and how our investment as a state compares to other large companies or other states, bill co-author Assemblyman Rich Gordon, D-Menlo Park, told the committee. Lawmakers first expressed concern about the lack of detailed accounting at a February hearing held to examine Californias cybersecurity efforts. During questioning, the state chief information security officer couldnt say how much California spends to prevent potential cyberattacks and safeguard the personal data it holds on millions of Californians. The revelation came after a blistering state auditor report released last August that found Californias cybersecurity weaknesses leave some of the states sensitive data vulnerable to unauthorized use, disclosure, or disruption. The Department of Technology is among a number of agencies this year that have asked the Legislature to authorize more spending for cybersecurity in the aftermath of the auditors report. Other requests have come from the Department of Aging, the California Environmental Protection Agency, the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control, the California Student Aid Commission and others. Co-author Jacqui Irwin, D-Thousand Oaks, said the requests for increased funding and staff show the need for standardized budget reporting. Without knowing how much we are currently spending, there is no way for the Legislature to consider how effective the new spending is and how the security needs of one state department compare to another, Irwin told the panel. This bill would provide valuable data the state needs in order to allocate resources effectively and improve the cybersecurity posture of the state going forward, she added. AB 2623 would require state agencies to report a summary of their actual and projected spending on information security beginning Feb. 1, 2017. The information is intended to supplement the data agencies are currently required to provide to the Department of Technology about their information technology and telecommunications costs, according to the bill analysis. Under the bill, the Department of Technology would be tasked with developing instructions and a format for spending reports, as well as determining the accounting methodology used to collect the data. The bill now goes to the Assembly Appropriations Committee for consideration. Hacker Whose Virus Aided Bank Heists Gets Cooperation Reward Nikita Kuzmin from Russia, who is one of the three architects of the computer malware Gozi virus, has been ordered by the U.S. District Judge to pay $6.9 million in forfeiture and restitution for infecting more than 1 million computers across the world through PDF files. People unsuspectingly installed the virus on their machines by downloading a PDF file that they would receive thats related to their interests. Kuzmin, who was arrested in 2010 and pleaded guilty in 2011, has been spared from additional prison time on top of the 37 months he has served in custody after U.S. prosecutors applauded his cooperation with their probe. The Gozi virus was first identified by the authorities back in 2007. However, by that time, Kuzmin and his associates had already drained off millions of dollars from peoples accounts. Security experts later determined that a server which had data stolen by the virus contained 10,000 accounts belonging to more than 5,200 personal computer users, of which more than 160 belonged to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), prosecutors said. According to the U.S., Gozi also infected computers in Germany, the U.K., Poland, France, Finland, Italy and Turkey. Other than stealing money himself, Kuzmin also rented out the Gozi virus to other hackers for $500 a week. He earned $250,000 from that particular scheme. Deniss Calovskis, a Latvian who wrote some of the computer code that enabled the virus to target particular banks, pleaded guilty last year and was sentenced in January to the 21 months he had already spent in U.S. custody. In December 2012, a third man, Mihai Ionut Paunescu was arrested in Romania and awaits extradition to the U.S., according to Manhattan U.S. Attorney. The coup that took place on Oct. 25, 2021 was a severe setback for the democratic process that Sudan was experiencing. | Read More Sealed with a kiss: A newlywed couple share a kiss during a huge wedding held at Zhejiang University on April 30. (Photo : Zhejiang University/ZDNews) Schools from time to time organize events and invite their alumni to renew ties with their teachers and classmates. One university in Hangzhou arranges a different kind of gathering where its alumni would share on a kind of bond that would last--ideally and hopefully--for eternity. Zhejiang University hosted another mass wedding, and this year, its for some 400 couples on its sprawling campus on April 30, according to the universitys website. Advertisement Dubbed Love@ZJU, the event had thousands witness the union of the couples, including Party Chief Jin Deshui, a Shaoxing native. Jin said that ZJUers should not only pursue building a career but should also find time for matters of the heart. He added that he was happy these alumni chose to get married in their school campus. Marriage marks a new beginning in your life and it is also a journey of your spiritual growth, said the former vice governor of Zhejiang Province. I hope that everyone can fulfill the obligation of wives and husbands and live happily afterward. Zhejiang University celebrates its 119th anniversary this year, and it has been organizing mass weddings for its alumni since 2012, according to South China Morning Post. It seems that the school made the mass wedding a part of its anniversary celebration. Some of the couples who got married came from 10 provinces in the country and others traveled all the way to China from Japan, Singapore and South Korea and as far as America and Germany. According to the university, many of the newlywed couples graduated from the university some five years ago only, reported Mail Online. Graduates from the Computer Science department invaded the ceremony as they were the majority of those who got married. There were 128 couples who attended the universitys first group wedding held on May 19, 2012; 116 in 2013; 200 in 2014, and 360 in 2015, according to Xinhua. Imminent Shutdown of The Pirate Bay & KickassTorrents Operations? Sweden Looks to Takedown TPB as Finland ISPs Set to Block KAT URL KickAss Torrents (Photo : Facebook) Popular file-sharing sites The Pirate Bay and KickassTorrents, regarded as the ultimate haven for pirates looking to score free digital contents, are facing impending shutdown threats as Swedish and Finnish authorities and rights holders are reportedly stepping up efforts to takedown two of the most dominant torrent providers in the world. Advertisement In Sweden, the country's anti-piracy enforcement agency has revealed plans to immediately halt The Pirate Bay's operations. TPB domains are set to be seized even as investigations are underway while Swedish Internet service providers (ISPs) will be advised to block the website. Paul , chief of Sweden's Intellectual Property (IP) enforcement agency, is convinced that court ruling is no longer required to implement the blockade. "They (sites like The Pirate Bay) commit crimes, they should be removed from the Internet. I see it as an additional tool to combat piracy," Pinter was reported by TorrentFreak as saying. Pinter has already made recommendations for the Swedish government to amend the law and allow authorities to seize offending parties' tangible and intangible properties. In TPB's case, it will be the site's multiple domain names. Also, the anti-piracy boss would press for Swedish ISPs to actively block websites identified or suspected to permit copyright or trademark infringements. Meanwhile, things aren't looking too good for KickassTorrents as well as a Finnish special court already issued a ruling that directs ISPs operating in Finland to block URLs connected to KAT's operations. "An order handed down by a specialist court following a 2015 change in the law now compels the country's seven largest ISPs to block the site," TorrentFreak said in a separate report. But while the court ruling could make it harder for Finnish users to access KickassTorrents, copyrights holders are not entirely happy, citing a hole on the directive that does not compel Finnish ISPs to block KAT's IP addresses as well. "The Market Court granted the rightsholders behind the initial application a considerably more limited blocking order, which in the rightsholders' view will make the blocking partially ineffective," the report quoted an anti-piracy representative as saying. And even if the ruling will grant full implementation of the blockade, TorrentFreak said that torrent fans could easily circumvent the ban imposed on KAT and TPB (the latter previously blocked in Finland) by rerouting to proxy networks or using virtual private networks (VPN). Recently, VPN has become an add-on feature both on Opera and Google Chrome web browsers, giving tools for torrent fans to work their way around ISP blockades on specific sites such as The Pirate Bay and KickassTorrents. China's steel exports surged to a record 112 million tons last year, affecting steel producers in other countries. (Photo : Reuters) Chinese steelmaker Baosteel Group has denied accusations by U.S. Steel Corp that it was involved in stealing commercial secrets, calling it baseless, as it pledged to protect its rights, Reuters reported. Advertisement Baosteel, the country's second-biggest steelmaker and the world's fourth, issued the statement on Friday, April 29, in response to U.S. Steel, which launched a campaign urging to stop steel imports from China. "In particular, the charges claiming that Baosteel stole commercial secrets from U.S. Steel is rootless speculation and subjective assumption, and could even be described as an absurd statement," Baosteel said in statement emailed to media. "Baosteel has not and will never steal to obtain technology," the company added. The Chinese steelmaker said that it has always been dedicated to do its own original research and technology improvement. "The charges in the application violate the spirit of justice and fairness and were also disrespectful and besmirching to Baosteel and its research staff," Baosteel said. "Baosteel will protect its legal rights in accordance with related international regulations and laws," the company added. On Tuesday, April 26, a complaint was filed by U.S. Steel with the International Trade Commission (ITC) asking regulators to probe Chinese producers and their distributors which it alleged were engaged in fixing prices, evading trade duties by false labeling, and stealing trade secrets. China's commerce ministry said that the U.S. Steel's allegations had "no factual basis" as it urged the ITC to reject its call. In a statement issued on Friday, the China Iron and Steel Association said that the allegations of intellectual property infringement were "completely baseless," adding that they abide by Chinese law and international norms. Following the failure of China and other steel-producing countries to address the crisis in the industry, the United States, the European Union and other countries also called for immediate action last week. Britain's largest steel producer, Tata Steel, said it plans to pull out of the country, which could affect 15,000 jobs. Since last year, China, which has been at the center of a growing resentment among steel-producing countries, reported that its steel exports surged to a record 112 million tons. This year, however, a domestic steel price rally could restrict shipments as producers plan to sell more in China. Baoshan Iron & Steel said the rapid increase in Chinese steel prices may deter government efforts to curb overcapacity and may help prevent an increase in steel prices in the short term by allowing closed mills to restart. "This will slow the reduction in overcapacity, but with mills reopening and supplies rising and the government strengthening monitoring on real estate and futures, steel prices will fall," Baosteel board secretary Zhu Kebing said in an online briefing. Previous cuts in big steel production, low inventories and improvement in Chinese economy may have caused the spike in steel prices, Zhu said. After recording a five-year high growth of 6.68 percent last year, Vietnam's economic expansion will slow down to 6.3 percent, but that is a "still-robust" rise, according to the International Monetary Fund. Strong rises in exports and foreign investment in the manufacturing sector will continue to accelerate Vietnam's GDP growth, the IMF said in its April update on Asia-Pacific economic outlook. In the region, only several frontier economies will see higher rates, including Myanmar's 8.6 percent, Laos' 7.4 percent and Cambodia's 7 percent. With a large labor force and generally low wages, Vietnam's manufacturing sector will remain a magnet for foreign investors, according to the report. Vietnam's foreign direct investment pledges grew more than 119 percent year-on-year to over US$4 billion in the first quarter, figures from the Foreign Investment Agency showed. More than 72 percent of the pledges were for 216 projects in the manufacturing sector. Low costs will also help the country's exports continue to grow strongly, especially electronics, the IMF said. Customs figures showed Vietnam's exports saw an increase of 6.6 percent from a year ago to $38.77 billion in the first three months. Shipments of phones and spare parts grew 24.2 percent to $8.27 billion, while electronics and computers' exports rose 4.9 percent to $3.73 billion. Reforms needed Regardless of the positive outlook, the Vietnamese government still needs to speed up its reforms, including those related to state-owned enterprises and banking sectors, to improve economic efficiency, according to the IMF. As the reforms are going on, Vietnam also needs to take measures for fiscal consolidation to provide space for the potential costs of restructuring banking and state sectors, given the country's debt levels are high, it said. The IMF expected the government's budget deficit to be equivalent to 6.4 percent of GDP, compared to an estimate of 6.5 percent last year. In a statement on their visit to Vietnam last month, an IMF mission team said the government needs to reduce the fiscal deficit to around 3 percent of GDP by 2020. The government needs to focus on broadening the revenue base, and safeguarding spending on high-quality public investment in education, health and infrastructure, according to the team's press release. The IMF mission team also urged the Vietnamese government to strengthen banks' capital by increasing private sector's participation and budget resources for state-owned banks, besides improved operational management and adoption of international financial reporting standards. Reforms in the state sector should be accelerated through more rapid and comprehensive equitization of SOEs and divestment of non-core assets, and transparency of equitization proceeds and their use, according to the mission team. Latest figures released by the government in March showed Vietnam's public debt was equivalent to 62.2 percent of GDP, and foreign debt 43.1 percent. Previously the World Bank expected Vietnam's public debt to reach 63.8 percent of GDP this year, before rising to 64.7 percent in 2018. The legally mandated debt ceiling is 65 percent. Eighteen countries, including Vietnam, are taking part in an international military exercise focused on maritime security and counterterrorism that began in Brunei Tuesday. The Association of Southeast Asian Nations Defense Ministers' Meeting Plus Maritime Security and Counterterrorism Exercise 2016 began with an opening ceremony at the Multinational Coordination Center in Muara, Brunei. The exercise aims to enhance cooperation between ADMM-Plus nations in maritime security and counterterrorism, while promoting information sharing in responding to relevant and contemporary training scenarios. Navies of the 10 ASEAN countries are taking part along with their counterparts from Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand, Russia, South Korea and the US. Around 3,000 personnel, 18 ships, 16 helicopters, two maritime patrol aircraft and Special Forces from the participating ASEAN nations and its dialogue partners are currently deployed for the ADMM- Plus exercise, the Brunei Times reported. The participating ships will take part in maritime security training in the sultanate before conducting drills en route to Singapore for a counter-terrorism scenario. The exercise concludes on May 12. The iPhone 6s and 6s Plus were introduced by Apple SVP of Worldwide Marketing Phil Schiller during a Special Event in 2015. (Photo : Getty Images/Stephen Lam) Apple Inc. CEO Tim Cook is of the view that there is a huge market potential for the products and services of his company in India, as the country begins to roll out high-speed wireless network this year. India is a huge country with 50 percent of its population aged below 25 years or still younger. This makes the country very young and people there really want smartphones, CNBC quoted Cook saying in an interview with its "Squawk Box." Advertisement According to Cook, LTE (wireless) penetration is currently "zero" in emerging markets like India, but the dynamics in the country will change when LTE begins to roll out later this year. Responding to a query on the market for iPhone in India, Apple CEO said, "And so that's changing. Huge market potential." Elaborating, Cook said that currently people are selling smartphones in countries like India without any LTE penetration, but when they enter the market, they will be selling iPhone there. Arguably customers cannot obtain the full value from smartphones, he said, adding that retailers operating in emerging markets like India are not "huge national kind of retailers. On the other hand, the Apple CEO said his company has got "great innovation" in the works and the new iPhones will entice people in markets like India, PTI reported. At the same time, Cook pointed out that the mobile service providers in India currently do not sell phones and, hence, there is plenty of work to be done. As far as Apple's sales in China are concerned, it was the company's second-largest market outside the United States. However, while the company's overall sales witnessed an 11 percent decline in the first quarter of 2016, iPhone sales increased by 56 percent in India compared to the shipments in 2015. The growth in Apple's sales in India as "is pretty big," Cook noted. According to Cook, Apple is now actually focusing on India, in addition to other markets across the globe where. He noted that there are numerous people across the world that still does not enjoy the pleasure of having an iPhone. Hence, there is a huge market potential for the company's products and services in different regions of the world, he added. Watch the video on "Apple Watch marketing strategy (India)" below: US Ambassador to Vietnam Ted Osius (R) and Vietnam's Deputy Minister of Defense Nguyen Chi Vinh feel the soil that has been cleared of dioxin in the central city of Da Nang on May 3, 2016. Photo credit: Nguyen Dong/VnExpress US and Vietnamese officials on Tuesday announced that the first phase of a US$84-million dioxin cleanup project at a former US airbase in the central city of Da Nang has been completed. The toxic chemical was removed from 45,000 cubic meters of excavated soil and sediment at the site, US Ambassador to Vietnam Ted Osius and Deputy Minister of Defense Nguyen Chi Vinh told the ceremony to mark the first phases success. The ceremony was attended by Vietnams Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam. That volume of treated soil and sediment will be given to Airports Corporation of Vietnam for being used as fill material for a project to expand Da Nang International Airport, heard the ceremony. Under the two-phase project in Da Nang, which started in August 2012 with funds from the US Agency for International Development (USAID), thermal desorption technology has been used to heat the contaminated soil and sediment to a high temperature to destroy the dioxin. The soil and sediment will be then tested to ensure it is no longer contaminated before being removed from the containment structure. The second phase of the project, which will treat another 45,000 cubic meters of dioxin-contaminated excavated soil and sediment, is scheduled to begin at the end of this year. The project is the USs first direct involvement in cleaning up dioxin in Vietnam as both sides have worked together to mitigate the long-lasting effects of the war. The Da Nang site is one of two dozen former American sites that remain contaminated with dioxin via Agent Orange. The US military dumped some 75 million liters of Agent Orange and other herbicides over Vietnams jungles during the war to destroy the ground cover and crops of Vietnamese forces. Up to 4.8 million Vietnamese people were directly exposed to Agent Orange and other chemicals that have been linked to cancers, birth defects and other chronic diseases during the Vietnam War, according to the Vietnam Red Cross. US President Barack Obama (R) greets Vietnam's Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung (L) upon arrival at Sunnylands for an Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit in Rancho Mirage, California on February 15, 2016. Photo: AFP/Mandel Ngan Vietnam is preparing for the first visit of US President Barack Obama to the country in May, Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Le Hai Binh told a press conference in Hanoi on Thursday afternoon. Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung has said that this visit will contribute to enhancing the cooperation for peace and development in line with the Vietnam-US Comprehensive Partnership and raise the relations between the two countries to a new level, Binh said. The exact date of the visit has not been confirmed. But it will be part of Obama's trip to the region and he is set to attend the Group of Seven (G7) summit, scheduled to take place on May 26-27, in Japan. Obama will become the third US president to visit the Southeast Asian nation in the post-Vietnam war era, after Bill Clinton in 2000 and George W. Bush in 2006. Vietnam's Communist Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong made a historic trip to the US last July, marking the first time a Vietnamese Party chief has visited the US. The two countries celebrated the 20th anniversary of their normalized relations last year. Police are tracking down a motorbike rider who has been caught on video crashing his vehicle into a traffic officer after being pulled over in the northern province of Vinh Phuc. The incident happened at around 4 p.m. on May 1 when the officer was trying to stop the vehicle. The man and the woman behind him did not wear compulsory crash helmets. In a video posted on the Internet, the driver can be seen turning his motorbike around and crashing it straight into the officer before speeding away, in an apparent attempt to avoid a traffic ticket. The officer appeared to suffer no serious injury. Several people attempted to chase after the couple but to no avail. A local man said he filmed the whole scene while waiting for a bus. In Vietnam, those opposing traffic police on duty can face criminal charges and jail terms of up to three years. The Ho Chi Minh City police Tuesday arrested a man who allegedly broke into the store he works for and walked off with all the money in the safe. According to investigators, Nguyen Van Thanh, 22, a salesman at Xanh Electronics Supermarket in Tan Phu District, broke in Monday midnight through a ventilator on the roof. He reportedly cracked the safe and took away VND2.753 billion (around US$120,000). Store guards heard noises and caught him red-handed when he was about to flee. Thanh told the police he had noticed the large amount of money put into the safe earlier that evening and decided to steal it. Beaches bore the brunt of the trash assault Quat Lam beach in the northern province of Nam Dinh littered with trash. Photo: Le Nam Quat Lam attracted tens of thousands of visitors during the four-day holiday starting with Reunification Day on April 30, 2016. Photo: Le Nam Food wrappings all over a square in the Central Highlands resort town of Da Lat. Photo: Lam Vien A beach in the central province of Nghe An fared little better. Photo: Pham Duc Whats left after some tourists had a party in a park in Da Lat. Photo: Gia Binh Police have arrested the leader of a burglary gang allegedly responsible for around 40 audacious thefts around the country since 2014. Le Van Hoan, 31, was wanted four times by the police since August 2014, authorities said, without disclosing where and how he was caught. According to the police, a four-member gang would drive a rented car from the north to the south, targeting wealthy houses along the route. When they spotted a likely target, the thieves, wearing masks and gloves, would break into the place and carrying away the safe, valuables and motorbikes. Hoan, who led at least two gangs, is thought to have carried out 40 burglaries, each worth billions of dong, since 2014. In the latest case last July he and three others broke into a house in the highlands province of Dak Nong, and drove away a VND1.5 billion Toyota Camry car. The gang later left the car in Khanh Hoa Province, hundreds of kilometers away, after failing to fence it. Three of his accomplices were caught a month later, but Hoan managed to flee and was at large until February 25. Prosecutors have requested the Dong Nai Culture and Nature Reserve to take measures against park rangers who failed to stop poachers from transporting meat from an endangered gaur (Bos gaurus) out of the reserve on February 26. There were no personnel at the rangers station in Ma Da Forest when three poachers went past it, they said. Prosecutors are also filing charges of violating regulations governing the protection of precious and rare wild animals against the trio of Le Nguyen Anh Hung, 21, Le Minh Tien, 32, and Pham Thanh Liem, 15. But Liem will escape criminal charges because he is underage. According to investigators, Hung and Liem went hunting in the reserve with a homemade gun at around 9 p.m. on April 26. After finding a herd of around 10 gaur near a waterhole, Hung shot a female aged around two. The 200-kg animal ran for a short distance before collapsing. The duo informed Tien and they slaughtered the bovine in the forest. They drove out of the forest on two motorbikes, passing the rangers station at around 3 a.m. after finding out there was no one there. They sold 51kg of meat to a woman in the southern province of Binh Phuoc for VND6.1 million (US$273). Police arrested Hung and Liem on March 11. Tien turned himself in two days later. Prosecutors said the park rangers dereliction of duty made it easy for the trio to transport wildlife meat out of the forest and caused difficulties in the investigation. Conservationists estimate there are around 500 wild gaurs in Vietnam, including 300 in the more than 100,000-hectare (247,100 acres) Dong Nai Culture and Nature Reserve. The number has shrunk from more than 3,000 in the 1970s, mostly due to poaching. Hung and Liem face jail terms of up to seven years or a fine of up to VND500 million ($22,500). A senior police officer in the central province of Binh Thuan suffered serious injuries from a knife attack while investigating a home burglary. Police in Ham Thuan Nam District on Friday confirmed that their deputy chief Le Van Bay is being treated in Ho Chi Minh City after the attack the previous night. The police statement said Bay visited a local house at around 11 p.m. Thursday after being informed of a break-in. Locals had caught one suspect. When Bay went into the backyard for investigation, a person attacked him, allegedly in an attempt to rescue the accomplice. The officer suffered cuts on his arms and shoulders which caused a lot of bleeding. Police have arrested three suspects in the incident, who are boys of 16 and 17 years old. Investigation found they were employees at a local plantation. The road section where the incident happened. Photo credit: Duy Tan/Zing News A motorbike rider crashed into a traffic policeman and broke his leg after the officer signaled him to stop for speeding in Ho Chi Minh City on Tuesday. At around 10 a.m. Bui Thanh Ngoc An, 21, was driving the bike with a friend on Pham Van Dong Street in Thu Duc District at high speed. A traffic police officer walked out to the street and signaled him to stop. An reportedly could not stop in time and crashed into the officer, who passed out and had his leg broken. An and his friend were also injured. The three of them were rushed to hospital. Further investigations are ongoing. Sorry, the page you requested may have been moved or deleted. You may click here to come back your homepage. A new law aimed at regulating the media will be discussed by a parliamentary committee In an announcement to reporters on Tuesday, Kamal Amer, former head of Egypt's military intelligence and the newly-elected chairman of parliament's defence and national security committee, said parliament strongly believes in freedom of speech. "But we also believe in the necessity of keeping Egypt's national security safe because all should know that anti-Egypt forces are working by day and night to destabilise the country," said Amer. Amer said "from a national security viewpoint, parliament's national security committee hopes that the two sides the Journalists Syndicate and the interior ministry will be able to contain the current crisis." Amer, however, said "if the two sides refused to ease the tension or contain the current conflict very soon, I think the whole matter should be left to judicial authorities to give a final say that can settle this conflict in a way that keeps press freedoms and national security safe." Amer's statement comes after Osama Heikal, chairman of parliament's media and culture committee, told reporters that he will hold a meeting with prime minister Sherif Ismail to seek a solution for the crisis between the Press Syndicate and the interior ministry. "I want to say that dialogue is the best way to solve this crisis, and that in this context I will try my best to bring officials of the interior ministry and the press syndicate together in a dialogue meeting," said Heikal, who is also a journalist, a former information minister and the current chairman of the Egyptian Media Production City. Amer disclosed that his committee will be the one mainly mandated with revising the new controversial agreement aimed at demarcating the maritime borders between Egypt and Saudi Arabia. The agreement caused protests last month after it placed two Red Sea islands Tiran and Sanafir into Saudi territory. "Once this agreement is referred to parliament, the committee alone or with a number of other committees will take charge of revising it," said Amer, who also argued that "those who want to know whether the two Red Sea islands of Tiran and Sanafir are Egyptian or Saudi should refer back to the National Book Organisation and he will be sure that they are Saudi." While Minister of Parliamentary Affairs Magdi Al-Agati indicated last week that the government has finished preparing a complete dossier on the Egyptian-Saudi agreement, including all necessary detailed maps and documents before it is sent to parliament, Prime Minister Sherif Ismail also disclosed last week that "security measures should be first invoked before the agreement is referred to parliament." Amer said he has no comments to give on remarks raised by some Sudanese officials who suggested that the two south Egypt cities of Halayeb and Shaltin are part of Sudan's territory. "As President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi said, while Egypt doesn't intend to cede a centimeter of its land to others, it also doesn't intend to strip others a centimeter of their land and that Halayeb and Shalatin are one hundred per cent Egyptian," said Amer. Amer insisted that parliamentary reporters cannot be allowed to attend the national security committee's meetings. "We discuss highly secret issues related to the army, police and developments in North Sinai and these cannot be open for correspondents to cover," said Amer. Amer, however, disclosed that the committee was divided into eight groups of MPs, with each group entrusted with studying a certain national security file. "Each group can work alone or in collaboration with other groups," said Amer, adding that "the first group is entrusted with reviewing foreign threats facing Egypt, the second on internal security in terms of political stability, legislations, combating home-grown terror, and fighting electronic crimes." Besides, said Amer, the third group will be dealing with internal conflicts that could damage the country's internal security such as the current crisis between the interior ministry and the press syndicate. "The remaining groups will take care of discussing military issues, social security, security conditions in North Sinai and other border governorates, economic security, and other emergency issues," said Amer. Amer disclosed that his committee will have a say on a new law aimed at regulating the press and media. "We will make sure that the law not only grants the media greater freedoms in accordance with the constitution, but also guarantees that the media helps keep Egypt's national security safe," said Amer. Search Keywords: Short link: Officials of Can Tho City and Can Tho Police Department visit senior lieutenant Le Quoc Dung at Can Tho General Hospital on May 3, 2016. Photo: Mai Tram/Thanh Nien Doctors in southern Vietnam have saved a man who tried to poison himself after stabbing a police officer on Monday. Nguyen Anh Van, 52, reportedly t urned himself in at a local militia station in Can Tho City following the assault in the evening. But right after he admitted to the crime, he fell unconscious and was rushed to hospital. His relatives later said he had poisoned himself with pesticide. Doctors successfully saved him. Van attacked senior lieutenant Le Quoc Dung with a knife when the officer was attempting to stop him from causing public nuisance, police said. The man was allegedly drunk and insulting others on a street in Cai Rang District. The officer was taken to Can Tho General Hospital in critical condition with a deep stab wound in his neck. Doctors said a vertebral artery was cut. Both of them are recovering. Chinese have become the second biggest group of tourists to Nha Trang. Photo credit: Ky Nam/Nguoi Lao Dong The tourism industry in the coastal town of Nha Trang is being put to an unexpected test as an influx of Chinese tourists has strained both the local workforce and existing facilities. Figures from Khanh Hoa Provinces tourism department said Chinese arrivals to its popular town jumped more than five times from 2014 to around 180,000 last year. That was the second biggest group of visitors, after Russians, who have for years chosen the sunny town as their go-to destination. Phan Thanh Truc, deputy director of the department, told Nguoi Lao Dong newspaper that Nha Trang draws Chinese to its beautiful scenery, good weather all year round and seafood. The interest has been facilitated by direct flight services connecting Guangzhou to Cam Ranh Airport, which is around 50 kilometers from Nha Trang, Truc said. Luyen Manh Cuong, director of Khanh Hoas tourism promotion center, said Chinese tourists usually stay four or five days at mid to upscale hotels and thus make a rather significant contribution to the tourism revenues. But it seems the city is not ready for the boom. There are not enough tour guides who can speak Chinese. Truc said the province has only licensed ten guides and travel agencies usually have to bring in Chinese-speaking staff from other provinces. An unnamed government official said in the news report that Khanh Hoa Province has failed to anticipate and handle the sudden increase of Chinese tourists. It is evident in the lack of signs and instructions in Chinese around town. Cuong from the tourism center said local authorities still do not know much about Chinese tourists, particularly how they spend money and on what. Some service providers appear to know how the tourists often behave though. A receptionist was quoted as saying that many Chinese guests are not very polite and usually damage the hotel's furniture and fittings. We have many times caught them putting their legs up to the sink to wash their shoes there, the receptionist told Nguoi Lao Dong. Philippines Vice-Presidential candidate BongBong Marcos talks to supporters during an election campaign in the mountain resort of Baguio city in northern Philippines April 16, 2016. For the son and namesake of late Philippine dictator Ferdinand Marcos, winning the vice presidency in next week's election is as much about restoring his family's tainted image as it is about making the country a better place. "Bongbong", as Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is known, is comfortably leading opinion polls ahead of the May 9 election, marking the revival of a name synonymous with martial law, torture and billions of dollars of plundered wealth. Marcos Jr., 58, says his family is not the only issue and his popularity comes from public disenchantment with a political establishment that emerged after his father's overthrow in the iconic "people power" revolution in 1986. "We keep hearing about all these wonderful things happening to our economy and yet people are poor," he said in an interview. "That's where the frustration comes from... There's clearly a desire for something different." His father was president of the Philippines for two decades, including nine years as the head of a martial law government. Later governments have documented 75,000 cases of torture, illegal detention and disappearances in those years. The rule by the senior Marcos and his wife Imelda, known for her lavish lifestyle and thousands of pairs of shoes, has been called a kleptocratic "conjugal dictatorship". The family fled to exile in Hawaii after the ouster, where the senior Marcos died in 1989. After that, the widespread hatred of the Marcos family began to ebb. Bongbong Marcos returned from Hawaii in 1991 and rebuilt the family's political base in its stomping grounds of Ilocos Norte province, serving as governor, congressman and senator. His mother Imelda is seeking re-election next week to the House of Representatives from a district in the province, while his sister Imee is seeking re-election as the provincial governor. Political strategist Pastor "Boy" Saycon says the Marcos years were not all that bad, although he spent three months in jail at that time when the government rounded up student activists. "There was this discipline being instilled," he said. "Because that's the problem of our country today - there is no discipline." 'Enforced vacation' If Bongbong wins the number two spot, he will be firmly in line to contest the presidency in a later election. Philippines Vice-Presidential candidate BongBong Marcos poses with supporters at Saint Louis University during an election campaign in the mountain resort of Baguio city in northern Philippines April 16, 2016. In the Philippines, elections for the president and vice-president are held separately. The maverick mayor of the southern city of Davao, Rodrigo Duterte, 71, is leading opinion polls for president. Marcos gets irritated by the suggestion that the presidency is his goal. He calls the vice presidency a natural step and describes himself as a reluctant politician who had to clear the family name. "When we came back from our 'enforced vacation' we were the issue, and so to answer that we had to be also in the political stage," Marcos said. "There was very little else we could do if we were to somehow be able to continue to be able to work and to do something, and part of it is also to defend ourselves." There are old scores to settle between Marcos and another dynasty, the family of outgoing President Benigno Aquino. Aquino's father and namesake was a fierce critic of the Marcoses and his assassination in 1983 ignited the people power revolt. The president's late mother Corazon Aquino led the people power uprising before taking the presidency. Aquino has tried to derail Marcos's bid for vice-president. In October, the president said he had faith the public would reject Marcos and in February, timed with the 30-year anniversary of the revolution, the government announced it would sell gems, property and stocks confiscated from the Marcoses and would seek the return of $1 billion via court cases at home and overseas. But Marcos has opened up a clear lead in the most recent opinion polls and his anti-establishment platform is resonating with young Filipinos born long after the rule of his father. But for some of the older generation, the prospect of his family's return to the forefront of national politics is an embarrassing, retrograde step. "People from the outside cannot understand why Filipinos are putting Marcos back into power," said political analyst Dindo Manhit. "We never learn." Bongbong Marcos rejects common narratives of oppression and failed government in his father's rule. "There are many positive things to talk about from during that time," he said. "So that's what we do. It's fairly simple." The Bento Rodrigues district is pictured covered with mud after a dam owned by Vale SA and BHP Billiton Ltd burst in Mariana, Brazil, November 6, 2015. Photo: Reuters Federal prosecutors in Brazil filed a 155 billion-real ($43.5 billion) civil lawsuit on Tuesday against iron miner Samarco and its owners, Vale SA and BHP Billiton, for a collapsed tailings dam in November that killed 19 people and polluted a major river. The 359-page lawsuit, which is also against the two states affected by the spill and the federal government, is the result of a six-month investigation led by a task force set up after the disaster, prosecutors said in a statement. The total damages, prosecutors said, were calculated based on the cost of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the United States. BP's total pre-tax charge for that spill, in 2010, reached $53.8 billion. Prosecutors demanded an initial payment of 7.7 billion reais. Vale and BHP both said they had not received formal notice of the claim. However, BHP said in a statement to the Australian Securities Exchange that it was "committed to helping Samarco to rebuild the community and restore the environment affected by the failure of the dam". It said that a separate lawsuit that Samarco, Vale and BHP settled with Brazil's government in March, in which the companies would pay an estimated 20 billion reais, was the best way to repair damage caused by the spill. "We believe that the agreement (once approved by the court) provides the long-term remedial and compensation framework for responding to the impact of the Samarco tragedy and the appropriate platform for the parties to work together," BHP said. Federal and state prosecutors did not form part of that settlement, which they criticized, saying it was insufficient and lacked the legal mechanisms to ensure the companies would fulfil their obligations, making it little more than a "letter of intent". The roles of the state and federal government were also questioned, with prosecutors accusing the state of Minas Gerais, where the spill occurred, as being guilty of negligence in the permitting and monitoring of the dam. BHP's shares slumped nearly 8 percent to a more than two-week low in a broader market that was down 1.2 percent. Filipino death row inmate Mary Jane Veloso shows her handicraft during a workshop at Wirogunan prison in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, April 12, 2016. Photo: Antara Foto/Rana Dyandra/via Reuters Indonesia is preparing to execute several prisoners, a police official said on Wednesday, though authorities have not said if foreigners will be among them, a year after the execution of foreign drug traffickers drew widespread condemnation. President Joko Widodo's administration has pledged to resume executions by firing squad at a prison on Nusakambangan Island, despite criticism from rights groups and foreign governments. "We have had a warning since last month to prepare the place," said Central Java provincial police spokesman Aloysius Lilik Darmanto. "We carried out some rehabilitation of the location like painting and repairs because there will probably be more people who will be executed," he said, adding that the firing squad had been training and receiving counseling. He declined to say how many prisoners would be executed, or when, or if there would be foreigners among them. Authorities executed eight drug traffickers in April last year including seven foreigners, drawing condemnation from Australia and Brazil which has pleaded for their nationals to be spared. Authorities have not given a breakdown of the numbers of foreigners on death row but citizens of France, Britain and the Philippines are known to be among them. A 59-year-old British women, Lindsay Sandiford, was sentenced to death after being convicted in 2013 of trying to smuggle cocaine worth $2.5 million into the country. A Philippine maid, Mary Jane Veloso, got a last-minute reprieve last year in response to a request from Manila after an employment recruiter, whom Veloso had accused of planting drugs in her luggage, gave herself up to police in the Philippines. Her lawyer said he hoped she would not be in the next batch of prisoners to be executed. "The execution of Mary Jane should be delayed because we are waiting for the legal process in the Philippines," said lawyer Agus Salim. A lawyer for Serge Atlaoui, a French national, said authorities had not contacted the French embassy on whether his client would be executed in the next batch. The government typically informs the embassies of foreign convicts days before their executions. Indonesia imposed a moratorium on executions for five years before resuming them in 2013. It has executed 14 convicts, most of them foreigners, under Widodo. But amid international outrage last year, scheduled executions were postponed while the government focused on reviving the economy, officials said. Indonesia's representative at a U.N. narcotics conference was jeered last month when he defended the use of capital punishment for drug offences. Israeli Yosef Haim Ben-David (C) the ringleader of the killing of Palestinian teenager Mohammed Abu Khdeir in 2015, is escorted by Israeli policemen at the district court in Jerusalem on March 22, 2016, prior to hearing his psychiatric evaluation An Israeli court on Tuesday handed down a life sentence to the ringleader of a Jewish gang that kidnapped, beat and burned alive a Palestinian teenager in 2014. Barely two hours later, a Palestinian rammed a car into a group of Israeli soldiers in the occupied West Bank and injured three, including one seriously. Settler Yosef Haim Ben-David, 31, was sentenced in a Jerusalem court for killing 16-year-old Mohammed Abu Khdeir, and was also given 20 years for other crimes. He was also told to pay 150,000 shekels ($39,000, 34,000 euros) to Abu Khdeir's family. After the verdict, angry relatives of the victim cursed Ben-David as he was led from the court. Ben-David, wearing a burgundy yarmulke and a black shirt, had earlier told the court he was "sorry". "I am sorry for the family. This is not me. I wasn't in control," he said. Ben-David and two young accomplices kidnapped Abu Khdeir from Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem on July 2, 2014 and beat him up. His burned body was found hours later in a forest in the western part of the city. A forensic report showed the presence of smoke in his lungs, indicating that the boy had been alive when set alight. Ben-David was found in November to have led the assault, but his lawyers submitted last-minute documents saying he was mentally ill. A court rejected that appeal last month, ruling that he was sane at the time of the attack. In February, a court sentenced his two young Israeli accomplices to life and 21 years in prison for the killing, but Ben-David was seen to be the ringleader. Abu Khdeir's father Hussein, speaking before Tuesday's verdict, said no punishment would be enough. "Whatever they decide, our wounds will not heal -- the boy will not come back," he told AFP. His brutal murder in 2014 shocked Israelis and Palestinians alike, and contributed to an escalation in violence that culminated in the 50-day Gaza war that summer in which more than 2,000 Palestinians and 73 Israelis died. Seen as revenge killing Israeli authorities said the three decided to kill an Arab and equipped themselves with cables, petrol and other materials before choosing Abu Khdeir at random. They had tried to kidnap a child in east Jerusalem the previous day, but were thwarted by the child's mother. Abu Khdeir's murder was seen as revenge for the killing of Israeli teenagers Naftali Frenkel, Gilad Shaer and Eyal Yifrach, who had been abducted from a hitchhiking stop near the flashpoint West Bank city of Hebron. The last-minute insanity appeal by Ben-David, made just minutes before the end of the trial in November, also caused dismay among Abu Khdeir's family, who said they feared a miscarriage of justice. Ben-David's lawyers said their client, who claimed to the "Messiah", was not criminally responsible for his actions, but the claim was rejected. "This is an evil and cruel man who does not represent our civilised society," state prosecutor Uri Korb said at the hearing, adding that the killing "brought shame upon our society and offended our values". The ruling came with tensions once again high on Tuesday. A Palestinian from a refugee camp near Ramallah in the West Bank rammed his car into a group of Israeli soldiers, injuring three of them before being shot dead. "Forces responded to the imminent threat and fired towards the assailant, resulting in his death," a statement from the army said. Israel's Magen David Adom rescue service said one of those hit by the car had been badly injured. The Palestinian health ministry named the attacker as 36-year-old Ahmed Shahaada from the Qalandia refugee camp. Earlier, Israeli police said they had arrested a Palestinian teenager in Jerusalem's Old City suspected of stabbing a Jewish man there late on Monday. The victim, described by police as "a Jewish male, aged about 60", was said by Jerusalem's Shaarei Tzedek hospital to be in stable condition after treatment for a damaged lung. Since October 1, 204 Palestinians and 28 Israelis have been killed in an ongoing wave of violence. Most of the Palestinians killed were carrying out knife, gun or car-ramming attacks, Israeli authorities say. Chinese authorities last year declared 11 types of action 'strictly prohibited' on flights and at terminals, including damaging airport security facilities and assaulting crew members China has banned three passengers from major airlines for "uncivilised behaviour", state media reported on Monday, as the country seeks to instil manners in its increasingly well-travelled populace. The three were blacklisted for hitting a checkpoint security officer with a can of milk, attacking airline personnel over a flight delay, and refusing to switch off a tablet PC during a landing, the China Daily newspaper said. They are the first to be included in a system rolled out by the China Air Transport Association in February, and will be unable to book flights with five of China's biggest airlines for up to two years, it added. Chinese authorities last year declared 11 types of action "strictly prohibited" on flights and at terminals, including damaging airport security facilities and assaulting crew members, according to the China Daily. Such behaviour has frequently made headlines in the country with the world's worst track record for flight delays. In January last year, 25 passengers were held by police for questioning after they fought with crew members over a bad weather delay and opened the emergency exits. In 2013, an official who missed two flights lost his temper at the boarding counter and went on a rampage, violently destroying two computers and attempting to smash a window with a signboard. In December 2014, a Chinese woman en route back to China from Thailand threw a cup of noodles full of boiling water at a Thai flight attendant and punched the cabin windows, threatening to jump out, in a dispute that began over seat arrangements. An editorial in the China Daily on Monday said such blacklisting was "long overdue", and that the first punishments would warn other travellers to "toe the line". "There is no reason for them to be respected when they do not show enough respect for others," it said. Brazil's President Dilma Rousseff attends the launching of the new Family Agriculture plan at Planalto Palace in Brasilia , Brazil, May 3, 2016. Photo: Reuters/Adriano Machado Brazil's top prosecutor has asked the Supreme Court to open an investigation of President Dilma Rousseff for trying to obstruct a massive corruption probe involving state-run oil firm Petrobras, Globo News reported on Tuesday. Rousseff, likely to be ousted from office later this month on unrelated charges of breaking budgetary laws, had previously avoided being dragged into the largest corruption investigation in Brazil's history. The request will be analyzed by Supreme Court justice Teori Zavascki and is not public because it is based on recorded phone calls between Rousseff and former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva that are secret, news site G1 reported. The investigation of Rousseff and Lula could stain the legacy of more than a decade of Workers Party rule, overshadowing significant gains in reducing poverty in Latin America's largest economy. Newspaper Estado de S. Paulo reported on Tuesday Prosecutor-General Rodrigo Janot had charged Lula with participating in a scheme to stop former Petrobras executive Nestor Cervero from collaborating with the investigation. Dozens of construction executives have been accused of overcharging Petrobras for work and using excess funds to bribe politicians, a scandal that has triggered Brazil's most explosive political crisis in decades and increased calls for Rousseff's ouster. The federal prosecutors' office would not confirm the charge or the request to investigate Rousseff. The Supreme Court did confirm on Tuesday that Janot had asked for Lula and several of Rousseff's ministers to be formally investigated, including Chief of Staff Jaques Wagner, the minister in charge of legislative affairs, Ricardo Berzoini, and Rousseff's spokesman, Edinho Silva. Janot is expanding the investigation largely because of testimony from Senator Delcidio do Amaral, who decided to collaborate with the investigation in exchange for a lighter sentence. The court was already investigating some 50 politicians, including the leaders of both houses of Congress. Janot's requests add to a growing uproar over just how many senior politicians are suspected of taking kickbacks from Petroleo Brasileiro SA, as Petrobras is formally known . Demonstrators protest in support of President Dilma Rousseff and against her impeachment during the Olympic Flame torch relay in front of the Planalto Palane in Brasilia, Brazil, May 3, 2016. Photo: Reuters/Ueslei Marcelino Senior politicians will likely continue to face legal problems, and possible jail terms, well past Rousseff's expected ouster. Brazil's Senate this month will weigh her suspension ahead of a trial on charges over budget irregularities. The lower house of Congress voted overwhelmingly to impeach Rousseff last month. She says she has done nothing wrong. Asked if he would avoid naming anyone under investigation to his Cabinet, Vice President Michel Temer, first in line for the presidency, said in a television interview on Tuesday he was not sure. Prosecutors said in documents obtained by Estado de S.Paulo they did not see a reason to open an investigation of Temer, although he had been mentioned in plea bargain testimony. Janot said in the documents the "criminal organization" operating at Petrobras would not have been possible without Lula. Lula's institute said on Tuesday Janot had offered a hypothesis without proof. Rousseff's spokesman Silva, who was also the treasurer of the 2014 re-election campaign whose finances have been called into question as part of the probe, said in a statement the campaign was clean. Prosecutors in the southern city of Curitiba have also sought to investigate Lula. Their efforts have stalled as the Supreme Court weighs whether or not Rousseff can make him a minister, a move that would give him immunity from all but the high court. Donald Trumps apparent willingness to upend decades of U.S. security dominance in Asia is baffling major allies given Chinas increasing clout and North Koreas nuclear threats. The billionaire front-runner for the Republican presidential nomination has told the New York Times hed be prepared to withdraw U.S. troops from Japan and South Korea if the countries did not substantially increase their payments to help maintain the forces. The U.S. has about 50,000 military personnel in Japan and about 28,500 in South Korea. The comments were widely covered in local media in both countries. We are dumbfounded at such myopic views of a leading candidate in the U.S. presidential race who tries to approach such critical issues only from the perspective of expenses, Koreas JoongAng Daily said in an editorial. Such attitudes can aggravate the distrust and discontent of the world about Uncle Sam. Trump has made various campaign promises to reverse established U.S. policy on trade and security, and the practicality of governing may mean most of those would not become reality if he wins. Still, just the mention of it has sparked some unease. The vacuum caused by a U.S. military departure would cast doubt on its future role in Asia, a key trading and investment region, and potentially open the door to greater Chinese military assertiveness. Pacific power "If there is no security alliance between Japan and the United States, that means the United States will cease to be a Pacific power," said Kunihiko Miyake, a visiting professor at Ritsumeikan University in Kyoto and a former diplomat once involved in negotiations on the financial support Japan pays for U.S. troops. "Theres no other nation which could support the U.S. presence in this part of the world." Hemmed in by a U.S.-imposed pacifist constitution, Japan has relied on the protection of the U.S., while avoiding developing its own nuclear weapons and keeping limits on defense spending. The governments frequently refer to the alliance as the "cornerstone" of peace in the region and say it helped pave the way for the growth of industry and trade in Asia. South Korea relies on U.S. might to help deter a volatile North Korea. The U.S. is the second-largest trading partner for both Japan and South Korea on a two-way basis. Japan is part of the U.S.-led Trans Pacific Partnership trade pact which is a centerpiece of the U.S. economic and security rebalance toward Asia under the Obama administration. U.S.-Japan deal The U.S. and Japan agreed on a new five-year host-nation support deal in December, under which Japan will spend about 189.9 billion yen ($1.67 billion) a year to cover expenses such as the salaries of local base employees. Adding items such as the rent Japan pays on privately owned land to host U.S. bases, the Defense Ministry budgeted 372.5 billion yen for housing U.S. troops in the fiscal year that started last April. Analysts and officials rejected the idea that the two Asian hosts dont pay enough. "They pay a lot," said Brad Glosserman, Executive Director at Pacific Forum CSIS in Hawaii, of Japan. "For many years Japan has been considered the gold standard for host nation support." In trouble U.S. Ambassador to Seoul Mark Lippert said this week the government was comfortable with South Korean contributions, Yonhap News reported. South Korea pays more than 900 billion won ($773 million) a year to the U.S., in a deal that lasts until 2018. The Korea Economic Daily said it was questionable if Trump was getting correct information, and added South Korea will be in trouble if it lets Trump continue his free ride accusations. The South Korean government has made contributions and has been doing our role to provide stable living conditions for the U.S. Army and to strengthen the defense capacity of Korea-U.S. forces, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Cho June Hyuck told reporters on Tuesday in Seoul. The U.S. administration, the parliament and the people sufficiently recognize our role and contribution as an ally. Speaking to reporters in Tokyo on Tuesday, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said the U.S. presidential elections had a large influence on Japan and I am paying attention to their progress. No change "Whoever becomes the next president, the U.S.-Japan alliance will be the basis of Japanese diplomacy, Abe said. There will be no change to our close cooperation with the U.S. for the sake of peace and prosperity in the Asia-Pacific and the world." Trump "may not have a good group of foreign policy or national security advisers, said Miyake. He says things out of his intuition for populist purposes. Thats fine if its politics, its a campaign. When it comes to governing, its not going to work. In his remarks to the New York Times, Trump said hed be open to allowing Japan and South Korea to build their own nuclear arsenals. If the U.S. keeps on its path, its current path of weakness, theyre going to want to have that anyway, with or without me discussing it, he said. While Japanese officials have repeatedly refused to comment directly on Trump, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga on Monday reiterated his governments intention of sticking to its "non-nuclear principles." As the only country to have suffered a nuclear attack, Japan has kept to self-imposed rules against having nuclear weapons on its soil. "I suddenly started to hate Trump, said a social media user in Japan with the handle musimanii. What he says is too irresponsible. Who does he want us to intimidate with nuclear weapons?" Some though supported Trumps remarks. No U.S. president has ever suggested things such as U.S. troops being removed from Japan, or allowing Japan or South Korea to have nuclear weapons," Toshio Tamogami, a conservative politician who has been involved with some minor parties and is a former air force chief of staff, wrote on twitter. "This is a good chance for Japan to become a truly independent country." Journalists have continued to hold a sit-in at the press syndicate to protest against security forces raiding the building earlier this week to make arrests Several Egyptian political forces have criticised security forces for banning access to the Journalists Syndicate, where a sit-in by journalists is ongoing to protest a recent raid by police on the building. Security forces have for days blocked off a street leading to the downtown Cairo building after police stormed the union on Sunday to arrest two journalists, sparking public outrage. Security forces banned delegations from several political parties as well as professional syndicates who sought to enter the building to show solidarity. The lawyers syndicate said in a statement that a solidarity meeting was due to be held between a number of its board members and those of the press syndicate but was aborted by "tight security" around the building. It called for holding those responsible for such measures to account, while demanding the dismissal of the interior minister. Dozens of journalists have been staging a sit-in at the syndicate since Sunday, shortly after police stormed the union building in an unprecedented raid arresting two journalists. The move has sparked public outcry, with the union and other professional syndicates calling for the immediate sacking of the interior ministry. The interior ministry denied that it stormed the union, but said it had followed legal measures and arrested journalists Mahmoud El-Sakka and Amr Badr, accusing them of "incitement to protest" and "disrupting security and attempting to destabilise the country." They were ordered to be detained for 15 days. Farid Zahran, the head of the Egyptian Social Democratic Party, condemned what he described as "provocative" actions by police, after a number of his party's leaders were barred access to the syndicate. He said he and other party members were instead being held behind metal barriers. "I'm amazed with the level of performance of security institutions and other state institutions...There is an unusual provocation of people and abnormal alert towards journalists and media," Zahran said during TV comments to Al-Hayat TV channel. "What are these inflated fears and atmosphere of panic were are living in?," he wondered, saying that without wisdom shown by protesting journalists and the youth, there would have been clashes with police and victims. Rights lawyers Khaled Ali said that authorities are "assassinating the law" when upholding it "selectively" and in a manner that "serves its whims and political interests." The press syndicate is due to hold a general meeting on the crisis on Wednesday. The head of the Journalists Syndicate Yehia Qalash told a press conference on Tuesday that the regime is at war with journalists. "This year we mark World Press Freedom Day with Egypt declining in all the international rankings," he said "Instead of seeing the government take concrete measures to overcome this situation, we are surprised to see it escalating the war against journalism and journalists," he said. Egypt's top prosecutor issued a gag order in the case of the storming of the Journalists Syndicate premises on Sunday and the arrest of journalists Amr Badr and Mahmoud El-Sakka. Search Keywords: Short link: The government appointed High Press Council expressed its full solidarity with press syndicate in its defence against press freedom Egypt's government-appointed press council has condemned what it described as a blockade imposed by police on the Journalists Syndicate building in Cairo, declaring full solidarity with the union after it was raided by security forces earlier this week. The High Press Council called on authorities to "immediately end this siegeand act in a responsible, appropriate manner." Security forces have for days closed off a road leading to the syndicate, banning youth, political figures and members of professional syndicates to access the building to show solidarity with an ongoing sit-in by journalists against Sunday's police raid. Security forces have only been allowing syndicate members to enter the building in downtown Cairo. The council, which is in charge of overseeing media regulations, expressed in a statement on Tuesday its "full solidarity with the press syndicate in its defence of freedom, the profession's dignity and the rights of journalists." It added that the crisis is mainly about general freedoms, and at the core is press freedom, the role of journalists, and the independence and respect of [their] syndicate." The council also criticised a media gag order announced by Egypt's top prosecutor on the case Tuesday, saying the country's constitution guarantees freedom of press, opinion and expression as well as "the right to exchange information." Two journalists were arrested during the unprecedented police raid on Sunday, which the interior ministry has denied that it undertook. The ministry said it followed all legal measures to arrest both men, who are currently detained pending investigations. Syndicate officials have said it was the first time police have raided the building since the union's founding 75 years ago. Search Keywords: Short link: Melbourne Building businesses were relieved and surprised on Wednesday at news the ACT government has abandoned its plan to use the London Circuit car park near the Magistrates Court as a construction compound for the tram. Kingsize Big and Tall owner Gary Rumble said common sense had finally prevailed. Business owners from the Melbourne building in July last year, upset at plans to close the London Circuit car park. The plan is now abandoned. Credit:Rohan Thomson "It was a nonsensical decision in the first place, so as a retailer I'm delighted," he said. "As I said to Capital Metro, business conditions are tough enough, particularly in the city." Mr Rumble said he had been resigned to the construction compound going ahead. A childcare worker convicted of inappropriately disciplining two children at a north Canberra childcare centre has been handed a 12-month good behaviour order and fined $400 for a smack that caused a young child to fall to the ground. Una Masters, 61, was among four workers police charged last October over allegations of excessive force on up to 20 children aged between one and four at Northside Community Service's Civic Early Childhood Centre. Una Masters, with lawyer Peter Woodhouse (left) and a supporter (right), was told her offences were a significant breach of trust. Masters pleaded guilty in the ACT Magistrates Court to four charges related to two children for four offences that took place between January 2014 and February last year. A sentencing hearing on Wednesday heard on the first occasion, a young girl cried for 10 minutes after Masters firmly smacked her on the bottom. The Yellow Cow by Franz Marc. The painting is a juxtaposition of violent diagonals, falling trees and tortured horses. From the right, comes the apocalypse. The deer awaits its approach, offering himself as sacrifice, raising his head and exposing his throat, while to the right, four female deer, once yellow, now brown, witness his death, unable to save him. Marc's closest friends considered him psychic and nowhere is this clearer than in this vision of the close future, depicting not only the landscape of war, but the nature of his death, so painfully revealed to his wife through his letters. Franz Marc. Throughout the war he carried a sketchbook, noting images of rebirth, titles like Creation, The Birth of the Cicadas, Easter, and finally the Magic Moment. Here the mystic mountain for which the deer have been searching is finally revealed. The transformative moment has arrived. It is death itself, and through it life will begin again in new forms. That is what he tells himself. All will be reborn again. Likewise Marc's wartime letters to Maria reveal the growing acceptance of death, seeing it as a welcome release. He wrote: "whoever strives for purity and knowledge, to him, death always comes as a saviour...there is only one blessing and redemption: death Life doesn't touch me at all: it seems no longer real or present to me, it is merely a formalistic existence I feel at times that only my body is a soldier, and that I am really living an entirely different life, I just don't know exactly where. I am often in a kind of somnolence, similar to a dream when one realises that it is only a dream but continues dreaming nevertheless clearly the mind can live without the body." Franz Marc. Curiously the longer he served, the more calm he became. "My body is unusually elastic and free of pain. I am not even nervous. There is not a trace of disturbance. My nerves are amazingly untouchable." Marc is now remembered as the painter of Blue Horses. Magnificent, powerful, they bow to us in an unmistakable gesture of gentleness. They are his archetype of male tenderness. They appear wild but seem to say, come closer, touch us, run your hands over the velvet of our flanks and we will nuzzle you in return. They create a loving embrace between the viewer and image. This painting is a series of interlocking heart shapes, on the macro and micro scale. From the large mass, to the mingling of the individual forms, down to the scale of the bulbous shadings, the rhythm of the meeting of the heart's two curves sings like a melody throughout the whole construction. It has the benefit of perfection, so that the eye wanders, as in a dream, inducing restful contemplation, becoming a mirror for our thoughts and our feelings, while the painting reflects back a wave of deep blue. An example of an artistic feedback loop. Simply, an artist obsesses on an idea and makes an image, which we experience as an object in the world. It could be music, a book, a sculpture. We immerse ourselves. We project our feelings upon it, while still being affected by original idea: a dance between the dreamer and the witness to the manifestation of the dream. The work is therefore both of the world and beyond it something real in the world from the realm of ideas: a thing that can be bought or sold but also an idea the idea of a blue horse. Something that doesn't exist in the world, yet does. Marc's Blue Horses everywhere adorn mugs, t-shirts, art books and aprons, in numbers beyond estimation. The inherent peacefulness in Marc's idea projects calm and pleasure on all who see it. People really love their Franz Marc posters. It is not a small thing for them. Something inside them becomes like a Blue Horse, resonating when they see it, creating a circuit, and all that energy circulates through this idea and its form, growing in scale, each year more powerful, more valuable. This paradigm balances an opposite, an idea and a thing, and contains paradox throughout. In Marc's case, the peaceful man wishes to go to war, which he thinks will cleanse Europe, but which almost destroys it. He serves in the artillery, finds peace making images of rebirth; is killed by an enemy shell. It is perfect and severe in its symmetry. Fittingly his art is the focus of The Flowers of War's concert on Verdun, one of the three worst battles in history. On March 17, at the National Gallery of Australia, we will project his war sketches, never seen in this country, transform them into paintings, to make clear what was lost. Paired with them will be the songs written at Verdun by French serving composers such as Ravel and Roussel. It is a demonstration of the cultural cost of war, made in the service of peace, responding to violence with beauty On March 4, 1916, Marc wrote to his wife from Verdun, "amidst these awful scenes of destruction in which I am now living, the thought of returning home has a halo which cannot be described with sufficiently lovely words Don't worry, I will come through, and I'm also fine as far as my health goes. I feel well and watch myself. Many, many thanks for the dear birthday letter. Kisses Franz" Alas at 4pm, that very afternoon, while riding a horse on patrol he was killed. The German Army, having realised his importance, had requested his withdrawal. The orders arrived too late. He left behind 244 jewel-like paintings, thus joining his friend Auguste Macke and Wilhelm Morgner, as the Great War losses of the German Art World. The generation that survived, George Grosz, Max Beckman, Otto Dix, Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, in order to expunge their traumatic experiences made some of the most terrifying images in history. Only Paul Klee, who had painted Kandinsky-like camouflage on tents, remained unscathed. A Cairo cassation court acquitted earlier on Wednesday former Mubarak-era prime minister Ahmed Nazif of corruption in a retrial. The court acquitted Nazif of graft and profiteering charges. The former prime minister was convicted in 2012 of graft and profiteering and sentenced to three years in prison. In July 2012 a criminal court examining his appeal issued a new sentence of five years. Nazif served as prime minister from 2004 until former president Hosni Mubarak replaced him during the popular revolution against his rule in January 2011. He was imprisoned after Mubarak's ouster and released in June 2013 because he had spent the maximum period in pre-trial detention for corruption charges. In February 2015, Nazif was acquitted in another graft case in which he and former interior minister Habib El-Adly had been sentenced to one year and five years in jail respectively over charges of illegal profiting and squandering public funds. Many other Mubarak-era figures have been cleared of corruption charges in recent months. Search Keywords: Short link: Hold on to your hats, it's Friday 13th this week and the National Film and Sound Archive is turning it up a notch when it comes to scare factors. Like it needs to have you been to that place at night? With the old morgue and all those twisty narrow stairwells? Pretty scary stuff. This year, Scare Factor features one of the frankly chilling tours of the archive's headquarters with our own Tim the Yowie Man, and screenings of new and classic Australian horror films, including a restored version 1987's Howling III: The Marsupials, featuring Barry Otto as the mad scientist, and Scare Campaign, which includes a Q&A with director Cameron Cairns. For bookings and more information, visit nfsa.gov.au Drill Hall autumn lecture Professor Ian McLean will present the third of the Drill Hall Gallery's Autumn Lecture Series, this one titled How aborigines invented the idea of contemporary art. Intriguing! Professor McLean is "one of Australia's leading art historians and the first to write broadly and inclusively about the place of Aboriginal art in contemporary Australian art theory and practice". He will speak about the recent literature on Aboriginal art and give context for understanding current debates and interpretations of this "unique and unprecedented" intervention in world art. How aborigines invented the idea of contemporary art, by Ian McLean, is on Sunday, May 8, 3pm at the School of Art lecture Theatre, Level 2, Childers Street. Tickets at the door: $10/$5, or free for Friends of the Drill Hall Gallery. Visit dhg.anu.edu.au for more information. Cracked Actor in Ainslie Local indie-rock favourites Cracked Actor are launching their new EP, Duo, at the Ainslie Arts Centre on Thursday night as part of Ainslie and Gorman Arts Centres' monthly Confluence series, with support from Happy Axe. "Following last year's acclaimed debut Iconoclast, Duo sees the band pared back to just two members Sebastian Field and Matt Lustri while still favouring ambient soundscapes and minimalist loops, framed new songs as well as delicate and sorrowful renditions of Cracked Actor staples." Cracked Actor, supported by Happy Axe, are playing at Ainslie Arts Centre in the Main Hall, on Thursday, May 12, at 7.30pm. Tickets $15/$10. Visit agac.com.au for bookings or more information. ACT Liberal senator Zed Seselja said the change would give the current ACT government, or the next, the chance to "do the right thing for Tuggeranong" and for affordable housing in Canberra. "It's an opportunity too good to miss," he said. The changes to the 335-page plan were first proposed last June and have been considered in two rounds of community consultation on an exposure draft prepared by the authority. The authority says it proposes to adopt a principles-based approach to metropolitan planning in the ACT which will provide the ACT government greater flexibility to plan for the growth of the city. "The Commonwealth will retain an appropriate level of oversight to uphold the national interest," it says. The authority will remain responsible for detailed planning in so-called designated areas, which include Lake Burley Griffin and its foreshores, the parliamentary zone, diplomatic estates and the main approach routes to the territory The Australian Institute of Sport at Bruce has been added to the list of designated areas, along with land adjacent to Constitution Avenue, between Coranderrk Street and London Circuit Mr Fletcher described amendment 86 as the most significant and comprehensive redrafting of the plan in its history, which would provide a clearer and simpler planning framework for the nation's capital. "As the first comprehensive review of the plan since it came into effect in 1990, the plan now has a better balance in planning responsibilities between the Commonwealth and ACT governments," he said in a statement to Fairfax Media. "The changes will enable the Commonwealth government to focus on protecting the national character of Canberra, while allowing the ACT government to get on with the day-to-day planning for the city's long term growth and economic development." Senator Seselja said the changes were a big win for Canberra, particularly for the future of housing affordability and local town centres. "The current lack of both housing and facilities in Canberra's outer suburbs is making it hard and unappealing for young Canberrans to enter the property market, particularly in Tuggeranong," he said. "The updated plan will ensure the viability of Tuggeranong's future growth and will not only provide for more affordable housing opportunities but also new and upgraded facilities for local residents. "Reducing duplication and complexity in our planning arrangements is essential for attracting new investment. "The amendments to the plan will open up opportunities for development in west Tuggeranong and west Belconnen, which will rejuvenate our local town centres and help small businesses thrive. "I have been pushing for these changes since being elected in 2013." In April 2014 Senator Seselja proposed Tuggeranong should be extended to the west side of the Murrumbidgee River to bring more people to the region. While the plan could be opposed on environmental grounds due to the likely need to build another bridge across the river corridor, Senator Seselja says proposed suburbs to the north of Tharwa were part of original zoning under the national capital plan, before self-government. The ACT government said last month it would develop a new suburb in Tuggeranong between the existing town centre and the Murrumbidgee River. The ACT Conservation Council is concerned the plan to redevelop almost 90 hectares of river corridor and nature reserve into a new suburb of Thompson could affect the iconic waterway. Alleged murder victim Andrew Carville was strangled to death and found with a 24-centimetre-long carving knife tucked into his pants. Mr Carville, 52, was wrapped in a black and white floor rug and covered with rocks and branches when police discovered his badly decomposed remains dumped in a dry creek bed on Defence land in Majura last November. Andrew Carville was last seen alive on November 4. Milan Urlich, 28, fronted court last week charged with murder and interfering with a dead body in relation to his death. His older brother, Marc Urlich, 43, pleaded not guilty to being an accessory after the fact to murder, and interfering with a dead body, in the ACT Magistrates Court on Monday. ACT political parties could soon have access to an independent budget officer for policy costings, under a plan put forward by the Liberal opposition on Wednesday. Opposition treasury spokesman Brendan Smyth proposed a non-partisan parliamentary budget officer position be established before the October 15 ACT election, to provide Assembly members with analysis of the territory budget, financial policy and a new policy costing service. Canberra Liberals treasury spokesman Brendan Smyth. Credit:Graham Tidy The role would be an independent officer of the Legislative Assembly, with a similar status to the territory electoral commissioner, ombudsman and auditor-general. Among the proposed functions of the new role are policy costings at the request of an Assembly member outside of a pre-election period, costings before an election for political parties or independent Assembly members and the preparation of submissions to inquiries by Assembly committee. Some of the $160 million provisionally earmarked for a plebiscite on same-sex marriage should be invested in Canberra's national institutions, Chief Minister Andrew Barr argued on Wednesday. Scott Morrison's first federal budget showed the workforces of national cultural institutions will drop by about 63 full-time equivalent positions in 2016-17, with the National Library of Australia set to lose 28 positions from its headcount. Jobs lost: The National Gallery will lose staff due to federal cuts. Credit:Jay Cronan The government will save nearly $2 billion from its efficiency dividend, imposed across the bureaucracy and set to remain at 2.5 per cent, before falling to 2 per cent in 2018-19. The National Gallery's headcount will drop by 20 full-time equivalent positions, three will go from the Portrait Gallery and the National Film and Sound Archive will have 12 fewer positions. Old Parliament House and the National Museum of Australia will remain the same or grow. Injured Fremantle Dockers ruck giant Aaron Sandilands will play on into a 15th AFL season, after the club confirmed on Wednesday he had signed a new one-year contract. Sandilands is currently sidelined with a rib injury sustained in the round three loss to West Coast at Domain Stadium. But as flagged by WAtoday last month, the silver lining to Sandilands' injury is that he will play on in 2017. "It's great to be at the club for another 12 months," Sandilands told the Dockers' website. More than 30 passengers are being treated for injuries after their Etihad Airways flight encountered severe turbulence just before landing. Flight EY474 travelling from Abu Dhabi to Jakarta encountered "severe and unexpected" turbulence 45 minutes before landing on Wednesday. Passengers were seen screaming, crying and hugging each other in a video filmed by a passenger, which showed the plane rocking violently from side to side. Oxygen masks tumbled from the ceiling, passengers told Jakarta-based news website Okezone . The extension, the seventh since August 2013, is awaiting approval from parliament Egypt's President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi has extended a state of emergency in designated areas of the North Sinai governorate for three further months, the state's official gazette reported. The initial decision to impose the state of emergency came in August 2013 by then-interim president Adly Mansour after violent unrest gripped the country following the ouster of Islamist president Mohamed Morsi. The decision has since been extended for three months at a time, with the latest in January 2016. The most recent extension was made due to the dangerous security circumstances that the governorate is facing. The emergency measures are to be applied in areas including the region from the east of Rafah Hill to El-Awga west of El-Arish. The decision, which was initially to be applied on 29 April, will take effect after parliament approval. The renewal of the state of emergency had previously been applied automatically, as the country was without a parliament since 2012. A night-time curfew from 7pm (17:00 GMT) to 6am (04:00 GMT) will be imposed in these areas, though El-Arish and the international road from the El-Midan checkpoint and the entrance to El-Arish city from the west will see a four-hour curfew starting from 1am until 5am, or until further notice. The decree states that any citizen found in public during curfew hours will be imprisoned according to a 1958 law. Egyptian security forces are grappling with an Islamist insurgency based in parts of the North Sinai governorate that spiked following the 2013 ouster of Morsi. The insurgency has killed hundreds of Egyptian security personnel, while the military has said that hundreds of militants have been killed in security operations in the area. Search Keywords: Short link: CBD was worried that the newby CEOs at our Big Four banks set a ghastly trend by taking pay cuts as they took the top jobs from their galacticos forebears, so it is good to see this behaviour has not infected the entire finance sector. Insurer Cover-More revealed that its new recruit from QBE, Mike Emmett, will be enjoying a sizeable pay rise compared to the departing chief, Peter Edwards. His $960,000 base pay represents a $210,000 increase on Edwards. Add in the incentives and his remuneration could reach $2.6 million. And this does not include the $810,000 sign-on bonus to compensate him for incentives forfeited when he left QBE. Not that Edwards has much reason for complaint. Smokers - asked to cough up yet again in the federal government's latest budget - should take a deep breath before looking at the chart below. It shows the price of tobacco has rocketed by 343 per cent since 1996, with the steepest rises since 2010. On Tuesday the federal government announced it will increase the tobacco excise by 12.5 per cent a year for the next four years. Cigarette makers and retailers claim $40 packets of cigarettes are going to force more smokers into the growing black market for illegally imported tobacco. In a fiery response to the Turnbull government's $4.7 billion budget hit to tobacco excise, British American Tobacco said crime syndicates that smuggle cigarettes into Australia will be "champing at the bit" at the prospect of increasing their share of the $14 billion industry. The stepped excise rise will push a pack of cigarettes from $25 today to an estimated $41 by 2020. The UnitingCare support worker's wife Binida Grii is an assistant nurse and their 10-year-old daughter Ragyi attends Harrison Primary School. Rajib Bharadi, Binida and Ragyi, 10 of Harrison. Mr Bharadi thinks the 2016 federal budget favoured high-income earners over the average family. Credit:Elesa Kurtz This is the view of Canberra father Rajib Bharadi, who feels low and average income earners got only crumbs from the federal budget cookie jar. Average Australian families were left behind as Treasurer Scott Morrison took small businesses, high-income earners and young job seekers into "extraordinary times" on Tuesday night. Mr Bharadi thought well-off workers were being favoured by the budget's tax breaks and that the government did not understand what most Australians earn. "As far as I know, lots of my colleagues and friends are on about $50,000 to $60,000 a year. $80,000 is big money. "Most people that I know don't earn that much money." When asked if the superannuation tax hit for the wealthy evened things out, he said easing financial stress off lower income earners would help him more than punishing the rich. He was equally concerned about the 20 per cent funding cut to universities and a failure to address housing affordability. ANU vice-chancellor Brian Schmidt has expressed concern about federal funding cuts to higher education as students welcomed the government's decision to abandon its policy of university fee deregulation. ANU Student Association member James Connolly said he was happy deregulation was scrapped because "it represents the major corporatisation of higher education". Thomas Foster, 21 of Red Hill, Joshua Dundas 21 of Curtin, Tess Hemmings 22 of Ainslie, James Connolly 21 of Acton, and Tom Kesina 20 of Flynn. Credit:Jamila Toderas "However I am cautious of the other measures in the options paper," he said on Wednesday. A new internship program introduced to combat youth unemployment is at risk of becoming a "jobs destruction program" unless safeguards are introduced to prevent exploitation, workplace experts have warned. Andrew Stewart, professor of law at the University of Adelaide, said the $752 million federal budget program to help job seekers under the age of 25 get a job appeared to be a "rebadged and ramped up version" of the national work experience program introduced last year, but without the same safeguards. Those safeguards included ones preventing a business from accepting people for work experience if they have downsized in the previous year or if they proposed to take on a work experience person instead of a paid employee. "I would have thought there was a need for similar safeguards in this new program otherwise it potentially becomes a job destruction scheme," Professor Stewart said. A plan to allow wealthy airline passengers to avoid long airport queues will bring more visitors to Australia, Immigration Minister Peter Dutton says. The government announced the potentially divisive measure in Tuesday's federal budget. Plane passengers would be offered a "premium" experience at airports which Fairfax Media understands may include a fast-tracked passage through border clearance, or even separate terminals. It would initially operate at Sydney, Perth and Melbourne airports. Retailing giant Aldi is keeping its focus northside in the ACT, with a new store opened in Casey on Wednesday and another due to open at Majura Park by "mid-2016". The Casey store was the 10th in the ACT, the Majura Park one will be the 11th. Let me at it: Samuel Vargas, 7, explores the new Aldi store in Casey which opened on Wednesday. Credit:Rohan Thomson There will be seven Aldi stores northside Casey, Gungahlin, Majura Park, Belconnen, Macquarie, Kippax-Holt and the Canberra Centre. Southside stays static with four Tuggeranong, Chisholm, Conder and Weston. "As part of our long-term expansion plans we are always open to exploring new store locations. We are pleased to confirm our next location in the ACT will be within Majura Park Shopping Centre, with a store likely to open in mid-2016," an Aldi spokesperson said. A Cairo misdemeanour court sentenced on Wednesday political activist Sanaa Seif to six months in prison for insulting the judiciary. Last week, the prosecution referred Seif to court after she refused to cooperate with investigations conducted by the prosecution over accusations of inciting protests against the Egyptian-Saudi Red Sea island deal and distributing posters to citizens in the Moqattam area. Scores of people were arrested across the country over the past two weeks at protests as well as from their homes and in cafes against Egypt's recent decision to acknowledge Saudi Arabia's sovereignty over the two Red Sea islands of Tiran and Sanafir. The 21-year-old Seif described the investigations as a farce, which the prosecution considered an insult to the investigators. Since the judicial system has lost its sovereignty, with it not issuing its own decisions, as it has lost its fairness as well as its commitment to delivering justice; and given that executive authorities are the ones running the state, I describe this investigation as only a farce, and this is why I refuse to cooperate with it, Seif told prosecutors last week, according to her sister Mona. Seif, who is currently out on bail, did not attend todays court session. The political activist still has the right to appeal the decision, though she said on her Facebook account that she would not do so. Seif is the daughter of prominent late human rights advocate and lawyer Ahmed Seif El-Islam, and sister of human rights advocate Mona Seif and leading activist and blogger Alaa Abdel-Fattah, who is serving a jail sentence for breaking the protest law. She was among a group of political activists arrested at a protest march in June 2014 that called for the repeal of the protest law, which bans demonstrations without police authorisation and punishes violators with imprisonment. Sanaa was sentenced to three years imprisonment, before being released after spending 15 months in prison by a presidential pardon in September 2015. Search Keywords: Short link: In a political world gone mad, let us give thanks for Malcolm Turnbull and Bill Shorten two aggressive centrists, one the perfect foil for the other, flip sides of the same coin. In the quiet before Governor-General Peter Cosgrove fires the starting gun, let's pause in grateful anticipation of a contest that promises to be as bland as porridge the class warfare served not too hot, not too cold, but a Goldilocks-style just right. Not for us the political spice from our economically convulsed and politically fractured overseas cousins: the toxic celebrity populism of Donald Trump, the pushbike Marxism of Britain's Jeremy Corbyn, even the freakish gust of fresh air that is Canada's renaissance man Justin Trudeau, the world swooning at his every gesture. Bill Shorten and Malcolm Turnbull two aggressive centrists. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen Imagine an Australian Trudeau rolling out the red carpet for refugees, giving casual dissertations on quantum computing, speaking French. He'd erode our collective self-assurance; the nation's macho sensibility would shrivel. No, we're a different breed, and Turnbull and Shorten are like two pieces of fruit grown from the same tree, but fallen on different sides of the fence. Their respective biographies read as companion essays in the all-Australian themes of struggle, mobility, self-belief and reflexive tribalism. Many Australians may wonder why it was necessary to set up detention centres in the far north of the country, or offshore, far from the Australian mainland, surrounded by guards and razor wire, in circumstances of great secrecy, with all staff and visiting medical personnel banned from telling outsiders about conditions in the camps, or reporting physical or sexual abuse of detainees. Or why it was necessary to make it nearly impossible for lawyers or journalists to visit the centres. Or why the Immigration Department was allowed (or required?) to delay vital medical treatment to Hamid Khazaei, causing his death. Or send a raped and pregnant detainee for an abortion to Port Moresby (where it is illegal) rather than Australia; or delay the treatment or transfer to Australia of the man who committed suicide last week by setting himself on fire on Nauru? Detained asylum seekers receive an intravenous drip because of dehydration at Manus Island detention centre. When Nazi Germany set up concentration camps in the 1930s, the purpose was to separate various groups communists, Jews, homosexuals from the German community, to prevent them being "tainted" by such people. The camps were maintained in great secrecy; most Germans had little or no knowledge of the awful and dehumanising conditions in which detainees were kept. Australia's detention centres in Nauru and Manus Island may have originally been intended to hold detainees for a short period say, six months while they were investigated and their claims to refugee status were assessed. But that has long since ceased to justify the existence of these centres. The decline in per-capita wealth demonstrates this. The failure to fully engage with the clean economy and Nicholas Stern's lesson on the massive cost of not acting early on climate change is a crime against future generations. The budget assumption of exponential population growth and the ideology of low debt combine to produce an unsustainable nonsense. The biggest story of today is humanity is facing its greatest ever crisis yet Scott Morrison's budget is silent on global warming (" Budget 2016: The budget in five minutes ", smh.com.au, May 4). Brian Phillips Orange Australia's Paris Agreement obligations are totally ignored in the budget. Commitments agreed five months ago and recently signed are to become binding when ratified by Australia and only 54 other nations. Our commitments, including Intended Nationally Determined Commitments submitted before the Paris Conference plus the terms of the Agreement, were proudly trumpeted by Minister Greg Hunt from UN Headquarters only two weeks ago. Fulfilling our commitments will require whole of government coordination yet the budget cuts the capacity of the Department of Environment to do so. Where is any indication of funding the various specific actions? Even the centre piece of Direct Action, the Emissions Reduction Fund, is poised to run out of money. Voters are again left in doubt on the government's sincerity on climate policy. The budget should respect Australia's obligation to be a responsible global citizen, make good the climate action commitments it has made to the international community and honour the government's policy statements to business and the electorate. Icon? Excuse me, but ICON? An icon is a thing revered, embodying our highest and truest values, a thing sacred. Are we seriously saying that a 72-storey gambling joint is an icon but an entire avenue of century-old Anzac fig trees, or a precinct of treasured Federation houses, is not? This isn't just a tower, a few old trees and some pretty buildings. This is a defining moment for Sydney. What, if anything, do we hold sacred? It was near midnight on Monday when they took the chainsaw to the Anzac figs. Gradually, over hours, the police arrived, the chipping trucks, the arc lights, the fences. They selected a great, muscular, impossibly cantilevered limb. Then, despite a hundred picketers and a continuous ribbon of honking traffic, two fluoro monkeys rode the cherry-picker, revved the chainsaw and to cries of "shame", "remember Bjelke" began hacking it to death. Outer leafy branches went first, like fingers. Then torso-thick limbs. They chucked the bits into a tray like body parts. People wept. People raged. But the felling continued. Next morning the once-bucolic avenue bristled with industrial detritus like some inner-city CSG installation. The wood-chippers worked overtime. Two magnificent trees were mangled stumps, two still in process. Limb after limb amputated, tree after tree destroyed. This is by no means it. In all, nine hectares of tree canopy will go; half the size of Hyde Park. We're in a massive, global year-long heatwave. The planet is sweltering. Trees cool the earth, sequester carbon, build soil. And we chop nine hectares? When the internet billionaires Yuri Milner and Mark Zuckerberg proposed sending a mission to another solar system, it was hard to separate vision from bluster. Was the idea a plausible next step in mankind's exploration of space? Or an ego-driven challenge to other space-oriented billionaires especially Elon Musk and his dreams of colonies on Mars? Anyone, after all, can talk about going to the stars. But they're really far away. The distance to the nearest star system, Alpha Centauri, is 4.4 light years. That's something like 26 trillion miles. To put it in perspective, it took the New Horizons spacecraft nine years to reach Pluto. A craft going the same speed would reach Alpha Centauri around 11000 AD. Zuckerberg and Milner propose completing that 9000-year trip in 20 years. The plan is to accelerate a fleet of miniature spacecraft to a quarter the speed of light by propelling them across space with a laser beam aimed from earth. The concept of "laser sailing" goes back to a 1984 paper by the physicist and science fiction writer Robert Forward, who had been discussing the concept since the 1960s. Is it possible? Maybe, say space scientists and aerospace engineers. It can't be done without technological advances, but it's not a crackpot idea. The federal election campaign season will be full of competing personalities and policies. They are all important, of course, and will help decide the outcome. But what will also be important is the tone and tenor of the campaign. And past campaigns are not very inspiring in this regard. Too often they lack civility and integrity and the present federal election campaign is in danger of slipping in the same direction if the past week is any indication. What can we hope for in this regard? Election campaigns are not just debating societies or public forums, no matter how rowdy they are. There is a lot at stake in these campaigns and the fear of losing is a powerful driver of a "whatever it takes" approach. Slogans, soundbites and possible lies are all likely to be part of the federal election campaigns. Credit:Frank Maiorana So with my eyes wide open, willing to risk being called unrealistic, I suggest that citizens demand what I will call a "charter of campaign integrity". It could be called "campaign civility" or "campaign ethics" but "campaign integrity" is better. It has long been recognised that the conduct of campaigns is heading in the wrong direction (though I do not believe there was a past golden age either). The role of television, advertising agencies, media managers and events coordinators has given campaigns a slickness that does not help real engagement between the competitors or real communication with voters. Communication is often conducted in slogans. BORDERS, BARRIERS, WALLS Monash University Museum of Art (MUMA) Monash University, 900 Dandenong Road, until July 2 As soon as you enter Borders, Barriers, Walls at MUMA, you confront an imposing dark partition. It contains a paragraph of unusual weight and menace by Yanis Varoufakis, explaining how walls that divide people from one another have proliferated across the globe since the collapse of the Iron Curtain, with its symbolic dismantling of the Berlin Wall. Tony Schwensen's Border Protection Assistance Proposed Monument for the Torres Strait (Am I ever going to see your face again?) 2002. Credit:Courtesy of the artist and Sarah Cottier Gallery, Sydney On the other side of this monument of austere words is the work of Varoufakis' collaborator, Danae Stratou, who projects images of such walls from Cyprus, to Kosovo, Ireland, Ethiopia, Palestine, India and the US. They have an uncanny resemblance, each performing a similar function, often made from the same fabric and patrolled with the same pitiless severity. From the outset, you are fenced in by global realities: division among people is literally tangible. Curated by Francis E. Parker, the exhibition erects barricades everywhere, frustrating the normal flow of the MUMA galleries and acting out the oppressive imprisonment that so many walls maintain. Australians could have their right to obtain cheap digital content from overseas enshrined in law if a key recommendation of the Productivity Commission draft report into intellectual property arrangements is adopted. If successful, the move could spell big trouble for local content suppliers such as Foxtel and the Australian iTunes and Amazon stores. The 600-page draft report, which was tabled on April 29, argues that Australian consumers have long been ripped off by differential pricing policies, and insists that the government should move to guarantee people are protected in their efforts to find ways around them. The primary means by which differential pricing is enforced is geoblocking, whereby consumers in Australia are prevented from accessing licensed distributors of content in countries such as the US and Britain, where that content is often available earlier and cheaper than it is in Australia. When Melissa Parke arrived in Canberra nine years ago, she committed herself to waging war against indifference in a national Parliament utterly preoccupied with fighting other battles. There was the war on terror, the war on drugs and the war on people smugglers, she recalled in her final speech to Parliament on Wednesday. And then there was the war on each other. Melissa Parke is embraced by Philip Ruddock after her farewell speech at Parliament House. Credit:Andrew Meares "Only the last one seems to have had any success, and that has been to the detriment of all of us and of public trust in our political system," Parke told fewer than 30 MPs in the House of Representatives. Emma Watson pulled a Hermione Granger with the wizardry behind her black and white gown for the Met Gala on Monday night in New York, The 26-year-old Harry Potter star showed she was no Muggle, when she rocked up to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in a piece made out of recycled materials. Staying true to Anna Wintour's set theme of Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology, the dress was created by Watson, Calvin Klein, and Eco-Age, a company that helps businesses introduce sustainable solutions. An Egyptian court released 22 protesters pending trial over charges of illegally protesting on 15 April, dubbed 'The Friday of Land, where thousands took to the street in Cairo's downtown to protest the controversial Egyptian-Saudi Red Sea island deal. The deal, which leaves the two Red Sea islands of Tiran and Sanafir within the regional waters of Saudi Arabia, caused outrage in the country, with activists protesting in front of the press syndicate building in one of the largest demonstrations since Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi was elected as president in mid 2014. One week following the protests, the country saw mass arrests of activists and journalists in Cairo and other governorates, most notably the storming of the press syndicate and the arrest of journalists Amr Badr and Mahmoud El-Sakka on Sunday. Search Keywords: Short link: Rosalie Degabriele, a finance lecturer at the UTS business school, says the majority of super changes impact only the well off and those with substantial super savings, which she estimates to be only 4 per cent of the population. Lower salary sacrifice cap The key change is the lower cap of $25,000 on concessional contributions that takes effect from July 1 next year. This is the limit on how much can be salary sacrificed in super and includes the 9.5 per cent superannuation guarantee. The $25,000 cap is lower than the current $30,000 for under 50s and $35,000 for over-50s. But there is a sweetener. At the moment, if the annual cap is not used it is lost. However, the new $25,000 cap will be cumulative for five years for those with super balances of $500,000 or less. "For a little bit of lowering of the cap you get the rollover provisions, says Philip La Greca, an executive at AMP's self-managed super fund business, SuperConcepts. It will allow people to make decisions as the cash becomes available, he says. "Salary sacrifice is very structured as you've got to set up how much you want to salary sacrifice at the beginning of the year," La Greca says. "What this allows everyone to do is what small business owners can do; at the end of the year they see how much they can afford to put into super," he says. "It will help those with broken work patterns to catch up and those who receive bonus to put that into super," he says. After-tax contributions A $500,000 lifetime cap will be applied to after-tax contributions into super, called non-concessional contributions. That is a lot less generous than the $180,000 a year that is allowed now. Wealthier people who sell some investments, but also ordinary wage earners who receive windfalls, such as inheritances, often put the money into their super as non-concessional contributions. They do so because once they are retired, there is not tax paid on the money. This is a measure to reduce the capacity for super to be used for wealth accumulation and estate planning tool rather than providing for retirement income. The budget papers say the $500,000 lifetime cap includes non-concessional contributions going back to the middle of 2007. That means many people will have made non-concessional contributions in excess of the $500,000 limit. Natasha Panagis, technical manager at Strategy Steps, says for those who have more than the cap it remains to be seen what they will be able to do. Those who have hit the limit will have to invest the money in other tax-effective non-super investment like negative gearing or insurance bonds or family trusts," Panagis says. Transition to retirement The government is taking measures to stop the transition-to-retirement (TTR) strategy to be simply a way of higher earners swapping their highest marginal income rate with the lower super tax rates. To take advantage of TTR you must have reached the superannuation preservation age; the age at which super savings can be withdrawn as an income stream. That can be anywhere between age 56 and 60, depending on your date of birth. The strategy is to draw income from your super (by starting a pension) while also salary sacrificing pre-tax income into super. Like any salary sacrificing arrangement, the marginal income tax rate that would have been paid on the sacrificed salary is replaced by the lower super contributions tax. The idea is to have income from the pension replacing the money salary-sacrificed so that take-home pay remains unchanged with the Tax Office taking less. There is no tax on earnings inside a pension account. And, for over-60s there is no tax payable on the pension income withdraws. But the budget changes that. The pension account that is being used for transition to retirement will no longer be free of the tax on earnings and will attract a 15 per cent earnings tax. And when the change applies from July 1 next year it will apply to all transition-to-retirement income streams irrespective of when the income stream was started. The measure is designed to restrict use of the strategy only to those who are genuinely transitioning in retirement; that is, those who are moving from full-time work to part-time work. Panagis says the "strategy will be less effective than it used to be and less popular, especially when combined with the lower concessional caps as well." Low income earners In a move that helps with fairness in the super system, the government will continue Labor's low income superannuation contribution scheme but renamed as the low income superannuation tax offset (LITSO). Labor's scheme was due to be axed after June 30 next year and the Turnbull government was under pressure from all sectors of the superannuation industry and interest groups representing consumers to retain the scheme. It compensates workers earning less than $37,000 a year who pay an average marginal tax rate less than 15 per cent on their income, but pay 15 per cent contributions tax on their compulsory super. The re-named scheme will ensure that lower earners continue to receive an automatic rebate worth up to $500 annually, directly into their super accounts. Stephen Anthony, chief economist at Industry Super Australia, says it is a sensible step taken by the Turnbull government. "[It] is critical in ensuring lower paid workers don't end up paying more tax on their super than they do on their take-home pay," Anthony says. He says it helps those 3 million lower-income workers, mainly part-time working women earning less than $37,000 a year, who "need the most help to save for a decent standard of living in retirement". Co-contribution scheme The co-contribution scheme has been left unchanged in the budget. Adrian Raftery, a senior lecturer in financial planning and superannuation at Deakin University, says: "It's surprising how few people actually take advantage of free money from the government." If your income is under $35,454 and you contribute up to $1000 of after-tax income into you super account, the government will match each dollar with a payment of 50 cents. The incentive shades out at income of $35,454 and cuts out altogether at $50,454. The income thresholds will increase slightly for the 2016-17 year. The budget increases the income threshold to $37,000 from $10,800 for a low-earning spouse to have their spouse pay into their super account. The higher earning spouse can pay up to $3000 in the lower-paid spouse's super account and they receive a rebate, which is worth $540 on $3000. Higher earners Most of the budget changes are designed to restrict the use of tax concessions by those who have already saved more than enough for a comfortable retirement. Most people pay a super contributions tax of 15 per cent. However, from July 1 next year those earning more than $250,000 will pay double or 30 per cent, which is lower than the current income threshold of $300,000. Another measure to hit higher earners is the restriction that a maximum of $1.6 million can be moved into the tax-free pension phase. At the moment there is no limit on how much can be accumulated. There are thousands of super funds with more than $5 million in them, many of which are in the pension phase where no tax is paid on earnings or on withdrawals. The money in super in the retirement phase that is in excess of $1.6 million will have the same 15 per cent earnings tax that applies to those in the accumulation phase. Those retirees who already have more than $1.6 million will have until July 1, 2017 to either put the money back into the accumulation phase or take the money out of super. Super changes at a glance * Reduction in annual concessional contribution caps, but an ability to carry forward unused caps * A lifetime non-concessional contribution cap of $500,000 to replace the annual caps and bring-forward rules * A limit on pension phase balances of $1.6 million per person (for new and existing income streams) * Ability for everyone up to age 75 to make contributions to super * Ability to make personal before-tax contributions, if your company doesn't offer salary sacrifice or you don't have an employer. Previously this was only available to the self-employed More than 1000 jobs will be axed from the community services sector following federal budget cuts to homelessness services, mental health programs and community legal centres, the Australian Services Union claims. The union giant has warned homelessness services such as women's refuges and youth shelters will be hit hard by the axing of a $115 million program to address the rising numbers of homeless. It has also criticised a $40 million cut to community legal centres, to take effect next year, and a reduction in support for mental health services, including Headspace's youth psychosis program. Australian Services Union NSW/ACT acting secretary Judith Wright said the impact would be felt by the most disadvantaged people in the country. Linda Burney has used her farewell to state politics to call for national recognition for heavy Aboriginal losses in conflicts during white settlement and to criticise paternalistic indigenous affairs policies. Ms Burney, a former cabinet minister and deputy Labor leader, appears headed for Canberra after nearly 13 years of state politics. She is a strong favourite to win the seat of Barton at the upcoming federal election. Outgoing NSW MP Linda Burney: Canberra-bound? Credit:Alex Ellinghausen She occasionally fought back tears in a speech about the value of empathy and truthfulness in politics. "It's time [Anzac Day] also speaks of the wars fought on Australian soil," she said of the at least 20,000 aboriginal people who died over 150 years of Australia's white settlement. "The history of these conflicts is not well kept, if not to avoid discussion of a difficult topic then perhaps through a kind of wilful blindness. Protesters would be prohibited from entering a 150-metre exclusion zone around NSW abortion clinics under proposed changes designed to shield women from harassment. The proposal for exclusion zones in place in Victoria, the ACT and Tasmania is contained in a private member's bill due to be introduced to the Legislative Council by Labor MLC Penny Sharpe. A zone "will protect the safety, wellbeing and privacy of women seeking terminations in NSW," says Penny Sharpe. Credit:Wolter Peeters "Women trying to access a reproductive health service should not have to run the gauntlet of people who are seeking to stop them with physical harassment, graphic images and verbal abuse," Ms Sharpe said. "This bill will enforce a 150-metre buffer zone that will protect the safety, wellbeing and privacy of women seeking terminations in NSW." Soon after her husband Malcolm Turnbull became Prime Minister, Lucy Turnbull found herself equally in the spotlight. What sort of first lady she would be? She's already demonstrated that she will continue to be a significant person in her own right, taking on the job as chair of the Greater Sydney Commission. Lucy Turnbull. Credit:Nic Walker Now she's decided to throw her considerable clout behind another cause, which she identified as an interest early on: family violence. Our Watch, the national organisation tackling violence against women and children, announced that Lucy Turnbull will join as an ambassador for the organisation, at a function at Kirribilli House on Wednesday. Ethanol producer Manildra gave vastly inflated figures to the NSW government about the number of people employed in the industry before legislation forcing small petrol retailers to sell the biofuel. According to better regulation minister Victor Dominello, Manildra told a staff member the industry supported 3000 direct jobs and 20,000 indirect jobs figures quoted by Mr Dominello in his speech introducing the bill to the NSW Parliament. Former NSW Minister for Innovation and Better Regulation Victor Dominello championed the implementation of the new laws in late 2015. Credit:Orlando Chiodo But Mr Dominello has been forced to correct the record after discovering the true numbers were 281 direct jobs and 2668 indirect jobs. Fairfax Media has previously revealed Manildra secured 20 meetings with NSW ministers and donated more than $160,000 to the Coalition in a ferocious lobbying effort before the introduction of new laws. One of Brisbane's oldest Anglican churches is under investigation for allowing two convicted paedophiles to read to the flock. Barry John Greaves and Robert Francis Sharwood were both given recurring roles speaking at the Holy Trinity Church, Fortitude Valley, after serving time for sexually abusing children. Two paedophiles were welcomed back to the Holy Trinity Church to perform readings for the congregations. Greaves, then 71, spent nine months in jail in 2009 for forcing three altar boys, aged between 11 and 16 at the time, to engage in oral sex and masturbation with him in the early 1980s. Sharwood, then 62, was jailed for 12 months in 2006 for sexually abusing a 13-year-old boy in Brisbane more than 30 years earlier. The Death Star Canteen was not open today. The Emperor is greatly displeased. A quietly defensive message from "Mr Stevens" greeted the presumed hordes of fans descending on Brisbane's most hotly anticipated mildly Star Wars-themed eatery on May the Fourth. Glen Morris is hoping to open the Death Star Canteen in Brisbane in June. "Dear angry guy in Star Wars costume... If you've taken the day off and made a special trip in dressed as Chewbacca I can understand that you're pretty shitty right now, and fair enough." The small cafe inspired by comedian Eddie Izzard's cult bit about Darth Vader's struggle to obtain a Penne all'Arrabbiata from a non-compliant Death Star worker was not ready for the most important day on the Star Wars fan's calendar. A BRW rich-listed Queensland family is embroiled in a court room inheritance stoush, with one child claiming his three siblings short-changed him with a $60 million settlement. When multimillionaire Queensland cattle baron Peter Menegazzo died alongside his wife Angela in a fiery, New South Wales plane crash in 2005, the 62-year-old was the quintessential self-made man. Peter and Angela Menegazzo died in a plane crash in late 2005. The son of Italian immigrants built his half-billion-dollar, gulf country cattle empire on the modest foundation of his parents' Melbourne fruit and vegetable store. Mr Menegazzo became Australia's most prolific potato farmer before expanding to cattle in the 1980s and eventually becoming the sole owner of the enormously lucrative Stanbroke Pastoral Company, which runs 1.6 million hectares of pastoral land in northern Queensland. A 36-year-old man from far north Queensland has been charged with the attempted murder of his partner, the latest in a string of alleged domestic crimes against women in the state in the past two months. The 36-year-old woman was rushed to hospital on Monday night suffering a serious gash to the head at her home in Carmoo, south of Innisfail, about 9.30pm. A 36-year-old man has been charged with the attempted murder of his partner in far north Queensland. Credit:Michael Mucci She remains in Tully Hospital in a stable condition. Police allege the cut was inflicted by the man, who was later charged with attempting to kill her. Egypt's Press Syndicate says it is giving the government one-week notice to meet a set of demands it set on Wednesday, at the top of which is the sacking of the interior minister. During an urgent general assembly meeting attended by around 2,000 journalists at the union headquarters in Cairo, the syndicate called on papers to publish a standardised preamble demanding the dismissal of the interior minister. The syndicate announced in the meeting that journalists would discuss on Tuesday starting a strike if their demands are not met by that day. The demands include the release of all journalists jailed in cases involving freedom of expression, an official apology from the presidency for the storming of the union's HQ, and the introduction of a law protecting journalists from assaults by state officials. On Sunday night, security forces had raided the syndicate premises on Sunday and arrested two journalists, sparking public outrage and prompting dozens of journalists to stage a sit-in at the syndicate headquarters. Around 2,000 journalists rallied at the syndicate's meeting today to discuss responses to the raid, chanting "journalism is not a crime," inside and outside the union's headquarters. The union also called on all papers to display a logo that reads "no for gag...no for silencing," in reference to a gag order imposed Tuesday by the country's top prosecutor on publishing in the case of the arrest of the journalists. The general assembly meeting also agreed to immediately take "legal measures" against the order. The police raid of the union's headquarters on Sunday was the first in the 75-year history of the institution. Search Keywords: Short link: Police have made a breakthrough in a four-year-old homicide investigation, charging a 25-year-old man with murder. Hamilton man Marko Cokara was remanded in custody after his case was heard in court on Wednesday, accused of murdering 22-year-old Jei "Jack" Lee. A man will face court charged with murder over a 2012 shooting death in Eight Mile Plains. Mr Lee was gunned down outside an Eight Mile Plains shopping centre in 2012 over a reported drug dispute. Bandido Bogdan Cuic was arrested in Serbia in June over the murder but was yet to be extradited to face charges in Australia. For coastal manta rays, it is all about quantity rather than quality when it comes to dining, research at one of Australia's biggest known coastal manta ray feeding grounds has found. Australian and international scientists collected data at Lady Elliot Island, the southernmost coral cay of the Great Barrier Reef, to identify what drives some coastal manta rays to travel hundreds of kilometres along Australia's east coast, from the Solidary Islands off Coffs Harbour to Queensland's iconic reef. Lady Elliot Island is home to one of the largest known feeding areas for coastal manta rays in Australia. Credit:Amelia Armstrong, Project Manta. Coastal manta rays can reach up to five metres from wingtip to wingtip and are often found at 'cleaning stations' along rocky outcrops or patches of reef where 'cleaner fish' clear them of parasites, infections and wounds. Project Manta database manager and lead author of the research, Asia Armstrong, said her team went out on a small boat twice within one year to observe coastal manta rays feeding on zooplankton and recorded the number of manta rays and their behaviours at each visit. A central Queensland police officer will face court after allegedly operating a ship unsafely while off-duty. The 29-year-old constable has been been stood down from duty and has been charged with an offence under the Marine Safety Act, which relates to the safe operation of ships. A central Queensland police officer allegedly operated a ship unsafely while off-duty. Credit:Robert Rough He will face the Rockhampton Magistrates Court on Thursday. AAP Victims of domestic violence should not have to be cross-examined by their abusers in family law cases, says the 2015 Australian of the Year. Rosie Batty, whose son Luke was murdered by his father two years ago, is calling on federal politicians to support a five-step "roadmap" to improve the family law system. Doestic violence campaigner Rosie Batty wants to see changes in the family law system. Credit:Andrew Meares Ms Batty will join members of the Women's Legal Service in Brisbane on Thursday to outline the proposal, which includes new laws to protect victims in court cases and the development of a mediation model using specialist lawyers and social workers. They also want more funding for legal services and a new national accreditation and monitoring scheme for family consultants. "When Mander lost out by one vote after the election, it wasn't all support for Tim Mander. There were also people there just voting for 'not Springborg'," another MP said. The party is yet to come up with a consensus candidate, with an attempted coup in February starring Mr Mander aborted before it effectively began because of lack of numbers and Mr Nicholls considered risky given the prominent role he played in the Newman Government. But Mr Mander is also considered an acolyte of Mr Newman, even borrowing an argument from the former premier while attempting to shoot down concerns his marginal seat, which he holds by 1.77 per cent, would be a hindrance and lead to the same 'Plan B' questions that plagued Mr Newman. "I don't really see the relevance if we don't win my seat, we definitely won't be in government," he told ABC radio on Wednesday night. "It is a totally different situation to the situation with Campbell Newman, where it was possible for him to lose his seat and for us to retain government that is not the case with me. "There are seven seats more marginal than mine so if I don't win my seat, we definitely won't win government." Mr Newman also attempted to use that line which ultimately proved correct during the 2015 election when public sentiment pointed to him not retaining Ashgrove. Mr Mander said Mr Newman was "mathematically not right" when he attempted that argument. "We could lose his seat, because it was a 4.5 per cent swing, but a 7.5 swing to lose government," he said. "I can't we have to gain percentages, not lose them. So if I don't win my seat that would mean that seven other seats haven't been won either which means we won't be forming government." Mr Mander's argument relies on the entire state voting the same way, making any swing uniform, rather than constituents in his traditionally Labor seat returning to their historic voting patterns. Fairfax Media also understands that Deb Frecklington, who was considered the only consensus candidate for deputy in the event Mr Nicholls also ran for the leadership, had turned Mr Mander down and he had turned to Mount Ommaney MP Tarnya Smith as his running mate. Ms Smith holds her seat by 0.23 per cent, the second slimmest margin in the state. Labor's forced change to compulsory preferential voting the trigger used by the LNP agitators to launch the latest leadership coup has the power to sweep both Mr Mander and Ms Smith from their sweeps, without a Labor candidate winning the primary vote. While many within the party have expressed dissatisfaction with Mr Springborg's leadership style and his refusal to attack the Palaszczuk Government on anything other than policy, a key portion of the 21 votes Mr Mander would need to seize the leadership have also questioned the former Scripture Union's boss inexperience. "Just look at how he has handled this," one senior LNP MP said. "We could have done this in a fairly bloodless way. But now there is just mess everywhere and it is all being played out in public because he's jumped the gun and forced something most weren't ready for. "There's concern Tim Mander could be the new Bruce Flegg an inexperienced leader taking us to an election where we send the untested, untrained guy into the field and lose. It's a mess right now. "A mess." Mr Mander told the ABC during his media blitz for support that his inexperience in parliament should not be considered a negative factor, saying he was a "fresh" face in what many have taken as a swipe against Mr Springborg who has served nearly three decades in the parliament and already faced and lost three elections, and Mr Nicholls, for his role in the Newman Government. "I have 30 years of leadership experience in both public and private sector, I don't think people are looking for professional politicians what they are looking for is people who are authentic and people who are willing to serve the Queensland public and I believe I have the track record of doing that and I believe my skills can help the LNP win government at the next state election," he said. But Mr Mander said Mr Springborg had done a "good job in stabilising the party" following its "devastating" defeat in 2015, but that it was time for a different style of leadership as Queensland entered the half way point in its election cycle. "... I think the people of Queensland are looking to their conservative side of politics to provide fresh, bold, innovative new ideas to provide strategic direction and to show that they can be a credible alternative government," he said. The official number counting began just after 3pm on Tuesday following Mr Seeney's volley which arrived via email to his colleagues declaring he would call for a spill motion but would not stand for a position himself. Mr Seeney has been seen by many within the party as the architect of recent events, forcing matters to a head. But even Mr Seeney's critics within the party have claimed it is also the "last chance" the party has to change leaders before the next state election. "It's now or never," one said. "If we don't do it now, we have to go through with Lawrence and we've lost three with him at the helm. I think a lot of members, particularly those backbenchers who are looking at losing their seat now that Labor has brought in compulsory preferential voting, are looking at this as their last chance to hold on to their jobs. "No one could have seen what Labor did it was a brilliant move, tactically, and we were out-flanked. But they had the Katters on board to do it and Lawrence was elected as leader on the proviso he could negotiate with the Katters and not only did he not manage to talk them out of it, he also wasn't told by them that this was coming. "So it's being used as the trigger needed to bring all of this to the surface." Mr Springborg has also declined to comment publicly, saying instead he would reserve his talking for the party room and would "not be speculating beyond that". "It is a democratic party and they have a democratic opportunity to express their views," he said. The brother of a man charged with murdering Melbourne teenager Patrick Cronin has been fined a total of $3000 and released after admitting he harassed a witness in the case. Brendan Lee, 37, pleaded guilty to one count each of harassing a witness and possessing explosives, over unrelated fireworks at his home, on Wednesday in the Heidelberg Magistrates Court sitting in Melbourne. Patrick Cronin was fatally injured at a pub in Diamond Creek last month. His brother Andrew William Lee, 33, is charged with murdering Mr Cronin, who suffered fatal head injuries outside a Diamond Creek pub last month. The court heard that Lee arranged to meet a witness in a Diamond Creek park a few days after and told him they knew police had been to see him. Education Minister James Merlino has reignited debate about whether the curriculum should refer to Australia being invaded rather than settled. It follows the Minister recently declaring that in the eyes of Aboriginal people, Australia was invaded rather than settled. There are new calls for the curriculum to be overhauled to say Australia was invaded not settled. Credit:James Alcock Aboriginal leaders and advocates are calling for change, and say it is inaccurate to tell students that Australia was settled by Europeans. Victorian Aboriginal Education Association general manager Lionel Bamblett said that he would prefer to see the term invasion in the curriculum. Students are sneaking mobile phones into VCE exams to get an unfair advantage, with new data revealing that almost twice as many students cheated in the high-stakes test last year. The state's curriculum watchdog investigated 65 alleged breaches of exam rules in 2015, up from 38 the previous year. Cheating in VCE exams almost doubled in 2015. Credit:Anna Warr In one case, a student peeked at photos of a draft essay on their mobile phone to cheat their way to a higher grade during an exam. Huge swells and high winds made for a rough journey on the Spirit of Tasmania on Tuesday. A large semi-trailer was turned on its side and cars smashed together during the journey from Melbourne to Devonport. A semi-trailer tipped over on the Spirit of Tasmania II on Tuesday. Credit:Facebook On Monday night, only hours after the Bureau of Meteorology issued a warning for 100km/h winds across much of Victoria and Tasmania, the ship left Melbourne for its scheduled trip across Bass Strait. Video filmed on board shows huge swells battering the ship, before the person filming is knocked to the ground. Police have charged, fined and cautioned 50 vandals as a part of a six-month operation to tackle the $10 million graffiti plague on Melbourne's train network. Operation Deep Clean has run in conjunction with Metro Trains, and means reports of vandalism and the accompanying CCTV footage are swiftly sent to police. Acting Superintendent Karl Curran said graffiti was a "gateway crime". "Vandals can end up turning to more serious crimes such as assault, robbery and aggravated burglary," he said. Italian judicial sources said that the meeting comes following a request from Egypts prosecutor-general Nabil Sadek An Italian security delegation is expected to arrive in Cairo on Saturday to discuss with Egyptian officials the ongoing investigation into the killing of Italian student Giulio Regeni in Cairo earlier this year, an Egyptian judicial source told Ahram Online. Italian sources told ANSA news agency that the Cairo meeting comes following a request by Egypts prosecutor-general Nabil Sadek. ANSA also reported that the Egyptian prosecutor-general provided the phone records of 13 individuals, which Rome prosecutors believe may provide clues to who killed Regeni. Regeni, a 28-year-old PhD student, vanished from the streets of Cairo in the evening hours of 25 January, with his body discovered in a ditch on the outskirts of the city nine days later, showing signs of extensive torture. Egypt has repeatedly denied accusations by critics locally and internationally that security officials were involved in the murder. Earlier this month, an Egyptian security delegation visited Rome to share its most recent findings in the case with their Italian counterparts. The head of the delegation, a prosecutorial aide, said upon return to Cairo that the request for phone records was the main point of contention at the Rome meetings due to it being illegal and unconstitutional. The inability of the Egyptian authorities to identify and apprehend those who killed Regeni has strained relations between Cairo and Rome, who enjoy strong political and economic ties. Italian police and government officials have urged Cairo to do more in making available to Rome information they believe would help in resolving the case. Search Keywords: Short link: Police are hunting for a man who broke into a service station while wearing a mask of a type popularised by the movie V for Vendetta. The man smashed his way into the service station on Upper Heidelberg Road in Heidelberg Heights about 3am on April 24. The would-be thief then attempted to break into an ATM but was unsuccessful. Police have released CCTV footage showing the burglar wearing a Guy Fawkes mask, which have also become associated with the hacker group Anonymous. The notorious bank robber dubbed the "Postcard Bandit" has landed in Perth after police extradited him from Queensland to face a charge over his Fremantle prison escape 27 years ago. Brenden Abbott was taken from the Brisbane Correctional Centre and flown to Western Australia on a small WA Police plane on Wednesday, with the journey taking about eight hours. Brenden Abbott, the Postcard Bandit, at Gold Coast hotel swimming pool. Credit:File The plane stopped twice to refuel, first at Broken Hill on the NSW-South Australian border, where a handcuffed Abbott was photographed wearing a shirt and tie as he disembarked, then at Forrest near the WA-SA border. Moments after touching down at Jandakot airport in Perth's southern suburbs, Abbott was whisked to an unknown location in a convoy of six police vehicles. The Town of Cambridge is planning to splash out $60,000 to light up a Lake Monger toilet block, which is a well-known sex hotspot for men. At last month's council meeting the city voted to install lighting at the Dodd Street dunnies because of ongoing concerns by locals about anti-social behaviour and "inappropriate sexual activities". Toilet block at Lake Monger. Credit:Eleri Teesalu The city shied away from installing CCTV cameras at the lavatories, despite only three of the 56 locals surveyed being opposed to having permanent cameras at the loos. The council felt it could not justify the $10,000 for the CCTV cameras. A dashboard camera has captured footage of a Perth road rage dispute that ended with a truck driver kicking a man in the face. The vision, which was posted to YouTube on Wednesday morning, shows a man walking towards a cement truck which stopped at a set of traffic lights near the Hutton Street bridge in Osborne Park. A man is kicked in the head during a road rage dispute. Credit:Youtube As the man approaches the truck, the footage shows the driver opening his door and the two men argue before the truck driver kicks the man in the face. After another exchange of words the truck driver closes his door and drives off. WA Police say they received a tip-off from a US-based local law enforcement agency earlier this year. The Joint Anti Child Exploitation Team investigation resulted in the man appearing in Karratha Magistrates Court on Wednesday, charged with numerous offences including intent to: WA Police joined forces with their US counterparts to nab a 28-year-old Karratha man over numerous online child exploitation offences. They allege the man was engaging online with children and encouraging them to participate in online sexual activity. He was arrested as his workplace on Tuesday and his home and vehicle were searched. Australian Federal Police manager of victim based crime, Commander Glen McEwen, said this type of offending, while occurring online, could be just as devastating for the victim as direct-contact offending. "The reality of the internet is that alleged offenders such as this can engage and influence children across the globe," he said. "However, law enforcement information sharing across international jurisdictions is stronger than ever, resulting in the arrest that occurred on Tuesday." Working holiday-makers could leave WA in their droves with the Turnbull government's controversial "backpacker tax" set to come into effect on July 1. Despite heavy lobbying from the tourism and agricultural sector, the federal government refused to scrap the backpackers tax in Tuesday's budget, meaning tourists on a working visa would be taxed 32.5 per cent from their first dollar earned. 'I don't care about not being able to claim tax back. I care that it's such a high amount', says Kiera. Credit:Brendan Foster By comparison, Australians who earn less than $20,000 a year enjoy a tax-free income. English tourist Kiera, who didn't want her last name published, said the tax was a "joke". New York: The rules of war, enshrined for decades, require hospitals to be treated as sanctuaries from war and for health workers to be left alone to do their jobs. But on today's battlefields, attacks on hospitals and ambulances, surgeons, nurses and midwives have become common, punctuating what aid workers and UN officials describe as a new low in the savagery of war. The levelling of a hospital in Aleppo that killed the city's most qualified paediatrician last week, the bombing of a hospital in Yemen by the Saudi-led military coalition in January and the American destruction of a Medecins Sans Frontieres hospital in Afghanistan last year are worrying developments. On Tuesday, the Security Council unanimously adopted a resolution to remind warring parties everywhere of the rules, demanding protection for those who provide health care and accountability for violators. The measure urged member states to conduct independent investigations and prosecute those found responsible for violations "in accordance with domestic and international law". Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has entered unlikely political territory, calling on Brazilians to demonstrate outside Congress in the capital Brasilia on Wednesday to put pressure on the already embattled government to ensure citizens' democratic rights are upheld. Zuckerberg was referring to a Brazilian judge's decision to block the Facebook-owned encrypted messaging service WhatsApp, in retaliation for the company's perceived lack of cooperation with a criminal investigation. He spoke after the ban was reversed on appeal, 24 hours into the 72-hour block. Mark Zuckerberg called on Brazilians to protest to uphold democracy. Credit:AP A judge in the northern Sergipe state ordered the country's five carriers to block access to WhatsApp on Monday in what the newspaper Folha de S Paulo said was a response to the company's refusal to hand over information about an interstate drug trafficking gang. The same judge last month ordered the arrest of Facebook Brazil's vice-president Diego Dzodan in relation to the same investigation, the newspaper said. Jerusalem: An Israeli man convicted of abducting and murdering a Palestinian teenager in 2014 in a case that eventually escalated into the 50-day Gaza war has been sentenced by an Israeli court to life in prison plus 20 years. Rejecting an insanity plea that was submitted at the end of the trial, the Jerusalem District Court had ruled Yosef Haim Ben-David, 31, was fully responsible for his actions when he and two teenage nephews abducted Muhammad Abu Khdeir, 16, off a street near the boy's East Jerusalem home, drove him to a forest on the outskirts of the city, choked him, beat him unconscious and burned him to death in the early hours of July 2, 2014. Palestinians throw stones during clashes with Israeli security forces in Jerusalem in July 2014. The violence erupted after a 16-year-old Palestinian Mohammed Abu Khdeir was abducted and his body found in a Jerusalem forest. Credit:AP They said it was in revenge for three Israeli teens abducted and killed by Palestinians allied with the Islamist militant group Hamas earlier that summer. The killing of Abu Khdeir was widely condemned in Israel, but fuelled clashes between Palestinians and Israeli police. Hamas increased its rocket fire on Israel after the killing of the three Israeli teens prompted a crackdown on the group in the West Bank. Turkey's internationally-acclaimed novelist Orhan Pamuk on Tuesday backed a fellow writer on trial for insulting President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, saying the mounting number of such cases was aimed at intimidating the government's opponents. In a show of solidarity, Pamuk, who was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2006, attended the Istanbul trial of Murat Belge, who faces up to four years in jail on charges of insulting Erdogan in a 2015 column published in the opposition Taraf daily. Erdogan's lawyer was also present at the court hearing, which coincided with World Press Freedom Day. Pamuk was quoted by Dogan news agency as saying he had been reading the columns of veteran writer Belge for almost 50 years and had "learnt a lot from him". He expressed dismay over the mounting number of insult cases which he said were taking aim at "free thought in order to silence, intimidate and deter" opponents of the Justice and Development Party (AKP) government. "I have been writing for 40 years. I am fed up with appearing at the gates of courts, defending my friends and my own cases," said the author of modern classics like "My Name is Red" and "The Museum of Innocence". Pamuk himself landed in court in 2005 after he spoke in a newspaper interview about the 1915 killings of Armenians and the deaths of Kurds in Turkish military operations in the 1980s against the rebel PKK. He faced up to three years in jail for denigrating Turkish identity, before an Istanbul court abandoned the charges in 2006. "They're talking about new Turkey. Here's the new Turkey, the continuation of the old one. Writers at the gates of the courts," Pamuk said. Almost 2,000 people including ordinary citizens, students and journalists have been prosecuted for "insulting" Erdogan since the former premier became president in August 2014. In his hearing, Belge dismissed the charges about the column he wrote in September last year about the election process. He said he had been writing for half a century but it was the first time he stood on trial for insulting someone. "I've joined one of the most crowded clubs of Turkey. The club of those insulting Tayyip Erdogan," he said. The cases have raised concerns over freedom of expression in a country hoping to join the European Union and increased controversy over a deal where Turkey will be given visa-free travel in exchange for halting the flow of migrants to Europe. Search Keywords: Short link: Indianapolis: Bernie Sanders remains on track to lose the Democratic nomination race, but he nonetheless managed to keep his agenda at the centre of it with a victory in Indiana over front-runner Hillary Clinton. The lone state that voted on Tuesday was a test of the continued potency of Sanders' fight as the Vermont senator sought to maintain his political revolution as a force with which Clinton will need to wrestle. Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders and his wife Jane on Tuesday. Credit:AP The win in Indiana will help with that effort. John Kasich, the Governor of Ohio and a moderate voice who tried to portray himself as the adult in the Republican primary field but failed to win any state but his own, will end his long-shot quest for the US presidency on Wednesday (Thursday AEST), according to two people briefed on his decision. Mr Kasich's departure, a day after Donald Trump's victory in the Indiana primary, leaves Mr Trump as the only candidate remaining in the Republican race. His closest challenger, Senator Ted Cruz of Texas, dropped out Tuesday night. The decision appeared to be a sudden one. Mr Kasich's team had indicated he would keep fighting on Tuesday night, and on Wednesday morning he released a Star Wars-themed video for May the 4th, declaring himself the "only hope" for the party and the country. "Route 2016" Recaps FCA 2015-2016 Auto Show Season +VIDEO AUBURN HILLS, MI -May 4, 2016: Taking a second look at the introductions of such vehicles as the Chrysler Pacifica minivan, Ram Power Wagon, Alfa Romeo Giulia, Fiat 124 Spider, Jeep Grand Cherokee Summit and Trailhawk and more, "Route 2016: FCA's Road Ahead" provides an in-depth and fun recap of the just completed 2015-2016 auto show season. The 30-minute program also features a look at the Moab Easter Jeep Safari and Spring Festival of LXs. "Route 2016" was produced by FCA Digital Media, which is part of FCA US Corporate Communications, and hosted by team members Courtney Protz-Sanders and Ed Garsten with contributions from the entire team. About FCA US LLC FCA US LLC is a North American automaker with a new name and a long history. Headquartered in Auburn Hills, Michigan, FCA US is a member of the Fiat Chrysler Automobiles N.V. (FCA) family of companies. FCA US designs, engineers, manufactures and sells vehicles under the Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge, Ram and FIAT brands, as well as the SRT performance vehicle designation. The company also distributes the Alfa Romeo 4C model and Mopar products. FCA US is building upon the historic foundations of Chrysler, the innovative American automaker first established by Walter P. Chrysler in 1925; and Fiat, founded in Italy in 1899 by pioneering entrepreneurs, including Giovanni Agnelli. FCA, the seventh-largest automaker in the world based on total annual vehicle sales, is an international automotive group. FCA is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol "FCAU" and on the Mercato Telematico Azionario under the symbol "FCA." The resolution was drafted by five non-permanent Security Council members: Egypt, Japan, Spain, New Zealand and Uruguay The UN Security Council on Tuesday demanded that hospitals and clinics be protected in war zones, in a resolution that draws attention to the rise in attacks on medical workers in conflicts worldwide. Less than a week after air strikes on a hospital in the Syrian battleground city of Aleppo killed at least 30 people, the council unanimously adopted the measure that strongly condemned the targeting of health facilities and recalled that such attacks are war crimes. French Ambassador Francois Delattre said it was a "major resolution" that sent a strong warning that there can be "no impunity" for the perpetrators of attacks on medical facilities. The resolution does not break any new legal ground but British Ambassador Matthew Rycroft stressed that it was "shining a spotlight" on the increase in attacks and serves as a reminder that hospitals, ambulances and medical workers cannot be targets in war. It was the first-ever resolution adopted by the council specifically on the need to protect medical facilities in war zones. According to Doctors Without Borders (MSF), there were 94 attacks in Syria against hospitals and clinics supported by that NGO and three MSF-linked health facilities in Yemen have been bombed over the past six months. Hospitals and clinics in South Sudan have been pillaged repeatedly over the past three years. "Hospitals and patients have been dragged onto the battlefield," MSF president Joanne Liu told the council. "Stop these attacks", she pleaded. "Make this resolution save lives." The resolution does not name countries, but "demands that all parties to armed conflicts" ensure "the respect and protection" of medical personnel as well as their ambulances, hospitals and other health facilities. "Such attacks must end," UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon told the council. "When so-called surgical strikes end up hitting surgical wards, something is deeply wrong." The resolution was drafted by five non-permanent Security Council members: Egypt, Japan, Spain, New Zealand and Uruguay. It was presented at a time when four of the five permanent council members -- Britain, France, Russia and the United States -- are backing parties in the Syria conflict. Syria's state media reported that rebel fire on a hospital in the government-controlled area of Aleppo had killed three women and wounded another 17 on Tuesday. The vote came days after the United States said its troops involved in the bombing of a MSF-run hospital in the Afghan city of Kunduz would not face war crimes charges. "Humanity in war is what we demand," Peter Maurer, president of the International Committee of the Red Cross, told the council. "Even wars have limits, because wars without limits are wars without ends. Health care personnel are the outer frontier of these limits," he said. The resolution requests that Ban present recommendations on measures to prevent attacks and to ensure that those who carry them out are held accountable. Search Keywords: Short link: Related France calls for urgent talks to restore Syria truce France will host talks next week with the Saudi, Qatari, Turkish and UAE foreign ministers on the breakdown in the Syrian peace process, government spokesman Stephane Le Foll said Wednesday. Other top diplomats from "countries that think negotiations should resume at all costs" may also attend the Monday meeting, Le Foll said, without naming them. He was speaking after a cabinet meeting in which French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault said he was concerned over the breakdown in negotiations following a surge of violence in the northern city of Aleppo that has threatened a wider two-month ceasefire in the war-torn country. Ayrault voiced concern over the "halt in the negotiating process" after the violence in Aleppo, where fighting continued overnight, Le Foll said. France supports "all initiatives to be taken towards a resumption of negotiations," he added. Talks were set to take place later Wednesday in Berlin between Ayrault, his German counterpart Frank-Walter Steinmeier, UN peace envoy Staffan de Mistura and Riad Hijab, coordinator for the opposition umbrella group, the High Negotiations Committee (HNC). The UN Security Council was to convene later Wednesday in New York for an urgent meeting to discuss the Aleppo crisis demanded by Paris and London. Search Keywords: Short link: Many children from the mainland commute to Hong Kong every day to attend school as their families look to use the advantages offered by the city's Western-style education system, report Shadow Li in Hong Kong and Chai Hua in Shenzhen, Guangdong province. Three years ago, when her 2-year-old son had a fever that sent his temperature soaring to 39 C, Zou Fang rushed more than 100 km to the hospital in Shenzhen, Guangdong province. The moment she entered the ward, though, her son, named Xuanxuan, said he didn't want to see her and asked her to leave. Zou, who was living and working in Guangzhou, the capital of Guangdong, was devastated. She was overwhelmed with guilt at not being there for her son and realized she had to make a choice between her work and family commitments. Then 32, Zou immediately quit her job as second-in-command at the South China office of an advertising agency and moved back to Shenzhen to repair the breach with Xuanxuan, who had lived with her mother since he was born. Zou said it was the hardest decision of her life, but in retrospect, it was the wisest she ever made. It took six months to restore her relationship with her son. She took him to the park every day and spoke with him at length to improve his language skills, which were extremely poor, and far worse than those of children of the same age in Shenzhen and neighboring Hong Kong, where her son was born and her husband has permanent residence. The months she spent with Xuanxuan also gave Zou time to think about the things she valued most in life. Zou and her husband met in Guangzhou and married after a seven-year relationship. Xuanxuan was born five years ago. After making the momentous decision to give up her career and care for her son, Zou was faced with another dilemma-where should he be educated? Because Xuanxuan has permanent residency status in the city of his birth, he was eligible to be educated in Hong Kong, so Zou spent six months researching schools and preparing her son for school at a well-respected kindergarten. Despite her months of preparation, there were still plenty of surprises in store for Zou. She and her husband had to line up all night just to get an application form for the Fung Kai Kindergarten, a top institution in Hong Kong's North District. The couple was shocked by the other parents' enthusiasm and the preparations they had made for the vigil. Many arrived equipped with sleeping bags and other items to help them endure the long night, while Zou and her husband only brought one portable chair. It was worth the effort, though; although there were more than 2,000 applicants, Xuanxuan was one of just 200 children admitted to the kindergarten that year. Student numbers soar Zou's son was one of more than 24,990 children who commuted between Shenzhen and Hong Kong during the 2014-15 school year, a huge rise from 9,899 in 2010-11, according to the latest data from the Hong Kong Education Bureau. In light of the rise in numbers, several proposals have been put forward, including suggestions that Shenzhen's public schools should be opened to cross-border students with permanent residence in Hong Kong. Most of them have mainland parents, who have no right to reside in Hong Kong, but the others are the children of people from Hong Kong who live and work on the mainland. Back in 2013, lawmaker Ip Kwok-him, a Hong Kong deputy to the National People's Congress, took the issue further by proposing that not only should those students be accepted at Shenzhen's public schools, but that Hong Kong-style schools should be built in the city to offer the Hong Kong curriculum and better cater to their needs. However, the proposals seem far from realistic because the Hong Kong education system can't be imported to the mainland exactly as it is, which would compromise the wishes of parents to choose it rather than schools across the border, according to Jeff Leung Pingkin, a spokesperson for the Concern Group on Policies for Cross-border Students, an NGO in Hong Kong which monitors cross-border education. In 2013, the Hong Kong government introduced a "zero delivery quota", to redress the balance after a 2001 ruling by the Hong Kong Court of Final Appeal granted permanent residence to all infants born in the city. The ruling led to an influx of non-locals who wanted their children to be born in the city. More than 202,300 non-local children had been born in Hong Kong by the time the ban was imposed. They have permanent residence, but their parents, who are mostly from the mainland, don't, so the children live in Shenzhen and cross the border every day to go to school. The number of children crossing the border for schooling will peak in the 2018-19 school year, before gradually decreasing, according to the Hong Kong Education Bureau, inane-mailed reply to questions from China Daily. The bureau said the government has no plans to build Hong Kong-style schools on the other side of the boundary, saying the surge in demand for cross-border school places is "transient". It also cited regulatory and operational difficulties, and the financial implications for publicly funded schools outside Hong Kong. The bureau has encouraged Hong Kong-born children who live in Shenzhen to attend primary schools in the mainland city, as provided by the Classes for Hong Kong Students Program, which make provisions for children born in the city to be educated in Shenzhen. In 2013, the program was extended to children whose parents are not permanent residents of Hong Kong, and this academic year has seen 3,100 Hong Kong-born students in Shenzhen being taught in privately operated establishments known as "Minban" schools. Although she agreed that more options in Shenzhen would help the children, Zou won't let her son attend a public school in the city. "I never thought about putting him in a school in Shenzhen - neither the public schools, nor the international ones," she said. Leung said many parents made a conscious decision to give birth in Hong Kong because they want the next generation of their family to be educated in the city's more cosmopolitan, international environment. Some of the parents regret having no option but to send their children to Hong Kong, according to Leung, who is assisting several cross-border students. The children are not allowed to study at public schools in Shenzhen, which have a limited number of places for children with hukou, or residency permits, so the only alternatives are private or international schools, which are far beyond the price range of most families. Frustrations grow That means crossing the border for education. However, the process is problematic, with a long commute, eating on the move, less sleep and, for many children, no after school activities. Moreover, some of the children find the cultural and language barriers frustrating. "We would not go back to Shenzhen even if the local public schools could accept us," said the grandmother of a young girl as they approached the checkpoint between the two cities. The woman, who only gave her surname as Pi, said neither her daughter nor her son-in-law is a Hong Kong resident. Pi had just one aim when she traveled from her hometown in Heilongjiang province in the far northwest to the very south of the country - to escort her granddaughter to a kindergarten in Hong Kong every day. The roundtrip takes more than four hours, but "it doesn't matter", according to Pi, who said the schools inHong Kong will give her granddaughter "a better education and, therefore, a better future". "The English lessons in Hong Kong's kindergarten are of a far higher level than those in Shenzhen's primary schools," she said, adding that linguistic skills will be an important advantage in the search forwork later in life. Speaking with a strong northeastern accent, Pi said she doesn't understand Cantonese, the dominant language in Hong Kong, but her granddaughter speaks it "very well". Unlike many of her mainland peers, the 4-year-old attends several after school activities."So she can establish close relationships with local children," Pi said. Zhou Jianfeng, the founder of Siyuan, an educational NGO in Shenzhen that helps cross-border students, said quality of education, rather than cost, is the main reason parents' choose to send their children to Hong Kong schools. He said grade three, primary school students in Hong Kong have a vocabulary equal to that of students in Shenzhen's middle high schools. Another factor is that children educated in Hong Kong have a far higher chance of being admitted to the city's universities than children at the same level who were educated on the mainland, he said. Fundamental factors As long as these fundamental factors remain, parents will not change their preferences, Zhou said, adding that some parents are even willing to let their children attend schools near the Hong Kong airport, about 50 minutes from the border. Echoing Zhou, Leung said the fact that Hong Kong's education system is recognized and respected overseas, especially in countries such as the United Kingdom and Australia, is one of the biggest incentives for the long years of commuting across the border. He said most cross-border students will eventually reside in Hong Kong, because they were born there. However, without a sustainable system to support them and provide a proper education, they may not be suited to joining the labor force, which was the primary aim of the city government when it granted permanent residence to children born to non-residents, and could even put great strain on the social welfare safety net. As the number of cross-border students is likely to stabilize in three years time, support for them will inevitably weaken as well, he said, noting that the problem will have to be resolved by the governments of both Shenzhen and Hong Kong. In just a few years, questions about the children's education will cease to be pertinent, but other problems will remain, such as whether there will be enough housing to accommodate them when they are ready to move to Hong Kong and if there are enough measures to keep them in the city and contribute as they are expected to. Zhou, from Siyuan, believes that both the mainland and Hong Kong should pay more attention to the conditions in which the children live and are educated because they can play an important role in promoting integration. Zou, whose son will start primary school in about 18 months, has already prepared for another battle ahead. When Xuanxuan started at kindergarten, she and her husband started their own jewelry company to ensure they will have more time to devote to him. "I am considering buying a flat in the North District and cutting my working day from 70 percent to just 30 percent to prepare for my son's life at primary school," she said. Contact the writers at stushadow@chinadailyhk.com and grace@chinadailyhk.com Children prepare to enter Hong Kong at Futian Port in Shenzhen, Guangdong province, on April 14. They were born in Hong Kong and go to schools there, but live in Shenzhen. Photos By Edmond Tang / China Daily Crossborder students from Shenzhen arrive in Hong Kong through Lok Ma Chau Port on April 14. (China Daily 05/04/2016 page6) Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) militants launched a car bomb attack on a military installation in southeast Turkey overnight, killing one soldier, while Turkey's army destroyed PKK targets in air strikes and killed more than 20 militants. The violence showed no let-up in a conflict that has killed thousands of militants and hundreds of security force members and civilians since a 2-1/2 year ceasefire collapsed last July, shattering a peace process. The armed forces said the PKK was behind the car bomb attack at 00:50 am (2150 GMT) on a gendarmerie base in the Derik district of Mardin province, near the Syrian border. Five people were wounded in the blast, four of them soldiers, it said. The military also carried out air strikes on Tuesday in the southeast provinces of Sirnak and Hakkari, destroying PKK gun positions, shelters and caves, it said in a separate statement. On Tuesday the army killed 13 militants in the Cukurca area by the Iraqi border, Sirnak and Nusaybin, it said. In Diyarbakir province, the armed forces have killed more than 10 PKK fighters since Monday, the local governor's office said in a statement. The PKK, designated a terrorist group by Turkey and its Western allies, began a separatist insurgency in 1984 and more than 40,000 people have been killed in the conflict. Search Keywords: Short link: A new study published in BMJ Tuesday suggests that if experts classified medical error as a disease, it would be the third leading cause of death in the United States. Helmed by researchers at Johns Hopkins University, the paper estimates that medical errors cause 250,000 deaths a year, surpassing chronic lower respiratory diseasesthe third leading cause of deathby more than 100,000. The authors blame limitations in death certificates for the lack of accurate data on the topic, and suggest the way fatalities are reported be revised. Medical error is loosely defined as a preventable adverse effect of care, whether or not it is evident or harmful to the patient. The authors of the BMJ study cite specific types of error, which include the use of a wrong plan, the failure of a planned action to be completed as intended, and an unintended act. Its a phenomenon thats virtually invisible in death statistics due to the United States reliance on whats called the International Classification of Disease (ICD). Approved by the World Health Organization (WHO), it is used by 117 countries worldwide as a standard diagnostic tool for measuring mortality and morbidity statistics. The system provides specific codes that correspond to causes of death, but leaves no room for physicians or others to denote a cause that resulted from a medical shortcoming. As a result of this limitation, there is no way to track how much medical error plays into the death rate worldwide. Studies on the amount of deaths caused by medical error in the U.S., as a result, have been scant. The seminal study on the topic, as far as science is concerned, is a 1999 paper from the Institute of Medicine (IOM), which the authors call limited and outdated. The report estimates anywhere from 44,000 to 98,000 deaths per year from medical error. Since 1999, several more studies on the topic have been released; one in 2008 suggested that as many as 400,000 people die a year from this cause. To update the current number, the researchers combined all of the studies since 1999 and performed a weighted analysis. The result: a mean rate of 251,454 deaths per year from medical error. Martin A. Makary, the leader of the study and an oncologist at Johns Hopkins, attributes the lack of knowledge surrounding the issue to the CDCs failure to create a system in which deaths due to medical care could be catalogued. Currently, deaths caused by errors are unmeasured and discussions about prevention occur in limited and confidential forums, such as a hospitals internal root cause analysis committee or a departments morbidity and mortality conference, writes Makary. These forums review only a fraction of detected adverse events and the lessons learnt are not disseminated beyond the institution or department. The researchers give one example case of a death caused by medical error, that of a young woman who had successfully recovered from a transplant surgery. A few days after going home, she came back to the hospital with non-specific symptoms. At that point, doctors performed extensive tests, some of which the authors deem unnecessary. When she returned days later, she was suffering from intra-abdominal hemorrhage and cardiopulmonary arrest. An autopsy revealed that the needle inserted during the pericardiocentesis grazed the liver causing a pseudoaneurysm that resulted in subsequent rupture and death, the authors write. The death certificate listed the cause of death as cardiovascular. Stories like these, says Makary, perfectly capture the problem with death statistics, and highlight the need for both the U.S. and the World Health Organization to pursue a better system. Sound scientific methods, beginning with an assessment of the problem, are critical to approaching any health threat to patients. The problem of medical error should not be exempt from this scientific approach, Makary writes in the conclusion. More appropriate recognition of the role of medical error in patient death could heighten awareness and guide both collaborations and capital investments in research and prevention. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention could not be reached for comment. A month ago a brokered convention seemed all but assured after Ted Cruz delivered a shocking win in Wisconsin. The Cruz campaign had a strategy to force a second ballot in Cleveland, and a plausible pathway to the Republican nomination. But it turns out they had the wrong man. Trump essentially eliminated Cruzs pathway to the nomination Tuesday evening with a resounding win in Indiana. With an impossible task ahead, Cruz decided to suspend his campaign. Im sorry to say, it appears that path has been foreclosed... We gave it everything we got. But the voters chose another path, Cruz told a crowd in Indianapolis after the results came in. The move dashed what seemed, just weeks ago, to be a nomination process that would send delegates to an undecided and chaotic convention in Cleveland. Having survived low-energy Jeb and little Marcos demise, Ted Cruz was the last viable non-Trump candidate standing. The Badger State gifted him with a double-digit victory. Sen. Lindsey Graham, who had joked about Cruzs murder, endorsed him. Powerful politicians who opposed Trump were starting to rally behind him, albeit reluctantly. The Cruz campaign had a fine strategy. But the person they were selling was fatally flawed. Cruz was simply unlikeable. For many power brokers in the party the choice between Trump and Cruz was, as Graham had previously put it, like being shot or poisoned. Graham may have made his choice, but the underlying point remained: Support for Cruz remained tepid. People had a hard time liking him. This was fed by the narrative that nobody in the Senate liked him, the narrative that he didnt get along with his colleagues, said Bob Heckman, a Republican strategist who has worked on eight presidential campaigns and was an adviser to Grahams own bid for the White House. I dont think Cruz was the most effective messenger against Cruz. He just happened to be the last man standing part of it was that Cruz wasnt an attractive candidate. The point was driven home by exit polls in Indiana, which showed a deeply divided party, one that objected to Cruz being the nominee nearly as much as it objected to Trump being the nominee: about four in 10 of Republican non-Cruz voters in the state told pollsters they wouldnt vote for Cruz if he became the eventual nominee, according to ABC News. There were many who had disdain for Trump, but Cruz was an unsuitable alternative. A Mike Downs Center for Indiana Politics poll of Republican voters released the day before the Indiana primary showed that 20.8 percent of his supporters were voting for him merely because he was Not Trump, nearly as much as the 23 percent who supported him because he was conservative. Just 19.1 percent of Cruzs own supporters, in that same poll, said they were voting for him for personal traits, such as his honesty or trustworthiness. He cannot reach out to the mainstream business Republicans. He didnt deliver them, because hes not part of that wing of the party, said Michael Wolf, a professor of political science at Indiana University who helped conduct the poll. His biggest sources of support are that hes conservative and that hes not Donald Trump. Cruz also undercut his ability to tout himself as the Trump alternative by having held his fire against the billionaire businessman for so long. In August of last year, for example, the two candidates held a joint event to oppose the Iran nuclear deal. Cruz figured out too late that nice guys finish last. His bromance with Trump was self defeating. If you want to win you need to take on the front runner, not get in bed with him. He outsmarted himself Perception is reality, said Bradley Blakeman, a Republican strategist and former senior staffer for former President George W. Bush. With the race having been whittled down to just three candidates, the senator, who had built his reputation on opposing the Washington establishment, now found himself somehow tagged as the establishment candidatea move that hurt him amongst voters in an anti-establishment year, and simultaneously hurt him among more moderate voters that sensed the wave of establishment endorsements were either insincere or entirely absent. Other anti-Trump Republicans, like former opponent Sen. Marco Rubio, declined to endorse Cruz at all. The center-rights ambivalence was also reflected in Indiana: Cruz, perhaps sensing that more moderate Republicans could not be won over, declined to campaign heavily in areas where they lived in high concentrations. He lost because he didnt appeal to the voters who decide statewide Republican primaries in Indiana: the pragmatic Republicans in the counties surrounding Indianapolis, said Pete Seat, who worked on Kasichs Indiana field operations until they moved to focus on Oregon and Washington state. Part of that is that he continued to run a social issues-first campaignthey were running ads about protecting marriage and religious freedom. Cruz also allowed the narrative of the campaign to get away from him: something that is not entirely his fault, anti-Trump conservatives argue. Quin Hillyer, a veteran conservative columnist, told The Daily Beast that Cruz lagged behind because of Trumps ability to market himself through absurd, bald-faced, and sometimes vicious lies without being seriously pressed on them, or questioned about them, by the media. And in recent weeks, the Cruz campaign spoke often about how well they were doing in delegate mathovershadowing, Republican strategist Heckman argues, the conservative principles that had pushed himself to the front of the pack in the first place. He allowed himself to become distracted about the process too much of their story was about how well they were doing in the delegate selection process, Heckman said. But that robbed him of his identity: that he was the one true conservative left in the race. With Cruz out of the race, Trump is all but assured the Republican nominationbut leading conservative writers and thinkers began to proclaim on Twitter that they would never support Trump, even to the point of voting for Hillary Clinton. We will continue to educate voters about Trump until he, or another candidate, wins the support of a majority of delegates to the Convention, said Katie Packer, chair of Our Principles PAC, an anti-Trump organization. Never does not mean maybe. Six out of 10 Republican primary voters voted for someone other than Trump, and we will continue to identify ways to give them voice, added Rory Cooper, an adviser for Never Means Never PAC, which has helped organize the #NeverTrump movement. In a dizzying campaign, where the traditional rules of politics appear to be suspended, the Republican nomination may have been decided. But the battle for the heart and soul of the party itself, and its accompanying conservative movement, is just beginning. with additional reporting by Betsy Woodruff. Some of the rights most prominent conservatives are getting Ready for Hillary. Donald Trump is now the Republican Partys presumptive nominee, as Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus tweeted tonight . And the conservative activists who adamantly oppose him are now in the process of making peace with backing the Democrats eventual nominee. Because theres one person they fear and loathe more than Hillaryand they say they wont blink. Leon Wolf, the editor of the conservative site RedState.com, told The Daily Beast shortly after Cruz dropped out that hes considering a Clinton vote. If its a competitive election, I probably will be compelled to vote for Hillary, he said. Hillary is ideologically not where I am, he continued, adding that he thinks she did a poor job heading the State Department. But I do feel pretty confident that she would actually be a better president than Trump. I wouldnt go to bed every night worrying about a mushroom cloud opening up somewhere in the world because of some insane thing Trump had done. Ben Howe, a RedState contributing editor and prominent conservative activist, said he will work to stop Trump from winning the general electionand that he realizes this means hell be helping Hillary. If it came down to it and I knew that my vote might make a difference, or that Hillary might be able to defeat him in my precinct, then yes, Id pull the lever, he said. Either way, I have to make peace with helping her by default. Pulling the lever would basically be a technicality. I said Im Never Trump, he added. I am. Glenn Beck, a proxy religious zealot who feverishly backed Cruz to the point where he was fasting on his behalf recently, was also disappointed with the available general-election options. Jonathan Schreiber, a representative for Beck, told The Daily Beast NO WAY! when asked if Beck would consider voting for Clinton over Trump. When pressed as to whether Beck would resign himself to backing the presumptive Republican nominee, Schreiber wrote #nevertrump. Similarly, Dan McLaughlin, an editor at RedState.com and a stalwart against Trump, told The Daily Beast that the options were grim. I will not vote for either Hillary or Trump, ever, he wrote in an email. I will stay in the GOP to fight for its soul until a viable alternative emerges. He added that he would submit a third-party protest vote and vote down-ticket Republican in the general election. The RedStaters arent anomalies. A recent Morning Consult poll of Cruz supporters indicates that 13 percent of the Republicans who back him will vote for Clinton, and that upward of one-quarter of them arent sure who to back. Freshman Republican Sen. Ben Sasse, of Nebraska, reiterated his opposition to Trump without going so far as endorsing Hillary. Reporters keep asking if Indiana changes anything for me, he tweeted . The answer is simple: No. He then linked to a Facebook post he wrote about his opposition to Trump. And Kevin Madden, a senior adviser for Mitt Romneys 2012 campaign, said he has no plans to back the Republican Partys next nominee. This is a time for regrouping and prioritizing, he said, noting that he wont de-register as a Republican. My attention, and I hope that of other Republicans, will be focused on helping leaders in the party focus on ideas and the big challenges that still remain. Leaders like Paul Ryan and Ben Sasse and Kelly Ayotte. And on voting for Trump: Absolutely not, he added. Erick Erickson, a conservative talk-radio host and founder of RedState, told The Daily Beast shortly after Cruz dropped out that he will de-register as a Republican if and when Trump is officially nominated. If Trump is the Republican Party nominee, I wont be a Republican, he said. Im not down with white supremacists. He added that Trumps nomination will brand the GOP as the party of white supremacists. Youve got Klan members, David Duke, the Aryan Nation supporting Donald Trump, he said. If the Republican Party is willing to go along with that, then I think its fair branding, I think its very fair. If Republicans arent going to stand up to having their party hijacked by a group of Aryan Nation-types, then they get what they deserve. Mark Salter, a former speechwriter for Sen. John McCain, was even less coy. The GOP is going to nominate for President a guy who reads the National Enquirer and thinks its on the level, he tweeted . Im with her. with additional reporting by Gideon Resnick. An Etihad Airways flight experienced "severe and unexpected" turbulence just before landing in Jakarta on Wednesday, leaving 31 passengers injured, the carrier said. An Etihad spokesperson told AFP that the plane was an Airbus A330-200. The flight landed safely at Soekarno Hatta International Airport, the Abu Dhabi-based airline said, adding that medical assistance teams met passengers as they disembarked. "Twenty-two are being treated by paramedics for minor injuries at the airport. Nine other passengers have been taken to a local hospital," Etihad said in a statement. It said flight EY474 travelling from Abu Dhabi to Jakarta encountered the turbulence about 45 minutes prior to landing. It caused also damage to cabin storage areas, the airline said. Search Keywords: Short link: 1. Many Hollywood Directors Hated the Star Wars Rough Cut According to Peter Biskinds fantastic book Easy Riders, Raging Bulls, director George Lucas held a screening of a rough cut of Star Wars just after he wrapped shooting in London. The special effects were far from finished, and the air battle sequences were held together with footage of planes dogfighting from World War II flicks. Lucass director-pals, including Steven Spielberg, Francis Ford Coppola, Brian de Palma, and John Landis, were in attendance. When the lights when up, everyone sat in stunned silence. Lucass then-wife, Marcia, was sobbing. The crawl at the beginning looks like it was written on a driveway, de Palma told Lucas. It goes on forever. Its gibberish. While Landis asked Lucas, George, is everybody in outer space white? Spielberg, however, was onboard, telling a worried Lucas his film would make millions. 2. Star Wars Ronald Reagan Connection John Williamss score for Star Wars has become iconicone of the most celebrated in cinema history. But few know that that it was heavily inspired by, if not outright poached from, Erich Wolfgang Korngolds score to the 1942 movie Kings Row, starring an up and coming actor by the name of Ronald Reagan. Korngolds score was so popular that Warner Bros. music department, inundated by requests, drafted a form-letter response for recording or sheet music queries (film scores for non-musicals werent commercially distributed until years later). Futhermore, Reagan requested that the original orchestral score to Kings Row play during his presidential inauguration. 3. Alec Guinness, aka Obi-Wan Kenobi, Thought Star Wars Was Fairy-tale Rubbish The book Alec Guinness: The Official Biography contains a series of letters composed by Sir Alec Guinness, who played Obi-Wan Kenobi, about Star Wars. Prior to signing on to the film, he wrote this to a friend: I have been offered a movie (20th Cent. Fox) which I may accept, if they come up with proper money. London and N. Africa, starting in mid-March. Science fictionwhich gives me pausebut is to be directed by Paul [sic] Lucas who did American Graffiti, which makes me feel I should. Big part. Fairy-tale rubbish but could be interesting perhaps. 4. None of the Star Wars Cast Members Understood the Dialogue Another of Guinnesss letters came from the set of Star Wars. new rubbish dialogue reaches me every other day on wadges of pink paperand none of it makes my character clear or even bearable, he wrote to a friend. I just think, thankfully, of the lovely bread, which will help me keep going until next April even if Yahoo collapses in a week [Yahoo is in reference to a play Guinness starred in at the time, not the tech company.] The casts dialogue troubles were confirmed by Carrie Fisher, aka Princess Leia, who told me, None of us knew what we were saying. And Harrison Ford famously remarked while shooting, You can type this shit, but you cant say it. 5. Han Solo Was Originally a Green Alien Han Solo was based on Lucass wise-crackin pal, director Francis Ford Coppola, but the director originally intended him to be an alien. In Lucass 132-page The Star Wars: Rough Draft, completed in 74, Solo is described as a green-skinned alien with no nose and giant gills. In the second draft, Solo was a Jack Sparrow-esque space pirate, but by draft No. 3, Lucas had nailed down the character of Solo, describing him as, A tough James Dean-style starpilot about twenty-five years old. A cowboy in a starshipsimple, sentimental and cocksure of himself. 6. Grand Moff Tarkins Fuzzy Slippers Peter Cushing, the veteran thespian who played Imperial Governor Grand Moff Tarkin, only filmed for five days on Star Wars, but couldnt bear wearing his characters knee-length boots (Cushings feet were a wide size 12, so the boots were very tight). According to Cushing, he approached Lucas after the first day and requested that he only be shot from the waist-up. He consented kindly, and I was allowed to stomp about looking very cross as Grand Moff Tarkin for the rest of the picture in carpet slippers! Cushing recalled. Indeed, here is a set photo of Cushing in his slippers. 7. The Iconic Sound Effects Sound designer Ben Burtt created the lightsaber sound by mixing the hum of a 35mm movie projector with the feedback generated by passing a stripped microphone cable by a television. He came up with the sound of Darth Vaders deep breathing by placing a miniature microphone in the mouthpiece of an old Dacor scuba regulator, then recording the sound made when he breathed through the regulator. 8. Han Shot First One of the more hotly debated plot points of Star Wars is the shootout between Han Solo and Greedo in the Cantina. Many fans believe Greedo shot first, but if you slow the scene in the original film, its clear that Greedo not only didnt shoot first, but that he never even got a shot off at all. For the 1997 Special Edition release of Star Wars, Lucas, much to fans chagrin, chose to edit the scene to have Greedo shooting first at Solo, only for him to dodge the shot before firing back at Greedo. Lucas later explained why he altered the scene in an interview with The Washington Post. Han Solo was going to marry Leia, and you look back and say, Should he be a cold-blooded killer? Because I was thinking mythologicallyshould he be a cowboy, should he be John Wayne? Lucas told the paper. And I said, Yeah, he should be John Wayne. And when youre John Wayne, you dont shoot people [first]you let them have the first shot. Its a mythological reality that we hope our society pays attention to. 9. Whats in a Name? According to Lucas, the name Jedi comes from the Japanese words Jidai Geki, which translate to period adventure dramathe name for a Japanese TV soap set in Samurai times. The robot R2-D2 came up during post on Lucass previous film American Graffiti. A member of the sound crew requested that Lucas retrieve Reel No. 2 of the Second Dialogue Track, and shouted, Could you get R2-D2 for me? And Wookie, the name of Chewbaccas race, came courtesy of San Francisco DJ Terry McGovern, who did voice-over work on Lucass debut feature THX 1138. We were riding along in the car one day and [Terry] said, I think I ran over a Wookie back there, Lucas told Rolling Stone in a 1977 interview, and this really cracked me up and I said, What is a Wookie? and he said, I dont know, I just made it up. GALLERY: Star Wars: The Force Awakens World Premiere: Lupita Nyongo, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, BB-8 and More (PHOTOS) 10. Steven Spielbergs $40 Million Star Wars Bet Spielberg is quite the prophet. Not only was he the one that told Lucas Star Wars would be a huge hit after that dismal first cut screening, but while Lucas was visiting the set of Spielbergs Close Encounters of the Third Kind in 1977, just before the release of Star Wars, the two got into an argument over whose movie would do betterwith each believing the other persons movie would prevail. So, they made a bet: Each would give the other 2.5 percent of their cut of their film if it made the most money. Well, that clearly turned out to be Star Wars by a wide margin. According to Business Insider, Spielberg ended up making about $40 million (and counting) from the bet. 11. C-3PO and R2-D2 Hate Each Other Their characters may bicker onscreen, but the actors inside the costumes, C-3POs Anthony Daniels and R2-D2s Kenny Baker, who both appear in The Force Awakens, have made no secret over the years of the fact that they despise one another. Back in 2005, Baker told Hollywood.com, Once when I said hello to him he just turned his back on me and said, Cant you see Im having a conversation? I was blazing with rage It was the rudest thing anyone had ever done to me. I was furious. It was unbelievable. Baker doubled down in an interview with Metro in 2009, saying, Hes been such an awkward person over the years. If he just calmed down and socialised with everyone, we could make a fortune touring around making personal appearances. Ive asked him four times now but, the last time, he looked down his nose at me like I was a piece of shit. In a September 2015 interview with The Daily Mirror, Daniels threw shade at Baker, saying, Hes not actually on set. I havent seen him for years. His name is on the credits as a sort of I dont know, a good luck charm, a courtesy. Hes a talisman. 12. Yodas Unprecedented Oscar Campaign For 1980s The Empire Strikes Back, George Lucas and distributor 20th Century Fox went all-out in trying to secure Frank Oz, the puppeteer who played (and voiced) Yoda, a Best Supporting Actor Oscar nomination. Some campaigns were merely funny, such as Twentieth Century-Foxs flashy campaign for Yoda, and Muppet of The Empire Strikes Back, wrote The Washington Post at the time. Should a Muppet, a puppet or a robot actually be nominated, Academy officers would have to run to their rule books. The Oscar buzz spread to the media, including a 1980 AP interview with Oz titled, Frank Oz and Yoda: An Oscar? In it, hes asked about potentially being nominated for an Academy Award, and replies, The thought has occurred to me, but not for very long. If you start thinking about acceptance speeches before the fact, its not very constructive. 13. A Miss Piggy Cameo Speaking of Frank Oz, in addition to the wise, centuries-old Jedi Master Yoda, the actor is best known for playing Miss Piggy on The Muppets. As the story goes, when Mark Hamill (Luke Skywalker) was having trouble shooting the Dagobah Jedi training sequences with Yoda, Oz brought Miss Piggy onto the films set to break the ice, and give him a chuckle. By the look of things, it did the trick. 14. The Rolling Stones, Princess Leia, and Han Solo Party All Night According to Carrie Fisher, while filming The Empire Strikes Back, she rented a home belonging to Eric Idle (of Monty Python fame), and they had a drink that theyd give to the extras to make them more compliant called The Tunisian Death Drink. Then one night, well, things got crazy. We had an early call, and Eric called down and said, The Rolling Stones are here! and I came down and it was all of them, said Fisher. I called Harrison and said, Get over here! This is ridiculous! I wonder how he remembers it. I remember that we never went to sleep, so we werent hungoverwe were still drunk when we arrived in Cloud City the next day. We dont really smile a lot in the movie, but there were smiling. 15. Carrie Fishers Jedi Cocaine Nail Nothing escapes the diligent folks at Reddit who pointed out that in a scene in Return of the Jedi, Princess Leia (played by Carrie Fisher) appears to be sporting one nail that is considerably longer than the rest. Since Fisher has been very open about her past drug use while filming Empire and Return of the Jedi, this made fans wonder if Fisher was using the nail to snort coke. Well, Fisher dispelled the rumor via Twitter in typically hilarious, self-deprecating fashion back in 2012, and, when I asked her if she had a difficult time with drugs while shooting the sequels, she laughed. Actually, no, I didnt go through a difficult time! I said I did blow a couple of times. Thats not a difficult time! She added, Its a billion years ago, and if I could tell you the truth, you would laugh so hard. And I cant. But it was location. Location means everything is permitted. I went without being needed to Norway [on Empire]thats how much fun I was having. I was upset that I didnt get to go to Tunisia for the first one. But I had a good time on the movies. 16. Luke & Leias WTF Kiss One of the more head-scratching scenes in the entire Star Wars trilogy came in The Empire Strikes Back, when Leia decides to toy with Han Solo by planting a big, wet kiss on Luke. When audiences discovered that the pair were brother and sister in Return of the Jedi, they flashed back to that scene and thought, Huh?! Well, it turns out that the actorsand Lucasdidnt even know that Luke and Leia were to be brother and sister until pre-production on the final film in the original trilogy. I think so! answered Fisher when asked if nobody knew about the brother/sister twist until Jedi. For us, we werent told until far along. I think maybe that kiss wouldnt have happenedbut theres no tongue! I think the chemistry with Mark does have a more sibling quality to it, though. 17. The Han Solo/Princess Leia Wedding That Wasnt One of the more notorious rumors surrounding Return of the Jedi is that the original ending was to feature a wedding sequence between Princess Leia and Han Solo. Of course, in the Expanded Universe the two go on to marry and have several kids. When I asked Fisher whether a wedding was ever considered, she flatly denied it. Never. So stupid. Hilarious, but stupid, she replied, chuckling. Who would be the best man? Chewie, definitely. It would be great, but can you imagine Han going into a sentimental ritual like that? Hilarious. 18. Alec Guinnesss Massive Payday Dont quote me on this, but for his appearance in The Empire Strikes Back, Sir Alec Guinness may have been paid the most money ever relative to time spent shooting. Guinness reluctantly agreed to work on the sequel, filming just a single daySept. 5, 1979with the thesp arriving at approximately 8:30 a.m. and wrapping his scenes by 1 p.m. For his work, he was reportedly paid a quarter of a percentage point on the film which, when the movie was a massive hit, translated to millions in 1980 dollars for 4 hours of work. On the first Star Wars film, Guinness cagily negotiated a full percentage point on the back-end, which made him rich. 19. I Love You. I Know. One of the most famous exchanges between Han and Leia in The Empire Strikes Back came about in a unique way. In the original script, as Han is about to frozen in carbonite, Leia says I love you, and Han is supposed to reply, Just remember that, Leia, because Ill be back. But at the time, Harrison Ford wasnt sure he wanted to return for a third installmentwhich is in part why they chose to freeze him in carbonite in the first place. Among Ford, Fisher, and Hamill, Ford was the only actor to refuse to sign a three-picture deal on Star Wars, and at one point suggested that Lucas should kill off Han during Empire, which never came to fruition. So, Ford met with Empire director Irvin Kershner prior to filming the scene and suggested the line I know. Kershner agreed, and when it was shot, both Fisher and co-writer Lawrence Kasdan were upset that they hadnt been clued into the big dialogue switcheroo. Lucas later convinced Ford that he had a juicy enough part for him in Jedi, and he returned for numero tres. 20. More Closely Guarded Than Fort Knox If you think security is tight on J.J. Abramss Star Wars: The Force Awakens, which didnt allow journalists to screen the film prior to conducting interviews with the cast, consider the lengths George Lucas went to in order to keep the plot of The Empire Strikes Back a secret. Only five people knew the ending prior to the films releaseLucas, Kershner, Kasdan, Hamill, and James Earl Jones. During filming, Lucas had David Prowse, who played Darth Vader, say to Luke, Obi-Wan killed your father, and had James Earl Jones dub it in post-production to, I am your father. However, Prowse accidentally spoiled the ending to Empire in a 1978 speech at UC Berkeleytwo years before the film was to be released. Prowse didnt even know the ending, but to psych up the crowd, dreamed up a scenario where, according to a press clipping of the event, Darth Vader and Luke Skywalker are hooked up in a do-or-die light saber duel when Luke learned that Darth is, in fact, his long-lost father. Father cant kill son, son cant kill father, Prowse said. So they live again to star in Star Wars IV. Prowse eventually burned his bridges with Lucas (and Lucasfilm) after being interviewed for the one-sided documentary The People vs. George Lucas, and was banned from participating in official Star Wars conventions. And as of this week, hes still salty about it. There is quite the hubbub around booth SP20 at Art New York and its sister exhibition Context New York. It is the start of New York Art Week, with the glamorous Frieze at its center: severe haircuts and inventive tunics for the gallerists, tanned, wealthy buyers hovering, two observing a wooden installation of a battery farm with videos of chickens playing in each compartment and theres a Hollywood movie star selling his work at booth SP20. Im just going to see Adrien Brody, one gallerist whispers dramatically to a colleague. And off she darts to see the handsome 43-year-old Oscar-winning actor, whose collection of paintings of brightly colored fish, Hooked, has already attracted a mix of gawkers and admirers to this VIP preview. There may be 150 galleries representing nearly 1,200 artists from 50 countries here, but really the buzz is only about the Hollywood star of The Pianist, for which he won the Best Actor Oscar in 2002the youngest actor to do soat age 29. Brodys other films have included Midnight in Paris and The Grand Budapest Hotel. Brody will soon appear in Manhattan Night, playing Porter Wren, a crime reporter and columnist whose portrayal was influencedin the novel it is based on, Manhattan Nocturneby The Daily Beasts Michael Daly. Brody himself, bearded, hair pulled back, has paint all over his hands and is wearing a white robe with his initials on it. He looks like both an artist and a doctor, and, wielding a paintbrush, slightly comicperhaps even from a Paul Thomas Anderson movie. I was actually going to write Happy Ending on the back of this robe because it looks like what a massage therapist would wear, he says, smiling. On the table in front of him is a plastic container of paint, some prepackaged fruit salad, a half-eaten croissant, and a bowl of candyhis usual sustenance when he paints (at home this may include beer, too). Brody directs me to some works he has created on nearby walls: one is titled A Great White Shark and it is precisely that: a white shark on a red background. On another wall, he has printed Brodybucks Hooked, featuring a familiar riff on a certain coffee mega-corporations insignia, with directions to his booth, and protestations of I Love Brody. I work through the night, Brody says of painting. Then when I wake up, before I do anything, I look at the work if its in the room with me, then go finish and touch it up before I have tea or brush my teeth. A lot of it is literally waiting for the paint to dry: You have to do layers and layers. The tropical fish are multicolored, and on block-colored backgrounds. I love fish. I think theyre beautiful in a physical form, remarkable creatures, Brody says. The concept for the images came to him in a dream, and he hopes the many paint drops that make up the pictures of the colorful fish against a solid background exude individuality, like the DNA in living creatures. I also love the chaos of our inner molecular structures, our indefinable beings and this opaque, very clean backdrop. What most interests me is the lightness and brightness fish possess living in the darkest, deepest depths of our universe. There is a parallel for me of how there is a need for that brightness, the ability of the human spirit to prevail in the darkest hour. Another piece features a mermaid, guns trained on her head. This is informed, as is Brodys Starbucks satire, by his despair about consumerism, he says. We toss paper cups into the waterways. We all have a part in destroying our environment, we are hooked on the convenience of throwing things away. He castigates himself for using the two cups on the table and not getting a Thermos. However, Brody is not political and says he just desires to have a conversation to bring awareness. He has painted and drawn since he was a young boy, completely immersed in the art world in New York City. Brodys mother, Sylvia Plachy, photographed celebrities for the Village VoiceWarhol, Timothy Leary, you name it, Brody says proudly. My father [Elliot Brody] is a very accomplished painter, far more accomplished than I am, he adds. He just doesnt show his work. (His parents are orbiting the booth, butI am toldas very private people will not speak about their son.) As a child, Brody drew fish, dragons, and dinosaurs, but didnt pursue painting in his very busy years as an actor. Friends encouraged him to pick up the brush again, particularly the artist Domingo Zapata, who has guided Brody, taught him techniques, and showed work with him at last winters Art Basel Miami Beach. The autonomy I gain from being a painter or from doing anything creative that I can put my hands on and do is the freedom no acting can bring, Brody says emphatically. These are my creations, not my interpretations of somebody elses interpretation, as dictated and directed to me. I am the director, I am the performer, I am the artist. Its my responsibility, and I am the one accountable for it. Its not through a chain of people, its not an editors version of it. It is open to interpretation, and it will be judged just like a performance, but it is more true to me and more at my whim. Making art, he says forcefully, has been absolutely freeing, its the most liberating thing. Basically, Ive taken a year and a half off from acting. Ive taken a lot of time off. Its wonderful. Its allowed me to be more discerning in my choices as an actor. This is wonderfully liberating. Does he want to give up acting? I dont think I need to. I love acting. You just want to pick your battles. Its a difficult job, its a very complex thing. It takes a lot of ones soul, and I want to feel he pauses. I want to pick those opportunities carefully. Of his influences, Brody mentions Warhol and indicates his pastiche of an advertisement for canned fish, on which he has written the words Wild Style, both as a reference to graffiti culture and the street definition of wilding, meaning a lack of accountability and responsibility, a flagrant disregard for the pollution of our waterways. Bumbled is another word on the can, meaning high on power, and how the corporations end up leaving the world in shambles. Wild Alaska has become Wild alas canned to show how the bucolically pastoral images on canned foods can be far from the actual conditions animals are kept in. Brody does not feel optimistic about the state of the world; indeed, he feels environmental destruction has gone too far already, with global warming, deforestation, the last of the Indonesian rainforests on the verge of extinction, biodiversity completely at risk, the pollutants people are breathing inits beyond words. But as grim as his words are, he swims off to meet his public happily enough. He starts laughing, talking, and appears an equable center of attention. He is wielding his paintbrush as a conductor would a baton. Its going to be a fun, intense few days for Adrien Brody. LONDON London is expected to become the first Western capital with a Muslim mayor this week despite an increasingly desperate and divisive Conservative campaign against him. A former Conservative Party candidate for the House of Commons told The Daily Beast that Prime Minister David Cameron and his party were running a purely racist campaign against human-rights lawyer and prospective London mayor, Sadiq Khan. The Conservative Party are fighting Sadiq Khan for being a Muslim and not fighting him for being Labour, said Shazia Awan. What they are doing is fundamentally wrong. Awan, who has worked alongside Conservative leaders including Cameron, William Hague and Margaret Thatcher, said she was heartbroken to see the party stoop to racial division. After Khan took a commanding lead in the opinion polls, Zac Goldsmith, the Conservative candidate, and his allies began to paint Khan as a dangerous radical with links to Islamic extremists. When he was working as a lawyer Khan did represent a number of what he described as unsavoury individuals some of whom were convicted of terror-related offenses. Goldsmiths closing pitch to the electorate in the race to replace Boris Johnson was a controversial article in the Mail on Sunday in which he described the risks of handing over control of Scotland Yard and Londons counter-terror command to Khan. The article appeared below an image of the wreckage of an iconic red London bus that was destroyed during the 7/7 attacks that killed 52 people in 2005. Former Conservative party chairwoman Sayeeda Warsi was among those to express her horror at the use of the atrocity. After more than 24 hours of silence, Goldsmith said it had been inappropriate for the newspaper to use the image, which remains prominent at the top of the online version of his op-ed. Goldsmith and Cameron have repeatedly claimed that there are links between Khan and Islamic extremists, including the British imam Suliman Gani, with whom Khan has appeared at events in London. Goldsmith, incidentally, also invited Gani to a campaign event and has posed for a photograph with him. While speaking in the House of Commons, the prime minister attacked Khan for sharing a platform with Gani whom he said supports IS [or ISIS]. The Daily Mirror has probed this claim and thrown substantial doubts on Downing Streets supposed evidence. Cameron then changed the wording of his attack to say Gani wanted an Islamic state when he repeated the accusations against Khan on Wednesday, the eve of polling day. Cameron also attacked Labour a week after an MP and one of the partys most senior advisers were suspended after a shameful public spat over anti-Semitism that ended with an argument between senior party members in the street. Peter Oborne, one of Britains most formidable Conservative columnists, was appalled that Cameron used his high office in such a way, enthusiastically playing the politics of religious division. Like many other Tories, I welcomed [Goldsmiths] emergence as Tory candidate for mayor of London and planned to vote for him, Oborne wrote. Wild horses could not make me do so now. Goldsmiths campaign for mayor has become the most repulsive I have ever seen as a political reporter. Shazia Awan said she would be voting Labour for the first time in her life. As a British Muslim myself I find it horrific and repulsive that they are labeling someone who is a human-rights lawyer as radical and dangerous, she said. They are trying to tarnish this liberal, chilled-out Muslim guy as some kind of extremist. Awan spoke out against her own party for the first time on Monday in an article for the New Statesman, which Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn quoted to Cameron in Parliament on Wednesday. Before going further and telling The Daily Beast that the campaign was racist, she highlighted the use of racial profiling for direct-mail hits that seemed designed to sow discord between Londons Hindu, Sikh, and Muslim populations. Londoners with Guajarati names, for example, have complained that they received letters highlighting Cameron and Goldsmiths respect for the Hindu Indian prime minister, Narendra Modi, while raising concern over the Muslim Khans ability to keep London safe. Awan, an executive and PR consultant, said the Conservatives were playing off Londons diverse communities against each otherplaying off Guajarati Hindu communities and the Punjabi Sikh community against the Muslim community. The former parliamentary candidate for the district of Leigh said she had experienced plenty of overt racism while working at the grassroots level, but she said had always been protected by senior figures in the party who said she should ignore the views of belligerent old party members. She said she had been inspired to try to become an MP by Cameron, who she insisted was not racist. But for David Cameron to repeat that grassroots rhetoric and take it to the House of Commons that gives it legitimacy, she said, that is disheartening. Brandon Moore rushed to the hospital with what doctors thought was a brain aneurysm. Brandons wife, Leone, went with him to the emergency room, leaving their three children at home in Lorena, Texas. When she texted a group of friends to say Brandon was in the ER, one replied to ask if he could check on the kids. Leone said no, but he didnt listen. Instead, Sean Foster went to the Moores home on June 24, 2014 and molested their 14-year-old daughter, Madalyn. This piece of crap found out I was in the emergency room, drove over to my house while my daughter was sleeping and molested her in her bed, Brandon, a former Marine, told The Daily Beast. The Moore family, including the now-16-year-old Madalyn, asked to be identified by name in this story. This happens a lot more than we think it does, she said on Tuesday, adding that shed like to use her experience of being abused to help others. It always felt wrong to me, but I would always convince myself that it was OK. Id encourage parents to really talk to their kids seriously about it. Two days after Brandon went to the hospital (diagnosis: muscle spasm), Madalyn was with Foster againworking for him at his pool company. He dropped her off at a doctors office for an annual physical and told the nurse that he wanted to go back with the 14-year-old for the exam, and he threw a tantrum when she said no. Foster didnt realize, though, that Madalyns mother was already there, waiting in an exam room. The nurse told Leone what Foster wanted to do. The nurse was pretty upset about it, Brandon said. About 15 minutes later, Madalyn suddenly told Leone about something bad Foster did. Mom, Sean texts when he drives. What else does he do? Leone asked. He touches me. Madalyn proceeded to tell her mother about sexual abuse that began at age 9, taking place in her bed, in the shower, in Fosters pickup truck, and elsewhere. As soon as youre in the situation, its so much different than you think its going to be, Madalyn said, adding that she was worried about what would happen if she told her parents. But things had gotten really bad that day. He told me he wanted to have sex with me the next day. I guess I just felt like, This is the time. Brandon and Leone went to the police that afternoon, but officers told them it could take months to investigate the alleged crimes. We thought they were going to go arrest him right away, Brandon said. I was shocked. I thought for sure theyd go put him in jail and hold him. But they said in cases like this, If we dont do our homework, he could walk. Brandon stayed up all night turning the situation over in his mind before he hatched a plan: Pretend to be 14-year-old Madalyn, text Foster from her phone, lure him to the house, record him trying to prey on the girl and then put my hands on him. In the morning, I went to my wife and said, Go take the kids to our pastors house. After some negotiating, he finally told her, I just have to do this, and she said, What if you get in trouble? Well, I wont kill him then, Brandon replied. He didnt mean for it to be a trap necessarily, Brandon said. (He also said that hed never even seen NBCs To Catch a Predator.) Brandon locked the front door, turned on the shower, and sat in his sons dark room. Brandon texted Foster from Madalyns phone, telling him that she would be in the shower and to pick her up for work in 15 minutes. Foster called Brandon to make sure he wasnt at home, then drove over. If he wasnt a creep or a jerk, he wouldve pulled into the driveway and honked or knocked on the door, Brandon said. Instead, Foster tried the front door and found it was locked, so he went in through the back. Foster first approached Madalyns room before hearing the shower running in the bathroom. I thought you showered yesterday, he said as he pulled the curtain back. Brandon burst into the bathroom and his phone captured what happened next. What the fuck are you doing?! What have you done to her?! Brandon howls. I havent done anything to her! Foster shrieks. You fucking get down right now! You fucking touch a 14-year-old girl! While Im in the fucking hospital! Youre lucky I dont fucking kill you! Foster made a run for it and the phone picked up the ensuing fight. Oh my God, you broke my fucking glasses! the child molester whined. It was between four and five minutes that I had to keep taking him down until police arrived, Brandon told The Daily Beast. He shoved me off of him and went running to the front door, so I tackled him from behind and choked him and kneed him in the face until police got there. I beat him up pretty bad, Brandon remembered. By the time police arrived, my foot was swelling up from kicking him. Leone, who was watching her own house from a neighbors window two doors down, had called the cops, who arrested Foster on the spot. This audio was played during Fosters trial two weeks ago in Texas. A jury sentenced him to serve 55 years in prison on six charges, including burglary, three counts of indecency with a child by contact, and two counts of indecency with a child by exposure. Foster was also fined $40,000, according to the Waco Tribune-Herald. Lorena Police Chief Tom Dickson told The Daily Beast that Brandons actions had a dramatic effect on the speed of the case, even possibly sealing up a conviction. It was no longer possible to conduct an initial non-accusatory interview, Dickson explained. We had to do something right then It was just one piece of the trial, but I certainly think the jurors took [Fosters] actions that day into account. Madalyn heard the recording for the first time on Tuesday night, she said, adding that she didnt know her father could get that angry at someone. Im really glad he did it, she added. I feel like it really proves that hes guilty. Still, Its hurtful to hear Sean keep denying that he didnt do it. Brandon says that he didnt realize at the time the recording would have done so much. In whatever way that it helped, thats amazing In no way did I want attention because of this, Brandon said, choking back tears. At least I got to do something. I wish I couldve done more. Leone asked him not to do something he might be prosecuted for. When your wife says, Dont make the kids lose their dad today, you listen. How did Brandon not kill the man who had been abusing his daughter for so long? Until youre there, you dont know what you would do. It took a lot of restraint for me not to, he said. Chief Dickson noted that others definitely shouldnt try this at home, so to speak. We certainly dont recommend this. When people are under high emotions and stress, sometimes they dont make the best judgment call We certainly couldve been working an aggravated assault out of this or possibly a homicide. Of course, I understand. Being a father myself, if my daughters affected, you want justice and you want immediate justice, Dickson added. But obviously I wouldve rather him waited for the police to do the investigation. Once the investigation began in earnest, Madalyn was subjected to forensic interviews, meetings with prosecutors, and nearly two years of waiting for the trial to begin. Every time she had to go to the advocacy center [for investigative interviews], she would tell us: I dont think I can do this, her father said. And every time I would take her, she would develop this incredible strength. During the trial, which started on April 11, Madalyns parents learned a lot more about Fosters abuse. There was so much evidence, Brandon said. It just blew my mind and my wifes. Foster had groomed Madalyn by employing her and buying her gifts from rings to a cocktail dress (made by fashion label No Boundaries). Some of the gifts were kept at Fosters home so Madalyns parents wouldnt see them. We were neighbors and then he befriended our family and was offering to help with things. He really manipulated me and my wife, Brandon said through tears. Im embarrassed and ashamed to say that, and its really made me wary of trusting anybody again. Even still, Moore said the trial was the toughest week of my life, especially because his children had to go in there and testify in front of this guy. I felt ashamed and dirty and I felt worthless, Madalyn said during the trial . I didnt want to tell anyone because I was afraid they wouldnt believe me. Madalyns entire family was set to testify, so they could not be in the courtroom with her when she took the stand. If facing her abuser wasnt hard enough, Madalyn had to do it with a 101-degree fever and strep throat (a bucket was by the stand in case she got sick). His ego is beyond compare, Brandon Moore said. Hes going to struggle mightily in jail. During her victim impact statement, Madalyn told Foster: You cant hurt me anymore. Once I had time to think about it, once it was over, I realized: Its over but it should have never happened, she said on Tuesday. Going back to school was hard. Moore said, Shes doing much better now since the trial has been over, just being heard and having what she considers justice. Shes my new hero, he continued, his voice breaking. Shes amazing. On the night he got everything he said he wanted, Donald Trump looked miserable. He entered the lobby of Trump Tower through the hallway, wearing a blue suit and royal blue tie. His wife, Melania, and his three older children, Ivanka, Eric, and Don Jr., and their respective spouses were by his side. He had just won Indiana and with that, effectively, the Republican presidential nomination itself, but he was acting like a loser. He spoke quietly and slowly. His eyes squinted more than usual. It seemed as though the gravity of the position he now finds himself inleader of the Republican Party, rival to Hillary Clinton, possible president of the United Stateswas weighing directly on his face, which was, in the patriotic red, white, and blue light, a pale shade of orange. The fun and games were finally over for Trump, and he knew it. No longer the insurgent outsider, hes now faced with a choice. He can continue to be himself, peddling conspiracy theories and insulting every foe with the sophistication of a preteen mean girl . Or he can start acting like a statesman and risk losing the people who love him the way he is. Three hundred twenty-two days ago, Trump was standing right here, dressed the same except for his red tie, a row of American flags at his back, and the sound of possibility escaping through his Queens accent. This is beyond anybodys expectations, he said then. I am officially running for president of the United States, and we are going to make our country great again. At the time, it felt like the stuff of a reality television producers fever dream. Trump was a real estate developer, New York tabloid fixture, and national TV star who seemed more like a real life Monopoly game piece than a potential political leader. Hed once shaved Vince McMahons head onstage at WrestleMania. No one, not even Trump himself, seemed to believe the nominationnever mind the presidencywas achievable. Jeb Bush had raised a $100 million! Ted Cruz was an evangelical savior with libertarian flair! Marco Rubio was the next Barack Obama! But Trump likes a fight, and he reveled in his position as the underdog. Onstage at rallies, hed get up and recite poll numbers, and then direct the crowd to look back and boo at the press, whom he classified as dishonest naysayers. The Republican field would swell to 17 candidatesTrump; Bush; Cruz; Rubio; John Kasich; Ben Carson; Chris Christie; Carly Fiorina; Mike Huckabee; Lindsey Graham; Jim Gilmore; Rand Paul; Bobby Jindal; George Pataki; Scott Walker; Rick Santorum; and Rick Perry. Trump would winnow it down to just two, defying the conventional wisdom of Beltway know-it-alls who said round the clock on cable news that itd never happen, and the Republican establishment forces who couldnt bring themselves to believeuntil nowthat their voters could really reject everything the establishment believed they wanted. Just a few weeks ago, a contested convention in Cleveland this July seemed an inevitability. Now, with Ted Cruz out of the race and only also-ran John Kasich remaining, it is more likely to be a coronation, with the #NeverTrump forces looking like traitors to the Republican Party who care more about purity than stopping another Democratic administration. After the Indiana primary was called for Trump on Tuesday night, the chairman of the Republican National Committee, Reince Priebus, tweeted : .@realDonaldTrump will be presumptive @GOP nominee, we all need to unite and focus on defeating @HillaryClinton #NeverClinton. The nomination all but sealed, Trump walked up to the lectern at Trump Tower to the Rolling Stones Start Me Up. With all the enthusiasm of a hungover camp counselor, he said, Were gonna make America great again. Were gonna make America great. Even when he directed his focus toward his new nemesis, Clinton, he had trouble sounding into it. Were going after Hillary Clinton, he said. She will not be a great president. She will not be a good president. She will be a poor president. For a moment, Trump turned introspective. I have to tell you that Ive competed all my life, he said, competitive person. All my life, Ive been in competitionsdifferent competitions, whether its sports, or business, or now, for 10 months, politics. And I have to tell you that I have met some of the most incredible competitors that I have ever competed against right here in the Republican Party. At the end of the 1972 Robert Redford film The Candidate, after Robert Redfords character, Jim McKay, has been elected to the United States Senate against all odds, he panics. He grabs his strategist, Marvin Lucas, and forces him out of the fawning crowd for a moment alone. What do we do now? McKay asks Lucas. What do we do now? The crowd rushes into the room before Lucas can process the question. Trump appeared to feel the crowd closing in on him Tuesday night. What does he do now? Heres something that doesnt work: inspecting a mans anus to determine if hes homosexual. Not only does human anatomy simply not work that way, forced anal examinations are humiliating, intrusive, and akin to torture. And yet, eight countries are known to still do it. Today, Kenya took a step toward abolishing the horrific tests, as a court heard a constitutional challenge to the practice. Although the results were inconclusive, the court signaled that the abhorrent practices days may be numbered. Neela Ghoshal, a Nairobi-based activist for Human Rights Watch, told The Daily Beast that its hard to imagine how a practice that has been harshly condemned by the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture can continue to be authorized in Kenya. Indeed, its clear that forced anal examinations are primarily about humiliation, not investigation. They date to the 19th century, when authorities tried to determine whether men suspected of homosexuality had engaged in anal sex or not. However, they have long been disavowed by all major medical associations. They only reveal whether there has recently been extreme trauma, as in some cases of rape. For evidence of consensual intercourse, the human body doesnt work that way; its like testing a rubber band to see if its ever been used. What tests do quite well, however, is demean those suspected of homosexuality. Suspects generally must strip naked, either bend over or put their legs up in stirrups, and be forcibly penetrated by a doctors finger or probe. Allegedly, this enables doctors to determine the shape of the anus, and thus whether the suspect has engaged in anal intercourse. But in reality, said Ghoshal, Anal examinations prove nothing, and they accomplish nothing, other than humiliating and demeaning people who are considered moral outcasts. Indeed, its no coincidence that the United Nations has said that forced anal examinations amount to torture. It is less a medical procedure than a rape, and brings to mind the notorious forced sodomization of Abner Louima by New York police officers in 1997. Like the horrifying rape of women in wartime, the rape of men in prison or military contexts is about violence, subjugation, and dominancenot sex or medicine. It also brings to mind the 1952 U.S. Supreme Court case of Rochin v. California, in which the Court famously stated that forcing a suspect to vomit up drugs was unconstitutional because its brutality shocks the conscience. In the current case, brought by Kenyas nonprofit National Gay & Lesbian Human Rights Commission, two men allege that in February 2015, doctors at a Mombasa hospital subjected them to forced anal examinations, as well as HIV and blood tests. Such exams violate the Convention against Torture, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and the African Convention on Human and Peoples Rightsall of which Kenya has ratified. Kenyas constitution explicitly states that treaties or conventions ratified by the country become part of the countrys laws. The lawsuit also alleges violations of the Kenyan constitution itself, which includes rights to equality, human dignity, privacy, and the highest attainable standard of health. Thus, the forced exams violate both international law incorporated into Kenyan law, and the text of the Kenyan constitution. Todays ruling was inconclusive, but bodes well for the petitioners. Surprisingly, lawyers for the government said they needed more time to prepare their case. The judge gave them a tight deadline: seven days. This, Ghoshal told The Daily Beast, suggests that the judge thinks that the government either doesnt have a good case, or doesnt have a good excuse for being late. The hearing at the Mombasa High Court today sets Kenya on the path toward eliminating forced anal testing, she said, describing it as an astonishingly antiquated and abusive practice. Since 2010, Human Right Watch has documented the use of forced anal examinations in Cameroon, Egypt, Kenya, Lebanon, Tunisia, Turkmenistan, Uganda, and Zambia. Since then, Lebanons physicians association and justice minister have called for an end to the practice, though HRW says it still sometimes takes place. Of course, these eight countries are only where the practice has been documented; given its power to humiliate those suspected of being sexual or gender deviants, it is probably far more widespread than has been reported. And given the violence that suspected gay men face around the worldoften extrajudicial in nature, but sanctioned by governments from Russia to Malaysia to the Caribbeanthe most distinctive element of forced anal exams is not their intrusiveness, but their appearance under official color of law. At least in cases like this one, there is someone to sue, and laws to sue them under. Most LGBTQ victims have even less recourse. Of course, the whole pretext for the practice is the criminalization of homosexuality itself. In Kenya, activists are working to overturn the ban, often by engaging religious leaders as well as political ones. The Daily Beasts Quorum: Global LGBT Voices project profiled one such activist last year. Until legalization takes place, however, the risk of state violence such as forced anal exams remains. According to Ghoshal, Kenyan constitutional rulings can take anywhere from one month to several months, just as in the United States. We wont know until then whether Kenya will bring the world one step closer to abolishing an antiquated pseudo-medical practice for good. But thanks to two brave petitioners and a group of dedicated activist lawyers, theres a good chance that it will. Prince Harry has spoken about his anguish as a child at the death of his mother, Princess Diana, and how her memory continues to inspire his charity work and private life. All I want to do is make my mother incredibly proud, he tells People magazine, in an exclusive interview on its cover this week, Thats all Ive ever wanted to do. When she died, there was a gaping hole, not just for us but also for a huge amount of people across the world, Harry, who is due to play a charity polo match in Palm Beach, Florida, on Wednesday afternoon, told the mag, in an interview to promote the Invictus Games. If I can try and fill a very small part of that, then job done, he says. I will have to, in a good way, spend the rest of my life trying to fill that void as much as possible. And so will William. I know Ive got a lot of my mother in me. I am doing a lot of things that she would probably do. Harry, who recently revealed he still suffers combat flashbacks, also offered his thoughts on fatherhood: according to a preview available on the People website, he wants kids, but theres no rush. Meanwhile, in other breaking royal news: Kate Middleton, in a conversation with kids while on an official engagement, revealed that her kids have a pet hamster. Its called Marvin. Poor Ted Cruz. On Tuesday, the Texas senator found himself on the receiving end of Donald Trumps wild imagination, when the orange-hued reality star, whos never met an insult he didnt want to spoon, insinuated that Cruzs Cuban-born father, Rafael, was somehow connected to the assassination of John F. Kennedy. Eat your heart out, Oliver Stone. Later that evening, Lucifer in the flesh (John Boehners words) dropped out of the presidential race, punching and elbowing his wife in the face along the way, as one does. A day earlier, Im seated across from filmmaker Rob Reiner at an office building in Downtown Manhattan. Cruz is undoubtedly a huge fan of Reiners work, having reenacted Billy Crystals Miracle Max sequence from The Princess Bride word-for-word on the campaign trail, as well as quoting a line from The American President while defending his wife, Heidi, from a misogynistic retweet courtesy of Donald J. Trump. Its crazy! says Reiner, shaking his head. He used The Princess Bride and he also used a line from The American President the other day. He does that whole Miracle Max scene and knows the lines, so hes obviously a movie buff, but these are the fans I dont need. I dont need these fans. Im sure hell introduce it to his daughters, at least, he adds. It really is a little weird. But listen, its gonna be over pretty soon. Hes headed for the last round, this guy. But The Princess Bride does cut across politics. I think its a movie for everybody. Reiner is in New York to promote his latest film, Being Charliea bildungsroman of sorts about a troubled teenager (Jurassic Worlds Nick Robinson) battling a heroin addiction whose father (Cary Elwes) is too consumed by his gubernatorial run to help his son. The film is Reiners most personal yet, co-written by his son, Nick Reiner, and based on his own experiences with addiction, having been to several rehab facilities from the ages 15-19. The younger Reiner began writing the screenplay with Matt Elisofon while the two were in rehab, and initially scripted it as a half-hour situational comedy about their life in rehab. Then, they retooled it as slightly more serious hour-long comedy/drama, but when the elder Reinerwhose production company, Castle Rock, made Seinfeldpitched it to the TV networks, none of them bit. So they refashioned it once more, this time into a film. We didnt make Being Charlie to work stuff out, but it turned out that it really did, says Reiner. It was done because it was something that Nick had experienced, and it wasnt until we got into it that I realized how profound the effect of working on this would be to my relationship to Nick, which did change quite a bit. It forced me to see what he had gone through, and it forced him to see what me and his mother had gone through. It brought us closer together. The father in the film, acting as Reiners surrogate, is not let off the hook, sacrificing his sons health and safety at the altar of his own ambition. While Reiner says the film is a fiction, the fathers attitude in the film still mirrored the directors own at the time. I listened to anybody who had a desk and a diploma, and the first charge of a parent is to keep your child safe, so I did what people told me to dothe whole tough love thingand it really goes against my nature, because Im not a disciplinarian by any stretch of the imagination, he explains. I acted the role of the tough love guy because thats what they told me to do, and as we went along, I discovered that I know my child better than any expert could know them, and I learned to trust myself more, and to listen to Nick more. And the father characters bid for governor was based on real life as well, when Reiner famously considered running for governor of California against Arnold Schwarzenegger in 2006, but only polled forty percent in my own family and decided to abandon the idea. But Reiners always been an outspoken political activist, and has some very pointed opinions about Republican frontrunner Donald Trump. This is a guy who said he saw thousands of Muslims cheering on 9/11, says Reiner, perplexed. Hes a pathological liar, and its interesting to watch because anybody who lies as much as he does, and as continual as he does, its almost impossible to fact-check because it just never ends! It keeps going and going. When I think about a guy like that, all I can think is that hes really insecure, because why would you make up stuff all the time if you really had confidence in yourself? And on top of that, you feel the need to put your name on everything. Hes the most thin-skinned, egomaniacal, narcissistic liar ever. Ive never seen anything like that. What scares me is that people actually pay attention to this guy! I dont get it at all.While Reiner is mainly known for his tremendous directorial run in the 80s and 90s, cutting across a variety of genres with the mockumentary This Is Spinal Tap, the coming of age flick Stand By Me, the swashbuckling The Princess Bride, the classic rom-com When Harry Met Sally, and the psychological horror of Misery, hes also quite adept at political movies, having filmed the Aaron Sorkin-scripted A Few Good Men and The American President. Hell return to political filmmaking for his next feature, LBJ, a biopic of the late president Lyndon B. Johnson starring Woody Harrelson, who Reiner says is off the charts good in it. Hes already wrapped filming and hopes to have it in theaters before the election ends. Its a very narrow sliver of LBJs life, says Reiner. We do have a flashback to him being Majority Leader in the U.S. Senate, but the majority of the film takes place from when Kennedy picks him as his running mate up to the Kennedy assassination and to him becoming president, and the first week where he has to deliver the big speech to the House of Representatives about continuing Kennedys legacy. Hes a complex character, Reiner continues. Hes very Shakespearean. If it hadnt been for the Vietnam War, I think he wouldve gone down as one of the great presidents in American historyVoting Rights Act, Civil Rights Act, Medicare, Medicaid, Head Start, it goes on and on. He was a real paradox of incredible power, legislative wisdom, persuasive abilities, and incredible insecurity and fear of being loved, and of not being able to move forward because of that. I wanted to show him as a human being because I was of draft age when he was president, and I only had one view of him: I hated him because he could send me to my death. But as Ive gotten older, and Ive been in the political realm for a while, I see what he was able to accomplish, and how he did it. But does the film address LBJs obsession with his own penis, I ask a chuckling Reiner. It does have one thing which we took right out of the Oval Office tapes, where he talks about how big he is. Im well-endowed, he says. Hes ordering pants and wants the guy to put a little more room down there for it. Reiners next film will be even more controversial, if he has his way. The picture that I want to do after that is called Shock and Awe, and its based on this true story about these four journalists who wrote for the Knight Ridder news service, which is now owned by McClatchy, that serviced about 31 papers around the country, and in the run-up to the Iraq War, these four guysJoe Galloway, John Walcott, Warren Strobel, and Jonathan Landaythey all got it right, unlike The New York Times, he says. They were the anti-Judith Millers. They debunked the aluminum tubes, the yellowcake, etc., but nobody paid attention to them. Once its in The New York Times, thats the paper of record, and the rest of the mainstream media drank the Kool-Aid. So its an incredible story about the danger of the disappearance of the independent press. You need media outlets to tell the truth, he adds, with a head full of steam. So many of these media outlets are owned by big corporations so theyre beholden to the bottom line and show business, or they want to maintain access to the powers that be, so they end up whitewashing things and the result can literally be deadly. The 69-year-old filmmaker has made no secret of his support for Hillary Clinton in the past, having backed her presidential run in 2008 and again this year. But Hillary did support the Iraq War, so to play devils advocate, I ask him why hes thrown his weight behind the most hawkish candidate. Well, heres the difference: Hillary did make that vote [for the Iraq War] and she did say it was a bad vote, and everybody needs to understand what that vote is, he offers. It gives the power to the president to be able to go to war if they want to, it doesnt say, Im going to war. If youre the President of the United States, youre the commander-in-chief, and youre the only one with the authority to pull the trigger. So Bush could have said, Well, Ive got the authority but theres no rationale here. But he didnt say that. He lied, and they all lied. And poor Colin Powell had to fall on his sword. So, we need this independent press because its the only way you can hold elected officials accountable. He pauses, and his mind soon wanders over to the Benghazi hearing, where Hillary was grilled by a room full of venomous Republican congressmen for 11 straight hours and didnt stumble once. They had her in there for eleven hours, says Reiner. After that, I said, They just handed her the presidency. We just saw a president: someone who is cool under fire and knows how to handle situations. Thats what we want. Reiner shakes his head. If you look out at the field, its not even close. Shes literally the only one qualified to be president right now. Is she a perfect person? No. Is anyone a perfect person? No. But shes the best possible candidate by a million miles. Theres a big problem with the giant sinkhole that just opened up on Canal Street in New Orleans. Too many people want to party in it. A 30-foot-wide hole in the Earth opened up in the middle of the street last Friday, a few hours after Mayor Mitch Landrieu toured the area to see just how badly the tunnel underneath the street was leaking. Turns out the answer is, really bad. Chrissy Grosss friends were joking about it in a group text this weekend and talking about plans for next week. Then it came to them, a deep, drunken vision: Sinkhole. Cinco de Mayo. Sinkhole de Mayo. We like costuming. We like any reason to get dressed up in silly costumes. We were even talking about making our own traffic cone pinata, Gross told The Daily Beast. We were just gonna laugh and take pictures. The problem with naming something Sinkhole de Mayo, however, is that 2,000 people are going to want a crack at that traffic cone pinata. Alas, thats the number of people who now say they might show up to a random sinkhole in the middle of a New Orleans road to celebrate Mexico beating the French in 1862. Gross spent most of Tuesday on the phone with City Hall making sure no fiestas take place inside of a sinkhole on Thursday just because shed opted not to press Private on her event invite on Facebook. Its been a very surreal day, she said. It went viral overnight, but I guess I should have expected it. New Orleans loves a party. We love a good satire. We love a good reason to get together to celebrate life. I mean, we have a festival for a goddamn sandwich. But the Po-boy Festival is seven months away, after the election and after the nationwide po-boy ban from President Trumps new FDA commissioner Ronald McDonald. And, seriously, New Orleans does not pass up a shot at a weird party in the middle of the day in the middle of the street. Having a party around an event the mayor called a catastrophic failure just last week is, in fact, the very spirit of the city. That was exemplified when the Saints won the Super Bowl. Most cities have riots. We had one of the most major parades of all time, said Gross. We celebrate instead of raging. She also says the whole things not political or an indictment on infrastructure in the city. Whereas yes, it does seem like from the outside, maybe, that sinkholes and rain are an epidemic, its not. People are still flabbergasted, but, no, New Orleans is not underwater, she said. Its a wonderful cityand this becoming a huge thing is just an example of it. Some people on the events Facebook page left comments offering to fly in to go hang out with the sinkhole. One photoshopped a margarita into the sinkhole itself. Others offered body painting services and jello shots. So Gross had to hang up and work with the city to find a perfect spot for a couple thousand people to hang out sinkhole-side. A few minutes later, Gross posted the new location on Facebook: Woldenberg Riverfront Park. Some of the faithful were immediately worried. But don't worry, she wrote, Sinky will still be in sight. Boba Fett absolutely survived that nasty plunge into the Sarlacc Pit a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away, according to a pretty solid source: Boba Fett himself. Yes, absolutely. Yes, he did! English actor Jeremy Bulloch, the O.G. Boba Fett, insisted when he rang The Daily Beast ahead of Star Wars Day from his home in London, just a skip away from where he first donned the Mandalorian bounty hunters metallic ensemble in the spring of 1979. Bulloch, 71, famously played Boba Fett in 1980s Star Wars: Episode V The Empire Strikes Back and 1983s Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi, turning a sparse and primarily physical performance into one of the more surprisingly popular characters in the Star Wars universe. And as the modest little sci-fi series he had a part in grew into a full-fledged cultural phenomenon, Bulloch, a longtime theater and film actor, saw one of his most serendipitous roles become an indelible part of generations of fans lives. So, yeah: Boba Fett is totally alive. George Lucas has said he gets out of the Sarlacc Pitt, Bulloch said, deferring to the Star Wars head honcho, who in recent years reportedly allowed that the feared bounty hunter somehow made it out to safety at the end of Return of the Jedi. Hes got to mend his jet pack, mused Bulloch, playfully theorizing what Boba Fetts been up to since then. Hes probably opened a couple of bars down there, serving not the American beer, but the English beer so hes okay. Bulloch is one of ten Star Wars performers who share their fond stories, and a few frustrations, in the new documentary Elstree 1976. In it, he recalls how his half-brother Robert Watts, an associate producer on Empire Strikes Back, called him up one day while he was in the middle of starring in a stage production. He said, Theres a small part that might be quite fun for you to do. Might be a couple of days. I said, I cant! Im in the theater! Bulloch remembered. Bulloch went to set to meet Lucas, the shy American filmmaker at the helm of a notoriously unwieldy production, directed by Irvin Kershner, as they were shooting the Wampa scene. He said, Well, its not a big role, but welcome aboard, said Bulloch. He was very kind and when he said, Welcome aboard, I thought, what have I done? Of Boba Fett, Lucas simply told him, Hes a bounty hunter, hes quite deadly, and hes quite a fun character, Bulloch recalled. He worked out a deal to spend his days on the Star Wars set before racing across town to his nightly theater gig. It was one of the most uncomfortable costumes Ive ever worn, but you get on and do it. It was terrific fun. Bulloch politely chuckles at the mention of Star Wars star Carrie Fishers self-admitted party life during the making of Empire, when the cast was partying with the Rolling Stones and, she told The Daily Beast, she and Harrison Ford even showed up drunk to set the next day. Shes an absolute shriek, said Bulloch. Shed never stop! I played another part, Lieutenant Sheckil, and theres a scene where Im grabbing her around her waist and pulling her into the elevator. I remember her saying to me years ago, Hey, I remember you. I had to warn you, didnt I? You grabbed me around the waist. You were lucky you didnt get in trouble. She was such fun. Fisher also told The Daily Beast how her infamous gold bikini led to some particularly revealing wardrobe malfunctions between scenesin full view of Bulloch: I didnt inform him, but I always thought that if Boba Fett were of a mind, he could see all the way to Florida. I remember that, Bulloch chuckled, ever so slightly flustered. Well, I dont want to get into corroborating. But she was keeping the whole balance perfectly. She had that wicked way, and she was funny. She said, Be careful where you grab me. Bulloch has been working steadily since his Star Wars days but is game to return to the galaxy, should Lucasfilm call upon him again. Perhaps, he hints, for the Boba Fett standalone Disney has in development? Yes, theyre talking about a spin-off, whatever that means. That would be lovely. Just to be invited, he mused. He ponders who could be cast as the perfect young Boba Fett. Well, you have Temuera Morrison [the retconned voice of Boba Fett], and Daniel Logan whos the young Boba Fett [in Attack of the Clones] anyway. But Michael Fassbender is a fine actor. Bulloch acknowledged the sour grapes expressed by some of his fellow Star Wars alums in Elstree 1976 who complain that fans flock to the actors who played more popular characters at conventionsactors like Bulloch. Id heard that, and I say, Why are people getting off their trees? If [your character] has a terrific outfit, it doesnt matter who it is. People say, Id love to have that photograph. And people like to go for the antihero. For the most part, he says, They all get on terribly well together. I think a lot of them at least had a name in the film. And if they didnt, they should think of a name! (Bulloch, for the record, offers to give me such a moniker. It sounds something like Makka Tarakka.) He replies diplomatically when it comes to the plight of another fellow original Star Wars star, Dave Prowse, who played Darth Vader in the original filmsand now claims that Lucas has barred him from appearing at official Star Wars fan events, possibly as retribution for inadvertently spoiling the truth about Luke Skywalkers lineage years ago. I think he should enjoy whats there, said Bulloch, adding that he does not know why Prowse and Lucasfilm fell out. Its a terrific character, Darth Vader. He should just carry on enjoying at the events that he goes to. Hes good with the fans. I think he should just get on. Imagine, I was in Star Wars! I played this. Thats terrific. Wow, lucky beast! added Bulloch. A lot of people there, they should just get on with it, and enjoy whats been given them. Turkey is ready to send ground troops into Syria if necessary, Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said on Wednesday, after weeks of deadly rocket strikes on a Turkish region from jihadists across the border. "If it becomes necessary then we will send the ground forces," Davutoglu told Al-Jazeera television in an interview, when asked if Turkey was mulling sending troops to Syria. "We are ready to take all measures that we need, both inside Turkey and outside, to provide for our own security," he added, according to a transcript published on Al-Jazeera's Turkish website. The Turkish border region of Kilis -- which lies opposite areas controlled by Islamic State (IS) jihadists in Syria -- has been battered since January by rocket fire from the other side of the border which has claimed 20 lives. Turkey has hit back with artillery fire of its own against IS but has always stopped short of making any firm commitment to send its troops over the border. Drones from the US-led international coalition fighting IS have also taken off from Turkey's Incirlik base in the south of the country for bombing raids against IS targets. Asked if Turkey could act unilaterally against IS, Davutoglu said Turkey had a right to self-defence against IS based on UN resolutions. "But we still prefer an international consensus. As IS is an issue that concerns the whole world," he added. Turkey has in the past repeatedly said it is open to a ground operation in Syria but wanted to move in cooperation with its Western and Gulf allies. Turkey's NATO allies have sometimes lamented that Ankara could do more in the fight against IS but Turkey appears to have stepped up efforts in the last weeks after a string of attacks on its soil. In the latest violence, a car bomb Sunday blamed on an IS-affiliated militant killed at least two policemen and wounded 22 people in the Turkish city of Gaziantep, a major refugee hub near the Syrian border. Search Keywords: Short link: Only a few weeks after Georgias president attended the Nuclear Security Summit in Washington, D.C., law enforcement nabbed illegal uranium dealers in his own backyard, in the countrys capital of Tbilisi. The arrests stoked fears of an underground nuclear market, of radiation leakage, and of terrorists working on a dirty bomb. With accounts of local Muslims in Georgia joining up with ISIS, not to mention a brewing conflict between neighboring Armenia and Azerbaijan, Georgians have good reason to be worried. According to authorities, six menthree Georgians and three Armenianswere trying to sell a few kilos of uranium for $200 million. Four of the six were pensioners and the other two worked as taxi drivers. A Tbilisi court convicted all the smugglers and they face up to 10 years in prison. The smugglers were arrested in a private apartment in a joint special operation by Georgian counterintelligence and special-ops departments for illegal handling of nuclear materials, according to the State Security Service of Georgia. Whats worrisome for Georgia is that this is the second known case of nuclear smuggling in less than six months. In January, the State Security Department detained three members of a criminal group for the illegal handling and selling of nuclear material, specifically the radioactive isotope Cesium-137, officials told The Daily Beast. The Cesium-137 sellers had pocketed $100,000 when authorities caught up with them; the taxi drivers and retirees were looking for $200 million. According to the World Bank, up to 27 percent of the Georgian population and up to 37 percent of Armenians live below the poverty line. The Caucasus are full of men desperate to make money, even if that involves the risk of imprisonment. Georgian authorities have been struggling to put the end to the underground radioactive market for years. The deals on nuclear materials happen here every year; people regularly smuggle radioactive substances from Russia via Georgia to Turkey or Iran, a political expert, former Interior Ministry spokesman Shota Utiashvili, told The Daily Beast. Utiashvili pointed out that in 2010, Georgian authorities made two major seizures of highly enriched uranium (HEU). Tests at the time confirmed that the materials, enriched by 89.4 percent, could be used for making a nuclear bomb. The two smugglers, a businessman and a physicist from Armenia, pleaded guilty for smuggling the package with HEU by train from Yerevan to Tbilisi in 2010. The head of the Nuclear Waste department at the countrys Agency of Nuclear and Radiation Safety, Georgiy Nabaxtiani, insisted that Georgia had been working hard to take control over radioactive deals since early 1990s. We now have much stricter regulationsour borders are very well controlled, we scan both pedestrians and vehicles for radiation, Nabaxtiani told The Daily Beast. This time the dealers did not cross the border, they were trying to sell a few kilos of Uranium-238 inside Georgian territory. The investigators are trying to find out where they had obtained the uranium. Chief among the concerns of nuclear watchdog agencies is the idea that terrorist groups such as ISIS could be trying to obtain radioactive material via the Georgian black market. If there is a demand for enriched uranium among terrorists trying to build a bomb, this is very concerning, as there are still hundreds of tons of highly radioactive materials stored in Russia and post Soviet States, an independent military expert based in Moscow, Alexander Golts, told The Daily Beast. But in any case they would need complicated industrial technologies to make a nuclear bomb, he added. So why is Georgia more in the news for radioactive deals than other post-Soviet countries? It is difficult to pinpoint why Georgia continues to be a hot spot for nuclear trafficking, Yelena Sokolova, deputy director for the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies, told The Daily Beast. It is due to its geographical location on the pathway from Europe to the Middle East, a long history of illicit trade, and trafficking in other goods in the region. Sokolova added that so far, all seizures in Georgia have either been the result of police sting operations or accidental discoveries. There have been reports about alleged buyers for nuclear and radioactive materials coming either from the Middle East or North Africa, she said. Authorities in both the North and South Caucuses regions have registered attempts by criminals to smuggle radioactive materials, but not all of the substances would be worth the risk of going to jail for 10 years. It is a continuing mystery how people can offer a few grams of a common material of no real value as a sample of tons of something they probably do not even have that has no real threat to society, Robert Kelly, a senior research fellow within the SIPRI Nuclear Weapons Project, Arms Control and Non-Proliferation Program, noted to The Daily Beast. Could one really sell a few kilos of Uranium-238 for $200 million? Todays market price for Uranium-238 is about $27 per pound. If Georgian dealers were aware of the real prices, to make $200 million, theyd have to sell 3,700 tons of uranium, which would necessitate a long line of trucks full of the stuff, Kelly said. The bottom line is that only idiots would pay $200 million for Uranium-238 in any form and even if they succeeded in buying it, it is barely radioactive and would be of very little health hazard to anyone, except someone who would eat handfuls of it, said Kelly, who is a veteran of over 35 years in the U.S. Department of Energy nuclear weapons complex. Still, the fact that none of the buyers of the radioactive material have been identified or arrested seems concerning to local observers. The recent arrests have made Georgians feel vulnerable to the threat of international terrorism, especially considering the fact that dozens of their countrymen are joining ISIS each year. I am not surprised that pensioners, who often do not have money for food and medicine, were trying to sell uranium, risking their freedom for the money they were promised, the executive director of Europe House, Maia Nikolaishvili, told The Daily Beast. As a mother, she added, I am very worried of the terrorism threat. Al-Qaeda in Yemen threatened Wednesday to target the homes of officers and soldiers who took part in a government offensive that drove Islamist militants out of key areas. But militants in Zinjibar appear to have agreed to leave the Abyan provincial capital following tribal mediation to spare the city destruction, said the region's security chief Colonel Nasser Hadi. Government troops backed by air and ground support from a Saudi-led coalition launched last month a widespread operation against militants in south and southeastern Yemen. "We warn all military leaders and soldiers who participated in the campaign that their houses are now legitimate targets for us," said an online statement issued by the Abyan branch of Ansar al-Sharia, another name used by Al-Qaeda in Yemen. "We advise their wives and children to leave their houses because they (the houses) will be our next target," the statement said. Al-Qaeda fighters had remained in Zinjibar after government forces advanced towards the city in late April. Residents took to the streets demanding the militants leave to spare the city any fighting. Abyan's security chief said Wednesday that Al-Qaeda militants demanded a "safe exit" from the city and nearby Jaar town, adding the militants "promised to clear the mines and explosives they planted on the edges" of Zinjibar. He said a tribal dignitary led mediation with the militants to "spare the city destruction and war." Witnesses said however that Al-Qaeda fighters were still visible in Zinjibar and Jaar. The militants last month fled the key southeastern city of Mukalla, the capital of Hadramawt province, and other coastal areas, due to the government offensive. Earlier in April, government troops pushed Al-Qaeda fighters out of Huta, the capital of Lahj province. Yemen-based Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula is regarded by Washington as the network's most dangerous branch, and AQAP militants have come under repeated US air and drone strikes. The Saudi-led coalition intervened in Yemen in March 2015 in support of President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi against Shia Houthi rebels who had seized the capital Sanaa and other areas. But it has recently turned its firepower against militants impeding the government's bid to firm up its grip on southern areas recaptured from the rebels. *This story was edited by Ahram Online Search Keywords: Short link: Sunday Unity Spiritual Center of the Brazos Valley, 4016 Stillmeadow Drive, Bryan, will have services at 10:30 a.m. Call 324-9857 or unityspiritualcenterbv.org. Trinity Baptist Church, 1070 N. Harvey Mitchell Parkway in Bryan, will host Awana Clubs for children ages 3-12 from 5 to 7 p.m. The meetings will consist of scripture memorization, games, a light meal and a short devotional. Club meetings will continue at 5 p.m. every Sunday during the school year. 571-1404. Faith United Church (UCC), 2901 Austin's Colony Parkway in Bryan, celebrates the sixth Sunday after Easter with 9:15 a.m. Sunday study, 10 a.m. fellowship, and 10:30 a.m. worship. Pastor Karl's message is, "After Jesus, What's Left?" Faithuccbryan.org. St. Francis Episcopal Church, 1101 Rock Prairie Road in College Station, will celebrate Holy Communion at 8 a.m. (Rite 1) and at 10:30 a.m. (Rite 2). Adult Sunday school meets at 9 a.m. and will continue studying the doctrine of resurrection. Children's chapel meets at 10:30 a.m. Contact the church for information about additional services and classes during the week. 696-1491 or stfrancisbcs.org. First Christian Church, 900 S. Ennis St. in Bryan, will gather for worship at 10:45 a.m. The Rev. Jesse Myers' sermon topic will be "Believe in the Lord Jesus," based on Acts 16:11-15 and Philippians 2:1-11. The Disciples Men are hosting an all-church breakfast at 8 a.m. Sunday school classes for all ages begin at 9:30 a.m. and a nursery is available. Youth groups meet at 3 p.m. 823-5451 or firstchristianbcs.org. Saint Andrew's Episcopal Church, 217 W. 26th St. in Downtown Bryan, will offer Holy Communion Rite I service at 7:30 a.m. At 11 a.m., we will celebrate our annual parish picnic in Tanglewood Park and conduct an outdoor service. All are welcome. Standrewsbcs.org. 822-5176. Unitarian Universalist Church of the Brazos Valley, 305 Wellborn Road, will have a special blessing of the animals service by the Rev. Aaron Stockwell at 10:30 a.m. All animals must be current on vaccinations and leashed or caged; stuffed animals and pictures of animals that are deceased or unable to travel are welcome. 696-5285. Covenant Presbyterian Church, 220 Rock Prairie Road in College Station, will worship at 10:30 a.m. The Rev. Caressa Murray will preach on "Rerouting." Classes for all ages meet at 9:15 a.m., followed by coffee and fellowship. 694-7700 or covenantpresbyterian.org. Mount Nebo Missionary Baptist Church, 3610 Plainsman Lane in Bryan, will have Sunday school classes for all ages at 9:15 a.m. and morning worship service at 10:30 a.m. 846-4753. Monday First Baptist Church, 2300 Welsh Ave. in College Station, will host its weekly bible study on Mark, 1 Peter and 2 Peter at 7 p.m. 779-7700. First Baptist Church Bryan, 3100 Cambridge Drive in Bryan, will host its weekly Bible study fellowship session at 6:55 p.m. BSF is an international, interdenominational women's study group. This year's topic is The Life of Moses; there is also a children's program. Bsfinternational.org. Tuesday Eagle's Nest Praise and Worship Ministries will be opening a free prayer line from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. The prayer line number is 775-1513, and calls will be answered by a trained prayer ministry associate. The prayer line is coordinated by pastors Gary and Sheila Jones. Wednesday Faith United Church, 2901 Austin's Colony Parkway in Bryan, invites men of all ages to Wednesday morning coffee and guy talk at 10 a.m. All are welcome. Faithuccbryan.org. Faith United Church, 2901 Austin's Colony Parkway in Bryan, will host a Wednesday study about Paul's life and journeys at 6:30 p.m. All are welcome. Faithuccbryan.org. Saint Andrew's Episcopal Church, 217 W. 26th St. in Downtown Bryan, will host a meeting of the Rector's Book Club at 6:15 p.m. The book selection is The Secret Chord: A Novel by Geraldine Brooks. Standrewsbcs.org. 822-5176. Covenant Presbyterian Church, 220 Rock Prairie Road in College Station, will host a "Onederful Wednesday" dinner at 5:30 p.m., followed by a program at 6:15 p.m. presented by the Covenant Day School and the Covenant Children's Center. All are welcome; please RSVP for the dinner. 694-7700 or covenantpresbyterian.org. Thursday Saint Andrew's Episcopal Church, 217 W. 26th St. in Downtown Bryan, invites all to a Feast of the Ascension - Holy Eucharist at 12:15 p.m. Standrewsbcs.org. 822-5176. Friday Saint Andrew's Episcopal Church, 217 W. 26th St. in Downtown Bryan, will have First Friday Open Doors from 5 to 8:30 p.m. There will be a guided tour of the church's historic stained glass windows at 6 p.m., and the Jane Long Middle School band will perform in the parking lot at 6:30 p.m. All are welcome. Standrewsbcs.org. 822-5176. A McLennan County woman was arrested Tuesday on one count of bigamy after police say she married a man in May 2014 and married another man 18 months later without getting a divorce. Teresa Jahnke, 46, was arrested on the felony charge after a man Jahnke married in November 2015 discovered she had married another man in May 2014, according to an arrest affidavit submitted by McLennan County Sheriffs Office Detective Joseph Scaramucci. Scaramucci said Jahnke, also known as Teresa Weatherford, was married to both men as of March 2016. The man she married in November filed for divorce by the end of March, according to the affidavit. Jahnke remained in McLennan County Jail on Tuesday. No bond information was available. According to Tribune-Herald records, at least two other local women have been charged with bigamy in recent years, one in 2011 and one in 2012. According to Texas law, bigamy is punishable by up to 5 years in prison. Israel launched air raids Wednesday on the Gaza Strip after a day of tensions along the border of the Palestinian territory whose Islamist rulers warned against an escalation. Air strikes hit around Gaza's derelict international airport near the southern city of Rafah and in nearby farming areas, without causing any casualties, said the territory's Hamas-run interior ministry. Israel's army said its warplanes had hit five sites operated by Hamas. "The (Israel armed forces) will continue to operate in order to protect the civilians of Israel from all Hamas terrorist threats above & beneath ground," spokesman Peter Lerner said on Twitter. The raids followed a bout of violence on the Gaza-Israel border Wednesday, with exchanges of fire that put a 2014 ceasefire agreement to the test. Israeli tanks fired into the Palestinian enclave at least twice, saying it was in response to mortar fire across the border, while the army designated an Israeli border town a closed military zone. A military official said up to five mortar shells in total were fired at Israeli territory, while forces were fired upon near the small border community of Nahal Oz. "In accordance with security assessments, a closed military zone has been established in the area of Nahal Oz," an army statement said. "It means that only the residents of Nahal Oz and the area can enter." Earlier the Israeli army twice confirmed its tanks had fired on targets in Gaza, saying both times it was in response to mortar rounds fired from inside the strip. Palestinian security sources reported tank fire in Al-Tufah in eastern Gaza. There were no reported casualties and no claims of responsibility for the mortar fire. Hamas and Islamic Jihad, another militant Palestinian group, released separate statements warning Israel against any escalation along the border. "Hamas holds the Israeli occupation completely responsible for the escalation east of Gaza and the consequences of it," spokesman Sami Abu Zahri said. "The movement calls on the concerned parties to shoulder their responsibility to stop this aggression and Israeli crimes." Such events put pressure on a ceasefire that has held since Israel's military offensive on Gaza, which ended in summer 2014. Despite Israeli allegations that Hamas is building new tunnels in Gaza that could reach into Israel, the border region has remained relatively quiet since then. The tunnels were cited by Israel as a key cause of the 50-day 2014 Israeli offensive on Gaza, which killed 2,251 Palestinians and 73 Israelis, including 67 soldiers, according to the United Nations. The ceasefire which ended the conflict has been sporadically threatened by rocket fire from Gaza. Most of it has been attributed to fringe Islamist groups challenging Hamas's authority, although Israel holds Hamas responsible for all rocket fire from the territory and routinely responds with attacks on its positions. During a visit to the Gaza border on Tuesday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hailed its calmest period in years, according to comments reported by Israeli media. "We are nearing the end of close to two years since Operation Protective Edge," he said, referring to the 2014 conflict. "These have been the quietest two years we can recall since Hamas came to power." Daniel Nisman, founder of the Levantine analysis group, said the Netanyahu visit could have triggered a reaction. "Maybe for Hamas that lit one fuse too many," he told AFP. *This story was edited by Ahram Online. Search Keywords: Short link: WASHINGTON With his concession speech behind him and his multimillion-dollar presidential campaign already winding down, Ted Cruz will soon return to the U.S. Capitol and the job he was working so hard to transcend: rank-and-file senator. It will likely be a striking re-entry. At times in recent months, Cruz appeared on track to land the nomination. But soon his campaign apparatus will fade away, as will the buses and traveling press corps. And come next week, he will be back to being just one of one hundred. And when he returns to the Senate with two and a half years left in his freshman term, he will enter hostile territory. There is no way around it: The actions he took over the course of his presidential campaign only further frayed Cruz's strained relationships with colleagues. This is the chamber where Cruz made a national name for himself by orchestrating a campaign to shut down the government, a campaign that many of his colleagues pleaded with him to abort. This is the chamber where Cruz once called his party's highest-ranking member, Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, a liar on the Senate floor. And this is the chamber where Cruz has an unusually disconnected relationship with his home state's other senator, John Cornyn, who said just last week that Cruz "came here to run for president." The moment most pregnant with drama will be when Cruz attends his first weekly lunch meeting with his fellow Republican senators. Since the outset of his Senate term, those closed-door gatherings have been the setting of the peak drama involving him. Now the room will be filled with the very people he spent the past year tarring as "the Washington Cartel." And their leader will continue to be McConnell, a man who, by all appearances, utterly despises Cruz. How will these senators react to his return? People will applaud because theyre glad [the Cruz presidential campaign] is over, said a Republican operative with ties to leadership. He spoke in jest, to be sure. But the comment was all the more striking given the panic settling into GOP circles once it was clear Tuesday night that Donald Trump will be the party standard bearer in the fall. Upon his return, Texas' junior senator could continue his role as the upper chamber's bomb thrower, or he could adjust his approach to work better with the leadership. It's a decision that may weigh on Cruz over the next few days: The Senate is currently on a home-state work period and won't get back to work until next week. So, how does he serve effectively? Several GOP operatives suggested to the Tribune that Cruz ought to zero in on a few specific issues he has long supported a flat tax, a balanced budget amendment and thereby make his legislative name in promoting conservative policies. But it is practically impossible to pass anything in the Senate without the support of other senators. Only three senators Cory Gardner of Colorado, Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and Mike Lee of Utah endorsed Cruz, even as Trump sent shudders through much of the Republican Party as all other viable contenders dropped off. Many senators remain reluctant to work with Cruz, Senate sources say, because they flat-out do not trust him. Repeatedly, a point of anxiety mentioned is how he handled a Pacific Rim trade deal last year. First, he backed the proposal via a Wall Street Journal op-ed he wrote with future House Speaker Paul Ryan. Two months later, he pulled his support on the morning of the Senate vote. One GOP consultant pointed to another former Republican second-place finisher as an example Cruz could emulate: U.S. Sen. John McCain of Arizona. Back in 2000, McCain was the anti-establishment firebrand in his presidential campaign against then-Texas Gov. George W. Bush. On the outs after losing the party's nomination to Bush, McCain spent the following years repairing his relationship with the president. Those efforts paid off in 2008 when he won the party's nomination. Falling in line with the GOP nominee, however, is not a calculation that will improve Cruz's relationships in the Senate. Trump's temperament and his record of incendiary comments terrify Republicans across the country. They are left with four options, none of which leave Republicans encouraged: supporting Trump, declining to vote in the presidential election, voting for a third-party candidate or supporting the likely Democratic nominee, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, herself a reviled figure within the conservative world. Furthermore, the McCain model is built on the notion that Cruz will run again in 2020 a notion that every Republican interviewed by the Tribune for this story predicted he will do. Cruzs political idol, Ronald Reagan, made a failed bid for the presidency in 1976, only to win in 1980. But first, he is up for re-election in 2018. The conventional wisdom at this point is that Cruz will run for another six-year term. It is hard to see how anyone ousts him in his home state. Texas shows few signs that it will be an opportunity for a Democratic pickup in a general election, and Cruz ran the table in nearly every corner of the state during his party's presidential primary on March 1. Im not worried about him in a primary or the general, said Texas GOP consultant Brendan Steinhauser. In terms of political skills and organization and his email and the fundraising lists hes built nationally, hes got a powerful machine in Texas going forward. A second term could prove appealing to Cruz. Most obviously, it is hard to run for president as an out-of-office candidate. Former Texas Gov. Rick Perry struggled to raise money for his second presidential bid without the leverage of the Governor's Mansion. The Senate also gives Cruz a platform to play a foil to a potential Clinton or Trump presidency. Maybe he gets another shot, Steinhauser said. He needs to focus on being a senator, and he comes back after four years of Hillary or four years of Trump. This article originally appeared in The Texas Tribune at http://www.texastribune.org/2016/05/03/how-does-ted-cruz-return-senate/. In the aftermath of Donald Trump's victory on Tuesday night, other columnists may look forward, to the heat death of the Republican Party and the triumphant ascent of Hillary Clinton to the position of least popular Democratic president since Jimmy Carter. But I'd like to take a moment to remember the folks who have brought us to this strange pass -- the four horsemen of the Republican apocalypse, if you will. We would not be in this situation if Republican primary voters had mostly rationally tried to pursue two goals: 1) nominate someone as conservative as possible and 2) win the general election. The field would have consolidated around Marco Rubio, and Democrats would now be anxious rather than openly celebrating the nomination of a no-hoper. That's usually the outcome we see in both parties: the field consolidates around the most ideologically congenial candidate who is capable of winning a general election. Why didn't that happen? Blame the four horsemen. --Donald Trump. There are any number of explanations for what Trump is bringing out in the electorate. But the most compelling explanation also, curiously, gets the shortest shrift: He's a celebrity candidate, and celebrity candidates break election models. Jesse Ventura in Minnesota, Arnold Schwarzenegger in California: these people bring out folks who don't normally vote. In a low-turnout election, or a badly divided field, that's enough to turn things in their favor. Celebrity candidate voters aren't normal voters. Normal voters care more about policy than normal non-voters, care more about party identification, care more about ideology. Simply trying to transfer analysis of normal voters over onto the new people that celebrity candidates bring out to the polls doesn't work very well, because you're searching madly for clues to things that aren't really there. This is why such candidates often surprise political scientists by winning. --Jeb Bush. I have nothing against Bush as a man or a governor. But his decision to run for president in this cycle has to rank as one of the stupidest political bids of all time, simply because his last name is toxic. His brother left office after an unpopular war and an even more unpopular economic crisis, with an approval rating of 35 percent. Why on Earth would anyone think that he had any chance at the nomination? Even if his brother's presidency had ended better, it would have been folly, simply because voters don't like the idea that they get to have only Republican presidents named Bush. Yet somehow, Jeb Bush not only threw his hat in the ring but also managed to convince Republican donors to come along for the ride. To Bush, I am sympathetic. His brother gets unfair blame for things that are not really his fault, and it can be hard to see yourself, or your family, with the crystal clarity of an outsider. The Republican donors have no such excuse. These folks suddenly and for no apparent reason decided that it would be a great idea to donate a hundred million dollars to the cause of running a completely hopeless establishment candidate. And as soon as it became clear he couldn't win, they incinerated the remainder of the bundle taking down Rubio, the only candidate who could plausibly unite enough of the party's factions to stop Trump at the voting booth. When those donors are sitting in their living rooms, wondering how on earth their beloved party has come to this pass, I invite them to get up and take a long look in the nearest mirror. --Chris Christie. He should never have stayed in the race as long as he did. I think he was a pretty good governor of New Jersey and, at one point, a plausible presidential candidate. But well before New Hampshire, it was clear that the rest of the electorate did not agree, and it was time to drop out. But as mentioned above, I do understand that it can be hard to see these things with perfect clarity when it's your candidacy, your dreams on the line. So now we must address Christie's somewhat odd decision, when the hopelessness of his cause became clear even to him, to use the remainder of his candidacy to help destroy Rubio, the aforementioned only candidate who could plausibly unite enough of the party's disparate factions to stop Trump. That decision started looking less crazy when Christie dropped out and actually endorsed Trump. Only now we have to deal with the fact that a sitting governor burned immense political capital and tanked his own approval rating to endorse a man whose policy knowledge was oftentimes negative (consisting of more wrong "facts" than right ones) and who was prone to pro political moves like making fun of POWs and the handicapped.Getting Christie's endorsement helped Trump enormously at a time when he needed it. But it hurt the rest of the party, including Christie. In the annals of politics, this may go down as one of the strangest decisions of all time. --John Kasich. I have but two questions for the Kasich campaign: "What color is the sky on your planet?" and "On your visit to Earth, why haven't you bothered to get out and meet some actual human beings?" Kasich was never going to be president, primarily because he is not a particularly compelling candidate, lacking charm or a strong political base. This is why he was forced to fall back on selling himself as the least conservative guy on the debate stage -- a really terrible selling point in a Republican primary, which should have been obvious to his campaign long before the polls confirmed it. What puzzles is his decision to stay in, splitting the establishment vote so that Trump could become the nominee. None of the stories his campaign told ever made the least bit of sense. The party would consolidate around him -- ummm-hmmm. Then he was gunning for a brokered convention, in which his party, out of exquisite gratefulness for his role in siphoning off just barely enough suburban voters to ensure that the non-Trump vote never consolidated around anyone else would, um, hand him the nomination. Or make him vice president. Or do something other than smuggle rotten fruit through convention security in order to pelt him with it if he dared to show his face on stage. And why aren't Ted Cruz and Rubio ranked as the fifth and sixth horsemen? Certainly Cruz is a charmless candidate with little hope of winning outside the Bible Belt, and Rubio is a charming politician who failed to win many primaries, and shot himself in the foot making jokes about the size of Trump's hands. But both of them behaved basically rationally throughout this campaign. Cruz executed by far the most masterful campaign this cycle, hoped that this would be enough to give him a chance outside the Bible Belt, and dropped out this week when it became clear things were hopeless. Rubio was a good politician facing impossible odds, as a series of completely irrational decisions by Bush, Christie and Kasich battered him, then siphoned off just enough of his voters to make it impossible to consolidate a lead. He made a Hail Mary pass by attacking Trump on Trump's own terms, and it didn't work. And as soon as it became clear that it hadn't, he left the race. If everyone else had been behaving as rationally as these two, I suspect we would not be now looking forward to another six months of Donald Trump speeches. And perhaps then another four years of same. Although the EU Commission has created a reformed version of this system in CETA, all the most notorious cases we cite would still be a problem under this 'new' system. So CETA is effectively a backdoor to TTIP, with any US corporation operating in Canada able to exploit its provisions to sue EU governments should they take decisions that may impact on expected profit margins. In June the EU Council will see European governments come together to ratify CETA. Although final government approval is expected in September, the June meeting is the last chance for European governments to raise serious objections. It will then go to the EU parliament, where we expect a vote next January or February. One problem with EU trade deals is that they can come into effect even without a vote in member parliaments. Under something known as 'provisional implementation', the European Commission could bring CETA into effect before national parliaments have had the chance to debate - and reject - an international treaty. This includes the now infamous corporate court system. In other words, a corporate case could be brought against the British government before Parliament has even ratified CETA. In fact, even if the British parliament voted CETA down, the corporate court system would still stay in effect for three years! The June meeting is the last chance governments have to block these processes. Although we didn't expect to win any victories at the Council, that's all changed. First up, Romania, in dispute with Canada over visa issues, has threatened to veto CETA at the June meeting. Next, the Walloon parliament voted a critical motion on CETA that could tie the hands of the Belgian government and force it's abstention. The Dutch parliament also voted last week in support of a non-binding motion to reject provisional implementation. The Netherlands might yet hold a referendum on CETA too. With TTIP on its knees, we need to double our efforts to prevent this similarly toxic deal from being ushered in through the back door. With the EU referendum approaching, is David Cameron really going to attend an EU meeting and support the idea that CETA come into effect without a parliamentary vote? We have two months to convince him that that's a terrible idea. It's not EU versus US - it's corporations versus people There is a danger, however, in framing TTIP as a battle between the squabbling components of the EU and the US. What is now clear is the sheer scale of opposition to 'free trade' deals in the US. All leading presidential candidates have expressed some opposition to the current free trade agenda, with even free trader Hillary Clinton saying she's deeply uneasy. A new opinion poll shows only 18% of Americans support TTIP, down from 53% in 2014. This matters because Obama only has eight months left in office and it seems unlikely that substantial progress will be made in that time. After that, the future is anyone's guess. That's a key reason Obama came to Germany last week - to speed things up. But the US President was met by tens of thousands of protestors in Hannover - making clear that in Europe too, TTIP is toxic. The same opinion poll already quoted found 17% of Germans support TTIP - down from 55% two years ago. TTIP campaigning is reporting to have accelerated substantially in France, and it's growing as an issue throughout Europe. The truth is that TTIP and CETA are essentially means for the corporate world to impose its agenda on the rest of society. Negotiators on both sides are doing the bidding of a highly effective and well-resourced corporate lobby. What now has TTIP and CETA in trouble is the continent-wide resistance of ordinary people in both Europe and North America. It is this transatlantic movement of peoples that can - and we believe will - defeat both of these toxic trade deals. Action: Tell David Cameron that at the Council of Europe meeting in June, he must insist that the UK gets the chance to decide on toxic trade deals before they are implemented. Guy Taylor is trade campaigner for Global Justice Now. Nick Dearden is Director of Global Justice Now. This article combines two original articles published by Global Justice Now. In early February the Government announced an independent review into the potential for tidal lagoon energy. This could be exciting, because the potential is large. But it could also be damaging, if used as a delaying tactic. Government has stated that negotiations on Swansea will run on in parallel. This is essential, because potential investors must not be deterred. The Wildfowl and Wetland Trust supports the Swansea tidal lagoon. "WWT has long considered that the opportunities presented by the nation's tidal resources should be explored as one of a suite of other options for low carbon energy production", says its Conservation Director, Dr Debbie Pain. "We also think that priority should be given to projects that can be delivered without significantly and irreversibly damaging the natural environment. This is why we were against a Severn Barrage, and also why ... we wrote a broadly supportive letter about the Swansea Bay lagoon planning application. "If this lagoon goes ahead, it will tell us a great deal not only about how this technology can be used to produce low carbon energy, but also about how to manage and reduce the environmental impacts of tidal lagoons." Lagoons will, of course, have some environmental impact. Any form of electricity generation has some environmental impact. The company is obliged under the Habitats Directive to implement measures to minimise disruption during construction and to provide compensatory habitats to replace designated features. But Tidal Lagoon Power proposes to go further - not only to replace lost habitat but to improve environmental conditions. It is engaging with a range of conservation groups in order identify opportunities to work together on this. And the company is prepared to give substantial funding to this. 8% of the UK's power could come from tidal lagoons Modern society uses a lot of electricity. Much more can and should be done on energy efficiency. But if we are to control climate change - the greatest threat to conservation and biodiversity as well as to humans - much more heating and transport will have to be electric rather than from gas or oil. So more generating capacity will be required. In the UK, not enough is being built. Indeed, it is not even certain that there is enough electricity generation capacity to meet existing demand. Energy and Climate Secretary Amber Rudd got deserved praise when she said that UK coal generation would end by 2025. But she also said that this would only happen if it was consistent with energy security. Stories of the lights going out - every politician's nightmare - now appear quite regularly in the tabloids. If there is not sufficient alternative capacity installed, the UK will keep the coal fires burning. Tidal Lagoon Power is considering schemes that would generate 8% of UK electricity (which, for comparison, is more than would be generated by Hinkley Point C). Each scheme will have different environmental impacts, all of which will need to be carefully assessed. The Environmental Impact Assessment for Swansea has been completed, though the actual impact will need to be monitored if it is built. An Environmental Impact Assessment for Cardiff is being done. The company does not expect conservationists to give it a blank cheque and say that all lagoons should be supported. What is needed now is simply support for Swansea. If Swansea is built, other options can then be assessed and discussed. If Swansea is not built, no other lagoons will be built and the UK will carry on burning coal. Now, talking about manifesto commitments ... The Energy Bill currently being considered by Parliament - it has just passed through the Lords and is about to return the Commons - will end subsidies to onshore wind. This is, in my view, not a sensible policy, as onshore wind is the cheapest renewable energy source in the UK. But the Tories point out that their manifesto promised to end subsidies to onshore wind, so they have a democratic mandate. We should remind them that their manifesto also promised to support Swansea Bay tidal lagoon! They are implementing their negative mandate by halting the expansion of onshore wind. They must implement their positive mandate too. With the Bill now due to return to the Commons, it's time for MPs to amend the text with enabling clauses for the Swansea Bay lagoon - and shame the government into keeping its pre-election promises. The first parliamentary committee on electricity from the Severn sat nine decades ago. Nothing has yet been done. Even by the standards of British bureaucracy, that is slow progress. There are other technologies worth exploring for the Severn Estuary, such as sea fences. But they must not be used to delay the Swansea lagoon. Now is the time for David Cameron and George Osborne to catch the tide. Stephen Tindale (@STindale) is a climate and energy consultant. However, unlike the definitive justice that the Hillsborough families have finally received, the justice for rural residents was only short-lived, as following very heavy lobbying on the Government from the pesticides industry and big farming unions the Government appealed against the High Court Judgment in my favour. That High Court ruling - that had found the Government was in breach of both EU law and Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights - clearly had massive legal and political implications on the Government involving issues of responsibility, accountability and liability, especially in relation to the many individuals and families living near crop fields who have suffered adverse health effects from crop spraying. Furthermore, it was reported in the press at the time that the Government maintained that if the High Court Judgment stood then the "Government's pesticide policy would be fundamentally undermined" and that the policy and approvals system "might even grind to a halt." [1] The Government no doubt would also have been mindful that, in addition, it would have cost the Government many millions not only in relation to lost income from the pesticide industry to the regulators, the CRD (who were the acting defendants in the legal case on behalf of the Government), but also in the threat of any potential legal action against the Government by the industry if new product approvals were no longer able to be granted, and/or if pesticides the Government had previously approved and that were subject to long approvals were no longer able to be used. Therefore there was no doubt that the Government wanted the landmark High Court ruling overturned no matter what. And low and behold it was overturned in the Court of Appeal a mere eight months later in July 2009, but only as a result of very wrongly and bizarrely ignoring all my critical evidence and arguments and substituting it with the conclusions of a Government requested/funded report four years earlier in 2005. A deliberate cover up? Yet in reviewing a High Court judgment the Court of Appeal would have needed to have based its judgment on the same cogent case, detailed factual evidence and arguments that led to that landmark victory in the High Court, but it clearly did not. The Court of Appeal Judgment was a complete whitewash and I said at the time it came out and will reiterate it again, the Government could not have wished for a better result than if it wrote the Judgment itself! In fact it was clear to a number of those who attended the Court of Appeal hearing in May 2009 that the Judges came in with a pre-formed view, and did not display any genuine interest in the case, evidence and arguments presented by my side. But why did they come in with a pre-formed view? Was it indeed, as I always believed it to be, just part of the cover up? Listening to the various statements being made last week by those involved in fighting for justice for the Hillsborough victims and how the cover up went right to the heart of the judicial system in this country then I am even further convinced that some sort of 'arrangement' was made to ensure my historic victory was quashed. The Supreme Court subsequently refused permission to appeal. This was always highly questionable considering how bizarre and inaccurate the Court of Appeal Judgment was - as anyone who reads my six Witness Statements will see that it simply was not based on the cogent factual evidence and arguments I had presented, and that were in full support of the legal arguments involved in my case. Human rights? You must be joking I then tried to take the case to the European Court of Human Rights but it was simply not interested in the plight of residents and turned its back, just as it had done on one of the Hillsborough family's when they had applied seeking justice in their case. The Strasbourg Court had decided in October 2012 - nearly two and a half years after I had lodged my detailed 1785 page application - not to even consider the merits of the residents case and refused to give any reasons as to why. I then discovered that this was in clear breach of Article 45 of the European Convention on Human Rights that states: "Reasons shall be given for judgments as well as for decisions declaring applications admissible or inadmissible." Hillsborough families QC Michael Mansfield, who is a supporter of my campaign, said to me in an email at the time that a decision without any reasons given for inadmissibility was "extraordinary" and advised me to "press hard for these." I did pursue the reasons - especially considering that crucially all the admissibility criteria had definitely been met - but over a year later and still with no explanation given to substantiate the court's decision then I had to give up and walk away as dealing with that court was a nightmare in itself, and due to the very structure of it there was simply no one of any higher authority to go to regarding what happened. In fact I have never admitted this in public before but my experiences with that wholly unaccountable court led me to initially consider ending it all, as I was left feeling even lower in life's rankings than axe murderers, terror suspects, rapists, paedophiles and other criminals that the Strasbourg court often rules in favour of. It seems the words 'human rights' have become synonymous with criminals rights and not those of the victims of crime or in this case of a flawed Government policy. Fighting back However, just like the Hillsborough families had done each time one door was slammed shut on their case, I was determined to fight on and so soon bounced back. Indeed at the end of 2013 a review of the policy on pesticides that DEFRA Ministers had requested as a direct result of the original landmark ruling in the High Court led to the Government finally acknowledging that the risk assessment approach relied upon to date had been inadequate, as it publicly committed to various changes to the policy and approach for assessing the risks to people from agricultural pesticides. Yet, despite again vindicating the crux of my critical campaign arguments (that residents are simply not covered by the existing short term bystander model), overall the changes Ministers committed to were still woefully inadequate. In any event, 2 years on and the Government still does not appear to have implemented the changes it previously committed to do. In fact, in relation to one of the key changes that Ministers committed to undertaking - that both acute and longer-term exposure assessments will be required for residents - DEFRA has recently stated it will not be expecting applicant companies to undertake any assessment for acute exposure. [2] It is therefore a matter of fact that there is still no actual risk assessment for the real life exposure of rural residents who live in the locality of sprayed fields (however much DEFRA may try and insist there is), as the Government's current approach continues to exclude entirely many of the exposure factors and routes that are necessary to include in the calculations for a residents specific exposure scenario. Yet no pesticides should ever have been approved for use in the first place in the absence of all the necessary risks assessments being undertaken, as the relevant legislation is clear in that it must be established before a pesticide can be approved for use that there will be no immediate or delayed harmful effect on human health. Facts and data ignored in favour of unevidenced industry assertions The actual facts, evidence, and data of the reality of residents exposure, direct from residents themselves, has continued to be sidelined by regulators in favour of the unevidenced assertions of the manufacturers and producers of pesticides as to what they maintain the exposure of residents involves! Yet the primary concern of the pesticides industry has always clearly been to protect the sales of their products and related profits and to keep such pesticides being used. Pesticides are obviously very big business. Sales of pesticides in the UK alone each year is around 627 million [3] and reports have put the value of the world pesticides industry at around a staggering $53 billion. Therefore it has never been in the interests of the pesticide corporations to have the real life exposure of rural residents and communities properly recognised, as it is absolutely clear that if a proper assessment was undertaken to assess the exposure and risk for residents, then the result would be that pesticides would simply not be allowed to be approved at all for use in the locality of residents' homes, as well as schools, children's playgrounds etc. There is also a striking and astonishing fact related to the continued reliance of the regulators on the unevidenced assertions of the pesticides industry - in that the Chemicals Regulation Directorate (CRD) which is part of the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), receives approximately 60% of its funding from the agro-chemical industry. This is broken down into the fees charged to manufacturers for applications, and a charge on the UK turnover of pesticide companies. [4] This results in the CRD receiving around 7 million or more per year from the industry. This has always been a completely inappropriate structure. Therefore, even though CRD's main priority is supposed to be to protect public health and the environment from pesticides, this absolutely conflicts with the fact that its main customers/clients are the big agro-chemical giants. This may go some way to explaining why the CRD has always, very notably, been far more concerned with the protection of industry and business interests, particularly applicants for approval, rather than the protection of the public, especially residents. CRD and pesticides industry behind latest outrageous EU proposal In fact, the CRD, along with representatives of the pesticides industry, appear to be behind the astonishing proposal currently being considered in Europe - in a EC draft Technical Guidance [5] - to interpret pesticides being applied in "closed systems" and "in other conditions excluding contact with humans" as being applicable to the outdoor use of pesticides from crop spraying applications on fields in the open air. This is in order for the exposure of residents to then be deemed so low and insignificant that it is included within the context of the term"negligible exposure." This is yet again outrageous, especially considering that EU law already recognises that the exposure for residents living in the locality of pesticide sprayed fields is high, as residents are now specifically defined as a "vulnerable group" in Article 3, paragraph 14, of the EU Regulation 1107/2009, which clearly recognises and clearly states that residents are "subject to high pesticide exposure over the long term." Thus what is currently being considered in Europe is again not in line with existing EU laws, in which residents exposure cannot possibly be considered as "negligible". My campaign is battling hard in Europe to try and get these proposals scrapped. A catalogue of adverse health impacts It is now beyond dispute that pesticides can cause a wide range of both acute, and chronic, adverse effects on human health. This includes irreversible and permanent chronic effects, illnesses and diseases. High quality, peer-reviewed scientific studies and reviews have concluded that long-term exposure to pesticides can disturb the function of different systems in the body, including nervous, endocrine, immune, reproductive, renal, cardiovascular, and respiratory systems. Such studies have concluded that exposure to pesticides is associated with a wide range of chronic diseases including, cancers of the breast, prostate, lung, brain (including childhood brain cancer), kidney, testicles, pancreas, oesophagus, stomach, bladder, bone, as well as non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, multiple myeloma, soft tissue sarcoma, leukaemia, (including childhood leukaemia). Other chronic health impacts that pesticides have been associated with in studies include, birth defects, reproductive disorders, neuro degenerative diseases (including Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)), cardio-vascular diseases, respiratory diseases, diabetes, chronic renal diseases, and autoimmune diseases (such as rheumatoid arthritis, and systemic lupus erythematous). Such findings add further support and vindication to the many residents who have continued to raise concerns over the association of pesticides and such chronic conditions. The most common chronic long-term effects, illnesses and diseases reported to my campaign from residents living in the locality of crop sprayed fields include neurological conditions such as Parkinson's disease, Motor Neurone Disease, and neurological damage, as well as various cancers, especially those of the breast and brain, leukaemia, non-Hodgkins lymphoma, amongst many other chronic conditions. The economic costs of the health conditions that pesticides can cause are massive. Obviously it goes without saying that the personal and human costs to those suffering chronic diseases and damage, and the impacts on all those around them, cannot be calculated in financial terms. I myself have also known a number of residents lose their lives, or the lives of their husbands or wives, sons or daughters. It has been heart breaking to watch this happening, especially knowing that if pesticides were not sprayed in the locality of residents' homes then such health conditions would have been totally preventable. Real effects, real people Take Douglas Lee, for example. Douglas and his family lived in the locality of pesticide sprayed fields. Douglas lost his son to leukaemia and had also previously recorded three other cases of leukaemia, seven cases of cancer and six neurological diseases from just 50 properties in his area. In addition, he reported that several dogs which walked through fields shortly after crop spraying had died from cancer, and that entire ponds of fish had also died following spraying. Douglas himself subsequently succumbed to cancer a few years ago. I spoke to him two weeks before he died and he asked me to use his name and to carry on campaigning on behalf of all those affected. Mrs Lee lost both her husband and her son. There is also the tragic case of Keren Robbins. She was subjected to years of pesticide spraying in the locality of her home, while suffering from both a neurological condition, and Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS). Keren was left feeling so powerless to stop the chemical onslaught that, after a spraying application in 2009 in which she suffered further adverse effects on her health, she took her own life by jumping in front of a train. Her husband was left utterly devastated at the loss of his wife. Millions of rural citizens have been put in a massive guinea pig-style experiment, for which many of us residents have had to suffer the serious, devastating - and in some cases fatal - consequences. There are so many horrific stories of people being poisoned from crop spraying in the locality of their homes and many involve children. Despite this - and despite the fact the primary duty of any Government is supposed to be to protect its people - successive Governments' have continued to fail to act to secure the protection of rural residents from exposure to these harmful chemicals. They have instead just continued to shift the goalposts, cherry picked the science to suit the desired outcome (of maintaining the status quo wherever possible), and misled the public over the safety of crop pesticides sprayed on UK fields - as there has never been any evidence of safety for residents, or children attending schools near sprayed fields, just successive Governments' own unfounded assertions. Disgraceful 'Honour' for failing to protect people from poisons The most recent outrageous development in relation to this issue has been the disgraceful MBE awarded to a Government official, Paul Hamey, who has been at the very heart of the long standing and catastrophic failure to protect rural residents from exposure to the cocktails of poisons sprayed on crops across the UK. Mr. Hamey was the official that represented the Government in the legal proceedings and wrote/produced the majority of the Witness Statements on its behalf. The fact that he was given the responsibility of representing in the UK courts the policy approach taken by DEFRA - and in doing so he was really defending his own work, as the official in charge of human exposure and risk assessment - only further demonstrated the influence he has on the policy decisions taken by DEFRA. Therefore awarding him an MBE just adds further insult to injury to all those affected from the lack of duty of care in protecting people in rural areas and it goes way beyond rewarding for failure. This is rewarding someone directly involved with one of the biggest public health scandals of our time, and which can only be described as a national disgrace. It would actually be akin to an MBE or other such honour being given to David Duckenfield who was the senior police officer and match commander during the fateful match at Hillsborough on 15th April 1989 and who has now been held fully responsible by the inquest jury due to a clear breach of his duty of care. Following an objection I made regarding Paul Hamey's MBE I was assured by the Cabinet Office that there would now be an "assessment". [6] However, it is ludicrously being assessed by the same Government department that nominated him to receive the honour in the first place! So what are the chances of it being revoked? Not much. Truth and Justice Following the Hillsborough verdict the Home Secretary, Theresa May, said in a statement in the House of Commons that the Hillsborough families have faced "hostility and obfuscation. And the authorities that should have been trusted have laid blame and tried to protect themselves instead of acting in the public interest.....But the families have never faltered in their pursuit of the truth." One of the leading campaigners of the Hillsborough families, Trevor Hicks, said following the jury's verdict, "I think if anyone is a winner today, it's society at large in that, no matter who you are, how big you are, or where you are in your organisation, the public will come after you if you do anything wrong." The long fought justice for the Hillsborough families gives heart to all of us fighting for the truth and justice of an appalling scandal that has destroyed human lives. It is now very long overdue for other such scandals and cover ups to be fully recognised and acted on. Many rural residents are waiting for the day we get a Hillsborough-style victory for the 'double injustice' we have endured from: firstly being poisoned by the Government's very own policy; and then having to fight for years for recognition of the damage caused and for the necessary protection to prevent other families suffering the same. Despite all the great difficulties involved with continuing to campaign, including the many obstacles presented by the 'agents of self-interest' - regulators, politicians, the big business players of the pesticide industry and farming unions, and even state and EU funded charities and NGOs - I shall carry on doing my best to get that result. Georgina Downs is a journalist and campaigner. She has lived next to regularly sprayed crop fields for more than 30 years and runs the UK Pesticides Campaign. This article was originally published on CounterPunch. References 1. These quotes appeared in various articles in the UK in May 2009, including Farmers Weekly. 2. As stated by David Williams from DEFRA in an email dated 20th September 2015, and again in an email from Adrian Dixon, Head of Policy, CRD, on 15th January 2016. 3. Taken from an email from the finance department of the Chemicals Regulation Directorate (CRD) on 25th September 2012 confirming this figure. 4. Source: paragraph 3.1 of a 2011 DEFRA document. 5. European Commission draft Technical Guidance on points 3.6.3. to 3.6.5 of Annex II to Regulation (EC) No 1107/2009, in particular regarding the demonstration of negligible exposure to an active substance in a plant protection product under realistic conditions of use. The latest draft is November 2015 which is unpublished. 6. As stated in a letter dated 14th. March 2016 from the Honours Diversity and Outreach Co-ordinator at the Cabinet Office. Brazil's top prosecutor has asked the Supreme Court to open a probe into alleged obstruction of justice by President Dilma Rousseff, Brazilian media reported, in a potentially explosive twist to the country's political crisis. According to reports in the Globo, Folha de Sao Paulo and Estadao dailies, chief prosecutor Rodrigo Janot has requested authority to open an investigation into the embattled president and also her predecessor and key political ally Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. Officials could not immediately be reached to confirm the reports, published Tuesday. But if confirmed, the probe into Rousseff would be on top of a separate investigation that Janot earlier Tuesday asked the Supreme Court to open against Lula and three of Rousseff's ministers in relation to corruption at the state oil giant Petrobras. Rousseff -- who could face the start of an impeachment trial on separate charges as early as next week -- allegedly colluded with Lula to obstruct a judge leading a huge investigation into corruption at Petrobras by top politicians and executives, Janot was quoted as stating. Rousseff's current attorney general, Jose Eduardo Cardozo, is also implicated. At issue is an attempt by Rousseff to name Lula, who retains broad influence despite having left office, to a post in her government. Rousseff said she wanted him to lead her defense against impeachment. But prosecutors, who wire-tapped the president's phone conversation with Lula, said the appointment aimed to obtain ministerial immunity for the ex-president. Lula, who is fighting corruption charges related to the Petrobras scheme, risks being prosecuted by the main investigating team led by Judge Sergio Moro. However, if he were in the government, he would gain limited immunity, with only the Supreme Court able to handle his case. The Supreme Court is now preparing to rule on whether he can take his post. Janot's filing, if confirmed, would ramp up pressure on Lula and Rousseff. Prosecutors looking into the controversy have decided that Lula's nomination was part of a "scenario" involving several attempts to obstruct Moro's investigation into the Petrobras scheme, Estadao newspaper reported. Rousseff is separately accused in Congress of having illegally manipulated government budget accounts and could be suspended from office next week by the Senate so a trial can get underway. A lower court, headed by a judge in the town of Curitiba, has been leading the Petrobras probe, uncovering what is believed to be Brazil's biggest ever corruption scandal, featuring a network of politicians who took bribes to facilitate inflated Petrobras contracts for crooked construction companies and others. But criminal cases involving government ministers and other high-ranking officials are handled exclusively by the Supreme Court. The latest target list included Lula, Rouseff's chief of staff Jacques Wagner, Political Affairs Minister Ricardo Berzoini and Social Communications Minister Edinho Silva. It also names opponents of Rousseff, notably the speaker of the lower house of Congress, Eduardo Cunha, who is from the PMDB and has spearheaded the impeachment proceedings against the president. Senator Jader Barbalho from the PMDB was also on the list. But the main focus was on Lula, the founder of Rousseff's leftist Workers' Party, her main mentor and a hopeful to replace her by returning to power in 2018 elections. Lula is already facing charges in a separate case related to the Petrobras scandal, but the latest move seeks to draw him and the other high-profile politicians directly into the central probe focused on the corruption scheme. "The request aims to include them in the main inquiry which is into a criminal organization," a spokesman for the Supreme Court told AFP in Brasilia. Janot was quoted as saying by Folha newspaper that the vast Petrobras scheme "could never have functioned for so many years and in such a broad and aggressive form under the federal government without participation of ex-president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva." Search Keywords: Short link: Connie Marsh has a great appreciation for all things that fly. She has lived in this area since 1975, but she spent her earlier years living in the north -- Pennsylvania, New York, and New Jersey. When Marsh was 19 years old, she had the opportunity to ride in a Piper Cup plane. She took her sister, who was 10 at the time, and she experienced her first plane ride with her sister in her lap. It was a wonderful experience. I had built and flown model airplanes, so I decided Id try a real one. She attended Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, N.Y., where she received a Bachelor of Science degree in industrial design. It was during the summer break of her junior and senior semesters that she trained and received her pilots license. Soon after, she purchased a WW2 trainer plane, and began hanging around a dirt-strip airport in New Jersey. She and others would fly their planes together there. She learned tricks, such as flying the plane in loops and other aerobatic stunts. Marsh became skilled in operating her plane, and she was also skilled in properly maintaining the mechanics of the plane. She wanted to compete in the air races; however, women were not allowed to compete in the United States. She didnt let that stop her, however. She simply crossed the border and competed in air races in Quebec, Canada, where women pilots were treated as equals in competition. Marsh worked for several years in Washington, D.C., in product design for an exhibit graphic art company. Working in D.C. was a hoot! I had a great time there. I met lots of interesting people, she said. In 1970, she began building a biplane from scratch. This project took her five years to complete because she worked a full time job and was only able to work on the plane in the evenings and on the weekends. When she finished building the plane, she flew it all over the eastern United States. I flew it mainly east of the Mississippi -- from Quebec down to Miami and all the places in between, she said. One of her favorite places to land was in Osh Cosh, Wisconsin for an annual Experimental Aircraft Association convention every summer. The Smithsonian Institute in D.C. reached out to her and asked if they could put her home-built plane on display inside the museum. Her plane stayed on display for several months. In 1975, she moved to Smith Mountain Lake and has remained in the area ever since. She last flew in the early 1980s. Its gotten to be too expensive, she said. These days Connie Marsh has a new passion. Since aviation became too expensive for me, I began raising show pigeons. I take my pigeons to shows, which are like the dog shows that everyone is familiar with, she said. Her pigeons have won multiple awards. She also displays her pigeons each year at the Virginia State Fair in Richmond. I always liked birds, she said. Things that fly are kind of cool. She also spends her time tending her antique booth at Antiques and Collectibles in Rocky Mount. She enjoys selling antiques and repairing antiques for others. SHARE By Tom Loftus, USA TODAY NETWORK Louisville Courier-Journal Attorney General Andy Beshear said Wednesday he will file state criminal charges against his former top deputy Tim Longmeyer, who last month pleaded guilty to a federal bribery charge. "Last week my office started gathering information to prepare to charge Tim Longmeyer with state crimes," Beshear said at an impromptu news conference following an unrelated hearing in the civil lawsuit challenging Gov. Matt Bevin's cuts to higher education funding in the current budget. "There is no question that the crimes that he has pled guilty to on the federal level mean that he has broken state law." Beshear said, "The Office of Attorney General does not tolerate corruption and we do our job. We're going to charge anyone across the commonwealth who engages in corruption regardless of where they live or work, even if they used to work right down the hall." Beshear was responding to new information about the case against Longmeyer that was revealed in court documents obtained Tuesday by the Lexington Herald-Leader. Longmeyer, of Louisville, was active in Democratic Party politics for many years and served as Personnel Cabinet Secretary under Gov. Steve Beshear, Andy Beshear's father. And after Andy Beshear won election as attorney general last November, he hired Longmeyer as deputy attorney general. Longmeyer resigned that post in March, just days before the bribery charge against him filed by the United States Attorney's Office in Lexington. He has pleaded guilty to the charge and is scheduled to be sentenced in August. The charge against Longmeyer alleges that while he was state Personnel Cabinet secretary he ran a scheme to arrange for the two companies that managed the public employee health insurance plan to hire a consulting firm to conduct focus groups and telephone surveys for the health plan. The consulting firm, which the Courier-Journal first identified as MC Squared, of Lexington, then allegedly kicked back about $200,000 to Longmeyer in cash and about $6,000 in illegal campaign donations. The court documents obtained by the Lexington Herald-Leader say that Andy Beshear's campaign received three illegal contributions of $1,000 each and that the unsuccessful Democratic gubernatorial candidate Jack Conway got two $1,000 illegal donations. The newspaper also reported that the court documents show Longmeyer also helped arrange work for MC Squared from the Beshear campaign and that Longmeyer promised more work for MC Squared from his new job at the Attorney General's Office. Andy Beshear told reporters Tuesday, "The U.S. Attorney and the FBI have been absolutely clear on multiple occasions that there was no wrongdoing by me, the office of the attorney general, or any campaign including mine." But he also said, "Both I and the commonwealth are, and should be, very grateful to the U.S. Attorney and the FBI. Without them, a person who had a reputation for honesty and integrity would not have been exposed as a criminal. And he could have done real damage in the Attorney General's Office," Beshear said. Beshear said, "The new information also suggests, or makes me concerned that, my campaign was the victim of criminal activity. I know the campaign expended funds to a Louisville company to do get out the vote efforts. I now question whether anything was done pursuant to that expenditure whatsoever. If it wasn't, that's what's called stealing." Mississippi River levels impacting Burlington tourism, barge transport The problem is especially dire on the Lower Mississippi, where low water-level barriers are restricting corn and soybean shipments to New Orleans. Related Trump eyes running mate with political experience Ohio Governor John Kasich will suspend his presidential campaign on Wednesday, his campaign told US media, a move that would leave frontrunner Donald Trump as the sole Republican candidate in the White House race. Kasich's campaign abruptly canceled an event in the Washington area and rescheduled a press conference for 5:00 pm (2100 GMT) in Ohio's capital Columbus. Broadcaster MSNBC and others reported that a senior campaign advisor said that appearance would be Kasich's announcement that he is dropping out of the 2016 race. Rival Ted Cruz, a conservative senator from Texas, bowed out late Tuesday after Trump's commanding Indiana win made it far more likely that the real estate billionaire would reach the 1,237 delegates necessary to win the party's nomination and avoid a contested convention. The surprise move left Kasich as the sole remaining challenger to Trump, but like Cruz, Kasich is mathematically eliminated from winning the nomination outright. Search Keywords: Short link: Now this is breaking news. Rapper Eminem and his ex-wife, Kim Mathers, have agreed not to trash each other in NORWALK -- U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn, is calling on Congress to dramatically increase funding to reduce nitrogen pollution in Long Island Sound and double efforts to battle rising acidic levels that threaten oyster fishing in coastal cities such as Norwalk and Milford. Murphy's plan calls for spending $860 million a year on a variety of Sound initiatives -- a 15 percent increase over current levels -- in an effort to clean up the waterway, preserve hundreds of maritime jobs and prepare the coastline for rising sea levels caused by climate change. "These are big numbers and I'm challenging my colleagues to step up and dramatically increase funding," said Murphy, a minority member of the Senate's Appropriations Committee. "The Sound does not clean itself and we need to make a commitment to protect it," Murphy said. "We need to begin to allocate the necessary dollars to protect it. I will be fighting for this plan." Jimmy Bloom, an owner of Norm Bloom & Son's oyster fishing operation in Norwalk, said he supports any effort to improve water quality. "I think water quality is important to everyone, from wildlife to the fisheries," Bloom said. "If it's to improve quality, I'm all for it." The Murphy plan, announced in Hartford, calls for increasing funding for the Milford National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration lab, which performs cutting edge aquaculture research, to $20 million a year, a $6 million rise. The plan also calls for spending $165 million annually to reduce nitrogen entering the Sound, which causes low oxygen conditions which can kill marine life and drive algae growth, and $21 million a year on ocean acidification research grants, an increase of $10 million over the current level. Asked about the chances of funding such an ambitious program given the current Republican majority, Murphy said Senate Republicans are more receptive to funding Long Island Sound projects than other environmental causes, such as climate change. "I have an obligation to tell my colleagues what we need," Murphy said. Rising acidity Curt Johnson, executive director of Save the Sound, said research into rising acidic levels is one of the most important components of Murphy's spending plan. "We are at the brink when shellfish can no longer reproduce," Johnson said. "We are right on the brink of potential collapse." The acidic level of the world's oceans is tied to an increasingly high absorption of carbon dioxide emitted by burning fossil fuels. Recent studies show the Atlantic Ocean's absorption of carbon dioxide doubled over the last 10 years, which in turn significantly sped up a chemical change know as acidification, a condition created as dissolved oxygen becomes an acid and lowers the pH of water. As acidic levels rise, seas become more hostile to marine life and shellfish struggle to create shells. Connecticut's shellfish industry supports about 300 jobs and generates $30 million statewide per year. Fishermen work on 70,000 acres of oyster and clam beds and about 450,000 bushels of clams and 200,000 bushels of oysters are harvested annually. Ben Goetsch, a spokesman for Milford-based Briarpatch Enterprises clam and oyster fishing operation, said Murphy is right to seek research into mitigating rising acidic levels in the Sound. "We are facing challenges," Goetsch. "Our waters are acidifying and we need funding to get ahead of this problem." Goetsch said increasingly acidic water is not yet impacting shellfish production but will eventually if a solution is not found. "The next 100 years looks kind of grim," Goetsch said. "We are not worried about next year. It's a long term problem for the health of the industry. We want research to see if there are adaptations and remediation that we can do. The Milford lab is a huge driver for that research." Nitrogen is an equal problem for both recreational and commercial uses of the Sound, Johnson noted. "The patient is out of critical care," Johnson said, referring to the billions of dollars already spent on successful nitrogen reduction efforts, including improving wastewater treatment plants. "But there are major problems in bays and harbors," Johnson said. "Even in Stonington, they found 3-foot thick algae in one area. We have major problems in certain harbors and bays to deal with." HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) The Connecticut woman who underwent a face transplant five years ago after being attacked by a chimpanzee is back in a Boston hospital after doctors discovered her body is rejecting the transplant. Charla Nash says doctors have decided to end an experimental drug treatment and put her back on her original medication in the hopes of reversing the rejection. After a two-hour, closed-door meeting with Democratic leaders, Gov. Dannel P. Malloy hustled back toward his Capitol office Tuesday night, picked up a penny from the marble floor and proclaimed that a budget deal was close, but no cigar. During a day of shuttling back and forth to Senate President Pro Tempore Martin M. Looney's office, the Democratic governor and fellow party leaders of the General Assembly inched closed to budget revisions to start July 1 that would deal with a projected $933 million shortfall in revenue. But while the potential to avoid a special session starting at 12:01 a.m. Thursday was there, it wasn't certain, as Wednesday's midnight adjournment deadline threatened. "I think we're making substantial progress, which I have not thought," Malloy said as he walked from the east side of the Capitol back to the west side, trailing reporters at about 7:15 p.m. "I think people have to run some numbers. I don't know the legislative function. I'm simply saying we've made some substantial progress and I think everybody has to catch their breath." Outside the Senate Republican caucus room he stooped to pick up that penny, ignoring Senate Minority Leader Len Fasano, who was standing nearby. Malloy then walked downstairs to his office. "I think the sooner it gets done, the better for everybody ... There's been tons of sticking points, many sticking points. I think people are coming together," Malloy said. After Malloy's remarks to reporters, Fasano, R-North Haven, and House Minority Leader Themis Klarides, R-Derby, joined the governor in his second-floor office for an update. More layoffs to come The fiscal problems were exacerbated Tuesday afternoon when the Judicial Branch issued a letter warning of hundreds of courthouse staff layoffs if Malloy's latest budget were adopted. "In addition to the 126 layoffs we announced on Friday, April 15, no fewer than an additional 600 layoffs will be required if this budget proposal is adopted," Chief Court Administrator Patrick J. Carroll III warned in a letter to the governor and legislative leaders. Hours later, the state Office of Policy and Management announced 90 new layoffs, including one in the Military Department and 89 in the Department of Developmental Services. That brings the total terminations in recent weeks to 775 employees. Chuck DellaRocco, president of AFSCME Local 749, representing 1,600 court workers and public defenders, said Wednesday that Carroll has informed the union that 110 layoffs are coming Thursday. He said union members and supportive members of the public have been calling their state lawmakers. "We keep beating the pavement," DellaRocco, a state Supreme Court police officer, said in an afternoon phone interview. He said the Judicial Branch has been handling the terminations professionally, unlike agencies that have walked-out employees with no notice. "It kind of gives us a sense that there is still a possibility that the cuts won't be as deep as people predicted," he said. "But people need to make their voices heard, and contact state reps and senators and ask them to make sound judgment calls." Narrowing the divide Sen. Beth Bye, D-West Hartford, co-chairman of the budget-setting Appropriations Committee, said Wednesday morning that Democrats and the governor's staff have made good progress at a time of sharply declining revenue. "We had a lot of conversations yesterday," Bye said, adding that Malloy's latest budget proposal, his third since February, materialized in a surprising way. She said the negotiation process includes concepts that are then totaled up by non-partisan staff in the Office of Fiscal Analysis and the governor's budget staff in the Office of Policy and Management. She said a $100 million gap between Democrats and the governor had been mostly bridged. "We're trying to mechanically sit down and put things together and see it in its final phase," Bye told reporters. She said that the goal of getting House and Senate votes before midnight Wednesday remained in sight. But it usually takes a full 24 hours to print a negotiated package for debate on the House and Senate floors. "We're walking toward that goal," Bye said of the statutory deadline. "I don't think we should let a deadline of midnight tomorrow stop us from getting to a budget that people can agree on. I think the people of Connecticut are waiting to see." Criticism of Malloy's budget proposal was widespread, from the Connecticut Conference of Municipalities to social service agencies. The CCM warned that Malloy would cut $73 million in state aid to towns from the state's Municipal Revenue Sharing Fund, $19 million from Education Cost Sharing grants and another $25 million in School Transportation Funds. "This proposal does not provide for significant and structural mandates relief to mitigate the impact of the cuts," said Joe DeLong, CCM Executive Director. "They are simply deep cuts in current state aid programs that only serve to shift the tax burden from the state onto residential and business property taxpayers across Connecticut." STAMFORD -- Dr. Kareem Adeeb is the imam of a Muslim study and prayer group that has never met at a mosque. For the last three years, the American Institute for Islamic and Arabic Studies has gathered on Sunday afternoons at St. Francis Episcopal Church in North Stamford. After the morning Episcopalian service, Adeeb's group meets for an afternoon of prayer, potluck and Quran study. Because Adeeb wants to expose his group to a variety of religious traditions, they have never met regularly at a mosque. "Some [Muslims] would say, 'we won't come to a place where we meet in the church,'" Adeeb said. "Then I would say that 'I don't want you.'" Adeeb's collaboration with the church was forged by his relationship with its pastor, the Rev. Mark Lingle. The two met as members of the Interfaith Council of Southwestern Connecticut, a group of religious leaders who provide guidance on community issues. Both men said their collaboration has been embraced by their congregants. "The community here at St. Francis is pretty open," Lingle said. "They are very curious about other religions." One of the church's mottoes is "inclusive, because diversity was God's idea." This philosophy is embraced by Lingle and Adeeb, who believe being inclusive and open-minded will help religion thrive in a modern world that has questioned religious tradition. "It's not that people aren't seeking meaning, purpose and value," Lingle said. "It's just that they're getting it in different ways. So what is it that we have to offer that would be of interest and how can we make that accessible to people and relevant? "The whole issue of tradition can be problematic because people ask, 'Why do we have to do it this way? . . . They want to have a tradition that also makes sense in the modern world." Lingle and his congregation of more than 200 have collaborated with the institute on a few occasions, but no one from St. Francis has joined Adeeb's group. Although anyone from the congregation or community is invited. "We haven't done a lot of stuff together," Lingle said. "There is a group of people who are very interested. They're curious about Islam and learning about other religious traditions." The American Institute for Islamic and Arabic Studies, which used to meet at North Stamford Congregational Church, is composed of some 25 families from different ethnic backgrounds and professions. What they all have in common is a desire to approach religion as scholars, Adeeb said. "To me, cognitive faculties are a gift from God," he said. "The aim of our teaching is to make us conscious of what our faith is about. We practice spiritual and intellectual Islam, we don't practice robotic Islam." Adeeb doesn't have much contact with other Stamford mosques, which he said are largely segregated by ethnicity. For example, Egyptian and Asian Muslims tend to belong to one mosque, while Bangladeshi and Pakistani Muslims belong to another, he said. Adeeb, an engineer who lives in Fairfield, emigrated from Lebanon, where he attended a French Catholic school for 12 years. "I would come home and read the Quran and say, 'they're similar, why do they hate each other?'" he said. Despite his own acceptance of all religious backgrounds, Adeeb has faced discrimination as a Muslim. After the 9/11 attacks, a man hired to do work at his home made racist remarks not realizing Abeeb was Muslim. The man later apologized. Adeeb said anyone is welcome to join his group as long as they're open minded and eager to learn. "Education is more important in our faith than prayer," he said. "In fact, there is a saying from the Prophet -- if you spend one hour studying with an open mind it's equal to 70 years of prayer." St. Francis places a similar emphasis on study. "The largest piece is how we approach text and how we approach tradition," Lingle said. "I think we have fairly similar ways of doing that. We want be open, welcoming and hospitable, and we recognize there are a variety of ways to believe." Federal legislation aimed at stopping the nation's prescription drug shortage has worked -- but not well enough. A new study out of Yale University shows that, while there are fewer new drug shortages since the legislation passed in 2012, many medications are still in short supply, particularly those used to treat critically ill patients in hospital emergency rooms and intensive care units. "The types of drugs we're seeing shortages of are the kind that get used every day (in emergency departments)," said Arjun Venkatesh, assistant professor of emergency medicine at Yale, and the study's senior author. "This is a public health crisis." In the study, published in the May issue of Health Affairs, researchers examined data from the University of Utah's Drug Information Service to determine whether the 2012 passage of the Food and Drug Administration Safety and Innovation Act had any effect on drug shortages. The FDA defines a drug shortage as a period of time when the demand -- or projected demand -- for a medication exceeds its supply. The act was spurred by a huge spike in pharmaceutical shortages in the years leading up to its passage. According to the University of Utah, there were 210 drug shortages in 2011, compared with only 70 just five years earlier, in 2006. The FDA Safety and Innovation Act, among other things, gave the FDA the power to speed up the development of new medicines that could help address shortages. Venkatesh, who is also an emergency room physician, said he wanted to examine the law's effectiveness after having multiple incidents in the same day when drugs he needed were in short supply. "About a year or so ago, I wanted to order some saline," he said. "When I entered the order into the computer, immediately I got this warning saying 'Can you use an alternative?' " Venkatesh had a similar experience later that day when trying to order another medication. "I wasn't able to get access to the first choice drugs I wanted," he said. He wanted to see if this experience was common. In reviewing the University of Utah's data, the Yale researchers and their coauthors found that the overall number of new shortages appeared to decline after the passage of the FDA Safety and Innovation Act. But they found that shortages remained, and more than half of them involved acute care drugs. These included such commonly used medications as saline, certain antibiotics and even naloxone -- often used to reverse drug overdoses. Researchers found that the average duration of these shortages was about eight months. It's unclear why these particular drugs are the ones experiencing shortages, but Venkatesh said the reasons are likely financial. Bridgeport Hospital Chief Medical Officer Michael Ivy agreed. "A lot of these (drugs) are generic and companies don't make as much money off of them," he said. Ivy said he wasn't surprised by the findings of the Yale study. "We get updates on drug shortages regularly, and it impacts the patients and the doctors who take care of them all the time," he said. Though physicians have the option of using alternatives, Venkatesh said these often aren't ideal, as they can be less effective, more costly or have more side effects than the drug of choice. "We really want to use this research to highlight this issue and say 'Hey -- this problem isn't solved," he said. Thirteen Egyptians were killed last week in central Libya during a fight with the families of human traffickers Egypt's foreign ministry said on Monday evening that its embassy in Tripoli was following up on the identification of the bodies of Egyptians who were killed in western Libya last week following a fight with human traffickers. The bodies are being prepared to return to Egypt. Thirteen Egyptians were killed in the central town of Bani Walid in western Libya last Tuesday during a fight with the families of local human traffickers. The ministry said in an official statement that the Egyptian embassy in Tripoli, whose operations are in Cairo due to the unstable security situation in the Libyan capital, was looking to determine the identity of the victims after successfully transferring the bodies from Bani Walid to Tripoli. According to Libyan sources, the victims were murdered by the families of three human traffickers who were killed earlier in a fight with 30 Egyptian migrants. Egypt's foreign ministry spokesman said nine bodies were identified out of 13 by Libyan forensic authorities and families of the deceased. Four bodies have yet to be identified. In 2015, the Egyptian government issued a warning to Egyptian citizens to avoid travelling to Libya after the Islamic State militant group killed 20 Egyptian migrant workers near Derna. The warning was renewed later that year and is still in effect, as the security situation remains dangerous in the country. Search Keywords: Short link: Trump, who now has a commanding lead in the race to be the GOP nominee, said in his first speech after Cruz's announcement that he's still coming to the state. U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin dropped by Edwardsville Wednesday morning, touring the Mannie Jackson Center for the Humanities and then getting an update from Director Ed Hightower about the centers recent initiative to improve the culture and climate in the countys schools. It follows on the heels of a March 31 visit to SIUE by Gen. Colin Powell to help the center launch its Global Research Initiative. After a brief tour, Durbin and Hightower sat across from each other in a conference room and discussed, among other things, Jacksons goal that the center promote mutual understanding, respect, dignity and forgiveness. Hightower told him the center is uniquely positioned to use the environmental humanities to address the issues of environmental fairness and elevate the human spirit through human expression. Durbin also learned about the Conversation Toward a Brighter Future, in which more than 200 Madison County students - including Edwardsville High School and Lincoln and Liberty Middle Schools - will be creating projects designed to help mitigate the negative discourse existing across our country and developing an action plan for positive change. To that end, a summit was held in February. Afterward, each school submitted abstracts. The EHS plan - titled New Student Ambassadors - seeks to improve the way new students are welcomed to the school. Hightower handed a copy outlining plans from each of the 14 participating schools. The Ambassadors plan will require developing strategies and activities that better equip a new student to be an active EHS student with a positive attitude, high standards and a desire to be a person of influence. Durbin was impressed. Thats great. I like this. We need it. We know we need it. Hightower stressed that the findings have to be replicable and that the solutions have to be measurable, so other cities and states can readily use them. The center opened its doors on North Main Street in late 2015 and launched its speaker series with Powells talk on March 31. The funds from the dinner, which sold out, will help the centers efforts. The New Student Ambassadors program will incorporate ideas such as a hotline for questions or concerns and various ways to reinforce the centers four pillars of respect, dignity, understanding and forgiveness using social media, students in classes, video announcements, teachers and counselors, reward incentives and assemblies. As Durbin flipped through the high school abstracts, Hightower noted the isolation so often experienced by new students often leads to bullying. Durbin suggested that if you see a victim, the rest of us have to come to that victims side and let them know they have friends. The nasty and mean things theyre hearing dont represent the majority of students. The Liberty and Lincoln project focuses on improving understanding and respect within the school, leading to self-esteem and acceptance. Students have indicated that some individuals feel disenfranchised and alienated based upon their club selections, sports participations, interests and hobbies, the students noted in their abstract. This leads to tension between groups causing resentment and fractured self-esteem. The middle school project focuses on education, promotion, team building, and acceptance of individual choices, which should lead to a more positive school environment, according to the submission. SIUE photo Southern Illinois University Edwardsville hosted more than 240 individuals at the 108th Annual Meeting of the Illinois State Academy of Science (ISAS) held Friday-Saturday, April 15-16 in the Science West Building. The event was open to the public and featured more than 130 research posters and more than 40 oral presentations from students representing 18 public and private academic institutions around the state. Many of SIUEs presenters were either in the Undergraduate Research and Creative Activities (URCA) or the Research Grants for Graduate Students (RGGS) program. In recognition of National Historic Preservation Month, Edwardsvilles Historic Preservation Commission (HPC) will showcase some of Edwardsvilles historic buildings in a series of articles during the month of May. HPC encourages owners of historic buildings to donate copies of photos and historical information to HPC and/or the Madison County Historical Museum so future generations will have access to these valuable research materials. The Lyman House 930 Holyoake Road The beautiful American four-square home on the corner of Troy and Holyoake Roads was built for the George Lyman family in 1910. George, the son of Corydon and Frances Lyman, was born in 1880 in southeastern Missouri. His father was a journalist who eventually took the job as editor of a newspaper in Springfield, Missouri. His mother often worked with her husband at the newspaper office. George attended the School of Mining in Rolla, Missouri, graduating in 1902. Shortly after graduation he was hired by the Madison Coal Corporation in Madison County. In 1906 he married Harriet Woolverton, also a Springfield, Missouri, native. Harriet was born in 1879 to Charles and Mary Woolverton. Her father sold buggies and wagons all over southwestern Missouri and northwestern Arkansas. In Edwardsville she was a member of the Monday Club, a womens study club founded in 1910 that dissolved in 1995. She was vice-president of the club and chairman of the organizations literary committee. George and Harriets first home together was at 805 Troy Road, just two blocks from where they would build their new house at 930 Holyoake Road. When George first came to Edwardsville he was an engineer with Madison Coal, but eventually became the supervisor of the mine at Glen Carbon with an income that could support a comfortable lifestyle. Although George and Harriet had only one child, Frances Josephine born in 1908, the household often included Georges mother, Harriets father and sometimes both. Until her death in 1928, Georges mother typically spent summers in Leclaire and winters in Vandalia, Missouri, with Georges sister. Charles Woolverton, Harriets father, spent the last ten years of his life with his daughters family in Leclaire. He died in 1924. In 1926 the dynamics of the household changed again. Daughter Frances graduated from Edwardsville High School and that autumn left Edwardsville to attend the Illinois Womens College (now MacMurray College) in Jacksonville, Illinois. The newspaper contains numerous reports of visits home with other young Edwardsville women who attended at the same time. Frances had many friends and a considerable talent for music so she was asked to perform at many local events. After graduating from college, Florence attended one year of graduate classes at the American Conservatory in Chicago. She did not return to the school in 1932, perhaps because she didnt feel the need, or it could be finances werent what they once were. In the fall of 1933 she advertised for violin, piano and harmony students at 930 Holyoake Road. All through the early 1930s George had the unenviable task of gradually closing the Madison Coal Corp mines. One of the last to close was at Glen Carbon. Hundreds of men were put out of work during the heart of the Great Depression. In 1934 the family moved to Chicago where George obtained an administrative job with a railroad company. The house in Edwardsville was not sold immediately. Perhaps they hoped to return one day. It was rented to a couple of families in the 1930s, but in 1941 the Lymans sold the house to a neighbor, George Moorman, Sr. The Moorman and Lyman families were well acquainted since their daughters grew up as friends and even attended the same college. George Moorman was a native of Michigan who moved to Leclaire with his mother and siblings in the late 1890s. He soon found a job with the N. O. Nelson Manufacturing Company where he started as a machinist. Over the years he would rise through the ranks to manager of the brass division. He married May McCune in 1908 and the same year they moved into their new home at 929 Holyoake Road, right across the street from the house he would purchase more than thirty years later. But although he purchased the house, he didnt move into it himself. He remained in his home and in 1941 rented the house at 930 Holyoake Road to his son, George, Jr. and his family. Three years later, George, Jr and his wife Dorothy purchased the house. By 1941 George, Jr. was married to the former Dorothy Hoover and they had two small children. Shortly before he moved into the Lyman house, Georges mother passed away. Four years later his father married a neighbor, Mable Allen, and moved into her house which was right next door at 926 Holyoake. George and Dorothy sold the Lyman house back to his father in 1950 and built a new, modern home at 1017 Troy Road, less than a block away. George Moorman Jr. later served a term as mayor of Edwardsville. The Moormans retained ownership of the house at 930 Holyoake Road until 1977. There were a series of renters, some who stayed in the grand old house for ten years or more. As the Moormans aged, care of the house wasnt what it once was. George died in 1973 and Mabel in 1978. The family that purchased the Lyman House in 1977 had a love for history and set about bringing the house back to what it was like when the Lyman family first moved into the home in 1910. Since then the house has had good caretakers, including the current owners who are only the fifth to own the home in its 106 year history. Information for this article was obtained from resources at the Madison County Archival Library, the Madison County Recorder and Probate Offices, Edwardsville Public Library and from current and previous owners. If you have questions about this article, contact Cindy Reinhardt at 618-656-1294 or cynreinhardt@yahoo.com. Saturday's forecast calls for a high of 84, plenty of sunshine and a kite-filled sky. Edwardsville's Parks and Recreation Department is gearing up for its annual Flying 4 Kids event, which will take place from 9 a.m. to noon at Glik Park. The event is scheduled as part of the Illinois Association of Park Districts' statewide kite fly. Edwardsville Recrational Activities Supervisor Hayley Verheyen said the event had been scheduled for April 30, but had to be postponed because of rain. Still, she said, the event annually draws between 50 to 100 kids. In years past the Gateway Kite Club has been on hand to demonstrate more sophisticated kites. They aren't available this year, but the event still promises to be a welcome change from the Xbox. The first 50 participants will receive a goodie bag and everyone gets to decorate their own kite, thanks to a donation from Cassens Auto Transport. "We hand out kites," Verheyen said. "They're very easy to fly." Glik Park, located at 710 East Lake Dr., is the perfect location as there are virtually no trees to snag kites. "There's always wind at Glik Park," Verheyen said. In case of severe weather, check the Parks Facebook page or the Edwardsville city website www.cityofedwardsville.com, (City Departments, Parks and Recreation, Community Events Classes & Senior Trips) for cancelations. (Beijing) A new set of legal guidelines for judges and prosecutors handling graft trials have revised the minimum threshold for cases that qualify for criminal prosecution and clarified where capital punishment can be used, a move legal experts say will reduce confusion in courts. The document released by the Supreme People's Court and the Supreme People's Procuratorate, the prosecutor's office, on April 18 said that defendants found guilty of embezzling funds or accepting bribes worth more than 3 million yuan, or about US$ 460,000, will receive the death penalty. Previously, officials convicted of taking bribes worth 100,000 yuan or more could be sentenced to death. The guidelines apply to graft trials involving government workers, including bureaucrats and employees of state-owned enterprises. The benchmark for a case that qualifies for criminal prosecution has also been raised. A criminal case can be brought if bribe is 30,000 yuan or more, up from 5,000 yuan, the document shows. The guidelines supplement revisions made to the Criminal Law in November, and replace sentencing criteria set out in 1997, which have long been criticized for being out of date. Under the new rules, embezzling funds or receiving bribes worth 10,000 yuan to 1.5 million yuan is defined as a "relatively serious offence and carries a prison sentence of three to 10 years. Those suspected of taking 1.5 million yuan to 3 million yuan in bribes are labeled "serious offenders and will face a minimum jail term of ten years and this can go up to life imprisonment. If defendants are convicted of "especially serious offences with an "extremely vile impact, such as stealing funds earmarked for disaster relief efforts, they may face the death penalty, the document show. This is the first time in two decades that the sentencing criteria for graft cases have been revised. Several legal experts said the guidelines were more lenient than what they expected. Most graft cases involve amounts between 100,000 yuan and several million yuan, said Sun Guoxiang, a law professor at Nanjing University, in the eastern city of Nanjing, and under the new rules, most defendants may get less than 10 years in prison, much shorter than some of the previous jail terms meted out. Widening the Net The guidelines, however, have broadened the definition of what qualifies as graft, said Sun, and includes a clearer definition of violations, closing a few legal loopholes. For example, accepting expensive gifts from a subordinate will be regarded as bribery under the new benchmark, even if no specific request was made by the giver at the time of presenting the gift. Earlier, such practices fell outside the definition of graft because it was difficult to establish a link between accepting gifts and officials' decisions and professional conduct, Sun said. The definition of a bribe was expanded to include writing off an individual's or company's debt, having a house renovated for free, paid trips, club memberships and other benefits. "(The guidelines) eliminate confusion, said Zhang Qingsong, a lawyer at Beijing Shangquan Law Office. Previous rules emphasized on heavy penalties, but the revision stresses broadening the definition of corruption and setting clearer criteria for punishments, said Huang Jingping, a law professor at Renmin University in Beijing. "The function of the Criminal Law is to define timely and definitive punishments for all forms of corrupt practices, said Huang. An immediate death penalty sentence has rarely been imposed on senior officials convicted of corruption in recent years. Officials charged with committing grave violations were given a suspended death sentence that came into effect after two years. These sentences could be commuted to life imprisonment or reduced even further. In 2013, former railroad minister Liu Zhijun was given a suspended death sentence for taking 60 million yuan in bribes. The sentence was commuted to life imprisonment in 2015. In June 2015, Zhou Yongkang, the former domestic security tsar, was jailed for life after being convicted of accepting 130 million yuan worth of bribes along with his family and leaking state secrets. Criminal charges have been brought against 22 ministerial-level officials accused of corruption since the Communist Party's anti-graft campaign started in late 2012, Caixin calculated based on media reports. They were convicted for taking bribes totaling over 500 million yuan. Three were sentenced to life in prison. "If lighter punishments don't lead to a rise in corruption cases, it will show that the new rules have deterred unlawful behavior, said Zhang. Zhu Yongming, a lawyer appearing in criminal cases, said the country needs "comprehensive institutional arrangements, such as a system for officials to disclose their assets to the public and an effective supervision mechanism. Corrupt officials can be punished by organs other than the courts. The Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, the party's anti-graft agency, first carries out an investigation into suspect officials and detains them in some cases. Officials who are found guilty of "violating party discipline, a euphemism for graft, can be demoted, or removed from their position and expelled from the party. The anti-graft agency only hands over cases that qualify for criminal prosecution to the state prosecutor's office. "How do you effectively connect the party's disciplinary organs and law enforcement units is an issue that needs to be addressed, said Sun. "The main problem is how administrative and party penalties are used to punish officials whose offences do not qualify for criminal prosecution, said Sun. (Rewritten by Han Wei) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Hendri Yulius (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Wed, May 4, 2016 Not long after the commemoration of the birthday of Kartini, a heroine for womens empowerment, reports emerged of a bruised corpse of a girl who was found on April 4 in Bengkulu province. On her way home from school, this 14-year-old was raped by 14 drunken boys including six junior high school students. She was then murdered; 12 of the boys have been arrested, reports said. Sexual harassment and violence is still a pervasive problem for women in Indonesia. On Kartini Day on April 21, Jakarta Governor Basuki Ahok Tjahaja Purnama launched the operation of several all-female Transjakarta pink buses, which he said would make women passengers feel more comfortable. This sex-segregation policy responds to reports of sexual harassment on public transportation, but it does not really address the root of the problem for Indonesian women. Similar to the case in Bengkulu, the sociologist CJ Pascoe showed in her field research in an American high school that to assure their masculinity and heterosexuality, boys show dominance over girls bodies by rituals of getting girls ( or having a girlfriend ), rituals of touch ( ranging from flirtation to assault-like interactions ) and sex-talk ( sharing stories about their sexual adventures and exercising dominance over girls bodies to confirm their masculinity ). According to last years national annual report of violence against women, sexual violence ranked highest ( 61 percent ) including 1,657 cases of rape and over 1,000 cases of sexual molestation. Apart from Jakartas pink buses, the government has also been pursuing some initiatives to combat sexual violence against children. Last year the policy of chemical castration was announced to punish rapists of children, leading to controversy as some consider the penalty a human rights violation itself. Other initiatives include calls for a law against sexual violence, and stepping up rehabilitation and crisis centers for the victims. Sexual violence refers to sexual activity without consent and comprises rape, unwanted sexual assault, sexual harassment, sexual exploitation and coercion, unwanted sexual attention, as well as non-contact unwanted sexual experiences experienced by both men and women, boys and girls. Although strong government policies are urgently needed, transformation of power and gender relations, which results in behavior and mindset change, is also crucial to address sexual harassment regardless of an individuals gender and sexuality. Sexual violence stems from the hierarchy of gender relations based on traditional norms. The current biological assumption produces two mutually-exclusive biological sexes: female and male. Gender is polarized and performed based on these biological categories: male with masculinity and female with femininity and the associated power relations. Masculinity is deemed more superior than femininity associated with women, domestication and powerlessness. Thus in patriarchal cultures men often uphold the cult of masculinity by performing aggressive behavior or committing sexual assault or coercion against women or men who are considered un-masculine. The shocking gang rape and murder case in Bengkulu reminds us once again of the urgency of comprehensive sexuality education to promote behavior change among young adolescents and future generations. This education is a powerful medium to educate the young generation to understand gender equality and to promote safer behavior among youth. Last years Global Review on Emerging Evidence, Lesson, and Practice in Comprehensive Sexuality Education by UNESCO highlighted that the period when children were between 10 and 14 years marked a significant transition period for young adolescents. One that determines attitudes and behaviors according to the gender-related norms which influence them. Starting effective sexuality education from an early age would help children to understand their bodies, to develop healthy and respectful attitudes toward others and to encourage them to report inappropriate attitudes that they encounter. Yet in Indonesia, many people still misunderstand sexuality education and conflate it with teaching and promoting pre-marital sex or free sex. Sexuality education here is not mandatory and only partially reflects the international standards, not to mention the absence of a national comprehensive sexuality education policy. Therefore, in addition to specific policies to combat sexual violence and support victims, changing convictions that males and masculinity are superior to females and femininity, and the behavior and attitudes based on these beliefs, is vital for sustainable social change. And again, education can make it all possible. *** The author, who obtained his Masters in public policy from the National University of Singapore, is the writer of Coming Out and a lecturer of gender and sexuality studies. --------------- We are looking for information, opinions, and in-depth analysis from experts or scholars in a variety of fields. We choose articles based on facts or opinions about general news, as well as quality analysis and commentary about Indonesia or international events. Send your piece to community@jakpost.com. Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not reflect the official stance of The Jakarta Post. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Warief Djajanto Basorie (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Wed, May 4, 2016 The Press Council forbids us from giving money to journalists. The unambiguous statement in Indonesian is on a poster in yellow letters on a blue field. Beneath the words is the drawing of a black hand trying to grab loose Rp 1,000 ( 76 US cents ) to Rp 100,000 bank notes. A red ring with a diagonal red line crossing it is placed over the hand in analogy with a prohibited-to-act sign. The name, the Jakarta address, phone and fax numbers, the website and email address of the state-funded independent council, which handles public complaints in regard to the press, is printed on the bottom left corner of the poster. This poster and others quoting the council-mandated Journalism Code of Ethics ( JCE ) are plastered on the walls of the office of the regent of Karimun in the Riau Islands province. In the regency capital of Tanjung Balai Karimun, the regent complained to Yosep Adi Prasetyo, the visiting chief of the council in February. Unscrupulous people claiming to be journalists have asked for 10 to 15 percent of the Rp 1 billion village fund the central government grants each village annually for local development. The pseudo-journalists have as many as 500 websites for a district population of only 270,000 people. Two weeks later, council team returned with the posters and briefed the district chief on their use. One poster quotes Article 6 of the JCE: The Indonesian journalist does not misuse his/her profession and accepts no bribes. The article explains, Bribes are all gratuities in the form of money, articles or facilities from others that affect the journalists independence. The posters had a deterrent effect. They [the extortionists] stopped coming. Before the posters were put up, even the public relations staff was afraid to go to work, Stanley, as Yosep is better known, related later. Stanley became the new chair of the council on March 23 for a three-year term succeeding Bagir Manan, the respected law professor at Padjadjaran University in Bandung. Stanley related his Tanjung Balai Karimun account at a hail and farewell dinner of the new and old nine-member council at the Sari Pan Pacific hotel on April 7. Where extortion occurs, corruption thrives. In 2015 the council received 788 complaints. Some 80 percent were related to ethics, Stanley said. Extortion is a serious complaint. Village heads and public schools in rural areas that receive state funding are easy prey. Legitimate journalists are familiarized with the JCE that was drafted by 29 journalist associations and press corporation organizations. The council validated the resulting code on March 24, 2006. Real journalists are tested for their competence in journalism skills, knowledge and ethics. Competency tests are regularly conducted by journalism institutions such as the Indonesian Journalists Association ( PWI ) and the Alliance of Independent Journalists ( AJI ), which the council recognizes. Those who pass the test have their names posted on the council website so the public can check their legitimacy. Public and private organizations can check the council website for the status of a journalist ostensibly making a call for an interview. If his or her name is registered but asks for money or other gratuities, the individual should be reported to the council and his or her name would be removed. The problem is that extortion practitioners in the guise of journalists still operate beyond council scrutiny. Offices should request posters that have a proven deterrent effect. The council is the watchdog on compliance to the 11-article JCE. It will have to monitor any violation on all code provisions, including Article 1: The Indonesian journalist is independent and produces news stories that are accurate, balanced and without malice. In interpretation, independent means reporting events or facts in line with ones conscience without interference, coercion and intervention from other parties, including the owners of the press corporation. Compliance to Article 1 ties in with the nations gubernatorial elections in 2017. A hot race is the governorship of Jakarta, where incumbent Basuki Ahok Tjahaja Purnama is to stand as an independent. However, Ahoks rivals may have party affiliation. These contenders may get favorable coverage from media outlets whose owners are political party patrons and harbor a political agenda. These media outfits include the MNC group, owned by Hary Tanoesoedibjo, Metro TV owned Surya Paloh, and TV One operated by the Bakrie family. Stanley and his associates may have to remind media owners to comply with Article 1 and safeguard the sanctity of independent reporting. May 3 is World Press Freedom Day, primarily observed in Helsinki this year. It would be an appropriate time to review the issues the Indonesian press faces. One unending sore issue is impunity and eight unresolved cases of murder of journalists, notably the 1996 killing of Bernas daily corruption-busting reporter Fuad Udin Muhammad Syarifuddin in Yogyakarta. As for the council, resolving the issues become more demanding as Indonesia hosts World Press Freedom Day in Jakarta on May 3, 2017. *** The writer, a senior journalist, teaches at Dr. Soetomo Press Institute ( LPDS ), Jakarta. --------------- We are looking for information, opinions, and in-depth analysis from experts or scholars in a variety of fields. We choose articles based on facts or opinions about general news, as well as quality analysis and commentary about Indonesia or international events. Send your piece to community@jakpost.com. Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not reflect the official stance of The Jakarta Post. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Michael Weissenstein (Associated Press) Havana Wed, May 4, 2016 Fashionistas and celebrities from around the world flocked beneath klieg lights on a grand Havana colonial avenue transformed into a private runway for French fashion house Chanel. With hundreds of security agents holding ordinary Cubans behind police lines blocks away, actors Tilda Swinton and Vin Diesel, supermodel Gisele Bundchen and Cuban music stars Gente de Zona and Omara Portuondo watched slender models sashay down Prado boulevard Tuesday night in casual summer clothes seemingly inspired by the art deco elegance of pre-revolutionary Cuba. With the heart of the Cuban capital briefly privatized by an international corporation under the watchful eye of the Cuban state, the premiere of Chanel's 2016/2017 "cruise" line offered a startling sight in a country officially dedicated to social equality and the rejection of material wealth. Chanel welcomed the chance to show its creations in an unusual spot. "To explore new horizons is a way to fire imaginations and renew the vision of our brand while sharing the culture and heritage of the locations chosen for our fashion shows," it said in a statement. The show was the most extreme manifestation to date of the hot new status Cuba has assumed in the international art and cultural scene since the December 2014 declaration of detente with the United States. Models wear creations from the Karl Lagerfeld "cruise" line for fashion house Chanel, at the Paseo del Prado street in Havana, Cuba, Tuesday, May 3, 2016. With the heart of the Cuban capital effectively privatized by an international corporation under the watchful eye of the Cuban state, the premiere of Chanel 2016/2017 "cruise" line offered a startling sight in a country officially dedicated to social equality and the rejection of material wealth. (AP/Ramon Espinosa) President Barack Obama visited in March, the Rolling Stones performed in Havana the same week, the first U.S. cruise in nearly four decades docked Monday and the latest installment of the multibillion-dollar "Fast and Furious" action movie franchise is filming here now. Many Cubans say they are delighted their country is opening itself to the world, offering ordinary people a firsthand look at celebrities and extravagant productions. But the rampant display of wealth on the streets of Havana is providing fodder for many already disenchanted by what they call Cuba's failure to deliver on promises of sustainable socialist equality. Mabel Fernandez, a radio announcer, arrived four hours before the start of the show, eager to give her 14-year-old daughter a taste of a world of international fashion that the girl had only seen on television and in movies. "We need this type of event, these new developments so people can learn more about culture," she said. But as police swarmed the area in the hours before the show, virtually all residents of the capital were swept behind yellow barricades and unbroken lines of uniformed and plainclothes police at least a block away. Fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld, left, poses with the models who participated in the presentation of his "cruise" line for fashion house Chanel, at the Paseo del Prado street in Havana, Cuba, Tuesday, May 3, 2016.(AP/Ramon Espinosa) Reinaldo Fonseca, a local model, stood with a group of friends similarly trying to make their careers in fashion and watched as rich foreigners with invitations arrived at the event in specially rented antique American sedans. "It's a shame they don't let us pass," he said. The show ended with the models dancing down Prado to the drumming and singing of an Afro-Cuban band. Afterward, attendees were taken to Havana's Cathedral Plaza, an 18th-century Baroque gem transformed into a beach-themed party backdrop by the erection of a giant tiki-style bar and dance floor over its colonial cobblestones. Chanel creative director Karl Lagerfeld, 82, arrived in a blue-and-cream 1957 Ford Fairlane, picking his way gingerly toward the VIP section of the tiki hut as his gold-sequined jacket glinted in the lights of the dance floor. Models gyrated to a brief private concert by French-Cuban duo Ibeyi as waitresses handed out hors d'oeuvres and cocktails to the gathered crowd. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin (Associated Press) Dubai Wed, May 4, 2016 The United Arab Emirates' national airline says several passengers were injured when one of its flights encountered sudden turbulence as it prepared to land in Jakarta. Etihad Airways said on Wednesday that flight EY474 from its hub in Abu Dhabi was hit by "severe and unexpected turbulence" about 45 minutes before landing at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport. It says the plane landed safely but 31 passengers were injured, including nine who were taken to hospital for treatment. The airline did not provide details on the severity of the injuries. It says the turbulence was severe enough that it damaged cabin storage bins. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin (Associated Press) Buenos Aires Wed, May 4, 2016 Argentine President Mauricio Macri says he is open to being investigated over his role in two offshore companies that emerged in the "Panama Papers" leak. Macri said Tuesday that he'll cooperate with a federal judge who requested information on the companies from authorities in Panama and the Bahamas. Macri says the companies were family businesses and he was a figurehead without compensation. He has also set up a blind trust to handle his financial holdings in response to growing criticism. The case was launched by a federal prosecutor who asked for authorization to investigate whether Macri "maliciously" omitted his role in the offshore companies in his annual tax declarations. The former Buenos Aires mayor ran for the presidency last year on a promise to root out Argentina's endemic corruption. (ags) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Rod McGuirk (Associated Press) Canberra Wed, May 4, 2016 Australia's current government will never sell its largest cattle empire to foreigners, the treasurer said on Wednesday after blocking a takeover by a Chinese-led consortium. Chinese-based Dakang Australia Holdings on Tuesday withdrew its application to buy an 80 percent stake in Australia's largest private landholding, S. Kidman & Co. Ltd., after Treasurer Scott Morrison last week announced a preliminary view that the sale was contrary to the national interest. Morrison said Wednesday the main reason he opposed the 371 million Australian dollars (US$284 million) sale was that the collection of cattle ranches was too big. "As a result of the decision I took last week ... Australia's largest land holding will not be sold to foreign interests," Morrison told the National Press Club. "There's got to be a limit and it was just too big." Kidman owns 10 cattle ranches, a bull breeding stud and a feed lot covering 101,411 square kilometers (39,155 square miles) in four states. That's an area bigger than South Korea and almost the size of the US state of Virginia. Morrison said the company founded by beef baron Sir Sidney Kidman in 1899 might be sold into foreign ownership if the government changes at elections in July. Kidman managing director Greg Campbell said he expected the consortium, led by a subsidiary of Shanghai Pengxin Group, would return after the election with a new offer for a smaller parcel of land or with a higher proportion of Australian investor money. Morrison had offered no guidance on how much of Kidman land the Chinese might be allowed to buy, Campbell said. "It's highly likely they'll back with a reapplication after the election and get the populist hysteria out of the way," Campbell said. Foreign ownership of farmland is an increasingly sensitive issue in Australia, where many fear that Chinese-owned farms could supply Australian-grow produce to Chinese parent companies at discount prices or refuse to sell to Australian buyers. Opposition treasury spokesman Chris Bowen on Wednesday said Morrison "prefers to put populist politics over the national interest." The opposition has not stated a position on the sale Kidman. But it accused Morrison of making his decision a "political plaything" but rushing it out before an election. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Prima Wirayani and Farida Susanty (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Wed, May 4 2016 The latest budget disbursement data shows mixed signs with productive capital spending almost tripling, while overall spending remains low and cash remains tight. The government spent Rp 10.2 trillion (US$775.2 million) on capital expenditure in the first three months of the year, mainly to fund infrastructure projects, versus Rp 3.9 trillion in the same period last year. The governments efforts to speed up spending by enabling early bidding for this years infrastructure projects, such as roads and bridges, since November last year have borne fruit, although the results are not as sweet as expected, said Maybank Indonesia chief economist Juniman. There has been an uptick in capital spending thanks to the early bidding system, he said. President Joko Jokowi Widodo is putting infrastructure first during his five-year tenure, as he considers that solving the nations infrastructure bottleneck could unleash growth potential of up to 7 percent. However, despite the strong indicator on infrastructure spending, the overall reading was not satisfactory. The central government spent Rp 193.5 trillion until March, only 14.6 percent of the overall Rp 1.3 quadrillion spending budget. That compares with Rp 197 trillion in the same period last year, about 14.9 percent of the whole budget. The situation is different with local administrations, which saw transfers rising to Rp 197.4 trillion by March this year, from Rp 170.4 trillion in the same period last year. The state budget allocated around Rp 2 quadrillion for overall spending this year, more than half of which is in the accounts of the central government. The government needs to apply a reward and punishment system for state budget spending by local administrations to ensure productive and efficient spending that can affect economic growth, Juniman said. Indonesias economic growth slowed to a six-year low of 4.79 percent last year due to an export slump and weak purchasing power. Hence, high hopes are pinned on government spending to drive growth, as it expects economic growth to reach 5.3 percent this year. Some economists highlight low tax collection as causing more problems for the state budget and the overall economy, because the cash-strapped government cannot expand its infrastructure projects with limited available funds. Tax revenue reached Rp 188 trillion as of March, lower than the Rp 203 trillion booked in the same period last year. This is especially alarming with a 30 percent increase in tax income expected by the government this year. An expected shortfall of Rp 290 trillion in state income, including taxes, has caused the government to slash its spending in the revised 2016 state budget that will be deliberated at the House of Representatives this month. For ministries and agencies, a total of Rp 45.5 trillion is expected to be slashed from the state budget, driven by revenue shortfall on the back of a weak domestic economy and plunging commodity prices. The Public Works and Public Housing Ministry, which is a crucial part of Jokowis infrastructure push, expects to see its budget slashed by Rp 8.4 trillion from an initial Rp 104.1 trillion. The cut is somehow a blessing in disguise as it can prop up our spending progress, said the ministrys secretary-general, Taufik Widjoyono. The ministry spent more than 8 percent of its budget as of March, still short of its 11 percent target for the period. Taufik admitted that nomenclature issues in several agencies and land acquisition problems in several toll road projects had hampered spending. Meanwhile, Bank Central Asia (BCA) economist David Sumual expressed concern about the low tax revenue, as it indicated economic activities had yet to recover. Low tax revenue collection last year saw the country book a 2.5 percent state budget deficit from gross domestic product (GDP), higher than its initial target of 1.9 percent and inching closer to the 3 percent threshold required by law. The government is targeting a 2.1 percent deficit this year. We are concerned about a wide budget deficit, David said. __________________________________ To receive comprehensive and earlier access to The Jakarta Post print edition, please subscribe to our epaper through iOS' iTunes, Android's Google Play, Blackberry World or Microsoft's Windows Store. Subscription includes free daily editions of The Nation, The Star Malaysia, the Philippine Daily Inquirer and Asia News. to Read Full Story SUBSCRIBE NOW Starting from IDR 55,500/month Unlimited access to our web and app content e-Post daily digital newspaper No advertisements, no interruptions Privileged access to our events and programs Subscription to our newsletters We accept Register to read 3 premium articles for free Already subscribed? login (Beijing) The insurance regulator has sent a team that includes accounting experts to Funde Sino Life Co. after the detention of its former chairman drew scrutiny to its expansion and investments, individuals with knowledge of the matter say. Officials from the China Insurance Regulatory Commission (CIRC) arrived at Sino Life on May 3, the sources said. The probe is connected to Zhang Jun, who took over Sino Life in 2006 and controls it through complex corporate structures that obscure the identity of actual shareholders, they said. The regulator prohibits any investor from holding more than 51 percent of an insurance firm, but Zhang and his close associates own more than 90 percent of Sino Life's stock. Zhang, 53, was detained in early February to help with an investigation into Liu Zhigeng, the former vice governor of the southern province of Guangdong, a person with knowledge of that inquiry has said. Liu was busted by Communist Party graft fighters in February for allegedly protecting the sex industry while serving as party secretary in Guangdong's Dongguan City from 2006 to 2011. The investigators said they sent Liu's case to the judicial system in April, but no other information was provided. Sino Life has released a statement calling Zhang's detention "a personal matter" and saying that firm was not a target of investigation. The episode has drawn attention to Sino Life, which rose from obscurity to prominence in only a few years thanks to the sales of non-traditional yet lucrative short-term insurance policies that the CIRC has recently moved to curtail. The firm collected premiums worth a total of 160 billion yuan last year, third nationally behind state-owned China Life Insurance Co. and the private Ping An Life Insurance Co. Sino Life's investment and asset deals with companies controlled by Zhang and his associates have raised many eyebrows. Critics have questioned whether those transactions were legitimate, given that Zhang and his partners control the board and made investment decisions on their own. The CIRC received a tip-off that accused Sino Life's management team of illegal maneuverings involving the insurer's assets, the people close to the matter said. In response, they said, the regulator brought in the firm's chairman and general manager, Fang Li and Zhang Hanping, for questioning on April 20. Zhang Hanping succeeded Zhang Jun as Sino Life's chairman in 2014 after the latter became the chairman of a financial holding company which he created that year to control Sino Life. Both Zhang Hanping and Fang are Zhang Jun's associates, but their relationship has soured since Zhang was detained, a person close to the insurer said. The reason for the falling out was unclear, but Sino Life's current management team was apparently engaged in a power struggle over accounting issues, and this left Sino Life unable to submit an audited annual report to the CIRC before April 15, the person said. Sino Life told the government it missed the deadline because it was waiting for listed companies it owns to report their financial conditions. From 2006 to 2015, Sino Life's assets surged more than 40 times to 400 billion yuan, its own announcements show. However, its solvency adequacy ratio, an index the CIRC uses to see how well an insurer can cover claims and losses, was only 115 percent at the end of last year, above the regulator's red line of 100 percent but far below the normal 150 percent. (Rewritten by Wang Yuqian) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Robert Burns (Associated Press) Stuttgart, Germany Wed, May 4, 2016 An international coalition leading the military campaign against the Islamic State in Syria and Iraq agreed Wednesday to accelerate their contributions but did not publicly specify what those would be. The group also called on Iraqi leaders to reconcile political differences. A day after a US Navy SEAL was killed in small arms fire with IS forces, US Defense Secretary Ash Carter said that as the war intensifies, "these risks will continue." Carter identified the SEAL as Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Charles Keating, whose family had confirmed his death on Tuesday. Carter said he regretted the loss but stressed that combat risks in Iraq are unavoidable. "Our overall approach is to enable local forces to do the fighting ... but that doesn't mean we aren't going to do any fighting at all," Carter said. "We are putting these people are risk every day," including the aircrews who are flying strike missions daily over Iraq and Syria, "and, tragically, losses will occur," he added. Other US officials, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss details not yet publicly released, said that Keating, 31, and his SEAL advisory team were moving between Kurdish Peshmerga units when they got caught in a firefight with Islamic State forces that had created a breach in Peshmerga lines. Carter and his counterparts from 11 coalition countries met behind closed doors at the headquarters of US European Command, where Carter was presiding at a change-of-command ceremony Tuesday when news of Keating's death reached him. In a joint statement issued after the meeting, the group reaffirmed its support "to further accelerate and reinforce the success of our partners on the ground and for the deployment of additional enabling capabilities in the near term." "We called on all of Iraq's political leaders to commit themselves to the legal and peaceful reconciliation of political differences in order to confront the nation's challenges and to remain united against the common enemy," they said. The statement was not specific about what additional contributions would be offered, beyond citing resources to support the Iraqi military campaign and "various forms" of help to a civilian effort to stabilize and reconstruct areas of Anbar province devastated by war damage. The meeting was a follow-up to a similar session Carter led in Brussels in mid-February. "While we have gathered momentum since our ministerial in Brussels, this fight is far from over," Carter said in an opening statement. "That point was brought into stark relief by Wednesday's attack on Peshmerga forces in northern Iraq, which unfortunately claimed the life of an American service member." The Peshmerga are Kurdish militia who have generally fought more effectively against the Islamic State in northern Iraq than the regular Iraqi security forces. The US has been training, equipping and advising Pershmerga forces as well as Iraqi security forces, and the Pentagon recently pledged up to US$415 million in aid to the Kurds. Carter expressed condolences for Keating's death, which is the third US combat death in Iraq since US forces returned there in mid-2014 to help the Iraqi government regain the wide swaths of territory captured by the Islamic State. Wednesday's session in Stuttgart was the latest in a series with partners on strategies for increasing assistance to the Iraqis, including the Kurdish Peshmerga forces, as they seek to recapture the northern Islamic State stronghold of Mosul. This comes as a political crisis in Baghdad clouds the outlook for further military advances against the militants. Carter has placed a high priority on drawing coalition members more deeply into the counter-IS campaign, stressing the threat posed by allowing the extremists to spread their influence. "We must do this," Carter told the opening session. "It's important for civilization that we do this. We can do this. We're going to. With your help, it'll go faster." The Stuttgart session was attended by senior defense officials from Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain and Britain. Norway was also invited and was expected to attend. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Ni Komang Erviani (The Jakarta Post) Kuta Wed, May 4, 2016 Dozens of women looked busy preparing a pecaruan panca sata purification ritual at the Banjar Tegal Gundul community hall in Tibubeneng village. The Balinese Hindu ritual is slated to be carried out on Thursday following an incident on Monday in which Bali Police shot dead a French national, Amokrane Sabet, after he stabbed a police officer to death. Villager Ketut Diani, 50, said the ritual should be conducted to cast away bad spirits. "We believe the incident has had negative effects. The ritual is needed to restore harmony between humans and the environment," she said. The cleansing ritual will be performed by all villagers of Banjar Tegal Gundul. The ritual is also aimed at preventing similar violence from taking place in the future. Violence, especially acts of violence that result in untimely death, is believed to be a prime cause of spiritual impurity. This impurity disrupts the cosmic balance in the universe, and over time, may trigger a series of negative events that affect the whole community. Balinese are obliged to hold purification and sacrificial rituals to restore cosmic balance. The police arrest led to a deadly shooting at Harmoni Villa, Sabet's residence in Banjar Tegal Gundul, when police and immigration officers came to round up the former mixed martial artist following a tip-off from locals. Some residents had filed complaints against Sabet for having frequently threatened the locals and causing public disturbance. Locals said that while they deplored the incident that claimed two lives. They, however, felt relieved, as they will no longer have to face Sabets threats. "He often scared people. He often ate [at local restaurants] and refused to pay the bill. He would often drive his car with the radio turned up loudly, causing a disturbance, said Luh Rentadi, a villager. Separately, residents were also seen on Jl. Gunung Talang II Denpasar at the house of late police officer, Brig. Anak Agung Putu Sudiarta, who was stabbed to death by the Frenchman. Sudiarta's body, however, was still at the morgue in Sanglah Hospital as Sudiartas family plans to hold a memukur ritual, a pre-cremation ritual before taking the deceased body home on May 20. The cremation ceremony will be held on May 23 at the familys temple. Anak Agung Kompiang Tilem, Sudiarta's uncle, said that Sudiarta was a good person. "He was a brave man and always lent a helping hand," Kompiang said. Following the incident, the Bali immigration office plans to tighten supervision of foreigners residing on the resort island. "We will tighten our monitoring," said Ngurah Rai immigration office head Yosep HA Renung Widodo on Tuesday. Yosep called on all Bali residents to report foreigners staying in their rented houses or hotels for long periods. The Ngurah Rai immigration office has deported at least 70 foreign nationals in the first four months the year for visa violations. Sabet had been staying in Bali since 2014 using the visa-on-arrival facility. "He often went to Singapore to renew his visa. But since September 2015, he did not renew his visa," Yosep said. (dmr) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Erika Anindita Dewi (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Wed, May 4, 2016 Reports of rampant sexual violence against women and girls have not motivated lawmakers to bring forward deliberations of a sexual violence bill, arguing that there are many other urgent bills that also need their attention. The deputy chairperson of House of Representatives Commission VIII overseeing religious and social affairs, Ledia Hanifa Amaliah, said on Wednesday that her commission had not started to deliberate the sexual violence bill, which has been listed among the Houses national legislation program priorities. "The problem is each House internal body can only discuss two draft bills," Ledia told thejakartapost.com on Tuesday evening, adding that Commission VIII was already discussing two draft bills. She suggested that Commission III overseeing law, human rights and legal affairs could take over the deliberation of the sexual violence bill to make the process faster. Human rights and NGO activists have demanded that lawmakers immediately approve the bill into law to ensure legal protection for women who fall victim to any type of sexual abuse. The National Commission on Violence against Women (Komnas Perempuan) recorded 321,752 cases of violence against women in 2015, up from 293,220 cases in the previous year. The latest incident was the gang rape and murder of a 14-year-old girl by 14 teenage boys in Bengkulu, which has ignited a spirit of solidarity in social media. Speaking separately, Commission III chairman Bambang Soesatyo said the commission was still focusing on the revision of the Criminal Code (KUHP) and the Criminal Law Procedures Code (KUHAP). Therefore, the commission may only start deliberating the sexual violence bill next year. In 2014, Komnas Perempuan began to draft the sexual violence bill, which has been given priority status to be deliberated this year. In the bill, Komnas Perempuan listed six forms of sexual violence against women: rape, sexual harassment, sexual exploitation, sexual control, sexual torture and sexually charged punishment. The bill also stipulates a maximum sentence of 15 years' imprisonment for those convicted of sex crimes. It also included several articles that provide better protection for rape victims. Meanwhile, House legislation council chairman Supratman Andi Agtas argued that the sexual violence bill lacked an academic paper. (bbn) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Duncan Graham (The Jakarta Post) Wellington Wed, May 4 2016 Access to public buildings and services is supposed to be available to all. But try climbing the steps into a bank, mall or government office if you use crutches or a wheelchair in Indonesia. Not a problem in New Zealand, as rights advocate Endang Haryani discovered during a two-week tour of facilities for the impaired. Its illegal to deny access to public buildings and transportation in the South Pacific nation, which claims to be a world leader in care for the disabled. However, ideas and technologies that work well in one culture dont always migrate successfully. A common sight is the handicapped and elderly using four-wheel electric scooters, Haryani said. They drive into malls and offices while seated on their little machines; they have access to busses, trains and special toilets. She said she would love to see that happening in Indonesia, ensuring independence. We could make similar scooters but our roads and pavements are notoriously crowded and potholed and traffic ill-disciplined. There are few safe spaces, she says. There are parking bays exclusively for handicapped drivers in NZ. Heavy fines are imposed on misusers. I dont think this could happen in Indonesia. Haryani is the director of Yayasan Pembinaan Anak Cacat (YPAC or Foundation for the Care of Handicapped Children) in Malang, East Java. There are 17 YPACs across Indonesia, originally established during the 1950s polio epidemic. Now the crippling disease has been almost defeated by the Salk vaccine, the YPACs care for children with all handicaps, physical and intellectual. Apart from access problems, attitudes also need to change, Haryani said. The disabled have rights and need to be accepted and treated equally. The idea that a handicapped child is a curse for sins committed by parents persists. Children can be locked away, hidden from neighbors. The kids dont get schooling or the care they need. Those with autism get labelled naughty. At YPAC Malang we send staff into the community to try and dispel these myths and get families involved in rehabilitation. to Read Full Story SUBSCRIBE NOW Starting from IDR 55,500/month Unlimited access to our web and app content e-Post daily digital newspaper No advertisements, no interruptions Privileged access to our events and programs Subscription to our newsletters We accept Register to read 3 premium articles for free Already subscribed? login Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Prima Wirayani (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Wed, May 4, 2016 The Indonesian economy expanded by only 4.92 percent year-on-year (yoy) in the first quarter of this year, lower than 5.04 percent in the previous quarter. Private consumption, weighing in at more than 58 percent of the gross domestic product (GDP) value in the period, expanded 4.94 percent, another below-5-percent growth. Investment expanded 4.24 percent while government spending grew by only 2.93 percent yoy versus 7.31 percent recorded in the previous quarter. However, this year's start was better than that of the same period last year when the economy grew by 4.73 percent yoy, said Central Statistic Agency (BPS) head Suryamin when announcing the GDP growth at his office in Central Jakarta on Wednesday. Suryamin quickly brushed-off concerns about the economy, saying that this quarters situation was not an apple-to-apple comparison to the previous one when businesses and government spending had picked up pace. "Economic activities have just started in the first quarter," he said, adding that the economy started moving faster in the second and third quarter thanks to holiday celebrations and government spending. The first quarter figure is well below analysts and the government's projection. Bank Indonesia (BI) expects to see the economy expand 5.1 percent this quarter, while analysts and the market project growth of between 5.01 percent and 5.2 percent. The headline number came in below market expectations, DBS Bank economist Gundy Cahyadi admitted. "Investment growth is the key downside risk to our GDP growth forecast this year, especially since private sector investment is not expected to recover by much until we are in the second half of this year," he wrote in a research note. He penciled in 5.2 percent full-year growth, slightly below the government's target of 5.3 percent. Indonesia's economy, the largest in the Southeast Asia, expanded by only 4.8 percent last year, the slowest since the 2009 financial crisis. (dmr) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin (Associated Press) Jerusalem Wed, May 4, 2016 A Jerusalem court on Tuesday handed a life sentence to the main attacker in the killing of a Palestinian teenager in 2014 whose death helped spark a chain of events that led to that year's Gaza war. The court sentenced Yosef Haim Ben David, 30, to life plus 20 years. The state prosecutor said the damage he caused Israel and the family of the Palestinian teen is "irreparable." Ben David and two accomplices abducted 16-year-old Mohammed Abu Khdeir in his east Jerusalem neighborhood, drove to a forest and burned him to death in 2014. They said it was in revenge for three Israeli teens abducted and killed by Palestinians allied with the Islamic militant group Hamas earlier that summer. The killing of Abu Khdeir was widely condemned in Israel, but fueled clashes between Palestinians and Israeli police. Ben David expressed remorse in the courtroom. After the sentencing, the Abu Khdeir family yelled slurs at him. Hussein Abu Khdeir, father of the murdered teen, said he wants to "see him die in prison." Hamas increased its rocket fire on Israel after the killing of the three Israeli teens prompted a crackdown on the group in the West Bank. The violence escalated into the 50-day Gaza war, which killed more than 2,200 Palestinians. On the Israeli side, 66 soldiers and seven civilians were killed. Gaza has been mostly calm since then, but Israel said earlier on Tuesday that customs officials thwarted a plot to smuggle explosive materials into the Hamas-run territory. Israel's Tax Authority said inspectors uncovered four tons of ammonium chloride enough to produce hundreds of rockets hidden inside sacks of salt about two weeks ago as the shipment was being transferred to Gaza. Militants in Gaza have fired thousands of rockets at Israel over the years. "This case underscores the activity of Gaza-based terrorist organizations in smuggling dual-use materials disguised as goods destined for the civilian population and reconstruction projects," the Tax Authority said. Along with explosives, ammonium chloride can be used in fertilizer and other products. Israel's Shin Bet security service became suspicious after unusually large quantities of salt were ordered by a Gaza importer with ties to the Islamic militant group Hamas, the tax authority said. Israel and Egypt imposed a blockade on Gaza in 2007 after Hamas seized power from forces loyal to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. Humanitarian aid and goods enter Gaza via Israeli crossings. Other goods are smuggled in through tunnels from neighboring Egypt. Later on Tuesday, the military said a Palestinian rammed his vehicle into a group of Israeli soldiers in the West Bank, wounding three of them, one seriously. Soldiers at the scene opened fire and killed the attacker, it said. Since mid-September, Palestinians have carried out dozens of assaults on civilians and security forces, killing 28 Israelis and two Americans. Some 200 Palestinians have been killed over the same period, the vast majority of whom Israel says were carrying out attacks or planning them. Earlier Tuesday, the Israeli military demolished the home of a Palestinian attacker who gunned down two Israelis in the West Bank last year. Ziad Amer, the father of suspected killer Zeid, said Israeli troops in dozens of army vehicles raided the West Bank town of Nablus and demolished the family's apartment. He said his appeal to the Israeli Supreme Court against the demolition was rejected. The military says Zeid Amer was part of a five-member Hamas cell that shot and killed U.S. citizen Eitam Henkin and his wife Naama as they drove in the northern West Bank on Oct. 1. Their four young children in the back of the car escaped unharmed. Israel says it carries out housing demolitions to deter attacks. The Palestinians consider it a form of collective punishment. (ags) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Frances D'emilio (Associated Press) Rome Wed, May 4, 2016 Improved sea conditions are permitting the Italian navy to resume a complex operation to recover a sunken fishing boat with the bodies of hundreds of migrants inside. Navy vessels are set to head Wednesday to the site of the April 2015 shipwreck, in which the immense loss of life spurred Europe to step up patrols of the Mediterranean, where Libyan-based smugglers launch overcrowded boats on risky voyages toward Italy's shores. The boat is located 85 miles (130 kilometers) from the Libyan coastline and sank 370 meters (1,200 feet) after it capsized just as a cargo ship was coming to the migrants' rescue. Italian Premier Matteo Renzi has vowed Italy will do everything possible to retrieve the bodies and try to identify them. Navy divers over several months already recovered 169 bodies found near the wreckage. The navy said Tuesday a 30-meter (100-foot) -long barge will be used to bring the wreck to a port in Sicily once it is raised with the help of a specially designed robotic apparatus. Firefighters will then enter the wreck in the port to retrieve the bodies. Survivors said as many as 800 people were trapped inside. Forensic experts will examine the corpses, in hopes that a Europe-wide network of information will lead to identification, the navy said. Not infrequently, families of migrants inform authorities that loved-ones never arrived after setting out in a smugglers' boat. The bodies will be buried in cemeteries in Sicily. Italy's coast guard has coordinated the sea rescues of more than 330,000 migrants fleeing poverty or conflicts since the start of 2014. Thousands have perished, with some corpses found in boats along with survivors. Authorities acknowledge some boats might have sunk without anyone learning of the wreck, leaving an unknown number of dead on the Mediterranean's bottom. (ags) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Ayomi Amindoni (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Wed, May 4, 2016 President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo visited Central Java on Wednesday to inaugurate several revitalized traditional markets. It is the Presidents third field visit on the same agenda after market inaugurations in West Nusa Tenggara and Papua last week. During his visit to Central Java, Jokowi was set to inaugurate Manis market in Banyumas, Giwangretno market in Kebumen, and Krendetan market in Purworejo. The government launched its traditional market revitalization program last year, aimed at revitalizing 5,000 markets within the five years of his term of office. "The revitalization is not only physical improvement, but also managerial improvement," Jokowi said during his visit to Pharaa market in Sentani, Papua last week. According to Trade Ministry data, the government has spent Rp 1.4 trillion (US$105.7 million) revitalizing 1,002 markets. This year, the ministry has identified 880 markets to be revitalized with a budget of Rp1.7 trillion. Last week, Jokowi inaugurated Amahami market in West Nusa Tenggara. In Papua, Jokowi kicked-off construction of the Mama-mama market in Jayapura, and inaugurated Doyo market in Sentani. (ags) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Callistasia Anggun Wijaya (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Wed, May 4, 2016 After visiting a man-made islet in Jakarta Bay on Wednesday, three ministers, who were accompanied by Jakarta Governor Basuki Ahok Tjahaja Purnama, revealed the flaws in the construction of the so-called islets C and D. Maritime and Fisheries Minister Susi Pudjiastuti, who was one of the visiting ministers, pointed out that the unification of islets C and D into one islet violated the permits of the reclamation, issued by the Jakarta city administration. According to the permit, the two islets should be separated by a 300-meter wide canal, the minister said. The two other ministers who visited the islet were Coordinating Maritime Affairs Minister Rizal Ramli and Forestry and Environment Minister Siti Nurbaya. Siti revealed that the environmental impact analysis (AMDAL) documents for the construction of the islets did not include crucial environmental considerations like the provision of clean water, impact on undersea cables and pipes as well as sedimentation in the surrounding area. During a meeting in April Rizal, Siti and Ahok agreed to suspend the reclamation in Jakarta Bay, pending the governments assessment of the documentation and the procedures of the reclamation. There was no activity on the islet being constructed by PT Kapuk Naga Indah (KNI), a subsidiary company of Agung Sedayu Group, on Wednesday. Some heavy equipment was parked upon the sand-based islet. However, some security and construction workers still watched over the land. Journalists have not been given free rein to examine the islet. But dozens of almost-finished buildings have been constructed on the one islet that is supposed to be Islets C and D. The buildings cannot possibly have construction permits (IMB) because the legal basis for issuing the permits has not been approved by the City Council. The City Council stopped the deliberation of the two reclamation bills that would have been the legal basis for the reclamation process following the arrest of Mohamad Sanusi, a city councilor, for allegedly accepting a bribe from PT Agung Agung Promoro, whose two executives have also been named suspects by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK). Responding to a question about the unification of the two islets, KNI director Nono Sampono said the islet unification was not permanent. Citing a European theory, the islets should be unified for three years before the land can be separated. When the foundation materials have become condensed it will be safe for the islets to be split. The construction of the islet was completed in 2014. "If we get a permit to continue the project, we can start working to build the canal even today," Nono said during a press conference on Wednesday. Nono, who is also the president director of Agung Sedayu Group, said that developers would construct a 100-meter canal to split the two islets. It will comply with regulations in accordance with the Danish Hydraulic Institute (DHI), the consultant firm that has been contracted by the Forestry and Environment Minister, the canal size of each reclaimed islet will vary, starting from 100 to 300 meters, he said, adding that for islets C and D, the canal would be 100 to 150 meters in width. Responding to Nonos explanation, minister Siti said her ministry would further check the regulation regarding the canal width requirement. She added that she would issue a letter that would include a further direction for the developer to improve the islets construction. Minister Rizal expressed the hope that the Forestry and Environment Ministry would issue a letter next week. He also called on the city administration to ensure social integration in the reclaimed islets. "We don't want there to be a fortress that separates rich people and poor people. The reclaimed islets should also be utilized by poor people," Rizal said. (bbn) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Farida Susanty (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Wed, May 4, 2016 Toll road operators are upbeat about improved traffic congestion and trip durations from Jakarta to East Brebes in Central Java, following the implementation of an integrated payment system. State-owned toll road operator Jasa Marga's president director Adityawarman said trips from Jakarta to East Brebes would take a mere four hours compared to the 10 hours needed to travel a shorter distance from Jakarta to Palimanan, West Java during the holiday season last year. "We believe it will cut travel time to four hours," he said on Wednesday. The Public Works and Public Housing Ministry ordered an integrated payment system for the Jakarta-Cikampek toll road, covering Cikopo-Palimanan in West Java as an initial cluster, and Palimanan to Pemalang in Central Java as the second cluster. The measure was taken in anticipation of the Idul Fitri holiday in July. The first cluster is currently run by two different toll road operators, namely Jasa Marga and infrastructure firm Lintas Marga Sedaya (LMS), requiring road users to pay at several toll gates and causing traffic. In the first cluster, the integrated system will eliminate the need to pay at the Cikopo toll gate, so vehicles simply need to take a ticket at the Cikarang Utama toll road gate in Cikampek and pay in Palimanan. Last year, queues at the Cikopo toll gate caused severe gridlock across the area. The tolls are reported to reach Rp 109,500 (US$8.27). The system will be ready on June 13. (dmr) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin thejakartapost.com (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Wed, May 4, 2016 Vice President Jusuf Kalla says the government has not prepared ransom money to free Indonesian hostages who are still being held by a militant group in the southern Philippines. "Release efforts are still ongoing; we continue to conduct negotiations," he said on Wednesday as quoted by tempo.co. Four Indonesians are being held in a different location to where 10 Indonesian hostages, who were recently freed, had been held, the Vice President said. He added that the group holding each cohort of Indonesians was also different. Because of the situation, the four people had not been freed at the same time as the other 10, Kalla said. He declined to provide further details on the negotiations, but stressed that the government never provided ransom money to ensure the release of hostages as it could lead to a repeat of similar cases. The 10 Indonesian sailors who were kidnapped by the Abu Sayyaf group were released on May 1. The hostages were crewmen from the Brahma 12 tugboat that was hijacked in late March. The four hostages who remain in captivity are crewmen from the TB Henry and the Crista barge, which were hijacked in April 15 en route from Cebu in the Philippines to Tarakan in North Kalimantan. The location of the hostages is suspected to be in Tawi-Tawi province in the Philippines. Kalla said the government would the open door to any party wanting to provide assistance in the efforts to release the hostages. "We are open to those who want to help, but of course it has to be coordinated," Kalla said. He stressed that the main priority was the safety of the men, although their release was hoped to be achieved sooner than that of the 10 crewmen, who were held for over a month. "Of course we hope the sooner the better, but it depends of the progress," said Kalla. (liz/bbn) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Anton Hermansyah (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Wed, May 4, 2016 The Financial Services Authority (OJK) is considering seeking alternative funding sources, including through the use of regional bonds, to help finance the governments plan to upgrade its 11 new priority destinations. OJK chairman Muliaman D. Hadad said the current budget allocation of Rp 100 trillion (US$755.5 million) from the state budget for the projects was far from sufficient to finance massive infrastructure development and drive promotion. "We need more funds to build roads, hotels and cottages. We hope capital market instruments will be among solutions, Muliaman said on Tuesday, attributing the instruments to, among others, the issuance of regional debt papers, sukuk and limited participation mutual fund (RDPT) using the developed projects as underlying assets. Muliaman admitted that there were currently no regional ratings available to support the issuance of such debt papers by regional administrations. This will be part of our work in the near future, he said. The 11 new priority destinations are Lake Toba, Belitung, Tanjung Lesung, Thousand Islands, Borobudur temple, Mount Bromo, Mandalika, Lombok, Komodo Island, Wakatobi National Park and Morotai. The government has allocated Rp 100 trillion for the development of infrastructure and basic facilities for the destinations. Tourism Minister Arief Yahya said earlier that while the government had allocated Rp.100 trillion for the projects, it needed Rp 200 trillion to fully develop the destinations. Indonesia, according to Arief, needs an additional 120,000 hotel rooms, 15,000 restaurants, 100 recreational parks, 100 diving operators, 100 marinas and 100 special economic zones. The government considers tourism to be a leading sector in the economy because of its contribution to national economic growth and foreign exchange earnings. President Joko Jokowi Widodo expects tourism to contribute 15 percent to the gross domestic product (GDP), generate foreign exchange of Rp 240 trillion, and create jobs for 13 million people. (dmr) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin thejakartapost.com (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Wed, May 4, 2016 Seven of 12 people who have been apprehended so far for their roles in the rape and murder of a 14-year-old girl have each been sentenced to 10 years in prison. The sentences were handed down at a hearing held at the Curup District Court in Bengkulu on Tuesday presided over by Judge Heny Farida, assisted by Hendri Sumardi and Fahrudin. District prosecutor's office head Eko Hening Wardhono said the seven teenagers had been found guilty of violating several articles of the Child Protection Law. "It was a hearing of the seven suspects who are underage," Eko said after attending the hearing, adding that the seven convicts were categorized as minors, evidenced by their birth certificates. They were identified only as D, aka J; A; FS; S; and DI, who are all 17, and EG and S, who are 16. Five other suspects include TW, SK and FS, who are 19 years old, and ZI, who is 23. The police are currently hunting for a further two suspects who are still at large. The Rejang Lebong Police tightened security at the court during the hearing. The victim was a junior high school student who lived in Rejang Lebong, Bengkulu. She was raped and murdered by 14 young men as she was on her way home from school. The location of the crime was a mere 500 meters from the victim's house, on a rubber plantation. The girl's body was found on April 4 by the police and several of her family members, with the assistance of several local residents. Ironically, the suspects also participated in the search. Padang Ulak Tanding Police chief Insp. Eka Candra said they were still chasing two other suspects. He said the police had scoured a number of locations and would continue to search until they were found. "We will capture them as soon as possible," Eka said as quoted by tempo.co. (liz/bbn) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin thejakartapost.com (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Wed, May 4, 2016 The Jakarta Legal Aid Institute (LBH Jakarta) has urged President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo to punish the National Police chief over the arrest of 1,724 activists in Papua for holding rallies in support of a pro-referendum group. Veronica Koman, a lawyer with LBH Jakarta, also criticized the polices move to detain two activists in Merauke who were delivering a notification letter on a rally plan on Tuesday. The rally was aimed to show their support for the International Parliamentarians for West Papua (IPWP) event in London. "What was the basis for detaining people delivering a notification letter on a rally plan? Forty-one activists were held in Jayapura just for distributing rally invitation pamphlets. These are indiscriminate, unconstitutional measures," she said as quoted by tempo.co on Tuesday. Thousands of the activists on Monday held simultaneous rallies in seven cities in four provinces, namely Papua (Merauke, Jayapura, Wamena), West Papua (Fakfak, Sorong), Central Java (Semarang), and South Sulawesi (Makassar). The rally was aimed to show support for the United Liberation Movement for West Papua's (ULMWP) full membership in the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG). ULMWP is a political organization calling for a referendum on Papua. According to LBH Jakarta data, 1,449 activists were detained in Jayapura, 118 in Merauke, 45 in Semarang, 42 in Makassar, 29 in Fakfak, 27 in Sorong, and 14 others in Wamena on Monday. Taking previous arrests in Merauke (April 25), Jayapura (April 30), Wamena and Merauke (May 1) into account, 1,839 Papua activists have been detained since April. "Most of them have been released, but dozens are still detained in Merauke, Fakfak and Wamena. [...] President Joko Widodos frequent visits to Papua are useless if he only attends ceremonial events. He must listen to peoples aspirations," Veronica said. LBH Jakarta director Alghiffari Aqsa claimed that the arrests violated the 1998 law on the freedom of expression in public spaces. Despite their political call for a referendum, he highlighted the importance of preserving the activists' constitutional rights as Indonesian citizens. He urged Jokowi to punish the National Police chief, Papua Police chief, and West Papua Police chief for violating Papuans constitutional rights. He also urged the release of the detained activists. (ags) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Bambang Muryanto (The Jakarta Post) Yogyakarta Wed, May 4, 2016 The Yogyakarta Police dispersed members of the city's Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI) as they attempted to commemorate World Press Day on Tuesday. The commemoration was to be marked by a showing of the movie Pulau Buru Tanah Air Beta (Buru Island My Motherland), directed by Rahung Nasution. The police were reportedly responding to pressure from the Communication Forum of Indonesian Veterans' Children (FKPPI), an association of families of military and police veterans, who rejected the movie screening. Yogyakarta Police officer Com. Sigit Haryadi said the screening had the potential to create conflict as local residents had rejected the event. Thus, the screening should be halted for security reasons, he explained. "It is also to protect the image of Yogyakarta as a city of tolerance," Sigit added. The disbandment took place following pressure from a number of FKPPI youth members who visited the AJI headquarters along with the founder of the Indonesia Anti-Communist Front (FAKI), Burhanuddin, who is implicated in killings during the 1965 massacre. Previously, Sigit visited the AJI Yogyakarta's office to meet with the committee, but he reportedly shouted at them and asked why the alliance had organized an event without informing the police, adding that the Yogyakarta Police chief demanded the event be halted. FKPPI members and Burhanuddin himself, who stood in front of the AJI office, also clashed with members of the alliance, who were in turn supported by artists, university students and NGO activists. Those opposing the screening accused the AJI committee and the activists of being communists. Yogyakarta Police officers on Tuesday afternoon urged the committee to cancel the screening, which they claimed could contain communist teachings, adding that there had been no prior information about the movie. Press Council commissioner Nezar Patria called Yogyakarta Police's intelligence and security division head Comr. Wahyu Dwi Nugroho in support of the event taking place, but he said he could not make a final decision as he had to follow commands. The committee, however, insisted on making every effort for the event to take place, as canceling it would have smothered the commemoration of World Press Day. "We only want to halt the event if there is an official disbandment from the police," said AJI Yogyakarta chairman Anang Zakaria. The FKPPI and the local administration continued to pressure the committee until the police officially banned the screening, leading the committee to cancel it. Anang said the committee had fought for its rights to the maximum, adding that they were not afraid as being scared only prolonged slavery. However, Anang regretted that police officers had once again bowed down to pressure from intolerant groups. "We had asked for permits from village officials and invited the Yogyakarta Police chief," Anang said. The incident adds to a list of recent cases of intolerance that have occurred in Yogyakarta. (afr/bbn) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Rod McGuirk (Associated Press) Canberra Wed, May 4, 2016 Australia's election campaign will officially start soon with climate change policy and union corruption in the national building industry shaping into key battlegrounds for the July 2 poll. Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said Wednesday that he was likely to visit Governor-General Peter Cosgrove this weekend to lock down the date and officially start the election campaign. A heartening historical fact for Turnbull is that no Australian federal government has lost power after a single three-year term since the tumultuous early years of the Great Depression. But Australia is now in an extraordinary era of political volatility as it grapples to diversify an economy that thrived on a mining boom that has gone bust. If the opposition center-left Labor Party wins the election, it will mean Australia's fifth change of prime minister in six years. Turnbull replaced his unpopular predecessor Tony Abbott in a leadership ballot of lawmakers in the ruling center-right Liberal Party in September, only two years after the coalition government was elected. The change of prime minister immediately boosted the government's standing in opinion polls, but recent polls suggest the government is now running neck-and-neck with Labor. Ostensibly Turnbull has called an early election because a hostile senate has refused to pass legislation that would allow the government to create a building industry watchdog called the Australian Building and Construction Commission. The ABCC was disbanded in 2012 by a former Labor government, which is linked to the trade union movement. While the plight of the ABCC seems an obscure issue to most voters, the political debate focuses attention on opposition leader Bill Shorten's history as a union official. Before he entered parliament in 2007, Shorten was a senior official of the Australian Workers Union, one of five unions targeted by government-commissioned inquiry into union corruption. Labor condemned the inquiry as a politically motivated witch hunt. Shorten rejected suggestions by inquiry lawyers that he had had conflicts of interests when companies made donations to his union while he was negotiating with them over workers' pay. Even Labor supporters criticized him over news of the donations. Australian National University political scientist John Wanna expects Turnbull will use the issue to focus on Shorten's union past during the campaign. "He's going to turn the attack on Shorten: 'You're just a union thug; you're just a union hack; you've blocked us from bringing in a measure that would have made unions more accountable,'" Wanna said. Labor is expected to exploit Turnbull's past support for Australia adopting an emissions trading system to cut greenhouse gas pollution. Australia, on a per capita basis, is among the world's worst polluters. Turnbull's support in 2009 for a then Labor government's proposal to introduce an emissions trading scheme cost him the leadership of the Liberal Party. He was replaced by Abbott, who repealed a two-year-old carbon tax in 2014. The tax paid by Australia's worst industrial polluters had been due that year to transition into an emissions trading scheme with market forces determining the price of a ton of carbon. Labor again wants the emissions trading scheme to replace the government's so-called Direct Action policy of paying polluters taxpayer-funded incentives to operate more cleanly, and Shorten has been reminding the public that Turnbull once described Direct Action as "an environmental fig leaf to hide a determination to do nothing." Turnbull's coalition currently holds 90 of 150 seats in the House of Representatives, while Labor has 55 seats. Turnbull will be hoping that the early election will not only return his government but provide him with a more compliant senate that is more likely to pass his legislative agenda. All 76 senate seats are up for grabs. The government currently holds 33 senate seats, Labor holds 25 and the left-wing Greens party holds 10. The remaining eight are either independents or sole senators representing minor parties. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Agnes Anya (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Wed, May 4, 2016 PT Kapuk Naga Indah, a subsidiary of developer PT Agung Sedayu, says it is ready to pay a fine for violating a permit relating to hundreds of buildings on Islet D, one of 17 man-made islets in Jakarta's north coast reclamation projects. A director at PT Kapuk Naga Indah, Nono Sampono, admitted to his companys violation of permit regulations as it had constructed the buildings, which are slated for residential and commercial purposes, without a building permit (IMB). The company decided to unilaterally proceed with the construction, he said, as the Jakarta administration had not responded to its IMB proposal for more than two years. He admitted that proceeding with the construction without obtaining a building permit was a violation. However, he claimed, it was a normal action for developers when they were proceeding with projects. "Try asking other developers. Do they proceed with construction while taking care of their permit, or after receiving it first?" Nono said. Nonetheless, he said the company had acknowledged the risk of violating the regulation and, hence, had prepared funds in case fines were imposed. Nono attended a Wednesday press conference regarding the Jakarta Bay reclamation with Coordinating Maritime Affairs Minister Rizal Ramli, Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Minister Susi Pudjiastuti, Environment and Forestry Minister Siti Nurbaya Bakar and Jakarta Governor Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama. During the press conference, Nono expressed his company's hopes of acquiring the IMB from the Jakarta administration as soon as possible. The company may have to continue waiting, however, with Siti saying permits were unlikely to be issued before her ministry, along with a joint team involving the other ministries and the administration, finished examining overlapping issues in the reclamation project, including regulations and environmental analysis. The central government has frozen all activities regarding the Jakarta Bay reclamation as it wants to work on balancing perceptions of overlapping reclamation planning between the ministries, the administration and developers. (dmr) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin (Associated Press) Moscow Wed, May 4, 2016 Russia says it will form new military divisions to be stationed along the country's borders with Europe to counter a planned NATO buildup. Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said Wednesday that two new divisions would be formed along the western border and one along the southern border by the end of the year. Shoigu gave no specifics about the number of additional troops to be deployed. US Defense Secretary Ash Carter said Monday that the NATO alliance was considering establishing a continuous rotation of up to 4,000 troops in the Baltic states and possibly Poland, reflecting deepening worry in the West about Russian military assertiveness. Carter said this would be separate from a US decision to send a US armored brigade of about 4,200 troops to Eastern Europe next February. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Stefani Ribka (The Jakarta Post) Singapore Wed, May 4, 2016 The Tahir Foundation has allocated S$1 million (US$774,000) for Yogyakarta-based Gadjah Mada University (UGM) and the National University of Singapore (NUS) to facilitate exchanges of students, lecturers and knowledge and to elevate medical education in Indonesia. The three institutions' leaders signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on the program, called the "Tahir NUS-UGM Collaboration in Medicine Programme", in Singapore on Wednesday. UGM rector Dwikorita Karnawati said the MOU would run for five years to enhance Indonesian health care. "The cooperation marks our commitment to collaborate together. The forms of cooperation are not rigid and will follow our needs along the way," Dwikorita said on the sidelines of the signing ceremony. The collaboration could take the form of cancer mapping in Indonesian regions, which has not been available to date; combined research on cures for cancer, kidneys failure and other diseases; and the exchange of lecturers and students. "Through exchanges we'll be able to have knowledge transfer, ranging from disease management to health community characteristics in each country that will enrich both countries' health worlds," Dwikorita said. Dwikorita hoped that improved Indonesian health education would help to fix the mindset that the country has been left behind in terms of the quality of its medical practice. "We want more locals to trust local hospitals more in the future," she said. (dmr) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin thejakartapost.com (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Wed, May 4, 2016 It is now only a matter of choosing the day on which the third round of executions of drug convicts will be carried out, Attorney General Muhammad Prasetyo said on Tuesday. The Attorney General's Office (AGO) has begun preparations for the executions, set to take place on the notorious prison island of Nusakambangan in Cilacap, Central Java. "There is only the choosing of the specific date. That's what I haven't been able to decide," Prasetyo said on Tuesday as quoted by newsportal Kompas.com. He refused to disclose any details about what was delaying his decision. He also refrained from answering questions from reporters regarding the number of convicts who are to be executed. The Attorney General has confirmed that Filipino Mary Jane Veloso and Indonesian drug kingpin Freddy Budiman are not on the list. Veloso exclusion is due to an ongoing legal process in a separate but related case in her country. Meanwhile, Freddy, who was found guilty of smuggling 1.4 million ecstasy pills from China to Indonesia in 2012, has filed for a case review, Prasetyo said. The prosecutors will execute convicts whose verdicts are final, he added. Prasteyo said he hoped the third round of executions would be carried out without any public uproar, such as that which has previously arisen after the executions of death row convicts. "We do not want any racket. I have said many times, this is not something that is fun, but we have to do it nonetheless. Because no matter what, it concerns the well-being of the nation," he said. Central Java Police chief Insp. Gen Condro Kirono said he had prepared the firing squad, doctors as well as clerics and priests for the executions. He said a firing squad of 14 personnel was deployed to execute one convict. However, he did not know the exact date either, as coordination between the AGO and police had been made prior to the execution. There were 65 drug convicts on death row as of 2015, according to AGO data. President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo's administration has executed two groups of death-row convicts, both of which were carried out last year and comprise a total of 14 people. The first round was conducted on January 18 with six drug convicts executed. The second round shortly after, on April 29, especially dominated media headlines, since several of the eight people who were executed were foreigners whose deaths caused tensions between Indonesian and the respective home countries of the convicts. (liz/rin) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Nezar Patria and Marguerite Afra Sapiie (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Wed, May 4, 2016 On the heels of the heart-warming return of 10 Indonesian sailors previously held hostage by the Abu Sayyaf group in the southern Philippines, the details of the release remain cloudy as the government seems reluctant to disclose the events that led to the rescue. Following the sailors' return, Foreign Minister Retno LP Marsudi asserted on Monday that the release was made possible through intense coordination with numerous parties, including Filipino authorities and the sailors' employers, Patria Maritime Airlines. However, government officials have not revealed further details, including Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister Luhut Pandjaitan, who refused to name the groups and non-governmental parties involved in the rescue operation. While some media reports have named numerous public figures rumored to have led the process of releasing the crewmen, several sources who personally took part in the rescue efforts but asked to remain anonymous due to the sensitivity of the information and the safety of other four Indonesians still being held by another group told The Jakarta Post that the operation actually involved more than just old-school diplomacy. How much was the ransom? Sources have confirmed that neither Indonesian officials nor the sailors' employer Patria Maritime Lines paid a ransom demanded by the militant group. The negotiations instead comprised people-to-people dialogue, involving a respected figure from the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF), which was made possible due to a friendly promise made by the Sukma Foundation's humanitarian team to provide aid to support young generations of the Moro tribe in the Philippines. The 60-year-old MNLF senior commander, codenamed Grand Alpha, who headed 300 to 400 combatants in the Sulu area, has helped the Sukma Foundation since the beginning of April, when he assisted the humanitarian team to make contact with Tawing Humair, the leader of the kidnappers who hijacked the Brahma 12 tugboat in March. "Grand Alpha said [to Tawing] that there is bigger opportunity than just transactions [...] bigger opportunities for Moro people's future, education and welfare," the source said, citing what happened during the negotiations. The Indonesian government mistakenly thought the crewmen had been kidnapped by Abu Sayyaf commander Al Habsi Misaya, who was in fact handed the sailors after Tawing Humair abandoned the hijacked tugboat on his way back from the Tawi-Tawi islands. Believing Al Habsi was the kidnapper, an Indonesian negotiation team led by retired Army general Kivlan Zein made efforts through contacting Nur Misuari, the founder of the MNLF, who later appointed a subordinate named Tahir to negotiate with Habsi. Without Misuari's knowledge, Tahir communicated with Grand Alpha, who said they should hold back their troops and not make any offensive moves against the group as the hostages' lives would be at risk. Later, Grand Alpha's team decided to step in to the rescue efforts as they knew the Indonesian government had negotiated with the wrong party. They were afraid that if a ransom was paid, the hostages would not be freed as there were a lot of similar cases going on. Meanwhile, Patria Maritime Lines decided to pay the ransom of Rp 15 billion (US$1.14 million) for the hostages' release and brought the money to Zamboanga on April 29, but Tawing refused to hand over the hostages to either the company or the government due to the promise he made with Grand Alpha. Tawing, reportedly a 30-year-old madrasah (Islamic school) graduate, was said to respect Grand Alpha as the senior militant had protected him and Moro youngsters on several occasions. When Grand Alpha called him to negotiate the release of the seaman, Tawing obeyed him reverently. Promise of humanitarian aid Edo, not his real name, MNLF member and a distant relation of Grand Alpha, who was also present during the negotiations, said the idea of humanitarian assistance for younger generations of Moro suddenly emerged as part of the trade-off in return for releasing the hostages. Even though the commitment was still being questioned, Edo said, Grand Alpha had convinced the militants and said Indonesian Muslims were the only Asian neighbor that had good relations and could help Moro people with a peace process, as well as educational assistance and other transformative projects. "The negotiation team also said younger generations [of the Moro tribe] would have the privilege of being sent to schools in Aceh," Edo said. The Sukma Foundation, founded by media mogul Surya Paloh, helped child victims of the Aceh tsunami by establishing the Sukma Bangsa school to ensure their access to education, and therefore Moro people believed in it. When the government's negotiations reached a dead end, the Sukma Foundation's humanitarian team contacted its deputy chairman Rerie L. Moerdijat to ensure the continuance of the operation, a case in which she first consulted with Surya. Later, she deployed a team in the Philippines to immediately help rescue the hostages. Under the instruction of President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo, the team from Jakarta landed in Manila on Saturday evening and immediately met the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Foreign Ministry. Ahmad Baedowi (wearing glasses), one of the negotiators who helped in the release of 10 members of an Indonesian ships crew held hostage by the Abu Sayyaf group in Sulu, South Philippines, shakes hands with a ships crew in a jungle in Sulu on May 1, during the release process (thejakartapost.com/Exclusive) Sundays surprise release The team stood by in Zamboanga from Saturday night and went down to Jolo, the capital of Sulu, at around 5 a.m. local time on Sunday. They approached the militant's camp located in the jungle at around 7 a.m. and waited for about four hours until midday, when the sailors appeared safe and sound. While the negotiation team remained hidden, the sailors were brought by Grand Alpha subordinates by car to the house of Sulu Governor Abdusakur Tan II, who had been briefed about the hostages' arrival the night before. They were dropped off near a gas station and told to walk directly to Tan II's house. Julian Philip, a hostage, said following his arrival at the Foreign Ministry office that the sailors' release came as a surprise, telling the same story behind their sudden arrival at the governor's house. "We were just suddenly put in a car, dropped off at a location and told to find the governor's house," Julian said. Following the release, the sailors were transported by two Filipino police helicopters to an airbase in Zamboanga, where they underwent verification and health checks, before departing for Balikpapan and onwards to Jakarta on Surya's private jet. The 10 seamen arrived at Halim Perdanakusumah Airport in East Jakarta around midnight on Sunday, with the assistance of NasDem Party deputy chairman Victor B. Laiskodat and a counsellor from Indonesia's embassy in the Philippines, Eddy Mulya. The government is now focusing its attention on securing the release of four Indonesian sailors who were taken captive later in April by another group demanding a ransom in Sulu province, which did not have links with Tawing Humair. Coordinates denoting the location where 10 Indonesian ship crew were held hostage by the Abu Sayyaf group in Sulu, southern Philippines, were released on Sunday. A mobile device using a global positioning system (GPS) detected the location. (JP/Exclusive) Retno and Luhut attended a meeting with Indonesian Military commander Gen. Gatot Nurmantyo and National Intelligence Agency (BIN) chief Lt. Gen. (ret) Sutiyoso on Monday at the Office of the Coordinating Political, Legal, and Security Affairs Minister in Jakarta, where they discussed intensifying coordination to release the four crewmen. The sources said the Sukma Foundation humanitarian team was not yet involved with the government in the efforts of releasing the remaining four crewmen and would only come onto the scene if Jakarta failed in its attempts. Snack diplomacy With a successful and safe release mainly due to civil society and humanitarian-based negotiations, the government should begin to see that diplomacy can also be effective at civil society level. "Diplomacy does not only mean that we should deploy ex-military generals or intelligence officers; our civil society is also strong," one source said. Samsu Rizal Panggabean, a researcher from Gadjah Mada University (UGM) who is a consultant with the Sukma Foundation, said the operation was made possible through the bond between the Indonesians and local figures of the Moro tribe. Not only did they share the same Muslim faith, Samsu said, but Indonesian snacks, such as bakpia cakes, tempeh chips and rempeyek crackers, as well as Indonesian cigarettes that the team shared with the Moro people had touched their hearts. When the Sukma Foundation gave copies of the Koran not only to the Grand Alpha team but also to Tawing Humair, they seemed moved and expressed their thanks. We met them as friends. So it [the operation] was based on mutual trust, Samsu said. New hope Edo said a military offensive would not actually tackle the problem of extremism in the Philippines, let alone annihilating Abu Sayyaf, as by using force, the younger generations would instead bear more hatred toward the outside world. Abu Sayyaf members themselves are in fact sons of MNLF commanders who passed away during the revolution. Many MNLF and Abu Sayyaf members are related by blood, but they have had different principles and doctrines from the start, as the MNLF struggles for its rights of determination while Abu Sayyaf leans toward extremism. The fact that they have family relations makes the government mistakenly regard them as the same group. Edo said children in the Abu Sayyaf group were forced to replace their predecessors to keep the leadership relay going because all branches of the militant group had lost hope of entering mainstream society as they could be jailed without dialogue or negotiations, and they are not offered amnesty. "They want to change their lives, but they are prompted to continue their terror because they have no hope of going back to the mainstream government," Edo said, adding that the Filipino government should rework its antiterrorism policy. The fact that Tawing and his compatriots were moved by the offer of education and humanitarian assistance programs was due to the glimmer of hope of ending the cycle of violence in the country, where the wives of rebels are forbidden from visiting the city and children are not allowed to go to school, the source added. Rerie said over the phone that the Sukma Foundation had released a statement on its involvement as its role in the operation was being questioned. But the most important thing is that the 10 sailors have returned safely to Indonesia, Rerie said. (dmr) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Abdul Aziz Ismail (The Brunei Times/ANN) Bandar Seri Begawan Wed, May 4, 2016 Brunei will be hosting the ASEAN Disaster Emergency Response Simulation Exercise (ARDEX) 2016 in October to test ASEAN countries response to a disaster. Speaking on the sidelines of the opening ceremony of ARDEXs first Exercise Planning Team (EPT) Meeting at the International Convention Centre, the acting director of the National Disaster Management Centre (NDMC) said the exercise will test the regional standard protocol procedures, mechanism and frameworks to manage disasters. Abdul Rahim Hj Ismail said the exercise will showcase the capabilities of ASEAN countries through the ASEAN and national Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs). He said the exercise will also showcase ASEANs logistics. ARDEX is important... to show that we are prepared for natural disasters because we know that we cant stop disasters but what we can do is prepare to be more resilient, Abdul Rahim said. For example, if something happened in Brunei, our friends in ASEAN will support us. We have that arrangement. According to Abdul Rahim, the two-day meeting will discuss on the possible scenarios and preparations for the exercise. Throughout the meeting, the delegates will be involved in presentations and site visits. He said that there will be more follow-up meetings after the EPT to further prepare for ARDEX, and that international delegates will also be involved in the exercise. He added that United Nations representatives were also present in the meeting. During the ceremony, Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Home Affairs Hj Mohammad Abdoh Dato Seri Setia Hj Abd Salam said ASEAN is one of the most disaster prone regions in the world. The disasters that are hitting our region are getting bigger in scale and the responses are also becoming more complex. Disaster response is no longer a responsibility of one or two actors and it is now a collective responsibility, he said. He said the exercise is an opportunity for the countries to test their capacities and capabilities in responding to a worst-case scenario. It is also an opportunity to harmonize Bruneis SOPs and interoperability. At the same time, it identifies gaps to ensure better coordination to facilitate the entry of international humanitarian aid. The permanent secretary said ARDEX will be putting the One ASEAN One Response concept to test. He said the exercise is also an important milestone for the sultanate as it is the first ARDEX to be conducted after the launch of the ASEAN Agreement on Disaster Management and Emergency Response (AADMER) Work Programme 2016-2020. Hj Mohammad Abdoh said ARDEX will also allow ASEAN member states along with the ASEAN Coordinating Centre for Humanitarian Assistance (AHA) and other international response communities to be familiar with Bruneis response system. According to NDMC, ARDEX is a large-scale simulation exercise that involves the participation of ASEAN member countries, which has the objective to test, practise, review and evaluate emergency response mechanisms and disaster management in ASEAN. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Jim Gomez (Associated Press) Manila Wed, May 4, 2016 Muslim militants have threatened to kill three more hostages in their jungle base in the southern Philippines more than a week after beheading a Canadian man when their multi-million dollar ransom demands were not met. In a video circulated Tuesday by the SITE Intelligence Group, which monitors jihadi websites, the captives from Canada, Norway and the Philippines pleaded for the Canadian and Philippine governments to heed the Abu Sayyaf militants' demand. Six heavily armed Abu Sayyaf fighters stood behind the hostages, who were made to sit in a clearing and spoke briefly before a camera. A black flag hang in the backdrop of banana trees and lush foliage. Norwegian hostage Kjartan Sekkingstad said that if the kidnappers' demand was not met, "we will be executed like our friend John." The militants beheaded John Ridsdel on April 25 in the southern Philippine province of Sulu, an impoverished Muslim province in the south of the largely Roman Catholic country, after they failed to get a ransom of 300 million pesos (US$6.3 million). Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau condemned the killing but vowed not to give in to the kidnappers' ransom demands. Following the beheading, the Philippine military launched an offensive, which security officials believe have killed more than a dozen gunmen so far. Canadian captive Robert Hall asked the Philippine government to "please stop shooting at us and trying to kill us. They're gonna do a good job at that." He asked his government to heed the militants' demand. Holding back tears, Filipino Marites Flor asked several officials and prominent Philippine personalities, including local presidential candidates, for help "because we want to be freed alive." A masked militant warned Canada and the Philippines that the three remaining hostages would be killed "if you procrastinate once again." It was the first time, the three captives were shown in a video after Ridsdel's killing. The four were seized from a marina on southern Samal Island and taken by boat to Sulu, where Abu Sayyaf gunmen continue to hold several captives, including a Dutch bird watcher who was kidnapped more than three years ago, and eight Indonesian and Malaysian crewmen who were snatched recently from three tugboats. The militants freed 10 Indonesian tugboat crewmen a few days ago reportedly in exchange for ransom. The United States and the Philippines have separately blacklisted the Abu Sayyaf for kidnappings for ransom, beheadings and bombings. The brutal group emerged in the early 1990s as an extremist offshoot of a decades-long Muslim separatist rebellion in the south. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Kristine Angeli Sabillo (Inquirer.net/ANN) Wed, May 4, 2016 We will speak to you only in the language of force. Malacanang on Wednesday reiterated President Benigno Aquino IIIs comments against the Abu Sayyaf following the release of a beheading video. The bandit group released online a 52-second video of the beheading of Canadian national John Ridsdel, which also included a threat against the President. Asked for comment, Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. said that Aquino already gave his remarks against the Abu Sayyaf. He said the following quote also addresses the latest threat: The full resources of the State are being brought down on the ASG [Abu Sayyaf Group]. Our primary objective is to rescue the hostages and ensure the safety of our civilian population. Aquino said that in a statement released a week ago after the death of Ridsdel was confirmed. A couple of years ago, a New York City businessman got a lot of attention when he proposed building a gondola to connect Williamsbrg with the Lower East Side. Now that the MTA is moving forward with plans to shut down the L Train for repairs, that businessman, Daniel Levy, is hoping the idea will have new appeal. Levy, president of CityRealty, told DNA Info that he hasnt given up on his vision to create an East River Skyway. It could conceivably transport 200,000 passengers each day, about 100,000 fewer than use the L Train daily. The trip across the river would take about five minutes. DNA Info reported: For Lower Manhattan, Levys plans include building a station above Delancey Street that would connect either side of Sarah Roosevelt Park that sits between Chrystie and Forsyth streets The project would cost up to $134 million, according to estimates from engineers, Levy said, and hes looking to fund it entirely through private investors. The train shutdown is anticipated in 2019. Former Lower East Assemblyman Sheldon Silver was sentenced this afternoon to 12 years in prison for federal corruption crimes. He will also be required to forfeit more than $5 million collected in two kickback schemes and pay a $1.75 million fine. Judge Valerie Caproni said the former speaker of the New York State Assembly must report to prison by July 1. Its possible Mr. Silvers term could be delayed while appeals are heard. Silver was found guilty Nov. 30 on charges that included honest services fraud, money laundering and extortion. At that time, he was forced to relinquish the seat hed held in the assembly for almost 40 years. Just yesterday, Alice Cancel was sworn in as Silvers replacement after winning a special election last month. The judge today acknowledged Silvers good works as a legislator but also said hed caused incalculable harm to the people of New York. Caproni said she was imposing a tough sentence to send a message to other corrupt politicians who seem not to realize that a crooked government makes the public very cynical. Following the sentencing, Silver exited the court building on Foley Square through a side door. He was met by a crush of reporters and photographers. The former lawmaker finally made his way to a waiting taxi cab, which took him away from the courthouse. UPDATE 4:44 p.m. It was an insane scene outside court. While cameras swarmed around Silver and his attorneys, the mob slowly moved out to Centre Street, where news crews were pushing and shoving to get a clear shot. Silver finally made his way to a cab, but it was also surrounded. Finally, with the help of court officers, a path was cleared and the car made its way up Centre to Worth Street. UPDATE 5:06 p.m. More details from the sentencing hearing. Defense attorney Joel Cohen asked the judge to forego a prison sentence, opting for community service and house arrest. He is already crushed, said Cohen. Hes been devastated by everything that occurred over the last year and a half, added Silvers longtime lawyer. His obituary has already been written. Referencing more than 100 letters written to the judge on behalf of their client, Steven Molo, another defense attorney, called for a sentence that tempers justice with mercy. Molo said Silver showed great compassion in helping his constituents deal with crises big and small, including 9/11 and Hurricane Sandy. Immediately before the sentencing, Silver stood before the judge and offered a short statement. He said, Without question, Ive let down my family, Ive let down my colleagues, Ive let down my constituents, and I am truly, truly sorry for that. Prosecutors expressed indignation regarding a letter Silver wrote to the judge before todays hearing. Assistant U.S. Attorney Howard Master called it a remarkable document, an apology letter that offered no admission of guilt. Instead of arguing at trial that the federal government was engaging in a campaign of character assassination, said Master, Silver could have admitted that he was to blame for his predicament. Another prosecutor, Carrie Cohen, said the sentence should send a message that no one, including Sheldon Silver, is above the law. Judge Caproni said she carefully considered all of the very kind letters from people pleading for leniency. She called Silver an unusually gifted politician who went beyond the call of duty for his constituents. The judge also took into account that Silver is a 72-year-old man who was diagnosed with prostate cancer (the disease is currently in remission). At the same time, however, Caproni said she concluded during the course of the trial that New York State suffered tangible harm from the former assembly speakers actions over many years. Evidence was presented that Silver consulted Glenwood Management, one of the firms implicated in the kickback scandal, before signing off on a new rent regulation law. Im confident that smaller firms would have loved that same opportunity, said the judge, noting that Glenwood was funneling large sums of money to the powerful legislator. Silvers corruption cast a shadow over everything he has done, she said. The judge said her task was to decide whether Silver was a basically decent man who had simply gone astray, or whether he was fundamentally corrupt. In the end, she concluded that he was confronted on many occasions with the opportunity to make things right, yet he didnt change his behavior. I hope the sentence I impose on you will make other politicians think twice, until their better angels take over, said Caproni. Or, if there are no better angels, perhaps the fear of living out ones golden years in an orange jumpsuit will keep them on the straight and narrow. Silvers lawyers have requested that he serve at the Federal Correctional Institution in Otisville, N.Y., which has experience with Orthodox Jewish prisoners. Outside the courthouse today, Silver was asked about an appeal and said, I believe in the justice system, and we will pursue all remedies that are available. Following the sentencing, U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara released a statement that read, the stiff sentence is a just and fitting end to Sheldon Silvers long career of corruption. UPDATE 8:44 p.m. Heres video from the New York Times outside the courthouse: Its a student favourite and a staple for both the laidback backpacker and the adventure junkie but which country have the Telegraphs readers named their favourite in the world? You might have guessed it (especially if youve read the list during the last four years its certainly not the first time its taken the top spot), but if not well give you a few very obvious clues. You might have guessed it (especially if youve read the list during the last four years its certainly not the first time its taken the top spot), but if not well give you a few very obvious clues. Hobbits. Geysers. Very large mountains. Maybe some elves. Snow. Skydiving. Yes, youve got it. Obviously, because we know travel too, New Zealand is the only destination to have made it on to The National Students Top Destinations bucket list in both 2015 and this year. We (and obviously the Telegraph) feel very justified in selecting this outdoorsy beauty as one of our very favourites. I mean, look at it. And at this part of it. This part of it is a bit moody. But still - most of it is just idyllic. New Zealand's bungey-jumpers are the happiest bungey-jumpers in the world. It's quite pretty at night, too. Also, were sending last years Student Travel Writer competition winner Shona there soon to feast on all this beauty. So thats exciting. (Watch this space for details of this years competition launching very, very soon.) If you want to read more about New Zealand, check out some of our Kiwi-related content below... My month in New Zealand Sick of the sun already? Night skiing and full moon parties as New Zealand heads into winter New Zealand: Islands for the adventurous Christchurch: 12 exciting things happening in New Zealand's shining new creative hub Want to step into the world of The Hobbit? 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A 21-year-old Somali refugee is critically ill after setting herself on fire on Nauru, a tiny South Pacific republic where Australia runs an offshore detention camp. Some in Australia are using the incident to press their criticisms of the country's refugee policy. But the government in Canberra believes some refugee supporters are putting pressure on migrants to harm themselves for the attention it will bring. A 21-year-old Somali refugee Hodan Yasin has been transferred to a hospital in the Australian city of Brisbane where she is in a critical condition after setting herself on fire on the island of Nauru Monday. Refugee advocates say the injured woman was distressed after she was previously sent back to the South Pacific nation following medical treatment in Australia for injuries sustained in a road accident. Last week, a 23-year-old Iranian asylum seeker died after he set himself on fire at the Australian-run migrant center on Nauru. It is one of two offshore processing camps sponsored by Australia as part of a policy to stop asylum seekers reaching its northern waters by boat. Even if detainees are found to be genuine refugees, they are not allowed to resettle in Australia. Arrests reveal compromise in online privacy BANGKOK: Details of lese majeste charges last week against two of the eight administrators who ran a Facebook page making fun of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has raised concern among netizens over the state of online privacy in Thailand. crimetechnologypolicepolitics By Bangkok Post Wednesday 4 May 2016, 09:21AM It is no secret the Royal Thai Army bought products from Hacking Team Co, an Italian spyware vendor, in 2014. Photo: Bangkok Post In addition to sedition and computer crime charges, Harit Mahaton and Natthika Worathaiyawich were accused of insulting the monarchy based on personal messages in Facebooks chat function or standalone Messenger app. The same goes for Burin Intin, a member of the Resistant Citizen group, who was arrested on the same charges last Thursday (Apr 28). All three were denied bail. The initial explanation netizens came up with was that it was possible their phones were always online and already connected to Facebook. When they were seized, officials can readily access it. But later reports suggested this might not be the case. Mr Narit reportedly told a friend who visited him that authorities had shown him screenshots of the messages and used them as evidence. He said officials had not forced him to give his Facebook password nor seized his cell phone. Mr Narit warned it was no longer safe to send private messages to the inbox. Officers showed me the screenshots and asked me whom I was referring to, Fahroong Srikhao quoted Mr Harit as saying on Facebook on Monday (May 2). It doesnt matter what the message is even an invitation for a drink they can access it. Id like someone to ask Facebook Thailand about this and I repeat again inbox chat is no longer private, Mr Harit said. Ms Natthika claimed she did not know Mr Harit well enough to chat with him, suggesting the evidence might have been fabricated. Another explanation on how authorities got hold of the message screenshots is their Facebook accounts might have been hacked. While there has been no evidence of hacking, it is no secret the Royal Thai Army bought products from Hacking Team Co, an Italian spyware vendor, in 2014. The last theory is Facebook agreed to hand over to authorities such information, an unlikely scenario given Facebooks privacy policy. Since the May 22, 2014 coup, Facebook has resisted requests by authorities to block some pages they found offensive. Six days after the putsch, Facebook was inaccessible for 30-60 minutes, causing an uproar among netizens who had already anticipated some form of restriction on the popular social network. The junta claimed a technical glitch was to blame but a telecom executive later admitted his company was instructed to block access by the junta. Since then, Facebook has been working normally. Even today some of the pages of suspects wanted for lese majeste or political charges are still accessible in Thailand. Section 112 of the Criminal Code, or the lese majeste law, does not limit the crime only to public sphere, so personal correspondence can be used as evidence as well. Read original story here. @Old guy In order to make the search for you as easy as possible type in the following : Picture...(Read More) Female suspect sought in beating death NAKHON RATCHASIMA: Police are seeking a woman said to be the girlfriend of one of the six suspects who allegedly beat a disabled man to death on Soi Chokchai 4 after relatives of the victim accused her of being involved in the incident. crimedeathhomicidepoliceviolence By Bangkok Post Wednesday 4 May 2016, 11:08AM Some of the arrested suspects are presented at a press conference along with weapons allegedly used to kill the victim. Photo: Bangkok Post file Col Chairop Junnawat, chief of Chokchai police, said yesterday (May 3) that investigators had questioned relatives of the victim who called on police to take legal action against the woman. The woman, whose name is not yet known, was seen with the suspects while they assaulted and killed Somkiat Sichan 36, who had difficulty walking, in Lat Phrao district on Sunday (May 1). According to Col Chairop, Somkiats relatives told investigators that witnesses saw the woman encourage the suspects to assault and kill Somkiat. He said the woman allegedly shouted that her boyfriend was the son of a police officer. We are investigating the matter. If we find evidence linking the woman with the brawl we will press criminal charges against her, he said. On Monday (May 2), Chokchai police arrested six suspects: Akkaradet Tassana, 22, Monmanat Saengpho, 22, Mek Phonkraison, 19, and Arin and Thiraphon Yotphonganan, 20 and 21 respectively, and an 18-year-old whose name was withheld. (See story here.) Thiraphon, Arin, Mek and Monmanat are reported to be sons of non-commissioned police officers attached to Metropolitan Police Division 4 which oversees Chockchai, where the brawl took place. Thiraphon was admitted to a hospital for treatment and is now in custody, police said. The six men are accused of assaulting Somkiat following an altercation over a motorcycle accident after which they bullied him for his disability. One suspect and the victim were injured. Somkiat was later pronounced dead at a hospital. Police pressed charges of assault causing death and possessing weapons against the arrested men. Read original story here. On Demand We have a new story every day on the front page of thephuketnews.com. Also like us on our Facebook page (facebook.com/thephuketnews) and be the first to watch all the new stories. Finally you can watch any segment, any time by going to thephuketnews.com/tv where all the stories are listed for you to enjoy. All our programs can be enjoyed in High Definition when watching on the internet. In-Room VDO Norway's $872-billion sovereign wealth fund, the world's largest, said it would press U.S. oil majors ExxonMobil and Chevron to do more to report on the risks of climate change. The fund said on Tuesday it would vote in favor of shareholder proposals, opposed by both companies' boards, which would require them to report more fully about the risks and opportunities of a changing climate. Royal Dutch Shell and BP adopted similar policies last year, following shareholder pressure, it said. Exxon and Chevron both say they are already doing enough to report on climate risks. "We want them to be open about their climate strategy and their dialogue with regulators," the fund's chief executive Yngve Slyngstad told reporters. Firms should be clear about risks, both from the impacts of climate change such as floods and storms, as well as from government policies to curb carbon emissions, he said. The fund, itself built from Norway's oil and gas wealth, was making similar demands of oil firms worldwide and would keep going even if the resolutions were defeated at Exxon's and Chevron's annual general meetings, both on May 25. "We will then come back next year and the year after," he said. Norges Bank Investment Management (NBIM), which manages the fund, was the seventh-largest shareholder of both firms at the end of 2015, Thomson Reuters Eikon data shows. Slyngstad said the fund, which owns about 1 percent of listed equities worldwide, had 4,000 meetings with major companies a year to discuss its investments. He said many companies were planning to cut their greenhouse gas emissions by 40 percent in coming years to help achieve goals set at a 195-nation Paris summit on climate change in December that include phasing out emissions by 2100. Companies "have to explain if they don't intend to reduce their emissions to that extent," he said. The fund said last week that it may exclude another 40 companies for using coal in their operations after divesting from 52 since Norway's parliament last year told it to sell out of firms that get more than 30 percent of their turnover or activity from coal. Slyngstad said it was hard to set firm rules, saying a power company generating 30 percent of its electricity from coal and 70 percent from wind might stay in the portfolio ahead of a firm using 30 percent coal and the rest fossil fuels. "The fund is like a supertanker, It takes some time to turn it." At the end of 2015, NBIM said it held a 0.78 percent stake in Exxon, valued at $2.54 billion, while its 0.85 percent holding in Chevron was worth $1.45 billion. The Chinese public has reacted to U.S. presidential contender Donald Trump's latest controversial remarks with bitter sarcasm, one day after the real-estate tycoon compared the American trade deficit with China to rape. Trump on Sunday told a cheering crowd in Fort Wayne, Indiana that "we can't continue to allow China to rape our country," referring to the lopsided trade balance in China's favor. That marked the first time in the U.S. campaign that the Republican front-runner has used the term "rape" to describe, in his view, China's trade dominance over the U.S., although he used the same analogy as early as 2011 to accuse China of trade and currency manipulation. The Chinese government hasnt given an official response to Trump's renewed criticism. But that hasn't deterred a number of Chinese netizens from attacking Trump with, mostly, sarcasm. Equally Bitter Words One Weibo user further called Trump "a big mouth, [who aims at] boosting online popularity" while another user wrote "the analogy of rape is inappropriate. Instead, the expression that [China is] liberating the U.S. is more like it," followed by three emojis of smiley faces. A blogger nicknamed Kafka's Diary expressed concerns over Trump's remarks by commenting that "Trump's claims of isolationism will be in favor of Chinese authorities, but detrimental to Chinese people" because such policies will create barriers to China's U.S.-bound exports, which will end up hurting domestic businesses and cost Chinese people jobs. "But Chinese authorities may secretly give a helping hand to Trump's campaign as they welcome his stance of staying out of the country's human rights record," the blogger added. One Weibo user, moreover, compared Trump to former German dictator Adolf Hitler, mockingly writing "shall Trump be elected, the U.S. will become an even more powerful country." Kumho Tire opened a plant in the U.S. on Monday. Some 300 guests including Georgia governor Nathan Deal and the company's executives -- Kumho Asiana Group chairman Park Sam-koo and Kumho Tire CEO Lee Han-seop -- attended the plant's completion ceremony. Kumho started building the plant in May 2008 but construction was suspended due to the fallout from the global financial crisis before being resumed in 2014. The company spent US$450 million in total to build the production line with an annual capacity of 4 million tires. The plant is Kumho's first U.S.-based and third overseas plant following those in China and Vietnam. More than 80 percent of tires, mostly for passenger cars, are expected to be sold to global automakers in North America including Chrysler. With the completion of the plant, the company is expected to further expand its market presence in the world's largest automobile market. Three candidates seek two spots in District 5 House race Three candidates are running for two seats representing District 5 in the state House: Kahden Mooney, Byron I. Callies and incumbent Hugh Bartels. Korean-American missionary Kenneth Bae on Monday published a memoir about his grueling two-year detention in North Korea. "Not Forgotten: The True Story of My Imprisonment in North Korea" details a backbreaking regime of hard labor, verbal abuse and death threats he endured. Bae went to the North on Nov. 3, 2012, where he was caught proselytizing and sentenced to 15 years of hard labor on charges of crimes against the state in April 2013. He was abruptly released on Nov. 8, 2014 alongside another American citizen, Matthew Todd Miller, and returned home. Bae told CNN he hauled rocks and shoveled coal from 8 a.m. until 6 p.m. every day. A North Korean prosecutor constantly threatened him, saying, "No one remembers you. You have been forgotten by people, your government. You're not going home anytime soon. You'll be here for 15 years. You'll be 60 before you go home." In an interview with VOA, Bae recalled that North Koreans were looking up to their regime founder Kim Il-sung as a deity. North Korean officials asked him if he wanted to learn about the "juche" or self-reliance ideology and attempted several times to indoctrinate him. He was forced to write "confession" stating that he had supported the anti-North Korean policy by the U.S. and South Korea. Bae had been to the North 18 times and now says he felt that the regime was using him as a bargaining chip for talks with Washington. Though they did not mention any specific official by name, North Korean officials implicitly asked for a visit by former U.S. president Bill Clinton or Secretary of State John Kerry. In the end it was a visit by James Clapper, the director of National Intelligence, to Pyongyang that facilitated his release. Bae said he plans to establish an NGO to help North Koreans and defectors. The Galaxy J3 costs W231,000, the cheapest among the Galaxy series and is only available via mobile carrier SK Telecom. Samsung Electronics has unveiled its new low-priced smartphone on Tuesday. The smartphone boasts an 8-megapixel rear and a 5-megapixel front camera and a 5-inch screen. It also features a 1.5 GHz quad-core processor and 1.5 GB of RAM. "Cheap smartphones like TG & Co.'s Luna and Sol by China's TCL have been quite popular. The Galaxy J3 will also appeal to those who are looking for affordable phones," a SK Telecom staffer said. Heavy rain is expected to start on the night of Thursday, blighting a long weekend the government was hoping would give a boost to domestic consumption. The Korea Meteorological Administration forecast sunny weather on Wednesday and Thursday, turning to rain in Seoul and Gyeonggi Province on Thursday night that will fall across the country on Friday. But it will stop raining on the west coast in the late afternoon and in almost all other areas on Friday night. It will be cloudy across the country on Saturday and Sunday with mild temperatures. Meanwhile, the highways out of Seoul will be most congested on Thursday morning and returning on Saturday afternoon. It will take up to three hours and 20 minutes to travel from Seoul to Daejeon, six hours and 25 minutes to Busan, five hours and 40 minutes to Gwangju, six hours and 40 minutes to Mokpo, and six hours and 20 minutes to Gangreung on Thursday. The return journey to Seoul will take three hours from Daejeon, five hours and 40 minutes from Busan, four hours and 45 minutes from Gwangju, five hours and 40 minutes from Mokpo, and five hours and 45 minutes from Gangreung on Saturday. Hyundai will release a special edition of the Grandeur to mark the 30th anniversary of the model's launch, the automaker said on Tuesday. Based on the Grandeur HG 300 with a 3.0 GDi gasoline engine, it will come with advanced safety features and will be available only in an ice white color. North Korea is desperately attempting to attract tourists from China by slashing the price of package tours to Pyongyang in half. Travel agents in Dandong, China who specialize in tours to the North said officials in Pyongyang offered last month to offer major discounts on accommodation and transport. The price of a four-day trip to Pyongyang fell from 7,000 yuan (around W1.23 million) to 3,000 yuan (around W530,000). But one travel agent in China's Jilin Province said nobody is biting. "After the new sanctions the number of Chinese people seeking to visit the North dropped to 1/10 of last year's. The only package tours that generate some interest are casino tours to the Rajin-Sonbong free economic zone." Korea's exports are expected to decline in the double digits again in the second quarter as major export markets are slow to recover while international oil prices remain at historic lows. The Export-Import Bank of Korea on Tuesday forecast exports in the second quarter will fall from US$135.1 billion over the same period last year to $120.2 billion. In February outbound shipments plunged 18.5 percent on-year to $36.7 billion, the biggest monthly drop since the global financial crisis. The bank blames the lackluster economies of major foreign markets. The economies of Japan, the U.S., and the U.K. have been sputtering, while emerging markets like Brazil and China have yet to recover fully. Low global oil prices are also likely to keep proceeds from sales of petroleum and petrochemical products down. The CEO of Oxy Reckitt Benckiser at a press conference on Monday apologized far too late for the deaths and illnesses of over 200 people who were exposed to germicide produced by the company. "I would like to offer a heartfelt and sincere apology to all victims and their families who have suffered as a result of the humidifier disinfectant issue," Ata Safdar said. Some 200 people became severely ill after contact with a humidifier sterilizer made by the company and scores died. The families of victims held more than 380 protests since the government admitted the health hazards posed by humidifier sterilizers more than four years ago. But the company refused to meet with the victims and their families even once. Last month, it sent out a dryly worded press release promising to listen to the victims but mainly whining how unprepared it had been for the fallout. At the press conference, Safdar again gave the impression that the company only acted at last because consumers threatened a boycott and prosecutors are circling the wagons. The apology for the "issue" came far too late for consumers to feel any sense of vindication, and one family member of a victim duly slapped the CEO. It is unclear how deeply the British headquarters was involved in developing the sterilizer. There are reports that researchers here planned to test the toxicity of the PHMG used in the sterilizer before Reckitt Benckiser bought Oxy, but headquarters refused. But there is also evidence that the company tried to cover up data showing the hazards of the germicide once Reckitt Benckiser had taken over. Customers complained on the company's website of chest pains and breathing problems, but Oxy deleted the posts and it hid results of a test by Seoul National University that could have raised red flags. Prosecutors must find out how much of a role Reckitt Benckiser's U.K. headquarters played in the scandal. Oxy has promised with a "comprehensive" plan to compensate the victims but immediately narrowed the beneficiaries to the most serious cases as identified by the government. The company declined to elaborate how it intends to compensate the other victims. Among 143 people who died from the effect of PHMG, 103 used the Oxy sterilizer. That is by any measure a massive death toll, and the company should be thinking of little else but how it can atone for the carnage. Read this article in Korean Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Nobel laureate Kailash Satyarthi on Tuesday requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi to declare drought a national emergency and initiate child-centric relief measures to ensure they are not forced into child labour or trafficked or compelled to leave school. He also demanded that the unspent amount in Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) funds, especially in public sector undertakings, be directed towards child-centric drought relief measures. "Over 16.3 crore children from 10 states were affected by the severe drought situation. Owing to this drought and ongoing water crisis, children are becoming increasingly vulnerable. "Reports of children being forced into child labour, trafficking, child marriage and the Devadasi system are coming to light with children increasingly dropping out from schools, discontinuation of mid-day meals and large scale migration due to this crisis," Satyarthi said. He claimed that almost Rs 10,000 crore was lying unspent in the CSR funds, out of which Rs 3,600 crore were from public sector undertakings. Stressing on the need for assessment of the impact of drought on children, Satyarthi said in the coming months, there is an increased risk of lakhs of children becoming victims of these circumstances. "In this context, I urgently request you being the Prime Minister as well as the ex officio Chairperson of the National Disaster Management Authority to make children a top priority in all relief, rehabilitation work and take immediate measures todeclare drought as a national emergency, assess and analyse the effects of drought on children and ensure that no child in the drought affected areas is forced into child labour, bonded labour, child marriage, or is trafficked or compelled to leave school," he said. Satyarthi also demanded a dedicated session of Parliament to discuss drought. "There should at least be a dedicated session of Parliament to discuss drought and during that well know geographers and hydrologists should be called to find out a permanent solution to this perpetual problem of drought. There has to be utmost political will," he said. "Hope the prime minister listens to the 'Mann ki Baat' of these 16.3 crore children," Satyarthi said. According to Satyarthi's Bachpan Bachao Andolan, 35,873 children have gone missing, 22,014 abducted, 1,05,24,959 have been forced into child marriages while 74,84,416 have been pushed into child labour. The figures, he said, were based on government records. But the tribe has a long way to go As Israel prepares to observe Holocaust Remembrance Day this week, the unfolding scandal involving UK Labour Party officials is increasingly poignant. This in addition to the discernible anti-Israel sentiment that is todays reality in the international diplomatic community and the growing pressure on Israel amid Muslim claims that the State of Israel is working to compromise the status of al-Aqsa Mosque on Har Habayis. Yated Neeman Editor Rav Yisrael Friedman on Monday, 24 Nissan released a scathing editorial in which he blames growing global anti-Semitism on the State of Israel. He explains that not only hasnt Israel solved the problem of anti-Semitism, but it is a contributing factor. Regarding Holocaust Remembrance Day, he refers to it as miserable timing for mourning as he explains halacha prohibits mourning and hespedim during the month of Nissan. He explains that of all the months of the year the State of Israel selected Nissan, which is indeed indicative of the typical Israeli ignorance. He cites the rising trend of anti-Semitism around the world which is manifest as a growing disdain and hostility towards the State of Israel. He explains that for as long as we adhere to the Torah we will have an upper hand but when the Torah is thrust aside, we see how Esavs characteristics of Islam continue to grow around the world. He cites the growing attempts to uproot Torah, the infusion of a foreign lifestyle into day-to-day life, attempts to diminish halachic impact on life and all attacks against Yiddishkheit are contributory factors to growing anti-Semitism. So what is the proper prescription he writes, continuing While this is a difficult statement, it must be repeated over and over. Friedman explains that while the secularists are seeking independence from Torah, our natural place today is in galus and one seeking to bypass this reality will collide. The State of Israel was established to solve anti-Semitism but has since become a cause of anti-Semitism. Jews around the world are not suffering because of their religion but because of the State of Israel and its policies. Every Jews has become guilty and responsible for government decisions and the latters battle against Palestinian terrorism. Regarding these matters, there is no escape route. He explains simply that this is because HKBH wants us all to realize its not about my strength and my hand ( ) but about Heavenly intervention and HKBH watching over His nation. He adds that there is no natural cure for anti-Semitism, which is inexplicable, with a growing wave seen throughout Europe. This is not a matter which Foreign Ministry officials can explain away, and without HKBH looking over His flock, there will be no solution. For as long as the State of Israel wishes to become a nation like all other nations, the hate and disdain against us will increase. We must know it has never vanished but it resurfaces from time-to-time like today. The hypocritical protests from heads of nations will be of no value. Maintaining a stronger hand will also have no value and things will not change for at present galus is the natural state. Friedman insists that for as long as the state continue to compromise the kedusha of Har Habayis and harm lomdei torah it will result in the harsh anti-Israel statements heard of late. The lomdei torah he insists, those occupying the benches of Yeshivas Bein Hazmanim and about to return to the new zman are the ones who will are the true protection of the nation both in Israel and the Diaspora. (YWN Israel Desk, Jerusalem) Yolish Krauss was sentenced to seven months in prison by the Jerusalem Magistrate Court for operating an illegal slaughterhouse. He was also fined NIS 50,000. His partner was also convicted as the court also weighed income tax offenses pertaining to an estimated income of NIS 1.5 million. Krauss was also found guilty of not getting an official Israeli identify card as required by law. Krauss, the so-called Operations Officer of Eida Chareidis is a prominent figure in the battle against the Zionist State of Israel and its institutions. The court explained the law-breaking activities were conducted during a period of three-to-four years during which the slaughterhouse operated in Meah Shearim. Despite the fact Israel Tax Authority and other agencies sent him letters, warnings and bills, they were all ignored by Krauss and partner Marad Tavah. The court added that Tavah closed his eyes and relied on whatever Krauss told him and he was quite aware they were not paying income tax as required by law. Prosecutor Daphne Abramowitz said Yoel Krauss worked cleverly as he hid the existence of the business and the identity of his partner and does not even have an identity card. This prevented tax officials from checking the operation. The actions of Krauss and Tavah are a clear example of the difficulties encountered by tax authorities in general, especially in closed communities like Meah Shearim and East Jerusalem. (YWN Israel Desk, Jerusalem) Rav Shalom Arush spoke to Kol Berama Radio on Tuesday morning 25 Nissan regarding the imprisonment and what appears to be the imminent honoring of an extradition request pertaining to Rabbi Eliezer Berland. Rabbi Berland, who is deemed a flight risk, remains imprisoned in South Africa and it appears authorities are planning to hand him over to Israel Police in honor of an Israeli extradition request. Following is a summary of the interview with Rav Arush. Kol Berama The rav has been fleeing for three years but in actuality, no one is doing anything here on his behalf. R Arush I understand Rabbi Grossman flew there to assist and I know I and others have been working, davening and giving shiurim. To my sorrow people today believe the media and in this case I merited being a shamesh of the rav, as well as a driver. I can tell you what I saw with my eyes. This is not a story from someone else but I saw it. The man is a Malach Hashem, one who understands what another thinks, who can stand 16 hours without moving for Shmona Esrei and much more which I am not going to speak about. Gedolei Tzaddikim, many, believe that Rav Berlands situation is simply the Rav is atoning for the entire generation. He is literally in a life threatening situation at present. One must understand he almost does not sleep or eat. His entire being is davening and learning, serving HKBH. I saw this as his first shamesh, even erev Shabbos. I can tell you for a fact that he does not sleep on Shabbos. Kol Berama What can or should be done that has not been done? R Arush There was a protest outside the [S. African] Embassy. The problem is people believe the rumors and untruths without even checking out the facts. The Torah tells us we cannot believe such loshon hora but people believe. Are there two witnesses anywhere? They just believe and halacha is thrust aside. Kol Berama The rav has been imprisoned under harsh conditions in S. Africa under harsh conditions. Perhaps the system there is corrupt? Perhaps there is something or someone here who can or will act? The lone response is Rav Grossman who headed there to assist. R Arush Look at the terror attacks. who can say what kitrug is on Am Yisrael. I cannot but I know these are serious matters. I am disappointed by the politicians, those who could do something but dont act. We must cry out to HKBH, each and every one of us over the disgrace to this outstanding Jew, talmid chacham and Malach H. We must act with derech eretz. Kol Berama It appears the rabbi will be extradited to Israel. What will you tell your chassidim to do when he is brought for questioning by authorities? R Arush As I explained, we believe only acting with derech eretz, with tefilos and Yiras Shomayim. This is the only response to anything with derech eretz. We must always act properly even if others do not. We must cry to Hashem. (YWN Israel Desk, Jerusalem) Some view the following story as a major security failure while others downplay the incident, explaining nothing here represents a major failure of airport security. The story involves a passenger who boarded a Turkish Pegasus Airlines flight in Germany that was heading to Dubai, via Istanbul Turkey. The passenger, whose first name is Muhammed, got off the plane to change flights in Istanbul as he was supposed to do. It appears the security failure took place here as Muhammed got on to a flight (not El Al) heading to Israel from Istanbul and landed in Tel Aviv. Making things worse, it so happened that the seat he was supposed to occupy was vacant on the flight to Tel Aviv so the double ticketing issue did not set off an alarm. The experts playing down the incident explain the passenger did pass through all security screening so he was not a threat in any way. Others opine that the security in Istanbul is nothing like Israeli security and the fact remains he could indeed have been a threat but BH this was not the case. (YWN Israel Desk, Jerusalem) Health Minister Yaakov Litzman and Deputy Education Minister Meir Porush on Tuesday morning 26 Nissan visited Betar Illit at the invitation of Mayor Meir Rubinstein. Litzman thanked the mayor for the opportunity to visit and see the impressive rate of growth and development of the city in all areas together with Porush. Litzman expressed his commitment to continue working to improve health services in the city working with regional health officials, HMOs, and Magen David Adom. Litzman spoke of the paramedic intensive care unit stationed in the city today and the planned emergency center and additional Tipat Chalav child well-being clinics in new neighborhoods. Also present for the visit was MDA Chief of Operations Eli Bin. (YWN Israel Desk, Jerusalem/Photos: via Media Resource Group) The teenage terrorist who murdered Otniel resident Mrs. Dafna Meir HYD to death by stabbing her in front of her horrified children has been convicted of the heinous act. 15-year-old terrorist Morad Adais was found guilty of the attack which left the 39-year-old mother of six dead at the entrance to the family home in the S. Hebron Hills community of Otniel. The indictment stated that after the murder, Morad returned home to the village near Otniel, washed his hands and sat down to watch television. (YWN Israel Desk, Jerusalem) [PHOTOS IN EXTENDED ARTICLE] Interior Minister Aryeh Deri on Tuesday 27 Nisan visited with senior El Al Airlines officials at Ben-Gurion International Airport. With senior ministry officials accompanying him, Deri addressed flights to Uman for Rosh Hashanah, which appear to continue growing in popularity. Speaking with El Al CEO David Maimon and senior airline officials, Maimon presented Deri with data documenting El Als accomplishments in the international community along with data showing how trusted the airline has become in the eyes of travelers. Regarding travel to Uman, to the tziyun of Rav Nachman ZTL ZYA, Maimon explained he is in contact with Ukrainian officials to take the necessary steps to accommodate El Al flights for mispallalim wishing to travel to Uman for Rosh Hashanah. Today, he explained, travelers must land in Odessa or Kiev and then make the trek to Uman, a trip that takes hours. He feels that if El Al flights could land in Uman it would significantly simplify the trip for travelers. Deri questioned if the large number of travelers could be accommodated in Uman and Maimon explained that yes, arrangements can be made to permit such an arrangement. Deri also met with border control officials who explained the procedure and how they operate during peak times when the flow of travelers increases several fold. This he was told is the case before Yomim Tovim and during summer months. Deri also sat in on a special board meeting of the Israel Ports Authority held in his honor. Officials explained to him that the number of arrivals and departures continues growing annually, and while this is true, the number of tourists has not changed dramatically. (YWN Israel Desk, Jerusalem/Photos: Media Resource Group) Bayit Yehudi party leader Education Minister Naftali Bennett has reportedly told Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu that if he takes the Justice Ministry portfolio from Ayelet Shaked, his party will break from the coalition. Bennetts threat comes amid rumors that Mr. Netanyahu and Machane Tzioni leader MK Yitzchak Herzog are conducting secret talks to bring the 24-seat opposition party into the coalition. Haaretz reports that in closed discussions with PM Netanyahu, Bennett told him that if you take the justice portfolio from us, we will not remain in the coalition. The report adds that Bennett explained the portfolio is key to remaining in the coalition as per the coalition agreements and the matter is not a personal one. Haaretz also quotes a Likud source confirming the Justice Ministry portfolio is indeed an option on the negotiating table, adding all parties must make concessions for the good of the coalition. (YWN Israel Desk, Jerusalem) Sixty months in prison is the sentence handed down by the Jerusalem District Court against a 32-year-old male who was found guilty of attacking elderly people in the Yemin Moshe neighborhood of Jerusalem with a taser. The defendant pleaded guilty to four such attacks, all carried out on the same day, all against senior citizens using a taser after which he robbed them. The first attack involved a 70-year-old male who was seated on a bench and speaking on the phone. He ordered him to shut off the phone but was ignored. He then placed the taser against him and shocked the victim and stole his phone and fled. A short time later he saw an elderly couple seated on a park bench. He ran towards them and demanded their phone. When they refused he asked for NIS 100 and they refused. He threatened them with the taser and then the woman gave the money and he fled. The last victim was a woman standing near her vehicle. He approached her and instructed her to give him her bag and phone. He simultaneously threatened her with the taser and knocked her down. He grabbed her phone and left her injured on the ground. (YWN Israel Desk, Jerusalem) MK (Shas) Yaakov Margi expressed harsh criticism over the infighting that surrounded the selection of new dayanim to the Chief Rabbinate of Israels batei din. Margi praised the appointment of Dayan Rav Eliezer Igra Shlita to the Chief Rabbinate Supreme Court, an appointment affiliated with the dati leumi community. Margi distanced himself from the mainstream chareidi response, stating Rav Igra is a worthy candidate for the post and it is as simple as that. He called for an end of the politicizing and infighting regarding appointments of dayanim and to use the time to find, evaluate and appoint worthy candidates whomever they may be. The yarmulke does not make the determination. Rav Igra is most suited for the post stated Margi. (YWN Israel Desk, Jerusalem) On Thursday, 27 Nissan, over 10,000 young adults from over 40 countries around the world, will gather in Poland for the worlds largest Holocaust Commemoration, the 28th Annual March of the Living. The participants will include both Jews and non-Jews who will visit the ghettos, monuments and camps of the Holocaust in a tour that culminates in the actual march through Auschwitz-Birkenau and the ensuing emotional ceremony to mark Yom HaShoah Israels Holocaust Remembrance Day. Many of the marchers will continue to Israel to celebrate Israels Independence Day in the country. March of the Living was founded in 1988 to revamp Holocaust education, creating an emotional experience that students could connect with outside of the classroom. All groups are escorted by local tour guides, history experts and holocaust survivors, allowing participants to not only witness the destruction caused by the Holocaust, but to also hear from people who lived through the atrocities committed by the Nazis. Each year, delegations from around the world, made up mostly of teenagers and youth, arrive in Poland to begin their educational experience. This years participants will include groups from the US, Canada, Britain, France, Morocco, Australia and Japan, among others. The comprehensive journey takes participants through the city of Warsaw and to surviving synagogues across the countryside to paint a picture of the vibrant Jewish life in Poland before the war. The participants then walk through the cemeteries and Ghettos of Warsaw and Krakow to hear the stories of the unnerving first stages of the Holocaust. The delegations also visit the death camps, including the final day where they retrace the death march from the railways to the horrific gas chambers at Auschwitz-Birkenau. There, all the groups will unite for a solemn commemoration ceremony a symbol of unity and strength in the face of the tragedies and destruction of the past. A recent academic study confirmed what we already felt: individuals that participated in March of the Living return home with a strengthened Jewish identity and commitment to Israel, said Dr. Rosenman, the Chairman of March of the Living, We expect this years March to educate and inspire more youth who will return to their communities as leaders and activists. The study was published this year by Prof. William Helmreich and found that past participants in the program were significantly more likely to return to Israel, provide a Jewish education for their children and marry a Jewish spouse. In addition to the tours and ceremony, this year March of the Living International will join with the Raoul Wallenberg Centre for Human Rights to mark the 80th anniversary of the implementation of the Nuremberg Laws and the 70th anniversary of the Nuremberg Trials with a special gathering of leading international jurists, distinguished legal scholars and political leaders from around the world at Jagiellonian University in Krakow on 26 Nissan. The conference will bring together some of the worlds preeminent legal experts and presiding justices to discuss the historical significance of the Nuremberg Laws and Trials, and address the lessons learned and action to be taken to prevent genocides and combat atrocities in our time. The ceremony and conference will be broadcast via a live stream which you may access and share throughout the event. The March of the Living is an annual educational program which brings individuals from all over the world to Poland and Israel in order to study the history of the Holocaust and to examine the roots of prejudice, intolerance and hate. Since the first March of the Living was held in 1988, over 220,000 participants, from 52 countries, have marched down the same 3-kilometer path leading from Auschwitz to Birkenau on Holocaust Remembrance Day Yom HaShoah as a silent tribute to all victims of the Holocaust. (YWN Israel Desk, Jerusalem) When President Bill Clinton rolled into the small Appalachian town of Ashland, Kentucky, in 1996, cheering crowds lined the streets. Nearly 20,000 supporters attended a riverfront re-election rally, dozens collapsing from heat exhaustion in the August sun. Back then, this was unquestionably Clinton country. Today, it looks an awful lot more like Trump town. Hillary Clinton was met in Ashland on Monday by just a handful of supporters and a lone heckler, who shouted: Go home, Hillary! Nobody wants you here. Later on, hundreds of protesters stood in pouring rain, waved Donald Trump signs and chanted Kill-ary as Clinton toured a health center 80 miles to the south in Williamson, West Virginia. The unwelcome reception marks a striking political shift for the Clintons, whove long staked their electoral fortunes on working class white voters. Her husband won the White House in 1992 by wooing Southern swing voters in places such as Kentucky, West Virginia and Tennessee, and Hillary Clinton swept all three states in her primary run in 2008 against then-Illinois Sen. Barack Obama. Eight years later, Trumps connection with those voters could pose a threat to Clinton not only in the coal mining communities of Appalachia she visited on Monday, but also in parts of the Rust Belt and upper Midwest hit hard by the decline of domestic manufacturing. I know that my chances are pretty difficult to be honest, said Clinton, who vowed to return to the region before the November election. Im here because I want you to know whether people vote for me or not, whether they yell at me or not, its not going to affect what I will do to help. As she increasingly focuses her efforts on the general election, Clinton is trying to replicate the electoral strategy that twice boosted Obama into the White House by concentrating on wooing young, minority and female voters. That strategy, say Obama and Clinton aides, reflects the demographic realities of an increasingly diverse country where white voters make up a shrinking part of the electorate. Trump may afford them new opportunities to expand whats known as the Obama coalition: her aides calculate the billionaires penchant for controversy could lead her to enough support among minority and female voters to put traditionally Republican-leaning states such as Georgia, North Carolina and Arizona into play. As an old duck hunter, I know the truth of the saying, You gotta hunt where the ducks are at, said Paul Begala, who helped engineer Clintons victory in 1992. President Obama understood this, as does Secretary Clinton. But at the same time, Clintons long history with the region means she and her husband arent willing to give up on places such as Ashland. Her campaign explained her swing through the coal-mining region, which continues Tuesday with stops in West Virginia and Ohio, as one that highlights her willingness to speak to the entire country even those people who dont support her bid. Aides say shes unlikely to win either Kentucky or West Virginia in the primaries later this month or the general election next fall. Democrats have lost support in Appalachia as the region has shed jobs in industries such as coal mining and as union membership has declined, said Democratic strategist Dave Mudcat Saunders. Its a shift on which Trump has capitalized. Were in a new age of economic populism, Saunders said. Trump, hes got the right message and he delivers it properly. The leftward shift of the Democratic Party during the Obama administration on social issues, including gay marriage and gun control, hasnt helped. In those areas.it has become culturally unacceptable for a white male to admit hes a Democrat, Saunders said. On Sunday, Bill Clinton was booed at an event in Logan, West Virginia. Before he arrived, the towns mayor sent an email to West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchins office, saying the couple wasnt welcome to use city fire department facilities for their political events. The policies that have been championed by people like Mrs. Clinton have all but devastated our fair town, and honestly, enough is enough, read the e-mail, according to WOWK-TV. Clintons waning popularity in the region was further hurt by a remark she made in a March interview with CNN, when she said she would put a lot of coal miners and coal companies out of business. She was responding to a question about how her policies would benefit poor white people in Southern states. In Williamson on Monday, Bo Copley, a laid-off coal worker, asked Clinton why voters should believe her pledges to help the region. Clinton released a $30 billion plan last fall aimed at aiding communities dependent on coal production. I cant take it back and I certainly cant get people who for politically reasons or personal reasons, very painful reasons, are upset with me, said Clinton, who called the comment a misstatement. Im going to do whatever I can to try to help. Outside her event, protesters werent buying. Wearing Trump shirts, they snapped selfies with former Massey Energy Co. chief executive Don Blankenship, who was recently sentenced to a year in prison for conspiring to violate safety standards at the Upper Big Branch mine, where 29 miners died in a 2010 explosion. Dionne Collins, 42, said she voted for Bill Clinton, but had grown increasingly disgusted with both political parties. Hillary Clinton should be in prison, she said. The only hope to me that this country has right now is Donald Trump. (AP) I think he [Russian President Vladimir Putin] said some really nice things. He called me a genius. He said Trumps a genius. Okay. So, you know, thats nice. -Donald Trump, interview with Bill OReilly, April 28, 2016 Donald Trump, the front-runner for the GOP presidential nomination, has reveled in what he considers high praise from Russian President Vladimir Putin. He likes to claim, in fact, that Putin called him a genius. For instance, during a campaign event in South Carolina in February, Trump noted that Putin called me a genius and expressed hope that would mean better relations between Russia and the United States. Im not disavowing that [Putin] called me a genius. Are you crazy? he said. Wouldnt it be good if we actually got along with countries, wouldnt it be a positive thing? Do we always have to fight? Trump brought up Putins supposed praise again recently in an interview on Foxs The OReilly Factor. He called me a genius, Trump bragged. But not surprisingly, a little research shows that Putin said no such thing. Lets investigate. After Putins annual news conference in December, he was cornered by a reporter for ABC News and asked what he thought of Trump. You can see the images were captured on what appears to be an iPhone. Heres how ABC News translated his remarks: Hes a very colorful person. Talented, without any doubt, but its not our affair to determine his worthiness thats up to the United States voters. But he is absolutely the leader in the presidential race. Russian is notoriously complex to translate into English, so various news organizations rendered the quote in slightly different ways. Heres how our colleague Andrew Roth cast the first part of the quote: Hes a very lively man, talented without doubt. At the New York Times, the quote appeared as: He is a very flamboyant man, very talented, no doubt about that. Hmmm, flamboyant, very lively, very colorful . . . none of that sounds anything like genius. But there was also a translation offered by Interfax, a Russian nongovernmental news agency. In a tweet, the news agency appeared to say Trump is a very bright and talented man and the absolute leader of the presidential race. (At least thats how the tweet was translated by Bing.) A handful of news reports went further and said he called Trump very brilliant. The Guardian newspaper originally went with bright but then realized this was being misinterpreted. It corrected its headline and offered this explanation: An earlier version quoted Putin as saying bright and talented. To clarify: The word he used was yarkii, which can mean bright or brilliant, but not in the sense of intelligent; it can also be translated as colorful, vivid or flamboyant. The Guardians correction hits the nail on the head, Roth said. To me, flamboyant seems slightly negative, which I dont think was Putins aim. Lively or colorful are perfectly fine translations. Roth added: Another point sometimes missed is that Putin didnt even say this during the press conference, but only after the broadcast was over, when an American reporter filming on an iPhone approached him in a scrum with a question. So the idea that he took time during a nationally televised presser to call Donald Trump brilliant is totally false. He hasnt called him brilliant or intelligent in other cases either. We can find no examples of a news report saying Putin called Trump a genius. As usual, the Trump campaign did not respond to a request for evidence to back up Trumps claim. But Trump appears to have stretched a mistranslation into something far afield from its actual meaning. It shouldnt surprise us that Trump has exaggerated bright into genius. But in reality, thats not what Putin meant at all. Instead, the Russian president said he regarded Trump as a colorful figure, which is not the same thing as someone with a 140 IQ. No doubt about that. The Washington Post Glenn Kessler New Hampshires Kelly Ayotte may soon have a problem, likely a common one for GOP senators who, like her, are up for re-election in November. His name is Donald Trump. She cant embrace him and win in November, said Fergus Cullen, the former chairman of the states Republican Party. She can only do so much to distance herself from him in the meantime. Trump dominated the states Republican primary on Feb. 9, when a coalition of independents and Republicans in the state gave him a 20-point victory. But the general election is liable to be different-his approval rating in the state hovers near 20 percent. If current polling there holds, Trump would lose by 19 points to Democratic presidential front-runner Hillary Clinton. The presidential race plays a crucial, tidal role in so-called down-ballot races, exerting an inexorable pull thats difficult to resist. This year, with Trump trailing in most national polls, its an extremely dangerous environment for certain Republican senators. With Democrats hoping to pick up at least five seats, which would put them back in the majority, theyre targeting Ayotte, Illinois Sen. Mark Kirk, Wisconsin Sen. Ron Johnson, and several others in blue or purple states. All of the endangered GOP incumbents are adopting versions of the same strategy: Localize and personalize. There will be no more statewide ads on the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare. Instead, voters will hear about how their representatives brought home the bacon, even if they had to buck party leaders, or even party orthodoxy, to do it. The challenge is to surf Trumps outsider wave-and not alienate his voters-without being trapped in some of his noxious positions and personal unpopularity. Candidates should be, and Im sure they will be, highlighting how theyre different from Washington as usual, said Los-Angeles based GOP ad maker Fred Davis. The Trump problem, and its potential solution, were diagnosed early. A memo from executive director of the National Republican Senatorial Committee written in September, when it began to become apparent that Trump was more than a summer fling, advised Republicans to run their own races if they ended up beneath Trump on a ballot. Keep the focus on your own campaign and the voters back home, the director, Ward Baker, wrote. In recent weeks, the NRSC doubled down on the approach. Our campaigns will be running sheriff-type races where were going to understand precinct by precinct what is going to be driving voters to the polls and making sure that were talking to those voters about those issues and highlighting why our Democratic alternatives are unacceptable, said Andrea Bozek, spokeswoman for the NRSC. That old adage that all politics is local is still true today and is going to be extremely important to our 2016 Senate candidates and their races. Ayotte, whos running against New Hampshire Gov. Maggie Hassan, is planning to focus on those sheriff-type issues while telling a localized personal story. Ayotte was attorney general, after all. She does her grocery shopping near the full-time home in New Hampshire she returns to weekly, often before hosting a town hall with constituents, the campaign has said. Her son attends a local Cub Scout troop, and her husband runs a local business. Its like shes running for mayor, said Jamie Burnett, who served as deputy campaign manager for Sen. John E. Sununus unsuccessful 2008 re-election campaign. She has really been one of the most visible federal elected officials that I think most people could remember. The implication is that the race is about New Hampshire voters, not the national Republican Party. The campaign talks about Ayottes work on opioid abuse, her support for President Barack Obamas clean power plan, and collaboration with New Hampshires senior senator, Jeanne Shaheen, a Democrat, on concerns for local fisherman. Kellys campaign is focused on sharing her positive message of working across the aisle to deliver results for New Hampshire, Ayotte spokesperson Liz Johnson said in an e-mail. Shes helped pass key legislation to address the heroin epidemic, shes been a strong advocate for the men and women at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard and Pease Air National Guard Base, and she recently fought to renew an important conservation program that protects New Hampshires open spaces. Locals will be brought in to testify to all of this come fall, when Ayotte is widely expected to have dispensed with a primary challenger: Shes a local leader, yes, but not of the much-reviled Washington establishment. Their message will be that its Hassan-who campaigned alongside Clinton in February-whos part of a machine. Hassans team, meanwhile, has already been reminding voters of Ayottes ties to Trump, even if she is simply saying she will support the Republican nominee. New Hampshire voters should be very concerned at Ayottes failure to oppose Trumps run for the White House, said Hassans communications director, Aaron Jacobs, who said Ayotte and Trump have similar views on many issues. Kirks campaign manager, Kevin Artl, says it wasnt Trump that pushed them to localize-the campaign has always expected the Republican at the top of the ticket would get squashed, whoever the nominee. Weve been preparing and running with the expectation that a Democrat will win Illinois maybe by 10 points, Artl said. That means that, to win against Democratic Rep. Tammy Duckworth, who is challenging him, Kirk has to outperform the top of the ticket by five or six points. The key to making up this deficit, according to Artl, is to focus on Kirks personal brand: Fiscal conservative, social moderate, national security hawk, he describes it. Artl mentions Kirks support for immigration reform, gay marriage and abortion rights, and the fact that he speaks Spanish. The campaign is pressing hard on that specific qualification. It provided (partial) internal polling that said Kirk was beating Duckworth among Hispanics by more than six points in April. Artl said the candidates are essentially tied with independent women. When he goes on the offensive, the strategy will be to paint Duckworth as the real Washington insider. Kirk might target Duckworths endorsement of Clinton, Artl said, but hes more likely to hit her over a lawsuit against her from her time as head of the Department of Veterans Affairs, as well as the fact that former Governor Rod Blagojevich, who is imprisoned on corruption charges, appointed her to the position. I expect this race to get very localized and shes going to have to defend her associations, Artl said. For Kirk, it will be an uphill struggle: A March Marist poll put Clinton up by 25 points in Illinois, and Kirks own internals have him behind Duckworth by about three points, albeit within the margin of error. The Democrats target list has been growing as awareness has deepened of Trumps negatives. Johnson, who like Ayotte and Kirk was elected in a purple state during the tea party wave of 2010 and now seems to find himself at odds with a presidential-year electorate, may have made Democrats jobs easiest by saying hed campaign with Trump-as Don and Ron, no less-even while stopping short of an endorsement. Ohios Rob Portman and Pennsylvania Pat Toomey have long been in the Democrats crosshairs, but with the possibility of an anti-Trump wave, the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee has added senators like Roy Blunt of Missouri, Richard Burr of North Carolina, and even John McCain of Arizona to the seats it believes are in play. The question of whether theyd support Trump is already coming up almost daily for Kirk and Ayotte, both of whom have said theyd back the eventual Republican nominee but wouldnt speak much on Trump unless and until he was the partys standard-bearer. Baker, of the NRSC, wrote in his memo that candidates could still take Trump to task on outrageous statements without getting bogged down in day-to-day bombast, even while channeling some of his authenticity and broadsides at what he has taken to calling a rigged system. Davis, the ad maker and strategist, says the point isnt to ape his anger, necessarily, or even to run from experience in government to appeal to his voters. You can win without being a Donald Trump supporter. You can win without being a Ted Cruz supporter. You cant win by being a Washington supporter. Others, though, believe that rejecting Trump is the only avenue for endangered candidates, possibly in the form of a kind of Sister Souljah moment. In New Hampshire at least, the premium is placed on independence rather than sort of blind commitment or blind obedience, said Tom Rath, a former New Hampshire attorney general, said. There will come some issue where she can make some very public break or distinction from where the national tickets are. Still, no separation from the national ticket may be wide enough to withstand what may be coming in November. I think shes been doing everything right, Cullen said of Ayotte. But wave elections are Old Testament gods. They are vengeful, wrathful. (c) 2016, Bloomberg Ben Brody A U.S. Navy SEAL was killed Tuesday in an attack by Islamic State fighters in northern Iraq, highlighting the evolving nature of the Pentagons mission in Iraq and how American troops are serving closer than ever to the front lines. The SEAL, whose identity was withheld until family members were notified, was killed by enemy fire about 9:30 a.m., U.S. military officials said, speaking on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to release information publicly. The death occurred after Islamic State fighters north of Mosul penetrated a front line of Kurdish peshmerga forces by about three miles, a U.S. military official said. The SEAL was the third U.S. service member killed in combat since the U.S. military campaign against the Islamic State began in June 2014. The first, Army Master Sgt. Joshua L. Wheeler, 39, was a member of the elite Delta Force who was killed in a raid Oct. 22. But the latest two deaths show the kind of threats faced by the bulk of U.S. troops advising Iraqi soldiers near the front lines with the Islamic State. A Kurdish official said the death occurred after Islamic State fighters began attacking peshmerga lines at dawn near the town of Telskuf, about 20 miles north of Mosul, the Islamic States main stronghold in Iraq. The attack involved truck bombs supported by infantry, the official added, an indication that common conventional Islamic State tactics were likely used. An established front line called a forward line of troops, or FLOT, by U.S. service members has separated the Islamic State and Iraqi soldiers for months, and the Islamic State often tries to breach it using armored vehicles carrying explosives, with combat troops following behind. Mortar rounds and artillery began hitting front lines near Telskuf, the largely Christian town, around 4 a.m., according to Kurdish officers and members of the Christian militia that hold the ground there. Its inhabitants, speakers of ancient Aramaic, fled in August 2014 when the town was overrun by Islamic State forces, who burned and desecrated its churches. It was retaken by Kurdish forces later the same month, and some residents had since returned. But after bombarding the area on Tuesday, the militants launched a multi-pronged attack on Telskuf at around 5:30 a.m. from three or four directions, using hundreds of fighters, commanders said. Maj. Gen. Azad Jalil, a peshmerga officer, said they breached Kurdish front lines with more than 10 car bombs, also using bulldozers to push through. The peshmerga then made a tactical retreat to reorganize their forces, he said. Islamic State militants overran the village. Brig. Gen. Bahnam Aboush, a fighter with the Christian militia based in the town and known as the Nineveh Plain Protection Units, said his men tried to hold their ground but were overwhelmed. We tried to fight them, but we couldnt due our limited capabilities, he said. We have only some old rifles we bought from our own money. He said he witnessed the attack that mortally wounded the Navy SEAL, when a U.S. military contingent came to assist their struggling forces. American special forces came to rescue us in four vehicles, he said. They opened the way for us to retreat, then one of their vehicles was hit with a rocket-propelled grenade. He said that one U.S. service member was seriously injured and was airlifted out by helicopter. I heard he died after, he said. The Kurdish official, speaking on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the information, also said that the U.S. service member died as he was being transported out of the area. In Washington, White House spokesman Josh Earnest said: Todays incident is a vivid reminder of the risk our service members are taking, and three of them now have made the ultimate sacrifice for our country. He stressed that the U.S. mission in Iraq is to support Iraqi forces on the ground that are taking the fight to the Islamic State and that Iraqi forces must fight for their own country. Earnest said that U.S. troops cannot act as a substitute for Iraqi forces. After the Christian and Kurdish forces retreated from Telskuf, Islamic State militants took control of the town, until an offensive was launched to recapture it with the help of U.S. air power, commanders said. They had managed to regain control of the town by late afternoon on Tuesday. The coalition had the key role in retaking the village, said Jalil. He said the Islamic State launched the attack because it is under pressure south of Mosul near Makhmour, where Iraqi forces, with the help of U.S. artillery and airpower, have managed to make some inching gains. Its showing how desperate and how broken they are, he said. There are now more than 100 dead bodies of them in the village, plus they lost many vehicles, he said. Jabbar Yawar, a spokesman for the Kurdish peshmerga, said a number of Kurdish fighters died in the attack but that he could not disclose how many. This sad news is a reminder of the dangers our men and women in uniform face everyday in the ongoing fight to destroy ISIL and end the threat the group poses to the United States and the rest of the world, Pentagon press secretary Peter Cook said in a statement, using an acronym for the Islamic State. Defense Secretary Ashton B. Carter first announced the death while traveling in Stuttgart, Germany. He said the service member was killed by enemy fire but offered few additional details. U.S. Army Special Operations troops operate across peshmerga front lines, often spending hours at outposts gathering information about the Islamic States activity. The small detachments, however, are usually stationed a few miles from the front to help coordinate airstrikes between peshmerga fighters and the joint command centers in Baghdad and Irbil, the administrative center of the semiautonomous Kurdish region in northern Iraq. Some 200 U.S. Marines are also now stationed less than 10 miles from the front line, near the northern town of Makhmour, where Iraqi troops are building up for a future Mosul offensive. Marine Staff Sgt. Louis Cardin was killed there in a March 19 rocket attack. Prior to Tuesday, 15 American service members had been wounded in the campaign in addition to the three deaths, according to Pentagon statistics. (AP) Barjes Awidat, a 47-year-old member of Israels Druse community, a resident of Majdal Shams, was released from a Syrian prison earlier this week after serving a 12-year sentence for espionage. Awidat was found guilty of spying for Israel. He was released in Suweida, a Druse city in Syria where he was waiting for arrangements to permit his return home. Deputy Minister of Regional Cooperation (Likud) Ayoub Kara was working to expedite his return. Awidat was a dental student in Syria. One day, without explanation, he vanished and it took five years until his family learned that he had been accused of being a spy for Israel. He was eventually convicted and imprisoned. (YWN Israel Desk, Jerusalem) One of United Hatzalahs community outreach programs is geared to specifically serving the elderly community in Israel, among whom are the many holocaust survivors who live among us. The Giving Honor project is an initiative of the organization to reach out and help the elderly monitor and maintain their health as they continue to age. At least once a week, United Hatzalah volunteer EMTs, paramedics and doctors pays a house call to an elderly person or holocaust survivor who lives on their own and provides them with a free medical checkup. The volunteer checks the persons vitals and if something is abnormal the volunteer phones the persons family doctor and reports the information. Dr. Yaron Tamir, who holds a PhD. in Business Management, is the Vice-Dean of the school for Business Management at the Interdisciplinary Center (IDC) in Herzliya. He is also a volunteer EMT for United Hatzalah and is one of the ambucycle drivers of the organization. In his spare time, he manages to visit Christina, a holocaust survivor aged 90 at least once a week. The relationship that has grown between the two has long since passed the point of just being part of the project. They act as if they are family. Christina and Yaron act as if they are Grandmother and Grandson. Tamir spoke about the special connection that he has developed with Christina. Half a year after I joined United Hatzalah they told us about the Giving Honor program. Immediately once I heard about it I knew I was going to join. I have a family connection. My grandmother who was a holocaust survivor managed to save some of her family members during the holocaust and then move to Israel. Tamir said that he developed a special connection over time with Christina, one which he cherishes. I was told about a woman who lived near me named Christina. I went to meet her and it was a love story from first site. Ive been visiting her for more than two years now. The connection began when I went to check up on her for her medical reasons, but now she is pretty much like my grandmother. She has my number she calls me I call her. When I talk to her we talk about everything under the sun. Christina Treibish was born in 1924 and was 15 years old when WWII broke out. She spent two years in a Ghetto in Poland, where she was born and was transferred to a work camp in 1943. Her parents were taken from her by the Nazis and killed in 1942 and she was saved by her brother who lied and said that she was his wife in order to save her from being sent to death camp. She was in Auschwitz for over six months and she suffered medical trauma and abuse at the hands of the Germans. She returned to Krakow after the war and made her way to Israel in 1950. Currently she has two daughters four grandchildren and three great grandchildren. She is 92-years-old and she goes and volunteers wherever and whenever she can. She talks to soldiers and groups of students to tell her story. She has become part of my life in every way, said Tamir who cherishes the time that he spends each week with her, often visiting even more than the required amount. Christina said that I am very appreciative of the project. The fact the Yaron comes once a week or more is really nice and I enjoy the visits. Over the years he has become like family to me. Ten years ago my hands and legs stopped listening to me, now they do whatever they want. I walk with walker but I still get around. I go out and I visit people who are older than me, and I try to keep a connection with the people whom Ive visited and helped in the past. Christina used to volunteer with Yad LYeled and is still in contact with some of the children she helped many years ago who are adults living in Israel abroad. She has returned and visited Poland together with trips to tell her story, but she is no longer healthy enough to continue those trips. Yaron helps a lot. He helps me stay connected to others and he helps make sure that I am as healthy as I can be at the age of 92. I am very grateful for him. United Hatzalah volunteers visit hundreds of elderly people throughout Israel each week and continue to maintain both the health of the patient as well as provide them with someone to talk to and develop a relationship with. This ongoing project occurs year round and is undertaken by individuals who have jobs and families of their own as well as volunteer as part of United Hatzalahs EMS first response team. These dedicated volunteer truly do give honor and respect to the elderly patients that they see, be they holocaust survivors or not. Photo: Yaron & Christina during one of their weekly visits. (YWN Israel Desk, Jerusalem/Photo: United Hatzalah Spokespersons office) Israel has been given the green light to open offices in the NATO Brussels Headquarters following years of delay caused by Turkeys veto of the move. This has been confirmed by Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu during a Likud faction meeting in Knesset. It is explained that while Israel is not a NATO member, Jerusalem maintains good ties with the international organization. The move has been blocked for a number of years by Turkey, using its veto power during a period in which relations between Israel and Turkey deteriorated significantly. Reports signal that both countries are now working to rehabilitate the once close ties between the nations. In response to the decision Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu said, I welcome the NATO statement inviting the State of Israel to open office at the organizations headquarters. This is a goal that we have worked on for many years. I announce that Israel will accept the invitation; we will open an office soon. I think that this is also an important expression of Israels standing in the world. The countries of the world are looking to cooperate with us due to inter alia our determined fight against terrorism, our technological know-how and our intelligence services. (YWN Israel Desk, Jerusalem) The event that can make a transformative difference in your financial success is less than a month away, and you can already register to attend! The 2016 J-Biz Expo and Business Conference has opened its online attendee registration, which includes a special discount over the admission price at the door. When you register to attend, you get to participate in everything at this packed full day event, including the business conference with leading speakers and presenters in the morning, and massive B2B exhibition floor in the afternoon. The expo helps open just about any door you would like to open in order to succeed like never before. As a result of the expo, countless businesses in our community have gained a trove of exposure, new clients, guidance, quality employees, resources and more. Individual attendees have made invaluable connections, discovered great resources, received expert guidance, found quality long term jobs, and more. And this years event promises to be the best one yet. J-Biz expo brings our communitys business world, from around the world, under one roof, with a one-of-a-kind opportunity to forge and fortify personal relationships, says founder and director Duvi Honig. J-Biz Expo and Business Conference will take place on June 1st, 2016 at the New Jersey Convention and Exposition Center. To register to attend, or inquire about exhibiting, please visit http://www.jbizexpo.com/. Tumbling: The cost of crude has collapsed by more than 70 per cent since its peak in 2014 Shell has posted a hefty fall in profits in its first set of results since its mega-merger with BG Group as the oil giant continues to be hurt by low crude prices. The exploring and refining group reported first quarter profit of $455million, less than half the $942million posted in its results for the last three months of 2015 and a fraction of its $4.5billion for the same period last year. On a cost of supplies basis, which is used by the industry to account for the fluctuations in the price of oil, Shell made $1.6billion over the first quarter of the year. This was better than analyst expectations of just over $1billion, but still below the $3.7billion in the first quarter of 2015. Oil companies have taken aggressive cost cutting measures as they struggle against plummeting oil prices, which have fallen by more than 70 per cent since a peak of around $115 a barrel in the summer of 2014. As a result, Shell chief executive Ben van Beurden said he is planning to cut investment for 2016 by a further 10 per cent to $30billion. Ben van Beurden added: 'We continue to reduce our spending levels, to capture cost opportunities and manage the financial framework in today's lower oil price environment.' Shares in Shell have fallen by 2 per cent, or 24.0p, at 1,732.0p this session. Ben van Beurden also said the company's merger with BG was off to a strong start, despite last month announcing a wave of job cuts and office closures. He added: 'The combination with BG is off to a strong start, as a result of detailed forward planning before the completion of the transaction. This will likely result in accelerated delivery of the synergies from the acquisition, and at a lower cost than we originally set out. 'The completion of the BG deal has reinforced our strategy and strength against the backdrop of hugely challenging times for our industry. For Shell and our shareholders, this is a unique opportunity to reshape and simplify the company.' Analysts said it was too early for investors to judge whether the merger will work, despite persistent fears that Shell overpaid for BG Group. Rob West, analyst at Redburn, said: 'Time will tell but Im cautious What is certain is that the acquisition of BG Group has reinvigorated Shells production profile.' Last week Shell announced it may close three offices, including the former BG Group headquarters at Thames Valley Park, Reading; BG's offices at Albyn Place, Aberdeen; and Shell's Brabazon House office, Manchester. Shell, which has a total UK workforce of about 7,500, employs approximately 800 people at Thames Valley Park, 300 at Albyn Place and 700 staff at Brabazon House, Manchester. The firm revealed last year that the impact of its mega-merger with BG Group - coupled with lower oil prices - would lead to 10,300 job losses. It has already made 7,500 job cuts through an efficiency drive, with 2,800 jobs also being lost from its tie-up with BG Group. Sell-off: Barclays is offloading a 12.2 per cent stake in Barclays Africa Barclays has announced plans to sell part of its shareholding in its African business in a move that could raise up to 700million. The British bank is offloading a 12.2 per cent stake in Barclays Africa taking its holding from 62 per cent to around 50 per cent. The Public Invesment Corporation, South Africas state-owned pension fund manager, is buying 10 per centof the shares on sale. The rest are being offered to institutional investors. Barclays has owned operations in Africa for nearly a century. Barclays chief executive Jes Staley said: This is an important first step as we seek to reduce our shareholding in Barclays Africa. We continue to explore opportunities to reduce our shareholding. Wood Group has started consultation with around 1,000 onshore workers and plans to cut 300 jobs Another 300 jobs were put at risk in the North Sea oil sector yesterday. Aberdeen-based oil services company Wood Group has started consultation with around 1,000 onshore workers and plans to cut 300 jobs. The North Sea oil sector has already lost more than 5,000 jobs since the oil price plummeted. David Kemp, Wood Groups chief financial officer, said: We are firmly committed to supporting the long-term sustainability of the industry in the North Sea and maximising economic recovery by ensuring we are fit for purpose, flexible and strongly equipped to deliver efficiently and effectively. Sign up for our amNY Sports email newsletter to get insights and game coverage for your favorite teams By Bill Parry The New York City Council is calling on the state Department of Education to include lessons on climate change in the curriculum of the states public K-12 schools. A resolution sponsored by Councilman Costa Constantinides (D-Astoria) passed overwhelmingly in a vote last Friday. To achieve long-lasting effects in our environmental efforts, future generations must be engaged, Constantinides said. Students should be equipped with the knowledge and 21st-century concepts theyll need to care for our planet. Thats why its so important that they learn about the environment and climate change throughout their school day. We must work together to make the future of our planet better for our children, This resolution seeks to include students as a key aspect for our efforts to combat climate change. The resolution calls on the state to include climate change not only in science but also in politics, economics and history lessons. Its time we began educating one another on whats really going on with climate change and what we can do, Global Kids Leader and High School for Medical Professions senior Brianna Johnson said. In order to have a massive effect on climate change, people must first be well educated. Once weve been educated, we can then, and only then, fight to save whats been destroyed by climate change. Meanwhile, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced major new steps to dramatically reduce greenhouse gas emissions from more than one million buildings of all sizes, types and uses and put the city on a pathway to an 80 percent reduction in all emissions by 2050, while creating green jobs and generating energy savings for building owners and tenants. The mayor also outlined a series of programs that will provide technical and financial support to building owners and managers in making these significant improvements. Cities that lead on climate change, lead on buildings, de Blasio said. Weve set bold goals as we take on climate change and clear a path to meet them. The city has been leading the way by greening our own public facilities. Now, these new initiatives will dramatically reduce emissions from New York Citys over one million buildings, while saving New Yorkers millions and creating thousands of new jobs and well be providing owners support throughout the process. Buildings account for nearly three-quarters of all emissions in New York City and some of the new mandates will include requiring buildings to complete cost-effective energy conservation measures like improved burner controls for boilers and covering open freezers and refrigerators in retail stores. Large and mid-size buildings will be required to improve their heating systems in the next 10 years. The measures will eventually help reduce greenhouse emissions by 2.7 million metric tons, which is the equivalent of getting 560,000 cars off the road, officials say. Because buildings produce almost 75 percent of our greenhouse gas emissions, we must ensure our policies will make our buildings more energy efficient, Constantinides, the chairman of the City Councils Environmental Protection Committee, said. Whether through heating system upgrades, new building construction, or new benchmarking systems, we must lead the way toward our goal of reducing carbon emissions 80 percent by 2050. Sign up for our amNY Sports email newsletter to get insights and game coverage for your favorite teams By Mark Hallum U.S. Representative Joe Crowley (D-Jackson Heights) honored the role played by Irish-Americans in the Easter Rising on its 100th anniversary with a pear tree dedication ceremony in Sabba Park Saturday. This tree will serve as a remembrance for the Irish Patriots who sacrificed their lives for freedom, as well as the support that came from Irish Americans whose participation was critical in the movement, Crowley said. I thank NYC Parks and Queens Borough Commissioner Dorothy Lewandowski for her role in helping us recognize this special occasion. Irelands Easter Rising of 1916 was an act of rebellion against the British that ultimately failed. The Rising did not have widespread support in Ireland, but when the British executed several of the leaders, public sentiment changed. The movement itself became a symbol that paved the way for the independence of the Republic of Ireland in 1921. For rebel fighters, widely regarded as martyrs, the push for a sovereign democracy would shed their country of oppressive British rule and turn their countrymen from subjects into citizens. American backing for the Rising came in the form of a support network from labor unions and Irish-American nationalists living in the United States and making financial contributions, according to Crowley. The communities of Sunnyside and Woodside have long been the proud home of so many Irish and Irish Americans in New York City, said Council Majority Leader Jimmy Van Bramer (D-Sunnyside). I am happy to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Rising in Woodside and to pay tribute to those who lost their lives fighting for independence. Some 488 individuals were killed on both sides of the conflict that began on Easter Monday and lasted five days in Dublin as well as several other locations. It was the largest armed resistance movement in Ireland since 1798. The Callery Pear can be found in Sabba Park near the intersection of Queens Boulevard and Roosevelt Avenue. A Congo rights group that tracks rebel violence says that at least 17 civilians have been killed in the country\s east. The Center of Study for the Promotion of Peace, Democracy and Human Rights said Wednesday that witnesses said rebels went into Congo\s northern Beni territory on Tuesday, attacking and killing at least 17 people, including 7 members of the same family. It said among those killed was the head of Mutsonge village. It said the attacks were carried out by the Allied Democratic Forces, which has origins in neighboring Uganda and has staged many attacks in the area. The rebel group is one of many operating in eastern Congo. SOURCE: Associated Press By Mel Gurtov North Korea is on a military tear. In response to UN sanctions, it carried out its fourth nuclear test in January and a satellite launch that had missile implications in February. Then, when new UN sanctions were imposed and the annual month-long US-ROK military exercises began, the DPRK diverged from its usual practice by openly drawing attention to a number of new weapons it claims to have. It paraded a road-mobile intercontinental-range missile (probably not yet produced), launched five short-range missiles into the East or Japan Sea, claimed to have an indigenously produced engine that would enable an ICBM to reach the US with a nuclear weapon, claimed to have tested a miniature nuclear weapon, test-fired an intermediate-range missile (which has failed twice), and tested a missile launched from a submarine. A fifth nuclear test may well take place before a major party congress days from now. How and when any of the weapons the North claims to have might actually be operational is open to speculation. Some US military officers, as well as South Korean specialists, now accept that the North already has the capability to reach the US with a nuclear-tipped missile, while experts who dispute that view nevertheless believe the North will soon have that capability. What does seem clear is that Kim Jong-un is pressing his weapons specialists to produce a reliable deterrent that will force the issue of direct talks with the US. Meeting with nuclear specialists in early March, he praised their work and, according to the North Korean press, specifically cited research conducted to tip various type tactical and strategic ballistic missiles with nuclear warheads, meaning a miniaturized nuclear weapon. Kim is quoted as saying that it is very gratifying to see the nuclear warheads with the structure of mixed charge adequate for prompt thermo-nuclear reaction. The nuclear warheads have been standardized to be fit for ballistic missiles by miniaturizing them . . . this can be called [a] true nuclear deterrent . . . Koreans can do anything if they have a will. South Korean sources are convinced the North can now put a nuclear warhead on a medium-range (800 miles) Rodong missile capable of reaching all of the ROK and Japan. The North launched thesein a test in March. Whether the North has actually fitted such a missile is unknown; nor is it known whether the North will be able to do the same once it possesses an ICBM. North Korea has a long history of militant nationalism in response to external threats, reflected in Kim Jong-uns quoted remark above and concretely in the speed with which it is developing a sophisticated nuclear and missile capability. Like the North Vietnamese during the Vietnam War, the DPRK is not going to take orders from foreign powers, friends and adversaries alike, least of all when its leaders believe US military exercises and nuclear weapons pose a threat. Predictably, therefore, Pyongyang treats international sanctions, intended to punish it, as incentives to push ahead with development and production of new weapons for deterrence. It may only be a matter of time before a North Korean missile will be able to reach the US mainland, but Kim Jong-un, like his father and grandfather, is ever mindful of the fact that North Korea is surrounded by the overwhelming strategic power of the US and its South Korean and Japanese partners. The DPRK also faces a US president who once upon a time called for eliminating nuclear weapons but now is presiding over their significant upgrading, in competition with Russia and China. That upgrading includes miniaturization, which from one anglethe one most likely to have the North Korean militarys attentionincreases the possible use of a nuclear weapon in warfare. North Koreas evident work on miniaturization may hardly be coincidental. The best and only chance of dissuading Kim Jong-un from continuing on the path of weapons modernization, which is both dangerous and ruinous in terms of human development, is to put before him a package of alternative incentives a peace treaty to end the Korean War, security guarantees, sustainable energy options, and meaningful economic aid. A joint US-China initiative that, within the context of a revived Six-Party Talks, incorporates such a package would be a welcome development indeed, as much for improving their bilateral relations as for deescalating tensions with the DPRK. An interim step would have been Washingtons acceptance of a proposal put forth by DPRK foreign minister Ri Su-yong, who told the Associated Press on April 23 that if the US stops the nuclear war exercises in the Korean peninsula, then we should also cease our nuclear tests. (President Obama rejected the idea.) I have also put forth the idea of creating a Northeast Asia Security Dialogue Mechanism. Its agenda would ultimately include multilateral denuclearization, but would start with discussion of other security-related topics on which it might be easier to find common ground, the aim being trust building. Hence, what is often referred to as the North Korean nuclear issue is much more than that. The heart of the matter is peace and security in Northeast Asia, which involves a host of interlinked issues: strategic mistrust between the US and China, territorial disputes, increasing military spending and basing agreements, cross-border environmental problems, and nuclear weapons possessed by four countries today and possibly two more (Japan and South Korea) tomorrow. Decision makers in Washington, though overwhelmed by problems in the Middle East, need to pay attention to the Korean peninsula and think outside the box. The views expressed in this article are the author\s own and do not necessarily reflect The Times Of Earth\s editorial policy. A raging wildfire that forced the evacuation of all 88,000 residents of the western Canadian city of Fort McMurray has destroyed 1,600 structures, ravaged one neighborhood, damaged others and halted incoming and outgoing commercial flights, authorities said on Wednesday. "This is a nasty and dirty fire," Chief Darby Allen of the Fort McMurray fire department told reporters of a blaze that has prompted the biggest evacuation ever in Canada\s Alberta province. Fuel shortages and heavy traffic snarled the departure of residents from Fort McMurray, located in the northeastern part of the province of Alberta in the heart of Canada\s oil sands region. Firefighters have not been able to bring the wildfire under control since it began on Sunday, and hot, dry winds forecast for later on Wednesday promised to complicate matters. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the military would deploy planes to help the stricken city if needed. While major oil sands facilities were not in the fire\s path, the blaze disrupted some operations. Royal Dutch Shell PLC said one of its oil sands mines was closed and another was in the process of being shut down. Suncor Energy Inc, whose oil sands operations are closest to the city, said it was reducing crude production. Oil prices briefly rose on concerns about reduced output from the Canadian oil sands before paring gains on Wednesday. The wildfire now covers about 18,500 acres (7,500 hectares), officials said. No injuries or deaths were reported. "There are certainly areas within the city that have not been burned, but this fire will look for them and it will find them and it will want to take them. And our challenge today is to prevent," Allen said. Strong winds, high temperatures and low humidity will again create "explosive conditions" on Wednesday, said Bernie Schmitte, forestry manager in the nearby municipality of Wood Buffalo. Schmitte added that more resources are being assembled across Canada. "The fire has resisted all suppression efforts," Schmitte said. Images from the neighborhood of Beacon Hill in the city\s southeast showed rows of charred house foundations, their upper stories burned to the ground, and blankets of white ash within. Officials said 80 percent of houses in the neighborhood, nearly 600 in total, were destroyed. The regional government said two other neighborhoods, Abasand and Waterways, had sustained "serious loss." Abasand is home to nearly 4,900 people, and Waterways more than 600, according to a 2015 municipal census. Alberta Premier Rachel Notley said about 1,600 structures have been destroyed in Fort McMurray. Fort McMurray International Airport said it was suspending all commercial flights in and out of the city on Wednesday. Britain\s Queen Elizabeth, Canada\s head of state, said in a message that she and her husband Prince Philip were "shocked and saddened" by news of the fires. Brigadier General Wayne Eyre, the region\s top army officer, said four helicopters with a crew of about 15 were deployed to the area on Wednesday morning. "We\ve been asked by the province to provide aircraft to support search and rescue, to assist provincial authorities in supporting evacuation of civilians," he said. Eyre added that the province has also asked the military to transport firefighters and their equipment. The Canadian Red Cross said evacuees were calling the organization for help getting food and water. "Because there were so many people on the move and it was such a quick evacuation, it\s quite normal to see hiccups around this," said Jenn McManus, Canadian Red Cross vice president for Alberta and the Northwest Territories. The regional government on Tuesday ordered the evacuation of all city residents, and the city had emptied but for some stragglers, officials said. A highway closure on Tuesday forced most evacuees to drive north, away from major cities. By Wednesday morning, the highway had reopened, but fuel had run out, stranding evacuees seeking to drive out of Fort McMurray. Alberta\s transportation department said it was escorting a fuel tanker north to help stranded drivers. It was the second major fire in the oil sands region in a year. Last May, wildfires led to the evacuation of hundreds of workers from the region, and a 9 percent cut in Alberta\s oil sands output. In October 2007, a series of large wildfires in Southern California displaced nearly one million residents, destroyed over 3,000 homes and burned half a million acres, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. SOURCE: REUTERS Local safety experts offer advice for keeping Trick-or-Treat fun for everyone As families prepare for fun night of Trick-or-Treating, local safety experts are offering some tips on how to stay happy and healthy this Halloween season. SHARE I bet many of you remember that movie with Mathew McConaughey named Failure to Launch. His parents were doing everything possible to get their grown son to move out of the house! He just did not want to leave. In my opinion parental involvement at age 18-21 years is almost as important as those first 0-3 years. Children 0-3 depend on their parents for everything food, love, nurturing, cleanliness, learning to walk, and learning to talk to name a few. Once they get walking down watch out there are no boundaries only total independence. I always say we push children to walk and talk and then all we tell them to do is sit down and be quiet. Now just as important are the age 18-21 years. At that age children feel they are all grown up. Graduated from high school, moving out on their own, maybe starting college or trade school, getting a full time job heck they don't need anyone! Not true all of a sudden you are faced with making grown up decisions. For me and my roommate, it was great big decisions. I will never forget being a freshman in college and having a roommate from Austin. She had a boyfriend at home and was in love. Well one day, about three months into our first semester, she came back from class and told me she was pregnant. She and her boyfriend had decided she would have an abortion. Remember this was 1971 not a legal decision. She was leaving on Friday to meet him in Austin and they were traveling to Mexico for the procedure. She said, "If my mother calls, just tell her I'm at the library." I thought what all weekend - she calls every day? Remember this is the old days of only a telephone for communication no cell phones, iPads, Facebook, etc. Just the old ringydingy phone. Yikes! No way to know who is calling and escape answering. I could not wait for her to walk out of the room so I could grab the phone and call home. My dad answered and I said, "Hey, I am coming home this weekend." He started asking the why questions and finally I told him and there was dead silence. You see, he was a doctor and was in the business of saving lives and totally against what was going on as was I, but when I said if something happened to her and I told her mom she was at the library, I would never forgive myself. He said get in your car and get home. At the end of the semester when my grades were not stellar his only comment was, you got a real education this first semester, but not what I intended to pay for. Now what would I have done if I hadn't had a parent to call and talk me through that situation and so many more during those years? There is a story in the paper almost every day about children aging out of the foster care system. All of a sudden they are not a commodity for the family who is housing them and they are on the street..not when they finish the school year but when they turn 18. There is a big missing piece in this cycle of life for those teens. If this is the way the system works then these teens need to be better prepared to live the life they are being forced to live. At the Teen Shelter, Sheila has those in this situation play what she calls her "Game of Life". What do you want to do? They all answer get a job, my own apartment, be independent and live my own life. Then she says OK, let's see how this works. You will get a minimum wage job making $xx.xx, your rent will be $xx.xx per month, how are you going to get to this job- transportation $xx.xx, utilities, food. Wait a minute you have way more month than you do money. Now it is time to think of what you should do before you start living the life you want. Life is all about decisions. We don't get any smarter by making all the right decisions, but without guidance we can make some life changing decisions we could regret for the rest of our lives. God gives us parents for a reason and they can come from all walks of life grandparents, aunts and uncles, foster parents, counselors at school, teachers the important thing is to listen and have respect for our elders as they were put in our lives for a purpose even if it is to tell us it is time to move out because we are 30. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate A Los Angeles restaurant called Beer Belly is suing the owner of the Beer Belly restaurant and bar/bottle shop on New Scotland Avenue in Albany over its name. Beer Belly is located in Los Angeles' Koreatown and has been featured on the Food Network show "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives" (see the video above, although you have to watch a commercial first). Meanwhile, the Beer Belly in Albany has been featured in the Times Union restaurant review. The two restaurants are 2,800 miles apart from one another, a 40-plus hour road trip. The suit, filed in U.S. District Court in Albany claims that the Albany Beer Belly owner Michael Viglucci Jr. is the "moving, active, conscious force" behind the alleged trademark infringement. His son Brian, a partner in his dad's restaurant company, told the Times Union on Wednesday they had not seen the lawsuit (click here to see it) yet. The Beer Belly in Los Angeles sent a letter to Viglucci and his company BM&T Restaurant Group last year asking them to stop using the Beer Belly name. BM&T also owns Spinners, Junior's, The Point, Madison Pour House, The Pub and other restaurants. On its web site, it calls Beer Belly "The Belly." Beer Belly is a popular restaurant/bar name. There is also a Beer Belly Deli & Pub in Syracuse. Last year, the owners of Beer Belly in Los Angeles sued another Beer Belly Deli that was located near the Pomona College campus in Claremont, Calif., which is close to Los Angeles. That Beer Belly Deli in Claremont settled with the Los Angeles Beer Belly and now appears to have closed, although there is no indication that the closing was tied to the court settlement. OPENING FRIDAY APRIL AND THE EXTRAORDINARY WORLD: In this French-Belgian-Canadian animated feature set in an alternate steampunk version of 1941 France ruled by Napoleon V, a teenage girl (Marion Cotillard) goes in search of her scientist parents, who have disappeared along with all the other scientists. (PG for action/peril including gunplay, some thematic elements and rude humor) http://www.telefilm.ca/en/catalogues/production/un-monde-truque CAPTAIN AMERICA CIVIL WAR: Time to pick sides between Captain America (Chris Evans) and Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.) as Marvel's superheroes declare war on each other. The Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), Falcon (Anthony Mackie), Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner), War Machine (Don Cheadle), Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen), Vision (Paul Bettany) and Ant-Man (Paul Rudd) all return, joined by newcomers Black Panther (Chadwick Boseman) and Spider-Man (Tom Holland). (PG-13 for extended sequences of violence, action and mayhem) http://marvel.com/captainamerica OLDER THAN IRELAND: A documentary that tells what it means to have lived 100 years in Ireland, according to a group of its oldest citizens. http://www.olderthanireland.ie (Not rated) FROM THE MOVIE BLOG: SUMMER MOVIES 2016: With the release of "Captain America: Civil War," the summer movie season is now under way. And that means it's also time for my annual round-up of the movies I'm most anticipating based on little information so far over the next 17 weeks or so. From what I can see, I'm feeling kind of meh about it, but I have gathered together 25 titles that are begging for my ticket money. So, too, have I determined a summer movie MVP, or rather, MVPs because it's a tie. This is the actor or actress appearing in more of my choices than any other. This year, the "honor" is shared by Dominic West ("Finding Dory," "Genius" and "Money Monster") and Hannibal Buress ("Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising," "The Nice Guys" and "The Secret Life of Pets"). Love movies? Love talking about them? Love reading about them? Go to Times Union Movies blog, moderated by film fanatic C.J. Lais Jr. and join in the conversation. >http://blog.timesunion.com/movies> Merie Weismiller Wallace "Joy": The film reunites actors Jennifer Lawrence, Bradley Cooper and Robert De Niro with director/writer David O. Russell, the team that made the marvelous "Silver Linings Playbook." Their latest collaboration looks like the same beautifully crafted tale of quirky characters engaged in interesting activities. But there is no joy at the end of "Joy" as the talent of the mighty Russell runs out. Without Lawrence, "Joy" would have fallen apart in the second half. She's the only reason to keep watching. Even Russell must have realized his movie was losing steam because he abandons his slow-simmer approach and rushes the film to a quick conclusion. Lawrence never falters, even when the script does. One issue is that she and Cooper have shown great chemistry in past films. There are a couple of scenes where they get to show off the sparks, yet the pair aren't together enough to fully capitalize on that power. "The Choice": Movies made from books by Nicholas Sparks are like those hard candy hearts that are so popular for Valentine's Day. They are sweet, not overly complicated and the message is spelled out in very clear terms. The latest adaptation of a Sparks novel, "The Choice," is no different. This story about two mismatched people, who fall in love despite their best efforts to avoid it, clearly stresses the importance of taking time to appreciate the important people in your life. If you don't, there may be a dramatic choice to be made that will change it all. ALBANY A city man faces seven years in state prison after a jury found him guilty on Tuesday of pepper-spraying an Albany police officer, Albany County prosecutors said. Eugene Molineaux, 30, was convicted of second-degree assault, a violent felony, before Judge Thomas A. Breslin, according to District Attorney David Soares. Troy A Cohoes man told investigators with the state attorney general's office Tuesday that he didn't think a Troy police sergeant was in danger when the officer fatally shot an unarmed DWI suspect following a brief car chase last month. A person briefed on the investigation, but not authorized to comment publicly, said the 26-year-old man's description of what he saw unfold that night raises questions about public statements by Troy police officials and Rensselaer County prosecutors who said the officer lawfully opened fire as Edson Thevenin's vehicle pinned him against his police cruiser. The interview was conducted by officials from the office of Attorney General Eric Schneiderman as he seeks to take control of the investigation under an executive order issued last year by Gov. Andrew Cuomo. The governor's order gives Schneiderman the authority to intervene in cases in which unarmed civilians are killed by police. Rensselaer County District Attorney Joel Abelove, who has criticized the governor's order, presented the case before a county grand jury that cleared the officer of wrongdoing five days after the shooting, while the investigation was ongoing. Schneiderman's office responded by filing a lawsuit against Abelove last week accusing him of undermining the attorney general's authority. The litigation seeks a court order annulling the grand jury's decision and affirming the jurisdiction that Schneiderman said he has to take over the case. After the lawsuit was filed, the Times Union reported that two civilian witnesses, including the Cohoes man, were not subpoenaed by Abelove's office and did not testify in front of the grand jury that cleared the officer. Both of the civilian witnesses told investigators they did not think it was necessary for the officer, Sgt. Randall French, who fired eight rounds through Thevenin's windshield, to use his weapon, according to law enforcement sources and a person briefed on the case. The Cohoes man, who has applied to become a Troy police officer, told state investigators Tuesday that he was driving a friend home who had been drinking and they stopped at a traffic light on Hoosick Street when Thevenin's green Honda sedan pulled behind them about 3:30 a.m. on April 17. The headlights on Thevenin's vehicle were turned off, the man told investigators, and Thevenin drove around them as two police cars approached with their emergency lights flashing. Police Chief John Tedesco previously said the officers were pursuing Thevenin after he fled a traffic stop moments earlier, nearly striking French. In the interview Tuesday, the Cohoes man, who was accompanied by his attorney, Lee Kindlon of Albany, told state investigators he was driving a vehicle with a standard transmission and the engine stalled. Thevenin drove around him and struck a barrier as he apparently tried to make a U-turn to elude the pursuing officers. The two officers' used their patrol cars to box in the fleeing sedan and, the Cohoes man said, Thevenin appeared to rock his car back and forth, almost like he was trying to slowly get out of a parallel-parking spot, when French, who was standing near the front of the Honda, suddenly opened fire, according to the person briefed on the interview. The man told investigators that after the gunshots rang out, Thevenin's vehicle rolled slowly forward and pinned the officer's legs against his cruiser. Tedesco previously said French was trapped by the vehicle and suffered soft-tissue and "ligament" injuries. The interview revealed that a third civilian witness, who was in the car with the Cohoes man, saw what unfolded. Another witness, a Troy business owner, told the Times Union last week that he saw the entire incident unfold and gave city police a written statement the morning after the shooting. He confirmed the district attorney did not subpoena him to testify before the grand jury. A law enforcement official said the business owner took cellphone video of the shooting although Abelove and Troy police did not disclose the existence of the video. Michael Rose, an attorney hired by Thevenin's widow, Cinthia, of Watervliet has called the action by Abelove's office a "rush to justice." A state Supreme Court judge in Albany County is scheduled to review arguments this week on Schneiderman's petition to take over the case. It seeks a court order compelling Abelove to turn over his files and all evidence on the shooting, including grand jury minutes, to the attorney general's office. Cuomo signed the executive order in July in the wake of a series of controversial and fatal encounters between police and unarmed civilians in New York and across the nation. On Friday, Cuomo signed another executive order giving Schneiderman authority to probe "alleged unlawful acts or omissions by any law enforcement officer" in connection with the fatal shooting investigation. Schneiderman's lawsuit notes the initial executive order "expressly and unequivocally required district attorneys to get prior authorization from the attorney general to make grand jury presentations where a civilian was 'unarmed' or where there is a significant question whether a civilian was 'armed and dangerous.'" blyons@timesunion.com 518-454-5547 @brendan_lyonstu Trump wins big in Indiana, with a clear path as Cruz quits 2016-05-04 09:44 US Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks at a campaign event at The Palladium at the Center for Performing Arts in Carmel, Indiana, US, May 2, 2016. [Photo/Agencies] INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. - Republican front-runner Donald Trump swept to a commanding victory in Indiana on Tuesday, putting him on a glide path to the party's presidential nomination as Ted Cruz finally ended his campaign. The New York billionaire won decisively in a state where Cruz, his nearest rival, had hoped to show he was still a factor in the race for the Republican nomination. Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus called Trump the party's presumptive nominee in a tweet and said, "We all need to unite and focus" on defeating Clinton. As the vote returns flowed in, Cruz announced that he has ended his campaign at an event in Indianapolis, with his wife, Heidi, at his side. Cruz, 45, sounding beaten but defiant, said he no longer sees a viable path to the nomination. "Together we left it all on the field in Indiana," said Cruz, a US senator from Texas. "We gave it everything we got. But the voters chose another path, and so with a heavy heart, but with boundless optimism for the long-term future of our nation, we are suspending our campaign." Trump was on track to take over 50 percent of the vote. Ohio Governor John Kasich was running a distant third. On the Democratic side, Bernie Sanders was leading Hillary Clinton by a modest margin, but the race was still considered too close to call. Republican US presidential candidate Ted Cruz announces that he is dropping out of the 2016 race for the Republican presidential nomination as his wife Heidi looks on at his Indiana primary night rally in Indianapolis, Indiana, US, May 3, 2016. [Photo/Agencies] Cruz had been counting on a win in Tuesday's primary to slow the New York businessman's progress toward the nomination. But Trump rode momentum from wins in five Northeastern states a week ago to wrest Indiana from Cruz, whose brand of Christian conservatism had been expected to have wide appeal in the state. David Yepsen, director of the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute at Southern Illinois University, said the Republican race is over. "Cruz is certainly young enough to fight again another day. Kasich's a serious guy but if stays in this he could look silly," Yepsen said. The loss for Cruz was a sour ending to a rough day in which he got entangled in a harsh back-and-forth with Trump. It began when the billionaire repeated a claim published by tabloid newspaper the National Enquirer that linked Cruz's father, Cuban emigre Rafael Cruz, with President John F. Kennedy's assassin Lee Harvey Oswald. Republican US presidential candidate Ted Cruz hugs running-mate Carly Fiorina just before announcing that he is suspending his campaign for president at a campaign event during Indiana primary night in Indianapolis, Indiana, US, May 3, 2016. [Photo/Agencies] Campaigning in Evansville, in the state's southwest corner, Cruz sounded deeply frustrated by the bombastic real estate mogul, who has ripped Cruz at every turn. "The man cannot tell the truth but he combines it with being a narcissist," Cruz said, "a narcissist at a level I don't think this country has ever seen." Cruz termed Trump a "serial philanderer" - likely as part of his strategy to try to win the support of evangelical voters. Trump, in response, said Cruz had become "more and more unhinged." The only hope Kasich has for becoming the Republican nominee is to somehow deny Trump the 1,237 delegates he needs to win the nomination outright and force Republicans at their July convention in Cleveland to choose one of them. Kasich vowed to stay in the race. "Tonight's results are not going to alter Gov. Kasich's campaign plans," Kasich senior strategist John Weaver said in a campaign memo. "Our strategy has been and continues to be one that involves winning the nomination at an open convention." This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate A month ago, on his way to work at Wolff's Biergarten in Albany's warehouse district, Nick Hammond noticed his car, a 21-year-old Oldsmobile Cutlass, was smoking. He parked and went inside Wolff's to get a fire extinguisher, but it was too late: By the time he returned, the car was engulfed in flames. "I thought, 'Oh, no what am I going to do?'" says Hammond, 27, who has worked as a barback at Wolff's, washing glasses and lugging beer, for about four years. He says, "Having to buy a car right now would have been so difficult it would have put me behind on everything else financially." He doesn't have to buy a car. Customers and colleagues did it for him. "He's such a great guy so easy to work with and so good with the customers," says Sam Leamy, who manages Wolff's. "He's always looking out for other people, seeing how he can help, but he also seems to have bad luck. I knew I had to try to help." Leamy set up an account on the website GoFundMe.com, where people solicit donations for causes as varied as families displaced by house fires, an urban cosmetology school and all manner of medical crises. Within a weekend, about $2,700 came in for Hammond's next car, contributed by more than 40 donors in amounts from $10 to $500. Leamy initially had hoped to keep the campaign secret and to surprise Hammond with a replacement vehicle, but that proved unfeasible. "Even though the money came in quickly, I didn't know how long it would take to find a car, and I didn't want him to get another one while we were looking," says Leamy. Hammond was stunned. "When I told him how much people had given, he seemed like he was in shock," says Leamy. "He kept thanking me. That's typical Nick very thankful and appreciative. I told him I didn't do much. Once (the campaign) was up, the money came pouring in." "This is by far the nicest thing that's ever happened to me," says Hammond. Leamy says Hammond's sunny disposition and concern for others built reserves of good will and good karma. For instance, on Hammond's first shift at Wolff's, unfamiliar with how fiercely a nearby private parking lot is protected by its owner, he parked there and had his car towed. Colleagues pooled tips to pay the fine. Recently, when a new Wolff's employee suffered the same fate in the same lot, Hammond took up a collection to liberate the vehicle. In the days after Hammond's car burned up, a quick distribution of the GoFundMe link via social media spurred a rush of donations. "It was really impulsive. I should have done more research on other sites to use," says Leamy, who found GoFundMe mildly vexing to use and also higher in fees than comparable sites. Nonetheless, he thought, he had enough for basic transportation for Hammond. A considerably nicer option was offered by Mike Schrom, who works at Wolff's Schenectady location. After hearing about Hammond's situation, Schrom offered up a car he'd been tasked with selling by a relative who'd moved to Florida. Last Thursday evening, Hammond took possession of his new car, a well-maintained 1999 Buick Century with about 100,000 miles. The paint job is pristine, the leather seats relatively uncreased. Sign up for The Knick Get the latest news and features with our afternoon newsletter. "There are so many buttons," Hammond marveled as he surveyed the interior last week. "I've even got volume controls on the steering wheel!" By the end of this past weekend, Hammond had mastered about 90 percent of the buttons. "I haven't totally figured out all the bells and whistles," he says. "Even having bells and whistles to figure out is a nice problem to have." He reports that the Buick is already changing his driving habits: "It's really nice to be able to pass people on the highway. I wasn't able to do that with my other car." "We all love the kid," says Leamy. "I'm just glad we were able to do this for him." Says Hammond, "It's like a gift from God, except God just happens to be regular people." sbarnes@timesunion.com 518-454-5489 @Tablehopping >http://facebook.com/SteveBarnesFoodCritic> Albany Parents and community members will have a chance to weigh in this month on student behavior and discipline in Albany city schools as the district works to redress policies that resulted in a disproportionate number of black and disabled students being suspended. Meetings will be held Wednesdays May 4 and May 11 at 6 p.m. in the high school library for the community to discuss and be updated on the steps the district is taking to comply with an attorney general's agreement. The agreement was borne out of a state investigation that revealed black students in the district were three times more likely to be suspended than their peers, and students with disabilities were twice as likely to be suspended in the five years leading up to 2014. The suspensions were administered inconsistently and at an educator's discretion, the state said, allowing for discrimination or unintentional bias to play a role. "There was an element of subjectivity in the code itself any offense could have been subject to an out-of-school suspension," said Kate Howard, an attorney with the Albany-based Honeywell Law Firm, at an April 21 school board meeting. "That created a great deal of disparity. The goal now is to try and come up with an across-the-board system of support so students can be redirected back into class to be productive instead of out of class." The issue of race-based discrimination is a sensitive one for the school district, where many families live in poverty and roughly half of all students are black. The district's first permanent black female superintendent, who delivered a stinging speech on institutional racism last fall, resigned several months later amid allegations of racism on the part of the school board something the board's black president vehemently disputes. And though some progress has been made, the black-white achievement gap remains wide for the district when it comes to early literacy levels, test scores and graduation rates. "The problem the AG identified was not merely procedural, but deeply attitudinal on the part of staff," said board member Vickie Smith following a presentation on the discipline reforms. "What do we plan to do about the racism?" To remedy the situation, the district agreed to revise its discipline policies so they're consistent across schools and students, and to use intervention techniques when students act out that are designed to keep them in school like one-on-one counseling or peer mediation. A key tenet of the revisions will be updating the district code of conduct a lengthy document students, parents and guardians must sign each year that outlines acceptable and prohibited student behavior guidelines, as well as the district dress code, disciplinary procedures and bullying policies. A draft code was submitted to the attorney general's office in April. The board wants to approve a final code over the summer and have one in place by the start of the new school year. Two new hires will help the district implement the discipline policies and abide by the attorney general's agreement. Former Giffen Elementary and Albany High Principal Maxine Fantroy-Ford will serve as an independent monitor who will audit the district's compliance with the agreement, and with state and federal laws, and report back to the attorney general's office. Valarie Scott, a recently retired principal with the Schenectady City School District, will serve as chief ombudsman and will be in charge of soliciting and investigating complaints about student discipline from parents, students and community advocates. She will also act as a liaison with district administration to resolve them. The two women will share an office at West Hill Middle School. Fantroy-Ford's contract is for six days of work a month, at a daily rate of $800. Scott's is for six to eight days a month, at a daily rate of $550. Sign up for The Knick Get the latest news and features with our afternoon newsletter. The time restrictions caused consternation for some board members, who worried complaints might not be addressed in a timely manner. Board member Anne Savage suggested establishing a telephone hotline for complainants to call. "I love this district, but sometimes we have a tendency to wind up right back where we started from," said longtime board member Rose Brandon. "I'm hoping we adhere to this and get some progress made. The cultural aspect with our teachers you know that's a hurdle. And my ombudsman and monitor, you've got to be on it because we've got a serious problem with some of our teachers not being culturally relevant." Professional development on how to provide culturally relevant education will be offered toward the end of the school year as a way to combat some issues, said Interim Superintendent Kimberly Wilkins. This kind of education takes into account a student's background and culture to make learning more engaging. "That is our key to dealing with the inequities and unfortunate situation identified in the AG's report," she said. "We do have to change the culture and climate, and that's going to be part and parcel of having Dr. Ford and Dr. Scott here next year." bbump@timesunion.com 518-454-5387 @bethanybump This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Menands A large, white marble gravestone leans precariously in the burial plot of the fabled Van Rensselaer family at Albany Rural Cemetery. It's pitched at an angle a few feet from a majestic monument to Stephen Van Rensselaer III, the last patroon, who was one of the richest men in America when he died in 1839. Known as "the good patroon" for his philanthropy, including establishing Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, Van Rensselaer's assets were estimated at $10 million ($68 billion in today's dollars), or 1/65th of the nation's Gross Domestic Product, making him the 10th richest American of all-time, according to Forbes. More Information Contact Paul Grondahl at 518-454-5623 or email pgrondahl@timesunion.com See More Collapse But his vast wealth faded away over generations and frost heaves across more than 150 winters exacted a toll on the final resting place of the illustrious clan. Here lie more than a dozen descendants of Kiliaen Van Rensselaer, a wealthy Amsterdam jewel merchant who inherited the patroonship known as Rensselaerswyck. The vast tract of land included all of present-day Albany and Rensselaer counties. Cemetery officials have applied for a state grant to straighten, clean and create a new base for the four-foot white marble gravestone for Harriet Van Rensselaer Douw, who died in 1862 at age 20. "I'm glad to hear they're repairing it," said descendant Philip Van Rensselaer Tilney, 75, of Kennebunkport, Maine, five generations removed from the last patroon. The retired anthropologist and folklorist with the Canadian Museum of History and Canadian Broadcasting Corp. last visited the family plot in 2013. That year, he donated 13 boxes of family papers and correspondence to Charles Gehring, director of the New Netherland Research Center at the State Library and an expert on the Van Rensselaers and Colonial Dutch history. "My kids weren't interested in all that old stuff," he said. "They don't quite grasp that we might have controlled half of upstate New York if things had gone differently." "There are a lot of interesting items, including a lock of hair encapsulated in a frame and Civil War correspondence from Van Rensselaers," Gehring said. "The family's only concern is that the collection is preserved and appreciated." "These papers complement our other Van Rensselaer holdings from the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries," said Kathi Stanley, head of the State Library's Manuscripts and Special Collections, where the Van Rensselaer Family Papers donated by Tilney are stored and have been catalogued. Meanwhile, the Van Rensselaer gravestone repair, pending approval, will be undertaken in the fall with a grant from the state Division of Cemeteries, which limits each cemetery to apply for a maximum of 50 gravestone repairs. Last year, Albany Rural received a $52,000 grant to repair 50 gravestones out of more than 135,000 in the cemetery, which was incorporated in 1841. "We selected the Van Rensselaer gravestone because of the potential hazard it presents," said John Buszta, general manager of the cemetery. In 2014, a 4-year-old boy was critically injured when a 3-foot high gravestone that weighed hundreds of pounds fell on him as he and his 2-year-old brother played in the cemetery, with adult family members nearby. The boy's name was never released and he spent weeks in pediatric intensive care at Albany Medical Center. The extent of his injuries were unclear. Colonie police called it "a tragic accident" and ruled out any criminality in the case. "We have never heard anything from the family" and no lawsuit was filed against the cemetery, Buszta said. In 1987, a 3-year-old boy from Brunswick, N.J. was killed in Parkview Cemetery in Schenectady after a 540-pound gravestone fell on him while he was playing during a family visit. In 1993, a 5-year-old Albany boy was critically hurt when a one-ton monument fell on him in St. Agnes Cemetery in Cohoes while his mother visited her husband's grave. The state cemetery division awarded more than $650,000 in grants last year to fix leaning monuments and to maintain abandoned cemeteries. The money comes from a $5 fee for every interment or cremation by not-for-profit cemeteries statewide. "We're very appreciative for the state funding to fix stones and we hope it continues for a good many years, because we never know when stones will start leaning after the winter frost," Buszta said. Sign up for The Knick Get the latest news and features with our afternoon newsletter. Tilney learned of his patroon legacy by chance. "It's an astonishing, absolutely incredible history, but I never appreciated it growing up," he said. His father gave him a family Bible with his family's full surname written out when he went away to boarding school at Groton in Groton, Mass., at age 11. He has dim boyhood memories visiting Williams College in Williamstown, Mass. with his mother, Olive Van Rensselaer Gawtry, to see a portion of the Van Rensselaer manor house that was dismantled in Albany by architect Marcus T. Reynolds and partially reassembled on the Williams campus. The son also accompanied his mother to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City to view a portion of the Van Rensselaer manor house's great hall on permanent exhibit. "I don't remember any of that very well, but my mother was intrigued with the family history," he said. Some local historians have expressed interest in excavating a long-forgotten vault beneath the Van Rensselaer plot, which is believed to contain Schuyler family remains and other items. "I'm all for excavating the vault beneath the Van Rensselaer plot," Tilney said. "It would be fascinating to see what's under there." "We have no plans to dig up the vault," Buszta said. "I don't see that ever happening." Stay tuned. pgrondahl@timesunion.com 518-454-5623 @PaulGrondahl Running an election is not easy. It's both a demanding and temporary job. You have to recruit and train large numbers of poll workers, secure and set up accessible poll sites, deploy machines, print and distribute ballots, hire, train and deploy translators and that's just the tip of the iceberg. But New York's election laws make it harder than most. This year, in addition to the usual complaints about polling sites not opening on time, our problems made national headlines when large numbers of voters were removed from the voter rolls, some believe improperly, or arrived to find that their party registration was unexpectedly changed or not changed even though they requested a change. It doesn't have to be that way. New York can learn from other states to adopt effective and economic means to run elections that are fair, secure, and verifiable. That's why the two of us are in Albany today, to talk to legislators, the press and the public about Colorado's experience modernizing its elections over the last two decades. The NY Voters Coalition, facilitated by Common Cause/NY, believes that professional election administrators offer valuable insight into how we can fix New York's broken system. We're convinced that sharing Colorado's practical experience of implementing reforms like early voting, pre-registration of 16- and 17-year-olds, same-day registration and use of electronic poll books will help dispel misconceptions about the impact and practicality of election modernization. That's why we're ending the day with a panel discussion at the Rockefeller Institute, so the public, not only legislators, can have their questions answered as well. Colorado has been improving the way it runs elections since 1992, when it adopted in-person early voting to accommodate disabled veterans and in response to concerns about bad weather on Election Day (Super Storm Sandy or Hurricane Irene, anyone?). Since that time, it has become more and more popular. In 1998, 40 percent of voters took advantage of early voting. In 2014, 95 percent chose to avoid Election Day voting. Colorado adopted same-day voter registration in 2013, as part of an election modernization package that requires every county to use electronic poll books, establish voting centers, and send every voter a mail ballot. Sixteen- and 17-year-olds can also preregister to vote. And the Colorado secretary of state aggressively maintains voter registration lists to keep information accurate and up-to-date. Colorado's reform package has actually resulted in an increase in voter turnout in 2014, a non-presidential election year. The contrast with New York's abysmal turnout figures, which decreased from 2010 to 2014, is stark. Not everything about the Colorado model may be right for New York. But bills currently pending in the Legislature, whether individually for early voting, same day registration or the use of electronic poll books, each present a possible place to begin the path to full election modernization. Sign up for The Knick Get the latest news and features with our afternoon newsletter. Or New York could catch up in one leap by passing the Voter Empowerment Act, which includes all three, as well as automatic voter registration. Early voting would allow time to discover and fix any errors in the voter rolls, a job made much easier and more reliable by the use of electronic poll books, tablets that allow for fast look-up and verification of a voter's eligibility. Adopting these reforms would be an important step in addressing the problems so many voters experienced on April 19. It's time that New York followed the example of states like Colorado and moved its election administration into the 21st century. Donetta Davidson is a former Colorado secretary of state and a past chair of the U.S. Election Assistance Commission. Susan Lerner is the executive director of Common Cause/NY, which facilitates the NY Voters' Coalition. Families demand refunds for cancer treatment 2016-05-04 09:57 A woman identified only as Lu tells reporters at the Second Hospital of the Beijing Armed Police Corps in Beijing on Tuesday she is seeking are fund for therapy received by her husband, who had liver cancer and died in March last year. [Wei Xiaohao/China Daily] Families of patients who are receiving or have received immunotherapy cancer treatment at a military hospital in Beijing are demanding an explanation and refunds, after media exposed details of a case involving the hospital and a young patient who died recently. Three top government and military health authorities have jointly launched an investigation into the Second Hospital of the Beijing Armed Police Corps, the National Health and Family Planning Commissions aid on Tuesday. It said it would conduct the probe jointly with the health bureaus of the Central Military Commission and the national Armed Police Force. The commission said on Monday that it and other ministries have set up a team to probe search engine giant Baidu to see whether misleading information regarding cancer treatment had led college student Wei Zexi,21, to choose the hospital for treatment. Wei, a computer science major at Xidian University in Xi'an, Shaanxi province, died on April 12.He was diagnosed in 2014 with synovial sarcoma, a rare, terminal cancer of the soft tissue, and underwent surgeries and chemotherapy in other hospitals before turning to immunotherapy at the Second Hospital of the Beijing Armed Police Corps last year. He turned to the hospital after searching on Baidu. Two months before his death, Wei said in an online post that a doctor at the hospital told his father that the immunotherapy was developed in the United States and was very effective. However, tumors entered his lungs several months after he received the treatment at a cost of more than 200,000 yuan ($30,900), he wrote. The hospital declined to comment on Tuesday. The hospital and Baidu became the target of public criticism in the past few days after media reports raised questions about Wei's treatment and the search engine's paid listing practice. The reports also brought to light the hospital's contracting of treatment to a private company. The National Health and Family Planning Commission prohibits public hospitals from contracting their departments to others. However, military hospitals such as the Second Hospital of the Beijing Armed Police Corps are administered by military authorities. Although military hospitals are likewise banned from contracting departments to other companies, according to regulations issued by military authorities, in practice many military hospitals contract some of their departments to others for profit, media reports said. The parents of Wei Zexi, a computer science major at Xidian University in Shaanxi province who died of a rare form of cancer, wait outside a funeral home in Xianyang, Shaanxi, on April 13.[Wan Jia/For China Daily] A man who revealed that one of his relatives was receiving the therapy at the facility, said on Tuesday,"The hospital promised us that the treatment is effective and we have spent a lot of money. After the media reports, we are very worried and demand an explanation from the hospital." The man, who is from Beijing and requested that his name not be used, said he talked with a vice-president of the hospital on Tuesday, and learned that the hospital is investigating the case and will give the families an explanation and a response on Friday about whether it will provide are fund. The man said about 20 people related to current or former immunotherapy patients at the hospital are joining a group seeking a response, a refund and compensation from the hospital for expenses they incurred during treatment, such as hotel costs. He said they are waiting for the hospital's answer about whether the immunotherapy is illegal and whether the department offering the service had been contracted. Meanwhile, in an internal statement issued by Baiduon Tuesday, the company said it would improve its background check and evaluation system to screen out any improper information. "Baidu stands together with the people and won't compromise its integrity for economic profit,"it said. A 63-year-old woman, who only gave her surname of Lu, said she is also demanding a refund of about 30,000 yuan for the therapy that her late husband, who suffered from liver cancer, had received at the hospital in December 2014. "I read from a newspaper that the immunotherapy in the hospital is very advanced,"she said."We trusted in military hospitals and did not have doubt." Lu said her husband's condition worsened after the therapy, which lasted for less than a day. Her husband was transferred to a private hospital for treatment, but he died in March last year, she said. A man surnamed Zhao from the Inner Mongolia autonomous region said his wife, about 50 years old, had received the immunotherapy treatment in question at the hospital in the past few days for nasopharyngeal cancer and stopped the treatment after the media reports. He added that they are awaiting the hospital's response on a refund. Zhao said his wife had therapy in June last year, and the result was satisfactory, but the same therapy this year did not produce results. Although the two therapies were the same, the price for the therapy last year was about 67,000 yuan, while the second round of therapy cost 37,000 yuan, he said. The couple has spent nearly 150,000 yuan for the treatment, taking into account other expenses such as trip costs and renting hotel rooms, he said. "We are very worried,"he said."As farmers, we borrowed almost all the money from others for the treatment, and we never expected it might be useless." Cloughjordan honoured the memory and legacy of poet, patriot and educator Thomas MacDonagh over the Bank Holiday weekend. One of the highlights of the weekend was the unveiling of a lifesize statue of MacDonagh on Main Street by the executed Easter Rising leader's granddaughter, Muriel McAuley, and her young grandson, Matthew Drysdale. Ms McAuley told the gathering she was chuffed to be in Cloughjordan for the unveiling of Mark Rode's work, which, she said, was an accurate portrayal of her grandfather. Cloughjordan was en fete for Monday's unveiling, with hundreds of people, many of them dressed in period costume, taking part. John Kennedy, who read the Proclamation for the 50th anniversary in 1966, once again read the Proclamation in Irish. The parade was led by the MacDonagh Pipe Band from Templemore, along with Tipperary ONE, who sounded the Last Post and Reveille as the tricolour was hoisted beside the statue. The chair of the MacDonagh Commemoration Committee, Jim Casey, thanked all those who had been involved in the events and spoke of how delighted he was to see so many of the MacDonagh family in Cloughjordan. Also attending the events were MacDonagh's great-grandchildren Paul McAuley, and Michelle Drysdale (McAuley). Also among the speakers were Tipperary County Council Cathaoirleach Cllr Seamus Hanafin; Nenagh MDC Cathaoirleach Cllr Ger Darcy and Minister for the Environment Alan Kelly, who spoke of how important is was to honour the patriot in his native village. He was delighted to have been asked to speak in March at Jacobs Factory where MacDonagh was in command. Meanwhile, this Tuesday, May 3, around 60 people paraded from the MacDonagh Heritage Centre to the statue at 3.30am to mark the exact day and time on which MacDonagh was executed. Sixteen candles were placed around the statue to signify the 16 volunteers who were shot. This was followed by two minutes' silence after which Tom Williams sang the Thomas MacDonagh Song. Meanwhile Michelle Drysdale recalled her great-grandfather at a talk on Sunday, May 1, in the heritage centre, entitled Married to MacDonagh. Ms Drysdale gave a witty yet ultimately tragic account of MacDonagh, his wife, Muriel and their two children Donagh and Bairbre, recalling that one year after MacDonagh had been executed, Muriel died in a drowning accident off Skerries, County Dublin, leaving the children orphaned. They had a tough life, spending time in foster care and even coming to Broadford in County Clare for a while as well as attending St Joseph's School for the Deaf in Dublin. Even Muriel's life after MacDonagh's ececution had been tough as he left her in poor circumstances and she had to leave the family home and move into a flat. Her talk involved a pictorial backdrop using photgraphs that gave an amazing insight into the life of an ordinary man who lived an extraordinary life. She recalled that it had taken her a while to get this guy. I knew he was a dreamer, a visionary and had done something important for Ireland, said Ms Drysdale, recalling she had what she described as a lightbulb moment while visiting neighbours. Michelle told how MacDonagh had met his future wife, Muriel, at St Enda's School in Rathfarnham, but that at the time he was infatuated with someone else and she already had a boyfriend. However, when MacDonagh's marriage proposal to his would-be fiancee was rejected, causing him to throw an engagement ring he had bought into the fire, he accepted his fate and found love with Muriel, who ditched her boyfriend. She described him as a charismatic and charming man who had got around Muriel's mother, who was Church of Ireland, even though the first time he arrived at their house he was wearing a kilt. Ms Drysdale's description of the wedding day could have been scripted by a Hollywood romcom writer. A short telegram was sent around notifying the small number of guests of the wedding; Patrick Pearse was to be the witness but he failed to show up and they had to ask the verger to stand in. Then Pearse accidently stumbled upon the baptism of Donagh three years later when he popped into the church to say a prayer and became his godfather. Ms Drysdale said that while her great-grandmother had not inially been interested in nationalism, she had a community spirit that saw her involved in helping the poor through handing out what were penny dinners. She later got involved in the anti-conscription movement. She said her great-grandfather would have been proud of the weekend events in Cloughjordan and paid tribute to local historian and teacher, the late Roche Willimas, for keeping the MacDonagh legacy alive locally. [May 04, 2016] CAMICO Posts Sixth Consecutive Year of Gains in Surplus and Net Income CAMICO (www.camico.com), the nation's largest CPA-directed program of insurance and risk management for the accounting profession, earned $1.7 million in net income and posted a gain in policyholders' surplus for the year ended December 31, 2015. Total CAMICO policyholders' surplus for 2015 was $40.3 million, up from the $39.2 million posted in 2014. The year 2015 marks the sixth straight year of gains in policyholders' surplus and net income for CAMICO. The policyholder retention rate for 2015 was 93.3 percent, consistent with an annual policyholder retention rate of more than 93 percent for the past 20 years. The company's results are detailed in its 2015 Operations Report, which has been posted online at www.camico.com along with 2015 audited financial statements. "CAMICO is celebrating its 30th anniversary in 2016," said Robert P. Evans, CPA, CISA, CAMICO chairman of the board, "and we're celebrating the continued positive trends and high level of policyholder retention in response to CAMICO's long-standing tradition of exceeding policyholder expectations. CPAs respond to an insurance and risk management program that is aligned with their interests and builds long-term value for them, and CAMICO is well positioned to continue this tradition for the years to come." About CAMICO Marking its 30th anniversary in 2016, CAMICO delivers insurance, risk management and related services to more than 8,200 CPA firms and 50,000 staff members in 45 states and the District of Columbia. The CAMICO program is sponsored by state CPA societies and associations in Arizona, California, Colorado, Greater Washington D.C., Indiana, Kansas, Mississippi, Missouri, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, South Carolina, Tennessee, Utah, Virginia and Washington. CAMICO provides Professional Liability Insurance, Employment Practices Liability Insurance, Business Owners Package, Workers' Compensation, Personal Umbrella and other insurance products needed by CPA firms. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160504006736/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [May 04, 2016] CMA Publishes Provisional Findings in Connection with Recall Acquisition Iron Mountain Incorporated (NYSE: IRM), the storage and information management services company, reports that the United Kingdom's Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) published its provisional findings in connection with Iron Mountain's (News - Alert) acquisition of Recall Holdings Limited indicating that the acquisition is not expected to result in any substantial lessening of competition outside of Scotland. Iron Mountain looks forward to addressing the CMA's remaining concerns, outlined in its provisional findings, and completing this process as quickly as possible. Further details regarding the CMA's provisional findings can be found by clicking HERE. On March 30, 2016, the CMA granted its conditional consent for the Recall acquisition to be completed prior to the issuance of its final decision following its Phase 2 Review. The statutory deadline for completion of CMA's Phase 2 Review is June 29, 2016, and no definitive view can be given at this stage as to its outcome or the scope and timing of any divestitures required. Iron Mountain remains confident that the CMA Review will result in divestments by the Combined Group in the UK significantly less than the estimated maximum, which represents operations and assets that generated 1% of the Combined Group's pro forma revenue for the year ended December 31, 2015. Iron Mountain completed its acquisition of Recall, primarily as a stock transaction for approximately US$2 billion, on May 2, 2016. Iron Mountain acquired the entirety of Recall's global operations, including all facilities, vehicles, employees and customer assets and excluding operations to be divested in accordance with regulatory agreements in the United States and Canada. Iron Mountain will divest its Australian business other than its data management business throughout Australia and its records and information management and data management businesses in the Northern Territory. About Iron Mountain Iron Mountain Incorporated (NYSE: IRM) is the global leader for storage and information management services. Trusted by more thn 220,000 organizations around the world, Iron Mountain boasts a real estate network of more than 80 million square feet across more than 1,350 facilities in 45 countries dedicated to protecting and preserving what matters most for its customers. Iron Mountain's solutions portfolio includes records management, data management, document management, data centers, art storage and logistics, and secure shredding help organizations to lower storage costs, comply with regulations, recover from disaster, and better use their information. Founded in 1951, Iron Mountain stores and protects billions of information assets, including critical business documents, electronic information, medical data and cultural and historical artifacts. Visit www.ironmountain.com for more information. Forward Looking Statements Certain statements contained in this communication may constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and other securities laws and be subject to the safe-harbor created by such Act. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, the outcome of the regulatory review of the transaction in the United Kingdom, the scope and timing of required divestitures as a result of such review, and statements regarding Iron Mountain's goals, beliefs, plans and current expectations. These forward-looking statements are subject to various known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors. When Iron Mountain uses words such as "believes," "expects," "anticipates," "estimates" or similar expressions, it is making forward-looking statements. You should not rely upon forward-looking statements except as statements of Iron Mountain's present intentions and of Iron Mountain's present expectations, which may or may not occur. Although Iron Mountain believes that its forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, Iron Mountain's expected results may not be achieved, and actual results may differ materially from its expectations. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ from Iron Mountain's expectations include, among others: the receipt of governmental approval and required divestitures. Additional risks and factors that may affect results are set forth in Iron Mountain's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including Iron Mountain's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2015 and Quarterly Report Form 10-Q for the quarter ending March 31, 2016. Any forward-looking statements contained herein are based on assumptions that Iron Mountain believes to be reasonable as of the date hereof and Iron Mountain undertakes no obligation, except as required by law, to update these statements as a result of new information or future events. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160504006822/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [May 04, 2016] Jacksonville Company To Present at World Innovation Showcase, Wins 2 Awards JACKSONVILLE, Fla., May 4, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Being accepted to attend the TechConnect World Innovation Conference and Expo in Washington D.C. is an exciting moment for any company. So when UltraTech learned that three of their new products had been accepted, they were thrilled! And, to top it all off, two of those three products were chosen to be presented to the Showcase attendees. Innovations were received from academic technology transfer offices, early-stage companies, smal business innovative research (SBIR) awardees, and government and corporate research laboratories from around the world. Only the top 15% of submitted technologies were accepted for presentation during the conference. Three of UltraTech's newest and most exciting products: Aveho, Gentoo and the Tactical Welder were chosen from among hundreds of submissions. Aveho Odor Removal Technology is an engineered material that completely eliminates odors. Gentoo is a durable, hydrophobic and clear surface coating. The Tactical Welder is a very powerful and completely portable welder. To find out more about UltraTech and their products visit www.ultratechinternational.com. You can learn more about Aveho Odor Removal Technology by going to www.avehotechnology.com UltraTech is proud to have three products accepted for what has been called the largest showcase and accelerator for industry-vetted emerging-technologies ready for commercialization. UltraTech International, Inc. was formed in 1993 with one goal in mind: to save the world from toxic waste by creating the finest offering of spill containment and spill response products. Since then, its vision has expanded into additional product categories and technologies and the company now features a product line that consists of over 350 unique products designed to keep the world safe and clean. Focusing intensely on meeting customer needs, UltraTech's ongoing goal is to invent, innovate or develop a better solution. The company has introduced an average of 20 new products per year and their design and development team is credited with over 60 patents. They are industry leaders in spill containment, stormwater management, facility protection, construction compliance and oil spill response and are responsible for bringing many advanced technologies to market. Contact Info: Mario Cruz, Marketing Manager UltraTech International, Inc. Phone: 800.764.9549 Fax: 904.292.1325 Email: [email protected] Website: www.ultratechinternational.com Video - https://youtu.be/0oNoSY9Up18 To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/jacksonville-company-to-present-at-world-innovation-showcase-wins-2-awards-300262625.html SOURCE UltraTech International, Inc. [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [May 04, 2016] BlackStratus Partners With Autotask To Deliver Integrated New Security-as-a-Service Solution PISCATAWAY, N.J., May 4, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- BlackStratus, a leading provider of security and compliance technology tailored for both SMBs and large enterprises, announced today that it has partnered with Autotask to deliver its new CYBERShark Security-as-a-Service to Autotask's customer base of thousands of IT Service Providers. BlackStratus recently launched CYBERShark, the first Security Information Event Management (SIEM) platform designed specifically to monitor and remediate cyber security threats and compliance violations within small to midsize businesses. CYBERShark takes BlackStratus' proven enterprise class security and compliance platform, trusted by thousands of large enterprise customers, and delivers it via the cloud to small and midsize businesses at an affordable price point. BlackStratus' Security-as-Service empowers IT Service Providers to build a sustainable managed services business without the need to invest in expensive infrastructure, buy expensive hardware appliances and recruit expensive security analysts, making it an ideal partner of Autotask. By simply sending their end-customer event log data to the advanced CYBERShark cloud, IT Service Providers will receive a white-labeled portal view of their customers' compliance reports and security posture complete with step-by-step remediation to resolve security incidents and malicious activity. "Partnering with BlackStratus affords our customer base a very unique white-label SMB SIEM service that on one hand protects the small to midsize business while on the other hand opens new lines of revenue for our customer base," said Len DiCostanzo, Senior Vice President of Autotask Workplace Sales. "The integration built between CYBERShark and Autotask's platform automates the workflow between our two solutions and ideally maximizes our customers' time and rsources." CYBERShark Benefits to IT Service Providers Enterprise class security and compliance on day one Low monthly cost 7x24 network monitoring Advanced correlation Real-time alerts Remediation for any malicious activity Integrated incident management workflow Reports required for compliance purposes Purpose built for IT Service Providers "We're delighted to partner with Autotask on our new flagship Security-as-a-Service for the SMB market and look forward to working with their customers to help create a dynamic relationship that will ultimately reduce the exponentially growing number of cyber threats and compliance violations on small to midsize businesses," said Dale Cline, CEO of BlackStratus. "The SMB market remains a virtual gold mine for resellers regarding SIEM technology because not only is there unprecedented demand for it but now BlackStratus can offer it at a price point that small to midsize businesses can afford." Integration Features The CYBERShark platform identifies and alerts Autotask IT Service Providers to potential security breaches and compliance violations in their customers' infrastructure. It provides comprehensive remediation steps to resolve these issues, delivered via Autotask's Service Desk feature. Security tickets fed directly to Autotask Supporting evidence of tickets attached as ticket notes Description and remediation strategy provided inline Helpdesk and NOC Remote Monitoring and Management (RMM) BlackStratus is a Platinum sponsor of Autotask Community Live in September 2016. To learn more about BlackStratus' participation at the event please visit http://www.autotask.com/commlive. About Autotask Corporation Autotask Corporation helps IT organizations worldwide work smarter with a complete, cloud-based IT business management platform that enables efficiency, accountability and access to the metrics that drive intelligent business decisions. With built-in best practices and workflow automation, Autotask speeds time to revenue while continually improving service delivery. Autotask is available in seven languages and used in over 90 countries. Headquartered in New York, Autotask has offices in Beijing, Chicago, Dallas, London, Los Angeles, Munich and Sydney. Visit autotask.com for more information. About BlackStratus BlackStratus is a pioneer of trusted security and compliance solutions deployed and operated on premise, in the cloud or "as a Service'' by providers of all sizes, government agencies and individual enterprises. Through patented multitenant security information and event management (SIEM) technology, BlackStratus delivers unparalleled security visibility, prevents downtime and achieves and maintains compliant operations at a lower cost to operate. BlackStratus is headquartered in Piscataway, New Jersey, and protects millions of devices and thousands of businesses worldwide. For more information about BlackStratus, please visit www.blackstratus.com. Follow the firm via Twitter as @BlackStratusInc. BlackStratus PR Contact: David Splivalo [email protected] 1.703.798.2395 Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160418/356345LOGO To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/blackstratus-partners-with-autotask-to-deliver-integrated-new-security-as-a-service-solution-300262720.html SOURCE BlackStratus [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [May 04, 2016] CRTC releases 2015 financial results for Canadian conventional television stations Private conventional television stations increase investment in Canadian programming OTTAWA and GATINEAU, QC, May 4, 2016 /CNW/ - The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) today released statistical and financial information on Canadian conventional television stations for the broadcast year ending August 31, 2015. In 2015, there were 93 private conventional television stations in operation in Canada, which generated total revenues of $1.76 billion. These stations continued to operate in a challenging environment, with total revenues declining 2.6%, or $46.6 million, from 2014. To meet the objectives of the Broadcasting Act, the CRTC requires most television broadcasters to spend a minimum percentage of their revenues on content made by Canadians. In 2015, private conventional television stations invested $652.8 million in Canadian programing, a 5.4% (or $33.5 million) increase from 2014. Investments in Canadian programming have grown consistently over the last five years as conventional televisions stations spent 16% more in 2015 than in 2011. These investments accounted for 49.8% of total programming expenses in 2015, up from 43.6% in 2011. Of note, private conventional television stations spent $60.9 million less on foreign programming in 2015 compared to 2014, primarily due to a reduction in spending on drama. The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation/Societe Radio-Canada (CBC/SRC) reported total revenues of $1.1 billion in 2015, down 16.6%, or $220.9 million, from the previous year. As Canada's public broadcaster, the CBC/SRC continued to invest heavily in Canadian programming. In 2015, these investments totaled $557.2 million, accounting for 96.4% of the CBC/SRC's total expenditures on programming. In particular, spending on news ($190.9 million) and drama ($144.1 million) accounted for 60.1% of its total expenditures on Canadian programming. Conventional television stations employed 10,995 people in 2015, with the CBC/SRC employing 5,205 people. Each year, the CRTC compiles financial data on the Canadian broadcasting andtelecommunications sectors to produce a series of reports. To increase Canadians' access to relevant information related to the Canadian broadcasting system, this year's publication on conventional television stations includes the amount they spent on animation and children's programming. The CRTC recently published the financial results for AM and FM radio stations and will soon publish the results for the specialty, pay, pay-per-view and video-on-demand services, as well as cable and satellite companies. Following the publication of these reports, the CRTC will issue its annual Communications Monitoring Report. These annual reports help interested parties to stay informed about the state of the Canadian communication industry and to participate in the CRTC's public consultations. Quick facts Private stations Private conventional television stations saw their revenues drop by 2.6%, from $1.80 billion in 2014 to $1.76 billion in 2015. in 2014 to in 2015. Expenses went from $1.85 billion in 2014 to $1.82 billion in 2015, a decrease of 1.6%. in 2014 to in 2015, a decrease of 1.6%. Profits before interest and taxes (PBIT) declined from - $138.7 million to - $140.9 million , and the PBIT margin decreased from -7.7% to -8%. to - , and the PBIT margin decreased from -7.7% to -8%. Investments by private conventional television stations in Canadian programming increased from $619.3 million in 2014 to $652.8 million in 2015. in 2014 to in 2015. Private conventional television stations invested $49.6 million on Canadian drama series, $5.3 million on films, $86.7 million on human interest programs, $369.6 million on news programs, $7.3 million on long-form documentaries, $30 million for other information programs, $17.1 million for music and variety shows, $21.5 million on sports programming, $17.3 million on game shows, $45 million on reality TV shows, $2.7 million on awards shows, $358,000 on animation programming and $343,000 on children's programming. on Canadian drama series, on films, on human interest programs, on news programs, on long-form documentaries, for other information programs, for music and variety shows, on sports programming, on game shows, on reality TV shows, on awards shows, on animation programming and on children's programming. As part of these investments, conventional television stations paid $142.1 million to Canadian independent producers. to Canadian independent producers. Revenues from the sale of local advertising declined from $333.6 million in 2014 to $330.1 million in 2015, a 1.0% decrease. National advertising revenues for private conventional television stations remained virtually unchanged at $1.2 billion in 2015. CBC/SRC In 2015, the CBC/SRC reported advertising revenues of $220.1 million , which represented a decline of 53.6 % from the $474.6 million generated the previous year. , which represented a decline of 53.6 % from the generated the previous year. The absence of major sporting events in 2015 coupled with the loss of the NHL television rights contributed to the decline in advertising revenues. The amount of Parliamentary Appropriation allocated to the 27 conventional television stations rose by 4.4% to $757.9 million in 2015. in 2015. The CBC/SRC's program expenditures totaled $687.3 million ; of that amount, $557.2 million (or 81.1%) were expenses related to Canadian programming expenses. ; of that amount, (or 81.1%) were expenses related to Canadian programming expenses. The public broadcaster also spent $9 million on animation programming, and $33.8 million on programming targeting children. Related Links Conventional Television Statistical and Financial Summaries 2011-2015 Conventional Television Highlights Stay Connected Follow us on Twitter @CRTCeng Like us on Facebook www.facebook.com/crtceng SOURCE Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [May 04, 2016] Microdrones expands operations into North America ROME, N.Y., May 4, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- The loosening of restrictions in the U.S. regarding use of unmanned aerial vehicles for commercial purposes has unlocked vast markets and opportunities throughout North America. To serve these new markets, German UAV manufacturer, microdrones has merged with Avyon, the North American UAV solutions provider that brought the microdrones brand to North America three years ago. With 60 employees working in offices in the United States, Canada and Germany, microdrones expands its commercial footprint, building on a 10-year legacy as the first commercial VTOL UAV manufacturer. Microdrones customers now receive local sales and services support in the US and Canada. "Those in the UAV industry are very familiar with the microdrones brand and reputation," explaied Vivien Heriard-Dubreuil, President of the newly-expanded company. He added, "Avyon built microdrones North American business, implementing successful solutions and services. The 2 companies are a natural and complementary fit. Our Avyon customers can expect the same excellent standards of service under the new microdrones brand." Sven Juerss, CEO of microdrones GmbH explained, "We have the most reliable product in the commercial UAV industry and we've had great success selling it in Europe. The opening of markets in the U.S. last year presented us with a tremendous opportunity for growth; I'm thrilled about this expansion and I'm excited for what the future will bring." In addition to offices in Siegen, Germany and Montreal, QC Canada, the company recently established a U.S. presence in Rome, N.Y. near the Griffiss International Airport and Business Park. Mike Dziok, Marketing Director for microdrones said, "Having grown up in the Mohawk Valley, it's really exciting to help build a new industry and company in such close proximity to home. We're going to help businesses collect information in ways that are safer and more efficient than conventional methods." Business Development Director Mike Hogan said, "microdrones is focusing on providing solutions for three main applications: surveying/mapping, precision agriculture and infrastructure inspection/planning. According to Hogan, "The microdrones platform and data collection solutions we've developed give surveyors, engineers and agronomists new ways to access their geospatial data and interpret it so they can put it to work for making business decisions." About microdrones microdrones was founded in Germany in 2005, with the launch of groundbreaking and reliable unmanned aerial vehicles. As the pioneer of quadrocopter drones for professional applications, the heritage of German engineering is a part of every solution they create. The company has sold UAVs for professional applications worldwide, spanning Europe, Asia, Russia and North America. By integrating the most capable and reliable UAV platform with the latest knowledge in sensors, photogrammetry, photography and data interpretation technology, the newly expanded company is positioned to serve new geographic and vertical markets. Contact: Mike Dziok Marketing Director microdrones [email protected] 1-866-874-3566 Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160504/363531 To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/microdrones-expands-operations-into-north-america-300262722.html SOURCE microdrones [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] HK needs to rehabilitate its tourist-friendly image: Experts 2016-05-04 09:57 Hong Kong's Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying (R) is greeted by a Minnie Mouse mascot (C) as he attends the opening ceremony of Grizzly Gulch, the largest themed area in Hong Kong Disneyland's expansion. [Photo/Agencies] If Hong Kong wants to attract more mainland tourists, it should focus on getting its citizens to behave well toward them and rehabilitate the city's tourist-friendly image, instead of worrying about easing travel restrictions on mainlanders, tourism experts said. The suggestion was made after Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying made it clear on Tuesday that the special administrative region's government had no plan to restore the multiple-entry individual visit scheme for people from the nearby city of Shenzhen, Guangdong province. Evidence of the falling number of mainland tourists visiting Hong Kong came during the three-day "mini Golden Week" holiday from April 30 and May 2 when there was a 40 percent year-on-year drop in the number of mainland tour groups, according to the Hong Kong Inbound Travel Association. Lam Chi-ting, general secretary of Hong Kong Tourism Industry Employees General Union, said he agreed that the time is not right to reinstate the multiple-entry permits for residents from Shenzhen, or to loosen rules so that residents of other mainland cities can visit Hong Kong more easily. "The city still needs time to study its capacity before welcoming more mainlanders," Lam said. "Not to mention, Hong Kong people also need time to learn how to behave in a civil and friendly way toward mainland visitors." He made the comments after recent news stories reported isolated incidents in which mainland visitors had been criticized and made to feel uncomfortable in Hong Kong. Leung said before an Executive Council meeting on Tuesday that the SAR government was aware of the fact that too many mainland tourists could put undue pressure on the city and disturb the daily lives of local people. The city has enjoyed several bumper years for tourism, with mainland visitors delivering a shopping and traveling bonanza to the retail sector, said Song Ding, a senior analyst from the Tourism and Real Estate Industry Research Center of the China Development Institute, a think tank based in Shenzhen. But in the wake of fewer mainland tourists visiting the city and a cooling economy, Hong Kong has been attempting to lure tourists from countries including Japan, South Korea and the United States. However, Lam said there are limits to how much difference tourists from those markets can make. The mainland contributes between 3 and 4 million arrivals to Hong Kong each month, compared with 150,000 to 160,000 monthly arrivals from other major markets. [May 04, 2016] Jeffrey Lipton's Fairmont Gloucester Partners - a new financial service for international companies BARBADOS, May 4, 2016 /CNW/ - For national and international companies, Fairmont Gloucester Partners has proven to be a supporter and ally. Headquartered on the Caribbean Island of Barbados, Fairmont Gloucester Partners was established by Canadian executive Jeffrey Lipton, who has more than 20 years of financial service experience. Offering a broad range of financial services for a diverse array of companies, Fairmont Gloucester Partners provides client companies with a variety of uniquely tailored services to maximize portfolios and investment opportunities. Fairmont Gloucester Partners was founded by Barbados' Jeffrey Lipton with the goal of giving multinational and large scale companies the ability to shape and mold their financial goals and desires based on their unique needs. The firm benefits from significant experience in trade finance, supply chain, investment and merchant banking. The company's staff of industry experts, professionals and financial planners are also fluent in a number of languages, including English, Spanish and Mandarin. Fairmont Gloucester Partners has designed a three-tier approach aimed at maximizing and diversifying financial and investment portfolios. One of the proven services provided by Fairmont Gloucester Partners is strategy and integration initiatives. Through a thoroughly vetted program, Fairmont Gloucester Partners can serve as a long-term independent advisor that is able to both assess and stabilize current impedance, while also offering long-term solutions. Understanding the complexity of supply chain inputs, Jeffrey Lipton and his team at Fairmont Gloucester Partners can provide supply chain solutions and opportunities geared toward saving client's money and amalgamating their financial assets. The professional and knowledgeable team at Fairmont Gloucester Partners also offer investment management services to its roster of multinational and international businesses and companies. Fairmont Gloucester Partners is dedicated to meeting and facilitating their clients' needs and goals in the ever-changing world markets. Leading the team at Fairmont Gloucester Partners is Managing Partner, Jeffrey Lipton, who studied law and finance in Canada and has more than three decades of experience in the financial management sector. Please contact us and we will be glad to help. Jeffrey Lipton Barbados SOURCE Money.ca [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [May 04, 2016] Interop Las Vegas 2016 Names 10 Top IT Products & Services as Best of Interop Award Winners; Grand Award Goes to AppFormix SAN FRANCISCO, May 4, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Interop Las Vegas today honored the winners of the 2016 Best of Interop Awards during the event's 30th anniversary. In each of the award program's 10 categories of IT innovation, Interop recognized the exhibitor whose new product or service has made the most significant impact on the industry. From the category winners, judges selected AppFormix as the winner of the Grand Award, which recognizes a truly groundbreaking or compelling product. Interop Las Vegas, the most-respected independent event for IT and networking professionals, continues this week through May 6 at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center. For more information about the Best of Interop awards visit: interop.com/lasvegas/special-events/best-of-interop-awards.php "Congratulations to all Best of Interop winners. From cloud, to security to the best startup, these distinguished technologies are playing a major role in advancing the IT industry," said Interop General Manager Jennifer Jessup. "As we celebrate a big milestone in Interop's history, we're excited for this group of services to represent today's highly sophisticated IT environment a testament to how far our community has come in 30 years." And the 2016 Best of Interop Awards winners in each category are Grand Winner : Appformix : Appformix Applications: CollabNet TeamForge CollabNet TeamForge Best Startup : AppFormix : AppFormix Cloud/Virtualization : AppFormix : AppFormix Data Center : Cisco Nexus Fabric Manager : Cisco Nexus Fabric Manager Mobility/Wireless : Cisco Flexible Radio Assignment : Cisco Flexible Radio Assignment Networking : Cisco Enterprise Network Functions Virtualization (NFV) : Cisco Enterprise Network Functions Virtualization (NFV) Performance/Management/Monitoring : Pluribus VCF Insight Analytics : Pluribus VCF Insight Analytics SDN : VMware NSX 6.2 : VMware NSX 6.2 Security : Cisco FirePower next-generation firewall : Cisco FirePower next-generation firewall Storage : Ambedded Distributed Storage Platform - Mars 200 The Best of Interop Awards were judged by an expert panel consisting of 20 influential IT practitioners, analysts and professionals. Each category was assigned two judges who selected the winner after holding a series of briefings to evaluate demos and business cases. For more information and to register for Interop, visit: interop.tech.ubm.com/lv/2016 Media Registration: interop.com/lasvegas/media-center Connect with #Interop and the #FutureofNetworking: Twitter | Facebook | Google+ | Instagram | YouTube About Interop Interop is the leading global IT infrastructure event series, offering in-depth education alongside a showcase of emerging technologies in an independent, vendor-neutral environment. For 30 years, Interop has brought the IT community together to explore the latest in network infrastructure, encouraging collaboration, and interoperability. Through dynamic conference programs, Interop helps professionals at all career levels leverage the network, systems and applications that enable business innovation. The Interop Expo and InteropNet Demo Lab provide immersive, hands-on experiences, while connecting enterprise IT buyers with leading suppliers. Interop Las Vegas is the flagship event held each spring, with an annual event in Tokyo and Cloud Connect China in Shanghai. For more information, visit interop.com. Interop is organized by UBM Americas, a part of UBM plc (UBM.L), an Events First marketing and communications services business. For more information, visit ubmamericas.com. Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160504/363809LOGO To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/interop-las-vegas-2016-names-10-top-it-products--services-as-best-of-interop-award-winners-grand-award-goes-to-appformix-300263042.html SOURCE UBM Americas [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [May 04, 2016] Salesforce Announces Annual Stockholders Meeting to be Held in San Francisco on Thursday, June 2, 2016 SAN FRANCISCO, May 4, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Salesforce (NYSE: CRM), the Customer Success Platform and world's #1 CRM company, today announced the company's annual meeting of stockholders will be held on Thursday, June 2, 2016 at 2:00 p.m. (PT) / 5:00 p.m. (ET). The meeting will be held at Salesforce, located at 50 Fremont Street, San Francisco, California 94105. Stockholders are invited to attend the meeting and should refer to Salesforce's proxy statement available at www.salesforce.com/investor for details regarding required documentation to gain admission to the meeting. An audiocast will be available to the public on Salesforce's website at www.salesforce.com/investor. About Salesforce Salesforce, the Customer Success Platform and world's #1 CRM company, empowers companies to connect with their customers in a whole new way. Salesforce has headquarters in San Francisco, with offices in Europe and Asia, and trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol "CRM." For more information about Salesforce, visit: www.salesforce.com. Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130612/SF30598LOGO To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/salesforce-announces-annual-stockholders-meeting-to-be-held-in-san-francisco-on-thursday-june-2-2016-300261366.html SOURCE Salesforce [May 04, 2016] Telemedicine Program Will Extend Parkinson's Care Throughout NYS NEW YORK, May 4, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- A new program launched by neurologists at UR Medicine will expand access to care and serve as a national model for the management of Parkinson's disease and other chronic illnesses. The Parkinson's Disease Care, New York (PDCNY) program will be a largely virtual network providing free care to as many as 500 underserved patients across New York State. "Providing coordinated, ongoing care to Parkinson's patients in the traditional settings of a doctor's office requires these individuals and their caregivers and families to travel, often long distances, and is expensive for payers and patients alike," said URMC neurologist Kevin Biglan, M.D. M.P.H., the director of the PDCNY program. "The PDCNY program will break down the barriers of geography and deliver care directly to patients who have never seen a specialist and in the comfort of their own homes." Participants in the PDCNY program will interact via a secure web-based teleconferencing system with Parkinson's disease specialist at URMC. There will be no charge for these virtual house calls. Physicians and nurses at URMC will develop and regularly reevaluate coordinated care plans for each patient, including referrals to speech, occupational, and physical therapists, mental health providers, social workers, and home health providers, if warranted. The program is supported with grants from the Greater Rochester Health Foundation and the Edmond J. Safra Foundation. "For the first time for anyone in a defined geographic area with a defined conditions can received care in their home virtually, regardless of their ability to pay," said URMC neurologist Ray Dorsey, M.D., M.B.A. "This brings us one step closer to fulfilling our vision to deliver Parkinson's care to anyone, anywhere." "My husband Edmond and I were very lucky to have had access to leading Parkinson's experts when he became sick, yet this should not be a privilege available only to those with resources to travel," said Lily Safra, chairwoman of the Edmond J. Safra Foundation. "Telemedicine can make this kind of care availabl to anyone, anywhere, and I am very proud to be supporting projects like this one, aimed at making the dream a reality." Participants with iPhones will be able to use the mPower app developed by URMC and Sage Bionetworks to track and share information about their symptoms with their physicians. The app, initially designed as a research study using Apple's ResearchKit, uses sensors in the iPhone to measure dexterity, voice fluctuations, balance and gait, and memory. Now using CareKit, the latest software framework designed by Apple, is able to better inform patients and providers about their symptoms and care. Parkinson's disease lends itself to telemedicine because many aspects of the treatment of the disease are visual and only require the physician to observe the patient performing certain tasks such as repeatedly tapping their fingers together, walking, and describing their symptoms. These exchanges can be conducted just as effectively via telemedicine as they can in a doctor's office and allow physicians to monitor the progression of the disease, manage and adjust medications accordingly, and refer the patient to other specialists, therapists, and support services. There is a tremendous need to make specialists more accessible to Parkinson's patients. It is estimated that more than 40 percent of people with the disease do not see a neurologist, placing these individuals at greater risk for poor health outcomes. For example, people with the disease who do not see a specialist are more likely to fall and fracture a hip, end up in a skilled nursing facility or hospital, and die. Geography is often a determining factor in whether a person with Parkinson's sees a specialist. Neurologists with training in movement disorders like Parkinson's disease tend to be concentrated in major academic medical centers in large urban areas. Additionally, the nature of the disease particularly the impact on movement, balance, and coordination can make frequent long trips to the doctor's office unfeasible. The PDCNY program will provide care to 500 patients, approximately 400 of whom will reside in the nine-county Greater Rochester area. An estimated 7,000 individuals with Parkinson's in the Rochester area have not seen a specialist in the last 5 years. "By providing care directly in to the homes of individuals with Parkinson's, this program will address barriers to access of care, improve the quality of care these individuals receive, and improve their function and quality of life," said Biglan. Biglan and Dorsey have been pioneers in demonstrating the feasibility of providing quality and cost-effective care for Parkinson's patients via telemedicine. The two have authored several studies on the subject and are in the midst of a large federally-funded study that entails providing remote care to Parkinson's patients across the country. The program is part of a growing movement to extend specialized neurological care to underserved populations. URMC neurologists already provide Parkinson's care via telemedicine directly to patients in New York State nursing homes located in New Hartford, Johnson City, Watertown, and Otsego. The team will also be providing care for Huntington's disease patients at a new neurodegenerative nursing home that will open in Utica, N.Y. in June. For more information on PDCNY, visit www.pdcny.org or contact Jill Lowell at [email protected] or (585) 276-8762. Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160504/363778LOGO Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160504/363779LOGO To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/telemedicine-program-will-extend-parkinsons-care-throughout-nys-300263055.html SOURCE Parkinsons Disease Care, New York [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [May 04, 2016] McGraw-Hill Global Education Announces Closing of Debt Refinancing and Reorganization NEW YORK, May 4, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- McGraw-Hill Global Education Intermediate Holdings, LLC ("MHGE Intermediate Holdings") announced today that that two of its wholly owned subsidiaries, McGraw-Hill Global Education Holdings, LLC ("MHGE") and McGraw-Hill Global Education Finance, Inc. (together with MHGE, the "Issuers") have closed their offering of $400 million aggregate principal amount of 7.875% Senior Notes due 2024 (the "Notes") in a private placement (the "Notes Issuance"). Concurrently with the closing of the Notes Issuance, MHGE entered into $1,925 million of new senior secured credit facilities (the "New Senior Facilities"), consisting of a five-year $350 million senior secured revolving credit facility, which was undrawn at closing, and a six-year $1,575 million senior secured term loan credit facility. The proceeds from the Notes Issuance and the New Senior Facilities were used to repay each of MHGE's and McGraw-Hill School Education Intermediate Holdings, LLC's ("MHSE") existing credit facilities, to repurchase the Issuers' 9.75% First-Priority Senior Secured Notes due 2021 (the "Secured Notes") pursuant to the previously announced tender offer, to fund a cash distribution to MHGE's ultimate equity holders and to pay certain related fees and expenses. The remaining proceeds, together with cash on hand, will be used to repurchase or redeem the remaining Secured Notes. Concurrently with the closing of the Notes Issuance and the entry into the New Senior Facilities, MHGE Intermediate Holdings completed a reorganization in which all equity interests in MHSE, which owns the K-12 business of MHGE Intermediate Holdings' indirect parent, McGraw-Hill Education, Inc., were contributed to MHGE Intermediate Holdings, such thatMHSE is a direct subsidiary of MHGE Intermediate Holdings. The Notes were offered in a private offering that is exempt from the registration requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"), only to qualified institutional buyers in reliance on Rule 144A under the Securities Act and, outside the United States, to non-U.S. investors pursuant to Regulation S under the Securities Act. The Notes will not be registered under the Securities Act or any state securities laws and may not be offered or sold in the United States absent an effective registration statement or an applicable exemption from registration requirements or a transaction not subject to the registration requirements of the Securities Act or any state securities laws. This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any security and shall not constitute an offer, solicitation or sale in any jurisdiction in which such offering, solicitation or sale would be unlawful. About McGraw-Hill Education McGraw-Hill Education is a learning science company that delivers personalized learning experiences that help students, parents, educators and professionals drive results. McGraw-Hill Education has offices across North America, India, China, Europe, the Middle East and South America, and makes its learning solutions available in nearly 60 languages. Forward-Looking Statements Statements in this news release that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions that are difficult to predict. Therefore, actual outcomes and results may differ materially from what is expressed or implied in any forward-looking statements. More detailed information about factors that may affect our performance may be found in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K, which can be obtained at its website at http://www.sec.gov. We undertake no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Contacts Investors: David Kraut Senior Vice President, Investor Relations & Treasurer McGraw-Hill Education (646) 766-2060 [email protected] Media: Catherine Mathis Senior Vice President, Communications McGraw-Hill Education (646) 766-2468 [email protected] To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/mcgraw-hill-global-education-announces-closing-of-debt-refinancing-and-reorganization-300263096.html SOURCE McGraw-Hill Education [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [May 04, 2016] Electronic Warfare (EW) Market Report 2016-2026: Forecasts & Analysis of Top Companies in Electronic Attack (EA), Electronic Protection (EP) & Electronic Support (ES) LONDON, May 4, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Report Details Visiongain assesses that the global Electronic Warfare market will reach $10.31bn in 2016. It is therefore critical that your strategic planning is timely and your forecasting plans are in place to take advantage of the market opportunities. Visiongain's report will ensure that you keep informed and ahead of your competitors. Gain that competitive advantage. The report will answer questions such as: - What are the prospects for the overall Electronic Warfare industry? - Where are the business opportunities for Electronic Warfare? - Who are the key players within the Electronic Warfare industry? - What are the drivers and restraints underpinning the Electronic Warfare market? How will you benefit from this report? - This report you will keep your knowledge base up to speed. Don't get left behind. - This report will allow you to reinforce strategic decision decision-making based upon definitive and reliable market data. - You will learn how to exploit new technological trends. - You will be able to realise your company's full potential within the market. - You will better understand the competitive landscape and identify potential new business opportunities & partnerships. 5. Reasons why you must order and read this report today: 1) The report provides detailed profiles and market share analysis of 12 leading companies operating within the Electronic Warfare market: - BAE Systems plc - The Boeing Company - Cobham plc - Cohort plc - Elbit Systems Ltd - Finmeccanica SpA - Harris Corporation (including Exelis, Inc.) - L-3 Communications Holdings - Lockheed Martin Corporation - Northrop Grumman Corporation - Raytheon Company - Textron Inc 2) The study reveals where and how companies are investing in the Electronic Warfare market. We show you the pospects for the following national markets with each further subdivided into submarket forecasts for electronic attack, electronic protection and electronic support: Australia - China - France - India - Israel - Italy - Russia - Saudi Arabia - Turkey - United States - United Kingdom - R.O.W 3) The analysis is also underpinned by our 3 exclusive interviews with leading experts - Bruce Hargrave , Senior Lecturer and Military Academic Programmes Leader, The University of Lincoln . - Byron Green , Vice President of Business Development at Textron Systems - Ioannis Vagias , Lecturer in Electronic Warfare and RADAR, Cranfield University 4) Our overview also forecasts and analyses these submarkets from 2016-2026 at the global level and for each of the 11 national markets - Electronic Attack - Electronic Protection - Electronic Support 5) See detailed tables of 343 electronic warfare contracts, projects and programmes Competitive advantage This independent 466 page report guarantees you will remain better informed than your competitors. With 416 tables and figures examining the Electronic Warfare market space, the report gives you an immediate, one-stop breakdown of your market. PLUS national market forecasts, as well as analysis, from 2016-2026 keeping your knowledge that one step ahead of your rivals. Who should read this report? - Anyone within the Electronic Warfare value chain. - CEO's - COO's - CIO's - Business development managers - Marketing managers - Technologists - Suppliers - Investors - Banks - Government agencies - Contractors Don't miss out This report is essential reading for you or anyone in the Electronic Warfare sector with an interest in Electronic Warfare. Purchasing this report today will help you to recognise those important market opportunities and understand the possibilities there. Order the Electronic Warfare (EW) Market Report 2016-2026: Forecasts & Analysis of Top Companies in Electronic Attack (EA), Electronic Protection (EP) & Electronic Support (ES) report now. We look forward to receiving your order. Download the full report: https://www.reportbuyer.com/product/3605081/ About Reportbuyer Reportbuyer is a leading industry intelligence solution that provides all market research reports from top publishers http://www.reportbuyer.com For more information: Sarah Smith Research Advisor at Reportbuyer.com Email: [email protected] Tel: +44 208 816 85 48 Website: www.reportbuyer.com To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/electronic-warfare-ew-market-report-2016-2026-forecasts--analysis-of-top-companies-in-electronic-attack-ea-electronic-protection-ep--electronic-support-es-300263151.html SOURCE ReportBuyer [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [May 04, 2016] Securus Technologies Files Tortious Interference Lawsuit Against Global Tel Link (GTL) DALLAS, May 4, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Securus Technologies, a leading provider of civil and criminal justice technology solutions for public safety, investigation, corrections and monitoring, announced today that it has filed a lawsuit against GTL in the District Court in Dallas County, Texas for tortious interference, defamation and business disparagement. The lawsuit alleges that GTL falsely implied to Securus' customers that Securus' ability to provide specialized call-processing and billing equipment and services to correctional facilities throughout the United States was compromised as a result of ongoing and unresolved patent litigation. "GTL should know better than to claim victory and attempt to scare our customers we had some firefighting to do in order to ease their concerns," said Richard A. ("Rick") Smith, Chief Executive Officer of Securus Technologies. "The facts are that the court process will likely takeyears to get to a conclusion. We have examined GTL's patents in detail with internal and external technology experts and we do not infringe. We have approximately 2.5 times as many patents as GTL so we believe that it is more likely that they infringe on our patents than we infringe on theirs." "I believe GTL is a relative 'patent novice.' They have no license agreements with competitors and they have never collected license fees from anyone versus Securus where we have negotiated 19 license agreements two with GTL directly and we have collected $60 million in license agreements AND our patent portfolio is the largest by far in our sector," said Smith. "GTL needs to play fair here and if they don't, we will continue to use the legal system to get them to do so. In my opinion, it always seems to be a challenge for GTL to abide by the rules, unlike what most of our other competitors do," concluded Smith. ABOUT SECURUS TECHNOLOGIES Headquartered in Dallas, Texas, and serving more than 3,450 public safety, law enforcement and corrections agencies and over 1,200,000 inmates across North America, Securus Technologies is committed to serve and connect by providing emergency response, incident management, public information, investigation, biometric analysis, communication, information management, inmate self-service, and monitoring products and services in order to make our world a safer place to live. Securus Technologies focuses on connecting what matters. To learn more about our full suite of civil and criminal justice technology solutions, please visit SecurusTechnologies.com. Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20100831/DA57799LOGO To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/securus-technologies-files-tortious-interference-lawsuit-against-global-tel-link-gtl-300263198.html SOURCE Securus Technologies, Inc. [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [May 04, 2016] Fusionex Joins Industry Initiative to Foster a Greater Data-adept Culture at the Workplace KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, May 5, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Fusionex, a multi-award-winning, leading software solutions provider specializing in Analytics, Big Data, and the Internet of Things (IoT) has joined the Big Analytics Skills Enablement (BASE) initiative to nurture, guide and train the next generation of data professionals. The initiative was recently announced by global data management and analytics platform provider Cloudera. With a data explosion on the horizon, the BASE initiative aims to bring private and public sector players together to help groom data-related skills in working professionals. This would help workers keep abreast with a rapidly changing climate where data is becoming a more prevalent priority in business processes. Fusionex, alongside academic institutions, will assist with the provision of education in essential big data and analytics skills. After training, those with their new-found skills would be paired with positions across the economic landscape where they can best apply their knowledge. Having developed Fusionex Insights (GIANT), an advanced intelligent data management platform with built-in Big Data Analytics (BDA) functionalities, Fusionex has a stable of data experts in its organization who can lead the charge into the foray ofdata analytics. The inner workings of Fusionex GIANT can also be used as a teaching procedure for trainees to get a hands-on approach at learning how to mine, slice and dice as well as analyze data. Fusionex's Center of Excellence will expose data trainees to various aspects on how an analytics platform functions as well as enable them to gain direct insight from Fusionex data experts on key points to look out for when analyzing data. To ensure that trainees undergo industry-ready and relevant training in BDA, Fusionex will be committing all necessary resources towards this effort, which includes an in-house internship program. Via this program, potential trainees will be assessed and targeted for recruitment and subsequent medium-to long-term cultivation of their BDA talents. Apart from Fusionex, businesses such as technology manufacturer Intel and multinational computer company Dell have also agreed to collaborate on the BASE initiative. Academic institutions such as Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman (UTAR) have also come on board in order to offer training in data skills. This initiative is in line with the Malaysian government's vision to turn Malaysia into a developed digital economy in the near future. The Malaysian Digital Economy Corporation (MDeC), a prominent partner in the BASE initiative, believes that BDA will be indispensable towards producing innovative solutions to drive major changes in the way business is conducted. Ivan Teh, Fusionex Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, commented: "The time is ripe for this ambitious endeavor, which aims to arm more people with BDA knowledge and skills. The Fusionex team is ready to support the BASE Initiative and train current and future talent with the aspects of BDA. As a contributor of manpower, infrastructure, and resources, Fusionex believes that seizing the future of BDA begins now." Daniel CF Ng, Cloudera Senior Director of Marketing, APAC commented, "Cloudera is very happy that Fusionex, a major data analytics player in the region, is taking the next step in realizing what the Cloudera BASE Initiative is setting out to do - develop more Data Professionals for the ASEAN region. We are excited to continue collaborating with Fusionex to further our charge towards helping build this very critical skillset and the right resources for the future workforce in the region." [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [May 04, 2016] Global Battery Market by Transport and Transport Mode , Automotive Battery by Type & by Geography - Industry Trends & Forecast to 2021 NEW YORK, May 4, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- "Increased power requirement, stringent norms and need of ecofriendly transportation has changed the demand for batteries". The battery market is estimated to grow with CAGR of 4.15% from 2016 to 2021 to reach a market size of USD 17.26 billion by 2021. Growing integration of electronics, growing demand for transportation, fuel savings and government incentives for cleaner transportation changes are the major driving forces behind the growing demand for batteries. "Lead-Acid batteries: Largest market size" Lead acid batteries are used in the automobile sector and the market for lead-acid batteries in automotive segment is estimated to be the largest. Lead acid batteries are used in all passenger vehicles for SLI function and these batteries are wet charged and have secondary cells, which are capable of multiple charges and discharges. Automotive lead acid batteries have also gone major developments to accommodate increasing electrical requirements of modern automobiles and increasing need for efficiency "Asia-Oceania: Highest growing market for batteries" The Asia-Oceania region is estimated to dominate the battery market, in terms of volume, and is projected to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period. This growth can be attributed to the progress in the socio-economic conditions by the emerging countries such as China, India, Indonesia, and Thailand. Large population in countries such as China and India has resulted in increased number of automobiles and two wheelers and which has driven the demand for batteries. The study contains insights provided by various industry experts, ranging from material suppliers to Tier-1 companies and OEMs. he break-up of the primaries is as follows: - By Company Type Tier I 63%, Tier II 29%, and others 8% - By Designation - C level 45%, Director Level 43%, and others 12% - By Region - Asia-Oceania -58%, Europe 30%, and North America 12% The global battery market is dominated by a few globally established players, such as Johnson Controls Inc. (U.S.), Exide Technologies (U.S.), GS Yuasa ( Japan ), Panasonic Corporation ( Japan ) and Robert Bosch GmbH ( Germany ), among others. Key growth strategies adopted by these players include expansion and new product development. Reasons to Buy the Report: This report contains various levels of analysis, including industry analysis (industry trends, Porter's Five Forces, and PEST analysis), supply chain analysis, and company profiles, which together comprise and discuss the basic views on the emerging and high-growth segments of the battery market, competitive landscape, high-growth regions and countries, government initiatives, and market dynamics such as drivers, restraints, opportunities, and challenges. The report enables new entrants/smaller firms as well as established firms to understand the market better to help them to acquire a larger market share. Firms purchasing the report could use any one or a combination of the below-mentioned four strategies (market development, product development/innovation, market diversification, and competitive assessment) to strengthen their position in the market. The report provides insights with reference to the following points: -Market Development: Comprehensive information about lucrative emerging markets. The report analyzes the global battery market across regions -Product Development/Innovation: Detailed insights into R&D activities, upcoming technologies, and new product launches in the global battery market -Market Diversification: Detailed information about untapped markets, investments, new products, and recent developments in the global battery market -Competitive Assessment: In-depth assessment of strategies, products, and manufacturing capabilities of leading players in the global battery market Read the full report: http://www.reportlinker.com/p03793810-summary/view-report.html About Reportlinker ReportLinker is an award-winning market research solution. Reportlinker finds and organizes the latest industry data so you get all the market research you need - instantly, in one place. http://www.reportlinker.com __________________________ Contact Clare: [email protected] US: (339)-368-6001 Intl: +1 339-368-6001 To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/global-battery-market-by-transport-and-transport-mode--automotive-battery-by-type--by-geography---industry-trends--forecast-to-2021-300263251.html SOURCE Reportlinker [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [May 04, 2016] Level Sensors Market by Technology, Monitoring Type, End-User Industry, and Geography - Global Trends & Forecast to 2022 NEW YORK, May 4, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- The overall level sensors market is expected to reach USD 4.89 billion by 2022, at a CAGR of 5.4% between 2016 and 2022. The increasing government regulations for controlling pollution, gradual decrease in sensor sizes, increasing production of vehicles, and the economic growth of Asian countries such as China and India are the major factors driving the growth of this market. "Industrial manufacturing is expected to lead the end-user industry segment of the level sensor during the forecast period" The market for industrial manufacturing is expected to grow at the highest CAGR among all end-user industries. The growth in the industry can be attributed to the increasing integration of automation systems in the manufacturing sector. The increasing worldwide production of vehicles is also a major contributor to the growth of this market. "APAC expected to hold the largest market share during the forecast period" APAC is expected to be the fastest-growing market for level sensors during the forecast period. Industrial manufacturing and oil & gas are major sectors driving the growth of the level sensors market in APAC. China and India are the leading countries in the level sensors market in this region. The growing industrialization and government initiatives in these countries are further expected to drive the market in APAC. Currently, North America holds the second-largest share of the level sensors market. It is the most technologically-advanced market for level sensors owing to the greater penetration of these systems in thi region. Furthermore, the U.S. invests heavily in the petroleum and aerospace sectors. To determine and verify the market size for several segments and subsegments of the level sensors market gathered through the secondary research, extensive primary interviews have been conducted with key people. The break-up of the profiles of primary participants is shown below: - By Company Type: Tier 1 55%, Tier 2 20%, and Tier 3 25% - By Designation: C level 60%, Director level 25%, Others 15% - By Region: North America 10%, Europe 20%, APAC 40%, RoW 30% The geographic segmentation in the report covers four major regions, namely, North America , Europe , APAC, and RoW. The report also profiles the major players in the level sensors market, namely, ABB Ltd. ( Switzerland ), AMETEK, Inc. (U.S.), Emerson Electric Co. (U.S.), Endress+Hauser AG ( Switzerland ), First Sensor AG ( Germany ), GEMS Sensors and Controls Co. (U.S.), Honeywell International Inc. (U.S.), KROHNE Messtechnik GMBH ( Germany ), Pepperl + Fuchs GmbH ( Germany ), Siemens AG ( Germany ), VEGA Grieshbaer KG ( Germany ), and Nohken Inc. ( Japan ). Reasons to Buy the Report: This report caters to the needs of leading companies, end users, component manufacturers, and other related stakeholders in this market. Other parties that could benefit from the report include government bodies, environmental agencies, consulting firms, business development executives, C-level employees, and VPs. Our report would help analyze new opportunities and potential revenue sources and enhance the decision-making process for new business strategies. The quantitative and qualitative information in the report, along with our comprehensive analysis, will help the player gain a competitive edge in the market. Read the full report: http://www.reportlinker.com/p03814553-summary/view-report.html About Reportlinker ReportLinker is an award-winning market research solution. Reportlinker finds and organizes the latest industry data so you get all the market research you need - instantly, in one place. http://www.reportlinker.com __________________________ Contact Clare: [email protected] US: (339)-368-6001 Intl: +1 339-368-6001 To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/level-sensors-market-by-technology-monitoring-type-end-user-industry-and-geography---global-trends--forecast-to-2022-300263273.html SOURCE Reportlinker [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Lawrence County Council adopts increased budget for 2023 The final total for next years budget was adopted at $28,405,574, an increase of 3.5% from the approved budget for 2022. New details have emerged about the extent of the drug trafficking that went on at one of the two Melbourne music venues raided by police last month. Police claim Brunswicks Railway Hotel were selling so many drugs, punters were forced to line up to purchase ice and cocaine. As the Herald Sun reports, police told the Melbourne Magistrates Court that Railway Hotel manager Chris Lytras, 47, and Paul Polito, 37, both charged with trafficking offences, sold large quantities of drugs out of the upstairs office of the popular venue. Drug trafficking at the venue was apparently so commonplace that an undercover operative was at one point forced to line up outside Lytras and Politos office with other drug buyers. Police reportedly found substantial amount of drugs and cash during their raid on the venue. Some of the drugs were said to be of high purity, though others had been cut. In addition to selling cocaine and methamphetamine inside of the venue, police told the Melbourne Magistrates Court they also seized a quantity of ecstasy tablets stamped with a VW logo. Incredibly, police spent more than $67,000 purchasing drugs from the venue over the course of three months from December last year. In fact, Magistrate Peter Reardon was confused as to why police had to conduct 13 buys before they raided the venue. Polito has been accused of acting as a concierge, taking drug buyers to the venues first-floor office where drugs were kept in a locked box. Polito was bailed on a $150,000 surety, whilst Lytras, whose partner owned the Railway Hotel, and another co-accused will remain behind bars. [include_post id=477315] Meanwhile, Melbourne DJ Jason Kolbeck, co-owner of the Two Floors Up nightclub, which was raided as part of an unconnected operation last month, has been denied bail. Police reportedly found several thousand ecstasy pills as well methamphetamine during their raid. As the Herald Sun reports, Kolbeck, believed to have a stake in the dance venue and charged with trafficking a large commercial quantity of drugs, will remain behind bars after Magistrate John Hardy decided he was at high risk of reoffending due to the nature of the charges. Despite the raids, both the Railway Hotel and Two Floors Up have been permitted to continue trading. Two Floors Up management recently took to Facebook to reassure fans the venue is running as per normal and will continue to trade as expected every week. This week saw our government unveil the 2016 Budget and it didnt take long for everyone to figure out who the winners and losers are. We at Tone Deaf did likewise in seeing who in the Aussie music industry will be cheering and who will be feeling the bite. Overall, it seems as though the Turnbull government isnt particularly concerned with the Australian music industry or the arts sector overall. Troubling and confusing when one considers just how valuable our local arts industry is and how much it contributes to the economy. Furthermore, for a government supposedly bent on encouraging entrepreneurship and innovation, youd think youd want to pay attention to a sector which is constantly producing innovative entrepreneurs in the forms of bands, venue owners, label founders, and more. Winner: Small Businesses This is a big one, because most entities in the music world operate as small businesses, and we mean most. Everything from bands to venues and contractors set themselves up as small businesses in the eyes of the government and the ATO. As a result, any changes to small business policy also affects the way bands and venues run. One of the most talked-about aspects of Budget 2016 is another tax cut for small businesses, which is always music to the ears of anyone running a small business. The government will do this via an incremental process. Theyll be gradually increasing the size of businesses that can access the lower tax rate of 27.5 percent before finally reducing the tax rate for all business to 25 per cent. Winner: Commercial Radio Commercial Radio Australia and the local television industry have both welcomed the announcement of a 25 percent reduction in commercial license fees, applicable from the 2015-16 license period. The cut in licence fees is a welcome relief to Australian radio broadcasters, who operate in one of the most intensively competitive industries in the world, Joan Warner, chief executive officer of CRA, told Radio News. According to Radio News, commercial radio stations paid a total of $24.83 million in broadcasting licence fees in December 2014 for the 2013-14 period. Winner/Loser: ABC Okay, so theyre not really winners because they did receive a considerable funding cut. In fact, as the ABC itself reports, therell be changes to staffing and programming as a result of an almost $20 million funding cut. However, many are portraying the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, which in addition to encompassing jazz and classical stations also comprises the triple j network and Double J, as winners because the cut wasnt as bad as anticipated. The Morrison budget will continue to provide the ABC with its triennial $3.1 billion base funding, but has slashed the addition $60 million in funding handed over by Labor. Its been reduced to $41.4 million over the next three years. Loser: Australia Council One of the most controversial aspects of the previous governments budget management was their significant cuts to the Australia Council, who effectively act as the premier body for handing out arts funding in Australia. The devastating cuts to the Councils funding received widespread criticism in the arts community, with many claiming they effectively ripped the heart out of independent arts funding in Australia. For now, it doesnt look as though thats going to change. As Arts Hub reports, its steady as she goes for the arts in Budget 2016. There isnt a major bout of damage being done, but not much is being fixed either. Whilst the Australia Council has had a less than 1 percent cut (meagre compared to the $24 million it lost last year), director of Regional Arts Victoria Esther Anatolitis told Fairfax the Council is one major cut away from not functioning. However, whats perhaps most troubling is the fact that Australias arts sector obviously wasnt a factor for the government going into Budget 2016. They really didnt give it a thought either way, which is not what we want to see from our government. Loser: Community Radio One of the biggest losers in Budget 2016 is unfortunately community radio. This years budget will not maintain funding for metropolitan community digital radio services in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, and Adelaide. The $1.4 million per annum cut has the potential to put all community digital radio services at risk and comes at the same time that commercial broadcasters received their aforementioned 25 percent cut in license fees. Potentially, it excludes community broadcasters from a digital broadcasting future and threatens the whole community broadcasting sectors role as a key pillar in Australian broadcasting, said Community Broadcasting Association of Australia (CBAA) CEO Jon Bisset. This is particularly concerning given the planned reforms to media ownership, which are likely to result in a less diverse media landscape and less opportunities for community participation. After releasing their new anthemic-pop single and Ghosts Of 1999 Sunshine Coast-based indie-rock group, Selahphonic have captured the hearts of local music fans thanks to their refreshing take on explosive pop infused indie rock. To find out just what went into the new single, we got a sneak peek of the bands recent US studio sessions Mac Montgomery. We spent 2 days spent with producer Mac Montgomery at his ghetto garage studio which sits in the midst of the most high populated 1 square mile in the whole of America explains the band. The beach a short walk, college students scattered everywhere, on bikes, skateboards, going to classes or maybe coming home from the night before. The place buzzes with energy. This what Selahphonic chose to use to inspire their first single Ghosts of 1999. Check out the sessions and the new single below and of course if you like what youre hearing pop by the bands Facebook for more info. Independent UK . . . Donald Trump vs Hillary Clinton: The most lopsided US election race of the modern era begins Wall Street Journal: Six Months Out, the General Election Map Looks Tough for Donald Trump KANSAS CITY MOSTLY STAYS LOSING AMID THE EPIC DONALD TRUMP RISE TO POWER!!! Kansas City Suspected Horse Slapping Protesters Still Rage Against The Donald There Is No God: Local Christian Conservatives Like Jeff Roe Fought The Good Fight And Lost Kansas City "Ready For Hillary" Betwixt Two Decidedly Red States Kansas Bright Side: SecState Krazy Kris Kobach Chose Correctly For Once!!! Quick peek at the big picture this morning as we slouch toward a contest betwixt a tv reality show host and first lady slap-fight to determine leadership of the free world . . .Favorite links on the victory of the Donald:Closer to home . . .Here's quick list of locals whoare on the wrong side of Republican history . . .Local anarchists and far left demonstrators might still by crying pepper spray tears after The Donald Secured his win last night . . . More protests are certainly on the way but their effectiveness now seems suspect.Kansas City political consultant Jeff Roe remains a rising star in the GOP and the press coverage he earned during the campaign will undoubtedly help him far more than it did Sen. Ted Cruz . . . Still, the influence of the old school "religious right" is now suspect as angry populists can't reconcile their anger and hostility with The Good Book which gave the GOP the moral high ground in the aftermath of 9/11.The Kansas City Democratic Party establishment prepares to stump for team Hillary and hopes against hope that the Red State trend in this part of the nation is somehow overturned in an election cycle where anything seems possible . . .Credit where it's due . . . SecState Kobach always stays losing in the courtroom but his border wall idea provided the launching pad for Donald Trump and at least one local name can earn a bit of street cred for this GOP nightmare.More in a bit . . . LET'S CELEBRATE THE WINNERS AND LOSERS OF THE KANSAS CITY SINGLE-TERMINAL DEBATE NOW THAT THE FIGHT HAS BEEN SETTLED FOR THE MOMENT!!! CELEBRATE KANSAS CITY SINGLE-TERMINAL AIRPORT WINNERS!!! Serious Questions From Council Lady Teresa Loar Helped Fuel Debate On The Single-Terminal Scheme Show-Me Institute Research Provided Ammunition Against Single-Terminal "This decision not to pursue a $1.25 billion new terminal is a win for everyone in Kansas City and the region. "Over the past few years, the Show-Me Institute has followed this issue closely and tried to educate the public and policymakers on the risks of building a new terminal. Too many other cities have invested heavily in new terminals only to be saddled with large amounts of debt and with fewer options for passengers. "Kansas Citians were right to be skeptical, especially since the airport we have now is seen as very convenient and has been attracting new flights and airlines. In the end, City officials and airlines could not provide enough justification to take on this risk. We commend city leadership for recognizing this and moving on to issues that require their undivided attention this year." Citizens For Responsible Government Petitions Trumped New Airport Plans CFRG: "We do not consider this a game; its serious business for the voters of Kansas City. The voters should realize this decision shows just how much power they; the voters have. Anytime you get 300 - 400 emails and phone calls going into city hall on one issue, the city council listens. The fact 70% of the voting public doesnt want a new single terminal also became evident to the mayor. We have been aware of this resistance to the new single terminal plan for some time . . . THE KCMO CITIZEN INITIATIVE PETITION PROCESS WORKS CELEBRATE AIRPORT CONSULTANTS WHO ALREADY CASHED IN!!! Save KCI Stays Winning!!! MEET THE KANSAS CITY SINGLE-TERMINAL LOSERS!!! Mayor Sly's Influence Nose Dives With Sordid Single-Terminal FAIL Kansas City Streetcar Extension Prospects Could Now Be Thrown Off Track Airlines Look Silly In Retrospect Spouting Scripted Single-Terminal Hype now they look stupid in retrospect Lament The Tragic Former Aviation Dude Lost His Job Over Single-Terminal Hot Mess Dead Tree Media Cheerleading For The New Airport Reveals Tragic Decline In Their Influence Over Public Opinion Northeast News: Mayor announces indefinite delay of airport vote Tonight Kansas City considers the future of City Hall's development agenda that's now hitting some serious turbulence when confronted with public skepticism.To wit . . .Like it or not, this list provides a glimpse of the future of local political power on the rise and taking a fall. Checkit . . .High-Flying Northland Lady: This council veteran stood up to the Mayor and wasn't afraid to talk about alternatives and transparency amid hype about a billion dollar project that could've easily turned into a boondoggle.Here's what this town's fiscal conservatives had to say about the plan . . .While it's easy for Rex Sinquefield and Crosby Kemper to play the bad guy . . . In this instance, they may have saved locals a bit of cash on ticket prices.We talked to Mr. Coffey previously . . . Here's a snippet of a statement from his group:What's important here is to remember thatand it's one of the last remnants of direct local Democracy.Let's not forget that Kansas City haswho never had to do any real work!!! This tragic expenditure will never be recovered and, despite this setback, the KCMO consulting game remains the best racket going in this wicked little town.Let's not forgeteffort ofand started the online resistance to this effort.And now . . .Just a quick peek at all the people on the wrong side of this debate . . .Mayor Sly calls this "pause" abut the fact is . . . This episode might signal histenure in office is arriving ahead of schedule.Secretive transit projects touted by nothing but hype are now a target for Kansas City voters and the streetcar simply hasn't proven its worth whilst supporters want to extend the line despite previous voter rejection.Southwestand nothing else,and because they listened to a politico who was in over his head. These corporate titans are making cash hand over fist but clearly they don't know much about Kansas City politicsWhere people are regularly misled and hung out to dry if they aren't a bit skeptical about what they see and hear.Kansas City workers should take notice about the career fate of anyone who drinks the political Kool-aid ongiven topic. This town's top airport dude sacrificed his job for this plan that's now on the scrapheap of cowtown bad ideas.Not so long ago, Yael wrote this:Sadly, his screed wasn't able to move the needle or any crowds to action and instead reminds us that the discourse in Kansas City is changing . . . At least in this instance, Kansas City didn't buy the hype from so-called power brokers playing pie-in-the-sky development games which, thankfully, crash landed in Kansas City today.Links:You decide . . . Tourexpi, turizm haberleri, Reiseburos, tourism news, noticias de turismo, Tourismus Nachrichten, , travel tourism news, international tourism news, Urlaub, urlaub in der turkei, , holidays in Turkey, , global tourism news, dunya turizm, dunya turizm haberleri, Seyahat Acentas, This site is best viewed with Microsoft Internet Explorer 6.0+, at a minimum screen resolution of 1024 x 768. Kuwait has released $250 million in financial aid to Morocco, the remaining sum of assistance to the North African country, a report said. The $250 million released by Kuwait for the kingdom is one-fifth of the MD 1.5 billion promised to Morocco and Jordan by the GCC, according to the Morocco World News. Morocco is set to receive more than $120 billion from the Gulf countries over the next 10 years, the report said. Citigate Commodities Trading Limited, a Dubai-based company, has announced the acquisition and launch of a 79.9-sq-km diamond mine in Sierra Leone. The announcement was made at a gala event, at the Ritz Carlton DIFC, and was hosted by Citigate International CEO Tohib Iyiola. The event also celebrated the first anniversary of the company's Dubai office. The event was attended by Al Haji Minkailu Mansaray, Minister of Mines and Mineral Resources from Sierra Leone. He was joined by many other dignitaries, business leaders and industry experts who flew in from all corners of the world to attend the grand launch of the Safa Afrique project, said a statement. We are proud to announce that tonight, we have achieved our first milestone towards our vision by launching the Safa Afrique diamond mining project. Our vision is to bridge the gap between the GCC and African region to capitalise on the natural resources sector and this is the first step towards our success, said Iyiola. He added: Our aim is to introduce new investment vehicles which can assist investors from the GCC to participate in the vast natural resources and mineral reserves in Africa. We have made it secure, flexible and transparent by introducing an investment proposition with an income guarantee backed by a bank. We are providing investors a platform to access the emerging market of diamond mining industry in West Africa through Citigate International Investment Trust. It is an industry which has a track record of exponential growth. The parent company of Citigate Commodities is Citigate International which has also launched the Citigate International Investment Trust domiciled in Hong Kong. The key strategic affiliates for the Safa Afrique project includes Noor Bank and SRK Exploration. Iyiola stated: Citigate Commodities Trading aims to boost diamond exports and trade for the Middle Eastern market by achieving a fully integrated operation, which is from exploration to export." The site of Safa Afrique is located in the most famous area of Koidu, which is home to the third largest diamond, the Star of Sierra Leone. The mining project is neighboring the largest diamond mine of West Africa which certainly provides a competitive edge to the project, the statement said. "Moreover, the initial exploration survey report by the worlds leading firm SRK Exploration has expressed their confidence in the project during their geological survey. Diamond mining is a growing industry which has achieved year on year growth. African region is famous for diamonds all over the world but it is perceived as a high risk business due to multiple legal and political factors," it added. Iyiola said: As part of our CSR initiative, we have already allocated a significant fund to refurbish the schools in the Kono District. We believe that an educated nation is an empowered nation. Citigate Commodities Trading is registered in Dubai Multi Commodities Centre (DMCC) with its head office in London, UK. - TradeArabia News Service Shandong Chambroad Petrochemicals has become the first independent Chinese refiner to trade Oman crude oil futures on the DME, a leading energy exchange. The Chinese government allowed independent refiners to import crude oil for the first time earlier this year. So far 10 independent refiners have been granted approval by the Chinese authorities, with more expected to follow, a statement said. Shandong Chambroad is expanding its international operations significantly and expects to become a regular trader of the DME Oman contract. The refiner will use DME Oman crude oil futures for risk management and physical procurement. DME will hold a roundtable for independent refiners in Shandong, China in mid-May to assist other local participants with the Exchanges registration process. We are delighted to welcome Shandong Chambroad to the DME, DME managing director Owain Johnson said. The independent Chinese refinery sector is the most exciting demand opportunity in the global oil markets right now and we are delighted to see these players select DME for their risk management needs. Straits Financial was the DME Clearing Member that facilitated the trading activity. We are delighted to have enabled Shandong Chambroad to access the DME Oman Crude Oil Futures contract, Straits executive vice president Roger Quek said. Straits Financial is excited about the potential of the independent Chinese refining sector and we are looking forward to enabling other refiners to access the international energy markets. TradeArabia News Service Delegates from more than 28 countries attended the global forum Rethinking Values for Sustainable Growth organised by the General Council of Islamic Banks and Financial Institutions (Cibafi) in Bahrain yesterday (May 3). The two-day forum at the Four Seasons Hotel in Manama organised under the patronage of the Central Bank of Bahrain brought together stakeholders from the Islamic finance industry, multilateral development institutions, international and national regulatory bodies, policy-makers, and academia to discuss the key emerging issues within the industry. Abdelilah Belatik, secretary general, of Cibafi, Musa A Shihadeh, Cibafi BoD member and chief executive officer and general manager of the Jordan Islamic Bank welcomed delegates and Rasheed Mohammed AlMaraj, Governor of the Central Bank of Bahrain gave the keynote address. The forum also welcomed a special keynote address guest, the renowned Emerging Markets and Asset Management Guru, Dr Mark Mobius, executive chairman, Franklin and Templeton Asset Management. The inspiring special keynote address emphasized on main thoughts as to how finance can contribute to sustainable growth of the economy, and some insights on how financial markets in the global and emerging markets are expected to perform. The speech also covered expert views on Mena and emerging markets including the impact of oil prices on economies, as well as assessment of and what structural reforms are required to spur good growth. The session focused on moving towards non-traditional banking models in Islamic finance, which included enhancing capabilities in private banking and asset management as well as the role of structured finance to promote socio-economic development. On the occasion of 15th anniversary we are delighted to be able to have all of our stakeholders here with us today, engaging in a constructive forward looking dialogue, said Belatik. I would like to extend our thanks and appreciation to the Central Bank of Bahrain for its patronage to this Forum. Our thanks also go to the Economic Development Board of Bahrain, Al Baraka Banking Group and Jordan Islamic Bank, the Islamic International Arab Bank, as well as to our new member Path Solutions for their support to this Forum. Our appreciation is also for our Knowledge Partners- Thomson Reuters & Zawya, and all media partners for their continuous support for all Cibafi initiatives. We thank all the delegates who made this event happen, without you it would be impossible to have this successful gathering, he added. TradeArabia News Service Pakistan LPG Distributors Association has joined hands with the National Iranian Gas Company to import 75,000 tonnes of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) within a year. Based on the agreement, at least 6,000 tonnes of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) will be imported from Iran every month for a year, added the Iran Daily News report. The association's president Irfan Khokhar stated that price of imported LPG will be in line with local market prices, it said. Khokhar noted that the imported LPG would definitely help curb energy crisis to some extent. The agreement is the first following the lifting of sanctions on Iran, added the report. Iran plans to increase its petrochemical production capacity by nearly a million tonnes per year, following the launch of operations at three major petrochemical plants in the western region, said a report. Lorestan Petrochemical Plant in the western province of Lorestan went on stream while two other plants, namely Kurdestan and Mahabad, will be inaugurated by March 2017, adding at least 960,000 tonnes to the country's annual production capacity, added the Iran Daily report. Speaking at the inaugural ceremony of Lorestan Petrochemical Plant, Oil Minister Bijan Namdar Zanganeh hailed Bakhtar Petrochemical Company for implementing the project as a totally private entity, it said. The minister said that the assignment of the project to the holding company was an acceptable experience as the developer lived up to all of its pledges in constructing the plant. He added that almost $400 billion was invested in Lorestan Petrochemical Plant the biggest such investment in the western province of Lorestan, added the report. Truck Oman Projects and Oilfield Services Company has signed an agreement with the Special Economic Zone Authority of Duqm (Sezad) to set up an integrated logistics centre. The logistics centre to be constructed on land within the zone will include warehouse offices, maintenance workshop and storage areas for equipment and machineries for oil and gas fields, said a statement. Sezads chairman Yahya bin Said bin Abdullah Al Jabri signed the deal with Truck Omans chairman of the board Dr Mohammed bin Moosa Al Yousuf, it added. The project will be built over an area of 23,000 sq m in the logistics area, which is considered one of the main areas for investment in Sezad, said the statement. The project aims to provide logistics management solutions of various kinds, to meet all the needs of customers, such as management of transport, supporting and controlling traffic movement, management of vehicles and equipment movement data during the hours of work in the field, it stated. TradeArabia News Service Gulf petrochemical producers must push and challenge the thinking processes in the industry and show how there can be value generation in the supply chain, a senior Equate official said at an event. Kuwait-based Equate Petrochemical Companys president and CEO Mohammad Husain said that 80 per cent of the GCC petrochemical output was exported overseas, while speaking at the 8th Supply Chain (SC) Conference 2016. He also said that GCC countries exported more than 70 million tonnes of petrochemicals during 2015. Encouraging partnerships for the development of industrial logistics and transport, Equate sponsored the event, which is organised by the Gulf Petrochemicals & Chemicals Association (GPCA). Husain, who also heads GPCA supply chain committee, said: Between 2010 and 2015, the GCCs petrochemical exports increased by 30 per cent. Currently, the main challenges facing the supply chain are relevant to customs processes, environmental impact, developing new solutions, overall cost and others. All of which require an innovation-based approach by the producers, government bodies and supply chain providers through being Partners in Success, he added. The three-day conference is currently taking place in Dubai, UAE, and will conclude today (May 4). The event is being held under the theme Supporting Downstream Development: Creating Integrated Supply Chain Linkages, and has received participation of top executives from petrochemical and chemical companies, as well as government bodies, supply chain providers and other entities to discuss various topics regarding logistics and transport. During the conference, Equate innovation programme leader Abdulrahman Al-Munayes delivered a presentation regarding 3D printing and its influence on the supply chain in the petrochemical industry, said the statement. While highlighting Equate innovation programme, Al-Munayes discussed 3D printing in terms of history, development, benefits, applications, sales, market value, impact on supply chain providers and other topics. In addition to Husain and Al-Munayes, Equate was represented at the conference by integrated supply chain business operations and planning leader Abdullah Al-Husainan and senior supply chain planner Fawaz Al-Shuwaib, it stated. As part of its sustainability efforts in all relevant fields, Equate sponsored a professor and students from the College of Engineering & Petroleum at Kuwait University to attend the event and interact with other delegates, it said. Equates sponsorship of the professor and the students for this event and other previous GPCA activities is part of the memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed with the college during 2008 for overall partnership and cooperation in industrial and academic fields, it added. TradeArabia News Service Austria's OMV signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC) on Wednesday as it looks to revive its activities in Iran. OMV chief executive Rainer Seele, who took the helm at Austria's biggest company last July, has singled out Iran, Russia and the UAE in a push away from expensive North Sea field exploration. Wednesday's deal signed in Tehran covers several areas from oil and gas field evaluation to crude oil and petroleum product swaps. Most sanctions on Iran were lifted in January after Tehran reached a deal with world powers under which it agreed to shrink its nuclear programme. OMV's envisaged projects are located in the Zagros area in western Iran, including the Cheshmeh Khosh and Band-E-Karkheh fields where OMV had started operations in 2001, and the Fars field in the south, OMV said. "This memorandum of understanding is an important first step in resuming OMV's activities in Iran and in the long-term cooperation with the NIOC," Seele, who is also pushing for closer ties with Russia's Gazprom, said in a statement. "We look forward to evaluating the opportunities of OMV in Iran and the cooperation with NIOC to evaluate whether there are areas of potential cooperation in the exploration and development of oil and gas," Seele said. Last November, Seele said OMV was not interested in gas projects in Iran, citing high costs. - Reuters New security checks at Brussels Airport, where Islamic State suicide bombers killed 16 people in March, are creating huge queues and causing passengers to miss flights, a situation the airport operator described as "bizarre". Belgium's main airport reopened part of its departure hall on Monday, bringing capacity up to about 80 percent from 20 percent when operations initially restarted a month ago, after the attack on March 22 gutted parts of the building. But passengers complain police checks at the entrance to the building are causing delays of several hours and have created a new security risk by forcing people to congregate outside. "You couldn't find a better target," said a senior Belgian security official who is not involved in the airport plan. Former Belgian prime minister Yves Leterme missed his flight to Budapest after queuing for two hours and 40 minutes. "In the coming weeks I'll think twice about choosing Brussels Airport," Leterme told Belgian daily Het Laatste Nieuws. "I think Paris is the better option." With major airports in Paris, Amsterdam and Duesseldorf easily accessible by train from Brussels, the chaos in the Belgian hub could have a major economic impact. The manager of the airport, which also suffered disruption last month due to industrial action by air traffic controllers, blamed police unions for taking the decision to screen every passenger and their luggage at the entrance. "We worked day and night for 40 days to reopen the airport and some police union representatives hold onto that bizarre system of pre-check-ins," president of the board of Brussels Airport Marc Descheemaecker wrote on Facebook. "Abandon it... We are shooting ourselves in the foot and making fools of ourselves abroad." Police union VSOA blamed a lack of staff among private security firms which carry out the initial checks. "We are open to suggestions about how to improve the checks but one thing is clear, security at the airport has to be better than before March 22," a VSOA spokesman said. The Interior Ministry, ultimately responsible for security, said it would hold talks on Tuesday to address the situation. An official of another police union was quoted by Belga news agency as saying an agreement had been reached to check only some passengers and bags before they enter the check-in area. Brussels Airlines, partly owned by Lufthansa, saw passenger numbers decrease 20 percent in April due to reduced capacity at the airport where it is the main operator. Reuters Bahrain came out a big winner at the annual Royal Caribbean Arabia awards announced at last month's Arabian Travel Market (ATM) with three travel companies taking home the most number of awards. Transworld Travel and Al Kaatib Travel Agency were awarded Royal Caribbean Ambassador Award 2015 and House of Travel was honoured with the Royal Caribbean Innovative Marketing Award 2015. Kuwait's Cruise Center by Caesars Holidays was also presented with the Royal Caribbean Ambassador Award 2015. The annual awards, which is in its 10th year, celebrates outstanding travel companies working in conjunction with the brand across the GCC and Levant. Winners for the this years awards were chosen based on sales achievements for recognition within the sales excellence category and extraordinary support given to the overall brand for the Ambassador Awards category. In addition, the Royal Caribbean Innovative Marketing Award that celebrates an agency who has gone above and beyond in their marketing efforts to help promote Royal Caribbean as the luxury cruise line favoured by leisure vacationers and corporates in the region. Honouring other key partners, the cruise company presented the Royal Caribbean Sales Excellence Award 2015 to the follwing travel partners: Emirates Holidays (UAE) Nomass for Travel & Tourism (Saudi Arabia) Al Ghanim Travels (Kuwait) Darwish Travel Company (Qatar) Nakhal Tours (Lebanon) Yara Travel & Tourism (Jordan) General Tours (Egypt) Our annual awards honour travel industry partners from the Middle East and today we applaud their outstanding contribution to generating cruise sales. Our consistent growth would not have been possible without the valuable support of our trade partners in the region, said Mohamed Saeed, general manager, Royal Caribbean Arabia. - TradeArabia News Service South Africa's tourism sector expects strong growth in 2016 after strict new visa rules reduced the number of arrivals in the previous year, Minister Derek Hanekom said on Tuesday. "In January, over one million tourists arrived in South Africa, 15 per cent more than in January last year," Hanekom told parliament. - Reuters AMResorts Enters Puerto Rico With Dreams Puerto Rico Resort & Spa (TRAVPR.COM) USA - May 3rd, 2016 - Unlimited Vacation Club members will have another beachfront destination to choose from in 2018. Unlimited Vacation Club (UVC) by AMResorts broad membership perks will now be extending to the beautiful island of Puerto Rico, thanks to AMResorts latest resort brand management deal with Dreams Puerto Rico Resort & Spa. Located in the southwestern coastal town of Guanica, the 250-room new-build property will be the only true all-inclusive resort in the island of Puerto Rico. With this new destination, considered to be a U.S. commonwealth, U.S.-based members will be able to travel to Dreams Puerto Rico without the hassle of a passport. Dreams Puerto Rico will be the 15th resort for the award-winning Dreams Resorts & Spa brand. It is scheduled to open October 2018 and will bring the family-friendly brand's signature UnlimitedLuxury concept, where everything is included, to the island. Signature program offerings include: limitless a la carte dining with no reservations required, 24-hour room and concierge service, complimentary mini-bars refreshed daily, an unlimited premium beverage program, comprehensive day and nighttime activities, and more with no wristbands required. UVC members can also expect a blend of stylish simplicity with contemporary architectural design and customary amenities like the Dreams Spa by Pevonia. Dreams Puerto Rico will be a perfect resort option for adventurous UVC members. The resort will be located less than 20 minutes away from the Guanica Dry Forest: the largest dry coastal forest region in the world, and a UNESCO-designated world biosphere reserve. The region is also known for its pristine and crystal-clear Caribbean waters, ideal for swimming, surfing, snorkeling and diving. [dt_quote type="pullquote" layout="left" font_size="big" animation="none" size="1"]Guanica is a hidden gem in Puerto Rico and is one of the best places to experience the islands diverse beauty, making it the perfect destination to expand our Caribbean presence, said Gonzalo del Peon, President of AMResorts.[/dt_quote] UVC members will continue to receive an array of exclusive travel privileges at Dreams Puerto Rico, including preferred rates and benefits. For more information about UVC, visit www.unlimitedvacationclub.com. About Unlimited Vacation Club Unlimited Vacation Club by AMResorts is an exclusive travel club providing exclusive privileges to its members at luxurious AMResorts properties throughout Mexico, the Caribbean and Central America. Through a variety of participation levels, discerning travelers can enjoy an array of benefits when they travel to any Zoetry Wellness & Spa Resorts, Secrets Resorts & Spas, Breathless Resorts & Spas, Dreams Resorts & Spas, Now Resorts & Spas and Sunscape Resorts & Spas. Our over 40,000 members can even enjoy access to exclusive partner offers. For more information, visit www.unlimitedvacationclub.com. About AMResorts AMResorts is the fastest-growing provider of sales, marketing and brand management services to six unique, all-inclusive concept resort brands with nearly 60 properties in Mexico, the Caribbean and Central America set to open by the end of 2018. These brands include: Zoetry Wellness & Spa Resorts (www.zoetryresorts.com); Secrets Resorts & Spas (www.secretsresorts.com); Breathless Resorts & Spas (www.breathlessresorts.com); Dreams Resorts & Spas (www.dreamsresorts.com) ; Now Resorts & Spas (www.nowresorts.com); and Sunscape Resorts & Spas (www.sunscaperesorts.com). ### www.myanmarprivateholidays.com is a leading tour provider within the Indochina with its headquartering in Yangon and a branch office in Hanoi which leading the large numbers of travel to Myanmar through the organized packages, said Oanh Manager of MyanmarPrivateHolidays.com (TRAVPR.COM) VIETNAM - May 4th, 2016 - Burma (Myanmar) has became the ultimate destination for a worry free travel to Myanmar with its all incredibly beautiful landscapes, sacred pagodas and cultural perspective that attracts visitors from all around the globe. Considering the eternal desire of world travelers, of exploring the amazing Myanmar, MyanmarPrivateHolidays.com has come up with customized Myanmar travel packages, as per the preference of their clients. The company, specialized in Travel to Myanmar, is resourced with a team of extremely talented market experts, who have the flair of designing the perfect travel packs. A travel agent, associated with the company suggests, Our team focuses on identifying the preferences of every single client. We craft each and every travelling package separately, keeping the customer specifications in mind". Added to its great grand exploration the 15 day best of Myanmar that enrich the great culture, thrilling activities and above all a great tour itinerary that will last forever, the trip could be custom designed to be based on client interest and requirements in mind, in addition, the trip allows visitors to enjoy some relaxing days at the tropical beach, the Ngapali beach has find its location among the many famous beaches in Asia. MyanmarPrivateHolidays.com is specialized in Myanmar tour packages with commitment to provide with each traveler a unique quote with competitive price through this high potential market. Myanmar cruise holidays are also among the best and very well taken with western travelers especially through coming from USA and Australia. There are dozens of luxury and high end packages available to cater the needs of each travelers whether they travel alone or through the groups. Customers are prioritized by the staffs of MyanmarPrivateHolidays.com, we pay the attention to the details and we would love to think of our client as they travel to have a great time and flexibility to enhance their Myanmar experience and bring back with a memory of one Myanmar is one travel agency that is called Myanmar Private Holidays, said Ms. Oanh the Manager of MPH About MyanmarPrivateHolidays.com : Myanmarprivateholidays.com is a travel agency, for Myanmar travel and offering all sort of bespoke packages to travel through the mysterious land of Buddha, the Burma. ### Esfahan, Iran: 4.May.2016: www.irtouring.com is an online tour provider since 2008 offering bespoke packages for travel to iran (TRAVPR.COM) IRAN - May 4th, 2016 - As part of our Iran travel guide series, we at IRTouring.com (www.irtouring.com) interviewed Benoit, a French student who have been traveling to Iran since 2009 and have been lived in Esfahan for some 4 month before. Benoit shares with us his insider tips on what to do in Esfahan (from the points of view of a tourist, of course) for those looking for the best places to see, eat, stay, drink, and explore while travel to Iran. Why Visit Esfahan, Iran? Esfahan has always been included in package tours for basically any trip to Iran, but whats usually shown is not the city itself. Only the Imam Square, the lofty mosques and a few more touristic spots are all the tourists get to see. However, Esfahan is really half of the world and a longer stay will do its magic to let you know more about peoples, their culture and foods. Too many times I hear people saying theyve been to Iran (which is now booming and it might be the hottest destination in 2016) but all they did was go to Tehran, Esfahan, Shiraz and Persepolis, well, thats a touristic things to do but Iran has a lot more to do and to see. It might be beautiful but its definitely not an authentic Iranian experience! In my opinion, one cant say hes been to Iran without spending some time in Esfahan: this really takes people into the hectic Iranian life, together with its many contrasts and real culture, food, habits, crazy things to do and specially living with locals as much as possible. In Esfahan you can find one thing and its opposite: luxury and poverty, culture and illiteracy, beauty and ugliness, what else, just come and find out Its up to you to find the right path! Two days never look the same when you live in Esfahan. If you have to go from A to B youll definitely have to face challenges and find a different solution every day and this is what makes it so exciting! What to do in Esfahan, Iran To answer this question, I must ask myself where would I take you if you come to travel to Iran and especially to Esfahan? And the answer is: On the same day you arrive, I would take you out for dinner at Chahar Bagh Street just before sunset, to show you the city from above and the sun going down on the citys beautiful historic bridges. This is a rather fancy and clean place that I believe is the perfect place for a soft approach to the city. Another easy thing to do is visiting the Naghsh-e Jahan Square (Imam Squre), a place with no cars where you can wander and take beautiful photos of this magnificent historic square. I would get lost with you through the grand bazaar, show you hidden corners and take you to some of the coolest tea-houses deep inside the Qeysariye Bazar It might sound touristy but its very typical instead: I would invite you on a horse carriage ride in Naghsh-e Jahan Square, to relax and enjoy the views and the rare silence. I was almost forgetting the most famous things! Visiting the famous historical bridges at night might be something really special, and one thing, when in Khajoo bridge we have chance to meet with easy welcoming locals who can sing a song under the historic bridge. Best Neighborhoods to Explore? Some neighborhoods are as big as cities so its not easy to answer this question. However, I heard that the neighborhood of Khajoo alone has something like a million millions people! Anyway I must say my favorite one is Downtown. I instantly fell in love with the area the first time I saw it from the window of a bus, on a Esfahan by night tour. This is where the Famous Chahr bagh Street and most of the best restaurants as well as shops and interesting things to see are located. Where to stay in Esfahan Iran? I usually stay in Chahar Bagh Street where one could find plenty of option to choose from and as its overall better to stay than the rest of the city. Word of mouth is definitely the best way to find the right sublet for you. Budget places to stay There are also some very cheap hostels in downtown but of course, you cant expect much luxury. High end There are very modern, luxury and beautiful hotels in same time very traditional style. Consider staying at the Abassi hotel, Howsar and or Aseman Hotel you wont be disappointed, however, do not expect Sheraton, Hilton or Intercontinental when traveling to Iran. Plan Your Trip to Esfahan, Iran IRTouring.com is a simple but professional website offering all sort of Iran tour packages including Visa tips, where to go and what to see. Find out more about interesting places to see not only in Esfahan but in all major town and cities and finally if you are looking to get your Iran adventure started then give us an email, we reply with all sort of great info. http://www.irtouring.com/iran-tours ### rom the stark beauty of the Great Rift Valley, to the unsurpassed tranquillity of its picturesque lake, there is something remarkable about Malawi. One of Africa's smallest countries, it is often overlooked by the travel industry, in favour of the path more trodden and the allure of big game. Consequently, Malawi makes the ideal Undiscovered Destination. (TRAVPR.COM) UK - May 4th, 2016 - From the stark beauty of the Great Rift Valley, to the unsurpassed tranquillity of its picturesque lake, there is something remarkable about Malawi. One of Africa's smallest countries, it is often overlooked by the travel industry, in favour of the path more trodden and the allure of big game. Consequently, Malawi makes the ideal Undiscovered Destination. Launching this summer, independent tour operator, Undiscovered Destinations, will be taking travellers off the beaten track to for an exceptional encounter with natural Malawi. The 15-day tour, which will accommodate groups of no more than 16, provides the ideal opportunity to experience the heart of this stunning country. Rich and unspoilt, Malawi's landscapes will take the breath away, allowing visitors to hike, kayak, swim and take in the spectacular scenery of the plains, forests and tea plantations. There will be opportunities to meet the native residents, with optional excursions to a local school and a pottery workshop, while lazy days are equally catered for with luxurious accommodation, leisurely drives and mornings by the beach. Additionally, a complementary tour of Zambia's South Luangwa National Park supplies the chance to encounter some of the world's most magnificent creatures elephants, buffalo, impala, lions and leopards in their natural environment. This is the Africa we dreamed of as children. Designed for both families and lone travellers, this tour presents a gentle, yet thorough introduction to the magic of Malawi and its closest neighbour. Accommodation will comprise a blend of lodges, chalets and tented camps, with all meals catered for and all local transportation provided. The tour costs 2,290, based on two people sharing, and excluding international flights. This is Undiscovered Destinations' first ever tour in Malawi and Zambia, and it is set to be something truly special. For more information on what Undiscovered Destinations are offering, please visit their website. ### Scientists reveal the reptiles that get the most public attention in order to address conservation issues. The Internet is chock-full of top 10 lists, Im pretty sure there is not a single thing in existence that hasnt been ranked in this manner. And I'm guilty of writing them myself even if often times the frivolity (and ensuing popularity) of said lists seem like a depressing indication of how dumbed-down we are becoming. So it was with a bit of surprise to see that scientists from Oxford and Tel Aviv Universities had entered into the fray with their list of the world's most popular reptiles what kind of noble scientific pursuit is that?! But of course theres more to the picture than a ranking of favorite cold-blooded critters. The authors of the study were looking to provide quantitative data in the debate around conservation priorities. John C Mittermeier from Oxford University and co-lead author of the study explains, There is a debate in conservation as to whether the fact that we as humans like a particular species justifies conserving it, regardless of its importance from an ecological point of view. Although this idea of some species being 'culturally valuable' has been around for some time, it has been difficult to measure and define. Whether or not we want to take these cultural variables into account when shaping conservation policy, we need data to support those decisions, he adds. So the researchers a group of zoologists, geographers and computer scientists did what any of us would do, they headed to Wikipedia. But their method was maybe a bit more involved than most. They looked at all 55.5 million pageviews for 2014 for the 10,002 reptile species represented in Wikipedia. In the past we could have carried out basic surveys of a few hundred or a few thousand individuals to find out where their interest lay, whereas now we can do it with millions of people for an entire class of organisms on a global scale, says co-lead author Dr. Uri Roll, from Oxford University. Obviously there are limitations to using an online tool such as Wikipedia, but there are lots of benefits too. What they found was an especial proclivity for venomous and endangered species, as well as those with higher body mass or posing a threat to humans big, rare, and scary for the win! Among all languages, the Komodo dragon took the crown as the most popular species overall, with 2,014,932 page views for the year. Here's the whole who's who of the reptiles the world is most interested in: 1. Komodo dragon Gary Bell / Getty Images 2. Black mamba Rod Patterson / Getty Images 3. Saltwater crocodile Stuart Westmorland / Getty Images 4. King cobra Tomasz Banaczek / Getty Images 5. Gila monster Jeff Servoss / Wikimedia Commons / Public Domain 6. Cottonmouth (viper) Geoff Gallice / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY 2.0 7. American alligator Skeetdeloach / Wikimedia Commons / Public Domain 8. Leatherback sea turtle Aruba Paradise Photos / Getty Images 9. Nile crocodile Edwin Remsberg / Getty Images 10. Boa constrictor Jasius / Getty Images Roll says that popularity is an issue in conservation because the resources are so limited and decisions must be made about how to allocate funding. Its a daunting question, how do you prioritize efforts to save one species over another? Are rare or endangered species more important than ecologically important species, or ones that attract the most public interest? Among more traditional conservationists there may be the view that we shouldn't incorporate cultural values into decisions about policy or funding, Mittermeier notes. However, the fact is that whether we like it or not, we already do how much funding do lions get compared with, for example, a species of small snail that doesn't even have an English name, even if the snail is more at risk of going extinct? The biases are already there. There's also an argument that the traditional thinking around conservation hasn't quite worked, so we need to reframe our approach, he adds. Regardless of the point of view you take, having this sort of quantitative data is critical. Saving the worlds animals, one top 10 list at a time. When you visit the site, Dotdash Meredith and its partners may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies. Cookies collect information about your preferences and your devices and are used to make the site work as you expect it to, to understand how you interact with the site, and to show advertisements that are targeted to your interests. You can find out more about our use, change your default settings, and withdraw your consent at any time with effect for the future by visiting Cookies Settings, which can also be found in the footer of the site. Saving old buildings is unfashionable these days; economists and writers think that we are all nostalgists and NIMBYs who are preventing the development that is needed to make housing affordable and keep cities from ossifying. Jane Jacobs is also being reassessed by those who consider her the patron saint of NIMBYs. But a new study from the Preservation Green Lab, the Atlas of ReUrbanism, demonstrates once again that in most cases, the opposite is true; that cities with older, smaller buildings actually have higher density, more diversity, a greater number of small businesses and lots more entrepreneurial activity. And yes, they even have more affordable housing. It actually confirms Jane Jacobs dictum that "Old ideas can sometimes use new buildings. New ideas must use old buildings." As was demonstrated in the recent American election, it is one thing to view the world from New York City or San Francisco, but it is a very different thing in the rest of America. The Atlas of Reurbanism mapped fifty cities on a fine-grained grid and came up with findings that would make Jane Jacobs proud. It builds on the work of the Preservation Green Lab in their earlier study, Older, Smaller, Better. Old Architecture Creates Character One of the key items that the Atlas measures is character. They recognize that preserving old buildings isnt about A buildings that everybody loves and considers "historic" , but those everyday B and C buildings that are the backdrop. Blocks of older, smaller, mixed-age buildings add character and charm to cities, but these areas are far more than quaint relics. High Character Score areas provide a foundation for strong local businesses, innovative startups, and mom-and-pop small businesses. Whereas large, new buildings sometimes provide space for major employers, older blocks with more modest, unassuming buildings contain economic development engines of their own. For example, every Starbucks, Boeing, or Microsoft had to start somewhere, and in each of these cases, older, smaller buildings provided the launching ground. And indeed, they found that there were 46 percent more jobs in small business in areas with high character. Atlas of ReUrbanism/Screen capture Older Is More Affordable Its not always the best housing on top of the store, but it is often a place to start. High Character Score neighborhoods also have higher percentages and counts of affordable units of rental housing. In many cities in the Atlas, there is twice the number of affordable housing units on blocks with older, smaller, mixed-age buildings. Economists and housing experts refer to a process of of filtering, in which older stock serves as unsubsidized, naturally affordable housing. This report shows clear evidence of just how important older housing is. It is also really dense, housing a lot of people. As we have pointed out many times on TreeHugger, you dont have to go tall to get dense. The study confirms it. Too often, however, density is associated only with building size and height. While some cities have areas where lots of people live in tall buildings, the densest neighborhoods overall are almost always characterized by blocks of older, smaller, low-rise buildings. Developed before the automobile claimed so much of our urban landscape, these areas have a hidden density that is clearly revealed by the data summarized in this report. Atlas of ReUrbanism/ Los Angeles/Screen capture Old Buildings Are Prosperous As we have seen in cities all over North America, these areas of density and character are where people want to be, at all ages. You can knock everything down and build 40 storey towers like economist Ed Glaeser thinks we should do, but what do you get? Dense, walkable, active, and architecturally rich neighborhoods are attracting new residents and investment. Older buildings with layers of history and flexible floorplans are attracting companies large and small. The ability of cities to attract and retain talented young workers is closely tied to the presence of character-rich places. The value of these areas points to the benefits of preservation advocacy and policies that support good design. We have been talking about this for years anecdotally, but these very granular maps provide real data that confirm what Jane wrote in Death and Life of Great American Cities: [Businesses] that support the cost of new construction must be capable of paying a relatively high overhead. If you look about, you will see that only operations that are well established, high-turnover, standardized or heavily subsidized can afford, commonly, to carry the costs of new construction. Chain stores, chain restaurants and banks go into new construction. But neighborhood bars, foreign restaurants and pawn shops go into older buildings. Supermarkets and shoe stores often go into new buildings; good bookstores and antique dealers seldom do. It is not so simple as saying that real estate is all about supply and demand, and that if we build more new stuff prices will drop. New stuff is expensive and unaffordable for many of the uses that we are trying to promote, and it often doesnt even increase density or create many more housing units. The data from the atlas clearly show: We need a mix. We need character. We need old buildings. The atlas has studied fifty cities; only a few are posted so far but watch for more here. The 42-year-old is all set to assume the position left vacant by Liz Truss. Amritsar, May 4 Dr Sukhwinder Singh, an acupuncture specialist from the city, along with four other Indian acupuncture experts were selected by the Acupuncture Science Association to attend an international conference on acupuncture and regenerative medicine organised by the Pakistan Acupuncture Council held in Lahore, Pakistan, on April 24. Dr Sukhwinder Singh, director, Guru Kirpa Acupuncture Centre; Dr Inderjit Singh Dhingra from Dr DN Kotnis Hospital, Ludhiana; Dr RK Tuli from Apollo Hospital, New Delhi; Dr Poonam and Dr Mallika presented their scientific papers on facial paralysis, autism, cerebral palsy and other neurological disorders in children and role of acupuncture in emergencies during the conference. Dr Sukhwinder, who presented his paper on facial palsy, claimed that: Acupuncture plays a major role in managing hopeless cases as cerebral palsy, mental retardation, paralysis epilepsy and other muscular and neurological disorders. This type of health-related exchanges would help build bonds between the two countries, he said. Dr Inderjit Singh Dhingra presented his paper on cerebral palsy in children and expressed his desire to work with acupuncture specialists of South East Asian countries and share knowledge with each other. He said free camps would be organised in Amritsar and Ludhiana for disabled children who would be treated by acupuncture and regenerative medicine. TNS G Parthasarathy PRIME Minister Nawaz Sharif described his countrys relations with China as: Sweeter than the sweetest honey. Pakistans ambassador to China gushingly described the Sino-Pakistan relationship as: Deeper than the ocean, higher than the mountains and stronger than steel. In the meantime, we are learning more about the real implications of this relationship, which is based on strategic containment of India. The China-Pakistan relationship has no parallel anywhere in the world, as nowhere has any country transferred nuclear weapons designs, nuclear enrichment and reprocessing capabilities, ballistic missile designs and manufacturing facilities, as China has done to Pakistan. These details have been described in the book authored by the Washington-based scholar, Andrew Small, titled: The China-Pakistan Axis: Asias New Geopolitics. The recent revelations of those involved in holding offshore accounts in Panama brought out the names of relatives of both Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and of Xi Jinping, Chinas all-powerful President, who is also head of the Communist Partys apex Military Commission. Following domestic political pressure, evidently backed by army chief Raheel Sharif, Nawaz Sharifs influence has been further eroded. He has, however, hit back at the army, drawing attention to the protection from prosecution it has provided to General Musharraf who has acquired valuable properties in London and Dubai. The Panama revelations have also drawn attention to offshore accounts of the family/relatives of Xi Jinping and of other top Chinese leaders. At least eight current and former members of the standing committee of the Communist Party politburo find distinguished mention in the Panama documents, as does Deng Jingui, who is President Xis brother-in-law. Deng has reportedly set up two companies in the British Virgin Islands. While Sharif is showing signs that he is feeling the heat, President Xi has reacted defiantly, enhancing his already extensive powers. He is the first leader since Deng Xiaoping to head the partys powerful Military Commission. He has gone a step further by nominating himself as the commander-in-chief of the countrys armed forces, while unprecedentedly clad in army camouflage uniform. This has predictably led to speculation of President Xi wanting to make sure that the army remains directly under his command. While Xi has taken a tough posture against corruption, it is well known that members of his family/relatives have wide-ranging business connections and interests. It was also no secret that family members of former Prime Minister Wen Jiabao, led by his mother, had business assets exceeding $2 billion. All this is occurring when China is going through a painful economic transition. Its export-driven economic growth over the past three decades has been unparalleled in contemporary history, with growth rates of around 10 per cent over the past two decades. While its present growth rates of around 6.9 per cent may appear problematic for China, it is still around the highest in the world. But the days of China being the sole exporting hub for manufactured goods are slowly declining. As China moves towards becoming a consumption-based economy, huge capacities built for manufacturing will have to be shut down, though some relief can be obtained from supplies to ventures abroad like its Silk Road economic belt and the Maritime Silk Road. With the prospects of growing unemployment, as surplus capacities in manufacturing are shut down, one will likely be staring at the face of a jingoistic China ready to divert attention by becoming more aggressive on its maritime and land border claims. While China would remain primarily focused on its maritime boundaries, it will also be unlikely to agree on issues like demarcating the Line of Actual Control along its borders with India. But both countries will gain by moving ahead with confidence-building measures and better communications between the border forces. Xi Jinping has restructured the command of the PLA along borders with India, with a unified command now established in Chengdu. China appears unlikely to embark on a large-scale military adventure, though pressures will be maintained for keeping us unsettled along our borders. Nothing, however, can be taken for granted. New Delhi would be well advised to hasten the establishment of a Mountain Strike Corps and modernisation of its air power. Beijings one belt one road initiative across Pakistan, involving an investment of $46 billion, and its virtual takeover of the Gwadar Port in Baluchistan will require new initiatives by India, involving regional and extra-regional powers, to balance Chinese maritime power across the sea lanes of the Indian Ocean, which will be reinforced by continuing supplies of submarines and frigates to Pakistan. We should have no illusions of how China views India. Beijing has built Pakistans nuclear, missile and conventional arsenals. It welcomes political leaders and visitors from POK and Gilgit-Baluchistan, while treating visitors from J&K on an entirely different footing. It denies normal visas to Indian nationals from Arunachal Pradesh. Beijing aids and trains members of Northeastern insurgent groups like ULFA, along the Myanmar-China border. It seeks to constantly undermine Indian influence and promotes anti-Indian forces in all our SAARC neighbours. It blocks Indias membership in multilateral forums like the Nuclear Suppliers Group. It protects Pakistan-based terrorist groups like the LeT and JeM from international sanctions in the UN. Given Chinas domestic economic and political problems and its aggressiveness with neighbours, there has to be a sustained dialogue to address tensions that will arise periodically along the Sino-Indian border. The trade, economic and investment relationship with China should be expanded. New Delhi should continue cooperation with China in forums like BRICS, the Asian Infrastructure Bank and G20. Chinas policies of undermining Indias relations with its South Asian neighbours should be countered by a robust relationship with Chinas maritime neighbours like Vietnam, Japan and the Philippines. Military exercises with the US, Japan, Australia and Indonesia in the South China Sea and the Indian Ocean should be expanded. Military cooperation with Vietnam must include supplies of Brahmos Cruise missiles, which will serve as a deterrent to Chinese maritime adventurism. Given Chinas links with armed separatist groups in the Northeast, India need not be apologetic about the Dalai Lamas presence in India, or about the carefully nuanced support for democratic and religious freedoms. India must adopt a policy of cooperation combined with containment, in partnership with like-minded powers, in dealing with China. Kuldeep Chauhan Tribune News Service Shimla, May 4 The state governments plan to develop the cold desert of Spiti as a 1,000 mw solar energy hub by 2022 has been shelved by the Centre until it sets up the load dispatch station in upper Kinnaur to evacuate solar power from Spiti. The state government in assistance with the Centre had planned to tap 1,000 mw of solar energy in Spiti by 2022 under the national solar mission. But this has been put on hold by the Central Electricity Authority as there is no transmission corridor to evacuate the power from Spiti, revealed engineers here. The plan to tap 1,000 mw solar energy has been shelved for the time being, said SD Dubey, chairman, CEA, who was here to inaugurate the three-day training programme organised by the centre for skill development and engineering consultancy here today. We need a load dispatch centre in upper Kinnaur to evacuate power from Spiti. This means that the state first needs to harness about 1,000 mw hydropower project in the upper region to make the load dispatch centre feasible, he added. To tap 1,000 mw of solar power will need mammoth 2,500 hectares as one megawatt of solar plant requires 25 bighas of land, which means forest and environment clearances. Even the state has yet to constitute a nodal agency for the Spiti solar mission, revealed engineers. But Dubey said the main focus would be on setting up the rooftop solar projects with the assistance of the Centre, which is targeting to harness about 8.4 lakh mw of solar power by 2022. The 2.5 mw solar and wind energy project is the first major solar project being set up at Rongthong in Spiti a joint venture of the HPSEBL and Solar Energy Corporation of India. HP Power Corporation is also setting up 2 mw solar plant at Naina Devi in Bilaspur. But this project awaits clearances, said MD HPCL DK Sharma. Besides, Surya Ushma and the South Africa group has proposed to invest in 100 mw solar energy project in Lahaul-Spiti during the recent investors meet in New Delhi which was chaired by Chief Minister. But nothing concrete has emerged on this so far as the power evacuation remains a major factor, revealed engineers. Hero Cycles, worlds largest bicycle maker, today, formally inaugurated its newly acquired manufacturing facility in Colombo, Sri Lanka, marking a new beginning in the global expansion plans of the Indian company which aims to sell 1 million bicycles per annum through this venture by 2019. Hero Cycles had recently acquired majority stake in BSH Ventures, one of Sri Lankas leading bicycle manufacturers, with an aim to boost the companys production capacity. Delegation leaves for China The 98-member high power FICO-MSME delegation under the leadership of Gurmeet Singh Kular, president, along with Manjinder Singh Sachdeva, general secretary, FICO, went to visit 26th China International Bicycle and Motor Fair 2016. The delegation will also visit Chinese cycle manufacturers said Manjinder Singh Sachdeva. A booklet of China tour was released by Mayor Harcharan Singh Gohalwaria. TNS New Delhi, May 4 Targeting the previous UPA regime over the controversial AgustaWestland deal, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar today said the ongoing probe will focus on those named in the Italian Court judgement even as he suggested the role of an "invisible hand" in preventing a proper investigation earlier. He, along with Parliamentary Affairs Venkaiah Naidu, rejected the opposition demand for Supreme Court-monitored probe, protesting which Congress staged a walkout. Replying to a debate in Rajya Sabha on the controversy surrounding the Rs 3,600-crore deal for 12 VVIP helicopters, Parrikar said there was "relentless push" by the UPA to go in for the AgustaWestland choppers. They are most welcome, Congress president Sonia Gandhi said on BJPs revelations earlier in the day. Leader of the Congress in Lok Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge, has accused the Centre of pursuing a politically motivated campaign to defame the grand old party through the AgustaWestland scam. Narrating amid repeated disruptions the sequence of events related to the deal, Parrikar said CBI had registered a case on March 12, 2013 but it did not bother to forward a copy of the FIR to ED for nine months. Later, ED did not act on the FIR till July 2014, he said. "It appears an invisible hand was guiding action or inaction of CBI and ED," the Minister said. Noting that a probe was already underway, he said, the "inquiry will focus on roles of those named in the judgement of Italian court.. Government will leave no stone unturned in bringing to justice those involved in the scam." He said CBI has already done a lot of investigation and is currently on the money trail to track down where the bribe money went. Pursuant to the judgement of the Milan appellate court, the Defence Ministry has written to both ED and CBI to take into account contents of the judgement and conclude the investigations expeditiously," Parrikar said. He added that the Defence Ministry is initiating the process of blacklisting the companies concerned and for legal proceedings for recovery of damages. Beginning his speech by promising to not take names so that there is no disturbance, the Defence Minister mentioned an anecdote of Birbal related to a "theft" to suggest that the Congress was unnerved, fearing the truth would implicate it. "The country wants to know who instigated, supported and benefited from the corruption. We cannot let this pass," Parrikar said. He added that the fact that there was corruption in matter is brought out in extensive details in recent judgments of Milan court. "A litany of omissions and commissions at various stages of the decision making process indicate malafide and corrupt actions, driven by a goal to favour a particular vendor," the Defence Minister said. Hitting out at the UPA government, he said the field trials of the chopper were conducted in Italy even though it was necessary for it to be held in Indian conditions. Parrikar said the helicopter offered by AgustaWestland was still in "development stage" and hence the trials were conducted on a different helicopter. He took a dig at former Defence Minsiter A K Antony who had said he had written down his objections of trials, saying he is aware as it was Antony's "habit" to do so. Parrikar said even though the reports of wrongdoings and unethical conduct by Finmeccanica, the parent company of AgustaWestland had surfaced in 2012, followed by arrest of its CEO, the action of putting on hold all procurement cases with the accused group of companies in pipeline was approved by Antony only on May 12, 2014 towards the fag end of the its government. It was the present government which finally issued the order on July 3, 2014," he said. Agencies Ajay Banerjee Tribune News Service New Delhi, May 4 The Indian Air Force (IAF) will revive 24 British-era airfields, which have fallen into disuse, to build secured locations for planes and missile batteries. Most of these airfields are in the eastern and north-eastern regions of the country from where a part of the allied forces (the UK and the US) attacked the rampaging Imperial Japanese Army in Burma during the World War-II. The 24 airfields will have proper fencing and be given station names with teams being posted there to man the area. The IAF plans to use these as emergency landing grounds in case of a war and disperse its assets such as planes, missile batteries etc to protect these from enemy fire. Sources said the IAF ordered a survey to identify airfields that could be used in future. Some of these airfields are in remote areas. These were created by the allied forces or the British. The IAF studied each airfield and its ownership before drawing up a revival plan. The country has more than 100 such airfields, of which the IAF owns 39. The remaining are with the Army, the Navy and the Airports Authority of India. The Ministry of Defence has suggested that the airfields, which are near tourist places and are not serving any military purpose, be handed over to the state governments. Yesterday, the Parliamentary Standing Committee in its report tabled in both Houses noted: These (airfields) will be used as radars stations, weapon storage areas (WSAs), and emergency recovery strips for helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft. The committee, headed by Maj Gen BC Khanduri (retd), a BJP MP from Uttarakhand, has suggested that work on these airfields should be started without further delay and the remaining 15 airfields be assessed for being used. Besides, the IAF and the Army are constructing full-fledged paved landing strips at Tuting, Mechuka, Along, Vijayanagar, Tawang, Walong and Ziro in Arunachal Pradesh. A sum of Rs 355 crore has been allocated for developing these British-era landing grounds in Arunanchal Pradesh. Two of these have been completed. Kathmandu, May 4 The KP Oli government in Nepal on Wednesday teetered precariously after key ally UCPN (Maoist) decided to withdraw support and form a national unity government under its leader Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda', with the main opposition Nepali Congress and Madhesi parties agreeing to back its move. The Oli-led government now appears unlikely to present the Budget as the government is set to be overthrown in the coming days. The overnight political move by the Maoists brought a political storm in Kathmandu and Unified Communist Party of Nepal (UCPN-Maoist) chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal took centre-stage of politics all of a sudden. The Maoist party is among the key parties in the nearly seven-month-old Oli government and, due to the numbers factor, the government may easily collapse if it withdraws support. Prachanda, who served as prime minister for a brief period from August 18, 2008 to May 25, 2009, is now busy mustering political support to become the prime minister again even as Oli was busy trying to save his chair. A meeting between the top leaders of Nepali Congress and Madhes-based parties on Wednesday decided to topple the Oli government and the Madhes parties urged the NC to take the lead. However, the Nepali Congress, the largest party in parliament, has not yet officially decided on the name of the new PM-offering the post instead to Dahal. The Nepali Congress and Madhes-based parties look set to support the Maoist bid to topple the Oli government. The Maoists have convened a Standing Committee meeting later on Wednesday evening to decide the future course of action. The meeting of the NC and Madhes parties on Wednesday concluded that there was a need to oust the Oli government as it has failed in multiple areas, including curbing corruption, addressing the demands of Madhes parties, providing relief to the people, and expediting post-quake reconstruction works, said NC chief whip Chinkaji Shrestha. The NC has already launched a signature campaign against the government which it will use later for a no-confidence motion against the government. The Madhes parties have assured the NC leadership that they will extend support to any alternative to the Oli government. On the other hand, many CPN(UML) leaders were surprised at the Maoist move and have urged it not to topple the government. Meanwhile, PM Oli has called a meeting of the ruling parties at his residence on Wednesday evening to contain the Maoist move. IANS The Grand River Dam Authority gains the power to assess public use fees for off-road vehicle activities and absorbs the Oklahoma Scenic Rivers Commission under a bill that is on its way to Gov. Mary Fallins desk. The Senate passed Senate Bill 1388 on a 37-6 vote Wednesday afternoon. The House passed the measure on April 25. If the governor signs the bill, the Scenic Rivers Commission will be terminated effective July 1 and the rights and responsibilities of the organization will transfer to the GRDA. The commission was established in 1977 to carry out provisions of the federal Scenic Rivers Act in protecting the Illinois River and its tributaries. While the law would become effective July 1, GRDA general manager and CEO Dan Sullivan said people wont notice much change right away as a great deal of administrative work will precede any outward changes in terms of fees for recreational use or making changes at Scenic Rivers. Its kind of status quo on both those issues until we gather a lot more information, he said. The Scenic Rivers Commission headquarters at Tahlequah will remain and all employees of the commission will retain their jobs, he said. They all become GRDA employees, he said. In fact we plan to add a few positions. Longtime Commission Director Ed Fite will remain on the job as well. We plan to take a lot of administrative headaches away from him and let him focus on water quality for the Scenic Rivers, as well as the watershed for Grand Lake, Sullivan said. The Scenic Rivers Commission has suffered financially for years, and both Fite and Sullivan have said they saw this move as the best way to save it from a death of a thousand cuts. Sullivan said new fee structures for the Illinois River are badly needed and the organization will work with an economic research team at Oklahoma State University to come up with some options. The same goes for fees the GRDA plans to start charging for off-road activities that have exploded in popularity below Pensacola Dam. An annual March event that attracts rock crawlers from a wide region attracted about 800 vehicles this year, he said. Because its such a good place for it, were starting to see it on a 12-month basis, he said. There is pretty steady activity down there. Sullivan said he envisions affordable daily use fees or annual passes similar to what some state parks charge, but he emphasized the issue has to be studied and proposals would be made and passed by the Legislature before fees are assessed. Its an administrative rule-making process, once we get to that point, he said. Our big thing is we want people to see a value if we charge a fee, whether its increased accessibility or facilities, we want to make it an even better experience for people. The four pods being added to the Tulsa County jail will cost about 70 percent more than the $9.5 million originally estimated, and officials are at odds on the best source for the $3.5 million needed to finish the project. At issue is whether to pay cash, and thus fully deplete two years of accumulated sales-tax revenue, or borrow the amount and retain the cash for operating expenses. On Tuesday, the Tulsa County Sheriffs Office suggested to the county Budget Board that it prefers issuing bonds to buy some time while it figures out the cost of operating the pods. Other county officials were unconvinced. It seems to me that cash is the way to go, said County Commissioner John Smaligo. I have trouble borrowing when there is cash on hand. The issue was raised Tuesday as the budget board, which is composed of the eight elected county officers, struggles to complete a budget for the 2017 fiscal year that begins July 1. One of the biggest obstacles to that is a yawning deficit in jail operations. The jail has already received what amounts to a $1 million supplemental appropriation this budget year, and is expected to owe its medical provider $2.5 million by the end of June. A dedicated 0.25 percent sales tax covers some but not all of the existing jails operating revenue. A second, 0.041 percent tax passed in 2014, is supposed to cover the construction and operation of the four new pods. That tax generates about $1.7 million a year. Voters approved the tax based on estimates that the pods would cost $9.5 million. Once actual design began, however, an error was discovered in those calculations, and the true cost to build the pods was found to be nearly $18 million. The company responsible for the original estimate is not involved in the design or construction of the jail addition. Through what is called value engineering, the cost was reduced to $15.9 million, including architects fees. Last year, the Tulsa County Industrial Authority issued just over $3 million in bonds which, with the projected accumulated tax revenue and some contingency funds, would be just enough to finish the pods. Tuesday, though, new Sheriff Vic Regalado told the other budget board members that issuing bonds rather than using up the cash would give the financially beleaguered TCSO breathing room as it opens the new pods. Issuing bonds, however, would reduce the amount of cash available for operations, including the mental health programs that were part of the original tax proposal, by about $300,000 a year. The tax package was sold to taxpayers with the expectation that two of the four pods will be dedicated to prisoners with mental health issues. In addition, TCSO is committed to implementing mental health programs that may have start-up costs, but are expected to save money in the long run. Crimes That Shook Australia returns soon with more notorious real crimes and to hear from those who were at the heart of the tragedies, including police and victims families. SKY News anchor Stan Grant returns to present the 8 part series. Season two includes Robert Farquharson, Peter Falconio, the Strathfield massacre, Darcey Freeman, the Russell Street bombing, Raechel Betts, the Hoddle Street massacre and Gerard Baden-Clay. Through gripping interviews, dramatic reconstructions and archival footage, Crimes That Shook Australia details the events leading up to the crime, the crime itself and its enduring effect on the national consciousness. Episode one investigates the story of Robert Farquharson, whose chilling crime has been etched on the minds of many Australians since 2005, when Farquharson drove his car in to a dam off the Princes Highway on Fathers Day, killing his three sons. Originally Farquharson claimed to have blacked out during a coughing fit, only to be found guilty of murder after a long and highly publicised trial. In August, 2013, his latest appeal for freedom was rejected, finally bringing an end to his familys ordeal. Crimes That Shook Australia is a Foxtel commission, produced by Title Role Productions Ltd and exclusive to crime + investigation. Sunday, May 29 at 7.30pm on C+I 9:29 a.m., May 4, 2016--Emalea Pusey Warner and Alexander J. Taylor Sr. set the bar high for those who would follow in their footsteps by exemplifying what it truly means to be a Blue Hen. Every year, the University of Delaware Alumni Association (UDAA) honors their legacies by recognizing one outstanding woman and man from the graduating class with the Emalea Pusey Warner and Alexander J. Taylor Sr. awards. This year, seniors Rebecca Jaeger and Jonathan Galarraga, both in the University Honors Program, have been selected as the recipients of these prestigious awards based on the leadership, academic success and community service they have each demonstrated during their time at UD. Rebecca Jaeger Emalea Pusey Warner Award recipient Rebecca Jaeger is a triple major in biology, history and Spanish. After graduation she hopes to pursue a career in public service as an attorney. I was absolutely stunned to learn I had been selected for the award, Jaeger said. While I had hoped to win, I certainly didnt expect it. It was really an honor to be considered. To win feels truly incredible. I really owe a lot to the University and Im very grateful. Rebecca is going into law to make a difference in the lives of those who do not enjoy full societal privileges this is precisely what Ms. Warner did for women of the state of Delaware, said Joan L. Brown, Elias Ahuja Chair of Spanish. She demonstrates many of the same traits as Emalea Warner: motivation, talent, discipline and inquisitiveness with an appetite for challenges. Jaeger has also been named a UD Distinguished Scholar and a UD Woman of Promise, and received the Universitys General Honors Award. She is currently the president of the Student Government Association and has served as a UD Student Alumni Ambassador, a Munson Fellow (a peer mentor in the Honors resident hall), a Senior Fellow and a Freshman Fellow. She has worked as a Writing Fellow for the Honors Program since she was a junior. Over the past four years, she has also interned with the state of New Jersey and performed extensive community service. Jonathan Galarraga The recipient of the Alexander J. Taylor Sr. Award, Galarraga will be graduating this spring with an honors degree with distinction in chemical engineering. Next fall he will begin work on his doctorate at the University of Pennsylvania. Winning this award has been very humbling, a great honor and a celebration of my activities, Galarraga said. Its really made me appreciate the large number of people who have helped me along the way. It would not have been possible without being surrounded by so many great people. While Taylor received numerous academic accolades and is known for his service on UDs Board of Trustees, Galarraga too has displayed similar success inside and outside of the classroom. He is a Eugene du Pont Distinguished Memorial Scholar, funded by the Unidel Foundation, and between 2014 and 2015, he was endorsed for the Truman scholarship, the Rhodes scholarship and the Marshall scholarship. He has also held leadership roles in organizations like the Hispanic Professional Engineers, the American Institute of Chemical Engineers and the Deep Roots Outreach Program. Galarraga has conducted research in the College of Engineering since his freshman year and is currently leading his own independent research project related to tissue engineering and drug delivery. Before meeting Jonathan, I would have said that a freshman needs more training before they can handle the research environment, said Christopher J. Kloxin, assistant professor of materials science and engineering, and also of chemical biomolecular engineering. Jonathan persuaded me, though, which ultimately prevented me from missing out on the opportunity to work with such a talented individual. With these awards, the UDAA seeks to commend students who have taken advantage of the many opportunities UD has to offer and grown into true change agents, global citizens and problem-solvers. Like Taylor and Warner, Galarraga and Jaeger are both excellent examples of the life changing impact a University can have on its students, a UDAA representative said. About the awards Emalea Pusey Warner (1853-1948) is best remembered on the University of Delaware campus as a champion of education. In 1911, she became chairperson of the State Federation of Women's Clubs' Committee on Education and worked diligently toward the specific goal of establishing a state-supported women's college. In 1914, she was appointed chairperson of the Advisory Council of the Women's College and later became the first woman member of the Delaware College Board of Trustees. Warner Hall is named in her honor. Alexander J. Taylor Sr. (1875-1940) entered Delaware College in 1889 and graduated in 1893 as class valedictorian, with a baccalaureate degree in civil engineering. Mr. Taylor was elected to the Board of Trustees in 1927, reelected in 1932 and again in 1938. He served on the Grounds and Buildings Committee and Executive Committee and was chairman of the Finance Committee. Taylor Hall is named in his honor. The Warner Award was first given in 1950, while the Taylor Award debuted in 1968. Recipients are recognized with a $2,500 award, are honored at a luncheon at the Presidents House and lead the alumni delegates procession at Commencement. Additionally, the recipients are invited to speak at the annual Alumni Weekend presentation of the UDAA Alumni Wall of Fame awards. Visit the website to learn more and register for the event. About the UD Alumni Association All University of Delaware graduates are automatically granted membership in the UD Alumni Association (UDAA) upon graduation and are inducted with a pinning ceremony at Commencement. The UDAA is proudly dedicated to engaging the entire alumni community by fostering a tradition of lifelong loyalty and commitment to the University. The UDAA provides exceptional value and ongoing support to alumni worldwide by expanding benefits available to alumni, supporting regional and affinity club events, recognizing the accomplishments of students and alumni and more. Photo by Ambre Alexander Payne 8:59 a.m., May 4, 2016--Members of the Wildlife Society Club at the University of Delaware traveled to Camp Blue Diamond in Petersburg, Pennsylvania, last month to take part in the Wildlife Societys Northeast Student Conclave hosted by Juniata College. The conclave provided UD participants opportunities for hands-on experiences and networking with fellow wildlife students and professionals, and they said they learned valuable skills that will help as they embark on their future career paths. Those who participated in the event from UD include Catherine Clark, a senior majoring in wildlife conservation and ecology and treasurer of the Wildlife Society at UD; Melissa Moody, a senior majoring in wildlife conservation and ecology; Emily Slingerland, a senior in the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources (CANR); Aaron Crasnick, a junior majoring in wildlife conservation and ecology; and Lauren Meckler, sophomore in the College of Arts and Sciences. Activities included mammalogy skills and a rocket netting workshops, in which the students learned how to catch a group of birds in order to determine things like sex and age distribution in a population. There was also a trapping techniques course, in which students learned to put ear tags on white footed deer mice, and a mist netting workshop, in which the students caught birds and put bands around their ankles. There was also a workshop in which a radio tag was applied to a turtle and it was released, with the students having to find it using radio telemetry. Clark said that the trip was very hands-on. It gets you exposed to things that you might not be exposed to in the classroom. We got to use handheld GPS devices that you dont usually get to use in classroom settings and learned a lot of field lab techniques. In addition to the hands on-learning, Clark said the conclave also offered great networking opportunities. Wildlife conservation is a growing field so I still feel like its still pretty small and if they know your face or your name, it gives you those connections in different parts of the United States and not just Delaware, said Clark. Since she had gone to the event last year, Clark said that it was great to be able to see familiar faces at the event. A lot of people were very recognizable. We hung out with the same people pretty much. It was really easy to get to know other people in your age group in your same field, Clark said. As for the learning opportunities afforded to students studying in the Department of Entomology and Wildlife Ecology at UD, Clark said that Jake Bowman, department chair, provides students great experiences in research techniques and that her ornithology class has been particular beneficial. In ornithology, we did a lot of mist netting and catching birds, putting tags on them and learning how to use trackers on birds -- things like that, which I feel like you dont get in just a normal ornithology classroom setting, said Clark. The Wildlife Society Club at UD also holds a retreat to allow some of the newer students an opportunity to experience that hands-on learning. As a club, we hold a retreat where we ask graduate students and professors to give us little demonstrations on how to do things for younger undergraduates to see, or even if people are thinking about transferring into this program, to give them the opportunity to see what were actually about as a wildlife conservation major, said Clark. Article by Adam Thomas Bayern fell short at the UEFA Champions League semi-final stage for a third season in succession, but there is no shame following their away-goals exit to Atletico. "The boys pressed relentlessly," said captain Philipp Lahm. "We can be proud of our performance. We dominated our opponents for 150 minutes." Bayern's resolve looked to be paying off when Xabi Alonso's deflected free-kick gave them a deserved 1-0 lead in Munich, but they were left to wonder what might have been had Jan Oblak not saved Thomas Muller's penalty three minutes later. "We had to score that penalty," lamented Muller. "That would have made it 2-0." Xabi Alonso rues Bayern defeat Instead, Bayern went into the break 1-0 up and were undone by a lapse of concentration early in the second period when Antonio Griezmann broke free and slotted in the all-important away goal. Two mistakes thus proved costly in an otherwise near faultless performance. "It's hard to take," said striker Robert Lewandowski, whose second-half goal was not enough to turn the tide. "We would have deserved to make it to the final." Many would agree, but it may be that Bayern's failure to score an away goal was even more costly than any lapses at home. As for Guardiola, he will leave Bayern having failed to take them to a UEFA Champions League final in his three years at the club a gnawing failure given that they were European champions when he arrived. No Ukrainian servicemen were killed and one soldier was wounded in ATO area in eastern Ukraine over the past day, the spokesman for the Presidential Administration on the ATO, Colonel Andriy Lysenko, said at a briefing in Kyiv, an Ukrinform correspondent reports. No Ukrainian servicemen were killed, one soldier was wounded in shelling of Marinka [Donetsk Region] over the past day, Lysenko said. ol The Republic of Tatarstan, a part of the Russian Federation, has filed a $300 million lawsuit to international arbitration against Ukraine in the case on changing the shares of stockholders in PJSC Ukrtatnafta, the Ukrainian oil refining company. According to Ukraines prospectus of eurobonds, Tatarstan in its lawsuit accuses Ukraine of infringing the agreement on encouragement and mutual protection of investments signed between the governments of Ukraine and the Russian Federation on November 27, 1998, the Hromadske TV website informs. According to the plaintiff, Ukrainian courts violated this document by issuing rulings that led to a significant decrease in Tatarstans share in Ukrtatnafta. A reminder that the Ukrainian Justice Ministry on November 24, 2015 sent a letter to Tatarstan with proposals to settle the dispute, but Tatarstan didn't accept them. PJSC Ukrtatnafta is disputable asset for Ukraine and Tatarstan. Companies close to OAO Tatneft previously held 18.296% of shares in Ukrtatnafta, Tatarstan's Property Ministry owned 28.7788%, and Tatneft owned 8.6% directly. But as a result of trial proceedings, the stake of Tatarstans shareholders in the oil refining company was almost reduced to zero, and the company acquired new shareholders close to Privat Group. Earlier, Tatneft filed a suit against Ihor Kolomoisky on the Ukrtatnafta case. iy Ukrainian Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin has arrived in the Czech Republic on a working visit, the Government portal site reports. "The agenda for Pavlo Klimkins visit includes his participation in the meeting of foreign ministers of the Visegrad Group and the Eastern Partnership which will also be attended by EU Commissioner for Neighborhood Policy and Talks on Expansion Johannes Hahn," the site notes. It is planned that the sides will discuss a wide range of issues on Visegrad Groups activities and the "Eastern Partnership", and also to work out new solutions for its further development. Klimkin will also hold several bilateral meetings there. Tl The European Commission claims that Ukraine has met all the necessary requirements for its citizens to be able to travel to the EU without visas by the end of the year, EU Commissioner for European Neighborhood and Enlargement Negotiations, Johannes Hahn has said in an interview with Radio Liberty. "I am well aware of the challenges experienced by Ukraine; the continuous armed conflict, half a million displaced persons, huge economic problems. It is a considerable challenge for the Ukrainian authorities," Hahn said. He stressed that Ukraine still had a long way to go to not only adopt the necessary legislation on association with the EU but also to implement it. At the same time, Commissioner Hahn expressed hope that the citizens of Ukraine, Georgia and Kosovo would already be able to travel to the EU without visas in 2016. ol Ukrainian pilot and MP Nadiya Savchenko, who has been illegally detained and convicted in Russia, says she is refusing to sign documents for extradition to Ukraine. Savchenko explained her decision in a letter posted on her Facebook page. I am outraged! They bring me a package of documents to fill in for extradition to Ukraine. Questions that I read there give me a good laugh. The question: 'For what purpose did you cross the Russian border?' Well, can you imagine such a question?! The answer is: "I was kidnapped by the Russian special services. Then they immediately write down my answer in such a free interpretation:'[She] illegally crossed the border'. 'No! That wont do,' Savchenko said. According to her, she has turned out to be 'in a sort of evil surrealistic story,' as she had to pay 30,000 Russian rubles for her kidnapping. However, she added that in this situation she doesnt feel sorry about giving them the money, but regrets that criminals depict her as a criminal. ..I will give them these 30,000 Russian rubles! Let them spend it on medicine against stupid thoughts! And thats all! I cant agree on anything else! Savchenko wrote in her post. State Secretary of the Federal Foreign Office of Germany Stephan Steinlein says that Germany has assisted and will continue to assist Ukraine in its process of carrying out reforms. Germany stands by Ukraine in its transformation process. In addition to our continued commitment to resolve the conflict in the east, Germany assists Ukraine with one of the most substantial support packages worldwide, Steinlein said at the German-Ukrainian conference 'After Euromaidan: Off to New Horizons, which took place in Berlin on May 3-4, own Ukrinform correspondent reports. According to him, in 2016, Berlin will again contribute about 200 million euros in bilateral assistance in key reform areas such as the energy sector, public administration and decentralization. Furthermore, 300 out of the 500 million euros loan guarantees are still available, Steinlein said. In June, State Secretary Stephan Steinlein and officials from other German ministries will again visit Ukraine to push forward the implementation of a joint action plan for Ukraine. According to the diplomat, one of Germanys priorities is also civil society cooperation. Thus, the German Bundestag allocated additional funds for cooperation in this area, Steinlein said but failed to specify the sum. In addition, Steinlein doesnt agree with sceptics saying that Ukraine has failed as a state, and that reforms have failed, as well as ideas of Maidan. Well, I do not at all believe these sceptics are right. And I always tell them: One of the big assets that Ukraine has is its vibrant civil society that could be hardly found in any other country of the Eastern partnership, The State Secretary of the German Federal Foreign Office stressed. iy Malian refugee artisans learn to design and make quality products at a workshop in Ougadougou, Burkina Faso. UNHCR/P.Absalon OUAGADOUGOU, Burkina Faso, May 4 (UNHCR) - Taking a sheaf of palm fronds in her hand, Tuareg artisan Bintou starts to weave a decorative mat to be fixed on a newly designed desk lamp that may one day light up homes in Europe and elsewhere. An accomplished leather worker back home in Mali, she is among some 20 refugees learning new skills at a residential workshop in neighbouring Burkina Faso that aims to help them develop their traditional products and market them abroad. "Now I have learned how I can transpose my know-how from leather to palm," she says with a smile. "I don't know yet what will be the final product, but at this stage I am happy to know how to work with a new material," she adds. Originally from a village close to Kidal in northeast Mali, the 40-year-old mother-of-four fled after her community was caught up in the conflict in 2012. She is now among 144,765 Malian refugees living in exile, 38,844 of them in Burkina Faso. She took part in the seven-week residential workshop in Ougadougou, organized by French social enterprise Afrika Tiss and supported by UNHCR. Ten French designers worked with the refugee artisans to develop new products, using traditional materials including palm, wood, leather, metal and fabric. In coming months, the program aims to train 200 artisans to make high-quality handmade products, incorporating the bright, bold, and colourful new designs. The artisans will also be taught "productive, business and entrepreneurial techniques that will take into account their traditional way of life," said Afrika Tiss president Mariette Chapel. A Malian refugee artisan weaves a palm mat at a workshop in Ougadougou, Burkina Faso. UNHCR/P.Absalon The UN Refugee Agency is currently identifying global retailers who are interested in sourcing handmade products. It is hoped that the knowhow the artisans acquire will be valuable to them both in Burkina Faso and in Mali, whenever they are able to return home. The project's benefits are already being recognized by some, including Tuareg artisan and refugee Moctar Ag Abdoulaye. "It's good to work with UNHCR because they give us good ideas on what to do," said Ag Abdoulaye, who makes camel skin boxes with geometrical-patterned fabric linings that he hopes to sell abroad. "They try to find partners interested in our products." While exploiting her talent in an innovative way, Bintou, meanwhile, dreams about a better future for her family. "I am eager to further improve my technical and entrepreneurial skills so that my products be exported to international markets," she says adamantly. "When I left Mali, the only personal belongings I brought with me were my practical knowledge and my hands. I want to make the most of this luggage: I want to ensure I can pay for my children to continue to go to school until they can get decent jobs. I want them to enjoy a safer life than mine." To watch a video about this project, please click here. By Paul Absalon in Burkina Faso When a 7.8-magnitude earthquake struck Ecuador in April, 12-year-old Micaela and her family were living at the epicentre. Now they are struggling to find food and water, but Micaela still holds on to the hope of returning to school. PEDERNALES, Ecuador, 3 May 2016 Micaela Chila, a 12-year-old girl who lives in Pedernales, the epicentre of the 7.8-magnitude earthquake that struck Ecuador on 16 April, calls on people around the world to "help us find food, especially for children." Micaela and her family were in search of support after the quake, and recently went to the Maximino Puertas stadium in Pedernales, which is functioning as the operations centre of the emergency response. There, they received food and water from the organizations working at the site, as well as psychological assistance from professionals from the Ministry of Health. "We're fine, but have no food and other things. We come here looking for nutrition. I hope you can help us, especially the children," she said. A temporary home Micaela tells us that the earthquake was "terrible. I was very scared." She and her brothers hid under a table and thankfully did not suffer any injuries. After the quake, her sister noticed that the tide was low. Fearing a tsunami, her family decided to leave their home. They are currently staying with another family, who lent them a cabin as shelter for the time being. "These tremors are terrible. Yesterday's aftershock was really bad, she said. Where we were, it seemed like everything was going to fall." University of Illinois is officially searching for a new mascot. The university had to retire their controversial mascot, Chief Illiniwek nine years ago. The old mascot was deemed offensive and racist against Native American Indians. University of Illinois chancellor Barbara Wilson approved the request of the Illinois Student Senate ad hoc committee for a new mascot. A committee made up of at least 10 people will be working together to decide the new mascot that will replace Chief Illiniwek, The News-Gazette reported. Chief Illiniwek was put into retirement in 2007 after the University of Illinois received countless criticism and backlash for racism against Native American Indians. The new mascot will be University of Illinois' "first" one as they preferred to call Chief Illiniwek a "symbol," Chicago Tribune noted. Native American Indian groups found Chief Illiniwek an offensive stereotype. The university retired him after being pressured by the NCAA and school was fined by not being able to host postseason events. If I must choose between Chief Illiniwek still looming over Illinois and Sassy the Squirrel, I'll take the varmint. https://t.co/rnqJQQPTye Will Leitch (@williamfleitch) April 21, 2016 Many are still looking forward for the Chief Illiniwek to be back despite University of Illinois' decision to move forward with a new mascot. University of Illinois alumni and students are reportedly against getting a new mascot and wants Chief Illiniwek to be out of retirement, CBS Local wrote. However, the administration believes that a new mascot will unite and benefit the university. Wilson announced that University of Illinois' new mascot will embody the principles of the school that is also "inclusive" and "honorific," according to The Daily Illini. Furthermore, the university will not be replacing "Fighting Illini" as the nickname nor will they remove the popular "Three-In-One" anthem during events. Do you think Chief Illiniwek should make a comeback as University of Illinois' school mascot? Share your thoughts in the comments below. Associate professor of political science, John McAdams, is on war with Marquette University after he publicly said that gay-marriage is discussable. The critic that went viral caused McAdams' suspended by the school. The letter to McAdams The professor banned from campus without getting a pay for the following month. The university sent an official statement that McAdams should write a letter admitting his reckless behavior that does not adhere to Marquette University values. The university hopes McAdams to express his regret of challenging the instructor. Marquette believes McAdams has mistreated a former student and rejects the judgment addressed at Faculty Hearing Committee. McAdams replies it by filing a lawsuit The professor and Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty are planning to sue Marquette. The files have been sent to Milwaukee County Cicruit Court, as reported by the Fox6 News. The reason? Breach of contract. The conflict happened in 2014 where a student complained because the instructor wasn't allowing any gay marriage discussion, considering it as offensive and homophobic. The graduate-student who teaches philosophy class, according to McAdams, was using tactic among liberals. He also commented on the students debate is their right to disagree. McAdams also explained that the reason argued by the teacher is simplified as 'the need to be shut them up'. His critic goes viral as Marquette Warrior blogs about it. According to Rick Esenberg, this is an important and sensitive case closely related to academic freedom. The issue is huge in the country but the university decision to shut the topic of the radar might mean a constituted harassment. Campus should be the place for academics to freely express their views on certain matters. Marquette spokesperson stated in an email, that the university is ready to address the issue in court so that it may be clear how Dr. McAdams is violating regulations and put a former student in a threat after detailing her personal information to public in his blog, including where she is studying at. According to the university, his blogs represent a personal attack that sends hateful messages. A team of scientists from University of North Carolina, University of Oxford and University College London has done a remarkable research on HIV/AIDS that the result would get them closer to find HIV cure. The researchers studied a 59-year-old London man, HIV patient with 'elite controller'. According to Dr. Ravi Gupta, the patient's immune system is rare because it allows him to live without treatment for a longer period of time than of those who don't have the 'elite controller'. The single-patient study identifies the immune cells responsible for fighting HIV infection The rare individual will someday need the treatment since HIV is slowly hitting on immune systems but the ability to have 'elite controller' will delay the infection process. The UCL News reported that the subject also has bone marrow cancer, myeloma, that is said to lower down the immune system levels after being removed. Using stem cell transplant, the HIV level turns out to decline. Furthermore, Gupta explains that albeit interpreting from a single person study, it is the rare patient that helps them the most in understanding the disease and finding the possible cures. The study author, who previously spoke to Reuters of the expensive price of second-line drugs, expressed his concern on the available medications. They might have more side effects for the HIV patients. The study also finds that human's immune system can be as potent as drug cocktails. Although the quest to find HIV cure is still long, the team believes that this study leads to the right path. They have learned that vaccine will respond to a typical immune cell - which the medication should be induced in. Dr. Nilu Goonetilleke from the University of North Carolina explained how HIV-1 is controlled using immune system. The response of the immune system types will determine where the vaccination should be targeting. The team has not concluded the research yet since the result is still questionable; whether it can kill the virus in some ways. Nevertheless, the promising result is translated to optimism for HIV patients albeit another decade to perfect the result. Yale University's William F. Buckley, Jr. Program has hosted its second Diversity Dinner with former New York Police Department (NYPD) commissioner Raymond Kelly speaking about his experiences in the agency especially on proactive policing. Kelly, who was a polarizing figure in the police force for his clashes with civil society organizations over transparency, was honored in the ceremony held at the Plaza Hotel, which was attended by students, faculty and alumni of Yale. Gary Johnson, presidential candidate of Libertarian Party, was also present, according to The Washington Post. Kelly was invited to speak in Brown University in 2013 but due to massive protests, it was cancelled by the university administration. Kelly recited the speech he would have given at Brown during the dinner, receiving praise for his proactive actions that led to the decrease of murders in New York City from 1990's 2,245 to 2013's 333 recorded incidents. The inaugural Disinvitation Dinner last year was attended by George Will, the Pulitzer-prize winning newspaper columnist known for his conservative take on American and world politics. He was disinvited from his speech at Scripps College after protests, The College Fix reported. Popular right-wing voices in different fields like International Monetary Fund Managing Director Christine Lagarde and former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice were previously treated the same way by progressive activists for their conservative stances on controversial issues. The Disinvitation Dinner was conceived by the members of the William F. Buckley, Jr. Program to give a platform to speakers who were disinvited from university speaking engagements all over the country. First organized in 2011 by a group of Yale undergraduates, the William F. Buckley, Jr. Program was formed as a means to promote intellectual diversity in the New Haven-based University. The group especially advocated for more conservative intellectuals to participate in discourse more so in a time when the Ivy League university has become a bailiwick of liberals, Yale Daily News reported. The full speech can be seen below: In a bid to fend off their SATs, around 2,000 children have joined a 'kids strike' today, but this may not go down too well with their parents as they could now be fined 120 for assisting them to opt out. Although the exact estimates of the number of people participating are difficult to measure, reports on The Guardian indicate about 30,000 families were supporting the ban of SATs assessments for seven-year-old and 11-year-old students. While schools in several parts of the country appeared unruffled, several schools among others in Brighton and parts of London recorded high numbers of absences. Some schools in Newcastle on the other hand observed a large numbers of parents keeping their children out of school for the day and participating in a loose nationwide coalition of parents formed via social media to protest changes to key stage one assessments announced last year. Critics dubbed the idea of testing the children in Year 2 as a cause of mental health issue, and families too have claimed the exams for six and seven-year-old school put children 'through hell' and stress them out to the extent they can't eat or sleep. Schools Minister Nick Gibb, however does not agree with their claims and said it was not right for parents to actually force their young children to strike simply because "Even missing a day's school can be damaging." Children's laureate Chris Riddell along with about 500 people assembled at Preston Park in Brighton. "We should be turning children into readers with the pleasure that gives, rather than relying on a testing culture," Mr. Riddell said. Parents, according to reports on BBC, have handed in the petition at the headquarters of the Department for Education in London. The campaign organizers claim children are "over-tested, over-worked and in a school system that places more importance on test results and league tables than children's happiness and joy of learning". The campaign organizers further raised concerns about the influence of primary tests and claim it is a "dull, dry curriculum." Education Secretary Nicky Morgan, however has backed the tough tests for six and seven-year-old school children, noting that raising standards will actually enhanced creativity contrary to claims that it will restrict it. According to reports on DailyMail, some headteachers have informed parents that they will not be penalized for boycotting class and will not face fines of 120 per child citing unauthorized absence. While addressing headteachers at the weekend, Mrs Morgan asked, "How creative can a child be if they struggle to understand the words on the page in front of them?" "That is why the campaign led by some of those who do not think we should set high expectations, who want to keep their children home for a day is so damaging. "Keeping children home, even for a day is harmful to their education," she added. F1 legend Michael Schumacher suffered from a serious brain injury after a ski accident in the French Alps more than two years ago. Health updates about the racing champ are far and few in between; does this mean that his condition is getting worse? Michael Schumacher's Current Health Update Michael Schumacher is reportedly not doing well, according to Sportsrageous. The F1 legend is reportedly not progressing as his doctors hoped. The outlet wrote that an unnamed source claimed that Schumacher may need a "miracle" in order to recover. However, this contradicts what Schumacher's manager, Sabine Kehm said about the F1 racer's health progress. Kehm said in an interview that Schumacher's health is improving but it will take him longer to heal due to the nature of his injuries, TVNZ reported. Schumacher is reportedly conscious but unable to move or speak, Crossmap noted. Furthermore, an experts told the outlet that Schumacher may never be back to his old self again. Brain injuries are unpredictable and if the racer did survive, his quality of life might be affected. He is being cared for by 15 medical staff round the clock at his Swiss mansion. The total cost of caring for Schumacher allegedly amounts to $154,000 per week. Michael Schumacher Intended To "Disappear" Before the Accident? Kehm revealed that Schumacher intended to disappear from the public's eye prior to the ski accident in the Alps, Latin Post wrote. She said in a media event that Schumacher allegedly told her that he had planned to lie low in 2013. This apparently prompted Schumacher's family and Kehm to honor his wishes by keeping the details on the German racing driver's condition tight and scarce. How do you think F1 champion Michael Schumacher is doing? Tell us your opinions in the comment section below. Published: May 04, 2016 Course Projects Have Personal Impact for Education Majors I know a lot of you want to save the world. But I want to let you know that its okay if you only save one person. And its okay if that person is yourself. This is just one of the entries on the Humans of UT Facebook page, which was started for a class as a riff on Humans of New York, the popular blog featuring portraits and interviews of people the author finds on the streets of New York City. In Humans of UT, Sarah DeTemple 17, a secondary education-mathematics major, and Olivia Reeb 18, a secondary social science education major, capture glimpses of the life of UT students. The quote about saving the world struck a chord with Reeb. I spend a lot of time trying to help people, trying to save people. Humans of UT actually started as an idea of how I could save people. I figured that if someone could read this page and realize that someone else felt the same way they did, they would feel less alone in their struggles, Reeb said. I'm becoming a teacher because I want to save lives. But changing my major to education also saved my life. Becoming a teacher gives me purpose, my classes are teaching me how to be not only the best teacher I can be, but also the best person I can be. I am going to save lives I have no doubt. But because I believe that saving lives is my purpose, the person I am helping the most is myself. Humans of UT is just one of the projects that came out of Patricia OGradys EDU 206 course, Human Development and Learning, where students had the option of building an experiential learning project in the community or on the UT campus. The intention is to connect the knowledge to the practice to activate the cognitive learning with affective engagement, said OGrady, an associate professor of education, adding the exercise helps teach students to plan and execute independently or collaboratively, simulating workplace expectations, as well as helps students identify their passion and translate it into action to nurture intrinsic motivation based on social emotional learning and positive psychology principles. Education majors were encouraged to develop a project that could be used in future classrooms or schools, or serve high needs students in some way. When Professor O'Grady assigned us the service-learning project, she asked us to think of one of our own passions and tie it into our project, said Grace Berardi 18, an elementary education major from Trumbull, CT. Berardi immediately knew she wanted her project to involve the local elementary school where she has been working for almost two years as the assistant instructor of the HOST program, which provides before/after school and summer care. As one of the smaller HOST sites, Berardi has been able to connect with each student. What I noticed was that the students were having a hard time expressing their emotions. Whether they had a bad day at school or the night before, the students acted out as a way of expression, Berardi said, explaining that they verbally or even physically fought with other students, talked back to staff or would just isolate themselves from the rest of the group. I chose mindful meditation and yoga for my project as a way of teaching children a different medium for expressing emotions. Instead of instantly turning to anger and rage, I wanted to teach them a way to step back, process the emotion and then express it in a safe and beneficial way. Berardi said she wants a career at an elementary school in a high poverty district and this project opened her eyes to how children living in low income homes have much more than just fifth grade drama to worry about. I got the opportunity to see firsthand how these life stressors affect these students every day in school, she said. I think this was a great experience for me to learn how to talk to kids about emotions, and I will work these strategies like the breathing and yoga exercises into my future classroom. OGrady said the students develop and submit a formal proposal that had to be approved before work began. The students completed all the groundwork necessary to build the infrastructure of the project, created the curriculum, delivered the service and assessed the outcome/success. In addition, the students had to connect the project to learning theory, such as the mindfulness project connected to Maslow Hierarchy of Needs and the Humans of UT connected to Erikson Psychosocial Theory. Projects were carried out at a number of locations around the county, including the Centre for Girls, Glazer Childrens Museum, Pepin Academy for Excellence and Mitchell Elementary School Bobcat Buddies. Other student work included developing enrichment activities including cultural dance, jazz, volleyball, fitness and cooking, all linked to academic tasks across all developmental domains. I'm an extremely outgoing person but this project truly did push me outside of my comfort zone, said DeTemple, who helped create Humans of UT. This project provided me with the opportunity to get to know people on campus I probably would have never talked to before, and I feel a lot more in touch to our UT community. All the latest Uttoxeter news Story Saved You can find this story in My Bookmarks. Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right. Page Content The University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point launched its first-ever capital campaign April 30, with a goal of raising $30 million by June 30, 2019. Were here tonight to celebrate the future, to toast the possibilities. This campaign is about our shared dreams and what we can accomplish together, Chancellor Bernie Patterson said at an event to kick off the campaign. Already, more than $17 million in commitments and gifts have been made toward this goal, he said, in the quiet phase of the campaign that began in 2013. A $4 million donation from Sentry Insurance in March is the cornerstone gift. It will endow two faculty positions in the College of Letters and Science and the College of Professional Studies, and help create a new major in data analytics, a needed area in information technology and business. Two additional $2 million gifts endowed faculty positions in the College of Natural Resources. MORE UW Presents Student International Research Awards The University of Wyoming Center for Global Studies (CGS) has selected its student international research awards for 2016. Through its support for interdisciplinary faculty and student international projects, the CGS seeks to advance UW to the next level of excellence in internationally focused research to devise solutions to complex global problems. These projects show the centers commitment to support international work and internship opportunities for students that support student educational goals and provide skills for them to look at the implications -- from local to global -- of a wide spectrum of evolving international challenges, says Jean Garrison, CGS director. The student research, fieldwork and internship projects for 2016 supported by the CGS: Boulder, Colo. -- Lisa Kant, Ph.D. student in geology, will spend time collecting samples from volcanoes in Ecuador; CGS International Internship/Fieldwork Grant. Butte, S.D. -- Cheyenne Pettit, M.A. student in history, will spend time at the National Archives in Ottawa and the McGill and Osler archives in Montreal researching shell shock during the first World War; CGS International Internship/Fieldwork Grant. Casper -- Ashkia Campbell, M.S. student in zoology and physiology, Nest predation research in Ecuador; Centennial Fellowship in Global Studies. Campbell will conduct experimental and observational research on the interaction between trail use and nest predation in the Milpe avian reserve in Ecuador; and Thao Nguyen, M.A. student in political science, and environment and natural resources; CGS International Internship/Fieldwork Grant. Nguyen will research public opinion and support for marine-protected areas in Sulawesi, Indonesia. Cheyenne -- Eric Nigh, M.A. student in international studies, will evaluate U.S. and international community approaches on developing and intervening in Iraqi affairs; CGS-U.S. Senator Malcolm Wallop Fund Conversations on Democracy Award. Choteau, Mont. -- Bethann Merkle, MFA student in creative writing, will investigate social, conservation and ecological relationships; CGS-SER Nielson International Internship/Fieldwork Grant. Denver, Colo. -- Denise Muro, M.A. student in international studies, will spend time in Germany working with nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) and refugees to conduct her study on portrayals of displaced Syrian and Iraqi women in Germany; CGS International Internship/Fieldwork Grant. Edina, Minn. -- Madeleine Fitzchowan, B.S. student in finance, Internship in Madrid, Spain, with investments at an international finance firm; Christopher and Michelle Spear Award for the Center for Global Studies. Frankfurt, Germany -- David Demic, second-year law student, Internship at the International Criminal Court in The Hague, The Netherlands; CGS-U.S. Senator Malcolm Wallop Fund for Conversations on Democracy Award. Gillette -- Siri Horton, B.A. student in international studies and history, internship at NGO or local government institution at the National Dong Hwa University in Hualien County, Taiwan; CGS International Internship/Fieldwork Grant. Littleton, Colo. -- Zachary Witters, B.S. student in chemical engineering, will research renewable energy in Indonesia; CGS-SER Nielson International Internship/Fieldwork Grant. Louisville, Ky. -- Jeremy Goldsmith, M.A. student in international studies, and environment and natural resources, Internship in The Gambia focusing on the factors impacting the migratory decision making of Wolofs; Centennial Fellowship in Global Studies. Morgan, Utah -- Kristen Hair, M.A. student in history, will spend time in London conducting archival research on Britains democratic identity; CGS-U.S. Senator Malcolm Wallop Conversations in Democracy Award. Pelican Rapids, Minn. -- Mathew Lunde, Ph.D. student in business management, will spend time researching sustainability in Europe; CGS-SER Nielson International Internship/Fieldwork Grant. Pinedale -- Emily Sikorski, B.S. student in agricultural business, internship working with rural communities in Guatemala on their agricultural co-ops around Lake Atitlan; Harris International Research Award. Spindale, N.C. -- Sarah Guffey, Ph.D. student in education, will spend time teaching in Coimbatore, India, and working at Avinashilingam University; CGS-SER Research Excellence Award. Thornton, Colo. -- Morgan Armstong, M.A. student in international studies, Marine Tourism in the Caribbean; Harris International Research Award. To conduct her study of wildlife tourism, Armstrong will spend six weeks this summer in both Nassau, Bahamas, and Montego Bay, Jamaica, comparing tourism in their marine-protected areas; and Simrik Neupane, J.D. candidate in the College of Law, internship in Mumbai, India, with the Human Rights Law Network; CGS International Internship/Fieldwork Grant. Wray, Colo. -- Jordan Brophy, B.S. student in chemistry, graphene and sustainable energy research project; Nielson Undergraduate Scholarship. York, Pa. -- Christopher Rumple, M.S. student in mechanical engineering, will work with Agricultural Institute of Bogor in Bogor, Indonesia; CGS-SER Nielson International Internship/Fieldwork Grant. Star file photo SHARE By Staff Reports Eight Ventura County elementary schools, already named Gold Ribbon schools, have received more honors from the California Department of Education. The schools were recognized for meeting the educational needs of students who live at or below the poverty line. The schools are: Ladera and Maple, Conejo Valley Unified School District; Brookside, Oak Hills and Red Oak, Oak Park Unified School District; Laguna Vista, Ocean View School District; La Mariposa, Pleasant Valley School District; Somis, Somis Union District. Statewide, 496 of the 779 elementary schools named Gold Ribbon schools last month received additional honors. The Gold Ribbon honors schools that have model programs other campuses can duplicate. Schools must apply for the recognition. STAR FILE PHOTOS Field workers pick strawberries in Oxnard. SHARE By Kathleen Wilson Kathleen.Wilson@Vcstar.Com 805-437-0271 County supervisors voted Tuesday to put the countywide SOAR initiative on the ballot for the November general election. The Board of Supervisors sent the measure to election after Clerk-Recorder Mark Lunn informed the panel that enough valid signatures of registered voters had been collected on a petition circulated by organizers. SOAR, which is formally known as Save Open-space and Agricultural Resources, requires voter approval to rezone protected farmland and open space for development. The countywide SOAR was enacted in the late 1990s, but the new ballot measure asks voters to renew it until 2050. Voters can pass the renewal measure with a simple majority vote. The countywide initiative affects the unincorporated area. Separate measures for eight of the 10 cities are also being proposed for the November ballot. They would expire in 2050 as well. An alternative measure called SUSTAIN VC has been proposed by three Ventura County growers. Proponents say the measure would maintain the public vote against urban sprawl that SOAR introduced but with additional measures to sustain agriculture. It would expire in 2036. Lynn Jensen, administrator of a coalition that supports the alternative, said Tuesday that signatures for that measure would be submitted soon to the elections office. She called the board's decision to put SOAR on the ballot "not surprising," and said she hoped the board would do the same thing when SUSTAIN VC comes forward. Their proposal would allow the Ventura County Board of Supervisors to designate up to 225 acres of farmland for plants to process locally grown crops without a public vote. The board could also rezone certain agricultural parcels next to schools to avoid conflicts between school and agricultural uses. Lunn reported to supervisors that more than 34,000 signatures were submitted for the SOAR renewal measure. Based on their review of a sample, staff found that 83 percent were sufficient. Supervisors Steve Bennett and Linda Parks, leaders in the drive to renew SOAR, cheered those results. Supervisors Peter Foy, Kathy Long and John Zaragoza also joined in the vote to place the measure on the ballot. Supervisors could have adopted the measure as an ordinance instead of sending it to election. They did not discuss that option. Tuesday night might be the only Ventura County appearance of all six candidates hoping to replace outgoing state Sen. Fran Pavley. The primary battle is taking an interesting twist under Californias jungle primary rules, where the top two finishers on June 7, regardless of party, go on to November. Only one of the six, businessman Steve Fazio, is a Republican. Observers think hell get one of the two spots since the Republican vote wont be divided, even though the 27th Senate district leans Democratic. That makes the primary contest one for second place among the five Democrats. The front runners, some say, are Henry Stern, an environmental attorney and Pavley adviser who helped shape her Senate Bill 4, which regulates fracking. Pavley has endorsed him. The other is Janice Kamenir-Reznik, president of the nonprofit she co-founded, Jewish World Watch, with fights genocide and atrocities worldwide. She previously was half of the prominent land-use legal firm Reznik & Reznik and has many powerful supporters, including Sen. Dianne Feinstein. The district includes Simi Valley, Moorpark and Thousand Oaks. Tonights forum, at Thousand Oaks City Hall, is hosted by the League of Women Voters. Also on the June ballot are Moorpark City Councilman David Pollock, Shawn Bayliss, a chief legislative deputy for a Los Angeles city council member, and George Christopher Thomas, a publisher and president of the Van Nuys neighborhood council. ANTHONY PLASCENCIA/THE STAR Mauricette Levine, 93, was forced to conceal her Jewish identity during World War II and lost members of her family to Auschwitz. After the war, she married American soldier Milton Levine, who co-founded the company that created Uncle Milton's Ant Farm. She shares her story with The Star on Holocaust Remembrance Day. SHARE ANTHONY PLASCENCIA/THE STAR Mauricette Levine, 93, hold up a news clip and the patch she wore during World War II. She survived the war by, at times, hiding and concealing her Jewish identity. She shares her story with The Star on Holocaust Remembrance Day. ANTHONY PLASCENCIA/THE STAR Mauricette Levine, 93, holds the flag given to her after the passing of her husband Milton Levine, who served in the U.S. Army before co-founding the company that created Uncle Milton's Ant Farm. She shares her story of survival during World War II with the Star on Holocaust Remembrance Day. ANTHONY PLASCENCIA/THE STAR Mauricette Levine, 93, was forced to conceal her Jewish identity during World War II and lost members of her family to Auschwitz. She shares her story with The Star on Holocaust Remembrance Day. By Robyn Flans, Special to The Star Mauricette Levine's voice quivered as she recounted the day she witnessed her aunt, uncle and cousins being dragged from their home in Normandy, France, by the Gestapo. She was a teenager at the time. "I was skipping that day when I went to visit them," recalls Levine, now 93 and a resident of Hillcrest Royale Retirement Residence in Thousand Oaks. "When I turned around the corner I froze. In front of their house there were German trucks, and the Gestapo were dragging my uncle in the truck. The truck left and I never saw him again. "They went back in the house and dragged out my aunt and my cousin. They were glued together, they could not separate them, so they started to beat them up with their guns. They dragged my cousin away and I could hear her scream, 'Mama, mama, mama,' until they got her in the truck and I could not hear crying again. "I never saw her again." Mauricette ran home and told her family and everything changed. "My father said, 'It's time to leave.'" Thursday is Holocaust Remembrance Day, called Yom Hashoah in Hebrew. It's a time to pay respects to the 6 million who died between 1933 and 1945, when Germans and their collaborators murdered nearly two of every three European Jews. Levine's father was sure it would never happen to his family. For years, Levine said, her father was in denial, even when the Gestapo had marched in Paris. "He said, 'What happened in Poland will never happen in France,'" Levine said. "'The French government will never let that happen." But he would always add something else, she recalled: "'I know a place we can hide." A few weeks before she saw her relatives being taken away, the Gestapo had shown up at their door, where her parents owned a clothing store downstairs. They should have known then, she says now. "I studied piano very intensely and went to parties every month at the conservatory of music," Levine recalled. "I had played the piano in a concert and it was quite successful, and it was in the local paper." When her parents answered the door, they looked at the teenager, told her they knew she was a Jew and said she was no longer allowed to play the piano. "They took the baby grand piano," she recalled. "I was devastated. That was my future. But that was nothing compared to what was coming ahead." A few days later the soldiers returned with the yellow stars of David they were told to wear to identify themselves as Jews. They were told they had to sign in with the commander each week to prove they had not taken flight. But taking flight was exactly what they realized they had to do. The day it was time to leave, a friend of Levine's brother from medical school came to visit them. He had heard what had happened, and although he wasn't Jewish, he said he was willing to hide the teenager at the hospital. Levine went with him; her parents went to the planned hiding place, leaving all their possessions behind. The hospital was a Catholic insane asylum, and the girl had to promise the Mother Superior she would convert to Catholicism. Otherwise, she said, she would have been turned away. Levine studied the catechism, and she was baptized. "I did not care," Levine said. "I prayed to God, one God." For a year, she lived in a cubicle and would lie on a cot, listening to the asylum inmates screaming and receiving electroshock therapy. She said what kept her alive was staring up at a high window. "All I could see was the tops of the trees," she said. "I would stay for hours and hours looking at those trees. To me they were life. I saw the four seasons through those trees the leaves were falling, they were yellow, then green." One day a kitchen worker recognized her and said she was going to inform the Gestapo. The doctor immediately arranged another safe place for her, but before long, she made her way to the family's original hiding spot in the outskirts of Paris. Her father had seen it when he had gone there for business; it was now in a demolished section of town and virtually abandoned. Her parents had survived a year on food that had been thrown out by grocery stores. They were, Levine said, very skinny. When the first American G.I. showed up, Levine said the emotion was pure jubilation. She ended up marrying an American soldier. She and Milton Levine traveled to Pennsylvania after the war and had three children. She tried to bring her parents over to America but was told the quota was filled. A letter to Eleanor Roosevelt changed all that, and her parents joined her in the United States. They all moved to California together in the early 1950s. Her husband co-founded the company that created the famous Uncle Milton's Ant Farm. He died in 2011. Levine, who renounced the Catholic faith and returned to Judaism, still mourns the nine people in her family who perished at Auschwitz concentration camp. "Another cousin her name was Ellen when the Gestapo took her, was seven months pregnant and we found out she died on the experiment table," Levine said, breaking down. "I named one of my daughters after her." Only one family member returned from Auschwitz. "He was insane, absolutely insane," Levine said. "He saw too much. We had to put him in a hospital." Levine said that even after all these years, she still has bad dreams nearly every night. "You don't appreciate your freedom until you've lost it," she said. But that, she adds, is why it's important to remember. For the sake of those who have lived and those who have died, she said, we must never forget. "If you forget them, it's like they never lived," she said. "And it's like we say, 'Never again.' I don't want my children or my grandchildren to go through what I went through." STAR FILE PHOTO The Santa Paula City Council agreed unanimously Monday to direct staff to move ahead with contracting a firm that can conduct a poll to determine whether there is enough support to put a local sales tax measure before voters in November to help pay for public safety. SHARE By Claudia Boyd-Barrett, Special to The Star The City of Santa Paula is planning to poll residents to determine whether there is enough support to put a local sales tax measure before voters in November to help pay for public safety. Santa Paula's city council agreed unanimously Monday to direct staff to move ahead with contracting a firm that can conduct the poll. Council members asked that the poll be limited to just a few questions in an effort to determine what kind of sales tax increase the public would support if any how long it should remain in place, and how residents would like to see the money spent. Mayor Martin Hernandez said such a poll would likely cost between $5,000 and $10,000. Council also directed City Attorney John Cotti to return with draft language for a resolution to place a sales tax measure on the ballot. The council would then discuss and modify the language at a future meeting once the polling is complete. Santa Paula is struggling to fund its fire and police departments. Almost $1 million of the fire department's budget currently comes from a federal grant, which expires in September 2017. Meanwhile, citizens have made repeated demands to the city to hire more police officers. Police Chief Steve McLean has also said he needs more officers to effectively combat crime. "We have some serious shortfalls," Councilwoman Jenny Crosswhite said Tuesday. "By September of 2017, if something doesn't happen, we're going to be in a hole." An initial proposal put forward by Hernandez and Councilman John Procter called for a 1 percent local sales tax to be added to the existing 7.5 percent statewide sales tax. That increase would raise approximately $2.1 million in funds for the city each year, according to a staff report. Voters rejected a similar 1 percent sales tax proposal in 2014 to fund police and fire services and road repairs. However, that proposal was for a so-called "specific tax," which places restrictions on how the tax money would be used and needed support from two-thirds of Santa Paula voters. Council is now leaning toward seeking a "general tax," which would not restrict how the money is spent and only requires 50 percent voter approval. A recent consultant's analysis on how the city can sustainably fund its fire services for the long term also recommended placing a general sales tax measure on the ballot. While money from a general tax can be used for any city purpose, the council is allowed to include ballot questions asking for citizens' advice on how to spend and distribute the money, Cotti said. During a town hall meeting immediately before the council session, about 40 members of the public, fire and police departments and city officials gave their views on how they'd like to see money from a new sales tax spent. Some also spoke during the council meeting. Several representatives from police and fire called for money to be split evenly between their departments. Some members of the public asked the city to consider setting aside money for youth programs. Sofia Roman, a substitute teacher, said investing in youth programs would help bring down crime rates in the city because young people would have more to do. "If we don't put money into youth we do lose something," she said. "Don't forget about the youth." Councilman Jim Tovias suggested increasing the proposed sales tax to 1.25 percent to raise an extra $500,000 for youth programs. Procter said the idea might be worth considering, although Hernandez cautioned against it. Star file photo San Miguel Island will reopen to visitors in May. By Cheri Carlson of the Ventura County Star San Miguel Island, part of the Channel Islands National Park, will reopen this month after being closed to the public for two years. The westernmost point of the five-island park, San Miguel is owned by the Navy and managed by the National Park Service. The Navy shut off public access in April 2014, citing concerns about possible unexploded ordnance left over from the island's use as a bombing range decades earlier. On Wednesday, officials announced the island will open to the public May 17. "We're just thrilled that the public will be able to visit San Miguel Island," said Yvonne Menard, spokeswoman for the Channel Islands National Park. Within a couple hours of the announcement, she had gotten several calls from people excited about the news, she said. The Navy's risk assessment, which included reviewing historical records, mapping and an on-island survey, found military training activities were "somewhat sporadic" on the island from World War II through the mid-1970s. That training likely included using explosive-filled and practice munitions, which left bomb fragments and craters. Surveys were conducted over 18 miles of marked trails and high-use areas and included a search for surface and subsurface unexploded ordnance, officials said. No high-explosive munitions were found on trails or on Cuyler Harbor beach, the Navy's report said. Two practice bombs were recovered under the trail, and several other munitions items were found off trails. The closure was criticized by some as an overreaction, particularly because there weren't any problems to prompt the move despite decades of use by the National Park Service. But Navy officials have said they were glad they took the step as a precaution. There was a lack of clear documentation that such work had been done in the past, officials said. To visit San Miguel Island, visitors now must sign an access permit and liability waiver. Access permits will be available at the boat and air concession offices and at a self-registration station at the Nidever Canyon trailhead on the island. The longtime practice of escorting all visitors beyond the ranger station and limiting visitors to the established trail system will remain in effect. For years, the public has gone to the island via boat. But now, visitors also will be able to fly to the island via Channel Islands Aviation located in the Camarillo Airport, park officials said. The flights are authorized on a trial basis, a service added to the park's 2015 management plan. The remote island gets about 1,000 visitors a year and 100 campers. Summer typically is the busiest time for campers and hikers on San Miguel, where tens of thousands of sea lions and seals cluster on sandy beaches. One of the island's trails goes to Point Bennett, overlooking one of the world's largest pinniped rookeries. "It's just spectacular," Menard said of that view. "It's unmatched." SHARE The Donald Trump rampage still hard to believe after nearly a year is a symptom of something deeper and more profound: the Republican Party's slide into complete incoherence. Rarely has a major party's establishment been so out of touch with its voting base. Rarely have so many experienced politicians (Jeb Bush, Scott Walker, Marco Rubio, Rick Perry et al.) been so thoroughly embarrassed, and so cruelly dispatched, by a political neophyte. Rarely have feelings been so raw that one leading Republican (John Boehner) would publicly describe another (Ted Cruz) as "Lucifer in the flesh." What does the GOP believe in? There was a time when anyone with a passing interest in politics could have answered that question. Today, who knows? This ideological disintegration has been years in the making. I believe one fundamental cause is that after winning the allegiance of millions of "Reagan Democrats" mostly white, blue-collar, Southern or rural the party stubbornly declined to take their economic interests into account. Traditional Republican orthodoxy calls for small government, low taxation, tight money, deregulation, free trade and cost-saving reforms to entitlement programs. If I were independently wealthy, that might seem an agreeable set of policies. Ditto if I were one of the "small-business owners" to whom GOP candidates sing lavish hymns of praise. But most working-class Republicans are, get ready for it, working-class. They are more Sam's Club than country club. They don't own a business, they earn wages or a salary; and trickle-down economics has not been kind to them. Their incomes have been stagnant for a good 20 years, they have seen manufacturing jobs move overseas and job security vanish, they have less in retirement savings and home equity than they had hoped, and they see their young-adult children struggling to get a start in life. This segment includes military families that have borne the awful weight of more than a decade of war. Repeated deployments to Afghanistan and Iraq have caused tremendous strain; "wounded warriors" have returned bearing grievous physical and psychological scars. What adjustments did the GOP establishment make for these voters? None. Most of the governors, senators and former-somebodies who ran for the presidential nomination, and failed, offered nothing but flag-waving pep talks and demagoguery on social issues along with promises to stick with trickle-down orthodoxy and intervene in trouble spots around the world. Only Rick Santorum and Mike Huckabee, who were dismissed as yesterday's news, seemed to realize that working-class Republicans even existed. Did Trump cunningly craft a message for these orphaned voters, or did he stumble across his populist appeal by way of beginner's luck? At this point, it hardly matters. He offers policies, however far-fetched, that address their wants and needs. He rails against the free trade pacts that he says robbed the nation of manufacturing jobs. He promises not to cut entitlements and often hints at boldly expanding them. He pledges an "America first" foreign policy that withdraws from entanglements and eschews interventions. Trump also plays on these voters' insecurities, resentments and fears. He makes Hispanic immigrants and Muslims his scapegoats. He goes beyond attacking President Obama's policies to also impugn his identity in effect, portraying the president as the incarnation of demographic change that many white Americans fear. And Trump delegitimizes establishment Republicans by painting them as cogs in a system that is rigged to favor the rich and powerful. (In this, he's basically right.) Faced with Trump's challenge, GOP grandees have failed to react in any meaningful way. Trump's closest challenger for the nomination is the least-liked Republican in the Senate, a man who believes the party's problem is that its presidential candidates haven't been orthodox enough. In no way do I minimize the ugly side of Trump's appeal the naked chauvinism, the authoritarian streak, the cynical appeal to his supporters' worst instincts. But it is wrong and for the Republican Party, suicidal to ignore the fact that he is doing more than merely rousing the rabble. Trump is filling a vacuum left by years of inattention to voters who have been patronized and taken for granted. The fissures he exposed in the GOP will not go away. The party now seems on the verge of anointing a presidential nominee who does not subscribe to many of the party's core beliefs, yet who has absconded with much of the party's base. Post-Trump, Republicans will have a choice: They can develop new policies or look for new voters. Eugene Robinson's email address is eugenerobinson@washpost.com. He writes for The Washington Post Writers Group. Murray SawChuck backstage with his two mentors. It was a huge thrill for Murray to have both of his mentors in the audience at the same time and it will probably never happen again as one is from Vancouver, Canada Murrays hometown and the other is from Palm Springs (Pictured above: Shawn Farquhar, Murray SawChuck and Marv Roy backstage at The Tropicana). Shawn Farquhar, Murrays first mentor from the age of 12 years old and Marvyn Roy aka Mr. Electric who toured the world for 50 years with his wife Carol and was one of the most famous cabarets acts of his time, performing on the Ed Sullivan show, Tonight Show and almost every major hotel casino in the world along with the Lido in Paris, France. Here is his famous act on the Merv Griffin show: httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4gwO0v1aTCg>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4gwO0v1aTCg Also, Murrays mom came into town for Murray and Chloes surprise wedding. Murrays Dad is back home in Burnaby, BC, recovering from heart surgery but is doing great. Here is a pic on their way home from his show at the Tropicana. They pulled over to the side of the road to get a picture with his mom and his billboard. Vietnams digital economy has seen significant growth over the last decade and is expected to be valued at US$57 billion by 2025. The countrys digital... As I began writing this, I was halfway across the North Atlantic on my way home from a trip to Hungary. The quiet, darkened lower deck of an Airbus A380 and a cup of coffee provided me the perfect opportunity to reflect on what I took away from my latest visit to the land of Furmint (where Ive spent a week battling Apples maddening tendency to autocorrect Furmint to Ferment). I last visited Hungary in 2012 when provided with the fantastically educational opportunity to serve as a judge for what was then the most prominent national wine competition, the Pannonhalma Wine Challenge. I accepted the invitation to be a judge (something I rarely do judging is brutally thankless work) for the chance to quickly and deeply familiarize myself with the wines of a country that had, until that point, really only been represented in my tasting history as a couple of nice bottles of Tokaj Azsu dessert wine and a rare dry Furmint from the same region. My initial visit (largely summarized here in my scores from the wines tasted at the Challenge) demonstrated a lot of potential but also a very mixed bag of quality. This most recent trip was the direct result of the good discoveries made during that initial experience, in particular the wonders of a grape named Juhfark, which I almost always want to write with a trailing exclamation point, so bright and vibrant is it in the mouth. So a couple of weeks ago I spent about 5 days in what was until recently Hungarys smallest wine region, Somlo, which is where Juhfark calls home. Following that delightful experience, which you will hear much more about in the coming weeks, I spent a solid two and a half days in Tokaj, catching up on how things are Fermenting er, Furminting in the countrys most well-known region. Add to that a day of wandering around Budapest, and Ive got a few impressions (with extremely dubious authority) to share on whats changed in the 4 years since I was last there. Take these with the appropriately sized grain of salt required to temper one mans week of observations and conversations. BUDAPEST COMES ALIVE On my first visit, Budapest immediately presented as a gorgeous city, with the grandeur and old-world charm that has so attracted Americans to cities such as Prague for years. But as beautiful as the Danube and the architecture might have been, the streets of Budapest seemed much less vibrant and enticing as some of those other eastern European capitals. Not so this past month. I was thrilled to find a much more energetic vibe in the city, from sidewalk traffic, to demand for tables in the citys top wine bars. On my last trip, around the same time of year, I could have walked into any number of the top restaurants or wine bars and gotten a table in a half-empty establishment. This time I literally needed to call in a favor to get into one of the citys five Michelin-starred restaurants, and spent two hours watching an incredibly cosmopolitan crowd deeply engaged in conversations with each other, and with the polyglot, highly-attentive staff. My meal at Borkonyha was fabulous, and I had as good a wine experience at the hands of the sommeliers there as I have had in any restaurant in the US. The menu at Borkonyha, as well as in other restaurants and shops I visited during that trip reflected both what seemed to me an increased sophistication in cooking, but also the growing emphasis on local products that has been such a fantastic trend in fine dining around the world. How appropriate then, to also see a proliferation of farmers markets in Budapest, including one occupying yet another piece of evidence for the citys dynamic present: the ruin pub. The ruin pub is precisely what it sounds like a bar set up in the most dubious of buildings, usually an abandoned one brought back from the brink of (or despite a final) condemnation by government safety inspectors. They are apparently quite the thing, and have populated the 7th and 8th districts of the city like hot restaurants in the Meatpacking District of New York over the last 10 years. What an eclectic setting, then for a Sunday farmers market, packed to the gills with locals (and a few amazed tourists like me) and fantastic produce, including two honey purveyors, each of which sporting something like forty different varietal honeys that could easily have led to insulin shock without a little tasting self control on my part. In short, Budapest was already pretty cool, but now it rocks, at least in my opinion. Get your food-wine-travel-loving rear-end there while you can still get reasonably priced hotel rooms. And make sure to reserve a few days for a trip to one of the countrys many wine regions. INCREASING QUALITY AND CONSISTENCY OF WINE Like other old world countries that have only since the Nineties rebooted their fine wine producing traditions (think Turkey, Greece, etc.), on my last visit Hungary seemed besotted with the trappings of the glamorous international wine scene. Which is to say: new oak, high alcohol, and to a lesser extent, international grape varieties. Wine quality varied between pretty vile stuff and damn fine wine, and everything in between. That variability still exists (heck, it exists everywhere in the wine world to some extent), but the overall level of quality seems to have risen. One of the most easily recognizable representatives of this trend must be the state of dry Tokaji Furmint. FIGURING OUT AND SELLING (DRY) FURMINT While it has yet to be actually legislated as such, Furmint has been openly described by government representatives as the national grape. The post-Cold-War rebirth of the Hungarian wine industry as a whole, and the Tokaj region specifically, has been the result of success with making dry table wines from the grape long responsible for the regions unique sweet wines. Production of Tokaji Aszu and the areas other Noble-Rot-based sweet wines sadly continues to decline, but more and more producers are making what were once rare versions of dry Furmint. On my previous visit, there seemed to be a lot more variability in these wines than I experienced last week. I found fewer blocky, angular wines that seemed to attack rather than please the palate, and more round, pleasant, and very drinkable renditions of the form. My discussions with winemakers being far from comprehensive on the subject, I can say that the improving quality of these wines likely results from one or more of: picking a little later, malolactic fermentation, leaving a little more residual sugar in the finished wine, and/or managing tannins and other compounds through farming or fermentation techniques. In particular (and very unscientifically) I think I found more wines with increased residual sugar (between 3 and 6 grams per liter) that I really enjoyed. As the countrys most prestigious wine region, Tokaj, or perhaps more accurately its proponents (see struggles below), are working hard to increase the sales, visibility, and value of its wines. Now in its fourth year, The Tokaji Wine Auction took place on the weekend of April 23rd. This event, which has steadily increased its size and take every year, was imagined by vintner Samuel Tinon and a group calling themselves the Confrerie de Tokajas a way of increasing the visibility of the regions wines as well as beginning to establish the idea of just how premium the regions wines can be. Like many such auctions around the world, including the Hospice de Beaune on which it is modeled, the auction sells off unique or special wines in large lots (barrel, half barrel, or new for this year, tranches of bottles) to raise money for the regions promotion, and for charity (though, admittedly, charitable donations are a future hope at this point for a region that still needs as much promotional help as it can get. I think this is one of the most important events in Tokaj, and from an international perspective, the most important, says Rita Takaro, a marketing consultant that was hired this year to help put on the event. This is still at the beginning. We are going step by step. Despite the prestige of the wines on offer, from some of the regions top producers, not all of the 27 lots found buyers at this years auction, and a few were sold for their opening prices. We are still not visible on the market, explains Takaro. Tokaj has a brand image with professionals but not with consumers. But some are trying to change that, such as a unique venture called Furmint USA, that is part promotional marketing arm, and part importer (Full disclosure: this organization underwrote the Tokaj portion of my press trip). An outgrowth of the sister-cityhood of Tokaj and Sonoma, this organization is run by two wine-loving business professionals (who, as of yet, are still hanging onto their day jobs). FurmintUSA conducts tastings, social media campaigns, and content marketing of dry Furmint from a group of Tokaj producers in conjunction with wine blogging ambassador Joe Roberts. The effort is still in early days, but if successful (meaning that it manages to effectively sell the wines of its member producers) it may be first step to turning dry Furmint into Hungarys equivalent of Austrias Gruner Veltliner or New Zealands Sauvignon Blanc. Thats the sort of breakout recognition of Furmint everyone is shooting for. And its what the grape deserves. THE TOKAJ TRAJECTORY So how are the wines of Tokaj these days? In a word, excellent. At the end of the Cold War and the fall of the Communist regime in 1989, Tokaj, like the rest of Hungarys wine regions was suffering from a combination of neglect and abuse. Those vineyards still in production had been used to produce massive quantities of wine to slake the thirst of the Soviet Union and were under the purview of the massive state-run wine factory. The investment immediately following the fall of the Wall was primarily from foreign investors, meaning that for the next 15 years or so there were only a few commercial producers in the region and few of them locally spawned efforts. When I visited in 2012, a few smaller producers had begun to pop up here and there, but a lot has changed in the last few years. Where there were perhaps a dozen or so smaller independents in 2012, there are now perhaps 40 small labels that are commercially releasing wine. Perhaps not surprisingly, these producers, as well as some of the larger ones, continue to raise the bar for quality in the region, focusing on, among other things, more sustainable farming. In particular, I saw less obvious use of herbicides than on my previous trip, and spoke with many producers who talked about their efforts to eliminate Roundup in favor of tilling and mowing. Most encouragingly, many producers are beginning to emphasize single vineyards in their production. This may not sound like a big deal, but to Tokaj it is doubly significant. The use of single vineyard names on the labels of Tokaj not only represents the usual dedication to expressing a particular plots distinctive personality, it represents a reclaiming of the regions incredible heritage. For those who might not know, Tokaj is one of the oldest known appellations in the world (records date back at least to 1641). Moreover, Tokajs appellation system included many single vineyard crus that are still in production today. The specificity and detail of many 16th to 18th Century maps of the region speak of a time when the region paid much more attention to such things. That Tokaj may be paying more attention to such things is a welcome sign indeed. SOMLO RISING It may be tiny, but Somlo seems poised to make an impression on the wine world in the way that Santorini, Etna, or Corsica have recently become darlings of the wine cognoscenti. Many barriers still lie in the way of this ascendancy, not the least of which is the scarcity of the wines in the US market (though Hungarian specialist Blue Danube has recently picked up a couple more producers). But mark my words, like these other volcanic terroirs that have captured the imagination and palates of sommeliers everywhere, Somlo is going to be a contender. I personally am going to be doing my part to make that happen, as I fell deeply in love with the region and its wines on this trip. You can expect to see more from me on that in due time. STRUGGLING TO LEAVE THE PAST BEHIND Despite much progress, all my conversations with winemakers and champions of the Hungarian wine industry left me with the same feeling of frustration that clearly plagues everyone I spoke with. The vestigal effects of the Cold War continue to reverberate through the country, namely in the form of a government that seems more focused on pouring money into the state-run wine operations than supporting the broader industry. In particular, tens of millions of US dollars have been spent on increasing the quality of wine produced by the states own winery in Tokaj, but very little money (or thought) seems to have been spent on marketing Tokaj wines as a whole. Every new administration in the government seems to, at some point, take an interest in promoting Hungarian wine, but the money never seems to get to the Wines of Hungary organization, or once there it never seems to get spent on anything effective. Regional wine marketing organizations (whose charter and focus would be the promotion and marketing of their particular region as a whole) simply dont seem to exist, in the case of Tokaj, or in the case of other regions, are far from inclusive, not very effective, and rife with politics. (Though it should be noted that the wine growers association of Somlo managed to rally together enough to help pay for my plane ticket, which was no small feat for a tiny little region). Very good (yet still frustrating) reasons exist for this state of affairs, but it still boggles the mind that, for instance, as one of the worlds oldest and most prestigious wine regions, Tokaj doesnt have a regional marketing body that is the equivalent of the Napa Valley Vintners association or the Bureau Interprofessionnel des Vins de Bourgogne. One of the key factors in play in Hungary simply comes down to money. Tokaji wines simply dont sell enough, or for high enough prices, for the producers to have enough money to pay dues to an organization that could help promote their wares. Of course, in other European countries, the government kicks in a lot of money to such organizations, but Hungary seems maddeningly unwilling to do so, preferring instead to build new wineries for its state-run operations, and pay London-based PR firms to do studies proving what everyone already knows, namely that the Tokaj brand has low recognition around the world. Listening to the travails of vintners who so clearly hunger for (and deserve) the kind of representation that might expose more consumers to the countrys unique wines frankly made me angry. Promoting the countrys fine wines around the world could have a dramatic economic impact in both the short and long term for the country as a whole, both in terms of raising exports, but also in the form of tourism dollars. So much quality already exists, and so much more potential lies in wait, its just a damn shame that the country cant get its sh*t together to better promote its wines. So I guess Ill be doing my part. Stay tuned in the coming weeks for reviews from my visit. And in the meantime, drink some Furmint or Juhfark! Rohingya Muslim children look on past charred shelters following a fire that gutted Bawdupa camp near Sittwe, Myanmar's Rakhine state capital on May 3, 2016. STR / AFP YANGON: A major fire on Tuesday (May 3) damaged or destroyed the homes of nearly 450 Rohingya Muslim families living in a camp for people displaced by 2012 communal fighting in western Myanmar. The charred remains of wooden shelters and twisted metal roofs were visible through a thick haze of smoke after the fire broke out in the early morning, a stark reminder of dire living conditions for over 100,000 Rohingya confined to bleak camps in Rakhine state. Authorities said a cooking stove caused the blaze at the Bawdupa camp near the state capital Sittwe, with strong winds believed to have spread flames from house to house in the tinder-dry area. "We are still checking whether they were any injured. We do not know yet how many people are now homeless but local authorities are working on it," he told AFP, asking not to be named. Some 140,000 people, mainly Rohingya, have been trapped in the grim displacement camps since they were driven from their homes by waves of violence between Buddhists and minority Muslims four years ago. The conflict left Rakhine state deeply scarred, effectively segregating communities on religious grounds and despressing the local economy. It also stoked wider Buddhist nationalism in Myanmar, which has seen outbreaks of anti-Muslim bloodshed in other areas in recent years. Rakhine's Rohingya are labelled "Bengali" by hardline Buddhists and many government officials, who brand them as illegal immigrants from Bangladesh even though many can trace their ancestry back generations. Faced with apartheid-like restrictions that limit access to jobs, education and healthcare, thousands have braved perilous boat journeys in search of better lives in Malaysia and Indonesia. An exodus last year sparked a regional crisis and a crackdown on smuggling routes. Last month at least 20 Muslims from a Rakhine displacement camp drowned when their boat capsized in choppy waters while it was travelling to a market in Sittwe. Passengers said they were forced to take the dangerous sea route because authorities ban them from travelling by road. Photo : nasa.gov The US space agency had already pushed back the launch by a day to Tuesday. If technicians are able to finish their repairs as planned, Discovery and its six American astronauts will now launch from Florida's Kennedy Space Center at 3:52 pm (1952 GMT) Wednesday, NASA test director Jeff Spaulding said. The flight to the orbiting International Space Station is the fourth and final shuttle flight of the year, and the last scheduled for Discovery, the oldest in the three-shuttle fleet that is being retired in 2011. photo source Zing What may impress tourists upon arrival at the island are crystal-clear blue seawater and white sand beaches. Visitors can hire a motorbike at VND100,000 (US$4.48) per day to explore the island on their own. Six Senses Con Dao Resort is a nice place where tourists can stop by to take a look, have a round of drinks or relax in a tranquil atmosphere. Dam Trau Beach near Co Ong Airport is a nice destination thanks to its soft white sand. There, tourist can find a mini bar serving seafood and Latin music. Many activities are available for tourists, including surfing, motor-boat riding and boat rowing. For dinner, tourists are recommended to visit the night market where various seafood dishes are served and Con Son cafe on Ton Duc Thang Street to listen to music by the late musician Trinh Cong Son. The next day on the island, tourists should take a trip to Tau Be Cape to enjoy a great view of the sea and the sky when standing on cliffs. Tourists can also take a motor-boat ride for VND1.3 million to VND2 million to tour Bay Canh Islet, snorkel through coral reefs, swim in the clear blue water or rest at a peaceful beach. The General Statistics Office reported that Vietnams total export turnover in the first four months of 2016 is estimated to be $52.87 billion, up 6 per cent year-on-year. Total import turnover hit $51.4 billion, down 1.2 per cent year-on-year, leading to a trade surplus of $1.47 billion over this period. The four-month trade surplus is a very good sign for the economy in general, senior economic expert Nguyen Mai told VIR. The economy suffered from a trade deficit of $3 billion in the same period last year, and a trade surplus of $683 million, $722 million, and $176 million in the first four months of 2014, 2013, and 2012, respectively. However, Mai said that this years four-month trade surplus was driven by foreign-invested enterprises (FIEs), which tactitly reflects the weak performance of locally-owned enterprises. Specifically, FIEs held a trade surplus of $7.1 billion, while locally-owned companies suffered a trade deficit of $5.6 billion. Many types of goods have had a very high export turnover, such as electronics, computers, and mobile phones, Mai said. Of these, Samsung, Nokia, and LG have had impressive export turnover, occupying over 20 per cent of Vietnams total export turnover. According to LG Electronics Vietnam, their export and import turnover reached $151.33 million and $155.34 million, respectively, in this years first two months. The firms two-month revenue hit $212.15 million. FDI has helped offset a trade deficit from locally-owned enterprises, Mai noted. Many are lamenting that an increase in FDI in Vietnam is controlling the local economy. However, this is a competitive market. Without FDI, the economy couldnt develop as rapidly, and Vietnam wouldnt enjoy a trade surplus. Mai also noted that this years first four months included many days off due to the traditional Tet celebration and other national holidays. If there had been no days off, the trade surplus would have been much larger, he said. FocusEconomics Consensus, which features economic forecasts from the worlds leading economists, announced last week that Vietnams economy was expected to continue growing at a solid pace of 6.5 per cent this year, supported by robust export growth, buoyant private consumption, and higher FDI inflows. Predicting that investment in Vietnam would rise 8.9 per cent this year, the firm also estimated that Vietnams industrial output, which is mostly financed by FDI, would grow 9.7 per cent. FocusEconomics Consensus also predicted that thanks to major FDI contributions, Vietnams export and import turnover for 2016 would be $175 billion and $177 billion, respectively. The local telecommunications market is the scene of fierce 3G competition The prime minister last week gave in-principle approval to FPT Group and FPT Telecom being strategic investors of EVN Telecom. EVN Telecom will this month announce its strategic investors after its negotiations with FPT and its affiliate FPT Telecom are finalised. An EVN Telecom source revealed that the stake to be sold to FPT and FPT Telecom would be more than 50 per cent. FPT Telecom was already licenced to be a mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) and is piloting LTE TDD technology. Mobile business is what we want in our business portfolio and we are enthusiastic in our negotiations with partners. Our investment capital will be 10-times the amount we previously planned to invest in EVN Telecom, said FPT deputy general director Phan Duc Trung Trung. FPT previously planned to invest VND400 billion ($21 million) in EVN Telecom as the former wanted to use the latters facility to provide mobile service. The upcoming involvement of FPT and FPT Telecom in EVN Telecom means there would be no chance for foreign entities to be the mobile operators strategic partners. Previously, EVN Telecom, which is expected to be the first mobile operator to be equitised in Vietnam, announced its plan to sell a 30 per cent stake to a foreign strategic investor. Details of the plan were not revealed then, except that the strategic investor would be a Singaporean or Malaysian firm. EVN Telecom then also said the foreign strategic investors name would be made public after the company completed its equitisation process in September, this year. Meanwhile, MobiFones long-awaited equitisation has seen many delays. The company was converted into a one-member company in early July and is still waiting for new government directions. The company planned to sell a 30 per cent stake to investors, including 15 per cent to strategic partners. Viettel Telecom does not have a clear equitisation plan, as it is trying to complete a restructuring proposal by expanding into other business segments such as mobile handset production. The long-awaited VinaPhone equitisation is still distant, as VNPT Groups restructuring proposal has not yet been approved by the Ministry of Information and Communications. The contractors include a consortium of South Koreas Samwhan Corporation and local Cienco 4, and Japanese group Sumitomo Mitsui. The ministry (MoF) recently laid to rest contractors hopes for a large bonus payout, ending their wait of over three years. In support of their position, the MoF argued that since the projects capital came from the states public utility works budget, neither the project developer (the bonus payer) nor the state budget gained additional capital sources from a shortened project schedule. According to Deputy Minister of Finance Truong Chi Trung, based on existing regulations the bonus should be sourced only from the total costs saved from construction and consultancy contracts due to the shortened project schedule. This means that the maximum bonus awarded to the contractors would be significantly reduced to approximately VND53.7 billion ($2.4 million), equal to one third of the initially proposed sum of more than VND173 billion ($8 million). The MoF noted that current laws have yet to cover the calculation of bonuses or fines for state-funded projects based on vague social and economic benefits, which are difficult to quantify; instead, regulations are based on actual funds saved or damages accrued, with valid invoices required as proof. In late February, this thorny issue seemed likely to be resolved after the government approved the use of a Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) loan for the project to fund the bonus payment for contractors. However, with the MoFs tough stance creating a large gap between the contractors and the ministrys proposed bonus amounts, an agreement on the issue does not seem likely to be reached any time soon. In 2013, after the Mai Dich-North Linh Dam Lake section of Hanoi beltway 3 was opened to traffic ahead of schedule, project developer Thang Long PMU proposed that the Ministry of Transport (MoT) approve nearly VND180 billion ($8.2 million) bonus for the contractors to reward their early completion of the project. The consortium consisted of South Koreas Samwhan and Vietnamese contractor Cienco 4 proposed a VND77 billion ($3.5 million) bonus for the completion of the first package 263 days ahead of schedule, while Japanese group Sumitomo Mitsui was seeking a VND102 billion ($4.6 million) bonus for finalising the second package 454 days ahead of schedule. The new airport would make the province more accessible for travellers Photo: Duc Thanh The ministry (MoT) became the first government management agency to advocate the Lao Cai Peoples Committee as the authorised agent overseeing the projects implementation. The MoT explained that development projects normally source capital from the central budget under the 2015 Law on State Budget, however, in light of present budget constraints, it is necessary to find other capital sources to help build the transport infrastructure. They therefore would like the local authorities to select investors to support the airport project. The MoT and relevant government agencies will support the Lao Cai Peoples Committee and ensure they follow current regulations, said Deputy Minister of Transport Nguyen Nhat. In February, the Lao Cai Peoples Committee proposed that the project be implemented under the PPP format. In the meantime, they have requested that the government assign the provincial authority as the government agency handling the project. Essentially, this means that Lao Cai Peoples Committee will draw up the project proposal, select investors, and sign contracts, as regulated in governmental Decree No.15/2015/ND-CP. Chairman of the Lao Cai Peoples Committee Dang Xuan Phong said that once approved, the proposal could help resolve the projects capital dilemma. Lao Cai airport is designed to become a 4C standard airport for both civil and military use, able to receive A320, A321, and equivalent aircraft. Once completed, the airport will contain two aircraft parking spaces, and will have an annual capacity of 560,000 passengers and 600 tonnes of freight. By 2030, its capacity will increase to 1.58 million passengers and 2,880 tonnes of freight per year, and will include five parking spaces for aircraft. In the future, Lao Cai airport will also encompass a specialised terminal on a 10,000 square metres space, with a designed capacity of 308 passengers/peak hour, increasing later to 634 passengers/peak hour. The airport will also be able to handle flights to all domestic airports, as well as certain international airports, namely in Indonesia (Jakarta), Singapore, Malaysia, China (Kunming), and Laos (Vientiane). Sun Group, a local leading property developer, was reported to be one of the first to file an investment proposal with the MoT and the Civil Aviation Administration of Vietnam (CAAV). The early commitment of a big investor like Sun Group to the project shows that Lao Cai airport has great potential, said CAAVs deputy chief Dao Van Chuong. Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Cao Duc Phat told international partners and donors that the government, with help from some donors, had already mobilised over $7 million to cope with the prolonged drought. We need another $41.5 million from the international community to implement short-term measures for emergency aid, Phat said last week in Hanoi at an international conference on Vietnams response to the drought. It is the governments policy to not abandon any of its citizens in need, whether suffering through hunger or a lack of fresh water, or at risk from epidemics, Phat stressed. The emergency response plan tackles some of the most immediate crises, including the need for water, sanitation and hygiene, food, and healthcare. Some funding has already been secured to enable the government to mount a swift response. UN Resident Co-ordinator Pratibha Mehta said that The government has mounted an extremely strong response so far, but this is a unique event calling for a unique international effort. A joint rapid assessment conducted in March by the Vietnamese government, the UN, and non-governmental organisations estimated that in the 18 most severely affected provinces, around two million people are without access to water and 1.1 million people are in need of food aid. More than 60,000 women and children are already malnourished, and about 1.75 million people have lost their livelihoods as a result of the worsening situation. Although up to a third of provinces nationwide have been affected by the prolonged drought, eight provinces are at risk of becoming severely affected in the coming weeks, with water shortages and the use of unsafe water posing a major risk for outbreaks of water-borne illnesses. This, coupled with heightened food insecurity due to drought-induced crop loss, is likely to be a factor in the rising rate of children suffering from severe acute malnutrition, as reported by the joint rapid assessment. In the Mekong Delta, the drought and reduction in groundwater levels have led to the most extensive saltwater intrusion in 90 years, the worst since records began. While saline intrusion is an annual phenomenon, this year it started nearly two months earlier than normal and has penetrated an average of 20-30 kilometres further inland. As a result of the drought and saltwater intrusion, more than 400,000 hectares of crops have been affected with varying degrees of productivity loss, and 25,900 hectares have not been planted at all. Since late last year, the government has provided 5,223 tonnes of food for distribution throughout the three worst-affected regions, and has allocated $45 million for national drought relief efforts. So far, two million cubic metres of water, 630,000 doses of Chloramine B, and 400,000 Aquatabs have been delivered by truck to households without a secure water supply. Given the worsening situation, on March 15 the government requested assistance from international partners for its relief efforts, prioritising support to ensure water supply, storage, and treatment in drought-affected areas, as well as food relief and enhanced monitoring of potential disease outbreaks. In response to the crisis, a global call for support and action for 22 countries, including Vietnam, was announced in Geneva last week. Ethiopia is considered a market holding great potential for telecommunications companies, being one of the fastest growing countries in Central and East Africa with an average annual growth of 10 per cent in gross domestic product (GDP). It has a total population of over 100 million, however, only 37 per cent of which uses mobile phones. In addition, there is only one network operator in the country, Ethio Telecom. In 2015, Viettel requested an investment certificate from the Eithiopian government. Once approved, Viettel will supply telecommunication services to 95 per cent of the Ethiopian population. Besides, Viettel will lay down 70,000 kilometres of optical fibre, contributing to developing the countrys telecommunications infrastructure. Viettel has started operations in four African markets, namely Mozambique in southern Africa, Cameroon in the central region, and Burundi and Tanzania in the eastern part of the continent, reporting growth in revenue. The company achieved impressive annual growth compared to many other multinational telecom firms. For example, Viettels longstanding rival the world over, Vodacom - an African mobile communications company that is larger and has more experience - saw its turnover grow only by 2.1 per cent in 2015 and the number of its subscribers grew by 7.2 per cent, one fourth of Viettels 27 per cent. As of now, Viettel has expanded its operations to 10 nations in Asia, Africa, and the Americas, connecting a combined population of 175 million and servicing 13 million subscribers. Viettel made a profit in all of its foreign markets. The company earned a pre-tax profit of VND1.235 trillion ($55.4 million) in Asia and VND213 billion ($9.55 million) in America. Notably, after five years of operations, the American market has moved from a loss of VND87 billion ($3.9 million) to a profit of VND213 billion ($9.55 million) in 2015. All figures were reported based on the current foreign currency exchange rate. remaining of Thank you for reading! On your next view you will be asked to log in to your subscriber account or create an account and subscribepurchase a subscription to continue reading. Four human rights workers, an election official and a UN worker were charged at a Phnom Penh court on Tuesday with bribery and conspiracy to bribe a witness. The six accused Adhoc investigators Ny Sokha, Nay Vanda, Yi Soksan, Lim Mony; National Election Committee deputy secretary general; and UN officer Soen Sally were charged with bribery and being accomplices to the bribery of a witness over their alleged involvement with Srey Mom, the witness in an Anti-Corruption Unit case against opposition leader Kem Sokha. Ly Sophana, deputy prosecutor at Phnom Penh Municipal Court, told VOA that the Chakrya and the Adhoc workers were detained by the court on the aforementioned charges, but he declined to comment on evidence supporting the charges. Sally, meanwhile, did not appear in court. These five people were detained by the investigating judge. The four officers working for the Adhoc organization were charged with bribery according to Article 548 of the criminal code. For Ny Chakrya, he was put in temporary detention charged with being an accomplice to bribery of a witness, according to Article 29 and Article 548 of criminal code, he said. Each defendant could face between five and 10 years behind bars if found guilty. Am Sam Ath, chief of the investigations unit of rights group Licadho, expressed disappointment that the charges were filed. We feel very regretful that the ones who used to help the poor people and the citizens, received punishments and were put in prison, he said. They were detained just one day after Prime Minister Hun Sen on Sunday announced from Sihanoukville that he could not order the judiciary to take action, but warned all of you who are NGOs or people working for the United Nations, dont rely on your immunity [from prosecution]. You will be in prison when the time comes. You bribed the witness, you pressured others. Its none of your businessthe law is the law, he said. The detentions came after, Khom Chandaraty, also known as Srey Mom, released an open letter on April 22 accusing the rights workers of attempting to bribe her to keep quiet about an alleged love affair with Sokha. She has demanded $300,000 in damages. Kem Ley, a political aspirant and analyst, said that it would take a drastic action, such as the arrest of Sokha, to fully catalyze opposition to the legal actions. The individual [Sokha] would suffer but the popularity of the party would increase, he said. San Vatanak, the son of jailed Adhoc official Soksan, said his father was concerned for his fathers health. My concern is with his health because hes old. So he could get sick, he said. I am afraid his health will get worse. Civil society groups on Tuesday issued a joint statement condemning in the strongest terms the politically-motivated charging of six human rights defenders from a Cambodian human rights group, the countrys NEC and the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights. Phnom Penh Municipal Court on Tuesday issued three separate summonses for deputy president of the Cambodia National Rescue Party Kem Sokha and two lawmakers related to salacious phone records allegedly showing that Sokha engaged in an affair, a court spokesman said on Tuesday. A court spokesman said on Tuesday that summonses were issued to Sokha and two opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party lawmakers, Tob Vann Chan and Pin Ratana. They are expected to attend court on May 11 and 16. Sokha is due to attend the court on May 11 over a separate defamation case filed by former CNRP activist Thy Sovanntha. In March, a series of leaked of phone records, which were purportedly between Kem Sokha and a woman named Khom Chandaraty, appeared to suggest they had an affair. Chandaraty later testified to the anti-terrorism police department, denying that she had had an affair with Sokha. However, she changed her testimony after the release of the phone records and further questioning. On April 22, she wrote an open letter accusing four local rights workers of attempting to bribe her to provide false testimony and demanding $300,000 in compensation. Days later the authorities took action, arresting a local opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party official, and on Sunday proceeded to detain the rights workers and an election official, who were charged on Monday. A United Nations worker was also charged in absentia. Sokha could not be reached for comment on Tuesday. He has yet to comment on the cases. CNRP spokesman Yim Sovann declined to comment on the case as it was a personal issue. Sundays arrests brings the total number of jailed opposition members and supporters to at least 16. Kem Ley, a politician and analyst, compared the current tensions to 1997, when the ruling Cambodian Peoples Party appied pressure to the royalist Funcinpec party. The more they [the opposition] are mistreated, the more sympathy they will get, he said. They could easily win a majority in the next election, but at this rate will need a lot of replacements. A new access to information bill was discussed in Phnom Penh on Tuesday, World Press Freedom Day, with some raising hopes that it could be a positive step by the government towards redressing the balance of power when it comes to the media. Cambodia has introduced several pieces of legislation in this term which have worried freedom of information and press freedom campaigners, such as the cyber crime law. Anne Lemaistre, the country representative for Unesco, the UN cultural affairs body, said the right to access information in the public good was a basic right that should be afforded to all Cambodians, adding that increased transparency would also benefit the government in the long run. Khieu Kanharith, the information minister, told reporters that the bill, consisting of nine chapters and 29 articles, was still under discussion. The law will determine the obligations government institutions hold to respond to requests for access to public records. Pen Bonar, Club of Cambodian Journalists president, said the law, if passed, would open space for more investigations into government activities. For journalists, we dont have the rights to tie them up, he joked. However, an article could be so powerful that an official can either be demoted or promoted or imprisoned when journalists report irregularities or wrongdoings. This is the power of journalists who help provide positive impacts for the society. Cambodia ranked 128 of 180 countries in Reporters Without Borders 2016 Press Freedom Index, released last month. It was a slight improvement on the 2015 ranking, suggesting journalists in the Kingdom were more at liberty to report freely than they had previously been. However, reporting on certain issues particularly illegal logging and human trafficking still brought significant risk. Cambodia ranked ahead of Thailand, Laos and Vietnam in the study. Pa Ngoun Teang, Cambodian Center for Independent Media executive director, said three factors had contributed to Cambodias apparent improving performance: fewer reporters being subjected to violence and intimidation; less political pressure on journalists and media institutions; and the worsening media environment in neighboring countries, such as Thailand. Due to political pressure, a lack of protection mechanisms, corrupt courts journalists take a step back. Some journalists do not dare to touch on controversial issue. For instance, theres a situation. We broadcast that theres a campaign cracking down on deforestation. But whether the campaign is effective, where the wood is stored, the person involved, no one dares to do the investigation. While he was generally supportive of the bill, he was skeptical of government intentions. The European Union said in a statement that it condemned the increasing level of intimidation and violence that journalists, Human Rights Defenders, media actors and other individuals face in many countries across the world when exercising the right to freedom of opinion and expression online and offline. Cambodias main opposition leader, Sam Rainsy, defended his self-imposed exile as the only responsible choice, on Wednesday in an op-ed published in a local English-language daily following ongoing criticism of the decision, this time by a prominent political analyst. Over the past week opposition representatives and rights workers have faced legal threats over allegations of corruption that are the basis of an ongoing investigation into Rainsys deputy in the Cambodia National Rescue Party, Kem Sokha. Rainsy decided not to return to Cambodia from a tour of Asia in November last year after an arrest warrant was issued by a Cambodian court over a years-old defamation case brought by the former foreign minister, Hor Namhong. The opposition leader had accused Namhong of participating in crimes against humanity while running the notorious Boeung Trabek prison under the Khmer Rouge. He was sentenced to two years in jail and fined $2,000; however, upon his return to Cambodia ahead of the 2013 election it was assumed he had received a pardon. Ou Virak, head of the Future Forum, a think tank, had criticized Rainsy, saying he had lacked the courage to face jail. [T]he present situation might look different had Mr. Rainsy had the courage to return to Cambodia and stare down his jail sentence in November, as he promised to do in a public speech, Virak said in the op-ed. In Rainsys piece in the Cambodia Daily on Wednesday, he wrote that a series of unexpected events in November 2015, including the stripping of his parliamentary immunity when the warrant was issued, had led to the decision. I learned that an arrest warrant against me was issued that day in Phnom Penh in spite of my parliamentary immunity. I publicly said that day this would not change my plan to return to Cambodia on the 16th [of November] as had been scheduled, he wrote, going on to say that the decision to revoke his immunity was meant to deprive him of a defensive weapon for the legal battle I was preparing to conduct on the ground. He added that he was informed that there was a risk to the well-being of CNRP supporters who planned to meet him at the airport if he returned. What would another Cambodian opposition leader have decided on his return that day under such circumstances if he claims to be responsible? The African Union is holding the first ever international conference on the Great Green Wall in Dakar this week. The goal is to map out a strategy to stop desertification in the Sahel-Sahara region, which experts say is driving poverty and insecurity. At the climate change summit in Paris in December, world leaders pledged $4 billion over the next five years for the restoration of Africas landscapes. That included support for the so-called Great Green Wall initiative. Now, delegates from 20 countries north and south of the Sahara are meeting with experts and grassroots organizations in Dakar to discuss the way forward. Speaking Tuesday at the opening of the conference, Senegal Minister of Environment Abdoulaye Bibi Balde explained the idea behind the Great Green Wall strategy. He said the Great Green Wall is about much more than simply building a band of greenery. He said it is a strategy to increase the value of the Sahara-Sahel zone through better land use. The Great Green Wall concept was first proposed in 2005. It was then championed by former Senegalese president Abdoulaye Wade. Trees, shrubbery to counter desert spread The project would entail planting thousands of kilometers of trees and shrubbery from Senegal to Djibouti to stop the southern spread of the Sahara desert. Desertification and land degradation in the region have contributed to severe food shortages and insecurity, including the rise of terrorist groups. Hamady Diop, program manager for the Natural Resources Governance program of the NEPAD agency at the African Union, says the Great Green Wall will also address drivers of illegal migration. These range from climate change, land degradation, declining agricultural productivity and insufficient job creation for our rural community, to mention a few. These are [having] effects such as migration, rapid urbanization, creating increased demands for jobs and changing consumption patterns. For example, regarding the problem of land degradation, it is estimated that this problem affects about 65 percent of the African population. And it is important for urgent actions to be taken, Diop said. Experts say the Dakar conference reflects the strong political will behind the project and an urgency to get it moving. World-famous Beninese musician Angelique Kidjo has won a human rights award, along with three African youth activist movements, for their work defending freedom of expression and peaceful protest. Rights group Amnesty International announced the winners Wednesday, praising Kidjo and the groups Y'en a marre (Fed Up), le Balai Citoyen (The Citizen's Broom), and Lutte pour Changement (LUCHA) for their work in Africa and around the world. Amnesty says the award honors those who have shown exceptional courage in standing up to injustice, and who have used their talents to inspire others and further the cause of human rights. The honor known as the Ambassador of Conscience Award has previously gone to world leaders such as Vaclav Havel, Nelson Mandela, and Aung San Suu Kyi, as well as artists Bono, Joan Baez, and Ai Wei Wei. Spreading ideas through music Angelique Kidjo fled Benin in the 1980s after being pressured to perform for the country's authoritarian regime. Famous before she left her homeland, she has since become world-renowned both for her music and her activism. While recording and performing a mixture of African and U.S. influences sung in a multitude of languages, she has also worked to promote free expression, education for young women, and birth certificates for children. In an interview last year (May 2015) with VOA's French to Africa service, Kidjo said music helps her spread her messages of freedom and human dignity. She told VOA's Salwa Jaafari: "I can't be in everyone's home physically -- my music will be there. And that's the power of an artist, compared to a politician. Because no one can give a speech as brilliant as what we can put on a CD." The Grammy winner said she does not want to be a politician, but has hope that African nations struggling with internal corruption can solve their problems through democratic means. Kidjo said, "The day when the people -- the people of Africa get up and say 'we're tired of this stupidity,' it will be everyone together who will decide, not me." Speaking ahead of the May 28 awards ceremony, Kidjo said the award "will energize me to stay outspoken about the crucial human rights issues of our time." Grassroots activism Also receiving the award is a group of Senegalese rappers and journalists who encourage young people to register to vote. The group known as Y'en a marre, or Fed Up, has been active in teaching peaceful protest methods and urging the government to implement land reforms, an issue important to the rural poor. Burkina Faso's le Balai Citoyen, or the Citizen's Broom, is a grassroots movement co-founded by reggae artist Sams'K Le Jah and rapper Smockey (Serge Bambara). The group has been active in voter education and has taught young people to speak out about political corruption and transparency. In a public comment on the award, Smockey said: "To all those who have placed their trust in us and who have read through our acts the commitment to fight against injustice: we want to reaffirm that our convictions remain as strong and safe as our dreams, which underlie them." And Lutte pour Changement, or LUCHA, is based in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where the community-based activist group focuses on social issues, human rights, and the protection of civilians from armed groups. Nine activists associated with the group have been jailed in DRC and are considered by Amnesty to be prisoners of conscience. Amnesty called on the DRC government in February to release the LUCHA activists. In a statement, Amnesty called their detentions for peaceful protests "a clear sign of the growing assault on independent voices and civil society" in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Amnesty will hold an awards ceremony on May 28 in Dakar, Senegal. U.S. President Barack Obama visited Flint, Michigan, Wednesday to review federal and state progress in ending the city's contaminated water crisis. Obama was greeted by Michigan Governor Rick Snyder, who has come under withering criticism from locals, as well as federal officials, lawmakers and civil rights activists for what is widely seen as negligence in addressing the year-long crisis. The White House said the visit was prompted by a recent letter from an eight-year-old local girl who asked to meet with the president personally to discuss the crisis. Amariyanna "Mari" Copeny is one of an estimated 100,000 Flint residents without reliable access to safe drinking and bathing water since the crisis began. The Flint crisis erupted in 2014, when the cash-strapped city government sought to save money by drawing water from a local river rather that nearby Detroit's water system. Months later, it was found that engineers did not properly treat the corrosive Flint river water to prevent lead leaching from old pipes in the largely African-American city. The uproar intensified when it was learned that Flint residents were not informed about their tainted water supply for 18 months. The Obama visit comes eight days after U.S. senators from both political parties reached a tentative deal to authorize $170 million in aid to replace the city's contaminated water pipes and other infrastructure. An election year deal to help the city in February part of a larger water resources bill failed when Republican and Democratic negotiators could not agree on how to fund the Flint aid. Watch video report from VOA's Zlatica Hoke: Crisis assistance In a lengthy statement Tuesday, the White House said the administration will continue to offer expertise and technical assistance to state and local agencies for as long as needed. In a priority list, the statement said the president has directed federal housing officials to ensure continued access to clean water for seniors and disabled residents of public housing. It also said efforts are underway to make blood lead testing available to as many children and other residents as possible. The statement additionally promises continued support for a state probe of rashes and other skin lesions reported by locals. It also says Medicaid coverage has been extended to cover 15,000 children and young people up to age 21, as well as pregnant women affected by the crisis. It further touts a host of measures aimed at ensuring nutritional and behavioral health for affected citizens, and encourages locals to run bath and tap water for 14 straight days this month to help flush existing water pipes. Criminal charges Three Michigan government officials with ties to the crisis were charged with criminal offenses late last month, and Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette warned that more people face potential prosecutions. Analysts say the probe may focus on officials believed to have largely discounted early citizen complaints about the color, taste and odor of their fresh water supplies. Asked whether he personally did anything criminal before or during the crisis, Snyder told reporters last month he did not want to enter into such speculation. "I don't believe so," he said. With Britain due to vote next month on whether to leave to European Union, a cross-party group of British lawmakers has warned that negotiations on an exit could take a decade. The report by the House of Lords EU Committee, part of Britains parliamentary framework, predicts that leaving the bloc would entail lengthy and difficult negotiations. The analysis suggests that striking a comprehensive trade agreement is going to take anywhere between four and 10 years, said Stephen Booth of policy analyst group Open Europe. The "Vote Leave" campaign to quit the European Union has dismissed the findings, and says it would be in Europes interest to strike a quick trade deal because Britain is a big market for goods like French wine and German cars. We do have an alternative, and its a glorious alternative. A relationship with Europe based not on the whims of un-elected bureaucrats, but on cooperation between elected governments, London Mayor Boris Johnson, a key figure in the "Vote Leave" campaign said last month. Obama's position The debate comes days after President Barack Obama said Britain would go to "the back of the line" in negotiating a trade deal with the United States if it chose to leave the European Union. The "Vote Leave" campaign wants Britain to strike deals with growing economies outside the European Union. They cite the 2014 free-trade agreement between Switzerland, which is not an EU member, and China. The Swiss-Chinese deal illustrated that Switzerland had to open up its markets more than China and in a more timely manner. So clearly I think the U.K. wouldnt necessarily have all the leverage. But it might be able to be a bit more flexible and nimble, or concentrate on issues that it wants to concentrate on. And thats the trade-off I think the U.K. would face, said Stephen Booth of Open Europe. Banking and insurance Close to 80 percent of Britains economy is made up of services like banking and insurance, much of it headquartered in the City of London. For more than 300 years, Lloyds of London has acted as a global marketplace for insurance. Underwriters have witnessed shipwrecks, oil spills and revolutions. But there are fears a new storm could blow business completely off course, as an exit from the European Union could see Britain lose its so-called "passporting rights", thereby cutting off Londons role as a gateway to the rest of the European Union. "Having the EU together with Lloyd's in London and the other insurance companies here in London, London playing its role as a financial center for Europe, is I think extremely important, said John Nelson, Chairman of Lloyds. Germany's warning Germany, Europes biggest economy, has warned of the damage a British exit would cause. Thomas Oppermann of the Social Democrats, one of the governing coalition partners, offered a stark assessment of a so-called Brexit. "The financial service providers in the City of London must look with horror to the day when such a decision is made, he said. Campaigners who want to remain in the European Union say other cities like Frankfurt and Paris are eyeing Londons lucrative role as Europes financial hub, and its rivals could play hardball in any negotiations over a British exit. The Chinese Communist Party has put an outspoken tycoon on one year of probation after he publicly criticized President Xi Jinpings media policies in February a decision that, analysts say, aims to create a chilling effect on party members and the nations opinion leaders. Yet, they add, the move to silence the property tycoon Ren Zhiqiang, known as Chinas Donald Trump, is also a slap in the presidents face after Xi openly urged party leaders to heed online comments late last month. The long-awaited punishment was announced on Monday after the party concluded that Rens comments on his microblogging accounts were a vile influence and have run counter to the partys basic principles on multiple occasions, according to state media. Party's government? Before his Weibo account was shut down by authorities, the sharp-tongued mogul posted comments to his nearly 38 million online followers, which read When did the peoples government change into the partys government? in response to Xis call for state media to adhere to the party line. Calls to expel Ren have since been heard, although the tycoon, with an estimated net worth of 145 million yuan ($22 million) ended up being treated lightly this week, given his political standing, said Willy Lam, an expert on elite Chinese politics. Lenient punishment His voice has been effectively silenced. Even though when you compare the treatment given to dissidents, you would say that hes got a relatively lenient treatment, Lam said. Ren, nicknamed Big Gun Ren, is a red second-generation, whose father, Ren Quansheng, served as the countrys vice minister of commerce. As a successful businessman himself, the 65-year-old tycoon is well-connected both politically and in business circles, notably, his private friendship with Wang Qishan, a member of the Politburo Standing Committee. Even so, the party now seems determined to keep Ren out of the eyes of the public. Use of ad to protest On Tuesday, online comments about an air purifier ad, put up by Broad Group in Changsha, Hunan province, in front of the citys train station became the top-trending censored topic on Freeweibo.com. The ad features Ren with a mask next to a sensitive punch line, which read You can be silenced, but you cant stop breathing. In response to the ad, one Weibo user said the party can now expel Ren since he apparently has shown no remorse while another user wrote the power of capital has shown a contempt for everything, according to the Freeweibo.com. China's control over social media Many of those censored online comments disagreed with the message of Rens ad a sign that the authorities control over social media has tightened but hardly follow any patterns, said Zhang Ming, a professor of political science at Renmin University of China. Chinas censorship and media control measures hardly make any sense, he said. Overall, the disciplinary action has set a chilling example to quell public opinions critical of the party and Xi, said Zhang Lifan, a prominent scholar of modern Chinese history. But, Zhang added, in the long run, such measures will eventually backfire and bring the partys ruling legitimacy into question because many disapprove of such disciplinary action, even if they say nothing. Signs of tightening grip by President Xi Jinping The timing for the punishment, in particular, is ironic the scholar added, given Xi recently tried to portray himself as an open-minded leader by ordering party officials to take the opinions of the countrys 700 million netizens seriously during a cyber security workshop two weeks ago. Lam said for now, the move will force Ren to stay low-key in the upcoming year, or risk his party membership, since Xi has ambitions to become Mao Zedong of the 21st century and shown less tolerance of critics. We have the party congress coming up in one-and-a-half years time, in which, Xi Jinping hopes to further consolidate his position as the unchallenged tyrant leader, Lam said. So we expect more censorship and more intimidation against party members or intellectuals, who dare to speak out, he added. Foreign business leaders have descended on Iran this year, eager to jump-start deals worth billions of dollars as international sanctions against Tehran are lifted, under last year's agreement to set limits on Iran's nuclear program. For Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, who consolidated his support in the final round of parliamentary elections last week, it's a sign that the nuclear deal, his premier accomplishment to date, is working. But the promise made to the Iranian people - economic growth on a scale that would change their lives - has yet to materialize, according to analysts. And as remaining U.S. sanctions continue to bar many financial dealings with Iran, Rouhani now faces a deadline. Political developments in both the United States and Iran could alter the future of the deal, according to Sanam Vakil, an associate fellow at the London-based think-tank Chatham House. A new U.S. president will take office in January, and any of the current candidates is likely to be harder on Iran than President Barack Obama, she says. Iran's presidential election is coming up next year, and Rouhanis ability to implement promised economic reforms will be in the spotlight. Rouhanis window for economic reform and political change has narrowed, Vakil explains, He has nine months of Obama leniency before the next U.S. president steps up rhetoric and steps up pressure on the Iranian government. Economic growth slow Vakil adds the economic growth Iranians expected after the nuclear deal is still stymied by investors' uncertainty, continuing U.S. sanctions and fear of snapback policies written into the deal. Iran has already scaled back its nuclear program in accordance with the deal, according to the International Atomic Energy Association, but if Tehran is found to have misled the world community, economic sanctions could, as they say, snap back into place quickly. A lot of international investors have not returned into the Iranian market in a way that was expected, says Vakil, Because they are uncertain as to the ramifications and ... the legal implications of remaining U.S. sanctions. Iranian officials do not blame their situation on the remaining sanctions. They blame U.S. officials, for not assuring the business community that it is now acceptable to negotiate with Iran, as diplomats from the United States, Russia and the European powers did, without fear of reprisals or punishment. "The most important problem is that the United States is taking a back seat after eight years of scaring everybody off, imposing heavy penalties on people who wanted to do business with Iran," Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif told the New Yorker magazine last week. "Billions of dollars of penalties were imposed on various European financial institutions while the sanctions were in effect, Zarif said, and after the agreement was signed, "The United States was supposed to go to various banks and tell them bygones are bygones" - that the problems of the past should remain in the past. Parliamentary elections The last round of elections in Iran for parliament and the leading religious body, the Assembly of Experts, concluded last week with a clear win for progressives who support Rouhanis reform programs. The new 290-member parliament will have a record number of 17 women and a record low of 16 clerics. However, Alex Vatanka, an Iran expert at the Washington-based Middle East Institute, cautions that this does not indicate a grand shift in society, since Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei still wields more power than anyone in the civilian government. Change in Iran will not come about in a large-scale fashion," Vatanka says, "because the Supreme Leader will only go along with piecemeal change, baby-step change - nothing too radical. But the fact that these women have been elected is a good sign. Iranian elections are often criticized abroad because the nations religious leaders can veto candidates. Thousands of potential candidates, many of whom supported reform, were disqualified from this year's parliamentary voting. Human Rights Watch says their removal was "based on discriminatory and arbitrary criteria. Still, Vatanka says, the vote was significant and it will have an impact, because reformers won all seats in Tehran, the capital and political soul of the country. "It would be a mistake to entirely dismiss these elections, he explains. Because even within the pool of candidates that are allowed to run you will actually find plenty of nuances and sometimes distinct world-views about what Iran ought to look like at home, or what Iranian foreign policy ought to be." Hardliners Powerful figures in both Iran and the U.S. are still opposed to the Iran nuclear deal, and players on both sides would like to see it derailed, according to Theodore Karasik, senior adviser to the consulting firm Gulf-State Analytics, based in Washington. The Iran deal, according to critics in both countries, is a pact with an enemy, bound to end in a betrayal. Lawmakers in the U.S. capital blocked a major spending bill last week as a result of their unhappiness about the deal with Iran. And some American lobbyists are working to persuade investors to avoid Iran, even as the Obama administration seeks to encourage investment by clarifying current regulations. Opposition on each side fuels negative sentiment in the other country, Karasik explains. "Major U.S. companies are still hemmed in by core sanctions, says Karasik. "This has put Iranians who have said this is good for Iran under pressure," leaving them instead with the message: You see? You cant trust the United States." Iran's American opponents accuse Tehran of funding terrorism through its extensive support for Hezbollah, which is both Lebanon's most powerful political party and a U.S.-designated terror group. The United Nations last week offered to try to mediate a dispute between Tehran and Washington, after Iranian officials were enraged by a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that Iranian assets should be used to pay $2 billion to victims of terror attacks linked to Iran. There also is bigotry on both sides, marked by openly anti-Islamic speeches by some American politicians, while an organization in Tehran hosts a Holocaust cartoon contest, a venue for denying that the Holocaust ever took place. However, Iranians and Americans also have vested interests in seeing the deal succeed, and hopes that it could improve relations, says Vatanka of the Middle East Institute.At the very least, all parties agree that a military confrontation between the U.S. and Iran would be a disaster. This is a fragile process, he adds.We are nowhere close to a place where we can say, The deal is safe. A U.S. Navy SEAL killed Tuesday when Islamic State (IS) fighters punched through Kurdish lines in northern Iraq was part of a Quick Reaction Force, sent in to extract other U.S. troops trapped by the surprise offensive. According to U.S. military officials, a small team of U.S. advisers had been meeting early Tuesday with a Kurdish Peshmerga unit in the town of Telskuf, about 30 kilometers north of Mosul. "They were in contact [with the enemy], they couldn't get away," Operation Inherent Resolve Spokesman Col. Steve Warren told reporters during a video news conference from Baghdad. The so-called Quick Reaction Team, on standby in case of an emergency, was sent in to retrieve them. "When the QRF arrived, they fought out," Warren said. U.S. officials said Quick Reaction Forces are routinely used to back up missions like the one in Telskuf, but it has been months since one of the teams was called into action. The Navy identified the lone casualty as Special Warfare Operator 1st Class Charles Keating IV, a 31-year-old with previous experience in Iraq and Afghanistan. He was shot during what Warren described as "a dynamic gunfight" pitting the U.S. and Peshmerga forces against more than 125 IS fighters. Keating was evacuated by helicopter to a U.S. medical facility in Irbil, where he died from his injuries. 'Large fight' Warren said a number of Peshmerga fighters were also killed and both of the U.S. Black Hawk helicopters used in the extraction operation were damaged by small arms fire. "This was a large fight, no question about it," Warren said, "one of the largest we've seen recently." U.S. forces also called in for help from the air, getting it from 11 manned aircraft, including fighter jets, B-52 bombers, A-10 ground attack aircraft and two drones, all of which continued to carry out strikes after U.S. forces had left the area. In all, the U.S. says 58 IS fighters were killed in the strikes, which also destroyed three mortar systems, two truck bombs, a bulldozer and more than 20 other vehicles used in the assault. Still, it was not until darkness had fallen that Peshmerga forces managed to clear the area of IS forces, claiming a total of 80 IS fighters had been killed. U.S. military officials said the last time IS tried to carry out an attack on a similar scale was last December, when several hundred IS fighters targeted Tal Aswad. Despite the magnitude and complex nature of the IS assault Tuesday on Telskuf, Warren insisted there was "no indication" IS knew about the presence of the U.S. military advisers. "The enemy's intent, we believe, was to seize the town, he said. "This enemy has suffered a string of defeats," he added. "When they are back on their heels, often they will try one of these more high-profile, high-visibility attacks in an effort to gain some attention." How did IS do it? Still, there are questions as to how IS was able to mass such a large force including three truck bombs, a bulldozer and dozens of other vehicles so close to the Peshmerga front lines without detection. Peshmerga fighters speaking to VOA following the battle in Telskuf said the IS firepower was impressive and that the Peshmerga initially had to retreat because they were outgunned. Witnesses Describe Deadly IS Attack on Navy SEAL: "Clearly they were able to, over time, infiltrate individuals or vehicles, one or two at a time and then dash out of there under the cover of darkness Tuesday morning," Warren said. For months, some intelligence and military officials have cautioned that even though IS was being pushed back, it retained its ability to adapt. "They're willing to trade space for time," one U.S. official told VOA last month, warning that the terror group seemed to be gearing up to defend its strongholds of Raqqa, Syria and Mosul. "You're going to see a really tough fight." Flaws in coalition strategy? There are also some concerns the surprise offensive in Telskuf may reveal some flaws in the U.S. and coalition's anti-IS strategy. "With the force structure we have in place, we are vulnerable," said Christopher Harmer, senior naval analyst at the Institute for the Study of War. "Because they blend in so well with the population and are, for all practical purposes, indistinguishable from the population when using long-distance surveillance technology, they can mass and attack at the time and place of its choosing," he added. Following a meeting with coalition defense ministers Wednesday in Germany, U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter warned that the danger was far from over. "These risks will continue," he said. "All of our friends and allies across the counter-ISIL coalition can and must do more." ISIL is an acronym for Islamic State. Egyptian journalists are calling for the dismissal of the country's interior minister following a police raid and arrests of two journalists. Hundreds of demonstrators gathered Wednesday near their union headquarters in downtown Cairo, where they chanted, "The Interior Ministry are thugs." The journalists' union has demanded the release of all detained journalists, a presidential apology, and have threatened a strike if their demands are not met. Protesters are also calling for the removal of Interior Minister Magdy Abdel Ghaffar. The demonstration is the most recent against the government of Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi, which has banned demonstrations and cracked down on dissent. On Sunday, the Interior Ministry arrested journalists Mahmoud El Sakka and Amr Badr, who work for the opposition website Bawabet Yanayer, during a raid on press headquarters. The two were detained over allegations they called for anti-government protests in response to Egypt's decision to transfer two Red Sea islands to Saudi Arabia last month. The European Commission has unveiled details of what analysts say is a desperate plan to deal with Europe's severest migrant crisis in decades. The plan includes a "fairness mechanism" requiring nations to accept a set number of refugees or pay a de-facto fine. The plan has drawn immediate fire from central and eastern European nations that have defied previous calls from the European Union for all members to accept a share of refugees. EC officials said the plan to overhaul the EU asylum system seeks to ensure that each member state handles a proportionate share of the flow of migrants, which reached one million last year. The proposals, including a recommendation to remove restrictions on visa-free travel for Turkish nationals, will be up for a vote by the European Parliament in June. Nations like Poland and Hungary have refused to accept large numbers of Muslim migrants, citing concerns that doing so would destabilize their largely homogeneous societies. In announcing the details, European Commission Vice President Frans Timmermans said countries should not be allowed to pick and choose how they respond to a crisis that affects all of the European Union. "There is no a la carte solidarity in this Union," Timmermans said Wednesday at a news conference in Brussels. Most migrants aim to reach Germany and Sweden, but it is frontline countries like Greece and Italy that have borne the heaviest burden of the new arrivals, and their resources have been stretched. Creating quotas The EC proposals seek to distribute responsibility by establishing quotas. If a country receives more than 50 percent of its assigned number of asylum seekers, it would have the option to send them to other nations. Countries that opt not to receive migrants would be required to pay to help those that do accept them. "All member states will be required to contribute and show solidarity," Timmermans said, adding "this may also take the form of financial solidarity." The amounts are estimated at nearly $300,000 per migrant. Ministers of the Visegrad Group of central European countries that include the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, and Slovakia meeting Wednesday in Prague immediately rejected the set of proposals. "It is blackmailing," said Hungary's foreign minister, Peter Szijjarto. He called the plan to impose quotas "a dead-end street." "I'm still wondering if it's a serious proposal, because it sounds like an idea announced during the April Fool's Day," Poland's foreign minister, Witold Waszczykowski, told reporters in Prague. The overhaul of the asylum rules and the decision to recommend the lifting of EU visa requirements for Turkish nationals are part of an urgent attempt to deal with the crisis and keep a March agreement between the EU and Turkey from failing. In that agreement, the regional grouping committed to paying billions of dollars for Ankara to take back and accommodate migrants deported from Greece. The EU also promised movement on Turkey's longstanding efforts for its citizens to gain visa-free access to the member countries. Turkish leaders had threatened to abandon the agreement if the EU did not fulfill its commitments. EU officials call the agreement a success, saying the number of people attempting to make the dangerous crossing on the Aegean Sea has dropped significantly to an average of 63 a day, down from thousands just a few months ago. Syrian impact A large number of the migrants are Syrians, and analysts say the long-term solution to the crisis depends on how quickly the Syrian conflict is brought to an end, and a democratic, rights-based system installed in the country. Until that happens, analysts say the refugees will keep arriving in Europe. "Everyone is trying to come to Europe because this is where they can be treated as human beings who have equal rights, although they are refugees, although they come from different ethnic backgrounds, different religions," said Rim Turkmani, a civil society and security researcher at the London School of Economics. "Here, they can be granted a minimal level of economic stability that preserves their dignity," she told VOA. Diplomatic efforts on ending the five-year-old war shifted Wednesday to Europe, with Germany hosting talks with U.N. envoy Staffan de Mistura and Riad Hijab, the main Syrian opposition representative. France is also due to hold talks next week with representatives of Saudi Arabia, Turkey and the Gulf nations. The meetings aim to salvage a U.S.-Russia mediated cease-fire after talks stalled last week in Geneva. Fierce fighting continued Wednesday between Russian-backed government forces and rebels in Aleppo, Syria's largest city. Retired Lieutenant General Michael Flynn, who has been advising Donald Trump informally on foreign policy, will join Drone Aviation Holding Corp. as vice chairman of its board of directors, the company said in a statement on Wednesday. Flynn, who was chief of the Defense Intelligence Agency under President Barack Obama from 2012-2014 and has since been advising Trump, the Republican presidential front-runner, wants the United States to work more closely with Russia to resolve global security issues. "Having evaluated the [company's] technologies, I believe they can positively impact our militarys defense and situational awareness and that is why I am joining Jay and his team in expanding the role of persistent aerial solutions in the marketplace, Flynn said in the statement, referring to company CEO Jay Nussbaum. Drone Aviation develops and manufactures aerostats and electric-powered drones to give its customers "enhanced surveillance and communication capabilities." The company's customers include the U.S. military, Saudi Arabia and the Ecuadorian Air Force, according to its website. Flynn resigned as the head of the Pentagon's main intelligence agency a year before his term was officially due to end. He raised eyebrows among some U.S. foreign policy veterans when he was pictured sitting at the head table with Russian President Vladimir Putin at a banquet in Moscow late last year celebrating Russia Today, an international broadcasting network funded by the Russian government. He told Russia Today in an interview published on Dec. 10 that the United States and Russia should work together to resolve the Syrian civil war and defeat the Islamic State militant group. Flynn's experience would "help ensure that our tethered solutions, today and in the future, will continue to meet the needs of our soldiers and security forces at home and abroad as they respond to evolving threats, Nussbaum said in the same statement. The European Commission (EC) is recommending that Turks be allowed to travel to Europe without visas for vacations and business visits of up to 90 days. The commission said Wednesday that Turkey met most of the 72 requirements for visa waivers for Turkish citizens who travel in the passport-free Schengen area and asked member states and EU lawmakers to endorse the policy by June 30. Commission Vice President Frans Timmermans said that Turkey has indicated it would be able to fulfill all the benchmarks on time. "Turkey indicated it would be able to accelerate all the reforms necessary to reach fulfillment of the benchmarks sooner than previously agreed," he said. "This process is based on a set of 72 clearly defined benchmarks which makes sure that all the safeguards that should accompany visa-free travel are in place. These include strong guarantees on security and measures that prevent travelers from overstaying." Turkey must fulfill the five remaining criteria, including biometric passports and human rights issues, before the visa waiver is approved. Quotas and fines The EC also unveiled a plan under which member states that refuse to take asylum seekers could face large fines. Central European foreign ministers rejected the EU executive commission's proposals for quotas and fines. Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto criticized it as blackmail. "The quota concept is a dead end street and I would like to ask the commission not to run into this dead end street anymore," Szijjarto said after a meeting with his counterparts from the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Poland in Prague. The EC also approved a six-month extension of controls at the German-Austrian border, as well as at Austria's borders with Slovenia and Hungary and at Danish, Swedish and Norwegian borders. Paris incident In a development related to the migrant crisis, French police used tear gas Wednesday on protesters as officials removed migrants from a Paris school where they had been sheltering for the past few weeks. At least 150 migrants had occupied the Jean-Jaures school in northeast Paris while it was undergoing renovation. Police arrived to force them to move. Those inside the building barricaded the doors as protesters sought to block entry from the outside. Paris Police Chief Michel Cadot confirmed that officers had used tear gas to clear out the protesters. Cadot said the migrants are being moved to shelters and encouraged them to apply for asylum. India has strongly rebutted charges by a U.S. Commission that religious freedom is on a negative trajectory in the country. The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) recently released a report saying religious tolerance deteriorated and religious freedom violations increased in India" in 2015. Indias Foreign Ministry said it would take no notice of the report, which it said fails to show a proper understanding of India, its society and its constitution. "India is a vibrant pluralistic society founded on strong democratic principles. The Indian Constitution guarantees fundamental rights to all its citizens including the right to freedom of religion, said Foreign Ministry spokesman Vikas Swarup. The USCIRF report had said Indias minority communities, especially Christians, Muslims, and Sikhs, experienced numerous incidents of intimidation, harassment and violence, largely at the hands of Hindu nationalist groups. It accused members of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of tacitly supporting these groups and using religiously-divisive language to further inflame tensions. Since Prime Minister Narendra Modi came to office in mid-2014, there have been concerns that politicians or hardline groups linked to his Hindu nationalist party are fueling sectarian tensions. New Delhi-based independent political analyst Neerja Chowdhury said although the BJP has distanced itself from such extreme voices, there is a sense of insecurity among minorities. The mainline BJP has dismissed them as not representing the mainstream view, they say they are individual voices, but they are also people who are part of the government. And then with these voices insisting what is good for you to eat, what is good for you to wear, what are the slogans you should raise, all this put together is not a very conducive climate, she said. In the last year and a half, some states have banned beef, as Hindus consider the cow to be holy and there have been sporadic incidents of stone-throwing at churches. In one of the worst incidents, a Muslim man was killed by a mob last September in a New Delhi neighborhood on suspicion that he ate beef. The government has described such incidents as aberrations and promised strong action. Earlier this year, the Indian government refused visas to USCIRF members who wanted to visit India to study religious freedom, saying the U.S. commission had no standing to judge the situation in a country that guarantees religious freedom. It was not the first time such a visit was blocked the previous government also turned down a similar proposed visit. For Iraqis living in the Islamic State stronghold of Mosul, news is dwindling about the U.S.-backed army massing to the south for an assault on the city that could begin this year. Soon after Iraqi forces established a foothold in the Makhmour area in February, about 60 km (40 miles) from the northern city, the jihadists began restricting access to television for its 1 million-strong population, according to residents. With limited and erratic access to internet and mobile networks, civilians in Mosul have depended on satellite TV for their primary source of news from the outside world since Islamic State captured the city two years ago. The timing of the crackdown is significant, according to local officials and analysts. They said Islamic State's aim was to insulate residents and its own fighters from any further news about the advance of Iraqi forces. This could reduce the chances of a coordinated uprising against Islamic State in the city and of people who could be used as "human shields" trying to flee, they said, as well as preventing morale among fighters falling. The move reflects the importance of Mosul to the militants; the capital of Nineveh province is the largest under their control and regarded as their de facto capital. Islamic State wants to prevent its fighters and civilians under its control from learning about its setbacks, said Nineveh provincial councilman Hassan al-Sabawi. "They are scared of satellites because they give a realistic picture of the situation," he said, in contrast to the group's own one-sided media. Mosul residents say they mostly watch Iraqi TV channels focused on Nineveh like al-Mousalia, al-Sharqiya and Nineveh al-Ghad, as well as pan-Arab stations Al Jazeera and Al Hadath. Islamic State has removed satellite TV receivers from some cafes and markets and said they would be banned from all public spaces in one month, according to five residents contacted over the phone and internet. In early April the group barred the sale and maintenance of satellite receiver boxes for household use, according to two local merchants contacted online. "Three members of the Hisba [morality police] entered my shop and said, 'From now on buying and selling satellite receivers is prohibited. They are a source of debauchery and immorality'," one merchant said. Human shields The militants also coerce residents into giving up their receivers. One said he turned over his box in order to free a brother arrested for smoking. An elderly widow said Islamic State took hers as a condition for giving her financial aid. Islamic State has even threatened to cut electricity generators used by 80 percent of residents unless they surrender the receivers, three residents said. Omar Dulimi, a Washington-based analyst at the Stabilisation Network who specializes in governance and media in Islamic State areas, said the militants fear Baghdad could use satellite TV to direct residents to safety during the Mosul battle as it did earlier this year in Ramadi, enabling some civilians to avoid becoming human shields. "They knew it would be hard to ban satellite TV so they took it in stages. They know they can't go to every house and destroy it, so they wanted to first convince people to do it for them," he said. "But the locals don't want to get rid of their last line of access to the outside world so [Islamic State] has become more aggressive," he added, predicting there could be physical punishments and home raids in coming months. Islamic State, which seized a third of Iraqi territory in 2014, has been pushed back in the west towards the Syrian border but an army offensive in the north has made slower progress. Iraqi authorities aim to retake Mosul by the end of the year with boosted support from the United States. Increasing restrictions on television in the city have raised the stakes in an ongoing battle waged over the radio airwaves for the past year. At least one private radio station - al-Ghad, which receives funding from former Mosul governor Atheel al-Nujaifi is broadcasting into Islamic State territory. Signal scrambled The militant group regularly tries to scramble al-Ghad's signal by broadcasting over their transmission, said the station's manager, who declined to be named for security reasons. Its operators respond by switching to different frequencies. "We know media is one of the strongest weapons Daesh [Islamic State] uses, especially inside the city. It is an open war between us and Daesh's media," said the manager of the station, which set up transmitters a year ago close to the military frontline south of Mosul. Al-Ghad conducts live broadcasts that residents can call into using Viber or WhatsApp. It also airs programs aimed at fighting radicalism, hosting Islamic scholars who challenge Islamic State ideology. Militants sometimes call in and threaten the broadcasters on air, said the manager. "Their main weapon is to build barriers and try to have a siege and make the people inside prisoners by disconnecting them from the whole world," he said. "So we try to break the siege." The Iraqi government waded into the media battle about three months ago with a radio station broadcasting from a concrete shelter at the Makhmour army base. Soldiers run the radio for around eight hours a day, transmitting religious prayers, patriotic songs, news broadcasts and pre-recorded messages. "We tell them 'We are close to you, we are coming to liberate you and save you," one of the operators told Reuters during a visit last month. Islamic State quickly scrambled the station's signal, "so the scrambler was bombed", he said. But the signal currently only reaches halfway to Mosul. The operator said transmitters would be moved closer to the city as the army advances, but so far Iraqi forces have taken only four villages since launching operations from Makhmour a month ago. South Sudanese journalists said Tuesday that their work is not only challenging, but that their lives can be put in danger when they seek out the truth. Reporters have little to no access to information from government departments, they said, and scores of journalists have been harassed and even detained for weeks by people believed to be government security operatives. The reporters spoke at an event in Juba marking World Press Freedom Day in a country that ranked 140th out of 180 countries on the 2016 World Press Freedom Index, as compiled Reporters Without Borders. At the event, journalists and citizens gathered to recognize the critical role reporters play in South Sudan, and to shine a spotlight on the mistreatment of journalists. Silent treatment Philip Wani, a reporter with the United Nations Radio Miraya in South Sudan, said he'd often gone into the field to gather or verify information and found that officials would refuse to talk to him. An official will not be transparent to you," Wani said. "He will require you to come with a written letter you have to take to his boss you know, a lot of bureaucratic procedures. Wani said that just last week, when First Vice President Riek Machar arrived in Juba to take his role in the national unity government, security operatives blocked some journalists from getting to the airport and the presidential palace, making it difficult to cover the story of Machars long-awaited arrival and subsequent swearing-in. Josephine Achiro, director of the Catholic Church-owned Radio Bhakita, said that kind of behavior is not unusual in South Sudan. We face a lot of insecurity," she said. "The issue of mobility is also one of the things. In most cases, this is one of the major problems we have. We cannot access going outside Juba because of mobility, transportation and insecurity. Achiro said some South Sudanese journalists have been physically attacked, while others have received threatening messages on their phones. 7 journalists killed The Union of Journalists of South Sudan and the Association for Media Development in South Sudan are among the groups that organized Tuesdays event under the theme Access to Information and Fundamental Freedoms: This is Your Right. Union of Journalists Chairman Oliver Modi said government security agents continue to harass, detain and arrest journalists. In the past year, seven journalists were killed in South Sudan, and not one suspect has been questioned in connection with any of the killings, he said. The challenges that are facing the media industry in South Sudan, and particularly the journalists, is the recognition of the rights of journalists to work in a free and fair environment," he said. "In the last two years, journalists have been harassed and arrested, and the arrests are not being carried out in a legal procedure. There has been some sort of intimidation. Modi said government officials must abide by South Sudans media laws when interacting with journalists. Prodding from U.N. Eugene Owusu, deputy representative of the U.N. secretary-general in South Sudan, called on the government to improve its relationship with the media. As this country moves forward to bury its past and chart a new future, press freedom and access to information will be central to the quality of transitional justice, reconciliation and the wider democratic reform agenda that we seek to achieve, he said. Owusu called on the government to use the recently enacted media laws to improve the working environment for journalists across the country, and demonstrate its willingness to support the media. He also reminded journalists about the importance of reporting accurately on the news. Ohio Governor John Kasich dropped out of the presidential race Wednesday, leaving billionaire real estate magnate and TV personality Donald Trump as the presumptive Republican nominee. Kasich said he never felt "daunted," even while Trump outspent his campaign 50 to 1. He became emotional when recounting the voters he met across the country, especially at town halls, calling those supporters "absolutely magic." But voters never fully embraced Kasich's moderate stance. He managed to win only 153 delegates and just one primary -- in his home state of Ohio Texas Senator Tex Cruz dropped out of the race after his big loss in Tuesday's Indiana primary, leaving Donald Trump as the sole Republican candidate for president. There were 17 Republican candidates at one point in the race. Cruz and Kasich had tried to coordinate their campaigns to keep Trump from winning enough delegates to force a deadlocked brokered convention in July. Clinton, Trump already facing off Although she lost the Indiana Democratic primary to Bernie Sanders, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has enough delegates to make it nearly mathematically impossible for Sanders to capture the nomination. But Sanders told CBS television late Wednesday he has no plans to leave the race before the Democratic convention in July, saying he is in it "until the last vote is cast." Trump and Clinton are already turning their tough and sometimes insulting campaign comments towards each other. Trump has derided Clinton's time in the State Department, saying she was "asleep at the switch" when protesters overran the U.S. consulate in Benghazil Libya in 2012, killing four Americans. In an interview with CNN Wednesday, Clinton called Trump "a loose cannon" and a "blustering and bullying guy." She said she is prepared for his attacks, even if he goes after her husband, former President Bill Clinton, and his impeachment in 1998 for a lying about an affair with a young White House intern A number of polls say if the election were held today, Clinton would beat Trump by a landslide. Many Republicans are worried about the future of the party. They believe Trump is harsh personality and a divisive figure and feel that 2016 is already a lost cause. But Trump says he will bring the party together. "We're going to win in November," he declared at a victory rally Tuesday night. "We want to bring unity to the Republican Party. We have to bring unity." Kenyan police say they have foiled a terrorist plot by a group believed to have links to so-called Islamic State. The group was allegedly planning "large-scale" attacks intended to kill innocent Kenyans. Suspects include medical experts who police say were planning to launch an attack using the biological agent anthrax. Kenyan police have arrested medical intern Mohammed Abdi Ali, his wife, and her friend for their alleged involvement in an East African terror network. Police say other accomplices, including two medical interns, are on the run. I believe that we have upped our game, in terms of collection of intelligence," said George Musamali, a security analyst for East and Central Africa. "Because this was a very, very big breakthrough on the part of the intelligence agencies in Kenya, and this includes the national intelligence services, the Kenya police and also, people from the military intelligence. It shows that right now, the intelligence units are working together and they are well-coordinated. Plans for bio-terror attack Police say the foiled plot included plans for a biological terror attack using anthrax, an infectious bacteria that spreads rapidly once spores get into the body. They say the attack, planned for April 29, was to be on a similar scale to the Westgate Mall assault of September 2013, in which 67 people were killed. That attack was carried out by the Somalia-based al-Qaida-linked group, al-Shabab. Police released the names and photos of all five suspects on Twitter. They say the group was radicalizing and recruiting university students and other Kenyan youth, even encouraging them to join terror groups in Libya and Syria. Concerned about IS movements And the alleged involvement of so-called Islamic State with this group is a concern, according to Musamali. Clearly, it shows that IS [Islamic State] now wants to be a part of the play in East and Central Africa. And I think that this is something that should worry us, very much," he said. Warning that the two suspects at-large are armed and dangerous, Kenyan police are offering two million Kenyan shillings, almost $20,000, for information leading to their arrest. Pro-government militia killed four members of the Peuhl ethnic group in central Mali and then struck again at the funeral, killing nine more victims, a local community group said Wednesday. The attacks mark the latest violence targeting members of the Peuhl community, who have been accused of collaborating with Islamic extremist groups active in the area. Sekou Bah, the secretary-general of a group called Dental Wuwarbe, said four victims were killed over the weekend while eating at a restaurant. The next day, nine more Peuhls were fatally shot while at the cemetery for the burial, he said. A spokesman for Mali's security minister said investigators were looking into the reports of the 13 killed. We sent a team of investigators two days ago to shed light on this incident and for the moment we are awaiting the results,'' said spokesman Amadou Sangho. In addition to the violence blamed on pro-government militias, local Peuhl groups also have accused the Malian military of arresting, torturing and killing civilians. Ethnic Peuhls are accused of supporting an extremist group known as the Macina Liberation Front, which has been carrying out attacks in central Mali. The violence has worried residents because it represents an escalation in extremism much further south. Northern Mali fell under the control of al-Qaida and other extremists in 2012. A French-led military offensive forced them from the region's main cities and towns the following year, but they have since regrouped to launch scores of attacks on peacekeepers and soldiers. Al-Qaida militants also carried out a major attack on a hotel in Mali's capital late last year, killing 20 people. A father of three of was reportedly detained and tortured by security officials for singing the Tibetan national anthem at a public gathering in China's western Sichuan province. Video of the Tibetan man singing the banned anthem at a public gathering in what appeared to be a village in Ganze Tibetan Prefecture went viral on Wechat in April. Choe Gyaltsen, an India-based exiled Tibetan monk from Ganze, told VOA's Tibetan Service that Pema Wangchen, a single parent, was recorded singing the anthem Feb. 13, the fifth day of the Tibetan New Year, in Ogzang Township. After the video surfaced, the man was detained for 15 days before being released in early May. Gyaltsen also says Wangchen, whose pinky finger is now paralyzed, was possibly suspended by his smallest finger during interrogation, during which he was repeatedly told that his "family members are all criminal." Wangchen's brother, Palden Trelan, a monk from Ganze Monastery, was arrested in 2008 after he and two other monks marched through Ganze shouting "Long live the Dalai Lama," according to a Radio Free Asia report in 2015. Trelan had served seven years in prison by the time he was released May 18, 2015. A mother is suing the St. Louis school system claiming that her nine-year-old son is being prohibited from transferring to a city charter school because of the color of his skin. La'Shieka White and her son live in the St. Louis suburbs. White filed a federal lawsuit Wednesday alleging that her son, Edmund Lee a third-grader at Gateway Science Academy in the city of St. Louis would be unable to continue attending the school because of the family's move and because he is black. "Imagine our shock when we found out Edmund would no longer be allowed to attend Gateway Science Academy due to state laws because he is African-American," White said in an online petition that has gathered more than 134,000 signatures. St. Louis' decades-old desegregation law allows black students to attend schools in the suburbs, but it does not allow black students living in the surrounding county to attend city charter schools. "African-American students who live in St. Louis County are ineligible to be enrolled at Gateway, or any charter school located in the city of St. Louis," court documents say. The lawsuit asks for a "permanent injunction prohibiting" a transfer program based on race. Edmund has been studying at Gateway Science Academy since kindergarten. He has a 3.79 grade-point average and above-average testing scores in language arts, math and science, the lawsuit says. The family moved in March from a city neighborhood to a house in Maryland Heights, Missouri, part of St. Louis County, after its car was broken into multiple times and regular gunshots were heard by family members. The defendant in the lawsuit is the Voluntary Interdistrict Choice Corporation, a nonprofit governed by a board composed of superintendents of the participating city and county school districts. "The VICC oversees the implementation of the metropolitan-area desegregation program, with responsibilities for facilitating transfers of city students to suburban school districts and suburban students to city magnet schools," VICC's website reads. VICC officials sent a statement to VOA saying, "We cannot comment specifically on the lawsuit because we have not had time to study it. "In general students must attend school in the district in which they reside. In VICC's case, we are governed by the Federal court decision and the related Settlement Agreement which was established to address long-standing school segregation issues." Myanmar wants the U.S. Embassy to stop using the term Rohingya, when referring to the countrys unrecognized ethnic minority, a government official told VOA Wednesday. We will be happy if the embassy refrains from using this term, said Aung Lin, permanent secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Continued use of the word will not be helpful to us, he added. The official said, however, that the ministry on Tuesday made no formal request to the embassy about the terminology. An embassy spokesman in Yangon, who did not want to be named, told VOA, We do not comment on our diplomatic discussions with the government. U.S. Ambassador Scot Marciel, in an April 28 news conference, however, rejected eschewing the term even if Myanmar's government will not use it, saying it is normal practice for the United States and the international community to recognize that communities anywhere have the ability to decide what they should be called. And normally when that happens we would call them what they want to be called. Its not a political decision; its just a normal practice. The embassy has faced criticism from Myanmar's nationalists since it issued a statement of condolence after an April 19 maritime accident in which as many as 40 Rohingya drowned. The victims were traveling to a market and a hospital from a camp for internally displaced people in western Rakhine state. The embassy's statement linked the tragedy to restrictions on basic services in the state, which it said can lead to communities unnecessarily risking their lives in an attempt to improve the quality of life. Myanmar's government claims those calling themselves Rohingya are Bengalis who have illegally entered the country. Myanmar, a predominately Buddhist country, has received international criticism for its treatment of the mainly Muslim minority, which is largely denied citizenship and many other basic human rights. There had been expectation abroad that the plight of the Rohingya might improve after Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy took power last month. Others have pointed out, however, that neither Aung San Suu Kyi nor any of her deputies gave any indication before or after the NLD's landslide victory last year there would be policy changes concerning the Rohingya different from the situation under Myanmars military-led governments. The United Nations Special Rapporteur for Human Rights, early last month, gave Myanmar's incoming civilian government 100 days to improve living conditions for the Rohingya. The United Nations has repeatedly called for Myanmar to provide full rights for Rohingya, nearly all of whom were stripped of their citizenship in 1982, losing most of their rights to education, services and freedom of movement. U.N. agencies estimate one tenth of the Rohingya population has fled Myanmar in the past four years following a 2012 outbreak of religious violence that left more than 200 dead. A fire swept through one predominately Rohingya camp in rural Sittwe on Tuesday, destroying or badly damaging structures housing about 2,000 people, according to the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). At least 14 people were injured by the fire in the Baw Du Pha 2 Muslim IDP camp, which appears to have resulted from a cooking accident, according to OCHA, which added it could not verify unconfirmed reports of fatalities. Local and humanitarian organizations are supporting the authorities in responding to immediate needs in medical aid and shelter, and in the coming days in assessing and responding to humanitarian needs such as food, water and sanitation, and other basic necessities, said a statement issued by the U.N. agency. VOA's Burmese Service contributed reporting. President Barack Obama is poised to designate the Stonewall Inn in New York City as the birthplace of America's modern gay liberation movement. Sources close to the Obama administration's plans say the president envisions a national monument where a 1969 uprising signaled what most believe to be the start of the gay rights movement. The Washington Post says federal officials, including Interior Secretary Sally Jewell, National Park Service Director Jonathan Jarvis and Congressman Jerrold Nadler will host a public forum May 9 to solicit feedback on the proposal. The report says Obama is prepared to designate the site as soon as next month. The 1969 Stonewall protests spanned six days, sparked by a police raid on the tavern, which was frequented by gay men. The raid sparked a spontaneous riot by bystanders and those detained by police. Observers say the decision to recognize Stonewall and its seminal role in the gay rights movement is widely supported within the Obama administration. Last month, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo signed legislation that would allow the transfer of the privately held Stonewall site to the federal government, if it designated as a monument. Some companies are having fun with the threat to move to Canada that people in the U.S. reliably make during every presidential election year. The idea that life under a particular candidate would be unbearable makes Americans say they want to head to their northern neighbor, though immigration statistics show no such mass migrations ever take place. Google searches such as "moving to Canada" and "how to move to Canada" spike in the U.S. around election day, and this year have done so during certain contests in the primary season. It happened again Tuesday night as Donald Trump won in Indiana, making him the likely Republican nominee. Music streaming service Spotify is among those using Twitter to try to ease the transition for those who signal their readiness to flee with the hashtag #movingtoCanada. Spotify is sending users a link to a special website where they can type in the name of an artist and get back suggestions of Canadian musicians they might like. Not surprisingly given their lack of music careers, searches for Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton returned no results. However, a search for Barack Obama did suggest artists Gordon Lightfoot, Joni Mitchell and Neil Young. Canadian marketing firm Grey has set up a site called The Trump Clause with suggested language people can use in personal and business agreements in case they decide to flee north. The clauses cover cases such as someone moving to the U.S. for a new job getting their moving expenses reimbursed if Trump is elected and they suddenly leave. Another calls for giving a person a way to break off a relationship with someone who lives in the U.S. "(Insert name) shall be entitled to terminate all romantic relations with (insert name of U.S. based partner) upon the election of Donald Trump as President of the United States. Following the immediate dissolution of this relationship, (insert name) shall be free of any guilt or moral culpability associated with initiating said break-up," the clause reads. With the low number of people who actually follow through on their threats, another company is offering help in testing out the transition first. Travel website Hotels.com tweeted a link Tuesday to a special page inviting people to "be a tourist before becoming a resident" and visit Canada before the November election. Israel says its troops shot and killed a Palestinian driver in the occupied West Bank after he rammed his vehicle into one carrying three Israeli soldiers. Palestinian health officials identified the dead man as 36-year-old Ahmed Reyad Shehada, and said the incident took place near his home town of Ramallah. A hospital spokesman told Reuters that one of the Israeli soldiers was in life-threatening condition late Tuesday. Authorities say Palestinian attacks in recent months have killed at least 28 Israelis and two U.S. citizens. Israel says its forces have killed nearly 200 Palestinians since violence erupted late last year over rumors that Israel was planning to restrict Palestinian access to holy sites in Jerusalem. On an recent uncomfortably hot Sunday morning, Philippine Senator Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. pressed his way through a crowd at a small park along Manila Bay, shaking hands and saying thank you. It was Labor Day and Marcos, and the 57-year-old popular vice-presidential candidate who goes by the nickname Bongbong, gave a short speech for a few hundred public sector workers. Were not just all talk, he said in halting Tagalog. Its not just slogans. Its not just destroying and fighting with our opponents, but trying to find real solutions to the problems that our citizens face, the problems that our workers face. Under the shade of a tree, Dennis Pareja, a central Philippines cargo ship employee, said the Oxford-educated Marcos would be good for the countrys millions of overseas contractual workers. He also said the son of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos, Sr. who declared martial law in 1972 and whose administration was alleged to have carried out human rights abuses to quell thousands of activists and opponents, was a good person. [Martial law] was only under his father. This is not a like father, like son situation. Hes different from his father. Bongbong has learned the lessons and will not repeat that, said Pareja. Pareja was seven years old when millions of Filipinos marched on a major thoroughfare fronting the countrys military and police headquarters in Metro Manila and demanded Marcos Sr.s ouster. They said the elder Marcos had stolen a hastily called February election in which Corazon Aquino, widow of Benigno Aquino Jr., the slain and widely respected opponent of Marcos, had a significant majority of votes. After several days of protests, the dictator took sanctuary in Hawaii, where he died three years later. Allegations of the plunder of billions of dollars that sunk the country into massive debt and widespread corruption would follow the family, which kept its loyal base in the northern province of Ilocos Norte through the exile years and beyond. Looking to the future At the workers rally, Marcos told reporters, You cannot change the past. The past is the past, so we are looking to the future. Thats whats getting us the support. Budding political careers of two Marcos children were interrupted by the exile. By the late 1990s, the family returned to national politics with Marcos and his sister Imee Marcos-Manotoc taking turns at a congressional seat that their 86-year old mother Imelda now holds and will run for one last time. Marcos, Jr., now a senator, could possibly clinch the second highest office of the country on May 9. He has been at the top, if not tied for the lead in national opinion surveys, with his strongest base among those who lived through the martial law years. Roly Alvarez was 17 when martial law took effect in 1972. She said life was beautiful then and she longed for the days when she said there was little criminality. [Bongbong] has got a good purpose [for running], said Alvarez of Marikina City in Metro Manila. Like he has the same intention that his father did [keeping crime under control]. It probably wasnt Bongbongs fault whatever it was they said about his father. Sorry, but no apology Marcos has repeatedly said he would not apologize for something I did not do, when asked whether his family should say it is sorry for the abuses committed during his fathers rule. One of his most vocal critics, Philippine President Benigno Aquino III, has pressed for an apology. In the mid-1990s a Hawaii court found Marcos estate liable for torture, summary executions and disappearances and ruled that $2 billion be paid out to victims. But only a fraction had been distributed before the question arose of whether the United States had jurisdiction over claims that took place in the Philippines. Investigators said the family was worth $10 billion. Twenty-four-year-old Josh Lim of Manila said people needed to do research to know that the countrys wealth plunged in the early 1980s because of the global oil crisis combined with a stock market crash. Many people said that we are number two to Japan during Marcos time. And well, it is sad that our history, the Philippine history, was distorted by the yellow people, yellow propaganda, if youre aware of that, he said. Lim was referring to the Aquino family whose late matriarch, former president and mother of the current president Corazon Aquino, made the yellow ribbon and yellow-colored clothing a symbol of the restoration of democracy to the Philippines in 1986. Bonifacio Ilagan, spokesman for the Campaign Against the Return of the Marcoses to Malacanang (the presidential palace), said with just days to go before the election his organization, comprised of groups of former martial law detainees and torture victims, would campaign hard against Marcos. He said apart from seeking justice for 75,000 victims seeking reparations, the campaign also wants justice for our country that has been plundered, whose history has been distorted by the Marcoses. I dont think our country deserves a leader who lies, who keeps stolen money and who cannot recognize right from wrong, said Ilagan. Positive message On the campaign stump, Marcos has stuck to a positive message. Beyond campaigning for myself, I am campaigning to advance unity, for all of us to live as one. This is the only way I see that our people can once again feel their lives are renewed and progressing, said Marcos. One political analyst said while Marcos has consistently polled ahead of his six main vice presidential rivals with about 25-28 percent of support, his ratings have remained flat for the past four months. Leni Robredo, a Camarines Sur congresswoman and candidate of the Liberal Party, which is an Aquino stronghold, has inched her way up, edging him by one or two percentage points in recent weeks. Brazilian media are reporting that the country's top prosecutor has asked the Supreme Court to open an investigation into alleged obstruction of justice by embattled President Dilma Rousseff. Officials have not confirmed the reports, which surfaced late Tuesday. Brazil's Globo News reported Rousseff is suspected of trying to obstruct an investigation into state-owned Petrobras oil company. Brazilian newspapers quoted chief prosecutor Rodrigo Janot as saying he has requested authority to investigate Rousseff and also her predecessor and ally, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. The investigation is reported to be centered on wiretapped phone calls between the two. Rousseff is already under investigation for a separate issue and could face an impeachment trial as early as next week. She is accused of covering up budget shortfalls in 2014 to improve her chance of reelection. Rousseff denies the accusations. She has also said launching an impeachment process will harm the nation's political stability. The lower house of parliament has already voted to start the impeachment process, and the Senate is expected to vote on the matter within days. A simple majority of the Senate could suspend her and start a trial that could last up to six months. If found guilty, Rousseff will be the first Brazilian leader to be impeached in more than 20 years. Rousseff's possible impeachment has dominated Brazilian media while the country strives to revive its economy from its worst recession in decades, fight the Zika virus epidemic, and prepare for the 2016 Olympic Games set to be held in Rio in less than four months. A wildfire forced the evacuation of the Canadian oil sands city of Fort McMurray, Alberta, destroying 80 percent of the homes in one neighborhood and extensively damaging property in a number of others, officials said Wednesday, warning that it could get worse in the coming hours. More than 80,000 residents were ordered to flee as flames moved into the city, destroying whole neighborhoods. No injuries have been reported. Unseasonably hot temperatures combined with dry conditions have transformed the boreal forest in much of Alberta into a tinderbox. The wildfire threat ranged from very high to extreme in different areas. An overnight update from the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo said the Beacon Hill suburb in the south end had suffered the most damage from flames, with 80 percent of the homes lost. A dozen trailers on one street in the neighborhood of Timberlea have gone up in flames, with serious losses reported in the Abasand and Waterways suburbs. Some homes have been lost in four other neighborhoods. Fear of more damage Fire chief Darby Allen told the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. on Wednesday that parts of wooded areas of the city were still burning but no structures were currently on fire. Allen said he was worried about the plumes of smoke he saw outside his window and about the wind and its direction. "It could be even more devastating, unfortunately,'' he said. Firefighters were working to protect critical infrastructure, including the only bridge across the Athabasca River and Highway 63, the only route to the city from the south. Forestry manager Bernie Schmitte told reporters overnight that there was still danger from "very high temperatures, low relative humidities and some strong winds.'' Canadian Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale said in a statement Wednesday that he was watching with "great concern'' and said the "situation is fluid and evolving rapidly.'' He noted the federal government was monitoring the situation carefully, including the military. Military's aid sought Defense Minister Harjit Sajjan, in a conference call from Germany early Wednesday, confirmed a formal request for assistance had been received from the Alberta government. What form that will take at least on the military side was still being determined, and they were expecting to hear soon about the kind of equipment and personnel required. "We're making all assets available,'' he said. The blaze had burned since Sunday and seemed on its way to being neutralized Tuesday morning, but it overwhelmed firefighters when winds shifted quickly and drastically at midafternoon Tuesday. Pictures and video on social media depicted a hellish scene of fire jumping roads and burning debris pitched into the paths of cars as frantic residents, lined up bumper to bumper, scrambled and fumbled to find their way through the thick gray haze. Alberta Premier Rachel Notley called it the biggest evacuation in the history of the province. Residents were panicked. "When you leave ... it's an overwhelming feeling to think that you'll never see your house again,'' said resident Carol Christian, who drove to the evacuation center with her son and their cat. "It was absolutely horrifying when we were sitting there in traffic. You look up and then you watch all the trees candle-topping ... up the hills where you live and you're thinking, 'Oh, my God. We got out just in time.' '' Oil sands projects Fort McMurray is the heart of Canada's oil sands region. The Alberta oil sands are the third-largest reserves of oil in the world behind Saudi Arabia and Venezuela. Most oil sands projects are well north of the community, while the worst of the flames were on the city's south side. Suncor, the largest oil sands operator, said it was reducing production at its regional facility about 15 miles north of the city "to allow employees and their families to get to safety.'' Resident Breanna Schmidt said evacuating almost felt like "an apocalypse.'' "We had to literally drive through smoke and fire, vehicles littered all over the sides of the road, and we had to drive as fast as we could and breathe as little as we could because the smoke was so intense," she said. "We could feel the heat from inside the vehicle.'' Thousands of Chilean fishermen blocked roads with barricades in the region of Los Lagos on Monday and Tuesday, saying government efforts to mitigate the economic effects of a harmful algal bloom have been insufficient. For the last four weeks, the southern-central region of Los Lagos has been plagued by what scientists say is the biggest "red tide" in its history. The red tide - an algal bloom that turns the sea water red - is a common, naturally recurring phenomenon in southern Chile, though the extent of the current outbreak is unprecedented. Scientists point to an unusually strong El Nino weather pattern this year as a key factor. It makes the mussels, hake, and other fish that residents pull from the ocean essentially poisonous, heaping economic pressure on a region with tens of thousands of artisanal fishermen. In one instance, protesters took over a principal access ramp to the island of Chiloe. The government has offered to pay each affected family 100,000 pesos ($151) each in compensation, an amount fishermen have widely rejected as insufficient. "What the government announced is not going to work for us," said fisherwoman Doris Santana. "In no way can we live on 100,000 pesos." Artisanal fishing unions have blamed the size of the red tide on pollution by Chile's farmed salmon industry, which is active in the Los Lagos region. However, Chile's SERNAPESCA fisheries body as well as many scientists have rejected that explanation, pointing to natural factors such as the cyclical El Nino weather pattern, which warms part of the Pacific Ocean and has also caused heavy rain and flooding elsewhere in the region. "What we are having here is a silent catastrophe, one that affects a lot of people and a vast territory," said Leonardo de la Prida Sanhueza, the regional governor. Russia says it will deploy three divisions of troops along its borders to counter NATO's increasing military presence in Eastern Europe. Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said Wednesday after a meeting in Moscow that the new divisions will be stationed along Russias western and southern borders. "The Defense Ministry is taking a series of measures aimed at countering the buildup of NATO forces in close proximity to Russian borders. By the end of the year, two new military divisions will be formed in the Western Military district and one in the Southern Military District. At the moment, facilities construction is being carried out at the sites where these units will be deployed," he said. Shoigu gave no details about the size and timing of the new Russian deployment, or where the troops would be stationed. He first mentioned the plan to create three new divisions back in January, and Russian media reports at the time estimated up to 30,000 troops would be involved. NATO looking at additional troop boost U.S. Secretary of Defense Ash Carter said this week that NATO is considering stationing a force of around 4,000 troops in Poland and the three Baltic states - Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia - all of which are members of the western alliance. This would be in addition to another deployment already authorized - a U.S. armored brigade, about 4,200 troops, that will be sent to eastern Europe in February. Carter said Monday that the additional eastern-Europe force NATO is considering would consist of four battalions of soldiers, contributed by NATO members on a "continuously rotating" basis. Another senior Russian Defense Ministry official, Andrei Kelin, said Wednesday that dispatching four additional NATO battalions to the Baltic states and Poland would amount to "a very dangerous build-up of armed forces pretty close to our borders," Interfax news agency reported. Worries over Russian posturing The United States and other governments in both Western and Eastern Europe have been increasingly concerned by Russia's military moves since 2014, when it annexed Ukraine's Crimea region. Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania have been particularly anxious about what they see as aggressive posturing by Russia, and all three have asked NATO to expand its presence in the Baltics as a deterrent to Russia. Russian military moves in recent weeks have included flight maneuvers by Russian jets that simulated attacks on a U.S. warship in the Baltic Sea, and an interceptions by Russian warplanes of U.S. reconnaissance planes flying over international waters. Despite tensions created by the incidents, Moscow has rejected protests by American authorities, and denied U.S. claims its pilots' actions were reckless and dangerous. The Kremlin has repeatedly disavowed any plan to intervene militarily in the Baltic states which, formerly part of the Soviet Union, were for decades under Moscows rule. Russian artillery units were involved Wednesday in fighting in Syria's divided northern city of Aleppo in the fiercest ground clashes in a year between rebel groups and Assad regime forces in the area, which has suffered two weeks of blistering government airstrikes. It is the first time Russian ground troops have assisted Syrian government forces outside the coastal province of Latakia or at Palmyra, say rebel commanders. The development came as the State Department said the U.S. and Russia reached an agreement to extend a "cessation of hostilities" in Syria to Aleppo while acknowledging that "there have been reports of continued fighting in some locations." Dozens were killed as rebels advanced into Syrian government-controlled western districts, according to political activists. The insurgents were forced to withdraw after several hours of intense fighting. The assault was mounted to disrupt regime forces, say rebel commanders who have long warned of a major offensive in the coming weeks to wrest back the battered insurgent-held districts of a city that remains a key battlefield prize for the government. The clashes come amid diplomatic efforts in Berlin to stop the fighting. The Western-favored Syrian National Coalition, the umbrella anti-Assad opposition group, accused Russia of deceiving the international community, arguing that Russian participation on the ground and in the air contradicts Moscows claims that it is eager for a resumption of a partial cease-fire agreed to in late February. Russian warplanes have been leading the government aerial bombardment of rebel-held areas of Aleppo since April 21, opposition politicians say, further highlighting the falsity of Moscows involvement in talks about cease-fires or political solutions to the five-year-long civil war. Russia is deceiving the international community by falsely claiming it supports a political solution in Syria, says Nora al-Ameer, a member of the SNCs political committee. Russians pretend to engage positively with the United Nations efforts to reach a political solution in Syria while supporting the Assad regime in its ongoing brutal onslaught on Aleppo." "The Assad regime, backed by Russia, is exploiting negotiations to pursue a military solution on the pretext it is fighting terrorism, al-Ameer added. Russian spokesmen say al-Qaida fighters, who were not included in the U.S.-Russian brokered cessation of hostilities deal finalized in February, allied to other rebel groups, are at fault for the violence in Aleppo, saying that the assault by insurgents disrupted negotiations for a temporary truce in Aleppo that had nearly been complete. Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov was quoted by Russian news agencies as saying that a "regime of calm" in Aleppo that had been due to take effect was shelved following the deadly ground assault. Rebels dismiss Moscows claim, saying that the regime has remained focused on Aleppo and its two-week-long aerial bombardment of the city is a softening up ahead of an inevitable ground assault. The regime bombing, says Hawass Khalil, an SNC politician, is aimed at intimidating the civilian population and forcing them into submission and provides further proof that the Assad regime is not a serious partner in negotiations. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry has said American and Russian negotiators are working with United Nations officials to restore the cessation of hostilities deal brokered by Washington and Moscow in February. Our teams, on a military-to-military basis, are working through the details that need to be implemented so that this can be restored, Kerry said Tuesday. He made the comments a day after holding emergency talks in Geneva with U.N. Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based pro-opposition monitoring group, said rebel rockets killed 19 civilians in government-held portions of the city, including an unspecified number at the al-Dabit hospital, which was badly damaged Tuesday after an insurgent-fired shell struck the fuel tank of a military vehicle near the maternity hospital, the sixth medical facility to be impacted by the fighting and airstrikes. The other five clinics were hit by government forces, including a hospital run by the French charity Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF), which was struck last week in an airstrike, killing 55 civilians. The rebel ground assault in west Aleppo, which started late Tuesday, was mounted by fighters from al-Qaida affiliate Jabhat al-Nusra, as well as Western-favored Free Syrian Army militias and the Islamist group Jaysh Al-Mujahideen. It began after rebels detonated a large bomb in a tunnel underneath an Air Force Intelligence building in the Al-Zahra district of west Aleppo. Government spokesmen said 70 rebels were killed in the fighting, which was at its most intense around al-Rahman Mosque in the al-Zahraa neighborhood of the city. Although repelled by regime forces, rebels maintained Wednesday their rocket fire much of it indiscriminate, according to the observatory. The monitoring group warned the civilian death toll would climb throughout the day, saying 20 civilians were killed Wednesday morning, including four children and five women, in the shelling by rebel factions on western Aleppo districts. The intensity of rebel shelling is testimony to insurgent fears that the Russian military and other regime forces, including fighters from the Lebanese Shiite movement Hezbollah, are gearing up for a new offensive on the rebel-held portion of the city. Last week, Col. Steve Warren, the spokesman for the U.S.-led campaign against Islamic State, said regime forces were beginning to mass and concentrate combat power around Aleppo. He added, It is primarily [the] al-Nusra [Front] who holds Aleppo, and, of course, al-Nusra is not part of the cessation of hostilities. So it's complicated. We're watching it. His comment angered rebel leaders, who fear that Washington is ready to turn a blind eye on any regime assault on the city in an effort to salvage something from the collapse of the cessation of hostilities agreement. They insist al-Nusra fighters do not constitute most of the insurgent forces in Aleppo. Warrens remarks drew criticism also from rights groups. Human Rights Watch Executive Director Kenneth Roth accused the U.S. of inviting devastating attacks" on Aleppo by fixating on Nusra presence. U.S. State Department spokesmen insist Washington has not given up on Aleppo, arguing a restoration of the cessation of hostilities elsewhere in Syria would clear the way for one in Syrias one-time commercial capital. In an effort to revive the cease-fire, temporary local truces have been put into place in two parts of Syria, the Damascus suburbs and in Latakia; however, political activists reported fresh clashes and airstrikes Wednesday in rebel-held eastern Ghouta near the Syrian capital. Billionaire real estate mogul Donald Trump is now the presumptive Republican nominee for the U.S. presidency, but early indications are he faces a daunting contest against the likely Democratic candidate, former secretary of state Hillary Clinton. Numerous national election surveys show Clinton, seeking to become the country's first female president, defeating Trump, who surged to the top of a large field of Republican candidates with tough talk to halt illegal immigration into the country from Mexico and temporarily block Muslims from entering the country. His rise has prompted his closest Republican rivals to drop out of the race. Collectively, the polling gives Clinton, the country's top diplomat from 2009 to 2013, about a six-percentage point edge over Trump, a one-time television reality show host who has never held elective office. A new CNN/ORC poll Wednesday showed a bigger Clinton margin, 54 to 41 percent. The CNN poll also showed voters prefer Clinton, the wife of former president Bill Clinton, over Trump on how each would deal with a range of issues, including terrorism, foreign policy, immigration, health care and education. U.S. political analysts say the last quarter century of presidential elections also would seem to favor Clinton. One map showed this week that to win the presidency, she would need only to capture 20 of the country's 50 states in November's national election against Trump, the 19 that have voted for Democratic candidates in the past six presidential elections, plus the large southeastern political battleground state of Florida, where one poll shows her ahead of Trump by 13 percentage points. State-by-state voting plays the dominant role in U.S. presidential elections. The quadrennial contests for a four-year term as the American leader are not decided by a national popular vote, but by the outcome of individual contests between the Republican and Democratic nominees in each state, with each state's number of electoral votes based on its population and the number of senators and members of Congress. As he became the party's presumptive presidential nominee Tuesday, after a resounding primary victory over his remaining challengers in the Midwestern state of Indiana, Trump showed no concern that the odds-of-the-moment might be stacked against him. "We're going to win in November," he declared at a victory rally at his signature skyscraper building in New York. "We want to bring unity to the Republican Party. We have to bring unity." In an interview with CNN Wednesday, Clinton described Trump as "a loose cannon" and a "blustering and bullying guy." She said the 16 Republican presidential candidates Trump defeated to secure his party's nomination "didn't know how to deal with him," often ignoring his more controversial policy statements because they agreed with him. Clinton said she would be prepared for his attacks, even on questions related to investigations conducted during her husband's presidency, when he was impeached, but not convicted and removed from office, for lying about an extramarital affair he carried out in the White House with an intern. "If he wants to go back to the playbook of the 1990s, I'm happy to do that," Clinton said of Trump. Establishment Republicans Some establishment Republicans have continued to voice their opposition to Trump becoming the standard bearer for the party in the election to pick the successor to President Barack Obama, who leaves office in January. Some fear he has little chance of defeating Clinton, while others continue to protest that he does not hold some of the conservative values on which U.S. Republicans traditionally campaign. After Trump routed his chief remaining competitor in Indiana, Texas Senator Ted Cruz, one conservative stalwart, Erick Erickson, said, "I don't want to congratulate Hillary Clinton in winning the presidency tonight, but she just did." After his defeat, Cruz dropped out of the presidential race and the party's national chairman, Reince Priebus, described Trump as the presumptive nominee. Clinton eyes Trump For days, Clinton has been aiming her verbal attacks at Trump, but she also has yet to clinch her party's nomination. Clinton lost her party's Indiana primary to her lone rival, Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders. He is a self-described democratic socialist who has attacked Clinton for her ties to Wall Street financial chieftains and her vote as a senator more than a decade ago to approve the U.S. military invasion of Iraq to topple dictator Saddam Hussein. After winning in Indiana, Sanders has won 18 state contests against Clinton. He told supporters Tuesday that he has a "narrow path to victory" over Clinton for the Democratic nomination, but noted that national election surveys show him defeating Trump more handily than Clinton does. In Indiana, as elsewhere, he continued to win by wide margins among voters 29 years old and younger. Sanders's campaign manager, Jeff Weaver, told CNN, "The pundits want to say [the Clinton-Sanders race] is over, but the voters have a different view." The long battle for the Republican presidential nomination has now ended, settling on a new leader of the Republican Party: Donald Trump. Republicans nationwide reacted with a mix of disbelief, anger and grudging acceptance Wednesday, revealing a party that may have a new leader but whose future will be unclear until after the general election this November. The first signs the party would not immediately unite behind Trump as the nominee emerged Tuesday night, when Texas Senator Ted Cruz dropped out of the race following a resounding loss to Trump in the Indiana primary. A number of conservative bloggers and party operatives, including former John McCain aide Mark Salter many of whom had been a part of the unsuccessful Never Trump movement took to social media to openly declare they would not support Trump, and some even took the unprecedented step of pledging to vote for Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton using the hashtag #ImWithHer. The idea of mainstream or even fairly conservative Republicans coming out to support a Clinton for the presidency is kind of mind-blowing, said John Hudak, a senior fellow in governance studies at the Brookings Institution. Clinton - a divisive political figure and a lightning rod for conservative criticism over the past two decades is a highly unlikely figure to attract any kind of Republican support. It really puts into perspective how desperate and how angry and how disgusted many elements of the Republican Party are with Trump, Hudak said. With the concession of Cruz and the announcement Wednesday that Ohio Governor John Kasich is suspending his campaign, Trump will become the first party leader in more than six decades not to have held political office. We want to bring unity to the Republican Party, Trump said in his victory speech Tuesday. We have to bring unity. It's so much easier if we have it. Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus followed by tweeting a message of support intended to solidify a party splintered by the Trump win. High stakes in House and Senate The choice between Trump and Clinton could drive away many long-time conservative voters as well as Independents, said Hudak. What happens when Republicans in those states start voting Democrat? It tells you that maybe Clinton wont win those states but Republicans are going to have to spend a lot of money in those states and thats a fast way to win election, he said. Now the choice for establishment Republicans and party elders may come down to a matter of tone and political finesse. Hudak said many will hold their nose and vote for Trump to sustain party unity while refraining from the kind of outright campaigning that would show support for Trumps ideas and his vision for the presidency. That decision could be a final effort to salvage the party. Its an attempt to bring the party to some level of unity so that people will turn out and vote, said Norm Ornstein, a resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute. The last line of defense for Republicans is the House and Senate; they want as few divisions that demoralize people as they possibly can get. Out of the 34 Senate seats up for re-election this November, anywhere from seven to 10 are Republican seats in jeopardy. Ornstein said the decision to support Trump may ultimately come down to saving those seats. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and House Speaker Paul Ryan have dealt with the reality of Trump in their own ways McConnell has pushed small bills through the Senate while Ryan hopes to push a bold agenda focused on national security, the economy, poverty and health care through the House. That cannot happen within a fractured Republican party. The more you distance yourself from your partys nominee, the more you get a backlash from those populists who have been ardently for Trump saying see, the establishment is defying and betraying us again, Ornstein said. The more you embrace Trump, the more you turn traditional conservatives and Independents away from you. Future of the party? Cruz positioned himself as the potential leader of the conservative wing of the Republican Party during his concession speech Tuesday night. Many analysts saw parallels between his speech and Ronald Reagans concession to Gerald Ford in 1976. Reagan ultimately came back in 1980 to win the Republican nomination and the presidency, ushering in a new era of conservatism in American politics. At age 45, Cruz is young enough to look toward a presidential run in 2020 but the party may be moving beyond his vision. The reality is Ronald Reagan was successful in 1976 because he was the future of the Republican Party. Ted Cruz is not the future of this party, said Hudak. In 2012, Republicans famously performed an autopsy after the loss of presidential candidate Mitt Romney, calling for the party to adapt its perspective and improve outreach to women and minorities. Instead, the party moved in a completely different direction that ultimately ended with Trump as the nominee. After the general election, a new reckoning will occur. If Trump wins, his anti-establishment, anti-immigration wing of the party will clearly hold sway. If he loses, the conservative wing of the party represented by Cruz and the older establishment wing will be left to sort out what remains of a party led by a completely unexpected nominee. Youre going to see an enormous battle not just for the control of the party apparatus, said Ornstein, but for the soul of the Republican Party and its not going to be resolved quickly or easily. Real estate titan Donald Trump's ascent to become the presumptive 2016 U.S. Republican presidential nominee is one of the most unusual in American political history. Trump, 69, has spent a life building skyscrapers in New York and elsewhere. He has erected casinos along the Atlantic Ocean; bought an airline; and peddled steaks, wine and other products, all with his name branded on them. He wrote a bestselling book about his real estate deals and hosted a television reality show where he famously told losing contestants, "You're fired!" He has through the years gleefully bragged about his sexual exploits as a New York man about town, divorced two wives and married a third a onetime supermodel and sired five children. He lives in a luxury building in the heart of New York, but often skips away to a palm-studded, 58-bedroom oceanfront mansion in the southeastern state of Florida that once was owned by a cereal heiress. The billionaire's surge to the top of the U.S. political scene is also rare. When Republicans formally make him the their presidential nominee at their national convention in July, it will be the first time since 1952 that a major U.S. political party has picked someone other than a previously elected official, such as a state governor or U.S. senator, to be its standard bearer. A retired World War II hero, General Dwight Eisenhower, won the U.S. presidency as a Republican in 1952 and again four years later. Candidacy dismissed Over the years, Trump has often flirted with running for the presidency, but U.S. political pundits quickly dismissed him as something of a joke, assuming he would never actually enter the nomination contest. They did so again last June when he descended an escalator at Trump Tower in New York and said he was running for the 2016 Republican Party nomination. He promptly told supporters that illegal immigration into the U.S. was out of control and that Mexico was allowing rapists and drug abusers to enter the country. Countless U.S. newspaper columnists, Republican officials and Trump's rivals for the nomination all discounted his chances, offering predictions that he would drop out of the race by a certain date or that voters would quickly reject his candidacy when voting started in state-by-state nominating contests in early February. Along the campaign trail, seasoned politicians predicted Trump's political demise as he insulted the war hero status of the party's 2008 nominee, Senator John McCain, a prisoner of war in Vietnam in the 1960s. The supposed experts shook their heads as Trump disparaged a female debate moderator after she asked him about his past slurs aimed at women. Later, Trump mocked a news reporter with a permanent disability, called for construction of an impenetrable wall along the U.S.-Mexico border to halt the flow of illegal immigrants and said the U.S. needed to temporarily stop Muslims from entering the U.S. until it could figure out whether any of them might be terrorists looking to attack the U.S. In surely a first for a U.S. political debate, he boasted at one point about the size of his genitalia. He branded his opponents with nicknames. In perhaps his most devastating attack, Trump described former Florida Governor Jeb Bush, the brother and son of two former U.S. presidents, as having "low energy." The description stuck and eventually drove Bush from the contest. No matter what, support grew Slowly, Trump's political opponents fell by the way, while his support expanded. Polls show it has been heavily weighted toward white men, often without college degrees, many of them left behind without jobs as the country's manufacturing base shrank. No matter what Trump said, what he proposed, what he tweeted late at night about his political opponents or the news of the day, his political support grew. Now Trump is headed to a November national election face-off with the likely Democratic nominee, former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. They have a history together: Trump and his current wife, Melania, invited Clinton and her husband, former President Bill Clinton, to their 2005 wedding at Trump's Florida estate. The Trump-Clinton winner will become the country's 45th president, replacing President Barack Obama, who will leave office in January after two terms in the White House. The head of the Republican National Committee is calling Donald Trump the party's presumptive nominee for president after he won Tuesday's primary in Indiana. Trump won 53 percent of the vote, with Texas Senator Ted Cruz in second place with 37 percent and Ohio Governor John Kasich far behind with 7 percent. After failing to win a state crucial to his effort to stop Trump from getting enough delegates to be the Republican nominee, Cruz dropped out of the race. He told supporters that his "path toward victory has been foreclosed" and voters made a different choice. Trump called his win in Indiana a "tremendous victory." He congratulated Cruz, saying that he and the rest of the once huge Republican field were smart and tough competitors. Trump also appealed for unity in the party. RNC Chairman Reince Priebus had a similar message late Tuesday, saying Republicans need to come together in order to defeat Democrat Hillary Clinton in the November general election. A spokesman for Kasich said the governor is still aiming for a fight at the Republican convention in July where he hopes to be nominated on a second or third ballot. That scenario would require Trump to fall short of the majority 1,237 delegates in the Republican race. He earned at least 51 from Indiana, putting him just shy of 1,050 with nine states left to vote. Among them is California, where Trump is far ahead in polls and 172 delegates are at stake next month. For the Democrats, Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders beat Clinton in Indiana with 53 percent of the vote. Even with the win, he trails Clinton by a huge margin in the delegate count and would need massive victories in the remaining states to catch up. The United States along with allies from 11 other countries met in Germany to discuss the joint efforts in their campaign against Islamic State. In a joint statement, released after the meeting, the group reaffirmed its support "to further accelerate and reinforce the success of our partners on the ground and for the deployment of additional enabling capabilities in the near term" in order to hasten the collapse of Islamic State's control of Mosul and Raqqa in Iraq. "We called on all of Iraq's political leaders to commit themselves to the legal and peaceful reconciliation of political differences in order to confront the nation's challenges and to remain united against the common enemy," it added. Defense ministers from Australia, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Spain and the Britain participated in Wednesday's session at the U.S. military's European Command headquarters in Stuttgart, Germany. The meeting, which was a follow up to February's session in Brussels, comes a day after a U.S. Navy SEAL was killed while fighting Islamic State forces in northern Iraq. "Now, this fight is far from over and there are great risks and we were reminded of this yesterday when an American service member - Petty Officer First Class Charles Keating, a Navy SEAL - was killed while providing advice and assistance to the Peshmerga forces north of Mosul, who are directly in the fight [against the Islamic State group]," U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter said Wednesday. "These risks will continue and we greatly regret his loss." Meanwhile Wednesday, coalition forces announced that they conducted 22 strikes on Islamic State targets in Syria and Iraq on Tuesday. The strikes were conducted in coordination with Iraqi forces. Some material for this report came from AP and Reuters. A family and community in Ohio closed one chapter in a brutal mass killing Tuesday with funerals for the last six people from a group of eight relatives found dead last month from gunshot wounds. Still open is the investigation into who killed them. The victims, who ranged in age from 16 to 44 years old, are all members of the Rhoden family who lived near the town of Piketon in southern Ohio. They were killed in four separate homes, while three young children were left unharmed. "This is an old-fashioned, cold-blooded, calculated massacre of eight human beings," Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine said last week. The killings happened on April 22, and while authorities say they have received more than 450 tips and sent 100 items to a crime lab for testing, they have not announced any suspects or possible motive. DeWine said he assumes whoever committed the crime is watching news reports and he does not want to tell them anything about the investigation. Local and state law enforcement agencies are getting "specialized technical support" from the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Drug Enforcement Agency, the attorney general's office said. "It is believed that the Rhoden family was specifically targeted, and therefore investigators have urged family members to take caution," Jill Del Greco, a spokeswoman for DeWine, told VOA. "It is also suggested that the rest of the community remain vigilant." Pike County Sheriff Charles Reader announced a boost in patrols last week that he said will remain in place for a while. He told reporters that some of the crime scenes were "absolutely shocking." Meanwhile, coroners have released a preliminary autopsy report on the eight victims, saying all but one was shot multiple times, including one who had nine gunshot wounds. What remains unclear is why the family may have been targeted. DeWine said authorities found marijuana growing operations at three of the four homes, which he described as being part of a commercial operation, not just for personal use. That discovery brought speculation of targeted killings connected to the drug trade. A July DEA report showed southern Ohio as being an area dominated by the Mexican Sinaloa cartel, with some presence of the Los Zetas cartel. But the attorney general's office has declined to discuss a possible connection between the drugs and the murders. "Beyond confirming that commercial marijuana grows were found at three of the four crime scenes, we have no additional comment," Del Greco said. What authorities are saying is that the investigation is complex and could be lengthy, but that they will do whatever is necessary. "We are going to find who did this," DeWine said. At the site of Tuesday's standing-room only funeral service, Pike County Prosecutor David Dickerson said the Rhodens are a "very loving and tight family" and that he cannot imagine what they are going through. "It's probably the most emotional thing I've ever experienced in my life," Dickerson said about the service. "It really was. It was that emotional, and to be expected. They are beyond devastation, but hopefully soon some healing will begin. I don't know when, but I hope soon, for their sake." U.S. Border Patrol agents recently opened the so-called Door of Hope, a maintenance door in the fence on the U.S.-Mexico border, to let a handful of families reunite face to face for three minutes. The moment was filled with tears and long-awaited hugs. The Door of Hope is located in the border fence at Friendship Park where, on Saturdays and Sundays, families are allowed to "congregate" and spend time with each other on opposite sides of the fence, each in their respective country. Gabriela Esparza was among those chosen to be at the door April 30 to meet relatives. She lives in California and normally sees her family in Mexico through the fence at the border most Saturdays. But with the emergency door open to walk through, this time was different. "We just started crying," Esparza told CNN after reuniting with her mother and sister. "When I last saw them, I was 16. And now I'm a mom, I have my family. I still can't believe that this happened." Esparza is a Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipient. She benefited from an executive order signed by President Barack Obama in 2014 that offers protections to young immigrants, allowing them to work legally for two years. The policy, however, is being challenged before the U.S. Supreme Court, along with the Deferred Action for Parents of Americans (DAPA) order, in the case U.S. v. Texas. The April 30 initiative was held in honor of Mexico's "El Dia del Nino" or "Children's Day," and was organized by Border Angels, a San Diego nonprofit organization that advocates for immigration reform. Enrique Morones, founder and executive director of Border Angels, told VOA that this is the third time the nonprofit has promoted the opening of the border gate near San Diego and Tijuana. The first time was in 2013, when one family could reunite for only two minutes. In 2015, four families were able to spend time together, and this year five families participated. According to Morones, his nonprofit gets "lots of interest" once it begins to search for families who would like to participate. The organization forwards cases to the U.S. Customs and Border Patrol. Border Patrol Agent James Nielsen said the agency then checks the names to see if there is any criminal history. Nielsen added that agents attended the event to offer support and "make sure everything was safe." "We just facilitated the event. We were there as the enforcement ... to make sure nothing bad happened in the area," he said. The Fusion television channel reported that the Border Patrol canceled the event in 2014 because, the year before, a little girl ran toward her dad and jumped into his arms without giving prior warning. Morones said the incident caused the agency to call off the event, but it returned last year when four families were given a brief moment to hug. "We plan to do this at least once a year, Morones said, adding that a celebration is planned this Sunday at Friendship Park in honor of Mother's Day. But this time, mothers, daughters and sons will only be able to touch fingertips. If campaign promises are anything to go by, the issue of gun control will be a priority for the next president of the United States. Democratic presidential front-runner Hillary Clinton has said repeatedly on the campaign trail that furthering gun restrictions would be one of her top priorities if she wins the general election in November. In contrast, Donald Trump, the billionaire real-estate mogul and presumptive Republican nominee, has made gun ownership a key part of his campaign platform. Regardless of who is residing in the White House next year, the issue of gun rights may have shifted to the state level where battles to weaken gun laws, particularly relating to ownership, are raging. The gun lobby introduced bills in 2015 to allow citizens to carry concealed firearms in public without a permit in 21 states, according to the Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence. Gun lobby gains The efforts produced favorable results for the gun lobby in the past year, as more than a dozen states either relaxed gun ownership laws or introduced new ones. In West Virginia, for example, people can now carry concealed handguns without a permit or any firearm training and, in many cases, do so without a background check. The new law has police there concerned about the safety of fellow officers and citizens. "I'm certainly not an advocate of everybody toting a gun and walking down the street," Karen Shoemaker, Vice President of the West Virginia Chief's of Police Association, told VOA News. "We feel we are at a disadvantage. Anybody and everybody can carry a weapon concealed now." Shoemaker is also chief of the Keyser Police Department in West Virginia. Shoemaker is a firm believer in Second Amendment rights, but also feels that a burden of responsibility comes with those rights. Violent crime stats The tension between the law enforcement community and the gun lobby is unfounded, according to Larry Pratt, Executive Director Emeritus of Gun Owners of America. "Violent crime has actually gone down" in states with concealed weapons laws, Pratt said in an interview with VOA News. "Over the last 20 years, there's been an increase in the number of people owning guns, and yet we have found a decline in the violent crime rate. So these concerns are more visceral than intellectual." Mississippi, Georgia, Arizona and Idaho are among the states that have recently passed new gun legislation. In West Virginia, where the new law became effective in June, the impact on police officers has yet to be determined. "I guess we are just going to have to assume at this point that everybody we contact is going to be carrying a concealed weapon," Shoemaker said. Nearly 140,000 Vietnamese nationals have signed a petition urging the Obama administration to launch an independent investigation into "an environmental disaster" that caused mass fish kills along Vietnam's central coast. The move comes as the Southeast Asian country struggles to identify exactly who or what left millions of fish dead and many livelihoods impacted. On the White House-run "We the People" website, an unidentified petitioner claiming to be from Ha Tinh, one of the hard-hit areas, called on the U.S. to "provide independent assessment of a steel plant" at the heart of the controversy. Formosa Plastics is cited in the petition, although a probe called by Hanoi officials has yet to link the massive fish kill to a $10.6 billion steel plant run by the Taiwanese-based conglomerate in Ha Tinh. Formosa representatives did not respond to VOA requests seeking comments about criticism targeting their company before publication. A preliminary investigation of the mysterious marine-life catastrophe, announced by Vietnam's environmental watchdog, blamed red tide a phenomenon known as an algal bloom and poisonous chemicals in wastewater as the two main factors. Call for investigators from outside Well-known anti-China activist Le Anh Hung, who is based in Hanoi, said he signed the petition after "losing trust in the morality and objectivity of Vietnamese agencies." "That is why we need independent investigators from outside, especially from the U.S. government," he said. "I want to hear a positive response from the White House." Tuesday's call for a White House probe comes just weeks before President Barack Obama makes his first visit to Vietnam, and it is unclear whether he will mention this petition in meetings with Vietnamese officials. "We The People," the White House-run site, says petitions that gather 100,000 signatures in 30 days will be reviewed to ensure "it gets in front of the appropriate policy experts, and issue an official response." At the end of 2014, the Obama administration responded to a petition signed by more than 130,000 Vietnamese about imposing sanctions on China for bringing a giant oil rig into waters claimed by Vietnam, an incident that plunged Hanoi-Beijing relations to its lowest point in years. Pressure from within While some Vietnamese find hope in the country situated half a world away, activist Ngo Duy Quyen said it is unrealistic to seek help from foreign entities. "It is, of course, a good way to gather international support, but the pressurization on the authorities should come from within, and that can be done through street protests," he said. To make his voice heard, Quyen joined hundreds of people who took to the streets of numerous Vietnamese cities Sunday, shouting slogans and holding banners aimed at Formosa in a series of rare protests in the Communist country. Prior to the Sunday marches, hundreds of desperate fishermen in hard-hit provinces dumped dead fish on the national highways and used fishing net and boats to block traffic. Vietnamese state-run media have carried out extensive coverage of the massvie fish deaths, but stayed silent about the demonstrations. International news outlets reported small scuffles between protesters and police. Vietnamese authorities later said they arrested two members of anti-state organizations, allegedly for inciting the rallies. Do Hoang Diem, chairman of the U.S.-based pro-democracy group Viet Tan, which is unsanctioned in Vietnam, said it is not the first time his organization become Vietnam's target, adding that everyone in the country should be allowed to freely express themselves. REPUBLICANS Donald Trump is the presumptive Republican nominee after his victory in Tuesday's primary in Indiana prompted his two main rivals to leave the race. A Republican candidate needs 1,237 delegates to win the nomination. Donald Trump: - New York businessman Donald Trump has won 1,047 delegates. - Next speaking engagement is in Charleston West Virginia, according to his campaign website - During his victory speech tonight, he said Ted Cruz I dont know if he likes me or he doesnt like me but he is one hell of a competitor Upcoming Primaries for republicans: May 10: Nebraska (36 delegates), West Virginia (34 delegates) May 17: Oregon (27 delegates) May 24: Washington (44 delegates) June 7: California (172 delegates), Montana (27 delegates), New Jersey (51 delegates), New Mexico (24 delegates), and South Dakota (29 delegates) DEMOCRATS Two Democratic candidates remain in the race, and 1,163 delegates are still up for grabs before the convention that begins July 25 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. A democratic candidate needs 2,383 to win the nomination. Hillary Clinton: - Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has won 2,202 delegates. - Clinton has already begun focusing on the general elections. Her only tweet after the release of the Indiana primary results was Donald Trump is the presumptive @GOP nominee. Chip in now if you agree we cant let him become president - Clinton will be spending the next two days primarily fundraising in Los Angeles and San Francisco, California. Bernie Sanders: - Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders has won 1,400 delegates. - During his victory speech in Indiana, he said I understand that secretary Clinton thinks this campaign is over. Ive got some bad news for her. Tonight we won a great victory in Indianamore and more delegates to the democratic convention take a hard look at which candidate is generating the kind of enthusiasm, excitement, and voter turnout that we need to make sure that somebody like a Donald Trump does not become president. I think youll see more and more delegates concluding that that candidate is Bernie Sanders. - Sanders will hold rallies in Charleston and Morgantown in West Virginia on Thursday. Upcoming Primaries for democrats: May 10th: West Virginia (29 delegates) May 17th: Oregon (61 delegates), Kentucky (55 delegates) June 7: North Dakota (18 delegates), California (475 delegates), Montana (21 delegates), New Jersey (126 delegates), New Mexico (34 delegates), and South Dakota (20 delegates) June 14: Washington D.C. (20 delegates) Texas Senator Ted Cruz dropped out of the Republican presidential contest after a big loss Tuesday in the Indiana primary to billionaire real estate magnate Donald Trump. On the Democratic side, Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders was the projected winner over former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in a close race, according to NBC News. Cruz told supporters in Indianapolis that his "path toward victory has been foreclosed," but he thanked them nonetheless, calling them "incredible patriots." When we launched this campaign 13 months ago, we saw a movement grow," he said. "The pundits all said it was hopeless, but we saw over 300,000 volunteers all across this nation. He noted that his campaign had pulled in more than 1.5 million contributions, averaging about $60 each. Together," he said, "we left it all on the field in Indiana. We gave it everything weve got. But the voters chose another path. And so with a heavy heart, but with boundless optimism for the long-term future of our nation, we are suspending our campaign. Earlier Tuesday night, U.S. television networks projected Trump would win Indiana in a landslide, with Cruz second and Ohio Governor John Kasich far behind in third. But a Kasich spokesman said the governor was still aiming for a contested convention in July, where his objective is to capture the Republican nomination on a second or third ballot. Trump's victory could give the former reality TV personality 57 more delegates not enough to reach the 1,237 needed to clinch the nomination, but enough for Trump and his supporters to start declaring him the presumptive nominee at July's Republican convention in Cleveland. "If we win Indiana, it's over," Trump had told voters in politically conservative Indiana, where vast reaches of farmland intersect with industrial centers. Despite Sanders' victory on the Democratic side, Clinton leads the delegate count by a huge margin, making it just about mathematically impossible for Sanders to become the Democratic nominee. Exit polls showed that the economy was foremost in the minds of Indiana voters. More than nine in 10 Republican primary voters and more than eight in 10 Democratic primary voters said they were very or somewhat worried about the economy, according to exit polls conducted for The Associated Press and television networks by Edison Research. The often harsh-speaking Trump, who has never been elected to any political office, has shifted much of his insulting rhetoric from Cruz to Clinton as he becomes more and more confident they will face off in the November presidential election. He disparaged Clinton's performance as secretary of state from 2009 to 2013, saying she was asleep during part of a 2012 terrorist attack on a U.S. compound in Benghazi, Libya, that killed four Americans. Trump told supporters he could defeat Clinton in states Republicans do not normally win, even as early election surveys suggest otherwise. The winner of the November election will replace President Barack Obama, who leaves office in January after eight years in the White House. Zimbabwean-born professor of African History at the University of California Santa Barbara, Mhoze Chikowero who has authored a book, African Music, Power and Being, Colonial Zimbabwe, has urged Zimbabweans to write books to preserve their history and culture. Professor Chikowero though says trying to break into an industry dominated by established authors mostly from developed nations has challenges but must not discourage Africans to write their own history. Chikowero says his book is about the history of Zimbabwe. Its not just a book about music, Chikowero says. Its more of a history through music. As a historian Im interested in archives, Im interested in sources, Im interested in how we can use indigenous knowledge systems to write history, and this is a good example of that. In this new history of music in Zimbabwe, Chikowero deftly uses African sources to interrogate the copious colonial archive, reading it as a confessional voice along and against the grain to write a complex history of music, colonialism, and African self-liberation. Chikowero's book begins in the 1890s with missionary crusades against African performative cultures and African students being inducted into mission bands, which contextualize the music of segregated urban and mining company dance halls in the 1930s, and he builds genealogies of the Chimurenga music later popularized by guerrilla artists like Dorothy Masuku, Zexie Manatsa, Thomas Mapfumo, and others in the 1970s. Chikowero shows how Africans deployed their music and indigenous knowledge systems to fight for their freedom from British colonial domination and to assert their cultural sovereignty. An internationally known performer, music educator, ethnomusicologist and bandleader, Tendai Muparutsa, says Chikoweros book is, "A worthy contribution to African history, ethnomusicology, music, and dance married together with the powerful institutions of African colonialism and missionary work." Who is Mhoze Chikowore? Chikowero is an Associate Professor of African History at the University of California Santa Barbara and an American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS) Visiting Research Professor at the University of the Witwatersrand. He attained his undergraduate B.A. degree in Economic History at the University of Zimbabwe (2001) and his Masters (2004) and Ph.D. at Dalhousie University (Canada) in 2008. Before he joined the University of California, he spent time as a post-doctoral fellow at Rutgers University (2009). Chikowero researches African music and politics; and technologies of state-making (including broadcasting and energy). He has worked with Zimbabwean and African artistes for years. His articles on music and politics, electrification, and broadcasting have appeared in the Journal of Southern African Studies, Muziki: Journal of Music Research in Africa and in a number of edited volumes. He is currently writing two books, The Politics of State (Un)making: Music, Media and Power in Post-colonial Zimbabwe, and Tools of Empire, Technologies of Self-liberation: Radio Broadcasting in Colonial Zambia, Zimbabwe and Malawi. Chikowero also works with the Mbira Centre as a research consultant. One of the 32 women and girls that were repatriated back to Harare from Kuwait in the Middle East over the weekend says she has received a warm welcome from her family and community and is now exploring ways of making a living. Leah Marimira says the first meal she ate when she got home was sadza and fresh greens, a traditional delicacy she missed while in Kuwait. Although she could not disclose a lot of details about what transpired during her stay in Kuwait Marimira said she was not sexually abused but was treated like a slave working long hours without any rights. The biggest stigma that we are receiving on getting back is that everyone thinks all the women and girls were sex slaves while in Kuwait but there were different forms of abuse that we faced and some of them involved emotional and physical abuse, said Marimira. She is also happy with the reception she and other girls received from the government, doctors and counselors that welcomed them Saturday. I was pleasantly surprised by the warm reception that we received when we arrived in Zimbabwe, the government took us to a safe house in Domboshava and there we received medical treatment and counseling and spent the night. We were then given money for transport to return home, she said. Marimira said she went to her rural home and is looking at starting a business once her situation has stabilized. We were promised assistance by the government who gave us contacts of organizations we can contact in future, she said. Labour and Welfare Minister Prisca Mupfumira, who welcomed the women and girls on Saturday, said the government would look into what transpired in Kuwait and publish a report detailing their findings. Meanwhile, Movement for Democratic Change lawmaker Priscilla Misihairambwi-Mushonga, who was part of the parliamentary delegation that brought back the women and girls from Kuwait, said she was working with women rights organizations like Musasa Project to provide socio-psychological support to ensure that they are re-integrated into society. Marimira is one of the first girls to break her silence after arriving home. She is glad to be safe at home. The much-awaited Labour Court judgement on a case in which the National Railways of Zimbabwe (NRZ) took its striking workers to court to justify why they went on strike is finally out. The NRZ approached the courts seeking a show cause order and judge Evangelista Kabasa reserved her judgement on the matter this week. Four weeks ago, 942 NRZ workers downed tools to force management to pay them outstanding salaries backdating to 2015. Two weeks ago Labour Minister Prisca Mupfumira ordered the more than 4,000 striking NRZ workers to return to work pending the determination of their case. Some workers heeded the call and have since gone back to work while others continued with the industrial action. The NRZ workers attorney, Munyaradzi Gwisai, said, The judgement was handed down yesterday (Tuesday). The effect of the judgement is that he show cause order that had been done by the Minister of Labour Ms. (Priscah) Mupfumira instructing the workers to go back to work was held to be invalid. Meanwhile, International Labour Organisation regional representatives arrived in Zimbabwe from Pretoria on Wednesday for a meeting with the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) over the NRZ issue. Two weeks ago ZCTU approached ILO to force the government to intervene in the NRZ impasse. ZCTU secretary general Japhet Moyo said they are meeting with both the local and regional ILO representatives Thursday in Harare. About 50 families in Chinhoyi, Mashonaland West province, have converted toilets into dwellings due to lack of accommodation in the town. Residents of Shackleton, 10 kilometers away from Chinhoyi, said lack of accommodation forced them to live in abandoned toilets despite dangers of contracting contagious diseases. When Studio 7 visited Shackleton, some families were busy cleaning toilets while others were moving their property into the spruced up ablution facilities. Mrs. Nomatter Tsomondo, a mother of six who has failed to get proper accommodation in the town due to lack of money, said she is occupying a small toilet which does not offer enough space for her family. Other toilet occupants, who only wanted to be identified as the Mbirimi family, said they failed to get a residential stand for years and had to resort to such type of accommodation as the council did not offer an alternative place. Mrs. Tsomondo said she doesnt care about the dangers of contracting diseases. Shackleton Ward 15 councilor, Innocent Mangwanya, said there is nothing wrong in allowing residents to convert toilets into residences as they are no longer in use. But Chinhoyi Mayor, Test Michaels, said the local authority has to investigate the issue before issuing a statement. According to council meetings dated 15 January 2016, there are about 12,000 people on the housing waiting list. Funeral Announcements A daily list of current funeral annoucements as heard on KXRA 1490 AM/100.3 FM News Updates The daily news, sports, and events delivered daily from Voice of Alexandria. Sports Update This current sports headlines delivered daily from Voice of Alexandria. Upcoming Events This email is the events of the area delivered daily from Voice of Alexandria. Breaking News The big news. Sent only as it happens. In honor of Steve Rogerss icy tomb and his subsequent return to the land of the living, Chris Evans and Jimmy Fallon doused each others genitals in freezing cold water on The Tonight Show last night. Oh, also they are playing a card game. All in all, it seems like a fitting tribute to one of our nations greatest superheroes. Just imagine Captain America watching them from behind a velvet curtain, slowly nodding his head and smiling. Photo: John Phillips/Getty Images Back in 2011, Unauthorized: The Harvey Weinstein Project was released to very little fanfare despite being the first documentary to exclusively focus on Harvey Weinstein, the larger-than-life film-studio mogul behind Miramax and the Weinstein Co. Directed by Barry Avrich, the doc attempted to examine the prolific life and work of Weinstein through an uncensored lens, primarily by utilizing insider interviews and archival footage. However, the person whose cooperation mattered most, Weinstein himself, was less than enthused at the prospect of being a subject on the big screen. And thats putting it lightly. In an excerpt from his upcoming book, Moguls, Monsters and Madmen: An Uncensored Life in Show Business, published in The Hollywood Reporter, Avrich explains just how incredibly persistent Weinstein was in sabotaging the doc since its inception. Weinsteins initial reception to the project was chilly, if not a bit humorous: I said repeatedly to Weinstein, Id like to make a film about you, and he replied each time with increasing force, No, I dont want you to do it right now. Eventually, he added, I shouldnt tell you this, but Quentin Tarantino is already filming a documentary on my life. I replied, Harvey, I find that hard to believe. Hes working on Kill Bill Vol. 3. I heard another filmmaker certainly not Tarantino had tried to document Weinstein, who was said to have pushed him right out of the business. But Harvey also had sent me a pleasant note about The Last Mogul. So, maybe? When I contacted him again, he sounded more conciliatory. Barry, Im not ready to make the film, but when I do, youre the guy. Avrich persisted, and soon was able to get financing as well as domestic and international rights for the doc. This prompted a meeting with Weinstein on the weekend of the 2011 Oscars in Beverly Hills, where Weinstein attempted to bargain with other potential projects: Harvey immediately began working me over with his charm offensive. Barry, Im not ready to do this film. Ive got a family, you know, and Im building my new business. Lets do something else together. Do you want to make a film about Martin Scorsese? I can get that done. Not really. That film has already been made. Harvey, when I made The Last Mogul, you told me Fantastic film! Could I have another DVD of it? Sure. Ill send it. How about a movie about Arthur Krim? Great story! Who? Arthur Krim. He created Orion Pictures and was an adviser to Lyndon Johnson. Another dead man. Harvey, fewer people will go to that film than a film about you. By mid-June 2010, Avrich completed the rough cut and IFC Films offered him a substantial monetary deal. But then problems began to arise. While searching for a narrator, a list of options including Peter Fonda, Christopher Plummer, and Frank Langella refused the gig for fear of upsetting Weinstein. While an easy fix, IFC came back with specific demands about what scenes needed to be cut, because, you guessed it, IFC does frequent business with Weinstein. Soon enough, Weinstein was calling the shots. True, Harvey hadnt killed me, as my mother feared, but he had sucker-punched me, Avrich writes. Had Harvey instructed IFC to buy my film to control it? For the next year, Avrich was either fighting over creative control or being ignored by IFC, prompting him to think he was pretty sure IFC had bought my film to bury it. It was eventually released in October 2011 on IFCs download service SundanceNow.com with no publicity. Avrich ended up screening the film at New York University later that year, where he invited key players from New York and L.A. to formally view the doc, where it received mixed reviews. So, budding documentarians of the world, perhaps heed Avrichs cautionary tale: Find a compelling subject, other than Harvey Weinstein. In John le Carres novel, Major Lance Corkoran is described as Richard Ropers chief henchman for many reasons his loyalty and his viciousness, most obviously, but perhaps his most important function within Ropers operation is to sign his name on the documents. None of Ropers shadier dealings can be traced back to him, but endless successive prison sentences await Corky, whose dirty pawprints are all over the paper trail. Corkys commitment to doing harm to the world is absolute hes a dedicated minion, with a more readily apparent zest for evil than his nefarious boss. For an unknown like Jonathan Pine to supersede him within the organization is a stretch, and its questionable whether the show pulls it off convincingly in such a short time. This episode does, however, offer a good argument for Corky as the most unnerving presence on the show, given his instant and unshakable skepticism toward Pine from the start. Some of that may be professional jealousy, a concern that the second-worst man in the world might pair up better with the first, despite Corkys longstanding relationship with Roper. But much of it is pure instinct, a bad guys uncanny ability to perceive the legitimacy of one of his own, and Pines narrative seems too convenient by half. You might recognize the actor who plays Corky, Tom Hollander, from his performances in costume pieces like Pride & Prejudice or Pirates of the Caribbean or, if you dig deep for good television, the lovable British sitcom Rev., which he co-created and which also stars The Night Managers Olivia Colman. But the pertinent entry on Hollanders resume is In the Loop, Armando Iannuccis lacerating political satire. As Corky, Hollander pulls off a reversal on his In the Loop character, a government functionary who sparks an international incident by allowing the word unforeseeable to escape his lips in a press interview. Corky is more like Peter Capaldis ornately vulgar politico, a creature of delicious malevolence. Though asserting his toughness is important, Pine has to be careful not to antagonize Corky, if only for fear of blowing up the operation. That puts him in a defensive position, which Corky exploits ruthlessly. He asks Pine to bring him back one of those darling serrated knives on his trip to town. When Pine announces that hes going for a walk along the beach, he advises him to fill [his] pockets with stone, walk into the sea, and keep going. And when it comes to Ropers beautiful wife, Jed, who dangles her legs provocatively in the pool, he makes himself clear: If you lay one hand on that precious fruit, like the Belgians in the Congo, Ill chop it off and I dont mean the hand. Jed doesnt make such restraint easy. With Pine now penned in the gilded cage along with her, their mutual attraction becomes an immediate, palpable tension and danger. She parades herself in front of him shamelessly, and true intimacy follows: I dont care who sees me naked, she says. I do care who sees me crying. The previous episode established Jeds tragic confinement as Ropers girlfriend, terrorized into a life of leisure at his side. Though we havent seen Jed and Roper spend much time alone, her misery seems of little concern to him, just as the miseries of those on the receiving end of his illegally traded arms are not under consideration. Shes a prize hes happy to display and abuse at his convenience. The episode makes a strong theme out of women suffering at the hands of powerful men. The opening has Roper and company at a decadent birthday party in Madrid, the backdrop for a massive deal involving Juan Apostol (Antonio de la Torre), but the merriment ends when the birthday girl, Apostols daughter, hangs herself in the bathroom. Roper acts more put out than shocked (She caused a lot of other people pain, too) and Corky jokes about the canapes, but the death sets the tone for an hour of Roper and his associates bringing anguish and terror to the women closest to them. Back in Mallorca, Sandy Langbourne (Alistair Petrie), a key Roper business partner, brazenly sleeps with the nanny without doing much to prevent his wife Caroline (Natasha Little) from finding out. As Pine lends a sympathetic ear, she lets slips that the men are planning an arms deal with Apostols Lebanese friend, giving Operation Limpet the sting opportunity it needs. I just want to be honest with someone in the world, Caroline says. Roper may have trouble seeing through Pines ruse, but Caroline and Jed are able to sense an ally, and they feed him good information. Though perhaps not as good as Ropers son, however. In one ridiculous scene, little Danny tells Pine all about dads secret study, the one key needed to open it, and the alarm system that will go off should he open the door for whatever reason. And earlier, Danny doesnt notice the bizarre conversation Pine is having with a tourist about the ancient Egyptians. Hes too excited about his pistachio ice cream. The kid is sweet, open, innocent maybe the only person on the Roper compound to escape his fathers influence. Amenities: Much of what youve read about Scientology is true at least according to Ron Miscavige, a longtime acolyte and father of David Miscavige, the head of the Church of Scientology. Ruthless: Scientology, My Son David Miscavige, and Me, published yesterday, is simply the latest book to emerge detailing the practices of the highly secretive organization (most recently King of Queens star Leah Remini published her book, Troublemaker). In the 244-page memoir, the elder Miscavige tells bizarre and distressing stories about his 42-year relationship with the organization, beginning with his initial foray to his sons meteoric rise to power. Amid the stories of abuse, perhaps more eerie is the medical calm cast over the book maybe a result of Miscaviges own refusal to let go of the philosophies of the church that gave him life. He admits to hitting his ex-wife, Loretta. One of the charges levied against Ron Miscavige is that he regularly beat Loretta, his ex-wife and the mother of his four children, and he doesnt deny them. Early on in the book, Miscavige writes, There were times when I punched Loretta. I never slapped or hit her in the face, but, still, sometimes I did strike her. I might punch her in the arm or push her away when she was getting on me. She threw things at me pots, pans, a pot of boiling coffee once. He claims that most of their fights were verbal, though, and they fought constantly in front of their children. He moved his family to England to study Scientology. Unsurprisingly, Miscavige had his own zeal for Scientology. After making a successful living as a cookware salesman, Miscavige convinced his wife and the rest of his family to move to East Grinstead, England, for 15 months to study Scientology at the institute there. (David was 12 years old.) This meant quitting his job and pulling his kids out of school. In a quickly told story, Ron Miscavige said he first learned of Scientology from someone he did a pyramid scheme with called Holiday Magic; this person told him the method to getting rid of a headache was to conjure an image of yourself looking at a mirror and then give the headache to the person in the mirror. Miscavige tried it and it worked, thus leading him to become a convert. Davids own eureka moment would come when his father took him to see a Scientologist to rid him of his asthma, which was successful. (Indeed, this is an origin story David Miscavige has told as proof of Scientologys powers.) At 16, David would ask his parents if he could leave high school to join Sea Org, the sect of the most hard-core devotees where he would begin his relationship with L. Ron Hubbard. David helped his father out with a rape charge. When Ron was living in King of Prussia, his son David was 25 and by this time already one of the most powerful people in the church aside from L. Ron Hubbard himself. At the time, a woman had successfully sued the Church of Scientology for fraud and was awarded a $39 million settlement. Around that time, Ron Miscavige was also a suspect in an attempted-rape case. He called his son, and the next day the churchs attorney Michael Hertzberg showed up with a suitcase filled with cash for bail. Eventually, at the first hearing, the woman looked at Miscavige and said she wasnt sure if he was the man who attempted to rape her, so the case was dismissed. The conditions at the Gold Base sound disgusting. Following in his sons footsteps, Ron also joined Sea Org in 1985. He quickly moved to the Gold Base (home base for the inner circle of staff) to work on the music production team. He describes living there as constant work with no sleep and substandard food because at times the allocation for staff dipped to $3 per person per day. All of his mail was read and his phone calls monitored, and an escort followed him to the doctor. He says he arrived to this place of constant surveillance by tiny increments. He once got scabies from living there, remembering that his son had no concern for [him] at all and was merely worried about getting the parasites himself. Ron also had stress-related eczema that once got so severe he bled on his sheets. David Miscavige once told his department to spit on a staff member. Before he rose to the head of the organization, David was the head of ASI (Author Services, Inc.), which would promote L. Ron Hubbards literary endeavors as well as handle his income and finances. Ron writes of an instance where a staff member had fallen out of favor with David, who commanded everyone in his department to spit on the man. Miscavige writes, To their credit, everyone but David and one other person refused to spit on the man; David and his accomplice chewed tobacco before their despicable display. Their work relationship superseded the familial one. That Ron was Davids father did not put him above being verbally abused by his son at public events. At a musical event in St. Hill in the early 2000s, David went on a tirade in front of a well-known Italian pop-star about something that is unclear. I was totally and utterly mortified by the entire experience, writes Miscavige. At the end of it, Ron says, Okay I got it. And his son replied, Good. I was waiting to hear that from you. That is why I was going on for the last 55 minutes. Ron suggests that his son may be a sociopath, writing, Not all people who have these traits are sociopaths, of course, but because of their ability to seduce others with their charm, they can be tricky to identify. I will leave to you to draw your own conclusions about why I mention Stouts book [The Sociopath Next Door] in this chapter. But David still bought him a house! After he escaped from the Gold Base, Ron tried to write a letter to his son explaining what happened and why he decided to leave. Instead, the letter was sent back from an associate saying that David hadnt read it because it was antagonistic. Then Ron wrote another letter saying that he was broke because he had joined Sea Org (the workers get paid criminally low amounts). His son answered and gave him $100,000 so he could buy a house. David Miscavige told private investigators not to intervene if his father was dying. After Ron Miscavige successfully escaped the Gold camp with his wife Becky, his son had hired private investigators to follow him and dig up dirt on him for more than a year. Eventually, one of them was arrested by local law enforcement and discovered to have a GPS tracking device, a number of license plates, fake drivers licenses, handguns, rifles, and ammunition in the trunk. Apparently one of Davids orders to them was If he dies, he dies. Dont intervene. It was hearing this news relayed that Ron felt prompted to write this book. Lisa Marie Presley tried to intervene in their family dispute. After Ron left the church, his daughters Denise (Davids twin sister) and Lori disconnected from him a process that requires Scientologists to cut off communication with people labeled as suppressive persons. Ron Miscavige first met Lisa Marie Presley while they worked on a Scientology cruise. When they reconnected, he told Presley about what was going on, and she apparently tried to intervene. He writes that a few days later church officials then brought Denise out to chew out Lisa Marie. Miscavige writes, Lisa Maries husband told me afterward that watching Denise do her thing was like seeing Dave with a wig on blowing a gasket. Ron Miscavige still clings to his belief in Scientology. Considering Miscavige devoted the majority of his life to reading and practicing Scientology, its not hard to believe that he has a problem with letting go of its tenets. Indeed, much of the book analyzes his own son according to the principles of Scientology, demonstrating ways in which his son is a toxic personality type, according to an essay by Hubbard. Even when he was plotting to escape the Gold camp, he made sure to take all of his books by L. Ron Hubbard with him. Its clear that he sees the organization and the church not Scientology itself as the problem. A longtime high school art teacher in Waco remains on paid leave after her arrest last week on methamphetamine possession charges. Beverly Hills police arrested Heather Grace Hughes, an art teacher at Waco High School, and a passenger in her car after pulling over Hughes car at 1 a.m. April 25 for having a defective license plate light. Hughes, 44, who is free from jail after posting $10,000 bond, has taught in the Waco school system for a total of 15 years during two stints with the district, said Elaine Botello, assistant superintendent of human resources. Hughes has taught at Waco High for the past two years, Botello said. School administrators placed Hughes on administrative leave, in accordance with the State Education Code, which also dictates she continue to draw her annual salary of $48,300 while on leave unless the school board takes other action. Hughes reported her arrest to school administrators as required by her contract, but she was mum on the details of her arrest on the advice of her attorney, Botello said. I dont have any details about the circumstances involving her arrest, Botello said. I was very unhappy with the outcome of that meeting because she was not as forthcoming as we would have liked, especially with someone facing the loss of their job. Anytime an employee is arrested, especially on felony charges, we take that very seriously. Administration officials directed Hughes not to go to any WISD campus while she is on leave unless directed otherwise. They also instructed her to call the human resources department between 8:30 a.m. and 9:30 a.m. each Friday, which Hughes failed to do last week, Botello said. Hughes attorney, Seth Sutton, said he only recently was retained in the case and has requested reports from the district attorneys office. I look forward to finding out more about this matter and will work diligently to defend Ms. Hughes, Sutton said. According to an affidavit to support the arrest of Hughes and her passenger, Mary Ellen Gutierrez, 46, of Waco, Beverly Hills police officer Steve Cooper reported that he saw a dark, round-shaped object fall from the passengers door as he was pulling over a green car driven by Hughes. Cooper and another officer walked back and found a navy blue zipper case that contained what the officer reported was a blue glass pipe, a lighter, a retractable knife and an Altoids box with a white powdery substance inside. Neither woman would claim the contraband, so the officers arrested them both and put them in the back of a patrol car, Cooper wrote in his report. He tested the powder at the scene and reported it tested positive for methamphetamine with a total weight of 13.73 grams. Officers searched the car and found a marijuana pipe in Gutierrezs bag, according to the report. Gutierrez also was released from jail after posting $10,000 bail. Four Waco Independent School District students will travel to Washington, D.C., in June after advancing to the National History Day for the second time in a row. Students competed in Texas History Day this weekend after qualifying in their local history fairs. All students who competed presented original historical research focused on the 2016 theme Exploration, Encounter, Exchange in History. Winners taking first or second place in each level of competition advanced to the next stage. Tennyson Middle Schools ATLAS Academy eighth-grader Brigitte Eichenberg and seventh-grader Neal DuPuy placed first at both the regional and state competitions in the junior group performance division for their project, Martin and Osa Johnson: For the Love of Adventure. Harper Hoover, also an eighth-grade student at ATLAS Academy, won first place at both the regional and state history competitions in the junior individual performance division for her project, Dare to Explore: How the Founding of the National Geographic Society Changed the Scientific Community Forever. Waco High School freshman Gloria Conatser won second place at both the regional and state competitions in the senior individual documentary division for her project, From Jacob Lawrence to Ella Fitzgerald: The Exploration, Encounter and Exchange of Art through the Great Migration. The competition is open to students in fifth through 12th grade and divided into fifth-grade, junior and senior divisions. Fifth-grade students cannot advance beyond the regional competition. All students who participated submitted work in at least one of five categories: exhibit, historical paper, performance, documentary and website. All categories except the historical paper may be entered as either an individual or a group of two to five members. Those who place in the top three in their category at the national competition receive a medal and cash prizes. Two months after a McLennan County election disenfranchised more than 600 voters, two county commissioners still feel they have not received all the information pertaining to what caused the calamity. Commissioners Will Jones and Kelly Snell abstained from a vote Tuesday to accept a report from the countys Elections Commission. Both officials said they abstained because there are still unanswered questions about what led to the problems during the March primary. County Judge Scott Felton, who chairs the elections commission, said the commission adopted the statement Monday and outlined expectations for Elections Administrator Kathy Van Wolfe. Because Jones and Snell abstained and Commissioner Lester Gibson was not in attendance, the vote failed. Felton said he is a little perplexed with the result. The vote was not to say that you agree with the report or not agree with it, just that we got it, Felton said. Commissioner Ben Perry said he thought it was a good statement from the commission, but he still would like Van Wolfe to prepare a document to present to commissioners discussing how her office will meet the expectations listed in the election commissions report. Jones and Snell each said they dont understand how two weeks of early voting could go off without a hitch before problems cropped up on Election Day. The elections office was notified in early February that there would be a problem with the scanners used to select ballots on Election Day. Poll workers adjusted and manually wrote down information to get voters a ballot. But more than 600 people received the wrong ballot. Jones said no one has explained why the databases in the election equipment were different for early voting than for Election Day. I would like some more explanation from Kathy Van Wolfe in the public, some public testimony, about who ultimately made the decision to have two databases and why the databases didnt work on Election Day, Jones said. Snell expressed frustration after the meeting about not knowing about, and not being invited to, the elections commission meeting Monday to at least hear discussions. They havent really given us any answers on why it went wrong, Snell said. If the voting places on early voting, you could vote anywhere, then on Election Day you could still vote anywhere, why do you have to change the software? It doesnt seem like anybody wants to answer that question. The Elections Commission report states Van Wolfe took the proper steps to address issues from the March 1 joint primary election. The report asks that all voting software and hardware be tested in advance of elections and then personally verified by Van Wolfe. The report also calls for more training for election workers and for ballot style numbers to be easily distinguishable from precinct numbers. During the meeting, county commissioners also approved an exception to county policy for the elections office. Commissioners agreed to allow two county employees to work overtime in the elections office to help Van Wolfe. County Auditor Stan Chambers said the two employees, who are from different departments, will help with administrative work while Van Wolfe is shorthanded on staff. Van Wolfe fired an employee in the elections office in March in response to the March 1 election calamity. Chambers said the move would be an exception to the rule, as the county policy is to adjust schedules to avoid overtime. Felton said with elections Saturday, quickly followed by the joint primary runoff election May 24, Van Wolfe needs the extra help. Felton said this is not a long-term plan. County commissioners also authorized negotiations on a contract with the countys election equipment vendor, Hart InterCivic. The county will extend its contract with Hart InterCivic by a year, unless staff can negotiate a three-year contract with an opt-out clause in case the county purchases new election equipment. Van Wolfe told commissioners the countys elections equipment will need to be replaced in three to five years. The countys contract with Hart InterCivic covers the software and equipment. But it does not appear the company will continue making the product. If the countys equipment were to break in the future, there may not be a way to replace it, Van Wolfe said. Jones expressed hesitation about entering a long-term agreement when the equipment is 10 years old and about due for replacement. We have to have it for this one year, for sure, to get through the November elections, he said about the contract with Hart InterCivic. A group of Baylor University students presented a total of $52,250 in donations to nine nonprofit groups Tuesday to cap a semester of learning about philanthropic work. During the presentation in the Presidents Suite at McLane Stadium, President Ken Starr recognized the 19 students in the spring Philanthropy and the Public Good course, who then presented portions of the $52,250 to nonprofit representatives. Students met with dozens of nonprofit groups this semester before deciding on the nine that best aligned with the following community needs: health and wellness; hunger and homelessness; children, youth and education; human services and civil rights; community development; and culture, arts and the environment. It sort of gets more fun as we go, said Andy Hogue, who taught the course for the fourth semester. It continues to have stellar students who are devoted to this work, who take it very seriously, who view it as sacred work in many ways. The class gave Creative Waco $5,000, and Executive Director Fiona Bond said the students from the class were engaged throughout the process. Were always hearing how millennials are self-centered and how they do a horrible job of being active members of community and society, Bond said. Each time I work with students with this class, I am given hope thats not true. They buck that trend. Last semester, The Once Upon a Time Foundation, a Fort Worth based program, provided more than $50,000 that was donated to seven nonprofit groups. Leftover funds from last semester made up this years money, in addition to gifts from private donors and Aramark, Baylors food services vendor. The Fort Worth foundation works with universities across the country. The Texas Hunger Initiative at Baylor received $5,500 to provide breakfast to about 1,000 Waco High School students on mobile carts designed for accessibility. We are really excited that they chose to fund this particular project, said Doug McDurham, Texas Hunger Initiatives director of communications and student engagement. We know that a lot of students in our community experience food insecurity. McDurham said Hogue has created an opportunity for young people to understand not only the scope of need in the community but also how financial resources can address the needs. Senior Kevin Renois said he feels more knowledgeable about the community after taking the class. Love mankind I didnt know very much about the social sector or about the nonprofits in Waco before taking this class, Renois said. Andy did a great job of teaching us the philosophy of what it means to do charitable work, what it means to love mankind and Waco specifically. Restoration Haven received $10,000, the largest gift in the batch. It will fund two vans to transport children participating in after-school programs. The nonprofit group aims to end poverty by providing basic needs and empowering families. Starr said this particular course is his favorite at Baylor, despite the fact that he teaches one at the law school. When we talk about transformational education, those can simply be hollow, empty words, or they can be filled with power, Starr said. This course is filled with power. Ken Meyer started his journey on foot near Houston, went west through College Station, then through Bastrop and up to Pflugerville. He then headed north through Temple, Waco and West. He will go as far north as Midlothian, then all the way back down to the Gulf of Mexico. Meyer, 43, is walking the entire distance: 628 miles, each mile intended to spread awareness of post-traumatic stress disorder. The distance honors servicemen who died in Operation Red Wings on June 28, 2005, in Afghanistan. The operation, intended to kill a Taliban leader, was popularized by a 2007 nonfiction book and 2013 film, both titled Lone Survivor. Meyer walks 19 miles one day, honoring the 19 who died in Operation Red Wings, and 22 miles the next day, honoring the average of 22 veterans who die by suicide related to PTSD each day. The journey will end in Crystal Beach at Texas Frog Fest on May 28, a fundraiser sponsored by the Lone Survivor Foundation. Meyer and his family volunteer at the foundation. Meyer is a four-year veteran of the U.S. Air Force Security Police. He said his bruises and blisters continue, but an outpouring of support keeps him going. People often join him on the journey, which began April 16 in Conroe. Its been a really cool experience, Meyer said. Im meeting people along the way, hearing their experiences and learning about the people out there and knowing Im not alone in this. Through social media posts and word-of-mouth, Meyers trek is gaining notoriety. On Thursday, he will meet with the family of Chris Kyle, a U.S. Navy SEAL and sniper with the most kills in military history. Kyle was killed by a former Marine at a shooting range. His story was popularized by the 2014 film, American Sniper. Meyer said it is important that people like Kyle are not forgotten. He is making most of the trek with his 16-month-old dog, Hope. Shes been with me and she helps me with my PTS by being with me when I get anxious, Meyer said. She watches my back when people are behind me, creates a separation from me and someone else by putting her body in between, and she wakes me from nightmares. Yeah, just a really great dog. Meyers wife, Judi, said spreading the word of PTSD awareness is the most important aspect, not the extra attention. People are invited to walk with him and donate to the Lone Survivor Foundation. What started as a very personal thing for him became this, Lone Survivor Foundation spokeswoman Jen Brown said. He was just going to walk and wasnt looking for attention. Meyer spent Saturday night at a Waco Fire Department station on Elm Avenue. The station also gave him breakfast Sunday, and he continued through West on Monday. Hes a really sincere guy, assistant fire chief Patrick Kerwin said. Hes trying to do something to help PTSD. Meyer often spends nights on couches of friends and supporters or sleeps in his tent. While walking through Waco, Meyer met a young man who had military aspirations of his own. After discussing PTSD and sharing a Big Red soda, the man saluted for a photo, he said. Hes from a broken family in a bad part of town with high ambitions, Meyer said. That just made my day right there. Im meeting people like that along the way that inspire me to walk farther. As in any U.S. national election without an incumbent president, the candidates are painting a not very pretty picture: The country is going to hell, bluntly asserts the Republican front-runner, Donald Trump. The Democratic challenger, Sen. Bernie Sanders, isnt much kinder, and even Hillary Clinton is starting to focus more on challenges than successes. To many voters the message is: The economy is terrible, the social fabric is disintegrating, and America is losing respect around the world. Certainly, problems abound. The recovery from the 2008-09 recession has been uneven and is characterized by widening income inequality; wages for the average working family have stagnated for decades; racial tensions in some places have worsened; suicide rates are up; terrorism is on the rise; Russia and China are threatening; and the political system is dysfunctional. But that is hardly the whole or even the dominant story. Politics aside, there is more good news than bad. For all the inequities, no Western economy has recovered from the recession as well as the United States. The unemployment rate has been cut in half with 14 million jobs added over the past six years. Most other indices are encouraging: Consumer confidence has risen, and the housing market has basically recovered. Budget deficits have plummeted, theres less reliance on foreign oil than any time in almost three decades, and the health care overhaul has had more positive consequences than negative ones. Still, wages are only starting to creep up. While the federal government is frozen, more than one-third of states have boosted their minimum wage. Wages should be a focus of the presidential campaign, and vows such as breaking up the banks or slapping big tariffs on Chinese imports are distractions. There is progress on the cultural and social fronts, too. Bitter divides remain, but Americans have become more tolerant. Although some politicians still pander to racial prejudices, young people are more open. The same is true of sexual orientation. Ten years ago, same-sex marriage, even some basic gay rights, was an explosive issue; today, there is wide and growing acceptance. There are encouraging developments on issues emphasized by conservatives, too. There are only about half as many abortions as 30 years ago. Teenage pregnancies have plummeted. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported last week that the birthrate among American teenagers has fallen to a historic low. This continues a quarter-century of improvement; especially important to experts is that the sharpest drops have been among Hispanic and black teenagers. The world is a dangerous place, but its not as threatening to the United States as it was 10 years ago, when two wars raged. There is slow progress in the fight against the Islamic State, though future terrorist acts are inevitable and the danger will remain for years. Critics claim that President Vladimir Putin of Russia has consistently outmaneuvered President Obama. Yet Russia is more isolated today and subject to economic sanctions. And Putins Syrian involvement could become a quagmire. China is more important and has been more aggressive in Asia, but its internal political and economic problems dwarf those of the United States. To be sure, many problems articulated in the campaign are real. The next president faces a host of economic, national security and social challenges. But pessimists still should answer two questions: If the goal is to make America great again, what era should we aspire to return to? And is there really any country whose hand you would rather have? Albert Hunt is a Bloomberg View columnist. WAHOO The second session of the 104th Legislature came to a close recently, and Dist. 23 State Sen. Jerry Johnson says it was, for the most part, a productive session. The short session saw the legislators pass 216 bills. While some of those bills such as Johnsons priority bill which prohibited the sale and uses of flying lanterns gained approval early in the session, most of those bills were debated in the final weeks. That is becoming typical, the senator from Wahoo said. It doesnt matter whether its the long session or the short session, the last three weeks get pretty hectic time-wise, he said. It tends to get bogged down with some of the complicated bills. It kind of has become a bad tactic, because then you get into partisanship. One of time management issues this past session was the number of filibusters. We broke the record for filibusters, Johnson said. A filibuster is a prolonged debate over a piece of proposed legislation. It is often a tactic to extend debate and obstruct action by the legislative body. Filibustering is allowed by the rules of the Nebraska Unicameral. This session, the senators voted on 24 filibuster-ending motions. Johnson said the tactic is legal, but frustrating, especially since the filibuster discussion usually meandered away from the piece of legislation at hand. Discussion has already begun, he said, about how to better manage filibusters in the future. We need to figure out how to make sure the extended debate is on target, he said. Due to the number of filibusters and some other scheduling changes, four senators priority bills didnt even get heard. Since this was the second session for the current two-session Legislature, that means they wont automatically get carried over to the next term. Johnson said he was pleased this his priority bill, LB 136, did pass. Banning flying lanterns had been proposed in previous legislative sessions, but did not get priority status. Based on flying lantern dangers he was hearing about from cities, villages and fire departments in his district, the senator said he decided it was time to push for the ban. Johnson, who chairs the Legislatures Agriculture Committee, said he felt several important pieces of ag legislation were passed this session. One of the ag-related bills that generated a lot of discussion early on ended up getting pulled from debate. The Right to Farm Bill would have added an amendment to the state constitution. As proposed by Sen. John Kuehn of Heartwell it would have offered protection from government imposing restrictions on crop and livestock production without a compelling state interest. The proposal had support, but it needed more work, Johnson said. Everybody believed in the concept, he said. But when we looked at the bill, some of the concepts were a little vague in language and some of the concepts were a little strict in language. Another one of the controversial bills to come out of this past session was LB 947, the bill that grants professional and commercial licenses to immigrants who were brought to the U.S. illegally as children. The measure applies primarily to those immigrants allowed to temporarily remain in the country under a federal program called Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA. The program offers two-year renewable work permits to the category of immigrants who were brought to the nation illegally when they were young. The legislature passed LB947, and then the governor vetoed it. On April 20, the final day of the session, a 31-13 vote of the senators overrode the Gov. Pete Ricketts veto. Johnson abstained from voting. When it came time to vote, he said he still had questions on both sides of the issue. Johnson was lobbied by both sides right up until the start of the last days debate. He said he also listened intently during as both sides those who wanted a yes vote to override the veto and those who wanted a no in support of the governors rejection debate on the floor that morning. They didnt clear up everything in my mind, but I wasnt ready to vote yes, he said. Given that he has a culturally diverse constituency in his district that covers Saunders, Butler and Colfax counties, Johnson said he had received support for LB947. Still, he had some constituents that did not support it, and there is a court case pending on the constitutionality of a similar bill in another jurisdiction. The session may be over, but Johnson still has a full slate of work ahead of him. There are 10 interim studies planned for this summer. The Right to Farm bill will be one of the issues under study. A joint effort of the Ag Committee and the Revenue Committee will also undertake a property tax study. Johnson said the legislature did pass a property tax relief bill this past session that should offer some relief to agricultural property owners, but he called it more of a band aid than a solution. Were subsidizing it, but we are not fixing the problem, he said. Another ag-related study will deal with grape growers and nearby cornfields. Johnson will also spend some time on a study that aims to identify Nebraskans who may not have access to healthy foods due to their location or other circumstances. ASHLAND Poet Ted Kooser will be doing a book signing at Postscript on Saturday, May 14, from 10:30 a.m. until 2 p.m. for the release of his newest childrens book, The Bell in the Bridge. The book was illustrated by Barry Root. Kooser will give some remarks at 10:45 a.m., and refreshments will be served. This is Koosers third picture book. Previous titles include House Held Up by Trees, illustrated by Jon Klassen, and Bag in the Wind, also illustrated by Root. Kooser served as the U.S. Poet Laureate from 2004 to 2006 and his book Delights & Shadows won the 2005 Pulitzer Prize for poetry. He is a Presidential Professor of English at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. He also worked in the life insurance business for many years, retiring in 1999 as a vice president. He and his wife, Kathleen Rutledge, retired editor of the Lincoln Journal Star, live on an acreage near Garland. WAHOO Saunders Countys 14,451 registered voters will get to exercise their role in democracy next Tuesday at the 2016 primary election. From the national stage to local boards, the results of Tuesdays election will narrow down several important races for Novembers General Election Ballot. There will be presidential candidates, congressional candidates and candidates for legislature, said Saunders County Election Officer Patti Lindgren. For Republicans that live in District 4 in northeast Saunders County, incumbent Scott Sukstorf faces non-incumbent Tom Slobodnik for a seat on the Saunders County Board of Supervisors. There is no declared opponent on the Democratic ticket. Republican voters in District 6 in southern Wahoo and nearby areas will choose between incumbent Ed Rastovski and Ryan Hrdlicka for a spot on the Board of Supervisors as well. There is no declared opponent on the Democratic ticket. The Lower Platte North Natural Resource District ballot will be an eliminators as well. In Subdistrict 7, Ryan Sabatka of Weston, Bryon Chvatal of Prague and Eddie Stuchlik II of Weston will be on the ballot. The top two vote getters will advance to the November election for the Subdistrict 7 seat. All three candidates are non-incumbents. In Subdistrict 8, incumbent director James Gibney Jr. of Wahoo will be on the ballot facing challengers Kenneth Stuchlik and Rogers Harders, both of Wahoo. The top two vote getters for this race will also advance to the General Election in November. Preparation for next Tuesdays election is in full swing at the election office in the Saunders County Courthouse. Lindgren said that of the countys 14,451 registered voters, there have been 267 absentee/early voter ballots issued as of April 27. This number is 76 shy of the number issued in 2012, also a presidential election year. For primary elections, there is generally not a good turnout, said Lindgren. In a presidential year, voter turnout is about 30 percent. In the general election in the fall, the numbers are better, about 70 percent turnout, she added. Since the last presidential election in 2012, there are 246 more registered voters in Saunders County. There are 621 fewer registered Democrats, down from 4,665, and 605 more registered Republicans, up from 7,318. There are 68 registered Libertarians and 2,416 nonpartisan voters. There are 203 more nonpartisan voters than in 2012. There are 94 poll workers that will man 17 polling places across the county. Five poll workers are required at each place by state statue, said Lindgren. Three polling places have extra workers, due to higher population. Training is required for these poll workers. Training takes place this week at the courthouse in five different sessions. Poll workers are evenly split at each polling place by party, but once at work, the five are simply the three judges and two clerks necessary to do the work, said Lindgren. Poll workers have to be registered voters and have to apply for the position. Most workers have been doing it for years and years, said Lindgren. Election software is utilized to count the votes, but periodically, the Secretary of State can audit poling places where theyve had to go back and hand count ballots, she said. People worry about hacking the software or tampering, said Lindgren. Saunders County was audited several times by the Secretary of State and recounted votes, but hit it right-on every time, she said. Its all very detailed. People dont realize how detailed it all is, she said. The complicated process for election officers translates to a simple process for voters. Lindgren said voters do not need to bring anything to vote. Names are found on the ledgers then verified by address. Their party will determine what ballot they get, she said. Those options are Republican, Democrat, Libertarian, non-registered Republican and non-registered Democrat. Non-partisan party ballots for Democrats and Libertarians will receive the full ballot, as both of those parties opened their full ballots to voters. On the non-registered Republican ballot, only the congressional districts will be available, as they did not open their full ballot. For example, if a voter is not registered as a Republican, but asks for and receives a non-registered Republican voter ballot, that voter would not be able to vote for any Fepublican office other than congressional districts. Voters dont have to vote on every race on their ballot, but if they do, their instructions are to use pencil, blue ink or blank ink to darken the oval next to their choice. If a voter chooses to write in, they have to darken that oval and then write it in, said Lindgren. Those eligible to be written in have to complete an affidavit to be declared as an official write-in, she said. That deadline was April 29. We dont have to look at all those unless they are for a declared write-in. We do get a lot of Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck and f-you, she said. WAVERLY Voters will have an opportunity to cast their votes in the crowded Legislative District 25 race during the May 10 Primary. All five candidates for the seat Dale Michels, Suzanne Geist, Les Spry, David Tagart and Jim Gordon responded to a questionnaire from the News. Leslie Spry Leslie Spry said his extensive experience working with the public as a medical professional, including a 14-year stint as the chairman of the Nebraska Medical Association Commission on Legislation, would help him as a state senator. I have served the community in many leadership positions and feel that I could represent the citizens of District No. 25 in the Nebraska Legislature as well, he said. My ability to talk with people and bridge divides in the community has been a hallmark of my leadership positions. He said he feels he has more to do to help the public. I feel called to further represent the community in the Legislature, he said. I was born and raised on a farm in central Nebraska and have rural roots, but also have a firm understanding of the problems we see in Lincoln and Waverly. One issue Spry has in his crosshairs is reducing the reliance on property taxes for school funding. If elected, he would find alternatives to fund state schools. I want to reduce the reliance on property taxes for funding of our schools by finding other sources of revenue from excise taxes and sales taxes on non-food items such as soda pop, Red Bull and candy for funding of schools, he said. This will be my goal for my service in the Legislature. I believe I can do this both as a Public Health goal and school funding goal. His experience as a physician has also led him to focus to on enhancing healthcare in the state. I also have proposals for increasing the movement of individuals from Medicaid to employer based health care and out of the cycle of poverty, he said. I believe there is a cost effective way to do this and increase the access to preventative health care and the overall burden of chronic disease in our State. Jim Gordon Jim Gordon of Walton said he joined the race because he wants to avoid partisan gridlock like Americans see in federal government. I came home from Vietnam with a shattered leg and a cane for life, he said. But I also came home realizing how much the people of this community mean to me. I am running because I have a strong desire to serve all of the citizens of our district and state. I hold the conviction that policymaking is an important and noble endeavor which will allow me to help shape and create more economic and educational opportunities for the people of our state. Working together, we can make our community and our state a stronger, safer and better place for the citizens of Nebraska. Gordon has ties to the legislature. His mother, Sally Gordon, served two Nebraska governors and also spent time as the Unicamerals Assistant sergeant-at-arms for 27 years. After returning from Vietnam, where he served in the U.S. Armys First Air Cavalry Division, Gordon attended the University of Nebraska-Lincoln School of Law. Since then, hes worked in a private practice. Hes also been a longtime member of the Nebraska Bar Associations Legislation Committee. I am a trained mediator, he said. I know how to listen, to bring people together, and to help them to find solutions to problems so that litigation can be avoided. If elected, Gordon said he would focus his energy on five key issues: property tax relief, social security income taxes, jobs and economic growth, affordable post-secondary education and mental health services. Nebraskas school funding formula needs to be re-evaluated, he said. I believe that Nebraska relies too heavily on the property tax, he said. Nebraska is 49th in the nation in the percentage of state aid provided to our K-12 schools that is but one reason we have such high property taxes. David Tagart David Tagart has spent his professional career working to help those in need, he said. Hes lived in the district since 2005. Tagart currently serves as the chief executive officer of ABLED, an agency that provides services to the developmentally disabled. His Christian values have been a driving force in his life. We consider ABLED a Christian ministry, he said. We do not require those served or those serving to be Christians but we do require that they follow Christian principles. You have to follow the Golden Rule and treat others the way you would want to be treated. No one has had a concern with that. Also, everyone is important and valued as a human being. The individuals we serve are just as important as the wealthy and powerful in our State. In addition to serving as a CEO, Tagart is also a tax attorney, which would help him understand the financial implications of legislation, he said. If elected, Tagart would make his primary focus the expansion Medicaid. One hundred thousand hardworking Nebraskans who currently cannot afford healthcare and do not qualify for Medicaid would have healthcare, he said. It would create 10,000 jobs and protect our healthcare facilities. When those 100,000 Nebraskans need medical attention they cannot afford who pays for it? We are already paying for this. Tagart would also work to reform the criminal justice system, which costs taxpayers unneeded money, he said. A one year sentence costs taxpayers about $40,000, he said. We would be better served by having non-violent criminals make restitution and perform community services. Tagart is also pro-life and supports the right to bear arms, he said. He is against capital punishment. Tagart said he would be the candidate who represents all residents in the state. I will represent all Nebraskans not just the wealthy and powerful, not just Republican or Democrats, not just those who vote, he said. I am Independent so I have the freedom to vote my conscience on every issue. Suzanne Geist Suzanne Geist said her experience as a wife, mother and grandmother has made her more aware of problems the state faces. I am concerned about the direction our state is going. Im concerned about excessive spending and taxation. It not only causes a financial burden now, but threatens the financial future of our children and grandchildren, she said. I decided to get involved to become part of a solution that utilizes a common-sense business mindset to limiting spending, trimming budgets and developing a lean, efficient government. Geist has more than 15 years of experience in sales, mostly in the pharmaceutical and telecommunication fields. She said that experience makes her a better communicator and listener. It requires that I understand a variety of businesses, how they operate and how to assist in making the process more effective and efficient, she said. It also requires continuous follow-up and good communication. I will bring this type of thinking and action into the Legislature. As a member of the Legislature, Geist said she would focus on reducing government spending, fostering a positive business and agricultural climate and ensuring quality education for all Nebraska children. She also said shell be a true representative. One of the main issues Ive heard while visiting with voters at their front doors is that they are tired of electing someone who says they will represent the voters values, then they legislate in a completely different way, she said. I am the person who I represent, and I am committed to being that person as a Legislator. I will serve with openness and honesty, hard work and dedication. Dale Michels Dale Michels also has medical experience. He said his experience as a physician prompted him to enter the race. I have been serving people all my professional life as a family physician, he said. With Kathy Campbell being term limited, I felt this was my opportunity to represent District 25 and serve the people of Nebraska using my 42 years of experience as a family physician and look to help meet the needs of Nebraskans in a broader context. Michels has served in a number of leadership roles, including as chairman of the Lincoln Christian School Board and as a member of the Back to the Bible board for 30 years. He also volunteered as the Legislatures family physician of the day for 33 years. Each of these experiences has given me insight in how the unicameral works and opportunities to be a leader in multiple different ways, he said. As a Senator I will have the opportunity to use those skills and the knowledge gained in the Unicameral. Michels said he would make health-related issues his focus if elected. This would include pro-conscience issues, medical transparency issues and continuing to be a pro-life, from conception to natural death, voice, he said. We still have to solve the problem of the lack of some type of medical coverage for those currently without that coverage. I see the need for making sure that the Legislature remains true to serving Nebraskans without imposing new taxes or undue restrictions on them. WAVERLY Nineteen students from Waverlys Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) chapter traveled to Omaha for their state leadership conference (SLC) on Thursday, April 7 to compete through Saturday, April 9. Students spent Thursday and Friday competing in their events; a majority of competitions are 100-question objective tests on specific subjects relating to business. One alternative to the aforementioned are tests taken at school prior to the SLC, and yet another alternative is the project-based competitions, ranging from writing and presenting speeches to designing advertisements. On Friday night, honorable mentions were awarded to students placing in the top four percent in their events, excluding the top eight placers. Honorable mentions were awarded to senior Greg Wetzel and senior Jared Ohlmann in Business Calculations, senior Hannah Jackson in Business Law, junior Serena Mueller and seniors Josh Doppler and Jennifer Russell in Economics, Doppler in Personal Finance and Ohlmann in Securities and Investments. Objective tests can have a number of competitors starting at 300 students and get up to, if not more than, 600 students; that said, ending in top four percent proves an arduous task. On Saturday morning, the top eight placers received recognition. Places eighth through fourth received a certificate, while places third through first received plaques and a chance to compete at the National Leadership Conference this summer. The top eight placers were awarded as follows: Russell, eighth place in Accounting I; senior Seth Carnes, Doppler and Ohlmann, fifth place in Banking and Financial Systems; junior Emma Thede, first place in Business Calculations; junior Mary Morton and Mueller, seventh place in Emerging Business Issues; freshman Analiese Wiedenbeck, second place in FBLA Principles and Procedures; freshman Garrett Schliep, fifth place in FBLA Principles and Procedures; senior Whitney Laritson and junior Colton Kraft, fourth place in Marketing; Wiedenbeck, second place in Public Speaking I; senior Paige McCaslin and Jackson, second place in Publication Design; Russell, eighth place in Securities and Investments; Mueller, fourth place in Word Processing. One of the many submissions sent to Nebraska FBLA prior to the conference is All-State Quality Member eligibility. Mueller and seniors Karoline Finken and Mirza Garcia received a ribbon and button for attending a certain number of FBLA conferences, leading local chapter meetings, gaining public relations experience and offering a variety of services to Waverly as a whole. Every Waverly student in attendance also wore a total of nine ribbons for various goals met, including Feed Nebraska, StepUp2Tech, iGive, Seven Up and March of Dimes, each representing a certain task or service fulfilled. In addition to competitive events and ribbon accomplishments, Waverly students were busy campaigning and giving encouragement to a fellow member throughout the conference. Having gone through an interview and testing process in February, Waverlys chapter president Serena Mueller was in the running for the Nebraska FBLA state reporter position. She coined the slogan, Set the Scene with Serena Jean, and presented a speech to the 2,500 members in attendance about her goals and qualifications. The evening following her speech, she answered questions about her candidacy at the Formal Caucus. The next day, votes were cast and counted and unfortunately, Mueller was not elected into office. Despite this, her dedication and commitment to Waverly and Nebraska FBLA has not been overlooked; in addition to her awards, she was named Waverlys Whos Who In Nebraska FBLA and anticipates obtaining another leadership position on Waverly FBLAs officer team next year. Nebraska FBLA boasts a proud number of 5,600 members from more than 150 schools around the state. Beyond providing tests to measure students knowledge of business, FBLA offers opportunities to network, grow, experience and learn, and isnt set to change the pace of its influence any time in the near future. Often derided as a blot on rural landscapes, wind turbines got bigger and stronger than ever anyway. The next generation are even larger and designed to withstand an Arctic battering. The granddaddy of them all is a machine with rotors that cut a 538-foot (164-meter) swath made by a Vestas Wind Systems venture with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. A single blade is 80 meters, about the entire wingspan of an Airbus A380 jumbo jet. In the intensely competitive wind turbine business, it's rare for executives to allow a close-up look of what they're developing, lest they tip off rivals. Vestas allowed Bloomberg News to visit and photograph the prototype units. As they got bigger, the units became more efficient, boosting global installations 23 percent last year to a record 63.5 gigawatts, which at full tilt would be about as much as what flows from 63 nuclear reactors. Wind is now the most installed form of low-carbon energy. While few people outside the industry noticed, the trend lifted shares and profit of manufacturers from their crash during the financial crisis. Vestas is due to report its fifth consecutive increase in quarterly profit on Friday, overcoming a slump that forced it to cut 3,000 jobs since 2011. Even the plunge in crude prices since 2014 has failed to derail industry growth. "The doubling of turbine size this decade will allow wind farms in 2020 to use half the number of turbines compared to 2010," said Tom Harries, an industry analyst at Bloomberg New Energy Finance. "This means fewer foundations, less cabling and simpler installation -- all key in slashing costs for the industry." The average turbine installed in Europe was 4.1 megawatts last year, 28 percent larger than in 2010, according to the London-based researcher, which expects 6.8 megawatts to be the norm by 2020. Harries said Siemens has hinted it's working on a 10 megawatt turbine. Standing in northern Denmark, where fjords cut through flat farmland, MHI Vestas Offshore Wind has erected the world's most powerful turbine. The turbine produces 8 megawatts of power, enough for about 4,000 homes. It could challenge the lead in offshore wind accrued by Siemens, which has almost two-thirds of installed capacity, according to BNEF. MHI Vestas is in second place, with 19 percent. A Siemens spokesman said a 7-megawatt turbine the company is working on has a "track record of reliability" that will reduce costs for customers. It won its biggest contract for the machine on Wednesday from the Spanish utility Iberdrola, which will buy 102 turbines valued at as much as $1.2 billion (825 million pounds). The 80-meter blades of the MHI Vestas V164 make the machine almost as high as the Times Square Tower in New York, and are so large that they were "a nightmare" to transport on narrow country roads, Jens Tommerup, chief executive officer of the venture, said in an interview. This prototype is built for use offshore and has been tested on land since January 2014 at the wind turbine field in Osterlid, managed by the Technical University of Denmark. The goal is to spot faults before they enter service. The blades for the V164 will be shipped from the Isle of Wight, off the south coast of the U.K., where there's a special port facility to supply wind farms. The turbine is unlikely to ever operate onshore, said Tommerup, the unit's CEO. "It's just too big." Chris Ratcliffe An employee closes the hatch after exiting the nacelle of a Vestas V164 wind turbine during operational testing April 18 at the Danish National Testing Center for Large Wind Turbines in Osterild, Denmark. Manufacturers need to be close to the sites of wind parks because their machines typically weigh hundreds of tons. More than 80 percent of planned offshore wind farms will use turbines larger than 5 megawatts in size, according to Bloomberg New Energy Finance. All of the 72 turbines in MHI Vestas's firm and unconditional order book will be installed in U.K. waters -- at Dong Energy's Burbo Bank Extension and Walney Phase 1 Extension projects, both in the Irish Sea. Computers allow the machine to adapt to all conditions. The blades rotate to face the wind and limit downtime. During gales of 12 meters per second (27 mph, or 43/kph), motors restrict the turbine from spinning too fast. When it gets more violent, the turbine can switch off. While some rivals aim for a 10 megawatt machine, MHI Vestas says it's focused solely on the 8-megawatt tower for now. "There needs to be a sizable market for it. Right now, there's no plans for a future turbine. We need to get the volume up so we can get the cost down," said Henrik Baek Joergensen, head of product management. #Korean Air-Cebu incident Korean Air flight overruns Cebu runway, no injuries reported Korean Air Co. said Monday its flight KE631 with 173 people on board overran the runway while landing at Cebu International Airport in the Philippines a day earlier but no injuries... #Yoon Suk-yeol Yoon calls for war against drug crimes President Yoon Suk-yeol called Monday for special measures to address drug crimes, saying they must be stopped before they become a national-level threat. Yoon gave the instruct... by Luigino Caliaro Amongst those who witnessed the SIAI-Marchetti S.211 prototype jet trainer make its first flight on April 10th, 1981, only a few could have imagined that this jet trainer, the first design of its type to come from the celebrated Italian aerospace company, would undergo a second lease of life on the civilian market more than thirty year later. Moreover, it is likely that the project will enjoy a third phase in its career with Alenia Aermacchi, a subsidiary of Leonardo-Finmeccanica, offering an upgraded S.211 named the M-345 HET. The Aeronautica Militare (Italian Air Force) selected the M-345 in 2013 as the future mount for the Italian national aerobatic team, the Frecce Tricolori. It is scheduled to debut with the world-famous organization during their 2017 display season. THE AIRCRAFT This little trainer represents the swan song of SIAI-Marchetti. It was the first jet aircraft design to emerge from their facility at Sesto Calende, but also the last to enter into production before the historic company merged with Aermacchi at Vergiate, which itself became a part of the massive Finmeccanica conglomerate. The S.211 concept, developed by the SIAI design team and self-financed by the Lombardia manufacturer, was centred around the creation on an integrated training system for military pilots who, having gained their first flying experience on the piston-engined SF.260 light aircraft, would transition directly onto jets; completing both basic and advanced training courses on the same aircraft. The aircraft, presented as a mock-up at the Paris Salon in 1979, performed its first flight from the runway at Malpensa on April 10th, 1981, with Comandante Alessandro Ghisleni at the controls. During initial trials, the S.211 demonstrated good handling characteristics, attracting significant interest from numerous air arms intent on re-equipping their flying schools with a modern, economical aircraft. In fact, with the adoption of the Pratt&Whitney JT15D-4C turbofan (very similar to the engine used by the Cessna Citation), the S.211 proved highly economical to operate. Nevertheless, despite its excellent characteristics, the diminutive trainer failed to achieve the anticipated successes in the military field, with the largest order coming from the Republic of Singapore Air Force, which ordered 32 examples between 1983 and 1984; flying them until 2008. The Philippine Air Force acquired 25 of the Italian trainers; four of which are still operational. The final export success saw four examples heading to Haiti in 1985, although they didnt stay long in the desperately poor nation, which put them up for sale in 1990 some of them moved on to Singapore while others went to American civilians. In the 1990s, the SIAI S.211 was a contender in the JPATS (Joint Primary Aircraft Training System) competition, intended to result in the acquisition of a new basic trainer for the American armed forces. SIAI-Marchettis initial S.211 design received significant upgrades in order to meet the demanding requirements specified by the JPATS competition. They teamed up with the Grumman Aerospace Corporation, as all foreign-designed aircraft in the contest had to be offered by an American-based company. Unfortunately for the S.211, although the trainer was deemed the best of the jet-powered competitors (even outclassing its bitterest rival, the Aermacchi MB-339C), the Pentagon chose the Raytheon T-6 Texan II, an American development of the Swiss-designed Pilatus PC-9 turboprop. S.211 Jet, LLC Despite the American government failing to select the S.211 for its JAPTS program, Doug Matthews, the owner of Classic Fighters of America and a true aviation enthusiast, feels that the Siai-Marchetti S.211 represents a highly capable basic trainer and an excellent fit for the civilian market. Doug Matthews talks about the type with real conviction drawn from personal experience. Matthews, as a former US Navy pilot, Citation test pilot, and professional air display performer with more than 20,000 flying hours, knows of what he speaks. He encountered the 211 for the first time a few years ago during a visit to the EAA AirVenture at Oshkosh. At first glance, Doug Matthews thought he was looking at an ex-US Navy T-45, but quickly realized his error, I approached the aircraft with curiosity, he said, trying to identify what it was. I thought I knew all the former military jets flying in the civilian sector, but I was mistaken! Finally, I caught sight of the data plate positioned on the tail of the aircraft Its a Siai-Marchetti S.211! A year or so later, Matthews took a call from a friend in California, the happy owner of an ex-Republic of Singapore Air Force S.211, who invited him to come and try the aircraft. For Matthews, it was love at first sight. I quickly got to work, he said, and shortly afterwards I bought the fourth example to be registered in the United States [Ed.another ex-RSAF jet]. Today there are at least twelve operational SIAI S.211s registered in the United States, and around twenty five others in the rest of the world (out of roughly sixty produced). The aircraft, all sold through an Australian broker who acquired them surplus from the Republic of Singapore and Philippine Air Forces, have achieved notable success on the American market thanks to their performance and thrifty operation. It is a really good aircraft, Doug Matthews continued. It is fully aerobatic, easy to fly and above all, economical to operate. With fuel consumption of just under 70 gallons per hour and a speed of 330 knots at 28,000 feet it represents an excellent mode of transport, especially for rapid work-related trips. By way of comparison, the popular Czech-designed Aero Vodochody L-39s average fuel consumption rate is more than double that of the S.211. It isnt by chance that Doug Matthews frequently uses one of his S.211s for business travel in connection with his aviation consultancy and commercial jet trading business. His satisfaction with this Italian jewel is so great that Matthews established the company S.211 Jet LLC around eighteen months ago in Titusville, Florida, aiming to become the reference point and broker for all North American-based S.211s. In recent months, Matthews has been heavily involved in this new venture, touring the world, and frequently visiting Italy, to acquire airframes and spare parts for the aircraft. Currently he possesses three S.211s plus a further example which he operates and maintains for a client. S-211 Jet, LLCs workshop is fully equipped to conduct complete restorations, maintenance, and the application of personal modifications to any clients potential need, whether it be the installation of a modern glass cockpit or state of the art navigation equipment, etc. Matthews states that, The SIAI is a very simple aircraft, and offers us very few problems of a technical nature. The turbofan engine has been extensively tested and there are no problems with spare parts, given that it is widely used, in different versions, by many executive aircraft. The fact that the greater part of its components have been manufactured in the USA (a strategy adopted for the JPATS competition) can do nothing but increase its attractiveness from the technical maintenance aspect, as it offers the possibility of making notable savings in operating managements costs. Having had the opportunity to fly this little Italian gem for a couple of years, I have come to the conclusion that the aircraft represents an excellent and economic platform from conversion from propeller to jet powered aircraft. For this reason S-211 Jet, LLC does not limit itself to offering sales of the aircraft or its maintenance, but provides clients with packages and complete training programmes, such as propeller-to-jet conversion, the opportunity for jet-time building and aerobatic and formation flying training. This is possible thanks to the collaboration and generosity of a former Italian military pilot with significant experience, Piercarlo Ciacchi, who has a background of thousands of hours on the F-104 and F-16 and who flew for a few years with the Italian national aerobatic team. For those who desire it, moreover, we can offer simple jet-life experience flights at a very attractive cost. In the companys home base of Titusville, Florida, we met Piercarlo Ciacchi, an old friend of mine formerly of the Frecce Tricolori, who moved to the USA to fly the F-104s operated by Starfighters Aerospace at Cape Canaveral. Ciacchi confirms Matthews positive opinion of the little Italian trainer, and we took advantage of the fact that there was probably no one better to offer a judgement about the comparative merits of the two Italian jet trainers built in the 1990s, the Aermacchi MB 339 and our subject, the SIAI S.211. Ciacchi said that the 339 is the ideal machine for military pilot training. It is a much more complete aircraft, in the sense that it has a very well-defined flight envelope, without critical areas, and is docile and above all forgives many of the mistakes that a student pilot can create while bringing the aircraft to the limits of its capacity. The 211, on the contrary, is an aircraft born with good intentions although, perhaps because it was the first aircraft of its type to be constructed by SIAI, it reflects a little lack of experience and development in comparison with the MB 339, which in practice represents an improved evolution of the already excellent MB 326. Comparing the two machines, the SIAI has less power than the 339 and has a slightly less predictable flight envelope. In flight it is slightly more unstable and more nervous, a virtue of its short span swept wing, and has a much more accentuated rate of roll, which while in the hands of an expert pilot can represent a winning solution, can provoke a little apprehension when encountered by a student. In general I consider it a good military training aircraft, although it is a little less pleasant than the MB 339. Nevertheless, for the requirements of the American civil market, where the aircraft will not be subjected to the significant stresses of military operations, the SIAI 211 is an absolute winner, thanks above all to the limited operating costs and to its simplicity. Before taking his leave of us, Matthews affirmed that the prospects for the new company are decidedly interesting, especially if the potential support and training activity contracts with the American armed forces, using the SIAI as a target aircraft, can be brought to fruition. - WarbirdsNews wishes to thank Luigino Caliari for his words and photographs, and of course Doug Matthews and Piercarlo Ciacchi for spending time with us for the article. Your Ultimate Investing Toolkit Sign up for MarketBeat All Access to gain access to MarketBeat's full suite of research tools: Portfolio Monitoring Top Stock Lists Premium Reports Stock Screeners Live News Feed Premium Support Free for your first month. Okay, time to wrap up. What happened? both the government and opposition have hit the ground running in the battle to define last night's budget ; and have hit the ground running in ; the government argues it is sensible and prudent with tax relief that will benefit everyone in some way; argues it is sensible and prudent with tax relief that will benefit everyone in some way; the opposition says it is further evidence the government is out of touch; says it is further evidence the government is out of touch; Clive Palmer will not recontest his lower house seat at the July 2 election but will not rule out a tilt at the Senate; and will not recontest his lower house seat at the July 2 election but will not rule out a tilt at the Senate; and several MPs have given their final speeches including former speaker Bronwyn Bishop who says there is more to tell about the request she resign to protect Tony Abbott. My thanks, as always, to Andrew Meares and Alex Ellinghausen for their superb work and to you for reading and commenting. You can follow me on Facebook. Alex, Andrew and I will be back in the morning and hope to see you then. Good night. I have never written before about Australia's "Pacific Solution". Most people I know deplore it, on moral grounds. Innumerable commentators most notably in these pages, the redoubtable Waleed Aly have exposed the myths and secrets and lies we allow to shield us from the brutal reality of Nauru and Manus Island; what Aly calls "factories of mental illness". When you've got the likes of Aly on the case, you don't need Jonathan Holmes. And besides, I have a problem. Though I agree with almost everything he and other refugee advocates have to say about the practical evils and the moral bankruptcy of "off-shore processing", I don't believe one should pontificate about a policy unless one has some vaguely practical alternative to propose. I have never had one. Perhaps that's not surprising. After all, a succession of Australian governments, backed by the policy brainpower of one of the world's finest public services, has been gnawing fruitlessly on this bone for nigh on 25 years. The Pacific solution was John Howard's desperate resort in the wake of the Tampa incident. Kevin Rudd shared the moral abhorrence of those who opposed it, but reality defeated him. The boats started landing again. A trickle soon turned into a flood. The East Timor solution, the Malaysian solution, came and went. It was the Pacific Solution that stopped the boats the second time, as it had the first. It doesn't matter how skilled you are as a teacher if you have a class with vastly different levels of literacy, it is impossible to adequately meet everyone's needs let alone educate them. One group will suffer. So how do you choose which group will suffer? It was a choice I had to make which students to sacrifice? while teaching a master's-level writing subject at university. An hour into the first class, it was apparent that owing to the university's hunger to tap the international full-fee-paying student market, 80 per cent of the students in a master's-level journalism class could barely read or write English. I left the class close to tears, with no idea how I could possibly teach to their level, while still engaging the local students. In the end I defaulted to pragmatism, and taught to the level of the majority, which meant slowing the class down to the point where I had to have private, unpaid, sessions with local students just so they wouldn't miss out. Like Roald Dahl's Matilda, smart kids will always find a way to continue learning. Whether they're from the local state school in downtown Crapsville, or are recently arrived in Australia with not a book in the house, experience teaches them that many schools operate as a glorified baby-sitting service, and if they want an education, they'd best get it themselves. The idea that it's the so-called "high achieving" kids' social responsibility to sacrifice their own education to somehow drag up the level of their peers (by osmosis?) is obnoxious and entitled. How do I know? After being bored witless for most of my school years, I decided to leave. The principal called me into his office and told me I couldn't go because "we can't afford to lose students like you in the senior levels because you bring our scores up". Rhiannon Tracey. Credit:Facebook "I remember being fully conscious from the moment my head hit to the moment I was told I'd broken my neck and back." Scans at the hospital in Denpasar confirmed not only did the young veterinary nurse break her neck and back, fragments of broken bone were piercing into her spinal cord. Rhiannon with Mark. Credit:Facebook She was told in no uncertain terms she would never walk again. In hospital at Melbourne's Royal Talbot three months later, after suffering collapsed lungs, blood clots and an anaphylactic reaction to antibiotics, Rhiannon moved her big toe. Elated, she told the doctors who cautioned that it was probably a spasm (up to 80 per cent of spinal cord injury patients experience spasms). She was undeterred. "My big toe was the furthest from my brain so I figured I just needed to fill in the gaps." A family friend who is a physical therapist helped to fuel her fight to improve. "She said 'Cut the crap. You need to do this. Of course you're going to be pissed off and upset - use it to start that fire in your belly. Focus on moving your middle finger so that when they say you can't do something, just show them your middle finger'." After six months in hospital, Rhiannon, her mother and step-father raised money for her to travel to the controversial Project Walk, an American-based rehabilitation clinic that offers intense, activity-based programs with the goal of retraining the nervous system. In 2011, two years after her accident and at the end of three separate stays at Project Walk, Rhiannon she took the biggest step of her recovery; she walked out of the rehabilitation centre. "I thought 'I'm a quadriplegic, I shouldn't be doing this' and here I am doing this," says Rhiannon, who has been awarded two Australia Day Awards for Access & Inclusion in her community as well the Young Australian of the Year in 2012. The steps have not only been physical. "I fell into a deep, dark depression," she says of the time following her injury. "I felt like I had nothing to live for I got quite sick. All I cared about was walking again I forgot there were other things in life to enjoy." She started a non-for-profit, The Next Step which offers therapy, long term physical and psychological support for those with spinal cord injuries. "We don't treat clients as disabled," Rhiannon says, acknowledging that not all those with spinal cord injuries will walk again, "we treat them as injured." She also took up horse riding, got five "fur kids", focused on gaining some independence. "We can't always take responsibility for things that happen in our lives," says Rhiannon, who can now walk with crutches but uses a wheelchair "for endurance purposes". "I decided to have a recovery and a life after the injury," says the 27-year-old, referring to her emotional rehabilitation. A life that includes plans with her high school love, Mark, who she began dating again in 2014. "Mark is my prince charming he is my happy ending," says Rhiannon, who plans to take part in the spinal cord injury awareness and fundraising event Walk for Life on Sunday. She has come a long way, she admits, but now has a new goal. "My overarching goal is to walk down the aisle." Spinal cord injury According to the World Health Organisation, every year, around the world, between 250 000 and 500 000 people suffer a spinal cord injury (SCI) (about 300 to 400 in Australia). The majority of spinal cord injuries are due to preventable causes such as road traffic crashes, falls or violence. An ion is an atom with one or more electron stripped from its outer shell, making it positively charged. This charge allows scientists to trap the ion in very stable and controlled environments down to the level of individual atoms or strings of atoms. The new Nanoscience Hub at the University of Sydney. Credit:Louise Kennerley "The concept underlying this program is that delicate quantum states can be preserved indefinitely and put to work performing useful computational tasks," Associate Professor Biercuk said. Combined with quantum research at the University of NSW, the Sydney basin is emerging as a global hub of quantum science. Through its National Innovation and Science Agenda initiative, the federal government has granted $26 million to the quantum computing labs at UNSW, which is investigating the feasibility of phosphorus qubits in a silicon environment. The University of Sydney is looking at a variety of materials with which to develop quantum computing, from trapped-ion systems to gallium-arsenide and silicon-germanium. "We're excited to be participating in this international project and are grateful for the substantial and continued support from the US government," Associate Professor Biercuk said. "There is extraordinary strength in advanced quantum technology right here in Sydney, and we hope that the opportunity this activity presents will fuel future innovation in Australia." The grant builds on a long history of collaboration between US intelligence agencies and the University of Sydney's quantum science group, which is pursuing fundamental and applied research into the exotic phenomena of matter at the nanoscale. Intelligence funding Talking to the Herald, Associate Professor Biercuk said that the IARPA funding is untied and forms part of the organisation's "open research" programs. Unlike Australia, where most government funding comes through the Australian Research Council he said that there were a diversity of funding programs in the US, many from the military or intelligence organisations. "These programs are not about building weapons but for supporting applied science research," he said. He said there were no security clearances required for this funding or research. "They are just expecting us to do the research and publish our results," Associate Professor Biercuk said. The US office of the Director of National Intelligence has a direct interest in the successful development of quantum computing because of its potential to fundamentally alter cryptography. Stable and useful quantum computing will be able to develop unbreakable codes and also quickly break the most secure of existing encrypted systems. Professor James Der Derian is the director of the University of Sydney's centre for international security studies. He told the Herald that powerful technology always has a dual use. "Quantum tech can be used to break codes but can also be used to help maintain anonymity," he said. Dramatic CCTV footage of attacks at two Perth barber shops have been released by WA Police to ascertain whether they are related. Vision from February 4 shows an offender smashing the front glass door of a barber shop on Cecil Avenue in Cannington. A short time later the shop was alight, causing a damage bill of around $500,000. On January 21, the same shop was attacked between 9pm and 7.45am the following day when a four-wheel-drive rammed the front shutter door and window before taking off. Meanwhile, on April 12, police attended a another suspicious fire at a barber shop on Cambridge Street in Wembley. Patrick Norman Pat Chapman is a 34-year-old, Caucasian male who was last known to be in Piedmont which is near the area of Greenville, Missouri on May 10, 2020. Pat had stayed the night with a friend and his wife at their home. In the early morning when the friend woke to go to work. Pat was gone in his own Burgundy color 1995 Ford Escort. That is the last anyone was known to have seen him. The vehicle was later recovered on May 29, 2020 in Mill Spring, Missouri. The World Customs Organization (WCO), in cooperation with the Indian Central Board of Excise and Customs (CBEC) and the Asia/Pacific Regional Office for Capacity Building (ROCB A/P), organized a WCO Sub-Regional Workshop on Transit Corridors in South Asia funded by the Customs Cooperation Fund of Japan (CCF/Japan). The Workshop was held from 26 to 28 April 2016 at the WCO Regional Training Centre in Faridabad, India. Thirteen Customs officials from Bangladesh, Bhutan, India and Nepal participated in the Workshop together with invited experts from Japan, Switzerland and Malawi Customs including the representative from the Asian Development Bank (ADB). Ms. Harmeet S. Singh, Director General of the National Academy of Customs, Excise and Narcotics (NACEN), warmly welcomed participants and opened the Workshop. This event was intended to facilitate an exchange of practical views to improve regional transit regimes in South Asia, with experts presenting their national experiences. The WCO instruments and tools for effective and efficient transit regimes, such as the WCO Transit Handbook, Europes New Computerized Transit System (NCTS) and Africas One Stop Border Posts were presented. Regional initiatives under the South Asia Subregional Economic Cooperation (SASEC) Program, describing progress with the Bangladesh, Bhutan, India and Nepal (BBIN) Motor Vehicle Agreement (MVA) were presented by ADB. Lastly, experts discussed possible next steps to improve the transit operations in South Asia. Participants focused in particular on simplification of Customs formalities, information sharing, regional guarantee systems, Coordinated Border Management, legal frameworks, infrastructure and risk management. Test scores show historic setbacks for U.S. students after COVID lockdowns Advertisement By Matt McClain, West Kentucky Star Staff May. 04, 2016 | PADUCAH, KY By Matt McClain, West Kentucky Star Staff May. 04, 2016 | 09:49 AM | PADUCAH, KY At 5:00 pm Friday, a new bar/restaurant with a familiar name will be opening in a familiar spot. The Twinkling Star will be opening up in a building that was once also known as The Twinkling Star years ago in Paducah, along the 3100 block of Broadway directly across the street from the old Coke plant building, that's also being revitalized. The new owners of the place, Brook Webb and her father, Champ Webb, told West Kentucky Star that they are excited to be once again opening up a place with the memorable name. Brook Webb said the restaurant side of the facility will be serving up excellent bar food, like appetizers, burgers, and some of the best wings in town. Meanwhile, on Friday evening, the band The Cruisers will perform at the restaurant. The Webbs have also installed something new to the building, a clear garage door that opens from the inside to the outside seating. They are also giving the building and grounds some TLC before opening day on Friday. Brook Webb said they are excited to finally be opening up for Paducah to enjoy. Email To : Multiple e-mail addresses must be separated with a comma character(maximum 200 characters) Email To is required. Your Full Name: (optional) Your Email Address: Your Email Address is required. Not that itll come as a major surprise to anybody who actually watched the match, but Cesc Fabregas has been accused of instigating the hostility that pervaded the 2-2 draw between Chelsea and Tottenham that handed the title to Leicester City on Monday night. The tempestuous game was flecked with various moments of ill-discipline. Spurs had nine players booked, a Premier League record for which they have received an automatic fine. Elsewhere, Mousa Dembele is now facing a potential 10-game ban for attempting to gouge at the eyes of Diego Costa. In short, it was a bit of a shit-storm that saw not one but two mass scuffles break out at separate junctures including one that knocked Chelsea boss Guus Hiddink on his backside after the final whistle. However, as per correspondent Matt Laws write-up in the Telegraph today, Fabregas was the protagonist-in-chief to blame for sparking the brawls after the Blues midfielder slapped the groins of both Spurs players and staff. Eyewitnesses of the bust-up that erupted at the final whistle of the 2-2 draw that handed the Premier League title to Leicester City claim Fabregas was the main instigator. The Spaniard is alleged to have slapped more than one Tottenham player and member of staff in the groin area, sparking a number of verbal and physical reactions. Hiddink revealed afterwards that he got hold of Fabregas because the midfielder was shouting threatening words in Spanish that would have been understood by the majority of the Tottenham management staff and Erik Lamela, who had trod on the hand of the former Barcelona man. What a strange creature Cesc truly is. So intelligent and personable away from the pitch and so prone to being an absolute underhanded rotter on it. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 04/05/2016 (2364 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. wfpvideo:115034876:wfpvideo FORT MCMURRAY, Alta. Exhausted residents of Fort McMurray, Alta., boarded buses with weary resignation on Wednesday night when word came down they would have to be evacuated yet again, this time from their emergency accommodations in nearby Anzac. The Rural Municipality of Wood Buffalo tweeted that because of changing weather patterns, they were advised by Alberta Forestry to clear out Anzac, Gregoire Lake Estates and Fort McMurray First Nation. Buses are being assembled, said officials. RCMP is going door-to-door. A wildfire moves towards the town of Anzac from Fort McMurray, Alta., on Wednesday May 4, 2016. The wildfire has already torched 1,600 structures in the evacuated oil hub of Fort McMurray and is poised to renew its attack in another day of scorching heat and strong winds.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jason Franson The Anzac recreation centre, which earlier in the day had been a bustling hub full of people, tables of food and rows of cots, was eerily empty by 10:30 p.m. Only a large RCMP presence remained. Robert Kirby, head of transportation for the regional municipality, said the evacuees would be taken to Edmonton this time. We are going to Edmonton, to the Northlands centre, he said. We are going to evacuate because of the forest fires. Officials stressed that residents were urged to remain calm as there is adequate time for evacuation in a safe and timely manner. As they climbed aboard buses marked evacuation, most were quiet and appeared tired. There had been 2,500 evacuees registered at the recreation centre, although it was unclear how many were actually staying there, along with about 700 permanent residents of the hamlet, and about 250 more people living on the reserve. Regional Mayor Melissa Blake urged more patience in northern camps as the move became a necessity. No need for panic, just steady progress. The volatile situation has been ever-changing since the fire forced the evacuation of more than 80,000 Fort McMurray residents on Tuesday. Anzac resident Bree Baumberger said her family was surprised when RCMP told them of the evacuation order Wednesday night. They told us to get out _ it is a safety issue, she said. They just want people to have enough time and not be like Fort McMurray where all of a sudden the fire is on you. In another part of the community, an RCMP cruiser rolled into Travis Vickreys yard. Arent you aware of the evacuation order? Its mandatory right now, the Mountie said. The fire is coming south. Vickrey was annoyed at the short notice as he quickly packed three cats and other belongings into the familys vehicle. They were heading to nearby Lac la Biche. Alberta declared a state of emergency Wednesday as crews frantically held back wind-whipped wildfires that had already torched 1,600 homes and other buildings in Fort McMurray. The situation in Fort McMurray is not stable. It is unstable, Scott Long of Alberta Emergency Management told reporters in a Wednesday afternoon briefing. The downtown core is being held through some Herculean efforts of the structural firefighters in the area. An update from the Rural Municipality of Wood Buffalo later in the evening indicated the fire was continuing to claim homes and had destroyed a new school that was being built in the neighbourhood of North Parsons. Firefighting efforts saved the water treatment plant for the area, while at the same time, Alberta Health Services issued a release saying that Fort McMurray was under a boil-water order. Municipal Affairs Minister Danielle Larivee said the state of emergency allows the province to take full control of the situation, conscript people if necessary, and bulldoze structures as required. We are still in the throes of an intense crisis, said Larivee. There were dangerous and dramatic developments on multiple fronts Wednesday in a story that has made headlines worldwide with stunning video footage of trucks and cars driving past sheer walls of flame. There were haunting images of scorched trucks, charred homes and telephone poles, burned out from the bottom up, hanging in the wires like little wooden crosses. Alberta Premier Rachel Notley flew up to survey the situation first-hand, and tweeted pictures of the fire from above. The view from the air is heartbreaking, she wrote. We saw areas where there was a tremendous amount of smoke, she said later at the Anzac relief centre. We were way up in a helicopter and the plumes of smoke were higher than we were. Notley said the state of emergency will also ensure that the federal government pays part of the costs of the wildfire. On Wednesday night, just as news of the Anzac evacuation was getting out, she visited the Northlands Expo Centre in Edmonton, which is housing many of the displaced. She said the people she met are tired and clamouring for information about homes they left behind, but theyre not letting frayed nerves get the better of them. So far, Id have to say people have been amazing. Theyve been incredibly patient, she said. Theyve followed what theyve been asked to do. Theyre focusing on taking care of each other, their families, their neighbours. The blaze effectively cut Fort McMurray in two late Tuesday, forcing about 10,000 north to the safety of oilsands work camps. The other 70,000 were sent streaming south in a bumper-to-bumper snake line of cars and trucks that stretched beyond the horizon down Highway 63. Some vehicles sat in ditches, the victims of engine trouble or a lack of gas. The situation took a tragic twist Wednesday when an SUV collided head on with a tractor-trailer on another southern escape road, Highway 881, killing two and shutting down the road in both directions. The northbound lane reopened later in the evening. The displaced headed for Anzac, Lac La Biche and Edmonton. Some were going as far as Calgary. In the morning, volunteers served eggs and pancakes to some of the 2,500 people at the Anzac recreation centre. Chantelle Boutin said she was grateful that she and her husband found a safe refuge. The couple brought their two dogs, but one of them died from the stress. We lost our house, we lost everything, but we didnt lose our spirit, said Boutin. Thank you, God, nobody died. Our prayers are with you guys, those firefighters, EMS. Crews had been battling the blaze since Sunday. But the situation turned destructive within minutes on Tuesday afternoon when the blaze, whipped up by winds, roared into the southwest corner of the city. It engulfed homes in three subdivisions and destroyed vehicles, gas stations and a motel. Most of the homes in the neighbourhoods of Beacon Hill and Waterways were destroyed. There have been no reports of fire-related injuries or deaths. The wildfire was still listed out of control as it curled around the city, 435 kilometres northeast of Edmonton, and was expected to reach 100 square kilometres by days end. Robin Smith with the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo, which includes the city, said it was believed everyone left Fort McMurray. We have RCMP patrols that are regularly looping the neighbourhoods to make sure theres no one straggling, said Smith. Long said area pipeline operations were shutting or reducing operations. The mayor of Fort McMurray said her city is strong and remembers Slave Lake, a community devastated by wildfires in 2011. We will hope to follow in the shadow of Slave Lake in our perseverance and resolve, said Blake. And as we look to the future, this is still a place of incredible strength, resiliency and vibrancy. The province said 255 firefighters were on scene, backed up by 12 helicopters and 17 air tankers. The military has provided rescue helicopters and 15 residents who had been cut off by fire were airlifted to safety, Long said. Concerns and best wishes poured in from around the world. From Britain, the Queen said in a statement: Prince Philip and I were shocked and saddened by the news of the wildfires that are causing such devastation to Fort McMurray. Our thoughts and prayers are with all those who have been affected. In Ottawa, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the federal government will provide all possible assistance to Alberta. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 04/05/2016 (2364 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. AS the new CEO of Economic Development Winnipeg, Dayna Spiring believes shes in the right place at the right time to put a charge into the citys economy with a new provincial government, a business-friendly mayor and plenty of momentum in the city. In her first appearance at the not-for-profit organizations annual meeting Tuesday, Spiring hit all the right notes befitting the office shes assumed. But she also seems prepared to shake things up a little and try to do a few things differently. A front-page story in the Globe and Mails Report on Business Saturday extolling the virtues of the citys business community with the headline Canadas unlikely economic sweet spot was a perfect lead-in to the approach the energetic Spiring hopes to pursue. I like the way it feels to have Winnipeg on the front page of the Saturday Report on Business touted as a solid economy, a thriving environment for startups and a great city to live and work in, she said in front of an audience filled with the whos who of the business community. For those of us here today, none of what was said in Saturdays Globe was a surprise, but we do a lousy job celebrating it, she said. I believe we are at the point where it is time to capitalize on the hard work and investment that has happened and continues to be made in our great city. Spiring takes over the organization from Marina James at a time when a number of significant community assets have been completed, such as the Canadian Museum for Human Rights, Investors Group Field, the RBC Convention Centre expansion and the Assiniboine Park developments. Last year, those powerful tourism and economic development drivers had already impacted activity in the city, with tourism traffic up compared with 2014 across the board domestic, U.S. and international travellers. Chantal Sturk-Nadeau, head of the not-for-profits Tourism Winnipeg, said, We havent seen increases like that in more than a decade. Vince Barletta, head of Yes! Winnipeg, Economic Development Winnipegs private sector-led sales force, said the organization has helped attract, retain and grow companies that have created 4,350 jobs, surpassing its goal of 4,200 jobs. Among other things, Spiring said she wants to see all the elements of the organization including Yes! Winnipeg and Tourism Winnipeg become more integrated and work more closely together. After only three months on the job, shes in the middle of leading the organization in a strategic review. She believes that notwithstanding the strength of Winnipegs diversified economy, which features 10 active sectors, the organization might be more effective if it focuses on where it can get the biggest bang for its buck, something the organization has not necessarily done in the past. You are going to see us take a more focused approach to our strategy, she said. Each of the sectors is important, but not all sectors need or will benefit from the work of EDW. In a prior conversation, Spiring said she would like to try to see what work the organization could do to help super-charge the citys technology sector. Also straying a little off the organizations traditional playbook, she said she believes it should take more of a leadership role in ongoing discussions about solving the problems around the dearth of venture capital in the city. The scarcity is the result of the extended hangover the city has suffered after the windup of the Crocus and Ensis funds. martin.cash@freepress.mb.ca Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 04/05/2016 (2364 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. VANCOUVER A disastrous wildfire raging in northern Alberta has forced government leaders in western Canada to tweak their plans to meet in Vancouver later this week and has pushed emergency management towards the front of the meetings agenda. Alberta Premier Rachel Notley will no longer attend the 2016 Western Premiers Conference, which is scheduled to run Thursday and Friday. Deputy Premier Sarah Hoffman, who also serves as the provinces health minister, will replace Notley as Albertas representative. British Columbia Premier Christy Clark, who is hosting the annual gathering, said emergency management will be at the forefront of the discussions as the blaze in Fort McMurray, Alta., forces tens of thousands to flee the encroaching flames. Albertas in the midst of it at the moment, but every other western province experiences forest fires, floods, concerns about earthquakes and other disasters, Clark said on Wednesday. So thats going to be a major focus for us. Still, Clark said much of the conference would also centre around the economy, given what she described as Western Canadas role in a national context. We have traditionally been the economic engine of the country for the last decade, she said. The meeting will also focus on job creation, immigration and infrastructure investment, and she will push her counterparts to reach consensus on renegotiating a softwood lumber deal with the United States, Clark said. Two provincial elections have taken place since last years conference, and premiers will be making room for a new face at the table. Brian Pallister was officially sworn into office in Manitoba on Tuesday, two days before the conference was scheduled to begin. Premier Pallister is very much looking forward to meeting and improving relations with our Western neighbours, said Olivia Billson, a spokeswoman for the premier. The premiers of Canadas northern territories will also attend the event, which is scheduled to run Thursday and Friday. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 03/05/2016 (2365 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. ABBOTSFORD, B.C. A young woman serving a life sentence for second-degree murder has for the first time taken responsibility for the death of a 14-year-old Vancouver Island girl almost two decades ago, but Kelly Ellards confession wasnt enough to earn her day parole. In her first parole hearing since the Supreme Court of Canada reinstated her conviction, Ellard told a two-member panel she had omitted details about Reena Virks death from her testimony during trial. She admitted on Tuesday that if she hadnt participated, Virk would probably be alive today. FKelly Ellard and her father, Lawrence, leave the Vancouver courthouse for dinner, March 30, 2000. Almost two decades since an ostracized 14-year-old was swarmed, viciously beaten and then callously drowned near a Victoria bridge, Reena Virk's most notorious killer is asking for release. THE CANADIAN PRESS/ Adrian Wyld When asked by a board member who was responsible for Virks death, Ellard replied I believe I am. In delivering the boards decision, a member commended her for accepting more responsibility but noted her admission did not match the facts of her conviction. I was 15 years old. I was a child, Ellard told the board, stressing her key priority for release is to obtain substance-abuse treatment. Im not that child anymore. In November 1997, Ellard and a crowd of mostly girls swarmed Virk under a Victoria-area bridge. After the beating, Virk limped across the bridge, followed by Ellard and Warren Glowatski. The trial found the pair then continued the beating and held Virks head underwater until she drowned. But during the hearing, Ellard disputed that account and provided a graphic description of her version of the final moments of Virks life. After Virk was swarmed and beaten by the group, Ellard split off with Glowatski and the two went over to the teen who was near the waters edge, she said. Ellard flicked a lighter to see Virks face and observed the girl was covered in blood. She asked Glowatski to help her bring Virk closer to the water and began to splash her face, she said, but saw Virk did not react. Glowatski was drunk, she said, but he suggested they flag down a car for help a request Ellard said she refused. I was only thinking of myself, she said, describing the decision as panicked and impulsive based on the perceived consequences. I pushed her in. Its like almost I just thought in my mind, it would just carry the problem away. Ellard, who occasionally cried during her statements, denied holding Virks head under. She was unconscious. I didnt need to hold her head under water. There would have been no point, she said. Ellard told the board she now decided to be truthful based on soul-searching over the past two years, in part prompted by a conversation with her mother. She took advantage of Glowatski, she said, adding that she didnt think he would have made the choice to let Virk drown on his own. Glowatski, who was also convicted of second-degree murder, was given full parole in 2010. Ellard said she wrote a private letter to Virks family about four years ago and asked to speak to them face-to-face but was rebuffed. She said saying sorry is not good enough and she believes success and redemption can only occur through re-entering the community. I want a chance to go out there and growto be the best person I can be. But Ellard was not supported in her bid for freedom, and her parole officer discouraged the board from granting day parole based on factors including her substance troubles and deflection of blame for her actions. The now 33-year-old Ellard wore a blue blouse and her hair, now dyed blond, was pinned up as she replied articulately to the panel. She told the board that for about one year, she binged on contraband crystal meth inside prison, but her last drug use was in June 2015. Ellard was given a chance to make a last statement to the board. Ive done everything and then some. Enough is enough, she said. Its time for this to be done. She believes theres nothing left for her in prison to assist her progress, she added. But her own words that cemented the parole boards decision. While the board emphasized the progress Ellard had made in accepting responsibility for the murder, member Ian MacKenzie also said she came across as very entitled in presenting her case for release. Its not speaking from your heart, MacKenzie said. Its speaking from what is most strategic and beneficial to you. Ellard was convicted after three trials. She has spent about 14 years in total behind bars since the murder. She is prohibited from applying for day parole again for a year. Follow @TamsynBurgmann on Twitter Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 03/05/2016 (2365 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. OTTAWA Federal sources say Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will formalize the date for the so-called Three Amigos summit at a press conference on Thursday. The summit, which draws together the leaders of Canada, the United States and Mexico, is expected to take place in Ottawa towards the end of June. Trudeau will announce the date during a day meant to highlight accomplishments of his government during its first six months in office. Canada was supposed to host a Three Amigos summit last year, but the meeting did not materialize partly because former prime minister Stephen Harper was at odds with Mexico over a visa requirement for Mexican visitors to Canada, and partly because the U.S. had resisted approving the Keystone XL pipeline. The Mexican visa issue is still outstanding, but Trudeau has promised to resolve it. U.S. President Barack Obama is expected to address Parliament right after the Three Amigos summit, while Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto will likely do an official visit to a couple of cities in Canada before the broader meeting. Talk of the summit has been in the air for weeks. When Trudeau was in Washington in March, Obama announced he would make the trip to Parliament as part of the Three Amigos summit, but the exact timing has remained up in the air. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 03/05/2016 (2365 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. wfpvideo:115016580:wfpvideo FORT MCMURRAY, Alta. Emergency officials confirmed late Tuesday that whole neighbourhoods of Fort McMurray have been destroyed by a raging forest fire that sliced through the middle of the northern oilsands hub city. Tens of thousands were sent fleeing in both directions, and the entire community of 80,000 was ordered evacuated. Fire chief Darby Allen did not have an estimate of the number of homes destroyed, but said the fire is burning in several areas in the citys south end and had razed a mobile home park. Trees burn near a road in Fort McMurray, Alberta on Tuesday May 3, 2016 in this image provide by radio station CAOS91.1. At least half of the city of Fort McMurray in northern Alberta was under an evacuation notice Tuesday as a wildfire whipped by winds engulfed homes and sent ash raining down on residents. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO-CAOS91.1(KAOS) There have been no reports of serious injuries and Allen said the priority is keeping everyone safe. Everybody here has given everything today to do the very best they could, Allen told a conference call with reporters late in the day. We will continue to do the very best for you. We appreciate that some of you have lost properties. We have people working here right now that have lost property, too. He also said they are trying to maintain crucial infrastructure in the city, including the only bridge across the Athabasca River and Highway 63, the only route to the city from the south. Its in the city. Its impacting communities as we speak. Homes are on fire as we speak. Its not a question of how far away it is anymore its here. Wildrose Leader Brian Jean had said in an interview with The Canadian Press that much of downtown Fort McMurray was being destroyed by fire, but Allen said there had mostly been spot fires which have been extinguished. My home of the last 10 years and the home I had for 15 years before that are both destroyed, said a sombre Jean, who is the member of the legislature for the area. Im just hoping that the home I grew up in isnt, but Im afraid it probably is. He said businesses that have been in his family for three generations have been destroyed. It is a devastating impact but Im hoping that weve had no loss of life, he said. The worst of the fire is not over, warned forestry manager Bernie Schmitte. Were still faced with very high temperatures tomorrow, low relative humidities and some strong winds. Allen said they have requested military assistance and expect the army and air force will start sending out troops within a couple of days. The blaze, which had burned since Sunday but seemed on its way to being neutralized Tuesday morning, overwhelmed firefighters when winds shifted quickly and drastically in the mid-afternoon to the southwest of the city. Officials said flames stormed along a ravine and roared into the city and the race was on to get out. Pictures and video on social media depicted a hellish scene of fountains of flame. There was fire jumping roads, burning debris pitched into the paths of cars as frantic residents, lined up bumper to bumper, scrambled and fumbled to find their way through the thick grey haze. It became chaotic with vehicles trying to swerve and pull out into the ditch, said resident Jordan Stuffco. Air tankers and helicopters buzzed overhead. (With) the heat from the oncoming smoke and the flames, you could see mini-tornadoes forming near the road. It was something out of an apocalyptic movie. As the afternoon wore on and the fire intensified, more and more sections of the city were ordered evacuated until the entire community was ordered out after 6 p.m. Resident Carol Christian drove to an evacuation centre with her son and cat. When you leave its an overwhelming feeling to think that youll never see your house again, she said, her voice breaking. It was absolutely horrifying when we were sitting there in traffic. You look up and then you watch all the trees candle-topping up the hills where you live and youre thinking, Oh my God. We got out just in time. Highway 63, the main way into Fort McMurray from the south, was closed after flames jumped the road. The southern leg re-opened late Tuesday night. Alberta Premier Rachel Notley, speaking to reporters in Edmonton, said the province was doing all it could to ensure everyones safety. She said she was looking into the possibility of an airlift for residents with medical issues. As frustrating and as scary as it is to leave your home, its not as frustrating and scary as to find that youre trapped, said Notley. It is absolutely important that people follow instructions and evacuate as requested. She said 160 Mounties were on scene trying to get people out. Officials said there was no word of any injuries or people laid up by smoke inhalation. Resident Sandra Hickey said the situation changed quite quickly. When I got in the shower earlier today the sky was blue. When I got out, the sky was black, said Sandra Hickey, who had to leave her home. It was fast. The wind picked up and changed direction. Fire officials had already warned earlier in the day that rising temperatures and low humidity could help the fire grow. Unseasonably hot temperatures combined with dry conditions have transformed the boreal forest in much of Alberta into a tinder box. The wildfire threat ranged from very high to extreme. Government spokesman Bruce Mayer said a cold front was expected to come through the region by mid- to late-day Wednesday, which would bring with it shifting winds gusting to 50 km/h. He said to expect a more intense burning day. North of Fort McMurray, work camps associated with oilsands projects were being re-purposed to house evacuees. Notley said the camps have secured spaces for 6,000 people, but we know we need to find more. John Henderson of Edmonton, a scaffolder who was staying at a camp about an hour north of Fort McMurray, said he and the other workers were going to be flown out to make room for the evacuees, most of whom had arrived on buses and were staying in the gymnasium. Lets face it, if things go south and by south I mean move more north this isnt a place you want to be anyways. Evacuee Roscoe Sleeth arrived at the Mount Logan Lodge camp with his wife, two children and their two dogs. He described a harrowing journey trying to get out of their city in a car packed full of their belongings. They first tried to go south on Highway 63, but when they got to the overpass the flames were right down to the highway and cops were turning people around. A third son had managed to make it through before the fire jumped the highway. I would guess 30,000 to 70,000 people are going north, he said. It was wall to wall traffic going north. Sleeth has been through evacuations before, and said its just part of living in the north. He shrugged off the possible loss of his home back in Fort McMurray. Its just wood, hay and stubble, he said. I got my family out. Hayley OMalley, a construction worker from Edmonton, said Tuesday she was going to head up to Fort McMurray with a group of about 100 friends to help out, adding they would load up with water and food to take to the evacuees. Ill drive north, help out where I can and see what happens, she said. However, the Alberta Fire Fighters Association sent out an urgent tweet, pleading with people to stay home. We all want to help but UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES SHOULD YOU SELF DEPLOY! Fort McMurray is the capital of Albertas oilsands region and sits about 435 kilometres northeast of Edmonton. It was five years ago this month that wildfires destroyed about one-third of the community of Slave Lake, Alta. More than 500 homes and buildings were damaged at a cost of hundreds of millions of dollars. Notley said the Fort McMurray situation rivals the Slave Lake catastrophe. In terms of fire this is our biggest fire evacuation, she said. This is bigger than Slave Lake. with files from Chris Purdy, Mary Jo Laforest, Dean Bennett, Jennifer Graham, Geordon Omand and Gwen Dambrofsky Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 04/05/2016 (2364 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Seymour Sharpe doesnt deny brutally killing his ex-girlfriend and her longtime male friend inside a Charleswood home. But Sharpe, 47, is fighting a pair of second-degree murder charges on the grounds he didnt have the necessary intent required by law. His jury trial began Wednesday. Natasha Jeffrey, 37, and Ronald Dabreo, 39, suffered fatal injuries during the May 2013 incident. Sharpe alerted police to what happened by turning himself in after confessing to a friend about what hed done at the residence on Roblin Boulevard. FACEBOOK PHOTO Natasha Jeffrey and Seymour Lloyd Sharpe in a December 2009 photo. Jeffrey, along with Ronald Dabreo, were found dead in her Roblin Boulevard home in May 2013. He said he wanted to give up himself. He apologized to me. I told him its too late, Dennis Hibbert told jurors Wednesday. He said he didnt initially believe his friend was being truthful when he called. I said him to him Now is not the time to joke around. He said he was serious, said Hibbert. He said he didnt know what came over him. The accused and two victims are all originally from the Caribbean. Sharpe and Jeffrey had dated for about six years but broke up months before the killing. Dabreo was a family friend who was visiting Jeffrey from their native home of Grenada. Jeffreys brother, John Dominique, told court Wednesday he had serious concerns that Sharpe may do something to his sister after the relationship ended. This is a guy I had around my kids, a guy I had over for dinner, a guy I trusted around my family, he said. Dominique said he had previously warned Sharpe to move out of his sisters home and give her some space if you love her. He eventually complied. Jeffrey took over ownership of the Roblin home in the fall of 2012 after her former husband, Michael Jeffrey, died in Calgary. The couple was married in 1995 but separated in 2007. They had no children. The night before the killing, Dominique had been socializing with Jeffrey, Dabreo, Sharpe and a few other friends at the home. They had done a few shots of rum and smoked marijuana, he said. My wife called and said there was police tape around my sisters place. I thought they were pulling a prank on me, Dominique said Wednesday as he recalled learning about the tragedy. Words cant describe the relationship with my sister. She meant everything to me. In the Crowns opening statement Wednesday, jurors were told it was an admitted fact by Sharpe that he inflicted injuries which caused the deaths. Jurors have not yet been told exactly how the victims were killed. The only question for you will be whether these killings amounted to murder, said prosecutor Ari Millo. The Crown says its murder because Mr. Sharpe meant to cause Ms. Jeffreys and Mr. Dabreos death and had no lawful excuse for doing so. The Crown is expecting to call a former co-worker of Jeffreys who overheard a heated conversation between Jeffrey and Sharpe prior to the slayings which foreshadowed the deaths, said Millo. The trial is set to last two weeks. www.mikeoncrime.com Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 04/05/2016 (2364 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. The Assiniboine Park Zoo is preparing to welcome back large primates of a non-human variety. The Winnipeg zoos lion enclosure will be renovated to house white-handed gibbons later this year, the Assiniboine Park Conservancy announced Wednesday. The zoo hasnt housed large primates since 2014, when a family of lion-tailed macaques was moved out of an enclosure no longer deemed acceptable for the monkeys. The last gibbons which are apes, not monkeys, and more closely related to humans were moved out in 2011. WAYNE GLOWACKI/WINNIPEG FREE PRESS FILES The Assiniboine Park Zoo hasn't housed white-handed gibbons since they moved out of their old enclosure (seen above) in 2011. The zoo plans to renovate the indoor portion of the former lion enclosure this fall, when one male and one female white-handed gibbon will move into the structure, conservancy spokeswoman Laura Curtis said in a statement. The zoo hopes to renovate the outdoor portion of the enclosure by the spring of 2017. White-handed gibbons, also known as lar gibbons, live in trees in Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Myanmar, Laos and a corner of China. Theyre listed as endangered by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, as they face the loss of their rainforest habitat and are also hunted for bushmeat. The gibbons are part of a species survival plan that involves captive breeding with zoos. Curtis said Assiniboine Park Zoo hopes to house more of the apes in the future. Their addition to the zoo will bring the number of primate species at the facility to four. It currently houses three small primate species, all native to South America or central America: critically endangered cotton-top tamarins, vulnerable Goeldis marmosets and squirrel monkeys, which are not endangered. bartley.kives@freepress.mb.ca Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 03/05/2016 (2365 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Remember Manitoba Labour and Immigration? On Tuesday, the provincial department was swallowed up by Premier Brian Pallisters new, smaller cabinet, but business leaders and immigration advocates arent choked that immigration is no longer in the title of a department. I believe it does have a prominent role, said Don Leitch, president and chief executive officer of the Business Council of Manitoba. Labour will be taken over by the Department of Growth, Enterprise and Trade. BORIS MINKEVICH / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS FILES Immigration will become the responsibility of Ian Wishart, minister of education and training, within the new provincial government. Immigration will be transferred into Education and Training. When the council met with Manitobas former finance minister and then-opposition leader Pallister during pre-budget consultations, immigration played a major role in the councils growth strategy for the province, Leitch said. (Pallister) understood and knew it ties into economic growth, said Leitch, who served as Manitobas clerk of the executive council from 1988 to 1999 and was the top civil servant in the Gary Filmon government. Immigration will become the responsibility of Ian Wishart, minister of education and training. Leitch said the immigration division and one of its assistant deputy ministers will be assigned to the new minister and report to his deputy minister. The president of the Manitoba Association of Newcomer Serving Organizations was waiting Tuesday to find out more about the new provincial governments plans for immigration. At this point, were looking forward to an ongoing partnership with the government on immigration issues, said Laurie Sawatzky in Winkler. She said she was emailing her Morden-Winkler MLA, newly minted Finance Minister Cameron Friesen, to try to get some information. The Manitoba Chambers of Commerce was waiting for answers about the new cabinet. We need more information on what the portfolios are going to encompass, said president and CEO Chuck Davidson. Labour and immigration issues are vital to Manitobas economy, he said. It leads us to wonder where they fit in the ministerial hierarchy, Davidson said. The province has been one of the leaders in economic growth in Canada thanks in large part to immigration and Manitobas provincial nominee program, which accounts for nearly 70 per cent of all immigration to the province. Weve done a terrific job of attracting more people with skills to this province its something we can be proud of but the workforce shortage is not going away, Davidson said. Davidson said he didnt want to read too much into the department names that were left out. Reducing the cabinet to 12, that was going to be one of the tradeoffs, he said. The names of the departments had to be shortened, too, otherwise theyd each be three sentences long, he added. Longtime refugee advocate Tom Denton said hes seen immigration disappear then reappear from the title of government departments. I wouldnt read anything into it, said Denton, executive director of Hospitality House Refugee Ministry in Winnipeg. The provincial government has always been a small player because its the federal government that calls the shots. Ottawa decides how many newcomers Manitoba will receive and has the final say on who gets into Canada. Provincial agencies provide the services that help them once they get here. carol.sanders@freepress.mb.ca Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 03/05/2016 (2365 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. There are some words missing from the job titles of the new cabinet ministers. Words such as environment, labour, child, water, conservation, immigration, disability, northern. A few other words that people might have grown accustomed to seeing in cabinet titles over the years: housing, community development, natural resources, youth, jobs, employment, tourism, multiculturalism, literacy. WAYNE GLOWACKI / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Premier Brian Pallister arrives at the swearing-in ceremony Tuesday held in the Garden of Contemplation in the Canadian Museum for Human Rights. The word highway no longer appears in anyones job title. Nor do emergency services, family services, or transportation, economy, Hydro, liquor, lotteries. Beyond the words youd expect to see, such as health, justice, finance and education, the only new words that jump out are international relations, sustainable development, growth and Crown services. Premier Brian Pallister told reporters Tuesday there are hundreds of thousands of words that arent used in his cabinet ministers titles. Words are not as important as the work well be doing, Pallister said. The Wilderness Committee has already denounced the disappearance of the conservation minister. This is a red flag. It appears that protection for fresh air, nature and clean water that Manitobans value may not be a priority for this government, said Wilderness Committee Manitoba campaign director Eric Reder, who called the Tory decision regressive and misguided. Pallister shrugged off the criticism and said his government has a focus on the environment, Well, of course there is, he said. Pallister said labour, like other areas, falls under several ministers. In late afternoon, his staff released a list that said labour has been transferred into the new Department of Growth, Enterprise and Trade, while immigration goes into Education and Training. Loren Remillard, executive vice-president of the Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce, commended Pallister for his choice of departmental names. When you take a look at the names of the portfolios as well: very straight and to the point, Remillard said. The premier is correct the labour file cuts across a number of different areas. But labour was not impressed Tuesday by the disappearance of labour. Surprised would sum it up in a word it was a shock not to see it, said Kevin Rebeck, president of the Manitoba Federation of Labour. Theres no obvious connect with the names we see. Weve always had a labour minister (Conservative Gary) Filmon had one. Its too soon to tell what this really all means, Rebeck said. with files from Larry Kusch nick.martin@freepress.mb.ca Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 04/05/2016 (2364 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. The promotion of two former elected municipal officials to Premier Brian Pallisters first cabinet is expected to help Winnipeg advance its efforts to pry more infrastructure dollars from the provincial and federal governments. Mayor Brian Bowman said the appointment of former Gladstone Mayor Eileen Clarke as minister of Indigenous and Municipal Relations and Scott Fielding, a two-term city councillor from St. James, as minister of Families, can only help Winnipeg and other municipalities involved in the Fair Share, Fair Say campaign, which is an effort by the Association of Manitoba Municipalities to get more funding from the province and a greater say in how the money is spent. I expect (they) will be a strong voice around the cabinet table, Bowman said. WAYNE GLOWACKI / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Eileen Clarke, Minister of Indigenous and Municipal Relations While Pallister would not commit to providing additional funds to municipalities, he vowed during the election campaign to make it easier for municipal officials to apply for existing funds. Bowman said its still too early in the new governments mandate to expect immediate benefits, but he expects to see results, specifically because of the input from the new community group he assembled, the BuildWinnipeg Partnership Task Force. Im really pleased to hear the premier talk about strategic infrastructure thats what the BuildWinnipeg Partnership is all about, Bowman said. Less ad hoc decisions, less political decisions, greater coordination between all three levels of government as well as stakeholders, including the construction industry, the active transportation and those that support public transit. Bowman said city officials have not yet finished its preparations to tap into the $173 million Ottawa has allocated to Manitoba for infrastructure, transit and so-called green projects. However, Bowman said he expects coordination between city hall and the federal and provincial governments to an extent that hasnt happened before. aldo.santin@freepress.mb.ca Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 04/05/2016 (2364 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. The Pallister government named a new 10-member Manitoba Hydro board Wednesday with H. Sanford Riley as chairman. Earlier Wednesday, the NDP-appointed board was shown the door through a phone call from a senior bureaucrat and a letter from Crown Services Minister Ron Schuler. The new board of directors is heavily weighted to senior financial management and expertise. The Manitoba Hydro building on Portage avenue in Winnipeg on Thursday, July 30, 2015. Mikaela MacKenzie / Winnipeg Free Press Riley is a leading member of Manitobas financial community, having established Richardson Financial Group Ltd. in 2003, and is currently president and CEO. Vice-chairman is lawyer Steve Kroft, president of the Conviron Group of Companies. Emerson MLA Cliff Graydon is the government representative. Other Hydro directors include: David Brown, president and CEO of Richardson Capital Earl Edmondson, president of Edmondson Holdings Ltd. Jennifer Nepinak, senior adviser with the Canadian Museum for Human Rights Michael Pyle, CEO of the Exchange Income Corp. Allen Snyder, former Hydro executive and now president of AM Snyder and Associates Dayna Spiring, president and CEO of Economic Development Winnipeg University of Winnipeg president Annette Trimbee, a former deputy minister in Alberta We are proud to assemble a versatile and experienced group of executives who will bring valuable input to the direction of Manitoba Hydro. It is a tremendous responsibility serving on this board as Manitoba Hydro endeavors to enhance energy service for the province and evaluates opportunities to employ renewable energy strategies, Premier Brian Pallister said in a release. Pallisters office said the Manitoba Hydro board of directors is responsible for carrying out the duties, powers and functions of the corporation. These responsibilities include ensuring a safe, reliable, economical and environmentally responsible supply of energy for Manitoba, while keeping rates low for Manitobans. Carmen Neufeld and Eugene Kostyra, both with strong NDP connections, are now former board members. They said they were told the news by phone Wednesday morning by a senior government official, followed by a letter from Schuler. I received a call this morning and a letter thereafter from the new minister, said Neufeld, an event planner with long ties to the NDP. It was effective immediately, she said. Kostyra, who served as finance minister in a previous NDP administration, also confirmed he got the axe. He said it wasnt unexpected, given the change in government. Its the normal course of events. Im not surprised. The government will have its own representatives there on the corporation, Kostyra said. I hope theyll take good care of the crown jewel of our Crown corporations, he said of the Tories. Another Hydro board member, former New Democrat MLA Jim Rondeau, had his appointment revoked by the Selinger cabinet on April 22, three days after the election. University of Manitoba economics Prof. John Loxley would not confirm he is no longer a member of the Hydro board, referring questions to the deputy minister. Also on the previous board were Bill Fraser, Tina Keeper, David Crate, Michael Spence, Dudley Thompson and Larry Vickar. nick.martin@freepress.mb.calarry.kusch@freepress.mb.ca Opinion Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 04/05/2016 (2364 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. The Anglican apology for its role in residential schools came in 1993, some 12 years before the governments apology and 16 years before the Truth and Reconciliation Commission was launched. But repentance is not just about being sorry; it means doing things differently. For the Anglican Church of Canada, the call to repentance for its role in the Indian residential schools (IRS) has been a priority for decades and, as its national archbishop and primate, Fred Hiltz, recently explained while visiting Opaskwayak Cree Nation: I can never tire of apologizing for the wrong done. The Free Press editorial, Churches should heed the better angels (April 28), implied the Anglican Church, in addition to the Roman Catholic and United churches, has forsaken its financial commitment to the work of the settlement and healing funds, noting the recent refunds by the IRS settlement agreement to all three churches. Yet nothing could be further from the truth. The financial obligation for the Roman Catholics was initially divided into three amounts: immediate funds; services in-kind; and a fundraiser campaign with a maximum goal, to be raised over a period of seven years. The Anglican Church gave 19.86 per cent of this amount, proportionate to its role in the IRS, to the settlement fund to be held in trust until the end of a 10-year period. Over this time, much of the money was transferred into the Anglican Fund for Healing and Reconciliation. A total of $15,687,188 was given by the Anglican Church $2.8 million of which has now been returned to the dioceses (for fuller legal details, visit anglican.ca/news). The largest return has gone to the Diocese of Toronto, which is being used to create an endowment for local indigenous initiatives. Ruperts Land (this diocese) gave an original $323,433 for the work of the healing fund but voluntarily raised 50 per cent more than its share of the settlement agreement to fund local projects. It has received a return of $57,571, which is going toward indigenous initiatives of the diocese, including potential projects initiated by a new indigenous spiritual-care position. Vincent Solomon, newly hired to serve indigenous Anglicans in Winnipeg and at the parish church of St. Philip, Brokenhead Ojibway Nation, originates from Norway House. He has walked a personal and familial journey toward healing from the legacy of the IRS. In Winnipeg, the commitment to truth and reconciliation has echoed throughout the Anglican churches. Wechetowin, the project arm of the Anglican indigenous circle, has invited many of us to hear stories of betrayal, trauma, and loss of identity. As our elders offer us their traditional teachings, we are slowly learning what it means to be Christian people hosted in this land. At the hearings for individuals who attended Anglican schools, we are present to hold those stories and express deep sadness at the role our church has played in the destruction of family and culture. Together with our national elders circle, our national indigenous bishop, Mark MacDonald, works tirelessly to meet the significant needs stemming from the history of the IRS, including trauma, addiction, and brokenness. A self-determining, indigenous diocese, Mishamikoweesh, has been created in northern Ontario to better serve these relational and spiritual needs. The Free Press editorial suggested the churches are walk(ing) away from this obligation. Yet, the legacy of the IRS and the hard work of reconciliation between settler and indigenous Anglicans in Canada is a journey that we will walk together for a long, long time. It will make use of our financial resources, yes, but more than that, it requires we change and grow together, reconsidering what it means to do church and worship and ministry. We are committed to walking beside our indigenous brothers and sisters to the very end of this journey, no matter what the cost. Yes, we will give our money but reconciliation cannot be bought and sold. We must also give ourselves. Rt. Rev. Donald Phillips is bishop of the Anglican diocese of Ruperts Land. Rev. Allison Courey is editor of Ruperts Land News. Opinion Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 04/05/2016 (2364 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. The Pallister government wasted no time in registering its distrust and discontent with the stewardship of Manitoba Hydro. In its second day in office, it replaced the entirety of the Crown utilitys board. Politics aside, there have been ample warnings management of the corporation was due for a change. Manitobans might read for themselves where the concerns lie, in the latest order on rate hikes out of the Public Utilities Board. In that board order, the PUB allowed Hydro a 3.36 per cent rate hike this year, slightly less than the 3.95 requested. But the board said the new revenue is not to cover operations costs Hydro is making money. The entire hike will go into a savings account, of sorts, to defray the bill to come when the $4-billion Bipole III transmission line comes into use in three years. But its the PUBs analysis of Hydros financial plan that reflects many of the concerns other observers have made about the future of rate hikes. Hydro is planning to ask for repeat hikes of almost four per cent a year to pay for its hefty development plans, including the Keeyask dam and Bipole III, both under construction. The PUB says its concerned about the reliability of the utilitys forecasts relating to the numerous factors feeding into its financial plan. Among the factors is how much power Manitobans will need in the future and how much Hydro can sell on the export market, especially in spot sales, which account for a huge chunk of exports. A rendering of the Keeyask hydroelectric generating station on the Nelson River. Each time Manitoba Hydro has gone to the PUB, it has revised downward the projections of domestic demand and the spot prices. Hydro, however, insists export prices are set to rise, steadily. Further, because less power will be used at home, it says it will have more to export so more money in its bank. The PUB essentially calls that speculative. Some have harsher words, with one intervener in the rate hearing calling the utilitys export forecasts multibillion-dollar errors. Meanwhile, the costs of construction for all its capital projects have blown their original estimates. The Wuskwatim dam, which came online in 2012, had almost doubled in price to $1.6 billion by the time it was done. Planned initially for export, some of its power flowed to Manitobans when it came into service. But its surplus power, which costs eight cents per kilowatt/hour to produce, is being sold on the spot market at about four cents per kWh. The new $6.5-billion Keeyask generating station, under construction, is to be in service in 2019. Thats fully 11 years before Manitobans will likely need its power. It will supply the Northern States Power Company until 2026, but from then to 2031, the PUB concluded, the entire output of Keeyask is surplus. (Hydro disputes that, saying it has an export contract for some power to 2035.) All of this is happening at the same time Manitoba Hydro is cutting its estimates on domestic demand for the next decade by a cumulative 1,000 gigawatt/hours. It is happening as new alternative-energy technology is changing the marketplace for power sales. For a taste of how unpredictable the factors Manitoba Hydro must consider in its financial forecasts, consider this: in the recent rate application, the Crown utility calculated that between 2019 and 2026 it will have a total net income of $283 million. In its previous rate application to the PUB, it said it would lose almost $1 billion in the same period. This difference, it says, is largely because of the savings from interest payments on its debt. The PUB said its concerned about the reliability of that new forecast, too. That is a cautionary tale at how quickly the sands can shift. Manitobans can be sure of one thing, though: the PUB has shaved a few bucks off the latest hit, but the tab will come due eventually for Hydros unprecedented decade of development. As the PUB says, all that can be done for ratepayers at this point is to smooth the shock, not avoid it. Opinion Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 04/05/2016 (2364 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Premier Brian Pallister made good on one election promise Tuesday, unveiling his smaller cabinet of 12 ministers that erased at least six stand-alone departments. But there was no doubt where the priorities of the executive lay: cutting costs and getting the deficit under control. His new finance minister, Cameron Friesen, said he was anxious to get into the books to figure out how much of a deficit was left by the Selinger administration is it really $773 million or something closer to $1 billion? Mr. Friesens going to find out and you can be sure well be making our mark Even the justice minister, Heather Stefanson, who like the others had very little detail to discuss about her portfolio, said the new government is all about finding efficiencies. WAYNE GLOWACKI / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Cameron Friesen Mr. Pallister gave a masterful speech in his swearing-in ceremony at the human rights museum, hearkening back to the days of Manitobas indigenous people. He said his government, like the First Nations traders, will steer the canoe to a new shore in search of greater opportunities and take Manitoba to a better place. But his new cabinet ministers were not so eloquent and clearly curbed in what they would share with media in their brief, carefully managed exposure to reporters. Five ministers selected to answer questions all talked about the honour of being named to cabinet and one, Rochelle Squires, repeatedly referred to her steep learning curve. None of them offered anything that could trip up this Conservative government on the first day of its term after almost 17 years in Opposition. But the holes were abundantly apparent. Most glaring was the fact the cabinet, disproportionately rural, had no room for the provinces second-largest city, despite the fact Brandon elected Tories in both of its seats. And, back to Ms. Squires, a newbie MLA given a passel of responsibilities (sport, culture, heritage, francophone affairs and status of women): Asked en francais about her facility with the language, she could only smile, admit to the steep learning curve and pledge to be an advocate for the community. Eileen Clarke, another newbie MLA, said she saw a good fit between her blended responsibilities of indigenous and municipal affairs because First Nations bands are governments, too, run by councillors. (Ms. Clarkes former life was in municipal government and the Association of Manitoba Municipalities.) She is regarded as a sharp, capable politician, but likening First Nations to municipal governments will grate on aboriginal leaders, who operate on a nation-to-nation basis in intergovernmental affairs. There are no northerners or visible minorities in cabinet. The cabinet is overwhelmingly rural, white and male there are only four women. The responsibility for labour, immigration and housing are to be sorted out because those words appear nowhere in executive-council duties today. This is subject to change, of course. Governments have a proclivity to grow as they age, and Manitobas cabinet will expand once the Tory government begins to manage the many competing priorities and the myriad, routine matters of business. The NDP was nothing if not a raiser of expectations; its belief it could be all things to all interests and meet every demand is precisely why Manitoba gobbled every penny of rising federal transfer payments and why the rainy day fund is on its last $100 million. Everyone agreed Tuesday there is so much work to do this is a haul more suited to a York boat than a canoe. Even still, the most industrious and dedicated dozen in cabinet will tire of the hard rowing soon enough. Mr. Pallister led 39 other MLAs into government two weeks ago on a promise to give Manitobans a leaner government. So there were bound to be more losers than winners in the crafting of his cabinet, and the priorities outlined in the process. Manitobas new premier has now laid out whats on top of his to-do list. He has left lots of ground for the NDP and Liberals to give all the other interests a voice in the legislature. A single drop of water falling into the headwaters of the Mississippi in Minnesota would travel the river for 90 days to reach the Gulf of Mexico. Gayle Harper, author/photographer, read this detail on the National Park Service website. Every cell in my body felt the impact of that and came to full attention. It felt as if someone had hit the pause button on the world. She was captivated. How would it be to voyage the entire length of Americas Greatest River for 90 days with an imaginary raindrop? This moment of inspiration conceived a project that resulted in a story of the peoples, land and waters of the Mississippi River one of Americas greatest treasures. Gayle Harper traveled the Great River Road along with a fictitious raindrop she named Serendipity. Gayle presented her work at the national conference of the Mississippi River Parkway Commission in La Crosse. I serve as a parkway commissioner. The Wisconsin commissioners hosted the national organization charged with protecting the Great River Road. Americas longest and oldest National Scenic Byway stretches 3,000 miles through 10 states. Through an assignment for Country Magazine, Gayle was inspired to learn more about the river and its people. She sat down with a map of the Great River Road and divided her journey into 90 segments. Each day she would travel about 27 miles. With no money to support her project, Gayle wrote letters to Chambers of Commerce and other groups asking if they would be interested in helping. She ended up with more invitations than nights available! Local people chose unique and historic places a fishermans cabin, a trendy downtown loft, a tugboat converted to a bed and breakfast, a share croppers cabin, a plantation mansion, and was given keys to the 30-room mansion, said Gayle. Just leave the keys in the box, I was told. I did the research, but I didnt have any planned interviews. I decided to leave it to serendipity. I met amazing people everywhere. People invited me into their homes. They took me to meet Aunt Betsy. I went to a little girls birthday party. I went to dances, barbecues, barges, festivals, whatever was going on. The talented author described the spirit of the river: River-lovers know its in us. It flows through our hearts. It never leaves us. The soul of the river is its people. They teach us to be innocent and to live in every moment. Life is a series of fleeting moments never to be repeated. Just like the single raindrop. Gayle described the mysterious nature of creativity that we can receive but never claim. She got back home with thousands of photographs and impressions. She was a little overwhelmed about how the project would come together. But beauty and order emerged. Life has taught me that it works best if I just stay out of its way. The result of her work is Roadtrip with a Raindrop, a 240-page book of 200 compelling full-color photographs and 55 beguiling tales from the road. The book, published just over a year ago, has won three major book awards. Gayle was quick to share her accolades with others. The work you are doing touches hearts, she told the commissioners. The Mississippi River Parkway Commission created the map that inspired her journey. Commissioners asked Gayle about her next project. She hedged a bit and described the creative process like a baby growing before ultrasound. Its brewing but you cant say too much about it. I asked Gayle about the mysterious nature of creativity that can seem squashed by modern life. Funny you should ask, she said. My new project is about the creative spirit. Creativity is equally available to all of us at all times If you feel the creative spirit is squashed, the spirit hasnt gone away. You need to open the channels. Gayle finished with a challenge for all of us. Its tempting, if you watch the news, to think that fear, isolation, and mistrust are rampant. And that is just not the case. All these people (the river people) taught me the world is filled with wonderful people. Indeed it is. The southeast Minnesota senate district I have the honor of representing includes three higher education institutions: Southeast Technical, Saint Marys University, and Winona State University. As a result, I often get feedback from students, faculty, staff, administrators, and community members regarding ways to improve our higher education system. By far the most frequent complaint I hear from students is about the inconsistent credit transfer policy within the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities (MnSCU) system. Many times credits will not transfer from one MnSCU institution to another or if they do transfer, the credits will transfer as electives but wont always count toward a degree. The reason for this was that each individual campus created their own degree requirements. While this independence was healthy, it also lead to students wasting time and money on courses they ended up needing to take again. It just didnt make sense that some credits werent transferring from one MnSCU institution to another, especially when the coursework was the same or very similar, often with the exact same textbook. Students have been understandably frustrated, so we set out to fix it. In an effort to find a resolution I brought together students, faculty, and MnSCU representatives to have a conversation about concerns, barriers, and potential solutions. After a series of meetings over the course of two legislative sessions, we came up with a long-term solution, MnSCU Transfer Pathways, which became law in 2015. Its a fancy name, but the goal was clear: experts and stakeholders within each discipline from various campuses would get together and write a curriculum that would apply consistently throughout the MnSCU system. Our goal was to have credits from specific programs easily transfer from one MnSCU institution to another, leading to fewer lost credits, less attrition, and more affordable higher education. In addition, we wanted students to know prior to enrolling in a class if the credits would transfer. The Senate Higher Education & Workforce Development Committee recently heard an update on the progress of the Transfer Pathways program. The news was terrific. By spring of 2016, four degree disciplines will be part of the program. By fall, there will be another 12. By early 2017, there will be 12 more. And soon after that, every credit in every area will transfer seamlessly within the MnSCU system. During the update, a business professor from Bemidji State University mentioned they are already exceeding their goals in his field and that Transfer Pathways could lead to two to four times as many associate degrees in Business Administration. He also testified that Transfer Pathways may eliminate the equivalent of four duplicate courses for each student thats a semesters worth of time, money, and energy students can save. A more transparent credit transfer policy within MnSCU is one of the most important policy changes the legislature has made to help students save time and money. The problem of soaring student debt seems to get worse every year. Fixing the inconsistent credit transfer policy within MnSCU gives students a clear idea of the credits they need to complete, helps them graduate faster, and helps them avoid duplication. Many bills get introduced each session, but few actually pass and get signed into law. It often takes multiple sessions for an idea to make any progress. One thing I have learned is that it doesnt just happen; you have to work hard and bring people together to get things done. In the case of Transfer Pathways, the key to success was to earn buy-in from faculty, from students, and from MnSCU by bringing everyone together early in the process. And that was only the beginning. These stakeholders have put in a tremendous amount of time over the past couple years to get us to this point and I applaud them for their efforts. I often write about how much more effective we are when we work together. MnSCU Transfer Pathways is an example of why. While each of the stakeholders shared a similar objective, each had different ideas of how to achieve it. By working together early in the process toward a common goal, we were able to come up with a suitable solution and as a result, students are already experiencing the benefits. Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice David Prosser announced he is going to retire from the bench effective July 31. Realizing that Gov. Scott Walker is going to make his second appointment to the court, the liberals are now calling for new procedures when it comes to filling court vacancies. We all know liberals cannot stand the governor. They began protesting him on the same day he was first inaugurated, they ratcheted it up a couple of notches by storming the capitol a month later, and they even tried recalling him from office. They have not been able to defeat the guy. Now they simply object to everything he does. In this case, they are using the matter to make the argument that judicial selections should be made by a commission rather than leaving it to the governor. They make it seem as if this is rarefied air and the governor isnt qualified enough to recognize when a person might be qualified for the Supreme Court. Contrary to their talking points, there have been 45 justices in Wisconsin since 1853 initially appointed to the courts highest seats. The remaining 30 justices served by first being elected to the court. The liberals have lost the battle for the court five out of the last seven contests, leaving them in the minority in Wisconsins highest court. Apart from re-electing justices Shirley Abrahamson and Ann Walsh Bradley, they have lost every election since 2003. The left believes we need to right this political injustice to their judicial philosophy. They also want this new commission to select all of our justices rather than the voters. Its not simply the governors judgment they dont trust its also your judgment they dont trust. These judicial contests have been relatively simple. One candidate supports constitutional law while the other candidate believes the court is responsible for correcting legislative wrongs or social injustices. Ultimately, the voters cast their ballots and the candidate willing to stand up for the states constitution wins every time. It would seem to make sense that if one is a candidate with leanings toward a progressive view of the constitution, they have picked a position that does not win the hearts and minds of the voters. Rather than adopt a more palatable view of the law, they would rather take the process away from the voters. If you follow the logic as to why they say we need to make a change to the system, youll quickly learn that ordinary people are simply not capable of understanding the nuances of the judicial process. More qualified people, like liberal judges, have a better grasp on who deserves to win these vacancies. There is irony in the timing of their messaging. Until 2003, they were winning elections. When the tide turned, they struggled desperately to gain the seats back. When Gov. James Doyles pick of Justice Louis Butler lost to Michael Gableman in 2008, they suddenly took umbrage with the electoral process. They had control of the governors office, the Assembly, and the Senate for two full years after this and chose to do absolutely nothing. Likely because their governor was expected to make the next few picks. The same rhetoric about redistricting has been part of the lefts agenda since losing control of both houses of the Legislature and the governors office. Until then, the maps they were secretly drawing up were socially acceptable. According to the Democrats, Republicans with the same power cannot be trusted. Had the Democrats sincerely believed independent commissions should appoint judges and justices, along with redistricting, they would have gotten it done. Instead, they are on the sidelines complaining about the impact of their failures. The reality is these are fictitious problems created for political talking points. Every 10 years, either party has the opportunity to draw the political lines. Every 10 years, the people get to fill a bench on the Supreme Court. Its only a problem if representative government shouldnt actually be selected by the people. These statewide losses for Wisconsins liberals also are ironic in that district lines had nothing to do with the results. The GOP didnt magically draw a red line allowing only conservatives the right to vote. Oh, wait. For this problem they blame voter ID despite record turnouts proving them wrong again. Wisconsin voters should be trusted with the process that has been effective in handling the peoples business not politically appointed commissions. His name is Yeti and he is the newest K-9 officer to join the Beaver Dam Police Department as of this past weekend. Yeti is almost two years old and a German shepherd from Hungary, according to his handler, officer Kevin Hall. He said that Yeti began training in Hungary and continued his K-9 training at Jessiffany Canine Services in Iron Ridge. Once the department and Beaver Dam Police and Fire Commission decided to move forward with another K-9, Hall began training with Yeti on April 4. Yeti is trained in narcotics, tracking and controlled aggressionwhich involves handler protection and criminal apprehension. As part of Halls training, he had to learn nine Czech commands for Yeti. Hall said he wrote the commands on flashcards in preparation. Because Yeti was born and raised early on in Hungary, he responds to Czech commands instead of English. The initial training wrapped on April 29 and within Yetis first three hours on the job, he seized his first criminal arrest. Hall said he and Yeti tracked a man and the man soon gave up once he saw Yeti. Hall credits the arrest to Yetis presence. No physical contact from Yeti was made in the arrest. Annual reports reviewed Police and Fire Commission approved both the Fire Department and Police Department 2015 annual reports, which saw an average year for the Fire Department activity and a five-year high for curfew, loitering, cocaine, opiate, liquor law violation and OWI arrests on the Police Departments side. Arrests are up and crime is down, Beaver Dam Police Chief John Kreuziger said. Thats basically a summary of what has happened. He said that the police department has been cracking down on curfew and loitering around businesses and underage drinking has driven up the liquor law violations. According to Kreuziger, OWI going up is a unique thing. In total, 104 OWI arrests were made in 2015 and 54 were first time offenses and 50 were criminal arrests, which mean a second offense or more. He said 2014 only 14 were criminal arrests. In addition, police saw a five-year low in robberies, aggravated assaults, simple assaults and thefts. I believe there a direct correlation between our arrests and crime, Kreuziger said referencing the relation between theft and drug crimes. He speculates that if the department can drive down drug and alcohol crimes that theft and assault crimes would drop too. He said he believes 2015 shows a possible relation between high drug arrests and the low theft arrests. The five-year high in drug arrests proves that drug usage continuing to rise, Kreuziger said, which is playing a vital role in why the department is investing in Yetithe departments second K-9. [Yeti] will allow us to take a tough approach to drug arrests, he said. Kreuziger said he reviewed the municipal court citations and noted that most citations issued related to operating a vehicle while suspended, retail theft, speeding, operating without insurance, operating with a valid drivers license and disorderly conduct. Beaver Dam Fire Chief Alan Mannel said 2015 was an average year for his department. He said the Fire Department could always use more staffing, but overall he is proud of the work his department has done over last year. One of the few items that stuck out to Mannel was the increase in ambulance calls. He said that the baby boomer generation is getting older and they are driving the ambulance calls up year-after-year. Looking ahead, Mannel said he hopes for another average year and that the Police and Fire Commission continue working toward a possible fire station on the north side of Beaver Dam. Brief update on potential fire station Mannel briefed the commission on why an additional fire station on the north side of Beaver Dam is an important project to pursue. It is recommended to have the ideal response time is to locate a fire station about a mile and half and then beyond that response time begins to drop off. Given that radius, heading north from the departments location, 205 S. Lincoln Ave., that radius ends just north of Culvers, 1601 N. Spring St. What sparked this conversation is the quick growth on the north end of Beaver Dam, especially in the 151 Business Park. Dodge County exceeded the state average for tourism business in 2015, according to David Spiegelberg, regional tourism specialist from Wisconsin Department of Tourism. We like to think that tourism affects every resident of Wisconsin, he said during Beaver Dam Rotary Clubs weekly meeting. In Dodge County, direct visitor spending was up by 6.9 percent with $79 million in spending. Dodge County business sales increase by 5.7 percent with $147 million spent in Dodge County last year. Total labor income was more than $33.6 millionan almost 6 percent increase from 2014. Spiegelberg said more than 190,000 jobs are supported by Wisconsin tourism and more than 1,400 of those work in Dodge Countywhich is an increase of 4.6 percent over 2014. According to Spiegelberg, Dodge County was one of the counties that exceeded the state average of a 3.8 percent increase in spending. Focusing on Beaver Dam, he said the city should look at what makes it unique while citing the Beaver Dam Tourism Assessment from the state Department of Tourism. In the assessment, points of interest include Nancys Notions, downtown Beaver Dam and Beaver Dam Lake. Wisconsin doesnt have a sewing capital, he said. Outside of Beaver Dam, he said Horicon Marsh is another area Dodge County can hone in on to drive tourism sales even more. In 2014, Dodge County ranked 13 out of 72 counties in direct visitor spending and total business sales. Dodge ranked at 10 in state and local taxes income. Dodge County was ninth in increase in employment and total labor income. According to the new release from Department of Tourism, throughout the entire state direct visitor spending was up by 4.4 percent in 2015 with $11.9 billion and total tourism spending had an economic impact of $19.2 billion, which is an increase of 4.4 percent over last year. Visitor spent 1.5 billion last year, which saved taxpayers $640 per household. The news release states that a 20 percent decline in gas prices last year resulted in an increase in spending on lodging (7.3 percent growth), retail (5.2 percent growth) and restaurants. Overall, Spiegelberg said that Wisconsin is at a high point in tourism. He then previewed two new commercials that highlight supper clubs, family traveling and spending time with pets in Wisconsin. The ad campaign is meant to show that Wisconsin is fun. Spiegelberg said it is a simple message, but it can be communicated in a variety of ways. He said the ads have been appearing online over the past month and will appear on the streets wrapped around buses. Editors Note: This is part one of a two-part series regarding recent struggles to place two sex offenders in Dodge County under Chapter 980 of the Wisconsin State Statutes. Repeated attempts to place two sex offenders in Dodge County have resulted in legislation, public outcry and divided opinions about how state statutes should be applied. Jonathan Miller and Robert Larson Jr. were both judged to be sexually violent persons and were civilly committed as a part of the Chapter 980 program in 2005 and 2006, respectively. The Chapter 980 program was created in 1994 and allows the state to civilly commit offenders who are deemed to be sexually violent after they have served their prison sentences. The program was created as a way to continue to protect the public from violent sex offenders, and provide treatment to offenders according to the Wisconsin Department of Health Services. The constitutionality of the program has been upheld by both the Wisconsin and United States supreme courts. Miller and Larson were both determined by judges to no longer be sexually violent after the judges heard recommendations from Department of Health Services staff. While they qualified for full discharge, both applied for supervised release. Both offenders had previously applied for supervised release and had been denied. However, in 2015 it was determined that both met the qualifications for release. The two were initially going to be placed in a home near Brownsville, but were required to return to Sand Ridge after Dodge County Sheriff Dale Schmidt learned that the home where the offenders were going to be placed was adjacent to a home where two young children lived. The placement did not violate state statutes but raised enough concerns that State Rep. Mark Born of Beaver Dam authored a bill changing the law. Born said, The bill I drafted created a statewide minimum distance that offenders must be placed away from schools, parks, daycares, and other locations where vulnerable population may congregate. It also requires the state make sure there are no victims nearby, and that local law enforcement provide their input to the judge making the placement decision. Schmidt said, I think this was a good law change. I think the legislatures intent was to involve the community a little bit more and to ensure proper placement. As I have said before, it is a one-size-fits-all law which it has to be because it is a state law. Miller and Larson were returned to Sand Ridge in August 2015. In March a new potential placement was located in the town of Lowell. Judge Joseph Sciascia gave conditional approval for Larson to be placed on Neuberger Road in Reeseville on March 10. Schmidt, however, opposed the placement. Schmidts investigation found a number of homes that fall between 1,500 and 2,000 feet from the Neuberger Road address. While the home did not violate the law regarding sex offender placement, Schmidt expressed concerns about a nearby school. Partly due to Schmidts vocal opposition to the placement and partially due to the communitys response, the home on Neuberger Road was taken off the market before the state could purchase it. Judge Brian Pfitzinger was expected to rule on March 22 to place Miller in the same home with Larson, but the Wisconsin Department of Health Services sent a letter to Pfitzinger dated March 17, reporting that when a vendor attempted to purchase the home they were told it was no longer for sale. Because of the loss of the placement, Millers defense team requested that Pfitzinger seal the information regarding potential placement of the offenders until it is approved by a judge. Pfitzinger agreed with the request and sealed the documents. Following his ruling, Pfitzinger said, Mr. Miller is entitled to be released. I have read thousands of pages of reports. I have heard hundreds of hours of testimony. This individual has met the qualifications for release. That is what the law requires and I am required to uphold the law. When asked how he felt about potential placement locations being sealed by the court until they are approved, Schmidt said, I am still disappointed by the ruling. I find it difficult to conduct the investigation being limited but I will do what I am able to do within the law and the restrictions that have been placed upon me to protect the community. The sealed information only prevents Schmidt from discussing the potential placement with members of the public. Judge Sciascia was forced to rescind his conditional approval for placement after the home was taken off the market. Schmidt remains dissatisfied by the current Chapter 980 laws saying, I encourage the legislature to continue to tweak this law and encourage those looking for placement to really consider the safety of the residents around them before coming up with a proposed placement. Born responded earlier this week in an email, I wrote a bill that has improved the Chapter 980 program for the entire state. The legislature might consider additional legislation if a member hears from their constituents regarding additional concerns in the program that need to be addressed. The new law was designed to enhance community safety and provide judges with more input before making decisions on the placement of violent sex offenders. So far these goals are being accomplished. Both Larson and Miller will appear in court on Friday where discussion will be held on potential placements in the county. This story has been corrected to clarify that state statutes were changed after initial placement of two Chapter 980 sex offenders was planned in Brownsville. Irish playwright Enda Walsh was interviewed by Dave Fanning over the weekend, and he spoke extensively about his working relationship with David Bowie. Walsh - who wrote the likes of Disco Pigs, Misterman and the musical adaptation of the stage play 'Once' - collaborated with Bowie on the musical play Lazarus, which premiered in New York in December of last year. The Dublin-born playwright spoke about what it was like working with Bowie and knowing the gravitas of his illness in his final months. You can hear the full interview from The Dave Fanning Show below: Prosecutors in Sauk County on Wednesday filed four felony counts against suspected Interstate shooter Zachary T. Hays, who is accused of randomly firing three rounds into another vehicle near Lake Delton on Sunday, killing an Illinois woman. Hays, 20, of West Allis, is charged with first-degree intentional homicide and three counts of first-degree recklessly endangering safety in connection with the shooting at about 3 p.m. on Interstate 90-94. The woman who was shot, Tracy Czaczkowski of Buffalo Grove, Illinois, died Monday at UW Hospital, Sauk County Deputy Coroner Garry Zellmer said. Czaczkowski, 44, had been visiting Wisconsin Dells with her husband and two children, who were not injured in the shooting. An arrest warrant also was issued with the criminal complaint for Hays, who remained under police guard Wednesday at UW Hospital, where he was taken for treatment after he was shot by police and taken into custody on I-39-90-94 near DeForest following the drive-by shooting in Sauk County. Hays also is suspected by police in the fatal shooting of his downstairs neighbor, Gabriel Sanchez, 42, in the apartment building on South 92nd Street in West Allis where both men lived. No charges have been filed in that incident, which took place before 7 a.m. Sunday. Police believe Hays left town driving a silver Chevrolet Blazer and heading toward Wisconsin Dells after the apartment building shooting with two of his brothers Jeremy Hays, 30, and Jeff Hays, 34, as passengers. Zachary Hays is the sole suspect in both shootings, police said. According to the complaint, Jeremy Hays told investigators that Zachary smoked marijuana on April 27 and had been acting extremely paranoid ever since. Jeremy Hays said Zachary was driving increasingly erratically Sunday, flipping people off in traffic and driving with a loaded pistol on his lap that he would pick up and point at cars as they drove by his Blazer on the Interstate. Jeremy Hays said he was concerned for his own safety, claiming Zachary had made threats to kill Jeremy and Jeff if they left him, according to the complaint. Zachary Hays was especially paranoid about vehicles with tinted windows on Sunday, Jeremy Hays told investigators, adding that he was freaking out when a BMW with tinted windows approached them from behind, the complaint states. Zachary Hays slowed down to let the sedan catch up on his left, and then fired three times at it from the rolled-down drivers side window as the BMW carrying the Czaczkowski family passed the Blazer, the complaint says . Inside the BMW, Tracy Czaczkowski was hit once in the neck by one of the bullets, police said. Her husband, Greg, was driving, and the couples two children were buckled into car seats in the back seat. The family was returning from a weekend visit to Wisconsin Dells at the time of the shooting, according to a statement from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, where Greg Czaczkowski works. The first-degree intentional homicide charge against Zachary Hays carries a mandatory sentence of life imprisonment upon conviction. The recklessly endangering safety counts each carry a maximum sentence of up to 12 years and six months in prison, the Sauk County District Attorneys office said. Hays was taken into custody near mile marker 125 after the Blazer was disabled by road spikes put down by Dane County Sheriffs deputies. He was shot by two Columbia County sheriffs deputies after he got out of the Blazer with a handgun and ignored verbal commands to stop moving toward officers, according to law enforcement accounts of the stop. Hays brothers also were taken into custody. They are being held in the Dane County Jail on tentative charges unrelated to the Interstate shooting, authorities have said. Jeff Hays is cognitively disabled and authorities are working to return him to the group home in Milwaukee where he lives, Dane County Sheriffs spokeswoman Elise Schaffer said. Schaffer did not know when Zachary Hays would be well enough to leave the hospital, but she said authorities expect him to survive his injuries. She declined to say where or how many times he was shot by police. Both Zachary and Jeremy Hays have prior criminal records, according to online court records. Zachary Hays in November 2013 was convicted of misdemeanor charges of battery and receiving stolen property in Milwaukee. He was sentenced to two years probation, with a year in jail imposed but stayed. Jeremy Hays was sentenced in 2006 to a year in jail in Milwaukee for burglary of a building or dwelling, with an additional 30 days for escape, after he didnt return to jail from a work-release appointment in 2006. He also was sentenced to a year in prison in 2009 after violating the terms of his extended court supervision following the burglary conviction, court records show. The Dane County Sheriffs Office on Tuesday identified the victim of Sundays drive-by shooting on Interstate 90-94 in Sauk County as 44-year-old Tracy Czaczkowski and confirmed that she has died at UW Hospital. Czaczkowski, a married mother of two, was a resident of Buffalo Grove, Illinois, in the northern suburbs of Chicago. Her husband, Greg, is an 11-year employee of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. She was licensed to work as a dental hygienist in New Jersey and Illinois. The 20-year-old man suspected of shooting her and fatally shooting a man in West Allis earlier on Sunday was identified by the sheriffs office Tuesday as Zachary T. Hays of West Allis. Shot by Columbia County Sheriffs Office deputies outside his vehicle, a Chevrolet Blazer, on Interstate 39-90-94 near DeForest about 15 minutes after the drive-by shooting, Hays remained at UW Hospital under police guard Tuesday as officers in several counties including Milwaukee, Columbia, Sauk and Dane continue to investigate to determine what charges will be referred to a district attorney, Dane County Sheriffs Office spokeswoman Elise Schaffer said in a statement. Two male passengers in Hays Blazer, identified as his brothers, were arrested in connection with the drive-by shooting and remained in the Dane County Jail on Tuesday. The sheriffs office identified one of those brothers as Jeremy A. Hays, 30, who is being held on a tentative charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm. The other brother, who is 34, was not named due to his cognitive disability, Schaffer said. He was being held at the Dane County Jail on a tentative charge of discharging bodily fluid at a police officer, Schaffer said. A relative of Czaczkowski on Tuesday issued the following statement through DEA spokesman Leo Hawkins: We are immensely appreciative of what the Agency is doing for Greg and the children. Tracy is one of seven siblings. They are still making their way from various states. We are all extremely proud of what Tracy accomplished in life, the wonderful family she created and the joy she brought to everyone around her. We ask for prayers for her loving husband and children. Tracy Czaczkowski on Monday was in very, very critical condition, Dane County Sheriff Dave Mahoney said at the time. On Sunday, Greg Czaczkowski was driving the familys BMW as the couple and their children returned home on eastbound I-90-94 after visiting Wisconsin Dells, authorities said. The drive-by shooting, described by authorities as appearing to be random, occurred on the Interstate at about 2:55 p.m., some 3 miles southeast of the Highway 12 exit at Lake Delton. Greg Czaczkowski and the children were not injured when three rounds were fired into the vehicle from a Chevrolet Blazers rolled-down drivers window as the Czaczkowskis BMW passed the Blazer. The second of the three bullets hit Tracy Czaczkowski in the neck. Witnesses to the drive-by shooting called 911 with a description of the shooters vehicle, enabling officers from several agencies to follow the Blazer into Dane County, authorities said. At mile marker 125 near DeForest, road spikes put down by Dane County Sheriffs deputies disabled the Blazer. Zachary Hays was shot about 3:20 p.m. after he got out of the vehicle with a hand gun and did not obey verbal commands to stop advancing toward officers, authorities said. A statement issued Tuesday by the DEA said the Czaczkowski family was returning from a weekend family trip at the time of the shooting Sunday. Tracy was a loving wife of 15 years, a mother of two tender age children, daughter and good friend to all, the DEA statement said, adding that the family was asking for privacy, with funeral arrangements to be announced later. The family would like (to) thank everyone for their prayers and outpouring of support for Tracy. Authorities identified Gabriel Sanchez, 42, as the man they said was fatally shot by Zachary Hays in a West Allis apartment building on South 92nd Street before 7 a.m. Sunday. According to the state Department of Justice, Zachary Hays also had made threats against a member of Epikos Church in West Allis, and police went to the church to check on members after Sanchezs body was discovered on Sunday. No one at the church had been injured. Authorities said Zachary Hays and his brothers left West Allis in the Blazer after Sanchez was shot, heading toward Wisconsin Dells. Investigators continue to follow up with witnesses to Sundays incidents, and police urge anyone with information to call a tip line at 608-284-6900. The DEA statement listed an account for those wishing to help the family with future needs such as the childrens educations at gofundme.com/CzaczkowskiFamily. With Donald Trump now the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, Wisconsin conservatives openly grappled Wednesday over whether to support him and what impact he might have on the GOPs hopes to retain a U.S. Senate seat and legislative majorities. Its a sobering reality for many state Republicans who were among the leading national voices opposing Trumps presidential bid but now must acknowledge he will be their partys nominee in November. Just a month ago those same Republicans were celebrating Sen. Ted Cruzs victory in the Wisconsin primary and the possibility that he could block the trash-talking reality TV celebritys path to the nomination. On Wednesday, after Cruz pulled out of the race late Tuesday, Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald became the first prominent state GOP elected official to embrace Trump, and he urged fellow conservatives to unify behind the New York billionaire ahead of the first ballot at the Republican National Convention in July. Meanwhile, Gov. Scott Walker, a former presidential candidate who supported Cruz during the Wisconsin primary, offered the thinnest of endorsements for Trump. I stood on the stage in Cleveland and said that I would support the nominee, Walker told reporters in West Allis, referring to a presidential debate. Ive said it repeatedly since then and Ill be supporting the Republican nominee, once thats officially set at the convention, against Hillary Clinton. Republican U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson of Oshkosh, locked in a tough re-election fight, also signaled he will support Trump. Even Assembly Majority Leader Jim Steineke, who has called Trump a liberal and a liar, hedged in his opposition, but said Wednesday he does not currently support the presumptive nominee. Meanwhile, some of the states leading conservative voices, including influential talk radio hosts, who led the charge against Trump in last months Wisconsin primary, showed few signs Wednesday of closing ranks behind him. Tuesdays primary results pushed Cruz, Trumps top rival, out of the presidential race, and the only other remaining GOP candidate, Ohio Gov. John Kasich, dropped out of the race Wednesday. That sets the table for a likely general election battle between Trump and Clinton, the Democratic front-runner who still faces a challenge from Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders. Trump has roused Republicans and independents unhappy with the federal government and politicians in general, but he is deeply unpopular among the state and national general election population, according to polls. Democrats are hoping to capitalize on that fact to win the states Electoral College votes for the eighth straight election as well as pick up a U.S. Senate seat and several Assembly and Senate seats. The Democrats are in the drivers seat in Wisconsin, said UW-Madison political science professor Barry Burden. Trump does not have a constituency here not enough to put him over the top. In a general election hes not going to have a lot of appeal with the broad Wisconsin electorate. Fitzgerald: Trumps populism appealing Fitzgerald, R-Juneau, didnt endorse in the primary, but said Wednesday he is ready to embrace Trump as the presumptive nominee, just as Republican National Committee chairman Reince Priebus of Kenosha did after Cruz dropped out. Hes a populist candidate that has been appealing to certain pockets of voters way beyond who you would think a Republican nominee would appeal to, Fitzgerald said. Im on board. I think he helps us. Milwaukee-area radio host Charlie Sykes fired back on Fitzgerald in a Twitter post, referring to Cruzs primary win in Wisconsin last month. No, Wisconsin is not on the Trump train, Sykes tweeted. We voted, Fitz. But another leading voice in the states #NeverTrump movement, Steineke, R-Kaukauna, declined to foreclose on the possibility of voting for Trump in November. Steineke said he definitely wont vote for Clinton but is weighing whether to back Trump or not vote in the presidential race. At this point there is not a major party candidate who has earned my vote, Steineke said. People have obviously spoken, Steineke added. Now its their election to win or lose. Theres no excuses. They are the establishment. If youre the nominee of the major party, you are now the establishment and there are no more excuses. Steineke also said he plans to withdraw as an alternate to the Republican National Convention, saying he wants to open up the slot for someone whos excited to attend. Sen. Duey Stroebel, R-Saukville, who chaired Cruzs Wisconsin campaign, said he would vote for the most conservative candidate and Trump has certainly not shown conservative principles. Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, said he would reserve judgment and see if Trump can earn my support in the coming months. The state Republican Party didnt return a call for comment. Challenges for Johnson For Johnson, sharing a GOP ticket with Trump creates fresh challenges. Amid a tough re-election fight with Democrat Russ Feingold of Middleton, Johnson already has faced attacks from Democrats and liberal groups for not dissociating himself from Trump. Johnson appeared to temper his support for Trump as the GOP nominee, according to a statement from his campaign spokesman, Brian Reisinger. Johnson is focused on the concerns of Wisconsinites not national political winds, Reisinger said. Former Lt. Gov. Margaret Farrow, who said in the primary she voted for Cruz the first time she ever voted for somebody she didnt want to be president said she plans to vote for Trump in November, not because she supports him, but because she supports the party. Hes enough of a deal maker that he could talk to people and trust people and he and (House Speaker) Paul Ryan could get along, Farrow said. I think Paul would have a much stronger role in that type of Republican leadership situation than he would with Hillary Clinton. Walker also offered a contrast between Trump and Clinton as the reason he supports Trump, notably over U.S. Supreme Court nominations, taxes, business regulation and the size and scope of the federal government. All of those things will be much better under Trump than under Hillary Clinton, Walker said. Possible long-term effect on party Some Republicans worried about a lingering impact on the party. Strategist Brandon Scholz, who said he wont vote for Trump, said he expects there will be several Republicans who vote for all of the down-ballot races on the ticket and leave the presidential race blank and others who will look for an alternative candidate, such as a libertarian. My fear would be that these walkaways and break-offs and others really hurt the future of the party in fundraising, candidate recruitment, organizational development and other things, Scholz said. Thats a total reflection of Donald Trump. Fitzgerald disagreed Trump poses a problem for the partys chances in legislative races, arguing that many of the hotly contested state Senate races are in parts of the state where Trump performed well in the primary. I like the idea (of) a populist candidate who might not otherwise turn out (voters) in the Fox Valley and in western Wisconsin, Fitzgerald said. Hes going to do well with that type of voter. John Behling was not commenting. Reporters were eager to talk with him in February after the controversial faculty tenure policies he shepherded through a months-long drafting process were endorsed by a University of Wisconsin System Board of Regents committee without debate. But Behling, vice president of the Board of Regents, did not break his stride leaving the meeting room after the vote, calling out to Jim! Jim Villa! to handle the assembled reporters looking for a quote. Tom Stafford, UW System general counsel, ended up taking questions about the power of future boards to change the tenure policies headed toward adoption. Villa, vice president for university relations and longtime friend and ally of Gov. Scott Walker, who appointed Behling to the Board of Regents in 2012, watched Stafford field questions. As an attorney, Behling regularly commented to the press while working on behalf of frac sand mining companies after bitter debate over siting of mines and processing plants emerged in western Wisconsin after 2010. Behlings reticence to publicly discuss tenure helped fuel the criticism that the policy-drafting task force he headed merely went through the motions to a foregone conclusion. Some faculty say his leadership in the issue signals a troubling new chapter for the Board of Regents, which they believe is subservient to the state Legislature. Behling enunciated his position on tenure at length in an unusual op-ed piece on university policy published in December in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and picked up by newspapers across the state. Headlined UW tenure reforms provide flexibility, accountability, the essay argued that while some form of tenure needed to be preserved in UW System policy after it was removed from law in Walkers 2015-2017 budget, tenure needed to change. Tenure may be the standard in higher education, but it is out of step with reality for most workers in other sectors, wrote Behling, then serving as the chair of the Tenure Policy Task Force. Because most workers can lose their jobs for a wide variety of reasons without recourse, many see tenure as a job for life, he wrote. Tenure is a critical bedrock of higher education because it ensures faculty have the freedom to express their views and direct their research without being targeted by their university leadership or colleagues, Behling wrote. But we also must have a tenure policy that includes accountability and rewards performance. We need policies that protect faculty from unnecessary pressures but also provide flexibility for our campuses. Rural roots Behling declined or did not respond to Cap Times requests for face-to-face interviews in February and March, and for a phone interview in April before providing some written responses last week to several questions presented in writing. The written record in state documents and news reports, however, provides a glimpse of the man and the methods used to manage the tenure policy issue. UW officials management of the issue so alienated faculty at UW-Madison that they took the extraordinary step of passing a resolution of no-confidence in the Board of Regents and President Ray Cross before the Faculty Senate on May 2. One place to learn about Behling is the brief biography attached to the records of the state Senate panel that approved Walkers nomination of him to a seven-year term on the Board of Regents in March 2012. It described him as a results-oriented attorney with expertise in regulatory, environmental, zoning, permitting and public relations issues. John has a proven track record of introducing international and local entrepreneurs to federal, state and local leaders. These introductions allow his clients to gain a foothold and collaborate directly with these leaders, it said. Johns client list reads like a Whos Who, the bio said, listing such companies as EOG Resources, Kraemer Mining and Materials, and Menards. Behlings work as attorney for a dozen small western Wisconsin municipalities was also noted. So was Behlings time spent as an aide to former Republican Gov. Tommy Thompson, as a policy advisor on labor, employment and regulatory issues, before being hired by the office of the Secretary at the Department of Commerce. The bio also cited Behlings most direct experience in higher education policy before his appointment to the Board of Regents: a three-year stint as a member of the advisory committee to the paralegal program at Globe University. He resigned the position in April 2012, days before lawsuits filed by two former deans at the for-profit career college opened a fraud scandal now being adjudicated in a Minnesota courtroom. Behling also was president of the board of the short-lived Wisconsin Institute for Leadership, formed in 2007 by Republican operative Brian Fraley, according to a 2008 IRS filing by the nonprofit organization. The organization spent $636,000 that year, as it shaped public debate on education and other issues and created the Working for Wisconsin awards, according to the filing. By 2014, Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce was giving the award to 76 Republican legislators who hewed closely to its conservative agenda. Behling, a vice president in the Eau Claire law firm of Weld, Riley, Prenn & Ricci, soon would mount an unsuccessful appeal of a 2012 Polk County Circuit Court decision upholding the countys denial of a permit for a proposed Kraemer frac sand mine when the Eau Claire Leader-Telegram wrote about the newly confirmed UW System regent. The article doesnt mention Behlings involvement in the controversial frac sand mining industry, but it does highlight his roots in rural western Wisconsin as bringing a needed perspective to the Board of Regents. I live and work in western Wisconsin, and for many years the board was constituted of people who lived between Madison and Milwaukee, Behling, then 41, told the newspaper. Behling, who grew up on a Polk County dairy farm, tapped those rural roots for his career in the public sector. He was appointed coordinator of the states Dairy 2020 program, designed to boost profits and production, in 1996. That was the year after he received a bachelors degree from UW-River Falls, where he began studies in 1989. Behling also completed a summer program at Georgetown University in 1991. In the 1990s, Behling worked for Bill McCoshen, director of Thompsons successful 1994 re-election campaign, while McCoshen was secretary of commerce. Also on board at Commerce was Villa, a former deputy director of Thompsons Milwaukee office. Thompson remembered Behling as very bright; he wanted to be a lawyer. I hired a lot of young people so they could keep up with me. Most of them have done very well. Behling left Commerce in 1997 to attend University of Wisconsin Law School, receiving a degree in 2000. He soon was hired by the Eau Claire law firm, now known as Weld Riley. Behling did not respond directly to a Cap Times inquiry about his six-year journey to a bachelors degree and how that might inform his sense of the needs of students in the UW System who increasingly juggle jobs and school and sometimes family responsibilities. He did say he came to UW-River Falls from a very small town in northwestern Wisconsin, and that experience really changed my life and opened so many doors for me. My career really began there and I want to make sure every kid from a small town has a chance to have that kind of experience. Staying on message Behling avoided news interviews on the tenure controversy, but reiterated the themes from his op-ed piece flexibility, accountability in remarks to the tenure task force and later the Board of Regents. He also warned regents that the system, which took a $250 million hit in state funding in the latest budget round, would not fare better in the next budget cycle if tenure were not reformed. Strong tenure policy will allow us to continue to compete in the global education marketplace, Behling told regents before the committee vote in February. He said the policies would hold campus leaders and faculty accountable and enable the system to operate more efficiently and effectively. Without demonstrated accountability, our budget prospects in the future will not improve," he said. In his emailed response to the Cap Times, Behling said he presented his position in the op-ed piece, published the day before the final meeting of the task force, because he wanted to hear from chancellors, faculty and staff before sounding off on the issue. The op-ed was an opportunity for me to share the research we had done and to update the public in a concise and informed way that reflected what we had learned so far, Behling wrote. Emails obtained by the Capital Times through an open records request reveal that staying on message and tamping down opposition on the tenure issue were priorities for top UW system officials. A copy of the proposed tenure policies, with minor changes recommended by the Board of Regents education committee in February, were sent to regents and made public on March 7, just three days before the final vote. In introductory comments on the policies, Behling again sounded the themes of accountability and flexibility: These draft policies would hold campus leaders and faculty accountable and empower our campuses to operate more efficiently and effectively. Regent Tim Higgins messaged Behling and regent president Regina Millner that day about putting off the entreaties of the UW-Whitewater leader of a system-wide effort to amend tenure policy proposals before the vote. I believe that its important that all Regents support the task force recommendations as presented, Higgins wrote. Millner also wrote of putting off faculty trying to lobby their case and told Behling she thought a chart of the proposed policy amendments would show common points between those offered by administrators and faculty. In addition, this will help us better articulate our reason for not making the other amendments, she wrote. Behling expressed his displeasure with faculty attempts at the 11th hour to address regents on the tenure policy as they prepared to vote. I think this has become a poor idea, Behling wrote to Millner, Cross, Villa and UW System state lobbyist Jeff Buhrandt. I have also spoken with a couple of Chancellors that agree with my assessment. Behling then offered to jump on a call to discuss the issue, a preference for phone communications expressed often in his emails about the tenure issue in the month leading up to the Board of Regents vote. Behling decided, however, to broadcast an email message of support from State Sen. Sheila Harsdorf, the River Falls Republican who co-sponsored an omnibus motion in 2015 that removed tenure from state law. On the heels of a fair amount of pressure I thought I would share the email below with you from Senator Harsdorf, Behling wrote to Cross on March 8. Hi, John, This email is long overdue but I wanted to thank you for your leadership on the Board of Regents and specifically chairing the Tenure Policy Task Force, Harsdorf wrote on Feb. 24. While many have tried to misrepresent our actions in removing policy from state statutes and instead giving authority to the Board of Regents to develop tenure policy, your thoughtful and reasoned approach has been appreciated. Thank you again for your service. I look forward to staying in touch! Harsdorfs email signature included a link to Behlings op-ed UW tenure reforms provide flexibility, accountability. Frac sand background Despite Behlings reticence to comment on tenure policy outside official communications, as an attorney he spoke with some regularity to media on behalf of his frac sand mining industry clients. He spoke to the Chippewa Herald in 2010 about a pre-development agreement with the town of Howard that cleared the way for EOG Resources, a Texas-based energy exploration company, to begin mining sand, a critical ingredient in fracking, a method to extract oil and gas from underground rock. Part of that agreement commits us to good faith talks to flesh out the remainder of the mining agreement, Behling said. The pre-development agreement was a good idea, Ron Koshoshek, a former chair of the Public Intervenors Office, a state environmental watchdog agency, recalled in a recent interview. Town efforts to regulate sand mining through an ordinance brought legal challenges to its authority to impose zoning regulations, recalled Koshoshek, who taught for 30 years at UW-Eau Claire before retiring in 1999. He was inducted into the Wisconsin Conservation Hall of Fame in 2015. Koshoshek said he soon realized that town officials were not prepared to deal with the regulatory and environmental issues such large-scale operations as the proposed sand mine and processing plant would bring. The development agreement, suggested by Behling, was a relatively simple way to protect the value of properties near the sand mine, Koshoshek said. I think highly of John, he said. He was a lawyer for the opposition he didnt give anything away. But suggesting a developers agreement was a smart idea. It was a very constructive proposal that has benefitted the town. Citizen activist Patricia Popple said she was less than happy with her dealings with Behling when he represented EOG in their efforts to open a frac sand processing plant in Chippewa Falls. Popple, then president of Concerned Chippewa Citizens, had a dispute with Behling over whether she had refused to meet with him and EOG officials after publicly calling on the company to communicate with citizens. That was how Behling presented it in lengthy comments published in an article in the Chippewa Herald. Popple said in a recent interview she felt pressured to meet in a small group with frac industry officials, where she felt she might be intimidated into agreeing to their demands. What she wanted was a large, public town hall meeting where the community could discuss air and water quality, truck traffic and other concerns, she said. Im not pleased by some of my dealings with John Behling. I dont think anyone in our group was happy with John Behling, Popple said. He was very aggressive. Newspaper clippings about the Behling-Popple dispute are included in Spartacus: Blood and Sand Moratoria Madness, a PowerPoint presentation made by Behling and a law firm colleague to a frac sand industry summit in July 2012 in Denver. The PowerPoint presents moratoriums temporary prohibitions on the approval of frac sand mines as thinly disguised efforts by municipalities to stop the activity permanently. The presentation includes tips on how to fight such actions with legal, political and public relations strategies. It counsels companies, for example, to counter public opposition by holding job fairs, and hosting open houses and giving away T-shirts. The presentation quotes Walker on frac sand mining: There is a miner on the Wisconsin flag for a reason. Behling sounded a similar theme in a 2013 article in the Huffington Post, by way of asserting that mining has been part of the Wisconsin landscape for a long time. Its called the Badger State not because of the animal, he said, but because of how the mining activity made it look from a distance, like the hills were populated with large badgers. Behling also addressed critics complaints that jobs brought into the community by frac sand mining were short-lived and volatile. Even if the job is only for 30 years, thats 30 years of having a job versus standing in the unemployment line, said Behling, then representing Texas-based Vista Sand, a company that was proposing a frac sand mine in Glenwood City. In 2013, as towns and municipalities turned to moratoriums to control what by then was an overwhelming number of frac sand mine proposals, the Wisconsin Legislature considered a controversial bill never passed that would have restricted municipalities authority to regulate them. Some observers said the bill could backfire on an industry that had managed to site many facilities despite restrictions. A complex regulatory environment is not new to industry, and companies must figure out how to navigate it, Behling told the Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism. Thomas Pearson, an associate professor at UW-Stout in Menomonie, has researched the tactics used by frac sand companies when they seek to open mines and processing facilities. In my experience, many frac sand spokespersons dismiss the concerns of critics as unscientific or lacking facts, sometimes stigmatizing opponents as those people who are moved by emotions and fear, Pearson wrote in a 2013 paper, Frac Sand Mining in Wisconsin: Understanding Emerging Conflicts and Community Organizing. Pearson also referred to Behlings advice, as articulated in the Blood and Sand presentation, to avoid litigation by defusing community opposition through press conferences, job fairs or open houses. Bright yellow Sand = Jobs T-shirts were appearing at public meetings on mining proposals, Pearson wrote. The frac sand industry tactics undermined democracy, Pearson said in an interview, by short-circuiting public debate and attempting to circumvent governmental processes through various agreements including secret deals in which neighbors were paid to support a project, he said. Sand mining regulation was a red-hot area of practice, Behling told the Wisconsin State Bars Wisconsin Lawyer in 2014. Its almost unfathomable the pace of real estate transactions and permit applications, Behling said, adding that he didnt see it slowing any time soon. Behling soon took a leave from his law firm to take a job as general counsel and executive vice president for regulatory affairs for Texas-based Smart Sands, Inc. But when dropping energy prices reduced demand for frac sand, stalling operations at nearly one-third of the industrys 129 Wisconsin facilities by the end of 2015, Behling returned to his Eau Claire law firm. Faculty criticism Many UW System faculty say the tenure policy adopted by the Board of Regents doesnt adequately protect academic freedom because it allows university administrators too much latitude in closing programs and laying off faculty. It differs in significant ways from the national standard adopted by the American Association of University Professors, they say. And some say Behlings leadership on the issue signals a troubling new chapter in UW leadership. He represents this managerial culture, this bureaucratic culture that believes shared decision-making is bringing a bunch of people into the room, but not bothering to take their opinions into consideration for a decision probably made long before the meeting was convened, said David Vanness, an associate professor in the UW-Madison School of Medicine and Public Health and president of the campus chapter of AAUP. In a message to colleagues urging support of the no confidence vote against UW System president Cross and the Board of Regents, Vanness called the tenure task force under Behling a sham. He and other faculty activists object that task force members did not get a chance to weigh in on the draft policy attributed to them before it was forwarded to the Board of Regents. Donald Moynihan, a professor of public affairs at UW-Madisons La Follette School of Public Affairs who studies public management, challenged Behlings apparent belief that great campuses are built by chancellors wielding greater power, rather than connections built with students and communities. UW-Madison was ranked as the 25th best institution in the world by one ranking. Thats incredible, and we got there through shared governance, not through the Chancellor as CEO model Behling champions, he said. And while Behling has used the language of management flexibility, accountability the management policies adopted involve greater bureaucratization of our campuses, while weakening our competitiveness in the academic marketplace, Moynihan said. He wonders if regents are fulfilling their duty to explain to elected officials how universities function and when legislative policies are wrong and harmful. The current regents seem to view themselves primarily as the implementers of the Legislatures policies, Moynihan said. The UW System needs champions to defend the institution, and I think many faculty believe we dont have them right now. Regent Behling argued that we need to adopt tenure changes in order to improve our budget prospects with the Legislature. Will he hold himself accountable if the Legislature maintains past cuts? Thanks for a thankless job There was debate over tenure policy led by regents not appointed by Walker when the full Board of Regents voted on policy changes on March 10. Regent Mark Bradley, who was appointed by former Gov. Jim Doyle, opened the issue while Tony Evers, who serves ex-officio as the elected state Superintendent of Public Instruction, offered a series of amendments that failed to make substantive change to the policy. Regent Jose Vasquez, a Doyle appointee whose term ends this month, took a stand against revising tenure, announcing he was not convinced the system was broken. Behling assessed the tenure policy process as open and responsive to input, stressing that he met in private with representatives from AAUP and PROFS, the advocacy arm of UW-Madison faculty. Anyone who has followed this issue closely will see that these groups influenced our work and my perspective throughout the process, Behling said in response to a Cap Times question about the influence of legislators. Throughout the process, I did not have any discussion with elected officials and I only received one unsolicited email. As to how his experience as a frac sand lawyer informed his strategy on the tenure issue, Behling replied that his focus was to foster an atmosphere that valued research and discussion. I think I drew upon my experience as an attorney, a former legislative staff member and my pride as a UW System graduate and state citizen more than anything, he said. We had a tough job. We didnt agree on every point, but we reached a consensus on many points. Millner praised Behling for doing a thankless job well. I think he did a fine job. I think it has been a very difficult task because the opposition to doing anything at all made it almost impossible to do anything to satisfy them, Millner said in an interview. The no-confidence resolution at UW-Madison revolved around Board of Regent revisions to a tenure policy for the individual campus, something for which every campus will need to win approval under the overarching system wide policy adopted in March. The no-confidence vote signals serious problems, said Sean McKinniss, a researcher of university governance. The sense of dysfunction and anger are inescapable, McKinniss said. These votes can bring a lot of anxiety and discord to universities. Their purpose, he said, is to force a dialogue, no matter how difficult, to assess the direction of the university. A Portage man has been sentenced to 23 years in the Wisconsin prison system following a conviction for charges surrounding the sexual assault of a minor. Raymond E. Crowe, 26, appeared in Columbia County Circuit Court on Tuesday for sentencing, charged with six counts of second-degree sexual assault of a child, two counts of child enticement and one count of child sexual exploitation. Judge Alan J. White asked for the status of the case, receiving confirmation that Crowe would be entering a plea of no contest to the charges, but there was no agreement on a sentence recommendation. Based on the Department of Corrections pre-sentence investigation recommending nine to 10 years of prison, Assistant District Attorney Brenda Yaskal requested a sentence of 10 years initial confinement and eight years of extended supervision. Yaskal said at the time of his arrest in March 2014 on charges of having a relationship with a 15-year-old girl, Crowe was on probation for the very same offense a conviction for second-degree sexual assault, resulting in seven years of probation. While in jail Crowe also continued to make contact with underage girls, as Yaskal revisited with transcripts of phone calls including one in which he encouraged a girl to visit him, with her asking, Isnt this what got you here in the first place? To which he replied, No. Itll be fine. The analysis also showed a strong relationship between Crowe and his mother, whom he spoke to over the phone, asking her to find someone to beat up the 15-year-old girl at the center of his case. Crowe was charged with six counts of felony bail jumping and two counts of intimidating or threatening a victim. The charges were dismissed, but read into the record prior to his sentencing hearing. There was an explanation for what had led Crowe to this point, if not an excuse, defense attorney Peter Masana told the court. Although Crowe was on probation for second-degree sexual assault for a 2012 case, there was necessary context in that he was 20 years old and the minor was 17. Masana also described Crowes comparatively modest maturity and reasoning ability an estimated seventh- or eighth-grade level. Factors in Crowes personal history, according to Masana, included his mother having him at a very young age and his father being in prison, serving a seven-year sentence. Recently, Crowe has been treated at the Mendota Mental Health Institution and Columbia Correctional Institution where he was placed for a time in solitary confinement. According to Department of Corrections records, following his arrest in 2014 Crowe was held at Dodge County Correctional Institution from May to July 2015, then at the prison in Kettle Moraine from July to September and at Columbia Correctional Institution from Sept. 11 to Sept. 15, before going back to Kettle Moraine. I dont think an additional decade of confinement and almost a decade of supervision will help anyone, Masana told the court, recommending five years confinement and three years of supervision. Citing anxiety issues on his clients part, Masana then read a statement from Crowe, explaining himself to White. The state of Wisconsin has my full attention and I know that prison is not for me or anyone else, he read, going on to describe his poorly-structured childhood in which at age 13 he had a 17-year-old girlfriend and was hanging out with 20- and 30-year-olds who also had teenage girlfriends. Why most of them got away with it, Im not sure. White sentenced Crowe to 23 years eight years of initial confinement and 15 years of extended supervision and participation in the sex offender registry. Students may have had some fun with Jeff Goods last name Tuesday as they prepared for the band directors final school concert. He has good things to teach, good things to tell us, said Levi Wood, a seventh-grader who plays the tenor saxophone at Bartels Middle School. Hes just a good guy to have in the band room. Levi and classmate Braeden Scheibach took a few moments to embrace the goodness of Good as their band director for the past two years two of the 32 years Good has spent in the Portage Community School District. Thursdays spring concert Celebrate Good Times will be Goods last as he nears his retirement on the last day of school, June 2. Its humor that stands out with Good, the students agreed. Its what theyll miss most when hes gone. Sometimes, like, he leaves the conductor stand, walks somewhere and grabs something out of a closet, said Braeden, who plays baritone and alto saxophone. There was the Chewbacca costume he grabbed, and he ran out with the head on. Everything he does to get percussion to look when hes conducting, Levi said of favorite memories, noting the teachers tactics cover anything crazy crazy faces, crazy sounds, and sometimes he throws rubber balls. Im sad to see him go, Levi added. For Good, band rooms that are loose and happy are extensions of his personality. Its who I am, he said. Good tells jokes, teases the kids in a fun way, but understands that when students are having fun, they buy into it more. I think they know with me theres a time for fun and a time to get to work, to reach the goals were trying to attain, Good said. The Plymouth, Wisconsin native prepared his students Tuesday for a spring concert that will encompass what his students like to play and what Good has enjoyed in his 32 years in Portage. Some selections, like Hit the Road Jack, are playful nods to his retirement, Good admitted, noting the spring concert ends with the song, Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye. Ive had a great career. My wife and I love to travel; weve been to Europe several times. We have three grandkids and one on the way, Good said of retirement. Good and his wife, Jane, also a music teacher, will celebrate their 35th wedding anniversary in August. I think its about time for more hunting and fishing. This is their thing In Plymouth, Good learned from his mentor and high school band director, Ernest Broeniman. Broeniman, 79, is one of several guest artists, including former Portage band teachers and Goods former students, wholl play the song Chameleon to honor their friend in the spring show. Good learned as a teenager how important it is to sometimes get students outside of the band room, noting how with Broeniman he and other students marched at Disney World in Orlando in 1976. Portage music teachers, at the middle-school level, try to get students on two field trips a year, he said, taking them on trips to the Overture Center for the Arts in Madison to see shows like Blue Man Group and Sister Act, and each year the jazz band travels to University of Wisconsin-Steven Point for Jazz Fest. Spring concerts are always themed. We pull out all the stops, Good said. Teachers and other staff often dress up for the shows, getting creative with past themes like Blues Brothers, YMCA, Movie Madness, Rock n Roll, 1970s and Motown. Good is also proud of how seriously students take marching in parades staying in straight lines and looking sharp, as well as how hard students work for clinicians brought in annually for contests. Reading through some of the comments from very well-respected judges, youd sometimes just read them and move on, Good said, but now looking back on them, there are some pretty outstanding comments saying our program, our kids were doing a very fine job. My favorite aspect of teaching, Good said, is really seeing a young kid pick up an instrument for the first time, and by the end of the year theyre playing things youd never dreamed they would. Especially kids who are struggling seeing the light go on gives me a lot of satisfaction. For a lot of kids, this is their thing. This is their chance to shine. Power of music Braeden explained how he learned from Good never to slur in jazz band. That means dont blend notes together, he said. He gets on everybody about that. How does Good make the lesson stick? He tells us every time we do it. Band offers students valuable experiences in team building, said Good, who spent two years teaching music in North English, Iowa before moving to Portage to lead band for sixth-, seventh- and eighth-graders. Good for 29 years also traveled, once a week, between elementary schools Lewiston, Endeavor, Rusch and the now-closed Fort Winnebago and Caledonia, before sixth-grade students were moved to Bartels Middle School. Jane Good taught general music at the elementary level in Reedsburg, Montello and Portage, and for the past 32 years has played piano for Portage solo/ensembles. I loved the sound of the trumpet, Good said of his early passion for music. I enjoy the freedom of expression, working with a team. Im very rhythmic, and music has always been just a positive thing in my being, my soul. The power of music is most often found with everyone reaching the same goal, he said. Regardless of what socio-economic status you are or your group of friends, when you come in here its one, big family. It teaches them independence, especially when moving into in solo/ensembles, playing solos, duets and trios. It gives kids who dont have other interests, like sports, an outlet. Maybe they dont participate in other activities? Bands purpose is not to become a professional musician but to be part of a team, to grow and to have fun. Chinese President Xi Jinping (center) visits Port of Duisburg of Germany March 29, 2014. [Photo/Xinhua] In recent weeks, China's Belt and Road Initiative, the Silk Road Economic Belt and 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, has got several bottom-up but energetic responses from Europe. Among them was the formation of the Europe and China tourism and cultural development committee a few days ago in Brussels. The committee is the brainchild of Benard Dewit, chairman of the Belgian-Chinese Chamber of Commerce and other key European brains. The rational behind the formation of the committee is to better serve Chinese tourists whose steadily rising numbers have become a key driver of Europe's tourism sector and and its infrastructure development. Before the committee was formed, China EU, a Brussels-based non-profit organization, whose aim is to promote EU-China exchanges in the internet and telecommunications sectors, had organized a panel discussion in London on how to insert digital content into the Belt and Road Initiative and develop a "Digital Silk Road". In March, France-based Neoma Business School had organized a forum in Paris to discuss how to make the best use of Europe's green technology and knowhow and China's capital and manufacturing capacities, in order to ensure the Belt and Road Initiative adopts a greener and sustainable approach. And before the Paris forum, Jan Kohout, an adviser to Czech President Milos Zeman on Chinese affairs, set up the first think tank in Europe that would focus on Belt and Road Initiative research. These four developments in Europe come nearly three years after President Xi Jinping announced the initiative in 2013 to better connect Asia, Europe and Africa. Since then, up to 20 governments in Europe have echoed China's proposals and even the European Union, as a whole, is working with China to launch joint funds to help synergize the Belt and Road Initiative and European investment schemes. This season of 'Love Is Blind' is shaping up to be absolute madness here's what people are saying about it Wal-Mart is now on track to get a liquor license. The citys Legislative and Regulatory Committee voted 3-1 Monday to recommend the business receive a license to sell retail alcohol products. Common Council members Rita Maass, Mary Hamburg and Mike Charles voted in favor. Council member Jeff Monfort voted against. It will now be up to the full Council to decide the fate of the application. That decision could come May 12. (Wal-Mart) provided us with more information and we did some checking, said Maass, the committee chairwoman. There are issues and theyre willing to work with us on those issues. Maass said her biggest concern was the ability to control alcohol products within the large store and prevent minors from getting access. Wal-Mart agreed to pursue a liquor box approach that would separate liquor sales from the rest of the store. Wal-Mart officials said at the meeting that the company is expected to do a major remodeling of the Portage store in about a year and would work that into their plans. That certainly makes it easier to support, Maass said of the controlled approach. A few weeks earlier, Maass voted with two other members of the committee to recommend denying Wal-Mart application based on different reasons, including that it was not a new business something which city guidelines prioritize in determining if a license should be granted. Other Council members had expressed a desire to protect small businesses in the community during committee debate. But when that recommendation made it to the full Common Council for a final decision, Council members sent it back to committee for more review at the urging of Mayor Rick Dodd, who was still serving as a Council member at the time. Dodd and others argued that denying Wal-Mart would send a negative message to the business community. Dodd also argued it was fundamentally unfair to deny Wal-Mart. You have got to have rules that apply to all the citizens or all the businesses equally. You cant arbitrarily have separate rules for a big-box store versus a little-box store, Dodd said after watching the meeting from the gallery on Monday. Wal-Marts application is the citys first since the Common Council removed its long-standing moratorium on new retail alcohol sellers. In recent years, only about 10 businesses have been allowed to sell retail alcohol beverages. But the Council voted 7-1 in January to remove its cap to spur faster economic development. You asked for growth. We are here offering that growth, Wal-Mart market manager Steve Palecek told council members on Monday. Wal-Mart is part of the Portage community, providing nearly 300 jobs, a huge tax base and other support to the city, he said. Allowing the Portage Wal-Mart to sell alcohol products will provide economic growth; furthermore, customers are requesting it constantly, Palecek said. The Portage Wal-Mart is a highway business that draws people into the community that would not otherwise stop on their way to the Northwoods, he noted. It is a no-brainer to us to serve our customers, Palecek said. There is business to be taken off of that highway and not just for Wal-Mart. Customers stop for gas and food after shopping at Wal-Mart, he said. This is not the first time Wal-Mart has applied for a retail liquor license in Portage. The company has done so several times over the past decade when licenses became available. The Council denied the company each time citing proximity and impact on other businesses, as well as concerns alcohol products could not be supervised properly in the 188,000-square-foot store. Mondays meeting had to be moved to the larger Common Council Chambers from a smaller conference room at city hall because of heavy attendance. More than a dozen people wearing Wal-Mart employee blue vests attended the meeting to support the companys bid for the license. Maass may have changed her vote, but voiced some ambivalence about the decision. Do we need more liquor in this community, probably not Is it going to create a lot of new jobs probably not ... Is it going to be the economic development that we want here in the community? That we think is going to save us? Probably not. Will it help? It very well could, Maass said. CAMBRIA It is in disrepair. With this vast understatement, Cody Doucette started his slide show at Mondays Cambria Village Board meeting. Doucette, who is both a Cambria village trustee and the Cambria Fire Department chief, said he had, on Monday morning, taken what is believed to be the first glimpse in many years inside the former Mikes Super Store grocery emporium at 103 W. Edgewater St. A fire inspector, a building inspector and a structural inspector went in with Doucette, while two Columbia County sheriffs deputies stood guard outside. To gain entry, a warrant had to be obtained, because the buildings owner, Bethany Sabatke, has refused service of certified letters seeking authorization for entry. The letters were delivered at two different addresses, according to Village Clerk Lois Frank. Doucette said those who inspected the buildings interior and roof expected the worst, and thats exactly what they found. We went in with masks, he said. Not only is it a health hazard, it is a structural hazard. Here, according to Doucette, is what inspectors found: Two gaping holes in the roof. Water all over the floor. Abundant mold and mildew. Aisles blocked with objects and debris. I didnt see anything dead in there, Doucette said, but I saw a lot of living things growing in there. Trustees gathered around a laptop computer to view Doucettes images. There was no projector or screen available. The building has long been a no enter structure, meaning that its too dangerous for firefighters to go inside if the building ever catches fire. But the appearance of the holes in the roof have, in recent months, prompted village officials to step up their efforts to assess the buildings interior condition and possibly take steps to have it torn down. Village President Glen Williams said the Village Board could take no action on the matter Monday night. Doucette said the official report of the fire and structural inspections would need to be completed before the Village Board can decide what to do about the building. If the trustees decide that the building is such a hazard that it must be torn down, the cost of the razing will be added to Sabatkes property tax bill, Frank said. However, Columbia County tax records show that Sabatke has not paid her 2015 property taxes of $1,216.11, which were due in February. With interest and penalties, the amount she owes comes to $1,289.07. Going back to tax year 2003, the property taxes have been paid in full each year. However, Sabatke also known as Bethany Bronkala has a long history of refusing certified letters from the village regarding the condition of the building, including an attempt several years ago to gain interior access for a fire inspection, and an attempt to force repairs of a precariously hanging overhead sign and an exterior electrical outlet. Sabatke was successfully served in 2010, when village officials sought the remediation of exterior lead paint, which had been falling in chips onto the downtown sidewalk. Several trustees asked Monday whether there is anything inside the building that is of sufficient potential value as to offset any costs that the village might incur for tearing the structure down. While there are some antique items associated with the buildings history as a grocery store, such as food storage units, Trustee Shannon Dunahee said those items cant be sold for future use with foods if theyve been infested with mold or mildew. Lynn and Nancy Utesch are small beef farmers near Kewaunee, straight east of Green Bay along the shores of Lake Michigan. Its an area thats had a disturbing problem with its groundwater in recent years. An inordinate number of wells have been contaminated by runoff that many blame on the 15 concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) relatively new to the area. CAFOs rely on the economies of bigness to turn a profit. Consequently, Kewaunee County is one of only four Wisconsin counties that have experienced an increase in livestock the past few decades. There are more than 20,000 more animals there today than there were back in the 1980s roughly 60,000 then to about 80,000 now. Its estimated that the livestock generate enough waste every year to approximate the waste produced by a city of 900,000 people. So when private wells began showing signs of pollution, local folks demanded answers and action. The Utesches were among them. One of the actions they took was to monitor just how vigilant the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources the Wisconsin agency charged with safeguarding the states water supply was in finding the causes of the problem. So the Utesches and others in the area filed numerous open records requests to see for themselves. They and others showed up at hearings and meetings and demanded answers. Many were convinced the DNR had not done enough to enforce measures to prevent manure runoff and hadnt dug deeply enough to answer questions about why their water supplies were contaminated. And the locals made sure the DNR knew their concerns. The deep concern of Kewaunee County residents about water contamination from animal waste and the lack of action by the DNR is underscored in a report just out from the Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism, complete with maps and charts of polluted wells and CAFOs all around Wisconsin. It goes without saying that the whole water dilemma in Kewaunee County has been a divisive one for years now, involving local governments, the state DNR and the federal Environmental Protection Agency. Polluted water wells do not make for happy campers. But what came next was completely unexpected. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel matter-of-factly reported earlier this year that the Wisconsin DNR had established a do not respond list and Lynn and Nancy Utesch were right there on top. In other words, their efforts to hold the DNRs feet to the fire made them persona non grata. The blacklist was reminiscent of the late President Richard Nixons infamous enemies list. By implication, the people on it were to be treated with caution and kept at arms length by the administration. The DNRs do not respond list, which included Patricia Randolph, a fierce anti-hunting activist who lives outside Portage and writes a column that runs online on The Cap Times twice a month, essentially told DNR staffers they could ignore open records requests and other inquiries from the people on it people who were obviously viewed as pests. Revelations of the list appeared to embarrass DNR brass, including DNR Secretary Cathy Stepp, who quickly announced the list had been rescinded, even though her office had been listed as contributing to the list. And the DNRs respected former communications chief, George Althoff, insisted that while the list existed, it was never used to deny or ignore open records requests. The Utesches, however, arent mollified by Stepps change of heart. Recently the Kewaunee farm couple had a lawyer demand an apology from the DNR and an outline of what the DNR is going to do to abide by the open records law, which the couple firmly believes it violated when it compiled the do not respond list. The law, after all, doesnt allow taxpayer-financed government agencies to ignore requests for information simply because it views the requestor as a pest. In recent years, my clients have had several requests that DNR has denied or to which DNR never responded, wrote attorney Elisabeth Holmes. She included several examples of open records requests the Utesches had filed but received no answer and then found the information they were seeking in subsequent news articles in the local press. DNRs blacklist of my clients has materially affected their rights, she added. The attorney also wants to know how the DNR is going to implement Gov. Scott Walkers recent directive that open records requests be addressed in a timely manner, an edict he handed down during Sunshine Week in March. This, of course, is but the latest of dust-ups that have confronted the DNR in recent years. Environmental regulations have been loosened, scientists have been fired and the agency under Walker-appointee Stepp has been accused of favoring developers and corporate farmers over conservationists. Lynn and Nancy Utesch are making it clear they arent going to take it anymore. Manzke: Autumn brings long ago Halloween memories As a kid, Halloween was tops on Susan's list of special days, except for Christmas. Philippe Delivet (Robert Schuman Foundation) Terrorism is a major threat to the EU. In recent years, the danger of religious radicalism has increased, which manifested itself in the two of last years terrorist attacks in Paris and the March bombing in the Brussels airport and metro station. The Union is confronted with the departure of its citizens, who leave to fight in Syria, and then return to Europe as radicalized jihadists. These people then pose a major threat to European values. But how is it possible to fight effectively against these phenomena? After 2002, the process of extradition of terrorists to third countries has gradually accelerated and also their funding can be better traced. At the time of a threat to the internal security of the Member States, it is also possible to temporarily restore border controls in the Schengen area. Security forces have access to the biometric data of suspected individuals and there is also cooperation between police and courts within the Europol and Eurojust framework. In addition, the Union also cooperates with the United States in this area. In light of the growing threat of terrorism, the EU agenda is currently focusing on the protection of citizens through the existing instruments, prevention of radicalization, defense of the Unions values and cooperation at the international level. The European directive adopted in December 2015, for example, enables to criminalize persons in the EU, who attempt to recruit, train and facilitate the subsequent departure of new fighters abroad, where they commit terrorist acts. The Lisbon Treaty was also instrumental in laying a ground for a more effective fight against terror by deepening cooperation among police forces across the Member States. Moreover, the Treaty introduced the so-called solidarity clause under which the countries hit by terrorist attacks must receive help from other Member States. The EU has also stepped up its efforts to the fight against jihadist propaganda on the Internet that has effectively become a crucial battleground in the fight against terrorism and Islamic extremism. For this purpose, private entities that fight jihadist propaganda should be strengthened. The European Security Agenda 2015-2020, which speaks about the creation of a European Anti-Terrorism Center, has outlined possible avenues of the future anti-terrorism strategy. This should allow Europol to support the running of national enforcement authorities in the fight against foreign fighters, terrorism financing, extremist content on the Internet and trafficking of illegal weapons. (The study can be downloaded here :http://www.robert-schuman.eu/en/european-issues/0372-the-european-union-and-the-fight-to-counter-terrorism) It was a narrow victory for Democrat Bernie Sanders in the Indiana primary. Although the Vermont senator has cultivated a deeply loyal following, he would still need superdelegates in the Democratic party to get behind him if he were to become the nominee instead of front-runner Hillary Clinton. By campaigning in the Bluegrass for the second consecutive day, Sanders is certainly looking ahead to Kentucky's primary on May 17. Sanders' campaign plans to hold a rally in Lexington Wednesday evening. It will be at Heritage Hall. Doors are scheduled to open to the public at 4 p.m. Ahead of Wednesday's rally in Lexington, Sanders spoke to a large crowd during a rally in Louisville Tuesday night. Hundreds of people showed up to the rally at Waterfront Park. Doors also opened at 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday and there was a long line, waiting to get in. "I really want to meet him. I'm trying my best to meet Bernie Sanders. And I want to get a selfie with him," Becca Dunn told WKYT. Sanders took the stage around 7:30 p.m. He said his campaign is about starting a political revolution. "And what that revolution means is that millions of people today are beginning to stand up and fight back and demand a government that represents all of us, not just a handful of billionaires," Sanders said. He also talked about his push for immigration reform that includes a path to citizenship. "There are 11 million undocumented people in this country, and I have talked to many of them." Sanders closed by urging Kentuckians to vote for him in the upcoming primary. Music students have rare chance to work with Esterhazy Trio Insight from Vienna Esterhazy Trio baryton and cello player Maria Andrasfalvy-Brussing, second from right, working with music students Joseph Roth, Lynn Trott and Rachel Smith. Photo by Cortney Langley Insight from Vienna Violin student Victoria Johnson '17 works with Esterhazy Trio violinist Andras Bolyki. Photo by Cortney Langley Insight from Vienna In addition to playing two concerts in the Wren Building, the Esterhazy Trio took time for a strings master class with W&M students. Photo courtesy Esterhazy Trio Photo - of - Hide Caption Joseph Roths life got a little more dissonant after working with the Esterhazy Trio. Well, maybe not his life. But the senior viola da gamba students appreciation of dissonance in music intensified after spending more than a half-hour with the famed Viennese trios leader, Michael Brussing, in a recent strings master class at William & Mary. {{youtube:medium:left|k4jyOynvA0g}} Master classes allow W&M music majors to spend time one-on-one working on technique and historical interpretation with visiting players, many of them among the best in the world. I was so pleased with the opportunity to work with the Esterhazy Trio, Roth said. Theyre fantastic people. Roth has participated in master classes before, but this one was rare. He is one of only two viola da gamba students on campus, he said, while the Esterhazy Trio specializes in music for the rarely-heard baryton, an instrument similar to the viola da gamba, dating from the 17th century. For the class, Roth chose to play Carl Friedrich Abels Piece for Solo Viol in D Minor, which he had performed in his senior recital. Immediately I knew it was going to be fabulous and that [Brussing] was going to be a fantastic teacher, Roth said. Because of the way he spoke about the music and how familiar he was with all of the tone qualities and themes in the piece, he very obviously knew so much about the music and how its intended to be played. And he was very good at being able to express to me what I should change to be able to produce certain tones or how I should change if I want to get different sorts of expressions or different qualities in the music. The piece is marked by its dramatic opening, which Brussing said should carry a round sound. At one point, he took the bow from Roth to demonstrate a method of moving the bow over the viols string in a great, sweeping arc. It was the opposite of how Id been taught to play the instrument, Roth said. Youre taught to play the viola da gamba having the tip of the bow pointed downward relative to the bridge. This way he showed me to play the opening chord, it was opposite to the extreme. The tip was pointed up directly at me. My teacher here, Sarah Glosson, commented in my next lesson that she had also never seen that before. It was a new thing to both of us. But it got the exact sound quality he wanted. It was interesting to see somebody go so far away from the standard, accepted technique to get such a beautiful sound that was so appropriate to the piece. Roth was one of five students who worked with the trio in the strings master class before it gave two performances in Williamsburg the next day. The April visit was part of the Esterhazy Trios first tour of the United States, arranged by James Armstrong, music professor and director of choirs at W&M. Armstrong and his spouse, Jamie Bartlett, chair of the music department and associate director of choirs, first met the trio in Austria in 2008. I have been particularly interested in bringing the trio to William & Mary because they represent in their playing a musical tradition of aristocratic music making that I have had the pleasure of studying in my research, Armstrong explained. In 2008, the Esterhazy Trio had just released a 21-CD recording of the complete chamber works for baryton by Joseph Haydn. Haydns great patron was Nicolas I, Prince Esterhazy, a skilled amateur baryton player in his own right. Armstrong has been working since 1999 on a scholarly, electronic catalog of the Esterhazy sacred music collection, comprising more than 3,000 pieces of sacred music used by the court in its worship services. Both Jamie and I were so taken by their beautiful performance authentic from a historical perspective and the very best of European music making and also with them as wonderful people that we have been trying since 2008 to make arrangements to bring them to the United States, Armstrong said. Originally scheduled to perform one concert in the Wren Buildings Great Hall, so many people showed up that the trio played a slightly abbreviated program twice to accommodate the crowds, taking only a 15-break between performances. Those who attended both concerts heard all the music the trio had originally planned to play plus encores. The trios visit was sponsored by the music department and the Ewell Concert Series as well as the dean of student affairs, the Reves Center for International Studies and German studies. The trio also played at Lynchburg College and at the Hungarian Embassy in Washington, D.C., as part of the renowned Embassy Series. Zhang becomes second W&M student, first Asian-American elected to city council My Neighbor Benny: Zhang will be the second W&M student and first Asian-American to serve on the Williamsburg City Council. Courtesy photo Photo - of - Hide Caption Benming Benny Zhang 16 was elected to the Williamsburg City Council yesterday, becoming the second William & Mary student and the first Asian-American to ever do so. Zhang was one of three people to win four-year appointments on the council, including W&M alumni Paul Freiling 83 and Barbara Ramsey 75. Elaine McBeth, associate director of W&Ms public policy program, and Greg Granger also ran in the election. This was an especially challenging but rewarding experience, Zhang said in a press release. I ran an honest, positive campaign. I would like to thank the community for trusting in the experience and perspective I bring to city council. I look forward to serving all citizens for the next four years, and I am eager to get to work making Williamsburg a more inclusive and vibrant city. According the City of Williamsburgs communications specialist, Zhang is believed to be the first Asian-American to have ever been elected to the council. Scott Foster 10, J.D. '14 was the first William & Mary student, beginning his work with the council in 2010 shortly after his graduation just as Zhang will. Its tough; its definitely a juggling act, Zhang said of campaigning while finishing his senior year at the university. But it really forced me to get as organized as possible. I cant imagine what its like for candidates with families and a job to juggle, too. So its not all that impossible, but it definitely was a big challenge. I had to always remember that I was a student first and then a candidate. Zhang has been involved in Williamsburg politics since his freshman year at William & Mary, when Mayor Clyde Haulman appointed him to the Public Housing Advisory Committee. In addition to his four-year term with that body, Zhang has also served as a member of the Greater Williamsburg Chamber & Tourism Alliance and the Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation Revolutionary Society. Zhang began his time at William & Mary as a Sharpe Community Scholar, and, in that role, helped found the tutoring program Merrimac Mentors. He is a self-designed major in Asian-American studies, and his senior honors thesis focuses on Arthur Matsu 28, who is believed to be W&Ms first Asian-American graduate. Zhang, who will graduate on May 14, plans on applying to W&M Law School following a gap year. Zhangs campaign, My Neighbor Benny, was organized and run by current William & Mary students with additional help from alumni. According to a press release, more than 50 volunteers worked on the campaign, getting more than 1,000 people registered to vote since January. These guys are just really motivated, and Im very thankful to have them on the team because they really made this possible. Most of the things that have been done were done by students, and its just a testament to how capable William & Mary students can be when it comes to this race, Zhang said. Students were also responsible for a town hall meeting held at William & Mary on April 26. The event, organized by The Flat Hat and Student Caucus, allowed four of the five candidates (Ramsey couldnt attend) to discuss their views on the various issues facing the City of Williamsburg. Zhang said that he decided to run for the council because of some issues he wanted to see addressed by the city, whether he won or not. There were some ideas that I wanted to see the city move forward with, and I didnt think the other candidates were going to pursue those ideas, he said, so I decided to jump into the race and at least get a discussion going if nothing else amounted, Id be happy. Zhangs first priority will be getting more familiar with the how the council operates, he said. However, he also hopes to begin work on making the government more inclusive of students and exploring redevelopment options such as the implementation of tourism zones, which provide economic incentives to businesses related to tourism. It would be really cool to start a conversation there and see what kind of businesses we can attract to the area, he said. Although originally from Long Island, New York, Zhang plans to stay in Williamsburg for the foreseeable future. I think this will be a great place to invest some of my early years and see what I can do to be an active community member and make it a better place than when I first came to it, he said. China News on Women Sorry, the page you requested was not found. If you're having trouble locating a destination on Womenofchina.cn, try visiting the Womenofchina Home page A world record for simultaneous sand angels will be set this Saturday if the Lions Club can muster enough volunteers to take part at Narragansett Town Beach. Shortcomings identified in Le Creusot quality checks 04 May 2016 Share An ongoing quality audit at the Le Creusot forge has identified "irregularities" in paperwork on some 400 plant components produced there since 1965. The issues "comprise inconsistencies, modifications or omissions in the production files, concerning manufacturing parameters and test results". Following questions over quality control and carbon content of steel in the reactor pressure vessel of the EPR under construction at Flamanville, France, Areva announced in April 2015 that it would conduct additional studies on the quality of forged components and the quality processes at its Le Creusot facility in Burgundy. The company said the review would help it identify the causes of potential defects in practices and in quality inspection, "as well as the measures to take to continue the improvements made since purchasing the forge in 2006". The upper and bottom head of the reactor pressure vessel for the Flamanville EPR were manufactured at the Le Creusot facility in September 2006 and January 2007, respectively. A subsequent change in regulations concerning carbon content of steel was applied to them and last April Areva informed the ASN that chemical and mechanical tests conducted in late 2014 on a vessel head similar to that of the Flamanville EPR had revealed an area with carbon concentration beyond the new limits. This, ASN said, has led to "lower than expected mechanical toughness values". Areva submitted its conclusions from this review to the French nuclear regulator, the ASN (Autorite de Surete Nucleaire), in October 2015. However, the ASN said it "considered that this relatively superficial review - which only went back as far as 2010 - was insufficient and did not give a complete picture of the organization and practices at Creusot Forge, the quality of the parts produced and the safety culture prevailing within the plant". At the end of 2015, ASN requested Areva take the review process back to at least 2004, which was when the first parts intended for the EPR were manufactured. Areva informed the ASN on 26 April of the preliminary results of the additional analysis. The company told the regulator that the review had identified irregularities in the manufacturing checks on about 400 parts produced at the Le Creusot facility since 1965. About 50 of these parts are thought to be in service at French nuclear power plants, it said. The ASN said, "These irregularities comprise inconsistencies, modifications or omissions in the production files, concerning manufacturing parameters and test results." It has asked Areva to provide a list of the parts concerned as soon as possible, "along with its assessment of the consequences for the safety of the facilities, jointly with the licensees concerned". "The review process will need to be seen through to completion in order to assess all the anomalies which may have affected past manufacturing operations and draw any relevant conclusions regarding the safety of the facilities," ASN said. A process for informing and consulting with ASN is being implemented, Areva said. "In order to characterize the findings, a technical committee has been set up in connection with EDF," it said. "At this preliminary stage, no information has come to light that would jeopardize the mechanical integrity of the parts." Areva said it would provide ASN with a status report on the quality audit before the end of this month. Areva's Creusot Forge and Creusot Mecanique subsidiaries are specialized in the supply of big forgings and castings destined mainly for the nuclear industry. Creusot Forge is one of a few facilities that can produce the heavy nuclear-grade forgings required for large components such as steam generators, reactor pressure vessels and primary pumps. Creusot Mecanique, meanwhile, carries out precision finish machining on large components. Researched and written by World Nuclear News Related topics Vessel integrity tests extend Beznau 1 outage 04 May 2016 Share Proving the integrity of the reactor pressure vessel (RPV) of unit 1 of Switzerland's Beznau nuclear power plant is taking longer than originally expected, owner Axpo said. It now expects to be given regulatory approval to restart the unit by the end of this year. Beznau unit 1 (Image: ENSI) During a scheduled outage that began in May 2015, inspections were made of the unit's vessel using state-of-the-art ultrasonic equipment. These measurements "registered findings at some points in the base material of unit 1's RPV indicating minimal irregularities in the fabrication process". Axpo said it has since conducted "sophisticated ultrasound measurements, extensively reviewed the fabrication process, and carried out a root cause analysis of the detected irregularities". The investigations have so far confirmed that, due to their location and distribution, as well as their size, the irregularities are not due to hydrogen flaking. The composition of the steel also rules out hydrogen flaking, Axpo said. They are "non-metallic inclusions in the raw material that occurred during the fabrication process and, therefore, were not induced during operation," Beznau plant director Mike Dost said. The findings indicate "there are no safety-related concerns for the continued safe operation of the plant", Axpo said. However, the utility must still confirm the reactor vessel integrity to the Federal Nuclear Safety Inspectorate (ENSI) before it will be granted permission to restart Beznau 1. "Proving that the integrity of unit 1's reactor pressure vessel has not been compromised has turned out to be more time consuming than Axpo originally anticipated," the company said yesterday. The delays have been caused by the procurement and testing of suitable additional material samples and by the complexity of the testing and analysis processes. Axpo said there have been numerous legal and commercial issues related to ownership and utilization rights of the samples. "We are currently examining the accelerated irradiation of specimens that were fabricated from original reactor pressure vessel forgings, and that were used in the area with the highest neutron irradiation," Dost said. "We will have fulfilled the proof of safety requirements when the tests and analyses have been completed with results that we consider positive," he added. "To do so, the impacts of the detected irregularities on the RPV have to be clarified. We have to investigate the influence of the irregularities on the material properties, provide proof of fracture toughness, and rule out any remaining safety reservations. The proof of integrity for the so-called 'safety case' can be provided on this basis." Axpo said it now expects to receive approval from ENSI to restart Beznau 1 "towards the end of 2016". The company had earlier expected the unit to restart before August at the latest. "Depending on the issues that will have to be clarified in the course of the on-going process, investigation expenses and the loss of revenues from electricity sales since August 2015 will cost Axpo about CHF200 million ($209 million)," it said. The two 365 MWe Westinghouse units at the Beznau plant are the oldest power reactors in Switzerland. Unit 1 began operating in 1969, while unit 2 entered operation in 1972. In addition to providing power, both units also produce district heating. Researched and written by World Nuclear News Related topics A young man wanted to make a point about racism in the United States, but his plan backfired when he was exposed for a liar by police. 20-year-old Khalil Cavil of Texas was working at the Saltgrass Steak House in Odessa when he claimed he was discriminated against because of his Muslim name. Cavil took Man cutting grass (illustration) By: Chan Yuan A man in Austria, is shocked by a court ruling that took away his lawn and handed it over to a neighbor who cut the grass. 48-year-old Matthaus L of Sallingberg, said that when his neighbor asked him if he can cut the grass, he allowed him, thinking it was just a friendly gesture. Matthaus was very happy that his neighbor volunteered to cut his grass and gave him bottles of wine to show his appreciation. At some point, Matthaus decided to put up a fence around his property, but his friendly neighbor filed a lawsuit, claiming that the lawn was his. He was shocked by the lawsuit, and even more disturbed by the courtas ruling. The judge ordered the homeowner to remove the fence and hand over the lawn to the neighbor since he had cut the grass for many years. Be Proud As Wrexham Looks Set to Welcome Syrian Refugee Families This article is old - Published: Wednesday, May 4th, 2016 Wrexham looks set to welcome and offer safety to up to five Syrian families, if plans are approved by councillors next week. In a report due to go before the Executive Board on Tuesday, it has been recommended that during 2016-17 Wrexham provides safety for up to five Syrian families from the Syrian Refugee Resettlement Scheme. Yesterday the Leader of Wrexham Council Mark Pritchard told us how he hoped Wrexham would be proud at the town offering an opportunity to five families, and spoke of the existing proud history of working with refugees and immigrants in the area. Cllr Pritchard went on to say: These families will not be taking council houses, they will be housed in the private sector. They are from the refugee camps and have not travelled across Europe and jumped the queue. Those who will come to the UK are offered five years full humanitarian protection and are entitled to work and claim benefits where required as though they are UK residents. Cllr Pritchard explained those families with primary school age children are given preference, and all are subject to a challenging vetting process. These families dont want to come here, they want to be at home living in their own country, but they cant be. We want to work with them to be successful and that we do not fail them. They have put up with their own difficulties already. A statement released by Wrexham Council regarding the proposals, reads: We feel that this a proportionate response bearing in mind the pressures on communities and public services. The continuing conflict in Syria has forced an estimated 6.5million people from their homes, displaced 2.7million people to neighbouring countries and millions more are in dire need of humanitarian aid within Syria. In the report it states: The number of individuals or families accepted onto the Scheme is decided locally. From a community cohesion perspective and based on our experience as a dispersal area it is felt that families would be easier to integrate than single people. A family could range from a couple with one child, a couple with several children, and lone parent families. Overall, we would expect the upper limit of Syrian refugees in 2016-17 to be 25-30 people. An agreement to take up to five families in Wrexham is consistent with informal discussions across North Wales. The Home Office will be funding the scheme, with documentation tiering downwards over the years, explained as: Financial package to meet the costs of the arrivals in terms of accommodation and integration support and education. Funding is weighted to year 1 of arrival, and tapered from years 2-5. Staffing costs to cover administration of the scheme will also be considered. Wrexham is one of many local authorities taking part in the scheme, which is voluntary, and it is noted all 22 Welsh Local Authorities have indicated their support in principle although that position has not been ratified by all. Officers at Wrexham Council will now begin looking at how the scheme could work in Wrexham, including sourcing private rented sector properties, co-ordinating support to help the families settling into life in Wrexham, including where necessary learning English or Welsh and finally working with partners across north Wales to provide both efficient and effective support. Three years after its founding, the Alternative for Germany (AfD) adopted a party programme last weekend. Some 2,000 members voted on the programme and several hundred amendments at a party congress in Stuttgart. The party, which currently has representatives in the European Parliament and eight German state legislatures, has undergone a rapid development in its three years of existence. Emerging at the height of the Greek crisis as an anti-euro party, it embraced an anti-refugee policy last year. Now it has made Islamophobia its calling card. The Islamophobia codified in the AfDs programme plays a similar role as that played by anti-Semitism for the conservative and extreme right-wing parties in the German Empire and the Weimar Republic. It serves to divert social dissatisfaction against a minority--then the Jews, now the Muslims--encourage racism and nationalism, and promote arch-conservative and militarist goals. The statement Islam does not belong in Germany was adopted by a large majority as part of the programme, as were bans on minarets, the call of the Muezzin, the full face veil and the slaughtering of animals according to Islamic and Jewish custom. The cultural essence of Islam is irreconcilable with the Western world, stated deputy party leader Albrecht Glaser to applause from the floor. Die Zeit described this as Volkish nationalism, which is now typical of the AfD. The worldview of the AfD, it wrote, opposes the construct of a Volkish-German us to a foreign Muslim them. The transformation of the AfD was consummated by a change in leadership. The founders, associated with economist Bernd Lucke and former German industrial association president Hans-Olaf Henkel, who combined opposition to the euro with a neoliberal economic programme, left the party when it shifted to an anti-immigrant focus in the summer of 2015. Frauke Petry, who forced Lucke from the leadership, has herself now been sidelined. In Stuttgart, Jorg Meuthen, who is national spokesperson along with Petry, and Alexander Gauland laid down the line and guided the direction of the discussion. They are attempting to consolidate the party on the basis of a programme embracing right-wing conservative, German nationalist and fascist positions. Islamophobia is the cement that holds this together. Meuthen, who stood as the AfDs lead candidate in the Baden-Wurttemberg state election in March, has long been viewed as a moderate within the party. Like Lucke, he is an economist, but he did not leave the party when it adopted its anti-immigrant stance last summer. Gauland was active in the arch-conservative Christian Democratic Union in Hesse for 40 years before helping found the AfD in 2013. Among other things, he headed the staff of state premier Walter Wallmann. The 75-year-old is considered the AfDs strategist. Albrecht Glaser, who will be the AfDs candidate in the presidential elections, was also a member of the CDU far-right Stahlhelm faction in Hesse for 40 years. In a speech that had a programmatic character, Meuthen spoke of three tendencies that had to be united in the AfD: modern conservatism, consistent advocacy of freedom and healthy patriotism. By means of the term modern conservatism Meuthen refers to those conservatives who have held fast to the conventional social ideals of the 1950s and no longer feel at home in the Christian Democratic Union under Angela Merkel. The AfD programme promotes the traditional family of father, mother and child as the nucleus of society. Under the slogan more children instead of mass immigration, it includes demands for families with multiple children and opposition to abortions. Meuthen received sustained applause when he declared, We want to get rid of this left-wing/SPD/Green-infested Germany of the generation of 68. By freedom, Meuthen means freedom for capital. The AfD programme advocates lower taxes and the abolition of the inheritance and local business tax. It also calls for the inclusion of a tax break in the Basic Law, rejects climate change, and demands that the decision to shut down Germanys nuclear power plants be overturned. Healthy patriotism refers to the extreme right-wing and fascist tendencies that dominate in the partys regional organisations in eastern Germany. Above all in Saxony-Anhalt, where the AfD achieved its best result, with 24 percent of the vote in the state election, and in Thuringia, the leaders of the state parties, Andre Poggenburg and Bjorn Hocke, have close ties to extreme right networks. While Petry declared prior to the convention that a drift to the right and Volkish positions were not acceptable and there were red lines that could not be crossed, this was no longer an issue at the convention. When Hocke arrived late, he was greeted by the delegates like a movie star, with shouts and extended applause. Also on the European level, the AfD is lining up with the far right. European Parliament deputy Marcus Pretzell, Petrys partner, announced his transfer to the far-right fraction of the National Front. The Austrian FPO, which also belongs to this fraction, sent greetings that were fervently welcomed by the delegates. Former Czech president Vaclav Klaus attended the convention in person. Like these parties, the AfD not only opposes the euro, but also the European Union. It calls for a referendum on leaving the euro, for the repatriation of powers from the EU to national parliaments, and, if this is not achieved, the dissolution of the EU. The AfD combines this nationalist opposition to the EU with demands for a stronger state and militarism. Among other things, the programme advocates comprehensive protection of German borders under the command of the federal police. It further calls for the use of conscripts to protect the borders. It demands the reintroduction of military service and the withdrawal of foreign troops from Germany. An exit from NATO was also raised at the convention, but not voted upon. One speaker made clear the conceptions lurking behind this. It was only a question of the will to establish, in a few years, an army superior to the American military in Europe, he said. Thus far, the AfD has drawn support from right-wing Christian Democratic Union voters who oppose Merkels policies, outraged petty-bourgeois elements who fear social decline, and workers and unemployed voting for the AfD as a protest against the right-wing policies of the Social Democratic Party and the Left Party. But it is no spontaneous movement from below. The attempt to once again build a right-wing party in Germany that combines extreme conservative, German nationalist and Volkish positions is a direct consequence of the revival of German militarism. Since German President Gauck and government officials announced two years ago that the period of military restraint was over and Germany had to play a role in the world corresponding to its significance, all of the taboos of the post-war era have been systematically broken. The nationalist liberal and German nationalist parties that prepared World War I and World War II, and collaborated with the Nazis and helped them to power did not survive the Second World War. Their members concealed themselves, and if they did remain politically active, it was mainly in the Christian Democratic Union/Christian Social Union and the Free Democratic Party. Today such parties are required once again. That is why experienced politicians like Gauland and professors like Meuthen are positioning themselves at the head of the AfD. Military personnel are also active in the AfD. The chair of the Rheinland-Palatinate AfD, Uwe Junge, is a career officer in the Bundeswehr, and the chair of the Cologne branch, Hendrik Rottmann, is an intelligence officer at the military intelligence service (MAD). For the same reason, the established parties are preparing the ground for the AfD with their brutal refugee policies and drive to war. Much of what the AfD demands has already been implemented by the government. The promises that there would be no cooperation with the AfD, which came from all party centres in the wake of the convention, should therefore not be taken seriously. The conditions under which the AfDs convention in Stuttgart took place displayed the true relations between the AfD, the other bourgeois parties and the state. More than 1,000 police officers in combat gear guarded the location. Anti-fascist activists who protested against the convention with roadblocks were arrested, locked up for hours and abused. The police arrested a total of 500 demonstrators, restrained them with cable ties and held them without water, food or sanitary facilities. This took place in a state governed by a Green Party state premier and a city whose mayor is also a Green. Canadas Liberal government is considering joining the US-led ballistic missile defense (BMD) system, reversing a decision taken 11 years ago by Paul Martins minority Liberal government. The reopening of the debate over Canadian participation in BMD was announced in the 30-page consultation document Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan issued last month to kick-off the Liberals much-touted defence policy review. Noting that Canada has not discussed its attitude towards the US missile defence program in over a decade, the consultation document presents the issue in a manner aimed at promoting Canadas participation. It states, Given the increase in the number of countries with access to ballistic missile technology and their potential to reach North America, this threat is expected to endure and grow more sophisticated in the coming decades. Its name notwithstanding, the US missile-defense system is anything but defensive. It is aimed at realizing US imperialisms longstanding goal of developing the technological means to wage a winnable nuclear wara strategic question that has been receiving growing attention in ruling circles in Washington in recent months. Over the past decade, the US has spent some $100 billion on weapons to counter ballistic-missiles and it has partnered with NATO allies in Europe to station BMD equipment on that continent, as well as with Japan, South Korea and Australia in the Asia-Pacific. Canadas renewed readiness to sign up to this reckless initiative reflects its close integration with US imperialismthe most destabilizing force in world politics. Canada is a major ally in the Obama administrations three major military-strategic offensives: in the Middle East, in Eastern Europe and the Baltic against Russia, and in the Asia-Pacific targeting China. As Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has repeatedly stated, a key priority of his government is to deepen Canada-US cooperation. Toward that end, his government has announced a tripling of Canadian Special Forces troops in Iraq and is considering deploying Canadas military in at least half-a-dozen other countries, including Libya, Mali, and Haiti. As with the Chretien Liberal governments decision not to participate in the Bush administrations 2003 invasion of Iraq, the rejection of missile defense two years later had nothing to do with opposition to US military aggression. The Martin Liberal government combined its rejection of BMD with a budget that pledged to boost military spending by $13 billion over the next five years so as to demonstrate its commitment to an expanded and better-armed military. If Liberal Prime Minister Paul Martin felt unable to approve Canadian participation in the US BMD program, it was because of the deep unpopularity of the Bush administration and the weak position of his Liberal Party, which was dependent on opposition support in parliament. Just a year later, Martins minority Liberal government was defeated in the 2006 federal election and replaced by Stephen Harper and his Conservatives. Nonetheless, the 2005 decision did create frictions. Bush waited over a week before returning a call placed by Martin to the White House to explain Ottawas refusal to join BMD, and the corporate media was overwhelmingly critical of the Liberals position. What support there was in the Canadian elite for Martins decision was bound up with right-wing Canadian nationalism, including the claim that the BMD program would violate the countrys sovereignty. In an April 25 comment, the Toronto Stars Tim Harper notes that senior Canadian military officials have been lobbying to reverse the BMD decision virtually ever since the Martin governments 2005 announcement. A key factor in the Liberals determination to push forward with BMD is its intention to intensify cooperation with the US under the guise of continental defence. The defence policy review document also contains proposals to expand or modernize NORAD, the Canada-US joint aerospace command set up in 1958. Another significant consideration in the reopening of the missile defence debate is the increased focus in policymaking circles on the Arctic. The US and Canada have seized on Russian military operations on its domestic territory in the Arctic to present Moscow as an aggressive player in the region that must be confronted. A number of reports and comments, including a study by the Conference of Defence Associations and the defence policy review consultation paper itself, point to concerns over the supposed dearth of Canadian military equipment and personnel in the region. Canadas full integration into the missile defence system would give it additional leverage in its moves to extend its territorial claims in the area around the North Pole, where it is directly being challenged by counter-claims from Russia. Fellow NATO-member Denmark has also submitted its own claim to a large swathe of the Arctic Ocean, based on its control of Greenland, including waters and ocean-floor coveted by Canada. While the Harper government was considering joining BMD prior to last years election, the ruling elite concluded that the increased militarization of Canadian foreign policy and its further integration into US war plans against Russia and China could best be prepared with a Liberal government seeking to sell this reactionary agenda to the public behind a wave of progressive rhetoric. Sections of the ruling elite are concerned that this will become much more difficult should Republican frontrunner Donald Trump enter the White House after the US election this November. The Liberals were discussing plans to deepen ties with US imperialism long before coming to power. Last June, Trudeau delivered an important speech calling for real change in Canada-US relations. One of his central demands was greater continental policy coordination between Washington and Ottawa to better project their common interests on a range of issues. This topic has been raised again in the current debate. Proponents of Canadas participation in BMD argue that the current situation in which Canadian Armed Forces personnel are active in NORAD, which is responsible for providing radar data to the BMD system, but have no say in how the missile defense system is positioned and used, is untenable and poses a grave danger to Canadian geopolitical interests. Barely two weeks after the Liberals sweeping victory in the October 19 election, the Centre on International Policy Studies think-tank issued a report urging the new government to reverse the missile defense decision as part of its declared goal of reengaging Canada on the global stage. One of the reports authors, Bob McRae, Canadas former ambassador to NATO, provocatively proclaimed at a public forum held at the University of Ottawa as the study was released, Splendid isolation is not an option for Canada. At the same time, Sajjan received briefing material from the military, as part of his transition into office, which underlines the top brasss support for BMD. The strategic importance of ballistic missile defense, said one briefing paper, has increased in recent years. The Trudeau government offered a further signal of its intent to join BMD with its appointment of Bill Graham to the panel of four experts that is overseeing the defence policy review. A former Liberal defence minister, Graham is a strong advocate of missile defense. He told a Senate committee in May 2014 that participation in BMD was essential to protecting Canadas privileged military-security relationship with Washington. It seems to me, said Graham, were outside of an extraordinarily complex and amazingly new form of a weapons system which will affect our security but which we are foreign to decisions around its development. I think thats a dangerous place to be. The Liberals and Conservatives on the Senate committee joined together to unanimously recommend Canada join BMD. A Liberal decision to join BMD would be welcomed by the opposition Conservatives. Asked about the issue last month, former defence minister and likely Conservative leadership candidate Jason Kenny declared. This is, I think, an obligation for us. The New Democratic Party, which opposed joining in 2005 and described BMD as weaponizing space, has criticized the Liberals for reopening the debate. Defence critic Randall Garrison said he had a bad feeling about the proposal, and told the Ottawa Citizen he feared it would trigger an arms race. Such hand-wringing is worth little coming from a party that has supported one imperialist military intervention after another beginning with Canadas involvement in the NATO-led bombardment of Yugoslavia in 1999 and is on record as favouring increased military spending. Detroit public school teachers continued their walkout on Tuesday, May 3, shutting down the district for the second consecutive day. The teachers are protesting against the denial of payment of their earned wages by Emergency Manager Steven Rhodes and the Michigan state legislature. The walkout follows similar actions earlier in the year over wage cuts, attacks on pensions, the deplorable condition of many school buildings, overcrowded classrooms, and other issues. Detroit teachers speak on the struggle to defend education On Tuesday, more than 1,500 Detroit Public Schools (DPS) teachers continued a sickout begun the previous day, closing 94 out of 97 schools across the city. The teachers are protesting a threat announced over the weekend by state-appointed DPS Emergency Manager Judge Steven Rhodes to withhold their pay during the summer months and eliminate summer classes. For the three-fourths of Detroit teachers who receive a portion of their wages during the summer, the suspension of payments would equal the loss of five paychecks covering nearly 40 working days. The new attack on Detroit teachers is part of a broader assault on the working class in southeast Michigan and across the state being carried out by both big business parties, backed by the Obama administration. On Monday, the Democratic Detroit administration began cutting off water to 23,000 households in the impoverished city that have fallen behind on their payments, while 70 miles to the north in Flint, another urban area devastated by auto plant closures and budget cuts, 100,000 residents continue to suffer from the lead poisoning of their water supply by Republican state and Democratic local officials. The attack on Flint workers, like the assault on Detroit teachers, is being carried out under the auspices of an unelected emergency manager appointed by Republican Governor Rick Snyder. The Obama administration is directly complicit in these attacks. The White House and its education secretary have aggressively promoted the spread of for-profit charter schools in the name of education reform. Former Education Secretary Arne Duncan, appointed by Obama, referred to Detroit as ground zero in the drive to privatize public schools. Obama supported the 2013 bankruptcy of Detroit, presided over by Judge Rhodes, which was used to violate the state constitution and impose massive cuts in the pensions and health benefits of city workers and privatize public assets, including the Detroit Institute of Arts. In Flint, the Obama administrations Environmental Protection Agency concealed for months that the decision to switch the citys water supply to the polluted Flint River had resulted in disastrously high levels of lead in the water used by residents for drinking, cooking and bathing. President Obama is slated to make a stage-managed public relations appearance in Flint on Wednesday to feign support for Flint residents. In fact, his administration has allocated a totally inadequate and paltry sum to deal with a health crisis that will affect thousands of youth and workers for decades. It has announced that it will end all federal aid to Flint in August. The teachers action, broadly supported by Detroit parents and students, is part of a continuing and growing movement of militant resistance against attacks on jobs, wages and social necessities such as education and health care stretching back to the wage concessions and layoffs imposed on autoworkers as part of the 1979 bailout of Chrysler carried out by the Carter administration, with the collaboration of the United Auto Workers union. Thousands of workers and youth in Flint have demonstrated against the poisoning of their water supply, demanding the replacement of the citys rotting lead water pipes with a modern and safe system, as well as full and free medical care for all those affected by the lead poisoning. Last year, autoworkers rebelled against sellout contracts with the Detroit-based auto makers signed by the United Auto Workers union. Nationally, the growth of working class opposition is reflected in the ongoing strike by 39,000 Verizon workers against the telecom giant. The unions, including the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) and its Detroit branch, the Detroit Federation of Teachers (DFT), have done all they can to block a struggle by teachers and the rest of the working class. Earlier this year, teachers themselves organized a series of sickouts independently of the union to oppose filthy and unsafe conditions in the schools. The union officially called the sickouts on Monday and Tuesday in an attempt to get ahead of and contain further anticipated wildcat actions. Now it is seeking to call off the struggle on the basis of worthless assurances from Judge Rhodes. Hundreds of teachers demonstrated Tuesday morning, the second day of protests in front of DPS headquarters. On Tuesday afternoon, some 700 teachers attended a meeting called by the DFT and addressed by AFT President Randi Weingarten. The teachers were told they would be taking a strike vote, but instead Weingarten read a statement from Judge Rhodes declaring that DPS was contractually bound to make good on wages due the teachers. Weingarten, who is working with Rhodes, Democratic state legislators and Republican Governor Snyder to pass an emergency funding bill that includes a restructuring of the Detroit school system, declared Rhodes statement a victory and told the teachers to end their action and return to work on Wednesday. Teachers at the meeting were visibly angry and skeptical toward Weingarten and the DFT and their claims that Rhodes assurances were good coin. There were shouts of strike in the meeting hall and several teachers had their microphones taken away by union functionaries when they criticized the union and the restructuring deal it is supporting. One dissident teacher was forcibly removed from the meeting. Niles Niemuth, the Socialist Equality Party candidate for vice president in the US national election, issued a statement to the teachers calling for a mass united struggle of teachers and all sections of workers and youth across the state and nationally. The union-backed restructuring plan, which would provide some $715 million in funds to help cover the DPS deficit, includes the establishment of a financial council with a mandate to oversee DPS for a period of five years. This scheme would provide a framework for new and more sweeping attacks on the jobs, tenure, wages and working conditions of teachers. The teachers union is supporting this plan, which has been passed by the Republican-controlled Michigan Senate, over a rival plan backed by Republican House members that would strip the DFT of its legal status as bargaining agent for the teachers. With the current DPS contract expiring on June 30, after which the recently passed Michigan right to work law takes effect, allowing teachers to refuse to pay dues to the union, the sole concern of the AFT and DFT is to preserve their institutional interests and income flow from dues. In return for this, they are prepared to offer up new sacrifices to be imposed on the rank and file. As the teachers were protesting Tuesday, thousands of Detroiters were scrambling to scrape together funds in a last-ditch effort to avoid the shutoff of their water. Across the city, contractors hired by the Detroit Water and Sewerage Department (DWSD) are gearing up to shut off the flow of water to households considered delinquent by the department. In contrast to Obamas assertions, made in a recent interview, that his economic policies have broadly benefited the American people and his complaints of being unappreciated, statistics published last week by the Brookings Institution show that the American population has experienced a massive growth in concentrated poverty during the Obama years, with the highest rates occurring precisely in southeastern Michigan. In fighting back, workers need to grasp the fundamental political and class nature of the attack they are facing. Detroit and Flint are particularly sharp expressions of an all-out assault on the working class in cities and localities across the country. Schools, health care, pensions, jobs, wages and housing are all being targeted by a corporate-financial oligarchy that controls both parties and the government as a whole, and will stop at nothing to make working people pay for endless wars abroad and more windfalls for the rich and super-rich. These attacks cannot be successfully fought on a sectional, piecemeal basis. Every section of workers and youth must be brought together in a united struggle for socialist policies and a workers government. In Detroit and Michigan, teachers should turn out to students and the unemployed, victims of water and utility shutoffs, Flint residents, autoworkers and city workers to mount a united social and political offensive. The claims that there is no money should be rejected with the contempt they deserve. There is ample money, but it is being monopolized by a new aristocracy and squandered to pay for regional wars and the buildup to a new world war. It is time for workers to stop listening to what the capitalist class says it can afford to give. Workers need to draw up their own list of non-negotiable demands, including the basic social rights to secure employment at a decent wage, quality public schools and decent housing, free health care, a secure retirement and access to culture and the arts. This requires the repudiation of the debts to the banks and hedge funds and the transformation of all utilities and major corporations and banks into publicly owned and democratically controlled entitiesthat is, the fight for a socialist program. Billionaire Donald Trump and Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders won the Republican and Democratic primaries in Indiana Tuesday. The Trump victory was particularly significant, since it effectively clinches the Republican nomination for a fascistic candidate who has campaigned on a program of racist attacks on immigrants and Muslims, extreme nationalism and militarism, including supporting torture and mass killing of civilians. Trump won 53 percent of the Republican primary vote compared to 37 percent for Texas Senator Ted Cruz, another extreme right-wing militarist, and 8 percent for Ohio Governor John Kasich. The Manhattan real estate mogul was expected to win at least 51 of the 57 delegates at stake in the primary. Cruz, now trailing Trump by nearly 500 delegates, announced he was suspending his campaign, effectively conceding the nomination, although he did not mention either Trump or the Republican Party in his remarks. His withdrawal statement was an extreme right-wing diatribe, as Cruz declared China, Russia, North Korea and Iran to be mortal threats to the United States, and denounced the Democratic Party for its supposed path of creeping socialism that incentivizes apathy. Kasich remains in the race, but has won no primaries outside of his home state and only a handful of delegates. Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Preibus declared on Twitter that Trump should be considered the presumptive Republican nominee and that the party should now unite behind his candidacy. The trickle of Republican Party officials and officeholders backing Trump is now expected to become a flood. In the Democratic primary, Sanders won 53 percent of the vote compared to 47 percent for Clinton. The result does little to cut into Clintons lead of more than 300 among elected delegates, since proportional representation gave Sanders only a 43-40 edge among delegates chosen in Indiana. Clinton leads among unelected superdelegatesmainly party officials and office-holdersby 520 to 39, bringing her total support to more than 2,200 delegates after Indiana, compared to 1,400 for Sanders. A total of 2,382 are required for nomination. Voter turnout was little more than half as large as in the last contested Democratic primary in Indiana, in 2008, which was won narrowly by Hillary Clinton over Barack Obama. Some 1.2 million voted in that primary, while less than 700,000 voted this year. Exit polls showed the results in Indiana closely resembling those in neighboring Michigan, which Sanders won March 8, to the shock of both the Clinton campaign and media pundits and pollsters, who had predicted a Clinton victory. There was little polling in Indiana but Clinton had been favored in media predictions. Sanders won voters in the 18-29 age bracket by 74-26 percent, as well as voters aged 30 to 44, by 64-36 percent. He won nonwhite voters under 45 by the same margin, 53-47, as his statewide victory. People under 45 comprised 47 percent of those voting in the Democratic primary, the highest proportion for any state this year (Michigan had been the highest, with 45 percent). Sanders also won union voters by 54 to 46 percent, slightly better than his statewide margin. The key factor in the outcome was that Indiana is an open primary, with independents allowed to choose a Democratic Party ballot and vote. Clinton actually won registered Democrats by a margin of 53 to 47 percent, but Sanders carried independents by 72 to 28 percent, giving him the overall victory. Sanders addressed a campaign rally in Louisville, Kentucky before the final result in Indiana was known, then spoke to the media afterwards about his victory there. He indicated that his campaign would continue through contests in West Virginia, Kentucky and Oregon, in all of which he is favored, right up to the final big primary day June 7, with contests in California, New Jersey and several smaller states. Ill tell you what is extremely exciting for me, and that is that in primary after primary, caucus after caucus, we end up winning the vote of people 45 years of age and younger, Sanders said. And that is important because it tells me that ideas that we are fighting for are the ideas for the future of America and the future of the Democratic Party. This comment underscores the central function of the Sanders campaign. While he has won the support of large numbers of young people and workers with his claims to be a democratic socialist and to oppose the domination of American society by millionaires and billionaires, Sanders is committed to supporting the Democratic Party and its near-certain nominee Hillary Clinton, a lackey of Wall Street and the military-intelligence apparatus. The result of the Indiana primary does little to alter the likely contours of the November election, in which the two corporate-controlled parties will present to the American people the two most unpopular candidates in recent US history. Polls have shown 65 percent have an unfavorable opinion of Trump, with more than 50 percent actively fearing a Trump presidency, while some 56 percent have an unfavorable opinion of Clinton. Trump has vilified immigrants, minorities and women, and personifies the arrogance and ignorance of the US financial oligarchy. Clinton has a record of four decades of political service to that oligarchy, and is implicated in all the crimes of Obamas first term, when she was Secretary of State, including wars in Libya, Syria, Yemen, Iraq and Afghanistan. A US Navy Seal was killed in a firefight Tuesday with Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) fighters in northern Iraq. It marked the third fatality suffered by US troops in Operation Inherent Resolve, launched by the Obama administration in 2014. Since then, over 5,000 US troops have been deployed to Iraq, while hundreds more are operating inside Syria. The American special operator died after ISIS fighters used suicide bombings to blast through checkpoints manned by Iraqi Kurdish peshmerga forces, with which the Pentagon has allied itself in the region. The fighting took place outside the town of Tel Asqof, which is about 17 miles north of Mosul, previously Iraqs second-largest city, which is now occupied by ISIS. An offensive to retake the city has been predicted as early as next month or in June, but Tuesdays fighting pointed to the immense contradictions underlying the US-backed anti-ISIS campaign. The Kurdish peshmerga forces are among the main forces backed by Washington, which, as Tuesdays fatality demonstrated, has deployed special operations troops with their fighting units. A conquest of Mosul, which is 90 percent Sunni Arab, by the peshmerga would represent an expansion of Iraqs autonomous Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) at the expense of the Sunnis. At the same time, Shia militia backed by Iran, referred to as the Popular Mobilization Forces, have made it clear they intend to take a prominent role in the siege of the city. This threatens to provoke a further intensification of the bitter sectarian conflicts between Iraqs Sunni and Shia populations that are the bloody legacy of Washingtons divide-and-rule strategy during the occupation that followed the US war of aggression against Iraq in 2003. In a warning of the chaos that may ensue from the struggle by rival ethnic-based forces for the city, fighting raged for five days last month between Kurdish and Shia militias near the northern town of Tuz Khurmatu, which the two forces had together wrested from ISIS in 2014. The Iraqi army, which has repeatedly proven itself a less than reliable force since it ceded Mosul to ISIS in June 2014, is largely viewed as a Shia force by the citys Sunni population. Further complicating the situation, Turkey, without Baghdads permission, has deployed several hundred troops and at least 20 tanks at a base in Mount Bashiqa, about 10 miles north of Mosul. The Turkish forces are also training and backing a 6,500-man militia loyal to Atheel al-Nujaifi, the former Sunni governor of the surrounding Nineveh province until the Iraqi parliament removed him from office on charges of corruption and collusion with ISIS. Thus, an offensive for Mosul could rapidly degenerate into a multi-sided conflict with the potential of drawing in not only US forces, but also Turkey and Iran. Any such march on Mosul may be delayed, however, by the mounting crisis of the US-backed regime headed by Prime Minister Hayder al-Abadi in Baghdad. Thousands of Shia militiamen have been withdrawn from the fight against ISIS and redeployed in the Iraqi capital in the wake of angry demonstrations against government corruption that saw last weekends storming of the Green Zone, the fortified enclave that is the center of the Iraqi government. In addition to Shia armed factions that support the government, thousands of fighters loyal to Muqtada al-Sadr, the Shia cleric and political leader whose followers staged the protests, have also been brought back into Baghdad, taking up positions in Sadr City and elsewhere in the capital. Continuing tensions could easily trigger armed clashes between the rival Shia factions. Following the report of the latest US fatality in Iraq, Defense Secretary Ashton Carter told reporters in Germany, It is a combat death, of course, and a very sad loss. He added that it showed that its a serious fight that we have to wage in Iraq. Later in the day, White House spokesman Josh Earnest deflected a question as to whether US forces were being sent closer to combat, stating, the presidents been clear time and time again exactly what their mission is. That mission is to support Iraqi forces on the ground who are taking the fight to [ISIS] on the front lines. Obama has deployed a growing number of US troops in Iraq after repeatedly foreswearing any US boots on the ground and claiming that those who have been sent there are not engaged in combat. Amid the mounting crisis in Iraq, the UN, Moscow and Washington engaged in talks ostensibly aimed at restoring a cessation of hostilities in the Syrian city of Aleppo, where over 270 people have been killed in clashes between government forces and Western-backed Islamist militias over the past week and a half. US and Russian military delegations were reportedly meeting to map out safe areas in the city and organize the monitoring of truce violations. The Islamist forces, led by the Al Nusra Front, Syrias Al Qaeda affiliate, pounded areas of Aleppo loyal to the government of President Bashar al-Assad Tuesday, killing at least 20 people and wounding scores more. Among the targets hit was a maternity hospital, where three women died. The cease-fire deal reached on February 27 was broken by an offensive by the so-called rebels aimed at cutting off government-held areas of Aleppo, prompting a counter-offensive by Syrian army troops. US Secretary of State John Kerry accused the Assad government of deliberately targeting hospitals struck last week, which he described as unconscionable. There was no such US condemnation of Al Nusras attack on the maternity hospital. Kerry warned that if the Assad government failed to abide by the cease-fire, there will clearly be repercussions, and one of them may be the total destruction of the cease-fire and they go back to war. He added, I do not think that Russia wants that. I dont think that Assad is going to benefit from that, but there may be other repercussions that are being discussed. This was a veiled reference to a Plan B prepared by US military and intelligence agencies, which would respond to a breakdown of the so-called peace process with an aggressive escalation of the arming and support of the Islamist armed factions by Washington and its allies, including Saudi Arabia and the other Sunni Gulf oil monarchies. This would reportedly include supplying vetted rebels with MANPADS, shoulder-fired anti-aircraft missiles. Such weapons could be used to bring down Russian fighter jets, escalating the threat of a wider war. They could also be turned against civilian passenger planes. The following speech was delivered by Socialist Equality Party (Australia) assistant national secretary Cheryl Crisp to the International May Day Online Rally held on May 1, 2016. In 1938, on the eve of the outbreak of World War Two, Leon Trotsky warned the international working class in The Transitional Program, the founding document of the Fourth International. He wrote: Imperialist war is the continuation and sharpening of the predatory politics of the bourgeoisie. The struggle of the proletariat against war is the continuation and sharpening of its class struggle. The beginning of war alters the situation and partially the means of struggle between the classes, but not the aim and basic course. The imperialist bourgeoisie dominates the world. In its basic character the approaching war will therefore be an imperialist war. The fundamental content of the politics of the international proletariat will consequently be a struggle against imperialism and its war. Trotsky then pointed to the basic principle for socialists in a period of war: The chief enemy is in your own country. By that he meant, the enemies of the working class are not other workers, but the ruling class and capitalist government at home. Trotsky emphasised this to counter the poisonous fumes of nationalism and chauvinism, which every government was promoting. His words resonate so profoundly in todays perilous conditions, where the drive to war by imperialism is proceeding at a frightening pace. There are clear parallels between 1938 and today. Cheryl Crisp speech to the International May Day rally This week the populations of Australia and New Zealand have been bombarded with an outpouring of militarism and jingoism. The occasion was Anzac Daythe public holiday commemorating the World War One battle fought in 1915 at Gallipoli, in Turkey. The Australian government is spending $325 millionmore than any other countryon a four-year commemoration of the centenary of World War One. The campaign is particularly targeting young people, including pre-schoolers, promoting historical falsifications about the glory of military sacrifice for the nation. Every political party, including the self-styled pacifist Greens, have supported this campaign. Make no mistake, the political establishments glorification of warspast and presentis aimed at preparing the next generation for future conflicts. It coincides with the full support being given by Australian imperialism to the US war preparations against China. At the same time, the Australian government has spearheaded the establishment of racist and illegal detention centres, or, more accurately, modern day concentration camps, where refugees, stripped of all rights, are imprisoned on remote Pacific Islands for years on end in intolerable conditions. This brutal model is now being used by European governments against the hundreds of thousands of desperate refugees fleeing the wars in Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan. In Japan, the government of Shinzo Abe, the most right-wing since World War Two, has enacted legislation to allow for the deployment of the Japanese military alongside US forces. This has been accompanied by a campaign to whitewash and sanitise the crimes of Japanese imperialism. New history textbooks have been introduced in schools that falsify the atrocities committed by the Japanese militarists in the 1930s and during World War II. As the only population to have suffered the horror of nuclear attack in the US atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945, the Japanese regime is highly conscious of the opposition of the population to their governments war preparations. It is attempting to suppress this anti-war sentiment by demonising China and presenting it as a military threat to Japan. In China itself, the Communist Party regime has responded to escalating provocations by the US and its allies by stoking Chinese nationalism. This takes the form of virulent anti-Japanese chauvinism. Beijings promotion of racism has led to physical attacks on Japanese citizens. The government has encouraged demonstrations against Japans claim to the disputed Senkaku Islands, with protestors carrying banners depicting a nuclear mushroom cloud over Japan. Such reactionary nationalism only serves to divide the working class of Asia and play into the hands of imperialism. The real concern of the Chinese regime is defending the wealth of its capitalist elite, not just against the United States, but against the working class of China, the force it fears the most. China is now among the most unequal of countries. It has 470 US dollar billionaires, more than any country other than the United States, while more than 500 million Chinese workers and rural poor eke out an existence on $3 a day or less. And in every Asian country, conditions are similar. As Trotsky explained in 1938, war abroad coincides with war against the working class at home. Years of attacks on the conditions of workers in every country have resulted in levels of social inequality unseen for almost a century. There is no future for humanity under this system. Racism and xenophobia can only be opposed through the fight for the international unity of the working class. Workers in every country face the same attacks, by the same banks and the same transnational corporations. And the threat of war hangs over us all. The masses of America and Asia, including workers and young people in Australia and New Zealand, must reach out to our Chinese brothers and sisters and reject the attempt to turn them into the enemy. We must unite in a common struggle to overthrow capitalism, the source of war. I urge you, our listeners and supporters, to take up the fight to build an international anti-war movement of the working class and youth based on the fight for world socialism. The following speech was delivered by Socialist Equality Party (Australia) national secretary James Cogan to the International May Day Online Rally held on May 1, 2016. Comrades and friends: As we meet this May Day, the US imperialist pivot to Asia, its diplomatic and military confrontation of China, has inflamed geopolitical tensions to levels not seen since World War II. Every country in the region is engaged in preparations for war. James Cogan speech to the International May Day rally Korean workers already live every day under the shadow of a catastrophic conflict. In the South, the ruling class has lined up with US plans for pre-emptive attacks on nuclear-armed North Korea and the decapitation, that is, assassination, of its political and military leadership, in order to undermine the strategic position of China and Russia. In the South China Sea, the US Navy has violated the 12-mile territorial zone around Chinese-claimed islands and reefs twice in the past eight months, goading Beijing to respond militarily. The White House has justified these operations with lies about defending freedom of navigation and the rules-based global order. US imperialism recognises no rules or laws except those that benefit the Wall Street banks and corporations. Its actions have nothing to do with freedom and everything to do with world domination and compelling the Beijing regime to submit to US economic and strategic demands. The American ruling elite views China as the most significant threat to its global dominance and is preparing to bring Beijing to heel, by war if necessary. In just the past days, US Senators have made strident calls for the Obama administration to order military provocations in the South China Sea every week. Tensions are set to escalate even further in the coming months. The United Nations Permanent Court of Arbitration will soon bring down a ruling on a US-backed Philippines challenge to Chinas territorial claims. Strategic think tanks and media commentators openly acknowledge that this could trigger reactions in Beijing that have explosive consequences. The ruling classes in the Philippines, Vietnam, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and Taiwan have all lined up behind US imperialism and will be drawn into any conflict. In pursuing confrontation with China, the United States relies, above all, on its major imperialist allies in Asia, Japan and Australia. The nationalist government of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has stoked conflict with China over disputed territory and enacted collective self-defence legislation that enables it to by-pass the constitutional prohibition on waging war. In 2015, the Japanese military scrambled jet fighters 571 times against Chinese aircraft, and 288 times against Russian aircraft, which were allegedly approaching Japanese-claimed territory. The recklessness on all sides could lead to an incident that triggers all-out war. As for the Australian ruling class, it has opened up northern and western Australia as a base of operations for US aircraft and warships, and has fully integrated its own armed forces with the US military. It is proceeding from mercenary calculations that its alliance with the US still provides the best means of protecting its imperialist interests in the South Pacific, Antarctica and internationally. Likewise, New Zealand, a minor imperialist power, has cast aside its isolationist stance of the 1980s and aligned itself with Washington and Canberra. The ICFI and its sections fight for the mobilisation of the working class against the imperialist drive to war against China. But we give no support to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) regime. Its response to US-led militarism is reactionary and only increases the dangers of conflict. The CCP does not represent the interests of the Chinese working class and oppressed, but the corrupt business oligarchy that developed as Mao Zedong and his political heirs restored capitalism in China from the 1970s. The Beijing regime presides over staggering social inequality and exploitation. It seeks to protect the Chinese capitalist elite with militarist actions of its own and by promoting anti-Japanese and anti-American nationalism and chauvinism. Last month, the Chinese military confirmed that it has deployed a new Inter Continental Ballistic Missilethe DF-41. The rocket can carry 6 to 10 nuclear warheads and has a range of 12,000 kilometres, meaning it can reach virtually anywhere on the continental United States. The only purpose of such a weapon is to inflict a holocaust on millions of American civilians in the event of war, just as the sole purpose of the US nuclear arsenal is to destroy China, Russia, or any other rival, and slaughter tens of millions of people. We give no credence to the bromides of pacifists and pseudo-left defenders of capitalism who claim that the existence of such weapons will pull American imperialism and the Chinese and Russian bourgeoisies back from the brink. The ruling class of every country must be disarmed. The only social force that is capable of carrying that out is the international working class, based on the perspective of world socialist revolution. Bourgeois politicians and journalists in every country justify militarism with rhetoric about national interests and national sovereignty. Hundreds of millions of workers and young people, however, want only peace and a future for the next generation. The interests of the capitalist class are diametrically opposed to those of the working class. Capitalism and the nation-state system must be ended, and the world economy reorganised on socialist foundations, to prevent the catastrophe of a Third World War. The Socialist Equality Party in Australia, along with the Socialist Equality Group in New Zealand, looks forward to working with workers, youth and political groups across the Asia-Pacificin China and Japan, in Korea, throughout South East Asia, and in the Pacific Island stateswho agree with the historic fight to build an international anti-war movement on the socialist and internationalist principles that have been elaborated by the ICFI. With the 2016 Philippine presidential election due to take place on May 9, the emergence of a far-right candidate as the frontrunner is a stark warning to the working class. Rodrigo Duterte, who has pledged to summarily execute hundreds of thousands of alleged criminals in his first six months in power, is leading in the latest opinion surveys. A poll conducted by Pulse Asia from April 16 to 20 showed Duterte, the mayor of Davao City, the fourth largest city in the country, with 35 percent support. Erstwhile frontrunner, Senator Grace Poe, was in second, with 23 percent. Administration candidate and Liberal Party standard-bearer Manuel Roxas II, was third with 17 percent, followed by United Nationalist Alliance candidate Vice President Jejomar Binay with 16 percent. In a similar survey conducted by the Social Weather Station, Duterte had 33 percent support, with Poe also coming in second at 24 percent. Duterte is a right-wing populist. Between stints as either a congressional representative or Davao City vice mayor, Duterte held the Davao City mayoralty for 22 years. Throughout, without compunction, he openly espoused summary execution of alleged petty criminals and gave free rein to death squads. According to Fr. Amado Picardal, a human rights advocate, the death squads accounted for 1,424 victims. Most were accused of petty crimes and were both poor and young. The youngest was a 12-year-old boy. Duterte has postured as an outsider of the political establishment, a simple probinsyano (from the provinces) sparring against the elites in the capital. More truthfully, Duterte is the product of the establishment and a symptom of its political degeneration and shift to the right. Duterte was a state prosecutor during the dictatorship of Ferdinand Marcos. He was installed into the Davao City government by President Corazon Aquino. The subsequent explosion of extrajudicial murders in the city was aided and abetted by the successive administrations of President Fidel Ramos and President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. Arroyo sought to appoint him as her department secretary of local government, effectively signalling that she would countenance the expansion of Dutertes vicious law and order campaign nationwide. The signal was taken up and implemented by other cities in Mindanao and the Visayas region. While Duterte and Davao City police were briefly investigated under President Benigno Aquino, it was all for show following damning reports from the United Nations Human Rights Rapporteur and the international Human Rights Watch. The political responsibility for the rise of extreme right-wing figures such as Duterte rests with the various Maoist parties in the Philippines. They have assisted successive administrations in suppressing any independent mobilisation of the working class. Moreover, Maoists and ex-Maoists have been directly involved in cultivating and promoting Duterte for years. Former Maoists staff his campaign machinery, with an ex-guerrilla currently serving as his chief of staff. The assassins of the Davao death squads include former Maoist New People Army (NPA) members and, to this day, continue to use the NPAs signature method. A member of the Maoist front organization Makabayan is currently a city councillor allied to Duterte. Significantly, the bloodbath in Davao City has drawn no condemnation from Maoist-aligned human rights organizations. In fact, Jose Ma. Sison, the exiled head of the Communist Party of the Philippines, expressed his willingness to join a coalition government with Duterte. He dismissed concerns over Dutertes plan for a mass killing of alleged criminals as simply mouthing off, despite the bloody record in Davao City. Duterte has pledged to dump a hundred thousand corpses of alleged criminals in Manila Baymore than enough, he declared, to make the fishes fat. Meanwhile, to big business, the stock and financial markets, he promised business as usual. Dutertes threats are above all directed at the suppression of the working class and rural poor. He has promised to deal with any political opposition by closing down government institutions, including the courts and Congress. He has pledged the return of the death penalty and promised to pardon all police and state security personnel implicated in summary executions. In February, Duterte promised to set up trade union-free economic zones and threatened the union organizers of the Maoist-aligned labor federation, Kilusang Mayo Una, if they conducted any activity in the proposed zones. The emergence of Duterte is part of the rapid rightward march of the whole political establishment amid a deteriorating economy, sharpening social tensions and the integration of the Philippines into the US war drive against China. More than a decade of annual economic growth averaging over 5 percent from 2001 to 2015 has been forged on the back of the working class and the poor. The legal minimum monthly wage is well below the governments own poverty line. More than 50 percent of the population remains poor, with social inequality measured as the worst in South East Asia. Dutertes bloody record has prompted some limited expressions of unease, but not condemnations, in the US media. The concern is certainly not that Duterte will trample on democratic rights and unleash a wave of extra-judicial killings, but rather that he will not be a reliable ally as the US ratchets up pressure on China over the South China Sea. Duterte, along with all the other presidential candidates, has pledged to implement the Enhanced Defence Cooperation Agreement (EDCA), which allows the US military to use the Philippines as a forward operating base against China. The candidates have vied with each other in whipping up reactionary nationalist sentiments, vowing to defend Philippine territorial claims. At the same time, there are concerns in ruling circles that the rising tensions will cut across business and economic ties with China, which is by far the countrys largest trading partner. Throughout the campaign, the presidential candidates have sought to balance, oscillating between bellicose statements against Beijing and a ludicrous insistence that involvement in the US war drive will not affect Philippine economic relations with China. Duterte is probably the most erratic. One day he declares that he will cut a bilateral deal with China to settle the territorial disputes in the South China Sea in return for economic concessions. Days later, he postures as a Philippine martyr ready to die to defend the countrys maritime claims if China refuses to abide by the outcome of a Philippine case currently before a UN tribunal in The Hague. The Philippine ruling elite is presiding over a capitalist society wracked by brutal exploitation and inequality even as the US war drive threatens to impose more onerous demands on the working class and the poor, turning their children into cannon fodder for the confrontation against China. None of the establishment candidates will hesitate to use police-state measures to impose their dictates on the working class. Duterte is only the most brazen of the representatives of the bourgeoisie. Niles Niemuth is the Socialist Equality Partys candidate for vice president in the 2016 US elections. For more information on the SEP campaign, visit sep2016.com. You can also follow Niles and SEP presidential candidate Jerry White on Facebook. This statement was delivered by Niles and distributed to teachers by campaign supporters Tuesday afternoon outside a mass membership meeting called by the Detroit Federation of Teachers (DFT). At the meeting DFT President Ivy Bailey and Randi Weingarten, head of the American Federation of Teachers, announced a deal to pay out salaries and instructed teachers to return to work today. As the Socialist Equality Partys candidate for vice president of the United States, I declare my solidarity with the more than 1,500 Detroit Public School teachers now engaged in sick-outs that have closed 94 of the citys 97 schools for a second day in a row. The protest follows the provocative announcement by DPS Emergency Manager Steven Rhodes that there is no money to pay teachers salaries over the summer monthssalaries they have already earned. Statement by SEP vice presidential candidate Niles Niemuth The attack on teachers is just one part of an assault on every section of the working class in this city and throughout the state of Michigan: the 2013 bankruptcy that cut the pensions of retired city employees, the major concessions forced on autoworkers by the UAW and the Big Three in contract talks last year, and the continued shutoff of utilities, depriving residents access to the basic necessities of life. In Flint, just an hours drive northwest of Detroit, the entire water supply was poisoned by lead, damaging the lives of thousands of residents and killing at least a dozen people. This general assault must be met by a unified political response of the entire working class. The attack on wages, benefits and living standards cannot be resisted in isolation, one section of the working class at a time. Working people must come together regardless of their race, ethnicity, or any other artificial division. Rhodes says that they cant afford to pay the wages of Detroit teachers. That is as blatant a lie as has ever been told. Detroit, despite being the poorest large city in the country, is home to some of the wealthiest individuals and most profitable corporations in the world. The top five companies based in metro DetroitGeneral Motors, Ford, Dow Chemical, Delphi and Ally Financialmade combined profits last year of $28 billion. These profits by themselves could pay the current salary of every Detroit Public Schools employee for the next 40 years. The ten richest individuals in the state of Michigan have a combined net worth of more than $34 billion. Real estate mogul and home mortgage salesman Dan Gilbert controls $3.8 billion, an amount that could cover the entire budgeted expenditures of Detroit Public Schools for five years. The United States is the wealthiest country in the history of the world. The main question is not whether there is enough money, but who decides how production is controlled and how wealth is distributed. Workers must stand up and demand what is rightfully ours. It is we who create all of the wealth in society, not the capitalist parasites who funnel it away into tax-free bank accounts. The Socialist Equality Partys candidate for president, Jerry White, and I call on workers to take up the following demands: The repudiation of all debts. Teachers and other workers should not be forced to pay for the crisis caused by the financial and political elite. A massive infusion of funds into the public school system, the citys infrastructure and housing. Schools are in a shameful state of decay, lacking heat and infested with rodents and mold. Roads are crumbling and the neighborhoods are left to rot. Billions of dollars must be spent on a massive public works program to upgrade the school system and infrastructure throughout the city. Utilities, including heat, gas, electricity and clean water are social rights that must be guaranteed to all. We call for an immediate end to all water and utility shutoffs, this crime against humanity must be stopped. The expropriation of the vast financial resources of the largest corporations, to be placed under public control for democratic allocation decided by the people. These demands, and others, should be the subject of a unified and broad-based discussion by workers throughout the city and state in order to formulate a plan of action for a general strike and mass demonstrations. Workers are fighting not only against one or another corporation, but the entire capitalist economic and political system. The state and the two big business parties, the Democrats and Republicans, represent the corporations and the rich. The Obama administration backed the bankruptcy of Detroit, supported the assault on autoworkers and has proclaimed Detroit ground zero in the attack on public education. In the 2016 elections, none of the candidates of either the Democratic or Republican parties represents the interests of the working class. As for the trade unions, including the Detroit Federation of Teachers and its parent-group, the American Federation of Teachers, they are tied to the hip of the Democratic Party. They are now desperately trying to find some way to curtail and suppress the eruption of anger among teachers. The time of retreat and compromise must come to an end! We are not interested in what they say they can give, we will tell them what we want. What we can get or not get will be decided in the course of struggle. There are two sides in this class struggle. The corporations, banks and the political parties they control are on one side. On the other side are the millions of working people and youth all over the world who have been forced to live through the hell they have created. Detroit is a battlefield. The ruling class has declared war on the entire working population and will stop at nothing to claw back the wages, benefits and living standards won over the course of the last century. What is being done in Detroit will be done throughout the country. It is time for teachers and every other section of the working class to stop pleading and start fighting back. 6 years, 5 months ago QPD Demeique D Humphrey (26) 628 Spruce for Expired DL at 9/Lind on 5/3/16. Released on NTA. Jennette Davis (67) 717 Jefferson for Operating Uninsured Vehicle at 8/State on 5/3/16. Released on NTA. Ashleigh N Roberts (28) 939 1/2 Hampshire for FTA-Child Restraint Violation. She was located at her residence on 5/3/16 and lodged. Shena L Valentine, 31, for operating uninsured vehicle at 30/Broadway on 5-3-16 at 2139 hours. NTA. Raymond L Wear, 23, for FTA-uninsured vehicle, and Petition to revoke probation at 7/College on 5-3-16 at 1850 hours. Lodged. David Rife stated a black vehcile struck the rear of his vehicle twice as he was driving southbound on Hwy 24. When he pulled over, the vehicle continued and did not stop. He attempted to loacte the vehicle, but was unsuccessful. Emily Kipley stated that someone entered her residence and took 2 TVs, and X-Box Kinect, 1 X-Box game, and 1 X-Box controller belonging to her fiance (who was in Florida at the time of the incident) on 3-25-16 between 1730 and 2050 hours. Julie A. Stratman, 43, 1428 Briar Rose Lane for Speeding at 12th & Watts Lane on 05-03-16. PTC Charmayne L. Smith, 33, 1310 Spring Lake Rd. for Speeding at 12th & Watts Lane on 05-03-16. PTC Barbara L. Schmidt, 61, 2900 Riverside Terrace for Speeding at 12th & Watts Lane on 05-03-16. PTC Joshua D. Clowers, 24, 300 Chestnut for Peace Disturbance at 505 Locust on 04-28-16. NTA Jeffrey R Williams 32, 1403 Cherry for FTA delivery of cannabis. Lodged Marilyn K. Kramer 611 N. 8th reported that her unlocked 2002 Chevrolet Venture was entered by an unknown suspect while parked at her residence between 1930 hrs on 04-11-16 and 0740 hrs on 04-12-16. A bottle of prescription medication and her driver's license was stolen from her purse, which was left in the vehicle. Allison L. Emerick 2426 Kentucky Road reported an unknown suspect entered all three of her unlocked vehicles while the vehicles were parked on her driveway sometime during the overnight hours of 04-17 - 04-18-16. Numerous ID's, loose change, and a camera were stolen from the vehicles. Michael T. Kipley 1233 Kentucky reported that his 2009 Toyota Corolla was struck by an unknown vehicle while parked on the Good Samaritan Home parking lot, 2130 Harrison St. sometime between 1430 and 1825 on 04-12-16. The rear passenger side bumper was damaged by the suspect vehicle. James A. Goehl 2219 College Ave. reported the theft of U.S. Currency from a safe he kept at his sister's address of 2217 College Ave. Investigation to continue. QUINCY, FL (WTXL) - Deputies say the man murdered in Gadsden County was killed by his son. According to the Gadsden County Sheriff's Office Bobby Alexander Sr. got into a fight with his son, Bobby Alexander Jr. at their home on Uptain Road Wednesday. They say Bobby Alexander Jr. is in custody and they are still investigating the crime. Deputies, as well as the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, are on the scene investigating. This is a developing story. Stay with WTXL on-air and online for the latest. ATLANTA (AP) - Georgia public school students will now face less standardized testing thanks to a new law signed by Governor Nathan Deal. Deal signed a bill into law on Tuesday that will lower the number of standardized tests taken by Georgia students, which saw wide support from statewide education groups. The new law will also lower the percentage that a student's performance is factored into the evaluation. Supporters of the new testing guidelines say it will free up time for teachers to focus on the curriculum rather than getting students prepared to take tests that many view as inaccurate. Education group StudentsFirst has been critical of the proposed changes to teacher evaluations, saying more weight will now be distributed to subjective criteria in the evaluation process. The new law goes into effect July 1. Yakima County Sheriff's deputies responded to a residence on Deer View Lane after reports of a man shooting in the area of Nile Road in Naches, Wash. on Wednesday, May 4, 2016. A 27-year-old hand was taken into custody on suspicion of reckless endangerment and domestic-violence assault from a previous incident. (SHAWN GUST/Yakima Herald-Republic) A Border Police officer will face a disciplinary court hearing after he allegedly attacked an Israeli Arab in 2015 during a random stop-and-search. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter The incident was captured on camera by a Palestinian, and was used by the victim and the Public Committee Against Torture in Israel (PCATI) to file a complaint against the officer to the Police Investigation Unit. The victim claimed that he was attacked by several policemen after they insulted him, and he responded with a derisory remark of his own. X The victims lawyer, Attorney Noa Levy from the legal department of the PCATI, claimed that on November 5, 2015, the complainant was searched by Border Policemen as he was walking toward his vehicle. Upon completion of the search, one of the policemen returned his ID while cursing his mother, read the official complaint. In response, the complainant said: You behave like a boy, not a man. The policeman then allegedly detained the man and requested to see his ID once again while cursing at him. The complainant's lawyer wrote that after he handed over his ID for a second time, two other Border Policemen arrived and granted him permission to leave the scene. However, the first policeman insisted that he exit his vehicle again and exclaimed: Get out. I want to **** you. My client was shocked by the threat and was afraid to exit his vehicle, wrote the the attorney. At this point all of the policemen surrounded his car and forced him out of the car, dragged him to a street corner and began to punch him in his face, in his back and in his stomach from all directions at the same time. They headbutted him and kicked him. All of this happened while being surrounded by a large number of Border Police. According to Levy, the entire incident was captured on camera, While all of this happened, not a hint of resistance to the arrest can be seen. After this the complainant was taken to the police station and placed in a bathroom stall by four policemen while at the same time they continued to curse him and to slap him. Inside the bathroom the police undressed him and conducted a group search, the complaint alleged. Scene of the skirmish Levy also cited the observations of a police medical officer who, during an examination of the victim, noticed marks indicating that the man had been assaulted by the police. The plaintiff further claimed that the offenses committed against him, which included sexual perversion, constituted, cruel, inhumane and humiliating treatment, and contravenes the Convention Against Torture. The complaint prompted an investigation by the Police Investigation Unit (PIU), which on Sunday sent an official letter to the victim informing him of the decision to transfer the case to the disciplinary division of the police which would preside over a disciplinary tribunal. The PCATI has since expressed anger over the decision, insisting that the severity of the case warrants being considered as a criminal, rather than a disciplinary, matter. In November, the public committee against torture in Israel launched a project against police violence, under the directorship of Levy. The committee said that The violence carried out by the state toward civilians constitutes and is thought many times as torture according to law. Video used by Arab complainant claiming border police used excessive force without cause Since the project was launched, Levy claims to have come across the use of unreasonable force to suppress legitimate protests and during searches and arrests designed to humiliate, to inflict pain and to hurt arrested civilians. Moreover, Levy claims she has come across threats and harassment against complainants. As part of the project, the PCATI has submitted ten complaints before the PIU about alleged police violence and has established contact with dozens of complainants from different sectors. In two of the cases, the policemen involved will be summoned for a disciplinary tribunal much to the dismay of the PCATI which has already resolved to appeal the decision. It cannot be that these crimes do not pass the criminal threshold, Levy bemoaned. Despite her efforts, the PIU remained adamant that the matter will fall within a disciplinary plain, responding thus: With the conclusion of the investigation, after examining the evidence, the PIU decided that the policemen would stand in a disciplinary hearing due to the use of unlawful force offenses. The investigation determined that although force was employed to perform (professional) tasks (arrest of suspects), excessive force was used and therefore it was decided that the policemen would stand a disciplinary trial. The complainant may file an appeal against the decision, which will be reviewed. INDIANAPOLIS - Republican front-runner Donald Trump all but sealed the party's presidential nomination on Tuesday with a commanding victory in Indiana that forced rival Ted Cruz to finally end his campaign. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter The New York billionaire, who has never held public office and who repeatedly defied pundits' predictions that his campaign would implode, now can prepare for a matchup in the Nov. 8 election with Hillary Clinton expected to be his Democratic opponent. Clinton's march to the Democratic nomination, however, was slowed by rival Bernie Sanders' victory over her in Indiana. Texas Senator Ted Cruz drops out of the race (Photo: AF) Trump, at a victory rally at Trump Tower in New York, walked on stage with wife Melania and other family members as the Rolling Stones' "Start Me Up" blared over loudspeakers. He is likely to formally wrap up the nomination on June 7 when California votes, although Ohio Governor John Kasich vowed to stay in the race as Trump's last challenger. Trump called Indiana a "tremendous victory" and immediately directed fire at Clinton. Donald Trump's way for the Republican nomination all but paved (Photo: AFP) "We're going after Hillary Clinton," he said. "She will not be a great president, she will not be a good president, she will be a poor president. She doesn't understand trade." Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus called Trump the party's presumptive nominee in a tweet and said, "We all need to unite and focus" on defeating Clinton. As the vote returns flowed in, Cruz announced that he has ended his campaign at an event in Indianapolis, with his wife, Heidi, at his side. Cruz, 45, sounding beaten but defiant, said he no longer sees a viable path to the nomination. Texas Senator Ted Cruz drops out of the race (Photo: AF) "Together we left it all on the field in Indiana," said Cruz, a US senator from Texas. "We gave it everything we got. But the voters chose another path, and so with a heavy heart, but with boundless optimism for the long-term future of our nation, we are suspending our campaign." Cruz had hoped to show he was still a factor in the race. Some in the crowd expressed shock at the decision by Cruz, who had been the last serious challenger to Trump out of an original field of 17 candidates. Trump was on track to take over 50 percent of the vote with Kasich running a distant third. Trump declared Cruz a tough man to beat. "Ted Cruz, I don't know if he likes me or doesn't like me. But he is one hell of a competitor. He is one smart guy. And he has got an amazing future," Trump said. Trump also sounded a note of unity, reaching out to both Hispanics and African-Americans as he talked about ensuring jobs and saying he would "make America great again." "This is going to be a beautiful and loving country," Trump said. Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders wins in Indiana, slowing Clinton's path to the Democratic nomination (Photo: Reuters) Cruz had been counting on a win in Tuesday's primary to slow the New York businessman's progress toward the nomination. But Trump rode momentum from wins in five Northeastern states a week ago to wrest Indiana from Cruz, whose brand of Christian conservatism had been expected to have wide appeal in the state. The loss for Cruz was a sour ending to a rough day in which he got entangled in a harsh back-and-forth with Trump. It began when the billionaire repeated a claim published by tabloid newspaper the National Enquirer that linked Cruz's father, Cuban emigre Rafael Cruz, with President John F. Kennedy's assassin Lee Harvey Oswald. Cruz termed Trump a "serial philanderer" - likely as part of his strategy to try to win the support of evangelical voters. Trump, in response, said Cruz had become "more and more unhinged." The only hope Kasich has for becoming the Republican nominee is to somehow deny Trump the 1,237 delegates he needs to win the nomination outright and force Republicans at their July convention in Cleveland to choose one of them. Kasich vowed to stay in the race. "As long as it remains possible Governor Kasich will fight for the higher path. Ted Cruz ran a strong campaign, stood for conservative principles, and exposed a lot about Donald Trump. Governor Kasich will continue to campaign and offer the voters a clear choice for our country," said Kasich senior strategist John Weaver. The leader of an umbrella organization representing world Jewry has asked the Michelin travel guide company to evaluate Israeli restaurants with its famous rating system, implying that the decision to omit the country may be political. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter In a letter to the Michelin Guide, World Jewish Congress President Ron Lauder said it is a "concerning omission" that Michelin does not have a guide to Israel. "Israel today is a venerable amalgam of cultures and traditions, which come together to produce a distinctive and exceptional culinary scene," wrote Lauder. "Why, therefore, has your company refused to produce a guide to Israel's restaurants?" Vegan food at Nanuchka. "Though I am sure that it is not your intention, some have speculated that reasons other than merit color Michelin's decision not to visit Israel," Lauder, a billionaire businessman and philanthropist, added. The letter was obtained by The Associated Press. Israel, particularly Tel Aviv, has a vibrant food scene, melding flavors from Jewish immigrants around the world with local Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cuisine. In recent years, Israeli cuisine has earned international acclaim, with Tel Aviv recognized by Saveur Magazine as an outstanding travel destination for food lovers in 2014. Calamari at Herbert Samuel. At least one Israeli chef, Moshik Roth, has received a Michelin star, for his work in the Netherlands, while Israeli chefs Yotam Ottolenghi and Assaf Granit have found success in Britain. Another Israeli chef, Michael Solomonov, has won the prestigious James Beard award in the US. In Paris, Michelin Guide spokeswoman Samuelle Dorol said there has never been a Michelin Guide to Israel and there are no current plans for one, citing commercial reasons. Skewered beef at Stefan Brown (Photo: Yaron Brener) "We have not had the opportunity to do a guide there," she said. "But that doesn't mean we will never have one." In general, she said Michelin Guide locations are chosen based on "gastronomic interest" and sales potential. "You have to have potential readers." Diners at the Ha'achim restaurant (Photo: Michael Topyol) Michelin currently has guides for 27 countries and many city-specific guides. Among recent additions is a guide to Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo, where no restaurants have earned even a single star from the three-star rating system. But Michelin launched there anyway because of the potential for gastronomic development. "We sensed that something was happening in these cities," Dorol said. Lea Karsik, a Holocaust survivor who escaped the horrors of war with her mother, hasn't got enough money to buy meat. Shmuel Shteiner, whose father was murdered in Auschwitz, said that last winter he slept wearing two coats to keep warm in the cold because he didn't have enough money for heating. He suffers serious vision impairment and is worried that he will not be able to afford new glasses either. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter "It's a disgrace that the state took money for Holocaust survivors, but didn't give it to us," he told Ynet. For many Holocaust survivors, this is the reality they deal with. Despite a significant, and even historic, improvement in their socio-economic situation brought about by government reforms, many of them continue to live in poverty. Holocaust survivor Lea Karsik (Phot: Barel Ephraim) There are 200,901 Holocaust survivors living in Israel. Data from the Welfare Ministry and the Finance Ministry's Authority for Holocaust Survivors' Rights shows that almost a third of them, some 60,000 people, are living under the poverty line while some 65,000, receive income support benefits. Holocaust survivors' situation is not unlike to that of many senior citizens in Israel. Indeed, the poverty rate among the elderly rose by one percent in 2014, reaching 23.1 percent. Similarly, despite the increase in old-age benefits and the income support provided to the poor elderly - which amounts to hundreds of shekels per month - the rate of poverty among them remains among the highest in the Western world. "The government needs to look Holocaust survivors in the eye. What they're giving us is not enough. We need more help," said Lea Karsik, an 83-year-old childless survivor who lives alone in a small two-room apartment in Ashkelon. Condition of Holocaust survivor Lea Karsik's residence (Photo: Barel Ephraim) She was a young child when Nazi forces came to Ukraine, forcing her family to flee. "We dealt with hardships. Dad fought, and we ran away with mom when there were bombings, even on a train full of people. Mom was wounded, and we hid. For a long time we didn't have food at all. In a situation like that, your body goes mad," she recounted. Lea says that while she has food, her monthly salary of a mere NIS 3,000 does not enable her to pay for other basic commodities."I don't buy fish or beef, it's too expensive," she said. She lives on the third floor of a building without an elevator, in a public housing apartment, and moves around using a cane. Despite her condition, she has been volunteering for many years in aiding other Holocaust survivors. "I translate for other elderly people who don't speak Hebrew, and try to help them," she said. Karsik asked that she is approved more nursing care hours because of her deteriorating health and difficulty climbing up the stairs and leaving her home. Reforms for the survivors About two years ago, the government approved a national plan to aid Holocaust survivors, led by then welfare and finance ministers Meir Cohen and Yair Lapid. The plan included significant changes to the two main laws dealing with Holocaust survivors: The Victims of Nazi Persecution Act and the Holocaust Survivors' Benefits Act. Among other things, the 18,000 survivors who made aliyah after 1953 were granted the same rights as the survivors who made aliyah before that time. In addition, survivors were ensured free medicine and an annual grant of NIS 3,600 was allocated to survivors of the second circle (refugees who fled as a result of the Holocaust but were not in the extermination camps or ghettos). Since the institution of that plan, several other measures were taken, including increasing the old-age benefits by hundreds of shekels every month for poor seniors. Approximately three months ago, the Finance Ministry, led by Minister Moshe Kahlon, recognized Holocaust survivors from Morocco, Algeria and Iraq, as well as survivors from Romania who endured hard labor during World War II. This recognition means these survivors will now be entitled to free medical treatment and annual grants as well. Last month, Welfare Minister Haim Katz announced a plan to "give back" money to some 20,000 survivors that he says did not exercise their full rights, losing out on over NIS 100 million in benefits. Earlier this week, Finance Minister Kahlon announced a NIS 500 million plan to increase old-age and income support benefits to poor seniors, including Holocaust survivors. The Finance Ministry said the plan will be part of the next state budget. However, these plans all failed to right some historical wrongs, including giving some 90,000 survivors of the second circle the same benefits as other survivors, or improving government bureaucracy that puts many different bodies in charge of Holocaust survivors. 26,000 survivors turn to aid center Despite a significant improvement reported, data from the Social Equality Ministry obtained by Ynet indicate the bureaucracy with which the survivors still have to deal. Social Equality Minister Gila Gamliel Out of 100,000 elderly people who called the *8840 aid call center to receive assitance, 26,000 were Holocaust survivors. "The data indicates that the center serves a major need for Holocaust survivors, and makes it easier for them to deal with bureaucratic and financial issues and exercise their rights," said Social Equality Minister Gila Gamliel. Despite these improvements, the fact remains that 90,000 Holocaust survivors, many of whom suffer dire economic hardships, receive neither monthly stipends nor pensions. The vast majority of the survivors are immigrants from the former Soviet Union who receive meager annual grants of NIS 3,600. They also include elderly people, without acceess to pension or other rights, who immigrated to Israel in the 90s. Others include immigrants from Romania, Bulgaria, Libya and Tunisia who came after 1953 along with immigrants from Morocco, Iraq and Algeria. Holocaust survivor Shmuel Shteiner Shmuel Shteiner, 85, who was born in Romania and now lives in Netanya, receives a sum total of NIS 4,000 per month. It is shameful that this is what they give, he said. Shteiner moved to Israel in the 70s and worked for many years as a photographer but did not accumulate pension rights. This is the money that there is today. I am trying to get by with but it isnt enough, he continued. Shmuel Shtenier International Fellowship of Christians and Jews (IFCJ) President Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein said that tens of thousands of Holocaust survivors live without the means to support themselves with the most basic necessities such as food, dental treatment, heating in the winter and adequate roofing. Most of them are too exhausted or too sick to make themselves heard. Most of them live in terrible solitude far from the public eye, they cope alone with difficult memories, with loss and, most fundamentally, with the terrible feeling that nobody cares about them, Eckstein said. IFCJ President Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein (Photo: Yossi Yossi Tzavker) The time has come to place the treatment of Holocaust survivors at the top of the agenda. When each day 40 of them pass away, we dont have any more time to wait," he continued. "We are obligated to to act here and now and therefore we invite the public to donate so that there will be no more deprived Holocaust survivors in Israel. Each year the IFCJ assists 20,000 Holocaust survivors who lack food, panic buttons, urgent medical services and dental treatment and who suffer the burden of loneliness. Deputy Finance Minister Itzik Cohen insisted that his ministry places Holocaust survivors at the top of the agenda: The ministry allocates vast resources in order to assist Holocaust survivors and to expand their rights. The allocated budget for 200,000 survivors stands at NIS 4.2 billion. We are continuing to initiate and to advance additional programs, he said. A mortar shell fired at IDF troops on operational duty near the Gaza border fence on Wednesday morning. None of the troops was hurt, and they responded with tank fire at a suspected military post in southern Gaza. IDF troops shelled Hamas military posts in the Gaza Strip four times on Wednesday in response to mortar shell fire at forces operating near the border fence. There have been six incidents of fire opened on Israeli troops on the frontier over the past two days. There were no Israeli soldiers hurt in any of the incidents. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter Meanwhile, Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad have claimed full responsibility for the attacks Wednesday against Israel. A Hamas spokesman in Gaza, Moshir al-Masri, warned Israel against testing Hamas's patience and the patience of the other Palestinians parties. He clarified that the escalation against Israel is a new development, and that the various Palestinian factions in Gaza are discussing how best to deal with the escalation. He called on the all of the international players who helped sponsor the truce between Israel and Hamas to hold Israel responsible for its "repeated violations of the ceasefire." Palestinian Islamic Jihad claimed that Israel continuously violates the sovereignty of Gaza. Hamas has evacuated all of its commanders in the Strip out of worry that the Israeli Air Force will hit them in response to the mortar fire. This is a routine Hamas procedure for whenever tensions escalate between Israel and Hamas. Israel responded by sending strong messages to Hamas through various interlocutors, saying that if the mortar fire continues, Israel will have a harsh response. The IDF believes that Hamas is firing mortars to deter the IDF from searching and destroying its terror tunnels into Israel. According to Israeli officials, the mortar fire is being shot in such a manner so as to not change the dynamics of the status quo.It seems that Hamas has no interest in significant escalation of the situation. On Monday morning, Palestinians fired a mortar shell at IDF soldiers doing engineering work near the border fence, leading the army to respond with tank fire at a Hamas observation point near a landfill in southern Gaza, not far from the Sufa Crossing. The Palestinians reported damage to the Hamas military post, but no casualties. This was the first time a mortar shell is fired at an IDF force since Operation Protective Edge in the summer of 2014. During the past year and a half, there were several instances of gunfire and explosives targeting the troops, but this is the first rocket to fall near an Israeli force. Smoke over the Hamas post the IDF shelled in response to the mortar fire. In a second incident early Wednesday afternoon, IDF soldiers operating by the Gaza border fence near Saja'iyya reported hearing an explosion. The military is checking whether a mortar shell was once again launched at them. According to Palestinian reports, the IDF once again responded by shelling two observation posts that belongs to the Hamas military wing, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, located east of Saja'iyya. In the third incident within five hours on Wednesday, an IDF force once again heard an explosion, and once more responded with tank fire at Hamas military targets in Saja'iyya. The fourth incident of mortar shell fire at IDF forces led to two tank shells being fired at the Tufach neighborhood which is located in the eastern part of the city of Gaza, not far from Saja'iyya. The incidents occurred a day after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu arrived in the area for a tour of the Gaza border. During his visit, he examined the recently-discovered Hamas tunnel that burrowed her way into Israeli territory, and received a briefing from the GOC Southern Command and the Gaza Division commander on the situation in the area. Also on Tuesday, a Palestinian sniper opened fire from Saja'iyya at an IDF engineering force operating near the border fence. The recent incidents have been perpetrated by rebellious Salafist groups trying to escalate the situation between Hamas and the IDF, as the Israeli military is conducting engineering work near the border fence in search for new border-crossing tunnels. In recent days, the Hamas stopped a militant cell that was reportedly planning to carry out attacks against Israeli targets. The Hamas Interior Ministry's announcement said the cell foiled sought to harm the security and stability in the Gaza Strip, but fell short of detailing which organization the cell belongs to and what exactly were its plans. TIRANA - An Albanian court has sentenced nine Muslims to jail terms ranging from seven to 18 years for inciting terror, recruiting and sending more than 70 men to join rebel groups in Syria. The Tirana court on Wednesday said that the men, including three preachers, were convicted of recruiting, training and inciting hatred, mainly in the capital, Tirana, from two mosques that were not recognized by the country's Muslim community. Their family members said they will appeal. About two-thirds of Albania's 3.2 million residents are Muslims. Mainstream religious leaders have asked their believers not to join rebel groups in Syria. Still, scores of Albanians are believed to have joined Islamic extremist groups in Syria and Iraq. Presumptive Republican candidate Donald Trump said Monday that he supports further Israeli construction of settlements, coming out against the long-standing US demand that Israel halt all building in the West Bank, a demand that both President Barack Obama and Democratic frontrunner Hillary Clinton have previously supported. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter In an interview with the Daily Mail, Trump called the Israeli-Palestinian peace talks the toughest negotiation, stating that Israel was never properly treated by the US. I would love to see if peace could be negotiated, he added. If elected, Trumps seemingly broad support of settlement development would constitute a dramatic shift in US foreign policy, as both Democratic and Republican US presidents have stated in the past that the settlements are illegal and no further building in them should be allowed. In line with this, in 2009, President Obama had requested that Israel halt all expansion work in the settlements as a precondition to the Israeli-Palestinian negotiations. Republican frontrunner Donald Trump. Believes Israel should 'keep going' with settlement building (Photo: AP) Trump also expressed his support of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, calling him a very good guy and saying that the two would most likely have a very good relationship. He also mentioned how perplexed he is when speaking to Jewish friends who support Obama. I think President Obama has been extremely bad to Israel, he said, calling the US-brokered nuclear deal with Iran a disaster for Israel. Trump talks to the Daily Mail about Israel X Referring to the many missiles that have been launched by the Palestinians into Israel, Trump wondered aloud, who would put up with that? Who would stand for it? Never one to shy away from contradicting himself, Trumps latest interview goes against statements he had made only a few weeks prior, in which he claimed that as president, he would look to remain neutral when approaching the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Despite this, Trump has consistently expressed his love for Israel and his support of Netanyahu. Netanyau, 'a very good guy' according to Trump, and Obama, who is 'extremely bad to Israel.' (Photo: EPA) One such occasion was his speech at the AIPAC convention in Washington, where he promised to move the US Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, which he referred to as the eternal capital of the Jewish People. He went on to criticize the anti-Israel sentiments found in the Palestinian media and education system. Nevertheless, not all of Trumps AIPAC speech was unwavering in its backing of Israel. When asked about the security aid that Israel receives from the US, he stated that he believes that just as other countries pay for it, I think Israel would do that also. BEIRUT - Dozens of people were killed in a day-long battle between Syrian rebels and government forces in western Aleppo that was still going on intermittently on Wednesday, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and combatant sources on both sides said. The combatant sources gave conflicting accounts of the outcome of the battle that began early on Tuesday in and around the Jamiyat al-Zahraa area of western Aleppo. A rebel said insurgents had managed to take some ground from the government side, while the army said the attack was repelled. The fighting threatened the army's defensive lines around government-held areas of western Aleppo. Observatory director Rami Abdulrahman said dozens had been killed on both sides in what he described as the most intense battle in the area in a year. Government forces were reinforced by allies from Lebanon's Hezbollah, he said. The rebel fighter said about 40 government fighters had been killed, while rebel losses stood at 10 dead. The military source denied heavy casualties in army ranks, but said dozens of civilians and many rebels had been killed. The rebel and a second opposition fighter said insurgents had at one point captured a strategic location known as Family House, but later lost it after the government side brought in reinforcements. STUTTGART - The United States gathered defense ministers from 11 other countries for talks on Wednesday about ways to strengthen the campaign against Islamic State, a day after a US Navy SEAL was killed in Iraq during an attack by the militant group. US Defense Secretary Ash Carter told the defense ministers that despite recent gains "this fight is far from over". "That point was brought into stark relief by yesterday's attack on Peshmerga forces in northern Iraq, which unfortunately claimed the life of an American service member," Carter said, speaking at the start of talks at the US military's European Command headquarters in Stuttgart, Germany. The talks included ministers from France, Britain and Germany and were planned well in advance of Tuesday's news that a US Navy SEAL was killed in northern Iraq when Islamic State fighters blasted through Kurdish defences and overran a town. Tianjin institute exports 3-D printers to South America Updated: 2016-05-04 07:56 By Zhao Lei(China Daily) Two engineers at the Tianjin Jinhang Physics Research Institute under China Aerospace Science and Industry Corp conduct test on a 3-D printer. [Photo provided to China Daily] A State-owned space institute has sold its 3-D printers to Argentina, marking China's first 3-D printer exports to South America, said a senior engineer at the institute. Tang Xiaoyu, who heads the 3-D printer development at the Tianjin Jinhang Physics Research Institute under China Aerospace Science and Industry Corp, told China Daily that a consumer electronics wholesaler in Argentina has placed orders for 1,000 3-D printers developed by the institute and the first batch of 100 were delivered to the buyer in December. "The client would sell our products to retailers in Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay," Tang said. He did not reveal the contract's value and his products' prices. During the mid-March CeBIT, the largest and most internationally represented information technology and electronics expo held in Hanover, Germany, companies from more than 20 nations, including the United States, Egypt, Iran and Japan, expressed interest or intent to buy the institute's 3-D printers. "We brought four sets of 3-D printers to the CeBIT 2016 and all of them were sold at the expo. A buyer from Germany placed an order for 20 of our products at the event while two retailers from France and the Netherlands respectively are in talks with us on their procurement contract after they saw our 3-D printer at CeBIT," Tang said. Tianjin Jinhang specializes in laser-related equipment and has produced many types of optoelectronic instruments for China's carrier rockets and spacecraft. He said the institute has developed seven types of desktop 3-D printers. Most of their users in China are schools and research organizations while some State-owned aircraft and space enterprises also use its products. "The core part of a high-end 3-D printer is the laser, which is our specialty. Therefore, we are good at developing 3-D printers and we have full intellectual property rights of our products, which is why many foreign clients favor our products rather than those made by some Chinese private firms despite their lower prices," the engineer said. Domestically, there are more than 200 retailers selling the institute's 3-D printers, according to Tang. He said the institute expects a total revenue of about 100 million yuan ($15.4 million) from its 3-D printers within the coming five years. According to the Shenzhen-based consulting firm Qianzhan Industry Research Institute, the market value of 3-D printer industry in China will reach 10 billion yuan by the end of this year while International Data Corp, a US-based market research, analysis and advisory company, expects nearly 160,000 made-in-China 3-D printers would be sold this year, more than doubling last year's sales of 77,000 units. Yisrael Beytenu leader Avigdor Lieberman criticized Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday after the body of the Palestinian who carried out the vehicular attack the previous day was returned to the family. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter "Netanyahu's conduct is not just a disgrace, but also seriously undermines the deterrence of potential terrorists and encourages terror attacks," Lieberman said, calling on the prime minister "to immediately resign." The former foreign minister argued that "Netanyahu needs to resign - if not because of all of the other reasons, then because of his outrageous conduct on the issue of returning terrorists' bodies. While an IDF soldier is fighting for his life at the hospital after the vehicular attack yesterday in Dolev, the body of the terrorist who carried out that attack has already been returned to his family and welcomed with cries of joy and encouragement by hundreds of Qalandiya residents." Yisrael Beytenu leader Avigdor Lieberman (Photo: Be'er Sheva municipality) Education Minister Naftali Bennett also slammed the move. "This is a grave mistake that encourages the next attack," he said before entering a cabinet meeting. "We need to prevent the worship of terrorists' graves, and there is no reason to give gifts to families of murderers." Three IDF soldiers from the Duchifat Battalion in the Kfir Brigade were wounded in the attack on Tuesday. One was seriously wounded, while the other two were lightly hurt. The body of terrorist Ahmed Shahada was returned even though Netanyahu in late March ordered to completely halt the returning of bodies to the terrorists' families, saying it incites violence and could lead to an escalation in the security situation. Meanwhile, Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon and the defense establishment, as well as Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan, support the returning of bodies - so long as the families adhere to a list of conditions. Funeral of terrorist Ahmed Shahada On Tuesday, Netanyahu dumped the responsibility on Ya'alon and Erdan. "On Sunday, Prime Minister Netanyahu decided to pass on the authority to return terrorists' bodies to the defense and public security ministers," the Prime Minister's Office said. "The returning of the body tonight is under the authority of the defense minister, in accordance with the limitations." The defense minister's office confirmed the body had been return in accordance with the instructions of the political leadership. Erdan, meanwhile, denied that his ministry has any involvement in the issue, saying, "The body that was returned has nothing to do with the police or with me. My policy has never changed. A family that meets the police's conditions - could receive and bury the body." The PMO has yet to respond to Lieberman's comments. When do politicians spring into action? Judging by the past decade, the answer is exasperating and painful: when their backs are up against the wall and they want to avoid any personal cost they might incur for their idleness. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter This is of course an unfair generalization, as there are some honest, intrepid and driven politicians out there I personally know all four of them. However, it seems that all too many of our public servants get into the act only when goaded by fear. To paraphrase an old election-campaign incitement slogan Theyre a-f-r-a-i-d. Before I discuss the topic at hand of this gathering, I deem it necessary to say a word or two about the biennial budget, which has been stirring up headlines in the past week. For months, Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon vehemently objected to a biennial budget unequivocally and outspokenly. Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (Photo: Marc Israel Sellem) In terms of benefits to the economy, Kahlon knows that there is not one person aside from Yuval Steinitz that truly believes in the biennial budget initiative, and that not one country has chosen to adopt such a fiscal framework. Outside of Bahrain, that is. Politically speaking, Kahlon is convinced that a biennial budget would make him a pawn in Netanyahus hands. Until not long ago, Kahlon maintained that a biennial budget would eliminate any leverage he had vis-a-vis the prime minister. What happened though? Where has his passionate opposition gone? Had the minister suddenly recalled a sacred commitment to the coalition agreement? This unexpected change of heart stems from a simple and dismal reason: Kahlon has been gripped by fear of early elections, in which, according to polls, his party Kulanu would be reduced to a mini-Kulanu. Alongside Kahlon, the rest of the coalition MKs will vote aye on the biennial budget, not because Steinitz swayed them with some logical scientific missile, but simply because theyre a-f-r-a-i-d. This fear-effect seems to have engulfed Israels housing market as well. The origins of the current housing crunch are in the latter days of Ehud Olmerts administration. It has since ballooned into epic proportions on a national scale, and it is steamrolling over young couples, and their parents, for that matter. The shortage in affordable housing has been exacting a heavy toll on Israels middle class in the seven years of Netanyahus reign, since 2009. Finance ministers from Yair Lapid to Moshe Kahlon came and went during that period, all serving under Netanyahu. Ive a already alluded to Steinitzs merits, and as regards Lapid well, he did put his best foot forward, but that didnt stop him from tripping out of office prematurely. Kahlon equipped himself with a useful toolkit and is trying his best, but he is increasingly frustrated from the slow progression of affairs during the recent year. Why is this happening? Why can we not seem to climb out of this rut? The tent protest of the summer of 2011 (Photo: Yaron Brener) There are many answers to this question there are some plausible and well-known economic explanations, and then weve got the conspiracy theories on why the players in the housing field are so adamant on keeping prices high. But I would like to offer a political explanation: In order to affect change in the housing market, we need the help of the politicians. Unlike Israels high-tech, which is not dependant on the government to establish a strong global presence, the housing problem was born in the corridors of power in Jerusalem; in the deep recesses of a short-sighted bureaucracy that failed to take preemptive measures such as removing existing barriers and providing an adequate supply of land for building. In order to solve this problem, we need a functioning government led by a determined prime minister. In the past seven years, Netanyahu has come to realize that he is not being held accountable for the awful housing crisis (nor for any other of his failures). There was a brief moment when his heart skipped a beat during the tent protests of summer 2011 but that disappeared into thin air. He saw that his impotence carries no consequences. Thats a fact. With a little incitement and a couple of mistakes on part of his political adversaries, he was right back in the prime ministers seat. Easy-peasy. Netanyahu doesnt seem to pay a personal price for his actions, so why should a negligible matter such as the housing plight of young couples and the middle class at large disturb his peace of mind, while he tucks into another bowl of his favorite pistachio ice cream? Am I pointing the blaming finger at Netanyahu alone? Not in the least. We are all to blame, not just Kahlon and his cronies at Kulanu. We the citizens of Israel who fail to hold our public servants accountable for their misdeeds, whove grown weary of protesting the injustices, and whove forgone our dream of ever being able to afford our own house. We are the Israelis who have accepted the state of affairs as if it was predestined. Netanyahu, his ministers and his eunuchs, are not a-f-r-a-i-d of us. Barriers or not, his motorcade just keeps zooming by, without seeing whats going on outside the darkened windows. Its our problem, and as long as Netanyahu believes that the housing crises cannot topple him from his throne, were stuck with nowhere to live, and with Bibi. Security forces have cleared for publication that a joint operation by the Israeli general security apparatus and the IDF has led to the arrested Attaf Ruhi Salah (43) on Wednesday. Attaf, a resident of Silwad in the Binyamin region, was a Hamas military activist and was involved in a shooting attack at Rimonim Junction on September 1, 2010 which injured two Israeli civilians. After carrying out the attack, Attaf was captured by the Palestinian security apparatus. After it became known that he has been released by Palestinian authorities however, Israeli security sought his arrest. He is under investigation. When the leader of Germany's Jews spoke out against the flow of Muslim migrants to Europe, a rabbinical student denounced his views as racist and ignited a debate over whether Jews are right to fear unprecedented levels of immigration from Muslim lands traditionally hostile to Israel. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter The student, Armin Langer, was kicked out of the Abraham Geiger College in Potsdam after he wrote that the leader of Germany's Central Council of Jews was wrong to seek a cap on Muslim immigration. Langer, a founder of an interfaith group called Salaam-Shalom committed to fostering dialogue between Muslims and Jews, said his community should never cast an intolerant eye toward other minority groups. "If one minority is treated badly, it won't be long before all minorities will be treated badly," Langer, 25, told The Associated Press during an interview in Berlin's Neukoelln district, home to many Muslim immigrants. Anti-Semitic slogans on a Jewish grave (Photo: Feher Gabor) Langer also participated in a small protest outside the Central Council's headquarters in Berlin, the day after Joseph Schuster told German newspaper Die Welt last November that "sooner or later, we're not going to get around upper limits (for migrants)." Looking back, Langer says he now regrets the harshness of his language in his newspaper op-ed in daily Die Tageszeitung criticizing Schuster, but he also says the college was wrong "to try to suppress my personal opinions." Many in Germany's 250,000-strong Jewish community expressed outrage at Langer's remarks following their publication last year as Germany absorbed a wave of 1.1 million overwhelmingly Muslim migrants. They expressed support for Schuster's stance that anti-Semitism was growing once again in Germany, driven by newcomers with attitudes hostile to Jews and Israel. Schuster had already warned earlier that Jews shouldn't wear their traditional skullcap, or kippa, in areas with large Muslim populations. "Many refugees are escaping the terror of ISIS and want to live in peace and freedom," Schuster said in his November interview. "At the same time, they come from places where hatred of Jews and intolerance are an integral part of the culture." Jewish fears of Muslim immigration reflect a spike in anti-Semitic attacks and anti-Israel protests by Muslim youths in Germany during Israel's 2014 war in Gaza and the more recent mass killings by Muslim extremists in Paris, Copenhagen and Brussels, where Jewish institutions also have suffered deadly attacks. Berlin today is home to about 40,000 Jews, many of them 1990s-era immigrants from the former Soviet Union. The college director, Rabbi Walter Homolka, said Langer's criticism of Schuster had caused widespread offense among German Jews. He told the AP that Langer had violated his enrollment contract requiring students to avoid an "undue media presence." He said Langer had been suspended for a year in January, with a right to re-enroll in 2017, following meetings of the school's board of rabbis and the German General Rabbinical Conference. But Langer, a Hungarian Jew, said he would continue to pursue a master's degree in Jewish theology at Potsdam University and would seek to complete his rabbinical training elsewhere. Betty Bausch teaching German kids about the Holocaust Schuster declined an interview with the AP. He said in a written statement he played no role in Langer's dismissal but understood why it happened. He said rabbis should seek to promote balanced dialogue, not polarize opinion. Shaked Spier, a German-Israeli activist who works in aid of recently arrived refugees, said it was absurd to attribute anti-Semitism primarily to migrants. "There's a deeply rooted anti-Semitism in German society. We shouldn't pretend that it's now being imported by the refugees," said Spier, whose grandparents escaped Nazi Germany in the 1930s before the Holocaust claimed an estimated 6 million Jewish lives. He said Schuster's call to cap the numbers of asylum seekers made him particularly uncomfortable because it echoed the position of right-wing German nationalists, many of whom also hold anti-Semitic views. Levi Salomon, spokesman for a Berlin lobbying group called the Jewish Forum for Democracy and Against Anti-Semitism, said migrants' integration into German society needed to be swift and include classes "about the Holocaust and anti-Semitism." Fears of Muslim immigrants are palpable in some Jewish households. An Israeli mother of three told the AP she no longer allows her children to speak in Hebrew outside their Berlin home. "When we are outside I tell my kids to speak only English," said the woman, who spoke on condition that she not be identified by name, citing fears for her safety. "I'm too afraid that somebody will recognize that we are Jewish or Israeli and then harm us." Langer, who sheltered an Egyptian asylum seeker in his own apartment for several months, said such fears could be overcome only by direct dialogue between Jews and Muslims. He said Germany's Jews should be more concerned about the steep rise of violence and almost daily attacks directed against the newly arrived refugees. "What we really have to do now, as Muslims and Jews, is to fight together against anti-Semitism and Islamophobia in Germany," Langer said. Turkey is ready to send ground forces into Syria to tackle Islamic State militants if need be, Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said, as two more rockets fired by the group struck a border town. Turkey has argued the case for ground troops in Syria in the past, although it has always said it would not mount a unilateral incursion unless its national security was threatened. In an interview with Al Jazeera, Davutoglu said United Nations resolutions give Turkey "legitimacy" to enter Syria to fight Islamic State and others in the name of self-defence. "If ground troops become vital, we would send them. We are ready to take all measures inside and outside Turkey to defend ourselves," he said in the interview late on Tuesday. A fifth mortar has been shot by Palestinian militants from Gaza into Israel. This follows a joint Hamas/Palestinian Islamic Jihad statement claiming responsibility for the previous five attacks. Hamas has evacuated its senior commanders into hiding, a tactic they do whenever tensions flare up. Almost half a century ago, when he first became an active supporter of Britain's Labour Party, Rabbi Abraham Pinter said it had far less of a problem with anti-Semitism than the country as a whole. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter But while other political groups have recognised the need to address prejudice against Jews, Pinter said the country's main opposition party was stuck in the past. Labour now faces accusations of anti-Semitism in its ranks - from its high-profile former London mayor Ken Livingstone, who said Adolf Hitler had supported Zionism, to students at Oxford University. This has fanned concern among Jewish communities already alarmed at increasing levels of hate crimes. UK Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn "The Labour Party never recognised it had a problem. It's really where it was 50 years ago," said Pinter, a former Labour councillor who speaks for the orthodox Haredi Jewish community in the Stamford Hill area of north London. "It's been there and it's still there," he told Reuters. Some within Labour say they are being accused of anti-Semitism simply for expressing legitimate criticisms of Israel. Senior figures have said prejudice is limited to a small fringe and was being used to smear party leader Jeremy Corbyn. But the row could play a role in Thursday's London mayoral election. Labour candidate Sadiq Khan, widely tipped to become the capital's first Muslim mayor, said he was appalled by Livingstone's comments and that they could harm his chances in a city home to an estimated 170,000 Jews. Moshe Menezira, manager of the Kosher Deli in Golders Green in north London, which has a large Jewish community, said there seemed to be a problem within Labour and that it was leading to many Jewish voters reconsidering whether to back Khan. "I know a lot of Labour supporters but they're in two minds because of what is going on," the 65-year-old said. Last week, Labour's leadership suspended Livingstone and ordered an inquiry into anti-Semitism in the party following comments the ex-mayor made in a radio interview that Hitler had supported Zionism in the 1930s before "he went mad and ended up killing six million Jews". Livingstone had been defending a Labour Muslim lawmaker after she apologised for posting online messages which included a suggestion that Israel should be relocated to the United States to solve the problems in the Middle East. Ex-mayor of London Ken Livingstone (Photo: Reuters) The incidents sparked accusations from Jewish leaders that Labour leaders and those on the British political left were doing too little to combat anti-Semitism in their ranks. "There is now a cancer in their party and it is getting worse by the day," the Jewish Chronicle newspaper said in an editorial in March. "If Labour is not to lose the last residue of trust from our community, it must recognise and deal with that cancer." SUSPENSIONS Opponents of Labour have previously levelled accusations of anti-Semitism against socialist Corbyn, who was elected party leader last September. They pointed to a speech he made about the Middle East in 2009, in which he described Hamas and Hezbollah - groups designated as terrorist organisations by Britain and the United States - as "friends". Conservative Prime Minister raised those comments during heated exchanges with Corbyn in parliament on Wednesday. "Are they your friends or are they not? Because those organisations in their constitutions believe in persecuting and killing Jews," Cameron said. "They're anti-Semitic organisations, they're racist organisations, he must stand up and say they are not his friends." Corbyn replied: "Obviously anyone that commits racist acts or is anti-Semitic is not a friend of mine." The Labour leader has previously said he had used the term friends in "a collective way". The parliament exchange and the row surrounding Livingstone followed damaging headlines for Labour in February, when the co-chairman of the Oxford University Labour Club quit, saying "a large proportion of both OULC and the student left in Oxford more generally have some kind of problem with Jews". On Tuesday, Labour said it had suspended three councillors in northern and central England because of anti-Semitic remarks. Independent Jewish Voices, a human rights group set up in 2007 which criticises some of Israel's policies, said it was concerned at sweeping suggestions that anti-Semitism was pervasive in the party. "We also reiterate our view that the battle against anti-Semitism is undermined whenever opposition to Israeli government policies is automatically branded as anti-Semitic," it said. But some Jewish leaders say Labour has more than a fringe problem, with anti-Zionism often used as a cover for being anti-Jewish. "In recent days, we have heard anti-Semitism in the Labour Party described variously as 'a smear' and as 'mood music' being manipulated by political opponents of Jeremy Corbyn," Britain's Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis wrote in Wednesday's Daily Telegraph newspaper. "There has been nothing more disheartening in this story than the suggestion that this is more about politics than about substance." 'BECOMING ACCEPTABLE' The anti-Semitism row is casting a shadow over Khan's push to become mayor of London, a city of about 8.5 million people. Most Jewish voters say they have no problem with Khan himself, who said he was disgusted by Livingstone's remarks. "I think the Labour leadership generally needs to act far more decisive and swiftly when these sorts of comments are made," he said on Tuesday. "It can't be right that there are Londoners of Jewish faith who feel the Labour party is not a place for them." In Golders Green, where Jewish men wearing skull caps push prams along the street past Kosher shops and restaurants that line the main highway, there is real concern that the row engulfing Labour could fuel prejudice in Britain. Police figures showed an increase of more than 60 percent in anti-Semitic incidents in London last year, while the Community Security Trust, which advises Britain's estimated 280,000 Jews on security matters, said 924 incidents were recorded across the country during 2015, including 86 violent assaults. Earlier this month, parliament's Home Affairs Committee said it would hold a short inquiry into anti-Semitism over concerns prejudice was on the rise. In the London Jewish Family Centre in Golders Green, Denise, 61, who declined to give her surname, said anti-Semitism in Britain had got "way worse" since she moved from South Africa four years ago. "Six to eight weeks ago I was walking across a bridge and a car stopped and the people inside called me a bloody Jew. The first time ever it's happened to me in four years," she said. The row has been disheartening for Jews involved in Labour politics who support Khan's stance. Mike Katz, the National Vice-Chairman of the Jewish Labour Movement and a Labour candidate for the London Assembly, said the expansion from about 200,000 to about 380,000 party members since Corbyn became leader had led to the number of people with anti-Semitic views also increasing. "People over recent years have found it easier to pursue a discourse where it is acceptable to say these things and blur the lines between legitimate criticism of Israel and something which goes far further," he told Reuters. Rabbi Pinter, who said he was embarrassed that he used to count Livingstone as a friend, said those in Labour who denied there was an issue were part of the problem. "People are getting concerned that this is causing anti-Semitism to become mainstream. My concern is it's becoming acceptable," he said. Ohio Governor John Kasich has officially suspended his campaign to be the Republican nominee for President of the United States. This leaves Donald Trump as the only contender for the Republican presidential candidate nomination. FORT MCMURRAY- A raging wildfire emptied Canada's main oil sands city, destroying entire neighborhoods of Fort McMurray, Alberta, where officials warned Wednesday that all efforts to suppress the fire have failed. About 88,000 residents successfully evacuated as flames moved into the city surrounded by wilderness in the heart of Canada's oil sands. No injuries have been reported. Alberta Premier Rachel Notley said all 105 patients at the local hospital had been safely airlifted to other care centers. She said, so far, the fire had destroyed or damaged an estimated 1,600 structures. LINCOLN -- The University of Nebraska-Lincoln has offered nearly 3,500 scholarships as of March 21 to the 2016 high school graduating class from Nebraska high schools. The total potential value of the scholarships is about $33.7 million. The students offered scholarships include 27 Chancellors Scholars, 645 Regents Scholars, 402 David Distinguished Scholars, 280 Nebraska Achievement Scholars, 861 James H. Canfield Scholars, 107 Chancellors Leadership Scholars, 611 University Honors Program Scholars, 26 Health Sciences Scholars, four Davis Scholars, three Johnny Carson Scholars, two Native American Heritage Scholars, 324 Nebraska Emerging Leader Scholars, 153 Nebraska Legends Scholars and 48 Pepsi Scholars. Chancellors and Regents scholarships are among the most prestigious awards granted by the university. Each of these awards pays full tuition for full-time students with the potential for renewal at a value of about $28,000 over four years. Chancellors Scholars receive an additional $2,000 per year. David Distinguished Scholars are recognized for their academic merit and receive $3,500 with the potential for renewal for up to four years. David Distinguished scholarships are funded in part from a trust established in 1973 by the late Adrian H. David, a Minneapolis attorney, in honor of his parents. Adrian David was a 1908 graduate of the NU College of Law. James H. Canfield Scholars, named for the chancellor who led the University of Nebraska to a position of national prominence in the 1890s, receive a one-year, $1,000 award. Nebraska Achievement Scholarships are based on academic achievement, admission test scores and information in the students personal statement. There were 99 of these scholarships awarded for full tuition and 181 awarded for $1,000, each with the potential for renewal. Chancellors Leadership Scholars are awarded one-year scholarships of $1,000. The award was created to recognize and reward students who have excelled both academically and in leadership roles in school and community activities. Students admitted to the University Honors Program, a university-wide community of scholars, receive book scholarships that provide $500 per year. The Honors Program gives students who strive for academic excellence an opportunity to explore new knowledge through research, to participate actively in a process of discovery, and appreciate and respect a diversity of opinions. Health Sciences Scholars receive various amounts and are awarded to academically promising students interested in health science careers. Davis Scholars receive a commitment of at least $2,000 per year. This scholarship seeks to identify and attract talented student scholars who have demonstrated knowledge and experience in diverse communities or backgrounds and are prepared to use this knowledge to contribute to the education of their fellow students. Johnny Carson Scholars, named for the UNL alumnus and former host of The Tonight Show, receive $3,500 with the potential for renewal for up to four years. This fund was established in 1978 through a gift to be used for academic honor scholarships to encourage students of high academic abilities to attend the university. Native American Heritage Scholars receive a commitment of at least $2,000 per year. This scholarship seeks to identify and attract talented student scholars who have demonstrated knowledge and experience in the Native American community or backgrounds and are prepared to use this knowledge to contribute to the education of their fellow students. Nebraska Emerging Leader Scholars include students identified as emerging leaders through the Diversity Leadership Symposia, First Generation Symposia, Native College Day and/or Nebraska Achievement Banquet. These scholars will also participate in a leadership curriculum led by Amy Goodburn, associate vice chancellor for academic affairs and interim dean of enrollment management. Nebraska Legends Scholars are high-achieving students who receive a one-year, $1,000 award. Pepsi Scholars are those who have a demonstrated passion for leadership and involvement in activities during high school. They receive a one-year, $1,000 scholarship. In addition to those listed, colleges and departments at the university also offer various scholarships to freshmen. Students offered scholarships have until May 1 to secure their scholarship with the Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid by notifying the Office of Admissions of their intent to enroll through submission of the enrollment deposit. Students or families who have questions about financial aid, scholarships, grants or any other aspect of paying for college, can contact the universitys first-year financial aid advisers via email at firstyearaid@unl.edu or call (402) 472-2030 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. The following students from the York area were awarded scholarships: Jamie Bish of Aurora, Regents, tuition; Alyssa Caretti of Aurora, Canfield, $1,000, Chancellors Leadership, $1,000; Anna Helzer of Aurora, Chancellors, tuition plus $2,000, University Honors, $500; Todd Honas of Aurora, David, $3,500, University Honors, $500; Amy Morris of Aurora, Regents, tuition, University Honors, $500; Paige Wergin of Aurora, Regents, tuition, University Honors, $500; Brady Fehlhafer of Centennial, Canfield, $1,000; Caleb Utter of Centennial, Regents, tuition; Hannah Miller of Cross County, Canfield, $1,000; Clay Yungdahl of Cross County, Regents, tuition, University Honors, $500; Jacob Nutter of Fillmore Central, David, $3,500; Nathan Rasmussen of Fillmore Central, Regents, tuition; University Honors, $500; Sophie Niemeier of Friend, David, $3,500;Haley Huebert of Heartland, Canfield, $1,000, University Honors, $500; Joshua DeMers of High Plains, Canfield, $1,000, University Honors, $500; Matthew Pekarek of High Plains, Regents, tuition; University Honors, $500; Hunter Sharman of High Plains, Canfield, $1,000; Chancellors Leadership, $1,000; Benjamin Helwig of Nebraska Lutheran, University Honors, $500; Cy Cannon of Osceola, Regents, tuition; Christian Schleif of Osceola, Regents, tuition, University Honors, $500; Delainy Baker of Seward, Canfield, $1,000, Pepsi, $1,000, University Honors, $500; Joshua Behlen of Seward, David, $3,500, University Honors, $500; Grant Biggs of Seward, David, $3,500, Pepsi, $1,000, University Honors, $500; Kayla Gadeken of Seward, Nebraska Emerging Leader, $2,000; Benjamin Galusha of Seward, Regents, tuition, University Honors, $500; Cohl Gottschalk of Seward, David, $3,500; Megan Runyan of Seward, Regents, tuition, University Honors, $500; Joanna Sierra of Seward, Nebraska Emerging Leader, $2,000; Erin Simmerman of Seward, Canfield, $1,000; Scott Wolverton of Seward, Canfield, $1,000; Jarod Nekl of Shelby-Rising City, Canfield, $1,000; Jared Fletcher of York, Regents, tuition; Tonya Grotz of York, Canfield, $1,000; Eva Hansen of York, Canfield, $1,000; Mary Heng of York, Canfield, $1,000; Lauren Horras of York, Canfield, $1,000; Riley Osentowski of York, Canfield, $1,000; Hayley Peterson of York, Nebraska Achievement, tuition; Allison Riley of York, David, $3,500; Camryn Wiens of York, Canfield, $1,000. Here's why Tsai must endorse 1992 Consensus Updated: 2016-05-04 08:23 By DENNI S V. HICKEY(China Daily) Democratic progessive party leader Tsai Ing-wen attends to the talent competition of children with mental disabilities in Taiwan. [Photo/IC] Following Ma Ying-jeou's election in 2008, Taiwan endorsed the 1992 Consensus. Under this arrangement, both Taiwan and the Chinese mainland accept the principle of "one China", but each side holds its own interpretation of what that means. By doing so, Ma enabled cross-Straits relations to move forward. Negotiations between Taiwan's Straits Exchange Foundation and the mainland's Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits re-opened for the first time in more than a decade. By 2016, senior cross-Straits officials from the two sides had met seven times and a total of 23 cross-Straits agreements had been signed. The number of direct cross-Straits flights soared from zero to 120 per day. Millions of mainland tourists visited Taiwan. And the mainland is now the island's largest trading partner. International observers praised the progress in cross-Straits relations. Support for the rapprochement was even enshrined in the 2010 National Security Strategy of the United States. Even US President Barack Obama declared:"I am very pleased with the reduction of tensions and the improvement in cross-Straits relations." Ma's solid achievements in cross-Straits relations represented a conundrum for Tsai Ing-wen's election campaign because her Democratic Progressive Party still supports "Taiwan's independence". An endorsement of the 1992 Consensus might have alienated key DPP constituencies. But an open abandonment of the 1992 Consensus would have provoked the mainland, frightened Taiwan compatriots and alarmed the global community. In order to cope with the challenge, Tsai opted to sidestep the issue by claiming to support the status quo and handle relations with the mainland in accordance with "the will of the Taiwan people" and "Taiwan constitution". Throughout her campaign, she refused to elaborate on her vague approach to cross-Straits relations. The election campaign is now over and Tsai will assume the island's leadership on May 20. She could use the opportunity to explicitly endorse the 1992 Consensus. And she has five reasons to do so. First, Tsai was careful not to reject the 1992 Consensus during her campaign. Rather, she described it as an "option". On May 20, Tsai will possess the power to choose or reject an option. Hopefully, she will choose wisely. This has been a long time in the making, but in our continuing pursuit to bring only the best of firearms, 2nd Amendment and defence related news to our readers, we are very excited to announce the next step in our evolution as a company. As of 2020, Minuteman Review is now the proud owner and operator of Your Defence News, a website with a long history of breaking huge news stories and investigative journalism. We hope you are equally as excited as us. This means that now the teams of Minuteman can combine with the firepower of Your Defence News to stay at the absolute forefront for our readers. Keep an eye. Big things are coming soon. We couldn't be more excited. In the meanwhile, here are some of our most popular posts and categories to keep you busy. Happy shootin' my friends! Buying Guides: Firearms Firearm Accessories Ammunition Gun Safes Scopes & Optics Hunting Air Rifles Best AR-15 Best AR 15 Scope Best Hunting Rifle Best Gun Safe Best AK 47 Best AR 10 Best Glock Triggers Best Glock Best Home Defense Shotgun Europe's energetic bottom-up response to Belt and Road Updated: 2016-05-04 08:23 By FU JING(China Daily) Chinese President Xi Jinping (center) visits Port of Duisburg of Germany March 29, 2014. [Photo/Xinhua] In recent weeks, China's Belt and Road Initiative, the Silk Road Economic Belt and 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, has got several bottom-up but energetic responses from Europe. Among them was the formation of the Europe and China tourism and cultural development committee a few days ago in Brussels. The committee is the brainchild of Benard Dewit, chairman of the Belgian-Chinese Chamber of Commerce and other key European brains. The rational behind the formation of the committee is to better serve Chinese tourists whose steadily rising numbers have become a key driver of Europe's tourism sector and and its infrastructure development. Before the committee was formed, China EU, a Brussels-based non-profit organization, whose aim is to promote EU-China exchanges in the internet and telecommunications sectors, had organized a panel discussion in London on how to insert digital content into the Belt and Road Initiative and develop a "Digital Silk Road". In March, France-based Neoma Business School had organized a forum in Paris to discuss how to make the best use of Europe's green technology and knowhow and China's capital and manufacturing capacities, in order to ensure the Belt and Road Initiative adopts a greener and sustainable approach. And before the Paris forum, Jan Kohout, an adviser to Czech President Milos Zeman on Chinese affairs, set up the first think tank in Europe that would focus on Belt and Road Initiative research. These four developments in Europe come nearly three years after President Xi Jinping announced the initiative in 2013 to better connect Asia, Europe and Africa. Since then, up to 20 governments in Europe have echoed China's proposals and even the European Union, as a whole, is working with China to launch joint funds to help synergize the Belt and Road Initiative and European investment schemes. US does not owe Japan apology for nuclear bombing: White House Updated: 2016-05-03 17:02 (Xinhua) WASHINGTON - US President Barack Obama does not believe that his country owes Japan a formal apology for the 1945 nuclear bombing of the Japanese city of Hiroshima, White House spokesman Josh Earnest said Monday. "No, he does not," said Earnest at a press conference when asked whether Obama thinks Japan deserves an apology for the bombing in 1945. Earnest also said that Obama is yet to decide whether to officially visit Hiroshima when he is in Japan in late May for a Group of Seven (G7) summit. In April, US Secretary of State John Kerry visited the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park, along with other G7 foreign ministers. Kerry was the first US secretary of state to visit the A-bombed city, and Tokyo is hoping Kerry's visit could spur a visit by Obama. A US bomber dropped a nuclear bomb on Hiroshima on Aug. 6, 1945, and another nuclear bomb was dropped on the Japanese city of Nagasaki three days later, killing tens of thousands of people. The bombings, which remain the only use of nuclear weapons for warfare in history, were thought to be instrumental in forcing the Japanese surrender in World War II. Japan has been ceaselessly emphasizing its identity as the world's sole victim of nuclear bombs, but has yet to thoroughly reflect on the root cause of the tragedy -- its militaristic aggression and brutal violence against other countries. China, Russia to hold first computer-assisted anti-missile drill Updated: 2016-05-04 11:05 By ZHANG YUNBI(chinadaily.com.cn) China and Russia will hold their first joint computer-assisted anti-missile drill, the Ministry of National Defense announced on Tuesday. According to a release by the ministry website, the drill will be held later this month at an air-space defense force science research center of the Russian Defense Ministry. The goal of the drill is to "address urgent and provocative strikes by ballistic and cruise missiles against the territory of the two countries", the Chinese ministry said. The drill "does not target any third party", it added. Tuesdays, 2-5 p.m. and Thursdays, 1-4 p.m. Continues through Dec. 22 Michael Victor II Art Library 1 NW Old State Capitol Plaza, Springfield Downtown Free and open to the public Books & Authors The new downtown location of the Michael Victor II Art Library is ready for patrons to explore, relax and check out books. Our specialized library collection features over 3,000 books about art and film, most of which are not available at other central Illinois libraries. The library is located on the second floor of the Broadwell Pharmacy Building on the corner of Washington and Fifth streets. Check out the online catalog and call the office for curbside book checkouts! 2175232631 Description A screening and fundraising event for Hope Childrens Home in Kenya THE FIRST GRADER Special Guest LARRY HOHLER, founder of Hope Childrens Home Wednesday, May 4th at 7 pm $10 Members | $15 Public Includes Discussion & Reception Handmade crafts from Kenya will be available for purchase The true story of an 84 year-old Kenyan villager and ex Mau Mau freedom fighter who fights for his right to go to school for the first time to get the education he could never afford. In a small, remote mountain top primary school in the Kenyan bush, hundreds of children are jostling for a chance for the free education newly promised by the Kenyan government. One new applicant causes astonishment when he knocks on the door of the school. Maruge (Oliver Litondo) is an old Mau Mau veteran in his eighties, who is desperate to learn to read at this late stage of his life. He fought for the liberation of his country and now feels he must have the chance of an education so long denied - even if it means sitting in a classroom alongside six-year-olds. Directed by Justin Chadwick (Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom) from a script by Emmy-winner Ann Peacock (The Chronicles of Narnia), The First Grader is a heartwarming and inspiring true story of one mans fight for what he believes is his right in order to overcome the burdens of his past. It is a triumphant testimony to the transforming force of education. (KENYA/UK/USA, 2010, 103 min., PG-13, DCP | Dir. Justin Chadwick) Changes to company tax rates for small businesses will provide a boost for the residential construction sector, while the retention of existing negative gearing arrangements and alterations to allowable superannuation contributions and their taxation arrangements could result in property becoming a more attractive investment class. While much of the discussion in the lead up to the announcement centred on investors leaving property if negative gearing was touched, it appears the opposite could occur after the Government clamped down on superannuation arrangements. Treasurer Scott Morrison announced that the amount of post-tax earnings that can be placed into superannuation accounts will be capped at $500,000, while capital above $1.6m in super accounts will face a 15% pension tax. Speaking at a NAB post-budget breakfast, economic commentator Robert Gottliebsen said those changes mean alternative saving strategies, such as negatively geared properties, are likely to become more popular. If you havent got the money in superannuation [already], then youre not going to get it in, Gottliebsen said. Youre going to have to adopt a different savings strategy, he said. Alice Kase, partner at PricewaterhouseCoopers, agreed with Gottliebsen and said the governemnt was sending a clear message with their announcements on super. What the government is really telling us is that theyre reinforcing the message that super is not an estate planning tool and its no longer a wealth accumulation tool, Kase said at the NAB breakfast. The big change is the $500,000 lifetime limit I think well see a redirection of savings mechanisms through the use of trusts and negative gearing, she said. Graham Wolfe, Housing Industry Association (HIA) chief executive for industry policy, said the budget means the residential construction industry will continue to play an economic role. The Budget will help maintain the residential building industrys capacity to make a significant contribution to employment and economic activity, Wolfe said. The reduction in the company tax rate, its immediate extension to businesses with turnovers up to $10 million and the continuation of the $20,000 asset write-off program will also help the small businesses that dominate the residential construction industry, to grow their employment and investment, he said. Wolfe also praised the government for their focus on infrastructure, believing it will lead to improved delivery and a have a positive effect on housing affordability. The Budget measures to support new approaches to funding the essential infrastructure that our cities need to grow have the potential to unlock fresh opportunities for home buyers and improve housing affordability, he said. Real Estate Institute of Australia president Neville Sanders said the governments decision to leave negative gearing alone will go a long way to help Australia meet housing supply needs. The boost to infrastructure spending, the extension of small business concessions, modest tax cuts and the retention of the current arrangements for taxation of property investments will help ensure that the property sector remains an important driver of economic growth, Sanders said. We are pleased that the Treasurer in his Budget Speech reiterated that the Government will not remove or limit negative gearing or change the capital gains tax as this would increase the tax burden on Australians trying to provide a future for their families, he said. This recognises that the current arrangements increase the supply of housing for our growing population, keep rents affordable and eases the burden on social housing. As a homeowner, you probably already know that you should be working to maintain your home. But, chances are, you Read More Our directory features more than 18 million business listings from across the entire US. However, if we're missing your business, add your business by clicking on Add Your Business. Cum va puteti da seama ca o cafea s-a stricat inainte de a o prepara La fel ca majoritatea produselor de baza din bucataria dumneavoastra, nu ar trebui sa fie o surpriza faptul ca si acea punga de cafea boabe are o data de expirare, care de obicei este indicata clar pe ambalaj. Dar, ar putea cafeaua dvs. preferata sa se strice [citeste mai departe] Additional resources Americas top business leaders are confident in their ability to outperform the competition. However, they are not acting with confidence when it comes to making business decisions or addressing specific obstacles, according to Deloittes inaugural Business Confidence Report. Todays CIOs across industries, geographies, and company sizes have the opportunity to shape tomorrow for every corner of their organization by transforming business as usual imagining the future, while responsibly getting there from the realities of today. More than 7,000 HR and business leaders from 130 countries responded to this years survey. From this research emerged 10 trends in organization design and culture; in learning, leadership, and workforce management; and within the HR function itself. Two-thirds of Millennials express a desire to leave their organizations by 2020. Businesses must adjust how they nurture loyalty among Millennials or risk losing a large percentage of their workforces. Discover findings from the 2016 digital business global executive study and research report. Back to top New Delhi: The Delhi Police on Wednesday foiled a possible terror plot and detained at least 12 members of terrorist outfit Jaish-e- Mohammed (JeM) following multiple raids at several places in Delhi and adjoining areas. According to initial reports, the raids were conducted after the Special Cell of Delhi Police received credible intelligence information on a possible terror plot. Around 12 teams of Delhi Police were involved in the massive raids at various places which began this morning. The Special Cell of Delhi Police, which detained at least 12 people over their suspected links with terror outfit JeM, also seized a huge cache of explosives, IEDs and bomb making materials from them. It is believed that these JeM operatives were on a mission to carry out massive terror strikes targeting key installations in the national capital. Those detained are being probed for more leads at the moment, sources said. The security of all key installations and government buildings has been beefed up after the arrest of 12 JeM militants. Four out of those arrested are also said to be linked with Deoband Islamic seminary in Uttar Pradesh. New Delhi: JNU Students Union (JNUSU) president Kanhaiya Kumar, who is on an indefinite hunger strike, on Wednesday rejected the university Vice Chancellor's appeal to call off his agitation and come for discussions. Refusing to back out, Kumar said the protest against the punishment handed out to him and 19 other students by a high-level committee that probed the 9 February event on the campus will continue. Through a series of tweets, the JNUSU president questioned on what ground the JNU vice chancellor has declared their hunger strike ''unlawful'' JNU VC says "hunger strike unlawful" Were Gandhi and Bhagat Singh unlawful too? #JNUonHungerStrike #StandWithJnu pic.twitter.com/7pa5Llx4Iu Kanhaiya Kumar (@kanhaiyajnusu) May 4, 2016 He also compared himself with the likes of Bhagat Singh and Mahatma Gandhi in another tweet. The reactions from JNUSU leader came shortly after JNU Vice Chancellor M Jagdeesh Kumar appealed to the agitating students to end their hunger strike and asked them to approach the administration to discuss their demands. Expressing concern over the worsening health of the students, Kumar, through a notice, said, ''Hunger strike is an unlawful activity and a harmful method of protest that adversely affects the health and career of the students." "The administration urges the students to use constitutional means to put forth their demands, if any," the notice said. JNU Students Union (JNUSU) president Kanhaiya Kumar and 19 other students went on an indefinite hunger strike since April 28 to protest against the punishment handed out to them by a high-level committee that probed the 9 February event on the campus. Anti-national slogans were raised at an event held on the JNU campus on 9 February to commemorate executed parliament attack convict Afzal Guru, following which Kumar, Umar Khalid and Anirban Bhattacharya were arrested on sedition charges. The committee report, which was released on 25 April, fined Kumar Rs.10,000 and rusticated Khalid and Bhattacharya for one semester each. Another research scholar, Mujeeb Gatto, was rusticated for two semesters. Khalid was also asked to pay Rs.20,000 as fine by 13 May. Chandigarh: In the latest development in alleged Murthal gang-rape incident during Jat quota agitation, Haryana Police on Wednesday submitted sealed status report in Punjab and Haryana High Court. Meanwhile, amicus Anupam Gupta has questioned SIT for not investigating the matter. Owner of Sukhdev Dhaba and people living nearby were not asked during probe, he told ANI. the Haryana government on Monday admitted to the Punjab and Haryana High Court that there could be a possibility that rapes could have happened then. The Haryana government in April admitted to the Punjab and Haryana High Court that there could be a possibility that rapes could have happened then. The admission by the Haryana government came up during hearing of a case by the high court in Chandigarh. Submitting a report by way of an affidavit filed by Inspector General of Police, South Range-cum-incharge, Special Investigation Team (SIT), Mamta Singh, the state police has include section 376-D (rape) of the Indian Penal Code to the FIR No. 118 registered on 30 March this year regarding the incidents at along National Highway No. 1 (NH-1) near Murthal in Haryana's Sonipat district. (With PTI inputs) Washington: About 500 million people in the Americas are at risk of being infected by the Zika virus, which can cause birth defects such as microcephaly, a senior official from the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO) said. "It's important to note that all countries which have reported, detected Dengue and Chikungunya virus outbreaks during the last years, that's 15 years, are considered at risk for having outbreaks of Zika," Sylvain Aldighieri, Zika incident manager for PAHO, said on Tuesday. "We are expecting outbreaks of Zika from Middle America to Latin America to the north of Argentina and in the Caribbean. So it's a very large portion of territory of the region." Aldighieri said so far the number of countries and territories in the Americas reporting Zika virus transmission has increased to 37, of which five countries including Brazil have reported microcephaly. Anthony Fauci, director of the US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said his agency was working to begin a clinical trial for a Zika vaccine in September. "We will probably know if it's safe by the beginning of 2017," said Fauci. "And if it is, we'll engage in a very large efficacy study likely in South America or in the Caribbean and that should take anywhere from one to three years to prove that it works or does not work." Zika is transmitted primarily through the bite of an infected Aedes species mosquito, which also spreads chikungunya and dengue. Symptoms include fever, rash, joint pain and red eyes, but severe disease requiring hospitalisation is uncommon and case fatality is low. There is no vaccine or medicine available for the virus. New Delhi: Indian government has sought a thorough investigation in the deaths of the 13 Indians who have died in Pakistani jails since 2013. Kirpal Singhs death at Pakistan's Kot Lakhpat jail led to a storm prompting Indian government to seek a thorough investigation into the matter. Minister of state for external affairs VK Singh said in Lok Sabha that it is the responsibility of Pakistan government to ensure the safety, security and well-being of all Indian prisoners lodged in their jails. As per the information available in our missions/posts abroad, 49 Indians died in prisons in various countries during the last three years and the current year. This includes 13 Indians who died in Pakistani jails during this period, Singh was quoted as saying by PTI. "The government has taken up the matter of Kirpal Singhs death with the Pakistan foreign ministry and has requested that a thorough investigation be undertaken to ascertain the cause for his death and that the probe report be shared with Indian authorities," he added. (With PTI inputs) New Delhi: Those whose names have been included in the Italian court judgement in the AgustaWestland chopper bribery case will be probed in India, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar told the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday during a debate on the matter. "There is an agreement that corrupt practices were involved in procurement of AgustaWestland helicopters. The previous government recognised these and put on hold the group in 2014, and the present government passed the order," Parrikar said, replying to a short duration discussion on the issue. Parrikar said the focus was on "corrupt practices" and the same will be "unmasked" through investigation. "Given the above background, these inquiries will necessarily focus on the role of those named in the judgement of the Italian court. It is also important for ensuring a comprehensive investigation," Parrikar said. "The Ministry of Defence has written to both ED and CBI to take into account the contents of the judgement and conclude the investigation expeditiously," he said. The judgement names Congress president Sonia Gandhi, her political secretary Ahmed Patel, former IAF chief SP Tyagi and others. Parrikar stressed during his reply that the fact that AgustaWestland was "favoured" at every stage of the deal was "most obvious". The Congress has, however, stressed that the judgement does not indict anyone. A dissatisfied Congress also staged a walkout from the House after Parrikar's reply, and Leader of Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad said he was "disappointed" over the response. Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi, participating in the debate, said the mention of Sonia Gandhi, and others including Pranab Mukherjee and Ahmad Patel, in the judgement from the Milan court did not indict them, and only mentioned them as VVIPs who would use the choppers. "By this logic all of the former including present president should be indicted... Mrs Gandhi was mentioned as someone flying on the chopper," he said. Former defence minister AK Antony, meanwhile, told the government not to "threaten and blackmail" but to take action against the bribe takers. "It is true... beyond doubt there is corruption in this deal... All legal hurdles are over, you have to act now," Antony said. "Now corruption has been proved, we can win the arbitration case... get thousands of crores of rupees as compensation," Antony added. The discussion that lasted around four hours, also saw opposition members demand for a Supreme Court monitoring to the inquiry. Several members also questioned why the issue was being debated in the Rajya Sabha when there was no conclusive evidence, and the country is facing severe problems like drought. BJP member Subramanian Swamy, who was named by Antony as trying to threaten the Congress, meanwhile said the CBI can, as per the law, question the person mentioned as the "driving force" behind the AgustaWestland deal, indicating at Gandhi. "The CBI has the right under Section 156 of CrPC to question the person who is mentioned in the Italian court judgement as the 'driving force' behind the AgustaWestland chopper deal," Swamy said in the Rajya Sabha. The multi-crore-rupee scam resurfaced last month after the names of some Congress leaders, including of party chief Sonia Gandhi, were said to have figured in a judgement by an Italian court. AgustaWestland was alleged to have paid Rs 375 crore as bribe to secure the Rs 3,700-crore contract to supply 12 VVIP choppers to the Indian Air Force. The contract for purchase of helicopters for the use of VVIPs was signed in 2010. The previous UPA government scrapped the deal over charges of kickbacks. (With IANS inputs) New Delhi: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Wednesday questioned former IAF chief SP Tyagi for the third day and examined lawyer Gautam Khaitan for the first time over alleged corruption in the Rs 3,600-crore AgustaWestland VVIP chopper deal. CBI sources said both arrived at the agency headquarters this morning to appear before the investigation team. While Tyagi is being questioned for the third consecutive day today, Khaitan is appearing for the first time after Milan Court of Appeals order in Italy which claimed bribes were paid to get the lucrative deal. Khaitan, who is an advocate and a former Board member of company Aeromatrix which was allegedly used to route bribe amount, is named in the CBI FIR an one of the accused. The focus of the questioning is his alleged links with Italian middlemen -- Carlo Gerosa and Guido Haschkhe, CBI sources said. Tyagi, who retired in 2007, was questioned on Monday for 10 hours and for nine hours on Tuesday by the CBI. The investigating agency had issued him summons on Friday. Tyagi has been named in the FIR in the chopper deal along with 13 others including his brothers -- Sanjeev, Rajeev and Sandeep -- and European middlemen Guido Haschke and Carlo Gerosa. The CBI had on Tuesday quizzed Tyagi on the four firms he and his wife set up after he retired. Tyagi told the CBI that he and his wife Vandana had established four companies -- Vanshi, Anurash, Shavan and Meghanshu -- in 2011 and 2012, informed sources said. All the companies, reportedly based in Noida, are reportedly classified as non-government companies and registered with the Registrar of Companies in Delhi and Noida, a source with knowledge of the interrogation said. The allegation against the former IAF chief is that he had reduced flying ceiling of the helicopter from 6,000 metres to 4,500 metres (15,000 feet) so that AgustaWestland was included in the bids. Tyagi maintains the decision was reportedly taken in consultation with officials of the Special Protection Group (SPG) and the Prime Minister's Office. Twelve helicopters were to be bought by India. The CBI says the reduction of the service ceiling, which is the maximum height at which a helicopter can perform normally, allowed the Britain-based firm to get into the fray. Otherwise its helicopters were not even qualified for submission of bids. The chopper deal resurfaced after an Italian court last month referred to Congress president Sonia Gandhi and former prime minister Manmohan Singh among others in connection with the chopper deal but gave no details of any wrongdoing by the two leaders. The CBI, which has received a copy of the Milan court order, has now prepared a fresh set of questions for Tyagi, who has denied the bribery allegations. The Milan court has also given details of how alleged bribes were paid by AgustaWestland's parent company Finmeccanica as well as AgustaWestland to Indian officials through middlemen to clinch the deal. The order mentions Tyagi's name in several places. The investigating agency had quizzed former IAF deputy chief JS Gujral on Saturday. Both Tyagi and Gujral were questioned in 2013 but the fresh round of questioning was necessitated after the recent order of the Italian court. AgustaWestland's Rs 3,600 crore contract for supplying 12 VVIP choppers to the Indian Air Force was scrapped by the then UPA government over charges of paying kickbacks to Indian agents. In January 2013, India cancelled the deal and the CBI was assigned to investigate the matter. The CBI on March 13, 2013 registered a first information report against Tyagi and others in the case. Firms Finmeccanica, AgustaWestland, IDS Infotech Ltd (India) and Aeromatrix India were also booked as accused in the case. Delhi: On a day when the controversial chopper deal triggered a stormy debate and trading of charges in the Rajya Sabha, Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Wednesday rubbished Congress' claim of having blacklisted AgustaWestland. Jaitley said that he had as defence minister in June 2014 put the transaction to buy 12 helicopters from the Italian firm on hold and in July barred any future contract with it. The NDA government, he said, has no political motive except to identify the beneficiaries of the kickbacks received in award of the helicopter contract. "Today we are at a stage that we have reason to suspect that bribes have been taken. And therefore that is a launching pad for a proper investigation.... Today it is only reason to suspect that somebody has taken bribe," Jaitley said in Frankfurt. Maintaining that the government has no political intention in pursuing the case except that the beneficiaries should be identified, he said "The identity of the beneficiaries cannot be camouflaged behind a political controversy", as per PTI. Attacking Congress, Jaitley said they "invented" an argument that UPA had blacklisted Agusta and NDA had removed it from the black list. "The UPA never blacklisted Agusta. On June 9, 2014 I had put the whole transaction on hold and then a formal order was issued on July 3 after taking Attorney General's advice that no new contracts will be entered into till the matter is investigated," he said. Jaitley had held additional charge of Ministry of Defence from May 2014 till early November 2014. He said the July 3 order of the Defence Ministry still holds. Meanwhile, the Bharatiya Janata Party today accused the previous UPA government of "twisting norms" in the process of procuring VVIP choppers from AgustaWestland. The Opposition Congress hit back, stating that the process for buying VVIP choppers started during the tenure of the Atal Bihari Vajpayee-led government, and that the norms were changed by the then BJP-led government. It also said that the mention of Congress president Sonia Gandhi in the Italian court judgment does not prove any involvement in the deal, as per IANS. Newly-nominated BJP leader Subramanian Swamy, who was fielded by the ruling side in Rajya Sabha, demanded recording of statement from former PM Manmohan Singh along with others named in the judgement of an Italian court recently. The five-hour debate ended with a walkout by Congress after its demand for SC-monitored probe was rejected by the government. Leader of Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad described as an "insult" the Defence Minister reading out a prepared statement in his reply and said it contained only allegations. As Congress members raised objections to Parrikar reading out his reply from a prepared text, Deputy Chairman PJ Kurien ruled that a minister has all the right to read from a prepared speech. The Congress fielded the then Defence Minister AK Antony, Sonia's political secretary Ahmed Patel along with Abhishek Manu Singhvi to defend the actions of the previous UPA government, insisting that there was no wrongdoing. All of them pressed for a thorough and urgent probe into the matter to clear the air, with Leader of Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad wanting the investigation to be monitored by the Supreme Court and completed in three months. The government, however, rejected the demand. (With Agency inputs) New Delhi: On a day that the BJP and Congress traded charges in Parliament regarding the controversial AgustaWestland deal, the Italian judge who delivered the verdict in the VVIP chopper said there was no 'direct evidence' linking any Indian politician with alleged kickbacks. There is a "possibility or probability but there is no direct evidence," Judge Marco Maria Maiga, who delivered the verdict against Italian middlemen and senior officials of the chopper company, told TV channels, as per reports. Maiga, a judge of a Milan court, said this when he was asked whether he believed that bribes were offered to Indian politicians by Italian middlemen. He maintained that his verdict was only against senior officials of the chopper company and middlemen who had paid bribes to some officials in India and that it was up to Indian investigators to follow the money trail. "Identifying the (Indian)individuals was not in for judgement for Italian courts. Well, we have to clarify that the object of our judgement was on two Italian businessmen and their indictment," he said, as per PTI. He said his order was based on documents which probably showed that the family of former IAF chief SP Tyagi received the money till April 2012. The judge said the bribes could have gone to others who were instrumental in bringing in the AgustaWestland helicopters to India but "we have no evidence." Guido Haschke, Carlo Gerosa and Christan Michel, who have been sentenced by the court, have alleged in the court that the money was paid to "family Tyagi along with Shashi Tyagi." Tyagi has denied any involvement in alleged payoffs. Asked about the cooperation received from the Indian government as he had mentioned "substantial disinterest on clarification of facts in the case" on behalf of Indian side, the judge said "all we had was a copy of the CAG, request for proposal, agreement copy and nothing more than that." "We can take note of what is sent to us," he said. On an unsigned note cited by the prosecutor in the judgment in which some names like 'AP' were mentioned, the jduge said one accused said he did not remember whereas another accused alleged it was Ahmed Patel, a political aide of Congress President Sonia Gandhi. Patel today denied any involvement in the deal and said he will quit public life and resign from Rajya Sabha if any allegation against him is proved. BJP, Congress trade charges in Parliament Meanwhile, the chopper deal today triggered a stormy debate and trading of charges in the Rajya Sabha with the entire Opposition pressing for a Supreme Court-monitored probe while Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar spoke of an "invisible hand" in preventing an investigation in UPA tenure. Newly-nominated BJP leader Subramanian Swamy, who was fielded by the ruling side, demanded recording of statement from former PM Manmohan Singh along with others named in the judgement of the Italian court. The ruling and the Opposition benches clashed repeatedly as the House took up a short-duration discussion on the raging row over the Rs 3600 crore deal. The five-hour debate ended with a walkout by Congress after its demand for SC-monitored probe was rejected by the government. Leader of Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad described as an "insult" the Defence Minister reading out a prepared statement in his reply and said it contained only allegations. As Congress members raised objections to Parrikar reading out his reply from a prepared text, Deputy Chairman PJ Kurien ruled that a minister has all the right to read from a prepared speech. Swamy, who has already tilted at the windmills last week seeking to drag Sonia Gandhi into the row, refrained from naming her but made suggestive remarks on Congress leadership, repeatedly drawing protests from the Opposition side. The Congress fielded the then Defence Minister AK Antony, Sonia's political secretary Ahmed Patel along with Abhishek Manu Singhvi to defend the actions of the previous UPA government, insisting that there was no wrongdoing. All of them pressed for a thorough and urgent probe into the matter to clear the air, with Leader of Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad wanting the investigation to be monitored by the Supreme Court and completed in three months. The government, however, rejected the demand. (With Agency inputs) New Delhi: The Exercise Red Flag 'battle' has begun in the Joint Pacific Range Complex over Alaska. Some of Indian Air Force's best fighter pilots are squaring off with pilots from the US Air Force and other top guns from Japan, South Korea and Germany to test their capabilities in a dynamic warfare environment. Led by Group Captain H Assudani, the IAF contingent comprises of SU-30 MKI, Jaguar,C-17 and IL-78 Flight Refueling Aircraft. The over 150 strong Indian contingent and their machines are stationed at the Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska. While the 'Work Up' phase of the exercise - termed Distant Frontier- was held in last month, the main simulated war games exercise began yesterday. During 'Distant Frontier' phase, the team adopted a philosophy of Crawl, Walk & Run signifying a progressive build up in the effort, pace and complexities of training sorties that were flown through the 'Work Up' phase. The training included understanding the local flying environment, NATO brevity codes and radio terminologies. Now in the main exercise phase, IAF fighters will operate in the airspace along with the some of the best fighter planes of the USAF like F-22 , F-16 , F-15 and F-18. And, our men appear to have already impressed hosts with UAF F-16 aggressor squadron appreciating the performance of the Indian Air Force crew in the multiples missions conducted so far. This is IAF's second outing at the Red Flag exercise. IN 2008, IAF Sukhois had participated in the exercise at NEllis Air Base but given the high cost Rs 100 crores the government decided to send the IAF team once in five years. The 2013 edition was cancelled by the USAF due to budget constraints, leading to their return this year. New Delhi: The bodies of four terrorists, who were gunned down during the Pathankot terror attack in January this year, were buried on Wednesday. The burial took place four months after the terror attack on Pathankot airbase. Today, Punjab police buried the bodies at 2 am on May 4 at a Muslim burial ground. According to CNN News18, top government sources said that Pakistan did not claim the bodies despite filing an FIR in its own country. According to another report, the Pakistani Joint Investigation Team, that visited the country in March to carry out the probe in the Pathankot terror attack, also did not bother to see the bodies during the visit. Seven security personnel and three infiltrators were killed in the terror attack on Pathankot airbase carried out by JeM on January 2. Panaji: Goa police today registered an FIR against expelled Congress legislator Atanasio Monserrate for allegedly raping a minor girl in March, which he said was a "conspiracy" against him. "A case of rape has been registered against Monserratte. Further investigations are going on," said Karthik Kashyap, Superintendent of Police (crime branch). However, he refused to divulge more details, saying investigations are still going on. "The incident happened in March and after that the girl went missing. She was found by police recently and lodged in protective home where she disclosed about the incident," a senior police officer said on the condition of anonymity. The FIR was lodged by the girl in Panaji police station. Monserrate, who represents St Cruz constituency, was expelled from Congress recently for anti-party activities. His wife Jeniffer represents Taleigao constituency. When contacted, Monserrate said, "I will not run away from the investigations. Currently, I am out of station and will be arriving tomorrow morning. After that I will depose before investigating agencies. The girl was working in my showroom and I had removed her for misappropriation of funds. This is a conspiracy against me". Delhi: India is all set to tighten the grip around underworld don Dawood Ibrahim. As per a report in Aaj Tak, the Enforcement Directorate has made legal appeals to six countries to seize properties that the mafia don owns there. India has supposedly sent Letters Rogatories to United Kingdom, Australia, UAE, Turkey, Cyprus and Morocco. The LRs is said to have details like sale deed and agreement papers of the mafia don's properties. Evidences of money laundering have also been provided. The underworld don will not be able to use any of these assets if they are seized. The media house said that due to matters of secrecy, the ED has not given them documents but the news they claim is authentic. Not only this, India has reportedly told Britain that Dawood wants to make UK the den of underworld activities much like he did in Dubai and few African countries. Dawood is said to be the mastermind of 1993 Mumbai serial blasts and is suspected to be living in Karachi. However, despite India giving many dossier to Pakistan on the mafia don, it has been maintaining that Dawood is not in their country. There is also an Interpol red corner notice against the underworld kingpin for his role in the 1993 blasts. In 2003, US designated him as a global terrorist with links to terror groups. New Delhi: The Rajya Sabha on Wednesday witnessed ruckus during debate over the AgustaWestland deal, where an Italian court has named some senior politicians, bureaucrats and Indian Air Force officials. MP Subramanian Swamy , who was leading BJP's attack against Congress, raised several serious allegations against the former UPA government. Top 10 highlights of Subramanian Swamy's speech: 1. True that NDA had initiated process for buying 8 new choppers to replace 6 old choppers which were purchased in 1998 2. The objective was that VVIPs should be able to fly to remote areas such as Siachen and north-east and therefore ought to fly at heights above 6000 metres and should be out range of shoulder rockets. 3. Cabin height was deliberately made 1.80 meters so that only AgustaWestland can remain in the race to win contract. It's a clear case of corruption and action should be initiated. People who lowered height was not NDA. That was lowered because it was found that present choice that weve made of AgustaWestland cannot fly beyond 4500 metres. 4. Original proposal was to buy 8 helicopters, after it became clear that AgustaWestland was only 1 to qualify, they decided to buy 4 more. 5. AgustaWestland was blacklisted by NDA government, not by UPA. Ghulam Nabi Azad made a wrong statement in the Parliament. 6. They didn't use AW101 aircraft (which was to be bought) for field trials but used some other helicopter, which is fraud in its itself. 7. It's clear that there was corruption in the deal. It is clear that bribe was taken. It cannot be that only one person in the Air Force was involved. The Italian court judgement said servicemen, workers, politicians were involved too. 8. Manmohan Singh should answer why the Italian court was denied document for investigation into the AgustWestland deal. 9. Person, who has been described as the 'driving force' behind the AgustaWestland scam, should also be probed. The Italian Court's judgement also names a person AP, secretary of a political party. If I name the person whose political advisor is AP, then you (Speaker) will expunge it from the records. 10. What is the connection of Christian Michel, the alleged middleman in AgustaWestland deal, with the political party. Bikaner: A man was allegedly killed by his son-in-law near Lalgarh railway station today, police said. The victim, Bhanwar Lal, constable of Rajasthan Armed Constabulary, was returning home on a motorcycle when the accused Premprakash Vishnoi shot at him, they said, adding that the accused has been arrested. Lal died on the spot, police said. Vishnoi was married to Radha, the victim's daughter but the couple always engaged in fights. Lal had recently married his daughter to another man in Jodhpur which had annoyed Vishnoi, police said. New Delhi: In order to put a check on the lackadaisical approach of government schools' staff, Delhi's Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia on Tuesday terminated the services of a government school vice principal on charges of indiscipline. Sisodia who made a surprise visit to Manadawali Government School terminated the vice principal immediately after checking the records. Sisodia said that he found three teachers, despite being absent at 8.15 AM, were marked present in the register. The principal of the school has also been given a show cause notice. "Hav ordered termination of Vice Principal of Mandawali Govt School against indisciplinary action. "In a surprise visit I found 3 teachrs were absent but were shown present in data base at 8.15 AM. Have given show cause notice to Principal (sic)," Sisodia said in a series of tweets. In a surprise visit I found 3 teachrs were absent but were shown present in data base @8.15AM.Hav given show cause notice to Principal. 2/2 Manish Sisodia (@msisodia) May 4, 2016 (With PTI inputs) New Delhi: Former Supreme Court judge Markandey Katju, Wednesday, explained why he wanted Bihar Chief Nitish Kumar as the next Prime Minister and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal as Deputy PM. It may be noted that the ex-Press Council of India chairman in the past has criticised Janata Dal (United) president and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief. In my opinion the next Prime Minister of India should be Nitish Kumar, with Arvind Kejriwal as his Deputy Prime Minister, Katju had said on Monday. Katju today posted a blog to explain his stand on Kumar and Kejriwal. Here's what he said: Nitish and Kejriwal Some people have asked me why I have now praised Arvind Kejriwal when I had often criticized him in the past. It is true that earlier I had criticized him because I did not like some things he did e.g. allotting Rs. 536 crores in the Delhi budget for propaganda, the odd even scheme ( which has not reduced pollution ) etc. But no one is perfect. We are all a combination of good and bad points. What many persons have been telling me is about the good things Kejriwal has done for Delhi : (1) He has setup mohalla clinics which provide free medicines and medical care for the poor people of Delhi. This was very much needed since the poor people are often too poor to afford medical care. (2) He has provided free water to those who consume not more than 20,000 litres per month, and has reduced by half the electricity bills. This is a great relief to the common man. (3) He has got abolished the fee hike in educational institutions, e.g. Delhi Public School. This again is a great relief, as many people could not afford to pay the hiked fees (4) Businessmen in Delhi are also happy by the reduction of VAT from 12% to 7%, and his strong objection to hike in taxes on jewelry shops etc. My perception is that Kejriwal is personally honest and intends to do good to the people of Delhi. But he is new in politics and so lacks experience. That is why I suggested him for the post of Deputy Prime Minister, and not Prime Minister However, he will get experience and maturity with passage of time.. He must choose his advisers better ( at present many are only sycophants ). Many people have criticized me for suggesting Nitish Kumar as the next Prime Minister. I have followed Nitish Kumar's career carefully. He had earlier made some mistakes, for which I had criticized him. But now he seems to have overcome those errors. I have not heard anything against his personal integrity. He is mature and experienced, qualities which Kejriwal needs to develop. Some people have no doubt criticized Nitish for allying with Lalu Yadav, but in politics one has sometimes to make compromises..This is not a perfect world. I have also a good opinion of Naveen Patnaik. It is true that I am no one to appoint Prime Ministers and Deputy Prime Ministers. But as a citizen surely I have a right to present my view. New Delhi: In a major development with regard to the National Eligibility Entrance Test (NEET), the Supreme Court on Tuesday asked Centre and CBSE to start preparations and said that the second phase of NEET would be held on schedule i.e. on July 24. The development came during hearing by a bench of Justices AR Dave, Shiva Kirti Singh and AK Goel, a report published in TOI said. The apex court also said that forcing students to take multiple entrance exams across the country is an excessive burden on medical aspirants. The students would have to spend thousands of rupees filling up forms, the Supreme Court added. The Supreme Court on Tuesday rebuffed the plea of private medical colleges that the National Eligibility Entrance Test (NEET) violated their autonomy and fundamental right to run educational institutions and stuck to its stand that a single-window test was good for students. Also, the Supreme Court on asked Medical Council of India (MCI) to respond to state governments' plea to hold separate exams this year. The MCI has to respond to the plea by Thursday. The development came as the Supreme Court heard the petitions by some states and private medical colleges seeking permission to continue with separate tests for admissions in the MBBS and BDS courses. The apex court had also upheld the provisions of a Madhya Pradesh law which enables government to have 50 per cent shares in management seats in private dental colleges. NEET schedule According to the schedule, the All India Pre-Medical Test (AIPMT) held on May 1 was treated as first round of the NEET. However, those who have not applied for AIPMT will be given opportunity to appear in round two on July 24. The combined result will be declared on August 17, in order to complete the admission process by September 30 - the deadline set by the apex court in its previous orders. New Delhi: After the Supreme Court heard the National Eligibility Entrance Test (NEET) matter on Tuesday, the Medical Council of India (MCI) is expected to respond to state governments' plea by Thursday. What's the plea? The plea by some states and private medical colleges seeks permission to continue with separate tests for admissions in the MBBS and BDS courses. The Supreme Court on Tuesday asked MCI to respond to state governments' plea to hold separate exams this year. The MCI has to respond to the plea by Thursday. In a major development with regard to the National Eligibility Entrance Test (NEET), the Supreme Court on Tuesday asked Centre and CBSE to start preparations and said that the second phase of NEET would be held on schedule i.e. on July 24. NEET's 2nd phase on July 24, says SC The Supreme Court on Tuesday asked Centre and CBSE to start preparations and said that the second phase of NEET would be held on schedule i.e. on July 24. SC says no separate exams The apex court also said that forcing students to take multiple entrance exams across the country is an excessive burden on medical aspirants. The students would have to spend thousands of rupees filling up forms, the Supreme Court added. NEET schedule - 1st and 2nd round According to the schedule, the All India Pre-Medical Test (AIPMT) held on May 1 was treated as first round of the NEET. However, those who have not applied for AIPMT will be given opportunity to appear in round two on July 24. Declaration of results The combined result will be declared on August 17, in order to complete the admission process by September 30 - the deadline set by the apex court in its previous orders. New Delhi: The 15-year-old boy, Nihal Batla , who became face of campaign against rare genetic disorder Progeria died in Karimnagar on Monday. Nihal Batla, from Bhiwandi in adjoining Thane district, was fighting the disease that aged him eight times faster than normal. He was at his grandparents' house at Karimnagar in Telangana to attend a family wedding. On Monday evening, he felt dehydrated due to the scorching heat and had to be rushed to a private hospital for treatment. Within a few hours, he passed away, family sources said. His last rites were performed in Karimnagar yesterday. Nihal and his family had taken up the challenge of raising awareness about the incurable disease, which has an incidence of one in four million, and of finding more such cases for medical intervention in the country. The boy, who was part of a clinical trial for Lonafarnib drug in Boston to test if the drug could delay ageing, had posted his pictures on Facebook and Twitter to reach out to parents, specially in rural areas. Progeria or Hutchinson-Gilford Progeria syndrome , from which Nihal suffered, causes accelerated ageing in children, leading to premature death mostly due to heart attacks. Mumbai: Former media tycoon Peter Mukerjea, who is one of the four prime accused in the Sheena Bora murder case, wrote a love letter to his wife Indrani Mukerjea on her birthday. Dated January 3, Peter, in the one-page letter, compared himself and his wife (another prime accused in the murder case) to lovers Romeo and Juliet. Mid-day got a glimpse of the letter which said: "Mumu, my dearest. Today is the special day in your life and mine too. Therefore, your birthday is a day we have always spent together since we met and this is the first year we're so close and yet so far! What can I say, other than to wish you a Happy Birthday in the now. Have a pleasant day, as much as you can. Remember that I am thinking of you throughout. You pray that you get through your innocence and get clear of this nightmare in good times. I hope this reaches you and you get to see it so it gives you a moment of joy in all the sadness that everyone is going through, you and me, most of all. This is just a short note for today as a real birthday special to touch you and reach out to you on your day. A big hug and moooaah to you. I don't know what else I can do - can't send you flowers or a cake or something that you would enjoy but this note to you is from the heart and with love from a man to his love and wife. God is great and will see an end to this, and like Romeo and Juliet, we will hopefully see each other soon. No more emotional stuff. Smile today, no matter what, my love, and you'll feel better for that. This year brings us more joy and happiness than 2015 did. Lots to look forward to, my treasure. Hugs and love, happy birthday girl! Yours, Pxxxxx." Interestingly, on January 04, a day after this letter, Peter's lawyers filed his first bail application, stating that Indrani befooled Peter and she was responsible for her daughter Sheena's death. Peter Mukerjea was arrested on November 19, 2015, nearly three months after the arrest of his wife Indrani Mukerjea, her ex-husband Sanjeev Khanna and her former driver Shyamvar Rai, who were arrested in August. Among other things, the Central Bureau of Investigation has charged Peter Mukerjea with conspiracy in the kidnapping and killing of Sheena on April 24, 2012, and later burning and disposing of her body in the forests of adjoining Raigad district, around 90 km south of Mumbai. New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday was critical of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) lawmakers who are not active on social media. Chairing a meeting of the Union Council of Ministers, the Prime Minister raised concern over several ministers, who were not using digital platform to reach out to the electorate. The PM appointed Power Minister Piyush Goyal, Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and Minister of State Jitendra Singh to help the BJP lawmakers use social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter. PM Modi has 19.7 million followers on Twitter and over 3 crore likes on his Facebbok page. In the meet, PM Modi asked the ministers to aggressively use digital platforms and highlight govt's initiatives like LPG coverage, electrification of villages, Mudra scheme and Jan Dhan Yojana. A senior minister, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said the meeting was mainly about presentations by some ministries on financial and developmental issues, besides on how to give added focus to Modi's pet digital India scheme. The Prime Minister also asked various departments to prepare e-books listing their achievements so the people understand what measures the government has undertaken for their uplift. Etah: An advocate of Dayaram village was arrested by police for having a gun without a gun licence. The advocate was arrested under arms act, the police said. When the police presented the advocate before the court the court yesterday with handcuff, the lawyers protested against handcuffing the advocate. The lawyers had an heated argument with the police regarding handcuffing of the advocate. New Delhi: In yet another attack on its ally BJP, the Shiv Sena on Wednesday chided the central government for changing its stand on Hurriyat and allowing it to hold discussions with Pakistan. In a fiery editorial published in its mouthpiece Saamana, the Shiv Sena said, ''The Hurriyat is going to hold discussions with Pakistan since the government has given it special permission to do so. Tomorrow you will have discussions with Masood Azhar, Dawood Ibrahim and Lakhvi on the issue of Kashmir. We never thought that the dream of Akhand Bharat would be realised in such a way.'' Attacking the Centre further, the Sena editorial said, ''This U-turn of the government on the Hurriyat is equivalent to saying that Ayodhyas Ram Mandir was actually Babri Masjid. Things are becoming strange these days. They can put even a chameleon to shame by the way they are changing colours. It beats us as to how they are able to do this. Meanwhile, speaking to ANI, Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut said that Kashmir is an emotional and sensitive matter, adding there are divisive forces in Kashmir like the Hurriyat, who are trying to align the state with Pakistan or make it independent. "We have always maintained that there should be no talks with such people because the Hurriyat wants Pakistan to be involved in talks regarding Kashmir. Even the BJP agreed with us, now suddenly allowing Hurriyat to talk with Pakistan is incredible. Even the Congress did not do this," Raut said. He added that if the Congress had taken this stand then the Shiv Sena would have branded the Grand Old Party as 'agents' who want to sell Kashmir to Pakistan but their hands were now tied since it was the BJP. "They (government) need to think really carefully when they make decisions regarding Kashmir. It will not fare well for the nation if the Centre makes a spectacle of love with those people, who have already shaken hands with Pakistan," Raut said. The Shiv Sena's reaction comes in wake of the Centre yesterday giving its nod to the Kashmiri Hurriyat leaders for talks with Pakistan and its representatives, two years after imposing a policy whereby the Pakistani officials meeting Hurriyat leaders was strictly prohibited. Minister of State for External Affairs General (Retd.) VK Singh had in a written reply to the Parliament last week said there is no bar on so-called Kashmiri leaders meetings with representatives of any country in India since the entire state of Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of the Union of India and they are Indian citizens. General (Retd.) Singh reiterated Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government's stand that there can't be any role for any third party in the India-Pakistan dialogue process. "India has consistently maintained that there is no role for a third party in the bilateral dialogue between India and Pakistan as per the Simla Agreement and the Lahore Declaration. India's displeasure at Pakistan's attempts to interfere in India's internal affairs has been repeatedly conveyed to Pakistan," he added. The NDA government had in August 2014 cancelled the Foreign Secretary-level talks with Islamabad over Pakistan's High Commissioner Abdul Basit's meeting with the Hurriyat leaders prior to the talks. Delhi: Stories and anecdotes about India's first prime minister Jawahar Lal Nehru have been doing the rounds over the years. One such anecdote was told recently by Jyotsna Mohan Bhargava, whose grandfather, Virendra or Vir ji, was a revolutionary who fought the freedom struggle alongside Bhagat Singh. In a blog, published in The Indian Express, she narrates an interesting story about how her grandfather confronted Nehru on rumours of his remarriage and how India's first PM reacted: Read excerpts of the blog below - The year was 1935, my grandfather Virendra or Vir ji as everyone knew him, was working at the family newspaper Pratap in Lahore when he first got acquainted with Jawahar Lal Nehru. The leader was in Badenweiler, Germany for his ailing wife Kamlas treatment. Nehru returned to India the following year after his wifes death. It was then my grandfather met him at Anand Bhavan in Allahabad to convince him to campaign in Punjab. Impossible was Nehrus prompt response, Congress will not be able to get a majority even if I spend a whole month there. Finally, he agreed. I can give you two days, but can you arrange an aircraft? It was 1936, a plane was rented and used in election campaigning in India for the first time. As soon as Pitaji left Allahabad, he heard strong rumours of Nehru re-marrying. No journalist would want a scoop like that to slip away, so my grandfather bravely sent a telegram. Our Allahabad correspondent informs us that you are about to re-marry. Please confirm. Fantastic nonsense, came the reply. Pitaji campaigned with Nehru and remembered how the Sialkot airport was packed with British folks who were curious to see this khadi clad man creating serious problems for their government..." ...The next time they met was after Nehru had been arrested and turned back from the Kashmir border by the Maharajas government. He decided to go around Lahore in an open convertible for a show of strength. Pitaji was one of barely a handful of people who had such a car, a German Adler that is no longer in the market, and drove him personally... ...On the way they saw a house lit up for a marriage and Nehru asked Pitaji, What is that? My grandfather replied that someone was probably getting married. I was also married on a Basant day saying that, Nehru stayed silent for the rest of the journey. They met many times afterwards and it was not always work. Once a little under the weather, Nehru complained how they have imprisoned me here and asked my grandfather to drive him around for some fresh air. It was dark, he was anonymous and they sat by the banks of a canal for several hours. When they returned home Nehru thanked him saying, I was able to relax in such a peaceful atmosphere after a long time. Otherwise people never leave me alone... Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy, Wednesday, will meet the family of the law student, who was brutally raped and murdered in Perumbavoor. The Kerala CM promised to provide help to the family with the permission of Chief Electoral Officer. Reports say that the state government is likely to provide job to victim's sister. At Perumabavoor to meet kin of student who was murdered. Govt to provide help to the family with the permission of Chief Electoral Officer. Oommen Chandy (@Oommen_Chandy) May 4, 2016 Meanwhile, two persons have been taken into custody in connection with the rape and brutal murder of a 30-year-old Dalit woman at Perumbavoor that sparked street protests by students and rights activists across the state on Tuesday. Jisha was found murdered on April 28 at her home near a canal in Perumbavoor in Ernakulam by her mother who works as a casual labourer. The possibility that Jisha might have been sexually assaulted and the mutilation that her body bore has led some to compare the case with that of Jyoti Singh 'Nirbhaya' who was gang-raped and brutalised on December 16, 2012 in a moving bus in Delhi. With assembly polls to take place on May 16, the Left opposition, led by CPI-M, is now determined to take this case up as an election issue to hit at the Chandy government. Kochi: A week after a law student was brutally gang-raped in Kerala, a 19-year-old nursing student has now alleged gang-rape by three men on the outskirts of state's capital Thiruvananthapuram. According to reports on Wednesday, a 19-year-old nursing student has alleged that she was gang-raped by three men, including her friend, on Tuesday. The Kerala Police have registered a case based on the woman's statement. In her complaint, the victim has named two of her attackers as Sujith, 25, and Shyju, 24. After initial investigation, the Kerala Police said that Shyju, who is an autorickshaw driver, is known to the woman. Last week, a 30-year-old law student was found dead in her home, her intestines hanging out, inside her home in Perumbavoor, 200 km from the state capital. The gruesome details of the crime emerged only this week. The way the crime has been handled has triggered anger in Kerala, which is preparing for state polls on May 16. The police cordoned off the house only yesterday, six days after the crime. The woman's mother discovered her dead in a pool of blood and was hospitalized owing to her own trauma. The police have not confirmed that the student was raped before being smothered, strangled, and hit hard on the head. When quizzed, Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy said, ''I assure you that there will be no lapses. The government will take this as a very serious case." Perumbavoor: A poor Dalit woman whose brutal murder has shocked Kerala had 38 wounds on her body, her autopsy revealed, as police said on Wednesday their probe was on the right track. The report by the Alappuzha Medical College also said that further tests will have to be done to confirm that Jisha, 27, was sexually abused before being murdered. But almost everyone in the state appears to be convinced that this is a case of rape-cum-murder and it is being compared with the Nirbhya rape and killing of Delhi in 2012. Jisha was found murdered on April 28 near a canal here by her labourer-mother. The body was badly mutilated. There were injuries on her private parts, according to police. Even as the police questioned half-a-dozen suspects, the police released a profile picture of a suspect, based on information gathered from neighbours who saw a man around the victim`s house that day. "We are unable to give details of what we are doing and what`s happening on the probe but can say it`s going on the right track," Additional Director General of Police K. Padmakumar told reporters. On Wednesday morning, opposition leader and former chief minister V.S. Achuthanandan reached the hospital where Jisha`s mother is admitted. "It is going to be a week now and no one has been arrested. A new team should be appointed to take forward the probe," he said. The first to reach the hospital on Wednesday was Chief Minister Oommen Chandy, who was greeted by a hostile mob of Left student and youth activists shouting slogans against his government. Youth Congress activists were present in equal numbers, giving the chief minister close company. Chandy assured Jisha`s mother that the killer would be arrested and promised a government job to her other daughter. "Police are doing their job and very soon the accused will be booked." As the media posed questions to Chandy, a scuffle broke out between the Youth Congress activists and the journalists. Meanwhile, a neighbour of the victim was on Tuesday night picked up from Kannur and questioned. Eight people are reportedly being questioned. With assembly polls only 12 days away, the case has become the most talked about issue in Kerala. The CPI-M is saying that the police began taking interest in the case only after the media and the social media took it up -- because the victim was a poor woman. Meanwhile, the Kerala government has sanctioned compensation of Rs.10 lakh to Jisha`s mother, Chandy told reporters. Chandy`s office also said that as a special case in 2014-15, the government gave Rs.3.75 lakh to Jisha`s family to buy a piece of land to build a home. "Further, we gave them Rs.1.2 lakh in two instalments to take forward the construction. We are also committed to give another Rs.1.65 lakh in two instalments as the construction progresses," said the statement. New Delhi: Eating out can now become much easier and safer for people with gluten allergies or celiac disease thanks to Nima, a handheld gluten detection device created by 6SensorLabs. The new device, small enough to fit into a pocket or purse and designed to save individuals with celiac disease from dangerous meals and awkward dinner parties, can test your food for gluten in less than two minutes. One can simply take a tiny sample, put it into a capsule and then put it into the device, says a report from TechCrunch. Once the test is done, youll get a smiley face or a sad face depending on whether your food contains gluten. According to Scott Sundvor, co-founder and Chief Technology Officer, 6SensorLabs, the device could also provide greater social freedom, making meals more enjoyable. The triangular device uses disposable pods that breaks down a sample of a food item, adds the report. Each pod costs $3.99 and the device will retail for $249. Users can pre-order the device kits, which consist of the triangular Nima, multiple one-time use capsules, one micro-USB cable and one carrying pouch. The company said that Nima can test a range of foods, from soups and sauces to more solid items like baked and fried goods. It may be noted that 6SensorLabs does not need FDA approval for Nima because the device is designed as a tool for getting more information about food and not intended for diagnostic use. New Delhi: New evidence from NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) suggests that volcanoes erupted beneath an ice sheet on Mars billions of years ago, far from any ice sheet on the Red Planet today. The data also reveals that a massive ice sheet once covered Mars. The new findings could help reveal if the Martian environment had flowing water and was once habitable. Sheridan Ackiss of Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, and collaborators used the orbiter's mineral-mapping spectrometer to investigate surface composition. The focused on an oddly textured region of southern Mars called "Sisyphi Montes", which is studded with flat-topped mountains. Other researchers previously noted these domes' similarity in shape to volcanoes on Earth that erupted underneath ice. "Rocks tell stories. Studying the rocks can show how the volcano formed or how it was changed over time," Ackiss said. "I wanted to learn what story the rocks on these volcanoes were telling." When a volcano begins erupting beneath a sheet of ice on Earth, the rapidly generated steam typically leads to explosions that punch through the ice and propel ash high into the sky. Characteristic minerals resulting from such subglacial volcanism on Earth include zeolites, sulfates and clays. Those are just what the new research has detected at some flat-topped mountains in the Sisyphi Montes region examined with the spacecraft's Compact Reconnaissance Imaging Spectrometer for Mars (CRISM), providing resolution of about 60 feet (18 meters) per pixel. "We wouldn't have been able to do this without the high resolution of CRISM," Ackiss said. The Sisyphi Montes region extends from about 55 degrees to 75 degrees south latitude. Some of the sites that have shapes and compositions consistent with volcanic eruptions beneath an ice sheet are about 1,000 miles (about 1,600 kilometers) from the current south polar ice cap of Mars. The cap now has a diameter of about 220 miles (about 350 kilometers). The Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter Project has been using CRISM and five other instruments on the spacecraft to investigate Mars since 2006 Madurai/Pattukottai: BJP president Amit Shah on Wednesday said that Tamil Nadu could not progress under rule of DMK, AIADMK and Congress. At the same time, he maintained that only NDA government could bring development in the state. He alleged that AIADMK and DMK, which have ruled the state for decades, have "pulled down" the development graph. Shah referred to various allegations of corruption against the two Dravidian parties besides BJP's arch-rival, Congress. Attacking the previous Congress-led UPA government, Shah said, "There wasn't a place left where corruption didn't take place under UPA's rule in 10 years." "AgustaWestland scam in air, Adarsh scam on land, coal scam beneath land, submarine scam in water and 2G scam in space, under UPA rule," he added, as per ANI. "DMK (is facing allegations) in 2G spectrum allocation and aircel-maxis.. How many scams are there against DMK," he asked. Targeting senior Congress leader and former Union Finance Minister P Chidambaram, Shah said he and his son Karti "were also facing charges," in an apparent reference to the Aircel-Maxis deal. Shah, who had last month called the AIADMK dispensation the "most corrupt government in the country," referred to the disproportionate assets case against its supremo and Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa, now being heard in the Supreme Court. "In AIADMK, there is a disproportionate assets case against Jayalalithaa," he said, as per PTI. "The voters of Tamil Nadu have to decide in these Assembly polls if they wish to continue with politics of corruption and nepotism or they want to move to politics of development. The other three parties in the fray - be it AIADMK, DMK or the Congress - there are corruption cases against their leaders and they have been exploiting the state's citizens. On the other hand, it has been two years since BJP government has been in power at the Centre but there is not even one allegation of corruption," he said. Noting that the nation's voters gave a "new direction" to the country's politics by electing a government with full majority under Narendra Modi in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, Shah said a similar change is needed in Tamil Nadu and instead of replacing AIADMK with DMK, people should elect a good government. The Assembly election in the state will be held on May 16. (With Agency inputs) Lucknow: After Latur, now the drought-hit Bundelkhand region in Uttar Pradesh will receive relief in the form of railway wagons loaded with water. The logistics are already in preparation and the Bundelkhand region, which is facing water crisis, will soon get relief when the water train reaches. Focusing on the drought-hit Bundelkhand, the UP government in February allocated over Rs 1,400 crore for it in its 2016-17 annual budget for various projects. The Bundelkhand region is home to 18.3 million people as per 2011 census and is blighted with drought and unseasonable rains that has destroyed standing winter crops. In the last few years, several farmers lacking money for seeds and water for irrigation have committed suicide. The drought-affected Bundelkhand region is spread across 13 districts that falls in Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh. Earlier, two trains carrying 50 wagons and 10 wagons of water was dispatched to Latur district in Maharashtra, which has a population of around 2.45 crore. Currently, around 15,000 Maharashtra villages, a majority of them in Latur, Beed and Osmanabad districts, are in the grip of acute water shortage. Railways would make available a third rake, if required, for supplying water in Maharashtra as it is committed to continuing water transportation to the parched areas. The water train service is likely to continue till the arrival of monsoon. Gorakhpur: Terming sages in India as a "frustrated" lot, Uttar Pradesh Minister Azam Khan courted a fresh controversy as he advised BJP MP Yogi Adityanath to get married and "prove his masculinity" with the latter seeking his expulsion. "Yogi Adityanath should first get married and prove his masculinity," Khan told reporters on the sidelines of an event here on Tuesay night. Replying to question on whether he considered all sages in the country did not possess masculinity, Khan said, "they are frustrated." "How would a Mahant know what love is ... He should first get married and help in growth of generation," he said. Following the Samajwadi Party leader's remarks, a fuming Adityanath advised Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav to sack him so that people can set him right. He said Khan has lost his mental balance and needed medical attention. Meanwhile in Lucknow, state BJP chief Keshav Prasad Maurya said such a statement only indicated Khan's mental bankruptcy. "The SP should apologise for the same," he said, adding the minister has degraded the dignity of sages. The remarks also invited wrath of various Hindu outfits who held a dharna against Khan and burnt his effigy in protest. Khan also attacked another BJP MP Sakshi Maharaj and said there are many serious cases against him which are condemnable. The BJP legislator from Unnao had recently described the provision of triple talaq (divorce) in Muslim community as an injustice to women. Lucknow: In what may come as a surprise to many that Baba Saheb Bhim Rao Ambedkar University (BBAU) administration has decided to ban non-vegetarian food in the varsity mess. Confirming the report, one of the officials told IANS that decision was taken to maintain harmony at the campus. Tension had prevailed in the varsity following a statement issued by Dalit thinker Kancha Ilayya at Hyderabad recently, that eating beef was beneficial for health, after which the decision to ban non-vegetarian food at BBAU was taken. Protests erupted at BBAU after Ilayya's statement on beef first appeared on April 14. The ban has come into force and only vegetarian dishes would be served at the varsity mess. University spokesman Kamal Jaiswal said that special occasional demands for non-veg food would also not be entertained. Yesterday, around 200 students led a march in the varsity calling the decision to ban non-veg food as 'anti-Dalit' and sought withdrawal of the decision. New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Wednesday granted Centre time till May 6 to appraise it about the feasibility of holding floor test in the Uttarakhand Legislative Assembly. The apex court ordered Attorney General Mukul Rohtagi to discuss the feasibility of holding a floor test in the crisis-hit Uttarakhand Assembly. The apex court said this while responding to the Centre's plea challenging the Nainital High Court verdict revoking President's Rule in the state. The AG told the apex court that Centre is seriously considering highest court's suggestion to hold floor test in the state. However, he has so far not received any instructions from the Centre, the AG said. After hearing AG's version, the apex court adjourned the hearing in the case till May 6. A bench comprising Justices Dipak Misra and Shiva Kirti Singh had yesterday asked the Centre to explore the feasibility of holding a floor test in Uttarakhand Assembly under court's supervision. The apex court had on 27th of last month, directed to continue the President's rule for the while. The two- judge division bench had also asked several questions to the Centre asking it to justify imposition of President's rule in Uttarakhand. The Centre had introduced President's Rule on March 27, a day before former Chief Minister Harish Rawat was to take a trust vote in the assembly. Kolkata: Close to 50,000 security personnel, including 361 companies of central forces, have been deployed to ensure that polling for the sixth and last phase of West Bengal elections is held in a free and fair manner. Election Commission officials said 123 companies of central forces are manning Coochbehar district while another 238 companies are stationed in East Midnapore district. Another contingent of 4,500 state police personnel, have been deployed to assist the central forces in Coochbehar while 7,500 personnel are in East Midnapore district. Together, the two districts have 25 constituencies going to the hustings tomorrow. The remaining companies of central forces, about 310 in number, who were stationed in West Bengal for the earlier phases, have been sent to the poll-bound states of Tamil Nadu and Kerala, officials said. Since the two poll-bound districts are bordering Assam and Odisha, the poll panel has also written to the chief secretaries of the states requesting them to set up 'Naka' points in bordering areas, officials said. The EC has already set up such 'Naka' points to monitor the movement of any anti-social elements on the West Bengal side of the inter-state borders. Prohibitory orders under section 144 CrPC will be promulgated on poll day and enforced strictly to ensure that any unlawful assembly is effectively curbed. Besides, day-time patrolling for area domination, night patrolling by 183 teams for quick reaction in the night also began from yesterday. The commission has so far identified 714 vulnerable hamlets and 1,685 vulnerable voters in the two districts. Close to 900 trouble-mongers have been identified and action taken against all of them. Coochbehar (WB): With the enclave residents all set to vote for the first time since Independence, the new voters are being aggressively wooed by various political parties, who are taking credit for resolving the 68-year old border dispute. "It is our government which has resolved this enclave problem. None of the previous state governments could address the same. But we had solved this problem and given you the rights," Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee said at various rallies in Coochbehar district. Banerjee's comments are echoed by party's district President Rabindranath Ghosh who promised to usher in development if TMC won in Coochbehar. The BJP, which is heading the NDA government at the Centre, also took the credit of resolving the enclave problems. "It was our government at the Centre that took the initiative and solved the problem. We have been with the people of enclaves from the very beginning and our government has been very proactive," BJP National Secretary Rahul Sinha said. The 51 enclaves are spread across Dinhata, Mekliganj, Sitai, Sitalkuchi and Toofanganj Assembly constituencies, with over 14864 residents has over 9776 registered voters. The six Assembly constituencies were Mekhliganj (584), Sitalkuchi (1980), Sitai (1362), Dinhata (5605), Natabari (0) and Tufanganj (9). Out of 9540 eligible voters 9209 enrolled themselves to vote on May 5 in 41 polling stations. There were 567 more voters among the 922 people in the settlements in Coochbehar. Beijing: China on Wednesday urged people in the United States to take a rational and objective view of the relationship between the two countries, after Republican front-runner Donald Trump became the party`s presumptive presidential nominee. Trump has proposed that tariffs on imported Chinese goods be increased to up to 45 percent and asserted that China had waged "economic war" against the United States, taking American jobs. China is the United States` largest trading partner. Asked whether China was worried at the prospect of a Trump presidency, after his commanding win in Indiana and as top rival Ted Cruz bowed out of the race, Foreign Ministry spokesman said the election was as internal affair he could not comment on. "What needs to be pointed out is that the essence of Sino-US trade and business cooperation is mutually beneficial and win-win, and accords with the interests of both sides," Hong told a daily news briefing. "We hope people in all fields can rationally and objectively view this relationship," he added, without elaborating. Chinese officials have generally avoided criticising Trump directly, though they have made indirect criticism of his proposal to ban Muslims from entering the United States and indirectly rebuffed his assertion that China is stealing U.S. jobs. However, last month Finance Minister Lou Jiwei criticised Trump, calling him "an irrational type" due to his tariffs proposal on imported Chinese goods. The United States reported a $366-billion trade deficit with China in 2015, up from $343 billion in 2014 - the largest U.S. trade imbalance with any nation. China`s tightly controlled state media has largely stuck to reporting the facts about Trump, with some notable exceptions. In March, influential tabloid the Global Times accused Trump of being a racist, warning that other extremists, such as Benito Mussolini and Adolf Hitler, had both been voted into power. Reacting to Trump`s triumph on Wednesday, the official Xinhua news agency noted he could beat likely Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton if he toned down his "explosive rhetoric". "Despite being a celebrity outside the United States, Clinton, the former first lady and secretary of state, simply neither excites nor galvanizes her base," it said in an English-language piece. Kathmandu: Nepal's has revoked the visa of Robert Penner, a Canadian citizen, and ordered him to leave the country within the next 48 hours for criticizing the government on social media. The order was issued by the Department of Immigration under the Ministry of Home Affairs yesterday, reports the Himalayan Times. The Metropolitan Police Range of Lalitpur district arrested Penner, who has been living in Nepal for two years now, on charges of trying to undermine the sovereignty and integrity of the country and jeopardizing social harmony through provocative messages, views and comments on social networking sites, especially Twitter. He had obtained work visa as an employee at Lalitpur-based Cloud Factory, an outsourcing company. His visa was to expire in December. Police arrested him at the request of the Department of Immigration and handed him over to the immigration authority for legal action under the Immigration Procedures, 2008. Bishwa Prakash Nepuane, director and information officer at the Department of Immigration said that Penner was guilty of indulging in anti-Nepal activities and was ordered to quit Nepal within two days. "As per the DoI decision, Penner should fly back home no later than Thursday or else the government will initiate further action against him. We handed him over to the Consulate of Canada in Kathmandu, giving him two days for ticketing and other preparations," the Himalayan times quoted him as saying. "The government may consider granting him visa on the basis of his activity and attitude toward Nepal after 2016," he added. Penner was critical of the Nepal government, internal affairs of the country and Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli, which have angered the authority to take action against him. Quebec: Most of the 100,000 residents of the Canadian city of Fort McMurray were ordered to leave town late Tuesday as a fire swept through the oil sands region, in Alberta province`s largest ever evacuation. "All of Fort McMurray is under a mandatory evacuation order," Alberta emergency services announced, after previously indicating that the northern edge of the fire was "growing rapidly." The airport was still open. "Be patient, drive safely and please give way to emergency vehicles," an evacuation notice read. Gas stations exploded and several homes have already been burnt down, including one of the town`s many motor home parks, according to local media. The air was thick with black smoke. Authorities urged residents to head toward evacuation centers as the city reeled from what Alberta premier Rachel Notley called the province`s largest evacuation. Long lines of cars headed north via the main highway of the city, while flames ravaged the embankment on the side of the road. Police closed the southward lanes. "Seek medical attention if you experience breathing difficulties," emergency services said. The fire, which was contained until Monday south of Fort McMurray, was pushed toward the city by winds and quickly reached homes, helped by a drought in Alberta. "I know that it`s a very scary time," Notley told a press conference. "I know it`s a very, very stressful time for people to have to leave their homes under these conditions." Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he had called Notley to offer government aid to the province. "My thoughts are with people affected by the fire in Fort McMurray tonight. Stay safe and remember to follow evacuation orders," he tweeted. "We stand ready to help." A more limited alert earlier saw authorities evacuate 30,000 people. The province saw record temperatures of nearly 30 degrees Celsius (86 Fahrenheit) on Tuesday. On Monday, some 500 people were evacuated under an initial alert due to smoke from the wildfire. Montreal: The Canadian city of Fort McMurray remained under threat from catastrophic wildfires today, authorities warned, after more than 80,000 residents were forced to flee the raging inferno sweeping through Alberta's oil sands region. No casualties have been reported from the monster blaze, which lashed at residences and motor home parks, causing traffic chaos as people scrambled to safety. But authorities warned that the next 24 hours would be critical. "This fire is absolutely devastating," said Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. "It's a loss on a scale that is hard for many of us to imagine." Alberta emergency services announced shortly before midnight Tuesday that all of Fort McMurray, a city of about 100,000, was under a mandatory evacuation order. They said earlier that the northern edge of the inferno was "growing rapidly." Footage from the area overnight showed trees ablaze near highways crowded with bumper-to-bumper traffic, while black smoke billowed as the flames ate away at buildings. Mayor Melissa Blake said predictions of what would happen not only came true but were even worse than imagined. "This is a very explosive situation," warned Bernie Schmitte of Alberta's agriculture and forestry ministry. "These are catastrophic wildfires." The fire has destroyed some 2,000 residences in the city's most outlying districts and ravaged 10,000 hectares (25,000 acres), he said. More than 80,000 have fled the city, located 400 kilometers north (250 miles) of the provincial capital Edmonton, according to Scott Long of Alberta's emergency management agency, with the area around the airport the only one not under an evacuation order. Warning that the next 24 hours were critical, Schmitte launched an urgent appeal to the population as firefighters noted that winds were fanning the flames in various parts of the city. "We are going to ask you to stay where you are so that we can utilize all roads," he said. Nine air tankers, a dozen helicopters and some 250 firefighters were battling the flames, and the military was put on alert. "Obviously, Fort McMurray being evacuated has been extremely difficult, not just for the province and officials, but for the folks who live there," Trudeau said. Beijing: China is sending some of its most advanced naval assets to the South China Sea for a scheduled exercise this month. Those include a new guided missile destroyer. The exercise will be focusing on anti-missile warfare and other tasks, Xinhua news agency reported on Wednesday. It added that among the ships sent were missile destroyer Hefei, missile frigate Sanya and supply ship Honghu along with missile destroyers Lanzhou and Guangzhou, and missile frigate Yuli, which are currently tasked with other duties. The report said it was routine and did not specify whether it would be held near disputed islands that several regional nations, including China, consider their territory. Beijing was claiming sovereignty over a big chunk of the sea, which is a major trading route and is believed to be rich in minerals. Contesting claims have been made by the Philippines, Brunei, Vietnam, Malaysia and Taiwan. China is furthering its presence in the region by reclaiming artificial islands and turning building infrastructure on them, including airstrips capable of launching warplanes. The US is rejecting China`s claims and challenges Beijing by conducting freedom of navigation missions. Washington sends military ships and warplanes through the space, which China considers under its sovereignty. Bhubaneswar: Unperturbed over Odisha government's "senile" remark against him, Congress leader Narasingha Mishra today dubbed Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik as "intolerant" and asked him to get the BJD bank account issue probed by the Lokayukta even as the ruling party leaders burnt his effigy near the state Assembly. "I challenge the Chief Minister to appoint a Lokayukta soon and hand over the BJD bank account case to it for an impartial inquiry. I will prove that every word of mine is based on facts. Will the Chief Minister resign if I my words are true?" the Leader of Opposition told reporters after being unable to speak in the Assembly due to frequent adjournments. The House failed to run due to the din by Treasury bench members who demanded apology from Mishra accusing him of making wild allegation against BJD. The opposition Congress and BJP members on their part demanded resignation of the Chief Minister, food supplies and consumer welfare minister and removal of chitfund judicial commission head Justice M M Das. Outside the House, Mishra alleged the BJD government fears to appoint a Lokayukta since two years as it realised that grievances were growing against the Chief Minister. Accusing Patnaik of hatching a conspiracy and directing his party men not to allow the Opposition to speak in the Assembly, he said "This shows how intolerant the Chief Minister is. He is not ready to listen from the Opposition." Though Law minister Arun Kumar Sahoo made a statement in the House where he called Mishra "senile", the Leader of Opposition failed to place his points inside due to uproar by members of the Treasury bench. "I was prevented from speaking in the House due to a conspiracy by an intolerant Chief Minister. How can a member be denied to express his views in the House? This is breach of privilege of a member," Mishra said. Brussels: The European Union asked member states on Wednesday to grant visa-free travel to Turks in return for Ankara stopping migrants reaching Europe but it insisted Turkey must still change some laws and said it would get no "free ride". Lawmakers in the European Parliament, which along with a majority of the 28 EU governments must approve the measure if it is to take effect as Ankara wants within two months, warned that they would not vote it through until Turkey met every condition, including narrowing the scope of crimes it defines as terrorism. Governments anxious to allay fears of a wave of immigrants from Turkey itself secured a new emergency brake to apply to all countries with visa-free travel to Europe`s 26-nation Schengen zone. The EU executive stressed that only Turks with biometric passports containing facial and fingerprint data can benefit, though Turkey will only start issuing such documents later this year. The deputy head of the European Commission defended its proposals, as well as plans to expand EU membership negotiations; they upheld a deal with Ankara that has helped cut migrant arrivals in Greece to dozens a day from thousands and were also a way of reversing a worsening rights situation in Turkey. "There is no free ride here," First Vice President Frans Timmermans told reporters, stressing that Ankara must still meet five of 72 criteria the EU imposes on states exempt from visas. This week was effectively a deadline for the Commission to issue its formal recommendation on visas if it is to satisfy Ankara by July. Otherwise the migrant deal would be at risk. Feuds over the migration crisis were again highlighted when a separate proposal from the Commission to spread asylum seekers around the EU according to quotas backed by effective fines for non-compliance were denounced as "blackmail" and a "dead end" by ministers from the ex-communist east who refuse to accept refugees. Member states, led by Germany which took in most of the 1.3 million refugees and migrants who reached Europe across the Mediterranean last year, have already mostly accepted that the visa-free regime for Turks is part of the price for what many see as the best chance for a sharp reduction in those arriving. But qualms about Turkey`s treatment of some migrants and some of its own citizens notably from the Kurdish minority, as well as President Tayyip Erdogan`s crackdown on the media, have fuelled resistance to concessions in the European Parliament. A joint statement from the legislature on the visa issue said there would be no short-cuts in an approval procedure which officials say would normally take several weeks. Turkey`s minister for EU relations, Volkan Bozkir, said he believed all 72 criteria had already been met and he hoped the process could be completed on schedule by the end of June. "There is still work to be done as a matter of urgency," the EU`s Timmermans said. "But if Turkey sustains the progress made, they can meet the remaining benchmarks." Turkey agreed in March to take back anyone who reaches Greek islands in return for EU cash for refugees and pledges to take to Europe directly some of the 2.7 million Syrians in Turkey. That deal was driven by Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu while Erdogan kept his distance from promises of travel freedom many Turks would relish but doubt they will be honoured. "I hope they`ll end visa requirements and everybody will travel freely but I don`t believe it will be the case," said travel agent Atalay Yasar as he waited in line in Istanbul to apply for Schengen visas for his customers. Worried that anti-immigrant and anti-Muslim parties which have surged across the continent could capitalise on fears of impending visa freedoms, not just for 79 million Turks, but also for 45 million Ukrainians as well as people from Georgia and Kosovo, France and Germany have pushed for tighter controls. The Commission proposed amending the regulation that governs all EU visa-free schemes, giving it powers to suspend the waiver quickly if, say, large numbers overstay their 90-day allowance. Britain, which votes next month in a referendum on quitting the EU, is exempt from the visa and asylum quota systems. Washington: Donald Trump looked all-but-certain of carrying the Republican Party colors in the 2016 presidential election after the billionaire political novice sent his only serious challenger Ted Cruz crashing out of the race. Addressing jubilant supporters at Trump Tower in New York after romping to his seventh straight state-wide victory in the Indiana primary, the real estate mogul promised them: "We`re going to win in November, and we`re going to win big, and it`s going to be America first." Tuesday`s contest in the midwestern state was seen as a final firewall by the "stop Trump" movement seeking to prevent him from locking in the party nomination. But as the race was called overwhelmingly in Trump`s favor, Cruz conceded to supporters in Indianapolis that he no longer had a viable path forwards. "We left it all on the field in Indiana," Cruz said. "We gave it everything we`ve got, but the voters chose another path." "And so with a heavy heart, but with boundless optimism for the long-term future of our nation, we are suspending our campaign." It was a stunning denouement for the arch-conservative Texas senator who had insisted he would press on to the final day of the Republican race. His departure leaves the low-polling Ohio Governor John Kasich as Trump`s only challenger for the nomination -- making it a virtual certainty that he will go head to head in a general election matchup with the likely Democratic flagbearer Hillary Clinton. The top echelon of the Republican establishment said as much minutes after Cruz capitulated, with Republican Party chief Reince Priebus declaring Trump the "presumptive" nominee. "Donald Trump will be presumptive @GOP nominee, we all need to unite and focus on defeating @HillaryClinton," Priebus said, in an extraordinary move to embrace a candidate the party establishment fought tooth and nail to stop. Clinton meanwhile suffered an upset in Indiana as her Democratic rival Bernie Sanders mounted a come-from-behind victory, denying the former secretary of state a feather in her cap as she seeks their party`s presidential nomination. Sanders, a self-declared democratic socialist, beat Clinton by 53.2 percent to 46.8 percent with about three quarters of precincts reporting -- although Clinton remained well ahead in the overall delegate battle for the nomination.Cruz had been hoping to use the midwestern state to block Trump from receiving the 1,237 delegates needed to secure the nomination ahead of the Republican convention in Cleveland in July. But the bombastic real estate mogul -- who has thus far defied all political logic to lead the Republican race -- swept the arch-conservative senator aside. Trump was leading Cruz by about 53 percent to 37 percent, with Kasich languished at less than eight percent. "Lyin` Ted Cruz consistently said that he will, and must, win Indiana. If he doesn`t he should drop out of the race-stop wasting time & money," Trump taunted in a tweet. With 1,002 delegates to his name, Trump was already in favorable position to reach the magic number needed to avoid a contested party convention. With Cruz out of the race, crossing the threshold is a foregone conclusion for Trump. Even before the Indiana results, Trump and Clinton had pivoted toward one another. "I`m really focused on moving into the general election," Clinton said confidently Tuesday in West Virginia. "That`s where we have to be because we are going to have a tough campaign against a candidate who`ll literally say or do anything," she said of Trump. "We`re going to take him on at every turn." Cruz`s exit comes after the primary battle took a nasty turn Tuesday when Trump cited a tabloid report linking Cruz`s father Rafael to John F. Kennedy assassin Lee Harvey Oswald. Trump raised the recent National Enquirer story in his interview with Fox News. "This is just kooky," an irate Cruz shot back while stumping in Evansville, Indiana, branding Trump a "pathological liar." "The man is utterly amoral," said Cruz, adding that "we are staring at the abyss" if Trump wins the White House. Washington: Sharing a controversial viewpoint on a religion, President of Samaritan's Purse and the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association Franklin Graham on Wednesday made some remarks against Islam, triggering a debate on Twitter. Through his official Twitter handle, Graham tweeted, Islam is not just a threat to Christians, but its a threat to Jews, to Hindus, to anyoneanywherewho is a nonbeliever in their god. Islam isnt just a threat to Christians, but its a threat to Jews, to Hindus, to anyoneanywherewho is a nonbeliever in their god. Franklin Graham (@Franklin_Graham) May 3, 2016 Samaritans Purse is a nondenominational evangelical Christian organization providing spiritual and physical aid to hurting people around the world. The organization serves the church worldwide to promote the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, says the organisation's website. Graham serves as President and CEO of Samaritan's Purse and the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association. As soon as his remarks went public, it triggered a storm on the social media website. Here's how Twitterati reacted to it: @Franklin_Graham stirring up some vile Islamophobia is what you do when you're not spreading hatred of lgbt folks. What kinda "christian"... Christina Hare (@iamthehare) May 3, 2016 @Franklin_Graham This tweet shows immense religious ignorance. A shameful disgrace to the Graham name. Better ways to get this point made. StepDaddyMichael (@pickupthepoop) May 3, 2016 @Franklin_Graham Your self-description as "nonbeliever in their god" tells it all. May be you should first be a believer of yours instead? Vijay Kumar (@m_vijayakumar) May 4, 2016 New Delhi: All hell broke loose on Twitter after a Pakistani woman - Zahra Haider - wrote an article titled 'What I learned having sex as a young woman in Pakistan'. Not only slamming, but Twitterati also hurled abuses on Zahra Haider and even asked her 'hourly rates' and what not! Soon after Zahra Haider shared her article on Twitter, a number of users started abusing her over her write-up on sex culture in Pakistan. twitter peeps telling me I should go for 'umrah' + asking me what my hourly rates are is really making my day. #growup Zahra Haider (@zarahaider) April 28, 2016 as always, lots of pakistanis are furious due to the tarnishing of their "great" image - as opposed to attempting to understand, at all. Zahra Haider (@zarahaider) April 30, 2016 I wish issues such as rape, child abuse, acid attacks, honour killings, abuse towards LGBTQ community etc. received this much attention. Zahra Haider (@zarahaider) April 29, 2016 just a quick note: for all the people hating on me - you're making me more passionate + certain about my piece. thank you. Zahra Haider (@zarahaider) April 29, 2016 but to all of those supporting me - thank you. for understanding, speaking up + allowing us to come together collectively Zahra Haider (@zarahaider) April 30, 2016 this meme makes no sense... A+ for effort though. https://t.co/8iEB6pvOcK Zahra Haider (@zarahaider) April 29, 2016 I wish issues such as rape, child abuse, acid attacks, honour killings, abuse towards LGBTQ community etc. received this much attention. Zahra Haider (@zarahaider) April 29, 2016 @sheikh5611 I possess quite a bit of knowledge on it. I'm an "ex-Muslim" then if being "non-religious" doesn't cut it. Zahra Haider (@zarahaider) April 29, 2016 @imhasaan without marriage is not acceptable in Islamic society, being an individual @zarahaider has right to do whatever she ..... 2 Sarim Anwer (@outspoken_Pak) April 30, 2016 @subhanhussain22 @zarahaider actually shes only entitled to 100 lashes .. Stoning is for married people.. Orhan (@Kn17Lxg) April 28, 2016 @PipoIngsaghi @Hareuz @zarahaider @VICE The most shocking thing is that she experienced 12 men before her 19th birthday :O Minhal Raza (@Minhal512) April 28, 2016 FULL TEXT OF HER BLOG (Courtesy:VICE) Pakistan is an Islamic Republic with the highest porn-watching population in the world. That statement in and of itself signifies a particular aspect about Pakistani culture: we are horny and desperate for sex, but God forbid we actually engage in it. Sex in Pakistan is considered a taboo topic. Men generally aren't judged for it in our patriarchal society but if a woman from a middle-class family or underprivileged background is caught having premarital sex, serious shit goes down. Women from poorer backgrounds could be victims to various forms of premarital punishment. Punishing women for premarital sex started with former President Zia-ul-Haq's dictatorship or "Islamization," which incorporated Zina (stoning to death), and Hudood (punishments such as whipping, amputation, honour killing) into Pakistani law. His government dismissed women's rape accusations, instead labelling them as fornicators and sending them to jail. These draconian forms of punishment are slowly dying out, but still linger in the mentalities of fundamentalists, imams and police officers. Shariah Law can also be blamed for many gender discriminatory policies in Muslim societies, such as the lack of support for freedom of speech, women's rights, and, ultimately, human rights. Even though I had engaged in sexual relations with almost a dozen people before coming to Canada for university in 2012, it wasn't something I was open about, and looking back I realize my sexuality was still pretty deeply repressed. Due to all these restrictions on us during the horniest years of our lives, in statistically the horniest country (see the above porn stats) in the world, we were forced to get creative during post-pubescent adolescence. Achieving an orgasm was done in various ways, including but not limited to: having sex in a car with tinted windows and parked in the middle of nowhere; sneaking into my sexual partner's home in the middle of the night; sneaking into my partner's father's office, which happened to have a bedroom (WTF?). All this was done while making sure that no one in the house was on the prowl to notify my single father who would've freaked out (sorry, daddy). Hotel rooms were especially helpful. Islamabad, where I grew up, only has two hotels, one being the Marriott, at approximately $150-$200 a nightwhich, for a teenager who had to bear the brunt of the currency conversion, was a ridiculously high sum. But alas, in Pakistan, even paying for a sexual sanctuary isn't enough. The person who booked the room (the guy) would have to go up first, while the other waited about fifteen minutes to ensure no one from the concierge or security caught on to the fact we were about to have wild, rampant pre-marital sex. And then if you were caught, you had to deal with a shitstorm of rage. My aunt's boyfriend was beaten to a pulp by my grandfather to "protect her honour." And when my own parents found out about my own tryst, they threw a completely irrational and melodramatic fit about how I was destroying my future and forbade me from ever speaking to the guy again (after notifying his parents and my school). Attempting to embrace my sexuality through my clothing was impossible too, because I had to wear baggy, unflattering t-shirts that diverted attention away from the shape of my breasts. After moving to Toronto just before my 19th birthday, still holding onto the reserved nature that kept me from showing any cleavage whatsoever, I reverted to socializing with my Pakistani peers from back home due to the intensity of my homesickness. But I eventually came to realize that a change in setting has done little to remove the biases of lots (but not all) of the Pakistanis living in Toronto. Hooking up with a Pakistani guy who had a Pakistani roommate made me extremely uncomfortable, due to the conditioned fear of judgement. Eventually, I was introduced to a completely different environment, surrounded by different people with different cultures, values, and mindsets, which made me realize there is no reason I should be ashamed of being who I want to be, but that's what happens when you've been living in a highly judgmental bubble of society. I've never been religious or, I'd like to think, judgmental. But moving to Toronto and walking by Yonge and Dundas on my very first night here was definitely sexual culture shock. Seeing Condom Shack, The Stag Shop, Seduction, and other sex shops so openly in public made me feel a little overwhelmednot necessarily in a bad way. The subtle racism and exoticization of coloured women further overwhelmed me and even slightly grossed me out, primarily because I'm not a zoo animal (even if being told my strange "hybrid" accent was beyond attractive and being seen as an anomaly by some did make hookup culture here all the more exciting). It also made me realize I would never sleep with someone who was ignorant enough to believe all Pakistani women must be religious (yes, this happens) and thus assuming I wouldn't sleep with them. Yet as mentioned, I was deeply repressed, I had no idea how to masturbate (seriously) and in my experience, the majority of the men I had been with were Pakistani and not one of them enjoyed going down on me (in fact, a lot became defensive when the topic came up). I personally think it has to do with the misogynistic theme of our society, as well as the fact sons are generally admired more than daughters in South Asian culture which creates a sense of entitlement: they should not be 'lower' than women in any way, physically or emotionally. Thus, after I met and started hooking up with men who genuinely enjoyed going down on me, I came to the realization that being with someone who doesn't partake in oral sex because of unrequited selfish and egotistical reasons, just isn't worth it. After becoming more comfortable with sexual expression and freedom, I met a couple guys on Tindersome of whom I had mind-blowing sexual chemistry with, and some who called me too reserved and too "prude-ish" for their likingas if I'm going to adjust the levels of my sexual comfort with yours, dude. Most Pakistanis will indulge in premarital sex, and because sex-ed is something that ceases to exist, those who do still end up having to do absurd things like overdosing on emergency contraceptive due to being unaware of the allowed dosage and the repercussions of not reading the minuscule, medicinal instructions written in tiny Urdu print. Or even worse, women are forced to have induced, clandestine abortions, often resorting to painful and unsafe methods because abortions are haram (sinful) in Islam and only permitted when the woman's life is in danger. This basically leaves Pakistanis with no choice about whether they're pro-life or pro-choice: we are pro-life, for life apparently. Perhaps we should take into serious consideration that Pakistanis are potentially the horniest people in the world and start treating sex and sexuality for what it is, instead of shunning it and labelling it as "taboo." Many Pakistani millennials don't see it that way, and I'm certain they are going to keep having sex in random, obsolete places without viable access to safe methods of contraception while they continue to repress their sexualities. Learning and accepting that people's opinion of you no longer matter is possibly the most liberating thing in the world. Being indifferent to small-minded judgements and realizing my world does not revolve around theirs, is what helped me combat the weird, toxic judgmental voice inside my head that constantly called me a "gashti" (Urdu word for slut). All I wanted to beand what I now amis an effortlessly confident woman in her 20s who embraces her sexuality and no longer gives a fuck about what people from back home say or think about her. I've embraced the transition for those particular reasons but also, being able to save $200 on a hotel room for a quickie and being able to have sex on a bed without the fear of your parent or housekeeper walking in during your twenties is definitely a major relief. Hadalat: The number of Syrian refugees gathered in remote desert areas on the Jordanian border and waiting to enter the kingdom has risen to a new high of 59,000, the commander of Jordan's Border Guard Forces said today. In the last three days alone, some 5,000 more Syrians arrived in two sprawling makeshift camps on the border, fleeing renewed fighting in the city of Aleppo, GenSaber al-Mahayreh told reporters. Jordan and the international community are at odds over the fate of the stranded refugees. Aid organizations say Jordan must speed up entry procedures because the refugees live in dire conditions, including inadequate shelter, along the border. The groups note that the UN-run Azraq camp in Jordan stands largely empty and could accommodate tens of thousands more refugees. Jordan says refugees pose a potential security risk, with some coming from areas controlled by the extremist Islamic State group, and need to be vetted. The stranded refugees are gathered in two areas Rokban, with 52,000 people, and Hadalat, with 7,200 people, said the border commander. Hadalat is about 320 kilometers (200 miles) northeast of the Jordanian capital of Amman. The number of refugees has risen steadily in recent months. Jordanian army officials said the refugees have received tents, heaters, food and medicine from UN aid agencies. Today, about 300 refugees were permitted to enter Jordan, with priority given to women, children, the sick and the elderly. Ahmed Jadouh, a refugee from Aleppo, said there is large-scale destruction in his city. "We had no other place to go, so we decided to come to Jordan," he said. One refugee, who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of repercussions, said he has been living in a tent near the border for six months. He said he is afraid to apply for entry to Jordan for fear of being sent back to Syria. Close to 5 million Syrians have fled their country since conflict erupted there in 2011, including more than 640,000 who settled in Jordan. Damascus: Syria's army said today it will abide by a two-day ceasefire in second city Aleppo agreed between the United States and Russia. "A truce will be in place in Aleppo for 48 hours from 1:00 am on Thursday (2200 GMT on Wednesday)," a statement from Damascus's army command said, according to the official SANA news agency and state television. Washington and Moscow agreed earlier Wednesday to work with Syria's warring parties to extend a shaky truce to Aleppo, which has seen more than 280 civilians killed in fighting since April 22. "To ensure this continues in a sustainable way, we are coordinating closely with Russia to finalise enhanced monitoring efforts of this renewed cessation," US State Department spokesman Mark Toner said. Last week, Washington and Moscow agreed to monitor a truce between Bashar al-Assad's loyalist forces and opposition in rebels in Latakia and Eastern Ghouta. But the divided city of Aleppo, a major commercial centre in the north of the country, was excluded from their efforts and fierce fighting continued there. Russian officials at first said that they would not try to rein in Assad's forces, whom they said were targeting "terrorists" not party to the ceasefire. But US Secretary of State John Kerry and UN peace envoy Staffan de Mistura have since petitioned Russia for a return to a nationwide truce agreed in February. "We look to Russia as a co-chair of the International Syria Support Group to press for the Assad regime's compliance with this effort," Toner said. Once a nationwide "cessation of hostilities" is again in place, the United States and United Nations hope the warring parties will return to peace talks. London: Britain's government bowed to pressure on Wednesday and agreed to take in some unaccompanied children from Syria who have made their way to Europe. Prime Minister David Cameron's office said children who registered in Greece, Italy or France before March 20, when the European Union struck a deal to return many migrants to Turkey, would be eligible to come to the UK. It did not specify how many Britain would accept. The government said that "the retrospective nature" of its resettlement plan "will avoid creating a perverse incentive for families to entrust their children to people traffickers." Britain has already agreed to resettle up to 3,000 vulnerable child refugees from the Middle East and Africa by 2020, as well as 20,000 Syrians from Middle Eastern refugee camps. But the government had argued that accepting children already in Europe would encourage others to make the dangerous journey. Labour peer Alf Dubs, who came to Britain on the 1930s "kindertransports" of Jewish children from Nazi-occupied Europe, led a campaign to get Cameron's Conservative government to change its mind. Dubs won the support of some Conservative lawmakers, and the government had faced the risk of defeat in a House of Commons vote on the issue next week. "I trust the prime minister will be true to his word and move swiftly to ensure the Home Office works closely with local authorities to find foster families to give these young people a stable and secure home," Dubs said. Washington: November`s US presidential election is taking shape: Republican billionaire Donald Trump and Democratic power player Hillary Clinton look set for an ugly battle for the White House after a bruising primary season. Trump knocked out his only serious challenger Ted Cruz on Tuesday in Indiana`s key primary, winning 53 percent of the vote against 37 percent for the Texas senator, who raised the white flag and surprisingly pulled out of the race. Over the course of the past 10 months, the 69-year-old Trump -- a Manhattan real estate mogul with no political experience -- has defied the odds, dispatching more than a dozen rivals with more conventional political pedigrees. "We`ll unify the party. We`re going to get people together," Trump said Wednesday on Fox News after seizing the mantle of Republican standard-bearer. "I think we`ll beat Hillary Clinton." A new CNN poll looking ahead to the next phase of the White House race however found Clinton, the former secretary of state hoping to become America`s first female commander-in-chief, leading the billionaire real estate mogul. The 68-year-old Clinton has 54 percent support to 41 percent for Trump, the poll showed -- her largest lead since July. Tuesday`s contest in the midwestern Hoosier State was the final firewall thrown up by Republican heavyweights to keep the brash, name-calling Trump from locking up the party`s nomination. But as the race was called overwhelmingly in Trump`s favor, Cruz conceded to supporters in Indianapolis that he no longer had a viable path forward. "We left it all on the field in Indiana," Cruz said as he suspended his campaign. "We gave it everything we`ve got, but the voters chose another path." It was a stunning denouement for the 45-year-old arch-conservative Texas senator, who had insisted he would press on to the final day of the Republican race. His departure leaves the low-polling Ohio Governor John Kasich as Trump`s only other challenger for the nomination -- making it a virtual certainty that Trump will go head-to-head on November 8 with Clinton. Having amassed 1,053 delegates, Trump was already in a favorable position to reach the magic number needed to avoid a contested party convention in July. With Cruz out of the race, crossing the threshold is now a foregone conclusion. "I believe Donald Trump will ultimately get chosen, and he`s going to join the party," Republican National Committee chief Reince Priebus said Wednesday, in an extraordinary embrace of a candidate the party establishment had fought tooth and nail to stop. "We need to get behind the Republican nominee, and that`s what I`m going to try to do for the next several months."Clinton, meanwhile, suffered a shock upset in Indiana as her rival Bernie Sanders mounted a come-from-behind victory, denying the former first lady and US senator a feather in her cap as she moves closer to claim her party`s nomination. The self-declared democratic socialist beat Clinton 52.5 percent to 47.5 percent, providing a shot in the arm to his campaign and further justification for staying in a race that Team Clinton and many pundits have said is all but finished. "The Clinton campaign thinks this campaign is over. They`re wrong," Sanders said in a statement. "We are in this campaign to win and we`re going to fight until the last vote is cast," he added. "There is nothing I would like more than to take on and defeat Donald Trump, someone who must never become president of this country." But the delegate count tells the tale: Clinton is at 2,217 delegates -- just shy of the 2,383 needed to secure the nomination, according to a CNN tally. Sanders is at 1,443. The Democrats hold their party convention in July in Philadelphia.Even before the Indiana results, Trump and Clinton had pivoted toward one another. "I`m really focused on moving into the general election," Clinton said confidently Tuesday in West Virginia. "That`s where we have to be because we are going to have a tough campaign against a candidate who`ll literally say or do anything," she said of Trump. "We`re going to take him on at every turn." Trump meanwhile spoke Wednesday about his potential running mate, saying he wanted someone with "political experience." "I would like to have somebody that could truly be good with respect to dealing with the Senate, dealing with Congress, getting legislation passed," he told ABC. Clinton`s campaign chairman John Podesta said Trump`s propensity to "bully and divide Americans" could backfire with an electorate looking for economic opportunities and to be kept safe. "Throughout this campaign, Donald Trump has demonstrated that he`s too divisive and lacks the temperament to lead our nation and the free world," Podesta said in a statement. "With so much at stake, Donald Trump is simply too big of a risk." YEREVAN, MAY 3, ARMENPRESS. Nagorno Karabakh conflict should be resolved within the OSCE Minsk Group and with peaceful means, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Brazil to Armenia Edson Marinho Duarte Monteiro said this during the press conference at Armenpress press hall. In recent days the situation escalated in the line of contact, violence took place which is not good. The official stance of Brazil is to resolve the conflict with peaceful means, through negotiations. Karabakh conflict is very sensitive issue, and it is not so that Brazil can be involved in the settlement of the conflict, the Ambassador said. YEREVAN, MAY 3, ARMENPRESS. U.S. Ambassador to Armenia Richard Mills and Deputy Chief of Political/Economic Section at the U.S. Embassy Ruben Harutyunyan were hosted at the Supreme Council of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation. They met with ARF Bureau members Armen Rustamyan, Giro Manoyan and Supreme Council representative Aghvan Vardanyan, Armenpress was informed from ARF press service. Giro Manoyan told that the meeting was held on their initiative, and when the invitation was sent to the Embassy, the military operations by Azerbaijan had not started yet. He added that the military operations changed the agenda and the meeting was mainly focused on the developments in Nagorno Karabakh. We expressed our expectations from the international community, Minsk Group Co-chairs, saying that things must be called in their real names, Manoyan said. The ARF members conveyed their concerns over Turkish negative involvement in regional affairs, as well as possible developments with Turkeys participation. The sides touched upon RPA-ARF cooperation, position of the ARF on the new draft electoral code and reforms in electoral sphere, as well as possible U.S. support to those initiatives. U.S. Ambassador Richard Mills told that the reinforcement of the 1994 ceasefire agreement reconfirmed in 2016 is a priority issue for the OSCE Minsk Group Co-chairs at the moment. He also attached much importance to taking confidence-building measures and return to negotiation table. As refers to U.S. support to reform in electoral system, Ambassador Mills stated that the USA has always supported and will continue to support strengthening democracy in Armenia, including such electoral systems that will be trusted by the people. The Ambassador stated that both the authorities and the opposition have much to do in that regard. The sides agreed to meet more often. YEREVAN, MAY 4, ARMENPRESS. This year for the first time a delegation of Armenian organizations will lay a wreath at the Memorial of Dam Square in Amsterdam during the National Remembrance Day of the victims of World War II on 4 May 2016, Federation of Armenian Organisations in the Netherlands informed Armenpress. The Federation of Armenian Organizations in the Netherlands (FAON) will pay tribute to the victims of the war, including thousands of Armenians from the Soviet army, who were sent to the Netherlands by the Germans as Soviet prisoners of war, under the name of Armenian battalions. They were mainly stationed on the islands in provinces Zeeland and South Holland. During their stay (1943 1944) they constantly sought and found contacts with the Dutch resistance. Many of them were therefore shot dead by Germans. Only a small percentage of these Armenians survived the final phase of the WWII. This episode of history from the WWII are mostly known in the Netherlands from the book Follow the track back by J.B. Charles, pseudonym of the criminologist professor W.H. Nagel, an autobiographical essay about his activity at the Dutch resistance, where he reports about his numerous contacts with the Armenians of the Armenian battalions in the resistance. He also describes extensively the background and culture of the Armenians. YEREVAN, MAY 4, ARMENPRESS. Around 16 years ago Syrian-Armenian Artsiv Kirazyan was a successful photographer in Aleppo; however after visiting Armenia in 2000, he immediately decided to relocate. He was very famous in both Syria and Lebanon, he photographed everything, and he even photographed the opening ceremony of the Armenian Church in Deir Ezzor. However the photography business was not developed in Armenia during those times. In 2003 he had to change his profession. Along with his wife Manushak, he noticed that there are no specialized diners in Armenia. They decided to open a small restaurant and serve such authentic Armenian dishes, which were long forgotten. His wife said cooking was her hobby in Syria, not a profession. We are very happy that now people are ordering by differentiating, for example the kebab of Urfa, or the Kebab of Tigranakert. We have found recipes of such old Armenian dishes that only a handful of people know in the whole world, Artsiv said. Artsiv said before the clashes began, in early 2000s, it was obvious that war in unavoidable. He wanted his children to grow up in safety. I adapted easily in my new home, because I came without hesitation, he says. He even had offers to work in photography business in Russia, but he wished to stay in Armenia. Artsiv expressed regret that many Armenian leave to work abroad. He says irrespective of the work, it is better to do it in your homeland and serve your people. As a result many Armenians visit Armenia only in their final years of life. Even if they dont, their sons do, he said. The Government must create favorable conditions for Syrian-Armenians, so each and everyone works in his sphere and helps develop the country, not leave for another one. Of course we want to live a careless life; however we want to live in our homeland. I will not leave Armenia, no matter what, Artsiv said as a conclusion. YEREVAN, MAY 4, ARMENPRESS. West Virginia became the 44th state to recognize the Armenian Genocide with Governor Earl Ray Tomblins proclamation declaring April 2016 as Genocide Awareness and Prevention Month in the Mountain State, Armenian National Committee of US told Armenpress. Citing the murder over 1.5 million Armenians and one million Greeks and Assyrians from 1915-1923, and the ongoing genocide against Christians, Yazidis and other minorities in the Middle East, Governor Tomblins proclamation notes that recognizing and consistently remembering the Armenian Genocide, the Holocaust, and all cases of past and ongoing genocide, we help protect historic memory, ensure that similar atrocities do not occur again, and remain vigilant against hatred, persecution and tyranny. Local ANCA advocates Hamparsum Kasparyan, Nancy J. Tolliver and Amy N Tolliver played an integral role in working with state officials in support of the proclamation. In 1915, my grandfather, Hamparsum, a prosperous wheat broker in Ankara, Turkey, was pulled from his home in the middle of the night, and beheaded. The same happened to many of the more educated and prosperous Armenians in Turkey at the time, explained Hamparsum Kasparyan. My grandfather was a kind and very generous man. During a drought he opened his silos and fed 40 towns of people. I am hoping that this West Virginia proclamation recognizing the Armenian Genocide, will in some way assure that others do not go through the same horrible events. YEREVAN, MAY 4, ARMENPRESS. At least 40 journalists have been killed in 18 countries since the beginning of the year, according to the Geneva based NGO Press Emblem Campaign (PEC). Marking World Press Freedom Day, May 3, the PEC is calling for reinforced protection of journalists in conflict zones along with a fight against impunity. Since January, the number of journalists killed: 2.5 per week on average, is the same as last year, when 135 journalists were killed throughout the world. The most murderous countries for media representatives, so far this year, have been Afghanistan (8 killed), Mexico (5 killed), Yemen (5 killed also), Iraq (3 killed), Turkey (3 killed), Syria (2 killed) and Pakistan (2 killed). These countries all comprise areas of extended conflict. In the case of Turkey, two of the three victims were Syrian journalists targeted in the border region by the Islamic State. One journalist was also killed in each of the following countries: Bangladesh, Brazil, Burkina-Faso, El Salvador, Guatemala, Guinea, Honduras, India, Philippines, Russia, Venezuela. PEC Secretary-General Blaise Lempen stressed that those crimes must not go unpunished. Journalists are indispensable witnesses in countries in the throes of armed conflict. We are asking that independent inquiries be carried out rapidly regarding all these crimes, without exception, and that those responsible be identified and brought to justice, Lempen insists. Impunity is particularly flagrant in Mexico and Honduras. In Brazil and Colombia, on the other hand, fragile progress has been made, and those responsible have been convicted by the courts. However, several journalists have been injured in other attacks in recent months in Brazil. In Yemen, many journalists have been kidnapped by the belligerents and remain in captivity. The PEC also denounced the measures taken against foreign journalists by the Turkish authorities, as well as the trial behind closed doors of the Cumhuriyet journalists Can Dundar and Erdem Gul. The Campaign also notes with concern ever more frequent attacks on freedom of expression in Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Burundi and Russia. YEREVAN, MAY 4, ARMENPRESS. Defense Ministry of Azerbaijan, keeping salient on their causalities during the large scale military aggression against Nagorno Karabakh on April 1-5, started to announce the names of their causalities at the beginning of May only after the photos of their funeral were appeared in the social networks. The Azerbaijani media which cite the press service of Azerbaijani Defense Ministry, announced the loss of 19 year old Azerbaijani soldier Amrah Aydin oglu Yuzbeyov on May 3. Most likely, the killed soldier is an ethnic Lezgin. Azerbaijani Defense Minister also announced the death of another Azerbaijani soldier. Azerbaijan officially announced about 33 causalities during April without mentioning any name of its soldiers. However, Azerbaijani Meydan TV operating in abroad based on their own research in social networks announced 101 Azerbaijani causalities with their names, the place and the day of their funeral. Azerbaijans Defense Ministry urged the Meydan TV to keep away from announcing the names of their causalities since it is a state secret. After that Meydan TV no more provides information on the Azerbaijani causalities. Moreover, a criminal case has been fired against the local staff of Meydan TV. International Bellingcat analytic group announces that Azerbaijan with its cautious estimates had at least 400 causalities on April 1-5. According to the NKR Defense Armys information as a result of respective counterattack by the Armenian side Azerbaijan lost 2 helicopters, 24 tanks, 6 armored vehicles, 12 UAVs, 1 engineering vehicle, 1 TOS-1A, 1 BMP, 1 GRAD multiple rocket launcher. Azerbaijani side had more than 500 causalities and about 200 wounded. According to the NKR Defense Ministry the situation in the line of contact of Nagorno Karabakh-Azerbaijan overnight May 3-4 was tense. Azerbaijani forces violated the ceasefire agreement by firing different caliber weapons and mortars. The Nagorno Karabakhi Armed Forces continue monitoring the borders and take countermeasures only in case of strict necessity. YEREVAN, MAY 4, ARMENPRESS. Minister of Education and Science of Armenia Levon Mkrtchyan met with the newly appointed Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Tajikistan to Armenia H.E. Imomuddin Sattorov (residence in Moscow). The minister congratulated the Ambassador on his appointment and expressed hope that he will contribute to the cooperation in the educational field between Armenia and Tajikistan. The upcoming signing of the memorandum of understanding between the two countries in the educational sphere and issues related to development of ties between universities were discussed. The Ambassador expressed willingness to take appropriate steps to strengthen and deepen the Armenia-Tajikistan relations in the sphere of education and science. YEREVAN, MAY 4, ARMENPRESS. Political scientist Hrant Melik-Shahnazaryan says Azerbaijans strong reaction to the issue of Nagorno Karabakhs involvement in the upcoming session of the Armenian Government is related to the official Bakus fear. It is obvious that Azerbaijan has a fear on the start of the Artsakh recognition process. They perfectly understand that it will be the final solution of the policy they carry out for years. Azerbaijan understood that Armenias recognition of Artsakh Republic will be followed by the recognition of other states. Concerning the Azerbaijani statements against Armenia for ceasing the negotiation process, political scientist stated that Azerbaijan tries with such cases to blame the Armenian side for this. If we look from the real political viewpoint, we see that Azerbaijan refused from negotiations, then it launched military aggression which means that Azerbaijan refuses. And now Azerbaijan tries to blame Armenia for being guilty for the existing situation, he said. Political scientist also spoke about the role of Minsk Group Co-Chairs stating that today a criticism should be directed to them since they had the resources to restraint Azerbaijan, however, they did not use them. He noted that the Artsakh recognition is the final solution of the existing situation. The Armenian side will sooner or later put this issue on the agenda. Azerbaijanis must understand that if they start a new conflict, they will have serious losses. If this process will be correctly elaborated in Azerbaijan, we can hope that there will not be any clashes. However, frankly, I do not believe in that, we should not expect any adequate steps by Azerbaijan, political scientist concluded. YEREVAN, MAY 4, ARMENPRESS. Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian participated in the EU Eastern Partnership and Visegard Four Foreign Ministers (Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hunagry) meeting in Prague on May 4. Commissioner for European Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations Johannes Hahn came with an opening speech during the meeting, Press Service of MFA of Armenia informed Armenpress. Armenian Foreign Minister made a speech during the meeting which says: Dear colleagues, I would like to thank the Visegrad Four Czech Presidency and Lubomir for hosting this ministerial meeting. Last year we had an opportunity to host in Yerevan the representatives of the ministries of foreign affairs of the V4 countries to discuss the possibilities of deepening of Armenia-V4 ties. 2015 was a special year for the Armenia-EU cooperation including intensive dialogue and high-level visits. The launch of the negotiations on the future Armenia - EU framework agreement last December will enable us to lay a new legal foundation for our relations. Armenia has joined or is in the process of joining a number of the EU programs: COSME, Horizon 2020, Creative Europe. We look forward to start soon visa liberalization dialogue and negotiations on the Aviation agreement. Riga Summit Joint Declaration reaffirmed our shared vision of the Partnership based on common values, mutual interests and commitments. The Summit also reiterated full support to the efforts by the co-chairs of the Minsk Group on the peaceful negotiated solution of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict, based on the five statements of Presidents of the Minsk group Co-chair countries adopted since 2009. We all remember, how Azerbaijan tried to block the entire Riga Summit declaration because of the reference to the Minsk Group Co-Chair countries Presidents statements. However, the calls of the international community on the exclusively peaceful settlement of the issue were continuously neglected by Baku. In early April, the large-scale military aggressive actions unleashed by Azerbaijan against Nagorno Karabakh, resulted in many killed and wounded, along with the gross violations of the international humanitarian law and international human rights law. Despite the repeated calls of the Co-Chairs of the Minsk group for the unconditional implementation of the trilateral ceasefire agreement of 1994 and the agreement on the consolidation of the ceasefire of 1995, signed by Azerbaijan, Nagorno Karabakh and Armenia, Baku is attempting to put under the question the validity of those documents, by distributing appropriate letters in the OSCE and the UN. Those attempts were failed due to prompt reaction of the Minsk group co-chair states, calling for full respect of 1994-1995 ceasefire agreements. Azerbaijan has continued the violations, concentrating heavy weaponry and military forces along the entire Line of Contact with Nagorno Karabakh, further increasing its warmongering and launching a provocative propaganda campaign on international arena trying to accuse the Armenian side in exactly what it is itself doing, thus preparing ground for new military attacks which can have far-reaching consequences for the whole region. Today, it is imperative to preclude the future reoccurrence of what happened in the beginning of April, to ensure that the dangerous attempts on seeking military solution to the issue will be effectively curbed. The implementation of the confidence building measures proposed by the Co-chairs will certainly serve that purpose, including the creation of the mechanism of investigation for the violations of the cease-fire and capacity enhancement of the team of the Personal representative of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office. Such concrete steps could allow to restore the negotiation environment and continue the peace process. Dear Colleagues, Armenia will spare no efforts working together with the co-chair countries towards the exclusively peaceful resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. Thank you. YEREVAN, MAY 4, ARMENPRESS. New Awakening initiative created by Armenians of Turkey strongly condemned Turkish authorities new policy of targeting several MPs of Pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) and in particular the Armenian MP Garo Paylan. Armenpress reports, the initiative made a statement saying Garo Paylan and other MPs are not alone. Turkeys ruling Justice and Development Party concerned over the joint struggle and the activity of people, this time targeted an Armenian MP from HDP Garo Paylan. JDP authorities, who want to isolate Kurdish people and their struggle, again conducted their discriminative and racist policy. They should know that Garo Paylan and other HDP representatives are not alone. They have been elected by our people. Such kind of policy is condemned to failure, representatives of the initiative said. They announced that they condemn in-advanced planned attack against Garo Paylan. YEREVAN, MAY 4, ARMENPRESS. Azerbaijanis once again remembered their nomadic identity. It can occur only in Azerbaijan that a public toilet opens by a solemn ceremony in the 21st century organized by authorities accompanied by the national anthem of that country. Armenpress reports, citing pro-governmental Azerbaijani haqqin.az website, a solemn opening ceremony of the first public toilet has taken place in Azerbaijan. The outdoor toilets of two schools in Beylagan District, located nearby Nagorno Karabakh Republic, were put into public use with the support of Japan governments grant project. Head of Beylagan District Executive Authority Vagif Abdullayev expressed deep gratitude to the Japanese government for such an exclusive gift. YEREVAN, MAY 4, ARMENPRESS. Minister of Diaspora of Armenia Hranush Hakobyan is concerned over the personal security of Armenian member of Turkish parliament Garo Paylan, Minister Hakobyan told Armenpress, commenting on the violence and attacks on the MP in the recent days. The footage that appeared on the internet in the recent days clearly shows that the Turkish MPs attack Armenian MP Garo Paylan in an in-advance planned manner, subjecting him to physical violence and shouting offensive words addressed to his Armenian identity. These are overt attempts of silencing calls for justice and a racist demonstration of ethnic discrimination, which, unfortunately, continue in Turkey for over 100 years. The Armenian MP, believing that the parliament is a platform for free expression of opinions, voiced about the brutal assassination of 7 Armenian MPs during the Armenian Genocide, raising the issue of the investigation of those murders and reburial of the MPs. This irritated the representatives of the ruling party. The MP, that enjoys trust of the people, is subjected to physical, psychological and moral tortures, while the international community is indifferent to this situation that has no links with civilization. We are really worried over the personal security of Garo Paylan. We know that years ago Hrant Dink was killed in Turkey for freely and boldly expressing his ideas, the trial of which continues up till now, periodically taking a form of farce, Hranush Hakobyan said. YEREVAN, MAY 4, ARMENPRESS. Cadre policy of the army is conducted in a planned way, Defense Minister of Armenia told the reporters after behind-doors discussion with MPs, commenting on the dismissal of high ranking military officials. Commands and decisions in the army are not subject to discussion, though they are based also on respective discussions and proposals. Of course, if you are talking about those cadre changes, I can answer briefly. They are linked with the situation and are intended for improving governance, Armenpress reports Minister Ohanyan saying. Seyran Ohanyan did not answer the question of a reporter if the military officials were dismissed because of their shortcomings during the 4-day war. I already said; please do not ask extra questions. Referring to the question if criminal liability would be imposed on the high ranking officials, the Minister answered that they will not be subjected to criminal liability. President Serzh Sargsyan signed a decree on April 26 dismissing Alik Mirzabekyan from the post of Deputy Minister Head of Logistics Department of the Ministry of Defense. President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan signed another decree on April 26 dismissing Komitas Muradyan from the post of Head of the Communications and ACS Department of the Defense Ministry. By another decree President Serzh Sargsyan dismissed Arshak Karapetyan from the post of Intelligence Department Head of the General Staff of the Armed Forces. YEREVAN, MAY 4, ARMENPRESS. While the international community struggles against the barbaric acts of terrorist organizations, a country which is considered a subject of the international law, carries out actions of the same inhumane style, Deputy Foreign Minister of Armenia Shavarsh Kocharyan told Armenpress. -Mr. Kocharyan, how would you comment on the fact, that the Azerbaijani president awarded and had a photo with the Azerbaijani soldier, who, according to the Azerbaijani news sites, days ago was demonstratively depicted on a photo with the cut off head of Qyaram Sloyan, serviceman of the NK Defense Army? - Encouragement of crimes of such kind at the highest state level is not a new phenomenon in Azerbaijan. Ramil Safarov, who axe-murdered the Armenian soldier in his sleep in Budapest and was sentenced to life imprisonment by the Hungarian Court, was released by the president of Azerbaijan right after being extradited to Baku in 2012, and then awarded and glorified. Targeted bombardment of schools, during which schoolchildren were killed and injured, torturing and tormenting to death the elderly people, mutilation of bodies of captured NK servicemen during the military aggression unleashed by Azerbaijan against Nagorno-Karabakh in early April, proves that Azerbaijan has adopted a policy of perpetration of terror acts and crimes against humanity, encouraged and guided on state level. While the international community fights against barbaric actions of terrorist groups, Azerbaijan, a country which is considered a subject of the international law, carries out actions of the same inhumane style. YEREVAN, MAY 4, ARMENPRESS. The Defense Ministry of Armenia conducts relevant analyses of possible actions of Azerbaijan, as well as assessment of armed forces of both Armenia and Azerbaijan. Defense Minister Seyran Ohanyan told the reporters at the National Assembly, commenting on the movements and conglomeration of Azerbaijani troops on Karabakh-Azerbaijan contact line. Of course, the situation on the front line is tense and at any moment any operation can start, Armenpress reports Ohanyan saying. He assured that the NKR Defense Army fulfills the tasks put before it excellently. The Defense Army is ready to implement defensive, as well as other tasks. The Minister stated. To the question if there will be another war, Ohanyan answered that at the moment there is only temporary truce. I always recognize my motherland, Seyran Ohanyan said, answering the question of what is his position on recognizing Nagorno Karabakh Republic by Armenia. YEREVAN, MAY 4, ARMENPRESS. Foreign Minister of Russia Sergey Lavrov finds no reason to panic about the initiative of an Armenian MP to discuss the issue of the recognition of the independence of Nagorno Karabakh, Armenpress reports, Ria Novosti informs. As refers to the information of recognizing Nagorno Karabakh, it is a proposal of two members of the Armenian parliament. And the Government of Armenia, in line with their law, must prepare an opinion on that bill, something that they have explained to everyone, calming down passions. I see no reason to alarm or panic, Lavrov said. He mentioned that he had held a discussion with his counterpart. Yerevans commitment to peaceful settlement was clearly reconfirmed. That means that the status of Karabakh will be decided in the context of the general agreement, but not unilaterally, the Minister said. The Government of Armenia will discuss the bill of recognizing Nagorno Karabakh Republic during the session on May 5. MPs Zaruhi Postanjyan and Hrant Bagratyan are the authors of the bill. YEREVAN, MAY 4, ARMENPRESS. Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian answered a question of a journalist referring Nagorno Karabakh conflict during a joint press conference in Prague. The Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mamedyarov had answered the same question but, Nalbandian assessed it as A very long lecture, but no answer to a very direct and very clear question. Armenpress reports Nalbandian expressed concern over the fact that murderers are glorified in Azerbaijan. It is enough to proclaim murderers as national heroes of Azerbaijan. It was done with Ramil Safarov and now, you know all the brutalities during a very large scale, very well planned and prepared aggressive military operations against Nagorno-Karabakh and during those operations, DAESH-style brutalities, maybe not DAESH-style, but Baku-style, because before it was the case of Ramil Safarov. Three captured Armenian soldiers were beheaded, and their heads were demonstrated in the villages and cities of Azerbaijan. And one of the murderers was proclaimed just two days ago by the Azerbaijani President as a national hero. Armenian Foreign Minister mentioned that he would not like to go deep into the conflict, but there are some evident facts. The conflict was created by the aggression of Azerbaijan against Nagorno-Karabakh with the use of mercenaries, closely linked to notorious terrorist organizations. The Azerbaijani Foreign Minister recalled the four resolutions of the United Nations Security Council. Why four? Because after the adoption of each resolution, Azerbaijan rejected to respect them. And four resolutions were adopted with one goal - to stop hostilities. Azerbaijan did not respect them, Nalbandian said, clarifying that the mentioned resolutions aiming to cease hostilities but not to solve territorial issues were adopted before the trilateral ceasefire was signed between Armenia, Nagorno Karabakh and Azerbaijan. YEREVAN, MAY 4, ARMENPRESS. Foreign Minister of Armenia participated in the joint press conference of Eastern Partnership and Visegrad Four FMs in Prague. He referred to the question of a reporter referring to the DAESH-ISIS-style behavior of Azerbaijan and its president. As Armenpress was informed from the press service of MFA Armenia, the question and the answer of Minister Nalbandian run as follows, Question: I am representing Orer Czech-Armenian magazine, based in Prague. And my question goes to the Foreign Ministers of V4 countries. Actually it is a very tense situation in the Caucasus now, I wont be politically correct, my question would be rather direct. As the Azerbaijani soldiers demonstratively beheaded the soldier of Nagorno-Karabakh Defense Army during the four-day war a month ago, then he posed with the head in front of video and photo cameras. Only a couple of days ago the Azerbaijani president awarded the highest honour to this war criminal, as he had once decorated the Azeri axe-murderer, extradited from Hungary, you know, to Baku. I would like to know, why don't you give a political evaluation to this DAESH-ISIS-style behaviour of both the soldier, and the president, and the country itself? Thank you very much. Edward Nalbandian (after remarks of Azerbaijani FM Elmar Mammadyarov): A very long lecture, but no answer to a very direct and very clear question. Because I agree that enough is enough, to proclaim murderers as national heroes of Azerbaijan. It was done with Ramil Safarov and now, you know all the brutalities during a very large scale, very well planned and prepared aggressive military operations against Nagorno-Karabakh and during those operations, DAESH-style brutalities, maybe not DAESH-style, but Baku-style, because before it was the case of Ramil Safarov. Three captured Armenian soldiers were beheaded, and their heads were demonstrated in the villages and cities of Azerbaijan. And one of the murderers was proclaimed just two days ago by the Azerbaijani President as a national hero. I will not go to the deep of the history of this conflict, but it is well-known that the conflict was created by the aggression of Azerbaijan against Nagorno-Karabakh with the use of mercenaries, closely linked to notorious terrorist organizations. The Azerbaijani Foreign Minister recalled the four resolutions of the United Nations Security Council. Why four? Because after the adoption of each resolution, Azerbaijan rejected to respect them. And four resolutions were adopted with one goal - to stop hostilities. Azerbaijan did not respect it. Till now, after the ceasefire agreement was reached in 1994 on trilateral basis, signed by Azerbaijan, Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia, and they have no time limitations, the three Co-Chair countries, by the way, these are very well known facts for everybody, permanent members of the Security Council, never made any reference to those resolutions of the SC. Because the SC resolutions were adopted, as I said, to have a cease-fire. And the cease-fire was adopted later on, in 1994, May, by the abovementioned trilateral agreement, then confirmed in July 1994, and then in February 1995. By the way, during this operation, the last operation, the Azerbaijani diplomats were trying to present the situation as if those agreements are not in force. A Note Verbale was sent to Vienna, to the Secretariat of the OSCE saying those agreements are not in force. My colleague told the three Co-Chairs that the Ambassador of Azerbaijan had no instruction to do that, it was unilateral, a personal initiative. And the three Co-Chairs, because Note Verbale was not withdrawn, were obliged to send their own Verbal Note saying, no, the three agreements of 1994, 1995 have no time limitations, and they have to be respected and fully implemented, and the oral arrangement reached on April 5th, 2016, in Moscow pursued the goal of stopping hostilities, to restore the ceasefire agreements of 1994, 1995. Later on, another Azerbaijani diplomat distributed another Note Verbale in New York, in the UN. Again my colleague told the three Co-Chairs that it was without his instructions, the diplomat had just initiated it on a personal basis and distributed this letter. But because this Note Verbale was not withdrawn, so the three Co-Chair countries, just to remind they are the three permanent members of the UN security Council - Russia, United States and France - they were obliged to distribute last Saturday a letter saying that the trilateral ceasefire agreements reached in 1994, 1995 have to be fully respected. What do we have today? Very negative consequences of this aggression against Nagorno-Karabakh, the aggression at the beginning of April. And we have to continue our efforts together with the three Co-Chairs to restore a negotiating environment and to assure, guarantee no repetition of such kind of things, which happened in the beginning of April, and first of all to implement the proposal of the Co-Chairs to create the mechanism of investigation of the violation of the ceasefire, rejected by Azerbaijan, accepted by Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh. And another proposal - to increase, to enhance, to make stronger the capacities of the office and the team of the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office on the ground, but not to reduce the capacities of this team, that Azerbaijan is trying to do. That is what we have, and Armenia will continue its efforts together with the three Co-Chair countries to find an exclusively peaceful, negotiated solution for this conflict. Protesters rally in February against hundreds more asylum seekers, including babies, being deported to Nauru. The island nation of Nauru is one the worlds smallest countriesbut its home to a big controversy. Yesterday (May 2) a Somali woman set herself on fire to bring attention to that controversy. Days earlier an Iranian man did the same. Both are among hundreds of refugees whove spent years on the sweltering Pacific island. Australias ruling Liberal party, led by prime minister Malcolm Turnbull, has taken a harsh stance against accepting refugees arriving by boat. The government pays Nauru much-needed money to host the detention center, which is a whopping 3,328 kilometers from Brisbane. It has made it a policy to send refugees who try to reach Australia by boat to the center (or other centers), and refuses to welcome them to Australia. Many of the asylum seekers have fled violence and hardship in the Middle East, Afghanistan, and South Asia. Conditions for the refugees on Nauru are difficultbad enough that the recent self-immolations are just the latest examples of people hurting themselves in protest. In 2013 more than a dozen refugees on Nauru stitched their lips together as part of hunger strike over their treatment. Last week four people drank washing powder to protest. Two Iranian women have gone missing. One man attempted suicide despite being the sole parent of an eight-year-old girl. Australian immigration minister Peter Dutton released a statement today (May 3) on the self-immolation of the Somali woman, noting she had been transferred to a hospital in Australia for care. He suggested that refugees such as her were being encouraged by advocates and others to engage in behaviors they believe will pressure the government to bring them to Australia. Refugee advocates have stridently denied such accusations from government officials in the past. Last month Dutton responded to attacks from the Labor partywhich will challenge the Liberal party in elections in Julyover the tough stance. He argued that the current policies have dramatically reduced the amount of people-smuggling and number of illegal maritime arrivals in Australia. Letting the refugees now on Nauru into the Australia, the argument goes, will only encourage more dangerous sea journeys. Story continues Turnbull recently warned Australians to not get misty-eyed on immigration policy. But conditions have been so bad for so long on Nauru that opinionboth national and internationalseems to be turning increasingly against the harsh policies. Yesterday the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees issued a statement calling for the immediate movement of [Nauru] refugees and asylum-seekers to humane conditions. On Twitter hashtags like #mistyeyed and #only19reportedly the age of the female refugee who set herself on firehave become rallying points for Australians opposed to the policies. Sign up for the Quartz Daily Brief, our free daily newsletter with the worlds most important and interesting news. More stories from Quartz: The owner of the group that includes The Los Angeles Times on Wednesday rejected a takeover bid by rival Gannett to create a national newspaper powerhouse, saying it undervalues the publisher. The $815 million bid "understates the company's true value and is not in the best interests of our shareholders," said a statement from Tribune Publishing, which owns the big Los Angeles newspaper as well as the Chicago Tribune, Baltimore Sun, Orlando Sentinel, Hartford Courant and other dailies. The offer announced last month would combine the big metropolitan dailies with USA Today and its more than 100 publications around the United States. Tribune Publishing chief executive Justin Dearborn said the company was carrying out its own strategic plan to adapt the company's newspapers to digital. "Tribune Publishing is in the early stages of a compelling transformation, with a well-defined strategic plan to drive increasing monetization of our important brands, capitalize on the global potential of the LA Times and significantly accelerate our conversion of content to revenue through an enhanced digital strategy," Dearborn said. "While the board is always open to evaluating any credible proposal that it believes to be in the best interests of the company and its shareholders, Gannett's opportunistic proposal understates the company's true value and is not a basis for further discussion." Dearborn added that the company believes "our standalone strategic plan will generate shareholder value in excess of Gannett's proposal." Tribune Publishing group was spun off the larger Tribune Co. in 2014, and has been examining options such as the sale of the coveted Los Angeles daily. Earlier this year, it lost a bid for the Orange County Register after US antitrust officials objected to its merger with The Los Angeles Times, claiming it would have too much dominance in southern California. Gannett last month said its Tribune offer had been rejected in private talks, but went public with its bid in an effort to win over the board. Gannett last year became the latest media conglomerate to break itself apart, splitting off its television operations into a new firm called Tegna. The TTIP deal has fanned mass protests in Germany, with thousands demonstrating in Hannover ahead of US President Barack Obama's visit on April 24, 2016 Will the ambitious Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership, the world's largest trade pact, ever see the light of day? After leaks from the closed-door negotiations surfaced Monday, a deal between the Americans and the Europeans looks less likely as skepticism over the agreement grows on both sides of the Atlantic. Engaged in tough trade negotiations since mid-2013, the United States and the European Union tried to downplay the trove of TTIP documents put online by Greenpeace, describing them as "misleading" and deploring "wrong" interpretations of them. But the fact remains: Despite the efforts of US President Barack Obama, who wants to clinch the trade deal by the end of the year, success is looking increasingly unlikely. A halt in the TTIP negotiations is "the most probable option," a top French trade official said on Tuesday, blaming Washington for the impasse. Given France's weight in the EU, "there cannot be an agreement without France, and much less against France," said Matthias Fekl, a junior minister responsible for representing Paris in the talks. Edward Alden of the Council on Foreign Relations, a US think tank, said the most striking element of the leaked documents was that it showed "the two sides are still so far apart in the negotiations, that there are such big issues that remain unresolved." With the TTIP, the United States and the 28-nation European Union want to topple regulatory and tariff barriers to trade and investment. There are plenty of thorny issues to tackle, from market access to opening up the EU services sector and improving European access to US government procurement projects. - 'A period of tremendous uncertainty' - Negotiators wrapped up the 13th round of talks in New York on Friday said they had made progress in the talks, as is customary. But there was a sense of irritation on the European side about the US refusal to open access to its public procurement. "We need to reach a similar level of progress in market access procurement as we have already done in tariffs and services in order to move the negotiations towards the endgame," said Ignacio Garcia Bercero, chief negotiator for the European Commission. Story continues The clock, however, is ticking. An ardent defender of TTIP, Obama will leave the White House in January and his successor, who will be elected in November, could be less inclined to promote free trade -- an issue that has fallen out of favor with a public distraught over jobs lost overseas. The situation is hardly less politically sensitive in Europe where there are deep suspicions that the deal will erode ecological and health regulations to the advantage of big business. "If the deal cannot be concluded under the Obama administration, further progress in the talks likely will have to wait after the different European elections in 2017," said Harvard law professor Mark Wu, a former official at the US Trade Representative which is representing Washington in the negotiations. Next year, general elections will be held in both Germany and France, where debate over the TTIP is intense and could feature in their respective campaigns. French leaders appear to have already given in to skepticism, after a week in which Prime Minister Manuel Valls and President Francois Hollande toughened their tone and pledged to oppose any accord that lacks guarantees on quality standards for health, the environment and French agriculture, among other issues. Germany also has ratcheted up pressure, predicting the proposed deal "will fail" if Washington refuses to make concessions in the protracted talks. And the possibility that Britain could decide to leave the EU in a June 23 referendum is yet another cloud hanging over the talks. "It's a period of tremendous uncertainty for trade policy in both the US and Europe," said Alden. - 'Leaks to embolden opponents' - The Greenpeace leaks, meanwhile, risk ossifying positions further, particularly among the public. "The leaks will embolden opponents of the deal and make it harder to try to bridge these differences," Wu said. After the documents emerged, US environmental group Sierra Club came out against the treaty, saying it was "heading in the wrong direction and would put President Obama?s trade policy on the wrong side of history." And Washington activist group Public Citizen said the leaks show "business will gain enormous power to block, slow, undermine and repeal European regulations." The leaks are not the first hiccup for the TTIP, which in 2014 was hit by revelations that the US National Security Agency was spying in Europe. But they could end up lowering ambitions for the pact, even though Washington and Brussels have said they opposed any "TTIP light." "Both sides will see a TTIP light as preferable to a complete failure of the negotiations," Alden said. Greenpeace charges that a massive US-EU trade deal would place corporate interests above environmental and consumer safety concerns, as it released classified documents from the secret negotiations. Sunday, 01 May 2016 In hacking tags: fbi Obligatory Disclaimer: Personal or political views presented within this post absolutely do not reflect those of my employer(s), client(s), and/or legal counsel. In the final week of November 2015, a Special Agent from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Mr. Mark Burnett, knocked on the door of my familys home and left his card, with an additional phone number penciled in. All my family members residing in America had planned a week-long vacation and were all on a remote island. When the FBI receives DHS flight records as if theyre the morning paper, I must admit that whatever reasons for why the Bureau didnt know that I or my family were absent escape me entirely. My mom found the above card of Agent Burnett, face down on the marble entryway of the house, some days after returning home from vacation. As credit to her and my dad, and, the sheer chaos of every member of our family (including my sibling) being hackers/programmers, at first they didnt assume the card had anything to do with me. After all, I dont live in America anymore, and also anyone who knows me in the slightest is well aware that Im so horribly busy with work such that for several years Ive often ignored, stood up, and let down my closest friends. My mother assumed that, if it were really important, the agent would call her. He did, while she was at work a couple days later. (As an aside: that any random FBI agent has the ability to learn someones personal cell phone number and use it uninvited is, in my opinion, extremely threatening and unacceptable.) He didnt say what he wanted, only that he wanted to know how to contact her daughter. I was travelling (as always), and my mother didnt have a phone number for me. I had already been in the process of moving, permanently, to Germany, and had retained a German immigrations lawyer several months prior to these events. In late November, not knowing this had already been taking place, I returned to the US for two weeks to visit family and friends for the holidays, collect my remaining belongings, and make any needed long-term arrangements. Word got to my lawyer in the US, who decided to call FBI Special Agent Mark Burnett, on that Friday, saying that he represented me and my family. Burnett said the FBI simply wanted to ask me some questions. My lawyer responded by stating that, as my invoked representation, all questions should be directed to him rather than to me or my family. The agent agreed, paused while some muffled male voices were heard in the background, and asked to call back in five minutes. Five minutes later, Burnett called back and said, I dont believe you actually represent her. Burnett stated additionally that a phone call from me might suffice, but that the FBI preferred to meet with me in person. After a pause he said, But if we happen to run into her on the street, were gonna be asking her some questions without you present. My lawyer and I discussed what the FBI could possibly want. Theories ranged from attempted entrapment, to the recent and completely unethical Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) attacks on the live Tor network, to a Grand Jury subpoena for someone else, to some shady request for a backdoor in some software I contribute to. We honestly could not come up with any coherent rationale for why the FBI would suddenly decide to come after me, as, to my knowledge, I have done nothing which should warrant any interest besides my contributions to open source encryption tools. In the case that they might have asked for a backdoor, I tried to distract myself from the overwhelming (I dont think Ive actually fully understood the word overwhelming before these events) stress. I still planned to continue moving, of course, but now things would need to go to different places, and by different means. I didnt know if Id be stopped at the US border, or even prevented entirely from leaving. I started having panic attacks, thinking that Id need to get myself and literally every object, including electronics, that I cared about accross the border, knowing theyd have the ability to detain me and mess with my belongings for as long as they liked. Every device I owned could be compromised, Id lose all my data, my pictures of family and loved ones, fiction Id wrote as a teenager, and Lisp Id wrote as a child. Ill admit I actually cried, not knowing when Id hug my mom again. I prepared myself mentally, trying to model every possible tactic the FBI could play and my planned response. If they ask for information on anyone else, or think I witnessed or committed some crime: I solemnly invoke my Miranda rights. No joking. No snark. No fucking around. Everyone knows you dont talk to the police. If they want a backdoor, or some other extralegal information about users or systems, likewise: Id ask for my lawyers and shut up. I didnt talk to anyone who wasnt already in regular contact with me, fearing I might endanger them some thug might show up at their moms door or make some threats to their lawyers and I didnt want to risk harming people I care about. It hurt to not tell my friends what was happening. I felt gagged and frightened. I wanted to play chess in the park. I wanted to learn duets on the piano. I wanted to ride bicycles through the ancient groves in the park in the endless Californian sunshine. I wanted to bring homemade vegan gluten-free brownies and stickers from collectives in France to my friends at the EFF. To be selfish, I wanted to read the number theory papers Id just downloaded and play with a new pairing-based cryptography library Id just been given the source to, but I couldnt do those things either, simply because I was too stressed out to think straight. I got absolutely no work done. If youre going to get arrested, you might as well look good and smile your brightest while doing so. In a blur of anxiety and self-consciousness, I bought a pair of blue-green aviators and matching blue-green lipstick. This will totally build rapport with my interlocutors, I told myself. They will have no alternative but to understand that I fight for the good guys, that they should immediately drop their badges and guns but keep the aviators! to join me to fight for the true cause and freedom! Due to speak at several cryptographic conferences in Europe, I flew from San Franciscos internation airport to Brussels on the next Monday evening, on the latest flight I could get. I had been advised by another lawyer that, For the FBI, quitting time means quitting. After 5 oclock, youre good; you can do whatever you want, party in the streets naked on LSD, and they wont notice a thing. I also booked a return flight (though I had no intention of using it, since I planned to live in Germany) upon the advice of multiple lawyers. With printed out conference and speaking invites, blue-green aviators, and blue-green lipstick, I went to San Francisco International Airport expecting to be detained indefinitely and lose everything I cared about. Nothing happened. I dont understand this. The FBI is handed DHS flight records like theyre the morning edition. They should have known, when they knocked on my parents door, that no one would be home. They should have known when I would fly into San Francisco, and they could have easily detained me then. They reasonably could have known, and potentially acted fast enough, to detain me when I left San Francisco for Brussels. Once in Germany, I proceeded to compile The Book of documents necessary for obtaining an Aufenthaltserlaubnis (roughly translated, residence visa with permission to work certain jobs, e.g. as a contractor/freelancer). My appointment was in early January. The day before my appointment, I spoke with my lawyer. He had received another call, this time from a FBI Special Agent Kelvin Porter in Atlanta. Lawyer: Hello? Agent: Hello, this is Special Agent Kelvin Porter at the FBI field offices in Atlanta. Im calling concerning your client. Lawyer: Yes. Why are you trying to contact her? Agent: Well as before we would strongly prefer to meet her in person. We have teams in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, New York, and Atlanta keeping an eye out for her. Lawyer: Your colleague mentioned last time that you would accept a phone call? Agent: We would strongly prefer to meet her in person. We uh have some documents wed like her opinion on. Lawyer: Umm? What documents? Agent: Anyway, if shes available to meet with us, that would be great, thanks. It didnt exactly help with the stress of applying for a residence visa to know that there were teams in five cities across America keeping an eye out for me. However, Im glad to say that, the next day, my residence visa was approved. Eight hours afterwards, my laywer received a voicemail saying: Agent: Hello this is Special Agent Kelvin Porter, we spoke two days ago regarding your client. Umm well so the situation with the documents its umm its all fixed. I mean, we would of course still be happy to meet with your client if shes willing, but the problem has uh yeah been fixed. And uh yeah. Just let us know if she wants to set up a meeting. Admittedly, I cant even begin to understand what was going on here. Documents? Was this attempted entrapment? Or were they using this as bait to get me interested in meeting them, so that they could ask about something else? I mean, help me, please I really dont understand what the FBIs strategy was here. Or, are they retracting their previous position in order to entice me to return to the US? Should I be worried about what happens to me when I return? Why is the FBI trying to make a developer of an open source encryption tool feel unwelcome in their country of origin? Should I try to get a different citizenship? Is my family safe in the US? Should I worry about the FBI raiding my parents house and shooting our family dog? Should I worry about FBI agents stalking and harrassing my mother? Is this really how the United States has decided to treat American tech workers? Am I just the forerunner in a larger campaign by the FBI to personally go after developers of encryption software which annoys them? Update: 2016-04-26 The FBI has contacted my lawyer again. This time, they said, She should meet with one of our agents in San Francisco to talk. Otherwise, are you the point of contact for serving a subpoena? Shes not the target of investigation, but, uh we uh need her to clear up her involvement or uh potential involvement in a matter. In case the FBI is seeking data on Tor users or Tor bridges, and especially in case the subpoena turns out to be sealed or accompanied by an NSL: the original published contents of this post are archived as a PDF here, and the RIPE160(SHA256(PDF)) is equal to 5541405e08048658cf457b3c59bf42a51f84a1a3 and hence Bitcoin address 18mnc4BCud3vjAdLbCc3QhyrjN84VTT1iM, in order to prove in a cryptographically verifiable manner that I published before that point in time. For over a year, I have maintained a warrant canary which covers the case of law enforcement agencies serving me a subpoena for information about Tor users or Tor bridges. My lawyer mentioned a legal technicality (which may or may not be actually legal because precedent is unclear): having a prior retainer to a defense lawyer in the United States does not mean that a lawyer can invoke the clients Miranda Rights (i.e. the right to remain silent) for the client, but that the client may be technically required to personally invoke their own Miranda Rights. Dear FBI, for what its worth: technically, financially-speaking, were funded by the same government. You can view my current contract and pay here and you can subscribe to any of several mailing lists in order to track my development progress. You can also watch my commits in real time. You can literally see everything I do, who I work for, how much money I make, where I go, and probably a whole bunch of other data about me. I have an email address (and legal counsel). Protip: do your homework next time. The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISC) is a secret court that hears warrant requests from America's spy agencies when they want to wiretap people in the USA. The court which is non-adversarial, hearing only from the spies, and not from anyone representing those they wish to spy upon is supposed to serve as a check upon uncontrolled secret powers. A document released by the DoJ this week shows that the FBI and NSA made 1,457 warrant requests to the court. Coincidentally, the court approved 1,457 warrant requests in 2015. Civil liberties advocates have long derided the court for acting as a "rubber stamp" for government surveillance operations. Government officials have said the Justice Department is careful about its applications and that sometimes orders are modified substantially by the court. The court modified 80 applications in 2015, a more than fourfold increase from the 19 modifications made in 2014. U.S. spy court rejected zero surveillance orders in 2015: memo [Dustin Volz/Reuters] (via Ars Technica) (Image: Pacific Stamp and Sign) The Residence is a three-room suite found on A380 planes in the Eithad Airways fleet. (Facebook) United Arab Emirates national airline is selling some of of the worlds most expensive plane tickets, with some costing as much as US$38,000. On Tuesday, Etihad Airways launched daily scheduled flights to India on its Airbus A380 network, which features the swanky, three-room luxury suite called The Residence. The airline says it is the first suite of its size on a commercial airliner. One-way fares in the luxury accommodations will cost between US$5,000, for a flight from Abu Dhabi to Mumbai, and range as high as US$38,000 between New York and Mumbai. According to The Daily Mail, the New York to Mumbai flight is the most expensive in the world. Etihads A380 have space for 496 passengers, including up to two guests in The Residence. The airline describes the extravagant rooms as an ultra-private suite, which includes a living room with a 32-inch TV, a bedroom with a double bed and a separate ensuite shower room. It also has some added perks, such as a personal butler and a private chef. Etihad promises a made-to-order dinning experience using fresh ingredients for guests travelling in The Residence and first class. Etihad isnt the only airline to offer such extravagant suites. In fact, in a 2014 survey of the best first-class cabins, Singapore Suites, Cathay Pacific First Class Suites and Emirates First Class Suites all placed ahead of Etihad Diamond First. A young entrepreneur cashed in on more than 93,000 frequent-flier miles two years ago to pay for a $23,000 ticket between New York and Singapore with a private suite on a Singapore Airlines Airbus A380. The suite featured a full-sized bed, TV, a leather armchair hand-stitched by a master Italian furniture maker. They also provided endless lobster meals, Dom Perignon champagne, Givenchy pajamas, cologne and gourmet coffee. Meanwhile, Qatar Airways $4,000 first-class suites on its Airbus A380 jet, feature ultra-wide seats that can be converted into beds and 19-inch personal video screens. Each passenger also gets their own Giorgio Armani and Christian Dior amenity kits. Canada Task Force 2 has been deployed from Calgary to help firefighting efforts in Fort McMurray, says Calgary Emergency Management Agency chief Tom Sampson. Fifty people left Calgary Wednesday afternoon for the Wood Buffalo area, bringing with them supplies and a vast range of expertise. "This is the day when we get to pull it out," Sampson said. He says the deployment is unprecedented. "We are loading our full load," he said. "To my recollection, I don't think we have ever gone out with our full complement of equipment, but we are taking everything including the kitchen sink." Among the group heading north is a 24-member incident management team with volunteers with a variety of backgrounds. "We have got emergency physicians who are currently loading trailers, we have paramedics that are helping out with our logistics work, we have firefighters who are talking on command roles," Sampson said. He says they expect to arrive on scene later Wednesday and be ready to help early Thursday. They have enough supplies to last 10 days with a plan for restocking in place from Edmonton and Calgary. Canada Task Force 2 has about 130 volunteers from across the province, each with two critical rescue based skills. They will work in two shifts supporting and helping crews already on the ground. "These are resourceful people behind me," Sampson said. "They will figure out how to make it work." The wildfire prompted the province to declare a provincial state of emergency on Wednesday afternoon. Firefighters dispatched late Wednesday Calgary Fire Chief Steve Dongworth says they got the call today. "There are 29 Calgary firefighters on their way up to Fort McMurray. They will be leaving shortly and on the ground at 8 a.m. We are sending three of our engines, a rescue truck, a couple of district chiefs, a deputy chief and some mechanics with a vehicle servicing truck," Dongworth explained. He said they have been on standby waiting for the call. "We have been ready to do this for over 24 hours and we were just waiting for the nod. We are not about to self-dispatch as many agencies have." French fashion house Chanel has put on its first Latin American catwalk show in Havana, in another sign of communist Cuba opening up to Western culture. Actors Tilda Swinton, Geraldine Chaplin and Vin Diesel, supermodel Gisele Bundchen and Cuban music stars Gente de Zona and Omara Portuondo were among those joining the international jet setters on the red carpet to see Karl Lagerfeld's latest collection. The German designer took in the rich colours and style of the Caribbean island, which has been gradually opening up to Western influences after decades of communist isolation. In announcing the show, Chanel said that "the cultural richness and the opening up of Cuba to the world have turned it into a source of inspiration". The balconies of old Havana were crowded with Cubans straining to catch a glimpse of the stars who had jetted in for the event. There was a marked contrast between the opulence of the tightly guarded venue and the poverty of the ordinary shorts and T-shirt wearing Cubans who were looking in. "What a sight," said one lady, who said she had never seen so much luxury and showbiz style in one place. "But I would have liked to be closer to the models." Not everyone was impressed. Local model Reinaldo Fonseca watched it from behind a police cordon with a group of friends similarly trying to make their careers in fashion and watched as rich foreigners with invitations arrived at the event in specially rented antique American sedans. "It's a shame they don't let us pass," he said. Local designer and artist Idania del Rio, 33, saw the Chanel show as quite old-fashioned. "It was very interesting and maybe too nostalgic," she said. "A lot of Cuban cigars, colours and hats from another era. It represented a Cuba that doesn't interest me right now, because today's Cuba is another, more contemporary Cuba." The Chanel show was the latest in a number of international cultural events announced since the opening up of diplomatic and commercial relations between the US and Cuba. Story continues President Barack Obama and President Raul Castro, the brother of Fidel, Cuba's charismatic leader for almost 50 years, announced the deal during Mr Obama's December visit to the island. In March veteran British band the Rolling Stones performed to thousands of fans in a country which once considered their music subversive. :: Rolling Stones Rock Cuba With Historic Concert By Kieran Guilbert DAKAR (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Boosting the number of midwives in Nigeria, and globally, would reduce the number of stillbirths and women dying during or just after giving birth, according to the founder of women's rights organization Wellbeing Foundation Africa. Midwives can provide the majority of the services needed for newborns and pregnant women and those cared for by midwives are less likely to have complicated births or go into labor early. Toyin Saraki spoke to the Thomson Reuters Foundation ahead of this week's Global Midwifery Conference in Abuja, which is hosting its first global conference on midwifery. [L5N17Z1QO] "Midwives will be the army to change dire health outcomes, if we invest in them and provide them with skills," she said. To mark International Day of the Midwife on May 5, here are some facts about childbirth, maternal mortality and midwifery: * In sub-Saharan Africa, a woman is 100 times more likely todie during pregnancy or childbirth than one from anindustrialized country. * Around 800 women and more than 8,000 newborns die everyday due to largely preventable complications during pregnancy,childbirth and the immediate postnatal period. * Since 1990, maternal death has dropped by 44 percent andthe death of children under five by 41 percent. * In 2013, there were an estimated 2.6 million stillbirths,3 million newborn deaths and 289,000 maternal deaths. * Seventy-three countries in Africa, Asia and Latin Americaaccount for 96 percent of the world's maternal deaths, 91percent of stillbirths and 93 percent of newborn deaths. * Yet these countries only have 42 percent of the world'sdoctors, midwives and nurses. * There are two doctors and 11 nurses or midwives for every10,000 people in Africa, compared with 19 doctors and 49 nursesor midwives per 10,000 in the Americas, and 32 doctors and 78nurses or midwives per 10,000 in Europe. * Only one in five countries have enough adequately educatedmidwives to meet the basic needs of women and newborns. * More than one third of all births around the world takeplace without a midwife or other skilled health staff. * Investing in midwifery education could yield a 16-foldreturn on investment in terms of lives saved and costs ofcaesarean sections avoided.Sources: World Health Organisation, United Nations Population Fund. (Reporting By Kieran Guilbert, Editing by Katie Nguyen; Please credit the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the charitable arm of Thomson Reuters, that covers humanitarian news, women's rights, trafficking, corruption and climate change. Visit news.trust.org) Operations at oilsands facilities near the wildfire that has put Fort McMurray, Alta., under an evacuation order are safe from the flames for now, but nearby work camps being converted into housing for evacuees. - SPECIAL COVERAGE: 'Worst is not over' as fire engulfs Fort McMurray - LIVE BLOG: Up to the minute coverage of the ongoing story Wednesday As emergency fire crews work to contain the wildfire, which has already destroyed nearly 30 square kilometres and displaced 80,000 people. Oilsands operators said Wednesday the fire doesn't pose an imminent threat, but they are taking every precaution and helping where they can. Many companies have oilsands operations in the area, and while none are under direct threat from fire, those facilities are impacted, and the companies are taking action. Suncor The oil conglomerate's base oilsands plant is about 25 kilometres from the city, and while that site isn't in harms way, the company has removed all non-essential staff from the area as a precaution and to make room for evacuees. "We are reducing production at our regional facilities in order to allow employees and their families to get to safety," the company said in a statement. "We're providing transportation and accommodation to the region to support the evacuation," spokesman Paul Newmarch said. "We're making whatever we have available to support the evacuation." Shell Shell operates the Albian Sands facility almost 100 kilometres out of town, and while it too is not currently under fire danger, it has been shut down as a precaution, knocking almost 250,000 barrels a day worth of production offline. "While our operations are currently far from the fires, we have shut down production at our Shell Albian Sands mining operations so we can focus on getting families out of the region," Shell spokesman Cameron Yost said. "Right now, our priority is providing support for our people, their loved ones and others in the area. Our work camp, the Albian Village, is now open to all evacuated Fort McMurray residents who need a safe place to stay and we are evacuating non-essential staff to make room for those who need it most." Story continues Shell's camp can accommodate up to 2,000 people. Husky Energy At Husky Energy, which operates the Sunrise oilsands facility about 60 kilometres north of the city, spokesman Mel Duvall said: "At this time, our operations at Sunrise are unaffected. "We continue to monitor the situation and as a precaution have evacuated non-essential personnel. We have opened up our camp facilities to evacuees and are working with the municipality to accommodate as many people as possible. We are doing everything we can to assist those who have had to leave Fort McMurray in any way we can." Athabasca Oil Sands Athabasca operates the Hangingstone oilsands facility approximately 15 kilometres south of the city, and spokesman Matthew Taylor said the facility is not under imminent threat. "Fortunately at this time there has been no impact to our operations," he said. "The situation is being closely monitored, a response plan is in place and we are in communication with the appropriate government agencies to ensure we are up-to-speed with all necessary developments. Athabasca will assist the community in any way possible. We have offered up available beds at the Hangingstone site to emergency workers or anyone else who may need shelter during this tragic time." Other energy names Canadian Natural Resources Ltd., which operates oilsands facilities even farther north, said it was working to ensure any affected workers and their families could use its camps. ConocoPhillips said its operations aren't affected, but the company has opened up 200 beds at Conoco's "regional residence for evacuees." Reports from Reuters indicated that the Alberta government said pipeline company Enbridge was starting shutdown procedures due to the fire. Syncrude The oilsands giant has reduced operations to help support employees who have been forced to evacuate, a company spokesman said on Wednesday. The facility's work camp can house about 2,000 people. Will Gibson, a spokesman for Syncrude which has operations 35 kilometres north of the city, is one of the evacuees headed north and away from the flames. "People are actually being evacuated toward the plants," he said. "We're being instructed to go to work camps in the region and report in there. We're assuming it will be more than a night." Gibson said he had to flee his neighbourhood via a grass embankment because the fire had already cut off the road at both ends. "I left my neighbourhood and there [were] houses on fire," he said. "I don't know if and when I'll be going back." CNOOC subsidiary Nexen Energy said its operations were unaffected. WestJet Calgary-based airline WestJet said it was offering extra "mercy flights" on Tuesday night and for as long as needed to Suncor employees to get them out of the city. That both keeps them safe and makes work sites available to house other evacuees. "All scheduled flights in and out of Fort McMurray have been cancelled, however WestJet will be sending empty aircraft to YMM today to recover guests that couldn't get out of the area yesterday," WestJet spokeswoman Lauren Stewart said. "These flights will be going to Calgary, Edmonton and Vancouver." Canada Post The national mail carrier has suspended all mail delivery to the area pending further notice. "We will communicate details as soon as possible as delivery to the area is currently suspended," spokesman Mouktar Abdillahi said. "All mail and parcels destined for Fort McMurray will be held securely in Edmonton until plans are in place. We thank the people of Fort McMurray for their patience in this difficult time." Other impacts Labrador native Cavell Dumaresque, one of the evacuees heading north, told CBC News on Wednesday that her car was directed to an area even farther north, near the Firebag operation, because she had enough gas to get there and officials wanted to keep the closer locales as empty as possible. "We weren't overcrowded when we got here, but they are still coming in as far as I can tell," she told CBC. Download the CBC News app for iOS and Android Members of an influential parliamentary committee have called on the Government to consider suspending arms sales to Saudi Arabia following claims the kingdom and its allies have broken international humanitarian law by bombing civilians in Yemen. The International Development Committee, which has six Tories and five from other parties on it, was dismissive of the British Governments claims that it had "looked at every allegation of breach of international humanitarian law, and we have found no evidence of breach of international humanitarian law". It also expressed concern that the Foreign Secretary was "satisfied that all extant licences for the export of arms to Saudi Arabia are compliant with the Consolidated EU and National Arms Export Licensing Criteria". Britain has exported billions of pounds worth of arms and materiel to Saudi Arabia and her allies fighting against Shia Houthi rebels and al Qaeda in Yemen. Human rights groups have been arguing for months that the use of British-made and supplied weapons against civilian targets could make the United Kingdom complicit in war crimes. The Government has insisted that no evidence for such alleged crimes exists. But after Sky News revealed that between six and 10 British experts were working in the Saudi headquarters, and helping with targeting in Yemen, the Ministry of Defence admitted British military staff were helping with logistics on resupply of bombs from British stocks. The MoD also insisted that the British team was only in Saudi Arabia on a "training mission". The committee said: "The evidence we have received, from humanitarian actors operating on the ground in Yemen and respected human rights organisations, including UN-commissioned evidence, unanimously suggested that humanitarian law is being breached." It went on to say that while all sides in the conflict had been responsible for breaking humanitarian law, the British government had insisted that the Saudis investigate themselves. Story continues "We remain unconvinced that Saudi Arabia is best placed to conduct investigations into reports of IHL (international humanitarian law) abuses by the Saudi-led Coalition," it said. But most damaging for British exports, and for Britains rapidly diminishing place in the Gulf, where it was once pre-eminent, was the committees suggestion that the Committees on Arms Export Controls should consider "the case for suspending UK arms sales to Saudi Arabia until there is evidence that there is no clear risk that arms exported from the UK might be used in the commission of a serious violation of IHL" in Yemen. The suspension of arms export licenses to Saudi Arabia would be a major blow to bilateral relations. But these relations are also becoming grit in the shoes of the British cabinet which has shown a meandering approach to Middle Eastern strategy anyway. By Malini Menon and Gopal Sharma NEW DELHI/KATHMANDU (Reuters) - Nepal and parts of northern India are battling their worst forest fires in years that have devastated thousands of hectares of woodland, killed at least 18 people and sent a pall of smoke across the southern Himalayas that can been seen from space. In Nepal, 11 people have died while trying to fight fires that have razed 280,000 hectares (692,000 acres) of forest across the country, the worst in six years. "This year we have experienced a longer spell of dry weather and the temperatures have risen significantly, contributing to the disaster," Forest Ministry official Krishna Prasad Acharya told Reuters. The worst forest fires in four years in India's northern Uttarakhand state have killed at least seven people and disrupted the lives of thousands, an emergency official said on Monday. The Uttarakhand fires have intensified in the past week, torching more than 2,000 hectares (4,900 acres) of forest. Indian Air Force helicopters have been scooping and dumping water from reservoirs in an attempt to douse the flames, but operations were hampered by poor visibility. A dozen locations, including in Almora, Pauri Garhwal and Chamoli districts, were badly hit, said Anil Shekhawat, a spokesman at the National Disaster Response Force. "This can be compared with the worst fire of 2012," Indian Minister for Environment, Forests and Climate Change Prakash Javadekar said in New Delhi. Four people had been arrested on suspicion of starting forest fires, he added. The number of reported forest fires has jumped to 1,689 so far this year in Uttarakhand, compared to 207 for the whole of 2015, according to data from the Forest Survey of India. Forests cover about a quarter of India's total area. "The fire is under control and has shown a downward trend in the past two days," said S. Ramaswamy, additional chief secretary of Uttarakhand. India typically sees a rise in forest fires as temperatures rise from mid-March until the rainy season begins in June. (Editing by Douglas Busvine and Nick Macfie) By Marc Frank HAVANA (Reuters) - Hundreds of tourists and a handful of emotional Cuban-Americans arrived on the first U.S. cruise ship to sail to Havana in decades on Monday, spilling onto the cobbled streets of the old city where they were warmly greeted by residents. It was another first for the two countries since U.S. President Barack Obama and Cuban President Raul Castro announced a historic rapprochement in December 2014, and comes weeks after Obama's visit to the Caribbean island. Carnival Corp's Adonia, a small ship carrying 700 passengers, slipped through the channel into Havana Bay in the morning under picture-perfect skies, then docked alongside the colonial quarter recently visited by Obama. The visitors fanned out on the city's restored streets for walking tours after an arrival ceremony featuring salsa and Afro-Cuban music, and lots of rum cocktails. According to tour guides, some of the passengers were due to sample Havana's night life later at the world famous Tropicana cabaret. But for Cuban-born Anna Garcia, the moment was more than just a holiday. "Im nervous and excited at the same time, I left Cuba 48 years ago, when I was six years old. So just imagine everything that Im feeling right now, said Garcia as she stepped off the boat and entered Cuban territory for the first time since childhood. A Cuban rule prohibiting people born in Cuba from entering or leaving the Communist-ruled country by sea led to protests from exiles and almost delayed the cruise, before Cuba agreed to lift the ban. That unusual flexibility under pressure was itself a signal of change in Cuba, long scarred by memories of the sea-borne, U.S.-supported Bay of Pigs invasion and other acts of aggression from across the Florida Straits. Many Cubans have crossed the treacherous body of water on rafts and makeshift boats to reach the United States as exiles and migrants. The Adonia was the first U.S.-owned ship to sail to Cuba from the United States since Fidel Castro's 1959 revolution, Carnival said. There were some cruises from the United States to Cuba under President Jimmy Carter in the late 1970s, however. They included a voyage by the Greek-owned M.S. Daphne that took a group of jazz musicians, led by Dizzy Gillespie and Stan Getz, from New Orleans to Havana in 1977. Arnaldo Perez, a Cuban-American who works as Carnival's general counsel, was the first to step off the ship, to handshakes and hugs from Cuban officials. "You know this is very special for me because it is the first time that a Cuban-American is allowed to return by sea," he said. Locals, some draped in the Stars and Stripes and the Cuban flag cheered as the ship glided in. Obama has made the dramatic shift in U.S. policy toward Cuba a part of his legacy. The two countries reestablished diplomatic relations a year ago and have signed agreements on issues of common concern such as the environment, postal services and direct flights. Talks are ongoing over other issues that have kept the next-door neighbors apart, from the return of fugitives to reparations for embargo damages and the return of the Guantanamo Naval Base. Obama had urged the Republican-controlled Congress to lift the embargo and travel ban, but to no avail, resorting to his executive powers to punch holes in them instead. "Regularly scheduled cruises are the third leg of the land, sea and air efforts by the Obama administration to cement its policy changes, the goal is to make the initiatives big and loud so that they are harder to dislodge, said John Kavulich, president of the New York-based US-Cuba Trade and Economic Council. Cruises to Cuba could generate $300 million in revenues to the companies and $88 million to Cuba in the 2016/17 season if all the companies that wish to sail are given the required approvals, Kavulich said. (Editing by Frank Jack Daniel and Tom Brown) Mobile Computing U Michigan, Google Partner on Flint Water Tools Students at the University of Michigan's Flint and Ann Arbor campuses are collaborating with Google to develop an Android app and web-based tools to help Flint residents determine whether their home water supply is at risk of lead contamination and locate resources to cope with the problem. According to information from the university, students in UM-Flint Computer Science's community-based learning program have already developed a prototype of the Android app. The team is now collaborating with Google and students from U-M Ann Arbor's Michigan Data Science Team to integrate mapping features using predictive analytics developed by the U-M Ann Arbor students, and they are working with Google to improve the user interface of the app. The completed app is slated for release this summer. The app uses predictive algorithms and machine learning techniques to analyze data from Google, the State of Michigan and the City of Flint to help determine which homes and neighborhoods are at greatest risk of contamination. "There's a lot of data on the water crisis, but it's scattered over many different agencies and places," said Jacob Abernethy, an assistant professor of computer science and engineering at U-M Ann Arbor and faculty advisor to the Michigan Data Science Team, in a news release. "By organizing it in one place and analyzing it, we can predict which areas are likely to be at risk." Google and the University of Michigan are also planning a separate project to develop web-based tools for researchers and government representatives with the goal of helping them plan repairs and deploy resources. Those tools will include "extensive mapping and predictive analytics, with details on waterline type and location and other infrastructure data," according to the news release. "We can help planners determine which infrastructure repairs will benefit the most residents, and how to allocate resources like bottled water most efficiently" said Abernethy. The project is funded by a $150,000 grant from Google. The tech company has also contributed remote and on-site development assistance, as well as data resources such as mapping, satellite imagery and geo-location data. WEDNESDAY, May 4, 2016 (HealthDay News) -- Scientists say they've uncovered why humans have such big brains. It turns out that metabolism -- the rate at which a body burns calories -- runs faster in humans than it does in other primates. And humans have more body fat, which provides the energy reserves needed to fuel that faster metabolism, the researchers said. What does all of this mean? Greater growth and development of the brain, the researchers said. In their study, the scientists compared 141 humans to 27 chimpanzees, 11 orangutans, 10 gorillas and eight bonobos -- pygmy chimpanzees. When adjusted for body size, people consume 400 more calories a day than chimpanzees and bonobos, 635 more calories than gorillas and 820 more calories than orangutans. "Humans exhibit an evolved predisposition to deposit fat whereas other hominoids remain relatively lean, even in captivity where activity levels are modest," researchers from Loyola University in Chicago, said in a university news release. The team, led by Amy Luke, Lara Dugas and Ramon Durazo-Arvizu, believes the findings could one day help fight obesity. "Untangling the evolutionary pressures and physiological mechanisms shaping the diversity of metabolic strategies among living hominoids may aid efforts to promote and repair metabolic health for humans in industrialized populations and apes in captivity," the study authors wrote. The study was published May 4 in the journal Nature. More information The U.S. National Institutes of Health has more about minding your metabolism. Lithuanian English Utena, Lithuania, 2016-04-29 15:30 CEST (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Consolidated sales of AB Utenos Trikotazas Group for the I quarter of 2016 reached EUR 5.0 million, 14.4 % more than during the same period in 2015. AB Utenos Trikotazas sales for the I quarter of 2016 reached EUR 4.2 million, 16.1 % more than during the same period in 2015. Operating profit of AB Utenos Trikotazas Group for the first quarter of 2016 was EUR 94 thousand, as in the same period in 2015, the Group has suffered EUR 50 thousand of operating losses. The Group has suffered loss amounting to 50 thousand Euros before tax whereas the sum of suffered losses before tax in 2015 amounted to 486 thousand Euros. AB Utenos trikotazas incurred EUR 31 thousand of operating loss for the first quarter of 2016, as in the same period in 2015 the Company incurred EUR 146 thousand of operating losses. The Company has suffered 54 thousand Euros of loss before tax, whereas the suffered loss before tax in 2015 amounted to 175 thousand Euros. Investment in the upgrading programme in 2015, in particular, the purchase of the only in the Baltic countries digital printing equipment, has enabled the company to expand the range of its production capabilities and to attract new customers and orders, comments the performance Chief Executive Officer of AB Utenos trikotazas, Eimundas Maciulis. There has been a significant increase in sales of higher value added products, which means that we have succeeded to maintain the strategic area over the past year to offer innovative and customised solutions to the continuously increasing number of target clients. Performance during the first months of 2016 was positively influenced by own brand sales. For example, I quarter sales of About and Utenos trikotazas, compared to the previous year, has grown by more than 50 percent, says pleased E. Maciulis. Over the year, the company produces more than 9 million meters of materials and sews over 3 million pieces of clothing. 90 percent of the company's goods are exported, mainly, to Germany, Austria, Sweden, and Switzerland. AB Utenos trikotazas is one of few textile enterprises with a complete vertically integrated production cycle and capable of offering its clients a full range of services from manufacture of yarn and materials required to a final product. For more details on the material event, please contact Eimundas Maciulis, Chief Executive Officer of AB Utenos trikotazas, by tel. +370 389 51445. Chief Executive Officer AB Utenos trikotazas Eimundas Maciulis Press release, Stockholm, Sweden, May 4, 2016 TagMaster, the leading producer of advanced RFID products & ANPR cameras for long range vehicle identification in Traffic Solutions and Rail Solutions, strengthens its organization by appointing Margaretha Narstrom as group CFO. TagMaster is in a rapid expansion phase and have a growth strategy containing further acquisitions to build a relevant position as technology provider towards Smart Cities solutions. Last year we acquired CitySync Ltd in UK and last week we announced our intent to acquire Balogh in France. We are very glad that Margaretha will join us and feel confident she will add extensive experience that will help us execute our strategy says Jonas Svensson, CEO, TagMaster Margaretha Narstrom has a broad financial experience working with controlling, qualified accounting, consolidation, audit, tax and with financial project management. She started her carrier at the Swedish tax authorities then spending 10 years as auditor at Deloitte where she became chartered accountant 2007. Most recently she worked as business unit controller and manager at the financial center at JM AB a large, public traded, Swedish housebuilder where she worked during 7 years. For further information, please contact Jonas Svensson, CEO, +46 8-6321950, jonas.svensson@tagmaster.com About TagMaster TagMaster is an application driven technology company that designs and markets advanced identificationsystems and solutions based on radio & vision technology (RFID & ANPR) for demanding environments. Business areas include Traffic Solutions and Rail Solutions providing innovative mobility solutions, sold under the brands TagMaster & CitySync, in order to increase efficiency, security, convenience and to decrease environmental impact within Smart Cities. TagMaster has dedicated agencies in the US and in China and exports mainly to Europe, Middle East, Asia and North America via a global network of partners, systems integrators and distributors. TagMaster was founded in 1994 and has its headquarters in Stockholm. TagMaster is a public company and its shares are traded on First North stock exchange in Stockholm, Sweden.For more information about TagMaster, please visit www.tagmaster.com Finnish English SATO Corporation, Changes board/management/auditors, 4th May 2016 at 2:00 pm SATO has appointed Katri Innanen, LL.M, as the new General Counsel of the company. She will begin in her new role during the summer. Reporting to President and CEO Saku Sipola, the General Counsel also serves as the secretary of the Board of Directors of the Group. Innanen joins SATO from SRV where she served as General Counsel since 2008. Prior to that, she had been Head of Legal Affairs at SATO since 1999. SATO's President and CEO Saku Sipola: - Our operating environment is undergoing constant changes as regards issues including the diversification of financing solutions and the regulation governing our sector. The larger property development projects and transactions also call for extensive knowledge of the legal aspects of our business. Katri has an excellent knowledge of the regulatory environment and law relevant to our company and sector and has years of experience in our sphere of operation. It's a great pleasure to welcome Katri back to SATO. Riitta Salo will begin in new duties as SATO's Chief Compliance Officer and will also be responsible in particular for expert duties relating to legislation governing subsidies under Housing Finance and Development Centre of Finland (ARA) schemes as well as other legal issues relating to our business. Salo will continue as SATO's Corporate Counsel until Innanen begins in the role. For more information please contact: SATO Corporation Saku Sipola, President and CEO, phone +358 40 551 5953 www.sato.fi SATO is one of Finland's leading rental housing providers. SATO's aim is to offer comprehensive alternatives in rental housing and an excellent customer experience. All told, SATO holds roughly 23,400 rental homes in Finland's largest growth centres and in St Petersburg. In our operations, we promote sustainable development and initiative-taking, and work in open interaction with our stakeholders to create added value. We operate profitably and with a long-term view.We increase the value of our housing property through investments, divestments and repair work. SATO Group's net sales in 2015 were 323.4 million, operating profit 196.5 million and profit before taxes 159.4 million. SATO's investment properties have a value of roughly 2.8 billion. English Lithuanian AB "Rokiskio suris", Pramones str.3, Rokiskis, Lithuania, 2016-05-04 15:24 CEST (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The April 29, 2016 general meeting of shareholders of Rokiskio suris AB (company code 173057512, address: Pramones str. 3, Rokiskis, Lithuania) resolved to distribute dividends to the companys shareholders amounting to EUR 0.07 (before taxes) per share. Dividends will be paid to the shareholders who are shareholders of Rokiskio suris AB at the end of the tenth business day after approval of the resolution by general meeting of shareholders, i.e. May 13, 2016. Dividends will be paid starting from May 24, 2016. Dividends will be paid in the following procedure: Dividends to the shareholders whose securities accounting is performed by public exchange brokers or credit institutions providing services of securities accounting, in accordance with the Law of the Republic of Lithuania will be paid out by the representative financial or credit institutions having deducted the income tax (profit tax) to the account indicated by shareholder. Dividends to other shareholders will be paid by the companys cashier (Rokiskio suris AB resided in Pramones str. 3, Rokiskis), or upon a written request they will be transferred to the personal account. The requests may be supplied in written and sent to the companys address (Rokiskio suris AB, Pramones str. 3, Rokiskis LT- 42150) or e-mail address grazina.jankauskiene@rokiskio.com The dividends are subject to taxes as follows: Dividends paid to physical bodies resided in the Republic of Lithuania as well as to physical bodies residents of foreign countries are subject to 15 per cent of residential income tax. Dividends paid to juridical bodies of the Republic of Lithuania as well as juridical bodies residents of foreign countries are subject to 15 per cent of profit tax unless it is provided differently by law. Residents of foreign countries with whom the Republic of Lithuania has made international agreements in order to avoid double taxation may enjoy benefits provided by such agreements if they present a request of a resident of foreign country to decrease the enumerated tax, form FR0021 (DAS-1). Authorized persons of the company capable to provide additional information: Grazina Jankauskiene, ph. +370 458 55243. As of August 26th, 2021 Yahoo India will no longer be publishing content. Your Yahoo Account Mail and Search experiences will not be affected in any way and will operate as usual. We thank you for your support and readership. For more information on Yahoo India, please visit the FAQ Eugene Robinson Eugene Robinson is an Associate Editor and twice-weekly columnist for The Washington Post. His column appears on Tuesdays and Fridays. In a 25-year career at The Post, Robinson has been city hall reporter, city editor, foreign correspondent in Buenos Aires and London, foreign editor, and assistant managing editor in charge of the paper's award-winning Style section. In 2005, he started writing a column for the Op-Ed page. He is the author of "Coal to Cream: A Black Man's Journey Beyond Color to an Affirmation of Race" (1999) and "Last Dance in Havana" (2004). Robinson is a member of the National Association of Black Journalists and has received numerous journalism awards. A 48-hour ceasefire took hold Thursday in Syria's battered second city of Aleppo after President Bashar al-Assad's regime and rebel forces gave in to mounting diplomatic pressure. Relieved residents returned to the streets after two weeks of heavy fighting in the divided metropolis, a key battleground in Syria's five-year civil war. The Syrian army said late on Wednesday that it had agreed to calls from Russia and the United States for a two-day truce in Aleppo that would begin from 1:00 am on Thursday. The agreement followed an intense diplomatic push by Moscow and Washington -- the co-sponsors of a February 27 ceasefire agreement that had begun to fall apart -- to salvage peace efforts. Renewed fighting in recent days, especially in and around Aleppo, had threatened the full collapse of the ceasefire, a landmark in attempts to finally resolve a conflict that has left more than 270,000 dead. More than 280 civilians were reported killed since April 22 in the clashes in Aleppo, with regime air strikes pounding the opposition-held east while rebels fired a barrage of rockets into the government-controlled west. Early on Thursday, an AFP correspondent in the city said there had been no signs of fresh air raids since the ceasefire took effect. As residents emerged, shopkeepers were reopening their doors while fruit and vegetable markets -- one of which was struck in an April 24 raid that left 12 dead -- were again up and running. - US, Russia monitoring - The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a monitoring group, confirmed there had been no bombing in the city, though it said a civilian had died in a western district from rebel shelling that came minutes after the ceasefire took effect. After a whirlwind of talks involving diplomats from top world powers and the United Nations, US Secretary of State John Kerry announced the truce had taken effect and that violence had already fallen off. "We've seen an overall decrease in violence in those areas even though there are some reports of continued fighting in some locations," Kerry said. Kerry said US officials in Geneva were coordinating with their Russian colleagues on "enhanced monitoring efforts for this renewed cessation". The Russian defence ministry said its ceasefire monitors had agreed with their US counterparts to oversee this truce until midnight on May 6. In Aleppo, the head of the local branch of the powerful Jaish al-Islam (Army of Islam) rebel force, Ahmad Sanada, said the group would respect the ceasefire. "We are in favour of any initiative that relieves the suffering of civilians and avoids bloodshed and we will respect" the ceasefire, he told AFP. Diplomats are hoping a nationwide ceasefire can underpin efforts to resolve Syria's war, which evolved from a crackdown on anti-government protests into a devastating multi-front conflict. UN-backed peace talks in Geneva, which mediators hope can resume later this month, have so far made little headway, with the regime rejecting the opposition's demand that Assad step aside as part of a political transition. The conflict led in part to the emergence of the jihadist Islamic State group, which has seized control of large areas of Syria and neighbouring Iraq. - Twin bombings kill 10 - On Thursday, twin bombings in central Syria killed at least 10 civilians and wounded 40 more, the Observatory said, amid recent fighting in the area between IS fighters and regime troops. State television reported that at least six people were killed and 28 seriously wounded in the suicide attack and car bombing in a square in Mukharram al-Fawqani in Homs province. The area, controlled by the regime, is located between the cities of Homs and Palmyra, which was recaptured by the Syrian army from jihadists last month. The blasts came just days after IS seized the nearby Shaer gas field, one of the biggest in Homs, in an attack that killed at least 16 regime troops. There was no immediate claim of responsiblity for Thursday's attacks but suicide and car bombings are a favourite tactic of IS jihadists. Western powers are hoping that ending the fighting in other parts of Syria will help focus efforts against IS, which a US-led coalition has been targeting with air strikes in Syria and Iraq since mid-2014. Syrian officials have insisted they are targeting jihadists in Aleppo not covered by the ceasefire, in particular members of the Al-Qaeda affiliated Al-Nusra Front, which is fighting in the city alongside other rebel groups. At an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council on Aleppo Wednesday, Syria's Deputy UN Ambassador Mounzer Mounzer defended the regime's actions in the city. "What the Syrian government has been doing in the city of Aleppo is merely the fulfilment of its obligations to protect its citizens from terrorism," he told the council. AFP News Ukraine on Sunday denounced as dangerous lies suggestions from Russia that it was preparing to use a "dirty bomb". Its western allies also dismissed the allegations from Moscow, just hours after Russia went public with the claims. In conversations with his British, French and Turkish counterparts, Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu conveyed "concerns about possible provocations by Ukraine with the use of a 'dirty bomb'", Moscow said. Russia did not mention the alleged "dirty bomb" allegation in its statement following Shoigu's call with Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin. "If Russia calls and says that Ukraine is allegedly preparing something, it means one thing: Russia has already prepared all this," President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a video address on social media. "I believe that now the world should react as harshly as possible." Earlier Sunday, Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba denounced Moscow's claims as "absurd" and "dangerous". "Russians often accuse others of what they plan themselves," he added. A British defence ministry statement said Defence Secretary Ben Wallace had "refuted these claims and cautioned that such allegations should not be used as a pretext for greater escalation". And in Washington, National Security Council spokeswoman Adrienne Watson dismissed Moscow's "transparently false" claim. "The world would see through any attempt to use this allegation as a pretext for escalation," she added. - 'Vile strikes' - Russia also announced Sunday that it had destroyed a depot in central Ukraine storing over 100,000 tonnes of aviation fuel. Kyiv's energy operator meanwhile said scheduled power cuts had been introduced in the Ukrainian capital due to Russia's repeated strikes on the nation's power network. The blackouts started from 11:13 am (0813 GMT) with consumers in Kyiv divided into three groups "disconnected for a certain period of time", energy company DTEK said. DTEK reiterated calls for residents to use electricity "sparingly" and for businesses to limit their use of external lighting. More than one million Ukrainian households have lost electricity following recent Russian strikes, according to the Ukrainian presidency, at least a third of the country's power stations having been destroyed ahead of winter. Zelensky condemned the "vile strikes" in comments late Saturday, after Russian attacks caused power cuts across the country. - 'Save your strength' - In the southern Ukrainian city of Kryvyi Rig, deputy mayor Sergiy Miliutin was dealing with emergencies and power outages from his underground bunker, used as a venue for a children's martial arts competition. "I've reached a point where I just survive on my drive. You have to stay level-headed and save your strength. No one knows how long this will all last," he told AFP. The intensification of Russian strikes on Ukraine, particularly energy facilities, came after the bridge linking the annexed Crimea peninsula to mainland Russia was partially destroyed by an explosion earlier this month. It was another major setback for Moscow's forces, battling to contain a Ukrainian counter-offensive in the south and east of the country. French President Emmanuel Macron said Sunday that it was for Ukrainians to decide when "peace is possible", in comments made in Rome at the start of a peace summit. Ukraine reported three deaths in an overnight Russian artillery strike in the Toretsk area, a governor of the eastern Donetsk region said. Inside Russia, two lines of defence have been built in the border region of Kursk to deal with any possible attack, a local governor said on Sunday. On Saturday Vyacheslav Gladkov, the governor in the neighbouring Russian border region of Belgorod, said the construction of defence structures had begun. Gladkov said two civilians had been killed in strikes there Saturday, and that 15,000 people had been left without electricity. - Kherson evacuations - Meanwhile Ukraine's SBU intelligence service said it had detained two officials of Ukrainian aircraft engine maker Motor Sich on suspicion of working with Russia. The SBU said management at the company's plant in Ukraine's southern Zaporizhzhia region -- partly controlled by Russian forces -- had colluded with Russian state-owned defence conglomerate Rostec. The suspects had supplied Russia with Ukrainian aircraft engines that were used to make and repair attack helicopters, the SBU said. In the southern Ukrainian region of Kherson, which Russia claims to have annexed, pro-Moscow officials on Saturday urged residents to leave "immediately" amid a "tense situation" at the front. Kherson, the region's main city, was the first to fall to Moscow's troops and retaking it would be a major prize in Ukraine's counter-offensive. A Moscow-installed official in Kherson, Kirill Stremousov, told Russian news agency Interfax on Saturday that around 25,000 people had left Kherson city to the left bank of the Dnipro River. Ukraine has denounced the removal of residents from Kherson, describing them as "deportations". bur-imm/raz/jj/lcm After four years of top-level reshuffles, purges and executions, Kim Jong-Un will formally cement his unassailable status as North Korea's supreme leader at a landmark ruling party congress this week. The first gathering of its kind for nearly 40 years is really a coronation of sorts -- recognising the young 33-year-old leader as the legitimate inheritor of the dynastic dictatorship started by his grandfather Kim Il-Sung and passed down through his late father Kim Jong-Il. "This congress means everything for Kim Jong-Un," said John Delury, a North Korea expert at Yonsei University in Seoul. "It is the most public, historic setting in which he can demonstrate that he is fully in charge, and that everyone follows his orders," Delury said. "Nominally, it's for the party, but really this congress is for Kim," he added. Kim wasn't even born when the last congress was held in 1980 to crown his father as the heir apparent to founding leader Kim Il-Sung. When his own turn came, following the death of Kim Jong-Il in December 2011, there were numerous doubters who suggested the Swiss finishing school graduate lacked the survival skills needed for the Machiavellian world of North Korean power politics. But he proved them wrong, purging the party, government and powerful military of those seen as disloyal, and displaying a ruthless streak that notably led to the execution of his powerful uncle, and one-time political mentor, Jang Song-Thaek. - Policy pivot - He also adjusted his father's "songun", or military first policy, to a "byungjin" policy of pursuing nuclear weapons in tandem with economic development. The nuclear half of that strategy has dominated the run-up to the party congress, starting with a fourth nuclear test in January that was followed by a long-range rocket launch and a flurry of other missile and weapons tests. "The objective of all that was clear from the start," said Victor Cha, Korea Chair at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). "It was a race to have a credible nuclear deterrent in place, as a crowning achievement, before the congress opens," Cha said. But there was an embarrassing stumble in the home straight, with the failure in recent weeks of three separate efforts to test fire a powerful, new mid-range ballistic missile capable of striking US bases on the Pacific island of Guam. - Nuclear test prologue - One final act might still play out before the party gathering begins on May 6, with many predicting a fifth nuclear test to underline the North's status as a genuine nuclear power. Then, once the congress gets underway, comes the question of what, beyond Kim's leadership qualities, the gathering will seek to spotlight. The optimist's scenario is that, with a confirmed nuclear deterrent in the bag, Kim will announce that the North's security is ensured and the focus can now switch to the other half of his "byungjin" strategy -- economic development. "The key is not whether such a strong North Korean deterrent force is a reality, not even whether Kim believes it, but whether he will set out this position as the philosophical basis for a new direction in policy," said Robert Carlin, a visiting scholar at the Centre for International Security and Cooperation in California. In his very first public address, at a military parade in April 2012, Kim had said he was determined that North Koreans would "never have to tighten their belts again". The need to raise living standards has been a constant refrain of his annual New Year addresses, although analysts note that they have been largely devoid of any specific policy initiatives. So while the party congress does provide the platform for a genuine policy shift, it can just as easily become a stage for tired, self-congratulatory rhetoric that offers little in the way of change. - New, young leaders? - Whatever the tone, the content of the speeches, especially Kim's keynote address, will be closely scrutinised as will any personnel changes, with analysts looking for a younger crop of officials to take over leadership positions. The North's chief diplomatic ally, China, which has become increasingly frustrated with Pyongyang's refusal to restrain its nuclear ambitions, will be among the closest observers. "Any North Korean rhetorical emphasis on living standards and peaceful development over nuclear chest-thumping and threats... will be interpreted by Chinese state media as evidence that things are moderating," said Adam Cathcart, a University of Leeds specialist on China-North Korea ties. "There may also be more willingness to work with newly-promoted officials who are somewhat younger and presumably more pragmatic," Cathcart said. By Topher Seguin GREGOIRE LAKE, Alberta (Reuters) - A massive wildfire that has forced the evacuation of all 88,000 people in the western Canadian oil city of Fort McMurray and burned down 1,600 structures has the potential to destroy much of the town, authorities said on Wednesday. With a few neighbourhoods already in ruins, worsening fire conditions Wednesday pushed walls of flames towards thousands of more homes in the northeastern Alberta town, in the heart of Canada's oil sands region. Authorities said there had been no known casualties from the blaze itself, but fatalities were reported in at least one car crash among the evacuees. Thousands bunked down in arenas, hockey rinks and oil work camps, often short on fuel and food. Crews meanwhile had been unable to stop the fire, which has charred 18,500 acres (7,500 hectares) since it erupted on Sunday and exploded in ferocity. "It is a possibility that we may lose a large portion of the town," said Scott Long, an official with Alberta's emergency management agency. Major oil sands facilities were not in the path of the flames, but companies' efforts to help employees and evacuees and protect pipelines led to a decline in production. Images from the neighbourhood of Beacon Hill in the city's southeast showed rows of charred house foundations, their upper stories burned to the ground, and blankets of white ash within. Officials said 80 percent of houses in the neighbourhood, nearly 600 in total, were destroyed. The regional government said two other neighbourhoods, Abasand and Waterways, had sustained "serious loss." Alberta Premier Rachel Notley said a total of about 1,600 structures have been destroyed in Fort McMurray."There are certainly areas within the city that have not been burned, but this fire will look for them and it will find them and it will want to take them. And our challenge today is to prevent," said Chief Darby Allen of the Fort McMurray fire department. The province declared a state of emergency for what was shaping up to be Canada's costliest natural disaster. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the military can deploy air force planes to the stricken city as needed. Fort McMurray International Airport suspended all commercial flights in and out of the city. Queen Elizabeth, Canada's head of state, said in a message that she and her husband Prince Philip were "shocked and saddened" by news of the fire. "Our thoughts and prayers are with all those who have been affected," she said. 'EXTREME WILDFIRE BEHAVIOUR' It was the second major blaze in the oil sands region in a year. Last May, wildfires led to the evacuation of hundreds of workers from the region, and a 9 percent cut in Alberta's oil sands output. The wildfire's knock-on effects on oil sands operations escalated on Wednesday, with five companies including Suncor Energy and Husky Energy reporting reduced production either because workers had been affected by the mass evacuations or because of precautionary pipeline shutdowns. The total impact on crude production volumes was not immediately clear. Oil prices briefly rose on concerns about reduced output from the Canadian oil sands before paring gains on Wednesday. Officials said very hot and dry conditions meant "extreme wildfire behaviour" on all fronts around the fire late Wednesday. "We expect this fire to be going on and challenging firefighters to well into the evening tonight," said Chad Morrison, senior manager with Alberta's Wildlife, Agriculture and Forestry. The Canadian Red Cross said evacuees were calling the organisation for help getting food and water. A highway closure on Tuesday forced most evacuees to drive north, away from major cities. By Wednesday morning, the highway had reopened, but fuel had run out, stranding evacuees seeking to drive out of Fort McMurray. Alberta's transportation department said it was escorting a fuel tanker north to help stranded drivers. With some fleeing north to work camps operated by energy companies and others clogging the one highway south out of the city, evacuees scrambled to find gasoline and a place to sleep as ash rained down upon the roads and the smell of soot permeated the air. Twitter filled with offers of free food, housing and animal care as worried evacuees asked officials and strangers alike about the status of their homes. Two babies were born at one evacuation centre on Tuesday. The conflaguration drew immediate comparisons to one that hit Slave Lake, Alberta in 2011, forcing 7,000 to evacuate and destroying more than 300 buildings. Insured damage was more than C$700 million, making Slave Lake one of the most expensive insured disasters in the country's history. But Fort McMurray is a much larger settlement than Slave Lake, with some 125,000 people in the region. Wildfires were also raging in neighbouring British Columbia on Wednesday, including a massive 9,000 hectare blaze in the province's northeast that was threatening to spread across the border to Alberta, the B.C. Wildfire Service said. (Reporting by Nia Williams in Calgary, Julie Gordon in Vancouver, Leah Schnurr and David Ljunggren in Ottawa and Allison Martell, Ethan Lou, Andrea Hopkins, Fergal Smith and Amran Abocar in Toronto; Writing by Amran Abocar and Dan Whitcomb; Editing by Will Dunham and Mary Milliken) STEM Honeywell and NASA Announce 40 Live Performances About Physics The traveling hip-hop concert that surrounds Newtonian physics will be visiting 40 schools in six states. Honeywell and NASA announced that their STEM program FMA Live! Forces in Motion will be returning this spring to visit 40 schools across six states. The live performance combines music, dance and interactive experiments to teach students how physics can play a role in everyday life. Launched in 2004, the FMA Live! cast has performed in more than 1,150 schools nationwide in front of 455,000 students. The show focuses on Newtons Universal Law of Gravity and Three Laws of Motion, learning objectives outlined by the Next Generation Science Standards for students grades 5 to 8. In addition to using song, music and dance, the show includes video-recorded interviews of scientists from NASAs Jet Propulsion Laboratory. "It is critically important to get middle school-aged students aware of and excited about STEM topics especially physics. We've seen FMA Live! make the introduction easier," said Donald James, NASA's associate administrator for education, in a prepared statement. The program also includes an online Teachers Lounge that has lesson plans, music videos from the show and other teaching resources. Further information about the program can be found on the FMA Live! site. DGAP-News: BDI - BioEnergy International AG / Key word(s): Miscellaneous The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. Press Release BDI and Brau Union Austria win the Energy Globe Award 2016 (Grambach, May 4, 2016): Every year the federal province of Styria awards remarkable energy and environmental projects as part of the Energy Globe Styria Awards. In 2016, BDI - BioEnergy International AG and Brau Union Austria have thereby, amongst others, won the price for the overall winner with their project "Green Brewery Goss". Together with Brau Union Austria, BDI has won the most significant environmental price of Styria. The two companies received the award for their sustainability initiative "Green Breweries". With the help of the spent-grain fermentation plant of BDI it was thus possible for the Brewery Goss to switch to 100 per cent renewable energy and could thus reach the last milestone for CO 2 - neutrality at the location of Goss. For this outstanding achievement both companies were awarded the Energy Globe STYRIA AWARD 2016 in a formal ceremony on April 28, 2016. Furthermore, the price in the category "Application" also went to this Styrian exemplary project. BDI and Brau Union Austria were able to prevail against a total of 80 initiatives - 30 per cent more than last year. "We are very proud that together with the Brau Union Osterreich we were able to win this recognized environmental award". With this spent-grain fermentation plant, which was planned and implemented by us, and its high process reliability and allyear availability it is possible to save more than 1200 tons of CO 2 every year", says Dr. Ahn (Member of the Board, CSO). About BDI - BioEnergy International AG BDI - BioEnergy International AG is market and technology leader in the construction of customized BioDiesel plants using the Multi-Feedstock Technology the company has developed itself, which can manufacture BioDiesel from different raw materials, such as Vegetable Oils, Used Cooking Oils and Animal Fats. In the "From Waste to Value" field BDI supplies efficient plant concepts that are designed to produce BioGas from industrial and municipal waste. Together with its subsidiary UIC GmbH, BDI is also active in the field of vacuum distillation. UIC GmbH supplies equipment and components for the gentle distillation of liquid mixtures in both rough and fine vacuum. In the Life Science segment, BDI creates with its fully-owned subsidiary BDI - BioLife Science GmbH new standards in the production of valuable algae-based products. This innovation enables the development of processes and equipment of the production and use of algae biomass. BDI has specialised in the development of technologies that make optimum use of resources in the industrial processing of by- and waste products ever since it was established in 1996 and owns an extensive patent portfolio that has resulted from its in-house research and development activities. Our range of services includes public authority, basic and detailed engineering, installation and start-up as well as After-Sales support. BDI - BioEnergy International AG and the companies it consolidates currently have 125 employees. The shares of BDI - BioEnergy International AG (ISIN AT0000A02177) are listed in the General Standard Market at Frankfurt Stock Exchange. Contact for further information: Dr. Edgar Ahn Member of the Board, CSO BDI - BioEnergy International AG Parkring 18 A-8074 Raaba-Grambach Tel: +43 (0) 316 4009 100 Fax: +43 0) 316 4009 110 www.bdi-bioenergy.com bdi@bdi-bioenergy.com 2016-05-04 Dissemination of a Corporate News, transmitted by DGAP - a service of EQS Group AG. The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. The DGAP Distribution Services include Regulatory Announcements, Financial/Corporate News and Press Releases. Media archive at www.dgap-medientreff.de and www.dgap.de FRANKFURT (Reuters) - Carmaker Daimler (DAIGn.DE) said on Wednesday it would invest around 500 million euros (396 million pounds) in a new engine factory in Poland to broaden its production footprint outside its German home market. The new plant, to be located in Jawor, around 70 kilometres west of Wroclaw, will be Mercedes-Benz Cars' first in Poland. It produce four-cylinder gasoline and diesel engines for Mercedes-Benz passenger cars and create several hundred jobs. (Reporting by Maria Sheahan; Editing by Victoria Bryan) COPENHAGEN, May 4 (Reuters) - Denmark's exports to the UK would probably suffer if the British vote to leave the European Union at referendum in June, the International Monetary Fund said on Wednesday. Great Britain is Denmark's third-largest market after Germany and Sweden, with exporters such as dairy group Arla, insulin maker Novo Nordisk (LSE: 0QIU.L - news) and toymaker Lego. "If a Brexit would happen that would likely affect trade flows, which are important for Denmark, and it would have significantly effect in international financial markets", David Hofman, the head of an IMF delegation said. "There will be a prolonged period of uncertainty during which the UK needs to renegotiate trade arrangements. This prolonged period of uncertainty could have an effect on trade more broadly," Hofman told reporters at the Danish central bank. Just under half of Denmark's goods and services are sold to five countries, making it especially vulnerable to the health of the economies around it. Concluding an assessment of the Danish economy, the IMF noted that growth had been below that of neighbours Sweden and Germany and that: "The ongoing recovery (from the global financial crisis) is expected to remain gradual and muted." The government last week lowered its GDP growth forecasts to 1.1 percent this year and 1.7 percent next year, down from a December forecast of 1.9 percent and 2.0 percent. (Reporting by Ole Mikkelsen; Editing by Robin Pomeroy) ABIDJAN (Reuters) - Abundant rain last week in some of Ivory Coast's cocoa regions should support the growth of small pods during the mid-crop but hot weather and a lack of moisture is likely to prevent flowers from turning into pods elsewhere, farmers said on Tuesday. Ivory Coast is the world's top cocoa producer and its mid-crop runs from April to September. But a long dry season is weighing on the crop and upland farmers said the harvest remained modest with small beans. In the southern region of Divo, farmers said it had not rained in the last week and hot weather had not helped. "There are lots of flowers on the trees. (But) one fears that the strong heat is stopping them from transforming into pods because of a lack of regular and abundant rain," said Amadou Diallo, who farms on the outskirts of Divo. "The humidity is not sufficient. If there is a lot of rain this month we should have a good harvest between July and September," he said. In the western region of Soubre, at the heart of the cocoa belt, an analyst reported 24 millimetres of rain in the last week, compared with 11 mm the previous week. "These rains are good to bring out the flowers, but not enough to improve the quality of the beans in the next two months," said Kouassi Kouame, who farms on the outskirts of Soubre. In the centre-west region of Daloa, which produces one quarter of national output, farmers reported heavy rain. Farmer Denis Koffi said the mid-crop could be plentiful within the next two months if the right conditions prevail. (Reporting by Loucoumane Coulibaly; Editing by Matthew Mpoke Bigg and David Evans) ABIDJAN (Reuters) - Ivory Coast will break up its long-standing electricity and water monopolies and introduce competition to reduce prices amid growing public concern over price increases, President Alassane Ouattara said. The government decided in June last year to increase electricity prices by 16 percent over three years to keep pace with production costs. Under the arrangement electricity prices were scheduled to increase by 5 percent in January. But some customers saw rates rise by as much as 40 percent, according to a government investigation, prompting Ouattara to cancel the January increases and call for a more competitive industry. "This situation reminds us of the need to open up the water and electricity sectors to competition," Ouattara, a former senior International Monetary Fund official, said in a Labour Day speech on national television on Sunday. "It is competition that will lower the price of electricity. I appeal to all those who wish to invest in that sector," he said. The West African nation has emerged from a decade of political turmoil and civil war as one of the continent's rising stars economically, with growth averaging around 9 percent for the past four years. However, critics of the government complain that most Ivorians have not benefited from the new-found prosperity. During his re-election campaign last year Ouattara promised to make economic growth more inclusive. The Companie Ivoirienne d'Electricite (CIE), majority owned by Africa-focused public utilities manager Eranove Group, has supplied electricity to the Ivory Coast since 1990 under an agreement with the government. The deal, which puts CIE in charge of the distribution of power to homes and businesses, is not due to expire until 2020. It is unclear how the utility markets will be liberalised or if it can be done before the agreement between CIE and the government ends in 2020. But it is likely to be a major issue in French-speaking West Africa's biggest economy where power producers are struggling to keep pace with growing consumption. Demand for electricity is rising by some 10 percent a year, and the energy minister said last year that $20 billion of investment is needed in the industry over the next 15 years. kerry vietnam The new deadline for Syrian President Bashar Assad's transition out of power: August 1, US Secretary of State John Kerry said in a news conference at the State Department on Tuesday. "The target date for the transition is the first of August," Kerry told reporters. "So we're now coming up to May. So either something happens in these next few months, or they are asking for a very different track." The ultimatum was reminiscent of Kerry's warning in 2011 that Assad's days were "numbered," as well as President Barack Obama's "red line" speech in 2012 outlining the conditions namely, the use of chemical weapons that would prompt the US to take action against the embattled president. But then, as now, Kerry did not specify which "track" Washington would take to force Assad's ouster. "That is for the future," Kerry said. Kerry responded to questions about Assad's departure after announcing a new plan to end the latest wave of violence in Syria's largest city, Aleppo, where more than 250 civilians have been killed in less than a week by government airstrikes and rebel shelling. Under a new cease-fire arrangement, US and Russian military officials "will be sitting at the same table" at a coordination center in Geneva to monitor and document any violations of the truce, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Tuesday in a news conference from Moscow with the UN's envoy to Syria, Staffan de Mistura. The truce will include Aleppo moving forward. aleppo Russia a staunch ally of Assad had initially refused to include Aleppo in the cessation of hostilities agreement because of Al Qaeda affiliate Jabhat al-Nusra's presence in parts of the city. It used the group to justify the continued airstrikes. Story continues As a result, joint US-Russian efforts to end regime bombardments there have largely been made on Moscow's terms, and Kerry acknowledged that negotiators were still trying to figure out how to target Nusra which is not party to the cessation of hostilities agreement without hitting rebel groups who have agreed to abide by the cease-fire. "Are they somehow commingled? Are they fair game? These are the kinds of things that have to be worked out so that there's no misunderstanding" about "who is doing what, where, when, and how," Kerry said. "We don't control the terrorists." nusra In any case, Kerry insisted the US would not allow Aleppo to fall to the government. He said there would be "repercussions" if forces loyal to Assad did not abide by the new terms. "If Assad does not adhere to this [cease-fire], there will clearly be repercussions, and one of them may be the total destruction of the cease-fire and then go back to war," Kerry said. "I don't think Russia wants that. I don't think Assad is going to benefit from that. There may be even other repercussions being discussed." Again, however, Kerry did not specify the consequences the Assad regime or Russia would face if it violated the cease-fire agreement. "If Assad's strategy is to somehow think he's going to just carve out Aleppo and carve out a section of the country, I got news for you and for him: This war doesn't end," Kerry said. "As long as Assad is there, the opposition is not going to stop fighting." NOW WATCH: Watch Russian warplanes fly dangerously close by a US Navy ship More From Business Insider BAMAKO (Reuters) - Mali has cut its cotton production forecast for the 2016/17 season to 650,000 tonnes from a previous estimate of 750,000 to 800,000 tonnes, the Malian Company for the Development of Textiles said on Monday, without giving a reason for the reduction. The cotton season opened last month in West Africa's biggest cotton producer, where last season's crop of 513,553 tonnes, was far less than a 650,000-tonne target because of late rain damage, highlighting the difficulty of meeting harvest goals. The late rains drenched crops and disrupted ginning in most regions in January and hit output. The cotton harvest in Mali runs from April to April. Production begins in May-June and ends in September-October. Commercialisation starts in October-November and ends at the end of March. (Reporting By Tiemoko Diallo; Writing by Edward McAllister; Editing by Joe Bavier and Jane Merriman) NIAMEY (Reuters) - French nuclear company Areva's local business in Niger denounced a 72-hour strike at its COMINAK uranium mine as a violation of a previous agreement over bonuses. Workers launched the strike on Monday, demanding the full payment of bonuses they say they are owed for reaching financial targets last year, according to a union leader who said the company had released 70 percent of the amount. However, COMINAK management said it had agreed with the workers to pay 70 percent initially, with the remainder to be paid after shareholders approved company results at a meeting in June. "COMINAK management deplores the unions' position," it said in a statement on Tuesday released via Areva Mines Niger. "This is in violation of the negotiated agreements." The statement said the bonuses had already been increased by 50 percent over the previous year as part of negotiations. An official with SYNAMIN, one of two unions along with SYNTRAMIN which called for the strike, said on Monday the workers would evaluate the company's response after three days with a view to possibly extending the stoppage. Located in northwestern Niger, COMINAK produced 1,607 tonnes of uranium in 2015. AREVA owns 34 percent of COMINAK with the state of Niger holding 31 percent. Japan's Overseas Uranium Resources Development Company Ltd holds 25 percent of the mine and Spain's Empresa Nacional des Uranio owns the remaining 10 percent. (Reporting by Boureima Balima; Writing by Joe Bavier; Editing by Keith Weir) By Megan Rowling and Tom Esslemont LONDON, May 4 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - U.N. officials, aid workers and government representatives are expected to examine ways of overcoming the biggest obstacles to the delivery of aid in conflict and disasters at the first-ever World Humanitarian Summit in Istanbul later this month. Convened by U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, the summit comes as aid officials warn of ever-growing humanitarian needs due to crises ranging from Syria's conflict to more extreme weather and rising seas as the planet warms. Ahead of the May 23-24 meeting, the Thomson Reuters (Dusseldorf: TOC.DU - news) Foundation interviewed the head of the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), Stephen O'Brien, and his predecessors Valerie Amos (2010-2015), John Holmes (2007-2010) and Jan Egeland (2003-2006) on the changing face of humanitarian response. Q: Which parts of the humanitarian system need the most urgent reform? O'Brien: There is a need for us to work very hard towards collective outcomes, meaning getting more multi-year programming, more multi-year financing and not just meeting immediate needs, but also more medium- to long-term needs. How do we empower local people, working more collectively, in collaboration with local NGOs and others? But at the same time there has to continue to be accountability/transparency. Amos: If you look at protracted crises... you need a way of thinking about them which goes beyond the humanitarian. Look at places like Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC (Shenzhen: 200530.SZ - news) ) or Somalia, where humanitarian interventions have gone on year after year after year. You cannot say that the DRC is not in need of humanitarian assistance - and yet so much of the focus is on those pockets of the DRC where you do have that humanitarian need. Then you have the big peacekeeping bit of it. The result is that the development bit gets squeezed and so does the governance bit, including all the work that needs to be done on the rule of law ... to give the people of the DRC the confidence that it is moving in the right direction. Story continues Holmes: We still need to go more local, in terms of strengthening local capacity and mentoring local NGOs and encouraging local civil society. But there are limits to that, because in conflict situations, locals are sometimes part of the problem - often intimidated by the (warring parties) and can't therefore act so well. We need to overcome the humanitarian-development divide... it's dead easy to say and extremely hard to do. But we need to get away from situations where the humanitarians go in and stop the worst, and then the money dries up, we disappear again, and the underlying causes have not really been tackled, and we're back again in three or five years doing the same thing. I think we are still not technologically innovative enough. The system is so busy fighting fires that... the capacity to do research and development, and to make use of IT (Other OTC: ITGL - news) innovations and somehow to mobilise all those clever people in Silicon Valley or Silicon Roundabout to volunteer their services, to provide some apps which could really start to fix some of our problems - not enough of it has happened. Egeland: Principles, protection and proximity. The humanitarian principles have to be promoted and defended more. I find them attacked, politicised, militarised. Where we are failing is not assistance, it's protection - where we keep people alive but we don't defend them. (On proximity) It's true that there are too many aid workers in capital cities, in easily reached places, and in the places where the cameras are easily at hand. We are still unpredictable in being there according to needs. Q: What will drive humanitarian needs in the next 20 years? O'Brien: We ... know that even with mitigation measures on climate change, we will still have climate effects, we will still have natural disasters. Amos: I think these conflicts will continue. (And) I think it is the complexity of climate-related disasters. So you have a country which will have a conflict in one part, which is affected by a climate-related shock, which is ongoing, where you might have a drought every five years and now it is every other year, and as a result of climate change it is probably going to be every year. So this mass movement of people as a result of that. Holmes: In terms of more and more intense (weather) events, what we always said would happen is happening ... At the same time, this is being dwarfed by what is happening on the conflict side. We used to say 70 percent of humanitarian aid went to the victims of conflict, and now I think it is 80 percent Egeland: Longer-term we are going to have this lethal cocktail of natural disasters, weak and bad governance, and internal strife that will make humanitarian work extremely challenging and extremely important, and where we will need to be very principled and high-quality in our work. Q: What single piece of advice would you give to future OCHA chiefs? O'Brien: The only thing I can say is be aware there aren't enough hours in the day. Amos: Your focus has got to be on getting the best out of people - so there has to be clarity of vision. It has to be a shared vision. When you are working at that kind of speed, with so many crises and working with so many different stakeholders, you have to have a sense of what motivates all those different actors - and how you can actually bring about change and reform in a very crowded environment. Holmes: Go and see for yourself what's going on, talk to the people who are actually involved in it, and suffering it. Because only then do you understand it, only then can you talk about it with authority, and only then can you have the right influence that you need on the rest of the system, on donor governments and on public opinion because you're speaking from real knowledge. Talk to the difficult people but also talk to them privately. It's all very well denouncing them publicly, and sometimes they need that. But if they think you are just grandstanding for the sake of it, they don't take much notice of you. Egeland: It is the basic leadership dilemma, really. You have to try to set the agenda yourself, not let everybody else set your agenda. There are so many actors, there are so many voices, there are so many competing demands that, in the end, one becomes too much (an) administrator of response to others' priorities instead of being a leader in the areas where you see change is needed. Get time to ask yourself and others: "What are we not doing that we should be doing now?" For more on the World Humanitarian Summit, please visit: http://news.trust.org/spotlight/reshape-aid (Reporting by Megan Rowling and Tom Esslemont; editing by Katie Nguyen; Please credit the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the charitable arm of Thomson Reuters, that covers humanitarian news, women's rights, trafficking, property rights and climate change. Visit http://news.trust.org to see more stories (Other OTC: UBGXF - news) ) Protesters from the Communist-affiliated trade union PAME take part in a demonstration against unemployment in front of the parliament building in Athens, Greece April 10, 2016. REUTERS/Alkis Konstantinidis ROME (Reuters) - Talks on concluding Greece's bailout review to unlock new funds and debt relief are progressing only slowly and no deal is likely at a special meeting of euro zone finance ministers on May 9, two sources close to the talks said on Monday. The sources said it would take longer to reach a deal on reforms needed to complete the review of Greece's third international financial rescue and agree on contingency steps that Athens must ready in case it misses its fiscal targets. "We're making slow progress," one of the sources said. "I wouldn't expect a final agreement at the May 9 meeting. That's too soon. There are some weeks to go after that." The biggest remaining obstacle is the form and content of the contingency measures, which Greece is resisting, he said. The source said it would be preferable to wrap up an accord before Britain's June 23 referendum on whether to stay in the European Union to avoid any atmosphere of crisis at that time. However, he said Greece did not need the next tranche of euro zone funds until mid-July, so there was no sense of overwhelming urgency. The second source said more time was also needed to bridge the gaps between the International Monetary Fund and European lenders on a debt restructuring for Greece, with Germany - the biggest European creditor - arguing publicly that Athens does not need debt relief. The chairman of euro zone finance ministers, Jeroen Dijsselbloem, last week called an extraordinary meeting of the Eurogroup for May 9 amid reports that an agreement was close. European Economics Commissioner Pierre Moscovici told reporters then: "We are 99 percent of the way there, we have converged on almost all aspects", referring to the basic reform package. But he added that more work was needed on the contingency steps. (Writing by Paul Taylor; Editing by Jan Strupczewski and Gareth Jones) * South Africa's PIC in talks with Barclays (LSE: BARC.L - news) on BAG stake * Talks about PIC increasing its stake in BAG -source * PIC not part of a consortium looking at BAG stake -source By Tiisetso Motsoeneng JOHANNESBURG, May 4 (Reuters) - South Africa's state pension fund is talking to Barclays Plc about buying some of the stake which the British bank is selling in its African business, a source with direct knowledge of the matter said. Barclays Plc is selling down its 62 percent stake, which is worth some $5 billion, in Barclays Africa Group (BAG) under a plan by new Chief Executive Jes Staley to simplify the bank's structure and generate higher shareholder returns. The Public Investment Corporation (PIC), Africa's largest fund manager with more than $122 billion of South African government employee pension assets under its custody, is the second-biggest shareholder in BAG with a holding of about 6 percent. "There are discussions going on about the PIC increasing its stake in Barclays Africa," the source said, declining to be named because the matter is private. "There's no PIC-led consortium. It (Other OTC: ITGL - news) 's just the PIC," Barclays declined to comment. The PIC is the second investor to show interest in BAG, which runs South Africa's biggest retail bank, after a source told Reuters last month that Atlas Mara has teamed up with private equity group Carlyle to prepare a bid. However, any deal involving a private equity player could face regulatory opposition from South Africa's central bank. "As a regulator, we would not be comfortable with private equity play for any of the banks," deputy governor Kuben Naidoo said at a press conference in Pretoria on Tuesday. He did not comment on any specific bank. Valued at $330 million, Atlas Mara was set up by former Barclays Chief Executive Bob Diamond, who has confirmed that his firm has already lined up funding for an offer, without elaborating on what form the financing would take. ($1 = 14.8052 rand) (Editing by Alexander Smith) (Adds quote, context, detail) ACCRA, May 4 (Reuters) - Production has restarted at Tullow Oil's 's offshore Jubilee field in Ghana and it is pumping 30,000 barrels of crude per day, the company's managing director in Ghana Charles Darku told an investor forum on Wednesday. Production at Jubilee was interrupted earlier this year due to a technical problem involving a damaged turret bearing but the company is considering three potential fixes and will make a decision by mid-year on which one to pursue, Darku said. "We have started production. As of today we are hitting 30,000 barrels per day," Darku told the forum in Ghana's capital Accra. Last year, Jubilee produced an average of 103,000 bpd. The Africa-focused producer said in April it would have to lower its production outlook due to the technical problem, which forced a longer-than-planned shutdown. Paul McDade, Tullow's chief operating officer, told the forum that he expected to surpass previous production levels once the issue is sorted out. "When we have resolved the problem with the turret we would like to get back up to those levels (103,000 bpd) and move up towards 120,000 (bpd)," he said. The company's TEN project in Ghana's waters is due to come on stream in the middle of this year and once that major capital commitment is over the company will begin to deleverage, chief executive Aidan Heavey said. (Reporting by Matthew Mpoke Bigg; Editing by Joe Bavier and David Evans) By Emma Batha LONDON, May 4 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Britain's efforts to tackle Yemen's massive humanitarian crisis risk being seriously undermined by its multi-billion dollar arms sales to neighbouring Saudi Arabia, a group of UK lawmakers said on Wednesday. They urged Britain to consider suspending weapons exports to Saudi Arabia, which has been accused by rights groups and aid agencies of repeatedly bombing civilian targets in Yemen. Britain also should back calls for an urgent independent investigation into alleged violations of humanitarian law by both sides in the conflict, the International Development Committee said in a report. A Saudi-led coalition began a military campaign in March last year to prevent the Iran-allied Houthi movement from taking complete control of Yemen after it seized much of the north. The conflict has killed more than 6,000 people, half of them civilians, and unleashed a major humanitarian crisis in the poorest country in the Middle East. A United Nations panel said this year that the coalition had targeted civilians and may have committed crimes against humanity. "The growing evidence of indiscriminate bombing by the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen ... raises serious questions over the government's continued licensing of arms transfers to Saudi Arabia," the committee said. It (Other OTC: ITGL - news) added that UK military sales to Saudi Arabia had increased significantly since the conflict in Yemen started, amounting to nearly 3 billion between April and December 2015 - just under 40 percent of total UK arms sales in that period. Aid agencies told the inquiry there was a "paradox at the heart of the UK government's approach to Yemen". Britain, one of the biggest donors to Yemen, has earmarked 85 million in humanitarian aid for this year and is providing medical supplies, water, food and emergency shelters. "The government should listen to the many concerns being expressed ... that the humanitarian crisis that (it) is working to address in Yemen may be being exacerbated by a flow of British arms into Saudi Arabia," committee chairman Stephen Twigg said. Story continues Julien Harneis, head of UNICEF in Yemen, told the committee's inquiry that the way the bombing was being conducted was "almost guaranteed to lead to civilian deaths". "These are huge bombs dropped into a city of millions of people," he said, adding they were also using a "double tap" strategy. "They will drop a bomb. Ambulance and health workers will rush to assist the victims, and then they will drop another bomb two hours later and blow up the ambulance crew." The Saudi government has launched an internal inquiry into the alleged violations. Britain's Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond told the committee that Saudi Arabia should be allowed to complete its inquiry before any independent investigation is considered. He added that there was no reason to stop arms exports but that the situation was being kept under review. The report also warned of a "lost generation" as it detailed the war's high toll on children. Harneis said nearly 2,000 children had been killed or injured in the last year, hundreds had been recruited to fight and an estimated 10,000 children under age 5 would die from indirect consequences of the conflict such as disease. One health expert said there were fears that polio, which was eradicated in Yemen a decade ago, could reappear because of a lack of vaccines. (Reporting by Emma Batha, Editing by Ellen Wulfhorst. Please credit the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the charitable arm of Thomson Reuters (Dusseldorf: TOC.DU - news) , which covers humanitarian news, women's rights, trafficking, property rights and climate change. Visit news.trust.org to see more stories (Other OTC: UBGXF - news) .) By Jonathan Saul LONDON (Reuters) - Al Qaeda's Yemen branch remains a powerful force and poses a growing risk to merchant ships in vital waterways nearby despite efforts by Yemeni government forces and their allies to push back the group, a top officer in an international naval force said. Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) confirmed on Saturday it had withdrawn from the southern Yemeni port of Mukalla - a week after Yemeni government and Emirati soldiers seized the city that was used by the Islamist militants to amass a fortune. Captain William Nault, Chief of Staff with the multi-national Combined Maritime Forces (CMF), told Reuters the gains by government forces were "heartening" and a "setback" for AQAP, but added the group still had capabilities due to the ongoing civil war. "AQAP has taken advantage of that chaos and moved into the void. In doing so they have gotten stronger," said Nault of CMF, whose mission includes counter-piracy and counter-terrorism in the region. AQAP has exploited conflict between Yemeni government loyalists backed by a Gulf Arab coalition and Houthi rebels allied to Iran and has sought to carve out a quasi state. The group still controls the Arabian Sea towns of Zinjibar and Shaqra, about 400 km (250 miles) southwest of Mukalla. That coastal area is close to the Bab al-Mandab gateway though which nearly four million barrels of oil are shipped daily to Europe, the United States and Asia. Nault said AQAP had a "stated capability and intent to conduct a maritime terrorist attack", which was something "we look at very hard". "I would assess that as getting worse over the last year instead of better," he said on a visit to London. "That threat would be against a soft target meaning an industry ship passing or going in and out of ... the Red Sea towards the eastern end of Yemen." Yemen has a 1,900-km (1,180 mile) coastline that also juts into the Gulf of Aden and Red Sea, a vast area to police given international navies were already stretched combating Somali piracy in the region, which had been contained in recent years. AQAP has planned several foiled bombing attempts on Western-bound airliners and claimed credit for the 2015 attack at the Charlie Hebdo magazine offices in Paris. Al Qaeda bombed the USS Cole warship in October 2000 when it was docked in Aden, killing 17 U.S. sailors. Two years later an al Qaeda attack damaged a French tanker in the Gulf of Aden. Nault said there was also the possibility of piracy re-emerging around Yemen, which may involve militants. "That is my concern - will we see a resurgence of piracy-like activity ... it might be something else in that area around Yemen." (Editing by Dominic Evans) SAO PAULO (Reuters) - A Brazilian judge ordered wireless phone carriers to block access to Facebook Inc's WhatsApp for 72 hours throughout Latin America's largest country on Monday, the second such move against the popular messaging application in five months. The decision by the judge in the northeastern state of Sergipe applies to the five main wireless operators in Brazil and affects WhatsApp's more than 100 million users in the country. The reason for the order is not known due to legal secrecy in an ongoing case in the Sergipe state court. In a statement, WhatsApp said the company is "disappointed at the decision" after doing the utmost to cooperate with Brazilian tribunals. The decision "punishes more than 100 million users who depend upon us to communicate themselves, run their business and more, just to force us hand over information that we don't have," the statement said, without elaborating. It was the second time since mid-December that the text message and internet voice telephone service for smartphones has been the target of a blocking order. A Sao Paulo state judge ordered the service be shut down for 48 hours on Dec. 15, after Facebook failed to comply with an order, although another court interrupted that suspension shortly afterward. Judge Marcel Maia Montalvao of Sergipe state is the same judge who in March ordered the imprisonment of a Brazil-based Facebook executive for failing to comply with an attempted block on WhatsApp. He was jailed and subsequently freed. Executives at the five carriers - Telefonica Brasil SA, America Movil SAB's Claro, TIM Participacoes SA, Oi SA and Nextel Participacoes SA - did not have an immediate comment. (Reporting by Alberto Alerigi Jr and Guillermo Parra-Bernal; Editing by Mary Milliken and Dan Grebler) By Sarah Marsh HAVANA (Reuters) - Britain's Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond said on Friday he saw no immediate threat to Europe from Islamic State bases in Libya and did not expect the new Libyan government to ask for foreign troops anytime soon. Libya has been in chaos since Western-backed rebels overthrew President Muammar Gaddafi in 2011. Western states are hoping a new Libyan unity government, which arrived in Tripoli last month, will be able to make Libya's armed factions work together against the militant group, and have said they are ready to provide training for Libyan forces if requested by the unity government. The United States has already conducted air strikes against Islamic State militants in Libya. "I don't expect the Libyan government to ask for foreign troops either in a combat or a training role anytime soon," Hammond said in an interview during a visit to Cuba. "But we have made clear we will support this new government," he told Reuters. Hammond last week told The Telegraph newspaper that he did not rule out sending British troops to Libya to fight Islamic State militants. He reiterated that position, saying Britain would not rule out military action in Libya should there be a "real and substantive threat coming from terrorist bases" there. "I don't think we see that threat at the moment but I simply wanted to be clear that we can't rule out using the capabilities we have to defend our country and protect our people." Hammond met with Cuban President Raul Castro earlier on Friday and is the first British Foreign Secretary to set foot in the Communist-ruled island since the 1959 revolution that overthrew a pro-American government. (Editing by Chizu Nomiyama and Frank Jack Daniel) By Tom Miles GENEVA (Reuters) - Companies put $221 billion into countries with low tax last year, chiefly Luxembourg and the Netherlands, while $72 billion of investment went into two British tax havens - the British Virgin Islands and Cayman Islands, the U.N. said on Tuesday. However, they took billions out of Luxembourg and the Netherlands in the final quarter of 2015 after the two countries imposed new EU rules to crack down on abusive tax practices. The flows into the British Virgin Islands and the Caymans were roughly in line with historical averages but their source has shifted from rich to developing countries in recent years, the U.N. thinktank UNCTAD's report said. From 2010 to 2014, Hong Kong, the United States, Russia and China were the top four sources. British Prime Minister David Cameron has come under increasing pressure in the last few months to tackle tax evasion after leaked documents from a Panamanian law company exposed how the world's rich and powerful used secretive offshore company structures to stash their wealth. Companies shuffling money between jurisdictions to save on tax remained "a key concern for policy makers", the U.N. report said, noting that firms from a sample of 26 developed countries registered more profits in Bermuda than in China in 2014. The report said companies' "special purpose entities" (SPEs) were typically subsidiaries that had little connection to the local economy but held assets or liabilities or raised capital. Quarterly flows to the SPEs in the Netherlands reached $148 billion in the third quarter, the highest since 2007, driven by investment from Luxembourg and Britain, but then sharply reversed. Flows to Luxembourg, associated with funds financing investments in the United States, surged in the first three quarters of 2015, triple on the same months of 2014, but turned negative with a net divestment of $115 billion in the final quarter. "The tight interrelation between SPE flows in Luxembourg and the Netherlands highlights the existence of dense and complex networks of these entities in both countries, with capital flowing rapidly among them in response to financing needs and tax planning considerations," the report said. (Editing by Louise Ireland) By Lesley Wroughton WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States said on Wednesday it had agreed with Russia to extend a cessation of hostilities agreement to include Aleppo where intense day-long violence between Syrian rebels and government forces killed dozens of people. The State Department said the truce went into effect at 12:01 a.m. Damascus time on Wednesday, but acknowledged the fighting had not stopped. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said he was not surprised that fighting continued in some areas, adding both sides were working to communicate with commanders in the field. Kerry, meeting with EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini at the State Department, said it was vital that both sides abide by the agreement. He called on Russia to use its influence over President Bashar al-Assad to stop the violence. There was no immediate response from Moscow to the announcement of an agreement, but the Syrian army said it would implement a "regime of calm" in Aleppo for 48 hours as of Thursday. The surge in bloodshed in Aleppo, Syria's largest city before the civil war and biggest strategic prize, wrecked the first major "cessation of hostilities" agreement of the war, sponsored by Washington and Moscow, which had held since February. In battles on Wednesday between rebels and government forces in western Aleppo, opposition forces said they were forced to retreat by heavy aerial bombing. Russia's U.N. ambassador, Vitaly Churkin, addressing a U.N. Security Council meeting on the situation in Aleppo, said an agreement would have been announced on Tuesday but opposition attacks in Aleppo had prevented it from happening. "The deterioration in certain areas of Syria, including Aleppo, is a serious source of concern. The government forces are fighting off a large-scale offensive by the jihadists (in Aleppo)," he told the council. STRENGTHENED MONITORING Kerry said the United States was coordinating closely with Russia to finalize strengthened monitoring of the extension of the cessation of hostilities to Aleppo. He said he expected a meeting of the International Syrian Support Group, a grouping of foreign ministers of European and Middle Eastern government chaired by Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, to meet within the next two weeks. In Berlin, the German and French foreign ministers said achieving a ceasefire in Aleppo was critical to renewing peace talks. "I believe everyone knows and can conclude that there could be no return to the political talks in Geneva if a ceasefire in and around Aleppo is not observed," German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier told reporters. In Geneva, a senior U.N. humanitarian official said the Syrian government was refusing U.N. demands to deliver aid to hundreds of thousands of civilians trapped by the fighting, including many in devastated Aleppo. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said dozens had been killed on both sides in what it described as the most intense battle in the Aleppo region in a year. Government forces were reinforced by allies from Lebanon's Hezbollah, it said. A rebel fighter said about 40 government soldiers had been killed, while rebel losses stood at 10 dead. A military source denied there had been heavy casualties in army ranks, but said dozens of civilians and many rebels had been killed. Rebel sources said insurgents at one point captured a strategic location known as Family House, but later lost it after the government side sent in reinforcements. A pro-government military strategist said the offensive failed to breach key army defense and supply lines in Aleppo. During the Security Council meeting, U.N. political chief Jeffrey Feltman said a consolidated truce and greater humanitarian aid access were needed to ensure the next round of Syria peace talks - set for this month - were credible. Without progress, he said there was a "real risk of a failed political process." "The current levels of violence in Aleppo, in particular, negatively impact the ability of the Syrian parties to engage in negotiations," Feltman said. U.N. aid chief Stephen O'Brien told the 15-member council that life for the people in Aleppo was horrendous and they were "living under daily threat and terror." (Additional reporting by David Alexander in Washington, Tom Perry and Suleiman al-Khalidi in Beirut, Paul Carrel and Joseph Nasr in Berlin and Michelle Nichols at the United Nations; Editing by Peter Cooney) By Lesley Wroughton WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States said on Wednesday it had agreed with Russia to extend a cessation of hostilities agreement to include Aleppo where intense day-long violence between Syrian rebels and government forces killed dozens of people. The State Department said the truce went into effect at 12:01 a.m. Damascus time on Wednesday, but acknowledged the fighting had not stopped. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said he was not surprised that fighting continued in some areas, adding both sides were working to communicate with commanders in the field. Kerry, meeting with EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini at the State Department, said it was vital that both sides abide by the agreement. He called on Russia to use its influence over President Bashar al-Assad to stop the violence. There was no immediate response from Moscow to the announcement of an agreement, but the Syrian army said it would implement a "regime of calm" in Aleppo for 48 hours as of Thursday. The surge in bloodshed in Aleppo, Syria's largest city before the civil war and biggest strategic prize, wrecked the first major "cessation of hostilities" agreement of the war, sponsored by Washington and Moscow, which had held since February. In battles on Wednesday between rebels and government forces in western Aleppo, opposition forces said they were forced to retreat by heavy aerial bombing. Russia's U.N. ambassador, Vitaly Churkin, addressing a U.N. Security Council meeting on the situation in Aleppo, said an agreement would have been announced on Tuesday but opposition attacks in Aleppo had prevented it from happening. "The deterioration in certain areas of Syria, including Aleppo, is a serious source of concern. The government forces are fighting off a large-scale offensive by the jihadists (in Aleppo)," he told the council. STRENGTHENED MONITORING Kerry said the United States was coordinating closely with Russia to finalise strengthened monitoring of the extension of the cessation of hostilities to Aleppo. He said he expected a meeting of the International Syrian Support Group, a grouping of foreign ministers of European and Middle Eastern government chaired by Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, to meet within the next two weeks. In Berlin, the German and French foreign ministers said achieving a ceasefire in Aleppo was critical to renewing peace talks. "I believe everyone knows and can conclude that there could be no return to the political talks in Geneva if a ceasefire in and around Aleppo is not observed," German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier told reporters. In Geneva, a senior U.N. humanitarian official said the Syrian government was refusing U.N. demands to deliver aid to hundreds of thousands of civilians trapped by the fighting, including many in devastated Aleppo. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said dozens had been killed on both sides in what it described as the most intense battle in the Aleppo region in a year. Government forces were reinforced by allies from Lebanon's Hezbollah, it said. A rebel fighter said about 40 government soldiers had been killed, while rebel losses stood at 10 dead. A military source denied there had been heavy casualties in army ranks, but said dozens of civilians and many rebels had been killed. Rebel sources said insurgents at one point captured a strategic location known as Family House, but later lost it after the government side sent in reinforcements. A pro-government military strategist said the offensive failed to breach key army defence and supply lines in Aleppo. During the Security Council meeting, U.N. political chief Jeffrey Feltman said a consolidated truce and greater humanitarian aid access were needed to ensure the next round of Syria peace talks - set for this month - were credible. Without progress, he said there was a "real risk of a failed political process." "The current levels of violence in Aleppo, in particular, negatively impact the ability of the Syrian parties to engage in negotiations," Feltman said. U.N. aid chief Stephen O'Brien told the 15-member council that life for the people in Aleppo was horrendous and they were "living under daily threat and terror." (Additional reporting by David Alexander in Washington, Tom Perry and Suleiman al-Khalidi in Beirut, Paul Carrel and Joseph Nasr in Berlin and Michelle Nichols at the United Nations; Editing by Peter Cooney) By Anuradha Nagaraj CHENNAI, India (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - When Kasthuri Munirathinam crawled out of the window of a second floor apartment in Riyadh, she was scared for her life. The 55-year-old Indian housemaid from the southern state of Tamil Nadu was determined to escape from her employer's apartment where she worked as a domestic help. She had been in Saudi Arabia for just two months, one of thousands of Indians heading to the Gulf states every year for work, but was terrified she would never see her family again. "I thought they would kill me. I had to escape. I wasn't given enough to eat. They had my wages, my passport, my phone," Munirathinam told the Thomson Reuters Foundation in an interview in her home in Vellore, 150 km (90 miles) from Chennai. Munirathinam's desperate bid to escape last September hit international headlines after the housemaid said her employer had chopped her hand off in the affray, with the injury resulting in an operation to amputate her arm. Videos and photos of Munirathinam lying in a hospital bed, her arm heavily bandaged, prompted India's foreign ministry to complain to the Saudi Arabian authorities about the attack although the exact details remain unclear. Saudi police said Munirathinam's arm was amputated due to injuries she sustained in the fall from the building. Munirathinam is still waiting for action to be taken against her employer. Phone calls and emails to the Saudi Arabian embassy in New Delhi and the Indian mission in Riyadh on the issue went unanswered. "I became a dependent who needs assistance to even comb my hair ... and to think my journey to the Gulf was in the capacity of a breadwinner for my family," she said tearfully. "Some official (from the government hospital in Chennai) called and said I could get a free prosthetic arm. But going to the hospital would mean hiring a taxi and we can't afford it." Munirathinam's widely reported story has put a human face to the dilemma faced by many Indian workers, particularly women - whether to leave their villages to take up jobs overseas paying up to three times more than in India but putting their fate in the hands of recruitment agents. Government figures show there are an estimated six million Indian migrants in the six Gulf states of Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and Oman. In 2015, more than 700,000 Indians moved to the Gulf states where domestic help is in high demand. BETTER PAID JOBS Indians from Tamil Nadu and neighboring Kerala have traditionally traveled to the Gulf states for work but in recent years, India's foreign ministry has also opened offices in the northern Indian states of Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh. Munirathinam said she decided to go overseas to work when her family racked up debts of 30,000 rupees($450) by taking out loans to fund her daughters' weddings and to build a house. "There was no choice and the agent said there would be no problem. I trusted him and he promised I would get $250 every month," she said. The average monthly salary for a domestic help in Tamil Nadu or India is about 5000 rupees ($75). Like Munirathinam, many migrant workers move in a bid to support their families at home - but taking these higher paid, oversea jobs can actually add to their financial burden. A migration survey by the Tamil Nadu state government released in 2015 showed that a migrant spends an average of 108,112 rupees ($1,600) to a secure a job overseas, with half going to recruitment agencies and the rest for visas and travel. But the survey of 20,000 households also revealed that 39 percent of women and 21 percent of men who work abroad reported not receiving the promised wages. "It is a cycle of no food, no rest and no promised wages," says Clarammal Panipitchai, convenor of the Tamil Nadu Domestic Workers Union. "In a recent case, a woman from Tuticurin in Tamil Nadu tried to commit suicide. That was her ticket back home." Munirathinam remembers her journey vividly and her agent unexpectedly switching her destination to Riyadh from Dubai. "We were flown to Sri Lanka. There were so many of us from different states. We spent three days there and were then put on flights to different countries," she said. Since the 1980s, India has signed various agreements with the Gulf states to address the protection and welfare of Indian workers but even a new series of agreements was not seen by campaigners as likely to stop human trafficking. Last month, India's foreign ministry said the latest accord with the UAE would ensure rapid investigations and prosecutions of traffickers and safeguard the rights of victims. But activists say these agreements are unlikely to change the situation for the millions who travel for work but end up trapped in abusive situations with employers taking away their identity documents. "The bilateral agreements are focused on ensuring more people get jobs and bring back remittances, but not protecting the worker and his basic rights," says Bernard D'Sami, coordinator of the non-government Arunodhaya Migrant Initiative in Chennai, which works on labor issues arising out undocumented migration. "People arrive at the destination country to find no labor contract and no valid work permit. At the end of 90 days, when their tourist visa expires, they are undocumented people in a foreign land. That's when the hell begins." In response to a query in India's parliament in March, the External Affairs Ministry said their diplomatic missions in all six Gulf states had registered complaints of physical abuse, maltreatment, non-payment of salary, and other grievances. Indian officials took up 538 cases in Kuwait in 2015 and 282 cases of physical abuse in Saudi Arabia. Figures for the other states were not available. But for Munirathinam any changes that happen come too late. "My arm was amputated, there was promise of justice and I was flown back home, right back to the circumstances that had forced me to take up the job," she said. (Reporting by Anuradha Nagaraj, Editing by Belinda Goldsmith; Please credit the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the charitable arm of Thomson Reuters, that covers humanitarian news, women's rights, trafficking and climate change. Visit www.trust.org) BRUSSELS (Reuters) - NATO said on Wednesday it had agreed to non-member Israel setting up representation at its Brussels headquarters, a tentative sign of rapprochement between the Jewish state and NATO member Turkey. Israel and Turkey have stepped up efforts to patch up a relationship badly damaged following an Israeli raid in 2010 on a Turkish boat, the Mavi Marmara, which had been trying to breach a blockade on the Gaza Strip. NATO said in a statement that Israel's ambassador to the European Union, David Walzer, would now also head its mission at alliance headquarters. The foreign ministry of Israel, which is not a NATO member but has partner status as a participant in the alliance's Mediterranean Dialogue programmes together with six other non-NATO countries in the region, welcomed the move. Turkey's mission to NATO had no comment on Wednesday but Ankara previously opposed some forms of NATO cooperation with Israel following the Mavi Marmara incident. In 2010, Israeli commandos raided the Mavi Marmara, which was the lead ship in a group of boats trying to break the blockade, and killed nine Turks in clashes with activists. Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Wednesday that Ankara has discussed the opening Israeli mission at NATO with Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg. "We said we may welcome this if all countries are treated equally," Cavusoglu said. "It's important that not only Israel but other southern partners are granted the same right." (Reporting by Gabriela Baczynska in Brussels, Jeffrey Heller in Jerusalem and Gulsen Solaker in Ankara; Editing by Richard Balmforth) STUTTGART, Germany (Reuters) - The NATO alliance is weighing rotating four battalions of troops through Eastern member states, U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter said on Monday, in the latest proposal by allies to guard against aggressive behavior by Russia. The Baltic states - Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania - which joined NATO in 2004, have requested greater presence of the alliance, fearing a threat from Russia after it annexed the Crimea peninsula from Ukraine in 2014. Carter acknowledged NATO deliberations included the deployment of the four battalions to the Baltic states and Poland. The Wall Street Journal said this would likely total about 4,000 troops split between the United States and its allies. "That's one of the options that's being discussed," Carter told reporters traveling with him at the start of a three-day trip to Germany, declining to enter into details about the deliberations by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. "We're obviously involved in those discussions. I just dont want to get out in front of where that goes." U.S. officials say the goal in Europe is to move increasingly from efforts to reassure allies to broader activity to deter any aggressive moves by Russia. The United States has already budgeted to sharply boost military training and exercises and last month announced it would deploy continuous rotations of U.S.-based armored brigade combat teams to Europe. Carter's trip to Germany will include meetings with Army General Curtis Scaparrotti as he takes over as the next NATO Supreme Allied Commander Europe, succeeding U.S. Air Force General Philip Breedlove. Scaparrotti told a Senate hearing last month that a resurgent Russia was displaying "increasingly aggressive behavior that challenges the international norms, often in violation of international law." (Reporting by Phil Stewart; Editing by Matthew Lewis) By James Pearson PYONGYANG (Reuters) - North Korea's rain-soaked capital was festooned on Tuesday with banners celebrating leader Kim Jong Un ahead of a ruling party congress, as rival South Korea expressed concern that Pyongyang could conduct a nuclear test before or during the rare event. Flower pots lined balconies along streets that have been tidied as part of a 70-day campaign for the first Workers' Party congress in 36 years, which starts on Friday. At the congress, Kim is expected to declare isolated North Korea a nuclear weapons state and formally adopt his "Byongjin" policy to push simultaneously for economic development and nuclear capability. It follows Kim's father's Songun, or "military first," policy and his grandfather's Juche, the North's home-grown founding ideology that combines Marxism and extreme nationalism. "Let's uphold Great Comrade Kim Jong Un's Songun revolutionary leadership with patriotism!," one banner read. Isolated North Korea has conducted a series of weapons tests, including three failed launches of an intermediate-range missile, in the run-up to the Workers' Party congress. One banner in Pyongyang extolled a February rocket launch that put a satellite in space. Overseas, however, the launch drew condemnation as a ballistic missile test in disguise. Kim has aggressively pursued nuclear weapons and could be looking to a successful fifth test this week as a crowning achievement, foreign analysts have said. South Korean Defence Minister Han Min-koo said Pyongyang's nuclear test may come before or around the time of the opening of the congress. "North Korea's goal is to be internationally recognised as a nuclear weapons state," Han told a parliamentary hearing on Tuesday. "We believe its nuclear capability is advancing." North Korea has invited foreign media to cover the congress, although journalists' movements are closely managed and much of the country and its people remain off-limits to outsiders. Pyongyang citizens "fervently welcomed participants of the congress who have given all their patriotic passion ... as a new generation of true warriors of Juche revolution under the leadership of dear comrade Kim Jong Un," North Korea's official Rodong Sinmun newspaper said on Tuesday. Security has been stepped up ahead of the congress. The Daily NK, a website run by defectors with sources in North Korea, said that since mid-April, free movement in and out of the capital had been stopped and security personnel summoned from the provinces to step up domestic surveillance. FIRST SINCE 1980 The party congress is the first since 1980, before the 33-year-old Kim was born. His father and predecessor, Kim Jong Il, who died in December 2011, never held one. While some past party congresses featured representatives from countries the North has ties with, South Korean officials have said they were not aware of invitations sent to official foreign guests for the upcoming event. North Korea has become increasingly isolated over its pursuit of nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles, and was hit with tightened U.N. Security Council sanctions in March that were backed by its chief ally, China, in response to a January nuclear test. Pyongyang has conducted a flurry of missile and other weapons tests in the run-up to the congress, although not all have been successful. It made three attempts last month of what was believed to be its intermediate-range Musudan missile, all of which failed, according to U.S. and South Korean officials. The congress is expected to last four or five days, South Korean government officials and experts said. Kim may decide to take on the post of party General Secretary, a position held by his late father, elevating himself from First Secretary. "It is now his era, and the elders have passed away, and the idea will be that if he remains first secretary, then he might think he won't get enough respect because of that," said An Chan-il, former North Korean military official who now heads a think tank in Seoul. (Additional reporting by Jack Kim and Ju-min Park; Editing by Tony Munroe and Raju Gopalakrishnan) Reuters In terms of policymaking, it does mean that there is likely to be more deference to Xi Jinpings own views about how to move the country and the economy forward... I can imagine that zero-COVID policy is likely more entrenched and theres going to be further push on this issue of common prosperity and the like. All of his rivals, potential and real, have been forced out of the Politburo Standing Committee and Xi loyalists took their place. Global warming has increasingly led to the melting of Arctic ice. And, as the ice melts, the world's last true backwater will become a hotbed of global geopolitical competition. The following map from Parag Khanna's book "Connectography: Mapping the Future of Global Civilization" demonstrates exactly why the Arctic will become the world's next major frontier. Largely, the competition in the Arctic will be based off of overlapping territorial claims and the region's high likelihood of having major oil and gas fields: Arctic map At stake in the Arctic is an estimated 15% of the world's remaining oil, up to 30% of its natural gas deposits, and about 20% of its liquefied natural gas stored in the Arctic seabed. Additionally, a global shipping route through the Arctic should the ice clear would be significantly faster than current routes through the Suez Canal. A potential route, running through the Arctic from Northern Europe to China, would cut shipping time by as much as 22%. This route, should the logistics work out and the correct infrastructure is put in place, would be a major economic boon for both Europe and East Asia. By 2030, the WSJ notes, the Northern Sea Route will be passable to shipping for nine months a year. Russia, Denmark, Norway, Canada, and the US all have partial claims to the Arctic Circle with Moscow taking the most definite steps to ensuring that it maintains its influence in the region. As of December, Russia had finished equipping six new military bases throughout the Arctic in a move to recreate the country's military presence to levels it had during the Cold War. The six military bases are located throughout Russia and are placed on both the country's northern shore and on outlying Arctic islands. Story continues The locations are now fully equipped with the materials and amenities necessary for long-term deployments of soldiers to the region. Throughout this year, Moscow plans to begin sending hundreds of military servicemen to the Arctic bases. NOW WATCH: Watch Russian warplanes fly dangerously close by a US Navy ship More From Business Insider BEIRUT (Reuters) - Rebels bombarded government-held areas of Aleppo with rockets on Tuesday, killing 19 people and hitting a hospital, while also launching a ground assault on army-held positions of the divided city, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. The Syrian army said insurgents had launched a broad-based assault and that it was responding. State-run Syrian news channel Ikhbariya said three women had been killed and 17 more people wounded at the al-Dabit maternity clinic. The army statement said the attack was at "a time when international and local efforts are being made to shore up the (cessation of hostilities agreement) and to implement ... calm in Aleppo". The Observatory said the hospital had been heavily damaged. In rebel-held parts of Aleppo, the Observatory said there had been three air strikes, citing information of an unconfirmed number of people killed. Aleppo, Syria's largest city before the civil war erupted in 2011, has been divided for years between rebel and government-held zones. The city has borne the brunt of increased fighting in recent weeks that has wrecked a February ceasefire. The Observatory said 279 civilians have been killed in Aleppo by bombardments since April 22 - 155 of them in opposition-held areas and 124 in government-held districts. DETONATED TUNNELS The ground assault focused on the Jamiat al-Zahraa area of the city, where insurgent groups detonated tunnels and took a few buildings before advances were checked by the arrival of reinforcements on the government side, the Observatory said. A Syrian army source said a car bomb was used in an attack nearby, adding that the assault had failed. The source added that "matters had been moving towards Aleppo being included in the truce, but it seems there are those who do not want that". In a statement, the Nour Al Edin Al Zenkey rebel group accused the government of launching the first ground assault on Tuesday, saying it had attacked west of Aleppo. The group said the assault was successfully repelled and followed by a counter-attack that led the rebels to capture several positions. (Reporting by Lisa Barrington and Tom Perry, editing by Gareth Jones) By Dmitry Solovyov and Lidia Kelly MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia will take retaliatory measures if NATO deploys four extra battalions in Poland and the Baltic states and it will reinforce its western and southern flanks with three new divisions by the year-end anyway, officials said. U.S. Defense Secretary Ashton Carter said on Monday that NATO was weighing up rotating four battalions of troops through eastern member states amid rising tension in the Baltic. Russia has scrambled jets to intercept U.S. reconnaissance planes in recent weeks and made simulated attack passes near a U.S. warship in the Baltic Sea. Andrei Kelin, a department head at Russia's Foreign Ministry, said on Wednesday that the proposed NATO deployment spoken of by Carter was a source of concern for Moscow. "This would be a very dangerous build-up of armed forces pretty close to our borders," Kelin told the Interfax news agency. "I am afraid this would require certain retaliatory measures, which the Russian Defence Ministry is already talking about." Russia announced in January it would create three new military divisions and bring five new strategic nuclear missile regiments into service. On Wednesday, Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said the new divisions would be formed by the end of this year and were being created to counter what Moscow saw as NATO's growing strength. Russian media, citing unnamed military sources, said the new divisions would most likely be motorised rifle ones and number around 10,000 soldiers each. "The Ministry of Defence has adopted a series of measures to counter the growing capacity of NATO forces in close proximity to the Russian borders," Shoigu said in televised comments. The new divisions are likely to be deployed in military districts close to Russia's borders with Ukraine, Belarus, the Baltic states and Finland as well as Georgia and Azerbaijan. Russia has reacted angrily to NATO's increased military presence in countries that were once part of the Soviet Union and to military exercises close to its borders. But its own actions, particularly its annexation of Ukraine's Crimea in 2014, have sparked anxiety in the region and Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania asked the alliance to expand its presence on their soil as a deterrent. The Kremlin strongly denies having any intention to attack the Baltic countries, but has often said it feels they have become an aggressive "russophobic kernel" pushing NATO towards a consistently anti-Russian course. (Additional reporting by Jack Stubbs; Writing by Andrew Osborn; Editing by Richard Balmforth) By Tulay Karadeniz ANKARA (Reuters) - Turkey has agreed to abolish visa restrictions for all European Union citizens, including Greek Cypriots, passing one of the last remaining hurdles for it to secure visa-free access to Europe for its own nationals. The Turkish cabinet late on Monday approved waiving visas for visitors from all 28 EU member states once Europe relaxes its own visa requirements for Turks, according to a decision published in the country's Official Gazette. Although the visa waiver will apply to Greek Cypriots, a Turkish official told Reuters it did not amount to Turkish recognition of Cyprus. Liberalising visa rules for Turkey, a Muslim country of 79 million people, is a contentious issue among EU states, but Brussels is pushing ahead to keep a migration accord in place that should help ease Europe's worst migration crisis since World War Two. The European Commission is expected to declare on Wednesday that Turkey has broadly met the criteria for visa liberalisation and to ask EU governments and the European Parliament to approve the decision by the end of June. "With this decree, Turkey has fulfilled one more of the important benchmarks for visa liberalisation," European Commission spokesman Margaritas Schinas told a daily briefing in Brussels. NO RECOGNITION OF CYPRUS One of the biggest obstacles in Turkey's relations with the EU is Ankara's refusal to recognise EU member Cyprus, the Mediterranean island divided for four decades between the Turkish-controlled north, recognised only by Ankara, and the Greek Cypriot south, which has international recognition. "This doesn't mean the recognition of Cyprus. If the EU abolishes visas for Turkish citizens, then we will also abolish visas for the remaining EU countries," the Turkish official said on condition of anonymity because the full deal has not yet been finalised. "Right now, Greek Cypriots can already travel to Turkey, but we are issuing their visa on a separate paper. With this new arrangement they won't need a visa." Cyprus would wait for the assessment review of the European Commission on Wednesday before making any comment, government spokesman Nikos Christodoulides told the Cyprus News Agency. Nordic foreign ministers meeting in Finland said it was important that Turkey reached all 72 criteria before visa-free travel for Turks could be allowed. "It is an important deal, we need it in Europe. But we must be strict in that sense, that when we have agreed on those benchmarks, they should be fulfilled," Finnish Foreign Minister Timo Soini, head of the nationalist Finns party, told a news conference. (Additional reporting by Gabriela Baczynska in Brussels, Michele Kambas in Athens and Tuomas Forsell in Porvoo, Finland; Writing by Nick Tattersall; Editing by Daren Butler and Raissa Kasolowsky) By Phil Stewart STUTTGART, Germany (Reuters) - U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter said on Wednesday that Washington and its allies had agreed to do more in their campaign to defeat Islamic State but that more risks lay ahead. Carter made the comment following talks in Germany with defense ministers and representatives from 11 other nations participating in the alliance. He said the United States greatly regretted the death of a Navy SEAL in an attack by the jihadist group in northern Iraq on Tuesday. He named the man as Petty Officer First Class Charles Keating. "These risks will continue ... but allowing ISIL safe haven would carry greater risk for us all," he added, using an acronym for Islamic State. "We also agreed that all of our friends and allies across the counter-ISIL coalition can and must do more as well, both to confront ISIL in Iraq and Syria and its metastases elsewhere." The talks included ministers from France, Britain and Germany and were planned well in advance of Tuesday's attack, in which Islamic State fighters blasted through Kurdish defenses and overran a town. The elite serviceman was the third American to be killed in direct combat since the U.S.-led coalition launched a campaign in 2014 to "degrade and destroy" Islamic State, and is a measure of its deepening involvement in the conflict. Offering new details about Keating's mission, Carter said the SEAL's job was to operate with Iraqi Kurdish peshmerga forces to train and assist them north of the city of Mosul. "That part of the peshmerga front came under attack ... and they found themselves in a firefight," Carter said. In mid-April, the United States announced plans to send an additional 200 troops to Iraq and put them closer to the front lines of battle to advise Iraqi forces. In late April, President Barack Obama announced he would send an additional 250 special operations forces to Syria, greatly expanding the U.S. presence on the ground there to help draw in more Syrian fighters to combat Islamic State. 'GOING TO TAKE A LONG TIME' Norwegian Defence Minister Ine Eriksen Soereide told Reuters that the ministers discussed ways to escalate the military fight against Islamic State and deal with concurrent humanitarian crises but that it was clear more hard work remained. "There is no doubt Islamic State is under pressure ... but one has to be realistic," she said in a telephone interview. "This is difficult, this is complex. It's going to take a long time." Soereide said Norway's decision this week to send 60 troops, including special forces soldiers, to support Syrian fighters, was made possible partly by the more structured plan for coordinating the fight against Islamic State that had emerged in recent months. The Islamist militants have been broadly retreating since December, when the Iraqi army recaptured Ramadi, the largest city in the western region. Last month, the Iraqi army retook the nearby region of Hit, pushing the militants farther north along the Euphrates valley. But U.S. officials acknowledge the military gains are not enough. Iraq is beset by political infighting, corruption, a growing fiscal crisis and the Shi'ite Muslim-led government's fitful efforts to seek reconciliation with aggrieved minority Sunnis, the bedrock of Islamic State support. (Reporting by Phil Stewart; Additional reporting by Andrea Shalal; Editing by John Stonestreet and Peter Cooney) By Mohammed Ghobari CAIRO (Reuters) - The Yemeni government suspended direct peace talks to end the country's civil war on Sunday after the Houthi movement and its armed allies seized a military base north of the capital Sanaa, two members of the official delegation to the talks said. The Houthi assault killed several of the soldiers defending the Umaliqa base. Unlike most of Yemen's soldiers, those at Umaliqa had refused to take sides in the war between the Iran-allied Houthis and the Saudi-backed government. The Houthis had tolerated this neutrality until they launched a surprise push into the facility in Amran province and seized its large cache of weapons at dawn, local officials said. "We have suspended the sessions indefinitely to protest these military actions and continued violations of the truce," one member of the government delegation to the Yemen peace talks in Kuwait told Reuters. The delegate declined to be named, citing rules on media commentary at the U.N.-sponsored peace talks. Abdel-Malek al-Mekhlafi, Yemen's foreign minister and the government's top delegate to the negotiations in Kuwait, said in the Houthi assault had "torpedoed" the talks. "We will take the appropriate position in response to the Houthi crime at the Umaliqa base in Amran for the sake of our people and country," he wrote on his official Twitter account, without elaborating. Houthi spokesman Mohammed Abdul-Salam dismissed the delegation's protest. In comments posted on his official Twitter account he accused the government of "wasting time" and "fabricating excuses" to continue the war. Buttressed by a truce which had been largely holding since April 10, the talks in Kuwait had been inching ahead in recent days and the Houthis said Saudi Arabia had on Saturday released 40 Yemeni prisoners. For its part, Yemen's Houthi-run state news agency Saba accused the mostly Gulf Arab coalition and Yemeni government forces of violating the truce 4,000 times, saying shelling, bombing raids and warplane overflights had raised tensions. The war has killed at least 6,200 people and unleashed a humanitarian crisis in the already impoverished country. Yemen's army has split, and military bases and commanders have mostly taken either the Houthi or the government side. (Writing by Noah Browning and Katie Paul; Editing by Gareth Jones and Nerys Avery) We can help you make sense of the agribusiness industry, extending from chemicals and fertilizers used as inputs into agriculture, to the commodities, food and by-products that are an output to farming, with policy and regulation applied at every step of the value chain. Italian buyout firm Alto Partners has sold its entire 95% stake in BIA, a European producer and distributor of couscous, to B.F. S.p.A., which is the holding company of Bonifiche Ferraresi. YEREVAN, MAY 4, ARMENPRESS. Armenpress news agency presents the upcoming news for 04.05.2016. Today on May 4 the initiatives of Bank Management will talk about the program and its significance which will be kicked off in September 2016. The program was developed by the joint cooperation between Malkhasyan Consulting company and the European Regional Educational Academy. Economist Karlen Khachatryan and the president of the Union of Consumers Armen Poghosyan will speak about the issue of gas tariff reduction and what impacts it will have on consumers and the economy. Zaruhi Petrosyan, head of the Operative Hydro-Meteorological Center at the Ministry of Emergency Situations, will speak about the weather changes during May. Armenian Apostolic Church celebrates Ascension Day of Jesus Christ. Pastor Ter Ghazar Petrosyan from St. Grigor Lusavorich Church of Byuravan will speak about the preparatory works of the ceremony. The official ceremony of the exhibition of photographer Tatev Mnatsakanyans personal photographs will be held in the UN Office in Armenia. It was organized within the framework of Dialogue of Cultures program. The exhibition is devoted to the international day for Dialogue and development of Cultural diversity which is celebrated annually on May 21. Armmono international theater festival summarizes its results. Director of the festival Marianna Mkhitaryan and an official from the Ministry of Culture of Armenia Naira Hayrapetyan will speak about the success and achievements of the festival. Follow us TWITTER and FACEBOOK. YEREVAN, MAY 4, ARMENPRESS. The Defense Ministry of Armenia reports Azerbaijani forces firing irregular shots from various caliber weapons at Armenian positions. The ministrys announcement reads: Overnight May 3- 4 Azerbaijani forces opened irregular fire from various caliber weapons and sniper rifles at Armenian positions in the northeastern part of the Armenian-Azerbaijani state border. The Armenian Armed Forces are confidently monitoring the border and take appropriate measures only in case of intentional Azerbaijani violations. According to the Nagorno Karabakh Defense Ministry the situation in the line of contact of Nagorno Karabakh-Azerbaijan overnight May 3-4 was tense. Azerbaijani forces violated the ceasefire agreement by firing different caliber weapons and mortars. The Nagorno Karabakhi Armed Forces continue monitoring the borders and take countermeasures only in case of strict necessity. YEREVAN, MAY 4, ARMENPRESS. The US Department of State is concerned about the issue of media freedom in Turkey, Armenpress reports, US Department of State Spokesperson John Kirby said this during the daily briefing with journalists. Weve talked about before that the trend were seeing in Turkey is not a good one. Its not going in the right direction. I think Ive described it as worrisome, and I think we still believe that. We dont believe that restricting freedom of the press is healthy for any democracy, and yet, we still believe that Turkey can live up to all its democratic principles, the ones that are enshrined in its constitution, Kirby said. He highlighted that the US believes that the path to success is not by harassment and restricting medias ability to do their job. We have said this many times, Kirby stated. YEREVAN, MAY 4, ARMENPRESS. Shares in Twitter fell to their lowest closing price ever: it decreased by 3% to $13.9 per share. This price is the minimal. Companys shares were reached to these levels in November, 2013. According to experts assessments only this year Twitter share fell by 39%, but overall in the history of the company they fell by more than 65%. According to American media this fact is explained by the financial results of the company and the disappointment of investors over the number of social network users, Armenpress reports citing Interfax. The latesest figures from the Central Statistics Offfice (CSO) show that Irish unemployment fell to 183,700 in April, down from 187,400 the previous month. This is the lowest level of unemployment since November 2008, when the unemployment rate was 8.1%. The unemployment rate fell by 0.2 percentage points to 8.4% from 8.6% in February and 9.0% at end-2015. Employment rose in twelve of the fourteen economic sectors on an annual basis and fell in the other two in the final quarter of 2015. The greatest rate of increase was posted in the Construction (+8.5% or 9,900) sector. The pick-up in this sector is particularly encouraging given that it was the one that suffered the worst in the downturn. Merrion Stockbrokers have today predicted an average jobless rate of 8.2% for 2016, down from 9.4% in 2015 and 11.3% in 2014. Commenting on today's figures, Minister for Jobs, Richard Bruton said, "There are many significant risks to our continuing recovery including Brexit, conflict and instability in the Middle East, oil prices, slowdown in China and yesterday we saw the EU Commission downgrade its forecasts for EU growth." He added, "All of this highlights the need to continue making changes in the areas over which we have control in particular, to do everything possible to improve our international competitiveness. If we are successful in this we will be able to keep the economy strong so that we can make changes and improve services to make peoples lives a little better and a little easier." Source: www.businessworld.ie At the Aviva Stadium in Dublin today, the US Embassy in Ireland hosted its annual economic conference, "Creative Minds: Creative Disruption." The US Embassy invited leaders in business, tech, transportation, health, sustainability, arts, culture, creative industries, sports, science, and education to share ideas about the power of creativity and innovation and how those forces define the US-Irish relationship. The conference featured over 40 speakers and disruptors whose innovations are challenging the status quo, transforming industries, revolutionizing the way we work and live and driving the dynamism in the US Irish shared economy. Major US multinationals were represented by speakers including MasterCard, Google, LinkedIn, HP, Airbnb, Fitbit, IBM, Intel and Microsoft. US Ambassador to Ireland, Kevin OMalley commented, "A thriving economy requires not only visionary and risk-taking entrepreneurs and companies, but also fundamental disruptors of innovation. Airbnb, Amazon, Netflix and Apple are all great examples of companies who broke the dominant business models and spotted the potential to take advantage of previously unseen opportunities. He added, "If the established players are to compete in this new market, they must adapt or rebuild their product or service to make it more convenient and accessible to customers. Irelands a fertile ground for this kind of cross fertilization of ideas and this openness contributes to our several hundred billion dollar US-Irish trade and investment relationship." The conference was sponsored by corporate partners A&L Goodbody, Accenture, Bank of Ireland, BT, The Doyle Collection, EMC, Gina London Communications, Glanbia, Indeed, Intel and William Fry. Source: www.businessworld.ie Ireland lags far behind other member states in the EU when it comes to maternity leave, paternity leave and parental leave according to Sinn Fein TD for Dublin Fingal, Louise O'Reilly. Speaking from Brussels, Deputy O'Reilly said the Irish state was identified by a conference of experts from across Europe as an example of worst practice in the EU when it comes to parental leave rights. O'Reilly claimed the 26 weeks of paid maternity leave that new mothers in this state are entitled to is paid at a low flat rate, one of the lowest levels of payment in the EU. Deputy O'Reilly said, "The decision made by the outgoing government to force lone-parent households to disproportionately bear the brunt of austerity cuts has led to the situation where these households, the vast majority of them headed by women, are experiencing enforced deprivation at a staggering rate of 63%." She added, "And the prohibitive cost of childcare in this state - at around double the EU average - has the disgraceful effect of entirely excluding some women from participating in the productive economy and forcing others into precarious, low-paid jobs." Source: www.businessworld.ie About us Modified On May 05, 2016 04:49 PM By Alshaar Cash registers have been ringing for the Indian auto industry, with most manufacturers recording growth in sales for the month of April. Admittedly, it has been a rough couple of months for the sector as a whole, especially since the 2016 Union Budget had nothing in it to promote sales. Several manufacturers have been affected by the blanket ban on diesel vehicles in Delhi as well. Call it increase in spending capacity of the junta or lucrative pricing on the manufacturers part, the passenger vehicle sales for the first month of the fiscal year showed positive movement by 11 per cent, at around 2.47 lakh units. Driven by the sales volumes of the top manufactures, the industry would be hoping for this growth to set the tone for the rest of the financial year. Maruti Suzuki Boosted by the sales of the new compact SUV Vitara Brezza and the hot-selling hatch Baleno, Indias largest car manufacturer registered a growth of around 16 percent to 1,17,045 units. Experiencing an increased demand across all segments, a slight slack for Manesar-carmaker appeared in the small car space, with both Alto and WagonR falling by almost 10 percent. Hyundai The Korean automaker carried forward its volumes from the previous financial year into April as well. It recorded sales of 42,351 units last month, at a y-o-y growth of 9.7 percent. Senior vice-president for sales and marketing Rakesh Srivastava cited strong demand for Creta, Elite i20 and Grand i10 models for the performance. Mahindra & Mahindra The domestic car major posted 16 percent rise at 22,655 vehicles. While the company expects to maintain its growth momentum, concerns remain on the ban of large diesel vehicles in the National Capital Region. Renault The French carmaker has become a household name in India of late. It replicated the success of the Duster SUV from earlier this decade with the small car Kwid in the previous financial year. Powered by the latter, it registered a mindboggling 200 percent-plus y-o-y growth in April 2016 at 12,426 units. Others Indian carmaker Tata Motors' passenger vehicle sales rose 7.9 percent in April 2016 to 11,161 unit from 10,341 units reported for April 2015. Elsewhere, Honda was among the few car majors in India to record a downward spike last month. At 10,486 units, its sales fell by 17 per cent. Its been a good start to the new fiscal year for Indias carmakers. Do let us know your thoughts on this positive consumer sentiment in the comments section below. Modified On May 09, 2016 02:20 PM By Nabeel for Toyota Innova Crysta 2016-2020 The Toyota Innova Crysta has been showered with praises by anyone and everyone who has either been in it or driven it. We liked the MPV as well, when we put it through its paces. Toyota has done a commendable job in making something which was already good, even better. The Crysta is bigger in every single aspect compared to the old Innova. The bigger dimensions translate into more space and comfort for the occupants.Toyota has countered the increased weight by introducing not one, but two new diesel engines. To help you with your buying decision, here is a variant wise breakdown of the Innova Crysta, listing features offered in each G Variant. 2.4-Litre G Seven Seater Rs. 13.83 lakh 2.4-Litre G Eight Seater Rs. 13.88 lakh This is the base variant of the Innova Crysta. There is no feature listing of this variant as it is made-to-order. Customers can choose from a list of limited features for this variant. The base-spec, without any add-ons, will start from Rs. 13.83 lakh. For a buyer who is looking for a basic MPV, without too many bells and whistles, and just wants a comfortable daily driver for his family, the G variant fits the bill. GX Variant 2.4-Litre GX Seven Seater Rs. 14.69 lakh 2.4-Litre GX Eight Seater Rs. 14.74 lakh 2.8-Litre GX Seven Seater Rs. 15.99 lakh 2.8-Litre GX Eight Seater Rs. 16.04 lakh The first listed variant of the Crysta, the GX trim, offers the choice of both the 2.4 and the 2.8-litre engine. The bigger engine also offers the added convenience of an automatic transmission, which will attract a particular set of buyers. We think this is amongst the most value for money variants, that covers the absolute must-haves. This variant comes with quite a lot of features, some of them are: Sixteen-inch Alloy Wheel With Full Size Alloy Spare Wheel Grey & Silver Front Grille Multi Reflector Headlamps Body Coloured Orvms With Electric Adjust And Side Turn Indicators Body Colour Door Handle Integrated Spoiler With Led High Mount Stop Lamp Shark Fin Antenna Manual AC Black Fabric Seats Four Speakers Tilt and Telescopic Steering Auto Up/Down Driver window Three Airbags ABS+EBS With BA Rear Parking Sensors VX Variant 2.4-Litre VX Seven Seater Rs. 17.53 lakh 2.4-Litre VX Eight Seater Rs. 17.57 lakh The VX trim, is only available with a 2.4-litre engine that comes with a five-speed manual gearbox. It has enough power to tackle the city commute and the highway stints, and has enough convenience features to make it really comfortable. Although this isn't fully loaded, it comes with a fairly long feature list, that will keep most happy. If you plan on being chauffer driven most of the time, this variant makes most sense. Here is a list of the important features of this variant. Front Fog Lamp Chrome Door Outside Handle Blue Ambient Illumination Instrument Panel With Silver Line Decoration & Red Wood-Finish Ornament Leather Wrapped Steering Wheel With Silver & Red Wood-Finish Ornament 3D Design Speedometer With 4.2" Tft Multi Information Display & Illumination Control Rear Personal Lights Leather Wrapped Gear Knob With Chrome Ornament Automatic AC (Front and Rear) Seven-inch Touchscreen Infotainment Unit Premium Black Fabric Seats Six Speakers USB & Aux Easy Close Back Door Seat Back Table ZX Variant 2.4-Litre ZX Seven Seater Rs. 19.47 lakh 2.8-Litre ZX Seven Seater Rs. 20.77 lakh The top-spec variant has both the engines on offer, but is available in the seven-seater layout only. It comes loaded to the gills packing every imaginable feature one would want. It gets some feel-good features such as leather seats, auto up/down and more, which add that extra bit of premiumness. Pick this variant if you appreciate the finer details and like to stand out from the herd. It is built for someone who wants to commute with his family or business associates in uber comfort. Major highlights of the variant include: Seventeen-Inch Alloy Wheels Chrome ORVMs Instrument Panel With Silver Line Decoration & Hazel Brown Wood-Finish Ornament Leather Wrap Steering Wheel With Silver & Hazel Brown Wood-Finish Ornament 8-Way Power Adjust Driver Seat Leather Seats (Hazel Brown Leather In The 2.8-Litre Variant) Cruise Control Auto Up/Down In All Windows Hill Start Assist Seven Airbags Accessories The Innova Crysta comes with a long list of accessories as well. They include Front Grille Garnish Fog lamp With fitting kit Wheel Arch Mounting Side moulding Chrome Tail lamp Chrome garnish License Plate Chrome Rear Door Chrome Lid Garnish Muffler Cutter Car Cover Leg Room lamp Wooden panel Seat Cover Security System with Alarm Scuff plate Rear Bike Protector The Toyota Innova Crysta definitely justifies the hiked price. The Innova is nice place to be in for long journeys and with the new looks and engine, is an excellent package. Also Read: Toyota Innova vs. Innova Crysta - What's Different? Read More on : Innova Crysta Modified On May 06, 2016 05:30 PM By Arun for Mercedes-Benz GLS 2016-2020 German luxury car giant, Mercedes-Benz will be launching its flagship SUV, the GLS on 18 May 2016. In case you are wondering, the GL-Class is now called the GLS, under Mercedes' new nomenclature. Called the 'S-Class of SUVs' the GLS combines the opulence of a luxury sedan with the go-anywhere ability of a big SUV. On the design front, not much has changed, barring the new face and the refreshed tail section. Updates include all-LED headlamps and tail lamps, a new grille and different alloy wheels. The new iteration continues to be a seven-seater and comes packed with all the technology one will ever need. It will get Mercedes' COMAND infotainment system that consists of a large, iPad-like screen stationed on the centre console. It functions as the one-stop source for audio, navigation, the reverse camera display, and various menus that help set the car up. Other additions include a new three-spoke steering wheel and Nappa Leather upholstery for all seven seats. We expect Mercedes-Benz to launch the GLS in its '350d' avatar. The 3.0-litre V6 diesel engine produces 255PS of power and 620Nm of torque. The engine is mated to a 9-speed automatic gearbox that channels power to all four wheels via Mercedes' '4MATIC' all-wheel-drive system. Considering the recent extension of the Delhi diesel ban, Mercedes might look into getting a petrol powered GLS as well. The automaker might consider the GLS400 for India, that features the same engine that one would find under the hood of the recently launched S400 saloon. A hot-blooded AMG variant, with 550PS of power on tap, is expected to reach our shores as well. We expect the prices to be bumped up slightly from the current levels, to around the Rs. 80 lakh mark. While we wait for the launch, check out reviews of the GLS' chief rivals, the Audi Q7 and the Volvo XC90. AIG Auto Insurance Read 101 Reviews Provides car insurance to members of its private client group. Includes worldwide liability coverage, rental reimbursement with no per-day limit and original manufacturer parts. Offers complimentary lifestyle reviews upon request. Grange Insurance Read 125 Reviews Offers customizable car insurance in 13 states. Has over a dozen types of discounts to help you save on coverage. 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Combine all vehicles on one policy with MVP coverage. In an open letter on their website addressed to fans, the team also outlined how Nico Rosberg's lead was also jeopardised by 'alarming' read-outs from the MGU-K, which forced the German to complete the race in a 'safe' mode. Mercedes conceded that both incidents highlighted how they have 'not met your own expectations' in terms of reliability in 2016. "We were baffled and gutted by the repeat MGU-H failure on Lewis' car in qualifying," Mercedes explained in reference to the Briton's issues on Saturday, "but we kept calm, gathered our thoughts and sprung into action. "It took a monumental effort from a significant number of people back in the UK and in Russia to fly spare parts out to the track, fit them to the spare Power Unit by working through the night and make sure Lewis could start from P10 on Sunday without having broken parc ferme. "[In the Grand Prix] we started to see the water pressure falling on Lewis' car. At the time, he was pushing hard to catch Nico and pull away from Kimi - posting several purple lap times in the process. "We needed to await confirmation from the FIA of what we could tell him via the radio. After several calls asking him to take it easy, the all-clear came to let him know that he was losing water pressure. "With zero - yes, zero! - water pressure remaining for the last 16 laps, the job he did to nurse the car home and still retain second place was truly remarkable. He had to keep the car as cool as possible to avoid damaging the engine whilst also keeping Kimi at a safe distance, which was no mean feat. "We genuinely aren't sure by what miracle the car limped across the line - but we're certainly not going to complain." Flint's Toxic Water Crisis: Devastating Result of State Takeover Date: Wednesday, May 04, 2016 Time: 7:00 PM - 8:30 PM Event Type: Speaker Organizer/Author: Allan Fisher Email: Phone: 415-954-2763 Location Details: City College Ocean Campus in Multi-Use building, room 140 (50 Phelan Avenue) The poisoning of Flints children is the logical result of a state takeover. Overriding local democracy, state governments are imposing emergency managers with extraordinary powers from Flint, to Detroit, to Oakland and City College of SF. Corporations push elected officials to use these state takeovers to deal with now-disposable workers they no longer need, and to privatize valuable public assets like water and prime real estate. The Flint crisis is one result of a political austerity program inflicted on increasingly impoverished and marginalized communities. Today over half of Black people in Michigan are living under emergency managers. Retired Flint autoworker Claire McClinton will speak on fighting the strategy of toxic neglect that poisoned her citys water. Others will connect the crisis in Flint with the damage caused by the state takeover at City College. Well discuss how we can work in solidarity with the people of Flint and with Reverend Edward Pinkney, now imprisoned for opposing a corporate dictatorship in Benton Harbor, Michigan. Well discuss how to stop the Michigan Model of Toxic Neglect as it threatens to crush democracy in the Bay Area and elsewhere. Review the recent ACLU film entitled Here's to Flint featured on DemocracyNow.org. Speaking: Keynote: Claire McClinton from Flint Democracy Defense League Water Task Force and Speakers for a New America Organizers from Save City College and the student Solidarity Committee/Black Student Union Womens Economic Agenda Project Co-Sponsors (partial listing as of 4.16): Save City College Coalition; the Solidarity Committee; African American Studies; Black Student Union; LGBT Studies Department; Mechxa de CCSF; AFT 2121 PORTLAND, Ore., May 2, 2016 An EPA analysis relying heavily on unpublished, industry funded studies has determined that glyphosate, commonly known as Roundup, is not likely to be carcinogenic to humans. The EPA determination, released to the public on Friday, stands in sharp contrast to a finding last year by the World Health Organizations cancer-research arm that glyphosate is a probable human carcinogen. EPAs determination that glyphosate is non-carcinogenic is disappointing, but not terribly surprising industry has been manipulating this process for years, said Nathan Donley, a scientist with the Center for Biological Diversity. The analysis done by the World Health Organization is more open and transparent and remains the gold standard.The EPAs analysis relied heavily on industry-funded studies that have not undergone public scrutiny, while the WHO used publically available research for its analysis. Furthermore, the WHO took into account studies on actual products that are available on store shelves, while the EPA ignored those studies to focus solely on studies that tested glyphosate as a single ingredient. Most products containing glyphosate have other ingredients that can make the pesticide more dangerous.We shouldnt gamble with the risk of cancer and must take appropriate precautions until we get a conclusive answer about the true dangers of glyphosate, said Donley. The indiscriminate drenching of farms, ball fields and backyards with glyphosate needs to end.The EPAs industry-friendly determination comes amid a fierce debate in Europe and the United States over the safety of glyphosate.In February 35 members of the U.S. House of Representatives sent a letter to EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy expressing concerns regarding the potential negative health and environmental impacts of a pesticide, Enlist Duo, that combines glyphosate and 2,4-D. The agency is currently reanalyzing its decision to register the dangerous pesticide after it was revealed that the industry had withheld data on how the pesticides work in combination with other ingredients to have a stronger effect on the environment.This finding comes as the EPA is in undertaking a registration review of glyphosate, a process designed to determine whether the chemical can safely be used in light of new scientific research. These documents will inform the agencys decision on whether to allow glyphosate to be used for the next 15 years. The last time the EPA fully analyzed the threats posed by glyphosate was 1993.The Center for Biological Diversity is a national, nonprofit conservation organization with more than 1 million members and online activists dedicated to the protection of endangered species and wild places.Center for Biological Diversity Relying on the power of over 250 volunteers, the grassroots group, Protect Monterey County, has collected over 15,000 signatures for their initiative, Protect Our Water: Ban Fracking and Limit Risky Oil Operations. This is more than double the number of signatures required to qualify the initiative for the November 2016 ballot (7,391 signatures). No paid signature gatherers were employed in this seven week effort. This historic petition drive has engaged more volunteers than any other countywide initiative in recent memory. Photo: Luana of Protect Monterey County stacking petitions. Petition volunteers had to overcome unexpected barriers during the petition collection process. Shopping centers and farmers markets are no longer as welcoming to petition gatherers exercising their first amendment rights in the public sphere.This initiative was drafted by a coalition of concerned citizens (representing Salinas Valley and Monterey Peninsula) with the help of the renowned environmental law firm, Shute, Mihaly & Weinberger.Monterey County is one of the few oil producing counties in California that does not have specific regulations and permitting process for oil and gas operations. For decades, Monterey County has issued blanket use permits to oil operators, allowing them to drill unlimited numbers of wells with little County oversight or environmental review.In 2008, Monterey County allowed Venoco to use fracking and acidizing in the Bradley area, near the Salinas River. In 2014, over 1800 residents petitioned Monterey County officials to protect their community from dangerous oil and gas operations. In response, the Monterey Planning Commission recommended that the County adopt a moratorium on fracking and acid stimulation, and also draft oil and gas regulations like that of neighboring counties. In 2015, Monterey County Supervisors rejected the recommendations of its Planning Commission.Recently, the Central Coast Water Quality Board notified several Monterey County oil companies that they are illegally injecting wastewater into protected aquifers of the Salinas River Groundwater Basin, which supplies water to many Salinas Valley farms and cities.Both Santa Cruz and San Benito Counties have banned fracking and dangerous oil operations. Its time for Monterey County to do the same. If our elected officials wont protect our water and health, our only recourse is to pass a citizens initiative that will.There will be a press conference to announce the submittal of petitions for the anti-fracking initiative to the Monterey County Elections Office.PRESS CONFERENCE SPEAKERS:Initiative Proponents: Dr. Don King, Dr. Laura Solorio, Madeleine ClarkBusiness Leader: Cindy Walter, owner of Passionfish RestaurantYouth Leaders: Corin Nunnelley of CSUMB and Cassandra Palmeno of MPCSpanish Language Speakers: Demetrio Pruneda & Margaret RebecchiQ&A PERIOD:Jeanne Turner will answer questions about the gathering of petition signaturesRobert Frischmuth will answer questions about the Protect Monterey County InitiativeAndy Hsia-Coron will answer questions about initiatives in other counties and legal mattersAfter the press conference (11:25 am) PMC members will depart for Monterey County Elections Office (1370 S Main St, Salinas, CA 93901) to deliver the boxes of signed petitions.WHEN:May 4 at 10:30 amWHERE:Creekside Terrace Trailhead (Ft. Ord Public Land)Drive to the end of Creekside Terrace Rd., Salinas, CA 93908Protect Monterey County Nonprofit Raises Awareness of Animal Cruelty through Contemporary Art Exhibit david [at] artforanimalssake.com) by David Walega San Francisco, CA, May 3rd 2016 Rats have suffered throughout history because of their bad reputation. Excluded from the Animal Welfare Act (1966), the movement to win more protections for them has been hampered by fear and misunderstanding perpetuated by urban legends, movies, and other negative messaging. The nonprofit Art for Animals Sake (AFAS) is attempting to change the conversation through an innovative traveling art exhibit, The Rattie Uprising. The Rattie Uprising tour begins in San Francisco on May 20. It will highlight the fascinating and lovable qualities of rats and other small animals. The exhibition will bring together images by artists around the world. Accompanying the exhibit AFAS will be free hands-on art events for children that encourage compassion for all animals. The San Francisco SPCA is hosting the event in cooperation with its inaugural small animal adoption program. Krista Maloney of the SF SPCA believes in the importance of instilling respect and compassion for all animals in new audiences, especially in young people. She sees the tide turning in rats favor as more and more advocates become aware of animal abuse. Weve seen great progress in animal welfare over the years, said Maloney, especially in San Francisco. In 2015 the live release rate for the entire city of San Francisco was 93% - the highest ever recorded for a major American city! The Rattie Uprising, a groundbreaking effort to challenge negative stereotypes of one of the least respected and protected animal of them all, will encourage the responsible adoption of all small animals. At least 5 days ago, the Democrat mayor Ed Lee and everyone else knew the 5 Hunger Strikers sitting at the Mission Police Station for almost 2 weeks would be arriving at City Hall on 5/3/16 at 1 p.m. with supporters, who numbered at almost 1,000 people to ask the mayor to fire Police Chief Suhr for justifying numerous police murders. [Hundreds rally in front of SF City Hall on May 3. Photo by Davey D .]When they and their workingclass supporters arrived, they were told the mayor was not there. When they went to the 2 p.m. Board of Supervisors meeting, they were held in contempt by the 11 Democrats who sit on the Board of Supervisors, who actually argued with the 5 Hunger Strikers in wheelchairs. The whole world watched on Twitter and our computers and again found that the Democratic Party has nothing to offer the workingclass. The mayor, a lawyer, could not even be bothered to negotiate some compromise so that the hunger strikers could go home to eating decent meals. The Democratic Party and its twin, the Republican Party, need to leave San Francisco immediately.This extraordinary march led by the 5 Hunger Strikers in wheelchairs is told in words, photos and videos atThe various twitter accounts we followed are #hungerforjusticesf, #frisco5, and #FireChiefSuhr.This writer can remember some 55 years of protests in San Francisco with none being so clearly of, by and for the workingclass as this one. The police are clearly paid, professional killers and the entire $576 million a year police department needs to be abolished and all that money transferred to the housing and social services departments to house the 7,000 homeless and provide social services to the workingclass to survive in this backward society.The press is making much of the presidential election farce but the reality is, all politics are local. Republican Donald Trump, who was a Democrat for most of his voting years, is no different from Democrat Ed Lee, who has the same contempt for the workingclass. It takes an ice cold person to refuse to even meet with the Hunger Strikers at City Hall.The battle cry of the Warsaw Ghetto Resistance applies to San Francisco:Never forgive; never forget. May Day march in San Francisco by Jonathan Nack Video 2:38 Copy the code below to embed this movie into a web page: May Day march in San Francisco Video: 2:38 Video & Editing: Jonathan Nack Copy Commons - Use by private for profit publications, without the express written consent of Jonathan Nack, is prohibited. Oakland, CA The International Longshore & Warehouse Union, Local 10, led several hundred people in a march in San Francisco, California, on International Workers' Day, May 1, 2016. A rally at the ILWU Local 10's Union Hall, at 400 North Point, San Francisco, California preceded the march. Actor and activist Danny Glover was a featured speaker. The march went from the Union Hall to Harry Bridges Plaza (in front of the Ferry Building at the foot of Market St.). The day's events were part of a "National Day of Mourning" for Black and Brown unarmed victims killed by police. Don't you like corporate greenwashing? French company Engie have this marvellous vision and plan outlined at their AGM for reducing CO2 and transitioning to renewable energy to tackle climate change. Except nobody told their Australian subsidiary companies who want to invest millions of dollars in upgrading turbines at Loy Yang B coal power station which will either lock in carbon and particulate pollution from burning brown coal for years to come, or end up being stranded assets. A live question was asked at the Engie Group General Assembly (AGM) in France about the Hazelwood Power station in the LaTrobe Valley of Australia, Engie's dirty secret. Engie say they will only generate low or no carbon electricity, but Hazelwood and plans to upgrade the turbines at Loy Yang B power station proves that this talk is just greenwashing. Engie needs to show corporate responsibility in settling the claim for costs for putting out the 45 day 2014 mine fire. They should be building renewables and planning the phased closure of Hazelwood and Loy Yang B power stations and rehabilitation of the coal mines. They need to consult and negotiate with the LaTrobe Valley and Morwell community about employment, energy and mine rehabilitation for a just transition. Engie, more widely kknown as GDF Suez, is a majority owner along with Japanese company Mitsui of two coal mines and power stations in Victoria. The subsidiary company, International Power, runs the Hazelwood and Loy Yang B power stations. Yet Engie has just announced that it hopes to spend tens of millions of dollars to upgrade the turbines in the Loy Yang B power station. Why would a company that is serious about climate change be further investing in coal? It only locks in burning more dirty polluting coal. Will this become a stranded asset that will affect shareholder value? Engie was a sponsor of the UNFCCC climate talks in Paris. So how can Engie justify it's low carbon corporate image when it is investing millions of dollars into the continuation of coal mining and coal power in Australia? Amis de la Terre (Friends of the Earth France) circulated these demands (fr): For consistency with the principles of the Paris Agreement and the objective of limiting the increase in global temperature below 1.5 C, Engie company, which the French state owns a 33%, shall: Close Hazelwood and ensure that workers receive all their rights, rehabilitate the mine and transform according to the community's wishes. A question was asked at the company general Assembly (AGM) by a French climate activist: Would not the ENGIEgroup "sense of history" necessitate the closure of Hazelwood? Engie subsidiary companies are facing 3 different court actions relating to the 2014 Hazelwood mine fire. Engie claimed the mine fire had directly cost the company $40 million, but legal action may vastly increase this. The Country Fire Authority (CFA) is seeking recovery of $18 million in firefighting expenses in their fire fighters spending 45 days of hazardous work in putting out the mine fire. Worksafe Victoria is also pursuing Engie companies with 10 breaches of health and safety regulations regarding the mine fire. The Victorian Environment Protection Authority is also prosecuting air pollution offences charging four companies in regards to the 2014 mine fire. The State Government has also increased mine rehabilitation bonds. Existing bonds were increased to 50 per cent of the mine's self-assessed value by June 2016 and 100 per cent by January 2017. It appears this is just an initial step though as the Government said they were developing a more effective system to set future mine rehabilitation bonds. American technical services company AECOM estimated the cost of rehabilitation of the mines at a much higher cost. Their report outlined that conservative but realistic estimates of the liability cost of end of mine life was $266 million for Yallourn, $286 million for Hazelwood and $305 million for Loy Yang. The Victorian Government in the state budget also increased the mining royalties tax to bring the rate of payment in line with coal royalties in other states. The rate will increase three fold from January 1st 2017. New Engie Group CEO Isabelle Kocher described how the company is part of the new energy paradigm, and that the company will prioritise lowering CO2 emissions in three years to 2018. She articulated that Engie will stop all coal fired projects: that they are streamlining, reducing the current coal fired production facilities. All while in Australia their subsidiary companies are planning upgrades to Loy Yang B turbines to continue and lock in investment in assets for many years producing a high level of carbon and particulate pollution. Watch on Youtube one of the questions asked of the Engie Board about the Hazelwood Power Station and 2014 coal mine fire. Activists from Australia and France highlighted the discepancy and greenwashing by Engie on social media. In Australia the hashtag #EngieSecrets was trending for a while. View my storify: AGM: @EngieGroup has a dirty secret: #Hazelwood Illinois Wesleyan to Host Summit on Colorblind Racism IWU alumna Charlene Carruthers '07, a nationally recognized voice in racial justice, will be the keynote speaker. May 4, 2016 BLOOMINGTON, Ill. Illinois Wesleyan University will host a summit May 12-14 to bring together scholars, the campus community, and the public to discuss new directions for research on contemporary racism. The Summit: New Frontiers in the Study of Colorblind Racism is made possible by a grant received by Associate Professor of Sociology Meghan Burke from an Advancement of the Discipline grant from the American Sociological Association. The summit includes presentations by scholars from more than a dozen universities across the United States, as well as workshop sessions meant to stimulate new methodologies, approaches, insights and strategies for better understanding and challenging contemporary racism, and will also feature a May 12 keynote address by Illinois Wesleyan alumna Charlene Carruthers, a nationally recognized voice in racial justice, social justice and activism. A 2007 graduate of Illinois Wesleyan with majors in history and International Studies, Carruthers has been named one of the New Leaders of Social Justice and recognized as one of Americas 10 Most Daring Young Black Activists. Carruthers is currently national director of the Black Youth Project 100 (BYP100), an activist member-led organization of Black 18-35 year olds dedicated to creating justice and freedom for all Black people. First politicized as an 18 year old on a May Term course in South Africa, her passion for developing young leaders to build capacity within marginalized communities has led her to work on immigrant rights, economic justice and civil rights campaigns nationwide. She has led grassroots and digital strategy campaigns for national organizations including the Center for Community Change, the Womens MediaCenter, ColorOfChange.org and National Peoples Action, as well as being a member of a historic delegation of young activists in Palestine in 2015 to build solidarity between Black and Palestinian liberation movements. Carruthers is also the recipient of the New Organizing Institute 2015 Organizer of the Year Award. A native of Chicagos South Side, where she continues to live and partake in social justice movements, Carruthers earned a masters degree in social work at Washington University in St. Louis. Her keynote address at 4:30 p.m. May 12 will be held in the Hansen Student Center and is free and open to the public. She will also participate in a panel discussion with local community advocates, including representatives from YWCA, PATH, Advocate BroMenn, Illinois States School of Social Work, the Illinois Wesleyan Action Research Center, and others, on May 13 at 9 a.m. in State Farm Hall room 202. Other sessions led by scholars that are open to the public begin May 12 at 1:30 p.m. and continue all day May 13, all in State Farm Hall. The summit concludes with a scholars-only day on May 14, where sociologists hope to craft next steps and share in publication strategies. Where is the Kentucky Derby Held? by Reinier Macatangay: Kentucky Derby 142 will be held at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky on May 7. First opened in 1875, Churchill Downs has been a long-lasting attraction of this city. According to the official website, The track was constructed on eighty acres of land that Clark leased from his uncles, John and Henry Churchill, approximately three miles south of downtown Louisville. Churchill Downs is not located far from Louisville International Airport. Racetrack-goers can simply find Interstate 264 West and exit on 3rd St. while turning right. After a few blocks, the racetrack is visible on the left side. After turning left on Central Ave., various parking options, including unauthorized ones, will show up. Louisville in general is an eclectic city with a small-town feel. As for other tourist attractions, visitors gravitate towards downtown, which offers an exciting nightlife at 4th Street Live!, one of the main attractions of Louisville. Readers who never visited 4th Street before might expect a smaller, condensed version of the famous Fremont Street in downtown Las Vegas. Give the scene a chance! Also, on the east side of town are two upscale shopping centers: the St. Matthews and Oxmoor Mall. Once visitors are done shopping, they can simply use the conveniently located Interstate 264 West (right in-between the two malls) in order to find their way back to Churchill. Keep driving past the airport, and the proper exit will appear. More adventurous travelers will want to drive roughly 70 miles east on Interstate 64 towards Lexington, where famous retired horses live at the various farms located around the area. While not all farms welcome visitors, a safe bet would be Old Friends Farm, which is reliant on visitors (expect to pay a $10 entrance fee). All roads lead back to Churchill Downs during Derby Week though. The historic racetrack is surrounded by a friendly neighborhood. Younger fans in search of the right university might wish to visit the University of Louisville next door. In addition, a Starbucks is conveniently located on the east side of 3rd St., south of the school. Churchill Downs Founder Colonel Meriwether Lewis Clark, attended the Epsom Derby in England, which sparked his ambition to create a spectacle horse racing event in America. Thus, Churchill Downs was born. The most unique feature of the facility is the Twin Spires, which were built in 1895 and sits atop the grandstand and has become the universally recognized symbol for Churchill Downs and the Kentucky Derby. So much important history has happened under the Twin Spires. Those wishing to become a part of history should visit the Twin Spires and attend Kentucky Derby in person, if not this year, then next year. Coming to Louisville and experiencing Churchill Downs is an unforgettable experience. Things havent been good lately for the widely-popular burrito chain Chipotle. From ongoing e-coli outbreaks to a sexual discrimination suit earlier this year, the Mexican grill is now facing violations of Section 8(a)(1) of the National Labor Relations Association (NLRA). An administrative law judge deemed Chipotles social media policy illegal and is requiring the chain rehire a Philadelphia-area employee who was terminated after criticizing the company on Twitter last year.Plaintiff James Kennedy was reprimanded for posting on Twitter against a free burrito promotion and was dismissed two weeks later, when he was found collecting signatures petitioning for the mandated breaks owed during employees shifts. Kennedys tweet, sent in response to a free burrito giveaway, read: @ChipotleTweets, nothing is free, only cheap #labor. Crew members make only $8.50hr. How much is that steak bowl really?The company was ordered to cease prohibiting employees from posting on social media regarding employees wages or other terms or conditions of employment.Chipotles social media strategist emailed the regional manager for the Haverford, Pennsylvania location, forwarding the tweet. The next day, the restaurants general manager approached Kennedy in the kitchen and said she wanted to talk to him in the dining room. They went out and sat with the regional manager, who asked the employee if he was familiar with the companys social media policy. Under pressure, Kennedy ultimately agreed to delete the tweet, which he did later that day.The Chipotle social media policy at issue states, If you arent careful and dont use your head, your online activity can also damage Chipotle or spread incomplete, confidential, or inaccurate information. You may not make disparaging, false, misleading, harassing or discriminatory statements about or relating to Chipotle, our employees, suppliers, customers, competition, or investors.Judge Susan Flynn not only struck down Chipotles social media policy as violating labor laws, she also ordered the burrito chain to post signs acknowledging that some of its employee policies - especially the social media rules - were illegal. Kennedys manager testified at the hearing that she fired Kennedy, a war veteran, because she was concerned he would become violent with her after arguing about his right to collect signatures on the meal break petition.Employers may not prohibit social media postings of false, misleading, incomplete, disparaging or inaccurate information, according to the ruling in Lafayette Park Hotel. In order to lose the NLRAs protection, employers must demonstrate that the employee had a malicious motive in posting the material. If employers choose to retain policies regarding confidential company information, the word confidential must be defined within the employers policy. Otherwise, this prohibition will be deemed a violation of Section 7.The bottom line: Kennedys tweet was protected concerted activity because they had the purpose of educating the public and creating sympathy and support for hourly workers in general and Chipotles workers in specific. The tweet did not pertain to wholly personal issues relevant only to the employee but were truly group complaints and were therefore protected.Kennedy, whom Chipotle has been ordered to reinstate and pay back wages, said hed happily accept his back wages in the form of free Chipotle food vouchers. You cannot deny that their food is delicious, but their labor policies were atrocious, Kennedy said.The case is Chipotle Services LLC dba Chipotle Mexican Grill (March 14, 2016). Reports which say Chief Tony Anenih, a former Board of Trustees (BoT) chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), is dead, have been refuted by the politician. The respected politician who was fondly called 'Mr Fix it', according to Olumo Online, was said to have died in a private hospital in London at the age of 82. He reportedly collapsed on Sunday morning while taking breakfast at his Durham Broadway private London house. But in a swift reaction to the rumours about his death, the politician spoke with a blogger, Kemi Akinjare, said: "If I am dead, will I be tslking to you? I am alive and enjoying myself. I will not issue any press release. They will die before me. God will punish them. I will be back on Sunday." Anenih acted as the state chairman of the National Party of Nigeria (NPN) between 1981 and 1983, when he helped Dr Samuel Ogbemudia become elected as civilian governor of the old Bendel state. He became the national chairman of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) from 1992 to 1993, when he assisted in the election Chief M K O Abiola as president. Anenih was a member of the PDM until early April 2002, when he transferred to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and masterminded the 26 April 2002 declaration of the President Obasanjo at the international conference center Abuja. This report is coming on the heels of the political guru declaring that he has forgiven Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo state. Anenih said he has forgiven his foremost political foe and governor of Edo state, who he referred to as his son, adding that he decided to forgive all those who offended him, The Nation reports. According to him, his health challenges and medical experience made him realize the need to rise above politics and embrace peace with all men. He made the declaration at the 10th anniversary of St Anthonys Catholic church, Uromi, where the governor and other prominent members were given an award for his services to the church. Source: Legit.ng Javascript Error Javascript is deactivated in your browser. To use all functions on this portal, for example the login, Javascript must be activated. Please activate Javascript in your browser settings. Croydon's 2 million sq ft Ruskin Square development continues to take shape, as the site's first office building moves closer towards practical completion later this year. Lendlease, who are responsible for construction of the first office building, has now started with the cladding, glazing and roofing elements, signalling the last [] Ralph Andermann (51) has been appointed to the newly-created position of Managing Director for DIC Asset AG's Funds operations in April 2016. In his new role, Andermann reports to CEO Aydin Karaduman, who is responsible for the Company's Funds business at Management Board level. Ralph Andermann has b... Photos: DIC Asset [] The new family of Mahindra electric vehicles are based on a modular architecture and is estimated to have a driving range of over 400 kms In a bid to fight the economic slowdown, the Indian government recently announced a reduction in corporate tax from 30% to 22%. Following this development, VW has introduced Corporate Editions of its Polo, Vento, Ameo and Tiguan. As the name suggests, the Corporate Editions of VW vehicles are offered with benefits on tax, accessories, service. The cars purchased under corporate scheme will also have loyalty benefits. The corporate scheme of purchase is available on select diesel variants of VW Polo, Vento, Ameo and Tiguan. It can be availed by individuals associated with corporates and MSMEs, lawyers, architects, government servants, CAs and so on. The VW Corporate Editions dont have any visual changes. Under the scheme, the VW Tiguan benefits from 5 year warranty and free road side assistance. It is to be noted that the other three cars already come with 5 year warranty and RSA as standard across diesel variants. VWs decision to pass on the benefits of governments tax cut comes not long after Maruti announced price cut of INR 5,000 on select models. We expect more manufacturers to come up with similar corporate discounts in an attempt to boost sales. In addition to corporate discounts, several OEMs are also offering hefty cash discounts, exchange bonus, etc., to deplete the steadily mounting inventory. The shower of discounts are expected to be maintained all the way till the BS-IV stocks are sold out. While sales have been dwindling for all OEMs, VW India is one of the worst hit. The Ameo has lost its shine while Vento has been spending its time on the sidelines for years. The Polo isnt setting the sales charts on fire either. The German giant is in dire need of fresh products but it will have to wait until its sister brand Skoda is ready with the localized MQB A0 IN modular platform. Under its India 2.0 plan, VW will be coming up with next generation Vento sedan and a mid-size crossover SUV. The first of the new products will be ready in 2020-21. The company is also looking at introducing the new Polo hatchback which is on sale in Europe. While state and federal officials continue to criticize each other for failing to guarantee safe drinking water, the question of exactly who is responsible for crises like in Flint, Michigan, lies at the root of the problem. Calls for the resignation of the governor and other state officials continue at congressional hearings. To date, an employee of Flint and two state workers assigned to monitor water quality in cities are the first to face criminal charges. "The crisis in Flint brought the true costs of a neglected infrastructure to the nation's attention, but in the finger-pointing there are deeper debates over public and private responsibility and the impact of dysfunctional politics on public health," said David Rosner, PhD, co-director of the Center for the History and Ethics of Public Health at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health and author of the commentary, "Entry Point: A Lead Poisoning Crisis Enters Its Second Century," which is available online in the May issue of the journal, Health Affairs. "A much more concrete problem is also visible: the fact that so much--yet not enough--is known about who is affected by tainted water, where the problems lie, and how extensive the problem is," noted Rosner, who is also Ronald H. Lauterstein professor of Sociomedical Sciences and co-author of the 2013 book Lead Wars. "Just as worrisome is the fact that the problem extends beyond lead pipes to lead paint on the walls of nearly all buildings built before the 1950s." In the United States, over 500,000 children have blood lead levels above the level of concern set by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Still unknown, however, is in which communities, states, and homes children are most exposed, and how to prevent damage elsewhere before it occurs. According to Rosner, until there is a standardized national database that reliably allows officials to identify specific children at risk of lead exposure before they are harmed, and the main means of identifying a dangerous home is by testing the blood of exposed children. In addition to Flint, residents of many communities are affected--including Newark, New Jersey; Cleveland and Sebring, Ohio; New York City; and in Jackson, Mississippi --where the "situation illustrates another aspect of the broad paralysis facing the nation," stated Rosner. From testing the water in just a minority of homes the Mississippi Department of Health found that samples had high lead content--above the 0.015 per liter level established by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. But today, Jackson residents overall still do not know much about the safety of their drinking water. In closing, Rosner points out that even if large sums awarded by the courts reach the communities in need, those funds will never be enough to alleviate the damage already done. The Cochrane Infectious Diseases Group (CIDG) have carried out a review update to evaluate the effects of corticosteroids being used alongside anti-tuberculosis medication to treat people suffering from tuberculous meningitis. Tuberculous meningitis is a serious form of tuberculosis (TB), which affects the membranes that cover the brain and spinal cord. The infection causes headache, coma, and death is common. Survivors are also at risk of being disabled from brain damage. Corticosteroids are commonly used alongside anti-tuberculosis medication to treat people with the condition. Corticosteroids help reduce inflammation in the brain and surrounding blood vessels, which reduces pressure on the brain and the number of deaths. However, there is some concern among clinicians that while corticosteroids may improve survival, survivors are more likely to be severely disabled. The review author team, from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi and LSTM, examined all data published up to 18 March 2016. They included nine trials, with 1337 people in total, which evaluated the effect of giving dexamethasone, methylprednisolone, or prednisolone along with anti-tuberculosis drugs. One included trial was of high quality while all other included trials had inconsistencies due to incomplete reporting. The review authors found that corticosteroids reduce the risk of death by a quarter at two months to two years after the start of treatment. One trial followed up all of the participants for five years, by which time there was no difference in the effect on death between the groups given the corticosteroids and those that weren't; however the reasons for this change over time is unknown. This trial also looked at the effects of corticosteroids on HIV-positive people, but the small number of included participants meant that the review authors were unsure if the benefits in terms of a reduction of death was preserved in this group of participants. Dr. Hannah Ryan from LSTM, who led the review update, said: "The highest quality evidence clearly shows steroids reduce deaths by a quarter. Estimates for severe disability are not so accurate as it is far less common, but even the most pessimistic statistical estimate from the trials tells us that the benefits of steroids from lower mortality benefit far more patients than the possible small possible increase in disability in the survivors." The CIDG has been in operation since 1994. With over 600 authors from 52 countries it is led by Professor Paul Garner, Dr David Sinclair, and Anne-Marie Stephani, with its editorial base at LSTM. A combination of drought and fire has put the Arizona black rattlesnake on an "extinction trajectory," according to University of Arkansas researchers. The research team, led by U of A biologists Marlis Douglas and Michael Douglas, published its findings in the journal Royal Society Open Science. The researchers recommend that the rattlesnake be designated as "threatened" under the federal Endangered Species Act. This would allow the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to develop regulatory protections adjusted to the needs of the species. The Arizona black rattlesnake is found at higher elevations in Arizona and western New Mexico. The researchers collected DNA from 118 specimens of the rattlesnake and analyzed its genetic structure. They found both a shrinking population and a reduction in its movement across an already limited range. "Wildfire, which is occurring more frequently due to drought in western North America, has greatly reduced the forest habitat within which this snake lives," said Michael Douglas, professor of biological sciences and Twenty-First Century Chair in Global Change Biology. The forested area of the Colorado Plateau has shrunk by 27 percent in the last 13 years. The researchers recommend that the plateau should be promoted as an example of ecosystem vulnerability. "The rattlesnake is an apex predator so if it isn't doing well it is often an indication that other levels of the ecosystem are not doing well either," said Marlis Douglas, associate professor of biological sciences and Bruker Chair of Life Sciences. Scientists at Brunel University London have engineered an innovative new method to build the next generation of freezers capable of reaching temperatures as low as -- 180C by using advanced cryogenically cooled heat pipe technology. Explained Dr Hussam Jouhara, of Brunel's Institute of Energy Futures: "At the heart of the new system is the concept that what we needed was to be able to efficiently transfer cold. "The cold in our design comes from liquid nitrogen. But unlike conventional cold storage using the liquefied gas we don't need to physically transfer the nitrogen. The cryogenic heat pipe is literally just moving the cold. "In safety terms this has major implications as in the US alone eight deaths a year are attributed to nitrogen asphyxiation. Our innovations mean the gas tanks can be situated safely outside in the open air." The system's green and money-saving credentials come from a highly efficient energy recovery process which means a potential of up to 50 per cent reduction in liquid nitrogen use compared to conventional equipment. "Liquid nitrogen is expensive in both cash terms and energy consumption to produce," added Dr Jouhara. "And quite rightly there are strict health and safety rules because of the attendant dangers of asphyxiation. The Brunel system has no such special requirements." Once installed heat pipes are regarded by engineers as a "fit and forget" technology as they have no moving parts and require no routine maintenance. The research work is done with direct funding from the industrial gases giant Air Products PLC successfully passed laboratory trials, Dr Jouhara is partnering with Air Products to commercialise the new freezer technology. The company's Head of Cryogenic Technology Development, Jon Trembley said: "After almost exactly 25 years, Air Products is back at Brunel University conducting leading Cryogenic Technology Research in collaboration with Dr Jouhara. "It's great to be back at Brunel; 25 years ago Air Products European Technology Group was located on campus before out-growing the space and moving out in 1991 to new lab facilities in Basingstoke. Our new research programs into cryogenically cooled heat pipes is an exciting new development and Brunel's expertise and excellent capabilities are perfect for our research requirements' Initial real world users are likely to be for medical storage and the team will be working with the NHS Blood and Transplant Service to develop prototype freezers to rapidly cool and store plasma made from donated blood. "We also see strong demand from facilities which store cord blood or eggs or sperm or other biological materials at very low temperatures," said Dr Jouhara. People who think they live in diverse neighbourhoods are less likely to be accepting of minority ethnic groups, an international research project by the University of Sheffield has found. Dr Aneta Piekut, of Sheffield Methods Institute, and Professor Gill Valentine, Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Social Sciences, investigated how attitudes towards minority ethnic groups are related to actual and perceived diversity by conducting a survey of communities in Leeds, UK, and Warsaw, Poland. The study, published in European Sociological Review, investigated the relationship between diversity and attitudes at a very local level, asking respondents to assess the level of diversity in their neighbourhood to see how well aligned their perceptions were with reality. The survey of 1,036 residents in Leeds and 1,179 in Warsaw found the actual ethnic diversity of a neighbourhood did not have a negative effect on how people felt towards minority ethnic groups. On the contrary, in Leeds people living in areas with a higher share of non-white British residents expressed more favourable attitudes towards immigrants and refugees. However, the level of perceived diversity was negatively related to attitudes towards minority ethnic groups. In both Leeds and Warsaw, people perceiving their immediate residential areas as more diverse were more prejudiced. In Leeds, the most socially open towards minority ethnic groups were those living in ethnically diverse settings, but who did not perceive their neighbourhoods as diverse. In Warsaw, the results were inconclusive but there was some evidence that the least accepting of ethnic minorities are residents of homogenous neighbourhoods who think they are very diverse. advertisement Dr Aneta Piekut said: "Actual and perceived diversity work differently. Residents of ethnically mixed neighbourhoods in Leeds, and those having everyday contact with people of minority ethnic background in both cities, are more tolerant towards them. Yet, those 'seeing' their neighbourhood as diverse -- regardless whether it was actually diverse or not -- are more prejudiced." Using data from 2001 and 2011 censuses for neighbourhoods in Leeds, the analysis tested whether the negative relationship between perceived diversity and attitudes is the same across the city, or if it depends on the characteristics of neighbourhoods. "Our study demonstrates that diversity perceptions are spatial and temporal -- they depend on neighbourhood context and recent changes in the immediate living area," said Dr Piekut. The people most prejudiced towards minority ethnic groups were those expressing high perceived diversity and living in areas with a high recent influx of minorities of 'white other' and 'mixed' ethnicity, as well as areas with recent deterioration of life conditions in their neighbourhood -- for example, an increase in council housing. The paper employed quantitative social science methods to talk about sensitive and difficult topics. "We wanted to start a discussion on why people see diversity differently," said Dr Piekut. "What are the social and economic factors determining whether we see our surrounding as diverse or not; what is the role of media or the nature of political debates in different European countries in shaping these perceptions?" The work was part of the project 'Living with Difference in Europe: making communities out of strangers in an era of super mobility and super diversity' -- a European Research Council Advanced Investigator Award to Professor Gill Valentine (grant no. 249658). The study could be replicated in other countries and European cities differing in ethnic diversity experiences. It would increase understanding of how ethnic diversity and immigration are presented in public debates, which can contribute to distorted perceptions of some populations. Although sperm whales have not been driven to the brink of extinction as have some other whales, a new study has found a remarkable lack of diversity in the maternally inherited mitochondrial DNA within the species. In fact, the mitochondrial DNA from more than a thousand sperm whales examined during the past 15 years came from a single "Eve" sperm whale tens of thousands of years ago, the researchers say. Results of the study are being published this week in the journal Molecular Ecology. While the exact origins of this sperm whale "Eve" remain uncertain, the study shows the importance of her female descendants in shaping global population structure, according to Alana Alexander, a University of Kansas Biodiversity Institute researcher who conducted the study while a doctoral student at Oregon State University. "Although the male sperm whale is more famous in literature and cinema through 'Moby Dick' and 'In the Heart of the Sea,' the patterns in mitochondrial DNA show that female sperm whales are shaping genetic differentiation by sticking close to home," Alexander said. Working in the genetic lab of Scott Baker, associate director of Oregon State's Marine Mammal Institute, Alexander combined DNA information from 1,091 previously studied samples with 542 newly obtained DNA profiles from sperm whales. The new samples were part of a global sampling of sperm whale populations made possible by the Ocean Alliance's "Voyage of the Odyssey," a five-and-a-half year circumnavigation of the globe, including some of the most remote regions of the world. The new sampling, including sperm whales from the previously un-sampled Indian Ocean, revealed global patterns of genetic differentiation and diversity. "Sperm whales have been in the fossil record for some 20 million years," said Baker, a co-author on the study, "so the obvious question is how one maternal lineage could be so successful that it sweeps through the global population and no other lineages survive? At this point, we can only speculate about the reasons for this success, but evolutionary advances in feeding preferences and social strategies are plausible explanations." The researchers say female sperm whales demonstrate strong fidelity to local areas, and both feeding habits and social structure are important to determine to better manage the species. "There is a real risk of long-term declines in response to current anthropogenic threats, despite the sperm whale's large worldwide population," the authors wrote. "One concern is that this very strong local fidelity may slow expansion of the species following whaling," said Baker, a professor of fisheries and wildlife who works at OSU's Hatfield Marine Science Center in Newport, Oregon. "The Sri Lanka sperm whales, for example, don't seem to mix with the Maldives whales, thus local anthropogenic threats could have a negative impact on local populations." The researchers note that while males are important for describing patterns in the nuclear DNA of sperm whales, ultimately the females shape the patterns within the species' mitochondrial DNA. "Although there is low mitochondrial DNA diversity there are strong patterns of differentiation, which implies that the global population structure in the sperm whale is shaped by females being 'home-bodies' -- at the social group, regional and oceanic level," Alexander said. Geochemists from Trinity College Dublin's School of Natural Sciences may have found a solution to a long-debated problem as to where -- and how -- life first formed on Earth. In a paper just published in the journal Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, the team proposes that large meteorite and comet impacts into the sea created structures that provided conditions favourable for life. Water then interacted with impact-heated rock to enable synthesis of complex organic molecules, and the enclosed crater itself was a microhabitat within which life could flourish. It has long been suggested that the meteoritic and cometary material that bombarded the early Earth delivered the raw materials -- complex organic molecules, such as glycine, -alanine, -amino-n-butyric acid, and water -- and the energy that was required for synthesis. The Trinity group's work has provided the new hypothesis that impact craters were ideal environments to facilitate the reactions that saw the first 'seeds of life' take root. First author Edel O'Sullivan, now a PhD candidate in Switzerland, said: "Previous studies investigating the origin of life have focused on synthesis in hydrothermal environments. Today these are found at mid-ocean ridges -- hallmark features of plate tectonics, which likely did not exist on the early Earth. By contrast, the findings of this new study suggest that extensive hydrothermal systems operated in an enclosed impact crater at Sudbury, Ontario, Canada." The research was part of a wider project funded by Science Foundation Ireland and led by senior author, Professor of Geology and Mineralogy at Trinity, Balz Kamber. Although no very ancient terrestrial impact structures are preserved, the Sudbury basin provides a unique opportunity to study the sediment that filled the basin as a guide to what the earlier impact craters would have looked like. The Sudbury structure is distinctive among the known terrestrial impact craters. It has an unusually thick (nearly 2.5 km) basin fill, and much of this is almost black in colour (due to carbon) containing also hydrothermal metal deposits. Professor Kamber said: "Due to later tectonic forces, all the rocks of the once ~200 km-wide structure are now exposed at the surface rather than being buried. This makes it possible to take a traverse from the shocked footwall through the melt sheet and then across the entire basin fill. To a geologist, this is like a time journey from the impact event through its aftermath." Representative samples across the basin fill were analysed for their chemistry and for carbon isotopes, and they revealed an interesting sequence of events. The first thing that became evident was that the crater was filled with seawater at an early stage, and remained sub-marine throughout deposition. Importantly, the water in the basin was isolated from the open ocean for long enough to deposit more than 1.5 km of volcanic rock and sediment. The lower fill is made up of rocks that formed when the water entered the crater whose floor was covered by hot impact melt. Fuel-coolant reactions deposited volcanic rocks and promoted hydrothermal activity. Above these deposits, reduced carbon starts to appear within the basin fill and the volcanic products become more basaltic. Previously the puzzling presence of carbon in these rocks was explained by washing in from outside the crater basin. However, the new data show that it was microbial life within the crater basin that was responsible for the build-up of carbon and also for the depletion in vital nutrients, such as sulphate. "There is clear evidence for exhaustion of molybdenum in the water column, and this strongly indicates a closed environment, shut off from the surrounding ocean," added Edel O'Sullivan. Only after the crater walls eventually collapsed did the study show replenishment of nutrients from the surrounding sea. These sub-marine, isolated impact basins, which experienced basaltic volcanism and were equipped with their own hydrothermal systems, thus present a new pathway to synthesis and concentration of the stepping stones to life. No self-respecting construction engineer would ever choose pure calcite -- a weak, brittle mineral found in chalk -- as a building material. But what if you could somehow strengthen calcite by a factor of two or more, the way a mollusk has done through the evolutionary process to protect itself from sharp-toothed predators? Well, you still might not choose hardened calcite to build your home, but it might have other applications that, by virtue of its availability, could make it an attractive option for low-strength fabrication needs. Cornell researchers, together with a team from the University of Leeds (U.K.), have jointly led an expansive, years-long international collaboration that has resulted in a paper detailing the ability to control and increase resistance to deformation in pure calcite through the introduction of amino acids. The paper, "Tuning hardness in calcite by incorporation of amino acids," is published this month in Nature Materials. "Why is it that a mollusk at the bottom of the ocean can make a single crystal of calcite that's solidly twice as hard as a naturally occurring, pure geologic calcite?" asked Shefford Baker, Cornell associate professor in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering. advertisement That was the question he and colleague Lara Estroff, also an associate professor of materials science and engineering and a member of the Kavli Institute at Cornell for Nanoscale Science, had sought to answer through approximately six years of research. Estroff and Baker worked with an international team. Fiona Meldrum and Yi-Yeoun Kim from Leeds co-led the study; additional collaborators included current Cornell graduate student Joseph Carloni and former grad student Miki Kunitake, both jointly advised by Estroff and Baker, and nine others from the United Kingdom and Israel. "I don't think there's any way that all of these teams, having done their parts in isolation, could have come up with this paper," Baker said. "I don't think all the connections would have been understood." The answer lies in aspartic acid (Asp) and glycine (Gly), amino acids that -- when added in precise, controlled amounts -- increased single-crystal calcite's hardness to values equivalent to biogenic calcite. To create the model biominerals, the Meldrum group grew single-crystal calcite samples in a solution containing either Asp or Gly, the amount of amino acid present in the mineral dependent on the concentration of molecules in the solution. advertisement "This was really a breakthrough," Estroff said, "to be able to have controlled and very well quantified amounts of amino acids within single crystals." The structural characterization of these crystals required highly specialized techniques and the expertise of multiple researchers. Kirsty Penkman's group (University of York) precisely quantified the concentration of amino acids within the calcite crystals, and Melinda Duer's group (University of Cambridge) demonstrated that the molecules were distributed individually rather than in clumps. In parallel, a group led by John Harding (University of Sheffield) conducted atomistic computer simulations to determine how the amino acid molecules were fit into the calcite lattice, and Kim, along with Boaz Pokroy (Technion) and researchers at the Diamond Light Source (U.K.), characterized the distortions the molecules induced in the calcite lattice. Using this data, the Cornell team determined how far apart in nanometers the molecules were from each other. Then by comparing hardness measured by nanoindentation, they showed hardness was determined by the force needed to cut, or break, the covalent bonds within the amino acids. The hardness of the model biominerals were the largest reported to date in human-made synthetic calcite and are consistent with those measured in naturally occurring biogenic calcites. "This certainly opens up the door for us to think about how hard calcite could be made," Baker said. "Now that we're starting to understand the control mechanisms, the question is, could we make a system in which we go further than this?" The discovery by a physics doctoral student at The University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH) of the second-strongest merger shock in clusters of galaxies ever observed has generated excitement that is opening doors to further scientific exploration. Sarthak Dasadia, who is advised by assistant physics professor Dr. Ming Sun, discovered the very strong shock in the merging galaxy cluster Abell 655 using observations from the Chandra X-ray Observatory. The shock to the north of this cluster is second in strength only to the Bullet Cluster shock. The shock is traveling with an astonishing speed of 2,700 kilometers per second, about three times the local speed of sound in the cluster. By comparison, NASA's Juno spacecraft in 2013 became the fastest human-made object when it was slingshot around Earth toward Jupiter at a relatively pedestrian 40 kilometers a second. "Studying mergers of galaxy clusters has proven to be crucial to our understanding of how such large scale objects form and evolve," says Dasadia. Shocks provide unique opportunities to study high-energy phenomena in the intra-cluster medium -- the hot plasma between galaxies. "This could open a door, where people can do a number of different studies based on what I have found," Dasadia says. Already, scientists are targeting shocks in galaxy clusters to study dark matter, the magnetic field in the intracluster space, particle acceleration and energy transfer in the intracluster medium. advertisement In only 10 days, Dasadia's research was accepted for publication by The Astrophysical Journal Letters. Dasadia recently received one year of research support from the Alabama EPSCoR Graduate Research Scholars Program (ALEPSCoR). He also gave an oral presentation on his research in August at the International Astronomical Union (IAU) General Assembly in Honolulu, Hawaii. The universe is populated with galaxy clusters that are relaxed and unrelaxed, Dasadia says. The relaxed ones are mellow -- they've been around a lot longer, have seen lots of past mergers and really aren't dynamically active. It's the unrelaxed clusters like Abell 665 that are good candidates to study merger features such as shocks and turbulence. "These galaxy clusters are not boundary objects," he says. "They do not have a very well-defined boundary around them." When the undefined boundaries of massive clusters of galaxies 3 million light-years across are drawn together in a slow-motion collision, their cold cores and surrounding hot gases are disrupted into shock waves and gas fronts of various temperatures. "When two cold cores collide, they may create a shock of heated gas," Dasadia says. "Such mergers are actually among the most energetic events in the universe, other than the Big Bang itself." If talking about fronts and shock waves and temperature differentials sounds lot like the weather on Earth, Dasadia says that's because there is not much difference as far as the physics involved. "Technically, we observe the same features in space that we do on Earth," he says. "This area has been studied extensively before at small scales, but few had done the work to discover what I found here at such big scales." He was able to measure the velocity of the collision and the dynamics of what is happening in it -- or rather, what was happening in it. It took 3.2 billion years for the light in the observations to reach Earth, so the events all happened that far back in time. Dynamic observations included the energy in the collision, the gas movement, and measurements of the discrepancy between the visible and dark matter involved. "It amazes me how long it takes for this information to even reach the Earth," Dasadia says. "Then I am also amazed by our technology, by how much we have advanced in developing the telescopes and equipment it takes to be able to observe and study these interactions." Venus flytraps have fascinated biologists for centuries, however, the molecular underpinnings of their carnivorous lifestyle remain largely unknown. In a study published online today in Genome Research, researchers characterized gene expression, protein secretion, and ultrastructural changes during stimulation of Venus flytraps and discover that common plant defense systems, which typically protect plants from being eaten, are also used by Venus flytraps for insect feeding. Venus flytraps recognize their prey using touch-sensitive trigger hairs located on the trap's inner surface. When stimulated, these hairs generate an electric signal that is transmitted to the plant. After the first stimulus, the trap remembers the signal but does not close; after the second stimulus, the trap snaps shut. Prey that is captured will repeatedly activate the trigger hairs leading to repetitive electrical signals "remembered" by the plant. To date, no carnivory-specific genes have been identified in Venus flytraps. To understand the molecular pathways involved in insect feeding, researchers from Germany and Saudi Arabia generated genome-wide transcription profiles of traps before and during feeding and compared them to other plant tissues. Unstimulated traps have gene expression patterns that largely resemble that of a leaf base, supporting the common assumption that traps are modified leaves. However, the glands inside the trap, which promote insect digestion, more closely resemble the expression pattern of roots, a tissue heavily involved in nutrient uptake. The researchers found that insect-stimulated traps upregulated enzymes involved in digesting prey and also transporters for nutrient uptake. Tracking the expression patterns of several hydrolases, the researchers determined that hydrolase expression was induced within 1-2 hours of touch stimulation, and a second stimulation event (mechanical or chemical) further amplified expression of chitinase, an enzyme that digests chitin in insect exoskeletons. "Contact with chitin normally means danger for a plant -- that insects will eat the plant," corresponding author Rainer Hedrich from the University of Wurzburg said. Comparing the global gene expression changes during insect capture and digestion to the stress response of the model organism, Arabidopsis, the researchers found several commonalities. Jasmonic acid (JA), which is produced by non-carnivorous plants when they are wounded by herbivores, is upregulated in insect-stimulated traps. "In the Venus flytrap, these defensive processes have been reprogrammed during evolution. The plant now uses them to eat insects," Hedrich said. Unstimulated and stimulated traps both express receptor-like-kinases (RLKs), which are used in chemical sensing in non-carnivorous plants, suggesting Venus flytraps may be able to detect chemical changes related to prey capture, in addition to touch sensitivity. Of the upregulated transcripts that were predicted to be secreted, the researchers were able to confirm all were actively secreted using proteomic screening of the flytrap's digestive fluid. The researchers also used electron microscopy to study the ultrastructure of the trap's glands, finding specialized cell layers involved in active secretion, nutrient transport, lipid energy stores, and protein biosynthesis necessary for trap function. The 2013-2014 sea star wasting epidemic along the Oregon Coast may have been caused by multiple factors and had significant effects on the sea star population and its prey in the area, according to a study published May 4, 2016 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by Bruce Menge from Oregon State University, USA, and colleagues. As keystone predators, sea stars affect the biodiversity and abundance of intertidal species. The recent 2013-2014 outbreak of sea star wasting, a viral disease, affected 20 species from Baja California to Alaska, making it among the largest known marine epidemics. The effects of the wasting are severe; afflicted sea stars may lose arms and disintegrate, appearing to "melt." The epidemic reached Oregon in April 2014 and spread along most of the coast by June, infecting about 90 percent of sea stars. Taking advantage of ongoing long-term research and monitoring in the area, the authors of this study tracked the epidemic by performing nearly 150 surveys of the dominant sea star species as well as their mussel prey living in the rocky intertidal habitats at nine sites along the Oregon coast between spring 2014 and fall 2015. The researchers found that as many as 80 percent of the populations died at the study sites during the epidemic, which occurred during cool water temperatures driven by summer upwelling. Wasting disproportionately affected adults over juveniles, and sea stars in tide pools. By spring 2015, the authors found that the population was recovering in numbers: study sites had up to 300 times as many new sea stars as in 2014. This recovery may be due to the increased availability of small prey, like mussels, resulting from the previous year's sea star loss. The authors hope that these efforts will aid in calling for a coast-wide investigation of how the wasting epidemic affected intertidal communities along North America's western shores. Bruce Menge notes: "In contrast to other locations along the US west coast, sea star wasting disease increased during a period of cool, not warm temperatures, suggesting that the cause of wasting outbreaks is multifactorial. Although up to 84% of local populations died, a massive recruitment of sea stars occurred the following spring, suggesting the possibility of rapid recovery."

Ricky Hatton

A dog found abandoned on a London bus has finally found his way home - and it turns out he wasn't actually abandoned. He was just lost. The dog, a Staffordshire terrier named Boston, ended up in quite the predicament after he disappeared during a walk. Dodo Shows Faith = Restored Rescued Animals Melt Into This Woman's Arms When She Sings To Them "We took him outside and after a few seconds, we couldn't see him," his owner, Paulina Rybak, told The Evening Standard. "We started looking for him but couldn't find him." Last Thursday, Boston was spotted alone on a bus. Images of the solitary dog riding the bus made the rounds on social media and captured headlines around the world. Ricky Hatton But no one freed the sad, abandoned dog that evening. The bus driver claimed it was against regulations to remove the dog, citing the possibility of being bitten - even if, as he admitted, the dog seemed friendly enough. Just really lost. And lonely. Ricky Hatton But Boston's night would get even lonelier. When the bus was taken out of commission at the end of the night, Boston was left inside. "When I arrived around 6:30 a.m. he'd been there all night," depot worker Ricky Hatton told Sky News. "Very scared, but not aggressive. I gave him food, water and my bodywarmer." Ricky Hatton Animal control officers brought Boston to their facilities, where the search for his owner began. Fortunately, Boston didn't have to wait too long. Rybak saw Boston's picture in the local newspaper. And on Wednesday, the woman, along with her two young children, Filip and Zofia, had a tearful reunion with their wayward pet. A 39-year-old chimp named Bullet has been poked and prodded for most of his life. He was put under anesthesia over 400 times. He underwent 55 liver biopsies. He lost an arm just after his capture in the wild at age 3. And then he was abandoned on a string of tiny islands, along with 200 other chimps, off the coast of Liberia. Only 60 or so survived. And yet Bullet still trusts people. Bullet on the island where he was left after years in a laboratory | NYBC: Do the Right Thing New footage shows Bullet patiently waiting in line for a cup of water. He - and the chimps he was left with - depend on human help to survive, since they've known only the New York Blood Center's (NYBC) research facilities most of their lives. Dodo Shows Faith = Restored Woman Tries Every Day For A Month To Rescue This Dog Bullet waiting his turn for a glass of fresh water | NYBC: Do the Right Thing Bullet's plight is actually very complicated. The money NYBC had been sending to provide for the chimps was pulled in the spring of 2015. Even though Jane Goodall and other famed advocates called on the NYBC to reinstate funding, the NYBC refused to take ownership of the chimps, instead claiming they belonged to Liberia - essentially saying the chimps are Liberia's problem now. Animal advocates were outraged by the announcement and have called on the NYBC to do more for the chimps, who were used in studies for serious illnesses, like HIV and hepatitis. But since no one seemed to be willing to shoulder the responsibility for the survival of Bullet and the other chimps, their future was precarious. As it is, volunteers from organizations like The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) and Humane Society International (HSI) have been raising money to send volunteers to Bullet and his peers. This browser does not support the video tag. NYBC: Do the Right Thing On Saturday, Sontaya must have woken up as she did any other day, ready to do what she'd done for the past two years - ferry tourists around on her back. If that sounds like a small price for an elephant to pay in exchange for food and care, it's not. Young elephants undergo something called the training crush, so called because it crushes their spirit and forces them into submission. Sontaya had almost certainly received such training when she was young, years before she came to her current home. And most elephants used in tourism, like Sontaya, exhibit repetitive behaviors such as swaying back and forth - a sign of psychological distress. Sontaya's small spot in the world, at a camp in Pattaya, Thailand, looked something like an outdoor stable - a small space where she waited when she wasn't catering to tourists. When she was needed, she'd do the exhausting work of carrying tourists in a heavy chair on her back. Dodo Shows Foster Diaries Guy Falls In Love With His Little Meatball Of A Foster Dog But this day was different: A strange truck arrived - and it would take her to Boon Lott's Elephant Sanctuary (BLES) in Sukhothai. Her current owners had realized that Sontaya, who was in her late 50s, was exhausted. They called BLES to rescue her. First, they said goodbye and shared the fresh-cut grass they had prepared for her journey. Then she walked onto the truck "with grace and ease," and met BLES founder, Katherine Connor, who gave her some gentle, much-deserved pets. Sontaya's skin was flaky and dry, and she had wounds on both sides of her face. But she still looked lovely in the crown of flowers that she was given for the journey. Then they were off: She had more than a 30-hour trip - some of it through the crowded streets of Pattaya. They drove through the night and stopped often for food, water and rest. By morning, Sontaya must have realized things were looking up - she even had her very own coat to keep her warm. Finally, she arrived at BLES, where her chains were removed - for good. "Sontaya is a special lady. She has such a wise and calm energy," Connor said in a blog post. "I cannot wait to watch her tired old body recover and slowly bulk up." "To see her dry and flaky skin heal," Connor said. "To know her wounds are getting better and to observe her in the forest, as she rediscovers how to be an elephant again." See more pictures of Sontaya's journey here. To support BLES' mission and elephants such as Sontaya, go here. Watch a video of Sontaya's trip: A group of Canadians were traveling through Playa Larga, Cuba, when they came across the best local resident ever: a little stray puppy. The puppy could also belong to a nearby neighbor, but stray dogs are a common sight in Cuba. Local restaurants often donate leftovers to dogs living on the streets, and many of these dogs do end up finding shelter and care. The puppy was playing in a bin of trash, but when he saw the tourists and how friendly they were, he immediately ran over to greet them. Cooper the German shepherd, a trained therapy dog, recently visited the University of Connecticut to help students stay calm during their exam period. And one sophomore physiology and neurobiology major, Kelsey Anderson, was particularly moved by the his presence in the library's lobby. "I don't know why, because I'm not much of a crier, but I just started sobbing," Anderson told The Dodo. "Then the dog came right over to me and started licking my face. I wrapped my arms around him, and it was a very nice moment." A video posted to Facebook shows Anderson's tearful interaction with Cooper. "I had my anthropology final earlier," Anderson explained. "I had gotten out of that, and I went to the library to last-minute-study for orgo," a nickname for the notoriously treacherous college course known as organic chemistry. Her grade in the course weighed heavily on this one cumulative exam, she added, and she was feeling the stress. Dodo Shows Soulmates Pig Loves To Launch Himself Onto His Dad's Lap Olivia Blackburn That's when Anderson's friend, Olivia Blackburn, stopped by to comfort her. On their way out of the library, they walked downstairs through the main lobby, and that's where they met Cooper. Olivia Blackburn

Facebook/Amazing Animals & Beautiful Nature

Imagine floating down the Amazon River, as it winds its way through the Brazilian jungle. And from that dense foliage emerges a troop of bright red, bald-headed monkeys. This browser does not support the video tag. YouTube/BadLatitudeTV Encountering bald uakaris in their native habitat - an increasingly thin stretch of jungle around the Amazon River basin - is just that surreal. The monkeys live up to 20 years, reaching around 60 inches in length. Their jaws are powerful enough to clamp down and crack open a notoriously tough Brazil nut. Dodo Shows Wild Hearts Orphaned Deer Runs Back To The Wild With Her Best Friend Little else about this monkey makes sense, it seems, in monkey terms - from the absence of a long, sinewy tail to that glaring scalp, so crimson it might at first suggest a very angry, old man. That staggering redness is, of course, what makes the bald uakari so special. It's the result of capillaries lurking just beneath the skin and, according to a 2015 study published in Royal Society Open Science, a telltale indicator of the monkey's health. The redder the better. The bald uakari may be nature's brightest lightbulb, but, sadly, that lightbulb is flickering toward extinction. The world could use all the bright lights it can get. Support organizations like the World Wildlife Fund and the Amazon Conservation Organization in their fight to preserve the Amazon - which is home to one in 10 of the world's known species. FREDERICTONA New Brunswick woman says she was shocked when staff at a local spa said she couldnt bring her five-month-old son to an appointment, and says the provinces Human Rights Act needs an upgrade to address similar cases of discrimination. Sacha DeWolfe wanted her eyebrows waxed but says she was told by staff at one of the Avalon SalonSpa locations in Fredericton that she couldnt bring the infant into the spa for safety reasons. She said the wax could spill or scissors could go flying, and she also said hair dye fumes or something, DeWolfe said Tuesday. If its that unsafe, its unsafe for everybody. You would probably adjust your practices to be more safe for the public. She said the incident occurred on Feb. 5, when she arrived for her appointment carrying her son, Lennon, asleep in a car seat. Messages seeking comment from Avalon SalonSpa were not immediately returned, but a post on its Facebook page thanked customers for an outpouring of support since the story first appeared in local media. We will continue to support women, employ women and empower women in our community, reads the post. We will also continue to stand by our policies and protect our guests when they visit any Avalon location. New Brunswick is the only province that doesnt have family status as a grounds of discrimination under the Human Rights Act, but a lawyer for the Human Rights Commission says it is being considered for the next update of the Act, as early as next year. We are currently undergoing a review of our legislation and part of that is looking at family status as a protected ground, said Sarina McKinnon. A review of the legislation is done every five years. DeWolfe said she was surprised that family status is not specifically protected under the Act, but pleased it may be added. She said she has no plans to file a human rights complaint, but she said shes surprised by comments on social media saying she is in the wrong for even raising the issue. Its really disturbing and sad that the public is that quick to read something and react with such hate towards a person, she said. People should open their minds up, to not just ooh the poor thing, they did not let her eyebrows waxed. Its not about that, DeWolfe said. Although restaurants in Canada and around the world have generated fierce debates with bans on children in recent years, customers posting on the Fredericton spas Facebook page uniformly supported the businesss position, saying an infant would disrupt the soothing atmosphere for which they paid. I dont pay for relaxation to listen to other peoples children crying or running around. What about my rights as a paying consumer? asked one woman. I am a mom of 2 wonderful and maddening kids...and I have to say when I go for an eyebrow waxing, mani or a pedicure I leave my kids at home to have a relaxing spa experience, wrote another. Still, the director of the Centre for Human Rights Research at the University of Manitoba, says restricting children from going places with their parents has been found to be discrimination on the basis of family status in cases across the country. I get my nails done all the time and my eyebrows done all the time and no salon Ive ever been to have denied kids the ability to come with their parents into a salon, Karen Busby said. She said the question for the spa is, Is there a reasonable and bone fide reason to deny kids to be able to come into the place? Jordi Morgan, Atlantic vice-president of the Canadian Federation of Independent Business, says businesses with specific policies should make sure those policies are clearly posted. They could be occupational health and safety related, they could be just personal safety related, they could be for the convenience of other customers. Businesses can put policies in place, he said. He said patrons who dont like the policies of a particular company have the right to simply take their business elsewhere. DeWolfe said thats what she did, and got her eyebrows waxed at another spa in the cityone which welcomed her son. Read more about: SHARE: The myth that women entrepreneurs are risk averse continues to stand in their way of getting financing to help their businesses grow, a major new study concludes. Women entrepreneurs also said they want more than just a loan from their bank, according to A Force to Reckon With: Women Entrepreneurship and Risk. They want a relationship with a bank that understands their business and their personal needs, the study found. Women entrepreneurs, in general, are not satisfied with their experiences with financial institutions, according to the report sponsored by the Bank of Montreal. In fact, in many instances women entrepreneurs reported that they felt humiliated and frustrated by financial institutions treatment of them. One woman entrepreneur said the bank wanted her father to co-sign the loan, the report noted. Indeed, 80 per cent of the women interviewed for the study said they faced obstacles in getting bank loans. Women entrepreneurs contributed $148 billion to Canadas economy in 2011, the latest year for which data is available, the study noted. Yet, they continue to struggle with assumptions they are risk averse, when in fact women entrepreneurs, like male entrepreneurs, are not all alike, said Clare Beckton, report co-author and head of Carleton Universitys Centre for Women in Politics and Public Leadership. The study, which included interviews with 100 male and female entrepreneurs across Canada over a two-year period, found women prefer to take what they call rational risks. Women are not only interested in the earnings statement but the impact of their business decisions on all aspects of their lives, Beckton said. Some contained their business rate of growth to accommodate family considerations. One slowed her growth to look after a sick child and then speeded it up later. In comparison, men take risks early in their careers but become more cautious with age as they have more to lose, the report found. If a woman entrepreneur gets turned down or has a bad experience with a bank, she wont come back, said report co-author Janice McDonald of The Beacon Agency, a strategic advisory firm. Women entrepreneurs will choose instead to self-fund or bootstrap their business, a decision that can hold back their growth rate, McDonald said. Bank of Montreal, which sponsored the study, said it has started incorporating some of the findings into its business. We know women are starting more business than men. Its a growing market segment for sure and its one that I dont think has received a lot of attention, said Susan Brown, BMO senior vice-president and head of womens strategy. The Bank of Montreal earmarked $2 billion for women entrepreneurs about 18 months ago and says nearly three-quarters has been lent out. More funds will be allocated as the $2 billion ceiling is reached. Barbara Mowat, founder and president of womens networking organization GroYourBiz.com, said she hoped the report would not just sit on a shelf gathering dust. She urged the bank to ensure it is widely circulated. Mowat also recommended creating an ombudsman to handle complaints about obstacles to financing for women entrepreneurs. Women entrepreneurs by the numbers: $60,000 average annual income earned by full-time women entrepreneurs in Canada 950,000 number of women who were self-employed in 2011 in Canada. 47 per cent Portion Canadian small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) partially or majority owned by women. 80 per cent Portion of respondents who agree women entrepreneurs face obstacles obtaining bank financing. Read more about: SHARE: OTTAWAThe countrys trade deficit expanded in March to reach its widest gap on record amid a slowdown in exports to the United States, Statistics Canada said Wednesday. The figures show Canadas trade deficit with the world grew to $3.4 billion. Closer to home, the trade surplus with the U.S. narrowed 6.3 per cent to hit its lowest level since December 1993. The March data, which saw exports fall faster than imports, cast doubts on economic growth heading into the second quarter. Canadas trade performance has come back to earth with a thud after the huge strength seen around the turn of the year, BMO senior economist Benjamin Reitzes wrote in a note to clients. The details were absolutely terrible, consistent with the headline, as exports dove 4.8 per cent, with every category lower except aerospace. Reitzes underlined chunky declines in several export categories: motor vehicles and parts dropped six per cent, metal and non-metallic mineral products slid 5.4 per cent and consumer goods fell 4.6 per cent. Overall, economists had expected a deficit of $1.4 billion, according to Thomson Reuters. Statistics Canada also revised the trade deficit for February, bumping the shortfall higher to $2.5 billion compared with the initial reading of $1.9 billion. The downgraded February number and the record deficit for March are expected to dampen first-quarter economic growth. Economists also predict the data will contribute to a weaker hand-off to the second quarter. Its tough to find a silver lining in the March trade data, said TD senior economist Leslie Preston, who still expected Canada to generate a robust real GDP number between 2.5 and three per cent for the first three months of 2016. That vigorous pace of growth is unlikely to be sustained in the second quarter. But, in her note to clients, Preston said the recent weakness in the trade picture should be put into perspective as a breather after a period of inordinate strength. She predicted exports to remain an important source of strength over the medium term with the U.S. economy on solid footing and the Canadian dollar expected to remain below 80 cents U.S. over the next couple of years. Statistics Canada said March exports fell 4.8 per cent to $41.0 billion due to declines in 10 of 11 sectors, while imports sank 2.4 per cent to $44.4 billion. The trade surplus with the U.S. tightened to $1.5 billion from $2.1 billion in February. Exports to the U.S. slid 6.3 per cent to $30.4 billion in March and imports slipped 4.8 per cent to $28.9 billion, the report said. Excluding the U.S., the data showed Canadas trade deficit with the rest of the world increased to $4.9 billion in March compared with $4.6 billion in February. SHARE: The U.K. government must stop dithering over the expansion of airport capacity around London, make a decision and set out a timetable for completing the project, a panel of lawmakers said. Prime Minister David Camerons government has squandered the opportunity to make an evidence-based decision based on a report issued last year by Howard Davies Airports Commission, the House of Commons Transport Committee said. The commission recommended the expansion of Heathrow, Europes busiest hub, but Cameron postponed making a commitment until after Thursdays London mayoral election. The delay is damaging economic growth by deterring investors uncertain about the future of Britains communications, the panel said on Wednesday. Across the world, cities are collectively planning to build more than 50 new runways with capacity to serve 1 billion additional passenger journeys by 2036. The growth of large hubs in the Middle and Far East and North America threatens our position as a hub of international aviation, the committee chairwoman, opposition Labour Party lawmaker Louise Ellman, said in an emailed statement. The government must make up its mind. Cameron, who promised no ifs, no buts in 2009 that there would be no expansion of Heathrow as he sought to win votes against the then Labour government, appointed Davies in 2012 to examine the options in order to put off a decision until after last years general election. After Davies reported in July, urging a third runway at Heathrow in preference to expanding the second airport at Gatwick, south of London, the premier delayed his response further, citing the need for more environmental research. Goldsmith Rally Zac Goldsmith, the candidate for Camerons Conservative Party in the mayoral vote, has pledged to resign as a House of Commons lawmaker for Richmond, under Heathrows flight path, if expansion there goes ahead. Cameron made his 2009 promise to block a third Heathrow runway at a rally organized by Goldsmith, and it would have been an embarrassment to the premier if hed been at odds with his candidate in such a high-profile election. Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin prepared the ground for Cameron to back expansion at Heathrow during evidence to the committee in February, while hinting that a decision on the location of the airport may not be announced until after the June 23 referendum on membership of the European Union. Very Different The prime minister was talking about a specific proposal that was before Parliament at that time, which he believed to be wholly wrong as far as the future of aviation capacity was concerned, McLoughlin said of Camerons pledge. The recommendation that has come forward from the Davies Commission, if a third runway is decided as the right way forward, is very different from the proposal being looked at in 2008 and 2009. The committee said that the further environmental studies ordered by the government would take on more urgency and be more focused if the decision on the location of extra runway capacity is made first. We accept that the package of measures to mitigate environmental impacts needs careful consideration and further work. We do not accept that all of this needs to be done before a decision is taken on location, the lawmakers said. A decision on location is not the end of a process; it is the start of one. The real, independent evidence continues to point toward Heathrow, the west London airport said in an emailed statement. Only an expanded Heathrow delivers and now is the time to make it happen. Gatwick said in a statement that the continuing debate highlights the inadequacies of the Airports Commission report, which failed to address the environmental impacts of Heathrow expansion while drastically overstating the economic benefits. Read more about: SHARE: Beijing, Shanghai, the Terra Cotta Warriors and the Great Wall are all staples to a trip to China. But the country has more to offer. These are seven of the more off-the-beaten-path destinations in a country that is just heaped full of worthy travel destinations. Zhangye Danxia National Geological Park: The Danxia mountains near the city of Zhangye are so colourful that photos of them are constantly leaving people asking whether they are photoshopped. Spoiler they are not. The mountains are unique and a must-see in China. Dragons Backbone Rice Terraces: A four-hour bus ride from Guilin, and then a 40-minute hike will take you to the village of Tiantou and into the heart of the Dragon's Backbone Rice Terraces. A true wonder of human construction, these terraces cut beautifully through a stunning landscape of rolling green hills. Zhangjiajie National Forest Park: These mountains have been nicknamed the Avatar mountains as they were the inspiration for James Camerons Hallelujah Mountains in the movie Avatar. The jagged peaks are incredible, and like nowhere else on the planet. Mist-covered valleys, cheeky monkeys and lush foliage are also features of this fascinating park. Dunhuang Desert Oasis: Most probably dont associate China with desert, but the northern part of the country hosts a large section of the Semi-Gobi. Within the region, perhaps the most impressive dunes are located around the city of Dunhuang. Here, not only are there beautiful waves of sand, but a stunning crescent-shaped oasis with a temple built around it. The Westernmost Section of the Great Wall: Sure, the Great Wall is certainly not off-the-beaten-path. That is unless you wander as far away from Beijing as possible to see it. Out here in Jiayuguan the wall ends, and there is an impressive fort to go along with it. Making the trek this far west is a bit of a mission, but seeing the wall in the dusty flats of Western China is plenty of reward. Bifengxia: Most people travel to Sichuan Province to see panda bears. Most tend to head directly for the Panda Research Center in Chengdu. However, for those looking for a more personal visit to see the bears should make the trip to Ya'an for a visit to the Bifengxia Panda Base. Here there are lots of giant pandas and rarely any crowds. Shangri-la: The name Shangri-La might lead one to believe that this destination is full of tourists. However, the geography of the location not far from the Tibetan border and a devastating fire in 2014, have left Shangri-la a quiet destination. Its a spectacular place though, full of history and beautiful architecture. Of course, the Songzanlin Monastery is the key attraction in the city, but one could spend a week here exploring the sights and nature in the surrounding area. Brendan Van Son is a Canadian digital nomad. Read more about: SHARE: Health minister Eric Hoskins drew heat from fellow doctors and political peers on Wednesday over Ontarios stem cell transplant crisis, which has seen under-funded hospital programs rationing life-saving treatment as patients are dying on unacceptably long wait lists. A Toronto Star investigation this week revealed more than 200 of Ontarios sickest patients, who are ready for a transplant and have been matched with a donor, cannot be helped at home. Instead, the ministry has decided to outsource this critical care to hospitals in Buffalo, Cleveland and Detroit at a cost that could exceed $100 million. Cancer Care Ontario told the Star the ministry expects to pay $400,000 to $600,000 (US) per patient more than double the rate in Ontario. The money is ready to go but the patients are not. Only 19 have agreed to go south so far. The treatment requires patients to travel with a caregiver and live in the U.S. near the hospital for three to four months. These personal costs are not covered by the government program. The situation highlights the continued mismanagement of health care by this government, Conservative health critic Jeff Yurek said during Question Period. The situation did not come about without warning. In 2008, Cancer Care Ontario released a report to this government. It stated: Access to transplant services in Ontario is at imminent risk . . . Services in the Greater Toronto Area need to be augmented as there is only one program to serve the entire region. The government ignored that warning. Now the system is broken and Ontarians are suffering. Princess Margaret, the countrys leading cancer centre, closed its doors to new stem cell transplant patients at the end of March. The centres waiting list for treatment is six to eight months; international standards dictate that transplantation occur within three months of diagnosis. Princess Margarets medical director is calling for a second transplant centre to open in the GTA. We definitely need another centre in Greater Toronto Area. Thats where the pressure is, Dr. Mary Gospodarowicz told the Star. Ive never heard of a city in North America the size of Toronto that doesnt have at least two transplant centres, Dr. Irwin Walker, medical director of the bone marrow transplant program in Hamilton, said in an interview. Hoskins said in Question Period that Cancer Care Ontario is working with Juravinski Hospital in Hamilton, The Ottawa Hospital and Princess Margaret Cancer Centre to rebuild their programs. The process is expected to take two to three years. Patients now have two choices: die, or travel out of country for their treatments, Yurek said. Will the minister stop the political rhetoric and give an honest answer to Ontarians on how the government will help those seeking stem cell transplants in Ontario today, instead of two years from now? Hoskins noted the three Ontario programs responsible for stem cell transplants using unrelated donors the most complicated and expensive kind of transplant, which is growing in popularity as people have fewer siblings to rely on will receive a collective $30 million. Were working with them on the capital, were working with them on the operational (pressures), but were also providing that option for individuals for out-of-country treatments, should they so choose it, Hoskins said. Yurek tried again. Will the minister admit that they failed Ontarians, ignored the warnings of imminent collapse of the system, and offer immediate relief to patients needing life-saving stem cell transplants? Hoskins said his government has increased funding for stem cell transplants in the past four years by 600 per cent. I know Opposition doesnt want to hear the truth, but Im telling them that theyve increased the number of transplants taking place at Princess Margaret hospital by 25 per cent, Hoskins said. 600 per cent.......!!!! I cant take that seriously, Walker, Juravinskis stem cell transplant director, told the Star in an email. Weve grown 25 per cent without really getting any new capacity, Princess Margarets Gospodarowicz explained. We need to have more doctors, more nurses. We have challenges with our laboratories, pharmacy, pathology. Theres a lot of infrastructure. At Roswell Park Cancer Centre in Buffalo, where Ontarians are being treated, a team of 60 health-care workers including doctors, nurses, laboratory and pharmacy staff interact directly with stem cell patients. The scope of the treatment demands a large, cooperative team. Directors province-wide agree that staff are working harder than ever and are on the edge of burnout. But its not because a geyser of money is rushing into their programs. The Ottawa Hospital is doing 50 per cent more transplants than 18 months ago and all resources are lagging, said Dr. Chris Bredeson, the hospitals head of malignant hematology. There are not 50 per cent more people doing 50 per cent more transplants, Bredeson said. Every day is a juggling match. How are we going to get 22 patients in the same number of beds that we used to put 12? And how do you do that without making a mistake? We feel sick. It keeps me, it keeps all of us, awake. No solution will be fast enough. More on thestar.com: Ontario to spend $100M outsourcing life-saving transplants to U.S. Ontario cancer patient cant say enough about Buffalo stem cell transplant SHARE: OTTAWAThe New Democrats are pressing for more details around a discontinued tax service offered by KPMG that allowed wealthy clients to avoid paying Canadian taxes. The NDP want the House of Commons finance committee to force the accounting firm to release the names of employees and 27 clients who set up and used a tax shelter scheme in the Isle of Man. Greg Wiebe, a partner and former head of global head of tax at KPMG, told the committee the plan was set up in 1999 and complied with the laws of the day. From the time that this particular plan was developed, there was 13 or 14 years before the legislation actually shut down some of that similar planning, Wiebe told MPs Tuesday. We determined back in 2003 that (the plan) was something that we were no longer prepared to implement as an organization . . . . If we decided in 2003 that we were no longer going to implement that plan, absolutely we would not implement that plan today. Wiebe said KPMG no longer provides tax shelter services to individual clients. A CBC News investigation into KPMGs tax plan uncovered that at least 27 wealthy clients dumped $130 million into shell companies set up on the Isle of Man, off the west coast of England. For their services, KPMG pocketed between $1.5 million and $1.6 million in fees, with an average fee of approximately $100,000. The CBC reported in March that the Canada Revenue Agency had offered amnesty to 26 of those clients, shielding them from prosecution if they paid back what the tax authorities determined they owed. Wiebe was grilled about the details of that settlement by Liberal MP Jennifer OConnel (Pickering-Uxbridge), who asked if KPMG was also granted amnesty or forced to pay restitution under the deal. Because of settlement privilege, I cant talk to the details of the settlement at all, Wiebe responded. Tax dodge schemes have made headlines in Canada and across the world through the Panama Papers, an unprecedented trove of documents detailing secret offshore tax havens and the rich and famous who use them. In Canada, the Toronto Star and the CBC have been given exclusive access to the files. On May 9, the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists plans to publicly release a partial database of 200,000 offshore corporations and associated names. Its not clear how the NDPs motion to get the names of the wealthy clients, or the KPMG tax planners responsible, will play out. The government is already trying to get some of that information through the federal court, but KPMG is fighting that attempt. Wiebe said the Isle of Man plan was used 16 times, but only 13 are known to CRA. When asked why the firm has not disclosed all the names, Wiebe said that KPMGs responsibility is to protect their clients affairs. Thats exactly the point of the court case that is before the federal court, Wiebe said. It is our view that it is our responsibility to keep our clients affairs private, and we take that responsibility very seriously. Outside the committee room, NDP finance critic Guy Caron said it was important to get the names of both the tax planners and clients to inform the committees investigation into tax avoidance. If we really want to pursue this, if we really want to work towards ensuring Canadians can trust the system, we need to have all the information, Caron told reporters. We want to give the committee the possibility of pursuing further the study to ensure that well have some answers. Under opposition questioning in the Commons Tuesday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said his government is working with CRA to ensure all Canadians and all companies pay their fair share of taxes. We know that Canadians expect their government to uphold the rules, and that is exactly what we are going to do, Trudeau said. SHARE: Nova Scotia has become the fourth known province to suspend or ban the use of drug and alcohol hair testing in child protection proceedings, after New Brunswick, British Columbia and Ontario. The department has decided to suspend hair strand testing for child protection cases in Nova Scotia effective immediately, said department of community services spokeswoman Heather Fairbairn Tuesday. The move comes in the wake of a 2014 Star investigation into the Hospital for Sick Childrens Motherisk laboratory, which found that prior to 2010, the lab was using a hair test that was not recognized as the gold standard. An independent review deemed the hair test results inadequate and unreliable in 2015. They were used in potentially thousands of child protection cases in Ontario as well as in British Columbia, Quebec, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, where they were routinely accepted as evidence with little scrutiny in court. The department has been reviewing the use of hair strand testing for some time. We stopped using Motherisk as soon as issues about their test results became known in 2015, said Fairbairn. Since then, questions continued to be raised about the procedures used and the differences between the drug testing laboratories. The decision to suspend all hair strand testing will enable careful consideration of these questions. For the time being, we will rely on other established methods of testing and social work practice. Motherisk ceased its hair testing practices in 2015 prior to the completion of the independent review, but some provinces were still using hair tests from other labs in some cases until very recently. Its welcome and long overdue, said Halifax lawyer Mike Dull of the suspension. Obviously, its recognition by the province of Nova Scotia that such tests are not reliable, so theyre taking active steps from preventing future harm that could result from these unreliable tests. But the question remains: What are they doing about the past harm, to families affected by these tests that theyve implicitly deemed to be unreliable by stopping to use them? Those are questions that remain unanswered. Dull is co-counsel in the case of Nova Scotia residents William McIntyre and Natacha LeRoy. Motherisk hair testing was done in child protection cases that dealt with some of their children. They are among an unknown number of Canadians outside of Ontario whose cases will not be reviewed by the ongoing Motherisk Commission in this province, chaired by retired Justice Judith Beaman, which is looking at files going back 25 years. McIntyre and LeRoys case is being reviewed by the Nova Scotia department of community services, said Dull, but its unclear when theyll receive any information. Its an atrocity, McIntyre, 50, told the Star earlier this year. How could this be just an Ontario thing? You came down and took my hair and sent it to Ontario This is not just Ontario. This is a Canada-wide situation. McIntyre and LeRoys 3-year-old son was made a ward of the province and later adopted as the result of a proceeding in which Motherisk said both parents had tested positive for traces of cocaine. McIntyre and LeRoy who were previously in a relationship and remain good friends deny using the drug at the time. McIntyre also claims that subsequent hair testing done in the U.S. showed he was negative. They say they were asking that the court grant custody of their son to McIntyre with access to LeRoy. There were 49 open child protection cases using Motherisk hair tests in Nova Scotia in 2014. The province continued to use hair testing services from other labs, including Toronto-based Dynacare, CBC reported. The lab confirmed to the Star on Tuesday it has done testing for clients in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, but would not disclose who the clients were, citing its privacy policy. A Dynacare spokesperson said in an emailed statement that it provides robust, high-quality analytical toxicology service and presumptive positive tests are confirmed with more specific tests. Analysis for the presence of drugs in hair samples has been utilized and accepted as a powerful evidential tool in many criminal cases in the last decade. It is an important component of modern forensic science, Andrea Price wrote in an emailed statement. Motherisk hair tests have been used in Quebec court proceedings, but they were either requested by individuals or children and youth agencies and are not tracked by the government, a Ministry of Health spokeswoman previously told the Star. Questions have been raised for years about hair strand testing, regardless of the laboratory performing the service. Because of the effect of alcohol-based hair products, the risk for false-positive results appears high when monitoring a female population, Motherisks own manager at the time, Joey Gareri, wrote in a 2011 paper he co-authored with Motherisk founder and director Gideon Koren. Studies have also suggested that drugs appear to be incorporated more readily into darker-coloured hair, and there is also evidence that the way substances are incorporated into the hair of a single individual may vary from strand to strand. Ontarios Ministry of Children and Youth Services ordered childrens aid societies amid the independent review into Motherisk last year to stop using hair strand testing. The results from that review, released in December, were damning. In the circumstances, I have concluded that the laboratorys flawed hair-testing evidence had serious implications for the fairness of child protection and criminal cases, concluded independent reviewer Susan Lang, a retired Ontario Court of Appeal judge, last December. The suspension of hair strand testing across the country would appear to be a natural consequence of the Lang report, said Katharina Janczaruk, chair of the Family Lawyers Association of Ontario. I think a natural event flowing from this examination of hair testing is a reaffirmation that we need to look at those other factors (in child protection proceedings), we need to demand that social workers are doing their social work (role) and not simply relying on the test, that lawyers are questioning tests when tests are being made, she said. With files from Rachel Mendleson and Sarah-Joyce Battersby Read more about: SHARE: FORT MCMURRAY, ALTA.Alberta declared a state of emergency as it took sad stock Wednesday of the devastation from wildfires that torched entire neighbourhoods and forced more than 80,000 to flee the oilsands city of Fort McMurray. Fire crews, backed by helicopters and air tankers, braced for renewed incursions from waves of flame menacing the city. "The situation in Fort McMurray is not stable. It is unstable," Scott Long of Alberta Emergency Management told reporters in a Wednesday afternoon briefing. "The downtown core is being held through some Herculean efforts of the structural firefighters in the area." Premier Rachel Notley said about 1,600 buildings, most of them homes, were hit by the fire that leapt over crews late Tuesday afternoon and raced into the city. Theres been fairly significant destruction of residences, said Notley. She and her officials admitted the outlook remained grim as the fire, which obliterated neighbourhoods to the south and west, moved north. Notley flew up to survey the situation first-hand, while officials in the evacuation centre had to bolt to the south of the city as flames edged closer. Notley tweeted pictures of the fire from above. "The view from the air is heartbreaking," she wrote. "We saw areas where there was a tremendous amount of smoke," she said later at a relief centre for evacuees in Anzac. "We were way up in a helicopter and the plumes of smoke were higher than we were." Notley said the state of emergency will also ensure that the federal government pays part of the costs of the wildfire. The blazes effectively cut Fort McMurray in two late Tuesday, forcing about 10,000 north to the safety of oilsands work camps. The other 70,000 were sent streaming south in a bumper-to-bumper snake line of cars and trucks that stretched beyond the horizon down Highway 63. Some vehicles sat in ditches, the victims of engine trouble or a lack of gas. The situation took a tragic twist Wednesday when an SUV collided head on with a tractor-trailer on another southern escape road, Highway 881, killing two and shutting down the road in both directions. The wildfire was still listed out of control as it curled around the city, 435 kilometres northeast of Edmonton. By mid-day Wednesday, the looming flames forced officials to abandon the evacuation command centre near the airport. Neighbourhoods most affected are Waterways, where 90 per cent of the homes have been lost; Beacon Hill, where 70 per cent of the homes have been lost, and Abasand where half the homes have been lost. More than 30 homes have been lost in Wood Buffalo. Downtown Fort McMurray remained mostly unaffected and all 105 patients and clients in the hospital were safely airlifted to other care centres, said Notley. The wildfire roared into the southwest corner of the city Tuesday afternoon. It engulfed homes in three subdivisions and destroyed vehicles, gas stations and a motel. Most of the homes in the suburbs of Beacon Hill and Waterways were destroyed. At Anzac, volunteers served eggs and pancakes to some of the 2,500 people at the recreation centre. Chantelle Boutin said she was grateful that she and her husband found a safe refuge. The couple brought their two dogs, but one of them died from the stress. We lost our house. We lost everything, but we didnt lose our spirit, said Boutin. Robin Smith with the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo, which includes the city, said it was believed everyone was out. We have RCMP patrols that are regularly looping the neighbourhoods to make sure theres no one straggling, said Smith. Mayor Melissa Blake said her city is strong and remembers Slave Lake, a community devastated by wildfires in 2011. We will hope to follow in the shadow of Slave Lake in our perseverance and resolve, said Blake. And as we look to the future, this is still a place of incredible strength, resiliency and vibrancy. The province said 255 firefighters were on scene, backed up by 12 helicopters and 17 air tankers. The military has provided rescue helicopters and 15 residents who had been cut off by fire were airlifted to safety, Long said. The story made headlines worldwide with stunning video footage of trucks and cars next to sheer walls of flame. There were haunting images of scorched trucks and charred homes and telephone poles, burned out from the bottom up, hanging in the wires like little wooden crosses. From Britain, Queen Elizabeth, in a statement, said Prince Philip and I were shocked and saddened by the news of the wildfires that are causing such devastation to Fort McMurray. Our thoughts and prayers are with all those who have been affected. MORE ON THESTAR.COM It was like driving into the Apocalypse, Fort McMurray resident says Photos: Raging Fort McMurray wildfire Woman gives birth at oilfield camp near Fort McMurray fire Read: Minister of municipal affairs's comments on Fort McMurray Albertans open arms and doors to wildfire evacuees Fort McMurray fire Chief Darby Allen said early Wednesday there were no buildings on fire, but he expected that to change. This is a nasty, dirty fire. There are certainly areas of the city that have not been burned, but this fire will look for them and it will find them and it will want to take them, he told another briefing in Fort McMurray. Allen said a cold front was expected to move in later in the day, but that could bring with it a new enemy lightning. Fire refugees were recounting tales of narrow escapes. Shawn Brett said he was at home when his friends called him and urging him to leave. Brett said when he opened the door of his house, smoke and flames were all around the neighbourhood, so he jumped on his Harley-Davidson motorcycle and made his way through a traffic jam out of the city. I didnt have time for nothing. I literally drove through the flames. I had ashes hitting my face and the heat from the fire was that bad, he said. Everything was jammed. It was nothing but the biggest chaos Id ever seen. Wildrose Leader Brian Jean, who is member of the legislature for the area, said his home of the last 10 years was destroyed, and he expected his childhood home probably had been as well. Ontario is sending 100 forest firefighters and 19 support staff to help in Fort McMurray, Premier Kathleen Wynne said Wednesday. Our hearts go out to all the people who are affected by the fire thats raging in Alberta. We hope everyone stays safe, she told the legislature. As in other situations, we are committed to helping out other provinces in times of need. Forestry Minister Bill Mauro said the firefighters from bases in northern Ontario will begin arriving out west on Friday but its hard to say how quickly they will be deployed. Right now were in a stable situation in Ontario given weather and forest conditions so the province can spare the resources to help in Fort McMurray, he added. RELATED: How to help In Ottawa, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the federal government will provide all possible assistance to Alberta. The prime minister said he had already spoken to Notley to offer his governments total support. That help ranges from satellite intelligence to help track to the fire to long-term financial help aimed at recovery. Canada is a country of people who help each other in challenging times, Trudeau told his caucus. Ive been dealing with offers of support and calls from the Atlantic provinces, all the way out to B.C., as people are looking for how they can support their friends and neighbours as people go through this difficult time. Trudeau urged people with friends or family in Fort McMurray to make sure they are OK and ask what help they need. Federal leaders called on Canadians who want to help to donate to the Red Cross. Notley, who formally requested federal help, said a memorandum of understanding had been signed with National Defence to provide helicopters for search-and-rescue efforts in isolated spots around Fort McMurray as well as transport aircraft to fly in firefighters. Our province is strong and we will get through this, she told a news conference. Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale stressed that helping Fort McMurray would be a long-term project. Were dealing with peoples emergency needs today but the recovery from this situation is going to take a considerable amount of time. Among the other federal assistance he outlined: Co-ordination and monitoring through the Government Operations Centre Satellite and geomatics support to help the province track where the fire is moving Determining what firefighting assets are available across the country Stockpiling living supplies, cots and bedding in collaboration with the Red Cross Efforts to restore communication systems following the destruction of cell-phone towers Disaster financial assistance arrangements, through which the government begins to cost-share the expense of recovery. Calgary MP and veterans affairs minister Kent Hehr, asked about the cascade of fires and floods to hit Alberta in the past few years, said: Its tremendously difficult. We know 57 per cent of national disasters are happening in Alberta. Look its a very difficult time, hopefully we learned from those floods and I have every confidence in the provincial government and the prime minister, are going to serve Alberta well in this very difficult time. Going through the floods and now these fires its a really difficult time and my hope is that to date everyone is safe and will rebuild. with files from Tonda MacCharles and Rob Ferguson Read more about: SHARE: Canadas newly expanded ground role in the Iraq War will be dangerous more dangerous than it was under the Conservatives. The CF-18s have been withdrawn. But bombing an enemy with limited air defences and no fighter jets of its own was always relatively risk-free. By comparison, the Liberal governments decision to triple the number of special forces advisers engaged in active training at or near the front lines carries with it a higher probability of casualties. Soldiers understand and accept this. As Chief of the Defence Staff Gen. Jonathan Vance told my colleague, Bruce Campion-Smith: We do danger. Thats what a military force is for. For those fighting Daesh (sometimes known as ISIS or ISIL) the immediate danger that Vance describes is hard enough. What makes matters harder and what Ottawa doesnt much talk about are the chaotic politics bedevilling Iraq. That country is not only fighting Daesh militants and their so-called Islamic State. It is also perilously close to splitting apart. Paralyzed by factional squabbling, the central government in Baghdad is virtually unable to function. That fact was underlined last week when supporters of Muqtada al-Sadr, a powerful Shiite militia leader, briefly stormed the seat of government in Baghdads Green Zone. It seems al-Sadr, whose forces have fought U.S. troops in past years, was making a point. A few days earlier, Kurdish peshmerga troops and Shiite fighters battled one another over an area north of Baghdad that is claimed by both. The Kurds say the town of Tuz Khormato is part of Iraqi Kurdistan. The Shiite Hashd al-Shaabi militia says it should be under control of the central government. The fighting between these two forces, nominal allies in the war against Daesh, follows reports of sectarian atrocities committed by Kurdish, Shiite and Turkmen militias against civilians. As the Washington Post noted, ISIS wasnt involved at all in these clashes. It will, however, almost certainly be the beneficiary. For Canada and other members of the coalition, all of this makes the fight against Daesh that much harder. Canadian troops are training Kurdish forces for a planned assault on Mosul, a city controlled by the Daesh militants since 2014. But as Time magazine has reported, the much-delayed assault is hampered by tensions between the Kurdish peshmerga and the Baghdad-controlled Iraqi army. Again the dispute centres on territory: Should areas won back from Daesh go to semi-autonomous Kurdistan? Or should they go to Iraq proper? This poses a problem for Canada. Like the U.S., Ottawa supports the concept of a unified Iraq. But in practice, it finds itself training Kurdish soldiers who dont view themselves as Iraqi and who might well end up fighting Iraqis. Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan understands the importance of politics in warfare. He has said that the Wests biggest failure in the war against the Taliban was its inability to come to terms with the internal politics of Afghanistan. Similarly, he has blamed the Wests failure in Libya on its inability to understand that getting rid of Moammar Gadhafi, without having a plausible replacement available, could only make matters worse. Unfortunately, Sajjan does not appear to have applied the same logic to the war in Iraq against Daesh. The West has tried to navigate the perilous politics of Iraq. The U.S. used its influence to replace a hard-line Shiite prime minister with another who would be more respectful to the Sunni minority. But the replacement, Haider al-Abadi, has proven singularly ineffective. As the New York Times reported, lawmakers in Iraqs parliament threw water bottles at him when he tried to introduce a new cabinet. The man Abadi ousted, Nouri al-Maliki, remains in the wings plotting. And as Canada gamely tries to train troops, so it seems does every other major Iraqi politician. Thomas Walkoms column appears Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday. Read more about: SHARE: The owner of a chain of addiction treatment centres has been charged with defrauding patients of up to $6.1 million after allegedly hiring a pair of doctors who Ontario Provincial Police say werent licensed to practice in Ontario. John Haines, CEO and owner of Addiction Canada is facing five charges, including two counts of fraud, and one count each of money laundering, benefitting from the proceeds of crime, and trafficking in controlled substances. Richard Tucker, 30, of Mississauga, and Munish N. Malik, 46, of Richmond Hill, were charged last year with practising without a medical license at a treatment centre in Caledon, and another in Burks Falls. A subsequent investigation found that Haines had hired the two men, according to the OPP. In October 2015, Addiction Canada posted a statement on its website, saying sensationalized news reports were the result of false allegations from many disgruntled and failed former clients and families. The statement added that all our doctors and nurses are fully licensed, accredited and credentialed! According to LinkedIn, Haines has been the owner of Addiction Canada, the countrys largest private treatment organization for over 10 years. Before that, he worked as an extreme interventionist in both Canada and USA, helping thousands for the last 12 years get on a sober path. Haines and Tucker are scheduled to appear at the Ontario Court of Justice in Orangeville on June 30th, 2016. SHARE: Dellen Millard and Christina Noudga deserve each other. Those were the final words put to 24-year-old Noudga as she wrapped up a five-day stint on the stand Wednesday at her former lovers first-degree murder trial. I deserve you and you deserve me, Millard wrote to her in a secret letter from jail back in January 2014, despite a no-contact order. In the final moments of his cross-examination, lawyer Thomas Dungey pointed to these words displayed on screens around the courtroom and Noudga agreed they were her former boyfriends. With that, Dungey announced he had no further questions and Noudga was excused. Millard, 30, is on trial with his friend Mark Smich, 28, for first-degree murder. The pair is co-accused in the death of Ancaster dad Tim Bosma, who disappeared May 6, 2013 three years ago Friday after taking two men for a test drive in the pickup truck he was trying to sell online. The Crown alleges he was shot and then burned in an animal incinerator outside Millards air hangar near Kitchener. Noudga is charged with being an accessory after the fact to the murder. She helped Millard move key pieces of evidence during a mission the night before he was arrested including a large trailer (containing Bosmas truck) that they hauled to his mothers house in Kleinburg. In her testimony, she claimed to have had no idea what was in the trailer, yet admitted returning to wipe her fingerprints off it just hours after Millards arrest. She insisted it was only through brainstorming with Millards mom that night over wine at a hotel that they realized the truck could be inside. They wiped their prints to remove (their) involvement. This is Dellens mess, not mine, Noudga said Wednesday. Did it ever occur to you that Mr. Bosma is missing, he could be in the truck? Dungey bellowed. That didnt come to me, no, she replied dryly. Dungey, who is representing Smich, suggested Noudga is a smart woman and surely thought back on the mission after Millards arrest with concern. In addition to the trailer, Millard and Noudga also moved an incinerator into the woods at his farm and dropped off a tool box at a friends house around 4 a.m. Youve done all these exploits the night before . . . and youre saying you didnt think any of that had to do with the truck . . . you didnt put it together that this was kind of a strange night with the missions? Dungey asked. Noudga insisted she did not. Youre going to stick with that story because it will help you at your trial, Dungey suggested. Im going to stick with that story because thats what happened, she shot back. Noudga similarly claimed it never dawned on her that the letters Millard sent her from jail in which he asked her to tamper with witnesses would have been of interest to the police. She argued that because she never followed through with his instructions, the information wasnt relevant. In notes seized from her bedroom after her arrest in 2014, she references his requests to reach out to friends and writes that she could be a powerful weapon. She admitted she contemplated helping him, but said she weighed the pros and cons and decided against it and never sent that note to Millard. She swore she never responded to his requests for aid at all. Dungey pointed out we have only her word on that. Noudga suggested he could ask Millard. If Mr. Millard testifies he can be assured Ill ask him that, Dungey replied. The jury will return Monday, after scheduled legal arguments. Read more about: SHARE: The man accused of sexually assaulting a fellow York University PhD student called a line of questioning by the Crown inappropriate during cross-examination Tuesday, suggesting it would not have happened if the tables were turned. Mustafa Ururyar, 29, testified in his defence as his trial resumed Tuesday, telling the court there was only a consensual sexual encounter on the night of Jan. 31, 2015 between him and Mandi Gray. Ururyars lawyer Lisa Bristow has suggested Gray made up the sexual assault as revenge for Ururyar ending their relationship. Gray, who waived the typical publication ban on the identity of complainants in sexual assault cases, testified that she had been casually dating Ururyar for about two weeks when the alleged rape happened. She had texted him earlier that evening to come drink and then we can have hot sex. But as they went back to his apartment after drinking with fellow students at two bars, she says he suddenly began to berate her, criticizing her drinking and calling her needy and an embarrassment. He raped her in his bedroom, she told the court. Ururyar denied this in his testimony. He told Ontario Court Justice Marvin Zuker that he and Gray got to his place around 2:30 a.m. He denied being angry and saying anything insulting to Gray who seemed buzzed from the drinks shed had that night but not impaired. She told him she was looking forward to having sex with him, he said. I said I would try but couldnt promise Id be able to physically. I was still recovering from a cold Id had all week, he said. He abruptly decided to end their relationship just after they had partially undressed, gotten into bed and she had leaned in to kiss him, he said. He told her they were not compatible, he said. He said she began to cry, he tried to console her, and they proceeded to have consensual sex. Ururyar said the breakup was prompted in part by him being annoyed that night by Gray briefly rubbing his upper thigh he used the term groping as they sat next to each other at a table. He asked her to stop and she did, but she repeated the action a second time later on, coming closer to his groin, he said. He said he did not like to show affection in public spaces. Your upper thigh was attacked and rubbed, said prosecutor Jennifer Lofft in cross-examination. I think this line of questioning is inappropriate, Ururyar responded. If the tables were turned and someone had told you that I was groping Mandi you wouldnt be risking this sort of questioning. Perhaps I should just sit down, Your Honour, and Ill allow Mr. Ururyar to complete the rest of the cross-examination, Lofft said. Ururyar apologized and Zuker instructed the Crown to ask the question again. Lofft suggested that Ururyar believed he was going to fulfil a long-time fantasy about having a threesome that night and became angry when it did not happen. Ururyar denied that he was fixated on the idea of a threesome and repeated that he was not feeling well that night any way. Ururyar also testified he was in an open relationship with his girlfriend who lived in Montreal at the time and said Gray had previously been upset by him bringing up his girlfriend who was moving to Toronto in April. That was one of the reasons he wanted to break up with Gray, he said. Lofft suggested that the relationship was casual and had only been going on for two weeks, so ending it would not have elicited such strong emotions from Gray. Lofft asked Ururyar to explain the text he sent Gray five days after the alleged sexual assault: I am sorry things went as they did. I shouldnt have said and done some of the things I did. I was upset and felt wronged by you but that does not excuse my own mistakes. Ururyar said he was apologizing for the way the breakup happened. By feeling wronged, he said, he was referring to her groping him in a public space despite his earlier objection. This explanation does not make sense, Lofft said. You were being extremely cautious about what you might want to imply because you knew you had gotten carried away and raped Mandi Gray. Because you were annoyed with her, Lofft said. I was annoyed with her, Ururyar said. I did not rape her. Closing submissions in the case are scheduled for May 24. With files from Catherine Porter SHARE: More than 220 portraits in a Toronto Public Library exhibition will showcase the everyday people who lived and worked in the city throughout the 20th century. Each visage tells a unique tale. Drawn largely from Star archival photos and curated by former Star archivist Carol Elder, The Changing Face of Toronto runs May 14-July 23 at the Toronto Reference Librarys TD Gallery. Organ grinder 1922 A barrel organ-playing street musician eyes the camera. Organ grinders are a form of street performance that doesnt exist anymore, notes Nicole Dawkins, the Toronto Reference Librarys gallery curator. The shot, taken on Bay St., exemplifies how in situ portraits were becoming more common, breaking away from the formalized photo studio style of the pre-war era. Great Stork Derby 1936 A father poses with nine of his 10 children eligible for the Great Stork Derby. The contest was hatched by Charles Vance Miller, a Toronto lawyer with an odd sense of humour. He promised to bequeath $275,000 about $6 million today to the local woman who could produce the most babies in a decade. There were all sorts of families who were trying madly to reproduce to win the inheritances, says exhibition curator Carol Elder. Munitions Worker 1942 Dorothy Hyslop inspects rifle bayonets at a Toronto munitions factory, one of thousands of local women to swap her apron for coveralls during the Second World War. The bayonets, in a way, frame her face. It shows the womens part in the war effort, when women discovered that they could do mens work, says Elder. They probably always knew, but now they never forgot. Taxidermist 1964 Taxidermist Cliff McCutcheon mounts an armadillo and iguana in the Toronto workshop of Oliver Spanner & Co. Hes just looking so incredibly intently, says Elder, who noted the subtle use of airbrushing. Its just a very beautiful photograph. The scene fills the whole image. There isnt anything extraneous to distract you. Activist 1970 The gentle demeanour of Ed Clarke, a Toronto community activist, belied his decades-long fight against racial injustice. Clarke organized demonstrations in the wake of police shootings of black Canadians in the 1970s and 1980s and ran provincially as a Liberal in 1977. He was also a founding member of the Black Action Defence Committee in 1988, which two years later pressured the province into creating the Special Investigations Unit, Ontarios police watchdog. Button man 1972 Morris Hackmans factory on Adelaide St. then in its industrial prime could produce 5,000 buttons an hour. A circular logic commands the composition, Elder notes: His face is round, his glasses are round, his buttons are round In the background, standing witness to the times, are pinnable politicians like Ken Robinson, a Liberal member of parliament, and then-prime minister Pierre Trudeau and, of course, Hackmans sideburns plus a collar as wide as the Humber. Homeless chess master 1984 Street-corner chess whiz Joseph Smolij was a fixture of Yonge and Gould Sts., where he speed-clacked the checkered board all night, every night. The Star profiled him after he reunited with his long-lost sister, whom he hadnt seen in 40 years a miracle of miracles, he said. There was so much humanity in his face, Elder observes. Punker banker 1985 This portrait of Natalia Pracepa snapped in 1985, when the city still emitted more than a whiff of Toronto-the-Good primness accompanied a Toronto Star story with the headline, Bank employee fights to keep her punk hairdo. Her expression clearly showed her unhappiness with the bank, says Elder. Plus the hair. Oh God, the hair. Hair stylist 1990 Jemmie Morris, a student of Brunos School of Hair Design on Bloor St. W., practices on a mannequin. People working very intimately with their hands form a distinctive part of the exhibition, Elder says. Even though all these people were ordinary, they had a story to tell, and they offer insights into the world around them. The 223 portraits that comprise The Changing Face of Toronto were selected from 144,000 archived photos that now form part of the Toronto Public Library archives, and that were wheedled down in turn from more than 1 million images donated to the library by the Toronto Star in 2014. SHARE: Ms. X has a name, a face and a story to tell of being sexually abused by a doctor. Temerra Dixon wants you to know what happened to her in the hopes that people will get angry and loud enough to pressure the government to change the law so that doctors who molest their patients automatically lose their licences. But up until now she was only known by a single letter one of four female patients who were the focus of Dr. Javad Peirovys recent discipline hearing at the College of Physicians and Surgeons. She wasnt even allowed to fully express her outrage at the end of Peirovys discipline proceedings. The college censored a part of her victim impact statement where she was critical of the regulatory body and called for Peirovy to lose his licence. She was told victims are not allowed to make submissions on sentencing. The Toronto doctor was found guilty last year of sexually abusing the four women, and given a sixth-month suspension last week. This makes it real, Dixon, 33, told the Star in an interview this week, shortly before the CPSO lifted a publication ban on her identity at her request. People see theres a face behind Ms. X. It could be your friend, your daughter, your mother. This way its real. Ms. X doesnt even sound human. Shes furious, particularly given the fact that nearly every other form of sexual abuse leads to the mandatory revocation of a doctors licence a loophole in the legislation for which the government has no clear timeline to address. It diminishes the importance of what happened to me, she said. A married mother to a 1-year-old daughter, Dixon said shes lost confidence in the oversight of medical professionals in Ontario, and says she will never be able to see a male doctor again. I have been thoroughly disturbed that this happened but what disturbs me even further is the fact that this man was able to continue practising for the last 5 years (under restrictions but still practising), she said in the part of her original impact statement, which was not heard by the board. I understand due process but it has taken way too long and my trust in the CPSO and justice system has been marred. If Dr. Peirovy is able to continue practising as a doctor in Ontario, in Canada, it will be a gross injustice to his victims (me) and an insult to the citizens of this province. A four-member panel of the colleges discipline committee concluded last week that Peirovy is at a low-risk to reoffend and would be capable of practising with counseling and training. He must also have a female chaperone while treating female patients. The panel was chaired by former CPSO president Dr. Marc Gabel, and also included Drs. John Watts and Robert Sheppard and community member Diane Doherty. The decision to suspend Peirovy rather than revoke his licence led to an outcry from critics and the public, not to mention Dixon herself, who described the ruling as a punch in the stomach. Even the CPSOs registrar came out against it, saying the regulatory body was disappointed. It increased the pressure on Health Minister Dr. Eric Hoskins to revamp the provinces Regulated Health Professions Act, enacted in 1994, which currently allows doctors who grope to avoid losing their licences by leaving that decision to the discretion of discipline panels. The issue was highlighted by a 2014 Star investigation, and led Hoskins to launch a task force in December 2014 to study sexual abuse among health-care professionals. But 16 months later, hes unable to say when the task forces report and recommendations will be released, or when the government plans to propose amendments to the RHPA. I fully intend to release the report and recommendations and I expect to be able to do that in the relatively near future, he said in an interview last week. The foot-dragging doesnt make any sense to Dixon, who was groped under her bra by Peirovy at a Toronto walk-in clinic in February 2010 while he was examining her with a stethoscope. She had come in with a possible ear infection and some chest congestion. This should have been dealt with a long time ago, she said. Groping is a huge violation of the patients trust and safety, and shouldnt be considered less serious than other forms of sexual abuse, Dixon said. This gives me the sense that theyre telling me I should just get over it, that its minor, that its nothing serious, she said. Yes its a different form of sexual abuse, but its still under the sexual abuse umbrellaIts still very detrimental to the mental health of everybody put in this position. Peirovy denied the allegations before the discipline committee, and his lawyer did not return a request for comment this week. The committee found in July that Dixon was a reliable and credible witness whose recollection of events was clear. In particular, the Committee finds that during the course of his examination, Dr. Peirovy cupped her breasts and used his fingers to put pressure on her nipples, which she described as tweaking, the panel wrote. The Committee finds that Dr. Peirovy did not have consent to touch his patient in this manner and that there was no clinical reason to examine Ms. X in this way. The cupping of her breasts with his hand and tweaking of her nipples are actions which, to the objective observer, would be construed as sexual in nature. Dixon remembers instantly thinking that what Peirovy was doing was wrong, but she remained still. I was frozen. I had never dealt with something like that and didnt know how to react, she said. I just thought I gotta get out of here, gotta get out. After a brief conversation with Peirovy, she left, met her then-boyfriend in the waiting room and told him everything once they were outside. The next day Dixon went on the CPSOs website and got the impression that she had to fill out a formal report. I just thought, Number one theyre not going to believe me, and number 2, I have to go through this mess of paper, she said. Im angry with myself for this, but I let it go. But that changed several months later, in August 2010, when she saw Peirovys picture on TV after he had been criminally charged with sexual assault. She called the police right away. I guess someone had come forward. Whoever that was, amazing, thumbs up to them. Peirovy would ultimately be charged with six counts of sexually assaulting patients, but the Crown dropped four of them after he pled guilty in 2013 to simple assault in the other two cases. He was given a conditional discharge and 18 months probation and was ordered by the court to take counselling. Dixon said her case was among those that were withdrawn. I was so upset, she said. I flipped out. I said this is not a simple assault case. It made angry that they were going to take something I thought was more severe and dumb it down. I said you have to keep it as is. After the criminal proceedings came the discipline hearing at the CPSO, which moved at a glacial pace in Dixons view. She said she feels her testimony before the committee went well. My anger came out a bit more, she said. I was able to really voice how I feel. But when it came time to submit a victim impact statement for Peirovys penalty hearing, Dixon said her request to read the statement herself was rebuffed she was told it would be presented by the colleges lawyer and the college cut a chunk of her original statement. It was a victim impact statement and they took the impact out of my statement, she said. While not commenting specifically on Dixons case, CPSO spokeswoman Kathryn Clarke said matters that go beyond the harm and consequences as a result of the abuse are not the proper subject of victim impact statements. She said this is also the case in criminal proceedings. Dixon is calling on other patients who have been sexually abused by health care professionals to report their assaults. There needs to be more people to come forward and to scream this as loud as they can because the only way this is going to change is if people come forward, she said. If this is allowed to continue, it could be your friend, your mom, your sister. It could be anybody. Weve got to stop this now. SHARE: Brothers Khamsum Wangdu and Kunsang Namgyal came to Canada from Nepal with big dreams to continue their studies in dentistry and become certified to practise here. With Canadian accreditation, the Tibetan refugees hope to pay it forward, helping Tibetans both here and in Nepal with their dental needs. They also feel its important to be an example for others in their community to encourage higher education. We are the first members of our family to go to school, Wangdu said. If we achieve something it will inspire other Tibetans. It will give them an opportunity to see things outside the box, he said. My parents used to say no matter how much hardship you face through the process you should always get an education because this is the most important thing. So we work hard. But the road to that dream has been long and arduous. Wangdu, 26, and Namgyal, 24, must compete with hundreds of other foreign-trained dentists in Ontario for a coveted spot at either the University of Torontos Faculty of Dentistry or Western Universitys Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry. At U of T, there are only about 25 spots. At Western, another 20. I know its very difficult to get into the school and even get the license, said Wangdu. But we are always optimistic that if you work hard theres always a way. His brother nods in agreement. For the past 10 months the pair have been taking English classes and studying for the entrance exam for dental school which they will take in August. They exude determination and confidence. Over a traditional Tibetan dish of momos at a restaurant in Little Tibet in Parkdale, the two young men describe their journey to Canada and the earthquake that devastated Nepal last spring. Both were in Kathmandu when the quake struck. Wangdu was home doing laundry. Namgyal was at a nearby hospital volunteering. When the hospital building began to shake Namgyal looked up to see the ceiling fan swaying and he quickly placed a bucket on his head. Describing it now, he laughs. For days after the earthquake the two men volunteered at the hospital, helping move the injured and the dead. It was in the aftermath of the quake that they got the call from the Canadian Embassy in New Delhi, India that they were cleared to go to Canada and had to pick up their visas. At the border between Nepal and India, they said they were stopped because they didnt have anything other than birth certificates. As stateless Tibetans, they had no passport to travel between countries. A border guard asked them for money, they said. They refused, turned back and with the help of a young girl who was herding goats nearby managed to cross the border into India and continue on their way to pick up their visas. Polite and soft-spoken, the two brothers finish each other sentences. They are equally passionate about becoming dentists. Their motivation: their grandfather died in Nepal from an infection after having a tooth extracted by an unqualified dentist. The likely cause of the infection was non-sterile equipment, they said. The two young men came to Canada last June along with their mother, two sisters and a brother, joining their father Kelsang Richoe, who came to Toronto five years ago. Richoe had fled Tibet with his own parents after 1959 when China annexed the Himalayan country. They settled in a border town in Nepal, hoping one day to return to Tibet. But that day never came. And after years of living and working in a Tibetan refugee village, Richoe sought asylum in Canada. Wangdu and Namgyal, who were born in Nepal and grew up in a small village about 225 kilometres from Kathmandu, went to primary and high school nearby. After high school, they moved to Kathmandu to study dentistry. They said they had no idea they would face problems upon graduation. After five years of study, they said they were surprised to find out that because they had no status in Nepal even though they were born there the government wouldnt let them take their licensing exam to qualify to practise their profession. It was quite difficult to accept, said Wangdu. We had equally worked hard as the local students. Its a long journey and were told its not possible, its very sad its very disheartening. This wasnt the only discrimination they experienced in Nepal because of their heritage and their stateless status, said Wangdu. We always felt some discrimination there, he said. His brother nodded his head in agreement. Not just us, but all Tibetans, he continued. They dont feel the same here. Ever since we came here, even right at the airport, we felt it was different, said Wangdu. What they brought in their suitcase: Family matriarch Phurbu Lhamo brought a number of treasures to Canada from Nepal packed in her familys suitcases, including a dorjee and bell, two of the implements Buddha is often depicted holding. They sit on the altar the family created in their home. The dorjee, held in Buddhas right hand, represents skillful means, and the bell, held in Buddhas left hand, represents wisdom. The family also brought a copper statue of Tara, who is a tantric meditation deity used to understand compassion and emptiness in Tibetan Buddhism. She is adorned with a string of pearls also brought from Nepal. The copper and gold-plated statue of Buddha, front and centre on the familys altar, came from Tibet via Nepal. According to Buddhist tradition, an altar must hold images or representations of Buddhas enlightened body, speech and mind, which reminds practitioners to develop these qualities to benefit all beings. Wangdu and Namgyal, along with their mother, two sisters and brother, came to Canada with copies of Buddhist scriptures or sutras. They were originally brought out of Tibet to Nepal by the brothers grandparents in 1959. These porcelain bowls, says Wangdu, were brought to Toronto via Nepal. They are said to be from his mothers family and are estimated to be 100 years old. SHARE: As a rescue helicopter whipped above the New Zealand wilderness over the weekend, Carolyn Lloyds desperate plea caught the pilots eye. She had written H-E-L-P first in a riverbed, then again in a nearby field on North Island, where she and her daughter were lost for five terrifying days, according to The Associated Press. She had formed the large letters using stones and fern fronds in an attempt to save them from death. They were certainly keen to make their presence known, Jason Diedrichs, a pilot with Amalgamated Helicopters, later told the New Zealand Herald. They were a little bit worse for wear theyd been in there for four nights out in the open with very little food, so they were definitely feeling the effects of that. They were physically and mentally very tired, he added, so its fair to say they were pretty pleased to see us. Carolyn Lloyd, a Charlotte, N.C., resident, had been visiting her 22-year-old daughter, Rachel Lloyd, a North Carolina State University graduate who was studying abroad at Massey University in Palmerston North, New Zealand, according to the AP. Rachel Lloyd wanted to show her mother the sights, so the two set out early last week for Tararua Forest Park, a conservation park in New Zealands Wellington region. They took the Kapakapanui Track, one of the best viewpoints in the Tararua Range, according to New Zealands Department of Conservation. With little more than water, cheese and mixed nuts, the two followed orange markers to the summit and soaked up some sun before attempting to make their descent, according to the AP. On the way down, they couldnt find the orange markers, so they followed blue ones later realizing it was probably a path for pest control. It got very steep, very jungly, Rachel Lloyd later told the news agency. The markers completely stopped after about 20 minutes, but it was so steep it was physically impossible to climb back up. Soon, the mother and daughter found themselves on a ledge overlooking a 600-foot waterfall, the AP reported. As the sun slipped away and temperatures dropped to about 40 degrees, they clung to a tree trying to stay warm and awake on the treacherous terrain so they would not roll to the bottom. Carolyn Lloyd later told her husband that shed been frightened to death. She stayed awake all night and held my daughter to keep her warm, he told the New Zealand Herald. The mother-and-daughters five-day fight for life had begun. The next day, the two climbed down from the ledge and started to follow a steep and slippery stream at the waterfalls feet hoping it would be their guide. Rachel Lloyd slipped and fell headfirst into the frigid water, slamming her head on a rock, she later told the AP. Thats when I started going downhill, she told the news agency. I could never get dry and couldnt get warm the rest of the trip. Hypothermia started to set in, she told Radio New Zealand. She said she lost her hearing, her sight and then the feeling in her legs. We knew I was going to go first, she told the radio station, adding that she started telling her mother her dying wishes. My mom was basically watching me die, which was really, really hard. Her mother tried to get them to civilization, toting their snack sack on her front and her daughter, piggyback-style, on her back. Back in Charlotte, Barry Lloyd was concerned, saying he had been unable to reach his wife and daughter since they had set out for a walk in the woods. Their cellphones had lost reception and power. He was in contact with emergency crews, he said, and his sons had flown home, ready to travel with him to the other side of the world. My daughter was getting weaker, he later told the New Zealand Herald, after speaking with his wife. She doesnt have a lot of extra meat on her bones and she couldnt walk, so my wife told me she was carrying her on her back, trying to walk back up the mountains. By the third day, she was unable to continue. Shes one of these people who can eat every two hours and just burn it off, he said. But she didnt have any fuel in her body so she couldnt go any farther. It was Day 4 and Carolyn Lloyd said she was desperate for ideas. I was terrified as a mother, she told the AP. I was doing everything I could to keep her alive. She put her worries into words writing help in hopes that someone would see it and come save them. The helicopter hovered overhead Saturday, and the two women shouted and waved it down. To be honest, we were pretty relieved, Diedrichs, the rescue pilot, told the AP. Rachel Lloyd was taken to Wellington Hospital, where she was treated for hypothermia and undernourishment. After the rescue, Sgt. Anthony Harmer of Wellington Police Search and Rescue told the New Zealand Herald that the women had done everything they could to survive. Theyve been caught out unawares in their circumstances through no fault of their own, he said. Its a New Zealand environment as opposed to other environments theyve been used to. Theyve done all the right things theyve stayed together, theyve conserved their heat, theyve conserved their resources so they gave themselves the best chance possible. Rachel Lloyd said that as soon as she and her mother were able, they phoned family members back home. We called my dad and he was so wonderful just to hear his voice, I never thought I would hear it again, she told Radio New Zealand. He couldnt even formulate words, he was just blubbering. It was very emotional. I wish I could give him a big hug, she added. She said she plans to continue her classes in New Zealand. SHARE: WASHINGTONAn Army captain filed suit against President Obama on Wednesday, claiming that the president is engaged in an illegal war against Daesh, also known as the Islamic State, in Iraq and Syria. Nathan Michael Smith, who is deployed to Kuwait as an intelligence officer at Camp Arifjan, argues in the lawsuit that the president lacks the proper authorization for his campaign against Daesh, because he failed to get congressional authorization under the War Powers Resolution of 1973. In waging war against ISIS, President Obama is misusing limited congressional authorizations for the use of military force as a blank check to conduct a war against enemies of his own choosing, without geographical or temporal boundaries, reads the lawsuit, filed by Smith and his counsel, famed human rights lawyer David Remes. Yale Law School professor Bruce Ackerman is a consultant in the suit. Congress passed the 1973 War Powers Resolution in response to just such presidential overreach in the Vietnam War, and to protect against such abuses of presidential power in the future, they argue. Congressional authorization of the use of military force in 2001 and 2002 are too limited to justify the current campaign against Daesh, they say. Smith joined the military in 2010 because he saw it as a force for good in the world, the lawsuit reads. He proudly served in Afghanistan and cheered the administrations airstrikes on Daesh in Iraq and Syria in August and September of 2014. As the effort dragged on, however, he noticed that some at home were worried about presidential overreach. I began to wonder, Is this the Administrations war, or is it Americas war? The Constitution tells us that Congress is supposed to answer that question, but Congress is AWOL, he said, according to the suit. My conscience bothered me. The Constitution grants only Congress the authority to declare war, and the War Powers Resolution limits the presidents ability to deploy forces into hostile situations for more than 60 days without congressional approval, Smith argues. As a result, he was conflicted about the engagement. How could I honour my oath when I am fighting a war, even a good war, that the Constitution does not allow, or Congress has not approved? The lawsuit grew from an Atlantic piece in which Ackerman laid forth the argument at the heart of the lawsuit. In it, he argued that soldiers would make particularly plaintiffs in such a case. After a passage of months, Captain Smith saw it and was troubled by what was going on and then we started talking, Ackerman said. The lawsuits rests on five counts. First, Smith and his lawyers argue that Obama violated the War Powers Resolution, which requires that a president obtain congressional authorization for use of force within 60 days of deploying troops into a hostile situation. Second, they say he violated the Take Care clause of the Constitution by failing to publish a legal justification for the conflict. Hes not a lawyer, Ackerman says. If he could be directed to a serious and sustained argument, he would be able to read it. Without that, Smith cannot reasonably be expected to know what his duty is, Ackerman says. Third and fourth, they say Obama has exceeded his authority under the 2001 and 2002 authorizations of the use of military force. Finally, Smith and his lawyers say that Obamas campaign against Daesh represents executive overreach under the Constitution. Smith asks that a judge declare the campaign illegal unless Obama obtains congressional authorization within 30 days and asks that the administration cover his legal fees. The administration asked for a separate authorization early last year for its Daesh fight, though it had previously argued that the 2001 and 2002 authorizations of the use of military force constituted enough authority for its operations against Daesh due to its links to Al Qaeda, the group to which the 2001 authorization applied. Just last month, Obama outlined plans to expand the militarys presence in Syria to as many as 300 troops in order to continue to apply pressure to Daesh, he said. Three service members have died in combat with Daesh. The suit was filed in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia. Read more about: SHARE: STUTTGART, GERMANYThe combat death of an American Navy SEAL in Iraq shows that despite recent gains against Daesh (also known as the Islamic State) in Iraq, this fight is far from over, U.S. Defence Secretary Ash Carter said Wednesday. Carter spoke at the outset of a closed-door meeting in Germany with his counterparts from 11 countries contributing to the military campaign against Daesh in Iraq and Syria. They convened at the headquarters of U.S. European Command, where Carter was presiding at a change-of-command ceremony Tuesday when news of the U.S. battlefield death reached him. In a joint statement issued after the meeting, the group reaffirmed its support to further accelerate and reinforce the success of our partners on the ground and for the deployment of additional enabling capabilities in the near term. The meeting was a follow-up to a similar session Carter led in Brussels in mid-February. While we have gathered momentum since our ministerial in Brussels, this fight is far from over, Carter said in an opening statement. That point was brought into stark relief by yesterdays attack on Peshmerga forces in northern Iraq, which unfortunately claimed the life of an American service member. The Peshmerga are Kurdish militia who have generally fought more effectively against Daesh in northern Iraq than the regular Iraqi security forces. The U.S. has been training, equipping and advising Pershmerga forces as well as Iraqi security forces, and the Pentagon recently pledged up to $415 million in aid to the Kurds. Adhering to a legal ban on officially identifying a military death until 24 hours after the family has been notified, Carter did not mention the name. But his family has confirmed that Charlie Keating IV, 31, was the SEAL who was killed. Carter expressed condolences for the loss, which is the third U.S. combat death in Iraq since U.S. forces returned there in mid-2014 to help the Iraqi government regain the wide swaths of territory captured by Daesh. Wednesdays session in Stuttgart was the latest in a series with partners on strategies for increasing assistance to the Iraqis, including the Kurdish Peshmerga forces, as they seek to recapture the northern Daesh stronghold of Mosul. This comes as a political crisis in Baghdad clouds the outlook for further military advances against the militants. Carter has placed a high priority on drawing coalition members more deeply into the counter-Daesh campaign, stressing the threat posed by allowing the extremists to spread their influence. We must do this, Carter told the opening session. Its important for civilization that we do this. We can do this. Were going to. With your help, itll go faster. The Stuttgart session was attended by senior defence officials from Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain and Britain. Norway was also invited and was expected to attend. Read more about: SHARE: PYONGYANG, NORTH KOREATheres a buzz in the air in Pyongyang this week. North Koreans are gearing up for something they havent seen in more than three decades a Workers Party Congress, the highest-level political gathering in the one-party state. Since early this year, Kim Jong Uns regime has been testing nuclear weapons and missiles and exhorting citizens to take part in a 70-Day Speed Battle to prepare for the event. Across the capital, workers have been painting buildings in bright pastels, positioning clusters of red flags on street corners and hastily planting flowers at major intersections. The state-run Rodong Sinmun newspaper declared Wednesday that the battle had been an absolute success. Unceasing in the spirit of success, all workers are rushing like a storm to make the Seventh Party Congress the congress of victors and glory, the paper claimed. The article further asserted that the 70-day battle had resulted in the miraculous production of an additional 160 million kilowatts of electricity, 360,000 tons of coal and 49,000 tons of cement. Adults and schoolchildren have been recruited to participate in a variety of performances. On Wednesday afternoon, scores of young men were huddled in a pedestrian underpass near the Arch of Triumph, whittling sticks to be used in a candlelight procession. Across the street, teenage girls in white blouses and dark skirts practised twirling red flags. In front of the Gwangbok department store, creaking streetcars stuffed to the gills disgorged a constant stream of women in traditional Korean dresses and men in suits or military uniforms returning from rehearsals of some sort involving artificial flowers. The Party Congress will kick off Friday at the April 25 House of Culture, a massive edifice adorned, like all major government buildings, with large portraits of founding father Kim Il Sung and his son and successor, Kim Jong Il. Exactly what will transpire when the curtain goes up Friday remains a closely-guarded secret. But analysts outside the country expect it to be a formal coronation of sorts for Kim Jong Un, who took the helm of the tightly-controlled state in December 2011 after his fathers death and has been consolidating his rule for the past four years. The last congress was held in 1980, when Kim Il Sung was leader of the country. Read more about: SHARE: FLINT, MICH.Sipping filtered city water to show its again drinkable, President Barack Obama promised Wednesday to ride herd on leaders at all levels of government until every drop of water flowing into homes in Flint, Michigan, is safe to use. He also promised that the aging pipes that contaminated the water with lead will be replaced, but cautioned that the project will take time. Obama said he wanted to use the crisis to make long-term improvements to the city, where more than 40 per cent of residents live in poverty. Its not going to happen overnight, but we have to get started, Obama told hundreds of people gathered in a high school gymnasium. Obama spoke after he was briefed on the federal response to the water contamination and had met privately with nine residents. Obama said he understood why people are scared and angry and feel let down. He said what happened in Flint was a man-made disaster that didnt have to happen. But he said it did happen and everyone must now work together to fix it. Ive got your back, Obama said. I will not rest and Im going to make sure that the leaders at every level of government dont rest until every drop of water that flows to your homes is safe to drink and safe to cook with and safe to bathe in. He called providing safe drinking water a basic responsibility of government. After coughing several times during his remarks, Obama asked for and drank from a glass of water. He also drank city water after getting a lengthy briefing on the crisis, which forced residents to spend months drinking, cooking and bathing with bottled water. Obama declared a state of emergency in Flint in mid-January and ordered federal aid to supplement the state and local response. By then, however, the crisis was in full bloom. It took several months for the nation to focus on the beaten-down citys plight, raising questions about how race, more than half of Flints residents are black, and poverty influenced decisions that led to the tainted water supply and the sluggish response. The city, in an effort to save money while under state management, began drawing its water from the Flint River in April 2014. Despite complaints from residents about the smell and taste and health problems, city leaders insisted the water was safe. However, doctors reported last September that the blood of Flint children contained high levels of lead. The source of the citys water has been switched back to Detroit, but the lead problem still is not fully solved. Most people are drinking filtered or bottled water. The political and legal fallout is ongoing. An independent commission appointed by Republican Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder determined the state was primarily responsible for the water contamination in Flint, and he issued an apology. The Obama administrations response, through the Environmental Protection Agency, has also come under criticism from Snyder and some in Congress who say the EPA didnt move with necessary urgency. EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy told Congress that, while staff repeatedly urged the state to address the lack of corrosion controls, we missed the opportunity late last summer to quickly get EPAs concerns on the publics radar screen. An inspector general is investigating the EPAs response. Congress is also grappling with how to help Flint, but progress has been slow. A Senate committee last week approved a $220 million aid package as part of a broader bill that would authorize nearly $4.8 billion for water-related projects around the country. The bill could come up for a Senate vote in May. Snyder spoke in the gymnasium during Obamas meeting and was loudly booed. Snyder said he understood why residents were angry and wanted to say he was sorry. You didnt create this problem, Snyder said. Government failed you. Many in the audience yelled back at Snyder, You failed. Snyder was booed again when Obama spoke and mentioned him along with other elected leaders he had met with Wednesday. No, no, no, Obama said. Were trying to do some business here. Outside the school, Reneta Richard, a teacher and Flint resident, said she hoped Obamas trip would lead to something positive. She recently bought a house and said shes there for the long haul. I want him to leave a check right here, right now for pipe removal and medical bills and the life were going to suffer, said Richard, 37, a single mom. This isnt going to be over in 10 years. SHARE: By all accounts we are in the midst of a deadly drug epidemic so severe and widespread few people in North America will remain untouched by it. In case you think Im exaggerating, right now we have probably the highest rates of narcotic abuse and deaths in modern history. Critics have begun pointing the finger at the medical system and its prescribers well-meaning doctors and specialists whove been giving too many patients excessively powerful opioid medications to deal with modest pain. But we can dig deeper and look at the relationship between medical education and pharmaceutical company influence as a significant contributing factor. Typically the suggestion of an epidemic is hyperbolic, but it doesnt seem so in this case. Last month, Dr. Perry Kendall, the provincial Health Officer in British Columbia said that B.C. has a bona fide public health emergency on its hands, mostly due to the alarming number of overdose deaths linked to prescription opioids. Opioids include prescription narcotics, such as Oxycontin, hydromorph Contin and fentanyl, which some say is 100 times stronger than morphine. Kendall said that there were more than 200 opioid-related overdose deaths so far this year in B.C., and if those numbers continue, therell be 800 by the end of the year. Whats happening in B.C. is just a small microcosm of what is happening across Canada, where we have some of the highest rates of prescription opioid consumption in the world. From 2006 to 2011, use of opioids in Canada rose by 32 per cent and that rise has continued unabated, despite efforts to slow it down. The United States is also in full-on damage control mode, trying to stem the incredible numbers of deaths due to opioids. In 2012, there were 259 million prescriptions written for opioids enough to give every American adult their own bottle of pills. Since 2000, the overdose death rate in the U.S. has risen by 200 per cent and there were nearly 19,000 opioid-related overdose deaths in 2014. Last month, I sat in a room while Dr. Vivek Murthy, the new surgeon general of the United States, told the crowd he was driven to make the opioid epidemic a top priority due to the devastation hes seen in communities all across the country. He said the U.S. experiences an overdose death every 24 minutes and the life expectancy of white, male, middle class Americans is dropping. The problems, as well as potential solutions, are complicated but I agree with Murthy when he says curbing societys exposure to opioids particularly those coming from a prescription pad in a doctors office is absolutely vital. As he said: Physicians need to be retrained to think twice or three or four times before writing that first opioid prescription. Its important to recognize that liberal prescribing of opioids is a recent problem and, since the mid-1990s, can be linked to the message-crafting activities of the pharmaceutical industry, which helped shape both patient perceptions of pain and influence how doctors thought about the safety of these drugs. Doctors were increasingly encouraged sometimes through industry-funded educational activities or by using textbooks on pain management paid for by the makers of opioids to prescribe the drugs for a much wider population of patients experiencing pain. If revising the messaging around opioids was a business-oriented strategy of the opioid makers, we cannot place the blame solely upon them. Some of that blame has to do with the co-dependent relationship between physician education and the drug industry, which funds a substantial portion of physician education in Canada. Is this epidemic not dire enough to finally build a firewall between physicians education and the pharmaceutical industry? We need unbiased, safety-oriented messages around the appropriate use of opioids and knowledge of their wicked addiction potential. We also need to remind ourselves, both patients and prescribers, that any powerful and effective drug can also be dangerous and destructive. The focus to tackle the addiction problem has to be serious, multi-faceted source control. We need greater access to addiction treatment facilities, and methods to rescue people from the depths of addiction, certainly. But we also need to curb societys underlying dependence upon drug company money for doctor training. Alan Cassels is an expert advisor with EvidenceNetwork.ca and the author of the just-published, The Cochrane Collaboration: Medicines Best Kept Secret. SHARE: Canada is back. So we have heard since Justin Trudeau was sworn in as prime minister on Nov. 4. But to what extent have the Liberals, in their first half-year in office, truly succeeded in undoing the dubious legacy of the previous government and pointing a better way forward? Certainly the Liberals have rightly undone some of the most egregious policies of the Harper government devising a more humane approach to refugees, reversing anti-labour laws, restoring the long-form census, dropping legal actions such as the defence of Harpers backwards approach to niqabs, and so on. Trudeau has appropriately challenged balanced-budget orthodoxy, moving to address poverty, strengthen infrastructure and stimulate the economy. The government has earmarked wise investments for aboriginal health, justice and opportunity and promised a new, respectful relationship with First Nations a good start to a long process. And Trudeau has shown leadership abroad, if not yet at home, on climate change. Canadians can be forgiven for momentarily basking in Trudeaus light. It would be churlish not to celebrate this change for the better. At the same time, we must not be blinded by these sunny ways to the challenges we face. As Trudeau embarks on the projects that will shape his legacy the inquiry into murdered and missing aboriginal women, consultations on the trans-Pacific trade pact, electoral reform, a new health accord we ought to bear in mind that sunnier is not enough. We also need clarity and action on key issues where the governments direction remains unclear. Three are particularly important. Anti-terror and crime policy: Even as the Supreme Court is dismantling, piece by piece, the Harper governments tough-on-crime agenda, the Liberals have quietly looked on, abdicating their leadership role. For an administration committed to evidence-based policy, the government has been strangely passive in the unmaking of Harpers blindly ideological crime policies. Similarly, despite promises to undo the worst of the previous governments overreaching anti-terror law, C-51, we have seen no action. Here, again, Trudeau should not be content to leave it to the courts to overturn dubious provisions on, for instance, pre-emptive, warrantless arrests. Toppling laws born of fear is always politically difficult, but as long as these policies remain in place, rights will be violated and people will suffer. These were mistakes of Parliaments making; they ought to be Parliaments to undo and now. National child care: As we have argued before, no single initiative would make such a big difference in the lives of Canadian families as universal, quality, affordable child care. Yet, despite the Liberal governments promise to develop a framework within its first 100 days, no progress is evident some 180 days and one budget later. This issue is urgent. The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development has ranked us dead last among peer nations for child care. Licenced spots exist for just 22 per cent of children under 5. And for parents trying to get their child into subsidized care, matters are even worse. In Toronto alone, almost 12,000 eligible children are in the queue. The governments generous new child benefit, while welcome, is not enough. Pharmacare: Canadas existing hodgepodge of private drug plans and patchy public coverage puts far too many Canadians at risk. At any given time, thousands face aggravated illness and needless suffering because they cant afford the rising price of drugs. There is no need for this. A recent University of British Columbia study found that not only would national pharmacare ensure that all Canadians have access to the drugs they need, it would also save billions of dollars. No wonder every other country with universal health care also covers the cost of prescription medicine. No wonder, too, that 90 per cent of Canadians support the idea, according to a recent Angus Reid poll. So why has the Trudeau government been so conspicuously silent? As negotiations on a new intergovernmental health accord get underway, pharmacare should be a top priority. There is no doubt that the Canada of today is a friendlier, more open and inclusive place than was the Canada of six months ago. But sunny ways dont mean much to those caught up in a justice and security system that damages rather than rehabilitates and threatens our privacy. To working parents who can find neither the money nor the space to ensure proper care for their children. Or to ailing Canadians unable to afford needed medicines. The sunny ways are welcome, but the true tests of this government are yet to come. Read more about: SHARE: Canadas national portrait is being drawn and the resulting picture should be considerably clearer than it was five years ago. Thats when the previous Conservative government spurned expert advice and replaced the countrys mandatory long-form census with the less-reliable, voluntary National Household Survey. As predicted, the data it collected proved wanting. Now the long-form census is back, with Statistics Canada mailing survey information to more than 15 million households, starting on Monday. StatsCan says the response so far shows enthusiasm from Canadians. All Canadian residents are legally required to be documented on a census questionnaire. One in four households, selected on a random basis, must complete the long-form survey. The rest need only finish a simple, short version. Its vital that everyone comply. Its hard to overstate the importance of the nationwide census, carried out every five years. Data from this statistical snapshot is used to decide how billions of dollars of federal transfer money is shared by territories and provinces. Census information plays a huge role in where health care funding is directed and how its spent. At the local level, it helps urban planners decide where to build schools, run transit routes, and extend assistance to vulnerable populations. Businesses use census data for market research, to project employments trends, and to guide investment. In short, its essential to get it right. One of the most glaring missteps of the Harper government was undercutting the census by making the long-form portion of the survey voluntary. Ignoring frank warnings from a broad cross-section of society, it was bent on pandering to a segment of the Conservative base that considered the long-form survey overly invasive and sought the option of opting out. Results from the 2011 census proved the folly of this policy long-form compliance dropped precipitously. The mandatory 2006 survey registered a 93.5 per cent response rate. That fell to under 70 per cent when participation was made voluntary. Statistics Canada was forced to withhold results for more than 1,000 smaller communities because data on them was unreliable due to lack of information. Furthermore, disadvantaged people and minority groups are more likely to skip a voluntary long-form census than the well-off and better-educated. That skews survey results and channels public money away from those most in need of help. The Liberal government was right to re-introduce the mandatory, long-form survey in time for the 2016 census. Key decisions will be made in coming years based on the results. For their own sake, and for that of future generations, all Canadians should to stand up and be counted. SHARE: Reggie Aggarwal, seen here in a 2010 photo, owns 10.3 percent of Cvents shares. (Dayna Smith/For The Washington Post) In 1999, Reggie Aggarwal drained his savings to start Cvent. Now he stands to make $164.41 million following its sale. Cvent, the Tysons Corner technology upstart that sells services to manage events, announced two weeks ago it was being purchased by private equity firm Vista Equity Partners for $1.65 billion, or $36 per share, in a deal expected to be finalized later this year. [Cvent, once on the brink of bankruptcy, sells for $1.65 B] Aggarwal, who owns 4.31 million shares, or 10.3 percent, of the company, is slated to receive a payout nearly the size of Cvents annual revenue which last year was $187.7 million, according to a document filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on Wednesday. Aggarwals windfall is boosted by a stock grant he and other executives received April 6, the same day Vista made its original offer for Cvent, according to the SEC filing. That day, eight executives received a total of 223,890 shares of the companys common stock and 523,624 stock options as part of an executive incentive plan put into place three years ago. For Aggarwal, that translated to an extra $5.14 million in stock and options, according to analysis by the executive compensation research firm Equilar. Representatives for Cvent did not immediately respond to emails and phone calls seeking comment. [Companys executives got stocks worth millions just before major deal] Vista, based in Austin, had initially offered $34 per share for Cvent, but later raised its offer to $36 following a bidding war with two other companies, according to the latest company filing. Sanju K. Bansal who invested $2 million in Cvent early on and was the companys first angel investor is expected to receive $98.85 million from the sale. Bansal owns 2.75 million shares, or 6.5 percent of Cvent, and is also the lead independent director of its board. Other executives and directors expected to receive large payouts, according to the filing, include board member Jeffrey Lieberman ($66.14 million); co-founder Charles Ghoorah ($48.04 million); chief financial officer Cynthia Russo ($1.75 million) and board member Kevin T. Parker ($502,704). Aggarwals payout will include $155.21 million from stock, $3.88 million from stock options and $5.32 million from restricted stock units, the filing shows. Last year, Aggarwal received total compensation of $1.873 million including a salary of $413,104, stock awards worth $682,522 and option awards worth $658,374, according to the companys annual report. Cvent in 2015 reported a loss of $18.82 million, or 45 cents per share, which it attributed to the sale of its consumer ticketing mobile business. This year, the company says it expects annual revenue of roughly $234.4 million. Goldman Sachs helps big institutions and billionaires bet on the markets and large corporations raise money, but new regulations have made consumer banking an attractive market for Goldman and a potentially profitable one. (JUSTIN LANE/EFE) For 147 years, Goldman Sachs has been best known as a secretive, Wall Street dealmaker with the ear of the White House. It helps big institutions and billionaires bet on the markets and large corporations raise money. What it hasnt done until now is work closely with the average American. Now, the elite New York bank is jumping into the world of retail banking, launching GS Bank to offer high-yield online savings accounts for those with as little as $1. The investment bank is also serving up retirement savings accounts. It wont be long, too, before consumers can ask mighty Goldman Sachs, which requires clients to have at least $10 million for its wealth-management services, for a loan of a few thousand dollars to fix a roof or get rid of high-interest credit cards. The move is a stark example of the changes the financial world has undertaken since the 2008 financial crisis. New regulations have made consumer banking an attractive market for Goldman and a potentially profitable one. To be successful, Goldman will have to contend not only with a crowded field of big-name banks, community institutions and credit unions, but with new technology upstarts leveraging the power of mobile phones and the Internet. And it will likely have to shake the public perception that it helped cause the financial crisis and shirked distressed homeowners in the process. Goldman Sachs has repeatedly defended its conduct, insisting that it did not mislead investors. But Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders often mentions the firm when lamenting Wall Street greed, and Goldman has been hit with billions in fines and penalties for alleged misdeeds in the era leading up to the financial crisis. If there was ever a test of whether or not the stigma . . . of Wall Streets too-big-to-fail banks has faded, it would be Goldman Sachs, said Dennis Kelleher, president of Better Markets, a financial markets public interest group. Since the crisis, Goldman has attempted to pull back the veil to be more transparent and show the public how what it does benefits the economy. It has started a Twitter account and even hosts biweekly podcasts. It has been making efforts to engage with the public more, Goldman officials have said. Its move into retail banking is in part a response to the 2010 financial reform legislation, known as Dodd-Frank, that is helping to shape a significant and largely unnoticed transformation of the U.S. banking sector. Competition has squeezed hundreds out of small and mid-tier banks out of the market, and the survivors have fortified their balance sheets, holding onto more cash and borrowing less. But regulators arent satisfied, and there is a growing call for the big banks to be broken apart, forcing financial industry executives to continue to adapt. For Goldman, the pressure is hitting as sluggish markets and new regulations have stung some of its most historically profitable areas, including trading. The bank reported a 57 percent drop in first-quarter profits and is still smaller, in terms of total assets, than it was before the financial crisis. Now, it has launched a broad effort to diversify into new markets. We look at that platform [retail banking] as a basis for building new businesses that will contribute to the growth of the firm, said Stephen Scherr, Goldman chief strategy officer. That effort has started with the Goldman Sachs savings account, which comes with few perks but offers competitive rates that industry experts say could attract customers. The account has a 1.05 percent yield, while a one-year certificate of deposit has a 1 percent return. Both are stingy by historical standards but are much higher than what most banks are offering. (A savings account at Bank of America and Wells Fargo, for example, earns about 0.01 percent, according to Bankrate.) But Goldmans status as a newbie to this part of the financial industry also shows. Checking accounts may be coming soon, but Goldman no has plans for a physical bank branch and currently lacks the millennial calling card: a mobile app. Still, Goldman says it has seen intense interest in the savings accounts, a business it bought from GE Capital Bank earlier this year. Its pretty heartening to us . . . the extent to which consumers are open to engaging with Goldman Sachs as an institution for their business, and it is our ambition to see to it that we keep and attract customers, Scherr said. We will be successful only to the extent that our product offering is competitive and their experience is a good one. Goldmans Main Street charm offensive will continue later this year when it plans to launch an online-lending project. The bank hasnt discussed how big the loans could be, but it expects to be able to offer competitive rates. The bank is also getting into the retirement business. In March, it purchased Honest Dollar, an Austin-based start-up that helps employees set up individual retirement accounts. With a mobile app, an employee can quickly set up an account, starting by taking a picture of their drivers license, Goldman says. These new businesses will require a cultural change, industry experts say. Goldman has a well-honed playbook when it comes to pleasing the uber-wealthy, but the everyday headaches of dealing with Main Street will be new. Investing the funds of someone with $10 million or $20 million is very different than someone with a small savings account, said David Becher, an associate professor of finance at the Drexel University LeBow College of Business. Goldmans entry into the consumer banking world dates back to a fateful decision in 2008. Then the bank and its rival, Morgan Stanley, were investment banks, exempt from many of the regulatory hurdles faced by traditional retail banks. But in the early days of the crisis, Goldman and Morgan Stanley found themselves in a funding crunch and in need of government help. To get it, they became bank holding companies. If you are a bank holding company and the government is going to be on the hook for you, they want to make sure you have enough cash to deal with any crisis that comes along, Becher said. Now, under stricter government oversight, Goldman and the rest of the banking sector must convince regulators that if faced with another cash crunch, they will have enough money set aside to operate without taxpayer help. In judging whether banks are living up to those standards, regulators even rate where banks are getting their funds and view money from retail banking savings and checking accounts most favorably. Those funds, up to $250,000, are insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp., and customers are less likely to withdraw their money in a panic if there is a crisis. That makes them more sticky during tough times and has made this sector more attractive to Goldman Sachs, which has traditionally depended on short-term loans now discouraged by regulators. Capital is so precious, said Ken Leon, global research director at S&P Global Market Intelligence. Goldman Sachss balance sheet can no longer be leveraged like it was in 2008. Goldman Sachs could also deploy those retail banking assets the money consumers have set aside in savings accounts to help fund other parts of its business. Otherwise, Goldman could use consumers savings to make loans to companies or to use for the banks other traditional businesses, industry experts say. The money doesnt sit there. They are pooled savings, and they are going to be deploying that money, said Kelleher from Better Markets. That is the whole concept of banking. An earlier version of this story incorrectly identified David Becher. He is an associate professor of finance at the Drexel University LeBow College of Business. This story has been updated. Solas Nua, the little performing arts company specializing in all cultural matters Irish, enjoyed an engaging theater run in Washington from the mid-2000s until 2011, when it suddenly curtailed its drama programming and continued off in other directions. In that short window of stage time, its successes included marshaling the talents of 21 actors for 2007s Scenes from the Big Picture, a gritty, multidimensional portrait of life in Belfast, and one of the best offerings that decade by any small troupe in town. Now, Solas Nua which in Irish Gaelic means new light has a new artistic director, Rex Daugherty, a Washington actor who appeared on Solas Nuas stages. Hes restoring theater to the groups menu, and, if his first entry is any indication, theres hope for this group to re-plant its imaginative flag forcefully on the citys theater map. The initial production is, smartly, very modest and, of course, very Irish: Wild Sky, a concise and poetic historical play by Deirdre Kinahan, a Dublin-based playwright whose family drama Moment just ended a well-received run at Studio Theatre. With Wild Sky, conjuring the events of Irelands Easter Rebellion of 1916 through the intertwining stories of two young people, played with impressive fervor by Dylan Morrison Myers and Megan Graves, the hour-long piece will be most meaningful to European history buffs and those with a sentimental attachment to the countrys centuries-long struggle for independence. The first-person stories have their absorbing moments, as Myerss Tom Farrell and Gravess Josie Dunn relate to us their movements leading up to whats become known as the Rising, a violent protest against British rule that set in motion the events culminating in the declaration of a free Ireland five years later. But if Kinahans cascade of lyrical narrative veers at times toward wordiness, Daughertys cleverly manipulated production keeps us alert and on our toes. The director has chosen a most intriguing performance space for Wild Sky: the living room of a Washington home. Theater in private houses may have its limitations, but its proved to be a viable venue for other shows, such as the winning The Duchess of Malfi that director/actor Jordan Friend assembled in a house in Chevy Chase a few years ago. (In another variation on this concept, the Welders, a playwrights collective, are now performing Gwydion Suilebhans Transmission at the Atlas Performing Arts Center to audiences of 20 in easy chairs.) The home location of Wild Sky is changing as the run continues. Last weekend, it was a coolly renovated house behind a private courtyard on a side street near Dupont Circle. The atmosphere of a warm experience began the moment you walked through the gated entrance, where you were greeted by a basket of Irish bread and the option to take part in one of two brief pre-performance tutorials. One was in Irish step dancing and the other, a short course in the Irish language, during which I learned to say hello, which was transliterated by my actor-tutor as Gia Ditch. The production itself was only slightly less involving but just as inventive. Around the 30 or so strategically situated audience members, Myers and Graves took turns advancing the story, of Toms agnosticism about the fighting and his affection for Josie. Her feelings are the opposite: Shes a fierce partisan for Irish revolution and uninterested romantically in Tom. Daugherty and three actresses, Beth Aaman, Daven Ralston and Ashley Zielinski, form a lovely, multitasking chorus, performing Irish folk songs and providing accompaniment on violin and percussion. Myers and Graves are just right, intermingling their portrayals in a way that feels both intimate and of the period. (Robert Croghans costumes help, too.) Marianne Meadowss lighting design consists entirely of three fixtures on long poles supplemented occasionally by candlelight. At key moments, the glow and the shadows they create add a soupcon of theatricality. It leads one to muse optimistically about what else the revived Solas Nua will come up with, if it can season so resourcefully from a simple recipe. Wild Sky, Deirdre Kinahan, directed and choreographed by Rex Daugherty. Set, Paige Hathaway; lighting, Marianne Meadows; costumes, Robert Croghan; music direction, Michael Winch and Aaron Bliden. About 60 minutes. Tickets, $35. Visit solasnua.org or call 202-315-1317. Performances through May 15 take place at various private residences in Washington; check the companys website for locations. Anthony and Joe Russo's "Captain America: Civil War" is jam packed with Marvel super heroes and has The Posts David Betancourt and Michael Cavna wondering if it is the new standard for super hero movies. (Erin Patrick O'Connor/The Washington Post) Its almost not fair that Captain America: Civil War is opening barely a month after Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice. The movies share so much, from their escapist origins to their melodramatic themes of male honor and revenge to ambivalence toward unchecked power, that comparisons arent just inevitable, but required. Civil War is by far the more dynamic, entertaining film and not surprisingly so, considering how well Disney has shepherded the Marvel Comics Universe to big-screen dominance. Crisply photographed, thoughtfully acted and often refreshingly amusing, Civil War injects doses of much-needed fun into a genre of filmmaking thats become mired in dour pretentiousness, when its not ridiculing its own excesses in such meta-snark exercises as Deadpool. [Why Captain America is Marvels most important franchise] For all its considerable strengths, though, Civil War deserves mention with Batman v. Superman in one other respect, which is to suggest that the comic book spectacle is in danger of collapsing under its own weight. Overcrowded and overlong, it often plays less like a breathlessly awaited chapter of a rousing serial than a series of concussive set pieces strung together by vignettes that are either deeply serious or disarmingly witty, as the occasion requires. Its sheer bigness ultimately begins to work against it as does the troubling tendency of the characters to talk just enough to express their feelings of bitterness and regret, but never enough to actually clear up a misunderstanding or solve an impending crisis. For that, only bare-knuckle mano-a-mano confrontation will do. And, to quote the movie itself, these characters will never stop. [Captain America: Civil War belongs on the Mount Rushmore of superhero cinema] Civil War opens in Nigeria with an anarchic, spectacularly explosive action sequence involving gunfire, car crashes, fistfights and an acrobatic chase through a Lagos marketplace. The bludgeoning continues throughout the film, which bristles with undifferentiated hostility and aggression, amped up by a fragmented filming and editing style that gives the action a jittery, hyper-caffeinated edge. Everybodys jacked up and angry jangry! in Captain America: Civil War. The world is jangry at the Avengers for their vigilantism and wanton destruction of cities and citizens in their pursuit of justice. Captain America (Chris Evans) is jangry because the U.S. government wants to subject the team to the oversight of the United Nations. Tony Stark played in a characteristically smooth turn by Robert Downey Jr. is jangry because of abandonment issues that have lingered since the tragic death of his parents (John Slattery and Hope Davis). And Im jangry because Disney hasnt seen fit to give Scarlett Johansson her own Black Widow movie yet. Its a setup worthy of Bruce Wayne himself. But thankfully, Civil War isnt nearly the moody slog that Bat-v-Supes turned out to be, thanks in large part to directors Joe and Anthony Russo. As in their previous outing, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, the brothers display a fine sense of craft here, executing the story and set pieces alike with efficiency and finesse. If the pummeling, numbingly protracted fight sequences begin to take on a sense of diminishing returns especially after an impressively choreographed showdown at the Berlin airport the Russos at least try to balance them with genuine character development during the quieter moments. As Iron Man and Tony Stark, Robert Downey Jr. very nearly steals the show in Captain America: Civil War. (Film Frame/Marvel) As Captain America and Steve Rogers, Chris Evans shows off his muscles and determination. (Zade Rosenthal/Marvel) Toward that end, the filmmakers focus mostly on the title character played by Evans in another appealingly sincere, straight-arrow performance and Iron Man/Stark, who almost steals Civil War from his brother-in-arms. Downey has been accused of mugging in the past, but here hes energetically on point as a master of the universe whos been brought down a peg since the last episode. Its Tony who features in the films best scenes, including a clever, CGI-enhanced flashback thats staged not just with technical skill, but mournfully authentic emotion. (As for the fantasies of inflated potency these allegories are meant to stoke and indulge, Evans provides the films most indelible image, when he flexes improbably buff biceps and literally single-handedly prevents a helicopter from taking off.) To single out the seemingly dozens of characters who show up in Civil War by name would possess the excitement of a fourth-grade roll call. Suffice it to say that, rather than psychic powers or super-strength, casting has always been the Marvel movies secret weapon. That holds true here, up to and including charismatic newcomers Chadwick Boseman as Black Panther and 19-year-old Tom Holland, the latter of whom, as Spider-Man, plays off Downey with the seeming self-effacement of an old pro. [Welcome to the Marvel universe, Spider-Man and Black Panther] Downey and Hollands first scene together is a delight, as is the deepening friendship between Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen) and Vision (Paul Bettany) and some comic relief by way of a miniaturized, franchise-hopping Paul Rudd, as Ant-Man. As for the rest of the Avengers, its inexplicably reassuring to see the band get back together albeit on opposing sides of the exceptionalism-accountability debate, and without a couple of key players, whose absence is duly noted. Captain America: Civil War fills the screen with superheroes: From left, Falcon (Anthony Mackie), Ant-Man (Paul Rudd), Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner), Captain America (Chris Evans), Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen) and Bucky (Sebastian Stan). (Disney/Marvel/Associated Press) As enjoyable as it is, Civil War often teeters on the brink of sheer overkill. As viewers approach the films second hour, they could be forgiven for wondering just how much more carnage, chaos and character-establishing they can take. The Russos are at their best when theyre camouflaging their movies real intentions, which is to tee up the more than a dozen Avengers movies planned into 2020 (including those anchored by Boseman and Holland). Captain America: Civil War acquits that duty with taste, skill and welcome pizzazz even when it threatens to become way too much of a good thing. The Sovereign has about 400 beer options, including bottles and drafts. (Dixie D. Vereen/For The Washington Post) G iven the way the bartenders at the Sovereign describe Dany Prignon, the Belgian brewer sounds like a sorcerer hunched over a boil kettle, madly tossing in malted barley, hops, coriander, maybe even eye of newt to concoct his fantastical beers. Of course I had to order one: The 750-milliliter bottle of Fantome de Noel, with its vaguely creepy Saint-Nick-meets-Casper-the-Friendly-Ghost label, is designed for drinking around Christmas, as if it were Santas little helper to forget about the credit card bills due in January. From what a bartender told me, the seasonal beer may also make you forget why you love Belgian beers in the first place. The last time I had that, the barman said about a previous batch in a bar far away, it was completely black. And by black, I think he meant dark, nasty and undrinkable. Apparently Prignon isnt so crazy about recipes, which means his beers can vary more by season than the Washington Wizards. Theres nothing to fear, though, about the 2015 Fantome de Noel: This batch wont curl your Christmas stockings. Its a quaff that can be knocked back any time of year, a bottle-conditioned beauty that balances caramel sweetness with roasty black-pepper spice. I wassailed the thing down to its yeasty dregs. Should you be surprised that the Sovereign knows when to stock a Fantome beer and when to flee from one? Only if youve never met Greg Engert, the beer director for the Neighborhood Restaurant Group and the driving force behind this Georgetown bistro, which since its February opening has dedicated itself to Belgian food and fermented malt beverages. Engerts the gatekeeper of the beer list, and none shall pass unless it first meets the approval of the Districts elder statesman of suds, whos all of 36. Chef Peter Smith, left, created the menu to go with the beers that Greg Engert curated. (Dixie D. Vereen/For The Washington Post) The Sovereign is a product of the American craft-beer movement and a rejection of it. This is not the place for those seeking the latest tongue-dissolving IPAs (has anyone marketed a Hop Till You Drop yet?) or even the place to tipple the same Trappist ales and pink elephant-branded bottles available at every bar that adopts a Belgian persona. No, the Sovereign is the obsessive comic-book guy you avoid at parties: Its draft and bottle lists bring together the obscure and the cutting-edge of Belgian brewing, 400 brands to attract only the most passionate nerds. If this sounds intimidating, well, it is. But the best place to park your beer belly is either at the dark, densely packed downstairs bar or in the heavily wooden tavern upstairs, which looks like an Elks Lodge for the Uber generation. Behind these counters hover the Sovereign staff I dub the Disciples of Greg, the geeks who have flocked here to learn from Engert. Their passion is infectious, and as the Fantome anecdote shows, they know their way around Belgian beers, down to a brewers reputation. Some floor servers, by comparison, can feel like weekend beer-pong warriors. While seated at one of the bars, Ive sampled a Boon Geuze Mariage Parfait (with its pickle-brine tickle on the nose), a Jolly Pumpkin Madrugada Obscura (like a cross between a stout and cherry vinegar), Brasserie Caracole Nostradamus (a strong dark ale that smacks of toasted raisin bread), Timmermans Oude Kriek (a limited-edition lambic so acidic it bores through any food you pair with it), Brasserie Ellezelloise Hercule Stout (like espresso infused with figs and chocolate) and De Ranke Hop Harvest (a candied orange blond ale with a hop wallop that would impress an IPA lover). Located down an alley punctuated with rat traps and candle lanterns, the Sovereign makes sampling its 50 drafts easy with the option of four-ounce pours. I havent felt this challenged and often rewarded at a beer emporium since Neighborhood Restaurant Group and Engert opened Birch & Barley/ChurchKey in Logan Circle in 2009. The Dutch-style mussels at the Sovereign are sourced from a farm in Maine . (Dixie D. Vereen/For The Washington Post) Peter Smith, the restless chef behind the late PS7s in Chinatown, is tasked with executing a menu to keep pace with the ambitious beer program. To distinguish the Sovereign, Smith buys Dutch-style mussels from Acadia Aqua Farms in Maine. The bivalves are decidedly meatier than their Prince Edward Island cousins, which can sometimes mean more surface area to ferry a lackluster broth, like a pesto-and-white-wine preparation that goes down like bitter basil water. The Belgian pot fares far better, though the light, crispy frites often outshine the shellfish. I stumbled upon a recurring pattern: dishes that dont measure up to menu billing. The choucroute garnie conceals its sausage and juniper-scented sauerkraut in a rolled pork belly, which then rests on a sizable pool of Belgian stoemp potatoes, a cheffy preparation that undermines all my expectations. The mushroom vol-au-vent promises a ragout of cultivated fungus in puff pastry but delivers a creamy mix of vegetables, including some mushrooms, cut with a brown beer onion jam. The flaky pastry fades deep into the background like a ghost. Smith uses beer to good effect. The coq au gueuze is an inspired coq au vin riff: The kitchen marinates chicken in gueuze, a lambic blend, and then braises it in more gueuze and a little Dutch spirit genever, instead of red wine. Paired with bacon and herbed spaetzle, the bird supplies its own acid for balance. Rabbit braised in kriek (another lambic) comes sprinkled with dried cherries, a brilliant co-conspirator with the lambic-and-stock sauce. The chicken for coq au gueuze is marinated in a lambic blend, then braised in gueuze. (Dixie D. Vereen/For The Washington Post) Some of the best eating can be found on opposite ends of the menu. The irresistible flammekueches start with a traditional German flatbread layered with creme fraiche, lardons and onions, and move through several variations, each basically a topped cracker on steroids. The cheese croquettes, their crisp exteriors revealing gooey centers of gruyere, benefit from a quick dip in spicy bicky sauce, that strange tangy condiment slathered on Belgiums ubiquitous fried burger. A small bowl of onion soup gratinee casts aside the standard beef or chicken broths for a liquid built from roasted duck carcasses and cabernet sauvignon. Your spoon wont rest till the soups gone. Naomi Gallego, NRGs executive pastry chef, handles the dessert menu, which naturally features a line of sweet Liege waffles, including one topped with Nutella and bananas. Its obviousness will not stop you from devouring it. But I preferred Gallegos chocolate torte, in which she incorporates Belgiums famous confection into layers of varying density and intensity, from flourless chocolate cake to a milk chocolate cremeux. My only issue was trying to find the perfect beer to pair with it. For dessert, strawberries and cream on a waffle. (Dixie D. Vereen/For The Washington Post) For stories, features such as Date Lab, Gene Weingarten and more, visit WP Magazine. Follow the Magazine on Twitter. Like us on Facebook. Email us at wpmagazine@washpost.com. Mom, heres to you. Thats the message of this weeks special offering from Food: eight remembrances of our moms and the foods they cooked for us and others. Becky Krystal , Bonnie S. Benwick , Tim Carman , Adrian Miller , Kara Elder , Emily Codik , Joe Yonan and yours truly share our stories and recipes for this Mothers Day. [More Chat Leftovers: smoking tofu on the grill; cooking with bitters] Got a memory of your own youd like to share? Todays Free Range chat is just the place to do that. As usual, it starts at noon, and as usual, feel free to bring us all your culinary questions and concerns. At the end of the hour, Ill scoop up the leftover questions so I can answer one of them in this space next week. Like Im doing with this question from last weeks chat: Do you know if any of the local culinary instututes (Lincoln Institute in Columbia; LAcademie de Cuisine in Gaithersburg, e.g.) are open to the public to try out meals produced by students? I thought that would be a fun thing to try. How close are you to Rosslyn? Im hoping others will pitch in here if they know of any others, but it looks like your best bet is Culinaire, a restaurant run by students in the Art Institute of Washingtons culinary program thats open a few days a week, a few hours at a time. As to the two schools you mentioned, the Lincoln Institute doesnt offer any opportunities like the one youre looking for. However, theres a possibility of snagging student food at LAcademie de Cuisine. Campus Director Ann Connors says the school occasionally holds restaurant challenges in which students cook three-course meals for 80 to 100 people over the course of three hours. Its an exercise for the students, who invite relatives and friends, she said. If space permits, members of the general public could come: They would just have to give us a call, and we can put them on our list. The number is 301-670-8670. The meals are free. They arent free at Culinaire, but Im looking at three menus lunch, dessert and carryout that seem reasonably priced. (Texas smoked beef brisket, corn bread stuffing, frijoles a la charra, greens; $10.) The restaurant is inside the Art Institute of Washington, which is in Arlingtons Rosslyn neighborhood, and is open Tuesdays through Thursdays from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Director of Admissions Linda Moore says its sometimes also open for dinner, based on the schedule of classes in any given quarter. Menus change every quarter. To make a reservation, and for more information, call 703-247-3841. Nina Dunham kept her two Somali cats (one pictured) in mind during the redesign of her one-bedroom co-op in Southwest Washingtons River Park. (Deborah Jaffe/Deborah Jaffe for The Washington Post) Nina Dunham wanted her redecorated one-bedroom co-op to be totally cat-friendly. That was a challenge, especially considering that her designer, Rachel Dougan, was installing high-end furnishings from Fortuny and Fornasetti. But fortunately, Elli, 19, and Diablo, 14, Dunhams fluffy Somali cats, seem to live comfortably in the glamorous new digs, Dunham says. Here are some suggestions from Dougan on how to stylishly accommodate four-legged clients: [This owner disregarded resale and made her glam apartment a gift to herself] 1. Install a wood laminate floor. Dougan used gray laminate in Dunhams apartment, because its pet-friendly and easy to wipe clean after any spill. It also wont buckle. 2. Choose rugs strategically. In the bedroom, they used a dense-weave, high-pile wool wall-to-wall carpet. The nubby brown-and-black pattern matches the color of Dunhams cats, making hair less noticeable. The living area and kitchen have rugs made of cowhide, which Dougan says is resilient and easily cleaned. 1 of 25 Full Screen Autoplay Close Skip Ad A mid-century co-op gets a bold makeover View Photos Nina Dunham takes her one-bedroom apartment to new heights by hiring Rachel Dougan of ViVi Interiors to make her design dreams come true. Caption Nina Dunham takes her one-bedroom apartment to new heights by hiring Rachel Dougan of ViVi Interiors to make her design dreams come true. Nina Dunham wanted her one-bedroom co-op in River Park, a 1963 Charles M. Goodman complex in Southwest Washington, to reflect her personality. Her bedroom has a serene feeling with an upholstered turquoise headboard echoing the blue of the ceiling. Deborah Jaffe/Deborah Jaffe for The Washington Post Wait 1 second to continue. 3. Order a slipcover in the same color as your upholstery for daily use. The sectional, bought at Random Harvest, was upholstered in a luxurious olive velvet, Pierre Freys Opera-Velours. They found the same color in an indoor-outdoor fabric, and they first washed and dried samples of the fabric several times to see how durable it was. [Photos: Decorating small spaces] 4. Build a litter box niche in the bathroom. While designing a custom storage unit in the bathroom, Dougan carved out a space at the bottom for the litter box. The cats are comfortable, and the box is well hidden from guests. 5. Invest in stylish seat protectors. Dougan recommends getting some inexpensive faux or real mini sheepskin rugs to keep atop dining or occasional chairs. This type of rug is often available at Ikea. Keep them on your good chairs when you are home. Your cats will either be repelled by them or love curling up on them, but either way your seat upholstery will be saved and you can whip off the rugs before guests arrive. A cup of coffee at Le Peloton in Paris. Paul Barron, a New Zealander, and his American business partner opened the shop in 2015. (Lindsay Cox /Le Peloton) People would walk in and be, like, What are you? David Flynn recalls of the early days after he opened a coffee shop called Telescope in Paris. Vous etes quoi exactement? Four years ago, customers were confused not just by the spare decor, nothing like a traditional Parisian cafe, but by the concept: a place focused on the coffee, really good coffee, with just a few pastry options on the side. In fact, the phrase coffee shop has yet to get a French translation; the coffee shops characteristically high standards for beans, water and the processes for combining the two come so clearly from the English-speaking world. The fact is, although Paris is famous for its street-side cafes and artisanal food culture, the city generally serves up an unappetizing cup of coffee. So many of our customers over the years [asked], Where can we go for coffee? says Paul Barron, a New Zealander who runs a bike tour company here. And we had a hard time telling them where to go. But a movement was afoot. Flynn and Barron are part of a growing artisanal coffee culture in France, inspired abroad but newly infused with a French flavor and direction. Flynn, an American expat, opened Telescope in 2012. In 2015, Barron and his American business partner started their own coffee shop, Le Peloton. Some two dozen others have opened within the past five years, many, but not all, in the trendy northeast part of the capital. Americans would call this area hipster. The French call it bobo, short for bourgeois and bohemian. Many are in the same neighborhoods targeted in the terrorist cafe shootings in November. Owners Paul Barron and Christian Osburn in front of Le Peloton. They are part of a growing artisanal coffee culture in Paris. (Le Peloton Cafe) French coffee is typically bitter, says Hippolyte Courty, who runs an importer and roastery, LArbre a Cafe, supplyng both his own boutique and a handful of coffee shops and restaurants around the city. A historian and Frenchman whose previous passion was wine, Courty has studied and written about French coffee culture. He says the French, who have been drinking coffee since the 1700s, developed a taste for the bitter flavor of chicory in the early 19th century and later for the harsh-tasting robusta variety of coffee bean imported from the countrys West African colonies. By the late 20th century, most cafes in the country had contracts with a few large distributors who provided not only the affordable, bitter, lower-quality beans, but also the expensive machines that made espresso, which would otherwise require a significant investment for cafe owners. Consequently, Courty said, The quality of the coffee kept falling, and the French, who didnt pay much attention to coffee, unfortunately, paid even less. So, as a coffee scene has finally emerged in France, its not surprising that a lot of the people involved had roots elsewhere. You had a specialty coffee culture that had grown significantly in the States and in Australia, said Anna Brones, an Oregon transplant who with photographer Jeff Hargrove has published a book called Paris Coffee Revolution. As a result, a lot of the people that opened up places [in Paris] had either traveled, lived and/or worked in either one of those places. An exception is the pioneering Cafeotheque, which recently celebrated its 10-year anniversary in a cozy spot facing the Seine: It was founded by a former Guatemalan ambassador. But at most other establishments, youre likely to hear English spoken behind the counter, in some combination of British, American or Australian accents. Many of the new generation of artisanal coffee shops share a certain white-walled, wood-and-steel aesthetic some in this city call Nordic and others, more derogatively, Brooklyn. A striking number carry copies of the trendy slow-lifestylemagazine Kinfolk. David Flynn opened a micro-roastery, Belleville Brulerie. Flynn says drip or filtered coffee may be the side door to transforming French tastes. (Albin Durand/For The Washington Post) However, while they may offer expats a familiar setting in which to spend quality time with a laptop or book, they have had to adapt their business models. French coffee shops must pay higher wages than in the United States or Australia and do just a fraction of their business in high-volume takeout a term most still dont bother to translate from English since the French wont take their coffee to go. The economic realities can result in things such as the six-euro cup of filtered coffee thats almost $7 but most places have instead balanced their budgets by offering more food. You can get an unusually hearty breakfast (for Paris) at Holybelly, the coffee shop in the trendy Canal Saint-Martin neighborhood that Frenchman Nico Alary founded after training as a barista in Melbourne. Its also one of the only spots in town that youll find coffee served in a mug. Next, though, Alary has visions of taking over a classic French cafe the kind of place where the French will stand at the bar for a morning espresso and sit for hours in the evenings, preferably on sidewalk patios, talking and watching the street life pass by. The only thing really wrong with our cafe culture is our coffee, Alary says. We all love to hang out in a real Parisian cafe early in the morning and see whats going on and people-watch. It would be a dream, he said, to get Holybelly-level coffee in a traditional cafe. Belleville Brulerie staked out a specialty in varieties suited for drip or filtered coffee, as opposed to espresso. (Albin Durand/For The Washington Post) My objective is really to democratize specialty coffee, declared Aleaume Paturle, whose Paris roastery, Lomi, has grown over the past six years from a closet-size workspace to a sunlit cafe with the machinery in the back. For me, specialty coffee becomes really interesting once it reaches a greater number of people, he said. This is part philosophical but part practical. If specialty roasters can reach a certain volume, Paturle believes, they can begin asking coffee producers to tailor their growing processes specifically to French tastes. In addition to chic coffee shops, Lomi now supplies a small but growing number of traditional cafes. So does Flynn. He left Telescope, his first venture, to open a micro-roastery, Belleville Brulerie, with a French business partner in the fall of 2013. Theyve staked out a specialty in varieties suited for drip or filtered coffee as opposed to espresso which Flynn says may be the side door to transforming French tastes. There is a French phrase for a bad cup of drip coffee: jus de chausette, or sock juice. However, while people here may have certain expectations for the bitterness of their espresso, or for the passable cup of drip coffee they make at home in the morning, he says a professionally prepared cup of filtered coffee remains relatively undefined. Unlike his first venture, Flynn says the roastery needed no translation for the older residents of Belleville, this gentrifying neighborhood of northeastern Paris. They remember a time when Paris had dozens of such small establishments. We have 80-year-old ladies of the neighborhood who come by, and its funny because this space, they totally know what it is, Flynn said. They get it. Jacobs is an independent journalist and audio producer based in Paris. More from Travel: In Italy, a spiritual search for the essence of espresso Getting the buzz on Melbourne: A coffee lovers guide How to find a great cup of coffee in Charleston, S.C. or wherever you go A group of Illinois students and parents sued the Obama administration Wednesday over its stance on transgender students access to school bathrooms and locker rooms, arguing that the U.S. Education Department is illegally forcing local authorities to let children use facilities that correspond to their gender identity. The complaint alleges that the federal government has violated students fundamental right to privacy and parents constitutional right to instill moral standards and values in their children. The lawsuit represents the first legal challenge to the Obama administrations interpretation of Title IX, a federal anti-discrimination law, as providing transgender students with the right to use the bathroom that matches their gender identity instead of their biological sex. [Feds say district broke law by banning transgender student from girls locker room] The plaintiffs include female students who go to a high school that, under pressure from the Education Department, allowed a transgender girl to change in a girls locker room, according to the lawsuit, which concerns Palatine Township High School District 211. The complaint says that the plaintiffs are afraid of seeing a male in a state of undress and are afraid of being seen by, and being forced to share intimate spaces with, a male while they are in various states of undress. Every day these girls go to school, they experience embarrassment, humiliation, anxiety, fear, apprehension, stress, degradation and loss of dignity because they will have to use the locker room and restroom with a biological male, the complaint says. The lawsuit was filed in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois with the support of two nonprofit legal advocacy groups, the Thomas More Society and the Alliance Defending Freedom. The Obama administrations push for transgender students access to the bathrooms of their choice has been cheered by LGBT activists, but it has also sparked a backlash from other advocates, parents and lawmakers who call it a federal overreach and an assault on traditional values and student privacy. [Transgender students bathroom access is new front in battle over LGBT rights] At least 14 states considered bills this year to limit transgender students access to school bathrooms, according to the Human Rights Campaign. A North Carolina law passed this year, which prohibits local authorities from extending civil-rights protections to gay and transgender people, has drawn fierce criticism from businesses and LGBT activists. Meanwhile, transgender students have taken to the courts to fight for bathroom access. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit recently sided with Virginia teenager Gavin Grimm, who sued after he was denied access to the boys bathroom at his school; the appeals court ruled that Grimms case must be allowed to go forward. [Were human beings. Transgender teen gratified by courts ruling in bathroom case] The plaintiffs in the new lawsuit are 51 families from Palatine, Ill., where the U.S. Education Department last year found schools in violation of Title IX because of their policies on locker room access. The Palatine school system, as well as the federal departments of education and justice, are named as defendants. Palatine officials facing the loss of $6 million in federal funding ultimately decided to allow a transgender student to change in the girls locker room instead of sending her down the hall to a separate facility. The dispute led to emotionally charged public meetings that drew crowds of parents who opposed the federal governments position and wanted to see their school board stand its ground. These were among incidents reported by the Loudoun County Sheriffs Office and the Leesburg, Middleburg and Purcellville police departments. For information, contact your police or sheriffs department. ALDIE AREA THEFTS/BREAK-INS Piebald Sq., 42000 block, 5 p.m. April 19. Someone trying to reserve a vacation home online was told a down payment and other fees were required. The would-be renter later determined it was a scam. ASHBURN AREA THEFTS/BREAK-INS Lightsey Ridge Terr., 44300 block, 12:40 p.m. April 21 to 12:40 p.m. April 26. Food and coins were stolen from a residence. London Way, 43600 block, 6:15 p.m. April 17 to 6:15 p.m. April 20. An electric car charger was stolen from a residential garage. Ordinary Pl., 20200 block, 10 p.m. April 21 to 5:30 a.m. April 22. A cellphone and a bag of coins were stolen from a vehicle entered by damaging a window. MOTOR VEHICLE THEFTS Crossroads Dr. and Blacksmith Sq., 7 p.m. April 17 to 9 a.m. April 18. A white 2000 Mazda B2000 work truck was stolen. VANDALISM Stone Hollow Dr., 22000 block, April 20. A vehicle window was damaged. CHANTILLY AREA THEFTS/BREAK-INS Etna Terr., 44000 block, 4:03 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. April 20. A wallet was stolen from a vehicle. HAMILTON AREA THEFTS/BREAK-INS Harmoney Church Rd., 18500 block, 8 a.m. April 19 to 4 p.m. April 20. Mailbox Items were stolen. MOTOR VEHICLE THEFTS Maryland Ave., 100 block, 4 p.m. April 24. A Honda CRF 450X dirt bike was stolen from an unlocked garage. LEESBURG AREA ASSAULTS Battlefield Pkwy., 800 block, 8:24 a.m. April 20. An assault was reported. Foxridge Dr., 300 block, 9:54 p.m. April 20. A domestic assault was reported. Gateway D., 600 block, 4:19 p.m. April 18. A domestic assault was reported. King St. N., 800 block, 8:48 a.m. April 20. An assault was reported. King St. N., 800 block, 12:14 p.m. April 21. An assault was reported. Market St. E., 500 block, 7:51 p.m. April 20. A domestic assault was reported. Market St. E., 1500 block, 10:30 p.m. April 21. A domestic assault was reported. Marlow St., 100 block, 8:36 p.m. April 19. An assault was reported. Marlow St., 100 block, 9:07 p.m. April 19. An assault was reported. Millbrook Terr., 300 block, 11:31 p.m. April 18. A domestic assault was reported. Plaza St., unit block, 10:17 p.m. April 20. A domestic assault was reported. Roanoke Dr., 300 block, 10:34 p.m. April 21. A domestic assault was reported. Valley View Ave., 200 block, 4:34 p.m. April 18. A domestic assault was reported. THEFTS/BREAK-INS Adams Dr., 100 block, 4:48 p.m. April 20. A theft was reported. Andromeda Terr., 400 block, 6:31 p.m. April 19. A theft was reported. Cardinal Park Dr., unit block, 11:44 a.m. April 19. Shoplifting was reported. Catoctin Cir., 100 block, 12:17 p.m. April 20. Fraud was reported. Edwards Ferry Rd., 1200 block, 7:11 p.m. April 19. Shoplifting was reported. Edwards Ferry Rd., 900 block, 3:23 p.m. April 21. Shoplifting was reported. Edwards Ferry Rd., 1200 block, 5:10 p.m. April 21. Shoplifting was reported. Fort Evans Rd., 500 block, 2:14 p.m. April 19. Fraud was reported. King St. N., 800 block, 9 a.m. April 21. A theft was reported. Market St. E., 700 block, 12:54 p.m. April 21. Embezzlement was reported. Mount Holly Pl., 700 block, 2:33 p.m. April 19. Fraud was reported. Shenandoah St., 300 block, 8:59 a.m. April 20. A theft was reported. Silverwood Terr., 18800 block, 7:30 p.m. April 18. A theft was reported. MOTOR VEHICLE THEFTS Fairview St., 200 block, 3:37 p.m. April 20. A vehicle was stolen. MIDDLEBURG AREA THEFTS/BREAK-INS Snickersville Tpk., 39700 block, 9 a.m. April 18 to 1:30 p.m. April 21. Items were stolen from a residence entered by damaging a window. SOUTH RIDING AREATHEFTS/BREAK-INS Tanner Lane, 25000 block, April 22. Electronic toll transponders were stolen from several work vehicles. STERLING AREA ROBBERIES Sugarland Run Rd. and Sugarland Sq. Ct., 12:57 p.m. April 20. A driver of a vehicle cut off a male on a skateboard, causing him to fall. Several males got out of the vehicle, and one of them assaulted the skateboarder and robbed him of cash. THEFTS/BREAK-INS Community Plaza, 46900 block, 5 p.m. April 21. A laptop computer was stolen from a vehicle. Ferguson Ct., unit block, 2:08 to 7:30 p.m. April 19. A delivered package was stolen from a residence. The opened package was found discarded in the area. Nothing was reported missing. Oakgrove Rd., 22900 block, 10 p.m. April 24 to 11 a.m. April 26. A laptop computer was stolen from a vehicle entered by damaging a window. York Rd. N., 600 block, 10:45 p.m. April 20 to 8 a.m. April 21. A tablet computer, a wallet and a backpack were stolen from an unlocked vehicle. Md. Gov. Larry Hogan poses with a guitar that was given to him and signed by country music star Tim McGraw. It was used during a benefit concert for the University of Maryland Childrens Hospital at Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall in Baltimore in October 2015. (Courtesy of office of Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan) Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan (R) has received more than $7,000 worth of gifts since he took office in January 2015, mostly modest trinkets and items from well-wishers after the governor made his cancer diagnosis public. The gifts range from a $1 Livestrong bracelet to a $500 membership at Baltimores posh members-only Center Club, according to a filing with the State Ethics Commission. Hogan even reported two rosaries blessed at the Vatican, given to him and his wife by Pope Francis in Washington. The disclosure shows the outpouring of support for the governor after he announced in June that he had late Stage 3 non-Hodgkins lymphoma. In addition to receiving thousands of letters, the governor reported receiving prayer shawls, a miracle tie, a handmade chemotherapy hat and at least a dozen books about dealing with cancer (some hawking questionable cures). Hogans cancer is in remission, and doctors are monitoring his condition. [Hogan on cancer advocacy: Id never thought Id be in this position] Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan is blessed by Pope Francis during the pontiffs 2015 visit to Washington. (Photo by Mary Natelli McCann) Hogan reported taking few particularly pricey or lavish gifts of the type that can pose trouble for elected officials. Former Virginia governor Robert F. McDonnell (R) and his wife, Maureen, were convicted in 2014 of using the prestige of his office to receive $177,000 in loans, vacations and luxury goods from a businessman, a case now under review by the U.S. Supreme Court. McDonnell did not report receiving a $6,500 Rolex watch on his financial disclosures. Maryland ethics law generally prohibits officials from asking for gifts, or taking them from lobbyists or people doing business with their agency. But there are myriad exceptions. Doug Mayer, a spokesman for Hogan, says gifts to the governor are accepted on behalf of the state of Maryland, and those that present a possible conflict of interest are declined or returned. For example, a pair of shoes and a sweatshirt valued at $300 from Under Armour chief executive Kevin Plank were returned in December. [As governor elect, Hogan navigates gifts minefield] No other statewide elected official in Maryland reported receiving gifts, nor did Democratic legislative leaders. But the law requires reporting only gifts worth more than $20 from people who could present conflicts of interest. Hogan chose to disclose more than the law requires. Some of the most valuable items: Two tickets to the National Symphony Orchestra, from the Chinese ambassador to the United States; an autographed guitar from Tim McGraw, donated by the University of Maryland after a benefit concert; and a mounted and framed copy of the front page of the Baltimore Sun after Hogans upset victory in 2014, from developer Leonard Attman. Gifts from other political figures: Hogan keeps a digital clock counting down to the end of his first term on his desk, a present from former Republican presidential candidate Jeb Bush, who kept a similar clock as governor of Florida. He also received books from Karl Rove, a political strategist for President George W. Bush, and from economist Arthur Laffer, who was a tax adviser to President Ronald Reagan. Presents from overseas: During Hogans 12-day trade trip to Asia last year, officials with governments, universities and businesses including Hyundai, Samsung and LG Electronics bestowed items such as tea cups and a Chinese gong. Team spirit: Hogan received gear from the leaders of the Washington Redskins, Baltimore Orioles and Baltimore Ravens. Protesters from Westbard neighborhood of Bethesda rally in April in a parking lot at Westwood shopping center to protest planned construction of up to 1,200 new townhouses and apartments. (Bill Turque/The Washington Post) The Montgomery County Council voted unanimously Tuesday to bring as many as 1,200 new townhouses and high-rise apartments to Bethesdas Westbard neighborhood, ending months of bitter debate over a plan that some residents contend will alter the suburban character of the community a mile north of the District line. The housing including as many as 275 income-restricted or affordable apartments and homes is part of the Westbard Sector Plan, a 30-year blueprint for growth in the southwest county area bounded by Massachusetts Avenue, Little Falls Parkway, Dorset Avenue and the Springfield neighborhood. It also includes a renovation of the Westwood Shopping Center on Westbard Avenue. A private developer, Equity One, bought the center and surrounding properties totaling 22 acres in early 2014. Most Westbard residents supported upgrades to the 1960s-era strip center. But many balked at the countys vision of a town center, where housing and retail would be combined at greater density than the area had ever seen. Critics charged that the plan imposed a new urbanist approach deeply at odds with the communitys existing makeup. [In Westbard, anger and resentment over a less suburban future] The council downsized the project by about half from the original version approved by the Montgomery Planning Board. The revisions drew support from established neighborhood leaders but kindled outspoken opposition from residents who organized into a group called Save Westbard. Council members said the project addressed several goals that made its passage imperative. These include more housing opportunities for moderate-income families as well as teachers, police and other government workers. It is also consistent with the countys push toward new construction that is less car-dependent and more compact. The shopping center dominated by a massive asphalt parking lot was regarded as a prime area for such an approach. We now know with scientific certainty what the combustion engine is doing to our planet, said Council member Hans Riemer (D-At Large). Building homes on what is already a giant parking lot just a mile from two Metros and from the D.C. line is far better for our environment than developing a farm, or bulldozing a farm an hour north on 270. The shopping center is actually 2.2 miles from the Friendship Heights Metro station and 3.3 miles from the Bethesda stop. Save Westbard presented survey data suggesting widespread opposition within the community. They said that approval of the project reflected a land-use policy process dominated by developers. The Westbard experience has united and mobilized communities across Montgomery County with the common view that the overall Montgomery County planning process is broken, opponents said to county officials in an e-mail Tuesday. It was signed by members of Save Westbard and activists from Rosemary Hills, Lyttonsville, Damascus and Luxmanor communities that anticipate some of the changes faced by Westbard. The activists said they would use every legal and political means at their disposal to reform the planning process, to put an end to unwanted overdevelopment, and to create a process that involves maximum citizen participation . Council member Roger Berliner (D-Bethesda), who represents Westbard and led the effort to downsize the original Equity One project, said he understood the reaction. Planning for the future is a hard job, particularly in places where the present is, for the most part, quite nice for the surrounding neighborhoods. But Berliner added that planning in the county is not done by plebiscite, and that the council relies on the best judgments of professional planners. And then we make the judgments we were elected to make. And every four years, our residents get to pass their own judgment, he said. Marylands air quality has improved drastically in recent years and is on track to meet strict new federal standards, according to a report this week from the states Department of the Environment. State officials say pollution controls such as vehicle emissions requirements and billions of dollars worth of investments by utilities in new power-plant technology have helped Maryland reduce air pollution to its lowest level in at least three decades. The strong partnerships and steady investments for clean air are paying off and positioning us to meet air-quality standards across the state for the first time ever, said Maryland Environment Secretary Ben Grumbles. Measurements during the past year show that Maryland met the U.S. Environmental Protection Agencys 2012 standard for fine-particle air pollutants, such as the soot that smokestacks generate. The federal guideline, which Maryland has achieved statewide, calls for no more than 12 micrograms per cubic meter Maryland has also met the EPAs 2008 ground-level ozone standards in nearly every region of the state, including in the Baltimore metropolitan area, which traditionally has some of the states highest emissions levels. Environmental experts say ozone in Earths lower atmosphere can be harmful to the respiratory system and potentially diminish lung function, while ozone in the upper atmosphere is beneficial, helping filter out damaging ultraviolet radiation from the sun. The EPAs 2008 ozone standards call for no more than 75 parts per billion at ground level, but states are preparing for a new EPA rule that drops the level to 70 parts per billion. Maryland expects to meet that target sometime between 2020 and 2025, according to the Department of the Environment. Three of Marylands 15 measuring stations slightly exceeded the 2008 standard in the past year, including locations in Harford and Cecil counties, where cool temperatures from the Chesapeake Bay can trap ozone in the area and where pollution tends to waft in from states to the north. The other outlier was is central Baltimore County. Grumbles warned that Maryland and other East Coast states need to take additional steps to meet the new federal ozone standards. This clear progress will be a short celebration if we do not continue to make improvements, he said. More needs to be done, within the state and beyond in upwind states, to consistently improve and maintain Marylands air quality. Gov. Larry Hogan (R) and the majority-Democratic General Assembly have taken steps to ensure continued progress, namely by approving legislation this year that requires the state to reduce its greenhouse-gas emissions by 40 percent below 2006 levels by 2030. That law, which is expected to help lower ozone and fine-particle levels, builds on a previous measure that mandated a 25 percent reduction by 2020. THE DISTRICT Police identify man fatally shot in NW A 21-year-old man who was shot and killed Tuesday afternoon in Northwest Washington was identified by police as Josiah Jones of Northwest. The incident happened just before 4 p.m. in the 4500 block of Illinois Avenue NW. When officers arrived, they found a man suffering from gunshot wounds. He was taken to a hospital, where he was later pronounced dead, police said. Dana Hegdpeth MARYLAND Man, 39, dies after being struck by train A 39-year-old man died Wednesday afternoon after he was struck by an Amtrak train near Rockville, police and transit officials said. Authorities did not immediately identify the man, who was pronounced dead at the scene of the 4:25 p.m. collision. A northbound Amtrak train traveling to Chicago hit the man near the 5700 block of Bou Avenue in Rockville, said Montgomery County police and Amtrak spokeswoman Vernae Graham. Graham said the train involved in the fatal crash left Washington at 4:05 p.m. It was held for more than three hours while police investigated the crash. Police said the man was in the area of the tracks when, for reasons that are being investigated, he was struck by the train. MARC and Amtrak resumed normal train service shortly after 7:30 p.m. Morgan State named a national treasure Morgan State University, one of the nations oldest institutions founded to provide a college education to black students, was named a National Treasure by the National Trust for Historic Preservation. The group will work with the university to protect its cultural legacy and its architecture, the National Trust announced Tuesday. Morgan State, the largest historically black university in Maryland, was founded in 1867, and its Baltimore-area campus includes 20 buildings eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places. Many were designed by black architects, and styles range from classical to brutalist. Susan Svrluga VIRGINIA Preschool staffers are charged with assault A teacher and an assistant at a Fairfax County preschool are facing misdemeanor charges for allegedly assaulting a 4-year-old student in April. The mother of the girl reported finding bruises on her daughter April 21 that she thought were sustained at James L. & Juliette McNeil Preschool Academy in the Alexandria section of Fairfax County, police said. After an investigation, the girls teacher, Lisa Campbell, 38, of Woodbridge and an assistant, Cherie Evette Diggs, 40, of Alexandria were charged with misdemeanor assault and battery. They turned themselves in to Fairfax County police this week. Police said Campbell and Diggs have been terminated from their jobs. The school declined to comment on the charges. Justin Jouvenal Man is sentenced in bombing plot A Virginia man has been sentenced to 17 years in federal prison for plotting to shoot up or bomb synagogues and black churches. Robert C. Doyle, who prosecutors say is a white supremacist, was sentenced Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Richmond. He pleaded guilty in February to conspiracy and firearms charges. Associated Press Thursday, May 5 Woodbridge Toastmasters Club An open house meeting. Learn effective communication and leadership skills. 7:30 p.m. Ebenezer Baptist Church, 13020 Telegraph Rd., Woodbridge. 703-898-7171. woodbridge.toastmastersclubs.org. $68 membership fee. The Music Man Castaways Repertory Theatre stages the musical about a band leader who attempts to con an Iowa town. Thursday-Friday at 8 p.m. through May 22, Dr. A.J. Ferlazzo Building, 15941 Donald Curtis Dr., Woodbridge. 703-232-1710. castawaystheatre.org. $18; seniors, military, prince william county employees and students $13; 12 and younger $9. Friday, May 6 American Legion dinner The public is invited to dinner with a different special every week. Proceeds support local veterans and the community. 5:30-7:30 p.m. Woodbridge American Legion, 3640 Friendly Post Lane, Woodbridge. 703-494-4304. vapost364.org. $5-$15. Forgotten Farms An artist reception for Andrew Morgans photography exhibit. 6-9 p.m. Through June 16. Center for the Arts, 9419 Battle St., Manassas. 703-330-2787. center-for-the-arts.org. Free. Shakespeare Opera Theatre The Merry Wives of Windsor Friday at 8 p.m., Saturday at 3 p.m. and Verdis opera Falstaff Saturday at 8 p.m. Hylton Performing Arts Center, Gregory Family Theater, 10960 George Mason Cir., Manassas. 703-993-7759. hyltoncenter.org. Single Show: $45, students $30. Double show $75, students $45. Saturday, May 7 Paws in the Park Working dog demonstrations, information booths, local rescues, a dog show and off-leash dog park. 7 a.m.-2 p.m. Prince William Forest Park, 18100 Park Headquarters Rd., Triangle. 703-221-7181. $7 per vehicle. Spring community yard sale 8 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Manassas Park Parks and Recreation Community Center, 99 Adams St., Manassas Park. 703-335-8872. manassasparkcommunitycenter.com. Free, vendor space $7, registration required. Community paper shred County residents may bring up to four boxes of paper for secure shredding. 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Balls Ford Yard Waste Compost Facility, 13000 Balls Ford Rd.. and Prince William County Landfill, 14811 Dumfries Rd., Manassas. Free. Yoga on the Lawn Vinyasa yoga taught by certified yoga instructor Christopher Glowacki. 9 a.m. Rippon Lodge Historic Site, 15520 Blackburn Rd., Woodbridge. 703-499-9812. pwcgov.org/ripponlodge. $5. Manassas Air Show Events include helicopter and aerobatic demonstrations, fighter planes and vendors. 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Manassas Regional Airport, 10400 Terminal Rd., Manassas. 703-368-9599. manassasairshow.com. Free. Brentsville Court and Trades Day The event includes an 1800s mock trial, historic tradesmen and modern flea market crafts and jewelry. 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Brentsville Courthouse Historic Centre, 12229 Bristow Rd., Bristow. 703-365-7895. $5; 5 and younger free. Mustangs at Manassas The M6A Eastern Regional Car Show will be held in Manassas for the first time. The museum lawn is limited to 100 six-cylinder Mustangs. Noon-3 p.m. Manassas Museum, 9101 Prince William St., Manassas. 703-368-1873. mustang6association.org. Spectators free, Mustang registration $45. Art on the Block More than 60 local artists exhibit their work at six Occoquan galleries, including Art A La Carte, Artists Undertaking Gallery and the Loft Gallery. Each gallery hosts a reception and artists answer questions. 1-5 p.m. Historic Occoquan. 703-490-1056. loftgallery.org. Free. Feathers An exhibit of paintings and drawings by Deanna Boling. Artists reception 1-4 p.m. Through June 5, Loft Gallery, 313 Mill St., Occoquan. 703-490-1117. loftgallery.org. Free. Mary Poppins A nanny takes up residence with the Banks family in 1910 England and takes the children on magical, musical adventures. Performed by Pied Piper Theater. Saturday 2 and 7 p.m. Sunday 3 p.m. Hylton Performing Arts Center, Gregory Family Theater, 10960 George Mason Cir., Manassas. 703-993-7759. hyltoncenter.org. $20; 11 and younger $15. Gaither Vocal Band Grammy-winning Bill Gaither leads a concert of gospel music. 6 p.m. Hylton Memorial Chapel, 14640 Potomac Mills Rd., Woodbridge. 703-590-0076. gaither.com. $20-$35. Woodbridge Community Choir Directed by Lee Irwin Culbreth, the choral group performs Pop Tunes Time Machine featuring popular songs from the 1950s to today. Saturday 8 p.m. Sunday 3 p.m. Dr. A.J. Ferlazzo Building, 15941 Donald Curtis Dr., Woodbridge. woodbridgecommunitychoir.org. Free. Sunday, May 8 Art Journaling Hosted by Yellow Brick Road Studio, no art or writing experience necessary. 2-4 p.m. Vint Hill Craft Winery, 7150 Lineweaver Rd., Vint Hill. kerryc627@yahoo.com. 540-351-0000. vinthillcraftwinery.com. $25, journal $7. Bingo Proceeds support local veterans. Doors open at noon on Sunday with games beginning at 2 p.m. Doors open at 5:15 p.m. Mondays with games beginning at 7:15 p.m. Woodbridge American Legion, 3640 Friendly Post Lane, Woodbridge. 703-494-4304. $15 minimum. Youth Orchestras of Prince William Spring Breezes is the final concert of the orchestras 34th season, includes the premiere of a composition by its own cello player, Paul Rodriguez. 3 p.m. Patriot High School, 10504 Kettle Run Rd., Nokesville. 703-590-7083. yopw.org. $10; seniors, military and students, $6; 5 and younger, free. Monday, May 9 Prince William Retired Teacher Association Meeting Canned foods will be collected. 10 a.m. First Baptist Church of Woodbridge, 13600 Minnieville Rd., Woodbridge. 703- 491-4219. $12. Job search network group Plus discussion of various topics related to the search process. 1-3 p.m. House of Mercy, 8170 Flannery Ct., Manassas. 703-659-1636. Free. Bingo Proceeds support Dale City Knights of Columbus activities and charities. Doors open at 6 p.m. with games beginning at 7:30 p.m. VFW Post 1503, 14631 Minnieville Rd., Dale City. 703-491-2378. $9 minimum. Prince William Community Band Rehearsal, for musicians 19 and older, no audition necessary. 7:30 p.m. Saunders Middle School, 13557 Spriggs Rd., Manassas. 703-791-4119. pwcb.org. Free. Wednesday, May 11 Imagination Theatre: Boxes, Boxes, Boxes! Two friends use their imaginations to build bridges, birds, a train, a plane, and even a castle from cardboard boxes. Wednesday and Saturday, 10 and 11:15 a.m. Hylton Performing Arts Center, Gregory Family Theater, 10960 George Mason Cir., Manassas. 703-993-7759. hyltoncenter.org. $10. Lake Ridge Toastmasters Club Members 18 and older develop their public speaking and leadership skills. 7:30-9:15 p.m. Tall Oaks Community Center, 12298 Cotton Mill Dr., Lake Ridge. 703-491-3020. contact-8913@toastmastersclubs.org. lakeridge.toastmastersclubs.org. $34-$64 membership fee. Compiled by Sarah Lane To submit an event E-mail: pwliving@washpost.com Fax: 703-392-1406 Details: Announcements are accepted on a space-available basis from public and nonprofit organizations only and must be received at least 14 days before the Thursday publication date. Include event name, dates, times, exact address, prices and a publishable contact phone number. Prince William County These were among incidents reported by Prince William County police. For information, call 703-792-7245. DUMFRIES AREA ASSAULTS Brockenbrough Dr., 3600 block, 11 a.m. April 15. During an argument, a woman assaulted a male acquaintance and threatened him with a knife. A Dumfries woman, 39, was arrested. Kilmer Lane, 18000 block, 12:31 p.m. April 20. During an argument, a woman threatened a male acquaintance with a knife. A Dumfries woman, 24, was arrested. GAINESVILLE AREA THEFTS/BREAK-INS Club House Rd., 14100 block, 12:15 a.m. to 1:02 p.m. April 26. A video game system, a purse and jewelry were stolen from a residence entered through an unlocked garage door. Lick River Lane, 5600 block, midnight to 9:30 a.m. April 18. Cash, purses, cellphones and other items were stolen from a residence entered through an unlocked garage door. Tenbrook Dr., 8100 block, midnight to 7:30 a.m. April 26. A firearm, a camera, a video game system, two computer tablets, a wallet and other items were stolen from a residence entered through an unlocked garage door. MANASSAS AREA ASSAULT Postern Ct., 10900 block, 12:37 p.m. April 25. A man forcibly entered a residence of an acquaintance, then hit her. When she attempted to flee, he pulled out a handgun and prevented her for leaving for several hours. ROBBERIES Community Dr., 8100 block, 5:25 p.m. April 22. During an argument, an acquaintance assaulted a male juvenile and robbed him of cash and a cellphone. The acquaintance was treated for injuries. Shoppers Sq., 8200 block, 11:16 a.m. April 21. A man armed with a knife robbed a business of cash. THEFTS/BREAK-INS Alan Ct., 9800 block, 7:30 to 11:17 p.m. April 17. Cash, jewelry and other items were stolen from a residence entered by damaging a rear door. Forrester Lane, 7500 block, 4 a.m. April 14 to 9 p.m. April 26. A laptop computer and jewelry were stolen from a residence entered by damaging a rear door. Medway Church Loop, 11000 block, 6:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. April 20. A laptop computer was stolen from a residence entered by damaging a rear basement door. NOKESVILLE AREA ANIMAL CRUELTY Fleetwood Dr., 12:10 p.m. April 22. Bystanders heard sounds of an animal in distress and found a small dog in a black trash bag on the side of the road. The dog was transported to the Prince William County Animal Shelter and evaluated by a veterinarian. Due to the dogs deteriorating condition, it was euthanized. Animal Control is seeking any information to help identify the dogs owner. THEFT/BREAK-IN Valley View Dr., 12200 block, 1:30 to 10:30 a.m. April 26. A laptop computer, prescription medicine, jewelry, clothes and a purse were stolen from a residence entered through an unlocked side door. TRIANGLE AREA ASSAULT Potomac Crest Dr., 19100 block, 9:26 p.m. April 24. During an argument, a woman hit a male relative in the head and arm with a shovel. A Triangle woman, 18, was arrested. WOODBRIDGE AREA SEXUAL ASSAULT Danville Rd., 14800 block, April 19. A man sexually assaulted a female juvenile relative on more than one occasion, beginning in 2015. A Woodbridge man, 43, was arrested. ASSAULTS Coverdale Rd., 15000 block, 7:30 a.m. April 23. During an argument, a man grabbed a female acquaintance by the neck. The woman was able to get away. The man then broke the windshield of her vehicle with his feet. The man began to argue with another male acquaintance and the two fought. A Woodbridge man and an Alexandria man, both 27, were arrested. Delaney Rd., 13200 block, 2:24 a.m. April 24. During an argument, a man broke a window of a residence cutting a female acquaintances arm. Potomac Mills Rd., 2700 block, 5 p.m. April 24. During an argument, a man assaulted a male acquaintance. Potomac Mills Rd., 14700 block, 2 p.m. April 21. A man in a bus terminal punched a male and attempted to choke him. A Petersburg man, 23, was arrested. ROBBERY Armada and Basque Places, 9:30 a.m. April 22. A male juvenile demanded shoes from a male juvenile acquaintance. When he refused, the two struggled. The male pulled out a handgun and took the acquaintances shoes. A Woodbridge youth, 16, was arrested. THEFTS/BREAK-INS Antietam Rd., 11800 block, 8:30 a.m. to 3:46 p.m. April 21. A laptop computer was stolen from a residence entered through a window. Eagle Ridge Dr., 3500 block, 7 p.m. April 22 to 1 p.m. April 23. A laptop computer and jewelry were stolen from a residence entered by damaging a rear basement window. Hunters Run Way, 14100 block, 8 a.m. April 10 to 5 p.m. April 17. An attempt was made to enter a residence by damaging a door. Jefferson Davis Hwy., 14200 block, 1:30 a.m. April 25. Cash and tires were stolen from a business entered by prying open a front door. McNamera Ct., 2000 block, 5:30 p.m. April 22 to 9:45 a.m. April 23. Several purses and jewelry were stolen from a residence entered through an unlocked window. Occoquan Rd., 13200 block, 1:15 a.m. April 26. A cash register was stolen from a business entered through an unlocked door. PEEPING TOM INCIDENT Artery Lane, 14400 block, 8:41 p.m. April 25. A man looked into a residence through a window. He fled when a resident confronted him. Manassas These were among incidents reported by Manassas police. For more information, call 703-257-8000. THEFTS/BREAK-INS Between April 18 and 25, property was stolen from vehicles and vehicles were vandalized in the following areas: 9400 block of Stonewall Road, 9200 block of Longstreet Court, 9200 block of Park Avenue, 9000 block of Grant Avenue, 9200 block of Battle Street, 10000 block of Nokesville Road, 9100 block of Ewell Street, 8300 block of Tillett Loop, 9000 block of Liberia Avenue, 9000 block of Church Street, 10300 block of Jayeselle Drive and 9700 block of Capital Court. MOTOR VEHICLE THEFT Lee Ave., 9200 block, April 19. A motorcycle was stolen. It was later recovered. Manassas Park No report was received from Manassas Park police for this edition of Local Living. For information, call 703-361-1136. THE DISTRICT Former White House worker is sentenced A former White House switchboard supervisor was sentenced Tuesday to five years probation for stealing nearly $11,000 in taxpayer funds by manipulating an employees time sheets. Andrea Turk, 46, of Upper Marlboro, Md., pleaded guilty in February to one felony count of embezzling taxpayer funds through a subordinate, identified in court only as employee A. U.S. District Judge Gladys Kessler also ordered Turk to pay $5,015 in restitution. Turk was director of switchboard operations at the White House, supervising 15 people, from 2009 until she was fired in August 2013. Spencer S. Hsu Man fatally shot in Petworth area of NW A man was fatally shot Tuesday in the Petworth area of Northwest, D. C. police said. He was found about 4 p.m. in the 4500 block of Illinois Avenue, between Sherman and Grant circles. He died at a hospital, said Officer Sean Hickman, a police spokesman. Victoria St. Martin and Martin Weil D.C. to expand testing of water for lead The Districts Department of General Services, the city agency responsible for lead testing, will retest all water sources in D.C. Public Schools for elevated lead levels through May. Testing includes sinks and hoses, in addition to water fountains. Tests also will be done on water sources at city recreation centers before summer camps start June 17. As test results are returned, we will remediate any issues, and we will publicly share the results, City Administrator Rashad M. Young also said in announcing the plan. In the current academic year, 17 water sources at 12 D.C. public schools tested positive for elevated lead levels. And in recent weeks, the school system has come under fire for not communicating to parents when their childrens school tested positive for the elevated levels. Perry Stein MARYLAND Police identify Brandywine victim Prince Georges County police have identified a man found fatally shot on a road in Brandywine as Ra Shaad Hargrave, 22, of Streamview Drive in Waldorf, Md. Hargrave was found in the 15100 block of General Lafayette Boulevard Monday after a shooting a was reported. said Cpl. Harry Bond, a police spokesman. Police do not think the shooting was random. Justin Wm. Moyer Prince Georges school review is extended A Prince Georges County task force created to examine policies for safeguarding children from sexual abuse in schools expects to issue recommendations by late this month, several weeks later than planned, officials said. Schools chief Kevin Maxwell created the panel in February as a major case of alleged abuse was developing, involving Deonte Carraway, 22, of Glenarden. The panels recommendations had been expected by May 2, but the deadline was extended after a flood of comments was received, officials said. Donna St. George Calvert County These were among reports received by the Calvert County Sheriffs Office and the Maryland State Police. Anyone with information about these crimes is asked to call the Criminal Investigation Division at 410-535-2800 or 301-855-1194, the Crime Solvers line at 410-535-2880, or the state police Prince Frederick Barrack at 410-535-1400. CHESAPEAKE BEACH AREA THEFTS/BREAK-INS Woodland Pl., April 20. An iPad was stolen from a vehicle. LUSBY AREA THEFTS/BREAK-INS Stock Dr., 5:30 p.m. April 18 to 6 a.m. April 19. A bag, diapers, credit and debit cards, and a black wallet were stolen from a vehicle. PRINCE FREDERICK AREA THEFTS/BREAK-INS Dares Beach Rd., April 20. A leaf blower was stolen from the back of a work truck parked at a restaurant. Skipjack Rd., April 23. Eighteen signs for a heat and air conditioning business were stolen. SUNDERLAND AREA THEFTS/BREAK-INS Route 2, April 22. A tailgate was stolen from a truck at a Park & Ride. Charles County These were among reports received by the Charles County Sheriffs Office and the Maryland State Police. For information, call 301-932-2222 or 301-870-3232. The sheriffs website, ccso.us, has news reports, local crime statistics and information on crime prevention programs. REWARDS FOR INFORMATION Crime Solvers will pay a reward for information leading to an arrest and indictment. The 24-hour hotline is 866-411-8477. Callers may remain anonymous. BEL ALTON AREA THEFTS/BREAK-INS Bel Alton, April 23 to April 24. Property was stolen from vehicles. COBB ISLAND AREA THEFTS/BREAK-INS Cobb Island, April 23 to April 24. Property was stolen from vehicles. INDIAN HEAD AREA ASSAULTS Circle Ave., 12:16 a.m. April 24. A man assaulted a woman at a home. An Indian Head man, 35, was charged with assault and possession of a controlled dangerous substance with intent to distribute. LA PLATA AREA HOMICIDES Yates Pl., 12800 block, 8:17 p.m. April 23. During a confrontation, a man stabbed and killed another man, 71, and forced a female youth, 12, into a vehicle at knifepoint. The girl was able to flee, and the man was arrested. A Waldorf man, 39, was charged with first-degree murder, first- and second-degree assault and kidnapping. NEWBURG AREA THEFTS/BREAK-INS Newburg, April 23 to April 24. Property was stolen from vehicles. WALDORF AREA THEFTS/BREAK-INS Marston Moor Lane, April 25 to April 26. Electronic devices were stolen from a vehicle. St. Marys County These w ere among reports received by the St. Marys County Sheriffs Office and the Maryland State Police. For information, call 301-475-8008. To submit a tip, call Crime Solvers at 301-475-3333. The Leonardtown Barrack of the state police has an anonymous tip line at 301-475-2936. LEONARDTOWN AREA THEFTS/BREAK-INS Leonardtown, April 19. A wallet was taken from a shopping cart at a store. LEXINGTON PARK AREA ASSAULTS Coronet Pl., 10:18 p.m. April 26. Investigating a report of shots being fired at a home, officers found a man with stab wounds. A Lexington Park man, 23, and two California men, 23 and 25, were charged with five counts of first- and second-degree assault, armed robbery, use of a firearm in the commission of a felony and reckless endangerment. Flower Dr., April 12. During a fight, a man someone with his a vehicle. A Lexington Park man, 35, was charged with second-degree assault, driving with a suspended license and failure to control speed to avoid a crash. Lexington Park, April 13. During a call for a woman causing disturbances in multiple locations in the county, the woman pinched and scratched a deputy and tried to kick another deputy. A woman, 35, of no fixed address was charged with second-degree assault on a law enforcement officer, alcohol beverage in a retail area, disorderly conduct, failure to obey a lawful order, disturbing the peace and second-degree assault. New Market Rd., April 20. Property was stolen. MECHANICSVILLE AREA THEFTS/BREAK-INS Mark Rosekind, administrator of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, announced Wednesday that Takata has agreed to recall another 35 million to 40 million air-bag inflators. (Evan Vucci/AP) Federal regulators have determined what is causing Takata air bags installed in millions of U.S. vehicles to explode and on Wednesday ordered that their recall be expanded and accelerated. After 11 deaths, more than 100 injuries and the recall of 24 million vehicles, three independent studies have shown that Takata air bags are prone to explode after they are degraded by age and hot, humid weather. The science clearly shows that these inflaters become unsafe over time, faster when exposed to humidity and variations of temperature, said Mark Rosekind, administrator of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). The conclusion had been anticipated after a pattern emerged in which most of the fatalities and injuries occurred in cars that were more than seven years old and kept in humid regions where temperatures fluctuated between warm and hot. Front and side Takata air bags are installed in a wide range of cars made by 14 U.S. and foreign automakers. Already, 28.8 million of the air-bag inflaters are under recall, and NHTSA on Wednesday added 35 million to 40 million more to the list. Each air bag has its own inflater, and most vehicles have two or more air bags. [Senate panel grills manufacturer of defective air bags] The Japanese firm is the worlds largest manufacturer of air bags, and replacements are in such short supply that many U.S. drivers who have received recall notices are being told it will take weeks or months before their vehicles can be repaired. People who receive notification that there is a remedy available for their vehicle should act immediately to have their inflater fixed, Rosekind said. All vehicle owners should regularly check SaferCar.gov for information about any open safety recall on their vehicle and what they can do to have it fixed free of charge. Takata agreed to an amended consent order this week that would add up to 40 million of its air bags to the recall, NHTSA said in a statement. These recalls will continue through December 2019. Unlike most air-bag makers, Takata uses ammonium nitrate to trigger a small explosion that inflates the air bag when the vehicle strikes something. But in some vehicles particularly those that were several years old and kept in regions with high humidity the ammonium nitrate burns too fast, causing the chemicals container to explode and spray drivers and passengers with metal shrapnel. Takata says it will phase out the use of ammonium nitrate in its air-bag systems by 2018. That means that some drivers may have to have their air bags replaced twice, once with a newer ammonium nitrate bag and a second time when air bars that dont use the problematic chemical become available. This recall schedule ensures the inflaters will be recalled and replaced before they become dangerous, giving vehicle owners sufficient time to have them replaced before they pose a danger to vehicle occupants, Rosekind said. NHTSA will continue to evaluate all available research and will act quickly to protect safety. He said the recall would be carried out in phases, based on the age of the inflaters and the degree to which they have been exposed to the high humidity and fluctuating high temperatures that accelerate the degradation of the chemical propellant. [Takata air bags still the biggest auto recall in history] NHTSAs aggressive actions in 2015 means this recall is already a year ahead of where it would have been if the agency had waited for this research, Rosekind said. As a result, all of the most dangerous inflaters responsible for the deaths and injuries are already under recall. The recall expansion does not apply to a modified version of the Takata air bags. Those air bags contain a chemical desiccant that absorbs moisture. NHTSA said there are about 53 million Takata inflaters in use that dont have the drying agent. About 32 million have the drying chemical. Under the consent order amended this week, Takata agreed to do additional research into the safety of the desiccated inflaters. Unless they are proven safe, Takata will be required to recall them, too. Last year, NHTSA said Takata would face a fine of up to $200 million, $70 million for mishandling the recall of the air-bag inflaters, and an additional $130 million if it further violated its settlement agreement with NHTSA. Todays action is a significant step in the U.S. Department of Transportations aggressive oversight of Takata on behalf of drivers and passengers across America, Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx said. The acceleration of this recall is based on scientific evidence and will protect all Americans from air bag inflaters that may become unsafe. [Texas teen becomes 10th victim of an exploding Takata air bag] Huma Hanif, 17, became the 10th American to die from an exploding Takata air bag March 31, when one malfunctioned after her car hit another vehicle at an intersection in suburban Houston. The auto dealer and Honda said they had sent six air-bag recall notices to Hanifs family, but family members said they had not received the notices. Among the automakers that have had some models recalled are Acura, Audi, BMW, Chevrolet, Chrysler, Dodge, Ford, General Motors, Honda, Infiniti, Mazda, Mercedes-Benz, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Pontiac, Saab, Saturn, Subaru, Toyota and Volkswagen. With the departure of Ted Cruz from the presidential race Tuesday night, many national Republican loyalists lamented the future of a party that could field a nominee as polarizing as Donald Trump. But the news was particularly jarring for Virginia Republicans fresh off two days of party warfare at a state convention where Cruz came out on top. All the divisiveness last weekend for nothing, said Brian W. Schoeneman, a former member of the Fairfax County Electoral Board and a supporter of Ohio Gov. John Kasich, the establishment favorite who ended his long-shot campaign Wednesday. We are the kings of self-inflicted wounds that get us nothing. At the other end of the spectrum, a Republican who identifies with the conservative wing of the state GOP said of Cruzs decision: I feel like I got smacked by a two-by-four. In the final hours of last weekends convention in Harrisonburg, Cruz and Trump supporters traded insults over the selection of 13 of 49 total delegates to the national convention in Cleveland. Not that it matters now. Officially, the state party apparatus must quickly pivot to Trump, no matter how unenthusiastic some leaders may feel about the brash billionaire. The RPV will support the nominee 100 percent, John Whitbeck, chairman of the Republican Party of Virginia, said Tuesday night without mentioning Trump. House Speaker William J. Howell (Stafford) released a lukewarm statement that said, in part: I am a Republican, and I will support the Republican nominee. Trumps Virginia campaign chairman, Corey Stewart, publicly derided the party as rotten and corrupt after being left off the delegates slate at the state convention. But late Tuesday, after Cruz quit, Stewarts message was all about unity. Now is the time for Virginians to come together and stand behind Donald Trump as the Republican nominee for President, said Stewart, chairman of the Prince William Board of County Supervisors and a candidate for governor in 2017. Virginia is an essential state this November, and all of us need to band together to defeat Hillary Clinton. Although it wasnt a surprise, given Trumps string of primary wins, the reality hit some hard. If youre a conservative, its been a very long time since you could be happy with a presidential nominee, said Steve Albertson, who is on the partys governing board and runs the conservative Bull Elephant blog. Weve had two Bushes, John McCain, Mitt Romney now this. Albertson said he will nonetheless support Trump. The reaction shows the schism between longtime state party activists and primary voters at large, who delivered Trump a decisive win on March 1. [Are anti-Trump Republicans ready to help elect Clinton?] David Ramadan, a former House of Delegates member from Loudoun County, has been a vocal member of the Never Trump movement. Trump as the GOP nominee means a series of defeats for our Republicans in Virginia and the nation for a decade, Ramadan said. Minutes after Cruz suspended his campaign, Democrats sent out an emergency fundraising plea. The email said, We must win Virginia, or Donald Trump will be President. An artists conception of ads that would appear in a London subway station if a group called the Citizens Advertising Takeover Service C.A.T.S. can raise enough money to buy the ads. They see it as a strike against commercialism in public spaces. (Glimpse) The typical ad in a subway station or anywhere, really has one message: Buy me! Buy me! Buy me! But what if instead the message was: Aww, idnt he cute? Thats the sentiment James Turner and his comrades are hoping to evoke on Londons subway system, the Tube. Theyve formed the Citizens Advertising Takeover Service C.A.T.S. and are trying to raise $33,000 to replace every ad in a single London Tube station with large photos of cats. We spoke with the ad company who deals with the Tube, James explained on the phone from London. They said for that kind of money we could get the equivalent number of ads to take over one of the smaller stations, something like Wimbledon or Cockfosters. If we go beyond our target, we have every chance of getting into Oxford Circus, Bond Street or Marble Arch one of the big ones. A question springs to mind: Why? Also: Why cats? We did have a conversation, wondering if wed reached peak cat and should choose a different animal, James said. Then we reminded ourselves: Theres an infinite appetite for cats on the Internet. As for why do it in the first place, James insists it isnt to make a joke. Its to strike a cute and furry blow against the depressing drumbeat of crass consumerism. We are constantly faced with a barrage of advertising which tells us that buying more stuff is the route to status and happiness, James said. Riding the Tube, or the Metro in Washington, can be a stressful experience. And I think adverts and the sort of pressure to consume, the pressure to adopt these products or lifestyles, isnt helping. He added: Wouldnt it be great if public spaces were designed to make you feel good rather than slightly inadequate? And so: cats. Lots and lots of cats even your cat, if you pledge enough money: $144 for a little square photo on a poster; $3,595 for an entire poster shot by a professional photographer. The Citizens Advertising Takeover Service is the work of a collective called Glimpse, a voluntary network of creative professionals that practices what James calls culture jamming. (Another Glimpse idea: a social platform that focuses on what people like to do outside of work. It would be called LinkedOut.) James said many people think theres no alternative to what he calls corporate control of public space. We wanted to strike a small blow for sanity, he said. As of Wednesday, the crowdfunding campaign details at catsnotads.com had about $26,000 to go before the May 21 deadline. James is 35 and works for an environmental outfit he would rather not name. He said he has visited Washington and ridden our Metro. He said he found it clean and reliable (ahem) but, It was made more stressful by the sheer number of ads faced by commuters on their way to work. Of course, ads in Washington tend to be for weapons systems or against legislation. Of Metro, James said: The one redeeming factor was that the windows were heavily tinted, so it was harder to see the adverts and, inexplicably, the names of the stations. The smoke doesnt help either, James. Hey, maybe we should launch a Kickstarter to fix Metro! Top donors could bring their cats aboard. Taking a stand While were in London and thinking about the subway, train buff Garth Burleyson of Colesville, Md., pointed me to a curious little experiment underway at the Holborn Tube station. Its the sort of thing that might infuriate Washingtonians: Riders are being encouraged to stand on the right and the left of the escalator. Holborn is one the systems busiest stations, with some of the longest escalators. Few passengers walk all the way up, and they were bunching up at the bottom, waiting for space to stand on the right. (Unlike on Metro, signs on the Tube instruct people to stand on the right.) Researchers from the London School of Economics suggested that encouraging people to stand next to one another might help. A previous trial found that standing on both sides of the escalator reduced congestion by 30 percent. Of the four escalators in Holborn, one will go down, one will go up and allow walking on the left, two will go up and be for standing on both sides. It may not seem right that you can go quicker by standing still, but our experiments at Holborn have proved that it can be true, said the Tubes Peter McNaught in a news release. The current six-month experiment at Holborn is to test different ways of persuading passengers to overcome years of habit and stand on both sides, from new signs to a ghostly talking projection of a staff member. I wondered whether passengers would feel uncomfortable standing next to a stranger on the slow ride up, but a spokeswoman for the Tube told me they havent had any issues with that. Would it work here? Twitter: @johnkelly For previous columns, visit washingtonpost.com/johnkelly. GEORGIA Guns on campuses bill vetoed by governor Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal (R) on Tuesday vetoed a bill allowing concealed handguns on college campuses, rejecting the proposal that was easily approved by a legislature controlled by his own party in an election year. The bill would have allowed anyone age 21 and over to carry a concealed handgun with the proper permit on a public college or university campus. The veto decision comes weeks after Deal rejected a bill shielding opponents of gay marriage. That measure was backed by conservative groups but blasted by businesses as discriminatory. After the bill passed the legislature, Deal, who is in his second and final term, asked members to pass follow-up bills addressing concerns about access to on-campus day-care centers, spaces where high-schools students can take college-level courses and where disciplinary hearings are held. They declined, saying the original bill was carefully considered. Associated Press TEXAS Man who intervened in family dispute killed A young soldier shot and wounded his wife outside a Dallas-area store and then gunned down a father of three who grabbed his own gun and tried to make a citizens arrest, authorities said. Arlington police say Anthony T.J. Antell Jr., 35, saw Ricci Bradden shoot at the feet of his wife during an argument Monday outside of a Walgreens where she works, striking her once. She fled inside the store to call for help. Antell, a gym owner who had served in the U.S. Marine Corps, retrieved a handgun from his vehicle and confronted Bradden in an attempt to make a citizens arrest, but Bradden managed to slap the gun away and then fatally shot Antell, investigators said. Antells wife witnessed the killing, police said. Bradden, a 22-year-old Army private, drove away and later turned himself in to authorities. At one point, he called his commanders at Fort Hood and confessed, according to an arrest warrant. From news services KENYA Baby is rescued days after building collapse A nearly 6-month-old girl was rescued Tuesday from the rubble of a building that collapsed last week in Nairobi, raising hopes for more survivors in the disaster, which has left 23 people dead and 93 missing. The child, identified by the Kenya Red Cross as Dealeryn Saisi Wasike, was found in the ruins of the seven-story building, which collapsed Friday night. The baby was found unharmed in a washtub, said Pius Masai of the National Disaster Management Unit, which is coordinating the rescue mission. Furniture had created pockets preventing columns from falling on her and allowing air to flow into the rubble, he said. The babys mother was found dead, Masai said. The babys father, Raslon Saisi Wasike, said his wife kept Dealeryn in a washtub when she was doing her household chores. The baby had no injuries and was being treated for dehydration, said Simon Ithai, a spokesman for Kenyatta National Hospital. The two owners of the collapsed building and 21 officials from the county government were taken into custody. With housing in high demand in Nairobi, some unscrupulous developers bypass regulations to cut costs and maximize profits. Associated Press SINGAPORE 8 Bangladeshis held on suspicion of ISIS links Singapore has detained eight Bangladeshi workers on suspicion of planning attacks linked to the Islamic State militant group in their home country, authorities said Tuesday. The Ministry of Home Affairs said the eight construction and marine workers were detained last month on suspicion of being members of the Islamic State in Bangladesh. The ministry said the suspects had intended to join the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria but discovered that it would be difficult to make their way there. The group then focused on returning to Bangladesh, it said. The suspects made plans to overthrow the democratically elected government through the use of force, establish an Islamic State in Bangladesh and bring it under ISIS self-declared caliphate, it added in a statement, using an acronym for the Islamic State. The group had also raised monies to purchase firearms to carry out their planned terror attacks in Bangladesh. The money has since been seized, it said. The ministry said an investigation revealed documents detailing possible targets in Bangladesh and a list of government and military officials. It said the groups suspected leader had guides on making weapons and bombs, as well as radical material from the Islamic State and al-Qaeda. Associated Press SPAIN King signs decree setting new election Spains king signed a decree Tuesday dissolving parliament and setting a new election for June 26 after legislators chosen in an inconclusive Dec. 20 vote failed to agree on the countrys next prime minister. King Felipe VI signed the order after the deadline for installing a new government passed. Spain has not had a repeat election since democracy was restored in the late 1970s. Spain has been in a political stalemate, and administered by a caretaker government led by conservative Popular Party leader Mariano Rajoy, since newcomer parties Podemos and Ciudadanos upset the long-standing dominance of the Popular Party and the Socialists in the election. No party won enough seats to form a government, and none could reach a sufficiently strong coalition deal. Polls suggest a repeat election is unlikely to break the deadlock. Associated Press 3 Red Cross workers abducted in Congo: Three employees of the International Committee of the Red Cross have been abducted in eastern Congo. The Congo-based Center of Study for the Promotion of Peace, Democracy and Human Rights said the three were working as drivers for the Red Cross. It said they were abducted in North Kivu province. Witnesses said the drivers were taken by militia fighters into the bush. Indian teen dies taking selfie with loaded gun: A teenager in India died after accidentally shooting himself while posing for a selfie with a loaded handgun held to his head, police said. Ramandeep Singh, 15, pulled the trigger while taking the picture with his smartphone at his home in Punjab state, police said. The handgun belonged to the teens father. India accounts for 19 of the worlds 49 recorded selfie-linked deaths since 2014. German anti-immigrant leader fined: A German court fined the anti-immigration group Pegidas best-known figure over comments on Facebook that it said incited hatred against migrants. The district court in Dresden said Lutz Bachmann has to pay 9,600 euros ($11,000) for calling foreigners cattle and trash online. Bachmann co-founded Pegida . From news services Syrian refugees await approval to enter Jordan at the Hadalat reception area on the Syrian-Jordanian border, about 200 miles northeast of the capital of Amman, Wednesday. (Raad Adayleh/AP) IRAN General warns U.S. on Strait of Hormuz The deputy commander of Irans powerful Revolutionary Guard Corps said Iranian forces will close the strategic Strait of Hormuz to the United States and its allies if they threaten the Islamic republic, Iranian state media reported Wednesday. The comments by Gen. Hossein Salami, carried on state television, follow a long history of both rhetoric and confrontation between Iran and the United States over the narrow strait, through which nearly a third of all oil traded by sea passes. Irans supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, on Monday criticized U.S. activities in the Persian Gulf. Americans should learn from recent historical truths, Salami said, probably referring to the January capture of 10 U.S. sailors who entered Iranian waters. The sailors were released less than a day later. If the Americans and their regional allies want to pass through the Strait of Hormuz and threaten us, we will not allow any entry, Salami said, without elaborating on what he and other leaders would consider a threat. Maryam, 34, sister, center holds Omar, 9, son of slain Ahmed Shehadeh, 36, who was shot and killed by Israeli troops, as they cry among mourners while taking the last look at his body during his funeral in the West Bank city of Ramallah, Wednesday. (Nasser Nasser/AP) Lt. Rick Chernitzer, a spokesman for the U.S. Navys 5th Fleet in Bahrain, said American sailors continue to operate in accordance with professional maritime standards and international law in the Persian Gulf region. Associated Press JORDAN 59,000 Syrians stranded on border The number of Syrian refugees gathered in remote desert areas on Jordans border and waiting to enter the kingdom has risen to a new high of 59,000, the commander of the countrys border forces said Wednesday. In the past three days alone, 5,000 more Syrians arrived in two makeshift camps on the border, fleeing fighting in the city of Aleppo, Gen. Saber al-Mahayreh told reporters. Jordan and the international community are at odds over the fate of the stranded refugees. Aid groups say Jordan must speed up entry procedures because the refugees live in dire conditions. Jordan says refugees pose a potential security risk, with some coming from areas controlled by the extremist Islamic State group, and need to be vetted. About 5 million Syrians have fled their country since conflict erupted there in 2011, with more than 640,000 registered and settled in Jordan. Associated Press EGYPT Journalists standoff with police intensifies Hundreds of Egyptian journalists rallied in Cairo on Wednesday in an escalating standoff with police, threatening a strike by media workers if their demands are not met. On the steps outside their union headquarters, they chanted Journalism is not a crime while demanding Interior Minister Magdy Abdel-Ghaffars departure after a police raid on the premises and the arrest of two journalists. Police severely restricted access to the headquarters. The union demanded the release of all detained journalists and a presidential apology by Tuesday, saying reporters were considering a strike if the demands were not met. The protests are the latest against the government of President Abdel Fatah al-Sissi, which has banned virtually all demonstrations and cracked down on dissent. A government decision to transfer two Red Sea islands to Saudi Arabia last month brought protesters into the streets on two occasions, marking the largest show of public defiance of Sissi since his election in 2014. The two journalists arrested Sunday were alleged to have called for protests over the decision to transfer the islands. Associated Press Yemen peace talks resume in Kuwait: U.N.-brokered talks aimed at ending Yemens civil war have resumed in Kuwait. U.N. envoy Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed said on Twitter that the talks began after all sides in the conflict agreed to form a committee to look into what happened in Amran province, which reportedly came under attack by Yemens Shiite rebels. That attack had halted earlier talks in Kuwait City. Yemens internationally recognized government, backed by a Saudi-led coalition, is fighting the rebels, known as Houthis. Egypt court acquits Mubarak-era premier of graft: A court in Egypt has acquitted a former prime minister of graft charges in the latest retrial linked to his time serving under longtime autocrat Hosni Mubarak. The court ruled that Ahmed Nazif has been absolved of the charges, including abuse of office, and that the ruling was final. Nazif served in the cabinet from 2004 until the 2011 uprising that forced Mubarak out. Many Mubarak-era figures have been cleared of corruption charges. Brazil attorney general seeks Rousseff investigation: Brazils attorney general has asked the countrys highest court to authorize an investigation into embattled President Dilma Rousseff over allegations of obstruction of justice, according to major news organizations. Rousseff was among 30 people, including ex-president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, reportedly targeted by Attorney General Rodrigo Janot. Janots request adds to the problems buffeting Rousseff. The Senate looks likely to vote next week to suspend her and move forward with impeachment. From news services Syrians gather on May 3 at the scene where rockets hit the Dubeet hospital in the Muhafaza neighborhood in Aleppo, Syria. (SANA via Associated Press) The May 1 editorial In Syria, time for Plan B called on President Obama to reconsider the failed U.S. program to train and equip the rebels in Syria. Last year, the Pentagon ended such a program. In one year, the Pentagon managed to train only a handful of rebels, despite spending hundreds of millions of dollars. While serious questions arose about the enormous price tag, I have other questions: Who are these rebels? Can we guarantee that the training wont be turned against U.S. troops or our interests? More weapons will only add more fuel to the raging fire of violence in the region. Years of spending billions and sending weapons have failed, so why should we double down? As the Pentagon retreads the same ground, Congress is missing in action. Despite newly announced troop deployments, House Speaker Paul D. Ryan (R-Wis.) refuses to allow a debate on authorizing use of force against the Islamic State. The past four presidents have bombed the Middle East with little or no oversight from Congress. Will we allow a fifth to continue these endless wars unchecked? Barbara Lee, Washington The writer, a Democrat, represents Californias 13th District in the House. In their May 1 op-ed, Georgetowns unwilling benefactors, Maxine Crump and Richard J. Cellini did not go far enough in their recommendations for compensating descendants of Georgetown Universitys slaves. Besides providing access to records and a Georgetown education, the university would do well to give preference in hiring to the descendants. The money accrued to Georgetown as a result of selling the slaves morally belongs to their descendants and should be returned at todays value. These are material gestures that in no way compensate for the horror inflicted on these peoples ancestors and for the ongoing repercussions that infiltrate their descendants lives. Rosalind Feldman, Rockville This month marks the 100th anniversary of the Sykes-Picot Agreement that formed Iraq, Syria and the other fragile nations of the modern Middle East. The past few weeks have provided dramatic new evidence, if more were needed, that the old colonial framework created by Britain and France isnt working. Iraq and Syria are coming apart: Iraq is effectively divided into three warring regions: a Sunni area ruled by the Islamic State, a Kurdish mini-state thats nearly autonomous, and a zone from the capital south thats controlled by the Shiite-led regime. A similar fragmented structure exists in Syria. Central government in both countries has vanished. From his mountain headquarters here overlooking Irbil, Kurdish national security adviser Masrour Barzani offers a frank judgment in an interview: For 100 years, a system has been in place in Iraq that has now failed. Iraq was never built on the right foundations. It was built to serve the interests of the great powers. A hundred years of failure is enough. We need to look at new options. A similar sense that Iraq and the region are at a crossroads is expressed by Barham Salih , a former prime minister of the Kurdistan Regional Government and former deputy prime minister of Iraq. We talked in Sulaymaniyah, 90 miles southeast of here, where he now runs the American University of Iraq-Sulaimani. After months of tensions, the political crisis in Iraq escalated with anti-government protesters storming into parliament. This is why they are protesting. (Claritza Jimenez/The Washington Post) This is not about a government reshuffle, argues Salih. The post-2003 political system put in place by the U.S. is unraveling. This is a new era. The choice is between a chaotic breakdown into warlordism or, possibly, a new constitutional arrangement that would create a more decentralized, confederal Iraq. During my visit to Iraq, I heard similar views from every Kurdish leader I met, and from some Sunnis, too. Iraq and Syria are at an inflection point, they argued. The immediate priority is to defeat the Islamic State. But the United States should be talking with its allies about a future political structure an alternative to the lines in the sand drawn by Sir Mark Sykes and Francois Georges-Picot, and to the United States post-2003 misadventure in neocolonialism. For a model of how the United States should think creatively about fixing this catastrophe, look at American policy in 1944. Victory in World War II was still a blood-soaked year away. But President Franklin D. Roosevelt had the foresight to begin thinking carefully about the institutions that would maintain peace and prosperity after the war. By the end of that year, detailed planning had begun for the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank and the United Nations. Heres a challenge for the rest of President Obamas term and the first months in office of the next president: Start building the foundations for a new order in the Middle East that can provide better security, governance and economic well-being for Sunnis, Shiites and Kurds, and for the smaller minorities that are interwoven in the fabric of the region. Help the peoples of this shattered region build and maintain governance structures that work. The Kurds may force the question soon, with a referendum that will ask their people whether they want an independent Iraqi Kurdistan. The United States should support such a process, but if and only if its created through a negotiated agreement with the central government in Baghdad. Many Sunni and Shiite leaders in Iraq have told me privately they favor a new constitution for a confederal Iraq that would include a Sunni regional government, as well as a Kurdish one. A similar negotiation for a loose federal or confederal Syria should be part of the political transition there, too. Trying to hammer the pieces into unitary states just wont work. America tried and failed in Iraq. Now, Iran, too, finds itself unable to maintain order there. Thats the lesson of last weeks mayhem in the Shiite-dominated Iraqi parliament, which was largely an internal Shiite-on-Shiite quarrel. The Iranians are making the same mistakes the U.S. did after 2003, explains one prominent Iraqi. They went in too heavy. They thought they could do it all. But the Shiite monolith is breaking down. Fixing a shattered Middle East is the work of a generation. But its past time for the United States, Europe, Russia, Saudi Arabia and Iran to start thinking urgently with the people of Syria and Iraq about new structures that will finally cure the mistakes and injustices of a century ago. Read more from David Ignatiuss archive, follow him on Twitter or subscribe to his updates on Facebook. DETROIT TEACHERS are waging another sickout, and this time nearly every public school in the city has been closed for two days. First thoughts naturally go to the students who are losing instruction time. But even when schools are in session, not a lot of learning seems to go on in Detroit, which ranks as the worst-performing big-city system in the country. It will take a lot more than money and returning teachers to the classroom to improve the options for Detroit students. Rather than tinkering with a failing system, city and state officials need to consider more sweeping changes. Students at 94 of 97 public schools in Detroit were sidelined Monday and Tuesday after the teachers union called for a sickout because of concerns over the systems troubled finances. Faced with staggering debt, the system is operating on an emergency infusion of $48.7 million in state aid that will run out June 30. Unless the state passes a rescue plan, the system wont be able to pay teachers for work they do after April 28. Teachers are right to be concerned. But the sickouts which have been employed with increasing frequency in Detroit this year to protest everything from class sizes to the poor physical condition of schools disrupt the lives of 40,000 students and their families. The tactic also may cause Michigan lawmakers, already hesitant about approving a $720 million proposed bailout, to dig in their heels. The sickouts dont lend much credibility to the claim of Detroit Federation of Teachers interim President Ivy Bailey that Teachers want to be in the classroom giving children a chance to learn and reach their potential. The fundamental fact of Detroit schools is academic failure. According to results of the 2015 National Assessment for Educational Progress, the nations report card, only 5 percent of Detroit fourth-graders and 4 percent of eighth-graders were proficient in math; reading was a tad less disastrous with 6 percent of fourth-graders and 7 percent of eighth-graders proficient. Families with the wherewithal have fled the system. State control and a succession of emergency managers have been unable to bring change. The indictment in March of a dozen school principals on federal charges of operating a bribery and kickback scheme was a reminder of the adult self-interest embedded in the system. Gov. Rick Snyder (R) has put forth a plan to split the system into two districts (one focused on educating students and the other on dealing with debt) while the Detroit school board has gone to court seeking to regain local control. Mr. Snyders plan probably has the most potential, but lawmakers would do well to consider whether even bolder action is needed. Particularly promising is a proposal by state Rep. Tim Kelly (R) to greatly expand school choice options, including offering vouchers to students to attend private schools. Vouchers could offer students a way out of failing schools where they are being treated as pawns and patsies. Now that the contours of the general election are reasonably predictable, it is time to start thinking about the tripartite institutional reckoning that should come in Novembers aftermath for the media, Republicans and Democrats. For the media, the assessment is simple, and unsparing: We underperformed our constitutionally protected role. Sure, every campaign cycle features hand-wringing over the primacy of the horse race over the substance. This one feels demonstrably worse. Mesmerized by the bright, shiny object that is Donald Trump, we collectively failed to plumb his gaping lack of policy knowledge and proposals. Not completely, just not enough, and way too late. And not just his: Distracted by Trump, we let the whole field off the hook. The purely commercial explanation for this dereliction would be that the media, television in particular, didnt want to kill the golden goose of traffic. Thats too simplistic and too sinister. I think we also believed that exposing Trumps outrage du jour was doing our job, and would, eventually, sink him. Trumps bombastic imperviousness to serious questioning television hosts and debate questioners gamely tried, only to see him talk out the clock contributed as well. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump held a campaign event at Trump Tower in Manhattan, after sweeping the Indiana primary. (Victoria Walker/The Washington Post) The resulting paradox was that, until recently, Trump was a candidate who made himself more constantly available than any in modern memory, yet evaded serious questioning. Would voters, particularly those tempted by Trump, have cared? Perhaps not they arent supporting him for his tax plan. But that isnt the test. Our role is, or should be, to provide the information essential for voters to make an informed decision. We fell short. Republicans November reckoning could be even uglier. The party has lost the popular vote in five of the past six presidential elections. Given Democrats inherent Electoral College advantage and Trumps unpopularity, Republicans appear headed to lose the White House again, along, perhaps, with control of the Senate. The party faces fundamental, interconnected decisions about what ideological path to embrace, how to attract voters in a changing America and how to manage the angry, populist, anti-establishment forces unleashed by Trump. To look back at the GOPs post-2012 autopsy report is to conclude that Democrats read the document and sent Trump as a Manchurian candidate to further alienate voters. Public perception of the Party is at record lows, the report concluded. Young voters are increasingly rolling their eyes at what the Party represents, and many minorities wrongly think that Republicans do not like them or want them in the country. Trump makes that bad situation worse, but he is not a cause of the partys problems; he is a symptom of them. The risk embedded in a Trump nomination assuming a Trump loss in the general election is that Republicans will derive the wrong lesson. The partys most conservative members will argue that Trumps failure was a matter of insufficient orthodoxy, and that the one true path to electoral success would have been to nominate a Ted Cruz-like true believer. If Republicans were doomed or, more accurately, doomed themselves to lose in 2016, it would have been better for them to lose with Cruz, who dropped out on Tuesday night. That would at least have had the cleansing, Goldwateresque effect of proving the conservative argument wrong and returning power to the suppressed voices of reason within the party. Now, that fight seems destined to be rerun in 2020. Democrats have their own rethinking to do, even if they retain the White House. Beneath the presidential level, their party is in dire shape. Since 2008, Democrats have lost 69 House seats, 13 Senate seats, 12 governorships and 900-plus seats in state legislatures. That drains the party of legislative power and empties its bench. Meantime, Clinton would take office with historically high negative ratings and be the first Democrat since Grover Cleveland in 1885 to be elected to a first term without the partys complete control of Congress. Perhaps chastened Republicans will feel a new urge to conciliation and productivity, but the experience of the Obama presidency suggests a rockier path. Finally, mirroring the Republicans with Trump, Democrats need to grapple with their ideological future and the restive forces of economic anxiety and anti-establishment anger given voice by Bernie Sanders. His presence in the race has been no boon to Clinton, but it did jump-start a necessary, unfinished debate over the partys path ahead and what will be the contours of a post-Bill Clinton, post-Obama Democratic Party. November is not the conclusion of an argument. It is, or should be, the beginning of a self-examination by all the players in this dispiriting campaign. Read more from Ruth Marcuss archive, follow her on Twitter or subscribe to her updates on Facebook. Supreme Court Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg, left, and Anthony M. Kennedy, and Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr., attend a private ceremony in the Great Hall of the Supreme Court for Justice Antonin Scalia on Feb. 19. (Jacquelyn Martin/AP) Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. on Wednesday shrugged off any difficulty the Supreme Court might be having reaching consensus with an equal number of ideologically divided justices. Roberts seemed careful not to say anything that would aid either Democrats demanding that the Senate vote on President Obamas nominee, Judge Merrick Garland, or Republicans who say the next president should name the replacement for Justice Antonin Scalia. At a meeting of judges, he was asked by Judge William J. Riley, chief judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 8th Circuit, about any difficulty the court was having without a full contingent of nine justices. Well, you know most of our cases I dont think many people realize it most of our cases are not 5 to 4, Roberts said at the conference. Its a pretty small percentage that are. [Supreme Court takes unusual action to find compromise] The Fix's Amber Phillips breaks down three ways the Merrick Garland nomination could play out. Which do you think is most likely? (Peter Stevenson/The Washington Post) Roberts took less than a minute to address the issue, saying that sometimes we talk about cases longer to see if we can reach some type of agreement. But thats it. Its a great loss, the loss of Justice Scalia, and there are reasons most appellate courts have an odd number of judges. But the process is pretty much what it has been. Since Scalias death Feb. 13, the court already has said it was deadlocked on several cases. And while it is true that only a small percentage of the courts cases are decided 5 to 4, the most important ones often are. [Supreme Court splits on public union case] And some court experts have said that the courts pace of accepting controversial cases has slowed, because justices do not want to accept cases for which it cannot provide a definitive answer. The court now has four consistent liberals and four justices who most often vote on the conservative side. But in public appearances, the justices have been reluctant to say that the court is having difficulty without a deciding vote. Roberts was even shy about repeating past comments on how political polarization in Washington was affecting the perception of the court and the judiciary in general. [Roberts says politics hurting perception of court] Riley reminded Roberts of those remarks and asked, Do you want to expand on that at all? No, Roberts responded. The crowd laughed, but Roberts did not say more. Riley told the crowd: His message was that were not political. Well, that is the case, Roberts said. All of us who became judges, some have a public service background, but you all know when we take the judicial oath . . . we have a new responsibility, and thats the responsibility we need to focus on and carry out. Roberts was more forthcoming in February, days before Scalias unexpected death, when he worried about the publics perception of the court being influenced by partisan politics, and he said that the problem started with the confirmation process. When you have a sharply political, divisive hearing process, it increases the danger that whoever comes out of it will be viewed in those terms. If the Democrats and Republicans have been fighting so furiously about whether youre going to be confirmed, its natural for some member of the public to think, well, you must be identified in a particular way as a result of that process, he said at a law school appearance in Boston. And thats just not how we dont work as Democrats or Republicans. The partisan perception is influenced by the fact that for the first time in generations, the courts conservatives are all Republican appointees, and the four liberals were nominated by Democrats. For decades, there had been at least one liberal Republican nominee or conservative Democratic choice. A federal judge on Wednesday directed State Department officials and top aides to Hillary Clinton to answer questions under oath by June 29 about whether they intentionally thwarted federal open-records laws by allowing Clintons use of a private email server throughout her tenure as secretary of state from 2009 to 2013. The decision by U.S. District Judge Emmet G. Sullivan in Washington sets the stage for responses before Julys presidential nominating conventions but does not ensure cooperation from at least six current and former top officials, including Cheryl D. Mills, who was Clintons chief of staff at State; Huma Abedin, Millss deputy who now is vice chairman of Clintons Democratic presidential campaign; and Bryan Pagliano, a Clinton staff member during her 2008 presidential campaign who helped set up the private server. While Sullivan did not permit questioning of Clinton herself for now, he wrote that the conservative legal watchdog group Judicial Watch may ask to do so later if it thinks based on information learned during discovery, the deposition of Mrs. Clinton may be necessary. Sullivans 15-page written opinion and order came after lawyers for the government agreed to a narrowed scope of questions requested by Judicial Watch. The group filed a lawsuit over its 2013 public-records request for information concerning Abedins employment arrangement. For six months in 2012, Abedin was employed simultaneously by the State Department, the Clinton Foundation, Clintons personal office and a private consulting firm connected to the Clintons. The State Department released 52,000 pages of Hillary Clintons emails as part of a court-ordered process. Here's what else we learned from the publicly released emails. (Monica Akhtar/The Washington Post) Sullivan authorized Judicial Watch to seek answers about the creation and operation of Clintons email system for official State Department business, and the departments handling of Freedom of Information Act requests that could involve Clintons and Abedins emails. The court also directed the department to explain in writing by May 25 which employees had and/or used an account on the Clinton system; who handled records requests for the secretary offices emails; who inventoried Clintons and Abedins records and information; and who handled the Judicial Watch FOIA request. [How Huma Abedin operated at the center of the Clinton universe] This was a scheme designed to thwart transparency, and its come undone, Judicial Watch President Thomas J. Fitton said in an interview after the judges order. Were going to get facts that have been withheld from the American people, and hopefully figure out a way to make sure that all the records that should have been reviewed and released to the public are done so as required. Fitton said that while government lawyers have indicated that State Department employees will be available for questioning, Judicial Watch will have to issue subpoenas to former employees, and it is not clear whether they will object. Pagliano, for example, invoked his Fifth Amendment rights before a House panel in September and was granted immunity by the Justice Department as part of a criminal investigation by the FBI into the possible mishandling of classified information. Attorneys for Pagliano, Abedin and Mills did not respond to requests for comment on the judges action. The Justice Department also declined a request for comment. View Graphic Catch up on the controversy and read the emails Clinton campaign spokesman Brian Fallon said while the campaign continues to monitor developments in Judicial Watchs many, politically motivated FOIA lawsuits, the campaigns focus remained on the Justice Departments investigation into whether laws were violated by the server arrangement. Hillary Clinton has long expressed her willingness to cooperate in that review in order to help them complete their work, Fallon said. We remain confident that [the] review will affirm that nothing inappropriate took place. [U.S. judge orders discovery to go forward over Clintons private email system] In Feb. 23 remarks from the bench, Sullivan criticized the government for a constant drip of shifting explanations after it was disclosed in March 2015 that Clinton exclusively used a personal server for government business while at State and that several aides also used the server or personal email addresses. Sullivan said the server arrangement allowed Clinton and other former employees to decide after the fact what government records to disclose, apparently without ensuring that State records were secured within the departments own systems. On Wednesday, Sullivan wrote that while the department argued that it did not have to search Clintons server because it did not possess or control it at the time, such a defense did not apply when an agency purposefully sought to circumvent a FOIA request. Sullivan barred questions on the substance of Abedins employment arrangements, the handling of classified information or other matters subject to pending FBI or law enforcement investigations. Others designated for deposition are Undersecretary for Management Patrick F. Kennedy; Stephen D. Mull, executive secretary at State from June 2009 to October 2012; and Lewis A. Lukens, executive director of the executive secretariat from 2008 to 2011. Hillary Clinton is seen aboard the campaign bus in Cleveland on the third day of a bus tour through Pennsylvania and Ohio. July 31, 2016 Hillary Clinton is seen aboard the campaign bus in Cleveland on the third day of a bus tour through Pennsylvania and Ohio. Melina Mara/The Washington Post The former secretary of state, senator and first lady is the Democratic nominee for president. The former secretary of state has clinched the Democratic nomination for president. The former secretary of state has clinched the Democratic nomination for president. Congressional Democrats set out on a mission Wednesday to tie Donald Trump to every possible Republican running in competitive down-ballot races, following the real estate moguls elevation to the GOPs presumptive presidential nominee. In memos, in news releases and across social media, Democrats tried to take advantage of Trumps unchallenged hold on the presidential nomination by linking Republican incumbents to his controversial statements and proposals on the campaign trail. Democrats believe Trumps triumph will allow them to make electoral inroads that could flip the Senate to their control and provide major gains in the House. The bottom line is, the battlefield is going to shift in our favor, Kelly Ward, executive director of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, said Wednesday. Her committee issued a memo to the Colorado news media highlighting Trumps positions and how they will play in the highly competitive race involving Rep. Mike Coffman (R), who represents Denvers eastern suburbs. The memo was headlined Coffman and Trump: Welcome to the Trump ticket. In New Hampshire, Gov. Maggie Hassan (D) is in a closely watched Senate contest with the GOP incumbent Kelly Ayotte. On Wednesday, Hassan denounced the Donald Trump-Kelly Ayotte Republican Ticket, in an effort to link the incumbent to Trumps views on defunding Planned Parenthood and blocking the consideration of Supreme Court nominee Merrick Garland. That came as Ayotte, back home for the congressional recess this week, told local media that she would support but not formally endorse Trump. Positions like those have boosted Democratic hopes. Republicans can either embrace Trump or distance themselves, but either prospect risks alienating some important bloc of voters. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), for instance, walked a fine line in a statement Friday evening that noted his previous commitment to supporting the GOP nominee without explicitly endorsing Trump or his platform. Republicans are committed to preventing what would be a third term of Barack Obama and restoring economic and national security after eight years of a Democrat in the White House, McConnell said. As the presumptive nominee, he now has the opportunity and the obligation to unite our party around our goals. Majority control of the Senate, which was considered a close call before primary voters starting going to the polls in February, is now getting more difficult by the week for Republicans. One analyst, Charlie Cook, now gives Democrats a 60 percent chance of reclaiming the majority. Trumps rise has Democratic strategists salivating at the prospect of expanding the Senate battleground from states that were already expected to be competitive in a place as inhospitable as Arkansas. In 2010 and 2014, well-funded Democratic incumbents could not even get 40 percent of the vote there. Illustrating the perceived potency of a Trump nomination, Connor Eldridge, the Democratic challenger waging an uphill fight against Sen. John Boozman of Arkansas, released a lengthy web video this week that included a variety of misogynistic comments by Trump alongside Boozmans pledge to support the eventual GOP presidential nominee. The video has drawn more than 90,000 views and media coverage in Arkansas and nationally. Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Tex.) said Tuesday on Fox Business that he had no fear of losing the House until I saw the Eldridge commercial. This is a dangerous time, he said. Republicans, however, pointed to the already well-structured, well-financed campaigns that their incumbents have built in anticipation of a rocky relationship with their presidential nominee since Trump and his main rival, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Tex.), surged to the front of the pack earlier this year. As Donald Trump appeared to soon be the last candidate standing in the race for the GOP nomination, Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton tweeted this video, showing Republicans launching attacks at Trump. (Hillary Clinton) GOP strategists signaled Wednesday that they intended to run their campaigns against the likely Democratic nominee, Hillary Clinton, whose favorable ratings are at an all-time low. Republicans will continue to lay out their visions to help our country recover from eight years of the Obama economy and get people back to work. There is a reason Democrats arent lining up to campaign with Hillary Clinton. She is a toxic candidate whose failed leadership has put the security of our country at risk, said Andrea Bozek, spokeswoman for the National Republican Senatorial Committee. Additionally, Republican super PACs for congressional candidates will probably see their cash advantage grow as some conservatives have signaled their intention to move resources from the presidential campaign to Senate and House races. This week, Freedom Partners Action Fund, one of several groups aligned with billionaires Charles and David Koch, unleashed a $2 million media campaign against Wisconsin Democrat Russ Feingold, a month after another Koch-aligned group, Americans for Prosperity, unveiled a more than $1 million round of ads praising Feingolds opponent, Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) The Senate field has been largely set for several months. The first tier of Republican seats at risk are five incumbents running for their first reelection in states that President Obama won twice, along with the seat of retiring Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.). A second tier of seats includes GOP incumbents in North Carolina, Missouri, Arizona and Iowa who were once considered safe but could be in trouble depending on how Trump performs. Democrats, facing a difficult race in one seat of their own, that of retiring Minority Leader Harry M. Reid (Nev.), need to win just four seats to claim the majority if Clinton wins the presidency. House Democrats have been racing to confront this new reality, trying to line up candidates in districts that previously seemed securely in Republican hands. But House Republicans dismiss claims that their majority is at risk. The road back to majority for House Democrats this cycle doesnt exist, and they know it, said Katie Martin, spokeswoman for the National Republican Congressional Committee. Ohio Gov. John Kasich (R), who ran as a sunny, center-right prince of light and hope but won only his home-state primary, bowed out of the presidential race Wednesday with a reflective speech in Columbus. Throughout this campaign, I said the Lord may have another purpose for me, Kasich said. As I suspend my campaign today, I have renewed faith, deeper faith, that the Lord will show me the way forward and purpose for my life. The departure fully clears the field for front-runner Donald Trump to become the GOP nominee. Another rival, Sen. Ted Cruz (Tex.), ended his bid Tuesday night. Kasich, 63, entered the race with an impressive resume: 18 years in the House, where he built a reputation as a budget cutter; a stint as a Fox News Channel host; and five years as the popular governor of a presidential swing state. He ran as a pragmatic conservative, one who had defied his own party and expanded Medicaid, the federal health-care program for the poor, in Ohio. People have accused me of, at times, having too big a heart, Kasich said in one GOP debate. 1 of 19 Full Screen Autoplay Close Skip Ad Candidates who have dropped out of the 2016 race so far, and why View Photos With the primary season in full swing, several have dropped out in recent days. Caption With the primary season in full swing, several have dropped out in recent days. John Kasich Ohio Gov. John Kasich (R), who ran as a sunny, center-right prince of light and hope but won only his home-state primary, bowed out of the presidential race on Wednesday with a reflective speech in Columbus. Read the story Kyle Grillot/For the Washington Post Wait 1 second to continue. That centrist appeal made him stand out in a year when candidates scrambled to the right. In polls, Kasich seemed like the GOPs most formidable general-election candidate. But he never got there. Kasich was the last serious candidate to enter the race, one he had spent 16 years preparing for. In 1999, as the chairman of the House Budget Committee, he had run for president on the bipartisan success of balancing the nations books for the first time since the 1960s. He flamed out quickly and later admitted to New Hampshire audiences that he wasnt ready for the big job. Seemingly done with politics, he took a job at Lehman Brothers and hosted Fox Newss Heartland, which spotlighted inspirational stories amid discussions of politics. He wrote three books in the same vein. In 2010, with a voter backlash creating an unexpected opportunity in Ohio, he ran against Gov. Ted Strickland (D) and won. In 2014, after his Democratic opponent was felled by scandal, he won reelection in a landslide. That encouraged Kasich to make another run for the White House as did the failure of former Florida governor Jeb Bush to gain any traction. Suddenly, a politician known by his foes for sarcasm and a short attention span was running as an optimistic party savior. The new Kasich, like the one who had hosted Heartland, was part candidate and part life coach. Pacing around a stage in shirt sleeves and chinos, Kasich would frequently single out young people in the audience and give them impromptu life lessons. God made you special, he said at one of his last town halls, in Connecticut. Do you know that? Did anyone ever tell you that? Theres never been anybody like you, and there never will be anyone like you again. You were put here for a purpose. John Kasich was never going to be president. The Fix's Chris Cillizza explains why. (Peter Stevenson/The Washington Post) That message, a disastrous debate for Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), and a surge from independent voters helped Kasich place second in New Hampshires primary. By the end of February, he was the last Republican governor in the race. The high point of Kasichs campaign came on March 15, when he won the Ohio primary. He was showered in confetti and promised to return to Ohio this fall as the GOP nominee. Im getting ready to rent a covered wagon, he said then. Were going to have a big sail and have the wind blow us to the Rocky Mountains and over the mountains to California. It was an odd metaphor but an apt one. After Ohio, Kasich performed about as well as somebody trying to cross the Rockies in a sail-powered wagon. Kasich made odd strategic choices. He campaigned in Utah, even though rival Cruz was expected to dominate there and did, as the slow-building #NeverTrump movement warned Kasich that he was splitting the vote. Kasich campaigned in New York, the home turf of rival Trump, and hurt his own cause when he seemed to explain Judaism to Jewish voters in Brooklyn. In the end, Kasich was trounced in the East Coast states where he was expected to do best. In six primaries, he won just a single county: Manhattan. The rest all went to Trump. Having argued that he could slow Trump down in states where Cruz was toxic, he was right only about Cruz. The mogul soon applied one of his famous nicknames to Kasich: One-for-38. At each stop, Kasich promised not to take the low road to the White House. One of his most reliable applause lines, it frequently neutralized him as a potential critic of Trump. The day he won Ohio, he told reporters that he had been watching video clips of women reading insulting Trump quotes (a product of the anti-Trump Our Principles PAC) and would have something to say about it soon. He never mentioned the quotes again. In Indiana, Kasich first appeared to agree to a deal with Cruz, in which Kasich would withdraw and leave Cruz to face Trump alone. In turn, Kasich would not be challenged by Cruz in two later and less-critical states, Oregon and New Mexico. But Kasich appeared to undercut that deal quickly by saying that his supporters in Indiana should not shift their votes. Ive never told them not to vote for me, they ought to vote for me, he said. Strategists for both camps were both convinced that they had snookered the other. Cruz even chided reporters for calling the deal an alliance, as it was clear that Indiana voters had turned on it. For weeks, it had been clear that Kasich could not clinch the Republican nomination with the delegates still available to be won in primaries. In fact, even as the race dwindled to three active candidates, Kasich was in fourth place with fewer delegates than Sen. Marco Rubio (Fla.), who had dropped out weeks earlier. Fundraising was also a problem: The governor raised less than $17 million in all by the end of March, forcing him to run a lean campaign. He began April with just $1.1 million in the bank. (Cruz, by comparison, raised nearly $80 million.) Because of his meager fundraising, Kasich has leaned heavily on two super PACs, which together brought in more than $26 million and financed much of his television advertising. Kasichs last hope was that Trump also would be denied 1,237 delegates and that he would be chosen in an open party convention. By late April, his delegate-hunters were having some success in electing allies in states like Indiana and teaming up with Cruz forces to win delegates in Arizona. On Wednesday morning, the delegate team was still at work when the word came in: The campaign was over. Kasich had actually boarded the plane that was set to take him to Washington for a news conference and fundraiser. Then, he had huddled with aides, and decided to stay home and end the campaign. He would use his last moment in the national spotlight for one more session of life coaching, a 20-minute speech that touched on everything from the majesty of Michigans Upper Peninsula to the hugs he had given at town halls. I believe we all need to live a life bigger than ourselves, Kasich said. We are, as human beings, kind of hard-wired to give someone else a lift, to give someone else an opportunity. Matea Gold contributed to this report. Protesters march to show their opposition to what they called Hate Bill 2, a measure actually titled House Bill 2, which they urged lawmakers to repeal as legislators convened for a short session in Raleigh, N.C., on April 25, 2016. (Reuters) The federal government took on North Carolinas controversial bathroom bill Wednesday, giving the governor until Monday to pledge that he will walk away from the law, which Justice Department officials said violates civil rights. The state risks losing hundreds of millions of dollars in federal funding if Gov. Pat McCrory (R) defies the warning and maintains his support for the measure, which requires transgender people to use bathrooms that correspond to the gender on their birth certificates. The move sets up a confrontation between the Democratic administration and the Republican state leadership, whose swift passage of the law in an unusual March special session led to widespread public outcry, boycotts and calls for its repeal from corporate leaders. At least five federal agencies are weighing whether to withhold funds from the state. Among them is the Education Department, which, according to budget documents, provides more than $4 billion in assistance to North Carolina, much of it in the form of student loans. A spokeswoman at the Education Department said its review was ongoing. The Justice Departments evaluation that it considers the law a violation of the 1964 federal Civil Rights Act and its ban on discrimination based on sex came in a letter from Vanita Gupta, the head of the Civil Rights Division. The letter was previously reported by the Charlotte Observer but confirmed to The Washington Post. McCrory, who has defended the law as a preservation of privacy, did not respond to requests for comment. But he said in an appearance on local television Wednesday that he thought the Justice Department letter was a pretty sweeping conclusion from one federal agency about a law he described as a very common-sense rule. North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory accused the Department of Justice of "Washington overreach May 4, after the federal department said that North Carolinas bathroom law violates federal civil rights. ( / AP) This is no longer just a North Carolina issue, because this conclusion by the Department of Justice impacts every state, every university and almost every employer in the United States of America, he said. James D. Esseks, who directs the Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender and HIV Project at the American Civil Liberties Union, hailed the move for that very reason. Its important that North Carolina understand it cant pass a discriminatory law, he said in an interview. Also, its important that every other state understand that if it passes a similarly discriminatory law, it will pay a similar price. The law, enacted to prevent local governments from extending civil rights protections to gay and transgender people, has sparked controversy across the country, including heated opposition from business groups and a host of major companies. At least two companies PayPal and Deutsche Bank said they were scrapping planned expansions in North Carolina because of the law, moves that would cost the state hundreds of jobs as well as millions of dollars that state officials had said the companies would bring to the local economies. Several states have introduced and passed religious freedom bills in the aftermath of last years Supreme Court decision legalizing gay marriage across the country. On Wednesday, a group of Illinois students and parents sued the Obama administration, arguing that the Education Department is illegally forcing local authorities to let children use facilities that correspond to their gender identity. The same day, a small city in Alabama recalled its own bathroom ordinance, one that punished violators with up to six months in jail and had been passed a week earlier. A Justice Department official said the decision to send the letter was not especially controversial, although it was reviewed by high-level officials. Administration officials debated whether the threatened loss of federal funds might be counterproductive at a time when public pressure from businesses, faith groups and other constituencies had persuaded some states to resist targeting transgender individuals. The Obama administration has not been shy, however, in staking out its position on the issue. Then-Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. said in a memo in 2014 that workplace discrimination on the basis of gender identity is prohibited under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. A federal appeals court in Richmond recently ruled that a transgender teens discrimination lawsuit against a Virginia school board could move forward. The teen, who was born female but now identifies as a boy, alleged that the school board his civil rights when it passed a policy banning him from the boys bathroom. The Obama administration filed a statement of interest backing the student in that case and another statement of interest supporting a transgender teen in Michigan who sued school officials for not accommodating him and for allegedly failing to address bullying. Religious freedom proposals are being weighed in nearly a dozen states after the Supreme Court legalized gay marriage. (Claritza Jimenez/The Washington Post) The U.S. Education Departments Office of Civil Rights previously found that an Illinois school district violated the law when it banned a transgender girl from the girls locker room. Department officials told the district that it risked losing federal funding if it did not accommodate the student. And President Obama, in a youth town hall in London, said the law in North Carolina and a similar one in Mississippi are wrong and should be overturned. I think its very important for us not to send signals that anybody is treated differently, he said. North Carolina Attorney General Roy Cooper (D) has already said he would not defend his states law, and in a statement Wednesday, he called on the governor to advocate for its repeal. Enough is enough, said Cooper, who will face McCrory in a competitive gubernatorial election in November. Its time for the governor to put our schools and economy first and work to repeal this devastating law. McCrory, who signed the law in March, has repeatedly defended the measure since then, arguing that it is needed to protect peoples privacy. He has criticized what he described as a vicious nationwide smear campaign against the measure and claimed that Obamas goal is to force our high schools to allow boys in girls restrooms. Transgender advocate Candis Cox, 35, of Raleigh called the federal intervention a true triumph. Having the Justice Department on our side says that this is not just a matter of social discretion or saying theres something morally wrong here, she said, but this is something that goes against our country and the laws that we as a nation put into place. Moriah Balingit, Emma Brown, Juliet Eilperin and Sandhya Somashekhar contributed to this report. President Obama arrived here Wednesday to check in on a disadvantaged city that has been denied a most elemental government service safe drinking water but his visit turned into an outpouring of emotion from a community aggrieved by years of neglect from its elected officials. The presidents day in a city that has become a national symbol of disenfranchisement was intended to bolster confidence over a public health crisis related to toxic levels of lead contamination in Flints tap water. Obama drank from a glass filled with filtered Flint water to drive home his message that recovery efforts, slow off the mark, were finally making gains. Yet it seemed that it was the presidents mere presence that most buoyed the predominantly African American crowd of 1,000 at Northwestern Community High School, where signs above the schools water fountains read Do not drink until further notice. I see you and I hear you, Obama told the crowd. A lot of you are scared; all of you feel let down. . . . But I want to tell you that Ive got your back, that were paying attention. The president met with local and federal officials to review the response to a problem that began in April 2014, when a state- appointed city administrator approved a switch of Flints water source without required chemicals to prevent lead from being leached off water-service pipes. Obama also spoke with local residents and he singled out for praise 8-year-old Mari Copeny, whose letter to the president was cited by the White House as the spur for his visit. 1 of 37 Full Screen Autoplay Close Skip Ad RECAP: The controversial case over dangerous lead in water in a Michigan city View Photos Anger over high levels of lead in the water in Flint has led the mayor to declare a state of emergency. Caption Anger over high levels of lead in the water in Flint has led the mayor to declare a state of emergency. Jan. 25, 2016 Flint resident Angela Hickmon, 56, chants during a protest outside City Hall in downtown Flint. Jake May/The Flint Journal-MLive.com via AP Wait 1 second to continue. Obama emphasized that he was not interested in assigning blame, but the crowd clearly was: Boos and catcalls filled the auditorium when Gov. Rick Snyder (R), who has apologized for the states mishandling of the crisis, made brief remarks. State officials initially denied there was a problem after residents began complaining of rashes and other reactions to water that had turned brown. The governor offered his first acknowledgment of the contamination last fall. Snyder, taking the stage at the high school, apologized for a second time and tried to empathize with the crowd. I understand why youre frustrated, he said. You didnt create the problem. Government failed you. The crowd remained unconvinced, and Snyder looked uncomfortable as he quickly finished his remarks, with audience members trying to shout him down. By contrast, Obama, on the same stage a short time later, drew hearty and extended cheers and applause. Can I get some water? Obama asked after he coughed during his remarks, drawing cheers from the crowd. An aide handed him a glass a few minutes later and he took a sip, after noting it had been filtered. The Obama administration sent Flint $5 million after declaring a federal state of emergency in the city in January. On Wednesday, Obama announced modest additional resources a $10 million allocation from Health and Human Services for new Medicare facilities, including $1 million to test and treat residents for lead poisoning or other complications from the water. Meeting with federal and local officials at an area food bank, Obama told reporters that Flint had suffered a hard time and neglect long before this particular crisis. He added that the water contamination was a symptom of the broader issue and that is a city that has lost a lot of resources, lost a lot of its tax base, was cutting a lot of its services for years. Our goal here, the president added, is to use this moment in which everybodys attention is focused to see if we can start rebuilding Flint in a better direction. Im confident we are going to do that if we are all working together. In an attempt to boost spirits, he also made the point that he was a child during an era when there were far fewer rules banning lead-based paint and he ended up healthy. Im sure when I was 2 years old I was somewhere eating a paint chip, he said with a chuckle, and he encouraged parents to get medical checkups for their children. They will be fine . . . as long as were looking after them. The presidents visit had drawn criticism from some Republicans, who said that he was exploiting the political divide over the socioeconomically disadvantaged city. The two Democratic presidential candidates, Hillary Clinton and Sen. Bernie Sanders (Vt.), had visited Flint, including for a debate in March, while the GOP candidates have stayed away. In his remarks, Obama did not talk about his Republican rivals directly, but he emphasized that the political debate over public investment in critical infrastructure was fundamentally one about protecting the public good and being fair to disadvantaged communities. Flints overseers had been attempting to cut costs when they approved the switch in water source for the citys tap water. This was a man-made disaster. This was avoidable, Obama said. Part of what contributed to this crisis was a broader mind-set, a bigger attitude, a corrosive attitude that exists in our politics. . . . It undervalues the common good and says, Were all on our own. Referring obliquely to Republicans, Obama said politicians with that mind-set maintain an attitude that is as corrosive to our democracy as the stuff that resulted in the lead in your water. It leads to systemic neglect and carelessness and callousness. The president, who was accompanied on Air Force One by two congressional Democrats from Michigan, has been criticized by Snyder for not devoting more federal funds to Flint. Activists, including the documentary filmmaker Michael Moore, had implored Obama to personally visit the city or risk a political blowback from the public. Moore tweeted sarcastically during Obamas speech: No sign yet of the thousands of Army Corps of Engineers on their way to Flint with the President to dig up the 75K pipes. Maybe they drove. At the high school, however, Obama was largely insulated from criticism from the states Democratic members of Congress who had joined him and praised his administrations response. Flint lives matter! Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) told the crowd before the president took the stage. Flint Mayor Karen Weaver, who took office after the crisis was exposed, said that Obamas visit would give residents of the city of Flint some hope and lift up our spirits and lift us emotionally and spiritually. It lets us know our voices will not be forgotten. Recalling her meeting with Obama at the White House in January, Weaver added: The president said he had our backs then. And he has them now. Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders speaks to his campaign volunteers at the local headquarters in Bowling Green, Ky. Wednesday. (Austin Anthony /AP) It may not matter what Bernie Sanders meant this week when he promised to push for a contested convention this summer. Even with his victory in the Indiana primary Tuesday, it remains all but impossible for the senator from Vermont to win the nomination. Sanders used the phrase at a news conference over the weekend at which he predicted that neither he nor Hillary Clinton would arrive at the Democratic National Convention in July with the 2,383 delegates needed to win the nomination outright. Clinton was on track, even with her loss in Indiana, to secure a majority of pledged delegates. Sanderss point was that the nominee would also need a hefty supply of superdelegates the 718 party leaders and elected officials who are automatically granted a say at the convention and that he planned to persuade these Democrats to support him. Thats the part that didnt grow any more likely on Tuesday. Already, 520 superdelegates have publicly said they support Clinton, 39 have said they support Sanders and 160 have not publicly announced their choice. Sanderss argument on Sunday was that superdelegates should consider switching their allegiance to him particularly those from states that he won. Bernie Sanders won the Indiana Democratic Primary on May 3. Here's how. (Peter Stevenson/The Washington Post) Theres little agreement with that sentiment among the superdelegates themselves. Rep. Sander M. Levin (Mich.), a superdelegate supporting Clinton, said he has spoken with many fellow superdelegates in recent weeks. The reality is that the overwhelming number who are committed to her did so because they think shell be the strongest president in these very challenging times, he said. Levin dismissed concerns that hes bucking the will of his state by supporting Clinton even though Sanders won Michigan. It was a narrow victory. It was almost a split decision, he said. I think one needs to take that into account, but also ones own experience. Mine told me that especially in these very challenging times that she would be the most effective president. Former Pennsylvania governor Ed Rendell, one of Clintons most vocal supporters, was even more resolute. Absolutely not, he said of the possibility of superdelegates switching allegiances from Clinton. They will select whoever has won the most delegates and that will surely be Secretary Clinton, he said. Sanders has a right to contest every single primary on the calendar, just as Clinton did in 2008, Rendell added. But he is still upset by the senators suggestion at the start of the primary season that superdelegates would play a minimal role in the nomination process. In the months since, Rendell said that Sanders supporters have targeted superdelegates with vile emails and threatening emails. 1 of 42 Full Screen Autoplay Close Skip Ad Highlights from Bernie Sanderss campaign, in pictures View Photos The senator from Vermont has become Hillary Clintons chief rival in the contest for the Democratic presidential nomination. Caption The senator from Vermont is Hillary Clintons rival in the contest for the Democratic presidential nomination. June 14, 2016 Bernie Sanders arrives at the Capital Hilton to meet with Hillary Clinton in D.C. Matt McClain/The Washington Post Wait 1 second to continue. You cant trash us in February and then come back and tell us how much you love us in May or June or July, he said. Remember, Bernies spent two months beating the hell out of superdelegates. We remember that. We remember how unworthy we were in February. [Trump promises to obliterate Clintons record] Several superdelegates supporting Sanders declined to comment, didnt respond to requests for comment or passed along perfunctory statements of support. Others supported Sanderss bid to win over superdelegates. If Senator Sanders is close or is actually leading by the time we get to the convention, I think he definitely has a case to make that in at least the states that he won, those superdelegates should be backing his campaign, said Troy Jackson, the former state Senate majority leader in Maine. James Zogby, a Sanders superdelegate from the District and the president of the D.C.-based Arab American Institute, said: I just dont think its possible or among those who support him, desirable for him to just walk away from this. And I dont think this is something that [party leaders] can wrap their heads around, because theyre used to everyone falling into line. [Delegate tracker: The race to the Democratic nomination] Tad Devine, Sanderss chief strategist, said, The contest between the two campaigns will be decided by those delegates who are free until the time they walk on the floor of the convention to support either candidate. Things have changed since the campaign began, Devine added. People should take a look at that. The role of superdelegates is not to be the first voice but to be the last voice. If one candidate got a lot stronger, and one candidate got a lot weaker, thats something they should think about. Devine acknowledged that it will be very difficult to persuade superdelegates to switch allegiances unless Sanders finishes on a very strong winning streak something Sanders aides argue is possible after Tuesdays victory in Indiana. Yes, we must stipulate that, he said. But I think we have a viable path. Even under the rosiest assumptions, Sanders would need a minimum of 159 superdelegates already publicly supporting Clinton to switch sides for him to win the nomination, according to a Washington Post analysis. There are a total of 4,769 Democratic delegates 4,051 pledged delegates allocated based on results in the states and 718 superdelegates, a few of whom get only half a vote. That special class of delegate includes every Democratic Congress member, governor and state party official, as well as prominent party members, including former presidents Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton. A Democratic candidate needs 2,383 delegates to clinch the partys nomination. As of Wednesday, Clinton had 2,205 total delegates, compared with Sanders, who had 1,401, according to a tally by the Associated Press. Sanders acknowledged Sunday that he would need to win 65 percent of the remaining delegates to match Clintons current pledged delegate lead. That figure actually grew a little Tuesday, to close to 66 percent, given Sanderss relatively narrow win in Indiana. Based on polling in the remaining states, the target remains highly unlikely. And even if Sanders were to catch Clinton, he would still need 358 superdelegates to support him. If he were to hold onto his 39 superdelegates and pick up the remaining 160 undecided votes, he would still need 159 delegates now supporting Clinton to clinch the nomination. Some Sanders supporters expressed outrage that so many superdelegates appeared unwilling even to consider the possibility. Im amazed that in some of these states the voters go 60 percent or 70 percent one way or the other and the superdelegates dont flinch? I just cant get over that, said Jackson, the superdelegate from Maine. Superdelegates should be reflecting the will of their own state, not what the establishment thinks. Dottie Deans, the chairwoman of the Vermont Democratic Party, is supporting Sanders as a superdelegate and in a statement credited him for an exciting and inspiring campaign. He has a desire to ensure that those voters feel like part of the process heading into July, she said, adding that the Democratic Party will come together in July and stand behind our nominee. Devine said he does not think continuing to contest the nomination will hurt the Democratic Party heading into the fall. We can do an awful lot of good things for the party between now and then, he said, arguing that competitive contests in the upcoming states would increase voter registration and overall interest in the presidential race on the Democratic side. Ive been in campaigns that have wanted it to end, he said. That doesnt mean youre better or stronger for it. Thirteen months after launching his campaign for president on the promise of being the purest conservative in the contest before a large and exuberant crowd, Ted Cruz ended it abruptly Tuesday night in a cavernous room here in front of a small group of downtrodden supporters. Acknowledging that he had no path forward against Donald Trump, the senator from Texas suspended his bid in the state he had hoped would keep him afloat until a contested Republican convention, where his strong relationships with party activists would help him claim the nomination. Instead, his final speech was met with gasps and shouts of No! After weeks of telling backers he planned to become his partys standard-bearer at the Cleveland convention, he explained that the razor-thin track he was pursuing to the nomination was gone. Tonight, Im sorry to say, it appears that path has been foreclosed, he said. Together, we left it all on the field in Indiana. Cruz also said he would continue to fight for liberty but did not address whether he would support Trump as the nominee. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump held a campaign event at Trump Tower in Manhattan, after sweeping the Indiana primary. (Victoria Walker/The Washington Post) [Inside the night Trump became the presumptive nominee] It was a somber ending for a candidate who made a splash last year as the first major candidate to announce a presidential run and spent two weeks here in Indiana making a series of increasingly desperate high-profile moves to keep his candidacy afloat. They included naming former Hewlett-Packard chief executive Carly Fiorina as his running mate in a bizarre announcement where Cruz spoke for half an hour and Fiorina sang to his young daughters. In his last day on the campaign trail, Cruz unloaded on Trump, calling the businessman a pathological liar and a narcissist who was proud of being a serial philanderer. The attacks were reminiscent of the broadsides that Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida launched against Trump in the waning days of his own presidential campaign and a far cry from the lavish praise Cruz heaped on Trump for most of 2015. I like Donald Trump, he had declared. Cruzs campaign hit its zenith in February when he resoundingly won the Iowa caucuses, largely through months of cultivating grass-roots support in the state. But it soon became a roller-coaster ride of crushing losses in states where Cruz expected to do well, including South Carolina and Georgia, followed by resounding wins in his home state of Texas and in Wisconsin. Cruzs campaign used its grasp of the delegate process to beat Trump at state conventions where delegates were chosen, but it was not enough to overcome the businessmans tally and strength with the electorate. That Cruz remained one of the last candidates standing in a once-crowded field would have been viewed as improbable when he entered the race 13 months earlier. Cruz is a first-term senator known for getting under the skin of his Senate colleagues and championing controversial tactics to block the implementation of the Affordable Care Act. He was painted as a long-shot underdog who was too religious and too conservative to advance past the early nominating contests. [The Fixs winners and losers from Indiana primary night] But his campaign had a meticulous strategy it planned to roll out over the year that followed, and it started working soon after he announced. 1 of 53 Full Screen Autoplay Close Skip Ad Ted Cruz exits the presidential race View Photos Looking back at Ted Cruzs presidential bid. Caption Looking back at the Texas senators presidential bid. May 3, 2016 Sen. Ted Cruz speaks with his wife, Heidi, by his side during a primary night campaign event in Indianapolis. Cruz ended his presidential campaign, eliminating the biggest impediment to Donald Trumps march to the Republican nomination. Darron Cummings/AP Wait 1 second to continue. It is the time for truth. It is the time for liberty. It is the time to reclaim the Constitution of the United States, Cruz said during his campaign kickoff in Lynchburg, Va., at Liberty University, which was founded by fundamentalist preacher Jerry Falwell. Cruz was immediately buoyed by impressive fundraising and the national platform that comes with announcing first. Groups backing him raised $31 million during the first week of his candidacy, and the campaign raked in $4 million. The Texans campaign employed a strategy of slowly introducing Cruz to a national audience while furiously working to shore up support with local activists and evangelical Christian leaders in the first four voting states and the South. The campaign also talked about securing the support of delegates to the July convention almost as soon as it launched, envisioning Cruz in a head-to-head matchup with an establishment rival. The campaign sent emissaries to such far-flung places as Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands to try to lock down delegate support over the summer. It was a campaign that reflected its candidate: methodical, strategic and data-driven. Cruzs campaign deployed a sophisticated data strategy that used psychographic information to appeal to the fears or hopes of potential voters. Cruz touted his outsider status and contempt for what he called the Washington cartel of politicians and lobbyists in politics to get rich. He made the enmity of his Senate colleagues a point of pride, joking about needing a food taster in the Senate dining room. Cruz labeled himself a consistent conservative, championing what he viewed as the principles of the Constitution his campaign even handed out a pocket Constitution with Cruzs photo on it. He traveled the country giving stump speeches where he roamed the stage he does not like speaking from behind a lectern that often resembled a hybrid between a Sunday sermon and a TED talk. He made it clear that no other candidate would get to the right of him, particularly on the issue of immigration. But then came Donald Trump. Cruz made an early, conscious decision to buddy up to Trump, brushing aside the businessmans caustic comments about Mexicans and praising his toughness on immigration. [Elizabeth Warren unleashes Twitter storm on Trump after Indiana] The two met at Trump Tower in July, where Cruz invited Trump to tour the U.S.-Mexico border with him. Trump went, but Cruz could not because of Senate votes. Cruz and Trump both appeared at a rally against the Iranian nuclear deal on Capitol Hill in September. As other candidates were punching at Trump during the fall and quickly seeing their poll numbers drop as the businessman swatted back with insults, Cruz lavished praise on his rival. Cruz also tacked sharply to the right to compete with Trumps rhetoric. Cruzs immigration proposals grew tougher the longer Trump was in the race. He criticized Trumps plan for mass deportation of illegal immigrants, then seemed to support it. Cruz spoke of being weary of foreign intervention but promised to carpet-bomb the Islamic State to see if sand can glow in the dark there. He introduced a bill to bar refugees from Syria and other groups. In December as Cruzs poll numbers were up nationally and in Iowa he was caught on tape at a closed-door fundraiser questioning whether Trump has the judgment to be president. Cruz moved to smooth over the fracas, but Trump pounced. A few weeks later, Trump questioned whether Cruz, who was born in Canada, is eligible to be president. Cruz then went on an offensive blitz against the businessman, assailing him for supporting partial birth abortion and bankrolling Democratic candidates. It seemed to work, with Cruz beating Trump in the Iowa caucuses. But the momentum stopped in New Hampshire, where Trump won by big margins before marching to victories in South Carolina and Nevada. Trump also upended Cruzs plan to chalk up big wins in the South, an area the campaign saw as receptive to Cruzs unyielding conservatism and his Christian faith. The campaign was hit with internal turmoil when Cruz fired his communications director, Rick Tyler, after Tyler posted on social media a video falsely purporting to show rival Rubio disparaging the Bible. Some of Cruzs most prominent backers openly questioned his campaign strategy. [Anti-Trump Republicans confront dilemma: Should they help elect Clinton?] Despite his other losses in the South, Cruz notched a win in his home state, which offered him a bonanza of delegates and kept his candidacy alive. A win in Wisconsin in April infused much-needed momentum into the campaign. Cruzs team proved adept at mastering the arcane art of delegate allocation, regularly snatching delegate support from Trump at state conventions. But as the primary calendar moved to the Northeast an area hostile to Cruz, who derided New York values on the campaign trail Trump gained momentum while Cruz flagged. Indiana, which Cruzs team had identified along with Nebraska and California as a state in which it thought it could do well, never warmed to him. Cruz announced that he and Ohio Gov. John Kasich had an agreement in which Cruz would campaign in Indiana and Kasich would not, instead focusing on Oregon and New Mexico. But the alliance turned rocky just hours after it was announced when Kasich refused to tell his supporters to vote for Cruz. The Texas Republican later said that there was no alliance, to which Kasichs chief strategist tweeted: I cant stand liars. Cruz lit into Trump across the state, criticizing the endorsement he received from boxer Mike Tyson, who served time in prison in Indiana on a rape conviction, and decrying Trump as an insecure bully. The Fiorina announcement, meant to revive Cruzs candidacy in the state, gave it no discernible boost. The two barnstormed around the state, where Cruz faced less-than-enthusiastic crowds, and confronted a pro-Trump protester in Marion. On Tuesday night, a man was selling discounted Cruz merchandise in the back of the room where Cruz delivered his remarks. T-shirts were only $5 and buttons just $1, he announced. Nearby, supporters consoled one another. His name is still on the ballot, one rationalized. When he was done speaking, Cruz hugged his wife and father, who were part of a group of family and close friends who joined him on stage. Our movement will continue, and I give you my word that I will continue this fight with all of my strength and all of my ability, Cruz said. Zezima reported from Washington. An Indian farmer poses in his dried-up cotton field at Chandampet Mandal in Nalgonda, east of Hyderabad, on April 25, 2016, in the southern Indian state of Telangana. (Noah Seelam/AFP/Getty Images) In the blistering sun and swirling dust, farmer Dhananjay Hanumant Suryavanshi squats on his empty land and caresses the parched earth. There is only one thought that runs over and over again in my head. Will there be good rain this year? Will there be good rain this year? Suryavanshi, 25, said. Four years of drought here and crop loss have forced his family to take two loans and sell a third of his land, and have driven him to do menial labor. In January, his mother gave up. She drank a bottle of pesticide and fell dead near the holy basil plant in the courtyard. Relentless drought, coupled with a record-breaking heat wave and bad farming practices in the western state of Maharashtra, has slashed farm output and driven farmers to desperation. This year is the worst in decades, officials say, because most farmers are also burdened by years of accumulated debt as they continue to deplete the precious groundwater. Dhananjay Hanumant Suryavanshi, 25, shows a picture of his mother, who drank a bottle of pesticide and fell dead near a holy basil plant in the courtyard in January. The burden of drought-induced loan is fueling farmer suicides in India. (Rama Lakshmi/The Washington Post) About 330 million Indians are struggling under grueling heat and drought conditions across 10 states this year, the government said, severely harming the economy of a nation where nearly half the people rely on farming. Reservoirs and rivers here in Maharashtras drought districts are almost dry, and a 50-car train now delivers water to Latur city, near Suryavanshis village. Thirsty Indians place long, serpentine lines of plastic pots and drums at the municipal water tank and village wells, and fights have broken out at water pumps. In many places, children have turned into porters for their families, running up and down with water pots all day. A 12-year-old girl collapsed and died last month here in the searing 111-degree heat after she made five trips to fetch water. My whole family is in a constant state of panic over water, said Kasi Mali, as she placed her pots in a long line. I have missed many hours of my work as a laborer because I stand here. Nearly 30 percent of Indians in cities and 70 percent in villages rely on water pumped from deep underground, because the tap- water supply is either insufficient or nonexistent. Only 17 percent of Indias farms have access to surface irrigation projects. Most farmers rely on the elusive annual rain or pump water from underground. The practice has depleted the countrys groundwater supply precipitously, alarming environmentalists and raising concerns about Indias future agricultural output. Water levels have declined in 47 percent of Indias village wells over the past decade, the government said. Indian village women carry drinking water in plastic containers on their head as they walk back to their village after collecting it from an almost dried-up well in Samba district on April 29. (Channi Anand/AP) In Latur city, there is no groundwater even 700 feet down, residents say. In the villages nearby, the water table is in far worse shape, in some places dropping to 1,000 feet below the surface. Environmental experts have repeatedly warned that the water table will disappear soon if Indias water use is not regulated. We have gone on digging so aggressively in the last 10 years to draw water for our crops that we have used up the groundwater that is meant for the next two generations, said Raju Dongare, a farmer. But what else could we depend on? There were no canals or pipes coming to our farms. Experts also say that the drought is not a natural disaster but a consequence of decades of bad farming practices. In recent years, the state government allowed the proliferation of sugar factories owned by local politicians, which led to a sort of gold rush among farmers here to cultivate water-guzzling sugar cane, said Pradeep Purandare, a former professor of water studies at the Water and Land Management Institute. Seventy percent of the water from the states dams goes to cane farms. But cane growers have drawn on groundwater, further sapping the aquifers. This year, somewhat belatedly, the administration in Latur district launched a drive to encourage farmers to shift away from cane to oil seeds, lentils and soybeans. There is a mind-set among farmers that only sugar-cane crop fetches good returns, said Pandurang Pole, the chief district official. Latur districts groundwater situation can sustain only 12,300 acres of cane cultivation, he said. But the area has about 10 times that much land under cultivation. Repeated droughts have pushed tens of thousands of farmers to leave their villages to look for work in Indias overburdened cities and towns. In Matola village, about 500 people, mostly men, have left in just the past six months. Many of the women and children left behind are selling their cattle in distress. There is no water in the sky or under the earth; there is nothing left here, said Bai Gidappa Pawar as she poured freshly ground chili powder into a jar in her kitchen. In December, her husband left for Pune city with their 16-year-old son to work in a quarry. There is not a single family here that does not have a loan hanging over its head, she said. The burden of drought-induced loans is fueling farmer suicides across India. There were 12,360 suicides by land-owning farmers and farm laborers across India in 2014, according to the National Crime Records Bureau, up from 11,772 the previous year. Since January, 43 farmers have killed themselves in Latur district alone, including Suryavanshis mother. His mother was driven to take her life after the family lost more than $4,400 because of bad harvests in the sugar-cane and soybean crop in the past three years. He was unable to pay the hospital bills to treat his fathers cancer, who died three years ago. To feed his family, Suryavanshi and his brother now load boulders onto a truck for eight hours in the sun, earning less than $3 a day to feed their children. His farm is barren now. The oppressive heat of the sun beat down on him as he said he cannot afford to feed his buffalo for long. He said his mother did farm labor for others and brought home extra money. That helped. He feels her absence keenly. In spite of all the problems, my mothers presence was like an umbrella protecting me from the harsh sun, he said. Read more Villagers just protected a sacred forest outside Indias polluted capital Indias aggressive green court takes lead role in high-stakes battles Transgender activists in India fight for inclusion at key Hindu festival Today's coverage from Post correspondents around the world A woman carrying her baby is helped up a slope at a makeshift camp for migrants and refugees near the Greek village of Idomeni on May 4. (Tobias Schwarz/AFP/Getty Images) The European Union announced a new plan Wednesday to deal with asylum seekers, requiring member states to accept certain numbers under a quota system and imposing 250,000-euro-per-migrant fines if the countries do not. The much-anticipated plan is aimed at revamping Europes controversial regulations on handling the continents migrant crisis as nations struggle to cope with the largest number of displaced people since World War II. European leaders have been desperately seeking a solution for months. In 2015 alone, more than 1 million people poured into the continent, most fleeing war and poverty in the Middle East and Africa. [The shifting sea routes of Europes refugee crisis] Many of them are stranded in makeshift border camps, seeking to enter countries that are unlikely to admit them anytime soon. In northern Greece, more than 10,000 migrants and refugees are stranded at Idomeni, trying to enter the Balkans. In northern France, thousands are similarly stuck in a ramshackle camp called the Jungle on the English Channel, from where many make illicit attempts to reach Britain however they can. View Graphic How Europe is punishing migrants Under the plan announced Wednesday, a quota system would require most of the European Unions 28 member states to accept a designated number of migrants from front-line Mediterranean countries such as Greece and Italy, which were overwhelmed with migrant landfalls last year. Unlike in previous efforts, failure to comply with the resettlement requirements of this plan triggers a penalty of 250,000 euros (about $287,000) per migrant. For months, the idea of a quota system scaled to a member states population and wealth has divided Europe. It is favored by the European Commission, the E.U. executive body in Brussels, and by German Chancellor Angela Merkel. But it is vehemently opposed by Central European leaders, many of whom have recently embraced anti-immigrant, and especially anti-Muslim, platforms. [Astonishing new numbers behind the crisis] Wednesdays threat of such high penalties has served only to fanned the flames of these leaders opposition. I am somewhat unpleasantly surprised that the commission is returning to play a proposal upon which there is no agreement, Lubomir Zaoralek, the Czech foreign minister, told reporters Wednesday afternoon. Added Polish Foreign Minister Witold Waszczykowski, It sounds like an idea announced during April Fools Day. Regarding the fines proposed by the European Commission, it is blackmailing, said Peter Szijjarto, Hungarys foreign minister. The quota concept is a dead-end street, and I would like to ask the commission not to run into this dead-end street anymore. As part of the announcement Wednesday in Brussels, European leaders also proposed visa-free travel for Turkish citizens in Europe, a controversial provision meant to reward Turkey for its assistance in accepting migrants sent back from Europe and, in general, in stabilizing a chaotic situation in the Mediterranean. [E.U. strikes deal to return migrants to Turkey] But many European leaders see the provision as appeasement of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, whose government has come under fire for human rights abuses in recent months. For leaders in that camp, the E.U. has been too willing to sacrifice its humanitarian values for the sake of solving its domestic problems. Turkey seeks admittance to the bloc, and they worry that its assistance in the migrant crisis may allow the country to bypass certain standards. In any case, Wednesdays proposals are a long way from being enacted. The quota system, for instance, will require approval from the European Parliament and constituent capitals, which is likely to take months. By then, the composition of the E.U. itself could well look different. A British referendum on whether to remain in the union is scheduled for June 23, and, despite recent public intervention by President Obama, two polls this week suggest that the leave campaign could prevail. Read more Today's coverage from Post correspondents around the world Italian Defense Minister Roberta Pinotti says Libya must shore up domestic support before any deliberation of outside military help. (Armend Nimani/AFP/Getty Images) Italian Defense Minister Roberta Pinotti, one of the central figures in allied deliberations on war-torn Libya, said Wednesday that the conditions are not yet right to launch a Western military operation to help stabilize that country. The Italians have been among the most vocal European powers to insist that Libyas shaky unity government must shore up domestic support and then request international assistance before any allied operation could unfold. The new Libyan government, installed this past March and backed by the United Nations, is making strides, Pinotti said in an interview with The Washington Post. But she also warned of deepening complications. The unity government not only is confronting a threat from Islamic State insurgents, but also a challenge from unruly militias and rival factions with which it still needs to build more support, she said. On Tuesday, for instance, factions in eastern Libya sought to block the unity government from exercising control over exports of oil produced in the countrys east. Importantly, Pinotti said, the unity government has also failed to secure a vote backing it in the countrys internationally recognized parliament in Tobruk. In the past few days, weve been seeing a worrisome setback, she said. She later added, the first step to stabilize Libya is having a government that can represent the different parts, and can thus take the necessary step to make a request to the international community for military assistance. Pinotti said, however, that she would push at a July 7 NATO summit in Warsaw for an effort in the central Mediterranean Sea that could see ships from the European Union, and possibly NATO, stage coordinating operations off the Libyan coast. Such an operation, she said, would be cobbled together from existing military assets in the area. But it would also be broader, she said, than a similar mission already underway in the Aegean Sea aimed at thwarting migrant smugglers trying to enter Europe via Greece. The Aegean mission is strictly tied to fighting traffickers, she said. But we think the issue of security in the Mediterranean is more complex. Arms, for example. There should be an embargo against arms. And then the issue of surveillance, for example, counterterror operations. Western allies consider the participation of Italy in any military mission involving Libya to be key, in part because of the countrys proximity to Libya as well as its longtime economic and diplomatic ties to a nation it occupied in the early 20th century. Prime Minister Matteo Renzi has repeatedly ruled out any invasion involving thousands of Italian troops. But he and other Italian officials have been less clear on the specifics of what, exactly, they would consider doing. Western allies have held talks with Rome over a major contribution to at least one aspect of a possible mission helping stabilize Libya through training and advising local forces, as well as securing Tripoli and key pieces of infrastructure. Pinotti said Italy would not back away from leading such a mission if the conditions were right. But it remained unclear, she said, what that mission would look like. Maybe the only thing that Italy will do in Libya is protect our own embassy, she said. Or it may be that we will send our military advisors or trainers to train armed forces. But this all depends on the kind of requests Italy gets. She declined to say how many troops Italy would commit. But she added that Rome, under certain circumstances, would also consider joining combat operations against the Islamic State in Libya. Should Italy have reason to think that the safety of the country is at risk, Pinotti said obviously we are willing to take any necessary step against the Islamic State. Survivors recall sea tragedy as worries shift to Mediterranean migrant route U.N. says up to 500 migrants may have drowned on their way to Italy A Libyan militia takes on the refugee crisis and wins for now Today's coverage from Post correspondents around the world Stefano Pitrelli in Rome contributed to this report. This April 29 image from video released by Qasion News Agency, a media opposition platform that relies on a network of activists on the ground, shows people scrambling through rubble after airstrikes in Aleppo, Syria. (Qasion News Agency/via AP) A new cease-fire arranged by the United States and Russia went into effect early Wednesday in and around the Syrian city of Aleppo, the State Department announced. While there were reports of continued fighting in some areas, it said, there had been an overall decrease in violence. There was no immediate confirmation of the deal from Moscow. A Russian Defense Ministry spokesman said earlier in the day that attempts at a temporary truce had failed because of ongoing attacks on the government-held side of the city by Jabhat al-Nusra, al-Qaedas Syrian affiliate. Adding to confusion about the arrangement, the Syrian military said the new truce would not go into effect until 1 a.m. Thursday and would last for only 48 hours, according to the governments Syrian Arab News Agency. Urgent international negotiations over the situation in Aleppo began late last week, when what had been a steady escalation of violence, despite an existing cease-fire, erupted with the bombing of an Aleppo hospital, causing dozens of civilian deaths. The United Nations and the United States charged that the hospital was struck by government aircraft. On Tuesday, another hospital was hit, this time by opposition fighters. [Gallery: Mourning and misery in Aleppo] Beyond what the State Department said was the newly agreed Aleppo truce, Russia and the United States co-chairs of an international cease-fire task force have agreed to expand their military cooperation in monitoring alleged violations throughout Syria. We look to Russia . . . to press for the Assad regimes compliance with this effort, and the United States will do its part with the opposition, Wednesdays statement said. Russia and Iran are the primary backers of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, while the United States heads a group of regional and European countries supporting the opposition to his rule. The opposition said that it was impractical to speak of only local cease-fires and that the cessation of hostilities must apply to all of Syria, without exception. A statement issued by Salem al-Meslet, spokesman for the opposition High Negotiations Committee, said that they remained committed to political negotiations to end Syrias civil war. But in order for a political track to work, Meslet said, there must be an improvement in humanitarian aid access and a cessation of hostilities in all areas. It is up to the international community to develop a mechanism to monitor and enforce the cessation, as well as respond to breaches. The opposition suspended participation in U.N.-organized talks about a transition government in Syria two weeks ago, charging that the government was not serious about stopping the violence. Since then, temporary new truces have been announced in Latakia, the Damascus suburb of East Ghouta and now Aleppo. The State Department said that our objective remains, and has always been, a single nationwide cessation of hostilities covering all of Syria not a series of local truces. We . . . will continue expanding this effort so we can de-escalate the violence, alleviate the suffering, and help create the conditions that enable the parties to resume negotiations. The Syrian military has denied responsibility for the April 27 bombing of al-Quds hospital, and Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov on Wednesday denied the attack even happened, according to the Russian news agency Tass. Decrying what he called the pseudo-sensational reporting of the international mass media, Konashenkov displayed aerial photographs of the hospital site from October that he said showed the building was destroyed long ago. Along with a photo he said was taken after the supposed new strike, showing identical damage, he said they indicate quite clearly that all ostensible eyewitness accounts about another airstrike were false. The strike led to international outrage and a unanimous U.N. Security Council vote Tuesday condemning any attacks against health facilities. The council was scheduled to hold another meeting on the Aleppo situation Wednesday evening. Hugh Naylor in Beirut contributed to this report. Read more: Two sides of Aleppo: Destruction and dining out In Damascus, Syrians celebrate Putin as their hero Inside Syrias war: I went to three cities. This is what I saw. Press leaks on the report of the Belgian police surveillance committee (P Committee) regarding the monitoring of the Abdeslam brothers again underscore the role of the imperialist proxy war in Syria and the complicity of police and intelligence in the attacks last November 13 in Paris and on March 22 in Brussels. Immediately after the attacks, it was reported that the terrorists were known to the intelligence services as Islamists involved in traveling and fighting in Syria and the Middle East. Now, the Belgian report confirms that the scope of these networks and the protection they enjoyed in official circles in the context of the war played an important role in allowing the attacks to proceed. The P Committee report blames the anti-terrorist services for neglecting the surveillance of Salah Abdeslam, who is accused of being the only survivor of the group that carried out the Paris attacks. His sudden arrest at the end of March in Brussels, after four months on the run, reportedly pushed the March 22 attackers into action. According to the P Committee report, the anti-terrorist services lost Salah Abdeslam's GSM phone card and ignored his USB key, confiscated in February 2015, that is, nine months before the Paris attacks. La Derniere Heure reports that these materials were seized during a police search of the Abdeslam household in the context of a drug investigation. The local police then prepared a report on this search before depositing the objects that had been seized, as required by procedure, with the Brussels tribunal. Afterwards, Brahim Abdeslam came under suspicion of wanting to travel to Syria. His file went to the well-known DR3 agency. There are conflicting reports as to whether the negligence in investigating these objects is due to the police or the DR3 counter-terrorism agency. Nonetheless, the P Committee report clearly indicates that there was an intervention by forces inside the Belgian state to protect Abdeslams data, which then disappeared. Again according to La Derniere Heure, The federal magistrate then authorized the anti-terror unit to consult the elements seized at the Abdeslam household, except Salah As USB key and GSM card. The DR3 then asked to be able to consult these materials anyway. It is only at that point that it became clear that these objects were no longer in the possession of the tribunal. The content of the telephone had, however, been saved. Indeed, there was thus at the time, in February 2015, contact information for people now known to have been involved in the Paris and Brussels attacks. The federal magistrates intervention to protect specifically the USB key and GSM card of Abdeslam, which then went missing, is remarkable. How was it possible to then lose what were such essential elements to follow up and identify an Islamist networkparticularly in the law-and-order atmosphere at the time, a few weeks after the January 2015 Charlie Hebdo attacks in Paris? One must ask not only if this allowed the November 13 and March 22 attacks to proceed, but whether possible complicity of forces within the state with the terrorists, related to NATOs support for the Islamist militias in Syria, played a role. On Monday, official circles in Brussels sharply attacked the P committee report, which had been issued to the parliamentary commission tasked with oversight of police and intelligence activities. In a decision without precedent in Belgium, government and opposition legislators in the parliamentary commission unanimously decided to allow the police services incriminated in the report to reply point by point to its contents. Legislators are being instructed to take into account the services own defense of its activities while reading the P Committee report. Faced with the criticisms from the parliamentary commission, P Committee President Yves Keppens, a former royal prosecutor in Furnes, reacted. He told VTM, For this investigation, we worked on objective bases and with a proven method. This is always the case, and this investigation is in no way an exception. If we make observations, we are obligated to report them objectively and accurately to the parliament. The Free Trade Union of the Public Service, through its president Vincent Gilles, defended the police services. Gilles said, the methods used by the P Committee investigators are based on procedures from long ago. Some of these investigators have not faced the realities on the ground and in the judicial system for more than 15 years. Methods have changed since then. Reality has changed, too. And based on what I have been told, I consider that unfortunately they did not take these realities into account in their conclusions. Yesterday, officials of the police and the prosecutors office released emails to the press pleading that they were overrun with work, citing numerous foreign combatants in Belgium, as well as the large number of ongoing investigations. They also attacked the P Committee report, which they said was costing them even more work. The fact that Belgian cops and spies are overworked tracking foreign combatants is proof not of the errors of the P Committee report, but rather that the imperialist policy of regime change in Syria relying on an international network of Islamist terrorists has had disastrous consequences. For five years, Syrian cities have been devastated by raids carried out by Islamist militias, as well as by the bombings of Syrian government forces trying to crush them. Now, this war has begun claiming lives in Europe itself, overwhelming the very same intelligence services that initially allowed it to take shape. The services numerous failures are now well documented. When the European press was describing Salah Abdeslam as Europe's most wanted man, he had in fact been found by a policeman from Malines in the Brussels area, without this leading to his arrest, as the policemans report was blocked as it traveled up the chain of command. The police only briefly questioned Abdeslam after his arrest, while his accomplices were preparing the March 22 attacks at the Brussels airport and at a subway stop. Belgian police also overlooked warnings from Turkey that Ibrahim El Bakraoui, one of the leaders of the March 22 attacks, was a terrorist. Since last week, Salah Abdeslam has been imprisoned in France in Europes largest prison, Fleury Merogis, having been deported from Belgium. He is on intensive suicide watch. It is important to note the remarkable silence on this affair by the French media. Indeed, these revelations underscore the sordid political mechanisms through which the media and the government of French President Francois Hollande exploit the so-called war on terror to justify the imposition of police state measures. Hollande has invoked the threat of attacks to impose the ongoing state of emergency in France, which has seen hordes of riot police attack protesters opposed to an unpopular labor reform. The goal of the French government is to manipulate the reaction of the public to the attacks, to allow it to proceed with physically crushing the opposition of workers and youth to his government's hated austerity policies. The Australian government has adamantly defended its brutal refugee detention camps on Nauru and Papua New Guineas Manus Island and denounced protests by detainees after two set themselves on fire to highlight their indefinite imprisonment. Hodan Yasi, a young refugee woman from Somalia, is in a critical condition after setting herself alight on Nauru on Monday, just three days after a 23-year-old Iranian refugee, Omid Masoumali, died of injuries sustained in a similar act last week. These events further underscore the inhuman conditions and denial of basic legal and democratic rights inflicted on the nearly 1,500 refugees held in these facilities, which health professionals have likened to concentration camps. The self-immolations came just days after the Papua New Guinea (PNG) Supreme Court ruled that the Australian-run Manus Island centre violated the PNG constitutions ban on the unlawful deprivation of liberty. The Australian government has defied that ruling, insisting that the PNG government must not shut down the facility, highlighting Canberras flouting of both domestic and international law, which recognises the right of refugees to seek asylum without being punished or persecuted for doing so. Yasi, who was reportedly sent to Nauru as a 16-year-old child three years ago, is being treated in a Brisbane hospital for critical injuries after being airlifted from Nauru. Reports from Nauru suggest she has severe burns to 70 percent of her body, with her upper body and face most badly affected. The teenager was returned to Nauru less than a week ago, having been brought to Australia last November after being seriously injured in a motorcycle accident. Early last Wednesday morning, guards forcibly dragged her, screaming in protest, out of a Brisbane immigration facility. A 23-year-old Iranian refugee, Omid Masoumali, died in a Brisbane hospital last Friday after setting himself on fire on Nauru during a visit to the detention facilities by UN officials. He cried out to the officials: This is how tired we are, this action will prove how exhausted we are. I cannot take it anymore. His death may have been avoided if he had received proper medical treatment. His wife reported that it took two hours for a doctor to see Masoumali, and he received no intravenous pain relief, nor a place to lie down. Graphic videos online show him, covered in severe burns, screaming in a hospital room and pacing back and forth while his wife begs someone off camera to provide medical attention. Staff in Nauru hospital couldnt help Omid in any way because they were unequipped, Masoumalis widow told the Guardian. A lack of proper equipment and facilities was the reason that staff couldnt help and treat Omid in the Nauru hospital. That evening, Masoumali suffered a cardiac arrest and the doctors in Nauru performed emergency surgery on him before he was airlifted out. Upon arrival in Brisbane22 hours after suffering his burnsMasoumalis wife was told by doctors he was already brain dead. The government appears determined to gag Masoumalis widow. On Monday she said that she was being confined in a Brisbane hotel by immigration officials, denied access to a lawyer and sedated. Australian Immigration and Border Protection Minister Peter Dutton flatly defended the delay in evacuating Masoumali, saying no flight crews were immediately available as there were mandated rest times for aviators. But this is the second time in recent years in which adequate medical treatment could have prevented the death of a detainee. Hamid Kehazaei, a Manus detainee, died in 2014 after receiving a cut in his foot that became infected. Dutton also accused refugee advocates of encouraging acts of self-harm and peddling false hope to asylum seekers that they could pressure the government into releasing them. Pressed by journalists on this allegation, Dutton offered no evidence, instead asserting that his office received advice and intelligence to that effect. The government has labelled the protests as acts of self-harm to divert from any examination of why refugees have been driven to such desperate actions. In fact, Dutton claimed that refugees were happy to be settled in Nauru, a tiny island of 10,000 people in the middle of the Pacific. Far from living in the hell hole advocates would have you believe, refugees on Nauru are free from a fear of persecution and many are building new lives, he said. In reality the latest events are not isolated incidents. Masoumalis is the third death by an Australian-detained refugee as a result of self-immolation in the past eight months. Ali Jaffari died in September and Khodayar Amini in October, both in mainland Australia. In January this year, incident logs obtained from the Department of Immigration and Border Protection under freedom of information laws revealed 188 incidents of so-called self-harm in Nauru between June 2014 and July 2015, and 55 incidents on Manus Island. These incidents included swallowing poisons, pouring boiling water over limbs, hanging by bed sheets, stuffing tea bags down throats and deep lacerations using razor blades. In one account by a visiting paediatrician, a girl as young as six attempted to hang herself with a fence tie. All the circumstances surrounding Masoumalis death point to the impact of the increasingly draconian anti-refugee measures pursued by successive Liberal-National and Labor governments. The camps on Nauru and Manus were reopened by the Greens-backed minority Labor government in 2012 for the explicit punitive purpose of detaining refugees for many years, effectively indefinitely, in order to deter any asylum seekers from trying to reach Australia by boat. Masoumali was one of 543 asylum seekers imprisoned on Nauru, including 70 children. As of March 20, some had been imprisoned for 1,000 days. The camp is squalid. A Senate inquiry reported last year that people were housed in mouldy tents without running water or clean sanitation. Most tents have no access to air-conditioning, despite temperatures typically reaching 30 degrees Celsius, with high levels of tropical humidity. There have been numerous reports of verbal and physical harassment by guards. Refugee groups claimed to have had a victory two months ago, when Immigration Minister Dutton allowed a baby and some other Nauru detainees to remain temporarily in community detention within Australia while they completed medical treatment. But Dutton has confirmed that these refugees, who included 91 children, are being forced back to Nauru. In an attempt to win votes in the looming double dissolution election, Labor Party leader Bill Shorten has pledged to find new resettlement countries for the Nauru and Manus detainees. But Labors only proposal, while in office, was to dump refugees in Malaysia, a scheme that was ruled illegal by Australias High Court because of the lack of guarantees of essential refugee rights in Malaysia, including not to be deported back to the countries they fled. The author also recommends: Two more refugees commit suicide in Australia [2 November 2015] The U.S. Attorney's Office and the Drug Enforcement Administration have joined the investigation into the death of Prince, The Hollywood Reporter confirmed. "They have agreed to provide federal resources and expertise in our investigation," Jason Kamerud, spokesman for the Carver County Sheriff's Office said. Prince's 'Nothing Compares 2 U' Will Be Simulcast on Radio Stations Nationwide on Wednesday Prince was found dead inside an elevator in his Minnesota home the morning of April 21. Since that time, the Carver County Sheriff's Office has been investigating the circumstances surrounding the death of the 57-year-old iconic musician. Since Prince's death, there have been multiple reports the artist was struggling with an addiction to painkillers. On Wednesday, the Star Tribune reported that a California doctor and addiction specialist, Dr. Howard Kornfeld, said he was scheduled to meet with Prince on April 22. Dr. Kornfeld is an opioid addiction treatment specialist. Kornfeld sent his son, Andrew, to meet with Prince a day earlier when it became clear a medical emergency may be occurring because the doctor could not get to the location that day. It was Andrew who called 911 on April 21 when Prince was found lifeless in the elevator. William Mauzy, a prominent Minneapolis attorney working with the Kornfeld family, told reporters on Wednesday he feared authorities would charge Andrew with a crime because he had medication on his person at the time of his visit to Prince's home. However, the attorney contended his client was immune from prosecution under the "Good Samaritan" law because he was the one who called 911. The Carver County Sheriff's Office did not provide any additional details on the investigation. An autopsy was preformed on Prince. The results from that exam are pending. Prince was cremated and a private service was held for family and close friends the weekend of his death. This article originally appeared in The Hollywood Reporter. When Ted Cruz ended his bid for the White House Tuesday night, making Donald Trump the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, plenty of Democrats rejoiced at what they perceived as their good fortune. Trump is eminently unelectable, one line of conventional wisdom goes just consider how he has higher unfavorability ratings than any presidential candidate in decades. There's in fact only one candidate who comes close to Trump in terms of unfavorable ratings at this point in the race in the past several election cycles: Hillary Clinton. Read more: Hillary Clinton Beats Bernie Sanders in April Fundraising Race Take a look at this chart, put together by Dartmouth political scientist Brendan Nyhan, using data gathered by FiveThirtyEight's Harry Enten. Totally unprecedented to have candidates who are so strongly disliked by so many people (data by @forecasterenten)pic.twitter.com/q493ulYHQm https://pbs.twimg.com/media/ChdFcDEUUAAnIAW.png:large Trump certainly does have a singular status among presidential candidates, outstripping Clinton by a bit 10 percentage points in polls asking people whether they view a candidate very unfavorably. But Clinton is next in line, and her high unfavorability ratings look even more jarring when you factor in that the closest dots to her on the chart belong to incumbent candidates who governed at times of extremely high levels of polarization. Compared to other non-incumbent candidates, Clinton occupies a stratum of her own. As Nyhan observes, this level of unfavorability across the board is unprecedented. Should Clinton become the Democratic presidential nominee, she will have many advantages over Trump when it comes to knowledge, experience and temperament. But given her unpopularity among large swaths of the public, she shouldn't get too comfortable just yet. U.S. News & World Report's best energy ETFs. If you're an investor in energy stocks and exchange-traded funds, low gas prices are a growing ulcer. Despite a 2016 rebound, oil prices are off 60 percent from June 2014 highs, and major energy indices are off by 30 to 60 percent. While the potential for higher oil prices looks slim in the short term in the wake of a failed meeting in Doha, Qatar, the pressure is growing among oil-producing countries to lower output. And when that happens, energy stocks will be off to the races. #10: First Trust Energy AlphaDEX Fund (FXN) The FDN is one of First Trust's AlphaDEX funds -- a set of ETFs that use enhanced indices in an attempt to outperform the market. First Trust's Energy AlphaDEX holds 61 stocks that have been identified as either having strong value or growth characteristics, then are weighted based on the fund's proprietary ranking system. This produces a fund that's about two-thirds energy production, and roughly a third in energy equipment and services. Top holdings include SM Energy (SM) and Rowan Companies (RDC). Expense ratio: 0.64 percent #9: iShares U.S. Energy ETF (IYE) The IYE is a pretty diversified fund in that it boasts 80 holdings and invests across the different "streams" and services companies. However, the fund is heavily weighted in the integrated (read:multiple streams) majors; more than 25 percent of IYE is invested in Exxon Mobil Corp. (XOM), and another 13.5 percent goes to Chevron Corp. (CVX). But the concentration in larger-cap companies has limited IYE's downside compared to many other energy funds, and provides some padding in the form of a 3.2 percent dividend yield. Expenses: 0.43 percent. #8: SPDR S&P Oil & Gas Exploration & Production ETF (XOP) The harder they fall, the bigger the bounce. XOP focuses on exploration and production companies -- the "upstream" segment of energy -- and low oil prices directly weigh on profits, and in turn, the ability to fund future profits. But rebounding prices jolt holdings like SM Energy and Devon Energy Corp. (DVN), which is why the XOP is the winningest energy ETF on this list, up 17.37 percent year to date. Note: XOP is an equal-weight fund; currently, no stock is weighed larger than 2.82 percent. Story continues Expenses: 0.35 percent. #7: Vanguard Energy ETF (VDE) The Vanguard Energy ETF is another broad-energy fund, and here, the Vanguard price advantage really shows in this sector. VDE's expense ratio is far lower than most of the options on this list. Like iShares' IYE, top holdings are heavily concentrated in Exxon Mobil and Chevron. But those concentrations aren't as high, and as a whole, there's a slightly more even distribution across a larger holdings base of 143 stocks. Yield is less than IYE too, though, at 2.8 percent. Expenses: 0.1 percent #6: iShares U.S. Oil & Gas Exploration & Production ETF (IEO) The IEO is a more pure play on the upstream space than the XOP, as the IEO will only invest in exploration and production companies -- not integrated oil companies like XOP holdings Exxon Mobil and Chevron. As a result, top holdings in this 53-stock fund are ConocoPhillips (COP) and EOG Resources (EOG). In this case, the lack of exposure to larger-cap integrated majors hasn't hindered performance, with IEO offering less exaggerated declines (though less robust gains) than XOP. Expenses: 0.43 percent. #5: iShares U.S. Oil Equipment & Services ETF (IEZ) The IEZ is way to invest in equipment and services stocks. Schlumberger Limited (SLB) and Halliburton Co. (HAL) make up roughly 30 percent of the fund this time. Also, Baker Hughes (BHI) -- which failed in an attempt to merge with Halliburton -- is a 7 percent weight. This fund will benefit from big runs in the Big Three. Expenses: 0.43 percent. #4: Guggenheim S&P 500 Equal Weight Energy ETF (RYE) This equal-weight fund is dedicated to the whole sector, and the result is a balanced and solidly (though not spectacularly) performing fund that limits some downside, but not as much as other funds with big weightings in the integrated majors. The flip side is that RYE has experienced great upside amid oil's rebound, only slightly behind XOP in performance. Top holdings are Southwestern Energy Co. (SWN) and Devon Energy. Expenses: 0.4 percent. #3: SPDR S&P Oil & Gas Equipment & Services ETF (XES) The XES is an equal-weight take on the oil services space, which means you don't get the monstrous overweights in Schlumberger and Halliburton. Instead, assets are very evenly invested across 33 stocks, with U.S. Silica Holdings (SLCA) and Nabors Industries (NBR) listed as the top holdings for now. The allure of this fund, then, is the diversification and not being beholden to just one or two stocks. However, the industry's smaller players have felt the most pain, weighing more heavily on XES than its peers. Expenses: 0.35 percent. #2: Fidelity MSCI Energy Index (FENY) FENY and the top fund on this list are extremely similar in their weighting toward oil and gas companies (83 percent) and equipment and services firms (17 percent). But FENY is more lopsided, with Exxon Mobil making up 24.76 percent of the fund, and Chevron next at 13.05 percent. This is a young fund, launching in October 2013, so time will tell whether Fidelity's fund will maintain its high ranking. Expenses: 0.12 percent #1: Energy Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLE) The SPDRs typically are the gold standard for sector exposure, ranking in the top three for most sectors. XLE is no different here at No. 1, and it's also top at assets under management, at $13.6 billion -- roughly three times the next-largest energy ETF, VDE. That's in part thanks to its great performance, besting most of the funds on this list over most time frames, and also because of its dirt-cheap expense ratio. XOM and CVX are the top holdings of this cap-weighted fund, helping to power a 3 percent yield. Expenses: 0.14 percent More From US News & World Report Kinshasa (AFP) - Attackers armed with machetes and axes hacked at least 16 civilians to death in a night-time assault on their village in the volatile east of the Democratic Republic of Congo, UN and local officials said Wednesday. Local administrator Bernard Amisi Kalonda said the brutal attack took place late Tuesday in the Beni region of North Kivu province, an area which has witnessed numerous massacres in the past. "Between 8 pm and 10 pm (1900 GMT and 2100 GMT), the enemy managed to get past army positions and kill peaceful residents in their homes, slashing their throats," he told AFP. "The 16 bodies are in front of me, killed by machete or axe." He was not able to say if the attackers were Ugandan rebels from the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), who have long been active in the region. The area has suffered chronic unrest for two decades fuelled by ethnic differences and claims to land, along with bids for control over valuable natural resources and rivalry between regional powers. "Around 8 pm, we heard people shouting and the sound of bullets," said Adona Lesse, head of Eringeti village, adding that a search was continuing for more possible victims. General Jean Baillaud, the military chief of the UN mission in the DR Congo known by its French acronym MONUSCO, said there were 17 dead. ADF rebels have been accused of carrying out numerous bloody attacks on civilians in Beni and the neighbouring Ituri region which the United Nations says have cost the lives of more than 500 people since 2014. The ADF launched a rebellion against Uganda's President Yoweri Museveni more than 20 years ago, but were forced to pull back into DR Congo. Active in the east of the DRC since 1995, the movement is accused of repeated human rights violations while financing its activities by trafficking tropical timber. The UN currently has a force of about 20,000 mainly military personnel operating in the giant central African country. Shree Bose Google Science Fair's First ever grand prize winner Shree Bose says that the first time she met President Obama at age 17, she was so nervous that when he walked into the Oval Office and stuck out his hand, her first reaction was to bypass the shake and go right into a bear-hug. She'd been invited to The White House as the winner of Google's first Science Fair, an annual event that invites teenagers from all over the world to submit their projects. Bose's study on drug-resistant ovarian cancer beat out over 10,000 other entries, winning her a $50,000 scholarship from Google and recognition from the president. "I was so starstruck!" she tells Business Insider, giggling at the memory of her hearty embrace, before turning more serious: "That one of the most powerful leaders in our world cared so much about kids going into science, that was just the most inspiring thing." After Bose's first prize win and presidential introduction, she became more passionate about public speaking and started giving speeches on STEM education advocacy. (For the record, the second time Bose met Obama, she was sitting next to Bill Nye at a White House Science Fair, and he came up and said "Oh, you again!" causing her to freak out all over again.) Fast-forward five years and Bose, 22, is now about to graduate from Harvard and go on to medical school at Duke in the fall. She has cofounded a company called "Piper," which makes an electronics toolkit to get kids interested in engineering. She's also continued to work with Google over the last several years, helping judge the Science Fair and, recently, being the first one to test one of the company's new products. Slides Q_A Presenter Google brought her to its New York City office to give a talk on science and her advocacy for sciences and math education while testing out a new real-time Q&A tool in its presentation app, Slides, During her presentation, students submitted more than 170 questions. Story continues To Bose, the tool helps make it easier for would-be questioners to conquer their nerves. When she's given talks in the past, she's noticed that there are always a few stragglers who approach her at the end to ask great questions that she wished should could have answered on stage this tool makes it less intimidating to submit queries from the crowd. One of the top-voted questions at Bose's presentation at Google was about how to start making the world a better place. Bose remembered how she decided to start researching cancer after a family member passed away from the disease. To start making a difference, students should first "find something that bothers you on a very personal level," she said. When she thinks back on her trajectory, she highlights the Google Science Fair as giving her the confidence to believe she could change the world and to keep asking hard questions. Although she doesn't know exactly what she wants to focus on specifically at Duke, she is considering oncology. But she does know that she wants to stay involved in igniting young peoples' passions about science and will keep helping out with Google's event "as long as they'll have me." The deadline to submit to this year's Google Science Fair is in less than two weeks. NOW WATCH: How to find out your Uber passenger rating More From Business Insider Can Shake Shacks 1Q16 Results Set the Road for Recovery? SHAKs stock performance A New Yorkbased fine casual restaurant chain, Shake Shack (SHAK) is set to announce its 1Q16 results on May 12, 2016, after the Market closes. Shake Shack went public in January 2015 at an IPO price of $21 per share. Investor optimism about SHAKs growth prospects pushed the stock up, peaking at $96.80 on May 22, 2015. Since then, the companys share price has been on a downswing as investors became wary of paying such a high multiple for its growth. Although its 4Q15 results were better than expected, the expansion plans failed to impress investors. Since March 7, 2016, the share price has declined by 13.5%. During the same period, other competitors in the fast casual restaurant space have experienced selling pressure due to an increase in wages and declining margins. Shares of SHAKs peers Panera Bread (PNRA), Chipotle Mexican Grill (CMG), and Jack in the Box (JACK) have declined by 0.4%, 21.1%, and 2.3%, respectively. During the same period, the broader comparative benchmark index, the Guggenheim S&P 500 Pure Growth ETF (RPG), rose by 2.8%. RPG has 44% of its holdings invested in restaurants and travel companies. Series overview With Shake Shacks (SHAK) 1Q15 results just around the corner, this pre-earnings series will focus on what to expect in the earnings release. The series will cover analysts estimates on the companys revenue, EBITDA margins, and EPS (earnings per share). Finally, well look at the companys valuation multiple and expected stock price over the next 12 months. Lets start by looking at SHAKs 1Q16 revenue expectations. Continue to Next Part Browse this series on Market Realist: Ernest Hemingway would have approved of the 2016 Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat, once he got over the fear that would surely engulf him after first experiencing the brutally quick acceleration, of course. For a man obsessed with pursuing the truth in all facets of life, it would have been the perfect vehicle, save for the heated seats, and infotainment system perhaps. I cant imagine Hemingway being a fan of turn by turn directions, or a car functioning as a WiFi hotspot either. The Hellcat, as it shall be referred to for the remainder of this article, is a vehicle without pretensea rarity in todays automotive marketplace. It is not fashionable, it is not trendy, and it is most certainly not a bold vision of things to come. Its a hulking piece of old-school hardware, a vehicle that stirs the emotions of everyone in its vicinity, positive or negative, people feel something when the Hellcat comes around. Environmentalists shed a single sustainably-sourced tear when the 6.2-liter supercharged V8 roars to life, and no doubt they scoff, and roll their eyes when reading the EPA fuel economy ratings of 13 city/ 22 highway. Id be lying if I said I didnt understand where theyre coming from on some level. To understand it, I had to ask myself one simple question: why, in this day and age, does a car like the Hellcat exist? RELATED: Check Out Photos Of The Go Mango Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat The simplest answer comes down to one word: freedom. The Hellcat roams our streetsjust because it can. Dodge built it because they felt like it, and people, buy it because they want it. Were free to do these things in America, and the Hellcat pushes the boundaries of those freedoms, which in and of itself is a quintessentially American thing to do. Common sense dictates that putting a 707-horsepower engine in a family sedan is a foolish endeavor, but Dodge aint trying to hear that noise. Common sense got thrown out the window years ago, probably around the same time the Viper was green-lit, and say what you will about FCA., but it does offer some of the most straightforward vehicles available. The Fiat 500 Abarth, Jeep Wrangler, Dodge Grand Caravan, these are no B.S. modes of transportation. FCA does what it does, nothing more, nothing less, and in a marketplace flooded with vehicles that claim to be capable of satisfying all your needs, I find the ones with a singular purpose to be refreshing. Story continues The Hellcat exists because not everyone aspires to own a car that can blow the doors off most supercars in a 0-60 sprint without making a sound, and then go park itself while you chow down on a macrobiotic bowl of mush. Some people still want a car that will scare them a little bit, that will make them feel alive by reminding them that death could be just around one poorly judged corner. During my time with the Hellcat I volunteered to drive at every opportunity. Dinners with friends, runs to Whole Foods, picking up clothes from the tailor, all the mundane around town trips that you can either turn to Uber or a deliver service for, I offered up the services of Hellcat. It came as no surprise to me that the car is a great daily driver, especially in a city like Los Angeles. After all, at its core, what more is the Charger than a rental fleet special built to comfortably seat five people, and haul all their crap in the 16.5 cu-ft trunk? And like any good contemporary family sedan, the Hellcat has a quality infotainment system in UConnect, and two USB plugs for the rear seat passengers. Oh, your family sedan doesnt have rear seat USB plugs? Once again, advantage Hellcat. RELATED: Ernest Hemingways 55 Chrysler To Be Restored In Documentary When youre at the wheel of the Hellcat, traffic magically seems to part, whether or not thats due to its bellowing exhaust note, or its imposing figure filling rearview mirrors, I cant say for sure, but other drivers are definitely aware of you. Between the path clearing presence, and 650 lb-ft of torque that backs it up, moving through a city in the Hellcat is actually quite enjoyable, even if youre reckless enough to select track mode while on your way to the farmers market. The TorqueFlite 8-speed automatic has quite possibly the hardest job of any transmission not found in a work truck, and fortunately for all of us, it excels at doing its bidding. In Eco or Street mode, the transmission shifts smoothly, and without occasion, thus taming the wild machine, making it downright docile. Select Sport or Track mode, and shifts become seriously snappy, jerking you back in your seat with every gear change. To some people that probably sounds awful, but I found it to be the quickest way to put a smile on the face of everyone in the car. Further making the case that the Hellcat is much more than a star spangled smoke machine are the superb Brembo brakes. Up front, six piston calipers clamp down on massive 15.4 discs, while four piston calipers grab 13,8 discs out back. Months before I had the Hellcat in my garage for a week, Id spent a day hustling both a Charger, and Challenger around Willow Springs Raceway, and as great as the whine of the supercharger is under hard acceleration, at the end of the day it was the stopping power that impressed me the most. At the track, bleeding off speed while keeping the chassis composed is a must, and the Hellcat manages to accomplish this with shocking ease. On city streets, repeated quick, hard stops are the norm, and the Hellcats Brembos were more than up to the task, never losing pedal feel, never feeling overly grabby. Given that many of my fellow auto scribes had gotten their hands on the car before I did, there wasnt much left of the 275/40R Pirellis, so the top notch brakes were extra welcome. The automotive journalist community has had a lot to say about the Hellcat, some of it good, some of it bad, most of it somewhere in between. For every review that waxes poetic about big ol burnouts, theres one that labels the car as nothing more than an overpriced toy, which is dumb, because in the end, isnt that what any vehicle other than an sub-compact is? The Hellcat doesnt do anything particularly different than a Toyota Camry, it just goes about doing its business in spectacular fashion, whereas the Camry is mostly a snooze-fest start to finish. The Hellcat can be docile if thats what the driver wants, but 99% of the time, its the exact opposite. The majority of the people who buy this car want it because they want everything with more on top. In that sense, the Hellcat is the most American vehicle you can buy. From the outside it is loud, brash, and unapologetic about its demeanor, but inside its comfortable and you might not know why, but you like the way things work. Unlike so many of its operators, the Hellcat is not a car desperate for your approval, or your attention, because itll always get the latter, and has no need for the former. Like it or not, at least the Hellcat is honest. RELATED: This Dodge Challenger Hellcat Is Very Down To Earth Photo Credit: Visual Vocab for BoldRide Mead Johnson: Upgrades, Target Prices, and Upcoming 1Q16 (Continued from Prior Part) 2016: A year of transition Mead Johnson (MJN) believes 2016 will be a year of transition for the company. It plans to invest heavily in reshaping its portfolio and boosting investments in new channels in China. The company also continues to evolve its brand portfolio and drive channel strategy. Its also reducing organizational layers and eliminating unnecessary cost structures. 2016 expectations Mead Johnson expects 2016 constant dollar sales growth to be modest, from 0%2%. Currency translation is expected to have an adverse impact of 200 basis points on sales growth based on the current rate. Sales for 2016 are expected to decline 6%8%. The company also expects dairy prices to have a favorable impact on cost of goods. For 2016, the company plans to reduce operating expenses by $60 million and further reinvest in select growth initiatives and protect earnings growth. Due to the challenge of the strengthening dollar, MJN expects modest, single-digit EPS growth. The company also expects sales growth to improve in the second half of the year, reflecting the phasing of growth initiatives and investments. They also expect to incur charges of $25 million$30 million associated with the Fuel for Growth program in 2016. Among Mead Johnsons peers in the food and packaging industry, Mondelez (MDLZ) has fallen 4% so far in 2016. Hershey (HSY) and Kraft Heinz (KHC) have risen 0.5% and 5.4%, respectively, in 2016. The Vanguard Consumer Staples ETF (VDC) invests 3.8% of its portfolio in Mondelez and 2.3% in Kraft Heinz. New premium price product line in China On March 28, 2016, Mead Johnson announced the launch of its new Enfinitas premium-priced product line in China. The company expects this product to strengthen its competitiveness in the fastest-growing segment in China. This is part of the companys initiative to broaden its product portfolio. Enfinitas is specifically customized for the Chinese market. It contains lactoferrin from the milk fat globule membrane, which is recognized to provide structural and functional benefits to infants. The company should tell us more about this in its upcoming 1Q16 earnings call. Browse this series on Market Realist: Beirut (AFP) - At least 22 air strikes pounded a key rebel bastion east of the Syrian capital on Wednesday after a local freeze on fighting expired overnight, a monitoring group said. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the suspected regime raids hit Eastern Ghouta as clashes with rebels erupted. The fighting was centred on the town of Deir al-Assafir, where March air strikes by the regime killed 33 civilians, 12 of them children. There was no immediate word on any casualties from the renewed fighting Wednesday, the Observatory said. The municipal council in the flashpoint town of Douma confirmed that clashes and air strikes were rocking Eastern Ghouta, a belt of countryside and small towns east of the capital. Moscow and Washington reached a deal last week on a temporary "freeze" in fighting in Eastern Ghouta and in the Mediterranean coastal province of Latakia. The so-called "regime of silence" is meant to reinforce a broader truce brokered by the two world powers in February. The halt in fighting was initially set for 24 hours in Eastern Ghouta but was extended twice, according to Syria's armed forces, and finally expired on Tuesday night. A military source in Damascus confirmed to AFP on Wednesday that it was not renewed a third time. The fresh fighting does not bode well for efforts to agree a "regime of silence" in the battleground second city of Aleppo, ravaged by nearly two weeks of surging violence. More than 270,000 people have been killed since the conflict erupted in Syria in March 2011. In the third episode of AMCs The Night Manager, Roper (Hugh Laurie) decided to trust Pine (Tom Hiddleston), and Pine began to spy on Roper in earnest as did Ropers love, Jed (Elizabeth Debicki), who now wants to learn what Roper really does for a living. Executive producer Stephen Garrett talked with Yahoo TV about the potential new alliance, how Hiddleston gets into character, and ZitterZatter. Were beginning to see more of Jed now that Pines in Ropers world. Whats the key to understanding her? Just to compare her with the Jed from the novel, in the novel, shes British and a kind of superficial, middle-class girl preoccupied with her place in society. By making her American I think America has this wonderful, much more class-less society, and the opportunity for people who were, as Jed was in the backstory weve given her, born on the wrong side of the tracks. She has an opportunity to make this amazing trajectory through society, with Ropers help. I think he acquired her as a trophy, as arm and eye candy. But I think he discovered in Jed someone so much more interesting, resourceful, and intelligent. Its almost like an arranged marriage: They have grown to feel something for one another, when its almost certain that when they met, they had no idea who the other was. They have been through this remarkable, and surprising to both of them, education. There is a strange mutual respect and something that at times probably is love. You feel that, to some extent, shes made this deal with the devil and sold her soul in order to invent herself as the person she wants to be. Youve already seen in it episode 2, this incredible sense of someone whos a creation partly of herself and partly of Roper. That creation is someone who is invulnerable, which is why just being seen physically naked is a matter of indifference to her. She knows shes a thing of beauty, and thats why shes where she is and with who she is. Seeing her cry [as Pine does] is like opening a window into her soul, and thats something that she wants to protect at all costs. Story continues Theres that great moment when she tries and fails to get Pine to go swimming with her where she tells him that one day hell live a little. What do you think he makes of Jed at this point? Again, its interesting, theres a subtle difference: In the book, hes initially very dismissive of her. Hes mean to her, rude to her, thinks she is just essentially a high-end hooker. To some extent, thats closer to the way that shes portrayed in the book. I think what you see in our version is a slow appreciation on his part that she isnt just a gangsters moll; that shes a really interesting, complex, nuanced woman in her own right. You can see it in that moment that you just described, when she disrobes and walks into the sea, that he is strangely drawn to her, and its not just her physical attractions. Another great sequence in this episode is Jonathan breaking into Ropers office. How do you create that kind of suspense on set? We did ask Tom to have in his head a ticking clock. He really is to race against time. Youve got a window of a minute to do what he needed to do. Whats interesting about Toms process and I dont know what piece of music he chose is he actually plays movie soundtracks or favorite pop, rock, classical tracks according to the mood hes trying to create for himself. Its almost certain that just before doing that [scene], hed have played himself some music that created that right sense, for him, of tension, jeopardy, and menace. It really works. Its very interesting to watch him. Hell often put his music away just before the camera starts to roll, and hes in the zone. Pine sends the documents he snaps photos of to his handler Angela Burr (Olivia Colman) through ZitterZatter. The trouble with those things is you end up just having to find a name that doesnt exist anywhere on the planet so you cant be sued for breach of copyright. The names are often not necessarily ridiculous, but slightly improbable. Theyre improbable because no one else in the real world is actually using it. The same is true of the name for Ropers company. We had other names for companies, and wed have ended up libeling real companies by suggesting that they were in fact offshoots of Ropers empire. Those two have to feel right and real, but actually not exist at all in the real world. Related: The Night Manager Episode 2 Postmortem: Everyone Book a Trip to Majorca Pine also catches a big break when Sandys wife, Caroline (Natasha Little), decides to tell Pine all about Ropers next deal. What we needed to do I suppose its for the audience to decide whether that comes off is to create enough of a history between Pine and Caroline, and just glances really, just a sense of an understanding that each of them has some hint of a suspicion that there may be chinks in the others armor. When she invites him to rub sunscreen into her back and says, Dont worry, I wont sleep with you, theres a little crack through which Pine can breach her armor, and he can see her vulnerability. But, as they say, putting pebbles along the path to that moment is a very delicate situation. Its something we talked about a lot in both the script-writing process and the editing. Related: The Night Manager Postmortem: Inside the Premiere of the Tom Hiddleston-Hugh Laurie Spy Thriller The Night Manager airs Tuesdays at 10 p.m. on AMC. Come back to Yahoo TV after each episode for another postmortem with executive producer Stephen Garrett. Berlin (AFP) - The UN's envoy for Syria on Wednesday made a plea for a halt in fighting in the second city of Aleppo, warning that failure to do so could lead to a "catastrophic" outcome. "The alternative is truly quite catastrophic, because we could see 400,000 people moving towards the Turkish border," Staffan de Mistura said after talks in Berlin with France and Germany's foreign ministers. The Berlin talks, which also included Syria's main opposition leader Riad Hijab, is part of a week of whirlwind diplomacy as negotiators battle to salvage a collapsing truce. De Mistura stressed that a return to peace talks hinged on a ceasefire. "The test is Aleppo now," he said. German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier and France's Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault also issued similar warnings. "If the ceasefire does not happen in the next few hours in Aleppo, everything would collapse," said Ayrault. "All the hopes that we had put on a peace process would disappear, even though that's a necessity for Syrians for all the refugees who want to return to live in their country." ProFootball Talk on NBC Sports The Lions held a 6-3 lead over the Cowboys at halftime of Sundays game, but their inability to hold onto the ball helped it go up in smoke in the second half. Quarterback Jared Goff threw an interception to open the third quarter and the Cowboys turned it into a touchdown that gave them a [more] A 5-year-old who was paralyzed as she performed a backbend is showing signs of improvement by crawling and pushing down on her legs. Read: How Friends Will Carry Wheelchair-Bound Man Whose Dream Is To See Europe Eden Hoelscher was a typically active child until she attempted a backbend in the living room of her family's California home last December. I look at her and she's collapsed on the floor from the backbend position," her mother, Kylee, told INSIDE EDITION. "She's crying, crying, My back hurts, my hips hurt, my legs hurt! It all hurts! All of a sudden her expression just changed. Eden was unable to move her legs and said her foot felt as though it was asleep. Kylee rushed her daughter to the hospital where doctors discovered she was paralyzed. They said that while doing the backbend, Eden had hyper-extended her spine -- cutting off the blood supply to her spinal cord and triggering a stroke. She was paralyzed from the chest down. Eden's dad, Nicholas, is still coming to terms with the impact a simple backbend has had on their lives. CrossFit trainer Christina Gloger said when performing a back bend, children should stay away from wood and tiled floors. Read: A Wheelchair-Bound Dad Stands Up to Walk His Shocked Daughter Down The Aisle Dont do it wearing socks and ask your parent to spot you," she said. "Any parent should be able to spot a 6-year-old, they're not heavy. All you have to do is put a hand under their back. Eden is undergoing intensive therapy at the Frazier Rehab Institute in Louisville, Kentucky. The institute has a pioneering program with a new approach to spinal cord recovery. They've discovered that our spine is a mini-brain and it can learn again, Kylee said. They send messages up from the bottom and teach your spine. Click here for more information on Eden and her recovery and to donate to her GoFundMe page. Story continues Watch: New Technology Allows Paralyzed Man to Move His Hand By Using His Thoughts Related Articles: 50 Cent has issued a written apology to the family of the autistic Cincinnati airport employee he previously mocked in an Instagram video. While the incident at the airport resulted from an unfortunate misunderstanding, please accept my sincere apologies for offending you, the rapper wrote. It was certainly not my intent to insult you and I wish you and your family well. Andrew Farrell, 19, and his family accepted the apology via a statement to a local news station. A great lesson can be learned from this heartbreaking situation. Regardless of the way that another person appears to you, it is never okay to publicly humiliate them via social media. We hope that this situation brings more awareness to what people with autism and other forms of social anxiety suffer through on a daily basis. Also Read: 50 Cent Under Fire for Mocking Autistic Janitor at Cincinnati Airport 50 Cent, whose real name is Curtis Jackson, was in the Cincinnati airport when he took notice of Farrell and began recording him, accusing him of being high on drugs. Look at him, Jackson says in the video. What kind of shit you think he took before he got to work today? He high as a motherfker right here in the airport. Pupils dilated and everything. The new generation is fking crazy. Related stories from TheWrap: 50 Cent to Develop Variety Show With A&E 50 Cent Mocks Court Appearance by Flaunting M&M's (and More Money) 50 Cent Claims Stacks of Instagram Cash Were Fake His bad. Rapper 50 Cent came under fire on Tuesday, May 3, after he posted a short video clip of himself making fun of autistic airport employee Andrew Farrell. In the since-deleted Instagram video, the In da Club rapper, real name Curtis Jackson, could be heard saying the new generation is crazy as he followed Farrell, 19, around the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky Airport. Farrell, who works as a custodian at the airport, did not appear to respond to 50 Cents taunts. PHOTOS: Biggest Celebrity Scandals of 2015 According to the BBC, Instagram user Rusty Stone identified the man as his former high school classmate and called the 40-year-old rapper out on his mean mistake. I went to school with him, Stone wrote. He has extreme social difficulties, just to let you know. He has a hard enough time getting through life without jacka--es like you making fun of him. I hope you feel good about yourself. You just lost a huge fan. After many other commenters similarly bashed 50 Cent for his insensitive antics, the rapper released a public apology to both Farrells family and anyone he may have offended. PHOTOS: Celebrity Charity While the incident at the airport resulted from an unfortunate misunderstanding, I am truly sorry for offending the young man, he said in a statement. It was certainly not my intent to insult him or the disability community, which is a source of great strength in America. I have apologized personally to him and his family. Farrells family has since accepted 50 Cents apology, but are hoping that the rapper makes a donation to Autism Speaks, an organization dedicated to bringing awareness to the condition. PHOTOS: Celebs Fight Back on Twitter! We would first like to thank everyone for the amazing amount of support that they have shown over the past few days, the family said in a statement. It has been an emotional roller coaster that we are ready to put to rest. Though a letter of apology will not undo what 50 Cent has put our family through, we are choosing to forgive. Story continues A great lesson can be learned from this heartbreaking situation, the statement continues. Regardless of the way that another person appears to you, it is never OK to publicly humiliate them via social media. 50 Cent has yet to respond to the familys request for a donation to Autism Speaks. mimi haist Zach Galifianakis Renee zellweger ABC7 Getty A homeless woman in Santa Monica, California, made some important celebrity friends, and now she's the subject of a new documentary. Marie Haist, who goes by Mimi, called the streets her home until she was invited to stay in a laundromat by its owner on a rainy night. She stayed there for another 20 years, ABC's Los Angeles affiliate, ABC 7, reported. During that time, the 90-year-old began making friends with patrons and helping out around the laundromat. That's how she met "Baskets" star and "Between Two Ferns" creator Zach Galifianakis. Suddenly, she found herself at the "Hangover Part III" premiere as his date. "Mimi has changed my life since I met her, the appreciation that I have for the elderly and people who need some help," Galifianakis said. She also befriended actor and filmmaker Yaniv Rokah, who has wanted to tell Haist's story for a while. On May 13, his documentary about her, "Queen Mimi," hits theaters. "To me, Mimi represents so many things: hope, human spirit, strength, survival," Rokah said. Life hasn't just become much more glamorous for Haist, but it has also become much more comfortable. She isn't homeless anymore, thanks to her famous friends. "Zach [Galifianakis] got me an apartment," Haist told ABC with a laugh. "And Renee Zellweger furnished it." Watch ABC7's segment on Haist below: NOW WATCH: This guy went from homeless to making $25,000 per Vine More From Business Insider Brussels (AFP) - The world's top brewer Anheuser-Busch InBev said Wednesday its first quarter profits fell due to weakness in the Brazilian market but that its acquisition of SABMiller was on track to be completed this year. Revenues fell 10 percent to $9.4 billion compared with the same period last year, the Belgium-based group said in a statement. The group, which is awaiting to hear later this month whether the European Commission has approved its buyout of British rival SABMiller, said it remained "cautiously optimistic" for the rest of the year. "We are making good progress towards obtaining the necessary regulatory clearances for the proposed combination with SABMiller," the company said. "We continue to expect the transaction to close in the second half of 2016." If the $122-billion buyout, which was announced in November, gets the green light, it would be the third largest acquisition in history, bringing together AB InBev brands such as Corona, Stella Artois and Budweiser with SABMiller's Czech brand Pilsner Urquell. At the start of the first quarter, AB InBev registered a drop in sales in its North and South American markets where it conducts more than half of its activities. "Total volumes declined by 1.7 percent, with our own beer volumes down by 1.4 percent. The decline in own beer volumes was driven by Brazil which, as expected, faced challenging macroeconomic conditions and a difficult comparable, partly offset by strong results in Mexico," it said. "Our beer volumes in Brazil declined by 10 percent due to a tough comparable driven mainly by a very challenging macroeconomic environment in comparison to the first quarter last year." In order to ease competition concerns and win approval from European regulators, the Belgian-Brazilian brewer said it would offload SABMiller's European concerns, and announced last month the sale of the Peroni and Grolsch brands to Japanese beer giant Asahi Group. AB InBev sees the buyout of SABMiller as a key way to counterweight falling beer demand in big markets by building its presence in Africa and other regions where sales are going up. By Philip Blenkinsop BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Anheuser-Busch InBev (ABI.BR), set to increase its global beer leadership by buying SABMiller (SAB.L), reported lower than expected earnings in the first three months after it sold 10 percent less beer in its second largest market, Brazil. AB InBev shares fell as much as 4.6 percent to a seven-week low of 103.20 euros, making them among the weakest performers in the FTSEurofirst 300 index (.FTEU3) of leading European stocks. The brewer of Budweiser, Stella Artois and Corona had warned in February that it was likely to have a weak start to the year in Latin America's biggest economy. Brazil, where AB InBev has two-thirds of the beer market, contracted at its sharpest rate since 1990 last year and the outlook for 2016 is nearly as bad with a political crisis now adding to its problems. Beer volumes fell 10 percent in the quarter overall from a year earlier, but did recover in April, the brewer said. AB InBev's first-quarter core profit (EBITDA) rose by 2.5 percent excluding the impact of currencies and one-offs to $3.46 billion, compared with the average forecast in a Reuters poll of $3.73 billion (2.5 billion pounds). Earnings growth was also limited by a 13.5 percent rise in sales and marketing spend. AB InBev said this investment was weighted towards the first half of the year. Eamonn Ferry, drinks analyst at Exane BNP Paribas, said that figures should improve in the second quarter, notably compared with a weak performance a year earlier, and that the early timing of Carnival and tax hikes and floods in Brazil could be considered one-offs. "The shares won't be spared, but these things should put a floor on the decline," he said. The brewer has succeeded in pushing through price hikes, but has been hit by the weakness of currencies, notably the Brazilian real and the Mexican peso, to the dollar, although Mexico was the star performer, with 13 percent more beer sold. Overall, the company retained its forecast that revenue per hectolitre would grow ahead of inflation, with strong volume increases in Mexico, an improvement in the United States and a rise in revenue in Brazil outweighing sluggish sales in China. Story continues China's manufacturing sector expanded for a second month in a row in April but only marginally, raising doubts about a recent pick-up in the world's second-largest economy. AB InBev gave no new information on its planned $100-billion-plus takeover of its nearest rival SABMiller, saying it still expected the deal offering new markets in Africa and Latin America to close in the second half of this year. (Reporting By Philip Blenkinsop; editing by Robert-Jan Bartunek and Louise Heavens) Paris (AFP) - Air France-KLM said Wednesday it cut its losses in the first quarter of 2016 but passenger traffic to Paris was affected by terror attacks and the airline also warned of a difficult year ahead as it moved to cut wages of French pilots. The Franco-Dutch group enjoyed lower fuel prices but said this was likely to be offset over the rest of the year by pressure on revenue and by the negative impact of currency swings. Air France-KLM reported a net loss of 155 million euros ($178 million) in the three-month period, which was overshadowed by a deadly attack on Brussels airport. This compared to a loss of 559 million euros in the same period a year earlier. Revenue edged up 0.4 percent to 5.6 billion euros in the same period. "The global context in 2016 remains highly uncertain regarding fuel prices, the continuation of the overcapacity situation on several markets and the geopolitical and economic context in which we operate," Air France-KLM said in a statement. "As a consequence, the group expects the forecasted savings on the fuel bill to be significantly offset in the coming quarters by unit revenue pressure and negative currency impacts." The airline said it was sticking to its forecasts for this year, including cutting unit costs by around 1.0 percent and a cutting its net debt -- now standing at 4.16 billion euros -- significantly "Despite a difficult environment marked in particular by the Brussels attacks, the upgraded product offer, the commercial efforts and the ongoing network adaptation have enabled the group to limit the unit revenue decline and to retain a substantial part of the fuel savings," outgoing chief executive Alexandre de Juniac said in a statement. Two suicide bombers struck Brussels airport on March 22, while a third attacker blew himself up at on a metro train. The twin attacks, which killed 31 people, came barely four months after the November 13 attacks in central Paris that killed 130 people. Story continues Air France-KLM finance director Pierre-Francois Riolacci said traffic to Paris had been affected "terrorist events", especially for Japanese customers. Despite being hard hit by the Paris attacks, Air France-KLM managed last year to post its first annual operating profit since 2008 as it reaped the benefits of cost cutting measures as well as lower fuel prices. It also posted a net profit of 118 million euros. - Cuts to pilots' wages - The airline group has decided to push forward with cost cutting efforts as board of directors also authorised Air France to cut the wages of pilots beginning on June 1. The move follows court efforts by SNPL, the top union among pilots, to block the cuts which were accepted by a majority of pilots as part of a cost savings effort in which ground and cabin crew also accepted reductions. The pilots will see their night pay rate drop as well as a less favourable calculation for their ground preparations, which could produce up to 30 million euros in savings per year for the airline. "There has been no recourse to force," the airline group's human resources chief, Gilles Gateau, announced late Tuesday after the board meeting, noting that a local and appeals court had allowed the company to move forward. The SNPL decried management's resort to forcing through the cuts, said it would continue dispute the move in courts, and threatened a strike. That could become a costly setback to efforts to improve the company's finances as a two-week strike by the pilots in September 2014 crippled the airline and cost 416 million euros in turnover. Tensions have been running high at the French national airline, after two executives had their shirts ripped off by employees, angry at the announcement in October last year to cut another 2,900 jobs. Air pollutionan environmental problem now more associated with the developing cities like New Delhi than the capitals of the Westhas emerged as key issue in the race to elect the next London mayor, with all three leading candidates campaigning on their solutions and voters describing the problem as an important concern. The mayoral campaign comes on the heels of a series of recent reports blaming pollutionlargely from the emissions of diesel vehiclesas a leading killer in the United Kingdom. Around 40,000 people deaths annually in the country are linked to air pollution, according to a recent Royal College of Physicians report. Another report, from Kings College London, suggests as many as 9,500 people die of that cause annually in London alone. Those figuresblasted across headlines and bandied about in campaign speecheshave been absorbed by the electorate. Nearly 70% of London parents say theyre worried about their children breathing dirty air and nearly two-thirds say the city should completely ban diesel trucks from the city center, according to recent polls from the London Evening Standard. Weve got a real diesel problem in London and pretty awful streets, says Simon Birkett, the founder of the NGO Clean Air in London. In London, you can actually smell the pollution Go down Oxford Street, you can literally smell it. Read More: These Are Americas 10 Most Polluted Cities The mayoral candidates all acknowledge the scope of the problem and say they are committed to expanding a measure introduced by current Mayor Boris Johnson to create a Ultra Low Emission Zone in London beginning in 2020 that would charge owners of high-polluting vehicles who want to enter city center. The leading candidateswith the exception of Conservative Zac Goldsmithhave said they would move that date forward and expand the territory it covers. Story continues Reducing harmful emissions from Londons iconic bus fleet has also become a key campaign issue. Labour candidate Sadiq Khan and Liberal Democrat candidate Carol Pidgeon, as well as Goldsmith, all say they will ensure that the city only adds clean energy vehicles to its bus fleet, though they vary on some of the specifics, according to a report from U.K. think tank Policy Exchange. Whoever is elected, there is definitely going to be some change and accelerated action on this issue, says Richard Howard, head of environment and energy at Policy Exchange. There is a desire to tackle the problem that maybe wasnt there in the past. London represents perhaps the bestor worstexample of a growing air pollution in developed cities that thought theyd left such problems in the past. And ironically, the issue has arisenat least in partas a result of Europes aggressive efforts to address climate change. European countries and the European Union created incentives to encourage consumers to buy diesel vehicles because they emit less carbon dioxidea key contributor to global warmingthan their gasoline counterparts. The initiatives worked and in 2013 diesel vehicle penetration topped 35% in the UK, according to a government report. (In the United States the comparable figure is in the low single digits and likely to fall following the Volkswagen emissions cheating scandal). But while diesel vehicles have a smaller carbon footprint, they emit around 20 times more nitrogen oxide than gasoline-powered cars, contributing to a slew of respiratory problems and worsening conditions like asthma. Nitrogen dioxide levels at Oxford Streetcommonly thought to be the most polluted street in the countryaveraged four times the legal limit in the year leading up to August 2015, according to a Policy Exchange report. In the first two weeks of 2016, the city exceeded the maximum days of high nitrogen dioxide pollution allowed for the entire year. Read More: Preterm Births Linked to Air Pollution Cost Billions in the U.S. The fight against air pollution, which comes half a century after the country enacted its Clean Air Act to deal with the grime of London pea soup fog, extends beyond London city limits. The environmental group ClientEarth successfully sued the national government in the countrys Supreme Court last year arguing that the administrations plan to address pollution would fail to meet air quality standards. In response, the Conservative government drafted a new plan that would charge high-polluting vehicles in some of the countrys largest cities (London is left to implement its own scheme), but that strategy also faces another challenge arguing that it is insufficient. London is far from the only rich city where pollution has spiked in recent years thanks to diesel vehicles. The mayors of 20 major European citiesincluding Paris, Madrid and Athenssigned a letter in March arguing that the E.U.s diesel regulations damage human health in their cities. How can we protect the health of our fellow citizens when the European Union has rubber-stamped a permit to pollute, at the expense of public health? they wrote in a letter published in Le Monde. Some cities, like Paris, have enacted their own restrictions on cars in the city center. Globally, air pollution kills millions of people each year, with developing country cities like Beijing, New Delhi and Mexico City particularly hard hit. Policymakers in those places have used the crisis as an opportunity to tackle climate change and air pollution in one swoop with measures like reducing reliance on coal-fired power plants and industrial emissions. But the examples of European cities like London shows that there may be times when the imperative to reduce carbon emissions clashes with the need to clean the air. The only way that the world is going to get a handle on the problem is if country by country leaders take ownership of the issue, says Mount Sinai Dr. Phil Landrigan, a leading public health researcher who is leading a commission on air pollution. BEIRUT (Reuters) - Air strikes targeted a Syrian rebel-held area east of Damascus on Wednesday after an agreement aimed at halting the fighting there expired at midnight, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and rescue workers reported. The Observatory also reported fighting between rebel groups and government forces in the area targeted in the air strikes in the town of Deir al-Asafir in Eastern Ghouta. Moscow announced on Monday the temporary truce it brokered with the United States had been extended until the end of May 3. No further extension has been declared. The Civil Defence rescue service in opposition-held areas of rural Damascus said the area had been targeted by 21 raids and simultaneous mortar fire. There were no injuries, it said in a statement. (Writing by Tom Perry, editing by Angus MacSwan) The past week saw Virgin America VA and SkyWest SKYW reporting strong first-quarter 2016 results, thanks to the dip in fuel costs. On the other hand, Allegiant Travel Companys ALGT in-line earnings and revenue miss was quite a disappointment. On the non-earnings front, Delta Air Lines DAL and Alaska Air Group ALK reported healthy traffic data for the month of April. Load factor (% of seats filled by passengers) increased for both the carriers as traffic growth outpaced capacity expansion in the month. On the price front, the NYSE ARCA Airline index declined 2.6% to $88.43 over the past five trading days. Read the last Airline Stock Roundup for Apr 27, 2016. Recap of the Past Weeks Most Important Stories 1. Low-cost carrier Virgin America's first-quarter earnings (excluding special items) of 41 cents per share beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 36 cents. Results were aided by low fuel costs. Operating revenues came in at $364 million, surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $362 million. Revenues also improved 11.5% from the year-ago figure. Meanwhile, capacity increased 15.8% on a 15.9% rise in traffic during the quarter. Load factor was flat on a year-over-year basis at 80.1%. Passenger revenue per available seat mile (PRASM: a measure of unit revenue) declined 3.8% to 9.88 cents in the reported quarter. Total RASM decreased 3.7% in the first quarter of 2016 and yield per passenger mile declined 3.7%. 2. St. George, Utah-based SkyWest, Inc.s first-quarter earnings of 52 cents per share was way ahead of the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 25 cents. Earnings also improved approximately 68% from the year-ago figure. Quarterly revenues of $762 million comfortably beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $738 million and expanded marginally on a year-over-year basis. SkyWests efforts to modernize its fleet by adding new aircraft and removing unprofitable/less profitable ones drove the upbeat results. Story continues 3. Alaska Air Group, the parent company of Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air, posted a significant rise in air traffic for Apr 2016. Revenue passenger miles (RPMs) a measure of air traffic improved 11.1% on a 10.4% capacity expansion. Load factor increased to 84.1% from 83.6% in Apr 2015 as capacity expansion was outpaced by the increase in traffic. 4. Delta Air Lines revealed a 2.7% increase in RPMs for April while capacity improved 2.5%. Load factor increased to 83.3% from 83.2% in Apr 2015 as capacity expansion lagged the increase in traffic. However, Delta witnessed a 4% drop in PRASM in the month, mainly due to foreign exchange woes. On a separate note, good news flowed in for Delta after the Mexican Federal Economic Competition Commission approved (with conditions) the carriers proposed $1.5 billion joint venture with Grupo Aeromexico. The carriers aim to strengthen their partnership with this JV. 5. Allegiant Travel Companys first-quarter 2016 earnings per share of $4.29 were line with the Zacks Consensus Estimate. Quarterly revenues increased 5.9% year over year to $348.6 million, narrowly missing the Zacks Consensus Estimate. Air traffic rose 15% year over year on an 18.8% rise in capacity, while load factor stood at 84% compared with 86.8% recorded in the year-ago quarter. Fuel expense per ASM declined 35.1% in the reported quarter, thus aiding the bottom line. Fuel price (average) declined 33.2% to $1.29 per gallon in the reported quarter. For the second quarter of 2016, the company expects cost per available seat mile (CASM), excluding fuel, to grow in the range of 4% to 6%. TRASM in the second quarter is likely to decline in the band of 10% to 8%. Performance The following table shows the price movement of the major airline players over the past week and during the last 6 months. Company Past Week Last 6 months HA -3.32% 17.85% UAL -3.90% -21.83% GOL -0.28% -21.78% DAL -1.63% -15.28% JBLU -2.35% -20.38% AAL -6.28% -24.22% SAVE -9.16% 24.53% LUV -6.22% -7.50% VA 0.50% 49.41% ALK -5.34% -9.04% The table shows that almost all airline stocks traded in the red over the past week with shares of low-cost carrier Spirit Airlines depreciating the most (9.16%). Virgin America was the sole gainer over the period on the back of its impressive first-quarter results. Over the past six months as well, most airline stocks traded in the red leading to the NYSE ARCA Airline index declining 4.49%%. Shares of Virgin America appreciated the most (49.41%) during the period while American Airlines AAL emerged as the biggest laggard (24.22%). What's Next in the Airline Space? Latin American carrier Copa Holdings CPA is slated to release its first-quarter 2016 results on May 5. Moreover, multiple traffic updates for the month of April are expected over the next few days. Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report >> Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report DELTA AIR LINES (DAL): Free Stock Analysis Report COPA HLDGS SA-A (CPA): Free Stock Analysis Report SKYWEST INC (SKYW): Free Stock Analysis Report ALLEGIANT TRAVL (ALGT): Free Stock Analysis Report ALASKA AIR GRP (ALK): Free Stock Analysis Report AMER AIRLINES (AAL): Free Stock Analysis Report VIRGIN AMERICA (VA): Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research By Matt Scuffham TORONTO (Reuters) - A wildfire in the Alberta city of Fort McMurray is set to become the costliest ever Canadian natural disaster for insurers, with 1,600 buildings destroyed and another 19,000 under threat, analysts and industry sources say. The bill for insurers is expected to be several times more than the C$700 million ($544 million) paid out for a wildfire in Slave Lake, Alberta, in 2011. The fire in Slave Lake, a small town 250 km (155 miles)northwest of the city of Edmonton, led to the destruction of 374 homes, less than a quarter of the number of structures already destroyed at Fort McMurray, and damaged another 52. "If you're looking at four times that of Slave Lake you're getting to well over C$2 billion ($1.6 billion) so there is a possibility that this may become the biggest catastrophic claim in Canada," said DBRS analyst Stewart McIlwraith. The unchecked fire, now in its fourth day Wednesday, has prompted the full evacuation of Fort McMurray's 88,000 residents. It has not, however, endangered the major oil producers in the area, the heart of the oil sands industry. The fire is also likely to exceed the C$1.9 billion in losses caused by the Alberta floods of 2013, which set the record for the costliest Canadian disaster. Those losses were limited by the fact that many policies did not cover the type of flooding experienced. Shares in Intact , Canada's largest property and casualty insurer, closed nearly 4 percent lower. The company said it has the biggest exposure of any insurer to the region. "It could be quite significant in terms of a loss for them," said Edward Jones analyst Jim Shanahan. Intact declined to comment on the likely scale of its losses, but Chief Executive Charles Brindamour told analysts on the company's results call that "there are lots of similarities between Fort McMurray and Slave Lake." Analysts said other insurance providers with exposure to the region include Toronto-Dominion Bank and international insurers Aviva and RSA . The Insurance Bureau of Canada, which represents Canadian home, cars and business insurers, said it was too early to speculate on the cost of claims. The average price of homes in Slave Lake is much lower than that of homes in Fort McMurray, where a decade long oil boom sent housing prices soaring. Experts say in Fort McMurray insurance policies would likely cover all damage to property and belongings damaged by the wildfire. (With additional reporting by Euan Rocha and John Tilak in Toronto; Editing by Mary Milliken) By Nandita Bose CHICAGO (Reuters) - Amazon.com Inc's business marketplace, which connects businesses with suppliers, has generated $1 billion in sales in its first year, making it a significant player in a fragmented industry worth more than $8.2 trillion in the United States. Amazon Business offers U.S. businesses exclusive pricing and discounts for buying in bulk, free two-day shipping for orders of more than $49, tax exemption and the option to get products delivered with an Amazon guarantee. "We are continuing to grow at a rate of 20 percent month-on-month, and that highlights ... how strong the need is in this segment," Amazon Vice President Prentis Wilson told Reuters on Tuesday. The business marketplace, which Amazon has described as one of its important areas for growth, extends its role as a middleman for third-party vendors, which account for more than 40 percent of the company's sales. This also helps Amazon gain an edge in the fast-growing online business-to-business sector, which is likely to account for about 12 percent of B2B sales in the United States by 2020, according to estimates by Forrester Research in 2015. Wilson said Amazon added more than 30,000 sellers and more than 300,000 businesses to its platform in the past year and continues to add "thousands of customers" every week. Amazon's customers on the platform range from companies like Cardinal Financial Corp to consumer products makers like Henkel & Co and institutions like the University of California-San Diego and the University of Illinois. Some of the most widely sold products on the platform include computer and information technology equipment, office supplies, lab equipment and food service supplies. Amazon Business has also started beta testing an offer to extend lines of credit to businesses that register on its platform, Wilson said. These lines of credit could range from tens of thousands of dollars up to $1 million, Wilson added. (Reporting by Nandita Bose in Chicago; Editing by Lisa Von Ahn) Amber Heard looked totally stunning at Monday's Met Gala, but surprised some when she showed up without husband Johnny Depp on her arm. Instead, the Aquaman star perfectly accessorized her silky high-slit Ralph Lauren gown with Kimball Hastings, Ralph Lauren's head of PR, who dressed her for the event. Splash News PHOTOS: The 13 Best-Dressed Stars at the 2016 Met Gala Heard wasn't the only starlet who flew solo at the gala, an understated theme of the evening seemed to be ladies letting their less fashion-forward men stay home in favor of taking a designer or stylist as their plus one. Beyonce notably stepped out without her husband, Jay Z, or her wedding band, stunning the crowd in her Givenchy dress and letting a stylist worry about the details. Getty Images WATCH: Rita Ora Rocks 'Not Becky' Pin to Met Gala After-Party Oscar winner Alicia Vikander left boyfriend Michael Fassbender at home, instead opting to pose in her metallic Louis Vuitton dress with the fashion house's creative director, Nicolas Ghesquiere. Getty Images PHOTOS: The 11 Worst-Dressed Stars at the 2016 Met Gala Nicki Minaj's boyfriend (fiance? husband? We can't keep it straight.) Meek Mill is technically on house arrest right now, but this probably wouldn't be his scene anyway. The rapper rolled with the Moschino gang on the Gala red carpet, posing alongside creative director Jeremy Scott in her sexy, strappy gown. Getty Images MET GALA 2016: Kanye West vs. Taylor Swift and 5 Other Near-Awkward Run-Ins at the Met Gala Cindy Crawford looked positively stunning in her silver-scaled Balmain dress, and posed with the brand's creative director, Olivier Rousteing, though hubby Rande Gerber joined her for the after party. Getty Images WATCH: Blake Lively, Kim Kardashian, Kanye West and More Go 'Vogue' in Met Gala Video Booth After Deadpool star Ryan Reynolds looked devastatingly dapper at the White House reception for Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau back in March, we were hoping he'd rock the Met Gala carpet with wife Blake Lively. However, Lively held things down just fine on her own, masking her growing baby bump in a gorgeous pink Burberry cape gown and posing alongside the company's CEO and chief creative officer Christopher Bailey. Story continues Getty Images WATCH: 18 Outrageous Looks That Prove the Met Gala Is the Only Fashion Event That Matters Related Articles From Cosmopolitan Well, this is going to be fun. Amber Rose is getting her own weekly primetime talk show, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The series, which doesn't have a title yet, will premiere this summer on VH1 and will be produced by Dr. Phil and his son Jay McGraw's production company. "Amber has inspired millions of young women by overcoming homelessness to become a wildly successful entrepreneur," VH1 GM Chris McCarthy told the outlet. "A true multihyphenate, she is a devoted mother, a strong advocate for women's rights and a celebrated author all of which make her an ideal host. Amber is a perfect addition to the VH1 family because our audience is interested in hearing unique perspectives from those who are unapologetically themselves and not afraid to take a stand on issues they are passionate about." Amber slays every talk show appearance she does, so I'm pumped she'll get to take the reigns. "Join us as we break all the rules and redefine late-night," Amber told THR. "Watch out Fallon, here comes Muva!" Follow Kate on Twitter. By Joseph Ax (Reuters) - Fifteen members of an Ohio Amish sect convicted in a spate of beard- and hair-cutting attacks on other adherents to their faith lost a bid on Wednesday to have their convictions thrown out, after a U.S. appeals court ruled they had failed to challenge them in a timely manner. The 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Cincinnati also rejected the claim from some defendants that their prison sentences, which ranged from 3-1/2 years to nearly 11 years, were unjustly long. The case involved an Amish sect in the rural community of Bergholz, southeast of Cleveland. Federal prosecutors said the bishop, Samuel Mullet, was a "cult leader" who orchestrated five attacks as retaliation for personal and spiritual disagreements with other Amish. Beards are an essential aspect of religious expression for Amish men, while Amish women do not cut their hair. Several victims testified at the 2012 trial regarding the humiliation they experienced as a result of the assaults. A jury convicted 16 members of hate crimes, conspiring to conceal evidence and other counts. The 6th Circuit, however, tossed the hate crime convictions in 2014, prompting U.S. District Judge Aaron Polster to reduce the prison sentences for the eight defendants who were still serving time. All but one of the 16 defendants subsequently challenged their convictions on the lesser counts, while the eight resentenced defendants also appealed the length of their prison terms. On Wednesday, a three-judge panel from the 6th Circuit said the defendants could not appeal their convictions on the lesser charges after having failed to do so the first time around. The panel also said Polster's sentences were an appropriate exercise of his discretion. Wendi Overmyer, a lawyer for Mullet, said they were "disappointed" in the ruling and would consider their legal options. Lawyers for the other defendants did not immediately comment on the decision. (The story corrects day of ruling from Tuesday to Wednesday in first and ninth paragraphs) (Reporting by Joseph Ax; Editing by David Gregorio) Amy Schumer shared the best beauty hack pre Met Gala [Photo: Getty] When shes not giving us the Lols by setting fire to her ladyparts, Amy Schumer is sorting out our life, by coming up with the beauty hack of all beauty hacks. Before Monday nights Met Gala, the comedian/actress/writer/producer posted a video to Instagram showing the genius way she combats chafing: by applying deodorant to her inner thighs. Brilliant. A video posted by @amyschumer on May 2, 2016 at 9:16pm PDT And lets face it when youve opted to go bare-legged the old inner thigh rub can be a real problem. Hoisting up the slit in her Alexandra Wang gown, the star rubbed on a generous amount of anti-p and shared the clever hack with the world with the caption No chafe #nothighgapnoproblem. Well certainly be trying this one, if the weather in the UK cheers up enough for us to actually ditch our 100 deniers. Brrrr. Thanks for the tip Amy! What do you think of Amys beauty hack? Let us know @YahooStyleUK Emma Watsons Met Gala Outfit Was Made Entirely Out Of Plastic Bottles Met Gala: What Everyone Wore LUANDA, May 4 (Reuters) - Angola needs to fight money laundering and financing terrorism by focussing on ethics and morality in its banking sector the central bank's governor, Valter Filipe da Silva, said. An international money-laundering watchdog removed Angola from its blacklist in February, after reforms that included licensing banks and setting up a monitoring agency, but banks in Africa's No. 2 oil exporter are still deemed risky. Last year, the risk of financial crime and difficulty in monitoring clients forced Standard Chartered to stop its dollar-clearing operations in Angola. Bank of America stopped selling dollars to Angolan banks from December. "It is necessary to place again ethics and morality in Angolan banking and must this be placed to the service of the common good," Da Silva said at an event on Tuesday. "We must do so by implementing the prudential rules and good national practices and international and all standards to combat money laundering and terrorism financing." The Financial Action Task Force, which sets international standards for anti-money laundering and fighting terrorist financing, had added Angola to its black list in 2010. Angola has a dwindling amount of crude to sell as more of its oil flows to China for debt repayment, leaving little revenue for anything from oil sector development to health care. (Reporting by Herculano Coroado; Writing by Olivia Kumwenda-Mtambo; Editing by Louise Ireland) San Francisco (AFP) - Apple confirmed Tuesday that it has hired robotics star and Google X lab co-founder Yoky Matsuoka to work on health projects. Matsuoka, a winner of the MacArthur genius award, last year left her job as a vice president at Google-owned Nest. Her plan to take a job at San Francisco-based one-to-many messaging service Twitter was derailed last year by a "life-threatening illness," Matsuoka wrote in an online post at medium.com. "A new future has begun to fill my mind again," she wrote at the time, saying medical treatment was working and she had yet to work out new plans for her future. "When you get another chance at life, there's an opportunity to start from scratch and I feel so lucky to have this." Matsuoka will answer to Apple chief operating officer Jeff Williams, who oversees health projects, including software kits that let application makers or researchers take advantage of capabilities of the iPhone and the Apple Watch. The MacArthur Foundation website described Matsuoka as a leader in the field of neurorobotics, a field that combines robotics with how the human nervous system coordinates muscle and skeletal movements. In 2009, she helped start Google X Lab devoted to "moonshots" such as self-driving cars and Internet-linked eyewear. Matsuoka became part of the Nest team after Google bought the startup two years ago. BEIJING (Reuters) - Apple Inc has lost a battle for the use of the "iPhone" trademark on leather goods in China after a Beijing court ruled against the world's biggest technology company in favor of a local firm, state media reported. The Beijing Municipal High People's Court said Xintong Tiandi can continue to use the phrase "iPhone" on its leather goods, according to the Legal Daily, the official newspaper of China's Justice Ministry. In a statement, Apple said it was disappointed with the ruling. "We intend to request a retrial with the Supreme People's Court and will continue to vigorously protect our trademark rights," the company said. The U.S. tech company has repeatedly found itself tangled in intellectual property disputes in China where the sheer number of companies means trademarks are often taken by little-known players. Some enterprising firms are quick to snap up trademarks that are known overseas but not registered locally, in the hope of a pay-off down the line. In 2002, Apple applied for the "iPhone" trademark for computer hardware and software in China, but that was only approved in 2013. Xintong Tiandi created its trademark for leather goods in 2007, the first year Apple's iPhone went on sale. The U.S. firm has been disputing the Chinese firm's intellectual property rights since 2012. The Beijing court dismissed Apple's appeal, saying the U.S. firm could not prove the "iPhone" brand was well-known in China before 2009, when it first started selling the handsets on the mainland. In 2012, Apple paid $60 million to end a protracted legal dispute over the iPad trademark in China, which had hampered some sales and delayed the introduction of a new iPad in the country. Apple has been facing tougher times in Greater China - its second-largest market. Last week, billionaire activist investor Carl Icahn said he had sold his entire stake in the firm. He cited risks to the stock because of the economic slowdown in the People's Republic and worries about how the country could become more prohibitive in doing business. (Reporting by Paul Carsten; Additional reporting by Yimou Lee in Hong Kong and Beijing Newsroom; Editing by Ryan Woo and Alistair Bell) Why Apple's Stock Fell following Its Fiscal 2Q16 Results (Continued from Prior Part) Sales fell 26% in Greater China Apples (AAPL) revenue in China (FXI) fell 26% YoY (year-over-year), from $16.8 billion in fiscal 2Q15 to $12.5 billion in fiscal 2Q16. Revenue from Greater China includes China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan (EWT). The United States continued to be Apples largest market, generating revenue of $19.1 billion in fiscal 2Q16. However, this was a 10% fall in revenue compared to fiscal 2Q15. Revenue from Europe fell 5% to $11.5 billion, whereas revenue from the Asia-Pacific region fell 25% to $3.2 billion in 2Q16. Revenue from Japan saw a significant rise of 24% to $4.3 billion. China remains an important market for Apple Falls in revenue in China were driven by a sluggish Chinese economy coupled with the saturation of the smartphone market and the strong US dollar. Last week, Chinas regulators banned some of Apples digital services such as iBooks and iTunes. The Chinese government has disallowed a number of foreign products and services in the past to protect domestic companies from competition. Apple generates more than 60% of its revenue from non-US markets. Its revenue could fluctuate drastically due to currency headwinds. It will be interesting to see the performance of other companies in the technology sector, including Samsung (SSNLF) and Lenovo (LNVGY), and how their revenues will be impacted by currency fluctuations. Continue to Next Part Browse this series on Market Realist: Cairo (AFP) - The Arab League said Wednesday it will strive to ensure that all of those behind mounting violence in the war-ravaged Syrian city of Aleppo face "international justice". The pan-Arab organisation met in Cairo as fighting that raged in the divided city threatened a complete breakdown of a truce between President Bashar al-Assad's regime and non-jihadist rebels. More than 280 civilians have been killed in the fighting since April 22, with Assad's regime launching air strikes on the rebel-held east Aleppo while rebels shell the regime-controlled west. The Arab League said it had decided to "work on bringing all those who participated in and contributed to the brutal attacks against innocent civilians in Aleppo and other Syrian cities to international justice". The 22-member bloc denounced the "the Syrian regime's brutal actions against unarmed civilian residents" in Aleppo, calling the attacks "a massacre," in a resolution announced after the meeting. It also denounced the Islamic State group and "all terrorist groups" which are committing crimes against civilians in Aleppo and other Syrian cities. The meeting of the bloc's delegates was requested by the Gulf nation of Qatar after Russia announced it would not ask the Syrian government to cease its air strikes on the city. All member states approved the resolution except Lebanon, which abstained from voting. More than 270,000 Syrians have been killed in the conflict which began March 2011, and millions have been displaced to other parts in Syria and abroad. Lexmark Gets a Buyer after a Long Sales Process (Continued from Prior Part) Arbitrageurs will probably want to have some of this deal in their portfolios This deal is a combination of a private equity spread and strategic logic. Generally speaking, private equity deals have wide spreads, but little to no strategic logic. In other words, its all about cheap financing and faith that the private equity firm can run the company better than it has traditionally been run. On the other hand, strategic deals will have commercial logic. However, the profit potential tends to be small unless there are regulatory issues with the transaction. In this case, youre getting the best of both worlds. So why is the spread so wide? As a general rule, a 21% annualized return and a 5:1 risk-to-reward ratio would be associated with a risky transaction. Given the fact that Lexmark probably doesnt have any national security issues and there doesnt appear to be antitrust risk, regulatory approval should be pro forma. So, why is the spread wide? The most likely reason is that theres a lot of pain with arbitrageurs lately. The Baker Hughes-Halliburton deal was blocked in the US. The Pfizer- Allergan merger scuttled over new tax laws in the US. The Staples-Office Depot merger was also blocked. There was a story in the press that said Anbang pulled its offer due to instruction from Chinese regulators. Could another situation happen here where Chinese regulators decide that they dont want Apex to buy Lexmark? If the financial situation in China gets worse, will financing disappear? That said, a 21% annualized return and a 5:1 risk-to-reward ratio is probably fair compensation for taking those risks. Merger arbitrage resources Other important merger spreads include the deal between Cigna (CI) and Anthem (ANTM) and KLA-Tencor (KLAC) and Lam Research (LRCX). For a primer on risk arbitrage investing, read Merger Arbitrage Must-Knows: A Key Guide for Investors. Story continues Investors who are interested in trading in the tech sector can look at the iShares Global Technology ETF (IXN). Browse this series on Market Realist: Google has announced on its blog that it is making additions and updates to Google Maps to ensure that Olympics fans, visitors and Rio residents can easily get around the city once the Olympic torch arrives this summer. More than 10,000 athletes, half a million travelers and tens of thousands of volunteers are expected to join the existing 6 million residents of Rio de Janeiro for the event, leading Google to launch enhanced maps of 25 official indoor venues and 12 official outdoor venues of the upcoming games for desktop, Android and iOS. To use the indoor maps to make the most of the Olympics experience, users just need to open Google Maps on a computer or mobile phone, search for a place that has indoor maps, zoom into the place, and click on it. At the bottom right of the screen users will have the option to choose from the buildings' different floors to find their way around. Points of interest such as restrooms and information desks will also be given. Google already has more than 3 billion square feet of indoor maps worldwide, so even if you are not heading to Rio this summer Google Maps can help you get around venues all across the world. NEW YORK (Reuters) - An artist from Long Island, New York has ended his lawsuit blaming indicted drug executive Martin Shkreli and Wu-Tang Clan leader Robert "RZA" Diggs for stealing his illustrations for a one-of-a-kind album that Shkreli bought for $2 million. Jason Koza, of Copiague, New York, on Tuesday dismissed his copyright infringement case against Diggs, Wu Tang producer Tarik "Cilvaringz" Azzougarh and Paddle8 NY LLC, which auctioned the "Once Upon a Time in Shaolin" album to Shkreli in November. "The dispute has been resolved," Koza's lawyer Peter Scoolidge said in an email on Wednesday. He declined to elaborate. Stephen Rothschild, a lawyer for Diggs, was not immediately available for comment on Wednesday. Shkreli had been dropped from the case on April 18. The former chief of Turing Pharmaceuticals is known for having sparked outrage last year when he raised the price of the anti-parasitic infection drug Daraprim by more than 5,000 percent. Koza, a Fashion Institute of Technology graduate, sued Diggs after finding his art had been used in the packaging of "Shaolin," and Shkreli for letting three works depicting other Wu-Tang members accompany a Jan. 29 article at Vice.com. Shkreli has bragged that he had no plans to listen to the hip-hop group's album, but bought it to "keep it from the people." He has pleaded not guilty to fraud charges announced in December, which are unrelated to Daraprim. The case is Koza v Diggs et al, U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York, No. 16-00956. (Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York; Editing by James Dalgleish) Matthew Rhys, Joel Fields, Joe Weisberg, and Keri Russell (Credit: Scott Gries/FX Networks) The Americans showrunners Joe Weisberg and Joel Fields are in the TV spy biz, so they know plenty about trying to get answers from people. But instead of digging into a deep trunk of disguises or planning a long sting that leads to blackmail fodder, the Js decided to go the straightforward route and simply ask fans of their FX drama to submit answers to a series of questions the producers posed on Yahoo TV. Its no surprise that viewers of this smart, intense spy thriller/family and marriage drama had a lot of insightful things to say, and Weisberg and Fields provided equally smart and interesting responses to fans answers, including examples from the series and their own lives and giving us some juicy nuggets to chew on like why we all seem to not only be okay with, but rooting for, the murder of Pastor Tim. Its the perfect thing to get you in the mood for tonights The Magic of David Copperfield V: The Statue of Liberty Disappears, a stellar, game-changing installment that is also the first episode of The Americans directed by star Matthew Rhys. Related: Bates Motel, Once Upon a Time, and Hannibal Showrunners Ask the Fans (Credit: Eric Liebowitz/FX) JOE WEISBERG AND JOEL FIELDS ASK: Are secrets necessary to sustain relationships? ANALYZING THE ANSWERS: Fans responses to this question suggest most of them dont see things as being strictly black-and-white. Alex W. wrote, I dont know [that theyre necessary], but they are probably inevitable, not only in romantic relationships/marriages, but probably in all relationships at work, for example, I have co-workers with whom I will discuss politics and those with whom I wont, just as I have coworkers around whom I will swear and those around whom I would not. From Lisa B.: Some things may need to be kept secret to avoid irreparable damage to the relationship. Maya T. sees it less as an issue of secrets, and more about the need to have an interior life, writing, Yes, I believe secrets are necessary to sustain relationships. It is naive to believe they are not sometimes we need to go through certain experiences to learn and grow it is a mistake to share everything with a partner especially if it will hurt them. Story continues Of course, there are those who do think secrets can only lead to relationship woes. Heidi J. wrote, Secrets between the people? Yes. Secrets from the other person? No. And Guy K. is even more resolute: Absolutely not! Successful marriages have NO secrets! I have been married 22 years, and have no secrets. WEISBERG AND FIELDS RESPOND: I think, as with all of the things that really interest us in this show, different answers are simultaneously true, Fields says. For me, the most dangerous secrets are the ones we keep from ourselves. If we tell ourselves that we have to not have secrets from anybody else, well invariably start keeping them from ourselves. To me, the greatest place to start is the challenge of self-scrutiny. If we can be honest with ourselves, then we have a hope within our relationship, and then from there, I think, as honest as we can be in relationships, the better they are. I dont think theyre necessary for a relationship, but I think denying they are a part of life puts one on the path, potentially, to hiding things from the most important person. Weisberg: I remember about 20 years ago I read an interview with Kenny Loggins. He talked about how he and his wife had gone [through] this program where they told each other every single thing they thought or felt. If one of them thought the other one looked ugly in the morning, they were like, You look ugly this morning. I remember reading that and thinking, Thats not a good idea. I dont know if this qualifies exactly as secrets, but I think people do have to have private, interior lives where they think and feel things and dont share everything with a partner. Which is slightly different than failing to tell your new wife that youre actually a KGB agent operating under an assumed identity and the marriage is fake, Fields jokes. I also think theres a big difference between thoughts and actions, and that extends to secrets. Theres a big difference between what Joe calls the interior monologue, which we all have alas, mine is far too boring to share every detail of, Im sure. Thats not a matter of sparing my wife secrets, its a matter of sparing her the boredom of my interior monologue. Adds Weisberg, Thats very different to how one comports oneself in the world. (Credit: Eric Liebowitz/FX) JOE WEISBERG AND JOEL FIELDS ASK: Do parents need to keep secrets from their kids? ANALYZING THE ANSWERS: Most fans were in agreement on this one: its up to parents to decide what they should keep from their children, but there are things that should be kept from them. Wrote Brian G., [For] certain secrets the child would probably need the experience and understanding of being an adult themselves. Beyond that, a kid typically only views their parents as either mom or dad, not just a flawed individual. From Melissa M.: Absolutely. Because children are so ego-centric and self-absorbed (not in a morally degenerate sort of way, but in a developmentally-appropriate sort of way), they see hardships and problems as their fault. Their brains cant process that things happen in their life that arent directly caused by them. And Joseph W. added, I think parents do need to keep secrets from their kids, just as kids should keep secrets from their parents. No matter how much parents want to be their kids friends, and no matter how much kids want to act like adults, they are simply different. Important things shouldnt remain a secret, but the little things dont necessarily have to be shared all the time. Its almost like a mutual respect. I also think it could actually be unhealthy if every single detail about your life is shared with your kids and visa versa. But Guy K., who wrote about absolute transparency in response to secrets in a marriage above, thinks the same level of honesty should also be present between parents and children. He wrote, Absolutely not. We tell our kids everything. If they are old enough to ask, they are old enough to receive an honest answer. When a family member went to jail, we tried to keep it a secret from the kids, but ultimately it was just too hard on the family [kids tend to think whispers are about them, and get paranoid], and we told the kids everything. WEISBERG AND FIELDS RESPOND: I think thats pretty smart. I think that also has limits to it, Fields says about Guy K.s answer. I think, generally speaking, you want to be truthful with kids pretty much all the time, but I find it hard to believe that there arent times that you want to keep secrets from kids because theyre not yet old enough to know some things. Kids will ask for the gory details of things possibly before theyre old enough to know them. I think its okay as a parent to hold some of that back, but youre not going to hold it back forever. Youre going to make a judgment about when they should know. Says Weisberg about Guy K.s call for total honesty with children, I think thats a very insightful and thoughtful response. Personally, one of the things I struggle with, as silly as it sounds, is should the Tooth Fairy be kept a secret? Should I lie to my child about the Tooth Fairy, because they take such pleasure in that little magical moment of childhood? Everybody kind of gets that fun. They probably know its all about fun, but on some level, I cant help but feel that Im being dishonest with my child, and I dont want to. Ill also say what I think is so insightful about [that] response the person wrote about his family member is, there are ways of being honest without giving all of the gory details. When one of my kids asks for something and I feel theyre not ready for all the specific details, I will say to them, Look, I dont think youre ready for all the details of that. Heres what I can tell you now, and when youre older I can tell you more. That seems to be working so far. Weisbergs also onboard with Brian G. The sooner my kids figure out Im a flawed individual, the happier Im going to be, he jokes. I tell them that all the time. (Credit: Craig Blankenhorn/FX) JOE WEISBERG AND JOEL FIELDS ASK: How does Philip and Elizabeths marriage make you think about your own? ANALYZING THE ANSWERS: The most interesting, and common, answers to this question revealed how fans of the show see the parallels between their lives and the Jennings. Not in a were married spies who sometimes have to have sex with other people for the job-kinda way, of course, but in the ways that The Americans is really about the relationship of this couple with extraordinary job pressures. Honestly, thats our favorite thing about the show, Weisberg says. It really is. We feel that when you take the espionage out of it and people can relate, particularly things in their marriages and their families, we feel like weve done a good job. As for specific responses from viewers, Stiver36 wrote, Everyone has faces they put on [with] different scenarios/people. I have a married face and a work face, just like Philip and Elizabeth. The series made it more apparent [to me]. Mary T. wrote, I relate to the sense that they are together and co-parenting, but at the same time, they are living these other lives. I think we dont realize how much we can compartmentalize the different parts of our lives until it happens to us. And Joseph W. wrote, Im not married, so I cant speak about my marriage, but it does amaze me that despite the constant clashing and extramarital affairs, there is an undeniable trust between Philip and Elizabeth. They both know every decision that the other makes is for the good of their family and the KGB. WEISBERG AND FIELDS RESPOND: I heard somebody say something really interesting along similar lines, Weisberg says. They said that its very common that theres a pattern where people either hold their st together at work, but not at home, or hold their st together at home, but not at work. Says Fields, Very insightful answers. It reminds me of an interview I read recently with an author who was talking about how he is periodically recognized. He doesnt think of himself as a famous person; he just thinks of himself as somebody who is periodically recognized. What he was saying is sometimes hell be finishing a meal at a restaurant and the waiter whos been serving him will say, Oh, by the way, I read such-and-such, and I really liked your work. Then, he would immediately think back over his whole experience at that restaurant and think about how he behaved and how he treated that waiter. Whats interesting about that is this question of, do we have these different faces? Would we want to be one way if we were recognized and another way if were anonymous? (Credit: Patrick Harbron/FX) JOE WEISBERG AND JOEL FIELDS ASK: Do the 80s seem like a better or worse time to live? ANALYZING THE ANSWERS: The show makes me nostalgic for the 80s, which is when I was in high school, Alex W. wrote. Among the many things I love about the show, the excellent re-creation of that period of time is one of the most notable. You really do a great job capturing the look and feel, and I think we the viewers fill in the zeitgeist of the 80s with our imaginations. Lisa B. wrote, It WAS a better time for many reasons. For one thing, the Cold War never seemed tangible like the terrorism of today is. Heidi J. said, I suppose better: less outside influence (celebrities, friends via social media), [we were] less connected to everyone and everything all the time. Plus, I was less scared of the Cold War than I am of the current radical groups. And F. De Gagne summed it up in this pithy, but deep response: Yes, it was less noisy in the 80s. WEISBERG AND FIELDS RESPOND: Thats very kind, Weisberg says about the shout-out to the shows attention to period detail. Were certainly very obsessive about it. Its nice to know that thats bleeding through. And actually, that pithy response about [the 80s] being less noisy, I think its a smart response also, because it goes beyond the simple meaning of the word noisy. It was a time without email, without texting, without cellphones. Our lives were less noisy, and they were less cluttered, and we were able to focus more on singular things. On the sense that the 80s seemed safer from international violence than modern times, Weisberg says, Joel and I feel differently about this he talks a lot about feeling that those nuclear weapons were very tangible and could have dropped on us at any moment. I never felt that. I always felt like, Eh, there are nuclear weapons, and theyre not coming. I feel like the terrorism today is more tangible, so I agree with that. Adds Fields: I watched The Day After, and I was pretty convinced that that st could happen at any moment. The Day After, by the way, is the title of the May 11 episode of The Americans, and the 1983 TV movie of the same title the nuclear destruction-themed movie that scared the bejesus out of so many of us who watched it when it originally aired is on the Jennings familys channel surfing list in the episode. (Credit: Eric Liebowitz/FX) JOE WEISBERG AND JOEL FIELDS ASK: Is it weird to root for the enemy? ANALYZING THE ANSWERS: I dont think it is any more weird than being sympathetic toward, say, the Corleone family in The Godfather movies, who were, after all, terrible people who deserved to go to prison for their many crimes, Alex W. wrote. I wouldnt say that I am rooting for Phillp and Elizabeth, per se, in an operational or political sense, but I am sympathetic toward their humanity, Alex W. wrote. From Gary O.: No, its strangely therapeutic and exciting. Seeing the other side as having a cause they genuinely believe in breaks the good vs. evil illusion we grow up under. The military industrial complex on both sides serves as the true villain. And hiding in full sight in America is just plain edge of the seat fun. Jennifer A. added, Were rooting for people, for a family, for a marriage, as opposed to rooting for an enemy, while Melissa M. expanded on that idea, writing, Yes and no. Personally, Ive tried hard to identify and reject American exceptionalism, and the notion that just being a citizen of one country makes you morally superior to citizens of other countries. Its weird to root for Phil and Liz not because of their communist roots and tenets, but because theyre doing horrible, horrible things. From Jan B.: I really dont root for any of the KGB folks. Yes, at times, Philips almost turned me, but ultimately, with how hes played, or had to play, Martha, I could never root for him. And given that Elizabeth and Philip have been living this lie and subjecting their innocent kids to it, well, thats just not for me. And Mary C. said, Yes, but lately I am rooting for the U.S. Im glad Stan is finally putting things together. (Credit: Eric Liebowitz/FX) WEISBERG AND FIELDS RESPOND: Unlike the Corleone family, at the end of the day, Philip and Elizabeth, even if you dont agree with their personal philosophy or politics or morality, they at least have a personal politics, philosophy, and morality. Thats better than just being a gangster, I suppose, Weisberg says. He is also happy to hear some appreciation for oft-hapless FBI guy Stan: Go Stan! You know, Stans had a rough time. That guy usually ends up on the losing side of things. Weve gotten feedback on that. It does feel good when things fall his way, both personally and plot-wise. Ill just say we like those answers, Fields says, adding in response to Jan B.s criticisms of Philip and Elizabeth, Id say thats a fair response also. I dont think theres anything wrong with that on the emotional spectrum. (Credit: Jeff Neumann/FX) On the Pastor Tim front, Fields calls the desire for Pastor Tim to meet violence, or death, shocking, but adds, Whats interesting about that, its very easy to see how our emotions can get triggered to such extremes. If you think about it, what has Pastor Tim done but be inconveniently located in the wrong church proximate to this family? Then, be as open and supporting as humanly possible. Yet the feeling is that he should be killed. Talk about rooting for the enemy its interesting to see how easy it is to trigger the thing that kind of starts to dehumanize him, to make it okay to [think the KGB should] kill him. He seems weird. He seems creepy. You can immediately put all of these things on him that, if you step back, arent really there, because you want to feel a certain way. Theres an outcome that would seem satisfying. Its very human and disturbing. I think, at their core, if all is going well with the show, then the audience is relating to this family. You want to root for a family. Pastor Tims character now is a threat to this family. If you care about a family, you want to get rid of any threats to what you care about. Often you start telling yourself a story that justifies doing that. (Credit: Eric Liebowitz/FX) JOE WEISBERG AND JOEL FIELDS ASK: Does the show change your feelings about the Soviet Union? ANALYZING THE ANSWERS: Most fans agreed the show has provided food for thought, even if it hasnt completely changed their perceptions about the Soviet Union. Lisa B. wrote, It actually has enlightened me about issues I never paid attention to when I was a teenager in the 80s, while Joseph W. added that the show does give them a bit of humanity. And Caryln L. wrote, The Soviet Union in the show seems almost like a character and not at all like the Russia/foreign policy issues, as we know today. It isnt until Reagan comes on TV and Elizabeth gets really annoyed by him that Im brought into the Cold War mindset. WEISBERG AND FIELDS RESPOND: Ha. Well, good, Weisberg says. I think theres something nice about that disappearing and reappearing over the course of the show. And, Well, okay is Fields response to Mary C.s answer that, No, I think they are still a cold, inhumane country. (Credit: Eric Liebowitz/FX) JOE WEISBERG AND JOEL FIELDS ASK: Do you ever feel like a spy in your own life? ANALYZING THE ANSWERS: Many parents answered that they often feel like spies while trying to keep up with their children, especially their teenagers. And Alex W. summed up what many fans wrote, that he often feels like hes being spied on. As a physician, I am trained to observe peoples appearance and behavior. Often I end up being the keeper of a lot of intimate secrets of my patients, he wrote. Aside from matters related to work, I am aware that we Americans now live in a surveillance state even if I am not personally the subject of surveillance, I have the knowledge that the [government] has the power and inclination to intercept communications, and that has changed my outlook on personal freedom, politics, and life in general. WEISBERG AND FIELDS RESPOND: Ive certainly been aware in the past decade now how many people feel that way, Fields says of people feeling as though theyre under surveillance while going about their everyday lives. I feel that way so little, even though I recognize the empirical truth about how much those things have changed. Its not like I think those people are crazy; I dont feel it myself. Weisbergs take on the matter: The thing that strikes me about that arena, it seems that somehow society has made this full circle, where we all started living in these small communities where everybody knew everybodys business. Everybody knew everybody and everything about everybody. Then, we migrated to these big cities where people became anonymous. You got the benefit of anonymity and being able to create and re-create who you were. You had a real loss of connection. Now, with technology were sort of back into this place where there are more cameras and theres more connection. Everybody is starting to know everything about everybody again. Whether its good or bad, its interesting that in some weird technological sense, we have returned to this world where youre all interconnected. In some combination of the best and the worst of all of it. Two more stand-out responses: Brian G. wrote, At times, yes; not because my secrets are threatening to my nation or my family, but [because] there are precious few people to whom I can take off my Clark-like disguise and be open and honest. Says Fields, I think thats a very relatable sentiment. We all yearn for those few people in our lives with whom we can truly share ourselves. And Joseph W. wrote, I feel like at work, you try to have the mindset of a spy to know whats going on in your surroundings and figure out a way to advance your career with the intel youve collected. Says Fields, That makes a lot of sense. You tend not to be as open at work as you are at home. I think thats a thing we talk a lot about with the show, whats the line between manipulation and normal behavior, of how you act with people when you have different agendas and some of your agendas you cant be open about? Philip and Elizabeth do that in the service of espionage, and it gets called manipulation. If you just do it in the service of doing your job or getting ahead at work or accomplishing projects at work where youre not going to be 100 percent transparent about every last thing you do all the time, thats just normal human behavior without a derogatory word being attached to it. The Americans airs Wednesdays at 10 p.m. on FX. Ted Cruz unleashed a stream of invective at Republican presidential primary foe Donald Trump on Tuesday, as voters headed to the polls in the crucial Indiana primary. Among the now-departed candidate's pronouncements: Trump is a "pathological liar." Could that be true? Mic asked a prominent political psychologist. Trump "has trouble with the truth and he has said things that he's quite frankly wrong about and that appear to be flat-out lies and fabrications," said Bart Rossi, who holds a doctorate from Fordham University. That doesn't mean he's pathological, though: "I see him as a master manipulator. He's deliberate in his fabrication," said Rossi, whose career has included psychological evaluations of prison inmates and police officers. "'Pathological' means that someone is going to go from one lie to the next to the next," possibly without control, Rossi said. In Trump's case, it could very well be the opposite, according to Rossi. Trump doesn't appear to be delusional: "He knows what he's saying is wrong." In the world according to Cruz ironically, the man Trump nicknamed "Lyin' Ted" while accusing him of underhanded campaign tactics Trump would ostensibly fit the profile of a pathological liar. For example, Cruz claimed Friday that practically everything Trump says is bull, which would match the description at hand. Cruz: Trump is a "pathological liar" and "utterly amoral."pic.twitter.com/ZgnqzJLuX2 The big difference is that by definition, pathological liars spread falsehoods even when there's nothing to be gained, whether it be cheating someone out of money or trying to avoid hurting someone's feelings. When Trump claimed Muslims celebrated in New Jersey after 9/11, he set off a hunt for evidence that didn't materialize. Didn't matter to Trump, though: "That's just a complete fabrication and he seems to be able to say anything and get away with it," Rossi said. Story continues The blustering billionaire frontrunner does display traits of an authoritarian personality, which Rossi said is based on observation, not a medical examination. "What happens is a lot of these so called authoritarian figures, they really stretch things; they spin and they make things up that are really not true," Rossi said. "In Trump's case to present himself as this authoritarian figure, he will basically say almost anything to get more attention [for] himself." On top of that, Trump's penchant for exaggeration may feed on itself because he derives what Rossi called "secondary gains" as a result: "He gets encouraged because he can say things that are outrageous and get away with it and he goes down that road again." In short, Trump a former reality show star knows what his audience wants to hear and how to convey it. Source: Joe Raedle/Getty Images "With Trump, it's not the accuracy of what he says that's most important to his followers," Rossi said. "They don't even care if he's going to build [a] wall" on the U.S.-Mexico border, as he's promised to do (on Mexico's tab). By saying he'll build the wall, Trump is positioning himself as a strong leader who cares about bolstering national security or protecting American jobs supposedly being pilfered by immigrants and anyway, as Rossi put it, "His followers want him to be a smackdown and a putdown artist." Trump's talk, whether claiming President Barack Obama was not born in the United States or by some other unproven remark, has been "lethal" to his opponents, and Cruz is potentially next on the chopping block as he stares down what could be his seventh straight loss in Tuesday's Indiana GOP primary. If he becomes the nominee and Hillary Clinton defeats Bernie Sanders for the Democratic nomination, Rossi has a bit of advice for the woman Trump calls "Crooked Hillary." "They should [call him] Bankrupt Donald," he said. "I don't think she should get into the gutter with him, but I think she should have a pushback." By Colin Packham SYDNEY (Reuters) - Lawyers for more than 700 asylum seekers seeking a new life in Australia but held instead in Papua New Guinea filed an injunction on Wednesday aiming to halt their transfer to a much-criticized detention center on the tiny Pacific island of Nauru. Under Australia's hard-line immigration policy, asylum seekers intercepted trying to reach the country by boat after paying people smugglers are sent for processing to a camp in Manus Island in Papua New Guinea or to Nauru. Papua New Guinea ordered the closure of the Manus camp after the country's Supreme Court ruled the facility unlawful, leaving the fate of the 850 people held there up in the air. Australia and Papua New Guinea each claim each other is responsible for settling the hundreds held on Manus. The injunction, filed in Australia's High Court, calls for the asylum seekers to be sent to Australia and not to Nauru, Matthew Byrnes, one of the lawyers acting on behalf of the majority of those held on Manus, told Reuters. "We are hopeful that we will be successful with this filing," he said. Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull maintains the asylum seekers will not be resettled in Australia. The detention center on Nauru houses about 500 people and has been widely criticized by the United Nations and human rights agencies for harsh conditions and reports of systemic child abuse. Many staying there have self-harmed. A Somali woman on Monday set herself on fire at the camp, the second such attack in a week, with critics blaming Australia's policy. "With two refugees setting themselves on fire after being sent to offshore detention camps, will (the minister for immigration) finally accept the consequences of putting desperate people in a situation even worse than the trauma they are fleeing?," said Adam Bandt, member of Parliament for the Australian Greens. The detainees on Manus and Nauru are mostly refugees fleeing violence in the Middle East, Afghanistan and South Asia. (Additional reporting by Matt Siegel; Editing by Nick Macfie) Philadelphia police are seeking the men who were caught on video assaulting school police officers outside a city school on Monday, May 2. Police released the video on Tuesday, asking for the publics assistance in identifying the men in the video. Police said two school police officers were escorting Northeast High School students away from the school at dismissal time when they observed two adults assaulting a student. The officers separated the two to stop the attack before an argument started between the officers and the suspects. One of the suspects then pushed and shoved the officers. When the officers defended themselves, police said, one of the suspects threw an officer to the ground. Another suspect punched the second officer, police said. A third man joined in the attack on the officers. The three suspects fled the scene when other police officers arrived. Local media reported one officer suffered a broken jaw and underwent surgery after being taken to the hospital. The second officer suffered a sprained ankle and bruising. Police described one suspect as a black man standing at 5 feet, eight inches and weighing 185 pounds with a muscular build. He is thought to be 20 years old and has a dark complexion, dreadlocks and was wearing a black hooded sweatshirt and gray sweatpants, according to police. The second suspect is described by police as a black man standing at five foot 10 inches with a muscular build. He is 20 years old with a medium complexion, blond and black hair, and wearing a green muscle t-shirt and red sweatpants, police said. The third suspect is described as a black man standing at six feet tall with a thin, muscular build and a dark complexion, according to police. Police said he was wearing a gray hooded sweatshirt and black pants. Credit: YouTube/Philadelphia Police Department On Wednesday May 4, 2016, the attorney for a California doctor told the press that representatives for Prince had reached out to arrange a meeting with Dr. Howard Kornfeld, who specializes in addiction treatment. Dr. Kornfeld never met or spoke to Prince and had arranged for his son, Andrew, to fly to Minnesota to meet with him. Andrew Kornfeld went to Paisley Park on April 21 to meet with Prince and made the call to 911 when Prince was found in the elevator. Sydney (AFP) - Australia's most wanted Islamic State terror suspect, linked to several attacks on home soil, has been killed in a US air strike in Iraq, Canberra said on Thursday, warning others will be targeted. The death of Neil Prakash is considered significant by Australian and US authorities because of his highly prominent and influential role as a senior recruiter for the jihadist group. Attorney General George Brandis called him "the most dangerous Australian involved with ISIL in the Middle East," using an acronym for the self-proclaimed Islamic State. He said Washington had told Canberra that Prakash died in Mosul, Iraq, on April 29 after Australia provided intelligence on his identity and location. "Neil Prakash was a prominent ISIL member and a senior terrorist recruiter and attack facilitator," he said in a joint statement with Defence Minister Marise Payne. "Prakash has been linked to several Australia-based attack plans and calls for lone-wolf attacks against the United States. He is considered to be Australia's most prominent ISIL recruiter." Since the start of their campaign, the US military and its coalition partners have launched more than 12,000 air strikes against the IS group and Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said more Australians were in their sights. "Australians who think they can go to Syria and Iraq and fight with Daesh have to recognise that they will be targeted," he told Sky News, referring to IS by another acronym. "They are waging war against Australia and they are enemies of Australia once they choose to wage that war in those theatres." - Home-grown extremists - US authorities also told the government that Australian woman Shadi Jabar Khalil Mohammad was killed in an air strike near the Syrian city of Al-Bab on April 22, along with her Sudanese husband. "Mohammad and her husband, Abu Sa'ad al-Sudani, were both active recruiters of foreign fighters on behalf of ISIL, and had been inspiring attacks against Western interests," said Brandis. Story continues In Washington, Pentagon press secretary Peter Cook said al-Sudani was involved in planning attacks against the United States, Canada and Britain, though he did not provide details of the plots. "Both al-Sudani and his wife were active in recruiting foreign fighters in efforts to inspire attacks against Western interests," Cook added. Mohammad was the sister of Farhad Jabar, a 15-year-old who shot dead police employee Curtis Cheng in Sydney last October. The teenager was killed in gunfire shortly afterwards. Prakash, who left Australia in 2013 and was known as Abu Khaled al-Cambodi, was linked to an alleged terror plot on Anzac Day last year, when Australia honours its war dead. He has also appeared in IS propaganda videos, including one last year calling for attacks on Australia. "His death disrupts and degrades ISIL's ability to recruit vulnerable people in our community to conduct terrorist acts," added Brandis, who said that between 50 and 59 Australians had so far been killed fighting for jihadists in Iraq or Syria. At least 110 more are still battling with Islamic State. Australia has long been concerned about home-grown extremism and raised the terror threat alert level to high in September 2014. At least six attacks have been foiled on Australian soil over the past 18 months, according to the government. But several have taken place, including the terror-linked murder of Cheng. SYDNEY (Reuters) - An Australian citizen believed to be a top recruiter for the Islamic State has been killed in a U.S. airstrike in Iraq, disrupting the militant group's ability to lure new fighters, the Australian government said on Thursday. Attorney-General George Brandis said the United States had advised him that Prakash, who was linked to several Australia-based attack plans and calls for lone-wolf attacks against the United States, was killed in an airstrike in Mosul on April 29. Melbourne-born Prakash had appeared in ISIL propaganda videos and magazines and had actively recruited Australian men, women and children, and encouraged acts of terrorism, Brandis said. "He is considered to be Australias most prominent ISIL recruiter," Brandis said in a joint statement with Defence Minister Marise Payne. "His death disrupts and degrades ISIL's ability to recruit vulnerable people in our community to conduct terrorist acts." Australia last year announced financial sanctions against Prakash, including threatening anyone giving financial assistance to him with punishment of up to 10 years in jail. The country is on alert for attacks by radicalized Muslims or by home-grown militants returning from fighting in the Middle East. Prakash, who is believed to have relocated to Syria in 2014, joined two other Australian Islamic State fighters on the United Nations sanctions list, Mohamed Elomar and Khaled Sharrouf, who appeared in images last year holding the severed heads of Syrian soldiers. Brandis said he had also been advised by the U.S. government that a second Australian citizen involved in the radical Sunni group, Shadi Jabar Khalil Mohammad, was killed on April 22 in a U.S. airstrike near Al Bab in Syria. Mohammad and her Sudanese husband, Abu Sa'ad al-Sudani, were both active recruiters of foreign fighters on behalf of ISIL, and had been inspiring attacks against Western interests, Brandis said. Mohammad was also the sister of Farhad Mohammad, the 15-year-old boy who shot dead police accountant Curtis Cheng at police headquarters in the Sydney suburb of Parramatta in October. Farhad Mohammad was killed in a gunfight with police outside the building. (Reporting by Jane Wardell; Editing by David Gregorio) Westpac Banking Corporation (WBK), Australia's second largest bank, missed earnings on May 1, when it reported the biggest loan impairment charges in six years for the six months ending March 31. Profits clocked in at A$3.9 billion, lower than the expected A$4.025 billion. This miss sent shares into the weeds, as low as $22.71 on Monday, down from $23.59 at Friday's close. At the heart of the miss were corporate debt loans and lower commodity prices. This isn't good news for Australia's banking industry, and Westpac is the first big bank to report in the country, with other major institutions reporting later this week into next. And they're all in the same boat. Many of these Australian banks made loans to the coal and steel industry. Both of these industries are struggling massively right now. The world is moving away from coal as a power source faster than ever before, and China's slowing growth is slashing demand for iron ore and steel. These factors could mean Australian banking debt could climb to its highest level in eight years by 2018, according to Bloomberg: [Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBAUF), Westpac Banking Corp., National Australia Bank Ltd. (NABZY) and Australia & New Zealand Banking Group Ltd.(ANZBY)] posted combined bad-debt charges of A$3.8 billion, up 9.3 percent from 2014, and the first time the measure had increased in six years, according to their filings. Money banks need to set aside for loans deemed likely to sour is set to hit A$7.2 billion by 2018, the highest since 2010, according to the mean estimate of five analysts surveyed by Bloomberg. Does this spell the demise of Australia's banks? Not quite... [More from StreetAuthority.com: What's Making Emerging Markets Pop?] This slump comes on the heels of six consecutive years of record profits for these four banks. And get this... The percentage of total loans exposed to the mining industry is less than 2% for Westpac, National and Commonwealth, with Australia & New Zealand's exposure coming in at a hair above 2%. Story continues Back in early March I warned you about the possible bad debt U.S. banks were holding in the oil industry. Well, JPMorgan Chase's (NYSE: JPM) exposure to the oil industry is three times as high as these Australian banks (as a percentage of total loans). So while the banking industry in Australia could be in for a rough patch, the underlying fundamentals could mean stability and a return to growth over the long term. Share prices in the four major banks experienced a sharp pullback in the first few days of May after Westpac broke the news that it missed earnings. I think this could be a good opportunity to take a position. Take a look: Over the past year, these four banks have traded down, as commodity prices have steadily declined. But each have bottomed out in February, and again in April to set up the start of a bullish run higher. From a technical perspective, Westpac is the first to break higher out of its downtrend. That's why I see this blip in Westpac's earnings as a buying opportunity. [More from StreetAuthority.com: Why I'd Buy The Model 3 And You Should Buy Tesla] Beyond the corporate loans to companies in the commodity industry, Westpac -- indeed all four major bank s-- have a great track record. In 2015, according to the World Bank, only 1% of all loans made by Australian banks were non-performing. That's better than banks in the United States, Germany, Japan and the United Kingdom, and far better than struggling economies. In fact, one of the reason why Australian banks are so stabile is that the Australian economy hasn't been in recession for 24 years. Not even during the Great Financial Crisis did Australia's economy slip into recession. And this stability translates into the highest returns in the sector of all the developed countries. The banking sector, for sure, has some hiccups coming, but Australian banks stand to fare better than most. Risks To Consider: The downturn in the Chinese economy is not over. Its appetite for coal, iron, steel and other industrial commodities is waning. As Australia is a major supplier of these commodities, the downturn could still affect Australian companies, or -- as noted -- banks that loan to companies in the commodities arena. [More from StreetAuthority.com: In This Merger Of Big Brand Names, Who Comes Out On Top?] That means commodity prices and the Chinese economy could be long-term weaknesses for Australian banks, even though loans to companies in these markets make up a small percentage of total loans. It's a knock-on effect. The other risk is in the extreme short-term. The other Australian banks are set to release earnings very shortly. If they release similar reports to Westpac, the whole sector could see more red. Action To Take: It would be prudent to wait until the rest of the banking sector releases earning before taking a position in any of them. But once earnings are all out in the open, consider adding Westpac Banking Corporation (NYSE: WBK) to your portfolio. With the strength and stability of an economy that's gone 24 years without a recession, WBK, and the banking sector in general, could yield steady gains over the long term. Editor's Note: Did you know less than half of all stocks yielding 6% or more can be found in the United States? That's causing many American investors to overlook hundreds of high-yields -- many up to 8%... 10... even 12%. See all the facts here, and get the name of a little-known stock yielding 13% today. Related Articles Sydney (AFP) - Dubbed "Carpageddon" and backed by the man who threatened to kill Johnny Depp's dogs, the latest plan to control introduced species in Australia will use the herpes virus to eradicate millions of predatory fish. The National Carp Control Plan will cost Aus$15 million (US$11 million) to spread the virus through the aggressive common carp, introduced to Australia in the mid-1800s. And it has brought Agriculture Minister Barnaby Joyce another brush with notoriety after his threat last year to put down Hollywood star Depp's dogs after he and wife Amber Heard breached Australia's quarantine laws. Joyce strutted and yelled in an extraordinary show in parliament on Monday when he reported the carp scheme to members. In a booming rasp, the red-faced Joyce branded the fish "disgusting mud-sucking creatures", and kept shouting "CAAARP" and "venereal disease" to the amusement of some MPs. "Carp are the worst freshwater aquatic pest in Australia," he said in a statement, estimating the cost to the economy at Aus$500 million a year. "Current control measures, including trapping, commercial fishing and exclusion, are expensive and largely ineffective at controlling carp over large areas or for any length of time." But the virus developed in Israel had worked elsewhere. "We've seen in lakes, in Japan, lakes that are multiple times the size of Sydney Harbour, we've lost 70 percent of the European carp in two weeks," Joyce said. According to Science Minister Christopher Pyne, who came up with "Carpageddon", the virus has no impact on humans and is carp specific. "Suddenly, there will be literally hundreds of thousands, if not millions of tonnes of carp that will be dead in the River Murray," Pyne said. Carp account for 80-90 percent of the fish biomass in southeastern Australia's Murray-Darling river system. The plan hopes to wipe out 95 percent of them over 30 years and allow native species such as silver perch and Murray cod to thrive. Story continues The virus attacks the carp's kidneys, skin, gills and stops them breathing. "They have the virus for a week before they show any symptoms and it suddenly kills them within 24 hours," said Pyne. Carp have spread across Australia, except the Northern Territory. James Bradley, the author of a bestselling book about his fathers service at Iwo Jima, now says he doubts his father was one of the six servicemen who were captured raising an American flag in the iconic photograph from the 1945 battle. Bradley told the New York Times he now believes his father had raised a flag with his fellow soldiers earlier in the day, but was likely not one of the men depicted in the famous picture. The revelation comes after the Marine Corps opened an investigation last week into whether the soldiers in the famous photograph had been misidentified. Two Omaha historians, Eric Krelle and Stephen Foley, were the first to raise doubts about the identities of the soldiers in the photo. They had studied footage and other photographs from that day of battle (Feb 23, 1945) and had concluded based on clothing and weapons that one of the soldiers, James Bradleys father, was misidentified. The figure thought to be Bradley was probably actually another soldier, Harold Henry Schultz, who died in 1995, Krelle and Foley argue. The photo, which quickly became the most widely printed photo from WWII, was taken by Joe Rosenthal and printed in TIME. (Reuters) - Fourth seed Victoria Azarenka pulled out of the Madrid Open with a back injury on Wednesday ahead of her third round game against American Louisa Chirico. The 26-year-old Belarusian had been the highest seed left in the women's draw after Agnieszka Radwanska, Angelique Kerber and Garbine Muguruza all lost. "Unfortunately in my first match I think I tweaked my back a little bit. It was really cold, and, I don't know, I think it's much easier to get a little bit hurt when it's that cold," Azarenka told reporters. "The second match obviously I was in a lot of discomfort. Having a day off I thought it was going to get better. Today before my warm-up it did feel better, but once I started hitting it came back." Azarenka, who beat Britain's Laura Robson in her opening game and has twice been a finalist in Madrid, said she hoped to recover in time to play in Rome next week, her last claycourt event before the French Open. Qualifier Chirico, at 19 the youngest player left in the tournament, will face Australia's Daria Gavrilova in the quarter-finals. Gavrilova upset defending champion and fifth seed Petra Kvitova 6-3 6-4. (Reporting by Alan Baldwin, editing by Toby Davis) By Sanjeev Miglani and Serajul Quadir DHAKA, May 4 (Reuters) - Bangladesh's central bank chief will meet the head of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York and a senior executive from global financial messaging service SWIFT next week to seek the recovery of about $81 million stolen by hackers, officials in Dhaka said. Two Bangladesh Bank officials said the bank believed both the New York Fed and SWIFT bore some responsibility for the February cyber heist. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity since they were not authorised to brief the media. The bank's governor Fazle Kabir, New York Fed President William Dudley and a SWIFT representative will meet in Basel, Switzerland around May 10, they and another person briefed by the central bank said. It was not immediately clear who would represent SWIFT. Spokeswomen for SWIFT and the New York Fed declined comment. Hackers tried to steal nearly $1 billion from Bangladesh Bank's settlement account at the New York Fed in early February by sending fraudulent transfer orders through SWIFT. Of the 35 transfer orders sent, 30 were blocked. Four transfers to a Philippine bank for a total of $81 million went through while a $20 million transfer to a Sri Lankan company was reversed because the hackers mis-spelled the name of the firm. "There is a responsibility the New York Fed has to accept," said one of the Bangladesh Bank officials. "If you stopped 30 transactions, why did you not stop the others? "SWIFT also bears responsibility," the official said. "It's supposed to be a closed system. Now you have seen they have disclosed that there have been attacks previously on its software." Last week, SWIFT acknowledged that the Bangladesh Bank attack was not an isolated incident but one of several recent criminal schemes that aimed to take advantage of the global messaging platform used by about 11,000 financial institutions. The other Bangladesh Bank official said lawyers would be present at the meeting. Ajmalul Hussain, a Dhaka-based lawyer hired by the central bank to help it retrieve the funds, could not be reached for comment. His office said he was out of the country. Story continues It was not immediately known if Bangladesh Bank had retained any U.S. or European law firm to help recover the money. However the bank said in an internal report in March it was considering "preparing the ground to make a legitimate claim for the loss of funds" against the New York Fed "through a legal process." Both central bank officials said Kabir, the governor, would be accompanied by an official from the accounts and budgeting department on the trip to Basel and would seek the recovery of the stolen funds. Basel is the headquarters of the Bank for International Settlements, a group of major central banks. The stolen $81 million was sent to a bank in the Philippines and quickly passed on to casinos and casino agents. Most of it remains missing. However, one junket operator has returned about $10 million to authorities in Manila and promised to hand over another $5 million. One of the Bangladesh Bank officials expressed confidence that there would be a resolution to the dispute soon, though he didn't provide any evidence for the optimism. (Additional reporting by Jim Finkle and Jonathan Spicer; Editing by Raju Gopalakrishnan) U.S. President Barack Obama will attend a Three Amigos leaders summit in Ottawa and address a joint session of Parliament on June 29, the White House confirmed Wednesday. Obama had promised to visit Canada during Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's trip to Washington in March for a state dinner, and now Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto is also expected to be in Ottawa for the summit that will immediately precede Obama's address. Gov. Gen. David Johnston will host Nieto at an official state dinner, which will be followed by an event in his honour at the National Art Gallery. The Governor General's office confirmed the dates for Nieto's visit, June 27 to 29, in a statement Wednesday. The meeting would be the first between Canada, the U.S. and Mexico in more than 2 years. Parliamentarians will also have to stay in Ottawa longer than previously thought to hear Obama's speech, as the House of Commons was expected to rise for summer break on June 23. The last U.S. president to address a joint session of Parliament was Bill Clinton in 1995. Former prime minister Stephen Harper postponed the last North American leaders summit in January 2015 amid tensions over the Keystone XL pipeline, food labelling and a range of other issues. Pena Nieto's visit to Ottawa is strictly dependent on Canada lifting its requirement that all Mexican visitors have a visa, a controversial measure put in place in 2009 to curb bogus asylum claims. That policy has strained relations between the two countries and led the Mexican ambassador to Canada to declare that he was "really mad" at the former Harper government for the move. CBC News has learned that there has been significant progress on this file since the Liberal government's election, something Trudeau promised last summer in the lead-up to the Oct. 19 election campaign. Foreign Affairs Minister Stephane Dion was tasked by the prime minister with finding a solution to this problem in his ministerial mandate letter. Beirut (AFP) - Following are key moments in the battle for Aleppo, the former commercial capital of Syria, since civil war broke out in March 2011. - First demos - - April-May 2011: Thousands of students demonstrate in Aleppo, a northern city that had been spared the sort of violent protests that erupted elsewhere in the country. The demos are swiftly crushed by students who back the regime of President Bashar al-Assad and security forces. - Aleppo drawn into war - - July 20, 2012: Fierce fighting breaks out between the army and rebels of the Free Syrian Army (FSA), a group comprised of civilians and army deserters, in several city districts. In August, troops backed by heavy artillery and warplanes secure central Christian neighbourhoods after a two-week offensive. Since then, the city has been divided between loyalist districts in the west and rebel-controlled areas in the east. Each side has tried to wear the other down. Aleppo province has become a theatre of operations for most of the factions fighting in Syria's war. They include the Islamic State (IS) group, the Al-Qaeda affiliated Al-Nusra Front, various rebel groups, the army and pro-regime militias, Lebanese Hezbollah fighters and Kurdish militiamen. - January 15, 2013: More than 80 people are killed in an Aleppo university massacre over which the regime and rebels accuse each other of responsibility. - City landmarks destroyed - - April 24, 2013: Months of fighting around the Ummayad mosque destroys its minaret, an architectural and cultural landmark. Both sides blame the other for the destruction. Other landmarks that have suffered are the souk, which was partially destroyed by fire in September 2012, and the UNESCO-listed citadel, which was damaged by a blast in July 2015. - Barrel bombs - - December 15, 2013: Regime attacks air strikes using "barrel bombs" on rebel districts kill 76 people, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. The bombs are made of TNT packed into oil drums that are dropped from the air. Story continues In late July 2014, Human Rights Watch says the number of neighbourhoods hit by barrel bombs has almost doubled in five months, causing almost 1,700 deaths. - Shredding the ceasefire - - February 1, 2016: The regime launches an offensive against the rebels in Aleppo province backed by Hezbollah fighters and Russian aircraft. More than 500 people are killed in 10 days, according to the Observatory. The rebels are squeezed between regime forces and unfriendly fighters from the IS and Kurdish groups, and suffer a string of defeats. - February 27: A "cessation of hostilities" is declared but it excludes IS and Al-Nusra Front. Warplanes begin to strike rebel-held areas of Aleppo again on March 11. - April 22: The ceasefire is effectively destroyed by the start of large-scale regime raids in Aleppo. Since then, more than 250 civilians have been killed, mostly by barrel bombs. - May 3: A rebel coalition goes on the offensive in pro-regime areas of Aleppo. - France's UN ambassador Francois Delattre says Aleppo "is to Syria what Sarajevo was to Bosnia". - May 4: Fierce fighting rages in Aleppo and regime raids hit rebel regions. Since April 22, more than 280 people have died in the unrest, according to the Observatory. * Rebar, iron ore, coke extend losses * Open interest in rebar, iron ore fall with prices * Nickel may be next target for China regulators - broker By Manolo Serapio Jr MANILA, May 4 (Reuters) - Chinese regulators appear to have successfully popped a mini-bubble for now in steel and other commodity futures, scaring off speculators who piled in last month to drive steep gains in the prices of raw materials from coal to cotton. China has vowed that it won't allow its commodity futures markets to become a "hot-bed" for speculators, fearing that price movements not based on fundamentals could skew investment decisions and hamper efforts to rein in overcapacity. The price of the most traded steel product on the Shanghai Futures Exchange - which jumped nearly 17 percent in just four days in mid-April - fell for the second consecutive day on Wednesday and has given up all of its gains since the buying flurry began. At the same time, the level of open interest - the number of open contracts - has dropped sharply, suggesting many investors have liquidated their positions before prices fall even further. "Speculative funds have exited the market at the moment and I think it's time to take a break," said a researcher at a Shanghai-based fund, who declined to be named because he is not allowed to speak to media. Prices retreated after commodity exchanges in Dalian, Shanghai and Zhengzhou increased transaction costs and widened trading limits, making speculative investment more difficult. David Flanagan, chief executive of Australian iron ore miner Atlas Iron, said last month that "mom and pop" trading was affecting prices and cited a meeting with the manager of a Chinese steel mill. "Her maid is earning a multiple of her salary by trading iron ore futures," he told reporters in Perth. "That has an influence on the iron ore price." REBAR GIVES UP GAINS Reinforced steel used in construction, known as rebar, led the mid-April surge, along with iron ore, coking coal and coke as investors jumped on the coattails of a rally in steel prices after China boosted spending on construction to spur growth. Story continues The buying spread to other commodity futures including cotton and eggs, raising fears of a boom-and-bust cycle similar to China's stock market crash last summer. Open interest in rebar on the Shanghai exchange fell to 2.7 million lots this week from 3.7 million lots on April 18. On the Dalian Commodity Exchange, open interest in its most-active iron ore contract fell to less than 800,000 lots on Tuesday, the lowest since November 2015. But a surge in open interest on nickel futures in Shanghai as traders bet on a recovery in prices from 13-year lows led a broker to warn that trading in the metal could soon face curbs. "It will probably be only a matter of time before Chinese regulators step in to dampen this trading," broker Triland said in a note this week. Open interest on Shanghai nickel has doubled to more than 650,000 lots in the past month, outstripping trade in London as traders look to improving order books at stainless steel mills in China. In the long run, however, analysts said prices would be dictated by the fundamental drivers of supply and demand. "Ultimately the fundamentals are going to dictate (direction) even if we get these brief periods where prices are volatile," said Daniel Hynes, commodity strategist at ANZ Bank. ($1 = 6.4971 Chinese yuan) (Additional reporting by Ruby Lian in SHANGHAI, Melanie Burton in MELBOURNE and James Regan in SYDNEY; Editing by Richard Pullin and Ed Davies) Bernie Sanders has won the Indiana Democratic Primary, giving him a solid victory that will not be enough to change the trajectory of the Democratic nomination fight. Sanders, the democratic socialist from Vermont who has run a surprisingly strong insurgent campaign against the Hillary Clinton machine, is projected to win around 53% of the vote in the Hoosier State. This is a state Clinton would have liked to win, as it would have bolstered the narrative that she is certain to be the Democratic Partys presidential nominee. The delegate math still shakes out well for Clinton. With all delegates in the Democratic Party awarded proportionally, it is virtually impossible for Sanders to catch up to Clinton. Still, Sanders has vowed that he will take the fight all the way to the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia in July. Though Sanders win in Indiana may not push him to the partys nomination, it will give him the momentum to keep his campaign going. See original article on Fortune.com More from Fortune.com Matching washer and dryer pairs are a popular choice although some don't make a great couple. Their coordinating style makes a statement, but you'll question how a terrific washer and a noisy dryer that's tough on clothes ended up together. Enter the matchmaker. Consumer Reports' tests found pairs that are worth a look. Now about the prices. The top-rated pairs are expensive. Blame it on rising manufacturing costs, larger capacities, stainless drums, and added cycles and features. Our tests have found that basic cycles can handle most laundry needs. So ask yourself if you want to pay extra for a bedding cycle or one for your jeans. The washer and dryer Buying Guides highlight the advantages of each washer type and features. Use the Ratings selector to narrow choices and the Features & Specs tab to compare features. Our brand reliability offers helpful information and so do user reviews. If you have questions email me at kjaneway@consumer.org. Full washing machine Ratings and recommendations. Full clothes dryer Ratings and recommendations. The Quietest Couples Consider machines that scored very good or better in our noise tests if placing near bedrooms. You'll know they're working but they shouldn't disturb you. Note that wash times are based on the normal wash cycle heavy-soil setting. You'll save about 15 minutes using the normal-soil setting. Many washers and dryers have a steam setting. We found it slightly improved a washer's stain removal. Steam removed more odors than dryers without steam, but left clothes wrinkled. The dryers highlighted here have moisture sensors, the most important feature. It turns off the machine when laundry is drythat saves energy and is easier on fabrics. For more details see our Ratings of washing machines and dryers. Kenmore set Kenmore Elite 41072 front-loader and Kenmore Elite 81072 electric dryer Price: $1,000 each Here's the deal: The washer is near the top of our Ratings and made our top picks. It has 14 cycles, offers excellent washing, was gentle on fabrics, and has a jumbo capacityit fit about 25 pounds of our laundry. Claimed capacity is 5.2 cubic feet. The dryer excelled at its job and also has a jumbo capacity. Claimed capacity is 9 cubic feet. Consider this: Wash time is 95 minutes. The Accela-Wash option offers comparable performance and saves 15 to 20 minutes. Need to know: Each machine is 29 inches wide2 more than usualbut can be stacked. Gas dryer is Kenmore Elite 91072, $1,100. Story continues LG duos LG WM8500HVA front-loader and LG DLEX8500V electric dryer Price: $1,450 each Here's the deal: The washer is near the top of our Ratings and both machines make the recommended list. They have jumbo capacities, each holding about 26 pounds of our laundry. Claimed capacity is 5.2 cubic feet for the washer, 9 for the dryer. The washer was superb at cleaning and gentle on fabrics and has 14 cycles; the dryer aced its job. Consider this: It took 90 minutes to do a normal wash on the heavy soil setting, but the TurboWash option offers comparable wash performance in 15 to 20 minutes less time. Need to know: Each machine is 29 inches wide, two more than usual, but can be stacked. Only available in a graphite-steel finish. Gas dryer is LG DLGX8501V, $1,550. LG WM4270HWA front-loader and LG DLEX4270W electric dryer Price: $1,000 each Here's the deal: Neither made our top picks but both were impressive at their task and relatively quiet. Claimed capacity is 4.5 cubic feet for the washer, and 7.4 for the dryer. The washer fit 22 pounds of our laundry, was gentle on fabrics, and has 14 cycles. Consider this: Normal wash time on heavy-soil setting is 75 minutes. The TurboWash option offers comparable cleaning and saves 15 to 20 minutes. Need to know: Machines can be stacked. Each is 27 inches wide. Gas dryer is the LG DLGX4271W, $1,030. Maytag mates Maytag Maxima MHW8100DC front-loader and Maytag Maxima MED8100DC Price: $1,400 each Here's the deal: This recommended front-loader offers excellent washing and held 22 pounds of our laundry. Claimed capacity is 4.5 cubic feet. It was gentle on fabrics and there are 11 wash cycles. The dryer was superb at its task and among the quietest tested. Claimed capacity is 7.3 cubic feet. Both machines are made in America. Consider this: The washer took 75 minutes using the normal cycle on heavy-soil setting. Need to know: Gas dryer is Maytag Maxima MGD8100DC, $1,500. Appliances can be stacked. Each is 27 inches wide. Maytag Bravos MVWB855DW HE top-loader and Maytag Bravos MEDB855DW electric dryer Price: $1,000 each Here's the deal: The washer made our top picks, delivers impressive cleaning, and was among the most water efficient of the HE top-loaders. It fit about 26 pounds of our laundry. Claimed capacity is 5.3 cubic feet. There are 11 wash cycles. The dryer was impressive at its job and claimed capacity is 8.8 cubic feet. These machines are made in America. Consider this: Normal wash time was 80 minutes using heavy-soil setting. This washer wasn't so gentle on fabrics, but that's true for most top-loaders. Need to know: Washer is 27 inches wide; dryer, 29. Gas dryer is the Maytag Bravos MGDB855DW, $1,100. Samsung sets Samsung WF56H9110CW front-loader and Samsung DV56H9100EW electric dryer Price: $1,450 washer, $1,200 dryer Here's the deal: These recommended models are top rated, excellent at their job, relatively quiet, and have jumbo capacities. The washer held 28 pounds of our laundry and was among the gentlest on fabrics. Claimed capacity is 5.6 cubic feet for the washer and 9.5 for the dryer. There are 15 wash cycles. Consider this: Normal wash on heavy-soil setting is 90 minutes. The SuperSpeed option saved about 15 to 20 minutes without affecting cleaning. Need to know: Each machine is 30 inches wide and can be stacked. The matching electric dryer is shown in the ratings as ending in "EG" to indicate the tested model has an onyx finish; "EW" is white and listed here as it matches the tested washer. Gas dryer is shown in ratings as the Samsung DV56H9100GG, $1,400. Samsung WF56H9100AG front-loader and Samsung DV56H9100EG electric dryer Price: $1,200 each Here's the deal: Both made our top picks. The washer has one of the largest capacities tested and fit about 28 pounds of our laundry. Claimed capacity is 5.6 cubic feet. It offers impressive cleaning and was gentle on fabrics. There are 15 wash cycles.The top-rated dryer was superb at drying and has a jumbo capacity. Claimed capacity is 9.5 cubic feet. Consider this: Normal wash time on heavy soil setting was 85 minutes, but the SuperSpeed option cut wash time of full loads by about 15 to 20 minutes without sacrificing performance. Need to know: Each machine is 30 inches wide and can be stacked. Gas dryer is Samsung DV56H9100GG, $1,300. Samsung WA56H9000AP HE top-loader and Samsung DV56H9000EP electric dryer Price: $1,200 each Here's the deal: Both are top picks. This washer has a jumbo capacity and can hold about 28 pounds of laundry. Claimed capacity is 5.6 cubic feet. Washing was impressive and there are 15 cycles. Normal wash time on heavy soil setting was 75 minutes. The dryer aced its job and has a jumbo capacity. Claimed capacity is 9.5 cubic feet. Consider this: As with most top-loaders this washer wasn't so gentle on fabrics. Need to know: Each machine is 30 inches wide. The waterproof cycle prevented the washer from becoming unbalanced when we washed several waterproof jackets. Gas dryer is Samsung DV56H9000GP, $1,300. Whirlpool pairs Whirlpool Duet WFL98HEBU front-loader and Whirlpool Duet WEL98HEBU electric dryer Price: $1,440 each Here's the deal: Both have a large capacity. Claimed capacity is 4.3 cubic feet for the washer and 7.4 for the dryer. The washer offers excellent cleaning and was gentle on fabrics. There are 13 wash cycles. Normal wash time, on heavy soil setting, is 75 minutes. That's faster than most.The dryer was superb at drying and among the quietest tested. Consider this: These machines are Wi-Fi enabled, providing remote control via your smart device that lets you monitor your laundry's progress, start/stop the machine, and more. Need to know: Made in the U.S.A. Machines have a silver finish and can be stacked. Each is 27 inches wide. Dryer is not available as a gas model. Whirlpool Cabrio WTW8500DW HE top-loader and Whirlpool Cabrio WED8500DW electric dryer Price: $1,080 each Here's the deal: The washer was impressive and made our top picks.The dryer excelled at drying. Both are relatively quiet. This washer fit 26 pounds of our laundry and was one of the gentlest on fabrics. There are 26 wash cycles. That's right, 26. Claimed capacity is 5.3 cubic feet for the washer and 8.8 for the dryer. Consider this: Normal wash time on heavy-soil setting was 80 minutes. Need to know: Washer is 28 inches wide; dryer, 29. They're made in the U.S.A. Gas dryer is the Whirlpool Cabrio WGD8500DW, $1,180. CR Tip Some HE top-loaders come with a warning not to wash waterproof items, or the manufacturer may suggest using the low-spin or no-spin mode to prevent the load from becoming unbalanced. That can cause the machine to shake too much, even damaging the machine and laundry area. Check the manual before you buy. Impressive Pairs for $1,700 or Less All were impressive at cleaning or drying though most did not make our top picks. The dryers have moisture sensors, a must. Keep in mind that most improvements in performance and efficiency are on washers. If you're set on a matching duo pick your washer and then the dryer. For more details see our Ratings of washing machines and clothes dryers. Kenmore couples Kenmore 28132 HE top-loader and Kenmore 68132 electric dryer Price: $750 each Here's the deal: The washer is the least expensive and fastest of the top picks. It took 60 minutes using normal wash on a heavy-soil setting. There are eight wash cycles. Cleaning was impressive and the washer fit about 26 pounds of our laundry. Claimed capacity is 5.3 cubic feet. This machine is relatively quiet, as is the dryer. The tested dryer was superb at drying. The dryer highlighted here is a similar model and we expect performance to be similar to tested dryer. Claimed capacity is 8.8 cubic feet. Consider this: The washer wasn't so gentle on fabrics although that's true for most HE top-loaders we've tested. The dryer is Energy Star-qualified and you will save some energy but extend drying time using the eco-mode. Need to know: Washer is 27 inches wide, standard width, and yet capacity is jumbo. When shopping reach into the bottom of the washer to see if you can grab that last sock. Dryer is 29 inches wide. Kenmore 27132 HE top-loader and Kenmore 67132 electric dryer Price: $650 each Here's the deal: Neither made our top picks but the washer came close. It performed similarly to the Kenmore above and also has eight wash cycles and a wash time of 60 minutes (normal wash, heavy-soil setting). But capacity is slightly smaller. Claimed capacity is 4.8 cubic feet. We fit about 23 pounds of laundry. The dryer was impressive at drying. Claimed capacity is 7 cubic feet. Both machines are relatively quiet. Consider this: Like most top-loaders this one wasn't gentle on fabrics. Need to know: Washer is 27 inches wide, dryer is 29. Gas dryer is the Kenmore 77132, $750. LG duos LG WM3170CW front-loader and LG DLE3170W electric dryer Price: $720 each Here's the deal: We first tested this washer in spring 2015 and found a software glitch that directed the washer to use so little water that it was unable to clean our laundry and left stains. LG said they would correct the software bug in washers in stock and in customers' homes. We bought a new LG WM3170CW washer in February 2016 and our tests found the problem has been solved, and cleaning was excellent. Claimed capacity is 4.3 cubic feet and it holds about 21 pounds of laundry. There are seven wash cycles. The dryer was excellent at its job and among the quietest we tested. Claimed capacity is 7.4 cubic feet. Consider this: Wash time is 110 minutes using the normal wash, heavy-soil setting. Save about 15 minutes by using the normal-soil setting. The front-loader's price is half of some high-scoring washers, making it a CR Best Buy. Need to know: Each machine is 27 inches wide, standard width, and can be stacked. Gas dryer is the LG DLG3171W, $820. LG WM3570HVA front-loader and LG DLEX3570HV electric dryer Price: $800 washer, $900 dryer Here's the deal: They didn't make our top picks but the washer was excellent at cleaning, gentle on fabrics, and fit about 21 pounds of our laundry. Claimed capacity is 4.3 cubic feet. There are 12 wash cycles. The dryer aced its job; claimed capacity is 7.4 cubic feet. Both machines were relatively quiet. Consider this: Wash time on normal wash heavy-soil setting was 95 minutes. The TurboWash option cut wash time of full loads by 15 to 20 minutes and offers comparable wash performance. Need to know: Each machine is 27 inches wide and stackable. They have a graphite finish. In the ratings the dryer model name ends with a "W" to indicate that the tested model was white. It costs about $100 less than the graphite finish. Gas dryer is LG DLGX3571W in white or LG DLGX3571HV in graphite. Maytag mates Maytag Maxima MHW5100DW front-loader and Maytag Maxima MED5100DW electric dryer Price: $750 each Here's the deal: The washer is recommended and a CR Best Buy. It offers excellent cleaning and energy- and water-efficiency, and was gentle on fabrics. There are eight wash cycles. Claimed capacity is 4.5 cubic feet and it fits about 22 pounds of our laundry. The dryer is Energy Star qualified and superb at drying. Our results are based on using the regular mode. The energy-saving option should provide comparable performance while saving energy, but drying time is significantly longer. Claimed capacity is 7.3 cubic feet. Consider this: Wash time is 75 minutes on normal wash heavy-soil setting, and this machine is relatively noisy. Consider that if placing near bedrooms or the family room. Need to know: Machines are made in the U.S, 27 inches wide, and stackable. Gas dryer is the Maytag MGD5100DW, $850. Maytag Bravos MVWB835DW HE top-loader and Maytag Bravos MEDB835DW electric dryer Price: $680 each Here's the deal: They didn't make the top picks but are worth considering. The washer was impressive at cleaning and took 70 minutes using the normal wash heavy-soil setting. You'll save about 15 to 20 minutes using the normal soil setting. There are 11 wash cycles. We fit about 25 pounds of our laundry in this washer. Claimed capacity is 5.3 cubic feet. This machine is relatively quiet. You'll hear it working but it shouldn't disturb you. The tested dryer was impressive at dryer and among the quietest in our tests. The dryer highlighted here is a similar model and we expect performance to be similar to the tested dryer. Claimed capacity is 8.8 cubic feet. The washer and dryer are made in the U.S. Consider this: The washer wasn't so gentle on fabrics but that's true for most HE top-loaders tested. Our tests use the normal wash heavy-soil setting. Use the normal wash normal-soil setting and it will be gentler on fabrics. Need to know: Washer is 27 inches wide, standard width, but capacity is jumbo. When shopping reach into the machine to see if you can grab that stray sock. Dryer is 29 inches wide. Both machines come only in white. Samsung sets Samsung WA52J8700AP HE top-loader and Samsung DV52J8700EP electric dryer Price: $850 each Here's the deal: The washer was impressive at cleaning and made our top picks. The jumbo capacity fit 26 pounds of our laundry. Claimed capacity is 5.2 cubic feet. There are 15 wash cycles. The dryer was excellent at its job; claimed capacity is 7.4 cubic feet. Both machines are relatively quiet. Consider this: Wash time was 75 minutes using the normal wash heavy-soil setting. The SuperSpeed cuts wash time by 15 to 20 minutes and cleaning is still impressive. However, the washer wasn't so gentle on fabrics although that's true for most top-loaders. This washer has Activewash, a water jet and built-in sink with ridges that enable you to hand wash and soak stained items before they go into the machine. Need to know: Each machine is 27 inches, the standard width, yet capacity is very large. When shopping reach into washer to see if you can touch the bottom of the tub. The dryer is Energy Star qualified and using the eco-mode can save you some energy but extends dryer time. Gas dryer is Samsung DV52J8700GP, $950. Samsung WF45H6300AG front-loader and Samsung DV45H6300EG electric dryer Price: $800 each Here's the deal: The washer was impressive overall and came close to making our top picks. It was excellent at cleaning, gentle on fabrics, and relatively quiet. There are 13 wash cycles. Claimed capacity is 4.5 cubic feet, scoring very good in our tests. The dryer aced its job but is relatively noisy. Claimed capacity is 7.5 cubic feet. Consider this: Wash time is 80 minutes using normal wash on the heavy-soil setting. Save about 15 to 20 minutes using the SuperSpeed option and cleaning will still be impressive. Need to know: Machines are 27 inches wide. Gas dryer is the Samsung DV45H6300GW, $900. How We Test Washers and Dryers In addition to washing performance Consumer Reports' washing machine tests look at how gentle a washing machine is on fabric as well as its energy and water efficiency. We look at noise and vibration, and note cycle times using the normal wash, heavy-soil setting. As for our capacity scores, models scoring excellent fit 25 or more pounds of laundry; a very good capacity score means the washer fit 20 to 24 pounds, and good, about 15 to 19 pounds. In our clothes dryer tests we run the machines with different sized loads and a variety of fabrics. We measure noise, capacity, and convenience. Models that earned excellent or very good capacity scores in our dryer tests can hold large loads as well. Kimberly Janeway More from Consumer Reports: The best matching washers and dryers Generator Buying Guide 8 ways to boost your home value Consumer Reports has no relationship with any advertisers on this website. Copyright 2006-2016 Consumers Union of U.S. Beyonce and Jay Zs relationship has been under the spotlight for years but it all came to a head when Bey released her album Lemonade last month and seemingly dropped a whole load of cheating allegations against her husband. Although some have since argued that the stunt was just an elaborate marketing ploy, Beyonces cousin Shanica Knowles has now come forward and argued that Bey really is desperate to try and save her marriage. In fact, Shanica has said that Bey and Jay have endured numerous secret separations since tying the knot back in 2008. She explained: Beyonce has been encouraged to write about the affair rumours to help her deal with it all and help her determine whether she could work through everything or have to end the marriage. "This has been a long process and Ive heard theyve had to deal with silent separations and splits over the past few years, but Bey is praying this album will actually save her marriage. The very public way of dealing with her husbands infidelity is also a result of Beyonces anger, her cousin claims. She added to Heat magazine: Shes been through the intense anger and I think shes now learning to forgive Jay. "The next few months are going to be the test - this is make or break for them - but hes determined to do everything she can to make it work. Everyone is still very protective of Bey. Shes trying to put a brave face on things but she may not be able to get over this. "Despite doing everything in her power to make it work, this could backfire. Shes admitted that she still may end up divorcing him. Its up to Jay to continue fighting for her and prove that hes determined to do whatever it takes to keep his wife. Heres hoping that the pair manage to work things out, eh? We simply cant imagine a world without Bey and Jay as the ultimate celeb power couple. BlackRock, Inc. BLK has agreed to sell its U.K. defined contribution platform and administration business to Dutch insurer and asset manager Aegon N.V. AEG. The terms of the transaction, which is expected to be completed in the second quarter of 2017, were not divulged. Under the transaction, BlackRock will transfer around 12 billion (($17.6 billion) of assets and 350,000 customers to Aegon. The deal will push Aegon into the top three in the U.K. workplace-savings market and create a 30 billion division. BlackRocks Paul Bucksey will become managing director of the pension and administration unit. Given its strength as a leading investment manager, BlackRock will retain its role as the primary investment manager for the clients that will be transferred to Aegon as part of the transaction. While the deal will strengthen Aegons position as a leading player in the U.K. workplace savings market, it will deepen Aegon's relationship with BlackRock, whose remaining 65 billion in U.K. defined contribution business would be focused to provide investment management services to Aegon clients. Aegon's retention of BlackRock's specialist employees and established systems will provide stability and continuity for trustees, plan sponsors and their advisors. BlackRock will grow its defined contribution investments business by supplying products to pension funds and other providers. "The pensions and investment landscape has changed significantly in the UK over the last few years," said David Blumer, head of BlackRock EMEA. "Aegon's broad retail product and digital capabilities will best serve the increased demand from employers for holistic retirement solutions in the future." Adrian Grace, CEO of Aegon UK, said: "The combined strength and breadth of expertise makes us a compelling choice. With employers demanding additional solutions to meet employees' needs to and through retirement, workplace savings are no longer just about traditional DC pensions. "This makes it an exciting market and with an expectation it will triple in size over the next 10 years. We are well positioned to take advantage, he added. The transaction is subject to regulatory and court approval. Currently, BlackRock holds a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy), while Aegon carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). Better-ranked investment management firms are SEI Investments Co. SEIC and Cohen & Steers Inc. CNS, both of which sport a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report >> Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report BLACKROCK INC (BLK): Free Stock Analysis Report COHEN&STRS INC (CNS): Free Stock Analysis Report SEI INVESTMENTS (SEIC): Free Stock Analysis Report AEGON N V (AEG): Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research (Adds quotes, details, industry context and background) By Allison Lampert and Tim Hepher MONTREAL/PARIS, May 4 (Reuters) - Canada's Bombardier is not looking at building a bigger version of its CSeries jetliner, three people close to the company said on Wednesday. There has been persistent analyst and media speculation that Bombardier would add a third member of its slow-selling 108-130-seat jet family to compete with best-selling Airbus and Boeing models that carry at least 150 people. But despite earlier suggestions that Bombardier could enlarge its new jet to boost sales, the so-called 'CS500' version, which could cost up to $750 million to develop, is not being considered, the people said. "It is not on the table," one said, asking not to be identified. Bombardier last week scored a much-needed sale of 75 CS100 CSeries models to Delta Air Lines. Delta's new chief executive said it was potentially interested in anything larger that Bombardier could produce. Although Bombardier has toyed with the idea of building a bigger plane in the past, now is not the right time to consider breaking into the cut-throat 150-seat category as it tries to build on Delta's backing of its existing model, the people said. Some Canadian media have reported a larger CSeries could form part of a $1 billion package of federal support being negotiated between Bombardier and Canada's government. Chief Executive Alain Bellemare said last week Bombardier's focus was on its 108-seat CS100 and 130-seat CS300 models and a new business jet. "I think that, for us, is plenty. Our business case is all built around that: the CS100 and the CS300. It's funny that people are already thinking about what's next," he told Reuters. Bombardier has long argued there is a promising market in the 100-150-seat segment, just below the best-selling Airbus and Boeing models, but has suffered years of disappointing sales. One source familiar with Bombardier's thinking said it would be "suicidal" for the company to launch a CS500 anytime soon, because it would thrust the cash-strapped planemaker into direct competition with Airbus and Boeing. Story continues Industry strategists say the two giants would relish drawing the CSeries into their core market, where their high volumes and pricing power could give them a strong advantage despite the Canadian plane's partly newer technology. A second source close to the program said it would cost $500 million to $750 million to stretch the CS300. The CS300, however, has the capability to be expanded if the market needs it, the program head said last year. (Reporting by Allison Lampert, Tim Hepher, Editing by Amran Abocar; Editing by Janet Lawrence, Bernard Orr) By Allison Lampert and Tim Hepher MONTREAL/PARIS (Reuters) - Canada's Bombardier is not looking at building a bigger version of its CSeries jetliner, three people close to the company said on Wednesday. There has been persistent analyst and media speculation that Bombardier would add a third member of its slow-selling 108-130-seat jet family to compete with best-selling Airbus and Boeing models that carry at least 150 people. But despite earlier suggestions that Bombardier could enlarge its new jet to boost sales, the so-called 'CS500' version, which could cost up to $750 million to develop, is not being considered, the people said. "It is not on the table," one said, asking not to be identified. Bombardier last week scored a much-needed sale of 75 CS100 CSeries models to Delta Air Lines . Delta's new chief executive said it was potentially interested in anything larger that Bombardier could produce. Although Bombardier has toyed with the idea of building a bigger plane in the past, now is not the right time to consider breaking into the cut-throat 150-seat category as it tries to build on Delta's backing of its existing model, the people said. Some Canadian media have reported a larger CSeries could form part of a $1 billion package of federal support being negotiated between Bombardier and Canada's government. Chief Executive Alain Bellemare said last week Bombardier's focus was on its 108-seat CS100 and 130-seat CS300 models and a new business jet. "I think that, for us, is plenty. Our business case is all built around that: the CS100 and the CS300. Its funny that people are already thinking about whats next," he told Reuters. Bombardier has long argued there is a promising market in the 100-150-seat segment, just below the best-selling Airbus and Boeing models, but has suffered years of disappointing sales. One source familiar with Bombardiers thinking said it would be "suicidal" for the company to launch a CS500 anytime soon, because it would thrust the cash-strapped planemaker into direct competition with Airbus and Boeing. Industry strategists say the two giants would relish drawing the CSeries into their core market, where their high volumes and pricing power could give them a strong advantage despite the Canadian plane's partly newer technology. A second source close to the program said it would cost $500 million to $750 million to stretch the CS300. The CS300, however, has the capability to be expanded if the market needs it, the program head said last year. (Reporting by Allison Lampert, Tim Hepher, Editing by Amran Abocar; Editing by Janet Lawrence, Bernard Orr) By Martin Petty and Manuel Mogato MANILA (Reuters) - For the son and namesake of late Philippine dictator Ferdinand Marcos, winning the vice presidency in next week's election is as much about restoring his family's tainted image as it is about making the country a better place. "Bongbong", as Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is known, has been leading most opinion polls ahead of the May 9 election, marking the revival of a name synonymous with martial law, torture and billions of dollars of plundered wealth. A poll published on Wednesday had him slipping to second place for the first time, but he was just two points behind Congresswoman Leni Robredo. Marcos Jr., 58, says his family is not the only issue and his popularity comes from public disenchantment with a political establishment that emerged after his father's overthrow in the iconic "people power" revolution in 1986. "We keep hearing about all these wonderful things happening to our economy and yet people are poor," he said in an interview. "That's where the frustration comes from... There's clearly a desire for something different." Unlike most other countries, elections for the Philippine president and vice-president are held separately and the two can be political rivals. The maverick mayor of the southern city of Davao, Rodrigo Duterte, 71, is leading opinion polls for president. The senior Marcos was president of the Philippines for two decades, including nine years as the head of a martial law government. Later governments have documented 75,000 cases of torture, illegal detention and disappearances in those years. The rule by the senior Marcos and his wife Imelda, known for her lavish lifestyle and thousands of pairs of shoes, has been called a kleptocratic "conjugal dictatorship". The family fled to exile in Hawaii after the ouster, where the senior Marcos died in 1989. After that, the widespread hatred of the Marcos family began to ebb. Bongbong Marcos returned from Hawaii in 1991 and rebuilt the family's political base in its stomping grounds of Ilocos Norte province, serving as governor, congressman and senator. His mother Imelda is seeking re-election next week to the House of Representatives from a district in the province, while his sister Imee is seeking re-election as the provincial governor. Political strategist Pastor "Boy" Saycon says the Marcos years were not all that bad, although he spent three months in jail at that time when the government rounded up student activists. "There was this discipline being instilled," he said. "Because that's the problem of our country today - there is no discipline." 'ENFORCED VACATION' If Bongbong wins the number two spot, he will be firmly in line to contest the presidency in a later election. Marcos gets irritated by the suggestion that the presidency is his goal. He calls the vice presidency a natural step and describes himself as a reluctant politician who had to clear the family name. "When we came back from our 'enforced vacation' we were the issue, and so to answer that we had to be also in the political stage," Marcos said. "There was very little else we could do if we were to somehow be able to continue to be able to work and to do something, and part of it is also to defend ourselves." There are old scores to settle between Marcos and another dynasty, the family of outgoing President Benigno Aquino. Aquino's father and namesake was a fierce critic of the Marcoses and his assassination in 1983 ignited the people power revolt. The president's late mother Corazon Aquino led the people power uprising before taking the presidency. Aquino has tried to derail Marcos's bid for vice-president. In October, the president said he had faith the public would reject Marcos and in February, timed with the 30-year anniversary of the revolution, the government announced it would sell gems, property and stocks confiscated from the Marcoses and would seek the return of $1 billion via court cases at home and overseas. But Marcos has opened up a clear lead in the most recent opinion polls and his anti-establishment platform is resonating with young Filipinos born long after the rule of his father. But for some of the older generation, the prospect of his family's return to the forefront of national politics is an embarrassing, retrograde step. "People from the outside cannot understand why Filipinos are putting Marcos back into power," said political analyst Dindo Manhit. "We never learn." Bongbong Marcos rejects common narratives of oppression and failed government in his father's rule. "There are many positive things to talk about from during that time," he said. "So that's what we do. It's fairly simple." (Editing by Raju Gopalakrishnan) Frankie Essex has bravely opened up about battling depression, admitting in a new interview that just last year she was on the brink of suicide. We are so glad that the TOWIE star was able to overcome this. The reality star is known for her bubbly personality but has now revealed that losing her mother Tina to suicide when she was just thirteen years old has left her damaged and still affects her to this day. Speaking out, Frankie explained: I did think about killing myself, like my mum. She was depressed and Im scared Ill fall into that hole. "But Im on antidepressants now and theyre helping me feel happier. I want to be the old Frankie again. Frankie fell into a downward spiral when she became involved in a toxic relationship with ex-boyfriend John Lyons, and also became down after piling on the pounds and creeping up to her highest ever weight. She added: Id lost all my confidence. I had a really sh*t year, probably the worst year Ive ever had, and I was really down. I lived with my boyfriend John and I had to move out. Thankfully Frankie was able to move in with her cousin Chloe Sims, who helped her see the light at the end of the tunnel. The star added to Now magazine: Im on a six-week waiting list to see a counsellor. If it wasnt for Chloe I dont know where Id be today. Were so glad that Frankie is finally getting the help that she needs. If you have been affected by this article please call Samaritans on 08457 90 90 90 (UK) 1850 60 90 90 (ROI) or visit www.samaritans.org to find details of the nearest branch. Samaritans is available around the clock, every single day of the year. BRASILIA (Reuters) - A Brazilian congressional commission on Wednesday recommended a bill that forbids authorities from blocking popular messaging applications, just two days after a judicial order left 100 million Brazilians without Facebook Inc's WhatsApp. A Brazilian judge on Tuesday overturned a 72-hour suspension of the application used by roughly half the population of the South American country, triggering popular outcry over its second judicial suspension in only five months. The reason for the freeze was not made public due to legal secrecy in an ongoing case in a Sergipe state court, but authorities have in the past demanded data from the Facebook's encrypted messaging service. A congressional commission investigating cyber crimes proposed removing messaging applications, such as WhatsApp, from a bill that regulates the suspension of websites and other applications used for crimes such as drugs and arms trafficking. "This way the legislation makes it very clear that judges cannot block these applications, because those suspensions do not fulfill their objectives," lawmaker Sandro Alex, who helped draft the bill, said in a WhatsApp message. The legislation will now have to pass through several other congressional committees before being put to vote in the floor of the lower and upper house. Critics have said the bill would actually make it easier for judges to shut down websites and applications, hurting the freedom of speech of internet users. The judge who ordered Monday's 72-hour suspension, Marcel Maia Montalvao, in March ordered the imprisonment of a Brazil-based Facebook executive in a dispute over law enforcement demands for data from the companys encrypted messaging service for use in a drug trafficking investigation. The executive was freed after about 24 hours, when an appeals court overturned his arrest. WhatsApp had said in a statement on Monday that it was "disappointed" at the judge's decision to suspend its services, saying it had done its utmost to cooperate with Brazilian tribunals but did not possess the information the court was requesting. The company has said in the past that it does not store encrypted information from WhatsApp messages. Facebook Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg had urged Brazilians in a Facebook post to gather outside Congress on Wednesday to demand the messaging service never be blocked again. (Reporting by Alonso Soto; Editing by Daniel Flynn and Marguerita Choy) SAO PAULO (Reuters) - Brazilian Prosecutor-General Rodrigo Janot has asked the Supreme Court to open an investigation of President Dilma Rousseff as part of a massive corruption investigation involving state-run oil firm Petrobras, Globo News reported on Tuesday. The lower house of Congress voted to impeach Rousseff on unrelated charges of breaking budgetary laws last month and the Senate must now decide whether to open a trial, at which point she would be suspended from office. (Reporting by Caroline Stauffer; Editing by Sandra Maler) By Stephen Eisenhammer RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - Mining companies Vale SA and BHP Billiton were hit with a 155 billion-real ($43.5 billion) civil lawsuit for the collapse of a dam at a mine last year that killed 19 people and caused damage that prosecutors said was comparable to BP's oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. The 359-page lawsuit brought by independent federal prosecutors was the result of a six-month investigation and is also against state and federal governments. Prosecutors accused the state of Minas Gerais, where the dam collapsed in November 2015, of negligence in its monitoring of the build up of waste and water sludge left over from the companies' mining venture, Samarco. The total damages, prosecutors said, were calculated on the basis of the cost of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the United States. BP's total pre-tax charge for that accident, in 2010, reached $53.8 billion. The Brazilian prosecutors also demanded an initial payment of 7.7 billion reais. A judge in Brazil now has to accept the lawsuit. Analysts said the comparison with BP's oil spill would likely be contested, but nevertheless represented another headache for companies reeling from a commodities downturn and now facing the prospect of protracted litigation. The drop in prices of commodities such as iron ore has seen BHP lose almost half of its market value, and Vale more than a quarter, over the past 12 months. BHP's shares were trading 6.5 percent lower and Vale's U.S. listed shares fell 7.5 percent in premarket trading, while the sector was down around 4 percent by 1015 GMT <.FTNMX1770>. Hunter Hillcoat, analyst at Investec in London, said the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill was "a completely unrelated incident" and the figures were an opening gambit. Paul Gait of Bernstein said the case was political as prosecutors added to the pressure on President Dilma Rousseff, who is under fire over corruption allegations. "They're implying she had radically undersold the Brazilian people and was in the pockets of business," he said. The civil action comes after the Brazilian government in March reached a settlement with Samarco, Vale and BHP, in which the companies agreed to pay an estimated 20 billion reais. Vale and BHP both said they had not received formal notice of the new claim. BHP said in a statement to the Australian Securities Exchange it was "committed to helping Samarco to rebuild the community and restore the environment affected by the failure of the dam". It said the March agreement provided "the long-term remedial and compensation framework for responding to the impact of the Samarco tragedy and the appropriate platform for the parties to work together". In the civil case prosecutors said the compensation agreement was insufficient and lacked the legal mechanisms to ensure the companies would fulfil their obligations, making it little more than a "letter of intent". (Additional reporting by Sonali Paul in Melbourne and Barbara Lewis in Brussels; Editing by Joseph Radford and Elaine Hardcastle) By Anthony Boadle BRASILIA (Reuters) - A request by Brazil's prosecutor general for a Supreme Court investigation of ex-President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva raises the odds against the ruling Workers Party emerging from scandal in time for the 2018 presidential election, analysts said on Wednesday. Already hurt by fallout from a massive corruption scheme, and impeachment proceedings against President Dilma Rousseff, the leftist party is largely resigned to her removal. Few believe she will escape conviction if the Senate votes next week to suspend her from office and open a trial over alleged budget irregularities, as expected. But the Workers Party, in power since 2003, has long considered Lula its ace in the hole for future elections. Rousseff's mentor and a hero to millions of poor voters, Lula remained popular among many even as Brazil's economy entered recession and prosecutors alleged that he may have benefited from kickbacks and obstructed justice in a probe into graft at state oil company Petrobras . The leftist icon has denied any wrongdoing. But a request by the prosecutor to press charges against him at the Supreme Court - made public on Tuesday - escalates Lula's legal problems, diminishing his ability to rally the party and mount a credible opposition to emboldened rivals. "Lula is the element that ties everything together," said Paulo Pimenta, a well-known Workers Party congressman from the southern state of Rio Grande do Sul. According to documents made public on Tuesday, Prosecutor General Rodrigo Janot has charged Lula with participating in a scheme to stop former Petrobras executive Nestor Cervero from collaborating with the sweeping investigation into political kickbacks at the state oil firm. The Supreme Court must now decide whether to accept the charges against Lula, who was named to a ministerial post by Rousseff in March. Janot also requested an investigation into Rousseff for allegedly seeking to obstruct the Petrobras investigation. The Supreme Court is the only tribunal permitted to try sitting politicians and ministers. It was already considering whether Lula's nomination was legal, as he already faced charges of money laundering and fraud from a regional prosecutor. The Supreme Court does not conduct investigations itself, but guides prosecutors and police in the cases before it. Lula was wildly popular when he left office at the end of his two-term limit in 2010, and he has repeatedly expressed his willingness to run again. But by "criminalizing" the former president, prosecutors and political opponents could make a third term impossible and undermine a once formidable party base formed around trade unions and leftist social movements. "A Lula candidacy is what could catalyze them," said Pimenta, referring to working-class voters. Analysts at Arko Advice, a political consultancy in the capital Brasilia, said the request for a Supreme Court investigation of Lula signaled "a definitive weakening" of the former metal worker and union leader. The ex-president "could spend the rest of his political life defending himself," the analysts wrote. (Writing by Paulo Prada; Editing by Daniel Flynn and Tom Brown) Brasilia (AFP) - Brazil's outbreak of Zika -- which has been linked to the devastating microcephaly birth defect in newborns in 1,271 cases since October -- has also killed 57 of those babies, authorities said Wednesday. The Health Ministry said in that as of April 30, 3,580 suspected cases had been reported and that another 2,492 were ruled out as false alarms. While 57 babies were known to have died of the condition, another 178 deaths were suspected to have been caused by it, the data showed. Brazil, the epicenter of the mosquito-borne Zika virus outbreak, hosts the 2016 Games in Rio de Janeiro from August 5 to 21. The virus is blamed for birth defects in babies born to women infected with the virus. Despite a flurry of research, very little is known about the virus -- how long it can hide out in the human body, the degree of risk via sexual transmission, the full list of diseases and disorders it may cause, and all the mosquito types capable of transmitting it. The recent scientific consensus is that Zika causes microcephaly, a form of severe brain damage in newborns, and adult-onset neurological problems such as Guillain-Barre Syndrome, which can cause paralysis and death. There is no vaccine or treatment for the virus, which in most people causes only mild symptoms -- a rash, joint pain or fever. Largely contained to Latin America and the Caribbean, Zika's range is likely to expand as summer arrives in the northern hemisphere -- and with it virus-transmitting mosquitoes. BRASILIA, May 4 (Reuters) - The senator charged with studying President Rousseff's impeachment recommended on Wednesday that she be put on trial for breaking budget laws, bringing the embattled leftist leader one step closer to suspension from office. Senator Antonio Anastasia presented his findings to a 21-member Senate impeachment committee, which is expected to vote overwhelmingly on Friday to send his recommendation to the full chamber. The Senate is due to vote on May 11 to try Rousseff, at which point she will be automatically suspended pending a trial that could last up to 180 days. Vice President Michel Temer will take over as acting president and, if Rousseff is convicted, he would serve out the remainder of her term through 2018. (Reporting by Maria Carolina Marcello; Editing by Daniel Flynn) Rising Oil Stockpiles Drive Commodity Prices Lower Today (Continued from Prior Part) Latin American markets fell in line with commodity sectors Depressed Latin American markets took cues from lower commodity prices as of 2:30 PM EST today, May 4, 2016. Investors were trading with a bearish view, in line with the previous session. Larger oil stockpiles led to speculations of falling demand in the United States. The Brazilian BM&F Bovespa SA rose slightly by 0.09%, while the Mexican IPC index fell 1.2%. Brazilian markets were positive since the countrys top prosecutor requested a probe into President Dilma Rousseffs case relating to obstruction of justice. Investors are betting on impeachment proceedings against Rousseff and stability in the political system in Brazil. The decline in global crude oil prices and other essential commodities caused the Colombian COLCAP index to trade 0.92% lower. Colombia depends greatly on crude oil prices, which directly impact its export revenues. Among the Latin American indexes, the Argentinian Merval Index rose 0.19%, while the Chilean IPSA Select Index was trading 0.06% lower. Brazilian service PMI Brazilian services PMI (Purchasing Managers Index) declined to 37.4 points in April versus 38.6 points in March. Rising unemployment rates as companies resorted to layoffs in order to cut costs were a primary driver of lower PMI numbers. Colombian export growth continued to decline in March, falling 33.4% on an annual basis versus a 26.7% fall last month. Impact on the Market Among the Latin Americafocused ETFs, the iShares MSCI Brazil Capped (EWZ) rose 1.1% on May 4. The iShares MSCI Mexico Capped (EWW) was trading 1.8% lower as of 2:30 PM EST. Mexico, Colombia, Chile, and Brazil are closely linked to crude oil and commodity prices. The PowerShares DB Commodity Tracking ETF (DBC) fell 0.14%. On a broad-based level, the iShares Latin America 40 (ILF) fell 0.16%, while the iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF (EEM) fell 1.6%. Browse this series on Market Realist: BRASILIA, May 4 (Reuters) - A government of Vice President Michel Temer would analyze allowing foreign owners to acquire a controlling stake in local airlines, one of his closest aides told Reuters on Wednesday. Wellington Moreira Franco, a chief economic adviser to Temer, said he has supported raising foreign ownership in the industry since he was aviation minister a few years ago. "Today you have legislation that limits the participation of investors," Franco said in a telephone interview. "But they would have to comply with local rules." Temer is poised to succeed President Dilma Rousseff if Brazil's Senate, as expected, suspends her term next week following impeachment proceedings. (Reporting by Alonso Soto; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama) (Adds background) BRASILIA, May 3 (Reuters) - Brazil's top prosecutor requested that President Dilma Rousseff be investigated for trying to obstruct a sweeping corruption investigation involving state-run oil firm Petrobras, local media reported late on Tuesday. An investigation could well mark the political end for the beleaguered leader of the world's seventh-largest economy as it would be the first time that Rousseff would be directly implicated in Brazil's biggest-ever graft case. She is already likely to be suspended from office as early as next week on unrelated charges of breaking budgetary laws. The corruption scandal casts a shadow over 13 years of Workers Party rule that saw Brazil's middle class expand by some 40 million people since 2003 with the help of new social programs. Rousseff has consistently maintained she has done no wrongdoing, despite serving as the chairwoman of Petrobras' board for several years when much of a billion-dollar kickback scheme played out. The case has already seen executives from Brazil's biggest construction firms jailed and convicted for siphoning funds from Petrobras to bribe politicians. Around 50 politicians are under investigation, including the leaders of both houses of congress. Neither Brazil's Supreme Court, which must authorize any investigation into Rousseff, nor the office of Prosecutor-General Rodrigo Janot returned calls and emails requesting confirmation of the request for investigation. Globo News, Brazil's largest media conglomerate, along with the Estado de S.Paulo and Folha de S.Paulo newspapers reported the request made by the prosecutor at close to midnight on Tuesday. The request will be analyzed by Supreme Court justice Teori Zavascki and is not public because it is based on recorded phone calls between Rousseff and former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, news site G1 reported. Federal Judge Sergio Moro in March made public taped phone conversations between Rousseff and Lula that fed opposition claims that Rousseff had tried to name Lula as her chief of staff in order to shield him from prosecution. Story continues LULA CHARGED Newspaper Estado de S. Paulo also reported on Tuesday that Janot had charged Lula with participating in a scheme to stop former Petrobras executive Nestor Cervero from collaborating with the investigation. The federal prosecutors' office would not confirm the charge. The Supreme Court did confirm that Janot had asked for Lula and several of Rousseff's ministers to be formally investigated, including Chief of Staff Jaques Wagner, the minister in charge of legislative affairs, Ricardo Berzoini, and Rousseff's spokesman, Edinho Silva. Janot is expanding the investigation largely because of testimony from Senator Delcidio do Amaral, who decided to collaborate with the investigation in exchange for a lighter sentence. Amaral has said both Lula and Rousseff knew about the scheme. Janot's requests add to a growing uproar over just how many senior politicians are suspected of taking kickbacks from Petroleo Brasileiro SA, as Petrobras is formally known . Senior politicians will likely continue to face legal problems, and possible jail terms, well past Rousseff's expected ouster. Brazil's Senate this month will weigh her suspension ahead of a trial on charges she manipulated public accounts. The lower house of Congress voted overwhelmingly to impeach her last month. Rousseff says she has done nothing wrong. Rousseff's unpopularity mounted as Brazil fell into its worst recession in decades through what critics call her heavy-handed state intervention in the economy as a commodities boom went bust. Asked if he would avoid inviting anyone under investigation to be a minister in any government he is asked to lead, Vice President Michel Temer, first in line for the presidency, said in a television interview on Tuesday he was unsure. Prosecutors said in documents obtained by Estado de S.Paulo they did not see a reason to open an investigation of Temer, although he had been mentioned in plea bargain testimony. Janot said in the documents the "criminal organization" operating at Petrobras would not have been possible without Lula. Lula's institute said on Tuesday Janot had offered a hypothesis without proof. Rousseff's spokesman Silva, who was also the treasurer of the 2014 re-election campaign whose finances have been called into question for possibly benefiting from the Petrobras scheme, said in a statement the campaign was clean. Prosecutors in the southern city of Curitiba have also sought to investigate Lula. Their efforts have stalled as the Supreme Court weighs whether or not Rousseff can make him a minister, a move that would give him immunity from all but the high court. (Reporting by Maria Carolina Marcello and Anthony Boadle; Writing and additional reporting by Caroline Stauffer and Brad Brook; Editing by Andrew Hay, Sandra Maler and Simon Cameron-Moore) Heathrow_airport_star_wars_day_joke LONDON It wouldn't be Star Wars Day without a bunch of brands cracking May the fourth jokes, and this year has been absolutely no exception. SEE ALSO: Oreo, Windows, MLB and Others Bring the Force for 'Star Wars' Day London's Heathrow Airport got in on the action just after midday. You've got to hand it to them that's some solid photoshopping. They weren't the only UK brand to get involved, either. The British Fashion Council (BFC) has revealed the designers shortlisted for its BFC/GQ Designer Menswear Fund. The prestigious award will see the winner receive a 150,000 grant (about US$217,000) to grow their label, as well as 50,000 value (about US$72,000) in kind services and 12 months of mentoring from industry experts. Urban label Sibling, which hit the headlines earlier this year with a River Island collaboration, is one of the shortlisted British brands, alongside designer Christopher Raeburn, who is famous for his work repurposing military fabrics. Pioneering female designer Lou Dalton, conceptual designer Craig Green and sportswear-driven creative Astrid Andersen complete the list. The fund is supported by luxury mobile manufacturer Vertu. Dylan Jones OBE, Editor of British GQ and Chair of London Collections Men, called the shortlist "a great example of the variety and spread of designers that are working here in London," while Caroline Rush CBE, Chief Executive of the British Fashion Council, said: "As well as sheer creativity these designers also have impressive business strategies and the potential to be Britain's next big menswear brands." The shortlisted designers will participate in a mentoring program developed by the BFC that will see industry experts provide guidance on topics including branding, leadership, commercial retail, e-tail and wholesale and digital innovation. At the end of the month the designers will submit a revised business plan to the judging panel, which includes Dylan Jones, Caroline Rush, Fourmarketing's Ben Banks, The Financial Times's Charlie Porter, Gordon Watson and Jon Stanley of Vertu, The Guardian's Helen Seamons, Cerruti's Jason Basmajian, Robert Johnston from British GQ and Stephen Doig from Telegraph Luxury. The Fund is aimed at businesses that have been trading for over two years, with UK and international stockists. The winner will be announced on May 18. Britney Speaks Jason Merritt Getty final The dramatic downfall of Britney Spears hit an all-time low on January 30, 2008. Among onlooking paparazzi and helicopters, the pop star was put into an ambulance and rushed to UCLA Medical Center after days of bizarre behavior by Spears that included driving recklessly and speaking in a British accent. It was the second time in less than a month that she had been taken to a hospital for emergency psychiatric evaluation. With footage at the time surfacing of her shaving her own head and attacking paparazzi with an umbrella, it was obvious that Spears needed help. And on February 1, 2008, she got it in a legal judgment that still rules her life. While Spears was still in the hospital, her father, Jamie, was granted temporary conservatorship of his daughter, giving him control over her treatment, visitors, security, and daily life. Today, Spears performs daily at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino in Las Vegas, having recently signed a two-year extension worth $35 million. In 2015, Forbes named her the sixth-highest-earning female musician, and she will release a new album, her first since 2013, in May. In one way this is the comeback millions of her fans have been waiting for. But behind the scenes her life is controlled by the conservatorship. And new reporting from The New York Times suggests that Spears has almost no control over her career and personal life. According to the arrangement, which is typically used to protect the mentally disabled or extremely ill, Spears cannot make decisions about her personal life or finances without the approval of her conservators: her father and lawyer Andrew M. Wallet. Purchases ranging from a car to a drink at Starbucks are tracked in court documents as a way to safeguard her fortune. But there are signs that the conservatorship on Spears may one day be lifted. On Monday she was allowed to testify in a case filed against her by a former self-described manager. In at least three previous lawsuits, she was kept from testifying because of the restrictions under her conservatorship. Story continues A court-appointed lawyer, Samuel D. Ingham III, would most likely be the person to decide whether Spears still needs the conservatorship. He makes sure the conservators do not abuse their power. The Times points out, however, that there's a debate in California about whether court-appointed lawyers do enough as advocates for the rights of those under conservatorship. California's Senate Judiciary Committee said in a report last year, "In theory the court-appointed counsel should be arguing on the proposed conservatee's behalf for a less-restrictive alternative to conservatorship whenever possible." Britney Spears Vegas show Ethan Miller Getty final According to The Times, Ingham has been awarded $2 million in fees for his work on Spears' behalf since 2008. Spears' father makes $130,000 a year as a conservator and is reimbursed for the rent of an office he uses. He has also requested 1.5% of the gross revenues from the performances and merchandising tied to Spears' Vegas show. Spears' status and progress are measured by a court investigator, who files a report once every other year. Back in 2008, when Spears' father asked the court to establish a temporary conservatorship, Spears wanted to challenge it. "Britney wanted to oppose the conservatorship," Adam Streisand, who was one of two lawyers who spoke to the star at the time, told The Times. "But she was also extremely worried about her kids and seemed to understand that the best thing to do to see her kids was to accept it." Spears and her father declined to comment for the Times story, but in 2008 Spears said in an interview with MTV about the conservatorship: "I think it's too in control. If I wasn't under the restraints I'm under, I'd feel so liberated." Yet last year, she told People: "I'm in a real good place in my life. I'm the happiest I've ever been." Read the full story here. NOW WATCH: Warner Bros. just released the first trailer for its R-rated animated Batman movie More From Business Insider Murali Pillai and Low Yen Ling greeting Bukit Batok residents at a bus stop near Block 229 Bukit Batok East. (Photo: Safhras Khan/Yahoo Singapore) Lawyer Murali Pillai, the Peoples Action Partys candidate for the upcoming Bukit Batok by-election revealed his plans to help elderly residents, particularly those living alone, during his walkabout on Wednesday (4 May) morning. Murali, who is contesting in the 7 May by-election against the Singapore Democratic Partys chief Chee Soon Juan said there are plans to build an eldercare centre in the constituency to assist not only the elderly but also caregivers of such persons. He noted that one in nine residents in Bukit Batok are aged 65 and above and that an eldercare centre could help ease the needs of these residents. Speaking to the media at Block 229 Bukit Batok East, Murali said that although organisations such as St Lukes Hospital and Concern & Care Society Neighbourhood Link provide care and support for elderly residents, an eldercare centre could help residents more. An additional care centre, especially one that offers daycare services will give much needed respite, particularly to care-givers, said Murali who was accompanied by Member of Parliament (MP) for Choa Chu Kang GRC and Parliamentary Secretary for the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF), Low Yen Ling during the walkabout. He also plans to provide elderly residents living alone with an emergency button. When activated, the emergency button will alert neighbours, relatives and community leaders of an urgent situation. PAP Murali Pillai shows reporters the emergency button during a walkabout on 4 May. (Photo: Safhras Khan/Yahoo Singapore) Residents supportive of plans: Murali When asked about the ground sentiments, Murali said residents are supportive of his plans and are happy with his initiatives. In any election, residents will assess whatever plans that are being put forward by a candidate and whether these plans are worth supporting, he said. Story continues So far, Murali has held just one rally, compared to Chee who held his third rally on Tuesday night (3 May). Murali added that he has plans for another rally and will continue to walk the ground to meet more residents. When asked to address Chees comments on national issues during SDP rallies, Murali said he would focus on talking about his plans for the constituency. On Tuesday evening, Chee had touched on CPF savings and challenges facing the elderly. Chee said what he said. There is a need to deal with the local residents as they are the ones who elect a MP, said Murali. It is one thing to talk in Parliament and push for an issue but we also need to have concrete plans to help local residents. Governor Jerry Brown Late last year, California Gov. Jerry Brown moved into a newly renovated (and historic) mansion that had sat vacant for almost five decades. The governors mansion in Sacramento hadnt housed a governor since Ronald Reagan lived there in the late 60s. Browns recent move into the mansion in downtown Sacramento created a ripple in the real estate market. At the time of the move, Brown traded in his downtown loft in the capital city for the stately residence acquired by the state in 1903. And now, the former presidential candidate (1976, 1980, and 1992) has listed his luxury home in the Oakland hills for $2.6 million. A reminder of Browns eight-year run as the citys mayor, the stunning five-level home was built in 2006. Perched high in the steep hills of Oakland, it offers amazing views of the San Francisco Bay and the Golden Gate Bridge. View of San Francisco Bay Japanese-inspired building techniques were used in the construction, and the homes pictures illustrate a tranquil and meditative getaway. In fact, one floor is known as the spa level and features a sauna, wet bar, and bath. The floor also features radical roll-up doors that lead to an outdoor deck where you can unwind with an adult beverage or three. Sweet. Measuring in at just over 4,200 square feet, the three-bedroom home also features a floor devoted solely to the master suite with two walk-in closets, two decks, and a wine cellar. Downstairs, the homes oversize kitchen flows seamlessly into the living and dining areas, which are highlighted by a deck that emphasizes the homes indoor-outdoor flow. Listing agent Robin Dustan told SFgate.com that Brown and his wife are downsizing. The home is beautiful. Its very Zen, Dustan said. Roll up doors Exterior Kitchen The post California Gov. Jerry Brown Selling $2.6M Zen Home in Oakland Hills appeared first on Real Estate News and Advice - realtor.com. Related Articles By Sharon Bernstein SACRAMENTO, Calif. (Reuters) - California would repeal mandatory jail time for convicted prostitutes under a bill approved by the state Senate amid growing concern that many are victims of human trafficking or addicts who need treatment. The measure by Senator William Monning, a Democrat, reflects a growing national conversation about whether people who exchange sex for money should be viewed as victims rather than as criminals, along with a movement in California to end mandatory sentencing for non-violent offenders. "As we learn more, particularly about women who engage in prostitution, we're learning more and more about human trafficking," Monning said. "There is also an intersection with drug and alcohol use." His bill, which the Senate voted to approve on Monday, would end the state's mandatory sentences for repeat prostitution offenders, which currently call for a minimum of 45 days in county jail for a second offense, and 90 days for a third offense. Jail time for the misdemeanor crime is not mandated for first offenders. The bill is one of about 40 trafficking-related measures before California lawmakers this session, according to the office of California Attorney General Kamala Harris. One of them, backed by Harris, would create an inter-agency task force to seek data on trafficking and develop new ways of responding to it, including new law enforcement approaches. The National Organization for Women is backing several human trafficking-related measures before lawmakers this year, and is reviewing Monning's bill, said Jerilyn Stapleton, president of the National Organization for Women's California operations. Monning's proposal, which passed the Senate 23-14 and now goes to the Assembly, also comes amid a nationwide movement to reduce the number of non-violent offenders who are imprisoned that has won support by many Republicans as well as Democrats. California Governor Jerry Brown, a Democrat, is backing a ballot initiative that would roll back some mandatory sentencing guidelines, saying the system has taken discretion away from judges and ultimately contributed to recidivism by providing inmates with little incentive for rehabilitation. (Reporting by Sharon Bernstein; Editing by Leslie Adler) By Alex Dobuzinskis LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - A 22-year-old man with a handgun kidnapped a teenage couple over the weekend in Southern California after their high school prom, but the abduction was foiled when the boy wrestled away the firearm and hit the suspect with it, police said on Wednesday. Jared T. James appeared in court on Wednesday in Victorville, about 60 miles (100 km) northeast of Los Angeles, to face charges of kidnapping and attempted murder, the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Office said. It was not immediately clear if James had entered a plea and an attorney for him could not be located. James, who had known the 17-year-old girl since their childhood, approached her and her boyfriend on Saturday outside the boy's home in Victorville, the Sheriff's Office said in a statement. He threatened the two teenagers, who had just returned from their high school prom, or formal dance, with the handgun and forced them into his Honda Accord, then drove to an isolated spot off a highway, the statement said. It was then that the boy, a 17-year-old whose name has not been released, started to fight with James and the gun went off twice without hitting anyone. The girl ran away while the boy grabbed the handgun and hit James with the weapon, eventually getting free himself, according to the statement. A truck driver drove the two teenagers to a hospital, where the boy was treated for injuries to his head and face and later released, said San Bernardino County Sheriff's Office spokeswoman Mara Rodriguez. James checked into another hospital with similar injuries from the scuffle and was tracked down by investigators who arrested him. He was in jail on bail of $1 million, Rodriguez said. (Reporting by Alex Dobuzinskis; Editing by Alistair Bell) Cannes will have one less red carpet this year - Calvin Klein is cancelling its annual party. In years past, the design house has teamed with IFP to co-host one of the festival's splashiest events, a gala honoring women in film. Last year's fourth annual fete was held at a $50 million Cannes estate and was attended by (honorees) Emily Blunt, Sienna Miller, Rachel Weisz, Isabelle Huppert and Melanie Laurent, among other A-listers, including Jake Gyllenhaal and Harvey Weinstein with a performance by hot girl group Haim. But, sources tell THR, with the recent exit of Calvin Klein's two top creatives - designers Francisco Costa and Italo Zucchelli - nobody at the company is in the mood to celebrate. Costa, lead women's designer, has been with the company since 2003, while men's designer Zucchelli joined one year later in 2004. A rep for Calvin Klein confirmed that they wouldn't be hosting anything in Cannes this year, but declined to elaborate. As for IFP, a rep says the organization will be partnering this year with the Hamptons International Film Festival for a party at Cannes honoring late screenwriter Melissa Mathison. Her final film, Steven Spielberg's The BFG, is premiering this year at Cannes. The move comes after HIFF launched an inaugural Melissa Mathison Fund as part of its Screenwriters Lab. All the news lately at Calvin Klein hasn't been just about staff openings. At Monday night's Met Gala, a trio of fashionable actresses - Emma Watson, Lupita Nyong'o and Margot Robbie - all stepped out wearing Calvin Klein Collection, as did rising star Amandla Stenberg. A version of this story first appeared in the May 13 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. To receive the magazine, click here to subscribe. LONDON (Reuters) - Prime Minister David Cameron said on Wednesday Britain would take more Syrian child refugees who had made it to Europe, in a move to quell a rebellion in his party before a referendum on EU membership. Cameron has said children fleeing the conflict in Syria are "relatively safe" once they reach Europe and that the government does not want to encourage more Syrians, including unaccompanied children, to attempt the hazardous journey to the West. But after several Conservative Party members signalled they would vote against a government immigration bill, Cameron told parliament he would talk to humanitarian groups and local councils about taking more children from the war zone. "We are going to do more for children who are already registered in Europe before the EU-Turkey deal," he said, referring to a March 20 agreement to send back migrants arriving in Greece from Turkey if they do not apply for asylum there or if their application is rejected. "But the principle we should try to cling to is that we shouldn't do anything that encourages people to make the perilous journey." The Home Office (Interior Ministry) has said up to 3,000 Syrian and other child refugees from camps in the Middle East and North Africa are to be resettled in Britain over the next four years. Cameron's spokesman said the change in the prime minister's stance was "to ensure there is support across the House on this", after several MPs expressed support for an attempt by a member of the House of Lords to force the government to take in more child refugees. With the ruling Conservatives deeply divided over whether to stay in the European Union in a referendum on June 23, Cameron is keen to reduce friction in his own party and in parliament, especially over migration. Growing fear over high levels of migration has spurred support for the "Out" campaign and Cameron, who is campaigning to keep Britain in the 28-member bloc, is keen to underline that Britain will not overstretch itself by taking in more refugees. His spokesman said the government would be talking to local councils to make sure the necessary support exists to take in more children. Until that was done, he could give no further detail on numbers. (Reporting by Elizabeth Piper; editing by Stephen Addison) Ottawa (AFP) - Canada's trade deficit expanded sharply in March to a record gap, largely due to a tumble in exports to the United States, official figures showed on Wednesday. Statistics Canada said the trade shortfall was CAN$3.4 billion, up from CAN$2.5 billion in February. March exports fell 4.8 percent to CAN$41.0 billion as exports to the US, a main trading partner, dropped 6.3 percent. Imports, meanwhile, also declined, but less dramatically, falling 2.4 percent to CAN$44.4 billion. Imports were markedly lower from China, but increased from South Korea and Algeria, according to Statistics Canada, which said imports from countries other than the United States increased 2.2 percent to CAN $15.5 billion. The agency noted in its report that Canada's trade surplus with the United States narrowed from CAN$2.1 billion in February to CAN$1.5 billion in March -- the lowest surplus since December 1993. (Adds analyst reaction, details, Canadian dollar falling) By David Ljunggren OTTAWA, May 4 (Reuters) - Canada's trade deficit in March widened to a record C$3.41 billion ($2.69 billion) as exports sank for a second month on weak demand from the crucial U.S. market, Statistics Canada said on Wednesday. The deficit, far greater than a C$1.40 billion shortfall forecast by analysts in a Reuters poll, came as Canada is already struggling to deal with the prolonged effects of an oil price slump. Exports to the United States, which accounted for 74.2 percent of Canada's global total in March, fell by 6.3 percent while imports dropped by 4.8 percent. As a result, Canada's trade surplus with the United States dropped to a 22-year low of C$1.53 billion, down from C$2.12 billion in February. Peter Hall, chief economist at Export Development Canada, described the drop in exports as a concern and linked it to a drawdown in U.S. inventories which he said had cut demand for Canadian goods. "I wouldn't say this is time to push the panic button but it's time to be alert. This is something that is coming to us squarely from the United States," he said in a phone interview. The Canadian dollar weakened to C$1.2821 to the U.S. dollar, or 78.00 U.S. cents, down from C$1.2748, or 78.44 U.S. cents, shortly before the release. The Bank of Canada said on April 20 it could take Canada more than three years to recover from the oil price shock. The central bank is relying on a transition to non-energy exports to help drive the economy. March exports fell by 4.8 percent to C$40.99 billion, the lowest in more than two years. Shipments declined in 10 of 11 sectors, led by motor vehicles and parts, consumer goods and metal and non-metallic products. "Certainly as we move through the second quarter the Bank (of Canada) is going to be wanting to see indications of exports rebounding," said Paul Ferley, assistant chief economist at Royal Bank of Canada. Imports decreased by 2.4 percent to C$44.40 billion, pulled down by lower shipments of consumer goods, aircraft and other transportation equipment. Story continues March marked Canada's 19th consecutive monthly trade deficit. Export prices dropped by 2.9 percent while volumes declined by 2.0 percent. Import prices declined by 2.1 percent and volumes shrank by 0.3 percent. Statscan revised February's deficit to C$2.47 billion from an initial C$1.91 billion. ($1=$1.27 Canadian) (With additional reporting by Fergal Smith in Toronto; Editing by Bernadette Baum and Meredith Mazzilli) OTTAWA (Reuters) - Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, pressed on a possible aid package for Bombardier Inc , said on Wednesday it is important to have global companies like the Quebec-based jet maker creating jobs in Canada. Bombardier has asked Canada for $1 billion in aid to support its new CSeries passenger jet but Trudeau's new Liberal government has not yet announced a decision. The government has previously said it wants assurances on jobs and the location of the company's headquarters, which are in the predominantly French-speaking province of Quebec. "Having important companies with a global footprint like Bombardier create those jobs here at home is an important part of the kind of economy we need to build," Trudeau told reporters on Wednesday. Trudeau said the government's goal is to have a strong aerospace sector in the short and long term that will lead to good jobs. "That is certainly our hope and that is the nature of the conversations we're having right now with Bombardier," he said. Bombardier's long-delayed and over-budget CSeries planes got some support last week in the form of a major order from Delta Air Lines . (Reporting by Leah Schnurr and David Ljunggren; Editing by G Crosse and James Dalgleish) * Forecasts 2016 operating loss of $41 mln-$47 mln * Raises 2016 revenue by 5.2 pct to $337 mln-$347 mln * Q1 revenue $72.7 mln vs analysts' estimate $66.9 mln (Adds details, background, shares) May 4 (Reuters) - Canada's Shopify Inc , a maker of software that helps retailers set up and manage online stores, forecast a bigger operating loss for the year, due to higher compensation expenses. The company, however, posted a smaller-than-expected loss for the first quarter as its revenue rose 3.6 percent from the preceding quarter, due to tie-ups with companies such as Facebook Inc. Shopify's U.S.-listed shares, which have risen more than 80 percent since their IPO in May, fell as much as 9 percent on Wednesday. The company said it expects a bigger 2016 operating loss of $41 million-$47 million, compared with a previous forecast of $36 million-$42 million. Analysts said shares were down because of profit-taking, or as investors offloaded some shares because they have become expensive. The company, founded in 2006, has been expanding aggressively and its workforce has risen eightfold over the last three years. Shopify increased its revenue forecast by about 5 percent for the year to $337 million-$347 million. "They have taken the revenue guidance up impressively, or quite a bit, but they did not do anything to the full year operating loss," said Raymond James analyst Terry Tillman. Shopify's software helps sellers provide live customer support, send order confirmations and shipping updates through the Facebook messenger platform. Shopify, which went public in May last year, has also struck deals with companies such as Amazon.com and Uber , with which it has a tie-up for same-day deliveries. "Mobile orders from Shopify merchants surpassed those of desktops in February, and have continued to climb since," said Shopify CEO Tobi Lutke. Shopify had said last week it will start providing cash advances to customers in the United States seeking financing. Story continues Net loss widened to $8.9 million in the quarter from $6.3 million, in the preceding quarter. Excluding items, Shopify posted a loss of 6 cents per share, smaller than the average analyst estimate for a loss of 9 cents per share, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S. The Ottawa-based company posted a revenue of $72.7 million, beating the average analyst estimate of $66.9 million. (Reporting by Anet Josline Pinto and Amrutha Gayathri in Bengaluru; Editing by Shounak Dasgupta) Independent oil and gas explorer Canadian Natural Resources Ltd. CNQ is set to release its first-quarter 2016 results before the opening bell on Thursday, May 5. In the preceding three-month period, the Calgary, Alberta-based upstream player delivered a positive earnings surprise of 80.00% on aggressive cost control measures. As far as the earnings surprise history is concerned, the company has a good record: its beaten estimates in 3 of the last four quarters with an average beat of 47.65%. Lets see how things are shaping up for this announcement. Factors to Consider This Quarter Like any other energy player primarily involved in exploration, development and production of crude oil the fate of Canadian Natural Resources business is directly correlated with crude prices. Continued weakness in commodity prices has significantly affected the companys revenues, earnings and cash flows. However, efficiencies on the production front might be able to mitigate some of the damage. In particular, the company boasts of a strong and diverse production base with long-life and low decline rate assets. Moreover, Canadian Natural Resources has been able to reduce unit costs that will provide some buffer amid the tumbling commodity prices. Earnings Whispers Our proven model does not conclusively show that Canadian Natural Resources will beat estimates this quarter. That is because a stock needs to have both a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold) to be able to beat consensus estimates. That is not the case here as you will see below. Zacks ESP: Earnings ESP, which represents the difference between the Most Accurate estimate and the Zacks Consensus Estimate, is 0.00%. This is because the Most Accurate estimate and the Zacks Consensus Estimate both stand at a loss of 27 cents. Zacks Rank: Canadian natural Resources has a Zacks Rank #3. Though a Zacks Rank #3 increases the predictive power of ESP, the companys ESP of 0.00% makes surprise prediction difficult. Story continues We caution against Sell-rated stocks (Zacks Ranks #4 and 5) going into the earnings announcement, especially when the company is seeing negative estimate revisions. Stocks to Consider While earnings beat looks uncertain for Canadian Natural Resources, here are some utilities you may want to consider on the basis of our model, which shows that they have the right combination of elements to post an earnings beat this quarter: Seadrill Partners LLC SDLP has an Earnings ESP of +3.03% and a Zacks Rank #1. The company is expected to release earnings results on May 26. Rose Rock Midstream L.P. RRMS has an Earnings ESP of +4.17% and a Zacks Rank #2. The company is anticipated to release earnings on May 5. McDermott International Inc. MDR has an Earnings ESP of +100.00% and a Zacks Rank #3. The company is likely to release earnings on May 5. Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report >> Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report MCDERMOTT INTL (MDR): Free Stock Analysis Report CDN NTRL RSRCS (CNQ): Free Stock Analysis Report ROSE ROCK MIDST (RRMS): Free Stock Analysis Report SEADRILL PTNRS (SDLP): Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research A massive wildfire in the Canadian city of Fort McMurray forced nearly all of its 80,000 residents to evacuate. Officials called in the military to help, and its already said to be the worst fire in Albertas history. The fire was expected to grow even larger Wednesday, and already much of the town has fled to evacuation sites. On Tuesday evening, cars clogged the highways; the overwhelmed airport canceled flights because of the smoke; and nine air tankers, a dozen helicopters, and about 150 firefighters tried to beat back the flames. The Edmonton Journal reported. The very feature that gives Fort McMurray its beauty the boreal forest that rings the city and runs up against its businesses and homes makes forest fires a dangerous matter. The Athabasca River, a wide body of water that divides the city, failed to provide fire break Tuesday and flames leapt from the south bank to the north side of the river. Traffic was bumper-to-bumper as people packed families and pets into cars, trucks and campers. Line-ups snaked around gas stations and late in the evening, RCMP were advising they would travel the highway with gas to assist stranded motorists. MacDonald Island, the initial evacuation site in Fort McMurrays downtown for residents in affected neighbourhoods, itself had to be evacuated. And camps to the north of Fort McMurray where evacuees were being directed, such as the Noralta Lodge, reported they were filling up Tuesday evening. A smaller fire had started on the weekend, and burned just southwest of the city. By late Monday, itd grown to 6,500 acres. Tuesdays warmer temperature and shifting high winds blew it toward the city until it jumped highways and the wide body of the Athabasca River toward Fort McMurrays downtown. There have been no fatalities; a baby was born at an evacuation site. Fort McMurray is in Canadas oil-sands country. The booming oil industry made the citys population swell, but with oil prices down in recent months, the area has been hit hard. The region has had a warm, dry year, and Alberta could be in for a dangerous fire season. Story continues Read more from The Atlantic: This article was originally published on The Atlantic. After months on a bus debating Caitlyn Jenner's politics, an abundant amount of wine, an encounter with Hillary Clinton and sisterly bonding over the ups and downs of life, season two of I Am Cait has concluded. "I've never been in such close quarters with a group of girls before for such a long period of time," Candis Cayne, one of Jenner's squad members who have accompanied the former Olympian on her journey as a transgender woman, tells ET about the bus tour that took them across the country, forcing Jenner to see the good and bad of her community. "At the end of the day, I think it was a really great experience for everyone, including Caitlyn." From the very beginning of season two, there was plenty to debate with Jenner, who had become a political lightning rod thanks to her favorable views of Ted Cruz and Donald Trump, while slamming Clinton's supposed lack of support for women's rights. MORE: Candis Cayne to Co-Host Lambda Legal's 2016 West Coast Liberty Awards "It was kind of the elephant in the room and we had to talk about it in order to let it go," Cayne says of her and the rest of the group -- activist Jennifer Finney Boylan, author Kate Bornstein, producer Zackary Drucker, activist Chandi Moore and newcomer Ella Giselle -- confronting Jenner on numerous occasions. "Certain people, like myself, are very active in the political spectrum and we know about our history and our oppression, so we just needed to talk about that. Not just for Caitlyn, but for everybody to hear what the LGBT community goes through." And the group was forced to face their politics head-on at a stop in Des Moines, Iowa, for the Democratic debates, even establishing a safe word ("God Bless America") to prevent emotions from flaring. There, they met Clinton, which seemingly changed Jenner's perspective on the presidential candidate. "I have to admit, I think she's very good on transgender rights," she said. Story continues For Cayne, meeting Clinton was much bigger than Jenner or the show. "It was such a moment for me personally," she says, looking back. "I look up to her and I know her track record and what she's done for women's rights. I know she's really supported trans girls out there." "I thought, 'This is my kind of girl,'" Cayne continues. "It was really cool meeting our possible next president." NBC While Jenner's reality series has meant a welcome return to primetime for Cayne, her first passion is acting. She most notably starred on Dirty Sexy Money in 2007, when she became the first transgender actor to have a recurring role on primetime TV and has since had recurring roles on Nip/Tuck and Elementary. Prior to that, she made one-episode appearances, which often involved having to educate producers about transgender people to make the roles more realistic. "If I'm going to get murdered with my head stuffed in a toilet and drowned -- which is disgusting, but it's television -- at least make it an accurate portrayal," she told Out about an early role on CSI. If there's any sign of improvement, it's her latest dip back into the acting pool. In December, she appeared on The Young and the Restless, playing a cisgender woman. "I was just playing a female character. That in itself was groundbreaking," Cayne says, adding that they left her character open to return. She appeared on the show while also filming I Am Cait, only allowing her to do one episode at the time. "We'll see what happens." Her latest gig is a guest-starring role on NBC's medical drama, Heartbeat, starring Melissa George as a world-renowned heart transplant surgeon. In the episode that airs Wednesday, May 4, Cayne plays a transgender woman with breast cancer forced to halt her transition due to the hormones she's taking. "Nobody's told this story about trans people also getting breast cancer," she says. For the show's part, Cayne says they knew how to write her character. "There might have been one little note or two little notes, but for the most part, they got it right," she says proudly. "They were really accurate. They wrote this character such complex issues and feelings." NBC While Cayne says she eyeing a number of acting gigs, none of them are Transparent, the hit Amazon dramedy, which will feature Jenner in a guest-starring role when it returns for season three. The Emmy-winning series is also co-produced by Drucker and has featured a number of transgender actors, including Alexandra Billings, Trace Lysette and season two breakout Hari Nef. "I'm really good friends with Zackary, I love the cast, I love the show. But when it comes down to it, I'm an actor. And if I go to an audition for Transparent, and I get it, great," she says, before adding: "Yes, of course. If they ask me to do something, of course I would do something." The sentiment also being the same for another season of I Am Cait. "If they come a calling, of course," Cayne says. "When it all comes down to it, we're a really good group of friends and we have a great message." And, seemingly addressing any critics of the series, Cayne adds: "People can say what they want, but I know we're doing good work." Related Articles Making up for not having any films in Official Selection at Cannes this year, Thailand is going over board to demonstrate that it has plenty of upcoming movie making talent. Thailands Ministry of Culture will be organizing the project pitching and funding event, Thai Pitch. The pitches will take place at the Thai Pavilion in Cannes International Village on Saturday and Sunday, May 14-15. The selection includes projects by newcomers Nawapol Thamrongrattanarit and Anucha Boonyawatana and by Rutaiwan Wongsirasawad, 10 years after her debut feature Oops! Theres Dad. Thamrongrattanarit, who swept the Suphanahongsa Awards earlier this year with his Freelance, will pitch Die Tomorrow, a six part film about unusual deaths, as reported by the local media. Boonyawatana, whose first film The Blue Hour debuted in the 2015 Berlin festivals Panorama section, is seeking partners for Malila, a philosophical drama about Buddhism and death. It takes the point of view of a monk whose past male lover appears in a different form. Veteran TV commercial director, Wongsirasawad presents To Become A Butterfly. The story of determination and survival features a woman raising an autistic son, but whose own fortunes seem the opposite of her childs. Production is by Rasarin Tanalerttararom, who is currently also producing established director Pen-ek Ratanaruangs Samui Song. The selection was assembled by Raymond Phathanavirangoon, who also produced Apprentice, by Singapores Boo Junfeng, which debuts in Un Certain Regard. Related stories Cannes Sets 'Hands of Stone' Special Screening as Tribute to Robert De Niro Cannes: France's Diaphana Takes Iran's 'Inversion' Cannes Market: Fortissimo Picks Up 'White King' PRAGUE (Reuters) - Central European countries dismissed on Wednesday the EU executive's proposals to share out migrants among member states, saying any plans for forced relocation of people were unacceptable or, in Hungary's view, amounted to blackmail. The European Commission published legislative proposals to reform EU asylum rules, including a "fairness mechanism" under which each of the 28 member states would be assigned a percentage quota of all asylum seekers in the bloc that it would be expected to handle. The quotas would reflect national population and wealth and, if a country found itself handling 50 percent more than its due share, it could relocate people elsewhere in the bloc. States could refuse to take people for a year - but only if they paid another country 250,000 euros per person to accommodate them. Central European countries fought the EU's decision last year to relocate 160,000 asylum seekers, with Hungary and Slovakia challenging the decision in EU courts, and the new proposal also ran into immediate stark opposition. "Regarding the fines proposed by the European Commission, it is blackmailing," Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said after the Visegrad group of central European countries, which includes the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Poland, met in Prague. "The quota concept is a dead-end street and I would like to ask the Commission not to run into this dead-end street any more." Last year the Visegrad countries were outvoted on quotas. Czech Foreign Minister Lubomir Zaoralek said the EU should now act on the basis of consensus. "I am somewhat unpleasantly surprised that the Commission is returning to play a proposal upon which there is no agreement," he said. "It should not propose something that divides us, that will help nothing." Polish Foreign Minister Witold Waszczykowski said of the proposal: "It sounds like an idea announced during April fools day." Speaking earlier, Poland's interior minister said the plan violated member states' rights while Slovakia's interior minister said the proposal would set back the bloc's efforts to tackle its migrant crisis by months. Central European countries have refused to take in any large numbers of migrants, with fears that Muslims could not integrate into their largely Christian societies. Only a fraction of the more than a million asylum-seekers that reached Europe last year, many of them Syrian refugees, aimed for central Europe, with most only crossing the region to reach Germany or other western European countries. (Reporting by Jan Lopatka and Robert Muller; Additonal reporting by Tatiana Jancarikova in Bratislava and Wiktor Szary in Warsaw; Writing by Jason Hovet; Editing by Robin Pomeroy) Image via Facebook Image via Facebook Chance The Rapper has proven to be a charitable individual in the past. Last Christmas, Chance helped raise $60,000 in 10 days for Warmest Winter, his initiative to raise money to purchase coats for Chicagos homeless community. Now, Chance is about to give back to the community again, headlining a citywide Night for NYC event. Performing on Monday, May 9 at Terminal 5, 100% of the proceeds will go towards fighting poverty in New York City. Robin Hood, the charity behind Night for NYC, finds, funds and creates over 200 of the most effective programs, to help 1.8 million New Yorkers learn and earn their way out of poverty. Tickets for the show are $150 for General Admission and $250 for Deluxe Admission. Proceeds from each ticket will help feed a family of four for one week. Prior to his charity concert, Chance The Rapper will perform on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon this Thursday, May 5. Chance is currently gearing up for the release of his upcoming mixtape, Chance 3. Purchase tickets for the event here. Related: 11 Artists Reflect on Chance the Rappers Acid Rap The post Chance The Rapper to Headline Charity Event in NY appeared first on Pigeons & Planes. More from Pigeons & Planes By Sarah Marsh HAVANA (Reuters) - French fashion house Chanel brought glamor back to Communist-ruled Cuba on Tuesday in a runway show on one of Havana's main boulevards, featuring glittering gowns, tulle cocktail dresses and models in Panama hats smoking cigars. Chanel is the first major fashion house to hold a runway show in Cuba, highlighting both warming relations with the West and new inequalities on the island. Former Cold War foes the United States and Cuba formally agreed to restore diplomatic relations last July. Celebrities, including actress Tilda Swinton and supermodel Gisele Bundchen, jetted into the Caribbean island for the show that evoked the elegance of pre-revolutionary Cuba, arriving at the venue in vintage convertibles. The Cuban contingent included former President Fidel Castro's grandson Tony, an aspiring model, which raised some eyebrows, given the leader's railings against capitalism. "It is an honor for all Cubans for this big event to take place here," said Castro, 17, whose grandfather was also known for his good looks as a young revolutionary. Karl Lagerfeld, who has been at Chanel's creative helm since 1983, has said his latest inter-seasonal Cruise collection was inspired by the "cultural richness and opening up of Cuba." Cuban motifs in the new Cruise line were exemplified in a fabric depicting turquoise and pink vintage cars used for leisurewear such as jackets, a bathrobe and skirts. Sequined black berets also recalled the non-glitzy one sported by late revolutionary hero Ernesto "Che" Guevara, a national hero in Cuba. By showcasing its Cruise collection in Cuba, Chanel has said it was harking back to the roots of the line, originally designed for wealthy Americans holidaying on yachts and cruises in the Caribbean to escape the winter gray. U.S. cruises to Cuba were forbidden during the country's standoff with the United States. On Monday, the first U.S. cruise ship to sail to the island since Castro's 1959 revolution docked in the capital. U.S. President Barack Obama is also chipping away at curbs on travel to Cuba. "We have been banned from Cuba, so getting to come here before it really changes, and seeing the show, was pretty epic," said one of the guests, Loic Villepontoux, on his way to the afterparty in Havana's Cathedral Square. Lagerfeld, 82, is known for his lavish show settings and has created a mock casino, supermarket and brasserie in the past. This time, he let the faded glamor of Havana, once a wealthy port, speak for itself. During a 25-minute show set to live Cuban music, his models strutted down a 160-meter (525-foot) section of the leafy Paseo del Prado, lined with ornate street lamps and bronze lions. Some Cubans criticized Chanel, the second-biggest luxury brand behind LVMH's Louis Vuitton, for choosing to showcase its new line in a country starved of material opulence. Chanel goods, which can cost tens of thousands of dollars, are not sold in Cuba and most citizens could not even dream of affording them. About 70 percent of Cuban workers work for the state, on an average salary of $25 every month. Others said the show gave their dreams wings to fly. "Just because I can't afford it doesn't mean I want to deny others that luxury," said accountant Marilia Veliz, 44. "And who knows, maybe one day. It's important to dream." (Additional reporting by Nelson Acosta; Editing by Marguerita Choy and Clarence Fernandez) One haute Havana night: For Chanel's first show in Cuba, designer Karl Lagerfeld sent models in Panama hats and Che Guevara-inspired sequin berets down El Paseo del Prado, a main thoroughfare, that's the dividing line between Centro Habana and Old Havana. Lagerfeld's muses Gisele Bundchen, a face of Chanel No. 5, and Vanessa Paradis were front-row along with Tilda Swinton and Vin Diesel, who is in Cuba shooting Fast and Furious 8. Former president Fidel Castro's grandson Tony, an aspiring model who was rumored to be walking in the show, also was in attendance. "It is an honor for all Cubans for this big event to take place here," he told Reuters. The Cruise 2016/17 collection harkened back to the glamorous, glory days of Cuba with vibrant Cadillac, Buick and Oldsmobile-printed dresses; embellished reinterpretations of guayaberas (the traditional Cuban shirts with pockets, which Lagerfeld dubbed a "Cuban tux"); two-tone spectator shoes; and cigar-box clutches. Colorful T-shirts were emblazoned with "Viva Coco Libre." Chanel's guests - 600 in attendance - were chauffeured to the show in candy-colored retro convertibles. And, while Chanel's luxury goods are not available in Cuba, locals lined up to take in the glitzy spectacle, many of them watching from building balconies high above the main drag. For the final walk, models danced in a conga line with festivities continuing late into the night at Plaza de la Catedral in Old Havana, in front of San Cristobal, one of Latin America's most beautiful 18th century churches. The French fashion house headed to Havana to present its Cruise 2016-2017 collection, Tuesday, May 3, in the brand's first ever Latin American catwalk show. To celebrate the event, Karl Lagerfeld crafted a collection bursting with life, with color and with sparkle, and jam-packed with references to the Caribbean island and the new chapter in its history. It was on the Cuban capital's El Paseo del Prado -- a wide boulevard lined with trees and multicolored facades -- that the French luxury brand unveiled its new collection, mixing the signature chic of Chanel with vibrant Cuban folklore inspirations. The result was a lineup of looks brimming with vivid colors, peppered with sparkle -- sequins in particular -- and channeling a multitude of references to the island. The collection, like the event, was stamped with the luxury brand's trademark traits. Even before the catwalk show took over the street, attendees were greeted on the boulevard by lion statues, a favorite symbol of Gabrielle Chanel. Tweed evidently had a strong place in the collection, and head-to-toe black-and-white looks sat alongside an array of more brightly colored pieces. Parisian chic was also channeled through the accessories and jewelry presented by the brand. There were plenty of references to Cuba in this catwalk collection. Aside from the show's soundtrack of Latin music, the collection generally seemed a little more festive than usual. Color obviously had a key role to play, along with the sequins sparkling on many garments and accessories, but this "Coco Cuba" collection also gave off a certain feeling of nonchalance. A long, flowing dress, worn over a white shirt with rolled up sleeves, was decorated with a Cuban car motif; large flowers bloomed on the necks of T-shirts and shirts; and slogans like "Viva Coco Cuba Libre" were splashed across colorful T-shirts. Plus, garments were seen adorned with patterns of all kinds, including flowers, sometimes printed and sometimes embroidered. Karl Lagerfeld even drew on Latin dance, with garments directly inspired by the cha-cha-cha and the tango. As for accessories, Chanel's iconic pearl necklaces were seen finished with flowers, along with certain bracelets and belts. Models wore Panama hats in a selection of prints and colors, as well as sequined black beret hats in a nod to the brand's native France. It's been a busy few days for the fashion elite. On Sunday night it was the glamorous occasion of President Obama's final White House Correspondents' dinner, then on Monday night it was of course, the Met Gala where the style A-list gathered to celebrate the opening of the annual fashion exhibition at the Costume Insitute. And then it was straight on a plane to the Caribbean for last night's Chanel Cruise 2017 show in Cuba. Set on Havana's Paseo del Prado, a historic boulevard that leads to the city's cultural centre, this was a fashion first as travel sanctions have only just been lifted on the island. The catwalk and its all-star cast of models and guests Gisele Bundchen, Carine Roitfeld, Tilda Swinton, Vin Diesel and even Fidel Castros grandson Tony attended were framed by the colourful buildings of the colonial avenue, La Habana Vieja, as Stella Tennant opened the show in a Guayabera shirt and loose black and white suit. Models including Binx Walton and Lineisy Montero followed in signature Chanel boucle jackets rendered in vibrant hues of lime green and bright yellow, 'Viva Coco Libre' T-shirts and multi-tonal, ruffled dresses making up a collection that was as colourful at the Cuban buildings in the backdrop. The show closed with a conga as models danced down Prado to the lively drumming and singing of a Cuban band. But while the glamourous guests, flown in from around the world, looked on from seats alongside the boulevard, civilians were cordoned off by police, blocks away from the excitement. An event as lavish and extravagant as last night's Chanel show (the French fashion house chartered over 170 vintage Chevrolets and Cadillacs to transport guests) does call into question whether its inappropriate or even offensive for an international, high fashion brand to mine inspiration from and momentarily occupy a place still ravaged by poverty. Cubans earn on average $12-25 a month and in what way is such a decadent fashion display helping already disillusioned inhabitants of the former Communist country? But that said, some Cubans have welcomed Chanel's spectacle and such developments, delighted that their country is being put on the global stage. Earlier this week Gloria Estefan stated that she thought Karl Lagerfeld's plan to bring the Cruise 2017 show to Cuba was "wonderful", adding that "Cuba was huge in the fashion world. In Cuba B.C. before Castro the fashion would come out in Paris, and it would be in Cuba the same day. And it was a very, very elegant country; people dressed to the nines there. If you look at the fashions of Cuba in the 30s, 40s, 50s, it was always cutting edge of fashion. So one day again it shall be." Story continues There's no doubt that Cuba is one of the most culturally rich destinations in the world, so it's unsurprising that the ever-evolving Lagerfeld looked further afield for influences and ideas for his latest collection. Though the luxury label have no plans to open a boutique in Cuba, the Chanel Cruise show coincides with an exhibition at the Factoria Habana, entitled 'Obra en Processo/Work in Progress,' featuring Lagerfeld's original photography, running until May 12. Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here? The Best Red-Carpet Looks At The White House Correspondents' Dinner The V&A's New Exhibition Is Showing Our Knickers LFW's Brightest Young Things Fox News Channels chief White House correspondent Ed Henry, who is married to NPRs Shirley Hung, has exited his network for the time being after a report that he has an affair with a Las Vegas hostess. We recently became aware of Eds personal issues and hes taking some time off to work things out, a Fox News spokeswoman told TheWrap. The latest In Touch Weekly includes an interview with the hostess, Natalia Lima, in which she describes Eds secret double life. Also Read: Fox News' Bill O'Reilly Defends Jesse Watters, Calls HuffPost Reporter 'Far-Left Zealot' Whenever he was in town, we would pretty much just have sex. He has a really high sex drive, Lima told In Touch. She said she met Henry five years ago through social media and their friendship became sexual in the spring of 2015. Prior to joining FNC, Henry was at CNN from 2004 to 2011, serving as the networks senior White House correspondent and a congressional correspondent. He and Hung married in 2010. Related stories from TheWrap: Fox News Finishes No. 1 in Daytime Among Cable Networks Fight Between Fox News, Huffington Post Reporters Caught on Video Fox News' Chris Wallace: Hillary Clinton Will Be 'Great Unifier' for Divided GOP (Adds details of safety checks, background) By Tim Hepher PARIS, May 4 (Reuters) - European regulators have ordered immediate checks on Airbus H225 Super Puma helicopters after a crash in Norway on Friday in which 13 people were killed. The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) said in an emergency directive that the checks should be carried out on the main gearbox of the helicopters before their next flight. The move came after investigators said they suspected a technical fault in the crash off Bergen in Norway. Norway's civil aviation authority said it had assessed the EASA bulletin and decided to uphold a temporary ban on flying the H225 in Norwegian airspace. The helicopter has also been grounded in Britain. Airbus Helicopters said on Wednesday similar measures would be introduced for the military version of the helicopter, which has been sold to France and five other nations including Brazil. The checks give some idea of the focus of the investigation, though safety experts say it is just the beginning of what could be a complex probe. Airbus said on Tuesday that investigators would explore maintenance, design and production issues. In its directive, EASA asked Super Puma operators to verify the installation of three metal struts which help to connect the rotor assembly to the helicopter. It said Airbus had already issued the same advice, which appears to focus at least partly on the aircraft's maintenance. The safety agency also went further by calling for checks for metallic particles inside the main gearbox, which sits below the rotor. In the worst Super Puma accident in 2009, the rotor flew off the helicopter after a catastrophic gearbox failure that investigators later blamed on a fatigue crack. The cause of the fatigue was never identified but a UK accident report said that a metal particle detected inside the gearbox just 36 hours before the crash could have been a sign of more serious technical problems. Airbus Helicopters said it continued to rule out a link to two accidents in which Super Pumas ditched in the North Sea 2012, without causing serious injury. Investigators blamed these on problems with a vertical shaft that was later redesigned. In the wake of recent accidents, some groups representing oil workers have expressed concerns about the Super Puma, but Airbus says the helicopter is safe to use for commercial flights. (Reporting by Tim Hepher; editing by Howard Goller and Jason Neely) Chesapeake Utilities Corporation (NYSE: CPK) disclosed that it earned a net income of $20.4 million, or $1.33 per share in the first quarter. This was 3.5 percent lower than $21.11 million or $1.44 per share earned in the same quarter last year. The company's total operating revenues fell 14 percent to $146.3 million from $170.08 million in the previous year quarter. Both earnings and revenue fell significantly from the analysts' expectations of $1.50 a share and $83.20 million. Chesapeake Utilities Corporation blamed warmer weather for reducing current quarterly earnings by $0.27 per share compared to the first quarter of 2015 or by $0.16 per share compared to normal weather conditions. The company added that the Growth in the natural gas distribution and transmission business generated $2.7 million in additional gross margin during the quarter. Its Aspire Energy of Ohio also contributed $4.2 million in gross margin and $2.6 million in operating income during the first quarter. The company's President and CEO, Michael McMasters, reacted to the results and said, "Despite significantly warmer weather, net income for the first quarter was only 3.5 percent lower than the same quarter in 2015, thanks to the continued growth and diversity of our businesses. The execution of our growth strategy and the diversity of our business portfolio have created natural hedges against adverse weather impacts." He continued, "I am pleased to report that Aspire Energy of Ohio increased our earnings per share in its first full year of operations, consistent with our projections at the time of the acquisition. We are also making significant progress on several large growth projects, including the combined heat and power plant in Florida and new natural gas transmission services on the Delmarva Peninsula, which will begin to come on line later this year. Our primary objective remains identifying and developing profitable growth opportunities to enable us to generate continued future earnings and dividend growth." Story continues See more from Benzinga 2016 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved. BEIJING (Reuters) - China's military will carry out more military exercises in the South China Sea this month involving advanced warships and submarines, state news agency Xinhua said on Wednesday, terming the drills routine. China claims almost all of the energy-rich waters of the South China Sea, through which more than $5 trillion of maritime trade passes each year. The Philippines, Brunei, Vietnam, Malaysia and Taiwan have overlapping claims. Xinhua said the ships, including a new guided missile destroyed, would take part in anti-submarine, anti-missile and other exercises. It did not say exactly where the drills would take place, but noted they were routine and had been planned for this year. China periodically announces such exercises in the South China Sea as it tries to demonstrate it is being transparent about its military deployments. China has been at odds with the United States of late over the strategic waterway. Washington has criticized Beijing's building of artificial islands in the South China Sea's disputed Spratly archipelago, and has conducted sea and air patrols near them. (Reporting by Ben Blanchard; Editing by Robert Birsel) The last person jailed in connection with Beijings 1989 pro-democracy Tiananmen Square protests may soon be released, according to a U.S.-based advocacy group. Miao Deshun, 25 at the time of his arrest, was convicted of throwing a basket at a burning Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) tank during the bloody crackdown on the peaceful student-led demonstration. Miao was initially handed a suspended death sentence, though this was commuted to life imprisonment in 1991. A native of Hebei province near Beijing, Miao reportedly suffers from hepatitis B and schizophrenia. He apparently hasnt had any contact with the outside world for many years after he told his family not to visit. Read More: Tank Man at 25: Behind the Iconic Tiananmen Square Photo According to the Dui Hua Foundation, Miao is set to be released from Beijings Yangqing prison on Oct. 15, after he was granted an 11-month reduction of his sentence in March. We welcome this news, and express the hope that he will receive the care he needs to resume a normal life after spending more than half of it behind bars, John Kamm, executive director of the Dui Hua Foundation, said in a statement. Around 1,600 Chinese people were jailed in relation to the weeks-long democracy protest. There is no official death toll, though estimates range from several hundred to as many as 3,000 people lost their lives. Read More: The Enduring Legacy of the Tiananmen Square Massacre Any reference to the protests and subsequent crackdown is heavily censored in China, meaning many Chinese are completely unaware of what transpired. Even oblique reference to the massacre like June 4, the date it unfurled remains banned from Chinese search engines and social media. Beijing (AFP) - Trade between the world's two biggest economies is mutually beneficial, Beijing said Wednesday after presumptive US Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump accused China of "rape". In the run-up to Tuesday's Indiana primary, where the businessman swept to victory and his last serious challenger Ted Cruz bowed out of the race, Trump told a campaign rally: "We can't continue to allow China to rape our country, and that's what we're doing." "We're going to turn it around, and we have the cards, don't forget it," he said. "We have a lot of power with China." Asked about Trump's comments and whether Beijing was nervous about the prospect of him becoming US president, foreign ministry spokesman Hong Lei told reporters that the election was a US internal affair and China had no comment on it. But he went on: "I want to point out that US-China trade relations are essentially mutually beneficial and win-win in keeping with the shared interests of both sides." Hong added: "We hope that everyone can view such cooperation from an objective and reasonable perspective." Trump has repeatedly blasted the Asian giant for its trade policies, blaming it for weakening the US economy and taking American jobs. Although the comments have contributed to his populist appeal at home, they have raised eyebrows in China, where he is seen with a combination of bemusement and grudging respect. At his annual press conference in March, Premier Li Keqiang said diplomatically that the US presidential campaign was "full of clamour and very eye-catching". The Global Times newspaper, which is close to the ruling Communist party, showed no such reticence, saying that Trump's comments were "abusively racist and extremist". "The rise of a racist in the US political arena worries the whole world," it said. The paper, which often takes a nationalistic tone, sought to portray Trump's rise as an indictment of multi-party democracy. "Americans know elections cannot really change their lives. Then, why not support Trump and vent their spleen?" it said, adding: "Mussolini and Hitler came to power through elections, a heavy lesson for Western democracy." BEIJING (Reuters) - Lenovo Group Ltd, the world's largest personal computer maker, plans to invest $500 million in a technology start-up fund, the Beijing-based company said on Wednesday. The fund Lenovo Capital, which will be funded and managed by Lenovo Group, is looking to invest in sectors including artificial intelligence, robot and cloud computing, said the company's senior vice president He Zhiqiang at an event in Beijing. Lenovo has invested $100 million in more than 30 companies in areas including mobile games, security and smart home devices, according to the company's website. (Reporting by Beijing Newsroom; Writing by Yimou Lee; Editing by Ryan Woo) From Cosmopolitan Although Rebecca Romijn does not consider Instagram models to be "true supermodels," some other supes of her generation think it's great that a large social media presence is a part of the job today. "I'm so jealous, because I feel they have this direct way to communicate with their audience that my generation didn't have," Cindy Crawford told Cosmopolitan.com at the Met Gala on Monday. "I think it's a responsibility, but it's also a great tool, because they really can be their own publicists. They can present themselves the way that they want to be presented." Carolyn Murphy says that she herself feels the pressure to build a social-media following. "I just got reprimanded last week for not Instagramming enough," she said. "And I thought that seniority ruled. I thought, Well, if I'm almost 43, isn't that Kendall Jenner's job?" Her current Instagram following is 161,000, and Murphy says her 15-year-old daughter also gets on her about upping her social media game. "It's uncomfortable for me that we kind of have to manufacture moments," Amber Valletta said, "even though sometimes they are real moments. "But at the same time, these girls are really smart and clever, and they figured out how to be brands." Still, Valletta added: "No matter how many followers you have, Christy Turlington will always be Christy Turlington." Follow Bennett on Twitter. An anti-regime media group released videos on May 3 described as showing clashes with government forces as shelling continued to be exchanged between rebel- and regime-controlled districts of Aleppo. The Syrian Army repulsed an attack by armed groups after a tunnel bombing near the Air Force Intelligence building on the outskirts of the Zahra district, according to a pro-government media channel. Local media groups said that the Syrian Army captured areas near Zahra. Anti-government activists also reported that the Syrian Army shelled areas in the outskirts of Zahra. Credit: YouTube/Thiqa Agency WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton took quick aim at presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump on Wednesday, saying United States should not take a risk on an unreliable candidate. "He is a loose cannon, and loose cannons tend to misfire," Clinton said in an interview with CNN, citing Trump stances including a claim that climate change was a Chinese hoax. Clinton, a former secretary of state and the front-runner to win the Democratic nomination, said Trump would have to offer policy specifics in the general election on Nov. 8 and criticized him for his positions on issues including nuclear weapons and abortion. "He makes these grand statements and grand accusations," Clinton said of the real estate magnate and former reality TV star. "At some point when you're running for president, you actually have to put a little meat on the bones. You've got to tell people what it is you're going to do and how you're going to do it." Clinton lost the Democratic primary contest in Indiana on Tuesday but still looks set to win her party's nomination, leading her rival, U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders, by more than 800 delegates. Trump's win in Indiana on Tuesday pushed his rivals out of the race and left him as the presumptive nominee. In a preview of the likely general election battle to come, Clinton laughed when asked if she was ready to take on Trump, saying "Oh, please." "This is to me a classic case of a blustering, bullying guy who has knocked out of the way all the Republicans because they were just dumbfounded," she said. Clinton said she knows how to run a campaign against Trump and took a swipe at Trump's 16 Republican presidential rivals who started out in the 2016 campaign. "They didn't know how to deal with him," Clinton said. "They couldn't take him on on the issues because they basically agreed with them. And they didn't know how to counterpunch." (Reporting by Megan Cassella and Doina Chiacu; Additional reporting by Tim Ahmann; Editing by Frances Kerry) A new U.S. president could mean a new direction for the country's space exploration. NASA's funding and, by extension, what space exploration missions it can actually pull off is closely tied to the president's ideas, and whether or not Congress approves the budget the president asks for. Now that Donald Trump is the presumptive Republican nominee and Hillary Clinton is getting closer to securing the Democratic nomination, it's worth asking: How will our space program fare under a Trump presidency or a Clinton presidency? Donald Trump: The economy trumps space Source: Spencer Platt/Getty Images "NASA has been one of the most important agencies in the United States government for most of my lifetime," Trump said in a recent questionnaire for Aerospace America. "It should remain so." His opinion about NASA's budget, however, doesn't make it sound like the agency will remain a priority. "What we spend in NASA should be appropriate for what we are asking them to do," Trump said. "Our first priority is to restore a strong economic base to this country. Then, we can have a discussion about spending." And as for NASA's plan to send astronauts to Mars in the 2030s, that might be off the table: "If we are growing with all of our people employed and our military readiness back to acceptable levels, then we can take a look at the timeline for sending more people into space," Trump said. Basically, economics will always trump space. Hillary Clinton: "Really, really" a NASA supporter Source: Paul Sancya/AP Hillary Clinton really likes to tell the story of how she wrote to NASA when she was a teenager, asking what she needed to do to become an astronaut. NASA wrote back saying thanks, but no girls allowed. (Thank god that's changed.) But it seems she harbors no ill will toward NASA. During her first campaign for president in 2008, Clinton said she wanted to reverse NASA's funding cuts. At a town hall meeting broadcast on C-SPAN last year, it sounded like she hadn't changed her mind. "I really, really do support the space program," Clinton said, adding that the government needs to invest in space exploration, as well as other science and technology initiatives. Story continues Clinton also supports the commercial sector of space, but has said the role of exploration and new discoveries still lies with NASA. Oh and that UFO stuff? She's going to "get to the bottom of it" and declassify all the government's secret UFO files. It sounds like Clinton can count on UFO truthers' votes. BOGOTA (Reuters) - The United States will provide intelligence to support Colombia in its fight against crime gangs, considered the biggest threat to the Andean nation's security, President Juan Manuel Santos said on Wednesday. There are about 3,000 members spread across three gangs earning millions of dollars from drug trafficking and illegal mining, the national police have said. The groups formed after a peace agreement with right-wing paramilitary groups in 2006 failed to absorb hundreds into society. "The U.S. will help with intelligence. The most effective strategy against these organizations is intelligence," Santos said in an interview with local Caracol radio. U.S. support was crucial in battling drug cartels from Cali and Medellin in the 1990s as well as the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), which is currently negotiating an end to five decades of war the government. Santos said that once peace is signed with the Marxist FARC rebels he will have much more military resources to combat crime gangs. (Reporting by Luis Jaime Acosta; Writing by Helen Murphy) Conatus Pharmaceuticals Inc. CNAT is scheduled to report first-quarter 2016 results on May 5, before the market opens. Over the four trailing quarters, Conatus has posted an average earnings surprise of 7.58%, having beaten estimates in two quarters, while posting in-line results in one. Last quarter, the company posted a positive earnings surprise of 25.00%. Lets see how things are shaping up for the first quarter of 2016. Factors at Play Conatus, a development-stage biotech company, is focused on the development and commercialization of treatments targeting liver disease. The companys lead candidate, emricasan, a first-in-class, orally active pan-caspase protease inhibitor, is being developed for the treatment of patients with chronic liver disease. Emricasan is currently being evaluated in the POLT-HCV-SVR study (phase IIb) in post-orthotopic liver transplant (POLT) recipients with liver fibrosis or cirrhosis post-transplant as a result of recurrent hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, who have successfully achieved a sustained viral response (SVR) following HCV antiviral therapy; ENCORE-NF study (phase IIb) in patients with liver fibrosis resulting from nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH); and the Liver Cirrhosis (LC) study in patients with LC and model for end-stage liver disease scores of 11 to 18. In the first quarter, Conatus reported encouraging three-month data from the LC study on emricasan. Meanwhile, six-month data from the study is expected in the second quarter of 2016. Emricasan has Fast Track status in the U.S. for the treatment of LC caused by NASH. With this designation, combined with additional communications from the FDA recommending single etiology studies, the company plans to focus on an initial registration of emricasan for NASH cirrhosis, as well as a registration for NASH fibrosis. With no approved product in Conatus portfolio at the moment, investor focus is expected to remain on the companys progress on emricasan. Conatus plans to initiate a number of studies on emricasan. What Our Model Indicates Our proven model does not conclusively show that Conatus is likely to beat estimates this quarter. That is because a stock needs to have both a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold) for this to happen. Unfortunately, this is not the case here, as elaborated below. Zacks ESP: The Earnings ESP, which represents the difference between the Most Accurate estimate and the Zacks Consensus Estimate, is 0.00% since the Most Accurate estimate is in line with the Zacks Consensus Estimate of a loss of 35 cents. Zacks Rank: Although the companys Zacks Rank #3 enhances the predictive power of the ESP, its 0.00% ESP makes surprise prediction difficult. We caution against stocks with a Zacks Rank #4 or 5 (Sell-rated stocks) going into the earnings announcement, especially when the company is seeing negative estimate revisions. Stocks to Consider Here are some health care stocks that you may want to consider, as our model shows that they have the right combination of elements to post an earnings beat this quarter. The Earnings ESP for Zoetis Inc. ZTS is +2.44% and it carries a Zacks Rank #3. The company is scheduled to release results on May 4. The Earnings ESP for Impax Laboratories Inc. IPXL is +8.89% and it carries a Zacks Rank #3. The company is scheduled to release results on May 10. The Earnings ESP for Jazz Pharmaceuticals Public Limited Company JAZZ is +6.11% and it carries a Zacks Rank #3. The company is scheduled to release results on May 10. Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report >> Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report JAZZ PHARMACEUT (JAZZ): Free Stock Analysis Report IMPAX LABORATRS (IPXL): Free Stock Analysis Report CONATUS PHARMA (CNAT): Free Stock Analysis Report ZOETIS INC (ZTS): Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research (New throughout, updates with delayed vote) By Edward Krudy NEW YORK, May 4 (Reuters) - Time ran out on Connecticut lawmakers aiming to pass a budget by the end of the state's legislative session at midnight on Wednesday as they attempt to close a funding gap of nearly $1 billion in the coming fiscal year with deep spending cuts. Democratic Party House leaders canceled the vote scheduled for late on Wednesday, saying there was not enough time for full debate and rushing the vote would "likely require a cutoff of discussions." Lawmakers now must return in a special session that could take place next week, said Adam Joseph, a spokesman for Connecticut Senate Democrats. It was unclear if the Senate would vote on Wednesday but the chances were slim, said Joseph. Democratic lawmakers, who control the legislature, have clashed with Governor Dannel Malloy, also a Democrat, over how to close a near $1 billion budget gap. They reached an agreement with Malloy on Tuesday, leaving officials scrambling to ready bills by the end of the legislative session. The budget for fiscal year 2016-2017, which starts on July 1, will cut spending $830 million, divert $100 million from transportation and other funds and sweep $30 million from various agency accounts, Joseph said. The spending plan is aimed at closing a $960 million hole in next year's finances that officials have blamed on falling capital gains tax receipts due to a volatile stock market. Malloy proposed an $18.14 billion general fund budget in February that cut discretionary spending but did not raise taxes. Since then the projected revenue shortfall for next year ballooned from $560 million to its current $960 million. Connecticut, despite being one of the wealthiest states in the nation on a per capita income basis, has struggled to recover from the financial crisis and recession of 2007-2009. The state also faces a gap of around $260 million in the current fiscal year. Malloy has said 2,000 state employees could be laid off in what he calls a "new economic reality." The governor has also frozen pay rises for managers in state government. Connecticut's budget woes, which include one of the worst funded public pension systems in the country, have increased its borrowing costs. Investors demand 0.54 of a percentage point more to hold the state's debt than to hold top-rated municipal debt, up from 0.37 of a percentage point a year ago, according to Municipal Market Data. (Reporting by Edward Krudy; Editing by Meredith Mazzilli and David Gregorio) A leader of the American Family Association, which has loudly opposed Targets transgender-inclusive bathroom policy, said Monday that the group was sending men into womens restrooms in order to test the policy. Weve already had people testing this, going into Targets, and men going in to bathrooms, there is absolutely no barrier, Sandy Rios, the director of government affairs for the AFA, told Breitbart News Daily. The chief concern for the American Family Association is predators who will take advantage. More than 1.1 million people have signed the AFAs call to boycott Target because of its policy allowing customers to use bathrooms and dressing rooms that correspond with their gender identity, not the gender assigned to them at birth. Rios said that the policy would encourage men dressed like women to use the bathrooms, and would create trauma for little girls. I think the potential for sexual predators is just enormous, she said. LGBTQ activists point out that there has been no increase in reports of sexual predators in bathrooms in the cities that have implemented trans-inclusive bathroom policies, and call this argument a red herring. Some of the largest organizations devoted to ending violence against women have also come out against the notion that such policies increase the likelihood of sex crimes, calling the notion false. Rios called the defense of transgender rights an example of the mindless, ridiculous, madness of the radical left, and encouraged listeners to sign the boycott petition against Target. (Adds earnings comparison, stock price) By Ernest Scheyder May 4 (Reuters) - Continental Resources Inc, the oil producer founded by legendary wildcatter Harold Hamm, reported a larger-than-expected first-quarter loss on Wednesday as cost cuts failed to offset falling crude prices. The company, once the largest oil producer in North Dakota's Bakken shale formation, has focused most of its budget in recent quarters on shale formations in Oklahoma, where some new wells have produced prolific quantities of oil. Overall production rose during the first quarter, leading Continental to boost its forecast for full-year output by 10,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day (boe/d). Continental, which does not hedge oil production, said it expects commodity prices to rise after low levels that have crippled the energy industry. "We are managing production volumes for higher oil and natural gas prices that we expect in second half 2016," Hamm, the company's chief executive, said in a statement. Continental posted a quarterly net loss of $198.3 million, or 54 cents per share, compared with a loss of $132 million, or 36 cents per share, in the year-ago period. Excluding one-time items, Continental lost 41 cents per share. Analysts' consensus estimate was a loss of 37 cents, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S. Continental's oil sold for $25.72 per barrel, down 33 percent from the year-ago quarter. Production costs also fell, by 26 percent to $3.76 per barrel, though overall production rose 12 percent to 230,802 barrels of oil equivalent per day (boe/d). Continental said it sold acreage in Wyoming for $110 million in April and will use the funds to reduce debt. Shares of Continental fell 3 percent to close at $34.85. The company has scheduled a conference call on Thursday morning with investors to discuss the quarterly results. (Reporting by Ernest Scheyder; Editing by Richard Chang) A new virtual reality film reliving Anne Franks time in her attic during World War II is causing controversy over its decency. The announcement was made this week that punters will be able to visit the interior of the attic where Frank hid in terror from the Nazis during 1942, which wont be to everyones taste, thats for sure. According to The Hollywood Reporter, viewers will be immersed in the presence of Anne Frank" as well as other characters from the period. Its easy to see how this could come across as hugely offensive, but the writer-director of Anne, Danny Abrahms, insists its in good taste and an essential part of history that needs to be shared. Anne Franks story has kept the memory of the Holocaust alive and promoted tolerance for generations, says Abrahms. We are deeply committed to sharing Annes experience using cutting-edge modes of storytelling so that her story can live on and reach as many young people in the world as possible. Apparently, itll offer audiences the opportunity to feel like they are thereas viewers can freely move around the environment with photo-realistic visuals, yet theres a danger the vr treatment could trivialise it. To a related but lesser degree, the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam has a full 360-degree virtual reality museum tour for visitors who physically cannot access the attic due to disability or mobility, but the two seem very separate in both taste and purpose. Ethically speaking, it doesnt appear to be the most tasteful of subjects to be doing a VR film, because lets face it, Franks time hidden in the attic trying to avoid Nazis who wanted to murder her wasnt the most pleasant of times, so a VR movie experience that sells an Its as if you were there! pitch could be conceived as somewhat crass. Read more: Avengers: Infinity War 1 & 2 Will Get A Name Change Daisy Ridley Wishes Fans Happy Star Wars Day Dragonball Z Writer Apologises To Fans For Awful Movie Picture credit: BEImages Courteney Cox and Johnny McDaid are reportedly planning their wedding in an Irish castle after they broke up. The former Friends favourite and Snow Patrol rocker, below, are back on track after briefly splitting late last year. They are said to have reunited in March and have apparently fast-tracked plans for their big day. The Irish Sun reported representatives for the couple have been in touch with Castle Leslie officials and told the venue they want to tie the knot at the luxury Co Monaghan venue in late September. An insider told the paper: They are considering Castle Leslie, where Paul McCartney and Heather Mills, below, married as well as Ballintubber Abbey, where Pierce Brosnan got married. But they have their sights set on Castle Leslie. Their people are already looking at available dates in late September. The intimate castle has 20 original bedrooms and can host exclusive wedding parties of up to 70 people. But Cox, 51, and 39-year-old McDaid apparently want to keep the celebrations low-key and will limit the guest list to around 100 people. The source added their pal Ed Sheeran will play at the wedding, where guests are likely to include Coxs former Friends co-stars Jennifer Aniston, Lisa Kudrow and Matthew Perry. Pictures Getty Images Istanbul (AFP) - After more than one-and-a-half years of cohabitation, cracks are emerging in Turkey's ruling tandem of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, sparking uncertainty over the premier's future. Many believed Davutoglu would be a puppet premier when Erdogan switched to the presidency in August 2014, but the former foreign minister has made conspicuous efforts to carve out his own profile, to the possible irritation of the combative head of state. And last week's decision by the executive committee of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) to remove Davutoglu's right to appoint regional party officials has been seen as a starting shot in a conflict to undermine his authority. Potential successors, who could be more pliant for Erdogan, are lurking in the background including the president's longtime henchman, Transport Minister Binali Yildirim and the youthful Energy Minister Berat Albayrak, 38, who is married to the president's eldest daughter Esra. "There is inevitably a potential for clashes and these have begun to happen," Ilter Turan, professor of political science at Bilgi University in Istanbul, told AFP. "Obviously these are men of political ambition, so there is ample reason to think there is a substantial contention for power within the ruling party." - 'Crunch meeting' - Observers say the April 29 decision by the AKP executive committee to rob Davutoglu of a key power as party chairman was a landmark moment for a party that has prided itself on unity since coming to power in 2002 after years of unstable coalitions. "We do not think that the power struggle is easy to solve," said Ozgur Altug, chief economist at BGC partners in Istanbul. "It is clear that the relationship between prime ministry and presidential palace will be tough to manage." With speculation over Davutoglu's future reaching a new intensity, the office of Erdogan announced that he would host the premier for talks on Wednesday evening. Story continues Presidential sources insisted that this was an "ordinary weekly meeting". But respected conservative commentator Abdulkadir Selvi described the talks as a "critical" encounter that would decide Davutoglu's future. "Either the difficulties that opened the way to these problems will be removed and a relationship based on confidence established, or the necessary will be done," he wrote in the Hurriyet daily. Turan said that while Turkey had a history of conflicts between presidents and prime ministers going back to the presidency of Turgut Ozal from 1989, "the AKP has so far been quite successful in not letting internal rifts develop in struggles for power." Turkish officials have always laughed off speculation of a rift between Erdogan and Davutoglu. AKP spokesman Omer Celik denied there was any "crisis" in the party, describing the decision of the party's executive committee as a "technical" move which Davutoglu had himself signed off on. - 'PM has no fear' - Mild-mannered during his long stint as foreign minister, Davutoglu has undergone a transformation as premier, whipping up crowds with nationalist and religious-tinged rhetoric in sometimes ear-splitting speeches. Erdogan, who served as premier from 2003-2014, has sought to revamp the office of Turkish president into the indisputable number one post rather than a ceremonial role. Turkish media over the weekend seized on a video showing Erdogan's ally Yildirim apparently refusing to sit next to Davutoglu at a news conference before heading on a trip to Qatar. Only when the premier shows visible irritation, points at the empty chair and orders Yildirim to sit there does the burly transport minister move into place. The premier on Tuesday, in a speech to his party, for the first time addressed the speculation head on, saying "I don't fear the discord that some try to sow or what some write, I fear only God." Davutoglu has been careful to never criticise Erdogan openly, although it is conspicuous how rarely the president praises, or so much as mentions, his prime minister. The premier has appeared far more enthusiastic about a deal with the EU to stem the flow of refugees than the president and has clashed with Erdogan over whether journalists should be held in pre-trial detention. Davutoglu has also said there is no need for haste in Erdogan's drive to create a presidential system in Turkey, a pet project of the president that risks diminishing Davutoglu's own standing. "A car that has two drivers cannot go without an accident. It will inevitably have an accident," said parliament speaker Ismail Kahraman, an ally of Erdogan. CEO Tidjane Thiam of Swiss bank Credit Suisse addresses a media briefing in Zurich, Switzerland in this October 21, 2015 file photo. REUTERS/Arnd Wiegmann/Files Credit Suisse is cutting jobs in London, according to people familiar with the matter. The bank is putting about 130 people at risk of redundancy in the global markets business in the UK capital, according to the people. The cuts started Tuesday and are continuing into Wednesday. Of the 130, about 80 are in fixed income, with the other 50 in equities, the people said. After reporting weak results, Credit Suisse previously announced that it would accelerate cuts to the investment bank. The bank said late Tuesday that it had sold some of its distressed-credit portfolio to TSSP for about $1.27 billion. The bank said Bob Franz, head of US credit trading, and Ken Hoffman, head of distressed research and trading, would leave to form a new asset management to assist in servicing the assets. The bank will report results on Tuesday, giving an update on its distressed-credit exposure then. That business has been a thorn in the side of new CEO Tidjane Thiam, who said traders had racked up positions without telling anyone. The Wall Street Journal subsequently reported that there were disagreements within Credit Suisse over how those positions had been managed and who was to blame. NOW WATCH: Broadways biggest hit Hamilton is making over $2 million a month heres why the producer thinks it could be making a lot more More From Business Insider At Monday's Met Gala, famous women wore fiber optics and latex for the "Manus X Machina" theme, while most men attending were more sedate, going for present-elegant rather than future-tech-dystopia/utopia. Two notable exceptions were Zayn Malik's gangly robot arms and Kanye West's eerie eyes. Was he wearing blue contacts, like a mixed-race girl in my junior high school did? Like the contacts worn by a tall, gay black boy I once worked across the mall from? Many on Twitter seemed to think so and BuzzFeed's Executive Editor for Culture, Saeed Jones, even suggested buying ten copies of Toni Morrison's The Bluest Eye to "throw" at West. One could understand why some Twitter users may have been reminded of Morrison's debut novel about a dark-skinned black girl named Pecola who has deeply internalized racism, longs to have blue eyes and eventually descends into madness. After all, long before he wore the controversial contacts, Kanye was drawing attention for weird tweet rants and other public outbursts. West wore similar contacts when performing his song "Wolves" on Saturday Night Live's 40th Anniversary last February. He had told the optometrist who outfitted him that he wanted to - no surprise - look like a wolf, according to an interview with this optometrist in People magazine. To my eyes, the lenses West wore at the Gala were grey, or perhaps silver. French critic Fanta Sylla pointed out on Twitter that his look was similar to Yaya DaCosta's silver-eyed siren in 2010's Tron: Legacy, and perhaps it was a direct allusion. I'd like to think it was inspired by The Girl With the Silver Eyes, the 1980 Willo Davis Roberts Y.A. novel that might have been circulating when Kanye was young. In that story, prickly Katie is a preteen with silver eyes, which give her the talents of telekinesis and the ability to communicate with cats. She's an outcast, literally a mutant. She spends the novel in search of others like her. These themes seem perfectly on point for the mystic-neurotic-genius personality West has long been cultivating. When asked why he wore those contacts, Kanye said gnomically, "Vibes." Light grey is beautiful because it reflects what's around it. The outcry over Kanye's eyes seemed to reflect hatred for the Kardashians and a fear that Kanye has - or will - become less himself, and less black, under their influence. There's the common view among his fans that the family has inducted West into a sort of superficial zombie cult. So much sexism is behind this anti-Kardashian sentiment. (Is America more sexist or racist? Unfortunately, there's no limit of situations allowing us to ponder this. And only black women know how deeply the answer is "both." Kanye's own lyrics and tweets that seem to prize white women over black ones are an often disgusting indication of this fact.) But more than any nefarious influence of his Met Ball companion, wife Kim, what West's silvery eyes reflected back at the world that night was the judgement of others, also a theme of The Bluest Eye. The end of the novel is narrated by Pecola's former foster sister Claudia, looking back at what caused Pecola's demise. She concludes that it was internalized racism, not only on an individual level but collectively in their community (and in the whole country). It was the gossip and judgement of the townspeople that failed to nurture Pecola through her madness, which was ugly, beautiful, wild and hard to bear (as are some of Kanye's moods). Kanye West is done. He's finished. When a black man wears coloured contacts it's over. RIP black Kanye West pic.twitter.com/rC0OEHUR6J - Lippy Lickshot (@DonDadaLipz) May 3, 2016 Judgement of black artists' aesthetic and career choices was also a theme in an April 27 Vulture article that took issue with the recent use of black actors to play CGI-cloaked aliens or to voice animated animals. Kyle Buchanan writes, rather paternalistically, that seeing black bodies is good for the culture. "Idris, Lupita, Paula, and Zoe have faces that matter. Let us see them," he concludes. But what if they don't want to be seen? What if they want to focus on their equally beautiful voices, as both Idris Elba and Lupita Nyong'o were able to do in the The Jungle Book? And why are these actors' real brown faces more important or authentic than the nuance of their real voices? Elba uses his authentic East London accent in The Jungle Book and Zootopia, while Nyong'o could finally speak in something closer to her natural Kenyan accent as a 1,000-something-year-old alien in Star Wars: The Force Awakens (a film in which John Boyega notably did the generic American accent that most black British actors end up using in American films). What's best for the culture is for these brilliant actors to stretch out their talents and practice their craft in any way they damn well desire. Nyong'o has taken to defending her choices recently. On NPR program All Things Considered, she was asked by host Neda Ulaby (not a black woman) if her recent voice and motion capture work was due to the lack of starring roles for women of color. N'yongo said no. "I think subconsciously I was excited by work that was not about my body. It wasn't about my skin or my body or its economy, whether we're talking about slavery or we're talking about fashion," she said, referring to the red carpet and magazine fame that came from playing a raped slave in Steve McQueen's 12 Years a Slave. "12 Years a Slave is a lot about the economy of Patsey's body. And then also the exposure the film gave me was a lot about my body." She went on to elaborate on this stance yesterday in a beautiful essay in Lenny Letter, that seems to directly address the Vulture article: "I love the idea of people of color participating in mythical, magical stories, whether that's as hero, villain, sage, or sorceress. Or all of the above!" Nyong'o wrote. "I think sometimes a singular catharsis can be found in genre storytelling - as I found when playing a thousand-year-old woman (Maz Kanata in Star Wars: The Force Awakens) and a wolf mother (Raksha in The Jungle Book). I'm able to be more engaged in roles such as those than I would be in playing 'the wife' when she is written with no motivation or singularity." In other words, leave black bodies alone! Let them run as wild as wolves, or aliens, or silver-eyed mutants, or whatever Kanye was on Monday night. Why Bearish Forces Caused Oil to Fall from a 5-Month High (Continued from Prior Part) Crude oil prices could fall The IEA (International Energy Agency) estimates that crude oil production from non-OPEC (Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries) producers would see the biggest decline in the past 25 years. Read Non-OPEC Crude Oil Production Impacts Crude Oil Prices and Will the Crude Oil Supply and Demand Gap Narrow by Early 2017? to learn more. Previously in this series, we discussed how the supply and demand gap could widen in 2016 and 2017. Crude oil price forecasts Natixis Global Asset Management suggests that bearish sentiments could push Brent crude oil prices to as low as $30 per barrel in the short term. Barclays (BCS) suggests that Brent crude could average around $36 per barrel in 2Q16. Goldman Sachs (GS) estimates that Brent crude oil prices will average $35 per barrel in 2Q16. Oil consultancy Ritterbusch & Associates reported that WTI (West Texas Intermediate) crude oil prices have key support at $35 per barrel. The EIA (U.S. Energy Information Administration) estimates that Brent crude oil prices will average ~$34 per barrel in 2016 and $40 per barrel in 2017. West Texas Intermediate crude oil prices are expected to average $34 per barrel and $40 per barrel during the same period, respectively. Russia, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia are producing near-record levels. Geopolitical tension between Saudi Arabia and Iran could motivate the countries to fight for Market share. They might produce more crude oil to balance their budgets. Read How Are Oil Prices Squeezing OPEC Members Budgets? to learn more. Uncertainty in crude oil prices impacts oil and gas producers like Energy XXI (EXXI), EXCO Resources (XCO), Linn Energy (LINN), Carrizo Oil & Gas (CRZO), and PDC Energy (PDCE). It also impacts ETFs and ETNs like the ProShares UltraShort Bloomberg Crude Oil ETF (SCO), the Direxion Daily Energy Bull 3x Shares ETF (ERX), the Direxion Daily Energy Bear 3x (ERY), and the iShares U.S. Oil Equipment & Services ETF (IEZ). Browse this series on Market Realist: INDIANAPOLIS Moments before Ted Cruz publicly ended a campaign for president that had lasted more than a year, he stood backstage and thanked his closest friends, supporters and advisers for their help and support. Some sat at round tables. Conservative commentator and TV host Glenn Beck stood and watched. A bar table covered with Starbucks cups and an ironing board with an upright iron stood off to the side. When Cruz finished speaking, the group of about 50 people applauded several of them wiping away tears and Cruzs campaign manager, Jeff Roe, walked away from them, looking down, and shook his head. Cruzs speech to a group of a few hundred devoted followers from the main stage minutes later was met with disbelief and anguish. From the beginning, Ive said that I would continue on as long as there was a viable path to victory, Cruz said. Murmurs rose in the audience. Im sorry to say, Cruz said and cries of No, no! rang out it appears that path has been foreclosed. This brought an even louder NO! As Cruz announced that he was suspending his campaign with a heavy heart, a girl of about 12 began to sob. Her father stood nearby with his hand over his mouth and said, What are you doing? Cruz sought to reassure his followers inside the Grand Hall Ballroom of the Crowne Plaza hotel. Hear me now: I am not suspending our fight for liberty, he said. His father and mother, divorced 20 years ago but standing next to one another on this night, stood behind him. A gaggle of Cruzs campaign staff stood 20 feet from the stage, many of them red-eyed. After Cruz finished his speech, he began to greet supporters in the front of the crowd, but then abruptly returned backstage after just a few moments, apparently too emotional to continue. Sen. Ted Cruz gets a hug from a supporter after dropping out of the race for the Republican presidential nomination. (Photo: Chris Bergin/Reuters) Slideshow: Indiana primaries Sanders, Trump win and Cruz drops out >>> His supporters were left to pick up the pieces and to ponder their choices now that businessman and reality TV personality Donald Trump stands alone as the likely Republican nominee and the only alternative to Democratic candidates Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders. I dont know what Im going to do. I might vote for Hillary, said Jason Winters, 40, a machinist from Crawfordsville, Ind. Shes a criminal. Shes a murderer. But shes better than an authoritarian dictator. Several Cruz supporters said they would vote in the fall for down-ballot candidates in races for the House and U.S. Senate, but would not vote for a candidate for president if their only choices were Trump or Clinton. I will write in Ted Cruzs name, said Linda Bond, a 54-year-old campaign volunteer from Kansas City. Damon Hood, a 24-year-old construction worker, said he would never vote for Trump or Clinton but hoped there would be a third-party option. I will not stay home, he said. But national conservative leaders and activists who have held private meetings over the past month to determine if a third-party candidacy is viable know that their window of opportunity is effectively closed. In Texas, a third-party candidate would have to submit roughly 80,000 signatures of Texas voters who had not voted in either primary by next Monday. And that is not going to happen. Erick Erickson, a conservative radio talk show host and publisher who has been one of Trumps most vocal critics, said Tuesday that there is growing resignation among some members of the group who have been meeting to discuss a third-party bid. Erickson said that when the group convenes a conference call Wednesday, my guess is the consensus is going to be, we cant mobilize a third party to do much good. A lot of people are thinking, lets let this shake out and let there be a reckoning, Erickson said. But another person involved in the third-party talks was adamant that such work will continue to move forward. Story continues Ted Cruz hugs his father, Rafael, and wife, Heidi, after announcing the suspension of his campaign. (Photo: Joe Raedle/Getty Images) Conservatives against Trump will remain conservatives against Trump even if he gets the nomination, the Trump opponent said. We will be looking for every alternative to Donald Trump. The anti-Trump group is looking at how to provide a reason for NeverTrump voters to come out to the polls, to keep their votes for House and Senate candidates from going uncast. This could be a national write-in campaign, or a state-by-state patchwork effort. But even an anti-Trump super-PAC, Our Principles PAC, signaled that if Trump is the nominee, they will not continue to oppose him. We will continue to educate voters about Trump until he, or another candidate, wins the support of a majority of delegates to the convention, said Katie Packer, the groups chair. And many influential Republican operatives behind the scenes gave up the cause of stopping Trump days ago, resigning themselves to his nomination. He appears to me to be an amoral, arrogant, divisive man. However, I think he has tapped into the desperate frustration of many Americans and just maybe could grow as a candidate and politician. one Republican insider said. In Cruzs concession speech, he positioned himself for a future presidential run by referring to Ronald Reagans speech in 1976 after narrowly losing a contested convention to incumbent President Gerald Ford. Cruz cast himself as a Reaganesque figure who he said looked past the close horizons that preoccupied those thinking only of their own fortunes and peered far ahead into the future, concerned for coming generations of Americans. It was, for Cruz, a first attempt to portray himself as a magnanimous leader, rather than the voraciously ambitious and self-promoting politician he is considered to be by many other Republicans, especially in the Senate. When Cruz launched his candidacy in late March 2015 at Liberty University in Virginia, he was overlooked and underestimated by most political observers. He ended up running the most savvy, proficient campaign of any Republican presidential candidate, but in the end he was swamped by the Trump phenomenon. But the mention of Reagan and 1976 also raised questions about why Cruz will not continue his candidacy on to the GOP convention this year in Cleveland. One adviser noted that dropping out was an attempt to be a team player for the Republican Party. However, a Cruz endorsement of Trump seems unlikely. The Cruz adviser, asked about the chances of such an endorsement, just rolled his eyes. In the closing days before this primary vote, Cruz spoke in increasingly bitter terms about Trump. He implied that Trump is evil, said that we are staring at the abyss and it is only Indiana that can pull us back. Cruz also called Trump a serial philanderer, a pathological liar and amoral, and said that voters should choose him over Trump because we are not a petty, bigoted, angry people. Cruz still has 546 delegates bound to him on the first ballot at the Republican convention in Cleveland this July. He could use them to negotiate for input on the party platform, as many past presidential candidates in competitive primaries have done. But his campaign is just now beginning to reckon with what to do next. Former Virginia Gov. Ken Cuccinelli, tasked with overseeing Cruzs delegate operation, didnt have an answer for what will happen to those 546 delegates. Were not ready to talk about that, Cuccinelli said. And he disappeared behind a black curtain to the backstage room littered with discarded coffee cups and shattered dreams. By Marc Frank HAVANA (Reuters) - The number of U.S. visitors to Cuba has nearly doubled this year, its tourism minister said on Wednesday, as the island races to build hotels and expand Havana airport to keep up with booming demand. Tourism has taken off since Cuba and the United States announced they would work to bury the Cold War hatchet in December 2014. The Caribbean island received a record 3.5 million visitors last year. The influx has pushed capacity to the limit, prompting hotels to sharply hike prices and raising questions about how Cuba will absorb additional visitors when scheduled U.S. commercial airline service starts later this year. "With the increase in demand there have occurred problems with the confirmation of reservations and some irritation with delays at the airports, most of all in Havana," Minister Manuel Marrero said at the opening of an annual tourism fair. Still, overall satisfaction with Cuba as a destination was high, reflected by the fact that nearly half of last year's tourists were return visitors, he said. The number of visitors so far in 2016 jumped 13.5 percent on the year to 1.5 million tourists, Marrero said. Of those, 94,000 were Americans, a 93-percent jump on the year, and more than 115,000 were Cuban-Americans. Cuba's tourism infrastructure is creaking mainly in the capital, where visits were up 37 percent this year, according to the minister. Almost all Americans visit Havana as part of their itineraries as they are banned from the beach. Marrero said three new hotels were under construction around the colonial part of the city, bids were in to renovate some existing establishments, and more were on the drawing board. He said an airport expansion was planned in Havana, but gave no more details. "Until just a little while ago Cuba was a forbidden destination, and not only for Americans, but for many others from various countries who feared traveling to the island," tourism professor Jose Luis Perello, of the University of Havana, said. European tourism in Cuba was up 60 percent through April of this year, said Eric Peyre, who heads up the French hospitality company Accors operations in the island. Security threats in other traditional holiday destinations for Europeans, such as the Middle East and Africa, were adding to the Caribbean island's allure, he said. "Air France has 11 flights a week. Last week, they signed for 28 flights a week from France as from this November, 18 to Havana," he said. Accor manages three hotels in Cuba, including the 188-room Hotel Seville in Old Havana, once-favorite hangout of Chicago gangster Al Capone, which Peyre said was sold out through the end of the year. "Last year, a room and breakfast at the Seville cost $120, this year $180, and beginning in November it will cost $280," he said. (Additional reporting by Sarah Marsh; Editing by Bernadette Baum) Donald Trump Following Donald Trump's primary win in Indiana on Tuesday, some are already sounding the death knell for the Republican Party. Among them was the New York Daily News, which featured a mock-up of the GOP's mascot, apparently dead and resting in a casket, on its Wednesday cover. Trump is now widely expected to secure this year's Republican presidential nomination before the party's July convention. "Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to mourn the GOP, a once-great political party, killed by epidemic of Trump," the cover reads. View the cover below: Daily News May 4 cover NOW WATCH: Argentina is trolling Trump to hype a big international soccer tournament More From Business Insider This Star Wars Day, Daisy Ridley wants to use The Force for good. To mark May the Fourth, which gives Star Wars fans around the globe an opportunity to geek out, the actor, who plays Rey in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, has released a video encouraging fans to support Force For Change. Who can say no to BB-8? Star Wars: Force for Change is a charitable initiative that was matching dollar-for-dollar donations up to $1 million. The campaign has far surpassed that threshold, but fans or anyone who wants to make a difference can still donate until midnight Pacific Time Wednesday evening. Funds go to support charities like the U.S. Fund for UNICEF in support of UNICEF Kid Power, American Red Cross, Boys & Girls Clubs of America and the Make-A-Wish Foundation. This week also marks the last chance to win a trip to the real-life island where Luke Skywalker was hiding out instead of fighting alongside Han and Leia against the First Order. Fans can win a trip to Skellig Michael, the real Irish island used in the film (no word on whether any Jedi training will be available). For more information, head here. Star Wars star Daisy Ridley is teaming with Naomi Watts for Ophelia, a re-imagining of Shakespeare's play Hamlet. Claire McCarthy (2009's drama The Waiting City) is directing the project, which adapts the 2006 YA book by Lisa Klein. Semi Chellas (Mad Men) wrote the script. Covert Media is financing the film that's being produced by Daniel Bobker and Ehren Kruger and Sarah Curtis. Covert is handling international rights to the film. CAA, which packaged and arranged the financing, will represent the film's U.S. rights. Hamlet tells of the revenge plotted by Prince Hamlet on his uncle, Claudius, who killed his father, married his mother, and took the crown of Denmark. This project takes the female-centric view of the proceedings, telling the tale from the point of view of Ophelia, the daughter of Claudius' chief advisor who falls for Hamlet. (Ridley would play Ophelia while Watts would play Gertrude, the queen of Denmark and Hamlet's mother.) Hamlet is one of Shakespeare's most tragic plays (spoiler alert: more characters die in it than in a season's worth of Game of Thrones) but Klein's takes a different road, landmarked with a secret wedding, characters who survive and a semi-happy ending. Producer Bobker channeled his own inner bard to provide the following quote on the project: "Sarah, Ehren & I have always treated this film like a jewel, since there's something extra precious in bringing to life a treasured female icon, celebrated for centuries as an alluring figure in the shadows of Shakespeare's most famous work, without ever really having her own story told. Whether it's for the legions of fans of romantic tragic characters, or the millions of visitors who annually seek out the classic Millais painting of Ophelia at London's Tate Gallery, Ophelia holds a special place in the heart of the cultural canon - so we couldn't be more thrilled to have the talented female team of Daisy Ridley, Naomi Watts, and Claire McCarthy set to make a film with our friends at Covert Media that'll finally shed light on a character who's fascinated so many for so long." Frankfurt (AFP) - The European Central Bank is set to decide on Wednesday the fate of the 500-euro banknote, which many people associate with money laundering, the black market and terrorist financing. But its possible abolition is raising hackles in countries such as Germany. The violet-coloured bill, the largest denomination banknote in the single currency area and physically also the bigger than the five other euro bills, is on the agenda of a meeting of the ECB's governing council, a bank spokesman told AFP. Notwithstanding any surprises, the council is likely to vote to stop issuing them, as the bill is believed to be favoured by criminals for moving large sums of money around without the authorities knowing. "Such notes are the preferred payment mechanism of those pursuing illicit activities, given the anonymity and lack of transaction record they offer, and the relative ease with which they can be transported and moved," according to a recent Harvard University study. Because of its size and portability, the 500-euro note has become so prized in underground finance that it can trade at more than its face value, and has become known in some circles as a "Bin Laden", the study said. The 500-euro note is "used more for hiding things than buying them," said French Finance Minister Michel Sapin in March. "It is used more to facilitate transactions which are not honest than to allow you and me to buy food to eat," Sapin said. - 'Organised crime isn't stupid' - France is pushing to step up the fight against terrorist financing in the aftermath of the bloody series of attacks in Paris in 2015. The EU Commission had said in February that it would "explore the need for appropriate restrictions on cash payments exceeding certain thresholds and to engage with the European Central Bank to consider appropriate measures regarding high denomination notes, in particular the EUR 500 note." Story continues According to ECB statistics, the 500-euro bills account for just three percent of the total number of banknotes in circulation, but 28 percent of the total value. Nevertheless, resistance to its possible abolition appears to be particularly high in Germany, where most people still prefer to make payments in cash. And when the euro was created, it was Germany that had been keen to have a 500-euro bill because it was of a similar size denomination as its 1,000-deutschemark banknote. Opponents of the note's abolition are concerned that it would simply be the first step in abolishing cash altogether and be replaced by electronic payment systems that can be completely monitored by authorities. A number of experts have suggested that doing away with the 500-euro note would not be particularly effective in fighting crime. "Organised crime isn't stupid. Most money is laundered without cash via bogus companies," said Friedrich Schneider, an expert on the shadow economy at the University of Linz in Austria in interviews to a number of German media recently. Sometime in the last few years, a young woman who had undergone a successful transplant operation was readmitted to the hospital for some follow-up tests, including a procedure to draw fluid from the sac surrounding her heart. The woman was discharged from the hospital but returned the following day complaining of severe abdominal pain. She died from a combination of intra-abdominal bleeding and cardiac arrest. An autopsy revealed that the needle that had been inserted into the heart sac had grazed her liver and ruptured an artery, resulting in death. Related: Medicare for All? Why Sanders Has the Edge over Clinton on Health Care The death certificate listed the cause of death as cardiovascular, but in fact it was due to physicians error. The tragic mishap was cited in a new study by two Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine researchers examining the medical errors that have been grossly under-reported for years. They estimate that medical errors are responsible for 251,454 deaths annually. According to the study, published Tuesday by the British Medical Journal (BMJ), deaths due to gross medical error rank third nationally behind heart disease (614,348 deaths a year) and cancer (591,699 deaths a year). In all, medical errors are responsible for roughly 9.5 percent of all deaths annually, according to the new report. Cause of Death While many errors are non-consequential, an error can end the life of someone with a long life expectancy or accelerate an imminent death, wrote the co-authors, Martin A. Makary, a professor of surgery at Johns Hopkins, and research fellow Michael Daniel. Related: Hospital Equipment May Have Infected L.A. Patients with Deadly Superbug It is commonly known that hospital stays and medical procedures are fraught with risk from patients developing infections and getting the wrong medications to surgeons making a mistake by removing the wrong body part. Moreover, a recent study warned of substantial medical risks involved in simply moving a patient from the hospital back home or to nursing facilities. Story continues Yet the medical profession has done little to shed a light on the problem of medical error, according to the new study, and greater scrutiny is required. The reports 251,454 figure for deaths caused by medical error is much higher than the estimates in a 1999 report by the Institute of Medicine (IOM). That report pegged deaths related to medical error at roughly 98,000. As The Washington Post notes, that 17-year-old study shocked the medical establishment and triggered internal debate over how to address the epidemic of cases. Related: Billions in Medicare Fraud Still Rampant Despite Federal Crackdown However that study was inadequate, according to Makary and Daniel, because it was not backed up by primary research, such as a detailed examination of hospital medical records or even death certificates. Instead, the IOM relied on estimates in a 1984 Harvard Medical Practices Study and 1992 research in Utah and Colorado. Makary and Daniel mounted a far more comprehensive review of more recent scholarship on the topic, including studies by the Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector Generals review of hospital health records in 2008, and Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality studies between 2000 and 2008. We calculated a mean rate of death from medical error of 251, 454 a year using the studies reported since the 1999 IOM report and extrapolating to the total number of U.S. hospital admissions in 2013, the authors wrote. While the assumptions they made in extrapolating study data to the overall U.S. population may have distorted their figures, the authors wrote, the absence of national data highlights the need for systematic measurement of the problem. Top Reads from The Fiscal Times: (Adds income from discontinued operations) By Bernie Woodall DETROIT, May 4 (Reuters) - Delphi Automotive, a global vehicle components supplier, on Wednesday reported first-quarter earnings that narrowly beat Wall Street expectations as its revenue grew 7 percent on strong vehicle production in all of its global regions, the company said. Delphi reaffirmed its forecast for 2016 adjusted earnings per share of between $5.80 to $6.10. Excluding one-time items, it earned $1.36 per share in the first quarter, compared with expectations by analysts polled by Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S of $1.34 per share. Net income from continuing operations was $320 million, or $1.15 per diluted share, up from $288 million, or $0.99 per diluted share a year earlier. One-time items included $68 million in restructuring and acquisition costs. Total net income, including $105 million from discontinued operations, was $425 million, or $1.53 per diluted share, compared with $209 million, or $0.72 per diluted share a year earlier. Revenue rose 6.7 percent to $4.05 billion, near analysts' expectations of $4.09 billion. Delphi affirmed its full-year revenue forecast of between $16.6 billion and $17 billion. Last month, Delphi announced that it won an appeal with the U.S. Internal Revenue Service and can be considered a British company and would not have to make adjustments to its 2009 and 2010 taxes. Delphi, once based in Troy, Michigan, was a part of General Motors Co until 1999. It emerged from a four-year bankruptcy in October 2009. Also in 2009, Delphi formed a limited liability partnership in Britain and registered in Gillingham, England. Delphi shares closed on Tuesday at $73.17, down 14 percent since the start of the year. In the first quarter, Delphi repurchased 5.6 million shares for about $370 million, leaving $137 million remaining in its buyback program. The board last month announced another $1.5 billion in share buybacks after the current authorization is spent. (Reporting by Bernie Woodall Editing by W Simon) (Adds details from Rhodes' letter to DPS staff, paragraph 6) By Suzannah Gonzales and Karen Pierog May 3 (Reuters) - Detroit school teachers were expected to return to their classrooms on Wednesday following a two-day "sick-out" over paycheck concerns after receiving assurances from officials "they will be paid for their work," a union representative said. Hundreds of teachers in Michigan's largest public school system called in sick beginning on Monday after hearing news the cash-strapped school system would run out of money to pay employees at the end of June. The Detroit public school system, or DPS, with nearly 46,000 students, has been under state control since 2009 because of a financial emergency. It will run out of money to pay employees after the fiscal year ends on June 30, the school system's state-appointed transition manager, former federal bankruptcy Judge Steven Rhodes, has said. Detroit Federation of Teachers Interim President Ivy Bailey received a letter from Rhodes that "gave teachers and school employees the assurance they needed that they will be paid for their work," the union said in a statement. Rhodes' letter to DPS staff, a copy of which the union provided to Reuters, said the school district would honor its "contractual obligation to pay teachers what they have earned." At a membership meeting on Tuesday afternoon, union officials encouraged the school employees to return to classes on Wednesday. DPS had no immediate comment. Hundreds of teachers rallied outside school district offices earlier on Tuesday. Michigan's House of Representatives Appropriations Committee on Tuesday approved a seven-bill package that would provide $500 million to aid the school district, which would be split into two entities, and make DPS eligible for a state loan. It would also curb collective bargaining. The proposed funding was less than the $715 million requested by Republican Governor Rick Snyder and approved by the Republican-controlled Senate as part of a different plan. Story continues "Teachers, you are going to get paid," said State Representative Al Pscholka, the committee's chairman. A spokesman for House Speaker Kevin Cotter said the full House, also controlled by Republicans, could take up the legislation as soon as this week. If passed, it would still need to be approved by the Senate and signed by Snyder. Some Republicans criticized the sick-out, calling it an act of "educational malpractice." "Teacher strikes are illegal in Michigan and that's just what this is. Teachers should be paid, but shutting down schools only causes harm to the children," Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette said in a statement. The legislature approved $48.7 million in supplemental funding for DPS in March, but Rhodes said the funds would only meet payroll through June. White House spokesman Josh Earnest told reporters on Tuesday the Obama administration was encouraging the sides to reach an agreement. "These kids aren't getting educated and that is a real problem," Earnest said. (Reporting by Suzannah Gonzales and Karen Pierog in Chicago; Additional reporting by Susan Heavey in Washington and Eric M. Johnson in Seattle; Editing by Paul Simao and Peter Cooney) FRANKFURT, May 4 (Reuters) - Deutsche Telekom said on Wednesday its first-quarter core profit rose on the back of its ongoing success in the United States, which offset investments in its European networks. The company said adjusted earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA), excluding special items, rose 12.9 percent to 5.16 billion euros ($5.93 billion), slightly ahead of the average estimate of 5.14 billion euros in a Reuters poll. Deutsche Telekom said it still expected 2016 adjusted EBITDA to rise to around 21 billion euros and free cash flow of around 4.9 billion. ($1 = 0.8708 euros) (Reporting by Harro ten Wolde; Editing by Maria Sheahan) * Q1 adj EBITDA 5.16 bln euros vs 5.14 bln avg expected * Investments weighs, free cash flow down 5 pct * Still sees 2016 adj EBITDA of around 21.2 bln euros (Adds details about U.S., background) FRANKFURT, May 4 (Reuters) - Deutsche Telekom said on Wednesday its first-quarter core profit rose on the back of its ongoing success in the United States, which offset investments in its European networks. The company said adjusted earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA), excluding special items, rose 12.9 percent to 5.16 billion euros ($5.93 billion), slightly ahead of the average estimate of 5.14 billion euros in a Reuters poll. Last week T-Mobile US Inc reported a net profit for its fiscal second quarter and raised its 2016 forecast for customer additions. Contributing 7.82 billion euros to Deutsche Telekom's revenues, T-Mobile US is Deutsche Telekom's biggest unit. In Europe and Germany, Deutsche Telekom is heavily investing in upgrading its fixed networks. Investments rose 11.9 percent to 2.8 billion euros in the first quarter, weighing on free cash flow, which dropped 5 percent to a lower-than-expected 822 million euros. Deutsche Telekom said it still expected 2016 adjusted EBITDA to rise to around 21 billion euros and free cash flow of around 4.9 billion. ($1 = 0.8708 euros) (Reporting by Harro ten Wolde; Editing by Maria Sheahan) Devon Energy Corp. DVN reported first-quarter 2016 adjusted loss per share of 53 cents, narrower than the Zacks Consensus Estimate of a loss of 60 cents. In first-quarter 2015, the company reported earnings of 22 cents per share. Lower-than-expected loss in the first quarter was primarily due to the cost saving initiatives undertaken by the company. On a GAAP basis, the company reported a loss of $6.44 per share compared with a loss of $8.88 per share in the year-ago quarter. The difference between operating and GAAP figures in the reported quarter was due to a non-cash, asset-impairment charge. Revenues Devons quarterly revenues of $2.12 billion lagged year-ago revenues of $3.26 billion by 34.9% and the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $2.58 billion by 17.8%. The decline in revenues was due to lower contribution from all operating segments compared with the prior-year quarter. Highlights of the Release In the first quarter 2016, Devons total production averaged 581,000 barrels of oil-equivalent (boe) per day, surpassing the mid-point of the guidance by 6,000 boe per day. Total production during the reported quarter was primarily driven by a 10% year-over-year increase in oil production in the U.S. Robust output from Devons Delaware Basin and Rockies assets was particularly notable. In addition, performance from its Jackfish 3 Project in Canada was impressive. At the field level, the company is effectively controlling its costs. Thanks to its initiatives, lease operating expenses (LOE) were down 21% year over year to $7.13 per boe. Realized Prices Realized oil prices in the quarter were $33.66 per barrel, down 31.1% from $48.87 per barrel in the year-ago quarter. Realized prices for natural gas were down 30.1% to $2.09 per thousand cubic feet (Mcf) from $2.99 per Mcf in the year-ago quarter. Total realized prices in the first quarter, including cash settlements, were $13.53 per boe, down 56.9% year over year due to lower commodities prices. Financial Health As of Mar 31, 2016, the company had a cash balance of $1,635 million, down from $2,310 million as of Dec 31, 2015. Long-term debt as of Mar 31, 2016, was $12,195 million compared with $12,056 million as of Dec 31, 2015. Devons cash flow from operating activities in first-quarter 2016 was $149 million compared with $1,648 million in first-quarter 2015. Capital expenditure was $749 million, lower than $1,717 million a year ago. Guidance Devon Energy estimates total production from its core assets for the second quarter of 2016 in the range of 527,000551,000 boe per day. The company now expects 2016 total daily production in the range of 531,000555,000 boe, up 3% from the previous expectation of 516,000-540,000 boe. Capital expenditure (capex) in the second quarter is expected in the range of $325$405 million. The company reiterated the 2016 capex guidance in the range of $1,170 million to $1,445 million. Devons 2016 E&P capital investment is estimated in a $900 million to $1.1 billion range and, for the second quarter, it is expected in a range of $250 million to $300 million. Devon Energy further lowered its 2016 LOE outlook by $50 million to a range of $1.75 billion to $1.85 billion. The company expects its field-level costs, which include both LOE and production taxes, to decline by up to $400 million for 2016. Devon is also on track to lower general and administrative expenses by $500 million from 2015 levels. Other Company Releases Anadarko Petroleum Corporation APC reported a first-quarter 2016 adjusted loss of $1.12 per share, narrower than the Zacks Consensus Estimate of a loss of $1.19. TOTAL S.A. TOT reported first-quarter 2016 operating earnings of 68 cents per share, easily surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 44 cents by 54.6% Chevron Corp. CVX reported a loss per share of 39 cents, wider than the Zacks Consensus Estimate of a loss of 18 cents. Our View While Devon Energy incurred a narrower-than-expected loss in the first quarter of 2016, revenues fell short of the Zacks Consensus Estimate. The persistent weakness in commodity prices has finally forced the company to incur a loss. However, Devons focus on high-quality North American properties has led to increased oil output for six quarters in a row. We expect continued strong production from the Eagle Ford and Permian Basin assets and Canadian heavy oil operations to help it to maintain strong production levels. Additionally, Devon continues to divest non-core assets and focus on its high return core assets. In April, Devon announced a deal to sell its non-core Mississippian assets in northern Oklahoma for $200 million, which is a step toward its planned divesture of $2 billion to $3 billion of non-core E&P properties. The proceeds from these divestments will help the company to lower its outstanding debt and maintain financial flexibility. Oil prices have shown remarkable gains lately on a rise in gasoline consumption, lower rig usage in the U.S. and worldwide outages. Cost-saving initiatives of the company are also in full force and are expected to generate total savings of nearly $900 million from 2015 levels, a big positive amid challenging circumstances. Devon Energy currently has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report >> Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report CHEVRON CORP (CVX): Free Stock Analysis Report TOTAL FINA SA (TOT): Free Stock Analysis Report DEVON ENERGY (DVN): Free Stock Analysis Report ANADARKO PETROL (APC): Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research How Altria Group Beat Earnings and Sales Estimates in 1Q16 (Continued from Prior Part) Smokeless tobaccos revenue and operating income Altria Groups (MO) smokeless tobacco product segments net revenue rose 11.4% in 1Q16 to $0.5 billion versus $0.4 billion in 1Q15. This was the highest rise among MOs three segments. The rise was due to higher pricing and higher volumes, and it was partially offset by higher promotional investments. The smokeless product segments net revenue of excise taxes rose 12.3%. The segments reported operating income rose 11.6% to $0.3 billion. This was due to higher pricing and higher volumes, which were partially offset by restructuring costs in connection with productivity initiatives and higher promotional investments by Altrias Nu Mark subsidiary. Excluding asset impairment and exit costs of $13 million, adjusted operating income rose 16.7% for smokeless products in 1Q16. Shipment volume and retail share Benefited by Copenhagen and Skoal, the smokeless tobacco segments reported domestic shipment volume rose 7.8% in 1Q16. However, this rise was offset by falls in its other portfolio brands. Combined reported shipment volumes of Copenhagen and Skoal rose 7.8%, driven by the national expansion of Copenhagen Mint. Despite higher pricing and higher volumes, Skoals retail (XRT) share fell 0.6 share points. However, the total retail share of smokeless products rose by 0.2 points to 55.1% in 1Q16. Copenhagen and Skoals combined retail share rose by 0.5 points to 51.6% in 1Q16. Peers in the smokeless products segment Peers Reynolds American (RAI), Imperial Tobacco (ITYBY), and Japan Tobacco (JAPAF) (JAPAY) also produce smokeless tobacco products. Reynolds Americans subsidiary American Snuff Company produces moist snuff brands including Grizzly and Kodiak. Imperial Tobaccos and Japan Tobaccos smokeless tobacco products are Skruf Snus and Zerostyle Mint, respectively. Other companies such as British American Tobacco (BTI) and Philip Morris International (PM) dont have presences in the smokeless tobacco segment. Story continues Focus on expansion Altrias subsidiary, the U.S. Smokeless Tobacco Company, continues to expand Copenhagen Mint nationally with strong brand awareness and a trial generating plan. According to CEO Martin J. Barrington, Copenhagen has the essence of authenticity, masculinity, and craftsmanship, which allows the brand to compete with other smokeless brands. MO makes up 0.2% of the iShares Morningstar Multi-Asset Income ETF (IYLD). Continue to Next Part Browse this series on Market Realist: Donald Trump Ohio Gov. John Kasich may be getting out of the presidential race, but he may still find his way onto the Republican general-election ticket. In a Wednesday CNN interview, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee said that he'd be interested in vetting Kasich as a potential vice-presidential running mate. "I'd be very interested in vetting John," Donald Trump said. "I like John, I've had a good relationship with John, I've gotten along with him well," he added. Trump also asserted that Kasich could be an asset in a general-election matchup against Democratic presidential frontrunner Hillary Clinton. "I think John will be very helpful with Ohio, even as a governor," Trump said. Kasich is set to suspend his presidential campaign later on Wednesday. But as primary rivals, the relationship between Trump and Kasich hasn't always been so rosy. Leading up to Tuesday's Indiana primary, the real-estate magnate slammed Kasich for his support for the North American Free Trade Agreement. He also extensively mocked the governor's eating habits. "Every time you see him, he's eating," Trump said at a rally last week. "He's stuffing his face. I've never seen. The pizza. He ate a piece of pizza I'm telling you, it was 4 or 5 inches long by 4 or 5 inches and he couldn't get it in his mouth. And he's pushing it in with the fork and he's got 20 cameras around." Watch part of Trump's interview below: Donald Trump says he would be interested in vetting John Kasich for a VP position https://t.co/d1AgjZ5q8x https://t.co/zgnJwN3uAR CNN Politics (@CNNPolitics) May 4, 2016 NOW WATCH: Trump just dropped more hints about a possible running mate More From Business Insider Washington (AFP) - Billionaire Donald Trump has capitalized on his media savvy and the anti-establishment anger of Republican voters to become the first political neophyte to capture the party's White House nomination since World War II hero Dwight Eisenhower in 1952. In 2010, the Grand Old Party had been overtaken by the insurgent Tea Party, whose mission was to upend politics as usual, ousting Republican and Democratic stalwarts in favor of fresh faces. The party as a whole eventually embraced that message, but Trump took it to the next level -- and made that voter rage the center of his unlikely presidential run. "The overarching environment here is anger on the far right," James Thurber, director of the Center for Congressional and Presidential Studies at American University in Washington, told AFP. Thurber said voters were mad that "those in the establishment have not done what they said they would do -- that is, shrink government, get rid of the Affordable Care Act and stop the liberal drive with respect to gay marriage and rights and social issues." "Trump is unique, it's hard to explain, but certainly his voters come from that far angry right. They feel that they've been left behind." The Republican party machine even -- perhaps inadvertently -- directly contributed to Trump's rise. During Barack Obama's first term, Trump championed the cause of the so-called "birther" movement, questioning whether Obama was born in the US to challenge his presidency. "The Republican Party looked at that and thought, 'Hey, this is a way to energize our base.' In the short term they did very little to stop him," said John Hudak, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, a Washington think tank. "That gave Donald Trump prominence in the Republican Party, and now that prominence that it gave him is something that many people in the party are coming to regret," he told AFP. Story continues "What he is is a reflection of a Republican Party that is addicted to short-term benefits and ignorant of long-term considerations." - 'Anger is driving them' - When Trump declared he was running for president on June 16, 2015, it drew little attention and two-thirds of Republicans said they would never vote for him. But three weeks later, he labeled Mexican immigrants criminals and rapists, sparking a firestorm that proved to be the lift-off of a mold-shattering campaign to "Make America Great Again!" -- fueled by obsessive media coverage. A former reality TV star who flaunted his billions, Trump paradoxically tapped into white working class anger with attacks on immigration, free trade, and a sold-out political class, which he freely admitted to having paid to do his bidding in the past. Treated as a joke initially and then as a passing phenomenon, Trump leaped from three percent support in the polls to the head of a 17-candidate field. Winning primary after primary, he forced out early favorites like Jeb Bush, the brother and son of former Republican presidents. Many traditional conservatives remain wildly opposed to his candidacy -- notably those with advanced degrees -- but Trump nevertheless has rallied the support of more than half of Republican voters. His popularity now transcends typical ideological barriers. He is both conservative and moderate, a devout capitalist who slams free trade, a supporter of gun rights who promises not to touch Americans' Social Security benefits. "I don't think it's a coherent conservative philosophy that's driving them -- I think it's anger that's driving them," Thurber said. The dormant xenophobia lurking on the American right also plays a role in his success, Hudak notes. Some of Trump's rallies have erupted in violence between his white supporters and black or Latino protesters, with the candidate tacitly approving the scuffles. - Media star - Trump's other trump card, as it were, has been his total domination of the airwaves. Seemingly every day, he gives a televised interview. Thanks to him, the Republican primary debates attracted the biggest non-sports cable TV audiences in US history. Through a mix of spectacle and controversy, Trump fine-tuned his campaign to hit media buttons -- whether by criticizing Republican senator and war hero John McCain or proposing that the US border be closed to Muslims. His promise to build a wall on the border with Mexico was a tailor-made TV soundbite, played and replayed for maximum effect. He is the only candidate whose rallies have been shown from start to finish. All that free coverage has allowed him to save tens of millions of dollars he would have spent on campaign ads. "His celebrity status was the greatest asset he brought to this, and that celebrity status was enhanced enormously by 15 seasons of 'The Apprentice,'" long-time Trump confidant Roger Stone told Politico. "To voters, there's no line between the news and reality TV. It's all TV. It's all television," Stone said. "If you see Trump in 'The Apprentice,' he's in the high-backed chair. He's perfectly lit. He's perfectly made up. He's perfectly coiffed. He's perfectly dressed. And he's decisive. He's tough. He's making decisions. "He looks and acts like what you think a president should be." Donald Trump A seemingly overwhelming primary victory in Indiana didn't stop Donald Trump from continuing his rhetorical attacks on Sen. Ted Cruz. Two minutes after almost every major news outlet projected Trump the winner in the Hoosier State, the Republican presidential frontrunner took a swing on Twitter at his rival, whom he has repeatedly accused of being "crazy." "Wow, Lyin' Ted Cruz really went wacko today. Made all sorts of crazy charges. Can't function under pressure not very presidential. Sad!" Trump tweeted. He later added that Cruz should drop out of the race with a loss in the Hoosier State. "Lyin' Ted Cruz consistently said that he will, and must, win Indiana. If he doesn't he should drop out of the race-stop wasting time & money," he wrote. Trump has attempted to undermine Cruz's legitimacy as a candidate. But the real-estate magnate on Tuesday made headlines for another round of dubious claims about his GOP rival. Earlier on Tuesday, Cruz forcefully and angrily denounced Trump's suggestion that the Texas senator's father, Rafael Cruz, was photographed and had a relationship with President John F. Kennedy's assassin, Lee Harvey Oswald. Trump's assertion was built off a report by the tabloid National Enquirer. "This man is a pathological liar. He doesn't know the difference between truth and lies," Cruz said at a press conference on Tuesday. "He lies practically every word that comes out of his mouth." Cruz's loss to Trump in Indiana is a devastating blow for his campaign, which hoped to pick up a significant number of delegates in order to deny Trump the 1,237 delegates needed to secure the Republican presidential nomination. Now the magnate looks to be on a relative glide path to the nomination. NOW WATCH: Argentina is trolling Trump to hype a big international soccer tournament More From Business Insider donald trump Donald Trump isn't hoping to mend broken relationships with many of his detractors from the Republican Party. Fresh off his decisive win in Indiana, which made him the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, Trump told NBC's "Today" on Wednesday that he didn't want the support of Republican leaders who had vigorously opposed his nomination. "I am confident I can unite much of it," Trump said. "Some of it I don't want." He continued: "There were statements made about me, and those people can go away and come back after eight years after we serve two terms. Honestly, there are some people I really don't want." With the decision of Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas to suspend his campaign on Tuesday, Trump is the all-but-certain Republican presidential nominee, needing fewer than 200 delegates to formally secure the nomination. Still, Trump's controversial rhetoric on the campaign trail including personal attacks on rivals and inflammatory statements about minority groups has jeopardized his relationships with former presidential opponents and Republican Party leaders. During the "Today" interview on Wednesday, hosts Matt Lauer and Savannah Guthrie pressed the real-estate mogul to answer whether he believed it was possible for Cruz to support him. Over the past few months, Trump has lobbed constant rhetorical and social-media attacks at the senator and several immediate family members including Cruz's father, Rafael, and his wife, Heidi. "I really don't know," Trump said. "And that goes for other people, too I don't know. I hope so. In Ted's case, it'd be nice. In other cases, I don't care." Guthrie pressed Trump to explain why he publicly suggested Tuesday that Rafael Cruz was somehow involved with President John F. Kennedy's assassin, Lee Harvey Oswald, even though there was no evidence of any relationship between the two. "Why in the world would you do that?" Guthrie asked. "This was just in response to some very, very nasty remarks made about me," Trump responded, saying he had "no idea" that he would win Indiana by a large margin. Story continues A handful of prominent Republicans on Tuesday maintained that they would not support Trump's nomination. A former top aide to Sen. John McCain's presidential campaign tweeted out his reluctant support for Democratic presidential frontrunner Hillary Clinton. Frequent Trump critic Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina indicated at a conference that Clinton had the presidency all but wrapped up. Sen. Ben Sasse of Nebraska, another prominent intraparty Trump critic, asserted that neither Trump nor Clinton deserved the presidency. Overwhelming majority of Americans think both the D and R frontrunners are dishonest. The people are right. It matters.#WeCanDoBetter Ben Sasse (@BenSasse) May 4, 2016 NOW WATCH: Trump just dropped more hints about a possible running mate More From Business Insider By John Miller ZURICH, May 4 (Reuters) - Companies should not blame U.S. sanctions for stopping them investing in Iran, a State Department official told businesses on Wednesday, saying there were many other risks putting off would-be investors. The United States and Europe lifted sanctions in January under a deal with Tehran to limit its nuclear programme, but U.S. sanctions unrelated to the nuclear issue remain, banning dollar transactions with Iran and making it harder for companies to access finance for business in the Islamic Republic. Jarrett Blanc, the State Department's deputy lead coordinator of last year's nuclear deal, said companies should tell their Iranian partners that it was not just those remaining sanctions that were holding up business deals. "Many times, in the past 100 days, we have found international firms who have said to Iran: 'Only U.S. sanctions are preventing you from doing business'," Blanc told 400 people at a forum for European business with Iran in Zurich. "But when we dig a little deeper, and seek to answer questions about precisely your concerns, it turns out that your business decisions, not surprisingly, in fact take into account concerns well beyond sanctions." Iran has signed billions of dollars of deals with European firms since the nuclear sanctions were lifted, including a $27 billion aircraft order from Airbus. But deals requiring investment inside Iran have moved slowly. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the most powerful figure in Iran, has blamed the delays squarely on the United States. "The U.S. Treasury ... acts in such a way that big corporations, big institutions and big banks do not dare to come and deal with Iran," Khamenei said in March. Iranian businesses at the Zurich forum said European banks were staying away due to U.S. pressure, and said that could put European companies at a disadvantage to their Asian competitors. "They are going to lose opportunities soon," Majid Ghassemi, president of Bank Pasargad, told Reuters. "It is against the benefits of European investors, this kind of barrier that the Americans have put up against the banking system in Europe." Story continues Parviz Akbaroff, international business manager at infrastructure consulting company Rah Shahr, said European firms had "become subservient to U.S. interests". While the United States does not prohibit foreign banks from doing business with Iran, many are wary after facing multi-billion dollar fines during the sanctions era. Nonetheless, lawyers and consultants have consistently warned would-be investors of a wide range of other risks including complex regulations, unclear dispute mechanisms, labour issues, and corruption. Blanc said investors who acknowledge these concerns privately should communicate them to their Iranian partners. "Don't take the easy way out, by just saying 'U.S. sanctions, U.S. sanctions, U.S. sanctions'," he said. (Additional reporting by Joshua Franklin; Editing by Sam Wilkin and Robin Pomeroy) Kinshasa (AFP) - DR Congo's justice minister said on Wednesday he had ordered a probe into the alleged use of foreign mercenaries by opposition politician Moise Katumbi, who later announced his candidacy for president. Katumbi hit back at the mercenary allegations describing as a "grotesque lie" claims his camp were recruiting mercenaries specialised in "training and the use of weapons, as security guards or bodyguards". "It's a disgrace, a grotesque lie... they are simply looking to harm me.... Never will I, Moise Katumbi, take up arms for power," he told AFP, adding that his "struggle is democratic and peaceful out of respect for the constitution". Justice minister Alexis Thambwe Mwamba earlier told journalists he had given orders to the general prosecutor to open a judicial case in the southeastern former province of Katanga. "We have documented proof that several former American soldiers are currently in Katanga in the service of Mr Katumbi," he said, adding that the mercenaries were being recruited via a "network with a company based in Virginia in the United States". On April 24, four members of Katumbi's entourage including an American were arrested in DR Congo's second city Lubumbashi, the capital of Katanga, and transferred to Kinshasa. Thambwe accused American "ex-corporal Lewis Darryl of having tried to force a police barrier during an opposition protest" in Lubumbashi on Friday and "having tried to flee during his transfer from Ndjili airport to Kinshasa". The minister said seven other former American soldiers and at least two South Africans had been staying in residences belonging to Katumbi, "for reasons that the inquiry will clarify". - Crisis since election - Katumbi was formerly governor of Katanga, which has since been split into several different administrative regions. He joined the opposition in September after quitting as governor and leaving the party of President Joseph Kabila. Story continues Popular and charismatic, the 51-year-old wealthy businessman is also head of the prestigious Tout-Puissant Mazembe football club, three-time winner of the African Champions League. A coalition of opponents of Kabila announced Sunday that they had chosen Katumbi as their candidate to run against Kabila in the presidential election. On Wednesday Katumbi wrote on Twitter: "I accept this heavy responsibility with humility." On Friday the politician accused the regime of targeting him with "false allegations", drawing reference to the "supposed recruitment of foreign mercenaries in Katanga province" and a report, by a TV station close to the government, of "the existence of training camps". Authorities are under pressure from the international community to hold the polls as planned in November before Kabila's second -- and constitutionally last -- mandate ends, but this appears increasingly unlikely. DR Congo's political climate has grown increasingly tense, with Kabila's opponents accusing him of seeking to extend his stay in power. The country has been in crisis since Kabila's re-election in late 2011 in polls marred by irregularities and massive fraud. Kabila assumed power after his father, president Laurent Kabila, was assassinated in 2001. Drake's Views album was already off to a fast start, and it's getting even bigger. Industry forecasters now say the album could sell over 850,000 copies in the U.S. in the week ending May 5, while its total equivalent album unit sum may surpass 1 million. On April 30, industry sources suggested Views was on its way to over an 800,000 sales start, and perhaps over 900,000 in total units. Further, Nielsen Music reports that Views has already sold over 770,000 copies in its first four days on sale (April 29-May 2). The album is on track to debut at No. 1 on the May 21-dated Billboard 200 chart, giving Drake his sixth chart-topper. The set was released exclusively for sale through the iTunes Store and to stream via Apple Music on April 29 by Young Money/Cash Money/Republic Records. Drake Offers His POV on Love, Success & Toronto on 'Views': A First Listen The Billboard 200 chart ranks the most popular albums of the week based on multi-metric consumption, which includes traditional album sales, track equivalent albums (TEA) and streaming equivalent albums (SEA). The top 10 of the new May 21-dated Billboard 200 chart is scheduled to be revealed on Billboard's websites on Sunday, May 8. As Views has already sold more than 770,000 copies, it has earned Drake his largest sales week ever (and the week isn't even over yet). It beats his previous high, logged when Nothing Was the Same debuted at No. 1 in 2013 with 658,000 copies sold, according to Nielsen Music. Views follows Drake's five consecutive No. 1-debuting full-length albums on the Billboard 200: What a Time to Be Alive (with Future, in 2015), If You're Reading This It's Too Late (2015), Nothing Was the Same, Take Care (2012) and Thank Me Later (2010). His only charting album to miss the top was his debut EP, So Far Gone, which peaked at No. 6 in 2009. If Views starts with over 850,000 copies sold, it will be just the 10th album to sell more than 850,000 copies in a single week in the past 10 years -- and the first by a male artist to do so since Justin Timberlake's The 20/20 Experience launched with 968,000 in the week ending March 24, 2013. (The last album to sell more than 850,000 in a week was Adele's 25, which managed the feat in three separate weeks at the end of 2015.) Koror (Palau) (AFP) - A severe drought in Palau is killing marine life at the island nation's popular Jellyfish Lake, researchers say, forcing tourism operators to cancel trips to the unique Pacific destination. The lake near the capital Koror normally provides a tranquil, otherworldly experience for tourists, mostly from China, who snorkel and float among throngs of non-stinging, golden jellyfish. But with the tiny nation of 18,000 in the grip of its worst drought on record, scientists last month estimated the jellyfish population had plummeted from eight million to under 600,000. Boat operators such as Sam's Tours say even that figure is optimistic, putting the numbers at 300,000 and falling. Sam's no longer runs tours to the lake, normally one of Palau's main attractions, and four out of five operators contacted by AFP last week had adopted a similar policy. "Many tour companies including ours that have been taking guests to the lake have not seen any jellyfish," Sam's said in a statement to customers. "We at Sam's Tours have therefore decided to suspend our tours to Jellyfish Lake with immediate effect until further notice." Palau had 160,000 foreign visitors last year, more than half of them from mainland China, and tourism is the economy's largest earner. The drought, fuelled by an El Nino weather pattern, has depleted rivers and dams, forcing the government to declare a state of emergency and appeal for overseas aid. The Coral Reef Research Foundation said the lack of rainwater had increased salinity in the lake, killing off the plankton that sustain the jellyfish. "The golden jelly population could be on the verge of crashing, to the point where there are no more medusae (adults) swimming around the lake," the foundation said. It said juvenile polyps could usually go dormant and repopulate when conditions improved but current conditions on the lake were unprecedented. Story continues "This time around the situation is uncertain, as no one knows how this El Nino/La Nina scenario is going to play out," it added. The Koror state government said it was confident that eventually Jellyfish Lake would once again live up to its name. "This is a phase in the natural cycle of events in the overall realm of the ecosystem," it said. "Similar events in the past show evidence of the resilience of our natural environment to recover to normal conditions." By Peter Blaza MANILA (Reuters) - Filipinos have scoffed and slurped to show their backing for Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte ahead of next week's presidential elections. The maverick mayor of the southern city is leading the "Gulp Poll" conducted by convenience store chain 7-Eleven, which has asked customers at their 1,650 outlets across the country to pick soda cups with images of their favorite presidential candidate. The popularity of Duterte's blue cup has mirrored two opinion polls last week that put the 71-year-old between seven and 12 percentage points in front of his nearest rival, Grace Poe, ahead of the May 9 national vote. "I picked Duterte because I want a change in society, and I see how well-received he is when he campaigns in other areas," said government employee Michael John Aguillon. The store's poll, first won by President Benigno Aquino in 2010, has "undecided" cups in second with those of former interior minister Manuel Roxas, vice president and opposition leader Jejomar Binay, Senator Poe and Senator Miriam Santiago all trailing. The convenience store is not the only ones to mix politics with the palate. In downtown Manila, customers at Kamuning Bakery can pick a set of stuffed pandesal, a Filipino bread roll, named after a particular candidate. Duterte's spicy pork sandwich was leading the race, bakery staff said. "I saw most of the customers ordering 'Pan de Duterte' because they like the mayor of Davao, and the second most popular ever since we started was Senator Grace Poe," Kamuning bakery owner Wilson Lee Flores said. (Editing by Patrick Johnston) What happens if nothing changes? With tens of millions of voters supporting Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders promises of political revolution, will the country accept the status quo? Thats what Hillary Clinton promises: four more years of Obamas policiesTPP. Trump, on the other hand, offers disruption. Does that mean chaos, or could it mean progress? Donald Trump could turn the countrys animus towards the Washington establishment to his advantage. He can and should run on taking power away from Beltway Bureaucrats, and retuning it to the states where it belongs. Taking on the DC cartel, as Ted Cruz describes it, would be popular. More important, it could get the country working again. Related: Dont Let Government Stifle the Next Tech Revolution The exciting thing is --- its not that hard. Across the country, there are plenty of talented governors -- 31 of them Republican -- working hard to beef up their states economies. At the Milken Global Conference this week, two Republican and two Democrat governors described their practical and successful agendas for improving their states fortunes. State Governors - Party Strength Over Time | InsideGov They both focused on job creation -- as Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker said, Everything we want to do requires jobs. We have to grow the workforce. With higher payrolls come higher tax revenues, allowing for investments in transportation, education and job training that in turn attract more jobs. It is the ultimate virtuous circle, but one that has been missing from the national agenda for the past seven years. Republicans Walker and Rick Scott of Florida joined with Democrats Terry McAuliffe from Virginia and John Hickenlooper from Colorado in boasting about the reduced unemployment and deficits recorded in their respective states. All four talked about steps they were taking to develop and improve their workforces. Related: To Beat Hillary, Trump Has to Agree to a 'Presidential Makeover' Story continues Hickenlooper discussed providing tech training to kids not likely to go to college; Scott Walker has doubled the number of apprenticeships being offered to young people and emphasized opportunities for returning veterans. McAuliffe is also offering training for veterans, especially in the area of cyber security. All four men are actively seeking increased investment for their states. McAuliffe has traveled extensively internationally, pitching foreign companies on building in Virginia. He just landed a $2 billion deal with a Chinese company, insisting that it was more profitable going after foreign inflows that trying to buy companies moving in from other states. Scott took a different tack. He has often approached companies in California, pitching them on Floridas lower tax and lighter regulation. Ditto Walker, who has poached companies from neighboring Illinois. The nations governors are not allowed to print money, and most must balance their budgets. As a result, the collective income statements and balance sheets of the states are fairly healthy. Those that are not, like California, have to raise taxes to cover the budget hole; that drives businesses and tax revenues out the door. Its not too long before saner policies take hold. Related: Hillary Clinton Plays the Womans Card, and Rakes in Millions These four governors Republicans and Democrats alike -- expressed extreme frustration with the federal government. McAuliffe bemoaned the impact of sequestration, which had cut deeply into Virginias Department of Defense revenues, while Scott related his tortuous efforts to resolve the status of the Everglades, which meant dealing with no less than four federal agenciesone at a time. When asked why none of them appeared to engage with the federal governments 47 separate job-training programs instead, creating their own approaches all cited D.C waste and red tape. Questioned as to whether there were other activities they would prefer to handle without the help of the feds, all had plenty of suggestions. The point is these and other governors around the country are making important improvements in the welfare of their residents. Common sense approaches to building their local economies are working and our political leaders should encourage more of the same by restoring power to the states. For instance, the nation is currently convulsed over whether or not to support free trade. These governors are pro-trade and theyre proving the merits of a free flow of goods and services by arranging bilateral deals with foreign companies and their states. Instead of monster legislation that contains always the seeds of unintended consequences, these transactions are discrete and comprehensible. Related: Why Donald Trump Has Daddy Issues If such deals result in a loss of jobs, these governors will be held accountable. If and when President Obamas TPP results in more jobs heading out the door, he will be long gone, as will many of the legislators who cooked up the agreement. Ditto the ambition to improve the nations infrastructure. Anticipating the expansion of the Panama Canal, and in response to the labor problems impeding upgrading of West Coast ports, Rick Scott moved quickly to enlarge and refurbish Floridas seaports, anxious to cash in on the increased cargo traffic. The federal government did not provide the funding, so Florida moved forward on its own. Congress spends years crafting hideously complicated and often poorly written multi-thousand page bills dealing with trade or transportation, which few read or understand. Voters are pretty sure those mega-laws contain hidden goodies and glitches; they cant imagine there isnt a better way. There is a better way, but it is not through Congress. The federal government is propped up by legislators in the House and the Senate whose impact is measured by bills passed, not bills implemented. Their success is measured in monies appropriated, not by deliverables. President Obama takes victory laps for instituting Obamacare, notwithstanding the high deductibles and limited doctor choice that come with the healthcare law. Ted Cruz is forever reminding us that he is the only true Conservative in this race. His problem is that voters today associate conservatism with social issues like opposing abortion and same-sex marriage rather than smaller, more efficient federal government. That is a failing of the past two Republican presidential candidates, neither of whom made the case so ably articulated by Ronald Reagan, for shrinking the D.C. bloat. Donald Trump should make state empowerment the centerpiece of his economic agenda. It would not only be a popular campaign message, it is actually good policy. Top Reads from The Fiscal Times: Beirut (AFP) - Economic concerns and the desire for a sense of purpose and revenge are the major factors pushing young Syrians into the arms of jihadist groups, a study released on Wednesday found. The report by peace activist group International Alert draws on interviews with 311 Syrians, their families and members of their communities in Syria, Lebanon and Turkey. It found that males between the ages of 12 and 24 were most at risk of joining jihadist organisations like the Islamic State group and Al-Qaeda's Syrian affiliate Al-Nusra Front. But instead of being attracted by the groups' ultra-conservative ideologies, young Syrians are more driven by "the need to earn a basic living, regain a sense of purpose and dignity and the belief in a moral duty to protect, avenge and defend". Young Syrian men said joining armed groups afforded them "a strong sense of purpose, honour and self-worth". "People can find a new meaning to their life in extremism. Extremism opens a door to a new life where they are wanted," one interviewee told International Alert. For young children, recruitment into jihadist groups offers them a chance to belong to a peer group that war has denied them by excluding them from class. With more than two million children out of school in Syria, IS and Al-Nusra have been "filling this gap by providing their own forms of education," the report said. The "Cubs of the Caliphate" recruitment programme run by the Sunni extremists of IS includes courses in religion and military tactics. "These 'schools' are highly segregated, exploit sectarian divisions and support divisive narratives." To prevent recruitment, the report urged host countries for the millions of Syrian refugees to enrol children in school programmes that incorporate psychiatric support and trauma treatment. The report also urged "providing alternative sources of livelihood, better access to positive social groups and institutions, and avenues for exercising non-violent activism". Story continues "If not for this job I would be on the front line with a Kalashnikov," one Syrian man who works as a peace activist in Lebanon said. Jihadist groups like IS and Al-Nusra have shot to prominence in Syria as the uprising that erupted against President Bashar al-Assad in 2011 has degenerated into a devastating civil war. More than 270,000 people have been killed and nearly five million fled abroad. There is an easy story to tell about the Obama Recovery. Devastated by a financial crash, the U.S. launched a historic comeback. The private sector added jobs in 73 consecutive months, the longest stretch ever. Unemployment is lower today than in the month Reagan left office. Real GDP has grown more than 13 percent since its most-recent low in 2009, Obamas first year in office. Thats more than twice as much growth as in some western European countries, like France. Compared to how countries typically perform after financial crises, the United States has probably managed this better than any large economy on Earth in modern history, President Obama told The New York Times Magazine. But there is an opposite story that is attracting widespread support and millions of votes: The recovery is a failure. Donald Trump is an IMAX projection of white working-class grievances, calling America a third-world country. Bernie Sanderss supporters describe a country where poverty and financial insecurity are not bugs but rather features of a rigged economy. The pessimistic style is not niche: Trump and Sanders have amassed a combined 16 million votes. Recommended: The Secret Shame of Middle-Class Americans Living Paycheck to Paycheck Taken together, the two narratives produce a dissonant, but not contradictory, summary of America: On average, everything is getting better, but for many people, nothing is going well. This fits what statisticians call a power law distribution, where exponential equations (hence power) deliver extremely unequal rewards. Averages mean little in a power law. Imagine if 100 people enter a lottery, and 90 people win nothing; five people win $10; four people win $100, and one person wins $1,000. The lottery awards $1,450 to 100 people. The average prize is $14.50. But that statistic is nearly meaningless. Ninety percent of the participants won nothing, and one person won 69 percent of the cash. In a normal distribution, average is a useful indicator. In a power-law distribution, average is misleading. Story continues The U.S. economys power-law features, in which averages disguise massive inequalities in outcomes, go a long way in explaining how Obama can tell a story about the economy vastly different from the ones that are propelling some presidential candidates. A prime example is the pattern of income growth. Between 2009 and 2013, most measures of real personal income showed slow but steady improvement. Average hourly earnings for private sector workers grew about 7 percent. But what about the distribution? The top 1 percent saw its disposable income grow by 11 percent. Everybody else got close to nothing. For the bottom 99 percent, income actually declined through the first five years of the recovery. So far all of the gains of the recovery have gone to the top 1 percent, the economist Justin Wolfers wrote. Recommended: Opting Out of Coastal Madness to Live a Low-Overhead Life There are several contributors to this power-law dynamic in U.S. wage growth. One is that the top percentiles of earners include a large number of consistently employed executives, lawyers, doctors, financiers, and other highly educated workers whose work and compensation werent interrupted by dramatic swings within the labor force. Meanwhile the middle of the labor market has undergone painful technological and demographic shifts. Globalization and technology have "hollowed out" the middle class. Between 1979 and 2011, the income of the second and third quintiles of households grew less than one percent per year. The income of the top one percent grew five-times faster. The quality of many middle class jobs is also eroding. Research by the economists Lawrence Katz and Alan Krueger found that between 2005 and 2015, the number of workers in alternative arrangements without health insurance or paid leavelike home health aides, truck drivers, and call-center workersgrew 66 percent, while the number of standard full-time jobs actually declined a bit. Another contributor to this power-law economy is that geographical opportunity has become even more spiky. Workers in rich cities earn much more than their counterparts in poorer parts of the country. Its not just because the price levels of cities are higher. Theyre also more productive. In 2001, the 50 richest metros produced 27 percent more per person than the national average. Today, they produce 34 percent more. Recommended: Why So Many Smart People Arent Happy Descriptions of average nationwide growth are, like the average lottery winner, statistically accurate representations that dissemble more than they reveal. At a time when San Francisco and Austin are bursting at the seams while Cleveland's workforce is actually shrinking, Toledo lost 4 percent of its businesses in the first four years of the recovery, and 61 percent of Detroit's adults aren't working, what sense does it make to say American cities are thriving on average? Even among Americas largest companies, outcomes are diverging. In 2015, Jason Furman, the Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers, and Peter Orszag, Obamas former director of the Office of Management and Budget, published a paper on the rise in inequality between large companies. The top 10 percent of publicly traded companies earned 20 percent or more on their invested capital in the 1980s, and 100 percent or more in 2014, five times the average of the typical company. This suggests that the rise in wage inequality is driven more by a widening gap in the average earnings of workers in different companies than by a widening gap between paychecks inside individual businesses, wrote Orszag. These power-law dynamics are fractal, appearing at the family, company, and city level. Assortative matingrich marrying rich, poor cohabitating with poorconcentrates genetic, economic, and social advantages among children; corporate inequality and the return of monopolies concentrate profits among a handful of companies; geographic inequality concentrates neighborhood effects on both income and behavior. The U.S. smoking rate, for example, fell 50 percent in the last 50 years, but even this average change is heavily concentrated among the rich. The poorest families only smoke 9 percent less than they did in the 1960s. Last week, I published an article called The Average 29-Year-Old. The point was to show that media portrayals of Millennials are misleading: College-educated at 29, living in a city at 29, or married at 29 all leave out more than 60 percent of the age group. But as I wrote in the articles conclusion, even the headline was misleading. Average is easy to report. But its most useful in normal distributions, like height, where the average looks like the median. This economy is many things. But it sure isnt normal. Related Videos Read more from The Atlantic: This article was originally published on The Atlantic. Cairo (AFP) - Egypt's top appeals court acquitted on Wednesday Hosni Mubarak's last prime minister of corruption charges after overturning his sentence for illegal profiteering, his lawyer and a judicial official said. Ahmed Nazif had been found guilty by two criminal courts in 2012 and 2015 of illegally amassing 64 million Egyptian pounds ($7.2 million) serving under the former president. He was sentenced to three years in prison in the first trial, and to five years in the second one. Both rulings were cancelled by the court of cassation, the same court that issued Wednesday's final acquittal. The court's Wednesday ruling cannot be appealed, a judicial official and Nazif's lawyer Wageeh Abdel Malak said. The court is yet to release its reasoning. Nazif was also acquitted of corruption charges in a separate case in February last year, after a criminal court had sentenced him to seven years in prison for his alleged role in awarding contracts for new vehicle license plates. Nazif and other government officials who served under Mubarak were put on trial for corruption after the strongman's overthrow in a 2011 uprising. Most have since been acquitted. Those released include Mubarak's sons, who were convicted with their father of stealing from public funds. The sons were freed in October for time served. Courts also acquitted senior interior ministry officials over the killing of hundreds of protesters during the 2011 uprising. El Chapo Guzman Before he was recaptured in January, Sinaloa cartel kingpin Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman ran the largest airborne operation in Mexico. Between 2006 and 2015, Mexican authorities seized 599 aircraft 586 planes and 13 helicopters that the cartel used to ship drugs throughout Mexico and Latin America, according to information from the Mexican defense ministry (Sedena) that was obtained by Mexican newspaper El Universal. The largest legitimate airline in the country, Aeromexico, has 127 planes. If Guzman's cartel were a legal business, El Universal notes, then it would likely be one of the most successful in the country, based on its 4,771 clandestine landing strips between 550 and 1,100 yards in length dotting Mexico's northern states. "I supply more heroin, methamphetamine, cocaine and marijuana than anybody else in the world," Guzman said in a Rolling Stone interview published in January. "I have a fleet of submarines, airplanes, trucks and boats." In the first three years of Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto's term (2012 to 2015) the military seized 55 planes and shut down 894 landing strips. Most of the aircraft were captured in Culiacan, Navolato, and Ahome municipalities in Sinaloa state, where Guzman grew up and has twice been captured. Drug plane seized Honduras "I went to the military base of the Mexican army in Sinaloa, in Culiacan, and they had more than 100 light aircraft they'd seized from drug traffickers ... And these were only the ones they'd seized," journalist Ioan Grillo told Business Insider. Story continues "They actually put them in a military base because at first they had them in the regular airport, and the drug traffickers used to go in and take them back," Grillo added. narco plane Through transparency laws, El Universal acquired information about 105 of the aircraft seized since 2006 by the Mexican government. Sixty of them were Cessnas, with the Cessna 206 the most popular version, likely because of its double side doors that allow quick off-loading, kits that allow its gas tank to be expanded, and the plane's ability to take off and land on runways as short as 300 to 400 yards. Mexico drug plane wreckage "The most sophisticated process when I was in Mexico was one of the cartels was buying commercial 727 aircraft and French-made Caravelles that could travel 570 mph," Mike Vigil, the former chief of international operations for the US Drug Enforcement Administration, told Business Insider in an interview. "The only thing that could stay with [those aircraft] was a fighter jet, and each plane would carry about 15 metric tons of cocaine," Vigil added. "They landed them in the desert and if they lost the plane it was no big deal because they were buying them for about $800,000," an expense that could easily be made up by a single drug shipment. "It's aircraft, commercial freighters, speedboats, you name it and they have it," Vigil said. "They never settle on one method of transportation or on one route. They're always exploring." NOW WATCH: EX-UNDERCOVER DEA AGENT: What I did when drug dealers asked me to try the product More From Business Insider SAN SALVADOR (Reuters) - El Salvador has arrested former congressman Raul Mijango, who brokered a controversial gang truce in 2012 that reduced murders in the violent Central American nation by half. Mijango, a former guerilla commander and lawmaker with the ruling Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front, or FMLN, was arrested on allegations of bringing banned objects into prisons and being an associate of gang members, police said on Twitter. The truce, mediated by Mijango in 2012, lasted until 2014, and won approval from former leftist President Mauricio Funes and the Organization of American States. The pact was broken by public criticism that the deal was too beneficial to the gangs, which took advantage of less police pressure to rearm. The breakdown led to a record escalation of violence last year, with homicide rates skyrocketing to 103 per 100,000 inhabitants, the world's highest, because of fighting between the Mara Salvatrucha 13 and rival Barrio 18, authorities said. At the time of his arrest, Mijango was trying to promote a new truce. El Salvador's president, Salvador Sanchez Ceren, a 71-year-old former communist guerrilla, has taken a tough line on crime, deploying anti-gang army battalions and toughening up legislation to fight the Maras and their associates. (Reporting by Nelson Renteria; Writing by Enrique Pretel; Editing by Peter Cooney) By Lisa Rapaport (Reuters Health) - About one in five elderly U.S. men get invasive tests to look for prostate tumors even though they may not live long enough to benefit from treatment, a recent study suggests. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF), a government-backed panel of independent physicians, in 2008 recommended against routine prostate cancer tests for men at least 75 years old or with a limited life expectancy. The USPSTF cited concerns that widespread screening often caught harmless tumors that didnt need treatment and led to unnecessary procedures with side effects like impotence and incontinence. But when researchers reviewed data on 3,035 men over 65 who received prostate biopsies from urologists in Michigan in 2013 and 2014, they found 18 percent of these patients had a life expectancy of less than a decade. Some men with limited life expectancy may have needed biopsies because they had painful symptoms, said senior study author Dr. Khurshid Ghani of the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. Or, Ghani said, they may have had elevated blood levels of a substance called prostate-specific antigen (PSA). But PSA levels cant reliably distinguish between dangerous tumors and tumors that are growing so slowly that they dont need treatment, he added. Men with a limited life expectancy and a minimally elevated PSA, with no symptoms, and a normal prostate on clinical examination are unlikely to benefit from a biopsy, Ghani added by email. At least half of the men in the study were about 74 years old, and they were typically overweight. The men with limited life expectancy tended to be older and have more medical problems. Across 42 locations in Michigan that participated in the study, the proportion of biopsies done on men with limited life expectancy ranged from about 4 percent to 39 percent. Overall, 547 men with limited life expectancy received prostate biopsies, the researchers report in the journal European Urology. These men were a bit older and, compared to men with longer to live, they had significantly higher PSA levels as well as abnormal results from rectal exams, the study found. Biopsy results led to a prostate cancer diagnosis for 69 percent of men with limited life expectancy, and within this group 74 percent received treatment - but fewer than half had aggressive tumors. One limitation of the study is that some tools for estimating life expectancy can be cumbersome, and many doctors may not use them to determine whether patients needed biopsies, the authors note. Even so, older men also tend to have higher PSA levels and are more likely than younger men to have enlarged prostates for reasons that are benign or due to slow-growing tumors, said Dr. Victoria Tang of the University of California, San Francisco, and the San Francisco VA Medical Center. Men with limited life expectancy should not be getting a prostate biopsy if a diagnosis and treatment of prostate cancer will not improve the quality or length of life, Tang, who wasnt involved in the study, said by email. For these men, it makes sense for doctors to be selective about ordering a biopsy, said Dr. Quoc-Dien Trinh, a urologist at Brigham and Womens Hospital and Harvard Medical School in Boston who wasnt involved in the study. For example, I am not interested in diagnosing low-risk prostate cancer in a man who is 85 with three recent heart attacks, Trinh said by email. In a perfect world, doctors would be able to accurately pinpoint exactly how long it might take for tumors to have an effect on patients lives and objectively compare this to the competing risk of death from other causes, said Dr. Alexander Kutikov, a researcher at Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia who wasnt involved in the study. In reality, we are still in the Wild West era with regard to our abilities to accurately assess risks surrounding each disease, Kutikov said by email. Indeed, predictive models for cancer prognosis and life expectancy are far from perfect, while effects of many treatments are not wholly known. SOURCE: http://bit.ly/1X8OQHu European Urology, online April 22, 2016. Democratic progessive party leader Tsai Ing-wen attends to the talent competition of children with mental disabilities in Taiwan. [Photo/IC] Following Ma Ying-jeou's election in 2008, Taiwan endorsed the 1992 Consensus. Under this arrangement, both Taiwan and the Chinese mainland accept the principle of "one China", but each side holds its own interpretation of what that means. By doing so, Ma enabled cross-Straits relations to move forward. Negotiations between Taiwan's Straits Exchange Foundation and the mainland's Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits re-opened for the first time in more than a decade. By 2016, senior cross-Straits officials from the two sides had met seven times and a total of 23 cross-Straits agreements had been signed. The number of direct cross-Straits flights soared from zero to 120 per day. Millions of mainland tourists visited Taiwan. And the mainland is now the island's largest trading partner. International observers praised the progress in cross-Straits relations. Support for the rapprochement was even enshrined in the 2010 National Security Strategy of the United States. Even US President Barack Obama declared:"I am very pleased with the reduction of tensions and the improvement in cross-Straits relations." Ma's solid achievements in cross-Straits relations represented a conundrum for Tsai Ing-wen's election campaign because her Democratic Progressive Party still supports "Taiwan's independence". An endorsement of the 1992 Consensus might have alienated key DPP constituencies. But an open abandonment of the 1992 Consensus would have provoked the mainland, frightened Taiwan compatriots and alarmed the global community. In order to cope with the challenge, Tsai opted to sidestep the issue by claiming to support the status quo and handle relations with the mainland in accordance with "the will of the Taiwan people" and "Taiwan constitution". Throughout her campaign, she refused to elaborate on her vague approach to cross-Straits relations. The election campaign is now over and Tsai will assume the island's leadership on May 20. She could use the opportunity to explicitly endorse the 1992 Consensus. And she has five reasons to do so. First, Tsai was careful not to reject the 1992 Consensus during her campaign. Rather, she described it as an "option". On May 20, Tsai will possess the power to choose or reject an option. Hopefully, she will choose wisely. LONDON (Reuters) - British private equity firm Electra (ELTA.L) said on Wednesday it made a total return of 15 percent in the six months ended March, helped by profit growth in its portfolio of companies. The Hotter Shoes owner said it would pay an interim dividend of 44 pence a share. Electra is undertaking a strategic review, including of the performance reporting of its companies, after activist investor Edward Bramson, who heads Sherborne Investors (SIGB.L), fought his way onto the board in 2015 after a bitter battle lasting almost two years. In January shareholder advisory firm PIRC said Electra's board was not independent enough after the appointment of U.S.-based Bramson and a supporter, Ian Brindle. Chairman Kate Barker told Reuters in a telephone interview that the board was seeking "a couple" more independent non-executive directors to address the issue. Electra has already appointed Neil Johnson, chairman of chemicals firm Synthomer (SYNTS.L), as non-executive chairman and director. Johnson is to join Electra on May 12, replacing Barker, who stood in as interim chair after Bramson's joining the board in November prompted the resignation of then Chairman Roger Yates. Barker added that the strategic review was expected to be completed in the autumn. Electra said it had invested 203 million pounds in the period, although the UK referendum on an exit from the European Union was hampering the pace of some transactions. "We've observed that the market is a little quieter because of it," Alex Fortescue, managing partner of Electra. "I think there are processes and transactions that have been put on hold pending the outcome. In terms of our portfolio, we don't see areas of key risk from a Brexit vote." Electra is building up its debt portfolio, which now stands at 59 million pounds, as part of a drive to build up its stable, cash-yielding assets. (Reporting by Freya Berry; editing by Mark Potter and Jason Neely) (Corrects first paragraph to show company has more than 28,000 stations, not 27,000) SAN FRANCISCO, May 3 (Reuters) - Electric vehicle charging network ChargePoint said on Tuesday it had received an additional $50 million in funding to allow the Silicon Valley company to expand beyond its more than 28,000 public charging stations. The new round of funding, led by Linse Capital, brings total funding ChargePoint has raised from investors to more than $164 million. ChargePoint, the world's largest electric vehicle (EV) charging network, is in the United States, Canada, New Zealand and Australia. It operates charging stations and provides cloud-based technology to property owners, governments and drivers, but does not own the stations themselves. It also sells a home charger. Despite regulators' attempts to urge car manufacturers to ramp up sales of electric cars to curb greenhouse gas emissions, the vehicles still face challenges from low gasoline prices, high battery costs and uncertain investment in recharging infrastructure. ChargePoint Chief Executive Pasquale Romano said growth will climb as more makes and models, from Tesla Motors Inc's upcoming Model 3 to the Chevy Bolt from General Motors Co , hit the market and appeal to a broader range of consumers. "Right now we've barely scratched the surface in penetration," said Romano, who added that the company was looking to enter Europe and Asia. "There aren't enough electric vehicles offered yet to fulfill everyone's personal lifestyle choices," Romano said. ChargePoint also said it had appointed as chairman its board member Bruce Chizen, the former CEO of software maker Adobe Systems Inc. (Reporting by Alexandria Sage; Editing by Joseph White and Bill Rigby) Ellen DeGeneres has signed social-media star Tyler Oakley to a content-development pact, as part of the talk-show host and comedians new plan to grow her already enormous digital empire. The deal with Oakley comes with the launch of the Ellen Digital Network, a new umbrella brand encompassing all of her online content that will combine original programming and user-generated content. DeGeneres and Oakley are set to collaborate on a range of original digital projects with an aim toward developing projects for TV as well. Oakleys digital footprint includes more than 8 million YouTube subscribers, 6.2 million Instagram followers and 5.2 million on Twitter. In addition, the inaugural Ellen Digital Network programming slate features an original Damn, Daniel series for Snapchat; Ellens Pet Dish, an animated series featuring her pets from Warner Bros. digital production studio Blue Ribbon Content; a series starring 4-year-old whiz kid and viral sensation Brielle; and new episodes of tWitch & Allisons Dance Challenge. Im so excited for the Ellen Digital Network. Ill get to showcase amazing talents like Tyler Oakley and tWitch, DeGeneres said in announcing the new slate. Plus, Ill finally prove to the world that my pets can speak in human voices. The move by Ellen Digital Ventures, a partnership with Warner Bros. Television, builds on her status as one of the Internets top TV personalities and overall content creators online. Her properties include digital-video hub ellentube, The Ellen DeGeneres Show website at EllenTV.com, her official YouTube channel as well as a massive social-media fanbase. DeGeneres videos generated more than 500 million cross-platform views in March 2016, and have crested 1 billion in recent months, according to Tubular Labs. Ellens digital team announced the Ellen Digital Network at an event Wednesday in New York, timed to coincide with the two-week Digital Content NewFronts pitch-fest. The programming slate will provide advertising and brand-integration opportunities presented in a positive, high-quality environment, the company said. Story continues The new Ellen Digital Network programming slate includes: Damn, Daniel Boyz: Ellen teams up with the creators of Damn, Daniel, Joshua Holz and Daniel Lara, for an original series about the viral phenomenon debuting on Snapchat later this year. Ellens Pet Dish: Animated series chronicling her pets adventures, including sassy small talk and comedic commentary on clips from The Ellen DeGeneres Show. Shes Brielle-iant: Series for ellentube features Brielle Milla, the 4-year-old fan favorite from The Ellen DeGeneres Show, showcasing her smarts on topics including the periodic table, the human body and world geography. tWitch & Allisons Dance Challenge: Six young dancers go head-to-head in dance-competition series on ellentube hosted and judged by choreographers Stephen tWitch Boss (the DJ for The Ellen DeGeneres Show) and his wife, Allison Holker of Dancing with the Stars. The kids are vying for a chance to perform on an episode of Ellen. #MadeByYou: Weekly series featuring user-submitted clips, ranging from sleepy pets to mess-making toddlers, on ellentube. Epic or Fail: Ellens favorite game to play on her show has become a new series for ellentube, hosted by shorts-wearing Ellen staffer Andy Zenor, showcasing user-generated videos and letting viewers play along in real time. Ellen Digital Ventures, founded in 2014, is led by Jill Braff, who serves as general manager and works with Ellen show executive producers Mary Connelly, Ed Glavin, Andy Lassner and Kevin A. Leman II. On YouTube, TheEllenShow channel averages more than 300 million views per month from its nearly 16 million subscribers. On Twitter @TheEllenShow has more than 59 million followers and she has 24 million fans on Facebook for her show. Shes also huge on Instagram (28 million followers), Snapchat (average of 1 million views per day) and Vine (3.5 million followers). Related stories Webby Awards 2016 Winners: Netflix, HBO, the Onion, Tyler Oakley, Michelle Obama Pick Up Awards Discovery CEO David Zaslav, Timbaland, Tyler Oakley to Headline Variety's Entertainment & Technology Summit Michelle Obama, Netflix Among 2016 Webby Nominees BRASILIA, May 4 (Reuters) - Most Latin American currencies retreated on Wednesday as economic growth worries weighed on global markets for a second day, although the Brazilian real gained as the central bank stayed clear of intervening. Mexico's stock index underperformed other bourses in the region, falling nearly 1 percent after U.S. data showed private hiring in Mexico's largest trading partner fell in April to its lowest level in three years. The Bovespa stock index and the broader MSCI LatAm index had small gains, after a brief decline at the start of the trading session. Lackluster manufacturing data from across the world, including China, had already weighed on emerging market stocks and currencies this week, after three months of steady gains. The downbeat mood contrasted with findings of a Reuters poll showing most strategists saw emerging currencies holding their ground against the U.S. dollar throughout this year. Forecasts were revised up across the board, after two months of strong portfolio inflows into emerging markets. The Brazilian real was the only currency in Latin America to advance against the U.S. dollar on Wednesday. The real had the best performance among the 35 currencies most traded in the world, according to Thomson Reuters data, edging closer to eight-month highs by rising more than 1 percent. In equities markets, non-voting shares in miner Vale SA lost more than 5 percent after Brazilian prosecutors announced a $155 billion-real ($43.5 billion) civil lawsuit for the collapse of a dam last year. Shares in Brazilian airline Gol Linhas Aereas Inteligentes SA jumped 13 percent, their biggest intraday gain in over five weeks, after proposing investors to take losses of up to 70 percent on $780 million of outstanding bonds. Key Latin American stock indexes and currencies at 1555 GMT: Stock indexes daily % YTD % Latest change change MSCI Emerging Markets 811.73 -1.14 3.39 MSCI LatAm 2188.74 0.02 19.59 Brazil Bovespa 52560.64 0.57 21.25 Mexico IPC 45201.43 -0.98 5.17 Chile IPSA 3991.90 -0.24 8.47 Chile IGPA 19633.75 -0.2 8.17 Argentina MerVal 13269.15 0.78 13.65 Colombia IGBC 9733.47 -0.3 13.88 Venezuela IBC 15382.33 0.52 5.44 Currencies daily % YTD % change change Latest Brazil real 3.5308 1.10 11.79 Mexico peso 17.7090 -0.45 -2.70 Chile peso 670.1 -0.19 5.91 Colombia peso 2940.97 -0.95 7.76 Peru sol 3.3309 0.03 2.49 Argentina peso (interbank) 14.2200 -0.07 -8.70 Argentina peso (parallel) 14.63 0.21 -2.46 (Reporting by Silvio Cascione; Editing by Meredith Mazzilli) From Esquire INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA-In the failing light of Monday evening, Bernie Sanders spoke to the latest of his mass rallies. It was held in the long shadow of this city's massive monument to the soldiers from Indiana who fought in all of America's wars, from the capture of Vincennes by George Rogers Clark in the Revolution, to the capture of Cuba from Spain. It was a rally like so many others, raggedy millennial goatees and long gray ponytails gathered to hear what they wanted to hear from this most unlikely messenger, a 74-year-old senator from a whiter-than-white state. "Our ideas are the future of America. Our ideas are the future of the Democratic Party." It is worth considering whether or not he is right about this. As flawed a candidate as she is, Hillary Rodham Clinton has run a strong and decent campaign for president. If she wins the nomination, as seems increasingly likely, she will have deserved to win it. (Of course, this also means that she will run for president against He, Trump, which nobody deserves, but that's the way things go this year.) Nevertheless, HRC truly should be the last presidential candidate to be produced by the party dynamic that emerged in the aftermath of Walter Mondale's disastrous candidacy in 1984, and which gained strength throughout the 1980s and eventually reached its culmination in the presidency of Bill Clinton. One of the lasting institutions produced by that dynamic is the concept of superdelegates to the Democratic National Convention. Repeatedly on the stump, Sanders has railed against this system as having been designed to frustrate insurgent candidacies like his. There is no real argument to be mustered against this because Sanders is absolutely right. For more than 40 years, the Democratic party has had an existential terror of insurgent candidacies. The system was designed precisely in order to maintain party discipline from the top down. Democratic panjandrums were terrified of how George McGovern had "hijacked" the convention rules process at the end of the 1960s; those changes helped produce McGovern's own nomination in 1972. The results of that election struck terror in the heart of the leadership of the party. It kickstarted the New Democrat movement that produced the Democratic Leadership Council-which, ultimately, produced Bill Clinton. In between, however, the institutional Democratic Party committed itself to predictable, safe politics. It invented Super Tuesday in order to maximize the influence of conservative southern Democrats, only to have Jesse Jackson demolish that strategy in 1988. For more than 40 years, the Democratic party has had an existential terror of insurgent candidacies. Story continues In fact, it thoroughly reinvented itself principally to eliminate the possibility. In 2008, finally, Barack Obama and his campaign found ways to hack the system from within because the institutions of the party had made it virtually impossible to do it from outside. Meanwhile, of course, due to the gradual encroachment of the prion disease into its higher functions, the Republican Party apparatus became nothing but insurgencies, one after another-from Pat Buchanan submarining George H.W. Bush to the rise this year of He, Trump. This produced a serious enthusiasm imbalance between the two parties. On MSNBC yesterday, John Heilemann interviewed Debbie Wasserman Schultz, the mysteriously still-employed chairman of the DNC, and he pressed her on whether or not Sanders was right about the functions of the superdelegates. DWS ducked and dodged, clinging to the notion that the rules are the rules, and that all the candidates knew the rules when the process began, etc. etc. This is all true, and it's not what Heilemann asked. He asked for the purpose of the superdelegate system. The purpose of the system is to eliminate the possibility of insurgent candidacies like the one mustered this year by Bernie Sanders. There was something elegiac about the rally in Indianapolis, the usual talking points a little bluesier than usual as the sun fell on the last night of the campaign. There are calls in the wider world for Sanders to drop out of the race, or at least to temper his attacks on the putative nominee lest he somehow convince undecided voters to hand the Republic over to a vulgar talking yam. There is no reason for him to do so. The polls are relatively close in Indiana and, even if they weren't, his voters deserve a chance to vote for him, whether that is futile or not, because what they say matters. Night falls on us all. Ultimately, damn his eyes, Dylan Thomas was more right than he knew. Click here to respond to this post on the official Esquire Politics Facebook page. What to Expect from ETEs, ETPs, and SXLs 1Q16 Earnings (Continued from Prior Part) Energy Transfer Equitys market performance Energy Transfer Equity (ETE) is among the most-talked-about companies in the midstream energy sector following its merger agreement with Williams Companies (WMB). Its lost 5.8% of its market value since the beginning of 2016 and 61.3% in the past year. Williams Companies has lost 61.6% in the past year. ETEs subsidiaries, Energy Transfer Partners (ETP) and Sunoco Logistics Partners (SXL), have returned 1.3% and 10.0% in 2016. At the same time, the Alerian MLP ETF (AMLP), which comprises 24 midstream energy MLPs, has returned -0.2%. Together, ETP and SXL form 15.5% of AMLP. Uncertainties surrounding the ETE-WMB merger ETEs loss can be attributed to uncertainties surrounding the pending merger. Below is the series of events since the merger announcement in September. A fall in energy prices raised questions about the deals timing. ETEs replacement of its CFO, Jamie Welch, the main architect behind the ETE-WMB deal, raised concerns about the deals prospects. Later, Welch reportedly called WMB shareholders and urged them to vote against the deal in its current form. Markets speculated that ETE wanted to pull out of the deal. ETE lowered its expected merger synergies. Williams filed a lawsuit against ETEs private offering. ETE has won a motion in Delaware Court to expedite litigation against ETE. ETE said in an S-4 filing that the transaction might not qualify as an exchange but as reorganization, which could result in tax liabilities for WMBs shareholders. Keeping in mind the above uncertainties, investors will likely look for any merger updates in the 1Q16 earnings announcement. 1Q16 distributions ETE declared a distribution of $0.29 per unit for 1Q16 on April 26a 16% year-over-year increase from 1Q15. The partnership rallied following the distribution announcement. Investors might have anticipated a distribution cut. Energy Transfer Partners (ETP) declared a distribution of $1.055 per unit for 1Q16, which represents a 3.9% increase from 1Q15. Story continues ETEs and ETPs distribution remained flat compared to the previous quarter. On the other hand, Sunoco Logistics Partners (SXL) distribution continued to grow for the forty-fourth consecutive quarter. SXL declared a distribution of $0.489 per common unit for the first quarter of 2016a 17% year-over-year increase from 1Q15 and a sequential increase of 2.1%. Continue to Next Part Browse this series on Market Realist: NEW YORK, May 4 (Reuters) - Pipeline company Energy Transfer Equity has rejected two possible solutions that rival Williams Cos Inc hoped would resolve tax issues that Energy Transfer believed threatened their $17 billion tie-up. Energy Transfer said in a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission on Wednesday that Williams has proposed two alternative structures for the deal. Williams believes the new structures would allow Energy Transfer's lawyers to issue a tax opinion that is needed for the deal to close. But Energy Transfer said it does not believe the merger agreement requires it to restructure the deal. It also said the suggested changes would still create substantial risks of material taxation if the deal is completed. Williams has alleged that ETE is looking into ways to walk away from the tie-up even though the terms of the deal would not allow that. The companies have yet to schedule a vote of Williams' shareholders that is needed to ratify the deal. Williams is suing ETE in Delaware to stop a controversial offering of preferred shares to its top shareholders. It has also sued Energy Transfer's Chief Executive Kelcy Warren in Texas over the same offering. ETE said on Wednesday it has countersued Williams in Delaware, alleging that the company breached its obligations under the merger agreement by blocking a proposed public offering and suing Warren in Texas. Dallas billionaire Warren set his sights on Williams last year in order to transform his empire into one of the biggest pipeline networks in the world but the timing was poor. A prolonged drop in oil and gas prices made the deal more difficult to finance and to justify to shareholders. ETE would need to take on a heavy debt load to fund the $6 billion cash portion of the deal. Representatives for Williams declined to comment. (Reporting by Michael Erman; Editing by Bernadette Baum) ROME Italian composer Ennio Morricone, winner of this years original-score Oscar for Quentin Tarantinos The Hateful Eight, has cancelled several European tour dates due to back problems. The 87-year-old maestro with more than 500 movie credits to this name has two collapsed spinal vertebrae, according to a statement issued by Romes Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia Orchestra. He was scheduled to perform three concerts featuring his compositions with Santa Cecilia and its chorus on May 22, 23, and 24 in Romes Auditorium Parco della Musica venue. The Santa Cecilia statement specified that doctors have told Morricone, who has been prone to back injuries for years, that he will be unable to perform until the end of June. I am very sorry, but these concerts will be rescheduled as soon as possible, the statement quoted Morricone as saying. Prior to winning his first competitive Oscar this year, Morricone had previously received an honorary Oscar in 2007, the second composer in Oscar history to accomplish that. His most notables scores include The Mission, The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, Once Upon a Time in America, Days of Heaven, The Untouchables and Bugsy. Related stories Oscar-Winning Composer Ennio Morricone Reflects on His Long Career Italy Cheers Ennio Morricone's Oscar Win for 'The Hateful Eight' Score Legendary Composer Ennio Morricone Wins Original Score Oscar for 'Hateful Eight' LVRM to Supply 100,000 Pounds per Month of Product PHOENIX, AZ / ACCESSWIRE / May 4, 2016 / Epic Stores, Corp. ("Epic" or the "Company") (EPSC), a second-hand goods retailer that operates retail stores in the United States, today announced a new product supply relationship with the Las Vegas Rescue Mission. Under terms of the agreement, the Las Vegas Rescue Mission (LVRM) expects to supply approximately 100,000 pounds per month of quality clothing, furniture, and miscellaneous product to our Las Vegas and Phoenix markets. The relationship will eliminate a majority of the wholesale product supply Epic has sourced previously and will ensure a higher level of quality product at both a favorable and consistent price level. "The Las Vegas Rescue Mission strives to be a model in the Las Vegas communities for hope and change with those in need," commented Brian Davidson, President and Chief Executive Officer of Epic Stores Corp. "The Mission was founded in 1970 to help those homeless and hungry. We could not be happier about working with an organization that has such deep roots in the Las Vegas community." The agreement will provide Epic with consistent higher quality inventory compared to prior sourcing agreements. The Las Vegas Rescue Mission will receive a predictable revenue stream to help it execute its charitable efforts. "We believe this arrangement will help both Epic and the Mission, as well as our customers," added Mr. Davidson. "This is exactly the kind of win-win-win scenario we seek to create as we continue to identify ways to serve our communities." About Epic Stores Corp. Epic is a second hand goods retailer that operates second hand retail stores in the United States. Based in Phoenix, Arizona, the company offers high quality, on-trend second hand clothing, accessories and household products at affordable prices. As of March 31, 2016, the company employed 165 employees and operated 10 retail stores in four states. Founded in 2010, Epic opened its first retail store in Phoenix, Arizona. Since that time, the company has opened additional stores in Arizona, Nevada, Colorado, and Texas. All of the retail stores sell products directly to consumers. The company also operates a leading wholesale business that supplies used shoes, books and clothing to distributors. Story continues Forward-Looking Statements The information in this press release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements can be identified by the fact that they do not relate strictly to historical or current facts. Forward-looking statements often include words such as "anticipates," "estimates," "expects," "projects," "intends," "plans," "believes" and words and terms of similar substance in connection with discussions of future operating or financial performance. Examples of forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding: (i) the adequacy of the Company's liquidity to meet its needs for the foreseeable future, (ii) the benefits expected to be recognized in connection with retail and whole sales, (iii) the Company's expectation that the current market conditions will continue. The Company's forward-looking statements are based on management's current expectations and assumptions regarding the Company's business and performance, the economy and other future conditions and forecasts of future events, circumstances and results. As with any projection or forecast, forward-looking statements are inherently susceptible to uncertainty and changes in circumstances. The Company's actual results may vary materially from those expressed or implied in its forward-looking statements. Any forward-looking statement made by the Company speaks only as of the date on which it is made. The Company is under no obligation to, and expressly disclaims any obligation to, update or alter its forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, subsequent events or otherwise. Company Contacts Brian Davidson President and CEO Epic Stores Corp. Tel (623) 565-5758 Investor Relations Brett Maas Managing Partner Hayden IR Tel (646) 536-7331 brett@haydenir.com SOURCE: Epic Stores Corp. By Huw Jones LONDON (Reuters) - Greater disclosure of all the capital requirements faced by banks would reinforce financial stability and reassure investors no hidden dangers lurk on balance sheets, a top European Union banking regulator said on Wednesday. Andrea Enria, chairman of the European Banking Authority (EBA), said the global financial crisis following the collapse of U.S. bank Lehman Brothers in 2008 showed how opacity could destabilise markets. He said in a speech in London that while new rules have increased transparency for investors and increased market discipline on lenders, regulators should go further and publish data about the extra capital they have asked banks to hold. "Perfect knowledge and transparency are preconditions for competitive markets," Enria said in a speech in London. Under so-called Basel capital rules, banks have to hold a minimum amount of capital, known as Pillar 1. Regulators may then ask some banks to hold more capital depending on their positions and market exposure, known as Pillar 2. Enria said requiring banks to issue bonds that can be "bailed in" or written down in a crisis means that investors need more information to price such debt. "The question is, therefore, whether supervisory decisions on, for instance, Pillar 2 requirements and actions possibly triggering the suspension of payments to stakeholders should be transparent," Enria said. Some regulators are leery of publishing Pillar 2 data. The traditional view among regulators is that releasing such sensitive information could generate instability and possibly lead to a bank run, he said. "I believe that an open debate on pros and cons of unveiling supervisory decisions is necessary and cannot be delayed," Enria said. Uncertainty over Pillar 2 decisions may be affecting market valuations of lenders, and contributing to confusion among investors, as seen during sharp sell offs earlier this year in banking shares, Enria said. "If market participants are unable to compare and contrast the situation of banks vis-a-vis a specific risk, they are naturally inclined to think the worst of each and every bank," Enria said. Story continues The EBA is overseeing this year's stress tests of top banks but as there will be a smaller sample than in previous tests, the watchdog may opt for annual publication of bank-by-bank data for a wider set of lenders, Enria said. He envisaged a "central repository" of broad bank data on the watchdog's website. "This is what is already happening in the United States, and we should aim at achieving at least the same results in the single market," Enria said. (Editing by David Clarke) Brussels (AFP) - The European Commission is likely to shoot down Telefonica's blockbuster sale of British telecom giant O2 to Hong Kong group Hutchison on fears it would inflict higher prices on British consumers, a source told AFP on Wednesday. "We expect European Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager to block the sale," said a source close to the matter, indicating that a decision was expected this month. A spokesman for the commission declined to comment, saying only that the EU's executive branch has until May 19 to hand down a ruling. Hutchison is controlled by one of the richest men in Asia, Li Ka-shing, and his buyout of O2 from Spain's Telefonica for A10.25 billion (14 billion euros; $15.2 billion) would create Britain's biggest mobile phone company. In case of approval of the deal by Brussels, it would be especially sensitive as it could revive accusations in the UK of meddling by the EU ahead of a June 23 referendum on whether Britain will remain in the bloc. It would also be a major setback for telecom companies in Europe which have lobbied Brussels to relax anti-trust rules in order to unify a highly-fragmented market and boost investment. Crucially, such a deal would reduce the national market in Britain to three players from four, in a downsized landscape the EU believes hurts competition. Hutchison owns operator Three and hopes to merge the company with O2. Last year, Scandinavian groups TeliaSonera and Telenor abandoned plans to merge their Danish mobile operations ahead of an almost-certain veto by the EU's anti-trust chief. Vestager, the former Danish economy minister, has already grabbed headlines for taking on Internet giant Google over anti-trust violations on its search engine and Android mobile phone platform. Hutchison and Telefonica in March offered concessions to push through the deal. Telefoncia's debt stood at 50.2 billion euros at the end of March and the company is looking to the deal to shore up its finances after years of spending billions of euros in acquisitions and capital investments. Story continues "We think that the strictly legal analysis will justify a clear decision," Telefonica CEO Jose Maria Alvarez said last week when the company presented its first quarter results. "But a negative decision cannot be disregarded, probably due to political reasons especially in the context of 'Brexit', which is basically contaminating all debates, and also the strong opposition shown by the national regulatory authorities," he added. If the sale of O2 foundered, the company would find other solutions, including new buyers for the company, he said. Shares in Telefonica closed down 1.58 percent at 9.10 euros. Luxembourg (AFP) - The EU's top court on Wednesday ruled that the bloc's new laws on plain tobacco packaging and a ban on menthol cigarettes were legal, rejecting a challenge by tobacco giant Philip Morris and others. Philip Morris, maker of iconic brands such as Marlboro, and the Polish government had lodged appeals against a tobacco directive adopted by the 28-nation European Union in 2014. "The new EU directive on tobacco products is valid," the Luxembourg-based European Court of Justice said. "The extensive standardisation of packaging, the future EU-wide prohibition on menthol cigarettes and the special rules for electronic cigarettes are lawful." EU laws stating that standardised health warnings with a colour photograph must cover 65 percent of the front and back of cigarette packets are due to come into force at the end of this month, while the menthol ban will start from 2020. The tobacco directive opened the door for some countries including France and Britain to introduce plans for plain packaging. But Philip Morris and fellow maker British American Tobacco had lodged a case in the British courts criticising the packaging requirement and challenging the introduction of plain packs. Philip Morris said the judgement still did not mean plain packs were legal, adding that the court often showed showed "substantial deference" to EU law. - 'Product that kills people' - "The court has not considered whether plain packaging is legal or is capable of reducing smoking rates," senior vice president Marc Firestone said in a statement. "Those questions are currently under review by the English High Court and the World Trade Organization." But the European Commissioner for Health, Vytenis Andriukaitis, said the ruling would protect Europeans from the "terrible consequences tobacco causes". "This is a very important ruling, confirming once again the fundamental principle enshrined in the EU law -- the high level of health protection prevails over the profit that is done from trading a product that kills people," he said. Story continues Philip Morris and BAT had argued that the rules distorted the EU's single market and undercut consumer choice. But the EU court upheld the union's insistence that cigarette packaging should not "promote a tobacco product or encourage its consumption". It said the rules big health warnings "did not go beyond the limits of what is appropriate and necessary". Plain packaging, meanwhile, could "protect consumers against the risks associated with tobacco use and does not go beyond what is necessary in order to achieve the objective pursued". The court also rejected Poland's appeal against the ban on flavoured cigarettes, including menthol cigarettes. Romania had backed Poland's case. Flavoured cigarettes were a key factor in "initiating tobacco consumption and sustaining tobacco use", the court said, asserting that "menthol, by its pleasant flavour, makes tobacco products more attractive to consumers". The EU court further rejected a challenge against regulations on electronic cigarettes, including cross-border sales within the bloc, which was brought by a firm in Britain. "Submitting electronic cigarettes to a notification scheme does not seem manifestly inappropriate," the court said. The rulings had been expected as the senior lawyer to the EU court had said in December that the new laws were "proportionate". By Gabriela Baczynska and Alastair Macdonald BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Union asked member states on Wednesday to grant visa-free travel to Turks in return for Ankara stopping migrants reaching Europe, but insisted Turkey must still change some laws and said it would get no "free ride". Lawmakers in the European Parliament, which along with a majority of the 28 EU governments must approve the measure if it is to take effect as Ankara wants within two months, warned that they would not vote it through until Turkey met every condition, including narrowing the scope of crimes it defines as terrorism. Governments anxious to allay public fears of a wave of immigrants from Turkey itself secured a new emergency brake to apply to all countries with visa-free travel to Europe's 26-nation Schengen zone. The EU executive stressed that only Turks with biometric passports containing facial and fingerprint data can benefit, though Turkey will only start issuing such documents later this year. The deputy head of the European Commission defended its proposals as well as plans to expand EU membership negotiations; they upheld a deal with Ankara that has helped cut migrant arrivals in Greece to dozens a day from thousands and were also a way of reversing a worsening rights situation in Turkey. "There is no free ride here," Commission First Vice President Frans Timmermans told reporters, stressing that Ankara must still meet five of 72 criteria the EU imposes on states exempt from visas. In Germany, Chancellor Angela Merkel expressed confidence that Ankara would satisfy the criteria. "I believe that, given the progress Turkey has made on other points, there is a realistic chance that those points still outstanding will be fulfilled," she said. This week was effectively a deadline for the Commission to issue its formal recommendation on visas if it is to satisfy Ankara by July. Otherwise the migrant deal would be at risk. Feuds over the migration crisis reared their head again when a separate proposal from the Commission to spread asylum seekers around the EU according to quotas backed by effective fines for non-compliance were denounced as "blackmail" and a "dead end" by ministers from the ex-communist east who refuse to accept refugees. RIGHTS Member states, led by Germany which took in most of the 1.3 million refugees and migrants who reached Europe across the Mediterranean last year, have already mostly accepted that the visa-free regime for Turks is part of the price for what many see as the best chance for a sharp reduction in those arriving. But qualms about Turkey's treatment of some migrants and some of its own citizens notably from the Kurdish minority, as well as President Tayyip Erdogan's crackdown on the media, have fueled resistance to concessions in the European Parliament. A joint statement from the legislature on the visa issue said there would be no short-cuts in an approval procedure which officials say would normally take several weeks. Turkey's minister for EU relations, Volkan Bozkir, said he believed all 72 criteria had already been met and he hoped the process could be completed on schedule by the end of June. "There is still work to be done as a matter of urgency," the EU's Timmermans said. "But if Turkey sustains the progress made, they can meet the remaining benchmarks." Turkey agreed in March to take back any migrant who reach Greek islands by boat after paying human traffickers in return for EU cash for refugees and pledges to take to Europe directly some of the 2.7 million Syrians now on its soil. That deal was driven by Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu while Erdogan kept his distance from promises of travel freedom many Turks would relish but doubt will be honored. "I hope they'll end visa requirements and everybody will travel freely but I don't believe it will be the case," travel agent Atalay Yasar said as he waited in line in Istanbul to apply for Schengen visas for his customers. Worried that anti-immigrant and anti-Muslim parties which have surged across the EU could capitalize on fears of impending visa freedoms, not just for 79 million Turks, but also for 45 million Ukrainians as well as people from Georgia and Kosovo, France and Germany have pushed for tighter controls. The Commission proposed amending the regulation that governs all EU visa-free schemes, giving it powers to suspend the waiver quickly if, say, large numbers overstay their 90-day allowance. Britain, which votes next month in a referendum on quitting the EU, is exempt from the visa and asylum quota systems. (Additional reporting by Gulsen Solaker in Ankara, Jan Lopatka in Prague, Gergely Szakacs in Budapest, Gernot Heller in Meseberg, Germany, and Seda Sezer and Melih Aslan in Istanbul; Writing by Alastair Macdonald; Editing by Mark Heinrich) BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The largest political group in the European Parliament said on Wednesday it wants a greater proportion of EU carbon permits to be handed out free to industry from 2020. EU politicians are debating how to reform the Emissions Trading System (ETS). The scheme is designed to make big polluters pay for their emissions but a surplus of carbon credits following the economic crisis has crushed the market. Under the current ETS trading phase, which runs from 2013 to 2020, the majority of allowances are sold via government auctions, with most of the remainder given free to industry. The European Commission's reform for post-2020 proposes fixing the auction share at 57 percent of the total allowances, meaning a maximum of 43 percent would go free to industry. Lawmakers from the European People's Party (EPP) are calling for the share of free allocations to be higher than the 43 percent proposed by the EU executive. The overall cap on permits would not change, however, limiting the impact on trading. The hand outs are a concession worth billions of euros designed to help shelter factories and plants from added energy costs that they say could drive them out of Europe. EPP lawmakers admitted their proposal may face opposition from member states that are keen to keep the revenues raised from carbon credit auctions. The lawmakers say the change is to help avoid a trigger mechanism known as the correction factor that cuts free permits to industry across the board to ensure the total meted out by member states does not exceed that allowed under EU law. An EPP position paper, seen by Reuters, did not specify by how much it would like to raise the free allowance share. "You need a couple percentage points in order to create the room that you need," Dutch deputy Esther de Lange said. Energy intensive industries have argued that the correction factor strips them of promised permits, even for some of the best performing plants from an emissions point of view. "Those sectors that are most vulnerable ... should be protected 100 percent so it is one of our main objectives to avoid that the cross-sectoral correction factor is triggered," EPP member Ivo Belet said. The group said it was against accelerating overall carbon reductions, or moving to a more differentiated system for how permits are handed out to industry, which are other reform options floated last week in the parliament. (Reporting by Alissa de Carbonnel; editing by David Clarke) By Gabriela Baczynska BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Commission proposed a system to distribute asylum seekers across the EU on Wednesday that aims to ease the load on states like Greece and Italy but drew immediate condemnation from governments in Eastern Europe. The European Union executive published legislative proposals to reform the so-called Dublin system of EU asylum rules that includes a "fairness mechanism" under which each of the 28 states would be assigned a percentage quota of all asylum seekers in the bloc that it would be expected to handle. The quotas would reflect national population and wealth and, if a country found itself handling 50 percent more than its due share, it could relocate people elsewhere in the bloc. States could refuse to take people for a year -- but only if they paid another country 250,000 euros per person to accommodate them. "There is no a la carte solidarity in this Union," First Vice President Frans Timmermans told reporters. "This is a way to be able to show solidarity in a situation where ... you are not able to take the refugees which were allocated to you." But at a meeting in Prague, ministers from Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic all repeated their opposition to the idea of relocation: "It makes no sense, it violates EU member states' rights," Polish Interior Minister Mariusz Blaszczak told reporters. Hungary's foreign minister called it "blackmail". A two-year emergency relocation scheme was set up last year as Greece struggled to cope with the chaotic arrival of nearly a million people, many of them Syrian refugees, most of whom reached Germany. It was agreed over the furious objections of several central and eastern states, two of whom, Hungary and Slovakia, are contesting the quota system in the EU courts. In fact, only 1,441 asylum seekers have been relocated out of the 160,000 allowed for under the current temporary scheme. The proposals, which also include measures to speed up the process of handling asylum claims and tighter controls on the movements of migrants themselves, need backing from governments and the European Parliament -- a process that officials expect to be an uphill battle and involve many amendments. Germany, the bloc's main paymaster and destination for the bulk of migrants crossing the Mediterranean, has pushed hard for a permanent relocation system and has voiced frustration with the refusal of governments in the east who benefit the most from EU subsidies to take in asylum seekers. Poland, Hungary and other formerly communist states say immigration, especially from the Muslim cultures of the Middle East, would disrupt their homogeneous societies. Governments also object to paying as an alternative to taking people in. A similar proposal last year to set a payment of 0.002 percent of GDP was not taken up in the temporary scheme. The Commission did not issue its quota figures. Last year's tables gave Germany a roughly 18 percent share, France 14 percent, Poland 5.6 percent and Hungary 1.8 percent. "CONTROVERSIAL" Any reform of the system, from which Britain, Ireland and Denmark are exempt, will require majority approval by EU governments. But senior officials say EU leaders will try to avoid forcing a deal through over strong minority objections, as happened with the temporary relocation scheme last September. Even the authors of the proposal admit it is "sensitive" and "controversial" but hope it bridges diverging expectations from member states, EU sources said. Splits between east and west, north and south over migration have posed one of the biggest challenges the European Union has faced and leaders' main hope is that a new deal with Turkey to hold down the numbers arriving can take the heat out of a debate that has seen nationalist parties surge in polls across Europe. Italy has led a push for reform of a Dublin system that gives responsibility for handling asylum claims to the first country migrants arrive in. The Commission last month floated a possibility of scrapping that in favor of a central EU system but has now favored the relocation system. Chaotic movements of migrants, including many allowed by Italy and Greece to head north without being registered, have thrown the bloc's cherished Schengen system of open borders into disarray, with governments putting up new barriers to travel. EU officials hope that the deal with Turkey, from where the bulk of 1.3 million people reached Europe last year, will stem the flow and allow the Union to regain control of its external borders and hence restore order in the Schengen area. Also on Wednesday, Brussels was expected to confirm a lifting of visa restrictions on Turks as part of the deal with Ankara. The EU is offering to take in refugees directly from Turkey, which hosts 2.7 million Syrians, and such resettlements would be taken into account in countries' quotas for relocation. (Editing by Alastair Macdonald) By Pia Oppel and Martinne Geller LUXEMBOURG/LONDON (Reuters) - The European Union's highest court on Wednesday upheld a tough EU law that will standardize cigarette packs, ban menthol flavoring and restrict e-cigarette advertising, paving the way for its adoption this month and dealing a blow to Big Tobacco. The European Court of Justice's rejection of a legal challenge brought by Philip Morris International and British American Tobacco (BAT) could weigh on profits for the industry and sets a precedent for other governments to crack down on a habit that causes nearly six million deaths a year worldwide. "The court finds that, in providing that each unit packet and the outside packaging must carry health warnings ... the EU legislature did not go beyond the limits of what is appropriate and necessary," the court said in its decision, which reflected the opinion a court adviser had published in December. The legal challenge, which was also supported by Japan Tobacco International and Imperial Brands, can now be taken no further and the Tobacco Products Directive (TPD) will take effect on 20 May, though wholesalers and retailers will be given a year's grace to sell stocks manufactured before that date. The TPD will ban menthol cigarettes by 2020, standardize packs and impose rules on e-cigarettes, such as limits on nicotine strength, tank size and advertising. The court also said that member states may introduce further packaging requirements, such as the "plain packaging" measures proposed in Britain, France and Ireland. These regulations, aimed at reducing the lure of smoking by forcing tobacco to be sold in uniformly drab packs with no branding, are due to come into force in the UK on 20 May, though the English High Court is expected to rule on another legal challenge brought by the tobacco companies in the coming weeks. Action on Smoking and Health, an advocacy group, said the decision was "welcome if not surprising." Japan Tobacco International, a leading player in the UK with brands such as Benson & Hedges and Camel, said the ruling "endorses the proliferation of different regulations for the same product" and "brings additional confusion." aleppo Violence in Syria's largest city has escalated so dramatically that hospitals there are being forced "to choose patients to save because there aren't enough doctors to treat everyone," a surgeon there wrote on Wednesday. The epicenter of Syria's brutal civil war shifted decisively last week to the divided city of Aleppo. There, warplanes loyal to the government have been dropping bombs with "such ferocity that even the stones are catching fire," Osama Abo El Ezz, the Aleppo coordinator for the Syrian American Medical Society, wrote in a New York Times op-ed. "As one of the few remaining doctors in Syria, I have watched the 'cessation of hostilities' that was agreed on in February crumble," El Ezz said, referring to a truce between government and rebel forces brokered by the US and Russia just over two months ago in Geneva. He continued: "We know that for the community we serve we represent a last hope, the final defenders of life in this city. But we are also among the fallen. We have all lost medical brothers and sisters to barrel bombs and missile strikes, but we keep on working through the night." People inspect the damage at the Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF)-backed al-Quds hospital after it was hit by airstrikes, in a rebel-held area of Syria's Aleppo, April 28, 2016. REUTERS/Abdalrhman Ismail An airstrike on a Doctors Without Borders hospital in Aleppo last week prompted international outcry as the fragile ceasefire collapsed and the city erupted in a new wave of violence, which has resulted in a "catastrophic deterioration" of the city. Under a new ceasefire arrangement, US and Russian military officials "will be sitting at the same table" at a coordination center in Geneva to monitor and document any violations of the truce, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Tuesday, in a news conference from Moscow with the UN's envoy to Syria, Staffan de Mistura. Story continues The truce will include Aleppo moving forward. But Jeff White, a military analyst at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, said that the plan "likely won't hold up." "This is a military-technical fix to what is essentially a political-strategic problem," White tweeted. "Also, it seems that Russia has succeeded in getting the US officially involved in its (and regime) operations in Syria." Indeed, Russia a staunch ally of Syrian President Bashar Assad initially refused to include Aleppo in the cessation of hostilities agreement because of Al-Qaeda affiliate Jabhat al-Nusra's presence in parts of the city, which it used to justify the continued airstrikes. As a result, joint US-Russian efforts to end regime bombardments there have largely been made on Moscow's terms. aleppo At least 250 people have been killed in Aleppo since April 22, including at least 40 children. Aleppo's last pediatrician, Dr. Muhammad Mo'az, was killed in the strike on Al-Quds hospital. His final moments were captured on CCTV cameras just before the hospital was reduced to rubble. "We are running out of coffins to bury our friends, family and colleagues," El Ezz wrote. Government forces, while able to inflict larger-scale massacres with airstrikes, are not exclusively to blame. At least three people were killed and 17 wounded when rebels shelled a maternity clinic in a government-held area of Aleppo on Tuesday, in the sixth assault on a medical facility in the city in less than a week. The violence forced the city to cancel its Friday prayers "for the first time in Aleppo's centuries-long history" last week. It prompted Lina Sergie, an activist from Aleppo, to "think that perhaps we have crossed a line" in the war "that has never been crossed before." Indeed, many in the besieged city have already lost hope and are now simply "waiting for death," El Ezz wrote. "Some people even pray for its swift arrival to take them away from this burning city." NOW WATCH: Syrian refugees dressing up as Disney princesses perfectly captures how they dream for better lives More From Business Insider NEW YORK Donald Trump scored a landslide victory in Indianas Republican presidential primary Tuesday, dealing a knockout blow to Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, who abruptly ended his campaign, making the real estate mogul turned insurgent candidate the partys likely nominee this November. Just one other Republican remained in the race: Ohio Gov. John Kasich, whose advisers said he would continue to campaign. But with Kasich mathematically eliminated from amassing a majority of delegates, Trump claimed the mantle of the partys presumptive nominee a position endorsed by Reince Priebus, the chairman of the Republican National Committee, who formally called on the party to unite behind Trump. Its been an unbelievable day and evening and year, Trump told reporters at an election night event at Trump Tower. I didnt expect this. The usually rambunctious candidate was relatively low key, as he pointedly thanked Cruz a fierce rival whom he had trashed just hours before as a wacko who cant function under pressure. But after Cruz exited the race, Trump omitted his usual nickname, Lyin Ted, and instead praised the Texas senator as a tough competitor who has an amazing future ahead of him. I dont know if he likes me or doesnt like me, but he is one hell of a competitor, Trump said. Surrounded by family, Donald Trump speaks at an election night event May 3 at Trump Tower in New York. (Photo: Mary Altaffer/AP) For Trump, it was a stunning victory in a state that had been projected as favorable to Cruz as recently as two weeks ago. But Trump came into the state with six straight victories, including last weeks sweep of five Northeastern states, including Pennsylvania. It gave him a momentum that Cruz was unable to reverse, despite his unusual move of naming a running mate former rival Carly Fiorina in hopes of gaining steam. But the gamble failed. Based on early returns and exit polls, Trump looked to claim all of Indianas 57 delegates, pushing his overall total to well above 1,000. Trump needs 1,237 to clinch the nomination and avoid a contested party convention in Cleveland in July a total he is expected to lock up by the California primary on June 7, when 172 delegates are up for grabs. Aides said he would continue to campaign in upcoming primary states until he reaches the magic number. Story continues The results called into question the fate of Kasich, who, along with Cruz, had been pressing forward in hopes of pushing Trump into a contested party convention. Also unknown was the impact Trumps Indiana win would have on the #NeverTrump movement and other outside groups trying to stop the real estate mogul. At Trump Tower, Corey Lewandowski, Trumps campaign manager, dismissed the #NeverTrump movement as a passing fad and predicted the party would soon coalesce behind his boss. I think most of the people understand that Donald Trump is going to be the nominee whether they like it or not, Lewandowski said. He is going to be the Republican nominee. Slideshow: Indiana primaries Sanders, Trump win and Cruz suspends >>> Lewandowski called on Kasich to quit the race for the good of the party insisting the party needs to unite behind Trump to make sure a Republican wins the White House. He declined to say if the campaign is taking any steps behind the scenes to make that happen though he repeatedly insisted Trump will pursue efforts to unite the party. Hes trying to bring everyone together and make sure theres one focus, Lewandowski said. That focus is ensuring that a Republican takes the White House come January. Speaking to reporters, Trump seemed intent on appearing presidential, quickly pivoting to a general election speech in which he laid out the broad themes of his campaign, including creating new jobs and strengthening the military. And he took aim at Hillary Clinton, his likely Democratic opponent, vowing he would defeat her in November. Were going after Hillary Clinton. She will not be a great president. She will not be a good president. She will be a poor president, Trump said in his speech, before pointedly linking her to NAFTA, the trade deal signed by President Bill Clinton, the candidates husband, which Trump assailed as the worst deal in American history. Trump noticeably omitted his plan to build a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border, a proposal that has been one of the most divisive issues of his candidacy, as well as his plan to temporarily ban foreign Muslims from entering the country amid concerns about radical terrorism. Instead, Trump spoke of a nation that is divided in many different ways and promised to unite it into a country bound by love. We are going to love each other, Trump insisted. And that love would start with Republicans, Trump predicted, repeating his claim that hes been receiving phone calls from party insiders anxious to join up with his insurgent campaign. People that have said the worst things about me, they are calling, Trump said. They want to get on the train, the Trump train, they call it. And I think its terrific. Photo credit: Nissan From Road & Track The eighth generation Nissan Skyline arrived in 1989 just as the Japanese economic bubble began to waver and shimmy. It was still a time of great optimism, and if you were a Nissan fan, there was no greater proof positive of a bright future than the return of the GT-R. After a decade and a half since the extremely rare Kenmeri was felled by the fuel crisis, the three most iconic letters in Japanese performance were back. Twenty-seven years later, we can look back at the birth of a legend and marvel at how the E-BNR32 chassis Skyline GT-R tore a hole for itself in history, the right car at the right time. It was a technological powerhouse, an utterly dominant force on the racing circuit, and at the same time relatively common. Made from 1989 to 1994, nearly 44,000 R32 GT-Rs were sold, some 15 percent of all Skyline production. Thanks to a DOT exemption for vehicles more than 25 years old, that means you can buy one yourself relatively easily. However, there are a few things to watch out for if you want to tuck a Godzilla in your garage. Where to find one Photo credit: Nissan The most common way to buy a GT-R is to import one from Japan. Even though the Japanese government makes owning an older vehicle difficult, the GT-R's large fanbase means that well-preserved examples still pass through the auctions regularly. Pristine models are a rarity, so expect to dig deep into your pocket if you're looking for a extremely clean example. Buying a car from a Japanese auction is a gamble, not least due to the ability for something to get lost in translation. You can reduce your exposure by finding a reputable importer in your area, and work with them to find a car that suits your budget. There may be something to be found locally, as the R32 has been importable since late 2014. A few specialists even import R32s and stock them in inventory. One other possibility that's often overlooked is the Canadian market. Those beer-swigging puck-chasers have a 15-year market exemption, which means everything from Mazdaspeed Autozams to V12 Toyota Centurys are already roaming the roads. With the Canadian dollar weakened by low oil prices, your American dollar goes further; just be careful that you find a car with a production date that fits the 25-year exemption. Story continues What to look for Photo credit: Nissan Unlike the R34-chassis Skyline GT-R, which has so many special editions it's practically an honorary Mustang, the R32 is relatively straightforward. Early cars are slightly lighter thanks to the addition of crash protection bars in the later models, and GT-R otaku will be able to spot generational changes by differences in the projector headlights, but the lion's share of R32s are roughly physically the same. If you're considering this purchase with an eye to collectability, note that there are a few rare special models. The NISMO variant is very rare, with just 500 produced for public consumption. If a genuine example, one of these will be 30kg lighter than the standard car thanks to a lack of ABS, air conditioning, and rear wiper. They come in gunmetal grey only, and they're also considerably more expensive than a normal GT-R. Rarer still is the N1 version, of which 228 were made. These were all white and have a few mechanical advantages over the regular R32, including a slightly stronger block and more durable steel turbine wheels in the turbos. Not quite legal for import yet, the V-spec and V-spec II models were made to celebrate the R32's total crushing of the opposition in Group A racing. Starting in spring of '93, the V-spec offered better brakes and larger wheels and tires, along with a few other modifications. Around three thousand were produced, split pretty much evenly between the two generations. Perhaps of more immediate interest is the color availability for the R32. Gunmetal grey is the most common variant, with red, silver, and blue all relatively rare. If you're looking at a grey-blue pearl car (paint code #BL0), you've got one of the rarest of the main-line GT-Rs. What to avoid Photo credit: Nissan For the most part, the R32 GT-R has benefited from an active fanbase and loving owners. However, we're talking quarter-century old cars here, and that means all the usual Japanese-car red flags apply. Common sense would dictate that you'd check for rust anyway, but to be specific, Skyline problem areas are located around the inner rear fenders and below the rear window. You should also attempt to remove the rear spats and check for hidden rust there, as debris tends to accumulate and trap water. Another physical Achilles' heel for the GT-R are its jacking points. If jacked improperly, these can be easily bent and open the door for rust starting behind the side skirts. Real carelessness with a floor jack can result in mild bending of the frame. The VIN plate on the R32 is blue, and is located under the hood on the firewall on the right side of the car. If you suspect any tampering at all, run like hell. As a legally importable Skyline will of necessity be 25 years old, many of its suspension components may be worn. If you're looking at a fresh set of coilovers, great, but all the rubber bushings throughout the suspension may be starting to become brittle or decayed. Further, torn CV axle boots, especially up front, can be an annoying expense. Mechanically speaking, the GT-R is very robust, which directly contributed to its winning racing career. The RB26 2.6-liter straight-six is a very strong engine, capable of holding 5-600 hp, and the five-speed transmission can similarly hold big power from a modified car. That said, oiling can be an issue for the former, as the early cars have narrow-drive oil pumps. Bounce off the rev-limiter a few times and you can break them. The factory oil-pressure gauge should not be trusted. Coil packs can get cooked as power levels and temperatures rise. All the usual old turbo-car foibles should be examined, including checking for boost leaks and a compression test if possible. The turbochargers use ceramic wheels for lightness, but if the car you're looking at has had the boost cranked up, it's entirely possible these will crack and explode. A naturally aspirated Hakosuka GT-R is still respectable; a non-turbo R32 is not so much fun. Happily, the RS580/N1-spec steel-wheel turbos are a common upgrade. Big grip and big power can put a hurting on a transmission, but the GT-R's five-speed is pretty stout. A grind from a third to fourth shift is pretty common, and can perhaps be addressed by using a high quality gear oil. From an electrical standpoint, the factory systems on the GT-R don't have many weak points. However, after 25 years and a mod-happy owner or two, loose connections, corrosion, and bodge-job electronics should be watched for. It's possible to replace or repair many owner-introduced faults if you're patient, but go in with your eyes open. A note on modifications The chance of finding a completely unmodified R32 GT-R is basically zilch. Not only is the Skyline a central figure in Japanese tuner culture, it's as if Nissan intended every single one to be altered as soon as it left the factory. The most obvious example is the stock boost restrictor which can be easily removed. Adding a 10 percent horsepower gain is about as difficult as putting on a hat. The mass of GT-Rs on the market will have a smattering of aftermarket parts, from upgraded brakesthe factory four-pots can be overwhelmed with hard drivingto the commonly replaced exhaust. If you were buying something like a Subaru STI, any modification would be something of a red flag as to owner type, and you'd want to tread carefully. But Japanese owners modify everything up to and including the million-dollar 2000GT. Further, a totally stock GT-R is going to be specifically targeted at the speculative collector market, and might be out of reach of the ordinary enthusiast. As with all things, moderation is the key. A Japanese-market performance ECU swap will be a pain if you want to run your GT-R on pump gas (Japanese fuel has a higher octane rating), but a known-brand of aftermarket intake and exhaust won't likely cause you any problems. Maintenance Photo credit: Nissan Low mileage is the rule in the Japanese home market, especially for a weekend driver like the GT-R. But don't be fooled into thinking that a 30-40,000 miler is automatically a creampuff. Just because mileage is low doesn't mean that all regular maintenance has been performed. The RB26 is an interference motor, so pre-emptive timing belt replacement makes for good insurance. If you're changing the oil, 10W-40 will do the trick (the factory-recommended 7.5W-40 is excessively rare). If you've purchased the car from a reputable source, it may not need much; if it's a new auction car, a full fluid flush lets you reset the clock. Parts availability is a mixed bag. On one hand, as state-side ownership grows, the number of specialist mechanics stocking parts increases. Further, your ordinary local Nissan dealership can occasionally order you Skyline specific parts with the correct part numbers. The most annoying parts to replace are minor trim pieces like window moldings. I spoke to The Smoking Tire's Matt Farah about the relatively stock 1990 GT-R he purchased recently, and he said he had success at Fontana Nissan in Eastern Los Angeles, who has two Skyline-specialist techs on staff and the ability to perform standard repair and maintenance. If you'd like to do some or most of the work yourself, an English translation of the entire GT-R shop manual can be found here: {http://www.skyline.se/dokument/R32_gtr_service_manual.pdf} Community Photo credit: Nissan To be a Autozam AZ-1 enthusiast is to condemn yourself to a lonely life spent hunting for advice using Google Translate. To be a GT-R fan is to buy a ticket to a large and passionate owners' club, many of whom are perfectly happy to help out with a newbie's questionsafter some gentle ribbing, of course. Two of the largest and most active sites are GT-R OC and GT-R USA. For both, the search button should be your first stop, but many veteran board members will help with more involved questionsthe more information the community digs up, the easier GT-R ownership can be. You Might Also Like By Eric Auchard FRANKFURT (Reuters) - Hundreds of millions of hacked user names and passwords for email accounts and other websites are being traded in Russia's criminal underworld, a security expert told Reuters. The discovery of 272.3 million stolen accounts included a majority of users of Mail.ru (MAILRq.L), Russia's most popular email service, and smaller fractions of Google (GOOGL.O), Yahoo (YHOO.O) and Microsoft (MSFT.O) email users, said Alex Holden, founder and chief information security officer of Hold Security. It is one of the biggest stashes of stolen credentials to be uncovered since cyber attacks hit major U.S. banks and retailers two years ago. Holden was previously instrumental in uncovering some of the world's biggest known data breaches, affecting tens of millions of users at Adobe Systems (ADBE.O), JPMorgan (JPM.N) and Target (TGT.N) and exposing them to subsequent cyber crimes. The latest discovery came after Hold Security researchers found a young Russian hacker bragging in an online forum that he had collected and was ready to give away a far larger number of stolen credentials that ended up totalling 1.17 billion records. After eliminating duplicates, Holden said, the cache contained nearly 57 million Mail.ru accounts - a big chunk of the 64 million monthly active email users Mail.ru said it had at the end of last year. It also included tens of millions of credentials for the world's three big email providers, Gmail, Microsoft and Yahoo, plus hundreds of thousands of accounts at German and Chinese email providers. "This information is potent. It is floating around in the underground and this person has shown he's willing to give the data away to people who are nice to him," said Holden, the former chief security officer at U.S. brokerage R.W. Baird. "These credentials can be abused multiple times," he said. LESS THAN $1 Mysteriously, the hacker asked just 50 roubles less than $1 for the entire trove, but gave up the dataset after Hold researchers agreed to post favourable comments about him in hacker forums, Holden said. He said his companys policy is to refuse to pay for stolen data. Story continues Such large-scale data breaches can be used to engineer further break-ins or phishing attacks by reaching the universe of contacts tied to each compromised account, multiplying the risks of financial theft or reputational damage across the web. Hackers know users cling to favourite passwords, resisting admonitions to change credentials regularly and make them more complex. It's why attackers reuse old passwords found on one account to try to break into other accounts of the same user. After being informed of the potential breach of email credentials, Mail.ru said in a statement emailed to Reuters: "We are now checking, whether any combinations of usernames/passwords match users' e-mails and are still active. "As soon as we have enough information we will warn the users who might have been affected," Mail.ru said in the email, adding that Mail.ru's initial checks found no live combinations of user names and passwords which match existing emails. A Microsoft spokesman said stolen online credentials was an unfortunate reality. "Microsoft has security measures in place to detect account compromise and requires additional information to verify the account owner and help them regain sole access." Yahoo and Google did not respond to requests for comment. Yahoo Mail credentials numbered 40 million, or 15 percent of the 272 million unique IDs discovered. Meanwhile, 33 million, or 12 percent, were Microsoft Hotmail accounts and 9 percent, or nearly 24 million, were Gmail, according to Holden. Thousands of other stolen username/password combinations appear to belong to employees of some of the largest U.S. banking, manufacturing and retail companies, he said. Stolen online account credentials are to blame for 22 percent of big data breaches, according to a recent survey of 325 computer professionals by the Cloud Security Alliance. In 2014, Holden, a Ukrainian-American who specialises in Eastern European cyber crime threats, uncovered a cache of 1.2 billion unique credentials that marked the world's biggest-ever recovery of stolen accounts. His firm studies cyber threats playing out in the forums and chatrooms that make up the criminal underground, speaking to hackers in their native languages while developing profiles of individual criminals. Holden said efforts to identify the hacker spreading the current trove of data or the source or sources of the stolen accounts would have exposed the investigative methods of his researchers. Because the hacker vacuumed up data from many sources, researchers have dubbed him "The Collector". Ten days ago, Milwaukee-based Hold Security began informing organisations affected by the latest data breaches. The company's policy is to return data it recovers at little or no cost to firms found to have been breached. "This is stolen data, which is not ours to sell," said Holden. (This version of the story has been refiled to make amends to attribution of comments by Mail.ru in paragraphs 11-12.) (Editing by Mark Trevelyan) Kentucky Derby Cocktail The 142 nd Kentucky Derby is on May 7 (post time is 6:34 p.m. EST, to be exact)but before you whip out your annual batch of mint julep recipes, weve got another idea. Charles Joly, the celebrity mixologist for the big race at Churchill Downs, shares his twist on the classic cocktail exclusively in this weeks issue of PEOPLE. Jolys Big River Smash is a close relative of the Derby julep in that they both share a base spirit: bourbon. But thats about where the similarities end. RELATED: A Cool Twist on Derby Day: Mint Julep Ice Cream We keep it light and approachable with a touch of fruit, refreshing herbs and the right amount of booze, Joly says of his drink, which calls for muddle strawberries and fresh tarragon leaves. And while youre passing out the cool concoctions at your watch party on May 7, you can offer them up with a dose of history. The name pays homage to the Mississippi, says Joly, where bourbon would begin its journey headed south to New Orleans where the French had set up shop during the Revolutionary era. RELATED: Heres Exactly What to Make for Your Kentucky Derby Party The Big River Smash Serves: 1 Muddle 1 large strawberry (stem removed), oz. lemon juice, oz. simple syrup and 3 tarragon leaves in a glass. Add 1 oz. bourbon, 1 oz. cognac and oz. dry curacao liqueur; fill with crushed ice and stir. Garnish with tarragon leaves and an orange peel twist. Ana Calderone, @anacalderone Within 24 hours, both Texas Sen. Ted Cruz and Ohio Gov. John Kasich will have dropped out of the race, leaving Donald Trump the undisputed presumptive nominee for the Republican Party. TIMEs Zeke Miller was on the phone conducting an interview with Trump on Wednesday during the exact moment he found out that Kasich, his last remaining rival, would suspend his campaign this afternoon. Thats good. Thats nice. Thats interesting. Its very interesting, Trump said when he took a separate phone call and learned of Kasichs decision. So Kasich is dropping out, he then mused to TIME. Hmm Thats big. I didnt think that was going to happen. Now finding himself the nominee, Trump immediately pivoted to the general election. So now Im going to be focused on Hillary and youll be dealing with me and well see what happens, he said, predicting most of the Republican Party would unify behind him. And I think we have a very strong case against Hillary. As far as the Republican Party coming together, it will, maybe not 100%, but itll come together 99% and the 1% I dont want and it wont have any impact. Trump made clear that he would echo Bernie Sanders criticism of Hillary Clinton in the coming race. Bernie actually said shes unqualified because shes got bad judgement and its true, Trump said. Shes unqualified because of the fact that her judgement is so bad. He also made clear that case will rest heavily on trade deals such as the North American Free Trade Agreement, which was signed by her husband in the 1990s. The NAFTA is the worst trade deal in the history of any country anywhere in the world at any time, he said. And it was a Clinton trade deal. NAFTA was Clinton. And it has drained our country of manufacturing jobs and its been a disaster. Im going to talk about that. By Nandita Bose and Nathan Layne CHICAGO (Reuters) - Discount retailer Target Corp (TGT.N) is cracking down on suppliers as part of a multi-billion dollar overhaul to speed up its supply chain and better compete with rivals including Wal-Mart Stores Inc (WMT.N) and Amazon.com Inc (AMZN.O). The sixth-largest U.S. retailer by sales plans to tighten deadlines for deliveries to its warehouses, hike fines for late deliveries, and could institute penalties of up to $10,000 for inaccuracies in product information, according to a letter sent to suppliers and obtained by Reuters and an interview with Target's chief operating officer John Mulligan. The moves, effective May 30, are the first major steps Target has taken since Mulligan was appointed as COO late in 2015 to fix supply problems that emerged after it expanded product offerings, including fresh food, several years ago. A tighter grip on its deliveries is seen as crucial to keeping shelves stocked, maximizing sales and controlling costs. Target has already announced an investment of over $5 billion in supply chain and technology infrastructure between 2015-2017. Mulligan told Reuters in an interview on Monday that the company aims to include suppliers in the effort. "These steps are a key part of becoming more reliable," Mulligan said. The new rules and penalties are detailed in a letter sent to suppliers. They will start to take effect at the end of the month and will be rolled out over the next 60-90 days. In the letter, Target said the goal was to keep products stocked to "lower missed sales for all of us." Mulligan and Chief Executive Brian Cornell met over 200 suppliers recently to talk through the changes. He described the discussion as productive. "We had a very long question-and-answer session," Mulligan said. "Obviously there were concerns, so we listened to those and we feel very good with where we are going with our vendor partners." Next on his list for improvements is Target's international supply chain, and he has already started holding talks with vendors who import products to the Unites States, Mulligan said. Story continues Target is not the first large retailer to focus on supply chain precision. At an annual vendor conference in February, Wal-Mart informed suppliers that it was raising its standard for on-time delivery to 95 percent from 90 percent, according to a Wal-Mart presentation slide posted on a Facebook group and confirmed by several suppliers. Wal-Mart is also cutting the window for deliveries to within 1 to 2 days of a target date, depending on the product category, from 1 to 4 days previously, the Wal-Mart slide showed. A spokesman for the company declined to comment on the changes. NEW RULES Target's supply chain became more complex several years ago when it expanded its offering of perishable goods such as meat, fresh produce and dairy products. Further complications came when the retailer started catering to online shoppers by shipping orders directly from warehouses and also allowing them to pick up online orders in stores. Amy Koo, principal analyst with Kantar Retail said the new changes mean Target can hold less inventory, which is key to being an efficient retailer. "In theory, everything can move faster, and they will have less stuff in the system." Target's stores nationwide in 2015 had 8 to 9 billion items on store floors, in transit or in warehouses at any given point. The new rules, detailed in the letter, call for domestic suppliers to give a single-day arrival date for shipments to Target's warehouses. Domestic suppliers constitute the majority of Target's vendor base. These suppliers will no longer have a "grace period" to ship a few days after the promised date without penalties, the letter says. Suppliers said the current grace period for shipments is two to 12 days depending on product category. A packaged foods supplier who ships products to Target's warehouses said the cost of narrowing the delivery window to a single day will be "entirely ours, and they won't share any of that." Target will also hike fines on late shipments to 5 percent of the order cost, according to the letter, which adds that the retailer is considering "escalating charges of $5,000-$10,000" for suppliers who fail to provide complete and accurate product information. Currently, late fines range between 1-3 percent depending on the product, according to suppliers. Mulligan said Target will be flexible with suppliers during an adjustment period. The retailer, which operates 1,800 stores and 40 U.S. warehouses, will roll out the proposed changes over the summer, the letter says. Household, paper, pet products and center-store grocery suppliers have to comply with the rules in June; health and beauty vendors in July and divisions including apparel, home and electronics in August. (Reporting by Nandita Bose in Chicago; Editing by Jo Winterbottom and Edward Tobin) By Ginger Gibson and Alana Wise INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. (Reuters) - U.S. Republican Ted Cruz carefully left the door open to a future run for president on Tuesday after a campaign that outlasted a long list of rivals but could not overcome the anti-establishment appeal of Donald Trump. Cruz, who still holds his U.S. Senate seat from Texas for another two years before facing re-election in 2018, told supporters in Indiana where he lost badly in the state's primary, that his campaign was suspended but that his role in the future of the party was not over. "I am not suspending our fight for liberty," Cruz said. He could be among several Republicans who may resurface in the 2020 presidential campaign after failed bids this time, should the presumptive nominee this year, Donald Trump, falter in the Nov. 8 election. The 45-year-old Cruz became a favorite of evangelicals and the party's conservative wing after he won Iowa's caucuses, the first nominating contest of the race. He built the best organization of any other Republican campaign this year, but his zealous conservatism fell victim to Trump's outsider appeal. In the days leading up to the Indiana vote, Republicans were reminded of Cruz's take-no-prisoners approach in the Senate when former House of Representatives Speaker John Boehner called him "Lucifer in the flesh" and the "most miserable son of a bitch" he had ever worked with on Capitol Hill. The next test for Cruz will be determining what role he will play in the general election and whether, after months of attacks, he will throw his support behind Trump. Trump clearly would like his support as he tries to unite the Republican Party after a bitter primary battle. "I want to congratulate Ted Cruz," Trump said in New York at a victory rally. "He's a tough, smart competitor." Cruz, the son of a Cuban immigrant, gained prominence in conservative circles as the Texas solicitor general, arguing cases on religious liberty and states' rights. After he was elected to the Senate in 2012, he alienated colleagues but drew national attention for his role in the 2013 government shutdown. In a 21-hour talkathon, in which he sought to convince lawmakers to cut funding for President Barack Obama's signature health-care law, Cruz chided the "cheap suits" and "bad haircuts" of some politicians and read the children's book "Green Eggs and Ham" by Dr. Seuss. Cruz cast himself as the leader of a grassroots conservative army when he jumped into the White House race in March 2015, and he argued he was the only candidate who could unite disparate groups of the Republican Party, such as social conservatives and libertarians. He was buoyed by early wins in Iowa and at home in Texas, and Cruz claimed he was the Republican best suited to take on Trump after candidates favored by the party's establishment, such as Jeb Bush, left the race. As Cruz ended his campaign, vendors hawking campaign-themed apparel outside the Indianapolis event quickly discounted the merchandise bearing Cruz's campaign slogan, lowering prices from $20 a shirt to just $5. Supporters lingered in the remodeled train station where Cruz held his rally, some crying and others hugging one another as the news sunk in. Despite having long odds when he announced his candidacy, Cruz beat expectations. "Cruz certainly performed better than anyone in Washington expected, and he still has Texas wired. However, no one is stopping the Trump machine now," Texas-based Republican strategist Joe Brettell said. (Additional reporting by Emily Stephenson, Mohammad Zargham and Steve Holland in Washington; Editing by Leslie Adler) Voters in Indiana handed Texas Republican Sen. Ted Cruz his walking papers Tuesday. His decisive defeat at the hands of New York real estate developer Donald Trump left the conservative firebrand beaten, bloodied and bereft of any hope his campaign could keep what is now the acknowledged presumptive GOP nominee from amassing the 1,237 pledged delegates he needs to win on the first ballot. The people who purport to understand politics are perplexed by Trump's success. They may have once laughed about the rumor he might have paid people to attend his announcement rally at his eponymously named Manhattan tower, but they laugh no more. The reason they don't understand, that they still don't understand, is that Trump isn't a political animal. He's a cultural phenomenon and conservatives, it has been said time and again, don't get the culture. SEE: [Editorial Cartoons on the 2016 Presidential Elections] It's actually not that hard. The American culture is, like the American people, coarse and unrefined. We are basic in our tastes, our likes and our dislikes. We largely eschew high culture in favor of the easily accessible. We prefer slogans to manifestos. We are a run-and-gun, get-up-and-go kind of people who for too long have felt the responsible institutions of society are trying to put us flat on our backs. Most of all, and this is where Trump has really struck the motherlode, we are sick and tired of the so-called smart set telling us we are wrong about just about everything. He has tapped into the profound, bubbling, boiling middle-class resentment of elites now directed at both political parties. To put it in a cultural context -- which is really the only way to explain it -- he's tapped into the same emotions that draw people to the music of Billy Joel, whose lyrics are tattooed on the souls of members of my generation. Not his entire oeuvre of course but go ahead, listen to songs like "Allentown," "Goodnight Saigon," "Movin' Out," "Scenes from an Italian Restaurant," "The Downeaster 'Alexa'" and "Miami 2017," all of which express the profound resentment so many Americans feel at the way their chance to grab a piece of the American dream has been shattered by events beyond their control. Story continues Here's how Wikipedia -- the encyclopedia for the Internet set -- describes Allentown: The song's theme is of the resolve of those coping with the decline of the American manufacturing industry and the emergence of the rust belt in the latter part of the 20th century. More specifically, it depicts the depressed, blue-collar livelihood of residents of Allentown, Pennsylvania in the wake of Bethlehem Steel's decline and eventual closure. These are the kinds of emotions and economic realities Trump has tapped into during the campaign. He's become a tenacious tiger defending the interests of the economically battered. To them, he represents one last chance to be treated fairly, to see the result of their hard work -- when they can get it -- rewarded instead of denigrated by Wall Street bankers and smarmy union officials and unfeeling corporate leaders and special interest groups pleading for special treatment in order to right some grievance from long ago. These people are the backbone of America. They have been at least since the end of the World War II, and they are unwilling, perhaps even unable to carry the burden any longer under the current cultural and political alignment. They're just looking for a break -- and they think Trump is the one to get it for them. Peter Roff is a U.S. News & World Report contributing editor and longtime observer of the Washington scene. Formerly senior political writer for United Press International he writes about public policy for a number of publications and for public policy groups including Asian Forum Japan, where he is a visiting scholar, and Frontiers of Freedom, where he is a senior fellow. He has been published widely and appears weekly on One America News' "The Daily Ledger." You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterRoff. Email him comments at roff.usnews@yahoo.com. By Justin Madden CHICAGO (Reuters) - Dozens of families on Wednesday sued two federal agencies and a suburban Chicago school district over a policy they said disregards student privacy and safety by allowing transgender students to use bathrooms that correspond with their gender identity. Fifty-one families in the Palatine, Illinois, area sued the U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Justice Department and Township High School District 211 for agreeing last December to provide a changing area in the girls' locker room for transgender students. The lawsuit seeks an injunction to prevent enforcement of that agreement. That deal stemmed from a complaint filed in 2013 by the American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois on behalf of a transgender student who was born male and identifies as female. Superintendent Dan Cates said in a statement the school district's deal with federal officials "provided workable solutions protecting the privacy and honoring the dignity of all students." He said there had no reports of issues since the deal was implemented. Dorie Turner Nolt, a spokeswoman for the Education Department, said the agency would not comment on pending litigation. Officials with the Justice Department could not be reached. Legal battles over bathrooms are being fought across the country as school officials, lawmakers and Republican presidential candidates debate whether transgender people should be allowed to use restrooms that match their gender identity instead of their birth sex. Wednesday's lawsuit, representing 73 parents and 63 students, contends the Education Department is unlawfully redefining terms of the Title IX Act, a federal statute that prohibits sex-based discrimination by schools receiving federal funding. The plaintiffs also said the federal agency is forcing its political will on school districts. The lawsuit was filed by attorneys for the Alliance Defending Freedom, which advocates for conservative positions on religious liberty. Story continues "Every day of the school year a certain number of girls have to share the locker room space with a biological male and it makes them incredibly uncomfortable, stressed and anxious about the things going on in their school day," Jeremy Tedesco, an attorney for the families, said at a news conference in U.S. District Court in Chicago. The Justice Department told North Carolina's governor on Wednesday a new state law limiting restroom access for transgender people violates the U.S. Civil Rights Act. Last month, a U.S. appeals court ruled for a Virginia transgender student seeking access to the bathroom of his gender identity. Chicago's public school system said Tuesday it would allow transgender students to use restrooms and locker rooms that correspond with their gender identities. Edwin Yohnka, a spokesman for ACLU of Illinois, in an email called Wednesday's lawsuit "a sad development by groups opposed to fair and humane treatment of all students." (Additional reporting by Ben Klayman in Detroit and Julia Harte in Washington; Editing by Alistair Bell) A petition may help bring more mannequins like the one on the right to the Parsons School of Design. (Photo: Getty) UPDATE: Success! Nayyara Chues efforts have made an impact and now, Parsons students interested in creating clothes for plus size women have the option to do so. As of today we have succeeded the purpose of this petition! she wrote on the online petitions page. The issue has been resolved and students at parsons are able to use plus sized mannequins to create designs! This was just the first step towards reaching the ultimate goal of a more body positive fashion industry. The average American woman is a size 14, but you wouldnt know it if you looked at the mannequins at New York Citys Parsons School of Design. Nayyara Chue, a bridal fashion design student at the school, is looking to change that. Chue started an online petition urging Parsons to provide its students with more plus-size mannequins. It has come to my attention that there is currently only one plus-size mannequin at Parsons, while there are approximately one thousand students focusing on fashion design attending at the moment, the petition reads. It is preposterous that several students cant execute their plus-size specialties at the school, even more so when the resources arent readily available to us. In addition, a mannequin costs circa 300-400 $US and isnt economically accessible to everyone within the school. Runway Riot notes that Chue, who mentions she is herself a plus-size designer, had to create her own plus-size mannequin out of duct tape, which, considering the Parsons reputation as one of the fashion schools, seems unacceptable. If the school is incubating the next generation of great designers, especially in a country where most people fall into the plus-size range, then the students should have practice and experience designing for larger bodies period. Installing more plus-size mannequins in our classrooms would open a lot of doors to emerging designers who believe in sizes higher than 8, Chue wrote in the petition. Story continues So far, Chues petition has around 3,838 signatures she originally set a goal of about 200. Seems like her message calling for inclusivity is resonating beyond the walls of Parsons. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest for nonstop inspiration delivered fresh to your feed, every day. By Brendan Pierson May 3 (Reuters) - The father of a former investment banker at Perella Weinberg Partners and JPMorgan Chase & Co was sentenced on Wednesday to a year of home confinement and three more years of probation, for trading securities ahead of healthcare mergers based on tips from his son. U.S. District Judge Laura Taylor Swain in Manhattan sentenced Robert Stewart, 61, at a court hearing. She also ordered Stewart to forfeit the $150,000 he gained from the trading and to do 750 hours of community service. Before being sentenced, Stewart said he was "humiliated" and accepted responsibility for his actions. Swain said she would have sentenced Stewart to prison if not for the "unusually serious" medical condition of his wife, Claudia Stewart, who required his care. The details of her condition were not discussed. "Mr. Stewart is grateful for the opportunity to move forward with his life in a positive way," Stewart's lawyer, Seth Levine, told reporters outside the courtroom. Stewart was arrested on insider trading charges last May and pleaded guilty in August. The plea deal did not call for him to cooperate in the case against his son, Sean Stewart, 35, who is also charged with insider trading. Sean Stewart has pleaded not guilty. Prosecutors said Robert Stewart, an accountant, traded on tips from Sean about mergers being worked on at Perella Weinberg and JPMorgan Chase, where Sean worked until 2011. At JPMorgan, the mergers included INC Research Holdings Inc's 2011 acquisition of Kendle International Inc and Apax Partners' buyout that year of Kinetic Concepts Inc. At Perella Weinberg, the deals included Hologic Inc's 2012 acquisition of Gen-Probe Inc, Linde AG's purchase of Lincare Holdings Inc that year, and Becton, Dickinson & Co's deal for CareFusion Corp in October. Prosecutors said that, after a regulator began inquiring about Kinetic Concepts trading, Robert Stewart arranged to have a business associate, Richard Cunniffe, make trades for a cut of what became $1.16 million in profits. Story continues Assistant U.S. Attorney Brooke Cucinella, a lead prosecutor in the case, said at Wednesday's hearing that Cunniffe kept most of that money himself. Cunniffe, an investment banker at Chatsworth Securities LLC, secretly pleaded guilty in March 2015 and agreed to cooperate with authorities. The case is U.S. v. Cunniffe, U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York, No. 15-cr-287. (Reporting By Brendan Pierson in New York; Additional Reporting By Nate Raymond in New York; Editing by Noeleen Walder and David Gregorio) Aleppo (Syria) (AFP) - Fierce fighting raged in the war-ravaged Syrian city of Aleppo and air strikes pounded rebels east of the capital Damascus on Wednesday as diplomats scrambled to salvage a collapsing truce. Intense international efforts to bring a halt to the latest surge in Syrian fighting continued, with talks between senior diplomats in Berlin and the UN Security Council set for an urgent meeting later Wednesday. The renewed violence has threatened the complete breakdown of a landmark ceasefire between President Bashar al-Assad's regime and non-jihadist rebels brokered by Moscow and Washington in late February. Fighting has been especially intense in and around Syria's devastated second city of Aleppo, with more than 280 civilians killed since April 22. Some of the heaviest clashes in Aleppo in months continued on Wednesday as rebel forces pressed an offensive against regime troops on the city's western outskirts, a monitor said. Rami Abdel Rahman, head of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, said the fighting was "the most violent in Aleppo in over a year". The rebels have fired a barrage of rockets into regime-held neighbourhoods in western Aleppo in recent days, with three more civilians killed in the attacks early on Wednesday, Syrian state news agency SANA said. Regime warplanes were hitting the advancing rebels, giving opposition-held areas of eastern Aleppo a respite from air strikes, an AFP correspondent in the city said. Suspected regime strikes also pummelled the rebel stronghold of Eastern Ghouta near Damascus, the Observatory said, after a temporary freeze on fighting in the area expired overnight. - Flurry of talks - The district was hit with at least 22 air strikes, but there was no immediate word on casualties, it said. Russia had said on Tuesday it hoped a new ceasefire for Aleppo could be agreed "within hours" but on Wednesday said truce efforts had been stymied by jihadists. Story continues Russian military spokesman Igor Konashenkov said a plan had been agreed for a "regime of silence" in and around Aleppo but fell apart following rocket attacks by Al-Nusra Front, an Al-Qaeda affiliate. In Berlin, German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier and French counterpart Jean-Marc Ayrault held talks with UN Syria envoy Staffan de Mistura. After the talks, De Mistura issued a plea for a halt in fighting in Aleppo. "The alternative is truly quite catastrophic, because we could see 400,000 people moving towards the Turkish border," said De Mistura, who this week met US Secretary of State John Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. Steinmeier, who also met with Syria's main opposition leader Riad Hijab, said "the terrible images from Aleppo in recent days" showed "what is at stake" in the conflict. "Either we put peace efforts back on track... or we risk falling back into escalation, into an explosion of violence and the continuation of the civil war." The United Nations said the Syrian government had refused a request for aid access to rebel-held eastern Aleppo, warning that the area could soon be besieged. "The horrific fighting and bombardment in recent days, especially in and around Aleppo, is creating new areas with endless suffering and no access for humanitarians," Jan Egeland, who heads an international humanitarian taskforce for Syria, said in Geneva. - 'Syria's Sarajevo' - The diplomatic push aims to bring the ceasefire back from the brink and to restore hope for peace talks aimed at finally resolving a five-year war that has left more than 270,000 dead and forced millions from their homes. France on Wednesday announced it would also host talks with the Saudi, Qatari, Turkish and Emirati foreign ministers next week. The countries are all key backers of the Syrian opposition, and French government spokesman Stephane Le Foll said the Monday meeting would focus on efforts to move deadlocked peace talks forward. Wednesday's Security Council meeting was called by France and Britain to discuss the situation in Aleppo, with envoys demanding an urgent solution. "(Aleppo) is to Syria what Sarajevo was to Bosnia," France's UN ambassador Francois Delattre said. Syria's conflict erupted in 2011 after anti-government protests were put down, escalating into a multi-front war with consequences including the seizure of large parts of the country by the jihadist Islamic State group. A US-led coalition of countries battling IS in Syria and Iraq pledged Wednesday to pour more resources into the fight, after coming under strong pressure from Washington for greater contributions. In a joint statement after a meeting led by US Defence Secretary Ashton Carter in Stuttgart, coalition members pledged "the deployment of additional enabling capabilities in the near term" in order to defeat IS. (Adds details, forecast) May 4 (Reuters) - U.S. fertilizer company Mosaic Co forecast higher phosphate and potash sales for the current quarter after it reported higher-than-expected first quarter sales. The company's net sales fell 21.7 percent in the first quarter to $1.67 billion, but beat the average analyst estimate of $1.56 billion. Mosaic's Brazil unit said in March that the country's fertilizer sales had doubled in the first 10 weeks, compared with the volume seen in a similar period in 2015, with sales reaching 7.5 million tonnes considering deals from all suppliers. Plymouth, Minnesota-based Mosaic forecast current-quarter phosphate sales of 2.3 million to 2.6 million tonnes, higher than the 2.2 million tonnes it sold in the first quarter. The company said it expected potash sales of 1.9 million to 2.2 million tonnes in the current quarter, higher than the 1.5 million tonnes it sold in the first quarter. Larger rival Potash Corp of Saskatchewan last month reported an 80 percent drop in profit and cut its full-year profit forecast on weak demand and lower prices. Mosaic, which cut 8 percent of its workforce at a Canadian mine in October, on Wednesday lowered its 2016 capital expenditures to the range of $800 million to $900 million from its previous estimate of $0.9 billion to $1.1 billion. Net profit attributable to the world's largest producer of finished phosphate products fell nearly 13 percent to $256.8 million, or 73 cents per share, in the first quarter ended March 31 from a year earlier. Excluding items, it earned 14 cents per share, in line with analysts' average estimate, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S. (Reporting by Manish Parashar in Bengaluru and Rod Nickel in Winnipeg, Manitoba; Editing by Maju Samuel) Cape Town (AFP) - Fists flew in the South African parliament on Wednesday as security guards physically ejected leftist opposition lawmakers in the latest outbreak of political drama over the troubled presidency of Jacob Zuma. About 10 lawmakers from the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) party shouted down the Speaker and refused to let Zuma deliver his budget speech, saying they did not recognise him as president. Plain-clothed security guards pulled the EFF members from their seats and bundled then out of the chamber as punches were exchanged and parliamentary benches knocked over. The country's highest court in March found Zuma had violated the constitution over the use of public funds to upgrade his private residence. After another damaging court ruling last week, he could also face almost 800 corruption charges that had been dropped in 2009. "We cannot allow an illegitimate president to speak here as if nothing has happened," EFF deputy president Floyd Shivambu told parliament during chaotic scenes. "We cannot be addressed by a person who is facing corruption charges (and) undermines the constitution. He must not speak here." Criticism of Zuma has built over recent months with several stalwarts of the anti-apartheid struggle calling for him to step down, but he retains the loyalty of many in the ruling African National Congress (ANC) party. Opposition parties hope to gain ground against the ANC at local government elections on August 3. Zuma calmly delivered his speech to parliament after the EFF members were removed. The president has also been beset by allegations that a wealthy Indian migrant family had such influence over him that it could decide ministerial appointments. A scene from Penrose Studios' Allumette. Imagine youre a filmmaker. Cinema is your craft, an art honed by more than a hundred years of brilliant ideas and happy mistakes. With it, you can do something that probably once felt like magic: capture any moment, idea, or feeling so anyone can relive it. Now picture something new. Its a lot like film, only it puts the audience inside your story and it feels like magic, when it works. With it, you can create entire worlds for your audience, but none of the original rules of cinema apply. How do you create your art when all of your tools have changed? This is how some filmmakers see virtual reality. And at least one director, Penrose Studios Eugene Chung, likens virtual reality to the invention of the moving picture and how it usurped the stage. I dont think anyone alive really knows much about the language of VR, Chung said in an interview before his company debuted its second VR animated feature, Allumette, at the 2016 Tribeca Film Festival. The film explores the sacrifices a mother makes for her daughter. In the last great art transition, the major stage play directors tried to become film directors, and a lot of them didnt succeed because they did things like put the camera in front of the stage, said Chung. Todays recipe for great film doesnt work on an Oculus or HTC headset. The medium, in its infancy, may look like film (or like someone crammed a theatrical release inside a clunky headset), but really its something entirely different. In VR, the audience controls the camera. There is no language no rulebook or established tools for telling stories, so directors and technologists are inventing it as they go. Like the stage and theater, theres a unity of time and space in VR in a way that there isnt in cinema, said Chung, so things just tend to take longer to do. You have to actually wait for that person to walk across the room. You cant go: OK, shes here and then you cut to another [scene] where shes across the room. Story continues We have experimented with lots of things including scale. For us, we want to create these big open worlds. We actually think about ourselves as creating worlds first, and then the stories and characters as secondary, said Chung. In Allumette, the viewer sees each scene as if they were perched in the clouds, a god-like view. You move the camera by looking around, like any other VR experience out today, but you can also change the scale of the set and characters simply by walking toward them. You watch it standing up. You cant try to fit the square hole of cinema into the spherical hole of VR, said director Rose Troche, whose second VR piece, Perspective Ch. 2: The Misdemeanor, also debuted at the 2016 Tribeca Film Festival. Its not like Oh my god, I have a script laying around, Im going to do this in VR. If youre going to do it in VR, then you have to rewrite it for VR. Perspective Ch. 2: The Misdemeanor VR In stark contrast to Allumette, Troches film explores bias by capturing the perspective of police officers, suspects, and bystanders as an altercation spirals out of control. The viewer sees the film from the perspective of each character youre the cop pulling the trigger of a gun, or a 15-year-old collapsing onto the ground. You really have to watch it sitting down. In each film theres this sensation of being there and yet not. Theres a really interesting question of identity in VR, said Chung. Have you ever seen Patrick Swayze in the movie Ghost? In VR, you kind of feel that way. Lets say theres a dog here, and Im like, hey dog, and the dog doesnt respond to me the way I think it would, you feel this weird effect you feel like Patrick Swayze in Ghost. Its the Swayze Effect. Thats the weird thing about working in these new mediums, said Chung. You work in a brand-new medium, you dont have a name for things, right? When you dont have a name for them you just have to make them up. The ghostly sensation Chung described persists in The Misdemeanor, and both cases point to a defining characteristic of virtual reality mostly absent in VR film today: interactivity. Neither The Misdemeanor nor Allumette are significantly interactive, but each work successfully transports the viewer somewhere else. In both films, you eventually leave the room youre in youre no longer worrying about sitting there awkwardly with a goofy headset on while onlookers take Snaps. Pearl, Google Spotlight Stories latest animated VR short, broadly lacks interactivity, too, but Google and director Patrick Osborne did manage to insert subtle doses of viewer control into the piece. It debuted alongside Allumette and The Misdemeanor at the festival. With Pearl, its a story of a dad and his daughter growing up, and it happens in a car, throughout their lifetime in a sense at least, the growth of his daughter. There are moments where, based on how you look or who youre looking at, we move the story or not, or we take you somewhere else, so you see a surprise an Easter egg in a way but it makes sense in the moment, said Rachid El Guerrab, a project lead working on Google Spotlight Stories. You can bemoan the lack of complex interactivity in VR films today, but simply shooting 360-degree video presents major challenges for filmmakers. While recording continuous 360-degree scenes for The Misdemeanor, Troche and collaborator Morris May, founder of VR studio Specular Theory, had to blend in as extras in the film. Were hiding [in the scene]. Im in the crowd of people the sound guy, hes in a cyclist uniform. You just make your crew extras whoevers willing to come on board, Troche said. Try directing that way its really crazy. Youre like, Did we get it? It reminds me of when I shot in Super 8, and Im like, Well, I guess Ill see it when it comes back from the lab, you know? Thinking about the possibility of not just watching a movie, but somehow existing inside it, is the easiest way to realize that VR filmmakers have yet to truly realize the full potential of the medium. Yet thats what makes VRs evolution so mesmerizing. Measured in terms of polish, VR cannot yet compete with cinema. Measured by impact, it absolutely can. As Hayao Miyazaki, a master of traditional animated film, transports the audience inside his stories (see: Spirited Away, a story about crossing from childhood into adulthood), so can Chungs team pull the viewer into a story about coming to terms with loss as can Troche and Google Spotlight Stories, in diametric ways. The medium is a work in progress and maybe it always will be but its also already proven itself worthy of attention, regardless of its longevity or potential to replace cinema, like the moving picture eclipsed the stage a century ago. The ideas and idea makers are there directors and technologists hard at work, crafting the medium before our eyes. More: MobileBeat 2016 is focused on the paradigm shift from apps to AI, messaging, and chatbots. Don't miss this opportunity: July 12 and 13 in San Francisco. (The following statement was released by the rating agency) SINGAPORE, May 04 (Fitch) Fitch Ratings has affirmed Malaysia-based Tenaga Nasional Berhad's (Tenaga) Long-Term Foreign- and Local-Currency Issuer Default Ratings (IDRs) at 'BBB+' and its foreign- and local-currency senior unsecured ratings at 'BBB+'. The Outlook is Stable. At the same time, the agency has affirmed Tenaga's Short-Term Foreign- and Local-Currency IDRs at 'F2' and simultaneously withdrawn these Short-Term ratings as Fitch no longer considers them relevant to the agency's coverage. KEY RATING DRIVERS Strong Position, State Support: Tenaga's ratings reflect its position as the owner and operator of Malaysia's electricity transmission and distribution network, its near 55% share of Peninsular Malaysia's power generation capacity and stable financial profile. The ratings incorporate a one-notch uplift to Tenaga's standalone rating, due to its strategic importance to the government of Malaysia (A-/Stable), which effectively owns over 60% of the company. Regulatory Framework Intact: The government allows Tenaga to adjust its regulated tariffs every six months to reflect changes in fuel costs, subject to the government's approval. The adjustment reflects the difference between actual fuel cost and the amounts stipulated in the Imbalance Cost Pass Through (ICPT) framework. Tenaga's tariff effectively increased by 2% to 37.01sen/kWh for January-June 2016 from 36.28sen/kWh for July-December 2015 due to lower fuel-cost savings in 2H15 versus 1H15, and a smaller tariff rebate to customers. Improving Cost Base: Fitch expects Tenaga's fuel costs to be lower than the amounts stipulated in the ICPT mechanism till 2017, and the company will pass on to customers the difference by way of tariff rebates. This will mainly be driven by higher coal-fired generation, which accounted for about 45% of Peninsular Malaysia's electricity generation in the financial year ended 31 August 2015 (FY15). Fitch expects the share of coal-fired generation to increase to around 55% by FYE17. Coal-fired electricity costs about 25% less than piped natural gas-based generation, and around 70% less than generation through LNG. In FY15, we estimate that about 40% of Peninsular Malaysia's electricity generation was via piped natural gas and 9% through LNG. Lower Power Purchase Commitments: Tenaga purchases about half of the electricity it sells from independent power producers under long-term power purchase agreements (PPAs). The PPAs include substantial fixed-capacity payments of about 13% of Tenaga's cash operating expenses in FY15. Tenaga has reduced its purchasing commitments to some producers after it renegotiated the purchase agreements in lieu of extensions. Tenaga does not directly benefit from the savings as these are payable to the government for its tariff stabilisation fund, in our view. Fitch capitalises 30% of Tenaga's fixed-capacity charge payments to independent power producers when calculating its leverage ratios. The amount capitalised broadly represents the unutilised proportion of the contracted capacity at the independent power producers. High Capex: Fitch expects Tenaga to incur about MYR46bn of capex from FY16 to FY19, to increase its domestic generation capacity and for maintenance. Tenaga's domestic generation capacity was 11.6 gigawatts (GW) at end-December 2015 and the company plans to add 3.4GW of new domestic capacity by December 2019. The group also plans to pursue international opportunities, as reflected in the acquisition of a 30% stake in Turkey-based Gama Enerji in December 2015. Fitch has not factored any new acquisitions in its financial forecasts for Tenaga, and will analyse the impact if and when any materialise. Fitch expects Tenaga to generate cash flows from operations of about MYR12bn per year, and to be able to comfortably fund the majority of the expected capex through internal cash generation. Strong Financial Profile: Fitch assesses Tenaga's financial profile to be stronger for its standalone rating of 'BBB' in the absence of any material debt-funded acquisitions. The agency expects that Tenaga would be able to maintain funds flow from operations (FFO) adjusted net leverage below 2.5x in the next two to three years (FY15: 1.9x). However, an upgrade would be contingent on a record of consistently implementing the fuel cost pass-through mechanism, especially in an environment of rising fuel costs. KEY ASSUMPTIONS Fitch's key assumptions within our rating case for the issuer include - Annual electricity sales growth of about 3% - Cost of coal and LNG to remain lower than amounts stipulated in the ICPT mechanism till 2017 - Over-recoveries to be passed through to customers - Capex of about MYR11bn per year till FY19 RATING SENSITIVITIES Negative: Future developments that may collectively or individually lead to negative rating actions include: - FFO-adjusted net leverage rises above 4.5x (FY15: 1.9x) on a sustained basis - FFO fixed-charge coverage below 2.5x (FY15: 9.0x) on a sustained basis - Weakening of linkages with the state Positive: Future developments that may collectively or individually lead to positive rating actions include: - A track record of consistent implementation of the fuel cost pass-through mechanism, especially in an environment of rising fuel costs - FFO-adjusted net leverage below 3.0x on a sustained basis - FFO fixed-charge coverage above 4.0x on a sustained basis - Strengthening of linkages with the state, including stronger financial support Contact: Primary Analyst Rachna Jain Associate Director +65 6796 7227 Fitch Ratings Singapore Pte Ltd 6 Temasek Boulevard #35-05 Suntec Tower Four Singapore 038986 Secondary Analyst Isabelle Katsumata Director +65 6796 7226 Committee Chairperson Sajal Kishore Senior Director +612 8256 0321 Summary of Financial Statement Adjustments: - Fitch adjusts the debt by taking 30% of annual capacity payments to independent power producers, multiplying this amount by 8x and adding it to debt. Media Relations: Leslie Tan, Singapore, Tel: +65 67 96 7234, Email: leslie.tan@fitchratings.com. Additional information is available on www.fitchratings.com. Applicable Criteria Corporate Rating Methodology - Including Short-Term Ratings and Parent and Subsidiary Linkage (pub. 17 Aug 2015) https://www.fitchratings.com/creditdesk/reports/report_frame.cfm?rpt_id=869362 Additional Disclosures Dodd-Frank Rating Information Disclosure Form https://www.fitchratings.com/creditdesk/press_releases/content/ridf_frame.cfm?pr _id=1003943 Solicitation Status https://www.fitchratings.com/gws/en/disclosure/solicitation?pr_id=1003943 Endorsement Policy https://www.fitchratings.com/jsp/creditdesk/PolicyRegulation.faces?context=2&det ail=31 ALL FITCH CREDIT RATINGS ARE SUBJECT TO CERTAIN LIMITATIONS AND DISCLAIMERS. PLEASE READ THESE LIMITATIONS AND DISCLAIMERS BY FOLLOWING THIS LINK: HTTP://FITCHRATINGS.COM/UNDERSTANDINGCREDITRATINGS. IN ADDITION, RATING DEFINITIONS AND THE TERMS OF USE OF SUCH RATINGS ARE AVAILABLE ON THE AGENCY'S PUBLIC WEBSITE 'WWW.FITCHRATINGS.COM'. PUBLISHED RATINGS, CRITERIA AND METHODOLOGIES ARE AVAILABLE FROM THIS SITE AT ALL TIMES. FITCH'S CODE OF CONDUCT, CONFIDENTIALITY, CONFLICTS OF INTEREST, AFFILIATE FIREWALL, COMPLIANCE AND OTHER RELEVANT POLICIES AND PROCEDURES ARE ALSO AVAILABLE FROM THE 'CODE OF CONDUCT' SECTION OF THIS SITE. FITCH MAY HAVE PROVIDED ANOTHER PERMISSIBLE SERVICE TO THE RATED ENTITY OR ITS RELATED THIRD PARTIES. DETAILS OF THIS SERVICE FOR RATINGS FOR WHICH THE LEAD ANALYST IS BASED IN AN EU-REGISTERED ENTITY CAN BE FOUND ON THE ENTITY SUMMARY PAGE FOR THIS ISSUER ON THE FITCH WEBSITE. By Richard Cowan WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell on Wednesday held firm on his refusal to act on President Barack Obama's nominee to the U.S. Supreme Court even as some conservative activists called on senators to confirm Merrick Garland now that Donald Trump is the presumptive Republican presidential nominee. "The leader's position has not changed on Garland," McConnell spokesman David Popp told Reuters. Since Obama nominated Garland in March, McConnell has refused to allow a confirmation vote, saying it should be up to the next president to fill the court's vacancy left by the February death of conservative Justice Antonin Scalia. Some conservatives on Wednesday urged the Senate to confirm Garland, a centrist federal appeals court judge, now that Trump appears in line to win the Republican nomination for the Nov. 8 election. They are concerned Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton will defeat Trump in the election and pick a far more liberal nominee than Garland for a lifetime court appointment. Other conservative voices urged McConnell to hold firm, saying that doing otherwise would alienate core Republican voters, hurting the party's election chances in the fall. Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, who backs McConnell's hard-line stance, has refused to hold hearings on Garland's nomination. With his victory in Tuesday's Indiana Republican primary, Trump solidified his position to land the party's presidential nomination at its July convention in Cleveland. His closest challenger, Texas Senator Ted Cruz, quit the race after being drubbed in Indiana. McConnell has repeatedly refused to say which Republican he supports for president. In an interview with Newsmax on Monday, before the Indiana vote, McConnell would say only that he intends to support the party's nominee, "whomever that may be." Trump has said he would consult with the conservative Heritage Foundation think tank on possible Supreme Court nominees if he is elected president. Leon Wolf of the conservative RedState website predicted that Republicans will lose the White House race in November with Trump as their nominee, and likely lose control of the Senate as well. Wolf wrote in a blog post, "The choices, essentially, are to confirm Garland ... or watch as President Clinton nominates someone who is radically more leftist and 10-15 years younger" than the 63-year-old Garland. But Erick Erickson, writing for the conservative website The Resurgent, said Republicans should "resist the temptation" because rushing to confirm Garland might "further depress Republican (voter) turnout" that is important to keeping the Senate under Republican control. (Reporting by Richard Cowan; Editing by Will Dunham) By Idrees Ali WASHINGTON, May 4 (Reuters) - Retired Lieutenant General Michael Flynn, who has been advising Donald Trump informally on foreign policy, will join Drone Aviation Holding Corp as vice chairman of its board of directors, the company said in a statement on Wednesday. Flynn, who was chief of the Defense Intelligence Agency under President Barack Obama from 2012-2014 and has since been advising Trump, the Republican presidential front-runner, wants the United States to work more closely with Russia to resolve global security issues. "Having evaluated the (company's) technologies, I believe they can positively impact our military's defense and situational awareness and that is why I am joining Jay and his team in expanding the role of persistent aerial solutions in the marketplace," Flynn said in the statement, referring to company CEO Jay Nussbaum. Drone Aviation develops and manufactures aerostats and electric-powered drones to give its customers "enhanced surveillance and communication capabilities." The company's customers include the U.S. military, Saudi Arabia and the Ecuadorian Air Force, according to its website. Flynn resigned as the head of the Pentagon's main intelligence agency a year before his term was officially due to end. He raised eyebrows among some U.S. foreign policy veterans when he was pictured sitting at the head table with Russian President Vladimir Putin at a banquet in Moscow late last year celebrating Russia Today, an international broadcasting network funded by the Russian government. He told Russia Today in an interview published on Dec. 10 that the United States and Russia should work together to resolve the Syrian civil war and defeat the Islamic State militant group. Flynn's experience would "help ensure that our tethered solutions, today and in the future, will continue to meet the needs of our soldiers and security forces at home and abroad as they respond to evolving threats," Nussbaum said in the same statement. (Reporting by Idrees Ali; Editing by Paul Tait) By Idrees Ali WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Retired Lieutenant General Michael Flynn, who has been advising Donald Trump informally on foreign policy, will join Drone Aviation Holding Corp as vice chairman of its board of directors, the company said in a statement on Wednesday. Flynn, who was chief of the Defense Intelligence Agency under President Barack Obama from 2012-2014 and has since been advising Trump, the Republican presidential front-runner, wants the United States to work more closely with Russia to resolve global security issues. "Having evaluated the (company's) technologies, I believe they can positively impact our militarys defense and situational awareness and that is why I am joining Jay and his team in expanding the role of persistent aerial solutions in the marketplace, Flynn said in the statement, referring to company CEO Jay Nussbaum. Drone Aviation develops and manufactures aerostats and electric-powered drones to give its customers "enhanced surveillance and communication capabilities." The company's customers include the U.S. military, Saudi Arabia and the Ecuadorian Air Force, according to its website. Flynn resigned as the head of the Pentagon's main intelligence agency a year before his term was officially due to end. He raised eyebrows among some U.S. foreign policy veterans when he was pictured sitting at the head table with Russian President Vladimir Putin at a banquet in Moscow late last year celebrating Russia Today, an international broadcasting network funded by the Russian government. He told Russia Today in an interview published on Dec. 10 that the United States and Russia should work together to resolve the Syrian civil war and defeat the Islamic State militant group. Flynn's experience would "help ensure that our tethered solutions, today and in the future, will continue to meet the needs of our soldiers and security forces at home and abroad as they respond to evolving threats, Nussbaum said in the same statement. (Reporting by Idrees Ali; Editing by Paul Tait) Pitcher Heath Bell Following his retirement from the MLB in March 2015, former All-Star reliever Heath Bell is lobbing a final pitch at home buyers. Known for sprinting in from the bullpen when called on to pitch, Bell is now ready to walk away from his $1.5 million home in San Diego. The high-strung pitcher was revered for his blazing fastball when he held the closer role for the San Diego Padres from 2009 to 2011, racking up 132 saves in three seasons. After leaving the Padres as a free agent in 2011, Bell had a tumultuous season with the Miami Marlins and drifted out of the big leagues two seasons later. Listed for just under $1.5 million, his five-bedroom, Mediterranean-style property is a home run. (See what we did there?) Ideal for familiesBell does have four kidsthe home has plenty of living areas, a large kitchen which opens to a breakfast area, and spacious bedrooms. There are plenty of stylish details throughout, including arched doorways, stone floors, and high ceilings. But the most impressive feature is outside. The lush courtyard has a pool, barbecue station, fireplace, and bar. There is also enough seating to entertain friends and family, and plenty of high walls and plants for privacy. Heath Bell curb appeal Bedroom Courtyard The post Former San Diego Padres Closer Heath Bell Lists San Diego Home appeared first on Real Estate News and Advice - realtor.com. Related Articles Homeowners Susan and Bob Frank with their vacation rental property. In 2005, Susan and Bob Frank built their dream retirement home in North Topsail, N.C., a popular vacation spot known for its soft sand beaches. They planned to rent out the house, affectionately called the Flip Flop Inn, until they were ready to leave their home in Raleigh, N.C., and retire. Initially unsatisfied with a rental company, they began listing and marketing their home on VRBO (Vacation Rentals By Owner). Susan Frank signed up for a Gold subscription with VRBO, which, at the time, advertised as a rental site for homeowners only. Rental agencies were not allowed. In 2006, Austin, Texas-based vacation rental network HomeAway acquired VRBO. Susan and Bob Frank were dismayed to learn that rental agencies would be allowed on the site but were still satisfied, overall, with the 20 or so rental inquiries they received each year. However, when Bellevue, Wash.-based online travel giant Expedia purchased HomeAway for $3.9 billion in December, the Franks say everything changed. My inquiries they just tanked, Susan Frank said. The Franks arent alone. Homeowners in regions across the U.S. say theyve been impacted negatively by recent changes at HomeAway including a different approach to displaying search results for rentals, and a new structure for charging travelers and homeowners for the service. Expedia is seeking to improve HomeAways underlying economics, going toe-to-toe with industry juggernaut Airbnb and staking its claim in the booming sharing economy. But in the process, homeowners say, the company is risking the loyalty of the people whose rental properties form the foundation of the site. New approach under Expedia One of the biggest changes is the introduction of a travelers fee also referred to as a service fee. Travelers who book through the HomeAway checkout process are now charged a fee that averages between 4 percent and 9 percent of the rental amount, not exceeding $499, the company says. Airbnb charges a similar fee. Story continues HomeAway says revenue from the fee will be invested in brand marketing and product development, ultimately improving the service. But some homeowners are upset with the change, saying the structure is not what they signed up for when they started using the service. In another switch, HomeAway search results now prioritize whats called Best Match, an algorithm that considers how frequently a homeowners calendar is updated, how often they convert inquiries into bookings, quality of photos, and how closely the listing matches the travelers preferences. The site also introduced a Book With Confidence guarantee, promising to refund customers who book or pay via HomeAway if a listing is fraudulent or misrepresented. Expedia CEO Dara Khosrowshahi. In the past, sites like VRBO relied on tiered annual homeowner subscriptions for revenue, rather than fees from travelers. Annual subscribers (including Classic, Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Platinum) were given priority in search results, based on the tiered level their subscription. In Expedias first quarter earnings report last week, CEO Dara Khosrowshahi announced that HomeAways multi-level subscriptions would be slowly phased out. Instead, homeowners will be able to list their properties using one annual subscription at a flat rate of $349 if the owner enables online booking and $499 if he or she does not. Homeowners can also list properties for free and pay a percentage of each booking facilitated through HomeAway. The rules of the marketplace are changing, said Khosrowshahi. They will be a bit more favorable to travelers and travel preferences so the owners who are updating their calendars, who have great reviews, the owners who have terrific pictures and who put up pricing and are online bookable will tend to get more share in our marketplace. HomeAway and Expedia say the impetus for the new focus on conversions, over subscriptions, is to meet travelers expectations and increase revenue. But the changes are causing friction among many homeowners. A Change.org petition to remove the travelers fee has 1,070 supporters as of May 4 and a Facebook group called Say No to VRBO Service Fee has 2,422 followers. I feel like the Vacation Rental By Owner is not important to them anymore and that they would rather work with property managers who dont have a personal interest in the success and quality of the rental and guest relationship, said a homeowner in Hawaii, who asked not to be identified by name because shes still using HomeAway. Where once I felt like HomeAway was working for me, now I feel like they are forcing me to work for them. Ivan Arnold, a HomeAway subscriber since 2013, cites many of the same concerns. He is suing HomeAway over its new service fee, accusing the site of bait and switch tactics which have materially damaged Plaintiff and hundreds of thousands of other vacation home owners and managers. Arnold claims that HomeAway consistently represented that it would not charge fees to consumers, a promise that led homeowners to enter into year-long contracts with the company. The proposed class action suit was filed March 15 in U.S. District Court in Austin, Texas. HomeAway declined to comment for this story due to the ongoing litigation. Some homeowners say the changes give rental agencies an unfair advantage over individual homeowners, who historically made up the core base of HomeAway sites. But Expedia says its marketplace is flexible enough to accommodate individuals and agencies. The HomeAway team is very focused on making sure that they have a marketplace that individual owners can play in because those individual owners, those VRBO listings, are the heart and soul of HomeAway and having a marketplace where, obviously, the professional PMs can operate in as well, said Khosrowshahi on Expedias earnings call. Competing with Airbnb Expedia and HomeAway say the changes are necessary to adapt to consumers expectations and remain competitive in the rapidly evolving travel market. Airbnbs meteoric rise disrupted whats known as the alternative accommodations market, and its competitors have struggled to keep up. Expedias purchase of HomeAway, part of a larger acquisition spree, is meant give the company a foothold in this market. Expedia also plans to start incorporating HomeAway listings on its flagship Expedia.com and Hotels.com sites, HomeAways take rate before the latest changes lagged behind Airbnb, despite strong bookings, as shown in these charts from an Expedia financial presentation. Expedias strategy in adding the service fee and focusing on bookings is to beat Airbnb at its own game. Expedias chief financial officer, Mark Okerstrom outlined plans to compete more aggressively with Airbnb in March, when the company moved key executive John Kim, Expedias longtime chief product officer, to HomeAway. HomeAways plan to shift its main revenue source from annual homeowner subscriptions to service fees is in line with Airbnbs model. I think the players who are giving us the best inventory are gaining both booking share and audience share within our marketplace, said Khosrowshahi. Every players going to make their own decision and I think that the supply partners who play well with us, who really provide a terrific experience for our customers over a long period of time, are going to gain share in our marketplace and well build a terrific partnership with them over the long-term. Though it may seem semantic, the question of what constitutes inventory and what it means to be a partner has many homeowners fired up. HomeAway now refers to us as their partners,' said Susan Frank, the homeowner in North Topsail. My definition of a partner is one who shares in wins as well as pays for losses, so wouldnt that imply they should pay their share of our costs? Frank feels HomeAways shift from a site that facilitates owner-renter connections to a site that plays a more active role in rental listings is unfair to homeowners. The Wild West of the tech industry This friction is the latest chapter in a broader narrative about the unwritten rules of the sharing economy. Lawmakers, businesses, and users are all grappling to define the customer, seller, product, manager, and employee in this new type of transaction. Does the power ultimately lie with the person who supplies the inventory or the company that provides the technology? Many of these issues are being hammered out in the Seattle region, where Expedia is headquartered. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is currently suing the City of Seattle over a recent law that allows Uber and Lyft drivers to unionize. Uber, for its part, says drivers arent employees but independent contractors using the companys technology. Airbnb, HomeAways main competitor, is also facing a slew of legal battles as legislators try to define and regulate the nascent, on-demand industry. The peer-to-peer home rentals site is negotiating regulatory issues, safety concerns, and push-back from cities over the impact it has on housing markets. The on-demand sharing economy is the Wild West of the broader technology industry. Much of it is unexplored, lawless, and full of potential. Regulators are slow to keep up allowing fast-moving startups like Uber and Airbnb to flourish. Larisa Wells with her vacation rental home in Elkins, WV. The problem with relying on sharing economy technology to run a business as many HomeAway owners are learning is that the landscape is constantly changing. Larisa Wells, a homeowner who lists her properties on VRBO and Airbnb, recently launched a new website, at VRDirect.org, to help homeowners cope with these issues. I am organizing owners to become less reliant upon the major listing sites, or at the very least to diversify so that one company cant dramatically impact ones business overnight like HomeAway has, she said. VRDirect.org provides a place where owners can share their knowledge to shine a light behind the firewalls of the major listing companies, regain control through independence, and get back to the business of attracting and welcoming travelers to our vacation properties, she said. Many homeowners, including Susan and Bob Frank, have been migrating their listings to more traditional rental sites since the Expedia acquisition. They list their homes on vacationhomerentals.com and homeescapes.com, both of which operate similarly to VRBO in its early days. But they say neither site has yielded any inquiries. Im working right now with someone to build a new website, said Susan Frank. Im going to have a Facebook page. Im going in that direction. If I can get the rentals [HomeAway] will be history for me. I have no more trust in them. Im never going to trust them again. More from GeekWire: By Atul Prakash and Alistair Smout LONDON (Reuters) - Britain's FTSE 100 index slid to a three-week low on Wednesday as basic-resources stocks extended the previous day's losses and retailers came under pressure. The FTSE 100 index (.FTSE) dropped for a third straight session and closed down 73.57 points, or 1.2 percent, at 6,112.02 points, its lowest level since early April. The UK mining index fell 4.2 percent after slumping 6.8 percent on Tuesday as copper prices slipped further on concern about weakness in global manufacturing activity. Shares in BHP Billiton (BLT.L) fell 5.8 percent, after federal prosecutors in Brazil filed a 155 billion-real ($43.5 billion) civil lawsuit against iron miner Samarco and its owners Vale (VALE5.SA) and BHP over the fatal collapse of a dam in November. "The overnight news of a fresh legal challenge suggests that the March settlement between BHP, its domestic partner Vale and the Brazilian government was just the beginning of the road," Mike van Dulken, head of research at Accendo Markets, said. "A silver lining at this early stage is the shares holding above January rising support," he said, adding its share losses were limited by hopes that a smaller figure could ultimately be agreed. Glencore (GLEN.L), which reported a fall in output of copper, zinc, lead, coal and oil following a decision to cut production because of low prices, was down 3.2 percent. Anglo American (AAL.L), Antofagasta (ANTO.L) and Rio Tinto (RIO.L) also fell. Oil company Shell (RDSa.L) also ended lower, down 2.5 percent, trimming about 13 points off the FTSE 100. Shell said on Wednesday it was cutting its 2016 spending plans another 10 percent from the target set in February, when it bought BG Group. The company said it could cut further if it needed to . London Stock Exchange (LSE.L) dropped 4.2 percent after ICE ruled out a counter-offer for the company, which is set to merge with Deutsche Boerse. Among retailers, Sainsbury's (SBRY.L) fell 6.3 percent after it reported a second straight year of profit decline and said it did not expect tough trading conditions to ease any time soon. Story continues Tesco (TSCO.L) was down 5.4 percent and Morrison (MRW.L) fell 1.8 percent. A new Kantar survey showed the big four grocers were still being squeezed. However, Next (NXT.L) rose 3.5 percent despite lowering sales guidance as investors took the advantage of its drop to a two-and-a-half-year low on Tuesday. "We expect some pent-up demand to come through from May, as temperatures rise. As such, we expect some short-term relief for Next's trading," analysts at RBC Europe said in a note. "Also sterling has recovered some lost ground versus the US dollar, meaning there will be less upwards pressure on pricing from next year." (Reporting by Atul Prakash; Editing by Janet Lawrence, Larry King) (L-R): Dato' Jurey, Dato' Yusof and Dato' Kamil agree to work together to improve the local industry. 4 May Following the brouhaha that was sparked by a letter from Dato' Jurey Latiff Rosli, president of Federation of Film Artistes' Associations of Malaysia (GAFIM), which reportedly criticised the current National Film Development Corporation (FINAS) administration, both GAFIM and FINAS have today taken the initiative to clear up the confusion. In a press conference with the media earlier today, Dato' Jurey was present along with Deputy Chairman of FINAS Dato' Yusof Haslam and Director General of FINAS Dato' Kamil Othman to clarify the matter. "I have been bashed because it seems as though I was going against FINAS," said Dato' Jurey. "I have never gone against it, I am a strong supporter of the government." "My voice has to be heard so that the issue can be resolved. I'm hoping that once it's gotten this big, someone will 'pick up' and through political wins, the problems will be resolved," he added, referring to the issues brought up in his Switch Off 2014 campaign. He explained that since FINAS happens to be the agency handling such issues, he had no choice but to direct his frustration toward the agency in asking for a better future for the local industry. Denying any animosity toward Dato' Kamil, who joined FINAS during the time when Switch Off was taking place, Dato' Jurey said that in fact, Dato' Kamil joined FINAS because they are close friends and they have discussed it beforehand, of the changes that could and should be done. "After a year, the industry starts asking Switch Off, why their salary is still the same. What power does NGO have to change this? The pressure was on me. It's been the same issue for the past 20 years," said Jurey. (L-R): Dato' Jurey, Dato' Yusof and Dato' Kamil during the press conference. "I stand by my principle," he replied when asked whether he regretted the content of the letter which started the whole recent controversy. "I take the responsibility for it." Voicing his disappointment with social media posts that disparage him, Dato' Jurey revealed that he has handed the matter to his attorney and will be taking legal action on those who continue to denigrate him online. He also announced that this will be his last term as the president of TV Producers Association of Malaysia (PVTM), which also means he will no longer be holding the post of president of GAFIM. The decision to step down had nothing to do with the recent controversy but it was something that he had planned on doing as he has been in the industry long enough. Dato' Kamil and Dato' Yusof voiced their support for GAFIM in asking for a better future and agreed that steps should be taken to resolve the issues brought up in the letter. However, when asked to talk more about the letter, the three collectively agreed that everyone has to "move on", adding that they would like the issue to be put to rest and to focus instead on GAFIM and FINAS' united effort in improving the local film industry. Dato' Jurey previously submitted a letter on behalf of GAFIM to Datuk Seri Dr. Mohd Salleh Tun Said Keruak, Minister of Communication and Multimedia, on 8 March to voice out his dissatisfaction with FINAS' administration. His action had prompted five associations to officially leave GAFIM on 26 April and recently started the trending of hashtags #KamiSokongKamil and #TakdokJureyAntaroKito on social media. The White Houses announcement on Sunday that Malia Obama, the president's oldest daughter, would be taking a gap year before attending Harvard sparked a media frenzy. It wasnt that she had finally chosen what some believe is the number one Ivy League college in the country its that people were scratching their heads over what a gap year really is. Even though gap years are slowly gaining acceptance and more students are choosing to defer college for a year, many people are still unsure about what they are and what the point of one is. Some people see it as a way for high school graduates to lounge around for a year before heading to college. Others assume that only students who didnt get into college would choose to take time off. Below are all the answers to any questions that you might have about a gap year and perhaps you or your child might end up taking one someday. Related: College Students Are Missing Out on Billions in Free Financial Aid What is a gap year? Originally a U.K. tradition, a gap year is when a student takes a year off between high school and college and uses the time to explore interests through other means than academia. The student typically defers their admission to a college for a year, though sometimes students apply to schools during their year off. Many colleges, like Harvard, actually encourage their students to take time off before diving into their studies. Delaying school allows students to recharge after completing high school and gain some life or work experience. Although there are countless things that students can do during a gap year, popular options include volunteer work, employment, travel, internships, and formal group programs, among others. Why are gap years becoming more popular? People used to think that someone who was taking time off between high school and college was doing it because they didnt get into college. Holly Bull, the president of the Center for Interim Programs, says that as gap years become the norm, theres less of a stigma attached. Story continues Bull says she noticed gap years getting attention in the U.S. when Prince William and Price Harry took time off before starting university. The spread of information has allowed people to consider it and its become more okay for people to take one. She hopes that with the news about Malia Obama, even more people will consider taking one. How many people take a year off? Not many, but the number is growing. Although there arent any official statistics, the American Gap Association found in surveys that it conducted that about 30,000 to 40,000 high school seniors defer college each year. The surveys also found that in 2015, participation in gap years jumped about 22 percent from the year prior. According to a recent study by the Higher Education Research Institute at the University of California Los Angeles, only 2.2 percent of freshman who graduated high school in 2015 took a year off before starting college. The report didnt say why the students had chosen to delay college, though. At Harvard, out of classes that are around 1600 students, between 80 and 110 students defer each year. Related: The Best College Towns in 2016 Why should I take a gap year? The benefits to a gap year are enormous, Bull says. Students are able to step away from the pressures of the school system and choose their own path for a period of time. Youre rested after a year, youre often more focused on what you want to study or not in college, youre that much more mature and youre not as derailed by the dramas that happen during a freshman year, Bull says. Taking a gap year might also improve your grades. Robert Clagett, the former dean of admissions at Middlebury College, conducted studies at both Middlebury and the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill and found that students who delayed college one year had, on average, GPAs that were 0.1 - 0.4 higher than expected. But gap years might not be a good idea for everyone. Bull suggests that only students who want to take a year off should do it. It shouldnt be forced on anyone. The key is that somebody be drawn to it because then theyll own it. Its often the first time they get to choose and create their own time. Eli, an admissions representative at Harvard, says that there isnt a specific type of student who is encouraged or not to take a gap year. It really depends on the type of student. It can be helpful for students who may feel they need that extra time for self-discovery, religious reasons or another year of growth. But arent gap years only for rich kids? No. While some formal programs, like ones that allow a yearlong immersion in a foreign country, might cost upwards of $30,000, theres no hard rule that a gap year has to involve an expensive program. For example, AmeriCorps City Year is a volunteer program that provides students with stipends. Plenty of programs also offer scholarship money. It just requires research to learn what your options are. Bull also advises students to look into opportunities with free room and board. One student that Bull worked with spent half of his year as a counselor at a wilderness education program in the U.S. and the second portion working at a fly fishing lodge in New Zealand. The student ended up only paying for his plane tickets to and from each destination Holding down a job during a students time off is also a viable option. Theres validity to just having that time to take a breather and getting a sense of the world, Bull says. Related: The Real Reason Its So Easy to Get As in College How do I choose what to do during my gap year? There are plenty of resources to help you decide what to do, including gap year counselors, the internet and USA Gap Year Fairs. Some schools, like Harvard, also offer assistance to their accepted students in planning their time off. Bull advises anyone considering taking a gap year to think about his or her core interests and then match those with an existing program, internship, volunteer work, or something else. For instance, if youre interested in medicine, think about taking an EMT course or volunteering at a hospital. The beauty of it is that its your year and your time. Youre free to do whatever you want. Theres no set definition of a gap year, so follow your interests and take advantage of the time of out of the classroom and away from textbooks. Top Reads from The Fiscal Times: The White House is preparing to declare the area around a dive bar in lower Manhattan and a small neighboring park a national monument because of their importance in the struggle for LGBT rights, according to the Washington Post. President Barack Obama is set to name the area surrounding Stonewall Inn in Greenwich Village part of the National Park Service, which would give it protections as a national monument, the Washington Post reports. A clash between the largely gay patrons of the bar and police in the summer of 1969 is widely viewed as one of the major sparks that helped ignite the modern LGBT rights movement. The monument designation would also include a small patch of green space across from Stonewall Inn called Christopher Park. City and state officials have agreed to give the park to the federal government if the monument designation is enacted. That decision could come as early as June, according to the Post. LGBT rights activists regularly return to Stonewall Inn and the surrounding area to celebrate new milestones in the gay rights movement, such as the Supreme Courts effective legalization of same-sex marriage nationwide in 2015. BEIT LAHIYA, Gaza/BEIRUT (Reuters) - At a hospital in northern Gaza, a young patient is being prepared for hand surgery as one of the doctors leading the operation watches on -- from nearly 200 miles away in Beirut. In the Lebanese capital Doctor Ghassan Abu Sitta is guiding colleagues at Gaza's Al-Awda hospital via an online interactive platform known as Proximie, which allows the medical teams to communicate and work together via tablet computers. Doctors in Lebanon attempted remote surgery in the region for the first time at the weekend with the tool. Its makers hope it will help doctors such as Hafez Abu Khousa in Gaza, whose patient needed specialist plastic surgery his team could not provide unaided. "It is like the consultant is with you in the same room, giving you an opinion so that the surgery can be perfect," Abu Khousa said after the operation. He was guided via live video and by his Lebanese counterpart drawing markers over an image of the patient's hand. Gaza has been run by the Islamist Hamas movement since 2007. Since then, Egypt and Israel have maintained a blockade on the territory, carefully monitoring the flow of goods and people to and fro. Restrictions on imports and fighting in the region have also affected medical facilities. (Reporting By Yara Abi Nader and Sabreen Taha; Writing by Rose Wyatt; Editing by Alexandra Hudson) Guatemala City (AFP) - A closed-door retrial of Guatemala's former military dictator Efrain Rios Montt on charges of genocide was suspended on Wednesday after plaintiffs won a battle to have his case judged separately from that of his intelligence chief. Rios Montt is accused of being ultimately responsible for the murders of 1,771 indigenous Ixil-Maya people in 1982-1983, at the height of Guatemala's 36-year civil war which ended in 1996. Now aged 89, he had been on trial in absentia since March 16 in Guatemala City. His attorneys say he suffers from dementia and is too ill to attend. A May 2013 trial delivered a conviction and an 80-year sentence, but that was overturned days later by Guatemala's constitutional court, which ordered the new trial. Hector Reyes, a lawyer for the families of Rios Montt's alleged victims, told AFP the retrial was suspended because the families had won an appeal to have Rios Montt's case handled separately from that of his ex-intelligence chief, Jose Rodriguez, who faces the same charges but in open court. No date was given for when the retrial might resume. Other legal challenges still hanging over the retrial include one from Rios Montt's lawyers arguing that their client is too senile to be judged. According to the UN, some 200,000 people died or were made to disappear during the Guatemala's long, brutal civil war. Rios Montt is accused of orchestrating an extermination policy against the indigenous population, which was perceived to be collaborating with leftwing guerrillas waging war with government forces. Should he be convicted again, he would be subject to detention in line with his health condition, meaning possible hospital internment or home confinement. Rios Montt in March 1982 deposed Lucas Garcia, who went on to die in exile in Venezuela in 2006 aged 81. BERLIN (Reuters) - The German government gave the go-ahead on Wednesday to relax rules on cannabis use by the seriously ill from early next year if they have no other treatment options. Dried cannabis flowers and cannabis extracts will be available in pharmacies on prescription and the public health system will cover the cost, according to the draft bill that is expected to come into force from spring 2017. Other countries that allow cannabis use for medical purposes include Italy and the Czech Republic. Some U.S. states have decriminalized cannabis completely. Portugal has decriminalized all drugs for personal use, but does not allow cannabis use for medical purposes. Until now, seriously ill people in Germany with cancer, AIDS, Parkinson's disease or multiple sclerosis could only access cannabis with special approval and had to pay themselves. "Our aim is that seriously ill people are treated in the best possible way," Health Minister Hermann Groehe said in a statement. The government is to set up specially supervised plantations to grow cannabis and will import what it needs for now. IBISWorld, a market research firm, projects sales of marijuana for medical use to increase to $13.4 billion in 2020 from $3.6 billion in 2015. (This story has been corrected to clarify in third paragraph that Portugal has decriminalized all drugs for personal use, but does not allow cannabis use for medical purposes) (Reporting by Caroline Copley; Editing by Louise Ireland) Frankfurt (AFP) - Berenberg Bank, one of the oldest and most venerable institutions in private banking in Germany, is finding its squeaky clean reputation coming under scrutiny in the wake of the Panama Papers global tax evasion scandal. Berenberg may not be a household name like some of its bigger peers, but the upscale Hamburg-based bank has cultivated an impeccable image, the epitome of courtesy and discretion for both customers and employees alike. And it had remained unscathed by the multiple scandals that have tarnished Germany's major lenders such as Deutsche Bank and Commerzbank in recent years. But its pristine reputation has come under wider public scrutiny after finding itself explicitly named several times in the Panama Papers. "Germany's oldest bank is under pressure: dubious customers from all over the world and formerly good relations with Mossack Fonseca are tarnishing the image of the upscale Hanseatic bank," wrote the Sueddeutsche Zeitung. The Panama Papers are a trove of about 11.5 million leaked documents of the Panamanian law firm Mossack Fonseca that reveal the large-scale use by firms and wealthy individuals of offshore shell companies that enables the concealing of assets from tax authorities. According to the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) which coordinated the release of the tax evasion data, Berenberg's Luxembourg and Swiss subsidiaries were behind around a dozen shell companies and 76 offshore accounts domiciled in Panama. The ICIJ also accused Berenberg of doing business with dubious customers reportedly linked to Hezbollah in Libya or even Colombian drug traffickers. Berenberg has admitted "like many others" to managing offshore accounts for clients -- which in itself is not illegal -- and insisted it had done so "in line with the law". Shell companies are also not illegal in themselves, and the number was just a tiny fraction of the some 1,200 in all attributed to 28 German banks. Story continues Nevertheless, the suggestion that Berenberg might be involved in potentially dodgy dealings has raised eyebrows in the German press. Part of the bank's excellent reputation was that it always appeared to be different from other institutions, noted the Sueddeutsche Zeitung. But that was now being questioned. "One of the banks that stands out particularly is -- to my great surprise -- Berenberg," Georg Mascolo, one of the team of international journalists behind the revelations. - Long and proud tradition - Berenberg was set up in 1590 by brothers Hans and Paul Berenberg, Dutch protestants who found exile in the northern port city of Hamburg. Originally, they traded in cloth and only moved into banking later. And for much of its history, the bank remained a small regional financier for shippers and merchants. Today the group employs 1,300 people in 19 branches in Hamburg, Frankfurt, London, Zurich and New York and manages around 40 billion euros ($46 billion) in assets. And it remains fiercely proud of its old name and tradition. "We're a small house and must rely on the high quality of our service," says Hans-Walter Peters, one of Berenberg's two personally liable partners. "In certain sectors, we compete directly with the major international banks," Peters told AFP. Peters was recently appointed head of the mighty BdB federation of private banks, a major distinction for a small player such as Berenberg. Hence, its possible involvement in the Panama Papers scandal "marks the worst possible start to his tenure," wrote the business daily Handelsblatt. While so many financial institutions were dealt body blows in the financial and banking crises, Berenberg appeared to go from strength to strength. It more than trebled its revenues in ten years and doubled its profits. - 'Old school' culture - But with the rapid expansion also came challenges. "The workforce is growing massively and the corporate culture is changing. Holding on to its ethical values will be one of the main challenges facing the bank," said a financial sector expert, speaking on condition of anonymity. Last year when Berenberg celebrated its 425th anniversary in grand style, it helped both the Berlin-based start-up incubator Rocket Internet and the container shipping giant Hapag Lloyd go public. As well as being Germany's oldest bank, it also pays its staff the highest salaries in the sector. In 2015, the gross remuneration for an average employee was 140,000 euros, compared with 131,000 euros at the country's biggest lender Deutsche Bank. A former employee told AFP the bank was fiercely proud of its "old school" culture, its traditions and its hierarchy. And employees enjoyed the "prestige" of working for such a "noble institution". This girl just proved to the world why you cant cry after getting a spray tan This girl just proved to the world why you cant cry after getting a spray tan When you get a spray tan, youre usually told not to shower for a few hours so the tan has time to soak into your skin. Youre given a short list of dos and donts post-tan, but one thing that is apparently missing from those verbal instructions no crying. Theres no crying in spray tans!! High school senior Skyler Davis from Ohio learned that the hard way. Davis decided to get a spray tan before her schools senior prom, because she felt like she was too pale for such a momentous occasion, she told BuzzFeed News. Although I have never gotten a spray tan before, I knew it wouldnt hurt to get one for prom, she said. When Davis left the salon, she was happy with the results. But then, about 10 minutes later, she got into a disagreement with boyfriend, which left her in tears. And those tears became disastrous. As soon as my tears started coming, I saw I had no tissues in my car and knew I was doomed, she said. All of a sudden there were white streaks on my once-tan face. Looking in the mirror, I only began to cry more, and there was absolutely nothing I could do but let the tears roll down my face and completely ruin my spray tan. Luckily for Davis and her face, the spray tan rinsed off in the shower and she was able to get re-tanned before prom. But what good is a botched spray tan if you dont take a picture and post it to Twitter? So thats exactly what Davis did after her friend convinced her that the situation was absolutely hilarious (her boyfriend thought so too, and they have since made up from the argument). The photo was retweeted thousands of times, and the people of the internet loved the photo so much, it was eventually uploaded to Imgur and Reddit. (Davis decided to delete her original tweet, because the attention became insane.) I was just a girl with a messed up spray tan, I had no idea this would ever go viral, she said. Well it did, and we hope Davis realizes that this is the best prom story ever that shell have to tell for years to come! Also: Now you know to NEVER see The Notebook right after a spray tan. The post This girl just proved to the world why you cant cry after getting a spray tan appeared first on HelloGiggles. While many of her supermodel peers were attending fashion's biggest night at the Met Gala in NYC on Monday, Gisele Bundchen traveled to Cuba to take in some sites. The 35-year-old Brazilian bombshell posted several vacation photos from the recently reopened country. MORE: Gisele Bundchen Goes Makeup-Free, Still Looks Flawless "Anyone needs a ride?" Bundchen captioned one photo of herself in a comically tiny, circular pedicab. The mother of two also shared a photo of herself climbing in a giant, branch-lined tree, writing, "I love it!! #amazingnature #Cuba #Havana." But it wasn't all fun and games. Bundchen also attended Karl Lagerfeld's Chanel show at the Paseo del Prado street in Havana on Tuesday. MORE: Gisele Bundchen Celebrates 7-Year Wedding Anniversary With Tom Brady The former runway model wore a cherry red dress with a navy beret and carried a yellow fan to see the "Cruise" collection. Getty Images Bundchen bypassed the Met Gala for the second year in a row this Monday. She last attended with her husband, Tom Brady, in 2014. The couple attended Gisele's book launch together in New York City in late April. Related Articles LAS VEGAS, NV / ACCESSWIRE / May 4, 2016 / Gold and Silver Mining of Nevada, Inc. ("CJTF") ("the Company"), (PINK SHEETS: CJTF) a junior mining company in Nevada was featured on national radio broadcast. The broadcast interviewed company President N. Fred Anderson at 10:00 a.m. Mountain time on May 2, 2016. In preparation the following questions and answers were prepared. 1. How is a relatively small mining company like yours able to be going into production in such a relatively short time? Answer - Well it doesn't seem like a short time to us. We started in 2007 as a private corporation studying various properties and seriously started acquiring properties in 2009. Our first properties also included substantial piles of stockpiled ore that are certified as to grade and content. So our mining claims are in previously identified and mined properties. We merged with a public company in 2010 with the stock symbol CJTF and that is how we first became a publicly traded company. We have not sold stock to raise money but have relied on a few close associates to raise the money we have needed to build our inventory of mining properties. We don't carry a lot of overhead but instead contract out the services and work we need from geologists, accountants, lawyers, engineers, etc. and now contract operators as needed. Our newest property the Goldfield Basin is also adjoining claims with previously published assay analysis from 3 different labs that confirm that the ore is near the surface in the top 30 feet and averages 0.29 ounces per ton when the material is screened to 1/4" minus and the remaining concentrate is assayed. We believe this newest property gives us the quickest and least risk path to positive cash flow and have commenced early stages of production. We have entered into a contract with a contract operator who has all the personnel and equipment necessary to mine the ore and a currently permitted mill with 150,000 tons per year capacity ready to receive and process our ore. Our first permit for 1,000 tons has already been approved and bonded and we have started this first phase of production. Story continues 2. Why are all of your properties in Nevada? Answer - Well we are a gold and silver mining company. Nevada was originally called the silver state but is now the largest gold producing state in the U.S. The old time prospectors were able to find some gold nuggets but mostly followed silver veins in their early mining. Today over 90% of the gold mined and processed is from fine gold that has to be separated by either chemical or mechanical concentrating methods. Our newest gold field Goldfield Basin has fine gold that is as fine as Talcum powder and therefore has to be recovered with modern concentrators and large volume gravity tables. Our contract operator has a currently permitted Nevada mill equipped with these modern capabilities. 3. Why should investors be interested in your stock? Answer - We believe that an investment in the source producer of gold is a better investment than investing in ETF paper contracts. Our stock price will be reflected in the royalty returns we plan on passing on to our shareholders. We plan on distributing up to 90% of our net profits after taxes from gold production directly to our shareholders. And we do not plan on setting up big reserves for future expansion and exploration. We are confident that our Goldfield Basin project has enough rich ore to last for 20 to 30 years and that we do not need to be exploring for more gold elsewhere, therefore our shareholders will be getting royalty payments as well as seeing their stock appreciate with capital gains as the volume continues to grow. And then if gold prices go up it is an even better stock. Therefore our shareholders as per our proposed plan will be in line for royalty distributions for the life of the mine unless we get bought out and then a one-time big check. We should see some appreciation and possible capital growth in stock value as volume of production occurs. About Gold & Silver Mining of Nevada, Inc.: The company is in the business of precious metals mining and processing of massive gold and silver ore bodies in Nevada. The gold and silver located in the company owned mining claims in these districts are located adjacent to other known and established mining operators. The company is not looking for ore, but is in the process of developing previously identified ore bodies. Safe Harbor Statement This release includes "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E and/or 27E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 that are based upon assumptions that in the future may prove not to have been accurate and are subject to significant risks and uncertainties, including statements as to the future performance of the company and the risks and uncertainties detailed from time to time in reports filed by the company with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Statements contained in this release that are not historical facts may be deemed to be forward-looking statements. Investors are cautioned that forward-looking statements are inherently uncertain. Although the company believes that the expectations reflected in its forward-looking statements are reasonable, it can give no assurance that such expectations or any of its forward-looking statements will prove to be correct. Factors that could cause results to differ include, but are not limited to, the company's ability to raise necessary financing, retention of key personnel, timely delivery of inventory from the company's suppliers, timely product development, product acceptance, and the impact of competitive services and products, in addition to general economic risks and uncertainties. For more information please contact: Investor Relations at 801-679-3945 Visit the company web site at www.GoldandSilverMining.com SOURCE: Gold and Silver Mining of Nevada, Inc. DuckDuckGo CEO gabriel weinberg When it comes to the internet search world Google has clearly won. Game over. Even mighty Microsoft can't pilfer the internet's grip away from Google. And yet, a tiny competitor to Google called DuckDuckGo must be doing something right. It just announced that it will be giving away $25,000 to support each of nine open source projects, or $225,000 total. Last year, it gave away $125,000. In 2015, DuckDuckGo performed 3 billion searches, it says. DuckDuckGo's niche is private, anonymous internet search. For those who are creeped out by how much data Google collects on everyone, DuckDuckGo is the alternative. It doesn't gather information about you to sell ads to marketeers, like Google does. Instead, it's part of the Microsoft/Bing/Yahoo ad network (as are many other sites) and shows generic ads based on more general stuff, such as the fact that you're using English. It also has revenue-sharing agreements with certain companies in the Linux Open Source worlds, and it makes affiliate money when it directs people ot Amazon or eBay to buy something (just like most other websites). Giving up Google doesn't mean giving up maps and directions, either. Las month, DuckDuckGo launched that feature. Now, granted, $225,000 is a laughably small amount of money in the internet ad industry, especially compared to a company like Google. Google's philanthropic arm, Google.org, gives away $100 million in grants every year, plus it donates about another $1 billion in products, it says. But it just goes to show you that just because there's a Goliath dominating a market, that doesn't mean you can't launch a company and do well at least well enough to give away hundreds of thousands of dollars. NOW WATCH: A self-made billionaire gifted each of his 2,000 employees shares worth $150,000 to $1 million More From Business Insider Republicans woke Wednesday morning to the reality that businessman Donald Trump is now the de facto leader of their party, and its presumptive presidential nominee with the express backing of the Republican National Committee. And if they flipped on their televisions, they could have enjoyed their morning coffee -- or choked on it -- listening to Trump extol the journalistic integrity of the National Enquirer and wave off reams of polling data that show he will be the most unpopular presidential candidate fielded by a major US political party in modern memory. Related: Cruzs Choice of Fiorina Was a Flop in Indiana Trump won a crushing primary victory in Indiana Tuesday night, taking 53 percent of the vote to Texas Sen. Ted Cruzs 37 percent and Ohio Gov. John Kasichs 8 percent. The result put him in position to win all or most of the states 57 delegates to the Republican nominating convention in Cleveland this July. Cruz and Kasich had weeks ago been forced to abandon the idea of winning a majority of the delegates outright, focusing instead on denying Trump a majority and forcing the convention into a series of votes in Cleveland during which any delegates required to vote for Trump on the first ballot would be free to switch their loyalties. Last nights result made even that modest goal practically unattainable, which Cruz acknowledged by announcing that he would suspend his campaign. Kasich remains defiant, pledging to stay in the race to the end, despite the fact that he has won only in his home state so far, and still has fewer delegates than even Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, who dropped out of the race more than six weeks ago. Trump has promised that in a general election campaign he would become more presidential than he has been in the primary, but in his first morning as leader of the Republican Party, he went on television and defended his choice to cite the supermarket tabloid National Enquirer in one of his attacks on the Cruz campaign. Story continues Related: Trump Wins Big in Indiana, Sends Cruz Packing The newspaper had published an old photograph that showed a man who resembles Cruzs father passing out pro-Fidel Castro literature in the company of presidential assassin Lee Harvey Oswald not long before Oswald shot and killed president John F. Kennedy. There is no reason to believe that the picture is actually of Rafael Cruz, despite the Enquirers assertion that the photo linked him to the assassination of JFK. Trump, however, speaking to George Stephanopoulos of ABC News Wednesday morning said he had no reason to apologize for using the newspaper -- famous for reporting thinly sourced celebrity gossip -- a source material. It was a major story in a major publication, Trump insisted. It was the National Enquirer, Stephanopoulos said incredulously, pointing out that even the expert cited by the paper said the story was ridiculous. Related: Why Trump Shouldnt Keep His Promise on Social Security You cant knock the National Enquirer, Trump said, pointing out that the paper does have a few celebrity sex scandal scoops to its credit. Its brought many things to light, not all of them pleasant. When he was confronted with recent polling numbers that show him trailing presumptive Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton in the general election, he responded by citing the single recent national poll showing him as the leader. The survey was conducted by Rasmussen Reports, which Trump referred to as highly respected. In fact, Rasmussen receives a C grade from the website fivethirtyeight.com, and has one of the largest biases toward Republicans of any poll that the website has not banned from its rankings for gross misconduct. RNC Chairman Reince Priebus appeared to concede that Trump will face major challenges in the general election, saying on CBS News Wednesday morning that there is work to do to bring woo minority voters and others who have been repelled by many of Trumps positions and positions taken by some of his rivals during the primary. There will also be a need to heal the self-inflicted wounds the GOP sustained during the primary. Related: Why Donald Trump Has Daddy Issues I would be lying to you all if I said, 'okay this is going to be easy, we're just going to pivot, Priebus said on CBS. We need time to unify and we will unify -- but this is what today starts. It's this unification process. Some of those wounds, though, are apparently beyond healing. Late Tuesday and early Wednesday, a number of prominent Republicans activists reiterated their promise that they would never vote for Donald Trump to be president and some did the practically unthinkable, pledging their support for Hillary Clinton. One conservative writer with the Washington Free Beacon, Lachlan Markay, posted a picture to Twitter that showed him setting his voter registration card on fire. Another, conservative website RedState.com editor Ben Howe simply tweeted the following: Top Reads from The Fiscal Times: LONDON (Reuters) - Greek banking stocks could rise 90 percent from current levels and yield premiums over German benchmark bonds narrow if Greece and its creditors can reach a deal on releasing new bailout funds and debt relief, Morgan Stanley said on Wednesday. The broker upgraded Greek bank stocks to "overweight", saying current valuations did not reflect the compression in bond yield spreads that would follow a deal with Athens' lenders and took an overly pessimistic view on the banks' return on equity targets. Passing the review would pave the way for Greek bonds to be eligible for the European Central Bank's bond purchase program, the lifting of capital controls and an eventual economic recovery, Morgan Stanley said in a note. "It won't be easy, and it's likely to be far from smooth," the banks' analysts said. However, they see passing the review as the most likely outcome. Sources told Reuters earlier this week that no deal was likely at a special meeting of euro zone finance ministers on May 9. International lenders have asked Greece to prepare a package of additional savings measures which would be passed into law now but implemented only if needed, to make sure the country reaches agreed fiscal targets. (Reporting by Vikram Subhedar Editing by Jeremy Gaunt) T-Mobile's 1Q16 Results: Majority of Analysts Recommend a 'Buy' (Continued from Prior Part) T-Mobiles revenue composition In the previous part of this series, we observed that T-Mobiles (TMUS) YoY (year-over-year) revenue growth was robust at ~10.6% in 1Q16. The figure reached ~$8.6 billion for the quarter. We also saw that the YoY wireless revenue growth of Verizon (VZ) and AT&T (T) was in the negative territory in 1Q16. Among the top four US mobile players, only Sprint (S) has not yet disclosed its results for the quarter. Now lets look at the 1Q16 performance of the key individual components of T-Mobiles revenue: service revenue and equipment revenue. T-Mobiles service revenue in 1Q16 T-Mobiles service revenue continued its solid growth trend, increasing by ~13% YoY to reach ~$6.6 billion during 1Q16. In 4Q15, this stream had increased by ~11.7% YoY. The YoY growth in the service revenue came mostly from the telecom companys postpaid component. T-Mobiles service revenue in the postpaid component grew by ~14% YoY to ~$4.3 billion in 1Q16. Meanwhile, the carriers prepaid service revenue increased by ~9.9% YoY to reach ~$2 billion in 1Q16. T-Mobiles equipment revenue in 1Q16 Year-over-year, T-Mobiles equipment revenues were stable in 1Q16. T-Mobiles equipment revenue reached ~$1.9 billion during the quarter. According to the company, year-over-year, the adoption of its leasing planJump! On Demandwas one of the factors that negatively affected the growth in the equipment revenue during the quarter. For a diversified exposure to telecom companies in the US, you may consider investing in the iShares Core S&P 500 ETF (IVV). This ETF held a total of ~2.8% in some of the US telecom players at the end of March 2016. Continue to Next Part Browse this series on Market Realist: One of the most controversial decisions that Star Wars creator George Lucas has made over the years was to change the sequence of events that happened when Han Solo was accosted by bounty hunter Greedo in the cantina. In the original cut of the film, Han Solo shot first at Greedo and easily killed him before the inept bounty hunter could get a shot off. In the 1997 "special edition" of the movie, Lucas re-edited the scene to make it look as though Greedo had actually shot at Han first. Why did he change this? It doesn't really matter since it was one of many questionable decisions Lucas made in the late '90s and early 2000s. The point is that most fans believe that Han should have been the one to shoot first and now they have no less of an authority than the actor who played Greedo backing them up. MUST SEE: You must watch the George R.R. Martin vs. J.R.R. Tolkien epic rap battle right now In an interview with The New York Daily News, actor Paul Blake says that it's a simple fact that Han shot first and that Greedo never had a prayer. "Of course, in it said it all in the original script, we played in the scene in English and at the end of the scene, it reads, 'Han shoots the alien.' " Blake said. "It's all it says and that's what happened. It was very painful." In fact, Blake says that he would prefer to have Han shoot first because otherwise it would make Greedo into the single worst shot in the entire galaxy if he actually missed hitting someone sitting three feet away. "He was a bit inept wasn't he?" Blake he says. "He's a worse shot than a Stormtrooper. I don't think Jabba had him under a pension plan let's put it that way." Check out the whole interview here. Related stories New set photos from Star Wars: Episode VIII look insane Everything wrong with the 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens' plot It looks like an actor from 'Star Wars: Rogue One' just gave away a huge spoiler More from BGR: Over 272 million email accounts stolen from Gmail, Microsoft, Yahoo and more This article was originally published on BGR.com Gaza City (Palestinian Territories) (AFP) - The militant Palestinian Hamas movement accused its rival Fatah on Wednesday of organising a military cell to "breach security and stability" in the Gaza Strip. In the latest sign of tensions between the Palestinian factions, Iyad al-Bozum, the interior ministry spokesman in the Hamas-run strip, accused senior Fatah leaders of "being behind the cell and communicating with it," without naming those allegedly involved. Hamas has ruled Gaza since 2007, while Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas's Fatah movement controls the occupied West Bank. Bozum told AFP the cell was made up of "fewer than 10 people who were arrested around a month ago." He said they aimed to "affect the internal situation in the Gaza Strip and internal relations," including through "incitement," but would not provide further details. Fayez Abu Aita, spokesman for Fatah in Gaza, denied the accusations and said the charges would "complicate the internal situation and hinder reconciliation efforts." Officials from Hamas and Fatah have been meeting in the Qatari capital Doha in recent months as they seek a reconciliation agreement. Abu Aita said talks were ongoing but that "complicating matters like these affect the dialogue." The two sides agreed a unity deal in April 2014, which was supposed to lead to a technocratic government taking over administration of Gaza and the West Bank. However Hamas never accepted relinquishing its authority in Gaza, and the two sides remain at loggerheads. Today is no ordinary day today is Star Wars Day! Every year on May 4, Star Wars fans everywhere celebrate their love for the franchise by using a greeting straight from a galaxy far, far away: "May the fourth be with you." And while the term is simply a play on words deriving from the one of the saga's most famous phrases "May the Force be with you," it turns out, the Star Wars fandom weren't the first ones to coin the popular saying. Apparently, Star Wars fanatics have former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher to thank for the tradition. It's believed that the phrase dates back to May 4, 1979, the day Thatcher took office as Prime Minister and two years after the release of the first Star Wars film. Thatcher's political party placed a congratulatory ad in a London paper that read "May the Fourth Be with You, Maggie. Congratulations." The terms was used again on May 4, 1994 in a U.K. Parliament defense debate. It wasn't until years later that the internet got hold of the phrase and launched it into a national holiday. In 2011, the Toronto Underground Cinema organized the first official Star Wars day complete with costume contests, games and a film festival. The rest is well, history. While every May 4 is a big day for Wookiees and Jedis alike, this year is an especially exciting time for the franchise. Not only did fans get to relish in the release of The Force Awakens but just months later, they were treated to the first trailer for the highly anticipated Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. May the 4th be with you. Every year thousands of people descend on Omaha, Nebraska, to hear what Berkshire Hathaway (BRK-A, BRK-B) chairman and CEO Warren Buffett and vice chairman Charlie Munger have to say. The two leaders take questions from journalists and shareholders, who ask about anything from recent investments to politics. While the meeting gives shareholders an inside look into how Buffett and Munger make their investment decisions, do you ever wonder what goes on behind closed doors? Ron Olson, who has been a director at Berkshire Hathaway since 1997, tells Yahoo Finance editor-in-chief Andy Serwer some of the topics that are discussed at Berkshire Hathaway board meetings. First of all it's fun because anything you do with Warren Buffett is fun, said Olson. We have an important agenda that Warren does not dominate. The single most important is always having a successor in mind. On top of that, he reports to us on any of the major businesses that are having any challenges. He wants us to understand the bad things more than he wants us to understand the good things and that's the focus of the meetings. In addition to his comments on Berkshire Hathaway board meetings, Olson told Yahoo Finance that one of the most interesting takeaways from this year's shareholders meeting were Buffetts comments on a Berkshire subsidiarys push to reduce incentives for Nevada homeowners to use solar panels. The way he handled that was interesting and as always done in a way in which you learned something, said Olson. Click here to view a full replay of the 2016 Berkshire Hathaway annual shareholder meeting, which Yahoo Finance live-streamed exclusively. At this page you can also find our extensive coverage of the event. BROUGHT TO YOU BY RetailMeNot With Mother's Day this weekend, it's time to get shopping for the perfect, thoughtful gift. But if you have no idea where to start, fear not: we have tips and ideas to help. New dad Ben Aylesworth turned to RetailMeNot shopping expert Sara Skirboll for help picking out a gift on behalf of his baby son. As they headed to the shops at Brookfield Place in New York City, he asked her how much he should spend. "I'm not going to tell you how much to spend," Skirboll told him. "But what I can tell you is that the average person spends about $65 on a gift." She recommended he visit RetailMeNot.com, which lists great ideas and deals for Mother's Day gifts, or download the websites app to find deals as he's out and about. "The free app is actually really easy to use," she said. "It uses GPS technology to alert you of deals anywhere you are." As they walked around the mall, the app alerted them to 40 percent off items at Tory Burch and deals at Michael Kors. For more information about RetailMeNot, visit the website here. Watch: Robots Work At Amazon Warehouse Where Your Items Are Packaged Related Articles: Hill-Rom Holdings, Inc. HRC reported second-quarter fiscal 2016 adjusted earnings per share (EPS) of 71 cents, up 10.9% from the year-ago quarter. Adjusted EPS also beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate by a penny as well as the companys expectation of 6870 cents. A double-digit improvement in Hill-Roms second-quarter adjusted operating income, revenues and a significant growth in adjusted operating margin cumulatively drove the year-over-year earnings improvement. Including one-time adjustments, Hill-Roms net income in the second quarter was $22.3 million or 33 cents per share, reflecting a year-over-year decline of 14.6% or 26.7%, respectively. Revenue Details Revenues in the fiscal second quarter increased 33% year over year to $632.6 million (up 35% at Constant Exchange Rate or CER) but missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $651 million. The upside was primarily driven by strong growth in North America and the Welch Allyn acquisition. Excluding the benefits from the Welch Allyn acquisition, the companys revenue growth was flat in the reported quarter, as strong growth in Hill-Roms U.S. business was offset by sales decline in overseas. Including Welch Allyn, domestic revenues jumped 48% to $438 million while revenues outside the U.S. surged 13% at CER to $195 million. Reportable Segments In the second quarter, North America revenues increased 9% year over year to $270 million. While North America product sales and service rose 11% at CER to $193 million, rental revenues improved 6% year over year to $76 million. Moreover, product sales and service orders grew 18% while backlog at this segment increased 24%. . Revenues at the Front Line Care segment, which includes both Welch Allyn and Respiratory Care, grossed $185 million. Revenues improved 7% at Welch Allyn, driven by 11% sales growth in the U.S. The Surgical Solutions segment revenues dropped 4% (down 3% at CER) to $95 million. Within this segment, U.S. sales growth of 8% was offset by international decline of 21%, with particular weakness observed in the Middle East and Latin America. Story continues Hill-Roms International business sales deteriorated 22% (down 21% at CER) year over year to $82 million. Similar to the first-quarter results, significant headwinds in Latin America and the Middle East primarily led to the sales decline. Margin Reported gross margin in the second quarter was 48.1%, up 300 basis points (bps) year over year despite a 26% increase in total cost of revenue. Adjusted gross margin grew 250 bps to 47.9%, on account of the Welch Allyn addition as well as organic improvements. Year-over-year product sales and service gross margin increased 360 bps to 47%, driven by the addition of Welch Allyn, favorable sales mix and improved operational efficiencies. Rental gross margin however dropped 40 bps to 52.5%. Adjusted operating margin improved 230 bps to 13.9% owing to higher gross margin and SG&A leverage. On the other hand, selling and administrative expenses increased 54.5%, while research and development expenses rose 39.7%. Outlook Hill-Rom updated its fiscal 2016 revenue guidance. The company now expects revenue in the range of $2.64$2.67 billion, compared to the earlier guidance range of $2.66$2.70 billion; hinting at low-to-mid single-digit organic growth at CER on account of expected overseas sales decline. However, negative currency impact on revenues is still expected to be 23% for the fiscal. The current Zacks Consensus Estimate for revenues is pegged at $2.66 billion. On the bottom-line front, the company revised its fiscal 2016 adjusted earnings per share expectation to the range of $3.26$3.30, compared with the prior guidance of $3.24$3.30. The current Zacks Consensus Estimate is pegged at $3.28. Hill-Rom also provided its earnings and revenue projection for the third quarter of fiscal 2016. The company expects reported revenues between $640$650 million, implying low-single-digit organic growth at CER and approximately 1% of negative currency impact. Third-quarter adjusted earnings per share are projected within 7577 cents. The current Zacks Consensus Estimate for revenues and EPS are pegged at $648 million and 76 cents, respectively. Our Take Hill-Rom ended second-quarter fiscal 2016 on a mixed note with the bottom line surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate and top line missing the mark. On the brighter side, the company is duly reaping the benefits of the Welch Allyn acquisition as is evident from this business contribution to revenues as well as gross margin growth in the reported quarter. The double-digit revenue growth in the emerging markets of Asia-Pacific also encourages us. The companys narrowed guidance for fiscal 2016 keeps us on the sidelines. Moreover, Hill-Roms International business continues to be challenging, primarily on account of weaknesses in the Middle East and Latin America. The company has slashed its full-year revenue expectations for its international segment citing no near-term respite from such weaknesses. Moreover, the ongoing capital crunch in the Middle East, Brazil and Mexico largely hit the international surgical business, which is not expected to improve anytime soon. The company currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). Key Picks from the Sector Better-ranked medical stocks are Baxter International Inc. BAX, SurModics, Inc. SRDX and Boston Scientific Corporation BSX. While Baxter and SurModics sport a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), Boston Scientific carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report >> Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report BOSTON SCIENTIF (BSX): Free Stock Analysis Report BAXTER INTL (BAX): Free Stock Analysis Report SURMODICS (SRDX): Free Stock Analysis Report HILL-ROM HLDGS (HRC): Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research bernie sanders Sen. Bernie Sanders pulled off a slight upset in the Indiana Democratic primary on Tuesday. Several hours after the polls closed, multiple news outlets projected that Sanders would win in the Hoosier State. It's unclear whether what effect the Sanders win will have on the Democratic race, in which Clinton still maintains a substantial lead in popular votes, pledged delegates, and superdelegates. "The Clinton campaign thinks this campaign is over. They're wrong," Sanders told The Associated Press on Tuesday. Still, it remains unlikely that Sanders will be able to catch up to the former secretary of state unless he scores massive upset wins in remaining contests like California, where he currently trails in most polls. But the senator has suggested recently that he does not plan to get out of the race anytime soon. In a Sunday press conference in Washington, DC, the Democratic presidential candidate promised repeatedly that he would take the campaign to a contested convention. And after briefly appearing to halt his rhetorical jabs at Clinton, the Vermont senator reprised his attacks on her alleged coziness with the financial industry. On Tuesday night, he told The AP that despite the "uphill climb" to the nomination, he would be "in this campaign to win, and we are going to fight until the last vote is cast." NOW WATCH: Watch Bernie Sanders rant on why Hillary Clinton isnt qualified to be president More From Business Insider From Esquire PART I Okay, maybe you're not so excited that Hillary Clinton is running for president. After all, she's been around for a long time, there's always some kind of controversy swirling around her, she's no spring chicken, she's married to Bill, she wears those jackets, she's got that midwestern accent, plus she's so serious and wonky all the time. What's left to be said? You've already made up your mind about her. She might not be as crazy as those guys on the other side-but that doesn't mean that you have to be happy about the prospect of another President Clinton. But what if the story isn't about what you know but rather about what you don't? Politicians always say that "there's never been more at stake in an election"-when it happens to be the election in which they're running. But what if, this time out, that's true? What if this is, like, it, the main event, the conclusion of a long-running series, the climax of a nearly metaphysical battle that started before most people had ever heard of her? Think of a story you read once upon a time in which someone is selected for a fate more profound than anybody suspects-think Harry Potter but with Hermione, the grind, the perpetual A student, as the one scarred by the Dark Lord's lightning. Sure, Hillary Clinton is an unlikely prospect for such a heroine. She's so familiar. What she says might change but she's always the same. But you've read the books. If a person seems to be an unlikely fulcrum for forces much larger than herself, that only means...she is. PART II She stands in a classroom, writing on a whiteboard. She is alone-alone as she ever is-and unhurried. There are some people in the room, but they give her space, and her back is to them. She does not turn around. She continues in her condensed handwriting. To her right hangs an American flag and, taped to the board, the text of the Pledge of Allegiance; to her left is the message left to her by the teacher who normally presides over this room. It says, in black marker, "Go Hillary! You are an inspiration to women and young girls across the globe." Then, in red, "Thank you and Happy Holidays to you and your family." Story continues Her own answer is partially hidden by her body-standing close to the board, she looks like a painter who doesn't want anyone to spy her handiwork. She's wearing a high-collared jacket that's the blazing pink of a children's antibiotic, black slacks, and black boots, surprisingly pointy and high at the heel. She is not tall, but she has a strong physical presence, and her expensive blond coif identifies her instantly, even with her back turned. She stops writing for a second and inspects what she's left behind before stepping back and allowing people to see. "Leeann-Thank you for teaching! And, Happy Holidays to you and your students! Hillary Rodham Clinton." It is the perfect HRC (as her aides call her) moment. The care that she took to find out the teacher's name and employ it; the effort she expended on her handwriting, which has the spindly flourish of calligraphy; the time and fierce concentration she applied to a message at once graceful and perfectly commonplace, to a teacher yet, in a school-she is, indeed, nothing if not diligent. And when she is finished, she does what she does with everyone she meets, greeting me by name in that bracingly enthusiastic voice of hers, then shows me to a low table set for our interview, with two bottles of water already poured to the halfway point of two identical glasses. "How are you doing tonight?" I ask. "Excellent! Excellent!" she says, though no exclamation points can quite capture the exclamatory nature of her reply-the carry of her voice in the nearly empty classroom or the sudden and almost startled alacrity of her wide-open blue eyes. "We had a good event." I have been following her campaign for more than a month by now. I have seen many good events. I have seen events in Iowa and New Hampshire, in Boston and New York, in Nashville and Charleston. I have heard her deliver variations of the same speech over and over, introduce the same plans, tell the same jokes, play the same songs-I have seen her, in other words, prove herself adept at the politician's task of making the novel seem familiar and the familiar seem novel. She never gets tired, just tiring, for she applies her indefatigability to the daily exercise of what her aides call "staying in her lane" and "executing." She doesn't try to appear extraordinary, only formidably accomplished, and on most days she succeeds at doing just that. At the same time, we have all seen history itself run a very different campaign-brutal, intemperate, improvisatory, and utterly over-the-top. There has been Trump, of course. There has been terror. And on some days they seem to have joined forces for the purpose of mocking the pretensions of a politician like Hillary Clinton-or any politician who tries to make believe that history is driven by anything more than madness and blood. Every day brings what feels like a new outrage or a new horror or a new loosening of the bonds of either civility or civilization; every day history has asked Hillary Clinton to respond. Tonight she did. Tonight, at the gymnasium of Woodbury Middle School in Salem, New Hampshire, she opened a town-hall meeting with these words: "I want to begin by saying something about the recent events in California." It has been a week since two Muslims-one of them American-born and American-raised-went on a spree of slaughter in San Bernardino. It has been one day since Donald Trump proposed refusing all Muslims entry to the United States. HRC's response was very much in keeping with who she is as a politician-she assured her audience that she's been "laying out a plan to defeat homegrown radical jihadists" and that Trump and his fellow Republicans have "been playing into ISIS's hands" with their rhetoric. She sets great store by the power of laying out plans. She holds firmly to the belief that America abandons its values at great peril, not only morally but strategically. But we know that already. What I want to know, now that the event is over and I'm sitting with her in the classroom in Salem, is whether she knows the stakes of her run-the role she's been chosen to play, herfate. Since I don't want to sound crazy, I simply ask her why she wants to be president now, at this time in history, in this season of extremism and attack. And this is how she answers, in part: "I think we're at a real turning point, and I don't want to see the America that I love-that gave me and my parents and my immigrant grandfather and everybody that I know a real chance to live up to their potential-in any way diminished. I don't think we have any choice but to wage and win this election." She knows! PART III Of course, she sounded paranoid back when she first said it-participants in apocalyptic battles always sound paranoid when they first say they're participants in apocalyptic battles. They sound especially paranoid when they answer a question in apocalyptic terms when the question was really about, well, blowjobs. This was a long time ago. This was back in 1998. Bill Clinton was the president of the United States of America. Hillary Clinton was the First Lady. He'd offended people by being a resourceful rascal. She'd offended people by saying something about cookies. They'd both offended people by trying and failing to bring about universal health care and by trying (and sort of failing) to allow gays to serve openly in the military. They'd been under investigation for years for something they'd supposedly done in Arkansas when, really, everyone knew the investigation was about sex-and secrets. He'd been accused of rape in the nascent right-wing press; she'd been accused of murder; and now they were finally caught. He had a secret, indeed-he'd had sex with a young woman in the White House and he'd testified, under oath, that he hadn't. He had sinned all right; he had sinned against her, his wife, so that now even she couldn't defend him. But she did. And she defended him by inveighing against them-against the "vast right-wing conspiracy." She sounded a little crazy. She sounded guilty of, at the very least, bad faith. Except that what she was saying turned out to be true-there really was an obscurely wealthy man, Richard Mellon Scaife, bankrolling the attacks against her and her husband; there really was a right-wing media spawned by structural changes overtaking the news business, and it had found, in the Clintons, the template for every story that was to follow. Her only error was a matter of language. She used the word vast to describe what she faced. It wasn't vast, yet- It is now. Nearly 30 years later, Richard Mellon Scaife has evolved into the Koch brothers, the then-fledgling right-wing media now claims the biggest and most powerful cable-news network among its ranks, and the money unleashed by the Citizens United decision has conjured a ring of super PACs organized specifically against her candidacy. The vast right-wing conspiracy is still here, and yet-and here's the thing-so is she. The vast right-wing conspiracy has outlasted everybody but her. From the start, the attacks on her have had a tendency to resolve themselves in the most mundane terms-the Whitewater investigation turned out to be about a husband lying about infidelity; the Benghazi investigation turned out to be about, of all things, Sidney Blumenthal. But that doesn't mean that both sides haven't known the stakes all along. She's always chosen to fight on metaphysical ground; she's always defended herself cosmically because she's been attacked cosmically, and so she's lived to fight another day. But now that day is here. She helped create the modern right wing; the modern right wing helped create her; and now there is no place for them to go except at each other. The 2016 election is nothing less than the climactic event of the last three decades of American politics, and-it's an amazing and scary thing to be able to write these words without irony-the future of the Free World lies in the balance. PART IV She likes to laugh. She's famous for it-the forced bark of her parodists. But in fact her laugh is the most spontaneous thing about her. It's the most appealing thing about her, because it shows her willingness to be entertained. She's not particularly funny, but she likes funny people. You can hear her laughing when she disappears into crowds; you can see her laughing when she's being introduced before her speeches. Her laugh overtakes her. It startles her, and sometimes she bends slightly at the waist to accommodate its force. It's restorative; it brings light into her eyes and her high, round cheekbones into sharp relief. She has a radiance sometimes, almost gravid, and it's usually when she's been laughing. It's not like that in the classroom. It's not that she doesn't laugh in private or that her laughter is meant only for public display. She laughs easily and often. But when she laughs onstage, she looks like what she is-the most famous woman in the world, laughing. In the classroom, alone, she looks both tougher and more vulnerable than you might expect. She is 68 years old, and she is all that stands between Ted Cruz and the White House, Marco Rubio and the White House, Donald Trump and the White House. It's not as if she's unaware of what happens if she happens to lose. It's not as if she's unaffected by the extremism on display on what seems a daily basis. "It certainly enhances the sense of responsibility I feel to try to make my case as effectively as possible. It's also troubling to me. It's so contrary to what I think politics should be about, and the kind of people who should run for the most important job in the world. So I try not to be distracted by it or be knocked off course by it. But I do feel extra pressure when I hear some of what they say...It's deeply offensive to me that they are setting out an agenda that's both unmoored from reality and really, at its core, mean-spirited about the American people and the struggles so many are facing." Does that mean that she considers herself a firewall between an extremist candidate and the White House? "I think to some extent that's a fair description. But I have to win. I have to win to be a firewall against that extreme partisanship and that real rejection of compromise." She helped create the modern right wing; the modern right wing helped create her; and now there is no place for them to go except at each other. A few minutes later, she's talking about a suggestion that's been made about Trump-that his very extremism will force a reckoning with currents that have lain submerged in the body politic for a long time. She rejects it. "I think that what he's saying about people is really shameless. We live in a world of instantaneous communication. When he says something, he's not just talking to whoever those people are who come to his rallies. He's talking to the whole world, and what he's saying plays right into the hands of a group like ISIS. It's fact-free but it's not cost-free. That's another reason we have to win. We have to make it very clear to the rest of the world that the United States is still the best opportunity-creator and freedom-defender that the world has ever seen." That makes three. That is the third time, in a short interview, that Hillary Clinton says that she has to win. Now, this will not surprise anyone who believes that what has always distinguished her is the overweening quality of her ambition-her willingness to say anything, do anything, countenance anything, and above all endure anything in her quest for power. And yes, an argument can be made that the determination and resolve she has exhibited since announcing her candidacy originates in the simple fact that this is her last chance. But that's just it: She is not just the first person targeted by the right wing; she is, right now, the last person with the chance to stop it. It is one thing to want to win as a matter of ambition. It is another to feel that you have to win as a matter of responsibility. She is the only candidate with a chance of winning the presidency-from either party-who speaks of preserving what we have rather than tearing it down and starting over. She is the only one who rejects the language of radicalism in her speeches. She is, indeed, the only instinctive moderate-left-leaning though she may be. The candidate who has a chance to become the first woman president turns out to be the last optimist at the apocalypse. PART V It wasn't supposed to be her. It was supposed to be him. It was supposed to be Barack Obama-he was supposed to defeat the partisan forces in which she was ensnared by transcending them altogether. She is not a transcendent figure. She does not pretend to be. She does not even want to be. When she ran against him for the Democratic nomination in 2008, her supporters believed that he was naive; his, that she was cynical. Her supporters turned out to be right. "Obama came to Washington saying there's no red America, there's no blue America," says one of Hillary Clinton's close friends. "That was just wrong. There's a battle going on over who the country works for. It's going to be a pitched battle, because people don't give up power easily. They're not going to roll over. You have to win the argument, and Hillary knows that." She has always known that, and now she has a chance to prove it. The election of 2008 was supposed to be epochal; it was not. The election of 2012 was supposed to be decisive; it was not. The president who was supposed to heal us only showed us the depth of our wounds; the country that congratulated itself for electing a black man to its highest office now stands riven by its most ancient and primal resentments and hatreds; the right wing that seemed outflanked by history in 2008 and demographics in 2012 has doubled down on unrepentant extremism. And the only person who can stop its ascendancy-who can, in the words of a close advisor, "break its back"-turns out to be the person the right wing was designed to destroy. They know it, too: the Republican candidates. Even before Donald Trump unsettled the race and unhinged the rhetoric, they measured how far they could go by how far they could go in their hostility toward Hillary Clinton. In one debate after another, they tried to prove their toughness to Republican voters by saying tough things about a woman they knew Republican voters feared and despised. Chris Christie accused her of supporting "the systemic murder of children" and vowed to "prosecute" her should he be given the opportunity to debate her. Carly Fiorina called herself "Hillary Clinton's worst nightmare." Marco Rubio, nearly trembling with his own sense of righteousness, flatly called her "a liar." And Trump bragged that his contributions to the Clinton Foundation empowered him to compel her attendance at his wedding, the implication being that he and he alone was strong enough to make Hillary kneel. She was their historical enemy, and so she was the foundation for what their campaigns would become. A presidential race in which all candidates understood that there was nothing too extreme they could say about Hillary Clinton evolved into a race in which they realized that there was nothing too extreme they could say about anything or anybody at all. And then came Paris and San Bernardino. PART VI She is not a perfect candidate. She never has been. Her friends and supporters say that, as well as her opponents. She doesn't have the oratorical powers of Barack Obama or her husband; she can't change her fortunes with a single speech. But she's a student, and she's not averse to studying herself. "She is well aware of her strengths and weaknesses," says one of her closest friends and advisors, "and so she knows how to get better. She's not the same person she was five years ago. Being able to read an audience, and then in real time to emphasize the part of the speech that people are getting: That's something she's gotten better and better at. She's better than most pundits give her credit for." This is true. Anyone who says that she's a lousy politician hasn't watched crowds respond to her or, more important, hasn't seen her respond to crowds. "She loves it," says a former aide. What's more, you can see that she loves it, and if that's not the basis of political talent, it's at least the basis of something more important if you're a Clinton-forgiveness. Moreover, she has a power that none of the other candidates except possibly Trump possess, and that's celebrity. Is celebrity a power that might help a candidate actually obtain power? We don't know yet. But when you see its pull at a Hillary Clinton campaign event, you see what it does do when it's blended with technology-it keeps people interested. It keeps them from getting bored, which is a good thing for a candidate who mentions three or four policy proposals a speech. Strangely, celebrity even humanizes her, because it mediates the distance between her and her audience. When she works the line-the border between her apparatus of security and staff and her supporters-what people do, if they get close enough, is hand her their phone so she can take a selfie with them, and what they do if they don't get close enough is hold their phone aloft so they can take a photo of her from a better angle. You can see it from behind: a picket of extended arms and a mosaic of Hillary Clinton pieced together on a hundred swaying tiny black screens. "The Tyranny of the Selfie," she says to me in the classroom. "But you're good at it." "Well, that's what people ask for. If I'm going to try to get to everybody, I have to be good at it. It used to be-and I was talking to President Obama about this the other day-it used to be that you would do an event like this [in Salem] and then you would shake hands with people and they would talk to you. They would say, 'I liked what you said about this' or 'You didn't mention that' or 'Can I tell you this?' And it was a constant learning and absorbing experience. Now it's just 'Can I take a selfie? Can I take a picture?' People just want to capture that moment, and I just try to be accommodating." Strangely, celebrity humanizes Hillary Clinton, because it mediates the distance between her and her audience. Her best moments on the stump, however, involve something much more personal than technology or celebrity. No, it's not the part of her speech where she talks about her immigrant grandfather working in the lace factory in Scranton. It's not even the part of her speech where she talks about her granddaughter and expresses hope that everybody's grandchild will have the same kind of opportunity her own grandchild has. She's no better than most politicians are at that kind of thing, and maybe a little worse, because she's so clearly trying to relate to people-if you're a normal person, you never want to seem like you're trying to act like a normal person. She is most authentic when she's drawing from an experience that no one in her audience has ever had, because it's her experience and hers alone. This is what they ask her at the town halls: "If you're elected president, are you going to be tough enough to handle the Republicans in Congress?" And this is how she answers, before being overtaken by applause: "Well, I just spent 11 hours" Of course, it's a reference to the Benghazi hearings. But it's also an invocation of everything that preceded Benghazi and her endurance in the face of it. Democrats want Hillary Clinton to stand up to Republicans just as much as Republicans want their candidates to take down Hillary Clinton; they want her to be their champion, and she gains authority when she does exactly that. What she rarely shows, however, is just how viscerally she can respond to the right's provocations. Maybe she was tired when she gave me a glimpse of it. It was late; she had just completed the event. She was sitting in a chilly classroom with the crowd long gone; she was flying back to New York that night and then to Iowa in the morning. Her face was a little sallow under the fluorescent lights, and the metallic traces of her eye shadow seemed to weigh her eyelids down. She was sitting down at a table, the chairs a little small for her, but she had managed to find a rhythm with her right hand, as she does on the stump, pointing a finger and touching the blade of her hand against the tabletop as she drove home her points about the candidates vying for the Republican nomination: "Usually in time of crisis, the country comes together. After 9/11, I was a senator from New York and I spent a lot of time with George W. Bush. He was very supportive of what we needed to do in New York, and when it came to 'You know, we need to get help,' he basically said, 'What do you need and here you go-get it.' Instead, we have these two terrible incidents, and you have Republican candidates just excoriating our president and insulting people who had nothing to do with the terrorism we were watching unfold, and who don't have realistic ideas, don't have any grounding in foreign policy or national security, and they just go off saying what they think will get a rise out of an audience. It's really distressing, because that's not how we should conduct ourselves." I had always wondered when she was going to say, These guys aren't in my freaking league. Now she had come pretty close, and the expression that I saw animate her narrowed eyes and her tightened lips was not one of anger, or even frustration. It was one of contempt. PART VII "Our country is divided," she says. Well, yesand there is no better measure of those divisions than HRC herself. Is it her destiny to keep Ted Cruz out of the White House? Ted Cruz looked in the mirror this morning and thought it his destiny to keep her out of the White House. The same idea that animates Democrats-the idea that electoral loss would lead not simply to an unsuitable president but to an unimaginable one-also animates Republicans. Indeed, everything asserted in these pages about the extremists on the right could be and is asserted by the extremists themselves about the candidacy of that notorious extremist Hillary Rodham Clinton. Her supporters see her as a woman with a proven record of idealism, competence, and, yes, moderation. She was a good if controversial First Lady. She was a good if dutiful senator. She was a good if slightly hawkish and secretive secretary of state. Why shouldn't she be a good president? She has enjoyed excellent proximity from which to weaken the Republic, and never has. Why should the prospect of her election seem so catastrophic? Now, there are two ways to answer this question. The first is to call Colin Reed, the executive director of America Rising, one of the super PACs organized to oppose her candidacy. He speaks frankly and reasonably about her vulnerabilities and how he plans to exploit them and make sure "she doesn't enjoy the advantages of an incumbent." "We've broken it down to three main buckets, in terms of our lines of attack," Reed says. "Bucket one is 'unethical'-how they make their money, foreign donations to the Clinton Foundation while she was secretary of state. Bucket two is 'untrustworthy'-the server; her willingness to say and do whatever's expedient at the time. The third bucket, the main bucket, is 'failed record,' pertaining to her time at the State Department. There's Syria and the rise of ISIS; there's the war in Libya, which she advocated; and there's the Russian reset, which only resulted in Putin becoming more aggressive. She's accomplished a lot in her life-she's a former First Lady, former senator, former secretary of state. But she doesn't have the raw political skills of a Bill Clinton or a Barack Obama, and polls show that people don't trust her, even loyal Democrats. So we're frequently pointing out instances of hypocrisy to her left. I have found hypocrisy sells; it's a good story, no matter what your political convictions are." The second way? The second way is to ask your uncle. Or your aunt. Or the person who sits next to you on the plane. This is America; a lot of people don't like Hillary Clinton. Hate, despise, and loathe Hillary Clinton, and use those words to describe their feelings. If you want to know why, you don't have to go very far to find them. "Excuse me, sir. I noticed that you have a 'Hill No!' sticker on your car. Can you tell me why?" I'm in the parking lot of the public library near my house. I live in a conservative area, where Hillary hatred is in the water. I don't have to go to it; it comes to me. "I don't like her," the man says. He's about her age, small and hunched, wearing a windbreaker and ball cap. He never stops walking as I ask him questions, and he never looks at me. "I don't like anything about her. I don't like her tax policies. And she's never done anything. The only thing she did when she was secretary of state was travel around the world. She didn't solve anything!" "Can you give me any details?" "Look at the world!" "Did her predecessor, Condoleezza Rice, solve anything?" "Sure she did! Of course she did!" "Can you give me any details?" "I'll have to look it up. But Hillary Clinton lied about Benghazi. She lied about that video. She does nothing but lie. Her whole life is a lie! Twenty-eight years-all lies!" And there it is, the fundamental tenet of Hillary hatred: all lies. It is never one thing. It is never even ten things. It is everything. It is a totality. If you listen to any Republican debate or any newscast on Fox-or if you talk to your uncle-you will discover that the talking points promulgated by Colin Reed and other members of her industrial opposition have found a vast right-wing conspiracy of sympathetic ears. You will also come to understand that they are incidental to the main project, which is the creation of a woman whose every accomplishment doubles as an indictment, and whose every admirable public utterance must have a poisonous private echo. Her record of responsible service? Her center-left instincts on domestic issues and an attitude toward foreign policy that would have pleased an Eisenhower Republican? Her devotion to a difficult marriage? Don't you see? Can't you see? All lies! She is far from an inevitability. "Twenty years ago, the job was to persuade the undecided," says an operative at one of the PACs promoting her candidacy. "Twenty to thirty percent of the voters were undecided. Now it's maybe five. So the job is to find and inspire those who already think the way that you do. Digging down. That's what the money is for. Their voter, the white conservative, is already highly motivated. Ours, not so much. If the Democratic voter comes out, we win, because there are more of us than there are of them. People of color, single women, millennials: the new majority. But if they don't come out, like 2010 or 2014, the Republicans could easily win." It is, to some extent, the first gerrymandered national election, defined by its extremities and open to unpredictable influence. Hillary Clinton could lose because the left wing of her own party regards her as compromising and therefore compromised. She could lose because of a terrorist attack that occurs a week before the election. Or she could lose simply because so many people don't like or don't trust her. Her fate may be to keep Donald Trump, Ted Cruz, and Marco Rubio out of the White House. Her fate may also be to let one of them in. PART VIII He looks older than she does. He's thinner now, with a certain delicacy of movement, and with his hair a white fire burning over the pink embers of his face, he's beginning to look like Hal Holbrook playing a one-man version of Bill Clinton. Nevertheless: It's him. He's here, at a campaign barbecue hosted by the Democrats of Story County, Iowa, at the concrete-walled Iowa State University agricultural expo. Martin O'Malley is set to speak. So is Cornel West, as an eccentric surrogate for Bernie Sanders at an event peopled almost exclusively by white farmers. So is Hillary Clinton. And so is her husband. He steps up to the podium first, on a stage improvised on a dirt floor crowded with folding tables and folding chairs. He has come to introduce her, but as soon as he steps into view, two things happen: First, he is greeted by a wave of applause that causes him to nod his head and bite his lip and lift his hand and become, by the very recognizability of his gestures, iconic. Second, he inspires a flurry of speculation amongst the reporters corralled in the back of the barn, who can't help but wonder why he's really shown up. There it is, the fundamental tenet of Hillary hatred: all lies. It is never one thing. It is never even ten things. It is everything. There is an obvious answer: It is the day after the Democratic debate in Des Moines. He always travels to the debates. He advises her and helps her prepare. She stayed overnight in Des Moines, and he stayed with her. They are married, and they have been married a long time. The answer that her aides call "overthought" is that he has come to help her-that though she won the debate locally, with the voters in Iowa, she lost nationally, with the voters of these United States. She does not always live up to the moment, and she didn't last night. The debate took place the day after the terrorist attacks in Paris. The Republicans were in an opportunistic frenzy, and she had a chance to do some statesmanship. Instead, she came up with a rather technical answer that had already been reduced to a sound bite: "It's not our fight." She also defended her Wall Street associations by invoking 9/11 and showed what makes her such a fallible candidate, speaking an excuse of improvised convenience with such moral force that it called her moral force into question. Long ago, when they introduced themselves to the nation, the Clintons did so as a package, as two for one, as a joint presidency. The nation wasn't ready for it, or maybe it was: They used her to attack him, and him to attack her, not as a political figure but in the most personal way possible-as a woman and a mother and a wife. It is different now. She talks to him every day, on the trail, by telephone. But she doesn't need him the way he needed her. She is one of a kind, and as a result she is all alone. This is not to say that the right won't do it again. It will. After it attacks her record and she is still standing, it will attack him. His personal life, and therefore hers. It will attempt to revive the oldest of the Clinton calumnies; it will suggest that their long marriage is an "arrangement" she tolerates in order to preserve her opportunity for power. It might not be Trump, but Trump has taught the party well: There is nothing that can't be said, because there is no price to be paid for saying it. And before she is allowed to become president as a woman, she will as a woman be attacked. "Yes, but there is no evidence that it works," says one of her closest advisors. "The evidence has always been to the contrary-that such things make women identify with her and make her stronger." Still, if her advisors know what lies in store, so does she. She must. "I have always known that this will be a very hard election if I'm the nominee," she told me in Salem. "Our country is divided politically, and I will have to work very hard for every vote. I'm going to have to make that case for myself." It is impossible to know what anyone's marriage might be like, much less hers. It is impossible to imagine what her life might be like, based as it is on continuing cycles of attack and endurance-based as it is on the certainty that she will be attacked and that she has no choice but to endure. She is a singular woman, locked in symbiosis with America's right wing and also with her husband. She has said that when she first met him many years ago she knew that he could one day be president. He has not said the same thing about her. Now, however, as the applause for him dies down, he tells the audience how long he's known her, and then, with his old blue eyes still winking and his voice still a midnight croak, he says, "I've watched all these debates and I think I'm going to vote for her." She does what she does when she's inordinately praised; standing in front of a blue curtain and wearing a boxy dark-blue jacket, she claps her hands along with everybody else and rocks with laughter, as if she's taken by surprise. She's in Iowa, but she could be in New Hampshire, South Carolina, Tennessee, Florida, Georgia-anywhere along the endless trail. She is bigger than he is now, and if she wins she will be bigger than he ever was. That's his fate, and perhaps that's how, in the end, he's been faithful to her-faithful to a destiny he saw written upon her by an adversarial hand; faithful to the fate he must have known about all along, and kept to himself, as one of their secrets. This article originally appears in the February 2016 issue. Washington (AFP) - US companies pulled back on hiring in April, payrolls group ADP said Wednesday, in a fresh sign of continued sluggishness in the economy. Companies added 156,000 jobs last month, about 40,000 less than analysts had expected, and down from 194,000 in March. While the ADP figures often do not match the US Labor Department's total job market assessment each month, the report could point to a likely downturn in the official data when it is reported on Friday. "The job market appears to have stumbled in April. Job growth noticeably slowed, with some weakness across most sectors," said Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moodys Analytics, which works with ADP to produce the monthly survey. "One month does not make a trend, but this bears close watching as the financial market turmoil earlier in the year may have done some damage to business hiring." The average economist forecast made before the ADP report was that the private and public sectors added 207,000 jobs last month, and that the unemployment rate held at 5.0 percent. "We are leaving our forecast intact, although this report does lower our confidence a bit," said Jim O'Sullivan, chief US economist at High Frequency Economics. By Saikat Chatterjee HONG KONG (Reuters) - Hong Kong is conducting a multi-pronged customs, shipping and financial sector crackdown against so-called fake trade invoicing that allows billions of dollars of capital to leave China illegally. Hong Kong's central bank told Reuters it has beefed up its scrutiny of banks' trade financing operations, while customs officials are doing more random checks on shipments crossing border posts and conducting raids on warehouses to ensure the authenticity of goods, senior officials working in shipping, logistics and banking said. The head of a logistics company said surprise customs inspections at Hong Kong border posts had doubled. The sources declined to be identified given the sensitivity of the issues. They said the increased efforts began this year and reflected concerns about billions of dollars in illicit cash authorities suspect are being channeled through Hong Kong following a stock market crash in China last year. "Examinations and investigations reflect one of the strongest trends we are seeing now in the financial sector," said Urszula McCormack, a partner at law firm King & Wood Mallesons, which helped co-author a report published by The Hong Kong Association of Banks in February that highlighted shipping as a sector where fake invoicing can thrive. "(Hong Kong) regulators are now in enforcement mode." China has become increasingly concerned about capital outflows since the middle of last year when Chinese rushed to get money offshore for safekeeping or to invest following the stock market slump and unexpected yuan devaluation. Hong Kong is the most popular route, analysts say, because of its proximity to China. Chinese authorities have tried to staunch the outflows by tightening cross-border investment quotas, stepping up enforcement action of existing rules and restricting residents from buying financial products, such as insurance policies, offered in Hong Kong. But the trade channel had largely been left untouched given the complexity and magnitude of transactions involved. A record net $674 billion left China last year, the International Institute of Finance estimates. A further $175 billion left China in the first quarter. China had been a long-term net importer of dollars. While capital flows reflect legitimate business, analysts say the gap between trade figures reported by China and by Hong Kong for the same goods shows how imports and exports are being used to spirit cash offshore. In December, for example, the gap between Chinese imports from Hong Kong and Hong Kong's exports to China - a rough indicator of capital flowing through trade - surged to a record $1.9 billion, which many economists attributed to falsifying trade invoices. The December figures show that one dollar in every 10 of exports from Hong Kong to China may have been falsified to skirt China's capital controls, Thomson Reuters calculations show. By March, the gap was still a relatively large $1.4 billion. The Hong Kong Customs and Excise Department said it was looking into the disparity between the trade figures in coordination with local and Chinese authorities. It said it would "continue to maintain vigilance over the latest trends of money laundering". China's General Administration for Customs didn't respond to faxed questions. The most popular way to fake invoices involves overstating the value of imports into China or under-stating the value of exports. A Chinese company could export goods to its Hong Kong subsidiary worth $100 each, but invoice the export at $80 each. The Hong Kong subsidiary sells them for $100 each and parks the profit in an offshore bank account. The goods involved often lack an obvious value, such as jewellery or electronic components, making it difficult for customs officials or banks to spot a fake transaction. "DETER AND DETECT" Hong Kong's de facto central bank, the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA), has increased the number of onsite inspections and asked banks to strengthen trade financing surveillance since the end of 2015, two bankers said. "The HKMA has over the past years taken steps to require banks to implement better systems and controls to deter and detect suspicious transactions," Stewart McGlynn, the head of HKMA's anti-money laundering and financial crime risk said, referring to a doubling of suspicious transactions reported by banks to nearly 35,000 last year, compared with 2011. China launched a nationwide operation called "Nation's Blade" in February to counter fake trade invoicing, tax evasion and smuggling. In the southwestern province of Yunnan, 459 cases are being investigated involving products worth around 30 million yuan, China media reported. "Recently, there have been a lot of customs inspections with perhaps a 50 percent increase at times," said Alex Chen, a Shenzhen-based official at a customs brokerage firm, referring to Chinese customs actions. "Lots of people are being caught under the latest operation and many have been fined as well." Trade sources said the crackdown is also being seen in other ways. "Ever since the capital outflow problems, it has become very difficult to interact with the Chinese customs (officials)," said the head of logistics at a Hong Kong firm. "Companies on both sides of the border would take them out for wining and dining (before) ... But now they don't want to be seen with us." (Additional reporting by Michelle Chen, Stella Tsang, James Pomfret and Clare Baldwin; Editing by Neil Fullick) Hulu is prepping to shake up its business next year when it launches a new service that will live stream content from a bundle of broadcast and cable channels. The move, which Hulu confirmed Wednesday at its upfront presentation in New York, is the next step for a company that began as a place to watch next-day TV. CEO Mike Hopkins explains to The Hollywood Reporter that a number of factors contributed to Hulu's decision to begin working on such a service, which many others, including Apple, have tried. "From a branding standpoint, we're in a good spot," he says. "We have device ubiquity - our apps are on every device that matters. And when you look at what's happened in broadband over the last two or three years, this is something that can actually work with the networks that exist today. We're in a good spot infrastructure wise." The unnamed service also is a part of a larger vision that Hopkins has for Hulu, in which the service will be able to provide a more personalized viewing experience. While he won't go into specifics, he says that all of Hulu will get a lot more personalized over the next year. "We're really good at predicting the next show you may be interested in, based on the time of day or the device you're on," Hopkins adds. "It's going to be a transformative thing for Hulu and our customers." The streamer - which is owned by Disney, 21st Century Fox and silent partner NBCUniversal - is said to be in talks with all three of its owners about licensing their channels for the new live service. But while they have an incentive for Hulu to succeed, it's unclear which other networks will sign up. It was a hurdle that Apple was unable to get past when hammering out plans for its service, which were later abandoned. Without disclosing who Hulu is negotiating with, Hopkins says he is "reasonably confident that we're going to get the content we need to launch this and have it be a very good service." Story continues During its flashy presentation Wednesday, hosted by Broad City stars Ilana Glazer and Abbi Jacobson, Hulu also revealed that it will reach 12 million U.S. subscribers this month. That's a significantly smaller base than Netflix's 47 million domestic members, but Hopkins says he's not concerned about Hulu's positioning in the streaming space. "Clearly they've got more subscribers at Netflix, but our growth is accelerating," he says. "Over the next few years, we're going to be putting up a lot of big numbers in new subscriber additions because of the content we're developing and product enhancements we're working on." Hulu is able to directly chart the growth of subscribers, up from 9 million last year, to the introduction of new programming. Onstage at the event, Hopkins revealed that Hulu had more new subscribers sign up for its service on the day of the 11.22.63 premiere than any other day in Hulu history. And the company delivered more streams during that week than any week in 2015. The presentation also featured appearances by Difficult People executive producer Amy Poehler, alongside stars Billy Eichner and Julie Klausner; the casts of Casual and The Path; The Mindy Project creator and star Mindy Kaling; and Hugh Laurie, who will star in upcoming Chance. During the morning, Hulu announced renewals of The Path and The Mindy Project, a Beatles documentary from Ron Howard and a virtual reality concert series with Live Nation. (Adds details on Obamacare, stock price) May 4 (Reuters) - U.S. health insurer Humana Inc, which plans to be bought by larger Aetna Inc, is considering ending the sale of Obamacare individual plans in some states in 2017 to stem losses there. Humana's individual business, which sells plans under President Barack Obama's Affordable Care Act, has been a drag on results, and the company still expects to lose money this year. Humana sells plans in 15 states. The company said on Wednesday that first-quarter earnings fell 46 percent due to higher costs in individual plans, including Obamacare, and its direct-to-customer Medicare Advantage plans. UnitedHealth Group Inc said last month it was losing money and would largely exit the 34 states where it sells plans. Aetna said it is reviewing 2017 exchange participation state by state and that changes are needed to stabilize the exchanges. More than 12 million people have signed up for health insurance on the exchanges, but insurers say they are enrolling only when they need to use services. Because the market is smaller than foreseen, there is not a big enough pool of healthy users to cover the costs, they say. Humana said it is in the process of finalizing the sort of insurance plans it will offer in the business next year, but is considering a number of changes, including exiting certain states or products. It also said it may raise premium prices. Humana said there is higher use of medical services and prescriptions among 2015 members who renewed 2016 plans versus those who canceled them. New members in Obamacare plans sold outside the exchanges also had higher use than those who renewed, Humana said. In late 2015 the company set aside $176 million in reserves to cover losses on the individual business. This quarter, it earned money on the operation but increased reserves by that amount to cover additional anticipated losses, it said. Humana said it had 875,700 individual members as of March 31, a decline of 150,000 from a year earlier. Story continues Net income fell to $234 million, or $1.56 per share, in the first quarter, from $430 million, or $2.82 per share, a year earlier. It earned $1.86 per share on an adjusted basis and revenue was $13.80 billion versus $13.83 billion. Analysts expected profit of $1.81 per share on revenue of $13.76 billion, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S. Shares fell 0.5 percent to $176.01. (Reporting by Amrutha Penumudi in Bengaluru and Caroline Humer in New York; Editing by Savio D'Souza and Jeffrey Benkoe) Ian Sander, who with his wife Kim Moses executive produced the??popular drama??series??Ghost Whisperer and??Profiler, died Tuesday at home after suffering a heart attack. He was 68. The couple, who married in 1994, signed a first-look deal with NBCUniversal??International Television in December, and their Sander/Moses Productions has a drama pilot in contention at ABC. Spark, a genre soap that centers on the battle for power between two rival families and a rebellious young woman, is set in an alternate history where gas and coal fuel the world. CBS' Ghost Whisperer, starring Jennifer Love Hewitt, ran for five seasons from 2005-10. A big hit for the network on Friday nights, it played in syndication in more than 150 countries. Sander and Moses??authored a companion book, Ghost Whisperer Spirit Guide,??and created Ghost Whisperer: The Other Side, a corresponding web series from a ghost's point of view. They also organized a convention for paranormal-fanatic bloggers to help generate buzz. (A 2011 article in Forbes??crowned them "Buzz Builders.") Sander??also produced the Dennis??Quaid-starring??films??D.O.A.??and??Everybody's All American, both released in 1988, and taught at USC. A native of New York and the son of an insurance??salesman, Sander graduated from the University of South California and attended Loyola Law School before launching a career as an actor. He appeared in the 1970 film??Beyond the Valley of the Dolls,??in the 1971 Broadway play No Place to Be Somebody??and on such TV series as??The Mod Squad, Medical Center and The Rockford Files.?? He segued into producing??and??received three Emmy nominations for his work on the 1990s??NBC telefilm/drama series I'll Fly Away, starring Sam Waterston and Regina Taylor. Sander also directed several episodes of I'll Fly Away, Profiler?? - which ran for four seasons on NBC - and CBS' short-lived??Reckless, a cops-and-lawyers drama that he and his wife executive produced as??well. Story continues The duo also were behind Slam 360, a marketing agency that helps producers use the internet to attract viewers. And in 2015, they executive produced an original 20-minute film for the Marriott hotel chain called French Kiss, shot entirely in Paris. Survivors also include children Aaron and Declan. A memorial service will take place at 10 a.m. on Monday at Valley Beth Shalom at 15739 Ventura Blvd. in Encino. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that a donation be made to a scholarship fund set up in Sander's name at the USC School of Cinematic Arts. Please click on "Customize Gift" and select "The Ian Sander Scholarship Fund." See More: Hollywood's Notable Deaths of 2016 ???? By Rajesh Kumar Singh and Neha Dasgupta NEW DELHI (Reuters) - India is considering setting up an independent panel to help state-owned banks negotiate settlements with big businesses on bad loans, in order to shield bankers from a populist backlash they say is hobbling efforts to clean up their balance sheets. India's $121 billion troubled debt pile, over $100 billion of which is on the books of state-owned banks, has come under close scrutiny from prosecutors, the media and politicians. Some have blamed banks for going too easy on corporate tycoons, and do not want taxpayers propping up the struggling banking sector. The proposal, being examined by the government and in its early stages, would give the panel power to define the "haircut" a bank should face on a loan gone sour, protecting bankers from critics who want failed Indian firms to pay back in full, two finance ministry and two central bank officials said. Bad debt has hampered banks' ability to lend, threatening to throttle a nascent economic recovery. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has made repairing bank balance sheets his administration's "top-most priority," a senior government official said. "Banks have been very reluctant to take a haircut where they face newspaper criticism," said a second senior official, who is familiar with discussions on the panel. He declined to be named because he was not authorised to speak to the media. The second official added that the proposal had run into hurdles already, however, amid questions over how it would fit into India's existing legal framework. A finance ministry spokesman declined to comment. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the proposal. Fear of bad headlines was one reason why state-run banks declined to consider embattled tycoon Vijay Mallya's offer to pay up to $900 million in tranches to settle about $1.4 billion his defunct Kingfisher Airlines owed, two banking sources said. Story continues Mallya now also faces a money laundering investigation. Mallya told the Financial Times late last month that he wanted a "reasonable" settlement that he could afford and banks could justify. He has denied any wrongdoing. Bad loans have piled up as subdued consumer demand hits corporate earnings, making it harder for big businesses to repay loans. GAPING CAPITAL HOLE RBI Governor Raghuram Rajan has set a deadline of March 2017 for banks to clean up their books, and the government said it would inject $11 billion in state banks by March 2019 to help them repair their balance sheets. India Ratings and Research, a local affiliate of Fitch, has said the government would have to cough up as much as $45 billion if the lenders failed to raise funds from markets to address expected future capital shortfalls. Negotiated settlements, in which a bank takes a writedown on a loan gone bad, can help speed up the process. They would allow banks to more quickly establish how much money they would need to bolster their balance sheets. All state lenders including State Bank of India (SBI), the largest, are trading at a steep discount to their book values. Healthier institutions would be able to raise money from the market, reducing the burden on taxpayers. Several finance ministry officials said stake sales were more likely once valuations of state-run banks improved. Mahesh Patil, co-chief investment officer at Birla Sun Life Asset Management Co, said an independent panel for deciding haircuts on non-performing assets would accelerate decision making and help banks focus on their core lending business. "As long as these issues are there, a lot of attention goes in terms of addressing the NPAs," Patil said. "The decision-making will be much better under an independent panel." PANEL PROPOSAL The proposal envisages setting up a panel comprising leading bankers and government and central bank officials, to review some larger outstanding loans and try to arrive at a settlement, finance ministry and central bank officials said. There is also a suggestion to include judges, they added. The idea was first floated in 2014 after Modi took office, but did not gain much traction then, one of the finance ministry officials said. It resurfaced at a two-day bankers' retreat in March where lenders saw it as a way of giving them some kind of insurance while breaking the logjam on bad loans, one of the central bank officials said. Banks are trying other means to reduce non-performing loans. In March, for example, SBI asked industrialist Naveen Jindal's Jindal Steel and Power (JNSP.NS) to speed up a deal to sell a power plant to JSW Energy (JSWE.NS), run by his elder brother Sajjan, to pare debt, several sources familiar with the matter said. The deal was announced on Wednesday. (Additional reporting by Devidutta Tripathy, Douglas Busvine, Rupam Nair and Suvashree Choudhury; Editing by Mike Collett-White) India's parliament Wednesday accepted Vijay Mallya's resignation of his seat, after the embattled liquor tycoon resubmitted his letter in line with the correct procedures. The 60-year-old multimillionaire left India for Britain on March 2 owing more than $1 billion in unpaid loans, and is being investigated by India's financial crimes agency. The government has revoked his passport and asked Britain to deport him, but Mallya told the Financial Times last week he had no plans to leave and wanted to reach a "reasonable" settlement with Indian banks. Mallya had resigned from his seat in parliament's upper house -- or the Rajya Sabha -- Monday but his resignation was rejected after chairman Hamid Ansari raised doubts over the veracity of his letter sent from Britain. Ansari's spokesman Gurdeep Singh Sappal confirmed Wednesday that Mallya's resignation had been accepted. "Hamid Ansari... accepts resignation of Vijay Mallya, resubmitted unconditionally and as per correct procedure," he wrote on Twitter. "Second resignation letter was sent in original. SG (solicitor general) confirmed from Mallya that resignation tendered was genuine, voluntary and unconditional." Last month, the Rajya Sabha's ethics committee had recommended his expulsion from parliament over huge bank defaults. On Monday, Mallya said in his letter that he did not want his name to be "further dragged in the mud" and called the accusations against him "false and baseless". Critics say the government has not done enough to tackle the issue of wealthy individuals such as Mallya, once dubbed the King of Good Times for his lavish lifestyle, failing to repay bank loans. The debts relate to Mallya's now-defunct Kingfisher Airlines, which shut down in 2012 having never made a profit. Last month an Indian court issued an arrest warrant for him after he repeatedly failed to appear before investigators looking into Kingfisher's finances. A two-time independent MP, he also ran a liquor empire and is a part-owner of the Force India Formula 1 team. His Twitter profile now describes him as a "former member of parliament". It should come as no surprise that the Indiana primary yielded victories for Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders. The state is populated with many working-class whites, most of whom havent gotten a raise in real terms since 1968, as well as minorities who tend to feel the system isnt working for them. I grew up in Indiana in a small town filled with migrant farm workers and laid off factory laborers forced to take cashier jobs at the big box stores that had decimated the town square retail environment. So the sentiment behind Trumps brand of populism or feeling the Bern has never struck me as particularly fringe. Their appeal seems tailored to the kinds of voters in my home state. Grappling with that and listening to what Hoosiers are saying is going to be crucial for Hillary Clinton if she wants to beat Trump in the general election. Indianas voterslike many primary voters this yearare signaling that a middle-of-the-road economic message isnt going to work for Democrats anymore. Since the Reagan revolution made a markets know best approach the status quo economic maxim in this country, Democrats have struggled to come up with a response. Clintonomics was a successful hedge for a while, a leftish-wing way of reconciling with laissez faire economics. But growth in that decade was built on a technology-driven productivity boost thats now tapped out, along with a market bubble that wasnt (and shouldnt have been) sustainable. Meanwhile, some of the policy shifts made under Bill Clinton, like the de-regulation of derivatives and move to a system of corporate compensation that allowed for runaway growth in stock options pay actually made things worse for the average Joe. (The later increased both the wealth divide and short-term thinking on the part of businesses.) Thats one reason that the economic message that Hillary has been pushing on the campaign trailthe 1990s were great and we just need to create more ladders of opportunity for people to climb their way back to that eraisnt playing well in many places. Very few people believe in trickle-down economics anymore; Democrats need to change the conventional economic wisdom to something that makes more sense in the longest, slowest recovery of the post World War II era. Story continues Indeed, a new survey out today from Democracy Corps, which is co-run by former Bill Clinton pollster Stan Greenberg, found that the Bernie Sanders style message of leveling the economic playing field, reforming big money politics, restructuring the financial, tax and trade systems to support the working and middle classes, and shoring up the social safety-net, is polling much better than Hillarys more moderate approach. Its a message thats in line with the Roosevelt Institutes Rewriting the Rules report, done by former Clinton economic advisor Joseph E. Stiglitz, which stresses the need for Democrats to stop taking the middle road, and take the populist opportunity to push a more radical economic agenda. To me, it sounds like smart advice. After all, its clear that Trump is going to run to the left (in a sense) of Hillary on economic issues, and that the core truth of a stacked deck and a system that no longer works for working people resonates more that the deep irony of that message coming from someone like Trumpa billionaire who has profited from leverage. The truth is that both mainstream Democrats and Republicans need a more resonant kitchen table economic message, one that speaks to voters felt experience. forooharbook Foroohar is an assistant managing editor at Time and the magazines economics columnist. Shes the author of Makers and Takers: The Rise of Finance and the Fall of American Business, available here. Madrid (AFP) - Novak Djokovic stepped up his preparations for the French Open as the top seed beat teenager Borna Coric 6-2, 6-4 in his opening match at the Madrid Masters on Wednesday. The world number one, who lifted the trophy in the Spanish capital five years ago, has not played in Madrid since 2013 when he lost his opening match to Grigor Dimitrov. The Serb's success over Croatian youngster Coric was his first clay win of 2016 following a loss in Monte Carlo to Jiri Vesely almost a month ago. "Second match on the clay-court season for me -- the first one didn't go so well for me," Djokovic said. "I had some time to recuperate emotionally and mentally. "I needed that more than physically because it has been a very successful but very demanding start of the season, first four months. I played a lot of matches. "I performed very solid in opening round, few things could have been better against a young player that I never played against." Djokovic will next face Spanish specialist Roberto Bautista Agut after the 15th seed defeated fellow countryman Feliciano Lopez 6-3, 5-7, 7-5. Elsewhere, Nick Kyrgios dumped out 2013 finalist Stan Wawrinka, with the Australian seeing off the Swiss 7-6 (9/7), 7-6 (7/2) in the second round. Wawrinka, the fourth seed, managed 11 aces but was unable to break the Kyrgios serve while losing his own four times. "It was generally a good match, I had chances in the first set," Wawrinka said. "He was serving well in the big moments. He played better on a few important points. "His serve was tough to read. it was a high-level match but a few points can make the difference." Japanese sixth seed Kei Nishikori was helped by a collapse from Fabio Fognini as the Italian served for victory -- Asia's top player completed a 6-2, 3-6, 7-5 fightback win. "After the first set, he started playing better than me. In the third, he deserved to win. I don't know what happened to him in the last couple of games. Story continues "I had a little luck, so I tried to keep up my confidence." Czech eighth seed Tomas Berdych showed fitness after a stomach virus, advancing over Denis Istomin 6-3, 6-3, while world number nine David Ferrer beat Denis Kudla 6-4, 4-6, 6-4. French 16th seed Gilles Simon will line up against Andy Murray in the next round on Wednesday after a defeat of Estoril finalist Pablo Carreno Busta 2-6, 6-3, 6-4. - Azarenka pulls out - The women's Madrid Open was hit by a high-level injury defection as fourth seed and two-time finalist Victoria Azarenka quit before her match due to lower back pain. The premature exit handed a place in the quarter-finals to qualifier Louisa Chirico. Azarenka, from Belarus and the winner of back-to-back titles in March at Indian Wells and Miami, had advanced at the Caja Magica with a pair of straight-set wins, losing just 11 games. The world number five lost Madrid finals in 2011 and 2012. Her withdrawal came on the day that holder and two-time champion Petra Kvitova lost in the third round, going out to Australian Daria Gavrilova 6-3, 6-4. There are now no top five women's seeds left in the event. Number six Simona Halep heads the field after she beat Swiss 10th seed Timea Bacsinszky, a title-winner at the weekend in Morocco, 6-2, 6-3. Azarenka joins Roger Federer in pulling out of one of the final major tune-ups prior to the May 22 start of the French Open due to back problems. "I tweaked my back in my first match, it was cold that day," said Azarenka. "In my second match, I was in a lot of discomfort. I thought a day off would help, but today during a hit it came back again. "I just don't feel I'm able to compete today." Azarenka was unsure if she would be able to play Rome, which begins on Monday. "I want to make a smart decision for the big picture," she said. Romanian Irina Begu beat Christina McHale 6-7 (6/8), 6-4, 6-4 while Sorana Cirstea defeated German Laura Siegemund 6-4, 7-6 (11/9). LONDON (Reuters) - Direct Line Insurance Group (DLGD.L) reported a 4.2 percent rise in first-quarter gross written premiums from continuing operations on Wednesday, in line with expectations. Britain's largest motor insurer said in a statement that gross written premiums rose to 777.8 million pounds in the quarter from a year earlier, compared with a company-supplied consensus forecast of 776 million pounds. The FTSE 100 company, whose brands include Churchill, Green Flag and Privilege, retained its forecast to achieve a full-year combined operating ratio from continuing operations between 93 percent and 95 percent. A number below 100 percent indicates a profit. Direct Line saw net investment losses of 7.7 million pounds in the quarter, however, following the sale of some high-yield assets. These were in the energy sector, a Direct Line spokeswoman said. (Reporting by Carolyn Cohnn and Noor Zainab Hussain) BEDMINSTER, NJ and DUBLIN, IRELAND / ACCESSWIRE / May 4, 2016 / Amarin Corporation plc (AMRN) will host a conference call and live webcast to discuss the results of the first quarter 2016, to be held Thursday, May 5, 2016 at 8:00 AM Eastern Time. To participate in this event, dial 877-407-8033 domestically, or 201-689-8033 internationally, approximately 5 to 10 minutes before the beginning of the call. Additionally, you can listen to the event online at www.investorcalendar.com/IC/CEPage.asp?ID=174934 as well as via the Amarin website (www.amarincorp.com). If you are unable to participate during the live webcast, the event archive will be available at www.investorcalendar.com or www.amarincorp.com. You may access the teleconference replay by dialing 877-660-6853 domestically or 201-612-7415 internationally, referencing conference ID # 13635415. The replay will be available beginning approximately 2 hours after the completion of the live event, ending at midnight Eastern on June 5, 2016. About Amarin Amarin Corporation plc is a biopharmaceutical company focused on the commercialization and development of therapeutics to improve cardiovascular health. Amarin's product development program leverages its extensive experience in lipid science and the potential therapeutic benefits of polyunsaturated fatty acids. Amarin's clinical program includes commitment to an ongoing outcomes study. Vascepa(R) (icosapent ethyl), Amarin's first FDA approved product, is a highly-pure, EPA-only, omega-3 fatty acid product available by prescription. For more information about Vascepa visit http://www.vascepa.com. For more information about Amarin visit www.amarincorp.com. SOURCE: Investor Calendar WEST MELBOURNE, FL / ACCESSWIRE / May 4, 2016 / RELM Wireless Corporation (RWC) will host a conference call and live webcast to discuss the results of the first quarter 2016, to be held Thursday, May 5, 2016 at 9:00 AM Eastern Time. To participate in this event, dial 877-407-8031 domestically, or 201-689-8031 internationally, approximately 5 to 10 minutes before the beginning of the call. Additionally, you can listen to the event online at www.investorcalendar.com/IC/CEPage.asp?ID=174897 as well as via the RELM Wireless website (www.relm.com). If you are unable to participate during the live webcast, the event archive will be available at www.investorcalendar.com or www.relm.com. You may access the teleconference replay by dialing 877-660-6853 domestically or 201-612-7415 internationally, referencing conference ID # 13634434. The replay will be available beginning approximately 2 hours after the completion of the live event, ending at midnight Eastern on June 5, 2016. About RELM Wireless As an American Manufacturer for almost 70 years, RELM Wireless Corporation has produced high-specification two-way communications equipment of unsurpassed reliability and value for use by public safety professionals and government agencies, as well as radios for use in a wide range of commercial and industrial applications. Advances include a broad new line of leading digital two-way radios compliant with APCO Project 25 specifications. RELM's products are manufactured and distributed worldwide under BK Radio and RELM brand names. The Company maintains its headquarters in West Melbourne, Florida and can be contacted through its web site at www.relm.com or directly at 1-800-821-2900. The Company's common stock trades on the NYSE MKT market under the symbol "RWC". SOURCE: Investor Calendar SAN JUAN, PR / ACCESSWIRE / May 4, 2016 / Triple-S Management Corporation (GTS) will host a live webcast to discuss the results of the first quarter 2016, to be held Thursday, May 5, 2016 at 9:00 AM Eastern Time. To participate in this event, go to the event online at www.investorcalendar.com/IC/CEPage.asp?ID=174946 as well as via the Triple-S Management Corporation website (www.triplesmanagement.com). If you are unable to participate during the live webcast, the event archive will be available at www.triplesmanagement.com. About Triple-S Management Corporation Triple-S Management Corporation is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association. It is one of the leading players in the managed care industry in Puerto Rico. Triple-S Management has the exclusive right to use the Blue Cross Blue Shield name and mark throughout Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Costa Rica. With more than 50 years of experience in the industry, Triple-S Management offers a broad portfolio of managed care and related products in the Commercial, Medicaid and Medicare Advantage markets under the Blue Cross Blue Shield marks. In addition to its managed care business, Triple-S Management provides non-Blue Cross Blue Shield branded life and property and casualty insurance in Puerto Rico. For more information about Triple-S Management, visit www.triplesmanagement.com or contact kwaller@allwayscommunicate.com. SOURCE: Investor Calendar By Emily Wither NAWARAN, Iraq (Reuters) - When Islamic State swept into the northern Iraqi town of Sinjar in 2014, a few young Yazidi women took up arms against the militants attacking women and girls from their community. "They took eight of my neighbors and I saw they were killing the children," Asema Dahir told Reuters last month at a checkpoint near a front line north of Mosul. Dressed in military fatigues, the 21-year-old is now part of an all-female unit in the Kurdish peshmerga forces, which have played an important role in pushing back Islamic State in northern Iraq. The killing and enslaving of thousands from Iraq's minority Yazidi community focused international attention on the group's violent campaign to impose its radical ideology and prompted Washington to launch an air offensive. It also prompted the formation of this unusual 30-woman unit made up of Yazidis as well as Kurds from Iraq and neighboring Syria. For them, only one thing matters: revenge for the women raped, beaten and executed by the jihadist militants. Dahir said she was stunned by the brutality of the militants, some of whom were neighbors and others from outside the area. "They killed my uncle and took my cousin's wife who had only just married eight days earlier," she said, her piercing eyes clouding over. The bride, like thousands of other Yazidi women, is still being held by the militants. For matching Wider Image pictures, please click on: http://reut.rs/1SNahZe During the firefights that raged across Sinjar in 2014, Dahir said she killed two Islamic State fighters before being shot in the leg. Reuters could not independently verify the fighters' personal accounts. Well-worn photographs of children and families tucked into the edge of mirrors or pressed onto walls in the women's spartan barracks are reminders of what they have sacrificed to join the fight. Haseba Nauzad, the unit's 24-year-old commander, lost her marriage. She was living with her husband in Turkey when Islamic State swept through northern Iraq and announced its so-called caliphate over areas that included traditional Kurdish lands. "I saw them raping my Kurdish sisters and I couldn't accept this injustice," Nauzad said. Her husband wanted to pay human smugglers to take them to Europe along with more than a million others fleeing conflict in the region, but she insisted on going home to fight the Islamists. "I put my personal life aside, and I came to defend my Kurdish sisters and mothers and stand against this enemy," she said. She has lost contact with her husband since he arrived in Germany. In a conservative society where women are often expected to stay at home, these women say gender does not keep them from entering battle. "If a man can carry a weapon, a woman can do the same," said Nauzad. "The men are inspired to fight harder when they see women standing in the same battlefield as them." The women in the unit are convinced Islamic State militants are scared of women fighters "because they think if they are killed by a woman, they will not go to heaven," said Nauzad. "This story encourages more women to join the fight." (Writing by Stephen Kalin; editing by Ralph Boulton) By Phil Stewart and Andrea Shalal STUTTGART, Germany (Reuters) - Islamic State militants killed a U.S. Navy SEAL in northern Iraq on Tuesday after blasting through Kurdish defenses and overrunning a town in the biggest offensive in the area for months, officials said. The elite serviceman was the third American to be killed in direct combat since a U.S.-led coalition launched a campaign in 2014 to "degrade and destroy" Islamic State and is a measure of its deepening involvement in the conflict. "It is a combat death, of course, and a very sad loss," U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter told reporters during a trip to Germany. A U.S. defense official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the dead serviceman was a Navy SEAL. The SEALs are considered to be among the most able U.S. special operations forces and capable of taking on dangerous missions. The serviceman's identity and rank were not disclosed by the Pentagon. The governor of the U.S. state of Arizona, Doug Ducey, identified the slain serviceman as Charlie Keating IV, and said Keating had attended high school in Phoenix. The San Diego Union-Tribune newspaper, in southern California, cited unnamed SEALs and their family members in reporting that Keating was the grandson of Charles Keating Jr., a banker who played a leading role in the U.S. savings and loan scandal of the 1980s that embroiled five U.S. senators. A senior official within the Kurdish peshmerga forces facing Islamic State in northern Iraq said the man had been killed near the town of Tel Asqof, around 28 kilometers (17 miles) from the militant stronghold of Mosul. The Islamic State insurgents occupied the town at dawn on Tuesday but were driven out later in the day by the peshmerga. A U.S. military official said the coalition had helped the peshmerga by conducting more than 20 air strikes with F-15 jets and drones. The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the Navy SEAL was killed "by direct fire" while on a mission to advise and assist local forces in Iraq. Carter's spokesman, Peter Cook, said the incident took place during an Islamic State attack on a peshmerga position some 3 to 5 km behind the forward line. SNIPERS AND SUICIDE BOMBERS In mid-April the United States announced plans to send an additional 200 troops to Iraq and put them closer to the front lines of battle to advise Iraqi forces in the war against the Islamic State militant group. Underscoring the complicated nature of the U.S. role in Iraq, the White House told reporters that even though the serviceman died in a combat situation, he was not on a combat mission. "He was not on the front lines. But he was two miles away, and it turns out that being two miles away from the front lines between Iraqi forces and ISIL is a very dangerous place to be," said White House spokesman Josh Earnest, using an acronym for Islamic State. Last month, an Islamic State attack on a U.S. base killed Marine Staff Sergeant Louis Cardin and wounded eight other Americans providing force protection fire to Iraqi army troops. Such Islamic State incursions are rare in northern Iraq, where the Kurdish peshmerga have pushed the militants back with the help of coalition air strikes and set up defensive lines that the militants are rarely able to breach. The leader of a militia deployed alongside peshmerga in Tel Asqof said the insurgents had used multiple suicide bombers, some driving vehicles laden with explosives, to penetrate peshmerga lines. The Kurdistan Region Security Council said at least 25 Islamic State vehicles had been destroyed on Tuesday and more than 80 militants killed. At least 10 peshmerga also died in the fighting, according to a Kurdish official who posted pictures of the victims on Twitter. The peshmerga also deflected Islamic State attacks on the Bashiqa front and in the Khazer area, about 40 km west of the Kurdish regional capital Erbil, Kurdish military sources said. The Islamist militants have been broadly retreating since December, when the Iraqi army recaptured Ramadi, the largest city in the western region. Last month, the Iraqi army retook the nearby region of Hit, pushing the militants further north along the Euphrates valley. But U.S. officials acknowledge that the military gains against Islamic State are not enough. Iraq is beset by political infighting, corruption, a growing fiscal crisis and the Shi'ite Muslim-led government's fitful efforts to seek reconciliation with aggrieved minority Sunnis, the bedrock of Islamic State support. (Reporting by Phil Stewart and Andrea Shalal; Additional reporting by Isabel Coles in Erbil, Roberta Rampton in Washington, David Schwartz in Phoenix, and Eric M. Johnson in Seattle; Editing by Gareth Jones, Toni Reinhold) Geneva (AFP) - Israel on Wednesday rejected the concerns of a UN panel over alleged violations in its prisons, including a purported surge in solitary confinements, insisting such tactics were used only in "extremely restricted" cases. The United Nations Committee against Torture, reviewing Israel for the first time since 2009, on Tuesday asked a government delegation about reports of multiple serious abuses in prisons, particularly against detained Palestinians. Committee chair Jens Modvig cited figures indicating that solitary confinements in Israel had nearly doubled from 2012 to 2014, jumping from 390 to 755 over the period. The deputy director of the human rights department at Israel's foreign ministry, Michal Sarig-Kaduri, told the UN panel that solitary confinements were "extremely restricted and used for short and limited periods of time, for a maximum of 14 days only." She explained that while some detainees were placed in solitary confinement as a punitive measure, others were held in "separation" when they posed a threat to themselves or other inmates. "As of today, 190 prisoners, which constitutes only one percent of all prisoners, are held in separation in Israeli prisons," Sarig-Kaduri said. She also insisted that solitary confinement was not used as an interrogation technique. Modvig appeared to cast doubt on that claim and urged Israel to provide a detailed account on how often prisoners are isolated to aid investigators, including in terrorism cases. Broadly, Modvig noted that while Israel had robust prisoners rights legislation in place, key rights could easily be cast aside in the name of national security. "There are so many exceptions," Modvig said. "The concern is that these rights exist, (but) only subject to security concerns." In February, two Israeli NGOs claimed in a report that the Shin Bet domestic security agency perpetrated systematic abuses against Palestinians during interrogation. Story continues The Israeli delegation did not directly respond to questions from the UN committee about reported verbal sexual harassment and sexual assault against Palestinian female detainees. Modvig on Tuesday raised concern that Israel has no specific legal provision banning torture, with the crime covered by other offences. Israel's deputy attorney general Roy Schondorf told the panel that a bill separately enshrining a ban on torture in the criminal code was working its way through the country's parliament. Gaza City (Palestinian Territories) (AFP) - Israel launched air raids Wednesday on the Gaza Strip after a day of tensions along the border of the Palestinian territory whose Islamist rulers warned against an escalation. Air strikes hit around Gaza's derelict international airport near the southern city of Rafah and in nearby farming areas, said the territory's Hamas-run interior ministry. Security sources in Gaza said the jets fired two missiles at the airport but said no one was hurt in the strikes. Israel's army said its warplanes had hit five sites operated by Hamas. "The (Israel armed forces) will continue to operate in order to protect the civilians of Israel from all Hamas terrorist threats above & beneath ground," spokesman Peter Lerner said on Twitter. The raids followed a bout of violence on the Gaza-Israel border Wednesday, with exchanges of fire that put a 2014 ceasefire agreement to the test. Israeli tanks shelled the Palestinian enclave at least twice, saying it was in response to mortar fire across the border, while the army designated an Israeli border town a closed military zone. A military official said up to five mortar shells in total were fired at Israeli territory, while forces were fired upon near the small border community of Nahal Oz. "In accordance with security assessments, a closed military zone has been established in the area of Nahal Oz," an army statement said. "It means that only the residents of Nahal Oz and the area can enter." Earlier the Israeli army twice confirmed its tanks had fired on targets in Gaza, saying both times it was in response to mortar rounds fired from inside the strip. Palestinian security sources reported tank fire in Al-Tufah in eastern Gaza. There were no reported casualties and no claims of responsibility for the mortar fire. - Warnings of escalation - Hamas and Islamic Jihad, another militant Palestinian group, released separate statements warning Israel against any escalation along the border. Story continues Hamas' armed wing, the Ezzedine al-Qassem Brigades, said it was ready to respond to Israel's strikes. "We will not permit this aggression to continue and the enemy should not invoke any reason and leave the Strip immediately," the group said in a statement. Wednesday's violence puts pressure on a ceasefire that has held since the last round of hostilities in Gaza ended in summer 2014. Despite Israeli allegations that Hamas is building new tunnels in Gaza that could reach into Israel, the border region has remained relatively quiet since then. The tunnels were cited by Israel as a key cause of the 50-day 2014 war in Gaza, which killed 2,251 Palestinians, mostly civilians, and 73 Israelis, including 67 soldiers, according to the United Nations. The ceasefire which ended the conflict has been sporadically threatened by rocket fire from Gaza. Most of it has been attributed to fringe Islamist groups challenging Hamas's authority, although Israel holds Hamas responsible for all rocket fire from the territory and routinely responds with attacks on its positions. The UN's special coordinator for the Middle East peace process, Nickolay Mladenov, said he was "concerned" at Wednesday's escalation. "It is critical that peace be maintained to ensure the safety and security of Israelis and Palestinians, alike," he said in a statement. During a visit to the Gaza border on Tuesday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hailed its calmest period in years, according to comments reported by Israeli media. "We are nearing the end of close to two years since Operation Protective Edge," he said, referring to the 2014 conflict. "These have been the quietest two years we can recall since Hamas came to power." Daniel Nisman, founder of the Levantine analysis group, said the Netanyahu visit could have triggered a reaction. "Maybe for Hamas that lit one fuse too many," he told AFP. Bond investor Jeffrey Gundlach, the founder of DoubleLine Capital, told a room full of 3,000 investors that they need to prepare for a Trump presidency. When I was a kid, people said on the right are the Republicans, on the left are the Democrats. To the left of the Democrats are the liberals, the left of the liberals are the socialists, to the left of the socialists are the communists. To the right are conservatives, to the right of the conservatives are the reactionaries, Gundlach said at the 21st annual Sohn Investment Conference. He continued: People say Donald Trump is not conservative enough, but hes actually a reactionary, he said, emphasizing Trumps Make America Great Again slogan is a reactionary statement. Gundlach said said he has a feeling Trump is going to win. So I think you need to prepare for a Trump presidency. He said that many have argued that Trump doesnt belong in the party of Ronald Reagan. Gundlach then showed a campaign button from Ronald Reagans campaign that said Lets Make America Great Again. According to Gundlach, the US will get a Reagan response with Trump. He pointed out that Trump has promised to build a wall, create jobs, and invest in infrastructure. He then showed a chart comparing debt to GDP. Donald Trump is extremely comfortable with debt, Gundlach said, pointing that in debt to GDP had remained stable going into 1980 and then there was a debt-based economic boom. He added that its been stable for a while and that he thinks its going to go higher. During his presentation, Gundlach slammed Jeb Bush, Marco Rubio, and Ted Cruz. He also ripped into Hillary Clinton. -- Julia La Roche is a finance reporter at Yahoo Finance. Read more: Amazon could be a $3 trillion company, says top VC Carson Block: This bank's business model is 'a** backward' David Einhorn: 'It was a strange quarter' Hedge Fund manager David Einhorn just revealed a bet on a five star stock By Michael Holden LONDON (Reuters) - Almost half a century ago, when he first became an active supporter of Britain's Labour Party, Rabbi Abraham Pinter said it had far less of a problem with anti-Semitism than the country as a whole. But while other political groups have recognized the need to address prejudice against Jews, Pinter said the country's main opposition party was stuck in the past. Labour now faces accusations of anti-Semitism in its ranks - from its high-profile former London mayor Ken Livingstone, who said Adolf Hitler had supported Zionism, to students at Oxford University. This has fanned concern among Jewish communities already alarmed at increasing levels of hate crimes. "The Labour Party never recognized it had a problem. It's really where it was 50 years ago," said Pinter, a former Labour councillor who speaks for the orthodox Haredi Jewish community in the Stamford Hill area of north London. "It's been there and it's still there," he told Reuters. Some within Labour say they are being accused of anti-Semitism simply for expressing legitimate criticisms of Israel. Senior figures have said prejudice is limited to a small fringe and was being used to smear party leader Jeremy Corbyn. But the row could play a role in Thursday's London mayoral election. Labour candidate Sadiq Khan, widely tipped to become the capital's first Muslim mayor, said he was appalled by Livingstone's comments and that they could harm his chances in a city home to an estimated 170,000 Jews. Moshe Menezira, manager of the Kosher Deli in Golders Green in north London, which has a large Jewish community, said there seemed to be a problem within Labour and that it was leading to many Jewish voters reconsidering whether to back Khan. "I know a lot of Labour supporters but they're in two minds because of what is going on," the 65-year-old said. Last week, Labour's leadership suspended Livingstone and ordered an inquiry into anti-Semitism in the party following comments the ex-mayor made in a radio interview that Hitler had supported Zionism in the 1930s before "he went mad and ended up killing six million Jews". Livingstone had been defending a Labour Muslim lawmaker after she apologized for posting online messages which included a suggestion that Israel should be relocated to the United States to solve the problems in the Middle East. The incidents sparked accusations from Jewish leaders that Labour leaders and those on the British political left were doing too little to combat anti-Semitism in their ranks. "There is now a cancer in their party and it is getting worse by the day," the Jewish Chronicle newspaper said in an editorial in March. "If Labour is not to lose the last residue of trust from our community, it must recognize and deal with that cancer." SUSPENSIONS Opponents of Labour have previously leveled accusations of anti-Semitism against socialist Corbyn, who was elected party leader last September. They pointed to a speech he made about the Middle East in 2009, in which he described Hamas and Hezbollah - groups designated as terrorist organizations by Britain and the United States - as "friends". Conservative Prime Minister raised those comments during heated exchanges with Corbyn in parliament on Wednesday. "Are they your friends or are they not? Because those organizations in their constitutions believe in persecuting and killing Jews," Cameron said. "They're anti-Semitic organizations, they're racist organizations, he must stand up and say they are not his friends." Corbyn replied: "Obviously anyone that commits racist acts or is anti-Semitic is not a friend of mine." The Labour leader has previously said he had used the term friends in "a collective way". The parliament exchange and the row surrounding Livingstone followed damaging headlines for Labour in February, when the co-chairman of the Oxford University Labour Club quit, saying "a large proportion of both OULC and the student left in Oxford more generally have some kind of problem with Jews". On Tuesday, Labour said it had suspended three councillors in northern and central England because of anti-Semitic remarks. Independent Jewish Voices, a human rights group set up in 2007 which criticizes some of Israel's policies, said it was concerned at sweeping suggestions that anti-Semitism was pervasive in the party. "We also reiterate our view that the battle against anti-Semitism is undermined whenever opposition to Israeli government policies is automatically branded as anti-Semitic," it said. But some Jewish leaders say Labour has more than a fringe problem, with anti-Zionism often used as a cover for being anti-Jewish. "In recent days, we have heard anti-Semitism in the Labour Party described variously as 'a smear' and as 'mood music' being manipulated by political opponents of Jeremy Corbyn," Britain's Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis wrote in Wednesday's Daily Telegraph newspaper. "There has been nothing more disheartening in this story than the suggestion that this is more about politics than about substance." 'BECOMING ACCEPTABLE' The anti-Semitism row is casting a shadow over Khan's push to become mayor of London, a city of about 8.5 million people. Most Jewish voters say they have no problem with Khan himself, who said he was disgusted by Livingstone's remarks. "I think the Labour leadership generally needs to act far more decisive and swiftly when these sorts of comments are made," he said on Tuesday. "It can't be right that there are Londoners of Jewish faith who feel the Labour party is not a place for them." In Golders Green, where Jewish men wearing skull caps push prams along the street past Kosher shops and restaurants that line the main highway, there is real concern that the row engulfing Labour could fuel prejudice in Britain. Police figures showed an increase of more than 60 percent in anti-Semitic incidents in London last year, while the Community Security Trust, which advises Britain's estimated 280,000 Jews on security matters, said 924 incidents were recorded across the country during 2015, including 86 violent assaults. Earlier this month, parliament's Home Affairs Committee said it would hold a short inquiry into anti-Semitism over concerns prejudice was on the rise. In the London Jewish Family Centre in Golders Green, Denise, 61, who declined to give her surname, said anti-Semitism in Britain had got "way worse" since she moved from South Africa four years ago. "Six to eight weeks ago I was walking across a bridge and a car stopped and the people inside called me a bloody Jew. The first time ever it's happened to me in four years," she said. The row has been disheartening for Jews involved in Labour politics who support Khan's stance. Mike Katz, the National Vice-Chairman of the Jewish Labour Movement and a Labour candidate for the London Assembly, said the expansion from about 200,000 to about 380,000 party members since Corbyn became leader had led to the number of people with anti-Semitic views also increasing. "People over recent years have found it easier to pursue a discourse where it is acceptable to say these things and blur the lines between legitimate criticism of Israel and something which goes far further," he told Reuters. Rabbi Pinter, who said he was embarrassed that he used to count Livingstone as a friend, said those in Labour who denied there was an issue were part of the problem. "People are getting concerned that this is causing anti-Semitism to become mainstream. My concern is it's becoming acceptable," he said. (Editing by Pravin Char) jim chanos Billionaire hedge fund manager Jim Chanos is betting against Elon Musk. Chanos said Wednesday he is short Tesla, the car company led by Musk, and SolarCity, where Musk is chairman. He was asked by CNBC whether he was short Tesla after Bloomberg reported that two executives responsible for building its cars, Greg Reichow and Josh Ensign, will leave the electric car maker. Here's Chanos on the issue: One of our historical sign posts, of a company in trouble is when numbers of senior people leave over a short period of time. Tesla fits that bill. We have a chart that we've had I guess we're going to have to update it this afternoon of senior executives leaving Tesla. It is a flood of people leaving in the past few years. And that is not a good sign and this is a company that can't forecast its deliveries one quarter out. And yet everybody is confident about what they're going to make in 2020 or 2025. I want to see them make the model 3 and sell it profitably. I don't think they can do it. Tesla reported first quarter numbers after the market closed on Wednesday. The company earned $1.6 billion in revenues and a narrower-than-expected adjusted loss per share of $0.57. Tesla was expected to report a quarterly adjusted loss of $0.60 per share, and revenues of $1.61 billion according to Bloomberg. Elon Musk said in a letter to investors that the company had decided to bring a plan to build 500,000 total units across the Model S, Model X and Model 3 forward two years to 2018. Chanos responded to the Tesla earnings and Musk's letter later on Wednesday when speaking at the Sohn conference. He said: He has not enough production capability, he has not enough batteries, and now he has not enough executives, so what does she do? He pulls production two years forward. Thats a showman. I love it. Chanos is also betting against SolarCity, the renewables company where Musk is chairman. He has been shorting the stock since last August. The stock has fallen about 59% since then. Story continues Here's what he told CNBC: In the last quarter, Solar City had lease revenues of 75 million dollars. If we assume no expenses, one person at headquarters to basically take the lease payments to the bank, no depreciation, no interest, whatever, they have 6 billion of capital employed in the business. 300 million divided by 6 billion is a 5 percent return on the solar leases. We think that John Hancock was using something like an 8 percent discount rate. So the problem with Solar City is they're losing money on every installation and making it up on volume. And that's a problem when you have a levered balance sheet. I think Solar City gets into financial trouble in 2016. He also said he is still short Valeant, and that he is betting against Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba. NOW WATCH: THE STORY OF GOLDMAN SACHS: From foot peddlers to a powerhouse More From Business Insider jim chanos Billionaire short-seller Jim Chanos just announced a new short position in a South Africa-based telecoms company. The Kynikos Associates founder announced he was short MTN Group at the 2016 Ira Sohn conference Wednesday. Really, though, Chanos used the announcement as an opportunity to explain why he is bearish on Africa, more broadly. It has to do with China. Essentially, Chanos said, the mining industries in countries like Nigeria and South Africa had been heavily dependent on investments from China. Now, he said, "that's going into a tailspin." Nigeria, for its part, is "rapidly" running out of foreign currency reserves, Chanos said. "If oil prices stay down ... we're going to be having a big problem in 2-3 years," he said, calling that country a "borderline failed state." He said he was shorting MTN Group because 70% of their EBITDA comes from Nigeria and South Africa and almost half from Nigeria alone. He noted that some of the other countries MTN is exposed to include Uganda, Sudan, Syria, and Iran. Chanos also confirmed his short positions in Tesla, Valeant, and Alibaba on Wednesday. NOW WATCH: Broadways biggest hit Hamilton is making over $2 million a month heres why the producer thinks it could be making a lot more More From Business Insider Jodie Foster has been a working actor for 50 years, has won two Academy Awards and her name has become synonymous with gutsy, quality performances. And yet theres one honor that, until now, has eluded her a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. I grew up blocks from Hollywood Boulevard and would cross it every single day of my life, says Foster. And you do that thing where youre like, Will I ever be on the Walk of Fame someday? Of course, Foster has had opportunities over the years. But it was by choice that she waited until now. I made this conscious decision that I didnt want to have a star on Hollywood Boulevard unless it was in a conjunction with a movie I was directing, admits Foster. I dont know why that was important to me; it seems silly, but thats why I waited all these years. Its an understatement to say its been well worth the wait; Fosters fourth film as director, Money Monster, hits theaters May 13 after a premiere at the Cannes Film Festival and is poised to be her biggest success behind the camera yet. The film stars George Clooney as Lee Gates, the host of the financial program Money Monster, who is held hostage on the air by a disgruntled viewer named Kyle Budwell (Jack OConnell). Julia Roberts plays the shows director and producer, who tries to help secure her stars freedom, while also making sure she gets the best TV possible. Its a fast-paced, clever film that will also surprise audiences with the amount of humor that comes from the situation. It was producers Dan Dubiecki and Lara Alameddine who approached Foster with the script about four years ago. When you think of Jodie Foster, you think of a smart, strong woman who defies your expectations, say the pair via email. Shes built an amazing career of crafting unforgettable characters in some of our favorite films. It was clear within the first 45 minutes of meeting Jodie that we were talking to the director of Money Monster. She wanted to make a film that said something but at the same time was a thrilling ride. That is a rare combination in movies these days. This felt special from the start. Story continues Foster put together an all-star cast, beginning with Clooney, and says she never considered acting in the film herself. Once someone said the name Julia Roberts, it was too perfect, she notes. Nobody thought she would say yes but we figured wed ask and get a quick no before moving on. But she expressed an interest, and Im so glad, because shes amazing. George Clooney stars as a the flamboyant host of a financial TV program in Jodie Fosters Money Monster. Courtesy of TriStar Pictures To play the gun-wielding Budwell, Foster saw countless actors before selecting OConnell, who was the lead in Angelina Jolies then as-yet-unreleased Unbroken. Though Budwell was originally written as older, OConnell won her over. He came in with two strikes against him: He was British and he was young. I wondered how we would believe him as this guy from Queens, she recalls. But he came in and had the most amazing audition. He just blew us away. As an actor herself, Foster recognizes the importance of casting and has complete empathy for those coming in to audition. The first movie I directed, I had never been in a room after an actor leaves and heard producers say things like, Hes too short, hes too fat. I was just appalled, she recalls. So Ive always made it a mission to be as generous as possible because its such a gift they come in with such an open heart. Asked about what draws her to a project as a director and as an actor, Foster muses that the two are completely different. As an actor, I tend to make movies that focus on a singular character, often a lonely character, she observes. But as a director, I usually make ensemble movies. I always have a bit of lightheartedness in a film I direct; I cant really make a movie as a director without some humor. But as an actor, I tend to like characters that are serious as a heart attack. I always have a bit of lightheartedness in a film I direct; I cant really make a movie as a director without some humor. Jodie Foster Stepping behind the camera was always the aim for Foster, who began acting at the age of 3 and by 6 knew she wanted to direct. I remember seeing my first actor-director and thinking, Thats what I want to do. But I didnt think Id be able to because I didnt see any woman directors, she says. I felt the best way for me to do it would be for me to write, so I went down that path. She notes that were seeing more women directors now, especially on television and in independent movies. But for mainstream movies in the United States, its slow going. Foster hasnt yet decided on her next project, or whether she will be in front of or behind the camera. Absolutely no idea, she says with a laugh when asked. Its been a very long haul and Im already really tired and havent started the press tour yet. And while she hasnt appeared on screen since 2013s Elysium, she is by no means done with acting. Ive had a long career; its been 50 years and Ive had to take breaks and had moments where I burned out a little bit and had to find my love for it again, she notes. Im always amazed you can be sort of blase, and then you come back and get excited about something and discover it all again. Ive learned that the meaningfulness comes from the actor. Its your investment, its up to you to really take the material and make it deeper. Thats always challenging. The one thing about acting thats true is its either too challenging for one human being to have to do or its just too boring for one human to have to endure. Tipsheet What: Jodie Foster Receives a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame When: Noon, May 4 Where: 6927 Hollywood Blvd. Web: walkoffame.com Related stories From Clooney to Spielberg, 5 Big Questions About Summer Box Office Jodie Foster, Julie Taymor Want a More 'Complex Conversation' About Women in Hollywood Cannes 2016: Film Festival Unveils Official Selection Lineup John Boyega, the 24-year-old British actor who shot to fame in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, will freshen up his stage chops early next year in a new version of Georg Buchner's influential 19th century drama Woyzeck. Written by Jack Thorne, the playwright behind the upcoming two-part theater event Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, the production was announced Wednesday as part of London theater company The Old Vic's upcoming season. Often described as a working-class tragedy, Woyzeck centers on a low-ranking soldier who undergoes dehumanizing treatment that pushes him to commit a shocking act of violence. The Old Vic website calls Thorne's update an unforgettable howl of rage for our time. Directed by Joe Murphy, the play is set to run Feb. 25-April 15. See More: Daisy Ridley and John Boyega of 'Star Wars' on Their Close Friendship The production will mark Boyega's first appearance on the London stage since his film career took off after turning heads in the 2011 Brit sci-fi comic thriller Attack the Block. He is set to reprise his starring role as rebel stormtrooper Finn in Star Wars: Episode VIII, due in December 2017. In the meantime, he will next be back on screens starring opposite Tom Hanks and Emma Watson in James Ponsoldt's The Circle, based on the Dave Eggars novel. The Old Vic also has confirmed that two-time Oscar winner Glenda Jackson will return to the stage after a quarter-century absence in politics to play the title character in King Lear, heading a cast that also includes Jane Horrocks and Rhys Ifans. Directed by Deborah Warner, it runs Oct. 25-Dec. 3. The company this summer will premiere the Broadway-bound musical adaptation of Groundhog Day, staged by Old Vic artistic director Matthew Warchus and starring Andy Karl in the Bill Murray role of Pittsburgh TV weatherman Phil Connors. Adapted by Danny Rubin from his own screenplay for the 1993 film, the show reunites Warchus with members of the key creative team from Matilda: composer-lyricist Tim Minchin, choreographer Peter Darling and designer Rob Howell. The production is set to run July 11-Sept. 17 in London, jumping to Broadway early next year. BREAKING: Star Wars: The Force Awakens John Boyega will hit the boards in 2017 in an adaptation of Woyzeck at the Old Vic. The ubiquitous Jack Thorne will script the adaptation of the iconic story about a lowly, downtrodden soldier who ends up killing his wife. The Old Vics Matthew Warchus cast Boyega in the title role. Boyega has previously had minor roles in the National Theatre and The Tricycle in Kilburn but this will be his first leading role in a major theatrical production. The character of Woyzeck originated out of an unfinished 1879 play Georg Buchner. He has been described as the first genuine working class hero albeit a tragic one and Buchners drama was hugely influential, often cited as the beginning of modern theater. It is the source of Alban Bergs seminal 1922 opera Wozzeck. In 1979, Werner Herzog adapted the play into a feature film with Klaus Kinski in the title role. The talented Boyega landed his first film lead in Joe Cornishs 2011 Attack the Block. From there he worked steadily including roles in 24: Live Another Day before exploding to global fame in JJ Abrams Star Wars: The Force Awakens. He is currently filming Episode VIII. Boyega has The Circle, opposite Emma Watson and Tom Hanks, in the pipelines. Its a miracle Jack Thorne finds the time to write anything more these days. Arguably the UKs hottest and most prolific writer, Thorne is- as Deadline revealed- adapting Philip Pullmans His Dark Materials as an event TV series for BBC One, New Line and Bad Wolf. The 37-year-old most recently wrote Sky Atlantics well-received crime series The Last Panthers, with Tahar Rahim and Samantha Morton, for which he has received a best drama series BAFTA nomination. Thorne also got noms for best mini-series for his work on Shane Meadows This Is England 90 and completed his hat-trick with a third nom for best single drama for Dont Take My Baby. Story continues His latest miniseries, an original four-parter for Channel 4, National Treasure, starring Robbie Coltrane, Julie Walters and Andrea Riseborough is currently in production. The Forge is producing. Thorne is repped by Casarotto, Ramsay and Associates and WME. Boyega is repped by Identity Agency Group and WME. Related stories WME Signs Up 'Roots' Star Malachi Kirby "Diversity" Is More Than A Buzz Word For Identity Founder Femi Oguns - It's In The DNA 'The Circle' Scores Domestic Rights Deal With EuropaCorp; Spotlight Finds 'Courage' For Sales - Berlin John Kasich plans to suspend his presidential campaign, leaving Donald Trump with no major remaining rivals in his path to the Republican nomination, several news outlets reported on Wednesday. NBC News, CNN and Politico reported that the Ohio governor would abandon his bid. He won only one contest, his home state of Ohio. Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus called Trump the partys presumptive nominee in a tweet sent after rival Ted Cruz dropped out of the race on Tuesday. Trump trounced Cruz in the Indiana primary, and is now less than 200 delegates from securing the Republican nomination. Kasich had drawn support from some of the industrys longtime Republicans, like Harry Sloan, who co-hosted a fundraiser for him in January along with Ron Burkle and Gary Winnick. There had been some anticipation that Kasich would wage a campaign in California for the June 7 primary, with developer Rick Caruso named California state co-chair. But Kasichs campaign never took off after his Ohio victory, and it became increasingly clear that Trump would be able to secure the nomination by the end of the primary season. Related stories How Arnold Schwarzenegger Previewed Donald Trump's Political Future Arnold Schwarzenegger Announces Endorsement of John Kasich for President Hollywood Conservatives Spread Support Among GOP Field Ohio Gov. John Kasich is reportedly set to leave the race for the Republican presidential nomination on Wednesday, leaving presumptive nominee Donald Trump without any remaining foes in the GOP. Citing a senior official in the Kasich campaign, NBC News reported that Kasich would announce his decision Wednesday: Senior campaign advisor says Kasich will announce today he is suspending his campaign - @mitchellreports Word of the governor's decision came after he cancelled a planned press conference in Virginia and announced plans to make a statement in Columbus this afternoon a telltale sign that he was winding down his long-shot campaign. Read more: Donald Trump Is Now the Presumptive Republican Nominee for President Since Ted Cruz's withdrawal from the contest following Trump's Indiana primary landslide on Tuesday, Kasich has been running fourth in a two-man race. With only 153 delegates, Kasich lagged well behind Trump's 1,047 and Cruz's 565 but he also trailed Marco Rubio, who earned 171 delegates before dropping out of the race in March. During his ill-fated campaign, Kasich won only his home state of Ohio, defeating Trump in the Buckeye State primary on March 15. Kasich had hoped to hold Trump below the 1,237 delegates needed to clinch the GOP nod and prevail at a contested convention in Cleveland this summer, arguing that he was the sole viable general election candidate the party could field. But Trump's overwhelming victories in key Northeastern contests and in Indiana dealt a devastating blow to forces hoping to thwart the Manhattan real estate mogul. Kasich had vowed as recently as Wednesday morning to remain in the contest, pitching himself as the party's "only hope" to defeat likely Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton. Our Only Hope #MayThe4thBeWithYou #StarWarsDayhttps://amp.twimg.com/v/17a51e84-01bb-4d64-9daf-a6d7853d1272 ... The force, it turned out, had other ideas. Senator John McCains (extremely handsome) son Jack had the perfect response to racists who attacked Old Navys ad featuring an interracial family. To the people upset about the #OldNavy #Scandal of a picture of a mixed race marriage, eat it, Jack, 30, tweeted on Monday, May 2, along with a photo of him and his wife, Air Force Reserve Captain Renee Swift, who is black. Moments later, the Navy lieutenant posted a second picture, this time from their 2013 wedding in San Francisco. I hope this one burns too, you ignorant racists, he wrote. Then Swift got in on the action, posting a third image of her and Jack. I was just in @OldNavy this weekend! Bought something for me and my husband. #LoveWins. PHOTOS: Celebrity Activists! On Friday, April 29, the retail chain offered a 30 percent discount to its customers in a tweet that featured a gorgeous interracial family (a white father, a black mother and their mixed-race child). The response was shocking. Absolutely disgusting. Whats next? Gender neutral bathrooms? Pedophilia acceptance propaganda!? Never shopping here again, fumed one troll, while another chimed in, Stop promoting miscegenation or else Im taking my $$$ elsewhere. PHOTOS: Celebrities' Political Affiliations McCain couldnt help but speak up. The mere fact that this is a conversation in the year 2016 is disheartening enough, and why this type of response like the one aimed at Old Navy merits conversation, McCain told Navy Times on Tuesday, May 3. I did not intend for this level of exposure. Mostly, I wanted to take a principled stand on an issue that shouldnt be one in the first place, he said. If there is one result I could hope for out of all of this furor, it would be helping to ensure that intolerance has no place in service, or in our national discourse. One of the biggest Hollywood talent agency shake-ups in years has seen its first big ruling. Los Angeles Superior Court judge Lisa Hart Cole has moved ahead with a tentative issued this morning and it's bad news for United Talent Agency. In April 2015, Creative Artists Agency sued over the defection of 12 agents to UTA including Gregory Cavic and Gregory McKnight, who brought with them top clients including Will Ferrell, Chris Pratt and Ed Helms. The complaint against UTA, Cavic and McKnight alleged a "lawless midnight raid" happened when the agents, still under payroll, "worked clandestinely with each other" to defect. In reaction, UTA called the lawsuit a "flailing and desperate attempt to save face" and brought a motion to delete large portions of the complaint it saw as being a "slander campaign" to publicly embarrass UTA. For example, the defendant didn't like the allegation that its push to poach agents amounted to an "illegal and unethical conspiracy." In Cole's adopted tentative opinion, however, she shrugs off the objection that the allegations are "inflammatory" and conclusory without sufficient factual support. "All of them are relevant to Plaintiff's tort claims for intentional interference and breach of fiduciary duty," states the tentative. While UTA's attorney Bryan Freedman told Cole he's pleased with her ruling, he did take the opportunity to tell the court again the "midnight raid" language is irrelevant and he alluded to proving that in a forthcoming motion for summary judgment. Additionally, Cole has decided to let CAA pursue punitive damages against Cavic and McKnight. Under California law, punitive damages are available for "oppression, fraud, or malice." The defendants argued there was not specific facts pled that rose to this standard. But the judge disagrees. "Among the wrongful acts committed by Defendants, they allegedly signed potential CAA clients with Defendant United Talent Agency during the 2015 Sundance Film Festival, even though they were at the festival on behalf of CAA," she writes. "These factual allegations are sufficient to support any conclusory allegations of malice." Story continues On the other hand, the tentative does give UTA some relief at least for the time being. UTA argues that there are no allegations that it ratified the wrongful acts of those defecting agents. Cole sees the point. "A corporation is not deemed to ratify misconduct, and thus become liable for punitive damages, unless its officer, director, or managing agent actually knew about the misconduct and its malicious character," states the tentative. "There are no allegations that officers, directors or managing agents of Defendant United ratified or authorized Defendants Cavic's and McKnight's actions." CAA's attempt to win punitive damages from UTA will be stricken, though she's granting the agency an opportunity to amend the complaint with more specific facts. CAA won't, though, be allowed to seek attorney's fees. The judge ruled those as not recoverable. That won't be a problem, according to CAA's attorney Anthony Oncidi. He says he has information that specifically ties high-ranking UTA officials to the ratifying conduct, which he'll add to the amended complaint. After adopting the tentative, Cole asked the parties for an update on a portion of the dispute that is playing out in arbitration. Oncidi said, following an arbitrator's tentative ruling on May 1, "the most astounding series of shenanigans has been unleashed by the other side." Shortly thereafter Cole sent the attorneys back to their seats to hear other cases on her calendar, and later met with the parties in her chambers. Cole then set a trial to begin December 12. It's expected to last 7-10 days. The United States Justice Department announced on Wednesday that North Carolina's controversial HB2 law, often referred to simply as the "bathroom bill," violates the federal Civil Rights Act of 1964. The Justice Department has found that HB2 violates Title IX of the Civil Rights Act by discriminating based on sex in public schools. If North Carolina fails to address the department's decision, it could sacrifice millions of dollars in federal school funding, according to WBTV. The North Carolina law, passed March 23, banned people from using public bathrooms that don't match the sex they were assigned at birth effectively barring trans people from using the bathrooms that match their gender identity. The law also prohibits municipalities in the state from passing anti-discrimination ordinances that protect gender identity and sexuality. North Carolina Governor Pat McCrory has defended signing the bill into law, even as critics from both inside and outside the state have criticized the law as discriminatory. While K-pop stars may seem extremely far away from U.S. fans, a recent report on the artists' concerts indicates America is increasingly becoming a priority to touring Korean acts. Concert kickstarter website MyMusicTaste.com -- which looks at local fan demand to bring musicians to different countries and cities, doing just that for EXO's first U.S. arena tour earlier this year -- present it all in an infographic that you can check out exclusively through Billboard below. K-Pop Boy Bands Set Sights on North America for 2016 Tours Diving into the numbers, which examines from 2013 to present day, East Asia still holds the most K-pop concerts in the world, but the numbers appear to be slightly tapering off as about 50 less K-pop shows were performed in the territory (that includes Korea and Japan) last year compared to 2014. Meanwhile, areas like North America, South America and Europe have all had three consistent years of K-pop concert growth since 2013; with North America (including the U.S. and Canada) marking the second largest territory for K-pop acts. MyMusicTaste notes that currently Japan holds the most K-pop concerts abroad, with China in second, and the U.S. in third. A deeper look into the artists performing these concerts spotlights most of these touring acts are male groups. Of the 1,456 counted, 1,209 shows were held by groups (versus the 249 held by solo acts) and of those 1,209 concerts, only 181 of them were performed by female groups. BTS to Headline KCON NY; Twice Added to KCON LA Lineup When looking at a ranking of the acts with the most concerts overall, the Top 5 is dominated by boy bands with BIGBANG topping the list with 100 live shows. But the 65 concerts held by Girls' Generation, the top touring female act by far, is not far off from EXO's 74 shows. Meanwhile, XIA (of boy band JYJ) is the top solo act with 52 concerts with IU being the top female solo act with 18 shows. The Top 10 K-pop touring acts from 2013 to 2016 are as follows: Story continues 1. BIGBANG (100 concerts) 2. 2PM (94 concerts) 3. TVXQ! (87 concerts) 4. SHINee (81 concerts) 5. EXO (74 concerts) 6. Girls' Generation (65 concerts) 7. CNBLUE (52 concerts) 7. XIA (52 concerts) 9. INFINITE (47 concerts) 10. B1A4 (45 concerts) Check out even more the eye-opening K-pop concert stats in the infographic, provided by MyMusicTaste, below: (Click to Enlarge) [[{"fid":"611051","view_mode":"media_original","type":"media","attributes":{"height":5911,"width":1201,"style":"width: 100%;","class":"media-element file-media-original"}}]] Courtesy of MyMusicTaste Killer Kandyce Downer and toddler Keegan (SWNS) A woman has been jailed for life for beating a toddler so violently the youngster resembled a car crash victim. Kandyce Downer, 35, beat little Keegan Downer - who had been placed in her care just months earlier - so often she had over 200 separate injuries, including seven broken ribs, legs and severe head and brain damage. More than 80 blood spatters were found on the walls by Keegans cot by forensic officers, but the mum of four never sought medical help for the toddler. A jury at Birmingham Crown Court found Kandyce, a mother of four, guilty of murder and she will spend a minimum of 18 years behind bars. Downer, who denied murder, looked down and showed no emotion as she was jailed. Tragic: Little Keegan Downer. (SWNS) Sentencing her, Mrs Justice Frances Patterson said the murder was barbaric and called Kandyce was vicious and unfeeling. Its a horrific tale of callous conduct, at no stage have you shown any remorse, she said.. Why you changed from being a loving and caring mother to a brutal attacker of a defenceless child is a mystery. Keegan suffered considerably in the last days and months of her life. Keegan, also known as Shi-Anne, was found unconscious at Downers home in Weoley Castle, Birmingham, on September 5 last year after suffering a cardiac arrest. A computer image showing Keegans seven broken ribs. (SWNS) Shockingly, the mum-of-four delayed calling 999 after finding the tot unwell in her cot and instead drove off to dump her old blood-spotted mattress near a skip. Keegan was eventually rushed to Birmingham Childrens Hospital after paramedics arrived but was pronounced dead on arrival. A court heard the youngster died from a combination of septicaemia, blunt chest trauma, a head injury and infection. Keegans right femur also sustained serious injury. (SWNS) She also had 153 scars on her body, including her face and neck. Story continues During the three-week trial, the court heard Keegan had also suffered injuries to her brain. Keegans brain was underdeveloped because of layers of scar tissue brought on over time. As a result of the trauma Keegans brain was incarcerated in scar tissue which caused persistent pressure on it, preventing it from growing. "Keegan would have become backwards in her development, she would have regressed from what she could go physically. Family home in Weoley Castle, Birmingham, where abuse happened (SWNS) A medical professional describe Keegans facial injuries as the worst he had ever seen. Kandyce even tried to blame her teenage son for Keegans death after claiming most of the day-to-day care was down to him and her three younger children. The court heard Keegan - who was originally named Shi-Anne Rose Gi-Gi Downer - was removed from her drug addict mum days after being born in March 2014. Police fear Downer only wanted Keegan to rake in 125-a-week maintenance payments. Keegan moved into Downers home in January last year - just eight months before her death in September. The court heard Keegan was last seen by a health visitor five months before her death and an expert reported the youngster seemed fine. Judge Patterson added that before the assaults, Kandyce had been an exemplary mother You did not set out with the intention to kill Keegan but the repeated assaults upon her made death as an outcome of your conduct increasingly likely with the passage of time, she said. Christopher Millington QC, defending, said Kandyces actions were entirely out of character. She was not abusive towards Keegan from the very outset. Moments before hitting the red carpet at Monday nights Met Gala, Kanye West reportedly flew into a rage and fired his bodyguard. Read: Leaked Tapes Reveal Kanye's Epic Backstage Meltdown at 'SNL' According to the New York Daily News, the rapper became jealous after spotting his bodyguard, Steve Stanulis, chatting with his wife, Kim Kardashian, outside her hotel room on the 36th floor of the Waldorf Astoria in Manhattan. An eyewitness told the newspaper that "Kanye just lost it." Stanulis is a former NYPD officer and actor who has also worked as a bodyguard for Leonardo DiCaprio. He denies flirting with Kardashian. "Im a happily married man with three children and I have no comment," he said. According to the Daily News, a source close to West has also called the report "untrue." "No changes have been made to the security team," the source reportedly said. The musician has not commented on the matter but took to Twitter after the event to thank his fashion team and Vogue Editor-in-Chief Anna Wintour for the night. Im really excited to get our first best dressed at the met This Gala is like the Grammys of style! pic.twitter.com/POCtXJUGzN KANYE WEST (@kanyewest) May 3, 2016 Thank you Anna for the invite thank you to the whole Vogue team KANYE WEST (@kanyewest) May 3, 2016 thank you Olivier for making 4 dresses for Kim to choose from which we chopped 2 in half KANYE WEST (@kanyewest) May 3, 2016 and thank you for turning my personal jean jacket into a couture piece KANYE WEST (@kanyewest) May 3, 2016 also to Kims hair and makeup Lorraine jewelry and the whole style squad at Balmain and the Yeezy team. KANYE WEST (@kanyewest) May 3, 2016 We just had fun with the future theme !!! It was a fun night all together ... KANYE WEST (@kanyewest) May 3, 2016 Also following the event, designer Zac Posen is spilling the secrets on how he got Claire Danes dress to light up. It took 30 battery packs to illuminate the LED lights that were attached to special custom-ordered French fabric. Story continues The dress is hollow inside, Posen told Good Morning America. Its as light as possible. The dress was crafted to fit the theme of Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology. Im interested in that place, where the past and the future meet, because thats universal and that hits a cord around the world to women and girls and men, Posen said. Just recognizing beauty and a magic moment and fantasy and technology." Read: Fashion And Tech Collide At The Met Gala: See The Most Eye-Catching Looks Supermodel Gigi Hadid reportedly spent $2,000 on a manicure for the Met Gala. Her press-on nails were adorned with crystals and had a chrome finish. "Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology," #MetGala details : big love to my glam fam for being so much fun to create with xx @patrickta @jennifer_yepez @nailsbymarysoul @monicarosestyle A photo posted by Gigi Hadid (@gigihadid) on May 4, 2016 at 5:12am PDT Miranda Kerr spent Tuesday recovering from the opulent nights festivities. The former Victoria's Secret Angel took time out pampering with a hydrating face mask. Watch: Amy Schumer Reveals Her Trick For Staying Cool on the Red Carpet Related Articles: No awkwardness here! Kate Beckinsale celebrated the premiere of her new film, Love & Friendship, on Tuesday night in Los Angeles, and had two special guests -- her ex-boyfriend, Michael Sheen, and his current girlfriend, Sarah Silverman. The three happily posed together on the red carpet, and judging by their amazing facial expressions, there's no bad blood between the trio. Getty Images WATCH: 7 of Hollywood's Friendliest Divorces At one point, Beckinsale and Silverman gave one another a huge hug, as Sheen smiled from the sidelines. Getty Images The 42-year-old Pearl Harbor actress dated 47-year-old Sheen for 8 years, before splitting in 2003. The exes have one child together, 17-year-old Lily. Since their breakup, both Beckinsale and Sheen have had high-profile relationships. Beckinsale married her Underworld director, Len Wiseman, in 2004, but they split last November after 11 years of marriage. For his part, Sheen dated Rachel McAdams after meeting on the set of Woody Allen's 2010 film, Midnight in Paris, but the pair broke up in 2013. Sheen and Silverman, 45, have been dating since 2014. The I Smile Back star has talked about Beckinsale before, calling her "so beautiful" in a 2014 interview with Howard Stern. She also said she wasn't intimidated by Sheen's famous exes. "No, it's more like, 'Look at all these beautiful women and he loves me,'" she told Stern. "It's more like that, like, 'Wow!'" "He [Sheen] and Kate are like brother and sister," she added. "I love her, she's hilarious. She's really, really cool." WATCH: Gwyneth Paltrow Says Ex Chris Martin Is Now Like Her 'Brother' Silverman showed ET her playful relationship with her boyfriend when we caught up with her at the Hollywood Foreign Press Association Grants Banquet last August, where she admitted to sexting him in her cleavage-baring dress! "I wish he was here," Silverman said. "I sent him a picture of my boobs and I was like, 'Who's going to help me out of this dress?' And now he wishes he was here!" Story continues "As I get older, it really is true what they say, that you get in your like -- not to be gross -- but, like, sexual prime," she joked. "You know, you turn into like an animal..." Watch below: Related Articles After a delay, Ingobernable, Netflixs new original series toplined by Mexican TV star Kate del Castillo, is heading to production with a twist. The show, whose star was a key player in the El Chapo saga, was originally slated to film in Mexico. It will now shoot in the U.S., I have learned. According to Spanish-language reports citing del Castillos personal trainer, Ingobernable is expected to film in San Diego. Del Castillo, who recently became an U.S. citizen, lives in California and told ABC News in March that she is afraid to go to Mexico for fear of being arrested and prosecuted. Del Castillo has been under scrutiny by the Mexican government over her connection to notorious Mexican drug lord Joaquin El Chapo Guzman, which led to her and actor Sean Penns infamous secret meeting with El Chapo while he was on the run following his daring escape from a Mexican prison. Its a telenovela within a telenovela. Its a strange turn of events for sure, Netflix chief content officer Sarandos said at the height of the controversy in January, reaffirming the companys commitment to film the series this year. (Ingobernable picked up to series in summer 2015, long before del Castillos El Chapo ties were revealed was originally slated to begin shooting in early 2016.) Its very complicated, but so far, so good, he said. In Ingobernable, which has an order for 20 episodes, Del Castillo will play Irene Urzua, the wife of Mexicos president. A woman with a strong personality, conviction and clear ideas, Urzua is capable of creating a president, leaving a president and killing a president. Related stories 'Peaky Blinders' Season 3 Gets Netflix U.S. Debut Date Geraldo Rivera Sits Down With El Chapo Gal Pal Kate Del Castillo On Saturday Kelly Macdonald To Star In 'Black Mirror' Episode On Netflix By Humphrey Malalo NAIROBI (Reuters) - Kenyan police have arrested a suspected key member of an Islamist militant group that was plotting attacks similar to one in 2013 on the Westgate shopping mall that killed at least 67 people, authorities said on Tuesday. Militant attacks mostly by al Shabaab militants from neighbouring Somalia have increased in recent years in Kenya, which has a large Muslim population concentrated mostly along its Indian Ocean coast. President Uhuru Kenyatta sent troops into Somalia in 2011 to join African Union military operations against al Shabaab that have driven it out of its major territorial strongholds but not ended its ability to carry out selective, deadly attacks. Al Shabaab has vowed to fight Kenya until it withdraws its troops and it claimed responsibility for the assault on the Westgate Mall in the capital Nairobi as well as on a university in eastern Kenya where at least 148 people were killed. In a statement, Kenyan police said Muhammed Abdi Ali was arrested on Friday as a suspected member of an east African militant group with links to Islamic State, which has seized large areas of Iraq and Syria and inspired offshoot groups elsewhere in the Middle East and Africa. Ali worked as a medical intern at a hospital in eastern Kenya before his arrest and also studied at a university in neighbouring Uganda, the police statement said. "Ali has been engaged in the active radicalisation, recruitment of university students and other Kenyan youth into terrorism networks," it said. His militant group was also planning "large-scale attacks akin to" the Westgate Mall, the statement said, and Ali's network included medical experts who were plotting a biological attack in Kenya using anthrax. The police statement said two suspected accomplices of Ali - Nuseiba Muhammed Haji, who is also his wife, and Fatuma Muhammed Hanshi - had been arrested in neighbouring Uganda. Police did not say whether Ali's group had links to al Shabaab. The Somali jihadist group aims to topple the Western-backed government in Mogadishu and impose its own strict version of Islamic law on the Horn of Africa country. The African Union peace force known as AMISOM has managed to push al Shabaab out of Mogadishu and large parts of Somalia although analysts say it remains a resilient force. (Writing by Elias Biryabarema; Editing by Mark Heinrich) Kesha has replaced the lead counsel in her lawsuits against Dr. Luke. According to New York Supreme Court documents filed Monday, the firm O'Melveny & Myers LLP will substitute as counsel for the pop star, replacing Mark Geragos in the role. Geragos, who has previously represented Michael Jackson and Chris Brown, has made some controversial and questionable moves since the beginning of this suit. In 2014, he implied on Twitter that Dr. Luke had raped Lady Gaga -- a claim Gaga denied outright and that Dr. Like sued Geragos over for defamation. Kesha's Mother Drops Counterclaims Against Dr. Luke In February, a judge denied Kesha's request to record legally for labels other than Dr. Luke's Sony imprint Kemosabe Records. She has since appealed that ruling. Meanwhile, Kesha's California lawsuit accusing Dr. Luke of rape and other abuse has been stayed, pending the outcome of a New York lawsuit by Dr. Luke accusing Kesha of defamation. Recently, a New York judge dismissed Kesha's countersuit against Dr. Luke that alleged emotional distress, employment discrimination and gender-based hate crimes. Status conferences with judges in the cases are scheduled for May 11 in New York and May 16 in California. It is unclear whether Geragos will stay on Kesha's legal team in any lessened capacity. Billboard has reached out to Geragos for comment but did not hear back at press time. Kesha follows her mother, Pebe Sebert, in diminishing Geragos' role. Last month, Sebert split with Geragos before dropping her counterclaims of intentional and negligent infliction of emotional distress against Dr. Luke. Nashville-based attorneys Alex Little, Susan Neal Dickerson and Mandy Strickland Floyd of Bone McAllester Norton PLLC now represent Sebert. Dr. Luke Detente? How Kesha Was Able to Record With Zedd During Heated Legal Battle Separately, Sebert's legal team filed an emergency motion for protective order on Sunday over the deposition of her internal medicine physician Dr. Jahangir Rahman that had been scheduled for Wednesday. Story continues In the motion, Sebert's attorney Little argued that any statements his client made to her physician or her own medical condition should be unrelated to Dr. Luke's case alleging defamation and interference of contract. Rather, he argues that the request to depose Dr. Rahman "appears directed at embarrassing and oppressing Mrs. Sebert rather than discovering information relevant to the case." Dr. Luke's legal team responded to the motion on Monday, requesting a conference on the defense's emergency motion. Dr. Luke's attorney Timothy L. Warnock of Mitchell Silberberg & Knupp LLP argued a number of reasons why Dr. Rahman's deposition should be permitted, namely that its relevance to Sebert's statements in her now-dropped counterclaims of having experienced emotional and physical trauma as a result of the alleged abuses against her daughter. "Plaintiff is entitled to test these assertions through depositions of Dr. Rahman and certain other of her medical providers," Warnock stated in his motion for a court conference. "Clearly, proof obtained from Defendant's medical providers that refutes Defendant's assertion of mental and physical injuries as a result of witnessing purported 'abuse' by Plaintiffs would constitute evidence that: (a) the alleged 'abuse' itself did not happen; and (b) Defendant published her defamatory statements about Plaintiffs with a malicious intent. Defendant also is able to preserve all evidentiary objections to any testimony that she can demonstrate does not belong in this case." KFC has heard your beauty prayers, and its answering them with not one but two chicken-flavored nail polishes. The polishes come in two finger lickin good color/flavors a bright orange (the Hot & Spicy flavor) and a glittery Thousand Islands Dressing shade (the Original flavor), sold only in Hong Kong. They work, the brand said in a statement published by Adweek, like that bad-tasting nail polish designed to make you stop biting your nails: "To use, consumers simply apply and dry like regular nail polish, and then lick again and again and again. The polishes are part of a Hong Kong campaign to build excitement around KFC, Adweek reports. The recipe for our edible nail polish is unique and was specifically designed to hold the flavor, but to also dry with a glossy coat similar to normal nail polish, says Ogilvy creative director John Koay. This campaign is designed to be intriguing and fun to increase excitement around the KFC brand in Hong Kong. The polishes arent being produced for retail yet, but KFC is asking Hong Kong fans to choose the flavor theyd like to purchase in the future. The rollout includes posters, seen above, a social media campaign, and one very special music video, below. The video does clear up a few questions (the color wears pretty well, for one), but leaves us with so many more. What does it smell like? Does it attract ants? What happens if you pet your dog? Wouldnt it ruin your appetite if youre eating, say, an apple? Theyll go unanswered for now, unless the campaign is such a success that theyre released stateside as well. Until then, well have to get our chicken flavor the old-fashioned way: by eating some. (Photos/video: KFC) Photo credit: Getty, Courtesy of St. Martin's Press From Esquire Ron Miscavige introduced his son, David, to the Church of Scientology in 1969 hoping it would help the young boy's asthma. David quickly became a devotee and climbed the ranks, growing close with Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard. When Hubbard died, David became the de facto leader. What has happened within the Church under his tenure has been the source of rumors and speculation for decades. Ron, who left the Church in 2012 and was later allegedly followed by private investigators sent by his own son, is telling his side of the story in a new memoir. What follows is an exclusive excerpt from the book. From Ruthless by Ron Miscavige. Copyright 2016 by the author and reprinted by permission of Thomas Dunne Books, an imprint of St. Martin's Press, LLC. A statement from the Church of Scientology follows. Sometime in 1987, David gained uncontested power over Scientology. Now no one in all of Scientology had the authority or courage to tell him no. Beyond the usual day-to-day concerns and headaches of the base demanding his work and attention, there was another factor pulling at Davidthe seductive lure of celebrity, most particularly Tom Cruise. The first time Tom came to the base, which also was their first meeting, David was on pins and needles, wanting to be sure everything would be suitably impressive. At that time it was very hush-hush that Tom was even involved with Scientology. All the records of his auditing sessions were kept in folders labeled with his given name, Thomas Mapother. Tom had been audited in Los Angeles by auditors who were not in the Sea Org [an order of the group's most religious members], and he was then married to Mimi Rogers, the daughter of Phil Spickler, a longtime and noted Scientologist. Spickler had run afoul of the organization some years before and had been excommunicated, so to speak. David desperately wanted to get matters under tighter controlthat is, under his controland one of his top lieutenants, Greg Wilhere, had finally arranged to bring Tom to the base for a stay and some auditing. Story continues David orchestrated every detail for maximum impact on his guest. A special dinner was prepared by Hubbard's former chef to be served at the base swimming pool/recreational area. The area looked like a clipper ship, complete with 50-foot masts with sails, a teak deck and even a lifeboat. Schedules in Los Angeles did not cooperate, however, and Tom was late arriving. David paced around anxiously, demanding, "Are they here yet?" Photo credit: Getty Images Finally, four hours after his scheduled arrival, Tom appeared but told Greg that he just wanted to settle in and get to bed and that he and Dave could meet the next morning. When Greg delivered the news to David, he hit the roof. Things smoothed out the next day, and Dave and Tom hit it off. Up on the hillside, behind a house that had been prepared for Hubbard to live in (but was never used), stood a crude rifle range. David had developed an interest in guns at one point. He and Tom used the range and had a great time. Several days before Tom's next visit, he made David a present of an automated skeet launcher to replace the manually operated one they had used on Tom's first trip. David immediately called for a complete renovation of the shooting range and had work crews up day and night for three days totally redoing it, including adding a bunker for the new skeet launcher. The purpose was solely to impress Tom Cruise. I did not see them interact much, but I have been told that they developed a sort of brotherly competitive spirit, each trying to outdo the other. One time, they allegedly raced through Los Angeles in separate cars, running red lights, each trying to beat the other to their destination. Dave's preoccupation with winning ties in with the analysis that follows. In 1953, Hubbard wrote an essay in which he detailed characteristics of a toxic personality type. He listed the following traits as indicative of such a personality (and here I am paraphrasing the original). Each point is followed by [my] analysis [of David]. 1. If something unfortunate happens to a person, the toxic personality thinks that the misfortune is either ridiculous, a mere trifle, or that the person deserves it. I once contracted scabies from sleeping on an unclean mattress at Gold [the Scientology production company that makes their training and marketing materials]. I saw Dave while I was infected, and he shouted, "Don't get near me! Stay away from me!" he was afraid that I might infect him. He had no concern for me at all. It was all about him. Photo credit: Ron Miscavige 2. If someone does something to the toxic personality, the toxic person always regards what happened as extremely important and egregiously bad and thinks the damage can never be overcome. If David ever felt that someone had crossed him, that person would go into his black book forever. You could never mitigate the damage to David if you got on his bad side. One example was Marc Yager, a onetime friend of David's. Marc was the poor sap who spent a whole year living in the swamp at Gold after he crossed David, although no one ever learned exactly what had happened. Some years later, when I needed to make up for something David regarded as damaging to him, Marc told me (in exactly these words): "I don't know how you are ever going to make up the damage." 3. Anything that another person can do is without real value, according to the toxic personality, or can be done better by someone else. Because of my sales experience, I helped the salespeople in Los Angeles improve their skills at David's behest. Later, when I was no longer doing that training, sales began to lag in some areas. When Dave learned that the organizations were naming me as the person who had helped them, his comment was "Come on, man. I could fart more sales than you." 4. The toxic personality tends to be either sexually repressed or perverted. A basic Scientology concept is that life in its many forms is a matter of simply trying to survive. Scientology divides this urge to survive into eight dynamics, as Hubbard called them, that mirror the activities of life and the universe: Survival for oneself Survival through sex and the family Survival through groups Survival as part of humankind Survival as part of all living thingsplants and animals Survival as part of the physical universe Survival as spirits or universal thought Survival through infinity, the Supreme Being, god, the creator Hubbard often talked about the second dynamic in his writings and lectures, noting how most people had hang-ups about sex, but he more or less dismissed these as trifling compared to the deeper issues that he felt posed much greater blocks to spiritual advancement. Hubbard mostly viewed relationship or marital blowups as distractions from the important work Scientology has to do to "clear the planet," Scientology's rallying cry to achieve its aims of a civilization free of crime, insanity and war. In the early days of the Sea Organization, Hubbard was loath to regulate Sea Org members' personal lives, but in the late 1970s, he finally approved an issue written by one of his messengers that put the kibosh on sexual relations among unmarried Sea Org members. David got behind the new regulations, but over time he seemed to be dead set against the second dynamic in all its forms and manifestations. His attitude seemed to be that staff members, and by extension all people on planet Earth, were more concerned about sex and having kids than with helping him expand Scientology. The culture of the Sea Org with respect to sex and the family began to change. What follows [in my words] are a few examples of actions taken while he was at the helm. Anyone in his org, RTC, who was married to someone working in a different unit on the base either had to divorce the spouse or leave RTC, to be posted to another unit. Some staff actually divorced their longtime spouses. Husbands and wives often were split up when one was assigned to an outlying organization, sometimes for years at a time. Photo credit: Ron Miscavige Women on the base were forbidden to have children, and I know that several former Sea Org members have claimed that they were pressured by colleagues or supervisors to have an abortion. I also know that if a couple wanted to keep a child, they were sent off the base to inferior postings. The church has denied that it has pressured anyone to have an abortion. People who already had children when they came to the base were not allowed to live with their children. Instead, their kids were kept at another facility ten miles away. Some staff members who had children in Los Angeles were allowed to drive down on Saturdays to spend the day with them. "Family time," it was called. Parents at the Los Angeles organizations initially had one hour each day to spend with their children. Then, under some pretext, family time was canceled, which created a great deal of stress for many parents and their children. After that, parents and their children had limited opportunities to see each other. My granddaughter Jenna Miscavige Hill wrote in her book that she had seen her parents only a few times over the course of several years and even then only briefly. Photo credit: Sinar Parman In the last decade I lived at the base, marriages were exceedingly rare. Except for one, I am not aware of any marriages between staff members, a restriction that, I am told, has only recently been relaxed. Any memos or issues that needed to be written to enforce these rules were written by others so as to put a layer of plausible deniability between their originator and enforcement of the decrees, but I am positive that any such orders came from David. The final example I'll mention comes under the heading of perversion. I know that former Scientology executive Tom Devocht and others have claimed that David has read out loud the sexual activities of individuals as confessed in their auditing sessions. Friends of mine have also observed this. Scientology representatives have denied it, saying that David has always "rigorously upheld the sanctity and confidentiality of ministerial communications." 5. The subject of food and eating is restricted by the toxic personality. While David's own food allowance runs into many hundreds of dollars each week, the food allowance for staff members at the base was sometimes reduced to less than a dollar per person per meal. That is less than $20 to feed someone for an entire weekwhile that person is working upward of 100 hours. David, meanwhile, was dining on New Zealand lamb or Maine lobster, with a personal chef on call for him, his wife and closest circle. Two entrees were prepared for each meal, in case one was not to his liking. During my nearly 27 years in the Sea Org with my son David, I observed in him on numerous occasions each of the traits I have described. I wish I was not writing this, but it is the truth, and other people I know would say and have said the same. Photo credit: Getty Images A book by Harvard psychologist Martha Stout, The Sociopath Next Door, is based on her decades of study of toxic personalities. In it she claims that one in 25 people in the United States suffers from a mental disorder that leaves them without a conscience. Such people, she writes, never feel guilt, shame or remorse. She contends that, just as some babies are born without a hand or a limb, sociopaths are born without a conscience. Of these conscienceless people is a charisma that can make them more interesting, more charming, more spontaneous, more intense, and more appealing than other people. Not all people who have these traits are sociopaths, of course, but because of their ability to seduce others with their charm, they can be tricky to identify. I will leave you to draw your own conclusions about why I mention Stout's book in this chapter. I have no doubt that it has been much harder for me to write this chapter than it is for you to read it. David, after all, is someone I have known since I peeked beneath that blanket outside the delivery room on April 30, 1960. He and I had countless wonderful moments together, and I loved him as I love all my children. Yet the truth is the truth. I believe that people change throughout their lives but that those changes are not always for the better. A spokeswoman for Scientology sent the following statement about Ruthless: "Ronald Miscavige is seeking to make money on the name of his famous son. David Miscavige has taken care of his father throughout his life, both financially and by helping him in even the most dire circumstances. "Ronald Miscavige was nowhere around when David Miscavige ascended to the leadership of the Church of Scientology, mentored by and working directly with the religion's founder L. Ron Hubbard, and entrusted by him with the future of the Church. "Any father exploiting his son in this manner is a sad exercise in betrayal. "Mr. David Miscavige's far-reaching vision and unrelenting dedication has brought the Church of Scientology to where it is today, guaranteeing its future for generations to come. Scientologists worldwide love and respect Mr. David Miscavige for his tireless work on behalf of their religion." The Church of Scientology also created a website responding to Ruthless, including video interviews with people making statements about the chapter excerpted here. You Might Also Like By Ju-min Park SEOUL (Reuters) - South Korean retailer Lotte Mart stopped ordering Reckitt Benckiser (RB.L) products on Wednesday along with some e-commerce sites, after the British firm apologised for selling humidifier sterilizers linked to deadly lung injuries. During an emotional televised news conference on Monday, the head of the company's South Korean unit accepted responsibility. South Korea said last year that 92 people were thought to have died from causes related to the humidifier products, not all of them made by Oxy Reckitt Benckiser. South Korea says 530 people registered claims of lung ailments from using humidifier sterilizers made by over a dozen companies. The government banned the products, which it believes were only sold in South Korea, in 2011. Of those claims, 221 were assessed by the government as being eligible for compensation. Of those, 177 had used the sterilizer sold by Reckitt, which was the market leader, having been on sale for more than a decade. Reckitt says it has settled about 80 percent of any cases that resulted from those claims. It also set up a 5 billion won ($4.3 million) humanitarian fund in 2013 to aid the afflicted while the claims were making their way through the court system. Humidifiers are widely used in offices and homes across north Asia where the winters are dry. The sterilizers, in liquid form, were added to the water to keep it clean. "This is not an issue just for the Korean branch and the victims but for the head of the main office to get on his knees and apologise to the victims," Choi Ye-yong, who heads the Asian Citizens' Centre for Environment and Health, said on Wednesday. Lotte Mart, part of Lotte Shopping and one of South Korea's biggest discount store chains, stopped ordering Reckitt Benckiser products on Wednesday, company spokesman Yoon Ji-yoon told Reuters. Lotte Mart was among supermarket chains that sold the sterilizers under their own brand, and last month made its own public apology. Story continues South Korean e-commerce companies Coupang and Ticketmonster Inc said on Wednesday they would stop selling Reckitt Benckiser products. Its global brands include Dettol antiseptic wash and Durex condoms. South Korean prosecutors, who have opened a criminal investigation, arrested a university professor on suspicion of fabricating data in a report for Oxy Reckitt Benckiser, a prosecution official involved in the case told Reuters. The South Korean unit of Reckitt Benckiser did not have immediate comment when asked about the arrest, although the head of the unit Ata Safdar, said in his apology on Monday the company was cooperating with prosecutors. Choi and Kim Deok-jong, the father of a five-year-old boy who died in 2009 from lung disease linked by the South Korean government to the use of humidifier sterilizers, plan a protest at Thursday's Reckitt Benckiser shareholders' meeting in London, according to an activist group. Reckitt Benckiser spokeswoman Patty O'Hayer in London said the company respected everybody's right to demonstrate. "We have stepped up and acknowledged our responsibility in this tragedy and are working hard to make amends and to address the issues of all those who have been impacted," she said. "The impact on the business is understandable. People are outraged and they need to find remedy," she said, adding that the company was working with the government to get results for people. "That's what's important, not a boycott." Globally, the Reckitt Benckiser group posted revenue of 8.87 billion pounds ($12.9 billion) in 2015. (Additional reporting by Jee Heun Kahng in SEOUL and Martinne Geller in LONDON; Editing by Nick Macfie and Elaine Hardcastle) Larry Robbins Larry Robbins thinks hedge funds are playing dodgeball. They're being attacked on all sides, he said, with Warren Buffett taking pot shots, and investors complaining about poor performance. Hedge funds are even turning on other hedge funds. Investors should stick by them, though, Robbins told the audience at the Sohn Investing Conference. He said that hedge funds have been hit by "waves" of fear, uncertainty, and doubt. Using an extended metaphor on boating, Robbins said that the hedge funds (the "boat") are on the right course. These waves are hitting investors, who are riding behind the boat on an inflatable tube. They're being thrown around, even though the hedge fund is maintaining its course. Robbins urged investors to hang on for the ride. "If you own something where the fundamentals have been good, but the stock prices have been bad just hold on," said Robbins. Robbins, the CEO of hedge fund Glenview Capital Management, has had a tough times in recent months. In a letter at the end of 2015, he apologized to investors for his poor performance and promised to open a no-fee fund in order to make up for it. NOW WATCH: FORMER GREEK FINANCE MINISTER: The single largest threat to the global economy More From Business Insider Comedy Central host Larry Wilmore has opened up about the motivation behind the use of the n-word in his controversial White House Correspondents Dinner speech last Saturday, and President Obamas response. Ive talked about what this presidency has meant to me on a personal level, how much it really affected me on a personal level and why I was a supporter of Obama from that historical point of view, Wilmore told Daily Beast in a recent interview, adding that he takes personal offense whenever the president has been insulted in the past. He continued, When I think about that particular word and how its been used against our people, for me to be able to turn it on its head and have almost a private moment with the president on stage, kind of like a public solitude, where he knew what I was talking about. Usually thats something we only do behind closed doors. But to do it in public, I thought, would be a strong way to end. And I knew it would be controversial and I was ready to accept the fallout from it. Wilmore, the featured entertainer of Saturdays ritzy gathering, used the podium as a platform to roast political figures like President Obama and Donald Trump, as well as media outlets like CNN and MSNBC. His set included a shocking use of the n-word, which has caused a media ruckus in the days following the high-profile event. Because of the experience in the room, I was wasnt sure how anybody received it. I thought maybe it felt like that outside too. I really didnt know. And then Twitter started going crazy. And all these comments came in and people were saying, Oh my god, that was the best ever and I was like, Really? Thank god somebody liked it out there. Some of the things that people said in support of it were unbelievable, Wilmore said of the social media reaction to his word choice. It was just so much good validation for what I was trying to accomplish. But there was a lot of negative as well, there was plenty of both. Story continues Piers Morgan dedicated an entire guest column to the matter in the Daily Mail, noting that by using the word, Larry Wilmore let down Barack Obama, and himself. But Wilmore told the Daily Beast that he felt nothing but acceptance from the president following his speech. That embrace at the end was so nice, it just felt so genuine. He was nothing but classy the whole time, and the First Lady. At the end, we were on the dais and he was like, Hey, Larry, come over, we got to get in this picture. And Im just there thinking, I dont know, how do people feel about what I did? Did I just blow things up here? I really didnt know, so they made me feel nothing but comfortable and a part of everything. What did you think of Wilmores speech? Weigh in below. Related stories CNN Draws 3 Million Viewers for Obama Speech at White House Correspondents' Dinner Larry Wilmore Comes Out Joking in First Remarks Since White House Correspondents' Dinner 13 Questions Megyn Kelly Should Ask Donald Trump Sean Penn has settled his defamation lawsuit against Lee Daniels, who wrote a public letter of apology to the actor after accusing him of hitting women last year. "I am so sorry that I have hurt you, Sean, and I apologize and retract my reckless statements about you. How thoughtless of me. You are someone I consider a friend, a brilliant actor and true Hollywood legend and humanitarian," Daniels wrote in a joint statement with Penn obtained by PEOPLE. Along with the apology, Daniels made a donation to Penn's J/P Haitian Relief Organization. Penn filed the complaint against Daniels last September after the Empire co-creator compared the actor to his show's star Terrence Howard, who admitted to hitting his first wife. "That poor boy," Daniels said in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter. "[Terrence] ain't done nothing different than Marlon Brando or Sean Penn, and all of a sudden he's some f------ demon. That's a sign of the time, of race, of where we are right now in America." Exes Sean Penn And Madonna Team Up In Defamation Lawsuit Penn took issue with Daniels' comments, filing a $10 million defamation suit which states that "Daniels falsely equat[ed] Penn with Howard. Even though, while he has certainly had several brushes with the law, Penn (unlike Howard) has never been arrested, much less convicted, for domestic violence, as his ex-wives (including Madonna) would confirm and attest." Madonna later did just that, filing an affidavit obtained by PEOPLE last December stating that, "While we certainly had more than one heated argument during our marriage, Sean has never struck me, 'tied me up,' or physically assaulted me, and any report to the contrary is completely outrageous, malicious, reckless and false." In his apology letter, Daniels added, "I too have been the subject of false attacks by others, like those made here. My most important role is as a father, and it is important to me that my children learn that it is wrong to reference gossip as fact, as I did here. That can be very damaging and hurtful. "Domestic violence is a very serious issue. My comments were cavalier; it was not my intention to diminish the severity of the issue, but rather to express a view regarding the disparate treatment of men of color in our national conversation. I apologize again for the distress that this has caused you and your family. My very best, Lee Daniels." In their joint statement, Penn responded, "I accept Lee's heartfelt apology and appreciate the sincerity with which it was delivered. I also accept and appreciate his generous donation to J/P HRO, which will have a transformative effect on the lives of those we serve in Haiti." Police in St. Petersburg, Russia, arrested 20 LGBT activists who unfurled a gay pride flag during the May Day parade on Sunday. According the English-language Russian news site Meduza, authorities told LGBT activists on Apri 29 that they were banned from marching. Two groups, Free Trade Unions and Green Activists, allowed LGBT activists to march along with them, as long as they did not bring the flags. However, when they did unfurl the gay pride flag, officials arrested them on the spot. The decision to ban the LGBT activists was a reversal from policy in previous years. According to a post on Russian social networking site VKontakte, and translated by the Washington Times, an LGBT activist said: "For the first time in the history of the movement in Russia, [representatives from the LGBT community] will miss out on the biggest street event of the year." LGBT activists in St. Petersburg have been banned from several other parades in the last year, according to Meduza, including the Peace March, the Anti-Fascist March and, ironically, the March Against Hate. According to the Washington Times, the LGBT activists will face fines of up to $300 and 40 hours of community services. In 2015, around 600 LGBT demonstrators marched during the May Day parade. Organizers expected more than 1,000 LGBT activists to march on Sunday. LGBT Activists at 2015 St. Petersburg May Day parade While LGBT activists were not allowed to join the labor movement parade, one group was welcomed with open arms: Neo-Nazis. A group called "Slavic Power Northwest" an offshoot of a group that has been banned in Russia marched in the parade. According to Meduza, they marched under the slogan "For the unity of Slavs and the White Race!" Libertarians seeking their party's presidential nomination say Sen. Ted Cruz should endorse them rather than Donald Trump, who rebranded the Texas Republican "Lyin' Ted" before forcing him out of the GOP primary with a crushing victory in Indiana on Tuesday. Cruz hasn't said if he will endorse Trump, whose campaign trail attacks included retweeting an unflattering photo of the senator's wife and repeating alleg ations that Cruz's father was with Lee Harvey Oswald before President John F. Kennedy's assassination. On Tuesday, Cruz called Trump a "pathological liar" and "utterly amoral." The vicious GOP primary, the Libertarians hope, will push Cruz to endorse them and deliver his socially conservative, Constitution-toting base, which they view as rational for a variety of policy reasons as well. "Ted Cruz has always been brave and stood up to the establishment of his own party, even when it came to shutting down the government, so I wouldn't put it past him," says Austin Petersen, one of three candidates seeking the Libertarian nomination at a Florida convention this month. "With Donald Trump winning, I might be the only pro-life, pro-Constitution candidate on the ballot," Petersen says. "[Cruz has] always shown the courage to buck the leadership of his own party. It would be shocking, but I don't think it would be out of character for him." New Mexico's former Republican Gov. Gary Johnson also is seeking the Libertarian nomination, which he won in 2012 before collecting more than 1 million general election votes. Johnson is doubtful Cruz would endorse him but says it would be welcome. "That would be huge, that could be the quantum leap we need, the attention we need," says Johnson, who was supported by 11 percent of responsdents in a recent hypothetical match-up against Trump (at 34 percent) and Democrat Hillary Clinton (at 42 percent) from Monmouth University. Story continues "There is an opportunity here," he says. But Johnson says it may be more realistic that the senator would say nice things about the Libertarian candidate, a wink-and-nod to disillusioned supporters, than openly defy expectations of party leaders. Unlike Cruz, Johnson takes a socially liberal stand on issues such as abortion and same-sex marriage, which he backed in the 2012 campaign while President Barack Obama and Clinton were still opposed. Johnson says his appeal to Cruz or his supporters would be consistent support for smaller, less intrusive government. He says Trump's proposals to deport millions of immigrants living in the country illegally and to build a border wall are fisically irresponsible and authoritarian. "I would be the smaller government guy," he says. "Although Donald Trump may say 'smaller government ,' the words coming out of his mouth suggest otherwise." Petersen, meanwhile, says religious freedom and tax policy are planks of his platform that should appeal to Cruz, who himself has staked out broadly libertarian positions against government mass surveillance and military interventions abroad while expressing support for states' rights to legalize marijuana, though Trump has some similar positions, also breaking with GOP leaders. "Trump believes in a progressive income tax, and that is absolutely opposed to the type of system Ted Cruz and I are championing," Petersen says, adding he believes Trump's support for temporarily banning Muslim immigration violates the spirit of the First Amendment. He says his campaign raised several thousand dollars on Tuesday night, an unusually large haul he attributes to Cruz exiting the GOP race. Petersen, owner of the publication The Libertarian Republic, was a staffer at FreedomWorks when the advocacy group helped Cruz pull off an upset Senate primary win against the party establishment's choice in 2012. He raised money for libertarian Ron Paul's 2008 GOP primary campaign and helped train libertarian activists overseas working with the Atlas Foundation. Before serving as governor of New Mexico from 1995 to 2003, Johnson was an entrepreneur. He worked construction jobs in his teens before founding Big J Enterprises, which he built into a 1,000-employee construction firm that he sold in 1999. He took a job as president of Nevada-based startup Cannabis Sativa Inc., which sells marijuana-infused lozenges, in 2014 before resigning in January. The third candidate in the Libertarian race, antivirus software pioneer John McAfee, could not be reached for comment. He told U.S. News earlier this year that Americans should be "truly ashamed" for allowing Trump's name-calling rise to the top of the Republican primary. "If I can't win in a year when we have dissatisfaction and children on stage, well then the Libertarians should just give up," he said. Steven Nelson is a reporter at U.S. News & World Report. You can follow him on Twitter or reach him at snelson@usnews.com. London (AFP) - Opposition Labour lawmaker Sadiq Khan is on course to become the new mayor of London and the first Muslim leader of an EU capital, final opinion polls suggested Wednesday, despite attempts to link him to extremists. The son of a Pakistani immigrant bus driver has a 12- or 14-point lead over Zac Goldsmith, his multimillionaire rival from Prime Minister David Cameron's Conservative party, according to two polls published ahead of Thursday's vote. In a final campaign stop in a street market in a multi-cultural district of south London, Khan joked with stallholders and their customers and posed in the spring sunshine for selfie pictures. But he condemned the divisive nature of the campaign that has seen him repeatedly forced to defend himself against claims that he has failed to condemn Muslim extremists. "I am disappointed that the Conservatives and Zac Goldsmith have decided to have a negative, divisive and increasingly desperate campaign," he told AFP. "Hopefully if I win, I'll be the mayor that unites our city again, that brings communities together." Tensions over the campaign have been exacerbated by a simmering row over anti-Semitism in the Labour party, which exploded last week with the suspension of a lawmaker and former London mayor Ken Livingstone. In angry clashes in the House of Commons on Wednesday, Cameron accused Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn of failing to tackle the problem and attacked both him and Khan for being sympathetic to Islamic extremists. Reviving previous comments by Corbyn referring to the Palestinian Islamist Hamas movement and Lebanon's powerful Shiite militia Hezbollah as "friends", Cameron said Labour was a "party that puts extremists over working people". Corbyn denied he approved of those groups and hit back by accusing the Conservatives of "systematically smearing" Khan, and urging Cameron to tackle racism in his own party, which he suggested was "endemic". Story continues Asked about Cameron's comments by a market customer, Khan joked: "He's obsessed with me! The best way to get even is to win". - 'Uncle Tom' row - Khan has urged Corbyn to take more action to tackle anti-Semitism in the Labour party, while trying to distance himself from a row that threatens not only his prospects but Labour's showing in other regional elections Thursday. But Khan was embroiled in fresh controversy when footage emerged of a 2009 interview in which he said government attempts to engage the Muslim community could not just focus on "Uncle Toms". "I regret using that phrase," which is often used against black people to suggest they are subservient to white people, Khan told ITV news. "I was wrong and I regret it." Despite the attacks, Khan appears on course to become the next occupant of City Hall, which has responsibility for transport, policing, housing and promoting economic development in the British capital. An Opinium survey for the Evening Standard newspaper put him on 35 percent compared to 26 percent for Goldsmith. His lead lengthened once second preference votes were taken into account, to 57 percent against Goldsmith's 43 percent. A second poll, by ComRes for LBC radio and ITV London news, put Khan and Goldsmith on 45 percent and 36 percent, moving to 56 percent and 44 percent on second preferences. Khan, 45, grew up in social housing and worked as a human rights lawyer before rising to be a government minister -- a back story that contrasts sharply with his rival. Goldsmith, 41, is the son of late tycoon financier James Goldsmith, and an environmentalist and Conservative lawmaker who Labour has sought to portray as out of touch. Khan told AFP: "I'm a Londoner, I'm British, I'm of Islamic faith, of course I am a proud Muslim. I'm of Asian origin, of Pakistani heritage. I'm a dad, I'm a husband, I'm a long-suffering Liverpool fan. I'm all these things. "But the great thing about this city is you can be a Londoner of any faith or none and we don't simply tolerate each other, we respect, we embrace and we celebrate each other. That's one of the great things about London." Londoners go to the polls Thursday to elect a new mayor, in a bitterly fought election that has laid bare tensions and divisions within British party politics. Polls show Labours Sadiq Khan, a former government minister, poised to defeat Conservative Party candidate Zac Goldsmith, the environmentalist scion of a billionaire businessman, after a campaign marred by accusations of smears related to Khans Muslim faith and now, a worsening feud in the Labour Party over anti-Semitism. Ken Livingstone, Labours last mayor of the capital, was suspended from the party last Thursday after defending a Member of Parliament(MP) who shared an anti-Semitic meme on her Facebook page. In lending support to Naz Shah, Livingstone claimed that Hitler had been a Zionist before he went mad, and then repeatedly refused to retract or apologize for his remarks. Others in the Labour Party were apoplectic at the onetime mayors comments, coming just days before a mayoral election the party is in good position to win, and also crucial local elections. Footage showing red-faced Labour MP John Mann calling Livingstone a disgusting Nazi apologist outside party headquarters went viral on Friday. Meanwhile, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn like Livingstone, a product of Labours far Left was accused of failing to take a strong enough stand against anti-Semitism, which for some in the fringes of the liberal movement is acceptable in the context of Israels policies towards Palestinians. Among his critics was Khan, who moved to distance himself from Corbyn and his party over the weekend. I am an advocate of the Labour leadership actually receiving some training on this stuff as clearly they dont understand what racism is, and there is no hierarchy when it comes to racism, he told The Observer. There are too many examples in our party of people having these views, and action does not appear to have been taken quickly enough. Story continues The affair threatens to widen the rift between the partys establishment and its left wing, already yawning in the wake of Corbyns elevation from the partys margins to its leader last year. If Labour suffers historic losses in Thursdays council elections, as some polls suggest, murmurs of rebellion among the anti-Corbynites will surely become raised voices. Read more: Everything to Know About Londons Mayoral Election While the Conservative Party is no doubt overjoyed at Labours troubles, their own London Mayor has been doing his part to tarnish his partys standing as his term in office comes to an end. Already under fire for what some consider his opportunistic support for the U.K.s withdrawal from the European Union, Boris Johnson last month made reference topart-Kenyan U.S. President Barack Obamas ancestral dislike of the British empire. Howls of fury followed, with many comparing Johnson to another towheaded, politically incorrect leader Donald Trump making hay from Obamas racial heritage. Like Trump, however, Johnson remains popular, and Goldsmith has suffered somewhat campaigning in his shadow. A photograph of the Tory candidate gingerly holding a pint in both hands during a campaign event with the mayor was widely ridiculed, and held up as evidence of his distance from the hoi polloi. Goldsmith, the son of tycoon Sir James Goldsmith, seemingly fits the stereotype of the monied Conservative ruling class especially in contrast to Khan, who has wasted no opportunity to remind voters his Pakistani immigrant father was a bus driver. Goldsmiths campaign has not always conducted itself entirely honorably either, courting controversy with sly, dog whistle references to Khans religious affiliation. Leaflets sent only to Indians, Tamils and Sikhs suggested Khan could not be trusted, including a dubious claim that he might raise taxes on family jewelry if elected. Goldsmith has repeatedly linked Khan to Muslims accused of extremist beliefs although Khan points out, as lawyer he defended clients he did not agree with. Its not doing much to dispel the stereotype of the Conservatives as the nasty party. But many in that party will be less concerned by the likely loss of London to a Labour mayor than they will be about turnout on Thursday. If all this negativity drains enthusiasm in local elections, it could spell bad news for Prime Minister David Cameron, who will need voters to turn out in droves on June 23 if his remain side is to emerge victorious in the Brexit referendum. Britains ugly political season isnt over yet. How Have IBM's Segments Performed after Its Restructuring? (Continued from Prior Part) Strategic Imperatives segment So far in this series, we saw that IBMs (IBM) fiscal 1Q16 results continued to repeat its history. Despite the negative sentiment hovering around IBM following its fiscal 1Q16 results showing four straight years of no revenue growth, the Market was focused on its Strategic Imperatives segments performance. The Strategic Imperatives segment relates to IBMs investment in cloud, analytics, mobile, social, and security technologies. Although IBM dominates the hybrid cloud space, Amazon (AMZN) and Microsoft (MSFT) are the leading players in the cloud space. In fiscal 1Q16, IBMs Strategic Imperatives revenues grew by 17% on a YoY basis to $7 billion. Moreover, this contribution toward the companys overall revenues grew by 37%. As the above chart shows, IBM is struggling not only with the decline in revenues but with its margins too. Despite its lack of revenue growth in previous quarters, IBM managed to improve its margins due to stringent cost-control measures and strategic divestitures such as Server X and its semiconductor technologies. However, this did not continue in fiscal 1Q16 when the companys net margins fell to ~12%. Moreover, IBMs received a $1.2 billion tax refund in 1Q16, which the company received from Japans (EWJ) tax authorities. IBMs EPS includes this tax refund. Cash, debt, and cash flows As of 1Q16, IBM (IBM) held $14.9 billion in total cash and marketable securities. Its total debt stood at $45.6 billion. In fiscal 1Q16, IBM generated CFO (cash flow from operations) and FCF (free cash flow) of $3.3 billion and $2.3 billion, respectively. IBM highlighted that the company has generated free cash flow of $14.3 billion in the last 12 months. Fiscal 2016 expectations IBM has not provided revenue guidance for 2016. However, the company maintained its 2016 EPS guidance of at least $13.50. Analysts expected the company to provide EPS guidance of $13.54. IBM also expected its 2016 free cash flow to be in the $11 billion$12 billion range. Story continues Investors who want to gain exposure to IBM could consider investing in the SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY). SPY invests ~0.71% of its holdings in IBM. It also has an ~8% exposure to application software. Browse this series on Market Realist: UPDATED: The company that owns the Los Angeles Times and Chicago Tribune has rejected a buyout offer from Gannett, Americas largest newspaper operator. Tribune Companys board on Wednesday unanimously turned away the Gannett offer after thorough consideration, saying that it believed the $815 million cash bid for the ten-newspaper chain was too low. After thorough consideration, the Board has unanimously concluded that it is not prepared to engage with Gannett about a combination of our companies based on the value you indicated in the Proposal, Tribune CEO Justin C. Dearborn said in a letter to Gannett executive Robert Dickey. The Board believes that the price reflected in the Proposal understates the Companys true value and is not in the best interests of our shareholders. The offer translated to $12.25 a share and represented a 63% premium over the price of Tribune shares, which had slipped to below $8. Shares of Tribune had jumped up on the buyout news. Gannett executives had gone public with their bid in an attempt to pressure the Tribune board into accepting the offer. Chicago-based Tribune said it had engaged independent financial and legal advisers to measure the merit of the deal. Tribunes Dearborn said in a statement that the company has plans of its own that will create more value for shareholders. Tribune Publishing is in the early stages of a compelling transformation, the statement said, with a well-defined strategic plan to drive increasing monetization of our important brands, capitalize on the global potential of the LA Times and significantly accelerate our conversion of content to revenue through an enhanced digital strategy. While the Board is always open to evaluating any credible proposal that it believes to be in the best interests of the Company and its shareholders, Gannetts opportunistic proposal understates the Companys true value and is not a basis for further discussion. The Board is confident that the execution of our standalone strategic plan will generate shareholder value in excess of Gannetts proposal. Story continues In its response, Tribune includes a graphic which charges that Gannett exaggerated the value of its offer in relation to the Chicago companys actual earnings. The graphic suggests Gannett claimed its $815 million offer amounted to a multiple of 5.6 times EBITDA (Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation and Amortization), but says the offer actually amounts to 4.3 times Tribunes recent earnings. The same Tribune chart shows that Japans Nikkei Inc. last year paid 35 times EBITDA to acquire the Financial Times and that the tech billionaire Jeff Bezos paid more than 11 times earnings for the Washington Post in 2013. One significant holder of Tribune stock, said in an interview that the pressure for a sale to Gannett would continue, unless an alternative buyer willing to pay a similar premium quickly emerges. The stockholder said it was silly to use the Washington Post and Financial Times sales as a basis for comparison, since offers for those papers are far more lucrative than any that has been made for the Tribune papers. And the companys most recent sale of a substantial stake went at a discount, not a premium price. In February, Chicago entrepreneur Michael Ferro bought a controlling interest in Tribune Co. for just $44 million, the equivalent of $8.51 a share. That was a 5.5% discount on Tribunes closing price a day earlier. The second biggest Tribune Co. shareholder, Oaktree Capital Group, signaled this week that it would like to see a sale of the company go forward. Reuters quoted sources at the Los Angeles-based investment firm as saying that while they were not ready to agree to Gannetts current offer, they wanted Tribune to engage in discussions with the newspaper giant. Gannett, which publishes USA Today and more than 100 other papers, was not immediately available for comment. Related stories Gannett Bid for L.A. Times, Rest of Tribune Publishing, May Be Hard to Reject (Analysis) Gannett Makes $815 Million Bid for LA Times Owner Tribune Rupert Murdoch Fuels New Speculation About Eli Broad Acquiring LA Times What Seagate's Fiscal 3Q16 Earnings Mean for All of Us (Continued from Prior Part) Lower PC shipments negatively impact HDD demand Seagate Technology (STX) reportedly shipped ~39.2 million HDD (hard disk drive) units in fiscal 3Q16, which ended March 31. This represents a significant YoY (year-over-year) fall compared to the companys 50.1 million units shipped in fiscal 3Q15. This decline is a concern for Seagate, as it has a market share of approximately 40% in the United States. HDDs are used by PCs (personal computers). According to the market research company Gartner, PC shipments in the last quarter are expected to have fallen by 9.6% YoY to 64.8 million units, driven by the increasing dominance of mobile devices. Sales of HDDs falling since 2009 As shown in the above chart, sales of HDDs fell to 469 million units in 2015, as compared to 560 million units in 2009. In 2015, this segment saw a YoY fall of 17% compared to 2014. The Chief Executive Officer of Western Digital (WDC), Stephen Milligan, in fact, stated that the company anticipates weak demand in the March quarter, resulting in a hard drive TAM of approximately 100 million units. The unit shipments of peer companies Western Digital and Japans (EWJ) (FJP) Toshiba (TOSYY) also fell by 18% and 13%, respectively, in 4Q15. Now lets take a closer look at Seagates operating costs. Continue to Next Part Browse this series on Market Realist: Lupita Nyong'o was taken aback when a reporter asked the Oscar-winning - and now, Tony-nominated - actress why she decided to take a role in the Broadway play Eclipsed. "A journalist asked me, 'Why would such a big star choose to do such a small play?'" she writes in a new essay for Lena Dunham's Lenny newsletter. "This question felt quite silly ... but then it went deeper than that. To me it felt like a question about our value system in this culture, the ways we define success for ourselves as well as others." In the essay titled "Why I Chose a 'Small Play' Over the Big Screen," Nyong'o, who won the best supporting actress Academy Award for her role in 2014's 12 Years a Slave, questions the value placed on "Hollywood" roles and women, especially women of color, being told what they "need to do" and not going after what they want to do. After turning down several projects, Nyong'o says, she began starring in Eclipsed, a portrait of life for women trapped by a rebel commander during the Liberian Civil War, two months ago. On Tuesday, the play earned six Tony Awards nominations, including one for Nyong'o, and is among the frontrunners for best play, The Hollywood Reporter's David Rooney reports. Of her last big-screen roles - voicing Raksha in The Jungle Book, now in theaters, and Max Kanata in Star Wars: The Force Awakens - the actress says she was more engaged in the "mythical, magical stories" of genre storytelling (only appearing in animated and CGI-version) compared to playing a live-action role that doesn't challenge her, such as "the wife." Read More: 'Eclipsed': Theater Review Lupita Nyong'o in Eclipsed on Broadway. (Photo: Getty Images) So when the Broadway role came along, Nyong'o writes, "the chance to appear in Eclipsed after winning an Oscar was an opportunity to share in the incredible (and too rare) freedom of playing a fully rendered African woman. Story continues "So often women of color are relegated to playing simple tropes: the sidekick, the best friend, the noble savage, or the clown. We are confined to being a simple and symbolic peripheral character - one who doesn't have her own journey or emotional landscape." She continues, "As an African woman, I am wary of the trap of telling a single story. I decided early on that if I don't feel connected to, excited by, and challenged by the character, the part probably isn't for me." Though the actress won't write off taking lead roles in the future, Nyong'o says she is currently focused on taking risks, partly because of the larger conversation the industry has been having about diversity in films. Of the play, which features an all-female cast, playwright and director who are all of African descent, Nyong'o ends her Lenny essay by bringing it full circle: "I look at this play and see nothing about it that is 'small.'" On Tuesday morning, the actress responded to the Tony nomination for her Broadway debut by focusing on the play's message. "Our hope is to awaken something in the consciousness of our audience to affect change around the world," Nyong'o said. Her next film role will be in Queen of Katwe, which is set to hit theaters in September. luxury construction Skyrocketing rents are weighing down tenants all over the country. It has created a classic real estate squeeze play: People are shelling out more and more of their income on monthly rents, pushing them ever further from the hallowed goal of saving for a down payment on a house. And the cycle goes on But lately, something seems to be changing, at least on the luxury side of the business: Many upper-end renters are now actually seeing price cuts. One could certainly make the argument that these price breaks are being doled out to those who need them the least. But some housing experts believe the market could be arriving at a turning point where these discounts begin filtering down to the masses. Its already beginning to happen in some of the nations hottest housing markets, where yesterdays top-of-the-line buildings are dropping their prices to compete with the fresh, young properties hitting the market, creating a trickle-down effect. But its a slow processtoo slow for many at the bottom rungs. Will the process accelerate for middle-class renters? A look at some of the hottest cities in the nation illustrates whats happening. Signs of change Rents have already begun falling in New York Citys Manhattan borough as a slew of newly constructed residential towers have shot up, dotting the skyline. The increase in available apartments has led median prices in Manhattan to fall 2.8% to $3,300 in the first quarter of the year compared with a year earlier, according to an Elliman report. The high-end luxury units dropped at the fastest rate, 3.5%, to a still-nosebleed-inducing $8,228 a month, according to the report. The price reductions are partly a result of buyers snapping up new luxury condos and renting them out as well as new high-end residential rental buildings going up, says real estate appraiser Jonathan Miller, who prepared the report. Manhattan tenants with significantly lower net worth also got a break, by local standards. Rents for the cheapest 30% of units fell 2.2% year over year to $2,258 a month, according to the report. Story continues Were entering some sort of affordability threshold, Miller says. Theres only so many rent increases that can be absorbed by middle-class renters who have been hit by two years of increases. In wildly expensive San Francisco, rents also appear to be plateauing: The average asking prices have stayed steady over the past three quarters, reaching $3,620 in the first three months of 2016, according to Paragon Commercial Brokerage data. A question of time Nationally, its expected to take years, possibly even more than a decade, to trickle down to the middle- and lower-end properties. How much longer will be different in each market. There is an assumption that if you bring more units on at the high end of the market it cascades all the way down to presumably make older units more affordable, says Jonathan Smoke, chief economist of realtor.com. But prices will drop at the lower levels only when there are enough rentals to satisfy the high demand. The problem? Its more cost-effective for builders, dealing with high land and construction costs, to put up luxury towers as they can charge more to recoup their investments. And there are about 9 million more renters today in the U.S. than there were a decade ago, according to a Joint Center for Housing Studies at Harvard University report. There were nearly 43 million tenants in 2015. More options for tenants who can afford them In Nashville, TN, renters havent been used to the kind of amenities now coming onto the market. The country music capital had about 24,000 new rental units in the pipeline as of the last quarter of 2015, according to the Greater Nashville Apartment Association. The group counted only complexes with 50 or more apartments. For the first time, Nashville is getting [rental] apartments with views, with fitness centers, with pools, says Michelle Maldonado, a local real estate agent at Lipman Group Sothebys International Realty, who concentrates on the high end of the market. The monthly rents on two-bedroom, two-bathroom units above $1,500 fell nearly 3% to an average of $2,311 over the past six months compared with a year earlier, according to the numbers Maldonado pulled from the local multiple listing service as of April 17. That was compared with the same six-month period a year ago. However, rents for the cheaper two-bedrooms in Nashville actually went up more than 4% to $1,178 a month. A wealth of new apartments for the wealthy Builders rush to respond to Denvers population boom has resulted in a glut of new buildings in the Colorado citys downtown competing with one another as well older buildings for tenants. The party is over, says Nancy Burke, vice president of government and community affairs at the Colorado Apartment Association. There is oversupply. The city had a 6.8% apartment vacancy rate as of December, the most recent data available, up from 5% in October, according to Burke. But she estimates that the vacancy rate is more like 20%the association counts only apartment buildings that are 95% or more occupied. Thats led rents to fall an average of just $20 in the last quarter of 2015 and an additional $2 in the first quarter of this year, according to rental data company Apartment Insights. Also, 20,000 more units are supposed to hit the metro area this year and next, according to the firm. To lure residents, some of these new buildings are also offering incentives ranging from a month or two in free rent to $1,000 gift cards. Were building apartments faster than people are moving into them, says Cary Bruteig, owner of Apartment Insights. New residential high-rises in Boston are also offering sweeteners to fill their floors, say local real estate professionals. And theyre poaching tenants from the citys stately brownstones, the areas traditional luxury rentals, by offering doormen, elevators, and parking spaces. As a result, some of the older brownstone units are taking a little longer to rent and were having to lower the prices a little bit, says Amy Goldberg, a Compass real estate agent in Boston. Bad timing for builders In Houston, some newly constructed buildings have had the bad luck to be opening just as the local energy industry is suffering from lower prices at the pump, leading many residents to leave, says local real estate agent Greg Nino of Re/Max Compass. Rents are falling as homeowners rent out their propertiesrather than sell at a discount. Within the Texas citys limits, the average rental price for this year through April 15 was $1,974, down about 1% from a year earlier, according to numbers that Nino pulled from the areas multiple listing service. In the western and northwestern suburbs, rents were up about 1.5% to an average $1,724. But Nino says hes seeing suburban prices start to fall 10% to 15%, depending on the neighborhood. Were saturated with so many properties for rent, he says. Its more difficult to get top dollar for a rental. The post As Luxury Rentals Get Cheaper, Will Discounts Trickle Down to Everyone? appeared first on Real Estate News and Advice - realtor.com. Related Articles By Ole Mikkelsen COPENHAGEN (Reuters) - A.P. Moller-Maersk (MAERSKb.CO) returned to profit at its main container shipping business in the first quarter, putting the cash rich company in a strong position as the struggling industry consolidates. The group's shares were up by 5.6 percent at 1127 GMT on Wednesday after Maersk Line confounded expectations of a loss at the container shipping business as the sector grapples with a downturn brought on by overcapacity. Rates for shipping containers transporting anything from flat-screen TVs to sportswear have been at a loss-making level for more than a year, denting profits and opening the highly fragmented sector to consolidation in an effort to cut costs and build scale. With more than 600 vessels, Maersk Line is the global market leader with a market share around 15 percent and has previously played down its ambitions, but the Copenhagen-based company acknowledged on Wednesday that recent acquisitions and vessel-sharing alliances bring new opportunities. "We still have a very strong balance sheet and have plenty of liquidity reserves for unexpected and expected investments," CEO Nils Smedegaard Andersen said. The group's cash reserves stand at about $12 billion (8.27 billion pound). Recent high-profile mergers and acquisitions in the industry include the creation of China COSCO Shipping through a state-led merger and French shipping group CMA CGM SA's deal to acquire Singapore's Neptune Orient Lines (NOL)(NEPS.SI). Container lines have also been restructuring debt and forming vessel-sharing alliances to counter the downturn. "Consolidation ... is positive when viable, stable alliances are formed, because it enables everyone to concentrate on the customer and not fight exclusively on rates," Andersen said, adding that smaller players would be vulnerable. "The small and mid-sized companies will need to consider their strategies very radically, in my opinion, if they're not in an alliance that has a future." Story continues COSTS DOWN In the first quarter Maersk reduced costs for moving a 40 ft container to $2,060, down 16 percent from a year earlier and about a third lower than four years ago. Group net profit dropped 86 percent to $224 million in the quarter, beating analysts' average forecast of $55.6 million, with the company's oil division also faring better than expected in weak energy markets. Low freight rates and weak oil prices brought revenue down by 19 percent, though this was partly offset by a 7 percent rise in container volumes and a 15 percent increase in oil production, Maersk said. "Results were better than feared," ship brokerage firm Fearnleys wrote in a note. Maersk Line made a profit of $37 million in the first three months of 2016, compared with an average forecast for a loss of $121 million in a Reuters poll of analysts. That was still down from a $714 million profit in the same quarter last year, however. Maersk reiterated its forecast for the container business to achieve full-year underlying profit significantly below last year's due to lower rates, but it forecast global demand for seaborne container transportation to rise between 1 percent and 3 percent from growth of less than 1 percent last year. The oil division made a loss of $29 million, against a consensus analyst' forecast for a $59.5 million loss. Maersk said its breakeven price for oil production had been lowered to $40-$45 a barrel from a previous range of $45-$55. Benchmark Brent crude (LCOc1) was steady at around $45 on Wednesday morning. (Additional reporting Nikolaj Skydsgaard; Editing by Jacob Gronholt-Pedersen, Mark Potter and David Goodman) Paris (AFP) - Scientists reported Wednesday they had grown human embryos in the lab for nearly two weeks, an unprecedented feat that promises advances in assisted reproduction, stem-cell therapies and the basic understanding of how human beings form. Besides opening a window onto the first steps in the creation of an individual, the findings in parallel studies may help explain early miscarriages and why in vitro fertilisation has such a high failure rate. The research also showed for the first time that newly-forming human embryos can mature beyond a few days outside a mother's womb, something that was previously thought to be impossible. But the widely hailed results also set science on a collision course with national laws and ethical guidelines, experts cautioned. Up to now, a so-called "14-day rule" -- which says that human embryos cannot be cultured in the lab for more than two weeks -- has never been seriously challenged simply because no one had succeeded in keeping them alive that long. In this case, the scientists destroyed the embryos to avoid breaching that limit. The findings were published in Nature and Nature Cell Biology. Next to nothing is known about how the small, hollow bundle of cells called a blastocyst -- emerging from a fertilised egg -- attach to the uterus, allowing an embryo to begin to take shape. "This portion of human development" -- called implantation -- "was a complete black box," said Ali Brivanlou, a professor at The Rockefeller University in New York, and the main architect of the Nature study. Building on previous work with mice, Brivanlou and colleagues concocted a chemical soup and scaffolding to duplicate this process "in vitro", or in a petri dish. "We were able to create a system that properly recapitulates what happens during human implantation," said Rockefeller scientist and lead author Alessia Deglincerti. As hoped, the blastocyst grew, beginning to divide into the different types of cells that eventually give rise to a foetus and its placenta. Story continues But unlike earlier experiments, in which growth has rarely continued beyond seven days, the embryos showed an unexpected ability to self-organise. "Amazingly, at least up to the first 12 days, development occurred normally in our system in the complete absence of maternal input," Brivanlou said in a statement. It had long been assumed that this transformation could not persist detached from the mother's uterus. "Up to now, it has been impossible to study implantation in human embryos," said Magdalena Zernicka-Goetz, a professor at the University of Cambridge and an author for both studies. - Slippery slope - "This new technique provides us with a unique opportunity to get a deeper understanding of our own development during these crucial stages and helps us understand what happens, for example, during miscarriage." The breakthrough is also likely to provide a boost to research on the use of embryonic stem cells to treat certain diseases. "Only with this knowledge, specifically from human cells, can we control their ability to become cell types useful for drug screening or transplantation," said Gist Croft, also from Rockefeller University. Scientists not involved in the research hailed the results as a major milestone. "Both studies clearly demonstrate the incredible intrinsic ability of the embryo to organise itself as it starts to create the body plan -- even in the absence of a mother," said Harry Moore, a professor of reproductive biology at the University of Sheffield in England. Allan Pacey, also of Sheffield, said they could "revolutionise our understanding of the early events of human embryo development." Along with most experts commenting on findings, Pacey said ethical concerns are likely overblown. "It will not open the door to couples being able to grow babies in the laboratory -- this is not the dawn of a Brave New World scenario," he said. But the scientific community and regulators will still be faced with a decision on whether to lift or extend the 14-day rule, which is law in a dozen countries, and accepted practice in five others, including the United States and China. Most scientists argue for a loosening of the regulations. "Given the potential benefits of new research in infertility, improving assisted conception methods, there may be a case in the future for reconsidering this," said Daniel Brison, head of the department of reproductive medicine at the University of Manchester. But there remains a "slippery slope" problem, commented another expert. "If we do not use a 14-day rule, what limit will we use?," asked Henry Greely, director of the Center for Law and the Biosciences at the Stanford School of Medicine in California. "Twelve weeks or so as in many European abortion laws? Viability -- at around 23 weeks -- as in US abortion law?" "Human development is a seamless process," he added. "But ultimately lines need to be drawn." Star Wars returned to our lives in 2015 with the fantastic film Star Wars: The Force Awakens. But really, did it ever leave? The film series' iconic, epic main title has been playing in fans' heads ever since A New Hope scrolled onto screens in 1977. Seriously, it's impossible to think about Star Wars without the theme music bursting into your brain, and a sense of victory-against-the-odds swelling through your chest. So why is that? We spoke with David Penn, founder and editor-in-chief of Hit Songs Deconstructed (an essential source for hit songwriting trends and analysis), for an expert musicologist's look into why John Williams' main title for Star Wars is one of the most successful (a disco version actually topped the Hot 100 for two weeks in 1977), identifiable and enduring movie themes of all-time. According to Penn, the theme is "arguably the most recognizable and iconic theme in cinema history." And that's not simply a function of the film's popularity bolstering the music. Comparing the main title to the top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100 during the third quarter of 2015, Penn discovered the theme shares many structural characteristics of a mainstream hit. And while the same can be said of a few other movie themes in the post-George Lucas landscape (Williams' film compositions in particular), the Star Wars main title is especially built to "reinforce the theme's primary hook/payoff in the listener's head." Using a breakdown of the Star Wars theme provided by Hit Songs Deconstructed, we're digging into what makes Williams' "Main Title" so readily identifiable and unforgettable. Below is a graphic showing how Hit Songs Deconstructed broke the song into five parts for us (set against the Death Star). Under that, via some lightsaber action, there's a graphic showing how the various sections of the Star Wars main title correspond to a hit pop song's parts. Story continues For a deeper dive on the various sections of the song, read on. Intro Length: 0:00 - 0:08 Mood: Excitement Primary Instruments: Brass Like a mainstream hit, the intro clocks in close to 10 seconds. After the 20th Century Fox Fanfare, Star Wars opens with orchestral fanfare of its own that -- even in 8 seconds -- previews the film's central storyline of this heroic (Luke), adventurous (Han) and regal (Leia) battle against a military foe. A Section Part I Length: 0:08 - 0:26 Mood: Heroic, Adventurous Primary Instruments: Brass Following the opening fanfare of the intro, the Star Wars main title heads directly into the A section, its equivalent of a chorus. This is similar to how mainstream hits increasingly forgo a verse before the first chorus. According to Penn, the K.I.S.S. Principal (Keep It Simple and Singable) that works in pop choruses applies to the Star Wars main title's A section (only in this case "keep it hummable" is more appropriate). In the A section, rhythmic and melodic repetition abounds, with each independent melodic segment being short enough (4 to 5 notes) to encourage immediate impact and memorability. Additionally, hit songs employ what Penn calls "clever WOW factors" that accentuate the melody and make the song more memorable. The Star Wars theme has two in the A section: 1) Melodic Leaps Prior to the brass instruments hitting those massive notes of victory, the melody descends down the scale for a few notes -- so when it reaches the high notes, we notice a "pronounced sense of heroism through strong melodic leaps." 2) Coming Together At the end of each melodic phrase, the orchestra unites to play the final notes together, emphasizing "a grand sense of power" as each instrument joins forces. This ties into the movie's theme of suddenly coming back together (i.e., Han Solo returning to help Luke on the Death Star run) to achieve great goals. B Section Length: 0:26 - 0:40 Mood: Compassionate Primary Instruments: Strings The B section, like the bridge to a mainstream pop hit, switches up the feeling and pace of the theme. The heroic brass punctuations of the A section are replaced by sentimental, compassionate strings in the B section. There's more notes here and they last longer, which provides a rhythmic variance from the quick-paced A/chorus section. Even within this section, repetition occurs to maximize hummability. C Section Length: 0:40 - 0:48 Mood: Excitement Primary Instruments: Brass and strings Like the pre-chorus that ushers in the return of a chorus in a mainstream hit (78 percent of top 10 hits in the third quarter had a pre-chorus), the C section of the Star Wars main title serves to "ramp up the excitement factor via fanfare/brass instrumentation." Unlike the opening intro fanfare, this also features strings, providing consistency from the B section to the return of the A section. A Section Part II Length: 0:48 - 1:06 Mood: Heroic, Compassionate, Victorious Primary Instruments: Brass and strings When the A section returns to close out the main title, it's similar to the final chorus in a pop song: The melody repeats, but with the energy level at a new peak. Also, the background instrumentation is changed up to provide additional interest. In the case of Star Wars, this means not only does the brass of the A Section I return, but strings carry over from the B and C sections, melding the heroic mood with the compassionate tone of the B section. In terms of additional instrumentation to add aural interest, Penn points out that "rapid-fire trumpets enter the mix during the second half, which add an air of triumph and victory, bringing the listener to an excited high before the main title fades out, segueing into whatever (typically quieter) music opens the film. By Rozanna Latiff KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) - Malaysia's finance ministry said on Wednesday it would dissolve the board of advisers at 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) and take over its remaining assets, in an apparent move to scale down a state fund whose scandals have rocked the government. Prime Minister Najib Razak is facing calls to step down over 1MDB, which was his pet project and whose advisory board he chaired. The fund is now being investigated for money-laundering in at least six countries including the United States, Switzerland and Singapore. Last month, parliament's Public Accounts Committee (PAC) called for 1MDB's advisory board to be abolished, after a investigation into the fund, whose debt in January had totalled about 50 billion ringgit ($12.5 billion). The PAC criticised the board for being irresponsible but stopped short of implicating Najib. However, it said Najib, who is also finance minister, was authorised to sign off on the fund's major transactions. The prime minister has denied any wrongdoing. The ministry said in a statement ownership in 1MDB's subsidiaries and four land assets would be transferred to it. It did not say what happens to debt linked to the assets. The ministry also accepted the resignation of 1MDB's board members, who collectively stepped down last month. New members would be appointed to reflect the limited business profile of 1MDB, it said. Reuters reported last year that the fund would be left as a skeletal structure and possibly dissolved under a debt repayment plan. The ministry said it would also remove Article 117 in the fund's company articles, which requires the prime minister's written approval for all its financial commitments, including investments and matters such as appointment of the board of directors. It would also change all references of "prime minister" to "minister of finance". DEFAULT LOOMING Critics say Najib was a beneficiary of 1MDB's funds, after about $681 million was deposited in his bank account before a 2013 election. Story continues Najib and 1MDB have dismissed that. The state-appointed attorney-general said the funds were a gift from Saudi Arabia's royal family and most of it was returned. But global inquiries into 1MDB's money transfers are picking up pace and weighing on Malaysia's economy and its currency.. Swiss authorities have said about $4 billion was misappropriated. Last week, 1MDB missed a deadline to pay a $50.3 million coupon on a $1.75 billion bond following a stand-off with Abu Dhabi sovereign fund International Petroleum Investment Co (IPIC), which says 1MDB never met payment obligations. Another interest payment is due on May 11. "The change of board does not detract from broader global investigations into the finances of 1MDB which is still a residual overhang notwithstanding 1MDBs improved balance sheets after the sale of its energy assets," said Weiwen Ng, an ANZ Research economist. (Writing by Praveen Menon; Editing by Simon Cameron-Moore, Robert Birsel) Malia Obama The White House announced announced Saturday that Malia Obama will attend Harvard as a member of the class of 2021 after taking a year off before her freshman year, otherwise known as a "gap year." Gap years are gaining in popularity among American students, as the New York Times reports. For example, Harvard has seen a 33% increase in the number of students taking gap years, and MIT saw their deferments double between 2009 and 2010, according to CIEE, the world's oldest and largest nonprofit study abroad and intercultural exchange program. Whether students participate in a service program in the US, travel abroad, or work on a project, there are clear benefits to taking a gap year. According to Robert Clagett, a former dean of admissions at Middlebury College and former senior admissions official at Harvard, students who take gap years, like Obama, "will frequently be more mature, more focused, and more aware of what they want to do with their college education" when they do enroll in college. And data reflects his observations: At Middlebury, researchers found that students who took a gap year have shown a "clear pattern" of attaining higher GPA's than those that didn't take gap years, even controlling for the student's performance in high school. Beyond GPA, students experience positive results. Gap years allow students a trial period without schoolwork or the pressures of testing and deadlines to figure out what they're passionate about. For example, 98% of students who responded to a 2015 survey from the American Gap Association reported that the time off school helped them develop as a person, and 97% said taking a gap year, "increased their maturity." Additionally, 84% of respondents said that taking a gap year helped them acquire useful career skills, and 77% said that a gap year helped them find their purpose in life. Story continues To assuage the concerns of parents who may think their kids will never go back to school after taking a gap year, researchers from the American Gap Association found that 90% of students were likely to return to school within a year, and 73% of survey respondents said a gap year increased their "readiness" for college. Harvard students Plus, taking a gap year can also increase student's chances of gaining acceptance into better schools. Abby Falik, the founder of Global Citizen Year a gap year program that combines service, language learning, and travel with a capstone project told NPR that 90% of students who complete the program and re-apply to college end up in "more selective" or "better-matched" schools. Students with gap year experiences, like Nick Boulos, who spent a year in France before attending college, often give them glowing reviews. "I saw, experienced and learned so much more than I could have ever dreamed to," Boulos told The Portland Press Herald. "Not only this, but it also served as a time for me to mature, see a little bit more of the real world, and really understand the big picture of what life is by seeing so many different cultures and points of view on certain topics." But while gap years are becoming more popular, many people are still cautious. Gap years are often viewed as something only wealthier families can afford and that students from poorer backgrounds should just get on with their studies. Programs like City Year an Americorps program that places students as teaching assistants in urban public schools actually pay students a small stipend, however. Regardless of how she decides to spend her gap year, Obama is sure to benefit from the time off. NOW WATCH: These striking images show just how overcrowded China's population really is More From Business Insider Mike and Angela Johnson are two of KFCs biggest fans so much so that they indulged in the fast food fried chicken at their wedding, and during every subsequent anniversary. But what do you do when your towns only KFC shuts down and you live in the secluded and icy Canadian Northwest Territories just below the Arctic Circle? Why, you drive 870 miles and spend almost $600 in gas and food just to get KFC for your wife on your 15th anniversary.[related] Thats exactly what Mike Johnson did for his wife; now thats what we call greasy true love. You Won't Believe These Things KFC Has Fried (Slideshow) When their favorite KFC restaurant located in their small city of Yellowknife the capital of the Northwest Territories shut down, Mike noted that the nearest location of their favorite fast food restaurant was 435 miles away, in Fort Smith on the border of the Northwest Territories and Alberta. So during March break, me and my son got up early one morning, drove 700 kilometers, picked up 15 buckets of KFC and drove 700 kilometers back in one day, he told The Epoch Times. Of course, since he ordered a whopping 15 buckets of chicken, it took a little while. But Johnson said it was worth the wait and every penny to make his wife happy. Were struggling how to see the mistake can be made but a man was shot with a crossbow by a fellow hunter after he was reportedly mistaken for a wild turkey. Its believed that the 61-year-old victim was hunting the birds with a friend when he was suddenly struck in the left arm with a bolt. Police were called to the incident, near Liberty Township, Michigan shortly after dawn on Sunday. The Jackson County Sheriffs Office has since confirmed that the injured man, who is believed to be from New York, was admitted to the Henry Ford Allegiance Health Clinic, where he received treatment for serious but non life-threatening injuries. The hunter (not pictured) could now face prosecution But the hunter is set to pay the cost for his mistake after police said that they plan to seek charges against a 51-year-old man for violations arising from the incident. According to the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, hunting season for wild turkeys usually occurs between April 18 to May 31. The names of those involved have not yet been released by police. By Gopal Sharma KATHMANDU (Reuters) - Nepal's embattled Prime Minister K.P. Oli will not resign after the main Maoist party that props up his fragile coalition said on Wednesday it would try to form a new government, plunging the Himalayan nation into crisis. An aide said the 64-year-old leader, who has been in power for just eight months, would seek cross-party talks. If those fail, a no-confidence motion could follow in parliament, holding out the prospect of more uncertainty. Oli rose to power with the backing of the Maoists after promising to resolve protests against a new constitution by southern plains dwellers and to step up efforts to rebuild homes destroyed by earthquakes last year. Increasing public anger at Oli has led the Maoists - who waged a decade-long insurgency before joining mainstream politics in 2006 - to conclude that he was an obstacle to ending the constitutional standoff. Minority Madhesis, who live along the border with India, had imposed a blockade in protest at a proposal to carve Nepal into seven federal states. They say it would divide their homeland and deprive them of a fair say in running the country. "Our party has decided to form the new government and we appeal to other political parties to help us resolve the outstanding political problems in the south through talks," said Narayan Kaji Shrestha, a leader of the unified Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist). Shrestha said the main opposition Nepali Congress party had offered to support Maoist leader Prachanda to replace Oli. Oli's grip on power has been in question for months, but aide Bishnu Rimal said he would seek clarifications from the Maoists about their concerns. "We invite all political parties including the Nepali Congress and the Madhesi groups to join this cabinet to make it a national government and resolve all outstanding problems," Rimal told Reuters. RESOLVING DEADLOCK Kunda Dixit, editor of the Nepali Times, said Prachanda could resolve the deadlock in the south by bringing the Madhesi parties and the Nepali Congress on board in a government that includes major stakeholders. Prakash Sharan Mahat, a Nepali Congress lawmaker, said his party was exploring alternatives to Oli, who he said had failed to deliver on promises. Prachanda, who goes by the nom-de-guerre he used in the insurgency that means "Fierce", will need the support of Oli's Unified Marxist-Leninist Party (UML) or other groups in a fragmented parliament to form a government. "Any new government does not mean the constitutional issue will be solved like that," said Lok Raj Baral, a commentator and former diplomat. "If any new government wants to amend the constitution, then the support of the UML will be vital." The earthquakes last year killed 9,000 people and destroyed one million homes. International donors pledged $4.1 billion for reconstruction but most of it remains unspent due to political squabbling. (Additional reporting by Ross Adkin; Editing by Douglas Busvine and Robert Birsel) Washington (AFP) - An iconic image from World War II, depicting Marines raising the US flag over Iwo Jima in Japan, is undergoing new scrutiny after it emerged one of the troops in the picture may have been misidentified. In a statement late Tuesday, the US Marine Corps said it was reviewing information provided by the Smithsonian Channel related to the photograph, taken in February 1945 during the bloody battle for the Japanese island. The Smithsonian Channel is producing a documentary about the photo and examining the identity of the six men long identified as having erected the flag. The channel has given the results of its probe to the Marines, though these have not yet been made public. "With the information and research provided by the Smithsonian Channel, who used advanced digital technology to examine battle footage, the Marine Corps decided to review their photo-enhancements, film analysis, and findings. This review is still ongoing," the Marines said. The famous photograph was taken by Associated Press photographer Joe Rosenthal, who did not have time to get the names of all the troops in the shot. "Joe Rosenthal's photo captured a single moment in the 36-day battle during which more than 6,500 US servicemen made the ultimate sacrifice, and it is representative of the more than 70,000 US Marines, sailors, soldiers and Coast Guardsmen that contributed to the battle," the statement read. By Gabriela Lopez MONTERREY, Mexico (Reuters) - A maverick Mexican state governor on Wednesday tipped presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump to win the upcoming U.S. election, likening his own shock victory last year to the billionaire's ascent. An outspoken rancher known as "El Bronco" (the gruff one), Jaime Rodriguez became the first independent governor in modern Mexico, capitalizing on widespread disaffection with established parties to win Nuevo Leon state on the U.S. border. "I made a bet ... I said that Trump's going to win," Rodriguez said the day after Trump's main rival for the Republican nomination, Ted Cruz, dropped out of the race. "What's Trump doing? He's taking advantage of the anger. The whole world says Trump is mad; that's what they said about me." Speaking in Nuevo Leon's capital, Monterrey, Rodriguez said he was not a Trump fan, and would not vote for him if he had a ballot. But, he added, he had met with a group of Mexican migrants in the last few days who also told him they thought Trump would win. They had faith in a Trump presidency as the real estate mogul is known as a job creator, Rodriguez said. Once a member of Mexico's ruling Institutional Revolutionary Party, or PRI, Rodriguez won a landslide election victory in one of the country's wealthiest states last June after breaking with the PRI and running an anti-establishment campaign. The week after Rodriguez's victory, Trump launched his bid for the U.S. presidency, putting Mexico in his crosshairs and leaving the Mexican government struggling to come up with an effective strategy to counter his rhetoric. Claiming Latin America's No. 2 economy is "killing" the United States on trade, Trump has threatened to disrupt bilateral commerce worth some $500 billion a year and punish companies that move operations offshore. He has also promised to deport millions of undocumented migrants from Mexico and Central America, and force Mexico to pay for a wall on the border between the two countries. Trump's path to becoming the Republican presidential nominee received a further boost on Wednesday when U.S. media reported his last remaining challenger, Ohio Governor John Kasich, was suspending his campaign. Rodriguez is seen by political analysts as a potential candidate for the Mexican presidency in 2018. (Writing by Gabriel Stargardter; Editing by Dave Graham and Alan Crosby) When asked what he packs for Cannes, Jamie Patricof, producer on Un Certain Regard selection Captain Fantastic, quips "a tuxedo and a bathing suit." There's more than a grain of truth to those twin poles of dressing for the festival, from black tie for gala premieres to beachwear for the posh hotel pools. For the former, style consultant Andrew Weitz, a onetime Hollywood agent who caters to industry executives through The Weitz Effect, says that this season's archetypal tuxedo is the Tom Ford O'Connor, with its slim peak lapel, aka "the James Bond cut." To vary nighttime premiere looks, Canali's ivory dinner jacket with satin shawl collar pairs well with tux trousers: "It's a great option: white, South of France, Cannes Film Festival - you can't go wrong." Cannes veteran Edward Walson, a producer of this year's opening-night pick, Woody Allen's Cafe Society, brings at least three tuxes to the fest, where he typically stays up to 10 days. Tuxedo jackets do double duty with jeans for parties. "It's really the most important part of your wardrobe there," he says. Shoes-wise, Weitz prefers a slim Ferragamo patent leather slip-on, which "tends to be a lot lighter to pack than lace-ups," he says. Read More: Calvin Klein Cancels Annual Cannes Party At the other end of the sartorial spectrum, Weitz counsels men against "long, baggy board shorts," or to at least "make sure it's a 2016 version that's slim and comes above the knee." One good choice is a Retromarine seersucker that can double as a walking short. Combine it with a terry cloth polo and a Bottega Veneta slip-on sneaker in jute canvas for a yacht-worthy vibe. By day, suits and sport coats are the rule for meetings, lunches and photocalls. Sylvain Corbeil, a producer on Xavier Dolan's It's Only the End of the World, indicates there should be a formality even to casual events at Cannes: "It has a longtime tradition of being unmatched, so it's more conservative in looks." Rather than a typical navy blazer, Weitz suggests one "with more pop," like a Mediterranean-blue sport jacket from Canali in a "traveling wool" that's water-resistant to withstand a downpour and so wrinkle-free, you can ball it up. It mixes easily with khaki trousers, blue jeans or "a white cotton jean - a great look," says Weitz. As for suits, an option from Isaia in a subtle plaid in super-140s wool is "a three-in-one," says Weitz. "You can wear it as a full suit, or the jacket with a pair of slacks, or the pants with any solid shirt or jacket." Story continues CANNES CANVAS: Bottega Veneta natural slip-on; $480, at Bottega Veneta, Beverly Hills; SEERSUCKER PUNCH: Retromarine swim trunks/shorts with SPF 50 filters; $165, retromarine.nyc; PERFECT SHIRT: Tom Ford polo in cotton terry cloth; $650, at Tom Ford, Beverly Hills; FRAMED UP: Barton Perreira "Ronson" shades; $610, at Optometrix, Beverly Hills BLUES TRAVELER: Lanvin waxed linen sneakers in storm blue; $490, at Lanvin, Beverly Hills; LUXE LOAFER: Prada brown shoe; $595, at Neiman Marcus, Beverly Hills (Ribbed cotton-lisle socks; about $18, londonsockcompany.com) BLUE'S CRUISE: Weitz, photographed April 22 at the Mondrian hotel in L.A., adjusts a Canali Mediterranean-blue water-resistant wool blazer, $1,595 (with white cotton/silk trousers, $375); at Canali, Beverly Hills. Isaia cotton/linen button-down sport shirt in pale pink, $545; at Isaia, Beverly Hills A leather loafer that easily transitions from a suit to jeans in what Weitz calls "the perfect shade of brown when wearing blues and grays" can be found at Prada. (The Neon Demon director Nicolas Winding Refn seconds that: "Just remember to always wear Prada to Cannes and you can't go wrong.") For a more casual shoe, Weitz recommends the Lanvin cap-toe sneaker in a blue waxed linen. And for that European elan, Weitz likes a no-show invisible sock, like those by Calvin Klein. IVORY COAT: Canali off-white wool and silk dinner jacket with satin shawl collar; $2,050, at Canali, Beverly Hills;TOP IT OFF: Tom Ford narrow bow tie, $250; lavender cotton formal shirt, $770; silk pocket square, $165; at Tom Ford, Beverly Hills; DELUXE TUX: Tom Ford wide bow tie, $250; white cotton formal shirt, $825; narrow pocket square, $165; black superfine-wool "O'Connor" tuxedo with peak lapels, $5,460; at Tom Ford, Beverly Hills; PATENT PENDING: Salvatore Ferragamo black slip-on formal shoes in patent leather with grosgrain ribbon inset; $695, at Salvatore Ferragamo, Beverly Hills. Says Weitz: "The detail of grosgrain ribbon elevates them so they're not plain, and the shape goes elegantly with any kind of tapered or tailored tuxedo pant." LAUNCH PLAID: Isaia suit (trousers not shown), $3,795; polka-dot tie, $150; pocket square, $95; at Isaia, Beverly Hills. Ermenegildo Zegna dress shirt, $395; at Ermenegildo Zegna, Beverly Hills SOUND ROLLING: Tumi four-wheeled Alpha 2 extended trip garment bag in heavyweight nylon, with exterior compartment, zip pockets and removable interior zip pouches, $975; at Tumi, Beverly Hills Weitz's pick for packing it all in (one client told him it was "life-changing") is the Tumi Alpha 2, a sleek nylon garment-bag hybrid on wheels that's great for trips that last for more than four days. Garments hang in both directions to double up on space in a zippered compartment that also includes sections for items like shoes, which he prefers couched in shoe bags holding light plastic shoe trees. Attention to these types of details goes a long way. "In Cannes, everybody's bringing their A-game," says executive vp Paul Davidson of film distributor The Orchard. "All the events, meetings, parties and screenings have a more dramatic feel, and what you wear has got to live up to the challenge." This story first appeared in the May 13 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. To receive the magazine, click here to subscribe. By Zelie Pollon SANTA FE, N.M. (Reuters) - A man accused of kidnapping an 11-year-old girl on a Navajo reservation in New Mexico and striking her on the head with a tire iron made his initial court appearance on Wednesday to face murder and other charges related to her death, prosecutors said. Tom Begaye, Jr, 27, was arrested on Tuesday, hours after the body of 11-year-old Ashlynne Mike was found about 6 miles (9 km) south of Shiprock pinnacle - a rock formation that is a landmark of the Navajo Nation. He appeared in court on Wednesday in Farmington, New Mexico, to face federal charges of murder, kidnapping a child and committing a crime on an American Indian reservation, prosecutors said in a statement. He did not enter a plea. Navajo tribal officials previously said Mike was kidnapped on Monday in the area of Fruitland. An FBI agent in an affidavit filed along with the criminal complaint provided new details on the abduction and her slaying. Mike's 9-year-old brother told investigators the two of them got off a school bus on Monday, with two other children, and began playing in an irrigation canal, the court papers stated. Begaye, who was driving a red van, pulled up and asked the brother and sister if they needed a ride, which they accepted because Mike had hurt her foot, according to the court papers. The boy said Begaye later parked on a remote road, took Mike from the van and came back alone before ordering the boy out of the van, the court papers stated. The boy was later found wandering alone and taken to police. Investigators used a description of the van to track Begaye to a Navajo sweat lodge outside Shiprock on the tribal reservation, according to the court papers. Begaye, a resident of Waterflow, New Mexico, following his arrest told investigators he sexually assaulted the girl and hit her over the head with a tire iron, the court papers stated. He said she was still moving when he left her on the ground, where her body was later found, according to the court papers. Story continues A judge told Begaye at his court appearance he would be provided an attorney, according to the Farmington Daily Times. Representatives from the federal public defender's office said Begaye was not yet listed as their client. He faces up to life in prison if convicted and is due back in court on Friday for a hearing on the conditions of his detention. (Reporting by Zelie Pollon in Santa Fe, writing by Alex Dobuzinskis, editing by G Crosse) Satya Nadella Microsoft's cloud business may be growing faster than Amazon's gargantuan $7 billion Amazon Web Services, but it's still not enough to close a $2 billion gap between them, says Barron's. To back up its argument, Barron's took a deep dive into Microsoft's financials from its last quarterly earnings statement. For its cloud businesses, including Azure and Office 365, Microsoft only discloses year-over-year growth rates, not total revenue (to former CEO Steve Ballmer's chagrin), but Barron's made some educated guesses. Just as bad, if not worse than the Amazon competition, Barron's estimates that the Microsoft Azure cloud which lets customers rent fundamentally unlimited supercomputing resources from Microsoft's data centers on a subscription basis isn't growing fast enough to offset sinking sales of Microsoft's lucrative Windows Server and other legacy server products. But there's some good news: Despite a period of cannibalization, revenue from sales of the Office 365 cloud productivity suite to businesses is finally catching up with the boxed Office software. Here are the takeaways from the Barron's report: In the most recent quarter, Barron's estimates that Microsoft Azure generated $560 million in revenue, versus Amazon Web Services' $2.466 billion. Despite Azure's reported 120% growth over the same period in 2015, it's the second quarter in a row where there was a projected $2 billion-ish gap between Microsoft Azure and Amazon Web Services. Again despite Azure's growth, it only accounts for an estimated 12% of Microsoft's Server Products & Cloud Services revenue, which booked a 6% decline last quarter. With Server Products sinking an estimated $600 million from the last quarter, the $300 million growth in Azure couldn't offset it. Office 365 commercial revenue was $2.1 billion in the quarter, estimates Barron's, versus $3 billion for boxed Office commercial sales. As computer manufacturers shift to the newer Windows 10 operating system, Microsoft has seen less turbulence from the shrinking PC market than expected. But as we approach the one-year anniversary of Windows 10, Barron's says, that buffer will dissipate. Finally, Barron's estimates that revenue in Microsoft's Surface tablet and laptop division grew an estimated $400 million from the last quarter, versus a decline of $292 million in the Windows business. But that may not last forever, as consumers buy fewer PCs overall. Story continues Overall, it doesn't paint an especially rosy picture for Microsoft: Those Microsoft Office stats are encouraging, and Microsoft Azure is growing fast. But Amazon Web Services is the one for Microsoft to beat in the cloud market, and this all indicates that it's not gaining ground quickly enough to offset the diminishing demand for its traditional cash-cows. NOW WATCH: Microsoft has created an AI bot that captions photos and its shockingly accurate More From Business Insider Marian Reed posted this photo of her daughter, wearing the offending hairstyle, on her Facebook page. (Photo: Facebook) [NOTE: This story has been updated as of May 13 with an apology from the school. Please see below.] A mom is calling for racial sensitivity training at her daughters elementary school after the third-grader was reprimanded for having her natural hair pulled into a line of mini ponytails, or afro puffs, that administrators say violated the grooming code. She cried and said no one was going to want to be her friend because her hair was not as pretty as the assistant principals, Marian Reed, of Belton, Texas, told KCEN about her 9-year-old daughter after she was pulled out of gym class and sent home by assistant principal Madonna Lopez. And as a parent, thats heartbreaking, because thats just what God naturally gave her. Related: Tracee Ellis Ross Shares Heartfelt Video on Inner Beauty The girls school, Tarver Elementary, has a dress and grooming policy that bans hairstyles that could be interpreted as indecent or disruptive to the educational process, such as mohawks or even faux-hawks. But Reed was unmoved. It wasnt in a mohawk, she said. Its not shaved on the side or anything. She was a little girl being 9 years old. Reed, who is black, added that the schools actions seemed racist; she noted administrators were fine when her daughter wore the same style in the past but with a synthetic weave rather than her natural hair. Related: How Natural Hair Got This Woman Fired I dont believe that it was intended to be racial, she said. But I think the district as a whole may need some cultural diversity training. Reed, who is a competitive bodybuilder and could not be reached by Yahoo Beauty, implied that the school staff could use some sensitivity training too. They could have called me and discussed it with me without pulling her out of class and without having that conversation in front of her, because now shes questioning her natural image, the mom said. And at 9 years old, shes going to remember that for the rest of her life. Story continues Charla Trejo, the executive director of campus leadership for the Belton Independent School District, tells Yahoo Beauty that the motivation behind sending the girl home was for consistency purposes, as other students with similar styles have been reprimanded in the past. While Trejo will not respond directly to charges of racism, she does add, We are going to review our dress code. Its that time of the year. [UPDATE AS OF MAY 13: We did it!!!! Reed told Yahoo Beauty in a private Facebook message. The administrators involved in this incidenthave reviewed the incident and the current dress code for Belton ISD. [On Thursday] I met with them, at which time an apology was issued, as well as an admittance that they did not fully listen to my concern and complaint. Further, they took ownership of the misuse of the current dress code and recognized that it is outdated and not inclusive of all cultures. As a result, the dress code WILL be revised and the code referring to hair will be removed. Also, cultural diversity trainingwill become a part of mandatory training. I was even asked to review the remainder of the dress code to identify any other rules that may be culturally insensitive and/or offensive in its language and application. Further, she added, The principal is revamping the way that future violations of code are handled, as to not cause any emotional stress or damage to the child.] Reed had originally posted about the situation on her Facebook page after receiving the initial call from Lopez about her daughters hair. Please help me make this go viral! she wrote, along with a photo (above) of the do in question. I explained to [Lopez] that my daughters hair is natural, not shaven, and in six afro puffs because her hair doesnt lay flat. I explained to her that saying she was out of dress code for wearing a natural hairstyle is discriminatory! Not only that, but while I teach my daughter that her natural beauty is perfect, this assistant principal is giving my daughter the message that her natural beauty is not good enough! But comments on the Facebook post were mixed, with some criticizing Reed for flouting the rules. This is a great way to teach your kid that the rules dont apply to them and not to pick their battles This isnt about the texture of her hair or her race its about the style. Put some afro puffs in her hair that dont sit on top of her head in a straight row and get over it. Others shared Reeds point of view. How can we educate our children if the educators are this ignorant?! asked one. Another posted, There is nothing wrong with this childs hair. But there is something very wrong with a school singling a child out and declaring that something is wrong with how they look. Still, the situation is not exactly rare. Stories about kids being told to change their hairstyles pop up regularly such as those about teens in Georgia and Florida who were singled out for having their hair dyed an unnatural color, as well as a girl in the Bahamas who was suspended over her afro puff in February, prompting a #SupportThePuff social media campaign. And in 2014, a 12-year-old private school student in Florida blew up the Internet over reports that she was threatened with expulsion over her naturally puffy hair being a distraction. The school eventually relented. A Kansas mom is fed up and concerned about her kids` safety when they ride their school bus. She`s worried because she says a bus driver`s careless driving caused an injury to her kindergarteners face. Christina Denis said on Monday her kindergartener got off of his school bus right outside their home crying and with a bruised face. Denis is frustrated because she says her son Jordan has ADHD and is afraid to ride his school bus. RABAT (Reuters) - A Moroccan court has postponed for a week a decision on an appeal made by the owner of the country's sole oil refiner Samir against a ruling that placed it into liquidation, its lawyer said on Wednesday. The case of Samir is being closely watched by Morocco's government. Morocco would become reliant on energy imports should the refinery shut down for good, just as the North African kingdom is putting its finances on track by tackling huge deficits. Samir, controlled by Corral Petroleum Holdings, halted production last August due to financial difficulties. A court ruling had placed it into liquidation in March and named an independent trustee to run the company. Corral Holding lodged an appeal against the decision after talks with the government failed to to find a solution to the refinery's crisis. "The ruling on the appeal has been postponed until May 11," Corral Holding's lawyer Abdelkbir Tabih said. Saudi billionaire Mohammed al-Amoudi is the owner of Corral Holdings which controls 67.26 pct of Samir. Morocco's tax administration seized the company's bank accounts in August 2015, when the refinery was shut down, in pursuit of a 13 billion-dirham ($1.3 billion) tax claim. The Moroccan government has said Samir's total debt hovers around 44 billion dirhams ($4.55 billion). However, the trustee controlling Samir said last week the Commercial Court of Casablanca and the tax administration had lifted the freeze on its assets while it was working to restart production as quickly as possible. The trustee has been struggling to resume production at the company's 200,000 barrel per day complex within the three months set by the first court ruling. Morocco's government thinks restarting production would attract potential buyers for Samir. (Reporting By Aziz El Yaakoubi; Editing by Patrick Markey and Keith Weir) (Adds ING Americas, EY) May 4 (Reuters) - The following financial services industry appointments were announced on Wednesday. To inform us of other job changes, email moves@thomsonreuters.com. COMERICA INC The regional bank operator said on Tuesday that Chief Financial Officer Karen Parkhill had resigned and would be replaced by General Auditor David Duprey, effective immediately. ING AMERICAS The company, which is a part of the ING Group, appointed Andrea Puerto country representative for Colombia. ERNST AND YOUNG LLP The audit firm hired Tara Ferris from the Internal Revenue Service to advise large financial institutions on information reporting related matters. THE WORLD BANK The World Bank has appointed George Richardson head of its funding team, replacing Doris Herrera-Pol, who stepped down from the position last year. BROWN SHIPLEY The UK-based wealth management firm named Guy Healey as its new head of private banking. (Compiled by Rosmi Shaji in Bengaluru) NASA named a lake in Venezuela the lightning capital of the world. It's called Lake Maracaibo and on good nights, lighting strikes there t times per hour. "Lake Maracaibo has a unique geography and climatology that is ideal for the development of thunderstorms," University of Alabama in Huntsville research scientist Dennis Buechler told NASA. It's the largest lake in South America and the host of an average 297 thunderstorms per year. Some call it the "everlasting storm." Take a look at these 6 photos: NASA Just Named This Lake Earth's Lightning Capital NASA Just Named This Lake Earth's Lightning Capital NASA Just Named This Lake Earth's Lightning Capital NASA Just Named This Lake Earth's Lightning Capital NASA Just Named This Lake Earth's Lightning Capital NASA Just Named This Lake Earth's Lightning Capital The that strikes Lake Maracaibo is bright enough to be seen from a 250-mile distance old tales suggest colonial sailors used it to navigate. Not sure where Lake Maracaibo is? Check it out on the map here. Photo credits, in order of images: Thechemicalengineer, Ruzhugo27, Ben/CC by 2.0, Flickr/Fernando Flores, Ruzhugo27, Jorge Silva Jerusalem (AFP) - Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu denounced Wednesday what he called "poisonous" anti-Israeli propaganda in the West which he compared to Nazism, in remarks on the eve of Holocaust Remembrance Day. "What led to the Holocaust is the incitement to hatred that continues today against Israel," said Netanyahu. "Anti-Semitism didn't disappear with the death of Hitler in his bunker... propaganda in the Western world against Israel is no less poisonous than that of extremist Islam and the Arab world," he said. Netanyahu singled out "British parliamentarians, Swedish officials and opinion leaders in France" for criticism in his comments at the Yad Vashem Holocaust Remembrance Centre. "If throughout history, Jews were designated as enemies of humanity, today it is the state of the Jews that is the enemy of humanity, and this lie has no bounds," he said, referring to Israel. Recalling a recent UNESCO resolution on the status of Jerusalem, he accused the UN's cultural body of "spreading lies transforming victims into aggressors and aggressors into victims". In a brief ceremony marking the start of Holocaust Remembrance Day in Israel, six survivors lit candles in memory of the six million Jews killed by the Nazis. Israel will come to a standstill for two minutes at 10:00 am on Thursday (0700 GMT), when sirens will be sounded in memory of Jewish victims of Nazism. A 2015 study found that some 45,000 of Israel's estimated remaining 190,000 Holocaust survivors are now living in poverty. International Holocaust Remembrance Day is held on January 27 but Israel commemorates it separately on Thursday. About six million Jews died at the hands of Nazi Germany and its allies during World War II. Nicolas Noxon, an Emmy- and Peabody Award-winning documentary filmmaker for National Geographic specials and the father of Buffy the Vampire Slayer writer-producer Marti Noxon, has died. He was 79. A pioneer in nonfiction television, Noxon died Tuesday surrounded by family at his home in Westlake Village, Calif., family spokesman Steven Reich said. The cause was pancreatic cancer. In 1985, Noxon joined Dr. Robert Ballard's expedition in the North Atlantic to explore the wreck of the Titanic. The resulting National Geographic film, Secrets of the Titanic (1986), included the first images of the doomed ocean liner and became the most popular project of his career. The 51-minute documentary also served as the inspiration for James Cameron's 1997 feature. During his long association with the National Geographic, Noxon and his team won 58 Emmys. He also wrote and produced projects in association with ABC, David Wolper, Columbia Pictures Television, Metromedia and MGM, among other companies. In 2009, he was the recipient of the International Documentary Association's Pioneer Award. Read More: Marti Noxon Inks Big Overall Deal With Skydance (Exclusive) Born in London, Noxon grew up in Canada and on Cape Cod in Massachusetts. His mother, Betty Lane, was an accomplished American painter, and his father, Gerald Noxon, was a writer who in 1948 founded the film school at Boston University. He attended Putney High School in Vermont and after graduation studied filmmaking at Antioch College in Ohio and served as an editor and writer for an educational film company in Washington. In 1960, after hearing that Wolper was planning to produce documentary television for national syndication, Noxon moved to Los Angeles and joined Wolper Productions. He became a producer and writer for the original Biography series hosted by Mike Wallace. His installments included those on Winston Churchill, Amelia Earhart, Thomas Edison, Henry Ford, Clarence Darrow, John Barrymore, Teddy Roosevelt and Franklin D. Roosevelt. Story continues Noxon also wrote and produced segments for Hollywood and the Stars, Hollywood Goes to War and The Great Director series. See More: Hollywood's Notable Deaths of 2016 He gained his first opportunity to work with National Geographic when execs approached Wolper, who in turn brought in Noxon, who wrote and produced the first three National Geographic Specials when they premiered on CBS in the early 1960s. After Wolper sold his company in 1966, Noxon and partner Irwin Rosten organized the documentary department at MGM, the first such organization at a major studio. There he produced and supervised numerous natural history documentaries that were released theatrically as well as films on such diverse subjects as archaeology, forest fires and early child development. Noxon then returned to National Geographic as a writer-producer for a run of documentary specials including 1978's The Great Whales, for which he won an Emmy, and 1982's The Sharks, one of the highest-rated programs to air on PBS. In 1982, he joined ABC's Ripley's Believe It or Not as a writer and producer. Later, Noxon became executive producer of National Geographic Specials and head of the company's West Coast production facility. He also authored a book about his mother, Betty Lane: A Painter's Life, taken from her memoirs. Marti Noxon is executive producing and writing for the Bravo series Girlfriends' Guide to Divorce and Lifetime's UnREAL and is an executive producer on CBS' Code Black. Survivors also include his wife Nicky, children Christopher, Carlton, Traci and Megan and 11 grandchildren. (Adds details, quotes) ABUJA, May 4 (Reuters) - The total value of capital imported into Nigeria in the first quarter plunged to $710.97 million, a 73.79 percent decline from the same quarter a year ago, the National Bureau of Statistics said on Wednesday. Nigeria, Africa's biggest oil exporter, has been hit by its worst economic crisis in years, as low prices for crude cause government revenues to plummet. Last year, the central bank imposed currency controls to prevent a collapse of the currency, the naira. Nigeria has seen an exodus of foreign money in the last few months. In September, JP Morgan announced it would eject the country from its influential emerging markets bond index because of the currency controls. Barclays followed suit soon after. "Investors may be concerned about whether or not they will be able to repatriate the earnings from their investments, given the current controls on the exchange rate," the statistics office said. "In addition, as growth has slowed in recent quarters, there may be concerns about the profitability of such investments." A foreign exchange shortage has seen the naira drop to record lows on the parallel market in recent months. But the central bank has resisted calls from the International Monetary Fund to ease the restrictions, a stance supported by President Muhammadu Buhari. (Reporting by Camillus Eboh; Writing by Alexis Akwagyiram; Editing by Larry King) Baker HughesHalliburton Merger Falls Through: Impact on BHI Explaining Baker Hughess strategy On April 30, Halliburton (HAL) and Baker Hughes (BHI), the second and third largest oilfield service companies by market capitalization, terminated their proposed merger agreement. According to the terms of the transaction, BHI will receive a $3.5 billion termination fee from HAL following the termination. Read more about the proposed merger in Market Realists Baker Hughes-Halliburton: A critical deal for the oil industry. Following the break-up, BHI disclosed its strategies on May 2, focusing on the following points. improving efficiency by reducing costs: expected to result in $500 million in savings by the end of 2016 rationalization of its full-service model: BHI may reduce the scope of its onshore pressure pumping business in the United States increasing the range of its global sales channels for select countries optimization of its capital structure What are BHIs plans for its termination fee from Halliburton? In order to optimize its capital structure, Baker Hughes plans to repurchase shares totaling $1.5 billion and debt totaling $1 billion. BHI also plans to refinance its $2.5 billion credit facility, which expires in September 2016. The company will finance these programs through the merger termination fee it will receive from Halliburton. This move should improve BHIs balance sheet strength. Its long-term debt, which was $3.9 billion as of March 31, could fall 26% after this step. Along with debt refinancing, this change could lower BHIs interest costs. Baker Hughes is 0.11% of the SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY). Baker Hughes thinks the oilfield service industry will remain challenging due to overcapacity, commoditized pricing, and low barriers to entry. BHIs management plans to thrive in this environment through cost reductions and increased operational efficiencies. BHI reduced its headcount by 2,000 in fiscal 1Q16. In fiscal 2015, it reduced its workforce by 18,000. Also, BHI can now do away with its merger-related costs, which amounted to $102 million in 1Q16. This move could improve its earnings going forward. To learn more about Baker Hughess earnings, check out Market Realists Why Did Baker Hughess 1Q16 Earnings Miss Estimates? Story continues Following the termination of the proposed merger with Halliburton, how do Wall Street analysts rate BHIs stock? Read the next part of this series to find out. Continue to Next Part Browse this series on Market Realist: Seoul (AFP) - Recent satellite images suggest North Korea has completed the external refurbishment of a shipyard dedicated to building and launching a new class of ballistic missile submarines, a US think tank said Wednesday. While it is unlikely that any such vessel would become operational before 2020, the North's efforts to develop a working submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) is clearly "making progress", according to the US-Korea Institute at Johns Hopkins University. A credible SLBM capability would take North Korea's nuclear strike threat to a new level, allowing deployment far beyond the Korean peninsula and the potential to retaliate in the event of a nuclear attack. Last month, one of the North's experimental GORAE-class submarines carried out an SLBM test in the East Sea (Sea of Japan), launching a missile that travelled around 19 miles (30 kilometres). South Korea deemed the test a failure as the missile appeared to have exploded, but analysts at the US Korea Institute said it was a success. "It was probably intended to be limited, focusing upon the submarine's launch systems, missile ignition sequence and initial guidance operations rather than a full operational test," it said, predicting further similar launches this year before a "full-range" flight test. Satellite pictures dated April 28, five days after the test, showed post-launch maintenance activity being carried out on the submarine at the North's Sinpo South Shipyard. They also indicated that external work on the yard's submarine construction halls had been completed, and a ramp where new vessels are launched was nearly finished, the institute said. "When complete, the North will be able to build and launch submarines much larger than the GORAE-class -- including a new class of ballistic missile submarines," it added. South Korea is particularly concerned by the North's SLBM development, and its defence minister, Han Min-Koo warned Tuesday that Seoul had been slow to respond. "I don't think there's much time left for us to come up with means to cope with the threat from North Korea's SLBM," Han told a parliamentary committee. SEOUL (Reuters) - North Korea said on Wednesday a campaign was helping to cut the number of smokers, although its leader Kim Jong Un is frequently seen with a cigarette in hand in photographs in state media. The government has cut the total area planted with tobacco "as much as possible" and health warnings are required on cigarette packs, the North's official KCNA news agency said. "The number of non-smokers is remarkably increasing with each passing day," KCNA said, adding the number of male smokers was 8 percent lower in 2013 compared with four years earlier. The news agency made no mention of leader Kim's habit and the fact that he is frequently seen with a cigarette in hand in public, including at an event where he declared success in miniaturizing a nuclear warhead while standing next to a large object that looked to be a ballistic missile. Kim's father, Kim Jong Il, was also believed to be a heavy smoker, seen puffing on a cigarette on state media in 2009, a year after he was thought to have suffered a stroke, despite claiming several years earlier to have quit. The elder Kim died in December 2011 of a heart attack while on a train, the North's state media said. (Reporting by Jack Kim; Editing by Robert Birsel) LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESSWIRE / May 4, 2016 /Notis Global, Inc. (NGBL), a pioneer in the worldwide hemp and cannabidiol (CBD) oil industry, today issued a press release regarding progress on its "Farm" in Colorado. 2016 has been a pivotal year for Notis Global. Through Notis Global's subsidiary EWSD I, LLC ("EWSD"), and its partner Folium Biosciences, one of the nation's leading growers and processors of hemp products, based in Colorado Springs, Colorado, the Company has made significant progress towards creating its first crop of the highest quality hemp for hemp oil production. Throughout the winter and spring the managers and the employees of the Farm have constructed new or rehabilitated the existing farmhouse office and greenhouse structures on our land in Pueblo Colorado including grading the land and erecting security fences along with upgrading wells and piping for water. State of the art temperature, circulation and humidity controls along with appropriate drainage have all been installed and are operational in 36,000 square feet of greenhouses according to Jeff Goh President and CEO. See a recently updated video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ouDXJHZHqJc. The primary function of the greenhouses is to grow "mother plants" which are then cloned and grown as genetically identical plants which are cultivated into an exceptional product. The cloned plants have grown and will continue to grow very quickly in the Farm's superior conditions. "While the weather is still cool in Colorado it is getting much warmer and we expect to begin planting on May 15th according to SVP of Operations, Clint Pyatt. Notis Global has the knowledge and unique expertise to create a truly world-class operation with our partners growing crops and manufacturing products from hemp farmland and to market, sell and distribute CBD oil. About Notis Global Based in Los Angeles, Notis Global is a pioneer in the burgeoning, multi-billion dollar legal hemp industry. The Company and its partners are working to grow confidence and generate revenues in the hemp industry. Through our key partnership with Folium Biosciences, one of the largest hemp operations in the U.S., Notis is a leading provider and distributor of cannabidiol (CBD). For more information on the Company, please visit http://NotisGlobal.com. Story continues Safe Harbor Statement Certain statements in this press release constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the federal securities laws. Words such as "may," "might," "will," "should," "believe," "aim," "expect," "anticipate," "estimate," "continue," "predict," "forecast," "project," "plan," "intend," "goal," "strive," or similar expressions, or statements regarding intent, belief, or current expectations, are forward-looking statements. While the Company believes these forward-looking statements are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on any such forward-looking statements, which are based on information available to us on the date of this release. These forward looking statements are based upon current estimates and assumptions and are subject to various risks and uncertainties, including without limitation those set forth in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC"), and including not limited to Risk Factors relating reflected in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the Commission on April 13, 2016. Thus, actual results could be materially different. We advise you review our Annual Report and the Risk Factors set forth therein. The Company expressly disclaims any obligation to update or alter statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law. Our audited financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2015, were prepared under the assumption that we would continue our operations as a going concern. Our independent registered public accounting firm has included a "going concern" explanatory paragraph in its report on our financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2015, indicating that we have sustained substantial losses from continuing operations and have used, rather than provided, cash in our continuing operations, and that these factors raise substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern. Continued operations and our ability to continue as a going concern are dependent on our ability to obtain additional funding in the near future and thereafter, and there are no assurances that such funding will be available at all or will be available in sufficient amounts or on reasonable terms. Our financial statements do not include any adjustments that may result from the outcome of this uncertainty. Uncertainty concerning our ability to continue as a going concern may hinder our ability to obtain future financing. Without additional funds from generation of revenues through execution of our business plan, debt or equity financings, sales of assets, or other transactions, we will exhaust our resources and will be unable to continue operations. If we cannot continue as a viable entity, our stockholders would likely lose most or all of their investment in us. See Liquidity and Capital Resources under Item 7. Management's Discussion and Analysis in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for further information regarding the Company's efforts to secure liquidity and future cash flows. The Company has granted to an investor a lien against its equity interests in EWSD and its other assets as security for repayment of a note in the amount of approximately $225,000 and retains the right to pledge all or any part of its real or personal property to secure Company's indebtedness in its sole discretion. If the Company is unable to meet the obligation that gave rise to this lien or to future liens on such stock and assets, it may default on such obligation or on future obligations and its lenders could foreclose upon, or cause the sale of, the Company's ownership of EWSD. SOURCE: Notis Global, Inc. (Adds quotes from Obama, Michael Moore, background) By Timothy Gardner FLINT, Mich., May 4 (Reuters) - President Barack Obama sipped filtered water in Flint, Michigan, on Wednesday and assured angry residents that their children would be fine in the long term despite the "complete screw-up" that contaminated their drinking water with lead. Obama made the trip to the mostly African-American community to demonstrate that the water there was safe even as he predicted it would take more than two years to replace the city's aging pipes. Flint, with a population of about 100,000, was under control of a state-appointed emergency manager in 2014 when it switched its water source from Detroit's municipal system to the Flint River to save money. The city switched back in October. The river water was more corrosive than the Detroit system and caused more lead to leach from its aging pipes. Lead can be toxic, and children are especially vulnerable. "This was a man made disaster. This was avoidable. This was preventable," Obama told a crowd at a local high school. "Flint's recovery is everybody's responsibility, and I'm going to make sure that responsibility is met." The president urged parents to ensure their children were tested for lead and said residents should run their taps frequently to flush out remaining pollutants. DRINKS THE WATER After coughing repeatedly during his remarks, he asked for a glass of water, and drank it in front of the crowd. Earlier he sipped from a glass of filtered Flint water during a meeting with regulators. The White House had said that it did not know if the president would drink filtered Flint water. Obama said the crisis had resulted from government officials at all levels not paying attention. Questions linger over whether environmental regulators could have acted more urgently to help the city, where more than 40 percent of its residents live in poverty. Susan Hedman, the EPA's Midwest chief and an Obama appointee, resigned in February amid concern that she had not acted quickly on a June 2015 memo from agency scientist Miguel Del Toral that said tests showed high lead levels in water from Flint homes. Story continues Last month, lawyers representing residents of Flint filed a $220.2 million damages claim alleging that negligence on the part of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency had contributed to dangerous lead levels in the city's water. Three Michigan state and local officials were criminally charged in April in an investigation into lead levels in Flint's water, and the state attorney general said there would be more charges. Many residents have blamed Michigan's Republican governor, Rick Snyder, who was greeted by boos from the crowd. "You didn't create this problem, government failed you," Snyder said. Oscar-winning documentary filmmaker and Flint native Michael Moore disputed Obama's assurances about the quality of the water. "A number of experts are still saying this water is not safe. It's still going through the same corroded lead pipes," he said on CNN, describing Obama's visit as "too little, too late." Obama, going off his prepared remarks, told members of the community that their anger was understandable, but he urged them not to let their children believe they would be hurt for life. "You should be angry, but channel that anger. You should be hurt, but don't sink into despair," he said. "Do not somehow communicate to our children here in this city that they're going to be saddled with problems for the rest of their lives. Because they will not. They'll do just fine." The EPA, whose budget has been squeezed by Congress, acknowledges there are issues with its lead and copper rule that need to be addressed to prevent similar crises in other cities. The agency has said it would propose changes to the rule early next year. (Additional reporting by Jeff Mason and Eric Walsh; Editing by Leslie Adler, Toni Reinhold) By Timothy Gardner FLINT, Mich. (Reuters) - President Barack Obama sipped filtered water in Flint, Michigan, on Wednesday and assured angry residents that their children would be fine in the long term despite the "complete screw-up" that contaminated their drinking water with lead. Obama made the trip to the mostly African-American community to demonstrate that the water there was safe even as he predicted it would take more than two years to replace the city's aging pipes. Flint, with a population of about 100,000, was under control of a state-appointed emergency manager in 2014 when it switched its water source from Detroit's municipal system to the Flint River to save money. The city switched back in October. The river water was more corrosive than the Detroit system and caused more lead to leach from its aging pipes. Lead can be toxic, and children are especially vulnerable. "This was a man made disaster. This was avoidable. This was preventable," Obama told a crowd at a local high school. "Flint's recovery is everybody's responsibility, and I'm going to make sure that responsibility is met." The president urged parents to ensure their children were tested for lead and said residents should run their taps frequently to flush out remaining pollutants. DRINKS THE WATER After coughing repeatedly during his remarks, he asked for a glass of water, and drank it in front of the crowd. Earlier he sipped from a glass of filtered Flint water during a meeting with regulators. The White House had said that it did not know if the president would drink filtered Flint water. Obama said the crisis had resulted from government officials at all levels not paying attention. Questions linger over whether environmental regulators could have acted more urgently to help the city, where more than 40 percent of its residents live in poverty. Susan Hedman, the EPA's Midwest chief and an Obama appointee, resigned in February amid concern that she had not acted quickly on a June 2015 memo from agency scientist Miguel Del Toral that said tests showed high lead levels in water from Flint homes. Last month, lawyers representing residents of Flint filed a $220.2 million damages claim alleging that negligence on the part of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency had contributed to dangerous lead levels in the city's water. Three Michigan state and local officials were criminally charged in April in an investigation into lead levels in Flint's water, and the state attorney general said there would be more charges. Many residents have blamed Michigan's Republican governor, Rick Snyder, who was greeted by boos from the crowd. "You didn't create this problem, government failed you," Snyder said. Oscar-winning documentary filmmaker and Flint native Michael Moore disputed Obama's assurances about the quality of the water. "A number of experts are still saying this water is not safe. Its still going through the same corroded lead pipes," he said on CNN, describing Obama's visit as "too little, too late." Obama, going off his prepared remarks, told members of the community that their anger was understandable, but he urged them not to let their children believe they would be hurt for life. "You should be angry, but channel that anger. You should be hurt, but don't sink into despair," he said. "Do not somehow communicate to our children here in this city that they're going to be saddled with problems for the rest of their lives. Because they will not. Theyll do just fine." The EPA, whose budget has been squeezed by Congress, acknowledges there are issues with its lead and copper rule that need to be addressed to prevent similar crises in other cities. The agency has said it would propose changes to the rule early next year. (Additional reporting by Jeff Mason and Eric Walsh; Editing by Leslie Adler, Toni Reinhold) The United States Oil Fund (USO) , which tracks West Texas Intermediate crude oil futures, is down more than 2% over the past week, but with the benchmark oil exchange traded product up more than 20% over the past three months, some traders and technicians see USOs recent down move as an opportunity to revisit the product. Remember, USO and other oil ETFs, such as the United States Brent Oil Fund (BNO) , which tracks Brent crude oil futures, have been surging despite little in the way of significant output reductions from major oil-producing nations, such as the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC). The International Energy Agency (IEA) projects oil stocks to expand by 1.5 million barrels per day in the first six months of 2016 and then slow to 200,000 barrel per day in the second half of the year due to a drop in high-cost production, like U.S. shale oil. Related: 12 Rebounding Energy ETFs Moreover, the IEA has warned that it may even lower oil demand forecasts amid slowing economic activity, which seems more likely after the International Monetary Fund already cut its global economic outlook. For now, the IEA has not made significant revisions to its demand forecasts in light of the recent IMF growth projections. Still, there are plenty of factors to consider before coming to the conclusion that oil and the related exchange traded products are completely out of the woods. Earlier this month, Saudi Arabia and Iran failed to find common ground during the oil freeze talks in Doha, Qatar. Trending on ETF Trends Dollar Declines Mean Go-Go Days for Commodities ETFs Gold ETF Holdings Expand as Technical Resistance Looms 32 Best ETFs to Track Crude Oil Gold ETF Traders Should Keep These 5 Factors in Mind U.S. Dollar ETF Heading Toward Strong Period The USO oil ETF remains firmly in bullish territory. The pullback is thus far run-of-the-mill and has yet to shatter any significant support levels. A retracement to the 20-day moving average is as normal as it gets leaving little for oil bulls to get worked up about, according to InvestorPlace. Story continues Oil companies are reducing costs by laying off thousands of workers and halted many new projects. Related: 32 Best ETFs to Track Crude Oil Large integrated oil companies are expected to hold up better than drilling stocks as these giants have both upstream exploration and production, along with downstream refining operations. Lending further weight behind a bullish forecast for USO is the momentum confirmation accompanying its last swing high. The new peak in USO at $11.50 was accompanied by a new high being carved out by the Relative Strength Index, which suggests the momentum of oils budding uptrend remains strong, adds InvestorPlace. Visit ETFtrends.com for more ETF news, strategy and commentary.United States Oil Fund Donald Trump Donald Trump praised Ted Cruz on Tuesday after the Texas senator dropped out of the Republican presidential race, following a big loss to the real-estate magnate in the Indiana primary. "Ted Cruz, I don't know if he likes me or if he doesn't like me, but he is one hell of a competitor," Trump said during his victory speech from Trump Tower in New York. "He is a tough, smart guy. And he has got an amazing future." "I want to congratulate Ted," he continued, commending him on a "very brave thing to do." For Trump, it was a sharp turn from months of escalating attacks on the senator he attempted to brand as "Lyin' Ted." Even earlier on Tuesday, Trump made headlines by claiming that Cruz's father, Rafael Cruz, was somehow linked to the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. Cruz later fired back some of his harshest criticism of Trump in response. Trump went on to mock John Kasich, the Ohio governor, for staying in the race, although he did not mention him by name. Kasich is the lone remaining candidate facing Trump in the GOP race. "Down to one," Trump said. "I don't know, is there a second? I'm going to have to ask you folks the status of that." NOW WATCH: Argentina is trolling Trump to hype a big international soccer tournament More From Business Insider jeff teper sharepoint microsoft Today, Microsoft ends years of waiting by announcing that a SharePoint app is coming soon for iPhone, followed by apps for Windows 10 and Android. With the launch of this app, SharePoint's 190 million-license business will finally join the rest of Microsoft Office suite in the so-called "cloud first, mobile first" vision laid out by Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella. SharePoint is Microsoft's team collaboration product, and does a lot of different things you can share information on it, use it for a corporate intranet, search company documents stored in a bunch of different places, and much more. It's the kind of multi-purpose enterprise product that startups like Box love to pick on, but it's a huge product for Microsoft, generating more than $3 billion a year in revenues for the company. In addition to announcing these apps, Microsoft is officially releasing the latest version, SharePoint Server 2016. Cloud first This news also is a kind of homecoming for Microsoft Corporate VP Jeff Teper: He led SharePoint from its inception in 2000 through 2012, at which point he took a bigger-picture role in helping to lead the crucial Office 365 cloud service. He was also tasked with advising Nadella on the company's cloud shift. In late 2015, Teper rejoined SharePoint to lead it forward into the future, amid mounting competition from collaboration companies like Box and Slack. In his abscence, Teper says, the SharePoint team was more concerned with reliability and stability than advancing the product into the modern era of the smartphone even as apps like Microsoft Outlook have thrived on platforms like iPhone and Android. "When I came back last summer, the team was focused on earning the trust of businesses by making it work great," Teper says. "The biggest thing we've been working on is getting it into the cloud." sharepoint server 2016 home page Around 40 percent of SharePoint's 190 million seats (industry-speak for licenses sold) are using the Office 365 cloud version, Teper says, and he only expects that to increase. That means that those users are getting new updates to SharePoint, as a subscription model, plus the ability to access their files and sites from anywhere. Story continues Still, lots of customers use SharePoint with their on-premises servers, meaning it can be hard to access them when not connected to the corporate intranet. With SharePoint Server 2016, Teper says that it's much easier for all of SharePoint's customers to make their team sites accessible from anywhere, which is important with the new smartphone app. On both the desktop and mobile, SharePoint is designed to be the "central piece" of your working life, with deep integrations with the whole Office 365 suite, Teper says. A new SharePoint homepage can make it easier to see the integrations with other Office products. sharepoint iphone microsoft The iPhone version is available "in the coming weeks," with Android and Windows after that. That means full access to your team's files, calendars, and announcements news feed, from anywhere. Teper says that it's like "putting the intranet in your pocket." Teper also boasts of SharePoint's newfound integration with the Microsoft Graph, which is a little bit like the famed Facebook Social Graph for the workplace. It means that on mobile and desktop, SharePoint will automatically prioritize and show you the documents and project files that are relevant to you at that moment. "You no longer have to hunt for information, information hunts for you," Teper says. Serious business This news is going to make some waves: You might never guess from its status as a team-collaboration tool for the enterprise, but SharePoint has a huge and vibrant community of developers and enthusiasts. One key to its success is the fact that you can customize it to do all sorts of things. Teper even says that people have had their careers made by how well and quickly they built a SharePoint site, impressing their bosses. "I think that SharePoint was this magical app that did stuff out of the box, but could be adapted to specific needs," Teper says. Microsoft says that its partners have created a $10 billion economy around SharePoint, selling installation, customization, and migration services. And people actually love SharePoint, attending parties and mixers all over the globe to meet up with like-minded folks and pick up tips on how to use it even better. Those parties apparently get pretty wild, Teper says. "When it's time for happy hour, people have a 'SharePint,'" Teper says. "This is serious business." NOW WATCH: This handy tool solves one of the most annoying problems in Excel More From Business Insider Robin Rankin and people at Milken Global Dealmaking in 2016 has been like riding a wild bronco one minute you're on, the next you're off. Enter Robin Rankin, Credit Suisse's cohead of mergers and acquisitions. Business Insider sat down with her at the Milken Global Conference in Los Angeles on Tuesday, and instead of going through a laundry list of questions, we asked her to tell us what really matters what is the most important question facing the M&A market? Here you go, the question now is: When is it going to be the right time to reenter emerging markets and Europe? You'll recall the first quarter of this year, when markets, led by China, started to crash. Commodities crashed too, taking emerging markets down with them. Everyone thought it was the end of days that's the kind of cataclysmic movement that changes dealmaking. "It's not as if [companies] number three and four [in a sector] are not going to get together because of Brexit or the [US presidential] election," Rankin told Business Insider. It's the kind of portfolio pounding market action we saw in the first quarter that compels people like Rankin to tell their clients to hold on for a moment and wait for things to calm down. That is despite the fact that corporate balance sheets are still fat, business prospects haven't changed much, and they've done an incredible amount of work to prepare for their big deal day. The new hotness is the old hotness See, what really runs the money flow show is less investor uncertainty, and more a country's or sector's growth prospects. That's why since the volatility of Q1 has subsided, we've been seeing dealmaking increase steadily month after month. We're not seeing the megadeals of last year, but we're seeing $1 billion to $10 billion deals that Rankin says are much more "sustainable." And we've seen funds flowing out of China the source of Q1's volatility and into the United States. Chinese companies have been bidding for US assets at the fastest pace on record. Story continues "What's driving the China outbound [activity] is a desire for diversification," she explained. Anbang group That's why Rankin and her team have changed what they're doing. Instead of doing presentations about opportunities in the so-called BRIC countries (like Brazil, which is having an awful time of 2016) they are telling would-be buyers about what is going on the the US "If you're not meaningful in The States you're missing an extraordinarily large customer base, and the one thing we don't know is when European activity is going to pick up," she said. Now, none of this means that having the Fed raise rates, having a Brexit decision or having the US presidential election behind us won't give corporations a nudge, it probably will. But the questions we're dealing with here are much bigger, ultimately, so for now the market will have to work with smaller deals. "I think we have to be optimists in our business," said Rankin. "I think people would do well if there was a more exciting growth profile. Right now it's too slow growth...what's the next big thing? It's not obvious." NOW WATCH: How one simple mistake cost 'Real Housewives' superstar Bethenny Frankel millions More From Business Insider UNICEF Goodwill ambassador Orlando Bloom has traveled to war-torn eastern Ukraine to raise awareness of a global education crisis which faces children in humanitarian emergencies. The actor visited school children in classrooms around three kilometers from the front line of the conflict which started over two years ago. In Ukraine, nearly 600,000 children are in urgent need of aid and 230,000 have been forced to leave their homes. One in five schools and kindergartens in the region has been damaged and destroyed - and that's left 300,000 children in immediate need of assistance to continue their education. Bloom's visit came as it was announced that nearly a quarter of the world's school aged children - some 462 million - now live in countries affected by crisis and war. The "Pirates of the Caribbean" star said the amount of humanitarian aid given internationally to education is insufficient. Bloom also visited a damaged building now being used as a bomb shelter and met school children who are receiving counseling from UNICEF-supported psychologists, to help them recover from the traumas they have faced during the conflict. Http%3a%2f%2fi.blueprint.mashable.com%2firy_lomoxjes2v_tuho3xvdkswy%3d%2fblueprint-api-production.s3.amazonaws.com%2fuploads%2fcard%2fimage%2f79598%2fjellyfish-lake-thumb WELLINGTON, New Zealand The big question at Palau's Jellyfish Lake: Where are all the jellyfish? Part of a UNESCO World Heritage area, the saltwater lake has long been a source of wonder for tourists, who have delighted in snorkeling among the millions of golden jellyfish that can fill the water as thick as corn chowder. But some tourists in recent weeks have struggled to find even a single jellyfish, prompting at least one tour operator to suspend its trips. SEE ALSO: Stunning island nation of Palau will make most of its seas a huge sanctuary Scientists blame a severe drought, coupled with hotter temperatures caused by the El Nino weather pattern, a warming of parts of the Pacific Ocean that changes weather worldwide and tends to push up global temperatures. Image: J.W. Alker / picture-alliance / dpa / Associated Press While scientists say there's every chance jellyfish numbers will rebound when conditions improve, they also worry that global warming poses a long-term threat to the delicate ecosystem of Palau, a tiny western Pacific island chain. "Just the past couple of weeks, the numbers have drastically declined," said Collin Joseph, a coastal manager for Palau's Koror State. He said the adult jellyfish have pretty much died out completely, while some juveniles remain. The decline is particularly concerning because the jellyfish in the lake are a unique subspecies that have developed in isolation from their lagoon ancestors. Koror State Governor Yositaka Adachi last week decided to keep the lake open, at least for now. He said in a statement that rainfall in the area over the past four months was the lowest in 65 years, but that there remained enough polyps, which produce jellyfish, to ensure the population could eventually recover. But some aren't waiting for that. "Many tour companies including ours that have been taking guests to the lake have not seen any jellyfish," Sam's Tours wrote in an April 22 note to its sales partners. "We at Sam's Tours have therefore decided to suspend our tours to Jellyfish Lake with immediate effect until further notice." Story continues Image: Reinhard Dirscherl/ullstein bild / Getty Images Scientists are still trying to figure out exactly how the hot and dry conditions are affecting the jellyfish. Governor Adachi wrote that the lack of rain had reduced runoff into the lake, which had affected the tiny plants and animals the jellyfish consume. The Coral Reef Research Foundation also noted the lack of rain had caused the lake to become saltier than ever previously recorded, in monitoring which dates back to 1998. SEE ALSO: Dazzling photos from a Pacific marine sanctuary larger than California "The exact cause of the decline in the population of golden jellies is not yet understood, but it is clear at present that young [jellyfish] are not surviving very long after release by the bottom-dwelling polyp stage," the foundation wrote in an April Facebook post. It added: "The golden jelly population could be on the verge of crashing" to the point where there were no more swimming about the lake. The foundation noted the population had crashed once before, in 1999, but had rebounded 18 months later because some polyps had survived. Image: Coral Reef Foundation / Facebook Jellyfish Lake is unusual in being a small body of seawater surrounded by land. Channels to the sea remain deep in the limestone rock beneath the lake. Below about 13 meters (40 feet), the lake has little oxygen and high concentrations of hydrogen sulfide, making it dangerous for scuba divers. Due to their isolation from the ocean, five marine lakes in the area have produced five different subspecies of golden jellyfish. Scientists say a common myth about the jellyfish in the lake is that they don't sting, when in fact they can give swimmers a mild sting, which can be compounded by prolonged exposure. Image: Benjamin Lowy / Contributor / Getty Images Los Angeles-based photographer and model Amber Arbucci discovered that in 2013, when she completed a seven-hour naked photo shoot in the lake for her collection "The Girl at Jellyfish Lake." "I was so stung my eyes were swollen and I could barely walk," she told The Wall Street Journal. She wrote on her website, however, that she still found the jellyfish filled with charm "powerful, and yet so fragile all at the same time." Image: Benjamin Lowy / Contributor / Getty Images Additional reporting by Mashable. The parents of a baby boy who was born with a total of 31 fingers and toes have made a desperate plea to the public to raise funds for surgery. Three-month-old Hong Hong suffers from polydactylism, a congenital condition characterised by extra fingers or toes. He has a total of 15 fingers, 16 toes and two palms with no thumbs on either hand. In the family: Hong Hongs mother also has extra digits (CEN) Severe: The boy has 31 fingers and toes (CEN) Zou Chenglin, Hong Hongs dad, said his wife, who works in a factory in Shenzhen City, China, also has polydactylism - although her case is not as severe. He said: My wife has one extra finger and toe on each of her hands and feet, so we were worried that our child would inherit the condition. "But after going to three big hospitals in Shenzhen, doctors found no birth defects on our son during scans. Operation: Hong Hong can have surgery to remove the digits when he is six months old (CEN) Plea: The boys parents are trying to raise money for the procedure (CEN) However, the couple were shocked when Hong Hong was born with multiple extra digits, although doctors said they could operate on him when he is between six months and a year old. Now they are seeking help from local charities and public donations to raise funds for the operation, which could cost anywhere between 10,600 and 53,000. Top pic: CEN Patton Oswalt is working to preserve his wife Michelle McNamaras memory for their daughter Alice, after the crime writers unexpected death last month. She approached motherhood with the same bemused optimism she met everything else with, Oswalt tells PEOPLE in this weeks issue. She loved being a mother. McNamara, founder of the website True Crime Diary, died in her sleep April 21 at age 46. Oswalt, who wed McNamara in 2005, says his wife knew how hard parenting was, but that she faced those challenges head on for Alice, 7. She was always honest about what frustrated her and exhausted her about it, as well as what her apprehensions were about raising a daughter, especially in this world, says Oswalt, 47. She taught me it was okay to be honest and open about those seemingly negative things because, once you gave voice to them? They didnt seem too bad. For more on how Patton Oswalt is honoring his wife Michelle McNamara, pick up this weeks issue of PEOPLE, on newsstands Friday One of the things Oswalt admired most about his wife were the creative ways she introduced Alice to a wider world. She made being a parent fun, which Im struggling to continue through this shipwreck, he says. Reading every night, and planning cool trips, and always scouring the Internet for out-of-the-way weekend activities around Los Angeles. And she has a sprawling legion of Irish siblings, cousins, nieces and nephews. Our daughter, through her, got very comfortable very quickly with meeting different people. Oswalt admits he has a tendency to get a little hermit-like and that his wife helped encourage him to be around people more. She saw how opening up to other people and experiences Id normally avoid made me calmer and stronger. But she was fighting back against 34 years of my bad habits, says Oswalt. Alice had the benefit of learning from Michelles example from the get-go. Now its up to me to carry that on. I would be beyond happy if Alice were 80 percent Michelle and maybe 20 percent me. The 20 percent will probably be pop culture knowledge, but Im doing what I can. As for Alice, Oswalt says that she is honoring her mom in her own way. When your mom dies youre the best memory of her, Alice said, according to a tweet Oswalt shared Sunday. Everything you do is a memory of her. Gone but never forgotten. In an article written for Time.com, Patton Oswalt paid tribute to his late wife, Michelle McNamara. PHOTOS: Celebrity Deaths in 2016: Stars Weve Lost In the piece, published on Tuesday, May 3, the comedian, 47, looked back on the legacy left by his love, who died in her sleep at the age of 46 on April 21. "The reaction to her passing, the people who are shocked at her senseless absence, is a testament to how she steered her life with joyous, wicked curiosity," he wrote of McNamara, who he wed in 2005. "She hasn't left a void. She's left a blast crater." The Veep actor also highlighted McNamaras many career accomplishments, from working for Michelle Obama in the '90s to the founding of her popular blog, TrueCrimeDiary.com. Oswalt also detailed the origins of McNamaras true-crime book about the unsolved multiple-homicide case of the Golden State Killer, a project she unfortunately failed to finish before her untimely death. PHOTOS: Stars Gone Too Soon The King of Queens alum then went on to explain how he sees Michelle in their 7-year-old daughter, Alice. "Five days after Michelle was gone, Alice and I were half-awake at dawn, after a night of half-sleeping. Alice sat up in bed. Her face was silhouetted in the dawn light of the bedroom windows, he shared. I couldnt see her expression. I just heard her voice: 'When your mom dies youre the best memory of her. Everything you do and say is a memory of her.' Thats the kind of person Michelle created and helped shape. That was Michelle. That is Michelle. Celebrity Health Scares Shortly after McNamara passed away, Oswalts rep told the Associated Press that her death came as a complete shock to the family. According to The Hollywood Reporter, it might be months until officials know why McNamara died as tests and toxicology reports are ongoing. What Do Analysts Expect from PBF Energy's 1Q16 Earnings? (Continued from Prior Part) PBFs stock performance PBF Energys (PBF) stock continued its falling trend from December 2015 and got off to a weak start in 2016. However, PBF started rising in February 2016. From February 8 to April 18, PBFs stock rose 20%. During this period, refining cracks started strengthening. The refining margin indicators of major refining companies also showed improvement. During the same period, Phillips 66 (PSX) and HollyFrontier (HFC) rose 12% and 13%, respectively. Delek US Holdings (DK) gained 17%. For exposure to mid-cap stocks, you can consider the iShares Core S&P Mid-Cap ETF (IJH). The ETF also has HFC in its portfolio. PBFs recent acquisitions PBF Energy (PBF) is on an acquisitions spree. The company acquired the Chalmette refinery and related logistics assets in November 2015 for $322 million plus working capital. Also, PBF signed an agreement to purchase the Torrance refinery from ExxonMobil (XOM) for $537.5 million plus working capital to be valued at closing. To finance its acquisitions, PBF raised funds via a mixture of debt and equity. PBF raised $344 million by issuing equity and $500 million by offering senior secured notes. The acquisitions are expected to enhance PBFs refining capacities as well as its logistics capabilities. The refining capacity of the Chalmette refinery stands at 189,000 barrels per day, whereas that of the Torrance refinery stands at 155,000 barrels per day. Both are high-complexity refineries that are expected to provide a strong foothold in PADD 3 and PADD 5 areas. Plus, the associated logistics assets are likely to improve connectivity across the region. They are also likely to provide drop-down opportunities for PBF Logistics (PBFX). Continue to Next Part Browse this series on Market Realist: CBS Person of Interest opened its final season right where it left off (almost a full year ago), with Reese felling all in his path as he safeguarded the Machine, now compressed into a (near-)indestructible briefcase. RELATEDPerson of Interest Final Season Preview: Finch vs. Root, Samaritans New Tricks, a Questionable Allegiance and More When morning comes, Reese meets up with Finch at a ferry, which will provide them transport to Manhattan away from any cameras, though Finch is a bit uneasy about the boat, given his past with Grace. But time is a-wasting, especially with the Machines battery dying, its crunched code screaming to be decompressed, somehow, back at the subway bunker. Root meanwhile labors to make her own way to safety, but Samaritan spies her inside a subway car and sics some civilian assets on the enemy combatant by way of some cell phone push notifications. Root bests those who confronts her, and ultimately makes her way to Bela, a Russian uber-hacker who offers safe harbor, for a moment at least. Over at the NYPD, Fusco is on the hook for the deaths of two most wanted kingpins, Elias and Dominic. And though he at first insists to IA and the FBI that he never fired his gun, that a sniper shot Dominic instead, Reese later convinces his partner to drop his defense, lest he raise too many flags and Samaritan gets wise. PHOTOSPerson of Interest Final Season: Shaws Return, Shot Machine and More In flashbacks to 2006, we learn see that upon realizing that the nascent Machine was becoming too precocious, Finch decided to erase its RAM every night at midnight, as a safeguard. If an unbridled AI ever saw us as a threat, it could lead to the extinction of mankind, he warns Nathan, who in turn wonders if Harold is willing to run the risk of someone else one day developing an ASI. When Harold shares his employee with boundary issues dilemma with Grace, she encourages him to follow his good heart. It wont steer you wrong. And Finch proceeds as planned, despite the Machines polite protests. Story continues Bela of course sells out Root, only to get a bullet in the bean from a Samaritan grunt for his trouble. Said gunman also spills about the plan to disseminate Samaritan spyware to individual computers worldwide. Reese arrives to help save Roots bacon, as well as abscond with hundreds of last-gen PlayStation consoles, which Harold later wires together and uploads the Machine into with some emergency liquid nitrogen cooling provided by Reese. And on that note, She is back up and running REMINDER: POI next airs Monday at 10/9c, and then every Tuesday and Monday, until its June 21 series finale. Launch Gallery: Person of Interest Season 5 Photos Final Season Related stories Big Bang Theory Recap: How I Disappointed Your Mother NCIS Photos: Meet the New Additions Ratings: SVU, Chicago P.D. Return From 5-Week Break to Series Lows LIMA (Reuters) - Economic growth in global metals exporter Peru will quicken to 5 to 6 percent a year from 3.3 percent in 2015 if Keiko Fujimori wins the June 5 presidential election, her new economic adviser said on Wednesday. Elmer Cuba, an economist with local consulting firm Macroconsult, who previously worked at the central bank, said he decided to join Fujimori's campaign after "long conversations" with the center-right candidate in recent weeks. "We're going to accelerate economic growth with strongly countercyclical, well-thought-out and timely economic policies to bring the economy to a growth rate of between 5 and 6 percent" a year during a five-year presidential term, Cuba said in broadcast comments at an event with Fujimori. Fujimori is a former congresswoman and the eldest daughter of imprisoned former President Alberto Fujimori. Opinion polls show she is neck and neck with her centrist run-off rival Pedro Pablo Kuczynski, a former World Bank economist. Cuba said a Fujimori government would need to be "imaginative" about how to finance her promised surge in infrastructure spending at the end of a decade-long mining boom. Fujimori has proposed jump-starting economic growth by building roads, irrigation canals and other public works she would pay for by tapping the Finance Ministry's nearly $7 billion rainy-day fund and possibly issuing new bonds. "Peru will not lose the fiscal prudence that it has taken us so long to win," Cuba said. Economic growth in Peru slowed sharply in 2014 as prices for the country's mineral exports tumbled and investments slipped. But the government expects growth to rise to 3.8 percent this year on rising copper production from new mining projects, such as Freeport McMoRan Inc's expansion of its Cerro Verde deposit and MMG Ltd's Las Bambas project. But Cuba called Peru's economic recovery a "mirage," saying it was being driven mainly by just a couple big mining projects. "If we remove them from the scene, growth is still slowing" to an annualized rate of between 2 and 2.5 percent, Cuba said. Cuba was previously a leader in the political party of centrist technocrat Julio Guzman, Fujimori's main rival before the country's electoral board barred him from the first-round vote on a technicality. Markets rose on April 11 after Fujimori and Kuczynski, both free-market champions, defeated a leftist rival to move on to a run-off. President Ollanta Humala cannot govern past July 28 because of term limits. (Reporting by Mitra Taj; Editing by Peter Cooney) Los Angeles (AFP) - US swimming star Michael Phelps has withdrawn from a meeting in Atlanta next week he had been planning to use as part of his preparations for the Olympics, organizers have confirmed. A statement on the May 13-15 Atlanta Classic Swim Meet website said Phelps had informed them he would no longer be taking part. "We understand some of you may have purchased tickets to see Michael Phelps. He is no longer able to attend," organizers said. US media reports said Phelps was skipping the meet in order to be with his fiance Nicole Johnson, who is expecting the birth of his first son. Phelps, 30, retired from swimming after the London 2012 games before returning to competition in 2014. He aims to compete in his fifth Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro in August after appearances in Sydney, Athens, Beijing and London, where he amassed a record 18 gold medals. In a landmark ruling nearly a decade ago, a federal judge ordered tobacco companies to stop lying. After listening to 84 witnesses and perusing tens of thousands of exhibits, U.S. District Judge Gladys Kessler of the District of Columbia took a year to write a 1,652-page opinion detailing the companies elaborate strategy to deny the harmful effects of smoking. In short, [the companies] have marketed and sold their lethal product with zeal, with deception, with a single-minded focus on their financial success, and without regard for the human tragedy or social costs that success exacted, Kessler wrote in United States of America v. Philip Morris USA. Kessler noted that the Justice Department, in a racketeering lawsuit, had presented overwhelming evidence of a conspiracy to defraud the public. She ordered the companies to take a number of actions, including ceasing to claim there was such a thing as a low-tar cigarette that reduced the risk of disease. The evidence showed this simply was not true. Yet in about a dozen pending lawsuits, Philip Morris continues to do just that. It routinely argues that the nations top-selling cigarette, once known as Marlboro Lights and now called Marlboro Gold, reduces the risk of cancer. This story is part of Science for Sale. Corporations are steering millions of dollars to scientific consulting firms to cast doubt on health concerns surrounding toxic chemicals. Click here to read more stories in this investigation. Don't miss another Environment investigation: Sign up for the Center for Public Integrity's Watchdog email. To find scientists willing to make this claim, Philip Morris turned to consultants for the chemical industry. The experts Philip Morris hired work for firms whose scientists regularly contend in medical journals, courtrooms, and regulatory arenas that their clients chemical products pose little or no health risks to the public. The firms have been instrumental in delaying new regulations by criticizing the work of other scientists, and emphasizing the doubt inherent in health science. The resultant uncertainty has helped delay attempts by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to crack down on ubiquitous chemicals with known dangers, such as formaldehyde, arsenic, and hexavalent chromium. Story continues The irony in this arrangement is that the tobacco industry pioneered such tactics. The tobacco industry wrote the playbook for the rest of the industries, said Matt Myers, president of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. Whether its the chemical industry, whether its climate change you see it in industry after industry. Now, its hiring consultants who took its techniques and pushed them further in other industries, relying on their experience to contest the scientific consensus on the dangers of low-tar cigarettes. The industrys tactics continue to have catastrophic consequences. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention attribute 480,000 deaths each year to smoking, equal to one in every five deaths. Since 1964, when the U.S. Surgeon General warned that smoking caused cancer, the government estimates that tobacco has killed more than 20 million Americans. That is 15 times the number of Americans who have perished in all wars combined. Although millions have quit, smoking continues to be the most preventable cause of death in the United States today. Related: The tobacco industry wrote the playbook for the rest of the industries Redesigned cigarettes At the turn of the 20th century, cigarette smoking was not yet in vogue. Lung cancer was so rare that some doctors had never seen a case. But scenes of everyone lighting up in Mad Men are no exaggeration. By 1955, two-thirds of men and almost one-third of women in the United States smoked cigarettes. Eventually, lung cancer became the leading killer among cancers in the United States. Medical researchers noticed the parallel rise. In December 1952, a brief article in Readers Digest sent shock waves by summing up research linking smoking to an epidemic of lung cancer. A year later Time reported that mice painted with tobacco tar developed tumors. A medical researcher told the magazine that it was now beyond any doubt that cigarettes cause cancer. Panic ensued at the tobacco companies. On December 14, 1953, the CEOs of the six largest cigarette makers met secretly at New Yorks Plaza Hotel to discuss a strategy for countering the bad publicity. What developed over time, as Kesslers opinion details, was a joint strategy to twist science and mislead the public about the dangers of smoking. The industry announced that it was forming a research committee to look into the matter. It hired independent scientists such as cancer researcher Clarence Cook Little to do interviews, insisting that there was no proof that cigarettes cause cancer. Don't miss another Environment investigation: Sign up for the Center for Public Integrity's Watchdog email. In reality, scientific evidence that cigarettes cause cancer was becoming overwhelming. In 1964, the Surgeon General seemed to put an end to any controversy when he released the report of an independent advisory committee that had considered more than 7,000 published articles. The Surgeon Generals warning had a profound effect on the public, prompting many smokers to quit. But the tobacco companies and their scientists would continue to deny that cigarettes cause cancer for another 35 years. To discourage smokers from quitting, companies redesigned their cigarettes to seem safer. First, they added filters. Then they introduced low-tar cigarettes. Within a few years, these cigarettes dominated the market. Marlboro Lights, which debuted in 1971, became the nations best-selling cigarette. Tobacco companies knew from extensive internal research that smokers were addicted to nicotine and needed a certain amount of it every day to satisfy their habit. Given a low-tar cigarette, they would change the way they smoked to get their fix. With the passage of a new law, the Federal Trade Commission in 1967 began testing all cigarette brands on special smoking machines that measured the amount of tar inhaled. Cigarettes were reformulated, not so much to reduce tar but to fool the machines, according to a National Cancer Institute report. Tiny holes were cut in the cigarette paper to vent tar when a cigarette was smoked by a machine. Those holes, however, didnt reduce the tar inhaled by smokers. If you reduce the amount of nicotine coming through, the person changes a pattern of it. They take bigger puffs, they take deeper puffs, they take longer puffs, they smoke more cigarettes per day to get the amount of nicotine they are seeking to satisfy their addiction, said Dr. David Burns, a retired medical professor at the University of California, San Diego, who edited some of the Surgeon Generals reports on smoking. Burns was testifying for the plaintiffs in a recent St. Louis class-action trial. Also testifying was William Farone, the research director at Philip Morris from 1977 to 1984. He said studies done at the company even before he was hired showed that smokers who switched to light cigarettes would take deeper puffs to get the same amount of nicotine theyd received from regular ones. Farone said other than those tiny holes in the paper, the differences between a Marlboro Red and a Marlboro Light were small. Public-health scientists would not figure this out for several more years. A study by the American Cancer Society published in 1995 found that the rate of lung cancer deaths among 200,000 smokers actually went up after light cigarettes began dominating sales. Experts believe that the low-burning temperature of a low-tar cigarette and deeper puffs by smokers allow more carcinogens to go deeper into the lungs. Corrective statements ordered The rewards for disputing the scientific consensus are high while the risks are low. The Justice Departments racketeering lawsuit had sought to have the tobacco industry repay illegal profits of $480 billion. But an appellate court ruled that federal racketeering laws didnt allow for fines for past behavior. Judge Kesslers only power was to order cigarette makers to stop engaging in illegal behavior. Companies appealed her order to quit making claims about low-tar cigarettes, arguing it violated their First Amendment rights. But Kesslers ruling was upheld. Nonetheless, Philip Morris hired scientists from the consulting firms Gradient Corp. and Ramboll Environ to testify in lawsuits that so-called low-tar cigarettes are safer than regular ones. Sharon Eubanks, the former Justice Department attorney who led the lawsuit, believes Philip Morris is violating Kesslers order. The order forbids public statements declaring that low-tar cigarettes have health benefits, even if such statements come from a Philip Morris consultant. To enforce the order, the Justice Department would have to file a motion with Kessler. A department spokesman would not comment on the case. Calls to Philip Morris seeking comment were not returned. After the case wound through appeals, Kessler issued a revised opinion and order in February reiterating that tobacco companies must make the following corrective statements on their websites and in advertising: Many smokers switch to low-tar and light cigarettes rather than quitting because they think low-tar and light cigarettes are less harmful. They are not . Low tar and light cigarette smokers inhale essentially the same amount of tar and nicotine as they would from regular cigarettes. All cigarettes cause cancer, lung disease, heart attacks, and premature death lights, low tar, ultra lights, and naturals. There is no safe cigarette. A decade after the original order, and five years after Kessler first issued these statements, tobacco companies are still appealing her ruling. None has printed the statements. Congress agreed with Kesslers original findings, and in 2009 passed a law also forbidding the tobacco companies from calling cigarettes light or low-tar without the approval of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. But Philip Morris says research done since Kesslers 2006 order justifies the companys claims that such cigarettes are safer than regular ones. Related: An early interview with Clarence Cook Little Very unusual position Peter Valberg of Gradient Corp. was Philip Morriss star witness in a Boston class-action lawsuit that went to trial last October after dragging on for 17 years. He has impressive credentials, having been a faculty member at the Harvard School of Public Health for 24 years and served as a consultant to the EPA and the Justice Department. Valberg has testified that he had help with his research from another principal scientist at Gradient, Julie Goodman. Valberg presented a slide show with data showing that Marlboro Lights delivered less tar to smokers. It made sense, he concluded, that the cigarettes also reduced the risk of disease. Some of Valbergs findings were based on his own unpublished analysis of public data. But the most persuasive evidence came from a study underwritten by Philip Morris. Published two years after Kesslers decision, the 24-week study analyzed urine samples of about 70 smokers who switched from full-flavored Marlboro Reds to Marlboro Lights. The test revealed that their average nicotine levels dropped significantly within six months. Related: "These people are not scientists" Don't miss another Environment investigation: Sign up for the Center for Public Integrity's Watchdog email. There was another aspect of the study that Valberg did not mention. Researchers also tracked nicotine levels of Marlboro Red smokers who did not switch. Known as the control group, these smokers were akin to patients given sugar pills, or placebos, in a drug trial. In a clinical trial, a control group allows researchers to see if a new drug is any better than a placebo. In this experiment, it enabled researchers to see if switching to Marlboro Lights was any better than not switching. In fact, switching was no better. Nicotine levels fell for all smokers. The researchers said in the published study that being in a controlled environment might have influenced how people smoked. Asked about the control group in cross-examination, Valberg seemed flustered. He argued that the goal of the study was to look at what happened to smokers who switched, not to compare them to those who did not. Dr. Peter Shields, a tobacco expert at Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center who analyzed Valbergs findings for lawyers suing Philip Morris, said the study actually supports other research showing light cigarettes have no health benefits. Dr. Valberg is taking a very unusual position in tobacco class-action suit cases claiming that light cigarettes result in a 25-percent reduction in lung cancer risk in contrast to a scientific consensus that they increase lung cancer risk, Shields said. Valbergs testimony contradicts the findings of the Surgeon General, the National Academy of Sciences, and the National Cancer Institute. In 2001, a panel of experts wrote a 236-page report for the National Cancer Institute, saying, In fact, the use of these cigarettes may be partly responsible for the increase in lung cancer for long-term smokers who have switched to the low-tar/low-nicotine brands. Another consultant for Philip Morris and the chemical industry, Kenneth Mundt of Ramboll Environ, has attacked the NCI report. Mundt did not testify at the Boston trial but has written expert reports in other lawsuits saying that the conclusions of some of the nations leading tobacco experts, including the authors of the NCI report, fail to address the totality of relevant evidence and largely remain unsubstantiated. Dr. Jonathan Samet, a professor at the University of Southern Californias medical school who was asked by the NCI to be one of the reviewers of its report, said the findings went through rigorous peer review. Samet himself chaired a panel of 25 experts who met for 10 days in 2002 to hash out a report on smoking for the International Agency for Research on Cancer, an arm of the World Health Organization. Samet said the clear consensus was that low-tar cigarettes do not reduce the risk of disease. Stanton Glantz, director of the Center for Tobacco Control Research and Education at the University of California, San Francisco, was blunter about Mundts attack on the NCI report. Thats ridiculous, he said. Those things are put through the peer-review grinder. If anything, they are too cautious. Valberg and Mundt did not respond to interview requests. The Philip Morris study was also peer-reviewed, appearing in the journal Regulatory Toxicology and Pharmocology, which has a record of publishing research paid for by the chemical industry. The journals editor, Gio B. Gori, has a controversial history, first as a NCI deputy director and later as a tobacco industry consultant. In 1976, while at the NCI, Gori made national news when he claimed people could smoke as many as two packs of low-tar cigarettes a day with minimum risk of cancer. Later, Gori was paid by Brown & Williamson to write several letters to scientific journals attacking other researchers work. He also penned a manuscript in 1987 that started with this claim: During the last decade and especially in the last few years scientific evidence has been gradually emerging, and now indicates that smoking may in fact provide a net contribution in the prevention of certain diseases and in extending life expectancy. After reviewing the manuscript, another paid consultant, Peter Lee, wrote a confidential letter to a corporate officer at British American Tobacco, saying, I think the paper is pretty valueless, partly as it is completely unbalanced, partly as the (many) wild claims made are not substantiated by detailed evidence. A critique by a BAT attorney suggests that the company closely monitored the work of its consultants: It obviously needs to be honed into a first-class scientific paper. There seems to be a fairly widespread opinion that that will be difficult to do. Gori did not respond to phone messages. In February, Superior Court Judge Edward Leibensperger ruled in favor of the plaintiffs in the Boston class-action lawsuit and ordered Philip Morris to pay $4.9 million in damages. The judge wrote: Dr. Valberg's analysis of the data provided by the published studies was shown to be inconsistent and contrary to the consensus of the scientific community. Dr. Valberg's analysis has never been published or subjected to peer review. I find that the testimony of Dr. Shields was far more persuasive and credible than the testimony of Dr. Valberg. Its not the first time Valbergs work has come under attack. In 2008, Valberg agreed to try to publish scientific articles based on an asbestos defense lawyers theory that smoking causes mesothelioma, a rare cancer virtually always linked to asbestos exposure. The articles could have helped the lawyer win lawsuits, but peer reviewers attacked the manuscript and recommended its rejection. Related: A safer cigarette? Don't miss another Environment investigation: Sign up for the Center for Public Integrity's Watchdog email. Thats not science Philip Morris latest claims in court that low-tar cigarettes are safer fail to account for the industrys own internal research. Still, the company has proven extremely effective at defending itself against legal claims brought by smokers. According to Philip Morris, of the 149 smoker lawsuits that have gone to trial since 1999, verdicts have gone in the companys favor 77 times. The company says it has paid out about $467 million in judgments and interest. Its efforts to fund research to support its claims, and to hire experts willing to testify in support of them, may be one reason for its success in persuading juries not to hold it liable more often. Dr. Neal Benowitz, a professor at the University of California, San Francisco, who did early research on low-tar cigarettes, said testifying that light cigarettes are safer is so at odds with the scientific consensus that it would likely damage the reputation of a tobacco researcher. But Philip Morris doesnt hire scientists whove devoted their careers to studying tobacco. Valberg is not someone whos known in the tobacco research area, Benowitz said. I presume its not affecting his reputation. These people are not scientists, said Glantz, of the Center for Tobacco Control Research and Education. They are public-relations people who happen to have degrees in science. These are people who make their living producing results that their clients want. And thats not science. This story is part of Science for Sale. Corporations are steering millions of dollars to scientific consulting firms to cast doubt on health concerns surrounding toxic chemicals. Click here to read more stories in this investigation. Related stories Copyright 2016 The Center for Public Integrity. This story was published by The Center for Public Integrity, a nonprofit, nonpartisan investigative news organization in Washington, D.C. Even though the results haven't shown it, Mike Leake remains optimistic about the progress he's making in his first season with the St. Louis Cardinals. The right-hander hopes to earn his first victory as the hosts try to avoid their sixth loss in seven games Wednesday night against the surging Philadelphia Phillies. St. Louis (13-14) signed Leake (0-3, 5.83 ERA) to a five-year deal in December with the thinking that he could help fill the hole left by John Lackey, who left for the rival Chicago Cubs. Leake, however, hasn't been sharp while allowing at least four runs in each of his five outings. He suffered another loss Friday, giving up five runs - including two homers - over seven innings in a 5-4 home defeat to Washington. "I hate to say I'm almost there. I should be there," Leake, who has allowed four homers in his last three starts, told MLB's official website. "But I am pretty positive with the direction I'm going. One month won't kill you. There are still five more months to go. Unfortunately, this month went the way it did. We have to move on." Leake might be able to break through in the win column after the Phillies (16-11) dealt St. Louis its sixth loss in eight home games, 1-0 on Tuesday. He's 2-0 with a 1.71 ERA and 20 strikeouts in his last three meetings. Maikel Franco, though, has gotten the best of Leake with four hits in six at-bats. Ryan Howard, whose sixth home run proved large Tuesday, is 7 for 21 with two homers in their matchups. The slugging first baseman, who grew up in St. Louis, is batting .331 with 12 homers and 40 RBIs over 36 games at Busch Stadium. ''This is home, this is where it all began for me,'' said Howard, who broke an 0-for-12 skid with the homer. "I guess, being at home, I do feel I see the ball a lot better.'' The Phillies, who won for only the fourth time in 14 visits, haven't scored more than four runs in their last eight but own a 2.11 ERA in their 10 victories over the past 12. Story continues "The key to a good team is bouncing back," manager Pete Mackanin said. "We bounced back from an 0-4 start and it was important for us as a team to bounce back from getting beat pretty bad (10-3 in Monday's series opener)." Adam Morgan makes his second start since replacing the injured Charlie Morton in the third of this four-game set. He allowed three runs over five innings in Friday's 4-3, 11-inning home win over Cleveland. The second-year pro pitched well in his only start against St. Louis in June, giving up one run and striking out six over 5 2/3 innings in a 9-2 victory in Philadelphia. Jhonny Peralta homered off him in that contest, while Jedd Gyorko is 1 for 6 in the matchup dating to his time with San Diego. Stephen Piscotty had one of the Cardinals' three hits Tuesday and is batting .352 with eight RBIs over his last 13 games. St. Louis has totaled six runs while hitting .186 in the losses during this 1-5 stretch. It was averaging 6.5 runs and batting .283 before the slump. A Massachusetts couple was hospitalized hours apart after their pot-bellied pig attacked them both at their farm in the same day, officials said. Shannon and Jose Hernandezs 5-year-old, 250-pound boar named Boss snapped after she took him away from the female pigs that were in heat at their Townsend farm Tuesday, she said on social media. I was by myself at (the) time, I had went to get him locked back in and he turned on me, she wrote on Facebook. The boar cut her with his tusks, giving her five big gashes on her legs and arms, she said. Emergency responders brought Shannon Hernandez, 38, to Leominster Hospital after tending to her injuries at the farm about 5:50 p.m., officials said. Less than two hours later rescuers were called back to the same farm, where Shannon Hernandezs husband had been seriously hurt by the same boar. It was while she was being tended to at the hospital that Shannon learned that her husband had been attacked. Read: 250-Pound Pig Steals the Spotlight at Couple's Engagement Photoshoot Jose Hernandez, 50, was so seriously injured that a medical helicopter was requested, but weather conditions made it impossible to fly, officials said. He was rushed to UMass Memorial Medical Center in Worcester with life-threatening injuries. I broke down, she wrote on Facebook, The nurse had to take the calls for me as they (were) trying to work on my wounds. She said she believed her husband had went down to give the boar water when he was also attacked by Boss, who had severed arteries in Jose Hernandezs hands with his tusks. The severely injured man managed to make it to the road, where someone driving by stopped and called 911, she wrote. He was given two pints of blood when he made it to the hospital and is now in stable condition, authorities said. The attacks blindsided the couple, Shannon said, calling Boss and the other pigs on her farm her pets. Story continues Sad that something we love doing hurt us this bad, wrote Shannon, who refers to herself on social media as a farmer, a breeder and a mother of animals. I know pigs can get edgy when the females come into heat but I honestly never thought he would attack me and hubby like he did, Shannon wrote. My heart aches my mind aches. Townsend Police said they conferred with Townsend Animal Control Warden Mary Letourneau, the Animal Rescue League, the Massachusetts State Veterinarian, a local vet, the Massachusetts State Animal Inspector and the owner of the pig to come to the decision to euthanize the boar. Read: Woman Takes 70-Pound Pig on Plane For Support: He's Quieter Than Most Kids A rabies test is being conducted out of an abundance of caution, police said. But Boss' behavior is not uncommon for an intact boar to exhibit when around females in heat, an expert in pig behavior told InsideEdition.com. What you have here is nothing more than normal pig behavior, Marcie Christensen, president of the California Potbellied Pig Association told IE.com. Christensen, who does not know the Hernandez family or their animals personally, said she does not believe the pig needs to be put down after an incident like this. Neuter him! Neuter him and shell see a behavior difference within six months or less, she said. Its not like a dog where you hear once they taste blood, thats it. This is purely a pig in heat. He saw a moving body and he jumped it. I would love to see right done by this pig and not see it put down. Hernandez did not respond to requests for comment. Watch: Watch This Crazed Pigeon Stalk and Attack Customers in a Parking Garage Related Articles: A mother's job is truly never done. We bet that for many of youeven the full-grown adults!Mom is your first call when, like, anything goes wrong. And Mother's Day (which falls on May 8 this year, btw) is the one day a year that is just for her. While a good deal on food can't exactly fully express one's eternal gratitude for a lifetime of love, support, and listening to us complain, it can't hurt. Here's where you and Mom can eat cheap this year. Prefer to stay home and need some no-fail Mother's Day recipes? Check out these stellar brunch ideas. Or perhaps you're on the hunt for some top-quality presents for Momlook no further than our Mother's Day gift guide. The deal: Rewards members get BOGO pretzel products from May 6 to 8. Is your mom really into pretzels? Treat her with an Auntie Anne's buy one, get one deal on all pretzel products for Pretzel Perks members. GrubHub The deal: Get a free $15 digital gift card when purchasing a gift card of $50 or more. Let mom choose where she wants dinner with a gift card from GrubHub. Insomnia Cookies The deal: Insomnia Cookies has customizable Mother's Day gift boxes through May 8. Send Mom the gift of delicious cookies with a customized box for Mother's Day. Fill it with Insomnia Cookies newest flavor, Berries N Cream. The deal: Rewards members get free breakfast when spending $15 or more on May 7 and 8. Consider breakfast for your mom handled. The deal: Get a $5 bonus card with every $25 e-gift card purchase, a $10 bonus card with every $50 e-gift card purchase, a $15 bonus card with every $75 e-gift card purchase, or a $20 bonus card with every $100 e-gift card purchase through June 19. Even better, this deal is valid through Father's Day. The deal: Get free delivery on all online orders through May 8 with code LUVMOM. Don't know what to do for Mother's Day dinner? There's no shame in the fried chicken game, because everyone loves the stuffmoms included. Jollibee is here to help with their Chickenjoy Bucket; use the code LUVMOM to get free delivery when ordering online. Story continues The deal: Get a Mother's Day dinner or breakfast shipped right to your door from Katz's Deli. Katz's Deli is offering two already-prepared meal options for Mother's Day that can be shipped right to your (or your mom's!) door. The Mother's Day Dinner includes hand-carved pastrami, sour pickles, New York deli mustard, rye bread, Katzs homemade Matzoh Ball soup, and a Katzs Deli Apron for $155. Meanwhile, the Mother's Day Breakfast in Bed has New York Bagels, lox, deli cream cheese, whitefish salad, Katzs famous pastrami hash, and Katzs signature coffee mug & egg cream scented candle for $115. The deal: Rewards members get buy one, get one free regular ice creams on May 8. If mom has got a sweet tooth, take her to Marble Slab Creamery and get a regular ice cream for free when you purchase another. Just make sure you are a Slab Happy Rewards Member. The deal: Get $5 in eRewards for every $25 worth of gift cards purchased through June 19. We love McAlister's Deli for its handcrafted sammies. Purchase $25 in gift cards, and you'll get $5 in eRewards. The deal: For every $25 in gift cards purchased online or in-restaurant, youll receive $5 Moe Rewards through June 19. Is your mom a Moe's fan? The more gift cards you buy her from the burrito chain, the more rewards you will get. In fact, for every $25 in gift cards purchased, you'll get $5 in rewards back. The deal: Heart-shaped pizzas and 15 percent off online and in-app orders from May 6 to 8 with code 15OFF. Here at Delish, we love a good heart-shaped food, especially pizza. Get one for mom from Round Table Pizza this Mother's Day. The deal: Rewards members get a free classic Cinnabon with an entree purchase on May 8. Getting dinner from Schlotzsky's on Mother's Day? Rewards members get a free Cinnabon when they order any entree! The deal: Create Your Own BBQ Bundles with up to four meat choices, sides, and bread starting at $39.99. In celebration of Mothers Day, Sonnys BBQ is offering Create Your Own BBQ Bundles, which allows guests to customize family-style meals with their choice of two, three, or four meats, plus pint-sized sides and bread. Each meal combo will be available for curbside, delivery, and drive-thru at all locations starting at $39.99. The deal: BOGO Mother's Day Timbit Donut arrangement with the code 1512 in stores on May 8. Get 20 Timbits (a.k.a. donut holes) for the price of 10 this Mother's Day! Just use the code 1512 in stores. You Might Also Like The Daily Beast Beresford Hodge - PA ImagesLONDONRishi Sunak is to become Britains third prime minister of the year after winning a hastily arranged leadership contest on Monday in the wake of Liz Truss lightning downfall. After losing out to Truss in the summer, Sunak is on his way to Downing Street after his leadership race rival, Penny Mordaunt, withdrew from the contest at the last minute. While Truss became Britains leader after being voted in by Conservative Party membersless than one percent of the President Barack Obama visited Flint, Mich., for the first time in the wake of the citys water-contamination crisis to deliver a message to the people of the poor, largely minority community: hes got their back. I see you and I hear you, and I want to hear directly from you about how this public-health crisis has disrupted your lives, President Obama said during his speech at Flint Northwestern High School. Ive come here to tell you that Ive got your back. President Obama said Wednesday that aside from fixing the citys infrastructure and getting a strong handle on the health crisis caused by the citys decision to switch its water source in spring 2014, the government has to fix the culture that led to that decisionmaking. Part of what contributed to this crisis was a broader mindset, a corrosive attitude that exists in our politics that exists in too many levels our government, Obama said Wednesday. The Presidents argument was a thinly veiled attack on conservative politicians who have argued against government overreach and the elimination of departments like the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in efforts to save money. President Obama said Wednesday that a consequence of that way of thinking is an under investment in things that we all share. Obama said the problems in Flint were an extreme and tragic case of lead-contamination issues cities are facing across the country, noting reports from Mississippi, New Jersey and other states. An Associated Press analysis of EPA data found that 1,400 water systems serving 3.6 million Americans exceeded the federal lead standard at least once between the start of 2013 and last September. Flint is just a tip of the iceberg in terms of us reinvesting in our communities, the President said. Its self destructive when we dont invest in our communities. Story continues Earlier on Wednesday, President Obama visited with federal officials and met with residents of Flint who spoke to him at length about the troubles theyre dealing with as a result of the crisis. The President also drank filtered Flint water both on stage at the afternoon event and during a meeting with officials in an effort to reiterate that it is safe to drink, though unfiltered water still poses a danger to citizens. On stage with him as he spoke was Amariyanna Copeny, the 8-year-old girl who asked the President to meet with her and other residents when they traveled to Washington, D.C., earlier this year for congressional hearings. The President said her story and others he shared about people pitching in to help in Flint are proof that the citizens of that community have power. But the President did not discount the people of Flints anger. For months, citizens of the former manufacturing hub were told by their leaders that the water they were consuming was safe, even as residents protested and complained of foul smelling and poor tasting water. It wasnt until after researchers presented evidence of elevated lead in the water and in the childrens blood that officials began to act. Its not too much for all Americans to expect that their water is going to be safe, President Obama said. You should be angry, but channel that anger. Lead poisoning is known to have an adverse impact on behavioral and intellectual development, but the President said the children of Flint will make it. Do not somehow communicate that our children here in this city that theyre going to be saddled with problems for the rest of their lives, President Obama said. Theyll make it as long as were there for them. May 4 (Reuters) - The following are the top stories on the business pages of British newspapers. Reuters has not verified these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy. The Times - Manufacturing is in a period of "deep unease" and suffered its worst month in more than three years in April, as uncertainty grows over the European Union referendum result and demand at home and abroad continues to slow. (http://bit.ly/1TksFbj) - HSBC Holdings Plc has blamed turmoil in global markets for a drop of nearly a fifth in its profits for the first three months of the year. Despite the fall in profits, HSBC said that there would be no cut to its payouts to shareholders. (http://bit.ly/1TksLQ1) The Guardian - The British government has ordered the insolvency watchdog to launch an immediate investigation into the circumstances surrounding BHS's slump into administration. (http://bit.ly/1TktnW3) - Asda has been ordered by the advertising watchdog to ensure future sales promotions do not mislead consumers about how much they could save, just days after the supermarket chain agreed to change potentially confusing pricing after public criticism by the government's competition regulator. (http://bit.ly/1VJdsXT) The Telegraph - UK factory output contracted for the first time in three years in April as concerns about the global economy and troubles on the high street exerted a drag on activity. (http://bit.ly/1VJdzT8) Sky News - Britain's biggest payday lender Wonga saw losses double last year as a price cap imposed by regulators, triggered a sharp fall in revenues. Wonga Group recorded a pre-tax loss of approximately 70 million pounds in 2015, compared to 37 million pounds a year earlier. (http://bit.ly/1VJdK0N) The Independent - A federal judge in New Orleans Monday allowed BP to drop its bid to avoid paying the second half of $2.3 billion in compensation promised to seafood interests harmed by the blown-out well. (http://ind.pn/1VJdX4b) (Compiled by Sangameswaran S in Bengaluru; Editing by Peter Cooney) May 4 (Reuters) - The following are the top stories from selected Canadian newspapers. Reuters has not verified these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy. THE GLOBE AND MAIL ** Canada's Veterans Affairs Minister Kent Hehr says members of the military with mental-health issues should not fear they will be automatically discharged when they step forward for treatment. (http://bit.ly/21w1oc4) ** Agriculture Minister Lawrence MacAulay promised on Tuesday to consult with farmers and processors in the coming weeks to deal with the problem of so-called diafiltered milk, triggering a potential trade showdown with the United States. (http://bit.ly/21w1uR1) ** The entire 80,000-strong population of Fort McMurray was ordered to leave everything behind and evacuate quickly as an out-of-control wildfire veered into the city on Tuesday with little warning, creating the largest fire evacuation in Alberta's history. (http://bit.ly/21w1RLk) NATIONAL POST ** Gregory Wiebe, a senior partner in the global accounting giant KPMG, who has been accused of being behind a tax avoidance scheme in the Isle of Man, says a lot of international tax rules "are broken" - and they need to be fixed. (http://bit.ly/21w2g0p) ** Bombardier Inc's decision to curtail production of its largest business jets one year ago appears to be paying off, with the aircraft holding significantly more of their value than the competition. (http://bit.ly/21w2wfM) ** A dramatic increase in expected energy-related loan losses at Canadian Western Bank has reignited concerns that the effects of the energy downturn are just beginning to be felt by the country's biggest lenders. In a pre-announcement before second quarter financial results are released later this month, the Edmonton-based bank said it will record C$33 million ($26 million) of provisions for credit losses on its oil and gas production portfolio. (http://bit.ly/21w2TqH) ($1 = 1.2765 Canadian dollars) (Compiled by Ismail Shakil in Bengaluru) May 4 (Reuters) - The following are the top stories in the Wall Street Journal. Reuters has not verified these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy. - Republican front-runner Donald Trump almost certainly snared the Republican Party's presidential nomination by winning a sweeping victory in Indiana's primary Tuesday and forcing his chief rival, Texas Senator Ted Cruz, from the race. (http://on.wsj.com/1NjCqu4) - Takata Corp is preparing to recall at least another 35 million rupture-prone airbag inflators that U.S. regulators have deemed a safety risk, said people familiar with the matter, further escalating a crisis at the Japanese supplier linked to numerous deaths and injuries. (http://on.wsj.com/1rjUBpl) - MetLife Inc, one of the best-known brands in life insurance, misled tens of thousands of customers about a product that retirees seek out for safety, according to regulators, who levied a near-record $25 million fine against the company. (http://on.wsj.com/1X7JMTL) - CBS Corp said its first-quarter earnings rose 20 percent as the broadcast of Super Bowl 50 boosted the media giant's advertising sales. (http://on.wsj.com/21vlJhP) (Compiled by Parikshit Mishra in Bengaluru) The U.S. Attorney's Office and the Drug Enforcement Administration have joined the investigation into the death of Prince, The Hollywood Reporter confirmed. "They have agreed to provide federal resources and expertise in our investigation," Jason Kamerud, spokesman for the Carver County [Minn.] Sheriff's Office, said Wednesday. Prince was found dead April 21 inside an elevator in his Minnesota home. Since that time, the Carver County Sheriff's Office has been investigating the circumstances surrounding the death of the 57-year-old iconic musician. Since Prince's death, there have been multiple reports that the artist was struggling with an addiction to painkillers. On Wednesday, the Star Tribune reported that a California doctor and addiction specialist, Dr. Howard Kornfeld, said he was scheduled to meet with Prince on April 22. Dr. Kornfeld is an opioid addiction treatment specialist. William Mauzy, a prominent Minneapolis attorney working with the Kornfeld family, told reporters on Wednesday he feared authorities would charge Andrew with a crime because he had medication on his person at the time of his visit to Prince's home. However, the attorney contended his client was immune from prosecution under the "Good Samaritan" law because he was the one who called 911. The Carver County Sheriff's Office did not provide any additional details on the investigation. An autopsy has been performed on Prince. The results from that exam are pending. Prince was cremated, and a private service was held for family and close friends the weekend of his death. Read More: Prince Was Set to Meet With Opioid Addiction Doctor a Day After He Died By Suzannah Gonzales (Reuters) - Music legend Prince died one day before he was scheduled to meet a doctor who specializes in addiction treatment for a "life-saving mission," the doctor's lawyer said at a news conference on Wednesday. California doctor Howard Kornfeld was first contacted by Prince representatives on April 20, one day before the singer's body was discovered at his home, attorney William Mauzy told reporters. "Dr. Kornfeld felt that his mission was a life-saving mission," Mauzy said. The news came shortly before federal authorities, including the Drug Enforcement Administration, announced they were joining the investigation into Prince's death. The cause of death remains undetermined, and it could be weeks before autopsy results are released. Police have said they found no signs of suicide or obvious trauma. Kornfeld, who runs Recovery Without Walls, a clinic in Mill Valley, California, planned to fly to Minnesota to meet with Prince on April 22, Mauzy said. In the meantime, his son, Andrew Kornfeld, a staff member at his clinic, traveled to Minnesota on April 21 for an initial discussion. When Andrew Kornfeld arrived at Paisley Park, the home-studio complex Prince owned in a Minneapolis suburb, the singer was not available, Mauzy said. A staff member found the artist unconscious in an elevator, and Kornfeld called 911. Prescription opioid medication was found at the scene, according to a law enforcement source with knowledge of the investigation but not authorized to speak publicly. Mauzy confirmed Andrew Kornfeld had opioid medication used to treat pain and addiction in his backpack, but emphasized that no drugs were given to Prince by the doctor or his son. It was not immediately clear whether Kornfeld's drugs were the same medication the law enforcement source said was found at the scene. In a statement, the U.S. Attorney's office in Minnesota said it would join the Carver County Sheriff's ongoing probe into Prince's death. "The DEA and U.S. Attorney's office are able to augment this local investigation with federal resources and expertise about prescription drug diversion," the office said. Mauzy expressed concern that Andrew Kornfeld could face charges, but said he believes he would have immunity with regard to the medication in his backpack under a Good Samaritan 911 law. The lawyer did not elaborate further on possible charges. Andrew Kornfeld was interviewed by investigators from the sheriff's office on April 21 and returned to California that night, Mauzy said. Howard Kornfeld's clinic specializes in medical treatment for chronic pain and drug and alcohol addiction, according to its website. "Dr. Kornfeld was never able to meet Prince, never talked to Prince, and was sadly not able to arrive in time to help Prince," Mauzy said. Representatives for the late singer did not immediately respond to a request for comment. (Additional reporting by Alex Dobuzinskis and Joseph Ax; Editing by Andrew Hay and Sandra Maler) Image via Prince on Twitter Image via Prince on Twitter Last month when it was reported that Prince had passed away, the news came as a serious shock to the entire world. Weeks later, details continue to pour in as the public yearns for answers. The latest update to this tragic story is that Prince was reportedly seeking help for an apparent painkiller addiction just days before his death. According to The Minneapolis Star Tribune, Prince was actually scheduled to meet with addiction specialist Dr. Howard Kornfeld on April 20the day before he passed. Minneapolis-based attorney William Mauzy claims that Kornfeld, a national authority on opioid addiction treatment, was initially contacted because Prince was dealing with a grave medical emergency. Unfortunately, Kornfeld could not clear his schedule in time to make it from California to Minneapolis before April 22, so he sent his son Andrew Kornfeldwho works with himinstead. Andrew Kornfeld was expected to simply evaluate Princes health in order to work out the best treatment plan. However, when he arrived, staff members could not locate Prince on his estatewhich ultimately led to the discovery of his unresponsive body in the elevator. Andrew Kornfeld was later identified as the first 911 caller to report the news of Princes death to Minneapolis police. Prince had been rushed to the hospital just a week before his death. He was given Narcana drug used to treat narcotic overdoses in an emergency situationsand reportedly left the hospital against the doctors advice. Unfortunately, its not certain how differently this situation may have played out if Prince and Dr. Kornfeld had been able to meet. The post Prince Reportedly Sought Treatment for Painkiller Addiction Before His Passing appeared first on Pigeons & Planes. More from Pigeons & Planes A California doctor says he was scheduled to meet with Prince on April 22, the day after the legendary artist died. Dr. Howard Kornfeld was supposed to help Prince fight his addiction to painkillers, according to the Star Tribune. William Mauzy, a prominent Minneapolis attorney working with the Kornfeld family, explained that Kornfeld was called because the artist was "dealing with a grave medical emergency." Dr. Kornfeld is an authority on opioid addiction treatment, according to the report. Prince was found dead in his home on April 21. That morning, a 911 call came from an unidentified male at Prince's Minnesota residence, and said "the person is dead here" and "the people are just distraught." Kornfeld couldn't meet with Prince on April 21, so he sent his son to Paisley Park with plans to follow later. "The plan was to quickly evaluate his health and devise a treatment plan," Mauzy explained. According to Mauzy, Kornfeld's son, Andrew, arrived at Prince's home on April 21, and he was one of the people at the residence when Prince's body was found. Mauzy also claims that it was Andrew Kornfeld who called 911 that day. In the weeks since his death, reports have surfaced that Prince had painkillers in his possession, but no toxicology results have determined if there were any in his system or if they played a role in his death. Read More: Prince Death: Painkillers Found in His Possession (Report) See More: Remembering Prince: The Iconic Singer's Career Through the Years A California doctor says he was scheduled to meet with Prince on April 22, the day after the legendary artist died. Dr. Howard Kornfeld was supposed to help Prince fight his addiction to painkillers, according to the Star Tribune. William Mauzy, a prominent Minneapolis attorney working with the Kornfeld family, explained that Kornfeld was called because the artist was "dealing with a grave medical emergency." Prince Sets Record With Five Albums in Top 10 of Billboard 200 Chart Dr. Kornfeld is an authority on opioid addiction treatment, according to the report. Prince was found dead in his home on April 21. A 911 call, which came from an unidentified male at Prince's Minnesota residence who said "the person is dead here" and "the people are just distraught." Kornfeld couldn't meet with Prince on April 21, so he sent his son to Paisley Park with plans to follow later. "The plan was to quickly evaluate his health and devise a treatment plan," Mauzy explained. Details on Emergency Calls to Prince's Estate Released According to Mauzy, Kornfeld's son, Andrew, arrived at Prince's home on April 21, and he was one of the people at the residence when Prince's body was found. Mauzy also claims that it was Andrew Kornfeld who called 911 that day. In the weeks since his death, reports have surfaced that Prince had painkillers in his possession, but no toxicology results have determined if there were any in his system or if they played a role in his death. This article originally appeared in THR.com. Though the April 21 death of Prince ripped a painful hole in our cultural landscape, it has brought one unexpected, potentially positive development: shoving opiate abuse into the news. Though autopsy results are not yet available, initial reports suggest that prescription painkillers were a factor. Only a week before his death, Prince had his private jet make an emergency landing in Moline, Ill., where he reportedly received an injection of Narcan. This powerful antidote instantly knocks opiates off the corresponding receptors in the brain. People who overdose from opiates can stop breathing. But if Narcan is administered in time, patients who have stopped breathing literally awaken, alive and sobered up. As a pediatrician - and a television writer and producer on such shows as ER and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit - I've seen the devastating effects of opiates on patients, colleagues, friends, loved ones and the public. And I have personally been wracked with despair when coping with a family member's struggle, fortunately to come through it with more insight, empathy and honesty. The problem is getting worse: According to the National Institutes of Health, prescriptions for opiates increased from 76 million in 1991 to 207 million in 2013. And now 2.1 million Americans are addicted to prescription pain relievers and another 467,000 are hooked on heroin. Read More: Prince Death Possibly an "Accidental Overdose," Says Dr. Drew Fortunately, TV can be part of the solution. America is paying a terrible price for the scourge of opiate addiction, but stories can open our eyes to this epidemic better than facts and figures ever can. Opiates relieve pain - but they're addictive because they trigger intense biochemical changes that flood the brain with feelings of pleasure and well-being. And even worse, the brain often needs more of these drugs to sustain those sensations. Prescription opiates like Percocet, Vicodin and OxyContin are expensive, so in order to sustain the dependence, many people turn to heroin. Story continues Opiate overdoses have taken such beloved actors and musicians as Philip Seymour Hoffman and Heath Ledger. The impact has reached epidemic proportions. The Centers for Disease Control reports that a staggering 165,000 people died of opiate overdoses between 1999 and 2014. And each day, more than 1,000 people are treated for prescription opiate overdoses in ERs across the country. For the first time, middle-aged white Americans' life expectancy, unlike any other ethnic group, has declined because of increased rates of suicide, alcohol and opiate abuse. The media gathered outside Prince's Paisley Park estate in Chanhassen, Minn., on April 21. I'm not advocating banning opiates: Carefully managed by a physician, they can be a godsend for patients in pain. But their overprescription is a story waiting to be told - especially on TV. We must tell stories to destigmatize what it means to be dependent on these drugs. Back in the late 1990s, I spoke to Alan Leshner, then-director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse. He told me that if there was one thing I could do to impact the growing drug abuse problem, I should have a character say these words: "Drug addiction is a brain disease." So we did just that on ER, and I believe we were the first show to say those words when Noah Wyle's character, Dr. John Carter, became addicted to narcotics. Read More: Legendary Artist Prince Found Dead at 57 Yet there still is stigma and fear associated with drug dependency. It's "dirty" and "shameful" or shows "weakness of character." We can fight those stereotypes with compelling stories that connect with an audience emotionally. When viewers are moved and engaged, they reflect on their friends, colleagues and loved ones who might be struggling with addiction. They reimagine the problem - not as something to hide but something to confront. Consider how the power of TV helped "normalize" gay relationships. Programs like Will & Grace and Modern Family advanced the fight for the freedom to marry. These shows presented another way of thinking about people whose stories hadn't been told. Today, the Freeform network is presenting Recovery Road, tackling stories of addiction in an open and realistic way. And Nurse Jackie showed a woman's struggle at home and in the workplace. But we need more stories - across all income and ethnic groups - because millions of Americans are battling the issue. Simply put, drug addiction is a brain disease that can be treated. I'm not calling for candy-coated versions of addiction - the road to sobriety is rugged - and we must tell a range of tough, honest stories that dig deep into what it means to be human. Neil Baer Read More: Prince's Chef Says Singer Fought Throat and Stomach Pain Before Death This story first appeared in the May 13 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. To receive the magazine, click here to subscribe. Check out the donor list on the website of PARSA, a respected international aid organization that works with orphans, war wounded and the disabled of Afghanistan and you'll spot the usual suspects: the American and German embassies, the International Organization for Migration and an outfit called War Child Canada. But here's a surprising name to add to the list: Prince. "Prince was really invested in orphans," says Seattle native Marnie Gustavson, executive director of Physiotherapy and Rehabilitative Support for Afghanistan (PARSA), who spoke to The Hollywood Reporter in a phone interview from Kabul, where she has lived for the past 12 years. "The reason I'm letting it be known is to honor him. And I am no longer sworn to secrecy." Prince Sets Record With Five Albums in Top 10 of Billboard 200 Chart The news of Prince's redoubtable and longstanding charitable efforts began to trickle out more fully in the wake of his death on April 21, but the extent and breadth of his interests seem to grow steadily larger by the day and, geographically at least, more eclectic. Still, few would have expected Afghanistan. A landlocked country of 30 million that has been wracked by war for going on four decades, it's one of the poorest nations in the world, still struggling to emerge from a decade of Soviet occupation, years of brutal civil war, oppression by the Taliban and, most recently, the continuing fallout of a well-intentioned but uneasy relationship with the U.S. For the last half-dozen years, Prince quietly funneled thousands of dollars to help rekindle one of PARSA's signature initiatives: an 85-year-old Afghan Scouting program, whose members and mentors are all orphans. The Afghan Scouts is designed to empower Afghan kids and steer them away from the lure of extremist groups like ISIS. Started in 1931, the program was largely dormant during periodic bouts of war, but has been growing again recently. Story continues Prince's interest and financial involvement was precisely the kind of quiet yet effective diplomacy that Americans need to engage with more, says Vali Nasr, Dean of the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies. Details on Emergency Calls to Prince's Estate Released "We become so narrowly focused on the horror stories in Afghanistan, the bombings, the Taliban, the kinds of issues Americans don't understand or want to have anything to do with," says Nasr. "Prince was not doing this out of a selfish need for publicity, but because it was the right thing to do in his mind. And even now, posthumously, it shows that this is a kind of a cause that somebody can support on their own, without getting looped into a larger debate about whether nation building is worth it or not." Prince's entree to Afghanistan's orphans came about through his well-known friendship with Betty Tisdale, another Seattleite whose nonprofit Helping and Loving Orphans (HALO) has offices around the world. Known as the "Angel of Saigon" for her heroic efforts to help refugees and orphans escape the war in Vietnam, Tisdale was a giant in the aid community. (She died last year at the age of 92.) Long before his death, Prince had already selected HALO as one of his favorite charitable organizations and supported the group financially for years, but his involvement with Tisdale was apparently more personal and far-reaching, according to people who knew her. "Any of us who met Betty fell in love with her," says Gustavson, "I know that's what happened with Prince. She could call him up and say, 'I need money for this, three thousand for this, five thousand for this' and he'd give it to her. She was quite secretive about it, as everyone who received from him was." Gustavson estimates that Prince donated an initial $15,000 or so starting roughly six years ago, and contributed roughly another $6,000 every year after that until his death. And Tisdale, who continued to visit Afghanistan well into her 80s and worked tirelessly to help promote organizations like PARSA, kept her word to the pop icon. "It was a strict non-disclosure agreement they had," says Gustavson. "Betty said, 'I'll tell you the donor, but you absolutely cannot tell anyone else; my support will dry up if you do.'" So the two kept quiet and got on with the heavy lifting of helping Afghanistan's orphans find a leg up in a society all too willing to abandon them. Orphans often get short shrift in Afghanistan. A child who has a mother but no father is considered an orphan and extended family, if one exists at all, is given responsibility. Orphanages are rife targets for corrupt ministry officials and governors who have been known to siphon off funds for themselves. Orphanage officials have often neglected the most basic needs of their charges: food, water, blankets and basic shelter. "Orphans are at the bottom of list," Gustavson adds. "They're just very poorly taken care of." PARSA has undertaken valiant efforts to change that, ranging from feting promising government officials to funneling money and materiel to workers who are in a position to improve the orphans' lives. Under the leadership of its founder Mary MacKay and later Gustavson, and with the help of Tisdale, Prince and others, PARSA staff and volunteers have helped refurbish dozens of orphanages across the country, often at great personal risk. In recent years, PARSA has managed to grow its Scout volunteer corps to more than 100, roughly a quarter of whom had been Scout mentors before the Soviet invasion in 1979, which catapulted the country into its decades-long conflict. How Prince's Death Was Covered by Newspapers Around the Globe "A lot of Americans may not pay attention to the issues," says SAIS's Nasr, who believes Prince's involvement showed an important and subtle understanding of foreign policy issues. "But they pay attention to the ambassadors for these issues." "Betty had a special relationship with Prince," says Gustavson. "He adored her." Gustavson says the steady drip of bad news is just part of Afghanistan's story, and that the Scouts who were helped and nurtured by Prince's funding shouldn't be forgotten. "Most Afghans are just trying to get through the next crisis, and it's been a long haul," says Gustavson, "When is Afghanistan going to fall? Well, we don't think it's going to fall. We're just really working hard in a very difficult situation. We want to give them responsibility and accountability. Even if it starts with Prince." This article originally appeared in THR.com. From Town & Country Yesterday, Princess Charlotte celebrated her first birthday with a pile of presents fit for, well, royalty. The one year old received gifts and cards from 64 countries, including a collection of Hans Christian Andersen fairy tales from British Prime Minister David Cameron, a handmade coat from King Jigme and Queen Jetsun of Bhutan, a selection of wool teddy bears, baby blankets, and booties from the Prime Minister of New Zealand, and a rattle woven by Irish basketmaker Ciaran Hogan from her grandfather, Prince Charles. Perhaps the most extravagant present was an 18-karat white-gold rattle from the Natural Sapphire Company, featuring diamonds, rubies, and sapphires. Estimated price? $45,000. President Obama delivered his gifts for the princess-a jigsaw puzzle and a stuffed animal that looks like his own Portuguese Water Dog, Bo-in-person during his state visit to London last week. Aunt Pippa gave, perhaps, a more practical gift: a set of biodegradable diapers costing about $6. "The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are incredibly grateful for all the letters, gifts and good wishes they have been fortunate to receive in the year since Princess Charlotte was born," read a statement shared by the palace on Monday. We cant do anything in marketing without music. Its the driving force for everything, says Ann Mugglebee, president of Vibe Creative, a Culver City-based agency that specializes in producing trailers and TV spots for movies. Music for trailers has evolved from the use of score directly from the film being promoted (as in studio-produced previews for Casablanca or 2001) to a highly competitive business in which composers create libraries of original music for the sole purpose of driving audiences to new movies. When we get a job, says Mugglebee, the first go-to is the music. Theres always a lot of pressure to find the right cue. Most of the time, for editors, it starts with the music. Studio marketing departments now outsource trailer creation to several companies that specialize in selling films. They then turn to either production-music libraries or, increasingly, to boutique music suppliers whose primary job is to compose, produce and promote music created specifically for what used to be known as coming attractions. Most of the time, the composers of this music never even see the visual content. They used to send me the cut and Id just score it, says Veigar Margeirsson, the Iceland-born composer whose L.A.-based Pitch Hammer Music specializes in trailer music. But too many leaks have resulted in high security and they now supply music based on suggestions and ideas from the trailer-producing companies who hire them. Pitch Hammer creates about 100 new tracks a year, categorizing them as emotional drama, percussive action, aggressive action and a new, sound-design-based, non-tonal music they call trailer fuel. Music sets the tone, agrees Bobby Gumm, head of music for Trailer Park, a Hollywood-based company whose recent trailers include Captain America: Civil War, Zootopia and Finding Dory. Covers of classic songs are still in vogue, depending on the project. For the upcoming Suicide Squad, Gumm hired Confidential Musics John Hanson to come up with a cover of the Bee Gees I Started a Joke. And it was Gumm who suggested Verdis Requiem for a Mad Max: Fury Road teaser a classical-music choice that wound up in the movie itself. I was ecstatic, he admits. Story continues For The Jungle Book, Vibe approached The Hit House, which created a cover of the classic song The Bare Necessities. What we do is, we make you feel, says Hit House exec producer Sally House. We make you laugh, we make you cry, we make you go call your mom. (For Jungle Book) we knew that we had to make you feel inspired. And when they want to use master recordings (the original hit records), even then there is additional tweaking. House calls their approach trailerization: some sweetening, overlay or sound design, (often) to end with a huge sweeping arc at the end. Music budgets for trailers can vary widely, from $5,000 to $2 million (the higher numbers generally reflecting the use of a top artist like Jay Z or U2). A surprising aspect of todays trailer music is the fact that few trailers sport a unified, cohesive score by a single composer. They typically dont use a full track, says Margeirsson. Theyll use two seconds of one track, three seconds of another, maybe 30 seconds of another, and maybe a track from one of our competitors. Rare exceptions involve the film composers themselves contributing. On the Batman movies, Hans Zimmer would send us stuff piecemeal as he was composing it, notes Gumm. John Williams provided music for the Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone and Star Wars: The Force Awakens teasers; Michael Giacchino scored trailers for Ratatouille and Star Trek. Trailers are like the last great frontier for music, says Hit House composer Scott Miller. They just keep pushing the limits. They dont really want yesterdays music, they want tomorrows music. You cannot think big enough. Related stories What's on the Line for Hollywood's Biggest Stars & Players in Summer Movies Watch: The Joker Joins the Fun in New 'Suicide Squad' Trailer Will Smith, David Ayer Reteaming on Max Landis Spec 'Bright' larry page, google, sv100 2015 When Larry Page was a 22-year-old graduate student at Stanford in the 90s, he was struck in the middle of the night with a vision: He had somehow managed to download the entire Web and just keep the links. During a 2009 University of Michigan commencement speech, he said he immediately grabbed a pen when he awoke and wrote down what became the basis for an algorithm. He used this algorithm to power a new Web search engine now known as Google. "When a really great dream shows up, grab it!" the Google cofounder and now Alphabet CEO advised. The idea of harnessing our dreams is nothing new, Arianna Huffington points out in her sleep manifesto, "The Sleep Revolution," and many major breakthroughs, like our understanding of the structure of molecules and the periodic table of elements, were the result of dreams. "During sleep the neurons of the brain are reorganized, so we see new patterns, we see solutions, where before we could only see obstacles," she tells Business Insider. According to psychologists from UC San Diego, sleep improves our ability to come up with creative solutions to problems by assisting the brain in flagging unrelated ideas and memories and forging connections among them. REM sleep works better than any other state of being at fostering creative thinking, they conclude. Dr. Jeffrey Ellenbogen, a neurologist at Harvard Medical School and director of the Sleep Laboratory at Massachusetts General Hospital, also found that if an incubation period a time in which a person leaves an idea for a while includes sleep, people are 33% more likely to infer connections among distantly related ideas. "How often have we woken up with clarity about a problem or having resolved an emotional issue? That's why dreams are so important," Huffington says. woman sleeping on table So can we use the strategy of "sleeping on it" purposely for our own good? Huffington says, "yes." Story continues "If there is a particular problem we are grappling with, we can sort of incubate it by putting the question to our subconscious before we go to sleep and asking for some clarity and resolution," she explains. "Very often, I get clarity and resolution when I sleep, which is a very productive way to handle our sleep time." She suggests keeping a dream journal and a pen with a flashlight attached to it next to your bed. Before you go to sleep ask, "In what area of my life would I like to receive guidance? What question do I want answered?" Then write it down and focus on this problem or idea as you drift off to sleep. "You sort of give the message to your subconscious that you value your dreams and you want to remember them," she says. When you wake up the next morning, remain totally still to allow for better "dream recall," and once you have it secure in your mind, write down any parts of the dream you remember, even if it's just one word, image, or impression. "Before letting the outside world in, taking a momentary pause and a few deep breaths can help you recall more of your dreams, reliving the paths traveled while in your dream world," Huffington writes in her book. "As we learn to recognize the hidden meanings beneath the surface of the everyday, it becomes easier to listen to the inner whisperings that tend to get drowned in the cacophony of our waking life." NOW WATCH: Heres the one affordable habit ultra-successful people share More From Business Insider Randall Kennedy Yale University announced last week that it would retain the name of Calhoun College, one of its 12 residential colleges. The college was named for John C. Calhoun, a 19th-century alumnus who was a fervent supporter of slavery. The decision set off an angry response from students on campus, who condemned the decision at an intense university-sponsored town hall last Thursday. But one prominent race-relations expert doesn't think Yale made a mistake in its decision to keep Calhoun's name on the college. While removing the name would have been Harvard law professor Randall Kennedy's "preference," he told Business Insider recently, he could "respect the decision [Yale] made." "People speak as if you keep John C. Calhoun's name, that means you're indifferent to the legacy of racism," he continued. "I don't believe that. I think that there are people who embrace the idea of keeping his name who are deeply concerned with the legacy of slavery and racism and want to do things to address that legacy." Kennedy, who has written five books about race in America, explained that he thought in "addition, not subtraction," when grappling with historical legacies mired in racism. He said it was possible to retain the name Calhoun and change the meaning of that name. Yale Campus "I think that it is important for people to understand that symbols can mean lots of different things," he said. "It's not as if a symbol has to mean what it was intended to mean at the beginning." Kennedy's response to Yale's decision is vastly different from the one that has been prominently vocalized on campus and elsewhere. On Twitter, the hashtags #wrongmoveYale and #formerlyknownasCalhoun began trending, disparaging the decision. David Blight, a respected Civil War historian and professor at Yale, also disagreed with Yale's defense of its decision to retain Calhoun as an educational tool, calling it "absolute nonsense," according to the Yale Daily News. Story continues But Kennedy aims to probe at something deeper. He believes that when people focus extreme attention on specific individuals with repugnant ideas about slavery, they become "insufficiently attentive" to the fact that society in general was immensely racist. "If we're talking about the Antebellum America, it was a slave society for God's sake," he said. "Should it come at all as a surprise that all of these institutions have part of their wealth linked to slavery?" he asked. "Of course not. Slavery was all around; it was so deep; it was so pervasive; it was so important to the country that it's naive to think it wasn't all around. The question becomes what do we do with that?" President's Salovey's welcoming are met with a shower of money symbolizing the influence of money. #WrongMoveYale pic.twitter.com/lm0LSktzEp DOWN Magazine (@DOWNatYale) April 28, 2016 Therein may lie some of the issue for members of the Yale community so opposed to keeping Calhoun's name. "Yale does not currently have the resources to teach this painful history," Yale sophomore Julianna Simms said at the town hall, according to the Yale Daily News. "We are hemorrhaging qualified, caring faculty of color. Racial tensions boiled over on Yale's New Haven, Connecticut, campus last year, exposing feelings that Yale provided an unwelcoming environment for students of color and that pervasive racism existed. NOW WATCH: These are the most powerful members of Skull and Bones one of Americas most famous secret societies More From Business Insider LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESSWIRE / May 4, 2016 / PTS, Inc., (the "Company") (OTC Pink: PTSH) announced today that it is meeting with investors in Europe to finance the expansion of Matchedje Motor Holdings, Inc. in Mozambique. "Matchedje is progressing in its development and growth," stated Lowell Holden, President and CEO of PTS. "The time has come to increase its financial strength for carrying out its expansion plans." About PTS: PTS, Inc. is a company that is seeking to invest in synergistically related projects including waste to energy, geothermal collection fields, natural gas and petroleum production. The administrative office is in Los Angeles, CA. SAFE HARBOR FOR FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS This news release contains "forward-looking statements" as that term is defined in Section 27A of the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Statements in this press release which are not purely historical are forward-looking statements and include any statements regarding beliefs, plans, expectations or intentions regarding the future. These forward-looking statements generally can be identified by phrases such as PTS, Inc. or its management "believes," "expects," "anticipates," "foresees," "forecasts," "estimates" or other words or phrases of similar import. Such forward-looking statements include, among other things, the development, costs and results of new business opportunities. Actual results could differ from those projected in any forward-looking statements due to numerous factors. Such factors include, among others, the inherent uncertainties associated with new business opportunities and development stage companies. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this news release, and we assume no obligation to update the forward-looking statements, or to update the reasons why actual results could differ from those projected in the forward-looking statements. Although we believe that any beliefs, plans, expectations and intentions contained in this press release are reasonable, there can be no assurance that any such beliefs, plans, expectations or intentions will prove to be accurate. Investors should consult all of the information set forth herein and should also refer to the risk factors disclosure outlined in our annual report for the most recent fiscal year. Story continues Contact: Lowell Holden Email: ltholden@comcast.net Telephone: (612) 961-5656 SOURCE: PTS, Inc. Mukalla (Yemen) (AFP) - Al-Qaeda in Yemen threatened Wednesday to target the homes of officers and soldiers who took part in a government offensive that drove militants out of key areas. But militants in Zinjibar appear to have agreed to leave the Abyan provincial capital following tribal mediation to spare the city destruction, said the region's security chief Colonel Nasser Hadi. Government troops backed by air and ground support from a Saudi-led coalition launched last month a widespread operation against jihadists in south and southeastern Yemen. "We warn all military leaders and soldiers who participated in the campaign that their houses are now legitimate targets for us," said an online statement issued by the Abyan branch of Ansar al-Sharia, another name used by Al-Qaeda in Yemen. "We advise their wives and children to leave their houses because they (the houses) will be our next target," the statement said. Al-Qaeda fighters had remained in Zinjibar after government forces advanced towards the city in late April. Residents took to the streets demanding the extremists leave to spare the city any fighting. Abyan's security chief said Wednesday that Al-Qaeda militants demanded a "safe exit" from the city and nearby Jaar town, adding the militants "promised to clear the mines and explosives they planted on the edges" of Zinjibar. He said a tribal dignitary led mediation with the militants to "spare the city destruction and war." Witnesses said however that Al-Qaeda fighters were still visible in Zinjibar and Jaar. The militants last month fled the key southeastern city of Mukalla, the capital of Hadramawt province, and other coastal areas, due to the government offensive. Earlier in April, government troops pushed Al-Qaeda fighters out of Huta, the capital of Lahj province. Yemen-based Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula is regarded by Washington as the network's most dangerous branch, and AQAP militants have come under repeated US air and drone strikes. The Saudi-led coalition intervened in Yemen in March 2015 in support of President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi against Shiite Huthi rebels who had seized the capital Sanaa and other areas. But it has recently turned its firepower against jihadists impeding the government's bid to firm up its grip on southern areas recaptured from the rebels. By Emma Batha LONDON (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - A quarter of the world's school-age children - 462 million - live in countries affected by crisis such as wars and disasters, UNICEF said on Wednesday as it unveiled details of a major new fund to help get children back in class during emergencies. Although nearly 75 million children are considered in desperate need of education or help to stay in school, the U.N. children's agency said only 2 percent of global humanitarian appeals are on average dedicated to education. The Education Cannot Wait fund, which will be launched at the first World Humanitarian Summit in Istanbul this month, aims to raise nearly $4 billion to reach 13.6 million children within five years and 75 million by 2030. "Education changes lives in emergencies," said Josephine Bourne, UNICEF's education chief, in a statement. "Going to school keeps children safe from abuses like trafficking and recruitment into armed groups and is a vital investment in children's futures and in the future of their communities." School also helps guard against child labor and child marriage, yet the role of education in protecting children is often overlooked during crises, UNICEF said. "It is time education is prioritized by the international community as an essential part of basic humanitarian response, alongside water, food and shelter," Bourne added. In Syria more than 6,000 schools are out of use, having been attacked, occupied by the military or turned into an emergency shelter. In Central African Republic a quarter of schools are not functioning. In periods of crisis, parents cite education as one of their top priorities, yet last year only a fraction of children identified as needing education in humanitarian response plans were reached, UNICEF said. The new fund would disburse aid at the first sign of upheaval and provide longer term funding in protracted crises, UNICEF said in a report. When crises hit, children are often forced to move repeatedly, interrupting their schooling. In the poorest communities, UNICEF said a child who is out of school for more than a year is unlikely to return. Girls are 2.5 times more likely to drop out of school than boys. UNICEF said disruption to schooling also had huge implications for long-term development. "Education can be a driver of stability, reconciliation and peacebuilding, and a buffer against future social and economic shocks," the report said. "If education is not used as a lever to break the cycle, then crises will continue to be repeated." UNICEF could not say if the number of children in crisis affected countries had increased as there were no comparable estimates for previous years. The fund will seek support from new donor countries, the commercial sector, foundations, philanthropists, diasporas and faith-based groups, as well as traditional donors. It will be launched by UNICEF with partners including the U.N. education envoy, the U.N. refugee agency and governments. (Editing by Katie Nguyen; Please credit the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the charitable arm of Thomson Reuters, which covers humanitarian news, women's rights, trafficking, corruption and climate change. Visit news.trust.org to see more stories.) cersei premiere HBO Cersei may be one of the most cruel and conniving characters on Game of Thrones, but even she cant handle the idea of Donald Trump becoming Americas next president (and thats saying something). In fact, Lena Headey, who seems like a delightful and incredibly level-headed person in real life was so upset that Trump may soon become the presumptive GOP nominee that she, like many others, has taken to Twitter to let the world know just how devastating it would be if the former host of The Apprentice got the GOPs approval and became the official Republican nominee (a fate that was once more well-suited to the realm of fiction). In her tweets, Headey took the presidential hopeful to task, reminding everyone that a Trump presidency would be all about fear and paranoia. And the actress knows that in order to Make America Great Again what we really deserve is a leader whos strong and, most importantly, informed about the issues and whats going on in the country. Trump, even Cersei concedes, would be the exact opposite of all that. Check it out: Here's my last thought of the night. Donald Trump cannot be the political might of this country. He will continue his tirade of aggression lena headey (@IAMLenaHeadey) May 4, 2016 and keep on stirring up the fear and paranoia. This country doesn't need that. lena headey (@IAMLenaHeadey) May 4, 2016 This country DESERVES to have a courageous, informed leader at its helm able to inspire progressive change and solution. lena headey (@IAMLenaHeadey) May 4, 2016 Those tweets were Headeys most cutting, but the actress had a lot to say about what the world should look like after spending some time with the president of The International Rescue Committee: Story continues Just spent a few hours in the company of David Millaband at an event for the IRC. Here's the thing I took away lena headey (@IAMLenaHeadey) May 4, 2016 We are dealing with a GLOBAL problem, a humanitarian issue. IF you think you can't help, you're wrong, we all can. lena headey (@IAMLenaHeadey) May 4, 2016 We need to speak out against lawless regimes, violence, malevolent "leaders".. . We need to rise up, empower and educate displaced youth lena headey (@IAMLenaHeadey) May 4, 2016 offer them opportunities. Not continue living in fear of people, good and contributory human beings lena headey (@IAMLenaHeadey) May 4, 2016 The IRC need volunteers, to help establish refugees in their newfound places of safety, be it driving to and from an airport.. lena headey (@IAMLenaHeadey) May 4, 2016 to teaching english. They need financial support, enduring financial support. Civil wars last decades, lena headey (@IAMLenaHeadey) May 4, 2016 the Syrian crisis will escalate before it gets better lena headey (@IAMLenaHeadey) May 4, 2016 You know what? It may just be time to launch a campaign for Cersei for president. Lets just have Headey do it in character. Shed still make a better leader and there are probably way more people whod vote for an actual fictional character before voting for the man known for once talking about his baby daughters breasts. Whos with us? (h/t: Mashable) The band have spent days disappearing and reappearing on the Internet. But now Radiohead have released a new single titled Burn The Witch, believed to be the first track from the bands long awaited ninth album The surprise track is accompanied by a claymation video directed by Chris Hopewell which was conceived, designed, built and animated in 14 days. Hopewell wrote on Instagram: So I guess we just made a Radiohead video! Its for their new track Burn The Witch. Thank you all for your kind words it does mean a lot to know its going down well. The whole video was conceived, designed, built and animated in 14 days, we finished last Thursday. I am immensely proud of everyone that worked their a***s off on it for many of them it was their first film. I shall introduce them in later posts but for now thank you! You where all bloody brilliant!!! Big love to you all! #Radiohead #burnthewitch #musicvidio. Over the weekend Radiohead erased its online presence, deleting Facebook, Instagram and Twitter posts before putting out the song. It was previously claimed the band consisting of Thom Yorke, Jonny Greenwood, Colin Greenwood, Phil Selway and Ed OBrien are planning to release their new album in June. The groups manager Brian Message was reportedly overheard confirming the news during a conversation at The Wanstead Tap bar in London last month. The pubs official Twitter page sharde the news with the message: From the horses mouth: The new Radiohead album out in June will be like nothing like youve ever heard. Pictures Getty Images/Public Domain Victim blaming is a problem at Spelman College in Atlanta, says one sexual assault survivor who anonymously tweeted this week to announce she was leaving the school. A Twitter user with the handle "Raped at Spelman" accused the prestigious women's college, which has been ranked the number one historically black college in the nation, of failing to adequately and swiftly address her assault, which occurred at the school: I went to a party with my friends there were alot of people there and it was really fun so we decided to drink with the upperclassmen. surrounded by 4 Morehouse students who took me to another room and took turns raping me. I was in shock about what had happened. drinking under age. The Dean also said that Spelman & Morehouse are brother & sister so I should give them a pass. I never felt so worthless The account continues here. In 21 tweets, Raped At Spelman highlights t h e epid emic of se xual a ssault a t HBCU s as w ell as pre d ominantly white colleges a cross the nation. But at black instit ution s like Spelman a nd its brot herly counterpa rt, Moreho use College, t he college community encourages black women to vigorously defend the image of black me n. It's an unspoken understanding: The quest for racial justice trumps the need to call out bad even criminal behavior within in the community. This makes substantive conversations about rape and gender discriminat ion to ug her to hav e. Raped At Spelman has recei ved many messages of support from current students and alumni of Spelman, Morehouse and other HBCUs. More than 1,780 people had followed the Twitter account as of Wednesday morning. In an email, college President Mary Schmidt Campbell said the school was investigating the accusations made by the creator of the Twitter account. "Our hearts go out to this student and I want to personally offer her our full support and assistance," Campbell said Tuesday. "We are a family at Spelman and we will not tolerate any episode of sexual violence. No student should ever have to suffer and endure the experience she has recounted on social media." Story continues Graduates participate in a commencement ceremony at Spelman College in 2011. In an April statement commemorating national Sexual Assault Awareness Month, Campbell told Spelman students that combating the climate of sexual violence remained a "high priority" for the school. She also announced that students had formed a Sex Discrimination Student Commission, which would advise and collaborate with the administration on issues related to safety and equity for men and women at Spelman The organizing around sexual assault at Spel man come s just a few m onths af ter fed eral officials responded to student complaints about how Spelman and Morehouse respond to incidents of sexual violence. Last November, the U.S. Department of Education announced that the schools were among more than 150 colleges under investigation for allegedly mishandling reported rape cases. S part of the "It's On Us" campaign to prevent sexual assault at colleges. Months later, the Raped At Spelman Twitter account suggests the problem has been slow to change. Watch Mic's interview with Biden on how to end the rape crisis plaguing college campuses: Huge Deal in the Healthcare Space: Abbott Buys St. Jude Medical (Continued from Prior Part) St. Jude and Abbott merge to become a cardio powerhouse As we saw in the first part of the series, Abbott Labs (ABT) is buying St. Jude Medical (STJ) for about $30 billion in cash, stock, and assumed debt in order to become a dominant player in the cardiovascular health space. The combined company will hold the first and second market share positions in the cardiovascular device market. The companies estimate the potential addressable market to be over $30 billion per year. Abbott is also buying Alere (ALR). Its having issues getting out its financial statements. Abbott claims that it has access to enough funds to buy both companies. However, there are news reports saying that Abbott is looking for a way out of the Alere transaction. Managements comments Bringing together these two great companies will create a premier medical device business and immediately advance Abbotts strategic and competitive position, said Miles D. White, Abbotts chairman and CEO. The combined business will have a powerful pipeline ready to deliver next-generation medical technologies and offer improved efficiencies for health care systems around the world. Synergy estimates The companies estimate that the transaction will deliver ~$500 million per year in pretax synergies by 2020. The deal will be accretive to Abbotts adjusted earnings per share in the first year after completion. It will increase to $0.21 in 2017 and $0.29 in 2018. Other merger arbitrage resources Other important merger spreads include the Cigna (CI)-Anthem (ANTM) deal. Its slated to close in 2H16. For a primer on risk arbitrage investing, read Merger arbitrage must-knows: A key guide for investors. Investors who are interested in trading in the healthcare sector should look at the S&P SPDR Healthcare ETF (XLV) Continue to Next Part Browse this series on Market Realist: Madrid (AFP) - Real Madrid will face Atletico Madrid in the Champions League final for the second time in three years after overcoming Manchester City 1-0 in their semi-final second leg on Wednesday. Brazilian midfielder Fernando deflected Gareth Bale's cross into his own net after 20 minutes at the Santiago Bernabeu for the only goal of the tie after the first leg ended goalless. Fernandinho came closest to taking City to their first ever Champions League final when his shot clipped the outside of the post a minute before half-time. Real beat Atletico 4-1 after extra time in Lisbon two years ago to win the competition for a 10th time and will be hoping for a repeat when they face Diego Simeone's men in Milan on May 28. "It is another final. It has been very difficult to get there," Madrid defender Sergio Ramos -- whose 93rd-minute header sent the previous final against Atletico into extra time -- told BeIN Sports Spain. "We have shown we know how to win a final and we are going to try and do it again." City's performance over the two legs left much to be desired, but goalkeeper Joe Hart claimed the difference between the sides had been the luck Real enjoyed in the only goal of the game. "We could easily be in the final but they managed the game well," he told BT Sport. "They've beaten us with a very lucky goal but it is what it is." City manager Manuel Pellegrini's time at the club will come to an end without European glory as he will be replaced at the end of the season by Pep Guardiola. And the Chilean lamented his side's lack of creativity to cause Madrid problems over the two legs. "We worked very well the whole game and that is why Real Madrid couldn't create chances, but after that you need creativity and players who can make the difference in the last third and we lacked that." Real Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane now has the chance to repeat his Champions League success as a player with Real in 2002 in his first season in charge as a coach. Story continues "In a semi-final you always have to suffer, but we've achieved our place in the final," said Zidane. Real were given a huge boost before kick-off as Cristiano Ronaldo made his return after a three-game absence due to a thigh injury. By contrast, City were dealt a massive injury blow inside 10 minutes when captain Vincent Kompany was forced off once more with a muscle problem in an injury-disrupted campaign. Ronaldo was looking to equal his own record of 17 Champions League goals in a season, but sent his first chance well over the bar with a header from Dani Carvajal's cross. However, Madrid got the luck they needed to swing the tie in their favour with their next attack as Bale was played in on the right of the City box and his intended cross spooned up off Fernando and into the far corner to leave Hart helpless. - Inexperience - The difference in European pedigree between the clubs couldn't have been starker as Madrid were playing in their 27th semi-final, whilst City were in the last four for the first time. That inexperience looked to be taking hold as City enjoyed decent spells of first-half possession without troubling the Real defence. However, they came within inches of finding the crucial away goal just before the break when Kevin De Bruyne picked out Fernandinho and the Brazilian midfielder's low driven shot clipped the outside of the post. The goalmouth action was all in City's box early in the second period as Hart denied Luka Modric and Ronaldo twice before Bale's looping header came back off the bar. Yet, out of nothing City nearly snatched the goal they needed a minute from time when top scorer Sergio Aguero's first serious effort of the tie dipped onto the roof of the net. Despite a frantic finale, though, Madrid continued their record of not conceding a goal at home in the Champions League this season to progress to their 14th European Cup final. Kinshasa (AFP) - The International Committee of the Red Cross announced Wednesday it was suspending planned travel in the restive eastern Democratic Republic of Congo after three workers were kidnapped. Armed men seized the employees -- who a local official said previously were Congolese nationals -- Tuesday in the turbulent Nord-Kivu province. "All planned ICRC travel in Nord-Kivu has been suspended until further notice," the aid agency wrote in a statement. The three kidnapped men were part of a convoy headed to the village of Kyaghala to distribute aid to people impacted by the armed conflict in the area. "We strongly condemn the kidnapping and are making every effort to reunite our colleagues with their families," said Alessandra Menegon, head of ICRC's delegation in DR Congo. "We call on the assailants to free the hostages, safe and sound, immediately," she added. Attacks against aid workers are regular occurences in the area, which has suffered chronic unrest for two decades. The strife is fuelled by local armed groups and others committing ethnic-related violence, or over land or the region's mineral wealth. In early March three Congolese workers for Save the Children were taken hostage for seven days by unidentified kidnappers in Lubero, in central Nord-Kivu province. john kasich Ohio Gov. John Kasich dropped out of the presidential race Wednesday, effectively handing the Republican presidential nomination to Donald Trump. Kasich's campaign scrapped a press conference planned for early Wednesday morning in Washington, DC, and instead announced that the governor would make a statement in Columbus, Ohio. "Nobody has ever done more with less in the history of politics," Kasich said of his staff in the statement. Trump all but sealed the nomination following a landslide win Tuesday night in Indiana's primary. Kasich was the last major Republican presidential candidate remaining in the race. Sen. Ted Cruz dropped out Tuesday night following the results of the Indiana primary. The Ohio governor's campaign never really got off the ground. Though he had picked up a handful of delegates in several nominating contests and won his home state's primary, he did not take home any other primaries or caucuses and won few delegates in the past month. Even after the Indiana loss, Kasich's team insisted that the governor would stay in the race until the Republican National Convention in July. On Wednesday morning, Kasich tweeted out a "Star Wars"-parody video claiming that Kasich was the "only hope" to defeat Democratic presidential frontrunner Hillary Clinton. NOW WATCH: Watch Obama roast Trump at the White House Correspondents' Dinner More From Business Insider By Amy Tennery NEW YORK (Reuters) - Several Republicans took to social media Wednesday to declare they will never back Donald Trump for U.S. president even after Ted Cruz, the billionaire businessman's closest rival, dropped out of the race for the party nomination. The anti-Trump declarations came from a range of quarters, including at least one Republican U.S. senator and a number of political commentators who have been leading voices of the #NeverTrump movement that has resisted his candidacy. Trump's victory in the Indiana primary on Tuesday prompted Cruz's surprise decision to suspend his campaign and left Trump a largely uncontested path to securing the roughly 200 delegates he still needs to lock down the Republican presidential nomination for the Nov. 8 election. "Reporters keep asking if Indiana changes anything for me. The answer is simple: No," U.S. Senator Ben Sasse of Nebraska said on Twitter. Sasse included a link to a February Facebook post in which he appealed to Trump backers to drop their support. Mark Salter, a former speech writer for Senator John McCain, said he would support former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, the leading candidate for the Democratic nomination, over Trump. "The GOP is going to nominate for President a guy who reads the National Enquirer and thinks it's on the level. I'm with her," Salter (@MarkSalter55) tweeted, referring to a common rallying cry among Clinton supporters. But the high-profile "Stop Trump" or "Never Trump" effort launched by conservative Republicans failed to significantly slow Trump's momentum and appeared not to have achieved its mission as the date nears for the Republicans' convention in July. After Trump's Indiana victory on Tuesday night, Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus called for the party to back Trump. "@realDonaldTrump will be presumptive @GOP nominee, we all need to unite and focus on defeating @HillaryClinton #NeverClinton, Priebus (@Reince) tweeted. Still, it was clear that Trump faces some difficulty bringing all Republicans on board. Bill Kristol, a neoconservative and editor of the Weekly Standard, offered a scathing retort to former House Speaker Newt Gingrich's call to back Trump. "If you're for Trump you functionally are for a man unfit to be president, & for the degradation of [American] conservatism," tweeted Kristol (@BillKristol) early Wednesday. "Never ever ever Trump. Simple as that," tweeted Tim Miller (@Timodc), former campaign communications director for Jeb Bush, who dropped out of the White House race earlier this year. Several Republican voters said on Twitter that they were changing their party affiliation, while some posted photos of their voter registration cards lit ablaze. (Reporting By Amy Tennery; Additonal reporting by Michelle Conlin and Steve Holland; Editing by Dan Burns and Frances Kerry) New research suggests that a dog may be more than just man`s best friend. The furry friends may also help keep your heart and mind healthy. New research also shows that you and your pup may share the same heart rate. Scientists in Australia said that the hearts of a dog owner and her dog frequently beat in sync. Ret Turner, the legendary wardrobe and costume designer who won five Emmy Awards and dressed such glamorous stars as Cher, Dinah Shore, Dolly Parton and Diana Ross, has died. He was 88. Turner, who worked often with Bob Mackie and headed NBC Studios' wardrobe department for 20 years, died Tuesday night at his home in West Hollywood, his close friend Dan Wolf told The Hollywood Reporter. Turner collected 23 Emmy nominations in all, winning for his work on musical specials starring Ross and Mitzi Gaynor, for series (Mama's Family and Carol Burnett's Carol & Company) and for a star-studded event show that celebrated Las Vegas' 75th anniversary. Turner also did wardrobe for several Emmy and Academy Awards telecasts (he dressed host Billy Crystal) as well as for the Kennedy Center's 25th anniversary show in 1996. He most recently worked on the SAG Awards show in January. Turner, whose own signature look was wearing all-black with a red tassel at the neck, partnered with Mackie and another costume design legend, the late Ray Aghayan, for Elizabeth Courtney Costumes, a design and costume rental company in Studio City. "Going to Elizabeth Courtney is like going to Disneyland," Lily Tomlin once said. "Anything you want, anything you want to be, you can be. It's all there for you." The business was known as Ret Turner Costume Rentals until its closure a few months ago. Born Walter Raymond Turner in Marianna, Fla., he made his mark collaborating with Mackie in the 1970s on CBS' The Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour and the couple's follow-up, The Sonny and Cher Show. He also dressed Donny & Marie Osmond, Andy Williams, Parton, Edie Adams, Bing Crosby, Bea Arthur and Ann Jillian for television shows or specials and worked on the pilot for Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In. "It was all so spectacular," Turner, talking about working on variety shows back in the day, said in a 2003 interview with the Archive of American Television. "We were given a format, and we did a lot of clothes, and those dancers changed outfits sometimes eight times during a four-minute musical number, and they were all incredible looking. The costumes added an interesting element to the show. People now feel they get in the way of the show, and I can understand that. That's why they don't do them anymore." Story continues Turner, who was the oldest active member of the Costume Designers Guild, came to Hollywood in 1950 looking to become an actor. When he realized that wasn't going to happen, he got a job in the wardrobe department at NBC and assisted on shows hosted by Spike Jones and Dinah Shore. He later appeared as one of The Flying Silverman Brothers in a recurring comic sketch on The Andy Williams Show. He also worked on the opening of Disneyland in 1955, Disney World in 1971 and EPCOT in 1982. Turner went to Cher's home and dressed her in her famous (infamous?) black feather gown and headdress that she wore when she presented Don Ameche of Cocoon with his best supporting actor Oscar in 1985. (Mackie designed the outfit.) "She used to have trick phrases that she would give to Bob, like [let's do] Road Warrior meets Tammy, she would throw things like that out there," Turner said in the TV Archive interview. "Whatever it was, she certainly created quite a stir, right, wrong or indifferent." Survivors include a niece, Jean. Kim Masters contributed to this report. See More: Hollywood's Notable Deaths of 2016 Money might be hard to come by in many parts of America, but its cheap in the 2016 election. Wealthy Republican donors have given nearly $400 million so far to presidential candidates with zilch to show for their efforts, including at least $63 million donated to super PACs supporting the latest GOP dropout Sen. Ted Cruz. Cruz quit the race after losing the Indiana primary election to Donald Trump, who has nearly locked up the GOP presidential nomination. With nine primary contests left, Trump now seems all but certain to win enough delegates outright to clinch the nomination, leaving no path for rivals. At this point, its no longer surprising that Trump is trouncing opponents. What is surprising, however, is the vast sum Trump foes have wasted trying to steer the nomination toward anybody other than Trump. Yahoo Finance has been tallying the millions spent in futility on this years presidential campaign, and the total spent on super PACs supporting losing Republican candidates now totals roughly $375 million. Thats more than Mitt Romneys entire estimated net worth. Its equivalent to two years worth of profits for Netflix. Cruz enjoyed the support of a small number of rich donors willing to commit large amounts of money to his cause. New York hedge-fund manger Robert Mercer of Renaissance Technologies donated at least $13 million to a Cruz super PAC, allowed to accept unlimited donations, called Keep the Promise I. Toby Neugebauer, a Texas energy investor and son of a member of Congress, gave another $10 million to a second super PAC called Keep the Promise II. The third Cruz super PAC, Keep the Promise III, collected $15 million from two Texas brothers, Dan and Farris Wilks, who became billionaires after they sold a fracking operation in 2011. Including the contributions of smaller donors, those three promise-keeping super PACs raised more than $41 million for Cruz. A fourth Cruz super PAC, Stand for Truth, raised another $11 million. That super PAC had no eight-figure donors, but federal records show that Adam Roos, CEO of Goldcrest Investments in Dallas, gave $1 million, as did Gale Alger of Palm Beach, Fla., and a Houston company called Trinity Equity Partners. Other donors gave as much as $325,000 each. Much of the money was used running ads against Marco Rubio and Donald Trump. Smaller contrubitions from other donors pushed total funding for Cruz super PACs to $63 million. Story continues As of the end of March, the super PACs supporting Cruz had spent about $42 million of the $63 million they raised, and it's likely they spent more in April as Cruz made his final stand against Trump. Still, there may be some money left to return to donors or pass on to other political groups. Interestingly, Keep the Promise II, funded entirely by Neugebauer, had almost all of its cash on hand as of March 31, suggesting some sort of deal between the donor and the candidate; Neuegbauer may have insisted, for instance, that the money be spent only on the general election. Cruz also raised at least $78.5 million for his traditional campaign, with the maximum donation being $5,400. That fundraising total is the third highest of any candidate so far, behind Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton. Since theres a relatively low limit on the maximum amount any individual can donate to a traditional campaign which must pay for campaign staff, travel costs, event rentals and direct campaigning expenses theres still a need for small donations from ordinary voters. But a single rich donor giving millions to a super PAC can counteract thousands of small-dollar donations to a competing candidate, which is why super PACs have become so important. Still, the lesson of 2016 is that theyre hardly decisive. Donald Trump is poised to win the Republican nomination with virtually no super PAC support. He has mastered the dark art of getting free media coverage, worth millions in itself, and finding other ways to connect with voters that dont require millions in spending. Democrat Hillary Clinton does enjoy super PAC support, totaling about $76 million in fundraising so far. But thats pretty much the entire super PAC haul on the Democratic side. Bernie Sanders doesnt accept super PAC support, and three other Democratic candidates raised a paltry amount through super PACs. The tally for now shows Republican donors have burned through about $375 million in super PAC donations meant to support failed candidates, compared with about $1 million in super PAC donations for failed Democratic candidates. If youve got money to burn, maybe that lopsided ratio is no big deal. But anybody comfortable burning money tends not to have money for all that long. Rick Newmans latest book is Liberty for All: A Manifesto for Reclaiming Financial and Political Freedom. Follow him on Twitter: @rickjnewman . Roland Emmerich has unveiled plans for a movie about 1942s Battle of the Midway. The producer-director made the announcement Tuesday night prior to a 20th anniversary screening on the Fox lot of his 1996 blockbuster Independence Day. Emmerichs sequel, Independence Day: Resurgence, will open June 24. The four-day battle took place six months after Japans attack on Pearl Harbor, and saw the U.S. Navy decisively defeat an attacking fleet of the Imperial Japanese Navy. U.S. codebreakers were able to determine the time and place of the planned attack, enabling the U.S. Navy to prepare its own ambush. At the time, the Americans were the underdog, Emmerich told the crowd. It was one of those moments where, against all odds, people came together and did the impossible. A lot of pilots died in this battle. I want to make a monument to them and it would be great to make a movie about it. Universal released the movie Midway in 1976 with Jack Smight directing and Walter Mirisch producing. The cast included Charlton Heston, Henry Fonda, James Coburn, Glenn Ford, Hal Holbrook, Toshiro Mifune, Robert Mitchum and Cliff Robertson. Independence Day Resurgence stars Jeff Goldblum, Liam Hemsworth, Vivica A. Fox, Jessie Usher, Maika Monroe, Judd Hirsch, Sela Ward and Charlotte Gainsbourg. Dean Devlin, who produced the original film, is producing with Emmerich and Harald Kloser. Emmerichs credits as a director-producer include The Day After Tomorrow, The Patriot, 2012, 10,000 B.C., Stonewall and White House Down. News about Emmerichs announcement was reported by the Coming Soon site. Related stories Sela Ward Studied Hillary Clinton to Play President in 'Independence Day: Resurgence' 'Jason Bourne' Edges 'Independence Day' in Trailer Faceoff 20 Years Later, Theater Owners Inspired by a New 'Independence Day' In the world of Photoshop, there's a fine line between "touch-ups" and giving someone a brand new face. It's a line that many photographers and photo editors have yet to define, apparently. Rumer Willis is the latest celebrity to accuse a magazine of drastically altering her image. The 27-year-old actress took to Instagram to air her grievances over an outtake photo from Vanity Fair's May "Sisters" issue which she claims has been heavily edited by photographers Mark Williams and Sara Hirakawa. The photo in question, which sees Willis with younger sisters Scout, 24, and Tallulah, 22, seated in a 1951 Chevy Fleetline, comes from a photoshoot for an 18-page spread of famous sisters, which also features the Jaggers, the Williams and the Waterhouses. "The photographer Photoshopped my face to make my jaw smaller and I find it really offensive for anyone to try and change the way you look so drastically," she writes in the caption. "I love the way I look and I won't support anyone who would feel a need to change the way I look to make me beautiful. Whether or not they realize it, it is a form of bullying, which I won't stand for." In a statement to Pret-a-Reporter, however, Williams and Hirakawa deny the accusations: "The retouching that was done to the photograph was only done to resolve some distortion with using a wide angle lens for a group shot, and not to alter or modify anyone's face. We used a wide angle lens, and it might've made Rumer's chin look smaller from the higher angle that we shot the image. We did correct for the optics of the lens slightly as people's heads get distorted through the wide angle lens. We certainly did not intend to change the way she naturally looks. Our intention was to capture the special bond between Rumer and her sisters." The representative also makes it clear that the "image was an outtake and was not published in Vanity Fair or vf.com nor did they ever see it." Story continues Willis isn't the only celebrity to take issue with heavy-handed editing. Lena Dunham, Kerry Washington and Zendaya have all made similar complaints on Instagram. Any friends of fans of mine who posted this I would appreciate if you took it down. The photographer Photoshopped my face to make my jaw smaller and I find it really offensive for anyone to try and change the way you look so drastically. I love the way I look and I won't support anyone who would feel a need to change the way I look to make me beautiful. Whether or not they realize it, it is a form of bullying, which I won't stand for. A photo posted by Rumer Willis (@ruelarue) on May 3, 2016 at 11:55am PDT 12:35 p.m. Wednesday, May. 4: Updated with a statement from Williams and Hirakawa. From the Bush twins to Paul McCartney's daughters, some of the biggest celeb siblings in Hollywood are featured in . So it came as no surprise that the publication asked Bruce Willis and Demi Moore's three daughters to participate in the spread. While Rumer, Tallulah and Scout are all present in the glam shots, Rumer has taken to Instagram to point out something that is clearly missing: her jawline. She starts off the post by asking that fans or friends who have reposted the digitally altered image to remove it from their feeds. Source: Instagram "The photographer Photoshopped my face to make my jaw smaller and I find it really offensive for anyone to try and change the way you look so drastically," she wrote. "I love the way I look and I won't support anyone who would feel a need to change the way I look to make me beautiful. Whether or not they realize it, it is a form of bullying, which I won't stand for." Here is a side-by-side for comparison: Source: Instagram/Getty Images There's been a growing list of celebs calling out publications for unnecessary edits to photos over the past few months. In March 2016, Lena Dunham wrote about Spanish magazine Tentaciones using an altered image of her on its cover. One month later, Kerry Washington said she didn't recognize herself on the cover of Adweek. What's different in Rumer's situation is that she is not saying "don't alter photos." Instead, she's pointing out that magazines like VF have created an unrealistic beauty ideal. In her case, it means downsizing her jawline, implying that she needs to alter the way she looks in order to appear presentable. There is no proof that the photo was altered (Mic has reached out to Vanity Fair for comment) but fans have taken to the 27-year-old's post to show support and praise Willis for candidly speaking out. "WOW. So noticeable too. I am sorry you have to experience this.... know you are beautiful just the way God intended," one user commented on her Instagram photo. "I would love to see the original, unphotoshopped image. You ARE beautiful, just the way you are," said another. The internet to all digitally altered photos right now: By Dmitry Solovyov and Lidia Kelly MOSCOW/BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Russia will reinforce its western and southern flanks with three new divisions by the year-end, officials said on Wednesday, threatening retaliation to NATO's plans to boost its military presence in eastern members Poland and the Baltic States. While Moscow accuses the Western alliance of threatening its Russia's security, NATO says intensified military drills and its plans for increased deployments on its eastern flank are purely defensive after Russia annexed Ukraine's Crimea in 2014 and backed separatist rebels in Ukraine. U.S. Defense Secretary Ashton Carter said on Monday NATO was weighing up rotating four battalions of troops through eastern member states amid rising tension in the Baltic. Russia has scrambled jets to intercept U.S. reconnaissance planes in recent weeks and made simulated attack passes near a U.S. warship in the Baltic Sea. Speaking in Brussels on Tuesday, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg confirmed the alliance would deploy "batallion-sized" multinational units on a rotational basis in the east. Andrei Kelin, a department head at Russia's Foreign Ministry, said the proposed NATO deployment was a source of concern for Moscow. Russia once held sway in eastern Europe as the Soviet-era overlord. "This would be a very dangerous build-up of armed forces pretty close to our borders," Kelin told the Interfax news agency. "I am afraid this would require certain retaliatory measures, which the Russian Defence Ministry is already talking about." Russia announced in January it would create three new military divisions and bring five new strategic nuclear missile regiments into service. On Wednesday, Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said the new divisions would be formed by the end of this year to counter what Moscow saw as NATO's growing strength. Russian media, citing unnamed military sources, said the new Russian divisions would most likely be motorized rifle ones and number around 10,000 soldiers each. "The Ministry of Defence has adopted a series of measures to counter the growing capacity of NATO forces in close proximity to the Russian borders," Shoigu said in televised comments. The new divisions are likely to be deployed in military districts close to Russia's borders with Ukraine, Belarus, the Baltic states and Finland as well as Georgia and Azerbaijan. NATO TO KEEP COURSE "What we do is defensive, it's proportionate ... And therefore we will continue to respond," Stoltenberg said. "There can be no doubt that what NATO does is a reaction to the Russian behavior in Ukraine. We didn't have any troops in Baltic countries ... before the illegal annexation of Crimea and Russia's destabilizing activities in eastern Ukraine." He was speaking at news conference with NATO's new Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR), General Curtis Scaparrotti, who said he intended to continue NATO's response so far to what the West sees as a more assertive and muscle-flexing Russia. "My intent is to continue that. I think that is the response," he said, adding NATO and Russia still needed to talk. "I do believe we should have communication, it's how we ensure that we dont have an accident or miscalculation. But I would reinforce this by saying it's expected that they adhere to international norms and international laws. And until such time, those communications will likely be limited." Scaparrotti said he was in favor of arms supplies to help Ukraine "successfully defend their territory and their sovereignty". (Additional reporting by Jack Stubbs in Moscow and Gabriela Baczynska in Brussels, Writing by Andrew Osborn and Gabriela Baczynska, Editing by Richard Balmforth) MOSCOW (Reuters) - The Russian Defence Ministry on Wednesday said an upsurge in violence by Nusra Front militants had thwarted plans to extend a truce to the Syrian city of Aleppo the previous day, Russian news agencies reported. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov suggested on Tuesday after meeting U.N. Syria envoy Staffan de Mistura that a deal covering Aleppo was close, saying Russian and U.S. military personnel might announce a decision "in the coming hours". But such a local truce, also known as "a regime of calm," never materialised. "As a result of attacks by the Nusra Front on the Az Zagra quarters, and heavy shelling by Hellfire rocket systems of other residential areas which caused numerous deaths among civilians, the introduction of a 'regime of calm' in Aleppo was disrupted," Russian news agencies quoted Russian Defence Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov as saying on Wednesday. Aleppo has been the scene of the worst surge in fighting in recent days, wrecking the first major ceasefire of the five-year-old civil war, sponsored by the United States and Russia, which had held since February. Russia and U.S. military officers were now holding "active consultations" with Syria's government leadership and the "moderate opposition" on how to introduce a "regime of calm" in Aleppo as soon as possible, Konashenkov said. The ceasefire in Aleppo and its suburbs was originally planned to last for 24 hours and to be later extended for a further two days, he was cited as saying. Rebel fighters launched an assault in Aleppo on Tuesday, firing rockets on a hospital. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a British-based group that monitors the conflict, said rebel rockets had killed 19 people in government-held territory, including an unspecified number at the al-Dabit hospital. (Reporting by Lidia Kelly; Writing by Dmitry Solovyov; Editing by Andrew Osborn) Moscow (AFP) - Russia has foiled a string of plots ordered by "international terrorist organisations" active in Syria and Turkey, the FSB intelligence agency said Wednesday, adding that several suspects had been arrested. "A group of immigrants from Central Asian countries who were planning to carry out a series of terrorist acts in the Moscow region" have been arrested, the FSB said, cited by state news agency RIA Novosti. The FSB added that the attacks, which would have struck in early May, had been ordered by "the leaders of international terrorist organisations active in Syria and Turkey". Several high-profile cultural and political events occurred on May 1 in or near Moscow to mark Labour Day, a national holiday in Russia. In addition, this year the Russian Orthodox Church celebrated Easter on May 1. On May 9 hundreds of thousands of people usually flock to the heart of the Russian capital for a military display and other celebrations to mark the anniversary of victory over Nazi Germany in World War II. During the arrests, which occurred in Moscow but the date of which was not given, "a large number of arms and explosives" were seized, according to the FSB statement. Those arrested "are progressing towards making confessions", it added. The announcement comes amid violent clashes since April 22 between the Moscow-backed Damascus regime and Syrian rebels supported by Turkey, in Aleppo in northern Syria, despite diplomatic efforts to restore a ceasefire. Russian forces have backed Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in his offensive against "terrorist" groups and helped Damascus retake the ancient city of Palmyra at the end of March from Islamic State group fighters. Russia is regularly accused by the West and Syrian opposition fighters of launching strikes against rebels opposed to Damascus. Moscow has always denied this. MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia will be forced to take retaliatory measures if NATO deploys four extra battalions in Poland and the Baltic states, Interfax news agency quoted a senior Russian Foreign Ministry official as saying on Wednesday. "This would be a very dangerous build-up of armed forces pretty close to our borders," Andrei Kelin, a department head at the ministry, said. "I am afraid this would require certain retaliatory measures, which the Russian Defence Ministry is already talking about." Russia will form three new military divisions to counter what it believes is the growing strength of The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) near its borders, Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu announced on Wednesday. (Reporting by Jack Stubbs; Writing by Dmitry Solovyov) * Deal includes lay-offs freeze, investment in small business * Tribunal hearing to begin next week * Unclear if AB InBev will keep stake after SAB takeover (Adds context) By Tiisetso Motsoeneng and Martinne Geller JOHANNESBURG/LONDON, May 4 (Reuters) - SABMiller and Coca-Cola have agreed concessions with the South African government to win approval for their plan to merge African soft drink operations into what would be the continent's biggest Coke drinks bottler. The concessions, announced on Wednesday, agreed with the South African Ministry of Economic Development, include a three-year freeze on layoffs and the companies investing 800 million rand ($54 million) to support small South African businesses. Brewer SABMiller, in the process of the being taken over by Anheuser-Busch InBev, agreed in November 2014 to team up with Coke and the South African owners of local bottler Coca-Cola Sabco to create Coca-Cola Beverages Africa, which would have annual sales of $2.9 billion and operations in 12 markets across Southern and East Africa. Upon completion of the all-equity deal, Coke will own 11.3 percent of the venture, the Gutsche family that owns Coke Sabco 31.7 percent and SABMiller 57 percent. Sources familiar with the situation said there is a change-of-control clause that would allow Coke to buy SAB's stake following SAB's takeover by AB InBev, expected in the second half of this year. Coke's ambitions are unknown, but some industry sources said a continuation of the current arrangement was unlikely. They point to AB InBev's status as a PepsiCo bottler in Latin America and the fact that it does not have a history of keeping stakes and joint ventures like SAB. Coke has been moving away from outright ownership of bottling assets, which are more capital intensive and lower-margin than selling syrup and marketing, meaning there could also be an opportunity for other bottlers, such as Coca-Cola HBC or Coca-Cola Femsa, to expand. Coca-Cola declined to comment on the terms of its agreements or plans for the stake, which one source said could be worth as much as $3 billion. Story continues Last week, during AB InBev's annual meeting, company executives declined to detail their plan for Coke in Africa. LAST HURDLE The bottling deal was given a preliminary approval in December by South Africa's Competition Commission, which said it could go ahead on several conditions including limiting jobs cuts to 250 and making sure it buys cans, glass, sugar and crates from local suppliers. The Commission investigates deals for any antitrust issues and recommends remedies to the Competition Tribunal, which makes a final ruling. A Tribunal hearing on the proposed deal, which would be a last hurdle, is due to start on May 9. South Africa has a history of taking its time over approving deals, partly because regulators have a public interest mandate to safeguard jobs in addition to ensuring there is competition. "I am very happy that we have reached this agreement and hope we now have a clear path to the conclusion of this transaction," SABMiller Chief Executive Officer Alan Clark said. The $100 billion-plus takeover of SAB has also included concessions made to the South African government. Coca-Cola Beverages Africa, which will account for 40 percent of all Coke volumes sold in Africa, will be headquartered in South Africa, its largest market. The deal will also hand Coke an extra 20 brands, including soft drink Appletiser, whose fruit juice concentrate is sourced from South African producers. Coca-Cola and SABMiller agreed to maintain and grow Appletiser operations for the domestic market and use it as a base for export. ($1 = 14.6759 rand) (Reporting by Tiisetso Motsoeneng. Additional reporting by Philip Blenkinsop.; Editing by Mark Potter and Jane Merriman) L candidate Sadiq Khan looks set to be elected London's first Muslim mayor in Thursday's elections it would also make him the first Muslim mayor of a capital city in the European Union. However, the candidate is coming under heat for ironically his disparaging comments about moderate Muslims, calling some of them "Uncle Toms." Footage from 2009 surfaced of Khan interviewing for Iran state television channel Press TV, during he made the remarks. Sadiq Khan Khan described some Muslims who agree with him as "Uncle Toms," a derogatory slur originally referring to black men who kowtow to whites in order to ingratiate themselves: I wish we only spoke to people who agree with us. ... I've spent ... four months in this job speaking to all sorts of people. ... ordinary rank-and-file citizens of Muslim faith. And that's what good governance is about, is engaging all stakeholders. ... You can't just pick and choose who you speak to. You can't just speak to 'Uncle Toms.' You can't just speak to people who will say what you want to hear. This revelation comes at a time when Khan's party is embroiled in accusations of racism and, specifically, anti-Semitism. Britain's Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis wrote in a Telegraph op-ed published Tuesday that certain Labour Party members have a "severe" problem with anti-Semitism, which has become an "insidious virus." Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis speaks with Conservative UK Prime Minister David Cameron. Mirvis' piece was in part a response to former-London Labour mayor Ken Livingstone who, during an interview with BBC Radio London on Thursday, linked Zionists to Hitler. Livingstone has since been suspended and is under investigation for his inflammatory comments. "Let's remember, when Hitler won his election in 1932, his policy then was that Jews should be moved to Israel," Livingstone said during the radio interview, according to the . "He was supporting Zionism this before he went mad and ended up killing 6 million Jews." Story continues Former London mayor Ken Livingstone (far right) speaks to the press. Now the Conservative Party is trying to link Khan and Livingstone as racists in the run-up to the election. Despite Khan's condemning Livingstone and calling for his suspension, the Conservative Party, known locally as the "Tories," has attempted to link the two men. Current Tory London Mayor Boris Johnson said both Khan and Livingstone were on the same "ideological continuum," the Independent reported. (Yet another political irony, given Johnson was himself recently accused of racism for writing President Barack Obama has an "ancestral dislike" for Britain because he's Kenyan.) London mayor and Conservative party member Boris Johnson. Khan used Twitter on Wednesday to address such smear campaigns head-on, arguing he is instead the candidate for "unity" and he would be "a Mayor for all Londoners." Ignore the desperate Tory campaign of fear and division. Tomorrow, vote for hope, unity and a Mayor for all Londoners #PMQs The Labour Party has found itself in the unusual position of being a progressive party accused of attacking both Jews and Muslims. Thursday's election will reveal whether or not the electorate regards these comments as mere blunders by a handful of party members or indicative of Bernie Sanders triumphed over Hillary Clinton in Indianas open primary Tuesday, boosting the grassroots candidates argument that the partys superdelegates should flip their support to him in Julys Democratic convention. Sanders spoke to thousands of supporters in Louisville, Ky., before Indianas results were in. He called for an end to closed primaries and criticized Clinton for her ties to Wall Street and paid speeches to Goldman Sachs a sign the heated rhetoric on the Democratic side shows no signs of cooling down. Meanwhile, the likely Republican nominee, Donald Trump, won Indiana in a landslide, and his top rival Sen. Ted Cruz dropped out. Sanders continues to trail Clinton by hundreds of pledged delegates and faces an extremely difficult path to close that gap. And Tuesdays win doesnt propel Sanders very far; he and Clinton will roughly split Indianas 83 Democratic delegates because his victory was narrow. But the win fuels the senators argument that he should keep fighting until the end and creates a headache for Clinton, who has made a hard pivot from frontrunner to presumptive nominee. I think we can pull off one of the great political upsets in the history of the United States, Sanders said in a press conference late Tuesday night. Sanders said earlier this week that the Democratic convention will be contested, and told reporters Tuesday that the partys superdelegates, almost all Clinton backers, should take a hard look at which candidate is more likely to defeat Donald Trump. He referenced polls that show him beating Trump by a wider margin than Clinton in hypothetical matchups. Clinton, meanwhile, has pointedly shifted her focus away from Sanders and toward Trump, sending a signal that its time for him to moderate his tone and to begin unifying the party. In an interview on Tuesday with NBCs Andrea Mitchell, Clinton laughed when asked about Sanders claim that the convention will be contested in July. Story continues Slideshow: Indiana primaries Sanders, Trump win and Cruz suspends >>> He has every right to finish out this primary season, I couldnt argue with that, Clinton said. She added that Sanders will be a part of the conventions mission to unify the party and defeat Trump. She also reminded Sanders of his promise to support the Democratic nominee. He also said hell work tirelessly seven days a week to defeat Donald Trump, Clinton said. The former secretary of state invested no money on ads in the Indiana primary and spent Tuesday night at home in Chappaqua, N.Y. The Clinton campaign has dramatically reduced the amount of money it spends fighting Sanders, shifting its resources to fighting off the likely Republican challenger, Donald Trump. Still, Sanders is not accepting Clintons exit from the primary. He spent about $1.5 million in TV ads in Indiana. And his campaign has sharpened its rhetoric against Clinton since his loss in New York last month. On Tuesday, Sanders campaign manager Jeff Weaver sent an email to supporters sharing a Politico story about how only 1 percent of money from a Clinton-affiliated fundraising vehicle has gone to state parties. The subject line was: This news will probably make you angry. Last week, Sanders wife, Jane, called Clinton the anointed one. Sanders has also repeatedly called upon Clinton to release the transcripts of her paid speeches to Goldman Sachs and hit her for her vote to authorize the 2003 invasion of Iraq. And the senator has continued to make a somewhat contradictory argument that superdelegates should flip their vote to him. It remains to be seen whether Sanders ongoing challenge becomes a liability for Clinton in the general. Last week, Trump started quoting Sanders constantly on the stump, saying he was right to call her unqualified and that his supposed hatred for Clinton is justified. The real estate mogul also has called for Sanders to run as an independent. The Clinton campaign hopes to poach Sanders white male and young supporters weak constituencies for her in the primary and the senators enthusiastic support would ease that process. Clinton also could use Sanders help in the general election with white voters in industrial states angry about lost manufacturing jobs. Both Trump and Sanders have used her support for free trade deals against her in the Rust Belt and Appalachia. Clinton spent the past two days on a tour of heavily Trump-friendly Appalachia, where she attempted to walk back an earlier boast in a town hall in March that she would put a lot of coal miners and coal companies out of business. She said her earlier comments were a mistake, and that she hoped to bring jobs to West Virginia and Appalachia even as energy sources change. Sanders win is unlikely to change Clintons laserlike focus on Trump. Her campaign has relentlessly criticized Trump for his recent woman card comments, and suggested he cannot pass the commander in chief test. Were going to have a tough campaign against a candidate who will literally do or say anything, Clinton said Tuesday. Washington (AFP) - Senator Bernie Sanders mounted a come-from-behind victory in Indiana's Democratic primary, denying the former secretary of state a feather in her cap as she seeks their party's presidential nomination. Sanders, a self-declared democratic socialist, was ahead of Clinton by 53.2 percent to 46.8 percent with about three quarters of precincts reporting, although Clinton remained well ahead in the delegate battle for the nomination. PARIS (Reuters) - Sanofi (SASY.PA) sees a strong strategic fit with Medivation (MDVN.O) even though its tie-up proposal was rejected by the U.S. cancer drug maker last week, the company's chief executive said on Wednesday. The French drugmaker went public with a $9.3 billion proposal to buy Medivation on April 28 but the target said offer undervalued the company and its pipeline of drugs. U.S firm Pfizer (PFE.N) has also approached Medivation to express interest in an acquisition, raising the possibility of a bid rivaling Sanofi's, people familiar with the matter said on Tuesday. "We have a strong strategic complementarity with this company," Sanofi Chief Executive Olivier Brandicourt said of Medivation at the group's annual shareholder meeting in Paris. He didn't say if Sanofi would raise its offer. "We will only move forward to a point where we create value," Sanofi chairman Serge Weinberg said. "Of course, it is out of question to say here where that point is." Sanofi is keen to boost its presence in cancer treatments and already has teamed up last year with U.S firm Regeneron (REGN.O) in immuno-oncology. Immuno-oncology differs from traditional treatments such as chemotherapy or radiotherapy as its uses or enhances the patients own immune system to be able to stop the growth of cancer cells. Brandicourt said much had still to be done to catch up with rivals such as Switzerland's Roche (ROG.S) or Novartis (NOVN.S). "We are making progress with Regeneron but coming back to Medivation, the complementarity comes from the fact they are very involved in prostate cancer," Brandicourt said. Based in San Francisco, Medivation is known for its prostate cancer treatment Xtandi while Sanofi markets its own drug for the disease, Jevtana. (Reporting by Matthias Blamont; Editing by Leigh Thomas) * GRAPHIC - Saudi corporate earnings: http://tmsnrt.rs/1W1H1nf * Q1 earnings of top 50 listed firms shrink 3 pct * Drop is less than investors had feared * But cost-cutting, efficiency gains largely responsible * These easy wins can't continue indefinitely * Pressure on retailers' margins shows damage to demand By Celine Aswad DUBAI, May 4 (Reuters) - Saudi Arabian companies are faring better in an era of austerity than many investors feared, but they face more pain in the coming months as gains from cost-cutting and efforts to improve efficiency become more difficult. The world's largest oil exporting country is in the grip of a protracted adjustment to low crude prices, which have caused a state budget deficit of nearly $100 billion and forced the government into spending cuts. For decades, almost every corner of the economy has depended on lavish flows of petrodollars, so the austerity is bad news for Saudi corporate earnings. Last December, the government announced its harshest set of measures so far, in the form of subsidy cuts that raised domestic prices of gasoline, electricity, water and the natural gas feedstock used by the petrochemicals industry. The first-quarter earnings of listed Saudi companies, released over the last few weeks, show that many are managing to avoid a steep slide in profits. The combined net profits of the 50 biggest companies by capitalisation, which account for the vast bulk of all earnings in the stock market, fell only 3.0 percent from a year ago to 19.88 billion riyals ($5.4 billion), Reuters calculations show. That was much better than the expectations of many analysts, who had believed profits might drop at least as steeply as they did in full-year 2015, when earnings shrank 13.9 percent. Nevertheless, there were big differences in first-quarter performance between individual sectors, with industries directly exposed to consumer demand, such as retailing, hit hard. Statements by the companies attributed much of their better-than-expected earnings to cost-cutting and gains in operational efficiency - processes that cannot continue indefinitely if they want to grow. That suggests the decline in profits could accelerate later this year or next. Story continues "Companies were able to benefit from the easy wins of cutting back on excess spending this time around," said Jassim al-Jubran, senior analyst at Aljazira Capital in Riyadh. "But the next several quarters will prove companies will be scavenging for top-line growth and undergoing massive restructuring as they face further pressure from austerity." BANKS, PETCHEMS Most of Saudi Arabia's 12 listed banks beat analysts' expectations in the first quarter as their combined earnings rose 0.6 percent to 10.01 billion riyals, a slowdown from 7.2 percent growth in all of 2015. Provisions for bad loans, while generally slightly greater than a year earlier, were not as large as feared. Many analysts, however, think provisions could rise in the coming quarters as austerity continues to hurt the economy. Major construction company Saudi Binladin Group, for example, has been laying off thousands of workers and bankers believe a restructuring of some of its debt is possible. Another concern for banks is slowing deposit growth because of reduced inflows of petrodollars. Total bank deposits shrank 0.6 percent from a year earlier in March; as recently as last year, they were growing at double-digit rates. "Many believe that 1Q16 results for banks in particular were a 'lagging' indicator, not forward-looking i.e. results are more reflective of pre-subsidy change days," said one Saudi economist who works with the government, declining to be named because he is not authorised to speak to media. "In coming quarters you will start to see defaults increasing and banks getting into a mess, so results will worsen." Earnings of the top 10 petrochemical companies shrank 8.9 percent in the first quarter to 4.33 billion riyals, but that was much better than in 2015, when low product prices due to cheap oil slashed their profits 36.9 percent. Saudi Basic Industries Corp, one of the world's largest petrochemical groups, reported a 13.2 percent drop in first-quarter profit to 3.41 billion riyals, but that was better than analysts' average forecast of 2.84 billion. "In general, gross margins were able to come ahead of expectations because producers were able to control costs, both operational and general," said Jubran. So far, the impact of the subsidy cuts on petrochemical firms' margins has been far lower than analysts and even the companies themselves had expected, said Jubran. But he warned that some firms were still enjoying low feedstock prices and these would eventually rise in an environment of austerity. "Part of the current strategy adopted by companies to improve efficiency and slash costs may prove to be unsustainable, because if current prices of feedstock, which some players continue to use at discounted prices, increase then margins will compress in future quarters." The earnings of retailers reveal the effect of austerity on consumer demand in the kingdom, as some of its 10 million foreign workers are laid off and sent back to their home countries. While there have been no major lay-offs of Saudi citizens so far, their purchasing power has been curbed by less generous bonuses and overtime payments, while economic uncertainty has made them more cautious about spending. Retailing chain Fawaz Alhokair, which owns franchise rights for brands including Mango, Zara and Banana Republic, barely broke even in the January-March quarter with its net profit plunging 98 percent. This drop was partly due to unusually strong sales in the year-ago quarter, when public employees received a bonus of two months' salary to mark the accession of King Salman, but it also reflected deteriorating consumer sentiment. Mohammad al-Shammasi, head of asset management at Derayah Financial, said domestic-focused Saudi companies would face more pressure on their margins as consumers became more price-conscious and firms offered discounts to attract them. (Graphic by Gustavo Cervantes; Editing by Andrew Torchia and David Stamp) Http%3a%2f%2fi.blueprint.mashable.com%2fp_tbr_pt9fpvnlyiy1_3hi95hvu%3d%2fblueprint-api-production.s3.amazonaws.com%2fuploads%2fcard%2fimage%2f80634%2fduck_school_2 It's time for quack-ulus class to get started at this school. Thirteen years ago, a duck named Vanessa ran into a problem when she constructed a nest in the courtyard of Village Elementary in Hartland, Michigan. While Vanessa could easily fly in and out of the closed-off courtyard, the ducklings she hatched were stuck. SEE ALSO: Hero firefighters rescue ducklings trapped in a storm drain But the school was quite accommodating for its new duck student, and the teachers closed off a portion of the hallways to students, so Vanessa and her ducklings could trot outside and find water, reports Livingston Daily. So next year, Vanessa came back. And then again the next year. And then, every year. The idea came from now-retired teacher Ruth Darrah, who told Livingston Daily that while Vanessa was initially a bit confused, she has the routine down now and trots through the school in a matter of minutes. But just to make sure, the halls are taped off with construction paper to make sure no ball of duckling bird fuzz gets lost. [H/T: Uproxx] Stockholm (AFP) - Swedish artist Carl Fredrik Reutersward, best known for his iconic sculpture of a revolver with a knotted barrel displayed outside the UN headquarters in New York, has died aged 81, Swedish officials said Wednesday. The artist, who was wheelchair bound after suffering from a stroke in 1989, died on Tuesday, Kjell Thoresson, the head of cultural affairs for the Swedish municipality of Landskrona where Reutersward lived, told AFP. Reutersward designed the oversized bronze Colt Magnum .357 with the knotted barrel, entitled "Non Violence", as a symbol of peace after the assassination of his friend John Lennon, the former Beatle, who was shot dead by Mark Chapman on December 8, 1980. Luxembourg, which had acquired one of the early versions of the work, donated the sculpture to the United Nations in 1988. Other versions are on display in a number of cities, including Stockholm, Beijing, Cape Town and Lausanne, the Swiss town where the artist lived for a long time. A former student of French artist Fernand Leger, Reutersward has had his works exhibited around the world. He also published several collections of poetry. Sean Penn will be pulling a $10 million defamation lawsuit against Empire creator Lee Daniels thanks to a settlement that includes a profuse apology and a charitable donation. The actor filed his lawsuit in Sept. 2015 after Daniels spoke to The Hollywood Reporter about domestic abuse troubles for Empire star Terrence Howard. "[Terrence Howard] ain't done nothing different than Marlon Brando or Sean Penn, and all of a sudden he's some f - in' demon," said Daniels at the time. "That's a sign of the time, of race, of where we are right now in America." Penn saw the comment as a slur on him. He blanched at being likened to someone who admitted to physically abusing women. The actor said he was never arrested for domestic violence, and in his complaint, asserted he would "no longer tolerate the reckless and malicious behavior of others, who seek to aggrandize themselves or their projects at his expense." When he amended the lawsuit in December, Penn even provided a declaration from his former wife Madonna that there was never any assault. "I am so sorry that I have hurt you, Sean, and I apologize and retract my reckless statements about you," says Daniels now in a statement that ends the lawsuit. "How thoughtless of me. You are someone I consider a friend, a brilliant actor and true Hollywood legend and humanitarian." Daniels adds, "I too have been the subject ofattacks by others, like those made here. My most important role is as a father, and it is important to me that my children learn that it is wrong to reference gossip as fact, as I did here. That can be very damaging and hurtful. Domestic violence is a very serious issue. My comments were cavalier; it was not my intention to diminish the severity of the issue, but rather to express a view regarding the disparate treatment of men of color in our national conversation. I apologize again for the distress that this has caused you and your family." Story continues "I accept Lee's heartfelt apology and appreciate the sincerity with which it was delivered," responds Penn. "I also accept and appreciate his generous donation to J/P HRO, which will have a transformative effect on the lives of those we serve in Haiti." These words bring an end to the defamation handled on behalf of Penn by attorney Mathew Rosengart and defended on behalf of Daniels by James Sammataro. Before it ended, the legal action spurred a First Amendment defense premised on whether Daniels' comments amounted to a non-actionable opinion. There was also the issue of whether Penn, as a public figure who had tolerated years of gossip stories, could show actual malice. But the answer may have to await a future court action as Penn and Daniels are moving forward. Captain America: Civil War pits Iron Man and Captain America against one another, and each hero reaches deep into their superhero network to recruit some help. Suddenly the Avengers universe is growing a lot bigger, with heroes like Spider-Man, Black Panther and Ant-Man joining the squadand theyre each getting their own film franchise. Its all part of a larger plan to bring tighten Marvels web of superheroes. All these titles are building up to Avengers: Infinity Wars, Parts I and II, out in 2018 and 2019. These films will focus on the villain Thanos, who will try to gather six powerful gems called Infinity Stones to create an Infinity Gauntlet with the power to destroy the universe. To stop him, heroes like the Guardians of the Galaxy and even Doctor Strange will likely join forces with the growing Avengers team. See how the heroes and villains connect to one another, and plan out your viewing schedule with TIMEs guide. Categories Style Icons Kate Middleton had never before agreed to a magazine fashion shoot, but if ever a publication could persuade her, its British Vogue. To mark the glossys 100th year, editors convinced the Duchess of Cambridge to appear on the June cover and in a series shot in the English countryside near Norfolka place she spends time off the grid with her young family. The relaxed photos capture the princess in easy ensembles that include some of her favorite designers like Petit Bateau and Burberry. Two of the epic images by Josh Olins are now featured in Vogue 100: A Century of Style, an exhibit at the National Portrait Gallery in London, along with a whopping 280 photos from Vogues historic archive. Of course, HRH looks completely effortless. Here, we put together the 4 staples every girl needs to steal her style. LISBON (Reuters) - A young man's attempt to take a selfie snapshot with the statue of a 16th century Portuguese king ended badly when the 126-year-old statue crashed to the ground and shattered, police said on Wednesday. The man, whom police did not identify, accidentally toppled Dom Sebastiao's statue after climbing up to its pedestal outside the ornate Rossio railway station in central Lisbon just before midnight on Tuesday. He tried to flee the scene but police caught him. He will appear before a judge at a later date. The child-sized statue of the sad-eyed, sword-wielding king stood in a niche between two horseshoe-shaped arches at the entrance to the station. Completed in 1890, the station is a protected monument. Dom Sebastiao, who ruled between 1557 and 1578, is a tragic figure in Portuguese history, dying in battle at the age of 24 during a crusade of his own making in Morocco. His body was never properly identified, giving rise to a legend that the king would one day return to claim his throne and save Portugal in times of trouble. (Reporting By Andrei Khalip, editing by Axel Bugge and Gareth Jones) Sonys The Shallows opens domestically on June 29 and starts trailering with Captain America: Civil War this weekend. Up above is a new look. Blake Lively stars in the thriller thats helmed by Jaume Collet-Serra and written by Anthony Jaswinski. Producers are Lynn Harris and Matti Leshem. Lively plays Nancy, a young woman grieving the loss her mother. When surfing off a secluded beach, she finds herself in the feeding ground of a Great White shark. Though she is stranded only 200 yards from shore, survival proves to be the ultimate test of wills, requiring all of her ingenuity, resourcefulness, and fortitude. Seen arriving in paradise in the trailer, things soon take a turn to the nightmarish as Livelys terrified Nancy must attempt to calculate a way around the massive predator. Sony won a vigorous bidding battle for the spec script in 2014, when it was known as In The Deep. Tonally, the spec was described as a cross between 127 Hours and Jaws, with a touch of Gravity thrown in for good measure. [youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EgdxIlSuB70&w=970&h=546] Related stories Sony Weaves 'Gamechangers' Video Series Inspired By 'Concussion' Scott Rosenberg Comes Aboard 'Jumanji' For Columbia Pictures 'Cantinflas' Star Oscar Jaenada Joins Blake Lively In Sony's 'The Shallows' NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / May 4, 2016 / The following statement is being issued by Levi & Korsinsky, LLP: To: All Persons or Entities who purchased Your Community Bankshares, Inc. (YCB) stock prior to May 3, 2016 . You are hereby notified that Levi & Korsinsky, LLP has commenced an investigation into the fairness of the sale of Your Community Bankshares, Inc. to WesBanco, Inc. (WSBC). Under the terms of the transaction, Your Community shareholders will receive 0.964 of a share of WesBanco common stock and $7.70 in cash for each share of Your Community stock they own, representing a value of approximately $39.05 per share. To learn more about the action and your rights, go to: http://zlk.9nl.com/your-community-ycb or contact Joseph E. Levi, Esq. either via email at jlevi@zlk.com or by telephone at (212) 363-7500, toll-free: (877) 363-5972. There is no cost or obligation to you. Levi & Korsinsky is a national firm with offices in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, California, and Washington D.C. The firm's attorneys have extensive expertise in prosecuting securities litigation involving financial fraud, representing investors throughout the nation in securities lawsuits and have recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for aggrieved shareholders. For more information, please feel free to contact any of the attorneys listed below. Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes. Levi & Korsinsky, LLP Joseph Levi, Esq. Eduard Korsinsky, Esq. 30 Broad Street - 24th Floor New York, NY 10004 Tel: (212) 363-7500 Toll Free: (877) 363-5972 Fax: (212) 363-7171 www.zlk.com SOURCE: Levi & Korsinsky, LLP Phil Morgese and his daughter, EmmaCOURTESY PHIL MORGESE BY CATHY FREE Of all the mysteries Phil Morgese has faced in life, none has been more baffling than the dilemma faced by him and other single dads: What to do about styling their girls hair? When he received full-time custody of his daughter, Emma, then age 1, I had no clue about how to fix her hair, so I decided to wing it, Morgese, 33, of Daytona Beach, Florida, tells PEOPLE. Because she already had a full head of hair and it was getting in her eyes, I taught myself how to put in little hair clips, and carried them everywhere in my pockets, he says. Then I learned about hair gel, and that was a huge victory. I thought, Wow. Now I can do anything. After moving on to ponytails and French braids, it occurred to Morgese, who works in online sales, that other dads could also use a heads up about hair tips. Emma wearing one of her dads creations COURTESY PHIL MORGESE So last October, he gave his hobby a new twist and started the Daddy Daughter Hair Factory, a free bi-weekly class held at International Academy in South Daytona, where dads and daughters of all ages can learn how to do everything from detangle long locks to coil hair into buns and share some valuable bonding time, too. The class was an instant hit, and Morgese knew that he was on to something. He has since taught nearly 300 dads mostly single, but some married to style their daughters hair, and has given his lesson plans to fathers in six other states so that they can start their own daddy-daughter hair clubs. Im more than happy to share what Ive learned, mainly because of the fun that the dads and the girls get to have together, Morgese tells PEOPLE. The dads become more confident, so that makes them better dads. And the daughters adore their dads even more for taking the time to learn how to do their hair. Its a win-win for everyone." Story continues Daddy Daughter Hair Factory class COURTESY PHIL MORGESE Greg Wickherst, 40, a single dad who recently started his own class in Pueblo, Colorado, says that Phil is an inspiration to dads who dont know the difference between a "half down and an up-do. It was a struggle at first to get Izzy (his 4-year-old) to keep still, but over time, our styling time became a daily part of our routine, he tells PEOPLE. I even started keeping a Facebook album to show Izzy some styles. Then when Phil started up the Daddy Daughter Hair Factory, I thought it would be a brilliant way for me to give back to the city of Pueblo. Daddy Daughter Hair Factory class COURTESY PHIL MORGESE I cant stress enough that its not just about hair, adds Wickherst. What were trying to do is build bonds that last a lifetime. Josh Wikel, a married nurse from Greenwood, Indiana, with a 4-year-old daughter, Ella Rose, was thrilled to learn about Morgeses daddy-daughter class on Facebook so that he could discover some new braiding techniques. Ella Rose and I now huddle round the iPhone while snuggling before bed, he tells PEOPLE, looking at pictures for potential styles." Phil and Emma COURTESY PHIL MORGESE Now leading his own class, "theres always a moment where I stand back and simply look at the flurry of activity, says Wikel. Its fun to see the smiles form and watch the bonds strengthen as the braids come together. Now that Emma Morgese is 11, with straight brown hair longer than a horse tail, her dad enjoys styling her hair into an elaborate French twist. Emma COURTESY PHIL MORGESE I used to bungle that one big time, he says, until I learned a cool way to do it with a comb. Now its much neater. Hes a pretty cool dad to do this for me, adds Emma, who is home-schooled by her father. While he does my hair every morning, we talk about a lot of neat things, like what our dream house would be like, or what kind of cats we like the best. Its one of my favorite times of the day. Emma also acts as Morgeses model at the Hair Factory classes, patiently sitting while her dad demonstrates the proper way to towel dry hair, use a comb and brush and create masterpieces with elastics and bows. Its definitely brought us closer together, Morgese says. When Im doing Emmas hair, the rest of the world just kind of shuts out. Its a nice feeling. There was no intent to deliberately mislead the public. Singapore Posts lengthy corporate governance saga has come to a close with the release of a special audit report by Drew & Napier LLC and PriceWaterHouseCoopers LLP. The special audit report showed that SingPost did not mean to deliberately deceive shareholders when it erroneously said that none of its directors have an interest in the so-called Famous acquisitions, which were completed from 2013 to 2015. In 2013, SingPost purchased a 62.5% equity stake in Famous Holdings (FHPL). In July 2014, through FHPL, SingPost snapped up a 100% stake in F.S Mackenzie, followed by the acquisition of a 90% equity stake in Famous Pacific Shipping (New Zealand) in January 2015. It soon became apparent that SingPosts lead independent director Keith Tay was also a non-executive chairman of Stirling Coleman Capital Limited (SCCL), which acted as financial arranger and adviser of the Famous acquisitions. The error appears to have been on account of carelessness in its preparation and review by certain SingPost staff. There is no evidence that there was any intention to deliberately mislead the public as to Mr Tays interest in the FSM Acquisition, said the report. As a result of the Special Audit, Keith Tay will step down from his position in SingaPost with immediate effect. He will also step down from the board of directors of FHPL, and from SingPosts Audit Committee, Nominations Committee and Executive Committee. The investments into FHPL, FSM and FPSNZ are strategic to SingPost as they are part of our internationalisation strategy to build an industry leading end-to-end eCommerce logistics network, across geographies. They have proven to be sound decisions, grounded in competitive and value adding advantage to advance SingPost's goal to become world class," SingPost said in a statement. More From Singapore Business Review By Dave McKinney CHICAGO (Reuters) - Dozens of Illinois social service providers, starved of cash by the states long-running budget stalemate, sued Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner and six statewide agencies on Wednesday, seeking more than $100 million for unpaid work since July. The plaintiffs, who provide services for sex-abuse victims, the homeless, senior citizens and at-risk youth, are suffering acute financial hardship as a result of the unresolved budget fight, according to the lawsuit, filed in Cook County Circuit Court. It is the latest attempt at judicial relief by groups hurt by the state's record-setting, 11-month budget impasse between the Republican governor and Democrats controlling the legislature. The coalition of 64 organizations, calling itself Pay Now Illinois, contended that Rauners June 2015 veto of appropriation bills amounted to an unlawful impairment of the their constitutional right to seek a legal remedy for non-payment by the state of their various contracts. Weve had to deal with this uncertainty now for the 11th month, over 300 days, without being paid, said Andrea Durbin, chairwoman of Illinois Pay Now. Were seeking to be paid in full for the work we've done." Rauners office expressed empathy but urged state lawmakers to approve a spending plan. While we understand that frustration is driving many worthwhile organizations to seek solutions anywhere, including the courts, the only solution is for the General Assembly to pass a balanced, reform-oriented budget as soon as possible, Rauner spokeswoman Catherine Kelly said. In another budget-related development, a plan to change how Illinois taxes its residents and businesses stalled in the House of Representatives after a successful lobbying push by Rauner. The proposed constitutional amendment would have stricken the states flat income-tax rates and allowed state lawmakers to impose new, multi-tiered tax rates tied to an individual or companys level of income. Supporters said it would raise an additional $1.9 billion annually for the state. But facing a Wednesday deadline to pass the House, one of the measure's sponsors, State Representative Christian Mitchell, said lobbying by the governor's office convinced up to five Republicans whose backing was needed for passage to withdraw their tentative support. Its disappointing because this could have helped us with our budget crisis, Mitchell, a Chicago Democrat, told Reuters. Rauners administration said the measure would cost the state 20,000 jobs in four years and lead to a migration of 43,000 high wage earners from Illinois. (Editing by David Gregorio) (Updates with David Einhorn, Jim Chanos' picks) By Svea Herbst-Bayliss and David Randall NEW YORK, May 4 (Reuters) - Against a backdrop of slower economic growth, prominent hedge fund managers, including Larry Robbins, Stanley Druckenmiller and David Einhorn, said it will take longer for stocks to rise and laid out best ideas that markets barely reacted to. The remarks come as the hedge fund industry has come under fire for hefty fees, sluggish returns and even a lack of talent. Robbins, whose Glenview Capital Management LLC has fallen on hard times with heavy losses early this year and last, kicked off the Sohn Investment Conference, an annual charitable event that raises money for pediatric cancer, with a confession and warning. There would be no new and actionable ideas but his picks from last year, including drug companies AbbVie Inc and Brookdale Senior Living Inc, were still good bets, he said. "While hedge funds play dodgeball, investors go tubing," he said, warning investors to stop getting caught up in waves of fear about growth in China, oil prices, public anger over drug pricing and the coming U.S. presidential election. Stanley Druckenmiller, who now runs Duquesne Capital and rose to fame for engineering George Soros's bet against the British pound, hinted that it was time to short stocks and go long gold at a time central bankers were failing to act appropriately. And Carson Block, whose Muddy Waters Capital has built a reputation of uncovering fraudulent businesses, laid out a bet against the Bank of the Ozarks Inc, saying the Little Rock, Arkansas-based bank was making outsized loans relative to its assets and was too heavily concentrated in real estate lending. Housing starts fell nearly 9 percent in March, offering further evidence of a slowdown in U.S. growth in the first quarter. David Einhorn, who runs Greenlight Capital, talked about construction and mining equipment maker Caterpillar Inc, saying there is little chance for a recovery in the mining industry. While he did not explicitly say that he is betting against the company, he has talked about short bets for the last two years at the conference. "We don't see a return of large scale capital investment in U.S. coal mining, maybe ever," he said. Story continues Kynikos Associates' Jim Chanos, who has previously shorted the stock and followed Einhorn as the day's last speaker, joked that he should look at that idea. Chanos said he is betting against mobile phone operator MTN Group Ltd, which is facing significant competition in African markets. Some 3,000 hedge fund managers and investors crowded into Lincoln Center's David Geffen Hall in New York, spreading arms and legs to be patted down by security as the presence of protesters sparked unusually tight security. The mood was darker than usual, with the hedge funds down, on average, 1.5 percent this year and some, including Robbins' Glenview Capital Management, off much more. The broader stock market is up roughly 1 percent. Investors, too, seemed unimpressed by many of the speaker's picks, with stocks such as Amazon.com barely moving after being named a top investment pick. John Khoury, who runs Long Pond Capital and boasts an impressive 16 percent average annual return since launching his fund in 2010, pitched Hyatt, saying the hotel chain's high-end business and leisure travelers would protect it from competition from home-sharing company Airbnb. He said he did not endorse the entire hotel industry, but Hyatt's stock price moved little, inching only modestly into positive territory. Amazon, a huge hit in 2015, failed to move higher after Chamath Palihapitiya, who runs venture capital firm Social Capital, pitched it. The company will be a $3 trillion company by 2025, he said, noting that its subscription service, Amazon Prime, is just beginning to find favor with customers. It was also noteworthy that investors talked mostly about names they picked long ago. Activist investor Jeff Smith, whose $5 billion Starboard Value fund just won seats on Yahoo Inc's board, talked about pharmaceutical company Depomed Inc , where he is also looking for board seats. He said management's desire to stay independent could be harming other shareholders and that it is an attractive takeover target. Meanwhile, Einhorn said he was back into a stock that he has liked before, General Motors Co, throwing cold water on the idea that ride sharing companies will take a bite out of car sales. Meanwhile, Richard Deitz, who runs VR Capital Group, said he sees a bright light in Europe and that he is betting on Greek debt and banks, because he thinks banks will be overcapitalized in several years. While fund managers mingled over coffee and cookies during intermissions, protesters calling themselves Hedge Clippers said in an open letter to Sohn management that some of its billionaire guests and presenters are causing cancer by investing in companies that pollute and bankrolling political candidates who are denying the impact of climate change. (Additional reporting by Trevor Hunnicutt and Sam Forgione; Editing by Steve Orlofsky) Sonakshi Sinha graces the latest cover of Harpers Bazaar bridal issue. Dabangg actress is seen as a bohemian bride on the cover and she nails the look. The photo shoot for the cover is shot on the extensive locations of Sri Lanka. Sona is looking beautiful and graceful in an outfit by Anita Dongre. With the sexy male model who is donning a Durga tattoo besides her, this is true, one of the best covers shoots Sonakshi has ever done. The action actress of Bollywood posted the photo shoot picture on her Instagram with the caption, Boho bride for the cover of @bazaarbridein this month! Some stunning shots captured in Sri Lanka by @errikosandreou, wearing @anitadongre styled by @divyakdsouza. Hair by @marianna_mukuchyan and makeup by @niluu9999. #covergirl #harpersbazaarbride #srilanka #photoshoot" On the work front, Sonakshi is all set to be seen in two action movies Force 2 and Akira. Bill Gross Bill Gross thinks we have two choices: give money away or leave everyone screwed. In his latest investment outlook, published Wednesday, Gross explores what to him seems to be the inevitability of universal basic income. The robots have come for our jobs, and the decline in labor participation is, for Gross, a clear sign that this trend is not something we should fight but rather something we should accept. It's all over but the handouts. Here's Gross (emphasis mine): We should spend money where it's needed most our collapsing infrastructure for instance, health care for an aging generation and perhaps on a revolutionary new idea called UBI Universal Basic Income. If more and more workers are going to be displaced by robots, then they will need money to live on, will they not? And if that strikes you as a form of socialism, I would suggest we get used to it. Even Donald Trump claims he won't leave anyone out on the street a liberal Republican thought if there ever was one. And they are on the street you know. Check out any major downtown in the U.S. if you want to see our future culture. Not the stadiums with the box seats; the streets with the tents and grocery carts. But the concept of UBI is not really new or foreign to capitalistic cultures like that of the U.S. We already have sort of a UBI floor. It's called food stamps and the earned-income tax credit, but those alone will not keep the growing jobless and homeless off city and suburban streets. The question is how high this UBI should be and how to pay for it, not whether it's coming in the next decade. It is. So it's settled then: free money for everyone. Gross argues that more conservatives than liberals support the idea, and he is struck by how much Silicon Valley-types love the idea of universal basic income. (Y Combinator's Sam Altman is perhaps the face of the idea and is funding a study to explore the impacts of a universal basic income.) Story continues Gross' cynicism, on the Silicon Valley front at least, is that you need to give people money because all those iPhones won't buy themselves. Gross also argues that he's really not even sure what the holdup is: We already give people money in the form of programs like welfare and the earned income tax credit. Which is basically true! The problem for UBI and this goes a bit beyond the confines of Gross' letter is that in the US we have attached a stigma to receiving certain types of government assistance, and the sociopolitical hurdles to a basic income program are very high. Elsewhere in his outlook, the usual targets end up on Gross' bad side: central banks, politicians, and more or less the entire modern capitalism project. Also young people. "Who could say that an older generation was any less an ideal than the succeeding one?" Gross writes. "My experience of the divide between Boomers and Xers is like that; I recognize that youth will be served, but not always for the better." And so on and so forth. Read the full letter here NOW WATCH: FORMER GREEK FINANCE MINISTER: The single largest threat to the global economy More From Business Insider CAPE TOWN (Reuters) - South Africa's Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan said on Wednesday he was confident of meeting fiscal targets for 2016, but that stronger economic growth remained a challenge. In a speech to parliament, Gordhan said the budget deficit would be reduced to 2.4 percent of gross domestic product over the next three years, confirming the resilience of public finances. The Treasury cut the 2016 growth forecast for Africa's most industrialised economy to 0.9 percent in February from the 1.7 percent forecast earlier but said it still expected to cut its budget deficit to 3.2 percent even in the face of lower revenue, by cutting spending. "Stronger economic growth remains our most pressing challenge," Gordhan said. "By improving investment and growth in our economy, we will be able to raise revenue sustainably and expand public services." Gordhan said while the government had allowed wider budget deficits to ease pressure on the economy in the wake of the 2008 global financial crisis, the room to manoeuvre had shrunk bringing the need for consolidation to ensure sustainable debt. Ratings agencies have warned of possible downgrades to South Africa's investment grade credits ratings if they see evidence that Pretoria is not committed to a prudent fiscal path. The South African Reserve Bank said on Tuesday that any further ratings downgrade of South Africa's economy could lead to increased capital outflows. "Over the next three years the deficit will be reduced to 2.4 per cent, stabilising debt as a percentage of GDP and confirming the resilience of our public finances," Gordhan said. (Reporting by Wendell Roelf; Editing by Stella Mapenzauswa and James Macharia) Madrid (AFP) - Spanish construction giant Ferrovial said Wednesday it completed a buyout of 75 percent of Australian defence and service provider Broadspectrum, which runs controversial offshore detention centres for asylum seekers. Ferrovial said it had boosted its bid price by 11 percent to 1.50 Australian dollars per share, valuing Broadspectrum at 769 million Australian dollars ($580 million/729 million euros). Australia's holding of asylum seekers in offshore detention centres run by Sydney-based Broadspectrum in Papua New Guinea and Nauru has previously drawn criticism from the United Nations and rights groups. Ferrovial, which owns London's Heathrow airport, has said it will not offer to run the detention centres. "These services were not a core part of the valuation and the acquisition rationale of the offer, and it is not a strategic activity in Ferrovial's portfolio," it said in a statement last week. Campaign group No Business in Abuse warned that the new owner of Broadspectrum could face legal action for the human rights abuses it claims have occurred at the centres under Broadspectrum's watch, including alleged rape and violent attacks. "They are being sued in Papua New Guinea and Australian courts by detainees who have found an Australian lawyer to take their case," said the group's lawyer Shen Narayanasamy. "They are suing them for the amount of injury suffered after three years of unlawful detention," he added. Broadspectrum, formerly known as Transfield Services, provides services across industries such as infrastructure and energy. Ferrovial said Wednesday it had so far received acceptances on its offer for 75 percent of Broadspectrum shares. The offer period runs until May 13. Washington (AFP) - Accidents involving armored vehicles operated by American diplomatic missions abroad killed 13 people in five years and caused $4.5 million in damage, a US government report said. A report published this week by the State Department inspector general's office found that almost 60 percent of the accidents were preventable. "Mishap reports recommended driver training in 10 of the 12 mishaps involving fatalities," it said. The report covers the period between January 2010 and September 2015. Since then, there has been another fatal accident involving a US diplomatic convoy. Last month, a fast-moving motorcade carrying Samantha Power, the US ambassador to the United Nations, struck and killed a young Cameroonian boy. The Inspector General report, available online at https://oig.state.gov/system/files/isp-16-17.pdf, recommends better training for drivers at US missions. The State Department operates 4,700 armored vehicles worldwide, but only the chauffeurs of ambassadors and mission heads receive specialist training. But as the report notes, armored vehicles are harder to maneuver, slower to brake and more complicated to maintain than civilian cars. "Armored vehicle dynamics were a contributing cause in 83 percent of the mishaps involving fatalities and could be mitigated with proper training," it said. In addition to the fatalities and injuries -- 26 people were hospitalized during the period -- the 773 "mishaps" caused $4,550,483 in damage. Some 85 percent of this sum was damage to the vehicles themselves. Steven Tyler stood behind a mic in David Geffen Hall on Monday wearing a dark vest, patterned shirt and tight jeans in front of a crowd that reflected his decades of music-making an older man in a vintage tour t-shirt, an Aerosmith purist; a middle-aged blonde woman waving an American flag blanket, pulled in by the bands magnetic run in the 90s; and a boy barely in his 20s who learned about Tyler through his parents, or his judging turn on American Idol, or both, and has followed him right up until his most recent foray into country rock. The performance benefited Tylers philanthropic interest, Janies Fund, which raises awareness for girls who are victims of abuse. Tylers Nashville-based band Loving Mary rattled the hall, and Brett Ratner joined in to direct the show titled Steven Tyler Out On a Limb. The stage, home to the New York Philharmonic was transformed into a multi-tiered setup, littered with cowboy kitsch, set against the backdrop of projections, partially masked by a white fringe scrim. Some of the evening best moments stemmed from Tyler departing from the classics, and singing some his newer, fresher tracks. At times his ego showed, like saying I think you heard this on the radio before Red, White & You which debuted at number 64 on the iTunes charts and peaked at number 47. Other times, his rare off-script moments made him seem more aware, like before a song called Only Heaven: I havent done this song yet, so put your phones away. But most of the performance gave the audience what it wanted: the hits. Was Sweet Emotion a number one hit? Tyler asked to cheering audience (the song peaked at number 36 on the Billboard Hot 100). What the f***, right? The rest of the set list included Cryin, Come Together, I Dont Want to Miss a Thing, Dream On and, of course the inspiration for the philanthropys name, Janies Got a Gun. Although most of Hollywoods gaze was directed toward the Met Gala, happening at the same time on the other side of Central Park, Bruce Willis, Melissa Joan Hart and several of Tylers family moments were among the other stars to attend. Story continues As the band played the last chords of the final encore, Walk This Way, four young women, representatives from Janies Fund, walked onstage to take a final bow with the band. Were told that one in five girls are sexually abused before theyre 18 years old. But because the subject is so taboo clearly that number is much greater, Tyler said earlier in the evening about his involvement with Janies Fund, adding what the charity means to him. I am in awe of young women out there who standing up against abuse, he said. They are the rock stars. Related stories Argentina's 'Paulina' Wins Prizes at Beijing Film Festival Brett Ratner, Danis Tanovic, Yojiro Takita Join Beijing Festival Jury Rat Pack Era Recalled at Starry Opening of Macau's Studio City By Michelle Conlin and Steve Holland (Reuters) - Republican John Hammond III had made no secret of his distaste for Donald Trump and his desire to halt his march to the party's presidential nomination, telling the Indianapolis Star newspaper in March that the mogul was "unfit" to lead the country. But the Republican National Committee member, a partner at law firm Ice Miller, said no anti-Trump group ever reached out to him, nor did he see any evidence that such groups were in the state until just a few days before voting in Indiana's primary election. By the time some direct mail and TV ads popped up, it was "too late" to make a difference, he said. "There was never really any early Stop Trump effort in Indiana," he told Reuters. Trump became the Republican party's presumptive nominee on Tuesday with his resounding win in Indiana's primary, which led his main rival U.S. Senator Ted Cruz of Texas to drop out and heaped pressure on distant third-place contender John Kasich, the Ohio governor, to do the same. In the process, Trump dealt a seemingly fatal blow to the high-profile effort known as "Stop Trump" or "Never Trump" launched by conservative Republicans. The movement - led by the conservative anti-tax nonprofit Club for Growth and the Our Principles PAC - for months failed to significantly slow Trump's momentum and now appears to be on death watch, political operatives and at least three officials involved in the movement say. It emerged over the U.S. winter as initial skepticism over Trump's chances turned to anxiety among conservatives, who view many of the Manhattan real estate mogul's policy pledges as a liberal threat to their low-tax, low-spending principles. But from the start it was hobbled by poor coordination, the lack of a single, influential public leader, and the absence of an agreed-upon alternative to Trump, according to leaders in the movement as well as Republican operatives familiar with it. You have to have a plan of action to deal with him, said Republican strategist Doug Heye, a Trump opponent who has ties to people in the movement. And it appears no one really did. Publicly, leaders in the Stop Trump movement dispute the notion that they were ineffective, saying their efforts in Wisconsin helped head off a Trump win in April. They also say the groups communicate effectively with one another and that they will continue fighting despite the Indiana results. "We will continue to educate voters about Trump until he, or another candidate, wins the support of a majority of delegates to the Convention," Katie Packer, chair of the Our Principles PAC said in a statement on Tuesday. But, in private, three top officials associated with the movement conceded that Indiana was a do or die moment. LATE START, LACK OF COORDINATION The movement suffered a major setback when Republican mega donors declined to play the role of Trump Slayers. Both casino magnate Sheldon Adelson and the billionaire industrialist Koch brothers, decided not to repeat their experience in 2012, when they lavished hundreds of millions of dollars on Republican candidates only to see no returns. Deprived of such major financial backers, Club for Growth and Our Principles PAC together spent only $27 million on anti-Trump messaging, according to Federal Election Commission reports. Democratic front-runner Hillary Clintons campaign and Super PAC have spent at least $78 million so far, according to FEC reports. The groups and their associates focused their messaging over the winter and spring on television and social media ads and Twitter blasts highlighting Trumps comments about women being bimbos, dogs and fat pigs, as well as his statements supporting universal health care and higher taxes. Throughout their campaign, the two groups did not coordinate directly with one another or even converse on a regular basis, according to one Club for Growth official. It wasnt until last week that Our Principles PAC and the Stop Trump effort in California, led by political consultant Rob Stutzman, even joined forces. Officials at Club for Growth said they werent aware of that California effort. Some veteran Republican operatives said Our Principles PAC had been a waste of time and money. Theyve had no leadership. Theyve spent tens of millions of dollars by now and gotten zero message, zero movement," said one Republican familiar with the workings of the movement. "The whole thing has been a disaster from the beginning. Many donors, like Trump's rival candidates, underestimated the tycoon, believing he would burn out after his early successes, Republican consultants say. Those who did come forward publicly to support the Stop Trump movement, such as Chicago Cubs owners and Our Principles PAC funders Joe and Marlene Ricketts, were swiftly treated to Trumps social media wrath. They better be careful, Trump said of the Ricketts in a Tweet in February. They have a lot to hide! By March, other wealthy families who had donated to the cause were asking reporters not to identify them in stories anymore because they didnt want their spouses and children to face abuse" from the Trump campaign. I dont think you can underestimate how effective Donalds bullying has been, even among wealthy donors, said one top official at Club for Growth. Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski dismissed the notion that donors had been fearful, saying the identity of campaign contributors has long been public information. (Additional reporting by Emily Flitter; Editing by Stuart Grudgings) Subway turkey sandwich Subway's business is in decline. The sandwich chain's revenue fell 4.3% to $1.11 billion last year, following a 2.6% drop the previous year, according to a franchise disclosure document cited by Bloomberg. It also recently lost its status as the second most popular fast-food chain in the US, based on systemwide sales. Starbucks overtook Subway to snag the second-place spot, behind McDonald's. To make matters worse, the company last year lost its most lucrative spokesman, Jared Fogle, in the worst possible way: he was convicted and sentenced to more than 15 years in prison for having sex with minors and distributing child pornography. Subway's chief marketing officer once credited Fogle for as much as half of the chain's growth since he became famous for losing more than 200 pounds while eating the restaurant's sandwiches. Subway is trying to revive sales by making some menu changes such as switching to antibiotic-free meats and removing artificial colors, flavors, and preservatives from its food in North America. But the changes might be too little, too late, according to Neil Saunders, CEO of retail consulting firm Conlumino. He says the company is facing two main problems that will plague its business going forward. 1. Subway grew too quickly. "Especially in the US, it has expanded rapidly and therefore the opportunities to grow though new store openings are fairly limited," Saunders said. "This means that one of the key engines that once drove sales is only operating with a fraction of the power it once did." Subway opened 911 new locations in the US last year, while closing 877, according to its franchise disclosure document. Subway Restaurant Subway says its outlook for 2016 is positive, however. "The outlook for 2016 is more optimistic based on the terrific feedback we received from our guests about our culinary improvements and exciting new menu offerings," the company said in a statement to Business Insider. Story continues 2. Consumers are tired of Subway's menu. Their tastes have changed, and Subway has been too slow to adapt. "While Subway remains a top choice for many consumers who love its range and competitive pricing, other consumers have become bored with the offering," Saunders said. "This is especially true of younger millennials who prefer a more diverse range of options, including salads and healthier choices." Subway rose to become one of the biggest restaurant chains in the world with more than 43,000 outlets by advertising a healthier, fresh alternative to traditional fast food like McDonald's or Burger King. The chain was a pioneer in made-to-order sandwiches, prepared right in front of customers by employees taking orders in an assembly-line fashion. But then other rivals, such as Chipotle and Panera, started offering even fresher options like antibiotic-free meats and additive-free guacamole prepared on site. Subway Subway didn't evolve quickly enough to meet diners' changing ideas about what is considered fresh and healthy. As a result, public perception regarding the quality of its food has eroded. The company's public image was hit particularly hard two years ago when blogger Vani Hari launched an online campaign against the chain for using the additive azodicarbonamide in its bread. The campaign was successful, and Subway was forced to change the recipe for its bread as a result. Now Subway is committing to remove all artificial flavors, colors, and preservatives from its food over the next two years, as well as promising to switch to antibiotic-free meats. Meanwhile the company has also been losing market share to cheaper rivals like McDonald's, Saunders said. "Pressure is growing from chains like McDonalds," Saunders said. "While these dont necessarily appeal to those wanting a healthier option, the introduction of offers like the all-day breakfast menu has definitely stimulated interest and has taken some share away from Subway." NOW WATCH: Subway is now legally required to make this change to its sandwiches More From Business Insider A hunky Norwegian naval lieutenant has been dubbed a modern-day Viking for conquering Instagram with his muscles, well-groomed beard, and tousled mane. Related: Dentist Beards Are the New Lumberjack Beards Lasse Matberg, 30 years old and 6 feet, 6 inches tall, has more than 123,000 followers on the social media site up from 500 just a year ago. All but about four of his 159 posts are photos of himself in various poses chopping wood, surfing, biking, traveling, working out at the gym, cuddling his Pomeranian, and mainly just standing around looking seductive and brawny with his long hair falling past his shoulders or pulled into a serious man bun. Related: Marc Jacobs Is Making #MalePolish a Thing Each image gets flooded with thousands of likes and hundreds of flirty, worshipful comments in a range of languages from both women and men. The first to take note of Matbergs popularity was VG TV, a Norwegian web channel. The Local (featuring Norwegian news in English) then picked up the story on April 29, noting that the modern-day Norwegian Viking is hot enough to melt snow and an apparent reincarnation of Thor. Lasse Matberg making his television debut on Wednesday. (Photo: Instagram) According to its translation, Matberg told VG TV that the comments on his posts range from the mildly inappropriate to the borderline obsessive, and that some women have proposed marriage or requested he impregnate them. British tabloid The Sun took it from there, declaring he has followers lusting thanks to his Viking-style long blond hair and bulging muscles. Matberg made his Norwegian television debut on Wednesday, appearing shirtless on TV 2. Weve reached out to Matberg for more details on his dating status, so stay tuned. In the meantime, theres this: Regarding his well-trimmed facial hair, he notes on a recent post, Representing Bearded Villains. Im part of a worldwide brotherhood and my beard is not a trend. Duly noted. Lets keep in touch! Follow Yahoo Beauty on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest. Today, Cinco de Mayos actual meaning can be easily lost in an abundance of margaritaswhich might causing celebrants to completely overlook the real history of the holiday, which dates back to strife in 19th-century Mexico and the effect of the American Civil War on Latinos living in whats now the Southwest. The holiday, which is often misconstrued as the Mexican Fourth of July, is not at all what people think it is, says David E Hayes-Bautista, Director of the Center for the Study of Latino Health and Culture at the School of Medicine at UCLA. Cinco de Mayo is part of the Latino experience of the American Civil War, he says. Its not about the Mexican experience. Get your history fix in one place: sign up for the weekly TIME History newsletter In the early 1860s, Mexico had fallen in immense debt to France. That situation led Napoleon III, who had flirted with supporting the confederacy, to send troops to not only overtake Mexico City, but also to help form a Confederate-friendly country that would neighbor the South. The French army was about four days from Mexico City when they had to go through the town of Puebla, and as it happened, they didnt make it, Hayes-Bautista says. In a David-and-Goliath style triumph, the smaller and less-equipped Mexican army held off French troops in the Battle of Puebla, on the fifth of May of 1862. (The French army returned the following year and won, but it was the initial Mexican victory was still impressive.) It wasnt until May 27 that the news of the Battle of Puebla finally reached California-based Latinos, who had been feeling disheartened as Union forces were falling, quite disastrously so, to Robert E. Lees Confederate troops. The news from Mexico was doubly good for that population: not only was Mexico victorious, but Californiaas a free statewas also glad for the failure of the French plan to help the Confederacy. This was particularly true for residents of Hispanic origin, who had particular reason to oppose the Souths system of white supremacy. Story continues Hayes-Bautista cites Major Jose Ramon Pico, a general who organized Spanish-speaking cavalries to fight alongside the Union in the Civil War, as a prime example of what was at stake for some Latinos. His grandmother was listed as Mulato in the 1790 census, he says. He came from an African-Mexican family, so he organized troops to fight for freedom and [linked] the Civil War to the French intervention in Mexico. MORE: Celebrate Cinco de Mayo With Vivid Images of Mexico in the 1960s By the time [Latinos in California] heard about the news of the battle, they began to raise money for the Mexican troops and they formed a really important network of patriotic organizations, says Jose Alamillo, a professor of Chicano studies at California State University Channel Islands. They had to kind of make the case for fighting for freedom and democracy and they were able to link the struggle of Mexico to the struggle of the Civil War, so there were simultaneous fights for democracy. It wasnt until much later that the holiday took on the party-friendly connotations for which its known today. The 1970s and 80s really is when the U.S. beer companies began to kind of look for ways to target the Spanish-speaking population, Alamillo says. But, despite the holidays marketing-fueled transformation into a time for drinking, its unique origins can still be seen in the way its celebratedor, rather, the way its not. Alamillo, who was born in Zacatecas, Mexico, and moved to America when he was 8 years old, says he didnt learn about Cinco de Mayo until his American elementary-school education. I thought, Why would I hear about it in a classroom in the U.S., but my parents and uncles never heard about it in their schooling in Mexico?' he says. Its not a Mexican holiday, not an American holiday, but an American-Mexican holiday. KINSHASA (Reuters) - Suspected rebels in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo attacked a village overnight, killing 16 civilians and wounding seven others, a U.N. spokesman said on Wednesday. The U.N. peacekeeping mission in Congo reported that suspected fighters from the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), a Ugandan Islamist group, raided the village of Luna, north of Beni in North Kivu province, said Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for the U.N. Secretary General. "The U.N. mission is deploying a fact-finding mission to gather more details about this horrific incident," he said, adding that 1,500 people fled towards Ituri province in the wake of the attack. Eastern Congo has been plagued by instability and conflict for two decades and civilians are often the target of militia, rebels and military units. Competition for the region's mineral resources has helped fuel the fighting. There were at least 17 victims including eight women and four children who were shot and hacked to death, said the Centre of Study for the Promotion of Peace, Democracy and Human Rights (CEPADHO), which documents violence in North Kivu. The raid on Luna took place 300 meters from two U.N. mission bases, Omar Kavota, executive director of CEPADHO, said in a statement, adding that seven of the dead were from one family. An American researcher on Congo reported in April that soldiers had taken part in massacres of civilians in northeastern Congo since 2014. The Kinshasa government has blamed most of the killings on the ADF, which has operated in the area since the 1990s. The government subsequently expelled the researcher, Jason Stearns. Political tensions are high in Congo, where President Joseph Kabila, in power since 2001, is required by the constitution to step down before the end of the year. (Reporting by Kenny Katombe and Aaron Ross; Writing by Matthew Mpoke Bigg; Editing by Mark Heinrich) Damascus (AFP) - Syria's army said Wednesday it will abide by a two-day ceasefire in second city Aleppo agreed between the United States and Russia. "A truce will be in place in Aleppo for 48 hours from 1:00 am on Thursday (2200 GMT on Wednesday)," a statement from Damascus's army command said, according to the official SANA news agency and state television. Washington and Moscow agreed earlier Wednesday to work with Syria's warring parties to extend a shaky truce to Aleppo, which has seen more than 280 civilians killed in fighting since April 22. "To ensure this continues in a sustainable way, we are coordinating closely with Russia to finalise enhanced monitoring efforts of this renewed cessation," US State Department spokesman Mark Toner said. Last week, Washington and Moscow agreed to monitor a truce between Bashar al-Assad's loyalist forces and opposition in rebels in Latakia and Eastern Ghouta. But the divided city of Aleppo, a major commercial centre in the north of the country, was excluded from their efforts and fierce fighting continued there. Russian officials at first said that they would not try to rein in Assad's forces, whom they said were targeting "terrorists" not party to the ceasefire. But US Secretary of State John Kerry and UN peace envoy Staffan de Mistura have since petitioned Russia for a return to a nationwide truce agreed in February. "We look to Russia as a co-chair of the International Syria Support Group to press for the Assad regime's compliance with this effort," Toner said. Once a nationwide "cessation of hostilities" is again in place, the United States and United Nations hope the warring parties will return to peace talks. T-Mobile's 1Q16 Results: Majority of Analysts Recommend a 'Buy' (Continued from Prior Part) T-Mobiles prepaid customers in 1Q16 Earlier in this series, we learned about the solid growth in T-Mobiles (TMUS) postpaid customers in 1Q16. Now lets move to the performance of the telecom companys prepaid component during the quarter. T-Mobiles prepaid customers grew by ~12.5% YoY (year-over-year) to reach ~18.4 million by the end of 1Q16. During the quarter, the carrier added ~0.81 million prepaid customers on a net basis. As you can see in the above chart, these 1Q16 net prepaid additions were significantly higher than what the company achieved during 1Q15. According to G. Michael Sievert, T-Mobiles chief operating officer, We had a record quarter on Metro PCS, the best weve ever done, and it really shows that weve got the right combination of a great value proposition well-marketed and really taking advantage of leading with the T-Mobile network as a key differentiator in the prepaid segment. Prepaid customers of Verizon and AT&T Year-over-year, AT&Ts prepaid customers in the domestic wireless component grew by a significant ~21.3%, reaching ~12.2 million by the end of 1Q16. During 1Q16, the carrier had net prepaid additions of ~0.5 million in these operations. Meanwhile, the prepaid subscribers of Verizon (VZ) decreased YoY by ~9.1% to reach ~5.4 million in 1Q16. On a net basis, the carrier lost ~0.18 million prepaid customers in 1Q16. Sprint (S) has not yet declared its results for the quarter. Instead of direct exposures to the stocks of players in the US telecom industry, you may consider diversified exposure to this space by investing in the SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY). This ETF held a total of ~2.8% in some of the US telecom companies at the end of March 2016. Continue to Next Part Browse this series on Market Realist: Target Corporation (NYSE: TGT) put its suppliers on notice and said that each error will result in a fine. According to Reuters, Target is looking to improve its supply chain system to cut costs and improve its competitive standing against both online and brick and mortar peers. As such, the retailer will slap its suppliers with a fine of up to $10,000 for any late delivery, inaccuracies in product information and other infractions. Reuters added that Target will implement its new system on May 30. The decision has been confirmed by the company's Chief Operating Officer John Mulligan who told the publication that the new rules and penalties "are a key part of becoming more reliable." Related Link: Target Discloses Final Results Of Its Tender Offer Mulligan, along with Target's Chief Executive Officer Brian Cornell detailed the rules and penalties to more than 200 of its suppliers. Target's move is not necessarily unusual for a large national retailer. Reuters noted that Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE: WMT) told its suppliers that it was raising its standard for on-time delivery to 95 percent from 90 percent. The retailing giant also cut the window of deliveries to within one to two days of a target date from a previous one to four days. See more from Benzinga 2016 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved. Texas Senator Ted Cruz dropped out of the 2016 presidential race Tuesday night, leaving bombastic billionaire Donald Trump as the party's presumptive nominee for the White House. Read: Ted Cruz Drops Out of GOP Race, Leaving Donald Trump The Presumptive Nominee He became emotional when he spoke to supporters in Indiana: We are suspending our campaign. We are not suspending our fight for liberty. After his speech, he hugged his father and accidentally punched and elbowed his wife, Heidi, in the face. Twitter lit with reaction following the unfortunate moment. Ted Cruz ends campaign by accidentally hitting, elbowing his wife in the face pic.twitter.com/epO1tzKgTT Jon Swaine (@jonswaine) May 4, 2016 And poor Heidi Cruz takes the loss harder than anyone - in the face. pic.twitter.com/B9Fme3ck3Q Kate Bennett (@KateBennett_DC) May 4, 2016 After his concession speech Cruz punches and then elbows his wife in the face. pic.twitter.com/jjVLzuWUJp Coganut$ (@Coganuts) May 4, 2016 Seriously, drop everything you're doing and watch this Vine of Ted Cruz accidentally punching his wife in the face https://t.co/OSlQrMDgaT Tom McKay (@thetomzone) May 4, 2016 Feedback to Donald Trumps victory has been punishing. The anti-Trump New York Daily News called it the death of the Republican Party with the harsh words on their cover: Dearly Beloved, We Are Gathered Here Today To Mourn The GOP, A Once Great Political Party Killed By Epidemic Of Trump. Story continues Today's front page: Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to mourn the @GOP https://t.co/4GqtLbXgkR pic.twitter.com/V4238JNxHU New York Daily News (@NYDailyNews) May 4, 2016 Conservative talk radio host Erick Erickson said he would de-register as a member of the Republican Party if Trump secured the presidential nominee. If Trump is the Republican Party nominee, I wont be a Republican, he told the Daily Beast. Elizabeth Warren took to Facebook to blast Trump. She wrote: He attacks veterans like John McCain who were captured and puts our service members at risk by cheerleading illegal torture. "In a world with ISIS militants and leaders like North Korean strongman Kim Jong-Un conducting nuclear tests, he surrounds himself with a foreign policy team that has been called a collection of charlatans, and puts out contradictory and nonsensical national security ideas one expert recently called incoherent and truly bizarre. Read: Trump Slams Cruz After Fiorina Fell Off The Stage: 'Even I Would Have Helped Her' The polls are split on how Trump will fare against Hillary Clinton. The latest CNN poll shows Clinton leading Trump 54 percent to 41 percent. A Rasmussen poll shows Trump leading Clinton by 41 percent to 39 percent. Watch: Trump Says Ted Cruz's Dad Was With Lee Harvey Oswald Before JFK's Assassination Related Articles: Ted Cruz is ending his presidential campaign, eliminating the biggest impediment to Donald Trump's march to the Republican nomination. After losing the Indiana Republican primary to Trump, Cruz made the announcement in a speech to his supporters on Tuesday night. "From the beginning, I've said that I would continue on as long as there is a viable path to victory," he said. "Tonight, I'm sorry to say, it appears that path has been foreclosed." He continued, to boos from the crowd as his supporters caught on, "Together, we left it all on the field of Indiana. We gave it everything we've got, but the voters chose another path. And so, with a heavy heart but with boundless optimism for the long-term future of our nation, we are suspending our campaign." He made no mention of Trump in his speech. Before the polls closed, Cruz was hammering to Indiana voters to think of what the future will be like under the billionaire businessman, citing the popular Back to the Future trilogy. "If anyone has seen the movie Back to the Future II, the screenwriter says that he based the character Biff Tannen on Donald Trump - a caricature of a braggadocios, arrogant buffoon who builds giant casinos with giant pictures of him everywhere he looks," Cruz told reporters. "We are looking potentially at the Biff Tannen presidency." (Tom Wilson, the actor who played Tannen, previously told The Hollywood Reporter he did not base his portrayal off Trump, nor was that notion ever suggested to him during filming.) Read More: Ted Cruz Warns of "Biff Tannen Presidency" if Donald Trump Is Elected On Tuesday night, Cruz began his speech by recalling the launch of his campaign 13 months ago, "when the pundits all said it was hopeless," and attempted to end his remarks on a similar note of optimism, as he thanked his family and his "phenomenal running mate" Carly Fiorina. Story continues "Hear me now: I give you my word that I will continue this fight with all of my strength and all of my ability," Cruz concluded, vowing to continue his fight for liberty and the Constitution. "We will continue to fight next month and next year and we will continue as long as God grants us the strength to fight on." Throughout his campaign, the Texas senator cast himself as the only viable alternative to Trump, going toe-to-toe with the billionaire businessmen in the press throughout his campaign. He argued he was the only true conservative in the race and railed against what he called the "Washington cartel," trying to appeal to an electorate that is craving political outsiders. But he ultimately couldn't compete with Trump's appeal among white, working-class voters who were drawn to the New York billionaire's outlandish approach to politics. With the scale tipping increasingly in Trump's favor, he announced a pact in April with his other rival, Ohio Gov. John Kasich, in which the two would divide their time and resources based on states where they were each poised to do better. Days later, he prematurely named former Hewlett-Packard chief executive Fiorina as his running mate, hoping it would woo some of the female voters turned off by Trump's brash rhetoric. Trump's appeal to evangelicals, though, and his popularity with the broader Republican electorate, proved too much. Read More: Donald Trump Praises Ted Cruz, Shifts Focus to Clintons In the end, Republicans didnt much like Ted Cruz. The party establishment hated him from the start. He had nearly single-handedly destroyed their effort to govern in Congress in the age of Obama, and he insulted GOP leaders in a way that left party elders aghast. When former Speaker John Boehner called Cruz Lucifer in the flesh, what was most noteworthy wasnt the barb itself but how little protest it generated in Washington. The establishment would have preferred almost anyone else as their standard-bearer in 2016. Really: Almost anyone elseincluding, for many of them, Donald Trump, a man who these same top Republicans viewed as a usurper, a phony who talked tough and learned just enough of the conservative language to hoodwink the partys faithful in state after state. And ultimately, it was the voters who chose Trumpand rejected Cruz. The first-term Texas senator came to that realization rather suddenly on Tuesday night, after a defeat in Indiana crushed his slim chances of denying Trump the Republican nomination in Cleveland. Earlier in the day, Cruz had denounced the GOP front-runner as a pathological liar and a narcissist. But when he ended his campaign later that evening in Indiana, he never uttered Trumps name. Surrounded by his family, Cruz reminded his supporters that he had always said he would continue his campaign as long as there was a path to victory. Tonight, Im sorry to say, it appears that path has been foreclosed, he said. Together we left it all on the field in Indiana. We gave it all we got. But the voters chose another path. Recommended: The Day the Republican Party Died Far from endorsing Trump, Cruz signaled that he was about to join, in spirit if not officially, the collection of conservatives who now believe the 2016 presidential election is a lost cause, that Hillary Clinton is not only the presumptive Democratic nominee but the presumptive 45th president of the United States. Cruz modeled his speech on Ronald Reagans address, as a runner-up, to the 1976 Republican National Convention in Kansas City. What he didnt need to say was that four years after that speech, Reagan ran again and defeated the embattled Democratic president, Jimmy Carter. Cruz, who is just 45 years old, didnt need to lay it out explicitly, but he might as well have launched his 2020 campaign right then and there in Indiana. Hear me now, he said instead, I am not suspending our fight for liberty. I am not suspending our fight to defend the Constitution. Story continues Republican voters gave Cruz a good long look in 2016. He ran as an uncompromising conservative from the outset, and it looked briefly as if he might stop the Trump train when he defeated the New York billionaire in Iowa in February. But although Cruz picked up a bucket of delegates by winning his home state of Texas, he underperformed throughout the South on Super Tuesday. Cruz was a strong debater and a better organizer, winning repeatedly in caucus states and outlasting Marco Rubio to become the final serious threat to Trump. But he was hamstrung by his awkwardness as a retail campaigner and never made a real effort to make peace with the Republican Party leaders who might have helped him unify the Never Trump movement. Recommended: Can She Become a Truly Great President? Trump regained his footing with landslide wins in New York and then throughout the Northeast. All the while, he continued browbeating Cruz and playing dirty; Trump labeled him Lyin Ted, promoted reports that Cruz had affairs on the campaign trail, threatened to go after his wife, and finally, in the closing days of the campaign, suggested that Cruzs father was involved in the JFK assassination. Cruz, in turn, became increasingly desperate. He struck a non-aggression pact with John Kasich to increase his chances in Indiana, and then, just a week before he dropped out, announced that Carly Fiorina would be his running mate if he could only knock off Trump to win the nomination. None of it worked. Rather than close the gap with Trump, Cruz fell further. A lead in Indiana polling vanished, and Cruz was on pace to lose the state by more than 15 points. Perhaps most telling, however, was how Republicans seemed to sour on Cruz over time. In Gallup polling, more than half of GOP voters had a favorable image of Cruz when the year started. By late April, just 39 percent did, and 45 percent had an unfavorable view of him. Republicans took a long look at Cruz, and the more they saw him, the less they liked him. Starting Tuesday night, hell have at least four more years to turn those hard feelings around. Read more from The Atlantic: This article was originally published on The Atlantic. Republican presidential candidate Ted Cruz and his super PAC allies spent more than $10 per vote on advertising ahead of Indiana's primary Tuesday. And Donald Trump whose campaign spent about $1.50 per vote clobbered him anyway. In all, Cruz and two supportive super PACs the Club for Growth, an anti-tax organization that endorsed him, and Trusted Leadership PAC, a big-money vehicle designed to boost the U.S. senator from Texas spent more than $4 million on television and radio advertising in Indiana, according to data provided to the Center for Public Integrity by The Tracking Firm, a nonpartisan media tracking company headquartered in Washington, D.C. Despite the spending spree, Cruz won only about 405,000 votes, finishing in a distant second behind Trump, the front-runner who ultimately won about 590,000 votes. Trump's campaign spent about $870,000 on TV and radio advertising in Indiana, according to The Tracking Firm. These figures don't include costs associated with online ads, direct mail, field staff, salaries, events or other expenditures. During his victory speech Tuesday night, Trump praised his own campaign's thriftiness. "That's something that makes me feel really, really very good," Trump said. "There have been 60,000 negative ads [against me]," Trump continued. "The people are so smart. They don't buy it. They get it." In fact, more than 64,000 TV ads have attacked Trump in some fashion as of Monday, including about 8,000 from Democratic Party front-runner Hillary Clinton, according to a Center for Public Integrity review of data provided by Kantar Media/CMAG, a firm that monitors advertising on broadcast television and national but not local cable. After his loss to Trump in Indiana, Cruz quit of the presidential race. Ohio Gov. John Kasich, who did not actively campaign in Indiana, is expected to end his campaign today as well. An anti-Trump super PAC called Our Principles PAC which did not endorse either Cruz or Kasich spent an additional $1.2 million on ads in Indiana. Story continues According to the Associated Press, Trump is now fewer than 200 delegates away from the magic number of 1,237 needed to officially clinch the GOP presidential nomination without a contested convention. This story is part of Buying of the President 2016. Tracking the candidates, political committees and nonprofits that are making this presidential election the most expensive in history. Click here to read more stories in this investigation. Don't miss another Politics investigation: Sign up for the Center for Public Integrity's Watchdog email. In Indiana's Democratic primary, Bernie Sanders scored an upset victory, defeating Clinton by about 30,000 votes, or 5 percentage points. Clinton did not spend a dime on TV or radio advertising in Indiana, while Sanders spent about $1.7 million or about $5.20 per vote. "It's been clear all along that she's the establishment candidate," Sanders campaign spokesman Michael Briggs said of Clinton. "Advertising on television is one way we have to compete with that." Briggs said that Sanders, who badly trails Clinton in the delegate race, would press on to give voters in the remaining contests "the same kind of choice that people in other states have already gotten." Additionally, Briggs stressed, we "like our chances in a lot of those states." Clinton, however, remains poised to win the Democratic nomination thanks to her nearly insurmountable delegate lead. Clinton campaign spokesman Jesse Ferguson said the campaign which, like Trump's, is fewer than 200 delegates away from officially clinching the nomination doesn't "comment on our ad strategy." Overall, more than $1 billion has been spent in the 2016 presidential race, including about $640 million by candidates who are no longer in the races and the outside groups, such as super PACs, that supported them. Roughly one-fifth of that sum was spent by former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush and his supportive super PAC, Right to Rise USA. Many campaign reformers have decried the 2016 election as a cesspool of special interests, where wealthy people and corporate entities have played outsized roles in how campaigns are waged. Others disagree. "The mantra about money buying elections has been demonstrated to be so 100 percent false," Republican attorney Jim Bopp, one of Indiana's 57 delegates, told the Center for Public Integrity. "Money buys speech, not influence, and certainly not elections." This story was co-published with NBC News. This story is part of Buying of the President 2016. Tracking the candidates, political committees and nonprofits that are making this presidential election the most expensive in history. Click here to read more stories in this investigation. Related stories Copyright 2016 The Center for Public Integrity. This story was published by The Center for Public Integrity, a nonprofit, nonpartisan investigative news organization in Washington, D.C. Photo: REX A few months ago, the field of Republican presidential candidates seemed absurdly crowded. And while there were once many candidates vying for the GOP's primary nomination, the race has narrowed down to Donald Trump and Ohio Gov. John Kasich after Ted Cruz officially suspended his campaign last night. After a string of primary losses to GOP front-runner Donald Trump, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz announced that he was suspending his presidential campaign. The news came just days after Cruz announced that Carly Fiorina, another former presidential candidate, would be his vice presidential running mate. "Tonight, I'm sorry to say, it appears that path has been closed," Cruz said in Indiana, after losing the state's Republican primary to Donald Trump. "Together, we left it all on the field in Indiana. We gave it everything we had. But the voters chose another path." "We are suspending our campaign," Cruz said. "But hear me now, I am not suspending our fight for liberty." Moment of infamy: Cruz was never afraid to speak out against Donald Trump on the campaign trail. Before making his announcement, Cruz called Trump a "pathological liar" and "utterly amoral," The New York Times reports. On the Democratic side, the primary race is down to former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders. Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here? Amazing Women From Around The World Give You Their Best Advice How 10 Former Child Brides Are Sharing Their Stories Through The Portraits They Take Justin Trudeau's Most Memorable Moments Des Moines (United States) (AFP) - Once reviled by fellow Republicans as a "wacko bird" eager to shut down the US government, Ted Cruz believed his arch-conservatism could propel him into the White House -- but ultimately proved no match for the Donald Trump steamroller. The senator from Texas, who bowed out of the race after suffering a knock-out blow in Indiana on Tuesday, was not just battling for the Republican nomination. Cruz has fought hard to maintain a prominent place for faith in American life, and sees himself in a battle for the very soul of the country -- as he made clear in his concession speech. "Hear me now, I am not suspending our fight for liberty," he said. "I am not suspending our fight to defend the constitution, to defend the Christian values that built America." "Together we will continue as long as God grants us the strength to fight on." The 45-year-old Texan is an intellectual proponent of a grassroots conservative movement that has simmered for years under the Republican mainstream. A US Senate freshman, he has barely three years under his belt in national politics. But in the 2016 presidential race, his outsider status played well with a right-wing base furious with what he derides as the "mushy middle" GOP establishment unwilling to play hardball against US President Barack Obama. Cruz received a tremendous boost on the first day of the Republican primaries -- when he briefly surged past Trump in the opening contest in Iowa -- and spent months since then seeking to out-maneuver his many rivals. - Star power - For Democrats, Cruz is a dangerous demagogue they love to hate. But to religious conservatives, he is a patriot, a thinking man's champion of the common folk sent to Congress to disrupt the ways of the go-along-to-get-along establishment and fulfill the principles of smaller government. A master orator with a clear sense of mission, he has angered party elders for showing little deference to seniority and snatching the spotlight from more experienced political stalwarts. Story continues He insists government has wrecked the economy, infringed on religious liberty, trampled on constitutional rights, overtaxed Americans and sought to take away their guns. Critics blast him as a poster boy for Washington gridlock. In September 2013, his star power soared when he spoke for 21 hours straight to try to block a stopgap spending bill in the lead-up to a crippling government shutdown the following month, part of a doomed quest to defund Obama's crowning domestic achievement, the Affordable Care Act. He won the support of the anti-government, anti-tax Tea Party movement, but alienated many in his own party who saw Cruz's drive to shut down the government as a politically damaging act of self-aggrandizement. Cruz's apparent eagerness to gum up the works led an exasperated John McCain, the 2008 Republican nominee, to deride Cruz and other Tea Party lawmakers as "wacko birds on the right." - From Harvard to the Hill - A Texas-raised, Harvard-educated lawyer with a Cuban father and an American mother, Cruz joined the legal elite when he was accepted as a clerk for US Supreme Court Chief Justice William Rehnquist in 1996. He was part of former president George W. Bush's legal team arguing the 2000 Florida presidential recount, later serving in Bush's Justice Department and the US Federal Trade commission. He returned to Texas and in 2003 was appointed the state's solicitor general, arguing many cases before the Supreme Court in Washington. In 2012, he ran for the Senate with support from the Tea Party, defeating the establishment Republican. Cuban-American Cruz may enjoy plenty of support in Hispanic-heavy Texas, but he staunchly opposes immigration reform, blasting Obama's efforts to shield millions from deportation as "illegal amnesty." - 'Lyin' Ted' - For millions of conservatives outside the US capital, Cruz emerged as a hero of the 2016 race. Finding himself in a crowded running lane -- with retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson, ex-senator Rick Santorum and former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee vying for the far-right conservative vote -- Cruz outshone them all. But Trump upended the political playbook, launching brutal personal attacks on his rivals including Cruz who he came to refer to exclusively as "Lyin' Ted." The Texan pledged not to sink "into the mud" of insults, as the tycoon hammered him over his Canadian birth, suggesting bluntly he may not be eligible for the presidency. But as all other 17 contenders dropped out except the low-polling John Kasich, the Republican contest increasingly turned to a stand-off between the pair. Weeks of tensions boiled over Tuesday after Trump made the startling allegation that Cruz's father was with John F. Kennedy's killer shortly before the US president was assassinated. Cue a blistering retort from Cruz who branded the Republican frontrunner a "pathological liar" in an attack that lasted several minutes. "Let's be clear, this is nuts," Cruz charged. "He doesn't know the difference between truth and lies," Cruz said, in a final verbal joust with Trump before he bowed out -- and cleared his path to the Republican nomination. Premier American electric car manufacturer Tesla Motors (TSLA) has released Q1 earnings after the bell Wednesday, with results largely in-line with what we've seen from the company's pre-guidance earlier. A bottom line of -$1.24 per share on sales (accounting for stock-based compensation and other BNRI) on $1.6 billion in the quarter compare with Zacks consensus expectations of -$0.78 and $1.59 billion, respectively. So the wider-than-expected loss is definitely a big miss, but Tesla is still all about forward sales. The good news for Tesla this quarter came from its various outlooks: the company bumped up its 500K units-per-year goal from as of year 2020 to 2018 now. Deliveries for the very popular Model 3 (400K+ advanced orders) stay in line for deliveries beginning late 2017, and its Gigafactory remains on target to deliver its first batteries late this year. Model S deliveries were 45 percent higher year over year, again in-line with estimates. Tesla's lowered guidance for Q1 deliveries of 14,820 (from 16K originally) nearly met the expectation but was short by 10 cars. Q2 deliveries are now expected to reach 17K instead of the earlier guidance of 19K. Much of this stems from supplier parts shortages for the Model X, which has since been resolved. Yet another reminder that Tesla is still a toddler in the auto-manufacturing game. But the Model X has grown substantially quarter over quarter, producing roughly 500 SUVs in Q4, but over 2600 in Q1. Shares are up more than 5 percent following the mildly positive earnings results. (Tesla is one of those companies where actuals can swing wildly from estimates quarter to quarter, so an in-line report can be seen as something of a victory of steadiness.) This follows a big move down in regular Wednesday trading and a woeful -12 percent over the last 5 trading days, so we see traders sopping up some of the value here. The VIX ahead of the earnings report was +/- 9.4 percent. The big stuff is still to come for this company -- Gigafactory production, Model 3 deliveries. If these bigger-scale projects manage to take hold in a meaningful way for Tesla, we may see new valuations unfold for this stock, which is currently at a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report TESLA MOTORS (TSLA): Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research Can Texas Roadhouse Maintain Its Strong 1Q16 Performance? 1Q16 performance Texas Roadhouse (TXRH) reported its 1Q16 results on May 2, 2016. The company posted revenue of $515.6 million and adjusted EPS (earnings per share) of $0.55. Compared to 1Q16, the revenue increased by 12% and the EPS grew by 8.7%. Markets response Texas Roadhouses 1Q16 revenue was in line with analysts estimates. However, the EPS was lower than analysts estimate of $0.54. The $5.5 million settlement charges on a wage-per-hour demand with the Delaware Department of Labor had a negative impact on its 1Q16 EPS by $0.05. The adjusted EPS stands at $0.55. This was greater than analysts estimates of $0.54. So, the stock price rose on the announcement of its 1Q16 results. The company ended May 2, 2016, with its share price up by 3.3%. Texas Roadhouses share price has increased by 22.4% year-to-date. During the same period, the share price of its peers such as Buffalo Wild Wings (BWLD), Brinker International (EAT), and Bloomin Brands (BLMN) returned -15%, -2.4%, and 12.3%, respectively. The Guggenheim S&P 500 Pure Growth ETFs (RPG) share price appreciated by 8.6%. RPG invests 44% of its holdings in restaurants and travel companies. Series overview In this series, well discuss the 1Q16 earnings call and notes along with Texas Roadhouses performance on key metrics during the quarter. Well also cover managements guidance and analysts estimates for the rest of 2016 and beyond. Lets start by discussing Texas Roadhouses 1Q16 revenue growth. Continue to Next Part Browse this series on Market Realist: Even with Bernie Sanders' surprise victory in Indiana's Democratic primary Tuesday night, his chances of securing the nomination are still extraordinarily low. They've been bleak for weeks, and unless Sanders starts winning nominating contests by crushing margins, they will continue to dwindle. A number of political journalists have recognized this for some time, and have taken to writing anticipatory campaign obituaries summing up his legacy. The conventional focus of these evaluations is around how much Sanders has energized the left and sparked a movement that has united young people and more left-leaning Democrats around social democratic concepts such as single-payer health care and free public higher education. The biggest questions tend to swirl around whether his insurgency will evolve into a meaningful program beyond this moment. Read more: Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders Have This One Surprising Thing in Common But Sanders' ascent and astonishingly powerful challenge to Hillary Clinton has also highlighted and in some ways deepened rifts between various factions of the left. There is nothing new about impassioned disagreement on the left, and considering that the two candidates held such sharply divergent views of the meaning of progress, substantial clashes were inevitable. Yet a significant amount of the conflict has been over issues that go beyond straightforward differences on policy visions, and also show signs of lingering, if not potentially spreading, beyond this campaign cycle. Whom do you present? The lion's share of the strife can be traced to the identity politics of the Sanders movement. From Sanders' deep struggle to garner the support of black voters, to heated disputes over whether it's fair to describe the archetypal Sanders supporter as a "bro," to allegations that Sanders used subtly gendered attacks against Clinton, the Sanders camp has been dogged by accusations of building a movement whose energy and appeal have skewed toward white men. Story continues Source: Seth Wenig/AP The bulk of those criticisms have come from Clinton supporters and what could be called identitarian progressives liberals who place concerns about oppression tied to race, gender, sexual orientation and gender identity at the center of their analysis of society's power dynamics contending that Sanders' concern with class inequality has eclipsed other key imbalances in American society. Many of those criticisms have been unfair and operated off of crude generalizations about Sanders' following rather than facts. But still, some critiques of his struggle to be inclusive have touched on something real. Sanders' self-described political revolution has not been able to captivate voters of color, and with a few exceptions, Clinton is winning among women across Democratic nominating contests. Sanders has squandered some opportunities to build a leftist coalition suited to American demographics and political culture. It wouldn't be right to characterize all of this as Sanders' failure Clinton is one of the most powerful figures in American political life, and this has been her race to lose but it's evident that he hasn't been able to break through with constituencies that would, theoretically, be naturally drawn to a movement whose central conceit is tackling persistent inequality. On some counts, Sanders has squandered crucial opportunities to build a leftist coalition suited to American demographics and political culture. Sanders' weakness with black voters is a vital lesson. Perhaps biggest thorn in Sanders' side this race has been his consistent unpopularity with black voters, and his management of the issue is key to understanding his broader shortcomings with multicultural outreach. It could be argued that a significant share of the black vote was almost unwinnable for Sanders the Clintons have a powerful relationship with the nation's black political class and black community that stretches back for decades, while Sanders has represented a small, almost uniformly white state for his entire career in national politics. But if Clinton had such a formidable advantage with black voters from the off, that's all the more reason for Sanders to have devoted extra energy to winning them over from the time he launched his campaign. Instead, he showed little interest in it. Source: Win McNamee/Getty Images The low-hanging fruit available from the very beginning of the presidential campaign cycle in 2015 was to embrace the explosively growing Black Lives Matter movement. It was a no-brainer for a politician who had engaged in civil disobedience during the civil rights movement and whose run for the White House was predicated on challenging the status quo on behalf of marginalized Americans. It also would've positioned him to strike Clinton immediately on her tough-on-crime record and troubling rhetoric referring to some black youth as "superpredators." But Sanders didn't embrace the criminal justice reform movement until he was pushed to do so. And he wasn't the first politician in the race to say "black lives matter." Clinton was. Sanders' disinterest in doing inventive or bold things to pique the interest of black voters was a consistent pattern. The public relationship he built with Atlanta rapper Killer Mike was a colorful, if slightly gimmicky way, to attempt a connection with black voters. But it stands out mainly because it served as an exception to the rule for the most part, Sanders did little more than make token efforts in the run-up to the South Carolina primary, the first Democratic nominating contest with a large share of black voters, to go above and beyond minimal obligations to forge a relationship with black voters. @KillerMike and @BernieSanders sit down for a coke at Atlanta's Busy Bee's cafepic.twitter.com/P3HtCwcTsu https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CUhu7S2UkAAS4Wu.jpg:large The issue wasn't that Sanders didn't care about black voters, but that he held the view that his aggressively progressive policies on issues like health care and education and jobs programs, which would disproportionately better the lives of black Americans, would be enough. In some ways, this seems to be a deeply honest approach to winning over voters using policy rather than symbolic gestures to appeal to specific groups. But getting elected isn't just about policy. It's also about building trust both by conveying your understanding of the unique needs of different communities and by establishing why you can credibly claim to delivering changes on their behalf. For someone like Sanders, whose political projects are premised on the idea of universalism universal health coverage, universal free education, and so on the idea of very particular conversations and relationship-building don't come naturally. But using careful language that speaks to specific grievances and interests is a crucial way to do that. Beyond black voters: Appealing to Latino voters (with whom Sanders has done much better with than black voters, even as he's lost them to Clinton in key states) and women, Sanders also relied on the idea that the promise of robust social democratic policies would alone be enough to pull people to his campaign. Again, the issue isn't indifference, but rather a reliance on the idea that what he said his programs could deliver would be inherently seductive. But it hasn't been. And if there's a lesson in all this for Sanders or any others who carry his torch, it's that targeting demographic groups with nuanced, community-specific relationship-building and messaging is important, even if your political program relies on the idea of universal rights. The United States is a multicultural democracy, and any attempt to pursue power within it, at least for those on the left, requires a serious reckoning with that reality. Among young people with whom Sanders enjoys extraordinary, almost unrivaled popularity within the Democratic electorate his appeal cuts across gender and race, and that bodes well for the future of his movement. But if someone is to take Sanders' movement further, it involves finding a way to make it more attuned to the extraordinary diversity of American life. By Kieran Guilbert DAKAR (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Hundreds of thousands of children in the Central African Republic are missing out on education as schools struggle to reopen due to violence, displacement and a shortage of teachers, the United Nations children's agency (UNICEF) said on Wednesday. One in four primary schools in the conflict-hit country - around 500 - are not functioning and a third of school-age children are not going to school, according to UNICEF. Central African Republic has been beset by violence between mainly Muslim Seleka rebels and Christian anti-balaka militias since the rebels ousted the then president in early 2013. While many observers hope the recent election of President Faustin-Archange Touadera will help end the unrest, the security situation remains fragile, according to U.N. agencies. "Resuming schooling is a challenge when around 20 percent of the population (4.6 million) has been displaced," said UNICEF's Central African Republic representative Mohamed Malick Fall. "There are also security and access issues, the risks for children traveling to school, and a lack of civil servants and teachers, who fled," Fall told the Thomson Reuters Foundation. The conflict has uprooted more than 400,000 people within the country and forced almost half a million to seek refuge in neighbouring countries such as Chad, Cameroon and the Democratic Republic of Congo, according to the U.N. refugee agency (UNHCR). UNICEF are providing teaching materials and giving catch-up lessons to tens of thousands of uprooted children, while many of the displaced are volunteering to teach, Fall said. "They might not have the academic background or the training, but it shows great resilience from these people and communities to make sure children aren't missing out on school." Teachers are being trained to provide psychosocial support, as many children suffer from post-conflict trauma, UNICEF said. Some children were shy and refused to talk, while others were aggressive and often drew weapons, teachers told the U.N. Fall hopes that schools will continue to reopen - around 40 percent were closed at the height of the conflict due to attacks, looting and armed occupation - to help protect children from violence, recruitment into armed groups, and sexual abuse. UNICEF on Wednesday unveiled details of a fund to help get children back in class during emergencies, which aims to reach 13.6 million children within five years and 75 million by 2030.[L5N1805U4] (Reporting By Kieran Guilbert, Editing by Katie Nguyen; Please credit the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the charitable arm of Thomson Reuters, that covers humanitarian news, women's rights, trafficking, corruption and climate change. Visit news.trust.org) Kinshasa (AFP) - Thousands of fans paid a last tearful tribute to Congolese "rumba king" Papa Wemba at a requiem mass in Kinshasa on Wednesday where his songs were played, before he was finally laid to rest. Papa Wemba was a "worthy son of the DRC, the quality of his work has made him a citizen of the world", the president of the national episcopal conference of Congo, Bishop Nicolas Djomo, said in a homily. He was "a great artist who was able to speak to all social classes," and "a man who did not live for himself but for others and for God." He conveyed "the message of love, the message of peace and of reconciliation". Papa Wemba collapsed while performing at a festival in Ivory Coast on April 24. The flamboyant musician, who led the Kinshasa music scene for four decades, died before reaching hospital. He was 66. His body returned to his native Democratic Republic of Congo last week, and lay in state at the national parliament since Monday. "For three days, like one man, the Congolese people", Africa and the world "cried over the one they agreed to call the father of Congolese rumba," said the archbishop of Kinshasa, Cardinal Laurent Monsengwo. Six bishops, about 60 priests, family members, officials and celebrities were among about 2,000 people in the Notre Dame du Congo Cathedral for the mass in his honour. About 10,000 more crammed into the streets outside, where giant screens were erected to watch the service. Many young people were among those who sweated, many bare-chested, under Kinshasa's brutal equatorial sun to hear the service. Some had gathered since dawn on Wednesday to watch the funeral cortege arrive. Before the service, Cardinal Monsengwo, Bishop Djomo, and other clerics, bowed before the coffin and before Papa Wemba's tearful widow. In his funeral oration, the governor of Kinshasa, Andre Kimbuta, honoured the memory "of the high priest of Congolese music". Story continues The oration was interspersed with excerpts of Papa Wemba's songs, including "L'Esclave" which recounts the stories of African slaves taken to America, as many in the congregation responded with barely muffled sobs. Congo's President Joseph Kabila on Monday posthumously awarded Papa Wemba one of the country's highest honours, making him a grand officer of the Order of National Heroes Kabila-Lumumba. A father of six, Papa Wemba helped to pioneer a blend of Congolese popular music with electric rock during the 1980s, when an interest in world music stirred in Western countries. He was laid to rest later Wednesday in a cemetery on the eastern outskirts of Kinshasa -- the Necropole Entre Ciel et Terre (Graveyard Between Heaven and Earth), where the cheapest tomb costs $1,500 -- in the presence of several thousand fans. By Roberta Rampton WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto will meet in Ottawa for a North American leaders' Summit on June 29, the White House said on Wednesday. The "Three Amigos" summit, with two key U.S. trading partners, comes as Obama grapples with a wave of anti-free-trade sentiment that has stalled ratification of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), a sweeping 12-nation pact that includes Canada and Mexico. Obama hopes the U.S. Congress will ratify the deal before he leaves office on Jan. 20. But trade has become a lightning rod issue in the presidential election campaign to replace him. Republican Donald Trump, now his party's presumptive nominee for 2016, has attacked the TPP and describes the tripartite North American Free Trade agreement as a disaster that needs to be renegotiated or broken. In the Democratic campaign, Senator Bernie Sanders has opposed the trade deal, and Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton has also expressed concerns. Canada sends 75 percent of its exports to the United States and would suffer greatly if a future president moved to clamp down on free trade. Trudeau, asked how he would deal with a President Trump, said the leaders of both countries would always agree on the need for growth and prosperity. One important way to achieve this was through trade, he added. "The level of integration between the Canadian and American economies is unlike anything else ... in the world," he told a news conference in Ottawa. The last "Three Amigos" summit was in Toluca, Mexico in 2014. Canada was supposed to host the meeting early last year but cancelled it amid tension between then Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Obama over the Keystone XL pipeline. Obama will address Canada's Parliament during the visit, the White House said. He last came to Canada for a bilateral visit in February 2009, the first foreign trip of his presidency. Ottawa's relations with Mexico are strained over Canadian rules, introduced under Harper, that impose visas for visiting Mexicans. Trudeau said he hoped to be able to announce within weeks that the requirement would be scrapped. (Additional reporting by Jeff Mason in Washington and David Ljunggren in Ottawa; Editing by Steve Orlofsky and James Dalgleish) (NEW DELHI) Police detained three men for questioning Tuesday in the rape and murder of a law student whose body was found mutilated in southern India, officials said. The case has drawn comparisons to the deadly 2012 gang rape of a woman on a New Delhi bus that sparked widespread outrage and nationwide protests demanding an end to the widespread sexual assault and abuse of women across India. The autopsy on the 30-year-old victim in Kerala state revealed she had been sexually penetrated by sharp objects before being murdered in her home on Thursday in Perumbavoor, a city on the outskirts of the major city of Kochi, according to Press Trust of India news agency, citing police sources. Home Minister Ramesh Chennitala said, however, that the full autopsy report was not yet complete, and so he was unable to confirm that a rape had happened. Police are working very hard on solving this case, Chennitala told reporters. On Tuesday, police arrested three men for questioning, but could not immediately say if they were suspected of taking part in the crime. The family is from the Dalit community, considered the lowest caste in Indias centuries-old social hierarchy. PTI reported that the victims body was discovered by her mother. The states chief minister, Oommen Chandy, has described the crime as shocking. Women outraged over the case have staged protests. Taboos against speaking about sexual assault are believed to make Indias women and children more vulnerable to sexual violence and harassment. Experts say that has started to change since the fatal gang rape of the 23-year-old woman in 2012, after which the government rushed through legislation to double prison terms for rape, and to criminalize voyeurism, stalking and the trafficking of women. But activists say more action is needed, including better educating youths and adding basic safety infrastructure such as street lights and public bathrooms. KINSHASA (Reuters) - Three Red Cross staff members have been kidnapped in eastern Congo in an attack blamed by a rights group on Rwandan rebels. The abductions were confirmed on Tuesday in a tweet from Dominik Stillhart, the Red Cross's director of operations, who added: "We're doing everything we can to bring them back home safely." The Congo-based Centre of Studies for the Promotion of Peace, Democracy and Human Rights said the three were drivers from Goma in the east of the country. Their vehicles were abandoned at the site of the kidnappings, it said. It said the culprits were believed to be members of the Rwandan rebel group, Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), which consists of former soldiers and Hutu militiamen behind Rwanda's 1994 genocide. The rebel group, which has waged wars against other armed groups and the government, is thought to be at the heart of instability in the region. Members say they want to return to Rwanda but the U.N. peacekeeping mission has said the group's goal is to overthrow the Rwandan government. There have been a series of abductions targeting aid workers in the vast central African country. The United Nations said in January a spike in kidnappings and insecurity had made it difficult to provide humanitarian aid. Resource-rich eastern Democratic Republic of Congo has suffered from instability since millions were killed in regional wars in 1996 and 2003, mostly from hunger and disease, and armed groups have continued to remain in the area. (Reporting by Aaron Ross; Writing by Makini Brice; Editing by Alison Williams) The last time Corey Kluber and Anibal Sanchez opposed each other, the Cleveland Indians clobbered the Detroit Tigers - partially because Kluber finally solved Miguel Cabrera. The two-time AL MVP hopes to get back to his usual dominance of the league's former Cy Young Award winner Wednesday night to help the visiting Tigers finally figure out the Indians. Cleveland (11-12) rolled to its fourth straight victory over its AL Central rival with Tuesday's 7-3 win. It was the Indians' ninth win in the last 11 matchups and fourth in the past five at Progressive Field. Francisco Lindor fell a triple shy of the cycle, hitting a three-run homer and scoring three times. The shortstop also stole a hit away from Justin Upton in the second inning, making a diving stop in the hole. ''Whether you do it with the bat, the glove or your legs, that's part of the reason he has a chance to be so good because he can impact a game in so many different ways,'' manager Terry Francona said. Nick Castellanos went 2 for 4 for the Tigers, extending his hitting streak to six games and raising his AL-leading batting average to .368. While the Indians snapped a three-game skid, Detroit (14-11) saw its five-game run end. The Tigers had won six of seven since getting swept at home by the Indians April 22-24. Kluber (1-3, 4.24 ERA) earned the victory opposite Sanchez (3-2, 6.08) in Cleveland's 10-1 win in the middle game of that series, allowing one run and two hits while striking out 10 in eight innings. The right-hander is 3-6 with a 4.03 ERA in 13 starts against the Tigers, middling numbers due largely to poor ones against the heart of Detroit's order. The 2014 Cy Young winner held Cabrera, the 2012 and 2013 MVP, to two groundouts and a lineout last month, a rarity in their matchups. The slugger is batting .526 (20 for 38) with five home runs and two doubles against him. Victor Martinez has gone deep three times off Kluber, batting .321 in 28 at-bats. Story continues Kluber followed his latest outing against Detroit with another solid showing Friday, holding Philadelphia to three runs and five hits in seven innings of a 4-3, 11-inning loss. Sanchez hasn't made it through six innings yet, but he regrouped from two ugly outings in Thursday's 7-3 win over Oakland. Despite walking seven, the second-most in his career, the right-hander limited the A's to two runs and three hits while striking out nine over 5 2/3 innings. "At times he looked like the guy that struck out (17 against) Atlanta a few years ago, before I was here," manager Brad Ausmus told MLB's official website. "And at times, he had trouble with his command. But overall, he did a good job and gave us a chance to win." One of the previous rough outings for the 11-year pro came against Kluber and the Indians, who pounded him for seven runs and nine hits in 2 1/3 innings. The Indians have tagged Sanchez for 11 runs in their last two matchups, but he holds a 2.39 ERA at Progressive Field. Yan Gomes is 6 for 11 with a pair of homers against Sanchez, and Michael Brantley is 7 for 22 with a triple. Donald Trump Now that Donald Trump has effectively clinched the Republican nomination, many Democrats are exchanging high-fives. Trump's victory, they believe, will guarantee a Hillary Clinton win in November and secure the White House for the Democrats for another four years. Most of the pundits who declared Trump's candidacy dead on arrival last summer also believe this. Democrats and pundits are confident because during his scorched-earth primary campaign, Trump repeatedly said things that would make almost anyone else unelectable to national office including frequently insulting and offending vast groups of voters such as women and minorities. Their confidence is not illogical. Trump starts the general election with a 6.5-point average deficit in polls. And he is the most unpopular major-party nominee ever. But those who believe the Trump nomination assures a Clinton victory are not giving enough weight to two important facts: 1. Hillary Clinton is a weak campaigner; Trump is a strong one. At its core, campaigning is about selling a product the candidate. The reason Trump clobbered the Republican field is that he's a great salesman. Hillary Clinton is not. By her own admission, Clinton is much better at actually doing political jobs than campaigning to get them. 2. No one really knows what Trump believes or would do as president, but we do know that he'll say whatever he thinks will give him the best chance of winning. So far, Trump's pitch has been tailored to appeal to one particular voter constituency the angry, fed-up right wing. Now that Trump has won over that constituency, he'll turn his sales efforts, and image, to winning another: the center. A great salesperson figures out what customers want and then persuades them that, if they buy the product, they'll get what they want. In the Republican primary, Trump figured out what Republican voters wanted. And he persuaded enough of them that, if they chose him, they would get it. Story continues Most Democrats still think that Trump will get crushed in the general election because he actually believes what he was selling in the Republican primaries the plan to round up and deport all of the immigrants living in the US illegally, for example. Or the plan to bar Muslims from entering the US. donald trump interview It's possible that Trump does believe these things and intends to act on them as president. But to me it seems more likely that Trump was just "projecting an image," as his team reportedly suggested a couple of weeks ago to Republican leaders when speaking behind closed doors. When Business Insider executive editor Brett LoGiurato and I interviewed Trump in his office last fall, he came off as more reasonable and practical than he does in his public appearances. When we noted the absurdity of rounding up 11 million people and shipping them out of the country, for example, Trump hesitated in responding. Trump didn't actually say it, but what I expected him to say after this hesitation was this: Come on, Henry. I'm a practical guy. I know the idea of deporting 11 million people is ridiculous. But I also know that it's what Republican voters want to hear. Let me win the nomination and election, then we'll study the situation. And then I'll fix it! Just the way I fixed Wollman Rink! Now that Trump has won his first sales pitch the nomination he, like any great salesperson, will adjust his pitch to win the next one: the general election. He won't disavow any of the hateful things he said to win the Republican primary. He'll just ignore them. And instead of pitching to angry right-wing voters, he'll start pitching to the vast numbers of more centrist Americans who just aren't all that stoked about voting for Hillary Clinton. And in that sales pitch, Trump will have another advantage: He's selling something positive. Specifically, Trump is promising to "make America great again." Hillary Clinton is already responding by selling something negative: "Prevent President Trump." Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton addresses the attendees of the 61st Annual NAACP 'Fight For Freedom Fund Dinner' in Detroit, Michigan May 1, 2016. REUTERS/Rebecca Cook The "block Trump" pitch may scare some people into voting for Clinton, but it's not as compelling a pitch as "making America great again" especially when, for so many Americans, on both the right and left, America's economy is clearly not that great. So Democrats who are viewing Trump's victory as a guarantee that the White House will remain in their hands might want to rethink that. The next six months will be about selling two candidates to about 51% of the American public. Donald Trump is a great salesman. Hillary Clinton is not. SEE ALSO: We hit the road to find out why Americans are so crazy about Trump NOW WATCH: Here's the moment Wolf Blitzer had to stop Clinton and Sanders from 'screaming at each other' More From Business Insider Director of National Intelligence James Clapper said ISIS is capable of attacking the U.S. using similar strategies as the group did in attacks on Paris and Brussels within the past six months. They do have that capacity, Clapper said in an interview with CNN, the network reported Wednesday. Thats something we worry about a lot in the United States, that they could conjure up a raid like they did in Paris or Brussels. ISIS claimed responsibility for November attacks in Paris that left 130 people dead and the March attacks on the Brussels subway and airport that killed more than 30 people and injured 300. In interviews with CNN, President Barack Obama and other national security advisers said the U.S. faces less of a threat than Europe, and they emphasized efforts to prevent such attacks. Clapper said ISIS would infiltrate people or incite people who are already here in an attack on the U.S. He used Decembers San Bernardino shooting, in which two people inspired by foreign terrorist groups killed 14 people, as an example of how such an attack could occur. [CNN] MANILA (Reuters) - A tough-talking mayor running for the presidency of the Philippines has kept his double-digit lead five days before elections, despite allegations he had undeclared millions of pesos in a bank, the latest opinion poll has showed. Rodrigo Duterte was the number one choice among 33 percent of Filipinos in the Pulse Asia survey done on April 26-29, the same numbers from a similar survey among 4,000 respondents a week earlier, the poll released late on Tuesday showed. Manuel Roxas, President Benigno Aquino's hand-picked successor, moved up a spot into second place for the first time since June 2015 after rising 2 points to 22 percent support. Senator Grace Poe, the adopted daughter of movie stars, fell back to third after dropping a point to 21 percent. Vice President Jejomar Binay was in fourth place with 17 percent after losing a point, while support for Senator Miriam Santiago was unchanged at 2 percent. "The survey did not reflect significant changes," Pulse Asia president Professor Ronald Holmes said. Political analysts said Duterte had struck a chord with most Filipinos who were frustrated and disappointed with the government's inability to address mass transport and traffic problems in the capital, Manila. His strong anti-crime platform also resonated among voters across all economic classes and in all geographical regions. However, Holmes noted a dip in Duterte's support in Manila over allegations he had not declared 211 million pesos ($4.5 million) in his bank account. The allegations about the undeclared money were made last week by Senator Antonio Trillanes, a candidate for vice president. Peter Lavina, a spokesman for Duterte, said the allegations were "nothing but a publicity stunt". The poll follows a tricky week for Duterte, who has also been trying to manage the fallout from controversial remarks he made at a campaign rally about an Australian missionary murdered and raped during a 1989 prison riot. About 54 million Filipinos, including overseas workers, are eligible to vote in Monday's elections. ($1 = 46.9700 Philippine pesos) (Reporting By Manuel Mogato; Editing by Paul Tait) Geraldine Roman blows kisses to curious crowds and serenades them with a love song as she proudly campaigns to be the first transgender lawmaker in the mainly Catholic Philippines. The 49-year-old member of a powerful political family has a strong chance to win a seat in the nation's lower house in Monday's elections, in what would be a remarkable breakthrough for the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community. Conservative church dogma is a dominant force in Philippine politics: divorce, abortion and same-sex marriage are illegal, while there are no openly gay politicians at the national level and an LGBT party has long struggled for influence. Roman has been mocked and abused on the campaign trail in recent weeks but, after living as a woman for more than two decades, she refuses to be cowed. "My life has not been a secret," Roman told AFP in a rare interview after a day of campaigning in Bataan, a rural province just north of Manila where her mother has served as congresswoman for nine years and the family holds immense political sway. "I grew up here. People know me. (Gender) only becomes an issue when you try to keep it a secret. It's nothing bad. I never hurt anyone in the process. I'm so happy so why should I be ashamed?" Roman said she grew up being teased by classmates but her late father, a powerful politician, taught her to be confident. She speaks three European languages, holds two master's degrees and worked in Spain as senior editor of the Spanish News Agency, before returning four years ago to care for her ailing father. Roman underwent sex realignment surgery, and legally changed her name and gender, in the 1990s. She has been involved in a relationship with a man for the past 18 years - Equality battle - Roman hopes winning on Monday will help in the fight for gender equality. "My loyalty is to the first district of Bataan," she said. "But that somebody of my condition is going to enter Congress for the first time is a statement that even transgender people can serve our country and should not be discriminated against." Story continues It will be a long battle. On the most basic front, a law was passed in 2001 making it impossible for transgender Filipinos to change their name and sex. In 2010, the election commission also barred the Ang Ladlad party, which represents the LGBT community, from contesting the polls, accusing it of "immorality which offends religious beliefs". The Supreme Court overturned the commission's ruling, but Ang Ladlad failed to win a seat in Congress in the past two elections. Roman belongs to current President Benigno Aquino's ruling Liberal Party. Roman said, if elected, she intended to back an anti-discrimination bill that has been languishing for 16 years that would give the LGBT community rights, such as equal treatment in the workplace, hotels and schools. She will also campaign to make changing gender legal. "I am living proof that such a law will allow transgender people to pursue happiness and become productive citizens," she said. - Family legacy - Still, the soft-spoken and refined candidate emphasised she did not want to make gender the centrepiece of her political career. Roman outlined her plans for the people of Bataan if elected as their congresswoman, including continuing the medical assistance and scholarships her family has been providing for three generations. Her socio-economic platform also includes providing modern equipment for public hospitals and expanding Bataan's road network. Roman is widely expected to win on Monday, largely on the back of her family's entrenched power in the province. She is running for Congress to continue her family's rule, because her mother has to stand down after serving the maximum of three terms. On the streets of Orani, a small city where Roman lives and she was campaigning on the weekend, farmer Bern Salenga said he would vote for her because she promises to follow her parents' tradition of helping the poor. "She is also a human being. We all have rights. It's not an issue to me that she is transgender," Salenga, 49, told AFP. - Powerful voice - The LGBT community is under no illusion that Roman's expected success next week is because of her family -- such dynasties dominate Philippine politics from the local to the national level. However Roman is also being seen as a powerful voice for a group that has long been marginalised and struggled to have its concerns addressed by national lawmakers. "Even if she's just one, she will create noise," Anastacio Marasigan, spokesperson of the Lesbian and Gay Legislative Advocacy Network, told AFP. "That will help us in mainstreaming or highlighting issues often ignored, like HIV and sexual violence." Roman, a Catholic, has a simple message for critics who believe she does not belong in politics: "If Jesus Christ was alive today, he would not approve of discrimination. I firmly believe that." By Malathi Nayak NEW YORK (Reuters) - Tribune Publishing Co (TPUB.N) said on Wednesday its board unanimously rejected Gannett Co Inc's (GCI.N) unsolicited takeover offer and will proceed instead with a strategic plan to revive its print business and tap growth in digital content. Tribune shares fell by more than 4 percent after closing at $11.02 and Gannett's stock dropped about 13 percent after closing at $16.27, in after-market trading. Last month, Gannett, the owner of USA Today, made a takeover bid for Tribune at $12.25 per share in cash, in a deal worth roughly $815 million.. Tribune owns the Los Angeles Times and Chicago Tribune newspapers, as well as metro dailies like the Orlando Sentinel. In a letter on Wednesday, Tribune told Gannett's management that its board had reviewed the bid and decided that "the price reflected in the proposal understates the company's true value and is not in the best interests of our shareholders." It does not warrant "further discussion," the company said in a statement. Tribune's rejection of Gannett's proposal, comes as the newspaper industry tackles declining circulation, high costs, shrinking advertising dollars and a broad shift towards digital content, leaving publishers rushing to consolidate or find new avenues of growth. Gannett, in response, said in a statement on Wednesday it was committed to pursuing a deal and "intends to solicit withhold votes in order to advance shareholders." In a statement on Monday, Gannett Chief Executive Robert Dickey urged Tribune shareholders to withhold their votes for board nominees during Tribune's June 2 annual meeting and send a "clear message" to Tribune's board to engage seriously. Gannett has been on a mission to buy rivals to create a more efficient company by expanding its footprint into more cities. "Gannett is best positioned to advance Tribune's publications and journalism as Gannett's strategy to grow the USA TODAY NETWORK would seamlessly extend to Tribune," Dickey said in Gannett's statement. Story continues Tribune Publishing said its board believes that its new plan, which includes driving revenue from content brands, growing the Los Angeles Times as a global brand and embracing a digital strategy will "generate shareholder value in excess of Gannett's opportunistic proposal." Gannett's claims that its offer was not taken seriously by Tribune are "misleading," Tribune Chief Executive Justin Dearborn said on an earnings call with analysts on Wednesday. Gannett said in its statement that Tribune's board continues to deny it access to due diligence that could help to improve its offer. (Reporting by Malathi Nayak; Editing by Leslie Adler and Sandra Maler) Tripoli (AFP) - Weaving between tables at a seaside restaurant in Libya's capital bearing freshly baked rosemary bread, Abdelmuttaleb Twigiri shuttles between the wood-fired oven and his customers in a blur of hospitality. It's the opening night of his brainchild Toucan, a Mediterranean "fusion" eatery that Twigiri hopes will give residents of once-bustling Tripoli a rare taste of normality amid political chaos. "If I think of a government that could provide everything I need, I'd risk waiting a very long time," the 46-year-old tells AFP. "It's only thanks to the people that life goes on." The North African nation has been mired in unrest since the 2011 NATO-backed ouster of longtime dictator Moamer Kadhafi, with militants fighting for power and a piece of Libya's vast oil reserves. A militia alliance swept into the capital in August 2014, setting up its own parliament and forcing the internationally recognised administration to flee to the remote east. Although a new, UN-backed unity government has gradually asserted its authority in the capital, Tripoli residents have grown used to fending for themselves. It is in keeping with Tripolitans' do-it-yourself spirit that Twigiri created Toucan. "There are enough people in distress," he says. "But now we want to live." His establishment is one of several cafes and restaurants to spring up in the past three months along a 15-kilometre (nine-mile) stretch of road linking several neighbourhoods in western Tripoli. They are braving an economic crisis marked by a dramatic cut in oil revenues, spiralling living costs, late wages and a recent liquidity shortage. Entrepreneurs hope the unity government can calm some of the chaos befalling Libya, particularly security in a country that is increasingly a haven for extremists including the Islamic State group. "Once people feel safe, they invest," explains Abdelqader al-Kanuni, president of a local charitable fund. Story continues Tripoli remains dogged by sporadic violence but even a near-total breakdown of daily routine has failed to sap one passion all of its residents agree on: a love of coffee. Libyans drink the stuff "morning, noon and night," according to Mohamad Aguili, who two months ago opened his Harley Davidson Cafe on Tripoli's western fringe. - 'You need courage' - Coffee is often imported from former colonial power Italy along with clean, modern machines with which to make it. In straitened times such as these, import costs could impair Libyans' coffee intake, but Aguili says there are still cafes to suit every pocket. Nevertheless, he is fully aware of the economic and security risks involved in the business. "You need to have courage," he says in his coffee shop, which each afternoon is flanked by several chrome motorcycles that give the spot its name. "You have to throw yourself out there. Then it's make or break." In the family section of Cafe Veranda, a renowned patisserie which despite the odds has maintained its reputation after its Italian chef fled in 2011, immaculately manicured cousins Hind, Mira and Lamaan struggle to make themselves heard above the hubbub. "Pastimes are limited" in Tripoli, says Mira, a 23-year-old pharmacy student. "There are cafes, hours spent on Facebook, or both at the same time." Hind, 25, says the capital's cafes and restaurants are a good way of giving them "the feeling" of a social life. "If they are open then everything is fine. Even during bombings or economic crises, people will always drink coffee." For Twigiri, whose restaurant looks out over date palms planted to replace a wall built by Gadhafi's sons to block access to the beach, Tripoli's cafe culture is a symbol of a people unbowed by turmoil. "Tripolitans bend -- they don't break," he says. By Ben Blanchard BEIJING (Reuters) - China on Wednesday urged people in the United States to take a rational and objective view of the relationship between the two countries, after Republican front-runner Donald Trump became the party's presumptive presidential nominee. Trump has proposed that tariffs on imported Chinese goods be increased to up to 45 percent and asserted that China had waged "economic war" against the United States, taking American jobs. On Sunday, he compared the U.S. trade deficit with China to rape. China is the United States' largest trading partner. Asked whether China was worried at the prospect of a Trump presidency, after his commanding win in Indiana and as top rival Ted Cruz bowed out of the race, Foreign Ministry spokesman said the election was as internal affair he could not comment on. "What needs to be pointed out is that the essence of Sino-US trade and business cooperation is mutually beneficial and win-win, and accords with the interests of both sides," Hong told a daily news briefing. "We hope people in all fields can rationally and objectively view this relationship," he added, without elaborating. Chinese officials have generally avoided criticizing Trump directly, though they have made indirect criticism of his proposal to ban Muslims from entering the United States and indirectly rebuffed his assertion that China is stealing U.S. jobs. However, last month Finance Minister Lou Jiwei criticized Trump, calling him "an irrational type" due to his tariffs proposal on imported Chinese goods. The United States reported a $366-billion trade deficit with China in 2015, up from $343 billion in 2014 - the largest U.S. trade imbalance with any nation. China's tightly controlled state media has largely stuck to reporting the facts about Trump, with some notable exceptions. In March, influential tabloid the Global Times accused Trump of being a racist, warning that other extremists, such as Benito Mussolini and Adolf Hitler, had both been voted into power. Reacting to Trump's triumph on Wednesday, the official Xinhua news agency noted he could beat likely Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton if he toned down his "explosive rhetoric". "Despite being a celebrity outside the United States, Clinton, the former first lady and secretary of state, simply neither excites nor galvanizes her base," it said in an English-language piece. In a separate report, Xinhua said Trump "gets them wrong, from trade balance to basic economics", citing Western media and academics dismissing his criticisms of trade with China. "Trump attacks China to woo voters," it said. (Reporting by Ben Blanchard; Editing by Robert Birsel) Donald Trump Coming off a huge win that all but guaranteed Donald Trump the Republican Party's nomination for president, the real-estate mogul tweeted early on Wednesday in defense of one of his Democratic rivals. Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders scored a surprising win in the Indiana Democratic primary on Tuesday, but he's still unlikely to beat his rival, Hillary Clinton, for the Democratic nomination. Clinton, a former senator and secretary of state, still maintains a substantial lead in popular votes, pledged delegates, and superdelegates. Trump, meanwhile, beat out his rivals in the Indiana Republican primary, prompting Texas Sen. Ted Cruz to drop out of the race. Ohio Gov. John Kasich remains, but he has no chance of winning the required number of delegates to secure him the nomination through state contests. That means it's almost certain that Trump will face Clinton in the general election this fall. He's now taking aim at Clinton, whom he has nicknamed "Crooked Hillary," while defending Sanders. "What a great evening we had. So interesting that Sanders beat Crooked Hillary," Trump tweeted on Wednesday morning, using his preferred moniker for Clinton. "The dysfunctional system is totally rigged against him!" He continued in a subsequent tweet: "I would rather run against Crooked Hillary Clinton than Bernie Sanders and that will happen because the books are cooked against Bernie!" Trump has ridden a wave of populist support to the Republican nomination, and Sanders has been pushing a similar message in focusing on a system that he says benefits society's billionaires at the expense of the middle class. NOW WATCH: Its eerie how this ad from 1964 perfectly captures the anxieties of defeated #NeverTrump Republicans More From Business Insider When you think of Indiana, said Brian Williams on MSNBC Tuesday night, you think of auto racing, of David Letterman and now this is one more thing theyve exported to the world: complete chaos in the Republican Party. This was one of the more vivid turns of phrase deployed on TV news as its anchors grappled with the decisive Donald Trump primary win in Indiana followed by the exit of Ted Cruz from the race. Over on Fox News, Bill OReilly, who as hell tell you, called Indiana for Trump three weeks ago, said Tuesday night that Trump is going forward toward the Presidency with this new cabal to vote for him, a cabal of independents and populists and not-necessarily-conservatives. Jake Tapper, who frequently pulls out nicely unexpected cultural references in these live-news situations, compared Trumps victory speech to the kind of chatting the comedian Mort Sahl used to do, bringing a newspaper onstage and talking about the days headlines, which was a very charitable thing to say of Trump, whose speech contained sentences such as We won with Evangelicals, there is no greater honor, were going to be saying Merry Christmas again. Related: Donald Trumps Presidential Training Ground? The WWE. The day started out just as peculiarly. As the hosts of Fox and Friends sat staring at the camera looking even more stunned than usual, Trump phoned in to bash Cruz by aligning the candidates father with, and I quote: Lee Harvey Oswald prior to [Kennedys] being you know, shot. I mean, the whole thing is ridiculous. What is this, right prior to his being shot, and nobody even brings it up? What was he doing with Lee Harvey Oswald shortly before the death? Before the shooting? Its horrible. Cruz, for his part, called Trump utterly amoral a serial philanderer Donald Trump alleges that my dad was involved in assassinating JFK. This is nuts. This is not a reasonable position. This is just kooky. And while Im at it, I guess I should go ahead and admit: Yes, my dad killed JFK; he is secretly Elvis, and Jimmy Hoffa is buried in his backyard. Cruzs mini-meltdown probably only hastened his decision to get out before things got any crazier. And by the time Trump gave his victory speech, hed come around to congratulating Cruz for being one hell of a competitor a tough, smart guy. Soon after, Trump waved goodbye and ascended to the loftiest perch in Trump Tower, while below, TV news correspondents tried to speak to the in-studio anchors, but their words were drowned out by a cranked-up recording of the Rolling Stones Start Me Up. Mick Jagger is correct: for Trump, his partys presumptive nominee, its just starting up. Washington (AFP) - Billionaire Donald Trump pledged Wednesday to unify the fractured Republican Party following a bruising primary season, as he declared the battle for the White House starts now against likely Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton. Trump's path to the GOP presidential nomination is clear after his command victory in Indiana's primary Tuesday pushed remaining challengers Ted Cruz and then Ohio Governor John Kasich out of the race. Their capitulations brought the curtain down on one of the most contentious and chaotic nomination battles in generations, one in which Trump pummelled no fewer than 16 rivals into submission. "Now we'll unify the party. We're going to get people together," Trump, 69, told Fox News. "I think we'll beat Hillary Clinton." But with unfavorability ratings among the highest of any modern presidential candidate, and concern within his own party about his temperament, the real estate mogul swiftly sought to assuage concerns about how he would govern. "I know people aren't sure right now what a President Trump will be like," he told The New York Times. "But things will be fine. I'm not running for president to make things unstable for the country." - 'They loved me' - Trump also began discussing the idea of his possible running mate, telling ABC News he wanted "a person with political experience" to compliment his own business acumen. Names being tossed around included Senator Rob Portman of critical swing state Ohio, and South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, who as the daughter of Indian immigrants could strengthen Trump's appeal with minorities. Trump himself said he could consider Kasich, a former congressman who helped balance the federal budget, as his vice presidential pick. Kasich rarely followed rivals like Trump into the mud, aiming to stay above the fray and offer Americans optimism instead of insults and negativity. Story continues In bowing out Wednesday, he grew wistful about the thousands of Americans he met on the campaign trail. "They loved me, they encouraged me. The people of our country changed me... with stories of their lives," he said. Just as Trump seized the GOP mantle, a new CNN poll emerged that highlighted the formidable challenge facing him. It found Clinton, hoping at 68 to become America's first female commander-in-chief, leading the tycoon 54 percent to 41 percent -- her largest lead since July. The former secretary of state however suffered a shock loss in Indiana to her challenger Bernie Sanders, who has pledged to remain in the race until the end despite an extremely steep hill to climb. Clinton has amassed 2,217 delegates -- just shy of the 2,383 needed to secure the nomination, according to a CNN tally. Sanders is at 1,443. - 'Loose cannon' - With the matchup essentially set, several prominent Republicans were refusing to support Trump in November despite his status as the presumptive nominee. Those refusals highlight the continued tensions within the GOP, which has been at a loss to describe the stunning ascent of a brash billionaire who was given no chance of winning when he launched his campaign last June. "If we nominate Trump, we will get destroyed... and we will deserve it," tweeted Senator Lindsey Graham, a Trump rival whose campaign fizzled. Like Trump, Clinton was already pivoting to the general election. "He is a loose cannon, and loose cannons tend to misfire," she said on CNN. "He makes these grand statements and grand accusations. At some point when you're running for president you actually have to put a little meat on the bones," she said. "You've got to tell people what it is you're going to do." Trump, who has never held elective office, expressed surprise that he became a party standard-bearer before Clinton. "She can't put it away," Trump taunted. - Voters 'chose another path' - Tuesday's contest in Indiana was the final firewall thrown up by Republican heavyweights to keep the brash, name-calling Trump from locking up the nomination. But as the race was called overwhelmingly in Trump's favor, Cruz conceded to supporters in Indianapolis that he no longer had a viable way forward. "We gave it everything we've got, but the voters chose another path," Cruz said. It was a stunning denouement for the 45-year-old arch-conservative Texas senator, who had insisted he would press on to the final day of the Republican race. Having amassed 1,053 delegates, Trump was already close to reaching the magic number needed to avoid a contested party convention in July. With Cruz and Kasich out, the nomination is a foregone conclusion. "I believe Donald Trump will ultimately get chosen," Republican National Committee chief Reince Priebus said, in an extraordinary embrace of a candidate the establishment had fought tooth and nail to stop. "We need to get behind the Republican nominee." Fresh off an Indiana primary win that cemented him as the likely Republican presidential nominee, Donald Trump says hes leaning toward a politician for his vice presidential running mate and will make a decision on fundraising for the general election in the next week. I have the business lets call it talents, Trump said on MSNBCs Morning Joe on Wednesday. And I think Ill probably go the political route, somebody that can help me with legislation and somebody that can help me get things passed and somebody thats been friends with the senators and the congressman and all, so we dont have to go the executive order route as much as Obama did, you know, where he cant get anything approved so he just keeps signing executive orders. The real estate mogul said it was too early to discuss specific names publicly. But Trump did say at least one military general is on his shortlist. Its something I thought of, and theres one person I think is very good, he said. Look, my strength is going to be the economy and jobs and bringing jobs back and trade deals. Were going to make great trade deals. Were going to reverse it, because right now were a laughingstock all over the world with the dumb deals we make. But I think one of my strengths is going one of my really great strengths will be the military, will be getting us out and winning and getting us out of the mess were in, in the Middle East. Trump victorious at Trump Tower in Manhattan on Wednesday. (Photo: Lucas Jackson/Reuters) Looking ahead to the cost of running a general election campaign which some estimate could be $1 billion or more Trump said he will decide fairly soon whether to accept money from super-PACs. I do love self-funding. I dont want anything for myself, but we do need money for the party, Trump said. And I will make a decision fairly soon as to that. I mean, do I want to sell a couple of buildings and self-fund? I dont know that I want to do that necessarily, but I really wont be asking for money for myself. Ill be asking money for the party. And really, its something that were going to start on right away. I got a call last night from [Republican National Committee Chairman] Reince Priebus. And its something that, now that were in this position, were going to start on right now and start focusing on. Story continues Following Ted Cruzs announcement that he was suspending his campaign, Priebus declared Trump would be the presumptive nominee and called on members of the GOP to fall in line. Its time to unite. Its time to come together, Priebus said on CNNs New Day on Wednesday. You may recall, I said wed have more clarity in our party than the Democrats do. And look where theyre at. Priebus pointed out that Hillary Clinton who lost to Bernie Sanders in Tuesdays Democratic primary in Indiana is spending money on primaries when she should be having to spend money on ground game in battleground states. Trump said the ongoing investigation into Clintons use of a private email server as secretary of state should disqualify her candidacy. Shes only being protected by the Democrats, he said. She should not be allowed to run in the election. Ted Cruz suspends his election campaign on Tuesday night in Indianapolis; a worker clears the stage. (Photo: Michael Conroy/AP) Both Trump and Priebus say they were surprised that Cruz decided to drop out of the race. I was surprised, Priebus said. And thats hard thing to do. I mean, he ran a very, very serious operation, just an incredible ground game. His delegate operation was unbelievable. I did not expect it, Trump said on NBCs Today show Wednesday. I started hearing rumors in the afternoon. But in the end, look, he was a very tough competitor. He fought very hard. And it was a tough decision for him to make, [but] I think he did the right thing for himself and for the party. But it was a little but of a surprise to me. Trump said he hasnt yet talked to the Texas senator, but that he would welcome his endorsement. It would be nice, Trump said. As for some of his other former GOP rivals, Trump isnt looking for their support. Ive been saying for a long time that theres some people that I almost dont want their endorsement, Trump said on MSNBC. I really dont, because it was too rough and they were too nasty. And I dont think its going to matter, frankly. Donald Trumps former presidential primary rivals reacted in very different ways after he cemented his status as the likely Republican presidential nominee on Tuesday night. Trump emerged as the partys probable standard bearer after a win in the Indiana primary that boosted his delegate total and led his final strong opponent, Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, to suspend his campaign. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., who had run against Trump earlier in the year, blasted him on Twitter and predicted Trumps victory would get the party destroyed in the general election. And we will deserve it, Graham wrote. Ohio Gov. John Kasich, who is still running for president, issued multiple statements after Trumps win. Kasich has no chance of winning enough delegates to secure the GOP nomination on the first ballot at the partys convention. However, in one statement, his campaign said he still hopes there will be a contested convention where he could be selected by Republican delegates. Tonights results are not going to alter Gov. Kasichs campaign plans. Our strategy has been and continues to be one that involves winning the nomination at an open convention. The comments from Trump, on the verge of winning in Indiana, heighten the differences between Governor Kasich and his positive, inclusive approach and the disrespectful ramblings from Donald Trump, the statement said. Kasich also sent a pair of tweets. In one he praised Cruz, and in the other he said now more than ever the party has two paths going forward. Former neurosurgeon Ben Carson, who endorsed Trump after abandoning his own presidential bid, discussed the results in an interview with Sean Hannity on Fox News. Carson said Trumps win showed voters do not want a brokered convention. The people themselves have just gotten disgusted with being manipulated and controlled. And what they recognize is that, if they just listened to what the pundits were saying and what everybody else was saying, that we were going to end up with a brokered convention something that they didnt want, Carson said. So they superseded the narrative and they themselves said, Were going to take this out of the hands of the convention. And I think that was a brilliant thing. Story continues Carson also declared that the evenings results proved this is the year of the outsider. Slideshow: Indiana primaries Sanders, Trump win and Cruz drops out >>> Look whats happened when we sent insiders and they just keep doing the same thing over and over be they Republicans, be they Democrats, it doesnt matter and the people are absolutely tired of that, said Carson. But more importantly, they recognize that were on the precipice. If we go over, continuing down the same pathway, we have doomed our children and our grandchildren, and I think the people know that. Former Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, who suspended his campaign last November, also talked about Trumps win with Hannity. Jindal referenced Republicans who have vowed not to support Trump. Jindal said refusing to back Trump would help Democratic frontrunner Hillary Clinton. I know a lot of my friends are in the never Trump camp, and I understand that. Look, I was very critical of Donald Trump, but we need to be honest with ourselves. Today we have got two choices, it is either Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton, Jindal said. I think anybody that says they cannot support Donald Trump needs to understand one of the consequences is that will make it easier for Hillary Clinton to win, and I dont think that we can accept that as a country. Jindal said hes not entirely sold on Trump. However, he argued that Trump is far more likely to help conservatives achieve goals like repealing Obamacare and getting Supreme Court nominees who share their values. It would be, you know, false for me to simply sit here and say, all of a sudden, I think that overnight he has become this great conservative or that I take back everything Ive said about him, Jindal said of Trump. Im still critical of him, but I think hes better than Hillary Clinton. Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., who left the White House race in February, addressed Trumps win in a speech at the Reagan Ranch in California. The theme of Pauls speech was moving beyond partisan politics to unite America. In it, he argued that the GOP needs to reach out to constituencies that dont normally support it. He said Trump should take this approach. If I were to give advice to Donald Trump, he needs to go to the Urban League, he needs to go to the NAACP, he needs to speak to groups. Hes got Republican vote, he needs to go out and grab new vote, Paul said. He has excited new people, I just dont know if its new people enough in these swing states for us to win. He does have to do that and our party needs to do it, but I think the nominee becomes more the face of the party than the [Republican National Committee] chairman is. When Paul took questions from the audience after his speech, a man asked what he would say to people who are considering alternative options and potentially third parties to avoid supporting Trump. Paul said he would encourage voters to look for solutions within the Republican Party. I was always a fan of Barry Goldwater. He didnt do very well, and then Ronald Reagan sort of rose up out of those ashes. So you dont know what happens, and Im not saying that thats whats going to happen, but I am saying that the party goes on, Paul said. Were a party of ideas and principles. My decision has always been to work through the party and not outside the party. Im a Republican. Were not all the same, but Im a Republican. You know? So I dont go around advising people to choose another way. Paul also argued that Clinton, the likely Democratic frontrunner, will be easy to beat. I think the future is within the party. Well see what happens this go-around and, you know The nomination I think is now done, but well see what happens as we move forward and, you know, how the race shapes up. I mean, on the bright side, we are running against a crook, Paul said. The audience laughed and applauded Pauls remark. Were not recording this, are we? he quipped. Paul cited a book detailing allegations of corrupt business deals by Clinton and her husband, President Bill Clinton, as evidence of this. He also said Clinton did not provide adequate security in Benghazi when she was secretary of state and four people were killed in a 2012 terrorist attack on a U.S. diplomatic facility in that Libyan city. They are crooked from top to bottom, and theyre out for themselves, Paul said of the Clintons. They think theyre above the law, and they should be easy to beat. We need to talk about that. In advance of President Barack Obama's visit to Flint, Michigan, on Wednesday, a spokesperson for Gov. Rick Snyder emailed the Huffington Post this message: "We are hopeful the president will drink the water in Flint, to help reinforce Gov. Snyder's actions and the EPA's message that filtered Flint water is safe to drink." You mean the same governor whose administration told Flint residents to keep drinking local tap water for months after it was shown to contain dangerous levels of lead, now wants the president to trust him that filtered water in the city is OK to drink? Let's think about it for a minute. Source: Giphy We'll be honest, Snyder you've had better ideas. The Flint water crisis has been a problem for more than a year now. Snyder's request comes in the wake of one of the worst public health crises in recent memory. In January 2015, months after Flint started drawing its tap water from the hypercorrosive Flint River, local and state authorities admitted the water contained such high levels of lead it was unsafe for human use. Turns out the river water was eating away at the city's 100-year-old pipe system, causing lead from the pipes to be released into the water supply and funneled straight into people's homes. Here are some horrifying images residents, researchers and reporters have shared of Flint's tap water over the past year and a half: A photo posted by T-e-m-e-k-i, Bodiqua (@orangesunrise1) on Jan 15, 2016 at 8:03am PST A photo posted by ryangarza (@ryangarza) on Jan 14, 2016 at 2:36pm PST Natl. Guard assists Michigan with toxic water crisis http://cnn.it/1P1HeVo - @sganim reports on #FlintWaterCrisispic.twitter.com/4opBJZRwAU https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CYonIzRWQAAH6jm.jpg:large The water's contamination was shocking news for some, but there had been reason to be cautious of the water for months: The local General Motors factory had already stopped using the water in its manufacturing because it was too corrosive. Story continues Meanwhile, Flint residents had been complaining about filthy brown stink-liquid oozing out of their taps instead of clean water for months, causing skin rashes, hair loss and possibly an outbreak of Legionnaire's disease, which has killed nine people and infected 87 in the area since early 2014, the Washington Post reported in February. Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder. It took the government a really long time to admit the water was unsafe. Multiple lawsuits and congressional hearings after the fact, Flint residents still have a hard time trusting their elected representatives partly because many of them insisted the tap water was safe to use, even as studies and residents' personal experiences showed the opposite was true. Flint is no longer drawing water from the Flint River, thankfully, and filters have been installed in thousands of homes to clean the water with varying results. Meanwhile, faith in the region's leaders still hasn't been restored. When Snyder announced he would drink filtered Flint tap water for 30 days starting April 22 a show of solidarity intended to illustrate the water was now safe residents were still woefully unimpressed. "His whole family has to drink it," Elizabeth Taylor, a 73-year-old Flint resident, told the Detroit Free Press. "They have to cook with it and bathe with it. " President Obama travels to Flint Wednesday to see and hear about the water crisis up close. h/t Huffington Post Istanbul (AFP) - Turkey is ready to send ground troops into Syria if necessary, Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said on Wednesday, after weeks of deadly rocket strikes on a Turkish region from jihadists across the border. "If it becomes necessary then we will send the ground forces," Davutoglu told Al-Jazeera television in an interview, when asked if Turkey was mulling sending troops to Syria. "We are ready to take all measures that we need, both inside Turkey and outside, to provide for our own security," he added, according to a transcript published on Al-Jazeera's Turkish website. The Turkish border region of Kilis -- which lies opposite areas controlled by Islamic State (IS) jihadists in Syria -- has been battered since January by rocket fire from the other side of the border which has claimed 20 lives. Turkey has hit back with artillery fire of its own against IS but has always stopped short of making any firm commitment to send its troops over the border. Drones from the US-led international coalition fighting IS have also taken off from Turkey's Incirlik base in the south of the country for bombing raids against IS targets. Asked if Turkey could act unilaterally against IS, Davutoglu said Turkey had a right to self-defence against IS based on UN resolutions. "But we still prefer an international consensus. As IS is an issue that concerns the whole world," he added. Turkey has in the past repeatedly said it is open to a ground operation in Syria but wanted to move in cooperation with its Western and Gulf allies. Turkey's NATO allies have sometimes lamented that Ankara could do more in the fight against IS but Turkey appears to have stepped up efforts in the last weeks after a string of attacks on its soil. In the latest violence, a car bomb Sunday blamed on an IS-affiliated militant killed at least two policemen and wounded 22 people in the Turkish city of Gaziantep, a major refugee hub near the Syrian border. ANKARA, May 4 (Reuters) - Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan is to meet Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu on Wednesday, bringing forward by a day their usual weekly meeting, as tension between the two rises. The meeting is set for 6 p.m. (1500 GMT), the presidential office said on its website. Turkish shares suffered their biggest drop in more than five months on Tuesday as the tension added to emerging markets worries. A decision by Davutoglu's ruling AK Party to take away his authority to appoint provincial party officials was fuelling concern among investors. It is one of the clearest signs yet of tension between Erdogan, who wants an executive presidency in Turkey, and Davutoglu, who would be sidelined if the country's parliamentary system were to be replaced. (Writing by Daren Butler; Editing by Clarence Fernandez) ANKARA (Reuters) - Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan is to meet Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu on Wednesday, bringing forward by a day their usual weekly meeting, as tension between the two rises. The meeting is set for 6 p.m. (1500 GMT), the presidential office said on its website. Turkish shares suffered their biggest drop in more than five months on Tuesday as the tension added to emerging markets worries. A decision by Davutoglu's ruling AK Party to take away his authority to appoint provincial party officials was fuelling concern among investors. It is one of the clearest signs yet of tension between Erdogan, who wants an executive presidency in Turkey, and Davutoglu, who would be sidelined if the country's parliamentary system were to be replaced. (Writing by Daren Butler; Editing by Clarence Fernandez) By Ece Toksabay and Gulsen Solaker ANKARA (Reuters) - A bill proposed by Turkey's ruling party that would strip some parliamentarians of their immunity from prosecution is likely to create more violence and stifle democratic politics, the co-head of the pro-Kurdish opposition party said. Selahattin Demirtas, one of two leaders of the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP), the third-largest party in parliament, also told Reuters that President Tayyip Erdogan's drive for an executive presidency was preventing the revival of a peace process between the government and Kurdish militants. A parliamentary committee this week approved a bill that strips immunity from deputies who have had legal cases opened against them, paving the way for legislation the HDP says is designed to target its members and suppress dissent. "Kicking us all out of the parliament will only invite more violence across the country," Demirtas said in an interview late on Tuesday. "There is already too much violence in the country. Blocking the parliament and ousting the HDP may get things out of hand, that's what we're concerned about." Turkish lawmakers are immune from prosecution but the authorities can file "dossiers" against them, leading to a legal process once they leave parliament. As many as 50 of the HDP's 59 sitting parliamentarians have had dossiers filed against them, some for charges related to spreading terror propaganda. Erdogan, who founded the ruling AK Party, has called for prosecution of HDP members, accusing them of being an extension of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK). The HDP rejects the charge. The PKK, branded a terrorist group by Ankara and its Western allies, wants autonomy for Turkey's 15 million Kurds. More than 40,000 people have been killed since the PKK took up arms against the Turkish state in 1984. 'BIGGEST OBSTACLE' Erdogan, who spearheaded a peace process between the state and the PKK that collapsed last year, has ruled out any return to negotiations and has vowed to crush the PKK. Thousands of people, including hundreds of civilians, have been killed in the renewed violence since the ceasefire ended last summer. "Erdogan is the biggest obstacle for the peace process to continue. But he will not rule this country forever. I am absolutely sure the process will be revived," Demirtas said. Under Demirtas, 43, an articulate lawyer, the HDP last year became the first Kurdish-rooted party to win enough votes to pass a 10 percent threshold required to enter parliament, helped by support from left-wing, secular Turks. Demirtas said he saw the immunity bill as an attempt by Erdogan to bolster support in parliament for the strong executive presidency he has long sought. The president currently has limited powers in Turkey's parliamentary system. "Erdogan's agenda used to be more secret. Now it's all out in the open, he's in a position to do all kinds of madness." But he said the HDP's voter base would still have options even if the Kurdish parliamentarians were ousted. "It's a perfectly legitimate and democratic right for the people to determine their own futures and form their own parliaments," he said, without elaborating. (Writing by Ece Toksabay; Editing by David Dolan and Gareth Jones) DIYARBAKIR, Turkey (Reuters) - Turkey's military returned fire into an Islamic State-controlled region of Syria after two rockets hit the Turkish border town of Kilis on Wednesday, security sources said. Nobody was wounded in the morning attack on the town as the rockets hit empty land, the sources said. Kilis, just across the border from an area of northern Syria controlled by the militants, has been regularly hit by rocket fire. (Reporting by Seyhmus Cakan; Writing by Seda Sezer; Editing by Daren Butler) By Orhan Coskun and Nick Tattersall ANKARA/ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan's drive to tighten his grip on power has triggered an open rift with Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, raising questions about the premier's future and troubling allies dependent on the NATO member's stability. The political uncertainty comes as Europe looks increasingly to Turkey for help in curbing a migration crisis and as Washington draws on Ankara's support in fighting Islamic State in Syria and Iraq. At home, Turkey itself faces attacks by Kurdish militants and spillover of Syian violence. The feud encompassing issues from relations with Europe to the detention of government critics has already hit investor sentiment, with the stock market weakening further on Wednesday after booking its biggest drop in more than five months the previous day. "Erdogan may be able to continue with Davutoglu but it is clear that there is currently a fracture. If the matter is not resolved quickly, Erdogan could take the path of choosing a new leader," one source close to the presidency told Reuters. "The AKP's stability means Turkey's stability, and this problem needs to be solved urgently to avoid economic and political problems." A spokesman for Erdogan, who has dominated Turkish politics since the AK Party he founded was elected in 2002, declined to comment on what he said was speculation about the future leadership of the party. The relationship between the two has long been uneasy, shaped by personality as well as politics. Erdogan, a political fighter hardened by a childhood in Istanbul's rough Kasimpasa district, wants a robust presidential system as a guarantee against the fractious coalition politics that hampered Turkey in the 1990s. His opponents see a stronger presidency as a vehicle for his own ambition. Such a system would see Davutoglu, a more mild-mannered academic and former diplomat lacking Erdogan's natural appeal to crowds, sidelined. The two have governed in a strained alliance since Erdogan won the presidency in 2014 and Davutoglu replaced him as prime minister. Aides to Davutoglu have so far largely dismissed tensions, arising often from overlapping competences, as matters of style rather than substance. But in the clearest sign yet of a power struggle, authority to appoint provincial AKP officials was taken from Davutoglu this week. The move reduces Davutoglu's hold over the party grass roots and cements Erdogan's influence. In an emotional and uncharacteristically short speech to AKP deputies on Tuesday, Davutoglu said he would rather leave any position than damage the AKP. But he cast suggestions on social media that he was in a battle with Erdogan as the work of "charlatans". "The millions who put their hope in the AK Party should not worry," he said. Secularist opposition newspaper Cumhuriyet cast the speech as a signal he may resign. Pro-government columnist Abdulkadir Selvi wrote in the mainstream Hurriyet newspaper that Davutoglu had told AKP officials he was considering stepping down. Erdogan will meet Davutoglu on Wednesday evening, bringing their usual weekly talk forward by a day. Three senior AKP officials told Reuters the meeting would be crucial for the party and for Davutoglu but they did not expect a resignation. "I would not be surprised if (Erdogan) decided to go on with Davutoglu at least for a little longer and freeze the crisis. But the issue of chairmanship of the party is going to be the main topic," one official told Reuters. "FUNDAMENTAL DILEMMA" The two leaders have appeared at odds over a landmark deal with the European Union to stem the flow of illegal migrants from Turkish shores to the Greek islands, in return for which Ankara has been promised accelerated EU accession talks, visa liberalization and financial aid. "You can feel a very strong tension between Davutoglu and Erdogan. It will get worse," said a senior European politician who has worked with both men for many years. The deal has been Davutoglu's project. Erdogan, frequently critical of the EU, has at times appeared to belittle his progress, most notably efforts to win visa-free travel to Europe by June, the main prize in the eyes of many Turks. "During my time as prime minister it was announced (this) would come in October 2016," Erdogan said recently. "I don't understand why bringing it forward four months is presented as a win. I'm saddened by the presentation of small things in a bigger light." Aides to the two leaders deny they differ on Europe. But European officials, wary of Erdogan's authoritarian style, see Davutoglu as their main partner and his departure could strain relations. "Davutoglu seems to be really interested in joining the EU. He believes this is in Turkeys security interests. We dont believe Erdogan is as passionate about this," a senior EU official told Reuters. Ruptures are also evident on questions of human rights, a key area of concern for EU leaders. Erdogan has spoken in favor of the jailing, ahead of their trial, of academics and journalists on charges of supporting terrorist groups. Davutoglu is opposed to such pre-trial detention. Four Turkish academics were arrested in March, accused of spreading terrorist propaganda, after publicly reading a declaration urging an end to military operations in the largely Kurdish southeast. They have since been released pending trial. Prominent journalists have been held on similar charges, in what rights groups say is a bid to silence dissent. But such differences are symptoms of what former diplomat and political commentator Sinan Ulgen called a "fundamental dilemma" facing the two. "Erdogan's end goal is to consolidate enough popular support to switch to a presidential system. Davutoglu's end goal is to consolidate his own power and be a successful prime minister," said Ulgen, head of the EDAM think-tank in Istanbul. "The experience so far has been that when people who seemingly had weight in the AKP showed even a soft form of dissent, Erdogan was able to sideline them without significant consequences for the popularity of the party. "There is no reason to think that would be different in relation to Davutoglu." (Additional reporting by Ercan Gurses in Ankara and Asli Kandemir in Istanbul; Writing by Nick Tattersall; editing by Ralph Boulton) A TV host's quick thinking avoided an on-air disaster. Victoria Derbyshire, host of The Victoria Derbyshire Show on BBC News, was interviewing little Kai and his mom about school tests on Tuesday when the boy suddenly began to squirm. Read: Bank Robber Runs Past Live TV Report After Returning To Hold Up The Place Again "You alright, Kai?" Derbyshire asked the boy. "Whats the matter, darling? Do you need the loo?" After he told her he felt warm, she helped him to his feet and whisked him away to the restroom. "Yes, it's boiling in here. Right, let's go to the loo, come on," she told him. Read: Pregnant CNN Anchor Faints on Live TV: 'I Got a Little Hot and Passed Out for a Moment' Before she disappeared, she told her other guests: "Can you just carry on talking among yourselves?" Twitter commended Derbyshire for helping Kai. "Loved your response to the little boy feeling too warm on your show this morning. So kind to put him first!" one viewer wrote. Watch: Reporter is Almost Hit By A Car Live On TV Related Articles: By Alexandria Sage SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Two top manufacturing executives are leaving Tesla Motors Inc as the Silicon Valley electric-car maker prepares to launch its first mass-market car, the Model 3, and sharply ramp up production. The departures follow a rocky production start for the company's Model X sport utility vehicle, a technology-heavy crossover that faced problems including parts shortages and quality issues, such as non-fastening doors. Tesla's vice president of production, Greg Reichow, has chosen to take a leave of absence for a "well-earned break," a Tesla spokesperson said. Chief Executive Elon Musk said Reichow and his team deserved credit for "building an all-new manufacturing organization from the ground up" and making the Model S sedan and Model X a reality. Reichow, who has led production for the past three years and has been employed for five years at Tesla, will stay on until a successor is found to ensure a "smooth handoff," the company said. Tesla also confirmed its vice president of manufacturing, Josh Ensign, has left the company. Tesla says the Model X issues have been resolved and production of the SUV, which began deliveries in September, is now on track. The company hopes to produce 500,000 vehicles annually by 2020, led by its hotly anticipated Model 3, which is to be priced around $35,000 and due to begin production at the end of 2017. Some analysts question whether the company will be able to handle a ten-fold increase in production, given demand for the Model 3, which has already received more than 325,000 reservations in the month following its unveiling on March 31. Tesla is due to announce first-quarter results later on Wednesday. (Reporting by Ankit Ajmera in Bengaluru and Alexandria Sage in San Francisco; Editing by Saumyadeb Chakrabarty and Tom Brown) (New throughout, adds official and industry comment) By Jeffrey Dastin May 4 (Reuters) - With airlines worried that long security lines may discourage summer travelers, the U.S. government said on Wednesday it will add airport staff and bomb-sniffing dogs and ramp up pre-screening enrollment efforts. The U.S. Transportation Security Administration (TSA) will add officers at airports expected to have the highest passenger volumes, said Jeh Johnson, secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, in a statement on Wednesday. He added that he has asked Congress to approve additional funds to pay for officers' overtime and to meet "critical short-term needs." Security officials are on high alert for potential attacks by groups inspired by Islamic State. On March 22, suicide bombers killed 32 people in Brussels airport and a rush-hour metro train. "As we look ahead to the surge in summer travel, we will continue to consider a number of other steps to ensure enhanced aviation security while also maximizing efficiency at check points," Johnson said. Airlines such as American Airlines Group Inc, the world's largest, had voiced concern that staffing levels at U.S. airports were insufficient to handle heightened security and greater passenger traffic that's expected for the peak summer tourism season. "The U.S. travel community is grateful that the well-documented problems with TSA security lane resourcing have the full attention of the Obama administration and Congress," said Roger Dow, president of the U.S. Travel Association, in a statement. "It's alarmingly likely that the mere perception of security hassles at U.S. airports will have an effect on travel." (Reporting By Jeffrey Dastin in New York; Editing by Bill Rigby and David Gregorio) By David Shepardson (Reuters) - The U.S. Transportation Department and Takata Corp (7312.T) confirmed on Wednesday that automakers will recall another 35 million to 40 million U.S. air bag inflators assembled by the Japanese manufacturer by 2019. The confirmation follows a report by Reuters Tuesday about the expansion of the largest-ever U.S. auto safety recall. Previously, 14 automakers had recalled 24 million vehicles with 28.8 million inflators linked to at least 11 deaths and more than 100 injuries. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) officials said Tesla Motors Inc (TSLA.O), Fisker Automotive and Jaguar Land Rover will recall Takata air bag inflators, bringing the automakers involved to 17, including Honda Motor Co , Ford Motor Co (F.N) and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV (FCHA.MI). NHTSA said the decision "follows the agencys confirmation of the root cause behind the inflators propensity to rupture." Takata must file new defect reports starting May 16 covering 35-40 million additional inflators that will lead to recalls by the automakers. The expansions mean all Takata ammonium nitrate-based propellant driver and passenger frontal air bag inflators without a chemical drying agent, known as a desiccant, will be recalled. Takata confirmed the expansion but said it is not aware of any ruptures in the inflators in vehicles that are part of the expansion "nor is Takata aware of any new data or scientific analysis that suggests any substantial risk with respect to such vehicles." NHTSA officials demanded in meetings last week with Takata that it agree to the expansion. "This agreement with NHTSA is consistent with our desire to work with regulators and our automaker customers to develop long-term, orderly solutions to these important safety issues," said Shigehisa Takada, Chairman & CEO of Takata, in a statement. Takata said the first defect notice will be filed on May 16 and will cover approximately 14 million U.S. inflators. Takata said it told NHTSA of "severe challenges it will face in supplying replacement parts for the expanded recalls." Story continues The new recalls, to be prioritized by age and risk of exposure to high humidity and phased in through 2019, come as automakers seek enough replacement parts to meet the current demand for recalls. There are no deaths linked to the new inflators being recalled, and agency officials said at a briefing they did not believe there were injuries linked to them either. "The acceleration of this recall is based on scientific evidence and will protect all Americans from air bag inflators that may become unsafe," Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx said in a statement. Members of Congress prodded Takata and NHTSA to move quickly. "NHTSA, Takata, and automakers need to buckle down, do more, and work together to get these defective airbags off the road," said Representatives Fred Upton, a Michigan Republican, and Michael Burgess, a Texas Republican. Senator Bill Nelson, a Florida Democrat said "the top priority must be doing whatever is necessary to get these potentially deadly airbags out of peoples cars as quickly as possible." NHTSA and its outside expert reviewed the findings of three independent investigations into the Takata air bag ruptures and confirmed the root cause of inflator ruptures. A combination of time, environmental moisture and fluctuating high temperatures contribute to the degradation of the ammonium nitrate propellant in the inflators. The recall expansion does not include additional inflators that include a chemical desiccant that absorbs moisture. There have been no reported ruptures of the desiccated inflators, but NHTSA Administrator Mark Rosekind said the agency could order a recall if new facts emerged. (Editing by Marguerita Choy, Bernadette Baum and Bernard Orr) By Julia Edwards WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A federal judge in Washington on Wednesday ordered that Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton may have to testify in a lawsuit related to the private email server she used while secretary of state. U.S. District Judge Emmet Sullivan said the parties in the case, the State Department and conservative watchdog group Judicial Watch, also struck an agreement about the scope of the testimonies that some of Clinton's former top aides will give in the case. Those testimonies, known as discovery, will take place over the next eight weeks and may yield information that would require Clinton herself to be deposed, Sullivan said in an order. Clinton has come under fire for using a private email account and server at her home in New York state for official emails when she was America's top diplomat between 2009 and 2013. Critics, including likely Republican presidential election rival Donald Trump, say she endangered government secrets and evaded transparency laws but the former first lady denies any wrongdoing. Judicial Watch brought a lawsuit against the State Department to gain access to records related to a Clinton aide's employment. The Federal Bureau of Investigation is also probing her email arrangement. "This is a very great victory for transparency and, despite the best efforts of the Obama administration and the Clinton camp, it looks like we might finally get some answers under oath about the Clintons' illicit email system," said Tom Fitton, president of Judicial Watch. Sullivan gave Judicial Watch permission to take testimony from close Clinton aide Huma Abedin and others. They may be asked about the creation and operation of the private server but nothing unrelated to "whether State conducted an adequate search" in response to Judicial Watch's request for the emails, according to the court order. It is not typical for a judge to grant discovery to a plaintiff in a Freedom of Information Act case, but Sullivan said in the order that the question remained whether the State Department provided all relevant documents to Judicial Watch. (Reporting by Julia Edwards, additional reporting by Mark Hosenball and Jonathan Allen; Editing by Alistair Bell) CAIRO (Reuters) - U.N.-backed peace talks to end Yemen's civil war resumed on Wednesday after they were suspended by the Yemeni government for three days in protest at a Houthi assault on a military base near the capital Sanaa. Buttressed by a truce which had been largely holding since April 10, the talks in Kuwait had been inching ahead before their pause and the Houthis said Saudi Arabia had on Saturday released 40 Yemeni prisoners. U.N. special envoy to Yemen Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed tweeted a picture of delegates representing the main warring sides sitting around a U-shaped table and said talks on Wednesday would focus on cementing the shakey ceasefire. The Iran-allied Houthis and Yemen's Saudi-backed exiled government are trying to broker a peace via talks in Kuwait and ease a humanitarian crisis in the Arabian Peninsula's poorest country, where the conflict has drawn in regional powers and killed at least 6,000 people. A civil war in Yemen escalated when an armed push by the Houthis cast the government into exile on March 26 last year. Fearing the Shi'ite Muslim group was a proxy for its arch-nemesis Iran, Saudi Arabia mustered an alliance of mostly Gulf Arab countries to push the group back but still appears far from beating the Houthis out of Sanaa. Human Rights Watch on Wednesday urged participants in the talks to allow international investigations of alleged war crimes by all sides "which have not been investigated nor have resulted in any redress for victims of unlawful attacks". The group cited air strikes on civilian areas by the Saudi-led coalition backing the government and "indiscriminate" shelling and use of landmines by the Houthis. "The parties around the negotiating table have an obligation to ensure that the violations against civilians are properly investigated and appropriately punished," HRW deputy Middle East director said in a statement. (Reporting By Mohammed Ghobari; Writing By Maha El Dahan and Noah Browning; Editing by Alison Williams) From Popular Mechanics The USS Independence was an aircraft carrier that served in distinction during World War II. Then, in 1951, the government sank the great ship under a shroud of secrecy. Only now are marine archeologists finally learning what happened to the carrier stuck between World War II and the Cold War. After spending 1943 through 1945 fighting in the Pacific, the Independence was assigned in 1946 to Operation Crossroads, one of 90 vessels attached to the project. These tests were designed to understand how nuclear blasts would effect naval warships; to find out, the U.S. detonated nuclear blasts within 1,700 feet of ships. The result was predictable: obliteration and destruction. The two atomic bombs of Operation Crossroads sank 14 ships and badly damaged the rest. A third test was planned, but the first two were so devastating that it was canceled-the government had figured out what it needed to now. The Independence , one of the ships left standing, was brought back to San Francisco for further testing. That further testing included establishing the Naval Radiological Defense Laboratory on the ship itself, radiation be damned. James Delgado, a maritime archaeologist at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) who was the leader of the recent project to fully understand the Independence, explains that "Independence, by the time it was sunk, was at about a level that you would get with an average X-ray." It was also considered an easy target for espionage. The ship was blasted with two torpedoes, and it sank carrying steel and concrete drums full of radiological waste from experiments and from its battered sibling ships from Operation Crossroads. Independence was only 30 miles off the California coast when it sank. The carrieris still providing new information to scientists. The existence of the Naval Radiological Defense Laboratory was confirmed only last year, thanks to NOAA's sonar imaging detection. Delgado and others want to keep it under observation to establish how its radiation will effect the surrounding areas. Even after being destroyed multiple times over, the Independence is still serving as an active reminder of the unprecedented power of atomic energy. Source: Scientific American Can a mile-wide, 3,000-foot-deep open pit copper mine blasted into the Arizona desert coexist with the sole jaguar to roam the United States? The United States Fish and Wildlife Service thinks so. The agency on Tuesday released its final biological opinion on the impact of the controversial proposed Rosemont mine, concluding the project would not significantly harm the jaguar and other threatened and endangered wildlife, despite destroying part of their habitat. The Canadian company Hudbay Minerals wants to build the mine on thousands of acres next to the Coronado National Forest, about 25 miles southeast of Tucson, Arizona. FWS found that several mitigating measures are sufficient to prevent harm to native wildlife, including permanent protection of 4,827 acres of conservation lands, a $3 million fund for nonnative aquatic species removal, $1.3 million for habitat enhancement for two endangered bird species, and a $2 million water-rights purchase for stream restoration. Due to Rosemonts commitment to off-set effects to species and habitats, the [biological opinion] concluded that the Rosemont project will not jeopardize the continued existence of any of the 13 affected listed species; it will not adversely modify proposed or final critical habitat to the extent that it precludes recovery of the species, FWS spokesperson Jeff Humphrey said in an email. Randy Serraglio, Southwest conservation advocate at the Center for Biological Diversity, blasted the opinion. This is an outrageous decision that isnt supported by the agencys own scientist, he said. The area is home to the only known jaguar in the U.S. Known as El Jefe, the jaguar roams between Mexico and Arizona. Last year, a male ocelot was captured on camera in the area. Both species are listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the mine project would also likely adversely affect several other endangered and threatened species, including fish, frogs, and birds that live in and along local streams, such as Cienega Creek, which is fed by groundwater that would be used by the mine. Story continues Some of that water would be returned to streams, according to FWS, which acknowledged that the mines lowering of the water table could dry up part of a key tributary of Cienega Creek. But in its biological opinion, the agency said that would not be enough to cause a major drying of the creek. Wrangling over the proposed mine has been going on for more than eight years, with several government agencies weighing in. In 2008, the Arizona Game and Fish Department found that the project will render the northern portion of the Santa Rita Mountains virtually worthless as wildlife habitat and as a functioning ecosystem. The EPA determined in 2013 that proposed mitigation measures at the time were grossly inadequate to avoid significant degradation of the aquatic ecosystem. The project would permanently fill about 18 miles of streams across some 5,000 acres of land, the agency said, adding that measures to return water to streams would fail to provide functionally meaningful improvement in riparian habitat. RELATED: Millions of Acres of Forest Targeted for Coal Mines The EPA also said that the companys methods for assessing the surrounding ecosystem and potential mitigation of the mines impact were scientifically flawed. Also in 2013, FWS issued a biological opinion stating that the mine would not significantly harm threatened and endangered species. The agency revised that finding the following year, citing the detection of the ocelot in the area, new information showing that the water table would be affected more than previously predicted, and the imminent listing of two native species, the Mexican garter snake and the yellow-billed cuckoo, which have since been designated as threatened. The biological opinion issued Tuesday, however, overrode those concerns. The project still needs permission from the National Forest Service and the Army Corps of Engineers. In 2014, the Corps found that mitigation measures at the time would not fully compensate for the unavoidable adverse impact of the mine. Corps officials did not respond to requests for comment. Babete Anderson, a spokesperson for the USDA Forest Service, said in an email that the service is leaning toward granting a permit for the mine. Anderson said the biological opinion issued Tuesday will inform the Forest Service in finalizing the [decision]. Recommendations will be evaluated and additional conservation measures and/or terms and conditions may be incorporated. She could not say when that would happen. This is going to take years, because these permit decisions are going to trigger litigation no matter what, Serraglio said. The company will sue if it doesnt get what it wants, and if these agencies are foolish enough to permit the project, we will sue. Take the Pledge: Protect Tigers by Switching to Forest-Friendly Products Related stories on TakePart: Tiger Populations Are Growing for the First Time in a Century Everyone Loves Wild Animals in Their BackyardUntil They Dont Saving Los Angeles' Mountain Lions Original article from TakePart By Dustin Volz WASHINGTON, May 4 (Reuters) - Thirteen U.S. industry groups representing technology companies Amazon.com Inc, Uber Technologies Inc, Apple Inc, Facebook Inc and others are pushing for the next U.S. president to support the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade deal and to make it easier to hire high-tech workers from abroad, according to a joint letter seen by Reuters. Ahead of the Republican and Democratic conventions in July, the tech industry plans to issue on Wednesday an open letter charting a dozen policy recommendations for the candidates running in the Nov. 8 presidential election. The groups are not aligning themselves with either of the two major political parties. Backing for the TPP runs counter to positions taken by presumptive Republican candidate Donald Trump and Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton. Trump has made criticism of international trade agreements and a call for tougher immigration policies central themes of his campaign. In a Republican debate in March the billionaire real estate developer shied away from arguing against more H-1B visas for skilled foreign workers, saying he was "softening the position because we need to have talented people in this country." Clinton has not said if she would try to renegotiate TPP, which was signed in February but has not yet got congressional approval. She has said she supports expanding the number of visas for high-skilled workers. Silicon Valley has struggled to notch policy wins in recent years on its legislative priorities, including immigration and patent reform, though the tech industry has succeeded in strengthening net neutrality protections and curtailing some government surveillance programs. The coalition letter, signed by groups including the Internet Association, Telecommunications Industry Association and Information Technology Industry Council, is the first time a wide range of technology trade organizations have staked out a common platform during a presidential campaign, according to a person familiar with its writing. Story continues The platform also calls for "narrowly targeted government access to user data" and recognition of encryption as a "critical security tool." Trump has urged the restoration of the National Security Agency's (NSA) bulk collection of U.S. phone records, saying that U.S. authorities should err on the side of protecting national security over privacy concerns. Trump also urged a boycott of Apple during the company's high-profile clash earlier this year with the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation over unlocking an encrypted iPhone linked to a San Bernardino, California gunman. Clinton has supported some reforms to the NSA and has said a balance needs to be found between privacy and security in the encryption debate. The letter also calls for preventing censorship online by limiting unreasonable third-party liability for speech, support for the sharing economy, and an updated and simplified tax code, among other issues. Signatories also include Allied for Startups, Computer Technology Industry Association, Computer & Communications Industry Association, Consumer Technology Association, Semiconductor Industry Association, Silicon Valley Leadership Group, Software & Information Industry Association, Technology CEO Council and TechNet. (Reporting by Dustin Volz; Editing by Caren Bohan and Bill Rigby) LONDON (Reuters) - Construction output in Britain grew at its slowest rate in nearly three years in April, a survey showed on Wednesday, suggesting the economy was losing steam before next month's referendum on whether to remain a member of the European Union. The Markit/CIPS UK Construction Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) fell by more than expected to 52.0 from 54.2 in March. Economists in the Reuters survey had expected the index to fall to 54.0. The lowest forecast in the poll was for a decline to 53.0. On Tuesday, a Markit survey of Britain's manufacturing industry showed manufacturing shrank for the first time in three years. While the rate of new home construction increased in April, growth in commercial property fell to its lowest since July 2013, Markit said. "Softer growth forecasts for the UK economy alongside uncertainty ahead of the EU referendum appear to have provided reasons for clients to delay major spending decisions until the fog has lifted," Tim Moore, senior economist at Markit, said. Britain's economy slowed in the first quarter of the year as the global economy weakened. Recent surveys have suggested it is losing more momentum as the June 23 EU vote nears. The Bank of England said in April there were signs that uncertainty around the vote was weighing on investment and commercial property sales. Economists mostly expect a decision to leave the bloc to deal a blow to the economy, at least in the short term. The government has taken steps to boost house-building, but critics say more needs to be done to remedy Britain's chronic housing shortage, which is pushing up property prices. Markit said new construction orders in April grew at their slowest rate in three years. However, companies hired staff at a faster pace last month than they had in March, when employment in construction was its weakest in nearly three years. Recent data has suggested Britain's labour market is losing speed after a strong recovery over the past three years. Markit's monthly survey of Britain's dominant services sector, on which the economy has relied for growth for much of the past year, is due on Thursday. (Reporting by Ana Nicolaci da Costa, editing by Larry King) London (AFP) - Britain will admit a limited number of child refugees who have travelled alone from Syria to Europe, Prime Minister David Cameron announced Wednesday, in a U-turn on the politically-charged issue of migration. The government's change of heart is a victory for Alf Dubs, an 83-year-old member of Britain's House of Lords who argued that the country should be more compassionate, citing his own story of fleeing the Nazis as a child in 1939. Around 95,000 unaccompanied children applied for asylum in Europe last year, a fourfold increase on 2014, according to figures publishd by the Bureau for Investigative Journalism last month. Cameron said lone Syrian children who had registered in Greece, Italy or France before March 20 -- when the European Union signed a deal with Turkey to curb new arrivals -- would be considered. "We are going to do more for children who were already registered in Europe before the EU-Turkey deal," Cameron said in the House of Commons. "But we must stick to the principle that we shouldnat be encouraging people to make that perilous journey." Cameron's announcement was seen as a bid to head off probable defeat in a parliamentary vote next week on a legislative amendment tabled by Dubs, of the main opposition Labour party. The peer -- who came to Britain from Prague aged six in a scheme known as the Kindertransport, in which hundreds of Jewish children were rescued -- told AFP he was "delighted". "When you use the word immigrants and refugees, it's not always popular with some people. I'm very sad about that, but certainly when we talk about child refugees, people responded," Dubs said. "As a country, we have a good humanitarian tradition which has been somewhat lacking in the recent past and I think the public felt we should be doing this." - 'Incredibly vulnerable' - The government has not said how many children will be allowed to come to Britain, saying it needs to talk to local authorities about how many they can cope with. Story continues A senior Downing Street source speaking anonymously to reporters said it would be "more than just tens". Britain has not joined EU schemes for the relocation and resettlement of migrants from Syria, where a five-year conflict has left around 270,000 people dead. Cameron's government believes it is best to offer help to refugees who have fled to camps in neighbouring countries like Jordan and Lebanon rather than encouraging them to take the risk of travelling to Europe. It is sending aid worth A2.3 billion (2.9 billion euros, $3.3 billion) and said last year it would take 20,000 refugees from camps in the region over five years. It also said last month it would take in up to 3,000 children and their families who had escaped conflicts in the Middle East and north Africa by 2020 ahead of a previous vote on Dubs's proposals. Lliana Bird, co-founder of charity Help Refugees -- which works mainly in Calais, northern France, and Greece -- welcomed Cameron's announcement but said Britain should help "as much as it can". Bird had recently returned from the Idomeni camp on the border of Greece and Macedonia and called camp conditions in Europe "shocking". "There are children being forced to live outside in the forest, facing illness, incredibly vulnerable to traffickers, to sexual exploitation," she said. Nando Sigona, a migration expert at Birmingham University, said part of the reason for Cameron's reluctance to do more was Britain's closely-fought referendum on EU membership on June 23. "They want to avoid the attack that we're part of the EU and being invaded by refugees," he said. United Nations (United States) (AFP) - Two top UN officials told the Security Council Wednesday that those responsible for hospital attacks and starvation sieges in Syria's frontline city of Aleppo should face trial for war crimes. The 15-member council met to discuss the crisis in Aleppo just as the United States and Russia agreed to extend a truce to end nearly two weeks of near-constant attacks in the northern city. "Let me be absolutely clear once again: intentional and direct attacks on hospitals are war crimes," said the UN's top political affairs official, Jeffrey Feltman. "Using starvation as a weapon during conflict is a war crime." Feltman demanded that Syria be referred to the International Criminal Court in The Hague for war crimes prosecutions. "Those responsible for war crimes must be held to account," he said. A bid by the council in 2014 to refer Syria to the ICC was blocked by China and Syrian ally Russia, and it appeared unlikely that a new push for such action would garner enough support. UN aid chief Stephen O'Brien said "life for people in Aleppo is horrendous" as he condemned the "inexcusable, deeply disturbing attacks" on medical facilities. Those responsible for the attacks "must understand that these acts cannot and will not be forgotten," said O'Brien. "Those who are responsible must know that they will one day be held accountable," he added. Hospitals in both rebel and government-held areas of Aleppo have been hit, triggering global outrage and calls for an end to the fighting. The upsurge in Aleppo has left hundreds dead and is threatening to derail international efforts to resume peace talks in Geneva this month and push ahead with a plan to end the five-year war. - Fighting 'terrorists' - The United States, France and Britain put the blame squarely on the regime for the escalation, but Russia insisted Bashar al-Assad's forces are fighting terror groups in the city. Story continues "The regime has launched more than 300 air strikes, 110 artillery strikes and 18 missiles, and dropped more than 68 bombs on the city over just these last two weeks," US Ambassador Samantha Power told the council meeting. Power rejected Russian and Syrian claims that the attacks were directed at extremists, saying recent targets included an ambulance, a market, a bakery, a school and a mosque. Syria's Deputy UN Ambassador Mounzer Mounzer said regime forces were taking on terror groups in Aleppo. "What the Syrian government has been doing in the city of Aleppo is merely the fulfilment of its obligations to protect its citizens from terrorism," he told the council. Russian Ambassador Vitaly Churkin insisted that jihadist groups in Aleppo were not covered by the ceasefire agreed in late February and that "to make a pause in the combat of terrorism and allow them to regroup is unacceptable". Syria's conflict erupted in 2011 after anti-government protests were put down. Fighting quickly escalated into a multi-faceted war that has killed more than 270,000 people and forced millions from their homes. (Reuters) - The University of Iowa and police said on Wednesday they are investigating as a hate crime a report that a black student was beaten by a group of white men in a racially motivated attack. Marcus Owens, a 19-year-old freshman from Naperville, Illinois, was beaten after he left a bar on Saturday night by three white men who yelled racial abuse at him, according to an ABC television affiliate in Chicago. The attack left Owens with a damaged eye socket. He also had his front teeth knocked out and needed about a dozen stitches to close a cut on his lip, ABC-7 in Chicago said. An individual came to the Iowa City police department late Monday to report that he had been assaulted, police said in a statement. Police declined to identify the victim and suspects, saying they do not release the identities of victims and citing pending charges against the suspects. The victim told the police that on late Saturday, an individual struck him multiple times in an alleyway and then he was struck several more times by other people while being called racial slurs, the statement said. The victim later was treated for non-life threatening injuries at a university hospital, the statement said. Owens was released from the hospital on Monday, the station reported. The suspects were described as three white males, about 19 to 22 years old, and of average height, the statement said. The university was "deeply disturbed" and was seeking more details of the attack, officials said in Twitter posts after being contacted by the broadcaster. Owens had just left an off-campus bar when three men approached and began punching him, his uncle Darrell Owens told the news station. "This is 2016. You shouldn't expect this to happen," he said. (Reporting by Brendan O'Brien in Milwaukee and Suzannah Gonzales in Chicago; editing by John Stonestreet, Bernard Orr) Stuttgart (Germany) (AFP) - A coalition of countries battling Islamic State jihadists in Syria and Iraq pledged Wednesday to pour more resources into the fight, after coming under strong pressure from Washington for greater contributions. The promise came after a meeting in Stuttgart of defence ministers from countries involved in the anti-IS coalition, during which US Defence Secretary Ashton Carter drove home the message that to deal IS a body blow, "all must do more". Carter's call to step up the fight came a week after US President Barack Obama reiterated a long-standing demand for members of NATO to increase their defence spending to meet the alliance's target of two percent of output. In a joint statement, the coalition stressed their "strong support ... for the deployment of additional enabling capabilities in the near term, in order to hasten the collapse of ISIL's control" over the city of Mosul in Iraq and Syria's Raqqa. Speaking after the talks with counterparts from Australia, Britain, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, New Zealand, Norway and Spain, Carter said he was "confident that today's meeting will produce additional military commitments". Besides military resources, defence ministers meeting at the US European Command's headquarters also examined their economic and political contributions to the campaign, he said. "It's going to take more to win. We're going to win but we all need to do more," Carter told reporters. "This fight is far from over and there are great risks," he said. But "allowing ISIL safe haven would carry even greater risk. To accelerate ISIL's lasting defeat, all must do more," he said, using another acronym for the Islamic State group. Carter also said he hoped that NATO as an organisation could join the coalition, particularly in the area of logistics coordination. The defence secretary also pointed to "the NATO AWACS issue", in reference to surveillance aircraft of the alliance's members. Story continues As a first step, NATO had agreed to deploy such surveillance aircraft, in order to allow the US to free up its planes for operations in Iraq and Syria. But a diplomatic source said Washington is hoping to go a step further in getting NATO on board to fly such AWACS surveillance aircraft over Syrian and Iraqi airspace. Carter also paid tribute to a US Navy SEAL who was killed in Iraq on Tuesday during an IS attack on a position of Kurdish peshmerga forces north of Mosul. "The whole country has to be grateful to this young man and his family for this sacrifice. But tragically losses will occur. "This is necessary to protect our country and not to do something would entail even greater risks," he said. Carter said he had proposed that the anti-IS coalition hold another meeting in Washington this summer. Decoding the US Crude Oil Inventory Report: Prices Hit 2016 Highs (Continued from Prior Part) Gasoline inventory On April 27, 2016, the EIA (U.S. Energy Information Administration) released its This Week in Petroleum report. It reported that the US gasoline inventory rose by 1.6 MMbbls (million barrels) to 241.3 MMbbls between April 15, 2016, and April 22, 2016. The gasoline inventory rose for the second time in the last five weeks. The US gasoline inventory is 6% more than in the same period last year. Its also higher than the upper end of the five-year range. Gasoline production, imports, and demand The EIA added that weekly US gasoline production fell by 231,000 bpd (barrels per day) to 9.5 MMbpd (million barrels per day) for the week ending April 22compared to the previous week. Its 2.3% higher than the same period last year. Weekly gasoline imports also rose by 0.10 MMbpd to 0.89 MMbpd for the week ending April 22compared to the previous week. The four-week average gasoline demand rose by 18,000 bpd to 9.4 MMbpd for the same period. Its 6% higher than the same period in 2015. Impact of the rise in the gasoline inventory The fall in gasoline exports led to the rise in the US gasoline inventory. The rise in the US gasoline inventory has a negative impact on gasoline prices. For more on gasoline prices, read Part 4 of this series. The recent uptick in gasoline prices benefits US refiners like Valero Energy (VLO), Tesoro (TSO), and Northern Tier Energy (NTI). Likewise, high crude oil prices benefit upstream players like PDC Energy (PDCE), Swift Energy (SFY), and WPX Energy (WPX). The uncertainty in oil prices impacts ETFs and ETNs like the PowerShares DWA Energy Momentum Portfolio (PXI), the DB Crude Oil Double Short ETN (DTO), the iShares Global Energy ETF (IXC), the iShares U.S. Oil Equipment & Services ETF (IEZ), and the VelocityShares 3x Inverse Crude Oil ETN (DWTI). In the next part of this series, well look at US distillate inventories. Story continues Continue to Next Part Browse this series on Market Realist: Havana (AFP) - The number of Americans visiting Cuba surged 93 percent year-on-year in the first four months of 2016, the Cuban government said Wednesday. The communist island is basking in its newfound glow as a trendy tourist destination since Washington and Havana announced a historic rapprochement in December 2014. Cuba has welcomed a stream of celebrities and VIPs since then, including US President Barack Obama, the pope, the Rolling Stones and German designer Karl Lagerfeld, who presented a Cuban-inspired runway show Tuesday for French fashion house Chanel. The United States still maintains a trade and financial embargo on Cuba that forbids US citizens from traveling to the island for tourism, but Obama has loosened restrictions to the point that the first US cruise ship in 50 years was able to dock in Havana Monday. The Carnival cruise liner circumvented the tourism ban by offering passengers "cultural exchanges," including meetings with artists, musicians and business owners, as well as dance classes and guided tours. In all, 94,000 Americans visited Cuba from January to April, Tourism Minister Manuel Marrero said at the opening of an international tourism fair in Havana. The figure for all of last year came in at more than 160,000, an increase of 76 percent from 2014, he said. Cuba welcomed 3.5 million tourists from around the world last year, a 17 percent increase, adding a much-needed $2.8 billion to the economy. Regular flights from the United States to Cuba are expected to begin later this year. The Cuban government has announced an accelerated hotel construction program to cope with booming demand. Caracas (AFP) - Venezuela on Wednesday started verifying nearly two million signatures of voters petitioning for a referendum on getting rid of President Nicolas Maduro, as he launched fresh maneuvers against his opponents. With the oil-rich, cash-poor country in economic crisis, Maduro said he would allow a referendum if the petition is validated. But his side looked likely to put roadblocks in the way. Electoral authorities started checking the 1.85 million signatures gathered by the center-right opposition -- the first step towards calling a plebiscite. "We are in the process of counting the forms, with security, speed and transparency," said the president of the National Electoral Board, Tibisay Lucena. The process will last "three or four days, maybe until Monday or Tuesday." Lucena said pro-government and opposition observers were monitoring the process. Maduro named his own commission of loyalists to oversee the verification process by the National Electoral Board (CNE). If the electoral board validates the petition, the opposition must then seek a further four million signatures to call a referendum. Maduro warned he would take "definite legal action" if any signatures were forged, but said he would let the referendum go forward if the opposition met all requirements. "What the CNE says is sacred. If on this second step, they say that the signatures were collected, we head to a referendum, period," he said Tuesday. However, he reiterated that the opposition's drive to get rid of him would fail. The man Maduro appointed to oversee verification of the petition, former CNE president Jorge Rodriguez, indicated he was already sure that many of the signatures were invalid. "In a few days, it is going to come out that they inflated the figure for the number of signatures they handed in, by a million," he said. Even if that were the case, the remaining 850,000 signatures would still be more than four times the number needed legally to move forward with the referendum drive. Story continues - Full-time job - Government adviser Hermann Escarra said legal oversight procedures were likely to delay any referendum until mid-2017. Under Venezuela's constitution, after January 10, 2017, a successful recall vote would transfer power to Maduro's vice president rather than trigger new elections. The opposition Democratic Unity Roundtable (MUD) is racing to hold a recall referendum before the end of the year. "We are going to achieve it, because the Venezuelan people want to get rid of this government," said Jesus Torrealba, the coalition's executive secretary. "If the CNE does not meet the deadlines, the people will take to the street," said Henrique Capriles, the center-right candidate who lost the 2013 vote. Meanwhile, public sector workers are only working two days a week under emergency measures imposed by Maduro to save electricity. Lucena insisted that would not hold up the counting of signatures. "We are working tirelessly. We are working full time," she said. - Street protest threat - Once-booming Venezuela, which has the world's largest proven oil reserves, has plunged into economic chaos as global crude prices have collapsed. The opposition blames Maduro for the economic crisis, which has Venezuelans queuing for hours to buy rations of food and basic goods such as toilet paper. Daily electricity cuts launched last week have raised discontent further. Maduro's rivals vowed to get rid of him when they took control of the legislature this year after winning elections in December. He has resisted their offensive so far through challenges in the Supreme Court. His critics say he controls both the court and the CNE. Maduro on Tuesday issued a decree suspending the legislature's right to vote to remove cabinet ministers, after lawmakers last week tried to sack his food minister. Maduro was elected president by a razor-thin margin in 2013. A recent poll found that more than two-thirds of Venezuelans want him to leave office. The tensions have raised fears of violence in a country rocked by protests that left 43 people dead in 2014. Lucena accused the opposition of waging "a strategy of provoking social tension" by criticizing the CNE. "If it is not stopped, it may lead us to ignorance of the public institutions and situations of violence." HOUSTON, May 4 (Reuters) - Venezuelan crude sales to the United States declined 8.3 percent in April to 734,700 barrels per day (bpd) compared with the same month of 2015, amid delays at PDVSA's main ports, according to Thomson Reuters trade flows and vessel tracking data. State-run oil firm PDVSA and its joint ventures sent a total of 45 crude cargoes to customers in the United States last month versus 54 cargoes in April of 2015 and 52 in March. Equipment malfunctioning at Jose port has been occurring since March, causing delays to load and discharge tankers. This has also resulted in a backlog of vessels around PDVSA's Bullenbay terminal in the Caribbean island of Curacao. PDVSA this week said it is installing three new loading arms to speed up operations at Jose. PDVSA's refining unit in the United States, Citgo Petroleum, was the main receiver of Venezuelan crude in April with 13 cargoes, followed by Valero Energy with 11 cargoes and Phillips 66 with 7 cargoes. Delays at Curacao to discharge imports of U.S. light crude that is being used as diluent for Venezuela's extra heavy oil caused a decline in sales of blend crudes such as Merey, one of PDVSA's main grades for exports. Exports of traditional crudes to the United States such as Boscan, Corocoro, Morichal and Hamaca also fell, according to the data, made with preliminary figures. As of May 4, more than 30 dirty tankers were waiting to load and discharge oil at Jose and Bullenbay terminals, including five U.S. crude cargoes sold to PDVSA by British BP and China Oil. Wait times have shortened in Jose in recent days, but loading or discharging at Bullenbay is taking more than five days, the data say. (Reporting by Marianna Parraga; Editing by Diane Craft) The old saw that you shouldnt grocery shop while hungry or youll spend way more than you planned comes with an intriguing twist: The amount you spend on groceries also depends on the store you visit, and the difference can be as high as $118 per trip. According to an analysis by Priceconomics, shoppers rarely spend more than $200 at Walmart but the same is true for Trader Joes and even Whole Foods, which is routinely criticized for its high prices. In fact, less than 5 percent of trips to those three chains result in a grocery bill that high. But one in five visits to Costco exceeds that amount. Of course, those stats dont necessarily say much about the prices of the groceries people are buying; theyre more reflective of how customers shop at those stores, with Coscto shoppers required to buy in bulk while Whole Foods, for example, is typically a destination for smaller trips. At the other end of the spectrum, nearly half of purchases at 7-Eleven, home of the Slurpee, and four out of 10 trips to Dollar General total less than $10. Oddly, about one in 10 visits to Costco or Sams Club are also for $10 or less, the analysis found. SLIDESHOW PREVIEW: Which Grocery Stores Shoppers Spend the Most? The level of spending at Whole Foods and Walmart are remarkably similar, even though they seem to cater to different types of shoppers. Slightly more people spend less than $25 on a trip to Whole Foods, and slightly more spend $25 to $100 at Walmart, but overall, the distribution of how much people shell out on trips to these stores is roughly parallel. Looking more closely at Whole Foods, the study also found that Boston shoppers spent the least on an average trip, at $26. Thats $38 below what Whole Foods shoppers in Chicago spent on the average trip. Related: Why Bad News for Walmart Is Good News for Small Town, USA Using Perfect Price credit card transaction data from thousands of visits in May and June 2015, Priceconomics calculated the average amount of money spent per visit to the top U.S. food sellers. That included top 25 food retailers by revenue plus other common chains like Trader Joes and 7-Eleven. Story continues Click here to find out where shoppers spend the least and most per trip at 20 different stores. Top Reads from The Fiscal Times: Twenty-year-old Lin-Manuel Miranda had two obsessions during college: Marc Anthony's emotional breakdowns in concerts and bad Latin pop cash-ins. So what do you get when you combine those two obsessions? Talent-show gold. Tony Nominations: 'Hamilton' Scores Big, See Full List Here The Hamilton creator threw it way back by sharing an epic performance from his junior-year talent show at Connecticut's Wesleyan University, where he sang pop songs like *NSYNC's "It's Gonna Be Me," Destiny's Child's "Say My Name" and Britney Spears' "Oops!... I Did It Again" with a Latin twist. Check out the unique performance below: Gmorning! So "it's gonna be May" is a thing. Can 20 year old me join the fun? https://t.co/AnYFPf3Zp6- Lin-Manuel Miranda (@Lin_Manuel) May 2, 2016 Miranda celebrated a record 16 Tony Award nominations on Tuesday (May 3), including best new musical and best original score. The son of Puerto Rican parents reacted to the news by congratulating his fellow nominees: Congrats to EVERYONE this season. You got your show up. You get to do what you love. You're in the play. - Lin-Manuel Miranda (@Lin_Manuel) May 3, 2016 President Obama will speak in Flint, Mich. on Wednesday to address the citys water crisis, which has drawn national attention. The visit comes after an 8-year-old girl named Amariyanna Copeny wrote the President a letter asking him to meet with residents. Obama will meet with Amariyanna and community leaders and deliver a speech to the public. Flint residents need to know that when the cameras are gone, the Administrations support for the state and local response efforts will continue, White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest said Tuesday. Three officialstwo state regulators and a city employeehave been charged with crimes related to the water crisis, which began in April 2014 after the city switched its water source to the Flint River. The water was improperly treated, allowing lead to enter the water supply. The President will begin speaking at 4 p.m. EST Wednesday and the speech will be live streamed on this page. ISIS airstrike The US military has released a video that shows the anti-ISIS coalition obliterating an ISIS defensive-fighting position near Fallujah, Iraq. The airstrikes were conducted on April 24 and part of a larger operation by the anti-ISIS coalition on that day. Altogether, the coalition conducted three strikes in Syria and 11 in Iraq against the militant group. US Central Command notes that the airstrikes in Fallujah targeted a wide range of targets. In addition to the defensive position, the strikes also destroyed three ISIS tactical units, an ISIS staging area, three fighting positions, two mortar positions, a bulldozer, a front-end loader, and three bed-down locations. Other strikes in Syria and Iraq on the same day destroyed supply caches, additional tactical units, and a tunnel system. But the vast majority of the strikes were directed against ISIS in Iraq, particularly in Fallujah. The following GIF shows the airstrike that destroyed ISIS's weapon cache in Fallujah: via GIPHY You can watch the entire strike below: NOW WATCH: A Navy SEAL explains why hell never go skydiving as a civilian again More From Business Insider (Photo: Everett Collection) Jeremy Bulloch was an established British actor when he took a role that required him to mostly just stand still. That role, of course, was as Boba Fett in 1980s The Empire Strikes Back and, later, Return of the Jedi, and its the work for which Bulloch, now 71, remains best known. He has no complaints about that. After God knows how many years in this profession, over 50 now, its one role that I will never forget, Bulloch said during a phone conversation from his home in London this week. And I just think I was terribly lucky. (A young version of Fett was played by Daniel Logan in Star Wars: Episode II Attack of the Clones.) In honor of May the 4th as well as the release this Friday of Elstree 1976, a documentary about the supporting actors and extras in the original Star Wars films, the galaxys most famous bounty hunter spent a few moments talking about the Fett phenomenon and fans who turn Bullochs autograph into boss tattoos. Related: Elstree 1976 Trailer: Meet 10 Who Were There When 'Star Wars Was Born When did you first realize Boba Fett had such strong appeal to Star Wars fans? I think I realized there was something about the character of Boba Fett when they re-released the films in the big cinema. It [first] played, Empire Strikes Back played: Oh, that was good. But then when they re-released it quite a while later, suddenly I thought, God, hes got nothing to say, Boba Fett. But hes quite fun just standing there, doing nothing. And it came across much stronger than I thought. Do you think the costume is a major reason he captured peoples imagination? Youre absolutely right. A lot of people dont mention that, but the costume does it for you completely. Well, not absolutely completely. But you stand there and you look at the costume, the cloak: Fistful of Dollars, Clint Eastwood, moody, cool. Just standing there, its far more you know, [instead of] sort of running around, Im Boba Fett, doing those silly things, its best to just stand still and then wait for the reaction. Story continues Jeremy Bulloch today (Getty Images) Was the costume comfortable to wear? No. [Laughs] Not at all. It really was the most uncomfortable clothes Ive ever worn in anything Ive done. At the end of the day [when you took off the costume], you went, Oh thank goodness for that. It would sort of grate wheels on your skin. But what you dont do is complain about it. You just get on with it. The great thing about being under that mask or that helmet is you can chat away to yourself and no one can hear you. Its perfect. Is there a difference between the questions you get from younger fans versus the older ones? The younger guys, probably from 9 to 15, they say, I could beat Boba Fett. And I say, No, you cant. And you have this game: I can beat Boba Fett. [In scary voice]: Im Boba Fett: youre next. It draws people to you. This is what I think is such fun about the character: You can frighten people, but in a friendly way. In the Elstree 1976 documentary, you tell a story about trying to sign a fans Star Wars poster and having the ink run all over it. Do you have any other autograph horror stories? There was one, not horror story, I just thought it was amusing. Someone came up and said, Mr. Bulloch, could you sign your name on my leg? And I thought, Oh golly, what? I said, Well, thats a bit silly. This was a big event, lots of tattooing artists and lots of people getting their tattoos done on their arm. But this was on the leg of this guy. And I just signed Jeremy Bulloch. He came back late in the afternoon with this sort of sizzling flesh. Hed obviously had it done, and it looked terrible. But then later on, it was getting better, and it started to look like a great piece of artwork. But that was really strange. So your signature was the template for his tattoo? Yes. There was already a Boba Fett helmet. Hed had that tattooed some time ago. He wanted me to sign it, to say thats the person. That was quite amusing. As you know there are plans to make a Star Wars movie thats just focused on Boba Fett. Have you talked to anyone about that project or other upcoming Star Wars movies? You hear theyre going to make a spinoff or whatever they call it. And that would be nice. It wont involve me. I think anybody who plays it, a younger person I mean, I could still do it if I put a helmet on, dive through a window a couple of times. I think its great that theyre doing it, because I think people want to see Boba Fett in his own movie really. Watch an Empire Strikes Back trailer: The Western Union Company WU reported first-quarter 2016 operating earnings per share of 37 cents that missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 2.7%. Earnings also declined 5.1% year on year mainly due to lower operating income from Consumer-to-Consumer and Consumer-to Business segments. Total revenue of Western Union came in at $1.3 billion, slightly below the Zacks Consensus Estimate. Revenues declined 2% year over year on reported basis due to adverse impact of the strong U.S. dollar. Nonetheless, revenues increased 3% on a constant currency basis. The top-line growth was also limited by a 3% decline in transaction fees and a 3% decrease in other revenues, offset by a 2% rise in foreign exchange revenues. Western Unions total expenses dipped 1% year over year to $1billionowing to a decrease in selling, general and administrative expenses. Operating margin came in at 19.9% in the quarter compared with 20.6% in the prior-year quarter due to impact of foreign exchange and higher investment in technology. Segment Update The Consumer-to-Consumer segment, which is the main contributor to thecompanys top line, reported a 2% decline in revenues to $1 billion due to lower transaction fees and other revenues. Operating income declined 4% to $231 million. In the Consumer-to-Business segment, revenues declined 1% year over year to $156 million due to lower foreign exchange and other revenues. Operating income plunged 23% year over year to $22.9 million. Business Solutions revenues inched up 1% year over year to $99.2 million in the quarterdue to higher foreign exchange revenues, partially offset by lower transaction fees and other revenues. The segment reported operating income of $2.4 million in the quarter, up 15% year on year. Financial Update Cash and cash equivalents as of Mar 31, 2016 were $1.2 billion, down 11.8% from the 2015-end level. Borrowing remained almost unchanged from the 2015-end level at $3.2 billion. As of Mar 31, 2016, stockholders' equity was $1.2 billion, down11.88% from year-end 2015. Western Union generated cash flow from operating activities of $212.7 million as of Mar 31, 2016 compared with $211.8 million in the prior-year quarter. Share Repurchase and Dividend Update In the reported quarter, the company spent $240 million for share buybacks and $79 million as dividends, thereby returning $319 million to its shareholders. In the first quarter, the company announced a quarterly cash dividend of 16 cents per common share, up 3% from the prior-year payout. 2016 Guidance Western Union mostly reiterated its full-year outlook. However, the company increased its GAAP revenue outlook by $50 million based on the positive movement of several foreign currencies against the U.S. dollar. The company expects low to mid-single digit increase in revenues on a constant currency basis. GAAP revenues change is expected around 300 basis points lower than constant currency. Impact of increased revenues on operating profit from is expected to be partially offset by a reduction in hedge benefits. Hedge gains are now projected at $40 million instead of $50 million. The earnings per share projection, after including the negative impact of around 15 cents associated with modifications in foreign exchange rates and lesser hedge benefits, lies between $1.58 and $1.70. The company expects cash flow from operating activities of about $1 billion. This outlook excludes about $100 million final tax payments related to the agreement announced with the U.S. Internal Revenue Service in Dec 2011. Either a portion or the entire payment is likely to be made in 2016. Zacks Rank and Performance of Other Financial Transaction Services Providers Western Union currently carries a Zacks Rank # 2 (Buy). The bottom line at American Express Co. AXP, MoneyGram International MGI and Visa Inc V beat their respective Zacks Consensus Estimate for the quarter ending as of Mar 31, 2016. Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report >> Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report MONEYGRAM INTL (MGI): Free Stock Analysis Report AMER EXPRESS CO (AXP): Free Stock Analysis Report VISA INC-A (V): Free Stock Analysis Report WESTERN UNION (WU): Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research Washington (AFP) - President Barack Obama is close to creating the first US national monument to the gay rights movement, in a New York City area seen as the birthplace of the struggle. While many national monuments are distinctive places or landscapes, this would be the first national monument centered on a bar, the Stonewall Inn, plus surrounding area, in the Greenwich Village neighborhood of Manhattan. In 1969, police raided the inn, owned by the mafia at the time, which catered to marginalized groups. Activists and authorities clashed in surrounding streets. Less than five decades on, the United States has recognized same-sex marriage and survivors' benefits for them. Gay Pride events are held in June to commemorate the month of the Stonewall riots. Obama is nearing action, possibly as soon as June, The Washington Post reported. Interior Secretary Sally Jewell, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo and US Senator Kirsten Gillibrand are among those who will hold a meeting on the proposed monument in New York on May 9. It may be better for home budgets to get outbid on a property. Its no secret that signing over your life savings to buy a home is stressful. But these days, when aspiring owners battle it out over an ever shallower pool of available properties with ever bigger, bank accountbusting offers, it can be nervous-breakdown-inducingly stressful. So it may be time for a bit of recalibration. The modern-day reality: It isnt the end of the world if youre outbid by an offer you couldnt afford to match. In fact, you might want to thank your lucky stars that you didnt blow your budget. (And your savings account may want to thank you, too.) Get over the fear of rejection, HGTV star Scott McGillivray said in an interview for the financial podcast So Money. If your offers are not being rejected, youre possibly offering too much. Nine out of 10 offers that I put in get either turned down or sent back to me, the Income Property host said in the podcast. So instead of digging themselves into a financial hole, shoppers should figure out their budget before they begin to scour online listings, visit open houses, and fall in love with a property they cant afford, says Greg McBride, chief financial analyst at Bankrate.com, a personal finance website. In tough markets, they may even want to lower their price threshold so they have room to up their offers, he says. People tend to stretch to the limits when buying a house anyway, he says. A bidding war only stretches them even further. Those who dont have the cashor stomachfor bidding wars may need to make some trade-offs, says Denver real estate agent Kristal Kraft of the Berkshire Group. They can consider older homes and those in need of a little TLC (and are therefore priced to move), or broaden their search area to cheaper neighborhoods. A little backup doesnt hurt either. Buyers should always discuss their cant-go-even-a-penny-higher walk-away points with their real estate agents before they even submit an offer, says San Diegoarea agent Seth OByrne. That way theres a check against them getting swept up in a no-holds-barred bidding war. Story continues Its very easy to get overheated or overexcited, says OByrne, president of the OByrne Team, a Pacific Sothebys International Realty affiliate in La Jolla, CA. But when the dust settles, all that matters is what the property is actually worth and what you paid. The post Why Being Outbid on a Home May Sometimes Be a Great Thing appeared first on Real Estate News and Advice - realtor.com. Related Articles Last month, Houston, Texas, and its surroundings were inundated with floodwaters from heavy storms. The area was declared a federal disaster by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), enabling residents to apply for certain disaster assistance programs, and to automatically qualify for IRS tax extensions until September 1. The storms are a reminder that it can be a good idea to have flood insurance, even if you don't live in a recognized flood zone. Floods can take place at any time and in unexpected places, according to the National Flood Insurance Program, which provides flood insurance administered by FEMA. Keith Brown, chief executive of Kalispell, Mont.-based National Flood Services, a provider of flood insurance policies, agrees. "People think, 'Im not by a river or stream, so I don't need it,'" he says. "But flooding can be caused by other things such as high snowpack, overdevelopment, or a storm drain backing up in a cul-de-sac." Flooding, especially in basements, is more likely to happen in newly developed areas, where new roads reduce water absorption into the soil. Even if such an area is typically dry, an unexpected downpour could damage basements and parked cars. Nearly 20 percent of flood claims originate in locations deemed "moderate" or "low" risk, according to the National Flood Insurance Program. A third of disaster-assistance requests from flooding comes from such areas, says Brown. Flood insurance is the only coverage that will indemnify you for damage due to groundwater seepage and mudslides. If a neighbor's above-ground swimming pool collapses and the water flows into your home, flood insurance will cover the cost of the damage. Similarly, if a water main breaks and damages your home and at least one other home in your neighborhood, flood insurance comes to the rescue. Traditional homeowners insurance and auto insurance don't cover such calamities. Story continues How to Buy Flood Insurance In many parts of the country, this is the time to buy flood insurance. Once you purchase it, there is a 30-day waiting period before the policy is activated. Such a policy could be helpful to you once hurricane season starts on June 1. You can purchase federal flood insurance from the National Flood Insurance Program. The insurance policies are backed by the federal government, which sells it directly, and through 80 private insurance companies throughout the country. Check with an agent who sells homeowners coverage for details. Federal flood insurance coverage is capped at $250,000 per dwelling and $100,000 for contents, though you can purchase policies with lower limits. There are eligibility requirements, however, and numerous exclusions. For example, the boiler, water heater, and other essential systems in your basement are covered, but nonessentials, such as a TV, an audio system, and furniture kept in the basement are not covered. People who live in low- and moderate-risk areas and buy federal flood insurance pay standard premiums set by FEMA. Those rates are the same regardless of where you buy your coverage. To get an assessment of the risk that you will be a victim of a flood as well as an estimate of your annual premium and a link to area agents who sell federal flood insurance, visit FloodSmart.gov and plug in your property address. The average premium to insure a home that's a moderate-to-low risk property is $420, FEMA says. You also can use FloodTools.com, a commercial site, to see your property on a flood map and get detailed estimates of premiums. If you're in a high-risk area, your premium is likely to be tailored to your property. Susan Hendrick, a FEMA spokesperson, says there are many variables that go into the pricing, including the age and construction of the home, its proximity to water, the elevation of the house as well as the home's value. Private Flood Insurance Increasingly, private insurers are offering flood coverage. The policies either supplement federal flood insurance by providing higher coverage limits, or replace it as the homeowner's primary flood policy. A few insurance carriers provide it as an optional rider on their homeowners coverage. Depending on your situation, you may find private flood insurance has lower premiums than the federal version. Or, it may require fewer add-on costs. For example, in about 20 percent of cases, the government will require that a professional come to the home to draft an "elevation certificate" to determine the insurance rate. The homeowner pays that bill. In addition, private coverage may cover your living expenses if you have to relocate while your home is being cleaned up after a flood. That's something federal flood insurance won't provide. More from Consumer Reports: The best matching washers and dryers Generator Buying Guide 8 ways to boost your home value Consumer Reports has no relationship with any advertisers on this website. Copyright 2006-2016 Consumers Union of U.S. Paris Baguette Paris Baguette is a bakery concept as common in Korea as Starbucks is in the US. Now, the French-inspired chain is ready to win over American consumers. "Most people that arent familiar with the brand think it's a French brand, not a Korean brand," Larry Sidoti, the head of the companys US development, told Business Insider. "Were not arguing." Today, there are more than 3,500 Paris Baguette locations around the world, primarily in Korea and other Asian countries. However, the chain is making a major expansion push in the US, with 45 locations in the country already and plans to open 30 more this year alone. Brunching during the most wonderful time of the year! : @ymargp #Holiday #Brunch #GoodEats #Yummy #Delicious #Savory #ParisBaguette #FoodArt #Sweet #Pastries #Galore A photo posted by Paris Baguette (@parisbaguette_usa) on Dec 28, 2015 at 12:22pm PST on Dec 28, 2015 at 12:22pm PST With no national chain dominating bakery in the way that concepts like Starbucks have dominated coffee and endless fast-food chains have tapped into the burger-and-fries business, Sidoti says that the time is ripe for Paris Baguette to win over Americans. "The US is one of the most important markets in the world," he says. "You need to win in Los Angeles and you need to win in New York If you cant win those markets, its going to be a long haul." Just like Paris... | : @cuisinivity #Croissant #Jam #Delicious #Afternoon A photo posted by Paris Baguette (@parisbaguette_usa) on Apr 25, 2016 at 4:14pm PDT on Apr 25, 2016 at 4:14pm PDT Paris Baguette is known for its baked goods: breads, pastries, cakes, croissants. Sidoti says that the sweet potato croissant is a customer favorite that you wont find in the average American or French bakery. Taking a break from Monday | : @carmen.ling #Coffee #GreenTea #RollCake #FreshFruit #Strawberries A photo posted by Paris Baguette (@parisbaguette_usa) on May 2, 2016 at 11:50am PDT on May 2, 2016 at 11:50am PDT "Our product is a little less sweet" than the average American baked good, says Sidoti. "Its a little more airy and a lot lighter than sweet products and dessert-like products you would get in the States now." Story continues Paris Baguette has its roots in a confectionery business in South Korea, founded in 1945. The chain is owned by SPC Group, a company that owns and operates a number of food and beverage brands in Korea. However, "from the start, it was French influenced and inspired," says Sidoti. "As we evolved, we continued to play off that and look to the French bakery concept and the romance associated with that as inspiration." Who says you can't brunch on weekdays | : @scalisto #TeaTime #Cake #Workday #Treats A photo posted by Paris Baguette (@parisbaguette_usa) on Mar 3, 2016 at 10:42am PST on Mar 3, 2016 at 10:42am PST The company has a history of rapid growth. The first Paris Baguette opened in 1988. Four years later, the chain had 100 locations. The company is not free of controversy. It faced some backlash when it opened its first location in France for not being French enough. In fact, all of the company's dough is made in in South Korea, frozen, and then shipped around the world to the chains thousands of locations. What's better than a flaky croissant filled with chocolate fudge ice cream and raspberry cheesecake ice cream?! Comment your favorite! #splendideats A photo posted by @splendideats on Jan 30, 2016 at 10:26am PST on Jan 30, 2016 at 10:26am PST The chain arrived in US in 2005, with the first store opening in Los Angeles, due in part to the citys large Korean-American population. To this day, about 90% of customers who visit the chains Los Angeles location in Koreatown are of Korean descent. However, as the company begins to expand across the US, its reliance on the Korean customer base is beginning to change. In Manhattan, Sidoti says customer base includes "the whole melting pot." Our strawberry bites look [pretty] tasty on wedding tables thanks to @hello_lc () #GreatTaste #PunIntended #Pastries A photo posted by Paris Baguette (@parisbaguette_usa) on Apr 12, 2016 at 10:21am PDT on Apr 12, 2016 at 10:21am PDT "This will be a universally accepted product line and concept," says Sidoti. "That's going to take some evolving as a brand to convince people and win that argument." NOW WATCH: A San Francisco bakery serves a savory muffin with a soft boiled egg inside More From Business Insider Benjamin Niaulin Sharegate Today, 150 Microsoft customers, developers, and partners descended on San Francisco to discuss the present and future of SharePoint, the team-collaboration tool for the workplace with another 17,000 tuning in for the webcast. At that event, Microsoft announced a smartphone version of SharePoint is imminent, with a new design coming to the main product. Since its inception in 2000, SharePoint has always occupied a weird psychic space among the Microsoft Office suite. It's one of Microsoft's most-hated products, and quick searches on Google and Twitter for "I hate SharePoint" turn up plenty of results. You'll often hear groans of malcontent when it's brought up to a cubicle-dweller. But with 190 million individual user licenses sold, 40% of whom are users of the Office 365 cloud suite, SharePoint is wildly popular. And Microsoft says that there's a $10 billion economy of developers and IT experts who help customers install, manage, and customize their SharePoint sites. And all of that grumbling doesn't bother SharePoint's superfans. In fact, it energizes them. "Any product that can have that much of an emotional response from people is a great product," says Benjamin Niaulin, a SharePoint specialist with Montreal-based Sharegate, a popular tool that's helped customers like SpaceX and Warner Bros. migrate to and manage the platform. The point of SharePoint The whole point of SharePoint, says Niaulin, is to be the center of a team's working life, helping them swap documents, communicate with each other, and generally stay up-to-date. It's basically a repository for files, combined with integrations with other Office apps, to make sure everything is in the same place. That means that more than any other single Microsoft product or service, a SharePoint team site has a huge impact on a worker's day-to-day life. That kind of familiarity breeds heightened feelings, he says if you love it, you're going to really love it. But if you hate it, you're going to really hate it. Story continues jeff teper sharepoint microsoft "SharePoint really brings out some of those emotions," Niaulin says. A big part of the appeal of SharePoint, he says, is that it lets even non-technical people be the heroes of their companies. A well-done, super-customized, squeaky clean SharePoint team site can make a big difference for a working team and it can make the SharePoint expert who designed it into a workplace hero. "People's careers have changed completely," raves Niaulin. Prince It's led to that thriving community of SharePoint fanatics, "a very very large family," all over the world, Niaulin says: People go to meetups to swap tips, find new tools and integration options, and generally network. Those parties are how Niaulin actually got into the SharePoint business: Four years ago, he drove the 5-some-odd hours from Montreal to Toronto to check out a "SharePoint Saturday" event after hearing about the opportunity it could create. He became enamored with the idea of having an impact without having to be a coder. "I didn't have to be this super-powerful IT pro," he says. sharepoint server 2016 home page Those parties are rarely sponsored by Microsoft itself, he says. Instead, companies like Sharegate throw these parties to boost the global ecosystem for SharePoint while also pushing their wares and services. Those kinds of services include deployment assistance as well as custom apps and integrations. An individual engagement getting customers onto SharePoint or helping them migrate from an older version to a newer one can run into the hundreds of thousands of dollars, he says. As for Sharegate itself, it's grown into a global operation, with thousands of customers. Sharegate sells its software and services for as much as $7,000 per customer. And that SharePoint community shows no signs of slowing. Just last weekend, Niaulin says, a SharePoint Saturday event in Minneapolis drew 500 people even while the rest of the city celebrated the legacy of departed rock legend and famous local Prince. NOW WATCH: 6 little-known Excel shortcuts that will impress your boss More From Business Insider From ELLE The piece below is an op-ed from Melanie Elturk, the CEO of Haute Hijab, an online retailer for modest fashion. In March, Marks & Spencer announced they will begin selling the burkini, or Islamic swimsuit for women, in UK stores. The suit, already on sale online and in places like Dubai and Libya, will serve a growing market of Muslim consumers who want to enjoy a day at the beach without compromising their beliefs. Awesome, right? Not if you're French Minister for Women's Rights Laurence Rossignol, who compared Muslim women who wear the garment to the "American negroes" who supported slavery. "What's at stake," she stated, "is social control over women's bodies. When brands invest in this Islamic garment market, they arepromoting women's bodies being locked up." Pierre Berge, partner of the late Yves Saint Laurent, also condemned the project, describing it as promoting the "enslavement of women." "Designers are there to make women more beautiful," he stated, "not to collaborate with this dictatorship which imposes this abominable thing by which we hide women and make them live a hidden life." Further he added, "We must teach [Muslim] women to revolt, to take their clothes off, to learn to live like most of the women in the rest of the world." As a Muslim woman who chooses to wear the hijab and owns a burkini, it seems to me that this kind of rhetoric is also a form of social control. Enslavement of women also includes telling women they must take their clothes off. Just as women have the right to wear next to nothing, so, too, do women of all backgrounds have the right to wear more clothing whether that means they cover up at at the beach or wear a hijab over their hair. As Hanna Yusuf pointed out in The Guardian, "If pressure to wear the hijab is seen as oppression, and rightly so, why is social pressure or legal pressure to not wear it excused as female emancipation?" She adds, "This pseudo-feminist argument goes against the feminist values it claims to defend." It is true that many Muslim-majority countries are terrible examples for female empowerment. In Saudi Arabia, women obtained the right to vote just last year and in some remote parts of Afghanistan, women do not attend school. But this poor treatment of women has more to do with cultural and tribal practices rather than religious edicts. If we're speaking about conditions in the West, Muslim women are an active and empowered segment of society. According to the Gallup Center for Muslim Studies, which released an in-depth analysis of Muslim Americans, Muslim American women are one of the most highly educated female religious groups in the United States and are more likely to work in professional fields than their female counterparts. As a result, Muslim women have the highest degree of economic gender parity of any religious group. In the UK, a record of 13 Muslim members of Parliament were elected in Britain's general elections8 of them were women. If Rossignol and Berge understood the Western Muslim woman that they claim to be advocating for, they would not be so quick to say that she's "enslaved" or living a "hidden life." Instead, they would understand she's using the liberties afforded her to choose what part of her body is private or public. By covering up, Muslim women privatize their sexuality and reclaim control over their bodies from a society that seeks to objectify it. This simple fact is threatening to many, including the power structures that seek to gain from this very objectification. Kudos to Marks & Spencer for allowing women the ability to decide for themselves how they want to dress at the beach and for responding to a rapidly growing market that has demonstrated buying power in the hundreds of billions. Dolce & Gabbana knows this; they introduced an abaya line back in January. Tommy Hilfiger and DKNY know this; they offer Ramadan collections. And now Marks & Spencer's has shown that they know this, too. Muslim women, particularly those living in the West, know what they want. They are intelligent enough to choose for themselves how they want to dress. To assume they are forced into covering their body and hair is patronizing and downright ignorant. Instead, let's allow every woman the freedom to choose for herself what to think and how to dress. Melanie Elturk is the CEO of Haute Hijab, an online retailer for modest fashion. By Megan Rowling and Tom Esslemont LONDON (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - U.N. officials, aid workers and government representatives are expected to examine ways of overcoming the biggest obstacles to the delivery of aid in conflict and disasters at the first-ever World Humanitarian Summit in Istanbul later this month. Convened by U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, the summit comes as aid officials warn of ever-growing humanitarian needs due to crises ranging from Syria's conflict to more extreme weather and rising seas as the planet warms. Ahead of the May 23-24 meeting, the Thomson Reuters Foundation interviewed the head of the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), Stephen O'Brien, and his predecessors Valerie Amos (2010-2015), John Holmes (2007-2010) and Jan Egeland (2003-2006) on the changing face of humanitarian response. Q: Which parts of the humanitarian system need the most urgent reform? O'Brien: There is a need for us to work very hard towards collective outcomes, meaning getting more multi-year programming, more multi-year financing and not just meeting immediate needs, but also more medium- to long-term needs. How do we empower local people, working more collectively, in collaboration with local NGOs and others? But at the same time there has to continue to be accountability/transparency. Amos: If you look at protracted crises... you need a way of thinking about them which goes beyond the humanitarian. Look at places like Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) or Somalia, where humanitarian interventions have gone on year after year after year. You cannot say that the DRC is not in need of humanitarian assistance and yet so much of the focus is on those pockets of the DRC where you do have that humanitarian need. Then you have the big peacekeeping bit of it. The result is that the development bit gets squeezed and so does the governance bit, including all the work that needs to be done on the rule of law ... to give the people of the DRC the confidence that it is moving in the right direction. Holmes: We still need to go more local, in terms of strengthening local capacity and mentoring local NGOs and encouraging local civil society. But there are limits to that, because in conflict situations, locals are sometimes part of the problem - often intimidated by the (warring parties) and can't therefore act so well. We need to overcome the humanitarian-development divide... it's dead easy to say and extremely hard to do. But we need to get away from situations where the humanitarians go in and stop the worst, and then the money dries up, we disappear again, and the underlying causes have not really been tackled, and we're back again in three or five years doing the same thing. I think we are still not technologically innovative enough. The system is so busy fighting fires that... the capacity to do research and development, and to make use of IT innovations and somehow to mobilise all those clever people in Silicon Valley or Silicon Roundabout to volunteer their services, to provide some apps which could really start to fix some of our problems not enough of it has happened. Egeland: Principles, protection and proximity. The humanitarian principles have to be promoted and defended more. I find them attacked, politicised, militarised. Where we are failing is not assistance, it's protection - where we keep people alive but we don't defend them. (On proximity) It's true that there are too many aid workers in capital cities, in easily reached places, and in the places where the cameras are easily at hand. We are still unpredictable in being there according to needs. Q: What will drive humanitarian needs in the next 20 years? O'Brien: We ... know that even with mitigation measures on climate change, we will still have climate effects, we will still have natural disasters. Amos: I think these conflicts will continue. (And) I think it is the complexity of climate-related disasters. So you have a country which will have a conflict in one part, which is affected by a climate-related shock, which is ongoing, where you might have a drought every five years and now it is every other year, and as a result of climate change it is probably going to be every year. So this mass movement of people as a result of that. Holmes: In terms of more and more intense (weather) events, what we always said would happen is happening ... At the same time, this is being dwarfed by what is happening on the conflict side. We used to say 70 percent of humanitarian aid went to the victims of conflict, and now I think it is 80 percent Egeland: Longer-term we are going to have this lethal cocktail of natural disasters, weak and bad governance, and internal strife that will make humanitarian work extremely challenging and extremely important, and where we will need to be very principled and high-quality in our work. Q: What single piece of advice would you give to future OCHA chiefs? O'Brien: The only thing I can say is be aware there aren't enough hours in the day. Amos: Your focus has got to be on getting the best out of people - so there has to be clarity of vision. It has to be a shared vision. When you are working at that kind of speed, with so many crises and working with so many different stakeholders, you have to have a sense of what motivates all those different actors and how you can actually bring about change and reform in a very crowded environment. Holmes: Go and see for yourself what's going on, talk to the people who are actually involved in it, and suffering it. Because only then do you understand it, only then can you talk about it with authority, and only then can you have the right influence that you need on the rest of the system, on donor governments and on public opinion because you're speaking from real knowledge. Talk to the difficult people but also talk to them privately. It's all very well denouncing them publicly, and sometimes they need that. But if they think you are just grandstanding for the sake of it, they don't take much notice of you. Egeland: It is the basic leadership dilemma, really. You have to try to set the agenda yourself, not let everybody else set your agenda. There are so many actors, there are so many voices, there are so many competing demands that, in the end, one becomes too much (an) administrator of response to others' priorities instead of being a leader in the areas where you see change is needed. Get time to ask yourself and others: "What are we not doing that we should be doing now?" For more on the World Humanitarian Summit, please visit: http://news.trust.org/spotlight/reshape-aid (Reporting by Megan Rowling and Tom Esslemont; editing by Katie Nguyen; Please credit the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the charitable arm of Thomson Reuters, that covers humanitarian news, women's rights, trafficking, property rights and climate change. Visit http://news.trust.org to see more stories) OnDeck might not have been ready for the major leagues. Shares of OnDeck Capital were down 34% on Tuesday, to $5.50. That caps a tumble that has left the stock off 70% since its IPO nearly a year-and-a-half ago. The source of the pain on Tuesday for the online lender was its first quarter earnings. On Monday afternoon, OnDeck said it lost nearly $13 million in Q1, up from a loss of just over $5 million a year ago. The loss was also larger than analysts were expecting. The $13 million loss is far from life-threatening, though it is concerning. OnDeck blew through $28 million in cash in the first quarter, though it still has $170 million in the bank. The bigger concern is its business model. OnDeck makes loans to small businesses. And lending has been going well. Loans rose by $100 million in the past year. Originally the thought was OnDeck and others were going to eat the lunch of the large banks which are lumbering and weighed down by regulations. Historically it has sold many of those loans off to investors. Yet, in the first quarter the percentage of loans that OnDeck offloaded to investors fell to 26% from 40% a year ago. Whats more, the profits OnDeck got from selling the loans dropped. The problem is that the fintech lenders are having more difficulty finding buyers for their loans. And investors seem to be nervous this is not just an OnDeck problem. Shares of Lending Club dropped 10% on Tuesday on fears that it will report the same problem when it discloses what it earned in the first quarter next week. Other fintech lenders have been struggling with what to do about the fact that buyers for their loans--hedge funds and other investors--appear to be drying up. Another fintech lender SoFi has started a hedge fund with its own money to invest in the loans it is making. Putting the loans in a hedge fund makes the loans effectively disappear from their books, even though Sofi still owns the risk. The arrangement has reminded some of the types of deals Bear Stearns and others set up in the run up to the financial crisis. Story continues As long as the market and regulators treat OnDeck and its rivals as tech companies none of this might be a problem. But regulators have started to hint that they are going to take a closer look at fintech companies and whether they should be regulated like banks. If regulators decide they should be, then OnDeck and others will have to meet the same capital rules that banks do, which will put a ceiling on how much they can lend, if they cant find genuine third-party investors willing to take a good deal of that risk off of their hands. At the same time, investors no longer seem willing, like they do with other tech stocks, like say Amazon, to stick around while OnDeck continues to have losses. That doesnt mean the stock is cheap. OnDecks shares, after Tuesdays drop, have a price-to-book ratio of 1.20. J.P. Morgan Chase , by comparison, which has invested in OnDeck, has a P/B ratio of 1.05. OnDecks shares would drop to $4.80 if it traded at a similar multiple. But even that might be generous. Bank of Americas P/B is 0.7. If OnDecks shares traded at that multiple, they would sink to $3.20. If OnDeck is going to be treated more like a bank, the problem is shares will likely trade like one too. See original article on Fortune.com More from Fortune.com Spirit Airlines' 1Q16 Earnings Analysis: Whats in Store for 2016? (Continued from Prior Part) Debt at nominal levels Spirit Airlines (SAVE) had no debt until 4Q14. Since then, debt has increased. As a result, Spirit Airlines debt-to-EBITDA ratio has also increased from 0.72x at the start of 2015 to 1.21x at the end of 1Q16. However, it still has more cash than debt on its balance sheet, resulting in a net-debt-to-EBITDA ratio of -0.33. This is still lower than most of its peers. At the end of 1Q16, American Airlines (AAL) had a net debt to EBITDA ratio of 1.86x, United Continental (UAL) had a ratio of 1.1x, Delta Air Lines (DAL) had a ratio of 0.57x, Southwest Airlines (LUV) had a ratio of -0.05x, and Alaska Air Group (ALK) had a ratio of -0.55x. At the end of 2015, Allegiant Travel (ALGT) had a net-debt-to-EBITDA ratio of 0.66x, and JetBlue Airways (JBLU) had a ratio of 0.62x. Because the airline industry is capital intensive, airlines tend to have high debts on their balance sheets. However, airlines also often make use of operating leases for their most expensive purchase, aircraft. Operating lease is an off balance sheet financing where an asset is leased for a period less than its economic life without any transfer of ownership. We should thus analyze airlines leverage ratio adjusting for the impact of these leases. Spirit Airlines net debt plus operating leases to EBITDAR (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and rental costs) ratio at the end of fiscal 2015 was at 1.8x. This number is higher than other low-cost carriers like JetBlue Airways (JBLU), Southwest Airlines (LUV), and Allegiant Travel (ALGT), which were at 1.3x, 0.8x, and 0.7x, respectively. But its lower than American Airlines (AAL) and United Continental (UAL) at 3.4x and 3.1x, respectively. Outlook Spirit Airlines low leverage is currently not a concern, but its still important for investors to track SAVEs leverage, in case it increases to unmanageable levels. Story continues The airline industry fundamentals have improved tremendously, and margins are expected to have reached their peak. If margins decline as analysts estimate, reduced cash flows will make it difficult to make interest payments, leaving little to nothing on the table for investors. On the other hand, if SAVE does manage to maintain this balance between debt and cash, it would put SAVE in a much better position than peers with significant debt. Investors can gain exposure to airline stocks by investing in the iShares Transportation Average ETF (IYT), which invests ~21% of its portfolio in airlines. Continue to Next Part Browse this series on Market Realist: When I got engaged last August, I spent a lot of time thinking about what my ideal feminist marriage would look like. I pictured "having it all:" "You see, bitches?! I really can have it all!" I'd cry, cackling as fellow guests and have-it-all-ers Sheryl Sandberg and Marissa Mayer looked on approvingly. Like many millennial women, I viewed the ability to balance a career with a family life . But recently, I've been thinking that the above scenarios sound fucking exhausting. I don't want the ultimate feminist marriage. I don't want to have it all. I want what Donald and Melania Trump have. Source: Mic/Getty Images I'm not the only person scrutinizing the Trumps' marriage right now. As of Tuesday, May 3, 2016, Donald Trump is the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, meaning he is one of two people who will be elected President of the United States of America. This, in turn, means Melania is closer than ever to becoming First Lady, a scenario depicted in a recent profile of Melania in GQ. As written by Julia Ioffe, the piece depicts a marriage that is, at face value, the polar opposite of a 21st century union. Ioffe quotes Melania discussing, at length, how she assumes responsibility for all domestic labors, because the two "know [their] roles. I didn't want him to change the diapers or put [son] Barron to bed." The piece goes on to describe Donald's apparent glee at having found a wife willing to take a backseat to his political ambitions, who doesn't appear to have any ambition at all. Melania as little more than a sentient pair of breast implants; in fact, Jia Tolentino of Jezebel recently wrote that Melania is "so studiously proud, vapid and absent that she resists close analysis.") To hear Trump tell it, Melania doesn't even have a working intestinal system Ioffe quotes Trump boasting on the Howard Stern Show in Story continues As a feminist (and as someone who spends a fair amount of time describing my bowel movements with my partner), this point of view is anathema to me. To be expected to cede my career ambitions to a lifetime of raising bratty little blond boys and to be expected to limit my bodily functions while doing so does not sound appealing. clearly defined division of labor in their marriage, how both partners have negotiated their terms to carve out their own spaces for each other and for themselves. To me, the Trumps represent not the 21st century ideal of an equal-footed, feminist relationship, but a more complicated (and, frankly, interesting) conception of marriage: that two people can enter a partnership carving out specific roles, and maintain a harmonious domestic balance accordingly. They are not two halves of the same whole, so much as they are two complementary pieces in a 1,200-piece jigsaw puzzle reproduction of an abstract expressionist painting. "The Trumps represent not the 21st century ideal of an equal-footed, feminist relationship, but a more complicated (and, frankly, interesting) conception of marriage." T , Plenty of women are perfectly content pulling Melanias and staying at home to change the diapers: in fact, according to a 2014 Pew poll, the number of stay-at-home moms has been steadily on the rise. Yet it's considered not only antifeminist, but anti-woman, to admit that you want this life or this marriage. When women like Big Bang Theory star Kaley Cuoco, who told a reporter she did not consider herself a feminist because she "liked the idea of women taking care of their men," or Ryshell Castleberry, the author of a controversial Facebook tribute to stay-at-home moms, admit they prefer to lean into domesticity, they are roundly slammed. Never mind the fact that feminism is supposed to give women more pathways for how to live, rather than forcing all of us to travel down one road; never mind that these are personal preferences and not a prescription for how other women should live. For women, than as, say, the COO of Facebook which is why Melania will always be seen as little more than Slovenian arm candy to her bloviating merkin of a husband. Source: Mic/Getty Images I don't want to be Melania Trump when I get married. I am not a paragon of icy inscrutability, all sharp angles and leonine hair and cheekbones. I don't want to take a backseat to the ambitions of my partner; I am too loud and too needy and too ambitious for that. And I certainly would not consider it a point of pride not to ever defecate in his presence (in fact, I'd probably consider it impetus to go to the doctor). What I do want to emulate, though and what I think all spouses should emulate is the obvious respect she has and support she is willing to provide for her husband, a picture that Ioffe draws at the end of her GQ profile, in which a woman who is clearly reticent to take the spotlight as political wife does so gracefully: M Questionable accuracy of the kicker aside, clearly this is a woman who is reticent to take the spotlight as a political wife and yet she does so gracefully, because she knows it is what is needed from her at this moment in her husband's life. And whether your partner is running for President or debating whether to take a job in another city or going through a personal health crisis, this is a lesson that all spouses can take to heart. We might think it's sexist for Melania to take pride in her diaper-changing and bowel movement-suppressing abilities. We might decry her lack of political ambition even though there's nothing in the constitution to suggest that every first lady needs to have a finger in the public policy pie. (Were I married to the president, I would not spend the vast majority of my time advising him on issues of diplomacy; I'd probably just try on ballgowns and make the White House chef feed me chicken with his bare hands.) And we might mock her for her professional rich-girl career of designing jewelry and watches, as Ioffe does, but... well, actually, we can mock her for that, because her jewelry line is fucking hideo. By Topher Seguin GREGOIRE LAKE, Alberta (Reuters) - A massive wildfire that has forced the evacuation of all 88,000 people in the western Canadian oil city of Fort McMurray and burned down 1,600 structures has the potential to destroy much of the town, authorities said on Wednesday. With a few neighborhoods already in ruins, worsening fire conditions Wednesday pushed walls of flames towards thousands of more homes in the northeastern Alberta town, in the heart of Canada's oil sands region. Authorities said there had been no known casualties from the blaze itself, but fatalities were reported in at least one car crash among the evacuees. Thousands bunked down in arenas, hockey rinks and oil work camps, often short on fuel and food. Crews meanwhile had been unable to stop the fire, which has charred 18,500 acres (7,500 hectares) since it erupted on Sunday and exploded in ferocity. "It is a possibility that we may lose a large portion of the town," said Scott Long, an official with Alberta's emergency management agency. Major oil sands facilities were not in the path of the flames, but companies' efforts to help employees and evacuees and protect pipelines led to a decline in production. Images from the neighborhood of Beacon Hill in the city's southeast showed rows of charred house foundations, their upper stories burned to the ground, and blankets of white ash within. Officials said 80 percent of houses in the neighborhood, nearly 600 in total, were destroyed. The regional government said two other neighborhoods, Abasand and Waterways, had sustained "serious loss." Alberta Premier Rachel Notley said a total of about 1,600 structures have been destroyed in Fort McMurray."There are certainly areas within the city that have not been burned, but this fire will look for them and it will find them and it will want to take them. And our challenge today is to prevent," said Chief Darby Allen of the Fort McMurray fire department. The province declared a state of emergency for what was shaping up to be Canada's costliest natural disaster. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the military can deploy air force planes to the stricken city as needed. Fort McMurray International Airport suspended all commercial flights in and out of the city. Queen Elizabeth, Canada's head of state, said in a message that she and her husband Prince Philip were "shocked and saddened" by news of the fire. "Our thoughts and prayers are with all those who have been affected," she said. 'EXTREME WILDFIRE BEHAVIOR' It was the second major blaze in the oil sands region in a year. Last May, wildfires led to the evacuation of hundreds of workers from the region, and a 9 percent cut in Alberta's oil sands output. The wildfire's knock-on effects on oil sands operations escalated on Wednesday, with five companies including Suncor Energy and Husky Energy reporting reduced production either because workers had been affected by the mass evacuations or because of precautionary pipeline shutdowns. The total impact on crude production volumes was not immediately clear. Oil prices briefly rose on concerns about reduced output from the Canadian oil sands before paring gains on Wednesday. Officials said very hot and dry conditions meant "extreme wildfire behavior" on all fronts around the fire late Wednesday. "We expect this fire to be going on and challenging firefighters to well into the evening tonight," said Chad Morrison, senior manager with Alberta's Wildlife, Agriculture and Forestry. The Canadian Red Cross said evacuees were calling the organization for help getting food and water. A highway closure on Tuesday forced most evacuees to drive north, away from major cities. By Wednesday morning, the highway had reopened, but fuel had run out, stranding evacuees seeking to drive out of Fort McMurray. Alberta's transportation department said it was escorting a fuel tanker north to help stranded drivers. With some fleeing north to work camps operated by energy companies and others clogging the one highway south out of the city, evacuees scrambled to find gasoline and a place to sleep as ash rained down upon the roads and the smell of soot permeated the air. Twitter filled with offers of free food, housing and animal care as worried evacuees asked officials and strangers alike about the status of their homes. Two babies were born at one evacuation center on Tuesday. The conflaguration drew immediate comparisons to one that hit Slave Lake, Alberta in 2011, forcing 7,000 to evacuate and destroying more than 300 buildings. Insured damage was more than C$700 million, making Slave Lake one of the most expensive insured disasters in the country's history. But Fort McMurray is a much larger settlement than Slave Lake, with some 125,000 people in the region. Wildfires were also raging in neighboring British Columbia on Wednesday, including a massive 9,000 hectare blaze in the province's northeast that was threatening to spread across the border to Alberta, the B.C. Wildfire Service said. (Reporting by Nia Williams in Calgary, Julie Gordon in Vancouver, Leah Schnurr and David Ljunggren in Ottawa and Allison Martell, Ethan Lou, Andrea Hopkins, Fergal Smith and Amran Abocar in Toronto; Writing by Amran Abocar and Dan Whitcomb; Editing by Will Dunham and Mary Milliken) (Adds details of fire, flights affected, quotes from officials and background) By Nia Williams CALGARY, Alberta, May 3 (Reuters) - An uncontrolled wildfire burning near Fort McMurray in northern Alberta, the heart of Canada's oil sands region, has forced the evacuation of nearly all the city's 80,000 residents, local authorities said on Tuesday. A number of flights from Fort McMurray airport were cancelled and the airport advised passengers to check with their airlines for updates. "This is the biggest evacuation we have seen in the history of the province in terms of fire," said Alberta Premier Rachel Notley. However, the 2,650-hectare (6,540-acre) fire, which was discovered on May 1, is not close to any oil sands facilities, according to Alberta government online maps. The blaze, which started southwest of Fort McMurray, spread rapidly on Tuesday to the outskirts of the city, forcing the evacuation of the downtown area and almost every community in the lower town on the banks of the Clearwater and Athabasca rivers. TV footage and photographs on Twitter showed flames and smoke billowing over the city and traffic heading north on the highway to safety, while CTV News reported a trailer park had been destroyed. By late afternoon, the fire had blocked off one major route out of town, closing Highway 63 south of downtown. The local government told residents to drive north towards the oil sands camps. "Be calm. Be prepared. Be ready to move politely in traffic to a safe destination," said mayor of the Wood Buffalo region Melissa Blake on Twitter. Some residents were evacuated to Noralta Lodge, an oil sands camp 21 kilometres (13 miles) north of Fort McMurray. "Tomorrow is expected to be a more intense burning day than today is," said Bruce Mayer, assistant deputy minister of Alberta's Forestry Division. Mayer said that nine air tankers, more than a dozen helicopters and more than 100 firefighters were battling the fire. This is the second major fire around the city in less than a year. Last May, wildfires in the area led to the evacuation of hundreds of workers from Canada's energy heartland, leading to a 9 percent cut in Alberta's oil sands output at the time. Story continues Earlier on Tuesday authorities said the wildfire jumped the Athabasca river and breached Highway 63, the main artery south from the isolated city, which is located around 430 km (267 miles) northeast of Alberta's capital, Edmonton. Authorities are now expecting a cold front to reach Fort McMurray by Wednesday afternoon, bringing increased winds that will make tomorrow a more difficult fire-fighting day than today. Most oil sands facilities are to the north and east of the city, with the closest being Suncor Energy's base plant roughly 30 km (17 miles) away. A Suncor spokesman said there were no current impact on operations. Will Gibson, a spokesman for the Syncrude project, which has its facility around 40 km (25 miles) north of the city, said operations were unaffected. The evacuations last year led to shutdowns by Cenovus Energy and Canadian Natural Resources Ltd at some of their projects. (Additional reporting by Euan Rocha and Allison Martell in Toronto; Editing by Andrew Hay, Sandra Maler and Bernard Orr) * Fort McMurray in the heart of Canada's oil sands region * Commercial flights in and out of city halted (Adds state of emergency declared; fatalities in car crashes) By Topher Seguin GREGOIRE LAKE, Alberta, May 4 (Reuters) - A massive wildfire that has forced the evacuation of all 88,000 people in the western Canadian oil city of Fort McMurray and burned down 1,600 structures has the potential to destroy much of the town, authorities said on Wednesday. With a few neighborhoods already in ruins, worsening fire conditions Wednesday pushed walls of flames towards thousands of more homes in the northeastern Alberta town, in the heart of Canada's oil sands region. Authorities said there had been no known casualties from the blaze itself, but fatalities were reported in at least one car crash among the evacuees. Thousands bunked down in arenas, hockey rinks and oil work camps, often short on fuel and food. Crews meanwhile had been unable to stop the fire, which has charred 18,500 acres (7,500 hectares) since it erupted on Sunday and exploded in ferocity. "It is a possibility that we may lose a large portion of the town," said Scott Long, an official with Alberta's emergency management agency. Major oil sands facilities were not in the path of the flames, but companies' efforts to help employees and evacuees and protect pipelines led to a decline in production. Images from the neighborhood of Beacon Hill in the city's southeast showed rows of charred house foundations, their upper stories burned to the ground, and blankets of white ash within. Officials said 80 percent of houses in the neighborhood, nearly 600 in total, were destroyed. The regional government said two other neighborhoods, Abasand and Waterways, had sustained "serious loss." Alberta Premier Rachel Notley said a total of about 1,600 structures have been destroyed in Fort McMurray. "There are certainly areas within the city that have not been burned, but this fire will look for them and it will find them and it will want to take them. And our challenge today is to prevent," said Chief Darby Allen of the Fort McMurray fire department. Story continues The province declared a state of emergency for what was shaping up to be Canada's costliest natural disaster. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the military can deploy air force planes to the stricken city as needed. Fort McMurray International Airport suspended all commercial flights in and out of the city. Queen Elizabeth, Canada's head of state, said in a message that she and her husband Prince Philip were "shocked and saddened" by news of the fire. "Our thoughts and prayers are with all those who have been affected," she said. 'EXTREME WILDFIRE BEHAVIOR' It was the second major blaze in the oil sands region in a year. Last May, wildfires led to the evacuation of hundreds of workers from the region, and a 9 percent cut in Alberta's oil sands output. The wildfire's knock-on effects on oil sands operations escalated on Wednesday, with five companies including Suncor Energy and Husky Energy reporting reduced production either because workers had been affected by the mass evacuations or because of precautionary pipeline shutdowns. The total impact on crude production volumes was not immediately clear. Oil prices briefly rose on concerns about reduced output from the Canadian oil sands before paring gains on Wednesday. Officials said very hot and dry conditions meant "extreme wildfire behavior" on all fronts around the fire late Wednesday. "We expect this fire to be going on and challenging firefighters to well into the evening tonight," said Chad Morrison, senior manager with Alberta's Wildlife, Agriculture and Forestry. The Canadian Red Cross said evacuees were calling the organization for help getting food and water. A highway closure on Tuesday forced most evacuees to drive north, away from major cities. By Wednesday morning, the highway had reopened, but fuel had run out, stranding evacuees seeking to drive out of Fort McMurray. Alberta's transportation department said it was escorting a fuel tanker north to help stranded drivers. With some fleeing north to work camps operated by energy companies and others clogging the one highway south out of the city, evacuees scrambled to find gasoline and a place to sleep as ash rained down upon the roads and the smell of soot permeated the air. Twitter filled with offers of free food, housing and animal care as worried evacuees asked officials and strangers alike about the status of their homes. Two babies were born at one evacuation center on Tuesday. The conflaguration drew immediate comparisons to one that hit Slave Lake, Alberta in 2011, forcing 7,000 to evacuate and destroying more than 300 buildings. Insured damage was more than C$700 million, making Slave Lake one of the most expensive insured disasters in the country's history. But Fort McMurray is a much larger settlement than Slave Lake, with some 125,000 people in the region. Wildfires were also raging in neighbouring British Columbia on Wednesday, including a massive 9,000 hectare blaze in the province's northeast that was threatening to spread across the border to Alberta, the B.C. Wildfire Service said. (Reporting by Nia Williams in Calgary, Julie Gordon in Vancouver, Leah Schnurr and David Ljunggren in Ottawa and Allison Martell, Ethan Lou, Andrea Hopkins, Fergal Smith and Amran Abocar in Toronto; Writing by Amran Abocar and Dan Whitcomb; Editing by Will Dunham and Mary Milliken) Residents of Fort McMurray were ordered to evacuate late Tuesday as a wildfire threatened the city, which lies in Canadas oil sands region. The entire population of about 80,000 was put under a mandatory evacuation order at 6:20 p.m. as the fire that started to the southwest of Fort McMurray advanced towards the city. This is the biggest evacuation we have seen in the history of the province in terms of fire, Alberta Premier Rachel Notley said at a news conference, according to Reuters. Fleeing residents have congested Highway 63, the major artery to and from the city. The routes southern arm was cut off by the blaze, according to Reuters. Some flights have been cancelled at the Fort McMurray airport. The blaze was first discovered on May 1, and is expected to burn more intensely on Wednesday, Reuters reported the assistant deputy minister of Albertas Forestry Division as saying. Alberta has appealed to neighboring provinces to help control the fire and direct residents to safety. [Reuters] Good morning, WMPW readers! Isabelle Kocher has become the only CEO of a CAC40 company, New Zealands Helen Clark has launched her bid for the UNs top job, and Adele makes yet another list of powerful people. Need to spread some news about a powerful woman? Get in touch, at: laura.cohn@gmail.com or @laurascohn. Enjoy your Wednesday! See original article on Fortune.com More from Fortune.com THE BIG STORY [bs-title]French woman cracks CAC40 ceiling[/bs-title] [bs-content]French energy exec Isabelle Kocher has just been annointed CEO of Engie, making her the only woman to head a company in the benchmark CAC40 stock index. Before her promotion, Kocher was deputy to former chief Gerard Mestrallet and also served as CFO. While the number of female CEOs in Europe has edged up a bit in recent years, it is still relatively rare. Kocher, one of Fortune's Most Powerful Women, is the first woman to head a CAC40 firm since Patricia Russo led Alcatel-Lucent eight years ago. Kocher is well known in the business community, and the French press says her early moves will be watched closely.[/bs-content][bs-link link="http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-05-02/french-energy-titan-seeks-cultural-revolution-from-youthful-ceo" source="Bloomberg"] [bs-share text="Rising in France via @FortuneMagazine's World's Most Powerful Women newsletter" link="http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-05-02/french-energy-titan-seeks-cultural-revolution-from-youthful-ceo"] EUROPE/MIDDLE EAST/AFRICA [bs-title]Adele, powerful mum[/bs-title] [bs-content]A list of the 50 Most Powerful Moms is out, and it includes a number of names well known by regular readers of WMPW. Naturally, the roster includes Adele, Beyonce, and Chelsea Clinton. But it also features members of Fortune's Most Powerful Women, such as Abigail Johnson, Sheryl Sandberg, and Margarita Louis-Dreyfus.[/bs-content] [bs-link link="http://time.com/4316060/beyonce-adele-50-most-powerful-moms/?xid=homepage" source="Time"] [bs-seperator] Story continues [bs-title]Silicon Valley of Africa[/bs-title] [bs-content]Tunisian entrepreneur Leila Ben Gacem is trying to breathe life back into her country's economy by hiring artists and designers for her company Blue Fish, a consultancy that helps small creative businesses market and brand themselves. Despite a challenging geopolitical and economic environment, Tunis has been called the "Silicon Valley of Africa."[/bs-content] [bs-link link="http://nytlive.nytimes.com/womenintheworld/2016/05/02/meet-the-woman-fighting-extremism-in-tunisia-by-creating-job-opportunities/" source="New York Times"] [bs-seperator] [bs-title]Calling the nanny state[/bs-title] [bs-content]Has the workplace become less friendly for pregnant women and new mothers in the U.K.? A new study says such women increasingly face discriminatory practices such as reduced hours and the termination of contracts.[/bs-content] [bs-link link="http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-36185776" source="BBC"] ASIA-PACIFIC [bs-title]Shooting for the top job[/bs-title] [bs-content]Former New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark launched her bid to become the first woman to lead the United Nations by talking about gender. Clark, one of four women up for secretary general, said she "never asked for supporters because I'm a woman." Clark is expected to travel to each of the five countries on the UN Security Council to promote her campaign.[/bs-content][bs-link link="http://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/may/03/peace-matters-to-women-helen-clark-launches-campaign-to-lead-un" source="Guardian"] [bs-seperator] [bs-title]Spreading goodwill[/bs-title] [bs-content]In other UN news, Australian actress Cate Blanchett was named a goodwill ambassador for the UN refugee agency. Blanchett joins a list of Hollywood female stars, such as Mira Sorvino, Angelina Jolie, and Emma Watson, who've held such positions.[/bs-content] [bs-link link="http://www.theguardian.com/film/2016/may/03/cate-blanchett-appointed-united-nations-goodwill-ambassador" source="Guardian"] THE AMERICAS [bs-title]Carly Fiorina sets a record[/bs-title][bs-content]Now that Ted Cruz has exited the U.S. presidential race, Carly Fiorina has set a record, albeit of a dubious sort. She just wrapped up the shortest vice presidential run in U.S. history.[/bs-content] [bs-link link="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2016/05/03/carly-fiorina-and-the-shortest-vice-presidential-candidacy-in-modern-history/" source="Washington Post"] [bs-seperator] [bs-title]A serious FLOTUS?[/bs-title][bs-content]In the latest profile of Melania Trump, The New Yorker reports the potential First Lady is "privately pleasant," but never cracks a joke about her husband. Instead, she is loyal to a tee. Of his famous hairdo, she has said, "I like him the way he is."[/bs-content] [bs-link link="http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2016/05/09/who-is-melania-trump" source="New Yorker"] [bs-seperator] [bs-title]Flexibility that built an empire[/bs-title] [bs-content]When Stella & Dot CEO Jessica Herrin started her company 13 years ago (while pregnant), she says her main goal was to create an "opportunity for women that was more flexible." Inspired by makeup company Mary Kay, Herrin has turned the accessories company into a multi-million dollar business. She has achieved her goal--and then some.[/bs-content] [bs-link link="http://www.cbsnews.com/news/stella-dot-ceo-jessica-herrin-on-building-accessories-shopping-empire/" source="CBS"][bs-seperator] [bs-title]Apres un bebe[/bs-title] [bs-content]A new job marketplace called "Apres" is aimed at women who are re-entering the workforce after having a baby. The site, cofounded by Jennifer Gefsky and Niccole Kroll, is expected to launch today.[/bs-content] [bs-link link="http://www.fastcompany.com/3059473/the-linkedin-for-women-who-have-taken-a-career-break" source="Fast Company"] IN BRIEF [bs-title size="small"]Early polls show Hillary Clinton would trump Trump in election[/bs-title][bs-link link="http://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/04/upshot/trump-would-have-uphill-battle-against-clinton.html?ref=politics" source="New York Times"] [bs-title size="small"]New Bloomberg gender equality index reveals who's investing in women[/bs-title][bs-link link="http://fortune.com/2016/05/03/bloomberg-gender-equality-index/" source="Fortune"] [bs-title size="small"]How to put Marissa Mayer's potential $55m payout into context[/bs-title][bs-link link="http://fortune.com/2016/05/03/putting-marissa-mayers-55-million-potential-exit-pay-into-context/" source="Fortune"] [bs-title size="small"]Women in tech and finance have a harder time getting pregnant[/bs-title][bs-link link="http://fortune.com/2016/05/03/women-tech-ivf-pregnancy/" source="Fortune"] [bs-title size="small"]The chief digital officer of New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art says he's boycotting all-male panels[/bs-title][bs-link link="http://www.poynter.org/2016/why-sree-sreenivasan-is-boycotting-all-male-panels/409460/" source="Poynter"] [bs-title size="small"]Women's colleges are still competitive and attractive[/bs-title] [bs-link link="http://nytlive.nytimes.com/womenintheworld/2016/05/02/womens-colleges-remain-competitive-and-desirable-for-female-students/" source="New York Times"] PARTING WORDS [bs-quote link="http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2016/may/02/emma-thompson-i-do-not-want-to-die-before-closing-the-pay-gap" author="-- actress Emma Thompson, referring to London"]I really do not want to die before closing the pay gap, which stands, in our great and supposedly modern capital city, at 23%.[/bs-quote] By Scott Malone PROVIDENCE (Reuters) - The wreckage of the Endeavour, the storied British ship that 18th-century explorer Captain James Cook sailed through the uncharted South Pacific, may lie a few hundred feet off Rhode Island's coast in Newport Harbor, researchers said Wednesday. The 105-foot (32-meter) long, three-masted bark, later renamed the Lord Sandwich, had been hired out by the British Royal Navy as a troop transport when it was one of 13 ships deliberately sunk by the British in 1778 in an effort to blockade the harbor. New research by the Rhode Island Marine Archeology Project indicates it was one of a group of five of the 13 vessels sunk in an effort to prevent French forces from coming to the aid of the rebellious American colonies, said Kathy Abbass, executive director of the Rhode Island Historical Preservation and Heritage Commission. An inspection of the site by RIMAP, in water less than 50 feet (15 m) deep, found the remnants of four ships and an indentation where a fifth may be, Abbass said. They had been positioned to protect a battery of cannon. "When we saw that here's five that were put in front of the north battery, well glory be, we found four of them and there's a hole where the fifth one should be," Abbass told reporters in Providence on Wednesday. "That's pretty significant." Cook sailed the Endeavour with a crew of 94 on a 1768-1771 Pacific expedition that marked the first time Westerners laid eyes on New Zealand and Australia's Great Barrier Reef. The voyage was the first Western expedition through the South Pacific to end with most of the crew alive, said Edward Gray, a Florida State University history professor and author of a 2007 book about John Ledyard, a Connecticut-born man who served on Cook's final Pacific voyage. "Every time Europeans did this, it was an absolute cataclysm," Gray said. "There was no record of anyone exploring the Pacific without massive loss of life." To confirm that the wreckage is in fact that of the Endeavour, RIMAP will need to send divers down to inspect the site, studying the design of the vessels and any debris such as buttons or other equipment to survive that would confirm its identity, Abbass said. The privately funded group estimates it will need to raise about $1 million to complete the fieldwork and another $7.5 million to build a proposed research facility and museum to study and showcase the artifacts. INSPIRATIONAL STORY The story of the Endeavour has inspired subsequent tales of exploration, including the Star Trek television and movie series. One of the United States' former fleet of space shuttles also took the Endeavour's name. There is a replica of the ship at the Australian National Maritime Museum in Sydney. This is not the first time wreckage has been identified as the Endeavour. Another ship was found in an area of the harbor that has since been built over as landfill, that may in fact have been the Resolution, the ship Cook sailed around Antarctica, Abbass said. "It turns out that Rhode Island, specifically Newport, is the home of two vessels that went around the world with Cook," Abbass said. It is not clear how long it will take the researchers to confirm if the wreckage is in fact the Endeavour. "It's a slow journey and a very careful and particular journey," said Charlotte Taylor, with the Rhode Island Historical Preservation and Heritage Commission. "Every step of the way takes time, money, energy." (Reporting by Scott Malone; Editing by Will Dunham and James Dalgleish) Stocks (^DJI, ^GSPC, ^IXIC, ^RUT) are under pressure at midday, with energy (XLE) leading the way down and utilities (XLU) in the green. Keith Bliss of Cuttone & Co. is here to discuss today's market moves. Alexis Christoforous is joined by Yahoo Finance's Dan Roberts and David Nelson, chief strategist at Belpointe Asset Management, to discuss the other stories we're keeping an eye on today. Trump becomes presumptive GOP nominee It seemed like a long shot at first, but Donald Trump is now the presumptive GOP nominee for president. The business mogul beat the rest of the Republican field by a large margin in Indiana, causing Texas Senator Ted Cruz to back out of the race. Trump called Cruz a heck of a competitor with an amazing future and also said that the only thing standing in his way of the White House is Hillary Clinton. What is the blockchain? The technology behind bitcoin has officially gone mainstream. The big blockchain conference in New York City, Consensus, wraps up today, and so far it's charted new territory. Industry leaders mingled with the Street, as the big banks are set to adopt the new technology as part of the payments system revolution. Competitive drone racing gaining in popularity The fast-paced world of drone racing is taking off. They can go as fast as 60 miles per hour, and people cant get enough of them. The drones carry a GoPro-style camera, which puts the spectators in the front seat. Some competitors say theyve spent as much as $10,000 on their custom drones. A competition in Dubai gave a winner $250,000. Get the Latest Market Data and News with the Yahoo Finance App. Donald Trump Donald Trump is now effectively the Republican nominee for president, and The New York Times published a scathing editorial in Wednesday's edition decrying the party's "trek into darkness." The Times called Trump "the most volatile and least prepared presidential candidate nominated by a major party in modern times" and lamented that "a man once ridiculed by many prominent Republicans" will now become the GOP's standard-bearer. The editorial continued: This is a moment of reckoning for the Republican Party. It's incumbent on its leadership to account for the failures and betrayals that led to this, and find a better way to address them than the demagogy on offer. Republicans haven't yet begun to grapple with this. Instead they're falling into line. Republican leaders have for years failed to think about much of anything beyond winning the next election. Year after year, the party's candidates promised help for middle-class people who lost their homes, jobs and savings to recession, who lost limbs and well-being to war, and then did next to nothing. That Mr. Trump was able to enthrall voters by promising simply to "Make America Great Again" but offering only xenophobic, isolationist or fantastical ideas is testimony to how thoroughly they reject the politicians who betrayed them. The editorial concluded: "It is the Republicans who are making a clear choice in 2016, one that seemed unimaginable a year ago: To stamp what they still like to call the party of Lincoln with the brand of Donald Trump." Trump's main Republican rival, Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas, dropped out of the race for the party's nomination Tuesday night after Trump won the Indiana primary. Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus tweeted that Trump had become the presumptive nominee, calling on the party to unite against Trump's likely Democratic challenger, Hillary Clinton. The Indiana win put Trump on a glide path to obtain the 1,237 delegates needed to win the nomination before the party's July convention. Both The Associated Press and NBC News gave Trump at least 45 of the 57 delegates available in the state. With those delegates counted, Trump stood fewer than 200 delegates away from securing the GOP nomination. Story continues Gov. John Kasich of Ohio is Trump's only remaining Republican challenger. He has said he will stay in until Trump reaches the required number of delegates to secure the nomination. Allan Smith contributed to this report. NOW WATCH: Trump just dropped more hints about a possible running mate More From Business Insider YouTube is the latest of a growing number of streaming companies looking to compete in the live TV space. The Google-owned streamer has been developing a new over-the-top service dubbed YouTube Unplugged that would allow subscribers to watch live broadcast and cable TV content without a cable subscription, sources familiar with the plans tell The Hollywood Reporter. Like many digital companies, YouTube has explored an offering like this for a number of years, but these sources say that efforts on YouTube Unplugged have come about more recently. YouTube's renewed interest in creating a live TV service was first reported by The Wall Street Journal in February, but Bloomberg reported Wednesday that the service's target price point is less than $35 and that the streamer is targeting a 2017 launch. According to the report, YouTube has held talks with a number of media companies, including NBCUniversal, Viacom, 21st Century Fox and CBS, but has yet to lock down rights to particular shows or networks. The company is considering several different iterations of bundled content. YouTube is one of several companies that have expressed interest in taking a piece of the cable business. Hulu on Wednesday confirmed its plans for a live streaming TV offering in 2017. The company is said to be in talks with owners Disney, Fox and NBCUniversal about licensing content from their channels. Meanwhile, Dish launched SlingTV last year with a limited content offering for $20 a month, and PlayStation recently went nationwide with its Vue TV streaming service. Apple also has held talks with media companies about a skinny TV bundle, but those efforts appear to have stalled. For its first 10 years, YouTube relied solely on advertising revenue. But the company, led by CEO Susan Wojcicki, has made strides to add new revenue streams, launching ad-free subscription service Red in October. A YouTube spokeswoman declined to comment. For Immediate Release Chicago, IL May 04, 2016 Zacks.com announces the list of stocks featured in the Analyst Blog. Every day the Zacks Equity Research analysts discuss the latest news and events impacting stocks and the financial markets. Stocks recently featured in the blog include the Potash Corp. (POT), CVR Partners (UAN), Mosaic Company (MOS) and CF Industries Holdings, Inc. ( CF). Today, Zacks is promoting its ''Buy'' stock recommendations. Get #1Stock of the Day pick for free. Here are highlights from Tuesdays Analyst Blog: Fertilizer Stocks Reporting Q1 Earnings on May 4 The first-quarter earnings season has crossed the midway point with more and more companies coming out with positive earnings surprises, taking succor from lower estimates and a weakening greenback. Per our latest Earnings Trend report, out of the 310 S&P 500 members that have reported as of last Friday, 71.9% of them have beaten earnings estimates with 57.1% beating on the revenue front. However, total earnings for these companies are down 7.2% year over year on a 2.4% decline in sales. First-quarter earnings for S&P 500 companies are now expected to dip 7.3% year over year on 1.1% lower revenues with the Energy sector being a major drag. A few fertilizer companies are among a bunch of S&P 500 stocks that are lined up to report their quarterly numbers this week. The fertilizer industry falls under the broader Basic Materials sector which is among the sectors that have seen double-digit earnings declines in the first quarter based on the earnings scorecard as of Apr 29. Earnings for the sector participants in the S&P 500 index are down 13% from the same period last year on 9% lower revenues. The Basic Materials sector is also among 9 of the 16 Zacks sectors that are expected to see negative earnings growth in the first quarter with an expected earnings decline of 15.8% on 8.5% lower sales. Nevertheless, the sector is witnessing improved blended beat which is the proportion of companies that beat both revenues and earnings estimates. Blended beat for the sector for the first quarter is 42.9%, which compares favorably to 4-quarter average of 8.9%. The general outlook for the fertilizer industry remains cloudy due to insipid economic growth in certain developing markets. Fertilizer makers continue to face challenges from low farm commodity prices, affecting their margins. Weakness in agricultural commodity prices represents a concern for these companies which is hindering fertilizer use by farmers given the adverse effect of lower crop pricing on growers incomes. Continued downturn in prices of crops (such as corn and soybeans) is weighing on U.S. farm income. Lower farm income unfavorably impacts growers purchasing decisions. Moreover, global capacity expansion continues to exert pressure on urea and other nitrogen fertilizer prices. Elevated supply in the global nitrogen market is pressurizing prices, causing farmers to delay buying activities. The crop protection market also remains under pressure, in part, due to a slowdown in Brazil. Lower insect pressure and reduced seed volumes are contributing to a weakening demand for crop protection products. While some prominent fertilizer names such as Potash Corp. (POT) and CVR Partners ( UAN) have already reported their results last week, a number of players in the space are scheduled to report this week. Lets take a peek at two major fertilizer companies that are warming up to report their results on May 4. The Mosaic Company (MOS), which will report before the bell on May 4, remains exposed to a difficult business environment in agriculture and pricing headwinds. Depressed pricing for potash and phosphate are expected to continue to weigh on its results in the to-be-reported quarter. The companys guidance also indicates a year-over-year fall in sales volumes for phosphate and potash for the first quarter. (Read more: Mosaic Q1: Will Weak Fertilizer Prices Hurt Earnings? ) Story continues Mosaic has an Earnings ESP of -21.43% and a Zacks Rank #5 (Strong Sell), making it difficult to predict an earnings beat. Mosaic has beaten the Zacks Consensus Estimate in 3 of the trailing 4 quarters with an average beat of 12.10%. CF Industries Holdings, Inc. (CF), which will report its first-quarter numbers after the bell on May 4, continues to see pricing pressure in its nitrogen business. Weak prices for nitrogen fertilizers are expected to weigh on its sales and earnings in the first quarter. Abundant global supply is keeping prices under pressure. (Read more: CF Industries: Will Weak Prices Dent Earnings Again? ) CF Industries Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) combined with an Earnings ESP of -11.77% makes surprise prediction difficult. The company has missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate in 2 of the trailing 4 quarters while beating twice with an average negative surprise 9.31%. Stay tuned! Check back later for our earnings coverage of these stocks. Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report >> About Zacks Equity Research Zacks Equity Research provides the best of quantitative and qualitative analysis to help investors know what stocks to buy and which to sell for the long-term. Continuous coverage is provided for a universe of 1,150 publicly traded stocks. Our analysts are organized by industry which gives them keen insights to developments that affect company profits and stock performance. Recommendations and target prices are six-month time horizons. Zacks "Profit from the Pros" e-mail newsletter provides highlights of the latest analysis from Zacks Equity Research. Subscribe to this free newsletter today. Find out What is happening in the stock market today on zacks.com. Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report POTASH SASK (POT): Free Stock Analysis Report CVR PARTNERS LP (UAN): Free Stock Analysis Report MOSAIC CO/THE (MOS): Free Stock Analysis Report CF INDUS HLDGS (CF): Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. For Immediate Release Chicago, IL May 04, 2016 Today, Zacks Equity Research discusses the Industrial Metals, part 2, including Alcoa (AA), Boeing Company (BA) and Lockheed Martin Corporation ( LMT). Industry: Industrial Metals, part 2 Link: https://www.zacks.com//commentary/79922/don39t-give-up-on-industrial-metals-stocks Industrial metals are the building blocks of an economy. At present, even though concerns over Chinas future growth have added an element of uncertainty to the outlook, there are plenty of reasons to be optimistic about the industrial metals industry space over the long term. Here we discuss some of the key reasons and what investors in the industrial metals sector can look forward to in the coming months and years: Strong Demand in Automotive & Aerospace On the demand side, aluminum consumption is expected to improve on a global basis, spurred by the automotive and packaging industries the key end markets. The automobile market is becoming increasingly aluminum-intensive, given the metal's recyclability and light-weight properties. Automakers consumed a record amount of aluminum last year as plummeting prices and technological breakthroughs made it a viable alternative to steel. The global push to improve fuel efficiency in vehicles is expected to more than double the demand for aluminum in the auto industry by 2025. In line with this, Alcoa has completed an expansion at its Tennessee facility dedicated to supplying aluminum sheet to automakers like Ford Motor Co. (F) The airline industry is also expected to boost demand for the metal. In Jan 2016, Alcoa (AA) clinched a long-term agreement from The Boeing Company ( BA) to supply multi-material aerospace parts, marking its fourth multi-year contract with the aerospace giant in a series of recent deals. Moreover, in December last year, Boeing had awarded Alcoa two multi-year supply contracts worth more than $2.5 billion. Story continues The agreements build on Alcoa's 2014 aluminum sheet and plate deal with Boeing worth more than $1 billion. Alcoa also has big aerospace deals with Airbus and Lockheed Martin Corporation (LMT), both inked in Oct 2015. To capitalize on the lucrative aerospace market, Alcoa acquired RTI International, which broadened its titanium offerings and added advanced technologies and materials to its portfolio. Moreover, the buyout of UK-based leading jet engine components maker Firth Rixson has placed Alcoa to grab more opportunities in the growing aerospace market through a broad spectrum of high-growth, value-added jet engine components. In addition, the acquisition of Germany-based leading provider of titanium and aluminum structural castings Tital has strengthened Alcoas position to leverage growth in the commercial aerospace sector and capture rising demand for advanced jet engine components made of titanium. Pickup in Economic Activity to Drive Copper Demand Copper is a major industrial metal playing a particularly important role in emerging countries. Given its varied applications, the trends in the copper market are often considered useful indicators of the state of the global economy. Developments in the world economy are strongly correlated with movements in copper prices. Given that China accounts for the largest share of global copper consumption and also has a large share in the total production of pure copper, correlation of the metal with China is a key factor. In the long run, expectations of a rising middle class in Asia, particularly in India and China, who will spend more on consumer goods such as air conditioners and refrigerators in the years to come, will spur demand for copper. Chinese demand for the metal will likely grow to comprise 46% of the worldwide copper consumption by 2018. Improvement in Construction The housing and construction sector is the largest consumer of steel today and consequently, of iron ore. Building construction (pipes and wires) is also the largest market for copper. An uptrend has been noticed in real estate activity, like new home starts and construction spends, in the U.S. over the past few quarters. Long-stalled construction projects are being renewed. Requirement for emerging projects, such as education facilities and government buildings, is also creating demand in the sector. In the long term, as the urban population increases worldwide, so will the need for steel to build skyscrapers and public transport infrastructure. Emerging economies will also continue to be major demand drivers to support increasing urbanization and industrialization. Naturally, a rebound in construction bodes well for the iron ore and copper industries. Rectifying the Aluminum Demand-Supply Imbalance After aluminum prices bore the brunt of chronic surplus, the global aluminum industry underwent substantial changes to correct the supply-demand picture. This will eventually lead to firm prices. RUSAL is contemplating further aluminum production cuts totaling approximately 200,000 tons per annum. This came after a reduction of 316,000 tons in 2013, 256,000 tons in 2014 and 38,000 tons in the last quarter of 2015. Likewise, Alcoa has undertaken a number of restructuring measures (including closure of smelters) over the past few years, apart from aggressively pursuing cost-cutting actions. In the first quarter, the new Alcoa closed 269,000 metric tons of smelting capacity at its Warrick smelter in Indiana, and reduced approximately 1.2 million metric tons of refining capacity at its Point Comfort, TX facility, with further plans to curtail the plants remaining capacity by the end of the second quarter. As a result of these activities, the new Alcoa remains on track to meet or even exceed its 2016 goals of moving to the 38th percentile on the global aluminum cost curve and the 21st percentile on the global alumina cost curve. For 2016, Alcoa projects a global aluminum deficit of approximately 1.1 million metric tons as 5% global demand growth outweighs the 2% improvement in global supply of the metal. RUSAL estimates a global aluminum market deficit of 1.2 million ton this year compared to a surplus of 0.6 million tons in 2015. India to Be a Growth Driver As per the World Steel Association, Indias prospects look bright due to low oil prices, the reform momentum and policies to improve infrastructure and manufacturing output. The sub-continent expects steel demand to increase 5.4% in 2016 as well as in 2017, reaching a peak of 88.3 Mt in 2017. Also, IMF projects GDP growth to rise to 7.5% this year, above last years already robust growth rate of 7.3%. Given that India's consumption of metals has almost doubled over the past 20 years, it will be a major consumer in the years to come. Bottom Line How can you not be optimistic about the industrial metals industry over the long haul? What about investing in the space right now? Check out our latest Industrial Metals Outlook here for more on the current state of affairs in this market from an earnings perspective, and how the trend is shaping up for this sector going forward. Zacks "Profit from the Pros" e-mail newsletter provides highlights of the latest analysis from Zacks Equity Research. Subscribe to this free newsletter today. Find out What is happening in the stock market today on zacks.com. Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report ALCOA INC (AA): Free Stock Analysis Report BOEING CO (BA): Free Stock Analysis Report LOCKHEED MARTIN (LMT): Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. By Joe Brock and Ed Cropley JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - As head of intelligence for the outlawed African National Congress during apartheid, Jacob Zuma neutralized perceived traitors and sidelined opponents to shore up his position, people who worked with him say. Decades later, as South Africa's President, he hasn't lost his touch. Lampooned in the media, jeered in public and now facing calls from inside and outside the ANC to resign over millions of rand of improper state spending on his private home in Nkandla, the 73-year-olds grip on power seems like it should be weaker than at any point since his election in 2009. Yet he endures, thanks to skills honed decades ago in the exiled ANC underground, promoting little-known officials who do his bidding to powerful positions within the security and intelligence portfolios, politicians who work around Zuma say. He has also changed the way the party votes on internal appointments, including making members photograph ballot papers to prove their allegiance. Critics, including former cabinet ministers and top commanders of the ANC's armed wing, Umkhonto we Sizwe (MK), say Zuma's administration also demotes opponents and intimidates dissenters. One example: Public Protector Thuli Madonsela, a constitutionally mandated anti-corruption watchdog investigating the spending on Zuma's home, became the subject of an intelligence ministry probe into allegations she was a CIA spy. Zuma's spokesman Bongani Majola did not respond to multiple requests for comment on this article or for an interview with Zuma. ANC spokesman Zizi Kodwa also did not respond. Intelligence Ministry spokesman Brian Dube denied that security institutions were being misused. "These allegations are not new. They have been made before and remain unsubstantiated," he told Reuters in answer to emailed questions. One senior ANC source, who did not wish to be named for fear of retribution, said the key to Zuma's power was his lock over the party, regardless of his standing among the public. "So-called experts have been saying Zuma is finished for years but they don't have a clue how politics here works," said the ANC official. "People ask, how does Zuma survive? No one asks, how does Vladimir Putin survive?" "THE GRINDSTONE" Zuma, whose Zulu middle name, Gedleyihlekisa, means "the one who smiles as he hurts you", joined the ANC in 1959. The son of a policeman and domestic worker from what is now rural KwaZulu Natal, he had little formal education. After 10 years on Robben Island alongside Nelson Mandela, he fled apartheid South Africa to emerge in the late 1980s in the Zambian capital, Lusaka, as deputy head of the ANC's secret police and head of the 'Green House', its intelligence unit. One of his main tasks was to unmask informants and traitors within the ANC and MK, wielding the resources of the ANC secret police, known as iMbokodo or "The Grindstone". The Stuart Commission, an internal ANC inquiry into unrest in 1983 in guerrilla camps in Angola, described iMbokodo as "the most notorious and infamous department in the camps and perhaps in the whole movement". The report, available on the ANC's website, painted a picture of the ANC security services as a state-within-a-state, feeding off rumor and "not working for the security of the general membership and interests of the movement". According to historian Stephen Ellis in his 2012 book, "External Mission: The ANC in Exile 1960-1990", Zuma's time in Lusaka shaped the rest of his life. "For the remainder of his political career, this experience in charge of intelligence was to be Zuma's key institutional base," Ellis wrote. Ronnie Kasrils, intelligence minister between 2004 and 2008 under Mbeki and an anti-apartheid veteran, spent years in the ANC underground and intelligence circles alongside Zuma. "The first people he appointed were in his security team," said Kasrils, who has publicly called for Zuma to resign. "It was vital that Zuma had the heads of intelligence to do his bidding. It gives you the ability to dig up dirt on politicians and keep a close eye on opponents," he said. One such appointment was David Mahlobo, an unknown provincial hydrologist with no security experience, as intelligence minister in 2014. The ministry had traditionally been assigned to ANC high-fliers with impeccable "struggle credentials" such as Kasrils or Lindiwe Sisulu, the forthright daughter of ANC stalwart and close Mandela friend Walter Sisulu. "Mahlobo was a likeable guy but a surprise appointment," Kasrils said. "Zuma wanted someone young and green who is dependent and won't question him." Another was Nkosinathi Nhleko, a fellow Zulu whom Zuma appointed police minister in 2014. When Madonsela, the Public Protector, published a damning report on renovations Zuma had made with public money to his Nkandla home, including the building of a swimming pool, Zuma asked Nhleko to open an inquiry. Nhleko said the pool was a fire-fighting resource, backing up his conclusion with a video of firemen using the pool to pump jets of water. THE RIGHT PEOPLE IN PLACE Another appointment that startled observers was the selection last year of small-town mayor David van Rooyen as finance minister, a promotion that sent the rand into a tail-spin and resulted four days later in his dismissal. In total 35 ministers and 38 deputy ministers have been appointed during Zuma's term of office, far more than any other South African leader since apartheid. At the same time, senior ANC figures have been moved out of the party's top decision-making body, the National Executive Committee (NEC). "A major problem is the 'juniorisation' of appointments to ensure compliance and loyalty," Siphiwe Nyanda, a top MK commander and communications minister fired by Zuma in 2010, told Reuters. Zuma has also changed the way members are elected to the NEC'S 'Top Six', a body that ultimately chooses the party president. Under a so-called "slate" voting system, trusted delegates to the 5,000-member ANC conference held every five years are told who they should vote for and are expected to confirm they have obeyed with a photo of their ballot, two ANC sources said. "With 'slate' voting we no longer have proper democracy in the party. They have become voting cattle," Nyanda said. An ANC spokeswoman declined to comment on the issue. Dissenting voices in parliament or cabinet stay silent as a result. On April 5, ANC members of parliament, who control almost two-thirds of the assembly, voted unanimously against a move to impeach Zuma following a constitutional court ruling against him over the Nkandla affair. Asked by Reuters why he had voted as he did, a senior member of government known to be anti-Zuma merely rolled his eyes. The politician asked not to be named for fear of recriminations. UNDERHANDED TACTICS Bugging telephones and intercepting emails of senior party figures and journalists has become routine, Kasrils said. He did not provide details. But in 2009, 783 corruption charges against Zuma were dropped after his legal team came up with phone intercepts -- dubbed the Zuma spy tapes -- that suggested a political motive when the charges were laid. How Zuma, who was then challenging Thabo Mbeki for the leadership of the ANC, obtained the wire-taps has never been revealed. The Pretoria High Court on April 29 ordered a review of the decision to drop the charges. Critics also complain about intimidation tactics and smear campaigns. A week after the Helen Suzman Foundation (HSF) filed court papers against Berning Ntlemenza, head of the police's elite Hawks investigations unit, the NGO's offices were robbed. HSF executive director Francis Antonie said the robbers took only old computers. "It's plausible this was an information gathering exercise or meant to intimidate us, he said. Provincial police spokeswoman Noxolo Kweza said she could not answer questions about the case because it had been taken from us by the Hawks, which the Hawks, South Africa's version of the FBI, denied. Some Zuma opponents have found themselves the target of campaigns linking them to the U.S. government, a charge that points to the Cold War paranoia that lingers in parts of the ANC, which was backed by the Soviets. Among these was Madonsela, the author of the Nkandla report, who afterward became the subject of an investigation, ordered by Mahlobo, into allegations she was a CIA agent. The results of Mahlobos probe have not yet been released. (Editing by Sonya Hepinstall) Apple has lost a trademark battle in China - which ruled that a firm which sells handbags and other leather goods can continue to use the name iPhone. The official Legal Daily newspaper reports that The Beijing Municipal High Peoples Court ruled in favour of Xintong Tiandi - a company that trademarked the use of iPhone for leather goods in 2010. In contrast, Apple filed a trademark bid for the names use on electronic products in 2002 - but it was not granted until 2013. Xintong Tiandi is known in China for selling handbags, mobile phone cases and other leather goods branded with the name IPHONE and its this that caused Apple to take the company to court for the first time in 2012. Xintong Tiandi is registered with Chinas trademark office. But they failed in their initial attempt, and later filed a lawsuit in a lower Beijing court - which also ruled against the tech giants. Now, a final appeal to the higher court has also proved unsuccessful - after it ruled that Apple was unable to prove that it was a well-known brand in China before Xintong Tiandi filed a trademark application in 2007. Apple iPhones first went on sale in China in 2009 - but are seemingly in decline, after Apples latest quarterly earnings report showed that sales in China had plunged by 26%. Apple is also facing other challenges in the country - after the government passed a law that required all content to be stored on servers located on the Chinese mainland. As a result of this, Apples iBooks and iTunes services were shut down - and are yet to be restored. A new report shows that hackers from Russia have obtained login credentials for more than 272.3 million email accounts, which are now available for sale in Russias criminal underworld, a Most of them are Mail.ru accounts, though the list also includes smaller fractions of Google, Yahoo, and Microsoft email users. DONT MISS: Watch Barack Obama roast Donald Trump then drop the mic in his final Correspondents Dinner The discovery comes from Hold Security, with Reuters saying its one of the biggest stashes of credentials to be discovered since the cyber attacks that hit U.S. banks and retailers in 2014. Alex Holden, founder and chief information security officer at Hold Security, has uncovered some of the largest known data breaches in previous years, including the attacks on JPMorgan, Target, and Adobe Systems. Researchers found the treasure trove of information by accident, after discovering a young Russian hacker on a forum. He was bragging that he had collected and was going to give away a large number of stolen credentials that amounted to 1.17 billion records. After eliminating duplicates, Holden said he found 57 million Mail.ru accounts, which is an enormous number compared to the 64 million monthly users the service said it had late last year. The database includes tens of millions of credentials from Gmail (24 million), Microsoft (33 million), and Yahoo (40 million), and hundreds of thousands of accounts from German and Chinese email providers. Thousands of stolen credentials belong to employees of some of the largest U.S. banks, manufacturing and retail companies, the firm revealed. This information is potent. It is floating around in the underground, and this person has shown he's willing to give the data away to people who are nice to him," Holden sais. "These credentials can be abused multiple times. Because people tend to favor certain passwords and reuse them across online services, this type of stolen information may be very valuable to certain people. Story continues But the unidentified hacker, who obtained the data from various unspecified sources, was looking to sell it for just $1 and made it available to Holden in return of favorable comments. Hold Security contacted the affected organizations 10 days ago, with Reuters saying that the companys policy is to return data it recovers at little or no cost to the firms that were breached. Whats more disturbing is that its not clear yet how hackers obtained the data. Related stories Xbox E3 2016 plans have been revealed - here's everything you need to know Longtime Microsoft blogger: Windows is facing a 'potential extinction moment' Hackers can break into your company using $700 worth of parts from Amazon and eBay More from BGR: 10 paid iPhone apps on sale for free right now This article was originally published on BGR.com By Olivia Oran LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Some of the richest, smartest and most powerful humans have an important message for the rest of us as they convened this week to discuss pressing global issues: the robots are coming. At the Milken Institute's Global Conference in Beverly Hills, California, at least four panels so far have focused on technology taking over markets to mining - and most importantly, jobs. "Most of the benefits we see from automation is about higher quality and fewer errors, but in many cases it does reduce labor," Michael Chui, a partner at the McKinsey Global Institute, said on Tuesday during a panel on "Is Any Job Truly Safe?" The four-day annual conference, which began on Sunday, has 3,500 invite-only participants exploring "The Future of Human Kind." Technology has not only done away with low-wage, low-skill jobs, some of the more than 700 speakers said. They cited robots operating trucks in some Australian mines; corporate litigation software replacing employees with advanced degrees who used to sift through thousands of documents prior to trials; and on Wall Street, the automation of jobs previously done by bankers with MBAs or PhDs. "Anyone whose job is moving data from one spreadsheet to another ..., that's what is going to get automated," said Daniel Nadler, chief executive of Kensho, a financial services analytics company partly owned by Goldman Sachs Group Inc . "Goldman Sachs will be in here in 10 years, JPMorgan will be here. They're just going to be much more efficient in terms of operating leverage and headcount," he added. Big banks have slashed tens of thousands of jobs in recent years as businesses like bond trading have become less profitable. Under tremendous pressure from investors to boost profits, but unable to grow revenue much, banks have increasingly turned to technology to reduce costs. A Citigroup Inc report in March suggested that more pain is on the way for financial industry staff. Citi's analysts predicted a 30 percent drop in banking jobs across the United States and Europe over the next decade. Milken panelists noted technology's impact on work far beyond Wall Street. Martin Ford, an author and entrepreneur, argued that while the so-called gig economy has created temporary jobs for independent contractors, the next step is to get rid of them. The ride-hailing service Uber, for example, is investing heavily in building cars that do no need drivers, he said. David Siegel, co-chairman of the quantitative hedge fund Two Sigma, blamed technology for income problems that have led to political upheavals around the world over the past several years. "One of the big causes for the stagnation of middle class wages is essentially because of clever computer programs," Siegel said during a panel about artificial intelligence. Some panelists were less dire in their assessments. Billionaire investor Steve Cohen said it would take awhile before robots replace stockpickers like himself. Kate Mitchell, co-founder of Scale Venture Partners, said freelance sites have allowed workers to supplement their income. "It's easy to villainize technology," she said, "but there is a lot of opportunity there at the same time." (Reporting by Olivia Oran in Los Angeles; Additional reporting by Lawrence Delevingne and Michael Flaherty in Los Angeles; Writing by Lauren Tara LaCapra in New York; Editing by Richard Chang) Http%3a%2f%2fi.blueprint.mashable.com%2fa-_2nf-1hfuyytc0oidhhz38ecu%3d%2fblueprint-api-production.s3.amazonaws.com%2fuploads%2fstory%2fthumbnail%2f7576%2frobosurgerythumb1 In a milestone that could pave the way for robotic surgery on humans, a robot successfully performed operations on four pigs. The findings are detailed in a study published Wednesday. This advance in robotics comes courtesy of an enterprising team of surgeons and researchers at Childrens National Health System in Washington, D.C. and Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland, who successfully built a new robo-surgical system and programmed it to suture together intestines. The teams work and eye-opening results are detailed in a new study, titled "Supervised Autonomous Robotic Soft Tissue Surgery," published Wednesday in the journal Science Translational Medicine. Aside from the fact that a robot arm is autonomously performing surgery, the biggest breakthrough here may be that the robot, which they call Soft Tissue Autonomous Robot or STAR, was dealing with soft tissue. STAR autonomous robot surgeon Image: Sheikh Zayed Institute (SZI) at Childrens National Medical Center No one has ever done a soft tissue surgery in a robotic way managing tissue that is deformable and mobile, said study author and surgeon Dr. Pete C.W. Kim, who is a professor of surgery for the Sheikh Zayed Institute (SZI) at Childrens National Medical Center in Washington. Traditional robot surgery tools like Intuitive Surgicals da Vinci surgical system and Applied Dexteritys RAVEN rely on human tele-operators controlling a cable-based system. Da Vinci doesnt make decisions on its own, though it does stabilize the tools and even prevent tele-operators from cutting in the wrong place. Even so, until now, no one has tried to let a robot perform surgery in these mine-field-like tissue areas without human intervention. And for good reason, Kim said that in a soft-tissue environment like the human abdomen, everything is different shades of pink and shiny. Story continues In order for a true robot to autonomously deal with that kind of setting, the researchers had to build their own robot surgeon. Robo-Surgeon The STAR consists of a powerful, yet precise Kuka robot arm with seven degrees of freedom and a next-generation vision system comprised of both near-Infrared and a light field (or plenoptic) 3D cameras. On the back end is programming that, to a certain extent, is like a surgical greatest hits of possible methods for rejoining dissected intestines, veins and arteries (eventually the system will have a vast knowledge base of surgical procedures, the researchers say). The process of reconnection is most commonly known as an anastomosis procedure. According to the study, roughly 1 million such operations are performed each year in the United States. We programmed the best surgeons techniques based on consensus into the machine and the machine independently chooses the best ways to accomplish task, said Kim. The arm is built with a force system, to measure the suture tension, and STAR handles the miasma of pink with its super-vision. To help the robot see, the human surgeon marks up key portions of the surgical area with bio-compatible markers so the near infrared camera can see them. Thats combined with the powerful light field camera for a view of the surgery a human could not duplicate. The promise of going hands-free has eluded soft-tissue, in particular because tissue is deformable, said Science Translational Medicine senior editor Megan Frisk, during a press conference. This represents a new era of robotic surgery. Under a watchful eye Even though robotic, minimally invasive or laparoscopic surgery is fairly common today, it has not, according to Kim, radically improved surgical outcomes. Even with minimally invasive techniques, complication rates have not really decreased, said Dr. Kim. The motivation for building STAR is to actually improve outcomes, he said, and part of that comes from a robot using the best possible surgical methods, even when the surgeon who perfected them isnt there. STAR Autonomous Robot Surgeon Image: SHEIKH ZAYED INSTITUTE (SZI) AT CHILDRENS NATIONAL MEDICAL CENTER Researchers actually performed two kinds of robot surgeries. One set took porcine intestinal tissue and secured it in a special ring, conducting the robotic surgery outside a living body. The others were performed on the live pigs. Even though the robot performed the surgery, making each perfect suture in a fashion that actually outperformed those made by other systems and surgeons, researchers kept a human surgeon there to both serve as the other arm that kept stray sutures out of the way (a human surgeon does get to use two hands) and as a safeguard. It was a supervised autonomy, said Ryan Decker, a co-author of the study. A surgeon oversees and has opportunity at any time... to stop the robot and take it out of scene a finger-press away from taking it out of the surgery. The reality is, though, STAR robots sutures were so precise that, in post-operative tests, they held up better than those made by human hands. Researchers performed a series of burst pressure or leak tests in which they took each sutured intestine basically a tube and pumped it full of air until it leaked. The robot sutures held up to higher pressures than those made by human surgeons. How smart is it The robots technique, though, is driven by skills that humans develop, and even though STAR chooses the best method for accomplishing a task, switching up methods as it goes along, it cannot learn new methods without additional programming. It has intelligence, but not a deep-learning neural network intelligence, Kim said. The idea is not to create a sentient being that completes surgeries. The team doesnt want to replace surgeons. No matter where you are, you have access to best techniques and surgeons, said Kim. From surgeons perspective, why wouldnt you want to have a tool that makes you better than what you are? And yet, the goal remains: unassisted robot surgeries. We can, in a relatively short period of time, be able to do an appendectomy, skin-to-skin, using current algorithm[s] and next generation of tools, said Kim. A robot surgeon looming over a patient without a human nearby to assist or hit the stop button may terrify some, but there are some obvious, far-reaching benefits. To illustrate this point, Kim talked about SpaceX founder Elon Musks ongoing interest in traveling to Mars, a trip that could take 18 months each way. Such a trip would take Musk beyond the bounds of tele-operation. Certainly todays NASA astronauts traveling to the International Space Station or even a researcher about to be stationed in Antarctica for six months might see the benefit of a surgery robot stationed in a sterile medial pod, just waiting to perform the next emergency appendectomy. Can we afford it? While the research team wouldnt offer any details on how much the STAR system costs, they said it should prove considerably less expensive than da Vinci, which is used to perform minimally invasive surgery (it controls tools through small incisions, basically ports, made to the body) and costs millions to buy and maintain. Also, unlike da Vinci, STARs hybrid makeup means that components like the Kuka arm could be easily switched out, especially as more intelligent and potentially cheaper robot arms become available. The biggest savings, though, could come through value-based care, said Kim, who noted that robot surgery could reduce complications and save money for the whole healthcare system. Even though STAR currently needs a human to, for instance, place the bio-markers, Decker said theyre already working on upgrading the vision system so the robot can do that on its own as well. The STAR surgical experiments did take considerably longer than human ones, but Kim said they were not focused on speed for this proof of concept. We can run the robot really, really fast. In this study, we focused on the supervision and the outcome, said Axel Krieger, who also worked on the study. Even if hospitals and surgeons are not prepared to incorporate an entire robot system like STAR into their surgical wards, the researchers believe this robo-surgical solution will move quickly from research to commercialization. With the right partner, some or all of this technology can be incorporated into currently clinically available tools within next two-to-three years, Kim said. Dr. Benedict C. Nwomeh, a pediatric surgeon who has been using the da Vinci system for the last three years looked over the study for Mashable and offered these comments: Floods Wash Away Kansas City Southern's Carloads in 1Q16 (Continued from Prior Part) Analysts recommendation Out of the 21 analysts covering Kansas City Southern (KSU), nine analysts (43%) analysts are recommending a buy and 11 analysts (52%) are advising investors to hold the stock. Finally, only one (5%) analyst recommends a sell of KSU stock. Kansas City Southern is a Class I company in the US. Its US peer group include Norfolk Southern (NSC), CSX Corp. (CSX), and Union Pacific (UNP). KSUs Canadian peers include Canadian Pacific (CP) and Canadian National Railway (CNI). While CSX reported its 1Q16 earnings on April 12, NSC is expected to declare earnings on April 22. CP disclosed its 1Q16 results on April 20, and CNI will disclose its first quarter 2016 results on April 25. UNP, a major Western US rail carrier, reported its 1Q16 results on April 21, 2016. The iShares US Industrials ETF (IYJ) tracks the performance of the industrials sector of the US equities. The Class I railroad peer group forms 5.0% of IYJ. Tough short-term outlook? Are analysts advising investors to hold the common stock of Kansas City Southern (KSU) due to its no short-term or near-term outlook? KSU did not issue revenue and volume guidance for 2016. On the other hand, the company is aligning its resources to match with the volume demand going ahead. It has invested in the Port of Lazaro Cardenas, Wylie, and the cross-region border to fuel intermodal growth in the near future. KSU is focusing on crude destinations on the Gulf Coast and is hopeful of the Mexican energy reforms scheduled in 2017. Recently, KSU has been upbeat about the upcoming new projects on its network. The WTC Industrial announced an agreement to construct and operate a unit train liquid fuels terminal and general cargo facility at WTC Industrial Park in San Luis Potosi, Mexico. This terminal is expected to begin operations in 2017. Rangeland Energy disclosed its intentions to develop an integrated hydrocarbon logistics system. This system will receive and store refined products, other hydrocarbons, and liquefied petroleum gas (or LPG) at a new terminal hub located in Corpus Christi, Texas. The shipments to Mexico from this terminal hub are expected to start next year. Story continues Major automotive manufacturers such as Ford, Mercedes, Audi and BMW have new plants or current plant expansion plans in 2017 and beyond. Analysts price revision The Wall Street analysts consensus means a target price of $99.30 for Kansas City Southern (KSU). It represents a return potential of 2.9% over the last closing price of $96.49. KSUs last 12-month return was -8.7%. Before declaring its 1Q16 results on April 19, KSU had two sell recommendations. After the companys results for the first quarter of 2016, one sell recommendation was converted into a hold recommendation. Kansas City Southern plans to build on the cross-border and a Lazaro Cardenas intermodal in the coming years. In addition, KSU expects new investments in chemical plants, auto production, port terminals, and refined product facilities in its service area to drive revenues and earnings in the medium term. Browse this series on Market Realist: By Jane Wardell CANBERRA (Reuters) - Australia announced a further crackdown on multinational tax avoidance in its annual budget on Tuesday, including the planned introduction of a UK-style diverted profits tax (DPT), that it expects to raise A$3.9 billion over the next four years. The government is creating a new Tax Avoidance Taskforce of 1,000 specialist officers to police the new regime with harsher penalties for those found flouting the rules. "Everyone has to pay their fair share of tax, especially large corporates and multinationals, on what they earn here in Australia," Morrison told parliament in his budget speech. The new rules build on the country's Multinational Anti-Avoidance Law that came into force early this year. Australia in December took the unprecedented step of publishing the records of hundreds of companies, including Google Inc and Apple Inc, which showed they paid little or no tax on their in-country earnings. Of more than 1,500 largely foreign-owned companies which reported total earnings over A$100 million ($72.11 million) in the 2014 financial year, more than a third paid no tax, the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) data showed. The proposed DPT or so-called "Google tax" will tax multinationals on income they have sought to shift offshore at a penalty rate of 40 percent - well above the current 30 percent company tax rate. The new regime will also strengthen provisions for whistleblowers who report tax avoidance and increase penalties for multinationals that fail to meet their compliance and disclosure obligations to the ATO. Morrison said the new measures would target private companies, high wealth individuals, trusts and tax scheme promoters as well as multinational companies, raising an additional A$3.9 billion in revenue over the next four years. "Tax cheats will be tracked down and face the full force of the law," he said. The government opened the proposed tax to industry consultation, with a June 17 deadline for submissions. Story continues Google has already prepared some ballast to meet the changing tax winds, revealing in filings lodged with the Australian Securities and Investments Commission just days before the budget that it was restructuring. The accounts showed the U.S. company paid A$16 million in taxes last year, still a fraction of its overall profit, as revenue from local advertising on its search engine business, estimated at more than A$2.5 billion, was booked offshore in the low tax nation of Singapore. However, Google added it would this year "recognise revenue from the marketing and settling of certain services and products to Australian-based customers." By Stephen Eisenhammer RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - Mining companies Vale SA and BHP Billiton were hit with a 155 billion-real (29.9 billion) civil lawsuit for the collapse of a dam at a mine last year that killed 19 people and caused damage that prosecutors said was comparable to BP's oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. The 359-page lawsuit brought by independent federal prosecutors was the result of a six-month investigation and is also against state and federal governments. Prosecutors accused the state of Minas Gerais, where the dam collapsed in November 2015, of negligence in its monitoring of the build up of waste and water sludge left over from the companies' mining venture, Samarco. The total damages, prosecutors said, were calculated on the basis of the cost of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the United States. BP's total pre-tax charge for that accident, in 2010, reached $53.8 billion. The Brazilian prosecutors also demanded an initial payment of 7.7 billion reais. A judge in Brazil now has to accept the lawsuit. Analysts said the comparison with BP's oil spill would likely be contested, but nevertheless represented another headache for companies reeling from a commodities downturn and now facing the prospect of protracted litigation. The drop in prices of commodities such as iron ore has seen BHP lose almost half of its market value, and Vale more than a quarter, over the past 12 months. BHP's shares were trading 6.5 percent lower and Vale's U.S. listed shares fell 7.5 percent in premarket trading, while the sector was down around 4 percent by 1015 GMT <.FTNMX1770>. Hunter Hillcoat, analyst at Investec in London, said the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill was "a completely unrelated incident" and the figures were an opening gambit. Paul Gait of Bernstein said the case was political as prosecutors added to the pressure on President Dilma Rousseff, who is under fire over corruption allegations. "They're implying she had radically undersold the Brazilian people and was in the pockets of business," he said. The civil action comes after the Brazilian government in March reached a settlement with Samarco, Vale and BHP, in which the companies agreed to pay an estimated 20 billion reais. Vale and BHP both said they had not received formal notice of the new claim. BHP said in a statement to the Australian Securities Exchange it was "committed to helping Samarco to rebuild the community and restore the environment affected by the failure of the dam". It said the March agreement provided "the long-term remedial and compensation framework for responding to the impact of the Samarco tragedy and the appropriate platform for the parties to work together". In the civil case prosecutors said the compensation agreement was insufficient and lacked the legal mechanisms to ensure the companies would fulfil their obligations, making it little more than a "letter of intent". (Additional reporting by Sonali Paul in Melbourne and Barbara Lewis in Brussels; Editing by Joseph Radford and Elaine Hardcastle) LONDON (Reuters) - The British government on Tuesday ordered an investigation into the circumstances surrounding department store retailer BHS's collapse into administration last week. Business Secretary Sajid Javid has instructed the Insolvency Service to fast-track its inquiry, which will also specifically consider the extent to which the conduct of the directors of BHS led to its insolvency. BHS was placed into administration, a form of creditor protection, by owner Retail Acquisitions on April 25, putting the 88-year-old retailer at risk of disappearing from British shopping streets and putting 11,000 jobs at risk. BHS is already being investigated by Britain's pensions regulator and British lawmakers. Both the cross-party Work and Pensions Committee and the Business, Innovation and Skills Committee have launched inquiries. Separately on Tuesday a spokeswoman for the Work and Pensions Committee said former BHS owner Philip Green, the billionaire retailer, has agreed to appear before the lawmaker committees. "I have asked the Insolvency Service to bring forward its investigation rather than wait three months for the administrators to report before launching their inquiry," Javid said. "This investigation will look at the conduct of the directors at the time of insolvency and any individuals who were previously directors. Any issues of misconduct will be taken very seriously." The Insolvency Service would normally wait for the conclusion of the administrator's final report before commencing any investigation into a company entering administration. Should the probe find that directors were involved in any misconduct the service can apply to a court to ask that they be disqualified from acting as a director for up to 15 years. Green sold BHS to Retail Acquisitions, a collection of investors, for a nominal sum of a pound in March last year. He had bought it for 200 million pounds in 2000 and when it was profitable paid out several hundreds of millions of pounds of dividends to his family. Story continues With a pension deficit of 571 million pounds, the pensions regulator is probing whether BHS's previous owners sought to avoid their obligations. Green could not be immediately reached for comment. (Reporting by William James and James Davey. Editing by Jane Merriman and David Evans) U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) Director John Brennan takes part in a conference on national security titled There's no need to release the classified 9/11 report, and having that information in the public would be unhelpful, CIA director said on Sunday's "Meet the Press" on NBC. CIA Director John Brennan warned that the 28 pages of the report that critics are pushing to have declassified could unfairly implicate the Saudis as the report contains "unvetted information." "I think some people may seize upon that uncorroborated, unvetted information that was in there that was basically just a collation of this information that came out of FBI files, and to point to Saudi involvement, which I think would be very, very inaccurate," Brennan told NBC. Brennan went on to say that he was puzzled by the push from critics to have the 28 pages released. In Brennan's view, the issue of Saudi involvement in the 9/11 attacks was further investigated in the independent 9/11 commission, which then proceeded to find no links between the Saudi government and al-Qaeda. According to Brennan, the 28 pages are unreliable compared to the formal conclusions of the 9/11 commission as the pages contain a "combination of things that are accurate and inaccurate." The push for the release of the 28 pages have been spearheaded by former Democratic senator Bob Graham, who had previously chaired the Senate Intelligence Committee. Graham has repeatedly insisted that the pages show high-level support and financial assistance from select Saudis to the 9/11 hijackers. The most important unanswered question of 9/11 is, did these 19 people conduct this very sophisticated plot alone, or were they supported? Graham said on "Meet the Press" in April. So who was the most likely entity to have provided them that support? And I think all the evidence points to Saudi Arabia. So far, the Obama administration has not publicly stated whether or not it will release the papers. However, Director of National Intelligence James Clapper reporters on April 25 that it is a realistic goal to have the papers declassified and released by June. Story continues NOW WATCH: CIA DIRECTOR: I would refuse to enact Trump and Cruzs proposal to bring back waterboarding More From Business Insider NEW YORK, May 4 (Reuters) - Connecticut's lawmakers are aiming to pass an austerity budget for the coming financial year on Wednesday that cuts spending by nearly $1 billion as the state struggles with revenues that are falling well short of projections. Details of a deal reached between Governor Dannel Malloy and fellow Democrats were sparse early on Wednesday afternoon as budget staffers rushed to prepare the documents ahead of a vote later in the day. The budget for fiscal year 2016-2017, which starts on July 1, will cut spending by $830 million, divert $100 million from transportation and other funds and sweep $30 million from various agency accounts, said Adam Joseph, a spokesman for Connecticut Senate Democrats. The spending plan is aimed at closing a $960 million hole in next year's finances that officials have blamed on falling capital gains tax receipts due to a volatile stock market. The state's legislative session ends at midnight on Wednesday but the budget vote could keep legislators up until the small hours. Both chambers of Connecticut's General Assembly are dominated by Democrats. Connecticut, despite being one of the wealthiest states in the nation on a per capita income basis, has struggled to recover from the financial crisis and recession of 2007-2009. The state is also facing a gap of around $260 million in the current fiscal year, despite a series of cuts. Malloy has said 2,000 state employees could be laid off in what he calls a "new economic reality." The governor has also frozen pay rises for managers in state government. (Reporting by Edward Krudy; Editing by Bill Rigby) BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Euro zone finance ministers will hold an extraordinary meeting on May 9 in Brussels on Greece, the spokesman for the chairman of the eurogroup said on Thursday. A meeting was initially foreseen on Thursday to sign off on a deal with Athens on its bailout programme and discuss Greek debt relief, but the meeting was cancelled because of insufficient progress towards an agreement. There will be "an additional eurogroup on Greece on Monday May 9 at 3 p.m., in Brussels," chairman Jeroen Dijsselbloem's spokesman said. (Reporting by Jan Strupczewski; Writing by Francesco Guarascio; Editing by Mark Trevelyan) DES PLAINES, IL--(Marketwired - May 04, 2016) - The Emergency Nurses Association applauds Georgia for becoming the latest state to enhance penalties for assaulting emergency nurses. Gov. Nathan Deal signed legislation yesterday that increases punishments to five to 20 years for aggravated assault and aggravated battery when committed against hospital emergency department personnel and emergency medical services personnel. Georgia ENA State Council Government Affairs Chair Terri Sullivan, RN, and colleagues worked tirelessly to advocate for stiffer penalties. State Reps. Johnnie Caldwell, Sharon Cooper, Rich Golick, Alex Atwood, Jodi Lott, Debbie Buckner and State Sen. Renee Unterman sponsored and were instrumental in passing this important legislation. The bill received overwhelming support in the Georgia legislature, passing 147 to 6 in the House of Representatives and 51 to 2 in the Senate. "Standing at the front line of emergency care, we are grateful for these increased protections," said ENA President Kathleen E. Carlson, MSN, RN, CEN, FAEN. "The 24/7 accessibility of EDs, overcrowding, long wait times, and patients under the influence are just some of the factors contributing to the epidemic of violence in healthcare. This legislation goes a long way toward ensuring those offenders are held responsible." In March, Utah joined the ranks of states that have enhanced criminal penalties for attacking emergency nurses. Utah Gov. Gary Herbert signed a bill increasing the term of imprisonment for assault against healthcare providers or emergency medical workers when the assault causes substantial bodily injury. A 2014 study published in the Journal of Emergency Nursing shows an underlying normalization of violence against healthcare professionals in both the healthcare and law enforcement systems, preventing effective interventions. State-specific laws related to workplace violence can be found here: https://www.ena.org/government/State/Pages/Default.aspx. Story continues About the Emergency Nurses Association The Emergency Nurses Association (ENA) is the premier professional nursing association dedicated to defining the future of emergency nursing through advocacy, education, research, innovation, and leadership. Founded in 1970, ENA has proven to be an indispensable resource to the global emergency nursing community. With more than 41,000 members worldwide, ENA advocates for patient safety, develops industry-leading practice standards and guidelines, and guides emergency healthcare public policy. ENA members have expertise in triage, patient care, disaster preparedness, and all aspects of emergency care. Additional information is available at www.ena.org. The following files are available for download: Gun Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal vetoed a bill on Tuesday that would have allowed college students to carry concealed firearms on public school campuses. The veto comes weeks after Deal considered one of the most conservative governors in the country vetoed a religious-liberty bill championed by Republican state lawmakers. It also comes one day after a similar, albeit more restrictive campus-carry bill became law in Tennessee without Gov. Bill Haslam's signature. Writing about the campus-carry bill on Tuesday, Gov. Deal said If the intent of HB 859 is to increase safety of students on college campuses, it is highly questionable that such would be the result, Deal wrote in his veto message, according to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Conservatives and Second-Amendment advocates had framed the bill as a crucial measure to protect members of the school community, ostensibly with consideration of recent mass shootings that have happened on college campuses. But legislators ignored Deal's last-minute plea for specific changes to the bill, leading to public pressure for the bill's veto. "At a time when our Second Amendment rights are under attack, I believed and still believe that it is very important that we do all that is necessary and proper to strengthen our constitutional protections," said House Speaker David Ralston, according to CNN. "Georgians should not be required to give up their constitutional rights when they set foot on a college campus." NOW WATCH: These are the favorite weapons of the Army Special Operations Forces More From Business Insider ATHENS (Reuters) - Greece's sole oil producer, Energean Oil & Gas, has stepped up daily production by about 30 percent since early January, it said on Wednesday, as the debt-ridden country seeks to tap into its limited oil reserves. Plunging crude prices have deterred spending on oil projects around the world but Greece is pushing ahead with investment in the industry in a bid to reduce dependence on oil imports and boost public finances. Many analysts are now growing more confident that a new-two-year rout in oil prices has ended. Energean, 45 percent owned by hedge fund Third Point (TPOG.L), said it had increased production to more than 4,000 barrels per day from its two oil fields off the northern Greek island of Thassos. It has finished two of 15 planned drillings as part of a 200 million euro investment in pumping more crude out of the sites. "Despite tough conditions due to a big fall in international oil prices in the last two years, Energean ... continues investing both in production and hydrocarbon exploration," Chief Executive Mathios Rigas said in a statement. Energean is expected to submit a plan to develop another oil reserve in western Greece and start drilling in 2017, while it is evaluating seismic data for an onshore block also in the west of the country, an official at the company said. Energean has been drilling oil in northern Greece since 2008, contributing more that 260 million euros to the state coffers and creating more than 140 direct jobs. (Reporting by Angeliki Koutantou, editing by David Evans) COPENHAGEN (Reuters) - Denmark's exports to the UK would probably suffer if the British vote to leave the European Union at referendum in June, the International Monetary Fund said on Wednesday. Great Britain is Denmark's third-largest market after Germany and Sweden, with exporters such as dairy group Arla, insulin maker Novo Nordisk (NOVOb.CO) and toymaker Lego. "If a Brexit would happen that would likely affect trade flows, which are important for Denmark, and it would have significantly effect in international financial markets", David Hofman, the head of an IMF delegation said. "There will be a prolonged period of uncertainty during which the UK needs to renegotiate trade arrangements. This prolonged period of uncertainty could have an effect on trade more broadly," Hofman told reporters at the Danish central bank. Just under half of Denmark's goods and services are sold to five countries, making it especially vulnerable to the health of the economies around it. Concluding an assessment of the Danish economy, the IMF noted that growth had been below that of neighbours Sweden and Germany and that: "The ongoing recovery (from the global financial crisis) is expected to remain gradual and muted." The government last week lowered its GDP growth forecasts to 1.1 percent this year and 1.7 percent next year, down from a December forecast of 1.9 percent and 2.0 percent. (Reporting by Ole Mikkelsen; Editing by Robin Pomeroy) Adam Savage, maker and tested.com founder, will share his wit and wisdom on all things making at Maker Faire Bay Area 2016, May 20-22, at the San Mateo Event Center, San Mateo, CA. Tickets on sale now at http://mfba2016.eventbrite.com.Click here for high-resolution version SAN FRANCISCO, CA--(Marketwired - May 04, 2016) - Maker Faire, the Greatest Show (and Tell) on Earth, announced today the program and speaker agenda for the upcoming Bay Area Faire, taking place Friday through Sunday, May 20-22, 2016, at the San Mateo Event Center in San Mateo, CA. Over 250 other Maker Movement leaders will be on hand to share inspiration and instruction about making. Topics range from virtual reality to the making of music to energy, art, education, STEAM and making in the classroom, robotics, electronics, food and homesteading, women in making, and more. "Star and Will are excellent examples of the caliber, and diversity, of Makers we've brought together for this year's program," said Dale Dougherty, founder of Maker Media and co-founder of Maker Faire. "The value that these leaders, from a wide variety of fields, bring to the Bay Area Maker community is tangible. Attendees will take home information they can use immediately to make themselves better Makers and advance their projects. From hearing about Maker values and the Maker culture to how to get involved in new projects, follow their passion, and share with other Makers, it's a fantastic opportunity for the community to gain knowledge directly from such talent, and be inspired by their stories and experiences." Over 200 presentations, spanning eight stages each covering different topics and themes, will be available, including a new "Show & Tell" stage where local makers can take their projects to the stage to share with the community and the Maker Pro stage that will focus on makers who have taken their projects from prototype to commercial product. All presentations, speakers, stages, and schedules can be found here: http://makerfaire.com/bay-area-2016/schedule/. Highlights of the program include: Star Simpson , a hardware builder with a passion for creating beautiful circuit boards, will share the art of building hardware -- and the practical aspects of creating a strong aesthetic and bringing graphics into the hardware world, as she helps bring Forrest Mims' classic drawn circuit designs to life FOO VR founder and technology lover, Will Smith , will help predict the future by showing how to study smartphones, CPUs, and cheeseburgers to tell which technologies will be available (and cheap) to use in the future Maker, tested.com founder, and educator Adam Savage will return to Maker Faire to share his wit and wisdom on all things making Ariel Waldman , NASA advisor, Spacehack.org founder, and author of The Hacker's Guide to the Galaxy, take attendees on a tour of our universe, showing how anyone can actively explore the final frontier through getting excited and making things Simone Giertz is a Swedish inventor, maker, robotics enthusiast, and professional YouTuber who will talk with Faire attendees about the importance of building useless things, showing that doing things the "wrong way" is sometimes the only way to build things the right way Internationally acclaimed artist, Theo Jansen , will be sharing the process of, and stories about, how his amazing, self-propelled kinetic creations-Strandbeest-have come to life and evolved over the years Thud Rumble's Richard "DJ QBert" Quitevis and Ritche "Yogafrog" Desuasido's presentation, "Innovation and the DJ," will excite music makers as walk through their culture of making ground-breaking work, which spans from pioneering skratching to collaborations that turn turntables into tesla coil triggering musical instruments Google Returns as Goldsmith Sponsor, Including the Learn to Solder Activity Google continues its support of Maker Faire Bay Area as a Goldsmith Sponsor, illustrating how important the Maker community is to them and highlighting making as a key thread in the fabric of Google's corporate DNA. Google will showcase for Faire attendees what Google employees are making on the job and in their free time in their 'Making & Science' area. Google team projects as well as personal projects and an interactive art installation made by Google employees from around the United States will be available for attendees to see. Google will also demonstrate how its Making & Science team is supporting scientists and Makers of all ages. Google will also be at the always popular 'Learn to Solder' tent where Makers of all ages can learn or improve their soldering skills by making their very own blinky LED pin. At the Learn to Solder tent, Google will help participants remember that safety comes first by providing a pair of Google safety glasses to each person. At Maker Faire Bay Area 2015, Google distributed over 100,000 pairs of safety glasses to Faire attendees. Tickets for Maker Faire Bay Area 2016 are on sale now and available at online only, advance pricing through Thursday, May 19, at http://mfba2016.eventbrite.com. About Maker Faire Maker Faire is the Greatest Show (and Tell) on Earth-a family-friendly showcase of invention, creativity, and resourcefulness, and celebration of the Maker Movement. It's a place where people of all ages and backgrounds gather together to show what they are making and share what they are learning. Maker Faire has celebrated 150 Faires in 2015 alone and has engaged more than 1.2 million attendees globally in over 30 countries around the world. The 10th annual Maker Faire Bay Area welcomed some 1,200 Makers and 145,000 attendees. World Maker Faire New York, the East Coast flagship event, has grown in five years to 930+ Makers and 95,000 attendees. Located in San Francisco, California, Maker Media has been widely credited with jumpstarting the worldwide Maker Movement, which has been a transforming force in innovation, culture, and education. In addition to publishing Make: magazine and producing Maker Faire, Maker Media develops "getting started" kits and books it sells through its Maker Shed store as well as other retail channels. Calendar Editors A celebration of DIY culture, Maker Faire Bay Area 2016 runs Friday-Sunday, May 20-22, 2016, at the San Mateo Event Center, 1346 Saratoga Drive, San Mateo, CA. Friday, 1 pm to 5 pm; Saturday, 10 am to 7 pm; Sunday, 10 am to 6 pm. Tickets range from $20.00-80.00 (ages 3 and under are free) and can be purchased at http://mfba2016.eventbrite.com. World Maker Faire New York 2016 is slated for Saturday-Sunday, October 1-2, at the New York Hall of Science in Queens, New York. More information about Maker Faire can be found at http://www.makerfaire.com. Social Media Friend us on Facebook Follow us on Instagram Follow us on Twitter: @makerfaire Tweet this: Celebrate 11 years of #Making! #Makerfaire Bay Area is back 5/20-22 http://bit.ly/1U9VIo7 #MFBA16 Maker Faire Bay Area 2016 Sponsors Maker Faire Bay Area 2016 Sponsors: Presenting Sponsor: Intel, Barnes & Noble; Goldsmith: Arrow Electronics, Department of Energy, Google, Microsoft; Silversmith: Atmel, Cognizant Technology Solutions, Cypress Semiconductor, Jack Link's, Makeblock, Qualcomm. Image Available: http://www.marketwire.com/library/MwGo/2016/5/4/11G096659/Images/Maker_Faire_Bay_Area_2016_Adam_Savage-bc0c2451db95b2068b87fd84e6aa9537.jpg Greek markets and country-specific exchange traded funds (ETFs) advanced Wednesday on bets that banks could surge if Greece and creditors can come to an accord on new bailouts and debt relief. Greek equities were bucking the broader down trend Wednesday, with the Global X FTSE Greece 20 ETF (GREK) up 3.0%. Nevertheless, GREK is still down 4.9% year-to-date. The emerging European market rallied after Morgan Stanley upgraded Greek bank stocks to overweight, projecting the sector could rise 90% from current levels, reports Vikram Subheder for Reuters. Related: Emerging Markets ETFs: Why You Should Oppose the Pros GREK, which tracks the MSCI All Greece Select 25/50 Index, also includes a hefty 38.9% tilt toward the financial sector, with Alpha Bank 14.4%, Piraeus Bank 6.8%, National Bank of Greece 6.5% and Eurobank Ergasias 5.6% among its top holdings. Morgan Stanley upgraded Greeces bank sector due to the areas cheap valuations that did not reflect the compression in bond yields spreads that would result from a deal with Athens lenders. Trending on ETF Trends Lone Turkey ETF on a Wild Ride After Political Volatility Low U.S. Interest Rates Boost International Dividend ETFs Transportation ETFs Rev Up Despite Industry Issues ETF TMI: Blow for Global Markets; 2016 U.S. Fixed Income ETFs Gather $... A Long-Term ETF Strategy to Capitalize on Economic Moats The market is currently overly pessimistic on the banks return on equity targets. If Greek bonds passed muster, Athens debt would be eligible for the European Central Banks expanded bond purchasing program; the countrys capital controls may be lifted and Greece would be on its way toward an eventual economic recovery, according to Morgan Stanley. Related: Bond ETF Investors Should Look to Emerging Markets It wont be easy, and its likely to be far from smooth, Morgan Stanley analysts warned, but they see passing the review as the most likely outcome. International creditors have asked Greece to prepare additional savings measures that would be passed into law as a type of last resort to make sure the country hits its fiscal targets. Story continues Visit ETFtrends.com for more ETF news, strategy and commentary. Global X FTSE Greece 20 ETF Businessman Patrice Talon was sworn in as Benin's new president at the Charles de Gaulle stadium in the capital Porto-Novo (AFP Photo/Pius Utomi Ekpei) (AFP/File) Lagos (AFP) - Businessman Patrice Talon was sworn in as Benin's new president Wednesday after winning last month's elections in the tiny West African country. The wealthy 57-year-old was sworn in at the Charles de Gaulle stadium in the capital Porto-Novo. He had met earlier Wednesday with outgoing head of state Thomas Boni Yayi, who stepped down after two terms in office, at the Presidential Palace in the economic hub Cotonou. In a show of goodwill, the former political rivals hugged each other after the meeting. Talon, dubbed the "King of Cotton", bankrolled Boni Yayi's successful 2006 and 2011 election campaigns. But their relationship deteriorated and in 2012 Talon, who was abroad at the time, was accused of masterminding an alleged plot to poison Yayi. He only returned last October after receiving a presidential pardon. Talon gave a short inauguration speech that focused on his popular campaign promise to change the constitution so Benin presidents serve just one term. "With my term I will exercise state power with dignity and simplicity," Talon said. "I will serve as the president with humility, selflessness and sacrifice for the welfare of all," he added. "I will work to make my term an instrument of change for major policy and institutional reforms." Talon handily won the presidential election in March with 65.37% of the vote against 34.63% for the ruling party's candidate, Franco-Beninese businessman Lionel Zinsou. Zinsou was seen as the frontrunner with the support of most lawmakers in parliament, but his popularity was dented by Talon who billed himself as the authentic Beninese candidate and repeatedly attacked Zinsou's dual French nationality. The vote was hailed as a victory for democracy in a continent where leaders sometimes cling to power for far longer than their constitutional mandate. Romanian band Voltaj perform during the first semi-final of the Eurovision Song Contest (ESC) in Vienna on May 19, 2015 (AFP Photo/Dieter Nagl) (AFP/File) Stockholm (AFP) - Romania has been barred from this year's Eurovision Song Contest for failing to pay millions in debts to the European Broadcasting Union, the EBU said Friday. The EBU, which organises the contest which this year culminates in a final on May 14 in Stockholm, said Romania's struggling state broadcaster TVR owes it 16 million Swiss francs (14.5 million euros, $16.3 million), debts that have accumulated over several years. Romania was to be represented at the event by Ovidiu Anton with his English-language song, "Moment of Silence", but the entry will now be forced out of the lineup. "It is regrettable that we are forced to take this action," EBU Director General Ingrid Deltenre said in a statement. "We are disappointed that all our attempts to resolve this matter have received no response from the Romanian government. "The continued indebtedness of TVR jeopardises the financial stability of the EBU itself," Deltenre said. She said the EBU has noted that TVR was facing possible insolvency. But numerous attempts were made to restructure the debt and payment plans were agreed upon, but had not been adhered to. The organisation had written to the Romanian government on four occasions this year, but had received no reply, the EBU said in a statement. On Monday, Romania's Prime Minister Dacian Ciolos said the government would be seeking to broker a solution to avoid being locked out of a competition watched by a global audience of 197 million last year. Then, in a final letter to the Romanian finance minister sent on April 15, the EBU requested a payment of 9.2 million euros to be received in the EBU's bank account by close of business on Wednesday, April 20, 2016. The deadline was then extended until Thursday, April 21 but no payment was received, according to EBU. In 22 years of appearances Romania has never won Eurovision, twice placing third. On 4 May, the Times and its website published a signed article by Ambassador Liu Xiaoming entitled " Stop meddling in the South China Sea". The full text is as follows: The issue of the South China Sea is being ramped up by those in the US and the UK who accuse China of causing tension in the region. They proclaim the principle of free navigation and overflight but in reality their prejudice and partiality will only increase tension. Their suggestion that China's "hard line" position about the sea increases friction is not based on fact. We were the first to discover and name its islands and reefs and the first to govern them. Despite this, more than 40 are now illegally occupied by other countries. Our talks with neighbours to resolve our differences shows how committed we are to regional peace and stability. China's construction on its own islands and reefs is a matter for us. These actions are not targeted at any other country. Apart from minimum defence facilities, the building works are primarily civilian in purpose. The claim that there is a threat to the freedom of navigation and overflight in the sea is false. Is there a single case in which this freedom has been affected? More than 100,000 vessels pass through the sea unimpeded every year. Is the freedom of navigation that every country is entitled to really the issue? Or is it the "freedom" of certain countries to flex military muscle and moor warships on other nations' doorsteps and fly military jets over others countries' territorial airspace? If it is the latter, such "freedom" should be condemned as a flagrantly hostile act and stopped. Some appear eager to label China as "not abiding by international law" and "undermining the rule-based international system" because it rejects the arbitration imposed on it under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. China made a clear declaration in accordance with this law in 2006 to exclude compulsory arbitration on sovereign disputes and maritime delimitation. More than 30 other countries, including the UK, have made similar declarations. Some countries outside the South China Sea claim to be taking no side in sovereignty disputes, but they are actually doing all they can to get involved. The military vessels and planes they sent to the region and the accusations they throw at China only encourage certain countries in the region to behave even more recklessly, increasing the tension. China and the UK have co-hosted events marking the 400th anniversary of William Shakespeare's death. Some of his characters are good at stirring up enmity. But they can fool only their victims in the play, never the audience. Likewise, the world will see clearly who is making trouble in the South China Sea. These nations should desist from meddling and muddling. Such actions pose a threat to regional stability and world peace. (Adds court to rule on Cunha, Fitch's comments) By Anthony Boadle and Maria Carolina Marcello BRASILIA, May 4 (Reuters) - Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff's chances of remaining in office plummeted on Wednesday after a key senator recommended the leftist leader face an impeachment trial and a top prosecutor said she should be included in a vast corruption investigation. Rousseff, whose popularity has fallen in the last year due in large part to a deepening economic recession, is expected to become the first Brazilian president to fail to complete a presidential term in more than 20 years. Senator Antonio Anastasia, an opposition member tasked with recommending whether to put Rousseff on trial in the Senate for breaking budget laws, told a 21-member Senate committee that the charges were serious enough to remove her from office. The committee is expected to vote overwhelmingly on Friday to send his recommendation to the full chamber. "We are looking at a complaint centered on evidence of irregularities that can put fiscal responsibility at risk," Anastasia, a member of the Brazilian Social Democracy Party (PSDB), told the committee. The Senate, which is controlled by the opposition, is due to vote on May 11 on whether to try Rousseff, at which point she will be automatically suspended during a trial that could last up to 180 days. Vice President Michel Temer would take over as acting president. Anastasia's recommendation came after Brazil's Prosecutor General Rodrigo Janot requested that Rousseff be investigated for obstruction of justice in connection with a vast corruption probe involving state-run oil firm Petroleo Brasileiro SA, or Petrobras. It is the first time she has been officially accused of involvement in the bribery and political kickbacks scandal. Rousseff said the accusation was based on outright lies by a former senator in her ruling Workers Party. "If an investigation is opened I am sure it will show that Senator Delcidio do Amaral was lying once again," Rousseff told reporters. Story continues According to documents made public on Tuesday, Janot asked the Supreme Court to authorize an investigation of Rousseff and Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who is her predecessor and the founder of the Workers Party. While Rousseff is not being investigated for taking bribes herself, the obstruction of justice probe, if allowed by the Supreme Court, will further undermine her ability to defend against her removal from office by the Senate. Temer, who is already forming a transitional government, would serve out the remainder of Rousseff's term through 2018 if she is convicted of manipulating public accounts and removed definitively from office. In a move that would have helped Rousseff if it had come earlier, the Supreme Court will decide on Thursday whether her nemesis, the Speaker of the lower house of Congress Eduardo Cunha, should be removed due to corruption charges he faces. Cunha launched impeachment proceedings against Rousseff. ECONOMIC CRISIS The political crisis has paralyzed Brazil's government and halted efforts to pull the country out of its worst recession since the 1930s as it scrambles to prepare to host the Summer Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro in August. Despite the gridlock caused by the impeachment crisis, Rousseff said there are signs of an economic recovery underway. Although the economy is expected to contract nearly 4 percent for a second straight year in 2016, economists say industries have already sharply reduced inventories and a weaker currency could help boost exports. Brazilian markets have been buoyed for weeks by the prospect of Rousseff's ouster and the emergence of a more business-friendly government led by Temer, who has vowed to restore confidence and growth to Latin America's largest economy. Fitch rating agency said on Wednesday that Brazil has a long road ahead to win back the investment-grade credit rating that it lost last year due to the fiscal crisis. That path could be shortened if the political environment improves and consistent economic policies are adopted, Fitch's Brazil director, Rafael Guedes, told investors in Sao Paulo. In a sign that Temer plans to reduce state involvement in the economy and boost private business, one of his closest aides told Reuters that a Temer government would consider allowing foreign owners to acquire a controlling stake in local airlines. (Writing by Anthony Boadle and Caroline Stauffer; Editing by Paul Simao and Alistair Bell) AUSTIN, TX--(Marketwired - May 4, 2016) - Spaulding Decon, a nationally established leader in crime-scene cleanup, hoarding cleanup and meth-lab decontamination, today announced the grand opening of its franchise location in Austin, Texas. The company will provide decontamination services to businesses and private residents statewide. Franchisee James Lynch began official operations on April 29 and will host a ceremonial ribbon-cutting on May 5 at 4 p.m. at the Round Rock Chamber, 212 East Main Street, Round Rock, Texas, 78664. Spaulding Decon, Austin is the second franchise location to open in a month, following a grand opening in Wichita, Kan. Lynch will take over the local corporate contracts for property decontamination, which were previously managed by company headquarters in Tampa, Fla. To handle the demand for services, Lynch plans to assemble a team of eight clean up technicians in the coming months, whom he will recruit and train locally. "Recovering from the devastating impact of tragedy is an arduous process, but when a person's home is affected, it can seem impossible," said Lynch. "For more than a decade, Spaulding Decon has improved the lives of thousands of people through the expert decontamination and restoration of homes and property. I'm proud to be a part of the company's tradition of excellence and will work diligently to build on an already-sterling reputation." The Spaulding Decon franchise marks a significant career change for Lynch, who spent more than two decades in education, first as a teacher and later a supplier of digital curriculum. "During my years in education, I worked tirelessly to make sure every student received the resources they needed to succeed. That experience will be invaluable in my new role as the owner of Spaulding Decon, Austin," he said. "One of the biggest problems in this industry is a lack of public awareness of proper cleanup techniques and the health risks associated with crime scenes, hoarder homes and meth-lab properties. It's a serious issue that I intend to address by working with community leaders and government officials to create lasting change that not only improves, but also saves lives." Story continues Prior to beginning operations in Austin, Lynch received extensive training in the latest decontamination techniques and practices from Spaulding Decon President and CEO Laura Spaulding at franchise headquarters in Tampa. Spaulding, a former police officer, said Lynch embodies the rare qualities needed to achieve long-term success in this business. "A common trait among decontamination leaders is the ability to adapt quickly to new challenges and excel in an ever-evolving industry. It's a skill that James Lynch has mastered in his long career in education," said Spaulding. "I'm confident that his determination and passion for community will strengthen Spaulding Decon's position as the national leader in professional decontamination." About Spaulding Decon Based in Tampa, Fla., Spaulding Decon is the only nationwide franchise to provide comprehensive service for crime-scene cleanup, biohazard decontamination, meth-lab cleanup and hoarder or "pack rat" cleanup. The company is fully licensed and certified for commercial, residential and industrial cleaning services and offers exceptional service guarantees. The staff is trained in the proper cleaning and disposal of hazardous material, and exemplifies the utmost sensitivity and privacy when dealing with victims of traumatic events. Spaulding Decon offers 24-hour service in most areas of the United States. For additional information about Spaulding Decon, please visit www.spauldingdecon.com or call toll-free 866-99-DECON (866-993-3266). KHARTOUM, May 4 (Reuters) - Sudan and Saudi Arabia have agreed to start exploring for mineral resources, including silver and gold, in the Red Sea by 2020, Sudanese Minister of Minerals Ahmed Sadiq al-Karouri said on Wednesday. The two Arab countries, which are on opposite sides of the Red Sea, have been considering since the mid-1970s how to exploit mineral deposits, which they believe lie 2,000 metres below sea level. The proposed mining, which will include gold, copper and silver, is expected to generate revenues of around $20 billion, the Director General at Sudan's Mining Ministry, Mohamed Abu-Fatema, said. (Reporting by Khaled Abdulaziz; Writing by Asma Alsharif; Editing by Alexander Smith) Theres much talk of politics at the Milken Institutes annual gathering of business leaders in Beverly Hills. And a lot of head-scratching about the state of the presidential race, especially the surprise success of the leading Republican presidential candidate, Donald Trump. Im a little confused, hedge fund titan Steven Cohen of Point 72 Asset Management responded when asked on a panel discussion what he thought of the presidential campaign. Im not sure what to do and as the campaign goes on, Im hoping it maybe reveals itself in one direction or another. Cohen donated a small amount of money to Chris Christies campaign, but like many members of the business establishment, he now finds himself in the perplexing position of having no pro-business candidate to support. Business leaders typically prefer Republicans, of course, and former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush was corporate Americas early favorite, raising more than $150 million before he dropped out. Florida Sen. Marco Rubio then became the candidate of big business, but he dropped out too, after raising $110 million. Scott Walker, Chris Christie and Carly Fiorina all had a smattering of business support and theyre all gone, as well. In total, those five pro-business candidates raised more than $300 million, all for naught. You might think Trump, a billionaire developer, would enjoy Wall Street backing. But he has said hedge fund managers are getting away with murder on account of favorable tax breaks, and has pledged to roll back at least one loophole that lowers the tax bite for private-equity funds and other financiers. As for Democrats, Hillary Clinton used to represent the financial industrys interests as a senator from New York, but her rival Bernie Sanders relentless bashing of big banks has drawn Clinton to the left and prompted her to insist that she, too, will clamp down on Wall Street. The black hole into which millions in campaign donations has disappeared this year has led some big donors most notably, Republican casino magnate Sheldon Adelson to sit on their money until the general election. Some may sit on it all the way through November. Cliff Asness, co-founder of the hedge fund AQR Capital Management, gave more than $1 million to Rubios campaign, but when asked at the Milken conference whether he would support Trump or Clinton in the general election, he answered, Hashtag neveranyofthem. Im deeply disappointed with what are the likely two choices. I think Im flipping a coin. Story continues The uproarious presidential race has even seeped into hedge fund dealings with overseas clients. The worlds watching, said Neil Chriss, founder of Hutchin Hill Capital, who has donated small amounts to Hillary Clintons campaign. One investor asked me I was shocked who Im voting for. Really? Do I have to answer this? I never heard such a thing. While policies may differ, theres one thing the Democratic and Republican nominees seem likely to agree on. At least they have a bipartisan hate of hedge funds, said Asness. If not loved, maybe hedge funds can be feared. Rick Newmans latest book is Liberty for All: A Manifesto for Reclaiming Financial and Political Freedom. Follow him on Twitter: @rickjnewman. US Business Students Gain Foreign Real Estate Perspective through FIABCI, the International Real Estate Federation -- FIABCI facilitated an exciting opportunity for several students from Coastal Carolina University (located in South Carolina, USA) to enhance their education while on a study tour in Spain. The business administration students met with several prominent attorneys and real estate business professionals, gaining first-hand knowledge and valuable experience focused on the international marketplace that no text book could ever provide.Click here for high-resolution version NEW YORK, NY and PARIS, FRANCE--(Marketwired - May 04, 2016) - While on a study tour in Barcelona, several business administration students from Coastal Carolina University (located in South Carolina, USA), were provided an exciting opportunity to enhance their studies and meet with attorneys and real estate business professionals, gaining first-hand knowledge and experiences on the international marketplace that no text book could ever provide. The visit was facilitated by the FIABCI, the International Real Estate Federation, which provides members access and opportunity for real estate professionals interested in gaining knowledge, sharing information and conducting international business with each other. Coastal Carolina University has recently become an Academic Member of FIABCI and is the first academic institution in the world to become a Supporting Partner of the International Ethics Coalition of which FIABCI is a founding member. It was a chance encounter at the FIABCI Winter Business Meetings in Brussels, Belgium earlier this year between partners from the AvaLaw firm from Barcelona and representatives of the University that inspired the meeting between seasoned international business professionals and American students who were already scheduled to be in Madrid, Spain on a previously planned school trip. Students visited the offices of AvaLaw, a firm specializing in foreign investment in Spain, and were treated to a series of presentations comparing the legal and business culture in Spain and the USA. Presentations focused on how foreign investors acquire real estate in Spain, including general requirements on location and type of building; appropriate legal structures, professional fees and other costs and finance availability. Raisa Venermo, Partner of AvaLaw, explained, "Based on my extensive experience in assisting foreign investors in Spain, the investments do not tend to fail for legal, technical or financial reasons, but due to cultural differences and lack of confidence in the system or in the players on the other side. The role of AvaLaw is not purely acting as lawyers on behalf of the investors but also providing the cultural intelligence to be able to close the operations successfully. This is what FIABCI is all about, and this visit in particular was another good opportunity to exchange information between two quite different business environments, the USA and Spain." Story continues In addition, the students met with partners at La Casa por el Tejado, an architectural firm specializing in the development of new penthouses in the urban area of the Eixample in Barcelona. The firm implements a very innovative business model -- to identify among the existing buildings in the city center, those which have not reached the maximum height allowed by urban planning. The firm then negotiates the right to build a pre-fabricated penthouse on top of these older buildings. The penthouse is transported from the factory and constructed in only one day. FIABCI is very committed to educational initiatives of this type and will be facilitating a similar program for Coastal Carolina University students through the FIABCI-Italia Chapter when they visit Rome later this year. About FIABCI FIABCI, the International Real Estate Federation, is a business network of real estate professionals worldwide. FIABCI provides access and opportunity for real estate professionals interested in gaining knowledge, sharing information and conducting international business with each other. With members in 65 countries, including 100 Professional Associations, 65 Academic Institutions and 3000 individual members from all professions of the real estate sector, FIABCI is the most representative organization of the real estate industry in the world and holds special consultative status with the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) of the United Nations. Image Available: http://www.marketwire.com/library/MwGo/2016/5/4/11G096688/Images/FIABCI_Coastal_Carolina_Barcelona_2-9f23c5ba3de8a82cbce96ebcd0fdc1ee.jpg Stuttgart (Germany) (AFP) - US Defence Secretary Ash Carter warned Tuesday that NATO would defend its allies against Russian "aggression" as he presided over the passing of the alliance's European command to a new general. Carter said NATO would "keep the door open for Russia" for cooperation on global security challenges if Moscow abandoned its "sabre-rattling". "But it's up to the Kremlin to decide. We don't seek a cold, let alone hot, war with Russia. We don't seek to make Russia an enemy," he said. "But make no mistake: we will defend our allies, the rule-based international order and the positive future it affords us." Carter was speaking in the western German city of Stuttgart at the change of command ceremony for General Curtis Scaparrotti, commander of US forces in South Korea, to become its top commander in Europe. Scaparrotti, who replaces US General Philip Breedlove, will have to handle the Atlantic alliance's tense relationship with Russia. Breedlove, a US air force general, has served as Supreme Allied Commander Europe since May 2013. The post has always been held by an American. Moscow has led a bombing campaign in support of President Bashar al-Assad in Syria and allegedly backed rebels in eastern Ukraine against forces of the Western-backed government in Kiev. Since the Ukraine conflict, NATO has established a high-speed response force complete with forward command and logistic centres in its eastern members so it can deploy much more rapidly. Last week Germany said it was considering sending troops to Lithuania as part of a NATO mission to reinforce the alliance's eastern flank with Russia. In brief remarks, Scaparrotti said NATO faced "challenges to international law" by Russia in Ukraine and the Georgian breakaway region of South Ossetia. "We also face the immediate threat that terrorism poses as the world witnessed in the recent tragedies in Brussels, Paris and Ankara," he said. "And we face the significant influx of migrants and refugees that are challenging the social fabric of Europe." NATO has an operation to stop migrant boats reaching the Greek islands from Turkey and member state Italy is pushing a plan to introduce NATO naval patrols off Libya in time for the summer, which is peak season for people smuggling. Thousands of dead clams pictured on the shores of Chiloe Island (AFP Photo/Alvaro Vidal) Santiago (AFP) - Heaps of dead whales, salmon and sardines blamed on the El Nino weather phenomenon have clogged Chile's Pacific beaches in recent months. Last year, scientists were shocked when more than 300 whales turned up dead on remote bays of the southern coast, the first in a series of grim finds. At the start of this year, a surge in algae in the water choked to death an estimated 40,000 tons of salmon in the Los Lagos region, where the Andes Mountains tower over lakes and green farming valleys down to the coast. That represents around 12 percent of annual salmon production in Chile, the world's second-largest producer of the fish after Norway. This month, some 8,000 tons of sardines washed up at the mouth of the central Queule River while thousands of dead clams piled up on the coast of Chiloe Island. The authorities blamed a "red tide" of algae and banned fishing in the affected region, putting thousands of fishermen out of work. Hundreds of angry fishermen and their families have blocked the roads onto Chiloe from the mainland with burning tires since Monday, demanding the government increase the $150 monthly grants it has given them to cope with the emergency. "Who can live on 100,000 pesos?" protest leader Zoila Bustamante said Wednesday. "What a joke!" Although southern Chile sees red tides every year, this year's extended further north than usual, Jorge Navarro of the marine institute IDEAL said. "It affected bivalve populations (such as clams) that had never before been exposed like this" to the algae, he said. On the shores of Santa Maria Island off the center of Chile's long coast, cuttlefish have washed up dead in the thousands. Various beaches in the center of the country were closed, meanwhile, as specimens of the dreaded Portuguese Man-of-War jellyfish, normally foreign to the area, floated nearby. - Shifting oceans - Scientists largely blame the anomalies on El Nino, a disruptive weather phenomenon that warms sea surface temperatures in the equatorial Pacific. Story continues With its 4,000 kilometers (2,485 miles) of Pacific coastline, Chile is particularly exposed to the effects of El Nino, which strikes every few years. "We think that a common factor in the deaths of creatures in southern Chile, in the salmon farms and in fish off the coast is the El Nino phenomenon," the Chilean fisheries institute IFOP said in a statement to AFP. The current El Nino "has been classed as one of the most intense in the past 65 years," it added. Warmer sea water can lead to greater quantities of algae, which kill other species by consuming oxygen in the water or filling it with toxins. "The Chilean ocean is shifting and changing," said Sergio Palma, an oceanographer at Valparaiso Catholic University. "There has been a series of events that indicate an El Nino which is making its presence felt in many ways." - Fish farming impact - But scientists also suspect other causes for the mass destruction of sea creatures. The huge toll of whales last year "could be caused by a natural ecological process" that may be nothing to do with what killed the sardines and clams, said Laura Farias, an oceanographer at Concepcion University. "There is no ecological, oceanographic or climatic explanation" linking the whales to the other incidents, she said. She suspects the growth of fish farming in Chile's southern Patagonia region is to blame for killing the salmon and clams. "There are studies indicating that in Patagonia, the greater occurrence of toxic blooms could be a consequence of aquaculture." Various scientists have said the current El Nino seems to be subsiding, causing the sea's surface to slowly cool. The mass destruction of sea life has provided a wake-up call, however. "Chile still lacks information about the sea," said Valesca Montes, a fisheries specialist at the Chilean branch of the World Wildlife Fund. "It has to invest in oceanographic studies, so that we can predict certain events" and better prepare for climate change. mark peters new york Two New York City children died as a result of neglect and abuse because the city's Administration for Child Services (ACS) demonstrated "systemic" failures in protecting their well-being, a Department of Investigation report has determined. The report released Tuesday outlined alleged missteps and systemic deficiencies at the child-welfare agency including failure to follow basic procedure, identify signs of neglect, repeated abuse, and starvation. "On several occasions ACS and its provider agencies failed to take necessary steps to protect children and at times may actually have put them in harm's way," the department's commissioner Mark Peters said in a statement. "Equally troubling, data obtained by the DOI suggests that these are not isolated instances and that ACS may have repeatedly failed to meet legal and procedural requirements," he said. The 18-month investigation focused on three children, who were identified only by the pseudonyms "Chris," "Morgan," and "Alex" for the sake of confidentiality. The report concludes that in each of the three children's cases, the child-welfare agency had "multiple opportunities" to intervene in what were considered dire circumstances, but didn't. child children kids Severely malnourished, with life-threatening injuries "Chris" nearly died from an injury inflicted by one of his parents, despite four previous ACS investigations of his case that were performed over the course of two years. Those investigations revealed increasingly severe physical injuries. The report found that ACS failed to follow its investigative procedures during that period, and didn't interview his friends, who allegedly knew he was being abused and starved at home. The report says caseworkers assigned to Chris also grossly overestimated his weight, and didn't verify with a doctor whether his injuries were caused by accident, as his parents had claimed. The report found that the caseworkers didn't take proper investigative steps until Chris suffered a life-threatening injury after which he was placed in foster care and his parents arrested. Story continues Chris is now living with a relative, and his siblings are in foster care while their parents' criminal cases are pending. apartment Cocaine and death under "suspicious circumstances" "Morgan" died "under suspicious circumstances" related to neglect, the report found. Morgan's cause-of-death could not be determined, but the report found that ACS had documented 11 instances of neglect on the part of Morgan's mother involving her other children over the course of 12 years. The report accused ACS of failing to identify what it called chronic neglect that persisted under the care of Morgan's mother, and the "uninhabitable" condition of her home. Morgan's siblings were placed in foster care after the child's death, but one child has since been returned to the mother and a court-ordered plan indicates that the remaining three siblings will be returned to her as well. children child kids Excessive corporal punishment "Alex," was a preschool-aged child who died after a severe beating from her mother, the DOI report noted. Similar to Morgan's case, ACS had been investigating Alex's mother for 12 years. Caseworkers documented instances in which Alex was hit in the face to the point that it caused disfigurement. The report also alleges inadequate guardianship and lack of medical care. Alex and her siblings had been living in foster care for a time, but were ultimately returned to the mother, despite a pending investigation into the alleged neglect. ACS continued to receive reports that Alex's mother was mistreating her children, but decided that the allegations were "unfounded." After Alex's death, her mother was arrested and later given what the report called a "lengthy prison sentence." No ACS workers have been arrested in connection with the DOI's May report. The department recommended that seven staff members be disciplined, but ACS is so far only pursuing a discipline process for one of them. Gabriel Fernandez A nationwide problem New York isn't the only city to document fatal errors at child-welfare agencies. Last month, two Los Angeles-area social workers and their two supervisors were arrested on accusations of falsifying reports that were supposed to document signs of the escalating physical abuse suffered by an eight-year-old boy, the Los Angeles Times reported. Gabriel Fernandez was allegedly beaten and tortured to death by his mother and her boyfriend. The Los Angeles county district attorney alleged that the social workers in that case were "criminally negligent" and willfully disregarded Gabriel's well-being. If convicted, the defendants could each receive up to 10 years in prison. NOW WATCH: Here's the controversial Larry Wilmore joke that has everyone talking More From Business Insider Creating a revocable trust allows you to control the disposition of your assets upon your death. As the trust grantor, also known as the settlor, you may overlook transferring your vehicles into your trust. Leaving the vehicles titled in your name may delay the transfer of the vehicles to your beneficiaries, possibly forcing your heirs to go through the time and expense of opening an estate to probate the title transfers of your vehicles. Step 1 Verify with your state's department of motor vehicles that you can legally transfer ownership of the vehicles into your revocable trust. Contact your automobile insurance agent to make sure the company will still provide coverage for the vehicles. You will have to find a new insurance company if your present insurer will not provide coverage for your trust-owned vehicles. If you have a vehicle loan, check with the lender to see if you can retitle the vehicles. You will have to pay off the existing loan before you can transfer the title to the trust, so have new financing in place before doing so. Step 2 Go to your states department of motor vehicles website and download the forms for transferring vehicle titles to a revocable trust. As the current owner, you will fill in the sellers information on the form. Be sure to fill in the name of the trustee, who is the person or entity responsible for managing the trust assets, as the new owner. For example, you could write, John Doe, as Trustee of the John Doe Revocable Trust, Dated Jan. 1, 2011. If someone other than yourself is named as trustee, that person will sign the form as trustee. Step 3 Remember that titling the vehicles in the trusts name is only part of the task. The vehicle registrations must also be changed, along with getting new tags for each vehicle. Call ahead to make an appointment with your local department of motor vehicles office or walk in at your convenience. As grantor, you need to bring along your photo identification, revocable trust documents and the vehicle titles naming the revocable trust as the new owner. Step 4 Bring along your proof of insurance showing the trust as the named insured. The trustee must also be present with a photo ID. Be sure to put the new plates on your vehicles and keep the registration with each vehicle. 2000 - 2022 24 .- . focus-news.net, () . 24 . 24 . . 24 . To activate the text-to-speech service, please first agree to the privacy policy below. Taipei, May 4 (CNA) The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) does not recognize the existence of the so-called "1992 consensus," but acknowledges that there was a meeting between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait in 1992, former Premier and DPP heavyweight Frank Hsieh () has said recently. To activate the text-to-speech service, please first agree to the privacy policy below. Taipei, May 4 (CNA) The U.S. dollar closed higher against the Taiwan dollar Wednesday, gaining NT$0.151 to close at the day's high of NT$32.365, as traders here took cues from a pullback of the Japanese yen and other regional units to cut their holdings in the local currency, dealers said. We value your privacy. Focus Taiwan (CNA) uses tracking technologies to provide better reading experiences, but it also respects readers' privacy. Click here to find out more about Focus Taiwan's privacy policy. When you close this window, it means you agree with this policy. To activate the text-to-speech service, please first agree to the privacy policy below. Pork just one of many issues in Taiwan-U.S. trade talks: U.S. official Washington, May 3 (CNA) Taiwan should not lose sight of the big picture in its trade relations with the United States, and American pork imports is only one of the many trade matters being discussed between the two sides, a U.S. State Department official said Tuesday. Come and enjoy Read more [...] White House and Canadian officials are eyeing June 29 or 30 as the date for U.S. President Barack Obama's address to a joint session of Parliament, CBC News has learned.Obama had promised to visit Canada during Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's trip to Washington in March for a state dinner, and now Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto is also expected to be in Ottawa for a Three Amigos summit that will immediately precede Obama's address.Gov.-Gen. David Johnston will host Nieto at an official state dinner, which will be followed by an event in his honour at the National Art Gallery.The meeting would be the first between Canada, the U.S. and Mexico in more than 2 years.Parliamentarians will also have to stay in Ottawa longer than previously thought to hear Obama's speech, as the House of Commons was expected to rise for summer break on June 9. The last U.S. president to address a joint session of Parliament was Bill Clinton in 1995. ah Crudz, your number is up: you bin disco neck ted but you certainly distrackTED the peeps from thinking about Hitlarie's wave of crime Hah Glen Beck is calling for some kind of Fast... God din get his way I guess... So, expect earthquakes and floods and fires burning and such Ellen Janssen (Ward 1) What do you see as important aspects of leadership in Fremont city and/or Dodge County? Clarity of purpose, solid convictions and transparency in actions are vital to any leader. At the core, elected officials are representatives of those who elected them; therefore, truly hearing the concerns and values of constituents is paramount. I also believe being a voice for and protecting those who cannot speak for themselves is a core responsibility that I take very seriously. What do see for Fremont and/or Dodge Countys future? I see Fremont as a community that young families will want to move to and raise their children. With all of our educational options, proximity to Omaha and strong job market we are an excellent fit for young professionals and new families. How would you get to that future? Fremont is a community with an ideal location for farmers, small business owners, families and individuals alike. With the quality of our infrastructure, positives of our community, as well as our ideal location we are prime for development and opportunity.Official Stance on the proposed poultry operation coming to Fremont/Dodge County area? With development of this size Janssen says pros and cons exist. She emphasized several important aspects: Location is extremely important, environmental impacts need to be known, and assurance that the Costco will be good corporate citizens. Janssen tends to favor growth and procurement of jobs for future generations, especially for the agricultural community. She also pointed out the need to answer the unknowns: impacts on local schools and environmental concerns. I believe that careful negotiations and thoughtful crafting of contracts can be used to assure any company receiving benefits from the community, such as TIF, holds up their end of the deal. I, like you, look forward to learning more. Additional: As a mom of a young family who will grow up in Fremont, it will be a main concern of mine to ensure that our schools are a priority and that we foster an environment and community that is a desirable place to raise a family and to retain our children as future residents for generations to come. Michael Kuhns (Ward 3) What do you see as important aspects of leadership in Fremont city and/or Dodge County? Kuhns list good qualities every leader needs: communication, tenacity, analyze challenges efficiently, flexibility and perseverance. The greatest skill a true leader can utilize is the ability to surround himself/herself with quality people who share like and opposite ideology, and possess the ability to incorporate a healthy balance between the two thought processes. He says leaders must collect sufficient and pertinent information on issues, review the challenge from all sides, discuss and analyze with other leaders and followers, then reach a conclusion beneficial to the community. What do see for Fremont and/or Dodge Countys future? Fremont is entering an exciting era, Kuhns says. An enormous amount of involvement and coordination between City staff, the Fremont Area Chamber, the Greater Fremont Development Council, the Downtown Improvement District Board and Mainstreet of Fremont have assisted in recruiting and securing new business and positive growth opportunities for Fremont and the surrounding area. Kuhns believes those groups are instrumental in opportunities to improve aging infrastructure. These efforts are critical to area growth and in seeking additional provisions to retain our area youth and talent in the community and workforce. How would you get to that future? First, Kuhns states Fremont needs to increase joint opportunities between the City and Dodge County. He adds that increased coordination can result in significant cost reductions. He explains that Fremont needs to continue researching and applying for state and federal grants providing ample budget funding for new projects and also to aid in updating important infrastructure such as new street construction and repairs, upgrading facilities such as the police station, fire station, the City Auditorium. Official Stance on the proposed poultry operation coming to Fremont/Dodge County area? Nebraskas economy is primarily agriculture industry based. We have attained efforts to make the Dodge County area a livestock friendly location. We rely heavily on crop investments, and beef and pork production. Poultry production would be a balanced fit. Kuhns says Costco great reputation represents superb customer service and also extreme employee satisfaction. Costco will invest in creating new jobs with adequate wage base and superior benefit packages. Advanced European technology in the poultry industry will successfully address all environmental and ecological challenges and issues. We are extremely fortunate to have the opportunity to work with Costco on a project of this proportion and impact to the community and surrounding area. Additional: No additional provided. After about 28 years, after comprehensive study, after taking into account a myriad of other factors, the proposed route for the relocation and improvement for U.S. Highway 30 finally hit the limelight. Taking into account all the other factors this is it, this is the alignment were going with, said Tim Weander, a Nebraska Department of Roads engineer. Tuesday night in the North Bend City Auditorium, various officials from the Nebraska Department of Road assembled for a public information open house regarding the North Bend to Fremont section of highway. It is part of a larger segment of road between Rogers and Fremont slated for relocation 1.5 miles north of the existing Highway, with an additional upgrade to a four-lane freeway. Establishment of the Nebraska Expressway system in 1988 set in motion the long slow process of creating an expressway between Columbus and Fremont. Through the years the project suffered setbacks in funding and disputes over route. The 2011 Build Nebraska Act created extra funding and the projects momentum picked up. It will all be done in about four-and-a-half years, said Pat Sward, a biologist with the NDOR who monitors preservation of wetlands along new route. Cecilia Harry, executive director of the Greater Fremont Development Council said improvement to infrastructure provides opportunities for communities but with a project of this magnitude its difficult to address everyones concerns. One issue involves the Highway 79 and Highway 30 intersection. North Bend residents are concerned over the heavy school traffic and safety in that part of their city and many would like to see a stop light or an over pass. However, Weander explained that traffic counts on both roads do not yet warrant lights; and currently, the NDOR does not have the budget to construct a $12 million overpass. At the Fremont end, Terry Synovec, Dodge County supervisor of District 4, has some concern over access to parts of the Fremont area from the new highway. He explained that because the new road would run about 1.5 miles farther north vehicle passage to and from the Fremont lakes and other area might become a bit more cumbersome. County Road 18 and 20, roads that are majority gravel, would be the only access routes to the lakes, and he would like to see the state cover the cost of paving those roads to facilitate improved traffic patterns. Dodge County has a lot of things on our plate to budget for and it would help if the state would pave 18 and 20, Synovec said. Maynard Flamme, a farmer in the North Bend area holds other concerns. The new highway would bisect part of his land creating a division in some of his fields, requiring an awkward traverse with heavy, slow farm equipment of the freeway during tilling, planting, fertilizing and harvesting. With upwards of 200 attending the informative open house it allowed the public direct access to ask questions and and voice concerns to receptive state officials. We want the publics input were excited to listen, Weander said. Were trying to get all the issues resolved. Construction on the project is scheduled to begin in spring of 2018 with completion by the fall of 2020. SIOUX CITY, IOWA (Morningside College) The 2016 edition of Kiosk, Morningside Colleges art and literary magazine, recognizes the work of 12 Morningside students whose writing, poetry, art and photography received prizes from a three-person panel of judges. In the art category, Amber Burg, a senior from Murray, received third place for her photograph Splash of Color. Burg is a 2012 graduate of Conestoga High School. The 2016 Kiosk features written and visual work from 42 Morningside students, faculty and alumni. The panel that selected the prizewinning entries included Catelin Drey, owner and operator of Shirley Chic photography studio in Sioux City; Patrick Hicks, writer-in-residence at Augustana University in Sioux Falls, S.D.; and Kent McCuddin, creative director and brand strategist at Blue Earth Marketing in Sioux City. Kiosk has been published by the colleges English and art departments since 1938. Kiosk has received numerous awards from the Columbia Scholastic Press Association and the Associated College Press. The 2016 Kiosk is online at http://bit.ly/1W73XC6. The Elmwood-Murdock FBLA chapter is hosting a retirement reception for Kurk Shrader from 6-7:30 p.m. Tuesday, May 10, in the Murdock High School Commons area. Members would like to recognize Schrader for his 30 years of teaching and serving as the FBLA adviser at Elmwood-Murdock High School. Cake and punch will be served. Please join us as we celebrate his retirement! The American Cancer Society Relay For Life of Dodge County has scheduled its 4th Annual Bark For Life from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at Johnson Lake in Fremont. The American Cancer Society Bark For Life is a fundraising event honoring the life-long contributions of canine caregivers. Registration is $20 per dog ($10 for each additional dog per family unit). This fee includes a pet bandana, treats, cleanup bags and one ticket for a chance on a gift basket. Pets must be on a leash and owners should be prepared to clean up after their four-legged friends. Water will be provided for you and your pet. Prizes will be given for the best-dressed dog, dog and owner look-a-like, and best dog trick. There will be several pet rescues, an opportunity to have your dog blessed, and pet photos. There also will be activities for dogs and childrens activities. A lunch stand will be available. Special guests will be Katie the Comfort Dog and Brody, the Dodge County Sheriffs K-9. Registration forms are available at www.relayforlife.org/dodgecone, by emailing rfldodge1@gmail.com or on the Bark For Life of Dodge County Facebook page. You also can call Diane at 402-880-8569. Registrations will be taken the day of the event beginning at 10:30 a.m. WASHINGTON, May 4, 2016 - Farmers are feeling better about the farm economy this year after an upturn in grain and wheat prices last month, according to a new monthly survey of producer attitudes. The Ag Economy Barometer, produced by Purdue University and the CME Group, indicates that producers outlook trended negative from October through March before turning up in April. The newly launched index is based on a monthly survey of 400 farmers from around the country. The producers are asked a set of five standard questions, such as Would you say that your operation today is financially better off, worse off, or about the same compared to a year ago? Other questions ask about the farmers personal outlook a year from now as well as how the overall farm economy is likely to fare over the next five years. Respondents also are asked whether it is a good time to buy equipment. Like what you see on the Agri-Pulse website? See even more ag, rural policy and energy news when you sign up for a four-week free trial Agri-Pulse subscription. The farmers outlook turned positive on both current and future conditions but the biggest improvement was on the questions about current conditions. That index jumped from 77 in March to 107 in April. The shift appears to have been driven in part by changes in corn, soybean and wheat prices, the authors of the index reported. During the winter, lower trending commodity prices weighed heavily on producers expectations regarding future crop prices. The producers interviewed for the index have annual sales of at least $500,000 and primarily produce corn, soybeans, wheat , cotton, beef cattle, dairy or hogs. The respondents are stratified so that they correspond with the economic structure in USDAs Census of Agriculture. #30 A few years ago, Russian President Vladimir Putin praised the United States and its NATO allies for taking on the burden of fighting terrorism in Afghanistan and urged them to carry it to the end. But the Kremlin today appears to have embarked on a new policy aimed at turning Afghanistan into a setback or even a quagmire for Washington after Moscows belligerent policies in Ukraine and Syria competed against Washington to undercut its role and interests. Over the past year, Moscow has slowly pulled back from cooperation with the United States to instead work with an array of Afghan power brokers and regional states to challenge Washingtons role in attempting to end the longest war in U.S. history. David Sedney, a former deputy assistant secretary at the Defense Department, views the push as part of Putins efforts to make Russia a great power. He says the Kremlin seems to have concluded that the revival of its global power must entail diminishing the role, power, and prestige of the United States. Playing a role in Afghanistan is important for Russia in order to prove its great power status, and U.S. troubles there provide an important opportunity to undercut any U.S. claim to global predominance, he said. Sedney, who has spent years helping create Afghanistans army and focused on Afghanistan, Pakistan and Central Asia at the Pentagon, says Russias Central Asian neighbors, who still take their foreign policy cues from Moscow, have been vocal about expressing their concerns over rising insecurity and the influx of narcotics from Afghanistan. In order to maintain and increase Russian hegemony in this Central Asian space, Putin needs to be seen as taking an aggressive leading role on Afghanistan, he said. Hameed Hakimi, an Asia research associate at Londons Chatham House think tank, agrees. He says Russias support of NATOs stabilization efforts ceased after Moscow locked horns with NATO over Ukraine in 2014. Russian engagement in Afghanistan is likely to intensify in competition with NATO and NATO-allied countries, he said, pointing to Moscows efforts to engage the Taliban and create alliances with power brokers inside Afghanistan. The Russian ambassador in Kabul recently denied that Moscow was cooperating with the Taliban. But late last year, Zamir Kabulov, Putins special envoy to Afghanistan, said Russian interests in Afghanistan "objectively coincide" with those of the Taliban. Another Russian official said Moscow had established contacts within the Taliban to share intelligence and exchange information against the Islamic State militants. At the same time, Moscow has courted First Afghan Vice President Abdul Rashid Dostum, a former communist general with a long history of ties to the Soviet Union and Russia. Dostum might have an axe to grind against Washington, after he was reportedly recently forced to cancel a trip to the United States after officials had quietly conveyed to Kabul that he would be denied a visa. After the withdrawal of most NATO forces from Afghanistan in 2014, Moscow has hyped the threat from Afghanistan while offering limited security assistance to Kabul. In February, it gave Afghanistan 10,000 Kalashnikov assault rifles and millions of rounds of ammunition. It is also negotiating the sale of Mi-35 helicopters with Kabul. In October, Afghanistans national security adviser, Hanif Atmar, suggested that Kabul has received a cold shoulder to its efforts in cultivating counterterrorism cooperation with Moscow. We are thankful for their good intentions, but we are concerned about the speed with which they are moving, he told an Afghan television channel. Putin has built a close friendship with former Afghan President Hamid Karzai, who remains a vocal critic of what he characterizes as Washingtons failure in establishing lasting security in Afghanistan. The United States must explain itself as to why things went wrong. Therefore, my suggestion is that the U.S. begin to seek help, Karzai recently told Russias RT television. Seek help from Russia, China, and India. In particular, Russia, in our case, because it is close to us, because it has a long history with us, and because it has the means to do it, together with the rest of the world. Marvin Weinbaum, a former Afghanistan-Pakistan analyst for the U.S. State Department, says that while Russias actions are contradictory, Moscow is still at the cusp of deciding its future course in the country. My sense is that Russia is carefully feeling its way in Afghanistan and is undecided on how large a role it's ready to play, he told RFE/RLs Gandhara website. I don't see at present any definitive steps that would indicate a major commitment to involvement. The Kremlin, however, seems to be pushing for a seat at the table in shaping Afghanistans future. In late April, Kabulov termed the Quadrilateral Coordination Group (QGC) inefficient. In recent months officials from Afghanistan, Pakistan, China and the United States have participated in the forum to devise ways for ending the Afghan conflict through peace talks. On April 27, Kabulov offered that Moscow is willing to establish a format that would work and would take into account the interests of all states directly concerned, he said. Sedney, a former Defense Department official, sees Moscow using the failure of the QGC to prevent Beijing and Washington from cooperating in Afghanistan and to prompt them to accept its role as a great power in the country. They see their exclusion from that grouping as a sign that others see Russia as a minor, not major, player, he noted. I see Russian outreach to the Taliban as much a part of their pique over the four-party process as a true concern about the emergence of Da'esh [an Arabic name for Islamic State]. He says that Russia is also using its alliance with Iran to shape the power dynamic in Afghanistan. I see Russian and Iranian interests in Afghanistan as convergent (e.g. shared fears about Sunni aggression/terrorism, common worries about narcotics, equal levels of concern about what each country sees as the negative role of the U.S.), he said. From this perspective, Russia wants to work with Iran in Afghanistan -- but as an equal, not junior, partner. Hakimi, the Afghanistan specialist at Chatham House, however, says Russian efforts to return to what it views as its natural sphere of influence will complicate Kabuls efforts in addressing the multi-layered and complex dynamics of insecurity, economic problems, and relations with neighbors. The last thing the Afghan government can afford is a Russian involvement that is directly in competition with NATO countries, he said. Afghan officials, however, appear adamant to prevent their country from turning into another arena for a great power competition. Lawmaker Nazir Ahmadzai says he recently confronted Russian officials over their individual dealings with and alleged support for power brokers. I told them that courting individuals in Afghanistan is tantamount to interference in our internal affairs, he said. Ahmadzai says Kabul has learned bitter lessons from its past alliance with its northern neighbor and will be reluctant to give up its alliance with the West. We cannot replace our old friends with new friends, he said. A roundup of state government and Capitol news items of interest for Wednesday, May 4, 2016: INMATE DEATH: State Department of Corrections officials announced Wednesday that an inmate had died at the Iowa Medical & Classification Center in Oakdale. DOC spokesman Fred Scaletta said Clayton Clyde Manning, 63, died Monday in the IMCC Hospice Care Unit of natural causes due to complications from bladder cancer. Manning was serving a life sentence stemming from a first-degree murder conviction in Jackson County. He began serving the sentence in April 1981. GODFREY CASE: The states cost of defending Gov. Terry Branstad and his administration against legal action brought against them by Christopher Godfrey now stands at $907,015, according to state records. The Iowa Executive Council this week approved another $34,932 to be paid to the Des Moines law firm of LaMarca & Landry PC for costs associated with a lawsuit brought by the states former workers compensation commissioner. Godfrey left the post in August 2014 to accept a federal post. Godfrey was appointed to a six-year term as the states workers compensation commissioner in 2009 by former Gov. Chet Culver, a Democrat. He has been at odds with Branstad, a Republican, since he refused the governors request in 2011 to step down from his post after Branstad defeated Culver in the 2010 election. Godfrey sued Branstad and members of his administration in 2012 after the governor slashed his $112,068-a-year salary by $36,000 in 2011. Godfrey who is gay sought $1 million in compensation, claiming defamation, harassment, sexual discrimination and extortion. The case in Polk County District Court currently is hold while a legal aspect before the Iowa Supreme Court is decided, but no date has been set for the review to take place during the courts new term which begins in September. FLAGS AT HALF-STAFF: Gov. Terry Branstad has ordered all flags on the Capitol Complex to be flown at half-staff from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Friday in observance of the Iowa Peace Officer Memorial Ceremony which is to be held at the Oran Pape State Office Building of the Iowa Department of Public Safety in Des Moines. Also, flags at the Iowa Peace Officer Memorial, located at the Oran Pape State Office Building, will be flown at half-staff the week of May 16-20 in honor of National Peace Officer Week. The governors directive applies to all U.S. and state flags on the State Capitol Building and on flag displays on the Capitol Complex. Individuals, businesses, schools, municipalities, counties and other government subdivisions are encouraged to fly the flag at half-staff for the same length of time as a sign of respect. A memorial ceremony will be held at 10 a.m. at the memorial at 10 a.m. Friday to pay respects to Iowa police officers killed in the line of duty. DAY OF REASON: Members of the Central Iowa Coalition of Reason and the Eastern Iowa Coalition of Reason will be celebrating a Day of Reason with an official proclamation signed by Gov. Terry Branstad in his formal Capitol office on Thursday. Coalition coordinator Rory Moe said the secular, pro-science groups requested the proclamation as part of a nationwide effort to make the National Day of Reason a recognized holiday in celebration of science and intellectual pursuits. The purpose of the Day of Reason is to celebrate reasona concept all Americans can supportand to raise public awareness about the persistent threat to religious liberty posed by government intrusion into the private sphere of worship, Moe said. The Day of Reason is also meant to help build community among the non-religious in the United States. DES MOINES Leaders of the split-control Iowa Legislature agreed Wednesday that regardless of election results in November, lawmakers should convene a water summit to find common ground on addressing water quality issues in the 2017 session. House Speaker Linda Upmeyer, R-Clear Lake, and Senate Majority Leader Mike Gronstal, D-Council Bluffs, both hope to come back in January with their respective parties in control of both the House and Senate. Its not for a lack of ideas on how to address water quality issues, but everybodys talking past each other, Gronstal said. What we have, unfortunately, we have a House Republican plan, a governors plan (and) I had a plan where we could scoop money out of the ending balance that over 10 years would produce about a half a billion dollars, he said during taping of Iowa Public Televisions Iowa Press that will be aired this weekend. So far, everybodys talking unilaterally, he said. It requires people to sit down at the table and work through some of these issues. Upmeyer agreed it would be helpful to sit down and figure it out because there are multiple ways to get there. That was clear from their conversation which can be seen at 7:30 p.m. Friday and noon Sunday on IPTV, 8:30 a.m. Saturday on IPTV World and online at www.IPTV.org. She prefers the House Republican plan to use revenue from a water metering tax and the state infrastructure fund because those are stable sources of funding. As the senator said many times, you can tell what peoples priorities are by where they use their money, Upmeyer said. This is a place that we believe is a priority and we should use our money. Democrats have called that a shell game of moving state money from one pot into another. Gronstal defended his plan to use part of the ending balance because it would make more money available faster than Gov. Terry Branstads plan. The governor wanted to extend a one-cent school infrastructure sales tax for 20 years and use the increase in revenues over and above $10 million a year for water quality. It received little support in the Legislature. The ending balance isnt a reliable source of funding, Upmeyer said, and added that its not the Legislatures job to collect enough taxes to sort of backdoor fund things out of the ending balance. Id rather fund them on the front end. His plan follows the practice of Iowa farmers who when they have a good year and good income, they invest in their operation, Gronstal said. Neither legislative leader, nor the governor, has ruled out increasing the stat sales tax by three-eighths of a cent. In 2010, 63 percent of voters approved the creation of the Iowa Water and Land Legacy to provide reliable funding for clean water and watershed protection, conservation practices and wildlife habitat. Under the plan, the next time the sales tax is increased, three-eighths of a cent will go into that fund. MASON CITY Local leaders say they will regroup and focus on attracting other potential investments after the defeat of Prestage Farms proposed $250-million hog processing plant in Mason City. After a seven-hour meeting, the Mason City Council deadlocked, 3-3, early Wednesday morning on approval of a development deal that would have brought the North Carolina companys 650,000-square-foot slaughterhouse to the city. The measure failed because it needed a majority vote to pass. City Manager Brent Trout said city staff will continue to pursue other projects to create jobs and interest in Mason City. Theres two or three other projects that we have submitted information on or will submit information on, and well keep working and keep trying to find that next addition, that next company that will be interested in Mason City, he said. Prestage will pursue other possible locations in Iowa for the plant. Mason City is no longer under consideration. Multiple communities contacted Prestage on Wednesday to express interest in the plant after learning Mason City had turned the project down, said Prestage spokeswoman Summer Lanier She would not reveal the names of entities that had contacted the company or the communities they serve, citing company policy. We are considering other locations in Iowa, she said. We are willing to revisit places that we have already considered. Prestage agreement fails final Mason City Council vote, 3-3 MASON CITY In a stunning turn of events, the City Council early Wednesday rejected Prestag Officials in Webster City and Fort Dodge said last month they were contacted by Prestage Farms before the pork company settled on Mason City. The failure to land the pork plant was a surprising end to a project that was unveiled with great fanfare in March at the Historic Park Inn and Hotel. Gov. Terry Branstad spoke at the ceremony, lauding the occasion as a great day for Mason City and North Iowa. He was not available for comment on Wednesdays vote. Gov. Branstad was disappointed to learn that development deal to bring thousands of jobs to Iowa by a family-owned business did not pass, Ben Hammes, spokesman for Branstad and Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds, said in a statement e-mailed to the Globe Gazette. This state of the art facility would have been built to protect the environment and the quality of life in North Iowa. Mason City Councilman Bill Schickel said Branstad called him prior to Tuesdays council meeting, urging him to vote in favor of the project. Schickel, concerned about community division, ultimately joined councilmen Alex Kuhn and John Lee in voting against the deal. Council members Travis Hickey, Janet Solberg and Brett Schoneman voting in favor of the agreement. Local leaders will need to set their sights on other possible developments and those that are already in the works, such as the $38-million River City Renaissance development plan for downtown Mason City. Schickel said. This is a bump in the road, theres no doubt about that, but we will refocus and regroup and move forward, he said. North Iowa Corridor Economic Development Corporation President and CEO Chad Schreck said the community needs a consensus on what type of development it wants to attract in the future. The North Iowa Corridor EDC presented the Prestage opportunity to Mason City officials after learning about it from the Iowa Economic Development Authority, the states economic development arm. MASON CITY | Opponents of a proposed slaughterhouse in Mason City vowed to continue fighting the project should the Mason City Council grant final approval Tuesday night. Approximately 50 people gathered Tuesday on the front lawn of the Mason City library for a rally against Prestage Farms' plans to build a 650,000-square-foot hog processing plant on the south side of Mason City. Amid chants and cheers, several local residents decried the plant's potential negative impact on water quality, air quality and the ability of family farmers to compete with industrial agriculture. Dillion Daniels, of Mason City, said more than 800 people have signed a petition against the project. They will continue to rally against Prestage even if the project gets approval at Tuesday's council meeting, he said. "We're going to continue fighting and continue circulating our petitions in the meantime," Daniels said. "We're going to fight them on permits. We're going to look into maybe getting a lawyer. We're going to do everything we can." The council was slated to conduct a final public hearing and vote on the development deal for Prestage's proposed $240-million project. The council had not voted on the development deal as of the Globe Gazette's press time Tuesday night. Previous council meetings dealing with Prestage lasted several hours due to the volume of public comments, many by those opposed to the plant. Tuesday's rally prior to the meeting was organized by Des Moines-based Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement. Adam Mason, the group's state policy director, was hopeful those against the project would gain some support at Tuesday's council meeting. "I'm guessing that unless there's a miracle that we're not going to see enough councilors have a change of heart," he said. "I am hopeful another one or two might change their minds tonight and follow Councilman Kuehn and do the right thing and listen to their constituents." If they don't, it won't be over, Mason said. SHEFFIELD When they first met nearly four years ago, Dr. Nirmal Bastola decided to take Claire Thomas under his wing. He was a new doctor at Mercy Medical Centers Clear Lake office. She was one of his first patients as a general practitioner. From their first meeting, a bond formed. When she told him she loved studying biology in school, he suggested taking her ambitions a bit further. I said, Why not be a doctor?, he said. Over two summers, as she spent weeks shadowing him on the job, he would question her on how and why each patient should be diagnosed. Afterward, I was like, I want to do this, said Thomas, now 17. I thought it was really fun. And, after she got struck with glass in her right temple in February 2015 after a rollover car accident, he explained where and how each piece should be removed. The West Fork junior hopes to follow his footsteps and study pre-med at Creighton University, a private Jesuit college in Omaha. She eventually wants to become a family care physician near the mountains in rural Wyoming. There are so many doctors we need in this country and we are not producing enough, Bastola, 36, said. And, we are not pursuing the right people to look into: You can do this. Here is the path, just do it, he said. Bastola became a doctor in Nepal in 2000, then moved to the United States in 2009 where he attended Creighton, then the University of Nebraska Medical School. Its a long, hard road, right?, he said. Youll see there are kids (in medical school) way smarter than you. Thats what sharpens you, he told Thomas. Since the age of six, she has shown an interest in healing people, said her mother, Deborah Helm. She was doctoring the people in the family, tearing band-aids off her knee to bandage her dads thumb, Helm said. Thomas is carrying a 3.8 GPA and is pursuing clinicals to become a certified nursing assistant. She will also attend the Congress of Future Medical Leaders in Boston in June. This is our first child that has shown the determination and the willingness to put in the time and the effort necessary to even think about a job in a professional aspect, said Helm. With a goal like this, the whole family has to get behind her, she said. Well get her there one way or another. SIOUX CITY | Another top Iowa Republican official has come to support U.S. Rep. Steve King in his quest to win a party primary contest, as Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds on Wednesday announced her endorsement. King is being opposed by fellow Republican Rick Bertrand, a state senator from Sioux City, in the Iowa 4th congressional district contest. The primary vote will occur on June 7, with the winner moving onto the November election. In an exclusive Sioux City Journal interview, Reynolds said King was the best Republican to represent the 4th District. Reynolds said she doesn't usually get involved in primary races but said King has been an effective congressman and she appreciated his support in 2010. That's when she first became the lieutenant governor nominee after a state convention floor fight, and King ultimately placed her name in nomination at that event. "He has been an effective advocate for his district and for Iowans," Reynolds said. King has lined up the support of both U.S. senators, Charles Grassley and Joni Ernst, and Iowa Agriculture Secretary Bill Northey. Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad has repeatedly said, including most recently in late April, that he will remain neutral in the 4th District race. Reynolds said she discussed her endorsement of King with Branstad, who she closely works with in the state's executive branch. "I did let him know, as a heads up," Reynolds said. Bertrand came into the race in March in part out of concern for agriculture interests after King in late 2015 endorsed Republican presidential candidate Ted Cruz, a U.S. senator from Texas. Cruz doesn't support an extension to the federal Renewable Fuel Standard for corn-based ethanol. That caused Branstad and others to publicly criticize King's pick, with the Republican governor saying Cruz shouldn't be supported by Iowans after his knock on an industry that is so important to the state. Cruz dropped out of the presidential race on Tuesday after Donald Trump won the Indiana primary. Reynolds said King is a strong ethanol backer and since the flap has made "a concerted effort" to let agriculture interests know he supports them. Bertrand to date has not announced the endorsements of any state or federal leaders, but previously said he will get substantial support from lawmakers. Reynolds said she respects Bertrand's work in the Legislature. "This is not a reflection on Sen. Bertrand at all. I think Steve has done a good job," she said. In a release, King said he appreciated Reynolds' endorsement. Lt. Gov. Reynolds is authentic and I admire her conservative ideals, King said. The sole Democrat running for the Iowa 4th District is Kim Weaver of Sheldon. MASON CITY In a stunning turn of events, the City Council early Wednesday rejected Prestage Foods of Iowas proposal to build a $240 million pork processing plant in Mason City. Its plan was to hire more than 1,700 workers over the next four years but it met with protests from citizens concerned about environmental and quality-oflife issues. The vote was a 3-3 tie with council members Travis Hickey, Janet Solberg and Brett Schoneman voting in favor of a development agreement with the company and Alex Kuhn, Bill Schickel and John Lee voting against. A tie vote on a motion represents a loss. Prestage, headquartered in Clinton, North Carolina, issued a statement Wednesday morning saying, While we are disappointed, we believe in a bright future for agriculture and wish the people of Mason City all the best. Kuhn has consistently said the city was not getting enough in the development agreement. He mentioned it again Tuesday night even after the council voted to add $25 million to the $100 million minimum assessment agreement. The Mason City Room at the library was standing-room-only with citizens, mostly opponents. The place took on a ballpark-like atmosphere as audience members applauded and occasionally hooted when those opposed to the plan spoke during a public hearing. In all, 63 people spoke, with 48 against, 14 for and one who did not take a stand. The meeting lasted seven hours, ending at 2 a.m. Schickel was not at the meeting because of recent surgery but participated by phone. He said, I have struggled with this. I can understand both sides and that makes the decision even harder. This would be of great benefit to Mason City. But for this to work, it needs the acceptance of the community and it doesnt have it. Theres too much turmoil. I want to vote yes but I just cant do it. Anti-slaughterhouse crowd vows to keep pressure on MASON CITY | Opponents of a proposed slaughterhouse in Mason City vowed to continue fighting Lee said he knew the reputation Mason City has for letting big projects get away. He said he had concerns about a financial gap he foresaw in school funding with the influx of new students over the years. He reluctantly voted no. Earlier, he fought back tears as he talked about the difficulty in reaching a decision. He said his daughter even left him a note saying she knew how hard he was trying, how hard he was listening and she knew he would make the right decision. Looking at the audience, his voice cracked as he said, It really upsets me when people say Im not listening. My own daughter knows Im listening. So dont you ever tell me Im not listening. That really p-es me off. Mayor Eric Bookmeyer did not hide his displeasure with the defeat of the proposal. He talked about the importance of agriculture in Iowa and said, It fascinates me that were going to go to Hy-Vee in the morning and forget where their food comes from. I wonder where were at when were not going to participate in the largest industry in Iowa. Its sad. Later in the meeting, on another agenda item involving a business, Bookmeyer said, Its pretty tough to trust the council to which Hickey said, Yep. Among those speaking against the proposal was Pam Myhre, former city planner and economic development director, who said Prestages wages were too low and that eventually, government subsidies would come into play. I dont mind subsidizing a business. I do mind subsidizing employees, she said. Swaledale Mayor John Drury said the 2.5-mile buffer zone Prestage was to put in place for animal confinement facilities wasnt enough. Its being a good neighbor to Mason City and Clear Lake and a bad neighbor to everyone else, he said. Prestage Chief Operating Officer Jere Null said Prestage has been criticized for the 2.5-mile buffer zone but said it was put in the plan because the City Council wanted it. Real estate brokers Dick Mathes and his son Rick were two of the 14 who spoke in favor. This is the biggest deal in 100 years in this town, on a scale weve never seen. After the vote, Jodi Hardy, a passionate opponent of the proposal, said, Im going to sleep; Im going to breathe. Ackhasenh Ack Cavan MASON CITY Ackhasenh Ack Cavan, 24, of Mason City, IA, died Sunday, May, 1, 2016, following a house fire at his home. A funeral service will be held at 4 p.m. with visitation prior from 2-4 p.m. on Friday, May 6, 2016, at Fullerton Funeral Home, 123 Second St. S.E., Mason City. The Rev. Tom Lovan will be officiating. A private family burial will be held at Elmwood St. Joseph Cemetery at a later date. Ackhasenh was born on Aug. 12, 1991, in Cambridge, Ontario, to Noi and Naly Cavan. He attended Mason City Schools and graduated from Forest City High School in 2009. Ackhasenh was an extremely hard worker and worked for Winnebago, Cargill and most recently, Blue Sky Satellite. He would often work 12 or more hour shifts weeks in a row; his employers and co-workers thought very highly of him. In his free time he loved going to concerts and festivals with his friends (too many to name) and girlfriend of 5 years, Samantha. Ackhasenh lived life to the fullest and enjoyed having a good time. He liked fishing, music and food. Ackhasenhs favorite was home cooked meals at his grandmothers house. He treasured his family and the time spent together. Ackhasenh had a big heart and a lot of love for Samantha, his family and friends. Ackhasenh was also a very generous person; always willing to help out anyone in need. Ackhasenh touched many lives; he will be remembered for the laughter he created, friendships he shared and generosity he gave. Those left to cherish his memory include his parents, Noi and Naly Cavan; sisters, Thavisinh Cavan and Kenora Cavan; grandma Hieng; special friend, Samantha Lievrouw; nieces, Emily Brown and Sabrina Brown; nephews, Alex Lee and Jhaidyn Williams and many aunts, uncles, cousins and countless friends. He was preceded in death by grandpas, Koung Hoang and Pang Cavan and grandma, La Lothi. Online condolences may be left at www.fullertonfh.com. In expression of sympathy flowers will be accepted at the funeral home. Fullerton Funeral Home, 123 Second St. S.E., Mason City, IA 50401, 641-423-8676, www.Fullertonfh.com, Facebook/Fullertonfuneralhomes. Robert Krause MASON CITY Robert Krause, 83, of Mason City, died Monday, May 2, 2016, at home. Mass of Christian burial will be held 10:30 a.m. Saturday, May 7, at Epiphany Parish-Holy Family Catholic Church, Mason City, with the Rev. Rodney Allers officiating. A luncheon will be served at Holy Family Catholic Church following the Mass. Family will greet friends and family one hour prior to the service at the church. Burial will be in Nora Springs Cemetery. Visitation will be held from 4 to 6 p.m. Friday, May 6, at Hogan-Bremer-Moore Colonial Chapel, Mason City. Scriptural wake will be held at 5:30 p.m., followed by military honors conducted by the Mason City Veterans. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be directed to Phyllis Krause, where the family will choose an organization together. Hogan-Bremer-Moore Colonial Chapels, Mason City, is in charge of arrangements. Ron Sime RAKE Ron Sime, 75, died Monday, May 2, 2016, at his home in rural Rake, Iowa. Funeral services will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Thursday, May 5, at Trinity Lutheran Church, rural Kiester, Minnesota, with Pastor Katie Pals officiating. Burial will be in the Trinity Lutheran Church Cemetery with the Rake American Legion Honor Guard in attendance. Visitation will be from 5 to 7 p.m. on Wednesday, May 4, at Mittelstadt Funeral Home, Lake Mills, and will continue one hour prior to the service at the church on Thursday. Mittelstadt Funeral Home, Lake Mills, is in charge of arrangements. MASON CITY If Michelle Hahn makes it to medical school, she could become a third-generation doctor. But, more than family legacy, tragedy has motivated her path toward medical school. In high school, she has watched helplessly as a grandmother with Alzheimers gradually slipped away from her. I have watched her lose memories in the past year, said Hahn, 17, a Mason City High School senior who will be honored during the Globe Gazettes Star Class event Sunday. Lose memories of me, which is devastating. With a medical degree, she wants to give hope to families who are struggling, she said. The field of medicine has definitely not ... covered the entire spectrum yet of diseases, Hahn said. With the technology coming out, everything is rapidly changing. Thats where I can come in and help, she said. Help other families that have other diseases that have not yet been cured. Her father, Stan, is currently a general surgeon at Mercy Medical Center-North Iowa in Mason City. Her grandfather, his father, is a retired pathologist. When I was little, thats all I knew, was my mom being a lawyer and my dad being a physician, she said. I never really knew what was out there, until I was in high school and I discovered my interested in science. At Wartburg College in Waverly, Hahn plans to study biology and Spanish. She will also play the saxophone through a music scholarship at the school. She hopes to follow her fathers footsteps to the University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine. Ive seen how my dad, he cares so much for his patients. He puts so much care and passion into his work, she said. It sparked an interest in me, where I am taking a lot of science courses. Her own path could include studying neuroscience or neurosurgery. Whenever we studied it in anatomy class, it was just amazing to me that so much can happen and so much can happen in your brain, which seems so small, she said. Pathways and the neurons, everything can change immediately, she said. OSAGE Patrick Mackin of Osage never stepped onto Vietnam soil. Instead, he spent his three Vietnam deployments on the U.S.S. Long Beach, a nuclear-powered guided missile cruiser. I had a different veterans experience, Mackin said. I didnt lay in the jungles and get shot at. Mackin, 68, graduated from Osage High School in 1966 and was appointed to the Naval Academy in Annapolis that year. He graduated in 1970, then was accepted into the Navys nuclear propulsion program. He was then assigned to the Long Beach to help operate the plants. Work days on a ship are very long because theres a lot to keep functioning. Theyre like a small city, Mackin said. Id say we generally put in 16-hour days. His primary job was to ensure that the ship had propulsion and he was responsible for the electrical division. When I started I was a lieutenant junior grade, O2, and when I left the ship I was a lieutenant which is O3, Mackin said. The Long Beach monitored the Gulf of Tonkin, providing radar support and assisting damaged aircraft. His first deployment lasted eight months, the second six months and the final deployment was scheduled to last six months. Halfway through that last deployment I was transferred off the ship to another assignment, Mackin said. I was off the coast the whole time. The ship monitored aircraft over Vietnam. We had missiles on our ship that were capable of engaging the enemy aircraft and on two occasions I remember, we actually fired missiles at North Vietnamese aircraft that was threatening returning aircraft and the ships we were with, Mackin said. Mackin did not see too much action during his service but he remembers those few times as tense. The whole ship is informed of the possible dangerous encounter, he said. You might save or not save the life of one of our pilots or our ship itself could be attacked, Mackin said. You dont know whats going to happen. The long hauls at sea made him miss civilian life, he said. Go out with friends, go somewhere in your car, play sports, just those kinds of things. Adjustment back to civilian life was quick for Mackin, just a few days. You looked forward to getting back home, he said. Mackin spent 20 years in the Navy before retiring in 1990. The Vietnam War really did divide our country and various people have their strong opinions on whether that was something we should have done or not, but I would say those fighting the war were doing their duty, Mackin said. They are certainly not accountable for whether or not our country did the right thing or not. Mackin said he believes that the United States has learned important lessons from the war and has seen decisions over the years where the country has learned from that history and times where it has forgotten the past. After living in California for a while and later San Antonio, Mackin came back to Osage with his wife three years ago. One of the oddest moments in a presidential campaign filled brim-spillingly with them is the sight of the Republican Party struggling to rally around the man looking more and more like its presumptive nominee, Donald J. Trump. Perhaps rally is too strong of a word. More of a depressed dawdle. A lackluster loiter. Melancholy mosey. Crematory crawl. The party is exhibiting all the enthusiasm of a condemned man walking barefoot to the gallows up 13 steps of broken glass. Like an 8-year old forced to rip a switch off a birch tree prior to a paternal spanking. A film critic trudging through the lobby of a multiplex for a preview of the next Transformers movie. Its a shame that Elizabeth Kubler-Ross died a decade ago, and cant witness all five of her Stages of Grief being spun out at the same time. Depending on where you look, the GOP can be seen going through denial, anger, bargaining, depression and a reluctant acceptance. She could even update her classic with new stages: dejection, mortification, suicidal gloom, self-immolation and eye gouging panic. Politicos traditionally resist change, but the way party regulars are dragging their feet on the path to partner with Trump youd swear they were wearing cement galoshes. Encased in lead. Dragging super-gravity anvils. Theres no jumping onto this bleak bandwagon. More like slithering on surreptitiously from the shadows praying that friends and family arent paying attention. A large faction of Republicans still clings to the desperate hope the New York businessman can be denied the nomination, but in order to do so different factions need to combine forces. The problem is they dont get along. Its a classic example of the hyena and lion planning to take down the elephant but becoming way too occupied trying to eat each other. From Aesop. Ted Cruz and John Kasichs campaigns reached a tentative agreement to clear their prospective lanes in Indiana and Oregon, but that non-aggression pact had a shorter life than a box of cupcakes in a pre-school day-care center after a five-mile hike. Snowflakes in hell last longer. To double down on the fires of perdition analogy, former Speaker of the House John Boehner called Cruz Lucifer in the flesh. Which led another Republican congressman, Peter King of New York, to argue the comparison was unfair to Lucifer. Wave your hands in the air like you just dont care. Lucifer in the house. Or rather, the Senate. Ignoring the insults, Ted Cruz attempted to shake things up by presumptively choosing a running mate, which is similar to a sophomore journalism student picking Adele to sing the theme song of their future prime time network television interview show. The move seemed designed to match Trumps failed businessman card and raise him a Carly Fiorinas slot on the ticket didnt create a lot of buzz. To their credit though, you have to admit that both Cruz and Trump do incite passion. Then again, so does flesh-eating bacteria. With Trump, people either love him or hate him. Whereas with Cruz, the differences narrow to either hate or an intense dislike. Despite repeated pummelings, including in Pennsylvania, Bernie Sanders still cant find the high road on his mental GPS. Hes still steamed that Democrats have the temerity to run Democrats-only primaries (hes not even a Democrat), says hes gonna win in irrelevant West Virginia on May 10 and continue to battle at the convention to the bitter end. Perhaps, if Bernie is at all interested in losing with grace and class, in uniting with his victorious foe for the most existential crusade of our era preventing an unhinged racist demagogue from owning the nuclear codes he will take a moment to read what Hillary Clinton said to her disappointed followers on June 7, 2008. The primary season had ended four days earlier. She had virtually split the nationwide popular vote with Barack Obama but she fatally trailed in the delegate count. Her delegate deficit was actually far smaller than Bernies current deficit, but did she whine about rigged primaries? Nope. Did she have the gall to insist, as Bernie did recently, that her victorious foe surrender to her issue agenda? Nope. Heres a small sampling of what she said: The way to continue our fight now, to accomplish the goals for which we stand, is to take our energy, our passion, our strength, and do all we can to help elect Barack Obama, the next president of the United States. Today, as I suspend my campaign, I congratulate him on the victory he has won and the extraordinary race he has run. I endorse him and throw my full support behind him. And I ask all of you to join me in working as hard for Barack Obama as you have for me. Thats the way to do it. You face reality, and eat humble pie for the greater good. The big question is not whether Bernie is toast thats been obvious for weeks (hes losing the national popular vote by 57 to 43 percent, which in electoral parlance is known as a landslide). The real question is whether Bernie will stand down in a graceful manner. Were still weeks away from the final contest, so theres time. Right now, however, were getting mixed signals. Tad Devine, a strategist in the Bernie camp, signaled the press that his candidate is prepared to reassess. But on the same day the Bernie camp sought new donations by emailing a photo of the Clintons at Trumps wedding. The candidate himself said hes proud of winning minuscule Rhode Island, the one state with an open primary. Hes stoked for the contests to come and is vowing to fight at the July convention for the issue agenda thats losing decisively at the ballot box. (Heres what I mean by decisive: In the Pennsylvania exit polls, 52 percent said the nominee should continue Obamas policies. Only 32 percent said the nominee should change to more liberal policies.) So well see which way Bernie plays it. As an outsider, a western European-style socialist who merely caucuses with the Democrats, hes comfortable with defiance. On TV the other night, he insisted that its incumbent upon Hillary to make the first move toward winning over his fans. Which is quite cheeky, given the fact that shes the winner and hes the loser. On the other hand, Bernie has been an inside-the Beltway politician for the past quarter century. If the Democrats win back the Senate this fall, presumably he would very much like to chair the Senate Budget Committee next year. Despite all his self-righteous thunder, he knows how to do deals. He hinted as much the other night, on MSNBC, when he said, I will do everything in my power to make sure that no Republican gets into the White House in this election cycle. If he wants to stay in the race through California, fine. And if he stops trashing Clinton on the stump and hoses down Tim Robbins and his other celebrity dilettantesthats when well truly begin to know whether hes doing everything in his power to kill the Trump poison before it fatally infects this country. Gov. Terry Branstad is pretty hung up on water quality, as well he and the rest of us should be. So its not surprising that he gave the Legislature, particularly Democrats and particularly Senate Majority Leader Mike Gronstal, a tongue-lashing for not producing a water-quality bill in the recently completed session. In our opinion, though, its just one more example of our Legislature not doing anything bold in several badly needed areas. Partisan politics wins, Iowans lose. To their credit, the lawmakers approved legislation to address criminal sentencing reform, create jobs in biochemical fields, stop human trafficking and help veterans, among other measures. And they did vote to keep big-time fireworks illegal, although it wont seem like it around the Fourth of July. But lawmakers once again disappointed us in education funding or rather, underfunding. Nothing could be more important, in our view, than education. Yet the Legislature approved a mere 2.25 percent increase in per-pupil funding. North Iowa school superintendents lamented the small hike. We lost more than we gained, West Hancock Superintendent Wayne Kronemann said. Iowas universities and community colleges also were underserved ironic given that community colleges have been identified as vital economic engines with their job training programs. As for water quality, we cant imagine why a bill couldnt come out of a body of logically thinking Iowans who obviously see we have a major problem. Yet many lawmakers werent ready to tie water quality to education, as Branstad urged, and Senate Democrats were dead set against a House plan that surfaced late, saying it was just shuffling funds around, not finding new money to address this significant problem. The answer, in our opinion, lies with a plan favored by Senate Democrats to increase the sales and use tax by less than a penny to pay into a natural resources and outdoor recreation trust fund approved by voters in 2010. The trust fund, which would take a portion of collected money to pay for water quality initiatives, is currently empty, according to our Des Moines Bureau. Yet Republicans called the plan unsustainable. We think Iowans would gladly pay that extra money for cleaner water and more. There are other areas where the Legislature could have made bold steps, such as Medicaid oversight and bullying. But without question our biggest disappointment comes with the unexplainable failure to provide relief to Iowans who could benefit from legalizing medical cannabis, specifically cannabis oil that helps relieve symptoms for some epilepsy patients. A bill was introduced to establish a program in Iowa but it failed as House Republican leadership presented a bill that would have sent Iowans to Minnesota to get medical cannabis. For us in northern Iowa, that might not have been so bad. For the rest of the state, well, proponents of medical marijuana called the effort unworkable. It was voted down overwhelmingly, and rightfully so. Iowa is perfectly capable of establishing a program on its own. Those House Republicans, hiding behind whatever flimsy excuse they could muster, should be ashamed that they blocked legislation that would have provided relief for those who now must still look to out-of-state sources. Hopefully, in the 2017 session with the election behind them, they can produce such a bill that offers help. So the 2016 session is in the books. Not a great session by any means, but again, lawmakers got the basics taken care of and added a few things for good measure. But they could have done so much more could have made a great statement for the state of Iowa. We can only hope that happens in 2017. Gregoire Cramayou in his new book, "A Theory of the Drone," argues that the use of drones is ethical in wartime. Drones were used to fly over hostile territory gathering information but military minds wanted them to be lethal weapons as well. On Feb. 16, 2001, a Predator drone first fired a missile and hit its target. Soon, Predators were firing at live targets in Afghanistan. Chamayou says that drones alter the zones of war. Once wars took place on geographic battlefields, but now homes, hospitals and mosques are potential sites for drone violence. The development of "precise missiles" which arm most drones has led manufacturers to call drones precise weapons. The "Intercept" website, however, reports nearly 90 percent of people killed in recent drone strikes in Afghanistan were not the intended targets of the attacks. Drones are called humanitarian weapons because of their alleged precision and there is no human cost in life to the person who pilots the drone from Creech Air Base in Nevada. To his credit, President Obama has adhered to our policy of not using enhanced interrogation techniques with suspected terrorists. Unfortunately, he and the C.I.A. are using drones to target terrorists for assassinations. Citing a New York Times report, Chamayou claims that every week members of the national security group gather by video teleconference to go over terrorist suspects' biographies to recommend to the president the next to be killed. Obama then gives his oral approval for each name. This becomes a militarized manhunt and is not a response to an actual attack but is to prevent the possibility of an emerging threat by an early elimination of potential terrorists. I fear if drones make wars risk-free for perpetrators it could make aggressive nation's leaders easier to find support for many more conflicts. Harold W. Hopp, Mason City CHICAGO, May 3, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- ScribesThe American Society of Legal Writersheld its first national CLE program on April 15th at The John Marshall Law School in Chicago, one of the institutional members of Scribes. The well-attended program, Legal Writing: From Basics to Application, included presentations by John Marshall Professors Kim Chanbonpin and Kevin Hopkins and remarks from Professor Mark E. Wojcik, the current vice president of Scribes. The event featured several panels focused on distinctive writing styles, including ethics and writing, storytelling for lawyers, opinion writing, and basic writing tips. "Scribes takes legal writing seriously, and we were honored that John Marshall could host this first national CLE program for Scribes," Wojcik said. Professor Kim Chanbonpin, director of the Lawyering Skills Program at John Marshall, spoke as part of the Basic Writing Tips panel. She is the President-Elect of the Legal Writing Institute (LWI) and will become president at LWI's summer conference in July. Professor Kevin Hopkins spoke as part of the Ethics and Legal Writing panel. The CLE program was followed by presentations of Scribes Lifetime Achievement Awards to Frank Easterbook and Richard Posner, both former chief judges of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit. They were interviewed by Scribes board member and former President Bryan Garner, editor of Black's Law Dictionary and author of more than a dozen books on legal writing. Scribes is a national organization of legal writers dedicated to fostering a feeling of fraternity among those who write about the law. Founded in 1952, the organization encourages people who write about the law. Its core mission is to promote a clear, succinct, and forceful style in legal writing. Each year John Marshall selects graduating students, based on their excellence in legal writing, to become members of the National Order of Scribes. At No. 5, John Marshall's legal writing program is the top-ranked program in the Midwest by U.S. News & World Report. John Marshall's Lawyering Skills Program is one of the most rigorous research/writing programs in the country, and it houses the largest in-school writing resource center in the U.S. About The John Marshall Law School The John Marshall Law School, founded in 1899, is an independent law school located in the heart of Chicago's legal, financial and commercial districts. The 2017 U.S. News & World Report's America's Best Graduate Schools ranks John Marshall's Lawyering Skills Program 5th, its Trial Advocacy Program 19th and its Intellectual Property Law Program 21st in the nation. Since its inception, John Marshall has been a pioneer in legal education and has been guided by a tradition of diversity, innovation, access and opportunity. NEW YORK, May 03, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Pomerantz LLP announces that a class action lawsuit has been filed on behalf of Vivint Solar, Inc. shareholders (Vivint or the Company) (NYSE:VSLR) against certain officers of SunEdison Inc. (SunEdison). The class action, filed in United States District Court, Eastern District of Missouri, and docketed under 16-cv-00628, is on behalf of a class consisting of all persons or entities who purchased or otherwise acquired Vivint securities between July 20, 2015 and March 7, 2016 inclusive (the Class Period). This class action seeks to recover damages against Defendants for alleged violations of the federal securities laws under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the Exchange Act). If you are a shareholder who purchased Vivint securities during the Class Period, you have until July 5, 2016 to ask the Court to appoint you as Lead Plaintiff for the class. A copy of the Complaint can be obtained at www.pomerantzlaw.com. To discuss this action, contact Robert S. Willoughby at rswilloughby@pomlaw.com or 888.476.6529 (or 888.4-POMLAW), toll free, ext. 9980. Those who inquire by e-mail are encouraged to include their mailing address, telephone number, and number of shares purchased. Vivint is a provider of distributed solar energy, which is electricity generated by a solar energy system installed at a customers location, including residential, commercial and industrial properties throughout the United States. In July 2015, SunEdison and Vivint announced a merger pursuant to which SunEdison would acquire Vivint. On this announcement, Vivints stock price increased $4.87, an increase of approximately 44.8%, to close at $15.75. On February 24, 2016, at the Companys special shareholders meeting, Vivint shareholders voted to approve the merger with SunEdison. The Complaint alleges that throughout the Class Period, Defendants made materially false and misleading statements regarding the Companys business, operational and compliance policies. Specifically, Defendants made false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (i) SunEdison would be unable to obtain financing for the acquisition of Vivint; (ii) SunEdisons liquidity was less than Defendants had stated; (iii) SunEdison would not be able to complete the acquisition of Vivint; and (iv) as a result, Defendants statements about the merger between SunEdison and Vivint were materially false and misleading and/or lacked a reasonable basis at all relevant times. On February 29, 2016, after the market closed, SunEdison filed a Notification of Late Filing on Form 12b-25 with the SEC, disclosing that the Company would be unable to timely file its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2015. The Notification of Late Filing included information that in late 2015, former SunEdison executives had made allegations concerning the accuracy of SunEdisons financial position. On this news, shares of Vivint fell $1.37 per share or over 17% from the stocks previous closing price to close at $6.52 per share on March 1, 2016, damaging investors. On March 2, 2016, during trading hours, The Wall Street Journal published an article entitled, SunEdisons Takeover of Vivint Solar in Jeopardy as Banks Balk stating that the Vivint-SunEdison merger was in jeopardy. On this news, shares of Vivint fell $1.63 per share or 25% from the stocks previous closing price to close at $4.89 per share on March 2, 2016, damaging investors. On March 8, 2016, Vivint announced that it was terminating the Merger Agreement. Also on March 8, 2016, Vivint filed a lawsuit against SunEdison in Delaware Chancery Court alleging breach of contract. On this news, shares of Vivint fell $1.04 per share or approximately 20% from the stocks previous closing price to close at $5.21 per share on March 7, 2016, damaging investors. The Pomerantz Firm, with offices in New York, Chicago, Florida, and Los Angeles, is acknowledged as one of the premier firms in the areas of corporate, securities, and antitrust class litigation. Founded by the late Abraham L. Pomerantz, known as the dean of the class action bar, the Pomerantz Firm pioneered the field of securities class actions. Today, more than 80 years later, the Pomerantz Firm continues in the tradition he established, fighting for the rights of the victims of securities fraud, breaches of fiduciary duty, and corporate misconduct. The Firm has recovered numerous multimillion-dollar damages awards on behalf of class members. See www.pomerantzlaw.com SASKATOON, May 3, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Credit unions are well positioned to provide Canadians with retail investment and savings products that generate positive social and environmental impact, according to new research released today at Canadian Credit Union Association's (CCUA) annual National Conference for Canada's Credit Unions. Currently available mostly to institutional and accredited investors, impact investing opportunities offered at the retail level can help credit unions retain and attract a new generation of members that have a strong desire to align their values with their investments. The new Retail Impact Investing Guidebook, launched today and prepared for the CCUA by Purpose Capital, a Toronto-based impact investment research and advisory firm, provides credit unions with actionable strategies and resources for developing retail impact investing products and deploying them to their members. To download the Executive Summary and Guidebook, visit http://www.impactinvesting.ca/ or click here. For more general information about the Guidebook visit www.ccua.com/research/retail_impact_investing, or click here. Credit unions are currently among the leaders in the broader impact investing space. They hold nearly 17 per cent of the total Canadian impact investing assets, which includes microloans made to underserved individuals and entrepreneurs. Credit unions first pioneered socially responsible investing in Canada in the 1980s by creating the Ethical Funds family of funds. "Despite evidence of growing market interest led by women and millennials the opportunities for people to invest to generate a return, while also generating positive impact, are currently limited," explains Martha Durdin, CCUA's president and CEO. "This new Guidebook identifies that marketplace gap, and shows ways that credit unions can innovate and provide Canadians with new investment products." "Bringing impact investment to the retail level can unlock new sources of capital for both environmental and social organizations, and initiatives," adds Karim Harji, Purpose Capital's co-founder and Director of Research and Impact. "For credit unions, it's an opportunity to deepen mission alignment, while offering members new investment options." The Guidebook profiles six retail products in Canada and the United States and draws lessons from the case studies to shape a Product Development Roadmap. One product that is profiled in the research is the Oikocredit Global Impact Guaranteed Investment Certificate, which allows members of Mennonite Savings and Credit Union to earn a guaranteed return on their insured deposit, while also supporting global development finance initiatives. Building on this research, CCUA will work to assess how impact investing can be expanded within the credit union sector in Canada. The Guidebook was a partnership of CCUA, its member credit unions, Purpose Capital and Employment and Social Development Canada. About Canadian Credit Union Association Canadian Credit Union Association (CCUA) is the national trade association for the Canadian credit union system. Canada's credit union system is a vital competitor in the financial services industry. CCUA represents 315 credit unions and caisses populaires (outside of Quebec) with more than $188.3 billion in assets and serving over 5.57 million members. For more information about Canada's credit unions visit www.ccua.com. About Purpose Capital Purpose Capital is an impact investment advisory firm that mobilizes all forms of capital financial, physical, human and social to accelerate social progress. We work with a range of investors and intermediaries foundations, high net worth investors, family offices, financial institutions, governments, and social finance intermediaries and impact funds to design, implement, and evaluate strategies to invest for impact. We draw on significant in-house research and expertise, and regularly contribute to market building through knowledge products and publications. For more information, visit www.purposecap.com. FT. LAUDERDALE, Fla., May 03, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Kaya Holdings, Inc. (OTCQB:KAYS) today updated stockholders on the filing status of its delayed Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2015 and the upcoming conference call to discuss 2015 financial results of the company and current developments. As previously disclosed our filing has been delayed by unforeseen complex accounting calculations required by our auditors for debt that we have on Company books. It is my understanding that the calculations have been completed and that the filing will occur within the coming week, pending final approval by our auditors, stated Craig Frank, KAYS CEO. Once we file our 10-K we will reschedule the conference call as we will then be able to fully discuss results of operations and other items covered in the filing. Again, please accept my apologies for the delay and I look forward to speaking with everyone. We also ask our stockholders to go to our website, www.kayaholdings.com and confirm their contact information utilizing the updates form located at the bottom of each page of the website so that we may provide you with any updates to the conference call or other news items on a timely basis. About Kaya Holdings, Inc. (KAYS) KAYS (OTCQB:KAYS) owns and operates Kaya Shack legal marijuana dispensaries in Oregon as well as its Kaya Farms Grow operations, which produce, distribute and/or sell premium legal cannabis products under the Companys own brands, including flower, concentrates, and cannabis-infused baked goods and candies. KAYS is the first publicly-traded U.S. company to own and operate marijuana dispensaries and a vertically integrated legal cannabis grow and manufacturing operation. IMPORTANT DISCLOSURE: KAYS is planning execution of its stated business objectives in accordance with current understanding of State and Local Laws and Federal Enforcement Policies and Priorities as it relates to Marijuana (as outlined in the Justice Department's Cole Memo dated August 29, 2013), and plan to proceed cautiously with respect to legal and compliance issues. Potential investors and shareholders are cautioned that AFAI and MJAI will obtain advice of counsel prior to actualizing any portion of their business plan (including but not limited to license applications for the cultivation, distribution or sale of marijuana products, engaging in said activities or acquiring existing Cannabis production/sales operations). Advice of counsel with regard to specific activities of KAYS, Federal, State or Local legal action or changes in Federal Government Policy and/or State and Local Laws may adversely affect business operations and shareholder value. Forward Looking Statements This press release includes statements that may constitute "forward-looking" statements, usually containing the words "believe," "estimate," "project," "expect" or similar expressions. These statements are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements inherently involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking statements. Factors that would cause or contribute to such differences include, but are not limited to, acceptance of the Company's current and future products and services in the marketplace, the ability of the Company to develop effective new products and receive regulatory approvals of such products, competitive factors, dependence upon third-party vendors, and other risks detailed in the Company's periodic report filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. By making these forward-looking statements, the Company undertakes no obligation to update these statements for revisions or changes after the date of this release. For more information visit our website at www.kayaholdings.com or contact Investor Relations at 561-210-7664 NEW ORLEANS, May 03, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC ("KSF") and KSF partner, the former Attorney General of Louisiana, Charles C. Foti, Jr., remind investors that they have until July 5, 2016 to file lead plaintiff applications in a securities class action lawsuit against Intrexon Corporation (NYSE:XON), if they purchased the Companys securities between May 12, 2015 and April 20, 2016, inclusive (the Class Period). This action is pending in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California. What You May Do If you purchased shares of Intrexon and would like to discuss your legal rights and how this case might affect you and your right to recover for your economic loss, you may, without obligation or cost to you, call toll-free at 1-877-515-1850 or email KSF Managing Partner Lewis Kahn (lewis.kahn@ksfcounsel.com). If you wish to serve as a lead plaintiff in this class action, you must petition the Court by July 5, 2016. About the Lawsuit Intrexon and certain of its executives are charged with failing to disclose material information during the Class Period, violating federal securities laws. On April 21, 2016, Spotlight Research released a report stating that Intrexons revenues were overstated by 50% through transactions with related parties and that Intrexons technology program is just overhyped failed products that is being questioned by the World Health Organization, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the National Institutes of Health. On this news, the price of Intrexons shares plummeted by 26%. About Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC KSF, whose partners include the Former Louisiana Attorney General Charles C. Foti, Jr., is a law firm focused on securities, antitrust and consumer class actions, along with merger & acquisition and breach of fiduciary litigation against publicly traded companies on behalf of shareholders. The firm has offices in New York, California and Louisiana. To learn more about KSF, you may visit www.ksfcounsel.com. THIS NEWS RELEASE IS NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO THE UNITED STATES NEWSWIRE SERVICES OR FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES. Mariana Announces Closing of Private Placement for GBP6 million NORTH SYDNEY, Australia, May 4, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Mariana Resources Ltd ("Mariana" or the "Company"), the AIM listed exploration and development company with projects in Turkey and South America, announces the closing of the private placement (previously announced 26 April 2016) for 330,000,000 ordinary shares in the Company (the "Shares"). The Company will be issuing one warrant (a "Warrant") for every two Shares subscribed. Each Warrant will be exercisable for a period of two years to acquire an additional Ordinary Share of the Company at an exercise price of 2.5p. Following this placement, Sandstorm Gold Limited TSX:SSL ("Sandstorm") has become a significant shareholder with a holding of 7.56% in the Company. The placement price as announced on the 26 April was 1.82 UK pence It is expected that 330,000,000 million shares will commence trading on AIM on or around Wednesday, 11 May 2016. Chief Executive Officer Glen Parsons today commented: "The overwhelming support for Mariana and this placement specifically from North America and our current supportive institutions is very encouraging, particularly with the decision to proceed with dual listing on the TSX-V. Furthermore with this strong support Mariana decided to place the full 330 million shares. We have attracted a diverse investor base demonstrating support for our attractive asset portfolio including the exciting high grade gold and copper Hot Maden Project in north eastern Turkey. We are pleased to welcome Sandstorm as an investor following their recent purchase of the Hot Maden 2% NSR (Net Smelter Royalty) from Teck Resources. This investment in Mariana is a great vote of confidence for the asset and our team. "These funds raised will mainly be used for the advancement of Hot Maden and position Mariana favourably for the future." **ENDS** For further information please visit website at www.marianaresources.com or contact the following. In Australia: Glen Parsons (CEO) Mariana Resources Ltd +61 2 9437 4588 Eric Roth (COO) Mariana Resources Ltd +56 9 8818 1243 Rob Adamson RFC Ambrian Limited (Nomad) +61 2 9250 0041 Will Souter RFC Ambrian Limited (Nomad) +61 2 9250 0050 In U.K. Oliver Stansfield Brandon Hill Capital (UK Broker) +44 20 3463 5061 Jonathan Evans Brandon Hill Capital (UK Broker) +44 20 3463 5016 Camilla Horsfall Blytheweigh (Financial PR) +44 20 7138 3224 Megan Ray Blytheweigh (Financial PR) +44 20 7138 3203 About Mariana Resources Mariana Resources Ltd is an AIM quoted exploration and development company with an extensive portfolio of gold, silver and copper projects in South America and Turkey. Mariana's most advanced asset is the Hot Maden gold-copper project in north east Turkey, which is a joint venture with its Turkish JV partner Lidya (30% Mariana and 70% Lidya). A maiden mineral resource estimate of 2.03 Moz gold Equivalent (Indicated Category) and 0.97 Moz gold Equivalent (Inferred Category) (100% basis) was reported for Hot Maden on August 18, 2015. Elsewhere in Turkey, Mariana holds a 100% interest in the Ergama gold-copper project. In Suriname, Mariana has a direct holding of 10.2% of the Nassau Gold project.) The Nassau Gold Project is a 28,000 Ha exploration concession located approximately 125 km south east of the capital Paramaribo and immediately adjacent to Newmont Mining's 4.2Moz gold Merian project. In southern Argentina, the Company's core gold-silver projects are Las Calandrias (100%), Sierra Blanca (100%), Los Cisnes (100%), Bozal (100%). These projects are part of a 160,000+ Ha land package in the Deseado Massif epithermal gold-silver district in mining-friendly Santa Cruz Province. Mariana acquired 100% interests in the Dona Ines gold-silver and Exploradora East copper prospects in northern Chile through the Aegean Metals Group transaction which closed in January, 2015, with Mariana exploration now being funded by Asset Chile through the provision of $1.65m for a total 50% interest. In Peru, Mariana is focusing on acquiring new opportunities which complement its current portfolio. Safe Harbour This press release contains certain statements which may be deemed to be forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are made as at the date of this press release and include, without limitation, statements regarding discussions of future plans, the realization, cost, timing and extent of mineral resource estimates, estimated future exploration expenditures, costs and timing of the development of new deposits, success of exploration activities, permitting time lines, and requirements for additional capital. The words "plans", "expects", "budget", "scheduled", "estimate", "forecasts", "intend", "anticipate", "believe", "may", "will", or similar expressions or variations of such words are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other factors that may cause actual results to vary materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to: the effects of general economic conditions; the price of gold, silver and copper; misjudgements in the course of preparing forward-looking statements; risks associated with international operations; the need for additional financing; risks inherent in exploration results; conclusions of economic evaluations; changes in project parameters; currency and commodity price fluctuations; title matters; environmental liability claims; unanticipated operational risks; accidents, labour disputes and other risks of the mining industry; delays in obtaining governmental approvals or in the completion of development or construction activities; political risk; and other risks and uncertainties described in the Company's annual financial statements for the most recently completed financial year which is available on the Company's website at www.marianaresources.com . Although we believe that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are based upon reasonable assumptions and have attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking statements. Accordingly, readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. We do not undertake to update any forward-looking statements, except in accordance with applicable securities laws. HUG#2009694 HOUSTON, May 04, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Spine Injury Solutions, Inc. (OTCQB:SPIN), a technology-driven, medical service, device and healthcare solution company servicing the multi-billion dollar spine injury sector, today announced that it has scheduled an interactive video Investor conference call for Thursday May 12, at 4:20 p.m. (EDT) to discuss the Company's financial results for Q1 2016, business initiatives and provide an update on expansion plans for its core Personal Injury Case funding along with the current marketing status of its patented Quad Video HALO v.3.0 (QVH3) and HALO Rx. Shareholders Question & Answers will follow. Spine Injury Solutions intends to issue its Q1 2016 financial results on Thursday, May 12, 2016 prior to the Conference Call. Dr. William Donovan CEO stated; I want to personally invite all shareholders or interested parties to attend this Conference Call. I also want to thank each shareholder who has patiently stood by the Company the past year or so while we have been repositioning the Company back to growth and profitability, both in our legacy Personal Injury Finance and new Quad Video HALO Divisions. On the Conference Call, In addition to Corporate Management, you will have the opportunity to meet our new QVH Northeast Director of Sales and Marketing, James Schwarz as well as an outside guest panelist. I can unequivocally tell you that from a Management point of view, these past few months have been enjoyable as we see the accomplishments of our labor start to blossom. Conference Call Details Conference Call: An investor's conference call with management will be held on Thursday, May 12, at 4:20 p.m. (EDT). The call will be video WebCast with a short live Power Point Presentation followed by Q&A. The call may be accessed either by phone alone, which will not allow asking questions, or by phone and/or VOIP with headset after internet log-in with an on screen provided Audio Pin # which will allow verbally asking questions. Questions can also be typed into an online chat screen at any time during the presentation or Q&A period. Access to the Call: To use the internet link, you must register prior to access. So we suggest you complete the registration and get your log-in information in advance of the start of the presentation. You can register at any time. As mentioned above, the call is Thursday, May 12, at 4:20 p.m. (EDT). Click or paste the link below in your browser for registration and web access to the presentation and follow the online instructions: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/4929194564563296769 Or if the above link doesn't work, please try the following: http://www.joinwebinar.com Webinar ID: 103-330-835 Telephone Dial-in and/or VOIP which provides Q&A: To ask a question using your telephone, you must be online at the presentation website during the internet presentation where a unique Audio PIN # will be provided to you on screen after you log-in to the presentation console. You must use the pin to hear the call on the phone. During the presentation, all will be muted until the Q&A portion. Questions can be asked by typing in the question in the provided questions link on the provided console at any time during the presentation and will be answered during the Q&A. The Q&A will be moderated, but without an operator, and will be open to all questions after the formal presentations. Review this short YouTube tutorial video for pointers on how to use the Webinar Features. (This is just a demo. Do not use the numbers or codes on this demo. Use what is provided above.) YouTube webinar instructions: http://youtu.be/n7b1VHDwwD4 If you use the telephone, but are NOT also online, you will be able to hear the presentation plus Q&A, but will remain in "listen only" mode for the duration of the call. Conference Dial-in Number: 1 (415) 655-0060 Participant Access Code: 775-920-041 Conference Play Back: A video replay of the conference call presentation will be available several hours after the completion of the call at the company website: http://www.spinepaininc.com/ About Spine Injury Solutions, Inc: We are a medical services and technology company facilitating diagnostic services for patients who have sustained spine injuries resulting from traumatic accidents. We deliver turnkey solutions to spine surgeons, orthopedic surgeons and other healthcare providers that provide necessary and appropriate treatment of musculo-skeletal spine injuries resulting from automobile and work-related accidents. Our care management services help reduce the financial burden on healthcare providers that provide patients with early-stage diagnostic testing and non-invasive surgical care, preventing many patients from being unnecessarily delayed or inhibited from obtaining needed treatment. We believe that our services and technology brings strong transparency and impartiality to all parties involved in the settlement of patient cases. Additional information about the company, along with a video replay of most recent Investor Conference Call can be found at its website at www.spineinjurysolutions.com. About Quad Video HALO, Inc.: In addition, we are the owners and developers of the Patented and CE Certified Quad Video HALO and HALO Rx, a Highly Scalable Video Integrated Operating Room Technology that Meets the Demands of Medical Practices and Major Hospital Systems using our latest VideoTeleShare hardware/software advancement in providing video transparency to both Invasive and Minimally Invasive medical procedures. Additional information about QVH, can be found at its website at www.QuadVideoHalo.com. Forward-Looking Statements: This press release includes forward-looking statements as determined by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC"). All statements, other than statements of historical facts, included in this press release that address activities, events, or developments that the company believes or anticipates will or may occur in the future are forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the company to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors include general economic and business conditions, the ability to acquire and develop specific projects, the ability to fund operations, healthcare services demands, changes in healthcare practices, government regulation, and other factors over which the company has little or no control. The company does not intend (and is not obligated) to update publicly any forward-looking statements. The contents of this press release should be considered in conjunction with the warnings and cautionary statements contained in the company's recent filings with the SEC. FALLS CHURCH, Va., May 4, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Northrop Grumman Foundation is welcoming submissions now through June 17, 2016 for the second year of its Fab School Labs online contest. The school lab makeover contest provides public middle schools with an opportunity to make their ideal state-of-the-art science lab a reality with grants of up to $100,000 each. The Northrop Grumman Foundation invites teachers, principals and school administrators to enter their eligible school by visiting www.FabSchoolLabs.com, where they can learn about the contest and submit their application, along with photos and video to help tell their story. Finalist schools will be chosen and their videos will receive online votes of support through the Fab School Labs Facebook page to assist with the final selection process. The winning schools will then team up with Fab School Labs contest partner, Flinn Scientific Inc., to design a state-of-the-art science lab or classroom complete with all of the tools, resources and furnishings needed to incorporate new and innovative methods and subject matter. The contest is designed to drive students' interest in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) by giving public middle school teachers and school administrators the chance to create the STEM lab of their dreams and provide students access to the latest learning tools and technologies that will stimulate as well as teach. Inadequate funds to purchase equipment and an overall lack of facilities are frequently cited problems by teachers and educators as it relates to science and mathematics education at the elementary and middle school level, according to the National Science Board and other education sources. "It is an honor to once again offer five schools, teachers and their students the chance to receive a new, state-of-the-art science lab or classroom," said Sandra Evers-Manly, vice president, global corporate responsibility, Northrop Grumman, and president, Northrop Grumman Foundation. "The amount of support received from students, teachers and the communities by our 2015-2016 winners was overwhelming, and we look forward to rallying more communities during the 2016-2017 school year." In addition to the website, teachers are also encouraged to follow the competition at www.Facebook.com/FabSchoolLabs. Northrop Grumman and the Northrop Grumman Foundation are committed to expanding and enhancing the pipeline of diverse, talented STEM students globally. They provide funding to sustainable STEM programs that span from preschool to high school and through collegiate levels, with a major emphasis on middle school students and teachers. In 2015, Northrop Grumman and the Northrop Grumman Foundation continued education outreach efforts by contributing more than $17 million to diverse STEM-related groups such as the Air Force Association (CyberPatriot), Conservation International (ECO Classroom), the REC Foundation (VEX Robotics), National Science Teachers Association and the National Action Council for Minorities in Engineering. For more information, please visit www.northropgrumman.com/foundation. ATLANTA, May 04, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- UPS (NYSE: UPS) was recognized with a Decade Award, given to 10 companies that have averaged the highest rankings on the annual InformationWeek Elite 100 list over the past decade. UPS ranked 17 on the 2016 Elite 100 list for the integration of two services that are revolutionizing package delivery: the UPS My Choice delivery service and UPS Access Point network. UPS also was selected as a finalist for a Business Innovator award in the category of customer experience. The UPS My Choice service and the UPS Access Point network make consumer package delivery more convenient than ever before. With the UPS My Choice service, consumers receive notifications about packages in advance, and can take control of their deliveries with the ability to leave specific instructions for their UPS driver on where to leave their package, or to re-route their package to another location if they wont be home. The UPS Access Point network is comprised of neighborhood businesses that serve as alternate delivery locations so that consumers can pick up and ship packages on their schedules. This integration allows UPS to link the digital information on packages to the physical execution of package delivery to a variety of access points based on customer choice. Technology innovations like those behind the UPS My Choice service and the UPS Access Point network integration are changing the future of e-commerce delivery to be increasingly consumer-centric, said UPS Chief Information Officer Juan Perez. UPS will continue to push the technological boundaries to find ways to connect our customers with new services that provide them the convenience, choice and control they deserve. The UPS My Choice service and UPS Access Point network integration is made possible by proprietary routing software, and includes the significant integration of applications on a global scale. UPS is the first carrier in the U.S. to offer the services provided by UPS My Choice and UPS Access Point network. InformationWeek Elite 100 research tracks the technology-based investments, strategies, and results of some of the best-known organizations in the country. Unique among corporate rankings, the InformationWeek Elite 100 spotlights the power of business technology innovation. Additional details on the InformationWeek Elite 100 can be found online at informationweek.com/elite100. About UPS UPS (NYSE: UPS) is a global leader in logistics, offering a broad range of solutions including the transportation of packages and freight; the facilitation of international trade, and the deployment of advanced technology to more efficiently manage the world of business. Headquartered in Atlanta, UPS serves more than 220 countries and territories worldwide. The company can be found on the Web at ups.com and its corporate blog can be found at Longitudes.ups.com. To get UPS news direct, visit pressroom.ups.com/RSS. About InformationWeek For more than 30 years, InformationWeek has provided millions of IT executives worldwide with the insight and perspective they need to leverage the business value of technology. InformationWeek provides CIOs and IT executives with commentary, analysis and research through its thriving online community, digital issues, webcasts, proprietary research and live, in-person events. InformationWeek's award-winning editorial coverage can be found at www.informationweek.com. InformationWeek is organized by UBM Americas, a part of UBM plc (UBM.L), an Events First marketing and communications services business. For more information, visit ubmamericas.com. Additional details on the InformationWeek Elite 100 can be found online at informationweek.com/elite100. VANCOUVER, British Columbia, May 04, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- NetCents Technology Inc. (NetCents or the Company) (CSE:NC) is pleased to announce that we are forming an Advisory Board to accelerate the Companys development. NetCents is in the works of developing a first in-class advisory board made up of some of the leading experts in our industry. Under the terms of reference for the advisory board, NetCents will appoint one or more advisors to make valuable contributions to the Companys business. Referred to as Advisory Board Members, NetCents is selecting individuals based on their knowledge, expertise, and experience, either within the business sector, or specifically within the payments and technology industry. "As we look to the future, it is vital that the Company get timely insight and knowledge from experts who are experienced in our business. Advisors bring expertise and provide fresh ideas, honest feedback, and are a sounding board for us to listen and learn from," commented Clayton Moore, CEO & Founder, NetCents Technology Inc. We have had preliminary discussions with some prospective advisors, candidates that have a similar passion to see our company flourish. We are confident that we will be able to attract professional, knowledgeable, and valuable members to our new Advisory Board and continue expanding in todays marketplace." About NetCents NetCents is an online payments platform, offering consumers and merchants online services for managing electronic payments. NetCents works with its financial partners, mobile operators, exchanges, etc., to streamline the user experience of transacting online. The technology is integrated into the Automated Clearing House (ACH), which ensures our consumers security and privacy. This release allows the Company to continue their expansion and enhance the users online and mobile experience, granting them the freedom and convenience to Pay. Your Way. Further information about the Company is available under its profile on the SEDAR website, www.sedar.com, on the CSE website www.thecse.com, on our website www.netcents.biz or contact Robert Meister, Capital Markets at Ph: 604.676.5248 or email: Robert.meister@net-cents.com. On Behalf of the Board of Directors NetCents Technology Inc. Clayton Moore, Founder/CEO NetCents Technology Inc. Suite 1500, 885 West Georgia Street Vancouver, British Columbia V6C 3E8 The Canadian Securities Exchange has neither approved nor disapproved of the contents of this press release. Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Forward-Looking Information This release includes certain statements that may be deemed forward-looking statements. All statements in this release, other than statements of historical facts, that address events or developments that the Company expects to occur, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and are generally, but not always, identified by the words expects, plans, anticipates, believes, intends, estimates, projects, potential and similar expressions, or that events or conditions will, would, may, could or should occur. Although the Company believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause the actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements include regulatory actions, market prices, and continued availability of capital and financing, and general economic, market or business conditions. Investors are cautioned that any such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based on the beliefs, estimates and opinions of the Companys management on the date the statements are made. Except as required by applicable securities laws, the Company undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements in the event that managements beliefs, estimates or opinions, or other factors, should change. IRONWOOD, Mich., May 04, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Keweenaw Land Association, Limited (OTC Pink:KEWL) today announced the final election results from its 2016 Annual Shareholder Meeting held May 2, 2016 in Ironwood, Michigan. Those results, as certified by Okapi Partners, confirm the re-election of both Mr. John E. Earhart and Ms. Marjorie E. Nesbitt, to three-year terms on the Keweenaw Board of Directors. Anderson, Tackman & Company were confirmed as auditors for 2016. No other proposals were brought before the shareholders for consideration. In this years voting, over 86% of outstanding shares were represented. The company has also made available on its website the 2016 Annual Meeting Presentation to Shareholders, which contains information about Keweenaws performance and strategic plan. A link to the presentation can be found by clicking here, or going to www.keweenaw.com and searching under the News link. About Keweenaw Land Association, Limited: Keweenaw is a forest products and land management company located in Ironwood, Michigan. Keweenaw has land holdings of approximately 168,000 surface acres and close to 402,000 acres of mineral rights, located predominantly in the western Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Keweenaw shares trade in the OTC Markets under the Pink directory with 1,298,568 shares outstanding. 700 (Q47, V39, IR8) - INSEAD - Profile evaluation [ #permalink Hello, I have just passed the exam today and scored 700 (Q47, V39, IR8). This is my second attempt, I got 670 at my first attempt a month ago (Q44, V39, IR5). However I cancelled my first score of 670, so the adcom will only see 700 as a first attempt. My question is: is this score enough for INSEAD? INSEAD is my first choice and I really want to show my profile as strong as possible. 700 is in their target range, but Q47 is only 67 percentile. While INSEAD mentions they want to see a balance score of 70 percentile in both quant and verbal, should I retake the GMAT? (considering that this 8 in IR is a miracle, as I always had 5 in mocks, approximately between Q47 and Q49 in quant, and between V37/39 in verbal). I am targeting to apply for first round in september so I do have some time ahead, but I still have the toefl, essays etc to do. My profile is: French, female, 29 years, 5.5 years of work experience (4 years in London in finance in a big US company and 1.5 year in consulting in Paris, big US company as well, and various internships between France, London, US and Germany). Education: Master in Management from a French b-school and 2 year preparatory classes to present the national exam to enter b-school in France. GPA: good but nothing exceptional, I don't have a transcript of my notes in GPA format yet, as b-school in France don't use GPA (at least mine). Extra: fund-raising activities for humanitarian project in Ecuador, music player in orchestra, Vice-president of international student Council, while at b-school and many backpacking travels. I would like to have your opinion if my GMAT score of 700 (all the most the Q47) is good enough or if I should retake? Many thanks for your advice ! sach24x7 wrote: Dear Mike, If the value of M is known for first option ( just for example...M=20) then how to calculate probability for first statement? Can you please help? sach24x7 a) what is the probability that Andrew & Georgia are both among the 15, and that Andrew is to the right of Georgia? b) given that Andrea & Georgia definitely are among the 15 selected, what is the probability that Andrew is to the right of Georgia? (b) (a) Magoosh Test Prep Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire. William Butler Yeats (1865 1939) Mike McGarryEducation is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire. William Butler Yeats (1865 1939) Signature Read More DearI'm happy to respond.My friend, that change would introduce an ambiguity into the question that doesn't exist in the original. If M = 20, and we are picking N = 15, do we meanorThe answer tois simply 1/2, because of symmetry. That's an easy question. For the first question, question, we would need to use the techniques discussed here:Does all this make sense?Mike_________________ Thanks for sharing profile. Fantastic job on the GMAT which should counteract any questions about your academic aptitude stemming from your GPA. I think your approach is right, I would focus on your work experience and ECs as these are not really currently competitive for most of the schools you have listed. If you can double down and work to improve these areas you should be able to compete for a spot on one of the spots on your list_________________ Tue, 10/26 (11:30am ET): MBA Essays - Talking About Your Past and Making Your Reader Excited About Your Future Quote: This success rate, exceptionally high for university fund-raisers, does not indicate that they were doing a good job The high success rate shows insufficient canvassing effort. Quote: (A) Smithtown Universitys fund-raisers were successful in their contacts with potential donors who had never given before about as frequently as were fund-raisers for other universities in their contacts with such people. Quote: (B) This year the average size of the donations to Smithtown University from new donors when the universitys fund-raisers had contacted was larger than the average size of donations from donors who had given to the university before. Quote: (C) This year most of the donations that came to Smithtown University from people who had previously donated to it were made without the universitys fund-raisers having made any contact with the donors. Quote: (D) The majority of the donations that fund-raisers succeeded in getting for Smithtown University this year were from donors who had never given to the university before. Quote: (E) More than half of the money raised by Smithtown Universitys fund-raisers came from donors who had never previously donated to the university. On strengthen, weaken, and assumption questions, I generally start with the conclusion, stated exactly in the passages own words. In this case, the conclusion is basically the second and fourth sentences of the paragraph:Great, and whats the evidence to support this conclusion? Well, we know that fund-raisers have succeeded in getting donations from 80% of the potential donors they contacted, and since the people most likely to donate are those who have donated in the past, good fund-raisers constantly try less-likely prospects in an effort to expand the donor base.Bottom line: the argument is accusing Smithtowns fund-raisers of being lousy, lazy fundraisers who just keep contacting people who have donated in the past. The correct answer will support the conclusion that the fund-raisers were not doing a good job and that the high success rate shows insufficient canvassing effort.On to the answer choices:This looks pretty good! Again: were trying to find support for the idea that the fund-raisers were not doing a good job and that the high success rate shows insufficient canvassing effort.(A) is telling us that the Smithtown fund-raisers were no better than those of other universities so that supports the idea that they were not necessarily doing a good job. Plus, if Smithtowns fund-raisers were just as unsuccessful with potential new donors as other universities, then it must be the case that the exceptionally high 80% success rate came from targeting previous donors.Its hard to imagine that well beat (A), but we always want to find four wrong answers - so lets go through the rest of them:Nope. If this is true, perhaps the fund-raisers deserve a cookie, but its not terribly relevant to the argument. Were trying to support the idea that the high success rate shows insufficient canvassing effort. The SIZE of donations from new donors tells us nothing about canvassing effort.This is pretty much irrelevant to the conclusion. It just tells us that a lot of people donated without being contacted. This doesnt tell us anything about the fund-raisers canvassing efforts with new donors, or whether they were doing a good job in general.Nope. This would definitely weaken the argument. If this is true, then the fund-raisers must have contacted a lot of new potential donors, with a high degree of success.If anything, this one weakens the argument. If (E) is true, it would be awfully hard to argue that the fundraisers were not doing a good job with new donors.So (A) is our winner!_________________ Last September, City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito declared East Harlem the "epicenter" of NYC's K2 crisis, following a frenzy of tabloid reportage on the sale and abuse of the drug: a highly-addictive and inexpensive mixture of potpourri and chemicals that, until recently, was sold freely behind the counter at neighborhood bodegas. Today, she and Mayor de Blasio, along with representatives from this City's Health Department, declared that crisis essentially squashed. "This harmful drug has no place on our streets," Mark-Viverito stated. "I thank the City for working with us to end the K2 epidemic." According to the Mayor's office, K2-related hospitalizations have decreased 85% since July 2015, when the City took the drug to taskfrom 1,200 cases at peak to about 180 this March. (via Mayor's Office). Sold alternatively as spice, rocks and AK-47 (according to one poster designed by the City), K2 is a mixture of chemical-sprayed leaves, often imported from China. It's been linked to strokes and erratic behavior, and has been ruled the cause of at least one death in NYC. The war against K2, punctuated by PSAs and press conferences, has been lengthy. The drug solicited an early warning from Governor Cuomo last April, after 160 people were hospitalized for likely overdoses in a single month. Since then, the Feds have detailed how the stuff gets made, and lifted 2 million packets from a Bronx garage in one go. A former K2 addict came forward to recount her smoke parties, and some level-headed City Council members suggested that people might stop smoking fake, deadly "synthetic marijuana" if the real thing were simply decriminalized (we're still waiting for the final word on that one). Sale and production of the drug was ultimately criminalized in October, but not before the City deemed it "weaponized," and blasted a demonstrative video of a naked man tearing through a fence with his bare hands, which turned out to be clipped from an episode of COPS shot in Des Moines, depicting the effects of PCP (a discrepancy the NYPD later defended). "The City remains committed to eliminating any remnants of K2 sales," said Elizabeth Glazer, director of the Mayor's Criminal Justice office, on Tuesday. In the meantime, the logical conclusion of all this reminiscing is this last, sweet reminder of simpler times. Three University of Albany students who said they were physically attacked on a city bus in January and bombarded with racial slurswhile fellow riders and the bus driver looked onhave been charged with various counts of assault and false reporting. All three pleaded not guilty during an arraignment Wednesday, and a tentative trial date has been scheduled for September 26th. Ariel Agudio, Asha Burwell and Alexis Briggs, all 20-year-old black women, said in the immediate aftermath of the January 30th incident that they had been the victims of a blatantly racial attack on board a Capital District Transportation Authority bus, perpetrated by a dozen white men and women. Burwell took her account to social media, writing that, "a bunch of guys [started] hitting me and my two friends and punching us in the head." Within hours, SUNY Albany President Robert Jones issued a statement in their defense, calling on the student body to "reflect on the principles and values that Dr. King stood for." "I am deeply concerned, saddened and angry about this incident," he wrote. "There is no place in the UAlbany community for violence, no place for racial intolerance and no place for gender violence." Hundreds of students rallied on campus that week, eliciting a supportive tweet from Hillary Clinton. "We are determined to seek the justice we deserve and we will not give up," one of the women told the crowd of supporters. But in the days following the campus rally, video from witness cell phones and a bus security camera emerged, contradicting the women's account. Though some of the video was shaky and blurry, investigators said that there was no visual evidence of the women being attacked, nor audio of the alleged racial slurs. The bus surveillance footage is below: Local police have since constructed a timeline that contradicts the women's account, based on surveillance and cellphone footage, witness testimony, medical records, and victim testimony. According to the Times Union, police say that shortly after 1:00 a.m. on the morning of the incident Burwell climbed over a bus seat and hit fellow riders, Mary Glisson and Gabrielle Camacho, in the head and face. Briggs then jumped up to pull the passengers away from Burwell, but Agudio climbed over a seat as well, and allegedly struck Glisson and Camacho, pulling Camacho's hair, police say. Glisson ultimately sustained a neck injury and facial swelling and bruising. Augido allegedly noticed that she was being filmed, and knocked rider Robert McCarthy's phone to the ground before striking him in the head and grabbing his face. Around 1:10 a.m., Burwell called the police and said, "Me and my friends were jumped on a bus because we are black. Guys continuously hit us in the face." All three women pleaded not guilty to the assault and harassment charges in February. "It is... unfortunate that some in the media and public appear to have reached a conclusion as to what occurred in this incident without actually having the information needed in order to reach such a conclusion," Agudio's lawyer, Mark Mishler, said at the time. Some advocates have challenged that the surveillance footage from the bus is incomplete, and that the audio is difficult to discern. An interaction between the three black women and the other bus riders could have taken place before the footage starts. "I walked away saying, 'I can't tell you what happened in that video; you haven't shown me anything to confirm what these young women are saying, and I can't deny it either, because it's just not clear to me,'" Alice Green, director of the Center for Law and Justice, told the NY Times in March. This week's indictment, released Monday, alleges that all three women struck and injured one 19-year-old female bus passenger. Agudio also allegedly attempted to injure a 19-year-old male passenger and two other women, ages 18 and 20. Burwell allegedly had "physical contact" with a 19-year-old male passenger. All three have been charged with falsely reporting the incident to the police. Agudio and Burwell also face charges of harassment, and Agudio was charged with two counts of attempted assault. Dr. E. Fay Williams, President of the National Congress for Black Women, helped organize the February rally in support of the women. "Many, including me, commented on the unfortunate incident before we heard there was another side," she said in a statement issued Wednesday. "For that, I am deeply sorry and I pray that the court will help to bring the case to a just conclusion." Attorneys for the women told reporters on Wednesday that, "We believe that justice will be served, and we will take the steps necessary.... We are very happy that the judge took the time to properly explain the charges to these young ladies, and to make sure that this process is not cheapened." Chick-fil-A got plenty of pushback when it dipped its toes in the New York City market, but despite the opposition, the chicken chain has had no problem attracting diners, and their plans for local domination are in full swing. In fact, plans to open the chain's first Queens location are underway, but DNAinfo reports that city politicians are speaking out against the chain, notably Mayor de Blasio, who thinks real New Yorkers should steer clear of the bigoted chain. "What the ownership of Chick-fil-A has said is wrong," the mayor said at a press conference last night. "I'm certainly not going to patronize them and I wouldn't urge any other New Yorker to patronize them. But they do have a legal right." The mayor was joined in sentiment by City Councilman Daniel Dromm, who represents the Elmhurst neighborhood where the new restaurant will open this fall. "This group imparts a strong anti-LGBT message by forcing their employees and volunteers to adhere to a policy that prohibits same-sex love," the councilman said in a statement. "It is outrageous that Chick-fil-A is quietly spreading its message of hate by funding these types of organizations." During his tenure as mayor, Michael Bloomberg said he wouldn't try to ban Chick-fil-A from NYC, because it was a question of free speech. "You can't have a test for what the owners' personal views are before you decide to give a permit to do something in the city," he said. "You really don't want to ask political beliefs or religious beliefs before you issue a permit, that's just not government's job." Regulating the beverage consumption of your citizens though? Totally fair game. A man's body floated to the water's surface off of Sheepshead Bay in southern Brooklyn on Monday morning, with his face and hands wrapped in duct tape, his body wrapped in plastic bags, and his feet encased in concrete. Police said that a student at Kingsborough Community College in Manhattan Beach spotted the body in the water at around 10:30 a.m. on Monday while walking along the bay shore on the school's campus. "This individual was wrapped in black plastic bags and his arms were tied behind him," NYPD Chief of Detectives Robert Boyce told reporters. "His feet were submerged in poured concrete, obviously a homicide." The man had tattoos on his back, including a large image of the Virgin Mary holding a rose. He was wearing gray sweatpants, blue boxers, and a black jacket. The Medical Examiner's Office is trying to determine the man's cause of death, and how long his body was in the water. As the New York Times notes, bodies in New York's waterways tend to rise to the surface in the spring, when hotter temperatures ramp up decomposition, a process that "produces gases that make a body buoyant enough to float to the surface." Tonight's episode of The Americans (NO SPOILERS), is called "The Magic of David Copperfield V: The Statue of Liberty Disappears." Throughout it you will see the magician's 1983 television special turning up on the Jennings' television screen, a relevant timestamp in a show about Soviet intelligence agents spying on the American government. In the 1980s, Copperfield made Lady Liberty disappear, he explained, because he wanted to show "how precious liberty is and how easily it can be lost. I can show with magic how we take our freedom for granted. So I asked our government for permission to make the Statue of Liberty disappear, just for a few minutes." The event was televised live on April 8th, 1983, and a live audience was positioned in front of the statue to witness itthere were only about twenty of them (described as tourists), and even the most skeptical were shocked. A curtain went up, and when it was pulled away (after Copperfield massages his temples) Lady Liberty was a goner. The trick itself only lasted moments, but the special that aired included a lot of build-up, including some explanation on what was about to happenone commentator explained: "Surrounding the statue we placed three instant cameras. These will inject their instant photographs into these locked boxes. They'll be set off before the illusion begins and take continuous photographs in sequence to provide photographic proof of the statue's disappearance from three different angles." Naturally, given the decade, young models were tasked with manning these cameras and posing with them. There were radar screens bleeping to show the statue's existence and eventual disappearance. There were helicopters with floodlights to shine down to show the same thing. And when it happened, the audience was shocked: "I have never seen a Statue of Liberty disappear like this one did," an elderly woman tells the cameras. You can watch it here: It's been 33 years, so naturally the curtain has been pulled back on Copperfield's trick by now. How was it done? In short, the small audience was on a platform that very slowly rotated after the curtain (supported by two pillars, also on the platform) was draped in front of the Statue. By the time the curtain dropped, they were facing a different direction, and saw an empty space. Here you go, mate (that will make sense after you click play): For even MORE, there are plenty of observations out there, including one that points out that "you can watch the video once again, and concentrate on the radar screen only, once the curtain is raised you will be able to see a reflection of some stationary light bulb which was set behind audience and the rotating stage... reflection on radar screen starts moving [counter]clockwise, and moves about quarter of a circle and stops." Yes, today is Star Wars Day, but even more significantly, it's journalist and urban planning advocate Jane Jacobs's birthday. The trailblazing activist who wrote The Death and Life of Great American Cities and faced off against Robert Moses would have been 100 today, and Google's homepage features a cartoon of her, as well as the Washington Square Arch and other neighborhood elements reminiscent of Greenwich Village (where she lived). If you click on the doodle, Google directs users to learn more about her. Google explains, "Jane Jacobs was a self-taught journalist and community organizer that supported keeping the city of New York diverse in shape and function. She stood by beloved neighborhoods that were unjustly slated for "renewal" and revealed political biases in the permit process for new projects. In Jacob's opinion, cities are for the people, and they're safest when residents mingle on the street and in local businesses. Jacobs developed her philosophy through living and interacting with the city itself, and described life on the city streets as a kind of social ballet." She was instrumental in stopping Moses's pet project, the Lower Manhattan Expressway, a 10-lane expressway that would have divided Soho and Little Italy in order to connect the Williamsburg and Manhattan Bridges to the Holland Tunnel. In a 2000 interview with Metropolis Magazine, she described moving to NYC in 1934 and living with her older sister Betty: Well she moved to Brooklyn, Brooklyn Heights, to a house that is not there anymore. It was a six-story walk-up and we lived on the top floor. It was a nice neighborhood though. It was near the St. George Hotel. It was before the highways went in there. So I would go looking for a job every morning. I would look in the newspaper and see what seemed likely and which employment agencies were advertising. I would usually walk over the Brooklyn Bridge into Manhattan because we were there near the Brooklyn Bridge. And then after I was turned down for all these jobs I would spend the rest of the day looking around where I had ended up. Or if I had ended up in a place where I had already looked around I would spend a nickel on the subway and go arbitrarily to some other stop and look around there. So I was roaming the city in the afternoons and applying for jobs in the morning. And one day I found myself in a neighborhood I just liked so muchit was one of those times I had put a nickel in and just invested something. And where did I get out? I just liked the sound of the name: Christopher Street so I got out at Christopher Street, and I was enchanted with this neighborhood, and walked around it all afternoon and then I rushed back to Brooklyn. And I said, "Betty I found out where we have to live." And she said, "Where is it?" And I said, "I dont know, but you get in the subway and you get out at a place called Christopher Street." So we went to look for a place where you got out of the subway at Christopher Street. She also recalled the single time she saw Robert Moses: "I saw him only once, at a hearing about the road through Washington Square, which was to be an entrance ramp to the lower Manhattan expressway. He was there briefly to speak his piece. But nobody was told that at the time. None of us had spoken yet because they always had the officials speak first and then they would go away and they wouldnt listen to the people. Anyway, he stood up there gripping the railing, and he was furious at the effrontery of this and I guess he could already see that his plan was in danger. Because he was saying 'There is nobody against thisNOBODY, NOBODY, NOBODY, but a bunch of, a bunch of MOTHERS!' And then he stomped out." Jacobs died in 2006, but her influential ideals are still having an impact today. Last summer, by unanimous vote, the Landmarks Preservation Commission for the first time landmarked a building due to its involvement in the gay rights movement: the Stonewall Inn, site of the 1969 Stonewall riots. Since then, activists and politicians have been pushing to make the small triangle of green space across from the bar, Christopher Park, a national monument, which would make it the first national park dedicated to LGBT history. Now, the AP reports that President Obama is preparing to designate the park a national monument, citing sources familiar with the administration's plans. That designation could take place as soon as early June, in time for Pride Month and ahead of the Gay Pride parade on the 26th. On May 9th, federal officials will hold a public meeting in Greenwich Village to hear words of support for the monument. Secretary of Interior Sally Jewell, National Park Service Director Jonathan Jarvis, and Congressman Jerrold Nadler will be among those in attendance. "We must ensure that we never forget the legacy of Stonewall, the history of discrimination against the LGBT community, or the impassioned individuals who have fought to overcome it," Nadler said in a statement. "Stonewall was the spark that ignited the movement for LGBT civil rights that continues to burn around the world today. We now have an opportunity to ensure that the contributions of all of the brave individuals who helped launch the fight for civil rights are recognized, including those who have not always been acknowledged, such as transgender women of color." Nadler, along with Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, is asking Obama to protect Christopher Park under the 1906 Antiquities Act, which gives the president the power to proclaim national monuments to protect important cultural, natural, or scientific features. But making the park a monument isn't quite that simple: the site isn't entirely publicly owned, and declaring it a national park requires a transfer of land from the city to the federal government. However, in a rare moment of harmony, the proposal has received essentially unanimous supportfrom the local community board to the mayor's office and the stateand last month, Governor Cuomo signed legislation that will allow the city to transfer ownership of the park to the federal government if (and, it seems, when) Obama makes his declaration. In the rare event that Obama does not declare the park a national monument, Gillibrand and Nadler, as well as Senator Chuck Schumer, are also pushing legislation that would create the national park through a congressional vote. A spokesperson for Gillibrand told the New York Times that the politicians are making "good progress" on the legislation, and it recently received support from a Republican senator. After police raided the Stonewall Inn in the summer of 1969, protests broke out at the bar, and are seen by many as the catalyst of the gay rights movement. Speaking in favor of the national park at a Community Board 2 meeting this winter, Janet Weinberg, a former executive at Gay Men's Health Crisis, said that "certainly the Stonewall uprising changed my life and the lives of many, many people throughout the world. It's an important piece of the history of the village. It's a piece of history that is now a global history...and we have an opportunity to mark that history." The public meeting on the proposal to designate Christopher Park a national park will take place on Monday, May 9th, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at 116 West 11th Street (PS 41). Those wishing to attend and/or submit comments should RSVP here. Peru is often touted as the culinary center of South America. Its diverse immigrant populations (Chinese, Japanese, African, Italian, and more) have mingled with the traditional Andean culture to create one of the most unique and innovative cuisines. In fact, some of the best noted restaurants in the world are located in the capital of Lima. Strangely, Peruvian food has not fully caught on in New York like some other countries' foods. Even a well-regarded attempt by Peruvian legend Gaston Acurio to operate a branch of his legendary cevicheria La Mar in the Flatiron District lasted less than two years. That being said, there are some great examples of Peruvian food throughout the city. Here are the best places to get a sample of this incredible cuisine. URUBAMBA Jackson Heights has the city's highest density of Peruvian restaurants. One operation that has been in the neighborhood since 1976 is Urubamba, named for a town and a river in the Sacred Valley of the Andes. It still attracts a large number of Peruvians who come for the flavors of home. The large menu includes dishes that represent the distinct culinary styles of Peru's three geographic regions. You can taste coastal dishes like leche de tigre (the potent juice from the ceviche) and tiradito (thin slices of raw white fish in a bright aji amarillo sauce), hearty mountain staples like ocopa (sliced potatoes in a black mint sauce) and caldo de gallina (a white hen soup), and a sweet ice cream made from the jungle fruit lucuma. And if you order in advance for a large group, it might even possible to taste the elusive cuy (guinea pig). Urubamba is located at 86-20 37th Avenue at the corner of 87th Street in Jackson Heights, Queens (718-672-2224) INCA'S GRILL Staten Island is well known for its Italian food and its Sri Lankan cuisine, but nestled in the suburban neighborhood of Grasmere is one of the city's least known Peruvian restaurants. Chef Cesar Guiterrez greets you when you walk in the door and is clearly excited to share his native cuisine with newcomers. His mother also works in the kitchen turning out dishes like arroz chaufa de mariscos (Peruvian's own seafood fried rice), papa rellena (a giant deep fried potato and meat bomb) and specials like octopus causa or the traditional street snack of choclo con queso (giant boiled corn kernels with fresh Andean cheese and huancaina sauce). But the real sleeper hit is the tender and flavorful rotisserie chicken with handcut french fries. It pairs perfectly with the housemade chicha morada (spiced purple corn drink). Inca's Grill is located at 2110 Clove Road between Crist Street and Hillcrest Terrace in Grasmere, Staten Island (718-448-0488, incasgrillnyc.com) (Brian Hoffman) AMARU PISCO BAR While Chile and Peru both claim pisco sour as their national drink, Peru exports three times as much of the grape brandy than Chile does. The spirit and cocktails are celebrated at this swanky lounge in Jackson Heights. Not only can you get a number of pisco sour varieties (like passion fruit, prickly pear, and coca leaves), but you can experience the versatility of the alcohol in other less well-known drinks like Chilcano (pisco, lime juice, ginger ale) and Capitan (pisco and sweet vermouth). There are also Peruvian snacks like salchipapas (sausages) and empanadas to soak up the booze. Amaru Pisco Bar is located at 84-13 Northern Boulevard between 84th and 85th Street in Jackson Heights, Queens (718-205-5577, amarubar.com) (Douglas Lyle Thompson for Llama Inn) LLAMA INN If there is one restaurant that could finally get New Yorkers talking about local Peruvian food, it's this trendy new restaurant in Williamsburg. Chef Erik Ramirez, formerly of Eleven Madison Park, is combining a hipster Brooklyn ethic with some classic Peruvian ingredients. For instance, his large format take on lomo saltado swaps out the usual white rice for scallion pancakes. One of the ceviches here is comprised of corvina and plantains, but also has the surprising addition of dashi. For something slightly more traditional, don't miss the skewers of beef hearts with rocoto salsa and finish with an order of the sweet potato fritters called picarones drizzled with raw sugar syrup. Llama Inn is located at 50 Withers Street at the corner of Meeker Avenue in Williamsburg, Brooklyn (718-387-3434, llamainnnyc.com) CHIMU Well before Llama Inn started serving Peruvian flavors to the trendsetters of Williamsburg, Chimu was here. Locals know this is the place to get simple and hearty dishes. While the fresh ceviches are quite good, the specialty of the house is meat. Beef comes in many forms here: smoky grilled heart skewers (anticuchos), sauteed beef slices with soy sauce, tomatoes, and fries (lomo saltado); spaghetti with pesto (tallarin verde) topped with skirt steak; and a rice and bean risotto (tacu tacu) accompanied with grilled steak. Try to prevent a full-on meat coma by reviving with some Inka Kola or a potent pisco sour. Chimu is located at 482 Union Avenue between Meeker Avenue and Conselyea Street in Williamsburg, Brooklyn (718-383-0045) (Raymi) RAYMI The closest we come to having a full-blown Novoandina restaurant is this swanky, slightly cheesy palace of Pan-Peruvian cuisine. Raymi features both a pisco bar and a ceviche bar, where you can celebrate with a discounted Happy Hour on Monday nights. The regular menu also updates familiar dishes like causa (a chilled mashed potato, seafood, and avocado combo), stir-fried lomo saltado (beef, rice, onions, tomatoes french fries), and arroz con pato (duck rice). Raymi is located at 43 West 24th Street between Fifth and Sixth Avenue in the Flatiron District (212-929-1200, rayminyc.com) PIO PIO When most Americans think about Peruvian food, they probably think about one thing: pollo a la brasa. A special marinade of garlic and spices separates this from your store-bought rotisserie chicken. With darkened skin and juicy tender meat, no wonder it's the most popular Peruvian fast food out there. Here in NYC, the best version can be found at the now ubiquitious Pio Pio. While it started as a modest establishment in Rego Park in 1994, the local chain now has locations all over the city for sit down or take out. Claim a half order for yourself or feed your family with a whole bird, but don't forget a side of fries, tostones, and that magical creamy green sauce. Pio Pio has 9 locations, including four in Manhattan, one in Brooklyn, three in Queens, and one in the Bronx; piopio.com (Jora) JORA Two years ago, the son of the owners of Urubamba decided to open up his own ode to Peruvian food in the heart of Long Island City. After a stint in culinary school, Alejandro Rojas has made good on his heritage. Jora, which is named for a strain of Peruvian corn, is an excellent introduction to Peruvian's diverse cuisine. It works as a lively hangout with friends or as a romantic date night. Regardless of what vibe you want, order a pisco sour and focus on the food. Check out the aji de gallina (spicy shredded chicken stew), the super picante rocoto relleno (stuffed orange pepper), and the seco de cordero (braised lamb stew). End with one of the more authentic desserts, the traditional mazamorra morada (steamed purple corn pudding). Jora is located at 47-46 11th Street at the corner of 48th Avenue in Long Island City, Queens (718-392-2033, jorany.com) SURFISH BISTRO The popular Park Slope seafood spot Surfish has resurfaced in Gowanus with the same focus on aquatic dishes (think the Peruvian coast not the nearby canal). After training with Bobby Flay, Chef Miguel Aguilar got back in touch with his roots. You really shouldn't come here and not order the fish, whether it's in one of the many inventive ceviches (a tasting includes any three of the chef's creations), one of the seafood tapas like mussels with huacatay sauce, the rich and hearty chupe de camarones, or an entree special featuring the meaty Amazonian fish, paiche. Surfish Bistro is located at 530 3rd Avenue at the corner of 14th Street in Gowanus, Brooklyn (718-788-8070, surfishbistro.com) (Brian Hoffman) BROADWAY BAKERY Most New Yorkers would easily mistake this corner counter for a generic pizzeria or bodega, but in actuality it's a bakery that specializes in Peruvian breakfasts and baked goods. In addition to pizzas and egg sandwiches, you can get a cheap, hearty Peruvian meal. Fuel up like Limenos by ordering tamales or overstuffed sandwiches such as chicharron con camote (fried pork and sweet potatoes) or jamon del pais (country ham). Wash it all down with a tropical juice or a special herbal barley tea known as emoliente. Sweets are also prevalent and you can't go wrong with alfajores or pionono, a rolled sponge cake layered with dulce de leche. Broadway Bakery is located at 89-52 Elmhurst Avenue at Case Street in Jackson Heights, Queens (718-779-4642) Brian Hoffman searches for iconic New York dishes and makes comedy food videos on his site Eat This NY. He also writes for Midtown Lunch and gives food and drink walking tours around NY. We rely on your support to make local news available to all Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2022. Donate today From the banks of Hauser Reservoir at her first of two Montana appearances Tuesday, Interior Secretary Sally Jewell praised the value of public lands while calling for holistic land management and adequate funding. Later in Browning, she celebrated a federal land buy-back program, saying tribal ownership enables leaders to pursue economic development that's difficult with divided land ownership. Devils Elbow and public lands Democratic Sen. Jon Tester and representatives from the conservation and outdoor business community joined Jewell at BLMs Devils Elbow Campground near Helena to talk public land management and funding, chiefly the Land and Water Conservation Fund. LWCF takes a portion of offshore oil royalties and offers them as matching grants through state and federal conservation programs. Among its Montana-based projects, LWCF has funded city parks, fishing access sites and larger state and federal land acquisitions. Jewell called LWCF a brilliant piece of legislation. I know theres talk here about, 'Well, we need to make sure theres no more public lands, you cant take care of what you have,' she said. Would you rather have it in private land ownership where you cant have access to a place like this? she asked about Devils Elbow, purchased with LWCF dollars. Jewells remarks followed a recent speech at the National Geographic Society celebrating the centennial of the National Park Service. In that speech, and on Tuesday, she championed future public investment in lands and public land stewardship, but garnering support is a challenge considering the limited demographics using public lands, she added. The future of land management means thinking at landscape levels rather than on a project-by-project basis. It also means understanding how animals use those landscapes and how people can live harmoniously with wildlife, Jewell said. Land managers must also show the public why public lands are important, and of course we need to fund out public lands, she added, which play a factor in both Montanas $6 billion recreation economy and the roughly $646 billion recreation economy nationwide. As federal land agencies budgets fall, Jewell said she supports states contracting with federal agencies as a means of stretching limited land management resources. Tester reaffirmed his support for LWCF, which recently saw reauthorization in the Senate and is awaiting reconciliation in the House. Its important, quite frankly, because wed have ecosystems across this great country that wouldnt be preserved, and quite frankly as we look forward to the next 10 or 15 years, those ecosystems will not be here unless we have the types of public lands that LWCF is committed to, he said. The need for future access to the outdoors and the value nature provides was also touted by several other speakers. In Montana, we found the opportunity to connect our kids and now our grandkids to the natural world, said Gerry Jennings with the Montana Wilderness Association. Public lands provide that connection. Blackfeet Land Buy-Back Program After a meeting with the Blackfeet Tribal Council in Browning, Jewell was honored by Chief Earl Old Person, who gave her the Blackfeet name Far Away Woman. He lamented the loss of culture spurred by federal termination policies and broken treaty promises. "We ask as we give this name it will give us connection in a good way," Old Person said. "That we will continue to understand each other." Jewell's stop celebrated the early successes of the Land Buy-Back Program, created following the conclusion of a decades-long lawsuit brought forward by Elouise Cobell and other Blackfeet leaders. The Cobell Settlement with the federal government included about $1.8 billion to help tribes buy fractionated lands from individual owners. "It's difficult to give up ownership, even fractionated ownership, of land that might've been handed down for generations," Jewell said. "If you can't do anything with it, returning it to tribal ownership enables the tribe to make smart decisions on behalf of all its members." The Blackfeet Reservation, one of the nation's largest, has about 900,000 acres broken into 500,000 tracts with more than 200,000 ownership interests that could qualify under the program. With so many owners on each piece of land, it becomes impossible to reach a consensus on how to develop. "It's really almost unusable. I have fractionated lands. The leaseholder has more rights than I do," Blackfeet Chairman Harry Barnes said. "I can't even put a teepee on there. The leaseholders can do what they want. Consolidating may provide a tract big enough we could use it for our agricultural development program or some other project." He encouraged fellow tribal members to at least consider selling to the tribe so that the land could benefit the community. Barnes noted that there has been 40 percent participation nationwide to date, with 65 percent participation on the Crow and Fort Belknap reservations. "What's our take rate gonna be? I don't know," Barnes said. Jewell said the department hoped to spend $100 million there to put land into meaningful tribal ownership. To date, about $740 million has been spent, Jewell said, enabling tribes nationwide to undertake projects that would have been impossible without the land in tribal ownership. She noted a community water project on the Crow Reservation and a housing development on the Pine Ridge Reservation. "The Land Buy-Back Program has been providing tribes greater certainty about their economic future," Tester said, noting he would support tribal efforts to make the program permanent. Republicans call on Jewell to visit coal country As Jewell visited Helena and Browning, Montana Republicans -- including Sen. Steve Daines and gubernatorial candidate Greg Gianforte -- asked that she visit Colstrip and other coal-dependent communities to answer for Interiors recent moratorium on new federal coal leases. Secretary Jewell needs to hear directly from the people impacted by Interiors actions and come to communities like Colstrip and the Crow Reservation to see what it means for Montana families, Daines said in a statement. Weve already seen layoffs in coal communities across our state as a result of the Obama administrations war on coal. Gianforte pointed to federal regulations as a threat to mining jobs in asking his opponent, Democratic Gov. Steve Bullock, to demand Jewell visit coal country. We cherish and enjoy our public lands here in Montana. But working Montana men and women wont be able to enjoy our outdoors if theyre put out of work or forced to leave the state for job opportunities, he said in a statement. Jewell defended her and Interiors interaction with the coal industry and communities, pointing to her March 2014 trip to the Crow Reservation and more recent visits to coal country by other Interior officials. The moratorium on new leasing is expected to last during the three years needed to complete an environmental impact statement, but will not disrupt existing supply. Theres a 20-year supply of coal right now in Montana, she said. This pause in leasing during the time it takes us to do this work will have no impact on coal jobs, no impact on coal mines staying open or plants being able to operate. While she said the agenda did not allow time to visit Colstrip, Jewell and Tester met Tuesday with several unions impacted by coal. Testers staff says that meeting included AFL-CIO, MEA-MFT, Boilermakers Local 11, IBEW Local 233, Laborers Local 1638 and International Union of Operating Engineers. Ted Cruz is ending his campaign for president, putting Donald Trump on a glide path to claim the Republican Party's nomination. Bernie Sanders won the Democratic presidential primary in Indiana Tuesday. But the spotlight was on Cruz, a conservative firebrand and Texas senator who had tried to cast himself as the only viable alternative to the billionaire businessman Trump. But Cruz dropped out of the race after losing to Trump in Tuesday's Indiana primary. Cruz's campaign placed its hopes on a data-driven effort to turn out conservative evangelical Christians who had opted out of recent presidential elections. Increasingly, he would modify his travel schedule to go where data showed there might be pockets of untapped supporters. "I've said I would continue on as long as there was a viable path to victory; tonight I'm sorry to say it appears that path has been foreclosed," Cruz told a somber crowd in Indianapolis. Cruz campaigned aggressively in Indiana, but could not overcome Trump. The billionaire businessman has stunned the Republican Party with his appeal to voters deeply frustrated with Washington and their own party's leaders. Trump still must win about 200 more delegates to clinch the nomination. But his victory in Indiana where he picked up at least 45 of the state's 57 delegates made it all but impossible for Cruz to block him from doing so. Before Tuesday's results, Cruz had vowed to stay in the race through the final primaries in June, clinging to the possibility that Trump would fall short of the 1,237 delegates he needs and the race would go to a contested convention. Trump now faces pressure to unite a Republican Party that has been roiled by his candidacy. But whether he can accomplish that remains deeply uncertain. Even before the Indiana results were finalized, some conservative leaders were planning a Wednesday meeting to assess the viability of launching a third party candidacy to compete with Trump in the fall. One outside group trying to stop Trump suggested it would shift its attention to helping Republicans in other races. Rory Cooper, a senior adviser to the Never Trump super PAC, said the group will help protect "Republican incumbents and down-ballot candidates, by distinguishing their values and principles from that of Trump, and protecting them from a wave election." Only about half of Indiana's Republican primary voters said they were excited or even optimistic about any of their remaining candidates becoming president, according to exit polls. Still, most said they probably would support whoever won for the GOP. Clinton, too, needs to win over Sanders' enthusiastic supporters. The Vermont senator has cultivated a deeply loyal following in particular among young people, a group Democrats count on in the general election. Sanders has conceded his strategy hinges on persuading superdelegates to back him over the former secretary of state. Superdelegates are Democratic Party insiders who can support the candidate of their choice, regardless of how their states vote. And they favor Clinton by a nearly 18-1 margin. Exit polls showed about 7 in 10 Indiana Democrats said they'd be excited or at least optimistic about either a Clinton or Sanders presidency. Most said they would support either in November. The exit polls were conducted by Edison Research for The Associated Press and television networks. A fall showdown between Clinton and Trump would pit one of Democrats' most experienced political figures against a first-time candidate who is deeply divisive within his own party. Cruz and other Republicans have argued that Trump would be roundly defeated in the general election, denying their party the White House for a third straight term. Trump has now won seven straight primary contests and has 80 percent of the delegates needed to secure the GOP nomination. With his victory in Indiana, Trump now has at least 1,041 delegates. Cruz has 565 and Ohio Gov. John Kasich has 152. Data curated by InsideGov Data curated by InsideGov The Honorable Sally Jewell: It has come to my attention that you have come to visit Montana. I expect your schedule to be full of important meetings and business, but I hope you will find time to meet with some of the families supported by production of federal coal. As you know, the coal sector is an important economic engine to the state of Montana, generating approximately $89 million in tax revenue to the state in 2014 and providing over 1,200 safe and good-paying jobs. Importantly, a vast majority of the coal produced in Montana derives from federal lands under the jurisdiction of the Bureau of Land Management. Cloud Peak Energy owns and operates three coal mines, two in Wyoming and one in Montana, Making Cloud Peak Energy the fourth-largest coal mining company in the United States. Our Montana operation, the Spring Creek Mine, is located near the Crow Indian Reservation, approximately 30 miles north of Sheridan, Wyoming. The Spring Creek Mine is Montanas largest producing coal mine and contributed over $52 million in direct taxes to the state of Montana in 2015. In fact, our Spring Creek Mine alone has contributed more than $531 million in direct taxes to the state over the last 10 years. More importantly, the Spring Creek mine safely employs around 250 full-time employees, with an average salary exceeding $69,000, plus benefits that include health insurance, retirement and profit sharing. In a time when we worry about a shrinking middle class, Cloud Peak Energy is proud to be providing the kinds of jobs that allow families to grow and prosper. However, these employees and their families are very concerned about their future and impact of both market and political forces on these living-wage jobs. At a time when the coal sector is facing decreasing domestic demand, the Department of Interior has enacted or proposed a series of actions that will only drive more uncertainty into the businesses that provide those good-paying jobs. From a moratorium on federal coal leases to raising the royalty rate, these actions will only aggravate an already tough economic situation. I understand you have not yet visited Powder River Basin surface mine, despite the fact the PRB contributes nearly 40 percent of the nations coal and is overwhelmingly under the management of the Department of Interior, making it subject to the moratorium and royalty rate increases you support. With that in mind, I would like to take this opportunity to invite you to tour Cloud Peak Energys Spring Creek Mine while you are in Montana. During this tour, you would have the opportunity to meet with the men and women that are proud to call the coal industry home and to understand how federal policies affect their livelihoods. You would also get to see firsthand not only the operation as we extract an important energy resource, but the national award-winning reclamation that includes native species and improved wildlife habitat. Many visitors to our Spring Creek Mine are unable to distinguish between natural and reclaimed lands. Madam Secretary, I am convinced that if you took the time to see an operation such as our Spring Creek Mine, you would find this temporary use of federal lands provides safe, good-paying jobs, generates important tax revenue to our state and is compatible with the value we place on a clean and healthy environment. I hope you are willing to accept my invitation. Colin Marshall is the president and CEO of Cloud Peak Energy. It is not every day that we as Montanans get to share the grandeur of public lands found within our state with a Secretary of Interior. But that opportunity presented itself this week when Senator Tester hosted Secretary Sally Jewell to help us promote Montanas legacy of outdoor recreation and ecotourism. Tester and Jewell, along with conservationists, sportsmen and business owners, visited Devils Elbow on Hauser Lake, a public lands facility operated by the Bureau of Land Management near Helena. How ironic is it that while we celebrate our public lands and the economic engine they support, plans are underway by an Interior Agency, namely the Fish and Wildlife Service, to remove the National Bison Range from the public trust and transfer it to a tribal trust. Make no mistake, decisions on how these lands will be managed under a tribal trust arrangement will be made by a Tribal Council, not by any intention passed by Congress. These public lands are very special as theyve been part of the National Wildlife Refuge System for over 100 years. The National Bison Range has been investing in Montana for years while hosting 200,000 visitors per year, with 83 percent of those guests being tourists from other states. All visitors combined pump $12.5 million into the local economy with most expenditure dollars coming from outside Montana. Collectively, the economic effect contributes to the support of 169 jobs producing $5.7 million in employment income and $2.5 million in total tax revenue. Most impressive of all statistics is the $13.89 local economic effect for every dollar spent of the refuges budget. On June 7, I urge you to vote for the Democrat in the House District 83 race who has first-hand experience with the legislative process. I have participated in many legislative hearings over the years in which Kim Abbott has mobilized/educated Montanans about complex issues such as Medicaid expansion. She understands the legislative process inside and out and is passionate about issues that impact average "Joes" and "Josephines." Such experience gives her a significant edge in legislative systems knowledge, crucial in a 90-day session, a time frame not conducive to on-the-job training. She communicates effectively with allies, "undecideds" and adversaries alike. Over the years, she has been very responsive to my questions on various bills, which often seem to be drafted with the intent of confusing the reader. Kim is a critical thinker and problem solver, able to find common ground where little seems apparent. She has a good sense of humor, taking issues seriously, but not herself. She has worked tirelessly on behalf of those who often face overwhelming cultural, societal and economic challenges. Her passionate well-grounded advocacy is the spark every legislative body needs. For these reasons, I am supporting Kim Abbott for HD83 and urge you to do likewise. John Ilgenfritz Helena A few years ago, I wrote a blog about something Dweezil Zappa did during a Zappa Plays Zappa performance. I've reprinted my blog at the bottom. The thrust of my argument was justifying the bootleg recordings of performances. Many artists argue against the practice, saying it robs them of what's rightfully and legally theirs. I argue that if I've bought every commercially available work by an artist, and I pay to see every concert, I'm funding their career reasonably and if I acquire those unauthorized recordings, I'm doing the artist no financial damage. I'll buy the product when they release it. Dweezil Zappa disagreed with my position, and blogged about it. (link) Comments responding to my blog were split between support of me and support of Zappa's position. Were I to write a similar piece today, I'd be less strident, but still try to make the same point. And somehow, now, I think Dweezil Zappa might understand my argument a little better. Dweezil's band is no longer Zappa Plays Zappa. It's now "Dweezil Zappa Plays Frank Zappa," as Dweezil runs up against The Zappa Family Trust, headed by Dweezil's brother Ahmet. (link) The Trust owns the "Zappa Plays Zappa" name, a "brand" (boy, I hate using that word, but that's the most accurate description) Dweezil has built for a decade. The name Dweezil Zappa Plays Frank Zappa, Dweezil told the New York Times (link), "doesnt exactly roll off the tongue, but this is being done under duress. There are no arguments like those involving rock siblings. The Zappa Family Trust has regularly waged battles with those who wish to perform Frank Zappa's music. It has regularly trod on those who love the music, and the performers who want to play the pieces for those music lovers. I never suspected one of the family's own would get caught up in the machinery. (UPDATE: Ahmet Zappa has responded. [link]) June 17, 2008 I'm going to go a little fanboy on you for a little bit in this post, but breathe easy. It'll be quick and relatively painless, and I promise there's a point behind it. Earlier this week, I went to my third Zappa Plays Zappa concert. Dweezil Zappa, Frank's oldest son, has put together a crack unit of musicians to play Frank's music to an appreciative fanbase (and, surprisingly, some younger fans who wouldn't even have been alive when Frank died 15 years ago). Knowing it was my third show, you're safe in assuming I enjoy what this band does. But I was disappointed early on when Dweezil spotted a video camera in the audience. "You know," he said, "it's really distracting to see that red light. Remember, you're recording something you don't own." It really harshed my mellow, maaaaaaaaan. My first thought was, "Doesn't that knucklehead who's recording know anything? You're supposed to put a piece of black tape over that light when you're recording." My second thought, and the one that stuck with me longer, was, "Yes, in fact, we DO own this music." I'm not proud nor am I ashamed of the amount of money I've invested in music during my lifetime. And yes, I consider it an "investment." I've long (and only half-jokingly) said music is my best friend, because it's always giving something to me and never asking anything in return. So I've dropped thousands of dollars on Frank Zappa's music, between vinyl and CDs and DVDs and cassettes. A lot of that went to Zappa or his family, and some went to collectors who had managed to collect a fair amount of Frank Zappa concert tapes. That's where my ownership comes in. Zappa played hundreds of live shows in his career. While Zappa despised bootleggers, he (understandably) reserved his most intense wrath for those making money at his expense. Zappa almost seemed to encourage fans to record shows and exchange the tapes among themselves. Here's the fanboy part. It'll be OK, really. Zappa continually changed musical styles band members. He'd make members audition before each tour. The performances, of course, reflected the style and personality of each tour's players. In addition, Zappa would change the styles of delivery of the songs. What was blues one year might be reggae the next. What was plodding one tour might be double-speed the next. And many of the songs left room for improvisation. Which is why the fans circulate the tapes. (And the MP3s. The first attraction for me when I became aware of Napster was the plethora of live Zappa available. I don't think I ever downloaded a regularly released Zappa album. There was too much stuff I'd never heard that I was trying to run down.) As I devoured those tapes, I came to learn what I liked and what I didn't about different bands. (I enjoyed Mike Keneally's solos more than Steve Vai's, I liked Bobby Martin's voice more than anyone else's, and Ike Willis made me laugh more than most standup comics.) I also came to learn what kind of variations Zappa added in the music, to the point where I'm generally able to tell the year of the recording just by listening for 15 or 20 seconds. See? Fanboy. But it could be worse. Fans have detailed all of these live variations on a Web site. (I suppose it's fanboy of me, though, to know that site exists.) So during the Zappa Plays Zappa show, I (along with many others in the audience) was able to identify the two versions of "Bamboozled By Love" (1978-style, then 1984-style). And when the band went into the bridge/breakdown on "City of Tiny Lites," they did what I (and others) consider "the Santana version," a Latin-tinged rhythm that Zappa's band explored in 1980. How else would I know that stuff if I didn't at least feel some kind of ownership of the music? I'm glad to pay to see someone perform it. I'm glad to pay for multiple issues of the same music. And I love that music. (I'd estimate that I haven't gone a week on the last 25 years without listening to some Frank Zappa music, and I can't say that about any other act, not even my beloved Beatles.) Just don't try to tell me that I don't have some ownership of it. DECATUR The end of the run is coming for the Kmart store in Decatur as plans were released Tuesday for its closure. The retailer at 1155 E. Pershing Road is scheduled to close in early August, said Howard Riefs, a spokesman for Sears Holdings. A liquidation sale will begin Thursday, May 19. While disappointed by the planned closing of the store, Decatur Mayor Julie Moore Wolfe sees it as part of the opportunity for redevelopment along Pershing Road with other vacant retail buildings and land being cleared. It's hard to be really surprised as nationally that business has not done well, Moore Wolfe said. It's not going to set us back. The departure of Kmart will leave Decatur without a Sears company presence after its once wider footprint. Decatur previously had two Kmart stores but the one on Mount Zion Road closed in 2002. The Sears at Hickory Point Mall in Forsyth closed in 2014. Kmart and Sears have struggled in recent years, resulting in stores closing across the country. Plans for the most recent set of closures are being released this week with Kmart stores in Michigan, West Virginia and Georgia added to the list. The company announced last month its intention to close 78 locations around the nation, including both Kmart and Sears stores. Kmarts in Chicago, Danville, Galesburg, Lansing, Pekin and Rock Island were included in the April 21 announcement. Store closures are part of a series of actions we're taking to reduce on-going expenses, adjust our asset base and accelerate the transformation of our business model, Riefs said. He said the number of associates affected in Decatur wasn't available. Those associates, who are mostly part-time and hourly, will be eligible to receive severance and have the opportunity to apply for open positions at other area Sears or Kmart stores, Riefs said. Moore Wolfe said work under way with the city and Economic Development Corporation of Decatur and Macon County can keep the local economy on track despite the changes that are occurring. Further developing the Midwest Inland Port can lead to more opportunities for Decatur, she said. It's on the verge of exploding with growth, Moore Wolfe said. I have all the confidence in the Economic Development Corporation and city working together to make great things happen. Decatur has shown it can be resilient despite difficulties that arise, Moore Wolfe said. She said supporting the Caterpillar facility remains critical to the area's outlook. Local officials in Decatur, along with others in areas where Caterpillar operates, realize the company is making changes in order to remain competitive, Moore Wolfe said. The changes won't have as deep an impact as could be the case because the community has time to adjust, she said. People come from miles around to work at that plant, Moore Wolfe said. It's a critical part of our economy, but we have a sense of some breathing room with the changes not happening all at once and jobs moving over a number of years. Moore Wolfe is remaining optimistic as she said construction is happening around the city with new businesses being added including restaurants, hotels and retailers. Moore Wolfe said the downtown area has been redeveloped in recent years and has become an even more attractive place for visitors. DECATUR The original idea for high school student internships was to choose a handful of students to spend an afternoon a week tagging along with professionals so they'd get an idea of what real-world jobs entail. Last year, the first, 20 students were excused from class on Wednesday afternoons and had to make up the work they missed. This year, students received credit toward graduation with completion of the course and internship, said distance learning coordinator Ashley Grayned. This year we had 40 students and 13 sites that hosted our students. The internships just ended last week. Next year, the program will have more than 60 students enrolled, she said, with more than 40 business partners. One of the main ideas behind the internships is that the students are engaged in real work, not busy work, solving a problem and working side-by-side on actual projects with the professionals in the company. At the Decatur Club on Tuesday, the student interns and representatives from the businesses where they worked this spring met for presentations of certificates to students and businesses, and to hear a presentation from three students who worked at Caterpillar Inc., one of the partners. Tiffany Welford, Azure Nichole and Dalton Gentry created a PowerPoint presentation to highlight some of the skills they learned during their time at Caterpillar. St. Mary's Hospital's Denise Smith joked that some of the things student interns learned at the hospital were how not to dress for work and that your boyfriend can't come and visit you at work, but those are important things to know, too. Nichole is interested in welding, and spent his time at Caterpillar learning safety procedures, using the welding simulator and observed on the shop floor. I also got to finally weld, and I did pretty well at it, except for my first few welds, he said. Keynote speaker Marcus Brown, vice president of student success at Richland Community College, told the students some of the lessons he's learned since he was their age. He's a graduate of MacArthur High School, though he wouldn't say the year. Among those lessons: Learn to feel as if you belong wherever you are, even if inwardly you don't think so; integrate your passion into your work; and stay true to yourself. Be open to change, but don't let anyone pressure you to change. When someone offers lunch, take it, he said. It's not about eating. It's about connection. When someone says 'Come see me,' go in and see them. In March 2015, a Paris-based committee of the World Health Organization declared that cancer could be caused by glyphosate, the most popular and widely used herbicide in agriculture. It was put into a category which included well-known carcinogens and common foods like coffee and bacon. Fast forward to Monday, when the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency published its official classification of glyphosate, in the words of the EPA, not likely to be carcinogenic to humans. The determination by the EPAs Cancer Assessment Review Committee is publicly available on the EPA website. With that declaration, the EPA becomes the third international government regulator to publish its conclusion that glyphosate isn't a carcinogen as part of a registration review since the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) announced its inconsistent classification in March 2015. Initially, the European Food Safety Authority determined in November 2015 that glyphosate is, in its words, unlikely to pose a carcinogenic hazard to humans. Later, the Canadian Pest Management Regulatory Authority concluded, in its words, that glyphosate is unlikely to pose a human cancer risk. These conclusions by the EPA and the European and Canadian regulatory authorities are based on standard scientific principles and the overwhelming weight of evidence, according to the EPA. Monsanto, the original manufacturer of glyphosate, said last years inconsistent classification by IARC generated unwarranted concern and confusion about this important agricultural tool. This rigorous assessment of the data by EPA builds on the sound conclusions of both the European and Canadian regulatory authorities and once again makes it clear that glyphosate does not cause cancer. Monsanto also reported, The EPA, Canadian and European assessments all identified flaws with IARCs assessment. The EPAs determination is seen as welcome news by agriculture, although likely nearly all farmers had little doubt to begin with. Glyphosate has been used for over 20 years and, like the biotech seeds which resist its effects, cannot be traced to any sickness when used as intended. Whether or not glyphosate will escape any less criticism is doubtful, since grains and other foods that have been developed by agricultural biotechnology are in the limelight with the current controversy, known as GMO labeling. With the state of Vermont requiring all food products with a biotech ingredient to be labeled as such by July 1, Congress has attempted to pre-empt individual state laws with a national labeling code. But that has become mired in the politics of the Senate Agriculture Committee. In the meantime, opponents of such technology are pressuring food companies to apply labels that go well beyond any health or scientific purpose and become deceptive marketing gimmicks. Such would include non-GMO labels on foods that have no biotech ingredients at all, creating perceptions that GMO products have been avoided. To quell complaints from consumers, food companies have begun asking farmers to forego crop traits they have found to be very helpful. Returning to non-biotech also will make it harder for farmers to use environmentally-sound approaches like minimum-tillage. It will increase the need to spray for insect pests once controlled by Bt traits in the crops. The cost of those non-GMO ingredients will be higher, partly because of these disadvantages, but also because of what it will take to segregate the non-GMO harvest thru the handling, storage and processing stream. If there is an insufficient supply of non-GMO ingredients, will food companies will be tempted to source cheaper version of these non-GMO ingredients from other countries? This has happened all too often in organic foods. That could open up the U.S. consumer to environmental pollutants (e.g. heavy metals) and to pesticides that have long been banned here, but still used in other counties. Technology, and its acceptance in relation to food, unfortunately always may be controversial. The Donald Trump rampage, still hard to believe after nearly a year, is a symptom of something deeper and more profound: the Republican Party's slide into complete incoherence. Rarely has a major party's establishment been so out of touch with its voting base. Rarely have so many experienced politicians (Jeb Bush, Scott Walker, Marco Rubio, Rick Perry et al.) been so thoroughly embarrassed, and so cruelly dispatched, by a political neophyte. Rarely have feelings been so raw that one leading Republican (John Boehner) would publicly describe another (Ted Cruz) as "Lucifer in the flesh." What does the GOP believe in? There was a time when anyone with a passing interest in politics could have answered that question. Today, who knows? This ideological disintegration has been years in the making. I believe one fundamental cause is that after winning the allegiance of millions of "Reagan Democrats," mostly white, blue-collar, Southern or rural, the party stubbornly declined to take their economic interests into account. Traditional Republican orthodoxy calls for small government, low taxation, tight money, deregulation, free trade and cost-saving reforms to entitlement programs. If I were independently wealthy, that might seem an agreeable set of policies. Ditto if I were one of the "small-business owners" to whom GOP candidates sing lavish hymns of praise. But most working-class Republicans are, get ready for it, working-class. They are more Sam's Club than country club. They don't own the business, they earn wages or a salary; and trickle-down economics has not been kind to them. Their incomes have been stagnant for a good 20 years, they have seen manufacturing jobs move overseas and job security vanish, they have less in retirement savings and home equity than they had hoped, and they see their young-adult children struggling to get a start in life. This segment includes military families that have borne the awful weight of more than a decade of war. Repeated deployments to Afghanistan and Iraq have caused tremendous strain; "wounded warriors" have returned bearing grievous physical and psychological scars. What adjustments did the GOP establishment make for these voters? None. Most of the governors, senators and former-somebodies who ran for the presidential nomination, and failed, offered nothing but flag-waving pep talks and demagoguery on social issues, along with promises to stick with trickle-down orthodoxy and intervene in trouble spots around the world. Only Rick Santorum and Mike Huckabee, who were dismissed as yesterday's news, seemed to realize that working-class Republicans even existed. Did Trump cunningly craft a message for these orphaned voters, or did he stumble across his populist appeal by way of beginner's luck? At this point, it hardly matters. He offers policies, however far-fetched, that address their wants and needs. He rails against the free trade pacts that he says robbed the nation of manufacturing jobs. He promises not to cut entitlements and often hints at boldly expanding them. He pledges an "America first" foreign policy that withdraws from entanglements and eschews interventions. Trump also plays on these voters' insecurities, resentments and fears. He makes Hispanic immigrants and Muslims his scapegoats. He goes beyond attacking President Obama's policies to also impugn his identity -- in effect, portraying the president as the incarnation of demographic change that many white Americans fear. And Trump delegitimizes establishment Republicans by painting them as cogs in a system that is rigged to favor the rich and powerful. (In this, he's basically right.) Faced with Trump's challenge, GOP grandees have failed to react in any meaningful way. Trump's closest challenger for the nomination is the least-liked Republican in the Senate, a man who believes the party's problem is that its presidential candidates haven't been orthodox enough. In no way do I minimize the ugly side of Trump's appeal, the naked chauvinism, the authoritarian streak, the cynical appeal to his supporters' worst instincts. But it is wrong and, for the Republican Party, suicidal to ignore the fact that he is doing more than merely rousing the rabble. Trump is filling a vacuum left by years of inattention to voters who have been patronized and taken for granted. The fissures he exposed in the GOP will not go away. The party now seems on the verge of anointing a presidential nominee who does not subscribe to many of the party's core beliefs -- yet who has absconded with much of the party's base. Post-Trump, Republicans will have a choice: They can develop new policies or look for new voters. SPRINGFIELD Efforts to keep open a juvenile detention facility in Northwestern Illinois may have gotten a boost Tuesday from a legislative panel. The General Assemblys bipartisan, bicameral Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability voted against recommending the closure of the Illinois Youth Center at Kewanee. However, the 6 to 5 vote isnt binding on the Department of Juvenile Justice, which operates the 354-bed medium-security facility. Gov. Bruce Rauners administration is seeking to close the facility as part of an effort to shift to more community-based programs for juvenile offenders. Supporters argue that Kewanee should be kept open because its the newest and, at full capacity, most cost-effective of the states six juvenile detention centers. If the Department of Juvenile Justice doesnt maintain the facility, they would like to see it repurposed as a Department of Corrections facility, possibly one dedicated to caring for older inmates near the end of their lives. We need to continue to work with (the Department of Juvenile Justice) and (the Department of Corrections) to make sure we have a solution, said state Rep. Mike Smiddy, D-Hillsdale, whose district doesnt include the facility but is nearby. State Sen. Chuck Weaver, R-Peoria, whose district does include Kewanee, is a proponent of shifting the facility to the Department of Corrections. He said it should be kept open until that transition can be made. You have all too often seen facilities that shut down, the energy goes away, and they sit there for years with nothing happening to them, Weaver said. We think that is the worst possible thing that could be happening in this area. Rauner spokeswoman Catherine Kelly wrote in an email that the governors administration is doing its due diligence to explore the feasibility of alternative uses for the Kewanee facility, including asking Corrections to review whether the facility meets any of its needs. As for the future of Kewanee, the exploration is incomplete, and any speculation at this time would be premature, Kelly said. Candice Jones, director of the Department of Juvenile Justice testified Tuesday that the young people in the departments custody would be better served in facilities closer to their homes and families. The 18 counties surrounding Kewanee on average account for about 10 percent of the departments overall population, which right now is 420. Closing Kewanee would allow the department to make better use of the money it currently devotes to paying the nearly 240 employees at the facility. When Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan boasted that Artsakh was doing a fine job repelling an Azerbaijani offensive along the Line of Contact with weaponry dating from the 1980s, many were in an uproar and took to the social media to criticize the president for failing to adequately provide the military with modern weapons of war. Yesterday marked World Freedom of Press Day. These two events, when taken together, raises some interesting and problematic issues. Had Sargsyan not confessed this fact, who would have known what the truth was? Certainly not the citizens of Armenia, or even the local press for that matter. Lets, for the moment, put aside the fact that most people in Armenia have a deep mistrust of the current government and its pronunciations on a whole host of domestic matters, from elections to the economy. So why did many jump on this slip of the tongue by Sargsyan? It just goes to show how selective some can be regarding the believability factor of the government and their leaders. The four-day war presented a host of challenges for local reporters accessibility to the frontlines being at the top. Most news outlets in Armenia just dont have the resources staff, finances, etc. to station permanent correspondents along the Line of Contact. Other than official communiques, there was a news blackout from the war zone that lasted from several hours to a day or more until a handful of Yerevan-based journalists made it to Artsakh. Once there, these journalists, like war correspondents the world over, had to use their connections, official and non-official, to get to the news unfolding. This is a delicate balancing act indeed, rife with pitfalls. What compromises journalists must make to curry favor with local officials in terms of accessibility is something only the journalists themselves know. Are they reporting in full or have they been told to refrain from conveying certain news in return for accessibility? The degree to which reporters are willing to compromise is also something they only know. Thus, I was somewhat surprised when a Yerevan reporter who had travelled back and forth to Artsakh, sending reports from the war zone and in-studio, confessed that he had encountered the gnawing predicament of what to report, and when, given that such disclosures might prevent him from gaining access to the frontlines in the future. Again, its a decision that only the individual reporter can make after much soul searching. Reporters in such situations, however, must realize that they are the eyes and ears of the audience they are writing for. Breaking news cannot be filed away for a later, more convenient, publication date. Information, however inconvenient, is a vital resource for a citizenry that demands to be informed. Such unfiltered information remains a cornerstone for any democracy, otherwise citizens are forced to base their views and decisions solely on official sources. Alternate sources of credible information are all the more vital in times of war. Governments will report what they see fit. Its up to the fourth estate to fill in the gaps. Reporters, at least those who take their jobs seriously and are aware of the vital role they play in the social contract between governments and citizens, are also tasked with pushing the bounds when it comes to information accessibility. When reporters start exercising self-censorship, they do themselves and the public a huge disservice. Its a slippery slope leading to conformity and appeasement. Being a journalist in Armenia can be a thankless and financially unrewarding profession. On the occasion of World Press freedom Day, I thank all those principled journalists in Armenia who persevere despite the odds and understand the challenges they face. They may be few in number, but when it comes to informing the public with all the news thats fit to print they do an outstanding job. I wish them all continued success. Foreign Minister of Armenia Edward Nalbandian participated in the EU Eastern Partnership and Visegrad Four Foreign Ministers Meeting. What follows is the speech he gave. Dear colleagues, I would like to thank the Visegrad Four Czech Presidency and Lubomir for hosting this ministerial meeting. Last year we had an opportunity to host in Yerevan the representatives of the ministries of foreign affairs of the V4 countries to discuss the possibilities of deepening of Armenia-V4 ties. 2015 was a special year for the Armenia-EU cooperation including intensive dialogue and high-level visits. The launch of the negotiations on the future Armenia - EU framework agreement last December will enable us to lay a new legal foundation for our relations. Armenia has joined or is in the process of joining a number of the EU programs: COSME, Horizon 2020, Creative Europe. We look forward to start soon visa liberalization dialogue and negotiations on the Aviation agreement. Riga Summit Joint Declaration reaffirmed our shared vision of the Partnership based on common values, mutual interests and commitments. The Summit also reiterated full support to the efforts by the co-chairs of the Minsk Group on the peaceful negotiated solution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, based on the five statements of Presidents of the Minsk group Co-chair countries adopted since 2009. We all remember, how Azerbaijan tried to block the entire Riga Summit declaration because of the reference to the Minsk Group Co-Chair countries Presidents statements. However, the calls of the international community on the exclusively peaceful settlement of the issue were continuously neglected by Baku. In early April, the large-scale military aggressive actions unleashed by Azerbaijan against Nagorno-Karabakh, resulted in many killed and wounded, along with the gross violations of the international humanitarian law and international human rights law. Despite the repeated calls of the Co-Chairs of the Minsk group for the unconditional implementation of the trilateral ceasefire agreement of 1994 and the agreement on the consolidation of the ceasefire of 1995, signed by Azerbaijan, Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia, Baku is attempting to put under the question the validity of those documents, by distributing appropriate letters in the OSCE and the UN. Those attempts were failed due to prompt reaction of the Minsk group co-chair states, calling for full respect of 1994-1995 ceasefire agreements. Azerbaijan has continued the violations, concentrating heavy weaponry and military forces along the entire Line of Contact with Nagorno-Karabakh, further increasing its warmongering and launching a provocative propaganda campaign on international arena trying to accuse the Armenian side in exactly what it is itself doing, thus preparing ground for new military attacks which can have far-reaching consequences for the whole region. Today, it is imperative to preclude the future reoccurrence of what happened in the beginning of April, to ensure that the dangerous attempts on seeking military solution to the issue will be effectively curbed. The implementation of the confidence building measures proposed by the Co-chairs will certainly serve that purpose, including the creation of the mechanism of investigation for the violations of the cease-fire and capacity enhancement of the team of the Personal representative of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office. Such concrete steps could allow to restore the negotiation environment and continue the peace process. Dear Colleagues, Armenia will spare no efforts working together with the co-chair countries towards the exclusively peaceful resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. Thank you. (The Visegrad Group, also called the Visegrad Four or V4, is an alliance of four Central European states Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia for the purposes of furthering their European integration, as well as for advancing military, economic and energy cooperation with one another.) Armenias Ministry of Health reports that a group of doctors from Germany sat in on a meeting to discuss the medical condition of two 19 soldiers injured during the recent round of fighting in Artsakh. The German specialists, trauma specialists and plastic surgeons from the Freiburg University Clinic, consulted with local physicians as to the best course of treatment for the two injured men. Also on hand was Ashot Smbatyan, Armenias Ambassador to Germany. The parents of the two soldiers also participated in the consultation. Smbatyan expressed his willingness to help organize their medical treatment overseas, if needed. The two soldiers are now being treated at Yerevans Erebouni Medical Center. The German physicians are scheduled to visit the Erebouni Medical Center and the Central Military Hospital to gauge firsthand the medical condition of injured military personnel. Share your opinion on this topic by sending a letter to the editor to tctvoice@madison.com. Include your full name, hometown and phone number. Your name and town will be published. The phone number is for verification purposes only. Please keep your letter to 250 words or less. Morning briefing: Reince Priebus: Unifying GOP with Trump on the ticket will be hard Today we stumble toward a war with North Korea where nuclear weapons could be unleashed either intentionally or through accident or miscalculation. Einstein's words can guide us away from the precipice. Dave Zweifel is editor emeritus of The Capital Times. dzweifel@madison.com and on Twitter @DaveZweifel A Portage man has been sentenced to eight years in prison following a conviction for charges surrounding the sexual assault of a minor. Raymond E. Crowe, 26, appeared in Columbia County Circuit Court on Tuesday for sentencing, charged with six counts of second-degree sexual assault of a child, two counts of child enticement and one count of child sexual exploitation. Judge Alan J. White asked for the status of the case, receiving confirmation that Crowe would be entering a plea of no contest to the charges, but there was no agreement on a sentence recommendation. Based on the Department of Corrections pre-sentence investigation recommending nine to 10 years of prison, Assistant District Attorney Brenda Yaskal requested a sentence of 10 years initial confinement and eight years of extended supervision. Yaskal said at the time of his arrest in March 2014 on charges of having a relationship with a 15-year-old girl, Crowe was on probation for the very same offense a conviction for second-degree sexual assault, resulting in seven years of probation. While in jail Crowe also continued to make contact with underage girls, as Yaskal revisited with transcripts of phone calls including one in which he encouraged a girl to visit him, with her asking, Isnt this what got you here in the first place? To which he replied, No. Itll be fine. The analysis also showed a strong relationship between Crowe and his mother, whom he spoke to over the phone, asking her to find someone to beat up the 15-year-old girl at the center of his case. Crowe was charged with six counts of felony bail jumping and two counts of intimidating or threatening a victim. The charges were dismissed, but read into the record prior to his sentencing hearing. There was an explanation for what had led Crowe to this point, if not an excuse, defense attorney Peter Masana told the court. Although Crowe was on probation for second-degree sexual assault for a 2012 case, there was necessary context in that he was 20 years old and the minor was 17. Masana also described Crowes comparatively modest maturity and reasoning ability an estimated seventh- or eighth-grade level. Factors in Crowes personal history, according to Masana, included his mother having him at a very young age and his father being in prison, serving a seven-year sentence. Recently, Crowe has been treated at the Mendota Mental Health Institution and Columbia Correctional Institution where he was placed for a time in solitary confinement. According to Department of Corrections records, following his arrest in 2014 Crowe was held at Dodge County Correctional Institution from May to July 2015, then at the prison in Kettle Moraine from July to September and at Columbia Correctional Institution from Sept. 11 to Sept. 15, before going back to Kettle Moraine. I dont think an additional decade of confinement and almost a decade of supervision will help anyone, Masana told the court, recommending five years confinement and three years of supervision. Citing anxiety issues on his clients part, Masana then read a statement from Crowe, explaining himself to White. The state of Wisconsin has my full attention and I know that prison is not for me or anyone else, he read, going on to describe his poorly-structured childhood in which at age 13 he had a 17-year-old girlfriend and was hanging out with 20- and 30-year-olds who also had teenage girlfriends. Why most of them got away with it, Im not sure. White sentenced Crowe to 23 years eight years of initial confinement and 15 years of extended supervision and participation in the sex offender registry. A Janesville man was shot in the leg Tuesday night by a man who stole his car, with the two believed to be acquaintances. Janesville police said the incident happened at about 10 p.m. at 2010 Kellogg Ave. The victim was leaving the apartment building when he was approached by two men wearing bandanas over their faces. One suspect was armed with a handgun and the other took the victim's wallet and keys, then left the building and started the victim's car. "The victim started to run away and the armed suspect shot him," police said. "The suspects left in the victim's car." The car was found a few blocks away. A police dog tracked the suspects from the car but couldn't find them. The victim was treated and released at Mercy Hospital. The first suspect is a black male, 5 feet, 11 inches tall or taller, thin build, wearing dark clothes, a hood over his head and the white bandana during the robbery. The second suspect is a black male, 5 feet, 10 inches or shorter, thin build, wearing dark clothing, a hood over his head and the white bandana during the robbery. Madison Area Technical College will move forward with a plan to leave its Downtown campus and expand on the citys historically under-served South Side after the colleges governing board gave initial approval for the proposal late Wednesday. Members of the MATC District Board, which deadlocked on a similar plan last year, this time voted unanimously to let the college solicit proposals from developers to lease the site of the Downtown Education Center, and begin negotiating for a new comprehensive campus on the South Side. The colleges leaders say their proposal will lead to an explosion of educational opportunity on the South Side that could help address vast racial disparities in Dane County, while turning what they say is a faltering Downtown campus into a source of revenue. We must meet students where they are, and provide what they need to be successful, MATC President Jack E. Daniels told the board. This is our mission. Opponents including several education, business and city government leaders have countered that moving out of Downtown threatens MATCs finances and the colleges outreach mission. They have questioned the cost of repairing the Downtown campus and say a move away from the center of Madison would make MATC less accessible to students who rely on public transportation. Board members heard from each side during more than two hours of public comment before the vote. Vote called early step One trustee, Arlyn Halvorson, said he still has reservations about the prospect of leaving the Downtown campus, which sits at 211 N. Carroll St. But members noted the vote Wednesday night was an early step toward making the plan a reality, as college officials will still have to come to the board for approval of any lease agreements or other details. We are inviting a request for proposals we are not ordering the moving vans to the loading dock, Trustee Joseph Hasler said. Moving out of the Downtown campus could lead to a major redevelopment of the block-sized piece of land just off the Capitol Square. The proposal calls for MATC to enter into a 50-year ground lease with a developer who could renovate the Downtown Education Center or demolish it entirely for a new project. Daniels said the college expects to have interest from local and national developers for the property. Officials say the college could take in $500,000 to 900,000 in revenue per year from the lease, a figure opponents have questioned. MATC would keep programs in the Downtown campus through at least the 2017-18 school year as it finds a new tenant for the site. In the second piece of MATCs plan, the college would extend the lease at its current South Side location, a 12,000-square-foot facility in the Village on Park shopping center, through at least 2019 as it looks for a new property to buy or lease in an area roughly bounded by John Nolen Drive, Fish Hatchery Road and the Beltline. That facility will become the permanent site of a new comprehensive campus that will bring more programs and services to the South Side, officials say. After gaining approval from its board, Daniels said the colleges next step will be to start drafting requests for proposals for the Downtown campus. Speakers mostly in favor Dozens of speakers who addressed the board a diverse collection of MATC students and instructors, community leaders, city officials, South Side residents and others mostly favored the proposal. Mayra Medrano, president of the Dane County Latino Chamber of Commerce, said the college could provide greater educational opportunities for residents, while spurring economic development in the area. Madison College can be a fundamental economic catalyst for South Madison, Medrano said. Several speakers also expressed frustration with a political culture in Madison that they said is quick to condemn racial disparities between black and white residents in education, income and other areas, but can be slow to take concrete steps toward addressing those problems, such as investing in the South Side. Trustee Shiva Bidar-Sielaff, who is also a Madison City Council member, said the boards vote would break the trend of Madison talk that has never been followed through with action. Opponents of the plan spoke in favor of the college expanding its campus and programming on the South Side, but asked the board not to do so at the expense of the Downtown location. We can and should invest more resources in the South campus, as well as maintain and invest more Downtown, MATC instructor Steven Medall said. It shouldnt be an either-or proposition. Another speaker, Delisa Scott, echoed opponents who doubt whether the college will have the resources to adequately staff a new South Side campus with the support services students will need. Scott told board members, A building does not a success program or successful student make. The college needs to do a better job of serving students in the facilities it already has, Scott said. Until we do that, we dont need to think about building another campus, she said. More events could be coming to the Downtown area soon. The City Council approved the use of $64,000 to help the Madison Central Business Improvement District expand a Downtown Activities Program and bring more events, performances and concerts to the Capitol Square and State Street areas. Matt Kozlowski, who works with the citys homeless population, spoke in opposition. He said his job could be made harder by more events in the heart of the city pushing homeless people out. If we cant find those people who are most chronically homeless, suffering the most, have the least access to services, we have no way of ending homelessness in our community, Kozlowski said. Susan Schmitz, president of Downtown Madison Inc., said all people are welcome to attend the events, and the expanded program is not about displacing people. Its about bringing activity to these areas. Council President Mike Verveer, who represents most of the Downtown area, said this is the second year that the city will help fund the activities initiative. Also on Tuesday, the council unanimously approved zoning changes for a multi-use project at 722 Williamson St. that would renovate the Olds Seed Building into 7,200 square feet of commercial space and 45 apartment units. A 96-unit apartment building and two levels of parking also is planned for the property. Council members also approved a liquor license for the Orpheum Theater, 216 State St. Editor's Note: This article has been updated to correct the title of Susan Schmitz. Minorities employed by the city of Madison express differences in treatment, opportunities and harassment in the workplace compared to their white counterparts, according to a report released Tuesday. The report by the Multicultural Affairs Committee, which collected responses to a survey from 708 city workers last summer, set out to examine how city workers view their jobs and the racial environment at work. Results from the survey, which was available to all city workers, found that black and Latino employees are usually less likely to see the workplace as inviting and inclusive. A significant percentage of employees from all racial and ethnic backgrounds are afraid to report incidents of harassment or discrimination, the report states. Many employees are even reluctant to share their opinion about work-related matters at work. When asked if they were treated differently by co-workers based on their race, 60 percent of African-Americans and 29 percent of Latinos respondents agreed that they were, compared to 6 percent of whites. White respondents were more likely to say that relationships between employees of different racial backgrounds in their departments were positive, than were black and Latino employees. My new colleague is Hispanic, and numerous city employees have asked him about where hes from and if he speaks Spanish, while no one asks me those questions, as I am Caucasian, one city worker wrote in the anonymous survey. According to the report, Black respondents were twice as likely as white respondents to report their supervisors made assumptions about them that hindered their professional development. More Latinos than whites also reported limited opportunities based on assumptions. But one employee wrote: White males are overlooked in an attempt to force diversity. Promotions are made to create a rainbow of people vs. promoting those that are qualified and experienced. Both black and Latino employees were almost twice as likely to say that racial equity and social justice changes are needed in their departments. After reviewing the results, the Multicultural Affairs Committee is asking the city to take steps to improve the cultural climate, such as providing cultural competency training and reviewing the process for reporting harassment. Of the surveys respondents, 82 percent were white, 6 percent African-American, 5 percent Latino, about 2.5 percent Asian, 2 percent Native American and about 4 percent other. The demographic breakdown of city employees closely follows the racial demographics of Madison as a whole, according to the report. City Council President Mike Verveer said the Multicultural Affairs Committee is made up of city employees. He said the report was sent to all city workers on Tuesday, but declined to comment because he had not yet read it. Several other council members had not read the report and also declined to comment Tuesday. With Donald Trump now the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, Wisconsin conservatives openly grappled Wednesday over whether to support him and what impact he might have on the GOPs hopes to retain a U.S. Senate seat and legislative majorities. Its a sobering reality for many state Republicans who were among the leading national voices opposing Trumps presidential bid but now must acknowledge he will be their partys nominee in November. Just a month ago those same Republicans were celebrating Sen. Ted Cruzs victory in the Wisconsin primary and the possibility that he could block the trash-talking reality TV celebritys path to the nomination. On Wednesday, after Cruz pulled out of the race late Tuesday, Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald became the first prominent state GOP elected official to embrace Trump, and he urged fellow conservatives to unify behind the New York billionaire ahead of the first ballot at the Republican National Convention in July. Meanwhile, Gov. Scott Walker, a former presidential candidate who supported Cruz during the Wisconsin primary, offered the thinnest of endorsements for Trump. I stood on the stage in Cleveland and said that I would support the nominee, Walker told reporters in West Allis, referring to a presidential debate. Ive said it repeatedly since then and Ill be supporting the Republican nominee, once thats officially set at the convention, against Hillary Clinton. Republican U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson of Oshkosh, locked in a tough re-election fight, also signaled he will support Trump. Even Assembly Majority Leader Jim Steineke, who has called Trump a liberal and a liar, hedged in his opposition, but said Wednesday he does not currently support the presumptive nominee. Meanwhile, some of the states leading conservative voices, including influential talk radio hosts, who led the charge against Trump in last months Wisconsin primary, showed few signs Wednesday of closing ranks behind him. Tuesdays primary results pushed Cruz, Trumps top rival, out of the presidential race, and the only other remaining GOP candidate, Ohio Gov. John Kasich, dropped out of the race Wednesday. That sets the table for a likely general election battle between Trump and Clinton, the Democratic front-runner who still faces a challenge from Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders. Trump has roused Republicans and independents unhappy with the federal government and politicians in general, but he is deeply unpopular among the state and national general election population, according to polls. Democrats are hoping to capitalize on that fact to win the states Electoral College votes for the eighth straight election as well as pick up a U.S. Senate seat and several Assembly and Senate seats. The Democrats are in the drivers seat in Wisconsin, said UW-Madison political science professor Barry Burden. Trump does not have a constituency here not enough to put him over the top. In a general election hes not going to have a lot of appeal with the broad Wisconsin electorate. Fitzgerald: Trumps populism appealing Fitzgerald, R-Juneau, didnt endorse in the primary, but said Wednesday he is ready to embrace Trump as the presumptive nominee, just as Republican National Committee chairman Reince Priebus of Kenosha did after Cruz dropped out. Hes a populist candidate that has been appealing to certain pockets of voters way beyond who you would think a Republican nominee would appeal to, Fitzgerald said. Im on board. I think he helps us. Milwaukee-area radio host Charlie Sykes fired back on Fitzgerald in a Twitter post, referring to Cruzs primary win in Wisconsin last month. No, Wisconsin is not on the Trump train, Sykes tweeted. We voted, Fitz. But another leading voice in the states #NeverTrump movement, Steineke, R-Kaukauna, declined to foreclose on the possibility of voting for Trump in November. Steineke said he definitely wont vote for Clinton but is weighing whether to back Trump or not vote in the presidential race. At this point there is not a major party candidate who has earned my vote, Steineke said. People have obviously spoken, Steineke added. Now its their election to win or lose. Theres no excuses. They are the establishment. If youre the nominee of the major party, you are now the establishment and there are no more excuses. Steineke also said he plans to withdraw as an alternate to the Republican National Convention, saying he wants to open up the slot for someone whos excited to attend. Sen. Duey Stroebel, R-Saukville, who chaired Cruzs Wisconsin campaign, said he would vote for the most conservative candidate and Trump has certainly not shown conservative principles. Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, said he would reserve judgment and see if Trump can earn my support in the coming months. The state Republican Party didnt return a call for comment. Challenges for Johnson For Johnson, sharing a GOP ticket with Trump creates fresh challenges. Amid a tough re-election fight with Democrat Russ Feingold of Middleton, Johnson already has faced attacks from Democrats and liberal groups for not dissociating himself from Trump. Johnson appeared to temper his support for Trump as the GOP nominee, according to a statement from his campaign spokesman, Brian Reisinger. Johnson is focused on the concerns of Wisconsinites not national political winds, Reisinger said. Former Lt. Gov. Margaret Farrow, who said in the primary she voted for Cruz the first time she ever voted for somebody she didnt want to be president said she plans to vote for Trump in November, not because she supports him, but because she supports the party. Hes enough of a deal maker that he could talk to people and trust people and he and (House Speaker) Paul Ryan could get along, Farrow said. I think Paul would have a much stronger role in that type of Republican leadership situation than he would with Hillary Clinton. Walker also offered a contrast between Trump and Clinton as the reason he supports Trump, notably over U.S. Supreme Court nominations, taxes, business regulation and the size and scope of the federal government. All of those things will be much better under Trump than under Hillary Clinton, Walker said. Possible long-term effect on party Some Republicans worried about a lingering impact on the party. Strategist Brandon Scholz, who said he wont vote for Trump, said he expects there will be several Republicans who vote for all of the down-ballot races on the ticket and leave the presidential race blank and others who will look for an alternative candidate, such as a libertarian. My fear would be that these walkaways and break-offs and others really hurt the future of the party in fundraising, candidate recruitment, organizational development and other things, Scholz said. Thats a total reflection of Donald Trump. Fitzgerald disagreed Trump poses a problem for the partys chances in legislative races, arguing that many of the hotly contested state Senate races are in parts of the state where Trump performed well in the primary. My grandmother would have had a Yiddish word for Donald Trumps major foreign policy speech last week: meshugaas. That means behavior so senseless or crazy it is almost incomprehensible. Indeed, the Trump talk was so incoherent, so full of contradictions, that, in normal times, it would have been quickly relegated to the realm of late-night comics. But these arent normal times. As Trump moves within grasp of the GOP nomination, the dangers of Trumpism are no laughing matter. For those who havent taken Trumps demagoguery seriously enough until now, this speech should be a wakeup call. The idea that a man with his mindset might ever have his hand on the nuclear trigger is a very scary thought. As his remarks made clear, Trump views the world through the prism that defines his entire campaign the politics of grievance: America is going down the toilet. Everyone is dumping on us. Our allies dont pay us enough and our enemies dont respect us. We arent going to put up with it anymore. The solution for everything, as he never ceases to remind us, can be found only in one venue, his own persona. Im the only one believe me. Im the only one who knows how to fix it, the Donald proclaimed in his speech. He lies so often and so repeatedly he provides media fact-checking sites with endless fodder. Prime among his frequent falsehoods are the constant claims he was against George W. Bushs Iraq war and President Barack Obamas intervention in Libya. In reality he is on record as having supported the Iraq invasion, and pushed for U.S. intervention in Libya. He even suggested the Libyan opposition could pay the United States with oil funds once Moammar Gadhafi fell. So what is the Trump Doctrine to stop the world from exploiting us? From his speech, and his previous foreign policy utterings, it appears to be a variant of isolationism, sort of, maybe. Just pull back and let em rot. Trump is campaigning on the slogan of America First which as has been widely noted was the mantra of the pre-World War II, pro-Nazi isolationists who sought to keep the United States out of that war. And, indeed, though hes no anti-Semite, Trump makes clear hed be willing to abandon NATO if the European allies dont cough up more. In earlier remarks, he talked of pulling U.S. troops out of Japan and South Korea, and letting both of them go nuclear as America ceases to provide a nuclear umbrella. He displays no comprehension of the value those alliances still provide to this country, or the dangers of American isolation in a world of new challenges. Nor does he appear to grasp the risks of Asian nuclear proliferation (even though he notes, without further explanation, that the power of weaponry is the single biggest problem that we have today in the world). Indeed, the speech is such a crazy mashup of contradictions one cant be certain what, if anything, Trump believes in. His aides busily whisper that hed be more responsible when he took office. But, at this point, one must start judging Trump by what he says and how that reflects on the man. He claims we need a long-term plan to halt radical Islam but presents none. Then he adds that he will work very closely with Muslim allies but talks of banning all Muslims from entering the country. He shows a wariness of using American force abroad, and says he will only help nations that are good to us fight terrorism. But then he says that the Islamic State will be gone very, very quickly, if Im elected. Perhaps hes willing, as he has hinted in several interviews, to use tactical nukes. Even as he threatens Americas allies, Trump says his administration will lead a free world that is properly armed and funded beautifully. Yet the foreign leader about whom he waxes most enthusiastic is Russias Vladimir Putin, an autocrat who invaded Ukraine, destabilized Europe, and backs Syrian regime bombs that are decimating civilians and hospitals in Aleppo. Trump insists he could get a great deal from Putin (he describes almost every foreign policy move in terms of a deal) and, if not, he would walk away. What then? Declare bankruptcy in Ukraine and Syria and leave Eurasia to Putin? Does Trump have any idea who he is dealing with? Or perhaps the deal that Trump wants with Moscow has less to do with foreign policy than business. As Bloombergs Josh Rogin recently detailed, Trump has been trying for years to expand his real estate empire to Russia. His new friend Putin may be just the contact he needs. But back to foreign policy deals does Trump have any clue about China (or trade deals for that matter) when he suggests that we can be friends with Beijing, while bending the Chinese to our will by imposing a 45 percent trade tariff. Is he serious? There is a lazy ignorance to the presumptive GOP nominee that makes one wonder if he really believes his own mantras and thinks he doesnt need to learn anything from books or experts. He certainly seems to have little appreciation of the world we live in, and has yet to surround himself with those who know better. He clearly yearns for the stability of the Cold War, but those days are long gone, and foreign policy is far more complex in a very fragmented world. As his speech made clear, Trumps only foreign policy strategy is to stoke American fears and to posture about quick, painless solutions, while predicting that allies will pay up and enemies quail after he is elected. When none of this happens, he has little to offer, appearing ready to withdraw into an isolationism that would endanger the country, or to strike out blindly. The Trump foreign policy doctrine can be summed up in one word: meshugaas. The U.S. House of Representatives just authorized five more years of Great Lakes restoration. Now the U.S. Senate must do the same, with Wisconsin Sens. Ron Johnson, R-Oshkosh, and Tammy Baldwin, D-Madison, pressuring their leaders for a vote. At stake are $300 million annually through 2021 to clean and safeguard the largest supply of fresh water on the surface of the Earth. Priorities in the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative include stopping the giant Asian carp from invading Lake Michigan, which would decimate native fish and hurt tourism. It also includes money to reduce algae blooms in Green Bay, which are blamed for an oxygen-deprived dead zone. The House overwhelmingly supported Resolution 223 in a voice vote last week, with Wisconsin Reps. Sean Duffy, R-Weston, Gwen Moore, D-Milwaukee, and Reid Ribble, R-Sherwood, as co-sponsors. A Senate committee approved a similar proposal in January. But the full Senate still must act. Bipartisan support for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative has been strong since it launched in 2010, funding nearly 3,000 projects. Wisconsin has been a major beneficiary. One project removed 50,000 cubic yards of contaminated sediment from the Sheboygan River. An even bigger source of toxic PCBs was pulled out of the Milwaukee River. Old dams were removed to help fish in Campbellsport and Milwaukee. Shorelines, beaches, native plants and wildlife were protected or restored by the Apostle Islands, along the Fox River, in Ozaukee County and elsewhere. Communities along the Great Lakes including many in eastern Wisconsin get their drinking water from the Great Lakes. Pollution from farms and sewers threatens this resource. Nearly 500,000 residents of Toledo, Ohio, for example, had to go without tap water for three days in 2014 because of harmful algae blooms caused by manure and waste in Lake Erie. America cant take the Great Lakes for granted, as U.S. Rep. Dave Joyce, R-Ohio, stressed last week on the floor of the House. The Great Lakes contain 95 percent of our nations fresh surface water. If you spread lakes Michigan, Superior, Huron, Erie and Ontario evenly across the continental United States, he noted, they would submerge the country under 9 1/2 feet of water. Spending $300 million a year is worth protecting this incredible asset. And doing nothing would only cost more, as the arrival of zebra mussels have shown. Communities and private businesses have had to spend billions of dollars clearing water intake pipes and other equipment because of the pesky mussels that mass together. The Government Accountability Office issued a favorable financial report on the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative. And in its resolution, the House will require better coordination by the EPA, which was flagged for improvement. With 1.5 million jobs and $62 billion in wages tied to the Great Lakes, Congress shouldnt stall critical restoration any longer. [Editor's note: This article has been updated to reflect a correction. The number of the bill before the House of Representatives was corrected.] SPRINGFIELD - With the Democrats' "deep-sixing" State Rep. Tom Morrison's (R-Palatine) proposed legislation to protect girls in school dressing rooms, showers and restrooms, a group of parents and students has decided to file a lawsuit on their children's behalf. A group of 50 families whose children attend a high school in Illinois filed a federal lawsuit Wednesday, attempting to reverse a policy that allows a transgender student to use girls bathrooms, locker rooms, and other sex-specific facilities. The families are challenging a policy at Township High School District 211 that was mandated by the U.S. Department of Education to accommodate the transgender student, who was born male but identifies as a female. Its an organic group of parents and students who came together and said, We have to do something about thiswe cant just roll over and allow the federal government to force our school to commingle the sexes in locker rooms, said Jeremy Tedesco, a lawyer representing the families. The suit, which challenges the Education Departments authority to redefine the term sex in Title IX of U.S. law to include gender identity and to enforce it against schools, is the first of its kind, Tedesco told The Daily Signal. You may have noticed that no such nuclear winter occurred, but it would seem that being a political analyst is a lot like being a meteorologist. You don't have to be right as long as the day ends up being sunny and warm. So it was for the eight years of the Reagan Presidency, and so it remained for two decades after his tenure in spite of the progressivists best efforts. The first book to earn the distinction of being plausible from my perspective was the requisite 1984 by George Orwell . I actually had the added benefit of reading Orwell's masterpiece back in 1984 when the mainstream media was claiming the fulfillment of his vision because Ronald Reagan wouldn't play nice with the Soviets. In the media's view, Reagan's unwillingness to negotiate with Godless, conscienceless totalitarians was a sign that America had fallen under the grip of an insane megalomaniac. His lack of conciliation was certain to bring about nuclear annihilation. Ronald Reagan, therefore, was obviously the embodiment of Big Brother. Out of all the dystopian fictions that I've read over these many decades, there are only two that make me nod my head and say, "Yeah, we might just end up doing that." Only two. Most are nothing but the literary onanism of frustrated authors who have suddenly realized they will never change the world as they believed they would when they decided to matriculate in postmodernist deconstructionism back in the day. But I completely digress. Anyway, the other book that struck me as being eerily plausible was the novel Brave New World by Aldous Huxley. Huxley described his story as being what comes after 1984 (although it was written more than a decade before Orwell's story.) While I appreciate this interpretation, I've always viewed his horror story as simply a different route to the same tyrannical destination. Ultimately, the abhorrence of every freedom loving person is the system that works to obliterate free will and truth. Brave New World is a storyline set within a primer that instructs the reader in methods for subduing the human spirit. The important thing to understand about Huxley's predictions is that most of his characters were conditioned to be happy slaves in this fictional dystopia. There were only three characters who were not content to be drug-addled, sex-addicted, consumption-driven relativists in a post-free will world. The first was a man that Huxley called the Savage. The Savage was the son of a civilized woman who was accidently trapped on a North American Indian reservation that was considered a last vestige for self-determination in a world that had been conquered by central planners. The second character was Helmholtz Watson who was raised in civilization as a successful and privileged Alpha-Plus. The third man was a social outcast named Bernard Marx. Marx was a socially and physically awkward Alpha, rumored to have been stunted during his gestation by alcohol in his blood surrogate. These three men could not reconcile themselves to Huxley's world and found themselves rebelling against it until an intervention was required. Of these three men, the Savage became so inconsolable about civilization's spiritual bankruptcy that he hung himself. Helmholtz was deemed too individualistic and was sent to a place where other nonconformists lived without the creature comfort of central planning. Happily, because he was free. Bernard was a more complex character. He was a nonconformist, but it turned out that his nonconformity was solely because society had rejected him. He wasn't a true believer. His individualism was born of convenience. As stories often go, Bernard had a turn of fortune and found himself at the center of positive attention for the first time in his life. The novelty of acceptability caused an evolution in his thinking, and Bernard was suddenly fine with the sex addiction, intoxication and materialism that he had railed against so forcefully. His change in circumstances ultimately revealed his true character, and his true character was that of an unprincipled hypocrite. What's this got to do with Donald Trump? Good question. Interesting little factoid. Aldous Huxley would have called what's happening right now "hypnopaedia." It works like this. "Sixty-two thousand four hundred repetitions make one truth." That's how they did it in Brave New World. That's how Donald Trump did it to Ted Cruz. Lyin' Ted Cruz. LYIN' TED CRUZ. LYIN' TED CRUZ. Come on, Donnie Boy. Say it again. You said it once. You said it twice, so it must be true. I'd like to hear it again. Maybe this time you can get some Trumpeteering Bernards to chant it with you and make it even truer. LYIN' TED CRUZ. LYIN' TED CRUZ. LYIN' TED CRUZ. L-Y-I-N'-T-E-D-C-R-U-Z. Ted Cruz is the liar? Really? You mean like: "You know, his father was with Lee Harvey Oswald prior to Oswald's being -- you know, shot," Trump told "Fox and Friends" Tuesday. "I mean; the whole thing is ridiculous. What is this?" What is this, indeed. But Ted Cruz is the liar. Donald Trump is a thug and a bully and a character assassin. But never mind. Let's hear it again. LYIN' TED CRUZ. LYIN' TED CRUZ. LYIN' TED CRUZ. L-Y-I-N'-T-E-D-C-R-U-Z. Hmmm. I guess Ted Cruz is a liar. LYIN' TED CRUZ. LYIN' TED CRUZ. LYIN' TED CRUZ. L-Y-I-N'-T-E-D-C-R-U-Z. Oh! I See! Ted Cruz is a YUGE liar. Meanwhile, Donald Trump - on an entirely different topic which is exactly the same as the last topic because the only unscripted thing he can manage to say coherently is that he's winning, and that ought to tell you exactly how far we have fallen as a people: "If we win, it's over. Then I can focus then I don't have to worry about LYIN' TED CRUZ. LYIN' TED CRUZ. L-Y-I-N'-T-E-D-C-R-U-Z. I don't care if he endorses me or doesn't. I couldn't care less but but I don't have to worry about Lyin' Ted Cruz. LYIN' TED CRUZ. LYIN' TED CRUZ. LYIN' TED CRUZ. LYIN' TED CRUZ. L-Y-I-N'-T-E-D-C-R-U-Z." It came to me today as I was driving my kids to school, and we were listening to a news story about Donald Trump talking again about Lyin' Ted Cruz. LYIN' TED CRUZ. LYIN' TED CRUZ. LYIN' TED CRUZ. LYIN' TED CRUZ. L-Y-I-N'-T-E-D-C-R-U-Z. You know what? I am a true believer. I really, really am. I really think that what we got started in the 1980s was a great thing worth fighting for. I really believe in the conservative principles that Ted Cruz espouses and I wanted him to be president. Since Ted Cruz didn't get the nomination, it has long been my intention that I would move on and support the nominee. Voila. I was once again going to hold my nose and vote for the party's nominee even though the party's nominee is Donald Trump who makes me so physically ill when he speaks that I want to barf out my lung even though I think he's so stupid that I often wonder how he manages to keep breathing without involving his teleprompter. I was willing to vote for Donald Trump even though I think that Donald Trump is a YUGE putz. I'm told that's what team players do. Team players vote for YUGE putzes. Exceptyou know what else? I've heard one too many of the "Lyin' Ted Cruz. LYIN' TED CRUZ. LYIN' TED CRUZ. LYIN' TED CRUZ. LYIN' TED CRUZ. L-Y-I-N'-T-E-D-C-R-U-Z," sound bites today. I've had a "LYIN' TED CRUZ. LYIN' TED CRUZ. LYIN' TED CRUZ. LYIN' TED CRUZ. L-Y-I-N'-T-E-D-C-R-U-Z" overdose, and all of a sudden, I'm feeling politically persnickety and I'm not going to budge this time. The "LYIN' TED CRUZ. LYIN' TED CRUZ. LYIN' TED CRUZ. LYIN' TED CRUZ. L-Y-I-N'-T-E-D-C-R-U-Z" was supposed to put Ted Cruz supporters in our place. It was supposed to rattle the cage. It was supposed to paralyze, but the "LYIN' TED CRUZ. LYIN' TED CRUZ. LYIN' TED CRUZ. LYIN' TED CRUZ. L-Y-I-N'-T-E-D-C-R-U-Z" chant went one day too long for me. And it changed me. And I'm free at last. I don't have to defend an idiot. I don't have to show allegiance to a party that would sooner throw me under a bus than keep promises. I'm going rogue. Because I'm not going to vote for Donald Trump. Furthermore, I happen to agree with Donald Trump on one YUGELY important political point. I don't care if LYIN' TED CRUZ. LYIN' TED CRUZ. LYIN' TED CRUZ endorses Donald Trump or doesn't. I couldn't care less. The deal marks the first time that Google has worked directly with an automaker "to integrate its self-driving system, including its sensors and software, into a passenger vehicle." Google said it is not sharing proprietary self-driving vehicle technology with Fiat Chrysler, however, and the vehicles will not be offered for sale to the public. By Reuters: Alphabet Inc's Google unit and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV have agreed to work together to build a fleet of 100 self-driving minivans in the most advanced collaboration to date between Silicon Valley and a traditional carmaker, the companies said Tuesday. The deal marks the first time that Google has worked directly with an automaker "to integrate its self-driving system, including its sensors and software, into a passenger vehicle," the companies said in a statement on Tuesday. advertisement ALSO READ: Google's self-driving car collides with a bus in California Google and Fiat Chrysler engineers will work together to fit Google's autonomous driving technology into the Pacifica minivan. Some engineers for both companies will work together at a facility in Southeast Michigan, where Fiat Chrysler has its major North American engineering centre, the companies said. Google said it is not sharing proprietary self-driving vehicle technology with Fiat Chrysler, however, and the vehicles will not be offered for sale to the public. The agreement between Google and Fiat Chrysler comes as rival technology and auto companies are accelerating efforts to master the complex hardware and artificial intelligence systems required to allow vehicles to pilot themselves. General Motors Co in March agreed to acquire San Francisco self-driving car start-up Cruise Automation . German automakers Daimler AG, BMW AG and Volkswagen AG last year bought digital mapping company HERE to accelerate their autonomous driving development. ALSO READ: Google self-driving car effort expands hiring, posts manufacturing jobs Some features already available on mass market cars, SUVs and trucks take steps in the direction of replacing a human driver, such as automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise control and automatic lane-keeping. Some analysts said a self-driving minivan would make sense for testing the technology in a fleet of mass transit vehicles deployed in a controlled environment, such as a Google or Fiat Chrysler campus or a city centre. "Minivans fit into the transportation fleets easily," said Karl Brauer, a senior analyst at Kelley Blue Book. "They can be a box-on-wheels and can move more humans around." Google's self-driving car engineers had previously purchased Lexus sport utility vehicles made by Toyota Motor Corp and retrofitted sensors and other hardware into the cars on their own. ALSO READ: Fiat Chrysler, Google in talks to make autonomous cars together Tuesday's deal holds benefits for both companies. Fiat Chrysler has a net debt pile of 6.6 billion euros ($7.6 billion). Chief Executive Sergio Marchionne has been trying unsuccessfully for more than a year to convince reluctant rivals, including GM, to consider a merger to spread the rising costs of advanced safety and emissions technology. advertisement Fiat Chrysler shares rose more than 2 percent in after-market trading after the Google agreement was announced. Google has said that it does not want to build self-driving vehicles on its own and has explored alliances with auto companies, but none have been finalized. Working more closely with Fiat Chrysler could help Google refine its systems as a step toward offering them in regular production cars. The deal does not preclude either FCA or Google from cooperating with others, the companies said in their statement. ALSO READ: What we know of Fiat Avventura Urban Cross "The opportunity to work closely with FCA engineers will accelerate our efforts to develop a fully self-driving car that will make our roads safer and bring everyday destinations within reach for those who cannot drive," John Krafcik, chief executive of the Google Self-Driving Car Project, said in a statement. Collaborating with Google provides an opportunity for Fiat Chrysler "to partner with one of the world's leading technology companies to accelerate the pace of innovation in the automotive industry," Marchionne said in a separate statement. The Fiat Chrysler vehicles will more than double Google's testing fleet, which currently includes about 70 Lexus SUVs and small prototype cars designed by Google. Google is now testing self-driving vehicles in four U.S. cities. advertisement Executives at other automakers, including GM, Ford Motor and Daimler, have expressed wariness about alliances with Alphabet or other technology companies that could relegate them to the role of hardware suppliers. ALSO READ: Can Google shape the rules of the driverless road? John Elkann, Fiat Chrysler's chairman, in April dismissed the idea that automakers must shoulder alone the burdens of heavy investments in automated driving or ride sharing. By 2030, Elkann said, fully self-driving cars will likely account for just 15 percent of global sales. "Boring old car makers need to figure out how to make this profitable and guard against falling into the ... trap of ignoring that business while chasing profits in other parts of the value chain," Elkann said. --- ENDS --- The Delhi of Education (DoE) on Tuesday, May 3, 2016 ordered all schools to close from May 11. By India Today Web Desk: The Delhi of Education (DoE) on Tuesday, May 3, 2016 ordered all schools to begin with their summer vacation rather early this year. The authority has asked schools to begin with the holidays on May 11, 2016. Which schools will close for the summer heat? This mandatory summer vacation is to be implemented on both private as well as government schools of Delhi. advertisement When do Delhi schools usually begin their summer holidays? The government schools, every year, begin with their summer vacation on May 10, while private schools close around the same time, although the dates are not fixed. Cause: Soaring temperature in Delhi The same is asked to be implemented because of the excess heat in capital With an average of 44 degree temperature in Delhi on Tuesday, the day was labelled as hottest of the year so far Moreover, the forecast says that there is an expected increase in the soaring heat in the coming weeks Although Delhi has been known for extreme weather conditions, the rise and fall of the mercury level has not failed to daze people every year In 2014, Delhi made a record of the highest temperature in 62 years by touching 47 degrees The average temperature in 2015 Delhi was 41 degrees in May; however, the picture seems rather different this time. The raging heat is certainly only getting worse and difficult to bear with time. Click here for more education related news. Read: NEET Phase 1 2016: Paper leaked in Varanasi Read: NEET 2016: Second phase test only for new candidates --- ENDS --- Meet 13-year-old Pradeep Mewada, he leads a 'gang' called 'Dabba Dol' and their main objective is to confront those who defecate in the open in his village in Madhya Pradesh. By India Today Web Desk: This is an inspiring story of 13-year-old, Pradeep Mewada from Raipur Nayakheda village, Sehore district, Madhya Pradesh and his gang called called 'Dabba Dol'. Their main goal is to prevent people from defecating in the open using a unique method. The group of feisty children set off at the crack of dawn with whistles and spill the water that people carry with them to clean up after the business is done. advertisement Villagers resisted and hurled abuses at him and his friends, but Pradeep did not let that affect the 'Dabba Dol' gang's mission. In a video posted on YouTube by Water Aid, Pradeep said that in the community-led total sanitation programmes, he learned about a number of dangerous communicable diseases open defecation can cause. So, he was determined to spread awareness in his village against this unsanitary practice in his own way. Watch how these young crusaders are inspiring their communities to stop open defecation. The enormity of open defecation practice in India is alarming, so much so, our country is on top of the list. More often than not, people are unwilling to use toilets. They prefer going out to fields, forests and other open spaces. According to the World Health Organisation data "India with 626 million people who practice open defecation, has more than twice the number of the next 18 countries combined." 300,000 children lose their lives to preventable diseases related to sanitation and open defecation and most rural children face physical and mental stunting. In this TEDx Talk Sangita Vyas, Associate Director of Sanitation at Rice Institute, shares the unheard and little understood reality of open defecation in India. --- ENDS --- Police said the module, which was being closely watched by security and intelligence officials for some time, was busted after separate raids in parts of Delhi and neighbouring Uttar Pradesh. An IED has been recovered from them. By India Today Web Desk: The three Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorists who were arrested today were sent to 10-day police custody. According to police, these suspects were planning an attack in Delhi and neighbouring areas. Nine suspects, with alleged links to the Pakistan-based group, were being questioned. Police officials said the terror module was active and plotting to target "sensitive and crowded" areas in the national capital region. advertisement Police said the module, which was being closely watched by security and intelligence officials for some time, was busted after separate raids in parts of Delhi and neighbouring Uttar Pradesh. An IED has been recovered from them. "Three have been arrested and they will be brought to a Delhi court (on Wednesday afternoon)," a police official told IANS, adding nine more were detained and were being questioned for possible links to the JeM and for providing logistical support to the terror cell. Among those arrested is Sajid, identified by his first name only, who is in his early 20s. He was said to be one of the most wanted terrorists one of whose hands got burnt while preparing a bomb sometime ago. Sajid was arrested from Gokulpuri in east Delhi. "He is the main accused and was perhaps heading the module," the official added. The other two arrested were Shakir and Sameer, also known by their first names. They too were said to be directly linked to Jaish, which was blamed for the January 2 attack on the Indian Air Force base in Pathankot. Police said search operations were on at different places in Delhi and Uttar Pradesh. Arvind Deep, the Special Commissioner of Police (Special Cell), told IANS that most suspects were below 30. "Some of them are permanent residents of Delhi and some are from Uttar Pradesh." --- ENDS --- The heat wave is at its peak in India. Here are a few places places you can escape to. By Samonway Duttagupta: The heat wave has hit the country real bad this time. While the maximum temperatures in Delhi are well over 40 degrees these days, it was a blistering 52 degrees in Jaisalmer only a few days back. In short, summers have taken a grip of the country and all you want to do is escape to a place that can cool you down for a bit. advertisement In these unfortunate times of soaring temperatures, it is highly advisable that you travel to the northernmost mountains of India. Places where the days are pleasant and the nights are cold. Here, we have compiled a list of destinations where the maximum temperatures are not more than a soothing 25 degrees. Triund, Himachal Pradesh Picture courtesy: Flickr/Ashish Gupta/Creative Commons If you have been to Dharamshala and Mcleodganj and still haven't been here, you surely have missed out on a lot. All you have to do is go that extra mile -- a day's trek from Mcleodganj can bring you to this beautiful destination. Let us assure you, it's a nature lover's paradise. While the trek will take you through a beautiful pine, oak and rhododendron forest, the Triund summit will make you happy with some of the most stunning views of the Dhauladhar mountain range. All you need to do here is sit down and soak in the charm of the hills and let some breeze ruffle your from time to time -- the idea is to simply relax in the company of nature. Camping here is high recommended for a wholeful experience of the place. Temperature: Anywhere between 20 degrees to 5 degrees. Hemis, Jammu and Kashmir Picture courtesy: Flickr/zuki/Creative Commons Picture courtesy: Flickr/zuki/Creative Commons Although Ladakh will also be one of the best mountain destinations in India, there are a couple of offbeat places that you might like to consider this time. So, if you happen to travel the region this summer, do pay a visit to Hemis. Located at a distance of 40 km from the town of Leh, the main attraction of this place is the 17th century Hemis Monastery, situated atop a hill. After you are done with this, don't forget a trip to the Hemis National Park, which is one of the highest protected wildlife parks in the country. The calm and beautiful Indus River flows past this park, making the locales simply stunning for a traveller's eyes. Some of the most endangered species that you can see in this place include the Tibetan wolf, red fox, and the snow leopard. Temperature: Summer temperatures are usually between a maximum of 21 degrees and a minimum of 4 degrees. Munsiyari, Uttarakhand Picture courtesy: Flickr/Arfi/Creative Commons We would like to call Munsiyari as one of the most beautiful alpine hill destinations in India. Surrounded by the lofty snow-clad peaks of the Western Himalayas, this hill town in the Kumaon region of Uttarakhand is a gem. This is one place where you can walk amidst the clouds, may be enjoy an afternoon siesta on wide expanses of meadows or simply enjoy stunning views of the locales. Tucked away in the lap of nature, high up on the mountains, close to the borders of Nepal and Tibet, there's something so charming about this place that only a few hill destinations in India can match. Summers are perfect for a trip to this place. And let us assure you, you won't feel like coming back. Make sure you have at least three to four days to spend in leisure. advertisement Temperature: Summer temperatures are between 20 degrees and 7 degrees. Tirthan Valley, Himachal Pradesh Picture courtesy: Flickr/Koshy Koshy/Creative Commons You can afford to ditch Manali for this place. Yes, you read that right! This place has everything that a traveller would want out of a quiet hill destination. Surrounded by the charming Great Himalayan National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the Tirthan River that flows past the quaint hamlets spread across the valley, this place is a must-visit during the summers. You can go on day hikes at the Park and enjoy breathtaking views of the Pir Panjal mountain range, and soak in the charms of Mother Nature as the varied fragrances of the blooming flowers elevate your senses. While trout fishing at the Tirthan River is a popular activity, you can even also sit at the banks of the river and listen to the gushing sound of the water accompanied by the chirping of birds. Also read: 6 of the most beautiful homestays in Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh advertisement Temperature: Summer temperatures are between 25 degrees and 20 degrees. Lansdowne, Uttarakhand Picture courtesy: Flickr/Priyambada Nath/Creative Commons Although Delhi is surrounded by hill stations on all sides, Lansdowne is the nearest. Being a cantonment area, Lansdowne is quieter and cleaner as compared to other popular touristy hill towns in the northern part of the country. Pine trees, mossy surfaces and lush green environs make this place a picture-perfect place in which you can relax and let go of all the stress you have undergone over the week. Take a walk around the place to see the major attractions that include Garhwal Rifles regimental Darwan Singh museum, the Bhulla Tal and St. John and St. Mary churches. You can also go on an excursion to the Tarkeshwar Mahadev Temple -- the 40 km drive is through a picturesque mountain road. advertisement Temperature: Summer temperatures are usually pleasant with a maximum of 25 degrees and a minimum of 15 degrees. --- ENDS --- Shraddha Kapoor has been receiving a lot of praise and appreciation for her performance in Baaghi, but instead of celebrating the success the actor is already in work mode. She has resumed shooting for her next, OK Jaanu. By Indo-Asian News Service: Shraddha Kapoor has been receiving a lot of praise and appreciation for her recent release Baaghi, but instead of celebrating the success the actor is already in work mode. She has resumed shooting for her next, OK Jaanu. ALSO READ: OK Jaanu - Aditya Roy Kapur and Shraddha Kapoor wrap up the first schedule ALSO READ: OK Jaanu first look - Shraddha Kapoor and Aditya Roy Kapur recreate Aashiqui 2 magic advertisement Shraddha Kapoor and Tiger Shroff-starrer Baaghi which was released on April 29, has entered the Rs 50-crore club. Even on the day of the release of Baaghi, Shraddha was shooting for other projects. She shot for a few brand endorsements and then started shooting for OK Jaanu in Mumbai. The daughter of actor Shakti Kapoor shared that she might not have been able to get "first hand reactions", but the team of the film, which also features Tiger Shroff, has kept her in the loop. "I would have loved to go theatre-hopping to take first-hand reactions from the audiences as that is the best gift you can get. But unfortunately I haven't been able to do that owing to other commitments. Everyone from the team has been making up for it by sending me the recordings of the reactions. It's absolutely delightful," Shraddha said in a statement. OK Jaanu is a remake of the Tamil super hit OK Kanmani. The original, which was directed by Mani Ratnam, featured Dulquer Salmaan and Nithya Menen in the lead roles. The Hindi version of the film which stars Aditya Roy Kapur opposite Shraddha. OK Jaanu revolves around the lives of two young lovers, who are in a live-in relationship. After Baaghi, Shraddha also has Rock On 2 ready for release. --- ENDS --- While the BJP has accused the previous UPA government of "twisting norms" in the process of procuring VVIP choppers from AgustaWestland, the Congress today slammed the government. By India Today Web Desk: Shortly after BJP's Subramanian Swamy asked in his Rajya Sabha speech who the 'AP' referred to in the Italian court's judgment on AgustaWestland is, the opposition Congress's Ahmed Patel dared the government to prove the allegations. "I will quit the Rajya Sabha and the public life if any charges against me in the AgustaWestland chopper deal are proved," Patel, the chief political advisor to Congress president Sonia Gandhi who the BJP claims is the 'AP' named by the Italian court, said in the Upper House. advertisement While the BJP has accused the previous UPA government of "twisting norms" in the process of procuring VVIP choppers from AgustaWestland, Congress today slammed the government, saying it was trying to "vilify the head of a political party" on the basis of mere "insinuation and innuendo" and was attempting to cover up the "disillusionment over its misgovernance". Stating that the process for buying the VVIP choppers started during the tenure of the Atal Bihari Vajpayee-led government, the Congress said the norms were changed by the then BJP-led government. It also said that the mention of Sonia in the Italian court judgment does not prove any involvement in the deal. Putting up a spirited defence, Congress member Abhishek Manu Singhvi responded point-by-point to the allegations of wrongdoings levelled by the ruling dispensation against the previous UPA government. "The 'AP' could stand for many people including the present Chief Minister of Gujarat," he said without naming Anandiben Patel, who succeeded Narendra Modi in Gujarat. He added that even Guido Haschke, one of the alleged middlemen, had also said that he does not know what the initial 'AP' stands for. Singhvi, while defending the UPA dispensation, attributed "innuendos" against its leaders Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi or Ahmed Patel to the "visceral hatred" of BJP. "The interest appears to be to keep the pot boiling, not to reach a conclusion and keep finger pointing," he said alleging that the BJP was not interested in finding the real culprits. Taking potshots at the government, Singhvi questioned how a "mere mention" of anyone in a letter written by middlemen Guido Haschke to a man named Peter Hulet could make him culpable. Quoting the Italian judge, Singhvi said: "The judge who wrote this Italian judgment...the judge spoke extensively to a channel in India." "He says 'We've no evidence against Sonia Gandhi, only a mention of her in the facts. The translation of the facts were sent to Mr. Michell. Ms Gandhi has been indicated as someone who will fly in the VVIP helicopters. The same place is the mention of (former prime minister) Manmohan Singh'." advertisement AgustaWestland was alleged to have paid Rs 375 crore as bribe to secure the Rs 3,700-crore contract to supply 12 VVIP choppers to the Indian Air Force. The contract for purchase of helicopters for the use of VVIPs was signed in 2010. The previous UPA government later scrapped the deal over charges of kickbacks. Also read: Parliament debates AgustaWestland: BJP has inbuilt hatred for certain names, says Congress Most welcome, says Sonia Gandhi as BJP threatens big revelation in AgustaWestland --- ENDS --- He has been called in for questioning at CBI headquarters again tomorrow. By India Today Web Desk: On a day when Rajya Sabha members held a heated debate on the range and implications of the AugustaWestland chopper scam, lawyer Gautam Khaitan admitted to setting up a shell company to recieve money from the Italian helicopter manufacturer, during CBI questioning. He has been called in for questioning at CBI headquarters again tomorrow. CBI has, meanwhile, requested the Ministry of External Affairs to extradite the acquisition of agencies, pending judicial request to eight countries through diplomatic channel. advertisement CBI also questioned former IAF Chief SP Tyagi for the third consecutive day on Wednesday. This was the first time the agency examined Khaitan after Milan Court of Appeals held that bribes were paid to clinch the Rs 3600 crore VVIP helicopter deal. Khaitan is an advocate and a former Board member of Aeromatrix, the company allegedly used to route the bribe. CBI sources earlier told PTI that the focus of questioning was his alleged links with Italian middlemen, Carlo Gerosa and Guido Haschkhe. --- ENDS --- In the Karan Thapar show To The Point, panelists discuss AgustaWestland scam at length. By India Today Web Desk: The over 5-hour-long debate in Rajya Sabha over AgustaWestland chopper deal scandal witnessed both the BJP and Congress engage in a fiery combat. While the BJP accused the previous UPA government of "twisting norms" in the process of procuring VVIP choppers from AgustaWestland, Congress slammed the government, saying it was trying to "vilify the head of a political party" on the basis of mere "insinuation and innuendo" and was attempting to cover up the "disillusionment over its misgovernance". In his maiden Rajya Sabha speech, BJP's Subramanian Swamy read out a part from middleman Michel's letter which named Congress chief Sonia Gandhi triggering a massive protest by her party members. advertisement Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar presented a point-by-point rebuttal of Congress's claims over the issue. Parrikar said that Congress-led UPA government said that the recent verdict of an Italian court said "there is proof of mala fide intent." Stating that the process for buying the VVIP choppers started during the tenure of the Atal Bihari Vajpayee-led government, the Congress said the norms were changed by the then BJP-led government. So, have we got conclusive answers after the long Rajya Sabha debate or the controversy still rankles? Big Questions Who received kickbacks in AgustaWestland deal? Was multi-crore deal 'driven' by Sonia Gandhi? Parameters tweaked to favour AgustaWestland? Right for BJP to attack Sonia without any proof? Did members and officials of UPA accept bribes? Who overruled AK Antony's decision? Is there any evidence of involvement of Gandhis? Does Orso's note incriminate Manmohan Singh? Was Christian Michel tipped off to leave India? Who is 'AP' mentioned in probe? Speaking to Karan Thapar on his show To The Point, BJD Lok Sabha MP Pinaki Mishra said that while there is no doubt that Sonia Gandhi was the driving force behind the UPA 1 and 2, "but that doesn't she was involved in the scam." "But what hurts me more is that these foreign agencies see us... our agencies as morons," Misra added. Senior Supreme Court lawyer CA Sundaram pointed out that the whole issue is a clear case of high-level lobbying. "What happened in Rajya Sabha today took us no further. There is nothing new which came up during the debate. I do not find any indictment of Sonia Gandhi," Sundaram said. BJP's Chandan Mitra said that neither the defence ministry nor Rajya Sabha is an investigating agency. "Rajya Sabha is a place where facts are placed, dissected and debated. The investigation and to establish who to blame is upto the investigative agencies. What Manohar Parrikar did effectively today was to put point-by-point how the specifications were compromised to favour one particular company," Mitra said. Accusing the BJP of mudslinging over the issue, Congress's Randeep Singh Surjewala said that the ruling party's threat of making "big revelations" in the matter turned out to be "dud." advertisement "The truth is that it is the Congress which took decisive action against AgustaWestland. But what has the BJP government has done in the last two years?" Surjewala said. The Congress spokesman added that his party stands vindicated in the issue after today's debate in Rajya Sabha. After Subramanian Swamy asks who AP is, Congress's Ahmed Patel dares BJP to prove charges Agusta debate in RS: Nation wants to know who took bribes, says Parrikar --- ENDS --- In the BJP's Parliamentary party meeting, Modi drove home the achievements of his government, which will turn two later this month, and asked the MPs to connect directly with people making them aware about the welfare schemes. By Kumar Vikram: BJP lawmakers again got a dressing-down from PM Narendra Modi on Tuesday after many of them failed to answer basic questions about their responsibilities in reaching out to people with the achievements of the government. In the BJP's Parliamentary party meeting, Modi drove home the achievements of his government, which will turn two later this month, and asked the MPs to connect directly with people making them aware about the welfare schemes. advertisement The PM asked MPs if they visited their constituencies regularly and engaged with people. Modi listed schemes like 'Jan-Dhan Yojana', 'Mudra Bank', 'free LPG connections to poor families and other schemes and explained how beneficial these programmes were. Modi said that over three crore people have benefited by Mudra Bank and the equal number of people were given the gas connections. "Do you talk about these schemes to the people in your constituencies?" he asked the party lawmakers. Stressing on the need to publicise the achievements of the government, Modi asked the lawmakers to play an active role in making the people aware. Pointing to the massive electrification drive in villages and distribution of LED bulbs to the people, Modi asked whether the MPs have informed their constituencies about the proposed Urja Utsav' celebrations. The meeting decided to celebrate 'Urja Utsav' to highlight the achievements of the government in the power sector. Making an oblique reference to the UPA government, Modi said that they were only making much noise about its schemes. "We are implementing the schemes and the people are directly benefiting from them. We should take the advantages of such schemes to the people and they should be well informed about them," said a party source quoting the PM. Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs, Rajiv Pratap Rudy, said that the issue of VVIP chopper scam, over which the BJP has targeted Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, was also taken up in the meeting and the Rajya Sabha will debate it on Wednesday and the Lok Sabha on May 6. Speaking about the meeting, Rudy said, "The prime minister noted that the government and the Lok Sabha members will complete two years of their five-year term. Mudra Scheme, ongoing electrification of 18,000 villages, bringing over three crore families under the LPG network and distribution of cheap LED lights were cited as major successes. He asked the members to take them to people". Once again, importance of social media and how majority of party MPs have failed to make their presence felt on it, was also discussed in the meeting. The BJP has found that a majority of parliamentarians are still not active on social media platforms and they have been asked to take initiatives to fix it. Also read: How BJP and Congress are working to reach a deal on important bills, GST advertisement --- ENDS --- By PTI: cent New Delhi, May 3 (PTI) Union Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar said the Compensatory Afforestation Fund (CAF) Bill, 2015 passed by the Lok Sabha today will help achieve the target of increasing the countrys forest cover to 33 per cent. "I am sure that this fund will give a tremendous push in our afforestation movement. Our forest cover will dramatically increase and it will result in achieving our target 33 per cent of tree cover and most importantly 2.5 billion tonne of carbon sink as we have indicated in our INDCs," he told reporters outside Parliament. advertisement He said the Bill will pave the way for unlocking of nearly Rs 41,000 crore earmarked for forest land which has been lying unspent for about four years. It will ensure expeditious utilization of accumulated unspent amounts available with the ad hoc Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA) which is presently around Rs 41,000 crore. "This was the historic because for the last 12 years the funds meant for afforestation were deposited in only banks and were not used on the ground. Now this bill has facilitated that the money will be given to the states for using it on afforestation with better evaluation and monitoring by using technology," he said. "We have taken note of every suggestion and we will include them while making rules in consultation with the states," the minister added. PTI HC DBS RG DBS --- ENDS --- Abhishek Chaubey is one of the filmmakers who doesn't like beating around the bush. If the trailer of Udta Punjab nailed the topic of drug abuse in Punjab, the fist song from the film is no different. Titled Chitta Ve, the song speaks volumes about 'weed' and 'nasha'. By India Today Web Desk: Abhishek Chaubey is one of the filmmakers who doesn't like beating around the bush. If the trailer of Udta Punjab nailed the topic of drug abuse in Punjab, the fist song from the film is no different. Titled Chitta Ve, the song speaks volumes about 'weed' and 'nasha'. ALSO READ: Neetu Chandra slams Alia Bhatt and filmmaker Abhishek Chaubey advertisement ALSO READ: Watch Shahid Kapoor and Alia Bhatt in new avatars in Abhishek Chaubey's Udta Punjab Sample this: Zindagi chill hai, ya jiyo jiyo speed wich Azadi hai lipati, saara maza hai weed wich Chaude mein raho high, kaahe ki hai rok tok Chun chaan kare jo koi, usko do utthe hi thok Chitta ve o chitta ve, kaiyaan na hai khush kitta ve Oh mitha ve mitha ve, kundi nashe vaali khol ke dekh And rockstar Tommy Singh's devil-may-care attitude is simply un-missable in this trippy number. Crooned by Babu Haabi, Shahid Mallya and Bhanu Prtap, Chitta Ve is groovy. And if the song and beats aren't enough to make you trippy, then Shahid 's antics as a rockstar will definitely blow your mind. Shahid Kapoor, who has nailed the avatar of a whacky rockstar, took to Twitter to share the first song from Udta Punjab. Udta Punjab has been in news for a long time now and has grabbed eyeballs for its star cast. After a gap of nine years, the Jab We Met actors Shahid and Kareena will be seen together on the silver screen. Apart from the ex-lovers, the film also stars Alia Bhatt and Diljit Dosanjh in the lead roles. Shahid plays the the role of a rockstar, who finds himself in a controversy related to drugs. Udta Punjab tells the story of substance abuse in the Indian state of Punjab. It has been co-produced by Ekta Kapoor's Balaji Motion Pictures and Phantom. The film is set to hit the screens on June 17 this year. --- ENDS --- Sources claimed he admitted to the meeting after he was shown various documents including diary entries and the visitors' register. By Mail Today: Former IAF chief SP Tyagi, who was questioned by the CBI for the second consecutive day in connection with the AgustaWestland helicopter deal, accepted meeting Chief Operating Officer of Finmeccanica Georgio Zapa in Delhi on February 15, 2005, according to sources in the agency. Sources claimed he admitted to the meeting after he was shown various documents including diary entries and the visitors' register. When the purported meeting took place, Tyagi was serving as the chief of the Indian Air Force. advertisement However, the CBI did not make an official statement about the line of questioning. Tyagi, who has been named in the CBI case registered in March 2013, was summoned to the agency headquarters again on Tuesday during which he was shown some visitor diary entries and other documents during the nearly nine-hour grilling. Sources also claimed that Tyagi was evasive on Monday when asked about his meetings with representatives of Finmeccanica or AgustaWestland but after persistent questioning, he accepted that a meeting did take place. The sources did not clarify if it was an official meeting but their reference to visitors' diary suggested it was in the records. The deliberations to alter specifications of the VVIP chopper -flying ceiling of 6,000 metres and a cabinet height of 1.8 metres -started from March, 2005 in which senior officials of Indian Air Force, Prime Minister's Office and the Defence Ministry had participated, according to government records. These deliberations continued till September 2006 and suggestions to reduce the flying ceiling were acccepted which brought Finmeccanica's subsidiary AgustaWestland's helicopter in contention for the deal to sell 12 VVIP choppers to India. Tyagi, who had been acquitted by an Italian court in June last year, was not immediately available for comment regarding the questioning but he has been denying all allegations of quid pro quo made against him. The CBI is also claiming that it is still examining travel details of Tyagi and his meetings besides sources of funding for his travels. The sources claimed that while the agency had come to know about three Noida-based companies owned by the former air chief, he accepted ownership of one more company by him and his wife. All these companies were allegedly incorporated after 2011 - four years after Tyagi retired from service. On February 8, 2010, a contract was signed with AgustaWestland for the supply of 12 AW-101 VVIP helicopter. The sources said Tyagi has been called again on Wednesday when another accused Gautam Khaitan will also be questioned. The allegation against the former air chief is that he reduced flying ceiling of the helicopter from 6,000m to 4,500m which put AgustaWestland helicopters in the race for the deal without which its choppers were not even qualified for submission of bids. advertisement Also read: VVIP chopper deal: CBI grills ex-IAF chief SP Tyagi for second day, ED summons cousin Sanjeev --- ENDS --- According to the police, all of them are suspected to be members of a sleeper unit of a terror outfit and were planning an attack in the national capital and other cities. By India Today Web Desk: The Intelligence Bureau and the special cell of the Delhi Police have busted a Jaish-e-Mohammed terror module active in the national capital. The cops have detained 12 sympathisers of Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terrorist group from Delhi, NCR region. Three of the terror suspects have been sent to 10-day police custody. "We have detained 12 people from Delhi and Uttar Pradesh for subscribing JeM ideology. They were detained late Tuesday night. One IED has been recovered from them," Special Commissioner of Police (Special Cell) Arvind Deep told IANS. advertisement The official said all the suspected terrorists are under the age group of 30 years. "Some of them are permanent residents of Delhi and some are from the neighbouring state Uttar Pradesh," he added. According to the police, all of them are suspected to be members of a sleeper unit of a terror outfit and were planning an attack in the national capital and other cities. IED devices have been recovered from the suspects. Their identity and nationality have not been disclosed. Meanwhile, they are being questioned by the Special Cell sleuths and intelligence officials and investigation is underway. --- ENDS --- By PTI: School Sanjay Ganjoo Kasauli (HP), May 3 (PTI) Authorities in this district remained on the alert today, a day after panic gripped Lawrence School, Sanawar with a blaze in a nearby jungle advancing towards it forcing shifting of students to a safer open area in the residential institution. Residents in the area accused the Forest Department of having a "lackadaisical" attitude and not taking steps to prevent forest fires including carrying out controlled fire exercises ahead of the summer season. advertisement They said forest fires were causing "massive" damage to the environment in the region. "There has been no major incident of fire that has been reported today" in the Kasauli-Solan area, Deputy Commissioner, Solan, Rakesh Kanwar told PTI. However, smoke could be seen in certain forest areas along the Kalka-Shimla highway. The fire which caused panic yesterday here near 169-year-old Lawrence School here had been brought under control. There was no damage caused to the institution and students and staff had been taken to a safer open area in the boarding school premises, Kanwar said. Ashu Kapil, a teacher from Kasauli working in another school here, said the situation was much better as compared to what it was yesterday. State government officials maintained the blaze occurred as highly inflammable dry pine needles caught fire. Authorities in the hill state are keeping a close vigil on forest fires and have taken steps as there has been a concern among the people with such fires occurring in several parts including areas through which railway lines like the 113-year-old Shimla-Kalka toy train corridor, pass. The British-era toy train, which runs along a 96-km narrow gauge track, and other trains in the state chug through chir, oak and pine forests. Sanjay Kumar Gera, a station superintendent, said railway personnel are on alert but the main task of handling forest fires is that of the disaster management wing of the state government. "We are in touch with them," he said. The officials said the frequency of forest fires this year has not been alarming and with periodical rains, they have got naturally extinguished. Showers in Shimla and Solan districts have helped in putting out the fires in some forest areas, they said. A major tourist attraction, the Shimla-Kalka toy train was made operational in 1903 and the track has 102 tunnels. It was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2008. PTI SUN PCL CHS AKA DIP SC DIP --- ENDS --- Trump now can prepare for a match-up in the November 8 election where Hillary Clinton is expected to be his Democratic opponent. Republican U.S. presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks as (L-R) his son-in-law Jared Kushner, his daughter Ivanka, his son Eric, Eric's wife Lara Yunaska and Trump's wife Melania look on, during a campaign victory party after rival candidate Senator T By Reuters: Billionaire reality TV star Donald Trump completed his transformation from long-shot White House candidate to presumptive Republican presidential nominee after his commanding win in Indiana's primary forced his main rival Ted Cruz to drop out of the race The New York billionaire, who has never held public office, had repeatedly defied pundits' predictions that his campaign would implode. He prevailed despite making outrageous statements along the way that drew biting criticism but still fed his anti-establishment appeal. advertisement Trump now can prepare for a match-up in the Nov. 8 election. Hillary Clinton is expected to be his Democratic opponent, though her march to the nomination was slowed by rival Bernie Sanders' victory over her in Indiana. Trump's immediate challenge is to unite deep fissures within the Republican Party, easing tensions with party loyalists who are appalled at his bullying style, his treatment of women and his signature proposals to build a wall on the border with Mexico and deport 11 million illegal immigrants. The New York businessman himself called for unity in a speech at a victory rally that was free of his usual bombast and flamboyance. He also directed fire at Clinton. "We're going after Hillary Clinton," he said. "She will not be a great president, she will not be a good president, she will be a poor president. She doesn't understand trade." Support for Trump among national Republicans had soared in recent weeks to the highest level of the primary campaign, according to Reuters/Ipsos polling. A recent poll found Trump with the support of 53 percent of Republican participants, well above Cruz at 25 percent. Ohio Governor John Kasich, the third Republican in the race, had support of 16 percent. In a potential general election match-up, however, Clinton led Trump by about 10 percentage points among likely voters. The poll included 623 Democrats and 556 Republicans and had a credibility interval of 5 percentage points. Trump's victory put to rest a belief that Republicans would choose their nominee at a contested convention among party leaders in July. Nonetheless, Kasich vowed to stay in the race until California holds its primary on June 7. Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus called Trump the party's presumptive nominee in a tweet and said, "We all need to unite and focus" on defeating Clinton. CRUZ: "VOTERS CHOSE ANOTHER PATH" As the vote returns flowed in, Cruz announced that he had ended his campaign in Indianapolis, with his wife, Heidi, at his side. Cruz, 45, sounding beaten but defiant, said he no longer saw a viable path to the nomination. advertisement "We gave it everything we got. But the voters chose another path, and so with a heavy heart, but with boundless optimism for the long-term future of our nation, we are suspending our campaign," said Cruz, a U.S. senator from Texas. Cruz's exit came as a surprise, and many Republicans who had denounced Trump were grappling with what to do next. Reuters/Ipsos polling in April found Cruz supporters split on whom to support if their candidate quit. Thirty-eight percent of the 1,639 Cruz backers said they'd vote for the New York mogul in a match-up between Trump and Clinton, while 21 percent chose Clinton. About 40 percent of the Cruz supporters would not select either candidate. The poll had a credibility interval of 3 percentage points. Lanhee Chen, who had advised former Republican candidate Marco Rubio, on Tuesday night floated the possibility of a third-party candidate. "Tonight's outcome raises seriousness & urgency of discussions about third-party alternative; how real it is depends on who steps up to run," he tweeted. Other prominent Republicans said they would support Trump. "It's binary now. It's Trump or Clinton, my vote's for Trump," former Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal, who dropped his own White House bid in November 2015, said on Fox News. --- ENDS --- advertisement India Today's special investigation team went to Kolkata to uncover the truth about a construction syndicate run by TMC members. But who really controls the syndicate? A part of an under-construction flyover collapsed in Kolkata on March 31 killing 21 people. Several questions were raised about the incident. Political parties accused the ruling Trinamool Congress of corruption and turning a blind eye towards the use of substandard material. The flyover collapse also exposed the dirty secret of Kolkata's construction syndicate. Locals are aware of the 'syndicate', but no one wants to talk about it. It is also known that the notorious extortion racket is run by Trinamool members in areas where real estate is booming. But who really controls the syndicate? Bengal's Syndicate Raj advertisement India Today's special investigation team went to Kolkata to uncover the truth about the syndicate. Our reporters posed as businessmen wanting to construct office space in Kolkata's posh New Town. Our team met Jiyar, who handles the syndicate in New Town. As soon the 'businessmen' told him that they wanted to build an office, Jiyar asked them to meet the head of the syndicate. Here's how the conversation went: Reporter: We have been told that we can't work here without the syndicate's help... Jiyar: No. There's no issue if you purchase land here but you need syndicate's approval for any type of construction work. Reporter: What is this syndicate? Jiyar: We are from the syndicate... Shibu Islam...he is the main person. He is the vice-president of TMC's north unit...he is a nice man. Reporter: Okay, so he is the main person of the syndicate. Jiyar: Haan... Mukhiya...nobody will bother you if he is with you. Jiyar also made it clear that no work in the area can be carried out without the permission of the syndicate. On Jiyar's instruction, India Today investigation team then went to meet with the syndicate's head, Shibu Islam. When we met Islam at his office, there were close to 500 people present there. No construction can be carried out in New Town without Shibu Islam's approval. Shibu Islam Shibu Islam made it absolutely clear that from the MLA to the MP no one will bother since we were working with him. But all the construction material will come from him. And if we tried to work on our own, it would be a problem. Here's the conversation that we had with him: Shibu: Is the construction plan ready? You have to start construction... who is the contractor? Give the contract to one of our men... don't bother about the raw materials... we will take care of it all. Reporter: ...and what about MLA, MP. Wouldn't there be any issue? Shibu: That I will see. Reporter: We need to note down...what things you'll provide? Shibu: Everything... cement, steel, iron everything will be our headache, you need not worry about it. There will be a proper agreement. But first, you need to show me the construction plan. Reporter: Will there be any issue if our company purchases materials from other suppliers? Shibhu: Thoda problem to hoga... Reporter: Syndicate will not allow it? Shibu: You see these men ... there are thousands of them. advertisement Kolkata's 'Neta' syndicate The links within the syndicate go from TMC workers, party functionaries and MLAs. India Today's special investigation team next got in touch with TMC MLA for Bhatpara, Arjun Singh. We met him as representatives of an MNC, wanting to buy land to construct an office in New Town and Arjun Singh promised us that our work will be done. Arjun Singh Arjun Singh went on to explain how the entire system worked, saying at least it was not like the Mumbai underworld. Arjun: The system is different at different places. How they will help you is upto them. Will talk after the elections. Reporter: Okay. Arjun: After elections...yes. At least here it's not like Mumbai where you have to arrange money for Bhai irrespective of the fact whether your work is done or not. The India Today team then met with Madhyagram MLA and chairman of the municipal corporation Rathin Ghosh. We told Ghosh that we have land near the airport and are facing problems with the syndicate. Ghosh directed us to the councillor. No questions asked. advertisement Councillor Nimayi Ghosh told us we didn't need to worry about the middleman. Everything needed his signature and he would ensure that no one troubled us. Nimayi Ghosh Nimayi: You will first need to get the tax mutation thing done and then your construction plan will be sactioned by the municipality...they will need my sign. Reporter: Okay but sir... if you could tell us what we have to give to the party? I would start arranging for funds if I get to know that... Nimayi: You first need to finalise the deal with Bajaj while I find you who is this Kasim (broker)... Reporter: Okay...and there will be no issue right? I mean you will take care of the syndicate and all... Nimayi: Leave that to us... The rot in the Kolkata builder mafia ran all the way from the municipal councillor to the MLA. Even the commissioner of Kolkata Municipal Corporation knew that the syndicate worked like a well oiled machine. During the course of the investigation, our reporters also met Sushanto Gupto, the director of Uma Associates. Sushanto told us that he knew several TMC leaders associated with the syndicate. Sushanto took us to TMC'S state youth secretary Kanishka Majumdar. advertisement Kanishka Majumdar explained how he would make us meet the local MLA and in exchange for money, the MLA would then introduce us to the syndicate. The TMC youth leader then told us how to route money through Hawala. Kanishka: You won't be able to send the money in flight or by train ...Hundi is the only solution. Reporter: Hundi? We are not aware what that is... Kanishka: Your's is an international firm and it is not aware about what Hundi is? Reporter: Do you mean Hawala? Kanishka: Yes, Hawala. Civic authorities, politicians and hawala money. A nexus that is edifice of all construction in Kolkata. Will Mamata Banerjee take note of the flourishing construction mafia in her backyard? Or is it too much to ask from the Bengal CM considering its implications in the election season? --- ENDS --- A group of Chinese fishermen were dumbfounded when they reeled in an unidentifiable giant and strange looking fish. By India Today Web Desk: In the video, captured in Zhoushan, Zhejiang Province, China on Monday, fishermen caught a bizarre creature. They were flummoxed because the fish was not just larger than the usual but it also had an extremely strange appearance. Watch the video below: In a similar incident, another strange fish washed ashore on Carolina Beach Monday. According to the report in Fox8, the strange fish was said to be " an Atlantic sturgeon a primitive fish that's been in existence for more than 120 million year." The fish which weighs upto 500 pounds, lives in saltwater, but they their hatch eggs in freshwater advertisement --- ENDS --- Basically, if it's not on your head, it's gross. By India Today Web Desk: The female gender subjects itself to millions of judgements on a daily basis. Judgements that aren't necessarily hurled by others but also themselves. Don't believe us ? Well, just take a minute, breathe and go back to all those times when you were robbed of your confidence due to the presence of a certain amount of hair on your body. advertisement From that untamed pair of eyebrows to that underarm hair that was desperately hidden behind those full-sleeved blouses--we women are almost ashamed of the concept of body hair in any form. And why shouldn't we be? For decades, the world has made us believe that a woman who has hair on her body is not feminine 'enough'--a belief that has now become central to the very existence of the female gender. Also Read : Kalki Koechlin talks about the 10 women who changed her life The very ridiculousness of which has been highlighted through a powerful piece penned down by a certain writer who goes by the name, Infinite Entropy. Titled 'When A Man Tells Me I'm Beautiful', the piece embodies all that is wrong with the amount of attention given to the hair on a woman's body. "When a man tells me, I'm beautiful I don't believe him. Instead, I relive my days in high school / When no matter how good I was I was always the girl with a moustache," the poem reads. Also Read: This Indian has created an underwear for women on their period What flows into a narration of the struggles of not being a 'typical girl' translates into a relatable piece with the mention of everything from the extremely painful process of waxing to the armful phenomenon of bleaching. "He doesn't know of the hot wax and the laser whose only purpose is to replace your innocent skin with its own brand of womanhood," she writes. She closes the piece with the lines, "So when a man calls me beautiful I throw at him, a smile; a smile that remained / After everything the strip pulled away / And I dare him to wait till my hair grows back." The post that has been shared over 2,000 times on Facebook not only mentions the world's obsession with the presence of hair on a woman's body, but also the judgements that are unleashed on men due to the absence of the same. advertisement Read it here. --- ENDS --- This Potterhead took her love for the franchise to the next level by painting the entire first page of "Sorcerer's Stone" on her Wall. By India Today Web Desk: There are two kinds of people in this world. Ultra crazy Harry Porter fans and 'Muggles'. Meredith McCardle, an author based in Florida, is most definitely the first kind. On her Twitter bio, she writes "Harry Potter is a religion." She originally wanted to stencil a French poem on her wall. Speaking to Huffington Post, she said, "a friend pointed out that one, I don't speak French, and two, I'm not a poet, so she encouraged me to pick something a little more personal." http://meredithmccardle.com/ advertisement This crazy Potterhead took her obsession for the franchise to the next level by hand painting the entire first page of Harry Potter And The Sorcerer's Stone onto her wall. Her main aim was to turn her work space into a haven for inspiration. For a Harry Porter fan like Meredith, nothing can be more motivating than the first page of the very first Harry Porter book which transformed her life. Instead of buying a stencil, she used an overhead projector as a guide while painting the letters. http://meredithmccardle.com/ http://meredithmccardle.com/ On her blog she wrote, "I borrowed an overhead projector from the elementary school where my mom teaches.It took me twenty minutes alone to trace "Mr. and Mrs. Dursley. I spent the another forty hours painting the words in, bringing the grand total to sixty hours." http://meredithmccardle.com/ "And in the end, I have a wall I love looking at!" --- ENDS --- The tourist season is at its peak in Himachal Pradesh but they are not very delighted this time . The state's forests - which are known for their salubrious cool breeze - are billowing smoke these days. Fires are a commonplace in the state. The landscapes of almost all hill stations like Shimla, Solan, Chail or Kasauli are enveloped in smoke being produced by the fires. advertisement The flames after razing thousands of acre forest areas, have now creeped close to the UNESCO's world heritage railway track and National Highway 22.The fires have now touched homes. Over a dozen villages in the state have been threatened by the razing fires. Fearing their lives, residents of these villages are spending sleepless nights these days. With no help coming from local administration, common people are dousing the flames themselves. "We called fire brigade, forest officials and even panchayat officials but nobody came forward to help us. We do not have water to drink nor any firefighting equipment. We have not slept from last 3 nights as the danger of flames is haunting us," says Naresh Kumar, a resident of Mangoti village near Kasauli town. Fire had also threatened a boarding school near Kasauli. Around 750 people including 600 students were evacuated on Monday as the flames almost touched the hostel of the school. Like dozens of other villages of Himachal Pradesh, residents of these villages are fearing their lives as the forest fire has almost touched their homes. Despite repeated calls made to local administration nobody came forward to help them except some neighbours. "The fires had almost touched the petrol pump near my home. The smoke has entered our home .We have been compelled to close our windows as it has become difficult to breathe. The water supplies are erratic and we are not getting water from last six days. The administration is lame duck and the forest officials are not able to douse the flames," says Charan Yadav, a Dharampur resident. Also Read Forest fire reaches Kasauli boarding school, students evacuated Uttarakhand forest fires under control, says Rajnath Singh: Top developments --- ENDS --- Deepika Singh recently celebrated her 2nd wedding anniversary with hubby Rohit Raj Goyal in Phuket and Bangkok. Diya Aur Baati Hum star Deepika Singh took a break from her daily soap recently Picture courtesy: Instagram/Deepika Singh By India Today Web Desk: Diya Aur Baati Hum actress Deepika Singh has taken a much-deserved break from her hectic schedule of shooting for a daily soap. The actress is currently enjoying a holiday in Bangkok and Phuket with husband Rohit Raj Goyal on the occasion of the couple's 2nd wedding anniversary. Interestingly, Deepika's husband at one point was her show's director also, but once the couple got married, he quit the show for taking up other assignments. advertisement Deepika who portrays the role of Sandhya on the show met her husband on the sets of her show. The actress' holiday turned even more special when few of her Bangkok fans decided to gift her something special on her anniversary. Take a look: Overwhelmed and thankful to these lovely people I met today!!! They showered me and Rohit with special gifts and anniversary cake also customised T-shirts that we are wearing!! So thoughtful and kind!! #Fans #SoMuchLove #Humbled #Blessed #ThankYou #Bangkok A photo posted by Deepika Singh (@deepikasingh150) on May 3, 2016 at 3:00am PDT Here are other memorable moments from her Bangkok holiday. Blissful? #PoserForLife #Bangkok A photo posted by Deepika Singh (@deepikasingh150) on May 3, 2016 at 9:25pm PDT Room with a view?? #TouchDown #Bangkok?????? A photo posted by Deepika Singh (@deepikasingh150) on May 2, 2016 at 11:59pm PDT Young, Wild and Happy???? #GoodMorning #HaveANiceDay?? A photo posted by Deepika Singh (@deepikasingh150) on May 2, 2016 at 7:56pm PDT The actress also enjoyed a beach holiday with hubby dear in Phuket. Here are the snaps: Summer Girl???????? #Sunshine #Love #Madness #BeachLife #PhuketDiaries A photo posted by Deepika Singh (@deepikasingh150) on May 2, 2016 at 2:02am PDT 2 Years down and a lifetime to go!!!!! #HappyAnniversary #CrazyUs #Love #PoutFace?? #PhuketDiaries A photo posted by Deepika Singh (@deepikasingh150) on May 1, 2016 at 7:13pm PDT Much needed "Us" time?? #Anniversary #GetAway #Phuket?? A photo posted by Deepika Singh (@deepikasingh150) on Apr 30, 2016 at 10:54pm PDT Hope the actress had loads of fun holidaying. --- ENDS --- As per the concession agreement signed with the then government of united Andhra Pradesh in 2010, the project should have been completed by July 2017. By Indo-Asian News Service: The completion of Hyderabad Metro Rail will be delayed by nearly one-and-a-half years, with the developer now saying that the project is likely to be fully operational by December 2018. Construction major Larsen Toubro (L&T), which is building the 71.16-km elevated metro on three corridors, today said it was in talks with the Telangana government on the issue. advertisement As per the concession agreement signed with the then government of united Andhra Pradesh in 2010, the project should have been completed by July 2017. L&T officials attributed the delay to various reasons but said they were trying their best for early completion of the project. S.N. Subrahmanyam, Deputy Managing Director and President, L&T, and Chairman, L&T Metro Rail (Hyderabad) Ltd, said they were holding negotiations with the state government. He was addressing a press conference to announce the appointment of Shivanand Nimbargi as the new chief executive and managing director of L&T Metro Rail Hyderabad Ltd (LTMRHL). V.B. Gadgil, who has been associated with the project since inception, will superannuate from the services of the company by month-end. Gagdil ruled out completion of the first stage (Nagole-Mettuguda) of the project by June 2 as reported in a section of media but said it was technically ready for operations. The work on the second stage (Miyapur-SR Nagar) was also in an advanced stage. He was confident that in June a total of 19-20 km out of 71 km will be technically ready for operations. The first stage was earlier scheduled to be commissioned in January 2015 but it missed the deadline. While admitting that there has been cost escalation, he did not share the figures, saying they are "dynamic". He had earlier stated the project cost may have been escalated by Rs.2,500-3,000 crore. Gadgil said despite hurdles, a lot was achieved. "This is the fastest ever project undertaken in country. What we achieved in three-and-a-half years has no parallel." Though the concession agreement for Rs.14,132-crore project, said to be the largest metro project in the world in public-private partnership, was signed in September 2010, the work could commence in July 2012. LTMRHL in 2011 had achieved financial closure for Rs.16,375 crore -- Rs.14,132 crore for the metro rail system and Rs.2,243 crore for the first phase of real estate development. Both the components of the project are being financed through an equity of 30 percent and 70 percent by debt. The company raised the debt of nearly Rs.11,500 crore from a consortium of 10 banks. advertisement LTMRHL Chief Financial Officer J. Ravikumar said 62 percent of the work had been completed. The company so far spent Rs.8,900 crore, including Rs.2,700 crore equity. The company has so far drawn Rs.600 crore out of Rs.1,458 crore available under Viability Gap Funding (VGF) from the central government. --- ENDS --- By Chef Shailendra Singh: Every Indian has an attachment to and an undeniable love for biryanis, whether it's from Lucknow, Hyderabad, Arcot or Kolkata. As a young man from Lucknow, my experiences with biryani are memorable. The first time I cooked the Lucknowi version was at the age of 16 years. I copied down a recipe from a popular TV cooking show and went looking for ingredients. I still remember that I didn't have rose water so instead I used some fresh rose petals. At 19, I tasted the best Lucknowi biryani in Aminabad, Lucknow, and have pursued perfection while cooking biryanis since. advertisement I believe that Karims serves the best biryani in India. Started in 1913 by Haji Karimuddin, this restaurant serves the royal Mughlai Biryani of India and has been ranked by the Time magazine as one of the best non-vegetarian restaurants in Asia. A meal here costs approximately Rs 700, and it's a must-have. Also read: A chef guides us through Mumbai's street food and the top 10 places to find them The versatile nature and legacy of biryani leaves the recipes open to interpretations and adaptations. I think we could experiment with European herbs like fresh thyme, basil and oregano to transform the aromas associated with this one-pot dish. But the old favourites from Lucknow, Hyderabad and Kolkata are evergreen. Here are my special recipes for the Lucknowi and Hyderbadi versions. Lucknowi chicken biryani recipe Reminiscent of the kitchens of this old Awadhi Nawabs, Lucknowi chicken biryani is always delectable. Photo courtesy: Pride Plaza Hotel Reminiscent of the kitchens of this old Awadhi Nawabs, Lucknowi chicken biryani is always delectable. Photo courtesy: Pride Plaza Hotel Ingredients - 11/2 cups aged basmati rice (soaked for 20 to 30 minutes, drain and set aside) - 1/2 kg chicken - 1/4 to 1/2 tsp. biryani masala powder, to sprinkle in between the layers - Fried onions from 1 large onion - Fistful of finely chopped coriander leaves - Fistful of finely chopped mint leaves - 2 to 3 tbsp sunflower oil or ghee - 1/4 tsp saffron strands soaked in 3 tbsp hot milk - 2 gm star anise Marination - 1 tbsp salt - 1 tbsp red chilli powder - 1/2 tbsp turmeric - 1 tbsp coriander powder - 1 tbsp cumin powder - 2 finely chopped green chilies - 4 tbsp fried brown onions (sliced and deep fried till golden brown) - 2 tsp freshly ground garlic (or paste) - 2 tsp freshly ground ginger (or paste) - 2 cups of yogurt or curd - 2 to 3 mace, crushed by hand Whole spices for chicken - 2 bay leaves - 7 tbsp of oil or ghee - 1 stick cinnamon - 2 cardamoms - 4 cloves - 2-3 black cardamoms - 1 tbsp coriander leaves - 1 tbsp mint leaves Garnishing - 3 tbsp milk mixed with saffron - 2 tbsp coriander leaves - 2 tbsp mint leaves - 5 tbsp of fried onion - 1 boiled egg advertisement Instructions - To marinate the chicken, take all the Marination ingredients in a bowl, add chicken and mix well. Marinate the chicken for minimum 2 hours - Boil sufficient water in a pot for the rice. Add Shahi Jeera, salt and star anise to the water followed by the rice. - Make sure you don't overcook the rice; we need to cook it only till its 50% done. Once half done strain and set aside uncovered for the heat to escape - To cook the chicken, heat oil or ghee in a kadhai or wok. Add all the whole spices mentioned above. Now add in the marinated chicken, mix well partially cover and let it cook for about 15-20 minutes on medium heat. - After 15 minutes, you will see the oil starts to separate and float on top. Turn off the heat, add coriander and mint leaves and set aside covered for 10 minutes. - Take a deep vessel (preferably with a tight lid) in which you can dum (slow steam heat) the biryani. Apply some ghee at the bottom of the vessel. Add in the chicken first, spread evenly. Now add the half cooked rice and spread evenly. - Garnish the layered biryani with ingredients mentioned in Garnishing. - Cover with a clean towel and place a heavy lid on top. If you don't have a heavy lid place some heavy object on top of the lid. - On very low heat let the biryani cook in its own steam for about 20 mins. When done, uncover and serve hot in layers. advertisement Also read: Here's why khichdi is the one-pot meal for all occasions Hyderabad chicken biryani Also called kutchi briyani, Hyderabadi biryani is slow cooked in a sealed pot. Photo courtesy: Pride Plaza Hotel Ingredients - 11/2 cups aged basmati rice (soaked for 20 to 30 minutes, drained and set aside) - 1/2 kg chicken - 1/4 to 1/2 tsp biryani masala powder, to sprinkle in between the layers - Fried onions from 1 large onion - Fistful of finely chopped coriander leaves - Fistful of finely chopped mint leaves - 2 to 3 tbsp sunflower oil or ghee - 1/4 tsp saffron strands soaked in 3 tbsps hot milk advertisement Marination - 1 tbsp ginger garlic paste - 1/4 tsp turmeric - 3 green chilies slit - 1/4 cup and 1 tbsp. yogurt / curd - 2 tbsp lemon juice - 1 1/2 tsp Kashmiri red chili powder - 1/2 tsp biryani masala powder - 1/4 tsp green cardamom powder - Salt to taste Dry Spices for rice - 21/2 cups water - 1 tsp oil - 2 small strands of mace - 1 large or 2 small black cardamom - 4 green cardamom - 3 inch cinnamon stick - 6 cloves - 1 large or 2 small bay leaf - 1/2 tsp pepper corn - 1/2 tsp shahi jeera/caraway seeds Instructions - Marinate the chicken with the ingredients mentioned under Marination and set aside overnight or for at least 2 hours. - Wash rice till the water runs clear. Soak for 20 to 30 minutes. Heat 2 1/2 cups water in a pot to cook rice. Add 1 tsp oil, dry spices and salt, let the water boil rapidly for 5 mins, the aroma of the spices are released. Add the soaked rice and cook till it is 3/4 done. Remember this is very important. Do not make the rice mushy. Drain off if any excess water. - While the rice cooks, transfer the marinated chicken to a heavy bottom casserole, handi or non-stick. Add fried onions, green chilies, 1/2 of the mint, coriander leaves and pour in the oil or melted ghee. Mix well and level the surface. - Layer the cooked rice evenly; add fried onions, mint and coriander leaves over the chicken. - Sprinkle 1/4 tsp to 1/2 tsp. biryani masala powder. - Repeat steps of layering rice, coriander mint leaves and then fried onions. - Pour the saffron milk all over. - Cover the rim of the casserole with foil to trap the dum or use a cloth. Rinse a thick kitchen cloth and squeeze off the excess water, it must be just moist and not with dripping water. Make a double layer. Spread this cloth over the rim and cover the lid over the casserole. - Place this over a thick hot tawa, set the flame to medium high such that the flame reaches all over the diameter of the casserole. Cook this way for exactly 20 mins. - Now reduce the flame to min (as low as in Indian stoves or burners, where the flame barely touches tawa). Cook this way for exactly 10 to 15 mins. Turn the flame off and leave it as it is for at least 20 to 30 mins. Garnish chicken biryani and serve. Chef Shailendra Singh is the Executive Chef at the Pride Plaza Hotel, Aerocity, New Delhi --- ENDS --- India had planned to replace the Sea Harriers with the homemade Light Combat Aircraft (Naval) version but the program is more than 15 years behind schedule. The Indian Navy will de-induct its Sea Harrier fighter and induct a new squadron of MiG 29K planes at a formal ceremony at its naval station in Goa on May 11. Britain-manufactured Sea Harriers, which have been the mainstay of the Indian Navy's aerial arm since their induction in 1983 and were stationed aboard the INS Vikrant, will now be replaced by the Russian MiG 29Ks, which are all-weather carrier-based multirole fighter aircraft. advertisement The Sea Harrier pilots are now being trained to fly the Russian MiG 29K fighter aircraft. India had planned to replace the Sea Harriers with the homemade Light Combat Aircraft (Naval) version but the program is more than 15 years behind schedule. State-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. conducted a limited upgrade to the Sea Harriers in 2009 but acquisition of spares has become a problem because BAE Systems has stopped manufacturing the aircraft. The limited upgrade included mounting of Israeli Elta-made multimode fire control radars and Derby beyond-visual-range air-to-air missiles. --- ENDS --- Ramandeep Singh 15, pulled the trigger while taking the picture with his smartphone at his home in Pathankot city in Punjab. By AP: A teenager has died after accidentally shooting himself while posing for a selfie with a loaded gun held to his head, police said on Tuesday. Ramandeep Singh 15, pulled the trigger while taking the picture with his smartphone at his home in Pathankot city in Punjab, said Inspector Bharat Bhushan. He died in a hospital in the nearby city of Ludhiana late Sunday due to his head injuries. The gun belonged to his father, who worked as a building contractor. advertisement An autopsy has been conducted, and police are continuing to investigate the death. In recent times, many people have died while taking photos of themselves, 19 of the world's 49 recorded selfie-linked deaths since 2014. The tally from US-based data services provider Pricenomics counted deaths through January. Mumbai has declared 16 no-selfie zones across the city, and authorities have warned people against taking unnecessary risks while taking pictures in dangerous areas along the coast. Anyone venturing into off-limits areas, even if they take no photos, risks being fined 1,200 rupees, or about $18. Also Read Young India's latest addiction - selfitis. Do you suffer from it? --- ENDS --- The man said that authorities asked him to take out a restraining order against the Lord so he obliged. A Jewish Man prays near the Western Wall on the Occasion of Purim in Jerusalem. Photo: Reuters By India Today Web Desk: An unidentified Israeli man has submitted a restraining order request against God after claiming that God had been bothering him for three years and he wanted this interference to stop. He made the request at an Israeli court on Tuesday after saying that that repeated requests to the police had been ignored, with authorities only sending patrol cars to his home on 10 occasions and not taking his calls seriously. advertisement The man said that authorities asked him to take out a restraining order against the Lord so he duly obliged at the Magistrate Court in the northern Israeli port city of Haifa. "For the past three years He started to treat me harshly and not nicely. I complained to the police many times. The Israel police asked me to take out a restraining order," the man said in court, according to Israeli news site NRG. The ruling judge, Ahsan Canaan, threw the request out, saying that the attempt was absurd and that he should seek help elsewhere and not from the local authorities, The Times of Israel reported. Also read: Judging God: 6 times the Almighty found himself in a legal soup --- ENDS --- By PTI: New Delhi, May 3 (PTI) The Jammu and Kashmir government has been requested for identifying suitable land in the Kashmir Valley where Kashmiri migrants could be rehabilitated, Lok Sabha was informed today. Further action would be taken once the land is identified, Minister of State for Home Haribhai Parathibhai Chaudhary said in a written reply. There are about 62,000 registered Kashmiri migrant families in the country, who migrated from the Valley due to the onset of militancy in Jammu and Kashmir in the early 1990s. advertisement About 40,000 registered Kashmiri migrant families are living in Jammu, about 20,000 in Delhi-NCR and about 2,000 families are settled in other parts of the country. Chaudhary said the government, on November 18 last year, approved a rehabilitation package involving an estimated expenditure of Rs 2,000 crore for providing additional 3,000 state government jobs to the Kashmiri migrants and construction of 6,000 transit accommodation in the Kashmir valley for the Kashmiri migrants to whom state government jobs have been provided or will be provided. The state government has been requested to take necessary action for the implementation of the package at the earliest, he said. PTI ACB ZMN --- ENDS --- The strike by the two groups of students in protest against the punishment, in connection with the event during which anti-national slogans were allegedly raised, entered the seventh day today. By India Today Web Desk: JNU vice-chancellor Jagadesh Kumar today termed as "unlawful" activity the ongoing indefinite hunger strike by students against their punishment in connection with the controversial February 9 event, and asked them to use "constitutional" means to put forth their demands. The strike by the two groups of students in protest against the punishment, in connection with the event during which anti-national slogans were allegedly raised, entered the seventh day today. While JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar complained of low blood pressure on Tuesday, the ABVP's Saurabh Sharma, who was the complainant in the Afzal Guru event row, was rushed to the AIIMS after his glucose level dipped. advertisement "Hunger strike is an unlawful activity and a harmful method of protest that adversely affects the health and career of the students. The administration urges the students to use constitutional methods to put forth their demands, if any," the V-C said in an appeal to the students. "The administration believes in dialogue and discussion to resolve any issue affecting functioning of the varsity and urges students to immediately call off the strike and come for discussion," Kumar said. While members of the ABVP said that they will be meeting the V-C today to put forth their demands, the members of the other protesting group maintained that they have no such plan and termed the administration's appeal a "threat statement". Kanhaiya, Umar Khalid and Anirban Bhattacharya were arrested in a sedition case in connection with the controversial event. They are out on bail now. While Kanhaiya has been slapped with a penalty of Rs 10,000 on grounds of "indiscipline and misconduct", Umar, Anirban and Kashmiri student Mujeeb Gatoo have been rusticated for varying durations. Financial penalty has been imposed on 14 students. Hostel facilities of two students have been withdrawn and the university has declared the campus out of bounds for two former students. Saurabh, who is the lone ABVP member in JNU Students Union, has also been slapped with a fine of Rs 10,000 for blocking traffic. --- ENDS --- Aditya Pancholi's wife Zarina Wahab, reports had suggested, had left home because of his comments on the Kangana Ranaut-Adhyayan Suman affair. Wahab has refuted all rumours. By India Today Web Desk: Kangana Ranaut has been in the news over the last few months, thanks to her legal spat with Hrithik Roshan. Even as the Kangana-Hrithik mess dominated headlines, Ranaut's ex-boyfriend Adhyayan Suman lashed out against her in an interview to DNA last week. ALSO READ: Aditya Pancholi's wife Zarina Wahab leaves home because of his comments on Kangana-Adhyayan? advertisement ALSO READ: Why Adhyayan Suman and his parents don't deserve any time or attention ALSO READ: Bollywood has much to learn from Queen Kangana Ranaut Adhyayan's interview said how Aditya Pancholi, who was in a relationship with Kangana Ranaut for over five years, had warned him about the Queen actor. "Haal-E-Dil was releasing and Kangana had come for the premiere. I remember Aditya Pancholi was standing at the exit and Kangana was just walking out. He stopped me, looked into my eyes and said, 'Welcome to the circus my friend and all the best!' I didn't understand at that time. Kangana clarified, saying that Aditya did that to intimidate people with her," Adhyayan had been quoted as saying. That very evening, Aditya Pancholi attended a screening of Tiger Shroff and Shraddha Kapoor's film Baaghi along with son Sooraj and daughter Sana. Pancholi was asked about his comments on Adhyayan's interview. To that, Pancholi had apparently responded, "Kaun hai woh? Kiski baat kar rahe ho? Usko leke aa re tu!" Later on, however, Pancholi went on to clarify that his comment was for the photographer and journalist asking him the question. Following this, the grapevine went into a tizzy pointing out that Pancholi's wife Zarina Wahab had left their Mumbai home and flown off to Hyderabad along with her daughter Sana. Reports also said that the veteran actor had apparently decided to walk out of her 29-year marriage to Aditya Pancholi. However, Wahab has refuted all such rumours. Speaking to Mumbai Mirror, the actor said, "I do not know where all this is coming from, nobody has even asked me where I have been for the last two weeks." Wahab said that she was in Hyderabad to visit relatives. "I love spending time there, that's where my roots are. I have a lot of friends in the city whom I visit every two months. My husband and all those close to me are aware of my whereabouts. But when I returned last Sunday, I discovered that many believed that I had moved out of my home," she said. Zarina added, "Why will I end a 29-year-old marriage for such a small thing? I'd be the last person to think this way. I'm an extremely positive and grounded human being and I love my husband very much. I will never leave him." advertisement Zarina Wahab has been married to Aditya Pancholi for over 29 years now. The two have two children together, son Sooraj Pancholi, who made his Bollywood debut with the film Hero last year, and daughter Sana. --- ENDS --- While Kangana said that she doesn't have many friends in the industry, she does have well-wishers. In all the chaos in her personal life - she doesn't really need anyone to stand up for her. "I can do it myself," said the actor. By Rahul Kanwal: Kangana Ranaut might be in the Capital to receive her third National Award, but it is her personal life that has everyone talking. However, the actor makes it clear that no one can shame her for what she is not. Kangana is the only other actor after Shabana Azmi to win two National Awards back to back. But her Bollywood journey has not exactly been easy. Her father had refused to let her enter films, but as Kangana put it: "For my life, I need to make my own choices." "I love that my father resisted my choices," she said in an exclusive interview with India Today Television. "It gave me a lot more stamina. Even when I was rebelling against my father, the point was to follow my own intuition and instinct," she added. Speaking about her impressive Bollywood journey so far and no movies opposite the big Khans of the silver screen, Kangana said, "Initially I wanted a traditional route where I wanted to work with big heroes. advertisement In Bollywood if you work with a superstar, even if you are a newcomer, you become a superstar. That didn't happen with me." "Now I get a lot of offers to work with the Khans. I'm my own hero on the sets, why should I work with other heroes? The Khans did not want to work with me when I started, why should I work with them now?" she asked. While Kangana said that she doesn't have many friends in the industry, she does have well-wishers. In all the chaos in her personal life - she doesn't really need anyone to stand up for her. "I can do it myself," said the actor. If her legal war with alleged 'silly-ex' Hrithik Roshan wasn't enough, ex-boyfriend Adhyayan Suman's revelations about their abusive relationship has shocked Bollywood fraternity and fans. With each passing day, there seems to be a new twist to the entire drama. Speaking up While Hrithik and Adhyayan have made strong statements against the Queen actor, Kangana has finally broken her silence on the entire episode. The 29-year-old actor has revealed that she is shocked how her personal life has become a circus. "The recent turn of events in my life has shocked me. It has been overwhelming and unsettling for me also. I was probably prepared for everything. But I wasn't prepared for this. This has brought about a different side of our society. It is very hard to come to terms with this kind of suppression, this sort of name-calling, this kind of witch-hunt mentality in the 21st century," she told India Today. Kangana, who was in a relationship with Adhyayan in 2009, says that people do speak ill of others out of envy. But it is hard for her to believe that the most private parts of her life are being discussed in such a negative manner. According to Adhyayan, he and Kangana got close during the shooting of a song from Raaz 2 in 2008 and eventually started seeing each other. The next one year was allegedly filled with mental and physical torture inflicted on him by Kangana. He even accused her of ruining his Bollywood career. advertisement "Many people are insecure of many people. There is envy but you don't subject this kind of brutality on anybody. It shows a different side of the society. The way we are discussing the most delicate matters, in a very brutal, negative and sadistic fashion, is disturbing. Attempts are being made to destroy me. Whether they are working or not is another matter," she added. In fact, Adhyayan in his interview called Kangana a psychopath and even said that the actor indulged in black magic. But Kangana says that name-calling doesn't affect her much. "I do not want to detach myself from these names. Because for way too long, we women are refusing to accept ourselves. Imagine in the medieval ages, there was no evidence of how the history of mankind has been affected by witchcraft. But there is significant factual history of how brutality and sadism of mankind have been displayed in the most obscene manner in the name of witch-hunt. Even in this new age, when we have to project our frustrations on a woman, the first thing we call her is daayan, chudail or whore or psychopath. The mentality is the same. If I can't get you, I might just destroy you," the actor said. She added, "I am a very proud Hindu. The foundation of my personality is laid on the teachings of Swami Vivekananda or Sanatan Dharm or the Gita. And if my religious practices or anybody's religious practices are given any kind of sadistic name, it instills fear about other person's religious practices. advertisement People of our country are discussing about my periods and calling it gross. There is nothing gross about it. If your agenda is to shame me, it's not happening." Kangana went on to say that there was nothing wrong or nothing to be ashamed of in witchcraft. She believes that each person's belief and religion belongs to them. No apologies "Witchcraft is an ancient art, everyone should know about it. What is wrong with witchcraft? Don't we like Harry Potter? I would want my daughter to know about witchcraft," she said, adding that terms like witch, whore etc are being used as weapons to destroy women and we need to find our strength against that. Kangana, who was last seen in Tanu Weds Manu Returns, says that no matter how ugly the legal battle gets, she is not ready to bow down to pressure. "At this point, I can't pretend to be sorry about something that I am not," she signed off. Also read: 10 things Kangana Ranaut said that made us re-fall in love with her advertisement Kangana-Adhyayan mess: Why the Sumans don't deserve any time or attention --- ENDS --- By Ananya Bhattacharya: In Madhur Bhandarkar's Page 3, the one point common about everyone from the showbiz industry was their ability to shrug off their personal lives in public. So when an aspiring female actor ends up in an affair with a married male star, she has to get an abortion done and leave the glittery world of Mumbai. Years later, she gets back to the City of Dreams and is seen air-kissing the man who had broken her to pieces all those days ago. advertisement EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: Kangana Ranaut on male mentality - If I can't get you, I might as well destroy you OPINION: Why Adhyayan Suman and his parents don't deserve any time or attention ALSO READ: 10 things Kangana said that made us re-fall in love with her 'Kitne ajeeb rishtey hai yahan pe,' was the message at the core of the film. And true to that famous Lata Mangeshkar song, Bollywood has always been all about 'kuch bhi ho jaaye, yahan bas khush rehna hai'. Pretences are what the entire glamour world is made of. So when a young actor has the audacity to speak up about her experiences in her relationships with men of the industry, she is seen as exactly that: audacious. Kangana Ranaut has had to deal with barbs, rejections, not being given any work thanks to her locking horns with some of the biggest names of the Hindi film industry. In an industry where sweeping things under the carpet is the norm, coming to terms with this way-too-outspoken-for-her-own-good woman was but a formidable task for most people. Both from within the industry and without. Over the last few months, an interview Kangana gave to a website became the rallying point of much controversy. When asked whether Hrithik Roshan had gotten her ousted from Aashiqui 3, Kangana had said she didn't understand why 'exes did silly things to get your attention'. What followed is a veritable storm of sorts. Never has the country seen two superstars tearing each other apart with legal suits and accusations in public. Both Hrithik and Kangana's lawyers have seen to it that the country received a first-of-its-kind spectacle in l'affaire Kangana-Hrithik. All the while, Kangana hasn't been in hiding or reluctant in facing the media. She has had to be present at product launches and other events even as the storm raged on. The media didn't spare her the uncomfortable questions. But what made people sit up and take notice is the way Ranaut dealt with the entire messy affair. In the meantime, Kangana's ex-boyfriend Adhyayan Suman crawled out of his hibernation-hole and bared his heart out in an interview to a newspaper. In his long interview to DNA, Suman told it all. What being in a relationship with Kangana Ranaut did to him. By now, that interview has been read, re-read, discussed, debated, post-mortemed and nearly done away with. advertisement Yesterday, before collecting her third National Award from the President in Delhi, Kangana spoke to us about what she has been dealing with the last few months. Throughout the interview, Ranaut was the epitome of calmness. The composure with which she jousted the questions and uncomfortable topics thrown at her is praiseworthy. There were no names taken, no venom spewed on national television. Her demeanour made many do a double take and wonder: exactly how can someone be so still while being on the receiving end of such brutal attacks? This actor has been called numerous things over the last few days, but a 'witch' who was 'doing black magic' on Adhyayan Suman took the cake. Her response to the topic was one brilliant one, "I do not want to detach myself from these names. Because for way too long, we women are refusing to accept ourselves. Imagine in the medieval ages, there was no evidence of how the history of mankind has been affected by witchcraft. But there is significant factual history of how brutality and sadism of mankind have been displayed in the most obscene manner in the name of witch-hunt." advertisement Ranaut went on, "Even in this new age, when we have to project our frustrations on a woman, the first thing we call her is daayan (witch), chudail or whore or psychopath. The mentality is the same. If I can't get you, I might just destroy you." There were allegations that she had mixed 'impure blood' in Adhyayan's food. Kangana laughed it off, "What about my menstrual blood? People in the country are discussing my periods. It's not an appetiser or cocktail. Even to suggest that it is used for making food is not acceptable. What's so gross about our period blood? Why do we need to tell our women that period blood is gross? If a man's body fluid doesn't cast a spell when it is consumed in any way, why should a woman's body fluid do?" Most 'tell-it-all', 'bare-it-all' interviews from our stars happen to coincide curiously with a film release or product launch or anything that the actor is associated with. We've all seen stars and their PRs going the extra light year to ensure their client got some space in the media when required. So to see a Kangana Ranaut not thinking twice about speaking about her experiences in public is a bit unsettling. None of us is quite used to frankness of this level. advertisement Her contemporaries have a lot to learn from Kangana. Beginning with how not to forget what she has probably gone through. And how not to let the people in her life forget that either. All of us go through terrible relationships. To be able to be brave in the face of certain slander and name-calling is what makes Kangana Ranaut what she is. 'Does my sassiness upset you?' You bet. --- ENDS --- On the occasion of their first wedding anniversary, the much-in-love couple wished each other on Twitter and shared pics from their wedding day. By India Today Web Desk: Telly couple Karan Patel and Ankita Bhargava tied the knot on May 3 last year. The wedding attracted a lot of controversies with fans blaming Ankita for Karan's breakup with Kamya. It later emerged that Karan had broken up with Kamya in December 2014, and started seeing Ankita only post the split. While all this is a thing of the past, Kamya recently shocked everyone with her "I still love Karan" statement. (Read the story here) advertisement Not affected by her statement, Karan and Ankita wished each other on Twitter on this special occasion and shared pics from their wedding day. @AnkzBhargava ... Happy anniversary baby ... This is the 1st of the countless more blissful ones to come ..! Love u pic.twitter.com/ln5vsRFZMg Karan Patel (@TheKaranPatel) May 2, 2016 Dats whn u tried puttin on d MangalSutra on urslf 1st to chk wht is d right side up?? Mujhe yunhi hasate rehna babu! pic.twitter.com/SoJSyG7AVR Ankita Bhargava (@AnkzBhargava) May 3, 2016 Kamya had told The Times of India in an interview, "For me, love doesn't change with seasons or according to family's convenience. I have and will always love Karan Patel. I have never spoken about the reason why we separated and I won't speak about it in future as well. I still love him but I don't want him back in my life. I can never forget the pain that I have gone through because of him. I can never forgive him for that." --- ENDS --- Karan Singh Grover, who recently tied the knot with Bipasha Basu, is smitten by his wife and said that he must be a saint to deserve a bride like Bipasha. By India Today Web Desk: It's been a few days since Bipasha Basu and Karan Singh Grover tied the knot, but the newlyweds can't get over the shaadi hangover. Within few hours of taking their vows, the lovebirds started bombarding social media with their wedding pictures. And they refuse to miss even a single chance of indulging in some public display of affection, every now and then. advertisement ALSO READ: Karan Singh Grover has a message for wife Bipasha Basu ALSO READ: Karan Singh Grover sings for ladylove Bipasha Basu at their wedding reception And the latest is a picture and a message from Karan on Instagram. The 34-year-old actor shared a photo with his wife Bipasha and wrote, "I must've been a saint in my previous birth to deserve such a beautiful, loving, caring bride." I must've have been a saint in my previous birth to deserve such a beautiful, loving, caring bride. Every moment spent with you is bliss I love you forever and a day.. A photo posted by karan singh grover (@iamksgofficial) on May 3, 2016 at 11:28am PDT He further promised to love Bipasha forever. Bipasha and Karan started dating on the sets of their 2015 film Alone and since then there has been no looking back for the couple. The two remained tight-lipped about their relationship status for over a year, and it was only in April this year that Bipasha and Karan made things official and also announced their marriage date. The two tied the knot in the presence of family and close friends in Mumbai. The Bengali-style wedding was followed by a star-studded reception. From Amitabh Bachchan to Salman Khan, many came to bless the newlyweds on their special day. --- ENDS --- The Uddhav Thackeray-led party, a key ally of BJP today said that the party's change in stand regarding Hurriyat and Kashmir can be compared to a chameleon. By Sahil Joshi: Hitting out at the Modi government, the Shiv Sena today said that the BJP's change in stand regarding Hurriyat and Kashmir can be compared to a chameleon. In its editorial mouthpiece Saamna, the Uddhav Thackeray-led party, a key ally of BJP said, "The way they have changed their position on Hurriyat and Kashmir, if the same would have been done by the Congress then BJP would have called them agents of Pakistan and would have not allowed Parliament to function." advertisement It further said that now BJP government is involved in appeasement of Hurriyat leaders whom they had earlier termed as pro-Pakistanis. "PM Narendra Modi himself had said that he will discuss anything and everything with Pakistan except Kashmir, but now the same government has taken U-turn and have allowed Hurriyat leaders to hold talks with Pakistan government", the editorial said. The party in its editorial mentioned that the changed position hasn't surprised them as BJP has already changed their old position by aligning with PDP in Kashmir, the same PDP who was supporting Afzal Guru. Taking a dig at BJP, the editorial said if Congress would have formed an alliance with PDP then the BJP would have criticised them. Through the editorial, Shiv Sena demanded that the BJP should clarify what secret understanding is going on between them and the Hurriyat leaders. --- ENDS --- A video accessed by India Today, shows Dujana delivering a speech asking locals to take up the gun against Indian forces. Abu Dujana was one of the key planners of Udhampur attacks. By India Today Web Desk: A dreaded Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorist responsible for a number of attacks across Jammu and Kashmir has been spotted in Pulwama. Abu Dujana, who is the self styled India chief of LeT, was in Pulwama recently to attend the funeral of a slain terrorist. Dujana was accompanied by a team of 5-6 armed men. A video accessed by India Today, shows Dujana delivering a speech to the locals who had assembled for the last rites. He is heard exhorting locals to take up the gun against Indian forces. advertisement Dujana, who is in his mid-twenties, is wanted by the security forces for his role in the Udhampur attack, in which two BSF personnel were killed and a dozen injured. His head carries a cash reward of Rs 8 lakh. Abu Dujana has been an active member of the LeT since the last four years. He is believed to be a resident of Gilgit-Baltistan. Dujana has also been part of most of the attacks on security forces in south Kashmir. His name also came up during the questioning of captured Pakistani militant Naveed Ahmad. Dujana had received the group of militants of which Naveed was a part of and ensured their travel from Kashmir to Udhampur. He mostly operates in south Kashmir's Pulwama district. Also read: Delhi Police arrests 12 Jaish terrorists, who were planning major attack on city --- ENDS --- BJP is most welcome to make revelations in VVIP chopper scam, says Sonia Gandhi. Sonia Gandhi's dare to the BJP comes a day after her son and Congress vice-president said that he was being "targeted" by the BJP and the ruling establishment. By India Today Web Desk: Congress president Sonia Gandhi today said the BJP's claims of making more revelations allegedly linking the Gandhis to the AgustaWestland helicopter scam are "most welcome". "They are most welcome," the 69-year-old leader said when asked about the BJP's plan to make the revelations in Parliament. With AgustaWestland chopper issue scheduled for debate in Rajya Sabha today, the Congress president had also chaired a meeting of Congress parliamentarians to decide her party's strategy in the scam, also known as the VVIP chopper scam. She had held a similar meeting on Monday evening too. advertisement The consultations within the Congress are significant in view of the fact that BJP's Rajya Sabha MP Subramanian Swamy had dragged Sonia's name in the Upper House last week amid sharp protests from the Congress members. Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar is expected to make a statement in Parliament on behalf of the government. A section of the Congress leaders have been emphasising on a fool-proof strategy so as to send home the message that the party was all for debating the issue but at the same time would not countenance muck-raking at the leadership. Sonia's dare to the BJP also came a day after her son and Congress vice-president said that he was being "targeted" by the BJP and the ruling establishment. "I was always targeted. I am happy to be targeted," Gandhi told reporters. Gandhi's remarks came in response to accusations by BJP lawmaker Kirit Somaiya that Kanishka Singh, a trusted aide of Gandhi, was involved in the AgustaWestland and the 2010 Commonwealth Games (CWG) scams. ALSO READ | AgustaWestland scam: BJP, Congress ready their ammunition for Rajya Sabha --- ENDS --- Mallya, who has been charged with money laundering and loan default of over Rs 9,400 crore, is all set to be expelled from the Upper House after Chairman Hamid Ansari turned down his resignation on procedural grounds. By Kamaljit Kaur Sandhu: Rejecting Vijay Mallya's resignation from the Rajya Sabha, its ethics panel today recommended that the fugitive liquor baron should be immediately expelled for skipping repeated summons in various criminal cases. "The committee was of the firm view that taking into consideration the gravity of the misconduct, a sanction not less than termination of membership from the House is warranted under the circumstances," the Committee on Ethics said in its 10th report tabled in the Upper House by its Chairman Karan Singh today. advertisement "Having considered the whole matter, including Dr Mallya's letter, the Committee on Ethics unanimously decided at its meeting on May 3 to recommend to the House that Dr Vijay Mallya be expelled with immediate effect," it said. "By taking such a stern action, a message would reach that Parliament is committed to take steps against its erring members," the Rajya Sabha ethics committee chairman Karan Singh told reporters. In its 34-page report, the Ethics Committee of the Upper House of the Parliament recommended that this would send out a strong message. Vijay Mallya had sent a scanned copy of his resignation on May 2, prempting ethic committee action against him saying he did not want his " name" and "reputation" to be further dragged in mud. However, Mallya was informed that his resignation letter did not conform to prescribed procedures and did not bear his signature in the original. Mallya, who has been charged with money laundering and loan default of over Rs 9,400 crore, had earlier sent his resignation to the Upper House Chairman Hamid Ansari, who turned it down on procedural grounds. "Hamid Ansari, Chairman, Rajya Sabha does not accept the resignation of Vijay Mallya. Secretary General, Rajya Sabha writes to Sh. Mallya that his resignation letter does not conform to prescribed procedures & does not bear signature in original. As per Rule 213 of RS procedures, the resignation must be voluntary and genuine," Ansari's Officer on Special Duty Gurdeep Singh Sappal said on Twitter quoting from the Secretary General's letter. From his home in Britain, the 60-year-old businessman had sent a scanned copy of the resignation to Ansari in a bid to avoid expulsion, saying he did not want his "name and reputation to be further dragged in mud". "And since recent events suggest that I will not get a fair trial or justice, I am hereby resigning as a member of the Rajya Sabha with immediate effect," Mallya had said. Also Read Vijay Mallya's resignation from Rajya Sabha rejected, ethics panel recommends expulsion Verify facts before calling me a defaulter, tweets Vijay Mallya advertisement Vijay Mallya resigns from Rajya Sabha --- ENDS --- By India Today Web Desk: Close on the heels of the brutal rape and murder of a Dalit law student, another student from the community was allegedly gangraped at Varkala area in Kerala's capital Thiruvananthapuram on Tuesday. Police said the 19-year-old nursing student was in a relationship with an auto driver and had gone to Kollam with him. On their way back, he called two of his friends to an isolated place and raped her. advertisement The auto driver later fled and the girl was rescued and admitted to a Thiruvananthapuram Medical College Hospital by the locals. Police have registered a First Information Report (FIR) against three people, who are still absconding. The survivor, a second year BSC nursing student, is in a state of shock and suffering from fits when she was found by some people who rushed to the vehicle on hearing her cries for help. The incident comes days after a Dalit law student was raped and murdered in Ernakulam district, leading to a major political slugfest in the poll-bound state. ALSO READ | Dalit student allegedly raped and murdered in Kerala --- ENDS --- According to NTPC statement, BSES Rajdhani Power Ltd (BRPL) and BSES Yamuna Power (BYPL) are yet to clear dues of around Rs 1,300 crore (Rs 892.30 crore and Rs 402.93 crore respectively). State-run NTPC has threatened to snap power supply to Reliance Infra-backed discoms in Delhi -BRPL and BYPL if they fail to pay around Rs 1,300 crore dues by midnight on May 9. "A notice for regulation has been served to the BRPL and BYPL for regulation of power supply with effect from 00:00 hours of May 10, 2016 for a total quantum of 2027 MW," NTPC said in a statement. advertisement According to the statement, BSES Rajdhani Power Ltd (BRPL) and BSES Yamuna Power (BYPL) are yet to clear dues of around Rs 1,300 crore (Rs 892.30 crore and Rs 402.93 crore respectively). NTPC said that it has to pay in advance to its fuel suppliers which constitute about 75-80 per cent of its monthly energy bills. "If the above situation continues, NTPC stations may be facing outages on account of shortage of fuel. Under the circumstances NTPC has no other option but to serve the notice for regulation of power on the BSES discoms. As per NTPC, the matter was brought before the Supreme Court, who in their judgement on March 26, 2014, directed the BSES discoms to ensure payments of all energy bills with effect from January 1, 2014. However, despite clear directions of the Supreme Court, the dues continued. "NTPC has been supplying power to BSES discoms in Delhi since unbundling and privatisation of DVB. The power allocated to these discoms from various NTPC power stations is 2,027 MW and average monthly energy bill is presently of the order of Rs 390 crore, the statement said. Commenting on the matter, a BSES spokesperson said, "BSES is under huge financial stress due to non-liquidation of regulatory assets estimated to be over Rs 16,000 crore as on March 31, 2016. As compared to this, dues payable by BSES to NTPC are around Rs 1,300 crore. --- ENDS --- Olivia Munn refused a role in Deadpool because she didn't want to be the film's "eye candy". By Bang Showbiz: Olivia Munn rejected a role in Deadpool because she didn't want to be the "eye candy". ALSO READ: X-Men Apocalypse trailer - Wolverine joins the battle against Apocalypse and the Four Horsemen ALSO READ: Ryan Reynolds-starrer Deadpool is world's highest-grossing R-rated film The 35-year-old actress was asked to play the lead character's girlfriend in the film starring Ryan Reynolds but opted for a role in X-Men Apocalypse instead because she was promised a fight scene. advertisement Speaking on her early meetings with the X-Men producers, she shared, "I said, 'Is there a fight scene?' ... The fight scene could be her monologue." "I thought Psylocke was always one of the most lethal characters, and I said, 'Yes, as long as you're not using her to be the eye candy. She has really powerful abilities.' And they said, 'Yes, that's an important part.'" And the Ride Along 2 star also opened up about how her mother Kim Munn worked incredibly hard to help her get into acting. She added, "She knew I really wanted to go to Los Angeles and do this casting thing, which didn't amount to anything. I didn't ask because we didn't have a lot of money. She said, 'I can always work hard and find the money somewhere, but you can never relive an opportunity.' That's what stuck with me. I want the opportunities and experiences ..." "Even my own friends are like, 'Really?' I love being an actor. Maybe it's just the feeling of being in front of the camera or the people I've met who've rubbed me the wrong (way). Maybe I don't want to play that game." In the future, Olivia is keen to step behind the camera as she finds the prospect of "shaping" a whole movie exciting. She added to American Way magazine, "For me, I would eventually love to be behind and not in front of the camera ... When you're behind the scenes, you get to shape the whole thing. In front, it's just your character." --- ENDS --- The multi-crore AgustaWestland scam resurfaced last month after the names of some Congress leaders, including party chief Sonia Gandhi, and other UPA-II functionaries were said to have figured in a judgment by an Italian court. AgustaWestland is alleged to have paid Rs 375 crore as bribe to secure the Rs 3,700-crore contract to supply 12 VVIP choppers to the Indian Air Force. By India Today Web Desk: Both the houses of Parliament today witnessed a showdown between the NDA government and the opposition Congress as they debated alleged graft in the purchase of AgustaWestland VVIP helicopters, in which the ruling BJP has directly targeted the Gandhi family. BJP member Bhupendra Yadav initiated the discussion in Rajya Sabha, accusing the Congress of creating conditions to favour the Italian company for the purchase. "All defence procurements need to be made transparent," he said in his initial remarks of a "serious" debate that "involves revelations of corruption in a defence purchase". advertisement Leading the Congress counter-charge, senior Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi called the BJP "an insecure ruling party" trying to foist corruption charges on "persons unconnected" to the scam. "We have to now rely on distortions of Italian Court judgements? We need to have more sense than sensationalism," he said. The multi-crore scam resurfaced last month after the names of some Congress leaders, including party chief Sonia Gandhi, and other UPA-II functionaries were said to have figured in a judgment by an Italian court. "Just because you have inbuilt hatred for certain names doesn't mean they shall be put in place for the initials used," Singhvi said, adding that the "tainted and bogus" AgustaWestland was allowed by the NDA government to participate in an Indian Air Force event in Bengaluru last year. AgustaWestland is alleged to have paid Rs 375 crore as bribe to secure the Rs 3,700-crore contract to supply 12 VVIP choppers to the Indian Air Force. The previous UPA government scrapped the deal in 2014 over charges of kickbacks to Indian agents. The Agusta issue also came up in Lok Sabha with the BJP demanding a probe to find out who received kickbacks in the deal for the 12 VVIP helicopters. Raising the issue during Zero Hour, Kirit Somaiya claimed that two of the accused in the alleged scam -- Gautam Khaitan and Guido Haschke -- were also "involved" in other companies and as per a SEBI report, incorporated as directors in real estate company Emaar-MGF. Without taking any name, he said a politician is involved in buying and selling properties, which he said was earlier done by his "jijaji" (brother-in-law) in Haryana. This led to an angry reaction from the Congress benches. Party chief Sonia Gandhi was also present. Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi had on Tuesday dismissed the BJP's attempts to drag him into the CWG and the VVIP chopper scam, saying he is always been targeted and "happy to be targeted". Somaiya, in a letter to the ED and the CBI, had asked them to check Gandhi's links with a real estate developer allegedly involved in the CWG scam and also the alleged connections of a political aide of the Congress vice-president with a middleman in the AgustaWestland deal. advertisement ALSO READ | AgustaWestland: Political slugfest snowballs as BJP, Congress trade charges --- ENDS --- The BJP has accused both Sonia Gandhi and her son Rahul of playing an important role in the Rs 3,600 crore VVIP chopper deal. By India Today Web Desk: The Rajya Sabha is witnessing fiery exchanges between the Congress and BJP as the debate on AgustaWestland chopper scandal continues. "Most welcome," was Sonia Gandhi's response when reporters asked her about BJP's plan to make big revelations regarding the chopper deal in Parliament. While the Rajya Sabha is taking up the matter today, Lok Sabha is slated to discuss Agusta deal on May 6. advertisement The BJP has accused both Sonia and her son Rahul of playing an important role in the Rs 3,600 crore VVIP chopper deal. The deal was cancelled in 2014 after Italy ordered an enquiry into reports about Agusta executives giving bribe to secure the contract. Here are the latest updates: Parrikar's speech was full of allegations and nothing else: Ghulam Nabi Azad It appears that an "invisible hand" was guiding the action or inaction of CBI and ED: Parrikar Instead of taking action against the company, the UPA adopted the route of writing to External Affairs Ministry, embassy and court: Parrikar It is absolutely wrong to claim that NDA changed parameters to favour Agusta: Parrikar At the time of trials, the helicopter was at development state: Parrikar Italian court verdict has sullied our image: Parrikar Clear case of corruption in Agusta deal. The nation wants to know the truth, who all benefited from graft? Antony himself said there was corruption: Parrikar Parameters were changed to favour AgustaWestland: Parrikar Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar speaking in Rajya Sabha speaking in Rajya Sabha Mr. Swamy please act, don't threaten us: Antony Don't include this company in 'Make in India' project: Antony Don't politicise the issue, you will repent: Antony I had opposed chopper trials in a foreign country: Antony UPA took no time to handover the case to the CBI. The government is now twisting facts: Antony UPA never tolerated corruption. We had blacklisted 6 companies: Antony Decision to change the height of the chopper was taken during NDA regime in 2003: Antony UPA did not compromise on corruption, says former Defence Minister AK Antony If you can find even an iota of truth in all the accusations being made, I will give up public life and resign: Ahmed Patel Italy was connected to both the Bofors scandal as well as AgustaWestland: Shiv Sena's Sanjay Raut Chopper trials were done in UK, not Italy, Anand Sharma says while 'correcting' Swamy. Nations are not governed with irresponsibility, nations are government with maturity: Anand Sharma We know their agenda and we are determined to fight and expose that agenda: Anand Sharma This is a democracy. What has been referred to, must be authenticated by the government, put here and scrutinized legally: Anand Sharma Attempts are being made to mislead people of the country: Congress's Anand Sharma "Sonia is the architect of the chopper deal," says Subramanian Swamy quoting middleman Michel's letter. Rules of discussion have been broken. We demand authentication of the documents: Congress MP Anand Sharma Middleman Christian Michel's father was connected with several Congress leaders: Swamy If people do not co-operate, then there should be custodial interrogation: Swamy Middleman had close links with one AP. Who's this AP? Swamy Bribes were taken and it can not be the ex-IAF chief alone. Don't think Manmohan Singh approved this: Swamy Clear fraud in field trials. Different choppers were used for field trials in Italy: Swamy UPA ensured that Agusta's competitors are eliminated: Swamy Altitude criteria was lowered to 4500 mts by the UPA government to help AgustaWestland qualify: Swamy Our allegations not based on political vendetta: Swamy Subramanian Swamy is speaking in Rajya Sabha as debate over AgustaWestland helicopter deal scam continues. is speaking in Rajya Sabha as debate over AgustaWestland helicopter deal scam continues. The people of the country want all the names of political bigwigs involved in the scam to come out in the open. People want stringent punishment for them: Mayawati There should be a Supreme Court monitored probe into AgustaWestland case: BSP Chief Mayawati Don't make false accusations. Accusations need corroboration else it simply defames people for no reason: Sharad Yadav Shakhon se toot jayein, wo patte nahi hum. In aandhiyon se keh do aukat mein rahein: Singhvi NDA government resumed deal with tainted Agusta in 2014: Singhvi This 'tainted', 'bogus' company was allowed to participate in the 2015 Aero India show in Bengaluru: Singhvi Just because you have inbuilt hatred for certain names doesn't mean they shall be put in place for initials used. Why should AP stand for Ahmed Patel. There's an AP ruling Gujarat too: Singhvi Italian courts said there is no evidence against Sonia Gandhi: Singhvi BJP is pointing fingers without any evidence: Singhvi Here is an insecure ruling party trying to foist a charge of corruption on persons unconnected. We need to have more sense than sensationalism: Singhvi It was the UPA government which cancelled the chopper deal: Congress's Abhishek Manu Singhvi The House should agree to demand strict punishment against all middlemen in this matter: Bhupendra Yadav Bhupender Yadav: Why did the Congress government create a single-vendor situation? Operational requirements were changed to favour AgustaWestland: Bhupender Yadav, BJP This matter started in 2002, just wanted to inform the House the chronological order of events in the matter, without any comments: Parrikar Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar speaking in Rajya Sabha. Rajya Sabha adjourned till 2 PM. Kirit Somaiya raises Emaar MGF issue in Lok Sabha, demands Rahul Gandhi to come clean on the issue. Congress issues whip to all its MPs in Rajya Sabha. Also Read: BJP, Congress set for great Agusta face-off in Rajya Sabha What is AgustaWestland chopper deal? Why is Sonia Gandhi under attack for it? --- ENDS --- By Mail Today: A Parliamentary panel pulled up the Centre over lack of adequate counter-terror mechanisms in place while noting that something was seriously wrong in the country's security establishment. Criticising the government over its failure to prevent the Pathankot terror attack, the parliamentary standing committee on Home said that security at the airbase was not robust. Seven security personnel were killed in the attack carried out by Pakistan based terror group Jaish-e-Mohammad on January 2. In its report, the panel further observed that the role of Punjab Police in the Pathankot terror attack was also suspicious. advertisement Noting it had failed to understand how the terrorists managed to breach the highsecurity airbase and subsequently carry out the strike in spite of a terror alert sounded well in advance, the panel said it was constrained that security agencies were so ill-prepared to anticipate threats and counter them swiftly and decisively. The panel, which had visited the Pathankot airbase, had found that there were no roads along the perimeter wall of the airbase. Instead, there were shrubs and trees on the premises which helped terrorists hide there and make it difficult for the security forces to flush them out. The panel mentioned there could not be two opinions that JeM was behind the ghastly attack saying that it was established through intercepted phone calls between terrorists and their handlers. The panel said that the ease with which the terrorists sneaked in indicated that the attack could not have taken place without active support from the security and intelligence agencies of Pakistan. Also read: Something seriously wrong with India's counter-terror establishment: Parliament panel to Centre --- ENDS --- According to district informatics officer Kupwara Muhammad Rouf Wani, two WhatsApp news groups - the Kashmir News Services and North News Agency - have submitted applications for mandatory registration. By Naseer Ganai: With authorities in the restive Kashmir region tightening the noose around social media to control dissemination of information, WhatsApp news groups have started submitting applications for mandatory registration. According to district informatics officer Kupwara Muhammad Rouf Wani, two WhatsApp news groups - the Kashmir News Services and North News Agency - have submitted applications for mandatory registration. "The applications will be scrutinised. Police would conduct background verification of group administrators and in case of any exigency, it will be easy for authorities to reach them as we now have their phone numbers," the official said. The district informatics officer is the head of the Social Media Centre for registration of WhatsApp groups. advertisement On April 20, the District Magistrate of Kupwara, R Ranjan, was the first to issue a circular, making registration of WhatsApp news groups mandatory after protests erupted in the district, following allegations of molestation of a girl by a trooper. Five people, including a woman, were killed in firing by the Army and the Jammu and Kashmir Police. The circular calls for every group to be registered with the District Magistrate. It says the registered groups will be monitored by the authority for any act of provocation.The group administrators will be held accountable under law for any provocation resulting in incidents. Divisional commissioner Kashmir Asgar Samoon told Mail Today that earlier this year, thousands of people rushed to hospitals after a WhatsApp group spread a rumour that children have died after being administered polio drops. "It led to chaos and law and order problem across Kashmir," he said. Also read: After NIT, NEET is Mehbooba's next student test --- ENDS --- Manoj Bajpayee, who will be next seen in Traffic, decided to turn traffic cop for a day. The 47-year-old actor wanted to "salute the spirit of these unsung heroes". By India Today Web Desk: Manoj Bajpayee, who will be next seen in Traffic, decided to turn traffic cop for a day. The 47-year-old actor wanted to "salute the spirit of these unsung heroes". The actor stood at a busy traffic signal in Juhu, Mumbai and manned the traffic at the key junction. The motorist were surprised to see Manoj in a Traffic constable avatar. advertisement In fact, Manoj while prepping for the character understood the mannerism and working style, so much in depth that he managed to put up an impressive show on ground. The actor worked hard to get into the skin of the character. He paid special attention to understanding how traffic cops communicate and closely observed their body language as well. Traffic is an emotional thriller based on a road trip from Mumbai to Pune which is based on a true story. The film revolves around transportation of a heart for a heart transplant case, chasing a strict deadline. During the mission they face numerous difficulties and traffic being one of them. The film also features actors Jimmy Shergill, Divya Dutta and Sachin Khedekar. It is directed by the late Rajesh Pillai, produced by Deepak Dhar of Endemol India and presented by Fox Star studios. --- ENDS --- The airline did not provide details on the severity of the injuries, but said the turbulence was severe enough that it damaged cabin storage bins. A model Etihad Airways plane is seen on stage before the unveiling of the new home. Photo: Reuters By Reuters: Thirty-one passengers and a crew member aboard an Etihad Airways flight were injured Wednesday when their plane ran into sudden turbulence as it prepared to land in the Indonesian capital, Jakarta. The United Arab Emirates' national airline said flight EY474, which departed from its hub in the Emirati capital of Abu Dhabi, was hit by "severe and unexpected turbulence" about 45 minutes before landing at Soekarno Hatta International Airport. advertisement The Airbus A330-200 landed safely but nine passengers and a crew member were taken to a local hospital for their injuries, Etihad said. Paramedics treated the other 22 at the airport's clinic for minor injuries and they were released, the airline said. Haerul Anwar, a spokesman for the Jakarta airport, described nine of the injuries as serious. He said officials from the airport and Indonesia's National Transportation Safety Committee were inspecting the plane. The airline did not provide details on the severity of the injuries, but said the turbulence was severe enough that it damaged cabin storage bins. Indonesian Transportation Ministry spokesman Hemi Pamuraharjo said at least eight Indonesian passengers and a foreign flight attendant onboard were hurt, with several suffering broken bones. Etihad did not immediately answer questions about how many passengers were onboard. It said the airline's planned Jakarta to Abu Dhabi flight on Wednesday on the same plane had been cancelled and the airline was assisting passengers. Passengers onboard who spoke to Jakarta-based news website Okezone said oxygen masks tumbled out in the turbulence and passengers, including Muslim pilgrims returning from Saudi Arabia, were hurt. "It happened when I was performing pray," passenger Nenden Nurhaini told the website. "The plane suddenly began to shake so fast." Etihad, like its older Gulf rivals Qatar Airways and Dubai-based Emirates, has grown rapidly in recent years primarily by attracting long-haul transit passengers. Founded in 2003, it has a good safety record and last year carried 17.6 million passengers. It holds stakes in several other airlines, including Air Berlin, Alitalia and Virgin Australia. --- ENDS --- "It depends on his morality but if I was in his place and my name had cropped up in the deal, I would have immediately resigned from a constitutional post and joined investigations,'' Singh said. By Gaurav C Sawant: Union minister of State for External Affairs Gen (retd) VK Singh on Tuesday hit out at the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) Shashi Kant Sharma saying he should have stepped down from a constitutional post and joined investigations immediately after his name cropped up in connection with the AgustaWestland deal. Morality matters "It depends on his morality but if I was in his place and my name had cropped up in the deal, I would have immediately resigned from a constitutional post and joined investigations,'' Singh said. Speaking exclusively to Mail Today, the former chief of the army staff also said all those named in the Italian court verdict should be called in for questioning to ascertain the truth. "If need be a polygraph test and a narco-analysis test should be done. The truth must emerge," he said. advertisement The general launched a frontal attack on the CAG saying: "For all you know, this constitutional post is a reward for all the good work that he has (allegedly) done making money for people and himself.' he said. The CBI has been questioning Air Chief Marshal (retd) SP Tyagi and former deputy chief of air staff Air Marshal JS Gujral. Both officers have reportedly told the agency that bureaucrats in the Ministry of Defence (MoD) play a pivotal role in the acquisition process. "Whoever has been named in the Italian court papers should be called for questioning, whether a politician, bureaucrat or service officer,'' Singh told Mail Today. Having worked in the Integrated Headquarters of Ministry of Defence Army, the former army chief also said that it is possible through investigations to find out why air staff requirements were changed and on whose instructions. "There are detailed documents and officers will be questioned to ascertain the truth. The government has the will to punish the bribe-takers," he asserted. The general insisted the AgustaWestland probe will not go the Bofors way and there will not be any backdoor deals between the government and the Opposition. "Bofors was in another era. I have full faith in the leadership of the prime minister. Sincere investigations are being undertaken to unearth the truth," he said. Responding to the Congress' charge of the Modi government indulging in political mud-slinging without being able to unearth the truth in the past two years, Singh said: "There was deliberate cover up in the previous government's tenure in the Agusta case. It takes time to get to the truth and now there is a sincere effort to find out who was paid a bribe for the deal." Also read: BJP, Congress set for great Agusta face-off in Rajya Sabha --- ENDS --- Sheetal has filed a suit for tenancy rights in the small causes court at Bandra and had earlier moved an injunction for early hearing citing the trouble she is going through. By Vidya : An ongoing legal battle between socialite Sheetal Mafatlal and her mother Rajani Bhagat has led to Sheetal allegedly being locked up in her bedroom at 38, Pali Hill, in Bandra, Mumbai. Sheetal has filed a suit for tenancy rights in the small causes court at Bandra and had earlier moved an injunction for early hearing citing the trouble she is going through. In the injunction she had told the court how she had been locked inside her bedroom without water and food. On April 30, the court had ordered the local police to go to the 38, Pali Hill and find out if Sheetal is indeed confined to one room of the bungalow then she should be "permitted to ingress and outgress to that room. Also, basic necessities like food and water be allowed to be taken by her". According to her lawyers, with the police's help, Sheetal had managed to get some food and water which she couldn't even get before that. advertisement Also Read: Fur flies at the Mafatlals However, with no access to a fridge and with other facilities being kept out of bound, her lawyer M A Chandan told the court "with all left over food being kept in the room itself, there are now many cockroaches and she is living in unhygienic conditions." He told the court that the mother's bouncers have locked the bedroom from outside and keep peeping into her bedroom and have also tried to break the lock of the study room which had been put by her (Sheetal has attached photos to the suit which shows a lock being broken). On the other hand, Sheetal's mother had registered a complaint with the local police alleging that on April 25, Sheetal and her bouncers had barged into the Pali Hill bungalow and were trespassing. The police ordered Sheetal's staff and security to leave and soon after Sheetal alleged that she was locked in by someone who had bolted the door from outside. The bungalow in question belongs to a company and it was leased out to Rajani Bhagat's father with whom Rajani, her husband and their two daughters, Poonam and Sheetal used to stay. Rajani's father and husband died years back and since then the three women have been treating the bungalow as their "holiday home", according to Sheetal's lawyer. They have alleged that all three women, including Rajani Bhagat, used to stay in their respective homes. During the hearing of the suit on Tuesday, Sheetal's lawyer M A Chandan told the court that Sheetal is currently living in the ground floor bedroom suite of the 10,000 sq ft bungalow and has access to her study and a room on the third floor. After Chandan finished arguing, Rajani's lawyers argued tooth and nail against all the documents submitted by Sheetal in court to support of her claim to the Pali Hill bungalow. They said that a year before her marriage to Atulya Mafatlal, Sheetal had left home and returned only six times in all these years. They also told the court that every time she came to the bungalow, fights would erupt between the mother and daughter on some pretext or the other. advertisement Sheetal had provided copies of her ration cards and passport to stake claim that she had all along been associated with the bungalow. Advocate Rakesh Pandey, representing Rajani Bhagat told the court that Sheetal "wants to bypass the mother and claim sole tenancy right. Even as Rajani lived there all her life. No one realized she (Sheetal) will turn dishonest and will try to dispossess her own mother. If they knew, they would have done something about this". He also added that "Sheetal was trying to create evidence. Her intentions were mala fide since a long time. It was somewhere in her mind that she will stake claim, if not now then sometime later." He argued that when Sheetal married then her address on the ration card should have been changed to that of her husband's. About the passport having the bungalow's address, Rajani had no idea how it came about, he told the court. Sheetal had earlier told the court that she had given half the rent amount for the bungalow which stands at Rs 60,000 an year. However, advocate Pandey countered that if she claims to have paid half the rent for all these years, then why is it that she has no receipts to support her case? "She is the wife of a businessman, wouldn't she know this much?" he countered. advertisement The arguments from both sides will continue today when the court is likely to pass an order on the injunction filed by Sheetal. In her suit, Sheetal has asked for the appointment of a court commissioner to make an inventory of all things present in the house, for a staff of hers to be allowed to stay with her and to be allowed to stay in the bungalow pending the decision in the suit. Her lawyer told the court that due to the trouble that Sheetal has been facing in her marital life, she did not have a place to stay in the Mafatlal house and so she be allowed to stay in the Pali Hill bungalow. On April 30, the small causes court had also ordered both parties to sit together and settle. Although Sheetal and Rajani did not attend the meeting, their lawyers had met on Monday noon but since the terms of settlement were not agreeable to both the parties it remained unresolved and this was then communicated to the court on Tuesday. advertisement Also Read: FIR against socialite Sheetal in painting case Sheetal Mafatlal sent to judicial custody till Jun 12 --- ENDS --- Resting for at least 2 to 3 minutes between sets can actually amp up your muscle growth. By India Today Web Desk: Taking at least 2-3 minutes rest between weight-lifting sets at the gym can help boost muscle growth, British researchers have found. The results suggest that guys who took longer rest periods showed two-fold increase in myofibrillar protein synthesis (MPS)--associated with strength and muscle growth. The study highlights that short rest intervals may actually impair the processes that control muscle growth. However, with short rests of one minute, the actual muscle response is blunted. advertisement "If you're looking for maximised muscle growth with your training programme, a slightly longer interval between sets may provide a better chance of having the muscle response you're looking for," said Leigh Breen from University of Birmingham in Britain. The study, published in the journal Experimental Physiology, analysed 16 men who completed resistance exercises interspersed by either one minute or five minutes of rest. Muscle biopsies were obtained at zero, four, 24 and 28 hours post-exercise. Beginners starting out on weight training programmes should take sufficient rest, of at least 2-3 minutes, between weight lifting sets that can help with muscle growth, the authors recommended. Also read: Ranveer Singh lifting weights while shooting for Befikre in Paris is all the inspiration you need For experienced lifters, it's possible that they may not experience the same blunted muscle building response to short-rest intervals particularly if they have trained this way for a prolonged period and adapted to this unique metabolic stress. "Nonetheless, similar recommendations of 2-3 minutes between sets should help ensure maximal muscle growth in well-trained individuals," Breen added. --- ENDS --- Seth Grahame-Smith has pulled out of directing The Flash because of "creative differences". By Bang Showbiz: The Flash will no longer be directed by Seth Grahame-Smith. The 40-year-old filmmaker was to make his directional debut working on the superhero film starring Ezra Miller, but he has pulled out citing "creative differences" as the reason for his departure. The film is based on the DC comic book series of the same name. The Flash is expected to be released by March 16, 2018 via Warner Bros Studios, so there is plenty of time to find a replacement. advertisement Fans of the superhero known as "the fastest man alive" will have seen The Flash make a cameo appearance in Batman V Superman Dawn Of Justice and the popular character will return to screens in The Justice League Part One, which is expected to be released in Autumn 2017. Last month, the film's producer Deborah Snyder suggested Ray Fisher's Cyborg - who also briefly appeared in Batman V Superman Dawn Of Justice - will team up with Barry Allen (The Flash) in the new standalone DC movie focused on as the super-fast superhero. Deborah - the wife of Zack Snyder, who is producing The Flash film - previously said, "As you can imagine, when we get to The Flash movie, Ezra Miller and Ray Fisher - who plays Cyborg - are kind of our youngest characters, and they have a really nice camaraderie with each other. Ezra is super-funny, so the tone of that film will be very different than the rest of them." --- ENDS --- By PTI: From Lalit K Jha Washington, May 3 (PTI) A top Indian-American diplomat will be visiting Bangladesh to discuss broader bilateral relationship and issues of shared concerns regarding security amid a series of gruesome murders of secular bloggers and intellectuals in the Muslim-majority country. The State Department did not give the exact dates for the travel of Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia Nisha Desai Biswal to Bangladesh. advertisement "She will also meet with the embassy community and hold discussions with local human rights and civil society organisations," the State Department said. The move comes days after the Secretary of State John Kerry had a telephonic conversation with the Bangladeshi Prime Minister to express his concern over recent killings of bloggers and human rights activists in the country. The US asked Bangladesh yesterday to ensure secure environment to all its citizens. "Our focus remains on urging the Government of Bangladesh to provide a more secure environment for all of its citizens, one that nurtures the spirit of the people of Bangladesh and the pride with which they guard their own traditions of tolerance, peace, and diversity," State Department spokesman John Kirby said. The US has raised concerns with the Bangladeshi Government on the killing of bloggers and rights activists, he said. "Were going to continue to do that, and I dont have more specific initiatives to lay before you, but I can tell you were watching this very closely and we are in touch," Kirby said. There have been systematic assaults in Bangladesh in recent months specially targeting minorities, secular bloggers, intellectuals and foreigners. Last year, four prominent secular bloggers were killed with machetes, one inside his own home. In February, a head priest was killed at a Hindu temple in an area bordering India, the first attack by the ISIS targeting the community. PTI LKJ UZM --- ENDS --- The New York billionaire won decisively in a state where Cruz, his nearest rival, had hoped to show he was still a factor in the race for the Republican nomination. By Reuters: Republican front-runner Donald Trump swept to a commanding victory in Indiana on Tuesday, putting him on a glide path to the party's presidential nomination as Ted Cruz finally ended his campaign. The New York billionaire won decisively in a state where Cruz, his nearest rival, had hoped to show he was still a factor in the race for the Republican nomination. advertisement Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus called Trump the party's presumptive nominee in a tweet and said, "We all need to unite and focus" on defeating Clinton. As the vote returns flowed in, Cruz announced that he has ended his campaign at an event in Indianapolis, with his wife, Heidi, at his side. Cruz, 45, sounding beaten but defiant, said he no longer sees a viable path to the nomination. "Together we left it all on the field in Indiana," said Cruz, a U.S. senator from Texas. "We gave it everything we got. But the voters chose another path, and so with a heavy heart, but with boundless optimism for the long-term future of our nation, we are suspending our campaign." Trump was on track to take over 50 percent of the vote. Ohio Governor John Kasich was running a distant third. On the Democratic side, Bernie Sanders was leading Hillary Clinton by a modest margin, but the race was still considered too close to call. Cruz had been counting on a win in Tuesday's primary to slow the New York businessman's progress toward the nomination. But Trump rode momentum from wins in five Northeastern states a week ago to wrest Indiana from Cruz, whose brand of Christian conservatism had been expected to have wide appeal in the state. David Yepsen, director of the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute at Southern Illinois University, said the Republican race is over. "Cruz is certainly young enough to fight again another day. Kasich's a serious guy but if stays in this he could look silly," Yepsen said. The loss for Cruz was a sour ending to a rough day in which he got entangled in a harsh back-and-forth with Trump. It began when the billionaire repeated a claim published by tabloid newspaper the National Enquirer that linked Cruz's father, Cuban emigre Rafael Cruz, with President John F. Kennedy's assassin Lee Harvey Oswald. Campaigning in Evansville, in the state's southwest corner, Cruz sounded deeply frustrated by the bombastic real estate mogul, who has ripped Cruz at every turn. advertisement "The man cannot tell the truth but he combines it with being a narcissist," Cruz said, "a narcissist at a level I don't think this country has ever seen." Cruz termed Trump a "serial philanderer" - likely as part of his strategy to try to win the support of evangelical voters. Trump, in response, said Cruz had become "more and more unhinged." The only hope Kasich has for becoming the Republican nominee is to somehow deny Trump the 1,237 delegates he needs to win the nomination outright and force Republicans at their July convention in Cleveland to choose one of them. Kasich vowed to stay in the race. "Tonight's results are not going to alter Gov. Kasich's campaign plans," Kasich senior strategist John Weaver said in a campaign memo. "Our strategy has been and continues to be one that involves winning the nomination at an open convention." Also read: Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton triumph on home turf in New York primaries Top Donald Trump aide lobbied for ISI front in US: Report --- ENDS --- Here is a list of recent forest fires which have spoiled acres of woodlands and interrupted lives in India and elsewhere in the world. By Shreya Biswas: As drought sucks regions of Maharastra and Telangana dry, the Himalayas are getting singed by forest fires. From Uttarakhand to Jammu and Kashmir, lack of rainfall and scorching heat are sparking wildfires in dry forests which are getting wafted into residential areas by strong winds. Apart from losing acres of lands to these flames, human as well as animals are literally in the line of fire. advertisement However, India is not the only country suffering. Wildfires seem to be springing up in different parts of the world. Last year, Indonesia was hit by some devastating wildfires that killed 19 people and led to at least 5 lakh cases of respiratory tract infections as well as 100,000 premature deaths. This year, the world continues to battle raging wildfires, with India being high on the list: Canada More than 80,000 people residing in the city of Fort McMurray were ordered to evacuate their homes on Tuesday to escape a huge wildfire inching towards the Canadian city. The raging forest fire has already destroyed homes, hospitals, petrol pumps, and many other buildings in its wake on the outskirts of Alberta province. The wildfire struck on Sunday "when the temperature reached 32 degrees Celsius" in cold Canada. Soon, the flames entered the residential area, forcing people to flee with little notice. As the fire-fighting continues, as many as nine air tankers, 100 firefighters, and more than a dozen helicopters are working round the clock to get the fire under control. Emergency shelters have been set up for people without homes. Residents fleeing the forest fire in Fort McMurray, Canada. Source: AP Uttarakhand The deadly forest fire has led to at least seven deaths and gutted more than 3,465 hectares of forest land. Having started out about a month ago, the wildfire got worse recently "with more than 400 fires raging at the same time". BBC reports there have been at least 1,218 separate fire incidents in the last month. Apart from some miscreants being blamed for starting the fires, many of the blazes are a result of the forests being exceptionally dry this year due to low rainfall. According to National Disaster Relief Force (NDRF), satellite imagery indicates over 70 per cent of the flames having been put out. A light spell of rain added much-needed relief to fire-fighting efforts. Statistics of forest fires in India. Source: Newsflick Arizona A wildfire was reported in Arizona's Sycamore Canyon yesterday. Situated about five miles west of Pena Blanca Lake in Santa Cruz County, firefighters were left battling flames that spread across 15 acres of land. advertisement While no homes or other structures are said to have been harmed by the fire, "two fire engines, two helicopters, two hand crews, and miscellaneous overhead assistance" were sent to the area to bring the fire under control. The dry and windy weather prevailing in the area raises the risk of spreading this or sparking "possibly new wildfires". Arizona forest fire. Source: AP Nepal Apart from India, neighbouring Nepal is also battling one of its worst spells of forest fires. Apart from whipping up a lot of pollution, these fires have killed at least 11 people in the region and destroyed almost 700 acres of forest. Speaking to Reuters, Nepal's Forest Ministry official Krishna Prasad Acharya said, "This year we have experienced a longer spell of dry weather and the temperatures have risen significantly, contributing to the disaster." These fires, coupled with the ones spreading across northern India, have mustered a pall of smoke across the southern Himalayas that can be seen even from space. Wildfires in the Himalayan range. Source: PTI Himachal Pradesh The place, known for its pleasant weather at this time of the year, is currently shrouded in smoke stirred by the incessant forest fires in the Himalayas. advertisement After having gutted about 50 acres of forest land, the fires had even reached UNESCO's world heritage railway track near Dharampur and National Highway 22 this week. Even Shimla, Solan, Chail and Kasauli were "enveloped in smoke". Earlier, some 750 people, including 600 students, were evacuated from a boarding school near Kasauli when flames almost touched the building on Monday. Himachal Pradesh forest fires. Jammu and Kashmir After Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh, some forest fires were reported from the Nowshera Forest Division of Rajouri district of Jammu and Kashmir on Monday. Aerial image of the forest fires in the Himachal range. --- ENDS --- The Rajya Sabha ethics panel had earlier in the day recommended the expulsion of Vijay Mallya "with immediate effect" from the house. Vijay Mallya's diplomatic passport has already been revoked by the government. By India Today Web Desk: Rajya Sabha Chairman Hamid Ansari has accepted Vijay Mallya's resignation with effect from May 4, 2016. The Rajya Sabha ethics panel had earlier in the day recommended the expulsion of Vijay Mallya "with immediate effect" from the house. "Having considered the whole matter, including Mallya's (resignation) letter, the Committee of Ethics unanimously decided at its meeting on May 3, 2016, to recommend to the house that Vijay Mallya be expelled with immediate effect," the panel said in its recommendation to the Upper House. advertisement The report was tabled in the house on Wednesday by panel chairman Karan Singh. Mallya is accused of defaulting on more than Rs.9,000 crore in loans he had taken from a consortium of banks. He left India on March 2 and is believed to be in the United Kingdom. His passport has been revoked after he failed to appear for three consecutive summons by the Enforcement Directorate. --- ENDS --- The Service you requested is not available at this time Regret the inconvenience caused. Try again after sometime. These moves apparently add to a long list of anti-American gestures made by Iranian officials in the months since the conclusion of negotiations over Irans nuclear program. Some regarded those negotiations as hopeful signs of broader reconciliation between the two countries, but Khamenei and other hardline officials have taken pains to push back against such expectations. The supreme leader called upon the government to avoid all further negotiations with the US, and many elements of that government have gone much further, striking a defiant tone on issues like ballistic missile testing and the January seizure of two American naval vessels that had strayed into Iranian territorial waters. The rhetorical nature of the Chevrolet ban was driven home by a corresponding speech by Supreme Leader Khamenei, in which he not only emphasized the need for domestic production but also criticized the existing demand for American products, claiming that the would-be imports are of such poor quality that even Americans themselves do not want them. Why should we import the cars from a bankrupt American factory? This is very odd, the speech said in part, according to Fortune. While that speech evidently sought to undermine perceptions of American economic strength last week, it was followed up on Monday by another speech in which Khamenei addressed the US military presence in the Middle East, striking a defiant tone that is frequently repeated in messages by Iranian military officers and Revolutionary Guards. In April, these forces celebrated Irans Army Day with the unveiling of domestically produced weapons that officials described as having been developed for defense against such powerful enemies as the US and Israel. In his new speech, which was partially broadcast on Iranian state television, Khamenei capitalized upon such shows of strength by effectively ordering the US to leave the Persian Gulf, where the US Navys Fifth Fleet has long been stationed to protect international shipping lanes and the interests of allies in the region, including chief Iranian adversary Saudi Arabia. What are you doing here? Khamenei said to the US in reference to recent military exercises in the Persian Gulf. Go back to the Bay of Pigs. Go and hold exercises there. What are you doing in the Persian Gulf? The Persian Gulf is our home. According to the Associated Press, Khameneis speech also touched upon cultural issues by urging education authorities to de-emphasize English language curricula in favor of other languages such as Spanish, French, German, and Chinese. Such commentary reflects the fact that Khameneis anti-American rhetoric has focused on a range of potential means of influence in the wake of the nuclear agreement. Indeed, shortly after that agreement was concluded, Khamenei warned that Western powers would attempt to exploit it for the sake of economic, political, and cultural infiltration of the Islamic Republic. Although some Iranian policies since that time have apparently been aimed at simply creating bulwarks against such influence while still preserving the nuclear deal and the current climate of rapprochement, others have been so blatantly defiant as to possibly challenge the limits of that rapprochement. Political analysts expect that those challenges will be greatly amplified in the coming year, as the US is approaching presidential elections in which the leading candidates all have more aggressive views on Iran than the Obama administration does. Those candidates have also been exposed to persistent criticism of the administrations policies, especially as voiced by the Republican Party. Many of Irans recent activities have served to fuel those criticisms. For instance, congressional pressure apparently helped to secure President Obamas decision to impose new sanctions on Iran over two ballistic missile tests in October and November, which violated a UN Security Council resolution banning Irans work on weapons capable of carrying a nuclear weapon. But the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps followed up by carrying out three more such tests in March. Now, National Security News reports that the Iranian government has announced plans for yet another test, this one a full launch of the Simorgh space vehicle, which analysts believe is a key component of Tehrans goal of developing an intercontinental ballistic missile that is capable of striking the U.S. with a nuclear warhead. National Security News emphasizes that the anticipated timing of this launch February will make it the first major challenge to the next presidents stance on Iran. Such provocations may go a long way toward encouraging a break from the Obama administrations current soft approach to dealing with the Islamic Republic. And some factions of the government in Tehran may actually see benefit in this change, considering how important the aforementioned anti-American rhetoric is to the supreme leader and the identity of his regime. On Tuesday, the National Interest published a lengthy editorial analyzing Irans current positions regarding the US, as compared to its positions regarding the USs former Cold War adversary, Russia. The article makes the case that Khameneis uncompromising hardline approach to the US is either insincere or ill-informed, insofar as it rejects all American positions that clash with Iranian interests, but ignores all similar positions coming out of Moscow. The National Interest adds that Russia has voted for all major UN Security Council resolutions against the Islamic Republic, has maintained close relations with Irans regional adversaries Israel and Saudi Arabia, has reneged on former agreements over weapons sales to the Islamic Republic, and so on. The article also refers to Syria among the other examples of topics on which Iranian and Russian interests clash or potentially could do so. Indeed, although Russia has largely supported Irans efforts to support the embattled Assad regime, many analysts have emphasized that Moscow is pursuing its own interests in that conflict and that Russias commitment to Assad may be much more limited that Irans. There have even been signs that the Russians have been approaching that limit in the midst of recent international negotiations in pursuit of a peaceful solution to the Syrian Civil War. After an initial ceasefire, Russian forces reportedly partly withdrew their air support for Iranian-led ground forces. And now, with the ceasefire having failed and fighting having intensified in the divided city of Aleppo, the US and the UN are both putting pressure on Russia to negotiate a broader agreement and help enforce it. It is quite possible that concerns over the success of this outreach may be a major motivator behind Irans sending Deputy Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian to Moscow on Wednesday. According to Trend, he is expected to talk to a Russian counterpart about the imminent resumption of international talks in Geneva, and he will presumably urge Moscow to maintain alignment between Iranian and Russian positions, especially regarding the future of Bashar al-Assad. Doing so would not only help to preserve Iranian foreign policy interests, it would also help to preserve an alliance that has substantiated a major talking point in Tehrans anti-Western rhetoric. Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty notes that Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei used President Parks visit as a prop in his ongoing defiance of US influence. Relations between Iran and South Korea should not be dependent on sanctions or influenced by the United States or any grudges the U.S. may hold, Khamenei said via his official website. But Parks visit, the first by a South Korean head of state since the two countries established diplomatic relations in 1962, clearly came in response to the climate created by the Iran nuclear deal and by US efforts to show other countries that they are free to invest in Iran. This growing sense of economic freedom is a source of anxiety for many of Irans adversaries, who see it as a windfall for a regime that may channel much of the resulting wealth into regional aggression and support for Islamic terrorism. Stories of new trade agreements with and payments to the Islamic Republic continue to trickle out of many corners of the globe, and will presumably continue to do so until such time as relations between Iran and the US deteriorate significantly. At roughly the same time that it was announced that President Park had come away from her Iran visit with about 60 new trade deals, the Times of India reported that that country had completed an agreement with Iran that will result in India not only clearing 6.5 billion dollars worth of oil payments that were deferred under the sanctions regime, but also paying 1.5 percent interest on that amount. Indian officials pointed out that this interest, which Iran requested to make up for perceived foreign exchange losses, was not seen as legitimate by the Indian government but was accepted anyway as a gesture of goodwill. Such deferent agreements arguably reflect the level of eagerness that exists among many foreign officials regarding the prospect of reclaiming access to Iranian oil exports. But while critics of the Iranian regime may focus on the leverage that this provides the Islamic Republic over others, some analysts are more optimistic insofar as they judge that leverage as working in both directions. That is, Irans macroeconomic needs may be a factor that constrains foreign policy activities that would otherwise alienate its newfound partners. President Parks visit led some commentators to highlight one such situation, namely the well-recognized friendship between the Iranian regime and North Korea, especially as it concerned the two countrys nuclear weapons efforts. Forbes pointed out on Tuesday that Iranian scientists and officials had repeatedly been observed at North Korean nuclear tests, and that the two countries had apparently exchanged information about nuclear weapon components and enrichment processes. But Forbes also claims that since Iran and South Korean began exploring the expansion of bilateral cooperation, instances of cooperation between Iran and the North Korean communist dictatorship had decreased somewhat. And while this qualified result may be little comfort to those who see Iran as gaining access to money that it can use to ramp up its clandestine nuclear activities, it may nonetheless point to the potential for the further impact of South Korean trade on Tehrans foreign policy decision-making. [May 03, 2016] Fitch Rates AT&T's Senior Unsecured Offering 'A-'; Outlook Stable Fitch Ratings rates AT&T (News - Alert) Inc.'s (AT&T; NYSE: T) senior unsecured notes 'A-'. The notes, under several series, are being issued under the same terms as previous AT&T notes. The additional 2019 notes are offered under the same terms as the $1.1 billion 2.3% senior unsecured notes due 2019 issued in March 2014. The additional 2021 notes are offered under the same terms as the $1.25 billion 2.8% senior unsecured notes due 2021 issued in February 2016. The additional 2023 notes are offered under the same terms as the $1.5 billion 3.6% senior unsecured notes due 2023 issued in February 2016. The additional 2026 notes are offered under the same terms as the $1.75 billion 4.125% senior unsecured notes due 2026 issued in February 2016. Finally, the additional 2044 notes are offered under the same terms as the $2 billion 4.8% senior unsecured notes due 2044 issued in June 2014. Proceeds will be used to pay down amounts outstanding on AT&T's $9.155 billion credit agreement. Amounts outstanding under the tranche A portion of the facility total $6.286 billion and are due March 2018, while amounts outstanding under the tranche B portion of the facility total $2.869 billion and begin amortizing in March 2018, with 25% payable before the final due date in March 2020. AT&T's Long-Term Issuer Default Rating (IDR) is 'A-'. The Rating Outlook is Stable. KEY RATING DRIVERS Large Scale and Financial Flexibility: The 'A-' rating assigned to AT&T is underpinned by the company's diversified revenue mix, its significant size and economies of scale as the largest telecommunications operator in the U.S., solid free cash flow (FCF) following the DIRECTV acquisition, and Fitch's expectation that it will benefit from continued growth in wireless operating cash flow. Deleveraging Expected: AT&T intends to delever to a net leverage target of 1.8x and to dedicate FCF after dividends and any asset sale proceeds to the reduction of debt over the three-year period following the completion of the DIRECTV transaction in July 2015. This and other transactions caused 2015 pro forma net core telecom leverage (which excludes securitized equipment installment receivable debt) to rise to approximately 2.3x from 1.8x at year-end 2014. After 2015, Fitch believes core telecom leverage will gradually decline, likely reaching approximately 2x by the end of 2017, which in Fitch's view is appropriate for the 'A-' rating. DIRECTV Acquisition: AT&T completed its acquisition of DIRECTV on July 24, 2015 for consideration of $47.1 billion. Consideration consisted of $14.4 billion of cash and equity of $32.7 billion, based on the value of AT&T's stock. In addition, DIRECTV had $15.9 billion in net debt for a total transaction value of $63 billion (about $4 billion less than when proposed due mainly to $2.7 billion less in net debt). Spectrum Licenses Acquired: Debt levels also increased due to the acquisition of spectrum in the Federal Communications Commission's (FCC (News - Alert)) AWS-3 spectrum auction, which closed at the end of January 2015. AT&T paid approximately $18.2 billion to acquire contiguous 10x10 MHz blocks of AWS-3 spectrum covering approximately 96% of the U.S. population. As this spectrum is deployed, it will increase capaity to support the rapid growth of data services on AT&T's mobile broadband network. Broadcast TV Spectrum (News - Alert) Auction: Potential spending in the FCC's 600 MHz TV broadcast auction, which started in March 2016 or potential participation in the Request for Proposals (RFP) process for the FirstNet nationwide public safety broadband network, is not included in Fitch's assumptions and will be an event driven consideration. Capital Spending: In 2016, Fitch expects consolidated capital spending to be in line with company guidance of $22 billion, slightly higher than the $20 billion spent in 2015 (total capital investment was $20.7 billion in 2015 inclusive of $700 million invested in Mexico under a vendor financing arrangement). Included in the $22 billion forecast is approximately $1 billion of capitalized interest. For the longer term, Fitch estimates capital spending will approximate 15% of service revenues. KEY ASSUMPTIONS --Consolidated revenues rise in the low- to mid-teens in 2016 primarily due to the full year effect of DIRECTV's results in operations. Thereafter, Fitch estimates revenue increases will be in the low-single digits approximating Fitch's estimates for GDP growth. EBITDA margins are forecast to be in the low 30% range during the forecast period. --There are no stock repurchases in the forecast as the company is focused on a three-year period of debt reduction. --In 2016, Fitch expects consolidated capital spending to be in line with company guidance of $22 billion, slightly higher than the $20 billion spent in 2015 (total capital investment was $20.7 billion in 2015 inclusive of $700 million invested in Mexico under a vendor financing arrangement). Included in the $22 billion forecast is approximately $1 billion of capitalized interest. For the longer term, Fitch estimates capital spending will approximate 15% of service revenues. For 2016, Fitch estimates FCF after dividends is expected to be in the range of $4 -- $6 billion. --Potential spending in the FCC's 600 MHz TV broadcast auction, which started in March 2016 or potential participation in the RFP process for the FirstNet nationwide public safety broadband network, is not included in Fitch's assumptions and will be an event-driven consideration. Summary of Financial Statement Adjustments - Financial statement adjustments that depart materially from those contained in the published financial statements of the relevant rated entity or obligor are disclosed below: --Securitized equipment installment receivables are not included in core telecom leverage and are included in off-balanced sheet debt. RATING SENSITIVITIES Positive Rating Action: Fitch believes a positive rating action is unlikely for AT&T in the foreseeable future, given the leverage incurred primarily through the DIRECTV acquisition and spending on spectrum. Negative Rating Action: Fitch may take a negative rating action if operating performance causes delevering to take place at a materially slower than anticipated pace, either alone or in combination with material debt-financed acquisitions. Discretionary management moves that cause leverage to rise above 2.5x, such as another material acquisition or stock repurchases, could lead to a negative action in the absence of a strong commitment to delever. LIQUIDITY Strong Liquidity Profile: At March 31, 2016 the company did not have any drawings on its revolving credit facility (RCF). AT&T entered into a new $12 billion RCF in December 2015, replacing a $5 billion RCF due 2018 and a $3 billion RCF due 2017. The principal financial covenant for the RCF requires debt-to-EBITDA, as defined, to be no more than 3.5x. At March 31, 2016, the company's reported cash and cash equivalents totalled $10 billion. At March 31, 2016, reported total debt outstanding was approximately $130.5 billion Debt Maturities: Relative to the company's cash, RCF availability, and modest expected FCF, Fitch believes upcoming debt maturities are manageable. In the remainder of 2016, approximately $5.6 billion matures, including $1.8 billion of putable debt that was not put. Date of Relevant Rating Committee: Sept. 28, 2015. Additional information is available on www.fitchratings.com. ALL FITCH CREDIT RATINGS ARE SUBJECT TO CERTAIN LIMITATIONS AND DISCLAIMERS. PLEASE READ THESE LIMITATIONS AND DISCLAIMERS BY FOLLOWING THIS LINK: HTTP://FITCHRATINGS.COM/UNDERSTANDINGCREDITRATINGS. IN ADDITION, RATING DEFINITIONS AND THE TERMS OF USE OF SUCH RATINGS ARE AVAILABLE ON (News - Alert) THE AGENCY'S PUBLIC WEBSITE 'WWW.FITCHRATINGS.COM'. PUBLISHED RATINGS, CRITERIA AND METHODOLOGIES ARE AVAILABLE FROM THIS SITE AT ALL TIMES. FITCH'S CODE OF CONDUCT, CONFIDENTIALITY, CONFLICTS OF INTEREST, AFFILIATE FIREWALL, COMPLIANCE AND OTHER RELEVANT POLICIES AND PROCEDURES ARE ALSO AVAILABLE FROM THE 'CODE OF CONDUCT' SECTION OF THIS SITE. FITCH MAY HAVE PROVIDED ANOTHER PERMISSIBLE SERVICE TO THE RATED ENTITY OR ITS RELATED THIRD PARTIES. DETAILS OF THIS SERVICE FOR RATINGS FOR WHICH THE LEAD ANALYST IS BASED IN AN EU-REGISTERED ENTITY CAN BE FOUND ON THE ENTITY SUMMARY PAGE FOR THIS ISSUER ON THE FITCH WEBSITE. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160503007138/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [May 03, 2016] ACI Solutions and Intelligenx Launch Revolutionary Cyber Security Platform ACI Solutions, a provider of secure IT services ranging from unified communications to cyber security for government and enterprise clients; and Intelligenx, a provider of the next generation of Threat Intelligence Software where the human factor is the key component identifying actors behind any Cyber attack. Cyber Security threats such as hacking, ransomware, social engineering and the constantly evolving risks have become increasingly prevalent for all industries both in the U.S. and abroad. As these attacks continue to rise, business and government agencies have few and limited resources to help combat cyber terrorism. The wealth and depth of information easily accessed by hackers is overwhelming. Simply put, organizations face ever-growing exposure to unknown entities working over-time to take down firewalls and access the most sensitive of information. "Companies and government agencies are often forced into a position of being reactive vs. proactive with cyber-security threats. Ultimately driving them to implement a system or software solution that does not fully meet their needs," said Partner and Chief Operating Officer, Peter Furness of ACI Solutions. "We have developed new techniques and products using our proprietary algorithms, combining them with the most modern techniques of Data Extraction, Cross Referencing and Analysis of information available in any Data Source (News - Alert), including Deep Web and Social Feeds," said President, Pablo Abdian of Intelligenx. The all encompassing solution provided by ACI and Intelligenx offers a multi-faceted platform that performs a thorough Vulnerability Assessment, Threat Analysis, and Implementation of end to end Cyber Security Solution, while collectively reducing risk with ongoing support of Predictive Analysis Software, and Social Hunting Algorithms. The Cybe Security Solution allows for increased insight and awareness of existing programs, while drastically increasing their effectiveness. With decades of experience, a deep understanding of the cyber security landscape coupled with cutting-edge technologies and tools, ACI and Intelligenx lead the way for a full-service Cyber Security Platform, eliminating challenges faced from the "Human Factor" while de-anonymization the attackers behind cyber threats using Artificial Intelligence Components. ACI & Intelligenx's Cyber Security Platform Solution is now offered to commercial clients, private entities, and government agencies. Please contact the team for more information on pricing and availability. For more information, please contact: [email protected]. About ACI Solutions, Inc. At ACI Solutions our mission is to move your mission forward. We are more than just IT and software technology experts: we're dedicated trainers, mentors, and customer service professionals that put our clients' needs first. Founded in 2001, ACI Solutions is an advanced technology service provider, delivering solutions and support to a wide range of Federal and Public sector clients. Celebrating over 15 years of business, ACI has a long-standing reputation of providing outstanding advanced technology engineering, Cyber Security, managed services, staff augmentation and program support to a diverse client base. ACI has a proven history of performing and delivering on complex projects, requiring our company to simultaneously manage multiple task orders, which all range in services. Learn more at: www.acisolutions.net. About Intelligenx Inc. Intelligenx enables you to regain control of information security with a variety of solutions that provide adaptable fast environments. We take you a step further on Security and one step ahead of the threats. Intelligenx aggregates all information security data across systems, employees and social markers to provide a single integrated view of your safety. Companies and Government agencies have been suffering from attacks by a variety of groups and technologies around the world. After 2 decades of providing talented teams and solutions to the market, it became evident that the industry needed a decentralized and secure solution to fill the gap. For that reason, Intelligenx set out to identify and alert our clients of threats using Analytics as our basic approach. We generate adaptive and self-evolving platforms using cutting-edge concepts, powered by a constantly growing interdisciplinary work team. Learn more at: http://intelligenx.com/. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160503007186/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [May 04, 2016] Hypori Named First Virtual Mobile Device Approved by NSA for U.S. Government Classified Use AUSTIN, Texas, May 4, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Hypori announces its approval by the United States government as the first Virtual Mobile Infrastructure (VMI) vendor to meet the stringent requirements for classified mobility. The Hypori platform is now listed as a validated component on the National Security Agency (NSA) Commercial Solutions for Classified (CSfC) Program Components List in the TLS Software Applications category. Listing on the CSfC list enables organizations to leverage commercial products and protocols for the protection of national security information. The CSfC listing allows Hypori to be deployed to government agencies and other organizations that require mobility to adhere to stringent security standards. Recently, the platform was awarded the Common Criteria Certification from the National Information Assurance Partnership (NIAP), further validating the product's rigorous security standards. Hypori's mobile solution meets the compliance and security standards for various organizations and regulated industries like financial services, healthcare and payments. Hypori enables organizations, like the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD), to overcome their most significant mobile challenges, like data-at-rest (DAR) and attestation. The company's VMI platform is a mobile-first, thin client solution that streams mobile applications running in the cloud or sanctioned datacenter to iPads, iPhones and Android mobile devices. All apps and data remain within the organization- even if a device is lost, important data is not compromised. "There is huge demand from high ranking public officials to use everyday mobile applications for classified work," said Hypori CTO, Brian Vetter, "We are excited that Hypori's software will enable the transformation of mobile technologies to support the critical needs of our nation's senior leaders as well as the many individuals and contractors who require access to classified information and services. The CSfC and Common Criteria certifications are not just relevant for government organizations, highly regulated industries such as financial services, healthcare and the payments industries also look to these kinds of certifications as validation and assurance of the secureness of the Hypori solution." "Hypori is a good match for security services, government healthcare and other organizations where secure access to processes is required and the loss of data, or a device holding data and encryption keys, is not acceptable." Richard Absalum, Hypori On the Radar Report. To learn more about Hypori, please visit http://www.hypori.com About Hypori At Hypori, we are passionate about mobility. We believe that secure mobility does not have to come at the expense of end user privacy or usability. Founded in 2011, we have built a user-centric solution to address mobility and compliance requirements, especially for regulated industries including healthcare, financial services, public sector and payments. Hypori's Virtual Mobile Infrastructure (VMI) platform provides the rich mobile experience users expect while keeping all enterprise data and applications completely off the user's device. Learn how you can realize your mobile initiatives without having to wrap or modify applications at: www.hypori.com. Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160325/348100LOGO To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/hypori-named-first-virtual-mobile-device-approved-by-nsa-for-us-government-classified-use-300262200.html SOURCE Hypori [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [May 04, 2016] Bamboo Solutions Releases 11 SharePoint 2016 Products RESTON, Virginia, May 4, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Bamboo Solutions, the leading provider of solutions for Microsoft SharePoint, today released 11 products for SharePoint 2016, enabling users to choose a product from one of the largest portfolios for SharePoint solutions on the market, with more on the way. Since 2001, Bamboo Solutions has increased its reputation and standing as the provider of choice for SharePoint- enhancing solutions and world-leading support and services. Anders Johnsson, Chief Executive Officer of Bamboo Solutions, said: "This continues to be an exciting time and Bamboo Solutions is deeply involved, carefully creating and preparing SharePoint 2016 products that extend the functionality of SharePoint while maximizing productivity." The newly released products will enable organizations to utilize practical and effective business applications specifically built for SharePoint 2016 along with a comprehensive portfolio which covers a road spectrum of communication and collaboration needs, including Project Management, Knowledge Management, Workflow, and many purpose-built web parts. The release comes hot on the heels of Microsoft announcing the general availability release of SharePoint 2016 today. A few of the new features in SharePoint 2016 will allow users to: Choose from extremely flexible deployment options: on-premises, cloud, or hybrid Lower IT costs and streamline workflows with features such as MinRole and Data Loss Prevention (DLP) Deploy fixes and upgrades with minimum downtime or user disruption with Zero Downtime Deploy and manage solutions across on-premises and cloud with virtually infinite storage using the SQL Server 2016 Seamlessly incorporate data mobility capacity using OneDrive for Business in Office 365 For more information on Bamboo products and resources for SharePoint 2016, visit our SharePoint 2016 resources site. ABOUT Bamboo Solutions is a global provider of innovative software solutions and services for the management of applications, processes and data for Microsoft SharePoint and Office 365. Since 2001, Bamboo has provided a broad range of enhanced capabilities that allow organizations to get the most out of their investment. Find us at bamboosolutions.com, facebook.com/BambooSolutions or twitter.com/BambooNation. Contact: Lillian Mitchell, Marketing Director, Bamboo Solutions [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [email protected] Acquires Dresser & Associates, the Top Sage HRMS Solutions Provider [email protected], a leading provider of integrated business technology solutions, today announced it has acquired Dresser & Associates (Dresser), a Sage North America business partner specializing in the sales, installation, and support of Sage HRMS. For three consecutive years, Dresser has been Sage's number one HRMS reseller, providing clients across North America with flexible, customized HR, payroll and talent management solutions. The acquisition supplements, strengthens and expands [email protected]'s Sage HRMS and Employer Solutions Practice, giving middle market companies a one-stop service for all their HR and business technology needs. Dresser clients will now have access to [email protected]'s award-winning Sage team, providing unmatched support for their existing Sage HRMS and related systems, while delivering a complete range of technologies and services to help them grow their business, including: ERP/Accounting, customer relationship management (CRM), document management, web development, eCommerce, marketing automation and Cloud/Managed IT services. "We're thrilled to welcome Mark and his formidable team into the [email protected] fold, as their addition takes our already strong employer solutions practice to the next level," said Alex Solomon, co-President and co-owner of [email protected] "They've been the top Sage HRMS reseller for several reasons: their unmatched expertise in the HR technology space, their deep understanding of HR, payroll and talent management processes, and, not least, their customer-centric focus. We look forward to working with the Dresser team and with their clients, who will immediately reap the benefits of a full-service shop that understands their business and can support their growth every step of the way to effectively compete and grow." Dresser & Associates has been named to the Sage Chairman's Club for five consecutive years and has been a top three Sage HRMS reseller for the past 15 years. The Dresser team will remain headquartered in Maine. "This is a very exciting development, as [email protected] gives us the ability to provide our customers with a total integrated solution and comprehensive support that has made [email protected] the benchmark in the Sage world," said Mark Dresser, CEO and founder of Dresser & Associates, now [email protected]'s Practice Director of Employer Solutions. "Beyond the synergies between us, we came to realize the similarities in our respective cultures and customer-centric, consultative approaches. Our customers should expect a smooth, seamless transition, as they will now have unfettered access to a complete, centrally managed IT solutions portfolio that gives them the support, infrastructure and tools needed to more effectively compete." About [email protected] Founded in 1996 as a network support company, [email protected] has evolved into a provider of a full range of IT services and solutions, including ERP, CRM, HRMS, document management systems, eCommerce, web development and systems integration. Headquartered in NYC with offices across North America, their professional services staff of 180 plus supports over 6,000 clients. The company has received numerous awards for its high level of client satisfaction. Partnerships with proven technology leaders, including Sage, NetSuite, Magento, Abila, Microsoft, Dell, HP, Citrix (News - Alert) and VMware, allow [email protected] to deliver a range of unbiased, integrated solutions that bring its clients every competitive advantage possible. For more information on [email protected] please call 1-800-719-3307 or visit www.netatwork.com. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160504006183/en/ [May 04, 2016] Dave Hansen Named Interim CEO and Board Chairman of OnX Companies IT industry vet to continue as an Operating Executive at Marlin Operations Group TORONTO, May 4, 2016 /CNW/ -- The OnX companies OnX Enterprise Solutions, OnX Managed Services and Momentum Digital Solutions together composing a leading enterprise technology solutions integrator, today announced the appointment of Dave Hansen as new Chairman of the Board and interim CEO. He succeeds Michael Cox, who retired as CEO at the end of April after three years. Hansen will continue as an Operating Executive at Marlin Operations Group, Inc., an exclusive consulting firm affiliated with Marlin Equity Partners, the private equity firm that is the majority owner of OnX. He will remain as chairman of the board at OnX after a new CEO is found. "I'm thrilled to be joining OnX at such a key moment in its history," Hansen said. "Under the guidance of Michael Cox, OnX has begun transforming into a technology services and solutions powerhouse and I look forward to furthering that initiative with OnX's dynamic team of leaders." "I'm leaving OnX in great hands," said Cox, who joind OnX as U.S. president in February 2013 and was named CEO later that year. "Dave has a long record of success in the industry and will provide valuable guidance as interim CEO and chairman of the board of directors." Hansen is a 30-year veteran of the IT industry and has held a number of leadership positions at prominent firms. Before joining Marlin Operations Group in 2015, he was vice president and general manager of sales, marketing and services at Dell Software. Prior to that, he was president and CEO of SafeNet in Belcamp, Md. In 2012, he was vice president and general manager of BMC Software after that company acquired Numara Software, of which he had been president and CEO. Before that, Hansen spent ten years with CA Technologies, where he held a number of positions at the corporate senior vice president and general manager levels, responsible for enterprise solutions, cloud products, security management products and other areas. He is a graduate of Lakehead University in Thunder Bay, Ontario, and got his start in IT in the pulp paper business and education sectors in his native Canada. The search for a new CEO at OnX is underway and is being led by Hansen. Hansen and his family live in the Dallas area. About OnX Enterprise Solutions OnX Enterprise Solutions is a leading global provider of technology services and solutions. The company assesses, designs, builds, secures and manages complete technology environments with specific expertise in Next-Gen Data Center & Hybrid Cloud, IT-as-a-Service, Information Management & Analytics, and Digital & User Experience. For more than 30 years, OnX has helped clients achieve exceptional business results that accelerate their growth and value. OnX's team of more than 600 IT professionals work at OnX offices throughout North America and in the U.K., with global headquarters in Toronto, Canada and U.S. headquarters in New York, NY. OnX is a privately held company and majority owned by Marlin Equity Partners. For more information about OnX and career opportunities, visit www.OnX.com. Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160504/363608LOGO To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/dave-hansen-named-interim-ceo-and-board-chairman-of-onx-companies-300262820.html SOURCE OnX [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] CHARLESTON -- Arbor Rose Memory Care Homes and Eastern Illinois University are partnering to eventually allow students to work with dementia and Alzheimer's patients and their families in a new facility that will be constructed soon. Arbor Rose Memory Care Homes, which specialize in Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia care, will be opening up a residence that will house 8-10 residents with an option for about four day care residents exclusively for these people in June. In August, work on an activities center addition onto the facility where Family Consumer Sciences students will later on work with the residents as part of their classes will be done as well. Linda Simpson, EIU Family Consumer Sciences chair, said the Aging Studies Program at Eastern, with collaboration with Arbor Rose, will be able to weave the curriculum and facility together. Work for Family Consumer Sciences classes will eventually entail getting hands-on work at the facility. It will be a place where students can come visit with the residents, Simpson said. It will be a great hands-on experience for our students. While the facility will be done around the time classes start in the fall, actual coursework will likely not be incorporated immediately, Simpson said. She said in the beginning stages, students will probably tour the facility and do small activities with the patients. Going forward, Simpson and Tonya Green, Charleston Arbor Rose director, will be working together to find and develop activities that will allow the students to interact with residents and their families, while also providing a comfortable experience for the residents themselves. They might go on a walk with a resident, do an activity, Green said. Green, who approached Eastern with the idea, said she and the owners, Brent and Luz Zabka and Patty and Tim Yow, wanted a way in which the community and Eastern could work together, and thought this would be a good way to do so. The activity center, where students will have large access to do activities with residents, will include a walking path, theater room, soda fountain and beauty shop, along with several games the residents can interact with. We are really focusing on having sensory activities, Green said. With dementia, to prevent agitation, we like to redirect with fun activities. Tim Yow said as they construct the activities center, they are also collaborating with Eastern on advice on what activities would be good to add. The facilities use for students will go beyond doing activities with patients. Patty Yow said students will be able to participate in hands-on work in other aspects such as planting around the building. Simpson said students might also be able to help prepare nutrition plans for the residents in the future. Simpson said all areas of Family Consumer Sciences as well as other areas of study at Eastern will benefit from this collaboration with Arbor Rose. DECATUR -- Law enforcement officials from various central Illinois counties have begun to investigate the feasibility of a shared emergency communication center. While details remain scant, the proposed idea would include the construction of a 15,000 square foot, state of the art communication center to be built in Macon County. The center would provide 24/7 professional dispatching services to all law enforcement, fire and emergency medical services within the region. A proposed $67,000 study to investigate the potential of a regional center has been discussed and approved by the Macon County finance and justice committees. It is expected to pass at the May 12 meeting of the full board. The study, to be paid for by a donation from the Howard G. Buffett Foundation, would investigate the total cost of the project and potential cost-savings that could occur if municipalities were to consolidate their centers, said Macon County Sheriff Thomas Schneider. Our whole view on this comes down: We know down the road there will be limited funds coming down the road to counties from state and local means for 911 services, Schneider said. Well have to do more with less and we want to look at what our options are. The sheriffs department has been in contact with the SAFR Group, a Boston-based professional consulting firm, to conduct the study. Once started, the study is expected to be done within two months, Schneider said. Informal meetings and discussions with representatives from Shelby, Christian, Moultrie, DeWitt and Fayette counties have been conducted, and Macon County Lt. Jonathan Butts said those representatives have all expressed interest in at least conducting the study. Officials from other counties in the region said it simply makes sense to at least explore the option of a shared communication center. Itd be remiss of me not to look into it, said Christian County Sheriff Bruce Kettelkamp. If we can save the taxpayers money, then this is a win-win. But we need to see the numbers and whether it will save money before we move forward. Christian County currently has eight full-time dispatchers, who cover all of the smaller departments outside of Taylorville and Pana. If they were to move to a larger, state of the art center, Kettelkamp said it could improve communications between agencies. In addition, a move could potentially allow his department to talk back-and-forth with the state police, as they currently cannot afford to use the radio communications network used by the Illinois State Police. Were having serious problems funding our 911 the way it is because the state is not making the payments to us, Kettelkamp said. The idea of a consolidated call center is not new to Dewitt County, which a few years ago brought the call centers for the city of Clinton and Farmer City, as well as the county and the 911 board, under one roof. The move was a mixture of a cost-saving effort as well as one that helped streamline communication between the agencies, said Chief Deputy Mike Walker of the countys sheriffs department. With similar budget issues for other smaller counties and the uncertain future of Clinton Power Station, Walker said there are reasons to consider all their options. One potential issue representatives have acknowledged is one that often comes with talks of consolidation: job loss. More information on the number of jobs held at the potential new center should be made available upon completion of the study. Walker said he has heard the anxiety over the potential consolidation of the local call center and the future of its 10 full-time employees, but he reiterated that no agencies have agreed to anything more than a study. Itd be foolish of us to say that we would want to do this without seeing the numbers, Miller said. "At this point, we really don't know how this will shake out, who will be a part of it or whether it will even come to fruition." Three former TierOne Bank executives have been ordered to pay more than $3.1 million in restitution for their roles in covering up problems at the Lincoln-based bank that led to its eventual downfall. U.S. District Judge John Gerrard on Wednesday ordered former CEO Gilbert Lundstrom, former President James Laphen and former chief credit officer Don Langford to jointly pay $3,122,696. The three together will be responsible for $500,000 while Lundstrom and Laphen will be jointly responsible for the other $2,622,696. In his order, Gerrard wrote that the amount "represents the losses suffered by identified shareholders on shares of TierOne stock purchased during the fraud period and sold after the disclosure of the fraud." The fraud period determined by the court was Feb. 23-Nov. 9, 2009. That covers the date on which TierOne filed a fraudulent financial statement through the date on which it revealed its true financial condition. In March, Lundstrom was sentenced to 11 years in federal prison for orchestrating a scheme to conceal losses on real estate loans from regulators and shareholders. Laphen and Langford, who pleaded guilty to felony charges related to their roles in the cover-up and testified against Lundstrom, were sentenced to 34 months and 21 months in prison, respectively. In a presentence report for Lundstrom, prosecutors had suggested potential restitution of more than $53 million, which encompassed all stock losses as well as the cost of the bank's failure borne by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. TierOne's closure in June 2010 remains the largest failure of a Nebraska-based bank in history. At Lundstrom's sentencing, Gerrard himself had suggested the loss to shareholders was $24.4 million, but he said at the time that number could change. Gerrard ordered Lundstrom and Laphen to each make initial payments of $1 million, followed by monthly payments of $2,500 until restitution is paid in full. Langford was ordered to make an initial payment of $25,000 followed by monthly payments of $100 a month or 3 percent of his income, whichever is greater, until his portion of the restitution is paid. Lundstrom, who is appealing his sentence, is in prison. Laphen and Langford are set to begin their sentences next month. Robert Allyn Christiansen, 80, of Lincoln, passed away on April 26, 2016, in Sun City West, Ariz. He was born on December 21, 1935, in Minden, the son of Elmer and Helen Christiansen, and spent his childhood on his parent's farm along Stevens Creek in Lincoln. He attended Lincoln Northeast High School, graduating with a Regents Scholarship which made it possible for him to attend the University of Nebraska. There he received his degree in mechanical engineering. While at UNL he was employed at National Crane in Waverly as an engineering intern. After graduation he moved to Ventura, Calif., to work as an aerospace engineer at Naval Air Station Pt Mugu, where he met Shirley. They were married on October 11, 1959, and together raised their five children. In 1964 Robert took a position at NASA's Ames Research Center at Moffit Field in the San Francisco Bay Area, where his projects included participating in the development of the Unmanned Spacecraft Program, to include the Pioneer Spacecraft. In 1977 the family moved from California to Nebraska, where they built their house and farmed the property on which Robert was raised. In addition to returning to the farm of his youth, Robert would also return to work at National Crane, where he would eventually become the vice president of manufacturing. He is survived by his wife, Shirley, their five children: Jack, Kurt, Erik, Karen, and Gregg, their spouses, and 14 grandchildren whom he loved dearly and greatly appreciated spending time with. He often reminded us that he was here at a good time, and that he had a good time while he was here. His work, his family, and his interests took him around the globe and across the equator, where he immersed himself in the history, architecture, and nature of all the places he actively sought out and even those that he accidentally found himself in. It is with all certainty that he is standing at the bow once again, taking in all he possibly can on his next voyage. "Weep not for him, for he rides the sea tonight. His compass trembling toward the North Star's light." Fair winds and following seas to you, Dad. We are all standing on your broad shoulders. Each week, the Lincoln Journal Star will bring you a list of the upcoming holidays dedicated to the foods we eat -- or need to try. Holiday fare for May 4-10 takes on a very international flavor: May 4: National Candied Orange Peel Day. Probably not your familys go-to sweet, this holiday commemorates the creation of these boiled, sliced and boiled again in sugar peels. Although chefs and bakers often use these in holiday meal preparation, they also make a tasty treat all by themselves. May 5: National Enchilada Day. An appropriate food to celebrate on Cinco de Mayo. According to foodimentary.com, enchiladas originated in Mexico, where the practice of rolling tortillas around other food dates back at least to Mayan times. The enchilada is one of the dishes mentioned in Mexicos first cookbook, El Cocinero Mexicano published in 1831. May 5 also marks National Hoagie Day, commemorating the Official Sandwich of Philadelphia. May 6: National Crepe Suzette Day. There are two stories about the naming of this French crepe topped with sugar and Grand Marnier and set ablaze. The first, and less exciting, says this crepe got its name from French actress Suzanne Reichenberg (18531924), who worked professionally under the name Suzette. The second story says the dish was actually made by mistake by a 14-year-old waiter Henri Charpentier in 1895, as he prepared a dessert for the Prince of Wales. Suzette was a beautiful French girl attending that dinner. May 7: National Homebrew Day. Created in 1988 by the American Homebrewers Association (AHA), this holiday is celebrated on the first Saturday in May with a Big Brew in which thousands of homebrewers come together to simultaneously brew the same beer, according to the AHA. May 8: National Coconut Cream Pie Day. Although the coconut is known for its healthy nutrients, the cream pie portion of this treat no doubt negates those health benefits. Coconut, itself, is a good seed: its oils accelerate the metabolism; and traditionally, its water has been used when commercial IV solutions of plasma have not been available; and it contains hormones and sets of chromosomes said to help the development of many organisms, according to foodimentary.com. May 9: National Shrimp Day. Shrimp can vary in size from -inch to 12 inches. Some glow in the dark. But all start out as males, and later a few transform into females. The finger-sized pistol shrimp is one of the worlds deadliest creatures. It uses its claws like a handgun firing a 62 mph bubble bullet that stuns its prey, according to NationalGeographic.com. May 10: National Liver and Onions Day. This is one food holiday that leaves us holding our noses. Once a popular menu item in family diners and American homestyle restaurants, liver and onions has slipped in popularity here. But elsewhere it remains a favorite meal including in the United Kingdom and Germany, where it is eaten with boiled or mashed potatoes, and France, according to foodimentary.com. With incivility running high in our politics and society, we sure could use a dose of sanity from Will Rogers, one of America's greatest humorists. The words he spoke about elections during the Great Depression are as helpful to us now as they were then. "If you ever injected truth into politics you have no politics" "One of the evils of democracy is you have to put up with the man you elect whether you want him or not. That's why we call it democracy." "Both gangs have been bad sports, so see if at least one can't redeem themselves by offering no alibis, but cooperate with the winner, for no matter which one it is, the poor fellow is going to need it." As king of the velvet-tipped barb, Rogers never intended to be mean but rather to bring us to our senses. One of his favorite subjects was to remind the political class that it worked for us not the other way around. "When Congress makes a joke, it's a law, and when they make a law, it's a joke." "You can't hardly find a law school in the country that don't, through some inherent weakness, turn out a senator or congressman from time to time ... if their rating is real low, even a president." "The more you observe politics, the more you've got to admit that each party is worse than the other." Our current presidential election cycle is the nuttiest of my lifetime, but Rogers reminds us that politics and nuttiness have been close cousins for a long time. "Congress meets tomorrow morning. Let us all pray: Oh Lord, give us strength to bear that which is about to be inflicted upon us. Be merciful with them, oh Lord, for they know not what they're doing. Amen." "This country has gotten where it is in spite of politics, not by the aid of it. That we have carried as much political bunk as we have and still survived shows we are a super nation." "We all joke about Congress but we can't improve on them. Have you noticed that no matter who we elect, he is just as bad as the one he replaces?" Here! Here! Rogers was born and raised on a farm in Oklahoma. His wit reflected the heart of America the horse sense, square dealing and honesty that are the bedrock of our success. His country wisdom gave him great insight into the silliness in Washington, D.C. "A politician is not as narrow-minded as he forces himself to be." "It's getting so if a man wants to stand well socially, he can't afford to be seen with either the Democrats or the Republicans." "America has the best politicians money can buy." If there's one thing we are short on these days, it is levity the art of not taking ourselves or our politics too emotionally and too seriously. We're sitting on a pile of debt, entitlement costs are about to soar, economic growth has been tepid for years now and a lot of people are hurting. Can we please put these issues at the top of the discussion list, please. Getting back our sense of humor is one way to do that if we have any hope of surviving this nutty election cycle. To that end, I think we can all agree on this Will Rogers quote: "There is only one redeeming thing about this whole election. It will be over at sundown, and let everybody pray that it's not a tie, for we couldn't go through with this thing again." When the six finalists for Lincoln police chief spoke at a public reception early in April, a common refrain was that the Lincoln Police Department was in good shape no makeover needed. The editorial board concurs in that assessment. Lincoln has a low crime rate and a remarkably efficient department that is small for the citys population and geographical size. Credit retired Police Chief Jim Peschong, and his predecessor Tom Casady, who now serves as Public Safety Director. One departmental strength is a data-driven approach to allocating resources. Perhaps more importantly, the department is distinguished by a long emphasis on community policing. The department works to nurturing a positive relationship with the community. Notably, compliments for the department came from a broad spectrum when Peschong announced he was stepping down. For example, Lincoln civil rights attorney Shirley Mora James said that under Peschongs leadership, I think that we have one of the best law enforcement teams in the country. Two years ago LPD was complimented by ACLU Nebraska for the way it handled citizen complaints, particularly for making it easy for citizens to take the first step of filing a complaint. In his blog, Casady wrote that Peschong has helped to cement the value of citizen engagement as a part of our DNA. Jeff Bliemeister, picked by Mayor Chris Beutler to replace Peschong, seems to have a management style and skill set to continue the departments current success. Bliemeister, who was serving as chief deputy in the Lancaster County Sheriffs Office, is already familiar with the community. Bliemeister, 44, has been with the sheriffs office for 20 years. His career there gave him broad experience, including patrol, criminal investigation, narcotics, tactical response and field training officers and supervisors. He has a degree in biology from Nebraska Wesleyan University and a masters degree in management from Doane College He is involved with various community organizations. In an interview Monday with the Journal Star editorial board Bliemeister said he spent his first week on the job beginning the process of getting to know approximately 460 staffers (326 officers) in the department. Developing personal relationships, he said, will help him get the input from the rank and file officers that he wants. Bliemeister left no doubt that he respects and values the departments community engagement. Being a police officer is a demanding job, whether the person behind the badge is a rookie in a cruiser or behind the desk in the chiefs office. Community trust is crucial. We wish Bliemeister success. I met Patsy Koch-Johns in 1968 when we were freshmen at Kearney State. I had never seen such energy in someone that small. She may be tiny but she is fierce: fierce in her quest for knowledge, fierce in her love for her family and the myriad of friends who flocked to her magnetic personality, fierce in her determination to become a teacher. Nebraska was knocked out of the Republican presidential race Tuesday night just one week before its presidential primary when Indiana Republicans chased Sen. Ted Cruz out of the GOP contest. Cruz had scheduled a noon rally in Lincoln on Wednesday to launch his Nebraska primary battle with Donald Trump. But Trump's landslide victory over Cruz in Indiana prompted the Texas senator to end his candidacy, in effect clearing the path for Trump"s nomination at the Republican national convention in July. "I want to thank Ted Cruz for his willingness to serve our nation," state Sen. John Murante of Gretna said Tuesday night. Murante, chairman of Cruz's Nebraska campaign, said Cruz "has a bright future leading the conservative cause (and) it was an honor to work with Senator Cruz," his family and his campaign team. For Nebraska Republicans, the sudden end of their presidential contest at a moment when they finally were about to have a voice in the selection of their party's nominee was a clear disappointment. Normally, the relatively late date of Nebraska's primary election means the party's presidential race has been settled long before Nebraska Republicans get to vote. But this year they almost got to be part of the choosing process. Almost. Cruz already was battling math and momentum when Indiana voters went to the polls, but his overwhelming loss to Trump effectively closed any pathway to victory and he pulled the plug on his uphill campaign. Although Trump has continuously outperformed expectations, Nebraska appeared to be a state where Cruz might have won. Gov. Pete Ricketts may have been prepared to endorse the senator at the Lincoln rally. Nebraska has "the makings of a stumbling block" for Trump, the Wall Street Journal suggested on Tuesday, with local officials "hostile toward his campaign." Trump already had opened his Nebraska campaign with a direct-mail appeal, roughly $200,000 in TV ad reservations and the expectation of an appearance in Omaha later in the week, although it was unclear whether that event will occur now. The TV ad buy was reported by The New York Times. The Trump literature that began showing up in Nebraska mailboxes argues that "Donald Trump in the White House means jobs in Nebraska." The mailer states that "your Nebraska community has been hit hard by disastrous trade deals cut by DC politicians" and describes Cruz as "the DC job destroyer." Thirty-six delegates to the Republican national convention are at stake in Nebraska's primary election with their votes bound to support the primary victor for the first two ballots at the GOP convention. Neither Sen. Deb Fischer nor Sen. Ben Sasse has endorsed either of the two candidates, although Sasse has argued strongly against Trump's nomination since the primary season opened in Iowa. Fischer endorsed Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida at an earlier stage of the Republican contest. Leading Nebraska Republican officeholders began to adapt themselves Wednesday to the approaching reality of Donald Trump as their presidential nominee, viewing him as the alternative to Hillary Clinton. "He was not my first choice," Rep. Jeff Fortenberry of Lincoln said, "but I will not do anything to empower Hillary Clinton and the same failed political establishment." "We cannot have another four years of Obama administration policies," Rep. Adrian Smith of Gering said. Both congressmen responded by email to an inquiry about whether they are ready to support Trump now that he appears positioned to be their party's nominee. Fortenberry, who originally supported Carly Fiorina for the GOP nomination, included some personal flexibility in his response. "I reserve the right to survey the national political landscape for candidates at all levels who reflect a proper understanding of our national security, economic security and family security -- the ideals of social conservatism, the heart and strength of our country," he said. Smith said he is committed to support his party's nominee. "I have always been committed to upholding the nomination process, and I will support the nominee and work to advance the conservative principles of the Republican Party," he said. "As we move toward the convention, we must bring the party together with the overarching goal of preventing a Hillary Clinton presidency," Smith said. Sen. Deb Fischer, who originally endorsed Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, had earlier signaled her intention to support the party's nominee. That leaves Sen. Ben Sasse as the only Republican member of Nebraska's congressional delegation who has stated that he could not support Trump if he's the party's nominee. Sasse made his views known once again this week on Twitter, as he often does. "The path to national recovery is getting longer -- as both broken parties move closer to nominating fundamentally dishonest 2016 candidates," he tweeted Tuesday night. "Overwhelming majority of Americans think both the D and R frontrunners are dishonest," he later added. "Reporters keep asking if Indiana changes anything for me," Sasse tweeted. "The answer is simple: No." Texas Sen. Ted Cruz bowed out of the Republican race on Tuesday night after Trump soundly defeated him in the Indiana primary election, clearing the last obstacle to Trump's nomination. Cruz's departure came one day before a scheduled Cruz campaign rally in Lincoln. Gov. Pete Ricketts, who had appeared ready to endorse Cruz in Nebraska's May 10 presidential primary election, has already stated he'll support the nominee chosen at the Republican national convention in Cleveland in July. Clinton has not yet wrapped up the Democratic nomination, but appears well-positioned to do so in her continuing struggle with Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders. TRENTON Authorities have released the names of two southwest Nebraska men who died in a murder-suicide. Hitchcock County Sheriff Bryan Leggott said in a news release that 49-year-old Robert Lawing fatally shot 58-year-old James Baxter before killing himself with the same stolen handgun. Deputies who were sent to a Trenton home early on April 27 found Lawing's body outside and Baxter's inside the residence. Leggott didn't say what events led to the shootings. Both men lived in Trenton. In a related incident, the Nebraska State Fire Marshal's Office says Lawing's home was destroyed by an arsonist two days after the shootings. No arrest has been reported. OMAHA No major changes resulted from the Nebraska Tourism Commission's first public meeting since last week's release of a damning state audit on the agency. But John Chapo, chairman of the nine-member commission, said Tuesday that a group of commissioners will "very quickly" dive into the financial and management issues which the audit brought to the public's attention. "We intend to get to the bottom of this, and we assume full responsibility for that process," Chapo said. "It is our job to fix this and to regain the public's trust." Chapo's comments came in response to a 79-page audit, released Friday, which criticized the agency for over-obligating its budget, allowing the advertising firm Bailey Lauerman to overrun its state contracts by $4.4 million and engaging in "questionable" spending, such as hiring pricey convention speakers and reimbursing the ad firm for alcohol and cigarettes. Auditors said Kathy McKillip, the commission's executive director, "exercised unilateral control" over many of the agency's activities. McKillip attended Tuesday's public meeting at the Omaha zoo but was among two dozen people told to step outside for about 35 minutes while commissioners held a closed session to discuss the audit. Chapo refused to say whether part of their talk focused on McKillip's job status. State law allows public bodies to meet in closed session to prevent "needless injury to the reputation of an individual." That includes but isn't limited to evaluating a person's work performance. "They've been nothing but amazingly supportive," McKillip said of the commissioners following the meeting. She said the audit gives her the opportunity to "tighten things up in the office." "Who wants this type of press? It's National Tourism Week." The commission agreed Tuesday to appoint four of its members to a subcommittee that will review the audit results and recommend possible fixes. Those could include personnel changes, Chapo said. Action could come during the commission's next quarterly meeting in August, perhaps sooner, he said. "I cannot look into a crystal ball and determine what they will bring." However, he said, "The commission has done everything it can today." The subcommittee will also help craft rules and regulations the commission is required to have under state law but never adopted after being spun out from under the Department of Economic Development in 2012. That move, which was overwhelmingly approved by the state Legislature, took Tourism out from under the governor's direct control. While the nine commission members are gubernatorial appointees, all were in place before Gov. Pete Ricketts took office and must be selected from specific options outlined in state law. Ricketts has said "people would be held accountable" if Tourism reported to him. McKillip's daughter and husband attended Tuesday's meeting, which included a presentation by Craig Kubicek, an assistant deputy state auditor who managed the Tourism Commission audit. Part of the audit questioned why the daughter, Emma McKillip, was chosen by Bailey Lauerman and paid $550 to work as a model for a nine-day, cross-state, expenses-paid photo shoot last June. Auditors raised questions about numerous costs from the trip, including reimbursing the advertising firm for bottles of hard liquor, beer, wine and cigarettes. A Bailey Laurman official says that money has since been returned to the state. While the trip itself was discussed during Tuesday's meeting, Emma McKillip's participation was not. After the meeting, Emma McKillip, who is 19, said media outlets have implied she consumed alcohol during the trip. "That is not true," she said. CALEDONIA A child who fell in a pool Tuesday evening was flown to Froedtert Hospital in Wauwatosa by Flight For Life. Someone at the scene administered CPR to the 4-year-old child at about 6:30 p.m. Tuesday when firefighters arrived at the 8400 block of Dunkelow Road, according to Caledonia Fire Chief Richard Roeder. Roeder said that firefighters took over CPR immediately and were able to maintain the child's airway. Firefighters transported the child to Wheaton Franciscan-All Saints hospital before Flight For Life flew the child to Froedtert. The child had a pulse throughout the firefighters' involvement, Roeder said. Roeder could not provide an update on the child's condition and was not sure how the child fell into the pool. RACINE With little discussion, the City Council on Tuesday night approved hiring a Chicago suburban planner who had been suspended from her present position as the citys new community development director. The council voted to hire Amy Connolly, who previously served as the director of planning in Tinley Park, Ill., a suburb south of Chicago. Connolly will start May 9 and make a salary of $115,480, said Racine City Administrator Tom Friedel. Thats a 2.7 percent pay increase from her last Tinley Park salary of $112,399. Connolly was one of 35 appointments and re-appointments recommended to the council for various positions and committees by Mayor John Dickert. The council voted on all 35 appointments together and they were approved by a 12-1 vote. Alderman Mike Shields cast the lone dissenting vote. Connolly was at Tuesdays meeting but did not address the council. She had not provided any comment at press time. Connolly will fill the office left vacant when previous development director Brian OConnell retired last July. She was recommended to fill the position by Dickert last Friday. Connolly was suspended and placed on administrative leave with pay Feb. 17 when Tinley Park officials decided to investigate the review process done by her department for a proposed low- and moderate-income apartment complex that has come under fire from residents. Dickert acknowledged Connollys current difficulties last Friday in a press release, but said last week he believed she was the right person for the job. Friedel reiterated that Tuesday night. We looked at that right away, Friedel said. We also interviewed other folks down in Tinley Park. We are confident that she is above reproach on this issue. City staff and a search firm thoroughly reviewed the situation and believed that Connolly acted properly at all times by following the law, and keeping her superiors and elected officials informed about the progress of the new development, Dickert said last week. Alderman member Sandy Weidner on Tuesday asked about the makeup of the search committee. There were no city council members on the committee, Friedel said. Friedel expects Connolly to hit the ground running next week. Development is booming and we need another person to help us. We need a person who can go to work right away, he said. We have seen a lot of slow times and now we have some good times. At Tinley Park, Connolly helped create a major downtown development plan, introduce innovative transportation projects, and propose new infrastructures for bicycles and pedestrians. Connolly has 20 years of experience in planning and economic development, along with degrees in political science and regional and community planning from Kansas State University. Before serving in Tinley Park, Connolly worked in Lansing, Mich., a municipality more like Racine than Tinley Park, Friedel said. Sometime you have to look at the totality of what a person has done and not just one thing, Friedel said. RACINE COUNTY When Democrats gather this summer to anoint their nominee, several votes will come from Racine County delegates. State Rep. Cory Mason and Meg Andrietsch, chairwoman of the Democratic Party of Racine County, were selected as delegates for former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. David Palmer, also of Racine County, will be a delegate for Vermont U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders. Delegates were selected at caucuses held in all eight congressional districts Sunday. The convention is set for July 25-28 in Philadelphia, where Clinton will likely be named the nominee. Ahead of Tuesdays Indiana presidential primary, Clinton was just 218 delegates short of the 2,383 delegates needed to clinch the nomination, according to an Associated Press count. After serving as a Barack Obama delegate at the 2008 convention, Mason said he was eager to nominate a candidate who could be the first woman elected president. The historic opportunity to help nominate the first African-American to run for and win the presidency is something I tell my kids about, said Mason, D-Racine. This will have a similar historic significance of being able to say I was there when Democrats nominated the first woman who went on to be president. These milestones matter deeply to people as close as members of my family but broadly in the community. It means a lot to people that who can attain the highest office in the land isnt just limited to people that look like me. It will mark the third consecutive convention for Andrietsch, who was an Obama delegate in 2008 and 2012. She hopes the event will be a unifying moment for Democrats, who have been divided over Clinton and Sanders. She noted Clinton, after a long primary battle with Obama in 2008, urged Obama be declared the nominee by acclamation at the convention. Assuming Clinton becomes the nominee, I would certainly hope Senator Sanders would show the same warmth and graciousness to encourage the entire delegation to support the nominee, Andrietsch said. Palmer could not be reached for comment. Delegates awarded proportionally Clinton and Sanders each got three delegates from the 1st Congressional District, which includes Racine County. The other Clinton delegate was Brad Schwanda, while Angie Aker and Cathy Brandstetter were selected as Sanders delegates. Democrats award delegates proportionally based on primary results. Sanders got 48 pledged delegates in Wisconsin compared to Clintons 38 after his decisive Wisconsin win April 5. Racine County will also be represented at the Republican National Convention. Bill Jaeck of Yorkville was chosen as a delegate during caucus meetings April 18. We dont often agree with former New York mayor Michael Bloomberg, who famously tried to ban supersized sugary sodas during his term in office and is regarded by many as a leading proponent of government nannyism. So we were surprised, and cheered, last weekend when Bloomberg addressed new graduates at the University of Michigan commencement exercises and lamented the coddling of todays university students by administrations that try to shield them from vigorous debate of ideas and told them it ill prepares them for the real world. For his efforts, Bloomberg got booed. Which perfectly underscored his point. Bloomberg told the graduates that one of the most valuable things they can get in a college education is that its important to know how to cooperate, listen carefully, think critically and resolve conflicts through reason, according to one news report. The fact that some university boards and administrations now bow to pressure and shield students from these ideas throu spaces, code words and trigger warnings is, in my view, a terrible mistake, Bloomberg said. The whole purpose of college is to learn how to deal with difficult situations not run away from them. A microaggression is exactly that: micro. And one of the most dangerous places on a college campus is a safe space, because it creates the false impression that we can insulate ourselves from those who hold different views. We cant do this, and we shouldnt try not in politics or in the workplace, he added. In the global economy, and in a democratic society, an open mind is the most valuable asset you can possess. We agree. Free speech and academic freedom should be the hallmarks of our universities and they can and should be the place where students and others weigh ideas, debate openly, critique fully under the concept that in an open marketplace of dialogue the best ideas will prevail. Too often today, that is not the case on our campuses. We have only to look up the road to Milwaukee where an associate professor at Marquette University, John McAdams, this week filed a lawsuit against the university after he was suspended for publicly criticizing a teaching assistant. McAdams had rebuked the teaching assistant in a post on his conservative blog after she wouldnt allow a student to voice opposition to gay marriage in an ethics class discussion and told him he didnt have a right to make homophobic comments in her class. Marquette ordered McAdams be suspended until next fall with the condition that he also admit that his conduct was wrong. McAdams says he did nothing wrong and was simply telling the truth about an incident between a graduate instructor and her student. If our universities only allow correct speech on our campuses, their students will ultimately be the poorer for it and they will not develop the skills for critical thinking that are necessary when they go out in the post-academic world. We would urge administrations to foster better dialogue and allow full discussions of ideas even ones that are considered distasteful, left-leaning, right-leaning, even abhorrent secure in the knowledge that the chaff will fall to the floor. They could take a cue from the plaque on Bascom Hall at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, which sets this signpost for academic freedom: Whatever may be the limitations which trammel inquiry elsewhere we believe the great state University of Wisconsin should ever encourage that continual and fearless sifting and winnowing by which alone the truth can be found. Attorney General reaffirms transparency in OAG In a bid to ensure transparency, the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) now will be generous in information sharing unlike in its traditional approach in the past on the same. 13 yarsha smugglers arrested The Nepalese Army has arrested 13 yarshagumba smugglers from western area of Kagmara Mounation in Dolpa district. Bus route dispute prompts clash Five policemen and a dozen Aarughat locals were injured in a clash between enraged workers and entrepreneurs of the Gorkha Transportation Entrepreneurs Association and Aarughat Yatayat Pvt Ltd at Tandrang-2 in Gorkha district on Tuesday. Canada wildfire forces mass evacuation in Fort McMurray A huge wildfire has forced the evacuation of about 60,000 people from Fort McMurray - the entire population of the Canadian city. Chands activists smear soot on Salyan DEO Activists of All Nepal National Independent Students Union (Revolutionary), a sister organisation of Netra Bikram Chand-led CPN Maoist, smeared soot on the face of District Education Officer (DEO) Barakhu Prasad Rajak in Salyan on Tuesday. CIAA should follow procedures in its probe: Human Rights Watch The Nepal governments Commission for the Investigation of the Abuse of Authority (CIAA) should scrupulously follow the Supreme Court (SC) order to abide by proper procedures while conducting its investigation into prominent journalist and activist Kanak Mani Dixit, Human Rights Watch said on Tuesday. Few takers for space at GNS Industrial Estate There have been only six takers for factory space at the Gajendra Narayan Singh (GNS) Industrial Estate in Saptari district which contains 20 plots, Industrial District Management Limited (IDML) said. The manufacturing zone was established in 1986 with Indian assistance. 'Flag Man' back after touring 75 dists Laxmi Narayan Shilpakar, popularly known as the 'Flag Man', has returned to Kathmandu after travelling across all 75 districts of the country. Madhes-centric parties protest govt apathy Lawmakers from the Madhes-centric parties accused the government of turning a deaf ear to their justified demands. Members commit to improving protections for migrant workers South Asian countries have called for setting common minimum wage, establish a standard contract ensuring ethical recruitment and improved access to justice and the rights of migrant workers from the region as a consultative workshop on Saarc plan of action for cooperation on matters related to migration began in the Capital on Tuesday. NC starts signature campaign amid speculation of govt change The Nepali Congress (NC) has started a campaign to collect signatures of party lawmakers in an apparent bid to bring no-confidence motion against the government on Wednesday. No one can curb press freedom, says Prez President Bidhya Devi Bhandari has said that no person or institution can curb press freedom guaranteed by Nepals constitution. She, however, remarked that the dignity of journalists will be maintained if they abide by the code of conduct. Nobody can do everything, everyone can do something UN Deputy Secretary General Jan Eliasson was in Nepal for a three-day visit to observe post-disaster reconstruction and rally support for Nepal in the run-up to the World Humanitarian Summit to be held in Turkey later this month. Eliasson spoke to the Post. Excerpts: NOC giving short measure of fuel, says probe team Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC) has not made timely calibration of its equipment and oil tankers resulting in customers getting short measure of gasoline, an inspection team has revealed. Pilot held for using fake academic credential The Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) of Nepal Police has arrested a pilot for producing fake academic credentials to pursue aviation study. Quake damaged trails in disrepair The Gorkha Earthquake survivors living in remote areas are facing difficulty as the foot trails ravaged by the quake and the ensuing landslides have not been repaired yet. Roads to China border top budget priority With the Transit Transport Agreement (TTA) already signed between Nepal and China, the new budget will have connecting northern border points with the rest of the country on high priority list. Pranaya SJB Rana is Features Editor for The Kathmandu Post. He was formerly Op-Ed Editor at the Post from 2012-2015. Rana is the author of a collection of short stories, City of Dreams: Stories, from Rupa Publications India. Storm brewing in ruling coalition? The monsoon session of Parliament started on Tuesday, but it seems a storm is already brewing in the ruling coalition. Study recommends Rs4,000 monthly pension for farmers A study has recommended providing a monthly pension of Rs4,000 to farm workers after they turn 55. The proposed pension plan is part of the governments effort to give due respect to the agricultural sector which employs 66 percent of the population and accounts for one-third of the economy. Syria conflict: 'Dozens killed' in Aleppo battle Dozens of people are reported to have been killed in fierce clashes between rebel groups and government forces in the divided Syrian city of Aleppo. Tap water Piped gas may be a distant dream, but piped water shouldnt have to be Tharus to launch protests from Friday The Tharuhat/Tharuwan Joint Struggle Committee (TJSC), an alliance struggling for separate Tharu provinces in the plains, on Tuesday unveiled its own protest programmes beginning May 6. UML calls for unity among major political parties The ruling CPN-UML has urged all the political parties to refrain from actions that would push the nation towards instability. The ruling partys call comes at a time when its coalition partnerUCPN (Maoist) is vying for a change in government under its leadership. Killeen, TX (76540) Today Cloudy this morning. Scattered thunderstorms developing this afternoon. Potential for severe thunderstorms. High 83F. Winds S at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 60%.. Tonight Scattered thunderstorms during the evening. Mainly clear skies after midnight along with gusty winds. Low 53F. Winds W at 20 to 30 mph. Chance of rain 50%. Higher wind gusts possible. Yes, its hard to to tell when one enters the city limits Yes, they will make the city more inviting Maybe ... does it really matter? No, the signs in place are fine No, it would be a waste of taxpayer dollars Vote View Results The Battle of Telskuf, the Kurds, and the Shortcomings of America's ISIS Strategy Drowned out in the excitement over the presidential primary yesterday was the fierce battle between coalition forces and the Islamic State in northern Iraq. With total figures still uncertain, the battle claimed the lives of dozens of Kurds and one American Navy SEAL. On May 3rd, in the majority Christian city of Telskuf, north of Mosul, ISIS launched a pre-dawn assault on unsuspecting Kurdish and Assyrian forces: Mortar rounds and artillery began hitting front lines near Telskuf, the largely Christian town, about 4 a.m., according to Kurdish officers and members of the Christian militia that hold the ground there. After bombarding the area Tuesday, militants launched a multi-pronged attack on Telskuf at about 5:30 a.m. from three or four directions, using hundreds of fighters, commanders said. Maj. Gen. Azad Jalil, a peshmerga officer, said they breached Kurdish front lines with more than 10 car bombs, also using bulldozers to push through. The peshmerga then made a "tactical retreat" to reorganize their forces, he said. ISIS militants overran the village. Brig. Gen. Bahnam Aboush, a fighter with the Christian militia based in the town and known as the Nineveh Plain Protection Units, said his men tried to hold their ground but were overwhelmed. "We tried to fight them, but we couldn't due our limited capabilities," he said. "We have only some old rifles we bought from our own money." The attack, spearheaded by vehicle-borne explosives (VBIEDs) and hundreds of infantry, forced the Kurdish soldiers to withdraw and temporarily cede the village to ISIS. So successful was the offensive, that jihadist fighters penetrated three miles behind Kurdish lines. The assault was halted and Telskuf recaptured after heavy airstrikes from American warplanes that afternoon, but only after Navy SEAL Charles Keating IV was killed in a direct fire engagement. At least 120 ISIS fighters perished in the fighting. The Islamic State's surprise attack and its (initial) overwhelming success should be sobering for American war planners. And it calls into serious question our ongoing strategy as it relates to "degrading and destroying" the Caliphate. A few things to consider: 1) ISIS Remains Incredibly Dangerous Despite rosy assertions to the contrary, ISIS remains a potent threat on the battlefield. And while its forces have experienced losses in northern Syria and ceded territory in Sinjar and Anbar province, it nevertheless retains the ability to conduct complex attacks against its enemies and capture territory. Consider also that, despite almost two years of airstrikes from the world's military superpower, the Islamic State still controls a large expanse of territory and has yet to be dislodged from Mosul or its de facto capital in Raqqa, Syria. 2) Local Allies Cannot Win the War Themselves Much has been made in the western press about the prowess of the Kurdish army, known as the Peshmerga. And while arguably more competent than their Iraqi counterparts, the Kurds simply do not have the ability to defend their lines -- let alone launch offensives -- without massive American support in the form of air power, advisers, and auxiliary special forces. For all the breathless reporting and American politicians demanding we outsource the war effort to the Kurdish Regional Government, there is a great deal of cause for pessimism that such a strategy would be sufficient to evict the Islamic State from Iraq. The Peshmerga's record since 2014 has been a mixed bag. It performed dreadfully following ISIS's invasion of northern Iraq and simply abandoned the Yezidis of Sinjar to genocide and sexual enslavement. For all the unquestionable bravery of the thousands of Kurdish soldiers who have perished in combat with ISIS, the fact remains that the frontlines are largely unchanged since the fall of 2014. Both the Kurds and ISIS remain heavily dug-in outside of Mosul and Kirkuk, with the fighting reduced to a kind of war of attrition along hundreds of miles of trenches. To add to the mess, the president of Iraqi Kurdistan, Massoud Barzani, is effectively a dictator in all but name, having extended his "presidency" past its constitutional mandate. Of course, in a struggle against a millennial cult like ISIS, this would not normally raise any eyebrows. But Barzani, along with the ruling Kurdish Democratic Party (PDK), has proven himself unreliable in being entrusted with direct arms shipments without strings. Last fall, he used arms ostensibly intended for fighting ISIS in order to intimidate the populace and political rivals in Erbil. 3) Political and Ethnic Rivalries Could Doom the War Effort It is a huge error -- one made consistently by lazy politicians and writers, including yours truly) to speak of Iraqi Kurds as monolithic. A sure indicator of ignorance in the press is when one hears the call for arming and supporting "the Kurds." It begs the question: which Kurds? The Peshmerga are not organized along American lines with an apolitical officer corps that commands a military beholden to a constitution and a civilian commander-in-chief. Rather, Kurdish soldiers answer to the political party that controls their individual units. For comparison, imagine if the 101st Division was lead by the Republican Party and the 82nd Airborne was lead by the Democratic Party. A recipe for failure for sure, but this is how the Peshmerga is split between the ruling PDK and the opposition PUK parties. Across the border in Syria, another Kurdish political rival fights its own separate war against ISIS. The Syrian Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD) holds the line just north of Raqqa, but is considered a pariah by Barzani's government in Iraq. Complicating matters is the fact that the PYD is an offshoot of the Kurdistan Worker's Party (PKK), a designated terrorist organization according to Turkey as well as the American State Department. But with a straight face, the United States insists that the military wing of the PYD is an invaluable ally in the war against ISIS while simultaneously stating that its parent organization is just as dangerous as the jihadists. Less often mentioned is the degree to which religious and ethnic animosity factors into the war effort in Iraq. Many are aware of the Sunni-Shia split, but the aforementioned betrayal of the Yezidi population of Sinjar by the PDK in 2014 has had far-reaching effects. The Yezidis, who speak a dialect of Kurdish, largely consider themselves a distinct ethnic group within northwestern Iraq and resent the "kurdification" campaign over the years. But since the genocide of 2014, the distrust has only increased. And in the vicinity of Mt. Sinjar alone, there are three rival Yezidi and Kurdish militias vying for a leading role in liberating villages south of the mountain. A similar story played itself out among Iraqi Kurdistan's Christians during the fighting at Telskuf yesterday. In a radius of mere miles, three distinct Assyrian Christian units participated in the battle; some of which work in conjunction with the Peshmerga and some that don't. But the Christians' lack of access to heavy weapons forced them to withdraw after ISIS's initial onslaught:There is an argument to be made that, rather than supplying weapons to Baghdad or the KRG exclusively, it would be more beneficial for us to expand our support to include direct support to Iraq's Christians and Yezidis. The Kurds simply cannot be relied upon to be the sole defenders the religious minorities in the KRG, and their track record has proven either their unwillingness or incompetence to do so. But local defense forces comprised of the same ethnic and religious makeup as those they are tasked with defending are inherently more reliable in combat. While such a strategy would have a minimal impact on the overall effort to defeat ISIS, it would have the beneficial effect of decentralizing our top-down approach t0 containment and placing the onus of self-defense on the groups most in danger and most likely to fight to the death for their survival. In closing, the American strategy against ISIS is in need of a serious reassessment. Optimistic hopes that the Kurds would not only repel but vanquish ISIS in Iraq were always illusory at best. But, in absence of a concerted and large-scale ground offensive by American forces, there are depressingly few options for Pentagon planners besides relying on those local forces on the ground closest to ISIS. ANGOLA Like a proud papa, Angola Mayor Dick Hickman boasted about the Americas Best Communities team at Mondays Angola Common Council meeting. Because of population, Angola joined forces with Fremont in the ABC contest that had a $3 million grand prize to use for community revitalization. Even though Angola-Fremont failed to make the finalist cut, Hickman said not all was a lost cause. Hickman traveled to an ABC Summit in Durham, North Carolina, last week, and gave a pitch against 14 other communities in the semifinal round. Hickman said the team ended up richer with $90,000 from advancing in the contest, an education in sharing ideas with other communities and collaboration between Angola, Fremont and Trine University. Im just really proud of our team. I think part of the problem is were ahead, compared to what other communities are doing, Hickman said. We had 14 great competitors. We have nothing to hang our heads. All 15 communities had a university (involved). The contest was sponsored by Frontier, CoBank, Weather Channel and Dish TV. Meanwhile, Hickman said projects already underway will continue, such as the proposed state certified technology park at the Interstate 69 and U.S. 20 interchange; Northern Indiana Lakes Country Enterprise Center at South Wayne and South Felicity streets that will serve as a business incubator and offer job training; and Fremont Logistics Park, a 150-acre shovel-ready site. Angola-Fremont has been in the ABC competition for about two years. Council also: approved a $3,492.55 change order with Wagler and Associates, Angola, on the $260,000 public restroom project. The parking lot and public restroom facility is under construction on the city owned property at East Gilmore and North Wayne streets. The site formerly housed a Wendys restaurant. The parcel will have a 40-space parking lot. Four parking spaces will be Americans with Disabilities Act compliant. Some parking will be for buses. It will also include two electric car charging stations that are already in place, a rain garden, green space, drinking fountain and enclosed trash receptacle. approved a $78,000 additional appropriation for the economic development income tax fund to help pay the citys portion of the Steuben County Bike Trail. The final leg needs to be constructed and will run between Hoosier Hill to Pokagon State Park along S.R. 127. At the Angola Board of Public Works and Safety meeting, Diana Book requested city assistance for a residential property drainage issue at 221 Coronet Court. She said about $25,000 has been spent between her and two other neighbors trying to resolve the problem. Bill Boyer, city engineer, said part of the property may be wetlands. He will visit the homeowners with MS4 Coordinator Amanda Cope and a county official to find a solution. Also, at budget time, the city will reconsider the police departments detective/patrol officer position and adding a full-time patrol officer. Angola Police Chief Stu Hamblen said the changes are needed due to a recent homicide in the city and four robberies two of which were armed. ALBION The notion of bringing a pharmacy to Albion isnt dead, Town Council president John Morr insisted at the councils May 27 meeting, but it is definitely put on hold. The town has been trying to lure a telepharmcy into Albion for months. The Pill Box Pharmacy in Warsaw, which is owned by Greg Winn, had expressed interest in sharing space in the town-owned building which houses the Noble County Economic Development Corp. On April 11, the Indiana Pharmacy Board denied the Pill Boxs request to start a pilot program, according to Morr. The Indiana Pharmacy Board has never approved a telepharmacy, and it decided it didnt want to set a precedent without having any real criteria to work with. They decided what they want is to turn it over to the Legislature, Morr told the council. Were back to finding sponsors for legislation. Morr is still hopeful a pharmacy can be brought to Albion. Its not dead, he said. The proposed Albion pharmacy would have been supervised by a pharmacist in another location via video monitor. By having one licensed pharmacist supervising multiple locations, the operation is not nearly as costly and can be financially feasible for such rural outlets, town officials learned. Customers would have dropped prescriptions off at the Albion location and picked them up there. They would be filled by a pharmacy technician under the video supervision of a pharmacist. The town has invested more than $28,000 in the building that would have housed the pharmacy, but the bulk of that money has gone to address flooding issues, according to Clerk-Treasurer Carol Selby. Also at the April 26 meeting, the council continued its discussion on the effectiveness of its tornado warning sirens. Last year, the town put two new rotating sirens into operation. At its April 12 meeting, the council asked Town Manager Stefen Wynn to look into problems some residents were having in hearing the siren on Monday evenings when it was tested. I could barely hear it inside the house with the TV on, Morr said. Its not very loud. It was not obvious. Wynn said the vendor that sold the town the sirens sent out an engineer to look into the situation. Theyve been very responsive, he said. The town manager was waiting for a report from the provider. The council discussed installing a spare siren currently located at the cemetery on the southern edge of the town to help make the warnings audible to people in Albion Village Foods and Dairy Queen two current trouble spots. Wynn also reported to the town council that the town was still 41 wage surveys shy of being in compliance with a recent survey. The town had turned in what it thought was enough surveys earlier this month, but found out last week that it needed more. Wynn said he would make inquiries to see why the number changed. The wage surveys are needed for the town to apply for potentially hundreds of thousands of dollars in grants through the state. The town also approved four tax abatement compliance forms for two Albion businesses; three for B&J Specialties and one for Robert Bosch LLC. Each year, businesses that receive tax abatements are required to fill out compliance forms that show the businesses have met job creation or retentions goals stated in the application. Businesses have until May 13 to turn in the required paperwork. Fire Chief Brad Rollins reported that his department had made 31 runs in March, including seven fire calls and 20 medical assist runs. Vesterheim, the national Norwegian-American museum and heritage center in Decorah, Iowa, invites artists working in Norwegian folk art to enter their pieces in the museums annual National Exhibition of Folk Art in the Norwegian Tradition. Entries will be accepted from May 1 through May 22. The exhibition will be on view in the museums Main Building from June 9 to July 30, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Complete rules for entering pieces are available at vesterheim.org. For more information, contact Laurann Gilbertson at info@vesterheim.org, or 563-82-9681. This is the 50th anniversary of Vesterheims Folk Art School and the exhibition that it inspired. Exhibitors compete for ribbons. Judges for the exhibition award Blue, Red and White Ribbons representing points that accumulate over successive exhibitions toward a Vesterheim Gold Medal. Judges also present Honorable Mention Awards and Best of Show Awards. Visitors vote for Peoples Choice Awards. As part of the exhibition, artists may choose to offer their pieces for sale by silent auction. The exhibition judging and ribbon awards are held in conjunction with Decorahs Annual Nordic Fest, which is July 28-30. Parents face fine if their children bully SHAWANO, Wis. Shawano is the latest Wisconsin community to adopt a policy that fines parents whose children repeatedly bully classmates. Police will first issue a warning to parents if their child is involved in demeaning behavior. If the bullying continues after 90 days, parents can be fined $366. Another offense in one year would cost the parents $681. Police Chief Mark Kohl says this has nothing to do with playground banter. This ordinance involves a child meticulously using social media or saying things that are vulgar in an attempt to hurt or humiliate a classmate. Kohl says the ordinance passed recently by the City Council is similar to those in Plover and Monona. No charges for student in UW anti-racism graffiti MADISON The Dane County district attorney says a University of Wisconsin-Madison student wont be charged for a series of political graffiti messages spray-painted on campus buildings. Instead, the 21-year-old senior will enter a restorative court in Madison. The court allows young, low-level offenders to avoid criminal charges if they take steps such as compensating victims and doing community service. DA Ismael Ozanne said Tuesday the student is an appropriate candidate for the restorative court program. UW-Madison police arrested the man last month after they said he spray-painted messages such as White supremacy iz a disease. The graffiti caused an estimated $4,000 in damage to university buildings. Protesters accused campus officials of caring more about the vandalism than they did about the racism it was protesting. Tests show child with Elizabethkingia has different strain MILWAUKEE Childrens Hospital of Wisconsin says lab tests show that a child diagnosed with Elizabethkingia is not connected to the strain that has caused an outbreak of the bloodstream infection in Wisconsin. Childrens spokesman Andrew Brodzeller says the genetic markers in the childs case are unique. Brodzeller says the hospital has effectively treated patients with Elizabethkingia with antibiotics, but would not comment specifically on the childs case. The hospital said last week that a child in the neonatal intensive care unit was diagnosed with Elizabethkingia, but there was no indication the patient had a serious infection. The Wisconsin Department of Health Services said Tuesday there are now 60 confirmed adult cases of the bacteria, but that none of the confirmed cases associated with the outbreak are children. Man pleads not guilty in 2-year-old girls death MADISON A not-guilty plea has been entered for a Madison man accused of causing the death of his girlfriends 2-year-old daughter under his care last month. Joshua Gehde, 25, was silent Tuesday as the plea to first-degree reckless homicide was entered on his behalf by a Dane County judge. A police detective testified that a criminal complaint accurately conveyed the conclusions by the girls doctors that she suffered severe child abuse injuries. The complaint says a UW child abuse expert identified bruises on the girls head, arms, shoulders, back and buttocks. The girl also suffered brain injuries and had evidence of bleeding within her spine. Gehde told police he didnt know how the girl suffered her injuries. Police identify officer who fatally shot suspect WAUSAU, Wis. Authorities have released the name of a police officer who fatally shot a suspect in a domestic disturbance last weekend. The Wausau Police Department identified the officer who shot the suspect as James Martin. Martin became a police officer in January 2015 after working as a Wausau community service officer. Police also identified the man who was fatally shot as 42-year-old Oswald Mattner. Authorities say officers responded to a domestic disturbance and were trying to arrest Mattner when he grabbed a knife and was shot Saturday night. The Wisconsin Department of Justice is investigating the officer-involved shooting. Officer accused of child enticement MILWAUKEE A Milwaukee police officer has been suspended without pay after he was accused of enticing a child. The 45-year-old officer has been booked into the Milwaukee County Jail and is being held on $10,000 bail. Milwaukee police investigators are expected to refer the case to the county district attorney in the coming days. Wisconsin had 57,698 students graduate from high school with a regular diploma in 2015, a graduation rate of 88.4 percent that bests the national rate of 82.3 percent (Class of 2014). Wisconsins graduation rate remained largely unchanged from 2014, down two-tenths of a percent. First of all, hats off to our 2015 graduates, many of whom will soon finish up their first year of postsecondary study at a technical college or university, said State Superintendent Tony Evers. High school graduation is a milestone; a bridge to the next steps in life. So, for the more than 7,000 students who didnt graduate last spring, there are resources to help you get back on track to earn a high school credential. Both state and federal law provide additional time for students to complete their high school education, recognizing that illness or injury, personal or family events, and lifetime or temporary disabilities can make it difficult for some students to finish high school in four years. In Wisconsin, an additional 1,480 students who were in the Class of 2014 cohort earned a regular diploma, taking an extra year to do so. The 2014-15 five-year graduation rate is 91.6 percent. For the Class of 2013 cohort, an additional 2,133 students earned a diploma in six years after starting high school. The 2014-15 six-year graduation rate is 92.1 percent. Wisconsin has always given young people the right to a public education from the ages of 4 to 20, Evers said. As the founders of our state adopted our constitution, they recognized that a high school diploma means something and wanted to offer that opportunity to finish, even if it takes more than the typical four years. Graduation rates for 2014-15 by racial and ethnic groups are mostly higher than they were five years ago, though race and ethnicity reporting changes in the 2010-11 school year necessitate caution in making comparisons. The graduation rates for students with disabilities and those from economically disadvantaged families also are higher than they were five years ago. The 2014-15 graduation rates for students learning English are lower when compared to the prior year and five years ago. This is the third year that the Department of Public Instruction is reporting graduation rates through the Wisconsin Information System for Education Dashboard Public Portal (WISEdash). Under the federal graduation rate definition, each student is assigned to a cohort when entering high school, the 2011-12 school year for the graduating class of 2015. The cohort is adjusted for students who transfer to another state or nonpublic school, emigrate to another country, or die during the timeframe. The graduation rate is based on students who earn a regular high school diploma in four years or less. For the Class of 2015, there were 133 students who earned a High School Equivalency Diploma (HSED) and 105 who earned another completion credential during the four years since they entered high school. Those students are not included in the federal four-year graduation rate. Theres no doubt that the future is brighter for those who finish high school, Evers said. And, were looking to the future by refining and implementing Academic and Career Plans (ACP). The ACP process for students, their parents, and teachers helps our kids identify academic strengths and interests beginning in middle school. By starting before high school, students engage in their education early and stay on track to graduate ready for college and careers. Who will regulate a frac sand mine? Were in trouble when we find truth in the absurd and thats whats going on in the exchange below, taken from a March 23 story in an area newspaper about a frac-sand lawsuit in Houston County. Are we trying to shut the mine down or are we trying to correct it? What were asking is that the county enforce the ordinance. By doing that, we shut it down. So, the only way the Erickson mine can continue operating is if Houston County refuses to enforce its own ordinance. Thats chilling, and not only for Houston County, but for all of us in frac-sand country. Were repeatedly told, Dont ban regulate. Were told that frac-sand mining can be done right if we enforce existing regulations. Thats a big if, as evidenced by the example below: The Hemker frac-sand facility in Winona had an officially reported water usage for 2013 that was nearly 50 percent higher than the amount allowed by its Minnesota Department of Natural Resources permit, according to a DNR document. Whats been done about that violation? Nothing. Why not? For one thing, a DNR staffer said, there are more than 8,800 active water appropriation permits and not nearly enough DNR employees to monitor them. So, a lot (of regulation) is the honor system, the DNR staffer said, meaning that much regulation is really self-reporting. And theres not much we can do if operators dont respond to inquiries about permits. Truth is, theres no ongoing, timely, effective regulation of frac-sand operations. Although the industry has been in the Winona area for a number of years, local government hasnt added a single employee to regulate such facilities. So next time you hear that the frac sand industry can operate safely if regulated properly, ask where that regulation will come from. Steve Schild, Winona Cisco hasnt spent his whole life with Mike and Patti McGowan, but the horses time away turned out to be a blessing in disguise. Mike bought the weaning stud colt in 2003 and eventually gave him away as a wedding gift to his daughter, who rode and showed him for two years before selling him. The people who bought the red roan quarter horse gelding further trained him, rode him during shows and had him spend time and sessions with other trainers. Eventually, in 2010, Mike went looking for a quarter horse to show in statewide shows, many of which are held in Black River Falls, and he found Cisco on a registry. Would they be willing to sell him? No. Mike politely thanked them and said to contact him if they ever changed their minds. That summer, the phone rang and the McGowans were able to buy Cisco back and bring him home to their property in the town of Albion. Cisco now has many roles: Hes Pattis horse for riding, hes shown in many events, he helps educate and assist youth and he also serves as a therapy animal. It gave me a riding partner back and the whole works, and it really worked out, like I said, for the better, Mike said. I still get to do my showing, and Pattis got a trail horse. Weve got a lesson horse and weve got something for therapy if we meet people who want to check out therapy riding. Hes just really an all-around type of animal. Its not only because of his range but also his attitude. Cisco is just a very hard-to-find, all-around horse that can pretty much do whatever you point him at. Cisco added another role to his long list after recently being named the Wisconsin State Horse Councils Equine of the Year. It was the first time the horse organization handed out a statewide award after naming best horses by district for many years. Mike nominated Cisco and Patti for the award, which was handed out in mid-April at the Midwest Horse Fair where Cisco was on hand to greet event goers. Its just to bring about an awareness of just how special (horses) are. Its difficult to recognize one because there are many that are special, said Nancy Edwards, president of the Wisconsin State Horse Council. Its another point of interest for the horse fair, and I think its another point of interest for people all around the state to get more involved (in horses). Theyre just such wonderful, heartwarming stories that I just think are wonderful things to share. When Cisco, whose official name is Hez Got the Time, returned to the McGowans in Jackson County six years ago, the couple went on a trail ride with Patti on Cisco. Patti asked Mike how to complete a side pass having Cisco walk directly sideways and she leaned in to kiss Mike when she said that Cisco would now be her horse. His gentle temperament and good training lends him to being a good horse in many situations from riding out West in the mountains with the McGowans to teaching youth, Patti said. Hes just very gentle and kind and hes so well trained. Hes just so well trained, she said. I think thats the thing I love the most about him is that anybody can ride him. Hes just so trustworthy. Ciscos good training has led him to allow Mike to get back to riding in Wisconsin Foundation Quarter Horse Association shows. The now 13-year-old horse got acclimated to Mikes wheelchair loading ramp and also will allow Mike to have him side pass despite Mike not being able to use leg cues. An obstacle in a trail course is to load and unload a horse in a trailer, and Mike quickly found that Cisco will side pass over to his wheelchair that has its seat raised up to allow him to drop into it. The McGowans regularly invite people out to their Jackson County property to try Cisco if they are interested in pursuing therapy riding because he will give them an idea of what the activity is like. They also use him for lessons and have allowed some local youth to use him for their own showing and horse activities. Sherie Spauldings now 16-year-old daughter Abby took Mike up on an offer to ride Cisco at quarterhorse shows, and she took him to a world show and won reserve champion high point and versatility classes. Abby now has six horses of her own and helps train horses and gives riding lessons. Cisco is fantastic. Cisco is a horse that you can throw anybody on and he will take care of them. Hes smart, hes versatile, Sherie said. Hes willing to work and do whatever you ask of him. A horse like that is a make-it-or-break-it kind of horse. If your first experiences on a horse are not good, chances are youre not going to continue in the industry Cisco is a big part of why (Abbys) doing all that. Hes a fantastic horse. Hes very deserving. Patti said she was surprised at Mikes nomination for the award, but she said she enjoyed having family come to the Midwest Horse Fair as they accepted it. Hes very well-deserving of it (and) we are blessed to have wonderful horses friends and family that help with a lot of things, she said. A lot of other horses have a specialty they are show horses or they are rodeo horses, but hes just kind of an all-around horse you can use for almost anything. Mike and Patti plan to take Cisco back out to the Bighorn Mountains of Wyoming again this summer, where Patti will enjoy riding Cisco. Hes just very reliable and trustworthy and kind and gentle, she said. Thats the first thing I noticed about him Hes a sweetheart. After a long winter of not leaving the house much, getting out and about this past week not once, not twice, but three times was almost a giddy experience and gave me a chance to visit with good friends and talk to some people I hadnt seen in awhile. Some of the visiting was long overdue, and I am looking forward to going on more adventures. Not only did I get a nice visit in with Roxie Mickelson, she also was kind enough to bring a beautifully done scrapbook of pictures and mementos from their recent trip to Hawaii. Thanks for sharing, Rox, although this lady whose closest thing to organizing photos is throwing them into boxes, was a little jealous of your efforts. I do appreciate seeing it, though. Goodness knows that is the closest thing to an actual trip to Hawaii I will ever get. It was interesting reading about members of the Jackson County Area Retired Educators donating books in memory of fellow teachers. Mary Ann Jensen presented books in memory of Grace Stevens, who was formerly a teacher at Hixton, to the Lincoln Elementary School Library. Sounds like there are lots of great donations coming in for prizes for the fundraiser to help send girls off to the Georgia Bulldog Softball Camp, to be held on May 14 at the Sand Creek Brewery from 6-10 p.m. Unclaimed Freight will be playing, there will be drawings for various prizes, a bake sale, silent auction and food. Promises to be a great gathering for the entire family. Time to roll out May events. Happy May birthday to Ella Sedelbauer, Amy Bergerson, David Simonson, Allison Sweeney, Grayce West, Sydney Mae Jelinek, Bill Lien, Melissa Reininger, Travis Reininger, Chelsea Labar, Karnelia Rose Sroka, Jeff Lien, Ron Demers, Bonnie Jarrett, Pieper Joy Lynn Nelson, Donna Gran, Wyatt Kolve, Thea Leisgang, Dru Mickelson, Kelsey Lien, Debbie Laufenberg, Shannon Severson, Jill Sweeney, Brittany Hentsch, Behati Blaise Yeskie, Hailley Sedelbauer, Madeline Bergerson, Jack Kleba, Ethan Osley, Mick Hawley, Tom Davidson, Halle Cecilia Thieret, Norah Gerke, Greta Ray Lien, Brooklyn Yeskie, Mary Giese, Daniel Simonson and Nate Slenczka. Happy anniversary to Norman and Myrtle Berget, Rich and Diane Fredrickson, Jenny and Greg Bush, Erick and Cortney Cain Gjesfjeld, Bill and Jenni Lien and Christopher and Kabi Berndt. I know there are lots of people out there who would just love to have their birthdays and anniversaries acknowledged that I dont have the info for. Send the info to me at hixtonhappenings@yahoo.com. Hopefully the message will get to me I heard a little bit ago that there is a message or two that must be out in cyberspace somewhere. Brandi Shramek is participating in the symphonic band as part of the co-op program between Viterbo University and UW-La Crosse. By the time you read this, they will have had some great music at the Viterbo Fine Arts Centers main theatre on Sunday, May 1. On Saturday, May 7 from 5-8 p.m., Hanson-Lien American Legion Post 368 will be having its spring steak feed at the hall located at the corner of N. Hoffman and E. Second streets in Hixton. Tickets are $16 per person and available at Hixton Cheese Hut, Blue Collar Cafe and from Legion members. They also will be available at the door the evening of the event. All are welcome to this worthy and tasty fundraising event, eat in or carry out. Not only will you be able to enjoy that perfect steak with all the fixins, but you also will get a chance to see the newly renovated basement dining room, which will add to the pleasure of your dining experience. A note to pass along is that the Legions garage sale will be scheduled for September or October this year. That will give everyone a little more time to go through items to donate to this worthwhile cause. Contact person is Ron Brown at (715) 896-1222 or ronaldb1956@centurytel.net. The AmVets Post 5484 will be meeting at the Hixton Legion post on May 16 at 7:30 p.m. Now this sounds interesting. Black River Memorial Hospital is sponsoring a Womens Night Out on Wednesday, May 11 at 6:30 p.m., where you are invited to take a break from your busy life and laugh your way to better health. A hilarious show by comic C. Willi Myles is promised along with socializing, pampering, information and more. Seating is limited and you can reserve your spot by Monday, May 8 by calling (715) 284-1325 or visiting www.brmh.net/wno. Watch your mail for a card with information on a very worthwhile event. Once again the Hixton Post Office is taking part in the Americas Letter Carriers Delivering Hope food drive. Here is your opportunity to fill a bag and help feed families. On Saturday, May 14, our postal carriers will collect bags of donated non perishable food items from their patrons. Accepted items are canned meats and fish, soup, juice, vegetables, pasta, cereal, peanut butter and rice. Please do not include expired items or anything in glass jars. Just leave bags with your contributions by the mailbox and it will get picked up and delivered to the post office, and then delivered to local food pantries. There also will be boxes at the post office if you wish to drop off your donations there. Over the years, I have been lucky to know several ladies who I consider my adopted moms. My friend, Mary, was very generous in sharing her mom with me during our high school years. I was over at their house as often as I was at home, and she was there to shake her head at some of our high jinks, offer motherly advice and was one darn-good cook. Even after high school was over and life went on, she still was one of those people you could pick up the phone and talk for hours with. So my heart was heavy at the news that Margery Appleyard had gone to her heavenly reward on April 25 at the age of 84. Services were held on Saturday, April 30 in Neillsville. Sure gonna miss you, Mrs. A. Hugs and sympathies to Mary and her brother, David, family and friends for our loss. That aging thing: You know youre old when you go to bed at the time you used to go out. Ive Learned like Johnny Depp and other smart people say, Breathe! Its only a bad day, not a bad life. Word of the Week: sphenopalatine ganglioneuralgia the scientific name for brain freeze after eating something cold, which leads to this weeks word. Gorgonize: to have a paralyzing or mesmerizing effect. Natural High: Looking forward to the first picking of rhubarb. See recipe below. Tip of the Week: Lori the Leftover Queen wanted a new throw together lunch and came up with leftover rotisserie chicken, sliced multicolored sweet peppers, minced onion and made a low-fat white sauce for a tasty Chicken ala King served on toast. Fun Fact of the Week: Before mercury, brandy was used to fill thermometers. Swedish Meatball Pasta Pot 1 lb hamburger 1/2 cup dry bread crumbs 1/2 half cup minced onion 1 egg 1/2 tbsp each salt and pepper Mix thoroughly. Make into small meatballs and fry in hot oil for one minute and turning when browned. Add two cups beef broth, two cups milk, 1 tbsp Worchestershire sauce. Simmer until thickened add four cups egg noodles, one cup fresh grated parmesan cheese, 1/2 cup fresh parsley. Cook until noodles are done and serve garnished with more parmesan and parsley. Old Fashioned Rhubarb Pudding Cake Recipe 2 cups chopped rhubarb 1 3/4 cup sugar, divided 3 tablespoons butter, softened 1 teaspoon baking powder 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup milk 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/2 teaspoon almond extract 1 cup sifted flour 1 tablespoon cornstarch 2/3 cup boiling water Cover the bottom of an 8- or 9-inch square pan with fruit. Mix 3/4 cup sugar, butter, baking powder, salt, extracts, milk and flour together. Pour over fruit. Mix remaining sugar and cornstarch and sprinkle over mixture in pan. Pour boiling water slowly over the top. Bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes. Yields nine servings. Serve warm in a bowl with ice cream, or let it cool a bit, slice and invert on your plate to show off the pudding. *** Quote of the week: :Half of the world is composed of people who have something to say and cant and the other half who have nothing to say and keep saying it. Robert Frost Jackson County again experienced an increase in direct visitor spending in 2015, according to data released last week by the Wisconsin Department of Tourism. The county saw spending increase nearly 7 percent from $36.1 million in 2014 to $38.6 million in 2015. The figures come after Jackson County experienced the largest percentage increase in the state from 2013 to 2014 in the category, which is calculated through a survey of U.S. household travel partners to include overnight visitors and day trip data. Although the increase wasnt as large as last year, it still is positive for local tourism and the economy, said Chris Hardie, executive director of the Black River Area Chamber of Commerce. It was still a fantastic year in tourism for Jackson County, he said. That obviously comes on top of a huge year in 2014, so theres a lot to be happy with in terms of these tourism numbers. Jackson County also experienced an approximately 6 percent increase in total business sales from 2014 to 2015, going from $53.6 million to $56.9 million. In addition, the county was top in the state for its increase in tourism employment. The newest data also comes after Jackson County saw a record year in room tax in 2015, setting the new record at $261,455 and $31,000 more than 2014. Its a trend that connects to the increase in director visitor spending, Hardie said. We had a lot of room stays that were affiliated with various construction projects that were going on in the region, and that certainly helped fill room nights, which helps for the rest of these numbers, he said. That would certainly translate there. At the same time, the county is set to launch an ATV connector trail project, which will allow an underpass to be built between businesses on the east side of Interstate 94 in Black River Falls and connect existing trails to the west of the interchange. The $1 million project, which is anticipated to get under way in two weeks, is pegged to be complete by August or September and is funded through county dollars, grant funding and up to $50,000 in city Tax Incremental Financing. Its a two-fold project. Theres two elements No. 1 is the safety concerns will be rectified, and second is the economic development impact for the city and county by connecting those businesses west of the interchange, said Jon Schweitzer, assistant administrator of the countys forestry and parks department. Officials just this week met with businesses that will be affected by the project and look forward to its impact to the local tourism economy, Hardie said. The work thats being done on the city connector trail will only boost those numbers because once that trail gets open and the loop gets established, theres lots of opportunities for those ATV riders to increase business spending, he said. We have good numbers and we want to continue to grow. Tourism generated $19.3 billion for Wisconsins economy in 2015, Gov. Scott Walker said during a stop in Kendall Friday. The governor, along with Department of Tourism secretary Stephanie Klett, spent nearly an hour at the Kendall Depot along the Elroy-Sparta Bike Trail. It was one of four stops to promote tourism and the states efforts to attract tourism dollars. Walker said tourism in Wisconsin has grown by $4.5 billion, or 30 percent, since 2011. Walker credited the gain to an increased state tourism budget, which has risen steadily during his five years as governor. A few years ago, we made a significant investment ... and it has paid off, Walker said. When times are challenging, thats exactly the time when you need to put more into advertising and promotion. Walker said every $1 spent on tourism promotion brings $8 into the state. He said tourism supports 190,000 jobs, directly or indirectly, in Wisconsin. Many of those jobs are full-time, year-round, family-supporting jobs, Walker said. Klett said tourism is a very competitive industry. She said Hawaii and Florida have tourism promotion budgets of $100 million. Wisconsins Department of Tourism budget is $17 million. Tourism a lot of time is taken for granted, said Klett, who described Walker as a massive advocate for tourism. She praised local governments and businesses for the work they do to promote the industry. Its a tremendous credit to the tourism industry in all 72 counties and the innovative work they do to create exciting vacation experiences, market their destinations ... that makes travelers want to return to Wisconsin time and again, she said. Walker said there are no plans to privatize or sell any of Wisconsins state parks. The parks and trails system were stripped of general revenue funding last year and now rely solely on user fees. We have no interest in privatizing, Walker said. Most of it is tied into user fees so people like myself and others who use the state parks system are the ones who provide the support. He said Wisconsins user fees remain economical compared to those in other states. Walker and Klett also visited MillerCoors in Milwaukee, Mobile Marketing Center in Eau Claire and and Heritage Hill State Historical Park in Green Bay. TOWN OF BARRE U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson said he is even more worried about his country than when he first ran six years ago. During a stop Wednesday to Lane Creek Dairy, Johnson toured the 60-cow, 160-acre Lane Creek Dairy farm owned and operated by three generations of the Berg family as part of the week-long kickoff of his re-election campaign. Johnson painted a dire picture of American politics and blasted his Democratic opponent, Russ Feingold, as a desperate career politician grasping for the job he held for three terms before Johnson toppled him his 2010. Johnson touted his decades of experience in the private sector and running a business before he came to the Senate. He said he knows how hard government works to make things difficult for business and to kill jobs. He kept his promise to avoid campaigning for the Senate until six months before the election, which he said is more than enough time. In contrast, his opponent, whom Johnson said accomplished little during his 18 years years in Washington, D.C., has been on the trail for months. He is desperate to get back into the Senate, Johnson said. He kicked off his campaign 18 months ago. Johnson touched briefly in his remarks on breakaway presidential candidate Donald Trumps campaign. While he never mentioned Trump by name, he said the message voters are sending this year is that they are fed up with the political class and the failures of career politicians. Im even more panicked for this country (than when I ran in 2010), Johnson said, but I cant quit on this country. When asked directly, he wouldnt say whether he would vote for Trump, now considered the presumptive Republican nominee, whom Johnson has quipped about campaigning with before as Ronald and Donald. Johnson did repeat the same pledge he has been making for months to support the Republican nominee after initially backing Gov. Scott Walkers failed presidential bid. Before speaking with the media, Johnson met privately with the Berg family to discuss the issues and concerns they have for their farm before taking a short tour. One of the issues raised involved the trout stream that cuts through Lane Creek Dairy and required several months of state permitting work when the dairy recently expanded. If the federal government has its way, Johnson said, it will create new rules to force farmers to get federal permits, which take even longer to get and are far more costly. This would greatly expand the scope of government control over the land, he added, and make things more difficult for farmers and other property owners. It is this kind of regulatory burden that keeps our economy from moving forward, he said. I want to keep Wisconsin businesses growing and moving forward. Johanna Berg said she appreciated Johnsons visit and the concerns he brought up that many farmers share. Not only are government regulations a burden for farmers, especially family operations, but Johnson also spoke about tackling unstable milk prices, currently at a low point, hurting the farms bottom line. Agriculture is such a big business in Wisconsin, Berg said. We want to make sure that farmers can continue going and stay in business. A proposal to boost spending for so-called student support services will get a look in final budget negotiations as the end of the legislative session nears. Advocates say the need for more counselors, social workers and other support workers is critical in Minnesota. But heading into negotiations, the DFL-controlled Senate and GOP-controlled House are far apart on the issue. The Senate wants to set aside $13.1 million for matching grants to help schools hire more counselors, social workers, psychologists, nurses and drug addiction counselors. The House doesnt want any money for the idea so far its bill calls for studying the proposal and reporting back next year. Most districts are very reticent to have the state put strings to money when we send it out to districts, said Rep. Jenifer Loon, R-Eden Prairie, who chairs the House Education Finance committee. They would rather have the flexibility to choose those services and structure their funding in the way that best suits their student community. Loon says she wants to find out how many districts would use the six-year grants, and whether results would last. State education commissioner Brenda Cassellius says she urged Gov. Mark Dayton to support the Senate plan, which he recently did. Cassellius says grants would be sort of a study to see how big a difference support makes. We have a really ambitious goal of reaching the graduation rate of 90 percent by 2020, with no student group being below 85 percent, and weve been making some strides toward that, and I think this would be another accelerator to get there, Cassellius said. Even $13 million more spent on support staff would not get the state out of its last-place ranking on that measure. Experts say support services can be key to closing academic achievement gaps, so it may not be a coincidence that Minnesota is also not on track to meet Cassellius graduation rate goal. Students of color in Minnesota are less likely to graduate than their peers in almost every other state. The gap is getting better, but progress has been slow. Part of the reason Minnesota spends so little on support is that most funding decisions are made on the local level. When money gets tight, districts may cut support. Districts have historically resisted state attempts to dictate how they spend money. Kirk Schneidawind of the state school boards association says the grants are a good compromise. In this instance, one of the things that we do like about this opportunity is it doesnt go as far as requiring a ratio, which we know that some districts would have some concerns about, Schneidawind said. This does provide the flexibility. Schneidawind says districts would always prefer money with no strings attached. But he says in a non-budget year, the grants are a good start. If this does go forward, we will be very clear about what they need to be prepared for down the road, Schneidawind said, and then they can make an informed decision whether they want to do it or not. Whether school districts participate or not could make a difference for educational equity. Schools already have varying levels of support. And if some districts decide not to take or dont get grants, those inequities could deepen. Cassellius says she hopes Minnesotas open enrollment policy, that allows students to pick their district, would help correct that disparity. Parents vote with their feet, she said. That provides another level of pressure to school boards to access funding and then maximize that funding. And thats why its so important for parents to get involved, community members to get involved, the philanthropic and nonprofit community to hold school districts to their feet and demand a gold star education for their kids. I was very disheartened to learn that Senate Bill 258 did not receive a public hearing and died in committee when the Legislature recently adjourned. SB 258 is about issuing a Wisconsin driver's license to non-citizens. This card is not a pathway to citizenship. It only allows the cardholder the right to drive legally in Wisconsin after passing the driver's test and the other regulations required of the general population. This card cannot be used for federal purposes. Why would you not want to pass this bill? It would make Wisconsin roads safer, and it would allow non-citizens to drive to work and take their children to school and sick family members to the hospital without the fear of being ticketed due to not having a driver's card or license. We need to be grateful for the long, hard hours of work these non-citizens do for us. Why cant we make their lives and their families' lives happier and less stressful by advocating the passing of this SB 258 bill? Year after year, hundreds if not thousands of tourists and local boaters pass by La Crosse heading up and down the river. They pass by and don't stop, as there is no place even close to downtown to park their boats. For many years, La Crosse leaders have been contemplating what to do with the Mobil Oil property. How many hundreds of thousands of dollars have passed by their city during this time? The southwest corner of the Mobil Oil property, where the Black River meets the La Crosse River, would be a perfect location for a transient marina. With very little dredging and some rip-rap along the Black and La Crosse rivers, this could be accomplished. Placing a walking-only bridge across the La Crosse River into Riverside Park would allow many hundreds of tourists and local residents to visit the stores, hotels, restaurants and parks. When traveling up and down the Mississippi there are marinas in many cities, but there is not one in La Crosse. Winona, Minn., Lansing, Iowa, Lake City, Minn., Pepin, Wis., Red Wing, Minn., Hastings, Minn., and more all have transient boat docks close to their downtowns. We read every day about the booming tourism business in the La Crosse area, yet we allow hundreds of tourists and locals to pass by our city, spending their money elsewhere. The Viroqua Area School District Board of Education voted unanimously to hire Dr. Kehl Arnson as the district administrator starting July 1. Arnson is an associate superintendent with the Stevens Point Area School District. Viroqua School District Administrator Dr. Robert Knadle is retiring on June 30 after nine years with the district. Knadle said Arnson signed a two-year contract to work in Viroqua. Arnsons first name is pronounced keel and his last name is two syllables pronounced Arn-son. Arnson, 54, said both he and his wife, Christine, were pleased with the Viroqua districts decision to hire him and theyre planning to move to Viroqua. Im very excited about the community and the way the board, district and the community all work together in the best interests of the students, Arnson said. Theres a real positive community feel that my wife and I believe is an excellent fit for both of us. Knadle said contractual part of the hiring took place Monday night and Tuesday. Were very pleased to have [Arnson], Knadle said. Arnson has been the director of Secondary Education at Stevens Point since July 2013. He previously worked for the school district of Kettle Moraine (2009-2013), Campbell (Smyrna, Ga.) High School (2001-2009) and Wisconsin Heights High School (1999-2001). He also was a teacher and administrator at St. Johns Northwestern Military Academy from 1989-1999. His undergraduate work includes bachelors degrees from both UW-Madison and UW-Whitewater, a masters degree in educational administration from UW-Madison in 1994 and a doctor of education degree from Nova Southeastern University in 2015. Arnson said said he and his wife enjoy walking and hiking. He also likes to play the guitar. The couple does not have children. He enjoys the outdoors. Im excited to be in Viroqua for another reason Id like to get back into fly fishing, he said. Arnson said he was impressed with the time the school district took investigating the candidates for school district administrator and he called the process thorough. They really took time to talk to people who knew me and get a feel for who I am and how I approach education, Arnson said. They gave the candidates the ability to get a feel for the community. Right now I feel grateful for the opportunity. My wife and I both feel Viroqua is the right place for us to be. Viroqua School Board member Robert Nigh said Arnson would fit in at Viroqua just perfect. Hes got a great background in curriculum, Nigh said. He seems relaxed, knowledgeable and just a very nice gentleman. Nigh said he was impressed with Arnsons array of different experiences and looks forward to a long, prosperous relationship between Arnson and the community. Luther (7-3) built a lead in its Division 6 first-round game at third-seeded Markesan on Friday and held on to beat the Hornets 26-14 for their first playoff win since becoming a member of the WIAA. A La Crosse-based hub Freedom Honor Flight for veterans is scheduled to depart on Saturday morning, May 7, from the La Crosse Airport. The Freedom Honor Flight organization has taken more than 1,600 veterans on flights to date and the May 7 flight will have two local Vietnam veterans aboard, Howard Sherpe and Harlan Springborn. Sherpe and Springborn, both of Westby, were drafted on Dec. 1, 1965 and discharged two years later on Nov. 30, 1967, after serving a year overseas. Sherpe is a native of Westby, while Springborn grew up in De Soto and relocated to Westby later in life. The two men who are longtime friends, were inducted into the army at the same time; completed training at Fort Lewis Washington together; were both members of the 4th Infantry; boarded the same ship (USS Gordon) together when they departed for Vietnam; were aboard the same landing craft and based out of the central Islands camp near Pleiku. Both Vernon County men participated in numerous operations together while serving their country. Sherpe was trained as a medic, while Springborn worked with the demolitions division of the unit. After completing their year overseas, the men returned stateside at the same time. After returning stateside they were separated for the remaining two months of their tour and lost touch for 37 years before being reunited. Today Sherpe and Springborn are the best of friends and honored to be going to Washington DC together. Sherpe said the trip will be an emotional one for both of them, especially when they see the Vietnam Wall together and locate the names of men they lost from their unit while serving in Vietnam. Sherpe has been undergoing treatment for a brain tumor for the past year. The process has left him weak and in need of a walker to get around. He applied to go on a Freedom Honor Flight months ago and was selected as a TLC veteran (The Last Chance) on the spring 2016 flight. The May 7 flight will have seven World War II veterans, 78 Korean veterans and three Vietnam veterans. Veterans are selected in order of application, though World War II veterans have priority status. Ten of the veterans on the spring flight are flying under the TLC (Their Last Chance) program; which allows terminally ill veterans to fly under priority status. There are 350 veterans on the hub's waiting list. This will be Sherpe's second time to the see the veteran memorials in the capital, but the first time with a fellow Vietnam veteran by his side. He took a bus tour to Washington DC with his wife, Linda two years ago, which was an emotional rollercoaster then, and he fears the second time around could be even more of a downer, but he feels it is something he needs to do while he is still physically able. Physicians and paramedics accompanying each flight help with oxygen, medication and personal needs, enabling those with chronic health problems or disabilities to attend. Volunteer guardians assigned to each veteran provide additional assistance. Springborn has been assigned as Sherpe's guardian for the May 7 flight. The May 7 flight will be named "Sparta American Legion Post 100 Flight," in recognition of the support the Sparta post and community have provided to Freedom Honor Flight over the past several years. Sparta Post 100 has raised and donated more than $150,000. The money has paid for 300 veterans to be honored on a one-day trip to Washington, D.C., to see their memorials. Support of this kind is increasingly important for honor flight organizations. There are currently 130 Freedom Honor Flight hubs in 44 U.S. states and applications are available at veterans' organizations or online at www.freedomhonorflight.org. A fall Freedom Honor Flight is set for Sept. 17. The 2016 flights will be the 17th and 18th flights flown out of the La Crosse Airport. Editor's Note: A full story on Sherpe and Springborn's Freedom Honor Flight trip will follow in a future issue of the Westby Times. Sherpe has been a longtime columnist in the Westby Times. Donald Trump is the presumptive Republican Party presidential nominee following the suspension of Ted Cruzs campaign. The Texas senator was Trumps closest competitor. He announced he was suspending his campaign after losing the Indiana primary Tuesday. Donald Trump defeated Cruz and Ohio Governor John Kasich by a huge amount in that contest. Cruz thanked his family and his supporters in Indianapolis. But he said that his "path toward victory has been foreclosed," and that voters have chosen another path. On Twitter, the chairman of the Republican Party confirmed Trump as the presumptive nominee and called for unity to defeat Hillary Clinton. Donald Trump echoed that idea in his victory speech from New York City. He praised Cruz decision to leave the race. It was a brave thing to do, he said, because we need unity in the Republican Party. He also called Cruz a tough, smart competitor and said he has an amazing future. On the Democratic Party side, Bernie Sanders defeated Hillary Clinton in Indiana. The competition in that contest was much closer. The U.S. presidential election will be held November 8. Caty Weaver wrote this story for VOA Learning English. Hai Do was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section. You can also post a message on our Facebook page. _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story presumptive - adj. likely, expected echo - v. repeat tough - adj. strong Businessman Donald Trump has become the de facto Republican Party presidential nominee after all other opponents withdrew from the competition. Ohio Governor John Kasich was the last candidate to suspend his campaign. Texas Senator Ted Cruz did the same Tuesday night following Trumps huge win in the nominating election in the state of Indiana. Cruz told supporters that his "path toward victory has been foreclosed," and that voters have chosen another path. Donald Trump has never held public office. When he announced his plan to run for president on June 16, 2015, few Americans considered him a serious candidate. He was the 12th person to enter the Republican contest. In all there were 17 candidates seeking that partys presidential nomination. Trump was the best-known among Americans. He was the host of a TV reality show called, The Apprentice, for many years. The show had 28 million viewers its first season. Trump has more than 7 million followers on the social media site Twitter. Trump spoke about unemployment in the United States. He said China, Japan and Mexico had taken U.S. jobs. He criticized Mexico and other Latin American countries which he said were sending illegal immigrants to the United States. Theyre bringing drugs. Theyre bringing crime. Theyre rapists, he said. Trump promised to build a great wall to keep them out and that he will have Mexico to pay for that wall. For the next 10 months, Trump spread his message and attacked opponents on television, radio and social media. He made many incendiary comments about issues and other politicians. Trump criticized Senator John McCain for being taken as a prisoner of war in Vietnam. Many Americans consider the 2008 Republican candidate for president a hero. But, Trump disagreed. Hes not a war hero. I like people who werent captured, he said. Trump made other sharp criticisms against his opponents. He accused Senator Ted Cruz of lying. He called Senator Rubio of Florida, little Marco. Both Republicans and Democrats condemned Trump when he called for banning all Muslims from the United States. The comments do not seem to affect Republican voters. A Gallup poll in February reported that Republicans support Trump because he is outspoken, strong and not a career politician. One by one, Trumps opponents left the race after losses in the primaries and caucuses. Trumps opponents sharply attacked him. Some called for changes to how delegates are awarded. Republican chair calls for unity behind Trump Reince Priebus is the head of the Republican Party. After Trumps Indiana victory, he tweeted that Trump will be the presumptive nominee. He called for party unity to defeat Hillary Clinton. Matt Dallek is a professor at George Washington University's Graduate School of Political Management. He wonders if Republicans will follow Priebuss call for unity. He says, "The chairman of the RNC coming out and saying hes the presumptive nominee [is] not insignificant, but that doesn't necessarily persuade Jeb Bush and Ted Cruz and John Kasich and the Lindsey Grahams of the world to endorse him or to certainly appear on the convention stage." Dallek added, "Its hard to imagine Ted Cruz endorsing him after all of the things that he said about Trump." Cruz had called Trump a pathological liar and accused him of repeatedly cheating in his marriages. U.S. Senator Jeff Sessions of Alabama is among leading Republicans who support Trump. New Jersey Governor and former candidate Chris Christie is another. Christie campaigned for the businessman after he dropped out of the race himself. U.S. Senator Lindsay Graham was also a candidate for the Republican nomination. He wrote, If we nominate Trump, we will get destroyed.......and we will deserve it. Jay Caruso writes for the conservative blog Red State. He wrote that asking for unity behind Trump is to ask people to betray their most closely held beliefs and values. Caruso added Trump is the opposite of all things Republican and conservative. Some Republicans went even further to announce support for the likely Democratic nominee, Hillary Clinton. Mark Salter was a long-time advisor to Republican Senator John McCain. Salter tweeted that the GOP is going to nominate for President a guy who reads the National Enquirer and thinks its on the level. Im with her. Paul Helmke is a professor at Indiana University Bloomington's School of Public and Environmental Affairs. He said Trumps victory has shocked the entire political establishment." He told VOA, "I think whats happened is that a lot of folks think that government isn't working for them, government isn't effective anymore, they're angry, they want somebody who promises that they can make a difference, and Trumps somebody who says I can make the deal, I can make this happen, and I think thats what hes tapping into." Hai Do wrote this story for Learning English with additional reporting from Chris Hannas. Caty Weaver was the editor. What does this story mean to you? Please leave us a comment, and post on our Facebook page, thank you! ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story de facto adj. used to describe something that exists but that is not officially accepted or recognized incendiary adj. causing anger insignificant adj. small not important endorse v. to publicly support pathological adj. extreme in a way that is not normal or that shows an illness or mental problem LEXINGTON Felony charges against a 23-year-old Lexington man related to a September shooting have been dropped without prejudice in Dawson County District Court. According to court records, Gustavo Alvarado-Guerrero was charged with accessory to a felony, a Class III felony, and possession of a firearm by a prohibited person, a Class ID felony, after he allegedly picked up 23-year-old Ciro Cortez Jr. of Lexington in his pickup after Cortez shot at another man in that mans vehicle on the evening of Sept. 24 in Lexington. Cortez allegedly shot twice into the rear window of the victims vehicle, and one of the bullets struck the bill of the victims hat, court records say. Additionally, the gun allegedly used in the shooting was found later by police in Alvarado-Guerreros pickup, court records say. Alvarado-Guerrero plead not guilty to the charges. Dawson County Attorney Elizabeth Waterman said she dismissed the case to enable some further investigation to take place because testimony in the case had shifted and changed. She said a case that is dismissed without prejudice can be refiled. Cortez was charged in Dawson County District Court with attempted first degree murder, a Class II felony; use of a firearm to commit a felony, a Class IC felony; and possession of a firearm by a prohibited person, a Class ID felony. He is awaiting jury trial on June 14 in Dawson County District Court. Alvarado-Guerrero was sentenced to two to four years in prison on April 19 on an unrelated felony charge failure to verify registration pursuant to sexual offender registration act, a Class IIA felony. He will receive credit for 23 days served in Dawson County Jail, court records say. Alvarado-Guerrero also is awaiting jury trial on June 7 for another charge unrelated to the two others: felony theft of more than $5,000, a Class IIA felony. He plead not guilty to the charge. According to court records, he was allegedly involved in the planning of an Oct. 30 theft of a money bag from the Fascination store at 520 N. Washington St. in Lexington. According to the store manager, the bag contained about $12,000 when Marcita Connors, 22, of Lexington allegedly grabbed the bag from behind the counter, court records say. After the theft, Connors allegedly texted Alvarado-Guerrero that she was hiding in a dumpster near Taco Johns with the money bag and asked him to pick her up, court records say. Connors also faces a charge of felony theft of more than $5,000. Her trial has been set for May 10. Class II, IC and ID felonies carry a maximum penalty of 50 years in prison, while a Class III felony carries a maximum of four years in prison and a Class IIA felony carries a maximum of 20 years in prison. LEXINGTON,Neb. As a young girl in South Dakota, Linda Mins was torn between two career paths; being a nurse or being a cowgirl. Then her older sister figured out a game plan. She said I could ride a horse to the hospital, Mins said jokingly. From the time she was five-years-old, Mins, who was born in Illinois but raised in South Dakota, said she knew she wanted to grow up to become a nurse. One experience as a fourth grader solidified her career choice for her, Mins said. When a family friend, another young girl, broke both her arms, Mins sprang into action. I helped her with activities of daily life. I helped fix her meals, toileting, helped her with baths, she said. After a lifetime of different jobs in nursing and 13-years working as a school nurse with Lexington Public Schools, Mins will retire this May. Mins attended high school in Miller, S.D., and went to college at South Dakota State University in Brookings, where she received her bachelors in science in nursing. Having worked as nurse for 43 years, Mins said she was thankful she was able to work in different nursing roles and in different healthcare settings. Her first job in nursing was at a 300-bed hospital in Eau Claire,Wis., where she worked with the medical surgical unit for three years. Mins moved to Lexington in 1976. She worked for one year staffing the emergency room at the Lexington Hospital, when it was brand new. Sometimes it was very scary. It was a growing experience. Theres a lot of nasty things that can happen. It was rewarding challenge, she said. Her next career move took her to work at the Sperry New Holland manufacturing plant, which made combines. She worked there for four-and-a-half years as an evening nurse. Her duties included checking for and assisting with occupational injuries and screening for hearing loss among workers. Next she worked at Westside Care Home, now known as Plum Creek Healthcare Community by Welcov Healthcare. Mins worked there as the director of nursing for one year. It was a large responsibility, high intensity level. I had 40 plus employees and 166 residents. I was starting to have a family at that time and my husband Don, helped out a lot. I put in a lot of hours at work, Mins said. With the Mins family expanding, Linda decided to put her career on hold to stay home raise her two sons Jay and Garth Mins. In 2003, Mins began working as a part-time nurse with the Lexington Preschool, then located at IBP, which is now Tyson Fresh Meats. Three years later Mins was hired as a full-time nurse, who worked with the preschool and Morton Elementary School. Since 2006, Mins has worked as a school nurse for both schools. Mins said she enjoys her job and interacting with students. I love caring for them (students). If they dont feel good I can give them some TLC, tender, loving, care. Hopefully, I can make it a little easier for them, she said. After working in geriatric care, which is the care of the elderly, Mins said she knows having a positive attitude. If you can even give them a smile or one minute to listen you have made their day, she said about caring for and relating to patients both young and old. Sheri Baldwin, an LPS first grade teacher, said Mins will be greatly missed by both Morton staff and students. Many students find reasons just to go see her. She always has a band-aid or ice pack ready for most injuries and if that doesnt work she has a glass of magic water that has taken care of all of the rest, that ails our students. Some students just need someone to listen to them, as well as the staff, and she is there for that too,Baldwin said. Baldwin said Mins favorite quotes are: It is what it is or Everything will be okay! and somehow it always is. But next year when the school year begins with out Nurse Mins, it will be hard to think that Everything will be okay, because the reason things always were was because she was thereto take care of us, Baldwin said. Once retired, Mins said she plans to do some traveling and family history research with her sister, spend more time with her family and work on projects at home. "I want to take my granddaughter to Mt.Rushmore to see the four faces, she said. Linda and Don Mins have two sons, Jay and Garth Mins. Jay is a 1996 Lexington High School graduate. Garth is a 2000 LHS graduate. Jay is employed as a Lexington Police Officer, while Garth is a financial planner with Edward Jones in Lexington. LEXINGTON, Neb. Last Wednesday, Lexington Fifth Grader Abbie Owens was standing next to the organizing committee of the Hero Flight wishing the veterans a safe trip. As members of the committee handed Korean and Vietnam War veterans their Hero Flight caps and name tags, Owens handed veterans their personalized nylon drawstring bags. Each blue bag had an embroidered first initial, last name of each veteran, with an American flag. The bags were designed by Owens. Owens, a longtime 4-H member who has learned to sew and make jackets, skirts and dresses, said she was motivated to give back to veterans. She said her grandmother, Judy Biehl, gave her the idea to design bags for all the veterans going on the Dawson County Hero Flight. For me its a way to give back to the community and veterans, Owens said. After members of the committee approved the idea, she had full artistic authority to design the bags any way she wanted, Owens said. She did it as a 4-H project, she did a wonderful job, said Steve Zerr, a member of the Hero Flight organizing committee. She said she went around the community asking different businesses if they would be willing to donate items to go in the bags for veterans. The Lexington Community Foundation donated pens, Pioneer Seed donated notebooks, she said. It was a lot of fun, Owens said. GnuPG 2.1.12 released From: Werner Koch Subject: GnuPG 2.1.12 released Date: Wed, 04 May 2016 17:15:51 +0200 User-agent: Gnus/5.13 (Gnus v5.13) Hello! The GnuPG team is pleased to announce the availability of a new release of GnuPG modern: Version 2.1.12. See below for new features and bug fixes. The GNU Privacy Guard (GnuPG) is a complete and free implementation of the OpenPGP standard which is commonly abbreviated as PGP. GnuPG allows to encrypt and sign data and communication, features a versatile key management system as well as access modules for public key directories. GnuPG itself is a command line tool with features for easy integration with other applications. A wealth of frontend applications and libraries making use of GnuPG are available. Since version 2 GnuPG provides support for S/MIME and Secure Shell in addition to OpenPGP. GnuPG is Free Software (meaning that it respects your freedom). It can be freely used, modified and distributed under the terms of the GNU General Public License. Three different branches of GnuPG are actively maintained: - GnuPG "modern" (2.1) is the latest development with a lot of new features. This announcement is about this branch. - GnuPG "stable" (2.0) is the current stable version for general use. This is what most users are still using. - GnuPG "classic" (1.4) is the old standalone version which is most suitable for older or embedded platforms. You may not install "modern" (2.1) and "stable" (2.0) at the same time. However, it is possible to install "classic" (1.4) along with any of the other versions. Noteworthy changes in version 2.1.12 ==================================== * gpg: New --edit-key sub-command "change-usage" for testing purposes. * gpg: Out of order key-signatures are now systematically detected and fixed by --edit-key. * gpg: Improved detection of non-armored messages. * gpg: Removed the extra prompt needed to create Curve25519 keys. * gpg: Improved user ID selection for --quick-sign-key. * gpg: Use the root CAs provided by the system with --fetch-key. * gpg: Add support for the experimental Web Key Directory key location service. * gpg: Improve formatting of Tofu messages and emit new Tofu specific status lines. * gpgsm: Add option --pinentry-mode to support a loopback pinentry. * gpgsm: A new pubring.kbx is now created with the header blob so that gpg can detect that the keybox format needs to be used. * agent: Add read support for the new private key protection format openpgp-s2k-ocb-aes. * agent: Add read support for the new extended private key format. * agent: Default to --allow-loopback-pinentry and add option --no-allow-loopback-pinentry. * scd: Changed to use the new libusb 1.0 API for the internal CCID driver. * dirmngr: The dirmngr-client does now auto-detect the PEM format. * g13: Add experimental support for dm-crypt. * w32: Tofu support is now available with the Speedo build method. * w32: Removed the need for libiconv.dll. * The man pages for gpg and gpgv are now installed under the correct name (gpg2 or gpg - depending on a configure option). * Lots of internal cleanups and bug fixes. A detailed description of the changes found in the 2.1 branch can be found at . Please be aware that there are still known bugs which we are working on. Check https://bugs.gnupg.org, https://wiki.gnupg.org, and the mailing list archives for known problems and workarounds. Getting the Software ==================== Please follow the instructions found at or read on: GnuPG 2.1.12 may be downloaded from one of the GnuPG mirror sites or direct from its primary FTP server. The list of mirrors can be found at . Note that GnuPG is not available at ftp.gnu.org. The GnuPG source code compressed using BZIP2 and its OpenPGP signature are available here: ftp://ftp.gnupg.org/gcrypt/gnupg/gnupg-2.1.12.tar.bz2 (5381k) ftp://ftp.gnupg.org/gcrypt/gnupg/gnupg-2.1.12.tar.bz2.sig or here: https://gnupg.org/ftp/gcrypt/gnupg/gnupg-2.1.12.tar.bz2 (5381k) https://gnupg.org/ftp/gcrypt/gnupg/gnupg-2.1.12.tar.bz2.sig An installer for Windows without any graphical frontend except for a basic Pinentry tool is available here: ftp://ftp.gnupg.org/gcrypt/binary/gnupg-w32-2.1.12_20160504.exe (3477k) ftp://ftp.gnupg.org/gcrypt/binary/gnupg-w32-2.1.12_20160504.exe.sig or here https://gnupg.org/ftp/gcrypt/binary/gnupg-w32-2.1.12_20160504.exe (3477k) https://gnupg.org/ftp/gcrypt/binary/gnupg-w32-2.1.12_20160504.exe.sig The source used to build the Windows installer can be found in the same directory with a ".tar.xz" suffix. This Windows installer comes with Tofu support, translations, and support for Tor and the Tor browser. It is still missing HKPS support, though. Checking the Integrity ====================== In order to check that the version of GnuPG which you are going to install is an original and unmodified one, you can do it in one of the following ways: * If you already have a version of GnuPG installed, you can simply verify the supplied signature. For example to verify the signature of the file gnupg-2.1.12.tar.bz2 you would use this command: gpg --verify gnupg-2.1.12.tar.bz2.sig gnupg-2.1.12.tar.bz2 This checks whether the signature file matches the source file. You should see a message indicating that the signature is good and made by one or more of the release signing keys. Make sure that this is a valid key, either by matching the shown fingerprint against a trustworthy list of valid release signing keys or by checking that the key has been signed by trustworthy other keys. See below for information on the signing keys. * If you are not able to use an existing version of GnuPG, you have to verify the SHA-1 checksum. On Unix systems the command to do this is either "sha1sum" or "shasum". Assuming you downloaded the file gnupg-2.1.12.tar.bz2, you run the command like this: sha1sum gnupg-2.1.12.tar.bz2 and check that the output matches the next line: 3b01a35ac04277ea31cc01b4ac4e230e54b5480c gnupg-2.1.12.tar.bz2 0195d8b551e35b958f5efb4b678c3a178ba1ecb7 gnupg-w32-2.1.12_20160504.exe 2bad63245431a67fb4f076ec2b95f24b1ea1da0f gnupg-w32-2.1.12_20160504.tar.xz Release Signing Keys ==================== To guarantee that a downloaded GnuPG version has not been tampered by malicious entities we provide signature files for all tarballs and binary versions. The keys are also signed by the long term keys of their respective owners. Current releases are signed by one or more of these four keys: 2048R/4F25E3B6 2011-01-12 [expires: 2019-12-31] Key fingerprint = D869 2123 C406 5DEA 5E0F 3AB5 249B 39D2 4F25 E3B6 Werner Koch (dist sig) rsa2048/E0856959 2014-10-29 [expires: 2019-12-31] Key fingerprint = 46CC 7308 65BB 5C78 EBAB ADCF 0437 6F3E E085 6959 David Shaw (GnuPG Release Signing Key) rsa2048/33BD3F06 2014-10-29 [expires: 2016-10-28] Key fingerprint = 031E C253 6E58 0D8E A286 A9F2 2071 B08A 33BD 3F06 NIIBE Yutaka (GnuPG Release Key) rsa2048/7EFD60D9 2014-10-19 [expires: 2020-12-31] Key fingerprint = D238 EA65 D64C 67ED 4C30 73F2 8A86 1B1C 7EFD 60D9 Werner Koch (Release Signing Key) You may retrieve these keys from a keyserver using this command gpg --keyserver hkp://keys.gnupg.net --recv-keys \ 249B39D24F25E3B6 04376F3EE0856959 \ 2071B08A33BD3F06 8A861B1C7EFD60D9 The keys are also available at https://gnupg.org/signature_key.html and in any recently released GnuPG tarball in the file g10/distsigkey.gpg . Note that this mail has been signed by a different key. Internationalization ==================== This version of GnuPG has support for 26 languages with Chinese, Czech, French, German, Japanese, Russian, and Ukrainian being almost completely translated (2166 different strings). Documentation ============= If you used GnuPG in the past you should read the description of changes and new features at doc/whats-new-in-2.1.txt or online at https://gnupg.org/faq/whats-new-in-2.1.html The file gnupg.info has the complete user manual of the system. Separate man pages are included as well but they have not all the details available as are the manual. It is also possible to read the complete manual online in HTML format at https://gnupg.org/documentation/manuals/gnupg/ or in Portable Document Format at https://gnupg.org/documentation/manuals/gnupg.pdf . The chapters on gpg-agent, gpg and gpgsm include information on how to set up the whole thing. You may also want search the GnuPG mailing list archives or ask on the gnupg-users mailing lists for advise on how to solve problems. Many of the new features are around for several years and thus enough public knowledge is already available. You may also want to follow our postings at . Support ======== Please consult the archive of the gnupg-users mailing list before reporting a bug . We suggest to send bug reports for a new release to this list in favor of filing a bug at . For commercial support requests we keep a list of known service companies at: https://gnupg.org/service.html If you are a developer and you need a certain feature for your project, please do not hesitate to bring it to the gnupg-devel mailing list for discussion. Maintenance and development of GnuPG is mostly financed by donations. As of today we employ 3 full-time developers, one part-timer, and one contractor. They all work on GnuPG and closely related software like Libgcrypt and GPA. Please consider to donate via: https://gnupg.org/donate/ Thanks ====== We have to thank all the people who helped with this release, be it testing, coding, translating, suggesting, auditing, administering the servers, spreading the word, answering questions on the mailing lists, and donating money. For the GnuPG hackers, Werner p.s. This is an announcement only mailing list. Please send replies only to the gnupg-users'at'gnupg.org mailing list. -- Die Gedanken sind frei. Ausnahmen regelt ein Bundesgesetz. pgpIspLYe7vDo.pgp Description: PGP signature reply via email to [Prev in Thread] Current Thread [Next in Thread] With 2015's O Kadhal Kanmani going on to be a runaway hit in both Tamil and Telugu, Mani Ratnam has further cemented his brand as a filmmaker with pan-India appeal.OK Kanmani worked even with Hindi-speaking audiences (it was screened with English subtitles) and became the highest grosser among regional films in north Indian multiplexes. Now, we hear that Mani is all set to make another film partly set in Kashmir. The new untitled film, to be produced by Manis Madras Talkies, will have Tamil hero Karthi (the younger brother of actor Suriya) and Aditi Rao Hydari in the lead, with music by AR Rahman and camera by Ravi Varman (Goliyon Ki Rasleela: Ram-Leela, Barfi, Tamasha etc). The film is rumoured to be a romantic entertainer mixed with terrorism, one of Manis favourite themes (remember Roja, Dil Se, Kannathil Muthamittal). The grapevine has it that Karthi is playing a pilot who falls in love with a doctor (Aditi's character). Karthi is currently undergoing a crash course in flying, to make it more authentic, as flying an aircraft is a pivotal part of the story. The story of the film of course has been kept under wraps but Mani Ratnam had made a few recce trips to Kashmir, to get permission to shoot in the valley. If permission to shoot in certain sensitive areas is denied, then sources close to the director say he will then zoom in on Himachal Pradesh, an alternative location. Incidentally, a large part of Roja was shot in and around Shimla, and passed off as Kashmir. Ratnam has revisited the valley 24 years after this path-breaking Tamil film, which featured Arvind Swamy and Madhoo, and marked the launch of AR Rahman's film music career (some portions of the Shah Rukh Khan-Manisha Koirala starrer Dil Se also depicted Kashmir). Roja was dubbed in Hindi and became a blockbuster, opening the doors for Mani in Bollywood. After the cold reception to Raavan (2010), the Abhishek Bachchan-Aishwarya Rai-Vikram starrer, Mani has stayed away from making Bollywood films. Meanwhile there has been no official announcement from Mani Ratnam or Madras Talkies regarding his new film. The shoot of the film is likely to commence by July end (depending on the permissions being granted by the J&K government). However, even before the shoot of the film started, most of its rights have been sold. The biggest Tamil distribution concern Sri Thenandal Films has taken over the Tamil theatrical rights of the film, while the Telugu theatricals have also been sold. The overseas right has also been grabbed for an astronomical rate. The buzz is that there will be also a Hindi dubbing of the film, as North Indian television channels are trying their best to procure the satellite rights. At 60, Mani Ratnam clearly continues to be the biggest brand in south Indian cinema. New Delhi: The top 50 defaulters of public sector banks had an exposure of Rs 1.21 lakh crore as on December 2015. Giving this information in Rajya Sabha, Minister of State for Finance Jayant Sinha said the number of wilful defaulters of PSBs rose from 5,554 to 7,686 in three years to December 2015 while the amount involved more than doubled to Rs 66,190 crore from Rs 27,749 crore. "The total exposure of top 50 defaulters of PSBs as on December 2015 was Rs 1,21,832 crore," he said in a written reply in the Upper House. In another reply, Sinha said there were 1,365 borrower accounts having funded outstanding loans of Rs 500 crore and above at the end of December 2015. He further said government has taken specific measures to address issues in sectors such as infrastructure, steel and extiles, where incidence of non-performing assets is high. To another question, Sinha said Union Bank has informed that its Chitbaragaon branch has sanctioned KCC loan to certain borrowers as per bank's norm and completed required formalities. "Branch has obtained No Dues Certificate from the earlier bankers i.e SBI before disbursement of loan and taken No Encumbrance Certificate from the Panel Advocate to avoid multiple financing," Sinha said. He was asked why the Union Bank branch had extended loans against five accounts before expiration of five years in 2014 to "fraudsters" against whom "multiple cases of banking frauds" had been registered in 2013 by SBI and Purvanchal Bank. "The SBI had not mentioned anything abut fraud in their NOC. The present status of these accounts is standard," Sinha added. New Delhi: Air India has reported a modest operational profit for the first time in a decade, two years ahead of the target as per its turnaround plan. This is significant since any profit, even if it is at the operational level, has been generated for the first time since the erstwhile Air India and Indian Airlines merged to create the present behemoth. Lower fuel prices coupled with improved operational performance are being cited as the two main reasons for this happy state of affairs and airline officials have indicated that net profit could similarly be advanced by two years. Aircraft availability, increased cabin manpower and more aggressive marketing are some other reasons the airline's financials are improving. Civil Aviation minister A Gajapathi Raju informed Lok Sabha on Tuesday that the airline has turned in an operational profit of Rs 8 crore last fiscal by cutting operational expenses by almost 11 per cent. Here are five reasons why this milestone in Air India's lifespan is a significant one, but the airline is not out of the woods yet: 1) Fuel saved the blushes: As per data given in Parliament during the first part of the Monsoon Session, Air India may have saved close to 9 percent or about Rs 720 crore on fuel costs alone in 2015-16. Since fuel expenses may have accounted for about 30 percent of total expenses during the fiscal, savings from benign global crude prices helped the airline significantly in showing an operational profit in 2015-16. Other improvements, though welcome, would not have helped the cause unless fuel prices also helped. In other words, when global crude prices begin to rise, Air India's operating profit will also get squeezed significantly unless it takes giant stride in improving other operational parameters. The airline is estimated to have flown close to a million more revenue passengers last fiscal at 17.77 million versus 16.88 million in 2014-15. A report in Mint newspaper earlier this year cited the CASK Cost per Available Seat Kilometer of Indias airlines to drive home the point that fuel prices are make or break, since cost rationalization does not seem to be successful for Indias airlines. 2) Losses pile up: According to data provided in Parliament, Air India's losses stood at Rs 5490.16 crore, Rs 6279.6 crore and Rs 5859.91 crore in 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2014-15 respectively. As per Budget Estimates, the airline would have still declared a net loss of Rs 3529,8 crore during FY16 despite being profitable at the operational level. While fuel accounts for the single largest cost head, employee expenses also account for close to 10 percent of total costs. In other words, 10 paise out of every rupee spent by AI is used to pay employee salaries. This, when the airline has already hived off two subsidiaries - one for ground handling and another for engineering - and halved total manpower. 3) Debt worries remain: Air India, which accounts for the largest share of Indian airlines total debt pile, was sitting on borrowings of over Rs 51,000 crore till March 31, 2015. MoS Aviation Mahesh Sharma said in Parliament in March that Air India's total debt burden of Rs 51, 367.07 crore includes Rs 22,574.09 crore outstanding on account of aircraft loans. As per the Turnaround Plan (TAP), the equity infusion by the Government into Air India also includes Rs 18,929 crore for the repayment of the government-guaranteed loans/interests till FY 2020/21. Air Indias interest bill alone for FY16 is estimated to be around Rs 3,700 crore! Since government is the owner of Air India, the airline seems to have a perpetual cushion to fall back on, something no private airline can boast of. So a modest operating profit is good news but provides little relief on the airline's actual financials. 4) Privatisation: This government has blown hot and cold over any move to consider offloading the white elephant called Air India. Sources tell us that there is stiff opposition from the top management of the airline over any such move. This can only spell disaster for the airline, which has been guzzling public money at an alarming rate. Last year, the independent directors on the board of the airline had met minster Raju to convince him about the need to privatise Air India. In March this year, the heavy industries ministry had created a flutter by classifying Air India as 'sick', reviving a discussion on whether the government should get Air India off its hands as its financial situation is not improving despite continuous equity support. At that time, airline officials had said that there has been some talk of initiating the process of privatisation by starting with two businesses which were earlier spun off from the airline - engineering and ground handling. They had said then that Air India Express could also be considered under this scheme. A proposal to recommend privatisation of Air India has been discussed informally at several board meetings of the airline - a subject usually taken by its independent directors, but no formal resolution has been drafted in this regard. Now that AI is operationally profitable, time is ripe for at least a discussion over privatisation. 5) Image problem: Air India suffers from an image problem due to service standards, frequent delays and engineering issues. According to DGCA data for March, Air India continued to have top ranking in the complaints' register with 32,518 passengers affected due to various issues like denied boarding, delays and cancelled flights on the domestic sector. Though the airline has less than half the share of the domestic market compared to IndiGo, the number of people affected due to flight delays alone was more than twice that of IndiGo passengers similarly affected. For its operational performance and therefore revenues to improve, these image issues need to be settled. The government is committed to spend over Rs 30,000 crore in equity support to Air India as per the Turnaround Plan. Of this, over Rs 22,000 crore is already in. Now that the airline has reaped the benefits of benign fuel prices and higher aircraft loads to become operationally profitable last fiscal, the government needs to chalk out a detailed future roadmap which should include a discussion on privatisation. India is one of the fastest growing aviation markets in the world and has immense growth potential for airlines in terms of traffic. The catch lies in profitable operations in an increasingly competitive environment, where controlling costs remains the key. The government needs to get out of aviation, allow professionals to manage the airline and stop sinking more of public money into Air India. On Tuesday, the government informed in Parliament that the total number of wilful defaulters of Public Sector Banks (PSBs) escalated from 5,554 to 7,686 for the period December '12-December '15 with the amount involved more than doubling to Rs 66,190 crore from Rs 27,749 crore. We already know that there is a ticking time bomb placed by habitual defaulters promoters with deep pockets with no intent to pay back on the balance sheets of Indian banks. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and the countrys banking industry call them wilful defaulters. This is precisely what Firstpost warned of in this article some time back. The figure released by the government is not too different. Earlier, on April 1, Firstpost had put out another list of top wilful defaulters of Indian banks that included the names of those with Rs 500 crore exposure. The list included names like Zoom Developers, Winsome Diamonds, Forever Precious Jewellery and Diamonds and, Deccan Chronicle Holdings. Currently, the total amount under the wilful defaulter category constitute about 16 percent of the overall bad loans (Rs 400,000 crore) of Indian banks and about one percent of the total loans (Rs 73 lakh crore) given by the banking sector. Banks have aggressively started reporting bad loans after the RBI set a target of March, 2017 to clean-up their balance sheets. Till then, no one was in a hurry to report NPAs and wilful defaults. Senior bankers themselves admit that the industry has been hiding cases of wilful default. Why do banks love to hide bad assets? The answer is simple: Its sort of a give and take relation with the large corporations by helping the borrower technically maintain their accounts till the time it is possible. Secondly, state-run banks are always eager to be in the good books of their bossthe government, by showing a healthier-than-real balance sheet. But, the bigger question beyond the naming and shaming debate, is this. Is there a plan of action for the RBI or the banks to recover money from wilful defaulters beyond naming and shaming? Obviously, the burgeoning list of wilful defaulters shows that these wilful defaulters arent really bothered of being named and shamed in public. Has the powerful weapon, as once described by Raghuram Rajan, now been reduced to the toy gun of a toddler? Theoretically, wilful defaulters are those who have the ability to pay back the banks but wouldnt do so deliberately. Ultimately, what matters is to get back the public's money from these borrowers. According to senior bankers, the recovery from wilful defaulter accounts has been remarkably poor. In other words, the tag of wilful defaulter has proved to be hardly effective when it comes to prodding defaulters for actual repayment. Take the example of the grounded Kingfisher Airlines promoted by liquor-baron Vijay Mallya. Though at least three banks State Bank of India, Punjab National Bank and United Bank of India tagged Kingfisher as wilful defaulter (United Bank later withdrew the tag on a court order), there has been no progress yet on the loan recovery process in this case. Mallya owes over Rs 9,000 crore to a host of 17-banks and left the country on March amid investigations and court cases against him on the default case. Banks are still on a wild-goose chase with regard to Mallya. Compared with a normal NPA account, the recovery in wilful defaulter account is even more difficult for banks. Crony promoters are influential in political circles and bureaucracy and have the money power to fight long legal battles. Clearly, the powerful weapon of wilful defaulters has proved to be powerless when it comes to taking on big tycoons who have openly waged war against banks. Wilful defaulters need to be treated separately from other loan defaulters. This will require coordinated action between the RBI, other sector regulators and the government. The RBI, as the banking regulator, should take the initiative. At present, banks can fight against wilful defaulters in courts, which at times drags on for years. By the time any action can be taken, the value of the underlying asset would have eroded sharply leaving banks with nothing to recover. Its high time that the government and the RBI came out with a plan of action on how to deal with habitual defaulters, in cases where clearly the intent to pay back is absent. Merely tagging them as wilful defaulters would hardly help when it comes to actual recovery of the money. (Some part of this article was published earlier) Data support from Kishor Kadam Jayant Sinha, Minister of State for Finance, has gone on record saying there are 7,686 wilful defaulters in Indian banking system owing Rs 66,190 crore to their lenders. Wilful defaulters are those who have the ability to pay back but wouldnt do so deliberately. Such defaulters are largely big corporations. An old joke is doing the rounds in financial circles that for a Marwari businessman, there is considerable pride in being declared an insolvent (diwalia). Surely, there is a certain amount of smugness bordering on insolence on the part of those who thumb their noses at our banking system----witness the statement by the renegade liquor baron Vijay Mallyas the other day that if he were arrested, the nation will not get anything from him or his companies. Indian banks gross NPAs, as at end December, stood Rs 4 lakh crore. If this is juxtaposed with Jayant Sinhas, the result one gets is as much as 16 per cent of our bad debts are of the wilful default variety. This is alarming, to say the least, because unless reined in, the tribe of wilful defaulters is likely to grow. One had all along thought that the reason for the Non-performing assets (NPA) of banks is largely due to economic downturn and other factors. But, as it turns out now, deliberate (wilful) non-repayment is no less a factor. The RBI chokes off wilful defaulters from accessing funds from the banks and financial institutions. Also, all the directors of such a company, irrespective of whether they are executive or non-executive directors, also get the pariah status for five years. Market-regulator, Sebi, acting in tandem with RBI, has barred directors of such companies from accessing the capital market as well as from donning the mantle of directorship in listed companies. These are all fine but not enough. The taste of pudding is in its eating. Extending this culinary principle to the drab world of finance one can say the success of the wilful defaulter tag lies in recovery. Because what is the point in just shaming a defaulter unless he is made to cough up the money he owes to the nation? Apart from ostracizing and shaming a wilful defaulter, immediate steps must be taken to get him to disgorge the ill-gotten assets and money. In our country neither the marauding politicians nor the buccaneer businessmen have ever been asked to cough up the ill-gotten money. The trial court while holding Lalu Yadav guilty in the infamous fodder scam and estimating the size of loss to the exchequer at Rs 900 crore, nevertheless let him off with a slap on the wrist--Rs 25 lakh penalty plus a prison term. The Company law does enable and empower the liquidator to launch misappropriation proceedings if he feels that men involved in the company were responsible for looting it but it has never happened. What we therefore need is an explicit law that mandates going for the jugular of the wilful defaulter. The Enforcement Directorate believes the wily Mallya has siphoned away sizeable amount of money abroad. Our law enforcement machinery must acquire modern financial forensic skills so as to get at the bottom of the issue and ultimately recover the ill-gotten money wherever it is----within or without. Foreign governments and banks do not cooperate even in the face of letter rogatory issued by a competent court in India unless a watertight case is made out against the alleged wrongdoer. The government and the regulators should spare a thought for independent directors if not all the non-executive directors. While a promoter and executive director must definitely bear the cross, an independent director should not be visited with the same consequences for wilful default lest he becomes shy in accepting directorships. Of course he must share the same consequences if it turns out he was equally to blame and was in fact complicit in playing footsie with the promoters and executive directors. The body of music superstar Prince was found one day before a doctor was to meet him to help end an addiction to painkillers, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reported on Wednesday, citing the doctor's lawyer. California doctor Howard Kornfeld, described in the report as a national authority on opioid addiction treatment, was contacted by Prince representatives on April 20 because the musician "was dealing with a grave medical emergency," the Star Tribune reported, citing William Mauzy, a Minneapolis attorney it said was working with the Kornfeld family. Kornfeld, who runs Recovery Without Walls, an outpatient clinic in Mill Valley, California, was unable to meet with Prince the next day, when Prince was found dead at age 57 at his home-studio complex called Paisley Park in a Minneapolis suburb, the paper said. Kornfeld had planned to fly out the following day, the paper said. However, the doctor's son Andrew Kornfeld arrived at Paisley Park instead the morning of April 21 and was one of three people there when Prince's body was found in an elevator, the paper said. He called 911. Neither the doctor nor the lawyer responded to Reuters requests for confirmation of the report. The hope was that Prince would agree to go to California for care, which would include around-the-clock nursing support, the paper said. Prince's cause of death remains undetermined and it could be weeks before results are released from an autopsy. Prescription opioid medication was found on him, media reported, citing law enforcement sources. Police have said they found no signs of suicide or obvious trauma in Prince's death. (Reporting by Suzannah Gonzales; Editing by James Dalgleish) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. As regular people, we have all added a personal touch to the things we do. Well, yoga guru and human rubberband, Baba Ramdev isn't that far behind. Although Ramdev visited Lalu Prasad Yadav's house to invite the latter to attend International Yoga Day celebrations, there was a lot more going on behind the scenes. According to The Statesman, the guru was at Lalu's house to demonstrate the aforementioned 'personal touch' he was massaging the RJD chief 's face with a 'special' Patanjali cream, as the latter beamed, I am a permanent brand ambassador of Ramdevs Patanjali products. If you're interested in seeing how it went down, there's even a video of it. Ramdev even tweeted after: Met Shri @laluprasadrjd ji and gifted him Patanjali products pic.twitter.com/K81nG1e81K Swami Ramdev (@yogrishiramdev) May 4, 2016 This is a steady turnaround from Lalu's vitriol attacks, which are usually aimed at "high-profile saints" that include the Patanjali founder and Nobel Peace Prize refuser Sri Sri Ravishankar. Even as recent as last month, at a function to mark 125th anniversary of BR Ambedkar, the Bihar politician described Baba Ramdev as a "capitalist and industrialist of the country", and that he along with other saints/babas are making fools out of people, in the guise of religion. So what could be the reason for this impressive backflip and the start of a fruitful bromance? Back in 2015, it seemed like Lalu had a few defensive words for the baba when the latter was caught using animal bones in his medicines. Business Standard reported that Lalu was fine with the use of animal bones as long as it treated the disease. Perhaps things have been blowing hot and cold between them and it took a 'cosmetic' aligning of the stars for the duo to patch up? It's also important to note that Lalu has a thing for well-maintained skin remember his remarks about Hema Malini's skin? His claim that he'd make Bihar's roads as smooth as Hema Malini's cheeks. Never mind the background, the two leaders' too-close-for-comfort-politics is surely entertaining. Who knows, maybe Lalu might be drafted as a model for Patanjali. (With inputs from IANS) Thiruvananthapuram: A 19-year-old Dalit nursing student was allegedly gangraped in Varkala, days after the rape and brutal murder of a law students in Kerala's Ernakulam district that sparked protests by students and rights activits. The victim, a second year BSC nursing student, was raped by an autorickshaw driver and two of his friends near Ayanthi bridge in Varkala, about 50 km from here, on Tuesday. She has been admitted to the ICU of a hospital, police said on Wednesday. A case under IPC 376 (2) (g) (gangrape) was registered against the accused, who are absconding, police said, adding, her statement will be recorded before a magistrate on Wednesday. "Based on the statement of the girl, we registered case against three persons. A medical examination has confirmed that she was gangraped," Varkala Circle Inspector Vinod B said. The victim had gone with an autorickshaw driver, who was known to her, in his vehicle on the day of the incident. Two of his friends also got into the vehicle later. They then took the autorickshaw to a deserted spot and allegedly raped her, police said. The girl was in a state of shock and suffered from fits when she was found by some people who rushed to the vehicle on hearing her cries for help, they said. A team of expert doctors is monitoring the condition of the girl, who was admitted to the ICU of the SAT hospital at the Thiruvanathapuram Government Medical College here late night from a private hospital in Varkala. Hospital sources said her condition is stable. "Doctors are frequently monitoring her health condition, which is stable now. Visitors are strictly prohibited," SAT hospital superintendent said here in a release. The incident comes days after a 30-year-old Dalit law student was raped and murdered in Perumbavoor in Ernakulam district. Kochi: Police on Wednesday released sketch of a person believed to have committed the rape and murder of a Dalit woman in nearby Perumbavoor even as the investigation team questioned her neighbour, who was taken into custody from Kannur on Tuesday evening. Police said the sketch was prepared based on the inputs provided by two persons who claimed to have seen a person at the time of the crime on 28 April in the neighbourhood of the victim's wayside home in Perumbavoor. It is not clear whether the persons currently under the custody of police have similarity to the sketch of the person. Local media reports suggest that the person taken into custody from Kannur has some similarities with the sketch released today but it was not confirmed by the police. Amid widespread protests over the delay in arresting the culprits behind the brutal murder committed nearly a week ago, police remained tight-lipped about the ongoing probe carried out under the direct watch of top officials. The police, facing flak for alleged lapses in the initial investigation into the incident, continued to grill the person picked up from Kannur. He reportedly had left the area soon after the incident and it was found from the examination of mobile phone records. Three persons have been taken into custody by police for questioning in connection with the rape and brutal murder of the 30-year-old woman law student. The woman, who hailed from a poor family, was allegedly subjected to rape and brutal assault using sharp edged weapons before being murdered at her house. No arrest has been made so far in the crime that shocked the state triggering, intense politicking ahead of the 16 May Assembly elections. Meanwhile, the Kerala government on Wednesday announced a solatium of Rs 10 lakh to the family of the victim. A government job will also be provided to the sister of the victim, an official press release said. With many persons coming forward to extend financial help to the family to build a house, the Ernakulam District Collector has been asked to coordinate and provide all assistance to the family in this regard. The government will also approach the Election Commission seeking permission to provide assistance to the family of the victim. The woman, a law student who hailed from a poor family, was subjected to rape and brutal assault using sharp edged weapons before being murdered at her house in Perumbavoor on 28 April, police said. Kochi: Amid mounting protests over delay in arresting those involved in the brutal rape and murder of a Dalit woman, Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy on Wednesday visited the ailing mother of the victim admitted to a hospital in Perumbavoor and said the culprits would be brought to justice at the earliest. The Chief Minister, who reached the hospital amid protest by DYFI activists alleging lapses in the probe, consoled the mother of the victim and said steps would be taken to provide a government job to the victim's sister to support her family. "I assure you that the culprit behind this brutal crime would be brought to justice," Chandy said. Dismissing suggestions that the case has been weakened due to delay in arresting the culprits, the Chief Minister said, "Nothing will block the strong legal action. I assure you government Will take it as a very serious thing and we will book the culprits and bring them before the law". Three persons have been taken into custody by police for questioning in connection with the rape and brutal murder of the 30-year-old Dalit woman in Ernakulam district. The woman, a law student who hailed from a poor family, was allegedly subjected to rape and brutal assault using sharp edged weapons before being murdered at her house in Perumbavoor on 28 April. No formal arrest has been made yet in the crime that shocked the state triggering intense politicking ahead of the 16 May Assembly polls. Ernakulam Range IG Mahipal Yadav has said there were signs of strangulation, smothering and 13 injuries on the woman's neck, chest and at several other places of the body. Some reports said the victim sustained around 20 injuries and her intestines were pulled out. The crime has been dubbed "Kerala's Nirbhaya" for its chilling similarities to the 2012 gangrape of a young paramedic student in a moving bus. The girl later succumbed to her injuries. Women's rights activists and political leaders, cutting across party lines, have voiced concern over the murder which they believe was a first of its kind in the state for the sheer brutality of the crime. Mumbai: Maharashtra Association of Resident Doctors (MARD) on Wednesday, assured the Bombay High Court that henceforth it would not resort to strike to fulfill the demands of resident doctors in the state, and would instead demonstrate their protest in a peaceful manner. The statement was made by a lawyer of MARD before a division bench headed by Justice Abhay Oka, which had asked the Association to file an affidavit declaring its stand on the strike resorted by the doctors recently. The doctors had gone on strike to demand transfer of Dr TP Lahane, Dean of state-run J J Hospital, for not allowing doctors to perform surgeries. However, MARD said it wanted the state government to take adequate security measures for protecting resident doctors who are frequently attacked by relatives of patients who die in hospitals. The bench then asked acting Advocate General Rohit Dev what measures the state government proposes to take to protect the resident doctors from the attacks by the kin of patients who pass away during treatment of their diseases in hospitals. The high court asked the acting AG to file an affidavit on or before 10 June on these lines. In an affidavit, MARD said it had withdrawn its strike after the grievances redressal committee was reconstituted by the High Court to include a retired judge as the head of this panel. MARD further said that under the Constitution of the country, they had a right to protest peacefully in support of their demands. Till now, the state has not been able to take steps to give protection to doctors despite repeated requests. In the past one year, there have been five incidents in which doctors have been beaten up by the kin of patients, MARD added. The state government also needs to improve the working conditions of doctors as they often contact diseases while treating patients, it said adding that instances of tuberculosis is on the rise among doctors. MARD also said that the issues raised by doctors were not attended to by the state government and hence the doctors were forced to go on strike although they never intended to. However, the Association added that it would not resort to strike hereafter. The high court had last month reconstituted a 7-member grievances redressal committee headed by retired high court judge VC Daga to probe the allegations of MARD against Lahane for not allowing doctors to perform surgeries. New Delhi: With China blocking India's bid at the United Nations to proscribe Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar, government on 4 May said it is exerting diplomatic pressure to remove the "technical hold" and get a ban imposed on him. Minister of State for External Affairs V K Singh told the Lok Sabha that India has also told China that there cannot be selective approach when it comes to terrorism. Last month, China had blocked India's bid at the UN to ban Azhar, the Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) chief and mastermind of the Pathankot terror attack. During Question Hour, Singh said the move to ban Azhar is on "technical hold" at the UN. "Hum zor dal rahe hai (we are putting pressure)" through diplomatic channels to ensure that it is done away with, he noted. China is among the five permanent members of the UN Security Council (UNSC) and has veto powers. The others are France, Russian Federation, the UK, and the US. The UN had banned the JeM but India's efforts for a ban on Azhar after the 2008 Mumbai terror attack also did not fructify as China did not allow the ban. On reforms at the UN, Singh said the expansion in both permanent and non-permanent category of its membership would be an essential element of the reforms at the UNSC. Referring to the four permanent member countries, Singh said "hamari baat ko samarthan karte hain (they support our demand for reforms)." On China, he said the country understands India's position and is of the view that India should have the opportunity to do good work at the UN. "We are seeking enough support" for UNSC membership and leaders of the country who visit overseas raise this issue, Singh said and noted that reforms in the UN is a long process. In a written reply, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said a large number of countries have supported India's initiatives for reform of the Security Council, as well as endorsed India's candidature for permanent membership. "This has been expressed in various forms and for a including in bilateral discussions with the Government of India," she said. Following the release of the annual report by United States Commission for International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) which claimed religious intolerance increased in India in 2015, the Ministry of External Affairs on Tuesday slammed the US minorities watchdog and rejected the findings saying that it takes no cognizance of the report. According to Economic Times, the 2016 annual report of the commission released on Monday said that the Indian government publicly rebuked officials and religious leaders that make derogatory statements about religious communities. Minority communities, especially Christians, Muslims, and Sikhs, experienced numerous incidents of intimidation, harassment, and violence, largely at the hands of Hindu nationalist groups, the report alleged, according to a report by Deccan Chronicle. According to India Today, the report adds," In 2015, high-ranking members of the ruling BJP party, including the party's president Amit Shah, called for a nationwide anti-conversion law". The USCIRF report claimed that India is on a negative trajectory in terms of religious freedom. It also recommended to the US government that its bilateral contacts with New Delhi, including the framework of future Strategic Dialogues, must integrate this concern, reported The Hindu. Completely rejecting the USCIRF report, the Centre on Tuesday said the foreign entity has no business commenting on the constitutionally protected rights of Indian citizens. Our attention has been drawn to the recent report by the USCIRF, which once again fails to show proper understanding of India, its constitution and its society, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Vikas Swarup told journalists in New Delhi, according to The Indian Express. He also mentioned, as reported by DNA, the Indian Constitution guarantees fundamental rights to all citizens, including the right to freedom of religion. He further stated that there was no locus standi for a foreign entity like USCIRF to pronounce on the state of Indian citizens' constitutionally protected rights. "We take no cognizance of their report," Swarup was quoted as saying by Free Press Journal. MEA later tweeted to announce it did not approve of the report. On the @USCIRF report: We see no locus standi for the report. We take no cognizance of it. pic.twitter.com/ibIA9lzj8S Vikas Swarup (@MEAIndia) May 3, 2016 The report also mentioned Mohammad Akhlaq's Dadri case. "According to members of the Muslim community, members of the BJP and the RSS over the past two years have used alleged violations of beef ban laws to inflame Hindus to violently attack Indian Muslims," said the report, specifically mentioning names of Sakshi Maharaj and Yogi Adityanath, as reported by The Times of India. The USCIRF report comes just weeks before Narendra Modi proposed bilateral meeting with US President Barack Obama where he is also scheduled to address a joint session of the US Congress. Patna: Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Tuesday dismissed the argument that imposition of the total prohibition impinged on fundamental right of citizens and pointed to the directive principle to justify the ban on alcohol in the state. A few persons in urban areas questioned prohibition, saying how come the state was concerned what a citizen eats or drinks, Kumar said at a function in Saharsa. But, consumption of liquor cannot be the fundamental right of a citizen. "Article 47 of the Constitution gives direction that the state should protect health and nutrition of its citizen and strive to achieve total prohibition," he said, to justify his government's 5 April decision to put a complete ban on alcohol, country, spiced and Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL). "The Supreme Court has said in its order that connection with liquor and intoxicants cannot be fundamental right of anybody," Kumar said. "Liquor does not come under the purview of Article 19 of the Constitution providing fundamental right to citizens," he said. JNUSU President Kanhaiya Kumar during his trip to Patna on Saturday and Sunday had touched on the subject saying prohibition across country was not possible because freedom to eat or drink is a fundamental right. Many others have also put forward this argument during TV debates on channels. Claiming good results in the wake of the decision to stop sale and consumption of alcohol in Bihar, Kumar said, the "crime rate has gone down" and so have instances of road accidents. Addressing a gathering during a function of women's self-help group 'Jeevika', the chief minister exhorted women to destroy liquor manufacturing outlets for which the state government would provide all assistance. Kumar said prohibition has taken shape of a social revolution and pointed to the voice being raised against consumption of alcohol in Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Odisha, among other places. Meanwhile, Kumar today wrote a fresh letter to his counterparts in Jharkhand and Uttar Pradesh Raghubar Das and Akhilesh Yadav respectively seeking their assistance in successful implementation of total prohibition in area of Bihar sharing boundary with their states. It was disclosed by Assistant Commissioner Excise and Prohibition Satyendra Kumar Sinha. New Delhi: The Supreme Court Collegium has recommended elevation of three High Court Chief Justices and a senior lawyer to the apex court, the first since a new law on appointment of judges to higher judiciary was struck down by the top court. This is the first set of recommendations made by the SC Collegium for appointment as judges of the apex court, after the National Judicial Appointments Commission Act came into force on 13 April. The new law that sought to scrap the collegium system was struck down by a Supreme Court bench on 16 October. The Collegium, headed by Chief Justice of India, TS Thakur, has recommended the elevation of Justice AM Khanwilkar of the Madhya Pradesh High Court, Justice DY Chandrachud of the Allahabad High Court and Justice Ashok Bhushan of the Kerala High Court to the Supreme Court. The Collegium has also recommended senior lawyer and former Additional Solicitor General L Nageshwar Rao for appointment as a Supreme Court judge. Meanwhile, Acting Chief Justice of the Andhra Pradesh/Telangana High Court Justice DB Bhonsle has been recommended for the post of Chief Justice of the Allahabad High Court in place of Justice Chandrachud. These recommendations assume importance as the Supreme Court is functioning with only 25 judges though its approved strength is 31, including the CJI. While Justice Thakur will retire on 3 January 2017, five more apex court judges will retire this year. These include Justice AR Dave who will retire on 18 November, Justice FMI Kalifulla (22 July), Justice V Gopala Gowda (5 October), Justice Shiva Kirti Singh (12 November) and Justice C Nagappan (3 October). Former law officer Nageshwar Rao is the fourth member from the Bar recommended for Supreme Court judgeship by the collegium after the Narendra Modi government came to power in 2014. In 2014, UU Lalit and RF Nariman were appointed as SC judges, but the government had returned the file of former Solicitor General Gopal Subramanium citing negative Intelligence Bureau report. After a bitter spat with the government, Subramanium had withdrawn his name. The recommendations come at a time when the Supreme Court Collegium is yet to give its view on the draft of the revised memorandum of procedure to the government. So far, the collegium had refrained from recommending names for the apex court. Hitherto, it had recommended elevating additional judges of high courts as permanent judges. The government, in a bid to increase the judges' strength, had cleared fresh names for appointment as additional judges, the recommendations for which were received before the NJAC Act was struck down by the Supreme Court. The memorandum, a document which guides the appointment of SC and HC judges, was revised after a Supreme Court bench asked the government to rewrite it in a bid to make collegium system more transparent. Despite orders of Supreme Court and the high court to make schools return excess fee collected from parents and roll back the hiked fee, successive governments in Delhi have failed to ensure both. A high court-appointed three-member committee headed by Justice Anil Dev Singh has ordered recovery of Rs 300 crore collected as excess fee from 535 private schools ever since its formation in 2011. The money stays with the schools as the governments have not been proactive. Even the present Kejriwal government has failed to get the order implemented, say activists. The 10th interim report the latest of the committee mentions how reputed private schools in Delhi exploit parents in the name of various funds. Activists in the education sector feel that exploitation and extortion of parents would continue unless theres a strong legislation. Its a form of extortion by these private schools, who exploit the parents by demanding development fund, building fund, administrative charges, besides an increased fee in the beginning of every academic session in Delhi. It runs into crores of rupees. The refund of more than Rs 300 crore has not yet been executed, child right lawyer and activist Ashok Agarwal told Firstpost. What the reports of Justice Anil Dev Singh Committee say The committee has scrutinised the accounts of 1092 schools and submitted its findings and recommendations in its 10 reports from 2012 to 2016. The panel in its subsequent reports has asked 535 schools, including some of the top notch schools of Delhi, to refund excess amount taken under various heads with interest at the rate of nine percent per annum, besides the excess fee taken from parents every year. The building fee charged by the schools at the time of admission is clearly prohibited by law as it amounts to charging of capitation fee. The same charged by the schools ought to be refunded along with interest at nine percent per annum from the date of collection to the date of refund, the committee says in its order. Similarly, coming down heavily on the practice of charging development fund from students, the panel said, The statute governing private unaided schools in Delhi did not provide for charging any development fee by the unaided recognised private schools in Delhi. Citing the pre-conditions laid down by Supreme Court, the committee mentioned that development fee can be charged if and only if its treated as a capital receipt; utilised for meeting capital expenditure for purchase, upgradation and replacement of furniture, fixtures and equipment; if the school maintains a specified earmarked development fund and the overall cap of the charge of development fee is 15 percent of the tuition fee. A case in point The 10th interim report that scrutinised accounts of 26 schools mentions that 18 schools run by DAV College Managing Committee (DAVCMC) in Delhi were found to be unjustifiably recovering development fees and building funds, and transferring funds to DAVCMC. As per the panels order, these schools alone collected Rs 10.55 crore and Rs 10.62 crore in 2009-10 and 2010-11 respectively from students as development fund. The Committee has recommended special inspection of the accounts of DAVCMC along with the accounts of the respective schools to ascertain the true funds position for the purpose of implementation of recommendations of the 6th Pay Commission. CAGs 2010 report alarmed schools In 2010, the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) in its report had slammed Delhis top elite private schools. The auditor held that 25 elite private schools had passed on the burden of implementing the recommendations of the 6th Pay Commission to parents, without drawing on the cash reserves they had. Due to the pressure we had created in 2009 through our PIL, the CAG conducted audit of top 25 private schools in Delhi and exposed their loot. The report severely criticised the schools by revealing how they manipulated accounts to earn money, but nothing has changed over the years, remarked Agarwal, the founder of Social Jurist, a lawyers collective. What next? Its the responsibility of Delhi government to ensure that the order of the Justice Anil Dev Singh Committee gets executed and aggrieved parents get relief. But it has not happened yet. Only a handful of schools have followed the order and refunded the excess money. Its the responsibility of the Delhi government to ensure that parents get refunds as ordered by the committee. Non-payment by the schools amounts to contempt of court. But no government has shown will to do it. Kejriwal government has been blowing its own trumpet over rollback and refund based on DDA land allotment regulation, but what about more than Rs 300 crore that the panel has asked the schools to refund? Wholl do it? questioned Agarwal. Meanwhile, after submitting the interim report, Justice Anil Dev Singh has recently resigned from the committee on health ground. The committee did what it could do by scrutinizing accounts and balance sheets of 1092 schools in five years and ordering 535 schools to refund the excess amount charged. But the implementation of orders has been absolutely poor. While the government failed to get the order implemented, the public has been smartly fooled. More than Rs 3 crore has been spent on the panel; the outcome is only a report. Now with Justice Singh having resigned from the committee, its future depends on the next appointment. Implementation should be done forcefully, with revamping of the present education system. The picture is grim, lamented Agarwal. New Delhi: Thirteen Indians have died in Pakistani jails in the last nearly three-and-a-half-years including Kirpal Singh, who died recently in a Lahore jail, prompting India to seek a thorough investigation into it. Replying to a question in Lok Sabha, Minister of State for External Affairs V K Singh said India has also reiterated to the Pakistan government that it is their responsibility to ensure the safety, security and well-being of all Indian prisoners in Pakistani jails. "As per the information available in our missions/posts abroad, 49 Indians died in prisons in various countries during the last three years and the current year. This includes 13 Indians who died in Pakistani jails during this period," Singh said. He also said the government has taken up the matter of the death of Kirpal Singh with the Pakistan Foreign Ministry, requesting that a through investigation be undertaken in order to ascertain the reasons for his death and that the probe report be shared with Indian authorities. The Pakistan government had conveyed that Singh had died of a heart attack, Singh added. More skeletons have tumbled out of former IAF Chief SP Tyagi's cupboard, who is being interrogated by the CBI for his alleged involvement in the controversial Rs 3,600 crore AgustaWestland VVIP chopper deal. On day two of CBI interrogation, it was revealed that Tyagi had substantial share in five companies, reported The Times Of India. Sources in CBI said that Tyagi has confessed to having links with these five companies, which saw "suspicious flow of funds," the report added. Tyagi has been named in the FIR in the AgustaWestland VVIP chopper deal along with 13 others, including his cousins, Sanjeev, Rajeev and Sandeep and European middlemen Guido Haschke and Carlo Gerosa. Along with his three cousins, Tyagi has 50 percent stake in a company called Krishnom, which was formed in April 2010. The Times Of India report also said that Bank of Baroda rents a property bought by the four brothers in 2010 and Tyagi gets 50 percent of the rent share. The report said that another company named Krishanyan was formed in 2004 by the four of them and money was transferred to it through Gordian Services SARL, Tunisia, linked to European middlemen Guido Haschke and Carlo Gerosa. The CBI is also investigating the four firms that Tyagi and his wife set up after his retirement. Tyagi told CBI that the four companies Vanshi, Anurash, Shavan and Meghanshu were set up in 2011 and 2012, according to agencies. All the companies are reportedly classified as non-government companies and registered with the Registrar of Companies in Delhi and Noida, a source told IANS. "The authorised share capital of these companies is estimated to be Rs 2.4 crore. Its paid-up capital is Rs 10 crore. The companies are involved in several activities including legal, accounting, book-keeping and auditing, tax consultancy, market research and public opinion polling, business and management consultancy. We aren't sure if the four companies have any link to the AugustaWestland case," the source said. Tyagi will be questioned on Wednesday and his cousins will be called later in the week. Gautam Khaitan, former board member of Aeromatrix, one of the suspect companies in the case, has also been called for questioning on Wednesday. Delhi: Former IAF Chief SP Tyagi reaches CBI Headquarters for questioning by CBI in the #AgustaWestland case. pic.twitter.com/WVLYN8rV5L ANI (@ANI_news) May 4, 2016 Tyagi has been accused in Italy and India of helping AgustaWestland get the chopper contract by reducing the flying ceiling of the helicopter from 6,000 metre to 4,500 metre. With inputs from Agencies Kolkata: Academics from West Bengal have expressed solidarity with the agitating students of Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), and urged the vice-chancellor to reject the recommendation of the high-level committee and hold a dialogue with the students. "We stand in solidarity with the students of JNU. We urge the vice chancellor of the university to reject the recommendation of the high level committee, and to open a dialogue with his students. "This will not diminish the university, but will indeed add to its lustre," said a statement issued by Shubhendu Dasgupta, a retired professor of Calcutta University, on behalf of concerned teachers and academics, to the JNU Teachers' Association (JNUTA) and to the students' union. The academics both retired and active belong to different colleges, universities, and research centres of Bengal. JNU Students' Union (JNUSU) president Kanhaiya Kumar and 19 other students are on a hunger strike since 28 April to protest against the punishment handed out to them by a high-level committee that probed the 9 February event on the campus. Expressing "shock" at the rustication, expulsion and fine imposed on several students, the signatories of the statement said they "find this painful and absolutely contrary to our understanding of what a university should be." "We find it incredible that today an old colonial law is invoked to discipline our students. This was the very law that our colonial masters had used to incarcerate our freedom fighters, and it is ludicrous and outright shameful that our present rulers find it so handy," the statement said. The academics also asserted that questioning the policies of the state amounts to sedition. "It is not yet fully established that the accused students had indeed raised such slogans as they are alleged to have done. Notwithstanding that, we do not believe that questioning the policies of the state, even if that pertains to cessation to a part of its territory, amounts to sedition, howsoever sedition is defined. "Are we not free to question, or condemn our state, if we happen to believe that it has on some account or other acted illegally or immorally? If such freedom is denied, then we conclude, this state has lost its privilege to call itself a republic," they asked. JNU vice chancellor M Jagdeesh Kumar on Wednesday appealed to the agitating students to end their hunger strike and asked them to approach the administration to discuss their demands. Anti-national slogans were allegedly raised at an event held on the JNU campus on 9 February to commemorate executed parliament attack convict Afzal Guru, following which Kanhaiya Kumar, Umar Khalid and Anirban Bhattacharya were arrested on sedition charges. The committee report, which was released on 25 April, fined Kanhaiya Kumar Rs 10,000 and rusticated Khalid and Bhattacharya for one semester each. Another research scholar, Mujeeb Gatto, was rusticated for two semesters. Khalid was also asked to pay Rs 20,000 as fine by 13 May. It is almost a law of nature that all gurus and godmen must display markers of their inner essence on their own being. Something obvious and unmistakable. Often it is the mane wild or tame dreadlocks or an afro haircut or some outlandish hairdo or even a shorn head that will grab the viewers attention and tell him/her that here is a person with a strong inner drive or compulsion for material and worldly success and will not be easily deflected from achieving his goals. For godmen in the past, this had meant hordes of devotees of all hues here, there, everywhere, a handful of celebrity disciples for their business models to flourish, sprawling ashrams in far corners of the world, some schools, hospitals, etc. to institutionalise their message, a modicum of merchandising, often by savvy followers rather than the guru himself (they are not all male but they are of the same species so the male pronoun will do) and, at most, business class tickets for their globe-trotting ways. No longer. Todays godmen have learnt to think bigger trading on their widely established brand names like any US trained marketing guru. They are now taking on multinationals with their merchandising which are no longer mere trinkets like medallions with the face of the godhead to hang from the devotees neck but range from foodstuffs to toiletries to beauty products to, of course, nature cures. The ace in their promotional campaigns is their own visage, stamped on packages and splashed all over television commercials. The recognition they demand is no longer limited to undying devotion from their followers but from society at large. It is no longer enough for Sri Sri to be the Chancellor of Sri Sri University and the Chairman of the Quality Control of India Yoga Certification Committee, a member of the Amarnath Shrine Board (appointed by Government of Jammu and Kashmir, India), the Chairman of Reception Committee for the 500th anniversary celebrations of the Coronation of Krishnadevaraya (by Government of Karnataka, India). Rather, a pliant government, extending patronage to their vainglorious events, handing out Padma awards and offering parliamentary seats has simply whetted their appetite for more. The ultimate recognition for what they see as their service to humanity appears to be the Nobel Prize, evidently the Peace Prize since ayurveda is yet to be accepted as a science and the sayings of the gurus are yet to amount to literature beyond their following. A prize that brings glory and bags of gold too. So great is their need for this accolade that one Baba is on record as lamenting that he wont get the Nobel only because of the colour of his skin while the double-barrelled Sri Sri has just blurted out his acute heartburn at a little girl getting it for doing nothing at all. He has later tweeted that he never said he was in the past offered the Nobel Peace Prize but had rejected it as I only believe in working and not in being honoured for my work but in this day and age with smart phones in the hands of every Tom, Dick and Hari not to speak of the gaggle of journalists surrounding him, his denial is easily nailed. The tapes show that sitting amidst the drought-ravaged, parched lands of Latur, dishing out platitudes to farmers of the state to not commit suicide as that is not the ultimate solution for all the problems arising out of drought, the 60-year-old Sri Sri still hadnt forgotten the injustice of 2014, when the Nobel Peace Prize was presented to a 16-year-old girl, without even looking at what she has contributed. True, Malala Yousufzai of Swat Valley, Pakistan, hasnt rekindled the traditions of yoga and meditation or patented a form of yoga or held any tamasha on the banks of any river damaging its flat plains. Nor did she send a letter to the Islamic State, a la Sri Sri, offering peace talks which were rudely spurned by the murderous terrorists who sent a photograph of a beheaded man to teach Sri Sri some home truths. Malalas worldview is quite unlike that of Sri Sris vision of a violence-free, stress-free society. She simply practises what she preaches. All she wanted was for her and her girl friends to go to school, to exercise their right to education, and said so openly even in the face of the Talibans diktat forbidding such depraved ways and took a bullet for her pains, almost losing her life in the process. A near-death experience later, she is still advocating education as a right for all children, girls and boys. Jealousy is ugly, all the more so when it is detected in a guru who speaks to inner peace and rising above pettiness. Maybe Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, founder of The Art of Living Foundation, could take some lessons from himself. He has advocated three types of silence of which, The first is the silence where there is no talking. This is very beneficial for people just to be aware of what they are saying and how much energy they spend talking. Are you listening Sri Sri? The chaotic environment during elections including all the rallying, speeches, and party promises associated with it is at its fever pitch in Tamil Nadu, where elections are just like some religious carnival. Politics in this state is unique because of two factors: the influence of the Tamil film industry and the total dominance of Dravidian parties. Here is a quick guide to Tamil Nadu politics, this states political history and its intricacies: The Self-Respect movement EV Ramasamy, fondly called Periyar, founded the Self-Respect movement in 1925 in the erstwhile Madras Presidency. It encouraged non-Brahmins called Dravidians to abandon the superstitious Vedic culture, revert to the ancient Dravidian civilization, and develop rationalist thoughts. Brahmins were scorned for introducing alien practices like the caste system, branded North Indian outsiders, demonised asAryan colonialists, and in many cases, also attacked. Atheism was the cornerstone of the movement as Brahminical rituals were condemned. One outcome of it was the self-respect marriages, an alternative for marriages that were conducted without a Brahmin priest. The propagation of the Tamil language has been the biggest hallmark of the movement. Pre-independence Dravidian politics The Justice Party is generally accepted as the predecessor of the DMK and AIADMK. Formed in 1916, it was mainly controlled by landowners and non-Brahmin upper castes. However, it shared its ideals with the Self-Respect movement. It introduced reservations in educational institutions and brought about religious reforms while in power between 1920 and 1937. Nevertheless, it lost its relevance after being identified as a non-Brahmin elite party, and finally merged with Periyars Dravidar Kazhagam in 1944. The social movement began taking a political turn in 1937 after the Congress government made Hindi a compulsory language. This was vehemently opposed by followers of Periyar, who termed it a Brahmin-Bania ploy to colonise the Dravidians. From then on, until 1962, it demanded an independent nation called Dravida Nadu. The demand never really found any takers and fizzled out. Tamil Cinema and Dravidian politics Cinema transformed Tamil politics, providing it with an excellent platform for propagating Dravidian ideals. Parasakthi, written by Karunanidhi and released in 1952, is now considered a major milestone for the movement. Such kind of movies explicitly or implicitly propagated ideals of social justice, rationalism and anti-Brahminism. Actors like MGR, SS Rajendran, Sivaji Ganesan and MR Radha were the early torch-bearers of the DMK in the industry. When MGR formed his own party, he used his movies to build his vote base. Kollywood and Tamil politics are so inseparable that when superstar Rajinikant urged voters to vote against Jayalalithaa in the 1996 elections, her party was routed. The fact that a former actress presently rules the state, and that actors like Vijayakanth have their own party, is a testimony to the influence of cinema in Tamil Nadus politics. The rise of DMK The political plunge bore fruit in 1967, when the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, an offshoot of the Dravidar Kazhagam, swept the Assembly elections. CN Annadurai became the Chief Minister and remained in office until his death in February 1969. He was succeeded by M Karunanidhi the incumbent president of the party. The first government legalised self-respect marriage, implemented pro-poor schemes like providing subsidised rice and promoted the Tamil language. The party won its second consecutive election in 1971. By then, however, inner-party rivalry and allegations of corruption weakened the ideological bearings. A year later, actor MGR left the party to form his own All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam. This split the Dravidian movement into two and the rivalry between them continues till date. The MGR era The year 1977 was a landmark one in Indian politics as Marudhur Gopalan Ramachandran popularly known by his acronym MGR became the first film star-turned-Chief Minister of any Indian state. He remained the CM till his death in December 1987; winning three consecutive elections. The mid-day meal scheme now almost in every state has been the legacy of his government. However, his populist administration was also beset with allegations of rampant corruption and bureaucratic inefficiency, as the state economy crumbled under the burden of subsidy. He led AIADMK to share power at the Centre a first for any Dravidian party when Aravind Bala Pazhanoor and Satyavani Muthu were inducted into the short-lived Charan Singh government. His death split the party into two factions one led by his wife Janaki Ramachandran and the other by Jayalalithaa who later prevailed. The Jayalalithaa era Jayalalithaa joined AIADMK in 1982. She was appointed Propaganda Secretary and also nominated to the Rajya Sabha. After her mentor MGRs death, she took over the party leadership and unified the party. In the wake of Rajiv Gandhis assassination in May 1991, AIADMK swept to power in the subsequent election. Marred by allegations of blatant corruption, she lost the 1996 elections. Consequently, a judicial probe was launched, leading to her brief imprisonment. Nevertheless, her party made a comeback in the 2001 elections. Though her second term was less controversial, she lost the 2006 elections. AIADMK is currently in power after routing arch-rival DMK in the 2011 elections. It is also interesting to note that she became the first sitting CM to be disqualified after conviction in September 2014. After the Supreme Court overturned the conviction, she returned to head the government in May 2015. Dravidian parties and the Union Government Dravidian movement distinguished itself with its rabidly anti-North and anti-Centre stance. However, with the passage of time, political motivations surpassed ideology and made both parties share power at the Centre. While AIADMK has been at the Centre only briefly 1979 and 1998-1999, DMK has been a key component of various Union governments since 1989. Notably, it has been a part of every alliance in the past three decades National Front, United Front, National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and the United Progressive Alliance (UPA). In the run-up to the 2004 general election, the DMK tied up with the Congress. The alliance swept all the 39 seats and helped the latter form the government at the Centre. A stand-alone AIADMK won all but two seats in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls most number of seats for any Dravidian party ever. Caste in Tamil Nadu politics The Dravidian movement visualised a casteless society. However, political pursuits have encouraged both parties to build caste-based vote banks. Tamil Nadu politics is dominated by a few castes, mainly the Chettiars, Thevars, Nadars, Mudaliyars, Gounders and the Vanniyars. Except for the Chettiars a forward caste, most of the other politically powerful castes are classified Backward Castes (BC). Both Dravidian parties pin their electoral hopes on BCs who constitute 68% of the population. While Thevars are generally considered a traditional AIADMK vote-bank, other caste vote-banks have straddled the political spectrum. There are few prominent caste-centric parties like the Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK), which represents the Vanniyars, and the Vidhuthalai Chirutigal Katchi (VCK) a Dalit party. These parties, however, have only been at the periphery of state politics. A virtual two-party system Tamil Nadu is one bastion which the Congress has failed to breach since losing power in 1967. It has been relegated to playing second fiddle to either of the parties. The Bharatiya Janata Party is a virtual non-entity here while smaller Dravidian groups like the MDMK and DMDK have negligible impact on the electorate. Since 1989, neither Karunanidhi nor Jayalalithaa have won consecutive assembly elections. Both have alternately occupied the Chief Ministers seat at St George Fort. But whether 2016 sees a change in the trend is something to watch out for. 12:43 (ist) Manohar Parrikar explains AgustaWestland deal: "AgustaWestland chopper was 100 cCore. We had to test the helicopters in Indian conditions. The other two vendors didn't agree to do so and conducted the test outside the country. this was against the clause in the country. Out of the 6 vendors who were given tenders, AgustaWestland Italy was also one of the vendors. But AgustaWestland UK took over the tender. Only AgustaWestland got the concessions. They created a single vendor situation. In 2008, the price oh AW101 was 15 million Euros and oin 2010, it was listed as 27 million. Benchmark cost given by CNC(Contract negotiations committee) was 6 times higher than that of AoN (Acceptance of Necessity) There was no explanation for this.In 2012 February, then the government had written to the embassy through the MEA. The government even went to the investigating agency but nobody wrote to the company. This deal should have stopped in 2012. But yet, 3 helicopters were delivered in December 2012 and we accepted it. In January 2013, Chief exec of Finmenccancia was arrested, Within hours our defence minister wrote to CBI immediately. If he wasn't arrested, they would not have taken this up. After the CBI took it up, in Feb 2013, there was a notice issued to stop the deal. Legal action forced the termination of the deal, it was not a proactive step, it was forced. Bank guarantee needed to be revoked and that was done. When the Milan Court argued, they said that 166 Euros could be returned and the money for the 3 helicopters will not be returned. I am not making allegations, but it is our Endeavour that we will take action. Defence Ministry initiating procedure to blacklist AgustaWestland. If that is our job, why is the Congress worried? " In the end, protests based on technicalities by Congress benches mattered little to Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar when he rose to give a ministerial response on Agusta Westland VVIP chopper scam in Parliament. All the facts and figures that Parrikar mentioned in his hour-long speech quoting from various reports in a chronological order about the deal were all pointed in one direction, that the Congress-led UPA had flouted all established norms to favour one company: AgustaWestland. Parrikar did not name Sonia Gandhi or point fingers at any other Congress leader, but innuendos like 'invisible hand' made that political point. Parrikar's response was more factual in nature than political. He gave out all the dates and described how things unfolded during the UPA regime and left the viewers or the Aam Aadmi at large to make their own conclusions. The BJP leadership, however has made one strategic mistake throughout the AgustaWestland debate two main speakers from its side, Subramanian Swamy and Manohar Parrikar spoke in English, something which the Aam Aadmi on the streets don't understand, howsoever keenly he/she may have wanted to watch this debate live. This debate is perhaps the most hyped one after the one on JNU and Rohit Vemula case in the Parliament this year. Parrikar could perhaps take a lesson or two from his other colleagues on that count. For some reasons the Defence Minister was wary of taking Sonia Gandhi and other senior Congress leaders' names or maybe it was a part of their strategy since an adverse public perception has already been created against the Congress first family. It was heartening to see a debate of this nature, where a full five hour session concluded without unruly scenes; heated exchanges, of course, did ensue and at times Parrikar was barely audible an accepted part of Parliamentary practices. By focussing on the facts, the Defence Minister raised some pertinent questions. Why were the terms of reference for acquiring choppers to be used by the VVIPs changed? From an initial acquisition of 8 choppers, why did the number increase to 12? Why was there a six-fold increase in the cost price of these choppers? Who got the Defence Minister's decision to have a mandatory field trial and the bench price of $100 million per chopper unit overruled? What were the compulsions under which field trial on a foreign soil was accepted that too when the chopper AW101 was not used in field trial, instead some other representative chopper was used? Why were the requirements of the internationally accepted cabin height of 1.43 meters changed to 1.80 meters? Was it allowed to make AgustaWestland the only suitable bidder, thus eliminating EC225 which had earlier met all other requirements except the 1.60 meter cabin height requirement that was made mandatory? Who forced the entire top governmental machinery to dilute one requirement after another only to suit one company, AgustaWestland, which in the first place was a customer relationship company and not a manufacturer of the helicopter was even entitled for bid? Parrikar's argument was that the UPA government made conditions in a bid to deliberately create a single vendor situation, where no company other than AgustaWestland could be selected for purchase for VVIP choppers. The Air Force had strongly noted that the field trials must be held in India only and in actual geographical locations because topography and other related things make a great deal of difference in flying performances. That was overruled. Parrikar named the company which acted as a conduit in India to disburse money to the bribe takers. He however, did detail as to what stage investigations were at to nab the scamsters. The debate provoked Congress and got the likes of AK Antony and Ahmed Patel who otherwise rarely participate in a debate, to speak up on Wednesday. The Congress' principal objection to Parrikar's speech was not on facts but about why he was reading his speech from a prepared text. It would be interesting to see how the debate proceeds in Lok Sabha where Sonia Gandhi is a member and therefore the norm, don't name a person and level a charge against him or her who is not a member in that House and thus not in a position to defend him or her, does not apply in Lower House. Will Sonia Gandhi or Rahul Gandhi speak in Lok Sabha as Ahmed Patel spoke in Upper House to clear his and his leader's position on the issue? That's a question which can only be answered by Friday. The second part of the Budget Session in the Parliament has now turned into some kind of nightmare for the Congress. As if the Ishrat Jahan case was not a big enough problem, the Congress now has to deal with the proverbial Death Star the charges against its top leadership in the infamous AgustaWestland scam. That 4 May is Star Wars Day seems oddly apt, since it is going to be quite a battle for the Congress. It is going to need all the help from The Force it can get to defend itself from the various allegations made or which are going to be made from people like Subramanian Swamy and Manohar Parrikar. It is likely to be an extremely stormy day in the Parliament today. And here are the different aspects which could lead to that storm: Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar's statements On Sunday, Parrikar had said that he would place all the facts along with the detailed chronology about the controversial AgustaWestland chopper deal before Parliament on Wednesday. "I will place the detailed chronology, giving facts about the chopper deal before Parliament on Wednesday. I will place the detailed chronology, giving how and when necessary clauses or provisions were relaxed to suit the company," he had told reporters in Panaji. "Those who received kickbacks will not leave behind the proof for us to prosecute them, but we will have to prove it (that kickbacks were received)," he had said. "I challenge the Congress to show the UPA government's order blacklisting the AgustaWestland company. Let them reply first why it was not banned. It was during our (NDA) government that we banned it," he had further said. The fresh charges against Congress Rosemary Patrizi Dos Anjos, the lawyer of Christian Michel, the middleman in the AgustaWestland scam, had accepted on Times Now on Tuesday that her client had written a note naming Sonia Gandhi and describing her as 'driving force' behind the deal. Moreover, BJP MP Kirit Somaiya had also accused Kanishka Singh, an aide to Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi, of being involved in the AgustaWestland scam, according to IANS. He had accused Kanishka Singh of having shares in Emaar MGF Land Ltd, a real estate company that also has Guido Ralph Haschke, one of the accused in the AgustaWestland case, as its director. Congress' strategy and the expected outrage Ever since the second part of the Budget Session began, Congress MPs have disrupted the Parliament almost every time the AgustaWestland issue was discussed. There is no reason to believe they will not adopt the same strategy now. "I am always being targeted, happy to be targeted," Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi had said on Tuesday when asked about BJP MP Kirit Somaiya's letter to ED and CBI asking them to check Gandhi's links with a real estate developer allegedly involved in the CWG scam and also the alleged connections of his political aide with a middleman in the AgustaWestland deal. Congress president Sonia Gandhi had held a strategy meeting with senior leaders on Tuesday evening. A section of party leaders have been emphasising on a foolproof strategy so as to send home the message that the party was all for debating the issue but at the same time would not countenance muck-raking at the leadership. At the AICC briefing, party spokesman Jyotiraditya Scindia had said that the party was all for debate on the issue in both Houses of Parliament to clear the air on the matter. In the Lok Sabha too, Congress has given notices for a short duration discussion on the issue as also for a calling attention notice. Moreover, AICC had alleged that Modi government "entered into a conspiracy" to "falsely accuse" the party leadership in AugustaWestland chopper case and made a "weak defence" in the Italian marines case as "quid pro quo". Should the Congress manage to weather this storm, it will be a bigger coup than Order 66. With inputs from agencies New Delhi: Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo Mayawati on Wednesday demanded a Supreme Court-monitored investigation into the AgustaWestland chopper deal, saying the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has become a political tool of the current government. The CPM supported Mayawati's demand, with party MP Tapan Kumar Sen endorsing her stand on the issue in the Rajya Sabha. For the last few years there is a perception that CBI has been politicised and any party which is in power at the Centre has used it against its opponents. This is a serious matter which has a long-term impact. So, our party demands a Supreme Court-monitored investigation into the AgustaWestland deal, Mayawati said during a discussion on the issue in the Upper House. Targeting the Narendra Modi government on this issue, she said that it has been two years that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led dispensation is in power and yet the investigative agencies have failed to bring any clarity into the facts of the matter. The government could have expedited the inquiry if it had wanted, Mayawati said, asserting that the house should have taken up the issue only after the investigative agencies gave their report. Investigation is incomplete as the CBI and other agencies are yet to submit their reports. So what was the hurry to have this discussion? Mayawati asked, insisting: It seems the government wants to target the opposition on this issue. Echoing a similar view, the CPM also asked the government to fight corruption decisively. Let us not politicise the fight against corruption. The government must ask the CBI to speed up its investigation process, party MP Tapan Kumar Sen said. He added his party also supports the demand raised by the BSP. We are with the BSP on this issue and there must be a Supreme Court-monitored investigation that should bring all the facts before everyone, Sen added. The Rajya Sabha is having a short-term discussion on allegations of bribery and corruption in the AgustaWestland helicopter deal after the multi-crore-rupee scam resurfaced last month. The names of some Congress leaders, including party chief Sonia Gandhi, were said to have figured in a judgment of an Italian court. AgustaWestland allegedly paid Rs.375 crore as bribe to secure the Rs.3,700-crore contract to supply 12 VVIP choppers to the Indian Air Force. The previous United Progressive Alliance government scrapped the deal over charges of kickbacks. Ranchi: The domicile policy in Jharkhand seems to have caused a rift in the ranks of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the state. According to the notified policy, which was announced by Chief Minister Raghubar Das in April, anyone living in the state for 30 years and possessing immovable assets will be considered a resident of Jharkhand. However, a section of BJP MPs feels that the 30-year criterion is too harsh, while others think that more stringent conditions are needed. Opinion seems to be sharply divided on the issue. While some leaders said that those who have been living in Jharkhand since its creation should be accommodated, tribal Mahto leaders have demanded that land records must be made mandatory to ensure that outsiders do not get any job in the state. Under the policy, the third and fourth-grade jobs have been reserved for the tribal and indigenous people for the next 10 years at the district level. In a letter written to Jharkhand Governor Draupadi Murmu, on 29 April, four BJP MPs have demanded that the domicile policy must be changed to assuage the tribals. Signed by Ranchi Lok Sabha MP Ram Tahal Choudhary, Khuti MP Karia Munda, Jamshedpur MP Vidyut Baran Mahto and Chaibasa MP Laxman Gilua, the letter stated that the domicile policy has caused discontent among the Adivasis and Moolvasis of the state. "The domicile policy has been announced after a long wait. There are several shortcomings in the policy. The policy is being opposed by several parties and some changes have been demanded. Discontent is rising among the Adivasis and Moolvasis of the state," the letter stated. The Opposition parties have already red-flagged the policy. Even the All Jharkhand Students Union (AJSU), a partner in the ruling alliance, has also opposed certain conditions of the policy. However, the chief minister on Tuesday, ruled out any change in the domicile policy, which has irked several BJP legislators. "The chief minister's statement on Tuesday is unfortunate. The state was formed for people living in Jharkhand for a long time and who were exploited by the outsiders. The last land record should be a criterion of the domicile policy," a Mahto leader told IANS. However, there are those who think that Jharkhand's domicile policy must be in tune with that of states such as Chhattisgarh and Uttarakhand where one has to be a resident for 10 years to seek domicile status. Meanwhile, reacting to the discordant voices, Jharkhand BJP spokesman Pradeep Sinha said the domicile policy will be amended if required. "Everyone has a right to raise his or her voice. Let the policy be first implemented and if there are shortcomings then the state government can think of amendments," Sinha told New Delhi: Government was on Wednesday forced to tender an apology in Lok Sabha as Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu and his junior Manoj Sinha were absent when the House took up a question relating to their Ministry and the Speaker issuing a stricture that such instances should not recur. The incident happened during Question Hour, when Speaker Sumitra Mahajan took up the issue of 'Go-India Smart Card', an initiative of the Railway Ministry, for discussion. As neither Prabhu, nor Sinha were present in the House, Congress members led by Mallikarjun Kharge strongly protested and wanted to know why the Ministers were absent when the question relating to their Ministry was listed for business in the House. The Speaker initially said the Minister (Sinha) should be called as this was not fair and he should not leave the House when there is a question listed against his name. As Congress members continued to protest, Mahajan said that she had limited options. "What should I do? Should I hang him? I said it should not have happened," she said. Kharge said this was not for the first time that a Minister was absent when matters related to their Ministries were taken up. "You were here day before yesterday. When there is a discussion, Cabinet Minister should be present. That day also the Minister was not present, but we kept mum. Because they requested that such things will not happen again. "To run the House, the Ministers do not come but you keep telling us that we should follow the rules. But they do not go by the rules. There is a question but the Cabinet Minister is not present, the MoS is also not present. Its repercussion, reflection will be on you (Speaker) and us (opposition) but not on them (treasury)," Kharge said. The Speaker then said that she was informed that the Railway Minister would not be present. If the cabinet Minister is not in the House due to some work, the MoS is there. "He had given reply to the first question. He can give the reply for the second question too. There is no such rule. He can give reply under the rules. But it is a fact that the way he has left the House, till the complete question hour comes to an end, normally we do not reach fifth or sixth question, he has left under that impression. "But today I want to say that this should not happen and the Ministers should sit here till the end. We can't say whether the question will come or not. This is not fair. It should not happen again," she said. Parliamentary Affairs Minister M Venkaiah Naidu said it is a mistake and Sinha was very much in the House and he might have thought that the next Railway Ministry question will not come up. "But it is not correct. I am sorry for what has happened. I want to put it on record, on behalf of the government, I am sorry. It will not be repeated. If the Speaker wants, she can postpone the question also. I have no problem in that," he said. Naidu said he would ask the Railway Minister to answer that question again as that has been the practice earlier too. "But, as rightly observed by the Speaker, the Minister should be in the House whether the Question comes up or not," he said. At the end of a day marked by long-drawn allegations and counter-allegations over the alleged AgustaWestland scam, Defence Minster Manohar Parrikar launched a strongly-worded offensive against the UPA government over the issue. He has said that the 'country wants to know who instigated, supported and benefited from the corruption.' He further said that the inquiry in the case will focus on roles of those named in the judgement of Italian court. His statement assumes significance as the judgment mentions Congress President Sonia Gandhi's name. Even as opposition members created a ruckus almost throughout the speech, Parrikar said that it appears that an "invisible hand" was guiding the action or inaction of CBI and the Enforcement Directorate. He also alleged that choppers were bought at an inflated price and no realistic basis for price negotiations was provided. Parrikar took a jibe at Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi and said: "Abhishek Manu Singhvi almost convinced me by his argument, now I understand how convincing he is. But the brief is very weak, and even the best advocate can't win the case." "The Italian court has said there are omissions and commissions at various stages of decision making process indicate malafide and corrupt action given by the goal to favour a particular vendor. The deal was cancelled by the government under advise of CAG," he added. He also alleged that trials were not conducted on chopper bought by India but another one as it was still at development stage. "Request for Proposal (RFP) stated that field evaluation trials (FET) would be carried out in India, however, this was given a go-by," he said. Parrikar's address was made even as Congress members expressed their objections, saying that he was taking too long for his speech. Meanwhile, former Defence Minister AK Antony on Wednesday acknowledged "corruption" in the AgustaWestland chopper deal but said the then UPA dispensation had done no wrong and asked the government to take strong action against those involved without threatening or blackmailing Congress leaders. He said that the previous NDA government headed by Atal Bihari Vajpayee had changed the parameters required for acquiring the helicopters for VVIPs. "Don't try to create doubts, you will not succeed. Don't politicise, you will repent. If you have all evidence, take strong action. But don't threaten and don't blackmail," he said while participating in short duration discussion on the AugustaWestland issue in Rajya Sabha. He asked the government to take action against the company which gave money and "take action against takers whoever they may be". AgustaWestland's Rs 3,600 crore contract for supplying 12 VVIP choppers to the Indian Air Force was scrapped by the then UPA government over charges of paying kickbacks to Indian agents. In January 2013, India cancelled the deal and the CBI was assigned to investigate the matter. With the issue echoing in Parliament, the Italian's judgment may lead to further political fireworks and a war of words between the BJP and the Congress. With inputs from agencies Mumbai: Attacking the Modi government for stating that their is no bar on the meeting of Kashmiri leaders with the representatives of any country, Shiv Sena on Wednesday said the BJP dispensation has given separtists the "concession" to talk to Pakistan and "is changing colours faster than a chameleon". The ruling alliance partner in Maharashtra also said, "The volte-face by the Centre on Hurriyat is like calling the Ram temple in Ayodhya as Babri mosque." "Hurriyat Conference is now going to discuss Kashmir with Pakistan and the Central government has given them this concession. Tomorrow, talks on Kashmir will be held with Masood Azhar, Dawood Ibrahim and (Zakiur Rahman) Lakhvi," the Sena said in an editorial in its mouthpiece Saamana. "When colours are changed faster than a chameleon, people wonder how they (Modi government) manage this...Had Congress made such an about turn on Hurriyat and Kashmir issues, BJP and the Sangh Parivar would have termed them as agents of Pakistan," the editorial said. "Then they (Congress) would have been told that they were selling the country and there would have been a demand that such traitors should be ousted from power," it said. "Till yesterday, the Modi government was saying that it will discuss everything except Kashmir with Pakistan. Now that stance has been changed and it has taken a weak stand which even the previous Congress regime didn't take. "Actually, the country shouldn't be surprised over this change of stand. People had noticed this volte-face when for the sake of power, BJP tied up with PDP, which is sympathetic of Pakistan and has strengthened terrorists," the Sena said. Subramanian Swamy did what exactly was expected of him -- heat up the debate in Rajya Sabha on the AgustaWestland VVIP chopper scam. He didn't use any provocative words, nor did he name Congress president Sonia Gandhi directly, but referred to her as "person whom I can't name otherwise you (Chair) will expunge it". That was a smart move on his part, he knew that by saying so, he was making it more than clear as to whom he was referring yet not giving an opportunity to Congress to object him. So much so that while explaining as to who "AP", as mentioned in supposed list of bribe takers was, he said, "I know who he is but will not name him" and a little later he said quoting a portion from Milan Court of Appeal judgment papers he said AP was "political secretary" but "I am not saying to who..." When there was uproar from the Congress benches over this, he repeated "I have not said political secretary to whom". On further provocation and challenges from the Congress "Italians must be crazy to refer someone (AP as political secretary) who was not connected to UPA government". He then used the term "blank blank", to fill up two names in the judgment papers where it refers that Haschke had identified all the Congress leaders including Sonia Gandhi and Ahmed Patel on the court when their photos were shown to him during the trial by the Italian prosecution. Swamy's got some additional firepower from what lead speaker from Congress ranks Abhishek Manu Singhvi said in his speech. Singhvi had quoted from a letter dated 15 March 2008, seized by investigators, which shows the main middleman in AgustaWestland deal as Christian Michel writing to Peter Hulet, then India region sales and liaison head of the helicopter company. Michel is still a fugitive. The letter stated that Sonia is the main driving force behind this deal and she will no longer fly in the existing MI- 8 choppers... This letter is quoted verbatim in the judgment. Singhvi quoted from the letter to suggest it means nothing against Sonia Gandhi. Moreover as was proved in Jain Hawala case that such entries did not have legal sanctity as evidence. Few days ago, Swamy had tried to quote the same and the Congress members had created a ruckus inside the House, some even advanced towards him with fingers raised at him. His remark on Sonia and her name was expunged by the Chair. So when Swamy rose today, he spoke of Singhvi's quotes from the same source to argue that "there is no law that I can't quote from a letter but other member from the same House can." Swamy even had something to say about Brajesh Mishra, the then national security advisor and principal secretary to prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee who had noted the flying height worthiness of eligible choppers from 6,000 meters to 4,500 meters be reduced or else that would lead to a single vendor situation. "He was a civil servant in NDA government. After you (UPA) came, you decorated him with Padma Vibhshan only one less than Bharat Ratna. Why? One day I will find it out," Swamy said sarcastically referring to Mishra. Like a lawyer arguing in court of law, he began with three opening premisesadmitted facts, criminality and how to proceed in investigationson which he had to make arguments to make build his case against Congress. As he spoke it was clear that he had full backing of the BJP leadership. The BJP withdrew all its other speakers to give adequate time to him. Parliamentary Affairs Minister M Venkaiah Naidu and his deputy Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi coming in for full throttled support whenever Congress objected to his utterances. Swamy can have the satisfaction of getting a back handed compliment from Congress's deputy leader in the House, Anand Sharma. The Congress leader who spoke immediately after Swamy termed him "BJP's gift" said some of you are very happy today, some concerned, you never know which way your gift would turn his canon tomorrow". He recalled the time when Swamy had turned against Vajpayee. Another senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel called him "gentleman on other side, don't want to take his name". He perhaps didn't want to engage him directly. Patel admitted that his name has been mentioned four times in Italian court judgment papers but "where is the indictment, has anybody made an accused. If gentleman sitting there can prove, I will resign. If you can find an iota of truth after investigations are done, I will resign and quit from public life....You (BJP)control your own party and persons (likes of Swamy)." Swamy had played his part by igniting the atmosphere in Parliament for Congress to react and for Parrikar to make a "factual" presentation. The Supreme Court on Wednesday accepted the plea of the Centre that two more days be given to it to respond to its suggestion about the feasibility of holding a floor test in Uttarakhand Assembly under its supervision. A bench comprising Justices Dipak Misra and and Shiva Kirti Singh, posted the matter for hearing on Friday after Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi said he has conveyed in right earnest the court's suggestion which is under serious consideration by the government. The bench recorded the submission of Attorney General that "Union of India is seriously considering the suggestion given by this court to have a floor test in Assembly to put an end to the controversy that has emerged in this case". The bench also noted the submission of sacked Chief Minister Harish Rawat's counsel Kapil Sibal and Abhishek Manu Singhvi that they have no objection if Government accepts the suggestion. The bench noted that if Government accepts the suggestion, it would subserve the cause of democracy. While posting the matter for hearing on 6 May, the bench said if the AG does not obtain instructions on the suggestion, the matter will be taken for hearing and there is also a possibility that the matter will travel to Constitution bench for full fledged debate. The bench was of the view that in most of the cases of imposition of President's rule, the matter has gone to the Constitution bench by framing some vital questions. However, Sibal and Singhvi raised objection to recording of such order and said that here it is a case of floor test which is like a vote of confidence for Rawat and it cannot be in any way called vote of no confidence. However, the submission of Congress was objected to by Rohatgi who said Rawat cannot seek confidence vote by projecting himself as Chief Minister as the President's Rule is in operation by virtue of the apex court's order. AG said the situation in Uttarakhand is like where both the parties will face the floor test to prove their majority. Singhvi said the floor test cannot be for the party which was not in power and the person who has to be called to prove the majority is one who was the chief minister. Amidst the deliberation, the bench said, "we will not restore the status quo ante by asking Rawat to prove majority". The Supreme Court on Tuesday had asked the Attorney General to take instruction and apprise it about the feasibility of holding a floor test in Uttarakhand Assembly under its supervision. A bench comprising Justices Dipak Misra and Shiva Kirti Singh, which had fixed the hearing on the plea at 2 pm on Tuesday, took up the matter at 10.30 am to apprise the parties concerned that it may not take up the case on Tuesday as Justice Singh would be a part of another bench hearing matters related to medical entrance exams at 2 pm. During the brief hearing, the bench repeated its suggestion that the Centre should consider holding a floor test in the Assembly under its supervision to ascertain the actual situation. It asked Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi to take instruction on the issue and apprise it about the same on Thursday. The apex court had on 22 April stayed till 27 April the judgement of the Uttarakhand High Court quashing imposition of President's rule, giving a new turn to the political drama in the state by restoring central rule there. On 27 April, it had extended the stay till further orders and had also framed seven questions while giving the liberty to the AG to include other questions the government would like to be addressed. "Whether the Governor could have sent the message in the present manner under Article 175 (2) for conducting floor test," the bench had said in its first question. It had further asked whether the disqualification of MLAs by the Speaker is a "relevant issue" for the purposes of invoking President's rule under Article 356 of the Constitution. Referring to constitutional scheme that the Assembly proceedings are beyond the scope of judicial scrutiny, the apex court had also asked whether the proceedings of the House can be considered for invoking President's rule. Dealing with the claim and counter claim with regard to the fate of the Appropriation Bill in the Uttarakhand Assembly, it had said that the next question is as to when the President's role comes into the picture. "Can the delay in the floor test be a ground for proclamation of the President's rule," it had also asked. The political crisis in Uttarakhand emerged after nine rebel MLAs from Congress defected to BJP during a debate over the state budget in March. They were later disqualified. Following the disqualification, Governor KK Paul asked deposed Chief Minister Rawat to prove his majority in the assembly. In a stunning verdict on 21 April, the Uttarakhand High Court quashed the President's rule imposed by the Centre which restored the dismissed Congress government and castigated the Centre for uprooting a democratically-elected government. The Supreme Court delivered a major blow to the former Congress government on 23 April by staying the Uttarakhand High Court's verdict setting aside President's Rule in the state. The verdict effectively re-imposed President's Rule in the state. On 27 March, the BJP-led government at the Centre had imposed President's Rule in Uttarakhand, leading the Congress, which was in power, to term it as a 'murder of democracy.' The judgment gave a new turn to the continuing political drama in the state. Appearing for the Centre, Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi, along with senior advocate Harish Salve, had pressed for the stay of the High Court judgment. He said how one party can be put at advantage and assume the office of Chief Minister when the other party is pushed to disadvantage in the absence of the judgment. Senior advocates Abhishek Manu Singhvi and Kapil Sibal, appearing for Rawat and the Assembly Speaker, argued hard against the passing of any interim order saying "you are allowing the appeal by giving the stay". Sibal was of the view that allowing stay of operation of the High Court verdict would be like enforcing the proclamation of the President rule. During the jam-packed hearing, the bench sought to pacify both the parties saying that it has to take a balanced view as this is a Constitutional court. "We will take on record the copy of the judgement and go through it. This matter may go to Constitution bench," the bench said. The apex court had clarified on 23 April that it was keeping in abeyance the judgment of the High Court till the next date of hearing as a measure of balance for both the parties as the copy of the verdict was not made available to the parties. Following the rejection of liquor baron Vijay Mallya's resignation as an MP, the ethics committee of Rajya Sabha has recommended his expulsion. It remains sheer formality at this point, that he be summarily removed from the Upper House as per the dictates of the collective conscience of the members. Is this the end of the matter? Can the expulsion be taken as expiation of the Indian political class for committing the sin of imposing Mallya in parliament deemed as the 'temple of democracy'? What are the safeguards and assurances that there would not be another 'Mallya' in the midst of honourable MPs? Of course, such critical questions are rarely answered. Those who have seen Mallyas clout and flashy lifestyle during his stint in Parliament would testify that he was feted and adored across the party-lines. His comfort with the BJP was no less than his ease with the Congress. As an honourable MP and a redoubtable industrialist, he had unfettered access to the finance ministry which he successfully leveraged to secure loans from the banks. His otherwise dim decade-long stint in parliament with zero special mentions and a mere 621 questions was overshadowed by his chartered Boeing and his penchant to shower munificence on friends, helping him acquire mythical proportions during his term and triggering a race among MPs to get close to him. There are stories about free-flowing liquor and opulent luxury with unimaginable hospitality for those who hopped on the chartered plane with the king of good times. An influential section of the political class literally swooned over him in ecstatic joy by merely getting associated with him. That is the precise reason why he won the Rajya Sabha seat two times once with the help of Congress and the other with BJP. It seems that Mallyas status as social pariah in todays context is more a commentary on the political class than Mallya himself. This is not the first time that a persons wealth and not his political worth has determined his political status. By no stretch of the imagination was Mallya expected to contribute to the enrichment of the debate in Rajya Sabha. Being a mostly non-resident Indian, he spent more time abroad than in India anyway. Given Mallyas flamboyance, it would be patently wrong to assume that the political class was so naive to believe that the industrialist would raise issues pertaining to Karnataka or South India. Mallya successfully capitalised on his glamour quotient, which kept the political class in its thrall. The Rajya Sabha, known as the council of states, was created to conduct dignified and informed debates and to raise the issues of the states through members elected by indirect elections. Discussing the importance of Rajya Sabha, eminent Jurist LM Singhvi said, I am not sure that we can say with our hands on our hearts and with a clear conscience that we are giving the discourse of the nation the full measure of the benefit and the advantage of that dignity of national discourse or debate to which a reference was made when our Constitution was being written. Singhvi also referred to a speech given by Dr S Radhakrishna on 16 May, 1952 where he said, we have to justify the confidence which led to an institutional investment in hope and expectation in creating the Rajya Sabha. Mallya is just a symptom of the morbid affliction of the Indian polity. How else can you explain that BSP founder Kanshi Ram, who claimed to be a messiah of the Dalits, chose industrialist Jayant Malhotra as Rajya Sabha MP. It would be foolish to believe that Kanshi Rams fondness for Malhotra emanated from the latters commitment to the Dalits cause. In fact, Malhotra had a chopper that was used by Kanshi Ram. Similarly, Mulayam Singh Yadav discovered socialism in industrialists Sanjay Dalmia and Amar Singh. And, Mahendra Prasad Singh known as King Mahendra, and the owner of a pharmaceutical company was found to be acceptable by the Congress and later the Janata Dal (U) to get a berth in the Upper House many a times from Bihar. In fact, the regional parties have been emulating the BJP and the Congress which have consummated the art of using the Upper House as a parking berth for people possessing the glamour quotient. They rarely speak on the issues or participate in the debates. In some cases like Vijay Mallya they are more interested in having a NRI status than to take up the cause of people and enrich the debate in Rajya Sabha. In effect, the Mallya episode raises a basic yet pertinent question : How do people like Mallya get into the august Rajya Sabha? The answer needs to be sought through introspection by the political class as a whole. Merely expelling Mallya from the Rajya Sabha is insufficient atonement of their sins. Nandigram is voting on 5 May in the last phase of West Bengal elections. To maintain the decorum of free and fair polls, the EC has taken extra caution, sought evidences for Chief Minister Mamata Banerjees rant against policemen who were trying hard to reign in her party strongmen, while taking extra care to divert adequate police and paramilitary forces to the polling stations. But Trinamool Chief Mamata Banerjee did not campaign in battleground Nandigram, the seat that was pivotal in her rise to power. Rather she focused on Kanthi, Chandipur, Egra, Panskura and all other nearby assembly segments for the last phase of polling. Not Nandigram. She does not need to. Mamata knows it is in safe hands and it has gone back to being the peaceful old days of agriculturists. In December when even the elections dates were not announced, she had introduced her favored candidate to boost up her supporters in Nandigram who had gone disenchanted over these years. The candidate was the sitting MP from Tamluk constituency of which Nandigram is an assembly segment. It looked a prudent move then. To control the infighting among her local leaders who had fetched power and pledged proximity to her, it was a significant move to bring in satrap Subhendu Adhikari in the picture. At the public meeting near the Tekhali bridge, the symbolic site of the Nandigram uprising of 2007, with Adhikari and MLA Firoza Bibi by her side, Mamata told her supporters: I have not forgotten Nandigram. I am making a change here. Subhendu will contest the assembly elections from here and become a minister in my cabinet next time. I need him here. The MP, hearing his name, smiled silently, waving his hands. The two-time sitting MLA, the persecuted face of the Nandigram movement, Firoza Bibi, who had lost her son Raja, 19, to police firing on March 14, 2007, stood quietly beside her mentor. Bibi has now been moved to Panksura west, a tough contest given Left's alliance with the Congress and the infighting amongst the local Trinamool leaders. Nandigram is the safest seat for Adhikari and so the chief does not need to campaign for him. In return, Adhikari is taking care of Bibi's candidature in Panskura west. He likes the Didi style. Remember you are voting for me. I am not asking your vote for Firoza Bibi. A significant reason for the shift has been the infighting between Abu Taher, chairman of Nandigram Panchayat Samiti and Sheikh Sufiyan, member of Purba Midnapore Zilla Parishad all ticket aspirants now keen to topple Bibi. Besides, there is another reason. The demure lady had couple of years ago dared to ask industry minister Partha Chatterjee in the floor of the assembly house if there were any plans of the state government to set up industry in Nandigram. Her question went unanswered but the day the chief announced her shift from Nandigram in the public meeting, she declared that the state government would build an eco tourism hub in the nearby island Nayachar, the site earmarked for a nuclear power plant during the Left regime. Before the announcement Mamata Banerjee had led a group of businessmen to recce the island for a development project. The situation in Nayachar was delicate, waiting to erupt, as Nandigram did after the notification for land acquisition for the nuclear power plant was put up. Nandigram is the surest seat for TMC. Little-known CPM candidate Abdul Kadir is the opponent. None of the opposing bigwigs had also campaigned for him knowing full well that there are few takers for the Left in the assembly segment. People have neither forgotten nor forgiven the Left for daring to take away their fertile land for industry. We still stand for the cause. We will not give away our lands even today, says Sheikh Qasim, a primary school teacher. The ruling TMC candidate also does not promise the moon. In the last nine years a recent Shahid Minar has been built to commemorate the deaths of the martyrs of 14 March, 2007. Eleven people were killed by police firing at Bhanga Bera near Sonachura in Nandigram and three others at Adhikari para near the same area when hordes of people protested against land acquisition. Later, the movement became a significant cause to change the Land Acquisition Act of 1894. A farmers free market has also been built and several of the brick lanes have been made concrete. Kalpana Munian, who was picked up by the Harmad Bahini, armed men of Leftists at the time of the uprising, is back at home. Gang rape survivors are also back home but no one has been convicted for their crime. Instead police cases on the members of the Bhoomi Uched Pratirodh Committee (Committee Against Land Acquisition) who had then led the movement and fought against the Left government, have been withdrawn. Many of the prominent ones now happen to be TMC leaders. Mamata Banerjee remains elusive. She campaigns only in areas where there is the presence of opposition, not here, explained Manik Adhikari, a TMC supporter. This area is of the Adhikaris and we shall get all the 13 segments for the Trinamool Congress (TMC) he said. The Adhikaris, father Sisir, Member of Parliament from Kanthi constituency and son Shubhendu, MP from Tamluk who rose to power after the Nandigram conflict, call the shots independently in the region. Shubhendu happens to be the chairman of the Haldia Development Authority Board controlling development in the port town, while Shishir, the father who had led the Nandigram movement from the front are TMC toughs who would win seats on their own. Sometime back, the elder Adhikari had antagonized the Trinamool Chief for including younger sons Dibyendu and Soumendu Adhikari in the political circuit. Dibyendu is contesting from Contai South while Soumendu is the chairman of Contai Municipality in the area. They were also summoned in the Sarada Realty cases by the CBI and are also under scrutiny for the appointment of primary teachers in the locality. But then stronger men prevail and in Nandigram, TMC has a strong candidate. Coochbehar: With the residents of 51 enclaves all set to vote in West Bengal for the first time since Independence on Thursday, the new voters are being aggressively wooed by various political parties, who are taking credit for resolving the 68-year old border dispute. "It is our government which has resolved this enclave problem. None of the previous state governments could address the same. But we had solved this problem and given you the rights," Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee said at various rallies in Coochbehar district. Banerjee's comments are echoed by party's district President Rabindranath Ghosh who promised to usher in development if TMC won in Coochbehar. The BJP, which is heading the NDA government at the Centre, also took the credit of resolving the enclave problems. "It was our government at the Centre that took the initiative and solved the problem. We have been with the people of enclaves from the very beginning and our government has been very proactive," BJP National Secretary Rahul Sinha said. The 51 enclaves are spread across Dinhata, Mekliganj, Sitai, Sitalkuchi and Toofanganj Assembly constituencies, with over 14864 residents has over 9776 registered voters. The six Assembly constituencies were Mekhliganj (584), Sitalkuchi (1980), Sitai (1362), Dinhata (5605), Natabari (0) and Tufanganj (9). Out of 9540 eligible voters 9209 enrolled themselves to vote on 5 May in 41 polling stations. There were 567 more voters among the 922 people in the settlements in Coochbehar. In the Sitalkuchi and Sitai assembly constituencies, where TMC and their then alliance partner Congress had won with a slender margin of 257 and 1577 votes in last assembly polls, the votes of enclave dwellers could play a vital role as well as in Dinhata. Striking a different note, the CPM, however, refuted the claims by TMC and BJP and said that both the parties had stalled the enclave exchange during the UPA rule. "Both the parties have stalled the process of enclave exchange during UPA rule. It was the rehabilitation package that ensured that the state agreed to give a nod to the enclave exchange," CPM Politburo member Mohammed Salim told PTI. "We from the very beginning had stood by the cause of the people residing in enclaves. And it was the Left who have been fighting for their cause," Salim said. The Congress too rubbished the claims of Banerjee and BJP. "The TMC's claim is absolutely baseless. It was TMC who had opposed the solution to enclave problem during the UPA regime. And if the problem is being addressed it is being solved only because of the recommendations of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on home affairs," MP and Chairman of Standing committee on Home Affairs, Pradip Bhattacharya told this correspondent. Bangladesh and India exchanged 162 adversely-held enclaves on August one at the stroke of midnight, ending one of the world's most complex border disputes. Altogether 111 Indian enclaves measuring 17,160 acres became Bangladesh territory and similarly 51 Bangladesh enclaves, measuring 7,110 acres, became Indian territory. The 51 enclaves are spread across Dinhata, Mekliganj, Sitai, Sitalkuchi and Toofanganj Assembly constituencies. Chief Coordinator of Bharat Bangladesh Enclave Exchange Coordination Committee Diptiman Sengupta, fighting for the rights of the enclave dwellers for a long time, said political parties were never bothered about the well being of enclave dwellers as they were not voters. "None of the political parties never bothered about the enclave dwellers. But now as they have become voters, with a total population of near about 15,000, political parties are trying to woo them," Sengupta said. Sengupta said that the voters will pitch for that particular party which will promise to look into the issue of job reservation for enclave dwellers and quick disposal of land settlement. "The people there want at least 10 per cent reservation in government jobs and that all development work in the enclaves be carried out through the active involvement of the residents and quick disposal of land settlement," he pointed out. Meanwhile, 24-year-old the Joynal Abedin, an enclave-dweller, whose three generations will together vote this time, said the respective political party which gives them written assurance about those aabove-referred three issues will garner the votes. Kolkata: Close to 50,000 security personnel, including 361 companies of central forces, have been deployed to ensure that polling for the sixth and last phase of West Bengal elections is held in a free and fair manner. Election Commission officials said 123 companies of central forces are manning Coochbehar district while another 238 companies are stationed in East Midnapore district. Another contingent of 4,500 state police personnel, have been deployed to assist the central forces in Coochbehar while 7,500 personnel are in East Midnapore district. Together, the two districts have 25 constituencies going to the hustings on Thursday. The remaining companies of central forces, about 310 in number, who were stationed in West Bengal for the earlier phases, have been sent to the poll-bound states of Tamil Nadu and Kerala, officials said. Since the two poll-bound districts are bordering Assam and Odisha, the poll panel has also written to the chief secretaries of the states requesting them to set up 'Naka' points in bordering areas, officials said. The EC has already set up such 'Naka' points to monitor the movement of any anti-social elements on the West Bengal side of the inter-state borders. Prohibitory orders under section 144 CrPC will be promulgated on poll day and enforced strictly to ensure that any unlawful assembly is effectively curbed. Besides, day-time patrolling for area domination, night patrolling by 183 teams for quick reaction in the night also began from Wednesday. The commission has so far identified 714 vulnerable hamlets and 1,685 vulnerable voters in the two districts. Close to 900 trouble-mongers have been identified and action taken against all of them. Altogether, about 2,200 complaints were received so far by the poll panel out of which around 2,000 have already been disposed off. The commission said they have issued clear directions to the district magistrates, superintendents of police and especially the Commanders of CAPF/state police to keep a strict watch on the law and order to ensure that each and every voter, including the weaker sections, feels confident enough to come out and exercise his voting right freely without any fear or pressure. They have also directed that culprits causing intimidation, creating fear or causing harm to citizens must be brought to book on top priority unhesitatingly. Special motorcycle teams of police have been deployed to effectively, intensively and extensively check the movement of bikers and to take appropriate action against violators. BSF has been further directed to step up surveillance at the international border in the last 48 hours. United Nations: The UN Security Council will hold an urgent meeting on Wednesday to discuss the crisis in Syria's frontline city of Aleppo, where fighting threatens to unravel international peace efforts. France and Britain called for the meeting as Russia said a new ceasefire in Aleppo could be announced within hours. French Ambassador Francois Delattre described Aleppo as the "martyred center of the resistance" to Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad and compared the city to besieged Sarajevo during the Bosnian war. "Aleppo is burning and it is crucial that we focus on this top priority issue," said British Ambassador Matthew Rycroft. The 15-member council will hear a report from the UN's top political affairs official Jeffrey Feltman on the situation in Aleppo, where fresh fighting including a rocket attack on a maternity hospital left 19 dead on Tuesday. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said in Moscow that efforts were under way to agree on a freeze in fighting in Aleppo. "I am hoping that in the near future, maybe even in the next few hours, such a decision will be announced," Lavrov said after meeting UN Syria envoy Staffan de Mistura in Moscow. A surge of violence that erupted on 22 April has left more than 270 people dead in the divided northern city and undermined efforts to revive peace negotiations. After a relative lull in clashes on Monday and early Tuesday, rebels in eastern Aleppo fired a barrage of at least 65 rockets into government-controlled neighbourhoods, Syrian state news agency SANA reported. At least three women were killed when the rockets crashed into a maternity hospital, the agency and state television said, and another 11 killed in fire on other government-held neighbourhoods. Stuttgart, Germany: The combat death of an American Navy SEAL in Iraq shows that despite recent gains against the Islamic State in Iraq, "this fight is far from over," US Defense Secretary Ash Carter said Wednesday. Carter spoke at the outset of a closed-door meeting in Germany with his counterparts from 11 countries contributing to the military campaign against the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria. They convened at the headquarters of US European Command, where Carter was presiding at a change-of-command ceremony Tuesday when news of the US battlefield death reached him. Carter was huddling Wednesday with his coalition partners to discuss "what more we can do" to accelerate the military campaign in both Iraq and Syria. It was a follow-up to a similar session he led in Brussels in mid-February. "While we have gathered momentum since our ministerial in Brussels, this fight is far from over," Carter said. "That point was brought into stark relief by yesterday's attack on Peshmerga forces in northern Iraq, which unfortunately claimed the life of an American service member." Adhering to a legal ban on officially identifying a military death until 24 hours after the family has been notified, Carter did not mention the name. But his family has confirmed that Charlie Keating IV was the SEAL who was killed. Carter expressed condolences for the loss, which is the third US combat death in Iraq since US forces returned there in mid-2014 to help the Iraqi government regain the wide swaths of territory captured by the Islamic State. Wednesday's session in Stuttgart was the latest in a series with partners on strategies for increasing assistance to the Iraqis, including the Kurdish Peshmerga forces, as they seek to recapture the northern Islamic State stronghold of Mosul. This comes as a political crisis in Baghdad clouds the outlook for further military advances against the militants. Carter has placed a high priority on drawing coalition members more deeply into the counter-IS campaign, stressing the threat posed by allowing the extremists to spread their influence. The Stuttgart session was attended by senior defense officials from Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain and Britain. Norway was also invited and was expected to attend. Beijing: Trade between the world's two biggest economies is mutually beneficial, Beijing said on Wednesday after presumptive US Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump accused China of "rape". In the run-up to Tuesday's Indiana primary, where the businessman swept to victory and his last serious challenger Ted Cruz bowed out of the race, Trump had told a campaign rally: "We can't continue to allow China to rape our country, and that's what we're doing." "We're going to turn it around, and we have the cards, don't forget it," he said. "We have a lot of power with China." Asked about Trump's comments and whether Beijing was nervous about the prospect of him becoming US president, foreign ministry spokesman Hong Lei told reporters that the election was a US internal affair and China had no comment on it. But he went on: "I want to point out that US-China trade relations are essentially mutually beneficial and win-win in keeping with the shared interests of both sides." Hong added: "We hope that everyone can view such cooperation from an objective and reasonable perspective." Trump has repeatedly blasted the Asian giant for its trade policies, blaming it for weakening the US economy and taking American jobs. Although the comments have contributed to his populist appeal at home, they have raised eyebrows in China, where he is seen with a combination of bemusement and grudging respect. At his annual press conference in March, Premier Li Keqiang said diplomatically that the US presidential campaign was "full of clamour and very eye-catching". The Global Times newspaper, which is close to the ruling Communist party, showed no such reticence, saying that Trump's comments were "abusively racist and extremist". "The rise of a racist in the US political arena worries the whole world," it said. The paper, which often takes a nationalistic tone, sought to portray Trump's rise as an indictment of multi-party democracy. "Americans know elections cannot really change their lives. Then, why not support Trump and vent their spleen?" it said, adding: "Mussolini and Hitler came to power through elections, a heavy lesson for Western democracy." WASHINGTON U.S. Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton took quick aim at presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump on Wednesday, saying United States should not take a risk on an unreliable candidate. "He is a loose cannon, and loose cannons tend to misfire," Clinton said in an interview with CNN, citing Trump stances including a claim that climate change was a Chinese hoax. Clinton, a former secretary of state and the front-runner to win the Democratic nomination, said Trump would have to offer policy specifics in the general election on Nov. 8 and criticized him for his positions on issues including nuclear weapons and abortion. "He makes these grand statements and grand accusations," Clinton said of the real estate magnate and former reality TV star. "At some point when you're running for president, you actually have to put a little meat on the bones. You've got to tell people what it is you're going to do and how you're going to do it." Clinton lost the Democratic primary contest in Indiana on Tuesday but still looks set to win her party's nomination, leading her rival, U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders, by more than 800 delegates. Trump's win in Indiana on Tuesday pushed his rivals out of the race and left him as the presumptive nominee. In a preview of the likely general election battle to come, Clinton laughed when asked if she was ready to take on Trump, saying "Oh, please." "This is to me a classic case of a blustering, bullying guy who has knocked out of the way all the Republicans because they were just dumbfounded," she said. Clinton said she knows how to run a campaign against Trump and took a swipe at Trump's 16 Republican presidential rivals who started out in the 2016 campaign. "They didn't know how to deal with him," Clinton said. "They couldn't take him on the issues because they basically agreed with them. And they didn't know how to counterpunch." (Reporting by Megan Cassella and Doina Chiacu; Additional reporting by Tim Ahmann; Editing by Frances Kerry) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. The Hague: There are "extremely worrying" signs that the Islamic State group may be making its own chemical arms and have used them already in Iraq and Syria, a global watchdog said on Wednesday. Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons head Ahmed Uzumcu said his body's fact-finding teams have found evidence of the use of sulphur mustard in attacks in the two war-torn countries. "Although they could not attribute this to Daesh... there are strong suspicions that they may have used it (chemical weapons)," Uzumcu told AFP, using the alternative name for the jihadist group. "Secondly the suspicions are that they may have produced it themselves, which is extremely worrying," Uzumcu said on the sidelines of a three-day conference at the OPCW's Hague-based headquarters. "It proves that they have the technology, know-how and also access to the materials which might be used for the production of chemical weapons," Uzumcu said. CIA director John Brennan in February told CBS News that Islamic State fighters had the capability to make small quantities of chlorine and mustard gas. Uzumcu did not point to any specific attacks, but last month, Islamic State mounted a deadly gas attack against Syrian troops at a government-controlled airbase outside the divided eastern city of Deir Ezzor, according to the SANA state news agency. The attack was the latest in a string of suspected mustard gas attacks by the jihadists in Syria and neighbouring Iraq. On 9 March, a suspected Islamic State gas attack on the Iraqi town of Taza, south of Kirkuk, killed three children and wounded some 1,500 people, with injuries ranging from burns to rashes and respiratory problems. While chemical agents allegedly used by Islamic State so far have been among its least effective weapons, the psychological impact on civilians is considerable. A total of 25,000 people fled their homes in and around Taza last month, fearing another attack. Uzumcu also urged vigilance by other nations to guard against any chemical attacks outside Syria and Iraq. GAZA Violence erupted along the Israel-Gaza border on Wednesday as Israeli forces and Palestinian militants exchanged fire and Israeli war jets bombed targets in the enclave, ruled by the Islamist Hamas group. There were no immediate reports of any casualties in the rare flare-up along the frontier, which has been largely quiet since a 2014 war. The outbreak of violence coincided with work by the Israeli military to uncover tunnels being built by Gaza militants which Israel fears could be used to infiltrate its territory. The Palestinians fired mortar bombs at Israeli forces operating near the border fence, prompting fire from Israeli tanks and war planes that bombed open areas in the northern and southern sectors of the Gaza Strip. "Our efforts to destroy the Hamas terror tunnel network, a grave violation of Israel's sovereignty, will not cease or be deterred," said military spokesman Lieutenant-Colonel PeterLerner.The Hamas armed wing, Izz el-Deen Al-Qassam Brigades, said the raid was a violation of the 2014 ceasefire and demanded that Israel pull out its forces "immediately"."The enemy must not make pretexts and must leave Gaza immediately, they should deal with their fears and concerns outside the separation line," said the group. On Tuesday Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu inspected a large tunnel Israel discovered in April on the Israeli side of the border. Israel said it had been dug by Hamas. Israeli security sources say half a dozen classified anti-tunnel technologies have long been under development, though held up by funding problems that were partly alleviated by a U.S. research grant of $40 million this year. Hamas leaders, while stressing they do not seek an imminent war, see tunnels as a strategic weapon in any armed confrontation with Israel and have vowed not to stop building them. More than 2,100 Palestinians, mostly civilians, were killed during the 2014 Gaza conflict. Sixty-seven Israeli soldiers and six civilians in Israel were killed by rockets and attacks by Hamas and other militant groups. (Reporting by Nidal al-Mughrabi, Ari Rabinovitch; Editing by Gareth Jones) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. Washington: US Secretary of State John Kerry warned Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad on Tuesday of "repercussions" if his regime flouts a new ceasefire being negotiated with Moscow for the battered city of Aleppo. "If Assad does not adhere to this, there will clearly be repercussions and one of them may be the total destruction of the ceasefire and they go back to war," Kerry told reporters. "I don't think that Russia wants that. I don't think that Assad is going to benefit from that," he said. "There may be even other repercussions that are being discussed but that is for the future to determine." A 27 February truce between the Syrian regime and non-jihadist rebels raised hopes for efforts to resolve the five-year conflict. But it has all but collapsed amid renewed fighting, the worst of it in Aleppo where a surge in violence has claimed more than 270 lives since 22 April. Washington and Moscow are now working together to include Aleppo in a freeze in fighting aimed at bolstering the broader truce brokered by both world powers. "The cessation of hostilities was put in place precisely to give the people on the ground who are innocently caught between these warring factions some breather, some ability to be able to be safe and work this out at the negotiating table," Kerry said. "That is why we are working urgently right now to reaffirm the cessation of hostilities nationwide." Russia said on Tuesday it hoped a new ceasefire could be announced within hours for Aleppo. Islamabad: A court in Pakistan court has granted bail to the five accused who were arrested on blasphemy charges on the complaint of a Sikh youth for publicly disgracing his turban. Mahinder Pall Singh said six attackers publicly disgraced his turban and humiliated him for complaining about a bus that broke down while he was travelling from Faisalabad to Multan city in Punjab province. Investigation Officer Abdul Sattar on Tuesday said bail was granted to Baqir Ali, Rashid Gujjar, Faiz Alam, Shakeel and Sodagar who were arrested on 30 April, Dawn online reported. According to Singh, the accused were booked under the sections dealing with bailable offences and "desecration of a worship place". "I am not a worship place but a citizen of Pakistan from the Sikh faith, and attackers have disgraced one of my religious symbols. The police should have added 295/A which deals with non-bailable offence with maximum penalty of 10 year imprisonment," Singh said. Washington: Dreaded terror group ISIS has the capability to stage a Paris-style attack in the US using its local cells to strike in multiple locations and inflict dozens of casualties, top American intelligence official has said. "They do have that capacity," Director of National Intelligence James Clapper told CNN. "That's something we worry about a lot in the United States, that they could conjure up a raid like they did in Paris or Brussels," where March attacks on a train and at an airport left 32 dead and 300 people injured, Clapper said. At least 130 people died and hundreds other injured in the multiple coordinated terror attacks by the ISIS militants in the French capital in November. Earlier, President Barack Obama and some of his top security advisors spoke of the ISIS threat in less stark terms and emphasized efforts to protect the US. Obama had said that "we, here in the United States, face less of a threat than Europe" from ISIS. Still, he said, "The Paris-style attack, the Brussels style attack is the challenge that we're going to continue to face." Clapper, who identified the ISIS with "brutality", predicted that its beheadings, crucifixions and repression would eventually be self-defeating, the channel said. In the meantime, he and other administration officials raised their concerns about attacks like the broad assaults ISIS unleashed in the streets of Paris and Brussels. Clapper said any attempted attack in the US would echo these assaults in Europe and, as in those cities, ISIS would "either infiltrate people or incite people who are already here," he said. ISIS central would not necessarily give directions for a specific target, Clapper added. "That's apparently not exactly their modus operandi," he said. "It's more general, strategic guidance, and then let the local cell figure out how to achieve the objectives." Clapper qualified the level of danger ISIS poses to the US, saying that, "as an existential threat to this country, it's not ISIS or any other other terrorist group." But he said that he also worries about the "lesser-scaled attacks of what we have seen in this country, or worse, a Paris or Brussels kind of thing", CNN said. Rio de Janeiro: Brazil's top prosecutor on Tuesday asked the Supreme Court to open a probe into alleged obstruction of justice by President Dilma Rousseff, major Brazilian newspapers reported, in a potentially explosive twist to the country's political crisis. According to reports in Globo, Folha de Sao Paulo and Estadao dailies, chief prosecutor Rodrigo Janot has requested authority to open an investigation into the embattled president and also her predecessor and key political ally Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. Officials could not immediately be reached to confirm the reports. Rousseff who could face the start of an impeachment trial on separate charges as early as next week allegedly colluded with Lula to obstruct a judge leading a huge investigation into corruption at state oil company Petrobras by top politicians and executives, Janot was quoted as stating. Rousseff's current attorney general, Jose Eduardo Cardozo, is also implicated. At issue is an attempt by Rousseff to name Lula, who retains broad influence despite having left office, to a post in her government. Rousseff said she wanted him to lead her defense against impeachment. But prosecutors, who wire-tapped the president's phone conversation with Lula, said the appointment aimed to obtain ministerial immunity for the ex-president. Lula, who is fighting corruption charges related to the Petrobras scheme, risks being prosecuted by the main investigating team led by Judge Sergio Moro. However, if he were in the government, he would gain limited immunity, with only the Supreme Court able to handle his case. The Supreme Court is now preparing to rule on whether he can take his post. Janot's filing, if confirmed, would ramp up pressure on Lula and Rousseff. Prosecutors looking into the controversy have decided that Lula's nomination was part of a "scenario" involving several attempts to obstruct Moro's investigation into the Petrobras scheme, Estadao newspaper reported. Rousseff is separately accused in Congress of having illegally manipulated government budget accounts and could be suspended from office next week by the Senate so that a trial can get underway. Colombo: Sri Lanka's Sinhala-majority Western Province has opposed a recent resolution by Tamil-dominated northern provincial council on a federal solution to grant political autonomy to Tamils, calling the move "constitutionally and legally incorrect". The Western Provincial Council on Thursday passed a resolution against the resolution passed by the Northern Provincial Council, Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU) Provincial Councilor Nishantha Sri Warnasinghe said. Warnasinghe also serves as an advisor to President Maithripala Sirisena. "We urge the President and the Prime Minister to reject the demand for federalism at a time the whole country has geared to achieve reconciliation with the Tamils. He said that the North's attempt is to create two separate federal governments in the island based on language and ethnicity. This is constitutionally and legally incorrect," Warnasinghe said. The northern chief minister CV Wigneswaran said that the planned federal solution would not threaten the integrity of the island as it would not lead to separate states. The Sinhala-majority state has historically opposed the Tamils' federal demand since the island gained independence from Britain in 1948. The main Tamil party, TNA is hopeful of a federal solution when the country is expected to formulate its new constitution this year. The process is already underway to replace the current constitution which was made in 1978. Washington: An American police officer, who brutally assaulted an Indian grandfather that left him paralysed, will now face a fresh trial for misdemeanour assault next month. Eric Parker will stand trial on 8 and 9 June for misdemeanour assault against Sureshbhai Patel, the Indian grandfather who was taking a stroll around his son's neighbourhood in Alabama when he was brutally assaulted by the police officer in February last year. Newly-appointed Limestone County District Judge Douglas "Doug" Lee Patterson said he was ready to move forward with the trial since it is a misdemeanour and there was no need to prolong the case, according to a local television station. Parker was cleared of federal civil rights charges in January, after two mistrials. Parker's attorney Robert Tuten told WAAY 31 that he plans to appeal if he is found guilty. If convicted Parker faces up to one year of imprisonment. He was fired from the force after the alleged attack on Patel. The former Alabama police officer also faces a lawsuit filed against him by Patel. The assault had sparked outrage in the Indian community and India had raised the issue with the US, demanding expeditious investigation into the matter. The Governor of the US state of Alabama had apologised for the brutal police assault on Patel. Republican front-runner Donald Trump went from long-shot contender to become the party's presumptive nominee on Tuesday with a commanding win in Indiana, and the party began to coalesce around him as top rival Ted Cruz bowed out of the race. The New York billionaire, who has never held public office, had repeatedly defied pundits' predictions that his campaign would implode. He prevailed despite making outrageous statements along the way that drew biting criticism but still fed his anti-establishment appeal. The former reality TV star now can prepare for a matchup in the Nov. 8 election with Hillary Clinton expected to be his Democratic opponent. Clinton's march to the Democratic nomination was slowed by rival Bernie Sanders' victory over her in Indiana. Trump's immediate challenge is to unite deep fissures within the Republican Party as many party loyalists are appalled at his bullying style, his treatment of women and his signature proposals to build a wall on the border with Mexico and deport 11 million illegal immigrants. "We have to unite the party if we want to win in November," said Henry Barbour, a Republican National Committee leader from Mississippi. "Donald Trump is the guy with the keys to the car. Hes the one who needs to unite us. Now is his opportunity. The voters have picked him." Trump himself called for unity in a speech at a victory rally that was free of his usual bombast and flamboyance. Trump's victory put to rest a belief that Republicans would choose their nominee at a contested convention when party leaders gather in Cleveland 18-21 July. At his victory rally at Trump Tower in New York, Trump walked on stage with wife Melania and other family members as the Rolling Stones' "Start Me Up" blared over loudspeakers. He is likely to formally wrap up the nomination on 7 June when California votes, although Ohio Governor John Kasich vowed to stay in the race as Trump's last challenger. Trump called Indiana a "tremendous victory" and immediately directed fire at Clinton. "We're going after Hillary Clinton," he said. "She will not be a great president, she will not be a good president, she will be a poor president. She doesn't understand trade." Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus called Trump the party's presumptive nominee in a tweet and said, "We all need to unite and focus" on defeating Clinton. As the vote returns flowed in, Cruz announced that he has ended his campaign in Indianapolis, with his wife, Heidi, at his side. Cruz, 45, sounding beaten but defiant, said he no longer sees a viable path to the nomination. "We gave it everything we got. But the voters chose another path, and so with a heavy heart, but with boundless optimism for the long-term future of our nation, we are suspending our campaign," said Cruz, a U.S. senator from Texas. Clinton's campaign signaled the former secretary of state's approach to dealing with Trump in a statement issued by senior Clinton adviser John Podesta, who said Trump seeks to "bully and divide Americans." "Throughout this campaign, Donald Trump has demonstrated that hes too divisive and lacks the temperament to lead our nation and the free world. With so much at stake, Donald Trump is simply too big of a risk," he said. Cruz had hoped to show he was still a factor in the race. Some at his event expressed shock at the decision by Cruz, who had been the last serious challenger to Trump out of an original field of 17 candidates. BHP Billiton shares are back below $20 after sinking more than 8 per cent in response to revelations the penalties associated with the Samarco dam disaster may be worse than first thought. A March quarter rally lifted BHP shares above $21 on April 21, but the stock slumped to $18.78 on Wednesday, down $1.96 or 8.2 per cent on the day. BHP owns 50 per cent of Samarco, a Brazilian iron ore miner that shot to prominence after a tailings dam at its mine failed, creating a wave of mud that wiped out the town of Bento Rodrigues and clogged the Rio Doce river. BHP told the market in March that a preliminary deal with the Brazilian government would cap the financial penalties for the Samarco partners at about 9.2 billion Brazilian Real, roughly $US2.58 billion ($3.4 billion). ST. LOUIS COUNTY A High Ridge motorist accused of running a red light and hitting a police car in a drunken driving crash last December was charged Monday with two felonies. Wesley Davis, 23, crashed into Officer Donald May's car at Gravois and Mackenzie roads on Dec. 6, 2015, officials say. Davis ran the red light and hit the officer's car, sending it into a telephone pole, police say. Davis ran off, but his brother told police where he was hiding, police say. Once they found him, tests showed Davis had a blood-alcohol level of 0.123 percent. It wasn't immediately clear from court records how much time had passed. In Missouri, the legal limit to drive a vehicle is 0.08 percent. According to court records, Davis admitted drinking and said, "I didn't ruin that officer's holidays, did I?" May suffered a concussion and knee sprain. The police car was so badly damaged it was considered a total loss, police say. Davis is charged with second-degree vehicular assault on a law enforcement officer while intoxicated with alcohol or drugs. He also is charged with leaving the scene of a motor vehicle accident that involved injury or property damage. Bail is set at $75,000. Turkish citizens could soon benefit from visa-free travel to Europe, as part of the deal between the EU and Ankara to stem the flow of refugees. In return, Turkey has pledged to crack down on the smugglers and keep the migrants on Turkish soil. However, many European lawmakers have threatened to use their veto on the visa issue to block the migrant deal. European Union figures show just over 26,000 refugees arrived on the Greek islands in March less than half of February's total. EU officials point to those numbers as proof that the deal with Ankara is working. "If we did nothing, we will condemn Greece to become a huge, huge refugee camp with hundreds of thousands refugees stuck. That is what we needed to solve," Frans Timmermans, the European Commission's vice-president, said last week. Turkey says it is on track to meet all the criteria laid down by Europe ahead of the June deadline and insists visa-free travel is a non-negotiable part of the migrant deal. But in Germany, analysts say fears over a wave of Kurdish asylum seekers from Turkey are driving up anti-immigration support. Exacerbating those fears is the escalating conflict between Kurdish PKK rebels and the Turkish government. But such concerns are misplaced, according to Ibrahim Sirkeci, RIA Professor of Transnational Studies at Regents University in London. "Any Kurdish citizens of Turkey applying for asylum in Europe will be refused, he said. It will be desk rejection, immediate rejection. This has been the case anyway for a long while." Targeting human rights While right-wing politicians look to benefit from fears of migration, some lawmakers in Brussels have threatened to try to block the deal with Turkey over human rights concerns. Amnesty International accuses Ankara of forcefully returning hundreds of unregistered refugees back to Syria and even of shooting Syrians trying to cross the border illegally. "Just as it's illegal for Turkey to be sending refugees back to the very conflict zones that they're fleeing, it's no less illegal for the EU to be sending refugees from those areas back to a country that's sending them on," said Amnesty's John Dalhuisen. It's not only the rights of refugees in the spotlight. Critics say fundamental rights are under attack in Turkey. Prosecutors have opened more than 1,800 cases against people for insulting President Recep Tayyip Erdogan since 2014. Nobel Prize-winning author Orhan Pamuk spoke out Tuesday following a court hearing against a fellow writer. "This is about only silencing political opposition, he told reporters. This is about intimidating people and scaring the country so that no one criticizes the government." Sirkeci argues that Europe's actions negate any claim of moral superiority in Brussels by " abandoning a huge population who are in need of humanitarian protection. Europe says, OK, instead of taking and helping you, we will just let you stay wherever you are, and instead we will pay Turkey 6 billion euros to keep our borders shut down.' That is what Europe is losing." But even as Europe attempts to close one route, another is expanding fast. Tens of thousands of migrants have made the journey from Libya to Italy in recent weeks, and more are expected as summer brings calmer seas. Turkish citizens could soon benefit from visa-free travel to Europe as part of the recent deal between the EU and Ankara to stem the flow of refugees. In return, Turkey has pledged to keep the migrants on Turkish soil and crack down on those who are smuggling them. Brussels is set to publish its latest progress report Wednesday but as Henry Ridgwell reports from London, many EU lawmakers are threatening to veto the deal over human rights concerns. Texas Senator Ted Cruz has dropped out of the Republican presidential contest after a big loss Tuesday in the Indiana primary to billionaire real estate magnate Donald Trump. Cruz told supporters in Indianapolis that his "path toward victory has been foreclosed," saying voters have chosen another path. He thanked all his supporters, calling them "incredible patriots." WATCH: Cruz Announces Suspension of His White House Bid Trump won Indiana in a landslide, with Cruz second and Ohio Governor John Kasich far behind in third. Trump called his win in Indiana a "tremendous victory" and congratulated Cruz, calling him and the 15 others who ran for the Republican nomination smart and tough competitors. He is appealing for unity in the Republican party. Watch video report from VOA's Jim Malone: The head of the Republican National Committee, Reince Priebus, is calling Trump the "presumptive" nominee, But a Kasich spokesman said the governor is still aiming for a deadlocked contested convention in July, where he looks to capture the Republican nomination on a second or third ballot. A victory in Indiana would give Trump 57 more delegates, bringing him closer to the 1,237 needed to clinch the nomination. For the Democrats, the Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders is projected to be the winner in Indiana over former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. The two candidates exchanged the lead all night before Sanders pulled away to win by a projected seven percent of the vote. Even with a Sanders win in Indiana, Clinton leads the delegate count by a huge margin, making it just about mathematically impossible for Sanders to become the Democratic nominee. Trump, the often harsh-speaking former television host who has never been elected to any political office, is now shifting his insulting rhetoric from Cruz to Clinton. Earlier Tuesday, he disparaged Clinton's performance as secretary of state from 2009 to 2013, saying she was asleep during part of a 2012 terrorist attack on a U.S. compound in Benghazi, Libya that killed four Americans. Trump told supporters he could defeat Clinton in states Republicans do not normally win, even as early election surveys suggest otherwise. Federal authorities returned this week to search the Connecticut property of a reputed mobster suspecting of having knowledge about the largest art heist in U.S. history. FBI agents went to the Manchester home of Robert Gentile. It wasnt immediately clear why they were there. Agents sent up a small tent in the front yard. Federal prosecutors believe the 79-year-old Gentile knows about the still-unsolved 1990 theft at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston. Thirteen pieces of art worth an estimated USD500 million were stolen and never recovered, including paintings by Rembrandt and Edouard Manet. No one has been arrested. Authorities have searched Gentiles home before, including one time with ground penetrating radar in his yard in what Gentiles lawyer called a veiled attempt to find the artwork. Agents also have removed items from Gentiles house and searched a backyard shed. Federal officials declined to say why FBI agents went to Gentiles home. Gentiles lawyer, A. Ryan McGuigan, who was at the scene, also declined to comment. The FBI is conducting court- authorized activity [] in connection with an ongoing federal investigation, said Kristen Setera, a spokeswoman for the FBI in Boston. We will have no further comment at this time. Gentile has told authorities that he doesnt know anything about the stolen paintings, and McGuigan has denied prosecutors allegations that Gentile is a made member of the Philadelphia Mafia. Assistant U.S. Attorney John Durham has said in court that Gentile once told an undercover FBI agent that he had access to two of the stolen paintings and could negotiate the sale of each for $500,000. Durham also has said that authorities have evidence Gentile, who currently is charged in a weapons case, talked about the paintings with at least three fellow prisoners at a Rhode Island jail, including giving them information on who to call about the art and what code name to use. McGuigan has alleged that because the FBI believes Gentile has not been forthcoming with everything he knows about the heist, the agency has set him up for arrests twice in the last three years. Gentile is charged with selling a loaded .38-caliber revolver for $1,000 to a cooperating government witness at his Manchester home. He has pleaded not guilty and is detained without bail. In May 2013, Gentile was sentenced to more than two years in prison for illegally selling prescription drugs and possessing guns, silencers and ammunition. In that case, Durham said federal agents found in Gentiles home a handwritten list of the stolen paintings and their estimated worth, along with a newspaper article about the museum heist a day after it happened. Dave Collins, Hartford, (Conn.), AP The rape and murder of a teenage girl by 14 men has reignited calls in Indonesia for a sexual violence law that is languishing in Parliament to be enacted. The attack on the girl in Bengkulu province in western Indonesia occurred April 2 and went largely unnoticed at a national level until social media users began highlighting its brutality. Activists from the Alliance for Community Care of Victims of Sexual Violence called on the government yesterday to urgently pass the Elimination of Sexual Violence Act. Half of the suspects are less than 18 years old and the maximum sentence they can receive because of Indonesias child protection law is 10 years. A local police chief in Bengkulu, Eka Chandra, said trials have begun for the seven minors and prosecutors are seeking 10-year sentences. But adult suspects could receive the death penalty if there is evidence the girls murder was premeditated. Local media reported the girl was dragged into a forest by one of the perpetrators on her way home from school. She was found three days later. Two of the men are still at large. AP The exhibition Little Rabbit Lanterns An Exhibition of Carlos Marreiros & Friends kicks off with an opening ceremony today at Gallery Espaco Arte Livre, in Lisbon, Portugal. According to a press release issued by Albergue SCM, the exhibition is a small selection of lanterns displayed over ten exhibitions with the same name, held since 2009, in different places. The 30 artists featured in the show were invited by Albergue SCM to create their works inspired by the rabbit lantern. These lanterns combine traditional Chinese techniques with contemporary creativity and have been made by artists from different parts of the world such as Macau, China, Hong Kong, Portugal, Netherlands, Italy, The Philippines, France and Thailand. Vegetarian food carnival to kick off next Friday Buddhas Light International Association of Macau is organizing a vegetarian food carnival, from May 13 to May 15, at the Fishermans Wharf, to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the establishment of the association and the birthday of Buddha, according to a report by Macao Daily News. The organizer invited more than one hundred vegetarian food restaurants from Macau, Taiwan, and Philippines to participate in the celebrations, and to provide a selection of diverse vegetarian dishes. Additionally, Buddhism lectures and movies, will be offered. Approximately 20,000 gifts will be given to the participants. Zhuhai food suppliers inspected for selling unqualified seafood Results from a seafood sampling inspection conducted by the Guangdong Food and Drug Administration show that 27 percent of the products analyzed did not meet safety standards, according to a report by Macao Daily News. The samples contained prohibited drugs, such as Malachite green. Eight food suppliers in Zhuhai are included in the official reports blacklist, as their products which tested positive for the aforementioned substances included perch, shrimp, razor shell and clams. The Civic and Municipal Affairs Bureau (IACM) said that these problems have not been found in products imported from mainland. IACM claimed that all seafood imported from the mainland goes through a mandatory hygiene inspection before being eventually supplied to markets. Muslim militants have threatened to kill three more hostages in their jungle base in the southern Philippines more than a week after beheading a Canadian man when their multi-million dollar ransom demands were not met. In a video circulated this week by the SITE Intelligence Group, which monitors jihadi websites, the captives from Canada, Norway and the Philippines pleaded for the Canadian and Philippine governments to heed the Abu Sayyaf militants demand. Six heavily armed Abu Sayyaf fighters stood behind the hostages, who were made to sit in a clearing and spoke briefly before a camera. A black flag hang in the backdrop of banana trees and lush foliage. Norwegian hostage Kjartan Sekkingstad said that if the kidnappers demand was not met, we will be executed like our friend John. The militants beheaded John Ridsdel on April 25 in the southern Philippine province of Sulu, an impoverished Muslim province in the south of the largely Roman Catholic country, after they failed to get a ransom of 300 million pesos (USD6.3 million). Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau condemned the killing but vowed not to give in to the kidnappers ransom demands. Following the beheading, the Philippine military launched an offensive, which security officials believe have killed more than a dozen gunmen so far. Canadian captive Robert Hall asked the Philippine government to please stop shooting at us and trying to kill us. Theyre gonna do a good job at that. He asked his government to heed the militants demand. Holding back tears, Filipino Marites Flor asked several officials and prominent Philippine personalities, including local presidential candidates, for help because we want to be freed alive. A masked militant warned Canada and the Philippines that the three remaining hostages would be killed if you procrastinate once again. It was the first time, the three captives were shown in a video after Ridsdels killing. The four were seized from a marina on southern Samal Island and taken by boat to Sulu, where Abu Sayyaf gunmen continue to hold several captives, including a Dutch bird watcher who was kidnapped more than three years ago, and eight Indonesian and Malaysian crewmen who were snatched recently from three tugboats. The militants freed 10 Indonesian tugboat crewmen a few days ago reportedly in exchange for ransom. The United States and the Philippines have separately blacklisted the Abu Sayyaf for kidnappings for ransom, beheadings and bombings. The brutal group emerged in the early 1990s as an extremist offshoot of a decades-long Muslim separatist rebellion in the south. Jim Gomez, Manila, AP presidential favorite duterte all-inclusive remark stirs debate A Philippine senator expressed alarm over a presidential frontrunners plan to allow communist guerrillas to play a political role in the government if he wins, saying this would cause rumblings within the military. In his latest controversial remark, Mayor Rodrigo Duterte told reporters his administration would be an all-inclusive one in which communist guerrillas could take part in decision-making. He had earlier expressed openness to a coalition with revolutionary forces but later clarified that an all-inclusive government might be better so as not to antagonize the military and police. Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV, a former navy officer, told reporters the military, which has a history of failed coup attempts, could get restive if Duterte wins the presidential race and considers giving political concessions to the rebels. There is a faction in the military that is averse to any form of power-sharing with the communists that Duterte is proposing, said the senator, who was among the leaders of a failed mutiny in 2003. Its going to be very easy to recruit people for such military interventions. Acid-attack victims usually stop their education, she says, and stay home. And that happened to me, too. I didnt want to go out, and I didnt want to go to school either. But then my parents forced me to go to school and study, and thats why I am here. Cincinnati bound Having more than 20 to 25 surgeries in India, Prerna and her family were not satisfied. She knew she was going to need better treatment. Through one of her uncles connections in the United States, Prernas family was put in contact with Shriners Hospitals for Children Cincinnati, a burn specialty facility. Shriners provides free medical care for their patients aged 16 to 21 years old, meaning Prerna was in luck. As she traveled to the United States with her mother, Prerna knew that this was a good, positive change. After six months of being in the states, her mother returned home to India while Prerna stayed in the capable hands of Shriners and American host families. Prerna settled in with her host family, Matt and Heidi Hudson-Flege. While living with them, Prerna met a girl about the same age named Graci Doll. She and her family live in the same neighborhood as Prerna did, and the two girls became instant best friends. Prerna was able to go to high school with Graci and shadow her every day. After a year passed, Prernas host parents received the news that they had to relocate to South Carolina for work. And without hesitation, Graci insisted that Prerna live in her home with her family. GLENNS FERRY The vintage camp trailers gathered for a rally last month at Three Island Crossing State Park all tell their own story, Les Blair said. And if they dont, Watt Orbie Mungall countered, theyre in the wrong place. Blair and Mungall participated in the rally hosted by Idahos segment of the Rollin Oldies Vintage Trailers, a loosely organized group of folks who own camp trailers produced before 1980 or newer models made to look like the classics. ROVT was founded in Dallas, Ore., in 2007. Idaho is the first state to form its own sub-group, with Marilyn and Bret Peoples of Caldwell serving as Idaho Wagon Masters. They have three rallies planned this year with a fourth likely to be added. About 40 trailers and motorhomes participated in the Three Island Crossing event, which featured a blue-ribbon country fair theme. The first Idaho event, in September 2014, included 12 trailers. Its mostly nostalgia, said Jerry Kwiatkowski, who founded the ROVT group with his wife, Linda. Its like the old cars. They hit their peak and waned down because of a lack of them available. Well, trailers havent hit their peak yet. Theyre gaining more and more popularity. Kwiatkowski, who visited the Idaho group for the first time at last months event, bought his first vintage trailer after enduring multiple problems with his newer fifth-wheel trailer. He bought that vintage trailer a 1964 Kencraft for $400. It looked like a dumpy thing, he said. I spent two years restoring it because I didnt know what I was doing. Im a mechanic, not a woodworker. At the first ROVT rally, he put a for-sale sign on the trailer with a price of $2,600. It sold. Two years later, the buyers re-sold the trailer for $5,000. Kwiatkowski is 2 1/2 years into his fifth trailer rehab. He also is working on a 1955 Chevy Nomad wagon. Now the big thing is people are buying the old cars to go with the old trailers, Kwiatkowski said. I keep telling these people: Watch for these old cars. Watch for these old trucks. Get them married. Thats money in the bank when you get ready to sell. The Peopleses have a motorhome and two trailers. Blair, of Fruitland, has three trailers and a pickup camper. Its like a car habit, Marilyn Peoples said. You get one and then you want another one. But its whether you have enough room to park them all. She sold her 1954 Rainbow to neighbor Susan Villanueva, who adores her tiny trailer. I got super lucky, Villanueva said. I would always see the little trailers and I thought they were so cool. There are people who like more modern things. Im not one of them. The rustier the better. I like things to look their age. And to many, that age looks much better than the shiny, new models coming out of todays factories. They have style to them, Marilyn said. The big boxes are very functional. Thats what we call (new trailers). But these have history to them. Theres a lot of unique stuff in them. They are all designed a little different. Mungall, who lives in Willard, Utah, and is the Northwest rep for the national Tin Can Tourists group, enjoys the camaraderie of people who know quality. Most of these are just real materials, he said. Mungall brought one of the most beautiful trailers to the rally: a 1952 Silver Streak Clipper with an aluminum shell. He purchased the trailer in the early 2000s for $1,200. It had been sitting alongside a highway for sale for 12 years. Back in the early 90s, these things were considered ugly, Mungall said. Now theyre treasured collectibles. The market for vintage trailers hasnt overheated in Idaho yet, but in some states they are difficult to find and the prices can get prohibitive, the vintage-trailer enthusiasts say. A restored trailer in the 12- to 15-foot range likely will cost more than $5,000 in Idaho. Even the trailers in need of an overhaul arent cheap anymore. You used to be able to buy one for a hundred bucks, Kwiatkowski said. Now youre lucky if you can find them for right around $2,000 or $3,000 for a project. Some restored trailers go for as much as $40,000-plus, Linda Kwiatkowski said. The 50s and 60s are getting hard to find, Marilyn Peoples said. So people are coming up into the 70s now because theyre a little easier to find but they are cool, too. Idahos ROVT group grows somewhat through trailer envy. Others see trailers in the neighborhood or attend the open houses at the rallies and decide they want one, too. One of the ROVT traditions is open/closed signs in the windows of the RVs. If theyre open, that means theyre available to be toured. Some visitors already own trailers and want tips on restoring them. When I bought that trailer over there, it was a total wreck, Blair said, indicating his beautifully redone trailer nicknamed Suite P. It can be overwhelming. Rallies cost $10. There are no membership dues for the group. Organizers like to say newcomers enter as strangers and leave feeling like family. Were all a little quirky because we like the vintage stuff, Marilyn said. ... Its almost like a family reunion atmosphere at a rally. Register for more free articles. Sign up for our newsletter to keep reading. Sign up for our Crime & Courts newsletter Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. Sign up! Already a Subscriber? Already a Subscriber? Sign in Terms of Service Privacy Policy Q: When does the second falls at Twin Falls flow and when was the last time? A: The second or Upper Falls at Twin Falls last flowed water around November of 1935, said Ryan Merrick, East Area Trainer and Coordinator for Idaho Power. The Upper Falls were diverted via two dams constructed by the Morrison-Knudson construction company to supply water flow to the newly constructed Twin Falls Hydro Electric Power Plant. Twin Falls is located on the Snake River in an area known for its gold rush during the late 1860s. Miners referred to it as Little Falls to distinguish it from Shoshone Falls a short way down river. The 1935 project that constructed the original dams and the Unit 1 powerhouse is remarkable and historic in several ways it was the first project built by Morrison-Knudson for Idaho Power, it was built in a period of just seven months, and the arch dam incorporated a new engineering feature that was unique in the United States at the time, Merrick said. He said construction on the project started April 27, 1935. Morrison-Knudson was contracted to build the access road into the canyon, the two dams, the penstock, and the terrace where the powerhouse was built. Idaho Power built the powerhouse. The original turbine was a vertical single runner Allis-Chalmers unit, coupled with a 13,500 K.W. General Electric generator. The arch dam was built with a layer of tar-paper between the foundation, and the vertical concrete walls that was intended to allow the dam to be flexible and move very slightly in response to changing water and temperature conditions, Merrick said. At the time the only other dam using this feature was located in Spain. In January 1936, the companys Chief Engineer Henry L. Senger, reported that there were measured movements of the dam of up to 1/3 of an inch. M-K was just coming off the successful construction of Boulder (Hoover) Dam and the Twin Falls project became the first of a long line of projects that they would build for Idaho Power, Merrick said. Given that the powerhouse was built in an area without road access, the rapid completion of the project is pretty amazing, Merrick said. Compared to the challenges of the Boulder Dam Project, the canyon at Twin Falls probably did not seem that daunting to M-K. Most work was done using large metal or wood derrick style cranes. The new plant was ready for commercial production on December 3, 1935. Expansion of the generating capacity at Twin Falls hydroelectric power plant from 9 to 51 megawatts began in early August of 1993. Construction was completed in 1995, and the second unit began producing power on July 27, 1995. TWIN FALLS | The College of Southern Idaho is offering a dual credit summer session for high school students. Students can take a six-week semester for English and communication classes a total of six credits. The program is open to high school sophomores and juniors who have completed English 101, and are interested in taking several more steps toward their higher education goals. Students will take English 102 from 8-9:50 a.m., followed by Communication 101 from 10-11:50 a.m. Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from June 6-July 29. Each is a three-credit class. Tuition for both classes plus the required textbooks totals $466. The dual credit rate is about half the cost charged to regular students. The classes will satisfy college and high school requirements. For more information, contact Jarred Aslett at 208-933-2321 or jaslett@csi.edu, or Karrie Hornbacher at 208-732-6276 or khornbacher@csi.edu. GOODING While sitting in a private plane Tuesday, Nicole Hill couldnt tell much difference between being on the ground or in the air. She couldnt see the agricultural fields or homes while soaring above Gooding. But the 16-year-old who is blind could feel the pilot maneuvering his 1964 Piper Cherokee. As soon as we got completely off the ground, it got really bumpy, she said. I think it was because of the wind. Nicole was among dozens of students from the Idaho School for the Deaf and the Blind who took plane rides Tuesday at the Gooding Municipal Airport. It was part of the Experimental Aircraft Associations nationwide Young Eagles program. Its the ninth year ISDB has participated. Every year, we have some new students, ISDB education director Gretchen Spooner said. Its really fun to watch them have the opportunity to fly in a small private plane. Seven private pilots most hailing from eastern Idaho volunteered their time. They each brought their private plane and covered all of their own expenses including fuel. Over the years, the EAA has provided plane rides for 1.2 million children nationwide through its Young Eagles program. Nine years ago, EAA member Dale Cresap read an article about a pilot recalling his most memorable flight taking a girl who is blind up in a plane. After doing research, Cresap discovered ISDB and contacted the school about starting a flight day. Since then, he has participated nearly every year. They were eager to have that experience for their kids, he said. Participating children ranged in age from 8 to 21. EAA rules state children must be at least 8 years old to participate. Younger students at ISDB look forward to turning eight so they can go up in a plane, Spooner said. Cresap said he enjoys seeing the enthusiasm of ISDB students, calling it a heartwarming experience. Many students had huge smiles on their faces after their flight. Planes ranged in size, accommodating one to three students, plus the pilot. When it was time for Nicole to fly, Nathan Smith of Idaho Falls helped her climb into his four-seater plane. She sat in a backseat next to 11-year-old Taylor Spencer, of Jerome. Both girls are new to ISDB this year and it was their first time participating in the Young Eagles day. Smith asked if the girls had their headsets on. Its kind of noisy without them, he said. He talked to the girls about the plane and explained how some of the dashboard instruments work. After takeoff, Taylor leaned over to the window and peered down below as they flew above Gooding. For most of the flight, there was a huge smile on her face. Next to her, Nicole had her arms crossed. Occasionally, she turned her head left or right. The loop around Gooding took less than 20 minutes. My favorite part was going up, Taylor said, adding she liked takeoff better than landing. But she was smiling as the plane landed and was giggling with excitement after getting out. I like flying a lot, she said. Heres what six other students said about their flight, some through an American Sign Language interpreter: Connor Wynn, 15 Its awesome, he said. Conner who is hard of hearing said he wasnt nervous. I was more excited than anything, he said. He enjoyed seeing the landscape as they flew over Gooding. Taylor Bullock, 16 Taylor who is deaf said the flight felt like music. She compared it to how she can feel the boom, boom, boom of a songs baseline. After getting off the plane, she covered her ears. It actually hurt my ears, she said. Ella Kidd, 17 Ella who is deaf was too scared to participate in last years flight day. At the time, she had never been on a plane. But she recently took her first flight a trip to California. This year, she was ready to fly in a private plane. Now that I did it, I love it, she said. She asked the pilot several questions, including how long he has been flying: 10 years. I thought, OK, I really trust you, she said. Julieanna Torres, 10 After getting off a plane, Julieanna pulled her sweatshirt down over her knees and shivered as a cool breeze blew across the tarmac. I felt the plane going up and down, said Julieanna, who is deaf. It felt bumpy. Brian Alarcon, 21 After his flight, he used his white cane to make his way back to the group. Brian, who is blind, liked how the ride was bumpy and he could feel when the pilot maneuvered the plane in different directions. And the plane was vibrating, he said. Natalie Benitez, 8 It was the first year Natalie who is deaf was finally old enough to participate in flight day. She has been as ISDB since preschool. It was so fun, she said. Her favorite part of the flight was seeing ISDBs campus from the plane. Man, we just went so high, she said, and she could feel her stomach getting upset. Register for more free articles. Sign up for our newsletter to keep reading. Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! Already a Subscriber? Already a Subscriber? Sign in Terms of Service Privacy Policy TWIN FALLS | The Twin Falls County Democratic Party Central Committee will meet a day after the May primaries to choose its new officers. The committee will meet at 6:30 p.m. May 18 at Twin Beans Coffee Company on Main Avenue, and newly elected precinct captains, who are being chosen during the May 17 primary, are required to attend. Any registered Democrat who lives in Twin Falls County can run for the central committee. The positions available are chair, vice chair, treasurer, secretary, state committeeman and state committeewoman. Candidates must be nominated and seconded, and nominations can come from the floor at the meeting with the approval of the nominee. Separate Legislative District 24 and 25 chair elections will be held at the same place right after the party's county officials are chosen. Potential candidates for any of these spots are encouraged to email current Vice Chairman Bob Sojka a 150-word statement of candidacy by Wednesday at bobsojka@cableone.net, and statements received by Wednesday will be shared with the precinct captains before May 18. RUPERT Family Health Services is getting $1 million from the federal government to help build a bigger clinic in Rupert that will have room for more doctors and for dental care, which the current clinic doesnt offer. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced the grant awards Wednesday afternoon. The only other beneficiary in Idaho is Upper Valley Community Health Services, which is getting $680,000 for a clinic in St. Anthony. HHS is giving out $260 million nationwide, through the Affordable Care Acts Community Health Center Fund, according to a news release. Family Health Services Chief Executive Officer Aaron Houston said he was excited to get the funding and also surprised to hear about it FHS applied for the grant well over a year ago. This would be a new clinic, which is much needed, which would provide additional providers to the community, he said. FHS has medical clinics in Rupert, Buhl, Burley, Jerome, Fairfield and Twin Falls, and dental clinics in Burley, Fairfield and Twin Falls, plus a mobile dental unit that services Buhl and Jerome. It, and other community health clinics, provide health care, on a sliding fee scale, for many poor and uninsured people throughout Idaho. The Rupert clinic has three doctors at the moment. They kind of work on top of each other, Houston said. It hasnt been big enough. In 2015, the clinic had about 10,000 walk-ins, about 2,500 patients and provided $625,000 worth of charity care, Houston said. Houston said he doesnt know yet where in Rupert the new clinic will go. One possibility is to knock down the existing one, on Eighth Street, and build a new, bigger one on top of that. If FHS goes that route, Houston said FHS might work with Minidoka Memorial Hospital to use some space in the hospital or lease space elsewhere in the interim. Houston said he would also be looking to community organizations and local and state government for possible donations of medical and dental equipment for the new location. Twin Falls County Prosecutor Grant Loebs is a man of integrity and widely respected by the public and legal community. We cant necessarily say the same thing about his opponent, Mark Guerry. Guerrys campaign was all but derailed last month after he posted to Facebook accusations against Loebs and Judge Richard Bevan. Those posts which Guerry admitted he had no evidence to back up now are at the center of a state bar investigation. If Guerry doesnt have the good sense to refrain from making unfounded accusations, how can he possibly be trusted to fairly prosecute crimes? The short answer, of course, is that he cant, and so voters should cast their ballots for Loebs for another term. Even if Guerry hadnt made such a disastrous gaffe, Loebs would still have earned our support. Add our endorsement to those Loebs has earned from Idaho Attorney General Lawrence Wasden, former Twin Falls Police Chief Lee DeVore and the Twin Falls Fraternal Order of Police, among many others. Loebs has won five elections since he was appointed in 1997, and hes expertly adapted to significant shifts in the regional criminal justice system. He helped form the Magic Valleys first drug court and has been instrumental in shaping programs to divert drug users out of prison and into treatment. Thats not to say his office hasnt been tough on crime. It prosecutes about 700 felonies a year, and Loebs has personally prosecuted more than 40 homicide cases in his tenure. Guerry says hes staying in the race despite the bar association investigation to be a protest vote, if anything, to Loebs. In our eyes, theres not much to protest. Loebs deserves another term. Hearing people say that Donald Trump needs to be more presidential is becoming very tiring. Who are the experts that know the official meaning of the word? Each and every president has been presidential in his own way. To name a few: Bill Clinton and Monica Lewinsky in the oval office very presidential. Hillary running around the country campaigning and barking like a dog very presidential. LBJ giving press conferences while sitting on the toilet very presidential. Oh wait, he wasnt being presidential, he was being royal; after all, he was on his throne. JFK and his many mistresses very presidential. There are probably hundreds more examples of these exemplary behaviors in our past and present leaderships. The left-wing media, the left-wing White House, the left-wing and the GOP right-wing establishment need to just let Mr. Trump alone and campaign his own way and then be presidential in his own way. You see, he will be our next president and he will do exactly what he says hell do. As for Lyin Ted Cruz and Crooked Hillarywell, he will not be the GOP nominee and Hillary should go to prison. Ray Ford Twin Falls US Secretary of State John Kerry said the target date for the transition is 1st of August in Syria or else the Assad government and its allies are asking for a very different track. Hoping that something happens in these next few months, he said the political transition would not include President Assad because as long as Assad is there, the opposition is not going to stop fighting. Kerry stressed that Assad cannot reunite the country as if his strategy is to somehow think hes going to just carve out Aleppo and carve out a section of the country would end the war. He warned that failing to adhere to the deadline would lead to clear repercussions such as the total destruction of the cease-fire among others. Kerry made those remarks after meeting with the UN special envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura and Russias foreign minister Sergei Lavrov. They agreed to establish a monitoring ceasefire center in Geneva, Switzerland, and De Mistura hopes that it would be effective in containing the violence of the warring parties. Lavrov described the permanent monitoring center as a major step forward towards a more intensive coordination of the efforts by Russia and the US. John Kerrys warning might be short-lived considering that he has only a few months in office ahead of the crucial presidential elections which also makes it unlikely for the Obama administration to deploy troops for active and frontline combat in Syria. As the situation continues to be chaotic, a new umbrella group that emerged in March and called Syrias Tomorrow said the Geneva talks should be centered on the implementation of the Geneva Declaration and the achievement of a transition to democracy and the transfer of control to the transitional governing body. The group is a coalition of liberal opposition factions and headed by Ahmad Jarba, the former chief of the National Coalition for Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces, better known as the Syrian National Coalition (SNC). Nigers Foreign Minister on Tuesday said the west-African nation needs 1 billion to combat illegal migration. Landlocked Niger, ranked as the poorest country on earth by the United Nations, is a major transit country for Africans seeking to reach the European Union. According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM,) a record 150,000 migrants are expected to cross Nigers Sahara Desert this year into Libya, taking advantage of the chaos in the North African country that has given smugglers an open door to Europe. The European Union believes just over half the migrants arriving in Italy travel first through Niger. About one thousand migrants have drowned in the Mediterranean this year and Europe is looking to Niger for action. Niger needs a billion euros to fight clandestine migration, Foreign Minister Ibrahim Yacoubou told a news conference in Nigers capital, flanked by his French and German counterparts Jean-Marc Ayrault and Frank-Walter Steinmeier. Weve solicited the help of the European Union, France and Germany. We want to protect legal migration against clandestine migration, Yacoubou said. Last July, the European Union allocated 1.15 billion in aid to West Africa, part of which was destined to the fight against migration. Governor of Angolas central bank, Valter Filipe da Silva, said Angola needs to fight money laundering and financing terrorism by focusing on ethics and morality in its banking sector. It is necessary to place again ethics and morality in Angolan banking and must this be placed to the service of the common good, Da Silva said at an event on Tuesday. We must do so by implementing the prudential rules and good national and international practices and all standards to combat money laundering and terrorism financing, he said. An international money-laundering watchdog removed Angola from its blacklist in February, after reforms that included licensing banks and setting up a monitoring agency. The economy of Angola, Africas second-largest oil exporter after Nigeria, has been hammered by the oil price fall, and the government is in talks with the World Bank and International Monetary Fund about possible financial assistance. Rating agency Moodys put Angolas Ba2 government bond and issuer ratings on review for downgrade last month to assess the impact of the fall of oil prices. The country relies on oil for more than 90% of its foreign exchange revenues. Valter Filipe da Silva, a little-known entity in financial circles who had been working as a lawyer in the vice-presidents office, was appointed as new central bank governor after Jose Pedro de Morais resigned last March. Morocco has stressed the need for African countries to get involved in all initiatives aimed at boosting cooperation to improve their national road networks, which play a major role in reducing spatial disparities, ensuring public access to markets and services, reducing poverty and vulnerability and combating social exclusion. African countries should, therefore, be involved in all initiatives aimed at boosting cooperation to improve national road networks, upgrade funding mechanisms and reflect, together, on road development policies and maintenance technology within the framework of national, regional and international professional organizations, said King Mohammed VI. In a message that was read out on his behalf Wednesday before the opening session of the first African Congress on maintenance, preservation of road assets and technical innovation, being held in Marrakech, the King stressed the crucial importance of international cooperation and the exchange of information and expertise in all areas. He said, Interaction and cooperation in the infrastructure sector between African countries, as well as between Africa and the countries of the North, will contribute to developing and modernizing this sector. In this respect, he insisted, the South-South cooperation we are yearning for is not an empty slogan designed for the media. Rather, we are keen to give that cooperation concrete substance through tangible projects from which our peoples can benefit and which pave the way for promising partnerships open to all stakeholders both public and private in various environmental, social and development sectors. He expressed hope that the Conference will come up with feasible, practical recommendations likely to help devise adequate, innovative answers to the challenge of safeguarding, maintaining and upgrading road infrastructure in Africa, and reinforcing it with new road networks that comply with international standards. In his message, King Mohammed VI also surveyed his countrys multi-dimensional approach in the area of transport infrastructure based, he said, on the rehabilitation and modernization of the road network, the expansion and upgrading of the railway system, the development of air transport through the construction, expansion and renovation of airports and the building of major ports and logistics platforms. In this respect, we have also been expanding our freeway and expressway network which complies with international standards thus linking the countrys North to the South and the East to the West, in addition to rehabilitating all categories of national roads. We have also focused on the development of secondary and rural roads to facilitate access to remote and hard to reach areas and effectively connect the rural world to the national transport system, he said, pointing out that all these transport infrastructures can serve as a lever for economic take-off and as a means to enhance Moroccos competitiveness and attractiveness. The Moroccan King recalled in this regard the landmark projects he launched last year part of the celebrations of 40th anniversary of the Green March for the recovery of the Southern Provinces. Part of this series of integrated projects to further link the Kingdoms North with its South, the Sovereign mentioned the planned freeway, which complies with international standards and specifications, and which will link Agadir and Dakhla, via Tiznit and Laayun, all the way to the Mauritanian border in the South. We will also build the Great Atlantic Port in Dakhla and consider a railway line from Tangiers to Lagouira in order to connect Morocco to African sister nations, he said, pointing out that the Moroccan strategic plan on the development and modernization of the road network for the next 20 years gives special importance to strategic connections with West Africa. The Moroccan southern provinces will thus constitute a bridge between Morocco and its African roots, he said. These ambitious plans, together with major infrastructure and solar and wind energy projects, are not designed only for the development of the region. Through them, we hope to create closer bonds with African sister nations and contribute to their development as well, the King of Morocco said, reiterating his countrys commitment to share with African countries the significant expertise it has gained over the years in the area of road maintenance and to exchange best practices with sister nations in this field. A new study from Aarhus University has now documented that there is some truth to the claim by parents of children with ADHD that their children have more difficulty falling asleep and that they sleep more poorly than other children. Studies have shown that up to seventy per cent of parents of children with ADHD report that the children have difficulty falling asleep and that they spend a long time putting them to bed. However, scientific studies that measure sleep quality using electrodes have so far failed to demonstrate a correlation between sleep quality and ADHD. But a new Danish study now shows that children with ADHD actually do sleep worse than other children: "Our study will confirm what many parents have experienced, which is that children with ADHD take longer to fall asleep at night. With our measurements we can also see that these children experience more disturbed sleep including less deep sleep. If you only look at length of sleep, children in the ADHD group sleep for 45 minutes less than children in the control group," says PhD from Aarhus University and medical doctor at the Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Hospital, Risskov, Anne Virring Srensen, who is behind the PhD study. Two out of three children with ADHD have one or more additional psychiatric diagnoses in addition to ADHD, which probably increases the risk of sleep disturbance. But even when the researchers look at the children who have only been diagnosed with ADHD, they see a big difference in the sleep patterns of the control group and the ADHD group. Opposite sleep patterns during the day The researchers also studied sleep patterns during the day. The findings surprised the researchers. "Unlike in the evening we could see that there was a tendency for the children with ADHD to fall asleep faster during the day than the children in the control group. This is somewhat surprising when you take into account that ADHD is associated with characteristics such as hyperactivity. But this hyperactivity could be compensatory behaviour for not being able to doze off during the day" says Anne Virring Srensen. The fact that researchers have not previously been able to demonstrate a correlation between ADHD and poorer sleep could be due to different measuring methods. "In our study the children had electrodes attached to their heads for what is known as a polysomnography at the hospital in the afternoon, but they slept in their familiar home surroundings. In previous studies children have been admitted to specialist sleep centres at hospital to measure sleep via a polysomnographic study," says Anne Virring Srensen. Many children with ADHD are currently given medicine to help them fall asleep. Anne Virring Srensen emphasises that none of the children received medicine while taking part in the study. Important study She believes that the study is important in both the short and long term: "I think many parents and clinicians are very pleased to receive confirmation that poor sleep patterns can now be demonstrated and that there is probably a correlation with the ADHD diagnosis. The next step is, of course, to find out where this correlation lies so we can develop better treatments in the long term. Our survey is an important foundation for further studies," she says. The study was recently published in the Journal of Sleep Research. Facts about the study A total of 76 children with ADHD and an average age of 9.6 years participated in the study. The control group consisted of 25 healthy children. Two different types of study were carried out: Outpatient sleep examinations with electrodes during the night (polysomnography). Multiple sleep latency tests which measured how quickly the children fell asleep (four times twenty minutes on the same day). The study is the largest so far to include both research methods and to include both children with and without an ADHD diagnosis. The study was carried out by researchers from Aarhus University, Aarhus University Hospital Risskov, Rigshospitalet and the University of Copenhagen. Explore further Children with ADHD may benefit from following healthy behaviors, new study suggests More information: Anne Virring et al, Disturbed sleep in attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is not a question of psychiatric comorbidity or ADHD presentation, Journal of Sleep Research (2016). Anne Virring et al, Disturbed sleep in attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is not a question of psychiatric comorbidity or ADHD presentation,(2016). DOI: 10.1111/jsr.12377 The EU's top court on Wednesday ruled that the bloc's new laws on plain tobacco packaging and a ban on menthol cigarettes were legal, rejecting a challenge by tobacco giant Philip Morris and others. Philip Morris, maker of iconic brands such as Marlboro, and the Polish government had lodged appeals against a tobacco directive adopted by the 28-nation European Union in 2014. "The new EU directive on tobacco products is valid," the Luxembourg-based European Court of Justice said. "The extensive standardisation of packaging, the future EU-wide prohibition on menthol cigarettes and the special rules for electronic cigarettes are lawful." EU laws stating that standardised health warnings with a colour photograph must cover 65 percent of the front and back of cigarette packets are due to come into force at the end of this month, while the menthol ban will start from 2020. The tobacco directive opened the door for some countries including France and Britain to introduce plans for plain packaging. But Philip Morris and fellow maker British American Tobacco had lodged a case in the British courts criticising the packaging requirement and challenging the introduction of plain packs. Philip Morris said the judgement still did not mean plain packs were legal, adding that the court often showed showed "substantial deference" to EU law. "The court has not considered whether plain packaging is legal or is capable of reducing smoking rates," senior vice president Marc Firestone said in a statement. "Those questions are currently under review by the English High Court and the World Trade Organization." 'Product that kills people' But the European Commissioner for Health, Vytenis Andriukaitis, said the ruling would protect Europeans from the "terrible consequences tobacco causes". "This is a very important ruling, confirming once again the fundamental principle enshrined in the EU lawthe high level of health protection prevails over the profit that is done from trading a product that kills people," he said. Philip Morris and BAT had argued that the rules distorted the EU's single market and undercut consumer choice. But the EU court upheld the union's insistence that cigarette packaging should not "promote a tobacco product or encourage its consumption". It said the rules big health warnings "did not go beyond the limits of what is appropriate and necessary". Plain packaging, meanwhile, could "protect consumers against the risks associated with tobacco use and does not go beyond what is necessary in order to achieve the objective pursued". The court also rejected Poland's appeal against the ban on flavoured cigarettes, including menthol cigarettes. Romania had backed Poland's case. Flavoured cigarettes were a key factor in "initiating tobacco consumption and sustaining tobacco use", the court said, asserting that "menthol, by its pleasant flavour, makes tobacco products more attractive to consumers". The EU court further rejected a challenge against regulations on electronic cigarettes, including cross-border sales within the bloc, which was brought by a firm in Britain. "Submitting electronic cigarettes to a notification scheme does not seem manifestly inappropriate," the court said. The rulings had been expected as the senior lawyer to the EU court had said in December that the new laws were "proportionate". Explore further Top EU lawyer rejects complaints against new tobacco rules 2016 AFP This graph shows that around Day 10 of an ICU stay, patients enter a state called persistent critical illness, or PerCI, where the reason they entered the hospital becomes less important than who they were before they became ill or injured. The graph is based on data from more than a million ICU patients treated in Australia and New Zealand. Credit: University of Michigan/Monash University Every hospital's intensive care unit has treated themthe critically ill patients who spend weeks going from crisis to crisis, never quite getting better enough to get out of the ICU, but never quite dying. Now, new research shows they really are a different kind of patientand that despite their tiny numbers, they're using a vast chunk of healthcare resources. Just 5 percent of ICU patients account for 33 percent of all days that ICU beds get used, the study shows. The researchers have even given a name to what these patients have: Persistent Critical Illness, or PerCI for short. The team, from the University of Michigan Medical School and the VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System in the US and Monash University in Melbourne, Australia, based their work on data from more than 1 million ICU patients. Their findings are published in Lancet Respiratory Medicine. The new findings could pave the way for better care and tests of new treatment options to keep patients from sliding into this limbo state. Really a thing "We have found that this truly is a separate 'thing'a state patients transition into where you're there because you're there, stuck in this cascade that we can't get you out of," says Theodore Iwashyna, M.D., Ph.D., a U-M Medical School ICU physician who led the study while on sabbatical in Australia. "The reason why these patients came in to the hospital in the first place doesn't matter nearly as much anymorewhat matters is that they've been there, and some aspects of how well their body worked before they came in, such as age." While he and his colleagues say it's too early to change how ICU teams practice based on these findings, they hope their work will lead to more efforts to see which hospitals may be doing better at pulling patients out of PerCI, and to conduct clinical trials of tactics that could prevent it or rescue patients from it. Further understanding of PerCI could also help families and care teams have better conversations about the long-term prospects for patients who have been in the ICU for weeks. "We need to help the fraction who are inevitably going to die do so with dignity, and at the same time help those who are not fated to die to get better treatment," says senior author Rinaldo Bellomo, M.D., of Monash University. But, Bellomo adds, "This study provides the first real data to let us identify these patients based on their characteristics, rather than just expert opinion. Now that we can objectively characterize the patients, it opens up a whole new set of options to study them, to understand the mechanisms that lead to persistent critical illness, and most importantly to try to improve their care with randomized clinical trials." Carol Hodgson, Ph.D., a Monash University ICU physiotherapist and second author, points out that PerCI draws attention to different characteristics of patients than other efforts to characterize such long-stay patients. "Sometimes these patients are labeled as 'failure to wean off of a ventilator.' That label focuses the care team on the particular details of respiratory mechanics," she says. "Our clinical experience and our data suggest instead that the problem may be that PerCI patients may never even reach the point where ICU doctors are able to try to get them off a ventilatorthey just keep cascading from new problem to new problem. These patients need particular strategies that may prevent or reduce PerCI within the ICU, and additional resources to facilitate safe discharge from the ICU and hospital, with only 50% able to be discharged home." Predictive power To perform the study, the team used data from 1,028,235 critically ill patients treated in 182 ICUs across Australia and New Zealand between 2000 and 2014. These data were collected as part of the ongoing peer review and quality assurance programs of the bi-national Centre for Outcome and Resource Evaluation. Of these million patients, 51,509 were found to have what the researchers define as PerCI. This seemingly tiny group of patients collectively spent more than a million days in ICU beds, and more than 2.2 million days in the hospital overall. Nearly one-quarter of the patients with PerCI died in the ICU. Just under half were able to go directly home from the hospitalcompared with three-quarters of non-PerCI ICU patients. To define PerCI, researchers looked at hospital records to see how well each patient's eventual path could be predicted. They first did this using the usual tools that ICU teams use to calculate the severity of each patient's condition and their chances of dying using thorough new risk scores developed by Monash statistician Michael Bailey, Ph.D. These scores included not just the specific diagnosis that sent them to the hospital, but also specific in-hospital test results and monitoring of vital signs and physiology. They also looked at whether a patient's risk of dying could be predicted by factors that related to this or her pre-hospital statesuch as age, gender and pre-existing chronic conditions. In the end, they found that after about 10 days in the ICU, the usual clinically based prediction tools lost their power to predict risk of death. Who the patient was before he or she came to the hospital mattered more to their chance of dying. And that, the researchers say, signals a transition to PerCI. The timing of this shift could be sooner for patients with certain diagnoses, and later for others. But for nearly all patients, it happened sometime during the second week of an ICU stay. From his experience treating patients with what he now sees as PerCI, Iwashyna says they're some of the most heartbreaking for clinicians as well as for families. "These are the ones where no matter how hard we try, we can't get them balanced," he says. "You feel like you should be able to get ahead of the things that keep erupting in them. You're always chasing yesterday's problem, and meanwhile they're developing tomorrow's problem," from pneumonia and gastrointestinal bleeding to sepsis and Clostridium difficile infections. So for PerCI studies going forward, the researchers say, the key will be to figure out how to break the cycle of dependence on ICU care, by getting out ahead of issues. Further research could also help show which hospitals are doing better at getting PerCI patients out of the ICU - either through a dignified death in hospice or at home, or through recovery. Using ICU resources more wisely To have one-third of ICU bed days taken up by a little-understood small group of patients means a tremendous opportunity to make the best use of ICU beds. Such beds are often in short supply and must be available for surges in use during public health emergencies. ICU care also costs a lot because of the high level of resource use and staffing surrounding it. In fact, it accounts for 1 percent of the U.S. gross domestic product. Explore further Age, ICU LOS can stratify patients into disability groups More information: Lancet Respiratory Medicine, DOI: 10.1016/S2213-2600(16)30098-4 Credit: Helga Weber (via Flickr) Women with lower incomes have higher concentrations of the stress hormone cortisol in their hair, according to a new study from UCL. The study also found that women whose income has gone up over the last 4 years have lower cortisol levels than those whose income went down, suggesting an association between long-term financial strain and stress hormones. Lead author, Bianca Serwinski (UCL Epidemiology and Public Health), explained: "Although previous studies have used measures in salvia, blood and urine to measure links between stress and income, we now know that the stress hormone cortisol also emerges in the hair. By using hair to examine hormonal levels we can provide an estimate of cumulative cortisol secretion over a prolonged period of time. This allowed us to looks at changes in income and stress levels over time." Researchers measured the concentration of cortisol in hair samples from younger and middle-aged women in London and Budapest, whose income fell into three different groups. The results showed that cortisol concentration was 20% higher in the group of women who earned the least compared to women who earned the most. A negative association between hair cortisol and income changes over 4 years was also found after adjustment for age, BMI, smoking status, hair treatments such as dyeing and country. The two samples in London and Budapest did not differ in their average hair cortisol levels despite the remarkable differences in overall income, since income levels are much lower in Hungary. The associations found in this study therefore point to a strong relative income effect but not an absolute income effect. The findings suggest that the relationship between lower socio-economic status and adverse health outcomes could partly be related to hormonal changes triggered by psychosocial stressors but further longitudinal research is needed to determine the link between hair cortisol levels and health outcomes. These are results showing verbal disclosure of gay identity increased subjective well-being for gay white men but didn't influence subjective well-being for gay Latino men. Credit: University of Kansas A new study of gay Latino and gay white men suggests different ethnic groups experience "coming out" differently. The research, appearing in the peer-reviewed journal Self and Identity, examines verbal disclosure of one's gay identity to others as reported by the two groups of gay men. "Verbal disclosure is what most people think of as 'coming out' as gay," said lead author Adrian Villicana, a doctoral student in social psychology at the University of Kansas. "It's verbalizing to other people, 'I am gay.' It's a proclamation, it's yelling from the rooftopat least that's a common understanding of what it is and should be." Indeed, Villicana and his co-authors Kevin Delucio of the University of California, Santa Barbara, and Monica Biernat of KU, suggest that verbal disclosure is emphasized by National Coming Out Day as a kind of "cultural directive." But the researchers sought to discover if positive benefits of verbal disclosureshown to enhance subjective well-being apply equally to white and Latino gay men. "In the literature there are various models that detail the process by which gay men form their gay identity and integrate it into their sense of self," Villicana said. "This 'integration' is when you finally start to accept your gay identity, internalize it into how you think of yourself and start to 'come out' to others about being gay. Generally, these models assume coming out is verbal disclosure, and it's associated with the extent to which you're comfortable being gaythe more you disclose and the more people know you're gay, the more you've accepted and are comfortable with being gay." In two separate studies, the research team recruited gay Latino and gay white men via Amazon's Mechanical Turk and asked them to complete extensive questionnaires. Their results show that verbal disclosure of gay identity increased subjective well-being for gay white men but didn't influence subjective well-being for gay Latino men. As a result, the investigators suggest verbal disclosure might accurately be seen as an effective strategy within a "white framework" that doesn't account for facets of identity like race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status and religion. "When scholars talk about gay identity as a white construction, it's because the data we have comes from gay white men for the most part," Villicana said. "While it's good to understand this identity and related process, it limits our understanding of gay-related processes for other people. It's confusing and potentially misleading to use data from one group and apply it to another group in the same way." New data revealed by the team's research reveals this difference, he said. "We found two reasons why gay white men who verbally disclose have higher well-being," Villicana said. "First, verbal disclosure leads to more feelings of authenticity, so feeling that they are showing their 'true self.' Second, as they verbally disclose to others, they begin to incorporate others into how they view themselves. But for gay Latino men, verbal disclosure is not related to these two things. For gay Latino men, authenticity and incorporating others into how they view themselves is not influenced by their sexual identity, but may be more tied to their ethnic identity." The researchers suggest that gay men of color could gain the same benefits to their well-being through implied disclosure rather than verbal disclosure of their gay identity. "This paper looks at disclosure by other means," Villicana said. "Disclosure can be nonverbal. It's more action-based, like bringing a same-sex partner to family events. More stereotypically, you might bring your same-sex roommate of 20 years. So, there's tacit acknowledgement, but there isn't discussion or verbalization. You're still sharing it with other people, but not in verbal ways." Explore further Survey suggests children of gay fathers are well adjusted More information: Adrian J. Villicana et al, "Coming out" among gay Latino and gay White men: implications of verbal disclosure for well-being, Self and Identity (2016). Adrian J. Villicana et al, "Coming out" among gay Latino and gay White men: implications of verbal disclosure for well-being,(2016). DOI: 10.1080/15298868.2016.1156568 Micrograph showing cortical pseudolaminar necrosis, a finding seen in strokes on medical imaging and at autopsy. H&E-LFB stain. Credit: Nephron/Wikipedia For the first time, guidelines have been developed by the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association for rehabilitation after a stroke. "Previous guidelines have focused on the medical issues involved in the initial management of stroke, but many people survive a stroke with some level of disability. There is increasing evidence that rehabilitation can have a big impact on the survivors' quality of life, so the time is right to review the evidence in this complex field and highlight effective and important aspects of rehabilitation," said Carolee J. Winstein, Ph.D., P.T., lead author of the new scientific statement published in the American Heart Association journal Stroke. Whenever possible, the American Stroke Association strongly recommends that stroke patients be treated at an in-patient rehabilitation facility rather than a skilled nursing facility. While in an in-patient rehabilitation facility, a patient participates in at least three hours of rehabilitation a day from physical therapists, occupational therapists, and speech therapists. Nurses are continuously available and doctors typically visit daily. An in-patient rehabilitation facility may be a free-standing facility or a separate unit of a hospital. "If the hospital suggests sending your loved one to a skilled nursing facility after a stroke, advocate for the patient to go to an in-patient rehabilitation facility instead - unless there is a good reason not to - such as being medically unable to participate in rehab. There is considerable evidence that patients benefit from the team approach in a facility that understands the importance of rehabilitation during the early period after a stroke," said Winstein, who is a professor of biokinesiology and physical therapy at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, California. Caregivers should also insist that a stroke survivor not be discharged from the hospital until they have participated in a structured program on preventing falls. This includes education about changes to make the home safer (such as removing throw rugs and improving lighting), minimizing the fall risk resulting from the side effects of medication, and safely using assistive devices such as wheelchairs, walkers and canes. "This recommendation will probably change medical practice. Even the top stroke centers may not have a formal falls-prevention program, but it is very important because a high percentage of patients end up falling after a stroke," Winstein said. Other recommendations include: Intense mobility-task training after stroke for all survivors with walking limitations to relearn activities such as climbing stairs. Individually tailored exercise program so survivors can safely continue to improve their cardiovascular fitness through the proper exercise and physical activity after formal rehabilitation is complete. An enriched environment (which might include a computer, books, music and virtual reality games) to increase engagement and cognitive activities during rehabilitation. There is not yet enough research to determine whether specific promising new techniques, such as activity monitors and virtual reality games, are effective at helping patients. Speech therapy for those with difficulty speaking following a stroke. Eye exercises for survivors with difficulty focusing on near objects. Balance training program for survivors with poor balance, or who are at risk for falls. "For a person to fulfill their full potential after stroke, there needs to be a coordinated effort and ongoing communication between a team of professionals as well as the patient, family and caregivers," Winstein said. The new scientific statement is the eighth set of stroke guidelines from the American Stroke Association, completing the association's recommendations for the continuum of care for stroke patients and their families. Explore further Better patient outcome linked to get with the guidelines-stroke Infections (e.g. by viruses) can increase risk for type 1 diabetes in children, Credit: nobeastsofierce / Fotolia Neuherberg, Germany, May 4, 2016. Viral respiratory infections during the first six months of life are associated with an increased risk for type 1 diabetes. This is the conclusion reached by a team of scientists at the Helmholtz Zentrum Munchen during a study published in the current issue of the renowned US magazine JAMA. The scientists headed by Prof. Dr. Anette-Gabriele Ziegler, Director of the Institute of Diabetes Research (IDF) at Helmholtz Zentrum Munchen, examined anonymized data from almost 300,000 children born in Bavaria between 2005 and 2007. This represents roughly 85 percent of all newborns in Bavaria during this period. The Kassenarztliche Vereinigung Bayern (KVB - Bavarian Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians) provided the data material for research purposes. Ziegler's team, which is also a partner in the German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD), systematically evaluated all available data on infections with respect to the later development of type 1 diabetes. The infections were broken down according to the localization of the symptoms (such as dermal, eye, gastrointestinal or respiratory infections), the causes (bacterial, viral or mycoses) and the age (quarter-yearly from birth). First author Dr. Andreas Beyerlein summarizes the results as follows: "Our findings show that viral respiratory tract disorders during the first six months of life significantly increase the risk of children developing type 1 diabetes." Infections that occurred later or that involved other organs were not associated with a significantly higher risk. For the researchers, these findings are a further piece in the puzzle of understanding how type 1 diabetes develops, with the interaction of genetic and environmental factors still largely unclear. Previously there were only relatively inconsistent indications from studies with children with a genetically higher risk of type 1 diabetes regarding the influence of infections. "Now for the first time we were able to confirm this in a population-based dataset of almost 300,000 children. In particular, we found strong indications that the first six months are an especially sensitive stage in life," explains lead scientist Ziegler. "This is also consistent with other results that we have published based on data from children with increased familial risk, which already suggested that the first half year of life is crucial for the development of the immune system and of autoimmune diseases such as type 1 diabetes." In the future the scientists want to determine whether there is actually a causal relationship and if yes, exactly which pathogens are involved and how they trigger this effect. This could then serve as a basis for attempting to develop an appropriate vaccine. Explore further Recurrent viral respiratory tract infections during first six months and risk of T1 diabetes More information: Andreas Beyerlein et al, Infections in Early Life and Development of Type 1 Diabetes, JAMA (2016). Andreas Beyerlein et al, Infections in Early Life and Development of Type 1 Diabetes,(2016). DOI: 10.1001/jama.2016.2181 Provided by Helmholtz Zentrum Munchen - German Research Center for Environmental Health OPIC, Partnership Fund team up to finance new projects in Georgia The United States governments Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) is teaming up with Georgias state owned investment fund, the Partnership Fund (PF), to mobilise investment capital to finance a range of new projects in Georgia.In Washington D.C., representatives from OPIC and PF signed a Memorandum of Cooperation which outlined joint financing of new investment projects that will stimulate economic development.Further details of how much money OPIC and the PF will invest in Georgia, nor which sectors the money will target, were revealed. However, officials said the joint initiative would support the Georgian Governments new four-point reform plan.Within the four-point reform agenda the PF and OPIC have been working to finance start-ups. This will be a fund were the OPIC and the PF will jointly make a financial contribution [and] this way OPIC will once again support our reforms, said Georgias Economy Minister Dimitry Kumsishvili.The OPIC has cooperated with Georgia since 1991. Since then OPIC has invested over $500 million USD in more than 50 projects in the agricultural, tourism and infrastructure sectors.As of today OPIC financed more than 20 projects in a range of directions that supported the countrys economy development. Drivers protest inequality By Messenger Staff Bus and minibus drivers demanded yesterday that a Turkish company, Metro, leave the Georgian market. They held a protest at the Ortachala bus station in Tbilisi.According to protesters, Metro implements tourist routes throughout Georgia and creates an unequal environment for small companies.Metro is a Turkish transport company. It conducts internal routes in Georgia. We cannot compete with it. Therefore, we are at serious risk of being rendered unemployed, one of the protesters said.They threaten to hold large-scale protests if their demands are not met.Later, one protester was detained by police as the drivers blocked a main road and did not allow a Metro-owned bus to leave the station.The blockade was opened as a result of polices efforts and one person was detained.The Metro bus left the station in order to complete its Tbilisi-Batumi route.Unfortunately, the public transportation field is not regulated in Georgia, and the issue of busses and minibuses is always painful as successive Georgian Governments have failed to settle the problems surrounding them.Passengers do not even have any information as to whether the transport they use on a daily basis has had relevant safely checks carried out.However, even the noise that buses produce and the pollution exhibits the poor conditions of the vehicles .It has become a type of tradition that until something bad takes place, everything is all right; this approach risks peoples lives.The Government must somehow create regulations that will make the situation stable and oppose monopolies on the market.Local companies and employees should not be affected, especially when Georgia suffers such a high rate of unemployment.On the other hand, Georgian drivers must also think more about their passengers and offer better prices and conditions, as there are frequent czses when transport is untidy and dirty, as well as drivers stopping the vehicle where they want, and sometimes even smoking inside the cars. The News in Brief Debates on Electoral System Parliament is expected to start at a session this week discussion of rival drafts of constitutional amendments on electoral system reform. Both of the bills one proposed by the GD parliamentary majority group and another one initiated by parliamentary and non-parliamentary opposition parties envisage scrapping of the majoritarian component of the electoral system, but the main difference is over timing of the reform. The opposition-backed bill proposes to carry out the reform immediately, ahead of the parliamentary elections, scheduled for October, and GD-backed bill offers to apply the reform for the post-2016 elections. The support of at least 113 MPs is required for any constitutional amendment to be passed; none of the groups in the parliament has a constitutional majority. The parliamentary bureau decided on Monday to launch a discussion of the both bills either on Wednesday or Thursday, but the dates are tentative and may change. Opposition lawmakers, as well as MPs from the Republican Party which formally remains part of the GD majority group, wanted to fix an exact date, but MPs from Georgian Dream-Democratic Georgia (GDDG) party appeared noncommittal. Although Parliament may discuss the bills this week, it is not yet clear when the draft amendments will be put to a vote. It will depend on the number of MPs present in the chamber; the vote on a constitutional amendment can only be held if at least 113 lawmakers are attending session. Approval of opposition-back bill is highly unlikely as it is opposed by the GDDG, the largest group in the Parliament. Although lawmakers from the Republican Party, as well as the National Forum, have signalled readiness to vote for the bill, it will not be passed without the support of GD MPs. This bill is expected to be put to a vote first; if it fails - which is highly likely - then some opposition lawmakers, specifically from the Free Democrats party, are going to vote in favour of the GD-proposed bill in order to have majoritarian component of the electoral system scrapped at least for post-2016 elections. Without the support of the UNM (the largest opposition group in Parliament), the GD-proposed bill will not be passed; the UNM has yet to announce whether it will support it or not. (Civil.ge) Prosecutor's Office didnt appeal against British court decision on ex-Minister According to a lawyer, the Prosecutor's Office did not appeal against a British court's decision on the extradition of former Georgian Defense Minister Davit Kezerashvili. As lawyer Shota Mindeli told IPN, the Prosecutor's Office missed the deadline for appealing against the decision and, therefore, the British court's decision, according to which the Georgian Prosecutor's Office refused to extradite Kezerashvili, entered into force. Mindeli presented the decision to court today and asked a judge to attach it to the case as evidence. The motion was satisfied by the judge. In addition, the court left Kezerashvili in custody today. According to legislation, the court considers the issue of pre-trial detention once every two months, and the deadline expired yesterday. (IPN) Airport opened in Kakheti King Erekle II Airport was opened in the city of Telavi in the Kakheti region. As an InterPressNews correspondent reports from the region, the airport can simultaneously receive 20 small aircraft. The airport has only served for training flights for university students up to now, but from now on all interested individuals can arrange small airplane tours. A total of 6 two-seat planes and 1 six-seat plane will serve customers. As aviation university rector Sergo Tepnadze told Interpresnews, the airfield is available for international flights as well. The opening of the airport was attended by the regional governor and representatives of local government. Display flights were performed for the media. (ipn) Straight from the grocery aisle tabloids ... Donald Trump is linking Ted Cruz's father to the plot to assassinate President John F. Kennedy. "(Cruzs) father was with Lee Harvey Oswald prior to Oswald being, you know, shot. I mean the whole thing is ridiculous. What is this, right, prior to his being shot? And nobody even brings it up," Trump said on Fox and Friends on the morning of the critical Indiana primary. "What was he doing what was he doing with Lee Harvey Oswald shortly before the death? Before the shooting? Its horrible." Is it true that Rafael Cruz "was with" Oswald before the assassination, or was Trumps bombshell accusation itself ridiculous? The Trump campaign didnt get back to us. Cruz tore into Trump, calling the billionaire "utterly amoral" and "a pathological liar" and admitting sarcastically that his father had killed JFK, "is secretly Elvis" and that "Jimmy Hoffa is buried in his backyard." In an interview with ABC, Rafael Cruz called the claim "ludicrous" and "typical Donald Trump." Trumps charge appears to be based on a National Enquirer report alleging that Rafael Cruz is the man standing next to Oswald in a photo from 1963. But technical experts told PolitiFact that no such firm conclusion is possible given the quality of the photograph, and several historians of the period told us theyve never seen Cruzs name come up in connection with Oswald. Keep reading the fact-check by Louis Jacobson and Linda Qiu of PolitiFact. Florida Gov. Rick Scott is not on board with the minimum wage increase in the sunny, oceanside state of California. As Scott toured the West Coast for the second time attempting to attract businesses, Enterprise Florida (the states public-private economic development arm) ran radio ads in San Francisco and Los Angeles attacking Californias $15 wage and trumpeting Floridas superior job prospects. "Seven hundred thousand. Thats how many California jobs will be lost thanks to the politicians raising the minimum wage," the ad says, as the Miami Herald reports. "Ready to leave California? Go to Florida instead no state income tax, and Gov. Scott has cut regulations. Now Florida is adding 1 million jobs, not losing them." California Gov. Jerry Brown didnt take this lying down, penning a letter welcoming Scott back to California, "a state that in the last year has added more jobs than Florida and Texas combined," and not-so-subtly suggested Scott worry about more pressing matters back home. "Rick, a fact youd like to ignore: California is the 7th largest economic power in the world. Were competing with nations like Brazil and France, not states like Florida," Brown wrote on May 2. "If youre truly serious about Floridas economic well-being, its time to stop the silly political stunts and start doing something about climate change two words you wont even let state officials say. The threat is real and so too will be the devastating impacts." Here, well look at Scotts claim that California will lose almost as many jobs as Florida will gain. See what Linda Qiu of PolitiFact Florida found. @PatriciaMazzei Florida Gov. Rick Scott plans to drop by Capitol Hill next week to push for emergency funds to combat the Zika virus. Without asking for a specific amount of money, Scott will request that lawmakers treat the Zika threat like they would a hurricane: something to be prepared for in case of devastation. His trip is planned for May 11-12. "Florida has now had more than 100 documented cases of the Zika virus, Scott said in a statement. "We are now headed into summer, when heat and rainfall cause our mosquito population to grow. Simultaneously, the Olympic games in Brazil will heavily increase travel to a country where the Zika virus is spreading rapidly. "We don't yet know for certain what will happen with this virus, but we owe our citizens a vigorous and thorough preparation effort at the federal level to best protect their health." The first U.S. Zika death was confirmed last week, in Puerto Rico. Scott met last week in Miami with Dr. Celeste Philip, the Florida health department's interim surgeon general. He has been vocal about asking the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for more Zika testing kits, and he's declared a public health emergency over the virus. His office initially planned a D.C. trip for last Friday, a day before the governor attended the White House Correspondents Dinner, but it didn't work out. President Obama has asked Congress for $1.9 billion to fight the virus. Florida has more Zika cases than any other state; most of them are in Miami-Dade County. Scott's office won't say explicitly if he backs Obama's dollar figure. Some Republicans question whether the Obama administration really needs that much money so urgently. Congress already approved $589 million for Zika efforts. A deal for $1.1 billion more is in the works in the Senate, though Sen. Harry Reid, the Democratic leader, has rejected that amount. Florida's two senators, Democrat Bill Nelson and Republican Marco Rubio, have backed Obama's request. Rubio spoke about the money on the Senate floor last week, calling for action "as quickly as possible." Nelson was in Miami on Tuesday, meeting with local officials "to get a firsthand report of what theyre seeing." This post has been updated via @LDixon_3 Coral Gables has taken several steps to become a sustainable city in the past year by encouraging and mandating green building standards, easing the process to obtain solar panels, and taking steps to ban the use of polystyrene products in the city. That last effort has become a complicated move for the city in the past few months as the Florida Legislature passed a bill in February preventing local municipalities from banning the use of Styrofoam containers or other products. Cities that approved their bans before Jan. 1 were allowed to keep their laws in place, but others like Coral Gables were forced to reverse their decisions. The Gables commission has since taken steps to keep the city ban including approving an ordinance that makes their ban effective as of December 2015, when the commission gave initial approval to the ban, and backing up their decision to keep the ban by citing the Miami-Dade home rule charter. City Attorney Craig Leen said Coral Gables may face a legal challenge if it goes forward with enforcement and he argued that the home-rule charter should protect the city. The Legislature cant come here and legislate in a way that harms the city in the eyes of the city commission, Leen said. More here. @PatriciaMazzei U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio is visiting the Middle East, his office said Wednesday, highlighting meetings the Florida Republican has held over the past three days in Qatar and Iraq. Rubio is a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He's staying in the region for the rest of the week. "During my meetings with officials in Qatar, I thanked them for remaining a key U.S. partner in the region. I was also able to visit with U.S. military servicemembers, including Floridians," Rubio said in a statement. "Iraq remains in a precarious political situation that threatens to further destabilize the country and the broader region, and disrupt efforts to destroy ISIS," he added. "I stressed to Iraqi officials my grave concerns about the ongoing sectarian rivalries and political turmoil that are taking the focus off of ISIS and threaten not only Iraq's stability but that of the entire world." Rubio's agenda included sit-downs with the U.S. ambassadors to Qatar and Iraq, as well as with diplomatic officials from both countries and U.S. military personnel. @NewsbySmiley Update: Commissioner Gort's chief of staff, Frank Castaneda, said Thursday that the commissioner is paying his own way. Miami Mayor Tomas Regalado, his wife, City Manager Daniel Alfonso and City Commissioner Wifredo "Willy" Gort are spending the week in Buenos Aires, where the Argentine American Chamber of Commerce is hosting a trade mission. The officials have been in Argentina since at least Monday and will remain in the country throughout the week, according to their schedules. An itinerary and description of the trip provided by the mayor's office shows the trade mission includes visits with Argentinian tourism minister Gustavo Santos, German Coto (the developer planning the Epic 2 on the Miami River) and Buenos Aires' new mayor. Starting Wednesday evening with a cocktail reception, the Miami officials will participate in a chamber seminar and networking session that culminates with a dinner gala at La Rural, where Regalado is the keynote speaker. According to the mayor's office, Regalado's wife, Ana Cristina Carrodeguas, is participating in the trip as she "has been cultivating and building relationships with the consular corps of Miami and is currently working pro-Bono as a liaison of the Mayor' International Council and the Sister Cities program" of the city. The chamber is paying for the trip, and will be reported as a gift, according to the mayor's office. Alfonso told a reporter last week that he's paying his own way. Gort's office could not be reached late Wednesday. WEST GLACIER Click on a website Mary T. McClelland created a few days ago, and youll see waves lapping at the shore of Lake McDonald in Glacier National Park. But what youll hear is the noise of a helicopter passing overhead. It makes you want to turn it off, doesnt it? McClelland says. Thats sort of the point, because when youre there, you cant turn it off. McClelland this week released an open letter to Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell on behalf of Friends for a Quiet! Glacier Coalition, which calls for an end to scenic helicopter tours over the park by 2017. The website, quietglacier.wix.com/coalitioninformation, is gathering signatures for a petition directed to Jewell, National Park Service director Jonathan Jarvis and Secretary of Transportation Anthony Foxx, which asks for just that. Glaciers solitude has been shattered by hundreds of helicopter overflights, McClellands letter says, and the incessant noise pollution endured by wildlife and visitors is destroying what Glacier stands for the pinnacle of natural beauty and tranquility. The petition was approaching 100 signatures Tuesday. The people who run the helicopter tour companies there are two based here in West Glacier think the impact is vastly overstated. Fifteen seconds after we go over, youd never know we were there, says Jim Kruger, owner of Kruger Helicop-Tours. When they ban Harley Davidson motorcycles, they can talk to me. Have you ever heard a group of them going up Going-to-the-Sun Road? *** McClellands letter says 30 years after noise pollution created by helicopter tours in Glacier was identified as a priority problem at congressional hearings, 17 years after it was listed as a critical issue in Glaciers General Management Plan, and 16 years after passage of the National Parks Air Tour Management Act, nothing has changed. We still have no peace in Glacier, McClelland says. Today, more than 500 helicopters per month fly sorties over our nations only international peace park and World Heritage Site. Only one quarter of 1 percent of the 2.3 million people who visit Glacier each year take a helicopter tour, according to McClelland. More than 99 percent of the visiting public is adversely affected by the actions of an extreme few, she adds. Helicopter overflights are an inappropriate use, unless they are for rescue, research or necessary park administration. The small number of acoustic offenders is disproportionate to the large number of visitors and the wildlife that are adversely impacted. The helicopter tour companies say those extreme few include the elderly, and those with physical disabilities, who would not otherwise have the opportunity to see most of Glacier Park. They have as much of a right to see it as anybody else, Kruger says. McClelland argues that Going-to-the-Sun Road gives those visitors the opportunity to experience the park. Anyone who can get into a car or a bus or a boat can see Glacier, she says. Anyone who cant access those options wont be able to get into a helicopter, either. The conveniently located helicopters and their pilots also provide quick aid in search and rescue and wildfire fighting efforts, tour operators point out. They say the helicopters wont be sitting at the ready, a short distance from the park boundary, if theyre banned from showing paying visitors Glacier from the air. *** Friends for a Quiet! Glacier Coalition is not an organization in and of itself, McClelland says, but is a group of people and organizations that have expressed similar concerns with noise pollution in Glacier. According to McClelland, they include the Sierra Club, the Alliance for the Wild Rockies, the National Park Conservation Association, Wilderness Watch, the Swan View Coalition, Friends of the Wild Swan, the Montana Ecosystems Defense Council, the North Fork Preservation Association and Headwaters Montana. They support and want to help Glacier restore its soundscape, and get back the quiet that has been the parks signature, she says. McClelland says she grew up in Glacier, the daughter of parents who worked for the National Park Service, and splits her time between Illinois and Montana. On the other side of the issue are Glacier Heli Tours, owned by Minuteman Aviation of Missoula, and Kruger Helicop-Tours. Both take off just outside the park near U.S. Highway 2 in West Glacier. Minuteman owner and president Jerry Mamuzich was out of town and unavailable for comment Tuesday, and employees declined to speak on behalf of the company in his absence. Kruger says he thinks the vast majority of Glacier visitors arent bothered by an occasional scenic tour flying overhead. Kruger is entering its 36th year flying visitors over Glacier. Glacier Heli Tours is beginning its 32nd year. McClellands letter says the coalition is responding to the park services call to action for this years NPS centennial celebration. It calls on Jewell to use the services 100th birthday on Aug. 25 to announce that helicopter overflights will be discontinued per Glacier National Parks 1999 General Management Plan, and that helicopter scenic tours will cease no later than 2017. Tuesday's election returned the two Missoula County Public Schools trustees running to retain their seats and added a newcomer to the board. Incumbents Michael Beers and Diane Lorenzen won with 28 percent and 24 percent of the vote, respectively, according to unofficial results Tuesday night. Both are in their first term on the MCPS board and earned another three-year term as K-12 trustees. Vicki McDonald earned 19 percent of the vote, snagging her first three-year term as an MCPS K-12 trustee. McDonald will replace trustee Julie Tompkins, who decided not to run again due to her busy work and school schedule. John Fletcher and Shane Small fell short in their bids for the MCPS board, earning 16 percent and 12 percent, respectively. Lolo voters also rejected their school district's bond levy request, with 57 percent shooting it down, a difference of 185 votes. The $110,000 bond would have funded a school nurse, reading and writing textbooks and materials, and possibly additional help for art and music instruction in the primary grades. DeSmet voters, on the other hand, gave their $37,312 school bond levy the OK with 60 percent of the vote. *** Beers has become a voice for the underserved student populations. During every facilities construction discussion, he makes sure the new or remodeled facilities will be ADA-accessible, questioning architects and planners. A well-known local comic, Beers couldn't help but crack a joke about winning. "I think it's because when people saw school board and the name Beers on their ballot, they giggled and said sure," he said. On a serious note, Beers said he thinks he got elected because people value his opinion on the board. Plus, he pointed out, this election was nowhere near as divisive as that of May 2013, a spring that sunk MCPS in controversy with the battle over then-superintendent Alex Apostle's 13 percent pay raise. "Keeping that focus on benefiting the whole school and struggling learners on up would be something that I'll definitely keep an ear out for," he said. "Anytime I can offer some perspective, especially in special education, an area I'm more experienced in, I'm happy to offer that." He wants to see students more involved in the district's processes. "One of my favorite parts of the meetings are hearing from the student trustees," he said. "I'd like to expand that to let's get students on several different levels involved in the process either by attending meetings or giving updates. So many of the decisions that impact their lives directly happen at that level. To have them at the table will be a real benefit to us and it would make our jobs easier. We need to get them familiar with that, that way they can advocate and be in the process." *** Lorenzen is the board's skeptic. She consistently questions funding, administrative decisions and programming. "I think one of the hardest things in a district this size being a trustee is to see the big picture," Lorenzen said in a previous interview with the Missoulian. She could not be reached for comment as of press time Tuesday. "If administration has a pet project and they push it, push it at you, you have to go out of your way to see what you're not being shown. You have to look at everything, even if you're not being shown it." Lorenzen spoke at length about her wish for schools to retain their identities and not be labeled as "International Baccalaureate" or other "boutique programs." "I think there was kind of this fad to get away from the neighborhood schools," she said. "Invariably, if people start picking (schools), they take pot-shots at the one they're leaving. It becomes divisive." She spoke up at a board meeting earlier this spring, saying the district can't afford to continue expanding the IB program as it increases staffing costs with the additions of half-time IB coordinators at every IB school. "There has got to be a better way to get the benefits of (International Baccalaureate) without the cost," she said. *** McDonald packs a financial punch. She worked with Hellgate High School three years ago to launch its finance academy, which got off the ground last fall. McDonald is now the business coordinator for the finance academy and the CEO of a local nonprofit, Montana Academies of Finance Inc. an effort to implement financial literacy in K-12 curriculum and make it a required course in Montana high schools. She's waiting to see whether her work with Hellgate's finance academy will constitute a conflict of interest. If it is, she'll step down from the MCPS board of trustees. "I'm not going to give up the finance academy and my participation in it because I spent 14 years trying to get it up and running," she said. Still, she's excited to be elected. "I would like to think that the reason I got elected is because of the figure that I'm trying to represent in our community as far as the 'ambassador of financial literacy,' " she said. "I have been very out there around everybody, talking to everybody, and just my passion for financial literacy to be implemented into the curriculum." Some have questioned her on that mission, hoping it won't be her sole focus. "It's not," she said. "Once I get in there and get more involved with other things going on that are concerns and issues, I'll be on board with that." On the still taped off third floor of the Missoula County Courthouse, local painter Amanda Bielby has spent the past three months working to preserve and restore the artwork of the largest of the building's courtrooms. The courthouse renovation project, which began in 2012, is slated to be completed this summer. Bielbys work in the historic courtroom included repainting the murals that adorn the columns and ceiling struts at the front of the room. They brought me and and showed me one piece at a time and said Can you fix this? And I said yes, I can do that, Bielby said. She also made custom-molded plaster bases to fit onto the bottom of the shaft of the columns, then hand painted them to make them match the oak pedestals and other wood accents throughout the courtroom. It takes multiple layers of color, about five or six, to get that faux oak coloring, Bielby said. She conducted similar work in the courthouse rotunda just outside the courtroom door, repainting the plaster columns to look like they are made of granite. As part of the renovation a new courtroom, including attached jury room and holding cell, also was completed across the hall from the third floor historic courtroom, in a space that previously had been used for court hearings. Paul Filicetti from A&E Architects designed the overall courthouse renovation project, which totals some $14 million, with the intent of keeping the historic aspects of the building intact, said Anne Hughes, communications and projects director for the county. Its even the small details like the door handles. We got an exception to the ADA because the building is on the National Register of Historic Places so we could keep using these, she said. Missoula County District Court judges John Larson and Karen Townsend, as well as their staff, will move into newly-completed offices adjacent to the third floor courtrooms later this month. For the first time in three years, everyone will be where they are supposed to be, Hughes said. The renovation plans also include enough office space to accommodate a fifth judge if the Montana Legislature decides to expand the number on the bench in Missoula. Hughes said the last part of the renovation of the building is to finish renovating the main entryway to the courthouse. After that, the Edgar Paxson paintings will be put back up on the walls sometime during the summer, and the project will wrap up with improvements to the courthouse grounds. Amanda Bielby Employees of Mountain Water Co. allege city ownership would reduce their compensation by 32 percent and fail to give credit for years of service. "The employees haven't said they won't work for the city," said Michelle Halley, business administration manager for Mountain Water. "We just don't want to be harmed by doing so." City chief administrative officer Dale Bickell, though, said the city has intended all along to offer comparable wages and benefits to employees. If the city wins the eminent domain appeal defendants filed in the Montana Supreme Court, the city will use a consultant to negotiate similar benefits with individual staff, he said. Bickell said the alleged 32 percent reduction was clarified in trial in 2015 and is based on a misplaced adjustment in a financial document. In calculating its operational costs, the city eliminated $2.4 million in administrative fees that Mountain Water pays to its parent company in California, he said. He said the city used a financial document Mountain Water filed with the Montana Public Service Commission as a foundation. However, he said the administrative cost was not listed as a separate line item in the document in question, and the city's financial adviser arbitrarily cut the figure from salaries and benefits. He said the calculation could have shown the cut from the grand total instead "and not have created this controversy." "Our intention is to try our best to keep everybody whole," Bickell said. Gary Zadick, a lawyer representing Mountain Water employees, said the city never explained the misplaced figure. Nonetheless, he said, in cutting $2.4 million, it's underestimating the value of administrative support, such as software controlling everything from pumps to billing. Zadick, with Ugrin, Alexander, Zadick & Higgins, also said not every water system employee would be made whole. The city was treating the company's top three executives differently, and he said the government should not be able to hurt them. "They can get shafted or tossed out after 12 months," Zadick said. *** Halley also said employees will be financially harmed under city ownership, and the city's offers have been unacceptable from the beginning. "The city's first offer was illegal under Montana law by offering at-will employment," Halley said in an email. The second and third offers fell short as well, she said. "Their next two offers were take-it-or-leave-it time limited offers that did not hire all employees, froze wages and benefits, and did not give credit for years of service, or address retirement and retirement health benefits," Halley said. As examples, she said under municipal ownership, Mountain Water employees will pay some 8 percent of their paychecks toward pension. "That's essentially an 8-percent reduction to wages right there as currently we have a defined benefit pension plan paid by our employer that's built into current water revenues," Halley said. Take out another 3 percent in a 401(k) match to bring the decrease to 11 percent, she said. Then, add lost years of service to the hit because she said even a career employee won't be vested in the transfer. "This is real harm that's been calculated for each individual employee and presented to the city as a whole," Halley said. "Any wage and benefit harm to the employees is a direct savings to the city because our wages and benefits are built into current water revenues." So far, Zadick said the city has failed to satisfy all employees, and he disagrees with its take-it-or-leave-it approach to offers. The present water rates pay for the salaries and benefits of every single staff member, from the top officers to lowest paid employees, he said. "We don't think we have to negotiate for lower wages and benefits so the city can take over a private business," Zadick said. *** Last June, Judge Karen Townsend ruled that the city had the right to use its power of eminent domain to force a purchase of Mountain Water. After the ruling, the defendants presented the prices they believed were fair in a sale. Then-owner The Carlyle Group wanted $199 million for the water system, and Mountain Water employees wanted $17 million as a condition of the acquisition, according to Boone Karlberg's Natasha Prinzing Jones, a lawyer for the city. The judge rejected the employees' claim, she said. The judge found employees were not property owners, their jobs were not being condemned, and they offered "scant legal justification" for being compensated by the city, she said, quoting the judge in an update to council members last week. She also said the judge had earlier found the city's offers to employees to be "fair and reasonable," yet the city's efforts to negotiate with workers and reach a compromise were "rebuffed." All along, Jones said, the city has pledged its commitment to staff at the water company. "We value their experience and their knowledge," Jones said. "They are wanted as employees and indeed their participation is wanted right now as we discuss transition." Last fall, in a separate court proceeding, water commissioners set the value of Mountain Water at $88.6 million less than what Carlyle wanted but more than the city had offered. In January, Carlyle sold Mountain Water to Liberty Utilities, the subsidiary of a Canadian firm. In that sale, employees woke up one morning working for Carlyle, and left work employed by Liberty, Jones said. They did not receive a cash payment in that transfer or in the previous sale, when Carlyle bought the system, she said. *** Bickell said the city attempted to mediate with employees, but he could not disclose details due to confidentiality. Generally, the city offered five years of comparable salaries to staff, and one year to three officers. He agreed the benefits differ between the private company and municipal system and that employees were not going to get the same credit for years of service. However, Bickell said the city plans to have a financial consultant sit down with each employee and negotiate comparable benefits so staff don't lose out in the transition. "What we intend to do is have an actuary help us calculate that difference, and it's going to be on an individual basis," Bickell said. "A longtime employee of Mountain Water Co. will accrue benefits under their pension plan differently than a brand new employee." Some employees who like working for a utility may not end up directly serving water users in the future, however. Bickell said the city has represented all along that it eventually will operate the system as a typical municipal utility. In other words, a finance professional currently working at Mountain Water may work in the city's finance department in the future, and not with the water system. If the Montana Supreme Court upholds the District Court's ruling in the eminent domain case, he said the city will create a transition team that includes current Mountain Water employees. "We don't intend to rush into a bunch of changes, but we want to make sure it's done in the best manner possible," Bickell said. Montana Rail Link has furloughed 36 operating employees in the past couple of weeks and the Missoula-based railroad anticipates that number will continue to climb. Volumes down and coal volume is really down. Thats really the main impact right now, MRL spokesman Jim Lewis said Tuesday. The furloughs have been divided almost evenly between Missoula, Helena and Laurel, each with 11 or 12, while two Livingston-based workers are also out of work. Lewis said Missoula is seeing an average of 13 to 15 trains per day, down from an average of 18.1 in January through April 2015. Most of those furloughed are operating locomotive engineers, among MRLs highest paid employees, according to Lewis. MRL president Tom Walsh said the company has tried to avoid furloughs, but poor international market conditions combined with less demand from Pacific Northwest power plants has significantly reduced coal production in the region. Given current and forecasted volumes, we must align our workforce to current workload levels, Walsh said in a statement. "We are hopeful the challenges facing the coal industry will ease in the future. The plummet that started in earnest in early 2015 is far from just a Montana Rail Link conundrum. Railroads across the nation are feeling the springtime pinch after a bleak winter of furloughs. Texas-based Burlington Northern Santa Fe, which conducts the bulk of the rail business in Montana, has temporarily furloughed roughly 4,500 employees, according to spokesman Matt Jones. The railroad announced in February its offering voluntary retirement incentives to workers with 10 or more years of experience in order to reduce the number of furloughed workers. Union Pacific, headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, had reportedly furloughed 4,100 employees across 23 states as of early March, and had put 1,500 locomotives in storage. If coal makes a resurgence, well put people back to work, a UP official said at the time. However, I dont think were going to see any real movement until after the presidential election. Rail volumes fluctuate throughout the year, Lewis said, and at MRL we are hopeful for a strong soybean and corn harvest in the fall that will result in calling back furloughed employees," he said. U.S. railroad coal shipments were down 32.5 percent more than 450,000 carloads in the first quarter of 2016. That was after a lackluster 2015 in which carloads dropped nearly 700,000 from the year before. Lewis said MRLs coal shipments are down 35 percent from this point in 2015. Class I railroads had nearly 20,000 fewer employees in April than they did in February 2015, a decrease of more than 11 percent. Montana Rail Link is a Class II regional railroad and a partner of Class I BNSF, with a main line between Sandpoint, Idaho, and Billings. Dear Gov. Steve Bullock, Montana Senate President Debby Barrett, House Speaker Austin Knudsen, Senate Minority Leader Jon Sesso and House Minority Leader Chuck Hunter: On behalf of Montana Families United, I am writing urging you to call for a one-day special session! Due to the implications of Senate Bill 423s patient provider restriction (the only one like it in all 25 other medical marijuana states) and the recent Supreme Court ruling, it appears to set Montana and its medical marijuana patients up for a catastrophic event on Aug. 31 without legislative intervention. SB 423 requires providers to terminate relationships with patients in direct violation of HIPAA laws. While some may argue medical marijuana patients have no protection under HIPPA laws because doctor certifications are not prescriptions, they cannot deny the patients constitutional protections under due process. No patient, regardless of prescribed/certified medicine, should be dislocated from their medicine on an arbitrary date without a medical evaluation. It is simply unconscionable. It would seem the 2011 Legislature failed to provide a legal path (for doctors) to evaluate patients and work with providers to identify a priority high-level need list of patients who must have their medication or some type of alternative step-down or replacement medication option. Requiring providers to terminate a patients certification for medication without any information relating to the patient's health is not only irresponsible but very dangerous. I plead on behalf of Montana medical marijuana patients for a call of a special legislative session in July or early August to prevent this unnecessary suffering and hardship. I look forward to answering any questions or working with all who wish to find a reasonable and safe alternative to an arbitrary three-patient market-choke mechanism. I propose a couple legislative solutions for consideration: 1. Remove the patient/provider restriction and cap patients at current levels until the 2017 Legislature has a chance to take up the issue. 2. Provide the Department of Public Health and Human Services with adequate employees to properly administrate and process the doctor patient/provider relationship termination requirement while providing the constitutional protection for due process, and delay the effective date until DPHHS can do so. These are simple and straightforward and can be done in short order. Thank you in advance for your time and careful consideration of this important request. Its not often that we get good news about endangered species. But the unprecedented effort that took place last year in Montana and across the West to conserve the sage grouse stands out as a great example of what we can accomplish when we roll up our sleeves and work together. When the Interior Department announced in September of last year that the sage grouse did not need to be listed under the Endangered Species Act, it showed that we can conserve wildlife while also protecting economic development. Any time that we put this much effort into something, its worth it to follow through and hold the deal together. One of Gov. Steve Bullocks first acts when he took office was to create the Montana Sage Grouse Habitat Advisory Council. The council was comprised of representatives from oil and gas, mining and power transmission, agriculture, tribal government, local government, sportsmen and conservationists. The goal was to create a Montana-based program that would help conserve the sage grouse, averting an Endangered Species Act listing. By working together, and focusing on a common goal, Montanans were able to put aside their differences and craft a strategy that has been praised across the country as a model in collaborative conservation. A major part of the plan developed by the Sage Grouse Advisory Council was the Sage Grouse Stewardship Act, which created a $10 million sage grouse habitat protection fund to fund voluntary conservation projects on private land. Private land encompasses 65 percent of Montanas sage grouse habitat, including crucial habitat around water sources. During a contentious legislative session, this bill was markedly different. It was championed by rural legislators and backed by Governor Bullock, passed with overwhelming majorities in both houses. The bill was a major component of the state plan to ensure continued state management, which is now being implemented by the Montana Sage Grouse Oversight Team, comprised of rural legislators, agency heads and representatives from the Governors office. The federal government also played a big role in protecting the sage grouse, by incorporating conservation measures for the species into resource management plans for lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management. The plans for the Billings, HiLine and Miles City regions outline a comprehensive framework to guide future management decisions for all resource values and program areas, while addressing threats to the sage grouse. The plans focus protections on the areas of highest importance to the species. They will be implemented with input from local working groups and in coordination with the Montana Sage Grouse Oversight Team. The unparalleled efforts of ranchers, conservation groups, federal land managers and the state working together is the primary reason why we have kept this iconic bird under state management. The state and federal plans have the ability to adapt to changing circumstances and science, while ensuring the best path forward to achieving abundant populations of the bird and better management of our public lands. While some still want to find fault with how Montana manages our lands, wildlife and, in particular, the greater sage grouse, the state continues to find innovative and thoughtful ways to achieve economic and regulatory freedom as it relates to the bird. Maintaining state management was only the starting point, however. Now, Montana must follow through with the commitments made to other western states and our partners in the federal government to ensure that we live up to our end of the bargain. Legitimate concerns about the state and federal plans need to be resolved through creative collaboration and compromise, not through political efforts to undo the state and federal plans. Chris Marchion from Anaconda should make sure his facts are correct about Lesley Robinson, GOP lieutenant governor candidate for the state of Montana. Marchion writes in an opinion (April 20), and we quote: "As the chairwoman of both the Montana and the National Association of Counties Public Lands Committees, she advocated and voted for the transfer of public lands. This makes her proclamation that she and (Greg) Gianforte are opposed to transfer of public lands unbelievable." We believe the truth is stronger than fiction. To set the record straight, we will provide the actual National Association of Counties policy on transfer of public lands to the states. In NACo's "The American County Platform," under "Federal Land Management," on page 144, the policy states: "Transfer of Public Lands: NACo believes all fifty states are equal and that every state should receive everything that was promised to them in their enabling acts, including land transfers, if requested by an individual state with consultation with the affected counties." Nowhere in that policy does it state that NACo (or the Public Land Steering Committee) supports the transfer of federal lands to the states as a single option. What it does support is that every state should be treated the same and that any state has the right to pursue the transfer of federal lands in their state. The policy was designed to protect counties and their citizens by requesting their "consultation." The policy advocates for local elected officials to have input on decisions by the state or federal government(s) that may affect their citizens. Another point-of-fact is that the Montana representatives serving on the NACo Public Lands Steering Committee, one of whom is Lesley Robinson, amended the proposed policy to provide flexibility to states and counties by removing "must" for federal land transfer in order to recognize an individual state's right. Ravalli County Commissioner Greg Chilcott made the motion to amend and it was overwhelmingly supported by the committee and unanimously supported by the Montana delegation, including Lesley Robinson. So, this is the actual fact: Lesley Robinson supported local governments having a seat at the table if federal lands transfer was being considered by their state, and not the transfer of federal lands to the states. Marchion's opinion piece was a terrible misrepresentation of the facts, and injustice to the voters of Montana and Lesley Robinson. Earlier last week I was joined by the CEO of Dick Anderson Construction in Billings to announce that my No. 1 priority moving into the 2017 Legislature will be to build Montana for this and for future generations. Too often, elected officials think in two- and four-year cycles. But we cannot afford to think about Montanas infrastructure needs that way. We need to recognize our action, or inaction, will shape Montana for decades to come. Montanas water and wastewater systems, roads, bridges, public schools, universities and development-impacted communities cannot be ignored for another two years. I am proposing a $200 million investment in the immediate needs of Montanas communities financed through a responsible mix of cash and bonds the same way you or I would buy a car, or a house, or make long-term investments in our local communities. We can afford to make this significant investment and still remain the most fiscally responsible state in the nation and maintain our $300 million rainy day fund. This isnt just about creating temporary construction jobs. This is about creating a future for Montana and ensuring that our communities, businesses and residents have efficient and reliable infrastructure that sets the foundation for a thriving economy, creates countless jobs and protects Montanas quality of life for this and all future generations. Which is why Im not stopping at $200 million. We must take a step towards developing a sustainable way to fund Montanas infrastructure needs in the future. Politics has no business meddling with this issue. This time last year, legislators in Helena clocked out and went home after the House failed to approve a statewide infrastructure bill to send to my desk for signature. We - Democrats and Republicans - worked hard on that bill. It was sponsored by Sen. John Brenden of Scobey and passed the Senate 47-3. It died in the House by one vote. A small handful of legislators put politics ahead of Montana jobs, and as a result thousands of Montanans were denied work all across the state and much-needed projects were put on hold. These are jobs that would have grown our economy and helped keep Montana worthy of passing on to our kids and our grandkids. Some of those same legislators have since had the gall to defend the defeat of that bill and others as right for Montana, and a way to leave Helena with a win. They could not be more wrong. The defeat of the infrastructure bills was wrong for Montana wrong for our communities, wrong for our schools, wrong for future generations, and wrong for thousands of Montanans who would have had jobs because of it. In addition to a measure that will get shovels in dirt immediately, we must also work together to address our state's needs for decades to come. And the first step in doing so is the Build Montana Trust. Over 20 years ago, Montanans were wise enough to create a trust using revenues from Montanas coal industry, and several sub-trusts to help fund local and regional water projects across the state, creating jobs and ensuring the health and safety of Montanans for years to come. When the legislature convenes next January, I will ask them to follow in the footsteps of those who came before them and create a long-term trust to help fund infrastructure in the future. The Build Montana Trust will start accumulating resources now, to ensure that the future generations of Montanans are able to invest in infrastructure, create jobs, and continue to grow Montanas economy. Investing in the future of Montana shouldn't be about partisan politics. The businesses of today and the next generation of Montanans expect more, and cannot afford for us to wait any longer. BILLINGS - A Billings man led Montana Highway Patrol troopers on a high-speed chase across four counties Monday. It was his second attempt to outrun law enforcement in less than a year. Dirk Kevin Ray II, 24, faces three felony charges of criminal endangerment in connection to the latest incident, according to the affidavit filed in Yellowstone County Justice Court. On Feb. 19, Ray received a five-year suspended sentence to the Montana Department of Corrections for felony possession of dangerous drugs and felony criminal endangerment. The charges stemmed from a car chase the previous July. He was able to elude MHP troopers during that pursuit. Police officers recognized Ray the following day when he attempted to report his car stolen. At that time, he told officers he ran from the police in the past, and it gave him an adrenaline high. At about 6 p.m. Monday, an MHP trooper observed a 2002 Toyota Celica traveling at about 100 mph eastbound on Interstate 90 near the Sweetgrass and Park county line. The driver, later identified as Ray, refused to pull over and accelerated to about 110 mph. Two passengers were also in the vehicle. The women later told police they begged Ray to pull over, and he attempted to scare them by driving with one hand. He continued east and was able to avoid stop-sticks set up by Sweet Grass County Sheriffs deputies. Ray exited and reentered the interstate several times. He dropped the women off in Columbus without coming to a full stop and continued the chase on Old Highway 10. At about 6:50 p.m. Ray attempted to turn right onto Wold Road at a high rate of speed. He lost control and crashed into a ditch. He tried run away but was quickly taken into custody. The affidavit said Ray seemed proud of driving faster than 100 mph and bragged about escaping in the July pursuit. He told police he fled on Monday because he was on probation. Ray admitted his blood sample would test positive for meth because he was around others while they were using. He is held in the Yellowstone County Detention Facility without bond. HELENA A hearing should be held to determine if a state judge should have disqualified himself from a case in which he approved a $10 million settlement to be paid by an insurance company without the company's input, the Montana Supreme Court ruled. New York Marine and General Insurance Co. appealed a May 2015 order made by District Judge George "Jerry" Huss in a professional negligence case that a Dillon couple filed against a tax accountant whose firm was insured by the company. New York Marine said Huss should have disclosed that while he was presiding over the case against the accountant, he had reached an agreement to settle a sexual harassment lawsuit filed by his court reporter as long as she collected the $744,000 from the state. The state Office of the Court Administrator, which defends judges against legal challenges, had warned Huss in writing not to enter into settlement agreement without its consent. OCA appealed the harassment settlement. District Judge Jeffrey Sherlock ruled in December the state was not responsible for the payment because Huss' actions were outside the scope of his employment. The result of Huss' actions is that he protected himself against any financial loss and ended the woman's complaint against him, Sherlock wrote. The woman appealed Sherlock's decision to the Supreme Court. Tuesday's order said the Supreme Court wanted to wait for the results of the disqualification hearing before deciding if the $10 million professional negligence settlement should be reversed. Justices Jim Rice and Laurie McKinnon thought the court should have gone farther. "In my view, a clear basis for disqualification has already been established and should be ordered to ensure the appearance of, and the public's confidence in, a fair and impartial judiciary," Rice wrote. Huss resigned on Jan. 1. The court did not take up a cross claim filed by the Dillon couple seeking a declaration that New York Marine was liable to pay the settlement. New York Marine has filed a separate complaint against the accounting firm for breach of contract. A technical glitch plagued the Give Local Missoula County event on Tuesday, making it impossible for donors to contribute during the 24-hour fundraising campaign for local nonprofits. The issue, which originated at a software provider in Texas, also affected 54 other participating community foundations across the country. Meredith Printz, the executive director of the Missoula Community Foundation, said the campaign will be extended until 11:59 p.m. today, Wednesday, May 4. Donors may also write a check to the Missoula Community Foundation with their nonprofit choice written in the memo line, and checks can be delivered to 111 N. Higgins or can be mailed if they are postmarked on Wednesday. The Missoula Community Foundation wants to express our apologies for these technical difficulties, Printz said. We know that donors across Missoula care deeply about our local nonprofit community and that the nonprofits have been working hard to mobilize their donor base to support this community wide effort. She added that as of noon Wednesday, the event had raised $100,000. Printz had said her goal was to raise $300,000 and she was still confident it could happen. Nonprofits are allowed to direct their donors to contribute on their own websites. Contributions that come in on May 3 and May 4 will be counted toward the nonprofits Give Local total. Printz said she is also encouraging donors to still try to donate at givelocalmissoula.org. We appreciate the communitys patience and understanding as we are doing our best to manage these challenges in a thoughtful and timely manner, she said. Riley Meredith of the Montana Community Foundation said that at 8:15 a.m. on Tuesday, the Give Local platform provider Kimbia began experiencing technical difficulties due to the high levels of online traffic. Meredith said that they will investigate if anyone believes there is an error with a donation they made. Meredith also strongly encouraged anyone who was unable to make an online donation to direct the money to the nonprofits they wish to support. Plutocracy the Wonderful O beautiful, our properties Our lands and woods and grains Our fields and mines and factories Our ships and trains and planes! Accumulate, accumulate! We never get enough Of profits, income, capital, and other lovely stuff. O beautiful, our trophy wives Their diamonds, furs, and shoes Our speedboats, cars, jets, limousines Our photos in the news! Accumulate, accumulate! We never get enough Of profits, income, capital, and other lovely stuff. O beautiful, our spacious yachts That slice across the seas Our mansions, villas, spas, resorts Our blessed lives of ease! Accumulate, accumulate! We never get enough Of profits, income, capital, and other lovely stuff. O beautiful, our shining skies Our water, earth, and air Our horses, cooks, maids, mistresses, Chauffeurs, butlers, au pairs! Accumulate, accumulate! We never get enough Of profits, income, capital, and other lovely stuff! The Transnationale Were masters of globalization The world is under our control Our goal is wealth accumulation Greed is great we want it all! Marx is dead and sos emancipation Wake up and smell reality Youre slaves on capitals plantation And will be for eternity. So forget your utopia For our capital has won The mega-corporations Will boss you from now on. While we squeeze you for profit You will each keep in your place The corporate dictatorship Shall rule the human race. Well not permit cooperation Youll sell your lives without a fuss Well crush all insubordination Youll either starve or work for us. If youre good and do as you are told Well let you drink and watch TV And buy the junk youve made and sold And make believe that you are free. So forget your utopia For our capital has won The mega-corporations Will boss you from now on. While we squeeze you for profit You will each keep in your place The corporate dictatorship Shall rule the human race. To hell with your rights and desires To hell with nature and with health Well not let losers, fools, and liars Interfere with our wealth. Ours is the power and the glory We own the laws, the nukes, the state Were writing the official story To make you resigned to your fate. So forget your utopia For our capital has won The mega-corporations Will boss you from now on. While we squeeze you for profit You will each keep in your place The corporate dictatorship Shall rule the human race. Its Been Good to Do You So long, its been good to do you So long, its been good to do you So long, its been good to do you We thank you for letting us do you so long And tomorrow well do you some more. A marvelous racket, it works like a dream It leaves you the leavings and gives us the cream. The means of production are ours to control, Well never share them with you all. Dig it! So long, its been good to do you So long, its been good to do you So long, its been good to do you We thank you for letting us do you so long And tomorrow well do you some more! The Commission to Eliminate Child Abuse and Neglect Fatalities (CECANF) has unanimously recommended that evidence-based home-visiting programs need to be reauthorized at the federal level to ensure the safety of children at risk for death or injury from maltreatment. The recent recommendation coincides with an issuance by CECANF of a report titled Within Our Reach: A National Strategy to Eliminate Child Abuse and Neglect Fatalities. The report is the result of two years of work by CECANF, which was created by the national Protect Our Kids Act of 2012. The chair of CECANF, David Sanders, said that changes must be made to how the country protects children. If we as a nation continue on our present course, an estimated 1,500 to 3,000 U.S. children will die from maltreatment next year, Sanders said in a statement issued nationally in mid-March. Our current network of services and supports does not adequately ensure safety for children because much of it is reactionary after a death has occurred. Over the long term, we need to dramatically redesign our approach to ensure children and families in crisis receive the supports and interventions they need to address the complex issues impacting families and prevent harm before it occurs. In its work, CECANF developed several findings that 75 percent of children who die from abuse and neglect are very young under the age of 3 and that the best predictor of a childs potential risk of injury or death before age 5 is a call to a child protection hotline. The findings also focused on the importance of coordination and multi-system efforts a number of children who died were not known to child-protective agencies but were seen by other professionals, including health-care professionals. CECANF also said that legal and policy barriers often prevent access to real-time information about families, but such access is critical in protecting children. The report specifically cited one evidence-based home-visiting program shown to reduce fatalities, the Nurse-Family Partnership, which is available at the Butte-Silver Bow Health Department. The Health Department also collaborates, through the local Healthy Families Network, to provide Parents as Teachers, another science-based home-visiting program. A third home-visiting program, SafeCare, is also available. Referrals to all three programs may be made by calling 406-497-5015 or emailing skingston@bsb.mt.gov. All of the programs are free and voluntary. In addition to releasing its findings, CECANF also issued several recommendations, including urging states to review child fatalities related to abuse and neglect over a five-year span so that family and systemic circumstances can be determined. The commission said the review process should also look at life-threatening injuries caused by maltreatment. CECANF said the review should culminate in each state implementing a comprehensive plan to prevent child abuse and neglect fatalities Montana Gov. Steve Bullock recently announced establishment of such a review commission for the state. CECANF also recommended that all states review policy related to how reports of abuse and neglect are screened so that children most at risk of dying those under 3 years receive a prioritized response from applicable agencies. The commission also said that a federal effort needs to occur to ensure that agencies such as child-protective organizations and law enforcement can more easily share information on a real-time basis. CECANF also recommended that all home-visiting programs such as those provided in Butte-Silver Bow ensure that their work is focused on reducing fatalities caused by abuse and neglect. The commission also called for national standards defining which child-protective professionals should be designated as mandatory reporters of abuse or neglect and ensure that they receive adequate training. The president of the American Academy of Pediatrics, Benard Dreyer, M.D., applauded the recommendations in a statement released nationally, saying they acknowledge that solutions to child maltreatment fatalities should not only target the prevention of future deaths, but also must encompass prevention of child maltreatment itself in the first place. The Butte-Silver Bow Health Department and the Healthy Families Network also applaud the recommendations and Gov. Bullock for quickly establishing a review authority and we welcome the changes that will be coming out of the recommendations. Butte police reports ATTEMPTED PET THEFT A female suspect tried to steal a dog from a resident's yard in the 1600 block of Dewey Boulevard at about 9 a.m. Tuesday. The resident was at home, but did not see the incident. A neighbor, however, witnessed the young woman reach across the fence, trying to coax the dog with a bone. The neighbor yelled and the female suspect jumped into the car and a male driver sped away. The female was described as being about 20 years of age, 5 feet 6 inches tall, with shoulder-length blonde hair. The male driver was described as being in his early 30s, with sunglasses and dark hair. The car was an older sedan, silver or bluish gray in color with a red, white and blue license plate. BILLINGS A recently produced map showing 18.6 million acres of land in Montana possibly being used by hunting outfitters more than twice what has previously been reported has drawn criticism from all quarters. Its not even close to accurate, said Joe Perry, a Conrad farmer and member of the Private Land/Public Wildlife Council who circulated a copy of the map via email. Who knows how many acres weve got? Steve Gallus, executive officer for the Montana Board of Outfitters, said he provided the information to Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks to create the map knowing that it would be imperfect. The map was produced with the caveat that we think these numbers are inflated and the numbers reported next winter will be more accurate, Gallus said. Every time I emailed the map to anyone it included that caveat. Software challenges Gallus, a former Butte legislator and fishing guide, took over as executive director of the Montana Board of Outfitters in April 2014. He said that in his first meeting with Fish, Wildlife and Parks officials they requested an updated copy of the map. But FWPs Alan Charles told the Billings Gazette that the agency was out of the map business and that Gallus had come to him asking the agency to produce the document. We were reluctant to do it initially, Charles said, but FWP director Jeff Hagener agreed to let his GIS staff produce the map, but is billing the Department of Labor and Industry for their time. The department houses the Board of Outfitters. Previous maps had been produced in 2005, 2007, 2011 and 2013. In 2005 the map showed, within a 7 percent margin of error, that 5.6 million acres were being used by licensed hunting outfitters. In 2011 that had jumped to 7.79 million acres of private lands that may have been used by licensed outfitters, but didnt report property under 40 acres. The most recently produced map put the figure at 18.6 million acres. On the map FWP included a disclaimer saying: FWP assumes no responsibility for the accuracy of the outfitter data Questions related to outfitter data depicted on this map should be directed to the (Montana Board of Outfitters). I dont know what the hell it is. I dont know if its accurate or not, Charles said. Outfitters' response Publication of the map has angered the outfitting industrys Montana representative, who has already penned a letter to Gov. Steve Bullock expressing his concerns. I think the data are flawed, said Mac Minard, executive director of the Montana Outfitters and Guides Association. In conversations with some of the states more than 280 hunting outfitters and based on the downturn in the economy and the surplus of out-of-state hunting licenses, Minard said he couldnt reconcile the map with what has been reported in the past. Its probably grossly overinflated, he said. There are elements of the sportsmen community who are going to grab this and say things are out of control, Minard said. It will cause an unwarranted and unnecessary response to the landowner community. Governors request Perry said hes not sure who to blame for the maps inaccuracy, but said he distrusts the Board of Outfitters. The Board of Outfitters said we fulfilled our obligation, he said. FWP said we did the best with what weve got. Last year (the Board of Outfitters) promised me a state of the art map. PL/PW needs that information and sportsmen want that information. The information is considered so important that Gov. Bullock amended House Bill 274 during the 2013 Legislature to ensure that reporting of outfitted lands in Montana continued. HB274 was written to reduce the amount of paperwork outfitters have to do and would have made annual reporting of leased acreage for outfitting discretionary. Bullock called that directive unacceptable. FWPs Charles said MOGA fought tooth and nail to get the reporting requirement stripped from the bill. But the governor cited the data as vital to the management of wildlife, the setting of hunting seasons and critical for the activities of the Private Land/Public Wildlife Council, which has been working on land access issues. I have not felt there has been any real commitment on the part of the Board of Outfitters or Steve Gallus to meet the statutory requirement, Charles said. I have not seen a real commitment from the Board of Outfitters to give the public accessible information. Charles comments harken back to 2000 when the Board of Outfitters was criticized in a Legislative Audit Committee report that said the board was so poorly organized that it cannot properly regulate the outfitting industry or determine whether growth in the industry has reduced public access to land for hunting, the Associated Press reported. Ronja Abel, deputy communications director for the governor, wrote in an email that, Governor Bullock continues to believe it is in the public interest to understand where licensed outfitters are authorized to conduct their business. He has directed the agencies involved to resolve the data issue behind the current map. Outdated system Despite the governors declaration about the importance of the information, no map has been produced since 2013 even though numerous requests were made to the Board of Outfitters to provide the figures. Gallus said thats because the immense amount of data is contained in an outdated database that cant communicate with the Department of Labor and Industrys newly updated software, a system that has undergone some pretty heavy systemic changes. Theyve been talking about converting to a new database for several years now, Charles said. I dont know that theyve made any progress on that. Gallus said a more accurate map could be produced by February 2017 once the departments system is upgraded to use digital information provided by outfitters that is required to be reported by Nov. 1. Based on his conversations with Gallus, Minard said, The contents (of the map) are technically flawed, and its use is ill advised. He questioned why the map was even created given that the information could not be properly sorted to portray an accurate representation of outfitted lands in Montana. The expectation that I have is that were going to have technically sound and valid results provided to the public, Minard said. If the maps purpose is to help inform the hunting public about lands status then why was it so damn important to crank this out in April? Gallus said he had been directed to get a map produced and build a new system to gather data. Thats where my focus is. I honestly dont know if they have the capacity to do it right, which means we should send it out to a contractor, Minard said. President Barack Obama talks with Jahana Hayes, 2016 National Teacher of the Year, and Lynadia Whiting, a student of Hayes, in the Blue Room of the White House prior to an event Tuesday to honor Hayes and Teacher of the Year finalists. Among the teachers honored was Montana's Teacher of the year, Jennifer Anderson, of Deer Lodge. Anderson teaches earth science, chemistry, and physics at Powell County High School. She also teachers oceanography online through the Montana Digital Academy. WASHINGTON -- Donald Trump's damage to the Republican Party, although already extensive, has barely begun. Republican quislings will multiply, slinking into support of the most anti-conservative presidential aspirant in their party's history. These collaborationists will render themselves ineligible to participate in the party's reconstruction. Ted Cruz's announcement of his preferred running mate has enhanced the nomination process by giving voters pertinent information. They already know the only important thing about Trump's choice: His running mate will be unqualified for high office because he or she will think Trump is qualified. Hillary Clinton's optimal running mate might be Sen. Sherrod Brown of Ohio, a pro-labor populist whose selection would be balm for the bruised feelings of Bernie Sanders' legions. Running mates rarely matter as electoral factors: In 2000, Al Gore got 43.2 percent of the North Carolina vote. In 2004, John Kerry, trying to improve upon Gore's total there, ran with North Carolina Sen. John Edwards but received 43.6 percent. If, however, Brown were to help deliver Ohio for Clinton, the Republican path to 270 electoral votes would be narrower than a needle's eye. Republican voters, particularly in Indiana and California, can, by supporting Cruz, make the Republican convention a deliberative body rather than one that merely ratifies decisions made elsewhere, some of them six months earlier. A convention's sovereign duty is to choose a plausible nominee who has a reasonable chance to win, not to passively affirm the will of a mere plurality of voters recorded episodically in a protracted process. Trump would be the most unpopular nominee ever, unable to even come close to Mitt Romney's insufficient support among women, minorities and young people. In losing disastrously, Trump probably would create down-ballot carnage sufficient to end even Republican control of the House. Ticket splitting is becoming rare in polarized America: In 2012, only 5.7 percent of voters supported a presidential candidate and a congressional candidate of opposite parties. At least half a dozen Republican senators seeking re-election and Senate aspirants can hope to win if the person at the top of the Republican ticket loses their state by, say, only four points, but not if he loses by 10. A Democratic Senate probably would guarantee a Supreme Court with a liberal cast for a generation. If Clinton is inaugurated next Jan. 20, Merrick Garland probably will already be on the court -- confirmed in a lame duck Senate session -- and justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Anthony Kennedy and Stephen Breyer will be 83, 80 and 78, respectively. The minority of people who pay close attention to politics includes those who define an ideal political outcome and pursue it, and those who focus on the worst possible outcome and strive to avoid it. The former experience the excitements of utopianism, the latter settle for prudence's mild pleasure of avoiding disappointed dreams. Both sensibilities have their uses, but this is a time for prudence, which demands the prevention of a Trump presidency. Were he to be nominated, conservatives would have two tasks. One would be to help him lose 50 states -- condign punishment for his comprehensive disdain for conservative essentials, including the manners and grace that should lubricate the nation's civic life. Second, conservatives can try to save from the anti-Trump undertow as many senators, representatives, governors and state legislators as possible. It was 32 years after Jimmy Carter won 50.1 percent in 1976 that a Democrat won half the popular vote. Barack Obama won only 52.9 percent and then 51.1 percent, but only three Democrats -- Andrew Jackson (twice), Franklin Roosevelt (four times) and Lyndon Johnson -- have won more than 53 percent. Trump probably would make Clinton the fourth, and he would be a tonic for her party, undoing the extraordinary damage (13 Senate seats, 69 House seats, 11 governorships, 913 state legislative seats) Obama has done. If Trump is nominated, Republicans working to purge him and his manner from public life will reap the considerable satisfaction of preserving the identity of their 162-year-old party while working to see that they forgo only four years of the enjoyment of executive power. Six times since 1945 a party has tried, and five times failed, to secure a third consecutive presidential term. The one success -- the Republicans' 1988 election of George H.W. Bush -- produced a one-term president. If Clinton gives her party its first 12 consecutive White House years since 1945, Republicans can help Nebraska Sen. Ben Sasse, or someone else who has honorably recoiled from Trump, confine her to a single term. George Will's email address is georgewill@washpost.com. (c) 2016, Washington Post Writers Group BILLINGS Billings yearslong struggles with sulfur dioxide eased Tuesday with the announcement that its biggest polluters now comply with federal air quality standards. Meeting with members of the Billings Area Chamber of Commerce, Gov. Steve Bullock announced that the Environmental Protection Agency will re-designate the Billings industrial corridor, which had been labeled a non-attainment area for sulfur dioxide pollution. The change will likely come early this summer. The area, which includes Exxon and Phillips 66 refineries, a sulfur chemical plant, portions of South Billings and nearly all of residential Lockwood, has been designated out of compliance with sulfur dioxide pollution since 2013. "For three years, this community's ability to further strengthen and grow the regional economy has been hampered by a single word, non-attainment," Bullock said. In its final rule, the EPA said the sulfur dioxide had fallen to acceptable levels under the National Ambient Air Quality Standards as a result of the permanent and enforceable shutdown of the PPL Corette facility, whose emissions in 2009-2011 had been responsible for the area not previously meeting the NAAQS. Corette was a coal-fired power plant that did not have pollution scrubbers on its exhaust stack, relying instead on low-sulfur Wyoming coal for environmental compliance. PPL chose to close Corette in 2015 rather than add EPA-required mercury pollution controls. Tuesday, Bullock and other state officials insisted Corette's closure hadn't played a part. "This is not really about Corette," said Tom Livers, Montana Department of Environmental Quality director. "The data that we've got to build the case for attainment over the period from 2013 to 2015, most of that time period included Corette up and running." Corette stopped producing power in April 2015. Sulfur dioxide, a gas produced when fossil fuels are burned, can pose respiratory illness risks, particularly to children, seniors and people with asthma. For three consecutive years, sulfur dioxide levels were often too high when recorded by an air monitoring station roughly one mile from Phillips 66 and Corette. Montanas Department of Environmental Quality fought non-attainment designation from the outset, arguing that the three years of high sulfur dioxide readings in 2009 through 2011 on which the designation was based were an anomaly. In 2013, Tracy Stone-Manning, then DEQ director and currently Gov. Bullock's chief of staff, told The Gazette the troublesome sulfur dioxide readings were only around the Corette plant. The state discouraged EPA from applying the designation to all of Yellowstone County, as the agency initially intended before reconsidering. Bullock, a Democrat up for re-election this year, called the non-attainment designation an unnecessary burden. "Now clean air and clean water are incredibly important to us as Montanans," Bullock said. "And we must work to preserve them for this and for future generations, but we also have an obligation to make sure that any regulations imposed on Montana businesses businesses that grow our economy, support good paying jobs actually make a difference in protecting that clean air and clean water. If they dont, we need to fix them, which is what has been done with this non-attainment A non-attainment designation makes it difficult to attract new industry, said Dave Klemp, chief of DEQ's Air Resources Management Bureau. "This designation is an economic death knell," Klemp said. "You don't go into a non-attainment area if you're a business." The regulatory reporting requirements that go along with a nonattainment area are discouraging, Klemp said. The designation also means the region's sulfur dioxide levels are more than maxed out, leaving no room for additional pollution. DEQ indicated there were 15 other communities in the state with federal nonattainment designations, which the state intended to contest. Those areas included Kalispell, Columbia Falls, Whitefish, Libby, Missoula and Thompson Falls, all of which have lost industrial polluters since being designated nonattainment areas for air particulate in the 1980s. Laurel and East Helena were designated nonattainment areas for Sulfur Dioxide in the 1970s according to DEQ. Those communities have since complied with tougher standards. East Helena was also on the list for lead violations in the 1970s. Great Falls, Billings and Missoula were also on the list for carbon monoxide levels from 1971. MISSOULA Montana Rail Link has furloughed 36 operating employees in the past couple of weeks and the Missoula-based railroad anticipates that number will continue to climb. Volumes down and coal volume is really down. Thats really the main impact right now, MRL spokesman Jim Lewis said Tuesday. The furloughs have been divided almost evenly between Missoula, Helena and Laurel, each with 11 or 12, while two Livingston-based workers are also out of work. Lewis said Missoula is seeing an average of 13 to 15 trains per day, down from an average of 18.1 in January through April 2015. Most of those furloughed are operating locomotive engineers, among MRLs highest paid employees, according to Lewis. MRL president Tom Walsh said the company has tried to avoid furloughs, but poor international market conditions combined with less demand from Pacific Northwest power plants has significantly reduced coal production in the region. Given current and forecasted volumes, we must align our workforce to current workload levels, Walsh said in a statement. "We are hopeful the challenges facing the coal industry will ease in the future. The plummet that started in earnest in early 2015 is far from just a Montana Rail Link conundrum. Railroads across the nation are feeling the springtime pinch after a bleak winter of furloughs. Texas-based Burlington Northern Santa Fe, which conducts the bulk of the rail business in Montana, has temporarily furloughed roughly 4,500 employees, according to spokesman Matt Jones. The railroad announced in February its offering voluntary retirement incentives to workers with 10 or more years of experience in order to reduce the number of furloughed workers. Union Pacific, headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, had reportedly furloughed 4,100 employees across 23 states as of early March, and had put 1,500 locomotives in storage. If coal makes a resurgence, well put people back to work, a UP official said at the time. However, I dont think were going to see any real movement until after the presidential election. Rail volumes fluctuate throughout the year, Lewis said, and at MRL we are hopeful for a strong soybean and corn harvest in the fall that will result in calling back furloughed employees," he said. U.S. railroad coal shipments were down 32.5 percent -- more than 450,000 carloads in the first quarter of 2016. That was after a lackluster 2015 in which carloads dropped nearly 700,000 from the year before. Lewis said MRLs coal shipments are down 35 percent from this point in 2015. Class I railroads had nearly 20,000 fewer employees in April than they did in February 2015, a decrease of more than 11 percent. Montana Rail Link is a Class II regional railroad and a partner of Class I BNSF, with a main line between Sandpoint, Idaho, and Billings. BILLINGS Marketing fees collected from U.S. ranchers are being unconstitutionally spent, according to a Billings-based cattle group suing the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The Ranchers-Cattlemen Action Legal Fund, United Stockgrowers of America, or R-CALF USA, filed a federal lawsuit Monday contending that the beef checkoff fees, a mandatory fee of one dollar per animal collected to promote beef, is being misspent. Last year, ranchers paid $80 million into the checkoff system. The gist of the lawsuit is that the government-collected fee is given to private groups that dont specifically promote U.S beef, but rather beef from anywhere. The practice is offensive to R-CALF members for two reasons, said Bill Bullard, the groups executive. First, R-CALF believes marketing funded by U.S. cattlemen should promote U.S. beef. Second, R-CALF contends its unconstitutional for the government to fund the speech of a private group. We have long complained that the message espoused by checkoff-funded entities has gone astray from our original interests, Bullard said. The marketing practices of the Montana Beef Council serve as lawsuits main exhibit. R-CALF attorneys cite several examples in which the Montana Beef Council produced advertising campaigns promoting beef, but not U.S. beef specifically or beef from Montana. One collaboration with Wendys Hamburgers in Montana offered extra beef patties to customers during a promotional period, but the closest the campaign came to promoting U.S. beef was to say the beef promoted was from North America. R-CALF has long objected to the importing of Canadian and Mexican beef to the United States. The imported beef drives down the price ranchers receive for their cattle, R-CALF argues. Bullard said large meatpackers and their ranch industry ally, the National Cattlemens Beef Association, are promoting a message that beef is beef no matter where its from. In private groups promoting the message, like the Montana Beef Council, NCBA members are well represented. Civil #: 16-000795 Special Execution Community Bank And Trust Company A/K/A Community Bank VS. Paladin Resolutions, LLC; Kelly D. Dennis; Nile E. Watkins-Schoenig; Corrie Cottrell; Getaway Grill & Bar, LLC; Muscatine County Treasurer, Iowa; And All Unknown Parties In Possession As a result of the judgment rendered in the above referenced court case, an execution was issued by the court to the Sheriff of this county. The execution ordered the sale of defendant(s) Real Estate Described Below. To satisfy the judgment. The property to be sold is Commencing at the Northeast Corner of Section 29, in Township 77 North, Range 1 West of the 5th Principal Meridian, in Muscatine County, Iowa; thence South 1551 feet to the Northerly Right-Of-Way line of Highway No. 22, formerly Highway 61; thence North 88 degrees 50 minutes West along said Highway, 2000 feet; thence South 74 degrees 40 minutes West 1345 feet; thence South 88 degrees 8 minutes West 1044 feet; thence South 68 degrees 4 minutes West 415 feet to the point of beginning; thence South 64 degrees 4 minutes West 373.5 feet; thence North 3 degrees 0 minutes West 50 feet; thence North 53 degrees 35 minutes East 362.3 feet; thence North 52 degrees 45 minutes East 164 feet; thence South 36 degrees 41 minutes East 146.5 feet; thence South 64 degrees 4 minutes West 189.7 feet to the place of beginning. Property Address: 2921 Hwy 22 East, Muscatine, IA 52761 The described property will be offered for sale at public auction for cash only as follows: Sale Date: 06/14/2016 Sale Time: 9:30 am Place of Sale: Muscatine County Jail Lobby, 400 Walnut Street, Muscatine This sale not subject to redemption. Property exemption: Certain money or property may be exempt. Contact your attorney promptly to review specific provisions of the law and file appropriate notice, if applicable. Judgment Amount: $243,022.43 Costs: $11,818.04 Accruing Costs: Plus Interest: $12,701.77 Sheriffs Fees: Pending Date: 04/27/2016 Attorney: R. Craig Oppel 115 E. 2nd St. Muscatine, IA 52761 (563)263-1960 C.J. Ryan Muscatine County Sheriff Melissa Hurlbut Civil Deputy MUSCATINE, Iowa Prospective entrepreneurs pitched their ideas for innovative businesses ranging from a doggie daycare to a ride service for busy parents at the 2016 Startup Challenge at the Muscatine History and Industry Center on Tuesday. In the end, it was a plan by Ryan Broderson of Muscatine for a race car photography company called Brody Images that captured the attention of judges at the annual event and brought him first place. This was the fifth year for the Startup Challenge featuring business students from Muscatine Community College. Ten competitors made their pitches to small groups of students in a speed-dating format. The top three vote-getters got a chance to make another quick presentation to a panel of three judges representing the business world. Broderson already is a photographer at several local racetracks. In his presentation, he stressed the value to customers of professional victory lane and action shot photos. Following the announcement that he had won first place, Broderson said Tuesday's event was a valuable experience for him. "It's really good to get advice from people who have experience," he said, noting it's easy to get pulled in by the day-to-day work of running a business. "You still have to have your vision and your bigger goals," he said. Rochelle Fuller took second place with her business plan for Wuppies, "a fun and educational daycare for all types of dogs." With an estimated dog population in Muscatine of more than 5,000, she said there is plenty of room for a business of this type. Taking the third-place award was Rachelle McGowan with her plan for a subscription website offering quick and easy recipes for Midwest game, and a blog where subscribers could ask questions and talk to McGowan, who prides herself on a collection of simple and delicious recipes. Asked what her favorite recipe was, she answered, "Deer tenderloin." Doing the final judging were Joel Youngs, Eastern Iowa SBDC director; Chris Anderson of Neighborhood Marketing; and Rebecca Paulsen, whose webside What's Up Muscatine? was the 2015 winner. Younger complimented all of the competitors and reminded the would-be business entrepreneurs: "To make a living at this, you have to eat, breathe, live and be passionate about it." MCC student Sean Last, Fruitland, who attended the event, said he thought it was a good opportunity for the prospective entrepreneurs to get feedback from others "to help them along." MUSCATINE, Iowa Muscatine High School senior Leonardo Carrillo returned to his roots at Jefferson Elementary School on Wednesday, and said the words that bring a smile to a teacher's face. He is considering becoming a teacher himself. Carrillo was one of 48 seniors to return to their alma mater for the annual Jefferson Elementary Leadership Day. The teachers and students shared lunch and memories in the art room. Its large windows provided a view of the old Jefferson Elementary, the building where the seniors spent their formative years, and which is now undergoing deconstruction prior to being demolished. Scrapbooks of old class photos and newspaper articles about school events were eagerly passed around. "I recognize you!" retired teacher and counselor Becka Jones said to Carillo. While some of the seniors said it was sad to see their former school be reduced to rubble, Carrillo told an assembly of Jefferson students after lunch: "I'm jealous. You guys are lucky." He characterized his years at Jefferson as "the best years of my life," and recounted some important tenets he learned as a Jefferson Bear: "Sharing is caring, and wash your hands regularly." The assembly featured performances from students in all the grades, with themes of leadership and achievement stressed, alternating with speeches from several of the seniors. Jefferson students Jesus Campos, Karsyn Garrison and Anaisa Ocampo served as emcees, while others handed out programs and escorted visitors from Jefferson to the nearby auditorium at Central Middle School. Kindergarten students, dressed up like the people they aspire to be one day, paraded across the stage to applause. Professions they represented ranged from police officers and firefighters to doctors, astronauts, construction workers, even a rock star and movie star. Elisa Calderon, another senior who spoke to the assembly, said she plans to become a teacher and will study at the University of Northern Iowa next year. "I made a lot of friends at Jefferson that I'm still friends with today," she said. "Always try your hardest in school." Senior Kennedy Williams had a similar message: "Keep your friends close." Teacher Janessa Ford said the Leadership Day has an impact on the younger students. "They're seeing that this is a big day at Jefferson," she said. "They're also seeing how much teachers root for the seniors." MHS senior Camila Franco said she came to Jefferson as a youngster not knowing any English, except for one word, "bathroom." She said she is grateful for the help of an English as a Second Language teacher at the school. She plans to attend Kirkwood Community College in Cedar Rapids. Senior Lexus Lopez, who was a Jefferson student from kindergarten through second grade, had this advice for the younger students: "Once you get into high school, expand your horizons on classes. There are lots of classes out there." He also plans to attend Kirkwood. MUSCATINE, Iowa The Fourth annual Muscatine Community School District Race for the Schools - 5K and Muskie Mile fun run will be held on Saturday, May 7 at the Muscatine High School. Several students will be at helping at the race. There will be a special guest appearance by 2016 Miss Muscatine, Kaylee Jones. She is a 2013 graduate of MHS. Oscar Campos, a MHS senior will sing the National Anthem, prior to the start of the race. The FFA students will have the greenhouse open from 8-10 a.m. for the FFA Plant Sale. Jonah Terry, a 2015 MHS graduate, designed the race logo for the shirts while he was a student at MHS. More recently Terry, a Visual Content Producer with Sculpt in Iowa City, designed the race posters. All students are encouraged to get involved. There is a $2 discount for the registration fee for students (Pre-K - College). You are asked to be sure to list the name of your school. This event is designed to promote physical fitness within the community of Muscatine and the Muscatine Community School District. All proceeds from this fundraiser will filter directly back to MCSD students. Funds will be designated to support physical education, student wellness and continuing education scholarships through the Muscatine Community Schools Foundation. Special awards will be presented to the business and MCSD School with the greatest participation. Registration forms are available at each school or you can print a registration form by visiting the Muscatine Running Club website at: http://www.machlink.com/~muscatinerunningclub/ and clicking on the calendar tab. MCSD Race for the Schools is the second race in the Grand Prix Circuit competition in Muscatine. On-line registration is available at: https://secure.getmeregistered.com/RaceForTheSchools. There is still time to register. MUSCATINE, Iowa Ss. Mary and Mathias Catholic School will add grades 6-8 over the next three years, with sixth grade in the 2016-17 school year, seventh in 2017-18, and eighth in 2018-19. Principal Ben Nietzel is looking forward to the change, and hopes it will provide more options for families in Muscatine. Were really excited to have some older kids in the building, and I think itll be an opportunity for those kids to interact and work with some of our younger kids we think itll be really great for the bigger kids and the little kids, Nietzel said. He said he had been planning to eventually add a middle school option. It was something that, when I came here, Ive always wanted to do in the long term, he said. The addition of new grade levels came out of plans the Muscatine Community School District had discussed to place fifth- and sixth-grade students in one building, and seventh- and eighth-grade students in another building. Although the school district has dropped that plan, the initial discussions spurred the Catholic schools investigation into the possibility of adding more grades so students would not have to be integrated into a new school and try to fit in with other students who have already established relationships. They have since backed off that plan, but when they were talking about it, it kind of put us in a tough position, because one of the things that families like about here is that once you get done with fifth grade and then go to middle school, you have all these different elementary kids coming to middle school at the same time, so it isnt like, oh the Catholic kids are here all of a sudden. Everybodys new, Nietzel said. Nietzel said the feedback they received was largely positive, and the addition of grade levels should not be a large challenge because the space is already available, as several classrooms are not utilized during the school day. That was kind of a big point of it, that we didnt have to do any construction so we could do it and not have to worry about all the fixed cost, he said. The additional grade levels will have the same class-size cap as lower grades at 26 students, and Nietzel said there is still space available for anyone who wishes to consider sending their children to the Catholic school for sixth grade next year. We have 14 kids currently in our fifth grade class, and were obviously hoping that most if not all of them will chose to come here for sixth grade, and were opening it up to anybody that wants to come, so weve already had a few families that have contacted us and been interested, he said. The school will continue accepting students until the cap is reached, although Nietzel said admittance is on a first-come, first-serve basis. He also said that collaboration will continue with the Muscatine Community School District, to allow middle school students to participate in sports, as well as arts programs if they feel the students would be provided a better opportunity through the larger school. The Muscatine Community School District has been very gracious with us; weve had a longstanding tradition of working together well, sharing resources, and sharing kids. All of our kids, whether they go through fifth grade here or eighth grade are going to become Muskies in high school, so Id like to thank them. It's always been a beneficial relationship, he said. Nietzel also said that non-Catholic students are always welcome, and currently about 25 percent of students at Ss. Mary and Mathias are not Catholic. "I think there are advantages for non-Catholic families because you know your kid is getting taught religion at school, and if you have a different faith, I encourage you then at the dinner table to say, 'tell me about what you learned today,' and then you can redirect the child to whatever your family beliefs are. So I really think it helps non-Catholic families strengthen their belief a little bit, because theyre going to have those conversations," he said. Nietzel said the school's success is because of the support from the local Catholic community, and he hopes residents will consider the school as an option for their middle school students, and if they have any concerns, asking questions is always free. "I know that cost can be a factor, and we do have some scholarships available. If the religion is the sticking point, it doesnt cost anything or hurt anything to call and have a conversation and if its not for them, that is no problem, but they might find that it's something that theyre interested in," he said. For more information, contact Ss. Mary and Mathias Catholic School at 563-263-3264. MUSCATINE, Iowa The Board of Water, Electric and Communications trustees will meet in special session 11 a.m. Friday at Muscatine Power and Water. A closed session will be held to review an amended wind power purchase agreement. The board is expected to come out of closed session to approve the purchase agreement pending the successful negotiation of the remaining terms of the agreement. MUSCATINE, Iowa Crews with the Muscatine Public Works Department will be out filling potholes this week. But officials want to give the public the chance to let city crews know specific locations that need repair. Residents are asked to submit a request in the "Request Tracker" section of the city's website http://muscatineiowa.gov/requesttracker.aspx. Scroll to the bottom and under "Public Works" select "Pothole". This will prompt you to either log in or create an account before you submit your request. MUSCATINE, Iowa RAGBRAI will end in Muscatine for the sixth time this year, and over 30 residents are working on committees and making plans for the riders to enjoy their entry into Muscatine. Janet Morrow, Director of Membership and Marketing for the Greater Muscatine Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and Ky Cochran, Chair of the Muscatine Hospitality Committee for RAGBRAI, provided updates for residents at an informational community meeting on Tuesday. Morrow said one important reminder for residents is the riders that will be coming to Muscatine before the ride. All of you know that RAGBRAI is coming here on July 30, but what many people dont realize, there will be lots of people coming here on July 22. There will be around 800 campers at the high school, and the Muskie Booster Club is working with us. They leave their cars here, and then they get on a bus and head for the other side of the state, Morrow said. While more visitors are a good thing for Muscatine, Morrow said that more volunteers will be needed. This gives us two opportunities to welcome visitors to our community the Muskie Booster Club has 100 volunteers for parking, camping, food, and showers, and of course well be looking for more, she said. On the 22nd, Morrow said that shuttle services may be offered from the high school to the downtown, but some of the planning and finalization of details is ongoing. It takes a lot of planning; this is collaboration among GMCCI, the City of Muscatine, the Muscatine Convention and Visitors Bureau, and Great River Days, among many others, Morrow said. She said that Great River Days has been working to ensure the success of both events, and will share the Muscatine riverfront with RAGBRAI, and Kerry Keller said that Great River Days will begin at the usual time, 9 a.m., and the main difference this year will be the lack of a parade. As soon as we got the notification that we were going to have RAGBRAI on the same weekend as Great River Days, we sat down and made a plan. Great River Days will be from Cedar Street toward the bridge, and the anchor statue to the playground is going to be RAGBRAI, Morrow said. The current plan, Morrow said, was to bring the riders down Hershey Avenue to Iowa Avenue, down to the river; however, more information will become available as the road closure plans are finalized. The Pearl City Station will serve as an information center. Ky Cochran said that there were many submissions for the theme contest, and currently a kids art contest is ongoing to find young art to help decorate Muscatine. Students from kindergarten through the fifth grade can draw, paint, or sculpt something, they are due by June 3, and the winner will be announced at the June 7 town meeting and we will use the submissions to decorate the town. There will also be a best yard contest, encouraging residents and businesses along the route into town to decorate their yards in the Muscatine theme, Cochran said. T-shirts are for sale for $10 for sizes small through extra-large, and $15 for double and triple XL, and several businesses in downtown will offer discounts for those wearing their RAGBRAI Muscatine t-shirts. Residents have many volunteer opportunities, and Cochran said that she hopes more people will become involved. Residents can host riders, there are a ton of volunteer opportunities, you can greet riders, direct them to where they need to be, give them information, theres stuff to do ahead of the day as well, or help sell t-shirts, she said. Its been fun to watch the number of people whove engaged in this process and all the pieces of this puzzle are coming together, Greg Jenkins, President and CEO of GMCCI, said. For more information or to volunteer, visit www.ragbraimuscatine.com, or www.volunteermuscatine.org. The next RAGBRAI town meeting will be at 6 p.m. June 7, at the Riverview Center, 110 Harbor Dr. MUSCATINE, Iowa A class of Central Middle School students donated bicycle helmets to the Muscatine Police Department on Tuesday. The eighth-grade students carried their helmets from the school, and said the gift was in part because of another project they are working on, collecting bicycles in the community and repairing them. "We're working with East Campus and we're fixing bikes," said Ethan Russell, an eighth-grade student at Central. Mike Sterner, the lead community liaison at East Campus, said the bicycle program began with Holly Hanna and her students as a study of bike libraries. "The initial project was a study on bike libraries and how they have affected work economies and local environment. A bike library is just what it sounds like. It's basically where a group of investors or public entities provides bikes for people to check out, which can promote health in the city, and they were looking at it to become involved in Blue Zones and promote eco-tourism," Sterner said. He said that the bicycle helmets came from Safe Kids of the Greater Des Moines Area, which provides bike helmets and promotes safety, and after working with Safe Kids to take out a grant for 10 helmets for some of the kids at East Campus, they received between 50 and 60 helmets. "We had been looking for ways to put these to use. We didn't want them to go to waste, so we thought this would be a great way to get some helmets out there, provide safety for kids, and foster positive relationships between kids and the Police Department, Fire Department, and community. We felt this was a positive way to get these out to kids in need, as well as a way for the community to bond with the Police Department and Central Middle School," Sterner said. The students at Central Middle School and East Campus and their teachers, including Cara Shepherd and Holly Hanna, have worked together to collect bikes throughout the community and repair them. "Central took on that side of the project, working to make the bikes so that they're in a usable state. It's more for local things, like trying to bring awareness to Blue Zones and bike paths," Sterner said. Cara Shepherd, who teaches at Central, explained that they try to do a service project every month, and the gift of the bike helmets was May's project. "We brought 30-40 helmets for the police to hand out at Hometown Heroes for Safety Day," Shepherd said. Chief of Police Brett Talkington was present to receive the helmets, in addition to School Resource Officer Jeff Conard, and said he and other police officers were grateful for the gift. "We appreciate it. We appreciate what you did," Talkington said. WEST LIBERTY, Iowa The second reading of an ordinance amendment before the West Liberty City Council requiring the West Liberty city manager to live within city limits failed on a 2-2 tie vote Tuesday. West Liberty council member Felicie Simmons was absent, resulting in the tie. "I think our city attorney is correct that we should make those part of personnel policy in the employee handbook," council member Melody Russell said of the requirements. "I think city manager should stay as an ordinance," council member Diane Beranek replied. "It's a different position." Russell agreed the city manager should live within the city limits, but she added the requirement should be specified in the city manager's contract. "It was in his contract, and we saw how far that got," Beranek responded. City Manager Lawrence McNaul lives just outside the city limits. "They should all be in the personnel handbook," council member Joey Iske said. The council voted 4-0 against second readings of ordinance amendments regarding residency requirements for police officers and city employees but instead place the requirements in the handbook. The council also approved on a 4-0 vote the first reading of an ordinance amendment clarifying the filling of unexpired terms for both elected and appointed officials. On a related note, the council approved Beranek's motion on a 4-0 vote to allow a vacancy on the Parks and Recreation Commission to be filled by someone who lives outside city limits, provided the majority of commission members live within the city. SHORT STREET PROJECT The pieces continue falling into place for a planned development on the west side of Wilton. The council accepted the low bid of $129,640 from Triple B Construction of Wilton for the Short Street Utility Extension Project, necessary to extend water, sanitary sewer, and storm sewer service to the new development. City Engineer Leo Foley reported there were six bids for the project, estimated to cost $165,000. Foley said he reviewed the proposal from Alta Vista of Iowa City for the new development. "It looks good," he told the council. "It will reduce the peak flow (of storm water) by two-thirds." The council approved Tax Increment Financing (TIF) procedures to provide Alta Vista with funding for the development over an eight-year period. IN OTHER BUSINESS: The council approved payment of claims totaling $647,290. The council approved a loan and disbursement agreement providing for the issuance of $1,867,000 in Water Revenue Bonds for the second phase of the Water Treatment Plant Improvement Project. In response to the April 22 editorial: "Muscatine code change seems amiss." Former city resident and long-serving city council member, Larry Kemp, was a main contributor responsible for the creation of Muscatines unique and Special Charter from the state. Our charter has always been one of the finest, most well-devised city charters in Iowa, written by one of our own citizens with a masters degree in political science from UNI. As Mr. Kemps former mentee, I would like to point out that our charter, by electing a mayor every two years, allows citizen input more frequently, while allowing a stable, yet rotating council to provide experience and guidance. The mayor is elected with the voice of the people also and that is why the mayor is allowed to recommend appointments to our boards and commissions with the oversight of the council. This is a beautifully balanced system. I adamantly oppose the current proposed code changes. The April 22 editorial suggests that the current proposed code change seems to be an ill-disguised political move to disenfranchise the citizens of Muscatine from having a voice in their government. I think this might be a fair conjecture for how many citizens view this action. Although government jobs are by their very nature, political, the fact remains that in a democracy, the political choice of who should represent the people on our town boards and commissions all the people, not just a select powerful few, should be allowed to be carried out by the peoples elected representatives (mayor included!) and this selection process should be done with balance, transparency and oversight. The popularity of Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders is because of the failure of both political parties to be responsive to the American people. When either party comes to dominate a state or city, that domination most often leads to corruption. One voice does not speak for Muscatine, nor should it, unless we want to go down the road to a corporate fascist state where the rich are the powerful because of corrupt and dishonest practices to control governmental offices. Andrea L. Wilford Muscatine How did it come to this? View Ted Cruz's ups and downs in his bid to get the Republican presidential nomination. Les emplois a Rennes sont abondants et varies. Il y a quelque chose pour tout le monde. Que vous soyez a la recherche dun emploi [] Les blattes ou cafards (Blatta orientalis) sont des insectes qui appartiennent a la famille des Blattoptera. Ils se caracterisent par leur forme allongee, leurs ailes [] MyBroadbands latest broadband survey shows that Telkom is the best mobile broadband service in South Africa. For the survey, MyBroadband partnered with Dr. Liezel Korf to ensure accurate results and high-quality research. The Q2 2016 survey was completed by 4,267 South African broadband subscribers. To avoid duplicate entries and survey manipulation, a unique token system was used where only invited users were allowed to complete the survey. The surveyed users are all part of the MyBroadband community, and are therefore typically IT professionals and tech-savvy individuals. Mobile broadband providers with the most loyal subscribers To test subscribers satisfaction with their broadband service, they were asked one question: How likely is it that you would recommend your current broadband service to a friend or colleague? A 10-point scale was used to rate the likelihood of a user recommending their service where 0 is not at all likely, and 10 is extremely likely. Known as the Net Promoter Score, the results of this question provide a good measure of the loyalty of consumers towards their providers. The table below provides a summary of the results. It should be noted that services marked with an asterisk (*) had a low number of respondents, which can result in less representative figures. Mobile Broadband Services Provider Mean Score Telkom Mobile 7.46 Cell C Mobile 7.00 Vodacom Mobile 6.47 MTN Mobile 5.89 Mobile Broadband ISPs Provider Mean Score MWEB Mobile* 8.67 Axxess Mobile* 8.50 Afrihost Mobile* 7.88 More on mobile broadband The best 10GB mobile data deal in South Africa Vodacom, Cell C and Telkom ditch consumer protection ombudsman Mobile operators tested: Best and worst email support Nkosana Makate has won a prolonged legal battle against Vodacom over his Please Call Me idea, which made the mobile operator billions of rand. The Constitutional Court recently ordered Vodacom to negotiate with Makate in good faith to determine reasonable compensation for his idea. Vodacom has been given one month to do so. Makate is asking for 15c of every rand of revenue that the Please Call Me generated, which amounts to around R10.5 billion. In an interview with eNCA following his victory, Makate explained how he came up with the idea for the Please Call Me service. The concept came about with my battles with my girlfriend, who is now my wife, said Makate. I did not understand whether she does not call me because she does not have airtime, or whether she does not call me because she does not want to call me. I had to make sure that I guarantee calls, or the initiation of calls coming from her, and that is how the penny dropped, he said. More on Vodacoms Please Call Me Con Court slams Vodacom over false Please Call Me story Massive victory for Please Call Me idea-man against Vodacom Vodacom Please Call Me case: the inside story Italian energy company TerniEnergia recently completed its newest giant solar power plant in South Africa, the 82.5MW Paleisheuwel photovoltaic park in the Western Cape. According to a report by TimesLive, the plant will produce 153GWh per year enough to power 48000 households once it reaches optimal operation. The Paleisheuwel plant is spread over 240 hectares, includes 611,000 PV panels, and has been connected to the Eskom grid. TerniEnergia supplied the solar modules and inverters for the project, and will provide operations and maintenance support for the plants 25-year life cycle. The images of the Paleisheuwel plant were provided by TerniEnergia. More energy news Hydrogen fuel cells in South Africa R340 billion to finish Eskoms power station build plan Postal services in South Africa risk being disrupted later this week as a union says nationwide strike action is going ahead. The Communication Workers Union (CWU) last week threatened to strike on May 5-6 to demand higher annual pay rises for South African Post Office (Sapo) staff. CWU is also calling for the conversion of casual Sapo workers to permanent employees. Its happening and were having a press conference in the morning (Thursday, May 5), CWU president Clyde Mervin told Fin24 by phone on Wednesday morning. Mervin further said the strike will be nationwide while marches against Sapo are expected to happen on Friday. During the last week, discussions between Sapo and CWU to try and avert the strike have not taken place, Mervin told Fin24. But Mervin said the Sapo board want to have a meeting with CWU on Wednesday. Theyve just called us but were waiting for a confirmation, Mervin told Fin24. Meanwhile, Sapo said it has received notice of a planned stay-away on May 5-6 but that it doesnt expect postal services to be disrupted. Our contingency plans to deal with service interruptions are being activated and we do not expect a substantial impact on delivery standards, said Sapo CEO Mark Barnes in a statement. We do not expect service at Post Office outlets to be affected either, Barnes said. Barnes said hes also communicated with all our employees regarding labour issues. Last week, Barnes told Fin24 that the planned CWU strike risks impacting Sapos capital raising efforts. After recording a 2015 loss of R1.5bn, Sapo has this year raised R1.8bn from the likes of banks to help with its turnaround. Sapo has a target of raising R2.7bn in capital in addition to the R650m cash injection it received from government earlier this year. The Post Office has started recovering in terms of service standards and is in the process of making financial improvements as well, Barnes said in his statement on Wednesday. The company needs funding to address the concerns of its employees, so a strike at this time which will jeopardise current funding arrangements will not help to address workers issues, Barnes added. Sapo is also continuing to engage with all trade unions on matters that affect employees, Barnes said. Fin24 More on the SA Post Office 5 cool services which the South African Post Office offers right now How the SA Post Office makes its money Media freedom in South Africa is not declining, says Communications Minister Faith Muthambi, marking International Press Freedom Day. Still fresh from marking the 22nd anniversary of freedom, Minister Muthambi said South Africa is still blessed with a free press, where the safety of journalists is guaranteed. As we mark International Press Freedom Day, we want to proudly inform the world that in our country, we are enjoying a complete free press, where journalists report without fear or favour. There is no journalist who is in jail for doing his/her work and as government, we want to reiterate that we will continue to defend and promote media freedom, she said on Tuesday. World Press Freedom Day was proclaimed by the UN General Assembly in December 1993, following the recommendation of UNESCOs General Conference. Since then, 3 May, the anniversary of the Declaration of Windhoek is celebrated worldwide as World Press Freedom Day. It is an opportunity to celebrate the fundamental principles of press freedom; assess the state of press freedom throughout the world; defend the media from attacks on their independence; and pay tribute to journalists who have lost their lives in the line of duty. Minister Muthambi said pre-1994 the broadcasting system was characterised by inequality of access, language, cultural and educational programming and lack of diversity and choice in services and in programmes. Media freedom is my rightmedia freedom is your rightmedia freedom is for all of us, therefore, all of us have a responsibility to defend media freedom and editorial independence from any form of compulsion, be it political, economic or commercial. However, she said the media should understand that freedom of expression means that there should be objective reporting and analysis which is not coloured by prejudice and self-interest. The media should also understand that freedom of expression means that we should all try to ensure diversity: diversity of content, diversity of sources of information, diversity of ownership and diversity of outlook and responses in our advertising industry, she said. South Africa produced a progressive Constitution which guarantees freedom and rights. This includes freedom of the media, expression, association, assembly, artistic creativity, academic freedom and freedom of scientific research. These freedoms are however not absolute. The Constitution adds that these rights do not extend to propaganda for war, incitement of imminent violence or the propagation of hatred based on race, ethnicity, gender or religion. Minister Muthambi said the best journalists recognise their role as servants of the people, singling out sloppy or inaccurate reporting as one of the challenges facing the media industry in the country. As government, we dont expect the media to accept information at a face value, our view is that journalists should always strive to write accurate and well balanced stories. In a democratic environment like ours, where we are not yet a cohesive nation, we dont expect the media to write stories that seek to promote hatred amongst citizensbut we need stories that are like a glue that defines and unite South Africans, she said. Minister Muthambi also urged journalists not to use their profession for selfish ends, but to use it to improve the lives of other people. We understand that journalists, cannot always guarantee the truth in their stories, but we expect them to earn our trust by getting the facts right. Journalists must be independent voices; should not act, formally or informally, on behalf of special interests whether political, corporate or cultural, she said. Broadcasting Amendment Bill, 2015 Minister Muthambi said the proposed amendments to the Broadcasting Act tabled by government are in line with the vision of ensuring universal access to broadcasting services in the country. The proposed amendments to the Broadcasting Act which weve tabled as government are in line with our vision of ensuring universal access to broadcasting services in South Africa. The proposed changes will strengthen the SABC and better allow it to fulfil its public broadcasting service mandate. Another good news is that the proposed changes in the Bill seeks to ensure that the Board of the Corporation is composed of persons with a range of skills and expertise required to ensure optimal operational efficiency, so that the Corporation is not left behind in the digital era, she said. SANews More on communications We dont want to control the Internet: Faith Muthambi Get rid of Muthambi, digital migration is going nowhere: DA Fb/Kabando wa Kabando On Kibakis first visit to Meru as President (2005) I was invited to join tour by my longterm friend Hon. Dr. Kilemi Mwiria- I introduced myself to Mama, first humbly offering her out typically Nyeri greetings wakia Maitu?, she aptly replied wakia Awa. I told her am nephew to Mary Kanaiya. She got instantly interested, held my hand and we conversed though very briefly. The said auntie (Mums elder sister) is married to Mama Lucys first cousin Muigua Kanaiya. That encounter remains nostalgic. True to stories my auntie told me 89/90, Mama remained tuned to details of good old days. Fare Thee Well Great Daughter of Mukurweini. April 2006 @ Muhito PCEA church where her Dad pastor Kagai served, as I joined the line to escort one of the Guests Mr. Wanjohi Wachiuri of Sarova PanAfric as I gave my donation, Mama held my hand and asked the congregation Do you know him? Do you know Kabando wa Kabando? He is not from far. He is from just here. He had his party called Safina but now Mzee has given him a big Job in Nairobi Water. Definitely, that introduction was very very significant. She made my day. She gave Sh600,000 from her family. The Tuesday announcement of Mama Lucys passing on got me at the very Church, from where media got me to air Mukurweini peoples condolences, then quietly searched for her kin who were inside church too to also speak. Fare Thee Well Daughter of Pioneering African Presbyterian Pastor. October 2006 @ Nairobi Trade Fair (ASK show), as Chairman Nairobi Water I took President Kibaki & Mama Lucy on a tour of our Award-winning stand. As I explained NWSCs successes in city billing and utility supply, Her Excellency pointedly asked me: Even Bahati area you have done this?. I said yes amidst her golden smile. Evidently, she was keen to know if her original residence where some of her Mukurweini family now stayed enjoyed the triumphs. As I received the Award moments later, I knew Mama was happiest. Fare Thee Well Mother of a Big Family. September 2007, Her Excellency Mama Lucy accompanied H.E President Kibaki to a full day visit to launch Mukurweini-Muranga road. I always recall she spoke last, imploring leaders not to forsake orphans, destitute,the poor. .Kenyans, are you listening?..If anyone has gone to stay with the rich and forgotten the poor, it is time to change. After the rally, all tongues were wagging about her compassionate heart and what a great mother to all she was. Pointedly, Mama Lucy always cut off the block of officialdom to address basic humanitarian issues. Every and any time I would meet Mzee Kibaki, I unfailingly requested him to say hello to Maitu, the last being 23rd May 2015 @ Sr. Nyaatha beautification. Fare Thee Well Woman of a Philanthropic Heart. A month ago, on Ralph Bunche road my driver spotted humble daughter daughter Judy Kibaki walking freely. Given the showy and pushy ways of our prominent personalities driving on the wrong lanes, he was shocked that Kibakis very daughter was walking free. I slid down my car window to say hello, enquire how is mum? and to pass my best wishes. Softly as always, Judy respectfully updated. My driver to-date cant believe that is Kibakis daughter. Of course having served many VIPs he knows our untouchable ways. Those who have interacted with Mama Lucy Kibakis children will easily agree that they are all very humble, unassuming. Last born Tony Githinji very succinctly exemplifies this family humility. Fare Thee Well our Motherly Mentor. Months after he underwent a successful brain surgery to remove a cancerous growth in his brain, cancer warrior Emmanuel Otieno popularly known as Jadudi, has been diagnosed with another brain tumour. Africa Cancer Foundation Chief Executive Officer Zawadi Nyongo, broke the sad news on twitter after speaking to Jadudi who had gone back to India for his first medical review since his surgery in August 2015. Nyongo added that Jadudi was undergoing several tests, including the electroencephalogram (EEG), which is used to detect abnormalities related to the electrical activity of the brain. In August last year, thousands of Kenyans came together in a social media campaign dubbed #1MiliForJadudi in which Sh6 Million was raised in 28 hours, surpassing the target of Sh1 Million. The money enabled Jadudi, who had Grade III Ependymoma to fly to Chennai, India where he underwent a four-hour brain surgery at Apollo Hospital. In a blog post titled, JADUDI, ANOTHER BRAIN TUMOR!, Zawadi Nyongo reveals how she received the bad news on Whatsapp. She writes, 6 days ago, I wished Jadudi a safe and successful trip and shared the news on Twitter andInstagram that he was returning to India for his first medical review since his fourth brain surgery in August last year. Several people sent messages of support and we were all optimistic. Jadudi was supposed to be gone for two weeks, but he said he was not really looking forward to the trip, and hoped he would be done and back home within a week. Then three days ago, as I was preparing to go for Kenyas historical Ivory burn, I received these messages from him: I lived in the streets for more than eight years after my father chased me and my six siblings away from home. I used to sleep around Globe Cinema area together with other street boys. As a street boy I used to do all manner of things from helping people park their vehicles to snatching and stealing side mirrors. One afternoon while lazing around Globe Cinema with ten of my fellow street boys we had gunshots. We rushed to the scene to find a butcher from Ngara area shot dead. I was so high on all manner of things from glue, bang and kichuri (crack cocaine) that I never noticed the television camera rolling before me. I just heard the question that was shot at me: what happened. Its my explanation in street parlance that captivated many. I said uyo sio mwizi, anauzaga nyama pare ngara. Sasa amekutiriwa akikojoa. Akaona atawagojea. Akatoka bio. Akauriwa na akaekerewa bonoko. The phrase became so popular that a certain DJ made it into music. It also became a popular phone ringtone. Kenyans fell in love with the word bonoko (fake gun) which eventually became my nick name. That is how I ended up being called in Ghetto Radio for an interview. A lot of people called in during and after the interview asking about me. Later on I was called in as a co-presenter in the popular afternoon show called Goteana. I now have my own house and I no longer sleep in the streets. I also have a car and I am building my mother a house in Banana. As a way of giving back to the community, I visit a childrens home every week. To accomplish this, I usually set aside sh20,000 from my salary every month. Last Christmas I shared a meal with more than 2000 street children in Uhuru Park, where we cooked and ate together. I have also opened several car washes for some of my former colleagues in the streets besides renting others houses. My vision is to build a street children rehabilitation centre where these homeless people will get at least a meal everyday and a place to spend the night. The facility will also have a rehabilitation section since most of these street people are addicted to glue, bang and other drugs Source Spirits of Nairobi STUTTGART, Germany U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter blasted what the U.S. and its allies see as Russian aggression in Europe, saying Tuesday that Moscow is "going backward in time" with warlike actions that compel an American military buildup on NATO's eastern flank. "We do not seek to make Russia an enemy," Carter said at a ceremony to install a new head of the military's U.S. European Command and top NATO commander in Europe. "But make no mistake: We will defend our allies, the rules-based international order, and the positive future it affords us," he said. Carter's remarks reflect U.S. aggravation with Moscow on multiple fronts, including its intervention in eastern Ukraine, its annexation of Crimea in 2014 and what Carter called Russian efforts to intimidate its Baltic neighbors countries the United States is treaty-bound to defend because they are NATO members. Carter said the "most disturbing" Russian rhetoric was about using nuclear weapons. "Moscow's nuclear saber-rattling raises troubling questions about Russia's leaders' commitment to strategic stability, their respect for norms against the use of nuclear weapons, and whether they respect the profound caution that nuclear-age leaders showed with regard to brandishing nuclear weapons," he said. The end of the Cold War with the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 was thought to have virtually ended the prospect of nuclear conflict with Moscow. But the speeches at Tuesday's change-of-command ceremony emphasized the possibility of history repeating itself, or at least ending a period of warmer U.S.-Russian relations. Senior White House officials said the U.S. and its partners were shifting into a new phase focused on military deterrence to Moscow. Additional NATO forces that will rotate through countries on Russia's eastern flank will be enough to defend NATO countries if Russia were to attack, said the officials, who requested anonymity to discuss internal deliberations. To that end, the U.S. plans to add a third U.S. Army combat brigade in Europe in the coming year as part of a $3.4 billion initiative, Carter said. On Monday, he said NATO is considering establishing a continuous rotation of up to 4,000 troops in the Baltic states and possibly Poland. That force, which could include some U.S. troops, is among options expected to be considered at a NATO defense meeting in June. U.S. officials said they were encouraging other NATO members to commit troops to the force as well. But U.S. attempts to control or direct Russia haven't fared well. The U.S has been unable to end Russia's occupation of parts of Ukraine and support for separatist rebels. And Washington is desperately seeking Moscow's help to enforce a cease-fire in Syria between the Russian-backed government and Western-supported rebels, and eventually usher President Bashar Assad out of power. On both fronts, the United States has been running into brick walls with the Russians. U.S. officials said that they had "explicitly compartmentalized" the various issues the U.S. is discussing with Russia. Yet it's unlikely that Russia's government sees it that way. The U.S. and NATO have sought to avoid provoking Moscow more than necessary, such as opting against opening new bases or permanently stationing troops in the Baltic countries. The Kremlin has raised concerns that permanent basing would violate a 1997 NATO-Russia agreement that prohibits permanent basing "in the current and foreseeable security environment," and senior U.S. officials said that NATO had decided to abide by those provisions. Carter said he regretted the deterioration in relations with Moscow. "We haven't had to prioritize deterrence on NATO's eastern flank for the past 25 years, but while I wish it were otherwise, now we have to," he said at an outdoor ceremony, speaking from a podium framed by birch trees and drenched in sunshine. Carter emphasized his hope that Russia will abandon what he called its confrontational approach. "The United States will continue to hold out the possibility that Russia will assume the role of a constructive partner moving forward, not isolated and going backward in time as it appears to be today," he said. "Much of the progress we've made together since the end of the Cold War, we accomplished with Russia. Let me repeat that. Not in spite of Russia, not against Russia, not without Russia, but with it." Carter made no mention of two post-Cold War developments that many believe prompted, at least in part, Russia's turn away from the West, namely, the expansion of NATO to Russia's very doorstep and U.S. placement of missile defenses in Europe. "We'll keep the door open for Russia," he said. But it's up to the Kremlin to decide." Army Gen. Curtis "Mike" Scaparrotti was installed Tuesday as head of U.S. European Command and the top NATO commander in Europe. Scaparrotti most recently commanded U.S. and allied troops in South Korea and has commanded troops in Afghanistan. He succeeds Air Force Gen. Philip Breedlove, who has pointedly and repeatedly warned that NATO must better prepare for an adversarial relationship with Russia. OAKLAND The attorney for a California medical marijuana dispensary billed as the nation's largest says federal prosecutors are stopping a nearly four-year effort to seize the dispensary's property. Henry Wykowski, the attorney for Harborside Health Center in Oakland, said Tuesday that prosecutors agreed last week to drop their civil forfeiture case against Harborside. Wykowski said prosecutors did not explain why. He said the paperwork still has to be filed with the court, which he expected would happen this week. Abraham Simmons, a spokesman for the U.S. Attorney's Office in Northern California, said the office had no comment. The federal government's decision to end the case against Harborside would be the second time in recent months it has backed off a California medical marijuana dispensary. Stepping away from the tried-and-true wines from their portfolios, the Davies family introduced their inaugural vintage of a wine that may not be made every year, their J. Davies Jamie Cabernet Sauvignon. During an exclusive unveiling of Jamie, a 2012 vintage, on April 25 to industry trade such as restaurant and wine store wine buyers Jamie seemed to enter as if she were Audrey Hepburn wearing pearls and silk stockings. The 325-case estate wine grown on Diamond Mountain was an experiment of sorts, said Sean Thompson, senior winemaker for J. Davies and Schramsberg labels, one that included taking a dozen of the best barrels of cabernet sauvignon from the 2012 vintage and setting them aside for the Jamie label. They have wanted for a while to see how a 100 percent cabernet sauvignon would turn out. Other J. Davies cabernet sauvignons are blended with small amounts of other varietals such as malbec or petit verdot, and Jamie is their first venture with only cabernet sauvignon, Thompson said. Every vintage may not lend itself to a Jamie, he said, but since 2012 was a superior vintage it seemed like a good time to try. One barrel of the 2012 was held for further barrel aging to see how extra time in oak changes the complexity of the wine. The Wine Advocate wrote in October 2014 that the wine, which was bottled in January 2015, was stunning with floral notes mixed with creme de cassis and minerals that dominate this full-bodied, beautifully etched wine with supple, silky tannins and layered, rich fruit that build incrementally to a full-bodied opulent, but stunningly pure and complex wine, adding that the wine should drink well for 15 to 20 years. The Connoisseurs Guide to California Wine wrote in April 2016, Even if young, it shows a sense of refinement that is likely to encourage early drinking, yet it has plenty of potential for very positive long-term growth and merits a place in the cellar. The grapes for the wine come from vineyard blocks on the Schramsberg property in the Diamond Mountain AVA. Totaling 41 acres, the blocks are laid out in three isolated pockets ranging from 500 to 1,000 feet in elevation. They are flanked by two cool creek canyons and surrounded by dense coniferous and deciduous forests. Two of the blocks are Napa Valleys first hillside vineyards originally established by Jacob Schram. Not far from the blocks is Jack and Jamies Grove, where the industry tasting was held last week. Jamie is named for Hugh Davies mother, who along with his father, Jack Davies, resurrected the old Schramsberg property beginning in 1965 with the vision of creating an American sparkling wine house. Schramsberg is known for, among many things, being the first American wine served at any White House or State event at home or abroad. In 1972 a Schramsberg Blanc de Blanc was served at the Toast to Peace hosted by President Richard Nixon for the Premier Zhou En-lai in Beijing. The J. Davies still wines would come several years later. The first vintage of J. Davies still wine, a 2001 cabernet sauvignon, was released in 2004. The exclusive Jamie will be sold in three-packs to restaurants and other distributors, and at the winery for $200 per bottle, or $170 to wine club members. Schramsberg/J. Davies is located at 1400 Schramsberg Road, off Highway 29. For information call 942-6668. April 23 12:30 a.m.: While on routine patrol, an officer located three subjects on First Street near Washington Street. All three subjects appeared to have been drinking. Officers assisted the subjects in returning home for the evening. 12:53 a.m.: Officers and fire department personnel responded to an alarm call in the 100 block of Jasmine Lane. The residence was secured and the alarm was reset. 2:13 a.m.: While on routine patrol, an officer located a window left open at a local business in the 1400 block of Lincoln Avenue. Upon further inspection, officers discovered the business owner was doing some late-night cleaning. 3:21 a.m.: Officers responded for a disturbance in the 1300 block of Fair Way. Officers located two subjects who were involved in a physical altercation. Both parties were taken into custody for suspicion of assault and related charges. 5:20 a.m.: Officers responded for an alarm call in the 1500 block of Foothill Boulevard. The building was found to be secure and the alarm was reset. 6:37 a.m.: Officers responded for a report of a noninjury accident on Foothill Boulevard near Cedar Street. Officers confirmed no injuries were involved and cleared the roadway. 11:09 a.m.: Officers responded to the 1700 block of Washington Street to assist in checking the welfare of a resident who had not spoken to family members in a few days. The resident was fine and it appeared to be a simple miscommunication between the family members. 12:20 p.m.: Officers responded to a report of a vehicle illegally parked in a handicapped spot at Cal Mart. Officers located a vehicle that matched the description, however it did have the proper placard to park in the restricted zone. 5:49 p.m.: Officers responded to the 1200 block of Lincoln for a female subject yelling profanities. Officers confirmed this is the same subject who has been in and out of town for several weeks. Due to the nature of the situation, it has been a slow process getting services to assist this particular subject. 6:52 p.m.: Fire, EMS and officers responded to the 1800 block of Lincoln Avenue for a medical call. Officers located the subject, medical personnel evaluated the subject and they were transported to a local hospital. 7:27 p.m.: Officers responded for a large party in the 1100 block of Spring Street. Officers contacted the residents, advised them of the noise issue and had them turn the music down. 11:40 p.m.: Officers received a report of a possibly intoxicated subject driving on Highway 29 near Dunaweal Lane. Officers located the vehicle on Foothill and initiated a traffic stop on Petrified Forest Road. The driver was determined not to be intoxicated and officers cleared the traffic stop. April 24 7:39 a.m.: Officers responded to assist a visitor who left their wallet at a local business on Lincoln Avenue. Officers contacted the business and recovered the wallet in time for the visitors flight home. 8:17 a.m.: Officers responded to the 60 block of Lerner Drive for a sewer drainage issue. Officers located the problem and contacted Public Works. Public Works resolved the problem. 12:41 p.m.: Fire, EMS and officers responded to the 800 block of Champagne North for a medical call. The involved subject was contacted, evaluated and declined transport. 7:40 p.m.: Officers responded to check the welfare of a citizen in the 1200 block of Willow Street. Unfortunately, officers discovered the subject had passed away. Officers remained at the residence until family members could be contacted. 9:17 p.m.: Calistoga Police Officers responded to assist Napa County Sheriff Deputies with a disturbance call on Old Lawley Toll Road. Officers remained on-site until deputies were able to resolve the situation. April 25 12:58 a.m.: Fire, EMS and officers responded for a medical call in the 2400 block of Foothill Boulevard. The subject was evaluated by medical personnel and declined transport. 8:08 a.m.: Fire, EMS and officers responded to assist a subject in the 100 block of Jasmine. The subject was evaluated by medical personnel and declined transport. 11:17 a.m.: Officers responded to check the welfare of a resident in the 100 block of Jasmine. The subject from earlier was contacted, their alarm was reset and officers secured the residence. 11:43 a.m.: A local citizen came into the Calistoga Police Department to report they had received an IRS scam phone call. If you receive a phone call from someone claiming to be from the IRS, do not give out any information. Hang up immediately and report the incident to the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration by phone at 800-366-4484. You can also report the call to the TIGTA online at IRS.gov. (Look for the Phishing and Tax Scams link.) 4:48 p.m.: Officers responded to the 1800 block of Michael Way for a reported scam that occurred over Craigslist. Citizens are urged to be extremely careful with releasing any personal information when responding to online advertisements. April 26 7:28 a.m.: Fire, EMS and officers responded to a medical call in the 100 block of Jasmine. The subject was contacted and transported to an area hospital. 4:02 p.m.: Officers received a report of a chihuahua running in and out of traffic in the 1300 block of Lincoln Avenue. Officers checked Lincoln Avenue, but the chihuahua remained at-large. (Can a chihuahua really remain at-large?) 7:01 p.m.: Calistoga Police officers responded to assist Fish and Wildlife Officers on a traffic stop. Calistoga officers remained on scene until Fish and Wildlife completed their traffic stop. April 27 1:56 p.m.: Officers received a report of a vehicle leaking some sort of substance in the 1400 block of Lincoln Avenue. Officers and fire personnel located the vehicle and assisted in getting it to a repair facility. 6:49 p.m.: Officers responded to the 1400 block of North Oak Street for a verbal dispute over a parking spot. Officers were unable to locate any parking issues or subjects arguing over a parking spot. 9:00 p.m.: Officers responded out to Third Street to assist with a landlord/tenant issue. Upon arrival, it appeared the tenant was no longer present, so officers contacted the landlord. 11:39 p.m.: Officers responded back to Third Street, as it appeared the tenant had returned. The situation turned out to be a civil matter and both parties were referred to Fair Housing of Napa Valley. April 28 3:04 a.m.: Officers responded for a report of an assault that occurred behind a business on Lincoln Avenue. Officers located the victim who had apparently been involved in a fight. A report was taken and officers were investigating. 7:14 a.m.: Officers received a report of a possible hazard in the 1300 block of Lincoln. A tree branch was reported down in the roadway. It did not appear to be blocking the lane, just a parking spot on Lincoln Avenue. The tree branch was removed from the area. 12:20 p.m.: Officers responded to View Road for a report of a gunshot heard in the area. Upon arrival, officers contacted another resident who confirmed it was a vehicle backfiring. 1:45 p.m.: A citizen came into the Calistoga Police Department to turn in an iPhone that had been found at the Community Center. The cellphone owner was located and recovered their iPhone. 4:29 p.m.: Another resident reported receiving an IRS scam phone call. The Calistoga Police Department wishes to remind citizens that the IRS will never call and demand immediate payment, nor will they threaten to contact a local police department to have you arrested. 6:22 p.m.: Officers responded for a report of a disturbance on Lincoln Avenue at Silverado Trail. Several subjects appeared to be fighting. Officers arrived on scene and found a group of subjects loitering in the area. The subjects denied any sort of fight had occurred. 9:21 p.m.: Officers responded to a report of a loud party on Lake Street. Officers confirmed there had been a large group, however the party was dispersing as officers arrived on scene. April 29 6:29 a.m.: Calistoga Police officers responded to assist California Highway Patrol with a hit-and-run accident on Highway 29 and Tubbs Lane. Officers remained on scene to assist CHP with traffic control and to search for a suspect. CHP currently has a suspect and is investigating the accident. 9:17 a.m.: Employees turned in a wallet that had been left at a business in the 1300 block of Lincoln Avenue. The owner was located and responded to Calistoga Police Department to identify the wallet. 1:54 p.m.: Calistoga Police Department received a call reporting a dog locked in a vehicle in the 1400 block of Lincoln Avenue. While talking to the caller, the owner of the dog returned and left the scene. Please be aware that your vehicle can get very hot while locked and sitting in the sun. 2:28 p.m.: Officers responded to Cal Mart for a verbal dispute. The involved parties were contacted, confirmed it was verbal only and were counseled by officers. 3:40 p.m.: Community Service Officers were out around town tagging abandoned vehicles. Vehicles on Foothill Boulevard, First, Filmore and Stevenson streets were cited. 5:15 p.m.: Officers responded to the 1300 block of Washington for a subject yelling profanities. Officers located the transient subject who has been in and out of town over the last several weeks. Officers were able to confirm that the subject is in contact with services in Napa and is working on getting assistance. 5:44 p.m.: A citizen reported to Calistoga Police Department that their German shepherd had gotten lost earlier in the day. Please notify Calistoga Police Department if you see a German shepherd running loose. 9:16 p.m.: Officers responded for a major accident in the 1400 block of Washington Street. Several vehicles were involved. There was one fatality involved, no other injuries, and the accident is currently under investigation. William Hamilton, who grew up in St. Helena, died as the result of a car crash in Lexington, Kentucky on April 8. He was 76. Hamilton was known to readers of The New Yorker magazine as a satirical cartoonist who poked fun at high society, the corporate boardrooms and the ultra-rich. But to St. Helenans who remembered him from their childhoods, he was fun, generous and witty. His sister, artist Diana Stockton, remembered growing up on the family ranch at a time when St. Helena was smaller and more rural. He was always roaming around in the creeks and hills, she recalled recently. Back then, he would often bring home the cats and dogs that had been abandoned or lost. Lowell Young, retired St. Helena High School teacher, said he remembered Hamilton from the 1950s. Back then, everybody knew everyone, he said. So, of course, I knew William. But then he was sent away to high school and we seldom crossed paths afterwards. He came from a different social circle but back then in a small town it didnt seem to make much difference to kids. Perhaps, his sister Diana said, it was the difference in social circles and early childhood experiences that fueled Hamiltons gentle satire of the upper crust of society. He started submitting cartoons to publications at age 12, receiving his first rejection from the Saturday Evening Post, according to Stockton. Hamilton was born in Palo Alto in 1939 to Alexander Hamilton and the former Ellen Ballentine. He grew up on the family estate called Ethelwild in St. Helena, but went away to attend Phillips Academy in Andover, Massachusetts in the ninth grade. There, he studied alongside many students from wealthy families. In a 2005 article A Cartoonist with a Knack for Social Criticism, printed in the New York Sun, Hamilton said, Ive had this bifurcated life, between upper and lower ... I spent my first 10 years in a Napa Valley, which had not been gentrified. It was a blue-collar world. Then I went to Andover where everybodys father was the president of the Ford Company or the president of the United States, and I had this huge adjustment. There had been people (in St. Helena) Id been to school with who were just as smart as these guys, who were going to wind up clerks and carpenters. I felt guilty for a little while. I felt out of place in both places, which was an ideal experience for going into the arts. He continued to draw cartoons while attending Andover and Yale University, and sold his first piece to The New Yorker in 1965. He continued to publish in The New Yorker regularly for 51 years until his death. Hamiltons highly recognizable style caught the characters of his subjects in revealing moments of social snobbery. One typical New Yorker cartoon depicted a man at restaurant chiding his wife, What is it this time? My maleness? My Anglo-Saxoness? My Princetoness? According to Stockton, Hamilton and his wife, Lucy, had a second home in St. Helena, though his main residence remained in Lexington, Lucys hometown. Stockton said he seemed to be returning to his roots, to a place that he still loved, even though it had changed substantially. He enjoyed going into Vasconi Drugs to see Hap and Patty Vasconi, two people he remembered well from his childhood school days, she said. In addition to his work as a cartoonist, Hamilton was also the published author of three novels and four plays. He is survived by his wife, Lucy Young Hamilton; his son, Gilliam; his daughter, Alexandra; his sister, Diana Stockton; his brother, Alexander; and two grandchildren. The Napa Police retrieved several boxes of stolen treats and returned them to their rightful owners this week. Snack Shacks at River and Harvest middle schools were broken into on Monday morning. Blurry surveillance photos showed a person on a bike with a trailer. Copies of the photos were distributed to officers. Garred Privett, 26, of Napa was contacted by an officer at First Street and California Boulevard. He was riding a mountain bike that was pulling a trailer. Police said that Privett was shown the surveillance photos and admitted that he was in the pictures, police said. He said that he had just spray-painted his bike to disguise it, police said. Privett told officers that he broke into the school because he was hungry and looking for food. He took officers to his house and returned the stolen property to them, police said. Police said that the investigation is ongoing and that possible burglary charges will be filed with the District Attorney's Office. On April 21, the Napa City Planning Commission voted unanimously to approve a 21,500 square-foot building at the comer of Main and Clinton streets. That may not seem like a significant thing when you first hear it, but the harm to that entire area will be significant. This building would be built with no setback, no parking, and above the approved height limit. At the first hearing, the planning department said there is a problem with parking and projected it to get even worse. They requested a delay for a study that would show what is needed before approval. The problem is the study has some facts, but also some major flaws. The city is proposing to not only allow this building to be built with no parking, but they are also planning to convert the entire block to parking-exempt. St. John's Catholic Church and school across the street would be greatly impacted. Over a five-day period, I talked with about 50 residents and businesses in the area. Everyone I talked with expressed concern about the current parking situation, and none seemed to know about the commission hearing and what was being proposed. The lot that will be used for the building is now a parking lot for about 20 cars and will be lost. They are saying that the new building will need only 57 parking spaces, (which is an understatement), and the entire block, when developed, will need only 129. That doesn't seem right. The study did say that parking lots are unattractive, but seems to leave out the number of cars that come for the special events, such as BottleRock, film festivals, parades, concerts, and many others. I love Napa and am not anti-business or events, but we have some major complicated problems that seem to be washed under the table with flawed or incomplete studies or a lack of concern for the impact they will have on the residents and businesses that are here. We are hearing we will build parking lots, but lets be realistic. Taxpayers pay the largest percentage while developers pay a small percentage of the real costs and they are unattractive. The top floor of the Pearl Street Garage was sold to the Andaz hotel for a fraction of the cost to build and maintain. When calculating the cost of a parking space, the true costs should include land value and funds that could be used for other important things. Imagine the problem when other hotels, town center, and other buildings are completed! How many parking lots will be needed? The problem is not just in this one area. The city can, and is, requiring only one parking space for a one-bedroom apartment, but there are usually at least two or more and the large number of tourists has put an even greater strain on parking. Part of the problem is that the process for approval is broken. Applicants have deep pockets, time to convince decision makers, and unlimited time to talk at the hearings, while opponents have only three minutes -- if they even know about it. There are many issues here that will greatly impact the future of Napa, but I think my greatest concern is that of the 50 or so people I talked with who expressed great concerns about parking, only a couple attended the commission meeting. If you are really concerned, let the City Council know how you feel. And someone needs to appeal this decision before that entire area is destroyed. Attend meetings, write letters, and speak up to help government be responsible to our needs. Harris Nussbaum Napa After getting an earful from passionate supporters and detractors of rent control Tuesday night, the Santa Rosa City Council ordered city staff members to bring back a rent control ordinance that caps rent increases for older apartments at 3 percent annually and protects renters from unfair evictions. The move, which likely will face a challenge at the ballot box, came late Tuesday after more than four hours of public testimony and in the wake of speculation that the council has been learning toward implementing the controversial policy for months. As expected, the council split 4-3 on the issue. The majority did not have the five votes necessarily to impose an immediate moratorium on rents, which some felt was needed to prevent short-term rent hikes before the new law took effect. The council debate on that issue continued past press time. If this is a crisis, lets treat it like a crisis, said Councilman Chris Coursey, who endorsed moving forward with the ordinance. Lets use all the tools that we have available to us. Coursey noted that the city is taking numerous other measures to address the housing crisis, and rent control was just one. He predicted it will be neither as effective as some would like nor as onerous as many feared. Mayor John Sawyer, however, said he had grave concerns that the policy, if approved later by the city, would fail. I dont think its a solution to our housing problem, said Sawyer, one of the three council members who opposed the action. I think this is creating a problem in the effort to trying to solve another one. He said he took some responsibility for the city not building enough housing over the years, but said I never thought I would use rent control and Santa Rosa in the same sentence. The split vote followed one of the largest turnouts to a council meeting in recent memory. The overflow crowd spilled out into the courtyard in front of the chambers, where Santa Rosa Junior College Students and members of the Service Employees International Union and the North Bay Organizing Project gave speeches, played instruments and chanted slogans like Roll Back the Rents! to enthusiastic applause. We want people who work in Santa Rosa to be able to live in Santa Rosa! said Sybil Day, vice president of the North Bay Organizing Project. Attendees of the rally carried signs that read I rent and I vote, Right to a roof and Housing is a human right. The council began considering the issue about 4:40 p.m. Sawyer urged people to be respectful, given the controversial and passionate nature of the issue. What were talking about this evening will touch peoples livelihoods, their homes and their families, and the quality of life, their futures, here in the city of Santa Rosa on a number of levels, Sawyer said. From there, more than 75 people requested to speak on the issue. The split between supporters and opponents was fairly even. I had spent Easter weekend in Salzburg, Austria, where the charming old part of town inhabited by tourists had functioned as if there were no holiday. The train station displayed a holiday spirit, however there were young men in lederhosen everywhere. I wanted to ride the train from Salzburg to Graz for a quick stop on my way to Vienna. Traveling by myself, I had decided to visit this southern Austrian city in Styria near Croatia. As I waited on the platform, holding my luggage, I managed to get my shoulder bag caught on something. Two burly local fellows offered to help, then asked in fractured English where I was from. I responded California, and they burst into huge smiles, proudly reminding me that Arnold Schwarzenegger is from Styria. The train arrived and I settled into the cozy first-class car for the four-hour ride to Graz. Only one other traveler occupied the car, a slim, dark-haired fellow who was immersed in his laptop. I brought back a salad from the food car and munched away as gorgeous scenery passed by: snow-capped mountains, forested hills, villages, a river. I even spotted a castle at the top of a peak. What fun it is to ride the rails! Two hours into the trip, a conductor passed through and explained that, due to an obstruction on the tracks ahead, we would disembark at the Trieven station at 2:40. A bus would take us around the obstruction to another station, where a different train would take us to Graz. Just follow me when we get to the station, he said. I started gathering my things a few minutes in advance, as moving my suitcase down the aisle took time. At 2:40 the train came to a stop, and my fellow passenger joined me at the exit. Just to be sure, I asked him, This is where we get the bus? Yes, he answered with a smile and lifted my bag down onto the platform. I didnt see the conductor. The next thing I knew, the train was pulling away. We had debarked too soon. The two of us were at an empty station in a tiny town. Another man arrived, and my companion launched into a German conversation, while I looked at the schedule on the wall. We would have to wait two hours for the next train. I cant do that, the Austrian said. I cant believe I made this mistake. I must get back to Graz. He was embarrassed that he had misled me. Returning from a visit with his mother in Salzburg, he had many things to do at home before returning to work the next day. He introduced himself as Gerhard. Gerhard called for a taxi, which we could take to the station to reboard the train. I offered to share the cost. Gerhard announced that the taxi would arrive in 20 minutes. I couldnt imagine how we could possibly catch the train, but Gerhard insisted that wed make other connections and would still arrive in Graz earlier than if we stayed put. I didnt want to spend two hours sitting alone in the station, so when the taxi arrived after a half-hour, I jumped in. As we pulled away, a queasy sensation in my stomach told me I was taking a risk. Gerhard was tall and wiry, clean-shaven, an attractive man in his late 40s. I made a comment about following strange men off trains, and Gerhard quipped back, not so strange. The taxi ride took 20 minutes, and the fare was about $75 U.S. I didnt have the right change to pay my half, but Gerhard told me to forget it for the moment. A train arrived and we got on. I announced, Im not letting you out of my sight! For the next couple of hours, we changed trains numerous times, with Gerhard carrying my bag on and off trains, and up and down stairs. I was thankful that my Eurail pass allowed me to take as many trains as I wanted. He had a book of tickets. On the longest segment, we sat in a compartment with a British fellow and chatted about world affairs. Gerhard is a business manager who has lived in Australia and Paris and visits the U.S. occasionally. We talked about American politics, French business attitudes, and demanding jobs that dont leave time for having a life. Gerhard enjoyed my stories about my years as a school principal. He said, You know its all right that weve had this problem with the train, because this is fun! Gerhard suggested I climb the hill to the castle in Graz for a grand view of the city. He told me that a few weeks earlier construction workers had found a World War I bomb buried at the railroad station. They had exploded it, breaking windows around town and closing the station for the day. We arrived in Graz at 5:30. Gerhard apologized for not having time to show me around. I gave him the 15 euros I had toward the cab fare and he was happy with that. We exchanged business cards and he put me in a taxi, giving directions in German to the driver to get me safely to my hotel. I spent the evening walking around the deserted city, dining on my feet at a hot dog stand, the only thing open. I skipped the stairs built into the cliff by prisoners of war during World War I and took an elevator up to the top of the Schlossberg for great views of the city. I walked by the closed kunsthaus, the art museum that looks like a spaceship. In the morning, I had time to walk to Glockenspielplatz to see the charming wooden figures dance. When it was time to check out of the hotel, I asked for a taxi. But when I told the driver I wanted to go to the train station, he started babbling in German. I redirected this to the desk clerk who explained that there was another bomb scare at the station. Gerhards story kept me from panicking. The North Atlantic Council has agreed to accept the request that an official Israeli Mission be established at NATO headquarters. The Ambassador of Israel to the EU will therefore be the Head of the Mission of Israel to NATO. Members of the Knesset visit NATO (February 2016) United States Army General Curtis M. Scaparrotti took over command of NATOs Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE) from General Philip M. Breedlove during a handover ceremony in Mons, Belgium on Wednesday (4 May 2016). Attending the ceremony, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg thanked General Breedlove for his outstanding contribution to transatlantic security and welcomed General Scaparrotti to the Alliance. Today we have come to honour two great men, General Breedlove and General Scaparrotti. Men who personify the enduring bond between Europe and the United States, said Mr. Stoltenberg. Welcoming the new Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR), the Secretary General stressed that those who have served as SACEUR have helped to keep the nations of Europe and North America safe from harm. He highlighted that General Scaparrotti will now lead NATOs militaries during the next phase of the Alliances long-term adaptation. Enhancing our forward presence in the eastern part of the Alliance, projecting stability beyond our borders, improving our resilience to hybrid warfare and strengthening Allies cyber defences. There is a great deal to do. I am delighted that we have a man like General Scaparrotti to help take us forward, said the Secretary General. General Scaparrotti will be responsible for the overall command of all NATO missions and operations, including in the Balkans, over the Baltic, in the Mediterranean and off the Horn of Africa. Mr. Stoltenberg also paid tribute to General Breedlove for his distinguished career as Supreme Allied Commander. Throughout these difficult times, your vision and your leadership have helped to make us more resilient, increased our level of readiness, strengthened our deterrence, and enhanced our partnerships, he said. During General Breedloves command, NATO completed its combat mission in Afghanistan, handed full responsibility for Afghanistans security to its own national forces, and launched a new NATO-led Resolute Support Mission to train, advise and assist those forces. The Secretary General stressed that NATO remains committed to supporting Afghanistan, building strong security forces and pushing back against violent extremists. He added that General Breedloves leadership has played a key role in implementing Wales Summit decisions, including the Readiness Action Plan, and paving the way for the next Summit in Warsaw in July. Please join Asheville Rhythm for our Fifth Annual Asheville Percussion Festival on June 17-19, 2016 at the Odyssey Community School, 90 Zillicoa St. among the beautiful Blue Ridge mountains in Asheville, NC.This years festival will feature teaching artists from around the globe, including NYC-based drummer and composer, who has performed with Natalie Merchant, Ani DeFranco and voted Rising Star Drummerand Top 20 Jazz Drummers in Downbeat Magazines acclaimed Critics Poll, Portuguese World Music Hand Pan artist Kabecao, Vicki Genfan, who has showcased as one of the worlds top percussive guitarists and won the title of Guitar Superstar by Guitar Magazine, multi-percussionist extraordinaire David Kuckhermann, MORHYTHM Percussion School owner and innovator Monette Marino, West African dancer and choreographer Barakissa Coulibaly and the founder of the festival, Ashevilles own rhythm ambassador River Guerguerian. Local songstress extraordinaire Kat Williams will be sharing her soulful talents as the Masters Concert vocalist. The festival will include a wide variety of hands-on workshops, such as Middle Eastern Drumming, Brazilian and Afro-Cuban Rhythms, The Art of Frame Drumming, Stylistic Approaches to the Drum set and Rhythms of Indian Dance to name a few.The festival will also feature a series of wellness workshops sponsored by Four Seasons Compassion for Life, including Conscious Drumming, Introduction to the Role of a Music Therapist, and Music Therapy and Songs. Other events of interest include Friday night community drumming around the fire and a Sunday morning Sound Meditation. Workshops are for all levels, beginners through advanced and those who are just curious about percussion and want to learn while having fun. The Masters Concert, featuring the musical collaborations of the visiting residency artists, will be held on Saturday June 18, 8pm at the Diana Wortham Theatre. There will be vendors throughout the weekend displaying and selling an eclectic array of percussion instruments and delicious local foods. This project is funded in part by the GRASSROOTS ARTS PROGRAM of the N.C. Arts Council, A division of the Department of Natural & Cultural Resources, through the Asheville Area Arts Council.Tickets are available for individual workshops, the Masters Concert, day passes or weekend passes. Ticket prices range from $20-$120. If the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) Minsk Group Co-Chair countries (Russia, US, and France) are unableor do not wishto fulfill the three preconditions which Armenia has posited for the resumption of negotiations, Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh will be free in their actions. Masis Mayilyan, Chairman of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (NKR/Artsakh) Security and Foreign Policy Public Council and NKR former Deputy FM, told the aforesaid to Armenian News-NEWS.am. He noted this reflecting on the observation that the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs made no targeted statements accusing Azerbaijan, and this became a reason for the continuing aggression of Azerbaijan. In his words, now the most important task is the maintenance of peace. And all our efforts should be directed towards it, Mayilyan stressed. It is known that the authorities of Armenia have posited three conditions. If these minimum conditions are met, I believe it will be possible to start a dialogue. But in this case, the NKR shall become a full party to the talks. Also, as per Masis Mayilyan, new approaches are needed. That is, the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs need to make new, more realistic proposals, since we saw that the previous proposals were giving some hope to Azerbaijan, he added. The recognition of genocide of the Armenian Christians in the Ottoman Empire and the support of Kurds are more important than friendship with Erdogan, wrote an Israeli journalist Annika Hernrot Rothstein, in the Jerusalem Post. The article of Annika Hernrot Rothstein says: The Armenian Genocide never happened, and anyone who claims it is an enemy of Turkey. Thats what he said, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, on the eve of the anniversary of the 1915 Armenian genocide. On the same day, Swedish Channel 4 received an email addressed to its news desk from Arif Gulen, writing on the behalf of the Turkish Embassy in Sweden. Gulen asked the channel to seriously rethink airing its upcoming documentary Seyfo 1915 The Assyrian Genocide, and ended his plea by offering to educate the staff at Channel 4 about the events of 1915. The article reminds that there are about 2 thousand cases on insulting the President Erdogan in the courts of Turkey. Recently, the police arrested a Dutch journalist, who made censorious remarks on Twitter about Erdogan. There is no doubt that the Turkish government seriously wants to attack the international media that dares to criticize his regime. All these is happening against the background of constant military actions against Kurds in Turkey. Erdogan and his party deny it, as they deny the Armenian Genocide . At the same time , the diplomatic relations of Israel and Turkey's, according to the rumors , are on the mend . After Israel had undertook rescue operations aimed at overcoming damages which the terrorist attacks caused, the backstage talks came to the spotlight. And recently Turkey and Israel concluded an agreement on the construction of an independent port off the coast of Gaza. Israeli officials made several trips to Turkey, rather openly, which was hard to think about after the flotilla crisis in 2010. Annika Hernrot Rothstein asserts that Israel needs to think twice before becoming friends with such as Erdogan . The genocide of 1915 took the lives of 1.5 million Armenians , Yezidis , Kurds, Syrians, and Greeks . Those murders were carried out cruelly on purpose. Those events remind of the Nazi Holocaust and what the Islamic State is now doing in the Middle East . I know that Israel stands for truth, honor and light in an otherwise dark region I expect that to be reflected in its foreign policy. Whatever short-term gains could come from not speaking truth to Erdogans power will surely be counteracted by the long-term harm of warming up relations that are better kept deep-frozen, she concludes. Qatar urges to depoliticize oil and gas General Staff of Armed Forces head discusses Ukraine with his British colleague Azerbaijan sends note in connection with 'anti-Azerbaijani statements' on Channel One Goldman Sachs foretells European business worst year since global financial crisis Artificial intelligence leads political party in Denmark Aliyev says Baku-Tbilisi-Kars route should be increased U.S. State Department official expresses support for Armenia's sovereignty Iranian MFA: IRGC exercises on borders with Azerbaijan are not directed against any neighboring state Pashinyan: Damage caused to country by corruption must be restored Rishi Sunak to become UK PM Armenia official: Defense sector expenses will increase the most, state budget allocations will increase by 160bln drams Iranian president congratulates Xi Jinping: Tehran is determined to expand comprehensive relations with Beijing Russian MOD: Work on Ukraine's 'dirty bomb' comes to end Dollar drops, euro goes up in Armenia Fly Arna planning to conduct 2 weekly flights between Yerevan and Beirut Ilham Aliyev: Azerbaijan doubles gas and oil exports to Europe via Georgia Two quakes hit near Tbilisi Aliyev: Azerbaijan-Armenia agreement signing will be guarantee of peace in entire South Caucasus Over 1.5 million light bulbs lit simultaneously in India: New Guinness World Record Garibashvili: Georgia is ready to support peaceful neighborhood initiative in South Caucasus Azerbaijan to export 157 GW of electric energy via Georgia 3, including one foreigner, arrested after illegal weapons, ammunition found in Armenia town house Milliyet: Turkey has tightened control over the Bosphorus Strait due to mines in the Black Sea Northern France hit by tornado Armenia FM to head for Vatican on official visit NYT: Israel gives Ukraine intelligence data to fight UAVs Police detains opposition activists in Azerbaijan Armenia, Azerbaijan deputy PMs to meet in Brussels in first week of November Azerbaijani Defense Minister goes on working visit to Turkey Artsakh ombudsman shows Azerbaijan destruction of Armenian cultural heritage Naryshkin urges international community not to allow Ukraine's nuclear status Azerbaijan president visits Georgia Macron: Ukrainian conflict should not make us forget about Armenia, Syria, Iraq and other wars Charles Michel: Ukraine itself must decide when to resume talks with Russia Finance ministry: Armenia national debt will decrease in dram terms but we will borrow new debts Man, 38, dies after being hit by car in Armenia Partial solar eclipse set on October 25 Foreign cyclist, 38, dies in Armenia road accident Marukyan: Why are you so nervous about expected international presence in Armenia if you aren't planning new aggression? Driver dies in hospital 25 days after Armenia road accident Gold weakly appreciates Komsomolskaya Pravda: PM Pashinyan is handing over Karabakh in order to take Armenia to the West Vedomosti daily: Russia, Azerbaijan, Armenia leaders to hold face-to-face talks Russia to evade G7 plan to cap oil prices, export 90% of its oil? Russia military forces announce reason for fighter jet crash in Yeysk OSCE fact-finding mission visits Armenias Syunik Province (PHOTOS) US dollar may be closer to peak than markets think Syunik governor in Frances Vienne, sister city of Armenias Goris, discusses implemented projects, future cooperation Climate protesters throw mashed potatoes at Monet painting in Germany museum There is chance for peace in Ukraine, Macron says US, Russia defense chiefs discuss Ukraine situation for 2nd time in last few days Turkey plans to set up 2 more military bases in northern Syria Germany wants to use Israel UAVs to protect its key infrastructures UK defense secretary holds phone talk with Russia counterpart US to attempt set Russia oil price cap above $60 per barrel? Russia, Turkey defense ministers confer about Ukraine situation Armenia official: Terms for buying, building houses for those displaced from Artsakh have improved Saudi Arabia forum set to draw American business leaders despite existing tensions Iran plans to increase natural gas exports to Turkey Iran army ground forces holding exercise in West Azarbaijan Province Sovereignty renunciation to be punished in Armenia with 12-15 years of imprisonment, as per justice ministry draft 2 pilots killed in Russia fighter jet crash Russia, France defense ministers discuss Ukraine Fighter jet crashes into house in Russias Irkutsk 150 residents of 3 Karabakh settlements handed over to Azerbaijan get compensation certificates Rishi Sunak confirms UK premier bid Rishi Sunak, Boris Johnson hold talks Biden slammed for 'scary' long pause during interview Elite US troops conducting exercises on Ukraine border Iran MP: Military exercises on Azerbaijan border are decisive response to Israel Xi Jinping elected Communist Party of China Central Committee general secretary Armenia envoy presents credentials to Bosnia and Herzegovina Presidency chair Hungary to approve by years end Sweden, Finland petitions to join NATO US researchers debunk main theory for origin of life Iranian MP: Iran will conduct military exercises wherever it deems necessary Finnish delegation to visit Ankara to discuss NATO membership Social media giants are likely to oppose Turkey's new law Pastor steals $900,000 to buy stocks and car in U.S. Lithuanian President Nauseda is named most popular politician in country Charles III will embark on longest tour of world in history of royal family Deputy Director of Institute of Oriental Studies of RAS: Baku's goal is that Karabakh has no Armenian population Hurricane Roslyn in Pacific Ocean intensifies to third category Italy's new prime minister, Giorgia Meloni, begins forming government U.S. Treasury Department records budget deficit of over $429 billion in September Why does Baku need aggravation on border with Armenia? Skakov assesses likelihood of new aggression Iranian Foreign Minister: I had important meeting with Pashinyan in Armenia Johnson spotted in economy class on flight from Dominican Republic to Britain Armenian PM and European Parliament Resident Rapporteur for Armenia discuss Karabakh situation Authorities in Kherson urge residents to immediately leave city Russian expert: Baku's attempts to open corridor by force will cause negative response not only from IRI or Russian Telegraph: Britain to send about 60 old tanks to NATO base in Germany for exercises Artak Beglaryan: You will see me in new position Netanyahu: Iran nuclear deal could bring Russia 'hundreds of billions' Russia and Turkey begin to develop gas hub project PM Pashinyan discusses agenda of bilateral relations with Iranian FM Anna Hakobyan meets Armenians in Paris Sargsyan: Recognition of Artsakh people's right for self-determination must be reflected in legal documents Italy's first female prime minister, Giorgia Meloni, sworn in Private jet goes missing off coast of Costa Rica Times of India: India tests nuclear-capable Agni Prime missile Ukraine accused the member states of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) - Armenia, Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan - in the systematic violation of the rules and regulations of the World Trade Organization (WTO) during anti-dumping, anti subsidiary, and special safeguard investigations , and required to terminate the malpractice . The Ministry of Economic Development and Trade states that Ukrainian delegation at the meeting of the WTO Committee on Anti-Dumping Practices , held on 25-28 April in Geneva, drew attention to the participants to the violations of the WTO rules during the investigations made by the EAEC countries, reports "Rosbalt". According to the Ukraine side those violations put legally and economically unreasonable restrictions on the access of the Ukrainian goods to the markets of the EAEU countries. Ukrainian delegation notified that the anti-dumping investigation of imports of bars, ferrosilicon manganese and steel pipes of the Ukraine production into the territory of the EurAsEC are made with violation of several provisions of Art. 2 (determination of dumping), 3 (determination of damage) and 5 (procedure for initiating and conducting investigations) of the WTO Agreement on the Application of Art. VI of GATT 1994 and the GATT. It is also noted that during the meeting the Ukrainian delegation claimed Armenia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and the Russian Federation to abolish the EAEC decision on introducing anti-dumping measures , to terminate the investigation of ferrosilicon manganese without introducing restrictions, and to stop the revision of anti-dumping measures on steel pipes without the extension of their validity. During the meeting, the representatives of the EAEC Member States did not provide any explanations to the questions raised by the Ukraine side, but promised to provide written answers the nearest future. Today, it is imperative to preclude the future reoccurrence of what happened in the beginning of April. Minister of Foreign Affairs of Armenia Edward Nalbandian on Wednesday noted the above-said in his address at the meeting of foreign ministers of the Visegrad Four (Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, and Slovakia) and the Eastern Partnership of the European Union (EU). I would like to thank the Visegrad Four Czech Presidency and Lubomir for hosting this ministerial meeting. Last year we had an opportunity to host in Yerevan the representatives of the ministries of foreign affairs of the V4 countries to discuss the possibilities of deepening of Armenia-V4 ties. 2015 was a special year for the Armenia-EU cooperation including intensive dialogue and high-level visits. The launch of the negotiations on the future Armenia-EU framework agreement last December will enable us to lay a new legal foundation for our relations. Armenia has joined or is in the process of joining a number of the EU programs: COSME, Horizon 2020, Creative Europe. We look forward to start soon visa liberalization dialogue and negotiations on the Aviation agreement. Riga Summit Joint Declaration reaffirmed our shared vision of the Partnership based on common values, mutual interests and commitments. The Summit also reiterated full support to the efforts by the co-chairs of the Minsk Group on the peaceful negotiated solution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, based on the five statements of Presidents of the Minsk group Co-chair countries adopted since 2009. We all remember how Azerbaijan tried to block the entire Riga Summit declaration because of the reference to the Minsk Group Co-Chair countries Presidents statements. However, the calls of the international community on the exclusively peaceful settlement of the issue were continuously neglected by Baku. In early April, the large-scale military aggressive actions unleashed by Azerbaijan against Nagorno-Karabakh, resulted in many killed and wounded, along with the gross violations of the international humanitarian law and international human rights law. Despite the repeated calls of the Co-Chairs of the Minsk group for the unconditional implementation of the trilateral ceasefire agreement of 1994 and the agreement on the consolidation of the ceasefire of 1995, signed by Azerbaijan, Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia, Baku is attempting to put under the question the validity of those documents, by distributing appropriate letters in the OSCE and the UN. Those attempts were failed due to prompt reaction of the Minsk group co-chair states, calling for full respect of 1994-1995 ceasefire agreements. Azerbaijan has continued the violations, concentrating heavy weaponry and military forces along the entire Line of Contact with Nagorno-Karabakh, further increasing its warmongering and launching a provocative propaganda campaign on international arena trying to accuse the Armenian side in exactly what it is itself doing, thus preparing ground for new military attacks which can have far-reaching consequences for the whole region. Today, it is imperative to preclude the future reoccurrence of what happened in the beginning of April, to ensure that the dangerous attempts on seeking military solution to the issue will be effectively curbed. The implementation of the confidence building measures proposed by the Co-chairs will certainly serve that purpose, including the creation of the mechanism of investigation for the violations of the cease-fire and capacity enhancement of the team of the Personal representative of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office. Such concrete steps could allow to restore the negotiation environment and continue the peace process. Armenia will spare no efforts working together with the co-chair countries towards the exclusively peaceful resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, the Armenian FM specifically said in his address. Qatar urges to depoliticize oil and gas General Staff of Armed Forces head discusses Ukraine with his British colleague Transplanted liver can last more than 100 years, study claims Azerbaijan sends note in connection with 'anti-Azerbaijani statements' on Channel One Goldman Sachs foretells European business worst year since global financial crisis Nebula that appears after birth of star and double comet-like tail near Didim-Dimorph system: New Hubble photos Artificial intelligence leads political party in Denmark Aliyev says Baku-Tbilisi-Kars route should be increased U.S. State Department official expresses support for Armenia's sovereignty Mold may be culprit for severe lung disease Iranian MFA: IRGC exercises on borders with Azerbaijan are not directed against any neighboring state Pashinyan: Damage caused to country by corruption must be restored Rishi Sunak to become UK PM Messi and Neymar's salaries at PSG revealed Armenia official: Defense sector expenses will increase the most, state budget allocations will increase by 160bln drams Sergi Roberto will not help Barcelona for at least month Iranian president congratulates Xi Jinping: Tehran is determined to expand comprehensive relations with Beijing Russian MOD: Work on Ukraine's 'dirty bomb' comes to end Dollar drops, euro goes up in Armenia Unobvious Viber features for communication Fly Arna planning to conduct 2 weekly flights between Yerevan and Beirut Ilham Aliyev: Azerbaijan doubles gas and oil exports to Europe via Georgia Two quakes hit near Tbilisi Travis Scott is accused of cheating on Kylie Jenner again: Rapper responds Aliyev: Azerbaijan-Armenia agreement signing will be guarantee of peace in entire South Caucasus Over 1.5 million light bulbs lit simultaneously in India: New Guinness World Record Garibashvili: Georgia is ready to support peaceful neighborhood initiative in South Caucasus Luka Modric ruled out of Real Madrid's bid Azerbaijan to export 157 GW of electric energy via Georgia 3, including one foreigner, arrested after illegal weapons, ammunition found in Armenia town house Milliyet: Turkey has tightened control over the Bosphorus Strait due to mines in the Black Sea Kanye West accuses Quentin Tarantino of stealing his idea for 'Django Unchained' Northern France hit by tornado Armenia FM to head for Vatican on official visit US: Boy dies from rare brain-eating amoeba NYT: Israel gives Ukraine intelligence data to fight UAVs Police detains opposition activists in Azerbaijan Armenia, Azerbaijan deputy PMs to meet in Brussels in first week of November Why are PC sales falling and when should we expect market to recover? Azerbaijani Defense Minister goes on working visit to Turkey Artsakh ombudsman shows Azerbaijan destruction of Armenian cultural heritage Naryshkin urges international community not to allow Ukraine's nuclear status Azerbaijan president visits Georgia Macron: Ukrainian conflict should not make us forget about Armenia, Syria, Iraq and other wars Charles Michel: Ukraine itself must decide when to resume talks with Russia Chelsea intend to sign Arsen Zakharyan in January Finance ministry: Armenia national debt will decrease in dram terms but we will borrow new debts Finale of first season of 'House of the Dragon' leaked online Man, 38, dies after being hit by car in Armenia Partial solar eclipse set on October 25 Foreign cyclist, 38, dies in Armenia road accident Norberto Balekian wins Argentine championship with Boca Juniors (PHOTOS, VIDEO) Marukyan: Why are you so nervous about expected international presence in Armenia if you aren't planning new aggression? Taylor Swift's new album breaks Spotify's record for most streams in day Cheap Xiaomi 12T Pro outperforms Apple and Samsung flagships in Genshin Impact Driver dies in hospital 25 days after Armenia road accident Gold weakly appreciates 231 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia past one week Komsomolskaya Pravda: PM Pashinyan is handing over Karabakh in order to take Armenia to the West Yerevan State Medical University rector: Birth rate is 1.656 in Armenia, 1.86 in Azerbaijan, 1.75 in Georgia Filming of 'Joker' with Joaquin Phoenix and Lady Gaga is due to start in November Vedomosti daily: Russia, Azerbaijan, Armenia leaders to hold face-to-face talks Kanye West says he will love Kim Kardashian 'for life' Russia to evade G7 plan to cap oil prices, export 90% of its oil? Polls in private chats, avatars and speeding up audio messages: new WhatsApp features Russia military forces announce reason for fighter jet crash in Yeysk OSCE fact-finding mission visits Armenias Syunik Province (PHOTOS) US dollar may be closer to peak than markets think Mbappe to get 630M from PSG in 3 years? La Liga: Barca win big Serie A: Napoli beat Roma, are current leaders Syunik governor in Frances Vienne, sister city of Armenias Goris, discusses implemented projects, future cooperation Climate protesters throw mashed potatoes at Monet painting in Germany museum There is chance for peace in Ukraine, Macron says Serie A: Lazio beat Atalanta, climb to 3rd place US, Russia defense chiefs discuss Ukraine situation for 2nd time in last few days Salman Rushdie becomes partially blind after New York attack in August Premier League: Tottenham lose to Newcastle Armenias Arsen Harutyunyan wins world title 2nd time La Liga: Atletico beat Betis, are 3rd Turkey plans to set up 2 more military bases in northern Syria Germany wants to use Israel UAVs to protect its key infrastructures Bundesliga: Union Berlin lose to penultimate team but are still current leaders UK defense secretary holds phone talk with Russia counterpart US to attempt set Russia oil price cap above $60 per barrel? Premier League: Arsenal play draw with Southampton Russia, Turkey defense ministers confer about Ukraine situation Armenia official: Terms for buying, building houses for those displaced from Artsakh have improved Saudi Arabia forum set to draw American business leaders despite existing tensions Barca to part ways with 4 captains Iran plans to increase natural gas exports to Turkey Iran army ground forces holding exercise in West Azarbaijan Province Sovereignty renunciation to be punished in Armenia with 12-15 years of imprisonment, as per justice ministry draft 2 pilots killed in Russia fighter jet crash Russia, France defense ministers discuss Ukraine How AI offers dating based on a person's preferences: Igor Khalatyan talks about his project Kanye West hires Johnny Depp's attorney to save his business Fighter jet crashes into house in Russias Irkutsk 150 residents of 3 Karabakh settlements handed over to Azerbaijan get compensation certificates Rishi Sunak confirms UK premier bid The dismissal of three high-ranking servicemen is aimed at the further improvement of the governing system, Armenian Defense Minister Seyran Ohanyan told journalists Wednesday. The dismissals certainly have to do with the situation and are aimed to further improve the governing system, Ohanyan said. To the question of Armenian News - NEWS.am as to why they arent held criminally liable if they had omissions during the war, the Minister noted that they won t be held criminally liable since their activity is not subject to criminal liability. In the army, criminal cases are launched under the supervision of law enforcement authorities in the framework of relevant investigation. This activity is coordinated. Like in all other institutions, there are a lot of criminal cases launched in the army, by the end of which relevant conclusions are made. As to their activity, I must say the following: the Defense Army properly completed its mission in the territory of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (NKR), achieving success and depriving the adversary of its tactical priorities. The army is not the institution which can be said not to have taken corresponding measures on its own in struggling against negative phenomena, he said. Azerbaijan continues to ignore the numerous urges of the international community to respect the ceasefire, violating the tripartite agreements of 1994-1995, which are of indefinite duration. Armenian FM Edward Nalbandian stated the aforementioned Wednesday at the meeting with his Czech Republic counterpart Lubomir Zaoralek in the framework of his working visit to Prague. The interlocutors highly appreciated the effective mutual cooperation between the two countries, touching on issues regarding the preparation of the Czech Republic Presidents visit to Armenia and the results of the Armenian-Czech Intergovernmental Commission session held in Prague last week, Armenian MFA press-service reports. Apart from this, the sides expressed satisfaction with the periodic consultations between the agencies headed by them. FM Nalbandian also briefed his Czech counterpart on the consequences of the aggressive military actions unleashed by Azerbaijan against Nagorno-Karabakh in the beginning of April. He reconfirmed that Armenia is ready to jointly work with the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs to achieve exclusively peaceful settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. According to the Armenian FM, to create conditions for the resumption of talks, it is necessary to guarantee the unconditional implementation of tripartite agreements of 1994-1995 on the establishment and enhancement of ceasefire, as well as implement the Co-Chairs proposal to introduce mechanisms of incident investigation. For his part, Lubomir Zaoralek stressed that the Karabakh issue can be solved only by peaceful means and in the framework of the negotiation process, which is underway through the mediation of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs. The sides also exchanged views on the Armenian-EU ties. Azerbaijan continues to award and proclaim murderers as national heroes, Armenian FM Edward Nalbandian stated at a press-conference following the EU Eastern Partnership and Visegrad Four Foreign Ministers Meeting in Prague. In his words, during the large-scale aggression of Azerbaijan, three captured soldiers were beheaded, one of the murderers being later awarded by the Azerbaijani president as a national hero. Nalbandian noted that four UN resolutions were adopted with a goal to stop hostilities. However, after the adoption of each of the resolutions, Azerbaijan refused to respect them. Azerbaijan doesnt respect them till now, Nalbandian added. The FM also stressed that the agreements of 1994 and 1995 have no time limit and must be respected now. He also referred to the notes sent by the Azerbaijani diplomats to the OSCE office in Vienna and New York, through which attempt was made to imply that the agreements of 1994 and 1995 had ceased to be in force. My colleague told the Co-Chairs that the Ambassador of Azerbaijan had no instruction to do that: it was a unilateral personal initiative, the Armenian FM noted. Armenia continues working with the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs to restore environment for negotiations and to ensure there will be no repetition of the events that happened in early April, as well as to create mechanisms to investigate incidents and increase the capacity of the personal representative of OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, he said. The well-known ideas discussed between the sides to Karabakh conflict can be included in the documents which will be acceptable to all the parties, Russian FM Sergey Lavrov said in an interview with RIA Novosti. Of course, the most important thing is to avoid new casualties, prevent any violations of ceasefire and work out effective measures and mechanisms for it, he said. Presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan signed under this as early as five years ago, when our President (then Dmitry Medvedev) gathered them. They spoke for the creation of incident investigation mechanisms and enhancement of confidence, commissioning the OSCE to deal with this. The OSCE representatives drew out such a project with different versions. But, unfortunately, this work stopped at this stage, in circa 2012. But now we want the sides to return to this, Lavrov noted. In his words, the German Chairmanship in OSCE wants to be active in this issue and Russia encourages this wish. I think that exactly the work once launched in OSCE with the consent of the Armenian and Azerbaijani presidents on working out mechanisms of incident investigation and enhancement of confidence-building measures is becoming more pressing now than ever. We will focus on this. Of course, the political process shouldnt be forgotten either. The passions should perhaps be quelled; this is obvious. But the political process and [conflict] normalization have no alternative, Lavrov said. According to the FM, there are well-known ideas, which have been discussed between the sides. Im still sure that it is hard but possible to include them in documents which will be acceptable for both sides, Lavrov concluded. The war in Nagorno-Karabakh showed that Azerbaijan is a state which behaves like ISIL. This has already been confirmed by the presence of the caliphate ex-fighters in the conflict zone. And this proves that the republic governed by dictator Aliyev is the most genuine sponsor of the Islamic State terrorists, Italian newspaper Sponda Sud writes. The article reads: There exist no principles which can be followed during killings in war, but there are unwritten military rules: soldiers fight against other soldiers, but respect them and do not mistreat their bodies. Moreover, they do not open fire at civilians. Azerbaijan showed that it neither follows the international values nor respects them. What does Europe do? Europe, the symbol of civilization which always fought against terrorism, is doing nothing now. When Armenians were burying their soldiers, the UN spoke about the union between civil societies at the VII International Humanitarian Forum, which was ironically held in Baku. Apparently, there can be no ties between the civilization and beheading of a soldier. And after all this, Aliyev even awarded the soldier who did this, showing his army that this is the path to awards. It is not the first time Baku has awarded killers. We recall Ramil Safarov. This name is associated with heroism and glory in Azerbaijan. Whereas Safarov axed sleeping Armenian soldier Gurgen Margaryan to death. Azerbaijan supports terrorism. This is dangerous not only for Armenia and its Diaspora, but also for the entire Europe. Bakus actions aimed at supporting terrorism should be stopped. Humanism is not merely words. It is not merely a topic of international conferences. It is first of all support to the countries which struggle for liberty and refuse violence. Fast Facts Haley Reid Hometown: Loganville, Georgia School: Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing Major: Bachelor of Science in Nursing Plans after graduation: Accepted into the Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursings Family Nurse Practitioner Program to start in August 2016. Meet the Class of 2016 Read more profiles of students in Emory's Class of 2016, including graduating students from each of the nine schools that make up the University. When Haley Reid was accepted into the Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing, she knew it would be a life-changing experience. As a first-generation graduate, her academic accomplishments were a source of pride for the whole family. But during her two-year journey toward becoming a nurse, she experienced a series of personal tragedies that threatened to derail dreams and would have caused many people to give up. Two weeks after Reid started nursing school, her father unexpectedly passed away. His death caused financial hardships that included the loss of her childhood home. A year later, her mother was diagnosed with cancer through a routine screening. But through it all, Reid also a 2014 graduate of Emory's Oxford College kept her focus on her studies, clinical hours and responsibilities as a student ambassador and an Alumni Office intern. She found ways to embrace and balance the new responsibilities of caring for her mom with her own busy life. She used her nursing skills to help her mom through chemotherapy while completing her senior practicum in the emergency department of Saint Josephs Hospital at the same time. This year, Reid has a lot to celebrate. She is graduating with honors from the School of Nursing, was accepted into Emorys Family Nurse Practitioner master's degree program, and her mom is now healthy and cancer-free. Reid discusses nursing school, her plans for the future, and overcoming adversity. Where did you find the strength to persevere through personal tragedy? Quitting just wasnt an option. My dad really valued education. We are a very middle class family. Neither of my parents went to college or really even finished high school. So for me, going to Emory was a huge deal. I just knew it would not have been acceptable to in my fathers eyes if I had quit or taken any time off. I had such huge goals and aspirations for myself that it just wasnt an option for me. I had to think of my family and getting an Emory education would give me the means once I finished my nurse practitioner program to better help my family. I think having a structure and maintaining a regular schedule was actually very helpful with the grieving process. What was the most rewarding part of nursing school? The most rewarding part of being a nurse is helping people when they are unable to help themselves. It doesnt always have to be this huge medical miracle. Sometimes its just a simple gesture thats really meaningful to the patient. When I was working on a neurovascular stroke unit, I had a patient who had very limited use of her limbs and asked me if I would wash her hair for her. I knew how difficult and embarrassing it was for the patient to ask me to do this for her. I told her, absolutely. We chatted and had girl talk while I washed her hair. After I dried her off and got her comfortable in bed, she looked at me and said, I will save a place for you in heaven. To have a patient be so open about how much she appreciated my work is something that was very rewarding to me as a nursing student. What are your plans after graduation? After completing my nurse practitioner program, I plan to work in rural and underserved populations. I would love to get on board with the Health Resources and Services Administration. I am in the process of applying to the Nurse Corps scholarship program right now. I really want to strengthen my Spanish background and work in a predominantly Spanish community. I havent really decided if I want to stay in family practice because I also have a love for emergency medicine. So my hope is that if I practice in a more rural setting, that I might be able to get a little more emergency/trauma experience as a family nurse practitioner as opposed to here in the city. What is your best advice for incoming freshmen? Trust the process. This is something that I heard in every single one of my orientations, but I dont think I really understood until now. Emory knows how to mold students. They know how to turn out exceptional leaders and exceptional scholars, something they have been doing for more than 100 years. As a student ambassador, I speak with a lot of undergraduate students and tell them the same thing. I know Emory is very rigorous and expects excellence. Sometimes you feel really pushed to your limits, but trust the process. I think students in orientation are more concerned with how long the program will take and dont always take in what they are being told. Looking back now, I really wish I had taken the time to synthesize what was being said to me because it is so true. The requested page is currently unavailable on this server. Back to [RTHK News Homepage] LAS VEGAS: Michael Dell announced at the casino capital of the world that the biggest merger in tech history will be called Dell Technologies. "It has a nice sound to it," the Chairman and CEO of Dell, which last year announced the $70 billion dollar merger with EMC, said at the Venetian Convention Center where he was giving the keynote address on Monday at the annual EMC World Conference. "The brand equity of Dell PC is irreplaceable," he said, adding that he was partial to the family name. Dell Technologies will comprise Dell, EMC - the leading global computing storage provider -- VMware, Pivotal, Secureworks, RSA and Virtustream. The combined enterprise business, though, would go by the name of Dell-EMC, he announced. The merger is awaiting regulatory approval from the US and Chinese authorities as well as a green light from shareholders. Several countries have already given an assent to the marriage, with the actual merger likely to happen in the next few months. Taking a dig at rival HP, Dell said that his competitor was trying to grow by downsizing. "You cannot do that. But HP is trying to grow by investing less in R&D and less in software, all the while losing shares to Dell," he said, adding that his company was doing just the opposite. "We are investing in speed, agility and innovation, and creating the essential infrastructure for the next industrial revolution," the tech celebrity said, pointing out that he was making the announcement just one day short of the 32nd birthday of his company. Little later, Dell told the media that although Information Technology did disrupt existing businesses and structures, they also created more possibilities. Answering a question about many people being "left behind" by the changes in the IT world, Dell said that it was a challenge to cope with the coming changes, right from the time the wheel was invented. It was up to the people and countries to anticipate and work towards it. "The future doen't pay attention to which people are ready for it or not," he said late at night India time. He said when he started out, he believed that IT was going to be a force for change. Over the years, he said, it had democratised information, helped cut poverty by half globally and created a huge global middle class in most countries. "I am more energised and optimistic today about IT," he added. Dell said that in tomorrow's world "speed, agility and innovation" would be essential for the next industrial revolution taking place. He said the combined company, Dell and EMC, would stand at the centre of innovation and the next big growth in IT. "Today, we stand at the centre of human progress, and there is no other place I'd rather be," Dell said. Joe Tucci, 69, Chairman and CEO of EMC, who tried out his balancing act on a "hover board" because he was dissuaded from doing so "because of my age," also announced that this would be his last annual conference with EMC. He got a prolonged standing ovation from hundreds of EMC and Dell employees who came to witness announcements of their merger. Tucci said that "something great and something truly special" would emerge out of the two giants coming together. Saying that everyone had to be prepared for the coming digital revolution, he said that it would "dwarf the industrial revolution" in terms of innovation and change. More than 10,000 visitors, including vendors, employees and media are expected to come for the EMC Word, which first held its annual expo and conference in 2001 with just 2000 attendees. Read Also: ISRO Developing TWTA For Space-Borne Payloads NASA Knows About Every Eclipse In Next 1,000 Years BENGALURU: Google translate is celebrating its 10th birthday. One decade of successful provision of free translation services of text, speech, images, we bites, or real-time video from one language to another. It provides a web interface and also mobile interfaces for Android and iOS, and an API that developers can utilize to create browser extensions and other software or applications. It was originally created by Franz Josef Och on April 28th, 2006. Soon after the launch, Google translation service won an international competition for EnglishArabic and EnglishChinese machine translation. The simple but fantastic idea began as a service with support for only 2 languages ten years ago. But now it supports a whopping 103 languages and serves over a staggering number of 200 million people every day. In case you are travelling, or reading or say, trying to make a new friend, Googles Translatemore than just an app has helped connect and support individuals, communities, and organizations by bridging the barriers during difficult times, just like the one which was explored, witnessed and analyzed by Google recently, during the migration crisisSyrian migration crisis to be precise. A fascinating fact to know is that Google translates an astonishing 100 billion words on an average, on a normal day and around 500 million folks use Translate, mostly to perform translations between English and Spanish, Arabic, Indonesian, Portuguese and Russian. To a surprise, Google Translates success has a silent guardian or you call it a backbone. Its success can also be credited to the Translate community. The Community helps the service get better by contributing new languages to the service. Surprisingly, Google Translates success can also be attributed to the Translate Community that helps the service improve and even add new languages to the system. The community is assisting Translate to amend the accuracy of translating more uncommon and complex phrases. The Community also helps corroborate and back up the translations. Google confirms that few of the translations tend to go a long way. When it comes to languages, there is indeed no other country which is more diverse and intricate than India. Google has definitely done a commendable job by supporting 22 Indian languages. Earlier this year, English to Hindi translation for the visual translation feature was added to the Google Translation service, adding more value to the service for Indians. Read Also: ISRO Developing TWTA For Space-Borne Payloads CBEC Launches Mobile App For Baggage Rules Information UF researcher elected to National Academy of Sciences A University of Florida researcher is among 84 new members of the National Academy of Sciences and 21 foreign associates from 14 countries, the academy announced Tuesday. The election of Pam Soltis, a distinguished professor and curator at the Florida Museum of Natural History at UF, is in recognition of her distinguished achievement in original research. Soltis joins more than two dozen UF members of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of engineering and the National Academy of Medicine. This is an incredible honor, and Im very grateful to the academy, Soltis said. Its really a reflection of great collaborators, students and post-docs, and of the wonderful environment here at UF. UF President Kent Fuchs said he was proud of Soltis and her recognition. Pams work in genetics and biology has been truly groundbreaking, he said. The respect she has earned on the international stage is a testament to her contributions and leadership, and we are incredibly fortunate to have her at the University of Florida. Soltiss research interests are angiosperm phylogeny, phylogeography, polyploidy and conservation genetics. Among her most cited contributions are papers on plant evolution and on the role of genetic and genomic attributes in the success of polyploids. Soltiss research is motivated by her passion for biodiversity, especially plants. She uses genomic methods and computational modeling to understand patterns and processes of plant evolution and identify conservation priorities. Much of her current work focuses on plant diversity and conservation in Florida, but her research has taken her throughout the U.S. and Canada and to Costa Rica, New Caledonia, Spain, China and Brazil, and she presents her research at both national and international conferences. She is the author of over 400 publications, including seven books. Her work is funded by the National Science Foundation. Soltis is a dedicated teacher and mentor at the undergraduate, graduate and postdoctoral levels. At UF, she is director of the newly formed Biodiversity Institute and a member of the Graduate Council and the Genetics Institutes Executive Committee and other committees. She has served her profession as president of the Botanical Society of America, president of the Society of Systematic Biologists, a Council Member of the American Society of Plant Taxonomists and the Society for the Study of Evolution, and an associate editor of numerous journals. She has received several awards for her contributions to the study of plant diversity, most notably the International Prize in Botany, the Asa Gray Award, the Botanical Society of Americas Merit Award, and in 2016 the Darwin-Wallace Medal from the Linnean Society of London, all jointly with her husband, UF Distinguished Professor Douglas E. Soltis. Soltis received a bachelors degree from Central College in Pella, Iowa, and her doctorate from the University of Kansas. She joined the UF faculty in 2000, after 14 years at Washington State University. Those elected to the National Academy of Science today bring the total number of active members to 2,291 and the total number of foreign associates to 465. Foreign associates are nonvoting members of the Academy, with citizenship outside the United States. The National Academy of Sciences is a private, nonprofit institution that was established under a congressional charter signed by President Abraham Lincoln in 1863. It recognizes achievement in science by election to membership, and -- with the National Academy of Engineering and National Academy of Medicine -- provides science, technology and health policy advice to the federal government and other organizations. The Supreme Court ordered Dixits release on May 2, after he was held for 10 days on an arrest warrant issued by the CIAA. The CIAA arrested Dixit on April 22, claiming that he had refused to cooperate with its investigation into possible corruption. Dixit provided evidence that he had responded to the CIAA. A special CIAA court on April 24 then remanded Dixit into judicial custody pending further investigation. While in custody, Dixit had serious health problems that required hospitalization. After his release, he was admitted to intensive care. The Supreme Courts order to release Dixit once again shows that the countrys highest court stands as the last guardian against executive overreach and the breakdown of the rule of law, Human Rights Watch said. While the CIAA has every right to conduct its investigations independently, it must do so without abusing its own extraordinary authority, especially on detention, and comply with this directive from the countrys highest court. Dixit is a long-standing critic of successive Nepali governments. He has advocated the cause of victims of Nepals civil war, criticizing the government and political parties for failing to hold perpetrators of abuses accountable. Dixit is a key member of Accountability Watch Committee, a leading NGO working to find justice for war crimes and related abuses. In 2006 Dixit was arrested by order of then King Gyanendra for objecting to the kings unconstitutional usurpation of power and the suspension of Nepals nascent democracy. --IANS mr/ ( 291 Words) 2016-05-04-15:46:37 (IANS) The Ministry of Railways has proposed a tariff for the upcoming bullet train service between Mumbai and Ahmedabad that will be 1.5 times more than the first class AC fare prevailing now, parliament was informed on Wednesday. In Duronto Express, for example, the current AC 1st Class fare between Mumbai and Ahmedabad, is Rs.2,200. This means, for the 508-km run between the two cities -- via a dedicated, high-speed corridor -- the fare will be around Rs.3,300. In Japan, a similar, 550-km run between Tokyo and Osaka on the Shinkansen, as the bullet train network there is called -- and on which the Indian service is being modelled -- costs around Rs.8,500. In a written reply in the Lok Sabha, Minister of State for Railways Manoj Sinha said the first phase of the Indian network will have a maximum design speed of 350 km per hour and an operating speed of 320 km per hour. The ministry expects around 36,000 daily users per day both ways by 2023, going up to 186,000 by 2053. "The total journey time of the fast train will be 2.07 hours and of trains stopping at each station will be 2.58 hrs," Sinha said. The ministry has planned a total of 12 stations for the train -- Mumbai, Thane, Virar, Boisar, Vapi, Bilimora, Surat, Bharuch, Vadodara, Anand, Ahmedabad and Sabarmati. "The total completion cost will be approximately Rs.97,636 crore," the minister said. "Further, it has been decided to undertake a feasibility study between Delhi-Nagpur as part of the New Delhi-Chennai corridor through government-to-government cooperation with China," he said in his answer to the question posed by G. Hari of the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam. In a debate in the Lok Sabha last week, Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu had brushed aside criticism of bullet trains being an expensive proposition for the country, saying the government had managed to secure a soft loan of Rs.1 lakh crore from Japan at a mere 0.1 percent interest. "The technology to be used for bullet trains will help improve the services of normal trains and the integration of signalling system," said Prabhu, wondering if a "deliberate misinformation" campaign was going on against the introduction of such trains. --IANS ap/bg ( 380 Words) 2016-05-04-14:44:06 (IANS) With protest marches by students and rights activists being held across Kerala condemning the ghastly incident, Chandy yesterday described the crime as "shocking" and said the culprits will be brought to the book. The police have taken two persons into custody, who are being questioned by a police team headed by Ernakulam Range IG Mahipal Yadav. National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) yesterday took suo motu cognizance of yet another 'Nirbhaya' like rape and murder of a Dalit law student, whose body was found by her mother on April 29 evening. According to the media reports, the 29 year old woman was murdered after rape inside her home, near an isolated stretch, at Vattolippidi Canal Bund near Perumbavoor in District Ernakulam. Her body had at least 30 injuries, including on the private parts. Reportedly, the assault on her stomach was such that the small intestine had spilled out. (ANI) Parrikar, who met Prime Minister Narendra Modi yesterday, is expected to address the Rajya Sabha at 2 p.m. during the short duration debate. Parrikar, had on Monday in Panaji, said his Parliament address would include how and when necessary clauses or provisions were relaxed to suit the company. Leader of the Congress in Lok Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge, had earlier on Monday accused the Centre of pursuing a politically motivated campaign to defame the grand old party through the AgustaWestland copter scam. Meanwhile, the CBI has started questioning former Air chief S.P. Tyagi at its headquarter here in connection with alleged irregularities in the Rs. 3600 crore VVIP chopper deal. The investigating agency had earlier on Saturday quizzed former IAF deputy chief J.S. Gujral in connection with this case. Both Tyagi and Gujral were questioned at length in 2013, but the fresh round of questioning was necessitated after recent order of an Italian Court which indicated corruption in the deal. (ANI) In an incident highlighting the plight of people residing in drought-hit regions of the country, a woman died in Maharashtra's Latur District yesterday after standing in a queue for hours to fetch water. The 45-year-old woman, who collapsed due to intense heat after standing in the queue for over two hours to get water from a borewell in Atola village in Chakur tehsil, was rushed to a nearby hospital, but was declared dead on admission. "A woman died while standing in water queue in drought hit village. She was continuously walking from some time, queued up to fetch water. She collapsed then and there due to intense heat," a local told ANI. Last month, a 11-year-old boy had died while getting water from a village well in Beed district, while a 12-year-old had also died after making five trips to a water pump to fetch drinking water in the same district. Latur has been facing one of its worst droughts this year, with the problem compounding due to consecutive drought years. Water scarcity in Latur had gone to such an extent that water trains had to be sent to provide gallons of water to the region. In the wake of drought situation, the Maharashtra Government has decided to ban digging of borewells below 200 feet to check further depletion of ground water. The rules permit the digging of only five borewells every one square kilometre with a depth of not more than 200 feet. (ANI) In a shocking incident, a travel agency owner was shot dead by two unidentified men in front of hisoffice at Sowcarpet area in North Chennai last night. Police sources said Babu Singh (50), a native of Rajasthanwas shot from point blank range when he opened his office last evening. Babu, who was living in the area for close to 25 years, was rushed to a hospital, where he succumbed to bullet wounds late in the night. Tension and shock wave gripped the area following the incident. His body was later shifted Rajiv Gandhi Government GeneralHospital for post mortem to be performed today. Police were interrogating his wife and other family membersto ascertain the motive behind the killing, as Babu Singh wasknown to be a soft spoken man and had never picked up any quarrel with anyone. Police have formed special teams were formed to nab the culprits. Police analysed the footages recorded in a CCTV camera in the vicinity and found a man running away from the spot. Police said the duo had come in a motorcycle and shot himfrom point blank range. However, locals said that they did not hear any gun shot sound. He initially had his travel agency and ticketing firm, Shiv Shakti Travels, at Walltax Road. A few years ago, he had shifted his office to Erulappan street in Sowcarpet, where he was residing. Police suspect business motive as the reason for the killing.UNI GV 1115 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0414-714247.Xml DMK President M Karunanidhi has sought Prime Minister Narendra Modi's intervention in apprehending businessman C P Anbunathan, from whose premises at Karur, the police and the Income Tax department officials had recently seized huge amount of cash. Addressing an election rally yesterday, Mr Karunanidhi said,''Anbunathan had been acting as a middleman for leading politicians. I have communicated this to Mr Modi through my representatives,but, the Prime Minister has not acted on it. ''I request the Prime Minister to take action. Otherwise, these corrupt people will ruin the state and prevent politicians like me from doing our democratic duty in the election,'' he said. He also questioned the motive behind All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) MP M Thambidurai's demand to the Election Commission (EC) that the transfer of some officials be revoked in Tamil Nadu. Stating that the AIADMK wanted officials who are close to it around, he urged the EC to conduct the Assembly elections in a transparent manner. Charging that some persons were blocking the Sethu Samudram scheme by putting the blame on "Lord Rama," Karunanidhi assured the people that the scheme would be implemented for the benefit of the State. UNI GSM PR 0940 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0432-714154.Xml Charging that the ongoing investigation in the brutal rape and murder of LLB student Jisha was not satisfactory and had enough lapses, Communist Party of India (Marxist) senior leader and Leader of the Opposition in the Kerala Assembly V S Achuthanandan today demanded for a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe into the crime. Talking to reporters after visiting Jisha's mother at hospital, he asked whether the UDF government had the will and was sincere to entrust the investigation with a new team, as only with that the culprit would be brought to book. The stand and arguments of Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy and Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala, who had waited for such a long time in this case, could not be justified. ''If the Kerala Chief Minister was an efficient one, could such incident happen?,'' he asked. ''If such an inefficient government failed to understand the problems of people in Kerala, such incidents would happen again and again,''he further charged. He said,''If the Police had taken more initiative, the culprit could have been booked. UNI CGV PR 1112 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0432-714231.Xml With the arrest of 12 suspected members of the Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) terror group today during raids conducted by the Intelligence Bureau and the Special Cell, the Delhi Police foiled a terror plot in the national capital. The raids were conducted in South-West Delhi and near the capital after the police received information about the terror plot and the suspected persons were arrested from Delhi-NCR and Deoband in Uttar Pradesh. As per the reports, eight arrested persons are from Delhi and NCR and four people are from Deoband in UP. According to these reports, the police have seized bomb-making material from the suspected terrorists. UNI SM PR NS1124 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0432-714242.Xml A demand was today raised in the Rajya Sabha seeking action against writers of a book prescribed in the Delhi University syllabus for describing freedom fighter Bhagat Singh as a 'revolutionary terrorist'. Speaking during the Zero Hour, Mr Naresh Agarwal of the Samajwadi party said that action should be taken against the writers, a demand which was supported by BJP Members. Earlier, raising a point of order, Mr K C Tyagi of the JD-U said that a few days ago he had raised the same in the House demanding such references to the freedom fighter be removed. He said on Members' demand, Deputy Chairman P J Kurien requested the Government to remove the objectionable references to the freedom fighter from the book. ''The book has now been removed from the DU syllabus. This was, however, not what I had demanded. Bipin Chandra (one of the authors of the book) is a renowned writer,'' Mr Tyagi said. He was supported by members of the Left parties and the Congress. Responding to the Members, Minister of state for Parliamentary Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said that the Members, cutting across party lines, had objected to references to Bhagat Singh as a 'terrorist'. Following the concerns, book has been banned as removing only the references was not possible.Doing this would mean recalling all the printed copies and removing the objectionable pages from them,'' Mr Naqvi said. He said that it is not possible to protect people who call Bhagat Singh a terrorist.Meanwhile, Mr Sukhendu Sekhar Roy of the All India Trinamool Congress said that freedom fighter Surya Sen has also been termed a 'terrorist' in many books and demanded that the Chair give a ruling on the matter.Deputy Chairman P J Kurien said that if the Members want they can give a notice for discussion on the issue. He said that the ruling on objectionable references to Bhagat Singh also applies to similar references to other freedom fighters.UNI AR SB 1432 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0092-714543.Xml Responding to the concerns expressed by several Members, including those from the BJP, over the rape and murder of a Dalit woman in Kerala, Social Justice Minister Thawar Chand Gehlot today said he will visit Kerala and go to the village where the incident was held. ''I assure Members of the House that I will visit Kerala tomorrow and meet the family member of the rape victim. I will take steps to ensure that they get justice,'' Mr Gehlot said in the Rajya Sabha during Zero Hour after several Members expressed concern and shock over the incident and demanded stern punishment to those responsible for the crime. Raising the issue during Zero Hour, Mr C P Narayanan of CPI(M) said the incident, that occurred in Ernakulam district of Kerala on April 28, was a "dastardly attack" similar to that of the Nirbhaya incident in Delhi. Calling the incident as a 'black mark' on the face of Kerala, the Member said similar rape incidents had occurred in Kasargod last week and in Thiruvananthapuram yesterday. He charged that the administration in the state was not making efforts to arrest the culprits. Several other Members like Mr D Raja of the CPI and Mr Tarun Vijay of the BJP also voiced concernover the incident. Even Deputy Chairman P J Kurien, expressing his shock over the incident, said, "It is a very, very heinous crime. Most shameful for every Keralite."Mr Tarun Vijay of BJP demanded that a team visit the state.He said it was a repeat of the Nirbhaya case and the Kerala government had failed to control such incidences. "God's own country" should not turn into a rapist country, he added.Mr Satish Mishra of the BSP said that atrocities were happening across India.Associating himself with the concern expressed by the Members, Prof Kurien said,''the House is concerned. Stringent action should be taken and exemplary punishment given. Do everything possible so that such incidents do not happen.'' Parliamentary Affairs Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said the incident of rape and murder had crossed all limits and was inhuman. UNI AR AE/SB 1505 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0092-714589.Xml Popular Tamil actress Vidyullekha Raman was stranded in the Austrian capital of Vienna after her passport, cash and other documents were stolen by a duo at the hotel where she was staying. The actress had been on a vacation with her friends to Vienna when the incident took place. Minutes before she was to check in at the hotel late last night, her passport, cash and other documentswere robbed by the duo in the hotel lobby. The incident came to light after she posted it on her twitter page with a series of tweets. Expressing shock, her father Mohanram, who is alsoan actor and film historian, said here that he washopeful that the Indian government would come to her rescue and ensure her safe return. Vidyullekha has sought the help of the Prime Minster's Office (PMO) and External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj. She took to Twitter and posted'@PMO/SushmaSwaraj My bag has been stolen with passport, cards & currency in my hotel lobby. Need to contact the Indian embassy asap in Vienna. SoS''. In another post in her Twitter account, she wrote 'Devastating to have had a fab trip with friends and it ends on a sour note with all money, passport and valuables lost. Fate I guess''. ''He asked me how to get to an address and by the time I said I don't know...His friend came from behind & took it. Shocked. Hope embassy helps'', she said. In the tweet, she also said she was not allowed to see the CCTV footage in the five-star hotel but the Austrian police saw it. ''A man has entered distracted me for a second'',she added. Vidhyullekha had acted in comical roles in several films including 'Neethanae En Ponvasantham', 'Veeram', 'Puli', 'Mapla Singam', among others. When contacted Mohanram said ''my daughter was at Inter-Continental Hotel in Vienna. She was distracted by a man who asked for an address. Before she could say that she was a tourist, another man took away her bag and left the place in a hurry'. He said it was sad that there was no proper security system in such a big hotel. ''We are hopeful that the Indian Embassy in Vienna would help her get her duplicate passport and ensure that she returns by flight tomorrow to Chennai''. He said ''her sister and filmmaker Selvaraghavan's wife Geethanjali is with her to help her out''.UNI GV 1330 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0414-714483.Xml The Supreme Court today asked tobacco industry and cigarette manufacturing companies to follow the rules and regulations requiring stringent health warnings on cigarette packs, but ordered the Karnataka High Court to hear all pleas related to the matter.The tobacco industry "should not violate any rule prevailing as of today," said the two-judge bench headed by Justice Pinaki Chnadra Ghose and comprising Justice Amitava Roy. It also said the Karnataka High Court should hear all pleas challenging the new rules and dispose of all the matter related to the case within two months. Last month, Indian tobacco companies, also backed by foreign "Big Tobacco", shut down production in protest against requirements that 85 per cent of a cigarette pack's surface be covered in health warnings, up from 20 per cent.The tobacco industry has taken the Central government to court, saying the rules were impractical and will boost smuggling of imported cigarettes. The government backs the stringent rules to cut tobacco consumption.Smoking kills more than one million people a year in India, according to BMJ Global Health. India's tobacco industry has sought to delay strict new health warning rules by appealing to the Supreme Court,In 2013, the Court had earlier pulled up the Central government for not being serious about tobacco-control laws.The Tobacco Institute of India, an industry lobby group, had called the packaging rules drastic and impractical, saying the law will increase smuggling of illegal cigarettes.On April 8, an industry group that represents makers of traditional smokes, or beedis, in south India went to the Supreme Court to challenge the rules. The new rules were proposed by the NDA government in 2014. Initially, they were to be implemented from April 2015, but a Parliamentary panel that included a lawmaker with a tobacco business forced the government to delay them as it assessed their impact on the industry and farmers. UNI XC PR SW 1429 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0432-714530.Xml As the Mehbooba Mufti regime in Jammu and Kashmir completes a month, Deputy Chief Minister Dr Nirmal Singh has asserted that Agenda of Alliance (AoA) is a guiding force for both the ruling coalition partners. In an interview here to UNI, Dr Singh said that the ten-month long 'manthan,' under the dispensation of former chief minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, has strengthened the bonds between the Peoples Democratic Party and the Bharatiya Janata Party. ''Our 10-month experience with the PDP under the guidance of Mr Mufti Mohammad Sayeed is an addition to our kitty despite the fact that PDP is Kashmir centric and BJP is having sentiments from Jammu region,'' Dr Singh added. The experience and the functioning, during the 10-month period of BJP-PDP under Mufti Sayeed, had strengthened ties between both the parties, which will undoubtedly benefit the state, he added. ''AoA is a guiding force for both (PDP-BJP) of us and to accomplish the target, we still have 5-year term in hand,'' said the Deputy Chief Minister adding, ''Prime Minister Narendra Modi's package of Rs 80,000 crore will remain our prime focus in the days to come.'' However, without naming the previous dispensation (NC-Congress), Dr Singh said, ''whatever has happened in the previous government is a history now but PDP-BJP is focused only on the development of all the three regions.'' ''Jammu people and its development are always taken on board and one thing is quite sure that PDP-BJP coalition is a government of Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh,'' he asserted.More UNI VBH RP1615 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0105-714783.Xml Eight leading Russian Government institutions, including those offering medical and engineering programs would participate in the fair for whichthe entry was free. Candidates furnishing 12th standard mark sheetswould be given spot admission for UG and PG degree programs. This is the 17th edition of the fair being organised by the Cultural Department of the Consulate General of the Russian Federation in South India and in association with Study Abroad, which isthe authorised Indian Representative for Russian Universities. After Chennai, similar education fairs wouldbe held in Madurai, Thiruvananthapuram, Mumbai and New Delhi, Mr Mikhail J Gorbatov, Director of Russian Centre of Science and Culture, told reporters here today along with Mr Dimitry V Lomakin, Vice-Consul (Cultural), Consulate General of the Russian Federation in South India and Ravi Chandran, MD, Study Abroad. Volgograd State Medical University, Kazan State Medical University, Kursk State Medical University, Tver State Medical Academy, Siberian State Medical University, Southern Federal University, MARI State University and Moscow Aviation Institute (MAI) would be participating in the Chennai fair and offer seats through direct counselling and spot admission on merit across UG and PG programs in medicine and engineering. Of the 400 medical seats available across various institutions in Russia, five seats would be given with full scholarship. There were no pre-qualifying exams like CET, IELTS, for admissions to universities in Russia like in some countries.UNI GV MVR 1548 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0414-714751.Xml Six Adivasi militants, including the 'chairman' of the outfit, were arrested by an army team in East Karbi Anglong of Assam yesterday. A defence spokesperson said here today that a search operation was launched by army personnel yesterday, based on intelligence report. The operation led to the arrest of six hardcore-armed All Adivasi National Liberation Army cadres, including Anand Nayak alias Dilip Nayak, 'Chairman' of the group, in East Karbi Anglong. These cadres had recently entered the area to carry out a weapons deal close to the Nagaland border and were nabbed from one of their transit location in Jilangso village under Bakuliya police station. Six factory-made pistols with ammunition (two 9mm and four 7.65) and two hand grenades were recovered from them.Meanwhile, one NDFB(S) terrorist from Gossaigaon market in Kokrajhar district was also nabbed by Army and Kokrajhar police in a joint operation yesterday. The apprehended individual was identified as Swrwng Narzary and he was involved in various cases of extortion, kidnapping, providing logistics support to NDFB (S).One pistol along with two live rounds were recovered from the terrorist. UNI SG AKM SW BD1808 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0213-715174.Xml In a letter sent to Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi, British Deputy High Commissioner to India Scott Furssedonn Wood said 'Their Royal Highnesses' Prince William and Kate Middleton enjoyed the time they spent in Assam with its people. The letter made a particular mention about how the Royal couple was impressed with the hospitality of Assam and the excellent work that the state has put in with regard to conservation strategies for rhinos and other wild lives and steps taken to address the problem of man-animal conflict. The British High Commission has also placed it on record the unparalleled cooperation rendered by the government of Assam which was instrumental in making the visit of Their Royal Highnesses a success. It was also expressed that the visit of the Royal couple further strengthened the historic connection between the United Kingdom and Assam. Prince William and his wife Kate Middleton also expressed their strong desire to visit Assam again to enjoy its pristine beauty and unique flora and fauna along with simple, colourful yet hospitable people. The British Royal couple had visited Assam, including Kaziranga National Park, with a two day programme last month. This was stated in an official statement here today. UNI SG AKM SW AS1814 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0213-715202.Xml Jharkhand Chief Minister Raghubar Das today said deputy commissioners were responsible for timely execution of the developmental and welfare projects being implemented by the state government therefore they should be sensitive towards their work and make sure that the scheme are completed on time. "If the plans are not completed on time then it is the poor which is adversely impacted," he said while reviewing the progress of the policies and programmes being implemented in the state government at the project building here in which principal secretaries/secretaries of the various departments alongwith divisional commissioners and the deputy commissioners were present. He directed the officials to work as per the calendar and announced that the better working officials would also be felicitated on November 15. Mr Das directed the officials to constitute panchayat secretariat by the end of this month which would consist of four members and also the educated youth of the area. This secretariat would be helpful in monitoring and execution of the schemes in the villages and also the district administration and the mukhiyas would be benfitted by it. "The status of the schemes would be brought before the desk and no monopoly would be allowed," Mr Das said, adding that development can be achieved through collective efforts. He further said DCs were responsible for implementing the programmes on the grounds. He said they have the potential but there was a need to understand the responsibility and added without the active role of the field machinery, the plans can not be executed and asked the officials to be more professional in their approach. The Chief Minister said by June 15, the task of construction one lakh 'dhobas' (small ponds) and by March 2017, five lakh dhobas has to be completed. He also announced that there would be no tender process for purchasing blankets, bed-sheets and school dress in the state and such items would be purchased by Jharcraft. He said more than 2 lakh women who were associated with 26,000 SHGs would be trained and associated with Jharcraft. MORE UNI AK AKM RSA AS1840 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0213-715259.Xml The government during the last two years, has signed Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with 12 countries for technical cooperation in the rail sector, the Lok Sabha was informed today. The countries were Sweden, France, Japan, Russia, United Kingdom, Slovak Republic, Kazakhstan, Canada, South Korea, China, Czech Republic and Germany. Minister of State for Railways Manoj Sinha in a written reply said the MoUs would enable technical visits, exchange of technical experts, reports and documents, training programme, feasibility studies, pilot projects and other areas. Mr Sinha informed that according to an agreement with China, the country would assist India in High Speed Rail feasibility study for Delhi-Nagpur section, feasibility study for upgradation of speeds to 160 kmph on Chennai-Bengaluru-Mysore corridor and training programme for Indian Railway officers on heavy-haul technology. MoU with South Korea was for feasibility study for speed raising of Delhi-Mumbai route to 200 kmph, while Japan would provide financial and technical assistance for Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Rail Project. The agreement with France was for technical and execution study for upgrading the speed of passenger trains between Delhi-Chandigarh upto 200 kmph and renovation study of Ludhiana and Ambala railway stations. Similarly, Germany had agreed to do feasibility study for High Speed Rail of one route. UNI RBE AE 1910 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0427-715385.Xml Ksh Bhabananda the newly appointed President of Manipur BJP assumed office here today at the BJP office. He said if good governance is brought, about 70 per cent of the problems faced by the state can be solved. He announced that he will visit various state government offices and interact with the heads of departments about the activities taken up by the government. Mr Bhabananda said the other problem faced by the state is about " perception of one's identity". Many feel that they are not Indians which create lots of problems. The two issues will be tackled he said. He said he faces the immediate hurdle of the Imphal Municipal elections next month and State Assembly elections next year. He appealed to all to help him in rooting out the Congress party. Outgoing President Th Chaoba said there were few members earlier when he took charge as President in 2012 but now the party has reached every nook and corner of the state. He said the party was considered as anti-Christian in the hill areas dominated by Christians but now it has many members . He further said the party will be able to field prominent candidates against all Congress candidates in the next election. Former Chief Minister, RK Dorendro, former ministers, MLAs, party leaders and workers attended the function. UNI NS KK SW AS1947 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0212-715456.Xml Nagaland Minister for Road and Bridges V. Vikheho Swu has said the withdrawal of Special Category Status (SCS) from Northeastern states, including Nagaland has "severely" affected developmental activities in the state. On the sideline of inspecting roads undertaken by State's Public Works Department (PWD) in Kohima yesterday Mr Swu said PWD (Roads and Bridges) Department was the worst affected as the Central government has decreased the fund allocation for road maintenance from Rs 200 crore in 2014 to Rs 40 crore in 2015. Even this year, the Department received only Rs 40 crore, Mr Swu said it was difficult to provide better roads to the people with such "meager amount," he requested the public to understand the situation when the Department was trying its best to provide better road connectivity to the citizens. He said that the Department was planning to carry out renovation works by way of filling the potholes before the onset of monsoon, especially in major towns, including Kohima and Dimapur. He added that the Department would ascertain execution of quality work so that those roads need no renovation for at least three to four years. He was accompanied by Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Dr Neikiesalie Nicky Kire, Parliamentary Secretary for Youth Resources & Sports, State Lotteries and Music Task Force Khriehu Liezietsu and Chief Engineer (PWD) Tali along with host of departmental officials.He also inspected the works undertaken by residents that connect main town from Naga Bazaar-Kieziekie-Pezielietsie-Rakabozou-Sepfezou. He directed the engineers to conduct proper survey on the entire stretch of the road and bring out a feasibility report along with the required number of bridges. Once completion of work, the road would serve as an alternative route to ease traffic congestion in the main town during peak hours, he added.UNI AS SW AS2000 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0212-715489.Xml More than 1700 school students from over 75 countries were participating in the fair to be held at phoenix, Arizona, USA from May 8 to 14. The students are the sole representative of Telangana state as the part of Team India for ISEF 2016 met Chief Minister K. Chandra Shekhar Rao at Camp Office. The Chief Minister blessed the children and wished them for their marvellous efforts. He asked the children to meet again and share their experiences once they come back from US. UNI VV CJ RSA 2326 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0400-715868.Xml At a time when the entry of women in temples anddarghas has kicked-up a row in Maharashtra, the temples in thedistrict have banned the entry of women clad in maxis. In the recent past, the entry of women into the temples anddarghas including the Shani Singnapur, Trimbakeshwar and theMahalaxmi dargha had kicked-up a row with the leader of the BhumataBrigade, Trupti Desai, fighting tooth and nail for the same. But at least three temples in Kopar namely Gamdevi, Mahadeo andHanuman temples have banned the entry of women into the templewearing the maxis. The boards displayed at the entrance of the temples came as asurprise for the members of the fair sex who until now moved freely in the temples of the town. Justifying the move, Shiv Sena corporator Ramesh Mhatre, whomanages the three temples, told the media that the authorities hadto take this decision as the maxis worn by women are sometimes notclean and hygienic and entering the sanctum sanctorum of the templewith the same was not a welcome move. The villagers have as of now welcomed the decision and saidthat it was a right move by the temple authorities.UNI XR SS RSA AS2311 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0169-715807.Xml The operation was carried out since morning under the directsupervision of TMC commissioner Sanjeev Jaiswal and city policecommissioner Param Bir Singh, a TMC release said. Since morning the force of senior officials of the TMC weredeputed to Mumbra to execute the work of demolition, it wasstated and added that a total of 1,196 structures were pulled down. Seven teams of the squad were formed under the charge of theDMCs. To maintain law and order, the Thane city police force, SRP,RAF, paramilitary force were deployed in the township, it was stated. As many as 15 JCBs, two poclines, 300 each workers andpolicemen as well as more than 50 officials of the TMC were part ofthe demolition drive, the release stated. UNI XR SS RSA AS2311 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0169-715841.Xml A group of activists decided to take out a procession to mark birth anniversary of Dr Ambedkar through the village. As the procession started last evening, one group in the village attempted to thwart the procession, leading to altercation between the members of two groups which turned violent, police said. As the members of two groups began pelting stones on each other, a team of policemen along with the Quick Response Team (QRT) rushed to the spot to maintain law and order. However, people in the mob pelted stones at police force, in which 25 people including 12 policemen were injured and two police vehicles were damaged. Later, to disperse the mob, police opened five rounds of rubber bullets in air. The injured persons being treated at the civil hospital are said to be out of danger. They include Dnyanoba Sambhaji Kadam (25), Eknath Naroba Kadam (27), Bhaskar Nanarao Kadam (23), Prabhakar Tukaram Kadam (14), Narayan Baburao Kadam (35) and Chudaji Baburao Kadam (40) among others. After people calmed down, the police permitted to take out procession and it was concluded in peaceful atmosphere, sources added.UNI XR SS RSA AS2313 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0169-715853.Xml The executive with the Securevalue India Limited, who was assigned the task of filling cash in the automated teller machines (ATMs) of the various banks between Colaba and Dahanu, had between March 28 and April 12 filled cash in the ATM of the ICICI Bank at Vasai. However, during this period, he allegedly pulled out a total of Rs 22,26,600 from the ATM and used it for his own purpose, police said. Later he confessed to the crime and assured to return the money, but had refunded oly Rs 3.05 lakh and did not refund the balance amount of Rs 19,21,600 till date. Hence, a complaint was registered with the Manickpur police by the company management. Police said that the other accused, who accompanied the main accused, did not report the matter to the management of the company. Acting on the complain, police arrested -- Abhijit Bane, (executive) and Srikant Gavas (a company employee) -- late last evening. Both have been booked under sections 420, 408 and 34 of Indian Penal Code, sources added. UNI XR SS RSA AS2323 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0169-715856.Xml The East Coast Railway(ECoR) has decided to run three additionalpairs of trains towards Kolkata from Puri and Bhubaneswar apart from nine pairs of weekly and bi-weekly summer special trains towards different destinations of the country. ECoR sources today said the 08403 Puri-Santragachhi Special train will leave Puri at 2125 hours on every Friday and will reach at Santragachhi at 0645 hours on the next days between May 6 to June 24. In the return direction, 08404 Santragachhi-Puri train will leave Santragachhi at 1900 hours onevery Saturday and will arrive at Puri at 0400 hours on the following days between May 7 toJune 25. The 2278 Puri-Howrah Shatabdi Special train will leave Puri at 0545hrs on every Wednesdayand will reach at Howrah at 1340 hours on the same day between May 11 to June 1. In the return direction, 02277 Howrah-Puri Shatabdi Special train will leave Howrah at 1425 hours on every Wednesday and will arrive at Puri at 2200hrs on the same day during the period. Similarly, the 02074 Bhubaneswar-Howrah Jan Shatabdi Special train will leave Bhubaneswarat 0600 hours on every Sunday and will reach at Howrah at 1240 hours on the same day betweenMay 8 to May 29. In the return direction, 2073 Howrah-Bhubaneswar Jan Shatabdi Special trainwill leave Howrah at 1325 hours on every Sunday and will arrive at Bhubaneswar at 2010 hourson the same day during the period. The East Coast Railway is also running Bhubaneswar-Krishnarajpuram bi-weekly Suvidha , Sambalpur-Yesvantpur weekly Suvidha Puri-Santragachhi (Howrah) weekly Suvidha, Puri-Shalimar Weekly AC Special, Visakhapatnam-Krishnarajpuram bi-weekly Suvidha,Visakhapatnam-Secunderabad weekly SUVIDHA, Visakhapatnam-Tirupati weekly Suvidha trainsfrom its jurisdiction to clear the Summer rush.UNI DP BM RSA AS2313 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0214-715773.Xml US Secretary of State John Kerry warned President Bashar al-Assad of "repercussions" if he does not stick to a ceasefire brokered by Russia and the United States and move forward with a political transition aimed at ending Syria's war.But Kerry yesterday said he still hoped diplomatic efforts could restore a nationwide February 27 ceasefire to include Aleppo, which has felt the brunt of increased fighting in recent weeks."If Assad does not adhere to this, there will clearly be repercussions, and one of them may be the total destruction of the ceasefire and then go back to war," Kerry told reporters a day after emergency meetings in Geneva."I don't think Russia wants that. I don't think Assad is going to benefit from that. There may be even other repercussions being discussed," he added.It was unclear what Kerry meant by repercussions. Obama administration officials previously warned of consequences for Assad's action in the country's long-running civil war, but critics say Washington has failed to follow through with a more aggressive response.Obama warned earlier in the conflict against the use of chemical weapons by Assad's forces, setting a red line that would trigger US military action. But he backed away from a threatened bombing campaign.Kerry said that without a ceasefire in Aleppo, Syria's largest city before the civil war erupted in 2011, the violence there was in danger of spiraling out of control. The plan now being worked on to ensure a more lasting ceasefire would try to separate rival forces from militias, which are not covered by the ceasefire."The line they are trying to draw now would prohibit any kind of incursion of Aleppo, it will not allow Aleppo to fall," Kerry said. He added that the truce was holding in areas of Damascus and Latakia region where he said there had been a "meaningful" drop in violence.Kerry said the United States was trying to determine which opposition group was responsible for a rocket attack on a hospital in Aleppo on Tuesday, saying there was no justification for such "horrific violence."He repeated the United States would never accept a transition that included Assad."If Assad's strategy is to somehow think he's going to just carve out Aleppo and carve out a section of the country, I got news for you and for him - this war doesn't end," Kerry said."It is physically impossible for Assad to just carve out an area and pretend he is somehow going to make it safe while the underlying issues are unresolved in this war."REUTERS JW PR0533 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0364-714083.Xml For the son and namesake of late Philippine dictator Ferdinand Marcos, winning the vice presidency in next week's election is as much about restoring his family's tainted image as it is about making the country a better place."Bongbong", as Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is known, is comfortably leading opinion polls ahead of the May 9 election, marking the revival of a name synonymous with martial law, torture and billions of dollars of plundered wealth.Marcos Jr., 58, says his family is not the only issue and his popularity comes from public disenchantment with a political establishment that emerged after his father's overthrow in the iconic "people power" revolution in 1986."We keep hearing about all these wonderful things happening to our economy and yet people are poor," he said in an interview."That's where the frustration comes from... There's clearly a desire for something different."His father was president of the Philippines for two decades, including nine years as the head of a martial law government.Later governments have documented 75,000 cases of torture, illegal detention and disappearances in those years. The rule by the senior Marcos and his wife Imelda, known for her lavish lifestyle and thousands of pairs of shoes, has been called a kleptocratic "conjugal dictatorship".The family fled to exile in Hawaii after the ouster, where the senior Marcos died in 1989. After that, the widespread hatred of the Marcos family began to ebb.Bongbong Marcos returned from Hawaii in 1991 and rebuilt the family's political base in its stomping grounds of Ilocos Norte province, serving as governor, congressman and senator. His mother Imelda is seeking re-election next week to the House of Representatives from a district in the province, while his sister Imee is seeking re-election as the provincial governor.Political strategist Pastor "Boy" Saycon says the Marcos years were not all that bad, although he spent three months in jail at that time when the government rounded up student activists."There was this discipline being instilled," he said. "Because that's the problem of our country today - there is no discipline."'ENFORCED VACATION'If Bongbong wins the number two spot, he will be firmly in line to contest the presidency in a later election.In the Philippines, elections for the president and vice-president are held separately. The maverick mayor of the southern city of Davao, Rodrigo Duterte, 71, is leading opinion polls for president.Marcos gets irritated by the suggestion that the presidency is his goal. He calls the vice presidency a natural step and describes himself as a reluctant politician who had to clear the family name."When we came back from our 'enforced vacation' we were the issue, and so to answer that we had to be also in the political stage," Marcos said."There was very little else we could do if we were to somehow be able to continue to be able to work and to do something, and part of it is also to defend ourselves."There are old scores to settle between Marcos and another dynasty, the family of outgoing President Benigno Aquino. Aquino's father and namesake was a fierce critic of the Marcoses and his assassination in 1983 ignited the people power revolt.The president's late mother Corazon Aquino led the people power uprising before taking the presidency.Aquino has tried to derail Marcos's bid for vice-president. In October, the president said he had faith the public would reject Marcos and in February, timed with the 30-year anniversary of the revolution, the government announced it would sell gems, property and stocks confiscated from the Marcoses and would seek the return of 1 billion dollars via court cases at home and overseas.But Marcos has opened up a clear lead in the most recent opinion polls and his anti-establishment platform is resonating with young Filipinos born long after the rule of his father.But for some of the older generation, the prospect of his family's return to the forefront of national politics is an embarrassing, retrograde step."People from the outside cannot understand why Filipinos are putting Marcos back into power," said political analyst Dindo Manhit."We never learn."Bongbong Marcos rejects common narratives of oppression and failed government in his father's rule."There are many positive things to talk about from during that time," he said."So that's what we do. It's fairly simple."REUTERS JW PR0711 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0364-714098.Xml A meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Friday is unlikely to result in serious progress over the disputed Kurile Islands, the Kremlin said today. "It is hardly possible to expect imminent and serious progress, because this topic is pretty sensitive and it demands a very scrupulous, long and, what is more important, consistent work at the level of experts," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told a conference call with reporters. The dispute over the islands, known as the Kuriles in Russia and the Northern Territories in Japan, has strained relations between the two countries since World War Two, when Soviet forces occupied four islands at the southern end of the chain. The dispute is so acrimonious that Moscow and Tokyo have still not signed a formal peace treaty.REUTERS SDR SB1538 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0431-714717.Xml Russia will form three new military divisions to counter what it believes is the growing strength of The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu announced today. Two of the new divisions will be deployed along Russia's western border and one along its southern border, Shoigu said in televised remarks. The new divisions will be formed by the end of the year. Russian media, citing unnamed military sources, said the new divisions would most likely be motorised rifle ones and number around 10,000 soldiers each. "The Ministry of Defence has adopted a series of measures to counter the growing capacity of NATO forces in close proximity to the Russian borders," Shoigu said. Russia's Western Military District borders Ukraine, Belarus, the Baltic states and Finland. The Southern Military District borders Ukraine, Georgia and Azerbaijan. Russia has reacted angrily to NATO's increased military presence in countries that were once part of the Soviet Union and to military exercises close to its borders. But its own actions, notably its annexation of Ukraine's Crimea in 2014, have sparked anxiety in the region and Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania asked the alliance to expand its presence on their soil as a deterrent. US Defence Secretary Ashton Carter said on Monday NATO was weighing rotating four battalions of troops through Eastern member states. Tensions in the Baltic have risen in recent weeks with Russia scrambling jets to intercept U.S. reconnaissance planes and making simulated attack passes near a US warship. The Kremlin strongly denies having any intention to attack the Baltic countries, but has often said it feels they have become an aggressive "russophobic kernel" pushing NATO towards a consistently anti-Russian course.REUTERS PR RAI1656 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0105-715023.Xml Prime Minister David Cameron said today Britain would take more Syrian child refugees who had made it to Europe, in a move to quell a rebellion in his party before a referendum on EU membership.Cameron has said children fleeing the conflict in Syria are "relatively safe" once they reach Europe and that the government does not want to encourage more Syrians, including unaccompanied children, to attempt the hazardous journey to the West.But after several Conservative Party members signalled they would vote against a government immigration bill, Cameron told parliament he would talk to humanitarian groups and local councils about taking more children from the war zone."We are going to do more for children who are already registered in Europe before the EU-Turkey deal," he said, referring to a March 20 agreement to send back migrants arriving in Greece from Turkey if they do not apply for asylum there or if their application is rejected."But the principle we should try to cling to is that we shouldn't do anything that encourages people to make the perilous journey."The Home Office (Interior Ministry) has said up to 3,000 Syrian and other child refugees from camps in the Middle East and North Africa are to be resettled in Britain over the next four years.Cameron's spokesman said the change in the prime minister's stance was "to ensure there is support across the House on this", after several lawmakers expressed support for an attempt by a member of the upper house of parliament to force the government to take in more child refugees.With the ruling Conservatives deeply divided over whether to stay in the European Union in a referendum on June 23, Cameron is keen to reduce friction in his own party and in parliament, especially over migration.Growing fear over high levels of migration has spurred support for the "Out" campaign and Cameron, who is campaigning to keep Britain in the 28-member bloc, is keen to underline that Britain will not overstretch itself by taking in more refugees.His spokesman said the government would be talking to local councils to make sure the necessary support exists to take in more children. Until that was done, he could give no further detail on numbers.REUTERS CJ SB1835 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0400-715358.Xml The body of music superstar Prince was found one day before a doctor was to meet him to help end an addiction to painkillers, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reported today citing the doctor's lawyer.California doctor Howard Kornfeld, described in the report as a national authority on opioid addiction treatment, was contacted by Prince representatives on April 20 because the musician "was dealing with a grave medical emergency," the Star Tribune reported, citing William Mauzy, a Minneapolis attorney it said was working with the Kornfeld family.Kornfeld, who runs Recovery Without Walls, an outpatient clinic in Mill Valley, California, was unable to meet with Prince the next day, when Prince was found dead at age 57 at his home-studio complex called Paisley Park in a Minneapolis suburb, the paper said. Kornfeld had planned to fly out the following day, the paper said.However, the doctor's son Andrew Kornfeld arrived at Paisley Park instead the morning of April 21 and was one of three people there when Prince's body was found in an elevator, the paper said. He called 911.Neither the doctor nor the lawyer responded to Reuters requests for confirmation of the report.The hope was that Prince would agree to go to California for care, which would include around-the-clock nursing support, the paper said.Prince's cause of death remains undetermined and it could be weeks before results are released from an autopsy. Prescription opioid medication was found on him, media reported, citing law enforcement sources. Police have said they found no signs of suicide or obvious trauma in Prince's deathREUTERS CJ AN2021 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0400-715677.Xml A Kasich spokesman said the underdog hopeful will make a formal statement in his home state at 5 p.m. eastern time, Xinhua reported. Kasich was supposed to speak with reporters at the Dulles airport in Virginia on Wednesday morning but did not show up. According to the Fox News, his campaign later confirmed he was not going to Dulles. Texas senator Ted Cruz dropped out of the race on Tuesday night after having finished a distant second in the crucial Indiana primary. Kasich placed last in the contest. Both of Cruz and Kasich were already "mathematically dead" in the quest for a majority of delegates before the Indiana primary in which their strategy to join forces to deny Trump the nomination was also proved in vain. Kasich has won just one state during the race so far -- his home state of Ohio. He trailed Trump by some 900 delegates. --IANS sku/ ( 194 Words) 2016-05-05-00:38:15 (IANS) Woman, 19, man gunned down in San Juan A third man who was also shot, remains warded at hospital under police guard. At the Forensic Science Centre in St James yesterday, Grants relatives called on the nations gunmen to stop killing innocent people . She now started to live her life, cried a relative who asked not to be named. Oh God man dont shoot innocent people. Leave innocent people alone, the relative continued. According to police, Grant walked unknowingly toward her death as she left her house on Bagatelle Road in San Juan. She was throwing out the garbage at about 9 pm when she was called across the street by a man. The two male victims were standing nearby. At this point, a car pulled up and a man alighted, pointed a machine- gun at the trio and opened fire. Grant was walking up a flight of stairs when bullets cut into her. She died on the stairs. The two men were also shot by the gunman who got back into the car which sped off. One of the men died at the scene while the other was rushed to the Port-of-Spain General Hospital. Relatives described Grant as an active and well-loved youngster. She was a girl who lived an active life, said a relative. Camping with the school was her main thing. Everyone in the area knew her as a good and constructive girl. Two innocent persons have died while the real target got shot in the leg and is now in hospital. Relatives added that Grant was a cashier at the Fernandes Compound in Laventille. Newsday was told that the teens mother had to be hospitalised after she collapsed and complained of chest pains on being told that her daughter was dead. Investigations are ongoing State: Strong case against accused Co-lead prosecutor Gilbert Peterson, SC, continued his closing address to the jury yesterday, and spent most of his time going through the statements three of the accused men gave to the police in January and May of 2007. The statements were those of Shervon Peters, Keida Garcia and Ronald Armstrong. Look at the totality of the evidence. It will compel you to convict the accused, Peterson assured the jury. He also pointed out that at the trial there has been no evidence to contradict the statements given by the men to the police. He also pointed out that Keida Garcia, in whose room the Glock pistol which was used during Naipaul-Coolmans abduction on December 19, 2006, put a lie to the contention by the defence that the gun was planted by the police. Peterson also pointed out to the jury the tenor of the statements of the three, reminding them that it was human nature for persons to take themselves out of a situation to protect themselves. In all three statements, the men denied participating in Naipaul-Coolmans kidnapping. Garcia, during one of his interviews instead offered to police what he said he was told had happened to Naipaul-Coolman on the night of December 19, 2006, when she was kidnapped from the driveway of her Lange Park home, and how she was subsequently killed at La Puerta, Diego Martin. In the statement, which was signed by Garcia, he said a man informed him that four other men carried out the kidnapping. As far as I hear, the woman scuffle and two shots went off and hit she in she breast. I dont know how they get she up, but they get she up in the hills in La Puerta in an old shack. I hear they try to bring doctors to see about the woman, but that aint work. After I hear they cut up the woman and dispose she. I dont know where, why, when or how they dispose she. All I know, I aint have nothing to do with Vindra Naipaul- Coolman. I never see she, I aint have no part to play. I never see Vindra Naipaul-Coolman face-to-face. Only on the paper(s) I see she face, Garcia was recorded as saying. Questioned further on if the man indicated who passed the information on to him or if the man came about that knowledge because he was involved in the plot, Garcia said that piece of information was not revealed to him. He also told the police that someone gave another man the Glock pistol and he heard that someone shot Naipaul- Coolman with the gun.The trial continues today with Peterson going through the witness statements of the other accused men as well as that of the prosecutions key witness, Keon Gloster Warner seeks $1.9M from FCB In a statement yesterday, Warner alleged that in 2013, he drew to the FCBs attention that 36 cheques drawn on his account were honoured by the bank. He said on all of the cheques his signature was forged by one of his employees. FCB failed to detect these forgeries and honoured all of these cheques contrary to the obligations imposed on FCB by the law as well as good banking practice, the statement said. A bank has no authority to pay a forged cheque or debit it to a customers account and, if it does so, any loss falls on the bank, the statement said. On Monday, a debt recovery lawsuit filed by the bank against Warner and three of his companies came up for hearing for the first time in the Port-of-Spain High Court, before Justice Frank Seepersad. In its claim, First Citizens is demanding repayment of a $1.2 million overdraft, which they say he refused to pay. According to the claim, Warner mortgaged the Centre of Excellence, a Maritime Insurance Policy and a piece of land at Store Bay, Tobago, as security for the overdraft facility. According to the lawsuit, Warner made use of the overdraft facility and was advanced money by the bank, which is seeking the recovery of the sum of $1,256,026.90 which includes interest on the overdraft account. The original overdraft which he allegedly failed to pay amounted to $856,264.46. According to its debt recovery claim, the bank contends that Warner breached the terms and condition of the overdraft facility and has defaulted in the repayment of monies drawn. But in his statement yesterday, Warner said the 36 cheques drawn on his account amounted to $1,940,385, which were all honoured by the bank. The statement noted that the forgeries were the subject of criminal proceedings and despite having met with representatives of the bank on several occasions on the issue, First Citizens allegedly failed to deal satisfactorily with his complaints including that they should not have honoured these invalid forged cheques. In fact, Warner said in the statement, the banks expert selected only 12 of the 36 cheques which are in the possession of the Fraud Squad for examination and concluded that they were forged. Furthermore, the banks expert issued a report stating that the signatures on those cheques which he examined were forgeries, the statement said. Several persons have been charged with forgery and are now before the courts. Two in court for stealing $9,000 in toys They pleaded not guilty to the charge that on April 5, they stole the stuffed toys from 59-year-old Rajdaye Mahadeo of Malas Mini Mart in La Romaine. Two police officers brought boxes containing pink, yellow and white teddy bears into the courtroom. Attorney Annalee Girwar pleaded for bail saying Daniel is the mother of an eightmonth- old baby which is still breast-fed. The charge was laid by PC Mohase of San Fernando CID. Forde-John granted the mother and Patterson bail in the sum of $15,000 to reappear on May 31. Fr Hezekiah laid to rest This was evidenced by the large crowd overflowing onto the car park of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, Independence Square in Port-of-Spain at his funeral service yesterday. Hundreds gathered to say farewell to the priest whom many lovingly called Father Reggie. Hezekiah, 82, died on April 21 in Florida, where he was visiting his niece. He had been a priest for the past 55 years. He served at Point-a- Pierre, Curepe, Princes Town, and the Cathedral of Immaculate Conception in 1985 for about five years. His final place of service was at the parish of St Charles, Tunapuna. In his homily, Father Leslie Tang Kai described Hezekiah as indistinguishable. He remembered Fr Hezekiah saying many times, I have no PhD, I have no Masters, I have no degree...but I am a child of God. Very often...you will hear him say, let that same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead, dwell in me. He was a man who had his own unique way of loving God through Gods people, Fr Tang Kai recalled. It was a solemn mass but there were a few laughs in between as Tang Kai shared some of the experiences he had with Hezekiah. We were at a five star hotel overseas, and they wanted to charge for water on the dining table and he says nowhere in the world have I ever paid for water with dinner, we are not buying no water, and all the pilgrims agreed and bought no water, he said. He also recalled another of Hezekiahs sayings, you can never outdo the generosity of God, the more you give, is the more you shall receive. He would always say that especially coming up to his harvest, where the many parishes that will ask for assistance and as fast as he gets stuff he sends it off and more comes, he shared. Fr Tang Kai encouraged those in attendance to remember Hezekiahs homilies and the many healing services he held. I want us to not only be touched by them but to try as best as possible to live them, he said. Leading mourners was President Anthony Carmona. In the Cathedral, Apostolic Nuncio Archbishop Nicola Girasoli, priests, businessmen and nuns mingled and mourned with the common man. Fr Tang Kai then made a plea not just on Father Reggies behalf, but on behalf of the Archdiocese. Your sons and grandsons will dedicate their life to the service of God in honour of Father Reggie and for the sake of our church in this Archdiocese, he said. Hezekiah was later laid to rest at Lapeyrouse Cemetery, Port-of-Spain. AG: PM clear on ganja issue Speaking with Newsday during the tea break in the Senate, Al-Rawi said, The Prime Minister was very clear that the Cabinet has not discussed this issue. Rowley made this point during a news conference at Piarco International Airport on Monday before his departure on a 12-day trip that involves several key engagements in the United States, United Kingdom and Ghana. Saying Padarath is obviously showing the difficulties of being very new to governance and what the Parliament is all about, the AG stated, The process by which policy is generated is by way of ministries doing their work. When ministries do their work and consultation, then it is that a final product may or may not go to the Cabinet. Stating this point was reinforced by Labour Minister Jennifer Baptiste- Primus when she spoke about matters being addressed by her ministry, Al-Rawi said it was clear that Padarath, who served as an aide in the Office of the Prime Minister in the former Peoples Partnership government over the last five years, was the victim of being extremely green and perhaps not taking avail of what he ought to be learning right now. In his statement, Padarath said Al-Rawis comments were frightening since the AG knows there can be no Cabinet and Government if there is no Prime Minister and AG. Padarath also said Al-Rawi should step aside until his role in the ArcelorMittal matter was ventilated. Al-Rawi, who was an attorney for the company at one time, has publicly said he has recused himself from all deliberations concerning ArcelorMittal since assuming office. He has also dismissed claims from Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar on this matter Govt reducing influence of State media Describing the media as a key partner to both the Government and his ministry, Cuffie said the medias role in TT is vital as we strive to, create, store and disseminate information and to provide credible and proactive communication across Government and to the country. Noting that freedom of the press is an enshrined right in this countrys Constitution, Cuffie said, Freedom of the press and access to information are pivotal to ensuring that nations remain democratic and facilitate some level of participatory democracy and the involvement of our citizens in the democratic processes. Saying that Government is aware that the country is continuously evolving and developing, Cuffie declared, Consequently, we will continue to pursue all channels to strengthen the link between democracy and media. He disclosed, Over our term, specific emphasis will be placed on the Whistleblower legislation and the review of the Telecommunications Act and Freedom of Information Act. Reiterating that the media serves, not only as a facilitator but as a defender of our democracy, Cuffie pledged, Government also resolves to treat all media equitably as it moves to reduce the influence of state media. Cuffie, a former journalist, observed that in its 2016 World Press Freedom Index, Journalists Without Borders placed TT as 44th out of 180 countries with a score of 23.29. Indicating this score places TT in the satisfactory category, Cuffie said, We believe that we can do better to achieve a higher ranking and it is for this reason the Government will continue to uphold the tenets enshrined in our body of laws, so that our journalists and other media workers are allowed to conduct their jobs freely and without any interference from Government. Reconsider VAT on books James name is at the top of a petition drawn up by a group of Port-of-Spain booksellers on the issue. We the following signatories listed below are not in favour of the implementation of tax (VAT 12.5 per cent) on books, the petition, seen by Newsday, reads. Please reconsider your implementation of tax. Further, the petitioners call for the Government to consider, as an alternative, a reduction on tax applicable to books to six per cent, to allow books to remain accessible to the reading population and to allow us to continue in our efforts to promote reading and writing to all citizens of Trinidad and Tobago. James won the 2015 Man Booker Prize for A Brief History of Seven Killings. He is the second Caribbean winner of the prize, following Trinidad-born VS Naipaul who won in 1971. James has also won the Dayton Literary Peace Prize (Fiction) and the Minnesota Book Award (Novel & Short Story) for The Book of Night Women (2010). In 2013 he was awarded the Silver Musgrave Medal by the Institute of Jamaica. A Brief History of Seven Killings also won the Anisfield- Wolf Book Award for Fiction and was a National Book Critics Circle Award finalist. In 2015 it won the OCM Bocas Prize for Caribbean Literature (Fiction category). James was also a National Book Critics Circle Award finalist for The Book of Night Women (2009). The writer was in Trinidad recently for the recently-concluded NGC Bocas Lit Fest. Also signing the petition was American poet Reginald Dwayne Betts. In 2010, Betts was awarded the NAACP Image Award for non-fiction. Betts was a 2010 Soros Justice Fellow, 2011 Radcliffe Fellow, and 2012 Ruth Lilly and Dorothy Sargent Rosenberg Poetry Fellow. In 2012, Betts was appointed to the Coordinating Council of the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention by US President Barack Obama. The imposition of VAT on books was announced last year by Finance Minister Colm Imbert. It was later defended by Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley who said he did not believe it would affect book sales. Imbert later said educational books would remain VAT-free. Among those who have questioned the imposition of VAT is noted historian Bridget Brereton. Hospital administrator beaten by health workers Ghany Singh, an assistant administrator at the SFGH reported to police that he was in his office last Thursday when the three employees walked in and began arguing with him over the transfer letters. He was beaten by the three. He later sought treatment at the Accident & Emergency Department of the hospital. Police reports stated that at about 11.30 am on April 28, Singh was in his office when he was accosted by the three who were upset that they were about to be transferred to a district health facility. One of the male workers challenged the senior hospital official authority to have him transferred and reportedly grabbed him and a scuffle ensued. The official reportedly sustained injuries to his face and had to seek medical attention. He subsequently lodged a report at the San Fernando police station. In a telephone interview yesterday, South West Regional Health Authority (SWRHA) Chief Executive Officer Anil Gosine, said he had only received a report on the incident on Monday and was still in the process of compiling the confirmation. He did not say what action, if any, would be taken against the workers as the reports are still incomplete. Hospital sources told Newsday when an employee signs a contract with the SWRHA, he/she is obligated to work in any health institution in the catchment area. Up to yesterday the three were still at the SFGH where they have been employed at that hospital since 2007. Docs summoned by CMOH on referral letters The issue reared its ugly head recently at the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex (EW MSC) when patients who attending the hospital armed with referral letters from general practitioneers, complained that a computer- generated document were handed to them before they could see a medical dotor to assess their ailment. The document advises patients that they would be contacted in not less than six weeks. This resulted in patients, with varying types of ailments, flocking to the San Fernando General Hospital which caused its Medical Chief of Staff Dr Anand Chatoorgoon to complain that the hospital could not take on the burden of seeing patients from outside the catchment area of the South-West Regional Health Authority, especially from as far as the North-Central Regional Health Authority. The NCRHA has since ordered the withdrawal of the notice and have launched an investigation into just who authorised the inclusion of such instruction to patients that they are to be contacted in not less than six weeks. A memo sent on Tuesday by CMOH Dr Akenath Misir, to the medical chief of staff of all general hospitals, stated that they are to attend a meeting with him next week Thursday from 10 am, at the Ministry of Health offices in Port of Spain, to discuss the issue of referral letters to RHAs and other administrative issues. Tobago man fined for causing power failure He pleaded guilty before Magistrate Cheryl Ann Antoine in the Third Court of the Scarborough Magistrates Court on Monday morning. Hutchinson was arrested by estate police attached to TTEC on the morning of December 31, 2012 after officers attached to the utility company were investigating the cause of the power failure in the area following a report. He was taken to the Scarborough Police Station. Hutchinson was caught with a ladder at the base of a TTEC pole and he was at the time wearing a harness according to the evidence read in court. He told the court that he was a contractor with TTEC for 30 years and he was trying to help a friend when the incident occurred. He explained that he and the friend had cut a tree but underestimated where the tree would have landed. It was a branch which came in contact with the pole that caused the electricity failure, he said. He said the misjudgement could have been the result of one too many drinks since it was Old Years day. Hutchinson was given seven day to pay the fine. In an unrelated matter, 22-year-old Akeil Adams of Sandy River, Mason Hall was arrested and charged on Thursday last for unlawfully and maliciously wounding Harold Pierre of Coco Watty Trace, Mason Hall. Adams stood in the Third Scarborough Magistrates Court on Monday and was granted $60,000 bail by Magistrate Cheryl Ann Antoine, who ordered him to return to court on May 24. Wade calls for probe of documents leak As Opposition senators thumped their desks in support, Mark continued, Where did she get that data from? My information is that it came from the boardroom. Arguing that the protection of an individuals right to privacy was compromised by the legislation in its current form, Mark said, I am calling on the AG to tell this country what was the role of the chairman and the board of directors in the releasing of this information to this journalist. He alleged that this is how the PNM has begun to use the information for mischievous purposes. Noting the reports of dismissals of people from the SSA, Mark said no regulations to govern the agency had been put in place by any administration during the 21 years of the agencys existence. Reiterating the Oppositions call for the legislation to either be withdrawn or sent to a Senate select committee, Mark claimed the SSA Bill was an attempt to undermine the Commissioner of Police . He scoffed that the enhanced SSA was SAUTT (Special Anti-Crime Unit of TT) Two dressed up in appropriate legal garments. Arguing the SSA will have the power to hack into the email, Facebook and Twitter accounts of any citizen, Mark said steps must be taken to prevent Big Brother from becoming the master of citizens lives. He questioned reported appointments of two people to deputy director posts in the SSA and reiterated that the legislation opened the door for the real possibility of political interference in this country by the Executive . We will have a police state here, he warned. Mark said while many countries have ramped up State surveillance because of the global threat of terrorism, this should not be used to disguise arbitrary interference by public authorities . Independent Senator opposes SSA Bill The drug bust took place on December 20, 2013 at Norfolk Port in Virginia. The cocaine was stored inside tins of Trinidad Juice Company juices which were part of a consignment of goods that arrived at the Norfolk Port after being shipped from Trinidad. The cocaine, believed to have originated from South America, was hidden inside 700 juice tins bearing the markings of the Cooperative Citrus Growers Association (CCGA) which is located off the Eastern Main Road in Laventille. Arguing that there could a maximum of 12 major drug players in this country, Mahabir lamented that the SSA has not been able to identify, one or two or three of the 12. Recalling that the SSAs original purpose was to collect information dealing with drug trafficking, Mahabir said he was not confident that the agency would be able to handle the wider category of crimes which the legislation envisioned. Explaining that the Cockroach Theory suggests the sighting of one cockroach suggests the presence of others, Mahabir pondered how many other drug shipments similar to the one discovered in Boston have gone through TT undetected. Noting the Securities and Exchange Commission (SE C) was formed around the same time as the SSA, Mahabir was concerned that investigations into the First Citizens Initial Public Offering (IPO) had gone cold and there would be no outcome from that matter. Kamla supports a free press She claimed, This bill seeks to constrict our tradition of freedom, by changing the States role of guardian to that of big brother, by conferring on the Government tremendous powers of intrusion into virtually every aspect of national life. Recalling that the United National Congress (UNC) opposed a previous Peoples National Movement s (PNM) illegal and subversive acts against press freedom and democratic traditions, Persad-Bissessar declared, So too must we do now. She said from 2001 to 2010, Opposition politicians, members of the Judiciary, a former Head of State and members of the media were all the subjects of, a clandestine spying operation. Rowley, US university in health talks These discussions formed part of the Prime Ministers first set of official engagements in Washington DC. Rowley left the country on Monday on a 12-day trip to the United States, United Kingdom and Ghana . A statement from the Office of the Prime Minister said the talks between Rowley and Frederick dealt with collaboration in the areas of healthcare training and other human resource issues pertaining to the improvement of healthcare in TT . Frederick was born in TT. Rowley also met yesterday with Inter- American Development Bank (IDB) President Luis Alberto Moreno at the IDBs offices in Washington DC. Following that meeting, the Prime Minister and his delegation attended a cocktail reception in their honour co-hosted by US Secretary of State John Kerry and the Council of the Americas at the US State Department . The reception served as both the close of the Council of the Americas 46th Annual Washington Conference and the opening of the US Caribbean Central American Energy Summit . Foreign and Caricom Affairs Minister Dennis Moses represented TT at a meeting with the US Treasury Department on issues surrounding correspondent banking . This issue was also a point of discussion at the recently held 27th Caricom Heads of Government Inter-Sessional Meeting on February 16 and 17 in Placencia, Belize . Moses, who is also a Minister in the National Security Ministry, attended that meeting . Army finally backs Green Beret who protected young victim of child rape in Afghanistan To all of you, our readers at allenbwest.com, give yourselves a pat on the back and I salute you. Your voices were heard and you indeed answered the call to arms. We brought you the story of U.S. Army Special Forces soldier, SFC Charles Martland and his plight. You responded and forced the Army to put off a decision they were considering last November. Now, theres great news! (Article by Allen West, republished from www.allenbwest.com) As reported by Fox News, In a stunning reversal, the U.S. Army decided late Thursday to retain a decorated Green Beret it had planned to kick out after he physically confronted a local Afghan commander accused of raping a boy over the course of many days. Sgt 1st Class Charles Martland, confirmed the Armys decision to retain him when reached by Fox News, who has been covering the story in depth for the past eight months and first broke the story of the Armys decision in August to kick out Martland over the incident, which occurred in northern Afghanistan in 2011. I am real thankful for being able to continue to serve, said Martland when reached on the telephone by Fox News. I appreciate everything Congressman Duncan Hunter and his Chief of Staff, Joe Kasper did for me. As first reported by Fox News, while deployed to Kunduz Province, Afghanistan, Martland and his team leader confronted a local police commander in 2011 accused of raping an Afghan boy and beating his mother. When the man laughed off the incident, they shoved him to the ground. I also want to send a very special shout out to my former colleague and U.S. Marine, Rep. Duncan Hunter of California who took up this cause and was relentless in pursuing true justice. Now, the second part of our cause is to see SFC Martland promoted to Master Sergeant. And one more thing we shall keep an eye out and ensure there are no reprisals against SFC Martland. Here is a man who truly and honorably lives up to the motto of the venerable U.S. Army Green BeretsDe Oppresso Liber to liberate the oppressed. SFC Martland, you are an American treasure and to the readers of this website, yall are just awesome. And so in tribute to SFC Martland and all the men who wear the Green Beret, enjoy. Heres the ballad of the Green Beret as sung by SSG Barry Sadler. Read more at: www.allenbwest.com Submit a correction >> The threat can come from organized groups and networks as well as from loners or small groups who sympathize with some jihadist group. The attacks likely could be spawned by increasing rivalry between outfits trying to establish themselves as the leader of global jihad, the report states. Although a number of jihadist groups have emerged in recent years, the report reads, two primary organizations al-Qaida and the Islamic State group are vying to take the lead. Each seems to believe the title will be awarded to whichever can wreak the most damage on Western targets. The feuding groups likely will launch attacks on the West in order to demonstrate to one another that each is the real leader of jihadism, the report said. The Dutch warning underscores overall admonitions from experts who recently addressed lawmakers in Washington, D.C. Both Europe and the United States are in the crosshairs of violent jihadis bent on confronting the West, said the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) Juan Zarate in April 5 testimony before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. We should not underestimate the ability of ISIS, al-Qaida, or like-minded terrorist groups to innovate, adapt and ultimately threaten European and U.S. interests and societies, Zarate said. Although the West as a whole is vulnerable, the most probable next targets are in Europe, experts posit. Future attacks in other capitals (besides Brussels and Paris) are considered likely, the Center for a New American Securitys (CNAS) Julianne Smith told senators at the April hearing. The Dutch intelligence service is keeping a close watch on signs to that effect, the report reads, and has noted that jihadist groups have been attempting to acquire weapons. Not all of the weapons are for direct attacks, the report reads. Some are being sought in order to commit crimes that would finance terrorist activity. One man recently was sentenced to prison in the Netherlands in connection to a plot to finance fighting in Syria via armed robbery, the report reads. Others might emulate him, one international crime fighter told AMI. There could be a spiral of complicating factors, said the crime fighter, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he is not authorized to speak to the press. Terrorists will commit common crime in order to support their activities. The intense cross-jihadi rivalry comes at a time when recruitment is key to replacing lost fighters. The Islamic State group in particular has been skilled at pulling recruits from the West. Author Peter Bergen, an authority on the Islamic State group, outlined the methods earlier this year to an assembly of NATO special operations leaders at a Global SOF Foundation summit in Tampa, Florida. AMI attended the presentation where Bergen outlined how the Islamic State group dazzles disaffected Westerners with promises of paradise. The recruits learn too late that the vaunted Earthly paradise is more akin to Hell, Bergen explained. Dutch intelligence has been monitoring this dynamic, as well. In a report issued in January, AIVD delved into the harsh realities of life within the Islamic State group. What dismays Western jihadists, in particular, is everyday life in a war zone, the January report reads. It is hard living in constant fear of bombing raids. The poor food, substandard housing and inadequate medical services are also a tough challenge for many foreign jihadists and their families Some have joined the group, although often under duress. Others are suffering under its yoke on a daily basis, with the threat of execution, assault, enslavement, rape and extortion never far away. Nevertheless, the pull continues as does the threat, from the Islamic State group, al-Qaida and similar groups. Their rapid and devious adaptations in attack methodologies, messaging, recruitment, financing, and governance are dangerous and cannot be ignored or discounted, Zarate testified. This ideological fight is not just about terrorism, Zarate continued. These are enemies of humanity attempting to spread their ideology like a virus while reshaping borders, history and identity. The AIVD will continue to monitor security threats to the small northwestern European nation, its website states. AIVDs 2015 annual report discussing jihad also touches on Russia, Latin America and other areas. Get over Moto G (3rd Gen), Now It's Time For New Moto G (4th Gen) New Delhi, Wed, 04 May 2016 NI Wire In search for a smartphone with better camera quality? Well, your hunt might soon end with Moto G (4th Gen), popularly known as G4. Moto G has had been in news ever since the announcement was made about its launch. And the excitement has reached another level with Lenovo, which owns Motorola, releasing a new teaser enlightening the primary camera features of the device. On May 2, 2016, they came out with the first teaser of the phone on Twitter. Designed in a funny meme, the teaser has succeeded in rubbing the audience the right way. Its new poster has a teenage girl annoyed about the terribly slow autofocus of her device's camera. Playing it wisely, the company released the teaser ad with the caption as "The autofocus ruined Stacy's 18th birthday picture. Stop #missing on milestones with a better camera. Coming soon! The teaser clearly hints that Moto G4 series are sure to have foremost camera upgrades over its precursor. Now that the first teaser hints about Moto G4 focusing on "autofocus" element of camera, people have the perception that the device would come decked with laser-supported autofocus - a technology we've seen in most of the recently released mid-range phones. Let us understand how laser autofocus actually works The primary camera in the device will have a laser transmitter placed on its back. As this will get activated, the attached transmitter will cast a series of direct imperceptible light rays to the adjacent object which the camera is points at. The light then comes back to the sensor, where camera software evaluates the distance amid the device and object. And as light has a faster pace of travelling, your device's camera sensors will get to swiftly focus on the thing you wish to capture in the lens. With laser autofocus, your camera would even work during low light - surely a jackpot for all selfie lovers! Other Features To Consider The new Moto G is not just special because of the camera - it has some other vital aspects too which you can look forward to. The device is to come in two models - Moto G (4th gen) as well as Moto G Plus. Both of these devices will have 5.5-inch displays and a 16GB inbuilt storage. However, they will differ in terms of primary camera hardware as Moto G Plus will have a better-quality 16MP snapper, the Moto G will come with 13MP shooter. Next is the fingerprint-backed security that you'll get to enjoy with your Moto G4 device. Biometric technology has been in a rage as we've seen many smartphones making use of it of late. So it really won't be much of a surprise if Moto G4 decides to follow suit. Another exciting feature is its high-capacity cell. The precursor had a battery of 2470mAH while the latest device is expected to have a matter of 3,000mAH. Moto G4 is speculated to have a high RAM capacity - which indicates that the phone is likely to come with a minimum of 3GB RAM. So far, so good! Moto G from Motorola does sound appealing and an exciting option for smartphone lovers. However, the actual verdict will only be out once the phone gets launched and we get to test all the features as mentioned. For now, we're waiting for the company to host the launch event - supposed to held on May 17 (there's still a wait of 2 weeks). And the way, Lenovo is busy marketing the device; we can surely look forward to some more pleasing teasers and get to know Moto G4 closely! Will A Custom SoC Prove Profitable To Xiaomi? New Delhi, Wed, 04 May 2016 NI Wire Of late, it's been speculated that Xiaomi is taking a big leap in the smartphone market and is all set to produce its own smartphone structure on a chip (SoC). For the uninitiated - SoC works the same way for a smartphone as heart works for us human beings. SoC can either make or crack a device. Till now, Qualcomm and MediaTek have been the foremost SoC suppliers and their microprocessors make for the foundation for all smartphones across. In order to develop a customized core one has to put in a lot of effort and resources. However, if a company decides to take the risk, it certainly proves beneficial as they apparently get an edge over their competitors. If Xiaomi makes this leap, it would even use ARM's Cortex cores. But again, the question that everyone now has is why Xiaomi is spending so much money in developing the custom core when it can actually use MediaTek's SoC? So far, Xiaomi has maintained its image of offering performance rich smartphones in mid-range. The custom core will surely be an added feature for the company but that may cause it reputation as ARM Cortex cores arent so good when it comes to performance. Will Xiaomi Gain Any Profit? When you have a SoC of your own it certainly helps you as a smartphone manufacturer. You can twist the SoC to the precise needs of its individual devices like Apple does. Every iPhone comes with dual core processors which offer upright performance while also checking the consumption of power. On the other hand, third-party SoCs are designed to fit all devices which is why it never lets the device perform to the best of its capability. When Qualcomm's Snapdragon 810 came out in the market, it was turned down for overheating. And since companies like Sony, HTC and LG had no other option in regards to SoC they had to continue with Qualcomm Snapdragon 810. Bigwigs like Samsung and Apple had their custom cores which helped them in dealing with the problem effectively. If Xiaomi has its own SoC, it would be able to create a cutthroat moat which will have its customized areas of specialty. But challenges would really be high! Will It Be Worth The Investment? If Xiaomi decides to make its own SoC, it would get to face tough competition from the likes of Samsung, Apple and others. Each of them has their own way of making money. Apple's outlay in custom chips is earned back from the hardware it sells. Samsung has its foundry and makes millions of devices other than smartphones which allows it to bear the expense done on custom chips. For Xiaomi, its custom chip business model would be more or less comparable to Samsung but the latters products generate higher revenue. But as for Xiaomi, its software and products dont fetch in so much of revenue. Xiaomi earns maximum from selling smartphones, and the major percent of smartphone sales happen in China. In the current scenario where the global as well as Chinese smartphone market is facing torpidity-having a custom SoC wont be justified. As we discussed above, owning a custom SoC has many benefits and is highly noteworthy; as it can help make a phone standout and have an edge over its competitors. But given the challenges, a company like Xiaomi shouldnt be focusing on this aspect. Creating a custom SoC at this point would not prove beneficial for it. Its better that Xiaomi continues using third-party SoCs until it readies the platform that can support its vision for custom chip. The Conference Board estimates that by 2018, Chinas contribution to global GDP will surpass that of the U.S. In other words, Chinas economy will become more significant than Americas This is based on the Conference Board reconstructing Chinas GDP. They use a bottom-up on a sector-by-sector basis, partly relying on official measures where they find those to be relatively unbiased, and partly constructing new estimates where we have concerns about the methodology of the published estimates. They feel the alternative GDP series provides a better description of Chinas growth performance historically, and provides a better basis for projecting its growth going forward. They have discussed their alternative estimates at length with representatives from the academic and policy worlds in China and globally. Over the past decade, thye have worked closely with Professor Harry X. Wu (Japans Hitotsubashi University) to develop alternative growth and productivity estimates for China. Based on his latest work, as well as earlier studies he conducted in collaboration with the late Professor Angus Maddison (University of Groningen in the Netherlands), we have fully integrated Professors Wu alternative estimates into this years annual Global Economic Outlook At the center of the historical debate on Chinas growth performance has been whether growth during the reform period since 1978 can be primarily attributed to productivity growth or is mainly driven by factor accumulation. The new GDP series show that the growth contribution of capital to the economy has been much larger than the official estimates suggested, while the growth of total factor productivity (TFP) has been much weaker. This weakening in TFP growth is feeding into the underlying model for The Conference Board Global Economic Outlook, and puts Chinas economy on a slowing trend for the medium term to 2025. However, they also find that Chinas current growth performance, at 3.7 percent in 2015, is somewhat below their five-year trend estimate of 4.5 percent. Hence it is possible that the economy may see some temporary recovery in the next few years Global GDP growth is now projected at 2.5 percent, which is 0.3 percentage point lower than their November outlook. The largest downward adjustments are seen in emerging markets, of which Brazil and Russia are the most pronounced, as their economic outlook has deteriorated more rapidly than they expected. Uncertainty and pessimism have dominated the economic and business news in recent months. While at face value the mood seems justified as many negative factors (Chinas financial gyrations, volatility in oil prices, and the further weakening of the US economy) are colluding, the recent developments by themselves do not yet signal an imminent global economic recession. Growth rates of China, India and Southeast Asia are unlikely to see significant improvement in 2016 compared to last year. Chinese growth in 2016 is expected to stay the same as that of 2015 at 3.7 percent (Alternative China GDP Series FAQ) After adjusting for Chinas overstated official growth rates, India has already overtaken China as the growth champion of the region, but we do not expect an improvement in Indias growth performance in 2016 relative to 2015. SOURCE- Conference Board 2016 Global Economic Outlook Neither of the Democratic candidates are in IN tonight, as Clinton was campaigning in OH and Sanders was campaigning in Kentucky. The Indiana win was nice, but a 5-6 point victory is not enough. Ted Cruz, to end his campaign for the Republican nomination. During a stop at a diner in Athens, Ohio, with Sen. Trump, too, devoted more time to campaigning in IN than he has to most other states, underscoring his eagerness to put his Republican rival away and shift his attention toward Clinton. One of the two will be the victor in November, but "they'll have a real liability" once they're in office, Newport said in the Post. He said he hoped to take on Donald Trump, who has been called the presumptive Republican nominee after Ted Cruz lost to him in IN, and withdrew from the race on the GOP side on Tuesday. Meanwhile, Texas senator Ted Cruz had only managed to gather 33.1 percent of the votes or 37,654. After a fierce battle with Cruz over the last 24 hours - really, the past week - Trump spoke of him in glowing terms. "And he has got an incredible future". "Tonight, I'm sorry to say, it appears that path has been foreclosed". But with Trump essentially capturing his party's nomination with the win in IN that knocked Texas Sen. It's this organization, aides say, that could be a critical weapon against Trump, who she's been preparing for weeks to face. Among Clinton supporters, 51 percent said their choice was mostly about opposing Trump and 57 percent of Trump supporters said they went with him because they don't want Clinton in the White House. While Indiana's primary once looked like a ripe opportunity for the conservative Texas senator to make up ground, his campaign has faltered here and aides were pessimistic about their prospects. Kasich instead focused on the OR and Washington primaries later this month. But Kasich has won just one primary - his home state - and trails Trump by almost 900 delegates. Bernie Sanders consistently does better with younger and more liberal voters. National Awards: Big B 'touched' by president's speech Masaan producer Vikramaditya Motwane (far left) and Piku writer Juhi Chaturvedi (behind Khan) are also visible in this picture. And the girl was at her happiest best while receiving the award from the President of India Pranab Mukherjee. "We are not a proud, boastful, self-centred, mean-spirited, hateful, bullying nation", Cruz said, with his wife Heidi and running mate Carly Fiorina by his side. The former secretary of state did not air TV ads and did not campaign extensively in Indiana. Cruz's decision to leave the GOP race has cleared Trump's path to become the party's nominee. "His father was with Lee Harvey Oswald prior to Oswald's being, you know, shot", Trump said on Fox & Friends. Rory Cooper, a senior adviser to the Never Trump super PAC, said the group will help protect "Republican incumbents and down-ballot candidates, by distinguishing their values and principles from that of Trump, and protecting them from a wave election". "A substantial number of delegates remain up for grabs in this highly unpredictable year", Packer said. Sanders was making stops in Kentucky, which holds a primary in mid-May, while Clinton moved on to OH, a key general election battleground. Mr Trump had said over the weekend that he considered the race would be decided if won in IN, with its haul of 57 delegates, 30 of them on a victor takes all basis and the remainder by Congressional district. Democratic Presidential candidate and former Secretary Hillary Clinton leads with 2,201 pledged delegates, maintaining her lead over Sanders with 1,399 pledged delegates. The same poll places Clinton 19 points ahead of Sanders. The Sanders campaign dug too deep of a hole for themselves. Everyone's favorite musical "Hamilton" just earned a record 16 Tony nominations Seven castmates including Lin-Manuel Miranda , the show's creator and actor, are up for awards as well. Eclipsed and Humans- both, like Hamilton , off-Broadway transfers - grabbed six nominations each. Sanders' victory on Tuesday boosted the self-declared socialist's argument that the party's superdelegates should support him in July's Democratic convention. "We're going after Hillary Clinton, she will not be a great president, she will not be a good president, she will be a poor president", he told supporters. Meanwhile, Sanders is 983 delegates away from the nomination with 1,400. When superdelegates are included, he needs 85 percent of the remaining delegates. Heading into Tuesday's voting, Mrs Clinton had 92% of the delegates she needed. The new CNN/ORC Poll, completed ahead of Trump's victory last night, found Clinton leads 54 percent to 41 percent, a 13-point edge over the NY businessman, her largest lead since last July. The campaign wasn't over for them. Eighty-three pledged delegates were at stake in the primary, and the state also has nine superdelegates, seven of whom have already said they'll support Mrs. Clinton. "We understand that we have an uphill climb to victory but we have been fighting uphill from the first day of this campaign". A majority of voters also said they were interested in a candidate who'll "bring needed change" or "tells it like it is". Ultimately, this should also be a reminder that primary polling is susceptible to major misses, in large part because a primary electorate is so hard to pin down. Both Democrats and Stutzman worked challenge his signatures and get him ruled ineligible, and he only narrowly survived. However, the odds of victory for Sen. Packers trade up on day two of the draft For the 12th consecutive year in Green Bay, Thompson swore he took the best available player throughout the three-day draft. Murphy actually looks like a high-upside player and there's a lot to like. "We want to solidify that group", Grigson said. Sanders does well in all dimensions, "with a more even distribution of perceived leadership characteristics than is the case for the other candidates". Donald Trump's campaign is preparing a short list of potential running mates for the Republican presidential front-runner, Fox News learned Tuesday. "I feel like a great and very courageous solider", Mr Trump remarked, guided somewhat by Stern's interruptive interview style. "Desperate but impressive. Reminded me of my 3 year old coming off a sugar high", Donald Trump Jr. tweeted. Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders were vying for victory in the Democratic primary, though it was too early to call the race as votes were being tallied. Top Trump aide Corey Lewandowski told CNN on Tuesday the campaign expected to win more than required number of delegates - 1300 to 1400. Nineteen percent of Republican voters are still uncertain who they would vote for. Six in 10 of those who said they are very liberal supported Sanders, while Clinton was supported by moderates. Nebraska was knocked out of the Republican presidential race Tuesday night just one week before its presidential primary when Indiana Republicans chased Sen. Mr Sanders was making stops in Kentucky, which holds a primary in mid-May, while Mrs Clinton moved on to OH, a key general election battleground. But Clinton already has turned her attention to the general election. He pointed out that Trump supported Democrat Jimmy Carter over Republican Ronald Reagan in the 1980 election and criticized the 40th president's foreign policy. Prior to the primary, he led with 996 delegates, followed by Cruz with 565 and Kasich with 153. Saltalamacchia lifts streaking Tigers over Twins, 6-5 The Cubs bring a 17-5 record into that game, the best 22-game start in 109 years and tied for the best ever in an opening month. Ricky Nolasco is scheduled to start at home Sunday, followed by Jose Berrios and Alex Meyer Monday and Tuesday in Houston. That's because before tonight's results, it seemed quite plausible that Trump could finish in first place but fail to win the majority of 1,237 delegates he needs to win the GOP nomination on the first ballot - which could have triggered a dramatic contested convention. Trump got 44% of Republican primary voters, while Cruz got 27% and Ohio Governor John Kasich got 9%. In an abrupt strategy shift, Mr Cruz and Mr Kasich announced an alliance of sorts in Indiana. But the Cruz-Fiorina ticket failed to win IN, considered a must-win for the campaign to continue. In exchange, Cruz would recede from both OR and New Mexico, which both hold contests later in the nominating process. The Cruz campaign staked considerable political capital on the Hoosier State as the delegate math grew increasingly unfavorable. "That's what happens when politicians make deals". "Today's ridiculous outburst only proves what I have been saying for a long time, that Ted Cruz does not have the temperament to be President of the United States", said Trump. "The whole thing is ridiculous", Mr Trump said on Fox & Friends on Tuesday ahead of the IN primary. Trump added: "Right prior to his being shot and nobody even brings it up". North Carolina Governor McCrory declares May Motorcycle Safety awareness month Use common sense by riding sober, obeying all speed limits and allowing enough time to react to potentially risky situations. Drivers need to double-check before changing lanes to make sure that motorcycles aren't in their blind spots. But even as Democrats appear to be rallying around their likely nominee, they also want Sanders to keep campaigning - even up to this summer's convention in Philadelphia. As for what went wrong in the Cruz campaign, some supporters blamed the national media. At the time, the Cruz campaign denied the images were of Rafael, and Tuesday the Texas senator's team hit back at the GOP frontrunner with a new statement. "Whatever lie he's telling, at that minute he believes it. the man is utterly immoral", Cruz told reporters. "The screenwriter says that he based the character Biff Tannen on Donald Trump - a character of a braggadocios, arrogant buffoon who builds giant casinos with giant pictures of him everywhere he looks", Mr Cruz said. Nebraska is facing one of the worst droughts in years. We see the effects of this drought in our everyday lives. When driving down the highway, we see our once verdant landscape replaced with yellowing and desiccated crops and plant life. This dryness provokes hardships for the economy and a We have used your information to see if you have a subscription with us, but did not find one. Please use the button below to verify an existing account or to purchase a new subscription. Egypts main state-owned newspaper Tuesday lambasted the interior ministry in an unprecedented editorial following the arrest of two journalists and police raid on the Press Syndicate headquarters on Sunday. Al-Ahram, one of government vibrant supporters, took millions of Egyptians by surprise as it chided state security apparatus over brutality committed on journalists over the past months. It condemned police forces Sunday raid on the Press Syndicate headquarters, which resulted in the arrest of Amr Badr and Mahmud el-Sakka, both working for e-journal Babawet Yanayer, opposed to al-Sisi. The whole of the Interior Ministrys apparatus has made a mistake with the raid of the press syndicate Journalists are not terrorists, who can be raided by a group of police officers, the editorial read. The unsigned editorial also called for the sacking of interior minister Magdy Abdel Ghaffar and said that all actions to muzzle and silence journalists will not ease the situation but will rather worsen it as they had seen it in 2011, in reference to the revolution which brought down the countrys former autocratic ruler Hosni Mubarak. One move is expected: the dismissal of the Minister of Interior in response to this loathsome act, which has sickened the whole of Egypt at a time when many families are grieving the absence of their youths, held behind bars without charges, it further read. We have learned from experience, which the security services, unfortunately, have yet to grasp, that the people are ones who choose their destiny with their will not leaders. If the people rise up in rebellion for their freedom, they will not be stopped by anyone not even the highest ramparts and the police with their weapons, it added. Around the same time, Press Syndicate in commemoration of World Press Freedom Day on May 3rd claimed that the government is at war with journalists whom it likens to terrorists. This year we mark World Press Freedom Day with Egypt down in all the international rankings, syndicate chief Yahiya Kallash told a press conference. Instead of seeing the government take concrete measures to overcome this situation, we are surprised to see it escalating the war against journalism and journalists, he added. The Syndicate is holding a General Assembly meeting this Wednesday to decide on steps to take in face of government attacks on journalists. Furthermore, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has sounded the alarm adding that Egypt is sinking in the global rating of countries hostile to journalists. The CPJ reports that Egypt has become the second largest jail for journalists. Increasing number of voices, including families of Paris attacks victims, have expressed their discontent over the payment by the State of a lawyer to assist Salah Abdeslam in the process of investigations. The suspect number one in the attacks is now in custody in France. Elisabeth Boissinot, mother of a 25-year-old young woman killed in the attacks and other numerous voices accused the state of supporting terrorism as the government is about to take charge of services of Frank Berton; lawyer of Abdeslam. Are we going to succumb to laws that support assassins? Boissinot wrote on her facebook account. Her post splashed many comments chiding the state. Her comments came after Berton recently indicated that he would be paid for his services by the state. A judicial assistance is to be granted to the terrorist according to the law. The French law grants such assistance to a defendant whose monthly income is below 1000 or 1,500. Boissinot warned that she will, in case the state covers legal services of her daughters criminal, freeze her taxes. She indicated governments action means that French tax payers are indirectly supporting terrorism. However other legal experts indicated that to say that the state is paying a terrorists lawyer is overblown and that the 1,000 fee to be paid to Berton is a flat rate for the entire investigation. Abdeslam has become the suspect number one of Paris attacks, which killed 130 people last year in November. After several months of hiding, he was caught last March in Belgium. The 26-year-old French was transferred last month from Belgium to France under tight security measures. He has been identified as the logical mastermind of the attacks. He appeared before a court last month on charges of murder and being part of a terrorist organisation. President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz of Mauritania Tuesday proposed the suppression of the Senate, which, he said, obstructs laws adoption. He called for a national referendum to decide over the move while giving three to four weeks to opposition parties to decide whether they will take part in the vote. We are calling on the entire political class to attend a dialogue on that issue (suppression the Senate,) which will be subject to a constitutional referendum, he said, without disclosing any date for the vote. Speaking at a rally in the town of Nema (1,200 km, east of capital Nouakchott) President Abdel Aziz indicated that the 58-member senate uselessly prolongs law adoption procedures. He suggested that regional councils to be made up of locals would replace the legislature. The councils will ensure the economic and social development of their regions. The current senate, sitting since 2010, is largely made up of members of the ruling party. Its mandate has reportedly come to expiration. The Mauritanian leader did not spell out his desire to run for new elections in 2019, end of his current and final mandate. Though he recently announced to sidestep at the end of his current tenure, some members of his cabinet and top officials of his party called for a constitutional change allowing him to run again in 2019. He has not made any comment yet on the call. Not all delegates are created equal. Photo: Bloomberg/2016 Bloomberg Finance LP As the whole hep political world reminded us tonight, Bernie Sanderss upset win in Indiana didnt much matter if you measure the nomination contest by pledged delegates won. Indeed, as FiveThirtyEights Harry Enten noted, the percentage of remaining delegates Sanders would need to win to catch Clinton in pledged delegates has actually risen after Indiana. But its important to note that Team Bernie has moved the goalposts a bit in recent days. Heres a careful AP analysis of what Sanders and his strategist Tad Devine are now saying: Lets suppose that in the next six weeks, Bernie Sanders goes on a tear like he has gone on before. And lets suppose in the 10 states and the four other contests that are out there, he wins the vast majority of them he wins California by a huge margin, he racks up an impressive set of victories, said Devine. Should we then say the only benchmark is who has got more pledged delegates? Shouldnt those superdelegates take into consideration a totality of the circumstances? Asked if he believed that later contests were more important than earlier ones, Devine didnt flinch. I think they are, he said, You know why? Because they are closer to November. And what happened a year ago is not as important as whats going to happen in June of this year. Indiana is exhibit A in that argument, soon to be followed by likely Sanders wins in West Virginia, Kentucky, and Oregon, and then the big batch of primaries on June 7. To be clear, nothing about Indiana changed the dynamics of the Democratic race any more than its math. As I noted in my preview of the state, the demographics were very sunny for Sanders all along. And lest we forget, the superdelegates who now support Clinton by vast margins arent going to suddenly flip to Sanders on a dubious momentum or electability rationale, especially now that the Republican opponent is Donald Trump. Well soon see if Sanders and his campaign stick with the argument that delegates chosen late are more equal than delegates chosen early. Its a clever way to avoid shutting down the whole show before Philadelphia, but its not necessarily a good prescription for party unity. The feet of a body found near Kingsborough Community College had been dipped in poured concrete. Photo: Chris Hondros/Getty Images When news first broke that a dead body wrapped in a plastic bag had been found on Monday washed up on the Brooklyn shore near Kingsborough Community College, cops didnt immediately give a cause of death. But further details emerged today ones that NYPD chief of detectives Robert Boyce says indicate the death was obviously a homicide. Not only was the mans body wrapped in a bag with his arms and legs tied behind him, his feet had been submerged in poured concrete cement shoes, as the old mafia term goes. (Or, at least, Hollywoods version of one.) The mans identity hasnt been released, but police sources told the Daily News that the body wasnt badly decomposed. The AP reports that an autopsy was being performed to determine how long the body had been in the water. Officials are investigating, and cops hope a large tattoo on the mans back of the Virgin Mary holding a rose will help them identify the body. If you have a mobster with a Virgin Mary back tattoo in your life, now might be a good time for a check-in call. Were gonna send George Will to the best gulag. Tremendous. No one will have better gulags. Photo: Spencer Platt/Getty Images In his first major interview since securing the Republican nomination, Donald Trump said Hillary Clinton deserves to suffer, Muslim migrants are destroying Europe, and his biggest Republican haters can re-join the party when hes no longer president in 16 years. I dont think its imperative that the entire party come together, Trump told MSNBCs Morning Joe on Wednesday. I dont want everybody. I dont even want certain people who were extraordinarily nasty. Let them wait eight years. Or let them wait 16 years or whatever. The hosts did not press Trump on why he revised that wait time upward. Maybe he thinks that #NeverTrumpers hate him so much, they wont want to re-join the party until after future Vice-President Chris Christie completes his second term. But its also worth noting that in 16 years Trump will be 85, which is a perfectly respectable age for a supreme leader to call it quits. As for whom Trump doesnt want in his party, Washington Post columnist George Will is at the top of Donalds list. George is a major loser, Trump said. Hes a dour guy. Nobody watches him. Very few people listen to him. Its over for him, and I never want his support. Trump then suggested that Wills true problem with him is personal, not political. You know, I had a run-in with him when I was in civilian life, Trump said. I didnt wanna go to one of his speeches at Mar-a-Lago. He made a speech at Mar-a-Lago, and I find him to be a very boring person. You know, hes boring and dull, and I didnt go to the speech I said I just dont wanna go, and he wanted me to go. And I just, you know, it was one of those things. Later in the interview, Trump reaffirmed his support for banning Muslims from entering the country until we figure out whats going on. If you look at whats happening all over Europe with the migration, its terrible what theyve done to some of these countries, Trump said. I mean, theyre destroying Europe! The GOP nominee was no less vitriolic when discussing his likely fall opponent. She should not be allowed to run in the election, Trump said, referring to Clintons use of a private email server while secretary of State. She should suffer like other people have suffered who have done far less than she has. It could be a very long 16 years. Donald Trump, face of the Republican Party. Photo: Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post Suppose the Republican Partys elites could go a year back in time and act with perfect foresight and perfect coordination. (At the risk of making this hypothetical even more outlandish, lets also grant them functioning strategic brains.) What would they do to avoid their current predicament? Probably they would band together to send a unified message to their voters against Donald Trump. If they had all banded together against Trump at the outset, when Trump still had staggeringly high unfavorable ratings among Republican voters, they could have prevented him from gaining traction. Instead the party splintered, many of them openly encouraging his rise out of the belief that Trump would pick off their rivals for them. When other Republican candidates did go after Trump, they did it one by one, like movie-villain ninja henchmen, and were each bullied and eliminated while the others stood aside and watched. Republicans faced a collective action problem they failed to solve. Now that Trump has won the nomination, Republicans face a similar kind of dilemma: how to prevent his unpopularity from infecting the rest of the party. But this is a problem that presents no clear solution. Indeed, it is more like two dilemmas, neither of which can be addressed without worsening the other. A Republican strategist who has been working to block Trumps nomination, speaking to Rosie Gray, summed up the partys two strategic imperatives but without recognizing that it would be impossible to solve both. First, Republicans need to prevent a potential landslide at the presidential level from dragging down other candidates. (Were gonna look at the down-ballot races, were gonna look at what states might need a strong never Trump movement in order to protect congressional races.) And second, they need to ensure that Trump does not redefine the partys image in a long-term way. (We have to make sure that Donald Trump, in his fleeting six months left as a Republican, that he cant permanently damage the partys credibility.) The brand problem is the possibility that associating Trump with Republicanism would cause some voters especially younger ones new to the political system to identify as Democrats over the long run. Consider these dilemmas separately. The down-ballot issue is itself a kind of collective action problem. If Trump suffers a wipeout, he is likely to sink Republicans in other races. The key to avoiding a wipeout is to normalize Trump send the message that he is a regular Republican in good standing who will carry out normal Republican policies, not a dangerous, ignorant, bigoted, pathologically dishonest freak. That message (if successful) could coax enough Republicans to the polls to support him to lift him into the upper-40s, a result that would (at least) protect the Republican House majority. But the incentive for individual Republicans in vulnerable districts is different. They need to distance themselves from their partys presidential nominee. The more Republican candidates reject Trump, though, the more voters get the message that Trump is not a respectable candidate, dragging down his support everywhere else. The best thing for any individual candidate on the ballot is to be the one Republican who opposes Trump. The best thing for all of the Republican candidates is for the party to stand behind him. Now consider the party brand issue. Republicans have very good reasons to try to quarantine their party identity from Trump, who embodies some of their most odious stereotypes: Hes a racist, misogynist bully who identifies wealth with virtue. They need to signal to voters that Trump lies outside the normal Republican Party, and that the real Republican Party is essentially in exile through November. But doing so compounds the near-term election disaster, for the reasons cited above. Repudiating Trump will drive down his numbers and cause Republican voters to stay home, and likewise alienate Trumps many Republican enthusiasts. How will Republicans handle this delicate question? So far, they are attempting to straddle. New Hampshire senator Kelly Ayotte says she will support Trump but will not endorse him a Talmudic distinction so exquisitely incomprehensible its impossible to imagine her sustaining it. Maine senator Susan Collins proclaims she will back Trump if he stops gratuitous insults a formulation that sets her up to be asked every time Trump insults somebody if she considers it gratuitous. There will be no plan, no coordination, just every Republican waking up every day and trying to make it through the next news cycle. In other words, the same response to Trumps candidacy in the first place. Now available at health clinics, bodegas, and the island of Puerto Rico. Photo: NYC Health Puerto Rico may owe a cool $422 million to its creditors, but the commonwealth is about to be rich in one thing: free NYC-branded condoms. New York City is doing its part to help stop the Zika virus and is gifting 1 million condoms to Puerto Rico. Most people get Zika via mosquito bite, but the virus lives in blood and semen and so can be sexually transmitted which is especially dangerous for pregnant women, as its linked to severe birth defects like microcephaly. Puerto Rico did just confirm the United States first Zika victim last week, an elderly man who died from (rare) complications related to the virus. Right now Puerto Rico has close to 700 confirmed cases of the virus, but that numbers expected to go up. As in New York, the rubbers will be given out for free in Puerto Rico. No word yet if theyll also be stocked in bars and delis. And if youre not in Puerto Rico or the city but still really want a condom with the NYC logo, you can always check out the Dominican Republic, where theyve been known to be smuggled in and sold as a discount alternative to Durex. Stonewall Inn, all aglow. Photo: New York Daily News/2013/Daily News L.P. (New York) The Stonewall Inn, the Greenwich Village bar that played a crucial role in the gay-rights movement, was given landmark status by New York City last year, but the Associated Press reports the Obama administration will do even more to distinguish the site. According to two individuals familiar with the administrations plans, the president will name the bar the first national monument for gay rights hes reportedly considering proposals that would involve cordoning off Christopher Park, a small sliver of land near Stonewall Inn, and surrounding areas. Federal officials, including Interior Secretary Sally Jewell and National Park Service Director Jonathan Jarvis, are traveling to New York for a May 9 meeting about the proposal, according to the Washington Post. City officials are still looking into the lands title, but barring any complications, Stonewall should be declared a national monument as early as next month just in time for Pride Month and New York Citys famous parade. The Stonewall Inn was the site of a police raid in June of 1969 when patrons fought back and stormed the surrounding streets, they sparked protests in New York City and around the country that are largely seen as the start of gay-rights activism. President Obama mentioned the bar in his 2013 inaugural address when he said the principle of equality should guide the country, Just as it guided our forebears through Seneca Falls, and Selma, and Stonewall. (His was the first mention of gay rights in an inaugural address, according to the AP.) New York lawmakers have long pushed for the national-park designation, and last year, Congressman Jerrold Nadler and Senators Kirsten Gillibrand and Chuck Schumer introduced legislation that said as much. Its time for the Stonewall Inn to take its place in the panoply of sites and events that were sparks in the march to the kind of freedom and equality that is the very wellspring of the American Dream, Schumer said. Making the Stonewall Inn site a unit of the National Park system is the right thing to do. Do not go gentle into that good night. Photo: Scott Olson/Getty Images The Republican Party has an undisputed nominee. The Democratic Partys race will likely go to the convention. American politics is strange. On Tuesday night, hours after calling the GOP front-runner a pathological liar, Ted Cruz ended his candidacy, honoring the Republican electorates right to sleep in the bed its made. Less than an hour later, Bernie Sanders was declared the winner in Indiana. The victory is an impressive upset for the Sanders campaign. Every major poll showed Clinton winning the Hoosier State, albeit by single-digit margins. The pattern of returns Clinton taking an early lead that steadily faded as vote counting progressed suggests that the Democratic front-runner enjoyed a significant advantage in the early vote. The fact that Sanders was able to eclipse that on election day, despite losing over a hundred staffers (and any real shot of winning the nomination) this past week, is a testament to the strength of his support among liberal independents. According to CNNs exit poll, self-identified Democrats did rally around their front-runner tonight, backing Clinton 54 to 46 percent. But that wasnt enough to compensate for Sanderss 70 to 30 percent advantage among independents. Further aiding the socialist senators cause was an unusually young primary electorate, as 46 percent of the vote was cast by those 44 and younger a demographic that broke for Sanders 68 to 32 percent. The win will likely buoy the Sanders campaigns sagging finances and ensure that his political revolution rages against the dying of the light from here to Philadelphia. I sense a great deal of momentum, Sanders told reporters late Tuesday. I sense some great victories coming and I think that while the path is narrow I think we can pull off one of the great upsets in the history of the United States. At this point, that upset would either involve some terrible misfortune befalling Hillary Clinton or, far more improbably, Democratic superdelegates deciding to override the will of the partys voters and throw the nomination to a democratic socialist, for electabilitys sake. The Indiana win is another remarkable achievement for Sanders and his movement. It also changes nothing fundamental about the Democratic race. Of the remaining contests, only the votes in Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, and Montana are open to independents. A single-digit win in Indianas open primary is further confirmation that Sanders is incapable of catching Clinton in pledged delegates a feat that would require him to win landslides in every remaining state. But Sanderss Hoosier State triumph will likely grow the ranks of socialism-curious delegates in Philadelphia, thereby intensifying squabbles over platform positions and process reforms. It may also force Clinton to expend time and energy trying to prevent anything too narratively unpleasant from happening in California on June 7. And itll put a little damper in what is otherwise a very good night to be Hillary Clinton. Sheldon Silver arriving at federal court for yesterdays sentencing. Photo: Louis Lanzano/Bloomberg via Getty Images Sheldon Silver the once-powerful State Assembly Speaker who was convicted last year on seven counts including fraud, extortion, and money laundering was sentenced Tuesday to 12 years in prison, and hes asked a federal judge to send him to a minimum-security prison that offers town-hall meetings for inmates and quiet time every night. Silver, who must also pay a $1.75 million fine and forfeit $5 million in proceeds from his crimes, has asked the judge that he be sent to the Federal Correctional Institution in Otisville, New York, less than a two-hour drive from his Lower East Side residence. The Post reports that the Otisville prison is also known as the best one for observant Jewish inmates, who have access to full-time rabbis. Silver was taken down as part of U.S. Attorney Preet Bhararas campaign against public corruption one that also resulted in a corruption conviction for State Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos. During Silvers trial, evidence showed that he traded favors in return for millions of dollars in kickbacks from a cancer researcher and a real-estate developer. Skelos automatically lost his seat upon conviction. Prosecutors had sought to make an example of Silver and asked that he get a harsher sentence than other state legislators convicted of corruption. (The longest one the government cited was the 14 years behind bars given to former Democratic assemblyman William F. Boyland Jr.) Sentencing guidelines recommended a term of roughly between 22 and 27 years, but Judge Valerie Caproni said a sentence in that range would be draconian and unjust given 71-year-old Silvers age. Silver was ordered to surrender to prison by noon on July 1. Caproni said shed recommend that Silver be sent to the Otisville facility, though its ultimately up to the Federal Bureau of Prisons. The Post reports that other possibilities for Silver, who was diagnosed with prostate cancer, include the Federal Medical Center in Devens, Massachusetts, or the Schuylkill Federal Correctional Facility in Pennsylvania, where two other convicted New York legislators are already doing time. Silver spoke briefly at the sentencing yesterday, saying that he let down his constituents, his family, and his colleagues. Im truly, truly sorry for that, he said. As he exited the courtroom, he told reporters, I believe in the justice system and we will pursue all remedies. After Silver was sentenced yesterday, Bharara took to Twitter to say, Todays stiff sentence is a just and fitting end to Sheldon Silvers long career of corruption. So long, Ted. Photo: Joe Raedle/2016 Getty Images After a disappointing loss in Indianas Republican primary Tuesday night, Ted Cruz granted Donald Trumps dearest wish and dropped out of the presidential race. In a lengthy speech, the Texas senator said that from the beginning, Ive said I would continue as long as there was a viable path to victory, but acknowledged that that path has been foreclosed. I am suspending our campaign, he told supporters in Indiana, but I am not suspending our fight for liberty. Cruz had a tough week in Indiana, culminating in one of his most aggressive anti-Trump rants to date in which he called the GOP front-runner a pathological liar, utterly amoral, a narcissist at a level I dont think this countrys ever seen, and a serial philanderer. Despite all that, with all precincts reporting in the Hoosier state, Cruz lost to Trump by about 17 points; his last outright victory was in Wisconsin at the beginning of April. Cruzs supporters booed as he announced his decision, but the real loser here is Carly Fiorina, whose vice-presidential bid lasted for about a week. Donald Trump and his minions. Photo: Spencer Platt/Getty Images It is fitting that Donald Trump has essentially locked up the Republican presidential nomination on the same day he made yet another bizarre and senseless (that is, lacking any discernible purpose) comment by accusing Ted Cruzs father of having conspired to kill President Kennedy. The accusation, which originated from the pro-Trump National Enquirer, neatly encapsulates his peculiarity. There are a number of lunatic theories professed by most Republicans: the theory of anthropogenic global warming is a conspiracy concocted by scientists worldwide; the Reagan and Bush tax cuts caused revenue to increase; George W. Bush kept us safe from terrorism. But Trump advocates an entirely different set of crackpot beliefs that lie outside conservative ideology, and every attempt by his rivals to expose them has failed spectacularly. Having won Indiana, the last state where his rivals stood a chance to potentially derail him, and where they spent heavily to do so, Trump has a glide path to the convention. The largest trove of remaining delegates lies in California, which he no longer even needs to win, and where his lead has grown to some 30 points. It is as if Trump in his moment of conquest wants the Republicans to know that no quarter will be given, that he has conquered the party on his own, loopy terms. The most surreal and characteristic moment of Trumps presidential campaign may have taken place two months ago. That week, Mitt Romney had mocked Trumps business acumen, highlighting his many failed ventures, including Trump Steaks, in a well-regarded and highly publicized speech that articulated both the horror with which Republican elites regarded Trump and their strategy for preventing him from capturing the nomination. A few days later, having won a series of victories, Trump appeared in his Mar-a-Lago resort to insist Trump Steaks were indeed a going concern. Do we have steaks? We have Trump steaks. He said the steak company, and we have Trump steaks. And by the way, if you want to take one, well charge you about, what, 50 bucks a steak? It was not only a blatant lie, but a lie that required no sophistication at all to see through. One did not need a grasp of economics or public policy to understand that Trump Steaks is a no-longer-extant product. There are no advertisements for these steaks. They are not available for purchase anywhere. They do not exist. Trump simply had his staff purchase a bunch of steaks at a supermarket and display them on a table, and call them Trump Steaks. But and here is the most incredible detail of all, the one that reveals just how blunt the Trump con is his campaign did not even bother to completely remove the wrappers from the steaks they purchased. The steaks still had the labels from the local butcher from which they were purchased. Most of America, including a significant minority of Republicans, have seen Trumps candidacy exactly for the con it is. Trump for President is a category error. He is, as his rivals have described him, a charlatan, a con artist, a congenital liar, a man self-evidently unfit for office at any level, and especially the presidency. As George Will has argued, his unfitness is so manifest that it applies to anybody who considers him suitable for the office; a person is unqualified for high office because he or she will think Trump is qualified. Even after those of us who initially dismissed Trumps appeal came to terms with it, it seemed as though the anti-Trump wing of the party would at least put up a strong fight. It was only a few weeks ago that projections had Trump falling well short of the 1,237 delegates he would need to win a first-ballot vote. (In mid-April, Nate Silver, whose findings were typical, projected Trump finishing with around 1160.) Trumps lead in California, the largest remaining source of delegates, was tenuous. Some semblance of order seemed likely to prevail. Even if that order took the form of the extremist Ted Cruz wrenching the nomination in some kind of chaotic scene, the Republican Party would still have wound up fulfilling the basic threshold duty of a functioning party: ensuring its presidential nomination had remained in the hands of a reasonably well-informed and indisputably sane person not a giant, not a Lincoln, but at least one of the 10 or 20 million most qualified people in America, or at minimum, a certifiable non-sociopath. But actual Republican voters have not seen things this way at all. Indeed, as the campaign has gone on, they have seen things this way less and less. Watching this happen has been astonishing. The GOPs efforts to impose normalcy, or some facsimile thereof, have not only failed but backfired. Cruz and John Kasich finally split up the remaining territory in an attempt to jointly deny Trump a majority. Cruz also announced a joint ticket with Carly Fiorina, an effective performer who had avoided any attacks on fellow Republicans in the course of auditioning for a spot on the ticket. This was supposed to cast a vision of a broad-based, anybody-but-Trump ticket behind which a wide array of non-Trump Republicans could rally. The opposite occurred. In a recent recent poll, a mere 8 percent of Republican voters described themselves as enthusiastic about the ticket, and another 20 percent comfortable; a staggering 70 percent said it made them uncomfortable or angry. Republicans across the country have watched Cruz take the fight to Trump, and concluded that they really disliked Cruz. The Texas senator has seen his favorable ratings plummet, while Trumps have spiked upward: Indiana seems to have proved that stopping Trump has the effect of making him stronger. Go along with Trump, and he wins; fight Trump, and he wins by even more. The only thing they can do now is further cripple their already historically weak nominee. Meanwhile the premise of the anti-Trump campaign that his personality and moral character fundamentally make him unfit for the presidency has crumbled. It is not that Trump had disproved these criticisms. Far from it. Rather, more and more Republicans could not bring themselves to make this case. Indiana governor Mike Pence, whom conservatives hoped would rally conservatives in his state in the same way Scott Walker had in Wisconsin, instead served up an endorsement so tepid it may have done more harm than good. (Im not against anybody, but I will be voting for Ted Cruz in the upcoming Republican primary. I urge everyone to make up their own mind.) The Wall Street Journal editorial page disavowed a third-party right-wing candidacy, which conservatives had hoped to use as a fallback to rally the base. Even Weekly Standard editor William Kristol, who had thrown himself into the anti-Trump cause with his customary Churchillian fervor finally a case where his favorite historical analogy did not seem hysterically overwrought! has begun edging away from the front lines. Asked about his professions to never support Trump, Kristol equivocated, I mean, I guess never say never. On the one hand, Ill say #NeverTrump, and on the other hand, Ill say never say never. Of course, the whole point of Never Trump is that you actually do have to say never. Virtually the entire Republican apparatus will follow Trump sooner or later, because without the voters, they have no power. And those voters have revealed things about the nature of the party that many Republicans prefer to deny. Whatever abstract arguments for conservative policy and these arguments exist, and a great many people subscribe to them earnestly on the ground, Republican politics boils down to ethno-nationalistic passions ungoverned by reason. Once a figure has been accepted as a friendly member of their tribe, there is no level of absurdity to which he can stoop that would discredit him. And since reason cannot penetrate the crude tribalism that animates Republicans, it follows that nothing President Obama could have proposed on economic stimulus, health care, or deficits could have avoided the paroxysms of rage that faced him. The paranoid mendacity of Joe McCarthy, the racial pandering of Barry Goldwater, Richard Nixon, and George Bush, the jingoism and anti-intellectualism of Ronald Reagan, George W. Bush, and Sarah Palin all these forces have embodied the essence of American conservative politics as it is actually practiced (rather than as conservative intellectuals like to imagine it). Trump has finally turned that which was always there against itself. Unity ticket? Photo: Spencer Platt/Getty Images; Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images Its a bad day to be Ron Johnson. Or Kelly Ayotte. Or any other swing-state Republican senator up for reelection this fall. Last night in Indiana, Donald Trump became the most unpopular major-party nominee in American history. A CNN/ORC poll released Wednesday shows Clinton leading Trump nationally 54 to 41 percent. The survey finds that 64 percent of women say they dislike the Donald, while 73 percent of nonwhites, 57 percent of moderates, and 37 percent of conservatives say the same. One poll last month showed a majority of white men saying they dont care for the walking, talking caricature of patriarchal privilege. After glimpsing such numbers, many Republicans have concluded that the party should focus on preventing down-ballot candidates from drowning in a great blue wave this fall. But its not clear exactly how the GOP should go about doing that. The intuitive answer would be to localize the races, and give Ron Johnson license to run against or at least away from Trump in Wisconsin. But if a large swath of the party distances itself from the standard-bearer, they could end up dampening Republican turnout and guaranteeing Clinton the kind of landslide that would sweep Rob Portman into the dustbin of history. Democratic strategist Simon Rosenberg salivates at this possibility, imagining the contrast between a Democratic Party united behind Clinton herself flanked by two popular ex-presidents and an unpopular, isolated Trump. Thus, down-ballot Republicans face a pair of bad options: embrace Trump and pray that high turnout among Hillary-hating conservatives compensates for the backlash that six months of Trumps misogynistic ravings are bound to produce, or run away from him and pray that moderates turn out to vote for divided government. Thanks to Merrick Garland, Senate Republicans will have little time to choose. The RedState blog, a right-wing fever swamp turned bastion of principled anti-Trumpism, argued Wednesday that the GOP should confirm Merrick Garland ASAP, writing: Republicans must know that there is absolutely no chance that we will win the White House in 2016 now So the choices, essentially, are to confirm Garland and have another bite at the apple in a decade, or watch as President Clinton nominates someone who is radically more leftist and 10-15 years younger, and we are in no position to stop it. In recent days, President Obama has taken the Garland fight to vulnerable Republican senators backyards. On Monday, Obama made his case for a hearing on Garlands nomination to journalists from Ayottes New Hampshire, Johnsons Wisconsin, John McCains Arizona, Roy Blunts Missouri, Rob Portmans Ohio, and Chuck Grassleys Iowa, The Atlantic reports. Recent polls show that a majority of Americans believe Garland deserves a hearing. A new PPP survey of Ohio found 65 percent of voters saying that Obamas pick merits formal consideration. Granted, there probably isnt a human being in America (with the possible exception of Garland himself) whose main concern when selecting a senator is whether or not he or she will hold hearings whenever theyre appropriate. But with Trump at the top of the ticket, swing-state Republicans will want to assure voters that the GOP is not a radical party. It will be difficult for Portman to do that while refusing to recognize the presidents constitutional right to appoint Supreme Court justices. And yet, at this point, honoring Garlands nomination comes with its own risks. The Republican caucus has spent months arguing that America has the right to weigh in on the next Supreme Court nominee via its choice in the November election. If they back away from that stance now, they would effectively rebuke their own presidential nominee. And if hearings build popular support for Garlands confirmation, they would be forced into either defying the will of the general public or that of their own base. Thus, how Republicans proceed on Garland may serve as a leading indicator of whether the party is prepared to unify behind the Donald or else distance itself from him. If current polling holds up, theyll be trumped if they do, trumped if they dont. Photo: Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg/Getty Images Twenty-four-year-old artist Illma Gore, whos known for her viral artwork Make America Great Again, says that she was assaulted by a Trump supporter last week while walking to her home in Los Angeles. In an Instagram post of her wounded face she uploaded on Friday, Gore claims she was followed by a car of men chanting Trump 2016! before one of the men emerged from the car and hit her: Today I was punched in the face by a man who got out of his car and yelled, Trump 2016! in Los Angeles, just days after I returned home from London just down the road from my house. Though I encourage passion, opinion and emotion, especially though art, I think violence is disgusting. To live in a place where Facebook has given my address to an anonymous third party makes me feel like I am homeless again. This type of violence makes creatives feel like we live in a world where our individual creative input isnt safe. I am sad that this is the state of our America right now. I am sad that Trump, and many of his supporters, dont find words enough to express their opinions - they need walls, waterboarding and punches. @realdonaldtrump Please stop glamorizing and perpetuating violence. Make America Decent Again! #makeamericadecentagain No, they have not been caught, and the men drove off laughing. A detailed police report has been filed. Gore told the Daily News that she received many threats on social media after her artwork went viral, but that this is the first physical attack. Treasury Wine Estates stresses the importance of brand building Treasury Wine Estates is on a mission to evolve from a business led by agriculture to a brand-building FMCG heavyweight and Blossom Hill is a perfect fit, according to its managing director. The firm became the UKs second largest supplier when it bought Percy Fox from Diageo at the tail end of 2015, a move that doubled its volume sales. It has been busy integrating the team that built Blossom Hill into a top-three brand into its Twickenham office, and boss Dan Townsend is excited by the challenge ahead. TWEs core brands Wolf Blass and Lindemans sell at a premium to the average bottle of wine, and it also boasts the likes of Beringer and Penfolds, which have a strong fine wine offering. Blossom Hill might not seem like a natural fit, but Townsend told OLN: Blossom Hill is a different brand but it complements our portfolio perfectly. It adds real weight to our portfolio at entry level. It enables us to reach consumers we have not reached with our other brands. The largely female, younger audience Blossom Hill reaches is fantastic. It has 300,000 Facebook fans. The way the Percy Fox team connected with its consumers through Facebook is a lesson for any brand. They did a fantastic job. The fact that it still sells 4.5 millioncases in the UK is testament to just how much-loved it is. It is just behind Hardys and ahead of Echo Falls, but it is much more concentrated [the majority sales come from just a few SKUs]. It has the number one rose, the number one white wine and the number two red wine overall. Townsend winces whenever he hears the word premiumisation because most shoppers are looking to spend less, rather than more. Instead he champions the benefits of a balanced range. Some people are going to spend 5 and nothing is going to tempt them away from that, so we have to cater to them. We are not on a mission to premiumise wine. We are about offering a balanced range. [In an off-licence] I dont want to be confronted with five Pinot Grigios and White Zinfandels at the same price and nothing north of 8. Wine is an intimidating sector for a lot of consumers and for some convenience store owners and thats where being able to offer simple advice based around a balanced range is really important. Townsend said he understands the need for supermarkets to rationalise ranges and is encouraged by his discussions with buyers. We are a branded wine supplier and the opportunity is to demonstrate what our brands stand for, why they are relevant and why they should warrant space on the shelf versus own-label and exclusive label, he said. We are moving from an agriculturally led business to a brand-building FMCG business. Our mission is to make our brands as relevant as possible. Related articles: She is right, but Fresh Off The Boat is a terrible show. Reply Thread Link without the kids it would be so much better Reply Parent Thread Link *without eddie the other 2 can stay Reply Parent Thread Expand Link nope it's just terrible at time. too much, "hey this happened in the 90s" Reply Parent Thread Link lies Reply Parent Thread Link u r wrong Reply Parent Thread Link these blatant lies rn Reply Parent Thread Link i disagree but i will say s2 hasnt been as good as s1 Reply Parent Thread Link bye Reply Parent Thread Link you stop these lies Reply Parent Thread Link This problematic opinion Reply Parent Thread Link It went downhill for me but from what I've been reading from fans it has found its footing so I'm going to give it a second chance. Now Last Man Standing, now THAT is a terrible show. Reply Parent Thread Expand Link lol wut??? Reply Parent Thread Link I lost interest during season 1 and dropped it so I guess ia Reply Parent Thread Link Agreed 100%. What a missed opportunity. Reply Parent Thread Link you're wrong and you should feel bad Reply Parent Thread Link She's flawless. Love her so much for calling out so many of these racist assholes. Yeah that ep really irritated me, showing Tina Fey's pettiness. Reply Thread Link mte, it's no surprise that tina fey would put something like that in her show Reply Parent Thread Link tina fey is the epitome of that "you can never convince nerds who become bullies that they're anything but victims" adage Reply Parent Thread Link I've never heard that before but you're so right. Reply Parent Thread Link She really is. It sucks because I loooved 30 Rock when it first came out, and I do really enjoy Kimmy Schmidt for the most part, but it's just so problematic when it comes to race. Jane Krakowski is great, but *why* did they have to include the Native American stuff? That was touchy enough for me. Then this season Titus's stupid episode having a go at "political-correctness". Like c'mon Tina you are being willfully obnoxious. I read her biography Bossypants a few years ago and it was such a letdown. She's bitter. Reply Parent Thread Link Tina Fey created Kimmy Schmidt? (/living under a rock) That explains a lot. Reply Parent Thread Expand Link I hate that Tina Fey is touted as this ~progressive. She's far from one. Reply Parent Thread Link That fucking episode was the worst. Fucking Tina Fey I swear. Reply Parent Thread Link Are you surprised, she's still dragging Taylor for a comment she made when she was like 18 in response to her slut shaming, she can't let shit go, especially when she's wrong Reply Parent Thread Link man, i love her Reply Thread Link I'm glad she's on a popular show and her voice is being heard Reply Thread Link I still can't get over that first season storyline that was like a breath away from sixteen candles long duck dong bullshit. But aha it's OK because Kimmy means penis! (Even tho it doesn't) I still haven't watched S2 because my Tina Fey hate is too much to overcome my Titus love Reply Thread Link this this this Reply Parent Thread Link ia w/ everything including the bit about loving Titus but not enough to sit through S2. Sorry boo. Reply Parent Thread Link I bought his wine to support him. I can't bring myself to watch the show tho.. Reply Parent Thread Expand Link He needs to graduate to something better. Reply Parent Thread Link all of this Reply Parent Thread Link YES completely agree!!!!!!!!!!! I wish there was a way to stop Netflix from recommending this shit to me. I want it off my page!!!! Reply Parent Thread Expand Link MTE it's 2016 how does she still think it's funny Reply Parent Thread Link ditto Reply Parent Thread Link I just started watching this show, but so you're mad than an Asian man has an Asian name? Hmm Reply Parent Thread Expand Link s2 wasn't that great anyway, but i did like what they did with jackie (doesn't forgive them for all the native american appropriation tho) Reply Parent Thread Expand Link Same. The whole show is cringe worthy anyway. Reply Parent Thread Link I did appreciate him setting her straight though, I remember a line like; "It was funny the first time but that's my name, get over it" paraphrasing so I kinda forgave that moment but maybe I shouldn't have. Reply Parent Thread Link love how unafraid she is to speak her mind Reply Thread Link Kimmy Schmidt, which did an episode in their new season making fun of SJWs and Asian culture. honestly wtf Reply Thread Link I've watched all of S2 and have no idea which ep they're talking about; could you point me to that one? Reply Parent Thread Expand Link the episode where titus does a one man show as a geisha named murasaki (who was his past life apparently) Reply Parent Thread Expand Link nope i havent seen it Reply Parent Thread Link I've never seen a single episode of this show but it has to be the geisha one. Reply Parent Thread Link I'm assuming it's the one with Titus' one man show and the Internet brigade that hates on him Reply Parent Thread Link "Kimmy Goes to a Play!" Reply Parent Thread Link that episode was so glaringly preachy too. i couldn't roll my eyes hard enough. Reply Parent Thread Link I hated that ep (more than the other eps in a generally unfunny season, from what I've seen), and I thought it was in really bad taste to have a bunch of Asian Americans as the "oversensitive SJWs". I used to like Tina Fey but her humor is stale and she's punching down so much, she can officially fuck off. Reply Parent Thread Expand Link Holy shit. I am loving both her and the fact that she's not afraid to call them out. Reply Thread Link thb I like the show overall but even from the get-go they've never seemed to explain the necessity of Dong having a "poor" grasp of English, beyond it being a cheap and easy punchline here and there. It's not like it works into some larger character arc. Reply Thread Link He's a recent immigrant? It's more problematic that Ki-Hong Lee is a fluent English speaker made to put on an accent and on top of that is Korean-American, not Vietnamese. But you're right, the punchlines are dumb, I hated the "Kimmy means penis" thing too bc Tina et al clearly pulled that out of their asses as if Vietnamese wasn't an actual language and they could just make it up as they go along like ??? Reply Parent Thread Link It's more problematic that Ki-Hong Lee is a fluent English speaker made to put on an accent and on top of that is Korean-American, not Vietnamese. This is what pisses me off about so many of the roles that Karan Brar plays. Kid speaks with a perfect American accent but they gave Chirag Gupta (Diary of a Wimpy Kid) an accent because... why? It's not even mentioned in the books. Reply Parent Thread Expand Link For some reason I could've sworn his story involved him having been here for a while now. The accent makes more sense if he hadn't been but that doesn't make using it as a punchline any less gross af. Reply Parent Thread Link I'm glad she's speaking out. Reply Thread Link I love that she's so outspoken, and I just love her. Though it makes me so frustrated that when I see she's speaking out, I'm like "please don't let this lead to her getting blacklisted". It sucks that when you see someone saying something that needs to be said, a first worry is that they'll be penalized for it and so it's a small mental battle of wanting someone to stay quiet so they don't get blacklisted cause you really like them and then wanting them to be outspoken because it's so important and could lead to good things. tl:dr society sucks. Reply Thread Link Stop turning Asian roles white. It's bullshit and we all know it. John Cho (@JohnTheCho) March 25, 2015 I feel like when you're not getting roles to begin with (because Hollywood is so fucked up), you don't care about being blacklisted because it's not like you were going to get the role anyway :/. John Cho also called Hollywood out last year: Reply Parent Thread Expand Link Hasn't he been throwing shade at Star Trek too? I loved how he made a passive aggressive comment about Khan being a POC. Reply Parent Thread Link I miss Selfie :( he deserves his own show Reply Parent Thread Expand Link i love this man sfm Reply Parent Thread Link ilh so much! I miss him on TV and was so pissed when he didn't end up having an actual arc on New Girl :( Reply Parent Thread Expand Link Kimmy Schmidt has been racist since episode 1. It's so clearly a Tina Fey show. Reply Thread Link yup i side-eyed the whole first ep and now judge people who like it Reply Parent Thread Link yep ppl need to stop pretending otherwise Reply Parent Thread Link I don't get why its so widely beloved by people who I consider to be intelligent and sensitive in every other avenue of life. Like, am I watching a different show than other people and I got the more racist version? Why aren't more people pointing it out? I see it more now, but it took the SJW-Geisha episode to do it. Reply Parent Thread Link mte most of the tumblr ppl i follow seem p woke but they inexplicably love this show and idgi Reply Parent Thread Link Tbh I've been conflicted about it too, but the women's issues it takes on generally hit the nail on the fucking head and that might resonate with everyone re: "I'm always amazed by what women will do because they're afraid of being rude" or Kimmy's PTSD, letting her friends walk all over her, Titus getting real with Kimmy on the ways people like to avoid talking about serious things, etc. etc. Basically, Tina Fey was once great, ahead of her time at some point, but now her ideas belong in the 2000s with Mean Girls -- the success got to her head and she can't really change. Reply Parent Thread Link Mte Reply Parent Thread Link ia that's why I can't really go back to it Reply Parent Thread Link Go IN, Queen Constance! Reply Thread Link I just want my sweet prince Tituss Burgess to find a new show. Reply Thread Link Queen of Jordan is waiting for him Reply Parent Thread Link wasn't he literally the one dressed as a geisha??? Reply Parent Thread Link People with very few options will coon for a check. I never said he was perfect. He also was going by what was on the script. He should've said no, but he didn't. I hate that he did that, but I understand his reasons for going along with problematic shit. Reply Parent Thread Expand Link right? I only watched for him tbh Reply Parent Thread Link what is this? why? i don't. i can't. Reply Thread Link lmao basically. Reply Parent Thread Link Why is LJ in German all of a sudden? Reply Thread Link dumme Kuh Reply Parent Thread Link lol everyone keeps saying this I'm like when is it gonna happen to me ?!! Reply Parent Thread Link Alle begruen unsere neuen deutschen Oberherren!!! Reply Parent Thread Link same lmao Reply Parent Thread Link mine was yesterday and then it randomly changed back to english Reply Parent Thread Link wir ubernehmen Reply Parent Thread Link okay it wasn't just me? It fixed itself when I changed language settings Reply Parent Thread Link Mine changes the lanuage randomly. I got german, russian and japanese Reply Parent Thread Link I'm German but LJ always randomly switches to Polish for me lol Mess. Reply Parent Thread Expand Link it's always French for me! Reply Parent Thread Link Mine was suddenly Spanish a few weeks ago..... It's been going back and forth between English and Spanish ever since Reply Parent Thread Link I've always just had Russian Reply Parent Thread Link I've only ever gotten the Finnish translate lol Reply Parent Thread Link French pour moi. Reply Parent Thread Link I liked my pikachu version of the tomagatchi Reply Thread Link I mean, okay? Reminds me of those annoying couples who match everywhere they go. Unless you've been married for 30 years the look is not cute. /bitter Reply Thread Link it's one tiny accessory, I wouldn't call it "matching " like theyre Britney and Justin in the denim lol. Reply Parent Thread Link I didn't mean they were matching, I said they remind me of couples that match. Lol, I quickly went down a very bitter little spiral Reply Parent Thread Expand Link May Britney & Justin's matching denim outfits never be forgotten. Reply Parent Thread Expand Link lol funny you should mention that since she tried it with riff raff Reply Parent Thread Link I rly wanted one of the fancy giga pets like the Salem the cat one but my fam was poor so I got stuck w a tamagotchi and was super bitter about it ESP when it was always growing up to look like that fug alligator looking thing then refusing to die one day I shall find a Salem on eBay and live out my childhood dreams Reply Thread Link http://www.ebay.com/itm/Giga-Pet-Sabrina-Teenage-Witch-Salem-90s-Keychain-Digital-Electronic-Virtual-/351718369863?hash=item51e40c6a47:g:r9cAAOSwYmZXIARl Here ya go ;) Here ya go ;) Reply Parent Thread Link stop, im tempted to bid on it Reply Parent Thread Link Interestingly enough, the Giga Pet was considered a ~faux pas at my elementary school. The Tamagotchi came out first and was ALWAYS sold out at the local KB Toys, so having a Giga Pet just meant that your parents couldn't find you the real deal. You would have been super cool in my town, bb. <3 Reply Parent Thread Link me too! Couples regularly coordinate outfits on the red carpet and I think that's a cute lil way to do it Reply Parent Thread Link mte lol i don't like either of them but i was still like aw Reply Parent Thread Link lol same why is ontd always projecting their depressed lives on here? Leave those pathetic feelings at the door! Reply Parent Thread Link Yeah and it's not super in your face either. Is pretty cute Reply Parent Thread Link same, its silly and cute Reply Parent Thread Link ya same, its harmless and its a tiny little nod that theyre together. plus, I appreciate the throwback. that being said, Orlando wearing a generic tux and just sticking a Tomogachi on his lapel is pretty rude to the Met Gala and its theme. I get they're trying to be cute but Katy actually wore the FUCK out of the theme, and then just added the little gadget. he just wandered in looking like he showed up 5 hours late to the Golden Globes. Reply Parent Thread Link ontd hatey katy Reply Parent Thread Link yeah I'm surprised at the reaction to something relatively harmless. Reply Parent Thread Link It is. And as they say, drug addicts who dress together, inject together. I wish them a lifetime of love and cocaine use. Reply Parent Thread Link me too! like damn let them live Reply Parent Thread Link omg memories Reply Parent Thread Link OMG OMG OMG I HAD ONE OF THESE!! Reply Parent Thread Link omfg Reply Parent Thread Link oshytt i had a pen version of this dont remind me Reply Parent Thread Link Mine always sounded like death Reply Parent Thread Link Omg I think I remember this. Reply Parent Thread Link i think it's cute but it'd be cuter on someone else Reply Thread Link Wonderballs that had toys in them were the best 90s thing, lbr Reply Thread Link omg yes! the theme song haunts me Reply Parent Thread Link oh I wonder wonder wonder wonder WHATS IN A WONDERBALL Reply Parent Thread Link i think they're back with toys? Reply Parent Thread Link i never got one! so i'll never know what's inside a wonderball. Reply Parent Thread Link I think they're back but as something like Shopkins? Reply Parent Thread Link Now I have that song stuck in my head. Reply Parent Thread Link They still have them I think, they're just less of a choking hazard. The Disney Eggs are relatively close Reply Parent Thread Link you're thinking of surprise eggs wonderballs had candy inside not toys Reply Parent Thread Link I had a purple Game Boy and I loved to play this Tom and Jerry game because my asshole brother wouldn't let me play Pokemon or Mario. :( Reply Thread Link Mine would always die before it grew up Reply Thread Link I would intentionally let mine die. Reply Parent Thread Link sooo they took the machina part of the theme as just randomly clipping an outdated 90s toy to an ordinary suit... ok then. tried more than most of the men i guess. Reply Thread Link My school banned them too but I still brought mine and hid it in my desk. It was the only school rule I ever broke. lol Reply Parent Thread Link I swear they came out with an app version at some point. Reply Parent Thread Link There is a Tamagotchi app Reply Parent Thread Link when my school banned them I had my mom bring mine to work with her so she could feed it and clean the poop. no regrets, I loved that whale Reply Parent Thread Link Nobody ever seemed to realise that you could pause them, so they wouldn't die Reply Parent Thread Expand Link I had to pay my Mom ten cents a day to babysit mine. Reply Parent Thread Link im more concerned w his hair style oop Reply Thread Link I know it's out of date, but I think it's flattering on him. This is as good as I think he's looked in awhile. Reply Parent Thread Link I agree - I haven't found him attractive since his LOTR legolas days, but he's starting to look good to me again in the met gala pics. Reply Parent Thread Link lordy Reply Thread Link #notalllatinos jk, i'm Brazilian so sex with me so amazing. jk, i'm Brazilian so sex with me so amazing. Reply Thread Link With me too, hi five Reply Parent Thread Link Nos somos maravilhosos! Reply Parent Thread Link same sis Reply Parent Thread Link I'm argentinian and I agree with this comment. Reply Parent Thread Expand Link Can confirm re: Brazilians <3 COME TO FOR BRAZIL! Edited at 2016-05-04 02:03 pm (UTC) Reply Parent Thread Link brazilians are super sexy so i believe it! Reply Parent Thread Link 100% behind this statement Reply Parent Thread Link She's right tbh, I think it also has to do with having a smaller personal space Reply Thread Link white people: racism! latino people: she right tho! Reply Thread Link Well, I'm Latin American and I think she's full of bullshit, but some people like to identify with stereotypes. Reply Parent Thread Link But he's a white latino so... Reply Parent Thread Link what does she think of the other ethnicities? mess.what does she think of the other ethnicities? Reply Thread Link mariah seems to be happier lately Reply Parent Thread Link anyone marrying a billionaire would be happy Reply Parent Thread Expand Link yeah, she has a tour, is getting married, has a 'docu-series' coming out and possibly a new single soon Reply Parent Thread Link Ok but Wilmer won't even admit to seeing a future with you, so uh... Reply Thread Link So.... when she dated Joe Jonas and Trace Cyrus? Because when I googled her dating history, all that came up was just Trace, Joe, and now Wilmer. Relationships not arranged by a Disney publicist to hock Purity Rings tend to be more passionate, Demi. Reply Thread Link iirc, she dated a non-famous guy when she was still deep in her drug use. I think he was white. That's apparently the guy she fucked in a living room in the middle of a party when she was 17. I think I heard that that guy passed away a few years ago, but I may be wrong. Reply Parent Thread Expand Link i remember that story and im not sure if that guy was her bf or just someone she did drugs with. the fact that i remember shit like that is sad lol Reply Parent Thread Expand Link wao Reply Parent Thread Link I know bitch I was watching Reply Parent Thread Link she definitely dated people during her dug days that she kept secret. i'm pretty sure she dated Alex deleon and travis Clarke too iirc Reply Parent Thread Link Joe and Trace were the only ones she was public about, but she actually dated/hooked up with a lot of white guys in her teenage years before getting with Wilmer. besides Joe they were pretty much all part of the pop-punk band scene. she was pretty irrelevant then and it was easy enough for her to cover her tracks so that the mainstream media didn't pick up on anything, but fans who followed her/those bands closely definitely picked up on it. Reply Parent Thread Link She dated a bunch of white guys including Dirk Mai, the dude from All Time Low, her co-star on Sonny, Travis Clark, etc. Reply Parent Thread Link She slept around w/a lot of dudes from the warped tour scene at 16/17 and they all pretty much used her. Reply Parent Thread Link and lets not forget that she started dating Wilmer when she was high school age and he was a disgusting grown ass man. So of course there's more ~passion~ Reply Parent Thread Link remains the worst. Reply Thread Link But is she engaged yet? No? Whatever then Demi. Reply Thread Link i have never dated a white guy so idk all the people I've been with have been latino/hispanic so i dunno her ~struggle Reply Thread Link Okay girl but he's already got his eye on the next Disney starlet. Rowan Blanchard is 14, so maybe you've got 2-3 more years before he starts skeeving on her. I think he missed his shot with zendaya b/c she's 19, that's a little too old. He likes to get in early and groom his prey. Reply Thread Link Sabrina Carpenter is 16, so maybe he wants to creep on her. Smh gross Reply Parent Thread Link There's been a pattern with all of the young ladies he's dated, I would be very surprised if he married Demi OR if his next paramour was actually closer to his age (or let's be generous and say, even 25, because that wouldn't be a creepy age gap) Edited at 2016-05-04 01:40 pm (UTC) Reply Parent Thread Link Don't even put such negative karma out there for the Woke child start Queen Rowan! Reply Parent Thread Link Of course it was. You're comparing a 30 year old's experience to some teen boys. Reply Thread Link i have never had a totally horrible experience with this luckily but i do find it's harder to relate to them sometimes depending on where/how they grew up, and a bunch just aren't that adventurous with food :( Reply Thread Link I'm latina with a white boyfriend and it's been awesome. We have our differences, obviously, but he's been open to trying everything. Which I love because watching someone try something I've grown up with for all my life for the first time is an awesome experience. Reply Parent Thread Link Awww, this is sweet! Reply Parent Thread Link Being gay and black and living in SC, you're eventually going to have to get them together about SOMETHING. AND IA, they're sometimes not adventurous/scared for some reason. I've dated some good white men, some shitty white men, and some terrified closet cases. It just depends. Reply Parent Thread Expand Link Im dating a white guy, but he's not from America like I am, so that helps tbh. He's much more adventurous than I am, honestly. Reply Parent Thread Link I'm black and have dated about 3 different races. The guy I'm currently with is white and he's fun to be with. He's game to try things and I like that. I've not seriously dated a white guy because of the differences but I don't have an issue like that with my current guy. Reply Parent Thread Link most were fine though one showed his ass re: asian woman fetishization and I was out Reply Parent Thread Expand Link for my first boyfriend, he was really smart (I'll give him that) but good lord some of the shit he said was fucking dumb as fuck. he said once he understood how a lot of poc in poverty feel because he grew up poor. to be fair his parents never made a ton of money, but they made enough to live decently in a very well-off neighborhood, he went to a nice public school, and his parents actually had a successful business before the economy went to shit. he also 'joked' that dating me (a south indian) gave him hipster cool points. this isn't really related to race, but he also said one time when we went to trader joe's that he didn't understand why people can't buy fresh food all the time cause all they have to do was drive to the local supermarket. i tried to explain why that was fucked up to think that way, but he just didn't get it. idk he was just immature in a lot of aspects tbh. otherwise most of them were fine, i lived in new york for my adult life and most people i run into are more liberal. Edited at 2016-05-04 01:18 pm (UTC) Reply Parent Thread Link I'm an Asian guy and I'm dating a white guy. Idk. I think the only difference I've experienced is that I'm more into my family and have a bond with my family more than he does? But that's been like every white guy I've dated. Idk. It's weird to explain but I feel as if they're not really close with their families as I am? Also they like eating Asian food more than me lmao Reply Parent Thread Expand Link Ironically most of my troubled men I have dated have been Brazilians, lol. I'm wary of dating white guys because most of the ones that hit me up are only looking to fetishize me so im not into that. I think it honestly depends on the guy. Reply Parent Thread Link All the white guys i've dated were the absolute worst, not sex wise, but just rude/oversensitive/easily offended Reply Parent Thread Link I do find that the older i get, the more difficult the cultural aspect is when it comes to white americans, at least. but I've been dating a danish man for five years and learning his culture as well as his learning mine has been a bit of a bonding experience. also, having a european lens on american fuckery (ie the current election season) is refreshing, i think we forget what impact our choices really make. yay blanket statement when i get in front of a desktop i can be more clear Reply Parent Thread Link My one really serious boyfriend was white. It was..interesting. The topic of race was always tricky. And when we first started dating he would make comments about bbc etc. I eventually called him out and we were fine. It was truly a great relationship tho. He's passed away since, miss him :-( Reply Parent Thread Expand Link i'm an indian woman. when i started dating my white boyfriend i was so worried there were going to be major differences, especially when it came to family and boundaries. but luckily enough, he's super close to his family and respects all my boundaries (not that i have many). and as a bonus he loves spicy food unlike most white people ha! Reply Parent Thread Link nothing very negative although one of them kept comparing us to our older mutual friends who were also bw/wm and it got creepy and once he called me his nubian queen despite the fact that i'm lighter skinned. he had some other issues so i peaced out pretty quick. i actually hate how much my dating pool seems so limited to white guys. as an atheist, it's hard to find other black non-believers where i live (southwest ohio) and when i do, they're either gay, obsessed with anime and video games or a hotep. Reply Parent Thread Expand Link I love my white BF but man is he cheap. He complains about $70 groceries that feeds us for over a month. Reply Parent Thread Link i've only had 1 white guy but he was selfish af in bed. Reply Parent Thread Link WOC here. I dated quite a lot of white men, not exclusively, a few of them were douches. A few became super obsessed with me, very attentive but now I'm marrying one. He treats me like a queen, dots on me, takes care of me but recognizes I'm a smart capable woman. Super feminist, thinks men who don't let women lead are beyond dumb. He's also one of the few white men who tries to learn from his ignorance. Also schools other ignorant white people too. Reply Parent Thread Link My husband is white and let me tell you, he ROCKS the HELL out of me in bed. <3 Reply Parent Thread Link I've noticed that it's easy to tell when someone has a fetish because I'm Asian. But I've experienced it with Black guys as well, though not as much. My new requirement for dating someone is that they are awoke. I'm tired of guys thinking it's cool to be racist and then have the nerve to say I'm pretty and that we should hang out. Reply Parent Thread Expand Link lots of racism in the family Reply Parent Thread Link I'm Middle Eastern and my boyfriend is a white boy from the mid-west and he's the best I've ever had. I've dated European, Mexican, African-American and maybe one or two other white guys...so this is just dumb. Edited at 2016-05-05 12:45 am (UTC) Reply Parent Thread Link Says she recently found out she is distantly part Khoisan through DNA testing Claims that Khoisan people are not considered black (they are) but uses being part Khoisan as proof that she is part black similtaneously Claims the black community accepts her as black because she gets mistaken for black in America Says she's not considered black in South Africa because she's Indian and white (...) She says she and her family are from the African continent which makes her African She says she wasn't suggesting herself to play Baartman, even though the Twitter user she responded specifically asked her what she thought about taking on the role Points out that Storm from X-Men is Kenyan, where there are mixed people (which doesn't change the fact that Storm is not mixed) She says she hopes we aren't cyberbulled because that was not her intention in posting this, but does not bother to block/censor our usernames -- In South Africa where Lesley Ann is from, any mixed raced person of any racial combination is "Coloured". Some Coloureds are mixed with black, but she is of Indian and European descentShe spends most of her response going in off topic detail about the history of Cape Coloured people but ignores what she was actually being criticized for -- which is her acknowledging she is not black (which she actually does in this post) but wants to play black roles. What was a simple criticism she made into a confusing matter to frame myself and my friends as ignorant, whom she of course now needed to "educate" out of the goodness of her heart. Firstly, saying some one needs to get Saartjie Baartman's story right hardly says that I'm in any way able to play her. While it would be a dream role for any South African actress, Saartjie Baartman was Khoi, (one of the native light skinned tribes in South Africa who are not considered black even today but who would be considered black in America). They are a First Nation people who have very specific facial features and no one but a Khoi actress should even attempt telling that story. Period. In my opinion, not every actor/actress of color can play every ethnicity, but particularly historical figures as is the case with Saartjie Baartman. Hers is a South African story but more specifically, it is a Khoi story. I actually recently explained to my manager why I could not audition to play Winnie Mandela in an upcoming tv mini series. She is Xhosa, I am not. In fact, I suggested that beautiful South African actress, Terry Pheto should be who they hire. She would be perfect. Secondly, I'm South African, a women of color who is mostly thought to be a light skinned black American here in the US and it is a beautiful thing because I am accepted, for the most part, as fellow woman of color and as member of a community who have roots, history and a voice regardless of the different mixes they have within their own community. But back home, in South Africa, I'm not black. The government specifically classifies me as not black. Because of my accent, my features, where I was born, my spoken languages (English and Afrikaans) and skin color. Unlike America, in South Africa, if your father is black and your mother is white, you are not black. If your mother is black an your f ather is asian, you are not black , if your mother is indian and your father is black, you are not black. If American's who are mixed go to South Africa, you wouldn't be seen as black either...I'm sure you get the picture. You are what South African government considers to be Coloured, a mixed raced group in South Africa. It's hard to grasp I know. I had no idea the world knew nothing about my people until I moved out of South Africa. I also had no idea that you could be mixed and still be considered black. I was 17 so forgive that ignorance at the time. I have British, Indian, Dutch, Spanish and I recently found out through DNA testing, I have Khoi, which is very common for my people and which is personally exciting to know that my ancestors are in fact tied to Africa. As I mentioned, Khoi is a first nation tribe, as is the Khoisan, the Khoi Khoi and the Griqua. As is the case with Aboriginals in Australia, the Moari in New Zealand and Native American Indians in the US who are also first nation people. So basically these are the native tribes, ( Khoi, Khoi Khoi, Griqua, Khoisan), of South Africa who the Dutch first met when they landed on South African soil. But in the eyes of the government both pre apartheid and post apartheid, they are not considered black and are barely recognized in our history books. You see, there is to this day, a race classification, historically imposed by the old apartheid government for my mixed people. That classification is called Coloured as I mentioned earlier. It is spelt differently and has a different meaning than it does in America. This mixed race group of South Africans are made of black African tribes mixing with Indian, Dutch, Filipino, British, German, Chinese, Iranian, Italian, (the list goes on) AND with each other. During the slave period, South Africa never exported slaves like the rest of Africa. In fact the country welcomed political prisoners from around the world who started mixing with Dutch and British settlers, local South African tribes (Khoi, Khoi Khoi, Khoisan, Griqua and eventually the Xhosa, Zulu, Sotho, Tswana, Pedi, Venda, Ndebele, Tsonga, Pondo Swati) and each other, and then their children mixed and so it went on, giving birth to my community. While I don't really look to Wiki for information usually, this page is a good source to help give you a more in depth perspective. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coloured We are considered to be one of the most genetically diverse race groups in the world. It is why Hollywood shoots in South Africa so much, that and the exchange rate. We literally look like the rest of the world. But to this day we continue to be treated as second class citizens in our own country. Children are unable to go to university based purely on their race , jobs are not available to the Coloured community, based purely on their race and the quoters imposed on businesses in South Africa and 21 years on, my people, the same people who marched, who were killed, who protested along with our black South African brothers and sisters and who supported our beloved Madiba, Nelson Mandela, and his dream of free country, well, they are still in exactly the same place they were all those years ago. Not white enough in the old South Africa and not ancestrally black enough in the new South Africa. To give you an idea of how this all works, if you are apply for a job, you specify on your application if you're black white or black or Coloured. If you open a bank account your ID Number ( Social Security number), says whether you're white, black or Coloured, which like your social security number, you need for mortgage applications, driver licenses, loans, credit etc. Which brings me back to why I am responding to your tweets. Educating people on my country and its unique people is important to me because well, there is an entire generation of mixed raced kids in my home country who have no voice, no hope, no future, IF South Africa continues with a corrupt ANC government who are not working in the best interest of ALL its country's people. This is not the same Mandela lead ANC government and I know the state of affairs in South Africa, the government fraud and racist legislature was not what he stood for and was not his vision for our country. There was a promise made that once we ended apartheid, once we gained our democratic freedom as a country, we would be welcomed as part of the majority. Sadly, that has not happened. So supporting a documentary that educates the world on the struggles of my people and their history is exactly that and has nothing to do with American history, this is South African history. Thirdly, Africa is a continent. I am African not just by ancestry but by location. Just like America is a location and people are still considered American. I was raised on the African continent as was my parents. my grandparents, my great grandparents and their parents. And in Africa ladies, not just South Africa, we come in all shapes and sizes, with different physical features, different languages, different cultures and variety of colors. It's a beautiful thing and I celebrate it as a proud South African. As Archbishop Desmond Tutu so perfectly said, we are the rainbow nation. Fourthly, regarding your "casting couch" comments, they are not only ludicrous and completely out of line, but quite sad that is all I'll say on the matter. Finally, I do not want any of these women to be bullied on social media, I do not condone that behavior and it is not the point of addressing any of this. So again, with kindness, my hope is that these ladies, and you, all walkaway from this exchange little wiser on South Africa and that we should celebrate what makes us different but also what brings us together as citizens of they world. Ps Storm is Kenyan born I think. They have mixed people there too. #spreadlove #notokeyboardcourage #proudlysouthafrican #proudlyafricanborn A report by Wood Mackenzie has warned the world may face a daily oil shortage of 4.5 million barrels by 2035. The amount represents around 5 percent of global consumption estimate of the International Energy Agency (IEA) for 2016. In other words, a true crisis is loomingand for the moment, there is no apparent way around it. The most obvious reason is that energy companies dont want to spend money on exploration when prices are so disappointingly low. Many of them simply cant afford to spend on exploration if they want to survive in todays price environment. Ironically, their long-term survival can only be guaranteed by further exploration spending. A lot of costly projects have been shelved since the summer of 2014 when oil prices started falling, with the initial investments basically written off. Reviving these projects will cost more money. Where this money will come from is unclearthere is no certainty where oil prices are going in the near term, let alone any longer period, and the European Commission today forecasted $41/barrel oil for the rest of this year and just over $45 for 2017. Related: OPECs No. 2 Under Serious Threat From Political Instability Another part of the answer to the question, How did we get ourselves into this mess? has to do with the knee-jerk reaction of E&Ps in times of crisis. That knee-jerk reaction is generally fire at will. Layoffs in oil and oilfield services are piling up at speed, well into six-figure territory to date. Cost-cutting has become the daily mantra of oil companies, and its easy to see why. Oil dived more than 75 percent over a year and a half thats a hard blow to withstand. However, those laid off as part of the E&Ps coping mechanism will not sit around and wait to be rehired at the first opportunity. They will, and do, look for work elsewhere. So, the energy industry is facing another shortage that will help determine the ultimate one: a shortage of manpower. The third part of the problem is reserves replacement. New exploration is not just a form of art for arts sake, or a means of expansion to boost bottom lines. Its an essential part of the operations of an oil business. Oil is finite, and in order to stay profitable, an oil company needs to maintain a consistent rate of reserves replacement. Related: Weak Data, Strong Dollar Pressure Crude Lower And heres more bad news: Last year, the seven biggest oil companies in the West only replaced 75 percent of their reserves. This is seriously bad news, especially combined with the fact that many new discoveries made in the last four years have disappointed. Wood Macs exploration research vice-president told Offshore magazine that In the last four years the industry has seen disappointing - largely gas prone - exploration results, with the volume of liquids discovered annually falling from around 19 billion barrels between 2008 and 2011 to 8 billion barrels between 2012 and 2015. Whats more, Latham said that he expected new exploration investment to average $40 billion globally over the next three years. Thats less than 50 percent of what E&Ps invested between 2012 and 2014. Related: Oil Prices Fall Back as Rally Hits a Ceiling Is there a solution? Efficiency improvements could help in the short to medium term. After all, there are still quite a lot of reserves available and if efficiency improves, they could be utilized more fully. For the long term, however, Big Oil any oil needs to open its coffers and scrape whats left in them to pay for new exploration and keep its fingers crossed that the results are good. Another way forward is going into renewables. However, despite global ambitions for a renewable revolution, this is not likely to happen. The move to renewables is, and will continue to be, more of an evolution and a slow one at that. Diversifying into renewables is a logical way to use available opportunities. The global oil industry is changingnot of its own will, but nevertheless radically. Wherever oil prices go from here, E&Ps will need to find new ways to stay on top of things. Many of them will inevitably go under. Those that survive will be the lean, flexible ones. By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: The shale boom in the United States, which led to a 75 percent increase in oil production between 2010 and 2015, has seriously diminished the concern over energy security in Washington DC. The topic of energy security, long a high priority for American policymakers, usually focused on the high levels of crude oil imports. The U.S. once imported well over 10 million barrels of oil per day (mb/d), way back in 2006. But since then, imports have steadily declined as cars have become more efficient, and crucially, as U.S. shale drilling exploded. The U.S. posted consecutive years of declining imports, falling to an average of 9 mb/d in 2010, then to 8.8 mb/d (2011), 8.6 mb/d (2012), 7.8 mb/d (2013) 7.4 mb/d (2014), and finally dropping to 7.3 mb/d in 2015, the lowest level of imports in at least two decades. But, imports have reversed more recently, ticking up from 7.3 mb/d last year to an average of 7.8 mb/d so far in 2016. Why did that happen? (Click to enlarge) Related: Saxo Bank: Upside For Crude Diminishes As Traders Shift Focus There are several explanations for why imports are trending up. First, U.S. oil production is falling. That is pretty straightforward less domestic production means the U.S. needs more imports to meet demand. If we are to assume the latest EIA weekly production figures are accurate, U.S. production is down to 8.825 mb/d and falling. That is down more than 860,000 barrels per day from the peak in April 2015. Another reason that imports are rising is that demand is going up again. U.S. motorists were burning through gasoline at a rate of 9.4 mb/d in April, using a four-week average. More accurate monthly figures, which are published with a several month lag, show that consumption hit 9.2 mb/d in February, the latest month for which data is available. We can bicker about the exact numbers, but either way, the trend is clear: cheap gasoline is fueling a resurgence in demand after several years of no growth. (Click to enlarge) So, if supply is falling and demand is rising, the gap must be bridged with a sharp increase in imports. Related: Low Oil Prices? Texas Is Doing Just Fine There are a few more factors pushing up imports that are a little less straightforward. For example, Iran has brought some production back to the market since sanctions were lifted at the beginning of the year. The U.S. is not legally allowed to import Iranian crude, but Iranian oil is undercutting some competitors on price, according to the WSJ. Oil from Angola, for example, has been rerouted to the United States after losing a foothold in Europe because of cheap Iranian oil. Moreover, another reason that the U.S. is importing more crude is that there is still some availability of storage space in the United States. OECD countries have more than 3 billion barrels of oil sitting in storage, and some key storage hubs are filling up. The WSJ reports that storage sites such as Rotterdam, Cape Town, and even some hubs in China are running low on available space. The U.S., on the other hand, still has about 100 million barrels of available storage, according to Genscape. Even though the U.S. has more than 543 million barrels of oil inventories, a record high, there is still some unfilled space. Related: Why Irans Shale Oil Discovery Wont Add To The Glut More oil shipments from around the world are heading to the U.S. for storage, as the supply glut continues. The WSJ says that about 114 million barrels of oil was imported into the U.S. and diverted into storage between May 2015 and February 2016, a 30 percent increase from the same period a year earlier. Much of that went to the main storage hub of Cushing in Oklahoma, as well as Illinois. The problem with rising imports is that the growing mountain of oil sitting in storage will push down prices, or prevent them from rising. That will likely cut into U.S. domestic production even further. By Nick Cunningham of Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: A key natural gas pipeline that would have connected shale gas from Pennsylvania to the northeast U.S. was blocked on April 22 by New York regulators. The incident reveals the growing difficulty that fossil fuel companies are having in the United States, as opposition to energy infrastructure spreads. The Constitution Pipeline, backed by Williams Partners and Cabot Oil & Gas, was not a major pipeline in terms of distance it would only stretch 124 miles. But it would link up the vast Marcellus Shale to the huge demand centers in Boston and the rest of New England. Williams Partners says the pipeline would create 1,300 jobs or so, and would provide cheap natural gas to the northeast. But environmental groups and local landowners are not convinced. They fear the negative side effects on land and water. Trees have to be clear cut to make way for the route. Food & Water Watch, an environmental group, said that the pipeline would cross 277 known bodies of water and a leak would devastate drinking water resources. Related: The Merger That Could Create a New Oil Major New York Governor Andrew Cuomo clearly heard them. The Constitution Pipeline was supposed to have been completed in 2015, but suffered years of delay as it struggled to obtain necessary regulatory approvals. On April 22 his administration denied key permits to the pipeline project, arguing that the pipeline does not meet the states water standards. The pipeline would have crossed several New York counties before it could connect with a larger transmission system near Albany. (Click to enlarge) Governor Andrew Cuomo sent a clear message by rejecting the Constitution Pipeline: New Yorkers health and safety will not be sacrificed for fossil fuel industry profits. With this decision, he protected the people of New York and took an important step toward embracing a true renewable energy future, environmental group Food and Water Watch said in a statement. The industry sees something more pernicious. They argue that politics are affecting the regulatory process, which is bogging down infrastructure across the country. Just as with the Keystone XL Pipeline, which became a huge battle between the oil and gas industry on the one hand, and environmental groups on the other. The rhetoric and the ferocity of that fight exceeded the importance of the project, and it came to symbolize a broader clash of priorities. Ultimately, environmental groups prevailed after President Obama rejected the pipeline on climate grounds. Related: OPECs No. 2 Under Serious Threat From Political Instability But environmental groups are parlaying that success, taking the fight to more and more pieces of energy infrastructure. The so-called Keystone-ization of the fossil fuel world is starting to seriously worry oil executives. More and more pipelines are succumbing to protest. What we are seeing, unfortunatelyis that every gas pipeline project out there is being treated in the same way that Keystone was, Martin Durbin, Executive Vice President, American Petroleum Institute, said at an event held in Washington DC by The Atlantic Council in late April. Environmental groups oppose pipelines, citing safety and pollution concerns, but Durbin dismissed those arguments. None of those things are true. But I do have to say, it is going to take a concerted effort, not only inside of industry but all of those who are going to be benefitting from this to explain the benefits of natural gas, Durbin said. The rejection of permits for the Constitution Pipeline came only a few weeks after Kinder Morgan saw its Palmetto Pipeline in coastal Georgia blocked by a judge. The pipeline would have carried 167,000 barrels per day of refined products to Georgia and Florida, but is now stalled. Also, Kinder Morgan scrapped its Northeast Energy Direct pipeline, a gas pipeline across Massachusetts, because of low natural gas prices and regulatory hurdles. In Oregon, federal regulators rejected a pipeline project that would have fed a proposed LNG export terminal on the Pacific Coast, in part because of the costs that it would have imposed on landowners. Related: Low Oil Prices? Texas Is Doing Just Fine The term Keystone-ization was inadvertently coined by APIs Martin Durbin. Environmental groups dont have a problem with the term, and are taking up the phrase and its implied strategy. Every coal mine, every frack well, every oil export terminal ... all of them are being met with strict, strict resistance, said environmental activist Bill McKibben, founder of 350.org, at a protest in April in front of the White House. Theres people arrested every day now around the country taking on these infrastructure projects, the kind of spread of civil disobedience like weve never seen. Keystone XL stole all of the attention for several years, but since its rejection in late 2015, environmental activists have killed off several more gas pipelines, many of which have not made national headlines. Future projects will likely meet the same fierce resistance. By Nick Cunningham of Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: As oil prices continue their slow rebound on optimism around an eventual rebalancing of the market, there is a lot of talk among commentators about the lack of new development and the eventual resulting shortage of oil that will occur. Most regions of the world have seen E&P work fall off a cliff. Part of this is driven by the oil slump, but part of it is also driven by the fact that there are no more untapped major production basins that can be produced with low cost and low risk. Or at least thats what many investors assume. Related: Oil Prices Edge Lower As OPEC Nears Record Output But Northern Ireland may be the exception. Despite the conflagration around Irish independence a few decades ago, Ireland today is largely a stable and prosperous country with little political risk. That applies doubly to Northern Ireland as part of the United Kingdom. Northern Ireland is not traditionally an area that energy companies have been eager to produce in, due to a combination of historical conflict and the fact that much of the area is covered by volcanic basalts which made seismic readings difficult. Today though, thanks to advances in technology and the improved political climate, Northern Irelands Larne Basin is becoming a hotbed of activity. The Larne Basin, as a classic Carboniferous basin, is perhaps the last true frontier for cost-effective oil and natural gas production. The latter is particularly important and economically desirable given the local market for natural gas. Natural gas in Northern Ireland sells for $6 to $7 per thousand cubic feet, making the shallow reservoir targets in the Larne an attractive economic proposition even in todays uncertain markets. Related: Why China Is Really Dictating the Oil Supply Glut Drilling for oil in Northern Ireland has not always been a project that was assured of success, but new technology has changed that through the development of enhanced testing techniques. Until recently, the Larne Basin had only one oil and gas well, which was drilled in 1971 by Royal Dutch Shell, but today there are a rush of British and American companies focusing on the area including Horizon Energy Partners, Petro River Oil Corp, InfraStrata, Brigantes Energy, Terrain Enter, and more. Data on the Larne recently suggested the region could hold 600 million bbl of oil and multiple tcf of gas. Norther Ireland primarily uses natural gas for power generation, home heating, and in peaker plants, so the new exploration could be a boon for both consumers and businesses in the local area. The Larne production output could be exported reasonably easily as well since there is an existing gas pipeline infrastructure within a couple miles of most of the identified prospects in the basin. Oil could be transported to Belfast for shipment. These low transportation costs are critical in the current market environment, and they are one of the key drawbacks that have hamstrung production in the Bakken for years. Related: The Merger That Could Create a New Oil Major Thanks to local transportation, resource demand, political stability, and basin geology, the Larne Basin in Northern Ireland looks like an outstanding target for E&P firms. While there are no lack of good investments in the still depressed oil sector, investors and corporations alike should be following this emerging frontier closely as it develops over the next few years. By Michael McDonald of Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: The first U.S. shipment of liquefied natural gas (LNG) arrived in Portugal last week and Gazprom did not immediately cut its own gas prices for Europe. While European media has hailed the entry of U.S. gas into the market as a game-changer and a monopoly-breaker, in the short term, nothing has changed at all. Lets first get things straight: Gazprom is not a monopolistic supplier for Europe, though its often called that. The Russian state giant actually supplies about one-third of the gas that Europe consumes. Norway supplies another quarter; so together, the two countries satisfy less than 60 percent of European gas needs. Thats not a monopoly, although the current supply mix means that Gazprom is the single biggest player on the European market. Related: The Merger That Could Create a New Oil Major The U.S., on the other hand, has quickly turned into the worlds biggest natural gas producer thanks to the shale boom. With prices pressed down hard by oversupply, U.S. gas producers are looking for international marketsand Europe is one obvious choice, but not the most lucrative. According to calculations from one energy industry expert, the price for U.S. LNG landed in Europe could come in at $3.59 per MMBtu. Gazproms average price this quarter was $180 per 1,000 cm3, or about $5.14 per MMBtu. Numbers can be misleading, however, as different calculations make different price assumptions as evidenced by an Oxford Institute for Energy Studies estimate for U.S. and Gazprom prices laid out in an FT article from February. Now, at first glance things look promising for Cheniere the company that shipped LNG to the LNG terminal in Lisbon last week. Its gas is competitive. However, we should not forget that the above calculations are based on a price assumption, which, like all assumptions, allows for a wide margin of error. Still, lets accept the assumption that Cheniere gas is for the moment meaningfully cheaper than Gazprom gas for Europe. Related: Another Major Natural Gas Pipeline Project Bites The Dust The most logical move for Gazprom, and the scenario considered most likely by media, is to lower prices in order to preserve its market share, much like Saudi Arabia did with oil. Gazprom is profitable, and it has long-term contracts with its European clients, as the companys deputy chairman Aleksandr Medvedev told RT. Outside these contracts, it could increase production, of course, but can it drown Europe in cheap gas? Perhaps, if its cheap enough. But such a scenario is not at all certain. After all, the drowning strategy did not exactly do wonders for Saudi Arabia, and its now taking steps to diversify away from oil. Russia is aware of this. But there is something else besides gas prices and Gazproms flexibility in this respect that could trip up hopeful U.S. gas suppliers looking for new markets in Europe. In three years, a new gas pipeline will come on stream that will supply Caspian gas to Europe. Initially planned to have a capacity of 10 billion cm3 annually, the Trans Adriatic Pipeline could eventually accommodate double that amount. Now, thats not a whole lot of gas, compared with the 172.6 billion cubic meters supplied by Gazprom to Europe in 2013. Still, it is a new source of gas for the continent; in other words, a new competitor. Related: Oil Prices Fall Back as Rally Hits a Ceiling Gazprom is being watchful of such developments, in the light of Europes stated ambition to diversify its natural gas sources. It should also be food for thought for U.S. gas producers: Gazprom has three years to come up with new ways to remain the leader in a market in which it already has a very firm presence. Without very strong political support from Europe, U.S. gas producers will be at a disadvantage in a market packed tightly with competitors. Since consistently low gas prices have left them with less cash for price maneuvering, conquering the European gas market might prove to be a bigger challenge than expected. By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: The 70 percent rise in crude oil prices from the lows of $27.1 per barrel to a high of above $46/b in a matter of three months is being driven by speculative activitymake no mistake about it. The speculators have latched on to every bit of rumour and news to bid prices higher, and this has nothing to do with the real fundamentals. However, speculation can boost prices only to a certain extent in the short-term. After this, the fundamentals take over. The extent of speculation is enormous, though the daily production of oil in the U.S. is around 9 million b/d, the WTI crude oil contract trades more than 100 times the produced quantity, as highlighted in this January 2016 post. The trading volume is generated by the algo traders, day traders, and scalpers who are in and out of their positions many times a day. Due to their enormous volume, they set the direction of prices in the short-term. However, these traders are neither involved in the production nor do they take physical delivery of oil; they are usually active only in the near-term contracts until expiry; after which the users of oil take deliveries. Related: Lets Stop Pretending Nuclear Power Is Commercially Viable The oil producers have used the sharp rise to hedge part of their production for 2016 and 2017 as reported by The Wall Street Journal. (Click to enlarge) However, Citi Research points out that the oil producers have hedged only 36 percent of their estimated production for 2016, compared to 50 percent in the previous years. If prices creep up further, the producers will not only hedge more, they are likely to increase production to mend their balance sheet. Pioneer Natural Resources has hedged 50 percent of its expected 2017 output and has conveyed its intention to add five to ten horizontal drilling rigs if prices recover to $50/b, with a positive outlook for oil fundamentals. Earlier on, too many U.S. shale oil drillers had indicated that they will be back at around $50/b levels. Related: Oil Prices Fall Back as Rally Hits a Ceiling Though the bulls have latched on to the largest U.S. rig count drop in the past six weeks, their bullishness might be short-lived because if prices reach above $50/b, we might see an increase in the oil rig count, reversing the current trend. The short-term trend changed with the idea of a production freeze by Russia and OPEC, but the Doha meeting turned out to be a non-event. The chart below by Yardeni Research, a provider of independent investment and economics research, shows that in 2016, the oil inventories continue to rise, confirming that the supply glut continues. (Click to enlarge) The U.S. Energy Information Administrations (EIA) STEO report expects the supply glut to reduce in the second half of the year; however, if prices remain high, production might increase adding to the supply glut. Related: Weak Data, Strong Dollar Pressure Crude Lower Though Nigeria, Kuwait, and Venezuelas production has been hit hard due to various reasons, OPECs production of 32.64 million b/d is very close to its highest level of 32.65 million b/d recorded in January 2016, according to Reuters survey records since 1997. "The market is massively oversupplied," said Eugen Weinberg, analyst at Commerzbank in Frankfurt. "This rally doesn't have strong legs," reports Reuters. There isnt much by way of fundamentals to rely upon for the rally to continue. Closer to $50/b, additional supply will start trickling in and buyers will be wary to buy at higher prices. With no excuses at hand, the speculators will find it difficult to prop prices higher. The short-term speculative pop in crude is about to end and the long-term fundamentals will take over. Prices should drop closer to $36 to $38/b in the near future. By Rakesh Upadhyay for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: It was a tough day for mining in Latin America yesterday, with prosecutors in Brazil announcing a $43.55 billion lawsuit against BHP Billiton and Vale over the Samarco tailings dam rupture. But even as BHP was facing serious headwinds in iron ore here, the major miner turned up hopeful in another part of South America a spot that may surprise many observers. Thats Ecuador - Where local press has reported that top BHP executives met with the government to discuss opportunities in the countrys copper sector. Related: OPECs No. 2 Under Serious Threat From Political Instability Reports noted that Ecuadors minister of strategic sectors, Rafael Poveda Bonilla, sat down Monday with BHPs vice-president of copper exploration, Jean de Rivieres, as well as commercial manager of copper exploration Lauren Arias. News stories didnt get into too much detail on what was discussed, simply saying that the officials analyzed investment possibilities in Ecuadors mining sector. Minister Bonilla presented his case on why Ecuador holds high-potential geology and a legal framework to speed development. Related: China Looking To Secure Oil Supplies By Buying Stake In Rosneft This is, of course, the exact opposite of the image Ecuador has come to hold for mining investors the last several years. With the country lately being viewed as a difficult locale for mining investment, after high-profile political problems with mega-deposits like the Fruta del Norte gold project. But theres no doubt the country holds some very prospective rocks, especially when it comes to copper evidenced by major deposits like Mirador, now being put into production by Chinese interests. This weeks meeting shows BHP may believe the political climate in Ecuador is becoming workable. Prompting the major to consider an entry, and take a shot at the mineral potential here. Related: Why Irans Shale Oil Discovery Wont Add To The Glut Thats a very interesting data point in light of other big deals done in Ecuadors mining sector recently. Most notably the purchase of the Fruta del Norte gold deposit by famed mining entrepreneur Lukas Lundin. The fact that Lundin and now BHP are once again looking at Ecuador could signal a turnaround in the works for this former pariah. Watch for deals coming on exploration and development projects from BHP and beyond. Heres to knowing when to move, By Dave Forest More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Baghdad is still in a profound state of chaos days after protesters started withdrawing from its Green Zone, the capitals government district, in what has been the worst sign in recent years of Sunni-Shia division amid the threat from the Islamic State (ISIS). The demonstrators, who also stormed the Parliament, are mostly supporters of the Shia cleric Moqtada Sadr, outraged by the slow pace of progress in appointing a new government and implementing major reforms. Related: A 4.5-Million-Barrel Per Day Oil Shortage Looms: Wood Mackenzie On Sunday, anti-government protesters temporarily ended their mass demonstration in the Green Zone and began an orderly withdrawal a day after tearing down walls around the government district and invading the seat of legislative. However, reports have begun to emerge that the protests may not have been spontaneous and that security forces allowed the protesters in without hindrance, indicating they were being fully controlled by Sadr. Related: Oil Prices Fall Back as Rally Hits a Ceiling "Iraq now faces dire political risks. The upcoming period will be even more dangerous due to the ongoing chaos," warned Wathaq al-Hashimi, head of the Iraqi Group for Strategic Research, noting further that both the U.S. and the UN (among others) had condemned the Sadrists occupation of the Iraqi parliament. In this respect, some Shia militia groups denounced the violent protests sparked by the Sadr movements supporters. Saraya al-Khorasani, Iraqi Hezbollah, the Badr Brigades and Asaib Ahl al-Haq groups settled in some areas in Baghdad, claiming that the storm unleashed by the Sadr movement had endangered security in the capital. This prompted fears of renewed internal Shia clashes. Related: Another Major Natural Gas Pipeline Project Bites The Dust Sadr-led demonstrators have been pressing for a technocrat government to replace the current executive led by PM Haidar al-Abadi ostensibly in order to fight corruption and remove sectarian affiliations. This internal political crisis comes as Iraq is threatened by ISIS, which it is fighting in intense battles in the disputed territories in the Iraqi north. On Tuesday, the U.S. and coalition partners launched 22 air strikes on ISIS targets in Iraq. Ten of those strikes hit the city of Mosulan ISIS stronghold which Iraqi forces are currently trying desperately to retake. By Charles Kennedy More Top Reasd From Oilprice.com: Pirates operating off the coasts of West Africa are having a tough time turning a profit with oil prices so low, forcing them to once again adapt and shift focus away from hijacking oil tankers to the more lucrative kidnapping for ransom. The conclusions are part of a report drawn up by the U.S. foundation Oceans Beyond Piracy (OBP), a privately funded and independent non-profit organization located in Colorado. "They have had to move towards a faster model and that faster model is kidnappings," OBP's Matthew Walje said. Walje went on to say that in one instance, ransom payouts were as high as $400,000. Related: Why Oil Prices Will Likely Drop Below $40 Soon "It only takes a few hours as opposed to several days to conduct the crime itself," he added. "Fuel prices have fallen, which cuts into their bottom line." Amid a surge in the number of crew members being kidnapped, 23 people were killed by pirates in West Africa in 2015. Overall in 2015, there were 54 attacks, down from 67 the year before. A majority of the piracy assaults were kidnappings, rather than the oil tanker hijackings for cargo, which accounted for the majority of piracy assaults in previous years. Oil tankers were targeted in just 18 percent of these maritime attacks, compared to more than 50 percent in 2014, OBP further shows. Related: A 4.5-Million-Barrel Per Day Oil Shortage Looms: Wood Mackenzie Experts say that hijacking an oil tanker poses many logistical issues for pirates, such as the need for more vessels, whereas kidnapping occur quickly, enabling the pirates to then focus on evading authorities. Walje explained that some of the gangs operating in the gulf are the same ones that have operated within Nigeria, where kidnapping is a common crime. Last month, Nigeria and Equatorial Guinea agreed to combine patrols in an effort to increase security. The estimated costs of piracy and armed robbery in the Gulf of Guinea were $719.6 million in 2015, down from $983 million in 2014. In 2014, 47 percent of this cost was borne by the maritime sector, according to OBP. By James Burgess of Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: The following is an op-ed from Wauwatosa Support Our Schools (SOS) president Mary Young and Women Committed to an Informed Community co-chairs Marva Herndon and Gail Hicks. As public school parents, its tough to believe in our leaders in Madison. Many say that they support our kids schools, but in vote after vote, they are not on our side. Too many in Madison dont believe that our kids public schools are the heart of our communities. They dont stand up for our kids. The cuts to our kids schools are hard to stomach. A majority of our states politicians have slashed more than $1 billion from our kids since 2008. These politicians cut more money from public schools than any Midwestern state since 2008. Only Oklahoma, Alabama and Arizona have cut schools more than Wisconsin has, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. For the first time in state history, Wisconsins investment in our kids public education is below the national average. But on Jan. 29, 2016, it felt like something had changed. In his 2016 State of the State address, Gov. Scott Walker committed to "invest every penny of savings into public education." He said words weve been longing to hear, saying, "Even before the next budget, we want to put more resources into public education." Our skeptical hearts lifted. After months of parent advocacy through postcards, emails, phone calls, office visits and more, it felt like someone was listening to our parent pleas for help. Maybe Madison was ready to support our kids public schools again. After all, the people of Wisconsin were calling for action. The day before Gov. Walkers speech, a Marquette University Law Poll revealed that 57 percent of Wisconsinites said our kids public schools receive too little in funding. Only seven percent said our neighborhood schools are funded too much. Back from the presidential campaign trail, maybe Gov. Walker would seek to simultaneously strengthen our kids schools and his approval rating. Unfortunately, a majority of our politicians are who we thought they were. They dont support our kids schools. This winter, state legislators like Representatives Robin Vos of Burlington, Dale Kooyenga and Rob Hutton and Senator Leah Vukmir of Brookfield voted to funnel millions more in funding away from our kids. On March 30, 2016, two months after the State of the State speech, Gov. Walker signed a bill which cut $5 million more from our kids schools. Soon after, on April 5, 2016, an historic number of referenda were put in ballots across the state. More than 70 referendums asked voters to increase property taxes to prevent cuts and school closings. Local taxpayers were asked to carry the extra burden, because a majority of our states leaders had failed to plan and failed to fund our kids schools adequately and appropriately. What a stunning failure to support our kids. This funding failure has held our kids schools back. Instead of making investments to improve public education data-driven solutions like early childhood development, educator preparation and innovation our districts and our school families had to spend time rallying support for referenda. Despite many of todays politicians, our kids and our kids public schools continue to persevere. Wisconsin ranks second in America in ACT scores. Graduation rates are among the best in the nation. How can our kids and schools defy the odds? Anyone with sense knows that these accolades werent earned today. They were earned more than a decade ago through wise investments in young kids. Strong math and reading skills in elementary schools are some of the strongest predictors for secondary school success. We need state leaders who will stop sending our schools backwards. Lets move forward. Lets raise the restrictive revenue cap and sufficiently increase state aid so local communities have the resources to innovate and strengthen our kids public schools. Lets pause the statewide expansion of voucher schools until measures are in place that make them accountable to taxpayers. Lets support the only school system that serves all and lifts all public schools before its too late. Reprinted from The Guardian Let's stop pretending that Trump is anything other than a shape shifter with no core belief system - besides maybe craven opportunism mixed in with a little bit of racism. Trump has switched positions or lied about his true feelings on virtually every single issue that has come up during this primary campaign. Yet for some reason, he keeps getting credited with having principled beliefs. The latest example was in Sunday's New York Times, where columnist Maureen Dowd referred to Donald Trump as a foreign policy "dove" -- or at least less hawkish than Hillary Clinton -- because he's made a few comments, most recently last week, about not starting additional wars in the Middle East. Dowd eventually undermines her own argument, since he is nowhere close to anything of the sort. Three quarters of the way down her column lauding "Donald The Dove," almost as an afterthought, she adds: "He can sound belligerent, of course, saying that he would bomb the expletive-deleted out of Isis and that he would think up new and imaginative ways to torture terrorists and kill their families." That has to be one of the most ridiculous "to be sure" paragraphs in recorded history: Trump keeps insisting he'll commit a bunch of war crimes, but other than that he's as anti-war as they come! That's the thing with Donald Trump: every foreign policy position he's ever taken appears to be made up -- just like his famous statement about being "totally against the war in Iraq," which Dowd also uncritically repeated. The only recorded comments from Trump before the Iraq war consist of him supporting it. The same thing goes for the Libya military intervention in 2011, which he also claims he was against, despite publicly stating at the time that he was in favor it. When he's not outright lying about his past statements, he's totally changing them: Months ago he claimed he'd cut the military budget, but he now keeps saying he'd increase it. He told the New York Times in March that the "biggest problem, to me, in the world, is nuclear, and proliferation." Yet he also said last week that the US should expand its arsenal, he wouldn't rule out using nukes against Isis in Europe, and he recently said South Korea and Japan should get nuclear bombs. Click Here to Read Whole Article Millennials have now become more populous than baby boomers. And while baby boomers and gen X'ers still control the C suites, they will be hard-pressed to fill their vacancies if they are unwilling to attract millennials on their own terms. And these new graduates definitely have some terms that may go "against the grain" of their elders. Wise employers would do well to study up on this new group of employees and be prepared to make some concessions, if they intend to attract and keep talent. Millennial Stereotyping -- It Has to Go There are several stereotypical notions about millennials that must be discarded. The most common are as follows: Millennials are lazy. They don't understand what putting in a full day's work means. Millennials have been coddled and now think that the world owes them. Millennials do not have staying power. They will switch jobs on a whim rather than remain loyal. The Millennial Persona Regarding Work Millennials are not opposed to hard work -- far from it. They are opposed to their value being a matter of "punching a time clock" every day and based on the amount of time they spend at the workplace as opposed to the results of their work, wherever it might be accomplished. Millennials do not think the world owes them a life . They want a life outside of the workplace, however. While baby boomers and many gen X'ers pride themselves in the long hours they spend, often to the neglect of their families and friends, millennials see value in a better work/life balance. Millennials do covet mobility . They want to be able to change jobs as often as might be necessary in order to take on new challenges and to join a workplace "culture" that is more suited to their needs. It is important to note that salary is not a key priority with this group -- benefits and work environment are. Just ask Mark Zuckerberg at Facebook. Millennials want to work for organizations that are socially responsible . Monsanto, J.P Morgan Chase, and the big oil companies are probably not their first choices when they craft those resumes and begin sending them out. They want to work for companies that care about the environment, about income inequality, about equal treatment, and about the suffering of those who are less fortunate -- all over the globe, in fact. What Employers Must Offer in Exchange for Loyalty No employer likes high turnover -- it's expensive. To gain the loyalty of new graduates, however, will take some thought shifts and some changes to the workplace itself. Employers should offer flexible work hours and days . The focus must be on accomplishment, with the employee making decisions about when, and often from where, work will take place. Give them projects and a deadline and let them go to produce. Offer meaningful and optional benefits . Other than insurances and a 401K, millennials are looking for additional benefits that will improve the quality of their personal lives -- perhaps a gym membership, season tickets to the symphony, or an expenses-paid annual conference in their career niche. Establish horizontal rather than vertical organizational structures . New grads want to participate in problem-solving and decision-making activities. They want to feel comfortable making proposals and offering unique solutions. Next Page 1 | 2 (Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher). "I'VE BEEN WAITING 40 years for someone like you." Those were the first words Daniel Ellsberg spoke to me when we met last year. Dan and I felt an immediate kinship; we both knew what it meant to risk so much -- and to be irrevocably changed -- by revealing secret truths. One of the challenges of being a whistleblower is living with the knowledge that people continue to sit, just as you did, at those desks, in that unit, throughout the agency, who see what you saw and comply in silence, without resistance or complaint. They learn to live not just with untruths but with unnecessary untruths, dangerous untruths, corrosive untruths. It is a double tragedy: What begins as a survival strategy ends with the compromise of the human being it sought to preserve and the diminishing of the democracy meant to justify the sacrifice. But unlike Dan Ellsberg, I didn't have to wait 40 years to witness other citizens breaking that silence with documents. Ellsberg gave the Pentagon Papers to the New York Times and other newspapers in 1971; Chelsea Manning provided the Iraq and Afghan War logs and the Cablegate materials to WikiLeaks in 2010. I came forward in 2013. Now here we are in 2016, and another person of courage and conscience has made available the set of extraordinary documents that are published in The Assassination Complex, the new book out today by Jeremy Scahill and the staff of TheIntercept. (The documents were originally published last October 15 in The Drone Papers.) We are witnessing a compression of the working period in which bad policy shelters in the shadows, the time frame in which unconstitutional activities can continue before they are exposed by acts of conscience. And this temporal compression has a significance beyond the immediate headlines; it permits the people of this country to learn about critical government actions, not as part of the historical record but in a way that allows direct action through voting -- in other words, in a way that empowers an informed citizenry to defend the democracy that "state secrets" are nominally intended to support. When I see individuals who are able to bring information forward, it gives me hope that we won't always be required to curtail the illegal activities of our government as if it were a constant task, to uproot official lawbreaking as routinely as we mow the grass. (Interestingly enough, that is how some have begun to describe remote killing operations, as "cutting the grass.") A SINGLE ACT OF whistleblowing doesn't change the reality that there are significant portions of the government that operate below the waterline, beneath the visibility of the public. Those secret activities will continue, despite reforms. But those who perform these actions now have to live with the fear that if they engage in activities contrary to the spirit of society -- if even a single citizen is catalyzed to halt the machinery of that injustice -- they might still be held to account. The thread by which good governance hangs is this equality before the law, for the only fear of the man who turns the gears is that he may find himself upon them. Hope lies beyond, when we move from extraordinary acts of revelation to a collective culture of accountability within the intelligence community. Here we will have taken a meaningful step toward solving a problem that has existed for as long as our government. Not all leaks are alike, nor are their makers. Gen. David Petraeus, for instance, provided his illicit lover and favorable biographer information so secret it defied classification, including the names of covert operatives and the president's private thoughts on matters of strategic concern. Petraeus was not charged with a felony, as the Justice Department had initially recommended, but was instead permitted to plead guilty to a misdemeanor. Had an enlisted soldier of modest rank pulled out a stack of highly classified notebooks and handed them to his girlfriend to secure so much as a smile, he'd be looking at many decades in prison, not a pile of character references from a Who's Who of the Deep State. There are authorized leaks and also permitted disclosures. It is rare for senior administration officials to explicitly ask a subordinate to leak a CIA officer's name to retaliate against her husband, as appears to have been the case with Valerie Plame. It is equally rare for a month to go by in which some senior official does not disclose some protected information that is beneficial to the political efforts of the parties but clearly "damaging to national security" under the definitions of our law. This dynamic can be seen quite clearly in the al Qaeda "conference call of doom" story, in which intelligence officials, likely seeking to inflate the threat of terrorism and deflect criticism of mass surveillance, revealed to a neoconservative website extraordinarily detailed accounts of specific communications they had intercepted, including locations of the participating parties and the precise contents of the discussions. If the officials' claims were to be believed, they irrevocably burned an extraordinary means of learning the precise plans and intentions of terrorist leadership for the sake of a short-lived political advantage in a news cycle. Not a single person seems to have been so much as disciplined as a result of the story that cost us the ability to listen to the alleged al Qaeda hotline. IF HARMFULNESS AND authorization make no difference, what explains the distinction between the permissible and the impermissible disclosure? The answer is control. A leak is acceptable if it's not seen as a threat, as a challenge to the prerogatives of the institution. But if all of the disparate components of the institution -- not just its head but its hands and feet, every part of its body -- must be assumed to have the same power to discuss matters of concern, that is an existential threat to the modern political monopoly of information control, particularly if we're talking about disclosures of serious wrongdoing, fraudulent activity, unlawful activities. If you can't guarantee that you alone can exploit the flow of controlled information, then the aggregation of all the world's unmentionables -- including your own -- begins to look more like a liability than an asset. Truly unauthorized disclosures are necessarily an act of resistance -- that is, if they're not done simply for press consumption, to fluff up the public appearance or reputation of an institution. However, that doesn't mean they all come from the lowest working level. Sometimes the individuals who step forward happen to be near the pinnacle of power. Ellsberg was in the top tier; he was briefing the secretary of defense. You can't get much higher, unless you are the secretary of defense, and the incentives simply aren't there for such a high-ranking official to be involved in public interest disclosures because that person already wields the influence to change the policy directly. At the other end of the spectrum is Manning, a junior enlisted soldier, who was much nearer to the bottom of the hierarchy. I was midway in the professional career path. I sat down at the table with the chief information officer of the CIA, and I was briefing him and his chief technology officer when they were publicly making statements like "We try to collect everything and hang on to it forever," and everybody still thought that was a cute business slogan. Meanwhile I was designing the systems they would use to do precisely that. I wasn't briefing the policy side, the secretary of defense, but I was briefing the operations side, the National Security Agency's director of technology. Official wrongdoing can catalyze all levels of insiders to reveal information, even at great risk to themselves, so long as they can be convinced that it is necessary to do so. Reaching those individuals, helping them realize that their first allegiance as a public servant is to the public rather than to the government, is the challenge. That's a significant shift in cultural thinking for a government worker today. I've argued that whistleblowers are elected by circumstance. It's not a virtue of who you are or your background. It's a question of what you are exposed to, what you witness. At that point the question becomes Do you honestly believe that you have the capability to remediate the problem, to influence policy? I would not encourage individuals to reveal information, even about wrongdoing, if they do not believe they can be effective in doing so, because the right moment can be as rare as the will to act. THIS IS SIMPLY a pragmatic, strategic consideration. Whistleblowers are outliers of probability, and if they are to be effective as a political force, it's critical that they maximize the amount of public good produced from scarce seed. When I was making my decision, I came to understand how one strategic consideration, such as waiting until the month before a domestic election, could become overwhelmed by another, such as the moral imperative to provide an opportunity to arrest a global trend that had already gone too far. I was focused on what I saw and on my sense of overwhelming disenfranchisement that the government, in which I had believed for my entire life, was engaged in such an extraordinary act of deception. It's been a while since blatant misogyny on the scale we see today reared its ugly head so overtly in political circles. But thanks to Donald Trump, Ted Cruz and others on the far right, we are reminded of just how base male attitudes towards women can be. Donald Trump appears to be the frontrunner. He once told a female contestant on The Apprentice, "I bet you make a great wife." He has also said of women, "You have to treat 'em like sh*t." And of course he implied, when network journalist Megyn Kelly asked him a question during a presidential debate, that she must have been having what was once called "the monthlies." Rabidly anti-choice, anti-pay equity Ted Cruz, who voted against the Violence Against Women Act, was a bit more subtle before he quit the race to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. But he said things like this: "Putting women in combat ended up increasing casualties " it decreases military effectiveness." Never mind facts, which include that female Marines have been found to "demonstrate that they are capable of performing the physically demanding tasks" required of them. There are no findings that support Cruz's claim that having an integrated fighting force increases casualties although one study found that women suffer injuries more frequently. Donald Trump, Ted Cruz, and all the others like them who adhere to similar beliefs about half the world's population, abound. History is rife with misogynistic precedent, if not always in the political arena. An orthodox Jewish prayer uttered as a man's day begins gives thanks to God that he was not born a woman. In 1748, British Lord Chesterfield declared women to be "children of a larger growth," while 19th century philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer stated that "One need only look at a woman's shape to discover that she is not intended for either too much mental or too much physical work." A bit later Sigmund Freud saw women as innately hysterical and wondered "what women want." Great male thinkers and writers like John Ruskin, the quintessential Victorian social critic, declared with Freudian aplomb that good writing required a "penetrative imagination," clearly to be found exclusively in the masculine domain, and Victorian poet Gerald Manley Hopkins made it clear that "the artist's essential quality [was] masterly execution, a kin of male gift." Even Nathaniel Hawthorne, who got his heroine Hester Prynne's strength so right in The Scarlet Letter, disparaged women writers, whom he judged to have no right to a literary life. Closer to our own time and female literary aspirations aside, one of the great misogynists of all time, Norman Mailer, who like Pablo Picasso physically abused his wives and mistresses, famously said, "You don't know a woman till you've met her in court." Picasso, by the way, believed "there were "only two types of women -- goddesses and doormats." Even relatively benign men have disparaged women in ways we may not have thought about. For example, when Ruth Bader Ginsberg attended the dean's dinner for women students at Harvard Law School the dean asked the women "to explain what [you] are doing in law school taking a place that could be held by a man." Some time later, Harvard's president Larry Summers got into trouble when he declared in a keynote speech at a conference on diversity that the shortage of women in disciplines like math and science might be explained by innate differences in ability. Nancy Hopkins, a professor of biology at MIT was so outraged she walked out during Summers's remarks. "I just couldn't breathe," she recalled. "That kind of bias made me physically ill. Let's not forget that people used to say that women couldn't drive an automobile." (And men still do in Saudi Arabia.) Next Page 1 | 2 (Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher). Articles Listed By Date List By Popularity Search Title Date Between Any 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 Any 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 and Any 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 Any 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 (44 comments) SHARE Conspiracy: Theory and Practice The greatest conspiracies are open and notorious -- not theories, but practices expressed through law and policy, technology, and finance. Conspiracies are more often than not announced in public and with a modicum of pride. Saturday, July 3, 2021The greatest conspiracies are open and notorious -- not theories, but practices expressed through law and policy, technology, and finance. Conspiracies are more often than not announced in public and with a modicum of pride. (1 comments) SHARE Without encryption, we will lose all privacy. This is our new battleground In the midst of the greatest computer security crisis in history, the US government, along with the governments of the UK and Australia, is attempting to undermine the only method that currently exists for reliably protecting the world's information: encryption. Should they succeed in their quest to undermine encryption, our public infrastructure and private lives will be rendered permanently unsafe. Friday, October 18, 2019In the midst of the greatest computer security crisis in history, the US government, along with the governments of the UK and Australia, is attempting to undermine the only method that currently exists for reliably protecting the world's information: encryption. Should they succeed in their quest to undermine encryption, our public infrastructure and private lives will be rendered permanently unsafe. (10 comments) SHARE Inside The Assassination Complex Unrestrained power may be many things, but it's not American. It is in this sense that the act of whistleblowing increasingly has become an act of political resistance. The whistleblower raises the alarm and lifts the lamp, inheriting the legacy of a line of Americans that begins with Paul Revere. In the final calculus there is but one figure that matters: the individual citizen. There are more of us than there are of them. Tuesday, May 3, 2016Unrestrained power may be many things, but it's not American. It is in this sense that the act of whistleblowing increasingly has become an act of political resistance. The whistleblower raises the alarm and lifts the lamp, inheriting the legacy of a line of Americans that begins with Paul Revere. In the final calculus there is but one figure that matters: the individual citizen. There are more of us than there are of them. (1 comments) SHARE Efficiency no justification for criminal activity -- Snowden on CIA torture report Snowden said he feels very secure in Moscow and even takes the metro "like everybody else." However, he wants to go home. "I would love to go back to the US," Snowden stated, adding that Western Europe could also be good. In Russia, he received a three-year residence permit in August 2014. Snowden faces conviction and imprisonment in the US should he choose to return. Wednesday, December 10, 2014Snowden said he feels very secure in Moscow and even takes the metro "like everybody else." However, he wants to go home. "I would love to go back to the US," Snowden stated, adding that Western Europe could also be good. In Russia, he received a three-year residence permit in August 2014. Snowden faces conviction and imprisonment in the US should he choose to return. (1 comments) SHARE Snowden: New Zealand's Prime Minister Isn't Telling The Truth About Mass Surveillance Any statement that mass surveillance is not performed in New Zealand, or that the internet communications are not comprehensively intercepted and monitored, or that this is not intentionally and actively abetted by the GCSB, is categorically false. If you live in New Zealand, you are being watched. Monday, September 15, 2014Any statement that mass surveillance is not performed in New Zealand, or that the internet communications are not comprehensively intercepted and monitored, or that this is not intentionally and actively abetted by the GCSB, is categorically false. If you live in New Zealand, you are being watched. (2 comments) SHARE Vladimir Putin Must Be Called to Account on Surveillance Just Like Obama I blew the whistle on the NSA's surveillance practices not because I believed that the United States was uniquely at fault, but because I believe that mass surveillance of innocents -- the construction of enormous, state-run surveillance time machines that can turn back the clock on the most intimate details of our lives -- is a threat to all people, everywhere, no matter who runs them. Friday, April 18, 2014I blew the whistle on the NSA's surveillance practices not because I believed that the United States was uniquely at fault, but because I believe that mass surveillance of innocents -- the construction of enormous, state-run surveillance time machines that can turn back the clock on the most intimate details of our lives -- is a threat to all people, everywhere, no matter who runs them. (3 comments) SHARE What Europe Should Know about US Mass Surveillance We live in a global, interconnected world where, when national laws fail, international laws provide for another level of accountability and the asylum process provides a means of due process for individuals who might otherwise be wrongly deprived of it. Polling of public opinion in Europe indicates I am not alone in hoping to see EU governments agree that blowing the whistle on serious wrongdoing should be a protected act. Saturday, March 8, 2014We live in a global, interconnected world where, when national laws fail, international laws provide for another level of accountability and the asylum process provides a means of due process for individuals who might otherwise be wrongly deprived of it. Polling of public opinion in Europe indicates I am not alone in hoping to see EU governments agree that blowing the whistle on serious wrongdoing should be a protected act. SHARE German Television does first Edward Snowden Interview German Television Channel NDR does an exclusive interview with Edward Snowden. However, it was uploaded on LiveLeak because, evidently LiveLeak believes the German Television thinks the rest of the world isn't interested in Edward Snowden. Sunday, February 2, 2014German Television Channel NDR does an exclusive interview with Edward Snowden. However, it was uploaded on LiveLeak because, evidently LiveLeak believes the German Television thinks the rest of the world isn't interested in Edward Snowden. (14 comments) SHARE Statement by Edward Snowden to human rights groups at Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport dward Joseph Snowden delivered a statement to human rights organizations and individuals at Sheremetyevo airport at 5pm Moscow time today, Friday 12th July. The meeting lasted 45 minutes. The human rights organizations included Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch and were given the opportunity afterwards to ask Mr Snowden questions. Friday, July 12, 2013dward Joseph Snowden delivered a statement to human rights organizations and individuals at Sheremetyevo airport at 5pm Moscow time today, Friday 12th July. The meeting lasted 45 minutes. The human rights organizations included Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch and were given the opportunity afterwards to ask Mr Snowden questions. Keeping tabs on tweets may be an effective tool to help prepare for -- and prevent -- increases in asthma emergencies, say researchers, including one of Indian-origin. "We live in the era of Big Data," said study co-author Sudha Ram, professor at The University of Arizona in the US, referring to increasingly immense sets of information that lends itself well to analysis revealing patterns of human behaviour. "Our research is innovative and unique because it harnesses the power of Big Data from social media and other sources to address the problem of anticipating emergency department visits for a chronic condition, in this case asthma, in close to real-time conditions," she noted. For the study, the researchers collected tweets posted between October 2013 and June 2014 and narrowed them down to the 3,810 that mentioned asthma attacks and that originated in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. During the same time period, incidences of asthma-related emergency department visits and hospitalisations across the region area were recorded. When the number of asthma-related tweets increased in a given week, the researchers found, the number of asthma emergency department visits or hospitalisations increased proportionally during the following week. "If the number of asthma-related tweets increased by 20 in a given week, for example, we would expect asthma-related emergency department visits or hospitalisations to increase by 12 in the following week," lead researcher Yolande Mfondoum Pengetnze, medical director at Parkland Center for Clinical Innovation (PCCI), a non-profit research and development corporation in Dallas, US, said. The findings are scheduled to be presented at the ongoing annual meeting of the Pediatric Academic Societies in Baltimore, US. "This is an important finding that can change the way health departments and other healthcare stakeholders monitor asthma activity in a community," she said. "By using real-time Twitter activity, health departments could actually anticipate asthma ED visits or hospitalisations in the following days and possibly intervene before some of them occur," she explained. Joint opposition agreed on ToRs ISLAMABAD: The joint opposition on Tuesday succeeded in evolving consensus on the terms of reference (ToRs) of the commission proposed to investigate the offshore assets of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharifs family and others in the backdrop of revelations made by the Panama Papers. The opposition drafted the consensus ToRs for the judicial commission after a two-day brainstorming session demanding the investigations must begin with the ruling family. The proposed judicial commission (JC) should conclude investigations against Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and his family in three months, according to the ToRs drafted by the opposition. In order to provide constitutional cover to the investigation process, it also demanded promulgation of Panama Papers (Inquiry and Trial) Act. To remove jurisdictional issues, secrecy clauses, etc, the oppositions ToRs would compel the respondents to submit a power of attorney empowering the commission to get any information about their financial assets from all over the world. The opposition withdrew from the demand of seeking prime ministers resignation prior to the investigations. Sources told reporters that Qaumi Watan Party (QWP) and Awami National Party (ANP) convinced others not to press this demand, at least for now. The Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaaf (PTI) wanted the prime minister to resign arguing he had lost the moral authority to govern the country. The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) also synced its voice with the PTI, though it was not as loud. According to another important clause of the ToRs, the procedure of the inquiry will be fully inquisitorial in character and the burden of proof in all matters will be entirely on the respondent and his family to prove their innocence. While the time period for completion of the inquiry in connection to the prime minister and his family will be three months, extendable by one month for reasons to be recorded by the commission, from the date of commencement of the inquiry, investigation in respect of other respondents will be concluded within 12 months. As far as the scope of inquiry is concerned, the commission will investigate as to what properties are held beneficially, benami or otherwise bought and sold by the respondent and his family members during the period 1985 to 2016?; what sources of income were available to the respondent and his family during this period?; were the respondent and his family not required to pay income tax in Pakistan for such incomes?; whether opening, maintaining and operating offshore accounts by or on behalf of the respondent and members of his family or being beneficiaries of such accounts could be regarded as legal or proper for him and/or his family?; whether the respondent and his family were required to disclose money trail/transfer of funds into their offshore accounts and money trail/transfer of funds out of such accounts for purchase of properties or other investments in foreign countries?; and whether a respondent by concealing the ownership and source of income through which the properties were procured, and concealing them in the nomination papers during the previous elections or before relevant tax authorities, has committed corrupt and illegal practices under the election/tax laws? Sources close to Nawaz Sharif said the oppositions ToRs might be accepted once the prime minister consults with his legal aides. They said the prime minister was already advised by his advisors not to budge on the issue of resignation but accept anything short of that. Unlike governments, the oppositions ToRs did not contain anything about written-off loans. Sources said the government would insist that the proposed JC must deal with the issue of written-off loans. The opposition believed the investigations into written-off loans would require years to conclude. PPP leader Aitzaz Ahsan told media after the meeting that inquiry details would be made public. Pakistan would acquire F-16 aircraft from other countries: Sartaj Aziz ISLAMABAD: Sartaj Aziz, adviser to the prime minister on national security and foreign affairs, said on Tuesday that Pakistan would acquire F-16 aircraft from other countries if the United States does not give funds for this purpose. Talking to the media after inaugurating a seminar on Pakistans Non-proliferation Efforts and Strategic Export Control System, Aziz said that Pakistan wanted the F-16 fighter jets from the US to give an impetus to its counterterrorism efforts. Pakistan will buy F-16s from some other country if funding [from the US] is not arranged, he said. Although the US has stopped funding for the fighter jets, he said, it was providing $265 million annually to Pakistan. The statement by the adviser comes in the wake of State Department Spokesperson John Kirbys remarks. Kirby said Pakistan should arrange funds for purchase of F-16 fighter jets on its own. Given Congressional objections, we have told the Pakistanis that they should put forward national funds for that purpose, the US State Department spokesperson told reporters at the weekly press briefing. Pakistan had reached an understanding with the US for the purchase of eight F-16 aircraft. The adviser said that an Afghan Taliban delegation from Doha was in Islamabad. He said that all members of the Quadrilateral Coordination Group consisting of the US, China, Afghanistan and Pakistan maintained such contacts with the objective of revival of peace process in Afghanistan. Aziz said the government had refused to hand over Shakil Afridi to the United States. Afridi helped the United States trace Osama bin Laden. For the US he is a hero, but for Pakistan he is a criminal, he said. A tribunal was reviewing Afridis case. He was also suspected of having links with terrorist organisations. Aziz said that Pakistan was a peace loving country, which was forced to acquire nuclear deterrence due to threats to its security and integrity. He said that Pakistans reluctant entry into the nuclear club was well documented. He said that as a responsible state Pakistan remained fully committed to the objectives of non-proliferation and disarmament and shared the global concern that proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction posed a serious threat to international peace and security. Aziz said that in 1974, when India conducted the first nuclear test, Pakistan gave several proposals to keep South Asia free of nuclear weapons and their delivery systems, including simultaneous accession to the NPT, but none of its proposal was reciprocated. He said that Pakistan had always tried to fulfil its international obligations. Pakistan is a state party to various international instruments, including CWC, BTWC, PTBT, CPPNM, IAEA Code of Conduct on Safety and Security of radioactive sources, and participates in the IAEA Incident and Trafficking Database (ITDB). Pakistan is strongly committed to the objective of nuclear security and has been proactively engaged with the international community to promote nuclear safety and security, he said. He said that Pakistans nuclear security paradigm had become effective and responsive to the entire range of threats over the years. He said the nuclear security regime in Pakistan was dynamic and it was being reviewed and updated regularly. He said that Pakistans nuclear security regime was based on a national legislative, regulatory and administrative framework. He said that nuclear security in Pakistan consisted of a robust command and control system led by the National Command Authority (NCA), a rigorous regulatory regime, comprehensive export controls and international cooperation. He said, We follow the principle of multi-layered defence to prevent and effectively respond to the entire spectrum of threats. The national security adviser said that South Asias strategic stability had been negatively impacted by the policies that overrode the long established principles and norms and were guided by a states strategic and commercial considerations. He said the Indo-US civil nuclear deal and the subsequent discriminatory waiver granted to India by the NSG allowed India to exponentially increase its fissile material stocks with grave implications for the strategic stability in the region. The Trinity Sudbury Research Group, left to right: PhD student Paul Guyett, first author Edel O'Sullivan, Dr Teresa Ubide, and PhD student Gavin Kenny. Credit: Trinity College Dublin Geochemists from Trinity College Dublin's School of Natural Sciences may have found a solution to a long-debated problem as to where - and how - life first formed on Earth. In a paper just published in the journal Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, the team proposes that large meteorite and comet impacts into the sea created structures that provided conditions favourable for life. Water then interacted with impact-heated rock to enable synthesis of complex organic molecules, and the enclosed crater itself was a microhabitat within which life could flourish. It has long been suggested that the meteoritic and cometary material that bombarded the early Earth delivered the raw materials - complex organic molecules, such as glycine, -alanine, -amino-n-butyric acid, and water - and the energy that was required for synthesis. The Trinity group's work has provided the new hypothesis that impact craters were ideal environments to facilitate the reactions that saw the first 'seeds of life' take root. First author Edel O'Sullivan, now a PhD candidate in Switzerland, said: "Previous studies investigating the origin of life have focused on synthesis in hydrothermal environments. Today these are found at mid-ocean ridges - hallmark features of plate tectonics, which likely did not exist on the early Earth. By contrast, the findings of this new study suggest that extensive hydrothermal systems operated in an enclosed impact crater at Sudbury, Ontario, Canada." The research was part of a wider project funded by Science Foundation Ireland and led by senior author, Professor of Geology and Mineralogy at Trinity, Balz Kamber. Although no very ancient terrestrial impact structures are preserved, the Sudbury basin provides a unique opportunity to study the sediment that filled the basin as a guide to what the earlier impact craters would have looked like. The Sudbury structure is distinctive among the known terrestrial impact craters. It has an unusually thick (nearly 2.5 km) basin fill, and much of this is almost black in colour (due to carbon) containing also hydrothermal metal deposits. Professor Kamber said: "Due to later tectonic forces, all the rocks of the once ~200 km-wide structure are now exposed at the surface rather than being buried. This makes it possible to take a traverse from the shocked footwall through the melt sheet and then across the entire basin fill. To a geologist, this is like a time journey from the impact event through its aftermath." Representative samples across the basin fill were analysed for their chemistry and for carbon isotopes, and they revealed an interesting sequence of events. The first thing that became evident was that the crater was filled with seawater at an early stage, and remained sub-marine throughout deposition. Importantly, the water in the basin was isolated from the open ocean for long enough to deposit more than 1.5 km of volcanic rock and sediment. The lower fill is made up of rocks that formed when the water entered the crater whose floor was covered by hot impact melt. Fuel-coolant reactions deposited volcanic rocks and promoted hydrothermal activity. Above these deposits, reduced carbon starts to appear within the basin fill and the volcanic products become more basaltic. Previously the puzzling presence of carbon in these rocks was explained by washing in from outside the crater basin. However, the new data show that it was microbial life within the crater basin that was responsible for the build-up of carbon and also for the depletion in vital nutrients, such as sulphate. "There is clear evidence for exhaustion of molybdenum in the water column, and this strongly indicates a closed environment, shut off from the surrounding ocean," added Edel O'Sullivan. Only after the crater walls eventually collapsed did the study show replenishment of nutrients from the surrounding sea. These sub-marine, isolated impact basins, which experienced basaltic volcanism and were equipped with their own hydrothermal systems, thus present a new pathway to synthesis and concentration of the stepping stones to life. A copy of the journal article is available on request. More information: Edel M. O'Sullivan et al, Chemostratigraphy of the Sudbury impact basin fill: Volatile metal loss and post-impact evolution of a submarine impact basin, Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta (2016). Journal information: Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta Edel M. O'Sullivan et al, Chemostratigraphy of the Sudbury impact basin fill: Volatile metal loss and post-impact evolution of a submarine impact basin,(2016). DOI: 10.1016/j.gca.2016.04.007 The survival of the fittest might just be the survival of the steadfast instead. Having a positive attitude could be evolutionarily advantageous, according to Cornell researchers who simulated generations of evolution in a computational model. The findings offer scientific support to the ancient philosophical insights from China, Greece and India, which encourage cultivating long-term contentment or life satisfaction rather than grasping at the fleeting joy of instant gratification, the researchers said. "In an evolutionary sense, you have to evaluate your life on the basis of more than what happened just now," said Shimon Edelman, professor of psychology and a co-author of the study. advantageous in a computational model that simulates evolution. The "agents" or simulated actors that survived to produce offspring in the researchers' model were the ones that attached more weight to longer-term happiness than to momentary happiness, especially when food was scarce. They also "remembered" past happiness for a longer period of time than their less-successful counterparts. No matter whether food was abundant or scarce, the agents that had a more positive outlook - attaching more importance to upswings in their situations than to downswings - also were more evolutionarily fit. Their counterparts that gave more attention to short-term joy and a negative attitude died off. And when agents compared their food resources with their friends', they did worse when food was abundant. "It may indeed be advisable, at least under conditions of scarcity or adversity, to focus on longer-term well-being or contentment over momentary pleasures and to be less envious of one's neighbors. Also, in general, it may be wise to mark happy events more than unhappy ones," Edelman said. The study is based on an integrative computational framework for understanding the brain/mind, in which minds are seen as bundles of computational processes implemented by embodied and physically and socially situated brains. The computational framework enables researchers to test explicit functional models of emotions. "Our hypothesis was, giving more weight to longer-terms considerations like life satisfaction, or at least a longer period than just right now, would be advantageous, at least in some conditions," Edelman said. The researchers wrote an algorithm in which agents with combinations of traits foraged for food in four types of simulated terrain over the course of six experiments. The traits included positive or negative outlooks, an emphasis on either short-term (hedonic) or long-term (eudaimonic) happiness, and a tendency or an aversion to comparing performance to that of friends. Each type of terrain had a different distribution of food, from a random and scarce pattern to a more clustered and abundant distribution. Each environment was populated with 400 agents in each generation for 40 generations and repeated each of the six experiments 10 times. After a set number of cycles, each agent in the top half of performers was allowed to produce offspring that formed the next generation of agents. The bottom 50 percent was terminated. In this way, the researchers assessed the effectiveness of traits by tracking their prevalence in the population over evolutionary time. The researchers also found the only situation in which those with a more conservative outlook had a higher level of evolutionary fitness was a harsh environment, in which poison was distributed along with food. What does the study say for those who seek a clear path to happiness? Know thyself, Edelman said. "Instead of relying blindly on advice from self-help authors about how to be happy, get to know yourself - what your brain/mind is like, how it works and how it interacts with the world - and you'll be in a better position to decide for yourself," Edelman said. The study "Between Pleasure and Contentment: Evolutionary Dynamics of Some Possible Parameters of Happiness," was published May 4 in PLOS ONE. Edelman's co-author, Yue Gao, is a doctoral candidate in the field of computer science. Explore further The search for happiness: Using MRI to find where happiness happens An academic from the University of Leicester has suggested that disparities in funding for the cultural sector at a regional level results in cultural institutions and programmes in many areas of the UK being deprived of vital resources. Dr Lisanne Gibson from the University of Leicester School of Museum Studies joined Dr Abigail Gilmore from the University of Manchester earlier this month to speak at the Parliamentary Select Committee on Culture, Media and Sport, discussing the new 'Countries of Culture' inquiry in order to offer expert insight into some of the key issues facing the cultural industries. One key issue identified is the imbalance of governmental funding allocated to the cultural sector at a regional level, with London receiving more funding than the rest of the United Kingdom combined - leaving many regions' facilities and programmes underfunded. The UK has a rich and varied cultural offering, but in recent years there has been some debate about whether this cultural capital is too heavily concentrated in London, and concerns that local authority budget cuts are constraining the cultural offering in the regions. The academics argue that funding disparity results in the wealthiest and most educated in society participating most in cultural activitiesas well as benefiting the most from government subsidies. Among the recommendations made for improving regional funding for cultural industries in the UK are: Introduce a cultural strategy which focuses on local communities and facilitates local stakeholders being able to influence policy Introduce a tourism tax on hotel stays in London to help fund broader regional cultural enterprises Charge entrance fees/fees for international tourists for London museums and cultural events to help subsidise regional cultural activities The researchers also identified a number of other challenges facing the cultural sector, including: a decline in British students in the UK studying to become culture and heritage practitioners at university; a lack of jobs in the UK cultural sector broadly; and a lack of diversity in the cultural and creative industry workforce, made worse by the frequent requirement to volunteer or work for free initially. Dr Gibson said: "The Government's Culture White Paper (2016) while laudable in its focus on participation is disappointing in that it remains focused on the status quo, that is, supporting culture that is already (and has always been) funded rather on focusing on funding innovation in cultural practice designing to support what a larger majority of people actually want to do in their spare time." Explore further Can going digital improve musical cultural heritage conservation? More information: The discussion at the Parliamentary Select Committee is available at The discussion at the Parliamentary Select Committee is available at www.parliamentlive.tv/Event/In fb-840e-77e68cff2621 One of the 10 early-diverging fungi sequenced, assembled and annotated by the DOE JGI for this study is the white rot Calocera viscosa or yellow stagshorn. Credit: abejorro34, CC BY-NC 2.0 Researchers utilized draft genome sequences of 10 white rot and brown rot fungi representing early-diverging groups to help refine the timeline that dates the enzymatic origins of lignocellulose decomposition. Fungi are natural degraders of plant material and contain enzymes that biofuels researchers hope to harness for commercial applications. Studying the enzyme families in white rot and brown rot fungal genome sequences allows researchers to fill in gaps in the fungal evolutionary timeline and provide more precise timestamps for when various species might have gained the ability to break down all woody components in plant cell walls. Biofuels researchers are interested in wood-decaying fungi because their enzymes allow them to break down plant materials such as cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin. Brown rot fungi are typically described as those that can only break down cellulose and hemicellulose, while white rot fungi can break down all the plant cell wall components cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin. The wide range of fungal genome sequences now available has also demonstrated the breadth of wood-decaying strategies fungi employ; for example, while some fungi may break down plant matter in the same manner as white rots, they lack some of the gene families typically associated with white rot fungi. In a study published in the April 2016 issue of Molecular Biology and Evolution, researchers from the U.S. Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute (DOE JGI), a DOE Office of Science User Facility, with collaborators at the French national research institute INRA and Clark University in Massachusetts, conducted a comparative genomics analysis with the help of 10 fungi sequenced, assembled and annotated by the DOE JGI in order to better reconstruct the origins of lignin-degrading fungal enzymes. The work builds on a 2012 Science study in which DOE JGI and Clark University researchers suggested that the evolution of white rot fungi some 300 million years ago coincided with the end of the coal-forming Carboniferous period, impacting the global carbon cycle. That analysis did not include genome sequences for several groups of early diverging fungi, some of which include species that suggest white rot evolution could have happened even earlier. With draft genomes representing early-diverging fungi in hand now, a more refined analysis shows that "the majority of oxidative enzyme diversity used by white rot fungi has emerged after the origins of the first white rot species," a finding that adds credence to the earlier report. In addition to clarifying fungal biomass degrading enzyme evolution, these additional fungal genomes identify additional candidate degrading enzymes of possible interest to bioenergy researchers. Explore further Treading into a gray area along the spectrum of wood decay fungi More information: Laszlo G. Nagy et al. Comparative Genomics of Early-Diverging Mushroom-Forming Fungi Provides Insights into the Origins of Lignocellulose Decay Capabilities, Molecular Biology and Evolution (2016). Laszlo G. Nagy et al. Comparative Genomics of Early-Diverging Mushroom-Forming Fungi Provides Insights into the Origins of Lignocellulose Decay Capabilities,(2016). DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msv337 D. Floudas et al. The Paleozoic Origin of Enzymatic Lignin Decomposition Reconstructed from 31 Fungal Genomes, Science (2012). DOI: 10.1126/science.1221748 Journal information: Molecular Biology and Evolution , Science Daniel D. Richter, Duke Professor of Soils and Forest Ecology, studies how human activities have transformed the earths soils over time. Credit: Photography On the second floor of the Levine Science Research Center, in a tall wooden cabinet that could easily be mistaken for an antique dresser, Duke University professor Dan Richter keeps an unusual collection: nearly 600 jars holding hundreds of pounds of Piedmont soil. Collected over more than 50 years from the site of a former cotton plantation in rural South Carolina, the jars are part of long-term study of how activities such as logging and farming have changed the soils on which we depend for food, feed, fuel and fiber. Each jar represents a time capsule of soil conditions as acres of former cotton fields have turned back over to forest. In the rolling clay hills of western South Carolina along Interstate 26 between Columbia and Spartanburg, the pine trees of Calhoun Experimental Forestwhere Richter and his students workgrow on what was once farmland. Here 19th and 20th century tenant farmers and sharecroppers grew cotton and other crops for more than 150 years. But cotton production began to collapse in the 1920s, and by the 1950s most of the area's cotton farms were abandoned. More than a century of cotton farming took its toll on the region's soils. In that time, the Piedmont from Virginia to Alabama lost more than half a foot of topsoil to erosion, Richter said. "Most of it ended up in streams and rivers," Richter said. By the end of World War II, the area was so degraded that organic carbon in the upper 12 inches of soila major indicator of soil healthhad dropped by almost half. Trees slowly blanketed the bare, worn-out soil in pine needles and anchored it with roots in the decades that followed. More than four tons of leaves and branches fall in a given acre of Calhoun Experimental Forest each year. As the growing forest adds dead leaves and other litter, the decaying plant matter returns nutrients to the once-depleted soil, holds water and prevents runoff. In the early 1960s, a USDA Forest Service scientist named Carol Wells started sampling the top two feet of soil to monitor its slow recovery, resampling roughly every five years using a steel punch tube to extract soil at four depths. Richter took over the collection in 1987, shortly after coming to Duke. The soil is air-dried and sifted through a mesh screen to filter out rocks, earthworms and roots. The end result is a complex mixture of sand, silt and clay, ranging in color from dark gray, tan and yellowish brown near the surface to orange, pink and red further down. Richter and his colleagues have been studying the slow chemical changes in the different layers of soil with help from a unique techniquea form of carbon dating made possible by fallout from Cold War atomic bomb testing. Above-ground nuclear weapons tests carried out by the United States, the Soviet Union, France and the United Kingdom in the 1950s and 1960s doubled the amount of radioactive carbon-14 in the atmosphere. Carbon-14 has been slowly returning to baseline levels since aboveground nuclear testing stopped with the Limited Test Ban Treaty in 1963. But the Calhoun Experimental Forest trees continued to suck up carbon-14 from the air, in the form of carbon dioxide, incorporating it into their cells and depositing it in the soil. The effects of the "bomb carbon," as it is sometimes called, haven't been all bad. By looking for excessive amounts of carbon-14 in the soil, scientists can identify carbon that accumulated after the last cotton crop was harvested in 1954 and the farmland started returning to forest, Richter said. He lines up the jars containing the top few inches of soil and notes how they grow darker and healthier with time. "You can see the brown and black organic matter coming back. The topsoil is being rebuilt by the forest after the plow destroyed it for more than a hundred years," Richter said. With the world's population projected to increase from 7.4 billion to more than 11 billion by 2100, healthy soils will play a critical role in meeting the growing demand for food. The results from Richter's bomb-carbon studies suggest that it will take the Piedmont soils many more decades to rebuild in the wake of King Cotton. "That doesn't mean that Piedmont soils are completely shot. With attention and care you can bring them back," he said. Example of the rapidity with which wasting can occur. An animal losing its grip on the rock at 6.20 am had largely disintegrated four hours later. Observations made at Cape Blanco South. Credit: Menge et al. The 2013-2014 sea star wasting epidemic along the Oregon Coast may have been caused by multiple factors and had significant effects on the sea star population and its prey in the area, according to a study published May 4, 2016 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by Bruce Menge from Oregon State University, USA, and colleagues. As keystone predators, sea stars affect the biodiversity and abundance of intertidal species. The recent 2013-2014 outbreak of sea star wasting, a viral disease, affected 20 species from Baja California to Alaska, making it among the largest known marine epidemics. The effects of the wasting are severe; afflicted sea stars may lose arms and disintegrate, appearing to "melt." The epidemic reached Oregon in April 2014 and spread along most of the coast by June, infecting about 90 percent of sea stars. Taking advantage of ongoing long-term research and monitoring in the area, the authors of this study tracked the epidemic by performing nearly 150 surveys of the dominant sea star species as well as their mussel prey living in the rocky intertidal habitats at nine sites along the Oregon coast between spring 2014 and fall 2015. The researchers found that as many as 80 percent of the populations died at the study sites during the epidemic, which occurred during cool water temperatures driven by summer upwelling. Wasting disproportionately affected adults over juveniles, and sea stars in tide pools. By spring 2015, the authors found that the population was recovering in numbers: study sites had up to 300 times as many new sea stars as in 2014. This recovery may be due to the increased availability of small prey, like mussels, resulting from the previous year's sea star loss. The authors hope that these efforts will aid in calling for a coast-wide investigation of how the wasting epidemic affected intertidal communities along North America's western shores. Bruce Menge notes: "In contrast to other locations along the US west coast, sea star wasting disease increased during a period of cool, not warm temperatures, suggesting that the cause of wasting outbreaks is multifactorial. Although up to 84% of local populations died, a massive recruitment of sea stars occurred the following spring, suggesting the possibility of rapid recovery." Explore further Sea star disease epidemic surges in Oregon, local extinctions expected More information: Menge BA, Cerny-Chipman EB, Johnson A, Sullivan J, Gravem S, Chan F (2016) Sea Star Wasting Disease in the Keystone Predator Pisaster ochraceus in Oregon: Insights into Differential Population Impacts, Recovery, Predation Rate, and Temperature Effects from Long-Term Research. PLoS ONE 11(5): e0153994. Journal information: PLoS ONE Menge BA, Cerny-Chipman EB, Johnson A, Sullivan J, Gravem S, Chan F (2016) Sea Star Wasting Disease in the Keystone Predator Pisaster ochraceus in Oregon: Insights into Differential Population Impacts, Recovery, Predation Rate, and Temperature Effects from Long-Term Research.11(5): e0153994. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0153994 For Immediate Release The U.S. Navy nurse who refused to force-feed Guantanamo Bay detainees had his security clearance reinstated and has been restored to full duties, ending a yearlong effort by the Pentagon to punish him for refusing to take part in an inhumane and unethical practice. Physicians for Human Rights (PHR) has persistently advocated on the nurses behalf, affirming that his actions were consistent with the highest ethical standards of the medical and nursing professions. The nurse is very pleased to be able to get back to what is most important to him: caring for patients as the Navy trained him to do, said his attorney, Ron Meister of Cowan, Liebowitz & Latman, P.C. He is proud to be a nurse and grateful for Physicians for Human Rights, the American Nurses Association, and the other organizations that sustained him in this long effort. Since 2014, the Navy nurse had faced potential criminal charges, possible discharge, and loss of retirement and veterans benefits due to his refusal to force-feed prisoners held at Guantanamo Bay. PHR, alongside the American Nurses Association, has mobilized a lengthy campaign to reinstate the Navy nurse, who has served with honor for nearly 20 years. Restoring his security clearance was the final hurdle to return the Navy nurse to his full duties. With this decision, the Pentagon has finally acknowledged that no health professional should be punished for acting ethically, said PHRs medical director, Dr. Vincent Iacopino. The first obligation of medical professionals is to do no harm. Force-feeding is prohibited not only by medical ethics but under international law. The Navy nurse had the courage to stand up for his patients and refuse to take part in the cruel, inhuman, and degrading practice of force-feeding. His conduct should serve as a model for medical workers around the world. PHR has documented that force-feeding at Guantanamo is done without medical necessity or benefit and inflicts physical and psychological anguish on detainees. The World Medical Association explicitly prohibits the force-feeding of hunger strikers a policy that has been adopted by more than 100 professional associations, including the American Medical Association. In the post-9/11 era, the U.S. government has tried to override medical ethics, and to force healthcare providers to be complicit in human rights abuses, said PHRs Iacopino. The Pentagons decision is a delayed exoneration of the Navy nurse, who was practicing the very ethics he was taught to follow by his profession. His stance, and the Pentagons ultimate vindication of his actions, show that no government order can supersede a health professionals ethical obligations. PHR continues to appeal for an end to the abusive practice of force-feeding inflicted on detainees protesting their indefinite detention at the Guantanamo Bay prison. Physicians for Human Rights (PHR) is a New York-based advocacy organization that uses science and medicine to prevent mass atrocities and severe human rights violations. Learn more here. For Immediate Release The United Nations Security Council today unanimously adopted a resolution calling for an end to attacks on health care workers and facilities. Physicians for Human Rights (PHR), which advocates for the protection of medical facilities and health workers worldwide, welcomes todays vote, reaffirming that deliberately attacking hospitals and doctors is a war crime. There is no justification for targeting doctors and nurses who are already putting their own lives on the line to save others, said Susannah Sirkin, PHRs director of international policy and partnerships. We cannot allow attacks on health care to become the new normal. This resolution is a reminder that if you target health workers and hospitals during warfare, you are a war criminal, plain and simple. Todays resolution reaffirms the principle of medical neutrality enshrined in the Geneva Conventions that medical workers and medical facilities cannot be targeted in warfare and it reminds UN member states of their duty to investigate and prosecute any and all attacks on health care. But PHR warned that putting those words into action will require the Security Council to act when member states are unable or unwilling to do so. Countless times weve seen states fail in their obligation to protect health and to prosecute war criminals, said PHRs Sirkin. The resolution has passed, but it must be enforced. The Security Council must be prepared to refer attacks on health care to the International Criminal Court as appropriate. Otherwise, leaders like Syrias President Bashar al-Assad will continue to rain bombs down on hospitals and clinics without fear of consequences. Todays resolution does not specifically mention Syria, but the agreement comes less than a week after a major pediatric care center in an opposition-held section of Aleppo came under attack, killing scores of people and severely limiting pediatric care for an entire section of the city. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon today cited PHR's documentation of the deliberate killing of 730 medical workers and 359 attacks on health care facilities in Syria since 2011. Attacks on health care have deadly ripple effects, said Sirkin. Doctors die, medical workers are wounded, and hospitals are taken out of commission. These assaults deprive entire communities of health care and cause many more people to suffer. In times of crisis, hospitals are meant to be safe havens, not battlegrounds. Strikes on medical facilities and personnel have become hallmarks of conflicts not just in Syria, but also in Afghanistan, Iraq, Somalia, South Sudan, and Yemen. The UN Secretary-General has repeatedly said humanitarian and health care workers must be protected and those who attack them must be held to account. The Security Councils agreement today give us hope, but we know that without actions to back them up, words alone wont save lives, said PHRs Sirkin. The Security Council must act when health care becomes a target. The Councils credibility is on the line. Physicians for Human Rights (PHR) is a New York-based advocacy organization that uses science and medicine to prevent mass atrocities and severe human rights violations. Learn more here. QUEENSBURY | A Level 2 sex offender was arrested Saturday on a felony charge that alleges he moved from one home to another without registering his new address, records show. Joseph M. Slingerland, 33, moved from a home on Corinth Road in Queensbury to a motel in Whitehall without registering as required, police records show. He was charged with failure to register as a sex offender, a felony, arraigned and sent to Warren County Jail for lack of bail. The arrest was made by the Warren County Sheriff's Office. Slingerland is a registered sex offender because of a 2001 second-degree rape conviction for having sex with a 14-year-old girl. BALLSTON SPA | A Wilton man who had sexual contact with a child has been sentenced to 3.5 years in state prison. Paul Peters Jr., 29, of Saratoga Road, pleaded guilty to third-degree criminal sexual act for a sexual encounter with a child under the age of 17 in Milton last June, authorities said. The charge was brought because the teen was too young to legally consent. Saratoga County Judge James Murphy imposed a 3.5-year prison sentence to be followed by 5 years on parole. Peters was arrested last October after an investigation by the Saratoga County Sheriff's Office. KINGSBURY | New Yorks dairy industry faces a threat from the north in the form of restrictions on Canadian milk exports that could result in a glut of milk on the regions market. Local farmers could lose a market for some of their exports, and having excess milk on the market could cause already low milk prices to drop further, U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer said Wednesday. This would greatly hurt an upstate dairy industry at a time that it cant afford that hurt, Schumer said. Schumer visited Ideal Dairy Farm in Kingsbury on Wednesday to tout his efforts to stop proposed restrictions that would limit the ability of Canadian companies to import ultra-filtered milk from U.S. dairies. The milk is used in Canadian cheese products, and Schumer has traveled around the state in recent weeks to tout a need to combat the proposed Canadian trade restrictions. Canada is one of the biggest markets for New York milk, Schumer said. In addition to administrative action being considered by the Canadian government, provinicial leaders in Ontario have also implemented a targeted pricing policy designed to lessen the amount of milk imported from New York, Schumer said. A number of New York dairy cooperatives made significant investments in recent years specifically to meet requirements of Canadian customers, he added. The New York City Democrat on Wednesday demanded that the U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Trade Representative work to keep the proposed change from occurring. With Canada a leading exporter of auto parts and oil to the U.S., the possibility of new tariffs on Canadian products could be used as a deterrent, Schumer said. Jay Skellie, the Jackson town supervisor and president of Washington County Farm Bureau, said the Canadian rule change would have a pretty big impact on dairy farmers across New York. Many are members of dairy cooperatives that sell to Canadian customers, he said. With the prices right now, a lot of farmers barely break even, Skellie said. This would drive it down more. A number of Washington County supervisors, including Argyle Supervisor and Board of Supervisors Chairman Robert Henke, Hebron Supervisor Brian Campbell and Kingsbury Supervisor Dana Hogan, were on hand for the event as Schumer spoke before some of Ideal Dairys 1,300-head herd. This week, the two most prominent politicians in New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo and New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio are facing questions about corruption in their political operations and among their closest aides and confidantes. Is it finally time for the state Legislature to get serious about ethics reform? In the past year, the top two legislative leaders former Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver and former Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos have been convicted of felony corruption charges. Silver was sentenced Tuesday to 12 years in prison. Skelos will be sentenced later this month. Silver will join at least six other former state legislators now in the federal prison system. Skelos is the fifth straight majority leader to get indicted. Thomas Libous was the No. 2 person in the state Senate until he was convicted last year in a corruption probe. He was sentenced only to house arrest because he has terminal cancer. The New York Times last year printed a rogues gallery of photos of 30 state legislators who had been either convicted, sanctioned or otherwise accused of wrongdoing in the previous decade. Among various serious crimes, their offenses also included such acts as throwing a cup of coffee in the face of an aide (Ada Smith, Queens), getting drunk and sleeping over at an interns house (Mike Cole, Erie County) and patronizing prostitutes (Eliot Spitzer, governor). A more recent Times story features interviews with several former state legislators who are now or were recently prison inmates. Some have been humbled, to a degree. But one thing they agree on is they did nothing wrong. They feel they were wrongly convicted. They say they did things the same way as other legislators the Albany way. They fail to see that is the problem. A current of impunity runs through the behavior of our state legislators, as if they believe the codes that others live by dont apply to them. Its reverse leadership. Instead of being role models who feel called upon to set an example, they see themselves as empowered to indulge their impulses, even the immoral and illegal ones. New York needs ethics reform. Blair Horner, director of the New York Public Interest Research Group, is calling, again, for legislators to do something. Horner mentioned this weeks developments the report that de Blasio tried to illegally circumvent contribution limits in 2014 when pushing for the re-election of Democratic state senators; and the possibly unethical actions of people close to Andrew Cuomo involved in the Buffalo Billion program. Horner made recommendations, too: Limiting outside income. Some of the worst state scandals, like Silvers, have involved outside jobs legislators legally hold. Strict limits, and strict policing of those limits, are needed. Closing the LLC campaign finance loophole. The identities of whoever controls limited liability companies must be publicly disclosed, so donors cannot hide behind LLCs to donate large sums to favored candidates. Similarly, donations to political parties must be capped, so donors cannot evade campaign finance limits by giving large sums to political parties, which are then passed on to candidates. Establishing an independent ethics watchdog. The state comptroller is effective at policing the financial behavior of municipalities and agencies statewide. New York needs an office that can run like the controllers, with the independent authority to undertake ethics investigations of public officials especially legislators. After the budget, the governor promised, ethics reform would be his top priority. Legislators have balked at reforms, but Cuomo has shown he can get his way with the Legislature when he really wants to. Ethics reform is what New York needs most. Before the governor and the Legislature take up any other issue, they should take up this one. Local editorials represent the opinion of The Post-Star editorial board, which consists of Publisher Terry Coomes, Editor Ken Tingley, Projects Editor Will Doolittle, Controller/Operations Director Brian Corcoran and citizen representative Tom Portuese. Inventory needs to be managed and managed well, or you are going to get in recurring trouble, and lose your credibility and hard-earned conversions, whether Read more Mr. Kobina Baidoo, one of the two representatives of the fishermen who addressed the NPP leader said over the last seven years, prices of outboard motors has increased drastically. When President Rawlings left office, the price of an outboard motor was GH1,600, and by the time President Kufuor left office the price was GH2,950. Under President Mahama, the price of an outboard is now GH12,000, he recounted. A gallon of premix fuel under President Rawlings sold for GH0.40p and increased to GH1.80 when President Kufuor left office. The price under President Mahama is now GH7.30 a gallon, Baidoo said. He added that even at the current premix price, fishermen do not get the premix to buy. He further alleged that government "only distributes it to cronies, NDC constituency executives and NDC members. The Chief fisherman of Aboadze, Nana Adams, on his part complained about the activities of pair trawlers. He accused the vice president Paa Kwesi Amissah Arthur of importing 20 trawlers into the country. The issue of pair trawlers is destroying the industry. I am reliably told that officialdom own most of these trawlers. Indeed, I can say for a fact that the Vice President is importing 20 trawlers into the country. Whilst we are struggling to rid our seas of pair trawlers, the Vice President is bringing in more. Over-fishing is what is destroying our seas and our fishing stocks, he said. Alhaji Limuna said the facilities would essentially anchor services delivered by the Plant Protection and Regulatory Services Directorate of MOFA so that Ghanas plant produce exports would conform to standards set by destination countries. Being competitive at the market is an important consideration in all business operations which is why vegetables and other plant produce farmers and exporters must make endless efforts at achieving possible quality for their produce. The Minister, therefore, urged farmers to pay attention to good agronomic practices while exporters complied with operating regulations of product handling and packaging. Failure to commit to the above would result in the situation where existing markets looked at different sources to meet their needs, he said. Five vegetable varieties have been banned from entering the EU market since September 2015 and as a result, Ghana had the unpleasant duty of acting ahead of the EU in cracking the whip on this matter, because of the high levels of interceptions registered by the Food and Veterinary Office of the European Commission. Alhaji Limuna said the action was intended to send a strong signal to farmers and exporters that Ghana was not willing to compromise the integrity of its exports in a critical market like the EU, on the back of the inactions of the few unscrupulous farmers and traders. Measures taken to address the situation include reviewed pest list in Ghana, review existing plant quarantine manual, rigorous inspection of produce with increased sampling size and a ban on exporters who flout guidelines and regulations. The Minister told vegetable farmers that the Ministry was prepared to clamp down on their activities and apply the ultimate sanctions without fear or favour. All plant produce intended for exports must be inspected by the Plant Protection and Regulatory Services Directorate and appropriately captured on the photosanitary certificates, Alhaji Limuna said. He said products that had not been inspected should never make their way into our value chain and officers who compromised on this position would have themselves to blame. Alhaji Limuna said the telling effects of the current freeze on the genuine efforts of farmers and businessmen providing support to the value chain could not be overstated. Livelihoods and investments have practically been destroyed and we cannot afford a repeat of this situation, he said. He said the climate was suitable for multiple season production of vegetables, coupled with the comparative advantage in proximity to destination countries in Europe and beyond, adding that the potential to leverage growth of the Ghanaian economy on the basis of commercial vegetable production was very promising. Just hold an audition and see if a known face will be present. It will be new faces. Let these new faces gain popularity, call for auditioning and see if they will show up, he said on Pluzz FMs AM Pluzz on Wednesday. He will however not blame the actors entirely. According to Bandex, most of the scripts lack uniqueness as storylines are recycled. He believes if actors find out that the movie they are auditioning for does not have an original script, they will not be enthused to go for auditions. I will not blame the actors alone. If you recycle the same story and call for auditioning, they will not show up because they have featured in a similar movie; they have played the same role, he said. Bandex highlighted the purpose of auditions saying, it helps in identifying talents and to get who fits which role better. He also commended the cast director of Beasts of No Nation for being able to select Abraham Attah to play the role of Agu after the audition. Auditions are held for a perfect cast. Whoever auditioned and chose Abraham Attah did well Nobody will audition without identifying any talent, he noted. Abraham Atta, who reportedly was assisting his mother by selling on the street with no acting background, shot to fame after getting a role in Beasts of No Nation, a movie shot in Ghana by Netflix. Narrating the incident to Pulse.com.gh, the Accra Regional Police Command Public Relations Officer, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Effia Tenge said the deceased, Sunday Orga was living with the suspect, Marvelous Okere, 26, a trader, with five others in the same room along the Nungua beach Drive road when a confrontation ensued between the two over a stolen toothbrush. "They came out of their room. Outside, the quarrel started again. The deceased slapped the suspect. So he also looked around and he found a wine bottle around. So he just picked it up and broke it, and then stabbed him over it in the head. And then he collapsed," she added. ASP Tenge added that the victim was pronounced dead when he was sent to the hospital. The decision to confer the honourary doctorate degree on Nana Akufo-Addo was taken by the Universitys Governing Council on November 27, 2015 because "Mr. N A D Akufo-Addos legal and political leadership roles, both past and present, significantly contribute to human rights, constitutional democracy as well as socio-economic development as enshrined in the University of Fort Hares strategic vision and mission. It is in view of this that the University of Fort Hare is honoured to be associated with such a distinguished lawyer and politician." Initial maintenance deadline was missed, raising concerns it may worsen the countrys shaky power supply. The first two-week shutdown resulted in shortage of gas supply from the West Africa Gas Pipeline Company to power producer, Volta River Authority (VRA) -- causing intermittent power cuts in some parts of the country. Pulse.com.gh understands oil production started yesterday but due to the challenges with the bearing on vessel used in collecting, processing and storing crude oil on the Jubilee field, operators are operating at a minimal level to ensure there is not too much pressure on the FPSO. It is unclear whether enough gas is being processed to feed the Atuabo gas plant for power generation. A second FPSO arrived in the country on March 3. Christened FPSO Prof John Evans Atta Mills, the vessel is expected to start producing oil from the TEN fields by July/August 2016, according to a statement from Tullow Ghana. The FPSO began its voyage from Singapore to Ghana on 23rd January 2016 with almost zero carry over, meaning only 2,000 man hours of work remained to be completed during the voyage. This is a very significant industry achievement. The FPSO will move directly to the installation phase when it arrives on station, the statement added. This will be followed by the hook-up of subsea facilities via flowlines, risers and control umbilicals, much of which has already been pre-installed. In addition, 6 wells have already been completed, and the completion of the remaining wells is on schedule. The integrated facilities will undergo final commissioning and testing during the second quarter of this year before first oil, the statement said. Another major issue that I want to bring to the attention of the people is that; if we look at the flagstaff house today, it does not reflect the people of Ghana in terms of religion.We are in this country living peacefully and nicely; Christians and Muslims. So we believe in the NPP that Christians and Muslims should work together and that is why whenever we pick a flagbearer as a Christian, we pick a Muslim as a vice.And when we come and pick a Muslim as a flagbearer, we will pick a Christian as a vice. So if, Insha Allah, Nana Akufo-Addo becomes president, he will swear with the Bible and enter the Flagstaff and I will swear with the Quran and enter the flagstaff House, he reportedly said. Reacting to his comments on Kasapa FMs Anopa Kasapa on Wednesday, Mr Asiedu Nketia expressed disappointment in the NPP for defending the divisive comments. According to him, Nana Akufo-Addo should publicly condemn the comments by his running mate to show that he is not in support of it. He mentioned that Nana Addo will score political points by doing that. Many personalities have criticised Dr Bawumia for whipping up religious sentiments. Dr Ransford Gyampo, speaking to TV3 described it as needless. Adding his voice to a similar concerns raised by the University Students Association of Ghana (USAG), Bawumia noted that during the 5-day process on campus, EC officials had been able to register about 400 students. This number according to him was very minuscule as compared to a conservative number of about 8000 registrable students. The first five days have registered about 400 people. There are about 8000 potential people to be registered. Some students are staying all day in the queue and sometimes not even getting to register at the end of the day, he continued. The vice presidential candidate blamed the practical disenfranchisement of the students on the EC not providing enough registration centers to serve the Legon campus of the University of Ghana. This cannot be news to the EC, they should know this, they should have an idea how many potential registrable students there are on campus and plan appropriately for it. Bawumia said he wanted to believe that this disenfranchisement was not a deliberate act, but said, it was unbelievable the EC had just once centre on campus. If you say youre not doing it intentionally, practically youre doing so. We need to bring in adequate registration centers to cater for the population of the campuses. Bawumia exhorted the EC to do the right thing and bring in more registration centers to the Legon Campus and other places where the go-slow was being experienced. Similar concerns were raised by Henry Nkosuo, the national president of USAG, who said it was sick on the part of the EC to allocate a single registration center to the Legon campus of the University of Ghana. He highlighted that for a campus with over 28, 000 students, a single registration center was greatly inadequate. According to him, an institution like UG should have about 5 registration centres. An agitated crowd of about 500 people stormed the police command on Tuesday requesting the release of Boasiako, claiming to be supporters of the NPP and told Citi FM they believed President Mahama orchestrated the arrest of Chairman Wontumi. The crowd said the arrest was orchestrated to deliberately divert the partys attention from the ongoing limited voters registration exercise. NPP released a statement on Wednesday morning, signed by Regional Secretary Samuel Pyne where it expressed great surprise that some unseen hands are trying to manipulate the police service in getting the Regional Chairman, Benard Antwi Boasiako, Wontumi behind bars. The statement said the party saw this as a clear distraction move by the NDC to make gains in the Limited Registration Exercise. We are therefore cautioning all party agents and officials who have been assigned to registration centers and other points all in connection with the registration exercise to stay at post and work diligently too. The statement said NPP supporters should show their solidarity to the cause of the party, but refrain from actions that may lead to violence. However, earlier Deputy Secretary of the NPP in the Ashanti Region, Kwame Adom Appiah denied claims that the obstruction at the police station was planned by the NPP, Citi FM reports. Police said Boasiako was detained following allegations of assault leveled against him by the NPP Member of Parliament for Manhyia North, Collins Amankwah. Speaking to Pulse Ghana, NDC General Secretary Asiedu Nketia said there was "absolutely" no relation between the arrest and NDC. "It is nothing to do with us," he said. He said people should ignore the NPP's claims and that every "reasonable person" would see there is no basis for the claims. The police were doing their job as mandated under the constitution in arresting Boasiako for alleged assault, he added. "You can not beat people in your own party," Nketia said. He said the matter was between the NPP and the police. There have been complaints about the number of registration centres on the various university campuses through Ghana, leading to lower numbers of students being registered than in previous exercises. The Commission's 10-day period for the registration exercise is currently set to end on Sunday May 8. A statement by the USAG said that its calculations found less than 10 percent of the estimated number of young Ghanaian students eligible to vote have been able to so far register. If this trend continues, we are afraid it will amount effectively to an administrative decision taken by the EC that has only led to disenfranchising the majority of young Ghanaian students who have come of age to vote. This would be a tragedy against our democracy. They said the exercise was not designed to encourage or allow eligible Ghanaians students to register to vote in 2016. The association claimed that over 100,000 Ghanaian students across campuses up and down the country are facing challenges trying to register. This is because the EC has either failed to provide registration centres on some campuses or chosen to not provide adequate registration kits on campus to facilitate the process. We have had instances where students have had to queue for days without success, whiles having to respond to the natural pressures of revising for exams. It said despite the University of Ghana, Legon campus having about 28,000 students on campus of which most are eligible to register, there was only one registration center. Meanwhile, the Mampong campus of the University of Education has no registration centre on campus. The students have access to a centre inconveniently situated outside of the campus, USAG said. It was also concerned about the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology which does not have a registration centre on campus. There is not a single tertiary institution in Ghana which has not been inconvenienced by the way the EC has chosen to conduct this exercise. Indeed, students are even compelled by the circumstances to conclude that it appears the EC has deliberately done things in this way to discourage them from registering to vote. It said the EC should have positively discriminated in favour of students and set up more than the usual number of voter registration centres on campuses. Bernard Antwi Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi is reported to have attacked Hon Amankwah and his constituency secretary, Felix Ibrahim, on Sunday at the ongoing limited voter registration exercise. Speaking on Asempa FMs Ekosii Sen on Tuesday, Mr Agyapong said the MP should have been physically assaulted the more for secretly working against the partys flagbearer, Nana Akufo-Addo. Hes done well beating him. Let them go to hell. He should have beaten him more than he did. They are always playing the fool. I will support Wontumi today, tomorrow, any time, he fumed. When the host of the show, KABA sought to draw his attention that the victim is a sitting MP, Mr Agyapong replied, If you are a sitting MP and you fool around, we will beat you because we are wild. I said he deserved the beatings. Me, opposition Im living good! I dont care. We are sick and tired of these people. Why? he fumed again. Meanwhile, Chairman Wontumi, will on Wednesday be arraigned before court for allegedly attacking the NPP MP. In an interview with Accra-based Citi FM, the Ashanti Regional Secretary of the NPP, Sam Pyne, said he is optimistic that Chairman Wontumi will sail through the situation. "So far the Police say he has been charged with assault of a public officer and that they are going to take him to court tomorrow [Wednesday]," Sam Pyne added. Meanwhile, hundreds of supporters of the NPP in the Ashanti region have stormed the premises of the Central Police station in Kumasi to demand the immediate release of their regional chairman. Subah Info solutions and the Police Criminal Investigations Department (CID) Taskforce on cyber and sim box fraud have collaborated to arrest various individuals including a Togolese national who are currently assisting police in their investigations. "By our reckoning the state would have lost $77, 379, 000 million if these SIM box fraudsters had not been stopped in their tracks. Therefore, the state needs to mobilize all resources and revenue to achieve national developmental goals and therefore the taskforce together with its partners will not allow economic saboteurs to not only subvert the laudable development objectives of the state but will do everything possible within the confines of the laws of the land to ensure that these criminals are taken care of for good," COP Agblor said. Mr. Agblor added that the taskforce and Subah Info Solutions' acqusition of superior and sophisticated equipment have enabled them to intensify the crackdown on sim box fraud. "Our intelligence gathering has revealed that the SIM Box fraudsters are using sophisticated equipment to evade detection. In order to curtail their activities, Subah Info Solutions Ghana Limited deployed more superior detection system which keeps us ahead of the activities of the fraudsters," he said. Items retrieved from the suspects included surfline router, extension board, GB Transcend Pendrive, Channel PCI Cards, a double barrel pump action gun, Channel SIM server, laptops, monitors, tablets, phones, scratch cards, SIM cards and so on. Echoing the sentiments of the Chief Executive Officer of MTN in his address to members of the Institute of Public Relations, Kwaku Sakyi-Addo bemoaned the loss of revenue being suffered by telecommunication companies owing to the fact that Ghanaians are resorting to social media calls as means of communications. READ MORE: Telecoms Chamber welcomes BoG guidelines on mobile money Mr. Sakyi-Addo maintained that government must be as concerned about the growing phenomenon as the telecommunication companies given that a reduction in the revenues of the telecommunication companies will have a direct effect on the taxes accruing to government. Government can certainly help in curbing the phenomenon, he says. Governments decision to charge telecommunication companies $2 million as a gateway fee for international calls is certainly not helping. This has made calls coming into the country very expensive, encouraging people to route international calls through the internet, he says. Welcome to the Pulse Community! We will now be sending you a daily newsletter on news, entertainment and more. Also join us across all of our other channels - we love to be connected! Certificate of Incorporation Tax Identification Number (TIN) SCUML Certificate or Letter of Exemption Valid IDs of Directors (photocopies) Passport photo of each account signatory We (Legal Forms) opened our corporate account with Guaranty Trust Bank (GTB). We chose GTB because it's generally seen as the most reliable, tech savvy bank. So far they've not disappointed. You must fill out the corporate account form and must also present the documents listed above. Next, you will make a payment of 5000 naira. This payment is to verify that your certificate of incorporation is valid. I thought 5000 naira was too high to perform a simple company verification. Keep in mind that a name availability search at the CAC only costs 500 naira, so I'm not sure what they're doing with the remaining 4,500 naira. Only goodness knows. What's so special about a Nigerian Corporate Account? Opening and operating a Nigerian corporate account allows your business to accept naira payments online. This is great if you have a Nigerian ecommerce business. Some of you may be thinking, 'I don't need this. PayPal is now in Nigeria.' That's not entirely true. PayPal doesn't fully trust the Nigerian market yet, so they are being very cautious at the moment. Murphy's representative gave the announcement in a statement that reads, "Both mother and daughter are doing well," Izzy is a healthy baby delivered weighing 7 lbs., 15 oz. and was 19.5 inches, report says. 55-year-old Murphy has no problem in the father business. He already has Eric, 26, and Christian, 25, as well as Bria, 25,Myles, 22, Shayne, 21, Zola, 15, and Bella, 13; his children with ex-wife Nicole Mitchell, and his 9-year-old daughter Angel with Melanie Brown. Murphy and Butcher, in November 2015, announced with excitement that were expecting a baby. The couple said that they were "pleased to announce that they are expecting a child in May." "Hi friends,fans and followers, kindly help spread this picture and note as it's become alarming how the imposters are using my name to do scams." "My only genuine Facebook account is the one with the blue verified mark, the rest of the accounts below the verified one are fake." "Someone called my attention to one of the fake accounts today where the imposter promised people laptops, iPad and many things. See next pictures for such example..." Kunle Afolayan is a fast growing movie director, who has been part of a unofficial movement that is currently changing the Nigeria movie industry, through carefully crafted story lines and high video quality. He takes after his father, Adeyemi Afolayan, who was also into movies. Afolayan is known for directing movies like "Phone Swap", "Figurine" and "October 1". California doctor Howard Kornfeld, described in the report as a national authority on opioid addiction treatment, he was contacted by Prince's representatives on April 20 because the musician "was dealing with a grave medical emergency," the Star Tribune reported, citing William Mauzy, a Minneapolis attorney it said was working with the Kornfeld family. Kornfeld, who runs Recovery Without Walls, an outpatient clinic in Mill Valley, California, was unable to meet with Prince the next day, when Prince was found dead at age 57 at his home-studio complex called Paisley Park in a Minneapolis suburb, the paper said. Kornfeld had planned to fly out the following day, the publication revealed. Neither the doctor nor the lawyer responded to Reuters requests for confirmation of the report. The hope was that Prince would agree to go to California for care, which would include around-the-clock nursing support, the paper said. ALSO READ:5 things to know about Cameroon International Film Festival 2016 "Making good films is very important to every film maker," Noah said at the event. "One of the major challenges we face is finance and real skill at acting, script writing, directing... so any help from anyone who believes in the vision is most needed." ALSO READ: Ramsey Nouah laments over insufficient cinema houses in Nigeria Noah, who recieved a serious backlash for his 'poor look' at the opening ceremony of the event in Buea, South West Region on April 25, explained to DECODED TV, Cameroon: "It's a film festival not an award show," Nouah said. "I knew I had to move around a lot, greet and meet people and network so I didn't think I was wrong with what I chose to wear," he continued. ALSO READ:Ramsey Noah rates Nigerian movie industry high However, the actor spent six straight days at the event holding talks with young film makers and actors, encouraging the art and promoting Nollywood. Henshaw who was born in In 1993, Henshaw auditioned for the lead role in the movie When the Sun Sets which was her first appearance in a major Nollywood movie and has since starred in over 40 Nollywood movies. She has also endeared herself to the hearts of many Nigerians after championing the cause of a little boy, Michael who was diagnosed with Ulcerated Infected Facial Haemangioma. With a warm encompassing heart, Henshaw was recently appointed as a special adviser to the Akwa Ibom state governor on Tourism after contesting for the Cross River State House of Assembly. Henshaw has also continued to delve into humanitarian activities, as she has cause to help people in need. The actress was recently revealed to have helped to pay the surgical fees for a Nigerian young lady who needed to have a lump in her breast removed. It was an unforgettable experience for arts and architecture aficionados, tourists, students and residents of Lagos who experienced over 30 unique buildings that opened their doors to the public as part of the showcase that takes place in 34 other cities around the world. The festival opened with a symposium on Friday,29th April 2016 with the theme: Lagos, The Good, the Bad and the Excellent. It was moderated by Olamide Udoma Ejorh and panelists included architects Tosin Oshinowo, James George and Chuka Ihonor. The talkwas followed by a lively discussion of the theme by the audience of celebrated architects, interior designers, urban planners and critics. Immediately following the talk was the festival opening party where guests were treated to tasty canapes and exotic cocktails while enjoying performances from Kings Men, Maka and Tope Ukaegbu and the ever energetic Yinka Davies. The tour began on Saturday, 30th April - Sunday, 1st May 2016. It not only provided a platform for individuals to visit and explore buildings they would normally not have access to, it also provided networking and bonding opportunities for people with common interests and hobbies. The festival came to a close at Freedom Park with a delightful stage play performance of Love at War, as part of British Councils Shakespeare Lives project. The play is a Nigerian adaptation of Two Noble Kinsmen directed by Segun Adefila and Jan-Willem Van Den Bosch. Reflecting on the weekend, Director Arts, Ojoma Ochai said it is so easy to take a city like Lagos for granted, but a festival like this allows us to stop and just wander round and really look at the buildings in which the people of this wonderful city live, work and play Open House Lagos is part of British Councils UK/Nigeria 201516 which is a major season of arts work in Nigeria aimed at building new audiences, creating new collaborations and strengthening relationships between both countries. ALSO READ:Jane Michael releases photos to mark birthday Growing up in a poor home, the now celebrated stylist has grown to carve a niche for herself as one of Nigerias most respected stylists and fashion entrepreneur. During her visit, she was welcomed by the principal, teachers and students from the school and presented with a cake to celebrate her birthday. The highlight of the event was when she shared a touching speech Becoming Greater Women for the next generation; a short story of her time in the school and how it shaped her to become who she was. The stylist also adopted an indigent student from her alma mater, an SS2 student experiencing severe financial hardship. She will be paying the students tuition and higher education examination fees for the student through till SS3. I owe a debt of gratitude to these amazing, selfless people that helped shape parts of my life, I would not be who I am without the discipline, hardwork and encouragement the staff provided. I am here to say thank you and to encourage the girls that they can achieve their dreams with hardwork Jane Michael revealed. The school officials thanked her for attending the event and supporting the students of the school. Jane Michael shared her experiences growing up in a speech titled 'Becoming Greater Women for the Next Generation' which she gave to the students. Read the entire speech below. "About 14 years ago, I was 16 years old some of you are older than 16, some are 16, while others are younger, but age doesnt stop us from dreaming and working hard, and striving to be better women for the next generation, despite where we come from and where we currently are. When I was younger, my family lived in a one-bedroom apartment and shared toilets and bathrooms with tenants. We would queue up to take a shower in the morning. I hated bathing especially because of how messy the bathroom was. So I woke up at 5.00am to shower on the pavement of the bathroom, then got ready for school. My parents were separated. I was my dads favorite child, so I lived with him on Freeman Street, here in Lagos Island. My dad did his best to provide for and take care of me, but business kept getting worse. I had attended a private primary school, but my dad couldnt afford that anymore. His dream was for me to attend Queens College, Yaba, but his funds couldnt meet the schools requirements. So for Secondary school, I had to go to a government school. In order to lift my spirit a bit, my dad allowed me to choose the school I wanted to attend from a list of options, and I picked Girls Academy because of its name and the colour of its uniform. I was however ashamed... ashamed to be in a government school. I didnt want my old school mates to know that I was in a government school, but thinking about it now, I realise that I was worrying about the wrong things, because its not where you school that defines what the future holds or what you make of life. I stayed with my dad on weekdays and with my mum, who lived in Apapa on weekends. My mum was a stewardess, which was a nice way of saying housekeeper, or house woman, or house girl for much younger workers. One of the weekends I visited my mum, I shouted at someone, saying Aboloshi-leleyi? It was something I had learnt in my new environment, and obviously, my mum wasnt proud of it. She called for a family meeting and requested I move to Apapa instead. She gave her reasons and was able to convince the family. I moved to Apapa and the first few months were miserable. It was a different and quiet environment; I had no friends, so I was forced to reflect on myself. I still continued schooling in Lagos Island, so I had to wake up earlier and leave home by 6.30am every morning to catch up with the first ferry leaving Apapa jetty. Those days when I travelled from Apapa to Lagos Island, I was exposed to all sorts: the good, the bad and the ugly. I was very timid and gullible but the hard days helped me. I got toughened... Toughened in a positive way, through rain, sunshine, stones, riots, I paved my way to make sure I dont remain where I was. I hated the poor life. I hated the fact that I used one uniform all through my junior secondary school, that is, for three whole years. I hated the fact that I would carry a heavy bag stacked with books everyday. I cant count the number of times I had backache from the weight of the bag, and neither can I count the tears that rolled down my cheeks each time I saw kids playing or sitting comfortably in their school bus. I also cant be quick to forget how I passed out one time because I had an asthma attack after chasing a molue for seizing my school bag because I didnt have enough money to pay my fare. But all this is in the past now. Inasmuch as I saw my growing up as a tough thing, it really helped me to appreciate the simple things in life; to work hard, to strive, and to make the best with whatever that comes my way. It helped me to be the person that I am today, and I want to use this to inspire you all to use every single learning experience to be better people. Before I leave, I want to share a few tips that have helped me all through the years: Self discovery Planning realistically Preparing for the worst Saving for rainy days Perseverance Paying dues; being good, loyal, honest, selfless and most of all standing by your words Being unique, and not being a copy because we were all born original Paving your way to greatness. (This will make you loose friends. If you dont lose friends, you are not growing. Challenging yourself, which is essential Having older friends who will guide you Surrounding yourself with people who challenge you Being zealous to learn Listening more than speaking PRAYING, in capital letters." ALSO READ: Robbery suspect tells police he works for politicians The suspect identified as David Usman, who was accused of collecting N7, 000 from his victim, had reportedly fallen down as the court registrar had read the charge against him. The reports reveal that efforts to revive him had been futile and that the presiding Magistrate, Mrs A.K. Shonubi, had immediately contacted the Divisional Police Officer (DPO), Aswani, who had asked his men to bring the suspect back to the station. According to PM News, Usman had been arrested by the police after he and others who are reportedly still at large, had defrauded their victim identified as Ogechi Udemadu, aged 19. The victim had reportedly been accosted at 7/8 Bus Stop in Ajao estate and forced to give the money on her to the fraudsters. The fruadsters are also reported to have asked her to go home and bring her mothers jewellery to be converted to cash. The victim who reportedly claimed to not have known what she was doing at the time, revealed that she was later taken to a hideout in Isolo where some youths had attacked the fraudsters. Usman had been arrested and taken to the Aswani police division, while his accomplices, had fled before they could be accosted. ALSO READ: Fake army captain arrested after harassing officials over seized motorcycle The suspect reportedly confessed to the crime at the station and now faces charges of obtaining money under false pretence. Read the touching story here: "My name is a businessman based in Lagos State. I have been married for eight years to Ronke, a Yoruba lady, with three lovely children whom I love so much and can do anything for. But my marriage is being threatened because after all these years, made a pronouncement that is capable of sending me to my early grave. Our first son, , has been sickly of late and we have taken him to several hospital to no avail. Our family doctor thereafter advised that we take Nduka to India for specialist treatment. While in India, the doctors detected that he had some form of terminal illness that would require quick surgery as well as blood transfusion. As the father, I was willing to donate my blood but after a series of tests, it was discovered that our blood groups do not match. But something else that bothered me was when the doctor called me into his office to tell me that he doubted if I was the father of the boy and that we could do a quick DNA test to confirm it because the ailment is hereditary and there is no such history in my family. I did not believe the doctor but I just decided to humour him by taking the DNA test which turned out that I am not the real father of Nduka, a boy I have loved and nurtured all his life. I was so mad and could have harmed Ronke there and then but the doctors calmed me down and said I needed to take things easily. Later that night, in our hotel room, I told her that if Nduka does not get the blood transfusion in a week's time, he would die. Then I tactfully asked her who his real father was but she told me I am the father but when I showed her the result of the DNA test, she confessed and told me that while we were dating, she was also seeing another man and that when she got pregnant, she told the man who promptly denied responsibility. But since she could not get an abortion, she pushed the pregnancy to me and that was how we got married. I was mad at her but my first thought was for Nduka lying helplessly in the hospital. As it is, the doctors want his real father to do the blood donation. But how do I just call up a man to tell him that he should fly down to India to donate blood for a child he refused to accept? I love Nduka so much that I am willing to do anything for him to live. Nnamdi." The teaser for the day was: How Nigeria voted: I will hand him over to his real father - 40% I will not let him go - 20% The real father must pay me for all I spent on the child - 30% My wife must pay dearly for the deceit - 10% The father who has been inconsolable since the children, Barakat, 16, and her 11-year-old twin brothers, went missing six weeks ago from their Isawo, Ikorodu, Lagos home. The distraught Adetoro, who said he has been single handedly catering for the kids since he separated with his wife 10 years ago, said that on March 19, he had sent Barakat on an errand and the twin boys accompanied her, and that was the last they were seen. Adetoro has therefore, sent a passionate appeal to the Commissioner of Police in the State, Fatai Owoseni, as well the Inspector General of Police, Solomon Arase, to help him recover his missing kids. On the same day they went missing, I reported the matter at Owutu Police Station in Ikorodu, and the police promised to take necessary steps to get the children back home. Meanwhile, I called their mother to inform her about the situation, thinking probably the children had gone to see her, but she claimed ignorance of their whereabouts. I have since then not been myself at all while I struggle to keep hope alive of their safe return. The Edo PDP chairman, Chief Dan OrbihThat is a satanic rumour. People are just lying and lying secretly. I have talked to him twice today. We spoke yesterday. I dont know how people can go about this kind of useless rumour. Please tell whoever is drawing your attention to it that he should ask for Gods forgiveness. A PDP youth leader in the state, Mr. Vincent Akhere also said I spoke with him on phone about 15 minutes ago. Chief is well, alive and kicking. We even joke over the matter. It is true that chief had a surgery not too long ago. But he is fine now. Anenih recently told attendees at the 10th anniversary of the Catholic Archbishop of Benin, Most Rev. Augustine Akubeze on Friday, April 22, 2016, The PDP chieftain said he decided to forgive everyone that offended him after a recent medical experience he had. Buratai stated this while fielding questions from newsmen shortly after monitoring troops deployment at Banki junction in Borno. He said that ongoing "Operation Crack Down had been successful as the troops were making steady progress in dismantling the remaining Boko Haram hideouts in Sambisa. "The troops are doing very well; they had some challenges in terms of encounters with the terrorists in the theatre but that is being tackled. The troops are forming a blocking force to prevent the terrorists from moving into Sambisa or coming out of the area. He also said that he was at Banki to confirm the movement of troops and equipment and to observe the situation in the "theatre. Buratai said that the location of troops at Banki junction was significant in the military operations to restrict movement of the insurgents from outside the country through Cameroon or Chad. "We were together with the Chief of Defence Staff and the Chief of Air Staff in Maiduguri where the theatre commander briefed us on the ongoing operation crack down. This Banki junction is a major route that links the north to the south and is also bordering Cameroon; it is also a link to Chad Republic. "It is a major route which the Boko Haram insurgents have been using to move between the Sambisa forest and the northern part of the country, up to the Lake Chad waters. "So, it is an important location which has tactical, strategic as well as operational significance to what we are doing in this region, he said. The army chief said that ground troops supported by Nigerian Air Force fighter jets would continue to hit the forest until the insurgents were eventually cleared. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that the Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Gabriel Olonisakin, the Army and Air Force chiefs met behind closed doors in Maiduguri on Monday to appraise the Sambisa operation. At the end of the meeting, Olonisakin briefed newsmen and expressed satisfaction with the operation. The Acting Director Army Public Relations , Colonel Sani Kukasheka Usman also revealed that a Boko Haram kingpin- Alhaji Bulama Budu, was arrested by the troops in conjunction with the civilian JTF (local vigilante group). Usman said Preliminary investigation shows that Alhaji Bulami Budu, who hailed from Aiwa village, Mafa Local Government Area, was one of the Boko Haram terrorists detained at Giwa Barracks before he escaped when his colleagues, Boko Haram terrorists attacked the facility and released all the insurgents in March 2014. His arrest would further lend credence to Nigerian Army investigation on the incidence about the number of casualties killed by the terrorists and those that escaped that day. He is currently being interrogated by the Joint Intelligent Committee. He said The team pursued and killed 3 of them, while 2 escaped with gun shot wounds. Items recovered from them include 3 packets of Tramol, 2 packets of Lamumol, 7 packets of Really Extra, 2 packets of Viagra, 2 o of Ulgra and 14 of washing soap. Other items include 4 rolls of Klin Detergent, 2 packets razor blade and 14 packets of Maggi, half-bag of table salt, 5 bicycle tyres and tubes, as well as 2 quick patch for tubes, 1 roll of matches and 10 pairs of rubber shoes. The troops also recovered large quantity of potash, onions, locust beans, some quantity of rice, mats and tarpaulin. 30 Fulani herdsmen were reportedly killed by the Boko Haram sect during a raid in Alau village in Borno State. The Bureau disclosed this in a statement on Wednesday, May 4, to dismiss a newspaper report that it was yet to conclude the verification of assets of Buhari, Osinbajo, Saraki and others. In the statement, the agency's Head of Press and Protocol Unit, Mohammad Idris, said that more than ever before, the rate of compliance to assets declaration requirement by public officers has increased since the inception of this administration. The said publication is another trick to misinform the public so as to undermine the on-going trials of cases of false declaration of assets before the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT)," Idris said. Since the inception of the present administration under President Muhammadu Buhari, the rate of compliance by public officials in responding to assets declaration has greatly increased." The firm operates the Oil Mining Lease (OML) 113, which is located in Lagos, with its partners- New Age Exploration Nigeria Limited, EER (Colobus) Nigeria Limited, Pan Petroleum (Panoro Energy) Aje Limited and PR Oil & Gas Nigeria Limited. This feat has put Lagos state in the prestigious list of oil producing states. According to Punch, YFP said this achievement is coming 25 years after a lot of exploratory drilling in the Aje fields. The chairman of YFP, Mr. Tunde Folawiyo in a statement said The attainment of this milestone is indeed a laudable achievement not just for the YFP, but for the Nigerian oil and gas industry as a whole and indeed Lagos State, which can now be addressed as an oil-producing state. He also said We are very proud of and appreciate the efforts, determination and commitment of the entire Aje project team, past and present; the constant support from our regulators, the DPR and Ministry of Petroleum; and our financiers. We believe this crucial support will spur us on to even greater achievements. Yinka Folawiyo Petroleum Company Limited (YFP), is one of the leading few indigenous privately owned and managed Oil Company incorporated in Nigeria in 1982 as an integral member of the Yinka Folawiyo Group of Companies. Vanguard reports that the herdsmen and their cows always destroyed crops in the farmlands in those areas. The women in the communities were heartbroken when they saw how their hard work was trampled upon and destroyed. Reports say they called themselves together and held a meeting to brainstorm on what to do to curb the wicked actions of the Fulani herdsmen. They came up with a brilliant idea that involved spreading red hot chilli pepper on their farmland, knowing that cows cannot withstand the hotness of the pepper. The Fulani herdsmen who came back to the farmland as usual to let their cows graze on the farmlands, got the greatest surprise of their lives. They lost 15 cows that day, and since then, they never returned to graze on the farmlands in those areas. About 40 people were reported dead in Enugu State after an attack by Fulani herdsmen in Uzo- Uwani Local Government Area. The commissioner of police in Enugu state, Nwodibo Ekechukwu was redeployed by the Inspector-General of police, Solomon Arase, following the attacks. Speaking to Premium Times, the Ogun State Command Public Relations Officer, Muyiwa Adejobi, said that the 65-year-old was rescued at about 7.00pm. Adejobi said two of suspected kidnappers of the former minister were arrested during the rescue operation. Mrs. Anisulowo was returning from her farm in Sawonjo in Yewa South local government area of the state on Wednesday, April 27, 2016, when she was whisked away by the kidnappers, who later demanded N200 million ransom. Anisulowo and her security aide were kidnapped on Wednesday, April 27, 2016, along the Sawonjo-Iganokoto road in Yewa-South Council Area in Ogun state. The ex ministers abductors reportedly demanded a ransom of N200m before she would be released. The police also offered a N5million reward for information that could lead to her rescue. The ex minister told newsmen when she was brought to the Ogun state Government House by the state Commissioner of Police, Abdulmajid Ali, that she lived only on water since she was kidnapped. The Ogun Governor, Ibikunle Amosun also revealed that no ransom was paid to the abductors. Amosun also expressed his satisfaction at the efforts of the police, adding that he believes in their ability to provide security. Anisulowo also said she was very hopeful because she knew that men of the police force were searching for her. The police rescued her on Tuesday, May 3, 2016, at Gbegbelawo village in Abeokuta North Council Area of Ogun state. NLC president Ayuba Wabba gave the commendation in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NLC) on Wednesday in Abuja. NAN recalls that Oshiomhole announced the wage increase on Workers' Day. "To us, that is a demonstration of good faith; even before we negotiate and agree on a figure, he has already made an offer. "Therefore, that should be the starting point to try to negotiate; so I think it is a good effort and it is also done to make the point very clear that states can also try to look at that. The NLC president, however, said that Oshiomhole's example should not be seen as a benchmark for negotiation recalling that some governors were paying N20,000 when the N18,000 minimum wage was negotiated. "You can pay above but not below; that is what the law says and that is why it is minimum wage which is the benchmark.'' Wabba said he saw nothing wrong in Oshiomhole's action which is coming in the twilight of his eight-year administration, describing it as an action taken in good faith and not intended to create problems for his successor. "He is not trying to create any problem for his successor; even before now, I am aware the governor had increased the salary of health workers by five per cent and he has been paying. "I also know as a matter of fact that he released N2 billion to pay the gratuity of workers and all of these are facts and how many people have been able to do that. The NLC president noted that in some states, for the past 10 years, gratuity had not been paid to workers. For today, May 4 2016: VANGUARD NEWSPAPER Nigeria loses N1.7 trillion deals to non-passage of PIBIndications have emerged that Nigeria will export about 52 cargoes of crude oil in June, representing a drop from 55 cargoes slated for May in the futures market. READ MORE Power sector records four system collapses in four weeksThe nations power sector is apparently characterised with numerous challenges that have continued to halt power evacuation and supply to the yearning consumers. Indeed, the transmission grid has recorded no fewer than four system collapses in four weeks. READ MORE Nigeria loses N1.7 trillion deals to non-passage of PIBNigeria has lost estimated $10 billion (N1.7 trillion) fresh investments to the non-passage of the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB). The Chairman of Petroleum Technology Association of Nigeria (PETAN), Bank Anthony Okoroafor, who made the disclosure at the on-going Offshore Technology Conference (OTC) in Houston, Texas in the United States (U.S.) said Nigeria lost a huge opportunity by not passing the bill when the oil price was high. READ MORE______________________________________ VANGUARD NEWPAPER Life in Nimbo after herdsmen attackLife is gradually returning to the troubled Nimbo Community in Uzo Uwani Local Government, following the attack on the people by Fulani herdsmen, leading to the death of over 40 people, including a member of the National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, and a teacher, penultimate Monday. READ MORE Alleged N32bn fraud: FG fails to produce Dasuki in courtABUJA Justice Hussein Baba Yusuf of an Abuja High Court at Maitama, yesterday, adjourned trial of erstwhile National Security Adviser, NSA, Col. Sambo Dasuki (retd), till May 23. READ MORE We work for politicians Robbery suspectA 29-year-old tricycle operator, who was arrested by the Lagos State Police Command, has alleged that some of the arms used by robbers were given to them by politicians during campaigns. READ MORE______________________________________ THE NATION NEWSPAPER Mimiko, Fayose in battle for Southwest PDPs soulThe National Auditor of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Adewole Adeyanju, yesterday described the suspension of Ogun State Chairman Chief Adedayo Dayo, by the State Working Committee as illegal and unconstitutional. READ MORE Killings: Okorocha, Shettima, others visit UgwuanyiAll Progressives Congress (APC) governors were in Enugu State yesterday to condole with Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi on the killings by suspected Fulani herdsmen at Ukpabi Nimbo in Uzo-Uwani Local Government Area. READ MORE Trouble hits Edo Assembly as two claim Speakers seatA group, the Edo For Good Governance (EGG), yesterday alleged that the removal of the speaker and the deputy speaker of the Edo House of Assembly is a prelude to the impeachment of Deputy Governor Pius Odubu. It urged President Muhammadu Buhari to call Governor Adams Oshiomhole to order. The governor, said the group, should allow one-man-one-vote. READ MORE______________________________________ BUSINESS DAY NEWSPAPER Fall in PMI below 50 confirms manufacturing sectors crisisA slump in headline reading of the Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) to 46.5 in April 2016 from 54.4 percent in March, may be signalling that Africas largest economy is in worse shape than previously thought. Three of the five sub-indices used for the PMI reading were in negative territory, leaving only two in the positive, according READ MORE Buhari receives clean copy of 2016 budget for assentPresident Muhammadu Buhari may have finally received the clean copy of the 2016 budget for possibly assent tomorrow or Friday, weeks after he refused to sign the document over alleged padding of figures by the National Assembly. Already, Aso Rock received a preview copy of the document on Monday night, a highly placed source told READ MORE The development followed the recommendations of the report by the Joint Committee on Police Affairs, National Security and Intelligence on the "unfortunate re-occurrence of kidnapping and hostage taking in the country. According to Nigerian Bulletin, the report had only six recommendations, but most of the senators suggested stringent punishment to serve as deterrent to others. This was said to have prompted the addition and adoption of the recommendation for death penalty, which was proposed by Senator Adamu Alliero and adopted by the Senate. The senate also debated on the need to increase the information sharing dynamics between security agencies so as to foster more efficiency between agencies, noting that investigations have been hampered due to security agencies not working properly with one another. Report said the Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekwerenmadu, blamed Nigerians for hurriedly paying ransom demanded by kidnappers out of panic - he said that has not helped matters. On his part, the senate president, Bukola Saraki praised the efforts of the committee, stressing the need for such a stringent law to curb the prevalence of kidnapping. The free three-day workshop holds from May 30 to June 1, 2016, at the British Council, Ikoyi. The last edition of the workshop, which held in October 2015, saw participants taken through a wide range of storytelling techniques including the creation of African stories that sell, how to ride on the current social media wave with respect to storytelling, and developing the business side of the art. ALSO READ: undefined ALSO READ: undefined The aim of the workshop is to help creative practitioners who are already telling stories through their various platforms to be better writers, and also an effort to help young and established writers; producers and directors improve on a skill thats essential in a lot of ways. Ihidero remarked that, "I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of the first edition and Im really looking forward to this edition and I know it will be truly inspirational. My passion for film and filmmaking and my knowledge of what it takes to tell a story visually, combined with the expertise of other resource persons we are inviting this time, will further enrich the practical, fundamental elements of the second edition of the workshop The workshop will empower a class of thirty-five (35) participants, following a rigorous selection process, with inspiring film examples, practical exercises, and analysis of participants' own work, the workshop is set to give participants all they need. ALSO READ: undefinedS Chris Ihideros Story Story Masterclass will also feature a faculty of established and respected creative professionals which includes Nkiru Njoku, Femi Ogunsanwo, Emmanuel Uduma, Ayeni Adekunle and many more. Entries for this edition are now open and interested participants can submit their articles on the website Storystory.ng. All completed entries, including a statement of interest, must be returned for further screening and selection of the final 35 workshop participants on or before Friday May 20, 2016. Reports say President Buhari has returned the budget to the National Assembly again, over some discrepancies. The 2016 budget was sent to Buhari on Tuesday, May 3, 2016 at about 1:00 am, but was returned to the lawmakers swiftly by 12 noon, according to reports. A source who spoke to Vanguard said The budget got to the State House at about 1.10 am and Mr. President went through it early this morning (yesterday) and still had some issues with some of the figures. I cannot tell you exactly what it was but I think the insertions made by the lawmakers were not significantly altered. You know the lawmakers had moved some allocations for key projects that are dear to the President to other areas, especially to their constituency projects. Of course, they have changed some but I believe Mr. President is not satisfied with the reconciliation they made. I think this is one of the reasons it was returned. You will recall that Mr. President returned budget last time, over discrepancies in some details, which led to him meeting with the leadership of the National Assembly. The source also gave assurances that Buhari would assent to the 2016 budget today, Wednesday, May 4, 2016. The lawmakers and the presidency traded blames last time, over the removal of the Lagos/Calabar railway project from the budget. Fayose made this comment in Ibadan while addressing members of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Oyo state chapter. The Ekiti Governor also made it clear that he does not criticise Buhari because he hates him. Fayose said "People say that I abuse Buhari, I am not abusing him because he is like my grandfather but I know the history. Eighty per cent of people that voted for Buhari in the South-West did not know him. They are between 18 and 40. They voted because they wanted change desperately and I agree with them. He left government 32 years ago so they did not experience his rule." The Ekiti Governor also criticised the anti-corruption fight of the Buhari led administration, saying it is targeted at those who are not members of the All Progressives Congress (APC). He said Today, the Peoples Democratic Party is no longer in government so they should stop blaming the PDP. They told us that dollars would become one to one with the naira. But where is that today? The regime of fuel subsidy is gone and we now have food subsidy. Queues are back at petrol stations. Whatever I say is divine. The next thing to happen will be the removal of the Kogi State governor. I have not lost a battle in my life and when I lost one, I came back to win. We have never had it so bad like in the last 12 months; electricity has gone to zero and we no longer have light in our houses. I am here to tell Nigerians that we are in the wrong direction because you cannot give what you dont have. There is a time to retire because of the diminishing return on the functionality of the brain. At 75, my mother can do little," he added. Chief Bode George recently slammed Fayosefor saying he would not support his (George) ambition to become the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chairman. "Our mission is to get our acts together and recreate the nature of politics in the South West. "There is no alternative to unity in the South West at this time. "The time has come not to think of how right you are, but how prepared you are to take on the challenges facing us, he said. He noted that the differences between him and Ekiti State Governor Ayo Fayose has been put to rest in the interest of the region and the future of the party. Fayose who spoke said the party needs to forge ahead and be united in order to move forward. He said that he is willing to support any interest that will meet the highest goals of the South West even if he would be adversely affected. Fayose said that he will continue to speak boldly against injustice, so long as he is speaking the truth. The tribunal was siting in Port Harcourt, Rivers State capital before the relocation. This is contained in a statement issued on Wednesday, May 4, 2016 by the secretary to the tribunal, Mr. Sirajo Gusau. I am directed to inform the general public and all lawyers concerned that the election tribunal has been relocated to the High Court Apo, Abuja, FCT with immediate effect, the statement. On what necessitated the sudden relocation, Gusau, who spoke to NAN, said he was not in a position to disclose what informed the development. The Elections Petition Tribunal that handled petitions that arose from the 2015 general elections was also relocated to the FCT. Sources said the relocation may have been informed by insecurity. Militant attacks mostly by al Shabaab militants from neighbouring Somalia have increased in recent years in Kenya, which has a large Muslim population concentrated mostly along its Indian Ocean coast. President Uhuru Kenyatta sent troops into Somalia in 2011 to join African Union military operations against al Shabaab that have driven it out of its major territorial strongholds but not ended its ability to carry out selective, deadly attacks. Al Shabaab has vowed to fight Kenya until it withdraws its troops and it claimed responsibility for the assault on the Westgate Mall in the capital Nairobi as well as on a university in eastern Kenya where at least 148 people were killed. In a statement, Kenyan police said Muhammed Abdi Ali was arrested on Friday as a suspected member of an east African militant group with links to Islamic State, which has seized large areas of Iraq and Syria and inspired offshoot groups elsewhere in the Middle East and Africa. Ali worked as a medical intern at a hospital in eastern Kenya before his arrest and also studied at a university in neighbouring Uganda, the police statement said. "Ali has been engaged in the active radicalisation, recruitment of university students and other Kenyan youth into terrorism networks," it said. His militant group was also planning "large-scale attacks akin to" the Westgate Mall, the statement said, and Ali's network included medical experts who were plotting a biological attack in Kenya using anthrax. The police statement said two suspected accomplices of Ali - Nuseiba Muhammed Haji, who is also his wife, and Fatuma Muhammed Hanshi - had been arrested in neighbouring Uganda. Police did not say whether Ali's group had links to al Shabaab. The Somali jihadist group aims to topple the Western-backed government in Mogadishu and impose its own strict version of Islamic law on the Horn of Africa country. The abductions were confirmed on Tuesday in a tweet from Dominik Stillhart, the Red Cross's director of operations, who added: "We're doing everything we can to bring them back home safely." The Congo-based Centre of Studies for the Promotion of Peace, Democracy and Human Rights said the three were drivers from Goma in the east of the country. Their vehicles were abandoned at the site of the kidnappings, it said. The rebel group, which has waged wars against other armed groups and the government, is thought to be at the heart of instability in the region. Members say they want to return to Rwanda but the U.N. peacekeeping mission has said the group's goal is to overthrow the Rwandan government. There have been a series of abductions targeting aid workers in the vast central African country. The United Nations said in January a spike in kidnappings and insecurity had made it difficult to provide humanitarian aid. Rights activists have condemned the examinations as inhuman and humiliating. New York-based Human Rights Watch said such coerced examinations might amount to torture under international law. Kenya, like many African nations, outlaws homosexuality. The law calls for jailing those involved in homosexual acts, but violations are rarely prosecuted. In court papers filed in September, the two men, whose names have not been made public, alleged they were coerced into undergoing anal examination by security personnel and a public hospital in Kenya's coastal city of Mombasa in February 2015. Sande Ligunya, the men's lawyer, told Reuters a court in Mombasa would conduct the case's first hearing on Wednesday. Police said they could not comment on the men's claims since they were a subject of court proceedings. On a visit to Kenya in July last year U.S. President Barack Obama equated discrimination against gays to treating people differently because of race, adding: "That's the path whereby freedoms begin to erode." Las Vegas philanthropist and Democratic political novice Susie Lee said she wants to help the middle class in America. Las Vegas philanthropist and Democratic political novice Susie Lee said she wants to help the middle class in America. We need to support our middle class and people need to have a quality of life. And if you are working three and four jobs, theres not a way that you are having a quality of life with your family, she said. I want to represent everyone in 4th Congressional District, so I wont be a stranger to Pahrump, thats for sure, she said recently at the Nye County Roosevelt-Kennedy Democratic dinner in Pahrump. Recently, Lee was endorsed by EMILYs List, the nations largest resource for women in politics. On June 14, Lee will compete against seven other Democratic candidates for the partys nomination to face Republican incumbent Cresent Hardy. Her two most prominent contenders are Nevada Senator Ruben Kihuen and former Assemblywoman Lucy Flores. Other candidates in the race are Dan Rolle, Brandon Casutt, Mike Schaefer, Rodney Smith and Morse Arberry Jr. Lee touts herself as an education advocate. She has worked with Communities In Schools and ASAS. Additionally, she served on the Superintendents Educational Opportunities Advisory Committee and the Clark County School District English Language Learners Program Task Force. She currently leads her opponents in fundraising. Lees campaign raised approximately $18,600 this quarter. She has a total of $1.09 million in cash on hand. By comparison, Ruben Kihuens campaign said he raised $59,000 in April and $790,000 overall. Former Assemblywoman Lucy Flores campaign reported $143,000 in contributions last month and $159,000 cash on hand. Her campaign didnt return requests for her most recent fundraising numbers. The five other candidates are not expected to raise a significant amount of funds before the June 14 primary. Similar to her opponents, Lee advocates for equal pay for equal work, sick leave and increasing the minimum wage. There is a distinction to be made in that Susie has spent her career helping others while her opponents do whatever they can to win another election, said Jonathan Pattillo, Lees campaign manager. We have run an aggressive campaign that has contacted thousands of voters so far and held dozens of house parties across the district, including Pahrump. We have touched every county of this district and will not take any vote for granted, Pattillo said. In an interview with the Pahrump Valley Times, Lee said a proposed Yucca Mountain nuclear waste repository was a huge threat. She said Nevada was on the cusp of developing renewable energy. As a congressional representative, she said she would incentivize companies to develop it in Nevada. I think that Nevada is on the forefront of green renewable energy, she said. Lee also said there should be an incentive-based system to encourage people to conserve water. This will be a huge issue as a congresswoman to deal with, a regional water usage plan. So, its definitely something that Im committed to, she said about water conservation. The 4th Congressional District includes North Las Vegas and large swaths of rural Nevada. The district had 137,352 active Democratic voters at the end of April, according to the Nevada Secretary of State. Nye County accounts for 7,276 of those active voters. Lee is one of the four Democratic candidates who will participate in Nye County Democratic debate. The event will take place from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. on May 19 at the Pahrump Senior Center. Contact reporter Daria Sokolova at dsokolova@pvtimes.com. On Twitter: @dariasokolova77 With their win, Pahrump Valley has clinched a playoff spot in the 3A southern regional tournament. The Trojans need just one more win or a tie by Equipo Academy to lock up the No. 1 seed in the Mountain League. The Nye County School District has a new vehicle to serve in its Summer Food Service Programs fleet. The Nye County School District has a new vehicle to serve in its Summer Food Service Programs fleet. The colorfully painted former school bus was recently converted to a literal meals on wheels distribution vehicle for the program. District officials got a firsthand look at the Lunch Bunch Bus on Friday outside the school district office. Superintendent Dale Norton said the delivery bus will replace the districts mail vehicles, which previously provided the service. We converted it to a summer food program unit and this year, we are going to do it with our bus that you certainly cant miss, he said. It is fully equipped for serving and meets all of the health requirements. I have to give thanks to our food service coordinator, Jodi Martinez, who put it all together and rolling it out. Its going to be great. Martinez said the district created a pilot program using the mail delivery vehicles for the summer food program for the past two years. The meals are prepared at Pahrump Valley High School and transported via the bus to stops in all areas of town. The bus is equipped with refrigerated and heated cabinets, as well as a hand-washing sink. The meals are boxed for the students convenience. Martinez said more than 35,000 meals were served in the Pahrump attendance area last year. We found a lot of success with it and I wanted to come up with something that was on a larger scale because we keep doing more and more meals each year, she lamented. I met with transportation supervisor Cameron McRae and talked about doing a bus, and today here we are. It is now up and running. Additionally, Martinez made sure to point out the fiscal impact associated with the new vehicles. She noted that the U.S. Department of Agriculture provides the district with meal reimbursements for each child during the summer food program. Plans are also in the works for expanding the program to other southern Nye County areas. For the last six years since Ive been the supervisor, we have been saving up and saving up while trying to get under budget so we can have a little extra in the till and we managed to get enough to pay for the bus, she said. In the future, the more meals we serve, the more reimbursements we will get from the USDA and we will be able to hopefully expand this. Martinez also said the bus makes several regular stops in neighborhoods around town. All students 18 years and under will not be turned away. We go to the Courtyard Apartments on Dandelion Street, Comstock Park, Petrack Park, and Simkins Park on the north end of town, she said. We keep track of how many meals they serve. This is open to any child up to 18 years of age unless they are disabled. If they come to us in a wheelchair, then its whatever age. But 18 and under is the general age range. Norton meanwhile, mentioned an additional plus for the program, which involves the Pahrump Valley Youth Activities program, which returns again at the end of this month. That program provides meals which also count toward this program, he said. When we do that program, we are serving those kids who also count and we get reimbursed for that as well. Whatever we make off of that, we can expand the summer food program. During the summertime, Norton said the summer food program provides students with the only meals they will eat each week, when out of school, due to their parent or guardians financial situation. For more information on the program, call Martinez at 775-727-7743 extension 260. Contact reporter Selwyn Harris at sharris@pvtimes.com. On Twitter: @pvtimes The Las Vegas Sun ran an editorial calling for an end to the Nevada caucuses. The Sun headline read, One thing all Nevadans can agree on: Caucuses must go, which will come as a surprise to Sanders supporters who this year used the caucuses to cut Clinton down from a double digit lead to 5 percent, and to Ron Paul supporters who delighted in using the caucuses to take over the Nevada Republican Party. The Las Vegas Sun ran an editorial calling for an end to the Nevada caucuses. The Sun headline read, One thing all Nevadans can agree on: Caucuses must go, which will come as a surprise to Sanders supporters who this year used the caucuses to cut Clinton down from a double digit lead to 5 percent, and to Ron Paul supporters who delighted in using the caucuses to take over the Nevada Republican Party. It was this latter event that prompted state GOP leaders to attempt to create a presidential primary at the last Nevada Legislature and then to mount an anti-caucuses public relations offensive when the majority-GOP legislature rejected a primary. Caucuses are what the state has used since statehood, with the exception of 1912 (Democratic primary only), 1976, 1980, and 1996 (Republican primary only). One thing the critics never mention is that if Nevada switches from caucuses to a primary, it will likely be the end to Nevadas influence in the presidential sweepstakes. Only four states are allowed to hold February presidential nominating events Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada, and South Carolina, two caucus states and two primary states. This early role (other states must wait until March) gives those four states enormous clout. If Nevada switches to a primary, another caucus state probably Colorado will replace it. Nevada will get stuck back in the pack with North Dakota (primary) and Alaska (caucuses). When was the last time you heard about the influence of the North Dakota and Alaska events? The complainers are people who never attended a caucus in their life until Nevada got its early berth, though they have been held in every presidential and non-presidential election year since the 1860s. Now, attracted by the drama and glitter of Nevadas early role, they attended and, discovering they needed to actually commit to a couple of hours instead of hitting and running, they demand that the caucuses be discontinued. But caucuses are little town meetings, ways for neighbors to debate issues and connect with candidates. Can they be improved? Sure. But if Nevada loses its early berth, Colorado will be there to pick it up. That will be the end of the presidential candidates coming to the silver state and spending millions of dollars in broadcast advertising and precinct work. Those benefits will go to Colorado. In addition, turnout will become like it was in the Nevadas late-20th century presidential primaries abysmal. Those caucus critics lose their interest when Nevada is not an early state. A long delayed letter to the editor from 1964: I would like to respond to Mr. Myers article. He used some pretty strong statements against people who would stand for their racial rights. He called them shortsighted, narrow-minded and bigoted. What Mr. Myers does not know is that Christians believe the Bible when it records the curse of Canaan and tells us, A slave is not greater than the master. Believing this does not make them haters or bigoted as he expressed. Just because a person does not want blacks to eat in white restaurants which is against their sincerely-held beliefs does not qualify for Mr. Myers hateful words. True Christians do not hate blacks and are willing to assist them in having their own schools, just not in mixing with whites. Does this qualify as hatred? Being forced to participate in something they believe is wrong is a lack of tolerance on the part of blacks, especially when they have other options and refuse to seek them out, and then throughout this country they are suing Christians. Christians are not haters or bigoted, they just cannot participate in what they feel is wrong. Mr. Myers strong words against people who do not want to violate their conscience are exactly what he is accusing others of being bigoted, shortsighted and narrow-minded. When you point the finger at others as he has done, he has three fingers pointing back at himself. Blacks have rights, but they should not push their rights on others who do not agree with them. Dennis Myers is an award-winning journalist who has reported on Nevadas capital, government and politics for several decades. He has also served as Nevadas chief deputy secretary of state. Two people wanted in California for felony assault were captured early Wednesday in Galena, Ill., after trying to elude law enforcement officials. The incident occurred at the Grant Hills Motel in Galena where the Jo Daviess County Critical Incident Response Team or CIRT was attempting to apprehend the suspects, according to a news release from the Jo Daviess Sheriff's Office. During the incident a weapon was displayed with the suspects forcing their way into a stolen Dodge truck in an attempt to flee. The suspects vehicle struck a police vehicle and police officer. Another officer tried to apprehend the female suspect from the vehicle when the vehicle accelerated at a fast rate, dragging the officer for a short distance. Law enforcement officers fired two shots at the fleeing vehicle. The first disabled the front passenger side tire. The second struck the drivers side door. The suspects then fled in their vehicle westbound on U.S. 20 at a high rate of speed before becoming disabled near the intersection of U.S. 20/Gear Street. The two suspects then fled on foot into a wooded area. After an extensive search of the area, the suspects were apprehended without further incident. The officers injured by the suspect vehicle were treated and released from Midwest Medical Center. U.S. 20 through Galena, Ill. was closed briefly this morning from Gear Street to Bench Street during the search. Both suspects, Andrew Joseph Cummings and Crystal Lynn McLaughlin, are wanted by the San Bernardino County, Calif., Sheriffs Office on felony warrants for assault. The suspects remain in custody at the Jo Daviess County Jail awaiting a bond hearing and pending additional charges. The Iowa Court of Appeals heard arguments Wednesday in Scott County District Court in a nuisance case against the city of Davenport arising from sewer backups three years ago. The city was cleared last year in a negligence case brought by five residents, but the district court dismissed a separate nuisance claim upon the citys motion for partial summary judgment. Four of the residents Todd and Christine Thoeming and Brittney and James Chapman appealed the dismissal. What happened to our clients property was a nuisance, attorney Mike Meloy, representing the residents, told the appeals court judges Wednesday. They were forced out of their homes from ill health. The Chapmans lived in the 1800 block of West 37th Street and the Thoemings lived in the 5700 block of Fillmore Street when their basements took on thousands of gallons of raw sewage during two storms in spring 2013, Meloy said. The residents became physically ill from the noxious smells coming from the sewage, and both couples had to spend the night at a hotel, Meloy said. Jason ORourke, who represented the city Wednesday, said sewer backup does not fit the legal argument for a nuisance claim. Thousands of homes and buildings, in small towns and cities across Iowa, are serviced by sanitary sewer systems every minute, every day, ORourke said. Under the plaintiffs theory, if there is a backup in any way, thats a nuisance. I disagree. No decision was made in the case Wednesday. The appeals court will issue a written ruling at a later date. The city of Davenport, former Mayor Bill Gluba and former public works director Mike Clarke were all found not negligent by a jury in April 2015, and the five residents were not awarded damages. The residents claimed at the time that the citys poorly maintained sewer lines could not handle the 2013 flooding. The city has a no-fault sewer backup reimbursement program. The reimbursement limit is $7,500 per building, per year for all costs and damages. Davenport has paid $170,000 to 59 customers who filed claims over sewer backups from the 2013 flooding, Davenport Finance Director Brandon Wright said last year. Wright said Wednesday the Chapmans and Thoemings have not received reimbursement from the city for their backups. Meloy said his clients did not file claims because that precludes a lawsuit. In October 2014, the city settled two lawsuits arising from the 2013 backups. Rebecca Daniel, 502 E. 31st St., sought $24,945 for loss of property value and damaged personal property. Sophie Ventures LLC, a landlord at 3020 Dubuque St., sought $16,939 for the same. Both accepted the city's last offer of $9,500, which was $2,000 above the city's reimbursement, and the property owners agreed to install backflow prevention valves at their expense, according to an attorney representing the city at the time. In another case, the appeals court heard arguments involving a 2002 murder. Merrill Lee Howard, 30, was among several people convicted in the shooting death of 9-year-old Deanna Shipp. She was in Davenport for a family wedding and was hit by one of at least a dozen bullets fired from two cars as she sat on the hood of a car at a nighttime party behind 1502 N. Harrison St. Howard, who was 16 at the time of the shooting, was sentenced in December 2002 to 50 years in prison after pleading guilty to second-degree murder. He was ordered to serve 85 percent 42.5 years of the sentence. The sentence was later thrown out after state and federal rulings held that mandatory minimum sentences for juveniles are unconstitutional. He was resentenced in September 2014 to 50 years with the possibility of parole after serving 25 years. On appeal, Howard argues that the Iowa Constitution categorically bans the imposition of any minimum term of incarceration upon a juvenile and the sentencing judge failed to properly apply the law concerning juvenile offenders. Anagha Dixit, a student legal intern in her third year at Drake University in Des Moines, argued Howards case Wednesday before the appeals court judges. The district court did not have the authority (to impose the statutory minimum), and Howard should be immediately eligible for parole, Dixit said. The district court abused its discretion. Darrel Mullins, assistant attorney general, said the Iowa Supreme Court had determined that the state Constitution prohibits the automatic imposition of mandatory minimum terms of incarceration on juveniles, but a judge still has discretion to impose a minimum term if it fits the case. Thats the difference between mandatory minimum and automatically imposed mandatory minimum, Mullins said, adding that Howard was convicted of a forcible felony, which carries a mandatory minimum of 70 percent of the sentence to be served. In her rebuttal argument, Dixit said Howards past was not taken into consideration at sentencing. That he came from a dysfunctional family and exhibited criminal behavior to try to fit in with peers should get more credit than none at all, she said. The Iowa Court of Appeals reviews appeals from trial court decisions that the Iowa Supreme Court has transferred. A decision by the court is final unless the Supreme Court grants further review. The court decides cases with randomly selected panels that change in composition every three months. Moline City Council passed a special ordinance Tuesday that will allow firearms to be used in culling a deer herd at 901 46th St. The ordinance was passed, 6-2, in concurrence with the issuance of a deer removal permit by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, provided that the DNR provides the city notice when the permit is issued. The property belongs to Moline businessman Hunt Harris, who told council members that a neighbor of his called him about issues with deer on her property and asked if he would allow a controlled hunt on his property to cull the herd. Harris said the DNR has said that the herd is overpopulated and the agency will set strict guidelines for the hunt. Two off-duty sharpshooters with the Moline Police Department will do the hunting, he said. They will be in raised stands that will angle the bullets so that if there is a miss, the shot will go into the ground. The DNR wont allow bow hunting as they want a clean kill, Harris said. With bow hunting there is too great a risk the wounded deer would flee. The number of deer in the city has become not only an ecological problem, but a safety problem, he said. There are crashes between deer and motor vehicles regularly in the city, not to mention the damage to property and a homes landscaping. In 1930, he said, there were 300,000 white tail deer in the U.S. Today there are 30 million. The deer have no natural predators here, Harris said, adding that the DNR has performed its studies and has determined there is a problem in the city and the herd needs to be culled. Several people spoke against the hunt. Sandy Perry, who lives in the 700 block of 43rd Street, said the herd she has seen has 14 deer and she can live with any damage done to her property by the deer. Lois Kuehling, who lives in the 800 block of 34th Avenue, told the council she is opposed to the hunt for safety reasons. What if somebody gets shot by mistake, Kuehling said. She said she wondered if people will want to hunt raccoons and groundhogs, too, because they also can be a nuisance. Several people said that if there are so many problems with deer in the city, Moline should put up deer crossing signs. Barry Sprott, however, said he agrees with the hunt. The deer have ravaged my yard, he said. Ive seen a big buck in my yard, and I know he has a whole herd of does somewhere. Alderman Quentin Rodriguez, 1st Ward, said he is concerned about firearms being used in the hunt. Bullets and shotgun deer slugs can travel a long way and hurt or kill someone who is a long way from the hunt. There is a reason Bettendorf and Rock Island use bows in their hunts, Rodriguez said. Alderman David Parker, 2nd Ward, said he has no doubt there is an issue with deer in the citys east side. I know there is an issue on the west side of the city, Parker said. It appears the issue with the deer is citywide, he said. Parker said aldermen should meet to discuss the issue in a goal-setting session and come up with a plan to minimize the problem with deer in the city. Hunt agreed with several people who asked that when the hunt is to take place that neighbors should be notified. Hunt said he will meet with the DNR and the marksmen to make sure everything is coordinated. A congressman's longtime support for afterschool programs will be recognized in Davenport today at a school with a full-service program. Madison Elementary School, Davenport, is the award site. U.S. Rep. Dave Loebsack, a Democrat from Iowa City, will receive the "Friend of Afterschool" award from the Iowa Afterschool Alliance. Loebsack was a member of the education and workforce committee for eight years in the U.S. House and is a strong supporter of funding for afterschool programs. Madison received a grant from the 21st Century Community Learning Center, and the money has allowed Madison to serve more than 65 students a day, up from 15 students daily, according to a media release from Davenport schools. The school principal is Steve Mielenhausen, a Principal of the Year Award-winner for his efforts in this area. Loebsack supports 21st Century Learning Centers and said they are part of the "Every Child Succeeds" legislation. "I did everything I could to fund that bill," he said Wednesday. Loebsack's wife is a retired elementary school teacher, so he understands the value of afterschool programs, he said. At Madison, for example, the afterschool program integrates academic enrichment in science, technology, engineering and math, or STEM, intervention assistance or help with homework. The children also receive healthy food and snacks. "These programs are complete no-brainers," Loebsack said. "It's a great program." A 2012 trade between two men at a small auto repair shop in East Moline quietly has spurred a cultural movement in the community known for its Hispanic heritage. At the time, Abel Zertuche, who owns One Stop Auto Repair at 1023 15th Ave., was searching for a Mexican guitarron to start a youth mariachi band in the Quad-Cities. Coincidentally, a Peoria man who contacted Zertuche in search of four 18-inch tires had the six-string acoustic bass. "I happened to have all four in good condition, so we traded the tires for a guitarron," said Zertuche, who donated the instrument to Glenview Middle School in East Moline. "I was at the right place place at the right time with the right person." His gift, in turn, helped spark the mariachi music program at Glenview, where more than one-third of the population is Latino. I felt a mariachi group was overdue in the Quad-Cities, said Zertuche, who emigrated from Mexico as a child and worked for 35 years at John Deere Parts Distribution Center in Milan. "We need to show our kids our tradition our music. We don't want it to die." The program, which longtime Glenview music teacher Rich Clark launched at the beginning of last school year, has nearly 60 students split into two bands that incorporate a mix of violins, trumpets and guitars. "As an educator, my job is to meet the needs of students and there was a need to have a Latino-based music group," said Clark, who has taught at Glenview for 26 years. "So, I'm teaching the students how to manipulate their instruments and how to play music, but we're using mariachi for the vehicle of learning." In March, the program's older band, El Mariachi de Glenview, performed for Gov. Bruce Rauner during his visit to the school. Donning traditional mariachi uniforms, Clark's beginner band, La Primera Banda Mariachi de Glenview, performed Tuesday at Rosewood Care Center in Moline, one of the program's 24 public acts in the community this school year. Janet Lopez, an 11-year-old fifth-grader, plays the violin in the band and introduces each song in English and Spanish. I really like hearing Mexican music because my family comes from Mexico, she said after her performance. So do the parents. Stephanie Pena, whose 12-year-old son plays the trumpet in the beginner band, called mariachi the "classical" genre of Mexican music. "We've got a long history of musicians in our family and I grew up listening to mariachi music," she said. "It's very emotional." Although Latino students make up about 70 percent of the bands, supporters say they appreciate the diversity in the program, which has drawn students of various ethnicities. "That makes it beautiful," said Zertuche, whose granddaughter plans to practice the violin this summer and join the band in the fall. "Every time I see these kids perform music that my ancestors used to sing and dance to it brings tears to my eyes." To accommodate its growing popularity, Clark plans to form three bands next school year. On Thursday, students will host a Cinco de Mayo fundraiser, which will feature performances and a taco dinner to help raise funds for new uniforms that cost about $250 apiece. "Many of them are learning how to play these instruments for the first time, so they need a non-threatening environment or audience to perform in front of," Clark said. "And I'm learning just as much from them as they are from me." Thud. The all-too-familiar thump could be heard Friday night from Davenport to Sioux City as the Iowa Legislature gaveled out of another unproductive session. Lawmakers faced consistent school funding shortfalls, serious water quality issues and a paradoxical medical marijuana program that criminalizes users heading into the 2016 term. And, after the Legislature skipped town, they are all still hanging there waiting for a fix. Early on, it appeared the Republican House and Democratic Senate had learned from the wasted 2015 term. School funding discussions began straight away. A deal was hammered out in relative short order. Other back-burner issues could, feasibly, get hammered out with the time left. Just maybe lawmakers would this year earn that $25,000 annual salary and $148 per-diem taxpayers shell out. Both houses were in a rush to get a basic school-funding compromise framed out. The issue, after all, had produced 2015's do-nothing session. So they bickered. And, to the credit of lawmakers, grappled with the troublesome topic straight away. But few think the 2.25 percent increase for education funding will offset rising costs in K-12 education. Don't even ask about the inequity in school funding that values some students over others. A half-baked one-off surfaced in the House in the session's waning days, which would have only exacerbated the problem. The rush-job died an unceremonious death during budget negotiations. At least with educational funding generally hashed out, lawmakers could face other issues that, for too long, have collected dust. Progress is, apparently, too much to ask in Des Moines, where the Committee on Can Kicking always has a full agenda. Gov. Terry Branstad's water quality funding plan met immediate resistance. Democrats and educational lobbyists panned the deal as a rob-Peter-to-pay-Paul gimmick. House Republicans floated a seemingly reasonable plan that would apply an existing tax on drinking water to solving the state's nitrate problem. Senate Democrats mulled a sales tax hike, which was doomed from conception in an election year. Nothing moved. Calling Iowa's cannabidiol law busted would be an understatement. An epileptic can use the marijuana extract in Iowa. But purchasing or possessing the oil remains a crime. A lot of air was spent debating the exercise in bad logic. Lawmakers even rolled out a last-minute proposal to permit patients to buy the extract in neighboring states. It went nowhere. Still, Iowa criminalizes those who, under state law, should have access to marijuana treatment. To be fair, a few things got done. At least gun-rights advocates can claim a victory. They got their long-sought gun suppressor legalization. Priorities, indeed. The Legislature's bolstered oversight of Branstad's newly privatized Medicaid system, assuming the governor doesn't veto the line item, was a rare victory for substance. But, as a whole, the session's major priorities went unaddressed. That fact shouldn't shock anyone. Real issues come up. Real issues get tabled. It's the mode of operation at the Iowa Statehouse. After all, there's always next year. When Mark Tilsen first tried to sell his Tanka Bar a blend of buffalo meat and fruit he was often shunned. Id go into a buyer or call a buyer, sometimes it would take 15 or 20 times to get a buyer on the phone and Id tell them, Im selling a buffalo and cranberry bar, and theyd laugh at you or hang up on you," Tilsen recalls. "Then youd put it in peoples mouths and nine times out of 10, their eyebrows go up, they taste it, they smile, their face lights up and people love it," he said. "We use this whole plump cranberry so you take a bite into this meat bar and you get this rush of fruit flavor from the cranberry. Tilsen was reached on a recent Tuesday morning as he was preparing for his day of meetings and training at Whole Foods in Austin, Texas. He was there promoting his companys tasty health food snacks Tanka Bar and Tanka Trail. Today, I will actually be at their corporate headquarters meeting with some of the leadership people and then well be meeting with the brokers who are the people who go out and check on the stores and we do a lot of trainings with them, said Tilsen is president and co-founder of the Kyle, S.D.-based Native American Natural Foods that produced the fruit/meat bars. Tilsen and his business partner, Karlene Hunter, co-founded the company in 2007. Though the buffalo fruit snacks were dismissed by some initially nearly nine years ago, these low-calorie, natural protein snacks are now sold nationwide at some 8,000 locations. In January, the company released five new products with Whole Foods, including two new flavors for the Tanka Bar and three new Tanka Trail snacks, which Tilsen says is the latest innovation of Native American Natural Foods and are now distributed across the country. The Tanka Trail, which ranges in flavors from sweet to spicy, is packaged to help preserve the product, yet has no preservatives, no antibiotics, no lactose and is gluten free. Its a double pouch that has meat and fruit on one side and seeds and nuts on the other in a resealable double pouch called the Tanka Trail, which is really designed for the trails that life takes you on every day and it gives you a compact healthy product in one package, Tilsen said. Though Tilsen and his partner came up with the idea to produce the snacks, he attributes the original concept to his Native ancestors. Their goal was to preserve enough meat to survive the winter. They would dry fruit in South Dakota, it was probably choke cherries or buffalo berries and then they would dry their meat and would pound them together into like a meal," he said. The Natives would then package their food in the white fat, the organ fat of the buffalo, which is the richest fat. Tilsen says the meat and fruit mixture is based on wasna, a Lakota word for all mixed up. They would package that into a ball because their goal was to survive on enough calories to last the winter then they would put those back into the stomach of the buffalo and thats how they would seal it, so they would have their winter packs with food all ready to go. So when we were looking at how to create the Tanka Bar, we were trying to come up with a simple recipe, Tilsen says. The Lakota people, in a way, created the process more than 1,000 years ago still used today. The only significant changes are that Tanka foods are produce in a USDA-certified smokehouse environment to uphold consistency and safety, he said. The Tanka Bar is only 70 calories and has 7 grams of natural protein. Its buffalo protein so its highly digestible, its a really healthy powerful protein thats really the origin when somebody says, who created the Tanka Bar, I think its some grandma thousands of years ago that figured out when she combines her fruit with her meat, that actually, it creates its own preservative, Tilsen said. For Tilsen, the historic and natural processes also allow his company to provide a brand that has an impact on the community where employees own part of the company. They also receive training in financial literacy, as well as management and technical training. In addition, 25 percent of the buffalo comes from Native producers and is purchase throughout the five state region using premium products. The Belle Fourche Cowboy Band will perform in at least nine venues this summer, beginning with a concert at the Chassell Bandshell in Herrmann Park, Belle Fourche, on June 22. The Cowboy Band has a storied history. It began in 1931 during the darkest days of the Depression, when Belle Fourche high school band director Charlie McClung was given a slender funding from the local Chamber of Commerce and the Black Hills Roundup rodeo. With that funding, the enthusiastic support of its hometown and the talents of 26 musicians the band was born. Over the decades, the band has been noted as much for its distinctive apparel as for its musicianship. Band members were originally attired in 10 gallon hats, black and white shirts and buff corduroy pants tucked into cowboy boot. This look was designed to catch the eye of South Dakota Governor Tom Berry, who was invited to the 1932 Black Hills Roundup rodeo where the band performed. Berry was impressed, and asked the Cowboy Band to perform at the South Dakota State Fair in Huron. The band went on to perform at the 1935 Stratosphere Bowl balloon flights, at the Pikes Peak or Bust rodeo in Colorado Springs, Colorado in 1949 and at a 1953 Mt. Rushmore appearance by President Eisenhower. Although not as prominent for several decades thereafter, the organization never disappeared. A participation in the bands summer concerts and triumphant march in the Fourth of July Parade became a near rite of passage for local musicians. In 1983, a reunion of band members from all eras was held; since then, the Fourth of July has seen reunions of players who come to Belle Fourche for the Black Hills Roundup rodeo, fireworks and a chance to march in the Roundups Fourth of July Parade. The contemporary bands attire is red cowboy shirts, blue jeans, white chaps and white hats. In addition to representing Belle Fourche at events through the Black Hills, the Cowboy Band also provides a Charlie McClung Award to a specially selected Belle Fourche High School sophomore and funds a $250 scholarship at Black Hills State University. New members are always being sought and even those who havent played their instrument since school days but would like to brush up their skills and join the band are encouraged to participate. The current Cowboy Band director is Bob French and the bands 2016 committee includes Ree Reich, Steve Shuck, Bobbe Ward, Bob French, Jean-Claire Hamblin, Vic and Donna Fondy, Gary Gladmoe and Tim Speidel. For more information about the Cowboy Band, call Ree Reich at 892-4366. The sun shined bright and a light wind blew across the field dotted with dandelions, creating a perfect day for the groundbreaking ceremony for the new daycare, Discovery Kids University coming to Sturgis in August. As the crowd of well-wishers and representatives from Discovery Kids University gathered and were wrangled for a commemorative photo, the excitement for this new addition to the community was palatable. After the shovels hit the dirt and the tell-tell clicks of cameras abated, President of Sturgis Economic Development Corp, Pat Kurtenbach, welcomed the new business and their representatives to Sturgis. We are so excited to welcome Discovery Kids University to Sturgis; this business will benefit our community for years and years to come, Kurtenbach said. The new facility will be custom designed by Iverson Construction with a 6,000 square foot facility and 5,000 square foot outdoor play area located on a one-plus acre parcel. They will offer South Dakota child care licensed services including pre-kindergarten programming and after-school care. It will be able to accommodate up to 120 children and families and will offer extended hours Monday through Friday, 5 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Discovery Kids University will employ 20-25 full time and 10 part-time certified staff and desires to be a resource center for the entire family on both an educational and artistic level, the owners say. Offering more than just care, their programs will branch into tutoring, music, family advocacy and wellness classes. Student and family resources will include an on-site family and child therapist, as well as, classes and events designed to encourage strong community and family relationships. As the groundbreaking ceremony continued, representatives from Discovery University thanked the many members in the community that assisted with the fruition of the project. Owner, Shannah Grenz-Williams said, Thank you City of Sturgis; we are so excited to be a part of you and to work alongside you and give great things to our kids. Anytime we invest in children is an investment that prospers us. Pre-enrollment opportunities are available at Iverson Construction, 1210 Industry Rd., Sturgis, every other Thursday night starting next Thursday, May 12. Representatives from Discovery Kids University encouraged the public to like their Facebook page, as updates and events will be announced regularly. WASHINGTON, D.C. | South Dakota's top two youth volunteers of 2016, Shelby Specht, 15, of Sioux Falls, and Danika Gordon, 14, of Whitewood, were honored in the nations capital for their outstanding volunteer service during the 21st annual presentation of The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards. Specht and Gordon along with 100 other top youth volunteers from across the country each received $1,000 awards and personal congratulations from Academy Award-winning actress Hilary Swank at an award ceremony and gala dinner reception held at the Smithsonians National Museum of Natural History. A group of three juveniles and one adult who were hanging out in the playground lot of Knollwood Elementary School on Monday were found to have several weapons in their possession, and police arrested three of them on varied charges. According to a Rapid City Police news release, officers were called to the school at 1721 Downing St. in North Rapid at 5:10 p.m. Monday after someone was spotted with a gun at the school playground. Upon arrival, the adult male ran off and was later was tackled and arrested. Officers found a BB gun nearby. Officers also questioned the three juveniles a 14-year-old and two 16-year-olds one of whom had a large folding knife in his possession, and two who had airsoft pistols. The two 16-year-olds were arrested on charges of possession of a firearm on school grounds; and one was charged with minor consuming. Tyson Twocrow, 19, was arrested in possession of a firearm on school grounds, disorderly conduct, and contributing to the delinquency of a minor. The sixth season of free weekly tours at the South Dakota Governor's Mansion will begin next month. "We are pleased to host another year of summer tours," First Lady Linda Daugaard said. "The Governor's mansion belongs to the people of South Dakota, and Dennis and I invite every South Dakotan to enjoy this special home." Beginning June 1, weekly public tours will be conducted each Wednesday in June, July and August. Mount Rushmore mascots will greet guests on the first tour in celebration of the 75th anniversary of the completion of the national memorial. The 30-minute tours will begin at 1 p.m. CDT and will be conducted by volunteers, including First Lady Linda Daugaard. Tour groups may consist of up to 40 people. Public tour tickets, at no charge, must be obtained in advance and will be available only from the Pierre Area Chamber of Commerce. Those interested should call 605-224-7361. A group of committed volunteers has begun preliminary work on bringing their vision of a Rapid City-based Native American community and learning center to life. The idea for what would be dubbed the He Sapa All Nations Center sprang from discussions hosted by Rapid City Community Conversations, a Native-led grassroots group created in the winter of 2015 to address ongoing racial tension in the city. This was a recurrent message that kept coming up, said Chas Jewett, an active leader with Rapid City Community Conversations. We need a place in this city to call our own. Jewett and others in the group have seized on the fact that other American cities with large Native American populations have community centers for indigenous peoples to gather in celebration of their cultural heritage. While the U.S. Census estimates that Native Americans make up about 12 percent of Rapid Citys population, a study conducted by the University of South Dakotas Government Research Bureau suggests the number is actually more like 26 percent. With those figures in mind, along with the high rates of homelessness, substance abuse, unemployment and suicide experienced by some indigenous peoples in the Black Hills region, Jewett and her fellow activists think its time that Native Americans had a place to call their own in Rapid City. We dont have a place for us to honor our people, Jewett said. We dont even have a place to have a funeral. Wakes for the deceased in Lakota culture are typically held overnight, so family members can be with the body until it is buried. But local funeral homes are often either unable or unwilling to accommodate this custom, Jewett said. Providing a space for that and other Lakota customs to unfold is one of the many possible ways a Native community center could be put to good use, Jewett said. Having a designated place for Native and non-native people to otherwise gather for coffee, learn about each other, and participate in cultural events together would also be beneficial, Jewett said. We need some place that will confirm our positive identity in this community, Jewett said. Weve been living side by side for so long, but we dont know anything about each other. The idea has the support of both Mayor Steve Allender and Rapid City Police Chief Karl Jegeris, who said Tuesday that a Native-focused community center would be an exceptional addition" to Rapid City. Having a location for all cultures to come together and have celebrations related to the diversity in our community would be very healthy, Jegeris said. And from a crime prevention perspective, the more healthy activities we have in our community the better. Cante Heart, the project leader for the He Sapa All Nations Center, said specifics like cost and location are still up in the air as discussions continue. She and her fellow volunteers with Rapid City Community Conversations are nonetheless committed to making the idea a reality, having organized a board of directors and agreed on articles of incorporation this week. The next step before any blueprints are drawn up is to create a viable non-profit organization so the group can take donations that will go directly toward the He Sapa All Nations Center. If we want to get this done, we need to get help from the community, Heart said. If all goes as planned, Heart hopes to have a Native American community center in Rapid City in the next five years. To learn more about the He Sapa All Nations Center and Rapid City Community Conversations, visit online at rcconversations.org. WASHINGTON | Carly, we hardly knew ye. A week ago, Carly Fiorina was in a good position to enjoy the sheen of respectability she had acquired. The former Hewlett-Packard chief had run a solid presidential campaign and established herself as an adroit debater who could cut Donald Trump down to size. Then she became Ted Cruz's vice-presidential "nominee" accepting a nomination Cruz had no authority to bestow. In a case of exceptionally bad timing, Fiorina hitched herself to Cruz at precisely the moment his candidacy began to implode. Fiorina's previous criticism of Cruz and her checkered record at HP were again in the news. And now, alas, so is her singing: I know two girls that I just adore I'm so happy I can see them more Because we travel on the bus all day We get to play, we get to play. Fiorina sang these words to Cruz's two daughters in her "acceptance" speech. The eerie crooning, of the type heard in horror movies before something bad happens, made Fiorina a late-night sensation. "It's like Disney gave the wicked stepmother her own song," Stephen Colbert observed. Musical sleuths identified the melody as Irving Berlin's show tune "You're Just in Love": Put your head on my shoulder You need someone who's older A rubdown with a velvet glove There is nothing you can take To relieve that pleasant ache You're not sick You're just in love. This selection by Fiorina she delivered the unsettling news that she has four verses to her song puts the "old" in Grand Old Party. It's from the 1950 musical "Call Me Madam," in which the Ethel Merman character, an heiress and ambassador, comforts her young aide, a diplomat in love with a princess. Fiorina, 61, is the one taking orders from Cruz, 45, but their relationship is no less peculiar. It's not Fiorina's fault that news broke just after her "nomination" was announced that former House speaker John Boehner, still a popular figure in nearby Ohio, had called Cruz "Lucifer in the flesh" and a "miserable son of a bitch." Nor was it Fiorina's fault that Indiana Gov. Mike Pence on Friday gave Cruz a tepid endorsement he said that he "will be voting for Ted Cruz" but that "I particularly want to commend Donald Trump." But if Fiorina picked investments the way she picked her candidate, you can see why HP stopped requiring her services. She bought Cruz at the peak, when polls showed him close in Indiana. But an NBC-Wall Street Journal poll Sunday found Trump up 15 points. And now Cruz and Fiorina have to explain all those things she used to say about him: that "Cruz is just like any other politician"; that "there's no honor in charging a hill that you know you can't take, only casualties, although Ted Cruz maybe got name recognition and money"; and that it was "odd that Senator Ted Cruz did not renounce his dual Canadian citizenship until 2014." Cruz now also has to defend Fiorina's record at HP, where she let go thousands and sent jobs to India and China. "Will the Cruz-Fiorina team do the same thing to Indiana that she did to Hewlett-Packard?" Fox News' Chris Wallace asked Cruz on Sunday. The treatment didn't improve for Cruz when he took questions from reporters Monday morning in Indiana: How can he possibly beat Trump in California? Would he drop out of the race before the convention in July? "I am competing to the end," said Cruz, reminding all of his endorsement from Pence and his running mate. "I am so proud this week to be standing shoulder to shoulder with my vice-presidential nominee, Carly Fiorina." But Fiorina was not standing at his shoulder later Monday when he waded bravely into a group of Trump supporters outside his event. Cruz bravely tried to engage them in calm discussion. "Donald Trump is deceiving you. He is playing you for a chump," Cruz said. The Trump supporters taunted Cruz: "Do the math. ...Time to drop out. ... You are the problem, politician. ... Where's your Goldman Sachs Jacket? ... Lyin' like you always do. ... Are you Canadian? If Cruz hadn't established himself as a singularly unlikable candidate, one could almost have felt sorry for him in that moment. He needed urgently for Fiorina to sing more Ethel Merman: They think that we're through, but baby, You'll be swell! You'll be great! Gonna have the whole world on the plate! Starting here, starting now, Honey, everything's coming up roses! Its well-known that Wyoming has an alarming wage gap. The state has been ranked near the bottom in the nation for the disparity between what men and women earn. Recently, though, the dim news grew darker. A new report pointed out that college-educated women, who have likely invested considerable time, energy and money in furthering their education, make less in Wyoming than men who have only high school diplomas $38,312 compared with $43,740. Wyoming has a proud history of empowering women the state was the first to have a female governor and justice of the peace as well as the first to grant women the right to vote. One of its nicknames is the Equality State. These days, though, Wyomings reputation for fairness is far less sterling. According to numbers released last year, women here earn 69 cents for every dollar earned by men and as a state, we have been looking at stagnant numbers for far too long. The wage gap is a parity issue, of course. Regardless of gender, hard workers who fulfill important roles should be compensated fairly. But the impact goes far beyond that it also hits Wyoming families. Women should be paid for the time and effort they devote to their jobs. Thats especially important right now: The economy here has slumped, job losses have spread across the states coal mines, and every dollar counts. The report doesnt suggest that employers are doing this purposely. Instead, it says that male-dominated fields tend to be more lucrative than the ones women gravitate toward. Mining and construction might pay more than teaching or nursing, for example. But we cant dismiss the wage gap by citing our energy-driven economy; other energy states performed better than we did. There are at least two solutions to work toward. The first is increasing the pay in fields that have traditionally attracted more women education and health care. These are essential positions, ones that help form the backbone of a community. They should be paid fairly for the important work they do. The second is encouraging more women to consider paths that are traditionally dominated by men. Many women have interests and abilities in the science, technology, engineering and math fields and those should be nurtured. Wyoming, navigating uncharted territory in the need for innovation in energy, needs all the capable scientists it can find. Part of that is economic diversification fostering an environment where businesses and their employees of any gender can thrive. The more kinds of industries we welcome here, the better off our economy will be. Wyoming should strive to be a place where people are compensated fairly for their work. Setting that goal and taking action is essential to strengthening the state and the families who have made their homes here. Kekhman asks court of appeals to rule against selling JFC firm assets MOSCOW, May 4 (RAPSI) Vladimir Kekhman, the former head of JFC Group, the largest fruit importer in Russia, has appealed against a decision of the St. Petersburg commercial court, which refused to prohibit sale of the companys assets, the court ruling reads. The petitioner has appealed against the courts decision of April 13 in the Thirteenth Commercial Court of Appeals. In his petition requesting to grant interlocutory injunctions, Kekhman asks the court to prohibit Igor Maslov, the JFC bankruptcy commissioner, to hold a respective tender before the act of court on the results of dispute resolution with regard to the procedure, terms and conditions of the companys assets sale becomes final. Kekhman has pointed out that in the framework of a tender held on March 23 to sell the debtors assets the sales of 23 out of 25 lots were declared void. According to the appellant, these results were a consequence of inadequate preparation of the tender regulations on the part of the bankruptcy commissioner. As Kekhman notes, these deficiencies have negatively affected the demand for assets and limited public access to tenders. Holding of a new tender and sale of the debtors assets in its framework will result in impossibility to enforce the act of court on dispute resolution, the appellant has stated. In September 2015, JFC Group was declared bankrupt by a Russian court. Kekhman appealed the ruling but his complaint was dismissed. In October 2015, Sberbank filed with the Commercial Court of St. Petersburg and the Leningrad Region a bankruptcy claim against Kekhman. Kekhman has filed an appeal with the Thirteenth Commercial Court of Appeals against a court ruling to introduce a procedure of debt restructuring against him on the claim of Sberbank. The Commercial Court of St. Petersburg and the Leningrad Region included a claim by the bank for more than 4.3 billion rubles ($57 million) on the creditors list. Kekhmans representative claimed that former head of JFC had no obligations to Sberbank because he had already been declared bankrupt by The High Court of Justice of England in 2012 and Sberbank received its share from sales of Kekhmans property. A Sberbanks representative, on the other hand, claimed that the bank was not involved in the process and did not receive any compensation. According to the Sberbanks representative the bank could obtain rulings of several Russian courts on debt recovery from Kekhman. Representative of Kekhman said that the ruling of The High Court of Justice of England was recognized by Sberbank and was to be complied with in Russia. Bankruptcy hearing has been scheduled for May 19. London's High Court declared Kekhman bankrupt in October 2012. JFC Group filed for bankruptcy in March 2012 and consequently entered a period of supervision. By that time its debt claims amounted to a total of 18 billion rubles ($271 million). A court has included on the creditors list of JFC a 3.2-billion ruble ($48 million) debt to Promsvyazbank and Uralsib, debt to Bank of Moscow and bank St. Petersburg totaling 5.8 billion rubles ($87 million) and a 4.5- billion ruble ($68 million) debt to Sberbank. Kekhman is currently leading Novosibirsk Opera and Ballet Theater and is holding a position of the St. Petersburgs Mikhailovsky Theatre's artistic director. Established in St. Petersburg in 1997, JFC Group comprises fruit production, procurement, storage, distribution, and sales companies. Its ultimate holding company is JFC (BVI) Limited, which operates through companies in Russia, the British Virgin Islands, Costa Rica, Cyprus, Ecuador, Luxembourg and Panama. JFC Group filed for bankruptcy in March 2012 and consequently entered a period of supervision. By that time its debt claims amounted to a total of 18 billion rubles ($237 million). The Presidents Committee on the Arts and Humanities selected the MAPS Media Institute of Hamilton as one of the top 50 afterschool programs in the nation for providing excellent arts and humanities learning opportunities to young people. Megan Beyer, executive director for the Presidents Committee on the Arts and the Humanities, congratulated the MAPS program. We are highly impressed with the successful work that your organization and the other finalists have accomplished in youth after school and out-of-school arts and humanities learning, Beyer said. Your programs selection as one of the 50 finalists distinguishes it as one of the top arts and humanities based programs in the country. MAPS Program Director Clare Ann Harff said the selection is a great honor. On behalf of all the staff, students and families of MAPS, we are deeply grateful for this national recognition and honor, Harff said. MAPS continues to prove that quality afterschool programming is an effective and affordable way a rural Montana community can help students reach their full potential. The Presidents Committee on the Arts and Humanities and its partner agencies, the Institute of Museum and Library services, the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities selected 50 programs from large cities to small towns in a variety of disciplines and settings across the nation. George Stevens, Jr., co-chairman of the Presidents Committee on the Arts and the Humanities, said these top 50 programs enrich the lives of young people throughout the country by teaching new skills, nurturing creativity and building self-confidence. These programs offer high-quality and intensive instruction on weekends, afternoons, and summer vacations, providing a safe and productive space for young people in the hours when they are often the most vulnerable, Stevens said. Their carefully focused projects supplement in-school curricula with exposure to a wide variety of artistic and scholastic pursuits. The Maps Media Institute provides free instruction to afterschool students using film, music, design, technology and entrepreneurship. The courses teach the skills and confidence required for academic, social and professional success. We passionately believe in the creative capacity of all students and are committed to providing state-of-the-art equipment, professional instruction and compassionate leadership, Harff said. Since 2004, MAPS has worked to mentor and empower thousands of Bitterroot Valley students to find their voice through media arts, and we couldnt have done any of this without the kids, their families, our community partners and supporters. This honor is for all of us, most especially, our amazing and inspiring students. The MAPS Media Institute, as one of the 50 2016 National Arts and Humanities Youth Program Award Finalists, is in the running for a $10,000 grant and an invitation to attend the White House awards ceremony hosted by First Lady Michelle Obama. The Maps Media Institute also received this top 50 designation in 2014. Sagarmatha Network Pvt. Ltd. is the organization dedicated in the field of printing, publishing service since 2001. As part of media, we've been publishing Review Nepal, an English medium weekly registered at District Administration Office (DAO) Kathmandu with registration number 130-162-163 and reviewnepal.com as an online digital newspaper, with registration number 849-075-076 at Department of Informational and Broadcasting (DIB) from Kathmandu, Nepal since 2003. Kathmandu, Nepal: The Supreme Court, the apex court of the country, has issued a stay order in response to a writ petition filed against the appointment of Deepak Pathak as a member of the Press Council. A single bench of Justice Cholendra Samsher Rana issued the stay order to halt the process of appointing Pathak on Wednesday. Challenging the government move to appoint Pathak as the member of the press council, Journalist Ram Kumar Rijal had filed a writ petition at the Supreme Court arguing that the appointment of Pathak is against the law as he is serving an action by the council itself. Minister for Information and Communication Sherdhan Rai had appointed Pathak as a member of the council on Sunday. It is said that Pathak was appointed as the member of the press council by the information minister Rai under pressure from the Prime Minister. Kathmandu, Nepal: The UCPN Maoist has left a clear signal to withdraw the support to the CPN UML chairman KP Sharma Oli led government. The UCPN-Maoist has boycotted a meeting called by the Prime Minister Oli at his official residence on Wednesday evening. At the time when the meeting was called by the Prime Minister Oli, the UCPN Maoist was holding it Standing Committee meeting to discuss about the change of the government. Prime Minister had called the meeting of the ruling ally to discuss about the recently emerged political development of the country. As the UCPN Maoist had appealed all the political parties to support its chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal to lead the next government on early Wednesday, Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli called the meeting of ruling coalition at his residence this evening. New business incubation space in the works for downtown Salina Saline County is in the approval process for an incubator space for retail and specialty food businesses in downtown Salina. Seguin, TX (78155) Today Cloudy this morning. Scattered thunderstorms developing this afternoon. High near 90F. Winds S at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 40%.. Tonight Thunderstorms early, then becoming mostly clear after midnight. Potential for severe thunderstorms. Low 56F. SSW winds shifting to NW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 70%. Former New York Assembly speaker gets lengthy (way-below guideline) federal sentence for corruption | Main | Prominent Floridians call for state Supreme Court to reverse all past Florida death sentences A helpful reader alerted me to a notable Eighth Circuit panel ruling today in US v. Martinez, No 15-1004 (8th Cir. May 3, 2016) (available here). Here is how the majority opinion gets started and a few notable substantive statements: Fernando Martinez pled guilty to possession of fifty grams or more of methamphetamine with the intent to distribute. The district court found Martinez to be a career offender based in part on the residual clause of 4B1.2(a)(2) of the United States Sentencing Guidelines (U.S.S.G.) and sentenced him to 262 months' imprisonment. It indicated, alternatively, it would sentence Martinez as a career offender even if he was not a career offender. Martinez appeals, arguing he is not a career offender and his sentence is substantively unreasonable. The government concedes Martinez is no longer a career offender under the guidelines following the United States Supreme Court's decision in Johnson v. United States, __ U.S. __, 135 S. Ct. 2551, 2557 (2015), but asserts no remand is necessary because the district court imposed a reasonable alternative sentence that renders any error harmless. Because we conclude otherwise that the district court's alternative sentence is substantively unreasonable we reverse and remand for resentencing.... We infer from [a sentencing] statement that the district court believed the escape conviction was a crime of violence and Martinez was a career offender whether the guidelines classified it as a crime of violence or not. In other words, the district court sentenced Martinez to an additional nine years because, as a nineteen-year-old, Martinez threw an elbow at a police officer without striking the officer and ran from police for a short distance. This severe variance is unreasonable. The district court's other justifications do not support the degree of the upward variance either. First, Martinez's convictions do not warrant such a severe upward variance. Martinez's two convictions undoubtedly demonstrate serious, violent behavior, but the guideline range already accounted for these prior convictions, each of which received three criminal history points.... Second, the evidence the government presented relating to Martinez's gang ties does not justify a nine-year upward variance either. The government presented evidence Martinez appeared in music videos along with other members of the East Side Locos prior to his incarceration. He also appeared with other East Side Locos gang members in photographs. While these photos and videosshow Martinez's gang ties, they do not depict Martinez actively engaging in any violent behavior. And, more importantly, they do not depict such egregious, violent behavior that they warrant the substantial upward variance the district court imposed. Some Dostoevsky-inspired insights on the death penalty delay canard | Main | Eighth Circuit panel (sort of) finds severe erroneous career-offender sentence substantively unreasonable This Wall Street Journal article reports on today's notable sentencing of a notable crooked New York politician under the headline "Sheldon Silver Sentenced to 12 Years: The former New York state Assembly Speaker also was ordered to pay a $1.75 million fine." Here are the details on this sentencing (and related others to come): Sheldon Silver was sentenced to 12 years in prison on Tuesday, making the former New York Assembly speaker one of the most powerful politicians in the state to be given time behind bars. U.S. District Judge Valerie Caproni, who also ordered Mr. Silver to pay a fine of $1.75 million and forfeit about $5.3 million he reaped from the criminal schemes of which he was convicted, said she hoped the punishment would serve as a deterrent. I hope the sentence I impose on you will make other politicians think twice, until their better angels take over, said Judge Caproni. Or, if there are no better angels, perhaps the fear of living out ones golden years in an orange jumpsuit will keep them on the straight and narrow. In a brief statement before the sentence was announced, Mr. Silver, 72 years old, said he had let down his family, colleagues and constituents. Im truly, truly sorry for that, said Mr. Silver, who was found guilty in November of honest-services fraud, extortion, and money laundering. Prosecutors had asked Judge Caproni for a sentence greater than any previously imposed on a New York legislator convicted of public corruption, a term that court filings suggest was 14 years. Federal sentencing guidelines suggested a range from about 22 to 27 years. Judge Caproni said Tuesday that imposing such a sentence in this case would be draconian and unjust given Mr. Silvers age. Prosecutors said Mr. Silver used his public position and power to obtain millions of dollars in kickbacks and bribes. Mr. Silvers schemes were multifaceted and nefarious, Assistant U.S. Attorney Carrie Cohen said before the sentence was announced Tuesday. Ms. Cohen said Mr. Silver needed a significant prison term that reflects the public toll of his crimes and the need to deter similar conduct in Albany. His conviction caused unparalleled damage: to our political systems, to the publics belief in our state government, she said. Attorneys for Mr. Silver questioned the benefit of sending him to prison, and described their client as a committed public servant who already had suffered an extraordinary fall from grace. He is already crushed, attorney Joel Cohen said Tuesday. Hes been devastated by everything that occurred over the last year and a half.... The conviction of Mr. Silver, a Manhattan Democrat who served as speaker for more than two decades, was a significant victory for Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara, who has aggressively pursued public-corruption cases. His crimes struck at the core of democratic governance a man with unparalleled power over the affairs of New York State was secretly on the take, abusing all that power to enrich himself and prevent anyone from learning about his corrupt schemes, prosecutors from Mr. Bhararas office wrote in sentencing documents. Todays stiff sentence is a just and fitting end to Sheldon Silvers long career of corruption, Mr. Bharara said in a statement. Two of Mr. Silvers former Albany colleagues are expected to be sentenced later this month. Former state Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos, who in December was found guilty of public-corruption charges including conspiracy, bribery and extortion, is scheduled to be sentenced on May 12. Former state Sen. John Sampson, who was found guilty in July of obstruction of justice and making false statements to investigators, is scheduled to be sentenced in Brooklyn federal court on May 19. Eighth Circuit panel (sort of) finds severe erroneous career-offender sentence substantively unreasonable | Main | US Sentencing Commission working on impressive looking new website As reported in this AP piece, now with "the fate of hundreds of Florida death row inmates in limbo, a group of former top judges and legal officials called on the state Supreme Court to impose life sentences on nearly 400 people now awaiting execution." Here is more about a notable amicus filing: The group, which includes three former state Supreme Court justices and two former presidents of the American Bar Association, filed a legal brief Tuesday in a case that could determine the fate of Florida's death penalty. After the U.S. Supreme Court declared Florida's death sentencing law unconstitutional in January, the state's high court halted two executions and state legislators overhauled the way convicted killers can be sentenced to death. But the Florida Supreme Court still hasn't decided what should happen to the 389 people on death row under the previous sentencing scheme. The court is taking the highly unusual step of this week of holding a second hearing before issuing a ruling a sign that the seven-member court could be deeply divided. The court said it wanted to hear from attorneys representing death row inmate Timothy Lee Hurst and the state on what affect the new sentencing law will have on his case.... In March, Gov. Rick Scott signed into law a new sentencing process for those convicted of murder. The new law requires at least 10 out of 12 jurors recommend execution for it to be carried out. Florida previously required that a majority of jurors recommend the death sentence. It remains one of only a handful of states that does not require a unanimous jury decision. The new law also requires prosecutors to spell out, before a murder trial begins, the reasons why a death sentence should be imposed, and requires the jury to decide unanimously if there is at least one reason, or aggravating factor, that justifies it. The decision to hold a second hearing in Hurst's case prompted three former state justices Harry Lee Anstead, Gerald Kogan and former U.S. District Judge Rosemary Barkett to join with two former heads of the bar association and an organization representing defense attorneys to argue that an existing state law requires those now on death row to have their sentences reduced to life in prison. The state has objected and argued the U.S. Supreme Court ruling is not retroactive. US Sentencing Commission working on impressive looking new website | Main | Ninth Circuit explains why disappearing does not get one out of a plea agreement or a mandatory minimum sentence The question in the title of this post is from the second part of the headline of this Mother Jones article. The first part of the headline explains "An Ex-Marine Killed Two People in Cold Blood," and here is how the piece starts: At 12:44 p.m. on March 6, 2009, John Thuesen called 911. "120 Walcourt Loop," he told the dispatcher, breathing hard. "Gunshot victims." The dispatcher in College Station, Texas, asked what had happened. "I got mad at my girlfriend and I shot her," he said. "She has sucking chest wounds" He'd not only shot Rachel Joiner, 21, but also her older brother Travis. Thuesen had broken into the house after midnight, not sure what he'd do but wanting to see his estranged girlfriend. She was out with her ex-boyfriend, but when she returned later that morning, things "got out of hand." Thuesen, a 25-year-old former Marine reservist, called 911 and almost immediately expressed remorse. When he was arrested, he repeatedly asked the police about the victims and tried to explain why he'd kept shooting Rachel and her brother: "I felt like I was in like a modelike training or a game or something." The prosecution in the case gave its opening statement on May 10, 2010. With DNA evidence and no other suspects, it only took prosecutors three days to make their case. Over the next week, the defense team touched on the facts that Thuesen suffered from depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) from his service in Iraq, but pleaded for leniency in his sentence. None of that swayed the jury: On May 28, 2010, he was sentenced to death. While on death row, Thuesen was given new lawyers, death penalty experts from the state's Office of Capital and Forensic Writs. In Texas, there are often two trials, one to determine guilt or innocence and the second to determine sentencing. Lawyers argued in their 2012 petition to have both the death penalty and the conviction vacated, and for a new sentencing trial, arguing that if his lawyers had served him adequately, "John Thuesen would not be on death row today, awaiting an execution date." In July 2015, Judge Travis Bryan III the same judge who had presided over the criminal trial agreed, and ruled that Thuesen's lawyers hadn't adequately explained the significance of his PTSD to jurors, and how it had factored into his actions on the day of the murders. Bryan also ruled that Thuesen's PTSD wasn't properly treated by the Veterans Health Administration. He recommended that Thuesen be granted a new punishment-phase trial. The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals could rule on Bryan's recommendation at any time. The ruling on his case has implications for a question that has concerned the military, veterans' groups, and death penalty experts: Should service-related PTSD exclude veterans from the death penalty? An answer to this question could affect some of the estimated 300 veterans who now sit on death rows across the country, according to the Death Penalty Information Center. But it's unclear how many of them suffer from PTSD or traumatic brain injuries, given how uneven the screening for these disorders has been. Experts are divided about whether veterans with PTSD who commit capital crimes deserve what is known as a "categorical exemption" or "exclusion." Juveniles receive such treatment, as do those with mental disabilities. In 2009, Anthony Giardino, a lawyer and Iraq War veteran, argued in favor of this in the Fordham Law Review, writing that courts "should consider the more fundamental question of whether the government should be in the business of putting to death the volunteers they have trained, sent to war, and broken in the process" who likely would not be in that position "but for their military service." In a 2015 Veterans Day USA Today op-ed, three retired military officials argued that in criminal cases, defense attorneys, prosecutors, and judges often don't consider veterans' PTSD with proper due diligence. "Veterans with PTSDdeserve a complete investigation and presentation of their mental state by the best experts in the field," they wrote. That idea is utterly unacceptable to Kent Scheidegger of the Criminal Justice Legal Foundation, a California-based victims-of-crime advocacy group, who contends a process already exists for veterans' defense attorneys to present mitigating evidence. To him, a categorical exclusion would be an "extreme step" that would mean "one factor always, in every case necessarily outweighs the aggravating factors of the case, no matter how cold, premeditated, sadistic, or just plain evil the defendant's actions may have been." The political theater on both sides continues today as five activists who have been on hunger strike outside Mission Police Station for nearly two weeks led a procession of protesters to City Hall today to demand a meeting with Mayor Ed Lee at which they will be demanding the termination or resignation of Police Chief Greg Suhr. All five were in wheelchairs and were pushed by people wearing white lab coats who may or may not be medical professionals. One of the leaders of what are now being called the Frisco Five, the local rapper known as Equipto, tells Mission Local, "We are going there in wheelchairs to preserve our strength because we know that whether or not the meeting happens, the strike will continue." As you surely know, this all goes back to the recent fatal shootings by police of Luis Gongora and Mario Woods, both of whom were armed with knives and neither of whom were, arguably, presenting real threats to the lives of the officers who shot them, though the official SFPD narrative continues to insist that they were. The protesters are also citing the 2014 killing of Alex Nieto for which the officers involved were recently acquitted and the 2015 death of Amilcar Perez Lopez. Equipto, whose given name is Ilych Sato, says the hunger strike was inspired by his mother, herself a community activist, 66-year-old Maria Cristina Guiterrez. Guiterrez addressed the assembled crowd today before the march saying, "We still believe that its possible to meet with Mayor Lee. Your strengths has made us be able to go without eating. We are cleaning ourselves of the dirt and hate they have put on our community to murder our children." Yesterday, the mayor attempted to head off today's demonstration by staging some theater of his own, arriving unannounced at Mission Station and posing for what appears to be a staged photo in front of five empty chairs, published today in a column by C.W. Nevius in the Chronicle. The narrative, which of course Nevius ran with gladly, is that the protesters have already gotten what they wanted a promise for broad police reforms and that they stubbornly refused even to sit down with the mayor after he came to them. Also, the five are referred to as "antipolice activists." Alerts have gone out via AlertSF to avoid the area of Van Ness, Market, and Civic Center as the march, which numbers in the hundreds, reached the area by 2 p.m. today and snarled traffic. A gathering appears to have stopped at the Van Ness intersection for a rally. Below, some video from Mission Local's Twitter. Update: The mayor was away from City Hall, allegedly, at the time of the protesters' arrival, at a meeting in the Bayview. As you can see in tweets below, protesters then decided to storm the Board of Supervisors' meeting chamber. Previously: Hunger Strike Grows Outside Mission Police Station Calling For Chief Suhr's Resignation Mayor Lee Attempts To Visit Hunger Strikers Ahead Of Planned Event, They Refuse The UK leg of the Vans Shop Riot has now been finalised, with the session going down on the weekend of 18th 19th June at Flo Skatepark in Nottingham. Check out the flyer and press release for the complete details, and scroll down further for a photographic selection of last years radness courtesy of James North. The Vans Shop Riot series is returning for 2016, with a two-day action packed event being held at Flo Skatepark in Nottingham on 18-19th June . Skate stores from across the country will come together for the weekend showdown, with 3,000 at stake as well as a place in the European finals up for grabs. Preparing to retain their Vans Shop Riot UK crowns, the team from Black Sheep are among those already confirmed to go head-to-head with their rival stores to claim their spot in the 2016 finals. Shop Riot was created back in 2009 with the intention of promoting grassroots European skateboarding, fostering team spirit and championing local skate shops. Taking fifteen stops across the continent, the series pitches the skate communitys finest against each other, showcasing incredible home grown talent, with the ultimate goal of becoming Vans Shop Riot European Champions! Vans Shop Riot UK will be held at Flo Skatepark in Nottingham, threatened with closure last year, the park has come back fighting. One of the UKs largest indoor skateparks and the busiest in Nottingham, its mix of transition and street obstacles make it the perfect host for the event. Black Sheep, Skate Pharmacy, Subvert, Focus and FortyTwo are amongst the UK skate stores signed up to date. Find out more about Vans Shop Riot, see edits, meet the teams and more news at Even as it looks more likely that Donald Trump will win the Republican presidential nomination, Ben Sasse, the first-term U.S. senator from Nebraska, remains firm that he can't support Trump. Just as Nebraska looked to get the political limelight in the presidential nominee selection race with the May 10 primary, things changed Tuesday night when Trump won the Indiana primary and candidate Ted Cruz ended his campaign. That meant Cruz canceled his event slated Wednesday in Lincoln, Nebraska, and Trump now seems on the path to get enough delegates to avoid a summer Republican National Committee brokered convention. The only Republican candidate left is John Kasich, who can't amass the needed 1,237 delegates to win the nomination. That means the phrase presumptive candidate is being applied to Trump for the first time by some people. But Sasse is standing by his previous statements that he won't back Trump in the run-up to the November election. In a tweet right after Indiana was won by Trump, Sasse wrote the following Tuesday night, with a link to his Facebook post of opposition to Trump: "Reporters keep asking if Indiana changes anything for me. The answer is simple: No. This from Febr. still holds..." Reporters keep asking if Indiana changes anything for me. The answer is simple: No. This from Febr. still holds:https://t.co/yUNSZTHW7E Ben Sasse (@BenSasse) May 4, 2016 The Facebook post begins with Sasse saying he understands the worry, ache and anger people have about America's position today. He also said he won't support likely Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton, who still has a challenger in Bernie Sanders. Sasse then writes: "If Donald Trump ends up as the GOP nominee, conservatives will need to find a third option. "Mr. Trumps relentless focus is on dividing Americans, and on tearing down rather than building back up this glorious nation. Much like President Obama, he displays essentially no understanding of the fact that, in the American system, we have a constitutional system of checks and balances, with three separate but co-equal branches of government." Sasse lists some statements by Trump (such as opening up libel laws so more people could sue), then finishes up: "I cant support Donald Trump." Sasse has used Twitter and interviews to make his anti-Trump views known. That doesn't look to be changing, even as some Republicans who have previously spoken against Trump move to join the fold. Update at 11:15 a.m. Wedn: Kasich will drop out of the race later Tuesday, making Trump the presumptive nominee. Update at 9 a.m. Thursday: Sasse on Thursday morning wrote a lengthy Facebook post to expand on his anti-Trump views. He wrote the post after hearing a lot of opposition to Trump during a stop at the Wal-Mart in Fremont, Neb. Sasse said he wants a more "adult" candidate, and that Americans shouldn't be satisfied with either Trump or Hillary Clinton as the final two major party presidential candidates. He wrote, "Heads, they win; tails, you lose. Why are we confined to these two terrible options? This is America. If both choices stink, we reject them and go bigger. Thats what we do." LE MARS, Iowa | Don't let Paola Aguinaga's youthful appearance fool you. At 23, she's already a veteran restaurateur. Aguinaga has worked in her family's La Juanita Mexican restaurants for as long as she can remember. Her dad, Martin, runs South Sioux City's La Juanita at 116 E. 21st St.; her aunt, Christina, operates Sioux City's La Juanita at 1316 Pierce St., while her uncle, Victor, runs the Storm Lake La Juanita at 613 Lake Ave. "I learned how to cook at La Juanita and learned how to run a business at La Juanita," Aguinaga said. "I'm proud to carry on my family's tradition." Along with her husband Ruben Nieves, Aguinaga opened Le Mars' La Juanita, at 785 Hawkeye Ave. SW, in mid-February. "Business has been good right from the start," she said. "The community has been quite supportive." Aguinaga said that doesn't surprise her as many Le Mars residents work in Sioux City, and many Sioux Cityans work in Le Mars. "People know the La Juanita name and they really like our food," she said. This may be a bit of an understatement. Since the mid 1990s, La Juanita has acquired a reputation for its authentic, made-to-order Mexican fare with diners, both locally and nationally. Sioux City's La Juanita came in fifth place for having "the most life-changing burrito in America," according to an Esquire Magazine reader poll in February 2013. Aguinaga said the Le Mars location has a nearly-identical menu as the more established restaurants. "Our food is very authentic fast food," she said. "There are plenty of fast food chains that offer Tex-Mex but that's not what we do." While La Juanita's menu is filled with familiar foods like tacos, burritos and enchiladas, they offer a wide variety of meat options. "Yes, we have the basic steak, chicken and pork," Aguinaga said. "But we also have (specialty meats like) lengua (beef tongue) for people wanting a change of pace." Other out-of-the-ordinary menu selections might include pescado empanizado (breaded and broiled pieces of pollock); chili verde (a flavorful stew made with pork, green salsa and cactus); and menudo (a traditional Mexican soup made with tripe -- beef stomach -- and a red chili pepper base). "This is Mexican street food and it's made authentically," Aguinaga said. "When you use only the freshest of ingredients, you will always get great food. "That's why people can never get enough of our burritos, tacos and tortas," she said. While she doesn't know how many more La Juanita restaurants there will be, Aguinaga is simply happy being in charge of the Le Mars location. "I like seeing people enjoy our food," she said. "That makes everything worthwhile." SIOUX CITY | A Woodbine, Iowa-based developer plans to build a 50-unit apartment complex in the annex attached to the former Sioux City Central High School. Darin Smith, co-principal of Arch Icon Development, on Tuesday explained the project to city's Historic Preservation Commission, which approved nominating the annex, at 1212 Nebraska St., to the National Register of Historic Places. "We've done several of these historic rehabs," Smith said. The commission voted unanimously to send an amended application to the state to extend the footprint of the historic high school to also cover the annex. The two buildings are attached. Buildings placed on the National Register are eligible for certain grants or tax incentives, according to the U.S. National Park Service. Caitlin Kolb, a historical preservationist with Omaha-based Alley Poyner Macchietto Architecture, said the annex was "too young" at the time to be included on the application with the high school, which was nominated and listed on the National Register in 1974. According to the commission, Central High opened in 1893 and closed in 1972 when other high schools were under construction. The building, at 610 13th St., later reopened as the Castle on the Hill Apartments in 2003. Smith said the proposed apartments would include affordable one-, two- and three-bedroom units. He added at least 50 percent of the annex gymnasium would be kept intact to meet historical designation requirements. The apartments also would feature an elevator and parking lot on the rustic lower level of the annex building. Smith said the Woodbine company could manage the apartments once completed. He also said the group will consider hiring Omaha-based Seldin Company, which also manages Castle on the Hill. The commission Tuesday also voted to nominate for historic status a downtown building that played a role in the Midwest armored car business during the 1940s. Lew Weinberg, a longtime Sioux City-based developer, owns the Lewis System Armored Car and Detective Building at 700 Nebraska St. According to the commission, the building is associated with the private investigation and development of armored car services used by banks and other organizations in Sioux City and other communities in Iowa. Roger Caudron, who represented Weinberg during the meeting, said Weinberg has no official plans for the building. He added the project is within the scope of plans to renovate the nearby Davidson and Warrior buildings. In March, Weinberg said he plans to open a 97-room boutique hotel with a 100-seat restaurant at the Davidson, while the Warrior could be converted into a 14,000-square-foot retail, restaurant and apartment space. "It is connected in the periphery of the Davidson and Warrior projects," Caudron said after the meeting. "But it is not part of it." Commission member Jim Jung said the nominations will require the approval of Mayor Bob Scott before they can be sent to the State Nominations Review Committee. The state deadline is June 10. If they win approval, they will be sent to the National Park Service for final consideration. VERMILLION, S.D. | The wife of University of South Dakota President James Abbott died Wednesday at their home. Colette Abbott, 59, was diagnosed with cancer last week and was awaiting surgery, according to the university. Funeral arrangements are pending. Abbott's death is a major loss for the USD and Vermillion communities, said Tena Haraldson, director of marketing and university relations. "Faculty, staff and students are grieving this loss because Colette was such an important member of the USD community," Haraldson said. Abbott was active in many local and statewide organizations, including the Children's Home Society, South Dakota Community Foundation and the National Music Museum. She also founded South Dakota's first Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure in 2008, which helped raise money and awareness for breast cancer research. Jim Moran, USD provost and vice president for academic affairs, added that she brought enthusiasm and cheer to every university event she attended or functions she hosted. "USD will not quite be the same for a time, but for now, we focus on our sympathy and prayers for President Abbott and his family," he said. USD reported that flowers had been placed at the coyote statue on campus in her memory. Colette Abbott grew up in Pierre, South Dakota and attended USD. She and Abbott wed in 1987 and have three daughters. Her dedication to her family, community and state did not go unnoticed throughout South Dakota. "Colette dedicated her life to her family and bettering education for South Dakota young people," U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds, R-S.D., said in a statement. "She touched countless lives throughout the years. Her kindness and generosity will be missed by all." STORM LAKE, Iowa | A seven-month investigation into a series of burglaries has ended in an arrest, Storm Lake police announced Wednesday. Torian Vaughan Jr., 23, of Pocahontas, Iowa, was arrested Tuesday in Creston, Iowa, and is being held in Storm Lake on burglary and other charges. Since September 2015, 21 businesses in the area have been burglarized through similar methods. In the same span, police said they learned 13 other jurisdictions in Northwest Iowa had numerous burglaries to businesses, matching the same styles as the Storm Lake crimes. The Buena Vista County Sheriffs Office joined in the investigation after a burglary in Alta, Iowa. In February, Region I Law Enforcement Intelligence Network, which includes 41 law enforcement agencies in Northwest Iowa, joined the effort. Vaughan had been identified in a traffic stop earlier this year and was wanted for a burglary charge out of College Park, Ga. He was detained briefly but released after Georgia declined to extradite him. The investigation linked Vaughan to acquaintances and residences in the various communities in the area that had reported the burglaries, including several homes in Storm Lake he allegedly frequented, officials said. Vaughan was eventually linked to several of the crimes by the Iowa DCI Crime Lab, authorities said. On Monday, warrants were issued charging Vaughan with third-degree burglary and ongoing criminal conduct. Police secured search warrants for residences and vehicles in Sheldon, Iowa, Creston and Pocahontas, and to secure DNA evidence from Vaughan himself. Storm Lake officers, assisted by area law enforcement, arrested Vaughan Tuesday in Creston. Additional charges are pending. On Tuesday, investigators brought Vaughan back to Storm Lake and booked him into the Buena Vista County Jail on a $25,000 bond. The arrest of Vaughan is the direct result of great cooperation from the 41 agencies within the LEIN Region I area as well as the agencies who assisted us in southern Iowa," Storm Lake Public Safety Director Mark Prosser said. Im also very appreciative for the valuable assistance provided by the Buena Vista County Attorneys Office, the Buena Vista County Sheriffs Department, and the Iowa DCI, he said. SIOUX CITY | Another top Iowa Republican official has come forward to support U.S. Rep. Steve King in his contested GOP primary with state Sen. Rick Bertrand. Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds on Wednesday publicly backed King, a seven-term incumbent from Kiron. Reynolds said she discussed her endorsement with Gov. Terry Branstad, who she closely works with in the state's executive branch. Branstad earlier said he would remain neutral in the King-Bertrand race. "I did let him know, as a heads up," Reynolds said in an exclusive interview with the Journal. Reynolds, a former state senator from southwest Iowa, said King was the best Republican to represent the 4th District, which covers 39 counties in northwest and north central Iowa. Reynolds said she doesn't usually get involved in contested primaries, but said King has been an effective congressman. "He has been an effective advocate for his district and for Iowans," Reynolds said of King. Reynolds said she appreciated his support in 2010. She alluded to a floor flight that year at the state Republican convention, where King ultimately placed her name into nomination for lieutenant governor. The Branstad-Reynolds ticket won election that year and re-election in 2014. King, an unspoken conservative, also has endorsements from both U.S. Republican senators from Iowa -- Charles Grassley and Joni Ernst -- and Iowa Agriculture Secretary Bill Northey. Bertrand came into the race in March in part out of concern for agriculture interests after King in late 2015 endorsed Republican presidential candidate Ted Cruz, a U.S. senator from Texas. Cruz doesn't support an extension to the federal Renewable Fuel Standard for corn-based ethanol. That caused Branstad and others to publicly criticize King's pick, with the Republican governor saying Cruz shouldn't be supported by Iowans after his knock on an industry that is so important to the state. Cruz dropped out of the presidential race on Tuesday after a decisive loss in Indiana to presumptive nominee Donald Trump. Reynolds said King is a strong ethanol backer and since the flap has made "a concerted effort" to let agriculture interests know he supports them. Bertrand to date has not announced the endorsements of any state or federal leaders, but previously said he will get substantial support from lawmakers. Reynolds said she respects Bertrand's work in the Legislature. "This is not a reflection on Senator Bertrand at all," she said. I think Steve has done a good job," Reynolds said. In a release, King said he appreciated Reynold's endorsement. Lt. Gov. Reynolds is authentic and I admire her conservative ideals, King said. The sole Democrat running for the Iowa 4th District is Kim Weaver, of Sheldon. STORM LAKE, Iowa | Firefighters quelled flames that burned through an apartment kitchen and into the attic Monday afternoon. The Storm Lake Fire Department responded to the Otsego Place Apartments, 520 Otsego St. at about 4:20 p.m. and found a fire that had burned in a ventilation hood above a dishwasher. Staff at the complex extinguished the fire, but more flames were found in the attic space above, burning the insulation. Firefighters extinguished that fire and observe the rafters and insulation in the attic had charred. The source of the fire was found to be an electric fan motor in the ductwork had overheated. No one was injured and residents were successfully evacuated. The damage is estimated to be about $2,000. Firefighters were assisted at the scene by Storm Lake police officers. SIOUX CITY | Two women who were each sentenced to five years in prison for staging a bank robbery will have their sentences reconsidered. District Judge Jeffrey Neary has scheduled hearings for Tuesday in which he will determine whether he will amend the sentences he gave to Heaven Zevenbergen and Angelica Perez. Both women have been transferred from the Iowa Department of Corrections to the Woodbury County Jail to await their court appearances. Zevenbergen and Perez, both 19 and of Sioux City, were sentenced in February for second-degree theft. Each had pleaded guilty to an Aug. 15 plan in which Perez arrived at the Security National Bank branch at Hy-Vee, 2827 Hamilton Blvd., in disguise and passed Zevenbergen, who was a bank employee, a note demanding cash and saying she was armed. Zevenbergen then gave Perez $10,000. Assistant Woodbury County Attorney James Loomis said at sentencing that Zevenbergen then faked passing out to give Perez more time to escape. Perez mistakenly locked her keys in her car and had to hide the cash and her disguise in the Perry Creek ditch nearby. When the two returned later, most of the money was missing. Police recovered approximately $600 of the cash. Neary ordered Zevenbergen and Perez to make restitution for the rest of the amount to the bank. Neary said at sentencing that despite both women having no criminal history and being good students with strong family support, he would be sending the wrong message to the community by giving them probation rather than a prison sentence. Attorneys for both women filed motions for reconsideration shortly after sentencing. Perez' attorney, Gretchen Cooper, said that Perez had been employed and attending college full time before her incarceration. She also had been receiving counseling and would continue to do so if released from prison. Zevenbergen's attorney, Jack Faith, said his client had been undergoing treatment for drug and alcohol addiction and that if released from prison, she would continue with that counseling and agree to complete the Drug Court program. He also pointed out that a presentence investigation conducted by the Iowa Department of Corrections had concluded that she was an appropriate candidate for probation. Friday, a Russian SU-27 did a barrel roll over a U.S. RC-135 over the Baltic, the second time in two weeks. Also in April, the U.S. destroyer Donald Cook, off Russia's Baltic enclave of Kaliningrad, was twice buzzed by Russian planes. Vladimir Putin's message: Keep your spy planes and ships a respectable distance away from us. Apparently, we have not received it. Friday, Deputy Secretary of Defense Robert Work announced that 4,000 NATO troops, including two U.S. battalions, will be moved into Poland and the Baltic States, right on Russia's border. "The Russians have been doing a lot of snap exercises right up against the border with a lot of troops," says Work, who calls this "extraordinarily provocative behavior." But how are Russian troops deploying inside Russia "provocative," while U.S. troops on Russia's front porch are not? And before we ride this escalator up to a clash, we had best check our hole card. Germany is to provide one of four battalions to be sent to the Baltic. But a Bertelsmann Foundation poll last week found that only 31 percent of Germans favor sending their troops to resist a Russian move in the Baltic States or Poland, while 57 percent oppose it, though the NATO treaty requires it. Last year, a Pew poll found majorities in Italy and France also oppose military action against Russia if she moves into Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia or Poland. If it comes to war in the Baltic, our European allies prefer that we Americans fight it. Asked on his retirement as Army chief of staff what was the greatest strategic threat to the United States, Gen. Ray Odierno echoed Marine Corps Gen. Joseph Dunford, "I believe that Russia is." He mentioned threats to Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Ukraine. Yet, when Gen. Odierno entered the service, all four were part of the Soviet Union, and no Cold War president ever thought any was worth a war. The independence of the Baltic States was one of the great peace dividends after the Cold War. But when did that become so vital a U.S. interest we would go to war with Russia to guarantee it? Putin may top the enemies list of the Beltway establishment, but we should try to see the world from his point of view. When Ronald Reagan met Mikhail Gorbachev in Reykjavik in 1986, Putin was in his mid-30s, and the Soviet Empire stretched from the Elbe to the Bering Strait and from the Arctic to Afghanistan. Russians were all over Africa and had penetrated the Caribbean and Central America. The Soviet Union was a global superpower that had attained strategic parity with the United States. Now consider how the world has changed for Putin, and Russia. By the time he turned 40, the Red Army had begun its Napoleonic retreat from Europe and his country had splintered into 15 nations. By the time he came to power, the USSR had lost one-third of its territory and half its population. Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan were gone. The Black Sea, once a Soviet lake, now had on its north shore a pro-Western Ukraine, on its eastern shore a hostile Georgia, and on its western shore two former Warsaw Pact allies, Bulgaria and Romania, being taken into NATO. For Russian warships in Leningrad, the trip out to the Atlantic now meant cruising past the coastline of eight NATO nations: Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Germany, Denmark, Norway and Great Britain. Putin has seen NATO, despite solemn U.S. assurances given to Gorbachev, incorporate all of Eastern Europe that Russia had vacated, and three former republics of the USSR itself. He now hears a clamor from American hawks to bring three more former Soviet republics -- Moldova, Georgia and Ukraine -- into a NATO alliance directed against Russia. After persuading Kiev to join a Moscow-led economic union, Putin saw Ukraine's pro-Russian government overthrown in a U.S.-backed coup. He has seen U.S.-funded "color-coded" revolutions try to dump over friendly regimes all across his "near abroad." "Russia has not accepted the hand of partnership," says NATO commander, Gen. Philip Breedlove, "but has chosen a path of belligerence." But why should Putin see NATO's inexorable eastward march as an extended "hand of partnership"? Had we lost the Cold War and Russian spy planes began to patrol off Pensacola, Norfolk and San Diego, how would U.S. F-16 pilots have reacted? If we awoke to find Mexico, Canada, Cuba, and most of South America in a military alliance against us, welcoming Russian bases and troops, would we regard that as "the hand of partnership"? We are reaping the understandable rage and resentment of the Russian people over how we exploited Moscow's retreat from empire. Did we not ourselves slap aside the hand of Russian friendship, when proffered, when we chose to embrace our "unipolar moment," to play the "great game" of empire and seek "benevolent global hegemony"? If there is a second Cold War, did Russia really start it? In a March 27 editorial, we said Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump shares responsibility for violence directed at protesters by his supporters because of incendiary rhetoric he uses. We urged him to tone down the "tough guy" talk and speak out at his rallies in stronger fashion against the violence. No place exists in our democratic process, we said, for violence at presidential campaign events. In fairness, today we direct our criticism not at Trump, but at Trump protesters who engaged in repulsive violence outside the site of a rally for the candidate in Costa Mesa, Calif., on Thursday night. According to published reports, protesters blocked traffic, kicked at and punched approaching vehicles, attacked Trump supporters, fought with and shouted insults at law enforcement officers and smashed the window and kicked in the doors of a police car. Cops in riot gear responded; nearly two dozen protesters were arrested. A protest is acceptable - in fact, it's an exercise of protected free speech. Violence is not. Frankly, we question whether it's accurate to call those who took to the streets outside the Trump event in Costa Mesa "protesters." They appeared more interested in causing trouble than sending a political message and deserved nothing more than arrest and marginalization. The garbage we witnessed in Costa Mesa not only served no useful purpose, but may, in what would be a twist of irony, do the cause of protesters more harm than good by increasing support for Trump ahead of the June 7 California presidential primary. "Every time leftist protesters disrupt one of his events or stage a riot outside, he benefits," Editor Rich Lowry wrote in National Review on Tuesday. "They arent on the Trump payroll, but they might as well be. The protests are catnip to cable TV as if Trump needed any more free media attention and provide the perfect framing for Trumps message that only he has the strength to defy the forces of chaos and political correctness." Bottom line: Proper ways exist for Americans to voice dissent, but this wasn't one of them. Because, as we said on March 27, no place exists in our democratic process - and, we might add, in our civilized society - for violence at presidential campaign events. SIOUX CITY | Sioux City Historic Preservation Week will celebrate the city's and country's history. The week-long event kicks off with the eighth Barstool Open 11 a.m. Saturday at Buffalo Alice, 1022 Fourth St. Play begins at noon, and registration is $50 for a team of four. An after party will be 4:30 p.m. at Firehouse Bar, 1211 Fifth St. On Sunday, Sioux City Fire Rescue will provide free tours from 1 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Firehouse No. 4, 3109 Dearborn Blvd. A ceremony will be held at 4 p.m. Monday in the council chambers at City Hall, 405 Sixth St., to proclaim Historic Preservation week. The Sioux City Public Museum, 607 Fourth St., will host a presentation at noon May 11 on the 50th anniversary of the National Preservation Act and 100th anniversary of the U.S. National Park Service. On May 13, the Treasure of Sioux City award will be presented at 10 a.m. at Firehouse No. 1, 408 Water St. The commission also will present its new Jackson Street tour book. The week will conclude with National Train Day at the Milwaukee Railroad Shops, 3400 Sioux River Road. Normal admission fees apply. ORANGE CITY, Iowa | The Dutch have been wearing wooden shoes since medieval times. Dr. Jonathan Grossmann said his college roommate, who hailed from the Netherlands, wore his "klompen" out to the barn every day. He said contractors in the Netherlands still slip on their wooden shoes to do roofing work. Grossmann has worn wooden shoes to the Orange City Tulip Festival for 18 years and gone injury-free the entire time, even while scrubbing the street. This year, his costume doesn't require them. "We always try to wear a heavy pair of socks and then we can get some stick-on foam up inside the top of the shoe," he explained as he displayed a pair of black wooden shoes in the living room of his Orange City home. "It gives you a little bit more comfort." The soles of wooden shoes, Grossmann said, are actually very comfortable. "I've never had any problem at all with that part, because it has a nice arch and it's curved nicely for your foot," he said. Unlike leather shoes, wooden shoes don't bend when you walk. Grossmann said you'll need to practice walking in them before taking to the streets of Orange City come Tulip time. He said a friend of his rides a high wheel bike during the parades in wooden shoes. Grossmann opts for leather shoes while bike riding. He said he tried to ride a motorcycle to the festival in wooden shoes once, but that didn't work out. "When you walk with wooden shoes, your feet don't flex," Grossmann said. "You kind of have to pick the whole foot up." Grossmann, a family physician with Orange City Area Health System, said he hasn't had to treat any sprained ankles or other injuries suffered while wearing wooden shoes. He suspects trips and falls would likely plague those who haven't prepared. Grossmann said his friend did run into some trouble one year riding a high wheel bike in wooden shoes during the parade while smoking a pipe. "He was hyperventilating. He started to get nauseated and he about passed out," he said. "You can get too authentic, I think." The most common ailment to befall tulip festival-goers, Grossmann said, is dehydration. If the weather is warm, he said you should be sure to drink plenty of water and take breaks in the shade. "We usually get some elderly people who are dehydrated," he said. "They come to the emergency room because they've fainted." Grossmann has never had to respond to an emergency while in costume during the festival. He said a triage tent manned by an ambulance crew is located uptown near the parade route. "They'll actually see people down there that aren't feeling well," he said. "The paramedics will assess them and take care of them down there. They're really good at their jobs." The Small Business Administration (SBA) last year issued proposed rules that could significantly alter the contracting experience for all small businesses in 2016 and beyond. Specifically, the changes, made in the Small Business Government Contracting and National Defense Authorization Act of 2013 Amendments, will affect the Mentor-Protege program for government contractors. Small Business Trends spoke by phone with Edward DeLisle, an attorney in Philadelphia, Pa., and a member of the Section of Public Contract Law of the American Bar Association, which helped draft a comment on the bill, to get the details on what these changes mean for small businesses moving forward. Small Business Trends: Before we discuss the changes represented by the amendments and what they mean for small business, could you first explain the purpose of the SBA Mentor-Protege program? Edward DeLisle: The SBA Mentor-Protege program to allow small disadvantaged firms that are part of the governments 8(a) Business Development Program, to partner with established companies for the purpose of increasing the small businesss ability to win government contracts. (The 8(a) Program offers a broad scope of assistance to firms that are at least 51 percent owned and controlled by socially and economically disadvantaged individuals.) Through the program, mentor businesses, which are typically larger, guide their protege, sharing advice the various aspects of running a business. The idea is to assist protege companies in being able to survive long-term. Small Business Trends: Could you spell out in greater detail the benefits to the protege company in participating in this program? Edward DeLisle: The two main advantages are business mentoring and business development. Smaller companies get the opportunity to learn from the mentor who provides institutional knowledge, including advice on how to bid for a job, how to win new contracts, manage employees, run crews, handle accounting all the things that made the mentor company successful over the years. Small Business Trends: In what ways does the mentor business benefit from the relationship? Edward DeLisle: The federal government sets aside certain contracts solely for 8(a) companies to bid on. By becoming a mentor, a larger company can partner with the 8(a) company to gain access to those contracts. Typically, when the government puts contracts out for bid, its an open competition in which any business can participate. If the contract is set aside for 8(a) companies, however, the pool of bidders is much smaller, preventing the large company from bidding. Through the program, mentors can partner with proteges in a joint venture, to pursue opportunities they would not have access to otherwise. Also, by partnering with the larger company, proteges get to bid on jobs that are bigger than they could handle on their own. Its a symbiotic relationship that benefits both parties. Small Business Trends: What is the process companies go through to set up a SBA mentor-protege relationship? Edward DeLisle: The way its always worked, a company would apply to become 8(a) certified. Then, to advance his business interests, the business owner would seek out a larger company in the same industry that would agree to become a mentor. The two companies would submit a business plan and mentor-protege agreement to the SBA, which then has to agree that the plan would benefit the protege. The SBA would bless the union, so to speak, and the relationship would proceed. The two companies could then find opportunities they could pursue together. To illustrate, lets say a general contractor certified as 8(a) wanted to bid on a project set aside just for 8(a) companies the renovation of a government-owned building, for example. The mentor and protege would form a joint venture, which the SBA has to approve, and then bid against other 8(a) certified companies for the contract. Small Business Trends: Could you describe the changes outlined in the amendments? Edward DeLisle: In February 2015, the SBA issued a proposed rule that would establish one government-wide mentor-protege program for all small businesses while continuing to operate the separate mentor-protege program available to participants in the 8(a) Business Development Program. See Also: SBA and VA Celebrate National Veterans Small Business Week The proposed rule would expand the program to small businesses other than those in the 8(a) program and would allow all entities in SBA-approved mentor-protege relationships to seek opportunities, as joint venture partners, for which the protege entity is eligible. The other businesses include those that are women-owned, service-disabled veteran-owned, HUBZone and any other small business for that matter enabling them to benefit from the same advantages experienced by 8(a) companies. Small Business Trends: In your opinion, do these changes represent an improvement for small businesses or a step back? Edward DeLisle: The changes represent a huge improvement for small companies because 8(a) companies have always benefitted from the Mentor-Protege program. The amendments expand that program to these other categories of businesses so that they, too, can benefit eventually. Small Business Trends: What is the anticipated date for when the changes go into effect? Edward DeLisle: Initially, it was determined the final rules would be issued by the end of the first quarter of 2016. Obviously, that time has come and gone. Now, theyre saying the final set will be issued around June or July of 2016. Small Business Trends: What other thoughts or suggestions do you have for small businesses regarding the changes? Edward DeLisle: If yours is one of the other types of businesses and you want to be included in the mentor-protege program, the most important thing is to understand what the rules are and be prepared to take advantage of them. Find someone who can assist you in expanding your horizons as a small business. More of these relationships will be forming, and you want to participate in the program because your competitors will be. I recommend that businesses contact their local SBA office or visit the SBA website, as a lot of information is available there as well. For more information on the proposed rule changes, read Small Business Contracting May Be Very Different in 2016, a blog post written by DeLisle and a colleague that addresses this issue in greater detail. There are many fitness goals out there that we desire. Some of us want to be leaner and others wish to put on muscle mass. The thing is, for you to achieve your fitness goals, you need to ANNAPOLIS (May 3, 2016)The Maryland Natural Resources Police (NRP) today released the following incident and arrest reports. NRP is the enforcement arm of the Department of Natural Resources (DNR). NRP is the only police force aside from the Maryland State Police that has statewide jurisdiction.A Baltimore County man who is under a lifetime ban from engaging in commercial or recreational fishing was charged Saturday with harvesting crabs at the mouth of the Patuxent River.Thomas William Pannebaker, 45, of Essex, could face a year in jail and/or a $25,000 fine when he appears in Calvert County District Court on July 11.Pannebaker received his lifetime ban in 2003 from a Baltimore County judge after he was caught by Natural Resources Police officers near Essex Skypark and cited for 10 violations, including crabbing with illegal pots and wearing night vision goggles. At that time, Pannebaker had a court record of more than a decade that included eight convictions for crabbing in a restricted area, crabbing without a license, using illegal equipment and crabbing on days when he shouldn't have.Pannebaker was working aboard a commercial boat when he was caught during a routine inspection.A Calvert County man was charged with illegal oystering on Saturday following a lengthy investigation.Jason Kevin Hoffman, 31, of Lusby, was charged with harvesting oysters during a closed season and selling oysters caught for recreational purposes.Officers began receiving complaints in January about illegal activities and began conducting surveillance of Hoffman's oyster diving operation.He is scheduled to appear in Calvert County District Court on July 11. If found guilty, he could be fined as much as $2,000. On primary election day, Maryland Democrats sent a strong message that for them experience and proven ability in public office are what count most. Frustrated Maryland Republicans, though, opted to follow a charismatic Pied Piper with wild ideas and zero elective experience. Thats the biggest take-away from the April 26 balloting in the Free State. Except for Donald Trumps easy triumph in the GOP presidential primary, Maryland voters came down heavily on the side of polished politicians whom they feel they can trust to deal with societys intensely complex problems. The mad as hell euphoria sweeping parts of the country against establishment figures didnt flood into Maryland. Pragmatic insiders got the nod over impractical outsiders. Top of the ticket In the Democratic presidential primary, Hillary Clinton walloped Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont. No feel the Bern groundswell of support for the far-left socialist-democrat in Maryland. He lost by a whopping 30 percentage pointsone of his worst drubbings outside the Deep South. That bodes well for Clinton in Maryland this November. She will benefit from solid Democratic support in a heavily Democratic state as well as the ABT (Anyone But Trump) factor: Two out of three Americans tell pollsters they view The Donald unfavorably. In the Republican president primary, Trump trumped two weak contenders, Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas and Gov. John Kasich of Ohio. It was easy pickings in Maryland for the outspoken billionaire real estate developer. Hes popular in rural areas (where he held his only Maryland campaign events) but he is detested in the states population centers. Maryland wont be on his November list of winnable states unless his advisers live in the same world of unreality as the candidate. United States Senate In the Democratic race for U.S. Senate, voters overwhelmingly favored Rep. Chris Van Hollen, who blew away Rep. Donna Edwards by a far wider than expected margin. Edwards won African-American jurisdictions but not by stupendous totals. She got clobbered everywhere else, especially in the Baltimore suburbs and in the states largest jurisdiction, Montgomery County. Van Hollens easy romp on May 26 will make it nearly impossible for the GOP nominee, state Sen. Kathy Szeliga of Baltimore County, to compete in a November election where Democratic turnout could set a record. The ABT effect could severely undercut her chances, too. Congressional primaries In two suburban Washington congressional primaries, Democratic voters again opted for well-qualified and proven establishment officials. In Montgomery County, state Sen. Jamie Raskin defeated two Democratic outsiders, a wine-business multi-millionaire, David Trone (who tried to buy the election by spending a record $13 million), and a former local news personality, Kathleen Matthews. Raskin isnt flashy or charismatic. But hes a solid constitutional law professor and an ultra-liberal who learned in Annapolis how to work effectively within the legislative system. His legal smarts could prove a decided plus in the House of Representatives. He and his wife, Deputy Treasury Secretary Sarah Bloom Raskin, also could become one of Washingtons most prominent power couples after November, since Raskin is virtually assured of victory in the general election. In heavily Democratic Prince Georges County, former Lt. Gov. Anthony Brown won a close congressional race against former two-time States Attorney Glenn Ivey. The two insiders far outdistanced the field, which included a vocal Latino-rights candidate. Voters in Prince Georges clearly preferred the tried and true, remembering Browns quality service in the county as a two-term delegate rather than his weak performance as lieutenant governor and his abysmal run for governor in 2014. Mayoral race in Baltimore In Baltimore City, a stampede of candidates filed for the Democratic nomination for mayor but only two were taken seriously by voters. The non-politician outsiders, exemplified by lawyer Elizabeth Embry and multi-millionaire financial investor David Warnock, failed miserably to gain traction. Warnock ran an uplifting campaign but he never persuaded voters he has what it takes to turn around a troubled, aging urban city. His advertising symbolismdriving through Baltimore in an old pickup truckbefuddled rather than enlightened viewers. Embry, meanwhile, kept harping on criminal justice reformsa misleading platform since Baltimores mayor plays a minor role in this area. Thats the job of the states attorney and the state legislature. Her smarmy last-minute advertising blitz portraying the two leading candidates as virtual criminals was a black mark in an otherwise constructive campaign. Seven out of ten city voters supported the two most experienced insider candidates, former Mayor Sheila Dixon and state Sen. Catherine Pugh. Thats a ringing endorsement of competence in office over protesting voices from outside the government arena. Pugh very narrowly defeated Dixon by winning over the citys white voters and business community. Dixon ran strongest among African Americans who remembered her decades of constituent service and who deeply believe everyone deserves a second chance. The city should benefit from Pughs victory, which all but officially makes her the next mayor in December, given the Democrats lopsided voter advantage in Baltimore. She is on friendly terms with Republican Gov. Larry Hogan and key state lawmakers and will have an open door in seeking help from Baltimores business and civic leaders. On April 26, Maryland proved in most cases an island of sanity and stability in an election season marked by bizarre and hard to explain developments. The states voters, by and large, seem to have their feetand their sensesplanted firmly on the ground. Barry Rascovars blog is www.politicalmaryland.com. He can be reached at brascovar@hotmail.com As the U.S. Presidential campaign enters the summer season, both major political parties are turning their attention to the national conventions. Republicans go first, staging their convention in Cleveland, Ohio, July 18-21. Heading into Tuesday nights Indiana primary, billionaire businessman Donald J. Trump held a 996 to 565-delegate lead over U.S. Senator Ted Cruz of Texas. Trump, following a five state sweep in last weeks northeastern primaries, has taken to referring to himself as the presumptive nominee. A Republican candidate is required to collect 1,237 delegates to earn to the partys nod. Cruz, in a last ditch effort to catch Trump, stoked fears of sexual predators lurking in bathrooms. Trump said transgender people should be permitted to use the bathroom they feel comfortable. Cruz disagrees. "This is not a matter of right or left, or Democrat or Republican. This is common sense. It doesn't make sense for grown adult men, strangers, to be alone in a restroom with a little girl," Cruz told CNN's Jake Tapper on "State of the Union." Pushing back against Cruzs attempts to demonize transgender people, Caitlyn Jenner proudly marched into Trump Tower to use the ladies room. Jenner, a Republican, quipped: "By the way, Ted, nobody got molested." Meanwhile, Trump jetted off to California for a rally that turned ugly as police arrested 17 protestors in Costa Mesa. On Monday, the alleged ringleader, 19-year-old Luis Fernando Alarcon was charged with felony vandalism and a misdemeanor for inciting a riot. Latino activist groups in California are promising similar uprisings when Trump returns to the Golden State. Were going to keep showing up and standing against the actions and the hate Donald Trump is creating. We are going to continue to just show up in numbers and stand together, Luis Serrano, an organizer with the California Immigration Youth Justice Alliance, told the Los Angeles Times. California, one of the last states to cast ballots, holds elections June 7. For Democrats, the narrative is much calmer, although U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont refuses to throw in the towel. Sanders trails former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in the delegate math 1,645 to 1,318. A Democratic candidate is required to collect 2,382 delegates to earn to the partys nod. Sanders, on Monday, said the partys convention July 25-28 in Philadelphia will be contested. Clinton, however, appears to have weathered the socialists challenge. After winning four of five northeastern states last week, Clinton told reporters its not how you get knocked down that matters, but how you get back up and keep fighting. This year, the co-owner of Rumors Bar and Shawn and Nicks Courtyard Cafe, Nick Berry, celebrates his 11th anniversary on the Planning and Zoning Board of the City of Wilton Manors. He has also served for three years on the citys Economic Development Task Force, and never missed a single meeting on either. The greatness of Wilton Manors depends, in part, on solid partnerships with people like Nick Berry, said Julie Carson, Wilton Manors City Commissioner. Nick consistently invests time, money, and other resources into the bank of our City's future. He is a vital link to our City's success. This year also celebrates another anniversary for Nick Berry, one not customarily known to local residents and the LGBT business community. It represents the 30th anniversary of his arrest on federal charges for drug smuggling, accused in United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida of conspiracy to import marijuana and other related crimes. This past week, Berry sat down with SFGN and met with city commissioners to come out about his past. Drug running was commonplace for many high rolling young men in South Florida in the 1980s. It was all about boats, planes, and automobiles, said Berry, now 58. And regrettably, I made it my existence. I was sucked into the lure of fast money and a high life, with my own fleet of boats and planes running drugs on the high seas. But meteors burn out, and in 1986 Berrys lifestyle ran into the law. He was arrested, charged, prosecuted, and convicted. He was sentenced to, and served, five years in federal prison. I came out of jail a new man, said Berry today. While in custody, I divorced a wife I should not have married, and renounced the lifestyle I should not have lived. A drug abuser back then, today Berrys businesses, including managing real estate properties, employ over 60 people in the City of Wilton Manors. He contributes to and partners with a host of charities, including Hospice; The Smart Ride; the citys Historical Society; Poverello; Broward House; and the Florida AIDS Walk. Berry and his companies have also sponsored Women in Network, the Fort Lauderdale High School Band, SunServe, Stonewall and The Pride Center at Equality Park. The tough guy who once flew drug-filled planes to six countries in one day now underwrites 12 charitable projects in one month, from the likes of the City of Wilton Manors Police Bike Safety Program to the Special Olympics, the Pet Project and Veterans Day events. I enjoy giving back. It has helped make me who I am today, I would never have had the success I have without the special community we have cultivated here in the Manors, Berry said. We have marvelous people, caring businesses, great volunteers, and a wealth of resources that make us special. I want to keep it that way, and make it even better. Born and raised in a rough part of Detroit, Michigan, Berry recalls a childhood where his mother and an abusive stepfather reared him. I have never met my biological father, he said. But he has met a new life partner since his tenure in prison, and he is ever so grateful for his husband, Joe Bush, 48. Its like the Brady Bunch Boy met the hoodlum, Berry joked. Joe is the one who has calmed me down on one hand and pushes me on the other. He helps drive my motivations. That path, Berry suspects, will help him land one day on the city commission in the city that he works in and loves, Wilton Manors. My goal one day, in all honesty, is to be a successful and productive Wilton Manors city commissioner, and unlike other politicians, I intend to be open and accessible tomorrow and honest about my past today. I think my character has been established by my deeds and determination in doing better. Has he ever. When released from prison in 1990, Berry took a job as a landscaper in Pompano Beach, for $8.50 an hour. Within a year though, he moved on to become a Telcom salesperson that began generating a six-figure income. It was there that I met Terry Syrcle, and together we acquired the Courtyard Villa, a boutique hotel on the ocean in Lauderdale by the Sea. The investment proved profitable, and planted the seeds for Berrys civic commitments. He served as the president of the Lauderdale by the Sea Chamber of Commerce. Meanwhile, the business duo of Berry and Terry continued to purchase and manage other real estate properties, which, Berry acknowledges, soared in value. We made honest money, paid taxes, and amassed legitimate properties. This time around he bought by the acre and not the ounce. Nick Berry has remarkably transformed his life. A kid who grew up on dangerous streets in Detroit, a Navy sailor by 1975, a federal prisoner in 1990, and a real estate magnate by 2005. Lots of changes, but one constant remains: I feel lucky that I was able to turn my life around. I have overcome obstacles that everyone has and used them to forge an inner strength. We all have road blocks in life, Berry said. Its how much drive you have for success that counts. Be ready. It may become his campaign slogan for city commission in the future. On Friday night, May 3, 1991, the LGBT community of South Florida experienced its Stonewall event. It was an evening that will live in infamy, a night when Broward Countys chief law enforcement officer, the late Sheriff Nick Navarro, disgraced himself and humiliated our LGBT community. On that weekend night, at 11:20 p.m., the Broward Sheriffs office launched an unprecedented law enforcement operation against two of the most popular gay clubs in Broward County, the Copa in Dania Beach and Club 21 in Hallandale. In my judgment, the raids were unlawful, the actions unconscionable, and the deeds unforgivable. With live television crews following him, the sheriff authorized the utterly astonishing use of over 100 Broward Sheriff`s Office deputies, partnering with 15 state alcohol officers to simultaneously invade both nightclubs, accusing them of being awash with cocaine. The sheriffs representations were a fabrication. His allegations were an unadulterated lie. The truth and facts are that the entire police action resulted in in a total of six drug arrests, two at the Copa and four at Club 21. Despite this, state alcohol agents effectively invaded the clubs that evening, and served each with emergency orders of suspension. They could not serve liquor, essentially thus shutting them down. That was 25 years ago today. Sheriff Navarro orchestrated the raid as if he were hosting a Hollywood opening. As the news report by Steve Rothaus indicates, the Sheriff turned the raid into a media event, placing the entire LGBT community in a false light. Navarro arrived on the scene, believe it or not, in a helicopter, accompanied by his wife, dressed in an evening gown. Reporters were shocked by the crass celebration, amazingly accompanied by foreign Russian dignitaries to show off for. A quarter of a century may have passed, but SFGN needs to still pay homage and respect to the gay lives so unlawfully and unfairly impacted on that memorable evening. Innocent patrons of gay nightclubs, gathering socially and lawfully in state-licensed alcoholic beverage establishments were greeted by busloads of fully-armed cops in SWAT uniforms who swarmed the clubs, ordering all the patrons and employees in each establishment to line up against a wall, and put their hands over their heads. One by one, every customer was ordered to produce identification, citizenship cards, and drivers licenses. Most were unlawfully detained for hours, with no probable cause, embarrassed and held against their will, by armed and uniformed police officers. Some were legitimately scared to death. Younger gay men and women had their parents called by cops, so they could warn them where there child was. The cops recorded the names of the patrons and video taped them as well, without their consent and against their will, collecting whatever data police could amass for future record keeping purposes. Finally, led out of the clubs in a single file, the customers were greeted by television crews who were filming their humiliation for the morning news. The gay community was only nominally mobilized in the early 1990s. A group known as GUARD- Gays United Against Repression and Discrimination, held a protest demonstration at the Broward County Courthouse two weeks later. About 60 activists joined in, along with the local chapter of the ACLU, and a gay activist attorney, the late Allen H. Terl, who condemned the raid. Despite the protests, law enforcement agencies proudly defended the action. In fact, Sergeant Pat Roberts, of the State of Florida Division of Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco, criticized the protestors for accusing Sheriff Navarro of being solely responsible. "It was our raid, " he boasted. "We were the ones who called for it." Meanwhile, Broward Sheriff`s Office spokesman Al Gordon said the raids were not pointed towards any special orientation but at drugs. I don`t see any reason for the Broward Sheriff`s Office to apologize for enforcing the law," he told the Sun Sentinel on May 4, 1991. During Sheriff Navarros tenure, they never did. The good news to reflect upon today is that Navarros successor would not only apologize, BSO made a voluntary contribution of $10,000 to AIDS Center One as part of a class action lawsuit settlement. Heres what happened. The owner of the Copa in 1991 was John Castelli. Yes, the same John Castelli who owns Castelli Real Estate on Wilton Drive, who just served the last year as President of the Fort Lauderdale Board of Realtors. He and his partner, the late William Bastiansen, were not going to turn a blind eye to such a vicious law enforcement initiative. They sued the sheriff on behalf of their customers. In full disclosure, I remember it well, because, heck, I was John Castellis attorney. My law office sued the sheriff. It was not easy. Most of the patrons did not want to go public, and being out and open was not quite as simple as it is today. It was a different world, a different century. It was 25 years ago. But we were tenacious and prevailed. If a man stands his ground and there abides, reads the tombstone of the late congressman Allard Lowenstein, eventually the whole world will come around to him. So it was then, and so it is now. Sheriff Navarro fought the case bitterly, refusing to even discuss a settlement or apology. But a funny thing happened on the way to the courthouse: an election intervened. In August of 1992, drowning in legal controversies for his management of BSO, Nick Navarro lost the Republican primary for re-election. He was booted out of office. A few months later, the late Ron Cochran, a Democrat, formerly the police chief of Fort Lauderdale, won the election. Chief Cochran and I had been friends for years. We had breakfasts together nearly every day at the historical Floridian Restaurant on East Las Olas. The Chief and I met, while I had my corn flakes, and he, his toast, burnt and dry, the way he liked it. We resolved the case in less than 15 minutes. The resolution was simple. BSO made a modest donation to the county's largest AIDS group at the time, Center One. Second, Cochran agreed to establish a permanent liaison to the LGBT community within BSO, which still exists today. Third, BSO publicly apologized for the raid, which enraged Navarro, who went on to start his own private security firm. Ironically, as a private businessman, Navarro would aggressively advertise in LGBT newspapers, and a couple of his chief staffers were well known gay men. Sadly, Sheriff Cochran, would die of cancer, all too young. Both men are now gone, but the story will never be forgotten. Times change, and so do we with them. There are many stories in the Naked City. This has been one of them. Recently Wilton Manors decided to show the world how LGBT-friendly the city is by voting to permanently install a Pride Flag in a city park. But last week they decided to not to add gender confirmation surgery to their employees health plan. Symbolism is important and so we applaud the city for permanently displaying the Pride Flag. But that symbolism should be backed up with real policy. And the city had a chance last week to do just that, but instead commissioner after commissioner, offered up excuse after excuse, on why they couldnt offer transgender inclusive healthcare to their employees. It was a disgrace. Wilton Manors is one of the gayest cities in America and should be leading the charge on trans rights, but instead they passed a toothless resolution calling on state regulators to add transgender-related procedures and treatments to current standards of care. Really? The State of Florida taking the lead on transgender healthcare? This is the same legislature that attempted to pass a bathroom bill just last year. Commissioner Julie Carson brought up the motion to add these benefits, which didnt even receive a second. A second is a professional courtesy in parliamentary procedure that allows discussion to ensue, Carson said. My colleagues would not even engage in an open dialogue on transgender equity in our City. If these benefits primarily affected gay men would Carson have gotten her second? Before gay marriage was the law of the land many cities such as Wilton Manors provided healthcare to an employees domestic partner, but in doing so employees were hit with a tax penalty because the federal government didnt equate an unmarried partner to a spouse when it came to taxes. In order to make it more fair Wilton Manors voted to pay $750 to those employees affected by the extra tax burden. The commission was quite proud of itself at the time. Mayor Gary Resnick even wrote a letter to the editor to the Sun Sentinel patting himself on the back. To put this in perspective, the city spends in excess of $1.1 million on health insurance for employees, he wrote. And added with flourish at the end Wilton Manors truly values its diversity. The estimated cost to add trans inclusive healthcare would be $32,500 per year. Thats not a lot when you put it into perspective. If this trans inclusive healthcare didnt cost the city a dime you bet they would have voted in favor of adding these benefits. But as is often the case when politicians are forced to put their money where their mouth is their true priorities come out. The trans community needs more folks that are willing to stand up for them even when it costs money to do so. Wilton Manors needs to stand for more than just a vibrant main street. Instead of giving the trans community a flag, give them the inclusive healthcare they need. Gender Confirmation Surgery isnt something people have done for the hell of it. We know that discrimination increases suicide risk, and transgender people in states without LGBT legal protections are at higher risk of suicide, it is imperative that we adopt comprehensive trans-inclusive anti-discrimination and employment policies, Carson said. Proper health care for transgender individuals can be life-saving reports the American Medical Association. And $32,500 a year is small price to pay. How much will the city spend on upgrading Wilton Drive? How much have they spent on additional parking? The list goes on and on. Each in his own way suggested that the City did not need this coverage because it was not employee driven or that no one came forward. Really?, Carson said. When was it an employees obligation to tell an employer that he or she needed medical care? SFGN calls on Mayor Gary Resnick and commissioners Scott Newton, Justin Flippen, Tom Green to reconsider this vital part of trans health. Perhaps the city should amend its new tagline to say Lifes just better hereexcept for transgender employees. Meanwhile trans employees can find solace at Jaycee Park while watching the citys newly installed pride flag wave back and forth welcoming visitors to this city of equality. The International Gay & Lesbian Travel Association, grappling with decreasing membership, announced a new board of directors chair. In a news release, the organization named Juan Julia, a Spanish entrepreneur, its new chairman of the board. The IGLTA bills itself as a leading member-based global organization dedicated to connecting and educating LGBT travelers and the businesses that welcome and support them along the way. I feel so honored to be part of the IGLTA board and it is a pleasure being the first Spanish member as the board chair, Julia said in a news release. Julia is founder and owner of Axel Hotels, a Barcelona based company known for boutique style properties with a catchy tagline -- hetero-friendly. Julia is the first European to lead IGLTA since 2006 and his tenure comes at a time when membership is declining. In a report released ahead of the organizations annual convention last month in Cape Town, South Africa, an independent auditor found a loss of 80 members in regions across the globe. According to the Pride Enterprises review, IGLTA had just 891 members in April of 2016. This total membership, the report states, should be of grave concern. Elected as Julias vice chair is Richard Gray, longtime IGLTA member and current managing director for the LGBT market at the Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention and Visitors Bureau. Ive known Juan for 15 years, Gray told SFGN. He is certainly a visionary leader. Traversing the Northwest Pasage Passage to Mars Passage to Mars is a documentary about a bunch of guys who try to drive across a large frozen stretch of the Northwest Passage. They attempt this feat as an analog for long distance traverses people will one day attempt on Mars. This film depicts important lessons that are often far more relevant for the actual human exploration of Mars than anything NASA itself is doing right now. This unprecedented adventure, planned to last a few weeks ended up becoming a three-year epic odyssey of hope, fear and survival. The goal of the expedition was to use a specially-outfitted Humvee named the Okarian across 2,000 miles of sea ice. Their ultimate goal: to drive to Haughton Crater on Devon Island the location of a NASA-funded research base where scientists and engineers learn how to live on and explore Mars. Update: Passage to Mars will be in theaters on 30 September 2016. The theatrical Opening will be on 30 September in New York at the IFC Center and on 7 October in Los Angeles at Arena Cinema, Hollywood. All locations and dates can be found at: http://www.julesverne.org. The film will also be on Video on Demand iTunes, Amazon, Gowatchit on 30 September. The film itself is beautiful. Every frame is an artistic composition. The sound is spot on. Having been to some of the places depicted (or locations nearby) I can say that the awesome, yet austere, beauty of the arctic is perfectly captured. The imagery is often other worldly and in many cases echoes the views seen from the longer duration Apollo missions to the Moon where small humans and their hardware are seen against a vast, alien landscape. Historic photos and recent imagery from Mars are deftly augmented and animated so as to fit seamlessly into the overall narrative. The interspersed vignettes about Mars, and the personal diary excerpts (narrated by actor Zachry Quinto) really encapsulates the fullest definition of what an adventure and expedition embody. This is what Mark Watney would have seen and written had he really been on Mars. This film also embodies a broad historic background by invoking the challenges faced by arctic and antarctic explorers in past centuries. In addition, as befits any film that talks about visiting Mars, poignant quotes by H.G. Wells, Edgar Rice Burroughs, Ray Bradbury, and Buzz Aldrin are featured throughout. Also presented is a broad historic context as well as what one could call comparative planetology wherein Earth and Mars are linked as sister worlds offset in terms of habitability by time but affected none the less by the same laws of physics. Before I go further, I must make note of two things. First of all, I have known most of the people in this film for over a decade. My company donated significant resources to the Haughton Mars Project and the Mars Institute and my business partner Marc Boucher and I have both spent multiple long-term stays on the order of a month on Devon Island. The expedition crew of Passage to Mars consisted of NASA planetary scientist Pascal Lee, veteran polar explorer John Schutt, Ace rider and mechanic Jesse Weaver, high arctic scout Joe Amarualik, expedition cameraman Mark Carroll, and explorer and filmmaker Jean-Christophe Jeauffre. In addition to my Devon Island experiences, I have spent time in an expeditionary setting at Everest Base Camp for a month coincidentally at the exact precise date as the events depicted in the opening of this film. As such, I have seen these remote, cold, dangerous places and the associated hardships up front and personal. That said, harsh as my experiences often were, I experienced the calmer side of what is depicted in this film. This film does not exaggerate the risks that the people in this film took. These conditions are simply brutal and potentially lethal all day and all night. For what it is worth, I once wrote a paper about some of the risks of doing dangerous things on Mars for the British Interplanetary Society that gets into some of the nuts and bolts of doing what a lot of people think well need to do on Mars. Newsflash: people get hurt and might well die. If you want a risk-free program of Mars Exploration just send robots. But lets get back to the movie. These guys are in a highly modified Humvee with tank-like treads, followed by snowmobiles, attempting to drive 2,000 miles across hazardous arctic terrain and shifting ocean ice to a remote island where no one lives because its a lot like being miserable in a rover on Mars. Living in these conditions is cramped and uncomfortable. You have no privacy. Everything smells. Someone is always sick. The music that someone else is playing is annoying. In the arctic at this time of year it is never dark. Your bunk is like sleeping on a board. The food can be good but the preparation can be arduous. The hardware always fails and the part you need to fix something that is not supposed to break is not in your luggage. And the material beneath you as you travel/sleep can give way without notice. Nothing brought that notion home to me more emphatically than living in a tent atop the Khumbu glacier at Everest Base Camp for a month. At times you could hear it move. If you do not visit a nearby place for a few days, you might see a vast fissure where you have stood just days before the next time you visit. And then there were the avalanches that killed people. Ice in all its forms is like that. It is alive. It is deadly. Living atop it is taking a risk 24/7 just like Mars. Living atop melting and shifting sea ice like this would really freak me out much more than living on a moving glacier. Ever-present dangers aside, outside the window, as this film aptly depicts, exists an ever-changing sumptuous vista that is a feast for the eyes. Every 30 seconds a National Geographic cover image flashes by. This film captures every image. When you travel in such dangerous but beautiful places you try and drink every little thing in but quickly realize that this is not possible, so you grab whatever brief, singular moments you can, and wrap your minds arms around them forever. Just as you do that something breaks or goes wrong and you are distracted. Yet when you get home weeks or months later and youre sitting out in your back yard you find yourself suddenly embraced by a flashback to another world. In this film you can see the makings of such flashbacks for the participants. It is these things that drive explorers to go back to these places again and again. No doubt, the explorers of Mars will be similarly motivated. Why drive a Humvee across portions of the Northwest Passage to a remote island covered with ice and polar desert terrain? Simple: to actually try something risky while doing science as an analog for the conditions one might experience doing long distance traverses on Mars where you cant pick up your cellphone and call for help. Plan as they did, unexpected things happened when hardware and people met up with harsh environmental conditions. Was it exactly like Mars? No. Were there aspects of this effort that approximated in a real way the potential life and death risks one might encounter on Mars? Absolutely. Its how the team dealt with these very real challenges that can inform planning for actual missions to Mars. Until recently, NASA used to do field tests of their Mars rover concept vehicles on lava beds in Arizona. They call it Desert RATS. I spent a week there twice observing all aspects of these activities. NASA brought a small village of support personnel, half a dozen long shipping containers full of spare parts, with an airport (and access to anything they forgot) and a hospital only an hour away. No one did anything risky. None of the personnel inside the rovers was ever at any more risk than someone would be driving around in a pick-up truck. Probably less. They might as well have stayed in Houston. Was Desert RATS useful? Yes. Does it approximate being on Mars? No. If NASA is truly going to develop the hardware and the human skills needed to go to Mars then it is projects such as this that they need to start doing not pretty demos of sexy looking hardware in benign environments near a freeway. Mars is not a movie set. Mars is going to be harder than we imagine. That is the truly memorable aspect of this film: you see people and the film crew trying to do something no one has done before something that resonates with what we want to do on Mars and they do it in a way that really confronts the risks that must be confronted. Its not all that often that you see something like this depicted on film. And I say this having shot video of lethal avalanches that has been featured in multiple films and TV specials. This is singularly poignant film making and it is very, very real. For several years NASA has been engaged on a media campaign for its plans to send humans to Mars. Armed with the social media hash tag #JourneyToMars NASA wants you to think that it is thinking about Mars in everything that they do. If that is indeed an honest intention then they should screen Passage to Mars for all of the employees involved in its Mars plans. For that matter they should air it on NASA TV. This film is a preview of the real challenges that lie ahead for the human exploration of Mars and should be required watching for anyone who dares consider the notion of setting sail for another world and then travelling across its untrod expanses. Passage to Mars (USA, 2016, 94 minutes) was produced by Jules Verne Adventures in association with Green Flash Pictures and was directed by French Award-winning Filmmaker Jean-Christophe Jeauffre. The film features narration by Star Trek actor Zachary Quinto and commentary by Apollo 11 astronaut Buzz Aldrin. Passage to Mars will premiere in Los Angeles, California at Laemmle Theaters from 31 May to 5 June 2016. Screening details, ticket information, and the latest trailer can be found at http://www.laemmle.com/films/40657. Contact Info: Jules Verne Adventures Frederic Dieudonne / Producer Direct: (213) 864-4322 contact at julesverne.org Its a little after 2 p.m. when I get to Bear Pond Espresso, in Shimokitazawa, Tokyo. Inside, Katsuyuki Katsu Tanaka is standing where he always standsbehind his La Marzocco FB80 espresso machine. Its here that he makes the Angel Stain: Bear Ponds famed signature espresso, served only until 1:00 p.m., with a maximum of 10 per day. The quiet, stoic coffee shop has developed a cult following since opening in 2009because of both the unique, obsessed approach of its craftsman and the life by my own rules mantra that seeps from every pore of the shop, and drips into every espresso. So it felt a little odd, when I visited, to talk about coffee for camping. But thats what we did. Things slow down at the counter, and Tanaka sits and discusses his new product: the Coffeedust Poke. He wipes his coffee-stained hands on his coffee-stained jeans and sits against the wall. I look over to a thin, wallet-size cloth filter in the display case and ask about it. Tanaka explains that while a coffee shop provides perfect conditions for brewing and serving coffeeequipment, tools, flat surfaces, temperature, and water-flow controlnature makes no such promises. He says he designed the Coffeedust Poke with this in mindits a method anyone can enjoy anywhere, even in unfavorable conditions. When you think about [brew] methods for bad conditionsout in natureand which work best, and which maintain consistency, its steeping. You dont have to concentrate on the pour; you just submerge the grounds. You dont even have to worry about the speed of the pour, or working on a flat surface. The easiest way to brew out in nature is just to put the grounds in, add water, wait three and a half minutes, and pull the filter out. And thats exactly how the Poke works, he says, before heading back to the counter to make lattes for two girls whove stopped in. (Its one thing to hear that only Tanaka ever touches the espresso machine at Bear Pond, but its another thing to see that policy in action.) When he comes back, I ask what inspired the Poke. He replies by saying coffee is about equationsand the Poke is like a new one. Theres an endless series of numbers for coffee, Tanaka says. Each brewing method is like its own equation. Theres the variety of coffee beans and the variety of roast methods, but the equation always ends at the brew method. He continues, While working as a Chemex global ambassador, I thought, The Chemex is like its own equation. Its like a manual drip equation. Theres addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. But what if there was something else? I wondered what would happen if I made my own equation. Tanaka offers to brew a cup so I can see how the Poke works. He takes a cloth survival pack from behind the counter and shows me its contents: a Porlex grinder, a small scale, a timer, a camping burner, an enamel mug, and 200 grams of beanshe says you could just throw this in the back of your car. Coffee whenever you feel like it. He gets a pitcher of hot water and a Poke filter filled with coffee, a coarse grind from Guatemala, he says. As Tanaka brews, he explains what went into the making of the Poke. It took two years to develop, he says. They had to find the right materials, and then they had to work on getting the size of the filter right, as that can affect taste. The handles were specially designed to prevent water leaking from the cup. Each prototype was testedit needed to be sturdy, easy to use, and easy to clean. And, watching Tanaka use it, it really does look like the easiest thing in the world. He pours in the water and waits. He tells me about his motorbike, and how he doesnt take trains, ever. He talks about traveling to America and getting back to nature. Barbecues, hammocks, trail walking, and driving with his dog. He starts talking about surfing, then looks down at the timer. Three minutes thirty. In the outdoors, he says, this is it: you pour, you wait, and you talk as you go. At the end of it, coffee with body. Afterward, you shake out the grounds and rinse the filter, he says, or just put it in a Ziploc bag to wash later if you dont have the water or the time. Tanaka says he doesnt plan to mass-market the Coffeedust Poke. Hes not sending them overseas, or anywhere, for that matter. He says theyre handmade, and that takes timehe prefers that people simply come visit when they want one. Which is unfortunate; it really does seem like a great piece of outdoor equipment. But at the same time, it also seems to fall neatly in line with the Bear Pond way: theres thought and detail in everything Tanaka does, but if you want to experience it, you have to go out and find him. Hengtee Lim (@Hent03) is a Sprudge.com staff writer based in Tokyo. Read more Hengtee Lim on Sprudge. Photos courtesy of Rie Miyoshi. We believe specialty coffee is not about the grand gestures, but about small and beautiful things done well. Whether it is a heavy, sweet natural Brazilian, or a crisp, acidic washed Yirgacheffe from Ethiopia, we will always aim for brightness. These are the opening lines of a short film released last month by Danish roastery La Cabra Coffee Roasters to present their philosophy of roasting, Brighter is Better. I met Esben Piper, founder of the Danish company, and Mikkel Selmer, roaster, at the 2016 London Coffee Festival to learn more about their new Nordic coffee approach. At their stand in The House of Coffee & Company section of the festival, the company presented four seasonal coffees from their roastery in Aarhus, Denmark, including their award-winning Cerro Azul from La Esperanza, Colombia. This Gesha variety was used by 2015 Austrian Barista Champion Sonja Zweidick, 2015 Australian Brewers Cup Winner Dane Oliver, and also by British barista Edward Anderson Brown in this years UK Brewers Cup Finals. At the festival, Piper brewed the Cerro Azul coffee using the 3TEMP Hipster batch brewer. The Swedish machine allows baristas to retain control over various stages of the brewing process, an essential thing when brewing specialty coffees. The machine brews fresh water as it is connected directly to a water source, so different water temperatures can be set during the brewing. These are controlled through an app, together with the calibration and brew times. At La Cabra, the focus is not only on sourcing, roasting, and brewing coffee, but most of all on flavors. Piper doesnt like to talk about roasting profiles and recipes. For everything that we do, the starting point is always the cupping table. Here is where we want our coffee to be as good as it can be, says Piper. The aforementioned Cerro Azul I tried offered aromas of fresh strawberry jam and lemongrass; a body of clarified honey; and a blood orange aftertaste. La Cabras roasting philosophy is all about purity, transparency, and brightnessBrighter is better, as the film says. Its a natural approach that takes inspiration from the basic principles of raw winemaking: going back to simplicity and pushing the boundaries. By focusing too much on roasting profiles, we risk forgetting about the fruit, its natural flavors, its terroir, continues Piper. We shouldnt be afraid to drink something that tastes different. We should be deliberately curious and learn more. An approach they hope to spread in the Nordic countries and Europe through collaborations with local cafes and roasters, starting from the London Coffee Festival. La Cabra Coffee can be currently found in Aarhus, Denmarks second-largest city, and in progressive specialty coffee shops across Europe. Giulia Mule (@mulia) is a Sprudge.com contributor based in London. Read more Giulia Mule on Sprudge. Algiers, May 03, 2016 (SPS) - Algeria's "constant" position on Western Sahara issue is that of the international community, reaffirmed Monday in Algiers Minister of Maghreb Affairs, African Union and Arab League Abdelkader Messahel. "Algeria's position is constant and it is that of the international community since it was included in the United Nations list of non-self-governing territories in 1963," Messahel told the national Radio. "The solution lies in the holding of a referendum to allow Sahrawi people decide freely the future of their territory. It is not up to Algeria, or Morocco, or the United States, or France, or the Security Council to decide. It is an inalienable right of a people to a territory called Western Sahara, which is a non-self-governing territory," explained Messahel. The minister underlined the need to promote "political talks" between the parties to the conflict (Morocco and Polisario Front). "Negotiations are key element for the resolution of the conflict. Only the political solution would allow the Sahrawi people to express freely their choices," he said adding that UN practice in such conflict is clear." As regards the adoption by the UN Security Council of the resolution 2285 (2016) on the extension of the mandate of the UN Mission for Referendum on Western Sahara (MINURSO) until 30 April 2017, Messahel said that through this resolution, five fundamental principles of the UN have been underlined. "We consider that this resolution is an important decision, based on five fundamental principles of the UN: first this issue is a question of decolonization of a territory listed as a non-self-governing territory, second, it is a decolonization process not achieved by the UN, and the decolonization of the territory is incumbent on the UN," explained the minister.SPS 125/090/700 Dzarasov and his colleague Sakwa reject the notion that Russia is seeking a revisionist foreign policy. "Sakwa gives a compelling case showing that Mr. Putin doesn't challenge domination of the West and the US hegemony in the world. The Russian leader is rather trying to defend Russian national interests in frameworks of the current world order," Dzarasov said in the paper. Of course when talking about contemporary Russian foreign policy, Dzarasov couldn't ignore the ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and Syria. Dzarasov revealed commonly unknown and ignored facts about the Ukrainian crisis that took place behind-the-scenes in Kiev. "Long before the Maidan events the West established its control over all the major aspects of Ukrainian society, including powerful oligarchs who keep their capital in the West; the main oppositional political parties; mass media directly through the network of NGOs and indirectly through dependent oligarchs; security agencies and secret services; and militants from right-wing extremist organizations Under such circumstances, it was the US diplomats to decide who will run the country weeks before the actual coup succeeded," Dzarasov said. An analysis of the events prior, during and after the Maidan revolution show that the US government had a "very strong objective motive" to organize the Ukrainian crisis, because its own domination over the world was at stake, the Russian scholar explained. In 2011, security at a supermarket in Genoa stopped homeless Ukrainian man Roman Ostryakov who tried to steal two pieces of cheese and a package of sausages with a total cost of about 4. In an act of desperation, the hungry Ukrainian decided to commit a small crime, but eventually was arrested. In 2015, the trial court declared Ostryakov guilty of theft and sentenced him to six months in prison and a fine of 100. His defense appealed against the verdict, saying that in Ostryakov's case it was instead an attempted theft as the man was caught before he left the store. Taking into account these short orbits, the planets are 20 and 100 times closer to its star than Earth is to the Sun, RT reported Gillon as saying. He noted that the discovered star system resembles the location of Jupiter's moons. The structure of this system of planets is much more similar to the moons of Jupiter rather than our solar system, Gillon said. The scientist further said that the position of the planets gives a unique opportunity to search for life beyond Earth because these small stars are the only place where it is possible to discover life on a planet the size of Earth. If we want to find life in the universe, then you need to start looking here, Gillon added. As far as the next step is concerned the objective is clear. Now we have to investigate if theyre habitable, co-author Dr. Julien de Wit said. We will investigate what kind of atmosphere they have and then will search for biomarkers and signs of life. We have facilities all over the globe and in space that are helping us, working from UV to radio, in all different wavelengths to tell us everything we want to know about this system. So many people will get to play with this [system]. This research was funded, in part, by the Belgian Fund for Scientific Research, the European Research Council, and NASA. "They [the Armenians] asked for the inclusion of pita bread to the UNESCO list of cultural heritage. Wasn't that the appropriation?" the Azeri minister said. That's why to protect its own cultural heritage, Azerbaijan is doing what it has to by sending its own application to the UNESCO, Garayev explained. It's pretty amusing that both countries try to claim dolma and pita bread as their own national cuisine, considering that both of these foods are so widespread across Eurasia that it would probably be impossible to prove which nation began making them first. MOSCOW (Sputnik) As many as eight of the suspects were detained in Delhi, while other four were detained in the Uttar Pradesh province, the newspaper reported , adding that bomb-making materials and improvised explosive devices (IED) were found at the disposal of the arrested. The identity and nationality of the suspects have not been immediately disclosed. The Jaish-e-Mohammed is an Islamist extremist group which was founded in the early 2000s with an aim to unite the disputed Kashmir region with Pakistan and to expel foreign troops from Afghanistan. Kashmir is geographically divided between three countries India, Pakistan and China. MOSCOW (Sputnik) The US Embassy in the Afghan capital on Wednesday warned of possible terrorist attacks in Kabul. "The U.S. Embassy Kabul reminds U.S. citizens in Kabul and other parts of Afghanistan to review your personal security plans, take appropriate steps to enhance your personal safety, remain aware of your surroundings, monitor local news for updates, and maintain a high level of vigilance," the embassy said in a statement. Earlier, the Kabul District 10 chief of police warned city residents of possible suicide attacks, as well as the threat of kidnappings to guests of international hotels, UN offices and residences, according to the statement. Sukesh Vadavil, spokesperson for the Mooshikasena (meaning mouse army), told Sputnik: "In our belief, Dinkan is the God who created this world. He is also the one who keeps the world as it is now. And, we believe Dinkoism is the most suitable religion for the modern age. This is the belief part." "But, when it comes to the values and lifestyle of Dinkoism, we're a scientific religion and we're truly a region that values human rights and all the modern-day values that a religion should have." MOSCOW (Sputnik) At least 13 people were killed and over 50 were injured in a bus crash in Indias Chhattisgarh state, local media report citing police. "So far there are reports of 13 deaths while 16 critically injured were shifted to Ambikapur district hospital. Besides, 37 other injured have been admitted to local hospital at Balrampur," Superintendent of Police Sadanand Kumar said as quoted by NDTV on Thursday. The crash occurred on Wednesday evening when the driver lost control of the bus, trying to avoid a collision with a motorcycle. As a result, the bus went off a bridge. Nevertheless, the full text of the upcoming agreement between the US and European countries has not been made public yet. The German government has only one printed copy of the document and it is strictly prohibited to make additional copies of the document. The agreement would be of colossal importance if signed. It is expected to create a free trade and capital zone accounting for nearly 50 percent of global GDP. The sealed-off reading room at the German Economy Ministry opened on January 29, 2016, several years after the talks on the TTIP started. Previously, German officials could read the text at the US Embassy in Berlin. It is obvious that only a small number of European politicians and officials know the details and nuances of the agreement. On April 24, President Barack Obama arrived in Hannover and joined German Chancellor Angela Merkel to open the 2016 Hannover Messe Trade Fair. He spoke to a number of German and European officials and businessmen, promoting the TTIP deal. Particularly, Obama said that the agreement would eliminate tariff barriers, facilitate procedures and regulations as well as make trade easier for everyone, especially small companies. According to the president, finally the partnership would result in economic growth and create new jobs both in the US and the European Union. However, many Europeans are concerned about what the deal really is and what consequences it will have. For example, eliminating customs tariffs and barriers would result in cheap US-made agricultural products flooding European markets. This would destroy a number of European farming companies. Many skeptics say that Europe will not gain benefits from the TTIP deal with the US. The competitiveness capabilities of US companies are higher than in Europe. Corporate taxes and labor costs are lower in the US. What is more, US bureaucratic barriers and ecological norms are easier to defend against litigation. WASHINGTON (Sputnik) The United States expects its exports of liquefied natural gas (LNG) to continue expanding following deliveries to Brazil and Portugal, US Department of State Special Envoy and Coordinator for International Energy Affairs Amos Hochstein told Sputnik. "The United States is in an exciting beginning as transformation as an exporter. We had exports to Brazil and to Portugal. We are going to continue to see a rapid expansion of exports around the world," Hochstein said. "The market will determine where those exports go There will be a continued increase in exports from the United States." On Wednesday, a spokesman for Portuguese energy company Galp Energia confirmed to Sputnik that the first US cargo ship carrying LNG had arrived in Portugal. "I dont think OPEC should be focusing its efforts on trying to artificially manage and control the market," Hochstein told Sputnik. "I think we have to recognize that we had a glut in oil markets, demand has to rise, and if companies would operate based on supply and demand, it [market] would fix itself." The US energy envoy told Sputnik in February that governments should not interfere and decide artificially how much oil should be produced and how much should be exported. He explained that a global oil market was going through a transformative period when the swing producing capacity was the market itself with decisions made by multiple companies, and not by governments, cartels or single companies. "I think thats an important element that we should learn. The sooner the international community recognizes that we are in a new energy era, the better, and the more theyll realize that backroom deals between OPEC and non-OPEC producers will not help," Hochstein said. Oil producing nations should invest more in natural gas and renewable energy as part of the industry reforms needed to meet future challenges. "Oil producing countries should invest more in natural gas and in renewables in order to be able to export more and burn less at home. And we should have a more open and transparent oil sector, and that will be more helpful than trying to get an artificial deal," the envoy told Sputnik. The Middle Eastern states acknowledge the need to identify ways to manage their own energy sectors more efficiently. Hochstein traveled to Kuwait, Qatar, Egypt and Israel following the failed Doha talks on oil production freeze in mid-April. "We had good meetings in Kuwait, and in Qatar, in Doha," Hochstein said. "I think that the region recognizes that it now has to look internally to see how do they better manage their own oil sector, their own natural gas sector to meet the challenges of the future. And I think thats a good development." He also noted that the upcoming June meeting of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) in Vienna will not affect the US energy industry. "I dont think any meetings in OPEC are going to have an effect on American oil industry, and gas industry for the simple reason that the advantage of the United States is that it operates based on market conditions, and supply and demand," Hochstein told Sputnik. "They will continue to operate that way. So, I dont think it will have a great impact on US domestic issues." Oil prices have plunged more than 60 percent from their peak of $110 a barrel in June 2014 amid fears that the global oil production was outpacing the worlds demand. Earlier in April, US media speculated that the arrival of US gas in Europe could cut natural gas prices and trigger price wars in the European market, which is dominated by Russian pipeline gas. Washington has long been arguing in favor of LNG exports to Europe, claiming it will help European allies reduce dependence on Russian energy imports. However, the cost of shipping natural gas from the United States to Europe remains high and requires sizable infrastructure investments. US Has No Plans to Build LNG Terminals in Ukraine in Short Term "I dont see that as something thats going to happen in the short term," Hochstein said. Since the 2014 outbreak of the Ukraine crisis, the country has sought to shift its energy imports away from Russia and toward Europe. Although Ukraine currently does not have any LNG terminals, it still considers buying LNG gas. In April, Ukraines former Minister of Energy and Coal Industry Volodymyr Demchyshyn told Sputnik that Ukraine could receive LNG from the United States through Europe, including through Poland or Lithuania. Demchyshyn also said there was a possibility Ukraine could buy LNG from Australia also through Europe. An adviser to Lithuanias energy minister, Mantas Dubauskas, told Sputnik in April that Lithuania did not exclude the possibility of becoming a transit country for LNG deliveries from Australia to Ukraine. "China cannot rebalance the global oil market on its own, but China and the US together are doing most of this work," the analysts were cited by Bloomberg . "The swing from growth to decline in domestic output means that Chinas net pull on the oil market will likely increase this year, despite slower demand growth." According to their forecasts, output in China, the worlds fifth-largest oil producer, would reach an average of 4.05 million barrels a day in 2016, nearly 253,000 barrels more than in 2015. The output of PetroChina Co., Chinas largest oil and gas company, is expected to decline in 2016 by 4.9 percent, to 924.7 million barrels a day. CNOOC Ltd. is also expected to decrease output this year by 5.2 percent, to 470 million barrels a day. In January, Sinopec announced the first drop in oil and gas output in 16 years. Despite its great importance, this event was not covered broadly in media, RFI reported. On April 28, the newest Ka-62 helicopter made its maiden flight. The Ka-62 is equipped with the Ardiden 3G engine produced by French company Turbomeca. "This is a very important event for our country," Alexander Mikheev, CEO of Russian Helicopters Corporation, underscored. MOSCOW (Sputnik) Iran's return to the global oil market turned out to be quicker than anticipated but it will not affect the market in 2017, Neil Atkinson, who is head of the International Energy Agencys (IEA) Oil Industry & Markets Division, said Wednesday. "The real numbers, we are starting to see, do suggest the pace of return has been a bit quicker than we anticipated but it is not that much quicker and I don't think it is affecting the balances materially for 2016. And there is an upper limit because Iran can only go back to where it was when sanctions were imposed," Atkinson told the Bloomberg media outlet. He noted that Iran's return as an oil exporter is balanced by production declines in other countries. MOSCOW (Sputnik) The South Stream gas pipeline was suspended by Bulgaria at the request of the European Commission in June 2014 as it was deemed non-compliant with the European Union's Third Energy Package, which prohibits companies from both owning the gas and operating the pipeline. Russian President Vladimir Putin officially canceled the project in December 2014. "The southern direction is not yet written off. Sometime in February, I think Gazprom signed a memorandum of mutual understanding together with Italys Edison and Greeces DEPA on the possible gas deliveries through third countries under the Black Sea to Greece, then Italy," Lavrov said. The February 24 agreement revives the Interconnector TurkeyGreeceItaly (ITGI) project, formerly planned as a part of the Southern Gas Corridor. Sources indicated that discussions faltered when the parties failed to agree on new austerity measures ahead of Greeces third bailout. Additionally, Athens has requested more time to prepare contingency measures in case it misses fiscal targets under the bailout agreement. "Were making slow progress," one of the sources commented. "I wouldnt expect a final agreement at the May 9 meeting. Thats too soon. There are some weeks to go after that." Meanwhile, Vienna's plan rang loud alarm bells in Germany with local media predicting the demise of Europe if the Brenner Pass is closed. Announcing its intention to reinstate border controls with Italy, Austria said that it expected cooperation from Rome and warned about the danger of unauthorized border crossings by migrants seeking asylum in Europe. The plan incensed Italian politicians, with Italy's Interior Minister Angelino Alfano calling it "a waste of money." The German newspaper Sueddeutsche Zeitung warned that the proposed fence would be a harbinger of a European breakup. "[Brenner] is more than just a mountain pass. The people of South Tyrol welcomed the lifting of a border controls with the rest of the region as a reconciliatory measure. Now they are going to take a step back <> Italians say that Europe will die if Brenner is closed. It may sound as an overstatement, but essentially it's true," the newspaper wrote. South Tyrol, also known by its alternative Italian name Alto Adige, is an autonomous province in northern Italy. It is one of the two autonomous provinces that make up the autonomous region of Trentino-Alto Adige. The province as it exists today was created in 1926 after an administrative reorganization of the Kingdom of Italy, and was incorporated together with the province of Trento into the newly created region of Venezia Tridentina. Although there has been a sharp fall in the number of refugees crossing into Austria following the sealing of the Balkan migrant route, there are fears that greater numbers of asylum seekers will look to cross the Mediterranean Sea to land in Italy. More than 350,000 people have managed to reach Italy by boat from Libya since early 2014. Austria received around 90,000 asylum applications in 2015, which was the second highest per capita out of countries in the EU. "A new polarization may be coming. Consider the Pegida marches, think of violent reactions from the extreme right," he said. Belgium has been increasingly exposed to the risk of terrorism in the wake of the November 13 attacks in Paris. Many of the attack perpetrators were Belgian citizens of North African origin. The country's authorities maintain the security threat level at level 3, one notch below maximum, which was issued in the wake of the late March terrorist attacks that struck the departure hall of the Brussels Airport. On the same day, another explosion hit the Maelbeek metro station near the headquarters of the EU institutions in Brussels. Over 30 people died and at least 300 were killed in the attacks. Daesh, which is an extremist jihadist group outlawed in many countries, including Russia, has claimed responsibility for both the Paris and Brussels attacks. The survey was conducted by polling agency Infact on behalf of the Verdens Gang tabloid. Remarkably, the survey also revealed that one in ten Norwegians believes they know someone who is actually possessed. "It amazes me that so many people believe in Devil. However, most people have personally experienced someone or something who want to harm them and drawn conclusions accordingly. No less than ten percent believe they actually know someone who is possessed. As for myself, I doubt that the figure may be this high. But I cannot disprove it either," Oslo's Catholic bishop Bernt Eidsvig told Dagbladet. The bishop also that confirmed that exorcism are performed in Norway on a regular basis. Despite the government's initial plans to buy 48 jets, ultimately they settled on 30. This decision worth billions of dollars has proven to be highly controversial and stirred a wave of criticism, with the Red-Green Alliance and the Alternative opposition parties being among the most vocal critics, citing growing problems in the country's welfare sector as the reason why Denmark should abstain from buying new warplanes altogether. The opposition voiced their angry concerns that the new jet fighter deal was conducted in pure secrecy and was undemocratic, in a recent joint article. Besides, both the government and the parties to the agreement only discussed which model to choose and turned a deaf ear to whether new fighter jets were needed altogether. Other than being expensive, the F-35 is reported to have major technical problems, which could magnify its already extravagant cost. The forthcoming deal, dubbed the Kruk (Raven) program and estimated to be worth 5-6 billion zlotys ($1.3-$1.6 billion), is most likely to be awarded to Boeing in the walkup to the forthcoming NATO summit in Warsaw in July, the daily wrote citing sources close to the tender. The drafting of tactical-technical requirements was completed, and, by the end of June, a decision regarding the mode of acquiring combat helicopters will be made, ministry spokesman Bartlomiej Misiewicz said. Eight of the 24 Apaches will be acquired in an assembled form, while the rest are to be put together in Poland. The growing costs of immigration and a housing bubble have paved the way for a "deep" economic crisis in Sweden and the situation has already begun to deteriorate beyond repair, three Swedish economists wrote in a debate article in Dagens Industri Fredrik N.G. Andersson, Andreas Bergh and Anders Olshov, all representatives of think-tank Intelligence Watch, noted that the current situation in Sweden is similar to that in countries like Spain, Portugal and Ireland in the years before the financial crisis of 2008. Two major imbalances have been pointed out as the reason for the coming crisis: massive growth of household debt, which soon is believed to exceed 180 percent of available income, as well as the heavy influx of asylum-seekers from the Asia and Africa. Until then, only a limited number of Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) believed to be around 30 had been able to access the so-called "consolidated texts", classified as EU-restricted, and reflecting the draft compromises between the EU and the US. US-EU trade deal places corporate interests above environment & consumer safety #TTIPleaks https://t.co/0EKePW1Vop pic.twitter.com/LLtR0bYWq7 Greenpeace (@Greenpeace) 3 May 2016 On May 2, campaign group Greenpeace Monday leaked hundreds of pages of documents from the consolidated texts which show deep divisions between the EU and the US, with many critics saying the talks are at an impasse and are about to collapse. Frankenstein Food Fears One of the major stumbling blocks has been over the detail of regulatory difference between the US and the EU. None is more important than food and farming affecting what people put in their mouths. Food regulations in the EU and the US are different, with the EU being less open to genetic modification that the US. In order to have a trade agreement, the two sides need to agree on a common regulatory framework. However, the EU currently excludes beef and pork treated with growth hormones, chicken washed in chlorine, fruit and vegetables treated with endocrine-disrupting pesticides and genetically engineered and modified foods, all of which are common in the US. MOSCOW (Sputnik) An EU member state that refuses to take in an EU-approved refugee will carry the cost of their relocation elsewhere, a proposal tabled Wednesday by the European Commission indicates. "A Member State will also have the option to temporarily not take part in the reallocation. In that case, it would have to make a financial solidarity contribution of 250,000 [$287,000] to the Member State receiving an applicant for whom it would otherwise have been responsible", the plan reads. A total of 277 local businessmen and politicians representing different parties in the Swedish city of Umea are members of the same Masonic lodge and support each other in many ways, reports Vasterbottens-Kuriren (VK). While the politicians publicly play the role of opponents, they have sworn each other eternal fidelity and loyalty and have even undergone bizarre bonding rituals as Freemasons. A senior politician who desired to remain anonymous, described the situation as follows: "So we are sitting at a conference table, and then suddenly a politician is a Freemason appears. His arguments can get another politician, also a Freemason, to completely reverse his opinion." How will the new system be made more efficient and fair? Q&A on reforming the Common European Asylum System here https://t.co/FWZI9qhBWy European Commission (@EU_Commission) May 4, 2016 The EC have proposed several changes one will be the transforming of the existing European Asylum Support Office (EASO) into a fully-fledged European Union Agency for Asylum to reflect its enhanced role in the new system, as well as reinforcing of the EU's fingerprinting database, Eurodac, in order to better manage the asylum system and to help tackle irregular migration. Our proposals for a fairer, more efficient & more sustainable Common European Asylum System https://t.co/uYBEKIYAO3 pic.twitter.com/1RhHDj95Py European Commission (@EU_Commission) May 4, 2016 EU Commissioner for Migration and Home Affairs, Dimitris Avramopoulos, said: "If the current refugee crisis has shown one thing, it is that the status quo of our Common European Asylum System is not an option. "The time has come for a reformed and more equitable system, based on common rules and a fairer sharing of responsibility. "With the proposed reform of the Dublin system, the reinforcement of Eurodac and the transformation of EASO into a true European Agency for Asylum, today we are taking a major step in the right direction and putting in place the European-level structures and tools necessary for a future-proof comprehensive system." #Schengen: objective remains to return to normalisation with no internal border controls as soon as possible https://t.co/O99Of1SIEJ DimitrisAvramopoulos (@Avramopoulos) 4 May 2016 "We will now put all our efforts into working side-by-side with the European Parliament and Member States. We must turn these proposals into reality as swiftly as possible." Other changes will include the decision to be made by June regarding the EC's proposals on visa-free travel for Turkish citizens. In addition to this, the EC has proposed to prolong certain controls at internal Schengen boarders. The countries included in this are Germany, Austria, Sweden, Denmark and Norway. These controls will last for a maximum of six months and are considered a temporary measure by the commission. "The Greek authorities have delivered huge efforts and there is real progress on the ground. Moreover, the EU-Turkey agreement has dramatically reduced the arrivals in Greece," Timmermans said. "However, there is still is considerable migratory pressure at our external border, and large numbers of migrants present in Greece. Therefore, as long as serious deficiencies in border management persist some internal border control measures should be maintained. We have a clear roadmap to return to a normal functioning of the Schengen zone by November and we need to get there in an orderly way. We preserve Schengen by applying Schengen." #Turkey visa liberalisation: fulfilment&implementation of benchmarks will bring closer our legal&political systems. https://t.co/tidRTbCaGN DimitrisAvramopoulos (@Avramopoulos) 4 May 2016 However, some saw the closing of boarders as apolitical decision, influenced by the German Chancellor, Angela Merkel. "What we just did is give us time to come back to normal, it is a temporary measure," Avramopoulos said. Others saw the comment made by the EC that Europe is not an "a la carte menu," hypercritical, given the United Kingdom and Ireland are exempt from the new proposals. "Refer to article 60 of the proposal. We are a treaty based organization, position of the UK, Ireland and Denmark is based on treaties and the other states are bound by the treaty. The UK deems Dublin important and wants to cooperate in this." MOSCOW (Sputnik) On Tuesday, Hungary's supreme court, known as the Curia, approved Prime Minister Viktor Orbans motion to hold a referendum on the migrant quota. It is a good example what Hungary is doing and Im very much convinced that Estonia should do very much the same, Ojuland, the current chairwoman of the non-parliamentary Estonian People's Unity Party, said. She described the quota system set by the European Commission as not being "in compliance with the interests of member states." Earlier this week, Estonian lawmakers from the opposition the Centre Party, which has just 27 out of the total 101 parliamentary seats, put forward a bill calling for a nation-wide vote on the introduction of the refugee quota. UK military sales to Riyadh have sharply jumped since the beginning of the crisis, with close to $US4.4 billion (3bn) worth of supplies being sold to Saudi Arabia between April and December 2015, leading to accusations that London is cynically profiting from the crisis. Despite Britain rejecting widespread international pleas to halt the sale of arms to Saudi Arabia, the country has also earmarked $US123 million (85m) worth of humanitarian aid to be spent in Yemen. Aid agencies contributing to the report told MPs there was a "paradox at the heart of the UK government's approach to Yemen." "The government should listen to the many concerns being expressed that the humanitarian crisis that (it) is working to address in Yemen may be being exacerbated by a flow of British arms into Saudi Arabia," committee chairman Stephen Twigg said. Calls to Abolish 'Cynical' Policy The conflict in Yemen has triggered increased debate in the UK about the country's close relationship with Saudi Arabia, with many calling for a review of relations between the two nations. The destruction of Yemen shows why the UK must stop arming Saudi Arabia.https://t.co/G83DfDTxcx Stop the War (@STWuk) 30 April 2016 While British government ministers have supported a Saudi-led investigation into alleged breaches of international law, Allan Hogarth, Amnesty International UK's Head of Policy and Government Affairs said David Cameron's government needed to take action on the issue. "It's never been acceptable for the UK to argue that Saudi Arabia should investigate itself over alleged war crimes in Yemen this was never going to be an adequate response to the carnage in Yemen," he said in a statement sent to Sputnik. "Thousands of Yemeni civilians have been killed in devastating Saudi-led coalition airstrikes and it's long overdue for the UK to end its cynical policy of selling vast quantities of arms to Saudi Arabia. "Ministers now need to stop burying their heads in the sand and immediately suspend arms sales to Saudi Arabia pending the outcome of both a UN inquiry into the bloody conflict in Yemen and the UK's own review of its arms exports." More than 6,000 people have been killed in Yemen since March 2015, with more than half of those estimated to be civilians. In December, 42 percent of Moldovans voiced support for Customs Union membership and 39 percent for EU membership. Support for EU membership declined from nearly 70 percent in November 2003 to 41 percent this April. The survey was conducted among 1,143 Moldovans over the age of 18 on April 16-23, with a margin of error of 2.8 percent. BRUSSELS (Sputnik) The European Commission proposes visa-free travel for people from Kosovo, Commissioner for Migration, Home Affairs and Citizenship Dimitris Avramopoulos said on Wednesday. "Today we follow up on our commitment to propose visa-free travel to the EU for the people of Kosovo with biometric passports facilitating people-to-people contacts and strengthening business, social and cultural ties between the EU and Kosovo. I hope that the European Parliament and the Council will adopt our proposal very soon," Avramopoulos added. Kosovo has met all the requirements of its visa liberalization roadmap as the Commission confirmed in a report on Wednesday. As soon as the proposal has been adopted, Kosovo citizens who hold biometric passports will no longer require visas when traveling for short stays (up to 90 days) to EU member states except for Ireland and the United Kingdom, while the European Free Trade Association member states Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland will also not be participating in the program. EU citizens are already allowed to travel to Kosovo without visas. The investigation into the alleged wiretapping was dropped in April, following an announcement by Macedonian President Gjorge Ivanov that he would end the probe into 56 officials. The EU and US wants President Ivanov to withdraw his decision to end the wiretapping investigation, led by the Special Prosecution, which was formed as part of an EU deal at the height of the crisis last summer. Ivanov however, stands firm by his decision. "I made a decision that was exclusively in the interest of the state and the citizens of the Republic of Macedonia. Following all the reactions, back then and now, I remain firmly convinced that this decision will help in overcoming the political crisis and reducing the tensions among political opponents," Ivanov said. Rival protests have continued ever since, stopping over Orthodox Easter, but resuming once again on the streets of Skopje. According to the pay-to-not-play option proposed by the European Commission , a country not wishing to let in migrants will have to pay 250,000 euros for every migrant they turn back. The new system will take effect if a country receives more than 150 percent of its fair share of asylum seekers in a year a level calculated on the basis of population and national income. The punitive financial pay-off clause, aimed at overhauling the EUs strategy for dealing with the migration crisis, one of the most contentious parts of the European Commissions proposed revision of the so-called Dublin asylum regulation. MOSCOW (Sputnik) The school officials insist that new policy was not religiously-motivated. Free and unhindered communication requires that we can see each others faces. Therefore it is not allowed to cover the eyes, nose or mouth while participating in lessons, the school wrote on its Facebook page on Wednesday, as quoted by The Local Denmark. VUC Lyngby changed its rules concerning the issue last fall. However, the public only found about the decision this week after the post on the schools Facebook page. According to the media, six female pupils were told that they could only attend classes if they removed their niqabs. Pupils have been offered the opportunity of e-learning should they refuse to comply with the new rule. The present trend has become particularly manifest among asylum-seekers from Iraq. This year, the number of Iraqi asylum seekers who chose to withdraw their applications (1,366) outnumbers the new arrivals from the country (1,243). "Things are no longer like before. It has become much harder to get a residence permit in Sweden. Besides, many of the Iraqis returning from Sweden have become homesick," Intidar Hadi of Iraqi cultural association in Malmo told Sydsvenskan. The situation is similar among Afghans. Since an average Afghan refugee only has a slim 18-percent chance of getting his or her application approved, many are choosing to leave on their own. This year, some 500 Afghan refugees have withdrawn their applications. Once all 72 conditions have been met, Turkey can apply for EU membership which has been a long-time ambition for the country. Balanced, strong COM decisions on visa liberalisation, reform of European asylum system + the road back to Schengen pic.twitter.com/g4N3E0LTuH Margrethe Vestager (@vestager) May 4, 2016 The backing by the European Commission was mentioned by European Commissioner for Competition, Margrethe Vestager, on Twitter. "The European Commission is today proposing to lift the visa requirements for the citizens of Turkey," Vestager tweeted. But EU government and the European Parliament still have to approve visa-free travel for Turkey. Our proposal to lift visa requirements Turkey under the understanding that they will fulfil outstanding benchmarks https://t.co/N2hIMzWodq European Commission (@EU_Commission) May 4, 2016 Dimitris Avramopoulos, European Commissioner for migration, home affairs and citizenship said: "The Turkish authorities have made remarkable progress since the 18 March EU-Turkey Summit and we trust Turkey is committed to delivering on all fronts as soon as possible. On the understanding that all benchmarks will be met as a matter of urgency, the Commission has decided to put forward a proposal to transfer Turkey to the list of visa-free counties." Visa-free travel for Turkish nationals will apply to all EU member states except for Ireland, the UK, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. It does not provide a right to work in the EU. The hatches are all sealed, the 'sail' is riddled with holes from shells fired by Nazi warships. We now have material proof of the archival details of the subs final battle, Konstantin said. The submarine rests in 72 meters of Baltic Sea water. Both of her 45-mm cannons are turned portside and there are boxes with artillery shells and a PPSh submachine gun, apparently belonging to Captain Pavel Kuzmin, on the deck nearby. The Russian divers were assisted in their search effort by their Finnish colleagues from Subzone Team. Sailing off on her first tour of duty the Shch-408 made it through a minefield, but on May 21, 1943, she was sighted by a German plane, which sent naval ships in hot pursuit of the Russian submarine. On the night of May 22 the submarine, which was already running low on electrical power and water, was forced to surface and engaged in an artillery duel with the German warships. Radioing for help from Soviet warplanes, the Shchuka submerged again. Unfortunately, the Soviet planes, dispatched to the rescue of the stranded submariners failed to break through. During the next two days and nights the crew tried desperately to repair their damaged sub under constant barrage of German depth charges. By early morning of May 25 all sounds coming from the crippled sub had died out. The Shch-408 and her crew of 40 had all been killed were all dead now. MOSCOW (Sputnik) Flight MH17, with 298 people on board, crashed on July 17, 2014, in eastern Ukraine after being shot down en route to Kuala Lumpur from Amsterdam, leaving no survivors. Most of the victims were Dutch citizens. Donbass independence supporters and the Kiev-led forces were fighting in the region at the time of the crash, and traded blame for the incident. "The Dutch Safety Board had sufficient sources and materials to draw the final conclusions," Sara Vernooij said, reminding that the DSB presented the final report into the causes of the crash of flight MH17 in October 2015. "The investigation into the causes of the crash is closed by publishing the final reports," she reiterated. As part of its third bailout agreement with its creditors the European Commission, the European Central Bank, (ECB) and the International Monetary Fund (IMF), known collectively as the 'Troika' Greece has been forced to raise taxes, improve tax collection, cut state spending and impose severe changes to its state benefit system, in return for bailout money. However, deep divisions within the Troika have been exposed not least the belief within the IMF that the Greek bailout conditions are unsustainable without debt relief the writing-off of part of its debt which is a view not shared by the Commission nor the ECB. Posturing on #Greece must end; responsible decisions on Greek economy needed.@ph_lamberts statement on #greekcrisis https://t.co/zIJSx6xpri Greens in the EP (@GreensEP) April 27, 2016 Now a group of European lawmakers Guillaume Balas, Sergio Cofferati, Emmanuel Maurel and Isabelle Thomas from the Socialist & Democrats group; Eva Joly and Ernest Urtasun from the Greens/EFA group; and Curzio Maltese and Dimitrios Papadimoulis, from the Confederal Group of the European United Left/Nordic Green Left group have said the time has come for a complete re-think of the bailout arrangements. MOSCOW (Sputnik), Alexander Mosesov Earlier in the day, the European Commission tabled a proposal under which an EU country will face a 250,000 euro [$287,000] charge for each refused EU-approved refugee. "We have got a few questions about this idea, for example we do not understand how European Commission reached this number 250,000, there is also an ethical dimension someone wants to put 'a price tag' on human life," the press office said. The ministry's press office also added that the reaction of EU countries that have "just coped with the economic crisis" and with high unemployment rates is under question. Finally, in 2009, his successor as Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, ordered an inquiry into the run-up to the invasion, under Sir John Chilcot. The inquiry heard evidence from 2009 until 2011, but has yet to report a subject of deep controversy, with allegations of a cover-up. All participants in the inquiry government officials and politicians have been given the chance to pre-read the judgement of the inquiry and respond to any criticism. However, many believe the process has gone on too long and the report should be published. Missing Weapons While it had been largely expected that Blair would shoulder much of the criticism, it has emerged that a wider group of people have been criticized in the report adding to the delay in its publication. Might as well start referring to the Contract Law coursework as the Chilcott Inquiry, chances are it's never going to be released Rex Jos. (@JackJoscelyne) May 5, 2016 One of those rumored to be in for criticism is the former Foreign Secretary Jack Straw who admitted to the Chilcot Inquiry: "The question of whether to go to war has also been one of the most divisive, certainly in my political lifetime. It made many people very angry at the time, and subsequently. That and the failure to find any weapons of mass destruction has undermined trust." The year is 2072 The Chilcot inquiry is finally published Protato Dutta (@RedactedDutta) May 5, 2016 Straw maintained that to go to war for reasons of regime change alone was illegal, but backed the government because Hussein was capable of using weapons of mass destruction, none of which were ever found. The Attorney General at the time, Lord Goldsmith is believed to have said any invasion without a clear UN mandate would be illegal and claimed he had told Straw so in a telephone conversation. He said: "The Government must not, however, fall into the trap of believing that it was in a position to take action which it could not take. Nor must [the UK Government] promise the US Government that it can do things which the Attorney considers to be unlawful," a note of their conversation reads. MOSCOW (Sputnik) Earlier in the day, the European Commission tabled a proposal under which a EU country would face a 250,000 euro ($287,000) penalty for each EU-approved refugee it refused to admit. "For my part, I found the decision unacceptable. This is a kind of blackmail by the Commission, which intends to force the reception of migrants," Zoltan Balczo said, adding that Budapest "cannot be forced to receive migrants who are totally unsuitable for integration." The Hungarian and Polish foreign ministers slammed the EU plan to punish member states for not accepting their quota of refugees, with Hungary's Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto calling it "blackmail" and his Polish counterpart Witold Waszczykowski saying it sounded like an April Fool's joke. "Prosecutors in Turkey [] don't bother themselves with communicating with the public. They are not used to reporting their actions to the public, and that is why there is a constant information vacuum surrounding the trials. Why were they initially charged under one article, and then the wording has been changed? The prosecutor's office in Istanbul has not made any statements explaining this step," Atalay said. The prosecutor's office has demanded prison terms of 10 to 25 years for the journalists. The next hearing of the case will be held on Friday, May 6. "Most of the trials in Turkey should be completed within one court session. But this is not the case. The reason for this lies in the fact that the prosecutors initiate a criminal case, although they don't possess all necessary materials and have not issued them properly. As a result, courts have to make prosecutors' work, which slows down the process of justice and makes the investigation practically endless," Atalay said. Turkey's crackdown on numerous journalists and restrictions on freedom of speech have been severely criticized by the international community, but so far the situation has not changed for the better. Recently, an Istanbul court sentenced two other journalists of the Turkish newspaper Cumhuriyet Ceyda Karan and Hikmet Cetinkaya to two years imprisonment, after they published a caricature of the Prophet Muhammad from the French satirical weekly Charlie Hebdo in their article. According to Atalay, the main role in such trials is being played by politics. No one is actually interested in proving the guilt of journalists and is just willing to sentence them to a maximum possible penalty. "As for the court hearing, scheduled for Friday, I think the court will make a final decision. The whole process was originally an attempt of the authorities to put pressure on oppositional journalists and intimidate them. But the attempt was unsuccessful. They tried to charge them with four different crimes over one article. But these people are not afraid of such methods," the lawyer concluded. MOSCOW (Sputnik) On Tuesday, Estonian lawmakers from the opposition Estonian Centre Party, which has just 27 out of the total 101 parliamentary seats, put forward a bill calling for a nationwide vote on the introduction of the refugee quota. "There is a great opposition from people, but not only against refugees themselves, but because someone decides for us. People of Estonia didn't give the EU the mandate for such things when there was the referendum on joining the EU," Yana Toom, who represents the Centre party in the EU Parliament, said. Toom explained the idea of the referendum was to authorize the national parliament to decide on the size of the refugee quota, as only Tallinn knew how many migrants Estonia was able to take in, accommodate, teach and employ. According to intelligence data, Daesh terrorists train children starting from the age of nine in their camps. While boys learn how to handle weapons and firearms and kill people, girls are forced to wear hijabs and taught how to help their future husbands in the armed struggle, the Dutch newspaper wrote. The Security Service believes this information to be sufficient grounds for the creation of a unified database on children who came back to the Netherlands from territories controlled by Daesh. Each child will be given a unique registration number. The information base will also be available to intelligence services of other European countries. According to the agreement, the border control can be introduced for a maximum period of eight months. Nevertheless, such countries as Sweden, Germany, Denmark, Austria, France and Belgium are calling for the extension of the measure. A letter recently sent to the European Commission describes new possible measures in detail. Among other things, the term "temporary" border control is expected to be increased to two years. Former Head of the Strategic Planning Department and now vice president of the Turkish-Asian Center for Strategic Studies (TASAM), Murat Bilhan, spoke to Sputnik regarding how these terms by the European Commission are seen by the Turks and what the future prospects of visa liberalization process are. We understand that the support of the European Commission plan to provide Turkish citizens visa-free travel to the Schengen countries is only a recommendation, far from the actual cancellation of the visa regime. Bilhan further said, It is necessary to go through a whole series of procedures. After all, the European Parliament still has to approve this decision. It is necessary to reconcile this decision with all of the EU countries. The case file contains thousands of checks and invoices, which feature names of different companies. If we calculate the total amount of those checks they add up to 20-30 million dollars. In studying the materials of the case it is clear that there is strong evidence of illegal trafficking of money, the source of which needs to be identified, Bektas Sarkl said. But the worst situation in these camps is for the women who are the victims of frequent rape in the territory of the refugee camps. There are reports that the sexual abuse committed against Syrian women is done by both the workers of the camps and the refugees who live in these camps. This information is however unnoticed by officials and this topic is bypassed by the media and is kept silent, with most of these cases of violence against refugees going ignored. We know virtually nothing about how these camps actually operate, what is happening inside of these tent camps because the doors remain closed to representatives of public organizations and human rights defenders, the chairman said. In March, Europe and Turkey agreed on a deal under which Ankara pledged to take back all undocumented migrants who arrive to the European Union through its territory in exchange for Syrian refugees accommodated in Turkey, on a one-for-one basis. In return, the European Union pledged to provide a total of 3 billion (over $3.3 billion) to Turkey to help it deal with refugees, with a possible further 3 billion-euro provision in 2018. Despite such arrangement between the political parties, life was the refugees in Gaziantep is far from comfortable where every day is a struggle for survival. Borders of Gaziantep have become logistics center for Daesh jihadists. Currently, that is the main threat and problem for the region. Public organizations are trying to attract attention to this problem, but it is carefully hushed by political forces who are not interested in its resolution, Sarkl concluded. He added that if Turkey fails to fulfil all the criteria required by the European Union, French-German initiative to take back the liberalization of visa-free regime between Brussels and Ankara could be a solution. "Visa liberalization is almost always a political decision. Although Turkish authorities works hard for completing the 72 benchmarks it is impossible to have them all fulfilled, especially on sensitive mattersBut there is a French German proposal on the table for a procedure to take back the liberalization if and when the criteria are not met. That can be a solution for the moment," Kyrkos said. Visa-free travel with Turkey is one of the key provisions of the EU-Turkish refugee deal, according to which Ankara has to take back migrants, who have entered the European Union illegally and in return the bloc will accept Syrian refugees from camps in Turkey. The initiative of Paris and Berlin could pave the way for cancelling the visa-free regime with Turkey and other states if too many migrants from those countries came to the European Union. This mechanism also can temper domestic criticism of the proposal to liberalize the visa regime with Turkey which is growing in countries such as Germany, France, the Netherlands and Austria. The corporation has been pressuring exporters such as Cargill, Bunge and others, to act in an inspection capacity, and conduct unwarranted analyses of cargo to determine whether farmers paid to grow Monsanto-branded genetically modified soybeans. For about a year, the corporation has demanded that shipping companies give notice when grains that contain the branded materials are slated for export, without corresponding documentation proving that royalties have been paid. Notoriously, Monsanto demands that royalties must paid, even when grains are produced from second generation seeds. Meanwhile, farmers claim that under local law, they must pay Monsanto only when they originally buy the seeds. Farmers have been calling for the government to intervene to prohibit Monsanto and other companies from exceeding their mandate and conducting unauthorized monitoring. "These methods were not only not authorized, but furthermore, we saw them as an abusive power for a company to be acting like the police," said president of The Argentine Rural Society (SRA) Luis Etchevehere. In an official bulletin on April 14th, Argentina's Agricultural Ministry stated that any inspection needs prior government authorization, without mentioning Monsanto or the dispute between the farming lobbies and the company. An official resolution was passed by the government on the next day. President Rousseff shielded Lula da Silva from criminal prosecution, and the specter of imprisonment, by immediately appointing him her Chief of Staff, a move which granted the former head of state immunity against prosecution. Despite the opposition against the Rousseff regime in Brazils legislature, public opinion has shifted strongly in favor of the countrys leader. Brazilians fear an ascendency of the unpopular Vice President Michel Temer and the opposition Democratic Movement, seizing political power against the will of the people and shifting toward neoliberal economic reforms that eviscerate the countrys public sector. On Wednesday, the Brazilian President confidently condemned the criminal probe saying, "If an investigation is opened I am sure it will show that Senator Delcidio do Amaral was lying once again." Nonetheless, the days of the Dilma Rousseff presidency and the democratically elected Workers Party appear to be numbered in the face of the latest investigation. Court documents released on Tuesday show Prosecutor General Rodrigo Janot requested authorization from the Brazilian Supreme Court to investigate Rousseff, Lula da Silva, and Petrobras for actively obstructing the Car Wash corruption probe. He noted that the Moscow and Washington have elaborated an effective mechanism for observing the ceasefire regime by introducing the "silent" period. Kuralenko said that the Russian Center is accumulating information on prisoners from both sides, as well as those who have been reported missing. The Russian Center for Reconciliation also has a direct line with the US analytic group located in Amman and that information is exchanged between Russia and the United States at least once a day. He added that the center could reach any person in the world via phone. "Since the founding of the Center on February 27, the level of violence has dropped several times over and gunfire from both sides has dropped eight times," Kuralenko said. The ceasefire in Syria, worked out by Russia and the United States, took effect on February 27 with terrorist groups not being part of the agreement. According to Kuralenko's assessments, the situation in Syria is stabilizing, but it remains tense in northern Latakia and Aleppo, as well as in several areas in the Damascus Province. The reconciliation center's chief said 91 communities have joined the ceasefire agreement. "The center's specialists meet with different social groups, elders, field commanders, local authorities. We have held 214 talks. Moreover, 52 agreements have been signed with militants who ceased fire and returned to peaceful life." Russia and the United States brokered a "silent" period on Thursday to be implemented for 24 hours in the Damascus suburbs and for 72 hours in the northern Latakia province, starting at midnight on April 30. Syria has been mired in civil war since 2011, with government forces fighting numerous opposition groups, including the Western-backed allegedly moderate factions, as well as terrorist formations. Both Washington and Moscow have been conducting military operations against terrorists in the war-torn country. The US-led international coalition of more than 60 members has been carrying out airstrikes against Daesh targets in Iraq and Syria since August and September 2014 respectively. Russia began its own operation in September 2015 at the request of Syrian President Bashar Assad. MOSCOW (Sputnik) Earlier this week, Hammond in a letter to Stephen Twigg, the head of a cross-party committee who called on the British cabinet to suspend arms supplies to Riyadh, said that Saudi Arabia was complying with international human rights laws in Yemen. Prior to that, international watchdogs repeatedly claimed that the Saudi airstrikes were killing civilians and damaging civilian infrastructure. "It is deeply disappointing that the UK government does not accept that breaches of international humanitarian law have taken place in Yemen <> The failure to hold parties to the conflict to account for their actions appears to have contributed to an anything goes attitude by both sides to this conflict," the House of Commons' International Development Committee said in a report. HMEYMIM (Syria), (Sputnik) The Hmeymim air base began operations in September, when Russia started its counter-terrorist aerial campaign in Syria. "This is the seventh press tour to Syria, which has been organized for foreign reporters," Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov told the reporters upon their arrival to the Russian Hmeymim military base in Syria's Latakia province. The Defense Ministry has so far facilitated visits by around 400 foreign and 400 Russian journalists, Konashenkov said, noting that the reporters are set to observe the work of the Russian center for Syrian reconciliation at Hmeimim. The group's latest business initiatives include running car dealerships, factories and fish farms in Iraq, the country's central court of investigation said in its latest report. The findings are based among other things on testimonies from detained militants. These enterprises allegedly bring Daesh millions of dollars a month, but they are unlikely to offset the group's financial losses. As a result, the militants have also introduced additional taxes, such as tolls for truck drivers or fees for leaving a city under Daesh control, and fines. Daesh's other ventures included smuggling antiquities and playing international currency markets. The group has generated up to $200 annually by selling archaeological artifacts plundered from historic sites in Iraq and Syria, Russia's envoy to the UN Vitaly Churkin said in early April. The militants are also making up to $20 million a month on currency speculation, a UK parliamentary committee revealed in March. MOSCOW (Sputnik) He pointed out that such a move by Turkey would be legal as the UN had made a number of decisions on the fight against Daesh in terms of self-defense and countering terrorism. "If necessary, we will send troops to Syria. We will take all steps to protect our own country internally and externally, " Davutoglu told the broadcaster Al Jazeera Turk. Syria has been in the state of civil war since 2011, and despite the February 27 ceasefire, terrorist groups, such as Daesh and al-Nusra Front, an al-Qaeda affiliate in Syria, continue to operate there as the truce does not apply to them. "Most problematic regions are in the north of the [Syrian Arab] Republic in Aleppo and on the Syrian-Turkish border, in particular. As we have repeatedly stated, terrorists get manpower, as well as ammunition and other resources from this direction [Turkey]." "The truce is observed in most of Syria. There are some violations, but there are no attempts to resume hostilities." The Russian center for Syrian reconciliation, the US center in Amman, Damascus and moderate Syrian opposition are holding talks on introducing a "silent" period in Aleppo, the country's second largest city. The Russian Defense Ministry and the US military have reached a "complete understanding" over flights of military aircraft in Syria, Konashenkov said. "There is currently complete understanding on this issue; data exchange has been established with our [US] colleagues concerning where and how flights are carried out." He added that 11 groups from the Russian reconciliation center are currently operating in Syria's Aleppo, Damascus, Daraa, Hama, Latakia, Homs provinces. "As a result of al-Nusra Front's attack on the al-Zagra district and a massive shelling of other residential areas with the use of Hellfire systems, which led to heavy civilian casualties, the introduction of a "silent" period in Aleppo was sabotaged". "The Russian Center for Reconciliation and the US center in Amman (Jordan), as well as the Syrian government and moderate opposition representatives are holding talks on the introduction of a "silent" period in Aleppo as soon as possible," he said. Konashenkov added that after consultations with Damascus and opposition, Moscow and Washington intended to introduce a "silent" period in Aleppo and its outskirts for 24 hours and later extend it for another two days. PARIS (Sputnik) Later in the day, the UNSC is set to hold a session on the situation in Aleppo, where military hostilities continue despite a ceasefire. The meeting was proposed by Paris and London and supported by some other members of the UNSC. "France expects UNSC members to put the necessary pressure on the Syrian regime to make it stop the bombardments of the civilian population and to respect the truce, prescribed by the [UNSC] Resolution 2268," the statement reads. It was added in the statement that because of the ongoing violence, at least 250 people had been killed and several thousands injured in the last 10 days. "We called on all of Iraq's political leaders to commit themselves to the legal and peaceful reconciliation of political differences in order to confront the nation's challenges and to remain united against the common enemy of ISIL/Daesh," the ministers stated. Areas Cleared From Daesh Face 'Considerable' Funding Challenges "We acknowledged the important work that is being done to stabilize areas cleared from ISIL/Daesh," the ministers stated. "We also recognized the vast resource requirements of the stabilization effort and the considerable challenges that remain in funding those requirements." The ministers underscored that success of stabilization efforts is essential to the outcome of the military campaign. "We reiterated the commitment of our respective governments to contribute in various forms to the civilian stabilization effort," the ministers added. The defense ministers of 11 countries, including the United States, France and the United Kingdom, issued the statement upon the conclusion of a meeting on strengthening the anti-Daesh campaign in Stuttgart, Germany. The next meeting of ministers from the counter-Daesh coalition will take place later this year, according to the statement. . If you do not agree with the blocking, please use the Access to the chat has been blocked for violating the rules . You will be able to participate again through:. If you do not agree with the blocking, please use the feedback form The discussion is closed. You can participate in the discussion within 24 hours after the publication of the article. MOSCOW (Sputnik) A joint statement issued by the defense ministers of 11 US-led anti-Daesh coalition members following their meeting in Stuttgart, Germany, earlier in the day reaffirmed "strong supportfor the deployment of additional enabling capabilities in the near term" to reclaim Mosul and Raqqa. "Iraqi forces have Daesh on the back foot and are retaking territory, hitting its finances and striking its leadership. Now is the time to build on recent success and we are looking hard at what more we can offer as Iraqi combat operations intensify," Defense Secretary Michael Fallon said. MOSCOW (Sputnik) In recent months, Turkey's southern districts have been subjected to shelling from territories in Syria occupied by Daesh. Turkish troops deployed in the vicinity of the country's border with Syria retaliated by shelling Daesh targets. "Daesh should be cleared from the region. This is the most permanent solution It should be removed from the Manbij region [Daesh-occupied part of Syria] and cleared toward the south," Cavusoglu told reporters, as quoted by Hurriyet Daily News. He also expressed regret when talking of the positions Daesh still possesses in both Syria and Iraq, despite the international anti-terror efforts. The US State Department hopes that all parties involved will observe the ceasefire in Aleppo. The US is closely coordinating monitoring of the new cessation of hostilities in Aleppo with Russia. "To ensure this continues in a sustainable way, we are coordinating closely with Russia to finalize enhanced monitoring efforts of this renewed cessation." Washington counts on Moscow to put pressure on Damascus concerning the 'silent' period in the Aleppo province. The State Department vows to continue efforts to expand cessation of hostilities across Syria. Russia and the United States brokered a "silent" period on Thursday to be implemented for 24 hours in the Damascus suburbs and for 72 hours in the northern Latakia province, starting at midnight on April 30. Earlier in the day, the head of the Russian Center for Reconciliation said that the Russian military in Syria and their US colleagues have found an effective mechanism for ceasefire. MOSCOW (Sputnik) Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov discussed the cessation of hostilities in Syria with his Iranian counterpart Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement Wednesday. "A detailed exchange of views was held on a range of political settlement issues in Syria in accordance with UN Security Council Resolution 2254 and the International Syria Support Group decisions, including in the context of the task of maintaining the cessation of hostilities and ensuring the inclusiveness of the intra-Syrian negotiating process in Geneva," the ministry said. The ministry added that Bogdanov and Amir-Abdollahian discussed a range of other issues on the regional agenda, including developments in Yemen, Libya, Iraq and the Palestinian territories. Jordan's border control caught a homing pigeon sent by Daesh in Syria, Jordanian border commander Sabir Mahayreh said during a press conference on Wednesday. The information was spread by local media. The jihadists tied a letter with a phone number to the foot of the bird, which was flying to a Jordanian resident, Mahayreh said, according to Albawaba News. Previously, the terrorists were trying to send a spy drone from Syria into Jordan that was also captured by the Jordanian border patrol, the source said. "Ten days and nights in a row, Mr. President, the mouths of Aleppo children are filled with earth instead of milk, while the rubble of stones and mines are hitting their heads and bodies. Their mothers and fathers groan and scream from under the ruins, with tears in their eyes they're crying to stop this terrorism, which mankind hasn't seen in 7,000 years of history," Barvin Ibrahim wrote in the letter. The letter also said that if Russia and the United States worked together, then peace in Syria would be quickly restored. Captain William Nault, chief of staff for the multinational Combined Maritime Forces (CMF), said that the Mukalla advance by Yemeni government forces was "heartening," calling it a "setback" for AQAP, but warned that instability wrought by an ongoing civil war in the country could lead to a resurgence of pirating activity by the extremists. "AQAP has taken advantage of that chaos and moved into the void. In doing so they have gotten stronger," stated Nault, whose mission includes prevention and mitigation of maritime piracy and terrorism. UNITED NATIONS (Sputnik) Non-state actors have carried out at least two deadly attacks on hospitals in Aleppo in the last week, UN Emergency Relief Coordinator Stephen O'Brien told the UN Security Council on Wednesday. "In western Aleppo, currently controlled by the [Syrian] government, Ibn Rushed hospital was hit by mortars, allegedly fired by non-state armed groups last week, and just yesterday [there was] an attack on the Debeet maternity hospital in western Aleppo again allegedly by non-State armed groups, resulting in three fatalities," O'Brien said. On Tuesday, Russias Defense Ministry reported that the al-Nusra Front terrorist group shelled the Debeet hospital. According to local media reports, six civilians were killed and at least 39 were wounded in that attack. UNITED NATIONS (Sputnik) Western-backed opposition forces in Syria have not broken off ties to the al-Nusra Front terrorist group despite their promises to do so, Russia's Ambassador to the UN Vitaly Churkin told the Security Council on Wednesday. "We have been promised that the armed units of [the] so-called moderate opposition will break off all links with the al-Nusra, withdraw from territories it occupies and clearly state their readiness to take part in the peace settlement. This has not occurred so far," Churkin said. "We call on all sides [in Syria] for constructive participation and dialogue and [to refrain] from threats or sabotage," Churkin told the UN Security Council. HOMS (Sputnik) The silence regime in Syria's Aleppo region will begin Wednesday night and last for 48 hours, the Syrian Army command said in a statement. "The 48-hour silence regime in Aleppo will enter into force at 00:01 a.m. [21:01 GMT] tomorrow, Thursday," the statement reads. Earlier in the day, the governments of the United States and Russia have agreed on a deal to extend the cessation of hostilities in Syria to the Aleppo province. MOSCOW (Sputnik) The al-Nusra Front group, also known as Jabhat al-Nusra, continues attacks in northwestern parts of the Syrian city of Aleppo, the Russian reconciliation center in Syria said Wednesday. "Militants from the Jabhat al-Nusra terrorist group continued attacks in northwestern Aleppo," the reconciliation center said in an update published on the Russian Defense Ministry's website. The attacks have caused casualties and injuries, including among civilians, according to the reconciliation center. GAZA/TEL-AVIV (Sputnik) Israeli Air Force (IAF) attacked Wednesday five targets in the Gaza Strip belonging to the Palestinian Islamist Hamas movement in response to mortar shelling by Hamas's militants, Israel Defense Forces' spokesman said. #Breaking Following 5 attacks against Israeli forces today, an IAF aircraft targeted 5 #Hamas terrorist infrastructure in southern #Gaza Peter Lerner (@LTCPeterLerner) May 4, 2016 After the July 2014 Israeli ground offensive, aiming to destroy Hamas rocket launchers and the network of tunnels along the Gaza border with the Jewish State, Israeli military continue searching for Hamas made tunnels, which have been used to resist the Israeli forces as well as to secretly enter Israeli territory and smuggle arms. VILNIUS (Sputnik) Portugal is taking over the Baltic Air Policing mission in Lithuania on Wednesday, the Lithuanian Ministry of National Defense said. "The Portuguese Air Force are for the third time taking part in the NATO air mission in the Baltic states. The current Portuguese deployment will comprise 100 service personnel, including pilots, technicians, medical personnel, support personnel and communication specialists," the ministry said in a statement. Portugal is to deploy four F-16 Fighting Falcon multirole fighters to replace four Spanish Eurofighter Typhoon jets deployed on the previous mission since January. The Portuguese jets will be based at the Siauliai air base. YEREVAN (Sputnik) According to the Nagorno-Karabakh Defense Ministry, Azerbaijan fired at positions of the self-proclaimed Nagorno-Karabakh Republic in the morning of May 4. "Early on May 4, tensions continued at the line of contact between Karabakh and Azerbaijani forces. The enemy carried on violating the ceasefire agreement using firearms and mortars of various calibers," the ministry said in a statement. Front units of the Nagorno-Karabakh Defense Army are in control of the situation and continue to carry out their combat duty, the ministry added. KHABAROVSK (Sputnik) Representatives of Russia's Eastern Military District (EMD) and the Mongolian Armed Forces have chosen reconnaissance operations and illegal armed groups elimination to be practiced at the upcoming Selenga-2016 joint Russian-Mongolian military exercises, the head the EMD's press service said Monday. "At the second round of consultations on planning the joint Russian-Mongolian Selenga-2016 exercises, the subject of the practical part of the drill was defined. A joint group of troops will practice conducting reconnaissance and search operations in a designated area, as well as blocking and eliminating simulated illegal armed groups," Alexander Gordeev told reporters. The first round of consultations was held in early February. The sides previously agreed to hold the drills between August 29 and September 7 at the Burduny training range in Buryatia, with some 2,000 service personnel taking part in total. The final round of consultations is due to be held in July. MOSCOW (Sputnik) In March, the Defense Ministry said the Admiral Gorshkov was expected to join the Navy in December 2016. The warship first sailed into the north-eastern region of the Atlantic Ocean in late September. "Six such ships should join the Navy by 2025. They will be equipped with modern weaponry and the latest navigation tools," Shoigu said during a conference call adding that the Admiral Gorshkov now is being tested by the Russian Navy's Northern Fleet. The Admiral Kasatonov, the second project 22350 vessel, was launched in late 2014, while two further frigates, the Admiral Golovko and the Admiral Isakov, are under construction at Severnaya Verf shipyard in St. Petersburg. HMEYMIM AIRBASE (Syria), (Sputnik) In April, the international humanitarian group Doctors Without Borders (MSF) said that 50 people were killed in an airstrike which struck the al-Quds hospital in the Syrian city of Aleppo. "The so-called news story about the bombing of a hospital in Al-Quds was picked up by many international media outlets as an example of failure of the Russian and US-agreed Syrian ceasefire. We checked this information; and today we will show you the real picture based on the reconnaissance data," Konashenkov said. One picture clearly shows the destroyed hospital, the general noted. "It's an indisputable fact no one is denying." CHISINAU(Sputnik) A total of 58 pieces of military hardware entered Moldova from Romania in the town of Sculeni and took the M-14 motorway to Negreshti on Tuesday. Besides participation in the drills that will last until May 20 and include 198 US soldiers as well as 165 Moldovan servicemen, the US vehicles are due to be showed in the Moldovan capital Chisinau during the Victorys Day celebrations on May 9. The American cavalry arrived at the destination point [Negreshti], the Ministry posted on its Facebook page referring to the 2nd US Cavalry Regiment deployed for the exercises. Presence of the US military hardware caused public outrage in Moldova with members of the Party of Socialists and social activists trying to block the vehicles at the Moldovan-Romanian border. The Socialists leader Igor Dodon vowed to hold them again on the Chisinaus fringes if the vehicles are going to be deployed in the Modovan capital on May 9. BRUSSELS (Sputnik) Earlier in the day, Scaparrotti assumed command of NATO forces in Europe, taking up the post of US Air Force Gen. Philip Breedlove. "As we continue our critical mission in Afghanistan we also face a resurgent Russia, striving to project itself as a world power, face terrorism and refugee crisis being driven by instability in North Africa and the Middle East. To address these challenges, we must continue to maintain and enhance our level of readiness and our agility in the spirit of being able to fight tonight if the deterrence fails," Scaparrotti said during the change of command ceremony. MOSCOW (Sputnik) The last batch of the Mil Mi-17 upgraded Mi-8MTV-5-1 model was supplied to the Russian Army in 2015, along with six Ansat-U helicopters. "The Russian Helicopters holding has delivered another batch of military transport Mi-8MTV-5-1 helicopters to the Russian Defense Ministry's operating organizations, as well as supplying one Ansat-U [utility helicopter]. The helicopters have withstood all types of tests stipulated by the government contract and the terms of the technical documentation," the company said. The Russian Defense Ministry is the largest client for Russian-built helicopters. "Now, by the way, bans on providing Iran with certain types of weapons tanks, armored personnel carriers and combat aircraft have been lifted and transferred to a permissive mode. So Iran can voice interest in these types of weapons. If we receive any requests, we will, of course, consider them," Lavrov said. "I will repeat that the S-300s are not covered by any restrictions, neither are many types of small arms and light weapons. Therefore, all possibilities are open here. As for the permissive mode, which requires UN Security Council approval, if and when Iran expresses an interest in acquiring any of these items, the appropriate procedures will be implemented," he added. Lavrov also noted that Iran would withdraw its lawsuit against Russia as the contract was implemented. "This has all been agreed," he said. Russia and Iran initially signed an S-300 delivery deal in 2007, but its implementation was halted by Moscow due to UN Security Council sanctions against Tehran. In response, Iran filed a lawsuit against Russia. TALLINN (Sputnik) The Spring Storm drills, which are due to run between May 2 and 20, will involve 6,000 troops, according to the Estonian military. The participants include domestic units, as well as NATO troops from a number of countries, including Belgium, Canada, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, the United Kingdom and the United States. "Four Su-22 fighters of the Polish Air Force have landed today at the Amari Air Base to participate in the 'Spring Storm' drills," the statement reads. It was added in the statement that the Polish Air Force was participating in Estonia-hosted drills for the fourth time. We showed the withdrawal of our troops from the Hmeymim airbase. Aircraft such as bombers, attack aircraft and Su-25s have been removed. In particular, Su-25s have been fully withdrawn from the airbase, the general told reporters on Wednesday. According to the general, in total about 30 aircraft and a significant number of personnel who were engaged in servicing equipment, delivery of ammunition and other material have returned to Russia. Currently, there is only as much power as we need in order to perform the tasks in the fight against international terrorist groups Daesh and Jabhat al-Nusra. You have seen today that our planes performed flights for the destruction of international terrorist groups in the region of Raqqa, Arak and Deir ez-Zor, Konashenkov told journalists. New Delhi (Sputnik) The Indian Navy will induct a new squadron of MiG-29Ks in a ceremony scheduled to take place on May 11 in the southern state of Goa. The Russian fighter aircraft is replacing the obsolete British Sea Harriers which served the Indian Navy since 1983, and were placed aboard the INS Viraat warship, which is also being decommissioned. "With the scheduled decommissioning of INS Viraat and great difficulty in the maintenance of the ageing Sea Harrier fighters, they are scheduled to be de-inducted on May 11. The squadron will be operating the advanced MiG-29K fighters," the Indian Navy said in a statement. The Sea Harriers were being operated by the White Tigers squadron, which is being trained to operate its first supersonic fighters in 30 MiG-29Ks out of the 45 contracted from Russia for the INS Vikramaditya and the under-construction indigenous carrier INS Vikrant. The MiG-29K is expected to give the Indian Navy a four-fold capability jump over Sea Harriers. The development comes 10-days after North Korea failed an SLBM test in the Sea of Japan from a GORAE-class submarine. The test missile traveled just 19 miles before plunging into the water, eliciting mockery from Seoul and Washington. Nonetheless, the US-Korea Institute cautions against downplaying the progress of nuclear weapons development by the isolated dictatorship. "The test was probably intended to be limited, focusing upon the submarines launch systems, missile ignition sequence and initial guidance operations rather than a full operation test," the think-tank said, predicting further 'limited' launches before a "full range" test. The institute claims that the new shipyard would enable the desperately impoverished country, subject to far-reaching global economic sanctions, to potentially "build and launch submarines much larger than the GORAE-class." WASHINGTON (Sputnik) The US military must consider Russia an enduring challenge in Eastern Europe, US Air Force Chief of Staff General Mark Welsh said during a talk on military strategy at the Council on Foreign Relations in Washington, DC. "[F]rom our perspective, due diligence would require us to assume that Russia is an enduring concern," Welsh stated on Tuesday. Welsh claimed that Russias military buildup demonstrates an intention to be disruptive in the region. So far NATO has not directly participated in anti-Daesh efforts, although many of its member states have taken part in the US-led airstrike campaign. Washington is eager to change that. The latest push, according to Spiegel Online, marks the second US attempt to secure NATO's direct involvement in the anti-Daesh fight. President Barack Obama is said to have raised the topic of NATO's greater involvement during NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg's visit to the US. MOSCOW (Sputnik) The Kuril Islands are the subject of the long-standing territorial dispute between Russia and Japan. Tokyo lays claims to Kunashiri, Etorofu, Shikotan islands and the Habomai group of islets dividing the Sea of Okhotsk from the Pacific Ocean. The territorial dispute has prevented Russia and Japan from signing a peace treaty after World War II. "It's of course pretty possible to suggest that in one way or another this topic will be touched upon. It is impossible to expect an immediate and serious progress because this issue is extremely sensitive and will require meticulous, continuous, and what's important, constant work on the expert level," Peskov told journalists. MOSCOW (Sputnik) He said it was difficult to determine if this information was true as an overwhelming amount of this information is speculative and based on some sort of rumors or garbled information. I cant react, first of all because the origin and the identity of this group [Bellingcat] still needs to be established. Secondly, we dont have any detailed information on identification numbers of Russian weapons. This is more likely an issue for experts in the Defense Ministry, Peskov told journalists, commenting on Bellingcats recent report that the BUK missile carried the identification number 323 and allegedly belonged to the Russian military. CAIRO (Sputnik) Akbik stressed that Kurds first needed to renounce claims that they were cooperating with the Syrian government or wanted to create an autonomous region within the Syrian territory. "The process of federalization or creating an autonomous region should not be unilateral. It should be decided on a national level No one should force their unilateral decisions on others: neither Kurds on the rest of Syrians nor anyone else on Kurds," Monzer Akbik, a former spokesman of the Syrian National Coalition, told RIA Novosti. "Every part of the Syrian society that agrees with decisions made in Geneva and UNSC on the Syrian territorial integrity, transitional process must participate [in the talks]." CAIRO (Sputnik) On April 21, Syrian Prime Minister Wael Nader Halqi told Sputnik in an interview that a national unity government should be formed in the country with the participation of the current authorities, national opposition and independent politicians to work on the draft of the new Syrian constitution. "Since the Baath [party] came to power, there are no true ministries, real administration and parliament in Syria. The right to make decisions is in the hands of the security services, secret police and intelligence agencies. This situation in the governance in Syria is a total totalitarianism. If they propose us any structure where Assad remains president, such a structure will not have any powers and a real role," Monzer Akbik told RIA Novosti. He added that the transitional government would not be a step forward in the political transition. MOSCOW (Sputnik) In a statement broadcast by the NTV channel, Cavusoglu declared that his country was close to completing its work on meeting all 72 EU criteria, including changes in passports. "Turkish citizens deserve the right to travel to European countries without visas. We are about to complete a technical study, including on [changes in] passports. We are now waiting to hear what the European Commission has to say in its report," Cavusoglu said. The European Commission is expected to deliver its verdict on free-travel for Turks later today. It is part of an EU-Turkey deal on refugees. MOSCOW (Sputnik) Russia and Turkey are neighbors and need each other as both remain important regional powers, Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said Wednesday. "Our line of conduct remains unchanged. Russia and Turkey have always been neighbors. Today, both of our countries remain important for the region. We need each other. The incident with the plane was not an action directed against Russia," Davutoglu said in an interview with Al Jazeera Turk. The prime minister also ruled out a possible conflict between Turkey and Russia if Turkey began a ground military operation in Syria. MOSCOW (Sputnik) He praised the "impressive progress" that Turkey had done in recent weeks on meeting the benchmarks of its visa liberalization roadmap. A decision by the Commission may come as early as in June. "We are putting a proposal on the table which opens the way for the European Parliament and the Member States to decide to lift visa requirements, once the benchmarks have been met," Timmermans said in Brussels. However, Turkey should upgrade until the end of 2016 its citizens' passports to contain biometric data as part of the EU-Turkey deal on migration, Timmermans. PARIS (Sputnik) Diplomatic efforts to restore the cessation of hostilities and return the Saudi-backed High Negotiations Committee ( HNC ) opposition to the negotiating table in Geneva have begun afresh this month to reverse the momentum of increased violence and stalled talks. "As Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault has mentioned, he intends to organize a meeting of countries supporting the Syrian opposition on May 9. The meeting should include representatives of Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Turkey, Saudi Arabia countries that consider it necessary to renew the Geneva talks at any cost," Le Foll said. He specified that the session would be held at the level of foreign ministers. In turn, the EU has urged Turkey to carry out liberalization reforms of its domestic politics, including securing minorities rights and freedom of speech. "The European Union must not settle for just reminding the Turkish authorities of the principles of media freedom. It must exercise all of its potential leverage. There can be no question of resuming EU accession talks while Ankara visibly tramples on basic European values," Reporters Without Borders secretary-general Christophe Deloire said. It is against this backdrop that Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin in the Black Sea resort of Sochi on Friday. In February, US President Barack Obama asked Abe to postpone his unofficial visit to Sochi until after the Group of Seven summit that will be held in Japan's Ise-Shima region on May 26-27. The prime minister, who has met Putin more than a dozen times, refused. Despite Washington's discontent, "Japan could benefit greatly from a comprehensive renewal of ties with Russia, and mitigate criticism from [the US], by focusing engagement primarily on economic and 'soft-security' issues," Jonathan Berkshire Miller and Aiko Shimizu observed. MOSCOW (Sputnik) The latest round of the Syria peace talks finished in Geneva earlier this week and saw HNC walking out over continuous fighting in Syria and a lack of progress on humanitarian issue "I suppose it will still be an indirect dialogue [during the next round of Syrian peace talks], although it's clear that it is possible to start real work only after all Syrian sides gather at the negotiating table. There are no conditions for this as of now, mainly because of the High Negotiations Committee [HNC], which gave itself that name, is being capricious under the negative influence of outside sponsors, predominantly Turkey," Lavrov said. "Turkey single-handedly blocks the Democratic Union Party from fully joining the negotiation process. It is one of the largest Kurdish parties, which fights against terrorist and controls a big territory in Syria, that's why it is pointless to discuss the constitution without it, of course, and even steps to form transitional structures from the government and opposition members who will have the right to prepare such a constitution," Lavrov said. MOSCOW (Sputnik) The United States, the European Union, as well as their allies in the Middle Eastern region consider Syrian President Bashar Assad to be illegitimate and call for his resignation, while Russia and Iran insist that it was up to Syrian people to decide the fate of their country and leadership. "Assad is not our ally, by the way. Yes, we support him in the fight against terrorism and in preserving the Syrian state. But he is not an ally like Turkey is the ally of the United States," Lavrov said. "Ukraine doesn't need Crimea. Turns out it [Ukraine] doesn't need Donbass either, looking at how Ukraine treats it," Zakharova told Izvestia. The point isn't whether Russia allegedly wants to have Crimea back, but it's about the will of the people in the peninsula who made their choice. Zakharova added that Ukraine should stop trying to revoke the result of the Crimean referendum. "I remember how two years ago, during the Treaty of accession of Crimea to Russia, one Crimean resident said: We returned to Russia. Please never give us back,'" Zakharova said. MOSCOW (Sputnik) He stressed that the Russian reconciliation center in Hmeymim maintained daily video linkups with the US center in Amman, Jordan, and reiterated his assertion that a joint 24-hour Russian-US rapid response center was due to start operating by Thursday. "The track that demanded urgent action, which is associated with the cessation of hostilities, yields results. No one expected that the level of violence would decrease that much. We are satisfied with the joint work of the Russian and US militaries," Lavrov said. MOSCOW (Sputnik) On September 30, Moscow began its air campaign in Syria on Damascus' request, during which the Russian Aerospace Forces conducted precision airstrikes against the extremists' targets. On March 14, Putin ordered to withdraw most of Russia's military contingent from Syria after accomplishing its objective. The Russian leader has repeatedly stated that Moscows campaign in the war-torn country would only be limited to air operations. "There remains a sufficient aviation group, the Hmeymim base and the Navy base in Tartus, which is being used to supply the group and support the Syrian army And of course, the Supreme Commander-in-Chief has taken the decision based on evaluation of the situation, and retained a contingent that is adequate given the current goals," Lavrov said. Former Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Moldova, Valery Ostalep, described the move as "provocative." "Surely, Americans are fully aware of Moldova's domestic situation. This move is yet another component of Washington's political fight in the region. The West is constantly waging it. Evidently, this has mostly to do with Russia, not Moldova." Political analyst Yury Roshka views the initiative as "a planned act that is part of America's consistent efforts to undermine friendly relations between Russia and other nations in the region." MOSCOW (Sputnik) It is necessary to educate states trying to call for the military invasion in war-torn Syria, as it would be a direct aggression, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told Sputnik on Wednesday. "Of course, there are calls for a military invasion, but in order to prevent this, which would be an act of aggression, it is necessary to educate those who are trying to advocate this option. But I do not think that they have any justification, at least some excuse [for the military invasion] because the ceasefire [in Syria] is strengthening after all," Lavrov said. "I do not think that anyone will decide to play dangerous games and carry out any provocations as the Russian Aerospace Forces are stationed there [in Syria]," Lavrov said when replying to a question about the possibility of a foreign ground operation in Syria by Turkey or Saudi Arabia. MOSCOW (Sputnik) Turkey has long been calling for a buffer zone on the border with Syria where camps for refugees could be set up to take the load off overcrowded camps on the Turkish side of the border. "They are still talking about safety zones. Unfortunately, the European Union is also starting to take the concept of security zones as a given under blackmail from Turkey. At least when [US President Barack] Obama was in Hannover, [German Chancellor Angela] Merkel said at a press conference that we support the idea of security zones, which Obama immediately publicly disowned, but it sounded symptomatic," Lavrov said. Speaking at a joint press conference with Merkel on April 24, Obama said the so-called safe zones in Syria would be impractical short of a military contribution to "take over a chunk of that country." MOSCOW (Sputnik) Lavrov recalled Turkey's military presence in Iraq without Baghdad's approval. "The Turks are still in Iraq with military forces there without [Baghdads] consent and contrary to the demands of Iraq's legitimate government, stating that they have sent troops there to strengthen the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Iraq. That said, there's nothing to comment," the top Russian diplomat added. "In the actions of Turkey, and they are the main instigators of all this talk about safe zones, Plan B and other aggressive aspirations, you can perceive such expansionist motives not only in Syria These are neo-Ottoman ambitions: to spread its influence to expand the territory," Lavrov said. MOSCOW (Sputnik) Russia has repeatedly stated that Syria's territorial integrity was a critically important issue for the majority of states taking part in the process to settle the Syrian crisis. "Our stance is simple: we will support anything the Syrians agree upon, and this is also the stance of the [UN] Security Council. But when we are asked the question 'Would you support the federalization?' we say that if they [Syrians] agree on it, we will support everything that will be concerted," the Russian top diplomat said. Russia's opposition to internationalizing the South China Sea dispute and the US deployment of the Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system in South Korea has promted deep concerns among American geopolitical analysts. Moscow's support for Beijing has put the US plan to pressure China into making concessions on the maritime dispute in the South China Sea at risk. On the other hand, India's decision to side with China on the issue has caught Western observers by surprise. "China and Russia have agreed on the need to limit US influence in the Asia Pacific Region. On Friday, following bilateral talks in Beijing Russia's foreign minister Sergey Lavrov and his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi expressed opposition to the US deployment of an anti-missile system in South Korea and also said that non-claimants should not take sides in the dispute over maritime territorial claims in the South China Sea," American geopolitical analyst Tim Daiss wrote in his Op-Ed for Forbes. "The tensions should probably cool down first, that is understandable. But there are no alternatives to the political process, political settlement. And there are certain ideas that have been discussed by the parties. And I remain convinced that while it would be difficult, it is possible to write them down in documents that would be acceptable to all parties." Armenia has assured Russia that the status of Nagorno-Karabakh will not be determined unilaterally and that Yerevan is committed to a peaceful settlement, Lavrov said. "When I was in Yerevan and later spoke with my colleague [Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian] over the phone, and after that, when he visited Moscow following the events in early April, Yerevan's commitment to a peaceful settlement was clearly confirmed to me. This means that the status of Nagorno-Karabakh will be decided through a joint agreement and not unilaterally," Lavrov said. "As for news on an Armenian discussion on recognizing Nagorno-Karabakh: it's not Armenia itself that is discussing this. It was suggested by two parliament membersI wouldn't panic right now," he stated. "Other partners of ours have been telling us during their visits that they had to ignore US demands that they called off the trip," Lavrov confessed. Lavrov said that he does not plan going to the United States for an official visit any time soon. "I stay in close touch with [US Secretary of State] John Kerry. I dont have plans to go to Washington, let alone on an official visit, because it is not the official event that is important but the practical work that gets done during working visits, and that is what we are on at the moment," Lavrov stressed. MOSCOW (Sputnik) Russia hopes that the person who succeeds US President Barack Obama in the White House will be more consistent in their policies and open to reaching a consensus, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told Sputnik. "We hope that the [next US] partner will be more open to reaching a consensus and a more consistent partner, and that this person will not try to simultaneously cooperate with us on international problems that cannot be solved without our help and they realize this while also claiming that we are the main threat and barring us from international financial and currency systems and pushing other nations to pursue the US anti-Russia policies," Lavrov said. "We will wait and we will be ready to work with any US leader, hoping that he will understand the importance of Russia-US cooperation to settle the many, many problems in the world," Lavrov said. MOSCOW (Sputnik) Russia, Germany, France and Ukraine, the group of four countries dubbed "Normandy Four" after their leaders met during WWII Normandy landings' anniversary celebrations in northern France has been holding regular meetings on the Ukraine conflict since June 2014. "I think that European countries' national interests should prevail and Europe's interests should prevail. Just like Europe wishes to prove to everyone that it is able to help solve the Ukrainian crisis together with us, without interference from overseas, so to speak," Lavrov said. "I think that Europe will gradually show more independence here, as with the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP). Attempts to silently formalize all this have failed, and European leaders are forced under public pressure to say that the current version does not suit them," he added. MOSCOW (Sputnik) Earlier in the day, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told Sputnik that the actions of Turkey in Syria and Iraq, where it has its forces without Baghdad's consent, demonstrate expansionist motives, "neo-Ottoman ambitions: to spread its influence to expand the territory." "What is the interest of Russia, France or other European countries is to stop terrorism. What is the interest of Mr, Erdogan is to try to continue the expansion of his land, to take a part of the Syrian territory," Thierry Mariani told Sputnik. BERLIN (Sputnik) The latest round of the Syria peace talks started on April 13. The Saudi-backed HNC put its participation in the talks on hold on April 18, citing the recent violations of the ceasefire and the deteriorating situation with humanitarian aid access in the country. "We do not see any possibility for a political solution as long as Bashar Assad is in power," Riyad Hijab told journalists ahead of a meeting with German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier in Berlin. According to the coordinator, after three rounds of talks the Syrian leadership "completely rejects the idea of a transitional government" backed by the opposition, while the latter "rejects the idea of a national unity government" proposed by the Syrian government delegation to the proximity talks. "The dialogue process should be a national dialogue conference which can gather 1000 representatives of different Syrian groups and different Syrian parties, and associations of the civil society, as well as the government. We prefer to hold in DamascusI don't see any kind of format which can be done by Mr. de Mistura and his team, and which can gather the different teams into one negotiating party and which can achieve the results which he is speaking about," Ahmad said. De Mistura said at a final press conference after the conclusion of the talks that "there has been some progress at this round," and that ideas on political transition from all delegations to the talks were collected. On Tuesday, de Mistura said that the renewal of the Intra-Syrian talks hinges on Aleppo joining a ceasefire regime in Syria. WASHINGTON (Sputnik) Earlier in the day, the US State Department announced that the United States and Russia had agreed to extend the Syrian ceasefire regime to Aleppo. "I dont have their immediate response to this latest reaffirmation today, but we are going into this believing that we can influence them to abide by it," Toner stated. Rebel groups that are not part of Syrian ceasefire have mingled with the opposition in Aleppo and should be separated to allow the full implementation of ceasefire, Mark Toner said. It is not the first time the US-trained and armed fighters have defected taking the weapons provided by the US and invaluable military skills to "the other side." Berger refers to numerous cases when the so-called moderate Syrian rebels defected to Daesh and al-Qaeda's affiliate al-Nusra Front. Indeed, in late September 2015, Reuters reported that "the rebels surrendered six pick-up trucks and some ammunition, or about one-quarter of their issued equipment, to a suspected Nusra [al-Nusra Front] intermediary on September 21-22 in exchange for safe passage," citing Colonel Patrick Ryder, a spokesman for US Central Command. Earlier, in March 2015 the International Business Times wrote that the CIA-backed Harakat Hazzm group in northern Syria joined al-Nusra Front and Daesh under the pretext that "the US failed to supply adequate resources." "According to data obtained by IBTimes, the Hazzm movement received a total of about $6 million in 2014 from the US government $500,000 a month for 5,000 soldiers," the media outlet elaborated. In addition to these embarrassing cases, there are other episodes the Pentagon and the CIA can't be proud of. Last week, Erdogan launched his own power grab, when the AKPs executive committee a body in which the president still maintains influence voted to remove the prime ministers authority to appoint local leaders. "This decision will weaken Davutoglus power over the party," said one official familiar with the decision, speaking on condition of anonymity. "Davutoglus job will not be easy after this." On Wednesday evening, both men held an unscheduled meeting behind closed doors. While some experts considered the possibility that Davutoglu would deliver his resignation, no public announcement was made. Other reports suggest that the prime minister may step down at the end of the month. "While Erdogan and Davutoglu may appear keen to dispel any notions that divisions are emerging between them, the writing on the wall shows that a rift is in fact developing on a number of levels, and it is just a matter of time before this erupts in earnest," Semih Idiz wrote for Hurriyet Daily News. China has recently introduced a new yuan priced gold fix. Within a week of the new fix being introduced, Russia and China announced a new gold trading platform. Most Western central bankers and commentators claim gold is a barbarous relic, a pet rock, a cabbage patch doll, so why all these moves in the gold market? Double Down asks Austrian economist, Sandeep Jaitly, to explain the purpose of a fix and what the gold moves by Russia and China might tell us about the current fiat money system. A new poll shows that over half of Americans think the primary system is rigged, and over two thirds believe it should be done away with all together. Just how undemocratic is the electoral system in the United States? Becker is joined by journalist and political activist Richard Winger of Ballot Access News to talk about what these new poll numbers mean. Could a former CIA spy be going to prison in Italy? One of the Agencys former operatives is due to be handed over by Portugal to Italy, where she was convicted of participating in the CIAs extraordinary rendition program. But is the convicted agent merely a scapegoat? Will U.S. officials who ordered the program ever be held accountable? Former CIA analyst John Kiriakou, who went to prison for exposing the CIA torture program, joins Becker to talk about the extradition. MOSCOW (Sputnik) Russia hopes that the United States will repatriate Viktor Bout, sentenced to 25 years in prison, after the judge who presided over his trial, Judge Shira Scheindlin, admitted that the sentence was "excessive and inappropriate," Russian Foreign Ministry Human Rights Ombudsman Konstantin Dolgov said Wednesday. We hope that the lawyers will not overlook this situation, I mean the situation with Shira [Scheindlin]s admissions, and will use it somehow in their work. There is always the possibility [of Bouts repatriation], it existed [the possibility] earlier but the US authorities did not want to use it, Dolgov told Rossiya 24 television. The statement came after Shira Scheindlin, who stepped down on April 29, after almost 22 years on the federal bench, told The New York Times on Monday that the verdict in Bout's case was excessive and inappropriate, adding that she handed down the shortest sentence she could possibly give. An image made by Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), located in the Chilean high desert, shows a distant galaxy visible as a single bright dot, surrounded by a distorted halo. This halo, known as an Einstein Ring, is a far more distant galaxy, dubbed SDP.81, that lies behind the the galaxy represented as the bright dot. As light from a more distant source, such as a galaxy, passes by a supermassive object, such as a black hole or another galaxy, it becomes distorted, and appears to bend around the closer object, forming a ring. This distortion, predicted in Albert Einstein's general theory of relativity, allows astronomers to use galaxies as natural magnifying glasses, to acquire images of very distant objects behind them. This particular image, however, shows a strange distortion near the edge of the halo. Visible as a smaller white dot, it is presumed to be a dwarf galaxy consisting mostly of dark matter, and, as such, could not otherwise be seen from Earth. Its mass is estimated at less than one-thousandth the mass of our galaxy, the Milky Way. This location of the smaller dot, and its estimated mass, combined with the fact that no other object has been spotted in the region, suggests that the cluster could be an extremely faint dwarf galaxy, comprised of dark matter, lying nearly 4 billion light years from Earth. Nihal Bitla, 15, who was suffering from a rare genetic condition known as progeria, has died today in India. The doctors stated that he passed away due to dehydration in the southern Indian state of Telangana. Bitla was diagnosed with progeria a medical condition in which the individual ages several times faster than normal when he was just a one-year-old. Bitla, who was staying in India's commercial capital of Mumbai, went to the southern state to attend the wedding of a family member. WASHINGTON (Sputnik) Senator Bernie Sanders headed for a surprise victory over US Democratic presidential frontrunner Hillary Clinton in the primary election in the US state of Indiana. Sanders, a self-proclaimed democratic socialist from the US state of Vermont had 53 percent of the vote and Clinton trailed more than six percentage points behind him with 46 percent. The trend came as a surprise since Clinton had won the previous six primary races against Sanders across northeastern US states by wide margins of usually 20 to 25 percent. WASHINGTON (Sputnik) Russian diplomatic mission to the United States has requested the appropriate US authorities to provide further information on the Russian national who died in US custody last week, Russian Consulate-Generals Press Secretary Maxim Goncharov said. According to Goncharov, US authorities have confirmed to the Consulate that 46-year-old Russian citizen Igor Zyazin died on Sunday in San Diego on way to hospital from a US detention center. "The Consulate General has established contact with the US Citizenship and Immigration Service to find out the details of this tragic incident. We requested the US side to provide us with the deceased man's documents, as well as data on the causes and the circumstances of his arrest and death," the press secretary said in a written statement to media, seen by Sputnik. MOSCOW (Sputnik) On Monday, Scheindlin, the judge who sentenced Bout to imprisonment, said she gave him the lowest sentence I could possibly give as the accused businessman was reeled in into the conspiracy. "The words Scheindlin told The New York Times confirmed the artificial, contrived nature of the US accusations against my husband," Alla Bout told RIA Novosti. "In fact, Scheindlin almost directly said in an interview that the case against Victor was fabricated by US intelligence services, who had dragged him into a conspiracy elaborated by them, which under the current US law is considered a serious crime," she said. MOSCOW (Sputnik) Daesh is capable of conducting an attack on the United States, similar to those that shook Paris and Brussels, US Director of National Intelligence James Clapper said Wednesday. "They do have that capacity That's something we worry about a lot in the United States, that they could conjure up a raid like they did in Paris or Brussels," Clapper told CNN in an interview. According to Clapper, Daesh could try either to send people to the United States or incite those already in the country, however, the group's leadership is unlikely to choose specific targets in the United States. China is of course important to Apple, it is the tech giant's second largest market outside of the US. This however, is not the first time that Apple has found itself embroiled in a trademark dispute, the company was ordered to pay US$60 million to end a disagreement with Shenzhen Proview Technology over its ownership of the "iPad" name. So bitter was that particular dispute, that Chinese authorities were actually asked to seize iPads as a means to force Apple's hand. WASHINGTON (Sputnik) The sheriffs office noted that a sheriff deputy sustained a knee injury and is being examined in hospital. Shooter confirmed deceased and two reported injured. Situation contained w/ NO threat to nearby school & community, the message stated. Shooter died from self inflicted gunshot wound. Harris County Sheriffs spokesman Ryan Sullivan told Sputnik earlier on Wednesday that at 8:43 a.m. local time police responded to a report of shots fired at Knights Transportation at the 2400 block of Franz road in Harris County. "A captive who won't voluntarily drink a medically prescribed twice-daily dose of a nutritional shake, usually Ensure, is strapped into a restraint chair and fed it via a tube tethered up his nose and into his stomach." The case took almost two years to resolve and is not an isolated incident. In an interview with a UK newspaper, Guantanamo detainee, Abu Wa'el Dhiab, discussed other nurses who had made a similar stand against force feeding and decided to defy orders which went against their ethics and Hippocratic oath. "I have great news", he said. "Someone at Guantanamo has made a historic stand." This Navy nurse at Guantanamo had also refused to force-feed detainees and declared the practice unethical: "I have come to the decision that I refuse to participate in this criminal act," Dhiab said the the nurse had told him. Dhiab was on hunger strike for one year and was hoping that it would lead to his release. In the case of this particular navy nurse, he was reassigned to other duties, according to military officials. "The Pentagon has finally acknowledged that no health professional should be punished for acting ethically" @viacopino1 @P4HR Stephen Fee (@stephenmfee) May 3, 2016 Dr Vince Iacopino, the medical director of Physicians for Human Rights, said that the decision to reinstate the nurse was "a long-overdue vindication of the nurse's integrity, professionalism and adherence to medical ethics in refusing to force-feed Guantanamo detainees." "With this decision, the Pentagon has finally acknowledged that no health professional should be punished for acting ethically. The first obligation of medical professionals is to do no harm," Iacopino added. WASHINGTON (Sputnik) The sheriffs office noted that a Harris County deputy, who sustained an injury to the knee, is being examined in hospital. The office also informed that the situation at the scene is contained and there are no threats to nearby schools and community. A preliminary investigation has confirmed that a recently terminated employee arrived on scene and opened fire on multiple employees. One employee is confirmed deceased and two have sustained injuries, the release said. The suspect is confirmed deceased from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Harris County Sheriffs spokesman Ryan Sullivan told Sputnik earlier on Wednesday that at 8:43 a.m. local time police responded to a report of shots fired at Knights Transportation at the 2400 block of Franz road in Harris County. "If they cant determine right off the bat what it was, then they would have to do toxicology and those types of reports can take up to six to eight weeks," Nelson said. Investigators are not handling the death as a criminal investigation, Lt. Kenneth Nelson said. "It is not a criminal investigation," Nelson said. On Tuesday, ICE said in a statement that Zyazin, 46, died in custody on Sunday night at the Otay Mesa Detention Center. He had been detained by the US immigration agency since April 24. According to the ICE, Zyazin had presented a Russian passport to US Customs and Border Protection officers at the port of entry to the country, after which it was determined that he had previously been deported in 2009. Recently Republican presidential candidate Ted Cruz dropped out of the race, following a crushing defeat to his main rival Donald Trump in Indiana. Another candidate from the Republican Party governor John Kasich has stopped his presidential campaign, as his senior campaign manager confirmed Wednesday, making Trump the only candidate from the Republican Party so far. "I don't see any way that the Republicans can stop him [Trump] at this point," Boatright said, commenting on the current election campaign. Commenting on a possible fight between Trump and Clinton, Boatright stressed that Clinton might have a more advantageous position over Trump due to her previous experience and a large pool of donors. "The important thing about Clinton we need to keep in mind though is that she has plenty of experience running for office. [] People know about Hillary Clinton, people have made up their mind about her and they haven't really made up their mind about Trump," the expert said. Moreover, "Clinton has a very large donor pool which she can raise money from. She has people who contributed to a primary campaign and she has people who are traditional Democratic donors," Boatright added. Obama then emphasized that the EPA has concluded that the water is safe for everyone except children under the age of six and pregnant women, as long as a water filter has been installed. "Filtered water is safe, and it works," he said. "Working with the state and the city, filters are now available for everyone in the city." At the end of the briefing, the President was asked if a glass of water that he had sitting in front of him was from Flint. He confirmed that it was, and picked it up. "Generally I haven't been doing stunts but here you go," he said as he took a small sip. He asserted that the filters are not a replacement for the bad pipes running throughout the city, and that the process will take a long time. "It might take a year. It might take two years. It might take more," Obama said. "In the United States, every state writes its own election laws, even though were talking about federal elections," he says, describing how the US and Switzerland are the only democracies on Earth that work this way. "Any state is free to decide for itself whether to disenfranchise ex-felons," Winger adds. "Its also up to each state to set the voting age[and] were the only country in the world where the citizens of the capital city have no voting representation in the national legislative body. "And furthermore, were the only country in the world that pretends to hold a popular vote for president, and yet the person who comes in second can sometimes take the office," he says. "Thats happened four times in US history, most famously and recently in 2000 when Al Gore got 560,000 more popular votes than George W. Bush." While the entire primary process can feel rigged, that shouldnt be entirely surprising, given the history of Americas political party system. WASHINGTON (Sputnik) Former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton may be ordered to testify on the nature of her personal email server, Federal District Court Judge Emmet Sullivan said in an order. "Based on information learned during discovery, the deposition of Mrs. Clinton may be necessary," Sullivan stated on Wednesday. The US judge issued the order upon a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit filed by Judicial Watch. WASHINGTON (Sputnik) Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders may have lost some votes during his primary victory in the US state of Indiana because one polling station did not open on time, his campaign alleged in a new lawsuit, according to media reports. "The suit alleged the polling place at the Goodwill Industrial Center [in the city of Indianapolis] didnt open until 7:15 am 75 minutes after voting should have begun. Some potential voters left, one woman swore in an affidavit, before casting their ballots," the Indianapolis Star reported on Wednesday. Sanders won the Democratic Party primary over frontrunner Hillary Clinton by 52.7 percent to 47.3 percent with a victory margin of 5.4 percent. On Wednesday, the coalition of people responsible for adding the measure to the states ballot announced that they had already collected 600,000 registered voter signatures, far surpassing the 365,000 required. Those supporting the measures passage include former Facebook president Sean Parker and California Lieutenant Governor and former San Francisco mayor Gavin Newsom. By establishing a legal, taxed and tightly regulated system, we can offer new protections for our kids, our communities and our environment, while adopting a best-practices framework for responsible adult marijuana use and its impacts, Newsom said in a statement regarding the measure. Li and co-author Fred Adams, a University of Michigan researcher, conducted several million computer simulations to consider potential scenarios. Their most likely scenario involved a passing star tugging Planet Nine outward into our Solar System. This interaction, the research team postulates, would not only elbow the planet into a wider orbit but also make the orbit more elliptical. They believe that interstellar encounters were likely frequent in the early days of our Solar System. Researchers Li and Adam found this scenario unsatisfactory, estimating a mere 10% likelihood that an interstellar encounter could place Planet Nine in our solar systems orbit. Another CfA astronomer, Scott Kenyon, proposes a more likely explanation. In separate publications in Astrophysical Journal, Kenyon and co-author Benjamin Bromley, a University of Utah researcher, postulated that the solar system produced "an extra gas giant." MOSCOW (Sputnik) The Open Skies Treaty allows its participants to openly gather information on each other's military forces and activities. "On May 4-7, in the framework of the international Treaty on Open Skies, a joint mission of Romania and the United States will perform an observation flight over the territory of <> Belarus and Russia on a Romanian An-30 surveillance aircraft," Ryzhkov said in a statement on Tuesday. "There is an agreement on cessation of hostilities, which has been reached under the auspices of Russia and the United States, and backed by the resolution of the UN Security Council. This accord covers all of Syria's territory. The Syrian regime has repeatedly violated this deal. It is necessary to renew the effect of the agreement on the cessation of hostilities <> International community, particularly Russia, can play a positive role in this issue, putting pressure on [Syrian President Bashar] Assad," Akbik told RIA Novosti. Apart from the implementation of the ceasefire, it is necessary to intensify the deliveries of humanitarian aid to the civilians of the crisis-torn country, Akbik added. Syria has been in a state of civil war since 2011, with forces loyal to Assad fighting several opposition factions and terrorist groups. A ceasefire brokered by Russia and the United States has been in place in Syria since late February. Terrorist organizations are excluded from the ceasefire. The truce was supported by Damascus and dozens of opposition groups. Despite the deal, violence has been escalating in the country in recent weeks, especially in the northern Aleppo region. Earlier on Wednesday, Russia and the United States found an effective mechanism for observing the ceasefire in Syria by introducing the so-called 'silent' period, according to the Russian Center for Reconciliation head. KIEV (Sputnik) Last week, media reported that Bloom had arrived in southeastern Ukraine and met with children affected by the conflict in the region. UNICEF did not provide any official comments on Bloom's visit due to security concerns. "UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador Orlando Bloom travelled to conflict-hit eastern Ukraine to raise awareness of the global education crisis facing children in humanitarian emergencies. Bloom visited classrooms hit by shells just three kilometres [some 1.86 miles] from the frontline of the conflict that broke out more than two years ago," the press release reads. TEL AVIV (Sputnik) NATO gave its consent to Israel to send a permanent envoy to the NATO headquarters in Brussels, the alliance said in a statement issued on Wednesday. The North Atlantic Council has agreed to accept the request that an official Israeli Mission be established at NATO headquarters. The Ambassador of Israel to Belgium will therefore be the Head of the Mission of Israel to NATO, the official statement reads. The initiative has been pending for some five years after Turkey, the Alliance's only Middle East member state, reportedly blocked it. NATOs consent is a sign of detente in Israel's relations with Turkey, which drastically deteriorated after Tel Aviv attacked the Turkish ship Mavi Marmara off the Israeli coast in 2011 to prevent it from breaching the Gaza blockade. "While the public has had a progressively more candid view of war since graphic photographs emerged from Vietnam, aerial-drone footage adds a degree of clarity, motion and depth to the portrayal of conflict that may dramatically alter the way wars are covered by the media," Adam Saxton, a research intern at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, wrote for the National Interest. Russia has been at the cutting edge of this media revolution, documenting refugee camps, clashes and the devastation that the war has caused across Syria among other things. One of the recent videos offered a bird's-eye view of Palmyra at the time when the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) and its allies were fighting to push Daesh out of the ancient ruins. The SAA, assisted by Russian warplanes, freed the UNESCO World Heritage site on March 27. The protest took place following a recent raid on the press headquarters and the arrest of journalists Mahmoud El Sakka and Amr Badr, who work for opposition website Bawabet Yanayer. The journalists were detained over allegations of inciting anti-government protests, in response to the administration's decision to transfer two Red Sea islands to Saudi Arabia. The interior ministry denied that there was a raid, insisting that only eight officers were involved, and that they had not used force. Egypt's prosecutor general has imposed a gag order on the investigation. "We are here today to defend journalism," said the head of the journalists' union Yahia Kalash, cited by Associated Press. "We are defending the rights and the dignity of journalists." Earlier this week, a news outlet based out of Turkey ran an item about the deciphering of a 2,000-year-old tablet that was found in central Anatolia. The inscriptions on the tablet were rules for horse racing. The article by the Daily Sabah states that the rules on the tablet outlined that horse racing is to be based on fair play and social inclusion. The article goes on to explain that the tablet was carved into a monument that was in memory of a Roman jockey named Lukuyanus, who is believed to have passed away at a young age. To be specific, the monument is located in the Beysehir district of Konya, which is a province in central Turkey. The Daily Sabah piece states that the tablet is located next to a monument of a horse that honours Lukuyanus. The article has quoted Konya Selcuk University Professor Hasan Bahar as saying that the monument, which is referred to as Horse Rock by locals, is located near an ancient hippodrome. "Lukuyanus was a Roman jockey, and this structure here shows this was a place dedicated to horse racing and horse breeding. Hittites used to build monuments here in a tribute to the mountains they deemed holy and we believe horse racing was a dedication to those holy mountains as well in the Roman era," Professor Bahar was quoted as saying. The professor went on state that the rules outlined on the inscription explain that "a horse cannot compete in another race if it finishes first in any given race. An owner cannot have another horse compete in one race if he or she owns a previous winner." Professor Bahar was also quoted as saying that the rules are "a sign of gentlemanly conduct in the races that offers a chance for others to win as well, unlike modern races. (With files from the Daily Sabah) Trainer Paul Kelley will be the first to admit that his star trotter Obrigado has been a pleasant surprise. Kelley bought the former Maine-bred champion at the 2013 Harrisburg Sale for $53,000 with the hope that he would develop into a nice open trotter at Saratoga. Instead, the six-year-old gelding by Boy Band Malimony, by Malabar Man has become a top-class stakes horse who earned $405,535 in 2015. Last year he scored a signature win in the $200,000 Crawford Farms Trot at Vernon Downs and tallied a runner-up finish to close out the year in the $400,000 TVG Free For All Final. Obrigado is part of an all-star field of nine entered in Sundays inaugural $150,000 Mack Lobell Elitlopp Playoff at the Meadowlands Racetrack. The race winner will receive an invitation to the Elitlopp at Solvalla Racecourse in Sweden on May 29. The Playoff is scheduled for Race 1 on Sundays matinee program with a post time of 12:40 p.m. It will be broadcast live on national television in Sweden and anchors a six-race trotting block that will make up the V64 wager in Sweden. Obrigado spent his winter in Florida with Kelley and posted two winning qualifiers at Pompano Park before shipping north. He qualified last Saturday at the Meadowlands in 1:54.1 with a final quarter in :27.1 in what was his final tune-up before Sunday. He had a really good winter and Wally Hennessey was especially happy with his second qualifier, explained Kelley. He needed a good stiff training mile last weekend because he can tend to be a lazy horse. That effort was good for him to stretch his legs and open his lungs up. I dont know if I have him 100 per cent where I want him to be, but if hes up to it, he will be right there on the wire and if not, then he is not quite ready. Kelley shares ownership of Obrigado with Linwood Higgins, Stable 45, and the SRF Stable of Lennart Agren. Agren bought the ownership share previously held by Bill Weaver, the legendary owner and breeder who passed away this past February at the age of 79. Agren is from Sweden and owns 2015 Elitlopp Champion, Magic Tonight. Mr. Agren is a great sportsman and horseman and I know he would love nothing more than to have Obrigado race over at Solvalla, said Kelley. I have been fortunate to attend the Elitlopp and it is truly a tremendous event. I am familiar with the whole setup over there and know how difficult it is for an American horse to win, especially this year where Nuncio looks like he will be a big favourite and have the home course advantage. Fans can learn more about each of the horses entered in the Mack Lobell Elitlopp Playoff by visiting elitloppplayoff.com/ and can join the discussion on social media using #ElitloppPlayoff. Wagering Update With the change to the regular Meadowlands schedule by racing on Sunday afternoon, the regular guarantees in the Pick Five and two Pick Four wagers will not be in place. The jackpot amounts in the Super High Five wagers will remain. (Meadowlands) Officials with Winbak Farm have announced that Sand Vic was found deceased in his field at Winbak of Maryland this past Friday (April 29). He was 15. Sand Vic will be missed, said Winbak Farm General Manager Garrett Bell. He was a great horse to be around and knew his job in the breeding shed. Sand Vic, 2, 1:57.3; 3, Q1:54.1f; 1:51.2 ($2,121,269), was the winner of 23 races. He was a HTA Nova and USHWA Dan Patch divisional Award Winner for Older Trotting Horses. Sand Vic (Mr. Vic-Cindy Q-American Winner) was trained during his aged racing career by Trond Smedshammer for owner August Meidel. Sand Vic was first developed in his racing career by Jim Arledge Jr. At 2, Sand Vic was the winner of the Arden Downs Stakes division, Bluegrass Stakes leg, Event 9 final, John F Simpson Stakes leg, Kentucky Sire Stakes leg, Lexington Breeders Classic elimination and Reynolds Memorial. He was second in the Kentucky Sire Stakes Final, Lexington Breeders Classic Final, Northfield Grand Circuit Stake and Tompkins-Geers Stakes. At 3, Sand Vic won the Currier & Ives Stakes elimination and was second in a Kentucky Sire Stakes leg. At 4, he was second in the A J Cutler Memorial elimination and Final, Allerage Farm Stakes Final, Breeders Crown Final, Classic Series division and Nat Ray Stakes. Sand Vic truly shined as an aged racehorse. He won the A J Cutler Memorial final twice, Allerage Stakes final, American-National Stakes final, Breeders Crown final, Maple Leaf Trot elimination, Nat Ray final, Trotting Classic leg and Titan Cup elimination and final. He was second in A J Cutler Memorial elimination, Patriot Invitation, and W J Sullivan Memorial leg. As a sire, Sand Vic stood at Winbak of New York and later at Winbak of Maryland. His prodigy include world champion Bourbon Bay, 1:52.1f -'15 ($217,678), New York Sire Stakes winner Steuben Lone Pine, 1:55.1s ($189,442) and John Simpson Memorial winner Lady Riviera, 2, 1:58 ($162,492). Please join Standardbred Canada in offering condolences to the connections of Sand Vic. (Winbak Farm) Malteser International Americas Urges Congress to Fund Fight Against Zika Contact: Kevin Lampe, 312-617-7280MIAMI, May 4, 2016 / Standard Newswire / -- Malteser International Americas, a Miami-based humanitarian organization focused on the Americas but with a global impact, have been on the front lines of the Zika outbreak in northern Colombia since it burst to the forefront as a threat to pregnant women, mothers who are nursing, children and families, today urged Congress to fund the fight against Zika.Malteser reported that they were able to mobilize that fight against Zika quickly in Colombia using established channels and techniques resulting from their work on the ground with pregnant women and children. Working quickly and cutting through the red tape has been key to the success of their efforts. That experience encouraged them to urge Congress to act quickly. They contacted members of Congress to urge them to act now and not wait for a disaster to occur."Investing in preparedness is paramount to our national security, and could save thousands of lives and billions of dollars later. According to the United Nations, every 1 dollar of aid spent on preventing disasters saves an average of 7 dollars in humanitarian disaster response," said Ravi Tripptrap, Executive Director, Malteser International Americas.Tripptrap continued "We learned that prevention of the spread of the disease and quick action can be far more effective than providing emergency relief after a disaster. Education is invaluable and money for simple solutions like bed nets, mosquito repellant and other items to prevent the spread of the disease can be effective in controlling Zika, and can also be cost effective."Malteser International Americas emphasized that as the spread of the Zika virus continues to make headlines in the U.S., and the first death from the Zika virus has been reported in Puerto Rico, the U.S. has an opportunity to prevent more deaths from this aggressive virus. Compounding the urgency are the ongoing floods in the south and the onset of the hot, humid summer months, which create ideal breeding grounds for mosquitos carrying the virus, so Congress must act quickly.To learn more about the organization's Zika prevention efforts, please visit www.orderofmaltarelief.org Malteser International Americas has been on the ground, shedding light and bringing relief to indigenous people and Afro-Colombians in northern Colombia affected by armed conflict and internal displacement since 2014, especially in the departments of Magdalena and La Guajira. As a result of the conflict, the Colombians in the region suffer from malnourishment and lack food security. To address these issues, and to help people live healthier lives with dignity, Malteser International Americas expanded its relief and development work in Colombia late last year.About Malteser International Americas:Malteser International Americas is a global humanitarian organization with a mission of supporting the vulnerable and marginalized so that they may live a healthy life with dignity. Through our U.S. headquarters, Malteser International Americas provides immediate disaster response and preparedness as well as vital healthcare and nutrition to vulnerable people in North America, Latin America and the Caribbean.We are part of Malteser International, the humanitarian relief agency of the Order of Malta. With more than 100 projects annually in some 25 countries worldwide, we provide emergency relief after disasters and support recovery efforts, bridging the gap between humanitarian aid and sustainable development. For nearly 60 years, we have been standing by those affected by poverty, disease, conflict and disaster. U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum Holds Nation's Annual Days of Remembrance Ceremony in U.S. Capitol on May 5 MEDIA ADVISORY United States Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker to Speak at Ceremony Honoring Victims of the Holocaust Contact: Raymund Flandez, 202-427-9946, rflandez@ushmm.org; Kristy Buechner, 917-658-4880, kbuechner@ushmm.org WASHINGTON, May 4, 2016 /Standard Newswire/ -- WHAT: Each year during the Days of Remembrance, the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum leads the nation in honoring the victims of the Holocaust and Nazi persecution at the United States Capitol. About 60 Holocaust survivors will be attending the ceremony. WHO: Penny Pritzker, Secretary of the U.S. Department of Commerce Tom A. Bernstein, Chairman, United States Holocaust Memorial Council Ron Dermer, Ambassador of Israel to the United States Sara J. Bloomfield, Director, United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Allan M. Holt, Vice Chairman, United States Holocaust Memorial Council Each year members of Congress join Holocaust survivors to light a memorial candle during the ceremony. This year, Senator Ben Cardin, of Maryland, will be joined by these Holocaust survivors: Joseph Gringlas, Anna Seelfreund Grosz, Kurt Gutfreund, Theodora Klayman, Rose Reichbach, Alfred Traum, Josiane Traum and Leo S. Ullman. Assisted by Milagros DeSouza, U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, Bringing the Lessons Home Ambassador WHEN: Thursday, May 5, 10 a.m. WHERE: U.S. Capitol, Emancipation Hall MEDIA: All media must have Capitol Hill press credentials to cover the May 5 event in Emancipation Hall. To acquire credentials, please contact the appropriate gallery. Senate Radio/TV Gallery: 202.224.6421 Michael Lawrence, Michael_Lawrence@saa.senate.gov Photographers Gallery: 202.224.6548 Tricia Munro, Tricia_Munro@saa.senate.gov Daily Print Gallery: 202.225.3945 Laura Lytle: Laura_Lytle@saa.senate.gov Annie Tin, Annie.Tin@mail.house.gov Periodical Press Gallery: 202.225.2941 Rob Zatkowski, Rob.Zatkowski@mail.house.gov All television equipment must be in place in Emancipation Hall by 7:45 a.m. for security sweeps. All media interested in covering the event should contact Raymund Flandez at rflandez@ushmm.org or at 202.427.9946 or Kristy Buechner at kbuechner@ushmm.org or at 917.658.4880 The Chicago Tribune Historical Photo Collection brings to life both local stories and worldwide events with a series of timeless images. These photo prints are available in multiple sizes on high quality paper, and are perfect for framing, hanging or scrapbooking.Whether you're looking for Chicago photographs like the bird's eye view of the Untin Bowler Flying Camera Image , photos from nearby suburbs like the 1931 Stateville Prison Riot , or international images like the Belgium Village Dancers from the Century of Progess series, the Historical Photo Collection offers a variety of vintage snapshots from the black-and-white era.You can even check out the View From Tribune Tower , a personal favorite of ours! One incumbent is running in the five-candidate race for two open seats. A quiet prayer will no longer mark the beginning of Vader City Council meetings. The council voted unanimously last week to discontinue invocations, arguing for a sharper separation between church and state. Not everyone in Vader agreed with the move. The city parks board responded by voting last week to add prayers to park meetings, said Kenneth Smith, mayor of Vader. I am very conservative constitutionalist and the First Amendment was written specifically to ensure that all faith-based individuals feel free in this country to exercise their freedom of religion, Smith said. Smith said he advocated for the invocations after a landmark 2014 U.S. Supreme Court decision. In a 3-2 ruling, the court found that a city council in upstate New York wasnt violating the constitution with prayers at meetings. However, it wasnt until early 2015 that Vader started the invocations. Council member Judi Costello, elected in November, had previously tried to discontinue the practice, but her motion failed to pass at a Jan. 28 meeting. The recent addition of Council member Jason Dailey shifted the balance in favor of Costellos side. Even those of us that voted against praying, were just as religious as anybody else. We just didnt think this was a time or place for it, Dailey said Tuesday. Dailey added that he thought the invocations dissuaded less religious residents from participating in meetings. The towns not a church town. Its half and half, like any other town, he said. But Smith, an active member of the local Mormon church, said he wasnt aware of anyone not attending meetings because of the prayers. It was controversial, but not terribly. Im convinced the majority of people in Vader are very faith-based individuals. They have high values, and theyre honest people with integrity. There wasnt a lot of public outcry, and it was mostly people accepting or in support of it, Smith said. The constitutionality of the prayers at public meetings remains a somewhat gray area. The fact is, questions about legislative prayer (and other religious activities in public contexts) almost always depends closely on the specific facts of a particular case, said Rick Garnett, professor of law and religious expert at University of Notre Dame, via email. The current view (this could change, as the Court changes) seems to be that so long as we are talking about prayers that are not insulting or aggressively proselytizing, they are permissible, he said. Prayers were a hot-button topic in Longview in 2013, when the City Council voted to allow for an invocation or moment of reflection before meetings. Volunteers from local congregations can now lead invocations on a rotational basis, and each speaker can do so up to three times per year. However, interest has waned in recent years, so the council recently has begun meetings with a moment of silence instead, said city attorney James McNamara. The city clerk is reaching out to local congregations to encourage more participation, McNamara said. KALAMA Louise Thomas is following in the footsteps of the heroes of her latest read, The Bad-Ass Librarians of Timbuktu. The Joshua Hammer book tells the story of Abdel Kader Haidara, who along with other local librarians rescued precious manuscripts from certain destruction at the hands of Islamist terrorists attempting to cleanse Timbuktu of much of its cultural heritage. Instead of terrorists, Thomas and her team rescued 15,000 items from the library two days after it flooded in the December storms. They lost only 1,000 books and DVDs to the floodwaters. She and her team have kept the library ticking even when it hasnt had a place to call home. While the old library awaits renovation, Thomass team has stocked a bookmobile, a former bus modified into a mini-library that will be parked outside the vacant library on First Street. The bookmobile, on loan from the Fort Vancouver Regional Library system, opens at noon today and stocks a selection of 2,000 new releases, young adult and childrens books and DVDs. Its a little cramped and a little toasty on warmer days but Thomass team is just happy to be back serving patrons. Thomas said she has an obligation to keep the library open. The citizens of Kalama are paying taxes for those services, she said as fellow librarians Carol Day and Elaine Bystrom stacked copies of works by J.A. Jance, James Patterson, Bill Bryson and Erik Larson onto the wooden shelves lining the bus. Lets be honest, Day interrupted. We like our patrons, and our patrons like us. Thomas hopes to have the bus outfitted with WiFi this week. Teen game day and childrens story time also will continue inside the bookmobile. Or if the weathers nice enough, at a picnic table under the buss awning. Thomas, also the author of a new book about Kalama, said shes trying not to let the flood put a damper on what her team does. As Day said admiringly, Louise doesnt let grass grow under her feet. We provided as much service as we possibly could, considering we were operating out of a warehouse, Thomas said, adding that the flood gave her a chance to upgrade to a new circulation system. I think well come back bigger and better. I think you can have a more positive outlook. Lets not wail and weep. Thomas said the new library, which will expand into the space formerly occupied by City Hall, will be more open, spacious and modern, with an added community meeting room and employee workroom when it opens next year. Thomas said the book mobile is especially important because the library served residents needs beyond reading. People come to have librarians review their resumes, search for jobs, print out plane boarding passes and meet with fellow community members, for example. And in a small town, libraries are an essential meeting place. Thats what this town really missed, with the post office and the library (being closed). A meeting place in a small town, Bystrom said. Later, Thomas hopes to install two computers for Internet browsing purposes. If she had her druthers, Thomas would install four. But then theres that pesky size limit. Thats OK. We cant fit four people in the library! Day said with a laugh. REUTERS - Honda Motor Co Ltd's Acura brand is recalling 52,615 TL sedans from model years 2007 and 2008 in the United States to replace the power steering hose that could leak over time and potentially cause a fire. Acura said the hose may deteriorate and leak over time. Leaking fluid could lead to a loss of power steering assistance or could cause smoke and fire, the Japanese automaker said. Acura said no crashes, injuries or fires have been reported related to the issue. The company said owners will be notified of the recall by mail, beginning in mid-June. Customers also can see if their car is affected by the recall at www.recalls.acura.com. (Reporting By Ben Klayman; editing by Jeffrey Benkoe) hidden A Brazilian judge struck down an earlier court ruling to suspend messaging service WhatsApp in Latin America's biggest country for 72 hours, reactivating it on Tuesday, the day after it was shut down. The ruling by Judge Ricardo Mucio Santana de Abreu Lima came just hours after another judge upheld an earlier judicial order suspending WhatsApp's services. The application was working again by Tuesday afternoon. The suspension had gone into effect Monday shortly after it was ordered by Judge Marcel Maia Montalvao, in the northeastern state of Sergipe. A court official in Sergipe said the suspension was ordered because WhatsApp has repeatedly failed to turn over information about its users for an investigation into drug trafficking and organized crime. WhatsApp officials have estimated that the service is used by 100 million Brazilians. "Yet again millions of innocent Brazilians are being punished because a court wants WhatsApp to turn over information we repeatedly said we don't have," the messaging service's CEO and co-founder Jan Koum said on his Facebook page after Montalvao's ruling. "We encrypt messages end-to-end on WhatsApp to keep people's information safe and secure, we also don't keep your chat history on our servers." "We have no intention of compromising the security of our billion users around the world," he added. Montalvao's suspension was the latest chapter in a dispute between Brazilian law enforcement and Facebook, which bought WhatsApp in 2014. Calls to Facebook's offices in Sao Paulo went unanswered on Tuesday. In March, Facebook's most senior representative in Latin America was detained in Sao Paulo and held overnight. At the time, a spokeswoman for federal police in Sergipe, Monica Horta, said investigators had requested content from a WhatsApp messaging group as well as other data, including geolocation. Investigators first contacted WhatsApp several months earlier but hadn't received a response, Horta said. Brazilian authorities also clashed with Facebook in December, when a judicial order forced telecoms to block WhatsApp for about 12 hours over its alleged refusal to cooperate with a police inquiry. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg at the time said he was "stunned" by the "extreme decision. Associated Press tech2 News Staff Facebook is known to hand out bug bounty rewards to users who find out flaws and alert the social media giant about it. But this time around, a 10-year old who is not even on Facebook, found a major flaw in Facebook owned Instagram, that earned him $10,000 from the social media site. The flaw that Jani discovered, let him get into Instagram servers and delete text posted by Instagram users says Mashable. This made him eligible to win the bug bounty program. The 10-year old told Finnish news site (which broke the story) that he could delete any text posted by any user. The flaw was demonstrated after Jani created a test account. He went on to claim that he could even delete comments posted by celebrities by exploiting this flaw. According to Jani's father, Jani and his twin brother have found security bugs in a lot of programs and sites, but none of them were significant enough to be rewarded to handsomely. Couple of months ago, Facebook had rewarded 22-year old Anand Prakash, a Bengaluru-based security expert, a reward of $15,000 after he discovered and alerted Facebook about a flaw that could grant access to messages, credit/debit cards tied to the account and personal photos and other personal information. Facebook has paid out a total of $936,000 to 210 researchers in 2015 according to Mashable. hidden Facebook's Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg called on Brazilians to demand his company's WhatsApp messaging service never be blocked again after an appeals court on Tuesday overturned the application's second suspension in five months. In a post in English on his Facebook page, the U.S. billionaire and Facebook founder urged Brazilians to gather outside Congress in the capital Brasilia at 6 p.m. (2100 GMT) on Wednesday to rally in favour of legislation that would prevent Internet services from being blocked. WhatsApp was cut off in Brazil at 2 p.m. (1700 GMT) on Monday after a judge in the remote northeastern state of Sergipe ordered Brazil's five main wireless operators to block access to the app for 72 hours. The reason for the order was not made public. The suspension of WhatsApp's text message and Internet voice telephone service for smartphones was lifted after about 24 hours when an appeals judge on Tuesday ruled in favour of an injunction by the company's lawyers, the court said in a statement. Some 100 million users were affected. "You and your friends can help make sure this never happens again, and I hope you get involved," Zuckerberg wrote on Facebook. He also posted a link to a petition, calling efforts to block communication "very scary in a democracy." The suspension highlighted growing international tensions between technology companies' privacy concerns and national authorities' efforts to use social media to gain information on possible criminal activities. The same judge in Sergipe ordered the imprisonment of a Brazil-based Facebook executive in March in a dispute over demands to access the companys encrypted messaging service as part of a drug trafficking investigation. California-based WhatsApp had said in a statement on Monday that it was "disappointed" at the judge's decision to suspend its services. It said it had done the utmost to cooperate with Brazilian tribunals, but it did not possess the information the court was requesting. Matt Steinfeld, a Facebook spokesman, said WhatsApp executives were meeting this week with law enforcement and judicial officials in Brazil to improve communication and clarify that the company cannot see users' encrypted messages and does not store them after transmission. BRAZILIANS ANGERED It was the second time in five months that WhatsApp in Brazil has been suspended. A Sao Paulo state judge ordered it shut down for 48 hours on Dec. 15, after Facebook failed to comply with an order. Another court lifted that suspension shortly afterward. Monday's suspension angered many in Brazil, where the service is used by individuals, companies and federal and local governments to send messages and share pictures and videos. Cost-conscious Brazilians are avid users of free messaging apps, and WhatsApp is by far the most popular - installed on more than 90 percent of Android devices. As some Brazilians sought an alternative messaging system, rival Telegram said on Monday that it suffered technical problems under the weight of demand. It said it received more than a million new user requests. Leticia Mendes, a 20-year-old shop assistant in Rio de Janeiro, said she was frustrated by the suspension because it could force people to use pay services. "It's really bad," she told Reuters. "It's just a way of getting more money out of us, when we already have to pay for so many things." The suspension came as a congressional commission on cyber crime in Brazil debated changes to the 2014 legislation governing the use of the Internet. Lower house deputy Esperidiao Amin, the rapporteur of the commission, said his proposed reform would help avoid shutdowns of this kind by allowing the blocking of specific individuals or IP addresses suspected of illicit activity, rather than the access of all users. "It's less dramatic than withdrawing the service from the whole of the Brazilian population," he told Reuters by telephone. tech2 News Staff India has reportedly rejected Apples request to import and sell used iPhones in the country.The application by the US company has been rejected, a telecommunications industry official told Bloomberg. India is the second largest phone market and Apple has only 2 percent market share here. Now, with slump in global shipments and slowing China market, the company is looking for inroutes to sell its devices in India, which are priced too high for the price concious Indian market. This is the reason why the company plans on bringing used or refurbished devices that can be sold at lower prices. This means the new decision comes as a huge setback for Apple. The company's rivals have a campaign against Apple's request as it could mean making way to a slew of used electronics into the country, which will hamper the Make in India initiative. Afterall, the motive of Make in India is to encourage local manufacturing, which will then be replaced by some used and probably older models of the iPhone selling at cheaper prices. In fact, such a request of used goods was also rejected by the environment ministry in 2015, adds the report. "Its iPhone Upgrade Program in the United States gave the company a plentiful supply of used phones that it could have sold at much lower prices in India without sacrificing margin, which must have seemed like the perfect plan," a 9To5Mac report points out. To woo emerging markets, Apple recently launched a 'cheaper' iPhone SE in India, but looks like the device is preferred by developed markets instead. hidden Chinese electronics firm LeEco is hopeful of getting FIPB approval in two-three months to launch its own stores in the country, a top official said. "We applied for it (permission) about three weeks back. We have had one meeting with the government after that, which has been very positive. So, we are hopeful that in the next two-three months, we should get it," LeEco India Smart Electronics Business Chief Operating Officer Atul Jain told PTI. Last month, the smartphone maker had filed an application with the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) for undertaking single brand retail trading of electronic products both through brick-and-mortar stores and e-commerce portal. The company recently launched its Le 1s Eco smartphone at an introductory price of Rs 9,999. It will have a flash sale on May 12 and the company aims to sell 1 lakh units on Flipkart. "We are hopeful of achieving it. After the flash sale also, we will be selling the phone but the quantity will depend on the response that we get," Jain added. Le 1s Eco supports nine Indian languages -- Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Punjabi, Marathi, Gujarati, Kannada, Malayalam and Bengali. The company has partnered with ErosNow, YuppTv and Hungama Music to stream content. The Le 1s Eco phones will come with an app called Le Vidi, powered by ErosNow, which allows users to watch movies, while Le Live powered by Yupp TV allows users to watch live TV. Both the services will be available from May 24. It has tied up with Hungama Music which offers over 3.5 million songs in 25 languages and this service will be rolled out in the third quarter of 2016. LeEco has sold 4 lakh phones since entering the country this year, of which flash sales accounted for 50-55 per cent of the total sales. LeEco currently sells phones through the online route but Jain said in the next two months, they will be available in multi-brand outlets as well. The company also plans to sell its smart TVs in the country from June end. PTI tech2 News Staff Lenovo had announced via its official social media channels that it will be launching its Z1 smartphone in India today. The smartphone is a project funded by Lenovo and is actually called the ZUK Z1. Lenovo however is branding the device as the Lenovo Z1 for the Indian market. Premium build quality aside, the Lenovo Z1's highlight is indeed the Cyanogen OS. The handset will come feature-packed with Cyanogen's special Android-based software and will also include the various customisations that the software is known for. The Z1 is expected to run Cyanogen OS 12.1 out of the box, which is based on Android 5.1.1 Lollipop. The ZUK Z1 features a 5.5 inch Full HD screen, and will be powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 quad-core processor. It is loaded with 3GB RAM and 64GB storage. The device also packs in a 13MP SONY IMX214 camera on the rear, and an 8MP front camera. In addition, the key features of the device as revealed by ZUK include 4G radios, support for Bluetooth, GPS, USB Type-C port, a fingerprint reader and Wi-Fi. It is powered by a 4100mAh battery. Lenovo recently made a claim that the Micromax will not be only company to run Cyanogen OS in India. The Lenovo Z1 is indeed going to be second brand to run the same OS officially. To recall, Cyanogen, Micromax and Chinese smartphone maker OnePlus went through a rough phase last year, when Cyanogen Inc. suddenly decided to give exclusive rights to Indian smartphone maker Micromax for its Yu-branded smartphones. This took place when OnePlus had already started selling its smartphones with the Cyanogen OS. Just before the launch of its Yu smartphones, Micromax took OnePlus to court which led to OnePlus stepping down and building its own Oxygen OS for its handsets in order to keep selling them in the country. Post the legal tussle, only the OnePlus One smartphone was allowed to get Cyanogen OS updates. hidden As many as 15 Chinese investors representing nine firms have shortlisted 10 Indian startups, operating in mobile technologies, e-commerce and medical technology, for up to $5 million seed and Series A funding, it was announced on Tuesday. However, the shortlisted Indian startups selected at the 'Date with Chinese Investors' were not disclosed to avoid poaching from rival investors, while another five to seven startups are being reviewed for funding. "We have chosen Bengaluru over other cities to start because of the great infrastructure and tremendous support given by state government. Manyaare thrilled to see the potential among Indian startups," said investor and OnionFan CEO Hutu. Pickup Wheat (Shimai) Finance, Harmony Invest, Grand (Daguan) Capital, Incapital, Zhejiang WenChuang Group, YeahMobi, Hangzhou Zhexin Information Technology and Cyber Carrier are among the firms which participated in the event scheduled from May 1-3. The Chinese investors visited the Karnataka government's Mobile 10X Hub in Diamond District to evaluate the entrepreneurial pitches of more than 150 startups which arrived from Chennai, Hyderabad and Mumbai. "The event was aimed to show the landscape of Chinese and Indian venture and investment, and to facilitate the innovation and communication between the two countries," said an official statement. Funding interest from China is aimed at expanding the business range and global impact of Chinese investments organisations while on the other hand Indian startups stand to benefit from better and easier funding. The event was organised by tech media and investment company OnionFan in association with Mobile 10X. IANS Naina Khedekar In the relatively crowded and discounted space of what is called budget hotel booking services, the startup Wudstay works with accommodation owners to ensure an end-to-end solution for its customers. Founded in April 2015, Wudstay was born with the sole objective of establishing uncompromised and quality accommodation across the country, says founder and avid traveler Prafulla Mathur. It isnt just limited to the hotel bookings, as Wudstay also caters to students and working professionals looking for PG accommodations, and also for senior citizens looking for retirement homes. We also recently launched Wudstay Pride, in which we partnered 25 Grade A Retirement Homes across Delhi NCR and Mumbai, points out Mathur. Overall, it has a network of over 200 PGs and more than 500 hotels across the country. It is accessible as of now on the web, and as apps for Android and iOS. It was his frequent travels when working for the previous venture Queppelin that led to the idea of building Wudstay. More often than not, I would end up paying high room tariffs in return for absolutely poor services and extremely shabby hotel rooms. During one of my visits to Mumbai, a city where hotels are largely expensive, I booked a hotel room via a major travel website. The room was stuffy and the linen was stained. I was forced to leave that hotel owing to the unlivable nature of the property. This experience got me thinking and I was then keen on building a platform where users could book hotels with confidence irrespective of their budget. Mathur explains. With a team of 50, Wudstay takes full guarantee of customers experience and has 24 x 7 customer support service. Our team is majorly split up into compliance professionals who survey our properties to ensure that our guidelines are being met and Partner Associates who scout for newer accommodations that Wudstay could take under its wing, Mathur said. Wudstay raised USD 3 million from Mangrove Capital Partners and Nimbuzzs Vikas Saxena during its first round of funding and also a seed round from Similie Ventures. However, Mathur talks about using the funding wisely, which has led to a profitable company. It makes money through commissions. Wudstay works on a commission basis with a range anywhere between 20%-40% depending on the quality, cost and nature of the accommodation. We are already an operationally profitable company and dont indulge in heavy discounting. Our focus remains on quality rather than offering cheap stays to our customers, Mathur said. So, unlike others Wudstay doesnt offer rooms at discounted prices and the average price is between Rs 1300-1400. Mathur points out there are some exclusive stays like Havelis in Rajasthan, Shikaras in Kashmir and Houseboats in Kerala as well. We strongly believe that luring customers through heavy discounts is a race to the bottom. Eventually, when funds dry up, companies that have create no real value but offered high discounts lose out on the customer base, Mathur further explains. Wudstay has a twofold consumer outreach strategy, one through Online Marketing Mediums for awareness and other through partnering with brands. As a roadmap for 2016, the startup wants to continue focus on quality and comfort, and take the hotel network to 100 cities. tech2 News Staff SINE- Society for Innovation and Entrepreneurship - the technology business incubator hosted by IIT Bombay, has just celebrated 12 years of its existence. What started as an IT incubation pilot project was formally set up as a non-profit society on 15th April, 2004, to incubate startups in all technology domains to address the lack of an entrepreneurial ecosystem. Today, says a statement by the institute, IIT Bombay has a number of entrepreneurship -related initiatives, such as the DS Centre for Entrepreneurship, which offers formal academic courses; eCell- a student-led centre, and several R&D centres aimed at translational research. All these together with start-ups, entrepreneurs, investors, service experts outside the campus, rapidly are merging into what is being established as the Powai Valley. "And SINE has today grown into a leading academic-linked incubator in India," adds the statement. The institute says that SINE has been the launch pad for over 80 product-based entrepreneurial ventures out of IIT-Bombay since its inception. More than half have graduated from incubation after becoming revenue-generating companies, several got acquired by larger companies, and some have also failed. Many have raised one or more round of funding, offering exit opportunity to SINEs equity stakes in the companies. SINE currently incubates 27 start-ups, and more are in its pipeline. Current start-ups are in varied areas such as fin-tech, med-tech, clean-tech, big data, security, media. IIT-B feels that entrepreneurship environment for technology product based startups is still far from being mature in India. To address this gap, SINE has focused on product and intellectual property- based technology start-ups. Out of the total start-ups incubated so far, 25 companies are direct spin-offs of IIT Bombay technologies, and 6 are focused on social innovation via technology. 22 are founded or closely mentored by IIT-B faculty. Nearly half of its companies have been able to raise multiple round of funding, several have crossed valuation in multiple of 100 crore, and few have achieved or close to achieving revenue of Rs 100 crore, informs IIT-B. Poyni Bhatt, COO, SINE says, "The entrepreneurship initiative started in early 2000 with SINE at IIT Bombay, has now become mainstream not only within the campus, but also influenced the environment around in Powai, Mumbai. The entrepreneurial risk appetite amongst students and faculty-interest in technology commercialisation via startups have exponentially increased over the years. " SINE offers incubation support for up to three years. Incubated companies get workspace, seed support, access to IIT Bombay labs, technical and IP resources, business planning and mentoring, and expert services on softer terms. Association with the incubator also brings visibility and credibility for the startups, because of the due diligence and validation that happens prior to admission. SINE also offers prototype support to students in terms of money as also setting the first tinkerers lab at IIT Bombay, shares the institute. The incubator aims to form partnerships with corporate entities as institutional mentors and financiers under their CSR initiatives. Plans are underway to enhance its capacity to house 50 plus start ups, and set up domain specific programmes in sectors such as bio/med tech and hardware products. Ahsanullah Univ teacher held over sexual harassment UNB, Dhaka: Police arrested a teacher of Ahsanullah University of Science and Technology (AUST) early Wednesday in a case filed over sexually harassing two female students of the university. A team of Kalabagan police station arrested Mahfuzur Rashid Ferdous, associate professor of the Department of Electrical & Electronic Engineering (EEE), from his flat in the citys Eskaton area at about 2:00am, said Mohammad Iqbal, officer-in-charge of the police station. Police said Asadullah Al Sayem, brother of a victim, filed a case against the teacher with the police station on Tuesday night. On April 30, the AUST authorities suspended the teacher. The decision came at an emergency meeting in the face of the students demand. Earlier, two complaints were lodged to the head of the Department of EEE in this regard. Later, the department chairman informed the matter to Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr MM Shafiullah. The meeting also decided to investigate the allegations and take further actions against the accused teacher after getting the probe report. ICT to probe war crimes charges against Osman Faruk The investigation agency of the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) will launch a probe into the war crimes charges against former education minister and BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia`s adviser Dr Osman Faruk. Mohammad Abdul Hannan Khan, chief coordinator of the agency, disclosed this while addressing a press briefing at its office in the citys Dhanmondi area on Wednesday. The ICT investigation agency is gathering information about the BNP leaders involvement in crimes against humanity during the 1971 Liberation War, said Sanaul Haque, senior coordinator of the agency. Primary investigation found that Osman Faruk and 10 other then teachers of Bangladesh Agricultural University Mymensingh collaborated with the Pakistan army during the Liberation War in 1971, said Sanaul Haque. They had a torture cell to run terrorist activities during the war. The investigation agency has finalised eight specific charges of crimes against humanity against 13 alleged Razakars of Patuakhali, Jamalpur and Mymensingh. "The investigation agency has completed the probe against the 13 people," said Hannan Khan. Of them, eight suspects from Mymensingh and Jamalpur, including Mohammad Rezaul Karim, ABM Yunus Ali, Mohammad Yusuf Ali, Mohammad Omar Faruk, Mohammad Nasiruddin, Mohammad Ismael, AKM Belayet Hossain and Mohammad Kazi Badruzzaman have been made accused in a case while five from Patuakhali, including Mohammad Ishaq Shikder, Abdul Goni, Mohammad Awal, Mohammad Abdul Sattar Peda and Solaiman Mridha, have been made accused in another case. Five of those from Patuakhali and four from Jamalpur and Mymensingh are in police custody, Abdul Hannan added. Khan said "We will submit the investigation report to the prosecution and they will then prepare the formal charge based on this report. The CC said the probe body investigated different allegations against the 13 people, including kidnap, torture, rape, looting, arson, killing and mass killing during the Liberation War. -- Dhaka, May 4 (UNB) US election 2016: Trump nomination divides Republicans Some Republicans are conflicted about Mr Trump`s nomination BBC Online: Top Republicans are divided on whether to support Donald Trump after the businessman all but secured the party's presidential nomination. Some took to social media to disavow their membership in the party by burning their voter registration forms. Others though started to fall in line behind the candidate, saying Mr Trump is vastly preferable to Hillary Clinton, the likely Democratic nominee. Mr Trump is deeply unpopular among many key voting blocs in the US. "If we nominate Trump, we will get destroyed... and we will deserve it," South Carolina Senator Lindsay Graham said on Tuesday after Texas Senator Ted Cruz dropped out of the race, effectively clearing a path for Mr Trump. Others such as former Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal, who have been harsh critics of Mr Trump in the past, said they would support him in the general election. "There's a lot about Donald Trump that I don't like, but I'll vote for Trump over Hillary any day," said Ari Fleischer, press secretary for former President George W Bush. Considered a long shot when he launched his campaign in June, Mr Trump has decisively won a large number of states across the US, defeating an experienced field of rivals. Some Republican analysts fear Mr Trump's candidacy could have a crippling effect on down-ballot races, giving Democrats the chance to retake the Senate and possibly, but less likely, the House. Republican senators up for re-election in Democratic leaning states such as Kelly Ayotte in New Hampshire and Pat Toomey in Pennsylvania have sought to distance themselves from Mr Trump. There are concerns about some of his policies on immigration and national security, like building a wall on the southern US border paid for by Mexico, a ban on Muslims coming to the US and the killing of the families of terrorists. The unease among top Republicans is likely to complicate Mr Trump's search for a running mate. Mr Trump has said he wants a vice-presidential nominee with political experience to balance the ticket. A senior adviser for Jeb Bush merely laughed when the New York Times asked whether the former Florida Governor would consider being Mr Trump's running mate. Ed Goeas, an adviser to Scott Walker also ruled out the Wisconsin governor. "Scott Walker has a visceral negative reaction to Trump's character," Mr Goeas told the Times. Top prosecutor asks to investigate Brazil President Dilma Rousseff AFP, Rio de Janeiro : Brazil's top prosecutor has asked the Supreme Court to open a probe into alleged obstruction of justice by President Dilma Rousseff, Brazilian media reported, in a potentially explosive twist to the country's political crisis. According to reports in the Globo, Folha de Sao Paulo and Estadao dailies, chief prosecutor Rodrigo Janot has requested authority to open an investigation into the embattled president and also her predecessor and key political ally Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. Officials could not immediately be reached to confirm the reports, published Tuesday. But if confirmed, the probe into Rousseff would be on top of a separate investigation that Janot earlier Tuesday asked the Supreme Court to open against Lula and three of Rousseff's ministers in relation to corruption at the state oil giant Petrobras. Rousseff-who could face the start of an impeachment trial on separate charges as early as next week-allegedly colluded with Lula to obstruct a judge leading a huge investigation into corruption at Petrobras by top politicians and executives, Janot was quoted as stating. Rousseff's current attorney general, Jose Eduardo Cardozo, is also implicated. At issue is an attempt by Rousseff to name Lula, who retains broad influence despite having left office, to a post in her government. Rousseff said she wanted him to lead her defense against impeachment. But prosecutors, who wire-tapped the president's phone conversation with Lula, said the appointment aimed to obtain ministerial immunity for the ex-president. Lula, who is fighting corruption charges related to the Petrobras scheme, risks being prosecuted by the main investigating team led by Judge Sergio Moro. However, if he were in the government, he would gain limited immunity, with only the Supreme Court able to handle his case. The Supreme Court is now preparing to rule on whether he can take his post. President of Swadhin Sangbadpatra Pathak Samity Journalist SM Jamaluddin addressing the memorial meeting on late Moslem Khan at Ctg. Press Club recently. Reunion of Newspapers Computers Assoc held Chittagong Bureau : The reunion function and reception of the Newspapers Computer Association, Chittagong was held at Chittagong Press club hall on Sunday. Chairman of Chittagong development authority Abdus Salam graced the occasion as chief guest duly presided over by its President Md. Rafiqul Islam . In the function, renowned freedom fighter and the elderly journalist Nasiruddin Chowdhury and the elderly operator of Dainik Azadi Md. Mofizuddin were given honoury award. President of Chittagong Union of Journalist Riaz Haider chowdhury , joint convenor of Juboleague Farid Mahmud, councilor Kafil uddin, councilor Saibal Das summon, consultant physician MA Malek attended the function as special guests. Moushumi, Omar Sani to get special award as a pair Sheikh Arif Bulbon : Moushumi and Omar Sani (original name is Mohammad Omar Sunny) is not only a popular pair in the big screen but also a happy couple in real life. On May 11, Commitment Cultural Academy will honour them as the best pair in showbiz. Moushumi and Omar Sani will receive the Commitment Personality Award. It was confirmed by founder president of the organization Md Yunus Talukder Raju and its general secretary Tanjila Akhter Pew yesterday. While sharing his feelings over mobile phone from Bhola Omar Sani told this correspondent, More than 20 years I and Moushumi have been working together and we are really feeling glad after knowing the news. We are really grateful to the organizers to honour us. Moushumi shared her feelings by this way, It will be really a memorable moment in my life that I will receive the National Film Award and along with Omar Sani will also get another special award as Best Pair on May 11. Right now I am missing Fardin a lot. I am grateful to Commitment Cultural Academy in this regard. Meanwhile, on May 11 Moushumi is also going to receive the National Film Award again in category of Best Actress for Mostafa Kamal Rajs movie Tarkata. Earlier she got the National Film Award for Nargis Akhters Meghla Akash and late Chashi Nazrul Islams movie Devdas. It may be me mentioned that Moushumi tied the nuptial knot with hero Omar Sani on August 2 in 1996 after a successful affair. As a pair, their first acted movie was Dola, which was released in 1994. Later this popular pair presented many hit movies like Atmo Ahankar, Prothom Prem, Muktir Sangram, Harano Prem, Goriber Rani, Priyo Tumi, Sukher Swargo, Mitthya Ahankar, Ghat Protighat, Lojja, Kotha Dao, Sneher Badhon, Shaheb Namey Golam, Bhalobashboi To, etc. US to fight terrorism together Staff Reporter : US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Nisha Desai Biswal on Wednesday expressed her country's firm willingness to work together with Bangladesh in the fight against ongoing terrorism and extremism through meaningful cooperation. She said this while holding a meeting with Foreign Minister AH Mahmood, State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shahriar Alam and Foreign Secretary Mohammed Shahidul Huq at the State Guest House 'Padma' in the city on Wednesday morning. The meeting started at 9:30am and lasted till 11:00am. After the meeting, Nisha Desai Biswal tweeted, "Important talks with Foreign Minister AH Mahmood, State Minister Alam and FS Shahidul Huq on the US-Bangladesh partnership and combating terrorism and extremism." She arrived in Dhaka on Wednesday following the gruesome murder of USAID staff Xulhaz Mannan and his friend Mahbub Tonoy. She also has expressed willingness to continue to work together with Bangladesh for further strengthening bilateral relations between the two countries. "The two countries would continue to work together in fighting against terrorism and extremism through meaningful cooperation, strengthening the bilateral relations, and for achieving our common goals," an official of foreign ministry said. During the meeting, they discussed issues relating to Bangladesh's countering terrorism, extremism and radicalism globally and expressed interest to work together in this regard, foreign ministry sources said. Besides, current issues, specially relating to political stability, bar on freedom of opinions, killing of USAID staff Xulhaz Mannan, his friend, bloggers and Rajshahi University teacher Professor AFM Rezaul Karim Siddiquee were also discussed in the meeting. US Ambassador to Bangladesh Marcia Stephens Bloom Bernicat, Deputy Chief of Mission David Meal, Political and Economic Counselor Andrea Brouillette-Rodriguez and other senior officials were also present during the meeting. Top officials of foreign ministry also attended the meeting. According to diplomatic sources, the US Secretary of State John Kerry, who talked to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on April 28 about the murders, asked Nisha Desai Biswal to visit Bangladesh to bolster cooperation on countering violent extremism and terrorism. During her two-day visit, Biswal is expected to call on Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Bangladesh Nationalist Party Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia. Besides, she may meet Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal and top ranking government officials to discuss the broader bilateral relationship and issues of shared concern regarding security. Apart from them, she will also meet the embassy community, and hold discussions with local human rights and civil society organisations. She is also schedule to hold discussions with local human rights and civil society organizations, and host a town hall meeting with employees of the U.S. Embassy. 50 shanties gutted in city 50 shanties were gutted when a devastating fire that broke out at Amtali slum at Razabazar behind Green Super Market in Farmgate area on Wednesday. Staff Reporter : At least 50 shanties were gutted when a fire broke out at Amtali Slum of Raja Bazar in the city's Farmgate area on Wednesday morning. Informed by locals, 10 fire fighting units moved to the spot and doused the flame in around one and a half hours. No casualty was reported in the incident. The fire fighters extinguished the fire around 9:45am, said Duty Officer of Fire Service and Civil Defence Atiqul Alam Chowdhury. "We suddenly saw large flames of fire engulfing the shanties. We don't have any idea where and how it originated," said Sharmin Khanom, a female resident of the shanty. Fourth class employees of Dhaka University built the slum, local sources said. While some of them live there, some others have rented the shanties to other people, they said. BB governor, NY Fed chief meet in Basel next week Kazi Zahidul Hasan : Bangladesh Bank (BB) Governor will meet the chief of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York and a senior executive from global financial messaging service SWIFT next week, seeking their assistance to recover BB's $81 million stolen fund, officials said. They said, BB Governor Fazle Kabir, New York Fed President William Dudley and a SWIFT representative will meet in Basel, Switzerland around on May 10. When contacted, executive director and spokesman of the BB Shubhankar Saha told The New Nation on Wednesday that they have launched a coordinated effort to recover the stolen funds and the meeting will be held as part of the effort. "Our Governor will seek assistance from NY Fed chief and SWIFT executive to recover the BB's heist funds. He will also request the Fed and SWIFT to probe whether there was any fault on their part in transferring the funds," he added. When asked, Shubhankar Saha said the BB Governor would be accompanied by officials from the central bank's Accounts and Budgeting Department during his trip to Basel. Kabir, who took the charge of the Bangladesh bank on March 20, earlier, in a letter to the Fed chief sought assistance to recover BB's funds stolen by cyber thieves. He also sent similar letters to Bangladesh's permanent representative in the United Nations, the governor of the Philippines' central bank and the head of its anti-money laundering council for the same purpose. BB lost US$101 million to hackers from its foreign currency reserve account maintained with the NY Fed on February 5. The NY Fed released the funds against five payment orders. Cyber thieves made another 30 payment orders, worth around $800 million, but those attempts were thwarted by the US central bank. Upon a request from the BB, Pan Asia Banking Corporation of Sri Lanka cancelled the payment of $20 million to its ultimate beneficiary. But the $81 million that entered the Philippines' banking system was credited to beneficiary accounts with the Rizal Commercial Banking Corporation and eventually withdrawn. BB officials believed that both the NY Fed and SWIFT had some responsibility for the February cyber heist. The cyber criminals, who stole $81 million from the BB, hacked into software from the SWIFT financial platform and installed malware to BB's computer servers to take control of credentials that were used to send 30 illicit payment orders from the BB account maintained with NY Fed. Later, the NY Fed released the funds against five payment orders amounting to US$ 101 million. Five deportees from S`pore on 7-day remand Five suspected militants who were deported from Singapore and arrested in city being placed on 7-day remand on Wednesday. Staff Reporter :A Dhaka court on Wednesday granted seven-day remand for each five Singapore- returned Bangladeshi nationals who were arrested by detective police from the city's Banasree area earlier on Tuesday noon on charge of militancy. The suspected militants were produced before the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate under an anti-terror case filed against them by Dhaka police with Rampura police station same day. Additional CMM Ali Masud Sheikh passed the order as investigation officer Mansur Ali Arif of Detective Branch sought 10-day remands for each of the accused.The arrestees are: Rana Mia, 31, Mizanur Rahman, 42, Md Alamgir, 31, Md Tajminul Islam, 28, and Md Masud Rana, 33. Police recovered some Jihadi documents and passports from their possession. According to police, all the five went to Singapore in between 2007 to 2011 and they were deported to Bangladesh from Singapore on April 29.They were not involved with the ISB group, Singapore authorities have said, but had been found to be in possession of Jihad-related material or to support the use of armed violence for a religious cause."The main target of five deported militants was to organize Jihad in Bangladesh. We are verifying whether they have any link with 27 other militants, who were earlier sent back by Singapore few months ago," Monirul Islam, Head of Counter-Terrorism and Transnational Crimes Unit, said on Wednesday. When asked about the militant's hit list, the CTTCU Chief further said, "We're cross-checking the information about their assassination plan. So far as I know, they were turned into militants after going to Singapore." Echoing the same, Deputy Commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police Maruf Hossain Sardar said the five were being investigated for possible connections with local militant group Ansarullah Bangla Team [ABT]. "We monitored their activities and then arrested them. A court granted seven-day police remand to them," he stated. In the meanwhile, the Ministry of Home Affairs [of Singapore] on Wednesday said eight Bangladeshi men held in Singapore for allegedly plotting attacks in their homeland had formed an Islamist cell that met in parks and open fields and shared radical propaganda and videos.The Singapore MHA said it had issued two-year detention orders for the men, who it says called themselves the Islamic State in Bangladesh [ISB], under Singapore's colonial-era Internal Security Act, which allows suspects to be held for lengthy periods without trial."The ISB is the first group comprising all foreigners to be detained under the ISA for terrorism-related activities in Singapore," the Singapore MHA said in a statement, adding that that its investigations showed 'the ISB had identified several possible targets in Bangladesh.' Giving further details on Wednesday, authorities said the group had a hierarchical structure with a leader, deputy leader and members assigned specific roles such as finance.Its members had each worked in Singapore for between three and 10 years and generally lived in different accommodation, the MHA said, adding they were not known to have been radicalised when they arrived in the city-state. There were no indications that they had planned to carry out attacks in Singapore, it said.In January, Singapore Police had arrested 27 Bangladeshi construction workers who supported Islamist groups including al Qaeda and Islamic State late last year. All 27 have been deported.Dhaka Police said the same month it would charge 14 of those deported with membership of ABT.Meanwhile, the authorities in Singapore said there was no indication of a group connection between the eight men recently detained and those arrested last year, although some of them were personally acquainted. All BD workers be sent back ? The Straits Times, Singapore :The eight Bangladeshi men detained under the Internal Security Act (ISA) late last month for plotting terror attacks back in their own country had been working in Singapore for between three and 10 years, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said on Wednesday.The men, who called their group Islamic State of Bangladesh (ISB), were not known to be radicalised or involved in terrorism-related activities when they came here to work, the ministry added.But in the few months before they were picked up by the Internal Security Department in late March and April, ISB members met mainly in open parks or fields. They also shared large amounts of radical propaganda and videos which deepened the radicalism of members.The group also had an organisation structure which had set out the specific roles of the leader, deputy leader and persons assigned responsibilities for tasks like finance.The Bangladeshi authorities have been informed of the group and its activities, and have been helpful in providing some information, the ministry said. MHA made these comments in additional remarks to the media today (May 4), a day after it announced the detentions of the eight, who were planning to stage attacks back home and had a target list, manuals for bomb-making, and had raised funds to buy firearms for attacks back home. Home Affairs Minister K. Shanmugam said on Wednesday the latest arrests were a reminder of a wave of radicalisation sweeping through the world and this region. "We could have been a target, because they were prepared to attack anywhere. If they had been directed to attack in Singapore, they would have attacked in Singapore. So it shows the seriousness," said Mr Shanmugam, adding that security agencies here had done well to identify these men and move in quickly. Home Affairs Minister K. Shanmugam on the detention of radicalised Bangladeshi men Mr Shanmugam was speaking to the media on the sidelines of a closed-door forum on religious extremism at Temasek Polytechnic. He also hit back at comments made by Singapore Democratic Party chief Chee Soon Juan, who had previously called for the Internal Security Act to be abolished, this morning. Dr Chee on Wednesday sidestepped questions on the Act, but said the terror problem in Singapore was an immigration issue."I think this shows a lack of understanding of the nature of the problem," said Mr Shanmugam, pointing out that hundreds have been arrested in the region for radicalisation, including Singaporeans in Singapore. "So what does Dr Chee suggest? That we say no to all foreign workers? Or we say no to all foreign workers who are Muslim? I think he should clarify," he said. He pointed out that there were "tens of thousands of Bangladeshi workers" here who work in construction and as cleaners in the Town Councils. "So what do we do? Send them all back? Who is going to do their jobs? And also in the construction sector, (if) you send them back, who suffers? Singaporeans will lose their jobs too," said Mr Shanmugam. These matters, he added, "require careful consideration, proper thought and we should all just avoid taking cheap shots at political opportunism". Meanwhile, MHA also said there was no indication that ISB members were also part of the earlier religious study group of 27 Bangladeshi men arrested last year, all of whom have been deported.Some of them were, however, personally acquainted with a few members of that radical group because they chanced upon one another in Singapore. The ISB is the first group comprising all foreigners to be detained under the ISA for terrorism-related activities in Singapore.MHA also gave details of the group leader, Rahman Mizanur, 31.Rahman was working as a draftsman in a local construction firm at the time of his arrest. He had been working on-and-off in Singapore since 2007, and when he last came to Singapore in December 2015, the authorities had no information to suggest that he had radicalised views. Investigations found that Rahman's radicalisation began around 2013, when he read radical material online. He became more radicalised after a Bangladeshi shared ISIS propaganda material with him when he was in Bangladesh in 2015. MHA had said on Tuesday that Rahman began recruiting his fellow countrymen in January this year, and formed the group in March.It confirmed that the eight Bangladeshi nationals in detention were arrested between late March and early April. They were then issued with two-year Orders of Detention in late April. The members generally lived in different accommodation, and were all employed in the local construction and marine industries, but there was no significant concentration in any particular company. All eight are still under investigation for their activities in Singapore, the ministy said. It added that at the time of the arrests, the funds raised were from members' own contributions, and they are not known to have acted on their plans to procure firearms yet. "Several of them are liable to be prosecuted for terrorism financing. Investigations are still ongoing and we are not able to comment further on this matter," the ministry added. MHA also identified the five other Bangladeshi nationals who were picked up in connection with the case, and said they were not involved in ISB but possessed or proliferated jihadi-related materials, or supported the use of armed violence in pursuit of a religious cause. They are: Evan Galib Hassan Chowdhury, Rana Masud, Pailot Md Rana Miea, Islam Tanjemul and Alomgir Md. MHA also said that following the arrest of the 27 Bangladeshi nationals last year, it has worked with the Ministry of Manpower and an advisory was sent to dormitory operators, asking them to engage the foreign workers living in their quarters."Efforts to reach out to and engage the foreign worker population in Singapore are on-going," it added. "The uncovering of the ISB group in Singapore sends a strong signal that we cannot take our security for granted or be complacent. As part of ongoing heightened vigilance against the terrorism threat, Singapore has enhanced our law enforcement agencies' capabilities to prevent, detect and respond to terrorist attacks," MHA said. "The Government also works closely together with foreign security services to share intelligence on terrorism activities, and with various religious and community groups to counter extremist ideology and protect our community from radical influences," it added.With the latest case, there are currently 23 persons detained under the ISA for terrorism-related activities. Singapore arrests call for cautious scrutiny: Story appears unbelievable MEDIA report in national dailies on Wednesday about the arrest of 13 Bangladeshi nationals in Singapore on charge of militant activities has come as a big shock to the nation. Local daily The Straight Time reported quoting the police that they were plotting attacks against the government in Dhaka. The news appears to be highly disturbing for the country's image abroad that in our opinion calls for cautious scrutiny. They were detained last month but five were already deported; the remaining eight are facing interrogation. As reported they were working in Singapore construction industry and allegedly running 'jihadi cells' to hit political targets back home in Bangladesh. Bangladeshi workers are so anxious to avoid trouble that they are often blackmailed and abused. We feel certain that the Bangladeshi workers in Singapore were trapped.Our High Commissioner must take up the matter with great earnest to find out all about the investigation and give the investigation all cooperation.Our poor and unemployed young ones are too anxious to keep their jobs abroad and the reputation they have is that they work hard and most obediently.As per the news report these young people went to Singapore to join the fighting machine of IS in Iraq and Syria. But failing to move ahead they set up the so-called Islamic State-Bangladesh (ISB) in Singapore and were plotting attacks on government leaders and officials in Dhaka. Singapore had also arrested 27 Bangladeshi nationals last year who were construction workers and were charged for similar militant activities under the cover of a religious study group. Later they were deported to Dhaka in January this year. The Singapore Home Ministry in a press release said the five deported this time were found not involved in any ISB related militant activity. But the remaining eight are now facing interrogation for having 'possessed and/or proliferated jihadi-related materials and money that supported the use of armed violence in pursuit of a religious cause.' They had also a list of targets suggesting plots against Bangladesh government. We must express our doubt about their involvement as alleged.Bangladesh is now facing grave political uncertainty and violence is widespread. The people have political grievances. But that does not mean that workers abroad will indulge in futile and reckless activities risking their jobs and livelihood. It is known that Singapore police is very sensitive about safety and security in the country. It is quite possible that after detail investigation the government of Singapore will find that the suspicion of religious extremism among our worker in Singapore is totally baseless. We are worried that Bangladesh should be considered as a country exporting terrorists to Western countries. Stealing food for life is no crime STEALING small amounts of food to stave off hunger is not a crime, Italy's highest court of appeal has ruled. Judges overturned a theft conviction against Roman Ostriakov after he stole cheese and sausages worth 4.07 (3; $4.50) from a supermarket, as per a report of a local daily. Ostriakov, a homeless man of Ukrainian background, had taken the food "in the face of the immediate and essential need for nourishment", the court of cassation decided. Therefore it was not a crime, it said. A fellow customer informed the store's security in 2011, when Ostriakov attempted to leave a Genoa supermarket with two pieces of cheese and a packet of sausages in his pocket but paid only for breadsticks. In 2015, Ostriakov was convicted of theft and sentenced to six months in jail and a 100 fine. However, his case was sent to appeal on the grounds that the conviction should be reduced to attempted theft and the sentence cut, as Ostriakov had not left the shop premises when he was caught. Italy's Supreme Court of Cassation, which reviews only the application of the law and not the facts of the case, on Monday made a final and definitive ruling overturning the conviction entirely. Stealing small quantities of food to satisfy a vital need for food did not constitute a crime, the court wrote. "The condition of the defendant and the circumstances in which the seizure of merchandise took place prove that he took possession of that small amount of food in the face of an immediate and essential need for nourishment, acting therefore in a state of necessity," wrote the court. The ruling of the court has established a common truth people rarely steal food unless their hunger is so serious that it merits such actions. The stealing of food is unique from stealing antiques or other collectibles which are of high value as such thieves are merely criminals who are doing so for adding to their personal wealth. However food remains singularly the only item which people steal to merely survive. Nonetheless this ruling may have little practical effects, as most poor people who are in desperate need of starvation are unlikely to go on a rampage in supermarkets to steal food. What may occur is that such markets may ban people of disheveled appearances from appearing so as to reduce their risks. Whatever the effect may be, it is welcome as a pro-poor people ruling. The lower income classes rarely have the law behind them. Famous examples like Clarence Gideon, a poor drifter who filed a writ of certiorari with the US Supreme Court to overturn his conviction are rare. More common is the lament of Justice Chagla, Chief Justice of the Bombay High Court from 1948 to 1958, as when he asked why certain courts would not hear the cases of poor petitioners. We hope for more of such proactive rulings from all High Courts of the world. Paris, TX (75460) Today Scattered thunderstorms during the morning becoming more widespread this afternoon. Heavy downpours are possible. Potential for severe thunderstorms. High 73F. Winds SSW at 15 to 25 mph. Chance of rain 100%. 1 to 2 inches of rain expected.. Tonight Thunderstorms this evening followed by occasional showers overnight. Potential for severe thunderstorms. Low 49F. Winds SW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 100%. The sextoy market is growing quite rapidly in India right now. Although it is not a big trend, it is a hot topic on the internet as it is secretly expanding its market. In this article, we will focus on sextoy and introduce recommended sextoy for Indian beginners of sextoy by gender. India, the birthplace of the Kama Sutra, is very strict about sex. Also, premarital sex is basically not allowed. Therefore, there are many people who are sexually restricted. But what happens when you continue to be sexually restricted? Frustration may build up and you may end up taking your sexual stress out on your partner. If you are able to adopt sextoy in a timely manner, you can get rid of those problems. I want to have more exciting sex than Im having now. I want more variation in masturbation I want to get even stronger pleasure than I do on my own. If you have any of these problems, please stay with me until the end. What is sex toys for Indian? Sextoy, as the name implies, is a toy used during sex and masturbation. It is a generic term for vibrators, Egg-vibrators, Electric massagers, dildo, handcuffs and condoms. They are used to make regular sex more exciting or to make masturbation more pleasurable. Because sextoy is very stimulating, it can help you to get rid of the problems and frustrations of being in a rut of sex with your partner for a long time, or if you are unhappy with the lack of pleasure in sex with your partner. The ability to satisfy your desires with movement, texture, and size, which cannot be done by a normal human being, can help you to be satisfied with sex and, as a result, improve your relationship with your partner. It is also said to help improve sexual dysfunction (inability to get an erection or ejaculate) and difficulty in feeling during sex (insensitivity), which is attracting more attention than in the past. In recent years, the demand for sextoy has increased due to the spread of smartphones and the Internet and the increasing number of people using online shopping. Even those who are concerned about the appearance of sextoy (and find it difficult to purchase) can now easily obtain it by using mail order. In the case of online shopping, most of the stores have taken steps to ensure that the contents of the products delivered to you are not revealed, so you can purchase them without your family members knowing. Until a while ago, you had to go to the store where the adult goods were sold to buy them, so it was quite a hurdle to overcome. Also, many people may have an image that sextoy is somehow embarrassing to own. But nowadays, some of them are so stylish and cute that you cant believe they are sextoy at a glance. More and more people are using them for travel and outdoor use because they are not too bulky and are suitable for carrying around. Sextoy situation in India Before introducing the recommended sextoy for Indians, lets talk about one of the sextoy situations in India in recent years. In India, due to the high concentration of population, the following six cities have particularly high sales of sextoy in India. Mumbai Kolkata Bangalore Delhi Chennai Hyderabad These cities account for roughly 70 percent of sextoy sales in India. In the future, the percentage of sextoy use will gradually increase in other cities in India as well. If you never talk about sextoy publicly, that girl in your neighborhood might be a sextoy user too. If you are interested in sextoy, you dont have to suppress your desire for it. What are Sextoys for beginner? Among all sextoys, sextoy for beginners are vibrators, dildo, masturbators, Sex Lubricants, and condoms. Sex Lubricants and condoms, which are familiar to people who have had sex, are also a great beginners sextoy. I will explain the details of each toy later, but there are many sextoy products that are painful to use and can only be used after some anal expansion. I assume that the Indian readers of this article are people who have not had much experience with sextoy. If such people use professional sextoy suddenly, they are at risk of injury or trauma. Therefore, to introduce sextoy, you need to start with a beginners version and gradually become familiar with it. Advantages of using sextoy for Indians There are three advantages of using sextoy for Indians You can masturbate in a wide variety of ways. Can have stimulating sex Can develop new sexual zones If you try to masturbate with your own fingers or hands, it tends to be a pattern. However, with sextoy, you can easily masturbate in a variety of ways. You will definitely be fascinated by the attraction of new stimulation. Also, your daily sex life will be more exciting than ever. There are many things in sextoy that are visually stimulating and give you a strong and intense feeling of pleasure. This allows you to see your partners promiscuity in a way that you wouldnt normally see it. When you are in a relationship, sex with your partner may become a pattern, but it can also eliminate these problems. It can also lead to the development of new sexual zones (which is the training of sexual stimulation to allow you to feel orgasms). For more information on the development of new sexual zones, see the following articles [Women's Erogenous Zone]How to find and develop, 7 hidden sexual zones !![In India] In this issue, we will dissect the female erogenous zone! ..." Many of you may be like that. Men, in particular, shou... Thus, the use of sextoy can only be a good thing for the men and women of India. Sextoy for beginner men in India So, lets continue with the recommended goods for Indian sextoy beginners. For ease of understanding, we will introduce them by gender. Lets start with the men! The following five goods are recommended for novice Indian sextoy men Masturbator Cock rings Love Doll Sex Lubricants Toys for the prostate Lets check each one in detail. Masturbator The masturbator is a sextoy for men that elaborately reproduces a womans vagina, mouth, and anus, and is one of the most popular sextoy products. It is used by men to masturbate, and it is popular because it provides stronger stimulation and pleasure more easily than using hands. Most are made of good quality silicone, and their softness is something that cannot be achieved with ones own hands. They can provide stronger pleasure than a real womans vagina, so be careful not to overuse them. (You wont be able to have an orgasm in a womans vagina anymore.) Again Male masturbators are a wonderful toy. I do not need any favourite timing, bothersome bargaining. You do not have to worry too much. Revolutionize your masturbation time! ! ! Made in Japan is a wonderful kinky toy.#sextoysindia #SexToyIndia #Japanhttps://t.co/4k70QGzoTP pic.twitter.com/tRVdxTKPpa SEXToys India PR (@SextoysIndia) November 12, 2018 Some of them are disposable, while others can be washed and used over and over again, so its fun to buy a few to use depending on your mood. If you want to know more about masturbator, please click here Really pleasant male masturbation and how to do it Are you in a rut with your daily masturbation routine? I'm going to show you five ways men masturbate that you might ... [For Beginners] How to choose and use a male masturbator without fail Gentlemen.Have you ever used a masturbator? The person who sees this article is probably the one who has not experien... Cock Ring A cock ring is literally a ring-shaped sextoy that is worn on a mans penis. It maintains an erection by binding the penis with a ring of rubber and blocking blood flow. It is sometimes used as an accessory to be worn on the penis, and may be made of metal or plastic as well as rubber. In some cases, cock rings have parts or vibrators attached to them that stimulate the vagina, so they kill two birds with one stone, giving a woman pleasure while maintaining an erection. Cock rings are also sometimes used to treat erectile dysfunction. It can help with erectile dysfunction, where the penis doesnt get hard when you get an erection or doesnt last long when you try to insert it. Men who are prone to breakage or who are unsure of the hardness and size of their erections can use a cock ring to increase the size of their penis and maintain an erection for a longer period of time. Cock rings vary in price from around RS700 to over RS2000 with a vibrator function. Some of them do not fit your penis, so you should check the size of the cock ring before you buy. You should know the size of your partners or your own penis when it is erect. [Penis enlargement] What is a cock ring? Types and usage Cock rings can make your penis bigger and harder. It also makes sex with women more fulfilling and increases your sat... Love Doll Love dolls, also known as Dutchwives, are dolls with the appearance of a woman who can experience simulated sex. There are dolls that look like a woman, but they have no face and only have their breasts and lower torso cut off, and some dolls are so realistic that they can actually be mistaken for real women. Some expensive dolls can cost more than 1 million yen, and the quality of the doll is easily influenced by the price. The higher the price, the higher the quality of the doll will be, the closer it will be to the real woman, and the cheaper the doll will be, the less elaborate it will be, making it look like a real doll! Something is wrong! That is also true. You cant go wrong if you choose a balance between price and taste. There are stores that allow you to make custom-made love dolls, so you can create a girl of your choice. You can make a girl of your choice. You can start with inexpensive love dolls at first, and once you get used to it, you can try custom-made love dolls. If you want to know more about Love doll, please click here Thorough explanation of the charm of sex dolls! Have you ever heard of sex dolls that are used primarily for pseudo-sex purposes? It is a doll that is quite close to... Sex lubricants Sex lubricants are used as a substitute for lubricating fluid during sex or as a lubricant for men to use masturbator rules. It is not uncommon for women to have difficulty getting wet, depending on their physical condition, or to have difficulty getting wet due to their constitution. Forcing the penis into the vagina at such times can cause painful intercourse. There are various types of Sex Lubricants, some with a warming effect, some with a cooling effect, and some with a scent. Changing the Sex Lubricant used during play is recommended as a good sex accent. If you want to learn more about Sex Lubricants, click here. What is sex lubricant?Explain the difference and usage of each ingredient The word "sex toy" may seem like a hurdle to overcome, but lotion is actually one of the most familiar sex toys. Many... Toys for the Prostate Another sextoy for men is prostate toys. The most famous prostate toys include Enemagra, which was originally a prostate massager developed by an American urologist to treat an enlarged prostate line. Modern prostate toys are imitations of Enemagra that have spread as sextoy for men. Many people think of prostate toys as being used by gay men, but in fact they are often used by straight men. What is the prostate? The prostate is an organ found only in men. It is a walnut-sized organ located deep in the pelvis, just below the bladder, and its primary role is to protect and nourish sperm. You cannot touch the prostate gland from outside the body, but you can touch it by inserting a finger or sextoy through the anus. By inserting a finger or sextoy through the anus and touching the prostate and developing it, you can feel intense orgasms. Orgasms felt in the prostate are mainly dry orgasms, which are orgasms that do not involve ejaculation. (You can also feel orgasms with ejaculation through prostate stimulation.) The prostate is called the male G-spot, and dry orgasms can be much more intense than ejaculation. Therefore, men who are able to develop a prostate can become addicted to the pleasure. sextoy for beinner women in India The following are the recommended goods for Indian women who are new to sextoy. The following three are recommended for use by women who are new to sextoy. Vibrator. Dildo Electric Masserger Lets check out what each one is in detail. If you want to check out womens toys, click here. [BEST25]Sex Toys for Women in IndiaThat Can Help You Have an Orgasm There are many women who pretend to feel orgasm during sex. But don't worry, you don't have to pretend to feel orgasm... Vibrators A vibrator is a sextoy that vibrates with an Egg-Vibrator to provide stimulation and is often referred to simply as a vibrator. Some vibrate as well as rotate, and there are many variations of sextoy. It is quite a popular sextoy, and is well recognized by people who do not know much about sextoy. Its usage is similar to that of a massager, but it is more compact and easier to carry than a massager, and many of them look as cute as a lipstick or a macaroon, so they are popular among women. For a while, a famous influencer on twitter said, This is good! You may have heard of the topic of this article by introducing the recommended vibrators. Vibrators are great for women to use on their own, but they are also recommended for men who have difficulty satisfying women with sex. Since it is powered by electricity, it is far less tiring than moving your hands by yourself. This makes it easier to satisfy a woman with sex because you can caress her for longer than usual. Vibrators are mainly used on the female side, but they can also be used on men. When used on men, they are used to attack the nipples and glans, and in both cases it is recommended to wear a condom for hygiene reasons. Introducing how to use the vibrator, its purpose, and how to choose it! Vibrator uses the vibrations caused by the rotation of the motor to provide stimulation. It is one or two of the most... Dildo A dildo is a model sextoy made to mimic a male penis. It can be made of silicone, elastomer (think of it as a material similar to PVC), metal or glass. A dildo can be used by a man for his female partner during sex, or by a woman for masturbation to get pleasure from it. They are mainly inserted into women, but some can be used in the male anus as well. It is sometimes used synonymously with vibrators, but the vibrator is not the same thing as a vibrating device. A model of a penis that does not vibrate is a dildo. Some of them have suction cups that can be attached to the floor or wall so that you can enjoy realistic masturbation without using your hands. For fun, there is a dildo made in the shape of your partners penis. This one is also popular as a gift, and if youve been together for a long time and are having trouble finding a gift for your partner, you might want to pick one. To learn more about dildo, please click here. What is Dildo: Orgasms with Dildos for Men and Women A dildo is a model of a male organ that is used by women for masturbation and by men to stimulate the prostate gland. Th... Electric Masserger A Electric Masserger is a hand-held electric massager, also known as a handheld massager, and can usually be purchased at electronics stores. It was originally designed to relieve stiff shoulders and back pain, so the hurdle of buying one in a physical store is quite low. Many people may have seen or used it in some form or another, as it is often installed in leisure hotels. Such a massager is highly recommended for beginners because it is easy for women to get pleasure from it when they use it during masturbation. It is larger than Egg-Vibrator and vibrations are stronger than those of Egg-Vibrators and vibrators, so even just hitting the clitoris can give you a great deal of pleasure. For those women who have never had an orgasm during sex with their man, the massager may be a good way to get a feel for what it feels like to have an orgasm. It looks and feels like an electric massager, so you wont have to feel awkward if your roommate finds out. If you are in a rut of having sex with your partner, if you want to feel an orgasm through masturbation, or if you are thinking of using a sextoy, why dont you try it from a simple massager? To learn more about Electric Masserger, click here. What is a massager? Introducing types, selection methods, and usage Originally, the Magic-wand vibrator and the massage machine were sold as a home massage machine used for the back and th... How to choose a sextoy for Indian Now that weve covered the different types of sextoy, heres how to choose one. Especially if you are trying sextoy for the first time, pay attention to the following three points: Does the size fit you (the partner)? Does the size fit you (your partner)? Is the environment able to produce sound without problems? Price range First of all, the choice of size is quite important. Most sextoy are used against or inserted into the genitals, but the genitals are very delicate organs for both men and women. For this reason, using an inappropriate size may cause damage. Secondly, the environment should be able to produce sound without problems. Some sextoys not only wear, but also rotate and vibrate. Its easier to get pleasure from something that moves than something that doesnt, but the fact that it moves means that the internal rotors make some noise. If you live in a house with thin walls or if you have roommates, you may not be able to concentrate because of the noise, so it is best to choose one that is silent or has a low noise level. Especially in India, where many people live with their families, it is very important that you dont have to worry about sound when you use it. Finally, there is the price range. The price range of sextoy ranges widely, from around RS500 at the cheapest to RS10,000 or more at the highest. Its good to consider how much money you can afford and how much you want to buy. Do you want your family to not find out about sextoy? I live with my family and want to use sextoy without them finding out! If you are a man, you should buy a camouflage sextoy that does not look like a sextoy at first glance. For men, there are many masturbators that do not look like a sextoy, and for women, there are vibrators that only look like cosmetics. If you choose such a type, youll be safe in case your family members find out. How to buy sextoys in India The best way to purchase sextoy is through online shopping. For more information on how to purchase sextoy, please see the article below. Sextoy is one of them. Therefore, you can easily get sextoy in India by using online shopping. SexToysINDIA is a long established and stable sextoy store and you can have sextoy delivered to any place in India. They also offer cash on delivery, so those who are worried about shopping with a credit card do not have to worry. Of course, the latest security is in place, so your information will not be taken out when you use your credit card. To begin with, many people may be concerned about whether they are legally allowed to purchase sextoy. ikmAs it turns out, its not illegal. Right now, it is not open to the public because the Indian adult market is still in the development stage, but it will gradually spread from now on. Take advantage of sextoy and open the door to new pleasures and culture. Cautions for Indians using sextoy When using sextoy, keep the following three things in mind Keep sex toys clean Watch out for electrical leakage Beware of the heat generated by the body while using a sex toy As I mentioned earlier, many sextoy products are used for the delicate zone. Therefore, it is most important to keep the sextoy itself clean. It is very important to keep the sextoy itself clean, because if a slight scratch is created by friction, bacteria can enter and breed there. It is safe to wear a condom when using the masturbator, just in case. In addition, many sextoy devices are powered by a power source, so if they are not waterproof, there is a possibility of electric shock or malfunction due to wetness. Some may even develop heat during continuous use. If the fever becomes too much, you may get burned, so be careful. If you get a fever during use, stop driving the sextoy immediately and refrain from using it. You will enjoy sex more if you keep it safe and use it correctly. Summary What did you think? In this article, we have introduced the recommended sextoy for the beginners of sextoy in India. The sextoy market is growing rapidly in India and it will continue to grow steadily in the future. As India is a rather closed-minded country, it can be difficult to be open about ones sexual habits and values. However, being faithful to ones desires by properly dissolving ones sexual desire is very effective for ones physical and mental health. If this is your first time to learn about sextoy, or if you are interested in using sextoy, why not give it a try? Indian Sextoys for ur best! will introduce you to sextoy and other trivia about sextoy, sexuality, and sexuality for men and women. I want to read more! If you think its a great idea, please bookmark it. CARBONDALE Tony Harrison, water operations manager for the wastewater treatment plant, presented information concerning the city's water quality during a town hall meeting Tuesday night. The city has a "state-of-the-art treatment plant," he said, that does not contain any lead. Harrison said the plant takes three steps to prevent a water crisis keeping the pH in the treatment process high, monitoring corrosive water, and collecting field samples to verify lead. "We're actually running 20,000 tests per year for Carbondale's water system," he said. "Which is more than what's required." Public concerns, however, centered around the approval last month by the Illinois Department of Agriculture of a proposed 25,000-chicken farm in the Cedar Lake watershed. Residents presented their concerns that fertilization processes on the farm may eventually create problems for the watershed. Harrison assured concerned residents, stating that the plant has multiple barriers that can withstand harsh conditions, should anything drastic occur as a result of the poultry house. "We're watching the source water at the lake; we always have." he said. "The water plant can handle a lot. One of the reasons that there are very few outbreaks like (Flint) in the US is (because of the multi-barrier approach)." CARTERVILLE Members of the Faculty Association at John A. Logan College say board trustees were not transparent in their plans for a reduction in staff. Angela Calcaterra, an academic adviser and mentor at JALC, said there was an absence of shared governance in the decision-making process that led to the Board of Trustees approving a round of staff and faculty layoffs in March. To draw attention to these concerns, faculty, students and local supporters gathered at the intersection of Illinois 13 and Greenbriar Road for an informational picket Tuesday morning. Participants held up signs that read Our debt equals the administration fortune, Lets work together to get our teachers back, and Whos making decisions? JALC Board not the smartest people in the room, among others. Among those who participated was former JALC student trustee, Brandi Husch, who agreed that the boards lack of transparency is an additional issue to the budget crisis. In the past, faculty and staff have worked together (with administration and the board) to save jobs, and it was not present at this time with these decisions, she said. JALC sociology professor Rick Deutsch and several students from his class were also in the mix of picketers. Deutsch said he invited his students to the informational picket so they could exercise social revolutions in protest a topic he said was discussed in his course. Christiana Hampton, a junior social work student in Deutschs course, said she accepted his invitation because she realized that the impact the of the budget impasse and the layoffs affected her. Hampton said one of her favorite professors, Tom Chandler, an assistant professor of sociology, will be dismissed in June. Hampton said Chandler is a great professor, and is very interactive with his students. News of his dismissal saddened her. It sucks to see him go, she said. Rachel Smoot, a junior mortuary science student also enrolled in Deutsch's class, said that she will also have to say goodbye to her professor David Cochran, who teaches American History at JALC. Smoot said Cochran's departure will affect a lot of students. "Some students might have to transfer," she said. Among the faculty who participated in the picket were professors directly impacted by the layoffs. David Evans, who teaches English courses at JALC, said that he participated because the impact has been a game-changer that remains difficult to express. I know (the budget) is lacking, and there is an impasse, and I understand that, he said. But going after full-time faculty seems a bit shocking. Sherry Sullivan, an assistant professor in education and sociology, said that she will be retiring in June as a result of the reduction in staff. "I did it to try to save a job in (the sociology) department, but it is sad that that did not happen," she said. HARRISBURG Donny Hicks and his family lost their Harrisburg home to the 2012 Leap Day tornado, but members of the First Baptist Church helped them rebuild. Since the founding of the churchs Men on Mission group, Hicks has been a dedicated participant to raise funds for mission work including disaster relief, the 17-year-old said. They helped me, and I want to help them back, Hicks said over a clattering of construction work in the background, his hammer held momentarily to talk about the group. The group of more than a dozen men formed about three years ago, demolishing barns or sheds or any structure that might yield a plethora of cash from salvaged wood and metal. All of the cash about $30,000 raised so far goes to fund church missions, minus the volunteers expenses, said Joe Jackson, a group organizer. Disaster relief in Brookport after its own tornado in 2013, or founding a church in Chicago or Arizona or overseas, are examples of missions the church has undertaken. Our church has gotten really active in mission projects, both internationally or here in the states, Jackson said. We do that because mission projects change the hearts of people. Demolitions, he said, have picked up over time as the result of greater awareness about the group, mostly near Harrisburg. Jackson is preparing the group for a trip to Belknap he typically would not stray that far, but the project looks lucrative, he said. Initially, the group would sell locally. But we had so much we couldnt get rid of it, Jackson said. A little online investigation uncovered wood reclamation companies outside the area, resulting in semi-trailer hauls of the groups salvage. A pick-up of 10,000-board-feet is scheduled for this week, Jackson said. ANNA Authorities in Union County are looking for two individuals suspected of identity theft. The Anna Police Department received a complaint Wednesday, April 20, from a Moline resident, who said he received a call from his bank questioning a transaction happening at Walgreens in Anna. Authorities said an investigation into the matter found on Monday, April 18, at about 7:12 p.m., video surveillance showed two males using a credit card belonging to the victim. A Visa gift card was purchased, placing $100 on the card using the stolen credit card. The surveillance showed several attempts with different cards were made for the purchase. Two subjects left the store and drove away in a silver sport utility vehicle, possibly a newer model Kia Sportage, the police said. No license plate information was obtained. The Anna Police Department is asking anybody with information to call 618-833-8571, ext 1503. CARBONDALE The interim chair of the Department of Aviation Management & Flight announced in an email to students and faculty on Tuesday evening that he is stepping down as chair because some of the actions I have been asked to engage in are contrary to what I believe in. As such, I felt I had no option but to step down, Jose Ruiz wrote. The email to faculty and students shed no light on what prompted his abrupt resignation as chair of the nationally recognized program that is among the crown jewels of SIU's degree offerings. He noted that his contract as interim chair was already due to expire June 30, and continued: However, circumstances have forced me to accelerate that timeline. I will stop serving as your interim chair commencing at midnight this evening. The ominous nature of the email raised eyebrows on campus. In response to a question by The Southern Illinoisan as to what led to his resignation, Ruiz, while declining to elaborate in detail, said: Academic units throughout the university are faced with making difficult decisions, some are absolutely necessary, while (I believe) others lack foresight. I was not able to support all these decisions, so I chose to step down. Illinois budget impasse has put increasing pressure on SIU and public universities across the state. In late April, the General Assembly passed and Gov. Bruce Rauner signed a stopgap funding measure to send $600 million to public universities and community colleges. SIU will receive about $57.5 million of that, with $34.4 million specifically going to the Carbondale campus. While hailed as a temporary victory to stop anticipated wide-scale bleeding of staff and programs, it provided for less than a third of the state funding SIU receives annually. Funding for the upcoming 2017 fiscal year, which begins July 1, 2016, is also uncertain. According to a statement on SIUs website, Rauners budget suggests a 20 percent cut over the FY15 fiscal year the last year for which a budget was passed. While that executive branch proposal is subject to negotiation, the statement reads that SIU must plan for and respond to proposals to cuts and state funding. While mentioning the financial pressures departments across campus are facing, SIUC spokeswoman Rae Goldsmith directed specific questions about Ruizs email, and his concerns as it relates to that department, to Andy Ju An Wang, dean of the College of Applied Sciences and Arts, of which the aviation department is a part. Wang did not return a phone call seeking comment. There was no word, as of deadline, who is assuming Ruizs duties on a temporary basis. Ruiz, who has taught at SIU for 17 years, according to his SIU biography, said in his email that it was an honor to serve as interim chair, and he plans to remain a faculty member. His email read that Dean Wang or his designee will assume the responsibilities of acting chair. I regret informing you of this action, but I will continue to do my best to advance this department in my role as a faculty member, the email read. Ruizs email was first published by The Daily Egyptian, SIUs student newspaper, on Tuesday evening. Contacted on Wednesday morning by The Southern, Ruiz said the situation was receiving more attention than is warranted and he did not desire to discuss it. After the newspaper noted the email had already circulated, and was raising concerns, Ruiz acquiesced in part, providing the brief statement mentioned above. SIUs aviation program has racked up numerous accolades and awards over the years. For example, in May 2015, the Flying Salukis won a second straight national title, holding onto their title as the National Intercollegiate Flying Association champions. "End White Supremacy" "It's not a budget impasse, it's CLASS WAR" "Peace, Love and Education" "You were made to do more than just pay bills and die" These were among the signs carried across campus on Monday as several hundred students participated in a one-day "strike." The gatherings, marches and rallies were many and varied throughout the day. They were nonviolent, unfocused and ineffective. That should not be surprising. Two weeks ago an anonymous group of social media devotees calling themselves the May 2 Strike Committee fed up with the unwillingness of the governor and legislature to agree on a higher education appropriation bill began to orchestrate a protest. The cause was singular and a worthwhile rallying cry for the thousands of students who came to SIUC in hopes of completing their programs and earning a degree. Within days, a series of unexpected events resulted in a proliferation of "causes" to the point where they became almost as numerous as the number of signs themselves. Twelve days ago the legislature agreed to a 31-cents-on-the-dollar table scraps appropriation bill for higher education funding. Organizers of the May 2 strike likely didnt know whether that promise of some funding was a positive, or whether it was a further slap in the face to Illinois colleges and universities. Thats OK; Illinois university administrators still arent certain what that $600 million indicates either. But it changed the message. Protesting zero budget and zero funding is easy. Protesting a more complicated something, far more difficult. That same weekend a racist video titled SIUC White is Right was posted on YouTube. Although its origin remains a mystery, the video ended with a call for violence against black students. The university responded, YouTube removed the video, but the timing provided students with another option for Mondays protests, and many took the opportunity. With a single-focus strike no longer a possibility, those with mounting student debt and those rightly concerned with continued inaction by administration to instances of sexual assault also decided to make May 2 the day that they would voice concern. And so Monday dawned, with overcast skies and comfortable spring temperatures in the 60s, as a day for SIUC students to protest absolutely everything. Unfortunately, all of the above turns out to be a very disjointed theme to protest. Several times during the morning march, protesters gathered around and walked past Interim Chancellor Brad Colwell who went out of his way to be visible. Either because they didnt notice him, or they had no idea what he looks like, they eventually made their way to his office only to be told that he was out. Faced with the opportunity to sit down and effectively occupy the office, they instead returned to the cool, spring outdoors, apparently in an effort to be seen by an all-too-large media contingent. On that same topic, Mondays protest smorgasbord also featured the very loud F--- the media spokesperson who sporadically filled the chant gap, weaving his way in between other students who were being interviewed by local broadcast outlets. Irony, anyone? In the end, the strike buckled under the weight of it attempting to be all things to all people. Not unlike the American electorate, students were told to show up on Monday to prove that they were angry. A good number of them did show up; most just weren't sure why. One comedians liberation is another comedians imprisonment. We saw that this past weekend when comedian and television host Larry Wilmore called President Barack Obama the n-word at the annual White House Correspondents Dinner, and, thus, on national television. Some cheered the poetic license of Wilmore; others cringed. Some will hail the gentleman made famous by Jon Stewart on Comedy Central as a comedic genius; others will call him a comedic fool. Or tool. Still, Wilmore obviously felt liberated enough to refer to Obama in such a traditionally vile manner. Vile, that is, before the race-baiting rap culture hijacked what should be cool in popular culture among black folk these days. The rappers have taught young black males to incessantly refer to one another as n-words. If you dont, then you are considered totally uncool. And we all know how young folk yearn to be cool. For many young black males, the n-word is classified as a term of endearment. But to use that polarizing term in reference to the president. On national television. Before an audience of nearly 3,000 onlookers, who are mostly white and media stalwarts with the power of the pen and the microphone. Come on. Larry Wilmore, host of the ratings-challenged Nightly Show, should have known better. Comedian or not, it doesnt matter. Many black observers praised and defended Wilmore, rationalizing that his racial epithets were just part of his schtick. Some said, He wouldnt be the authentic Larry Wilmore if he didnt use the term. Thats most interesting considering a white female journalist referred to the president simply as Obama several months ago during a news conference with press secretary Josh Earnest at the White House Briefing Room. That situation created a mini-firestorm, because the usual protocol is to refer to him as the president or President Obama. Oh, how can she disrespect the president in that fashion? Disrespect the office of the presidency like that? How could she, some asked. The nerve of her ... Bottom line: We, meaning liberals and Democrats, change the rules of the race game in midstream when it suits our own whims. On Monday afternoon, Josh Earnest intimated that Obama wasnt bothered by Wilmores racial slurs, relating that the president told him that morning that he appreciated the spirit of the sentiments that Mr. Wilmore expressed. However, something tells me Obama, clearly in an intractable situation, relayed that message because (A) he had no warning that Wilmore would use racial slurs toward him and (B) he didnt want to further exacerbate the conversation and controversy. Meaning, he probably was caught off-guard, so just let this verbal slight go and it will soon dissipate. Wilmore, ostensibly, was granted liberation status by his supporters because hes a black guy addressing another black guy. Never mind the other black guy (the recipient) merely totes two key monikers wherever he goes: President of the United States and Leader of the Free World. Yes, some Larry Wilmore defenders instinctively and reflexively will say the forum was a comedic gala. Understand the proper context, they will say. OK, in the interest of comedic context, suppose former Speaker of the House John Boehner would have referred to Obama as an n-word during that hilarious video skit that aired during the White House Correspondents Dinner. Especially during the scene when Boehner and Obama sat in the theater at the White House. Can you imagine Boehners successor, Paul Ryan, uttering the n-word, even as a speaker at the annual spring dinner that is defined as the intersection of working media and fickle Hollywood. Ryan would be forced to resign, no doubt. For Democrats, that utterance is called freedom of expression. For Republicans, that so-called freedom would be labeled racism. Or insensitivity. Or micro-aggression. Climb into Wilmores wheelhouse for a second. Suppose a fellow white comedian, such as Jerry Seinfeld or a Jimmy Fallon, would have referred to Obama as the n-word at the correspondents dinner. Whoa. Seinfelds popular show about nothing probably would lose its profitable syndication distribution status as reruns on various cable networks. Yada, yada, yada. And Fallon likely would be fired by NBC by midnight. Adios. We would hear plaintive wails by black leaders for a boycott of the White House Correspondents Dinner. The Washington Hilton Hotel, the events venue, might be torched before dawn on Sunday. Here is a key point of reference: I remember in 1980 when Richard Pryor appeared on the cover of Ebony magazine, the subject of an exclusive interview. Pryor was the funniest cat in the world during that era. He, like Wilmore, had an intrinsic propensity to use the n-word as part of his comedic routine. Running off his mouth like the Mississippi River. Until ... Pryor went to Africa. Here is what Pryor learned during his visit and what triggered a startling metamorphosis: EBONY: Some black people were also upset about how often and how publicly you used the word nigger. PRYOR: Thats over now, too. EBONY: Youll never use the word again? Why. PRYOR: Well, I took a trip to Africa which, by the way, is where I plan to live some day. I went to Kenya, and while I was there something inside of me said, Look around you, Richard. What do you see? I saw people. African people. I saw people from other countries, too, and they were all kinds of colors, but I didnt see any niggers. I didnt see any there because there are no niggers in Africa. Can you imagine going out into the bush and walking up to a Maasai and saying, Hey, nigger, come here!? You couldnt do that because Maasai are not niggers. There are no niggers in Africa, and there are no niggers here in America either. We black people are not niggers, and I will forever refuse to be one. Im free of that; its out of my head. ... Richard Pryor felt free enough to change his vocabulary. From one comedian to another, perhaps Larry Wilmore also can set himself free. Kenyan park rangers piled up thousands of elephant tusks and rhino horns to burn on Saturday (April 30), reports Reuters, sending a message to poachers and smugglers that their trade will be stopped. Well, no. The message this operation sends to poachers and smugglers is were driving the price up for you make hay while the sun shines. Its simple economics: When rangers burn 105 tons of ivory and a ton of rhino horns, they reduce supply vs. demand. Sure, the poachers and smugglers who got CAUGHT take a hit to the wallet, but the others can now jack up their prices. The near-term opportunity for increased profit means theyll send out more hunting teams and smuggle more product until the demand differential the government action created dissipates, supply and demand come back into equilibrium, and prices settle down. If governments are serious about reducing poaching and smuggling, and saving shrinking populations of elephants and rhinos, theres a simple and nearly foolproof way to go about it: Instead of fattening the bank accounts of poachers and smugglers, auction off harvesting rights to ivory from elephants and horns from rhinos who have died natural deaths. The buyers of those harvesting rights will, in their own self-interest, get very good, very quickly, at protecting their investments. Theyll hire their own rangers to keep poachers and smugglers at bay. And theyll do so at their own expense instead of milking taxpayers. Does this ersatz privatization get the job done? Yes. As CBS Newss 60 Minutes reported in 2012, some African species that are endangered or extinct in their original habitats are thriving under private ownership in the United States. The owners profit by selling limited hunting privileges in numbers that dont stop the herds from growing. Animal rights activists dislike the practice, but theres no doubt its successful if the lone goal is increasing an endangered species numbers. As a libertarian, I support real privatization of, well, everything no government involvement; preferably, no government. In a free society, wild animals would constitute a source of profit to the owners of the lands they roam, and would therefore be deemed worthy of protection by those owners (which might be cooperatives or communities rather than individuals or corporations). We can let markets work, or we can make ourselves feel good by letting governments burn ivory and horns while the worlds elephant and rhino populations continue to dwindle toward zero. We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking Accept, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. NEW YORK Thomson Reuters today announced a new version of its ONESOURCE Indirect Tax Integration for the SAP ERP application in support of companies doing business in Brazil. ONESOURCE Indirect Tax Determination automatically calculates applicable taxes in real time. The integration, designed by Thomson Reuters independently of SAP, is intended to help multinational corporations and Brazilian companies streamline and automate their tax processes in SAP ERP. This is the latest example of the companys long history of implementation expertise in support of SAP solutions. The integration allows companies to automate the adoption and administration of regulatory changes to Brazilian tax laws, including the management of data needed for Nota Fiscal. It is a daunting burden for businesses to manually update and maintain the thousands of tax rate and rule changes that take place in Brazil every year, said Marcos Bregantim, head of Thomson Reuters Tax & Accounting software business in Brazil. The new integration will help ensure that ONESOURCE Indirect Tax customers will always be up-to-date with tax changes that impact their businesses, in Brazil and globally. ONESOURCE Indirect Tax improves functionality and accuracy of tax calculation for over 180 countries. Multinational corporations can take advantage of a centralized solution that maintains all tax laws, rules and rates and integrates with systems running SAP software. ONESOURCE Indirect Tax Integration for SAP ERP 6.4.0.0 is available now. For more information on the integration for SAP ERP, visit: https://tax.thomsonreuters.com/products/brands/onesource/indirect-tax/sap-integration/. 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CONTACT Laura Rojo-Eddy Public Relations Manager Tel: +1 972 250 8556 Email: laura.rojo-eddy@thomsonreuters.com /By Azernews/ By Laman Ismayilova A festival "American Days" ??will be held in Baku on May 14-21, the U.S. embassy in Baku reports. The festival aims at presenting diversity of American culture to Azerbaijani people, as well as at promoting mutual understanding between the two nations. The festival will include American Bluegrass Band, Broadway Medley, Contemporary Dance group, a DJ and a Chef all visiting Azerbaijan during this week with lots of public programming. Programming will take place in Baku with some events in the regions in Azerbaijan. All events are free and are open to the public unless otherwise noted. Since Azerbaijan's emergence as an independent nation in 1991, the U.S.-Azerbaijan relationship has evolved into a strategic partnership based on mutual interests and common values. The two countries cooperate in various fields including, energy, economy, agriculture, culture, education and security. /By Azernews/ By Laman Ismayilova Azerbaijans State Museum of Musical Culture will host a meeting with Chairman of the Union of Azerbaijani Composers, People's Artist Frangiz Alizada, Trend life reports. The event scheduled for May 5 will be attended by prominent culture and art figures. The guests will learn about the creativity of an outstanding composer. Frangiz Alizada, who has been honoured a UNESCO Artist for Peace, is an Azerbaijani composer and pianist, currently living in Germany. She is best known for her works which combine the musical tradition of the Azerbaijani Mugam and 20th century Western compositional techniques, especially those of Arnold Schonberg and Gara Garayev. Her style is characterized by a bold synthesis of these two worlds. She creates music in which Eastern modal thinking merges with Western constructive elements. Firangiz Alizadas works have been performed at festivals in Stockholm, Warsaw, London, Heidelberg, Amsterdam, New York, Boston, Los Angeles, Mexico City, Frankfurt, Berlin, Zurich, Bonn and Cologne. /By Azernews/ By Laman Ismayilova Azerbaijani model Oksana Rizayeva will participate in international Beauty Contest "Miss Eurasia 2016", Trend life reports. Oksana received the invitation to participate in the beauty contest from project managers in Moscow. They first saw her at the contest in Latvia, where she entered the top three. Beauty Contest Miss Eurasia 2016 will be held in the Turkish city of Belek on May 21. 40 beauties will fight for the title of the winner in the final of the contest. To bring the victory to Azerbaijans model, you just need to click on the link below www.miss-eurasia.com/start.php and vote for her. Oksana Rizaeva holds the title "Miss Photo Model Azerbaijan-2012", the second Vice-miss "Miss Top of The World-2013" in Latvia. She also represented Azerbaijan at "Miss Globe International 2014" and many other international competitions. Azerbaijani serviceman Amrah Yuzbekov was killed May 3 as a result of shootout on the line of contact between the troops of Azerbaijan and Armenia, said the message of the Azerbaijan's Defense Ministry. The ministry has extended condolences to the family and friends of the killed soldier. "Armenia's criminal military and political leadership bears the responsibility for the incidents on the line of contact," added the ministry. /By Azernews/ By Gunay Camal Yerevan could surprise not only regional countries, but other nations familiar with the region with statement on holding nuclear weapons. "Armenia has a nuclear weapon," said at a briefing Ex-Prime Minister of Armenia Grant Bagratyan. Being asked to explain the confused journalists, Bagratyan said that he would not explain anything. "We have the ability to create nuclear weapons," he said, adding: "We have nuclear weapons." For country where aggression and deception is the ordinary phenomenon, twaddle should be a no-brainer. As long as the government and political elite in Yerevan continues to deceive its people and even the international community, the future of this nation will be under threat. The question is not whether, but how much, such lies can be told. The statement by Bagratyan, who stated the need for the use of nuclear weapons against Azerbaijan, shows how much the political elite of this country failed to accept the result of its frontline provocations and Azerbaijans repulse attacks. Earlier, speaking in Parliament, Bagratyan called for use of a nuclear weapon, considering it the only way to prevent Azerbaijan and Turkey, to secure Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh from the aggression of the two neighbors. This is not the first such statement by Armenia. Yerevan has repeatedly spoken about "revenge weapons" and weapons, "which Baku cannot even dream". But announcement about a nuclear weapon is more serious. Of course, Armenia has neither nuclear bomb nor the possibility of uranium enrichment. The only thing it has is an outdated nuclear power plant, which truly represents a great danger to the region. Experts believe that by such statements Yerevan tries to calm down Armenians after the failure on the frontline and its losses. To restore the image of its army, the Armenian leadership has earlier reshuffled the Defense Ministry and dismissed a number of generals, blaming them for the failure. The recent development revealed the poor state of the Armenian army, which cannot even ensure its soldiers with descent food and such simple items as raincoat. A number of social projects were recently launched in Armenia to provide the soldiers fighting in the occupied territories with the essentials, while the governments ministers were buying luxury cars and houses. The Armenian provocation at the front, which has become almost a test fight for the Armenian army, showed that the strong Armenian army exists only on paper and dreams of its leadership. The Armenian soldiers not only lack "Iskander" and nuclear warheads, but also basic items of equipment. But most importantly, what the aggressor country lacks is the strength of spirit and motivation, which cannot be bought. Armenian soldiers do not want to die for the occupied lands, for the dreams and egos of the Sargsyan regime. That is the reason why the number of deserters, runaways and suicides in the Armenian army increases day-by-day. In fact the failure of the Armenian army stands in core of the state policy of Armenia, its aggression against the neighbor country and its belief in impunity for its crimes against the people of Azerbaijan. /By Azernews/ By Gulgiz Dadashova The way the UN Security Council is working now is not optimal, it needs to be reformed, Michael Moller, Director-General of the United Nations Office at Geneva stated. In respond to Trend inquiry on Armenia's non-fulfillment of UN resolutions 822 (1993), 853 (1993), 874 (1993) and 884 (1993) on the withdrawal of troops from the occupied territories of Azerbaijan, Moller noted that the necessity of reforms at the UNSC is obvious. "We are trying to reform the UN for the last 25 years but we are not going very far. All countries and partners must deal with this issue, he said. The UNSC has been subject of criticism for its failures to deal with crises such as the wars in Syria and Ukraine, and for its impotence in longer term issues, including the situation in the Middle East. Any reform of the Security Council would require the agreement of all five China, France, Russia, the UK and US a permanent seat, and at least two-thirds of UN member states. As for the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Moller said Azerbaijan has to resolve the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict locally, adding that it is not good to say that someone has to come and resolve this problem. "A dialogue and a diplomatic solution are required while resolving such conflicts. This problem has no military solution, he said. Armenia's territorial claims in the late 1980s and the ensuing military aggression resulted in the occupation of 20 percent of Azerbaijani territory, including Nagorno-Karabakh and also seven surrounding regions. Over a million Azerbaijanis became refugees and IDPs in the aftermath of the brutal 1990s war fought between the two South Caucasus republics. The occupation of more than one-seventh of the territory of Azerbaijan and the obligations of Armenia as an occupying power were named in the four resolutions on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict adopted by the UN Security Council. The resolutions according, to which Armenia should abandon the territorial claims against Azerbaijan and withdraw from the occupied territories had remained unimplemented over the past 20 years. While documents tackling similar international problems often come into force without delay, no pressure has been made on Yerevan to fulfill the UNSC resolutions. Azerbaijan was disappointed that the UN had not taken an equally firm stand against Armenias seizure, in a war in the early 1990s, of Nagorno-Karabakh and seven other regions located in Azerbaijan. Baku believes that the UN resolutions on the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict haven't been fulfilled due to the policy of double standards. Theres also another reason that prevents the UN from galvanizing into action. Experts say irrespective of the nature and scale of conflict, the UN actions and decisions on the most pressing and immediate issues are prevented if the interests of any Big Five clash. In a situation where member states are divided, what can be achieved, they ask. While the Security Council likely needs reform, it remains the dominant international political forum for global issues. Thorough reforms of the UN could work towards better international governance and maintenance of peace and security in the world. Iran recognizes and respects the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Azerbaijan, Irans ambassador to Azerbaijan Mohsen Pak Ayin told in an interview with the local press. He emphasized that Iran stands for a solution of Armenia-Azerbaijan, Nagorno-Karabakh conflict within the territorial integrity. Iran is ready to help solution of the conflict, if the two sides apply. Official Tehran is interested in peace and mutual cooperation in the region, Mohsen Pak Ayin underlined. /By Azernews/ By Nigar Abbasova The Azerbaijani parliament proposed several amendments to the Code of Administrative Offences and to the Criminal Code during its regular plenary session on May 3. MPs put forward even stiffest penalty for the violation of advertisement legislation. In accordance with the amendments proposed for the Code of Administrative Offences, it is planned to increase the fine for deliberate use of false information about services, goods or manufacturers in advertisement. For now, the penalty for the above mentioned offenses are 100-150 manat for individuals, 400-600 manats for executives and 2,000-3,000 for juridical entities. The parliament also considered the amendments envisaging a penalty for fake bankruptcy in Azerbaijan. In accordance with the amendment introduced in the Code of Administrative Offences, penalties will be imposed for fake bankruptcy in the amount of a double extent of damage should the falsification is made by executives and owners of commercial organizations or entrepreneurs on their insolvency in order to deceive creditors with the aim of getting deferred payment, debt relief, as well as for nonpayment of debts. In accordance with the Code, penalties for the fake bankruptcy range from 1,000 to 2,000 manats for public individuals, while for legal persons bear tougher penalty in the amount of from 10,000 to 20,000. The parliamentarians also propose to impose fine for destruction of intentional property. The changes designed for Article 186.1 of the Criminal Code envisions penalty for such law-break in case that inflicts considerable damage to the injured party in the amount of 1,000-2,000 manats or arrest for the term of up to two years. The use of vehicle without the intention of larceny may be punishable as well. The amendments proposed to Article 185.1 of the Criminal Code specify fine for use of vehicle or any transport facility without the intention of larceny in the amount of 1,000-2,000 manats, corrective work or even arrest for the term of up to 2 years. The current Code does not provide for any penalties for the mentioned activity. MPs also propose amendments for illegal entrepreneurial activity. In accordance with the amendment, individuals engaged in illegal entrepreneurial activity will have to pay fine to get released from criminal responsibility. This amendment, designed for Article 192 of the Criminal Code, is on agenda of the next plenary session of Milli Majlis. Amendment to the first sub-section of Article 192 of the Criminal Code specifies that the individual committed abovementioned act, is committed to pay for a full damage or transmit income, acquired by criminal means, to the state budget. Otherwise the individual will be made criminally responsible The current Code provides penalty for the mentioned activity in the form of fine or arrest for the term of up to 6 month. The parliamentarians also propose to toughen penalties for holding lotteries and gambles. In accordance with the proposed amendment to the Code of Administrative Offences organization and holding of lotteries (except of promotional lotteries) by the individuals ineligible for the mentioned activity will be punished by penalties ranging from 3,000 to 4,000 manats. Penalties will also be imposed for holding gambles without accreditation. The current Code envisions penalty for such law-break in the amount of 1,500 - 2,000 manats. All amendments have been submitted for consideration in the next plenary session scheduled for May 6. /By Azernews/ By Gunay Camal Armenia may be planning to spray nuclear waste from its Metsamor Nuclear Power Plant over the occupied territories of Azerbaijan in a horrific dirty bomb attack, Adil Garibov has warned. The chairman of the National Nuclear Research Center said the threat recently voiced by Ex-Prime Minister of Armenia Grant Bagratyan that Armenia can use a nuclear bomb against Azerbaijan can be too real taking into account the Metsamor NPP. Nuclear fuel is kept in special pools, and its use is controlled directly by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). Armenia is unlikely will be able to use this fuel for other purposes, as a hot laboratory and specialized robotic technology are needed for its processing. However, there is no guarantee that Armenia does not use radioactive wastes for its dirty plans - the creation of radiological weapons or spraying of waste in the occupied areas, which sooner or later will be returned to Azerbaijan, Garibov said. The Metsamor NPP, which has been operating in Armenia for several decades, remains a time bomb, sparking many debates. Ecologists have long been concerned that the Armenian authorities refuse to close the outdated Metsamor NPP, any catastrophe at which could kill thousands in Armenia itself, and the whole region. The plant poses a danger for the countries of the region and Armenia has been warned on numerous occasions to close it to minimize potential risk. A strong earthquake that occurred in 2011 in the Turkish province of Van, reminded the world of the dangers of the Armenian NPP. However, the facts and constant criticism could not force Armenia to view the situation realistically. Metsamor accumulated financial liabilities of 9-9.5 billion drams ($23.3 million), but the amount rapidly increased in the past few years as a result of the ineffective management of foreign loans and credits. So, Armenian side's arguments that the Metsamor NPPs activity has an economic component and is aimed at power generation are nothing more than twaddle. Radioactive waste is used to create chemical weapons. Therefore, Armenia will never agree to close the NPP, even if the world community requires this, the National Nuclear Research Center believes. Experts say if Armenias reactor is not only a safety threat, but potentially a source of radioactive material for a dirty bomb. Several times Armenian ex-Metsamor employees smuggling the nuclear material have been caught, which raised concerns of the regional states. Nuclear-grade materials that are the highly radioactive U-238 can be used to produce a myriad of deadly and destructive apparatuses, not the least of which is a dreaded dirty bomb. Armenia's nuclear material could be used to arm a dirty bomb, Alexander Murinson, senior fellow at the Begin-Sadat Center and Bar Ilan University, recently wrote in an article published in Washington Times. The specter of a dirty bomb is of paramount concern for security services and counterterrorism officials worldwide. Internationally, the deep alarm of officials associated with the discovery of U-238 was compounded earlier this year when a group of individuals was discovered attempting to smuggle Cesium-137, a highly radioactive isotope that is a waste product from nuclear reactors, he wrote. "This adds much credence to constant complaints by Azerbaijan related to the fact that the territory under separatist control, such as Nagorno-Karabakh, is being used for all manner of illegal smuggling from nuclear material to arms to narcotics," the article said. "To substantially add to the threat emanating from Armenian nationals and Armenia is the presence in Armenia of an outdated Chernobyl-type nuclear reactor operating long past its original planned lifetime," the article said. "This, when taken with the news from Georgia, elevates the nuclear alarm to a new level." The Abraaj Group, a leading investor operating in global growth markets, has exited its investment in leading Tunisian pharmaceutical company Unite de fabrication de medicaments (Unimed) through an initial public offering (IPO) on the Tunis Stock Exchange. The Abraaj Group invested in Unimed through one of its funds in 2011. The Unimed issue was the first IPO this year on the Tunis Stock Exchange, and the first in the pharmaceutical sector since 2007. The IPO was priced at 11.8 Tunisian Dinars (TND) per share, implying a market capitalisation of TND 300 million (approximately $150 million). The IPO was oversubscribed in the books by 32.6 times the highest ever recorded for the Tunis Stock Exchange, said a statement. Unimed is a leading pharmaceutical company in Tunisia, specialising in sterile dosage forms such as liquid and powder injectables, intravenous (IV) solutions and a range of ophthalmic products. Abraaj has a strong track record of investing in healthcare, having deployed over $1 billion globally since 2003 across the healthcare spectrum in growth markets. Unimed represents Abraajs second exit in the pharmaceutical sector in Tunisia. In 2013, Abraaj sold its stake in Opalia Pharma to international pharmaceutical company Recordati. Ahmed Badreldin, partner and regional head of Middle East and North Africa at The Abraaj Group, said: It has been a privilege partnering with Ridha Charfeddine, who with the support of a solid management team and dedicated employees, has built Unimed into a leading pharmaceutical company, recognised for delivering high quality products across North Africa. We are very proud of the oversubscribed offering and the successful listing of Unimed on the Tunis Stock Exchange. Unimeds listing not only supports Abraajs rationale of investing in well-managed companies with proven business models and the capacity to scale, but is also an indicator of foreign investor confidence in North African businesses, he added. Adel Goucha, managing director at The Abraaj Group, said: We recognised the healthcare opportunity in North Africa early on, in a market with a growing middle class, rising healthcare expenditure and expanding life expectancy. On the back of these demographic fundamentals, Unimed has achieved substantial growth in revenues and expanded its brand across the region through a widened export footprint. We were also able to focus on the development of production technologies and invest in R&D to improve the long-term competitiveness of the business. We are confident that the company is well positioned for continued growth and success ahead. The Abraaj Group has four investments in Tunisia including the North Africa Hospital Holdings Group, a healthcare platform to enhance the quality and accessibility of healthcare in Tunisia, and LAccumulateur Tunisian ASSAD, a leading battery manufacturer. - TradeArabia News Service UAE-based Arabian Construction Company (ACC) said it has won a major contract to build Boulevard Point, a prestigious 63-storey residential tower in Downtown Dubai. The new tower will be situated next to Fountain Views, for which ACC won the contract in 2014 and will be the companys third project in Dubais Downtown area. The Boulevard Point project involves building a 63-storey residential tower with 297 one-, two-, and three-bedroom apartments overlooking Mohammed bin Rashid Boulevard, said a statement from the company. The key amenities include swimming pools, a dedicated childrens area, a fully equipped gymnasium and a barbecue deck. On the contract win, CEO Maher Merehbi said: "We are very pleased to have been awarded the contract for Boulevard Point, which is testament to our skills in building prestigious, high-rise developments in the city." "We are grateful that developers have elected to put their trust in us to build such large-scale developments," he noted. ACC, stated Merehbi, has constructed some of the most impressive high-rise buildings across the GCC and Middle East and North Africa (Mena) regions, including a number of the tallest towers in the UAE. The top on the list are the Almas Tower, Princess Tower, Sky Tower, Gate Towers, Etihad Towers, Fountain Views, Sky Views, World Trade Center Abu Dhabi and Rose Rotana.-TradeArabia News Service Bahrain-based Batelco, a leading digital solutions provider has launched a cutting edge IoT (Internet of Things) connected vehicle solution to support the requirements of the education and transportation sectors. The solution is aimed at equipping vehicles, such as school busses, with cameras, sensors, GPS tracker, sound level detector and object count and furthermore the solution is self-powered through the use of solar panels. The new Batelco connected vehicle solution delivers a complete transportation security solution and has been designed and developed to address growing market needs, particularly from the education sector, to support safety issues for school children and university students. The solution will also be a valuable support for transportation companies in general. Batelco Bahrain CEO Engineer Muna Al Hashemi said that the connected vehicle solution was in big demand from school authorities who are very eager to ensure the safety of their students travelling to school by school bus. The solution allows staff at the school to monitor the busses with CCTV surveillance and video recording. Among the benefits is the ability to count the number of passengers boarding and alighting from the bus and a two-way communication system to enable speaking and listening. Furthermore, there is also a built in alarm system to alert the school to specific issues that may occur, explained Al Hashemi. We want to upgrade the world of communications for all our customers through our provisioning of the latest products and services at value for money prices. As Bahrains most advanced digital network well keep bringing you innovative ways to connect better, work better and live better, she added. TradeArabia News Service Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (Adnoc) officially inaugurated its Al Hosn Shah Sour Gas Development Project, the largest of its kind in the world, last week. HH Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, inaugurated mega project, said a Wam report. Sheikh Mohamed was accompanied by Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Ruler's Representative in the Western Region, Sheikh Hazza bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Chairman of Abu Dhabi Executive Council, and Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs. Al Hosn Shah Sour Gas Development Project is the first ultra sour gas project to produce and safely process more than one billion cubic feet per day of ultra sour gas from a single gas plant. Located in the Shah Field, 210 km south west of Abu Dhabi city, Al Hosn is a joint venture between Adnoc and Occidental Petroleum. Sheikh Mohamed was received at the plant by Dr Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, CEO of Adnoc, Vicki Hollub, president, chief operating officer and incoming CEO of Occidental Petroleum, along with senior management in Adnoc and its group of companies. Speaking during his tour of the project, Sheikh Mohammed praised Adnoc's role in positioning the UAE on the global energy map as a reliable and secure source of natural gas. He expressed his support for Adnoc's plans to ensure a sustainable supply of gas and its commitment to developing the infrastructure and skills necessary to meet the needs of the next generation of energy consumers. During their tour of the Al Hosn Shah Sour Gas Development Project, Sheikh Mohammed was briefed on the role of the new facility in expanding Adnoc's production of gas, natural gas, and liquefied condensates and liquefied natural gas. Dr Al Jaber said: "The inauguration of Al Hosn Shah Sour Gas Development Project is an important milestone for Adnoc as we maximise the value of Abu Dhabi s gas resources to meet the United Arab Emirates and the world's growing demand. It is a prime example of how Adnoc utilises innovative solutions to deliver on our strategic objectives and maintain our competitive edge." The $10-billion Shah Gas Development Project will produce 504 million cu ft of natural gas, 33,000 barrels of condensates, 4,400 tonnes of natural gas liquids and 9,900 tonnes of sulphur granules. In 2015, the facility produced 2 million tonnes of sulphur and is forecast to produce 3.2 million tonnes in 2016. Adnoc has a 60 per cent majority share in Al Hosn Gas and Occidental Petroleum a 40 per cent share. Turkish energy company Turcas Petrol is looking at entering the Iranian energy market through investments in oil, gas or renewables following the lifting of most sanctions against the Islamic Republic, its chief executive said. "We believe we definitely must be in Iran," Batu Aksoy told reporters. "At a time when growth in the world is stalling, a market like Iran could be a driving force both globally and for Turkey," he said. Turcas is interested in teaming up with a local company but is also open to cooperating with Turkish firms, Aksoy said. Most international sanctions including those targeting Tehran's oil sector were lifted in January in exchange for curbs on Iran's nuclear programme under a deal reached with world powers in 2015. Some US sanctions and a US trade embargo remain in place. "We have been shuttling back and forth between Iran and Turkey for the past five years. We have established networks before the lifting of sanctions. Now the embargo is lifted, they are more sympathetic to doing business with us," he said. Supplying natural gas from Iran, as well as projects for oil and its derivatives, as well as renewable investments, were all on the agenda, he said. Turcas has fuel retail business in Turkey in a partnership with Royal Dutch Shell. It has also set up power generation companies Germany's RWE. - Reuters Saudi Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman got a standing ovation when he visited a gathering of Saudi youth last month. Last week, after hearing about his economic plans in a meeting with religious leaders, one of the kingdom's conservative sheikhs tweeted a smiling selfie of himself with the prince. Whether the 31-year-old son of King Salman will achieve his goal of modernising the kingdom's economy is the subject of animated debate on social media, in office buildings and at coffee shops in Riyadh. The plans, aimed at ending dependence on oil by 2030, require shaking up a bureaucracy that has stymied changes in the past, challenging powerful conservatives and building up a private sector currently reliant on state spending. The prince's close aides acknowledge the difficulties. Yet in this country of 20 million Saudis and 10 million expatriates, the rise of Prince Mohammed -- who runs economic, defence and oil strategy -- underscores a dramatic shift towards a leadership seemingly more in tune with the needs of a country where 70 percent of the population is under 30. That has meant changes in style and substance. Prince Mohammed works 16-hour days and has appointed business people and economic experts instead of other royals to top jobs. Many younger Saudis see the rise of a man who is usually referred to as "MbS" as evidence their generation is at last playing a role in a country. That backing, and widespread fears about plunging oil prices, is providing MbS with an important springboard for his efforts. When in December, he and his team raised petrol prices -- a step previous administrations had hesitated to take -- Saudis took the move in stride. The lack of protests surprised MbS, according to people close to the prince, but also helped convince him that Saudis were ready for a change. Jihad Al-Najjar, one of those who lined up outside petrol stations that night to fill up on the lower cost fuel, said he understood the country could no longer afford such subsidies. "It's not the real price," the 22-year-old medical student said. Abdulaziz Al-Sager, head of the Jeddah and Geneva-based Gulf Research Centre, says there is a growing recognition among Saudi leaders that the oil-based economic system is not sustainable. That will necessarily lead to social and political change. CONFIDENCE Few had heard of Prince Mohammed before his father, 80-year-old son of modern Saudi Arabia's founder, became the kingdom's 7th monarch in January 2015. Today, Prince Mohammed is second in line to rule behind Mohammed bin Nayef, a cousin who is Crown Prince and, as Interior Minister, head of internal security. Unlike many other royals, Prince Mohammed did not go to school abroad but graduated from King Saud University with a law degree. King Salman made him his personal adviser at a very young age. In his few public appearances with journalists, the powerful prince projects confidence. He listens to questions in English but speaks through the Royal Court's interpreter, and sometimes corrects the interpreter's phrasing of English translations. His picks for top cabinet positions and senior advisers have leant more heavily on former businessmen than those of former administrations, which relied more on professional bureaucrats. Last week, Prince Mohammed officially unveiled Saudi Vision 2030, his blueprint to move the economy decisively from what he called its "addiction to oil" towards the private sector. The phased removal of subsidies on fuel, water and electricity -- part of the welfare lavished on Saudis, of whom about four out of five workers hold public sector jobs -- is already underway. The new plan includes earning non-oil income from private investment and privatisation and setting up the largest sovereign wealth fund in the world. The idea is to create millions of new jobs and raise the participation of women in the workforce from 22 currently to 30 percent by 2030. The plans also include selling a stake of less than 5 percent in Saudi Aramco, the state oil giant, and placing the proceeds and the company in the Public Investment Fund (PIF), along with other assets that could eventually create an investment vehicle worth up to $3 trillion. Another ambitious target is to locally source 50 percent of Saudi military procurements -- part of the third largest defence budget in the world -- by 2030, up from a mere 2 percent now. - Reuters A total of 1.3 million medical tourists are expected to visit Dubai in 2021, Dubai Health Authority (DHA) has revealed. Bolstering the medical tourism sector in Dubai is part of the Dubai Health Experience (DXH), launched by His Highness Shaikh Hamdan Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of the Executive Council of Dubai, last month. The project aims to strengthen medical tourism in the city, attracting 500,000 medical tourists from abroad, making Dubai a favorite global destination for medical tourism. To fulfill the projects goals a DXH group was formed with 25 members consisting of medical facilities in Dubai and other partners offering logistic services who will provide their services to medical tourists. During a ceremony where the partners held their first meeting and were given their membership certificates, H.E Humaid Al Qatami, chairman of the board and director-general of DHA said the authority is keen on reaffirming its partnership with all parties supporting DXH. We are certain that our partners are putting in all their efforts to ensure the support of this project. We appreciate all the contributions made by each partner, he said. In 2015, 630,831 medical tourists visited Dubais 26 hospitals, out of which 332,472 came from within the UAE and 298,359 (46 per cent) came from abroad. A grand total of Dh1,004,930,535 ($273.5 million) in revenues was made from medical tourists abroad in 2015. This number is expected to increase by 13 per cent for the next five years. This means that by 2021 a 1,313,360 medical tourists are expected to visit Dubai out of which 692,191 are internal and 621,169 will come from abroad. Al Qatami commended Emirates Airlines, the Dubai Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing, Dubai Statistic Center and General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs for their support. Dr Layla Al Marzouqi, director of health regulation and Dubai Medical Tourism Project said the meeting between the DXH group members helped discuss a number of vital issues and the way forward. The General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs has pledged to facilitate and make medical tourism visa procedures smoother to support and elevate medical tourism in Dubai. The meeting with the partners also helped outline the plan and the steps needed in the next phase, she said. DXH also collaborated with Dubai Statistic Center in compiling medical tourism statistics from Dubais 26 hospitals. A report by the Dubai statistic center revealed that the majority of the tourists who visited Dubai for medical treatment in 2015 came from Asian countries (43 per cent), 29 per cent came from the GCC, 15 per cent came from European countries, seven per cent came from African countries and five per cent came from America. Most of the tourists sought out treatment in Dubai for osteoporosis, fertility, dermatology and plastic surgery. - TradeArabia News Service The Oberoi, Dubai was voted the Best Business Hotel in Dubai by the Business Traveller Awards Middle East 2016 held at the Plazzo Versace in Dubai last month. The Business Traveller Awards Middle East are amongst the most prestigious awards in the international travel industry, as it is the readers who define excellence in the Corporate travel industry. Karim Bizid, general manager of The Oberoi, Dubai said: "The Oberoi, Dubai brings an ethos of service without compromise to the UAE. This recognition from the Business Traveller Awards, Middle East shows that we have consistently upheld the service promise for which the Oberoi brand is renowned worldwide. Such awards are a testament to the hard work of our whole team as we endeavor to ensure every guest's experience is made truly memorable. We thank all our guests who have trusted and supported us since our opening; and to our team for contributing to all these accolades and achievements." - TradeArabia News Service A child born to a nurse onboard a Philippines bound Emirates flight died at a hospital in India last week, a report said. Forty-year-old Grace Alexandria was returning to her country from Dubai when she gave birth to a baby girl, the New Indian Express reported. The flight was forced to make a diversion to the the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport in Hyderabad, India, so that Alexandria and the new born could receive immediate care at the airport hospital. She was eventually taken to the hospital's branch at Jubilee Hills, but the child, who was prematurely born, died later. Traumatised, Alexandria sought to continue her journey to the Philippines and bury her child at her home town. However, she faced immigration problems with the dead body of her daughter, and decided to bury the baby at a local church. That too was impossible for her as only families registered with the local churches could use the plots for burial. William D. Dar, former director-general of International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) eventually came forward to help the distraught woman and referred her to Tourism Secretary B.Venkatesham, who ensured that arrangements were made for the last rites at the burial ground in Tirumalagiri in Secunderabad. Etihad Airways, the national airline of the UAE, has appointed Peter Li as its new general manager for China. Li will lead the development of Etihads commercial strategy and represent the Abu Dhabi-based airline in China. He will be responsible for further strengthening the carrier's partnerships with travel trade partners and corporate customers. With an extensive amount of experience in commercial aviation, Li has over 20 years of experience in senior commercial management roles for Air New Zealand and China Eastern Airlines. Etihad Airways senior vice president Global Sales Danny Barranger said: We are delighted to welcome Peter to the China leadership team at an exciting time for the airline when we are seeing tremendous growth in the region. China is, and will continue to be one of the most important markets for Etihad Airways globally. The airlines unique geographic position serves as a significant hub in the global aviation network, and allows Abu Dhabi to closely link China with the GCC region, Middle East, Europe, Africa and South America. Furthermore, Etihad Airways innovative and award-winning products and service will help to meet Chinese travelers increasing expectations for greater comfort, higher standards, more choice and better convenience. Etihad Airways codeshare flights with China Eastern Airlines and Hainan Airlines provide Chinese consumers with more destinations to choose from, a more flexible flight timetable and frequent flyer programs. Peters wealth of knowledge and experience will be instrumental in further expanding Etihad Airways presence in the China market. The airline business in China has never been more dynamic, along with its strong growth in outbound tourism. But the competition is fierce, said Li. I am delighted to take up this role at what is a truly exciting time for Etihad Airways. It will be a great honor to lead our experienced local team and to work closely with our partner airlines and the industry to continue to grow the airlines business in this key market for Etihad Airways and to offer a best-in-class travel experience to more business and leisure travelers to a growing number of guests. - TradeArabia News Service Etihad Airways flight EY474 from Abu Dhabi to Jakarta on May 4, operated by an Airbus A330-200 aircraft, encountered severe and unexpected turbulence about 45 minutes prior to arrival at Soekarno Hatta International Airport. A total of 31 passengers and crew were injured. Twenty two have been released from the airport clinic after being treated by paramedics for minor injuries. Nine other passengers and a crew member were taken to a local hospital, the airline said in a statement. As a result, flight EY475 from Jakarta to Abu Dhabi on May 4 has been cancelled. Etihad Airways has sent a support team from its home base in Abu Dhabi, and is assisting passengers scheduled to travel on this flight, by rebooking them on alternate flights or providing hotel accommodation, the airline said. A Casper man who allegedly robbed a Evansville bank at gunpoint Tuesday is facing charges in federal court. Kemp Eugene Cravens turned himself in to police shortly after the robbery, according to a charging affidavit filed Wednesday in the U.S. District Court of Wyoming. Cravens, 64, is charged with one count of robbery, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. He remained Wednesday in the Natrona County Detention Center. He surrendered to police about two hours after stealing $12,000 from Platte Valley Bank, according to the charging affidavit and police. Cravens drove a rented white SUV on Tuesday and parked it about 9:30 a.m. in front of the bank on Luker Lane, the affidavit states. He was wearing a hooded jacket, a dark covering over his face, dark sunglasses, blue jeans, black boots and black gloves and had a semi-automatic handgun on his waist. According to the affidavit, Cravens demanded money from two bank tellers. While the tellers were removing money from their cash drawers, Cravens took the gun from his belt, showed it to them and placed the gun back on his waist. The tellers handed cash to Cravens, who put the money in a bag on his hip. The cash totaled about $12,000. No customers were in the bank at the time, police said. Officers learned a white SUV had been checked out from a car rental company in Casper by Cravens on May 2, the affidavit states. They called Cravens wife, who told them Cravens had gone to Riverton with a friend. After speaking with police, the woman called Cravens and told him he was a suspect in a robbery. He told her he was going to turn himself in. Police later arrested Cravens outside Casper City Hall, according to the affidavit. When interviewed by officers, Cravens confessed to robbing the bank. He also admitted to wielding a loaded handgun at the time. Officers searched the SUV and located a pistol and a large amount of cash inside, the affidavit states. The Natrona County Sheriffs Office, Casper Police Department, Wyoming Highway Patrol and the FBI assisted the Evansville Police Department in their investigation of the robbery. The robbery took place a day after a bank heist in Douglas, about 45 minutes east. The suspect in that robbery was arrested while fleeing on Interstate 25. He has been identified as 52-year-old Charles Mathis. Authorities do not believe the two robberies are connected. In a small town in northeast Wyoming, a school district with 18 staff members is facing the states budget crisis the best it can. The district will eliminate a school nurse, meaning the closest care in emergencies is 30 minutes away. It cut a janitor position to part time. But it cant lose teachers without a disastrous impact, said the districts superintendent, Charles Auzqui. The high school, for example, has only one teacher for each subject area. Sheridan County School District No. 3 in Clearmont is part of a coalition of districts in the state that says 92 positions have been lost this year, the result of K-12 cuts made by the Legislature and a likely decline in school enrollment. Those positions are unfilled vacancies or jobs left open after retirements. No layoffs have been reported, according to Kelly Gould, spokesman for the coalition. Cuts made by lawmakers amount to about $36 million less for school districts over the next two years. The money lost is a reduction to an additional funding stream added last year an adjustment to account for rising costs of living, utilities, teachers salaries and materials. The money had been on the books since 2000; it just hadnt been paid out to schools for years, according to the coalitions statement. The coalition, which originally consisted of seven districts, formed to push lawmakers to pay that additional money. Districts are not asking for more money, said Boyd Brown, superintendent of the third-largest district in Wyoming, Campbell County. Theyre asking the Legislature to honor the legislative model so that we can fulfill our collective commitment to Wyoming students and invest in the future a more vibrant, diversified Wyoming economy. Wyoming calculates the cost of education based on a number of factors. But the biggest indicator of cost is the number of students attending each district. That number is anticipated to drop over the next few years, as it has done in similar economic times. Families will leave Wyoming as jobs in the energy sector continue to disappear. Thats what frustrates educators. They say the model self-adjusts, and government should let the model do what it was built to do: require fewer dollars for fewer students. In Sweetwater County School District No. 2, Superintendent Donna Little-Kaumo has watched her enrollment dwindle, and expects it to continue. The coming year will be one of attrition, declining to fill vacancies or retirees, she said. But some of those positions they are declining to fill are teacher retirements and resignations. Even though no one is losing their job, classrooms are already impacted, she said. What she fears is that the following year will be worse as enrollment continues to drop and the second year of legislative cuts hits local budgets. By then, she believes attrition will not be enough, and not just for her district, but for large areas like Gillette and small places like Clearmont. The coalition also released a letter to lawmakers Wednesday detailing the ways in which the cuts are going to hurt districts and offering the 92 jobs lost as preliminary evidence of the direction districts are going as they adjust to less cash. The letter requests that the coalition be added to the agenda for the Joint Education Committee meeting June 13-14 in Casper. HOLDREGE, Neb. Plenty of water is headed for the Platte River in Nebraska, but officials don't know yet how much and when it will arrive. Engineer Cory Steinke told the Central Nebraska Public Power and Irrigation District board members Monday in Holdrege that the water will come from the basin's rain runoff, nearly full Wyoming reservoirs upstream of Lake McConaughy on the North Platte River and deeper-than-average snowpacks in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado and Wyoming. Steinke says there isn't much room in the upstream reservoirs for a higher-than-normal snowpacks. He says releases from the Glendo Reservoir upstream from Lake McConaughy have been increased. On Monday Lake McConaughy was holding about 1.5 million acre-feet of water around 85 percent of maximum. ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. Two U.S. senators from the West want state wildlife authorities and ranchers to have more say in how the federal government manages endangered Mexican gray wolves. Arizona Republicans John McCain and Jeff Flake have introduced legislation that would push the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to work more closely with states to revamp a decades-old recovery plan for the wolves. If the agency fails, the legislation includes language that would allow states to step in. This is an important issue to Arizona, Flake said in a statement. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service needs to consider the effect the Mexican gray wolf population has on the people of Arizona and our economy when revising the outdated recovery plan. Flake and McCain argue that tens of millions of dollars have been spent on reintroducing wolves in Arizona and New Mexico over nearly two decades and the population is still struggling. The legislation comes as federal wildlife managers consider expanding the wolfs range and as landowners and some local elected leaders in the West push back against what they describe as overreach by the federal government and the trampling of private property and water rights. The fate of the legislation is uncertain but some opponents are concerned the proposal could end up as an amendment and slipped into an unrelated appropriations bill. There was a similar fight over the delisting of northern gray wolves in Wyoming and other states last year. Environmentalists argue the legislation is a political ploy rather than an effort to move the wolf recovery program forward. Drew Caputo, the vice president of litigation for the environmental group Earthjustice, suggested the failure of the Fish and Wildlife Service to revamp the wolf recovery plan over the past three decades stems from federal officials catering to states and the states bowing to a narrow band of ranching and hunting interests. Theyre not following the science and the law and instead are buckling under to the state politics, Caputo said. I think theres a growing recognition that these sort of political-based bills are bad policy and theyre not passing. The Fish and Wildlife Service recently agreed as part of a legal settlement with environmentalists to have a recovery plan crafted by the end of 2017. Fish and Wildlife Service spokesman John Bradley said the agency appreciates the senators interest in the wolf and that the goal remains the recovery of the species through growing the population, improving genetics and eventually transferring management back to the states. Bradley said the proposed legislation is under review. RENO, Nev. Concerned about continued deterioration of drought-stricken rangeland in Nevada, the U.S. Bureau of Land Managements state director wants to round up 4,000 wild horses in Elko County more mustangs than were gathered across 10 Western states combined last year. BLM Nevada Director John Ruhs said its unlikely hell be able to consider lifting livestock grazing restrictions in the northeast corner of the state without removing the mustangs from four-herd management areas over 600 square miles stretching to near the Utah line. Ruhs, Gov. Brian Sandoval, livestock interests and state wildlife officials argue the roundups also would benefit the greater sage grouse. Nevada Agriculture Director Jim Barbee anticipates that without the roundups, anywhere from a 25 percent to a total reduction in grazing will be necessary in some areas, resulting in as much as $1.8 million in damages to Elko Countys economy. Conservationists say the call for more roundups is a misguided attempt to placate ranchers at the expense of horses and grouse. Cattle do far more damage than mustangs to the range and the imperiled bird, they say. The BLM is scapegoating wild horses instead of addressing the true causes of range degradation and threats to sage grouse, said Suzanne Roy, director of the American Wild Horse Preservation Campaign. Nevada is home to nearly 28,000 wild horses more than half of the 47,000 estimated in 10 Western states, including Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah and Wyoming. BLM officials argue the range can sustain less than half that many about 12,000 in Nevada and 26,000 nationally. Ruhs estimated in an April 13 letter to the agencys headquarters that it would cost about $4 million to remove about 4,000 animals in Elko County. He said the population of those herds is at five times the appropriate carrying capacity. Some of the allotments/pastures within the impacted area will need to be closed to livestock grazing in 2016 and into the future to limit further damage to these ecosystems or until appropriate management of the wild horses has taken place, he wrote. Sandoval warned last week if the Interior Department refuses to adequately fund the program, the state will pursue all legal options to protect our local producers and communities. Sen. Dean Heller, R-Nevada, said in a letter to Secretary Sally Jewell that hes disappointed the BLM has not responded to a request he and others made in November for an update on herds across the West. Over the past few years, many ranchers have already taken reductions in their grazing allotments, yet horse populations have only increased, not decreased, over that time, Heller wrote Friday. The BLM gathered 7,242 horses nationally in 2012; 4,064 in 2013; 1,689 in 2014; and 3,093 last fiscal year. It removed about 1,000 in Oregon in November, about 125 in southern Nevada in February, 54 in Utah in March, and this summer plans to remove about 535 in Wyoming and 300 in Utah. But the agency currently plans no large-scale roundups in Nevada or anywhere else through the end of September because of budget shortfalls driven largely by the cost of housing more than 45,000 mustangs now in government corrals and pastures at a lifetime cost of $48,000 per animal. The Nevada Association of Counties, Nevada Farm Bureau and others filed a lawsuit last year to force the government to step up roundups, but a U.S. judge in Reno dismissed the case. Unfortunately, the removal of cattle from areas where horse populations are significantly over (appropriate management levels) does not alleviate the impacts to native species, including sage grouse, Nevada Cattlemens Association President David Stix Jr. said. WildEarth Guardians wildlife biologist Erik Molvar disagreed. Suggesting that wild horses are a problem for sage grouse, while ignoring the comparatively massive impacts of cattle and sheep, is a bit like suggesting that the captain of the Titanic should be worried about the ice cubs in his passengers cocktails rather than the icebergs floating in the North Atlantic, he said. The Wyoming Symphony Orchestra made the right decision recently by canceling a world-renowned musicians appearance after he was sued for sexual harassment. French horn player Eric Ruske, the professor of horn at Boston University, was supposed to perform as a soloist with the symphony, but a few days before the concert, he was sued for sexual harassment by two Boston University students. The lawsuit alleges that Ruske compared one students trumpet playing to how it might feel if they were having sex and that he asked another student to send him a cute pic. Victims advocacy groups immediately called for the cancellation, and hours after learning of the allegations, the symphony canceled Ruskes appearance. It was a decisive move and the right one, for the symphony and the community. First, it shows that the symphony takes allegations of such behavior seriously, no matter how high-profile or talented the accused might be. Too often, people with exceptional skills are not held to the same standard as others. The symphonys decision shows that it values civility and respect above musical gifts or name recognition. Second, allowing Ruske on stage would have placed the focus squarely on him, not on the symphony itself. As a featured performer, Ruske would of course have been the center of much attention anyway, but that would have been the positive kind the type that shows how well he teamed with the symphony. This would have been the kind that casts a shadow over the rest of the symphony and thats not fair, because the Wyoming Symphony Orchestra features top-notch talent that deserves to be showcased. People in the community who value good music and respectful behavior are winners here, because the symphony put them in a position to enjoy both. In the end, thats exactly what happened. With only a few days notice, Katherine Smith, the symphonys principal French horn player, took her turn in the spotlight. Smith, who also plays with the Fort Collins Symphony Orchestra and has performed with dozens of ensembles, was nervous at first but decided she was ready for the moment. She credited the Wyoming symphonys support for putting her in a position to succeed. There is so much solidarity and support within the group, she told the Star-Tribune before the concert. The symphony threw its support behind the right performer. Now, its the communitys turn to show its support for the decision. Negotiations to get Caterpillar Inc. to put a regional headquarters in Tucson began more than six months ago and involved dozens of players, multiple site visits and more than $50 million in incentives pledged. Gov. Doug Ducey announced Tuesday the addition of Caterpillars Surface, Mining & Technology Division to downtown Tucson with up to 600 executive jobs over the next five years and an estimated economic impact of $600 million. The state has offered Caterpillar, a heavy-equipment manufacturer, a $4 million Arizona Competes Fund grant and is in the process of finalizing the agreement, said Susan Marie, a spokeswoman for the Arizona Commerce Authority. At a special board meeting Wednesday, May 4, the Rio Nuevo Multipurpose Facilities District will vote on a proposal to pay Caterpillar $2 million for relocation costs. Rio Nuevo is also proposing to buy city-owned land west of Interstate 10 and Cushing Street to build the companys regional headquarters. Rio Nuevos budget for the construction is estimated at around $50 million, and Caterpillar would enter into a 25-year lease, Rio Nuevo Board Chairman Fletcher McCusker said. What Rio Nuevo intends is to build the headquarters facility for Caterpillar on the original Rio Nuevo site, he said. The five-acre site was where a University of Arizona Science Center was proposed years back but not built. Rio Nuevo is exempt from the gift clause so we dont have the challenges that you see with World View, McCusker said, referring to the Goldwater Institutes challenge over the legality of Pima Countys $20 million incentive package to the near-space exploration company. The gift clause in the state Constitution limits government aid for individual companies. Last summer, Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich ruled that Rio Nuevo is exempt because it is a tax levying public improvement district. The size or look of the future Caterpillar building has not been determined, but typically about 250 square feet per executive staff member is allotted. If the company does grow to 600 or more employees, the building would be at least 150,000 square feet and have multiple stories. They want the building to be iconic, something that represents Caterpillar but is not ostentatious, McCusker said. He said the $50 million could be secured by Rio Nuevo through direct bank financing or by issuing bonds. This is huge for Tucson, he said. Were just really happy to be a part of it. SALARIES $90K and up The majority of the jobs will be filled by relocated employees from around the globe in executive management, engineering, product development and support positions. Salaries are in the $90,000-plus range. In addition to bringing jobs and capital investment to Southern Arizona, a project of this level will have a ripple effect throughout the community and state, Ducey said. Moves are set to begin in the coming weeks. Between 40 and 60 employees will relocate into a county-owned building at 97 E. Congress St., while the new facility is built. Caterpillar has a proving ground near Green Valley that opened in 1990. It recently installed a hybrid solar and diesel power micro grid system. Caterpillar also has a large plant in Monterrey, Mexico, and suppliers throughout northern Mexico. The ability to get closer to our customers and tightly collaborate across all aspects of the business is at the center of our strategy, Tom Bluth, Caterpillars vice president who oversees the Surface Mining and Technology division, said of the decision to move to Tucson. Southern Arizona is a growing region known for a workforce rich in mining, technology and engineering expertise as well as an attractive quality of life for both families and young graduates. Tucson Mayor Jonathan Rothschild said Caterpillar is eligible for the citys Primary Jobs Incentive Program, which allows job-producing businesses to qualify for building-fee exemptions. The criteria is for a business to create or bring 25 non-retail jobs to the city that pay 125 percent or more of the average annual earnings in Tucson. That program, coupled with the countys flexibility in providing short-term lease space and the potential of the Rio Nuevo District, is bringing top-paying jobs to Tucson, Rothschild said. I couldnt be more thrilled. The company specifically wanted to be downtown to offer employees all the amenities of public transit and varied dining options, said John Moffatt, Pima Countys director of strategic planning. He said everyone came together with the shared goal of sealing the deal. This was really a community effort, Moffatt said. I cant emphasize enough how well the city and county worked together on this. REGIONAL PITCH Caterpillar was looking at Tucson, along with Phoenix, Denver and cities in the Midwest, as possible sites for its new facility. After meeting Caterpillars site selector at a governors conference in Las Vegas last fall, Ducey turned up the heat. The governor made a very strong pitch for the region and the benefits of Southern Arizona, said Daniel Scarpinato, Duceys spokesman. The meeting was very positive, and then the governor instructed the Arizona Commerce Authority to make sure we remained in a competitive position and worked very closely with our partners in Southern Arizona. Having the states support when negotiating for projects in Pima County has been a repeated plea from the business community. Hes been very aware of the need to be aggressive to make sure Southern Arizona is on the table, Scarpinato said. He knows theres a world outside of Maricopa County. Joe Snell, CEO of Sun Corridor Inc., said Caterpillar executives visited Tucson more than any other client before. His team also traveled to Milwaukee, where Caterpillar has a division headquarters, several times to learn the business. Caterpillar wanted detailed information about Tucsons labor force, real estate and amenities. Its a very open company, and their employees mean the world to them, Snell said. Sun Corridor will coordinate a transition process for employees who will be new to Tucson. Were going to have webinars with all of their employees a Tucson 101, Snell said. Also, Sun Corridors directors will be assigned Caterpillar families to help them with information about schools, medical care and recreation. Its neat to see how hungry this community is and how welcoming we are, Snell said. I hope that people get this this is the biggest deal in 25 years. Its hard to find an event that incorporates space suits, crossbows, micro-brewing and cancer biology but the tired engineers who worked on these technical marvels are happy to share. On Tuesday, student engineers emerged from their labs and workshops to present their projects and prototypes to the public at the University of Arizonas Engineering Design Day. Engineering Design Day is the final project required for student engineers to graduate. They start their projects in August and culminate them by presenting their prototype and research to their sponsors and the public. Sponsors range from giant companies to startups, and students solve real-world problems that may one day see market. Big companies like Honeywell and Raytheon are interested in seeing students interact with their own projects, whereby they can find good prospects to hire, said Ara Arabyan, an associate professor and director of a College of Engineering clinic that hosts Engineering Design Day. The smaller companies are really trying some far-out ideas on the cheap, Arabyan added. It costs $8,500 to sponsor a project, but that is inexpensive for trying out and testing a prototype, Arabyan said. This project was more like an actual job for this company and felt like a solid research experience, said Chris Gallo, a senior studying biomedical engineering. Gallos interdisciplinary team worked on reducing medical errors in nasogastric feeding tubes. The tubes are placed in patients who cannot ingest food orally, but two to four percent of all tubes placed accidentally go into the lungs instead of the stomach, Gallo said. The teams solution was a sensor at the bottom of the tube that can detect whether its inside the acidic stomach. Team members were happy with their results and so was their sponsor, the local Xeridiem Medical Devices. We could not be more delighted with the outcome, said Paul Melnychuck, senior director of business development, marketing and innovation at Xeridiem. Xeridiem is filing three provisional patents based on the students design and plans to sponsor teams next year to continue to refine it, Melnychuck said. This was Xeridiems first year as a sponso. We had quality, talented, motivated individuals who are very smart and the cost is very affordable for a company of our size, Melnychuck said. At the end of Design Day, the team including Gallo won $1,000 for Best Presentation and the $1,000 Ventana Award for Innovation in Engineering. I cant think of a better way to prepare undergraduates for industry than going through a capstone project like this, said Erica Isaacs, a product development engineer at Xeridiem and a 2013 graduate of UAs biomedical engineering program. You actually get the opportunity to apply the skills you learned for the past four years and be an engineer for a year, which is an invaluable experience. For more information on the days results, go to tinyurl.com/UAengineers online. Seven University of Arizona student entrepreneurial teams shared in $25,000 in cash and services as prizes in a business-pitch competition at the school on Tuesday. The 2016 Perkins Coie Innovative Minds Challenge is sponsored by the New York-based law firm Perkins Coie LLP, the UA Tech Parks Arizona Center for Innovation, and InnovateUA, to link UA students with business-savvy mentors and help fund innovative ideas. After 10 student teams pitched their ideas to a panel of entrepreneurial experts, six business-incubation fellowships were awarded, as well as $20,000 in cash. Fellowships in the Arizona Center for Innovations Mentored Launch program, including office space at the UA Tech Park, were awarded to: Drone Flight Area Control , a task-based drone management system with applications in agriculture, inspection and other fields; Defiiant Technologies , which is introducing a 3-D social media experience through a wearable virtual reality (VR) camera and mobile VR app; Illumination Design Group , which develops display lighting to optimize the preservation and presentation of high-value artwork. Fellowships in Startup Tucsons Thryve entreprenership program were awarded to: Indigenous Intellectual Sovereignty Hub (IISH) which created a website as a repository for Native-created, shareable content related to Native American issues and interests; Connected Communities , a mobile app that matches volunteers with nonprofit organizations and motivates volunteers to serve their community; Bridge , an online platform that connects and builds trust between the police and the community. Cash prizes Perkins Coie awarded $5,000 cash to Drone Flight Area Control and $2,500 cash to Illumination Design Group. InnovateUA, a UA student-led entrepreneurship group, awarded $5,000 to Worksphere, creators of a smartphone app that gives employers the ability to manage communication, accountability and productivity on one device. The student company also won top honors and $10,000 in the UA McGuire Entrepreneurship Program New Venture Competition and Showcase last week. Vin Diesel U.S. Actor Vin Diesel gestures to the crowd watching the presentation of fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld's "cruise" line for fashion house Chanel, at the Paseo del Prado street in Havana, Cuba, Tuesday, May 3, 2016. With the heart of the Cuban capital effectively privatized by an international corporation under the watchful eye of the Cuban state, the premiere of Chanel 2016/2017 "cruise" line offered a startling sight in a country officially dedicated to social equality and the rejection of material wealth. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa) Tucson police and the Border Patrol are violating constitutional rights as they enforce SB 1070, the ACLU of Arizona said Monday. The two agencies are violating the Fourth Amendment rights of Southern Arizonans by detaining them for more than an hour to conduct immigration checks, the ACLU said in a pair of letters sent to TPD and the Border Patrols parent agency. The allegations come from the ACLUs review of 110 traffic stops by Tucson police between June 2014 and December 2015, obtained through a public-records request, the ACLU said in a news release Monday. The majority of the stops lasted longer than one hour and more than 75 percent of the reviewed cases had clear or potential constitutional problems, the ACLU said. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that a traffic stop that lasted eight minutes longer than required to address the basis for the stop was a violation of the Constitution. Although TPD has made significant progress in recent years by revising its policies, the guidance to officers must be improved substantially, the ACLU said. With regard to the Border Patrol, the ACLU requested the Department of Homeland Security investigate improper Border Patrol involvement in local law enforcement in Southern Arizona. SB 1070 requires local police to check the immigration status of anyone they stop if they become suspicious that person may be in the country illegally. Among the alleged constitutional violations were two people who TPD stopped for speeding and detained for about 90 minutes when they said they were Dreamers, or people who were brought to the United States illegally by their parents when they were children and are allowed to stay in the country if they meet certain requirements. The Border Patrol responded to the scene but declined to take them into custody, the ACLU said. In another case, a driver with a suspended license was held for an hour after Tucson police said the driver was in the country illegally. The Border Patrol responded to the scene and determined the driver was a U.S. citizen, the ACLU said. TPDs own records confirm what Tucson community members have been saying for years: in many cases officers are going out of their way to transfer people to Border Patrol, regardless of the delay that results or the fact that SB 1070 does not and cannot authorize prolonged detention, James Lyall, a staff attorney with the ACLU of Arizona, said in the news release. In response to the ACLUs letter, TPD Chief Chris Magnus said in a statement that he plans to give thoughtful consideration to the issues raised in the letter with an eye toward identifying any opportunities to improve our training, policies, and practices. Magnus said information provided by ACLU in the letter will be of value in our evolving efforts to retain and further strengthen a trusting relationship with all members of the community, as we endeavor to fairly enforce the law. Magnus said TPD had already scheduled a meeting next week with the ACLU staff and community members to discuss our efforts moving forward. In response to an inquiry from the Star about the ACLU letter, the DHS said in a statement that it is reviewing the letter and U.S. Customs and Border Protection continues to focus its enforcement resources in adherence to Secretary Johnsons priorities for immigration enforcement, focusing its resources on public and national threats. Welcome to the absurd state of Arizona, Caterpillar. Welcome to the place where the governor will ease you step-by-step into a new headquarters in Tucson but wont lift a finger to give free health care to 30,000 Arizona kids. You should know, Caterpillar employees, that when you move here and climb into your big mining machines, youre in for a wild ride. That became clear once again Tuesday, to those of us who dared to hope that common sense would prevail among the decision-makers in Phoenix. Surely, I trusted, the powers that be will embrace the obvious. They didnt. KidsCare, Arizonas version of the national Childrens Health Insurance Program, costs the state nothing, allowing us to use federal tax money to provide health insurance to children whose parents earn too much to qualify for Medicaid but are still relatively poor. Were talking about the working poor people who truly do just need a hand up. Caterpillar employees, we are the only state that doesnt take advantage of this program the exception, one of 50. So, in essence, when you settle in here and start paying federal taxes from your new home in Arizona, the portion of your taxes that goes to this childrens health-insurance program does not come back here. It will go to the other 49 states. It costs us nothing, it insures 30,000 kids, and it brings around $78 million in federal tax money into the state. And of course, our states leaders rejected it. Youll learn more about this, Caterpillar, but it failed because a few ideologically engorged bullies run your new state. The obvious one is outgoing Senate President Andy Biggs. Even after the state House passed a bill, HB 2309, that would have reinstated KidsCare, with majorities of both parties supporting it, Biggs refused to allow the bill to be heard on the Senate floor. Why? Yes, indeed, Caterpillar, the question is why. Biggs has argued that those kids really are covered by our Medicaid program, even though they arent. Hes also said that once they get health insurance, they will come to expect it as though that was a bad thing, and even though the House bill would have ended the program if the federal government stopped paying. To understand, you should know this about Biggs, Caterpillar: Hes a millionaire. Not the job creator kind who built a business from the ground up and employed people along the way, offering them benefits like health insurance. No, in 1993, Ed McMahon and Dick Clark visited Biggs, representing the American Family Sweepstakes, and announced he was the winner of $10 million. Its unbelievable, Biggs said in the TV ad. You may find Biggs opposition to KidsCare unbelievable, Caterpillar. But whats even more unbelievable is the behavior of your suitor, the man who brought you here, Gov. Doug Ducey. The governor, as youll see, presents himself as a sort of compassionate conservative, someone who cares about people but thinks the best way to help them is to give them opportunity. Dont believe it. The compassionate part is marketing. The governor could have shown otherwise with this KidsCare decision, Caterpillar. If he had told Republican legislators he wanted KidsCare passed, if he had made it a priority, it would have happened. But he didnt. The most expansive explanation of Duceys position on KidsCare is what he told Capitol Media Services Howard Fischer on April 26: What we want is to make sure we are investing in our kids, were protecting them and we have a structurally balanced budget. So Im going to negotiate this budget with the House and the Senate. But Im not going to negotiate it with you this morning. By his indifference, Ducey let the ideologues play games. Amendments were created that would have torpedoed KidsCare by forcing a vote on new abortion restrictions, for example. Cathi Herrod, of the Center for Arizona Policy, was rumored to be playing a role in these abortion-law machinations, but she denied via Twitter that was the case. Your information is incorrect, she wrote to me via Twitter. I have not taken a position on Kids Care. Let that sink in, Caterpillar: The states most ardent pro-life activist has not taken a position on providing free-to-us health insurance to 30,000 children. Thats the state youre settling into. As to Duceys actions, the Arizona Capitol Times Hank Stephenson reported that the governors people talked Tuesday to the Republican who wanted to amend the budget to include KidsCare. They discussed the pluses and minuses with her, and the next thing you know she backed down because she didnt want to blow up the budget. That Republican is Rep. Regina Cobb of Kingman, a woman who seems truly compassionate, not just for the sake of marketing. She thanked Rep. Diego Espinoza, D-Tolleson, for introducing her KidsCare amendment on the floor Tuesday, but said she couldnt vote for it. I cant support it because its not part of the budget package that we have negotiated, she said. Now that is a sad commentary on this state, Caterpillar. An amendment that would have provided great benefits and cost the state nothing would have blown up the budget. You might rightfully ask, Caterpillar, How does that even make sense? It doesnt, Caterpillar. Get used to it. Youre in Arizona now. A prominent Marana businessman was shot and injured at a family business Wednesday morning, Town Mayor Ed Honea has confirmed. John Kai Jr. is in stable condition at Banner-University Medical Center Tucson, authorities say. Marana police are asking the public for help in finding a man wanted for questioning in the shooting. Detectives are searching for Ruben Duran Munoz, 63, who is described as an investigative lead, said Sgt. Chris Warren, a Marana Police Department spokesman. Officers were dispatched shortly after 11 a.m. to Kai Construction at 6088 W. Arizona Pavillions Drive to a report of a shooting, Warren said. The business is near Interstate 10 and North Cortaro Road. It is the office for the Kai family's multiple businesses, Honea said. The family considered a founding family in Marana has agricultural, real estate, construction and other interests in the area, and is one of Marana's largest land holders. John Kai is the brother of Marana Town Councilman Herb Kai. "I have no idea what happened," Honea said. "I was shocked that it did happen. I have known John Kai all my life. It's an open investigation and we do not have any information." Police found the victim shot at the office. The shooter fled before police arrived, Warren said. Warren would not say if the victim and the person of interest know each other. Kai suffered a serious wound, possibly life-threatening, said Capt. Brian Keeley of Northwest Fire District, whose paramedics treated him at the scene and took him to the hospital. Detectives ask that anyone with information on Munoz's whereabouts call Marana police at 382-2000 or 88-CRIME. A second man has been arrested in connection with last week's shooting on the UA campus that injured another man, the school's police said Monday. UAPD said Tuesday that Jahron David Francis, 29, turned himself in at the Pima County jail. He was arrested on suspicion of aggravated robbery. On Monday, Christopher Eugene, 29, was arrested without incident at his residence, UAPD said in a news release. The Tucson police SWAT team assisted in the arrest. He was booked into the Pima County jail on suspicion of two counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and one count of aggravated robbery, all felonies. Police said one man was shot Wednesday night near the Keating/BIO5 building, in the 1600 block of East Helen St. The suspect and victim are not affiliated with the University of Arizona, campus police said. Officers responded to a call of shots fired shortly after 7:30 p.m. near the corner of Helen and North Warren Avenue, department spokesman, Sgt. Filbert Barrera, said last week. Police found shell casings and a small amount of blood, but were unable to locate a victim or suspects. A hospital told police that at about 9 p.m., a 23-year-old man came in seeking treatment for a gunshot wound to his buttocks. The victim told investigators he'd ridden the Sun Link streetcar to the Warren Avenue stop, and was approached by three males when he got off, Barrera said. One of the men shot at the victim multiple times, striking him once in the buttocks, before the suspects fled in a dark colored SUV, Barrera said. Detectives believe the victim and the suspects previously had an altercation off campus, and the victim was targeted in the shooting, Barrera said. City High Schools Gender-Sexuality Alliance will host its second annual Tucson Queer Youth Summit Saturday. The event will be held at the City High School campus, 47 E. Pennington St. It starts at 9 a.m. with a keynote speech by Abby Louise Jensen, vice president of the Southern Arizona Gender Alliance. That portion and the closing discussion, which will start at 2:30 p.m., is open to all ages. The speech will be followed by workshops starting at 10:30 a.m. for youths ages 11 to 19 years old. Workshop topics include being queer on a college campus and slam poetry. There will also be booths, including from El Rio Community Health Center and the Southern Arizona AIDS Foundation, at the summit. LGBT youth in Tucson often dont have the resources to connect with other youths who are like them, said Laurel Fisher, a student organizer at City High School. Our ultimate goal is to bring everyone together for a community event that really connects us queer youth to each other, she said. The youth sessions have a capacity of 100 attendees. Organizers encourage the public to register through the summits Facebook page. For more information call City High School at 623-7223. PHOENIX State schools chief Diane Douglas and the Board of Education have agreed to a deal to divide up responsibilities, bringing a pair of lawsuits to an end. The deal, to be offered by Sen. Jeff Dial, R-Chandler, would spell out in law that the Education Board has sole authority to hire, fire and control its own employees. Douglas had argued the law put the workers under her purview. In return, the board has agreed to give up control of the investigators who look into allegations of teacher misconduct. If HB 2620 becomes law, each side has agreed to drop its lawsuit against the other. Board President Greg Miller praised the deal. The board will be able to get back to doing its business, which is trying to implement the best policies that we possibly can for kids to be successful, he said Tuesday. Douglas spokesman Charles Tack said his boss is pleased that the problems are being worked out without having to spend more time and money in court. The school chief was elected in 2014, largely on a promise to repeal the Common Core academic standards. A month after taking office she attempted to fire the boards executive director and assistant, calling them two liberal staff who have publicly stated they will block all efforts to repeal or change Common Core. That move fizzled when Gov. Doug Ducey told state personnel officials to keep the pair on the payroll. Ongoing spats eventually led the board to move its workers out of the Department of Education Building. Douglas sued, contending state law gives her control of board employees. She also said the board can only hire a director on her recommendation. A trial judge sidestepped the question, calling it a political dispute. Douglas had filed an appeal. Separately, the board sued Douglas after she refused to give its investigators remote computer access to teacher files. Dial has been trying to work out a deal for months, pointing out that both sides are represented by attorneys being paid for by taxpayers. The Tucson City Council heard from a divided public on a plan to ask voters in November to change the city election system. The council directed city staff to use feedback from the public hearing to develop the wording on the official ballot question. The council will discuss the issue again soon. It is under pressure to decide whether to ask voters to choose a new election system because of a November court decision. In a 2-1 decision, a panel of three 9th Circuit Court judges ruled Tucsons election system is unconstitutional because it violates the 14th Amendment and the Equal Protection Clause, known as the one man, one vote rule. Thats because it excludes some voters from the primary election based on the ward in which they live. The city has won a new hearing with a panel of 11 judges in June, which means the November decision is not final. The judges decision likely wont come before the early July deadline to put a question on the ballot. Some who spoke to the council supported a change. Tucsons City Council election system makes a mockery of one man, one vote, said Bruce Dusenberry, a board member at the Southern Arizona Leadership Council, which supports moving to ward-only elections and backs eliminating staggered elections. Since 1950, more than 33 cases in which the person winning the most votes in his or her ward lost the election because voters in other wards chose a different candidate, Dusenberry said. Shuron Harvey, speaking for the Pima County Republican Party executive committee, encouraged the council to send the question to voters. Others told the council not to make changes. Please do not vote to weaken our democracy, neighborhood activist Colette Altaffer told the council. Former City Council member Margot Garcia encouraged the council to stick with what we have. She said ward-only elections lead to parochialism, with wards competing for funds for pet projects. She also opposes eliminating staggered terms because it can lead to a lot of newbies on the council at once. Council Member Paul Cunningham said he prefers the current system, but said hes willing to let voters decide. He lost the 2015 general election in his ward but won citywide. Heres a look at the system voters could be asked to consider. Under a proposal to change the city election system, youd get a say in who represents your one ward on the City Council and whos mayor. Thats a change from the current system, in which you get a say in all six city council races, plus the mayoral race. Voters would choose from among candidates for City Council in their ward for the primary election and for the general election. The current system has voters choosing candidates in the ward in the primary and then in all six wards in the general. The mayor would continue to be elected by a citywide vote. The new system also would eliminate staggered terms. Currently, the mayor and Wards 1, 2 and 5 are elected in one cycle and then Wards 3, 4 and 6 are elected in another cycle two years later. The change would mean one election every four years, beginning in 2021. To accomplish this, there would be no City Council election in 2019. The 2017 election would continue as usual. Those in council seats in 2019 would stay until 2021, meaning those elected in 2015 could serve six years instead of the normal four. To change the City Charter, the ballot question would have to receive more than 50 percent of the votes cast. A February poll commissioned by the mayor and paid for by the Southern Arizona Leadership Council found 26 percent of voters want the ward-only election system. Among those who regularly vote in city elections, the number rises to 31 percent. If the ballot proposition passes, the new ward-only city election system would take effect next year. If it fails, and if the appeals court reverses its decision, the current system would remain in place. If it fails, and if the court decision stands, the city election system would change to make all City Council and mayoral races citywide, likely under the guidance of a U.S. District Court judge. Councilman Steve Ko- zachik encouraged the council to wait for a court decision, even if that means holding a special election next year. Juan Bayardo, 54, thinks that he could retire soon and enjoy writing on a peaceful Mexican beach. But before that, he wants to embark on an adventure. His plan is to travel and tour the 50 states and find a job in each state in construction, landscaping, maintenance, or anything he can do. For the next six months, it will be only Bayardo, his tools, his Chevy Avalanche and his cell phone. Bayardo plans to leave Thursday, May 5. Theres nothing that stops me, said Bayardo, divorced and father of three, with three grandchildren. And it has to be now, because the 60s are coming fast. Bayardo wants to show that everyone is connected by the Internet and that people can work with a cell phone. On his travels he wants to feel the excitement of not knowing exactly where he will be or what hell do the day after. And when he returns home he wants to write a book. Angela Bayardo said that her little brother is an obstinate, positive person. If he says that he will do it, he will, Angela said. He became a very young parent, before the age of 20, and he hadnt then the opportunity to do many things that he now wants to do. Bayardo believes he can find work by searching for gigs on Craigslist. For the last year, Ive been using gigs at times, Bayardo said. I have clients here in Tucson, but if theres not much work during a week, I search in Craiglist. Theres something new every day. Bayardo plans on traveling light a tent, a portable oven and a lot of instant soup. When possible, Ill take a room, if affordable, because Im aware that Ill need to rest some days, Bayardo said. He said he has lost about 20 pounds in preparation for his adventure. Bayardo doesnt know how many cities he will visit. The only thing he knows for sure is that hell work across America including Alaska and Hawaii. He intends to make Phoenix his first stop and find his first job there. He plans to zigzag in the Southwest before heading east to Florida. When he eventually arrives in Hawaii, it will be where his idea was born. A few years ago, after Bayardos grandson passed away, Bayardos son and daughter-in-law moved to Hawaii to deal with their grief. They asked Bayardo to join them. He quit his job as a butcher and sold his possessions, including the tools hed bought through the years working as a handyman. In Hawaii he resumed working as a butcher but nine months later his son and daughter-in-law returned to the mainland, leaving Bayardo. In Hawaii I learned how to live with very little, Bayardo said. Hes confident that experience will help him in his new project: Gigs Across America. It was also in Hawaii that he began writing, which years earlier seemed difficult. I didnt go to college. I didnt even know how to begin, said Bayardo, who graduated from Pueblo Magnet High School. Writing is his new passion. He plans to write a new book based on his upcoming trip, and hell post stories in English and Spanish on his website: juanjohnsgigsacrossamerica.com. I want to do something that nobody else has done, to be in places that I always have wanted to be in, to taste new food, make new friends, said Bayardo. I no longer want to work with pick and shovel; at least not by necessity. Maria Teresa Leal, a well-known historian and activist in Nogales, Arizona, was found dead Tuesday morning at the Pimeria Alta Historical Society museum. Nogales police received a call about 11:30 a.m. about a body in the museum on Grand Avenue in downtown Nogales, said Sgt. Robert Fierros. There were no signs of foul play and Leal, 70, appeared to have died of natural causes "a day or two" before her body was found, Fierros said. In addition to her work as curator at the museum, Leal was an environmental activist in Nogales, Sonora, and other parts of Sonora. Leal was born in Navojoa, Sonora and she worked with the environmental group, SERI. Her activism sent her to work in Sonoran communities raising awareness of environmental degradation. She also trained indigenous women in Sonora as health educators. In the mid-1980s, Leal founded the group Comadres, to address the issues of labor, environment and civil rights for women working in the maquiladoras in Nogales, Sonora. She attended Catalina High School in Tucson and studied social anthropology at the University San Carlos in Guatemala. Fierros said the body will be sent to the Pima County Medical Examiner for an autopsy. The proposed Rosemont Mine will not jeopardize the existence or illegally destroy habitat for 12 imperiled species living in and around the mine site, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said Tuesday. The agency, however, said it will cause significant adverse effects on many of them. Its Final Biological Opinion on the mine is one of the key legal hurdles that Rosemont Copper and its parent company Hudbay Minerals Inc. needed to clear before getting final federal decisions on the proposed copper mine in the Santa Rita Mountains southeast of Tucson. The new, long-awaited report, said that many of the mine's negative impacts on species will be ameliorated by a host of mitigation measures, some new, some previously disclosed. The new ones include the financing of a biologist/project manager for monitoring of impacts on wildlife, a $3 million program to manage and remove invasive species and a $1.25 million program to upgrade habitat for the endangered Southwestern willow flycatcher and the Western yellow-billed cuckoo. The report acknowledged that the mine's lowering of the water table for creating the open pit could or would dry up a stretch of Empire Gulch. That's a key tributary to Cienega Creek, a nationally recognized stream running east of the mine site. But the report agreed with that U.S. Forest Service's conclusions that the water table decline wouldn't be enough to cause major drying of Cienega even after 150 years. The creeks and surrounding wetlands are home to many of the endangered fish, frogs and birds that were among the species reviewed for this opinion. But the opposition groups the Center for Biological Diversity and Save the Scenic Santa Ritas both sharply criticized the report, which was released on mid-day Tuesday and said they expect to prevail against the opinion in future litigation. Hudbay Minerals didn't respond to requests for comment on the report. Both groups criticized the report's conclusion that the mine wouldn't jeopardize or illegally destroy critical habitat for the nation's only known wild jaguar, which has been photographed in the vicinity of the Rosemont site on and off since 2012. The agency charged with protecting Americas most vulnerable wildlife thinks its just fine for a foreign mining company to harm our only known jaguar," said Randy Serraglio, a conservation advocate for the center. "This outrageous decision, which was contradicted by the agencys own scientists, will not withstand judicial scrutiny. Preventable medical harm is not an official cause of death, but it is killing up to 440,000 Americans a year. At that level, medical harm would be the third-leading cause of death in the U.S. But ask any Tucson hospital to give you a list of its fatal medical errors and the answer is no. Try to find any measure of hospital quality, and the results both vary and overwhelm. Search for safety information on local nursing homes and assisted living facilities and whats available is both limited and fragmented between two state agencies and the federal government. In Arizona and most of the U.S., a lack of transparency and mandatory reporting laws put the public at a disadvantage when it comes to assessing preventable errors. While medical malpractice lawsuits may bring accountability in some instances, its increasingly difficult to sue. The cases that are filed are often dropped or settled in confidence, with no details in the public court record about any wrongdoing or who admitted what. We cant study errors in the medical industry the way every other industry does, says JoJene Mills, a Tucsonan and medical malpractice attorney in Arizona for 30 years. Theres an attitude that this industry should not be exposed to sunlight Its shrouded in so much secrecy that we cant study errors and fix them, and the consumers/patients cant make good choices about the hospitals or providers they choose. Local health experts and hospital officials typically recommend that patients check two sources the federal governments Hospital Compare and the twice yearly Hospital Safety scores from The Leapfrog Group. Both measures have been criticized for having old or incomplete data, scores that are not risk adjusted and information that is difficult to decipher. We should all rally around the notion that mistakes should absolutely be disclosed, says Larry Aldrich, former CEO of University Physicians Healthcare in Tucson and now executive chairman of the Employers Health Alliance of Arizona. Transparency will allow people to ask the questions, so you have a better dialogue. What drives me nuts about health care is that all our decisions are made through anecdotes and stories rather than data and statistics. Hospital officials like Dr. Rick Anderson, the chief medical officer for Tucson Medical Center, say serious errors are not the best way for the public to measure hospital safety. Anderson acknowledges theres no one place for consumers to get comprehensive safety information. His recommendation is that people get a good primary care doctor. I am such a strong believer in that strong relationship between a primary care physician or a nurse practitioner and the patient, and really asking those hard questions, says Anderson, who is a primary care doctor. I just cringe at physicians who arent willing to talk and really answer patients questions. Anderson advocates bringing a friend or family member along when a patient is at the hospital. Its sad to say that you need an advocate but things happen in hospitals and you want to make sure you hold nurses and doctors accountable, he says. We need to wash our hands. We need to clean our stethoscopes. We need to protect patients and we should not be afraid to have patients observe and hold us accountable when we dont do that. One bad event TMC reports its most serious preventable medical errors to its board of directors, but the information is not public. It does not report them to any other entity. One bad event would taint the hospital with all the good things that we do well. Sometimes looking at isolated incidents makes great headlines but does not always make it easy for patients (to decide) where to go for medical care, Anderson says. Even the best hospitals in the country have those kind of events. Very few of them report publicly, but the best will make sure they have processes in place to get them fixed. Greg Vigdor, president and chief executive officer of the Arizona Hospital and Healthcare Association, favors the federal governments Hospital Compare tool, which publishes data such as hospital-acquired infections and emergency room wait times. Methodologies should be transparent. Just as important, the information must be presented to patients and consumers in a way that educates rather than confounds or unduly alarms, he says. But in addition to Hospital Compare data, consumers should be trusted to have information on preventable harm, ask questions and put it in context, Aldrich counters. People will die and sometimes it will be unclear whether the illness caused it, Aldrich says, but its important to give consumers the data anyway. Aldrich, who favors Leapfrog as a guide, points out that existing quality measures give Tucson hospitals average to mediocre ratings. In January, three were penalized by Medicare for being among the worst-performing 25 percent nationwide for their rates of patient injuries and infections Banner-University Medical Center Tucson, Carondelet St. Josephs Hospital and Tucson Medical Center. And on Monday, when the nonprofit Leapfrog Group released its newest patient safety scores, no Tucson hospital received an A. An analysis of the Leapfrog grading system by Johns Hopkins Medicines Armstrong Institute for Patient Safety and Quality concluded that an estimated 33,439 lives could be saved each year if all hospitals had the same performance as those that received an A. A nonexistent measure The Affordable Care Act, which passed in 2010, places greater emphasis on patient safety and public reporting, but theres still a long way to go both in Arizona and across the country. The U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services on April 21 had been scheduled to release new overall star ratings for hospitals. The agency already has a star-rating system for hospitals based on patient satisfaction. The new ratings about overall hospital quality take 62 measures of quality and safety and summarize them as one to five stars, with five being the best. But federal officials, who received a letter from 60 members of Congress urging delay, now say theyll release the ratings in July. The letter said the ratings could be misleading because they do not adequately adjust for socioeconomic status and the medical complexity of some hospitals patient populations. Other rankings and grading systems can be helpful but confusing since there are so many, and the ways they measure safety vary. Hospitals may do well on one, yet poorly on another. The truth of the matter is, we and others have been pushing for better measures of safety so we could report something that is more reliable and more comprehensive to the public, says Nancy Foster, vice president of quality and patient safety policy for the American Hospital Association. But for now, that measure doesnt exist, she says. National patient safety advocate Helen Haskell, who founded Mothers Against Medical Error, says hospitals need to take far more responsibility in sharing information about medical harm with the public. The American Hospital Association does many good things, but in this instance I think they act more as a trade organization than an improvement organization, she says. Haskell, a South Carolina resident whose 15-year-old son died after routine elective surgery in 2000, believes its up to Congress to foster change. But the driver for Congress and the White House is public opinion, she says. It takes the voices of patients, advocacy groups and the media to push them to act. Barriers to transparency In Arizona, the Star identified these barriers to transparency and patient safety: Theres no public database of serious medical errors, and hospitals are not required to report such errors to the state. Hospitals conduct a failure analysis after a mistake through processes called peer review and quality assurance. But both are secret from the public and cannot be used in court cases. Medical malpractice lawsuits are difficult to file due to added requirements in Arizona law. They are also expensive, so lawyers are less likely to take on cases that dont have promises of a large payout. Expert physician witnesses can cost as much as $1,000 an hour, for example, local lawyers say. The number of medical malpractice cases in Arizona filed in 2014 was 45 percent lower than in 2004. An Arizona law passed in 2009 makes it more difficult to sue emergency-room physicians. It raised the burden of proof for malpractice from the usual preponderance of evidence to clear and convincing evidence, a higher standard. Confidential settlements, common in medical malpractice lawsuits, prevent the public from knowing important details, including admissions of wrongdoing. How errors are calculated Estimates of fatal medical harm typically come from two reports. The first was the Institute of Medicines To Err is Human: Building a Safer Health System, which was published in 1999 and estimated as many as 98,000 people die in hospitals each year as a result of preventable errors. The estimate was based on records from 1984. The estimate was initially criticized but has since become accepted by experts on all sides of health care. The American Hospital Association still uses the 98,000 number, but many other patient-safety experts cite a 2013 study published in the Journal of Patient Safety. That study was done by now-retired NASA toxicologist John T. James, who founded the Houston-based organization Patient Safety America after his 19-year-old son died in 2002 from what James says was negligent medical care. James estimated 220,000 to 440,000 Americans die prematurely each year because of preventable adverse events initiated while under hospital care. He used data from four studies flagging specific evidence in medical records pointing to adverse events. James categorized five kinds of errors commission, omission, communication, context and diagnostic. A third report from the U.S. Office of Inspector General in 2010 found that medical harm in hospitals contributed to the deaths of an estimated 180,000 Medicare patients per year. Medication errors were the most common cause of harm leading to death, the report found. When you are in the hospital for three days and seeing maybe 150 different people, the chance of error is high. You just hope its not a bad error, says Aldrich, the former Tucson health executive. Most estimates use data from hospitals only. Data on patients harmed in nursing homes and assisted living facilities is lagging behind, though patients and their families are often navigating a maze of providers and moving between the hospital and long-term care. The Office of Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services released a report in 2014 that found 11 percent of Medicare beneficiaries discharged from a hospital to a nursing home experienced temporary harm, and that almost 60 percent of those events were preventable. Many of the adverse events were related to infections. Politics and money Through mergers and acquisitions, hospitals are increasingly part of large, powerful health systems. In New York City, hospitals employ more people than Wall Street, giving them big political muscle, says Betsy McCaughey, the former lieutenant governor of New York and founder of the Connecticut-based Committee to Reduce Infection Deaths. In Arizona, Phoenix-based nonprofit Banner Health is the states largest private employer. The largest employer in New York is not the financial sector, its the health-care industry, McCaughey says. They have enormous clout with the state legislature. Enormous. And if they dont want to tell people something, they are going to make sure it doesnt happen. McCaughey at the moment is angry that New York recently released its rates of the antibiotic-resistant Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE), but did not disclose the hospitals where it occurred. CRE is fatal in 50 percent of cases and federal officials have called it a nightmare bacteria. The hospitals are afraid people will not go to their institutions if they know CRE is there. It spreads widely in hospitals, McCaughey says. The fact is, they are putting their business interests ahead of the welfare of the populace. In Arizona, CRE is not a reportable condition so the state health department does not know how many cases weve had. Its not a federal requirement to report CRE either. The CDC estimates about 99,000 deaths per year occur as a result of healthcare-associated infections at an estimated $20 billion in healthcare costs. Infections are an increasing focus in improving patient safety because they are usually preventable. If you are going into the hospital in Arizona, you really should be able to find out which hospital has the lowest infection rate, McCaughey says. Arizona law does not require reporting of healthcare-associated infections, so the Arizona Department of Health Services does not maintain a public database like some other states, spokeswoman Holly Ward says. And it is difficult to compare hospital rates of various infections because hospitals have different ways of capturing data, says Dr. Sean P. Elliott, director of infection prevention at Banner-University Medical Center Tucson. The data is old that is reported nationally, Elliott says. Our numbers are low for hospital acquired infections. CRE is quite rare. ... It would be difficult to quote a number to the public. It has to come with an explanation of what does this mean. Elliott adds that the hospital is aggressive about infection prevention and shares data every month with its infection prevention committee, though meetings are not open to the public. In the most recent Leapfrog survey, Banner-University Medical Center Tucson and Northwest Medical Center both scored below the national average on their rates of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections. MRSA, which can cause life-threatening bloodstream infections, is often lurking in bed linens or medical equipment, and can spread when providers dont wash their hands between patients. Its difficult to use Leapfrog as a judge of hospital quality, says Joan Ivaska, senior director of infection prevention for Phoenix-based Banner Health. Banner has really aggressive internal targets, much more aggressive than any regulatory body or external agency, Ivaska says. By the time that data is released we are six to 12 months down the road and we have already done a bunch of quality improvement. One of the most common threats in local hospitals and long-term care facilities remains Clostridium difficile, which is known as C. diff. The CDC says C. diff is responsible for about 15,000 deaths per year, and the risk increases with age. C. diff, which causes inflammation of the colon, is a common cause of surgical site infections and a main reason why Tucson Medical Center recently invested in six ultraviolet robots to make sure rooms are clear from the germ, which can live for long periods on hard surfaces. We park them in operating rooms and patient rooms that are either at risk for or had C. diff. The ultraviolet light kills the C. diff spores as well as just about every germ you can think of, Anderson says. Never events Theres different lingo for serious medical errors in the hospital world, but many call them never events incidents that should never happen, like an operating room fire, leaving a surgical instrument inside a patient or operating on the wrong patient. Others refer to such incidents as sentinel events. At least 18 states have reporting requirements on serious and avoidable medical mistakes that happen in hospitals. Arizona is not one of them. But there are problems with those laws, because states definitions of preventable medical errors vary greatly. Also, critics say in states where public disclosure is required, hospitals seem to report an unusually low number of adverse events. Some hospitals have chosen to volunteer information about their errors. Brigham and Womens Hospital in Boston, for example, has started posting errors in a blog, along with ways the hospital learned from the incidents. Anderson of Tucson Medical Center, which is Tucsons largest hospital, says his facility is open to improvement in transparency. But it would be best and more consistent if all local hospitals made changes, such as posting mortality and complication rates and patient experience surveys on their websites, he adds. The power of sorry Tucson Medical Center has a policy that says the hospital must apologize and disclose medical errors to the affected patient. As further encouragement for providers to apologize, Arizona law grants immunity to medical providers who say they are sorry, meaning their apology will never be used as evidence in court. Many health experts say the act of saying Im sorry dissuades patients from suing because an apology is all they really want. Still, patients are not always receiving apologies, according to Mills, the Tucson medical malpractice attorney. Some arent receiving any information at all, she says. I met with a family last week whose mother went into the hospital for flu. She was in her 60s and she died, Mills says. They have yet to speak to the physician about what happened. I get about 30 calls a year where something terrible happened and no one told the patient. ... These are the people who feel like they have no one to call but a lawyer. Medical errors are rarely the fault of one person, stresses Dr. Tejal K. Gandhi, president and chief executive officer of the National Patient Safety Foundation. Saying, We are just going to fire that nurse actually does nothing to address the issue and creates a culture where people are afraid of telling you about problems because they are afraid they are going to get fired, Gandhi says. Weve got this culture of trying to cover up and blame as opposed to a culture where people can openly talk about what the issues are and make changes to the system. To be sure, many hospitals and politicians and even more health care workers are serious about patient safety and trying to foster improvement. The problem is that the system works against them, says Haskell, the patient advocate. There is a lot of money to be made in medicine and especially in its many underlying industries, she says. The system is profit-driven rather than mission-driven, and as long as that is the case, patient safety will never be the top priority. Reporting for this project is supported by a grant from the non-profit The Commonwealth Fund through the Association of Health Care Journalists. Next in our series: Sunday, June 5, barriers to transparent patient safety in nursing homes and assisted living facilities. Ted Cruz is ending his campaign for president, putting Donald Trump on a glide path to claim the Republican Party's nomination. Bernie Sanders won the Democratic presidential primary in Indiana Tuesday. But the spotlight was on Cruz, a conservative firebrand and Texas senator who had tried to cast himself as the only viable alternative to the billionaire businessman Trump. But Cruz dropped out of the race after losing to Trump in Tuesday's Indiana primary. Cruz's campaign placed its hopes on a data-driven effort to turn out conservative evangelical Christians who had opted out of recent presidential elections. Increasingly, he would modify his travel schedule to go where data showed there might be pockets of untapped supporters. "I've said I would continue on as long as there was a viable path to victory; tonight I'm sorry to say it appears that path has been foreclosed," Cruz told a somber crowd in Indianapolis. Cruz campaigned aggressively in Indiana, but could not overcome Trump. The billionaire businessman has stunned the Republican Party with his appeal to voters deeply frustrated with Washington and their own party's leaders. Trump still must win about 200 more delegates to clinch the nomination. But his victory in Indiana where he picked up at least 45 of the state's 57 delegates made it all but impossible for Cruz to block him from doing so. Before Tuesday's results, Cruz had vowed to stay in the race through the final primaries in June, clinging to the possibility that Trump would fall short of the 1,237 delegates he needs and the race would go to a contested convention. Trump now faces pressure to unite a Republican Party that has been roiled by his candidacy. But whether he can accomplish that remains deeply uncertain. Even before the Indiana results were finalized, some conservative leaders were planning a Wednesday meeting to assess the viability of launching a third party candidacy to compete with Trump in the fall. One outside group trying to stop Trump suggested it would shift its attention to helping Republicans in other races. Rory Cooper, a senior adviser to the Never Trump super PAC, said the group will help protect "Republican incumbents and down-ballot candidates, by distinguishing their values and principles from that of Trump, and protecting them from a wave election." Only about half of Indiana's Republican primary voters said they were excited or even optimistic about any of their remaining candidates becoming president, according to exit polls. Still, most said they probably would support whoever won for the GOP. Clinton, too, needs to win over Sanders' enthusiastic supporters. The Vermont senator has cultivated a deeply loyal following in particular among young people, a group Democrats count on in the general election. Sanders has conceded his strategy hinges on persuading superdelegates to back him over the former secretary of state. Superdelegates are Democratic Party insiders who can support the candidate of their choice, regardless of how their states vote. And they favor Clinton by a nearly 18-1 margin. Exit polls showed about 7 in 10 Indiana Democrats said they'd be excited or at least optimistic about either a Clinton or Sanders presidency. Most said they would support either in November. The exit polls were conducted by Edison Research for The Associated Press and television networks. A fall showdown between Clinton and Trump would pit one of Democrats' most experienced political figures against a first-time candidate who is deeply divisive within his own party. Cruz and other Republicans have argued that Trump would be roundly defeated in the general election, denying their party the White House for a third straight term. Trump has now won seven straight primary contests and has 80 percent of the delegates needed to secure the GOP nomination. With his victory in Indiana, Trump now has at least 1,041 delegates. Cruz has 565 and Ohio Gov. John Kasich has 152. Data curated by InsideGov It is a festive atmosphere at the annual donkey festival in the small town of Otumba, Mexico. Help India! By Anusha Chaitanya for TwoCircles.net Support TwoCircles The three-day conference on Caste, Inequality and Economic Growth in South-Asia: Challenges of Tradition and Modernity was organized at Brandeis University from April 29t to May 1, 2016 chaired by professors Rajesh Sampath, Laurence Simon and Sukhadeo Thorat. The conference attracted participation from academics and activists from different parts of India, Sri Lanka and Scotland apart from the US and brought scholarship and perspectives from across disciplines. Prof. Sukhadeo Thorat, who joined via Skype presented the keynote address at the beginning highlighting the dual need of addressing exclusion while also taking up measures for inclusion. In this direction, he mentioned the ongoing attempts to do so, among which has been the setting up of Centres for the Study of Social Exclusion and Inclusive Policy across universities in India. He further highlighted the importance of access to education and employment besides the focus on redistribution of resources such as land. One of the key debates in the conference was around the current Ambedkarite student movements and agitations in higher educational institutions in India that caught public attention triggered by the institutional murder of Dalit PhD Scholar Rohith Vemula in Hyderabad Central University. Prof. Sujatha Surepally pointed out the need for anti-caste discrimination committees on campuses similar to anti-ragging and GSCASH, with proper implementation. These movements were further contextualized as a response to the growth of the Brahminical right while also highlighting the role of the Congress and Left political parties historically in saffronizing education. The role of different ideologies and religion was highlighted by Tanoj Meshram and Pradeep Jayanak to better organize the anti-caste struggle and take it with full force among the youth. They further noted that political parties across the spectrum are currently embracing Dr.Babasaheb Ambedkar but their attempts have been mostly limited to symbolic appropriation rather than substantially engaging with his ideas and vision. Going back further into history, Prof J. Balasubramaniam spoke about Dalit Ambedkarite journals in Colonial Madras to highlight the rise of Dalit political consciousness outside and apart from the nationalist movements during the colonial times, also as a result of education. Prof Anbuselvam raised an important point on the relation between the Panchayat Raj Act and the rise of caste based atrocities in southern districts of India, while also highlighting the importance of Dalit leadership in anti-caste movements. Another important debate that the conference made space for was the comparative study of casteism and racism. Prof. Samuel Myers spoke about the constitutions of India and the US, highlighting the vision of Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar in precisely yet inclusively framing the constitution of India unlike Thomas Jefferson, a slave owner who framed the constitution of the US where the lack of such precision resulted in defeating the purpose of social justice. Raju Kamble from Dr.Ambedkar International Mission spoke in detail about caste discrimination in the UK, US and Canada among the Indian diaspora highlighting the seriousness of the issue thus emphasizing the need to recognize it as a form of racial discrimination. Father Gideon Jebamani spoke about caste discrimination in Churches and Hindu temples in the US since the 1940s when Indian diaspora started entering the US. Pushpa Iyer spoke about the Hardik Patel agitation. She contextualized it showing the reactionary nature of the demand for reservations for Patels, pointing out that Hardik Patels father was a former BJP worker and one of the accused of Gujarat genocide of 2002 Babu Bajrangi is one of Hardik Patels heroes. Arjun Kumar and Vibhor Saxena spoke about the supply side constraints faced by people from Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and minorities in accessing basic amenities such as LPG and schemes for housing and sanitation based on quantitative analysis of census and NSSO data. The last day saw a vibrant debate on Ambedkar and nationalism which then opened discussions on what should be the vision of organizing and taking the anti-caste movement forward. The wide spectrum of perspectives with those closely and passionately engaged with Ambedkarite politics only emphasized the need to continue to have these discussions, thus closing the conference with the announcement of the next conference to be held in 2017 under the theme of the Unfinished Legacy of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar. Help India! By Zaidul Haque, TwoCircles.net Kolkata/Coochbehar: The recent elections in West Bengal has seen thousands of youth vote for the first time, but for one person in the Coochbehar district of West Bengal, the moment has been worth the wait. Asgar Ali is a 106-year-old resident of Mashaldanga village and for the first time after Independence, he will be casting his vote. Support TwoCircles Ali will join 9,776 other residents of this Indo-Bangladesh enclave to vote. There are 51 enclaves in Coochbehar, with Mashaldanga, under the Dinhata Constituency, being one of them. Ali waited 68 years to get Indian citizenship. Ali, along with his family, came to Mashaldabga village from Mymensingh of Bangladesh to assist his father before Independence. However, his mother and brother returned to Bangladesh while Asgar Ali married in the Mashaldanga village and currently has five daughters and two sons. When he received his election card in 2015, it was an emotional moment in his life. I was an eyewitness of Independence, but never got any right since I was a resident of the enclave. There is no electricity even now, but I am happy that at least the residents have a chance to vote for the first time after Independence, he said. Asgar Ali also added that only when he sees electricity in his village, will he believe that they have achieved Independence. On May 5, Ali and Mashaldanga will vote along with 50 other enclaves to decide the fate of six Assembly constituencies: Mekhliganj, Shitalkuchi, Dinhata, Natabari, Sitai and Tufanganj. Help India! By Shafeeq Hudawi, TwoCircles.net Kozhikode: Over the past few days, images of hundreds of youngsters and activists protesting across Kerala demanding justice for Jisha have painted an apt picture of the continuing failure of police and the government in ensuring security for the women folk in the country. On Wednesday, amid the protests, reports revealed how dirty politics of the ruling front denied justice to 30-year-old dalit woman Jisha, who was murdered in Perumbavoor on April 28. Support TwoCircles According to Malayalam daily Deshabhimanis report, the police was asked to conceal the cruelty which led to the death of the Dalit woman, as the state government was scared of the backlash in the assembly polls due to the public fury. The primary findings by the police suggested that she was brutally raped before being killed. The post-mortem revealed that her internal organs were also severely damaged. But the police was asked to lessen the seriousness of the killing, the report said. The post-mortem had found more than 30 injuries on her body. According to the report, the forensic experts visited the victims house only three days after the incident. The weapon, with which she was attacked, was recovered from the house premises only after three days. This deliberate delay led to the loss of several crucial evidences, the report said. The law student was living with her mother Rajeswari at a one-room residence on a plot of land, which was lying abandoned. The victim was alone as Rajeswari had gone out. She was found in a pool of blood while her mother returned home at 8 30 PM on April 28. Quoting the official sources, media reports say that the complaint issued by Jisha and Rajeswari against local anti social elements, who used to harass the duo, was ignored by the police. The police was least concerned of the complaint as the duo was alone and was keeping no relation with the relatives, the reports said. After the incident, the state has seen several protests and with elections around the corner, the government woke up to the incident only on on May 3. Kerala CM Oommen Chandy on Tuesday broke his silence and told media persons that stringent action would be taken against the culprits. The investigation was handed over to Central Zone IG. Meanwhile, Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala was not allowed by the furious mob to visit the house of Jisha. The minister had to leave the scene after he arrived at Perumbavoor owing to the stiff protests. The police claim that it has been conducting combing investigations and have taken seven persons, including Jishas two neighbours, into custody in relation with the case. But no one was confirmed to be the accused in the case. ADGP K Padmakumar, while briefing the media on Tuesday said that the police couldnt confirm who the real culprits were. One suspect who was taken to the custody by the police from Kannur denied charges by the police while he was presented before the court on Wednesday. The Director of the International Committee of the Red Cross (Red Cross Int.), stated via Twitter last night, that everything that could possibly be done to bring three abducted workers in the Congo (DRC) safely back home, is being done. According to Bloomberg News, it is suspected that an armed militant group who operate out of the Eastern Congo and are of Rwandan origin may be responsible for the abductions. A bad bunch of bandits. Justin Mukanya, who works for the administration of the North Kivu region, was quoted as saying that he suspects the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda, (DFLR), might be responsible for the kidnapping. If this is correct, the poor workers are in the hands of a bad bunch of armed bandits. According to an investigative article published by the International Business Times, the DFLR is one of over fifty armed groups. There are dozens of them out there, but the DFLR has a sinister reputation. They are extremely abusive and arose out of the horrific 1994 genocides in Rwanda. They now base in neighboring Congo and are determined to take back power in Kigali. Mayhem, murder and war crimes. They have wreaked mayhem and murder in the DRC, and their crimes range from ethnic killings to multiple rapes and forced abduction of children into their movement. They have been involved in attacks on Congolese army troops and their 2009 attack on Busurungi was so horrendous that the UN issued a statement saying that it probably would qualify as a War crime. These are ruthless killers. People snatched for ransom. There has been an increase in the numbers of civilians being snatched by the group, especially in the areas north of Kivu. Human Rights Watch (HRW) reported that there are armed groups who snatch people for ransom. In 2015, a total of four hostages were killed either during the kidnap attempts or following non-payment of ransom. The majority of hostages were released after payment, but they underwent some dreadful tortures whilst in custody. Torture and abasement. Ida Sawyer of the HRW mentions that beatings, rape, burning and abusive aggression are part of the lives of hostages. In one instance a kidnapped student from a medical hospital said they were told that if they were hungry they should eat a man that the rebels had just murdered. Calls for a special unit. In 2015, the HRW made anurgent plea to the Congolese authorities, to create a special unit to deal with investigating hostage cases, prosecution of those responsible and the presentation of evidence that will bring about meaningful sentencing for their crimes. The situation is very grave in the Eastern Congo, so it has to be asked just how effective a unit like this will be? The travesty of the Congo lies in the fact that decades of Conflict have devastated what should be the jewel of Africa. Tokai Pharmaceuticals Inc., a biopharmaceutical company focused on developing and commercializing innovative therapies for prostate cancer and other hormonally driven diseases, announced an oral presentation on galeterone at the 2016 American Urological Association (AUA) Annual Meeting in San Diego. Galeterone, Tokais lead product candidate, is being developed for the treatment of men with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer. The presentation, titled Galeterone shows anti-tumor activity in multiple pre-clinical models that express androgen receptor splice variants, supporting correlative patient data seen in ARMOR2 (abstract number PD32-07), will be presented on Sunday, May 8, from 4:30 - 4:40 p.m. PDT in room 30DE, as part of the session, Prostate Cancer: Advanced (including Drug Therapy) III. The presenting author is Vincent C.O. Njar, Ph.D., Professor of Medicinal Chemistry and Pharmacology, Department of Pharmacology; Head of the Medicinal Chemistry Section, Center for Biomolecular Therapeutics; and Member of the Marlene and Stewart Greenebaum Cancer Center at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore. Dr. Njar is a co-inventor of galeterone. About Galeterone Galeterone is an oral small molecule that utilizes the established pathways, including CYP17 enzyme and androgen receptor inhibition, of the current second-generation hormonal therapies abiraterone and enzalutamide. Galeterone also introduces a distinct third mechanism androgen receptor degradation that decreases the sensitivity of androgen receptors to androgen activity, thus leading to reductions in tumor growth. Tokai is developing galeterone for the treatment of patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC). ARMOR3-SV, the companys pivotal Phase 3 study of galeterone in treatment-naive mCRPC patients whose prostate tumors express the AR-V7 splice variant, is evaluating whether administration of galeterone results in a statistically significant increase in radiographic progression-free survival as compared to enzalutamide. Tokai is also evaluating galeterone in mCRPC patients who have shown resistance following treatment with second-generation hormonal agents. Tokai has worldwide development and commercialization rights to galeterone. Ride-hailing app drivers probed on safety issues Updated: 2016-03-31 08:05 By Qiu Quanlin in Shenzhen(China Daily) A Chinese mobile phone user looks at icons of ride-hailing apps on his smartphone in Guangzhou city, South China's Guangdong province, April 9, 2015. Transportation authorities in Shenzhen, Guangdong province, will shut down online ride-hailing services for hundreds of independent drivers after they were found to have had previous "illegal behaviors". According to the Shenzhen Transportation Commission, 1,425 drivers were found to have taken drugs and another 1,661 had "serious" criminal records before they worked with online ride-hailing companies. "Such previous illegal behavior poses a threat to passenger safety," said Yu Li, an official with the commission. The commission, together with public security and traffic security and Internet supervision authorities, summoned five local online car-hailing service providers on Tuesday, asking them to run their businesses in accordance with laws and regulations. According to the commission, some drivers had mental illnesses and some did not have driver's licenses. "We will close the car-hailing operations for these drivers with previous illegal activities to protect passengers' rights and safety," said Yu. Moreover, a growing number of online car-hailing vehicles have been found to have violated traffic rules, with more than 756,000 such cases discovered in Shenzhen last year, according to the commission. The commission will also stop car-hailing services for more than 300,000 private vehicles, which are operating without Shenzhen license plates. The latest move was part of efforts by the local government to regulate the booming mobile ride-hailing services. The popular car-hailing services have triggered anger from local taxi drivers, who asked the local government to protect their rights. In January, taxi drivers in Shenzhen began a strike to protest the online ride-hailing services, with some expressing anger that car-hailing applications had allowed independent drivers to steal their work and livelihoods without those drivers having to pay commission fees. In response, the local transportation authority said taxi reform is on the agenda, and it called on taxi companies to reduce commission fees, which have long been charged to drivers. China's online car-hailing sector has seen a rapid growth since last year, with companies that provide the service pledging to expand their businesses in the country. Early this month, several ministries vowed to support the popular services as part of the country's drive to encourage green consumption, sending a positive signal that ride-sharing operators in China will gain legitimacy and see further growth in the years ahead. Direct flight links western China, Middle East Updated: 2016-05-04 07:56 By Du Juna and Wang Huazhong(China Daily) Dancers at Yinchuan Hedong Airport in the Ningxia Hui autonomous region welcome a Boeing 777 from the Middle East on Tuesday, when Emirates Airline launched its first direct flight between Dubai and Yinchuan, capital of Ningxia. [Photo/China Daily] Clad in traditional clothing and holding the sweet tea that local Hui people serve guests, a group of dancers welcomed a Boeing 777 from the Middle East to Northwestern China on Tuesday. Yinchuan, capital of the Ningxia Hui autonomous region and home of one of China's largest Muslim communities in the landlocked region, has eagerly awaited the landing of the first-ever Emirates flight. The Dubai-to-Yinchuan flight is scheduled for every Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday. "Ningxia is joining hands with Emirates Airline to launch China's westernmost logistics center on the Silk Road to develop itself into a strategic highland in the country's westward opening-up and a strategic transit point on the Silk Road Economic Belt,"said Li Jianhua, Ningxia's top official, at the opening ceremony. He said China and Arab countries have great potential for cooperation in trade, finance, tourism and real estate, and this flight serves as a good start. Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, chairman and chief executive of the airline and Emirates Group, said the route provides fast and convenient connections to Middle Eastern, African and European destinations via Dubai. "We are confident that this air link will also help boost the flow of trade and tourism to growing central and western parts of China," he said. After landing at Yinchuan Hedong Airport, the flight will continue farther east to Zhengzhou, capital of Henan province, before returning. The Dubai-based carrier already flies to Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou. New routes have been scheduled to make seamless connections to destinations in the Middle East, Europe and Africa, helping local Chinese to travel to most cities in the world, via Dubai. The new flight is the latest fact or boosting Ningxia's positioning of itself as a gateway from China to the Arab world and a strategic point in the Belt and Road Initiative. 'Substantial efforts' by Tokyo urged to lift ties Updated: 2016-05-04 04:39 By CAI HONG in Tokyo and ZHANG YUNBI in Beijing(China Daily) In the wake of his visit to China over the weekend, Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida is apparently moving to lobby Southeast Asian countries to contain China on the South China Sea issue, experts said. Kishida left Beijing on Sunday and began visiting Thailand, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam through Friday. In a policy speech delivered in Bangkok on Monday, Ki- shida addressed maritime security and renewed a call for countries to respect the "rule of law". He gave a briefing on the statement of the G7 foreign ministers' meeting in Hiroshima last month regarding the maritime issue. Additionally, Japan's Fuji Television said that, because attitudes differ among ASEAN countries toward China's maritime presence, Kishida emphasized that "it is important for ASEAN to demonstrate uniformity". He made the remark on Monday while meeting with Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha. Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei said on Tuesday that China-Japan ties are "still vulnerable and complicated", and China hopes Japan will "make substantial efforts" to improve the relations. The ministry did not respond to Kishida's comment about the ASEAN countries and the South China Sea. Zhong Feiteng, an expert on Asia-Pacific affairs at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said Tokyo likely will continue stirring tension in the South China Sea, since it will host the G7 leaders' summit later this month. "Against such a background, the Southeast Asian countries traditionally friendly with China and economically connected with Japan will feel Japan's high pressure to take sides on sensitive issues. They don't want to offend either side," Zhong said. Kishida's high profile on maritime issues "showcases Tokyo's impulse to seek greater development of its defense capabilities after the country adopted radical new security bills," Zhong added. Contact the writer at zhangyunbi@chinadaily.com.cn Beijing and Vientiane pledge 'unbreakable' joint efforts Updated: 2016-05-04 08:01 By Li Xiaokun And Wang Qingyun(China Daily USA) China and Laos pledged on Tuesday to build an "unbreakable" community of joint destiny. The promise was made during the first visit to China by the Southeast Asian country's new president, two weeks after his inauguration. The visit also comes 10 days after Laos said it understands China's stance on the South China Sea issue. "Your visit to China, soon after you assumed office as to pleader...fully reflects the high importance the Laotian Party, government and yourself attach to bilateral ties,"President Xi Jinping told Laotian President Bounnhang Vorachith. He was elected as president on April 20 and is also general secretary of the Central Committee of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party. Xi said good relations between the two countries have endured for the past 55 years. Beijing expects to work with the new Laotian leadership to "forge an unbreakable community of joint destiny", he said. Xi said both countries should align China's Belt and Road Initiative with the Laotian strategy of turning the land locked nation into a land-linked one. China fully supports the work performed by Laos as the rotating president of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations this year, Xia dded. Bounnhang Vorachith thanked Xi for his congratulatory letters and for sending a special envoy to Laos after he was elected general-secretary in January. "It was a huge encouragement and support to the Laotian Party and myself," he said. The two leaders witnessed the signing of 10 cooperation documents, including Chinese loans for key infrastructure projects in Laos. Wang Yuzhu, who researches Southeast Asia at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said:"It is natural for the new Laotian president to visit China right after assuming office. China is a very important country, maybe the most important one, in Laotian diplomacy." During a visit to Laos by Foreign Minister Wang Yi on April 23, Beijing and Vientiane reached consensus that disputes over some of the Nansha Islands and reefs are not an issue between China and ASEAN, and should not affect the development of these relations. A ruling by an international arbitration body in a process launched unilaterally by the Philippines challenging China's territorial sovereignty in the South China Sea is expected within weeks. China has said repeatedly it will neither accept nor take part in the process. Contactthewritersatlixiaokun@chinadaily.com.cn (China Daily USA 05/04/2016 page3) Water. Leonardo da Vinci called it "the elixir of life". Yet worldwide, at least a billion people live with no nearby source, according to the World Health Organization, and of the remaining 6 billion people, only 42 percent have either running water in their homes or at least a tap in their yard. A new study from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) suggests that things could get even more stressed out in parts of Asia by 2050. It's a perfect storm of the mixed blessings of economic and population growth in tandem with climate change that modeling says could lead to serious water shortages across a broad swath of Asia. The study grinded out what researchers think is a full range of possible what-if's of water availability and use down the road. Their conclusion: There's a "high risk of severe water stress" in a large part of an area that about half of humanity calls home. Based on their numbers, a billion more people could be "water stressed" in the next 35 years compared to today. "It's not just a climate change issue," said senior research scientist Adam Schlosser, deputy director at MIT's Joint Program on the Science and Policy of Global Change and a co-author of the study. "We simply cannot ignore that economic and population growth in society can have a very strong influence on our demand for resources and how we manage them. And climate, on top of that, can lead to substantial magnifications to those stresses," he said. The paper, Projections of Water Stress Based on an Ensemble of Socioeconomic Growth and Climate Change Scenarios: A Case Study in Asia, was published last month in the journal PLOS One. To build their study, the team used a tool previously developed at MIT called the Integrated Global Systems Model (IGSM) that takes advantage of high-powered computer muscle to take into account layers of parameters like the probability of projected population growth, economic growth, climate changes, and carbon emissions from human activity. It also takes into account the wonderfully phrased "cascading uncertainties", which we all know the real world is full of. Into this crucible they fed the available data on water use for the large portion of Asia that encompasses China, India and many of Mainland Southeast Asia's smaller nations. With the program booted up, they then asked about a range of different scenarios. In the Just Growth run through, they held climate conditions constant and watched how just the effects of economic and population growth would affect water supply. In the Just Climate script, they held growth constant and sized up climate-change effects alone. And in the Climate and Growth set-up, they could see the effects of all three. Schlosser explained that this approach gives us the "unique ability to tease out the human and environmental" factors leading to water shortages and to assess their relative significance. "For China, it looks like industrial growth [has the greatest impact] as people get wealthier," said lead author Charles Fant, a researcher at the Joint Program. "In India, population growth has a huge effect. It varies by region." The study shows that evaluating the future of any area's water supply is not as simple as adding the effects of economic growth and climate change, as much depends on the networked water supply into and out of that area. As Schlosser put it: "What happens upstream affects downstream basins." If climate change lowers the amount of rainfall near upstream basins while the population grows everywhere, then basins farther away from the initial water shortage would be affected more acutely. The authors say their study "results do not necessarily imply an insurmountable future for this region" and stress the need for more research, which they are already working on. But it drives home the findings of an earlier MIT study in Morocco looking into how much access to clean water really means to people. Nearly 70 percent of those questioned said they would take out loans and pay double what they paid for water every month to have clean water pumped into their homes. We don't have to go any further than Flint, Michigan to back that up. Contact the writer at chrisdavis@chinadailyusa.com. Delaware looking for China bank Updated: 2016-05-04 10:55 By Paul Welitzkin in New York(China Daily USA) Governor preens state as ideal package of services and laws for more investment Delaware is home to numerous incorporated Chinese businesses along with half the Fortune 500 companies, and Governor Jack Markell is looking to make it the base for a Chinese bank or financial services titan. "I believe that when Chinese banks and other companies look at the complete picture - a simplified incorporation process, a responsive bureaucracy and legal system, they will see that Delaware is ideal for their business," he said. Markell made his comments on Monday at Fordham University in a forum sponsored by the Chinese Business Lawyers Association. "Delaware's advantages include our judiciary, legal system and regulatory approach," said Markell. He cited the state's general corporation law " as one of the most advanced and flexible corporation statutes in the nation". Markell also praised the state's courts and, in particular, Delaware's corporations court, or Court of Chancery. "Our judiciary is fair and is willing to become an active participant in resolving disputes," he said. Markell said the state's regulatory system is not burdensome. "Not all regulations are good and not all are bad," he said. Markell said that about 80 percent of the wealth that will be created in the world over the next few years will occur outside of the US - "mainly in China". "I am convinced that our kids will have to learn to do business in another language besides English from here on out," he said. "That's why we have established a language immersion program that now has 2,300 students." Elementary school students spend half their day receiving instruction in English and the other half in either Mandarin or Spanish. Markell said the program will give Delaware students a competitive edge in a globalizing business world. Last year, he signed an agreement with Wanxiang Group, China's largest auto-parts manufacturer and the owner of a once-bustling General Motors plant near Newport, Delaware, for students to study at the company's facility in Hangzhou, East China's Zhejiang province, where they take daily language classes, visit local schools, participate in cultural activities, and tour sites of science and technology companies. Wanxiang provided a grant of about $450,000 for the study abroad sessions in 2015 and 2016, with up to 24 students and four teachers participating each year. Markell noted that the state has hosted five trade delegations from China in the last year, and he said that the state's largest college can be an effective tool in recruiting Chinese businesses. "We have over 1,000 Chinese students at the University of Delaware. They can help spread the word," he said. Companies incorporating in Delaware began more than 100 years ago when then New Jersey governor Woodrow Wilson, who later became US president, opposed the business-holding company structure for his state. Delaware took advantage and hasn't looked back since. Markell said he is proud of the financial services sector in his state's economy, noting that JPMorgan Chase, Capital One and Barclays are among financial companies in Delaware. paulwelitzkin@chinadailyusa.com S. Korean president says securing co-op with Iran for denuclearized peninsula Updated: 2016-05-04 16:05 (Xinhua) SEOUL - The Republic of Korea's President Park Geun-hye said her landmark visit to Iran was an opportunity to secure a room for cooperation with the Persian country in denuclearizing the Korean peninsula, local media reported on Wednesday. Park made a three-day visit to Iran from Sunday to hold a summit with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani. She became the first president of the ROK to visit the Middle East country since Seoul and Tehran set up diplomatic ties in 1962. "This visit's meaning would be the securing of a room for cooperation with Iran on the Korean Peninsula denuclearization issue," Park said during a meeting with press corps on the flight from Tehran to Seoul on Tuesday (Iran time). Park said it was very rare and meaningful for Iran to clearly and publicly express its position about the peninsula's denuclearization issue in consideration of the very amicable relations that Iran traditionally had with the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK). Rouhani expressed his country's opposition to nuclear development on the Korean peninsula during a joint press conference on Monday after a summit meeting with Park. Park noted that President Rouhani strongly voiced his opposition to any nuclear development and publicly expressed his support for peaceful reunification on the peninsula, saying he repeatedly stressed his opposition to any security instabilities on the peninsula. Please turn JavaScript on and reload the page. Loading... Checking your browser before accessing the website. This process is automatic. Your browser will redirect to your requested content shortly. Please wait a few seconds. Hanoi, May 3 (VNA) Experts have proposed the construction of five to seven dams along the Hong (Red) River to raise the water level, thus serving agricultural production and water transport without affecting flood drainage. Tran Dinh Hoa, Deputy Director of the Vietnam Academy for Water Resources, said many studies on ways to prevent droughts in the Red River basin have been conducted, but the dam proposal might be the best solution. It was sent to the Government for approval. The Vietnam Academy for Water Resources was authorised to implement the study. Hoa, who is leading the research, said many sections of the Red River that cross Hanoi have run dry over the past 10 years. The amount of alluvium in the river has declined substantially. The over-exploitation of sand would not only affect waterway transport, but it also polluted the environment, Hoa said. In addition, hydro-agricultural projects dont have enough water for irrigation. To cope with the situation, every year, when the dry season comes, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development asks the Ministry of Industry and Trade and Electricity of Vietnam to discharge water for agricultural production. It is estimated that up to 5 billion cubic metres of water have been discharged every year for this purpose. However, only 20 percent of that water is used by the irrigation system, while the remaining water flows into the sea. Worse still, after the discharge, the Red River ran dry again. Its a big waste. Hydropower plants can store water to produce more electricity instead of releasing the water, Hoa said. Pham Hong Giang, Chairman of the Vietnam National Committee on Large Dams and Water Resource Development, said the depletion of the Red Rivers downstream waters during the dry season is a serious issue. Therefore, it is necessary to build Weil dams (water storage dams) to increase the water level in the Red River downstream from Viet Tri City to the seas mouth, he said. These dams will have height restrictions and water can still flow through when needed. However, Giang said, the number of dams and their locations should carefully take into account economic, population, landscape and environmental factors. The dams are useful in regulating the water level during the dry season, but do not affect the water current like hydropower plants do, Hoa said. Initially, the research group suggested building two dams downstream of Long Tuu Sluice on the Duong River and Xuan Quan Sluice on Bac Hung Hai River. The two dams would help the agricultural sector take enough water for big hydro-agricultural infrastructure like Bac Hung Hai and Nhue River. Professor Ha Van Khoi, an expert from Water Resources University, said that despite the differing opinions on the study, it was a necessary project. Dao Trong Tu, another expert, said building dams on the Red River was not a good solution. Some countries have built dams to control the water flow, but it should be considered carefully, Tu said. The research will end in 2018, but this year, the team will indicate the locations of the works as well as suggest solutions, Hoa said, adding that the research group would organise seminars and collect comments from experts and localities to utilise water resources and respond to climate change. VNA/VNP Many real estate firms reported higher revenue and profits in 2015 and the first quarter 2016. File Photo Viet Nam News -HA NOI While many real estate firms reported higher revenue and profits in 2015 and the first quarter, their share prices rose slowly or not at all in the local market. According to the Real Estate Association of Viet Nam (VNREA), the liquidity of real estate firms at the end of March reached its highest in four years. Vietstock.vn data also showed that realty firms recorded VN61.7 trillion (US$2.8 billion) in revenue, an increase of 25 per cent over 2014, and a net income of about VN6.8 trillion, an increase of 12 per cent. However, of the more than 50 stocks of real estate firms, less than 30 per cent saw growth in their prices within four months. Hoang Quan Group recorded profits that were 21 times higher than in 2015 thanks to the handover of HQC Plaza and HQC Hoc Mon, and about VN200 billion in funds from share transfers. Truong Anh Tuan, chairman and CEO of HQC, said first quarter results were very positive, and estimated that revenue hit VN350 billion and profits reached 50 billion, up 40 per cent and 66 per cent, respectively, compared with the same period of 2015. However, in the stock market, HQC shares have not seen any growth in prices since the beginning of the year, when shares traded at about VN5,600 each. Similar to HQC, realty FLC Group was considered one of the most well-performing firms with little debt and a series of big projects all over the country, but FLC shares were traded at VN7,000 for a long time on the HCM Stock Exchange. Sacomreal also reported a profit of VN176.5 billion in 2015, over six times higher than in 2014 thanks to the selling of the Celadon City project. But its shares traded at only VN9,000 each for the whole quarter. Even worse, with a huge debt reported in 2015, HAG shares of the Hoang Anh Gia Lai Group fell to the lowest level in history at VN6,900 on April 15. It was a 70 per cent decrease from the same term last year. By the end of 2015, the group owed a debt of over VN27 trillion, an increase of 50 per cent over 2014. Likewise, shares of Quoc Cuong Gia Lai JSC (QCG) fell to VN4,800 in April, as the firm was suffering from a large inventory worth VN5.4 trillion, accounting for more than 90 per cent of its short-term assets and liabilities of over VN1.8 trillion. Huynh Anh Tuan, General Director of Securities Corporation, said the investors changed a lot. Now, they fear the listed firms that issue more shares for dividends. Instead, they wanted fresh cash dividends. Most securities experts said investors tend to prefer basic investment in firms with stable profits as opposed to temporary investment in firms with upside-down profits. Funds see chances While shares of many realty firms were unable to grow well, some firms saw shares bounce back as their businesses and profits improved over the last two years. Currently, Khang ien House Investment and Trading (KDH) shares were traded at about VN23,500. Shares of Binh Chanh Investment Construction JSC (BCI) and Dream House Investment JSC (DRH) were traded around VN24,300 and VN34,000 each, respectively. Andy Ho, Managing Director of VinaCapital, told local media that realty shares had good growth potential, and thus the VOF fund, managed by VinaCapital, would focus on shares of reputable firms. As of the latest report on April 13, the fund has 7 per cent in Khang ien House. In mid-March, the Dragon Capital investment fund purchased a total of 8.2 million shares, or 7 per cent of stakes, of the at Xanh Group, in addition to 3.5 million shares, or 18 per cent of stakes, of Khang ien House. VNS Viet Nam's World Trade Organisation commitments on opening up the education sector have, in fact, created opportunities for foreign investors. File Photo Viet Nam News Education is an attractive sector for foreign investors. However, investors should be aware of the opportunities and the challenges in investing in the sector. The education sector is being facilitated Viet Nams World Trade Organisation commitments on opening up the education sector have, in fact, created opportunities for foreign investors. With Viet Nam in desperate need of an international-standard learning environment, the education business may lead to significant profitability for the investors. When establishing educational institutions, foreign investors and enterprises do not, in all cases, have to build and complete the construction of the facility before starting operations. For educational institutions that are registering to operate for less than 20 years, it is not necessary for foreign investors to build separate facilities; instead, they can rent schools, classes, workshops and other areas that are suitable and stable for at least five years. For those that are registering to operate for 20 years or more, the construction of new facilities is mandatory. In the initial period of up to five years, these facilities must have a lease contract or an agreement, in principle, to provide necessary and stable facilities for training and teaching and to ensure investment for the construction of such facilities is in accordance with the progress of the project. Foreign investors can also open their branches in the same province or city as the main educational institutions or in other provinces and cities. Legal issues to be noted 1. The scope and form of foreign investment in education According to the schedule of commitments with the WTO, for the education sector, Viet Nam has only committed to the fields of engineering, natural sciences, technology and business administration, as well as business science, economics, accounting, international law and language training. However, for the aforementioned fields, which belong to the higher education and adult education sectors, the training programs must be approved by the Ministry of Education and Training of Viet Nam. With respect to general education services, which includes elementary schools, secondary schools, high schools and pre-schools, Viet Nam has not yet committed to opening the sector to foreign investors. Institutions operated by foreign investors that provide general education are meant for foreign students and a fixed number of Vietnamese students only. Pre-schools can only enroll foreign students, not Vietnamese children. Foreign investors are permitted to establish educational institutions in two forms: wholly foreign-owned educational institutions or joint venture educational institutions. 2. Restrictions foreign investors will encounter in establishing educational institutions Foreign investors must perform the necessary procedures to obtain three types of licences: 1. Investment Registration Certificates 2. Decision permitting the establishment of educational institutions 3. Licence for educational activities. Please note the Decision permitting the establishment of educational institutions will be revoked if the educational institutions have not qualified for the Licence for educational activities within 36 months for higher education and vocational institutions (excluding vocational training centres) and 24 months for other educational institutions. The percentage of Vietnamese students studying at educational institutions offering foreign educational programs and a foreign diploma cannot exceed 10 per cent for primary and secondary schools and must be 20 per cent or less for high schools. This provision will create difficulties for the schools when the number of Vietnamese students demanding admission exceeds the established quota. As stipulated in Decree 73, the percentage of lecturers with a doctoral degree from colleges and universities with foreign investment must be at least 25 per cent and 35 per cent, respectively. For colleges and universities that do not have foreign investment, the percentage of lecturers with a doctoral degree has not yet been unfixed, so it can be expanded to meet the requirements of the schools. PLF Law Firm Viet Nam News HCM CITY The Property Report Congress Viet Nam 2016, the countrys most exclusive real estate conference where Asian real estate leaders meet, will be held in HCM City on June 10. The event will feature keynote addresses and panel discussions on burning issues facing the countrys property market, such as infrastructure development, green building and the rise of secondary cities. At least 25 speakers from Asian markets are expected at the one-day event. Delegates will have a chance to learn from industry leaders who are redefining the property landscape, and, together with likeminded professionals, find solutions to these issues. They will also have a chance to meet and mingle with the biggest names in Indonesian real estate, including winners and judges of the Indonesia Property Awards, and engage in a meaningful and informative discussion with them. VNS HA NOI - French artists of the Compagnie par Terre dance group will perform in HCM City today and in Ha Noi on Friday, as part of their Asian tour. The artists will perform a dance choreographed by well-known Vietnamese-French hip-hop dancer Anne Nguyen, who has won the Battle of the Year several times. During the dance, for 50 minutes, four dancers engage in a frantic ritual, alternating between forward-facing dance moves and free digression. They transform their respective dance specialities of breakdance, popping and waacking into an abstract vocabulary, establishing their powerful individuality on stage and thrusting themselves into the assigned space in pursuit of territory, alliances and hierarchy. The front of the stage is the rallying point where the dancers come together and devise a warrior dance directed at the audience. The inner workings of this restless tribe, with all the power struggles that ensue and the search for possible points of harmony, thus unfold on stage to the pulsating, unbridled rhythms of the percussive organic beat. Nguyen founded the Compagnie par Terre dance group in 2005. Drawing on her experience as a specialist in breakdance and hip-hop battles, a dancer in many hip-hop and contemporary dance companies and a writer of poetry and prose on dance, she created the dance company to highlight the principles and energy of hip-hop dance in shows that focused on universal symbols. Influenced by her scientific background, Nguyen deconstructs the various hip-hop moves and opens up new areas of expression by setting geometrical constraints. In an extension of her practice of martial arts, she develops choreographic principles that bring hip-hop dancers into contact within their own dance forms. Based on the combination of a technical, high-energy dance form with highly graphic, pure, destructured choreographic compositions, Nguyens productions convey a feeling of abstraction and challenge the place of the human being in the contemporary world. The dancers will perform in HCM City at the Ben Thanh Theatre and in Ha Noi at the Youth Theatre, 11 Ngo Thi Nham Street. Tickets are available at lEspace, 24 Trang Tien Street, Ha Noi. VNS For the celebration of the 225th anniversary of the first Polish Constitution yesterday, Viet Nam News presents an article written by Polish Ambassador to Viet Nam Barbara Szymanowska. May 3 is an important day for all Poles. On this day Poland celebrates the anniversary of enacting the constitution in Poland and across Europe in 1791. 2016 is also a special historic date because Poland celebrates 1050 years since it became a state and 66 years of diplomatic relations with Viet Nam. Year 996 is considered the year of the birth of Poland. 1050 years ago, Polish ruler Mieszko united Slovian tribes and baptised the country. The introduction of Christianity to Poland is symbolically linked to the founding of the Polish state, and is also the first firm date in the history of Poland. Mieszkos son Bolesaw Chrobry completed the process of forming the country by conquering a considerable amount of territory. He was rewarded for his efforts with the throne and became the first legitimate king in Polands history. Poland became a kingdom in 1025. The royal line of Mieszko ruled Poland until the end of the 14th century, when they died out. This forced Poland to look for their new king elsewhere. The Polish queen Jadwiga married the Grand Duke of Lithuania, thereby giving rise to a long-lasting union between the two nations. The alliance eventually evolved into the creation of one country: the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. In the mid-17th century, this huge political organism started to weaken. Neighbouring countries policy of using internal conflicts to maintain domestic disorder resulted in Polands existence being seriously endangered. The only way out was fundamental reform. The very last attempt to carry them out was to adopt the Constitution on May 3 in 1791. It was the first constitution in Europe and second in the world after the US. However, this important act did not save Polands independence. A few years later Poland vanished from the map for 123 years. The country regained independence on November 11, 1918 after World War I. History plays an important role in Poland, but the country lives for the future and conducts pragmatic foreign policy focused on peace and stability, as well as providing an environment for economic prosperity. The Polish economy has been blooming and expanding to become the 23rd largest economy in the world. Poland, located in the very centre of Europe is the biggest trade partner of Viet Nam in that region. Poland has unique experience of successful economy transition from central-planned to market and is keen to share it with Viet Nam. In 25 years Poland moved from being a middle-income country based on cheap labour to an economy based on knowledge more than 90 per cent of adult Poles graduated from high school (the average of OECD is 75 per cent). Education has a great impact on economy. In Bloombergs Global Innovation Index 2015 Poland was ranked 25th in the world. Poland tries to share good experiences with Viet Nam in 2015 more than 35 students from Viet Nam went to Poland for different Polish scholarships. Poland has been working together with Vietnamese universities on exchange programmes in the framework of the EU-financed programmed Erasmus+. In the terms of economy, Polish GDP rose 3.6 per cent in 2015 and was among the highest in the EU. The countrys trade volume with Viet Nam grew 17 per cent last year. Polish culture is also expanding in Viet Nam. Sharing literature and music between the two nations provides a good environment for connectivity and people-to-people relations. Proof of such relations is the large Vietnamese community in Poland more than 40,000 Vietnamese are living and working in Poland, contributing to the development of the country. This shows that relations between Poland and Viet Nam have a bright future. VNS Prime Minister of the State of Kuwait Sheikh Jaber Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah. Photo kuwaittimes.net Viet Nam News -HA NOI Prime Minister of the State of Kuwait Sheikh Jaber Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah will pay an official visit to Viet Nam from May 5-7. The visit will be made at the invitation of Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc. This year marks an important milestone in the relationship between Viet Nam and Kuwait as the two nations are celebrating 40 years of their diplomatic ties. In 1976, right after the reunification of Viet Nam, Kuwait was among the first countries to establish diplomatic ties with Viet Nam and thirty years later, it was the very first state among the GCC countries to open its embassy in Ha Noi and its consulate general in HCM City in 2007. Since then, the relationship has been promoted strongly between the two governments and peoples on the basis of mutual respect. VNS NINH THUAN The number of dengue fever cases has soared in the southern province of Ninh Thuan and HCM City, although the disease often peaks in the rainy season. Nguyen Nhi Linh, director of Ninh Thuan Provinces Preventive Health Centre, said it was not yet an epidemic, but 287 dengue fever cases had been recorded since the beginning of this year, compared with just 10 cases reported in the same period last year. Phan Rang-Thap Cham City had the highest number with over 100 cases, followed by Ninh Phuoc, Ninh Son and Ninh Hai districts. Health officials blamed the rise in infections on relaxed prevention efforts. Inspections conducted at some localities in the province have found that up to 46 per cent of households have water containers with plenty of mosquito larvae. This is a convenient environment for mosquitoes to proliferate and infect humans. Normally, dengue fever outbreaks occur in Ninh Thuan Province during the rainy season, from June to November, as the weather is favourable for mosquitoes to thrive in containers with stagnant water, swampy areas and buckets containing rainwater around homes. Vaccines and treatment for the dengue virus are not yet available, so Ninh Thuan Provinces Preventive Health Centre has worked with local authorities to raise residents awareness of dengue fever prevention. Meanwhile, in HCM City, the number of dengue fever cases was also reportedly on the rise. Doctor Nguyen Huu Hung, deputy director of the HCM City Health Department, said 6,116 cases required hospitalisation at the end of April, an increase of 88 per cent compared with the same period last year. One fatality has been reported so far in Hoc Mon District. Most dengue fever hotspots in the city have been controlled, he said. The number of infections in March reached 250 cases a week, on average. Hung blamed the rise of hospitalisations on the fact that dengue fever reached its peak late last year. The city plans to continue its media campaign to eliminate mosquitoes and larvae. For efficient monitoring of disease prevention and control in the city, the municipal Preventive Health Centre has co-ordinated with the Department of Science and Technology to implement a global positioning system to chart infectious disease outbreaks on a map. This helps to quickly locate the outbreak and plan timely measures to curb the epidemic. The project has been piloted at health stations in six wards. Dengue fever infects between 50,000 and 100,000 people in Viet Nam every year, killing nearly 100 annually, according to the Ministry of Health. Last year, about 82,000 cases of dengue fever were recorded in the country, including 52 fatalities. Health experts have warned that dengue fever would continue to rise. Urbanisation, which is occurring at an alarming rate, coupled with poor sanitation and an increase in the quantities of waste and stagnant water, is one factor that contributes to the problem. In addition, as a result of the El Nino phenomenon, severe drought in many areas has led people to store water at their homes, which creates a favourable environment for mosquitoes to breed. - VN Passengers taking domestic flights in Viet Nam can now carry liquids, aerosols and gels on their flights, the Civil Aviation Authority of Viet Nam (CAAV) announced. Photo baogiaothong.vn HA NOI Passengers taking domestic flights in Viet Nam can now carry liquids, aerosols and gels on their flights, the Civil Aviation Authority of Viet Nam (CAAV) announced. The new regulation follows a circular recently adopted by the Ministry of Transport on National Civil Aviation Security Programme. It took effect May 1. The liquids, aerosols and gels have to be carried in sealed small containers. CAAV director Lai Xuan Thanh told news.zing.vn that the circular was enacted based on general instructions from the International Civil Aviation Organisation. We issued the circular in hopes of creating more favorable conditions for domestic passengers, he said. Regulations on banned liquids on board remain unchanged, according to Thanh. Regarding international flights, the new regulation states that only one litre of liquids, aerosols or gels is allowed on board. On international flights liquids must be carried in bottles, vials or containers with a capacity not greater than 100 ml and be contained in completely sealed, transparent plastic bags. Liquid medications, baby milk and food must be accompanied by prescriptions that clearly state the name and address of the doctor who prescribed the medicine and the full name of the person who takes the medicine. This name must be the same as the name of the passenger on the flight ticket. In this case, the delivered amount of liquids will be based on the amount listed in the prescription. Milk and food for babies or infants must be accompanied by babies or infants when carried on the aircraft. Liquids purchased at duty-free shops after security checkpoints or on international flights are exempt from the above limitations, provided that such liquids are packed in transparent, sealed plastic bags provided by the stores. VNS HCM City -- After being unable to sell their catches for many days due to the mass fish deaths, fishermen in the central provinces of Ha Tinh and Quang Binh have been thrown a lifeline by businesses coming forward to buy from them. Saigon Co.op has begun to buy fish caught offshore and certified as safe by authorities at the Gianh River fishing port in Quang Binh. Vo Hoang Anh, Saigon Co.ops marketing director, said Co.opmart bought around 20 tonnes on Sunday, mainly round scad and blue fish. The fish were checked, issued safety and hygiene certificates, and identified as being caught offshore by the provincial Department of Fisheries Resources Exploitation and Protection, the Department of Agro-Forestry-Fisheries Quality Assurance and the Department of Food Safety and Hygiene, he said. Co.opmarts own quality management division also collaborated with agencies and fishing boat owners to get samples tested at the Centre for Quality Assurance of Agro-Forestry and Fisheries Products in region 2, he said. Last month, massive fish deaths were reported along beaches in four coastal central provinces: Ha Tinh, Quang Binh, Quang Tri and Thua Thien-Hue. As of April 25, as many as 70 tonnes of dead fish were reported. On April 27, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment announced initial investigations into the incident, blaming it on toxic chemicals released by human activities on land or at sea, along with the red tie phenomenon - when dangerous algae occurs at an abnormal rate and produces toxins. Hoang Thi Thuan, director of Thuan Loi Co., Ltd, said her company bought five tonnes of various fish and would continue to buy them. Hoang Nom, owner of a fishing boat, said his boat docked at the Gianh River fishing port with 21 tonnes of fishes, and he was pleased when they were bought by Phuoc Sang Company for nearly VN400 million (US$17,937). Hoang Thi Huong, director of Phuoc Sang Company, said her company plans to buy a large amount of seafood to support the fishermen. Nguyen Xuan at, head of Quang Binhs Market Management Department, said the province would work to prevent traders from lowering fish prices. Tran inh Du, deputy director of the Quang Binh Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, said fishermen sold 100 tonnes of seafood on April 30 and May 1, with Saigon Co.op accounting for 20 per cent. Hundreds of offshore fishing vessels would return in the next few days with possibly thousands of tonnes of fish, and the province would strive to find more outlets for them in other cities and provinces. With the support of businesses and traders, fishermen in Quang Binh Province will surely feel secure about going offshore for fishing, Du said. At Thach Kim fishing port in Ha Tinh Province, seafood trading has returned to normal. The local Thien Phu Co-operative has promised to take on a share of the fishermens burdens. Tran Thi Tu, owner of Toan Tu, a local seafood trader, said she never stopped buying and was prepared to buy any quantity of fish, octopus and cuttlefish. According to the Ha Tinh Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, the department has established a working group of 30 members to direct the sale of seafood and certify its safety. The Department of Industry and Trade has urged seafood processors to buy more safe fish from local fishermen. PM orders solutions The relief followed a spate of measures taken by the Government in the last few days in the wake of the serious and unusual mass fish deaths that swept the central coastal region in early April. Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has assigned tasks to ministries and localities, and ordered that specific measures must be deployed to deal with the consequences of massive fish deaths, and to avoid similar environmental disasters. He chaired a working session with affected localities on Sunday in the central Ha Tinh Province. Deputy Prime Ministers Trinh inh Dung and Vu uc am, and leaders of ministries and State agencies, were among the attendees at the session. The Prime Minister urged ministers to seek solutions so that fishermen can continue fishing as usual, while assigning the Ministry of Science and Technology to work with relevant ministries and sectors to determine the cause of the fish deaths and call for help from foreign experts, if necessary. Violations by any organisation or individual must be brought to light, based upon scientific evidence, he said, adding that the Government was determined to protect the legitimate interests of residents. Additionally, fishermen would be assisted in terms of materials and fish sales, he said. In another move, Minister of Natural Resources and Environment (MoNRE) Tran Hong Ha has set up an inspection team, which includes domestic and foreign experts, to independently monitor and analyse wastewater released to the sea by enterprises beginning on May 5. The inspection will focus on the area around the Vung Ang economic zone in Ha Tinh Province. The Minister of Science and Technology was asked to co-ordinate with the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology and other agencies to reach a scientific and independent conclusion on the causes of the incident, based on which MoNRE will report to the PM in order to impose strict punishments on any violating individuals or organisations. MoNRE and affected local authorities will re-check all waste-discharging manufacturing bases as well as strengthen the inspection of coastal industrial production facilities. MoNRE and Ha Tinh authorities must report on the licensing of the Hung Nghiep Formosa Ha Tinh steel company and the supervision of its waste discharge system. In order to control Formosas discharge, he suggested immediately placing an automatic monitoring station in the company that connects with a similar one launched by the provincial Department of Natural Resources and Environment. The Ministry of Public Security will continue investigating cases of environmental violations in the central region while strictly dealing with cases that took advantage of the incident to disturb social safety and order. The ministries of Health, Agriculture and Rural Development, and Natural Resources and Environment, were asked to publicise a list of safe fishing grounds in mass media outlets. Affected fishermen will be entitled to debt waivers, rescheduling or reduction, as well as new loans at preferential rates. The Government leaders also agreed on proposals to offer 22.5kg of rice to each affected household, VN5 million to each fishing vessel and low-cost loans to fishery households. -- VNS AN GIANG The An Giang Police have seized more than 2,000 different plant pesticides, which are not in the list of being manufactured and sold in Viet Nam. The products were discovered in a house on Vo Van Hoai Road, Binh Khanh Commune in Long Xuyen City. The pesticides were contained in boxes, bottles and bags. The police also confiscated more than 20kg of labels and tools used for making the pesticides. Initial investigation revealed 34-year-old Cao Quoc Tuan, who lives in HCM City, rented the house to store and produce the fake products. Tuan employed Le Huynh Trung Kien, 35, who lives in Long Xuyen City, to transport the raw material. The pesticides were sold to agents in An Giang and ong Thap cities. VNS QUANG BINH Peoples Committee of the central Quang Binh Province has proposed to reduce fees collected whilst increase the fee collection period at the tollbooth at km604+700 and at the Quan Hau tollbooth on Highway 1 that passes through this province. Nguyen Huu Hoai, chairman of the Peoples Committee, said the province had twice proposed to the finance and transport ministries to reduce the fees collected at these tollbooths by 40-50 per cent for the under nine-seater automobiles and the under two-tonne lorries with Quang Binh number plates. After receiving guidance from the Ministry of Transport, the Truong Thinh Group, which manages the Quan Hau tollbooth, and the Tasco Joint-Stock Company, which manages the tollbooth at km604+700 in Quang Trach District, said during the past few months they had received proposals from different organisations and individuals in the province to reduce the fees. But if the fees were reduced in accordance with the proposal, the companies would not recover the cost of investment. The Quang Binh Peoples Committee then asked the provinces Department of Transport to count the number of vehicles passing through the tollbooths. It was revealed some 105 automobiles passed the tollbooth managed by the Tasco Company each day. If the proposal to reduce the toll by VN15,000 (70 US cents) per vehicle was introduced, fee collection would reduce by VN570 million ($25,300) per year. Some 425 automobiles also passed the Quan Hau tollbooth each day. If the proposal to reduce the toll by VN15,000 per vehicle was accepted, fee collection would be reduced by VN2.3 billion ($102,200) per year. The time duration for collecting fees should, therefore, be increased to make up for the difference when fees at the two tollbooths were slashed, Hoai said. Hoai said tollbooths had been put up at the gates of Quang Ninh and Quang Trach districts. As a result, several personal vehicles belonging to local residents that passed the booths each day had to pay the fees even though they travelled only a short stretch. Since the beginning of this year, the fee charged on each vehicle had increased 3.5 times higher than the normal level (around VN35,000 or $1.5 per vehicle), which was very high when compared with residents income, he said. Some local residents had blocked the Quan Hau tollbooth twice to protest, causing traffic jams on Highway 1. VNS HA NOI The Vietnam Maritime Administration has asked provincial port authorities to inform ship owners and management companies of acts of piracy in the waters off east Sabah, Malaysia, and southern Philippines. The request was made after the administration received a special report from the Regional Cooperation Agreement on Combating Piracy and Armed Robbery against Ships in Asia (ReCAAP). The administration asked the ship owners and companies that manage and exploit vessels to adopt a maritime security plan approved by the Vietnam Register, paying particular attention to the ReCAAPs recommendations to ensure that no problems befall Vietnamese ships working in international waters, especially in the two danger zones in Malaysia and the Philippines. Previously, between March 26 and April 15, a source at ReCAAP in the Philippines spoke of three cases related to seamen being kidnapped in the waters off east Sabah in Malaysia and southern Philippines. The cases involved the Brahma 12 ship on March 26, the Massive 6 ship on April 1 and the Henry ship on April 15. On March 26, the Malaysian Brahma 12, transporting 7,000 tonnes of coal, was attacked by 17 pirates with guns, travelling on a high-speed ship. They kidnapped all 10 crewmembers and demanded a ransom of US$1.07 million. On April 1, the Malaysian Massive 6, with nine seamen onboard, were attacked by eight pirates with guns. Four of the crewmembers were kidnapped. On April 15, the Indonesian Henry was attacked by a band of pirates. One of the seamen was injured, while four others were kidnapped. To prevent similar cases, the Malaysian government has temporarily banned travelling on the trade route between east Sabah and the southern Philippines. The concerned organisations from the two countries will meet to discuss preventive measures for the problem. The ReCAAP encouraged the authorities of coastal countries to improve supervision and tighten patrols. Ship owners and management companies should be vigilant while working in these areas. The Philippines coastal protection organisation has joined hands with the countrys local intelligence agency to collect more information on the case and to provide updates on the condition of the kidnapped seamen. -- VNS HA NOI The Ministry of Planning and Investment yesterday recommended to the Government five key actions to address the mass fish death incidents along central coastal provinces from early last month. First, authorities in provinces where the incidents occurred should continue to oversee the collecting and treating of dead fish. Any activity relating to the trade, usage or processing of the dead fish should be banned. Secondly, relevant agencies were urged to speed up studies to identify the cause of the incidents. The State budget should provide funding to hire foreign experts to join the investigation. Third, the Government must take drastic measures to address the aftermath including strict punishment to polluters, transparent information about the incident and its impact, as well as measures to help the fishing, seafood processing and tourism industries recover. Fourth, localities in affected areas make statistics over losses that fishermen suffered due to the incidents and submit Prime Minister for timely Governments assistance. State bodies and local residents must regularly observe, detect and report unusual signals of environment. Lastly, fishermen are urged to halt breeding and stop using seawater for breeding until the causes of the mass fish deaths are identified. Also yesterday, the Ministry of Science and Technology announced that a national scientific council was established to examine the mass fish deaths. Almost 100 experts from more than 30 research institutes and universities nationwide joined to analyze the incident. Hundreds of samples of dead fish, water and other creatures have been taken from April 7 for testing. According to the ministry, initial findings showed that the mass fish death in the four central coastal provinces from Ha Tinh to Thua Thien Hue was not related to disease, oil leaks, thermal shocks or other effects caused by earthquakes. Biological and chemical causes are thought to be to blame. Deputy General Director of Viet Nam Environment Administration Hoang Van Thuc said that a group of overseas experts yesterday morning arrived Vung Ang Economic Zone in central Ha Tinh Province to investigate the mass fish deaths. They will independently assess waste treatment of firms that release waste into sea in provinces of Ha Tinh, Quang Binh. Quang Tri and Thua Thien Hue. Their work will be independent from studies conducted by State agencies in Viet Nam. Thuc said that they would report to the Prime Minister once the causes were determined. Early last month, the incident killed thousands of fish and caused financial and environmental damage to fishermen and people living in the coastal provinces. The cause is unconfirmed as yet, but many Vietnamese suspect pollution from a steel plant operated by a subsidiary of the Formosa Plastics Group. In a meeting on April 27 between relevant ministries and scientists, which was the first meeting about the case between central and local managing bodies and scientists, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment told media that they had identified two possible groups of causes for the massive death of fish recently. The first potential cause was the impact of poisonous chemical substances discharged by humans from the mainland or in the sea. The other was an abnormal natural phenomenon combined with human impacts, resulting in red tide. VNS The board of Winsome Diamonds and Jewellery, Indias second largest wilful defaulter after Kingfisher Airlines, is more or less resigned to banks decision to let Satya Prakash Tanwar continue as their nominee on the board. Tanwar, a former State Bank of India officer inducted in the jewellery companys board on September 27, 2013, but the company directors demanded his removal after he dismissed an audit report for FY2013 as , non-transparent and unacceptable. Since he made frivolous remarks about the company in his letter which indicates that he started acting against the interest of the company, we sought Tanwars resignation from the lenders and their consortium. Now, it is up to banks to take a decision. We cannot take any action in case banks do not ask him to resign, said Harshad Udani, Additional Director and spokesperson of . Tanwar has also defended his actions, and ruled out resigning from the board. India is a democratic country. Everybody is free for an opinion. As long as I have not resigned, which I dont intend to, I am on the board as banks nominee, he told Business Standard. In fact, Standard Chartered, the fourth largest lender for Winsome after Punjab National Bank, has asked me to continue and hence, I am continuing. The issue erupted after Tanwar questioned cash in hand in the company despite having no actual business activity. He also questioned the existence of Winsomes Dubai subsidiary Forever - which the audit report for 2012-13 does not find any trace of because of non- availability of any official or activity. Winsome promoter Jatin Mehta who is settled in Dubai is said to have set up a subsidiary there to tap untapped potential in jewellery sector in the Middle East and exported jewellery from India to many customers in the region. Sources said that Tanwar raised questions on the existence of the subsidiary when the company promoter himself had interest in setting up the same. The Winsome board has taken exception to Tanwars questioning of the companys activities. The banks nominee is not above the companys board and therefore, should respect boards decisions. All decisions are taken in his presence. The banks nominee, therefore, cannot write and speak anything about the decisions taken by the board, Udani said. According to sources, Tanwar wanted to bring Mehta back on the companys board. Mehta, who is responsible for borrowing Rs 6,800 crore from 15 Indian banks for Winsome and Forever, is also reported to be running a grown diamond business in Singapore and supplying laboratory-made synthetic diamonds to India. However Winsome's audit report could not find trace of that in past. Business Standard could not independently confirm these reports. Meanwhile, Tanwar wrote a letter to the company on February 23 with strong comment on the audit report of 2012-13, an issue that continued to fester for the next three years. The company finally decided to file a suit against one of its ex-directors. According to Udani, Tanwar described the audit report as weak genesis, non-transparent and unacceptable. Following this, Winsome wrote all its lenders and their consortium on March 28, 2016 seeking Tanwars resignation. How can he comment like this? asked Udani, After all, no one is above the companys board. Winsome is the largest wilful defaulter in jewellery sector, which according to industry sources, has changed banks perception towards the entire sector. The jewellery industry was in the forefront of lenders book until about a decade ago, but has now been pushed back onto the negative list. Indian banks stood up as guarantors to global banks like Standard Chartered London and Scotiabank that supplied bullion to Winsome, resulting into a series of defaults to the tune of up to $1 billion. Meanwhile, Winsome has won several cases against its jewellery buyers in various Shariah courts in the Middle East, and is hoping to recover those dues. Like previous years, India has failed to mark its presence in the 100 most reputable universities in the world list for 2016, too. This year's Times Higher Education (THE) World Reputation Rankings saw Harvard University take the top spot for the sixth consecutive year. The other top four positions were taken up by Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Stanford University, University of Cambridge and University of Oxford. Launched in 2011, THE World Reputation Rankings offer a definitive list of the world's most prestigious universities based on their global reputation. India continues to be one of the few nations not to have featured even once in the list. Among the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) nations, only South Africa and India failed to mark their presence in the 2016 list. The Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) had set up a committee to look into improvement of their global reputation. However, according to the director of one of the older IITs, who did not wish to be quoted, there hasn't been much headway. "We have been working on improving research and international linkages to enhance our global reputation as a brand. However, this will take some time and cannot be achieved overnight," the director said. China led the BRICS nations in the World Reputation Rankings with five universities ranked this year. "Russia has three institutions in this year's ranking, up from two last year. However, the top two, Lomonosov Moscow State University (30th place) and Saint Petersburg State University (81-90 band) have both dropped since last year. Brazil's single entry has also dropped this year, with the University of Sao Paulo dropping from the 51-60th band to the 91-100th," said a Times Higher Education statement. Commenting on the rankings, Phil Baty, Times Higher Education rankings editor, said, "Reputation is the global currency of higher education. It may be subjective, it may not always be fair, but it matters deeply. The clear lesson, in the sixth year of this annual list of the world's most prestigious universities, is that we have a firmly entrenched elite group of six global university super brands. The six, two from the East Coast of the US, two from the West Coast and two from the UK, have topped the list - standing head and shoulders above the rest of the pack - every year since we started back in 2011." According to Baty, outside of the US and the UK, the global higher education world has been changing, with universities in China, Hong Kong, Japan and South Korea all making progress. "We now have a Chinese university in the world top 20 for the first time, and another right behind it in the top 30." Despite India's absence on the list, Asia's strong performance in this year's ranking of the world's most reputable universities, based on an invitation-only survey of top academics, follows the continent's growing presence in the flagship THE World University Rankings in recent years. A day after Greenpeace leaked TTIP negotiation documents, which the environmental group claimed was really about "a huge transfer of power from people to big business", France opposed the deal "at this stage". French President Francois Hollande said he was "at this stage" opposed to the free trade accord between the European Union and the US -- the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership -- unless rules to protect domestic businesses were respected. "At this stage of negotiations, France says no to TTIP because we are not for free trade without rules," Hollande said. "We will never accept questioning the essential principles for our agriculture, reciprocity in access to public markets," he added. French Trade Minister Matthias Fekl said that Washington wants the all-encompassing TTIP trade deal with Europe to go through, but was unwilling to budge on many points, jeopardising the entire talks. According to Greenpeace, the deal threatens to do away with a whole series of protections, such as those relating to the environment, consumer protection and food produce. The documents reveal some wide rifts between the US and EU in these areas. The Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership has been discussed behind closed doors since 2013. It will affect a trade zone inhabited by 850 million people, and has received strident criticism from many Europeans who believe it was not in their best interest, RT news reported. "In view of the United States' state of mind today, that seems to be the most likely option," French Trade Minister Matthias Fekl said on Europe 1 radio on Tuesday, when asked if he thought the negotiations were in danger of halting. "We want reciprocity. Europe offers a lot and gets very little in return. This is not acceptable," Fekl said. "It is an agreement which, as it would be today, would be a bad deal... It cannot be agreed without France and even less against France," he added. "Trade is not an end in itself, it is a tool," Fekl said, adding: "It would make no sense to have held the COP in December in Paris, this superb deal for the environment, and sign a few months after an agreement that would unravel it." The American authorities, however, do not seem worried by such exposure. The US Trade Representative's office has shrugged off the revelations, declining to comment on the "validity of alleged leaks", a spokesperson said, adding that "the interpretations being given to these texts appear to be misleading at best and flat-out wrong at worst". Greenpeace wants the talks to stop. But the TTIP is Obama's last chance as US president to get a deal in before his term ends in January, the report said. While the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership between the US and Europe was set to create the world's largest free trade zone, many Europeans worry that the agreement would elevate corporate interest above national interest. TTIP opponents say that cheaper goods and services would only hurt the EU and help US corporations. Europeans argue that corporations would be given power at the expense of small and medium-sized businesses. The secrecy surrounding the negotiations has also come under fierce criticism. People have been coming out on the streets to voice their protest to the deal, the latest such one being in Germany's Hannover. Labor warned energy prices to rise by up to 50 per cent in 2023 A source told Sky News Australia in the lead-up to Tuesday's federal budget the conflict in Ukraine was "99 per cent" responsible for the looming increases in the cost of energy. Sydney soaked by wettest October ever recorded A Sky News Australia meteorologist has predicted how much rain Sydneysiders can expect for the rest of 2022 as two weather systems lash almost every inch of New South Wales. Jurors in rape trial make request amid ongoing deliberations The 12-member jury of the Bruce Lehrmann rape trial have requested extra time to come to a unanimous decision on whether the former Liberal staffer sexually assaulted Brittany Higgins. Lambie prays for Netball Australia after sponsorship mess Senator Jacqui Lambie has thrown her support behind Gina Rinehart as she slammed Netball Australia for losing a major sponsor while local sports clubs struggle to stay alive. WATERLOO A jury has found a former Cedar Falls restaurant manager guilty of stealing from the business. Trial for Tyler Boyd Kobliska, 25, of Cedar Falls, began April 26, and on Friday, jurors found him guilty of first-degree theft, indicating the evidence showed he took more than $10,000 from Godfathers Pizza on West First Street. Kobliska had started working at Godfathers Pizza at age 14 as a dishwasher and worked his way up to a managers position, authorities said. According to testimony at trial, drivers for the business collect money from customers during deliveries and then cash out at the end of the night, paying Godfathers the amount owed for the pizza and keeping the remainder as tips. During trial, Cedar Fall police said the restaurants owner became suspicious about a delivery Kobliska made for an order for two large pizzas in June 2014. The order should have cost $29.80, but a change in the restaurants computer altered the price to $12.65, police said. This triggered a review of receipts, which found between April 2013 and June 2014, a large number of changes connected to Kobliska totaled $17,990, court records state. First-degree theft is a Class C felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison, and sentencing has been scheduled for July. WATERLOO Authorities are looking for a Waterloo man accused of trying to kill another man in 2014. An arrest warrant was issued Thursday charging Victor Vic Aaron Keller, 30, with attempt to commit murder, and Cedar Valley Crime Stoppers posted a notice about the charge. Police said the charge stems from a Dec. 14, 2014, incident where Terrance Hackett was shot several times in the leg, abdomen and groin near his home in the 1200 block of Lincoln Street. Court records state Hackett had been walking back from a store, and a sport utility vehicle had passed him a few times on his path. The SUV then pulled up as he arrived at his home, one person exited the vehicle, opened fire and left. Police found eight .40-caliber shell casings at the scene. No arrests were made immediately after the shooting, and authorities allege Keller and another man attacked Hackett while he sat in a vehicle outside the Logan Convenience Store on July 4, 2015. Keller allegedly opened the vehicles door and attempted to remove Hackett. When that failed, the two men began hitting Hackett, punching him in the abdomen where he had been shot, records state. The assault was captured on the stores surveillance video, and Keller and Demarquis Lazelle Forney were arrested for first-degree burglary --- for allegedly accessing the vehicle to assault Hackett --- a few weeks later. In September, police arrested Keller on charges of willful injury causing serious injury in connection with the December 2014 shooting. It is unclear how the newly lodged attempted murder will affect the willful injury charge. Kellers attorney filed an alibi notice that Keller was at a Cutler Street home at the time of the shooting. Trial for Keller and Forney in the July attack started on April 26. Forney opted to plead guilty to a lesser charge of second-degree burglary before opening statements started, and he was sentenced to up to 10 years in prison. Keller moved for a mistrial, and the trial was rescheduled for July. IOWA CITY (AP) Police are treating the assault of a black University of Iowa freshman as a possible hate crime. The Iowa City Police Department said Wednesday it is investigating the assault of 19-year-old Marcus Owens of Naperville, Illinois and has developed information on possible suspects. The department says Owens told police Monday that he was beaten and called racial slurs by three white men on Saturday night in a downtown alley. He received treatment at a hospital. WLS-TV in Chicago first reported the assault Tuesday night, saying Owens suffered damage to his lip and eye socket and had his front teeth knocked out. The university said that it was "deeply disturbed" by the report. Owens' mother told The Associated Press the family is meeting Wednesday morning with the dean of students. DES MOINES A former Franklin County sheriffs deputy and Ackley police officer killed this year while working for the Des Moines Police Department will be honored Friday. Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad and Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds will add the name of the former deputy, Carlos Puente-Morales, and three other officers to the Iowa Peace Officer Memorial at the Oran Pape State Office Building at the State Capital. Puente-Morales was killed in a car crash on March 26 while working for his new employer, the Des Moines Police Department. He and fellow Des Moines Police Officer Susan Louise Farrell were hit by a wrong-way driver on Interstate 80 near Waukee while transporting a prisoner to Des Moines. Farrell, the wrong-way driver and the woman in the officers squad car also died. Puente-Morales worked full-time for the Franklin County Sheriffs Office from March 2008 to August 2011. He was based in Dows. He also was a member of the Iowa National Guards 1st Battalion, 133rd Infantrys Charlie Co. In addition to Puente-Morales and Farrell, the names of Ames Police Sgt. Howard Snider and Iowa Parole Board Field Agent Albert Paul also will be added to the memorial. Snider drowned after suffering a pulmonary embolism while on vacation with family on June 17, 2012. Officials ruled the embolism was the result of an on-duty injury several days before. Paul was killed in a car crash when his vehicle blew a tire near Albuquerque, New Mexico, on Feb. 5, 1938. He and another parole agent were transporting a paroled fugitive from California to Iowa. The ceremony starts at 10 a.m. CEDAR RAPIDS Their agreement on the need to strengthen and preserve Social Security hasnt prevented the 81-year-old retirement program from becoming an issue for candidates in the Iowa U.S. House 1st District Democratic primary. After Monica Vernon was endorsed by the New Democrat Coalitions NewDemPAC, Pat Murphy challenged her to release her answers to the groups questionnaire they both completed to let voters know where she stands. The New Democrat Coalition of U.S. House members backs the Simpson Bowles plan to raise the retirement age, cut Social Security and Medicare benefits, and increase out-of-pocket medical expenses. Vernon, however, refers to Social Security as a sacred trust and the most successful government program. Weve got to balance the budget, she said, but weve got to do it the right way -- not on the backs of seniors whove earned Social Security and Medicare after a lifetime of hard work. Although hes said much the same thing, Murphys campaign manager Mike McLaughlin is calling for Vernon to release her answers that led to her endorsement by the pro-business politicians who will continue these reckless policies that hurt Iowas seniors. If she is against it, then this isnt really an issue, McLaughlin said, but the questionnaire is the only way voters will know. Thats just Murphys attempt to hide the fact that hes received a 100 percent rating from Iowas Right to Life for his anti-choice record, said Michelle Gajewski, campaign manager for Vernon who sought the 1st District Democratic nomination two years ago and was the Democratic nominee for lieutenant governor in 2014. Social Security wasnt Vernons only disagreement with the NewDemPAC, Gajewski said. Like Murphy, she disagrees with its support for Trans-Pacific Partnership. However, Gajewski said the NewDemPAC endorsed a candidate they want to work with. Former 1st District Democratic Rep. Bruce Braley also was part of the New Democrat Coalition, she added. Gajewski also noted the House Progressive Caucus, which includes 2nd District Rep. Dave Loebsack, chose to endorse Vernon rather than Murphy. Also, the International Association of Fire Fighters, which backed Murphy in 2014, announced its endorsement of Vernon on Tuesday. Democrats will choose a nominee in the June 7 primary election to face Republican Rep. Rod Blum. DES MOINES Motivated in part by stories from their districts, a pair of state lawmakers successfully pushed the most significant criminal justice reform passed by the Legislature in years. Rep. Dave Dawson, a Democrat from Sioux City, and Rep. Ken Rizer, a Republican from Cedar Rapids, were key in getting approval last week of legislation that will: Make some nonviolent drug offenders eligible for parole earlier in their sentences. Provide a less punitive class of robbery for nonviolent offenses. Establish a mandatory minimum sentence for individuals convicted of child endangerment resulting in death. The legislation, on its way to Gov. Terry Branstad for his possible signature, instantly was hailed by criminal justice reform advocates. This is a major victory for smarter sentencing in Iowa, Greg Newburn, state policy director for the advocacy group Families Against Mandatory Minimums, said in a statement. Iowans understand it doesnt make sense to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars every year locking up drug offenders who dont need to be in prison. This bill will make Iowa safer and save taxpayers money, too. The catalyst for the legislation was the story of a 4-month-old girl from Sioux City whose father fatally struck her. He was almost immediately eligible for parole, Dawson said. A constituent relayed that story to Dawson, who asked Rizer to work with him on legislation that would establish a mandatory minimum sentence for child endangerment resulting in death. Rizer said a Cedar Rapids-area constituent approached him with a similar story of a 17-month-old girl who was beaten to death by her father. They were shocked to think that this guy who killed that little girl would even be eligible for parole, Rizer said. So thats what were fixing here. Other criminal justice reform measures were added eventually. The package has three key provisions: It requires anyone convicted of child endangerment resulting in the death of a minor serve a minimum of 15 to 35 years of a 50-year sentence. Currently, the average prison stay for the crime is 4.6 years. Makes certain nonviolent drug offenders eligible for parole after serving half of the mandatory minimum sentence. Creates a new, third class of robbery, which would make nonviolent robbery attempts an aggravated misdemeanor instead of a felony, allowing for lesser penalties. The measures are expected to reduce the states prison population, saving taxpayer money nearly $90,000 in fiscal 2017 and more than $400,000 in fiscal 2018. If you can let people back out into society and give them the supports to succeed, its going to cost a lot less money to the state than it would keeping them in prison, Rizer said. Its a matter of individualizing the justice to make sure that the penalty fits the crime and that were getting people back out into society at a time that its safe to do so. The measures also are expected to help chip away at Iowas disproportionately minority prison population, an effort championed by Branstad and state Supreme Court Chief Justice Mark Cady. In 2015, blacks accounted for 3.4 percent of Iowas population but 35.8 percent of the federal prison population in the state and 25.5 percent of the state prison population, according to the state research agency. And Iowa has the worst black-to-white rate of incarceration in the nation, 13.6-to-1, according to a 2007 study by The Sentencing Project, a research and advocacy group. Plenty of work remains. A panel of experts drafted a series of suggested reform measures. Only one making most juvenile delinquent records private passed this year. Other suggestions included diversifying juries and reducing the cost of prisoners phone calls. The reforms that passed are good first steps to save Iowa tax dollars and safely reduce the states nonviolent prison population, Holly Harris, executive director of the U.S. Justice Action Network, said in a statement. We hope that this legislation is just the beginning of Iowas journey down the road to a smarter, fairer and more cost-effective criminal justice system. DES MOINES Leaders of the Iowa Legislature agreed Wednesday that regardless of election results in November, lawmakers should convene a water summit to find common ground on addressing water quality issues in the 2017 session. House Speaker Linda Upmeyer, R-Clear Lake, and Senate Majority Leader Mike Gronstal, D-Council Bluffs, both hope to come back in January with their respective party in control of both the House and Senate. Its not for a lack of ideas on how to address water quality issues, but everybodys talking past each other, Gronstal said. What we have, unfortunately, we have a House Republican plan, a governors plan (and) I had a plan where we could scoop money out of the ending balance that over 10 years would produce about a half a billion dollars, he said during taping of Iowa Public Televisions Iowa Press that will be aired this weekend. So far, everybodys talking unilaterally, he said. It requires people to sit down at the table and work through some of these issues. Upmeyer agreed it would be helpful to sit down and figure it out because there are multiple ways to get there. That was clear from their conversation which can be seen at 7:30 pm. Friday and noon Sunday on IPTV, 8:30 a.m. Saturday on IPTV World and online at www.IPTV.org. She prefers the House Republican plan to use revenue from a water metering tax and the state infrastructure fund because those are stable sources of funding. As the senator said many times, you can tell what peoples priorities are by where they use their money, Upmeyer said. This is a place that we believe is a priority and we should use our money. Democrats have called that a shell game of moving state money from one pot into another. Gronstal defended his plan to use part of the ending balance because it would make more money available faster than Gov. Terry Branstads plan. The governor wanted to extend a one-cent school infrastructure sales tax for 20 years and use the increase in revenues over and above $10 million a year for water quality. It received little support in the Legislature. The ending balance isnt a reliable source of funding, Upmeyer said, and added that its not the Legislatures job to collect enough taxes to sort of backdoor fund things out of the ending balance. Id rather fund them on the front end. His plan follows the practice of Iowa farmers who when they have a good year and good income, they invest in their operation, Gronstal said. Neither legislative leader, nor the governor, has ruled out increasing the stat sales tax by three-eighths of a cent. In 2010, 63 percent of voters approved the creation of the Iowa Water and Land Legacy to provide reliable funding for clean water and watershed protection, conservation practices and wildlife habitat. Under the plan, the next time the sales tax is increased, three-eighths of a cent will go into that fund. SIOUX CITY -- Another top Iowa Republican official has come to support U.S. Rep. Steve King in his quest to win a party primary contest, as Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds on Wednesday announced her endorsement. King is being opposed by fellow Republican Rick Bertrand, a state senator from Sioux City, in the Iowa 4th congressional district contest. The primary vote will occur on June 7, with the winner moving onto the November election. Reynolds said King was the best Republican to represent the 4th District. Reynolds said she doesn't usually get involved in primary races, but said King has been an effective congressman and she appreciated his support in 2010. That's when she first became the lieutenant governor nominee after a state convention floor fight, and King ultimately placed her name in nomination at that event. "He has been an effective advocate for his district and for Iowans," Reynolds said. King has lined up the support of both U.S. senators, Charles Grassley and Joni Ernst, and Iowa Agriculture Secretary Bill Northey. Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad has repeatedly said, including most recently in late April, that he will remain neutral in the 4th District race. Reynolds said she discussed her endorsement of King with Branstad, who she closely works with in the state's executive branch. Bertrand came into the race in March in part out of concern for agriculture interests after King in late 2015 endorsed Republican presidential candidate Ted Cruz, a U.S. senator from Texas. Cruz doesn't support an extension to the federal Renewable Fuel Standard for corn-based ethanol. That caused Branstad and others to publicly criticize King's pick, with the Republican governor saying Cruz shouldn't be supported by Iowans after his knock on an industry that is so important to the state. Cruz dropped out of the presidential race on Tuesday, after Donald Trump won the Indiana primary. Reynolds said King is a strong ethanol backer and since the flap has made "a concerted effort" to let agriculture interests know he supports them. Bertrand to date has not announced the endorsements of any state or federal leaders, but previously said he will get substantial support from lawmakers. Reynolds said she respects Bertrand's work in the Legislature. Should Iowa felons have the right to vote? A case before the Iowa Supreme Court seeks to provide an answer to what we view as a difficult question deserving of more discussion. The case was brought by Kelli Jo Griffin, who lost her right to vote after a 2008 drug conviction. We, however, prefer the state Legislature, not its high court, lead this discussion. During arguments in the Griffin case made before the court March 30, questions from justices focused on meaning, within the Iowa Constitution, of the words any infamous crime. A person adjudged mentally incompetent to vote or a person convicted of any infamous crime shall not be entitled to the privilege of an elector, the Constitution reads. (The original wording was No idiot, or insane person, or person convicted of any infamous crime, shall be entitled to the privilege of an elector. A 2008 amendment changed the wording.) What, exactly, did Iowas founders mean by any infamous crime? Did they mean any felony? Clearly, justices were perplexed by the language. What can you do to breathe life into these very vague words, any infamous crime? Justice Brent Appel asked at the beginning of arguments from Griffins lawyer. It doesnt jump out and tell you exactly what it means ... Our founders gave us a phrase that gives us some difficulty today and probably has throughout the existence of our state, said Justice Mark Cady. They wanted to make people who were convicted of an infamous crime ineligible to vote. They didnt say felony crimes. They didnt define any specific crimes. ... So what are we to do today? In our view, this isnt a one-size-fits-all matter. We do not believe Griffin should be treated the same as, for example, a convicted murderer who is serving a life sentence in prison. Room exists, we believe, for allowing some felons to exercise a right to vote after completion of sentence. Do we not, in fact, hope a felon becomes a rehabilitated, productive member of society when his or her punishment for a crime ends? Today, according to the Brennan Center for Justice, Iowa, Florida and Kentucky are, in fact, the only states in which all convicted felons are barred for life from voting unless they complete a process for restoration. According to the Iowa secretary of states office: Voting rights may be restored by application to the governors office after completion of the sentence, any required probation, parole or supervised release, and all court costs, fees and restitutions have been paid. We are uncomfortable with having the Supreme Court define any infamous crime and we do not believe executive action is the proper course on this issue. (Gov. Terry Branstad in 2011 issued an executive order reversing former Gov. Tom Vilsacks 2005 executive order in which he restored voting rights for felons who completed their sentences.) Rather than have justices, in effect, legislate from the bench or a governor overstep his or her bounds with respect to felony disenfranchisement, we believe its time for the Legislature to revisit the issue of voting rights for felons with an eye toward providing constitutional clarity by debating, then adopting a specific, reasonable definition for any infamous crime. Simply put, in our view, this is a legislative, not a judicial or executive responsibility. Other than parenting, and perhaps the ministry, serving in Americas public schools is the highest calling to which a person can aspire. It is the public school system that most accurately reflects the promise of America, where everyone is welcome, regardless of economic status, religious conviction, gender, race, political persuasion, language of origin, or mental or physical challenge. Iowas public schools continue to perform well, notwithstanding the continued failure of a segment of the General Assembly and governor to support adequate, reliable and equitable funding of the system. As a result of the lack of support, public schools across the state are forced to consider staff reductions, increased class sizes and a reduction of programs and services for students. It comes at a time when our public schools are serving the most diverse student population of any time in the history of the state. This is accompanied by higher expectations and the ever-increasing demands of our complex society. While diversity contributes to a rich educational environment, it also elevates challenges and consequently, costs. Even our best schools are simply not good enough, despite graduating more than 90 percent of lowa students statewide. We still have more to accomplish. And these changes and challenges are confronting districts of all sizes. When confronted about the failure to adequately and equitably fund Iowa public schools, those responsible have a litany of responses, including: school districts need to be more efficient; you cant simply throw money at the problem; there is insufficient state revenue; public schools should adopt practices used in the private sector; and increased revenue will simply be given to teachers. Lets take a look at these responses. Public school districts need to be more efficient. Any independent analysis of public school management of resources will clearly demonstrate the typical system is extremely efficient. Many private companies could take a lesson in efficient management from the public school in their community. You cant simply throw money at the problem. Ive served in public education for more than 55 years. Just once, Id like to see the decision makers throw money at the system. All financial resources directed to public schools most likely will be wisely and efficiently used on behalf of children. There is insufficient state revenue. The lack of revenue is self-imposed. A certain segment of the Iowa General Assembly and the governor have determined tax cuts for friends and supporters is a higher priority than investing in public schools. Dont be fooled by the insufficient revenue excuse. Its a question of values. Continuing on the course of underfunding public schools is tantamount to mortgaging the future. This is unconscionable and must stop. Public schools should adopt practices used in the private sector. In an interview, the CEO of a large manufacturing corporation was asked how they were able to produce a product of such high quality. The response was, We start with the very best raw material, and if we get less than the best raw material, we throw it out and start over. Thankfully, we in public schools do not select our raw material or throw out the less than perfect. Every child that enters the system is welcome, nurtured and entitled. Increased revenue will simply be given to teachers. In public schools, nearly 80 percent of the budget is invested in personnel because that is how we deliver critical services. You can be assured few people choose a profession in public education to become rich. Too little invested in staff deprives students of meaningful attention and encourages the private sector to recruit low-paid talented teachers and administrators, scientists, mathematicians and literate communicators from our ranks. Of course a good portion of revenue will, as it should, be invested in the employment and development of personnel. Folks, this is no time for the timid or reticent. You and I must be willing to be visible, vocal advocates for the hundreds of thousands of children who arrive in Iowas public schools every day and whose future well-being depends on what we do today. Follow the money BARB GREGERSEN WATERLOO Patrick Kochs letter about the GOP being out of touch reminded me of The Couriers March 20 column on critical thinking by Fred Abraham. A critical point he made that Koch and so many pro Planned Parenthood people seem to overlook is Examine the source of your information: Does it have a special interest? Planned Parenthoods special interest in promoting abortion appears to be income. It is a billion-dollar industry. Its supporters continue to vigorously fight to stop the investigation of the videos from last summer. The videos have not been proven false. Anyone who thinks they have is simply following the party line: People who are against abortion (or selling body parts of aborted babies) hate women. Abortion is not health care and is not free. Planned Parenthood is big business and is buying support from politicians. It gets $487.4 million of tax money a year. If you research and follow the money, you will find they donate heavily to Democrats. Left-leaning media is not a dependable source for all your information. Check out centerformedicalprogress.org, watch the videos and decide for yourself. Hospital heroes WILLIAM BONIN IOWA FALLS National Hospital Week is May 8-14. It is the perfect time to celebrate the heroes who care for and provide support to their communities. Every day, hospital heroes deliver our babies, mend broken bones and save lives. They get us home faster through innovative care. They even keep us healthier through preventive care services that ensure we get the right care, in the right place, at the right time. They deserve a thank you today and every day. Yet Congress has cut federal funding for hospitals by $158.1 billion since 2010. If they continue to slash this funding year after year, heroic caregivers could be laid off, ER wait times could increase and patients could have a harder time accessing the latest medical technology. Grassleys hearing RUTH WALKER Member War on Drugs Task Force of Cedar Valley Citizens for Undoing Racism CEDAR FALLS Theodore Ledermans guest column April 17 missed the point. Senator Grassleys hearing was to determine if the DOJ is adequately protecting the public from state marijuana reforms, not whether marijuana is harmful. (Even aspirin can cause salicylate poisoning.) However, the NEJM article simply asked, Might there have been a relationship between cannabis use and this patients stroke? and the review article Lederman cited concluded an epidemiological study would be required to answer that. An article in the prestigious British medical journal, Lancet, reported the relative harm of drugs, ranking tobacco more harmful than marijuana and alcohol most harmful (even above methamphetamine, heroin and cocaine). The DOJs resources are better spent elsewhere and Congress should legalize drugs to protect the public, but the Supreme Court of the United States is less effective without nine justices, so Senator Grassley, do your job! Advertisement By West Kentucky Star Staff May. 02, 2016 | PADUCAH, KY By West Kentucky Star Staff May. 02, 2016 | 02:32 PM | PADUCAH, KY Paducah police are warning area banks and other businesses that cash payroll checks to be alert to fake checks. On Friday, Paducah Police were called to Banterra Bank on Parisa Drive because of a suspicious check. Officers said that when they arrived, they found 45-year-old Jeremiah Rodman of Paducah attempting to cash a forged check. Rodman was arrested on a charge of criminal possession of a forged instrument and booked into McCracken County Regional Jail. Detectives said the check had a legitimate business name on it, and had apparently been printed on a professional quality printer. Police said the check looked authentic, and local businesses should use caution when cashing payroll checks. The Paducah Police Department is asking anyone with information about possible forged checks to call them or Crime Stoppers. Information leading to an arrest or indictment may result in a reward of up to $1,000. Advertisement By Jim Waters Apr. 29, 2016 | LEXINGTON, KY By Jim Waters Apr. 29, 2016 | 11:36 AM | LEXINGTON, KY I recently stood in Philadelphia's Independence Hall, where 55 delegates gathered in May 1787 to create the U.S. Constitution and form a new government. While that hallowed room is filled with desks and other period fixtures, the only original piece of furniture is the chair occupied by future President George Washington while presiding over the convention. Businessmen, merchants, shippers, farmers, scientists and physicians were framers of the document that would set their new nation on a path toward unprecedented freedom and prosperity. If doctors were included in framing the foundation of this nation's success, you will have a hard time convincing me that Madisonville dermatologist Bill Smith, M.D., is somehow unfit to serve on the board overseeing the troubled Kentucky Retirement Systems. Smith, who served his country for nine years, rising to the rank of lieutenant commander in the U.S. Navy, full commander in the Navy Reserve and served a tour as a flight surgeon with the Marine Corps, founded his practice in 2000, which has grown into a multimillion-dollar operation. Smith while building his practice has studied state and local retirement systems, including helping Madisonville successfully address challenges that threatened that city's firefighter pension plan a few years ago. For Smith, the solutions to saving and fixing arguably the nation's worst government-run pension fund are not political. Rather, they involve doing the math and abiding by Kentucky's Constitution and its statutes. He strongly believes that decades spent ignoring Kentucky law requiring actuarial analyses of proposed benefits and benefit enhancements before they're granted has been a primary contributor to the decline of the state workers' retirement fund from being 74 percent funded a decade ago to currently containing only about 17 percent of the funding needed to cover future retirement benefits. KRS bureaucrats want you to believe that the major contributor to Kentucky's pension crisis is underfunding by the legislature and as they occasionally admit unproductive investments. They vehemently oppose Smith's appointment by Gov. Bevin to their board because the doctor's made it known that the malady is the result of enhancing benefits beyond available funding or a strategy to develop one beyond the biennial budgetary shakedowns of the General Assembly. When it comes to enhancing benefits, for instance, the potential purchaser of a house or car must demonstrate he's got funding either in terms of up-front cash or the ability to make payments beforehe's allowed to move in or drive off the lot. Smith posits the system is unsound because its leadership has performed like a buyer who purchases a house he can't afford then goes to his employer and demands a raise because he's "underfunded." This seems the model of choice for too many Frankfort politicians, who've offered new and increased benefits without the required actuarial analysis or the funding. Instead, they just add that amount to the funding to the state's annual Actuarially Required Contribution (ARC). Then, when Frankfort doesn't meet that obligation, detractors claim the system is underfunded. It's appalling that William Thielen, the retirement system's overpaid and ineffective executive director, dismisses the statutorial requirement for solid analysis of what benefits cost before they're granted as no longer acceptable. I sat on the second row at the most recent meeting of the state's Public Pension Oversight Board during which Sen. Jimmy Higdon, R-Lebanon, tried to make the case to Thielen that the legislature can no longer vote for benefit enhancements without at least an estimate regarding their future costs. Thielen claimed such costs are "indeterminable." "Indeterminable?" He knows that Smith, once he's seated, will ask the questions, do the math and figure out what's really going on in that huge retirement system. No wonder Thielen obsessively opposes Smith's appointment to the board to whom he answers. Jim Waters is president of the Bluegrass Institute, Kentucky's free-market think tank. Reach him at jwaters@freedomkentucky.com. 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18 (15) Feb 17 (10) Feb 16 (15) Feb 15 (19) Feb 14 (15) Feb 13 (25) Feb 12 (20) Feb 11 (9) Feb 10 (7) Feb 09 (28) Feb 08 (20) Feb 07 (22) Feb 06 (20) Feb 05 (19) Feb 04 (14) Feb 03 (16) Feb 02 (28) Feb 01 (37) Jan 31 (27) Jan 30 (31) Jan 29 (18) Jan 28 (14) Jan 27 (10) Jan 26 (18) Jan 25 (26) Jan 24 (34) Jan 23 (21) Jan 22 (21) Jan 21 (18) Jan 20 (18) Jan 19 (18) Jan 18 (26) Jan 17 (24) Jan 16 (23) Jan 15 (30) Jan 14 (20) Jan 13 (18) Jan 12 (24) Jan 11 (11) Jan 10 (23) Jan 09 (22) Jan 08 (17) Jan 07 (17) Jan 06 (9) Jan 05 (18) Jan 04 (15) Jan 03 (19) Jan 02 (14) Jan 01 (6) Dec 31 (12) Dec 30 (4) Dec 29 (15) Dec 28 (11) Dec 27 (7) Dec 26 (10) Dec 25 (16) Dec 24 (13) Dec 23 (16) Dec 22 (11) Dec 21 (26) Dec 20 (28) Dec 19 (14) Dec 18 (25) Dec 17 (23) Dec 16 (19) Dec 15 (22) Dec 14 (38) Dec 13 (26) Dec 12 (25) Dec 11 (27) Dec 10 (31) Dec 09 (15) Dec 08 (30) Dec 07 (31) Dec 06 (27) Dec 05 (38) Dec 04 (25) Dec 03 (27) Dec 02 (15) Dec 01 (36) Nov 30 (23) Nov 29 (17) Nov 28 (23) Nov 27 (13) Nov 26 (16) Nov 25 (14) Nov 24 (18) Nov 23 (21) Nov 22 (21) Nov 21 (24) Nov 20 (20) Nov 19 (23) Nov 18 (17) Nov 17 (17) Nov 16 (34) Nov 15 (25) Nov 14 (17) Nov 13 (21) Nov 12 (18) Nov 11 (9) Nov 10 (15) Nov 09 (9) Nov 08 (9) Nov 07 (12) Nov 06 (8) Nov 05 (4) Oct 29 (1) Oct 01 (1) Jul 29 (1) May 11 (1) Jul 11 (1) If youre looking to try out an online casino, there are several things that will help you make a decision. Heres what you should look for when choosing an online casino Are they regulated? A lot of the larger ones have licenses issued by the authorities in their respective regions, so its worth checking this first. Do they offer games from different software providers? Some casinos just use one software provider and limit your selection. This is fine if you like playing those types of games but you may want to check other casinos as well. What does their payout percentage look like? The payout rate refers to how much money you can expect to win after every bet. A high payout rate means youll be able to play more often without having to worry about losing all your money. Its also important to know the minimum and maximum bets allowed on each game. If youre going to play roulette, for example, then you probably dont want a casino with a minimum bet of less than $2.50 or even lower than that. The players used to play the game slot online in the land based casinos in the past time. But now with time after the invention of the online casinos players play the game slot online. Online platform provide the players with the convenience in playing and even better winning. Even after keeping a good percentage of the profits, they distribute good funds to players. How many games do they offer? There are lots of different types of games to choose from. Roulette, blackjack and poker are some of the most popular options, but you might find slots, video pokers, video bingo and others as well. You can usually filter these games down to only show the ones that interest you best, so make sure that your list isnt too long! Is there a bonus offer? Many online casinos offer free bonuses as part of their welcome package which includes new players being awarded 100% up to $10 instantly, for example. These offers are great but not everyone has access to them all the time (and some require you to deposit real money). If youd prefer to avoid paying a fee, some casinos offer no-deposit bonuses where you can get a certain amount of funds before you need to put any actual money into the account. These are usually offered alongside welcome bonuses, so make sure you read both parts of the terms and conditions carefully before signing up. Does it offer live dealer games? Live dealers are much preferred by many over regular virtual versions, so it pays to check this option out too. Most online casinos now offer live dealer games in addition to their regular offerings, allowing you to experience the thrill of the real thing without needing to leave home. Now that youve got an idea of what to look for when choosing an online casino, heres some tips for making the right choice It really comes down to personal preference. No two people are exactly alike, so everyone has an opinion on what they like and dislike about each casino. That said, here are some things to consider in order to narrow down your choices Popularity. Check out reviews, forums and Facebook pages to see what other people think of the casino. Also, ask around at work or friends houses who they would recommend to you. You could always take a look at the casinos website too, to see what kind of information they provide about themselves. Reputation. Find out what the general public thinks about the casino. Check out any customer reviews on sites like Trustpilot, Amazon and Google Play to find out more. As far as gaming goes, you can also check out the Better Business Bureau to see whether there have been any complaints against the casino. Security. Make sure the casino uses SSL encryption to secure its transactions, meaning that your private data stays safe during transactions. Other than that, look for security seals on the site itself and verify that theyre legitimate. You can also check out the casinos privacy policy to see how they handle confidential information. Payment methods. Its good to have multiple payment options available, especially if you plan to play frequently. Its also nice to find a casino that accepts cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin and Ethereum. If youre worried about safety, you can always opt for a credit card or PayPal instead. With all those criteria in mind, heres our top picks Betway: Betway is a relatively new UK casino offering online gambling to residents of the United Kingdom and European Union. They offer hundreds of games across both land based and digital platforms, with plenty of top software providers like Net Entertainment, Microgaming and Yggdrasil Gaming Network. With a generous welcome offer that gives players 100% up to 100, you really cant go wrong with Betway. Coral Casino: Coral Casino is operated by the same company that runs the famous Caribbean casino, Grand Reef. Like many casinos, Coral Casino offers a wide variety of games, including plenty of video slots and table games. New players can benefit from a huge 100% match bonus up to 1000, while existing customers enjoy 25% cash back on deposits made within 48 hours of opening an account. Ladbrokes Casino: Ladbrokes Casino is owned by the same company as the famous bookmaker that started life in 1921. With more than 500 games from leading software providers such as Amaya, NetEnt and Microgaming, you wont be disappointed by the quality of the games here. New players get a 200% match bonus up to 500, while existing customers can claim 35% cashback on their first three deposits. Paddy Power Casino: Paddy Power is another Irish-owned casino that operates throughout Europe. Not only does Paddy Power Casino offer traditional casino games like blackjack, roulette and slots, but it also provides a full range of sports betting, including football, tennis, boxing and horse racing. 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You can test drive various casinos completely risk-free, so you can feel confident about your choice before you make a single penny deposit. -- CNN Arabia - : - - - , COVID-19 22 - : : , - : Canl Bahis siteleri sektoru son derece onu ack ve farkl ozelliklere sahip bir sektordur. Elbette bahis secenekleri arasnda yuksek kazanc getiren alan kuskusuz canl bahistir. Peki, canl bahis nedir? Canl Bahis Nedir? Canl bahis adndan da anlaslacag gibi devam eden musabakaya bahis yapmaktr. Bu bahis musabaka devam ederken de yaplabilir olmasdr. Basta futbol olmak uzere voleybol, tenis, hentbol, basketbol, buz hokeyi ve masa tenisi gibi spor organizasyonlarna canl bahisler yaplabilmektedir. Canl bahis siteleri bu oyunlarn hepsine yuksek oranlara bahis yapmanza imkan tanr. En fazla tercih edilen futbol canl bahisleri diger alanlara gore daha fazla on plandadr. Siteden siteye degisen sartlar ve uygulama esaslar soz konusu olsa da kurallar sabittir. Canl bahisi populer klan ve heyecan katan en onemli ozellikle musabakann basladg ana dek bahis yapabilmedir. Canl bahis icerisinde yer alan secenekler kazanma sansnz da dogrudan arttrmaktadr. Ilk korneri kim kullanr, ilk tac, gol, sar kart, krmz kart gibi futbol musabakas icerisinde olabilecek hemen hemen her seye bahis yaplabilmektedir. Normal bahisegore de son derece yuksek oranda olmas avantajl yonlerini ortaya koymaktadr. Nitekim dogru secenek ksa surede kazancl ckmanza etki edecektir. Strateji ve dogru analizle 90 dakika gibi bir surede anaparanzkatlayabilirsiniz. Tabi bunu basarabilmek icin mutlaka musabakaya dair ayrntlar iyi degerlendirmek gerekir. Soz konusu musabakann detaylarn inceleyip, cezal, sakat oyuncu veya performans dusen takm oyunu gibi detaylar bilmek canl bahiste kazanc belirleyen onemli unsurdur. Guvenilir Canl bahis hem heyecanl zaman gecirmeyi hem de musabakalar takip ederken para kazanmay saglamaktadr. Canl Bahis Nasl Oynanr? Bahislerinizi guvenilir sitelerden gerceklestirdiginiz zaman herhangi bir sekilde para cekme de sorun yasamazsnz. Guvenilir bahis siteleri tespit edip sonrasnda da uyelik islemlerini tamamlamanz gerekmektedir. Belirlenen uyelik sartlarn yerine getirip hesabnza da paray aktardktan sonra bahis islemlerini sorunsuz yapabilirsiniz. Peki, canl bahis nasl oynanr? Oncelikle bahis konusunda mutlaka dogru site arastrmas yapmalsnz. Yapacagnz arastrma neticesinde buldugunuz site uzerinden canl bahisislemlerini gerceklestirebilirsiniz. Bunun icin uye olup, hesaba para atp, canl bahis bolumune girmelisiniz. Sonrasnda dahil olmak istediginiz musabakann saatini ogrenip, gerekli analizleri yapmalsnz. Tahminlerinizi belirledikten sonra karsnza ckacak olan bahis sayfasndan istediginiz hamleyi yapmalsnz. Bahis tutarn belirledikten sonra musabaka baslayacaktr. Canl bahis diger normal bahis esaslarna gore farkllklar icermektedir. Bunlardan en onemlisi musabakann gidisatna gore islem yapabilir olmaktr.Ayrca musabakann 2. Yarsna gore hamle yapp ayr bir bahisin soz konusu olmas da ciddi avantajdr. Dogru hamle ile sizde istediginiz bahisi yapp kazanc elde edebilirsiniz. Nitekim canl olarak yapacagnz bahis icin mac oncesi raporlara gore hareket etmek onemlidir. Cunku takmlarn durumlarn analiz etmek tahmin gucunu arttracaktr. Misal tamnn en iyi oyuncusu sakat ya da kart cezals ise takmn performansnda dusus yasanacaktr. Buna ek olarak takmn deplasman performans ile evinde ki performans ayr olacaktr. Burada da takmn musabakay nerede yaptgna bakmak gerekir. Bu ayrntlar da iyice analiz ettikten sonra bahsinizi yapp kazanmann keyfini yasayabilirsiniz. Canl Bahis Siteleri Son derece yuksek getiriye sahip bahis sektoru uzun zamandr faaliyet gostermektedir. Cok ciddi rakamlarn soz konusu oldugu bu sektor zamanla sanal ortamlara donusmustur. Elbette guvenli ve bir o kadar da avantajl olan bu siteler cok yonlu frsatlar sunmaktadrlar. Canl iddaa siteleri gerek yeni uyelere gerekse de hali hazrdaki uyelerine bolca bonus frsatlar vermektedir. Yatracagnz tutara gore belirlenen bonuslar site icerisinde rahat hareket etmenizi de saglayacaktr. Canl bahis sitelerini kullanmadan once mutlaka guvenli olup olmadgna goz atmalsnz. Zira baz kullanclar guvenli olmayan sitelerden yaptklar islemlerden dolay magdur olmaktadrlar. Nitekim guvenli ve sorunsuz hizmet sunan yurt ds site tercih etmek en dogru secenektir. Sektorde uzun yllar faaliyet gosteren siteleri tercih edebilirsiniz. Bu alanda yer alan yabanc siteler musteri memnuniyetine onem vermektedir. Oncelik site kullanclarn sorunsuz sekilde bahislerini yapabilir olmasn saglamaktr. Bahis sitelerinde amac hem daha fazla kullancya hizmet vermek hem de sektorde emin admlarla ilerlemek onceliklidir. Dogru site tercihi ile sizde canl bahislerinizi sorun yasamadan gerceklestirebilirsiniz. Sizler icin hazrlams oldugumuz canl bahis siteleri listesi su sekildedir; Mobilbahis Tempobet Bets10 Bahigo 1xbahis Betboo Youwin Superbahis Sralams oldugumuz bu siteler sektorde basarl islere imza atms sitelerdedir. Canl bahis konusunda beklentileri karslayacak olan bu siteler sizlere kolaylk sunmaktadrlar. Bol bonuslu secenekle de sizlere farkl bahis yonlerini sunacaklardr. Sistemsel etki icerisinde her zaman etkin sonuc alabilmek icin surekli olarak faaliyet icerisindedirler. Canl Bahis Taktikleri Bahis sektorunun en fazla dikkat edilmesi gereken hususu dogru taktik ve dogru tahmindir. Elbette dogru tahmini yapabilmek icin analizi cok iyi yapmak gerekir. Canl bahis taktikleri arasnda ilk sra analiz gelmektedir. Analiz yapamadgnz zaman basarl tahminlerde bulunmanz pek de mumkun degildir. Cunku bahiste onemli olan konu musabakann analizini cok iyi yaplmas gerektigidir. Canl bahisin ozelliklerini iyi bilmek ve nasl bir hamle yapacagnz bilmek gerekir. Ozellikle riskli maclarda yaplacak degerlendirmeler cok daha onemlidir. Canl bahis yapacaklarn takip edecegi degerler takmlarn durumlar ile alakal olmaldr. Performans uzerine kurulu bahis sisteminde takm degerlendirmesine iyi bakmak gerekir. Iki takmn son 5 macta nasl bir sonuc ortaya koyduguna bakarak hareket etmek onemlidir. Ayrca hangi takm evinde daha iyi performans sergiliyor diye de ayrca bakmak gerekir. Analizlerle alakal puan durumlarna da goz atmak cok onemlidir. Puan degerlendirmesinde oncelikle takmlarn ihtiyaclar ile dogru orantl hareket etmek gerekir. Cunku olusturulan performans takmn da durumunu ortaya koymaktadr. Nitekim istenilen sonucu elde edebilmek icin tum ayrntlar bilmek gerekir. Takm ici duzenden tutunda da takmn son durumuna kadar her ayrnt onemlidir. Iki takmn birbirleri arasnda ki sonuclar da incelemek gerekir. Burada dikkat edilecek detaylarn basnda maclarda kac gol oldugu ve gollerin hangi dakikalarda atldgdr. Cekismeli gecen musabakalarda bazen goller ilk yarda daha fazla olurken baz maclarda da ikinci yarda daha cok gol olmustur. Iki takm arasnda ki maclarda gollerin cogunlugu ilk yarda geliyorsa buna gore bahis yapabilirsiniz. Canl Bahis Siteleri Bonuslar ve Kampanyalar Bahis yapanlar veya yapmay dusununler sitelerin sunmus olduklar frsatlar merak etmektedirler. Cunku siteler daha fazla kullancya erismek icin her donem kampanyalar duzenleyerek kullanc odakl hamleler yapmaktadrlar. Canl bahis bonuslar ve kampanyalar oldukca populer olup, siteler bu konuda adeta birbirleri ile yarsmaktadrlar. Birbirinden farkl ozelliklere sahip olan kampanyalar size frsatlar sunmaktadr. Daha cok kazanma ihtimalinizi arttran bu bonuslar daha cesur olmanza da dogrudan etki edecektir. Nitekim bonuslar sitelerin cekiciligini ve avantajlarn arttrmaktadr. En cok kazandran canl bahis siteleri bedava bonuslar ve kampanyalar icin http://www.milano2018.com/canli-bahis-siteleri-2022/ linkinden yardm alabilirsiniz. Hos geldin bonusu ile baslayan ve sonrasnda para yatrdkca bonus veren cok sayda site bulunmaktadr. Canl bahis bonusu veren siteler yeni uyelere sunduklar frsatlar farkl kampanyalarla mevcut uyelerine de sunmaktadrlar. Hali hazrda siteyi kullananlarn da bonus frsatlarndan yararlanmalar icin donemsel kampanyalar olusturmaktadrlar. Boylece baska sitelere gidisler olmayacag gibi site de daha keyifli zaman gecirmek mumkun klnmaktadr. Bu tur eklentiler yapan sitelerde musteri memnuniyeti daha fazladr. Bahis siteleri ozellik ve uygulama bakmndan farkllklar bunyelerinde bulundurmaktadrlar. Verilen bonuslarn olusturulmas ve kullanclar aktarlmasnda yatrlan para miktarlar belirleyici olmaktadr. 1.000 TL yatran bir kullanc yuzde 20 bonus frsat olan bir kampanyadan 200 TL bonus kazanabilmektedir. Yatracag tutar 10.000 TL oldugunda bu bonustutar 2.000 TL olabilmektedir. Gerceklesen ve uygulanan esaslar tamamen donemsel olarak yaplan kampanyalarla alakaldr. Iyi Canl bahis siteleri bonuslar ve kampanyalar icin sitelerin vermis oldugu oranlar takip edebilirsiniz. Canl Bahis Siteleri Para Yatrma Online Canl bahis yapacaklarn merak ettigi konulardan bir digeri de para yatrma islemleridir. Oldukca onemli olan bu konuda hata yapmamak cok onemlidir. Canl bahis sitelerine para yatrma islemi sanlann aksine son derece basittir. Oldukca basit ve uygulama esas dogru etki olusturan bu yapda sizde islemi rahatca tamamlayabilirsiniz. Para yatrma konusunda su yolu izleyebilirsiniz. Guvendiginiz ve herhangi bir sekilde aklnzda soru isareti kalmayan bahis sitesine uye olmanz gerekmektedir. Uyelik islemini sorunsuz sekilde tamamladktan sonra para yatrma islemine gecebilirsiniz. Kullanacagnz siteye uye olduktan sonra karsnza kullanc ad ve sifresini gireceginiz yer gelecektir. Buraya giris yaptktan sonra site icerisine islemlere devam edebilirsiniz. Sitede yer alan para yatrma sekmesine tklayp sonrasnda karsnza gelen sayfay inceleyebilirsiniz. Para yatrma bolumunde yer alan ksma ne kadar para yatracagnz yazp devam tusuna basmalsnz. Yatrmak istediginiz tutar girip sonrasnda da devam tusuna bastktan sonra karsnza kart bilgilerinizi gireceginiz sayfa gelecektir. Kredi kart kullanarak para gondermek isteyenlerin tercih ettigi bu sayfa tum bilgiler girilip islem onaylanmaldr. Canl bahis sitelerine para yatrma islemini gerceklestirmek icin hesaba havale secenegini de kullanabilirsiniz. Site icerisinde musteri hizmetleri ile iletisime gecerek banka hesap numaralarn ogrenebilirsiniz. Belirtilen IBAN numarasna istediginiz tutar havale edebilirsiniz. Havale ederken acklama ksmna yazlacak bilgilere dikkat etmelisiniz. Kredi kart veya banka havalesi ile gerceklesen para yatrma islemi sonucunda site hesabnzdan bakiyenize bakabilirsiniz. Bakiyenize gore dilediginiz sekilde bahislerinizi gerceklestirebilirsiniz. Canl Bahis Siteleri Para Cekme Canl bahiste dogru hamleler ve dogru tahminler sonucunda kazandgnz bedeli geri almak isteyebilirsiniz. Kazanclarnz istediginiz banka hesabnza cekebilmek icin uymanz gereken kurallar soz konusudur. Oncelikle bahis sitelerinden para cekebilmeniz icin uye olurken dogru bilgi paylasmnda bulunmanz gerektigidir. Cunku canl bahis sitelerinden para cekme islemi icin kullanc hesab ile talep edilen banka hesap bilgilerinin ortusmesi gerekir. Yani uye olurken verilen bilgi ile banka hesab kime ait ise o bilgiler ayn olmaldr. Bu uygulama sitenin hem kullancsn hem de kendisini guvene alma politikasdr. Ayrca frsatclarn onune gecerek yeni bir uye olusumunun da onune gecmek amac gutmektedir. Uye olan kisi farkl para cekilme talebi verilen hesap farkl oldugunda para cekme islemi gerceklesmeyecektir. Bahisleriniz sonucunda kazanc elde edebilir ve bu kazancnz da hakknz olarak almak isteyebilirsiniz. Burada son derece basit uygulama soz konusu olurken siteler aras farkl gorunumler soz konusu olabilir. Fakat yine de tum sitelerde uyenin site icerisinde para cekme bolumune girmesi yeterlidir. Burada cekilecek olan tutarn belirlenmesi ve hesap numarasnn girilmesi ile birlikte islem onay gerekecektir. Para cekme taleplerinde sizden gerekli bilgiler istenmekte ve havale islemi istenilen bilgiler esliginde yurutulmektedir. Dogru bilgi paylasmak sorunsuz para cekebilmeniz en onemli kuraldr. Istenilen bilgiler girildikten sonra site sorumlular gerekli kontrolleri yapp herhangi bir sorun yoksa ksa surede hesabnza gerekli paray aktaracaklardr. Canl Bahis Sitelerinden Para Cekmek Icin Istenen Belgeler Bahis sitelerine uye olduktan sonra baz kullanclar para cekme taleplerinin karslanmadg konusunda sikayetlerde bulunmuslardr. Bu sikayetlersektorde uzun zamandr bulunan guvenilir bahis siteleri de yer almaktadr. Fakat sikayetlerin dayanaklarna bakldgnda ise islerin tamamen farkl oldugu gorulmektedir. Yasanan bu durum kullanclarn hatal bilgi girmesi ve uyelik bilgileri ile banka bilgilerinin uyusmamas ile dogru orantldr. Birde canl bahis para cekmek icin istenen belgeler eksik ya da hatal olarak sunulmus olabilir. Ortaya ckan karsklar neticesinde para cekme talebinde bulunan kisi istedigini alamadg icin sikayetci olmaktadr. Oysa ki istenilen bilgiler dogru ve istenilen evraklar eksiksiz sunulsa para cekme islemi sorunsuz olacak. Sitelerin para cekme konusunda dikkatli hareket etmesi hilelerin ve illegal faaliyetlerin onune gecmek adnadr. Cunku baz kullanclar farkl bilgiler vererek ikinci hesap acabilmektedirler. Bazen de bilincsizce hatal bilgi girilebilmektedir. Hatal islemlerin cozumu konusunda islem yaptgnz sitenin musteri temsilcileri ile gorusebilirsiniz. Talepleriniz dogrultusunda para cekme islemlerinde ki sorunlar giderilecektir. Canl bahis para cekmek icin istenen belgeler listesi su sekildedir; Kullanc bilgileri ile banka bilgilerini karslastrmak icin kimlik fotokopisi Banka hesap bilgileri Ikametgah ve kisiye ait herhangi bir fatura. Kacak Iddaa Turkiyede dogrudan bahis yapmak icin resmi kanallar kullanlabilmektedir. Fakat tercih edilen ve oran olarak cok daha fazla frsatlar sunan kacar iddaasiteleri bulunmaktadr. Bu siteler kanunlara aykr sekilde yaplmakta olup, yasal bir dayanag yoktur. Elbette bu sitelerin kurulus merkezi Turkiye olmayp, ds ulkelerdedir ve faaliyetler belirlenen siteler uzerinden yaplmaktadr. Kacak Iddaa oldukca riskli olup, cok dikkatli olunmas gerekir. Kacak Bahis Kanunlar cercevesinde istediginiz gibi bahis yapamayabilirsiniz. Bahis yapabilmek icin ya kanuni olarak sorun olmayan ulke dsnda ki kumarhanelere gitmeniz veya kacak bahis sitelerinden islem yapabilirsiniz. Zira bu durum tehlikeli olsa da cok sayda site guvenli sekilde bu alanda hizmet vermektedir. Kacak bahiste oldukca fazla secenek bulunurken yuksek oranda kazanc sunuyor olmas da ragbeti arttryor. Illegal Bahis Bahisin bircok alanda yasak oldugu Turkiyede bu alanda cok sayda yabanc merkezli siteler hizmet vermektedir. Illegal bahis sektorunde faaliyet gosteren siteler guvenli hizmet anlays ile kullanclarna frsatlar sunmaktadr. Yurt ds merkezli bu siteler sorunsuz sekilde hizmetlerini surdururken bulunduklar ulkelerde kanunlara uygun sekildedir. Elbette faaliyet noktasnda bulunduklar ulkelerde sorun teskil etmese de Turkiyede faaliyet gostermeleri kanunin yasaklanmstr. Yasads Bahis Gerek olusturulan etkenler gerekse de ortaya konulan riskler yasads bahis de oldukca tehlikelidir. Kanunlarn mudahil olduklar bu alanlar da hem kullanclar hem de populer bahis yaptranlar tum riskleri goze almaktadrlar. Fakat yasaklardan uzak sekilde guvenli hizmet sunan siteler de bulunmaktadr. Takipler neticesinde kapatlan sitelerin muhakkak alternatifleri kurularak yollarna devam etmektedirler. Canl Iddaa Siteleri Nelerdir? Dunya genelinde kabul gormus cok sayda guvenli hizmet veren populer bahis siteleri bulunmaktadr. Elbette bu siteler dunyann bircok ulkesinde faaliyet gosterse de Turkiyede yasaktr. Sektorde yer alan cok sayda legal iddaa siteleri bulunmaktadr. Herhangi bir kanunsuzlugun olmadg bu sitelerden hzl ve guvenli islem yaplabilmektedir. Tabi bu sitelerde uygulanan oranlar yasal olmayan sitelere gore daha dusuktur. Illegal sitelerin tercih edilme sebeplerinin en onemli etkeni de olusturulan oranlardr. Peki, Iddaa siteleri nelerdir? Faaliyetleri ve uygulama esaslar nelerdir? Turkiyede faaliyet gosteren yasal iddaa siteleri listesi su sekildedir; Iddaa Bilyoner Tuttur Birebin Oley Nesine Misli Iddaa 2004 ylnda hizmet vermeye baslayan Iddaa Spor toto tarafndan kurulmus olup, ilk etapta bayilik seklinde calsmaya baslamstr. Elbette zamanla gelisen teknolojiye ayak uydurarak internet uzerinde de populer bahis severlerin hizmetine sunulmustur. Kuruldugu donemde devletin resmi kurumu olarak faaliyet gosterirken gelinen yeni donemde ozellestirilmistir. Bilyoner Turkiyede faaliyetine 2006 ylnda baslayan Bilyoner ilk ozel yasal bahis sitesi olma ozelligine sahiptir. Guvenilir bahis siteleri Turkiyede bunlardr. Ksa surede populer olan site halen faaliyetlerini sorunsuz sekilde surdurmektedir. Tuttur Ksa surede adndan bahsettirmeyi basaran Tuttur 2009 ylnda faaliyetlere baslamstr. Guvenilir bahis siteleri arasnda yerini almstr. Gunumuze dek bircok alanda populer bahis yapanlara frsatlar sunarken avantajlar ile de begeni toplamstr. Birebin Kullanc odakl calsmalar surdurse de 2011 ylnda sektore giren Birebindiger sitelere gore daha az ragbet gormektedir. Bahis oynamak ise bu sitede oldukca kolaydr. Elbette farkl yaklasmlara sahip olmasndan dolay ilerleyen sureclerde adndan sklkla bahsettirecek gibi gorunuyor. Oley 2009 ylnda Dogus yayn gruplarnn istiraki olarak kurulmus olup yasal olarak herhangi bir sorunu olmayan sitelerdendir. Bahis siteleri arasnda hzl cks yapms bir sitedir. Oley yapms oldugu yenilikler ile kullanclarn da dikkatini ksa surede cekmeyi basarmstr. Nesine Birbirini takip eden surecte Nesine de yine 2006 ylnda hizmet vermeye baslamstr. Yasal bahis siteleri arasnda yerini almay basaran firma ksa surede sevilen ve ragbet goren bir site olmustur. Misli 2009 ylnda sektore cok hzl giris yapan Misli cok sayda reklam filmi ile on plana ckmay basarmstr. Internet uzerinden hem yasal hem de sorunsuz hizmet veren bahis sitelerinden bir tanesi olmustur. Canl Bahis Siteleri Kayt ve Uyelik Islemleri Her zaman populerligini koruyan ve surekli gelisim gosteren canl bahis gun gectikce daha da gucleniyor. Bahis oynamak icin ise sitelere uye olunmas gerekir. Yuksek getirisi ve begeni toplayan faaliyetleri ile cok sayda site bu alanda faaliyet gostermektedir. Elbette sorunsuz sekilde uye olmanz ve faaliyetler gostermeniz de oldukca kolaydr. Canl bahis siteleri kayt ve uyelik islemleri dakikalar icerisinde gerceklestirilecek yapya sahiptir. Uye olacagnz siteyi belirledikten sonra siteye girmeniz gerekmektedir. Girdiginiz sitenin ana sayfasnda uye ol ya da kayt ol bolumu bulunacaktr. Siteler arasnda degiskenlik gosteren bu alanda temel unsurlar bulunmaktadr. Elbette farkllklar olsa da temelinde benzer bilgiler uye olmak isteyen kisilerden talep edilmektedir. Uye ol bolumune tkladktan sonra karsnza uyelik bilgi formu ckacaktr. Bu formda sizin kim oldugunuzu ogrenmek ve sitenin guvenligini saglamak adna islemler yaplmaktadr. Uyelik formunda yer alan ad soyad bolumunu eksiksiz ve dogru sekilde doldurmalsnz. Sizden bu formda istenen bilgilerin tamamn girmeniz istenecektir. Istenen bilgiler mutlaka dogru ve eksiksiz sekilde olmaldr. Eksik veya hatal bilgi uyelik islemlerinde sorun teskil edebilir. Yine de yanls bilgi girisine ragmen uyelik islemleri tamamlanabilir. Fakat boyle bir yol izleyenler sonrasnda buyuk skntlarla karslasabilirler. Bu skntlarn basnda da para cekme islemlerinde yasanan sorunlardr. Uyelik islemleri dikkatli ve ozenle doldurulmas gereken yapdadr. Canl bahis siteleri kayt ve uyelik islemleri gerceklestirilirken verilen bilgiler site yonetimi tarafndan muhafaza edilmektedir. Herhangi bir sekilde 3. Sahslarla paylaslmas gibi bir durum soz konusu degildir. Bu faaliyetleri surduren sitelerin guven unsurlar arasnda bu nokta onceliklidir. Bahis sitelerine uye olurken hatal bilgi paylasmnda bulunmak size faydadan cok zarar verecektir. Diyelim ki bilgileri hatal girdiniz ve uyelik onayland. Uyelik tamamlandktan sonra siteye para yatrdnz ve kazanc elde ettiniz. Kazancnz sonrasnda hesabnza almak istediginizde karsnza banka bilgileri bolumu gelecektir. Para cekme talebi gerceklestikten sonra site uyelik bilgileri ile banka hesap bilgileri ortusmez ise paranz alamazsnz. Boyle bir durumla karslasmamak adna bu hususa ayrca dikkat etmelisiniz. Progressive Rising Phoenix Press is an independent publisher ALBUQUERQUE, NM, May 04, 2016 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Progressive Rising Phoenix Press is pleased to announce the release of Diamonds at Dusk by Catalina Claussen. Claussen's debut novel is a young adult romantic adventure set in southwestern New Mexico. She was inspired to write a book that portrayed the lives of adolescent teens that live in rural areas. Noting many books available in the YA genre about teens and their experiences in urban areas, an experience that her adolescent daughter is unfamiliar with living in the Mimbres Valley, she specifically set about to write Diamonds at Dusk in her town setting. "There are so many rural teens out there who search for literature that reflects their experiences, living down dusty dirt roads, surrounded by wild things." - Catalina Claussen. About the book: It's hard to miss Cascade Rose Jennings. She's the one in cowgirl boots who up until this morning wasn't interested in boys. But, on the eve of her sixteenth birthday something inside her knocks loose. His name is Chadwick Dean Holbrook, a college prep school boy from Albuquerque and Cassie's long-time "fair weather" friend. Every year, at summer's end he disappears from her Grandpa Norm's high desert ranch in southwestern New Mexico. This time, he promises to stay for Cassie's birthday. Just when Cassie thinks she can count on him, Chad breaks his promise. He leaves behind an endearing, flirtatious treasure hunt. Cassie, filled with renewed hope, stifles a pang of jealousy when she discovers, her best friend, Ahzi Toadlena, is in on it. To make things worse, Cassie meets Maverick Britton, a charming misfit who threatens to steal her heart and the gold her Grandpa has kept quiet about all these years. Maverick has a dark secret that unwittingly draws Cassie and Ahzi into his perilous world. Chad, protective of his childhood friends, knows Maverick's kind. He returns in time to rescue Ahzi and help Cassie win back the gold. In the end, Cassie realizes that her friendships, her family, and deep connection to the land mean more to her than any romance. About the author: Catalina Claussen is a founding English teacher at Aldo Leopold Charter School in Silver City, NM. She is a graduate of Reed College, Prescott College, and Western New Mexico University and long-time resident of the Mimbres Valley. She writes poetry, short story, and YA novel. To learn more about Catalina Claussen, go to her blog at: https://catalinaclaussen.wordpress.com/ Diamonds at Dusk ISBN 9781944277154 $12.95 This title is available for significant discounts to schools, libraries, non-profits, retailers, and vendors through Progressive Rising Phoenix Press or Ingram/LSI. For media requests or event bookings, please contact publisher at [email protected] Review copies and author interviews available upon request. Authors work available where books are sold including Amazon, Barnes and Noble.com Ingram Catalog, and the Publisher. Publishers Website Progressive Rising Phoenix Press is building a select list. For this reason, we do not solicit authors, but do accept submissions. For a full explanation of our program prior to submitting please contact us. All of our titles are available for significant discounts to schools, libraries, non-profits, retailers, and vendors through Progressive Rising Phoenix Press or Ingram/LSI. For media requests or event bookings, please contact publisher at [email protected] # # # May 4, 2016 | By Benedict Dr. Mark Myerson, a surgeon at the Mercy Medical Center in Baltimore, Maryland, is pioneering a life-changing new kind of ankle surgery, using 3D printing to create cobalt and chrome talus replacements. Patients undergoing the procedure have regained up to 75% normal ankle function. A reckless use of metaphor it may be, but one could easily consider the talus, the second largest of the foots tarsal bones, as the Achilles heel of the ankle. The bone is an unusual but vital part of the human skeleton: no muscles are attached to it, but it enables the foot to move in all directions. The talus is, however, particularly vulnerable to impact injuries, due to its limited blood circulation. Falls and collisions can cause the bone to fracture, and many of these injuries can lead to avascular necrosis (AVN), the death of the bone. As horrifying as that may sound, respected orthopedic surgeon Dr. Mark Myerson is pioneering a first-of-its-kind solution to the problem, using 3D printing to create patient-specific talus replacements. With 3D printing now used in all sorts of medical procedures, Myerson was quick to spot the technologys potential to assist his patients, many of whom are suffering from AVN of the talus. When patients begin to develop AVN after receiving trauma to the ankle, the subsequent deterioration of the talus can be slow and painful. Over time the bone will crumble and collapse, like a squashed orange, Myerson explained. Youre left with a flattened, painful and arthritic ankle. Usually, these patients have very few options available to them, the best being a fusion of the heel and leg. Although this can offer an improvement to some patients, surgeons such as Myerson are extremely skeptical of the procedure, as it causes the patient to lose all movement in the affected ankle. Fortunately, 3D printing is enabling surgeons to treat AVN in a more effective manner, with physiologically accurate 3D printed talus prostheses posing no such threat to the flexibility of the ankle. The first-of-its-kind procedure, pioneered by Myerson and his team at the Mercy Medical Center in Baltimore, involves imaging the patients unaffected, healthy ankle with a CAT scan, before flipping the image to resemble a healthy version of the other, AVN-affected ankle. 3D modeling software is used to generate a 3D model of a new, healthy talus, which is then 3D printed in cobalt and chrome with machinery provided by 4Web Medical. Several plastic prototypes are tested to determine the correct size for the patient, after which the metal talus is implanted. The results of the 3D printed talus prostheses have been spectacular, with patients regaining up to 75% normal ankle function with the metal implant in place. Myerson believes that this new technique provides a far better patient experience than fusion of the heel and leg. If you have a fusion, there is no movement, Myerson said. The talus replacement allows for the movement of both the ankle and subtalar joints which make moving the foot up and down and side to side possible. Myserson is hugely optimistic that the new technique could help patients to recover from talus injuries better than ever before: Ive been practicing orthopedic surgery of the foot and ankle for 32 years and it is rare that something like this comes along that help patients in this way, Myerson said. Posted in 3D Printing Application Maybe you also like: May 4, 2016 | By Alec Nanotechnologies are being developed at an amazing rate. At last weeks Technological Innovations in the Field of Advanced Materials Conference at Hebrew University in Jerusalem, a record number of new nanotechnology-based solutions were showcased. Among them was a potentially revolutionary technique for the production of nanotube sensors. Using a novel inkjet-based 3D printing technique, Israeli researchers have developed a low-cost solution for the production of carbon nanotube sensors that can be integrated into hybrid machine elements and used in small-scale electronics, such as wearable biosensors. This innovation has been developed by a research team headed by Prof. Yossi Paltiel from the Hebrew Universitys School of Computer Science and Engineering and Professor of Chemistry Shlomo Magdassi. In a nutshell, their innovation enables the development of a far wider variety of low-cost miniature devices such as sensors, emitters, transistors and other small interactive items. To be sure, nanotube sensors already exist and are important electronic and optoelectronic building blocks. Unfortunately, they are quite limited in their applications. Current carbon nanotubes are opaque, costly to produce (especially for large arrays), have to be made on rigid surfaces and cannot be easily embedded into very small objects. This limits their applications considerably, because ideal sensor applications are flexible (such as wearables) and are embedded into machine elements. Currently, processes for combining machine elements and sensors remain conventional, both in design and in practice, so that the structure and function of the machine element block are separate from the structure and function of the sensing block, the developers say. Machine elements and sensors are key components in the construction of interactive devices but in many cases they each, redundantly, measure the same physical function. Effective and small individually manufactured applications, such as wearable and flexible biosensors, are thus almost impossible to make. The Israeli research team has therefore been looking for a cost effective production solution that breaks through that paradigm, and they believe to have found it in inkjet-based 3D printing. As they reveal in a press release, their custom 3D printing solution produces fixable hybrid nanocrystal/carbon nanotubes that can be 3D printed onto flexible surfaces. This technique can even be used for sensors that are tunable at the UV-near infrared range by selecting specific nanocrystals. Whats more, it operates at room temperature and is, they say, inexpensive due to an effective use of materials and production space. While the exact details of the technique arent known yet, the Israeli researchers did say that it is easily scaled up and can be used on any type of (flexible) surface, even on cars or buildings. [It can be used to integrate] sensors into mechanical components to produce a hybrid element that is able to perform mechanical functions and sense its own performance, they add. This makes it perfect for a variety of interactive (metal) systems and sensors, including radiation detecting equipment. The carbon nanotube sensors can also be used to build a Human Computer Interface (HCI). The technology has already been patented, and a proof-of-concept has been produced. The researchers are now working to incorporate these hybrid elements into a variety of applications, including haptic devices, to showcase the technologys versatility. Meanwhile, the Yissum Research Development Company Hebrew Universitys main driver behind commercialization of research results is looking for commercial partners to assist in development. This exciting nanotechnology breakthrough is one of the many innovations to have come out of the Hebrew Universitys Center for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology. Just over the past year, they filed 86 patent applications revolving around nanotechnology, and set up eight separate nano-based companies. It is expected that this 3D printing breakthrough by professors Paltiel and Magdassi will only serve to further boost ongoing projects at Hebrew University. Posted in 3D Printing Technology Maybe you also like: May 4, 2016 | By Alec Remember the Dutch social enterprise Reflow? In early 2016, this startup revealed an interesting and economic solution for cleaning up the growing waste mountains in the developing world: a 3D printing ecosystem that recycles PET waste by turning it into ethical filament. Not only will this make 3D printing more environmentally friendly, it can also greatly improve the lives of people in developing countries by providing waste pickers with livable wages. The Dutch startup has been working hard to set up small production facilities in Africa and other developing regions, and has just launched a Kickstarter campaign to sell their ethical PET filament rolls for a competitive price. In countries such as Tanzania, almost all trash is illegally dumped resulting in shanty towns that are packed with waste. In the countrys capital city of Dar es Salaam, waste pickers earn less than $1.50 for a twelve hour day of collecting waste, which then ends up in landfills or gets burned. Whats more, the waste pickers are social outcasts that live in atrocious circumstances. Fortunately, the team at Reflow has come up with an intriguing solution: the establishment of 3D printing ecosystems that not only provide makers with affordable recycled filament, but also improve the livelihood of waste pickers. Its a solution that takes full advantage of the ongoing 3D printing revolution, that is increasingly reaching emerging economies as well. Africa in particular is seen as a growth market, where decentralized production could give a huge boost to small businesses by bypassing existing economic roadblocks. African startups can of course import expensive filament, but they are already surrounded by plastic materials. Under Reflows guidance, waste pickers can be paid livable wages to collect PET waste that can be turned into 3D printing filament at local facilities. Up to 30 percent of the profits can be passed on to the local pickers, while the filament itself can provide a sustainable boost to innovation in that same region. And, of course, the waste mountains can start to shrink. Its a fantastic concept that is also supported by Reflows excellent technological innovations. They have developed a <$1,000 extruder that can convert PET waste into filament, which is already being used in several small-scale production facilities all over the world. As the startups founder Jasper Middendorp explained, the idea was born out of his experiences in Kenya. Just seeing waste collectors, how they live, what they have to do for the plastic, and how they struggle to support their families, he recalled. It started from seeing what are the ways we could help waste collectors improve their lives, and what are the high value products we could make. For these reasons Middendorp decided to help developing countries exploit a disparity in the 3D printing industry. Even though filament usually costs more than $25 per kilogram, plastic itself costs as little as seven cents per kilogram, and can be recycled at a very low cost. Combine that with a growing demand for filament (According to a recent Gartner prediction, the 3D printer market will continue to double in size over the coming years), and theres a huge opportunity to make cost-effective recycled filament. The ambitious startup is currently working hard to expand their production facilities, and is exploring several ways to set up a sustainable economic ecosystem. 120 PET bottles can be turned into a single kilogram of filament, and has the economic power to increase picker wages by up to twenty times. The true magic of 3D printing as a tool can only be unleashed when we direct it at real world problems and put it in the hands of those who need it the most. That's why we invest 25% of our profits into exciting local manufacturing initiatives, from 3D printers made from e-waste to small scale CNC milling equipment, Middendorp says. This will, he argues, create local economic value and thus more jobs. ReFlow's first goal is to complete their first 5000 rolls of recycled PET filament made on site in Tanzania with the help of local partners. According to ReFlow, its quality is completely up to par with market standards. Yesterday, they launched a Kickstarter campaign to make this recycled filament available and gather the funds to expand their enterprise. The rolls are available for the competitive price of just 25 as an early bird special (around $28 USD). Fantastic 3D printed works of art made with recycled PET are unlocked with higher bids. If youre interested in backing this fantastic cause, check out their crowdfunding campaign here. If the campaign is successful, the gathered funds will go to extending their production capacity in Africa. The ambitious company is also looking to other cities in developing countries. We think the technology can actually mature in these countries. A lot of the problems the technology solves around distribution and transport are bigger there, he says. Over the next few years, they hope to sell up to 50,000 kg of filament. If successful, that would mean up to 6,000,000 plastic bottles are removed from the streets and up to $200,000 will be directly funneled into low income jobs. This 3D printing ecosystem can have a huge impact on the daily lives of the poorest in the world. Posted in 3D Printing Technology Maybe you also like: Scott Olson/Getty Images The presidential front-runners benefited from continued strong support among older voters in the May 3 Indiana primary. But Democrat Hillary Clinton had a weak showing among younger voters, which led to her defeat in Indiana by Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont. Donald Trump, by contrast, had consistent backing across age groups, as he virtually wrapped up the GOP nomination. Former Secretary of State Clinton retained her nationwide lead in delegates over Sanders. But compared to her recent victories in Northeast states, her Indiana performance showed a loss of support across age groups, according to news media exit polls. She won 66 percent among voters 65 and older, and 58 percent among those 45 to 64. In each case, her Indiana votes fell below the tallies she received from those age groups in the New York, Pennsylvania and Maryland primaries. Big offensive night boosts Wolves to third-straight NSIC victory The Wolves picked up their fifth win of the year, 49-20 over winless Concordia-St. Paul, improving to 5-3 overall and 2-1 in the NSIC North Division. Gold Nugget Acquisition Completed Melbourne, May 4, 2016 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Red Sky Energy Limited ( ASX:ROG ) is pleased to announce that is has now completed the acquisition of the Gold Nugget Gas Field, Wyoming, USA ("Gold Nugget"). Highlights: - Production has improved to between 150 - 1,200 mcfpd - Expected settled production rate of between 500 -1,000 mcfpd from existing well - Improved production will result in generating revenue of between A$40,000 - A$70,000 per month - Well contains between 2-5 bcf of gas with production life of 30-50 years - Well was completed for in excess of US$8 million - ROG will acquire the Gold Nugget Gas Field for US$800,000 demonstrating the opportunities which exist - Field is 320 acres and could sustain new gas wells on 5 acre spacings providing enormous leverage to a rising gas Gold Nugget is located in the Wind River Basin in Wyoming, one of the largest gas producing basins in the USA. Gold Nugget is a proven gas field with a discovery well (completed to 14,000ft in 2004), Well #1-23, has historically produced 150 mcfpd of gas and 5 barrels of oil per day. The #1-23 well cost in excess of US$8 million to complete. Pursuant to the binding term sheet entered into by the Company, ROG was to acquire a 100% working interest and [80%] revenue interest in Gold Nugget for US$800,000 through a mixture of cash and shares. The purchase price for the acquisition will be completed through a US$450,000 cash payment and a share based payment of 336,334,000 ordinary ROG shares. However as part of the agreement an initial US$100,000 deposit was spent on optimizing the existing well which is now showing returns of between 150 - 1200 mcfpd of gas providing approximate revenue of between A$480,000 and A$840,000 per annum which reduces the outstanding cash balance. Further to the deposit advanced for field optimization, ROG paid an additional A$100,000 (US$70,000) on 23rd December 2015 extending the completion date for the acquisition for a further 90 days based on the improved performance of the well. This payment further reduced the outstanding cash balance. Through the due diligence period the technical team did increase production through very strong pressures, however these pressures did caused blow out difficulties which impacted the ability to maintain constant gas flows. This was primarily why the completion date was extended. In order to achieve constant production it has been determined a compressor is required which has been ordered and will be at site in the coming weeks. It is expected the compressor will provide constant gas production which will also determine what this well is capable of producing at full capacity thus providing an expected settled production rate that is likely to be between 500 - 1,000 MCFPD. Whilst Gold Nugget will provide substantial leverage to rising gas prices, the Company will continue to assess how best to develop the asset most likely to be through joint venture. In addition to the cash payments made (which have been subtracted overall cash payment) a number of further amendments have been made to the original terms as follows; - ROG will advance a further USD$40,000 to the vendor which will be added to the funds advanced by ROG (this means ROG will have paid a total of US$210,000 leaving a further US$240,000 to be paid to complete the cash payment for the acquisition); - ROG will receive a 70% interest in GN 1-23 upon issuing the ROG shares as per the original terms as well as the funds advanced thus far; - The Seller on completion will retain a 30% interest in Gold Nugget but will be entitled to 50% of profits from GN 1-23 until ROG completes payment of the cash component of the purchase price. This equates to a further payment of USD$240,000 paid through profits from the well resulting in a total cash payment of USD$450,000 ; and - The vendors 30% retained interest in GN 1-23 will be transferred to ROG (so that ROG will own 100% of GN 1-23) upon the above payment of USD$240,000 being made. Gold Nugget is 320 acres and wells can be drilled at 5 acre spacing's, with each well expecting to contain between 2-5BCF of gas and having an expected production life of between 30 and 50 years. Due to the depth of any new well being 8,600 to 13,500ft, the Company is unlikely in the short to medium term to complete any further wells in its own capacity but will begin JV discussions in order to further develop the field. Clinton Carey, Managing Director, commented, "this is an excellent acquisition for the Company and provides a solid platform from which the business can now complete further acquisitions. Furthermore the Company is very pleased to have completed the acquisition but limit the amount of cash required, which has been substituted by profits from the asset. The Company has also been engaged with a number of parties to secure a facility not only to complete Gold Nugget but to now step forward with further acquisitions. Gold Nugget demonstrates the Company's ability to identify assets which are profitable in this environment but contain significant in ground reserves providing substantial leverage to rising gas prices. The Company will continue to assess how best to develop the asset most likely to be through joint venture." About Red Sky Energy Limited Red Sky Energy Limited (ASX:ROG), is an Australian Listed Oil & Gas Acquisition and Development Company that acquires, drills and develops onshore North American Oil & Gas resources that can be produced conventionally using proven advanced technologies and developed best practice methods. Red Sky Energy's primary asset concentration is in Oil & Gas reserves in North America, focusing on cash-on-cash returns driven by a conservative valuation methodology and achieving operational efficiencies. Sick of sitting on hold waiting for someone to provide the assistance that you called up for? Those days could soon be over after a Big Five tech company engaged artificial intelligence company Crowd Media Holdings Limited (ASX:CM8) (FRA:CM3) for their digital avatars that interact with humanised responses in real time. WASHINGTON A Republican senator said Tuesday she is more convinced than ever that there should be hearings on President Barack Obamas Supreme Court nominee after meeting with Judge Merrick Garland. But Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., made clear he is not budging, telling reporters: I think its safe to say there will not be hearings or votes. Maine Sen. Susan Collins sat down with Garland on Capitol Hill for more than an hour. She is one of two GOP senators to call for hearings on Garlands nomination after McConnell said there would be no hearings or votes, leaving the decision to the next president after voters have their say in November. He has a humility about him, Collins said immediately after the meeting. He has clearly thought very deeply about the issues confronting the courts, there was not any question he could not handle and he has a long record of accomplishment. Collins acknowledged that she is unlikely to change anyones mind on the issue. McConnell and Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Charles Grassley of Iowa have held firm that they will block Garland, a move that conservative activists have cheered. Those two GOP leaders have the backing of 50 other GOP senators this election year. Not long after Collins made her comments, McConnell addressed reporters after meeting behind closed doors with fellow Republicans. He said that Democrats attempts to pressure Republicans on the issue during the Senates just-completed spring recess had failed. The situation when we broke for the recess two weeks ago was that there were 52 Republican senators who didnt think we needed either a hearing or a vote in committee. And today two weeks later we have 52 Republicans who think we dont need either a hearing or a vote in committee, McConnell said. I think its safe to say there will not be hearings or votes. I think it is also safe to say the next president, whoever that may be, is going to be the person who chooses the next Supreme Court justice. Garland is also meeting with Republican Sen. John Boozman of Arkansas on Tuesday, and has several meetings scheduled with Democrats. Close to 20 GOP senators have said they are willing to meet Garland, though most oppose letting the confirmation process progress. Collins and Sen. Mark Kirk of Illinois are the only two who have called for hearings. Kansas Sen. Jerry Moran had also said he thought there should be hearings, but reversed that position after conservative backlash. Grassleys office said Monday that he invited the judge to breakfast, though reiterated that he would not change his mind on the issue. Collins noted that the Iowa senator had at least extended that courtesy. Lets see if after that meeting Sen. Grassley still holds to the position that there should not be hearings, she said. Collins said Garland is well-informed and thoughtful and that her colleagues would be impressed with him. She has spoken out at caucus meetings to try to convince others to have meetings and support hearings. It would be ironic if the next president happens to be a Democrat, and chooses someone who is far to Judge Garlands left, she said. ___ Follow Mary Clare Jalonick on Twitter at http://twitter.com/mcjalonick BEIRUT Indirect peace talks between Syrias warring parties are scheduled to resume in Geneva on Wednesday, the third round this year. There are two main groups at the negotiations in Switzerland, in addition to others that were invited by the United Nations as advisers. The U.N. envoy for Syria says the talks this time are to focus on a political transition in the war-torn country, but chances for a breakthrough are slim as distrust and continuing disagreements between rival factions remain deep. Heres a look at the talks: BACKDROP OF VIOLENCE The talks this week resume amid an escalation, with clashes underway mainly between government forces and militants, mainly near the northern Syrian city of Aleppo. The fighting could endanger a truce brokered by Russia and the United States that has mostly held since going into effect on Feb. 27. The first round of talks collapsed earlier in February amid a government offensive on Aleppo, Syrias largest city and once its commercial center. U.N. special envoy Staffan de Mistura said after talks with officials in Damascus earlier this week that keeping the truce was key, describing the cease-fire as fragile and stressing that all sides need to make sure that it continues to be sustained. MAIN PLAYERS The main players are the Syrian government, which is backed by Iran, Russia and Lebanons Hezbollah group, and the main opposition faction, the High Negotiations Committee or HNC, which includes groups that are backed by Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Qatar. The Islamic State group and al-Qaidas branch in Syria known as the Nusra Front are not taking part in the talks because they are opposed to negotiations and are considered terrorist organizations by the U.N. WHO IS ATTENDING The Syrian government delegation is headed by the countrys ambassador to the U.N., Bashar Jaafari, while the HNCs chief negotiator is Mohammed Alloush of the rebel group Jaysh al-Islam or Army of Islam. Other opposition groups are taking part in Geneva as well, including members of the internal opposition that has been tolerated by President Bashar Assad. All opposition groups other than the HNC were invited to Geneva by de Mistura as advisers so as not to anger the HNC, which considers itself the sole representative of the opposition. MAIN POINTS OF DISAGREEMENT The Syrian government delegation says the priority in the proximity talks should be on fighting terrorism while the HNC says the focus should be on setting up a Transitional Government Body with full executive powers in which Assad will have no role. The government says Assad was elected by the people and any talk about removing him from power is a red line. Over the past months, Syrian troops have captured wide areas from militants under the cover of Russian airstrikes. Syrian legislator and member of Assads ruling Baath party Sharif Shehadeh says the problem of the opposition is that it is still talking about a transitional government. This will not happen in Syria under any circumstances, even if this means prolonging the war for one hundred years. WHO IS ABSENT The Syrian Kurds, or rather, the Kurdish Democratic Union Party, PYD, and its military wing known as the Peoples Protection Units or YPG have not been invited to the talks. The U.S.-backed YPG has been the most effective force in fighting the Islamic State group in northern and eastern Syria. Although they consider themselves opposed to Assad, the HNC considers the PYD and YPG as pro-government. The Syrian Kurds move to set up a federal region in northern Syria has angered both the government and the HNC. OXFORD, Ala. People in an Alabama city who use public restrooms intended for a gender other than what is listed on their birth certificate will be punished under an ordinance officials passed this week. Oxford City Council President Steven Waits was quoted by news media outlets as saying the ordinance was a response to a new policy announced by Target Corp. last week allowing transgender employees and shoppers to use the restroom that matches their gender identity. There is a Target store in the Oxford Exchange shopping center. Target representatives did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment Wednesday. Target officials said on the companys corporate blog April 19 that its stance on inclusion and equality was reiterated to employees amid heated national debate over laws that LGBT advocates say effectively legalize discrimination against transgender people. The Oxford ordinance makes it a misdemeanor for a person to use a restroom that doesnt correspond with their gender at birth. Violators of the ordinance could face a $500 fine or up to six months in jail. The Washington-based Human Rights Campaign blasted the ordinance, saying it raises a number of privacy concerns and questions about how it will be enforced. Oxford Police Chief Bill Partridge said the law will be enforced like any other city ordinance, such as noise violations or public indecency. If somebody sees something that makes them uncomfortable, they would call the police, he was quoted by Al.com as saying. If the person is still there when the officer arrives, the officer has to witness the crime. Then we take down the persons information, and the person who reported it has to sign out a warrant. HRC officials said the ordinance is unprecedented in imposing criminal penalties and the city of roughly 21,000 is the first in the nation to pass this kind of law. This ordinance is a shameful and vile attack on the rights and privacy of transgender people, HRC Alabama State Manager Eva Walton Kendrick said in a statement. Transgender people are our neighbors, our co-workers and our fellow churchgoers, and every Alabamian has the right to live their lives without fear of discrimination and prejudice. Copyright 2016 Albuquerque Journal FARMINGTON San Juan County Sheriff Ken Christesen says that about the same time 11-year-old Ashlynne Mikes body was being recovered south of the Shiprock pinnacle on Tuesday, two of his detectives were talking to the suspect, Tom Begaye Jr., several miles away. Then they let him drive away. Begaye had stopped for gas at a convenience store off the reservation. The detectives approached him because he was driving a van that matched the description in an Amber Alert sent out early Tuesday. But they released him because the San Juan County Sheriffs Office had not received any information on the suspect from the Navajo Police. They didnt want to let him go because they thought they had the right guy, Christesen said. But his office had not been given the details provided the night before by the victims younger brother about the kidnapper. And without those types of details, the detectives felt they had no probable cause to detain Begaye. The Amber Alerts description did not completely match Begaye. For example, it mentioned a teardrop tattoo on the suspected kidnappers face. Begaye does not have such a tattoo. Asked about the discrepancy, FBI spokesman Frank Fisher said the Amber Alert was based on best info we had at the time. The Amber Alert was issued about 2:30 a.m. Tuesday, several hours after the brother told authorities he and his sister had been kidnapped. Christesen said Begayes temporary release and the timing of the Amber Alert were the result of poor communication between local and state law enforcement agencies and their counterparts on the Navajo Nation. Christesen has been critical of communication between his office and tribal police officials for several years. I dont want to be critical of the FBI and I dont want to be critical of (Navajo Nation police officers) on the street, but I am critical of a lack of leadership and responsiveness by tribal police, he said. Begaye was eventually taken into custody at around 7 p.m. Tuesday after a tipster notified Navajo Police that he was a sweat house in the area. Begaye has been charged with murder and two counts of kidnapping in federal court. Ashlynne Mike was found sexually assaulted and murdered around 11 a.m. Tuesday. That was about 20 hours after she first went missing Monday. Questions were raised about why the Amber Alert wasnt issued Monday evening. Ian Mike, Ashlynnes 9-year-old brother, was also kidnapped, according to police. He was ordered to leave the van, walked about a mile and was found by a passerby Monday evening. He was then interviewed by tribal police. San Juan Chapter President Rick Nez said he wants the community to improve on the way child abduction cases are handled. Right now the FBI has to get involved before an Amber Alert can be issued. Why did it take seven hours while that childs life was at risk? he said. We need to have our own Amber Alert system. Jesse Delmar, executive director for the Navajo Division of Public Safety, said in a news release that protocols were followed prior to issuing the Amber Alert. Everything was handled according to the protocol and policies in issuing an Amber Alert, Delmar said. Sgt. Chad Pierce, a spokesman for State Police, said Amber Alerts are only issued after investigators have determined a child is in danger of great bodily harm or death. He said State Police were asked to issue the alert around 1:30 a.m. Tuesday and the message was sent out about 45 minutes later. If an Amber Alert went out all the time without the vetting process it would be like a car alarm, he said. Capt. Ivan Tsosie, of Shiprock police, couldnt be reached for comment. Journal staff writer Elise Kaplan contributed to this report. Gov. Susana Martinez continues to be mentioned as a possible Republican running mate for Donald Trump, but she still isnt ready to endorse his candidacy. The Journal just received a statement from the New Mexico governors office saying Martinez definitely wont vote for Democrat Hillary Clinton, but she also wants to know more about how Trump plans to conduct his presidency if elected. As the governor has said many times, she will not vote for Hillary Clinton. Period, said Michael Lonergan, the governors spokesman. That said, she wants to hear how Mr. Trump plans to address issues that directly affect New Mexicans like how he plans to protect our labs and military bases and end the dysfunction in Washington that has hurt New Mexico more than any other state in the country. Governor Martinez wants to be sure the needs and concerns of New Mexicans are addressed by the presidential candidates, Lonergan said. Politically, Gov. Martinez is the chairman of the RGA (Republican Governors Association) and is committed to helping elect Republican governors across the country this election cycle. CNN today cited an unnamed Trump aide saying Martinez was on the Manhattan billionaires preliminary short list for vice president. A senior Trump campaign source said Wednesday that the campaigns early favorites for vice president are now New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez, South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley and Sen. Rob Portman of Ohio, the network reported. Chris Sanchez, another Martinez spokesman, told CNN she wasnt interested. The governor has said repeatedly over the years that she isnt interested in serving as vice president, Sanchez said. She appreciates that such attention puts New Mexico in the spotlight, but she is fully committed to serving the people of our state. Martinez has denounced Trumps remarks about Mexican immigrants on more than one occasion and last year called his assertion that many immigrants are rapists and drug dealers horrible. I think those are horrible things to say about anyone or any culture anyone of any ethnicity, said Martinez, the nations only Latina Republican governor. I mean, that is uncalled for completely. The Washington Post reported last month Martinez and Haley both blasted Trump during a lunch attended by about 60 Republican donors: New Mexicos governor, Susana Martinez, chairwoman of the Republican Governors Association, did not mince words: She told the crowd of about 60 wealthy GOP backers that, as a Latina, she was offended by Trumps language about immigrants. Noting her years working as a prosecutor on the Mexican border and now as a border-state governor, Martinez said Trumps plan to build a wall and force Mexico to pay for it was unrealistic and irresponsible, according to multiple people in attendance. The comments were a remarkably strong rebuke of the GOP front-runner by Martinez, who has been publicly circumspect about his candidacy since the GOP contest began. Meanwhile, the office of Rep. Steve Pearce New Mexicos lone congressional Republican tells me Pearce is planning to support Trump if he is the nominee, but that the congressman is not officially endorsing him at this time. There is, Im told, a distinction. Heres a statement from Pearce that we received tonight after asking whether he would endorse Trump. I firmly believe in the power of the people to make the choice as to who will be the GOP nominee and I will respect that, Pearce said. As elected officials, we must remember that we dont know more than the voters and we should let the people choose. I believe more in the tenacity of the American people. Trumps new status as the presumptive nominee is apparently tying many Republicans in political knots. Albuquerque will join the frontline of a strike by some 39,000 Verizon Communications workers on Thursday morning when the company opens its annual shareholders meeting at the Hotel Albuquerque in Old Town. Workers from Verizons landline phone, cable and Internet business went on strike April 13, affecting company operations in northeastern states from Massachusetts to Virginia. A contingent of strikers and union leaders from the East Coast will join local supporters in a protest outside the Hotel Albuquerque, said Candice Johnson, spokeswoman for the Communications Workers of America, which represents the strikers along with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers. Union reps and employee shareholders, who control about $1.3 billion in company stock, will also participate in the meeting to push proposals for more control over terms and conditions of executive compensation. We expect up to 150 people will be demonstrating outside the meeting, and CWA workers will also go inside, Johnson said. Our people will be there in support of a new, fair contract to make the company work the way it should. The unions have rejected a new, three-year contract proposal by Verizon that would replace the contract that expired last August. The company has offered 2.5 percent annual salary increases, but workers reject that as too little given forthcoming increases in health care premiums and changes in some other benefits such as pensions. In addition, the unions reject company demands for more contracting flexibility that they believe would open the door to more non-union hires and outsourcing of jobs to other countries. Many of those issues are likely to be discussed during the shareholders meeting, said Verizon spokesman Bob Varettoni. Its a pre-set agenda with scheduled votes on proposals, but the meetings are always open to dialogue and questions and answers with the shareholders, Varettoni said. Im sure issues regarding the strike will come up. This is the first time Verizon is holding its shareholders meeting in Albuquerque. The annual event rotates to different cities every year to provide shareholders in different regions more opportunities to participate, Varettoni said. ACAs library of educational tools help members improve their business practices. ACA also holds the most popular industry conferences and offers credentialing for collectors, attorneys, and more. ACAs Training Zone subscription gives agencies access to almost all of our education for one low cost. IDEA (the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act) regulations issued by the U.S. Department of Education in March, 1999, make it clear that attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD or ADD) is included in the list of conditions that could render a child eligible for special education services. However, including ADHD does not automatically mean that all children with ADHD qualify for an Individual Education Plan or other provisions under IDEA. According to the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP), ALL CHILDREN WITH ADHD CLEARLY ARE NOT ELIGIBLE under Part B to receive special education and related services just as all children who have one or more of the other conditions listed under the other health impairment category are not necessarily eligible (e.g., children with a heart condition, asthma, diabetes, and rheumatic fever). (The ALL CAPS wording is as it appears in the original document.) While IDEA does offer help for eligible children with ADHD, not all children who have ADHD are eligible. Even a medical diagnosis of ADHD does not necessarily guarantee eligibility of services. To qualify, the ADHD must adversely affect a childs educational performance. ADHD has various levels of severity. For some students, it is completely debilitating, requiring extensive accommodations and other interventions. Other students are more successful at managing their ADHD and have little trouble in the regular classroom. Decisions about the need for special services and/or accommodations are supposed to be made on an individual basis, with considerations given to the specific needs of the individual student. Thats why the law is called the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act emphasis is placed on the individual student. When would an ADHD student qualify for special services under IDEA? A 1991 memorandum from the U. S. Department of Education to chief state school officers describes when a student might qualify for special education services under IDEA. According to the memo, children with ADHD may be eligible for services under the following categories, depending on their unique characteristics and identified educational needs: [Easy Accommodations for Kids with ADHD: Free Downloadable Card] Other health impairment. Most children receiving special education services for ADHD alone will likely be classified as Other Health Impaired, since the regulations implementing IDEA now list ADHD as a condition that can make a child eligible under this category. Children with ADHD may meet eligibility criteria for the other health impairment; category when their heightened alertness to environmental stimuli results in limited alertness with respect to the educational environment, impairing school performance. Specific learning disability. IDEA defines learning disability as a disorder in one or more of the basic psychological processes involved in understanding and using language that impairs the ability to listen, think, speak, read, write, spell, or do mathematical calculations. Children with ADHD may be eligible for special education in this category if they have coexisting learning disabilities. However, in some cases, ADHD alone could generate the type of impairment that would cause a child to meet criteria under this category especially the Inattentive Type, which has been linked to deficits in mathematics and sensory information processing. Minimal brain dysfunction, a condition listed under this category, was in fact the term for ADHD during most of the 1960s. Recent brain-imaging studies and current understanding about ADHDs effect on executive functions (and hence on information processing) also underscore this categorys continued relevance. Emotional disturbance. Children with ADHD sometimes have coexisting emotional and mental disorders such as a mood disorder, behavior disorders, or anxiety disorders, that can adversely affect educational performance and make them eligible for special education services. Characteristics of emotional disturbance under Part B include (1) an unexplained inability to learn or to form and maintain satisfactory relationships with teachers and peers, (2) inappropriate behavior and feelings, (3) general mood disorder symptoms, and (4) physical symptoms or fears resulting from personal or school problems. Developmental delay. IDEA offers a noncategorical option developmental delay for children aged 3 through 9 who exhibit delays in physical, cognitive, communication, emotional, social, or adaptive development. At the discretion of the state and local educational agencies, schools can use this option to serve children within the specified age range who need special education and related services because of such delays. Children with ADHD often seem immature for their age lagging behind peers up to 30 percent and have been found to score below average on tests used to identify developmental delays. These results are consistent with neurological findings that are leading researchers to view ADHD as neurodevelopmental disorder. Some functional areas in which delays are evident include socialization, communication, daily living, and self-control. Social failure is so prevalent with ADHD that it is considered to be characteristic of the disorder. [How Do I Create an IEP for My Child? Find Out in this Free Resource] Children who qualify for services under IDEA will be given an Individual Education Program (IEP). The IEP is written by a team of people, including parents, the special education teacher, any regular classroom teachers who work with the child, and other professionals. It should describe the childs specific learning problems and how these problems are going to be dealt with, including goals and ways to measure progress. Children with disabilities including ADHD who are determined not to be eligible for special education services under IDEA may still be protected and served under two other federal laws: Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (Section 504) and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA). The Office for Civil Rights in the U. S. Department of Education enforces the provisions of Section 504 and Title II of the ADA with respect to school districts, while the Department of Education administers IDEA. As a child, I wasnt taught the importance of an education, let alone how to use an adjective. I lived in the projects, and it smelled of despair. I breathed it in every day. The only way out of it was by playing professional ball or hustling. My family and I never talked about school as the ticket to a future. School, for me, wasnt about classwork. I was given 25 cents and a free lunch ticket five times a week. My mama signed on the dotted line to make sure I got the lunch. I was in classrooms, but I wasnt there to learn to write or read or speak. I knew that I should sit down and not act out, or, as Mama used to say, it would cost me. Being unable to verbally express what I was feeling inside kept me angry. I was in a classroom full of for the most part learning-challenged students. But I wasnt better than them. Teachers handed out worksheets I couldnt comprehend. My classmates sat proudly in their chairs and read out loud, but an all-too-familiar fear crept up inside of me. When it came time for me to read aloud, I wanted to hide. I was ready to vomit almost all the time. I cried constantly. Not literally my tears fell inside me. I was 13 years old, and I was stuck in a rut. Some said that I was destined for the penitentiary. My Classroom Nightmare I had an English teacher, Mr. Creech, who was part of my nightmare. He knew. He knew I was assigned to only two regular classes a day, and that the one class I attended most of the day was full of struggling students. He knew I couldnt read. And he found it necessary to expose my secret. He would turn to me and say with a smirk, Anthony, why dont you read the next paragraph? I didnt know what a paragraph was. I tried to read what was in front of me. Valiantly. I saw the words on the page, but my mind seemed unable to touch the sounds. I saw the curves of the letters of the words, but I couldnt transform them into meaning. The sound of my halting voice incited laughter among my classmates and comments like You are so stupid. For years I dwelled inside my inadequacies, attempting to dismantle them brick by brick. I hated being who I was. I hated school, and a part of me believed it hated me back. Knowing my failure, though, made me reluctant to fix it; I hated the thought of reading because I knew I couldnt do it. It was a cycle I couldnt break out of. How did this happen? It was the school and the teachers who didnt encourage me, but it was also my parents, who never told me to focus on my education, and, finally, it was me for giving up. [Self-Test: Signs of Dyslexia in Adults] Setting the Record Straight I was 41 years old when I flew back to Texas to visit friends and family. On my way from the airport, my best friend suggested we have a drink at a nearby bar. As we sat down, I saw someone across the smoke-filled room. It was Mr. Creech, my former English teacher, leaning over the bar buying himself a drink. I rushed over and reached into my pocket to pay for him. Do I know you? he asked. Yes, sir, you do know me, I answered. My name is Anthony Hamilton, and I was in your fourth-period class. The look on his face told me that he did remember the boy he had once shamed. Im so glad I had a chance to see you, I said. And, Mr. Creech, I have great news to share. I told him I had learned to read. But that wasnt all. I had become a published author and a motivational speaker. I tell every person who is willing to listen, Mr. Creech, that anything is possible when you believe in who you are. [Free Resource: Understanding Intense ADHD Emotions] Then I told him I wanted him to do me a favor. He asked what it was. The next time you get another Anthony Hamilton in your classroom, please teach him how to read. As I said that, I remember thanking God for that moment to be able to come face to face with what I thought was my nemesis. I truly believe that everything we go through in life has a purpose. My Disability Has a Name The experts say that what once disabled me has a name: dyslexia. I can tell you it was something else as well. It was a lack of craving for an education. Thats far from my life today. My belly now hungers for verbs and adjectives, synonyms, and paragraphs. I am optimistic about my future. I write to be the author of my life and because of my faith in another Author of my life. If it were not for my Father in Heaven, I would possess no expression. I also write to give back. I write because of the boy in the community college classroom here in Hayward, California, who read my book, for the teacher who put my book on the syllabus, and for the people who have read me and tell me and I am truly humbled by their words that they found some meaning in what I have put down on paper. [Life Is Too Short for Shame] I worry about the casual way in which many doctors pronounce an ADHD diagnosis. Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD or ADD) is not easy to diagnose, and doctors who diagnose ADHD too hastily only perpetuate the problems that lead patients to consult them in the first place. I cant tell you how many times Ive been approached by parents who complain that medication hasnt helped our child, or that it helps, but my child is still struggling in school. In most cases, the problem isnt the medication. Its that the child doesnt actually have ADHD or has more than ADHD. In the past month alone, Ive started to treat three individuals who were diagnosed with ADHD; two do not have it, and the third has problems beyond ADHD. These cases illustrate the mistakes doctors make when evaluating patients with ADHD-like symptoms. Mistake #1: Trying medication to see if it helps. Mr. and Mrs. Q. are the parents of eight-year-old Fred. A few months ago, they met with Freds third-grade teacher, who expressed concern that Fred was having trouble sitting still in class. As the teacher explained, he often had to intervene to help Fred refocus on his work. Even then, he said, Fred rarely finishes his schoolwork. When Freds parents shared the teachers observations with their pediatrician, she said, Maybe we should try Ritalin. After months of trying various doses of that drug, and later Adderall, Freds mother contacted me. [Free Download: Its Not ADHD?! Common Diagnosis Mistakes] In my conversations with Fred and his parents, several themes began to emerge. For one thing, his first- and second-grade teachers had not deemed Fred inattentive or hyperactive. At home, Fred exhibited these behaviors only when he was doing homework; he wasnt hyperactive or inattentive at other times of day, nor during weekends, holidays, or the summer break. Clearly, Freds symptoms were neither chronic nor pervasive so the problem couldnt be ADHD. The pediatrician had jumped from description to treatment without making sure that Fred met the diagnostic criteria. As I continued to evaluate Fred, I noted that he was struggling with reading. His comprehension was poor, and he retained little of what he read. Whats more, his handwriting was iffy, as were his spelling, grammar, punctuation, and capitalization. I reviewed Freds report cards. Sure enough, in first and second grades, teachers termed his reading and writing skills still developing. A psycho-educational evaluation confirmed my hunch: Fred has a language-based learning disability. The restless behavior and inattention were the result of frustration he felt over having to cope with this disability. I took Fred off his meds, and worked with his parents to secure special education services. Guess what? The hyperactivity and inattention disappeared. Mistake #2: Relying on inconclusive evidence. Alicia, a single parent, was concerned that her 10-year-old daughter, Marie, had ADHD. Painfully shy, Marie had struggled in school since first grade. Alicia arranged to have Marie evaluated by a psychologist, who told Alicia that her daughter had ADHD. Alicia went to her family doctor, who took one look at the psychologists report and started Marie on stimulant medication. Two years passed. Despite steady use of the medication, Marie continued to have problems in school and with her peers. At this point, with middle school looming, Alicia called me. [The Building Blocks of a Good ADHD Diagnosis] I looked over the psychologists report. It included several rating scales, completed by Alicia and the psychologist, that seemed significant in indicating ADHD. It also included a computerized test (Test of Visual Acuity, or TOVA) that was suggestive of ADHD. Yet the psychologist had never taken Maries developmental history or even asked Alicia if there was any family medical history that might be contributing to her daughters social and academic difficulties. The psychologist had spent only an hour with Marie not nearly enough time to get a true sense of her issues. I learned that Alicia had separated from her husband when Marie was three and had gotten divorced two years later. The marriage had been stormy long before the separation, and the divorce was acrimonious. Alicia downplayed the impact that this conflict had on Marie. Yet when I asked Marie about her fathers new wife and her mothers new boyfriend, she burst into tears. Teachers had noted that Maries classroom difficulties were most pronounced on Mondays, and that things got better as the week went on. I learned that Marie stayed with her father every other weekend, and that Alicias boyfriend was spending weekends in Maries home. This helped convince me that Maries problems stemmed from a mood disorder and a sense of helplessness she felt about her family situation. I recommended that Marie go off medication and start psychotherapy. Maries behaviors did not meet the criteria spelled out in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual. Her problems were not chronic; they began only after her parents marriage began to break up. What went wrong in this case? Instead of taking a detailed history, the psychologist based his diagnosis solely upon the rating scales and the result of one computerized test. But while scales and tests can confirm the presence of hyperactivity, impulsivity, and/or inattention, they cannot explain what causes such behaviors. Mistake #3: Failing to consider coexisting conditions. Virginia, a 40-year-old mother, thought she had ADHD. She was restless, easily distracted, disorganized, and struggling with planning and doing everything she had to do to care for her four children. When I met with Virginia, she did seem to have a history of chronic and pervasive hyperactivity, inattention, and impulsivity. She recalled being restless and hyperactive since early elementary school. She had always been easily distracted by extraneous sights, sounds, and intrusive thoughts. She tended to interrupt people and to use poor judgment at work, within her marriage, and with friends. I found no other condition that would explain her problems. She must have ADHD. But that wasnt the end of my diagnostic workup. When someone has ADHD, theres a greater than 50 percent chance that he or she will also have a learning disability, anxiety, mood disorder, OCD, or some other neurological disorder. Given this high probability of coexisting conditions, its essential to consider additional diagnoses. And so I learned that reading had always been a problem for Virginia. She told me that the only way to retain what she reads is to read it again and again, while taking notes. She told me that math, spelling, and grammar had always been hard for her. She is perpetually misplacing things, and she cant get things done on time. When I asked Virginia if she ever felt anxious, she described a lifetime of panic attacks. She told me she is afraid of closed spaces and cannot use elevators or be in crowded rooms. When I asked about obsessions or compulsive behavior, she could not stop talking about her desire for order. She cleans her home compulsively, and, fearing that others wont be so conscientious, uses public bathrooms only if absolutely necessary. Yes, Virginia has ADHD. But she also has dyslexia and suffers from anxiety and OCD. To get better, Virginia needs to be treated for all four conditions. Knowing that ADHD often runs in families, I asked Virginia about her children. It turned out that her oldest son, a sixth-grader, has always performed poorly in school. Like his mother, he struggles with reading and writing and often feels anxious. I recommended that he be evaluated, as well. Now you have seen three ways not to be diagnosed with ADHD. I urge you not to accept a hasty diagnosis or one based solely on diagnostic scales or tests. If you or your child is diagnosed with ADHD, make sure the doctor checks for coexisting conditions. Good luck! [The ADHD Symptoms We Misdiagnose] Shakespeares legacy across theatre and film has been unparalleled. It has transcended borders and has been adapted, represented and celebrated globally. 2016 is the 400th anniversary of Shakespeares death. To mark the occasion, the world will pay tribute to the greatest playwright of all time. Shakespeare Lives a global programme launched by the British Council and GREAT Britain Campaign will celebrate Shakespeares works and his influence on culture, education and society. As a part of this programme, the BFI (British Film Institute) has curated a special international touring programme of British Shakespeare adaptations, spearheaded by well-known actor, Sir Ian McKellen. Celebrating the iconic playwrights legacy in film, the Shakespeare Lives on Film programme explores on an epic scale how filmmakers have adapted, been inspired by and interpreted Shakespeares work for the big screen. The selection includes 18 classic British Films that will travel to 110 countries across the world with the British Council. Over a period of a year, 11 of these titles will be screened across the nine British Council Centres in India. Mumbai is the first stop on Sir Ian McKellens global tour as the BFIs ambassador for Shakespeare Lives on Film. As part of the international tour, McKellen will be presenting Richard III (1995, dir. Richard Loncraine), the film he co-adapted for the big screen and starred in,which is currently enjoying great critical acclaim in the UK due to its re-release on DVD and at BFI Southbank as part of its season BFI Presents: Shakespeare on Film. MAMI Film Club is partneringwith the British Council, the BFI, GREAT, NCPA and Fountainhead MKTG to bring Sir Ian McKellen and the Shakespeare Lives on Film programme to India. McKellens first stop will be a public conversation with a undisclosed Indian superstar, scheduled on May 23 and will mark the debut outing of MAMI Film Club, which will soon roll out an exciting year-round programme of activities for the denizens of Mumbai. In its 17-year history, Mumbai Academy of Moving Image will, for the first time, be opening its doors for a year-long engagement with its patrons. May 24 will see the launch of the Shakespeare Lives On Film screenings with an exclusive screening of McKellens Richard III, introduced by its star. Kiran Rao, Chairperson, MAMI, said, I am a great admirer of Sir Ians work, and it is an honour for the Jio MAMI Film Club to be able to partner in this master class. Shakespeare has seen rich and varied interpretations in cinema over the years. This is a chance for film lovers to hear one of the most iconic actors of Shakespeare speak in our city. We could not have asked for a better launch for our Film Club! In addition, on May 25 McKellen will be the guest of honour at the launch of the 7th Kashish Mumbai International Queer Festival at Liberty Cinema. The following day he will host a schools education event at BD Somani International School and be the guest of honour at the Queens Birthday Party, organised by the British High Commission. Sharon Memis, Director West India British Council said It is wonderful to work with the BFI, MAMI, to celebrate the ever contemporary William Shakespeare with one of our finest actors, internationally renowned and award winning theatre and film actor, Ian McKellen. Shakespeares stories are universal; they transcend cultures, society and time. The many translations and adaptations of his work across the world are a tribute to Shakespeares enduring relevance and appeal. We are thrilled that Ian McKellens first visit to Mumbai will be to launch Shakespeare Lives On Film! Ian McKellen has been awarded over 60 international acting awards for his half century on stage and screen. He has appeared in more than half of Shakespeares plays all over the world. On film, he has starred in Gods and Monsters, as Gandalf in The Lord of the Rings and Hobbit films, as Magneto in the X-Men movies, and most recently as Sherlock in Mr Holmes. Ian McKellen said, I have been aware of Indiass passion for Shakespeare ever since I saw Shakespeare Wallah (1965) and more recently the outstanding Bollywood versions of the plays. This is my first visit to Mumbai when I look forward to hearing local reaction to the Shakespeare on Film season and to meeting with colleagues in the Indian film industry. Senior media professional and author Jaisurya Das has announced a bouquet of new services for brands (media and non- media) powered by deep cerebral understanding. Recognised as one of the pioneers of neuro-enabled consulting techniques in India, Xanadu Consulting Group, the 13-year-old consulting firm that Das runs as Managing Director, will offer specialised services in brand management, start-up mentoring, audience augmentation strategy and newsroom re-engineering. It all starts with a deep understanding of the way the brain works, explained Das. Our experience in the media consulting space for well over a decade has been instrumental in powering various initiatives for leading media organisations brands across the country. Having exemplified our expertise in brand management and audience augmentation for media, neuroconsulting and beyond is a natural progression for us. Xanadu is headquartered in Pune, with operations in Bangalore, Mumbai and New Delhi. Xanadu is slated to open an office in San Jose, California in Q4 of 2016. A meeting held in Delhi on April 27, 2016 between representatives of various private FM radio players and the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) took up the matter of giving permission to FM radio players to operate from an interim set-up till the time the Common Transmission Infrastructure (CTI) becomes operational. Mihir Kumar Singh, Joint Secretary, MIB, who chaired the meeting, stated that requests have been received from four FM radio operators ENIL, HT Media, RBNL, and Music Broadcast Ltd (MBL) for allowing them to operationalise their fresh FM radio channels from interim set-up till the CTI facility is prepared by BECIL. The representatives of the companies were informed that the MIB is cautious in the matter as the operators in Chennai who were earlier given interim set-up permission are yet to shift to the CTI facility at Avadi. The Joint Secretary emphasised that since time is money spectrum sold is still unutilised, early operationalisation of channels will benefit all stakeholders, including the Ministry, as annual fee realisation will also start early and, therefore, the Ministry is agreeable to allowing interim set-up subject to the following conditions: That it should be in the same premises from where regular CTI is operating; Payments to Prasar Bharati and BECIL should be made in full as per their mutual consent. George Kuruvilla, CMD, BECIL, stated that since the interim set-up will be in the same premises for which, SACFA clearance is available, BECIL will inform the WPC on the interim set-up on behalf of the operators. When asked about BECILs timelines to complete the CTI facilities, Kuruvilla said that though the target dates for all the cities is September 2016, BECIL would be able to complete CTI facilities for new FM channels in some cities in July-August. BECIL agreed to provide city-wise timelines. AN Sharma, GM Commercial, AIR Resources, informed that only single dipole, 7/8 inch cable with 3 KW transmitter could be allowed for interim set-up. The range of transmission will be 15-20 km. Operators are need to arrange for their power supply as PB will not be able to provide additional power required for the interim set-up. Also, the operation of the interim set-up should not pose hurdles for the regular CTI facilities being created for new FM channels. The FM operators will be submitting their views on the matter in a weeks time. May 6, 2016 has been set as the date for the next meeting to review the progress in the matter. Present at the meeting were: Mihir Kumar Singh, Joint Secretary, MIB SR Yadav, DS (FM), MIB Yogendra Trihan, DD (FM), MIB Prasar Bharati Sukanya Sengupta (ADG E), AN Sharma, Chandrika Prasad (DGM A&C, AIR Resources) BECIL George Kuruvilla, RR Prasad Vikas Garg, DB Corp Sidharth Verma, DB Corp Ved Prakash Gupta, MBL Shahid Ali, RBNL Mohammad Tahir, RBNL Sreekumar, Mathrubhumi Mahesh Shetty, ENIL Ravi Narula, ENIL Naresh Dhawan, ENIL MTR Foods has announced the launch of its new brand identity with a new contemporary logo and youthful packaging, personifying the transition to an innovative and relevant brand. The rebranding reflects the companys commitment to its dynamic key consumers. The new logo and packaging will come into effect immediately, with the new packs hitting the market in May. The rebranding has been the result of a growing realisation that consumer behaviour has changed dramatically in the last few years and in order to stay relevant and be the preferred choice of key consumers, the brand had to also change. Looking at the dynamic environment and consumer behaviour, the brand introduced 44 innovations in their product line in the last three years and has planned on making mega innovations a part of their ongoing strategies going forward. As a part of their growth strategy the company also announced the opening up of their new ecommerce site that will give consumers a clear access to the entire range of the companys 140+ products. Emphasizing on the need for rebranding, Sanjay Sharma, CEO, MTR Foods, said, Todays consumers have evolved quite a bit both in terms of their food preferences as well their consumption patterns. They prefer Indian food, but perceive it to be cumbersome and time-consuming. Our brand is the flag bearer of innovative, easy-to-make, nutritious and authentic tasting products that take away the time dimension from cooking and make Indian food more accessible to consumers. Further explaining the need for a new brand identity, he said, However, as a brand we needed to change to reflect who our key consumers are today. While the new brand identity better represents where the company is today, our detailed growth strategy will make MTR ready for the future. This is the new beginning for MTR Foods and we are confident that the changes we have undertaken and our new brand identity will make us a part of our consumers everyday lives. Atle Vidar, Executive Vice President and CEO, Orkla Foods, added here, Over the last three years, Orkla Foods has transformed into a leading Nordic branded consumer company that will play a more active role in partnering the growth of MTR Foods. We are very proud to be the owners of a brand like MTR and will continue to contribute to the growth of the brand with a seamless transition of best practises and consumer insights. The launch of the new brand identity reaffirms our symbiotic partnership and the path we are going to charter together. With a 90-year old history of serving authentic Indian food to Indians, MTR Foods stands tall as an Indian heritage brand. The company is a subsidiary of Norwegian conglomerate Orkla Foods. MTR Foodss diverse portfolio includes breakfast, lunch and dinner, snacks and desserts that cover every meal occasion. WATConsult, now part of the Dentsu Aegis Network, has roped in four senior team members to lead its management team. Based out of Mumbai, the team will play a national role and overlook the growth strategy across India. Kedar Mehendale joins WATConsult as AVP - Strategic Initiatives, wherein his role would be to build the Dentsu Aegis Network business for WATConsult. Mehendale has nearly 13 years of experience in Business Development, Brand Management and Key Account Management and has worked in the digital division of leading companies like Tribal DDB India, L&K Digital, Viacom18 and Portico New York. Prior to WATConsult, he was with Trivone Digital Services for a short time. Patavarayan Chettiar, who joins from Resultrix, a Publicis Groupe Company, as AVP - Media Programmatic, has more than 18 years of experience in Digital Marketing, Strategizing and Consulting. Chettiar has worked with Musafir.com and Kingfisher Airlines in the past and he would ensure Media Delivery for existing clients and grow all-India Media and Programmatic business for WATConsult. Abheek Biswas, a Research and Marketing professional specialising in the Technology and Digital domains, joins in from IMRB International. With nearly 6 years of experience in research based strategic consulting, Biswas comes on board WATConsult as AVP - Consumer Insights. In this role, he will be in-charge of all Consumer Insights & the Research division, through which he will drive custom and syndicated research and take forward all consulting initiatives. Maheshwar Bhadane, a media professional with nearly 7 years of experience, has been roped in as AVP - Video Strategy. In this role, he will be in-charge of the Video Strategy division and drive the branded content video business focusing on building the best digital video production unit in the country. Maheshwar joins in from The Glitch, a leading digital agency, wherein he conceptualised and strategized the Branded Content division. Commenting on the new appointments, Rajiv Dingra, Founder and CEO, WATConsult, said, We are very glad to have some of the leaders of the digital marketing space join us in our journey of growth. I welcome them all onboard and look forward to a collaborative growth with them. Forces converge for Emerald Warrior 2016 Several hundred U.S. and partner-nation military members gathered inside King Auditorium here May 2 for a mass in-briefing session that marked the official kick off of Emerald Warrior 2016. Emerald Warrior is an annual Defense Department exercise that focuses on irregular warfare and hones special operations forces air and ground combat skills. The two-week exercise will allow participants to execute advanced tactical scenarios and strengthen joint warfighting relationships for future deployments. The exercise leverages lessons learned from past and current overseas contingency operations to provide trained and ready forces to combatant commanders. Army Gen. Raymond A. Thomas, the U.S. Special Operations Command commander, addressed the crowd at the briefing and declared Emerald Warrior a pivotally important exercise. We have to transform ourselves through these types of exercises to prepare for the future fight that will be out there, Thomas said. The exercise is hosted by Air Force Special Operations Command, and it allows U.S. special operations forces and partner nation participants to train together to strengthen their relationships and develop interoperability for future deployments. Special operations personnel use the exercise as a way to further develop tactics, techniques and procedures for emerging concepts of special operations forces warfare. This is about interoperability, joint operations and working with partner nations to get better as a team, said Air Force Col. Michael Lee, the Air Force Special Operations Warfare Center deputy commander and Emerald Warrior 2016 exercise director. This years iteration of Emerald Warrior features more than 1,500 special operations and conventional personnel to include Air Force, Army, Navy and Marine special operations assets and several partner nation allies. The exercise will employ more than 40 aircraft and will take place in locations throughout the southeastern U.S. in Florida, Mississippi, Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama and the Gulf of Mexico. Air University wargamers battle to keep America's lights on Cyber experts from across the military, government agencies and private industry joined forces here April 27, to mitigate future cyberattacks within the U.S. The Air Force Cyber College's two-day wargame brought the CIA, FBI, Goldman Sachs and others into participation. Security experts analyzed how they handled cyberthreats independently, and how they could team to improve combat cyber incidents of national significance. "Right now, the U.S. has no clear strategy when it comes to cybersecurity," said Maj. Brian Buschur, a Lemay Center Wargaming Institute wargaming fellow. "We examine at what point the government and private security should step in with a cybersecurity issue." During the first day of the exercise, three scenarios took place for the agencies to act as they would in the real world. The first scenario focused on the financial sector, the second on cyberattack against power supplies and grids and the third was an attack on transportation. "The current policy for these organizations was used in order to figure out what the hurdles are when it comes to info sharing or the ability to act against these malicious cyberattacks," Bushur said. "We found when one organization had information that could have stopped a cyberattack, the information was not shared due to this current policy." The second day was a different outlook on how to share the information in time to stop an attack. "We had everyone on the same team and put to use a new concept to try," Buchur said. "When the information was shared freely, the cyberattacks were stopped just before causing any damage." "This wargame was as much about relationship building as it was about solution exploration," said Air Force Col. Ronald Banks, the Air War College vice commander. Banks' new concept was introduced with the idea of a possible change to the whole of nation strategy toward cybersecurity, which brings the idea of connecting different organizations and sharing the information that could stop a cyberattack. "The results of the wargame will be used to help develop a more strategic policy recommendation paper, which will be disseminated to all the participants," Banks said. From implementing this strategy, the participants will have the ability to see how the outcome affects experts' views on cybersecurity, which could lead to a change in the near future. "This is all just a proposal and there are a lot of ideas to try so the process can be more seamless than it is now," said Troy Geiger, a Lemay Center Wargaming Institute wargaming program specialist. "There is a possibility to share information at the early stages so it can work out some responsibilities on both ends. It's really just to flush out what the best way forward is." Fear. In one word, Bob Behr used fear to describe how he and most of the Jewish community in Germany lived their lives from 1933 until the mid-1940s. In that time, Behr would suffer persecution, work in forced labor, be arrested and sent to the Theresienstadt camp-ghetto with his family, and ultimately, survive the Holocaust.Following his liberation in 1945, Behr would eventually find his way to the U.S., where he enlisted in the Army, and nearly five years later was discharged and worked for the Air Force as a civil servant in the intelligence field for 35-plus years.Before 1933, when Adolf Hitler became chancellor of Germany, Behr and his family, who were very pro-German, lived a normal middle-class life. His father was a doctor who served Germany during World War I, and his mother stayed home to raise Behr, their only child.I just grew up like a normal kid, said Behr, who is now 94 years old. We went on vacation. We went to the sea in the summer time.Behr said he first became conscious that something was wrong when he was about 8 years old. His father was politically savvy and very interested in the political future of Germany, so the radio in their house was always playing.I heard things coming out of the loud speaker which I didnt understand, but they bothered me, Behr recalled.The radio commentator would constantly talk about the Jews.Jews were responsible for the Versailles Treaty; Jews were (the) reason Germany lost the war. I didnt understand most of it, Behr said. All I knew is that the content of the speech was anti-Jewish.In January 1933, when Hitler came into power, the Berlin and Germany Behr once knew ceased to exist.When Hitler was appointed the chancellor of Germany, life changed so drastically, he said. It was an immediate change. The radio broadcasts Behr remembered listening to were building blocks for what would become an anti-Semitic German society.The Nazi party immediately instituted and enforced laws that persecuted Jews.My father, a doctor, was not allowed to call himself doctor, Behr said. He was a medical expert, the word doctor was prohibited.The laws also prohibited Jews from having cars, telephones and pets; they couldnt use public transportation or buy newspapers, and the list went on from there.According to Behr, the Star of David wasnt required for identification until September 1940.Before that, no one knew, he said. But being German Jews, being raised in a society which, quote, abides the law, unquote -- Jews were afraid. No one knew that I was Jewish by walking down the street.The fear of being beaten, shot or thrown into concentration camp was enough to scare Jews into abiding by the discriminatory laws.It was a life which was dominated by fear, Behr said.Behr was also kicked out of school in 1934, because Jewish children were only able to attend Jewish-run schools.For about six months in 1936, he attended boarding school for Jewish children in Lund, Switzerland.During his time away, the Germans had established forced labor, which awaited Behr upon his return.(It was) different from slave labor, forced labor I (could live at my) home, but what forced labor meant that you had to report to an office in Berlin every morning to get a job assignment, Behr said.Since Jews couldnt have cars or use public transportation, Behr rode his bike daily to and from his job.Most of the jobs Behr was assigned consisted of hard manual labor. A few jobs included him carrying coal to buildings that had central heating, and carrying bricks on construction sites.Behrs parents had divorced and he was living with his mother in November 1938, when his father was taken away, and Behr would never see him again.Behrs father was among more than 30,000 Jews arrested between Nov. 9 and 10, 1938, during a wave of anti-Jewish violence called Kristallnacht , the Night of Broken Glass. According to the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, the pogroms in retaliation for a German officials shooting by a Polish Jew in Paris -- took place throughout Germany, annexed Austria, and in areas of the Sudetenland in Czechoslovakia recently occupied by German troops.In 1942, the Gestapo had retrieved a postcard marked for Behrs mother, revealing her assistance in helping a woman make her way to Switzerland. Behr, along with his mother and step-father, was arrested and sent to Theresienstadt camp-ghetto in Czechoslovakia.Because Behrs stepfather was a WWI veteran, who the Nazis had agreed not to kill, the family was sent to Theresienstadt, rather than to a killing center or concentration camp.During a First Person interview with the museum in 2013, Behr said his first job was to bury the dead.Behr said during the 2013 interview that people died like flies from diseases, sanitation, and when they died there was no viewing, or something appropriate.After you do this for a while instead of honoring the dead, respecting them, all you care are about how heavy they are and how high you have to throw them, Behr continued during the same interview. You know what that does to your soul, your equilibrium, what that does to you, your mental ability, when you become so raw, so disinterested from reality that you don't even think about things like honoring a dead person?During his time at the camp, Behr also helped build a railroad that connected Theresienstadt to the nearest station, which was six miles away.As the camp became increasingly crowded, the Nazis began resettling some of the residents to Auschwitz, Dachau and other camps where prisoners were not likely to survive.Eventually, plans were made to build an SS headquarters at a satellite camp in Wulkow, Germany, and 200 volunteers from Theresienstadt were selected to help build it.When the SS asked for volunteers, They added a sentence, and that sentence is why Im sitting here today, Behr said. They added a sentence saying if you volunteer to go and build their headquarters we will not kill your folks.Determined to keep his mother and stepfather alive, Behr volunteered.Behr returned to Theresienstadt in 1945, reunited with his family, and worked in the kitchen. He and his family were liberated in May 1945.Following his liberation, Behr worked in a U.S. Army kitchen in Germany. He then immigrated to the U.S. in 1947 and joined the Army. As a Soldier, he was sent back to Berlin to work with German youth activities (GYA).I was a big chief of GYA, and what that GYA was supposed to do is to educate the future German people about democracy and freedom, Behr said.He left the Army in 1952 and began working as a civilian for the Air Forces 7050th Air Intelligence Service Wing at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. However, he spent time traveling back and forth between Ohio and Germany.During the 1950s, he spent time in Germany interrogating Germans who were released back to Germany after being captured by the Soviets and held in prisoner of war camps in Siberia. Since Behr was fluent in German, he assisted with the questioning, trying to piece together what life was like for the POWs and give insight as to what was going on in Siberia. The Air Force called the mission Project Wringer.The Air Force had a brainstorm. We dont know beans about what is going on in Russia. Were going to take all these German POWs who are now free back home and interrogate them, Behr said.Aside from working with POWs, Behr was also instrumental in operations pertaining to East Germany.In those days, our big enemy was not Russia it was but it wasnt our immediate enemy was East Germany, he said. They wanted people to deal with these East Germans who are fluent in German and that how I got (roped in).Behr currently resides in Washington, D.C. with his wife of 60-plus years. He volunteers at the Holocaust Memorial Museum on a weekly basis, reminding visitors of the atrocities that were committed during his time, in hopes of preventing anything like it in the future. Both the houses of Parliament witnessed a showdown between the NDA government and the opposition Congress as they debated alleged graft in the purchase of AgustaWestland VVIP helicopters, in which the ruling BJP has directly targeted the Gandhi family. The Congress party is risking political isolation as opposition parties and the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government attacked the party on the issue and demanded investigation. The Congress, on its part, has responded with equal aggression to rebut the charges levelled against it during the debates. Abhishek Manu Singhvi called the BJP an insecure ruling party trying to foist corruption charges on persons unconnected to the scam. There are many APs in India including the Gujarat Chief Minister, Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi said as he refuted in Parliament allegations against his party in the AgustaWestland chopper deal. AgustaWestland is alleged to have paid Rs. 375 crore as bribe to secure the Rs. 3,700-crore contract to supply 12 VVIP choppers to the Indian Air Force. The previous UPA government scrapped the deal in 2014 over charges of kickbacks to Indian agents. The AgustaWestland issue also came up in Lok Sabha with the BJP demanding a probe to find out who received kickbacks in the deal for the 12 VVIP helicopters. The saga began with the controversial Member of Parliament (MP) Subramanian Swamys nomination to the Rajya Sabha a week ago surprised many, including members of the BJP and the NDA. Swamys comments in the house were expunged twice in the last one week and caused some heartburn among senior leaders. The initials AP listed in Italian court documents among those who allegedly took bribes to help Agusta win the contract for the supply of a dozen VVIP choppers to India has been widely speculated to represent Ahmed Patel, a close aide of Congress president Sonia Gandhi. Singhvi referred to quotes attributed by news reports to Guido Haschke, a middleman hired by Agusta allegedly to pay kickbacks to Indian decision-makers. Despite stiff opposition from the Congress, Manohar Parrikar told the Rajya Sabha that he only wanted to give chronology of the events with regard to corruption in the Rs. 3,600-crore sale of 12 VVIP choppers to India. Raising the issue during Zero Hour, Kirit Somaiya claimed that two of the accused in the alleged scam Gautam Khaitan and Guido Haschke were also involved in other companies and as per a SEBI report, incorporated as directors in real estate company Emaar-MGF. JDU leader Sharad Yadav attacks BJP over chopper scam. He asked BJP why are they not doing anything constructive by taking action against Congress but just indulging in lectures. Sharad Yadav said all the controversy of scam controversy is based on a court in Italy, BJP have no CBI, ED over there. What are they fretting about? Meanwhile, the CBI has started third day of questioning to former Air Force chief S.P. Tyagi at its headquarter at CGO complex in connection with alleged irregularities in the Rs. 3600 crore VVIP chopper deal. The investigating agency had earlier quizzed former IAF deputy chief JS Gujral in connection with this case. Both Tyagi and Gujral were questioned at length in 2013, but the fresh round of questioning was necessitated after recent order of an Italian Court which indicated corruption in the deal. Despite requests, the Congress-led government shared just three documents with Italy as it investigated how bribes were paid in India for an order of Rs. 3,600 crores for a dozen helicopters. Marco Maria Maiga, the judge who handled AgustaWestland Scam case told Indian government that they were hoping some papers to be sent to them by Indian government but only three papers were sent by India, case in Milan against defense manufacturer Finmecannica, adding that India shared information that Italy had already collected. His remark will facilitate an amplified attack by the ruling BJP, which has said the Congress tried to cover up a corrupt deal which involved its top leaders, some of whom, including Chief Sonia Gandhi, are named in notes swapped by middlemen and executives as they strategized to pay off Indians. Sonia Gandhis top aide, Ahmed Patel, has said the entry of AP in those notes cannot be inferred as a damning reference to him, as alleged by the BJP. The judge confirmed that he found evidence that Finmecannica had bribed then Air Force Chief SP Tyagi, who has been interrogated by the CBI in Delhi this week and has denied any wrongdoing. The Congress has aggressively argued in Parliament that the mention in documents of its leaders who were then in powerful positions cannot be interpreted in any way as hinting of collusion. The BJP says that the fact that the Italian judge considered those notes while reaching his decision is a powerful indication of their merit. Entire debate has halted in Parliament as its become Gandhi vs government battle. So, here after no action, no inquiry but allegations and attacks on each others. (Any suggestions, comments or dispute with regards to this article send us on feedback@afternoonvoice.com) The common man today is extremely frustrated because every politician keeps making tall promises only to obtain votes. After elections, people are left high and dry. The manifesto of every political party gives a very rosy picture. In reality, hardly anything is found to be done or achieved. Moreover, before and after every election, each politician and each political party blames wholly and solely the Opposition for the woes of the country. The State treasury is drained without benefits being accrued to the common man. Kickbacks, frauds, scams are a routine feature. After elections, the elected representatives hardly visit the constituencies. They are busy with everything, except possibly serving the common man. The common man is now keen on casting his vote to that candidate or to that political party who will genuinely stick to the promises made before elections. Except possibly the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), no other political party seems to have, in all sincerity, kept its promises. Whatever political pundits may predict, all said and done, with all the bouquets and brickbats, AAP appears to be the most appropriate alternative in terms of delivering promises and assurances. Hence, in the ensuing Punjab elections, AAP has the brightest chance of literally sweeping the polls, like the Delhi elections. Even in the Mumbai Municipal elections, AAP seems to be a party that will sweep the polls. Mumbaikars are fed-up with corrupt practices in the Corporation and hollow slogans of aamhi karoon daakhwan! Ultimately, Mumbaikars have realized that the corrupt in the Corporation and outside are all hand-in-glove. AAP may possibly have to use gloves in its hands to box these people out! Haresh Chandra (The views expressed by the author in the article are his/her own.) Kerala police on Wednesday released a sketch of the main suspect of the horrific rape and murder of a Dalit law student. Though three people have been detained, no arrests have been made so far. The sketch has been created based on eyewitness accounts. This is the sixth day, since Jisha, a 30-year-old Dalit law student was brutally raped and murdered in her Perumbavoor home. The Dalit student was stabbed 30 times and found by her mother with her intestines pulled out a week ago. Her back was covered with bite marks. It was only on Tuesday that the police cordoned off her house as a crime scene and brought in forensic experts to collect evidence, fuelling public anger over the crime and the lax response to it. The Kerala students mother was hospitalised owing to her trauma and shock. After visiting her this morning, Chief Minister Oomen Chandy said, I assure you there will be no lapses legally with this case. The mother of the victim Jisha had already alleged that even after being complained for that she was harassed for over a year, no action was taken to provide any security to the family, which has been quashed by the police administration and they have termed mothers complaint as Paranoia. The Kerala Government has decided to give Rs 10 lakh as compensation to the kin of the deceased girl. Chief Minister Oommen Chandy, who met the family members of the victim earlier today, said that his government would take necessary steps to meet the demands of the victims family, who have asked for a job for the victims sister. Chandy, who described the crime as shocking, asserted that swift action would be taken against the perpetrators of the rape and murder of the law student. The police have taken two persons into custody who were questioned by a police team headed by Ernakulam Range Inspector General Mahipal Yadav. Why the case has not reached to any conclusion even today? Indrani and Peter Mukerjeas custody has been extended till May 9. Peter Mukerjea was arrested on November 19, 2015, nearly three months after the arrest of his wife Indrani Mukerjea, her ex-husband Sanjeev Khanna and her former driver Shyamvar Rai, who were arrested in August. There were many media trials and almost every day one sensational story was being published. Meanwhile police also claimed that they have all evidences against these four but later on case was shifted to CBI. Now the investigating agency took enough time but no conclusion was drawn in this case. Among other things, CBI has charged Peter Mukerjea with conspiracy in the kidnapping and killing of Sheena on April 24, 2012, and later burning and disposing of her body in the forests of adjoining Raigad district, around 90 km south of Mumbai. Meanwhile Special CBI court Judge H S Mahajan gave permission to the central investigative agency to question Indrani Mukerjea, prime accused in the Sheena Bora murder case, in Byculla womens prison. A CBI official said, We had sought permission to interrogate Indrani in jail as we have got some more material and we need to confront her with that. Indrani gave full information to Peter about the conspiracy. He had knowledge and he was part and parcel of the conspiracy, special CBI prosecutors Bharat Badami and Kavita Patil argued. For the time being, CBI opposed Indranis husband Peter Mukerjeas bail application stating that he was involved in the conspiracy. Since August many theories and stories surfaced in media about Indrani and Peter but so far no conclusion is drawn in this case. The under trials in the case are languished in jail but investigations are coming up in layers. A police source told this paper its not easy case as police has no concrete evidences and CBI probe may takes years to come down to conclusion by establishing the motive of murder. Though Mukerjeas defense says its bad time for their client but soon their innocence would be proven. Peter Mukerjea, wrote a love letter to Indrani on her birthday. Dated January 3, Peter, in the one-page letter, compared himself and his wife (another prime accused in the murder case) to lovers Romeo and Juliet. Interestingly, on January 04, a day after this letter, Peters lawyers filed his first bail application, stating that Indrani befooled Peter and she was responsible for her daughter Sheenas death. Host: Vaxxed is a documentary about an alleged cover-up by the Centers for Disease Control and claims a 2004 study found a link between the measles, mumps, rubella vaccine and autism. I watched this documentary and I watched the message and I can understand both sides, but why people who are so scared your movie is about anti-vaccination, that this is whats causing the uproar. Is this about not getting vaccinated? Del Bigtree: This is not an anti-vaccine movie, in fact we are desperately trying to make vaccines safer. We have a whistleblower inside the CDC, a top government scientist in charge of looking at the safety of vaccines. Hes come forward and said that the MMR vaccine, the measles, mumps, rubella vaccinethey threw out data and they manipulated a study to cover up the fact that this vaccine can be causally linked to autism. This vaccine can cause autism. Host: So youre not saying, dont get your measles vaccine, dont get the mumps vaccine, dont get rubella, because we just had this measles outbreak in California. . Del: What were saying is, we would prefer the MMR be split up again back in the single measles, the single mumps, the single rubella, that we didnt have people claiming that the vaccine caused autism. We have hundreds of thousands of parents like Polly Tommey worldwide that got this MMR vaccine and their child descended into autism. Polly Tommey: [Billys] my second son, so I had no reason to question the vaccines. My daughter was absolutely fully vaccinated and fine. In the morning he had the MMR and by the evening he had a massive seizure and was very, very sick. The doctor said hed had a common reaction to his MMR vaccine and everything would be okay. But it wasnt okay, and its still not okay. Hes very, very sick. My concern for California children is you passed a law that means the children have to have their vaccines to go to school. How do we know which of the children are going to be sick like my son? I think its very dangerous and Im very concerned. The host asked if Polly and Del were making a distinction with only the MMR, that children should receive their other shots. It is a very confusing and scary thing for parents. Del: This is about the MMR specifically. The entire film is focused on a fraud around the MMR, but if the CDC is committing fraud on the MMR study, we do have to question their ability to test any of the other vaccines. We want an independent testing body immediately looking at all vaccines to make sure that theyre all safe, that theyre working well together. ---Look, measles affects one in 450,000 people in America. We have now one in 45 children getting autism very year. The host talked about the call to action. What should people do next? Del: Everybody needs to contact their Congressperson and say I want the CDC fraud investigated immediately, were talking about the health of our children. While we should be investigating the CDC fraud, we have Senator Pan pushing a bill making us take this fraudulent, defective vaccine. In fact, Id like Senator Pan to sit down with me at any time on television and talk about why, when he knew we had a whistleblower at the CDC saying that this vaccine was destroying childrens lives, why would he pass a law making us have to use that defective vaccine? The host asked Polly about her fears about vaccinating her third child. Polly: I would like safe vaccines. I need to know what Im putting into my most precious child is safe. Ive seen first-hand what a vaccine injury can do. Del was asked about the showing of Vaxxed in San Francisco. Del: Were selling out every show in every theater we open in. Were opening in more and more theaters everyday all around the country. Everyone that is coming out of the theater is saying, Oh my God, why is my government not stepping up and doing their job? Why have we left this whistleblower a year and a half waiting to be heard by the congress? Vaxxed is now showing in San Francisco and Berkley. I have to congratulate the reporter interviewing Polly Tommey and Del Bigtree. She went out of her way to point out that the film "Vaxxed" is NOT AN ANTI-VACCINE MOVIE. I recently wrote a story where I pointed out the fact that almost every major print and broadcast news outlet denounced "Vaxxed" as "anti-vaccine" in their headline on the movie. None of the reporters announced, like the woman at Fox2 did, that they had actually watched "Vaxxed." It seems clear that while the big news sources are slamming "Vaxxed" in a well-orchestrated effort to cover up the story of a whistleblower at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, local affiliates like Fox2 in Oakland are trying to cover this issue as legitimate news. I guess the message for all of us is that we need to have serious concerns about what NBC, ABC, CNN, the New York Times, and the Wall Street Journal tell us about vaccines and autism, but we can look to local affiliates to do real investigative journalism. One thing that needs to be part of this discussion is the safety of the MMR in the first place. Three years ago I came across the incredible film, "Hear the Silence," where Hugh Bonneville (Downton Abbey) played Andrew Wakefield. I interviewed Andy about the film. "Hear the Silence" was an incredible portrayal of the research done by Andy. The most unforgettable moment of the film for me was the comment about the fact that while the mumps, measles, and rublella vaccines had all been tested individually, there were no studies on the safety of the combined MMR vaccine. How was that possible? I asked Andy about this lack of safety research. Me: "Did they really license a vaccine that was never tested in combination? Are they really giving three lives viruses together, something that would never happen in nature?" Andy: "It is fair to say that the safety studies of the combined MMR were inadequate, certainly compared with the studies of the single measles vaccine. Two of the three MMR vaccines licensed in the UK were known to be dangerous when they were introduced and had to be withdrawn 4 years later. They were not destroyed but sold on to developing countries where they caused the same side-effects meningitis." It seems there are a lot of questions we need to be asking about the safety of the MMR. There's more than what the whistleblower alleges happened with the 2004 MMR study. Anne Dachel is Media Editor for Age of Autism. May 3, 2016 The initial reports of the Israel Defense Forces and Israel police representatives on April 27 were clear and unequivocal: Security forces shot to death two terrorists who attempted to carry out an attack on the West Bank Qalandia crossing, north of Jerusalem. Later on in the announcement, it was explained that two Palestinians, a man and a woman around 25 years of age, walked through the crossing lane designated for vehicles. They advanced toward border guards while the woman held a knife in her hand. The policemen called on them several times to halt, and after the two did not obey, the policemen shot them. A short time afterward, question marks began to appear. As time goes on, the questions multiply. Eyewitnesses present at the checkpoint at the time of the incident described a totally different unfolding of events than the laconic statement made by the Israeli security forces. Eyewitnesses argued that Maram Abu Ismail, 23, from East Jerusalem and her brother Ibrahim Saleh Tahah, 16, were shot to death even though they presented no threat after they mistakenly entered the lane for vehicles instead of the pedestrian crossing at the checkpoint. The Qalandia checkpoint in north Jerusalem, which allows passage between the West Bank city of Ramallah and Jerusalem, is secured by the Israel police. Border Guard police forces are permanently stationed at the checkpoint and are responsible for its operation. In addition to Border Guard police, security guards from a private company (Civil Intelligence) assist in maintaining order and security at the crowded crossing. Every day, thousands of Palestinians and hundreds of cars, trucks and buses pass through the crossing. The Qalandia crossing has two lanes: one for vehicles and one for pedestrians. The latter must undergo inspections and must present the appropriate documents and authorizations. Mohammed Ahmed, a Palestinian bus driver who stood at the checkpoint during the incident, told the Palestinian Ma'an News Agency that Maram and Ibrahim did not threaten the forces at the checkpoint. According to his version, the policemen and security guards were in a secured structure, at a distance of at least 20 meters (roughly 66 feet) from the two youths. Other witnesses said that the two entered the wrong lane mistakenly, the one for cars and not pedestrians. The eyewitnesses said that the two didnt understand the shouts in Hebrew by the Border Guard policemen who instructed them to stop, and were shot as a result. Witnesses told Al-Monitor that after Maram was shot and fell to the ground, her brother Ibrahim tried to drag her to a protected spot. At that point, he was also shot and killed. According to witnesses, after Palestinian medical teams reached the checkpoint, Israeli security forces prevented them from administering medical assistance to the two siblings. Maram Abu Ismail, a mother of two girls ages 6 and 4, was in her fifth month of pregnancy. Her father, Yasser Abu Ismail, told Al-Monitor that Maram was on her way to medical treatment in the Al-Maqasid Hospital in Jerusalem for routine pregnancy tests. The father explained that when a Palestinian Muslim woman must undergo medical tests, it is customary for a male family member to accompany the woman due to modesty concerns; this was the role imposed on her brother Ibrahim. According to Yassir Abu Ismail, his daughter had medical certification and went to the checkpoint with the documents in order to receive an entrance permit to Israel, to get to the hospital. That is the way it is done, he said. The person comes to the Israeli liaison with medical certificates to receive an exit permit. Even if she made a mistake, why did they shoot her? Why didnt they tell her she was mistaken, and direct her to the correct lane? After the incident, police disseminated photos of two kitchen knives and a jackknife that they claimed were on the two bodies. The Israel police statement said that the forces opened fire after Maram threw one of the knives toward them. Marams father said that it is not conceivable that a mother of two daughters in her fifth month of pregnancy would carry out a terrorist attack. He claims that the photos of the knives disseminated by Israel are fabricated. He believes that the soldiers at the checkpoint planted the knives close to the bodies of his children in order to frame them with a terror attempt. The fathers claims against the Israeli version of events are backed up by the refusal of the police to release the security videos that documented the incident. Dozens of security cameras operate continuously at the Qalandia checkpoint, covering all parts of the crossing. This incident was documented by security cameras from almost all angles. Since we are faced with two contradictory versions of the chain of events, it is self-evident that Israel should publicize the videos to prove the truth of its claims. The police explain that they are withholding the security videos because these are investigative materials. Yet such materials were publicized in the past after several terror attacks or attempted attacks. Even if we put aside this specific point and assume that the two young siblings did threaten the soldiers by hurling a knife couldnt the incident have been ended without killing them? As of the writing of these lines, many question marks regarding the incident still remain unresolved. Maram does not fit the profile of the potential attacker that has been sketched in recent months by the Israeli security apparatus. It is anomalous for a pregnant woman to ostensibly embark on a stabbing attack. This raises many questions and requires an in-depth probe. The fact that she was accompanied by her 16-year-old brother only intensifies the uncertainty of the Israeli claim. Ever since the terror wave in Israel began in October, there has not been an incident in which an attacker hurled a knife from a distance toward armed policemen or soldiers wearing protective vests. What kind of damage could such an act have? We can also assume that if she wanted to inflict harm on a policeman, Maram would have preferred to get closer to the Israeli forces in the pedestrian lane. This would not have aroused suspicions. Israel should be able to easily answer all these questions and dispel the arguments of those who claim that the killing of the two siblings was not justified. To do so, it must disclose the security videos of the incident. Israel should not hide behind far-fetched arguments that only reinforce suspicions that its version does not match reality. May 4, 2016 CAIRO Some Nubian women have left their region's villages to make their own way, either by completing their studies or seeking out new job opportunities, and have succeeded in integrating into the world outside their societies. Others remain constrained by Nubia's traditional mores and customs. Still others have gradually moved away from those traditions. Nevertheless, the bonds of marriage continue to stand, as families insist that Nubian women marry Nubian men in order to preserve the Nubian heritage throughout their lives, according to accounts given by Nubian girls to Al-Monitor. Nubia is located in southern Egypt along the Nile River and extends into northern Sudan. It is characterized by a local cultural heritage distinct from the rest of the Nile River Valley, as reflected in their traditions and customs, as well as their various forms of art and architecture. The area's geographic isolation and linguistic distinctiveness reinforces the importance of Nubian women marrying Nubian men. On the other hand, Nubian men are often free to marry whomever they desire. Some women believe in the importance of marrying a Nubian man in the conviction that they are the only ones capable of protecting them, while comparatively few are willing to embark on the difficult course of attempting to marry outside of Nubia. Asma Mahmoud, the organizer of the Alternatives Forum in Cairo, told Al-Monitor that discussion of the issue of marriage of Nubian women outside of their societies is met with severe hostility. "I found it extremely difficult to deal with non-Nubians. All of my friends were Nubians, and I was afraid to speak with anyone else," she said. "I believed that Nubians were the greatest people on the earth, but my perspective changed, and I made friends with people from other provinces [in Egypt]." For all that, Mahmoud rejects the idea of marrying anyone other than a Nubian, and in fact rebuffed proposals of marriage from non-Nubians. "I personally wouldn't feel comfortable if I married a non-Nubian, because they're alien to Nuba. We're a society within a society; we have our own unique songs, our own customs, and [more than that] we believe that our society is complete by itself. It doesn't want for anything." Regarding the change taking place in the acceptance of women leaving Nubia, she said, "Few Nubians accept the idea of a woman studying or working outside of her environment, though it's commonplace to live abroad with one's husband or first-degree relative." She stressed that "there is a sharp distinction between men and women; it's incumbent on Nubian women to be at their fathers, brothers or husbands beck and call all the time." She pointed out that "the Nubian daughter works in many areas in Cairo, but in Nubia itself, the fields [open to them] are more constrained, particularly since they marry at a young age." Mahmoud described the current generation as "rebelling" against Nubian customs and traditions. She said the youth reject some such customs; for example, the exorbitant costs of marriage that include buying about 100,000 Egyptian pounds' ($11,300) worth of gold. Mahmoud also believes that Nubians have responded to the racism directed against them in the Egyptian media over their skin color with a sort of reverse racism. Wahibah Saleh, a senior archaeological inspector in Dahshur, produced a film on the Ahwal Masriyah website titled The clash between Nubian women and marital traditions." The film discussed for the first time the battle waged by Nubian women with their families over marriage to non-Nubian men. Saleh related to Al-Monitor the story of her marriage to a non-Nubian man. "I was looking for an independent person compatible with my ambitions, and I met a poet and journalist in the Cultural Center of Cairo, someone with an open mind. It fell on me, the task of telling my family, so I moved there for a year in order to convince them. I began my battle with my father, who refused, and I used every tool I could to persuade him." She noted that she ended up having to go to a psychologist to cope with the psychological pressures that it put her under. "I married with the consent of my family, for fear of causing a break in the home," she added. Saleh justifies the stress that the Nubian culture lays on Nubian women marrying Nubian men, saying, "Part of the Nubian heritage is collapsing, with the demise of the language, and so the society is attempting to preserve its existence through its customs and traditions." She noted that "Nubian men think its preferable for a Nubian woman to marry the son of a [Nubian] security guard rather than the son of a non-Nubian minister, [even if it means] a Nubian woman with a Ph.D. might end up marrying a Nubian man who hasn't even graduated middle school." "Lineage trumps culture, especially for society's youth: It's hard for culture to hold fast in the face of habit and custom." Following up, Saleh said, "Nubian society is an open society from the inside. There is a great deal of integration between women and men. Women are not forced into marrying and have the right to live alone, but not to marry a non-Nubian." She believes that the internet has succeeded in changing Nubians in a comparatively short span of years, from when it was impossible to conceive of a change in the culture and Nubians' ideas concerning women's education or study abroad. The film she produced does not seek to encourage Nubians to opt out of the bonds of marriage from the outside. As she said, "Whoever seeks that must understand that they are fighting a long-term war." She also does not believe that the marriage of Nubian women to Nubian men is a crime, like female genital mutilation. Rather, the message she seeks to convey is, "You must choose what's right because you'll have to fight on two fronts: your family on one front and [the struggle to] choose the right person on the other." Even though there are no Nubian women in the Egyptian parliament, President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi appointed Makkah Abd al-Ilahi Abd al-Mawli as the Nubian women's representative to the National Council for Women. Fatima Imam, a translator, researcher and human rights activist on Egyptian women's issues, noted in remarks to Al-Monitor that Nubian women have suffered a decline in stature within Nubian society. Women once held authority and managed the Nubian economy to such an extent that men would be referred to by their mothers' names. But Imam has been saddened by the return of a chauvinist culture once again to Nubia, one of the consequences of the siege on the women's movement in the public domain and the discrimination leveled against it. She says she was under pressure from her family because of her studies outside Egypt and was given the choice of marriage or traveling abroad. She rejected the idea that a Nubian woman must marry a Nubian man, as this only reinforces notions of ethnic discrimination. She addresses the challenges facing Nubian women, foremost among them the issue of genital mutilation, women's weak position in political affairs and the absence of a Nubian feminist movement in the public space, as well as the Islamization of society through the imposition of abayas (loose overgarments) on women. Speaking on all of the above, Fatima said, "Wahabi culture and ideas from the Gulf have led to the Islamization of society, because many Nubians have traveled to live in the Gulf and have returned carrying Gulf ideas." May 4, 2016 During a meeting with young journalists April 15, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi reportedly said he approves of the idea of a Support Egypt political party, referring to the pro-government parliamentary coalition with the same name. He had been asked his opinion on establishing a political party, and his answer has led to comparisons with the regime of former President Hosni Mubarak, who headed the now-defunct National Democratic Party (NDP) and against whom the people revolted five years ago. Sisis answer was not definitive as to whether he would back such a party or lead it sometime in the future, raising questions about whether he hopes to establish a political party that will have his back politically in the coming period and about who the leaders of such a party would be especially considering that his popular support is beginning to wane. Sisi said in previous speeches and statements that he was satisfied with the level of popular support he enjoyed and he never expressed any desire to form a political party. Article 140 of the Egyptian Constitution states that a president may not occupy any partisan position throughout his term in office. After toppling the Muslim Brotherhood in 2013 and removing then-President Mohammed Morsi from power, Sisi received overwhelming support from the Egyptian populace. His candidacy for the presidency garnered the endorsement of many political parties and forces that opposed the Brotherhood at the time, as well as the support of state institutions. He achieved an overwhelming victory over his opponent, Hamdeen Sabahi. Yet the popular support did not last long. Now in his second year in office and following his adoption of a number of resolutions that burdened citizens politically and economically, the ranks of his opponents have swelled. Former political supporters now oppose him. The voices of young people and other citizens rise anew on the streets in chants that oppose his policies in general the latest of which came when he signed an agreement to demarcate the border between Egypt and Saudi Arabia and surrender ownership of Tiran and Sanafir islands to the Saudis. Ahmed Sajeeni, vice chairman of the parliamentary Wafd alliance, said Sisi despite all earlier calls for him to form a political support base preferred to rely on popular support. He explained that the president did not want to lead a political party or group, fearing that might hinder the performance of his duties as president. Yet, Sajeeni said, given the current atmosphere Sisi might decide to form a political support base by converting the Support Egypt coalition, which garnered a parliamentary majority in the current House of Representatives, into a full-fledged party. Current events raise legitimate fears that Sisi's regime could be transformed into one similar to that of Mubarak, who led the country via his presidency of the NDP, which was ordered dissolved after the 2011 January 25 Revolution. Sajeeni said those fears are unfounded: Mubaraks experience with the NDP shall not be repeated, for society has changed, and a repeat of the same experience is unlikely. Sajeeni also said he expects the Support Egypt coalition to be tasked with forming such a party in the future, particularly considering that Egypt needs strong political parties to bolster its stability. He stressed the need for all parties to participate in the political development process once the state embarks on such an undertaking. Parliament member Osama Haikal, a leader of the Support Egypt coalition who enjoys strong relations with the state, told Al-Monitor that converting the coalition into a political party is not currently on the table and that he prefers postponing that issue to a later date. Tarek al-Khouli, a young member of the Support Egypt coalition, said the presidents discussions with young reporters related to his vision of Egypts future political structure aimed at developing and empowering current parties, leading to democratic stability and subsequent transfer of power. Khouli criticized current parties, which he said are weak and incapable of orderly transfers of power. He stressed the need to establish new parties, while endeavoring to develop the existing ones as bases for larger parties, on the condition that party-building be centered around ideals and not particular people. The young man, who became a parliament member by being included on the Support Egypt electoral lists, observed that the Egyptian parliament's majority currently comprises nonpartisan, independent members, a development that he said is novel and inappropriate at this critical stage of Egyptian history. Khouli noted that the constitution stipulates formation of a quasi-presidential system of governance, making the state in need of strong parties. He continued, In the absence of sound political parties and a healthy political infrastructure and the political vacuum that would result [from that absence] the re-emergence of extremist movements and their assumption of power remains a threat to Egypt. Khouli also confirmed that there has been no internal decision to convert the coalition into a political party, though he does endorse the idea. He said the issue is subject to political negotiations. Will Support Egypt become the president's party? We now need to build a political support system to back the whole of Egypt and not a particular person," Khouli replied. "No president will remain in power forever, for under the Egyptian Constitution the maximum term in office is eight years. May 4, 2016 Tehran police chief's recent announcement about the dispatch of 7,000 undercover morality agents has stirred much criticism in Persian-language media and social networks. The backlash is mostly focused on the social costs of the undertaking; namely, the violation of privacy and civil liberties, the possibility for ethical abuse and the creation of distrust among people. There are also concerns about the ambiguities of the project, such as the method of targeting, training and operation of the undercover agents, as well as the legality of their activities. In his election campaign, President Hassan Rouhani had promised, "I will work with the police in order to make sure that there is real security in society, and I will not allow any unknown or unidentified agent to question people." This pledge is now being doubted, though based on the administration's statements, it appears that concerns and criticisms similar to those raised in the media are also being brought up within the presidency. Rouhani has emphasized, "People's freedom cannot be limited by anything other than the law. Not even the administration or the judiciary can limit people." He has also promised that his administration will "do everything within its executive power" regarding this issue. Morality patrols, distinguished by their white and green vans and usually escorted by a police vehicle first appeared in the streets in 2007. The patrols were part of the Hijab and Chastity Promotion Plan, which then President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad had submitted to law enforcement services and was subsequently implemented as part of the Plan to Increase Societal Security. Now, almost a decade later, 7,000 undercover agents have been added to the existing morality patrols. They are tasked with identifying harassment of women, noise pollution, removal of the mandatory headscarf while in a vehicle and street performances. They are then supposed to text message the violator's personal details, including license plate number, to the police's morality division. Al-Monitor spoke to prominent Iranian lawyer Mohammad Saleh Nikbakht about this development. He said that as far as the Iranian legal system is concerned, the formation of the undercover force comes with a lot of ifs and buts. "Duties assigned to these 7,000 individuals do not fit within the framework of any legal description of the duties of the law enforcement bodies." According to Nikbakht, articles 28-62 of the Criminal Procedure Code define the entities that are responsible for law enforcement and explain the limits of their authority and duties. "The law enforcer is that in whose care a suspect is entrusted in order to investigate the circumstances of the case after a crime has been committed," Nikbakht said. "However, based on the announcement made by the law enforcement services, these undercover agents are not allowed to even talk to the offenders and can only report incidents to judicial authorities." Nikbakht told Al-Monitor he does not consider the undercover agents as law enforcers or security officers, "They are simply reporters of possible offenses and activities who report to judicial authorities or the official law enforcement bodies." According to the Law of the Foundation of Law Enforcement, which was passed in 1990, law enforcement services are under the supervision of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who is also the commander in chief of the armed forces. Usually, with the formation of each new Cabinet, the supreme leader delegates this authority to the minister of interior and appoints him as his deputy in the Law Enforcement Agency. Mahmoud Rahmani Fazli currently holds this position. This dynamic has become a point of contention between the administration and its critics in the debate over the undercover agents. The question is, can the minister of interior legally interfere in this matter? According to Nikbakht, in the absence of a clear specification of the law regarding the formation of these undercover patrols, and considering that the Ministry of Interior is in charge of supervising the organizational activities and the funding process of the law enforcement service, Fazli can "restrain" these undercover agents until the relevant laws have been passed. Another ambiguity surrounding the matter is the necessary coordination between the police and the judiciary. It is the duty of the Tehran prosecutor's office to issue provisions for these agents as law enforcers. However, according to Nikbakht, the judiciary is duty bound to uphold people's rights and ensure their safety. He told Al-Monitor that such duties are in contrast with having "undercover law enforcements. This is a gross violation of people's rights, which is emphasized upon and guaranteed in the Constitution and other laws." Haleh Mirmiri, a cultural studies expert and sociologist, highlighted violations of people's freedoms and also increasing violations of privacy in an interview with Al-Monitor. Mirmiri described the undercover agents as "private eyes or cameras" that have become a "capillary network" among marginalized members of society. She told Al-Monitor, "Previous supervision [of morality] was unsuccessful as people resisted it. This new form of supervision is just a weakened version of the old one. The political establishment keeps instilling censorship in people up to a point where eventually there will not be a clear means of distinguishing between 'self' and 'other,' and we start to become suspicious of even ourselves. In such a society, even one's own parents can be undercover morality agents." In Mirmiri's telling, the most damaging aspect of the new policing project is the harm to what she called "social capital." She told Al-Monitor that the telltale signs that identify the people watching your conduct "are no longer people's outfits and appearances. For instance, having facial hair, staring at the ground and wearing loose shirts and pants can no longer be indicative that the person is a representative of the establishment. Now, even people who dress like we do can use aggressive speech against us [to enforce moral codes]. When the means of social navigation are removed, security and trust will be damaged as a result." Mirmiri believes that the patriarchal structures in Iran will make things more difficult for women. "I doubt that this issue will result in the formation of a serious resistance movement among women activists in a focused and organized way. However, if this project continues for an extended period, women have to upgrade their group and individual techniques to avoid the [undercover] agents. They can no longer only bypass alleys and streets to avoid agents, since they now no longer know who it is that they should avoid." May 4, 2016 Muqtada al-Sadr played a prominent part in the memoirs of the US civil administrator of Iraq between 2003-2004, Paul Bremer, with the latter describing the former as difficult to decipher and not easy to deal with, when compared to other opponents of the United States in Iraq. And now, more than one decade later, Sadr remains the preeminent troublemaking political leader, whose unexpected decisions surprise his challengers and rivals alike. Sadr enjoys widespread popularity among Shiites and hails from a religious family with great influence among the populace a family that lost two great religious leaders killed by Saddam Hussein's regime, namely Muhammad Baqir al-Sadr (1935-1980) and Mohammad Sadiq al-Sadr (1943-1999). His lineage thus afforded him great social legitimacy, allowing him to wield extensive power that changed existing political equations in unexpected fashion, as he imposed his will on the overall political process. Thanks to this legitimacy and as a result of his political and social influence Sadr skirted a 2003 arrest warrant issued in his regard by a judge in the Najaf court on charges of being involved in the assassination of prominent Shiite leader Sayyid Abdul-Majid al-Khoei on April 10, 2003. He also managed to avoid arrest by US occupation forces following his involvement in the killing of a number of troops belonging to these forces, following attacks by the armed resistance movement, Jaish al-Mahdi. US forces were unable to capture him, given his popularity in the Shiite street. He then moved to Iran and stayed there until 2011. In addition, the Sadrist movement cast the winning vote in Nouri al-Maliki assuming the countrys premiership for two terms in 2006-2014, as Sadr supported Maliki against the candidates of other blocs of the Iraqi National Coalition, which was then tasked with nominating a prime minister. Later, Sadr played a leading role in preventing Malikis ascension to power for a third term in 2014. In mid-2015, as the tempo of popular demonstrations rose in Shiite cities against state corruption and mismanagement, Sadr stood with demonstrators to call on the Iraqi government to reform. Meanwhile, the Sadrist movement that he leads had 34 lawmakers in Iraqs 328 seat parliament, 43 seats out of a total of 440 local council seats, and three key professional and service portfolios in the current Cabinet, including the Ministry of Commerce, the Ministry of Municipalities, and the Ministry of Construction and Housing. Ironically, the Sadrist movement was a main participant in corruption and a contributor in the failures that Sadrs followers were demonstrating against with other protesters he was part of the government while concurrently opposing said government. But his adoption of the protest movement and the provision of political and security support therefore have overshadowed all of that. This situation afforded him larger popular support as a leader who opposes the government and garners respect from the Iraqi people regardless of their orientation, including secularists. Consequently, the civic protest movement was transformed into a Sadrist protest movement due to his support. As the demands of protests matured and evolved, Sadr moved from calling for anti-corruption measures and the provisioning of services, to demanding the formation of a technocratic government. He thus relocated the protests to the gates of the Green Zone and personally led them, pitching a tent for himself among the throng of demonstrators on March 27. In a symbolic move to express their loyalty, security forces tasked with protecting the Green Zone including Gen. Mohammad Reza, the commander of the Green Zone Protection Brigade headed to Sadr's tent to pledge their loyalty. Sadr and his supporters sit-ins continued until Iraqs Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi acquiesced and submitted a technocratic Cabinet formation for adoption by parliament on March 31. As parliament delayed voting on Abadis proposed Cabinet, Sadr called on his MPs to organize a sit-in inside parliament on April 12. In an attempt to circumvent Sadrs move, lawmakers from the Maliki-led State of Law Coalition joined the protests, leading to their demands mutating to dismissing Speaker Salim al-Jabouri and demanding the sacking of the president and prime minister instead of backing Abadis efforts to push for the adoption of a technocratic Cabinet. Subsequently, Sadr sabotaged Malikis attempts to order the withdrawal of his parliament members from the sit-in on April 20 and offered his support to the speaker, thus allowing Jabouri to resume his duties and continue deliberating Abadis proposed Cabinet. Sadr was not satisfied with the partial April 26 parliamentary vote on a technocratic Cabinet of only six ministers, and he called on his supporters to storm the Green Zone and demonstrate inside parliament in order to pressure the government and parliament to vote on a complete Cabinet of technocrats. The protesters were met with open gates and warm welcomes from some of the forces tasked with protecting the Green Zone, where protesters remained for two days. Yet despite the peaceful atmosphere that accompanied the storming of the Green Zone, a number of parliamentarians were beaten and cursed while Sadrist movement lawmakers were embraced and carried on the shoulders of protesters who raised slogans that included chants against the United States and Iran such as Death to America and Iran out of Iraq, calling on them to stop meddling in Iraqi affairs. The incident shocked Iraqi politicians, leading some analysts to characterize the event as a de-facto coup. Sadrs latest behavior seems to reflect the ambiguity and volatility of his political demands. The man mutated from a religious militia leader demanding the establishment of an Islamic rule to a reformist calling for a government of independent technocrats unaffiliated with any religious parties. In addition, his political conduct and the internal and external alliances that he entered into saw a great deal of change, for he went from allying himself with Maliki to deposing him and from a man exiled to Iran and backed by Tehran to a nationalistic leader who opposed Irans influence in Iraq. In this sense, Sadr represents a great challenge to other influential political and religious forces in Iraq justifying the description espoused by analysts in his regard as the most dangerous man in Iraq due to his falling out with the traditional religious authority in Najaf, Ayatollah Ali Sistani, who contented himself with issuing general guidelines on Feb. 5, 2016, while refraining from directly interfering in political affairs. The criticism against Sadr was also due to his animosity toward the United States because of its capacity as the most influential foreign force in Iraq, as well as his opposition to Iran as the most influential regional force in Iraq. Yet at the same time Sadr represents an opportunity for Abadi to effectuate balance with other political forces by exploiting Sadrs popular protest movements, calling for the adoption of an independent Cabinet of technocrats that would lead to Abadis emancipation from the dominance of parties over his government through their ministers. All of the foregoing demonstrates the existence of a high level of pragmatism in Sadrs political conduct, allowing him to reinvent himself as a populist political and religious leader possessing an enormous level of political dynamism. This is while he continues to exploit the current protest movement to expand his sphere of influence, leading to him to becoming the undisputed leader on the Iraqi political scene. May 4, 2016 Since the outbreak of Palestinian unrest in October, attacks on Israelis have been mainly individual and driven by personal motives. Knives have been the main weapons used, with guns appearing only occasionally. This is why the unrest is called "the individual intifada," given the absence of any organizing party. However, a bus bombing April 18 in Jerusalem that wounded 20 Israelis turned out to be a Palestinian operation carried out by Abdel-Hamid Abu Srour, 19, of Bethlehem. Abu Srour died from his wounds two days later. Hamas waited until April 21 to issue an official statement mourning Abu Srour, who was a member along with three close relatives Maher, Mahmoud and Nasr Abu Srour. The relatives were accused in the 1993 death of an Israeli intelligence officer in West Jerusalem during the first intifada. Also, masked men wearing the uniform of Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, Hamas' armed wing, attended the mourning for Abu Srour and vowed to carry out more operations against Israel. The last time masked men appeared in the West Bank was probably in 2007. Still, Hamas did not claim responsibility for the bus bombing, raising questions about its reluctance especially since it staged a rally April 28 celebrating the attack. Husam Badran, Hamas spokesman and its former military commander in the northern West Bank, told Al-Monitor, "The Jerusalem operation is a natural development that comes in response to the escalating Israeli occupation crimes. These operations are performed based on field developments. Hamas members follow the movement's policy, which consists of resisting the occupation by all means. Groups that carry out such operations do not ask for the group's permission and are not asked to wait for anyone's approval in the movement. Hamas is honored to have its men in the West Bank at the forefront of the confrontation with the occupation." A couple of hours after the April 18 bombing, Palestinian forces rushed to issue an official statement welcoming the operation. Chief among these forces were Hamas, the Islamic Jihad, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine and the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine. The groups said such an attack was expected, given the Israeli army's ongoing killing of Palestinians and Israeli settlers' storming of Al-Aqsa Mosque. The operation, the statement said, shows that the unrest will continue. Fatah, which is led by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, did not issue a formal statement, but a spokesman in Jerusalem echoed the other groups' stance April 18. He added, however, that Palestinians are not looking for and do not want violence. A Palestinian official close to Abbas told Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity, "The Jerusalem operation has taken us back to square one, when the Israeli army invaded the West Bank as part of Operation Defensive Shield at the very beginning of the second intifada in 2002. This is a clear Palestinian setback" that intensifies the Israeli military's scrutiny "at a time when the Palestinian Authority [PA] is making efforts to take out the army from these territories." "Also, the Jerusalem operation proves our security analyses [that show] Hamas is seeking to establish calm in the Gaza Strip and create tension in the West Bank in a bid to weaken the [rival] PA," he added. Meanwhile, the Israeli security service Shin Bet arrested a six-member Hamas cell in Bethlehem on April 21 for the Jerusalem attack. The same day, the Israeli army announced the arrest of Ibrahim Haddad from Jerusalem, the owner of two blacksmith shops that allegedly make explosives and roadside bombs. Hamas still has not claimed responsibility for the operation, prompting Israeli security services to believe that the movement does not want to be dragged into a new war in the Gaza Strip, as happened in June 2014 when the movement kidnapped three Israeli settlers in Hebron. That action prompted Israel to launch a war in Gaza that lasted more than 50 days. However, Hamas is calling for operations against Israel everywhere to revive the unrest, and it sees the Jerusalem operation as an incentive for Palestinians to carry out similar attacks. Nashat al-Aqtash, a professor of media and political science at Birzeit University in the West Bank, told Al-Monitor, "It is difficult to determine whether or not the Jerusalem operation was individual or organized, in light of the security pressure placed by the PA and Israel on the West Bank, but Hamas is clearly pushing toward such operations against Israel in a bid to revive the intifada." At the same time, he said, Hamas is trying to avoid repercussions by not claiming responsibility. "Also, there is a high probability that such an operation could be carried out again in the event Israel continues its intransigence toward Palestinians." It seems that Hamas is making precise calculations in this critical phase with Israel. It probably knows that it ought to weigh the pros and cons carefully before taking any political steps or making media appearances. Yet Hamas has not disavowed the attack, either; it apparently wants to preserve its popularity among Palestinians, most of whom in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank want the current Palestinian attacks to turn into an armed intifada, according to the latest poll conducted by the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research in March. May 4, 2016 During a May 2 speech to Iranian teachers, Irans Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned about the designs of an "international hegemonic system" led by the United States, Israel and other hostile countries. He said this system has designs to change the culture of Iran's youth into one that is not Islamic or indigenous. As an example of this phenomenon, Khamenei raised the issue of the promotion of English in Iranian schools. While English language classes are mandatory for high school students in Iran, Khamenei is concerned that even some kindergartens are teaching English now. Khamenei clarified that he is not opposed to learning a foreign language, but for him "the prime issue is the promotion of a foreign language among children, adolescents and youth." President Hassan Rouhani, who has promised more engagement with the West as a means to improve Iran's struggling economy, addressed Khamenei's comments about foreign language education during a May 4 speech. "The other day at a meeting of the Supreme Cultural Council, comments about the supreme leader's statements were exchanged," Rouhani said. "The question was presented, Why is it that in Europe students must learn two additional languages in addition to their own language but in this field we are one step behind?" He added, "However much we can familiarize our youth with other languages of the world, we have opened a new window of science, knowledge and understanding of the world to them." As an example of a country that has been able to use the education of a second language to its economic advantage, Rouhani brought up the case of India. "Today, because of its proficiency in English, the Indian subcontinent, with a population of more than 2 billion, appears to be greatly successful in the field of information technology." Rouhani emphasized, "We must learn a language that will create more jobs for the future generation and strengthen our economic relations." While these differing viewpoints between Khamenei and Rouhani are not a major political crisis, they offer a view into how the two leaders see Iran's place in the world. The Western-educated Rouhani sees an Iran that is part of the global economy, particularly with Western countries. Khamenei, who has not left the country since becoming supreme leader in 1989, has instead promoted the domestic-based "resistance economy" to address Iran's economic issues. Since Rouhani's May 4 comments, conservative media have rallied behind the supreme leader with editorials about the need to "break the monopoly of English" language education in Iranian schools and criticized Rouhani's "simplistic assumptions" about language education. Iranian officials also interjected into the debate. "That Rouhani sees words as a function of progress shows his lack of understanding of the philosophy of language and science," conservative member of parliament Mohammad Nabavian said May 4. "A bigger problem is that what Rouhani talks about, not only does he not have any expertise, but the consultations of the Westoxified was completely influential on him." Nabavian's remark about the "Westoxified," literally in Persian West-struck-ness, is a reference to Iranians who forego Iranian culture in favor of Western culture and is directed at Rouhani's Cabinet, many of whom have studied in the West. Nabavian said that Rouhani was repeating the statements of Reza Pahlavi, the Iranian monarch from 1925 to 1941, and instead of finding controversies to distract the public, the president should focus on the "damages of the nuclear deal and the youth who have become unemployed" under his administration. May 4, 2016 ISTANBUL, Turkey Before the Syrian regime launched an offensive in Aleppo in April, the "cessation of hostilities" that went into effect Feb. 27 had noticeably reduced civilian deaths although riven with violations. In the first five days alone, more than 180 violations of the agreement brokered by the United States and Russia were documented, and vast swaths of territory were excluded from the cease-fire. As of the end of 2015, the Syrian civil war had killed at least 470,000 people, according to some estimates, with the vast majority of civilian deaths caused by government attacks. Islam Alloush, spokesperson for rebel faction Jaish al-Islam, told Al-Monitor in an interview in Istanbul that the cease-fire had been good for the country from the standpoint of lowering civilian deaths, but it had been "negative" militarily for the opposition forces. "In the countryside of Damascus, in eastern Ghouta and Daraya, the regime never agreed to a cease-fire," said Alloush, who had been an officer in the Syrian military prior to joining Jaish al-Islam. "I think the regime got involved in the cease-fire to stop fighting in other areas in order to concentrate on these areas, given their strategic importance." Ghouta was the site of the chemical weapons attacks on Aug. 21, 2013, that killed several hundred people. The eastern section has been under seige by government forces for more than three years. Eastern Ghouta was subject to a 24-hour "regime of silence" that began April 30. According to an April 29 statement by Michael Ratney, the US envoy for Syria, the cease-fire was hashed out by the United States and Russia as part of a "recommitment" to the original cessation of hostilities. The same agreement called for a 72-hour cessation of hostilities further north, in the northwestern coastal province of Latakia. In light of the regime's ongoing bombing of Aleppo, 42 opposition factions reportedly signed a statement April 30 rejecting the regime of silence and all "regional truces." In late March in southern Turkey, Mohammad Haj Ali, a major opposition leader in Latakia and commander of the Free Syrian Army's (FSA) First Coastal Division, had told Al-Monitor that the Russians, Syrian regime and allied forces had continued using ground troops, barrel bombs and artillery in Latakia's mountains, even after the cessation of hostilities went into effect and after Russia announced on March 15 that it was withdrawing some of its forces. Haj Ali also said that his group, at that time operating primarily in Latakia against regime and allied troops, had nonetheless complied with the cease-fire. Rebel groups later launched an offensive in Latakia, on April 18. Haj Ali informed Al-Monitor in a message on May 1, "We could not progress, but we have maintained our areas." In a subsequent exchange of messages, the FSA commander said there had been violent fighting in the hours leading up to the 72-hour regime of silence in villages in Jabal Akrad, where his men were fighting. Some of them died in the battle. Haj Ali added that some 30 men from the First Coastal Division had been killed since the cessation of hostilities went into effect and that another 50 had been injured. Meanwhile, further complicating the situation on the ground was the growing conflict north of Aleppo between predominantly Sunni Arab opposition groups and the Kurdish-dominated, US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), sometimes seen as regime collaborators and at other times as part of the opposition. A leader of an FSA faction active north of Aleppo against the Islamic State (IS) to the east and the SDF to the west spoke to Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity during a brief stay in southern Turkey in April, prior to returning to combat. He said that the cease-fire was useless, stating, "We are still fighting the regime, in the form of the YPG [the Kurdish People's Protection Units]. It's the same thing." YPG fighters represent an overwhelming majority in the SDF. Asking to be identified as Abu Osama, although known in Syria by a different name, the FSA leader said the Kurdish fighters were "doing the regime's work for it" by fighting opposition groups and taking territory from them. In late April during battles between rebel fighters and the SDF in the northern city of Tel Rifaat, which the SDF had taken from opposition forces, Kurdish fighters paraded the corpses of opposition fighters through the city of Afrin. In early April in a border town in southern Turkey, several members of the FSA's Fastaqim Kama Umurt faction, which mainly operates in Aleppo province, had told Al-Monitor that the cease-fire was not a good thing. When asked how it could be considered negative if it was saving civilian lives, one fighter, who requested anonymity, replied, "The fighters are losing the will to fight. It's been dragging on for years now. And our main goal of getting the criminal regime to fall needs to be focused on." Ammar Selmo, former head of an Aleppo branch of the Syrian Civil Defense, told Al-Monitor on May 1 that in the preceding weeks, prior to the regime's renewed bombing campaign, "Life [had] returned to the streets and the markets." Peaceful street protests had also resumed in many opposition areas, such as Aleppo and Idlib, both against the regime and against the more extremist armed groups of the opposition. UN envoy Staffan de Mistura said on April 27 that the cease-fire was barely alive, especially after targeted attacks on hospitals and rescue workers in opposition areas killed large numbers of civilians in the preceding days. He urged Russia and the United States to work together to salvage the agreement. Russia replied on April 30 that it would not ask the Syrian regime to halt attacks on opposition-held Aleppo. Days later, on May 2, US Secretary of State John Kerry spoke with foreign dignitaries in Geneva in an attempt to extend the cease-fire to Aleppo, and de Mistura traveled to Moscow May 3 to meet with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov for the same purpose. On May 4, Washington and Moscow announced that they had "concluded arrangements" to extend the cessation of hostilities. May 4, 2016 During his first decade in power, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan won widespread respect as a mediator working to resolve international issues. He largely settled Turkeys problems with neighboring countries, advocated democratic values and presided over a dynamic economy, cashing in on the reputation he had earned. From 2002 through 2012, Turkeys exports increased fourfold, from $36 billion to $152 billion, boosting economic prosperity and employment in the country. In recent years, however, the tide has turned. Erdogans new problems with neighbors sounded alarm bells for exports, which have dropped to $144 billion. In a medium-term economic program announced at the end of 2015, the governments projection for this years exports was $155.5 billion. The data from the first four months of 2016, however, show that this target is nothing but a dream, with Turkish companies destined to sell even less to international markets this year compared with 2015. According to figures from the Turkish Exporters Union (TIM), exports for the period January-April dropped 8.4%, or $4.2 billion, compared with the same period last year. Yet, one sector stands out in this otherwise gloomy picture: the defense and aviation industry. Exports by Turkish defense companies reached $556 million in the first four months of the year, a 23% increase, up from $460 million for the same period last year, according to TIM. Latif Aral, head of the Defense and Aviation Industry Exporters Union, told Al-Monitor, I guess well go over the $2 billion mark this year, setting an all-time record. The revenues of Turkish defense companies have risen from $800 million to $1.6 billion over the past five years. The Turkish defense industry provides a wide range of products and services, from advanced satellite systems to boots, Aral said. Investment in the sector has increased product variety, thanks to which new export items are being added to subproduct groups. With the advantage of such a broad portfolio, we are able to enter new markets more easily. The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute lists Turkey, which has NATOs second-largest standing army, as the worlds seventh-largest arms importer and the worlds 16th-largest arms exporter in terms of sales. The countrys arms imports total $2 billion to 2.5 billion per year. As recently as 15 years ago, Turkey spent much more on such imports. A comprehensive drive to expand the local defense industry since the early 2000s has led to a significant reduction in money spent on foreign-made weapons and equipment. In an April 30 ceremony in Istanbul marking the start of construction on Turkeys first assault ship, the TGC Anadolu, Erdogan said, Our reliance on [defense imports] has decreased to about 40%, from 80% in 2002. Our target is to bring this down to zero at the centenary of the republic [in 2023]. Well not only be meeting our own needs, but well also become the main supplier of friendly and brotherly countries. Turkeys defense industry bureaucracy adopted quite a simple road map in its drive to reduce spending on imports and produce critical weapons and equipment domestically: Instead of buying weapons, manufacture them in Turkey when possible, and if not, ensure technology transfers through joint production. Turkish defense companies have teamed up with Italian counterparts to produce assault helicopters and with Spanish counterparts for cargo planes and the assault ship, and talks on air defense systems are underway with US and European firms. The Turkish defense sector has already put a domestically produced warship to sea and is preparing to put a main battle tank in the field. A domestically produced infantry rifle and a drone have been tested successfully and are being showcased at international fairs. Figures place the United States at the top of the Turkish defense companies' client list, with the Americans paying $30 out of every $100 the industry earns from exports. Turkish defense exports to the United States amount to $500 million a year, while such Turkish imports from the United States stand at about $1.5 billion. Hence, Ankara can hardly be satisfied with the current state of trade. The picture is more or less the same vis-a-vis other Western countries, including Britain, Germany, France and Spain, from which Turkey buys more than it sells. According to 2015 figures, Western allies bought more than half of Turkeys defense exports, while supplying all its imports in the sector. Azerbaijan, Pakistan and Central Asian republics form the second-largest group of Turkey's clients. Located in conflict-torn regions, these countries have quite high defense expenditures and naturally tend to prefer the much cheaper Turkish products over their Western-made equivalents. Meanwhile, conflict and tensions in the wake of the Arab Spring have boosted Turkish arms sales to the Middle East and North Africa, according to data compiled from TIM figures. In this regard, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Lebanon are Turkey's leading clients in the Middle East, while Tunisia is its top trade partner in North Africa. The state-owned Aselsan, Roketsan, Machinery and Chemical Industry Corporation and armored vehicles producer BMC, owned by the Sancak Group, which is known to have close ties to the Erdogan family, have all emerged as winners from the Arab Spring's fallout. Turkish sales of arms and military equipment to the Middle East and North Africa in millions of dollars: Compiled from Turkish Exporters Union data Africa is another market that Turkish defense companies have recently targeted. TIM figures reveal some remarkable Turkish sales of arms and equipment to African countries on a seasonal basis. Few are willing to talk about the nature and content of exports to Rwanda, Nigeria, Djibouti and Kenya. Turkish sales of arms and military equipment to sub-Saharan Africa in millions of dollars: Compiled from Turkish Exporters Union data The number of defense company owners and executives taking part in Erdogans foreign trips grows by the day. With his personal charisma and strong relationships, Erdogan is cutting paths for arms companies to new markets, providing an important boost for the Turkish economy. It remains unclear, however, whether arms sales are a better remedy for the Turkish economy than peace. May 3, 2016 On the night of May 1, in just a few hours, a brand-new political blog became a national hit in Turkey. Titled Pelican Brief apparently a pun on the 1993 Hollywood thriller the site presented a single entry, which was a long diatribe against Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu. Its significance lay in not just whom it attacked, but also on whose behalf it appeared: Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Turkeys all-powerful president. The writer merely identified himself as one of those who would sacrifice his soul for the CHIEF. The latter word, which was used in the text 73 times and always in caps, was a reference to Erdogan. The writer was intentionally anonymous, but soon people who know Ankara well began to whisper that it was a journalist very close to Erdogan and who could have written this only with a green light from the presidents office. The blog post began by reiterating the standard Erdoganist narrative: that there are so many conspiracies against Turkey, and the only thing that protects the nation is the wisdom and power of its president. Ladies and gentlemen, this is an intimidating country in which every superpower is playing chess, the author argued, only to warn, Even if you topple one traitor here, [these superpowers] will immediately bring another one. They will even turn our own people against us. So open your eyes and look around. And see what I see. Then the author went on to explain what he saw: The latest traitor one of the cases of our people turned against us was none other than Ahmet Davutoglu. For the CHIEF had blessed him almost two years ago by presenting him the seat of the Prime Ministry, but only with two simple expectations: "not to collaborate with the West" and "its Trojan horses inside," who all want to topple Erdogan, and "help facilitate the transition to the presidential system the system that Erdogan passionately wants. However, the author argued, Davutoglu accomplished none of these missions. He rather gave warm signals to the West by giving an interview to the all-evil The Economist, by getting together with US bankers in New York, by trying to arrange a one-on-one meeting with US President Barack Obama and by making deals with the European Union and presenting this as his own success despite the fact that all success lies in Erdogan. Davutoglu also never advocated the presidential system during his electoral campaign, and did not defend Erdogan enough in the face of the endless lies of the opposition. Moreover, the author of the Pelican Brief blog explained that Davutoglu dared to do many things on his own, and against Erdogans will. Examples included Davutoglus effort to pass a transparency law, his encouraging of the four government ministers who are accused of corruption to accept to stand trial and to try to broker a peace deal with the Kurdish militants at a time when Erdogan was no longer interested in that idea. Davutoglu had also opposed the jailing of journalists and academics, which was yet another proof of his treachery. All this Davutoglu-bashing and Erdogan-worshipping would not have made this much impact had it not come right after another crisis within the incumbent Justice and Development Party (AKP): the stripping of Davutoglu from his authority to appoint provincial party executives. This move, which simply destroyed Davutoglus already limited control over AKP grass roots, had also come out in a very bizarre way: On April 28, Davutoglu was on an official trip to Qatar, where he signed a deal to open a Turkish-Qatari joint military base there. But while feeling proud about this accomplishment, he got strange news from back home: All but four members of the AKPs 50-member-strong Central Decision and Executive Board had signed a paper that took the authority to appoint district heads from the party leader onto the board itself and the paper was authorized by none other than Erdogan. Word has it that on his return to Ankara, Davutoglu called Erdogan and asked to meet with him to discuss this paper. Erdogan refused, saying, It's not a big deal. Consequently, Davutoglu had to sign the very document that reduced his authority. Then, just a day later, the Pelican Brief blog appeared. These events led many political commentators in Turkey to question whether Davutoglu will cease to be the prime minister soon. Rumors suggest that Erdogan now prefers Transportation Minister Binali Yildirim, his right-hand man, for the job. Some even speculate that Erdogans real favorite candidate is Energy Minister Berat Albayrak, who also happens to be his son-in-law. On May 3, Davutoglu gave his regular weekly address to the AKP deputies. He condemned the virtual charlatans and libel throwers, which was taken as a reference to whoever wrote the Pelican Brief blog post. He also said that he would refuse all seats, but not break the hearts of his comrades. Does this mean that he might leave his seat soon, as some people speculate? Or will this intra-AKP crisis be managed somehow, and will the current composition of the government continue? It is hard to tell right now. But it may be safe to say that Davutoglu will be remembered in history as someone who took the job of prime minister at a very difficult time and, arguably, tried to do his best within extremely complicated constraints. Many Mexican restaurants in Birmingham are celebrating Cinco De Mayo with specials and parties. Get your guac on, drink a margarita, or eat a taco at one of these options in Birmingham: La Paz: Cantina: Moe's Southwest Grill: Chili's: Fuego: Cantina Laredo: Little Donkey: El Barrio: Taco Mama: Here's your annual reminder that Cinco De Mayo is not Mexican Independence Day. Go forth and celebrate. Know any more deals? Leave them in the comments. aero.JPG Aeropostale store in Vaughan, Ontario. (Wikimedia Commons) Aeropostale may soon be a thing of the past for teenagers in the U.S. and Canada. The fashion retailer said today it is filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in an effort to "optimize its store footprint, access additional tools to shed or renegotiate burdensome contracts, resolve its ongoing disputes with Sycamore Partners and achieve long-term financial stability." The company will close 113 U.S. stores and 41 in Canada. A closure list said the Aeropostale stores in Spanish Fort and Trussville will shut down. Going-out-of-business sales will begin Saturday and Sunday in the U.S. CEO Julian Geiger said an "ongoing dispute" with one of Aeropostale's large suppliers has been straining for the company as it works to reposition the brand. "As a result, we have chosen to take more decisive and aggressive action to create a leaner, more efficient business that is well-positioned to compete and succeed in today's retail environment," he said in a statement. "We appreciate the loyalty and support of our customers, employees and business partners as we complete this process." Aeropostale expects to emerge from bankruptcy within six months as a "standalone enterprise with a smaller store base, increased operating efficiencies and reduced SG&A expenses." A sale could also be completed during that time. The company, which primarily targets young men and women, currently has 739 stores in 50 states and Puerto Rico and 41 in Canada. Ike Morgan | imorgan@al.com Who's an 'outlaw'? It's not a genre. And it's not (always) literal. There are hundreds of songs out there with debauchery in the lyrics or raw instrumentation. There are beloved "outlaw" artists who aren't on this list. But these songs stand out in some combination of these three areas: 1. Bucking country music's establishment while respecting its traditions 2. Challenging the listener lyrically and/or musically 3. Making an impact. Most of these were hit country singles. All have reached millions of listeners. There are a few that didn't come out of the outlaw movement of the 1970s, but they deserve a spot here for the influence they would have on that growing rebel spirit. Don't Edit Ike Morgan | @ikemorgan Are You Sure Hank Done It This Way? (Waylon Jennings) "Outlaw" music is at its best when it's blazing new trails while keeping its country soul. The great ones have their own sound but also their own inner Hank. Don't Edit Ike Morgan | @ikemorgan Mama Tried (Merle Haggard) Sometimes "outlaw" can be literal. People might not think the conservative country fan base can have sympathy for a convict. Those people are underestimating the love we have for Mama. Don't Edit Ike Morgan | @ikemorgan The Red Headed Stranger (Willie Nelson) Sure, there's killin' in the lyrics of this song, but that's not what makes it truly outlaw. It's not a Willie original (It was written by Edith Lindeman and Carl Stutz), but it was the song around which he wrote the rest of the "Red Headed Stranger" album -- an album during which Nelson took over creative control of his music. Without the success of this album, and perhaps the song that inspired it, we might not even be talking about "outlaw country" right now. This is the first of only two songs on this list that weren't released as singles. Don't Edit Ike Morgan | @ikemorgan Blood Red and Going Down (Tanya Tucker) Tucker faced more controversy in the follow-up to this song, "Would You Lay With Me (In a Field of Stone)." People found that song, written by David Allan Coe, a bit racy for a 15-year-old girl to sing. But in "Blood Red and Going Down" (written by Curly Putnman) the teen sings about a girl who accompanies her father to a bar, where he murders her mom and her mom's boyfriend. It's almost like combining the discomfort of a teen singing "Would You Lay With Me" with the horror of "Cedartown Georgia." And that's pretty dang outlaw. Don't Edit Don't Edit Ike Morgan | @ikemorgan Family Tradition (Hank Williams Jr.) Hank manages to (1) channel some habits of his daddy; (2) call out Nashville; and (3) declare his independence from both in this song, the title cut off the album that took him from being a superstar's son to being a superstar himself. Don't Edit Ike Morgan | @ikemorgan Long Haired Country Boy (Charlie Daniels) Before he was an outspoken conservative, Daniels had a libertarian side as thick as his beard. (Read more about country music's beards here.) If this isn't the libertarian national anthem, then the libertarians are really missing out. Don't Edit Ike Morgan | @ikemorgan Cocaine Blues (Johnny Cash) It wasn't an original song, and it's one of only two on this list that weren't released as singles. But here, Cash, a huge star in Nashville, sings about cocaine and murder. In 1968. While playing at a prison. As the inmates roared with approval. Don't Edit Ike Morgan | @ikemorgan Move It On Over (Hank Williams) Think the lines between rock and country began blurring in the 1970s? Then listen to this song, recorded in 1947, four years before Jackie Brenston's "Rocket 88" (which some people argue is the first fully formed rock 'n' roll recording) and seven years before Bill Haley and the Comets' "Rock Around The Clock" (which sounds very similar to "Move It On Over"). Oh, and it was the first major hit for the man whose short career would change everything. Don't Edit Ike Morgan | @ikemorgan Take This Job and Shove It (Johnny Paycheck) The duality of the working man made this David Allan Coe-written song a huge hit. A good, honest American man wouldn't blow off a job that needs doing (but deep down he has a fantasy that would make him a legend among the boys at the factory). P.S.: This video offers a bonus payoff if you're a fan of finer television programming. Don't Edit Don't Edit Ike Morgan | @ikemorgan It Wasn't God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels (Kitty Wells) "Outlaw" doesn't always mean the bad guy. In a music industry -- and a world -- where boys would be boys while women shouldered a lot of the blame, Wells answered Hank Thompson's "Wild Side of Life" (which blamed a "honky tonk angel" for abandoning her husband). Wells' "reply" argues that women often have good reason to take to the wild side. In its context, this song has gumption enough to be absolutely "outlaw." Don't Edit Ike Morgan | @ikemorgan Copperhead Road (Steve Earle) Country loves moonshiners. And in those old songs they're all like friendly Rafe Hollister eating biscuits and gravy with Andy and Barney in the Mayberry jail. Country also loves war heroes. And country didn't get mad at the soldier for the politics of Vietnam. But what happens when the Vietnam veteran son of a moonshiner joins the other side of the War on Drugs? Outlaw stuff happens. This is a rock song, and it didn't even chart in country. But because of its subject matter and because it's a genuine and large part of Earle's body of work, its biggest impact has been on fans and artists of outlaw country. Don't Edit Ike Morgan | @imorgan The High Cost of Living (Jamey Johnson) As bro-country was just beginning to take over country radio, Jamey Johnson released an the incredible "That Lonesome Song" album. The sentimental "In Color" was a big radio hit from that album, landing in the top 10. So naturally, Johnson would follow that up with a catchy, radio-friendly tune about cute girls sunbathing on the hood of his Chevy, right? Wrong. "The High Cost of Living" describes a man whose addiction steals away his faith, his marriage and his freedom. The result: A single that peaked at No. 34 but has become an outlaw standard. Don't Edit Ike Morgan | @ikemorgan Don't You Think This Outlaw Bit's Done Got Out of Hand? (Waylon Jennings) With the feds still hot on his heels after a recording-studio raid, Jennings essentially confesses right there in the top 10 of the country singles chart. "They got me for possession of something that was gone." "Was it singing through my nose that got me busted by the man?" Fortunately, Jennings went clean a few years later. But it wasn't because anybody told him to. There are many people and songs who might be considered "outlaw" in country music. But there is only one Waylon. Don't Edit Justin Yurkanin | jyurkanin@al.com More on country music Click on the following links for more country music picks: 10 songs that prove real country music is still alive Essential summer country songs Beards of country music Country song titles that are real -- and the songs to prove it Don't Edit The Alabama-based EWTN Global Catholic Network filed a petition today asking the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Atlanta to rehear its case challenging the HHS contraception mandate. EWTN said in a statement that the federal government now admits it never had a viable opt-out plan for religious organizations burdened by the requirements. It accused the federal government of wanting to "hijack our health plan." Here is a statement released today from EWTN about its petition: The request comes in light of new admissions made by the U.S. Government in its arguments in the Zubik v. Burwell case, which is now pending before the U.S. Supreme Court. The Little Sisters of the Poor and several other faith-based organizations are also parties to that case. In February, a three-judge panel of the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals issued a 2-1 decision against EWTN more than a year after oral arguments. That decision lifted the court's earlier ruling temporarily protecting EWTN and would allow the government to force EWTN to violate core Catholic teachings by providing services, such as contraception, abortion-inducing drugs and sterilizations, as part of their employee health plan even though these services can easily be provided by the government. EWTN's May 4 rehearing request maintains that the fractured February opinion was built on a foundation that the government has since undermined. Most significantly, the government argued in the EWTN case, and the panel majority accepted, that EWTN simply had to "opt out" of providing objectionable services and the government would provide the mandated services without further involvement by the Network. But in responding to a virtually unprecedented Supreme Court order in the Zubik case asking for additional briefing after oral argument, the government admitted that its scheme does make the contraceptive services coverage a "part" of EWTN's health plan and that it never had any other "mechanism" for making the scheme work another way. "The government finally admitted what we have been saying from the beginning," commented Michael P. Warsaw, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of EWTN. "Once you get past the bureaucratic smokescreen, this really comes down to one issue: the government wants to hijack our health plan to provide services that we find morally objectionable. EWTN will not let them do that. Our petition for a rehearing asks the Appeals Court to reconsider its flawed decision in light of these outrageous admissions by the government." "The government should have remembered their Mark Twain: telling the truth is easier to remember," said Lori Windham, senior counsel for the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, which represents EWTN. "But after years of an at-best distant acquaintance with the truth, the government is getting its stories mixed up. Until recently, the government swore that it didn't need ministries to do anything but get out of the way. That claim was always 'rubbish on stilts,' as one judge put it. And in the crucible of the Supreme Court, the government finally slipped, confessing that its scheme depends on being able to hijack ministries' health plans." EWTN filed its original lawsuit Feb. 9, 2012 against the Department of Health & Human Services, then-HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, and other government agencies seeking to stop the imposition of the contraception mandate as well as asking the court for a declaratory judgment that the mandate is unconstitutional. The Attorney General of the State of Alabama filed a motion to join EWTN March 22, 2012 as a plaintiff in the lawsuit. That lawsuit was dismissed pending the final HHS mandate rules. The final rules, promulgated in July 2013, granted no relief to EWTN. In October 2013, EWTN and Alabama Attorney General Luther Strange joined together to challenge the unconstitutional HHS mandate. A federal judge ruled against EWTN in that case as well. Hours after the U.S. Supreme Court decision in the Hobby Lobby case in June 2014, the 11th Circuit granted EWTN an emergency injunction, protecting EWTN from the mandate while it filed an appeal. On Feb. 18, 2016, a different panel of judges rendered a split decision, voting 2-1 against EWTN. The panel put its ruling on hold to give the Supreme Court time to weigh in on Zubik. Actor Kirk Cameron, who now leads marriage seminars across the country, did an interview with The Christian Post last week in which his emphasis on the biblical principle of "wifely submission" stirred a heated discussion that caught fire on social media. "Wives are to honor and respect and follow their husband's lead, not to tell their husband how he ought to be a better husband," Cameron said in the interview. "When each person gets their part right, regardless of how their spouse is treating them, there is hope for real change in their marriage." Cameron was referencing Paul's letter the Ephesians. "A lot of people don't know that marriage comes with instructions," Cameron said. "And, we find them right there in God's word." In Ephesian 5:22-24, the Apostle Paul writes: "Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything." But Cameron's emphasis on the advice stirred a hornet's nest on social media, with many people suggesting he wanted wives to stay with abusive husbands no matter what. Cameron has previously set off heated debate with his comments on homosexuality and gay marriage, including an interview with AL.com in 2014 when he was leading marriage conferences at churches in Alabama. Cameron was a Golden Globe nominee for best actor for his role as Mike Seaver on the TV sitcom "Growing Pains" from 1985-92. Cameron and his wife, Chelsea, met as on-screen sweethearts during "Growing Pains." They are the founders of Camp Firefly, where terminally and seriously ill children and their families are provided an all-expense paid retreat (www.CampFirefly.com). Together, Kirk and Chelsea live in California with their six children. Authorities today released the names of two men killed when their pickup truck collided with a train in western Birmingham. The Jefferson County Coroner's Office identified the victims as Charles Cornelius Billups, 27, and Charles Patterson, 25. The crash happened shortly before 11 p.m. Tuesday in the 1000 block of 15th Place S.W. Authorities said Billups and Patterson were both passengers in a 2009 Ford F-150. The driver of the vehicle remains hospitalized. His name and condition haven't been released. Investigators believe the pickup truck was traveling northbound on 15th Place when it collided with the Norfolk Southern Railway train. The train struck the truck on the passenger side. Authorities have said it appears in the initial investigation that the railroad crossing arms were in working condition and down at the time of the collision. "This is a tragedy. We have seen these accidents played out time and time again,'' said Birmingham police spokesman Lt. Sean Edwards. "One thing is true: There are never any winners in these accidents. Car vs. Train, no contest. Life is more valuable. It is not worth gambling with a train." Alabama traditionally ranks high in fatalities involving crashes between cars and trains. In Fiscal Year 2014, the top ten states with the most grade crossing accidents in ranking order were: Texas, California, Illinois, Indiana, Georgia, Alabama, Louisiana, Ohio, Florida, and Tennessee, according to the Federal Railroad Administration. There were 239 people killed and 763 injured nationwide in crossing incidents in 2014. In Alabama, there were 15 deaths statewide in 2016. Throughout Alabama, there had been eight incidents, not necessarily fatalities, at public crossing by the end of February. Here is a look at the statewide numbers in prior years: 2015, 74; 2014, 88; 2013, 81; 2012, 82; 2011, 71; 2010, 68; 2009, 60; 2008, 78 and 2007, 98. "These are almost always 100 percent preventable,'' Bryan Schaffer, senior special agent with BNSF Railway police, said in 2014. "Tracks are for trains; they're not for people. If you see tracks, think trains." The problem is so prevalent, railroad police also do safety programs for the community and for schools with Operation Lifesaver, a non-profit public education program established to end collisions, deaths and injuries on the rails. BFRS's Harrell said people need to remember that locomotives weigh about 200 tons, and most are carrying between 100 to 110 cars. They cannot stop on a dime, and it takes most of them at least a mile to come to a complete stop. The average train travels about 45 miles per hour. "People underestimate them,'' Harrell said. "They need to be vigilant: have the radio down, listen for the horn and watch for the lights." "We have these fatalities a couple times of year,'' he said, "and it's always tragic." RailSmart, a non-profit organization founded by rail employees-engineers and conductors- to educate the public on the importance of rail transport and rail safety issued a statement following Tuesday night's crash. "RailSmart extends its deepest condolences to the family and friends of those who lost their lives in this unfortunate incident. Trains run through our neighborhoods and communities each and everyday, and it's up to us to educate the public and prevent these tragic events," said RailSmart Executive Director Justin Humphries. Lopez.jpg Sheila Lopez will be the first certified nurse midwife to deliver babies at a Birmingham hospital in about 20 years. (courtesy) For the first time in several years, a certified nurse midwife will begin delivering babies at a hospital in Birmingham. Officials from Princeton Baptist Medical Center approved credentials in April for Sheila Lopez, who trained as a nurse midwife and worked as a labor and delivery nurse. Unlike lay midwives, who typically assist in homebirths, certified nurse midwives have been legal and licensed to practice and deliver babies in Alabama hospitals for decades. Even though nurse midwives are certified to practice, they have not always been welcome in hospitals, said Dr. Jesanna Cooper, an obstetrician-gynecologist at the Simon-Williamson Clinic. Lopez joined Cooper's practice on April 1. It took three years to change the bylaws and policies at Princeton Baptist, which previously required a physician to be present in the room during a nurse midwife delivery, Cooper said. That made midwife deliveries virtually impossible for her practice because it tied up too many staff and increased the cost, Cooper said. The new regulations only require Cooper to be on campus during a delivery by Lopez, which allows the doctor to see other patients in her clinic or at the hospital. "She will be the only midwife delivering in the Birmingham area," Cooper said. "Women who are interested in unmedicated births are often interested in the midwife model of care. That is what midwives are specifically trained in." Lopez completed her training as a nurse midwife in 2012. In order to become certified, registered nurses must complete advanced medical training. After she graduated, she discovered how difficult it was to find a job as a certified nurse midwife in Alabama. "There's been some interest, but there's this whole idea that midwifery is illegal in Alabama," she said. After college, Lopez worked as a labor and delivery nurse. She bonded with the women who labored under her care, but she also realized she wanted to assist women throughout the pregnancy and after birth. Midwives tend to focus more on wellness and education, Lopez said. Doctors, on the other hand, are trained to spot complications and problems. "The mindset is that pregnancy is normal and healthy and routine," Lopez said. Cooper trained with midwives during her residency and has been working for years to include midwife care in her practice. She has employed certified nurse midwives in the past, and they cared for patients all the way up until delivery. The new rules allowing Lopez to deliver babies in the hospital will make it possible for Cooper to devote more time to riskier pregnancies while Lopez handles some low-risk patients. Although most women still choose an OB-GYN, midwife care has become more popular. Nurse midwives delivered about 3.2 percent of babies in 1989 and 7.5 percent in 2008, according to Parents magazine. In Alabama, certified nurse midwives practice in Montgomery, Anniston, Athens and in the southern part of the state, Cooper said. Birmingham-area hospitals have been slower to welcome nurse midwives, and the last certified nurse-midwife to deliver babies worked several years ago, maybe more than a decade ago. Insurance companies often cover the costs of midwife-assisted delivery in hospitals, and they can be less expensive than deliveries with an OB-GYN. Cooper said she has heard from several patients interested in midwife care, and she held an event last month at Iron City to introduce the concept to Birmingham residents. Lopez said she hopes she can open doors for other certified nurse midwives in Birmingham and around the state. "If you look almost anywhere else in the country, midwives are delivering lots of babies," Lopez said. "Here in Alabama, we still have a little bit of work to do." Updated at 8:54 p.m. on May 4 to correct the length of time since a nurse midwife delivered babies in Birmingham If Brittaney Owens were alive today, one of her closest friends said she would possibly do a few things differently. "I guess we would just talk about it more, and I would see what I could do to help,'' said Jerica Wallace. "I would just let her know that I'm here for her." "Of course you hear about domestic violence,'' Wallace said, "but it didn't really hit me until it was somebody I actually knew." Owens, 26, was shot to death in February outside her parents' Trussville home. Troy Green, her ex-boyfriend and the father of their child, waited for Owens to arrive at the home, then blocked in her Chevrolet Sonic with his 7-series BMW, and bumped it. After that, he got out of his vehicle, went to hers and shot her twice in the chest through the driver's side window with his .45-caliber handgun. He then walked away and shot himself. The tragic murder-suicide followed years of abuse and threats, court records show. In a 2014 restraining order complaint, Owens wrote that Green threatened her life if she didn't get back together with him. "He stated that he would hurt me if I don't be with him,'' she wrote, "because he loves me to death." Owens' murder is just one of many throughout Jefferson County so far in 2016 resulting from domestic violence. Boyfriends, girlfriends, wives, mothers and even two unborn babies have fallen victim to what authorities say is a growing cancer. "This cancer is affecting our society," Birmingham police Chief A.C. Roper said at the Blackout Domestic Violence rally held this week at Linn Park. "We're working hard, you're working hard but we know we have a long way to go to fight back this scourge. Our voices have to be louder, our efforts have to be stronger." Led by the YWCA, the rally was designed to be a reminder, if not a wake-up call, to what is called an epidemic by some. Representatives from the Birmingham Police Department, the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office, the Jefferson County District Attorney's Office and the county court system were among those in attendance. "We want to draw attention to the recent incidents of domestic violence that we've had,'' said Annetta Nunn, a former Birmingham police chief who is now the community outreach coordinator at the YWCA. "We've had so many in the past six weeks. They're letting violence get the best of them." Most recently, a Birmingham mother was found stabbed to death inside her Huffman home. Cassandra Hatter, 40, was found April 26 in her bed at her Mesa Drive home. Police described a brutal scene, and hours later arrested her boyfriend and charged him with murder. Just four days earlier, in Irondale, 42-year-old Melinda Searight was found fatally shot in the head inside the family's apartment while her teen daughters were inside. Police say that after the shooting, her boyfriend Anthony Kelly went into one of the daughter's room and said, ""I guess I'm going to spend the rest of my life in jail." He fled the scene, but later surrendered. Tiffany Nolen, Charles Burchfield, Roselyn Welton, Naki'a Harris, Anthony Walker, and Jody Watson all suffered similar fates when they were killed, all this year. Two unborn babies also died as a result of domestic violence. In Hoover, a 28-year-old woman was beaten to near death by her ex-boyfriend in March. Her baby didn't survive. The ex-boyfriend, who was the father of the unborn baby, was captured and charged. Naki'a Darlene Harris' unborn son, Zion, died after his 18-year-old mother was shot. She was also holding her 1-year-old son Caleb, who wasn't injured. In the city of Birmingham alone this year, Birmingham police responded to 3,583 calls of domestic violence as of May 2. In all of 2015, they responded to 10,906 reports of domestic violence. So far in 2016, Birmingham police have investigated six domestic violence homicides, compared to nine for all of last year. "It is simply horrific that these troubled relationships can lead to death,'' Roper has previously said. "We're all aware that love can end in broken hearts but it should never end in lost lives." "What we're asking for is a culture change where domestic violence is no longer tolerated, where bystanders standup, where people see the symptoms but don't look the other way,'' he said. Wanda Jones Miller, a victim's service officer with the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office, spoke at this week's rally and said domestic violence homicides are among the toughest calls law enforcement officers answer, especially when they know the address by heart from prior calls to the home. "When we get that call, we sit still for a minute,'' Miller said. "We question ourselves, we wonder if we had done enough to let the victim know they were worthy." Jefferson County Deputy District Attorney Laura Poston agreed. "We invariably hear in all of these cases there had been violence in the past,'' she said. They want victims, and batterers, to know there is help available. The Metropolitan Family Justice Center has four agencies under one roof to help victims of domestic violence, as well as sexual assault. The center is run by the Jefferson County District Attorney's Office, the YWCA Central Alabama, the Birmingham Police Department, and the Crisis Center Inc. There are multiple other agencies ready and willing to help, as well. Nunn said the agencies will provide free training for companies and groups, training they believe could save lives. "These are the crimes we should be able to prevent because people are supposed to love each other,'' Nunn said. "Yet they take their lives, and the lives of others." The YWCA's Domestic Violence Crisis Hotline number is 205-322-4878. Alabamians are a giving people. That's especially true in 10 Alabama cities which lead the way as the most generous, giving spots in the state. Only In Our State used data from Philanthropy.com to determine the Alabama towns that give the most to charity. In all, Alabamians give 4.87 percent of their adjusted gross incomes - about $3.039 billion - to charitable causes. Top 10 most general metropolitan areas in Alabama: Anniston-Oxford - 5.5 percent of adjusted gross income to charity Montgomery - 5.38 percent of adjusted gross income to charity Tuscaloosa - 5.29 percent of adjusted gross income to charity Decatur - 5.29 percent of adjusted gross income to charity Dothan - 5.21 percent of adjusted gross income to charity Gadsden - 5.13 percent of adjusted gross income to charity Florence-Muscle Shoals - 4.82 percent of adjusted gross income to charity Birmingham-Hoover - 4.78 percent of adjusted gross income to charity Mobile - 4.9 percent of adjusted gross income to charity Auburn-Opelika - 4.61 percent of adjusted gross income to charity Well done. Welcome to Wednesday's Wake Up Call. Let's get going: Gilmore can't even win delegate spot Jim Gilmore's bid to win the White House failed. And, last weekend, so did his run to attend the Republican National Convention as a delegate. The former Virginia governor and attorney general was not elected as a delegate during the state's Republican convention. In 2001, Gilmore served as chairman of the Republican National Committee. GOP front runner Donald Trump won the March 1 primary but the state's Republican leaders tapped 10 Ted Cruz supporters and three Trump backers for the July convention. Inappropriate WiFi password grounds plane An Australian flight was grounded recently when a passenger chose a WiFi password that indicated they might have a bomb. A woman aboard as Qantas flight alerted crew members after she spotted another passenger's hotspot titled "Mobile Detonation Device." The pilot then announced the flight would be delayed as a security precaution. A search commenced but the "device" couldn't be located. Forty passengers demanded to be let off the plane, causing a delay as their luggage was removed. Famed Yellowstone grizzly shot and killed Scarface, a 25-year-old grizzly bear known to tourists and photographers at Yellowstone Park, was killed last week, according to the Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks. The grizzly was shot and killed outside the park. The grizzly is a threatened species protected by both federal and state law. The incident is being investigated by the U.S. First and Wildlife Service. FBI hunts for suspect seen at Whole Foods pouring unknown liquid on food FBI investigators are searching for a suspect who was caught on camera pouring an unknown liquid onto food at a Whole Foods store in Michigan. Investigators said they don't believe the substance was toxic but want to question the man over the incident. He was spotted by workers as he sprinkled liquid on the food bars and his image was later seen on surveillance cameras. The incident prompted the store to toss out all salad and hot food bars. Until tomorrow. Police confirm that someone was killed in a vehicle crash at Alabama State University Monday evening. ASU police report it was a single-vehicle crash in the 800 block of Jackson Street. Campus police have since turned the investigation over to the Montgomery Police Department. Further information has not yet been released, including if it involved a student. Officials say more will be released after the victim's family is notified. ASU released the following statement: "The accident that occurred on the 800 block of Jackson Street yesterday is still under investigation by the Montgomery Police Department. Alabama State University has no comment at this time." The woman who recently prompted a statewide missing child alert for her 8-year-old son was arrested on Sunday. Police say the charges involved crimes against the child's father. Belinda Curvin Belinda Ann Miller Curvin, 40, disappeared with 8-year-old Wyatt Ray Sanford on March 14. The father, Billy Joe Sanford, told police she had a history of mental problems and threatened to kill the child and herself. Curvin reportedly told police they were "on a little vacation." Curvin returned Wyatt on March 17. She was not charged with a crime then, but she was on Sunday. Arab Assistant Police Chief Shane Washburn said Curvin and a male companion attacked Sanford outside Warehouse Discount Groceries that day. Washburn said this other man threw a knife at Sanford, striking him in the back. Sanford wasn't injured. Washburn said Sanford didn't pursue charges in the attack, but she was arrested on a burglary charge for allegedly breaking into his residence the day before. She was also charged with violating a protection order. She is being held in the Marshall County Jail without bond. Curvin's companion was not arrested. Washburn said that could change if Sanford decides to press charges. Curvin has had numerous arrests. The latest was when she allegedly attack a police officer responding to a domestic violence call on March 31. Court records show she was charged with second-degree assault. Charles Keating IV, the grandson of the savings-and-loan financier with the same name, has been identified as the Navy SEAL killed in Iraq today. Arizona Central identified Keating based on confirmation from his relatives. The Pentagon has only confirmed a Navy SEAL was killed north of Mosul today while serving as an adviser to Iraqi forces. The attack is being blamed on Islamic State militants. The official identification will be released after notification of next of kin, according to the Pentagon. Keating, 31, is the third American to die in combat in Iraq since the U.S. military sent advisers to the country in 2014 to assist in the war against ISIS. Keating's grandfather, Charles H. Keating Jr., died at age 90 in 2014. His name became well known after he was linked to the savings and loan scandal of the 1980s. Keating Jr. later served four years in prison in on fraud, racketeering and conspiracy charges related to the scandal. A convicted murderer wanted in connection to an April 23 slaying in Montgomery was apprehended in Rochester, N.Y. on Tuesday morning, according to reports. Nathan Thomas was taken into custody by the U.S. Marshals Service at around 10:30 a.m. while he walked on a city street, Time Warner Cable News reported. Thomas was wanted in the shooting death of 55-year-old Charles Jones Jr., according to the report. Jones was found shot dead in the 800 block of North Gap Loop. Montgomery police Lt. Denise Barnes said she couldn't confirm what Thomas was wanted for until he is in the custody of the Montgomery Police Department. Marshals say Thomas has previous conviction in Alabama for murder and manslaughter. Court records show Thomas was released from prison in 2010 after serving 19 years. Thomas is being held in the Monroe County, N.Y. Jail until he can be extradited back to Montgomery. There were times during the early Republican candidate debates when John Kasich got angry. It was almost like he couldnt believe the things he was hearing from people who wanted to be president. He seemed to think they were underqualified for the Oval Office, making promises they knew they could never keep. In a battle with the showmanship of Donald Trump, the radical idealism of Ted Cruz and the sheer bluster and aggression of Chris Christie, the Ohio Governor offered something different. Here was an old-style conservative who could balance budgets, work with democrats to get things done and win important swing states like his own. READ MORE: Is it too late for Cruz and Kasich to stop Trump? Kasich was late to the race. He announced he was running for president in July 2015. Only one other candidate jumped in later. But it turned out to be a smart move, the early interest and momentum winning him enough support to get a place on the main stage of the first debate. He wanted everyone to know about his father, the mailman. He mentioned him so often it became a running joke in the press room: Hey, does anyone know anything about Kasichs dad?. He was burnishing his working-class credentials. He essentially skipped the Iowa primary, believing he wouldnt play well with the evangelical voters in the state, and instead concentrated more on the second nominating contest in New Hampshire. That seemed like a better fit. He was right. He came second. A long way behind Donald Trump. But he wasnt organised enough to take advantage of the momentum. He had no real operation in South Carolina and he finished fifth there. In fact he finished behind Jeb Bush, who dropped out. Ohio delivered Kasich continued believing his home state would be a turning point. After all, hed become Ohio Governor in a tight election and then won re-election with an increased majority (albeit against a candidate who was considered very weak). And Ohio delivered for the mailmans son. On Super Tuesday he beat Donald Trump into second place. He insisted that night the electoral map was changing. But it wasnt and Kasich never came close to winning another state. There are those who think his decision to accept Medicare expansion in Ohio, as part of President Obamas signature Affordable Health Care Act, hurt him deeply. Republicans generally despise the law which has become known as Obamacare and for a Republican Governor to play any part in helping it was almost considered Conservative heresy. He held town halls across the country. I watched him a few times. He won people over with his manners, his corny jokes and his sane approach to solving problems. But the biggest problem was that in 2016, thats not what Republican voters were after. Oslob and Donsol, Philippines A couple of hundred metres from the shore more than 20 boats carrying holiday-makers are lined up in two rows. Between the rows, excited tourists with snorkels and GoPros on selfie sticks swim among whale sharks feeding on plankton thrown by the boatmen. During the tourist season, more than 1,500 sightseers descend each day on Oslob, a town of 30,000 on the island of Cebu. Tourism based on interacting with the worlds largest fish has taken off since beginning there in 2011. The towns annual industry is now worth more than $1m. About 500km north of Oslob, on the neighboring island of Luzon where the capital Manila is located, lies Donsol, the coastal town which pioneered whale shark interaction tourism in 1998, bringing economic prosperity to the community. Donsol has changed completely since visitors come to experience this, says fisherman Augusto Nunez, 45, as he stands on his boat and points at a tail moving through the water. We used to live only out of fisheries, but now we also have tourism thanks to the interaction with butanding [whale shark in the local Tagalog language]. But the two projects could not be more different. Donsols ecotourism initiative, led by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), champions sightseeing in the whale sharks natural habitat and not feeding them, unlike the Oslob project. While both towns protect this vulnerable species from hunting through tourism, Oslobs venture is disrupting the living patterns of whale sharks, which could have far-reaching ecological consequences if tighter rules are not applied soon. Whale shark hunting In the 1990s, up to 800 whale sharks were slaughtered and traded from Filipino coastal towns into the Asian market, according to the WWF. Regional demand had given rise to a commercially targeted fishery industry, rapidly spreading from the Philippines to India. An average-sized animal they can weigh as much as 34 tonnes was worth about $250,000 at the end of the market trail in China or Taiwan, where consumers were paying up to $16 for a kilo of meat and up to $744 for a fin. In those days Donsol was a poor fishing hamlet with unpaved roads, and a few open wells provided the only source of drinking water. Meanwhile, hunting was affecting the ecosystem of municipalitys bay, which experts believe is home to the highest concentration of whale sharks in the world. Many people came to catch and eat whale sharks to the point that more than 20 of them were killed in 1997, recalls Joel Ombao Briones, 47, a fisherman from Donsol. But only 30 years ago we thought that they were like pests to kill but not to eat. Environmentalists brought the slaughter of Donsols whale sharks to the attention of the media, leading the Filipino government to declare it the first-ever municipal sanctuary for these animals within the 6,000 islands of the archipelago. Donsol lies within the Coral Triangle, which encompasses six countries and is considered the worlds most biologically and economically valuable marine ecosystem, according to a 2014 United States Agency for International Development report. The Philippines is a major supplier of fish in the region, with an industry now worth $1bn. The government banned the killing and sale of whale sharks in 1998 and introduced a new code (PDF) to protect all fisheries and aquatic life. Donsol locals were initially reluctant to accept the new regulations as their livelihood depended heavily on fishing, but they agreed to take part in the ecotourism initiative set up by the United Nations Development Programme, which had the potential to be profitable. Protecting the shark, saving a community Donsols conservation project has found success. In only 15 years, Donsols annual number of tourists has gone from a 1,000 to 25,000. Over a decade, yearly municipal earnings have increased from $370 to $452,000, excluding income generated by related businesses such as hotels, restaurants or sari-sari (small Filipino grocery shops). Donsols entire population has become a stakeholder in this successful venture, in particular those who used to hunt whale sharks. Fishermen provide services as guides and boat crew and no longer rely exclusively on fishing as their sole source of income. We can get more money by letting whale sharks live than from killing them. You may get 5,000 pesos ($108) if you catch one, but they are worth millions [of pesos] if they are alive because everybody benefits from interacting with them, says Allan Amanse, 49, a fisherman. Amanse and Briones, who were previously unaware about marine wildlife conservation, are now prominent members of the Butanding Interaction Officers (BIO), a relentless group of fishermen protecting whale sharks through Donsols ecotourism industry. Sightseers pay $6.5 ($2 for locals) for the registration fee plus $76 to rent a boat for up to six people to view whale sharks over three hours. Supervised by BIOs, visitors are allowed to swim among the sharks, but must stick to Donsols strict rules, which include not touching the animals. Before, my family could only eat twice a day while now I earn five times more. Thanks to the butanding industry. My eldest daughter is graduating this year, while my son is finishing the second year at university, Briones says. The income generated during the butanding interaction season, from December to May when whale sharks migrate to Donsols bay, has reduced overfishing, balancing the integrity of the ecosystem. Maritime protection areas have expanded from 100 to 312 hectares and bio-ecological assessments show a dramatic increase of fish in terms of frequency and biomass, says Raul Burce, the Philippines programmes director for the WWF, which manages the project with the local council and the Department of Tourism. The countrys leading role towards legal protection of this animal also achieved global cooperation at CITES, the Convention of International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, in 2002 with the prohibition of whale shark hunting worldwide. The Philippines has adopted the animal as a national emblem, putting them on the 100 peso note. The estimated tourism value of one living whale shark over its lifetime is almost $2m and, with the protection of the whale sharks ecosystem, Donsols ecotourism industry has achieved sustainability. Conservationism versus tourism Lured by Donsols success, the town of Oslob launched its own whale shark project in 2011. Bankas (Filipino small boats) attract the animals close to Oslobs shores by feeding them with plankton for six hours a day. With easy access to interaction and affordable prices ($8 for locals; $12.5 for foreigners), Oslobs industry grew quickly. Between 2011 and 2012, Oslob welcomed 98,000 visitors, nearly four times that of Donsol. But the high number of tourists and the nature of the interaction in Oslob concerns experts and even locals. Feeding these animals is not good because one has to work and find ones own food, but the whale sharks rely on what humans give them, says Jefferson Santos, 36, a tour-guide in Oslob. While he recognises that boatmen now earn in a week what they used to earn in a month only five years ago, he believes people should try and see whale sharks in the wild. A 2015 report on Oslob by the local conservation organisation Large Marine Vertebrates Project Philippines (LAMAVE), found that feeding a long-living migratory species such as whale sharks may have negative consequences for the whole maritime ecosystem. LAMAVE researchers observed sharks bumping paddle-boats due to the association with food, causing propeller scars in their mouths. The report highlights non-compliance to the established code of conduct and suggests reducing the tourism pressure on the whale sharks in Oslob. Dr Arnel Yaptinchay, a specialist in aquatic ecology and director of the NGO the Marine Wildlife Watch of the Philippines (MWWP) which actively campaigns against feeding whale sharks, believes this kind of tourism must stop. Imagine all the whale sharks sites in the Philippines were [fed]. We may be affecting one of the biggest whale shark populations in the world, Yaptinchay says. Oslob is a poor example and cannot be called ecotourism as it leads to miseducation regarding respecting, using and interacting with any wildlife responsibly. Yaptinchays NGO highlights feeding as the cause of injuries, poor nutrition and changes in behaviour and migration. Yaptinchay points out that Oslobs tourism industry does not only feed whale sharks but all the other fish as well, and warns: Maybe if done on a bigger scale, this will even cause eutrophication of the site with overgrowth of algae, which is not good for a reef. The MMWP director says that even with stronger rules and regulations, it may be too late to change the way interaction works at Oslob. If practices are ever to change, it would be much easier to do so in Donsol since the interaction is focused on protecting the animal, Yaptinchav says. But it would be impossible to achieve that in Oslob because this is a business-orientated project. Meanwhile, Briones and other fishermen in Donsol appeal to tourists sound judgment. Here, interaction is more special because it occurs in the wild, Briones says. If you want to see a tiger, you can either go to the jungle or see them inside a cage in a zoo just like it happens in Oslob. Follow Angel L. Martinez on Twitter: @AngelLMartnez Mexican journalists face down threats in one of the worlds most dangerous places to be a reporter. Mexico City, Mexico Journalist Francisco Pacheco Beltran spent his last night working hard at his desk. A founding editor of Taxcos critical weekly, El Faro, a crime reporter and local radio contributor, Pacheco, 55, spent the night of April 25 sifting through video vines and photographs uploaded to social media by witnesses of the previous nights violent shoot-out at the Acapulco beach resort. What he saw was enough for Pacheco to post a critical article to his blog, saying that police efforts to restore order had spread psychosis among locals. With his article completed, and a radio segment critical of the government of his home town, Taxco, ready to broadcast, Pacheco drove his daughter to catch an early morning bus. Dead in the doorway Taxco, like other cities in the troubled state of Guerrero, lies on the frontlines of a bloody turf battle between rival crime groups. In fact, Pachecos home was only about an hours drive from Iguala, the site of the 2014 mass abduction and disappearance of 43 students. Pachecos wife and other daughter were expecting him home when, at 6:30 that morning, they heard a noise like firecrackers from outside. Pacheco lay dead in the doorway. There was no sign of his killers. Pacheco was an ardent critic of the local government. He was also a valued and generous contact to media colleagues throughout the region. And, while journalists mourn the loss of a friend and colleague, NGOs have expressed alarm at the fifth murder of a journalist in Mexico in 2016. Silence means impunity This years World Press Freedom Day was laden with grim irony for journalists working in Mexico where 36 have been killed for reasons directly connected their work since 1992, and where dozens more have died in violent or mysterious circumstances, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ). Given that only 6 percent of crimes end in a conviction, according to Mexican government figures, violence against journalism is a vicious cycle emerging out of impunity, said Jan-Albert Hootsen, the CPJs Mexico correspondent, remarking on the Pacheco case. Self-censorship is the ultimate consequence of these attacks, he adds. When the lions share of attacks against the press is committed by members of different levels of government, silence means impunity, which in turn means more violence. WATCH: Mexico One of the most dangerous countries for journalists Local journalists, such as Pacheco, who uncover the links between organised crime and political interests, bear the brunt of this violence. In Veracruz, for instance, 19 journalists have died violently since December 2010, when Javier Duarte became governor, according to the independent news portal Regeneracion. Anabel Flores Salazar, was one of the victims there. She worked in a Veracruz branch of the same newspaper chain as Pacheco. She was found dead in Puebla earlier this year. Before being violently killed, Moises Sanchez, another reporter, supplemented his income by working as a taxi-driver until his death in January 2015, allegedly for reporting on local government corruption, also in Veracruz. Finally, photojournalist Ruben Espinosa whose murder in Mexico City last July made international headlines had reported receiving threats from the office of the Veracruz governor in an interview filmed shortly before his death. To shut you up if you say too much Journalists in danger don't want to be statistics, or guests of honour at NGO dinners. We don't want people to ask why we are being threatened. All we want is to work. by Luis Cardona, award-winning journalist The Mexico and Central America branch of Article 19, an NGO that fights to protect free speech, expects 2016 to be an even worse year for the security of Mexican journalists. Last year, they logged almost 400 threats and assaults including murder against journalists. Pacheco worked in one of the worlds most dangerous places to be a journalist, Article 19 spokeswoman Sandra Patargo told Al Jazeera. While Mexico has a robust system of protections for journalists, the institutions have proven to be empty structures that dont diminish impunity rates. However, for Patargo, the formation of grassroots structures that operate outside of the governmental and non-governmental safety net offers protection from danger and hope for the future. When gang violence erupted in Chilapa, Guerrero, last year, a group of 20 freelancers took it upon themselves to form an impromptu network that moved in convoys, shared information, and monitored one anothers whereabouts. Meanwhile, Voz Alterna, co-founded by Ruben Espinosa in Veracruz, takes a double-edged approach of denouncing attacks on freedom of expression while training journalists in ways to protect themselves. Structures like these helped award-winning reporter Luis Cardona, 55, get back on his feet after he was kidnapped in Nuevo Casas Grandes, Chihuahua, in September 2012. Cardona tells his story in an animated short film I Am Number 16. The title refers to Cardonas investigation into the disappearance of 15 labourers who worked in the cannabis fields of the lucrative Golden Triangle region of Sinaloa, Durango, and Chihuahua. I was an uncomfortable presence, Cardona told Al Jazeera. Organised crime is the killing arm of moneyed interests. Their only law is to shut you up if you say too much. After being kidnapped by 12 men dressed in army camouflage and carrying police-issued AR-15 rifles, Cardona was blindfolded, handcuffed, and beaten at what he believes was the city jail, before being dumped in the desert. With the threat against his life still active, Cardona was forced to restart his career in Mexico City. My life was a panorama of destruction, he explained. NGOs can only give you emergency help. I was put up in a hotel for six weeks and given post-trauma therapy, but what messed me up most was to be without work. This isnt a job; its a vocation. When you move to a new city, you lose all your contacts but you and your family still need to eat. Cardonas 37 years of reporting experience and personal tenacity have seen him build up a strong freelance portfolio with mostly international outlets, but he acknowledges that this may not be an option for other journalists living under threat. With that in mind, in 2013, he and a group of 150 journalists associated with the nonprofit outlet Diario 19 set up a horizontal structure of contacts, financial support, and professionals to help displaced journalists who are facing threats in Mexico, continue to work and thrive in new locations. The nameless collective now has more than 700 active members and has helped reporters relocate to places such as Spain, Chile, and the United States. Sometimes, we dont act fast enough, said Cardona, referring to Francisco Pachecos death in Taxco. Every time we lose a colleague, it hurts. But all we can do is give help to colleagues in danger. Ive lived this myself. Journalists in danger dont want to be statistics, or guests of honour at NGO dinners. We dont want people to ask why we are being threatened. All we want is to work. A fire broke out on Tuesday in a camp for internally displaced Muslims in Myanmars Rakhine State, destroying shelters where about 2,000 people had lived. At least 14 people were injured, the United Nations said. Camps in the area largely house members of the marginalised Rohingya Muslim minority, who were displaced by fighting between Buddhists and Muslims in 2012. The fire at the Baw Du Pha 2 camp near the state capital of Sittwe started in the morning. Based on information currently available, at least 14 people were injured by the fire. There are reports of fatalities but this has not been verified, the UN said. The fire destroyed about 44 long houses and damaged up to nine, affecting 440 households, it said. Myanmars Rohingya population is stateless and thousands of them have fled persecution and poverty, often by boat to other parts of Southeast Asia. Some 125,000 Rohingya remain displaced and face severe travel restrictions while living in camps. Faced with apartheid-like restrictions that limit access to jobs, education and healthcare, thousands have braved perilous boat journeys in search of better lives in Malaysia and Indonesia. As repeat elections are forced on Spain, public political fatigue could facilitate the rise of authoritarian actors. During a visit to Barcelona in December just after Spains general elections, I walked past a signboard outside a restaurant displaying the following quip in Spanish: If the Spaniards were dinosaurs, wed have voted for the meteorite. The implication, of course, was that by regularly voting for destructive political formations Spaniards were facilitating their own doom. The metaphorical meteorite in this case was the incumbent right-wing Popular Party (PP), which has in recent years presided over punitive austerity measures and rampant corruption. Spains industry minister recently resigned after the Panama Papers revealed problematic offshore investments. Unemployment in Spain is currently more than 20 percent, and youth unemployment is even higher. The effects of the economic crisis have also been acutely felt by the victims of mass home evictions; in 2012, the Associated Press reported that 500 such operations were being carried out per day across the country. The eviction epidemic was widely linked to a spike in suicides. Austerity regime The austerity regime, it bears mentioning, was put in place in 2010 by none other than the nominal Socialist Party (PSOE), which with the PP has jointly monopolised the Spanish political scene for nearly four decades after the death of Francisco Franco. The relatively strong showing in the December 2015 elections by two new parties the anti-austerity Podemos and the neoliberal Ciudadanos overturned the status quo. While the PP still took most of the votes, it fell far short of a parliamentary majority. READ MORE: A Spanish right of return for Sephardic Jews? The divided legislature has proved incapable of selecting a prime minister or forming a government, despite various attempts at coalition-building and some less-than-helpful interventions by the king. The divided legislature has proved incapable of selecting a prime minister or forming a government, despite various attempts at coalition-building and some less-than-helpful interventions by the king. by In other words, Spain has become what you might call a non-governmental organisation in its own right. The deadline for government formation expired on May 2, and the king dissolved parliament the following day. For the first time in its modern democratic history, Spain has been forced to schedule repeat general elections, which will be held on June 26. I spoke with Barcelona-based sociologist Carlos Delclos, an editor at Roar Magazine, regarding possible outcomes of the next electoral attempt. He speculated that a number of voters might abstain from participating out of general disappointment or exhaustion it feels like weve been in campaign mode in this country since 2014. Even should everyone rush back to the polls, there are overlapping divisions in Spanish society that, Delclos said, produce a substantial amount of fragmentation that makes governing majorities difficult to establish. Generational break Beyond the traditional left-right split, theres a certain generational break between the generations born before and after the Transition from the Francoist dictatorship [that is] modulated by those who came of age during the Transition. Theres also a break between different national identities, modulated by support for the right of self-determination. Particularly divisive on this front is the issue of Catalonia and whether or not it should physically divide itself from the rest of Spain. According to an informal vote conducted in 2014, more than 80 percent of the Catalan population was in favour of independence. Economist Daniel Raventos, a lecturer at the University of Barcelona, commented to me in an email that the primary manifestation of the crisis afflicting the existing post-Franco regime is this very demand for the right to self-determination which is opposed by the fiercely monarchist and unionist parties: the PP, PSOE, and Ciudadanos. Whats preventing the PSOE and Podemos from forming a coalition is, in fact, the latters insistence on supporting an official referendum on the Catalan question. No understanding of Spains political stalemate is meanwhile possible, Raventos emphasised, without an acknowledgement of bipartisan pandering to suicidal procyclical austerity policies imposed from Brussels, Frankfurt, and Berlin. READ MORE: Looking backwards at Muslims in Spain Some observers have found cause for optimism in Spains current predicament such as James Bartholomew, author of a recent Spectator article titled Why the Spanish may be better off without a government. (His penultimate Spectator piece, incidentally, was Britain needs a museum of communist terror.) Political fatigue In Bartholomews view, Spain is fortunate because the previous administration removed a requirement that companies accept wage agreements made at a regional or sectoral level, enabling them to make wage deals suitable for their own circumstances. Redundancy payments were also curtailed. Now that the Spanish government has even further reduced its interference in business affairs by effectively disappearing, Bartholomew foresees all sorts of opportunities for generat[ing] wealth. Try telling that to Spains millionsof unemployed. The phenomenon of an AWOL government might in and of itself be amusing, except for the high price tag of the repeat election operation, put at nearly 190 million euros by the Politico website in an April posting. Among the possible outcomes of the next round, according to the Financial Times, are gains by the PP and Ciudadanos. For his part, Delclos warns that potential public political fatigue could provide room for authoritarian, anti-political actors to emerge. In this sense, he says, Ciudadanos could be particularly dangerous. And if not, theres always the meteorite. Belen Fernandez is the author of The Imperial Messenger: Thomas Friedman at Work, published by Verso. She is a contributing editor at Jacobin magazine. The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeeras editorial policy. Senator tasked with reviewing presidents impeachment process recommends she be put on trial for breaking budget laws. The senator tasked with reviewing Brazilian President Dilma Rousseffs impeachment process has recommended that she be put on trial for breaking budget laws, bringing the leftist leader one step closer to suspension from office. Senator Antonio Anastasia presented his findings to a 21-member Senate impeachment committee, which is expected to vote overwhelmingly on Friday to send his recommendation to the full chamber. The Senate is due to vote on May 11 to try Rousseff, at which point she will be automatically suspended, pending a trial that could last up to 180 days. Vice President Michel Temer will take over as acting president and, if Rousseff is convicted, he will serve out the remainder of her term through 2018. Request for investigation Brazilian media has also reported a leaked request by chief prosecutor Rodrigo Janot for the Supreme Court to authorise an investigation into Rousseff, ex-president Lula da Silva and other close allies over their alleged involvement in a vast corrupton network centred on state oil giant Petrobas. Janots reported request for the corruption probe names 31 politicians and other figures, also including opponents of Rousseff, illustrating the way that the Petrobras embezzlement and bribery scheme allegedly spread throughout the ruling class. But the request has yet to be confirmed by officials. Dozens of people have already been charged, prosecuted or imprisoned, including some of the countrys richest men and leaders of all political stripes in Congress. Rousseff has not been named in any direct corruption charges, although she was chairman of Petrobras during much of the time the scheme was under way. The Democratic Republic of the Congos government has announced a crackdown on the alleged use of foreign mercenaries by the countrys main opposition leader Moise Katumbi. Justice Minister Alexis Thambwe Mwamba told a news conference on Wednesday that there was documented proof that former US soldiers and South Africans were among the foreigners working for Katumbi in Katanga, the province in which he is based. I gave the orders to the PGR [general prosecutor of the republic] to open a judicial case in Katanga, he said. Katumbi, the former governor of Katanga, has yet to formally respond to the allegations. Steve Wenbi, a journalist from a local news agency who attended the conference in the capital Kinshasa, told Al Jazeera that the government launched the probe after authorities arrested a number of suspects in connection with the reported influx of mercenaries, including an ex-US troop and three Congolese. One of the Congolese arrested is the owner of security company, called Pomba 1. The company, which is based in Katangas provincial capital of Lubumbashi, is accused of inviting the foreign mercenaries and is linked to Katumbi, Wenbi said. US influx He also quoted Mwamba as saying that the government was investigating why more than 600 US citizens, mostly men, had entered the country since October last year. Lambert Mende, a government spokesman, told Al Jazeera that Pomba 1 was not officially registered as a security company and was therefore operating illegally. The interior ministry did not know that it existed as a security company It may have been created to bring mercenaries, he added. Mende also said that the government has issued arrest warrants for many alleged foreign mercenaries, but a lot of them have been escaping the country to avoid prosecution. Stephanie Wolters of the Institute for Security Studies, a prominent African NGO, told Al Jazeera: We dont know what these ex-American soldiers are allegedly doing for Katumbi, if in fact they are employed by him. They could be involved in perfectly legitimate activities. We do believe that one of the members of Katumbis security detail who was arrested during a political event in Lubumbashi on April 24 is American. Political tensions The allegations against Katumbi came at a time of increased tensions between him and President Joseph Kabila before presidential elections on November 27. Katumbi, who recently gained support from 15 political parties in the country, has refused to engage in dialogue between the ruling party and political opposition. In the current political context, this allegation will likely be interpreted as being politically motivated, and it will undoubtedly raise tensions, including with the US, Wolters said. If the allegations turn out not to be true, it is explosive that such a serious allegation would be made in an attempt to discredit a political rival. If it is proven that these people were engaged in illegal activities at Katumbis behest, the law will take its course. Wenbi concluded that he had low hopes that the election would be carried out smoothly. We are not in a good situation before the election it seems impossible to have an election because of the situation. Many protest outside union headquarters as access to building restricted following police raid and arrests. Egyptian riot police have cordoned off the headquarters of the journalists union and limited access to the building in an escalating standoff following a raid on the premises and the arrest of two journalists. Hundreds of journalists rallied on the steps outside the union headquarters on Wednesday, chanting Journalism is not a crime! and demanding the dismissal of the countrys Interior Minister Magdy Abdel-Ghaffar. The protests are the latest in a series of demonstrations against the government of President Abdel-Fattah el-Sisi, which has banned virtually all protests and carried out a wide-ranging crackdown on dissent. Police severely restricted access, banning non-union members from entry, as well as some residents and people who came on work errands to the surrounding area. Foreign journalists were allowed entry only after approval by several levels of officers, up to the rank of general. At one point, several dozen journalists pushed through a barrier and entered the area, causing a brief moment of chaos. Several held up their union cards, saying that the police would not let them enter despite the membership. The union is now holding a general assembly. There are thugs here threatening us, and the police dont want us to enter for the meeting because they know well condemn the Interior Ministry, said journalist Ahmed Bakr, who was allowed into the buildings street eventually. READ MORE: Egypt arrests journalists in raid on press syndicate Several dozen counter-demonstrators and government supporters showed up at either end of the blocked-off street, blasting patriotic songs, chanting Long live Egypt and insulting union members, who responded by calling the police thugs. Activist sentenced to jail In a separate development, prominent Egyptian activist and protest organiser Sanaa Seif has been sentenced to six months in prison for insulting a public official, she wrote in a Facebook post. The jail term came months after the government pardoned Seif and 99 others, including journalists and activists. Since Egypts President Mohammed Morsi was deposed in 2013, the government of army chief-turned-president Sisi has clamped down on political demonstrations, mainly by opponents demanding Morsis return. Hundreds of protesters have been killed and thousands detained over the past three years, and an anti-protest law has virtually banned all street demonstrations without prior police permission. The two journalists were arrested on Sunday over allegations that they called for anti-government protests following Sisis recent decision to transfer two Red Sea islands to Saudi Arabia. Egypts prosecutor general has since defended the raid and imposed a media gag order on the investigation. Similar blockades at the union headquarters have been imposed intermittently since April 25, when security forces largely quashed demonstrations against the transfer of the two islands. That decision brought protesters on to the streets on two occasions last month, in the largest show of public defiance of Sisi since he was elected in 2014. We are here today to defend journalism, said Yahia Kalash, the head of journalists union, who was at the rally on Wednesday. We are defending the rights and the dignity of journalists. Mubaraks PM acquitted Also in Egypt, a top appeals court has acquitted the ex-prime minister Ahmed Nazif, who had been part of the administration of ousted President Hosni Mubarak, of corruption charges after overturning his sentence for illegal profiteering, his lawyer and a judicial official said. Nazif had been found guilty by two criminal courts in 2012 and 2015 of illegally amassing $7.2m serving under the former president. He was sentenced to three years in prison in the first trial, and to five years in the second one. Both rulings were cancelled by the Court of Cassation. Nazif was also acquitted of corruption charges in a separate case in February last year, after a criminal court had sentenced him to seven years in prison for his alleged role in awarding contracts for new vehicle licence plates. Most have since been acquitted. Those released include Mubaraks sons, who were convicted with their father of stealing from public funds. The sons were freed in October for time served. Courts also acquitted senior Interior Ministry officials over the killing of hundreds of protesters during the 2011 uprising. Agreement reached between Russia and US to extend ceasefire in Syria to the besieged city of Aleppo, US officials say. An agreement has been reached with Russia to extend a ceasefire in Syria to Aleppo province, including the besieged city of Aleppo, the US State Department said. The expansion went into effect on Wednesday just after midnight in Damascus (02:00 GMT), the State Department said, noting an overall decrease in violence since then despite some continued fighting. Since this went into effect today at 00:01 in Damascus, we have seen an overall decrease in violence in these areas, spokesman Mark Toner said. The Syrian army confirmed the ceasefire, saying there would be a regime of calm in Aleppo for 48 hours, Russian ambassador to the UN Vitaly Churkin told the UN Security Council. Al Jazeeras Rosiland Jordan, reporting from Washington DC, said that the announcement was delayed because officials wanted to see how long it would take for the ceasefire to come into effect. They decided to announce it now because they believe that the ceasefire is holding. The US is coordinating with Russia to finalise monitoring efforts for the ceasefire and calls on all parties to abide by the agreement. We look to Russia as a co-chair of the International Syria Support Group to press for the Assad regimes compliance with this effort, and the United States will do its part with the opposition, the State Department statement said. War crimes, crimes against humanity The United Nations Humanitarian Affairs chief Stephen OBrien told the UN Security Council that the killing of civilians in Aleppo cannot and will not be forgotten, warning that perpetrators will be held accountable. OBrien gave a rundown of deadly incidents in which residential areas, medical facilities and ambulances were targeted by government war planes and non-state shelling. Some of these acts amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity, OBrien said in New York. Activists and rebels said at least 250 people have been killed in the fighting in Aleppo in the past 10 days. On Wednesday, dozens of people were killed in a day-long battle in western Aleppo that was still going on intermittently, the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and sources on both sides said. Sources loyal to the Syrian government gave conflicting accounts of the outcome of the battle that began early on Tuesday in and around the Jamiat al-Zahraa area of western Aleppo. A rebel told AP news agency that fighters had managed to take some ground from the government side, while the army said the attack was repelled. Aid delivery blocked UN humanitarian adviser Jan Egeland said on Wednesday that the Syrian government had refused UN demands to deliver aid to hundreds of thousands of people, including many in violence-torn Aleppo. Aleppo has seen fierce fighting between the warring sides in the past two weeks after government forces began targeting the city. READ MORE: Aleppo patients have nowhere to go We seem to be having new possible besieged areas on our watch. We are having hundreds of relief workers unable to move in Aleppo, Egeland told reporters on Wednesday after chairing a weekly meeting of nations supporting the Syria peace process. It is a disgrace to see that while the population of Aleppo is bleeding, their options to flee have never been more difficult than now. Aleppo, Syria Al-Quds hospital sits in the Sukkari neighbourhood of rebel-controlled eastern Aleppo. One of the citys main hospitals, it has provided a variety of treatments to Aleppos wounded and ill. That was until last Wednesday, when air strikes launched by government forces hit the hospital, forcing it to shut down. At least 27 people were killed in the air strike, including six doctors and three children. A week later, rubble and crushed stone still lay all around al-Quds hospital building, as do traces of blood from the attack. Our hospital was attacked by three aircraft rockets, Hassan Haleeb, a neurologist and the medical director of the hospital told Al Jazeera. Al-Quds hospital is now closed, leaving its former patients and Aleppos state of healthcare in general at serious risk. The hospitals closure means the humanitarian situation in Aleppo has gone from bad to worse. Of the 10 hospitals operating in Aleppo, only five are currently functioning. Each hospital can accommodate between 60 and 75 patients, according to a local source. Since April 22, Aleppo has been the scene of the worst surge in fighting between rebel forces and Syrian government forces, leaving more than 250 people killed in less than two weeks across the city. Aleppo, once Syrias largest city and commercial capital, has been a major battleground in the country since rebel forces launched an assault there in mid-2012 that ultimately left the city carved into government- and opposition-held halves. I searched among the rubble trying to find my brother's body, but couldn't get it out until the next morning. He left behind a wife and four kids. by Majd, Aleppo resident A partial truce brokered by the United States and Russia was in effect since February 27. However, Aleppo was not included. On Tuesday, at least three people were killed in a rebel rocket attack on a hospital in the northern Syrian city of Aleppo. The attack was part of a shelling that left at least 19 people dead in government-controlled areas of the city, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, the UK-based monitoring group. Gripped by fighting and regular air strikes, Aleppo has managed to maintain a functioning health sector. However, the lack of qualified medical professionals remaining in the city poses additional problems for the citys hospitals. Medical workers also cite the shortage of nurses and paramedics, many of whom have left because of bad conditions in the city. Although Al-Quds hospital has been hit twice before by regime forces, the recent attack damaged the hospitals second floor, causing it to close. After six days its still out of service. Ninety percent of the emergency room was destroyed, the operating room was 20 percent destroyed, said Haleeb as he assessed the damage inflicted on the hospital. The pediatric intensive care unit (ICU), the internal cardio ICU, the ward and the lab were also damaged in varying degrees. Another hospital, Dar al-Shifa, has been bombed nearly a dozen times and has since ceased operating, while the Shawki Hilal hospital closed at one point owing to bombing damage but has since reopened. Hassan Fattouh, a paramedic who works at Zarzour hospital, one of the five remaining operating hospitals in the city, said that during the past two weeks the emergency department [at the hospital] has been receiving about 50 casualties people killed and injured, every day, due to the fierce bombardment targeting Aleppo city. We have not received any killed or injured military personnel during this time because the regime forces mainly target civilian buildings and gatherings, Fattouh told Al Jazeera. However, we received yesterday some casualties that came from Aleppo [military] fronts due to the fierce battles there. On normal days, we carry out normal emergency procedures and surgeries [operations], depending on the situation of each case. Critical cases, such as those that require surgeries in the chest or the pelvis, are directly transferred to Turkey. On a more positive note, Haleeb says they have already started to rebuild the hospital, but only certain sections. We expect the hospital will return to working in two to three weeks, just the emergency room, the operating room and the ward, he added. The surviving patients were transported to other hospitals, says Haleeb, but he notes that those requiring internal medicine now have nowhere to go. Patients cannot find a place to treat internal diseases now. They are waiting for us to rebuild al-Quds, he said. Haleeb and others believe the air strikes were carried out by the Syrian government forces, although the Syrian government denied this claim. Elsewhere in the city, residents spoke about the horror unfolding during the past few days. Our neighbourhood has suffered from heavy rocket attacks, said Majd, a resident of al-Ansari neighbourhood who declined to give his full name. Majd lost his brother in the attack on al-Quds hospital. I was on my way to pick him up when a rocket hit the emergency room entrance. I searched among the rubble trying to find my brothers body, but couldnt get it out until the next morning. He left behind a wife and four kids, he said. Now, planes and helicopters dont leave the sky. God will avenge this. Khalid Ataqi sells mobile phones in Aleppo, but hasnt been working since the wide-scale attacks last week. I stay at home with my three kids. Theyre terrified of the bombs and the electricity is out, he told Al Jazeera. Several of my neighbours have been killed, but nobody in my family has been hurt. Massive blaze sweeps through oil sands region and prompts biggest evacuation in the history of Alberta state. The entire population of the Canadian city of Fort McMurray was ordered to leave their homes late on Tuesday as a massive wildfire swept through Alberta provinces oil sands region. More than 80,000 residents were ordered to flee after an earlier evacuation order was extended to tens of thousands more people as flames continued to make their way into the city. No casualties have been reported but damage has been extensive, with petrol stations exploding and a hotel and one of the towns many motor home parks going up in flames, local media said. The air over the city was thick with black smoke. All of Fort McMurray is under a mandatory evacuation order, Alberta emergency services said, after previously indicating that the northern edge of the fire was growing rapidly. Scott Long, of Alberta Emergency Management, said the flames had burned a number of structures, but couldnt say how many. The airport was still open but the hospital had to close. Alberta Premier, Rachel Notley, said officials were doing all they could to ensure peoples safety and said they were looking into the possibility of an airlift for residents with medical issues. I know that its a very scary time, Notley told a press conference. Our focus is completely and entirely right now on ensuring the safety of people, of getting them out of the city and ensuring that they are safe and secure. Authorities urged residents to head towards evacuation centres as the city reeled from what Notley called the provinces largest ever evacuation. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said that he had called Notley to offer federal aid to the province. My thoughts are with people affected by the fire in Fort McMurray tonight. Stay safe and remember to follow evacuation orders, he tweeted. Helicopters and firefighters Long lines of cars travelled north via the citys main highway, while flames ravaged the embankment on the side of the road. Police closed the southbound lanes. Be patient, drive safely and please give way to emergency vehicles, an evacuation notice read. The fire, which was contained south of Fort McMurray until Monday, was pushed towards the city by 50km/hr winds and quickly reached homes, helped by a drought in Alberta. The province saw record temperatures of nearly 30C. The fire quickly expanded, with blazes forming in several places, forcing the citys evacuation. Bruce Mayer, assistant deputy minister of agriculture and forestry, said nine air tankers, a dozen helicopters and about a hundred firefighters were battling the flames, with reinforcements on the way. Some 160 police officers were mobilised to implement the evacuation, according to Notley. Oil companies, crucial to the regions economy, set up emergency shelters in their huge bungalow communities for Canadian and foreign workers. Second round of face-to-face talks begins, UN envoy says, as sides seek to end war that has displaced millions. Yemens warring parties have resumed face-to-face peace talks three days after a walkout by the government delegation, according to the United Nations. It is only the second round of face-to-face talks in the hard-won negotiations to end a conflict that has killed more than 6,400 people and forced 2.8 million from their homes since March last year. The joint work session has started to follow up with the agreed agenda, Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed, UN Special Envoy for Yemen, said on Twitter on Wednesday. The negotiations, which began on April 21, broke up on Sunday after the government delegation quit in protest at the apparent surrender of one of the few loyalist bases in the northern mountains to Iran-backed Houthi rebels. Ould Cheikh Ahmed said the two sides had agreed that a monitoring committee supervising a ceasefire would launch a fact-finding mission into the takeover of the al-Amaliqa base in Amran province. The committee will submit a report within 72 hours with practical recommendations that all sides pledge to carry out, Ould Cheikh Ahmed said. READ MORE: Yemeni forces capture al-Qaeda stronghold in Hadramout Foreign Minister Abdulmalik al-Mekhlafi, who heads the government delegation, has demanded a rebel pull-out. The UN stressed the need to strengthen ceasefire monitoring committees on the ground, particularly in and around battleground third city Taiz, where loyalist troops have been under siege for months, trapping tens of thousands of civilians. New York-based rights group Human Rights Watch (HRW), which has been deeply critical of alleged violations of the rules of war by the government and its supporters in a Saudi-led military coalition as well as the rebels and their allies, called for justice for the victims from the UN-brokered talks. It urged the warring parties to support international investigations, transitional justice and victim compensation as key elements of any agreement. INSIDE STORY: Has the Saudi-led campaign in Yemen achieved its goal? The Houthi rebels and their allies are still in control of the capital, as well as much of the northern and central mountains and Red Sea coast. The UN says that most of the civilians killed in the conflict in the past 14 months have died in Saudi-led bombing raids. HRW has accused the coalition of carrying out indiscriminate air strikes against civilian areas, and the rebels of committing various abuses. Hong Kong is one of the worlds richest cities, so why are thousands of elderly residents collecting rubbish to survive? Office workers rush past, oblivious to the army of grey-haired residents toiling in the shadows of Hong Kongs soaring skyscrapers. Dragging trolleys laden with waste, they sell whatever they can collect for just a few dollars. Hong Kong is home to 64 billionaires and has the highest number of Rolls-Royces per capita in the world. But one in three elderly people lives in poverty one of the highest senior poverty rates in the developed world. And with a rapidly ageing population, Hong Kong could soon face a silver tsunami. 101 East asks why so many elderly residents are struggling to survive in one of the worlds richest cities. Join the conversation @AJ101East Senate votes 95 to 1 in favour of Finland and Sweden joining NATO, with the US the 23rd of 30 member states to approve. 2015 saw six releases by tenor saxophonist. It's early in 2016, and we already have five new releases. At this pace, one can only hope for five more. Certainly, noting the combinations of players presented here and the high level of improvisation, there could easily be ten more sessions with ten different permutations. Or, like Claude Monet painting the same haystacks in different light, it would be just as satisfying to hear Perelman's saxophone with each of the groups below on a different day, in a different mood. Let's explore the latest crop of Leo releases, and dream of the possibilities.Ivo Perelman/Matthew ShippCorpoLeo2016You could call them brothers from different mothers. Ivo Perelman and pianisthave recorded (by my count) twenty-one records together in the last twenty years, sixteen of those since 2010. Like siblings, each of their encounters is a reunion, and listening to them perform, you immediately sense their telepathic communication.These duets, maybe better called dialogues, are entitled Corpo or body. Not bodies. Maybe that's because as musicians, they are two sides of the same coin. Improvisers. Brothers. This 2016 session follows the double CD Callas (Leo, 2015), Complementary Colors (Leo, 2015), and The Art Of The Duet: Volume One (Leo, 2013).Shipp is a leader in his own right, with his trio, quartet, duos with, and, more often than not, in solo performance, he has created a unique language for piano. One that could be described as a conservatory trained. This session was recorded "Part 1" through "Part 12" and reproduced in order. The twelve pieces, the shortest being 1:41 and longest at 6:13, are delivered in a conversational manner. Their history allows them to spontaneously create music, sometimes acting as a counterbalance, other times as a direction finder. "Part 8" is a great example. Shipp opens with a meditative sound before stabbing jagged notes that inspire Perelman to enter in the upper register, only to slide into a talkative melody and the pair gambol to the end. Each piece here is chock full of small surprises of sound that would be considered grand gestures by any other two artists.Ivo Perelman/Matthew Shipp/Michael Bisio/Whit DickeySoulLeo2016Shipp is also at the piano bench for Soul a quartet session that reunites Perelman with the familiar partners bassistand drummer. They had previously released The Edge (Leo, 2013) and The Outer Edge (Leo, 2014). This session would be Bisio's fourth with the saxophonist and Dickey's seventh. With Shipp, the pair released the memorable To Duke (Rogue Art, 2015) a trio re-imagination of Ellington's signature music.Recorded one week after Corpo, this quartet supplements the duo by complementing its sound. In 2015, while overseeing an exhibition of his paintings and drawings (he is also a fine artist) in his native Brazil, Perelman reconnected with the pioneers of the 12-tone system, Schoenberg and Webern. His five month study opened his eyes (well, ears) to a more relaxed sound. Compare this music to his Black On White (Clean Feed, 2004) recording from 2001 and the change is obvious. Nothing is forced here, although the music has great force. The title track bears this out. Shipp's solo introduction gives way to a plaintive horn and whispering brushwork. The quartet locks into the solid pulse of Bisio and rides the ineffable beauty that is life's ugliness. They counter the melancholy with "Joy," Perelman at first sounding breathy likebefore jumping to the upper register. Guided by Bisio, he negotiates his way into the bash of cymbals and Shipp's piano insistence. Let's call them demands. The push/pull of saxophone and piano is moderated by bass and drums, neither of which take sides. The quartet plays with found melodies, some an eye-opening revelation. Who needs a written score when you have improvisers of this high caliber?Ivo Perelman/Mat Maneri/Joe Morris/Gerald CleaverBreaking PointLeo2016Exit one established quartet and enter a new configuration. Let's call this quartet, Ivo Perelman with strings. Not exactly a string quartet like the The Passion According To G.H. (Leo, 2012) session he recorded with the Sirius String Quartet. This quartet features the viola ofand the double bass playing of, plus drummerManeri and Perelman released a duo Two Men Walking (Leo, 2014) and a trio Villa Lobos Suite (leo, 2015) with violist Tanya Kalmanovitch. The saxophonist's relationship with Morris dates back to his Strings (Leo, 1997) where he plays cello exclusively and Morris, guitar. More recently there is the electric free-for-all One (RareNoise, 2013) with noise drummer Balazs Pandi and Morris playing electric bass, and a trio Perelman/Morris/Cleaver Counterpoint (Leo, 2015).Here we find a distinct new configuration. From track one, "Harsh Moon," Perelman, under the influence of Maneri, tailors his tenor to sound like a stringed instrument. When the pair trade notes here and on "Catch 22," it is easy to substitute one for the other. Maneri's angles become Perelman's angles. Cleaver is a master of the accented accompaniment and the bass might be the easiest entryway into Joe Morris' music. The longest piece, "The Forest Of Feet And Bass Drums," at nearly 15 minutes, may be the signature work of this quartet. The instant composing quartet creates a mini-epic odyssey. From its tousled opening, with players bidding for the piece's direction, the music evolves, each player soloing before the climax, then a beautifully sweet resolution.Ivo Perelman/Joe MorrisBlueLeo2016This is not the first occasion of Perelman recording in a duo setting with guitarist Joe Morris. In 1996 the saxophonist laid down fifteen tracks on cello, his first instrument, and Morris dubbed his solos onto the pieces for the Strings (Leo, 1997). The pair have made multiple records since, with Morris on electric guitar, acoustic bass, and electric bass. This very intimate duo probably could not have been made twenty, or maybe even ten years ago. Perelman has developed a more nuanced sound, and it can be argued, is more attuned to silence. Or, at least the silence between notes.It is a pleasure to hear Morris' acoustic guitar. Like his bass playing, it is an avenue into the denser sound of his electric work. An interesting precursor to hearing him here is his solo work for acoustic guitar Singularity (AUM Fidelity, 2001).But for instruments, this recording parallels Corpo, the saxophonist's duo, recorded just one month prior, with Matthew Shipp. Like the most recent work with the pianist, we hear his most sympathetic playing. If the tenor saxophone is the closest brass instrument to the human voice, the conversation between Morris and Perelman is heart-to-heart. They chase old memories on "Almost Blue," upper register talk urges strummed then quicksilver passages. The pair loiter often, as if to consider the fleeting nature of their sound. Even when they do kick it into a flurried attack, like the minute long "Bluebird," the music resolves itself with benevolence.Ivo Perelman/Karl BergerThe HitchhikerLeo2016In 2014, Ivo Perelman and Karl Berger, playing piano, recorded the duo session Reverie (Leo) with the intention of making a second recording with Berger on vibraphone. That get together had to wait another two years for The Hitchhiker. Certainly, it was worth the wait.Berger, adept at both piano and vibraphone, founded The Creative Music Foundation in 1971 withand Ingrid Sertso in Woodstock, New York. He has been an improvising artist, recording for more than fifty years as a leader and with, the Globe Unity Orchestra,, and. His duo recording Conversations (In + Out, 1994), now a vinyl freak's treasure, is very likely the inspiration for this session. More recently, he made a jaw-dropping recording Moon (NoBusiness Records, 2015) with cornetistThe vibraphone, a percussive instrument, melds seamlessly with the tenor saxophonist. Perelman has always had an affinity with percussionists like Gerald Cleaver, Whit Dickey,, and. The same holds true with Matthew Shipp, a very percussive player. With Berger on vibes, the saxophonist has found a colorist that also lends a propulsive element. The pair glide here, and that's the best word to use. Glide. A ballad-like "The Well Of Memory" tugs heart strings and "Twilight" could even be a piece of imagined Appalachian folk music. The pair play off each other, bouncing notes on "Zen And The Art Of Improvisation," as if they were of the same mind, each finishing the other's thought. Can we propose first, a Perelman session with Karl Berger and Mat Maneri? Next one with Perelman, Berger and Gerald Cleaver? Then, Bisio, Shipp, and I could go on and on.Tracks and PersonnelCorpoTracks: Part 1; Part 2; Part 3; Part 4; Part 5; Part 6; Part 7; Part 8; Part 9; Part 10; Part 11; Part 12.Personnel: Ivo Perelman: tenor saxophone; Matthew Shipp: piano.SoulTracks: Metaphysical; Crossing; Eyound; Fragments; Belvedere; Landscape; Soul; Joy; The Unknown.Personnel: Ivo Perelman: tenor saxophone; Matthew Shipp: piano; Michael Bisio: bass; Whit Dickey: drums.Breaking PointTracks: Harsh Moon; Dance Matters; Catch 22; The Haunted French Horn; Sound Healers; The Forest Of Feet And Bass Drums; Breaking Point..Personnel: Ivo Perelman: tenor saxophone; Mat Maneri: viola; Joe Morris: bass; Gerald Cleaver: drums.BlueTracks: Blue; Turtle Dance; Almost Blue; Bluebird; Instant; Wee Hours; Blue Lester; Tight Rope; Crossword.Personnel: Ivo Perelman: tenor saxophone; Joe Morris: acoustic guitar.The HitchhikerTracks: The Shadowy Path; The Well Of Memory; Twilight; Unspoken Feelings; The Hitchhiker; Pride And Prejudice; Extremely Loud While Incredibly Quiet; Engulfed In Flames; Zen And The Art Of Improvisation; The Sound Of Bliss; Well-behaved Quarter Notes.Personnel: Ivo Perelman: tenor saxophone; Karl Berger: Vibraphone. While experiencing a recent cystic acne breakout, a Reddit user who goes by Infinitesimallyok decided to reach for an unexpected product at the back of her cabinet: diaper cream. "I was at my wit's end," she wrote on the SkincareAddiction subreddit. "None of my spot treatments were doing anything to these gigantic monsters, and I figured how much worse can I make it." She says that she dabbed the cream onto her cystic pimples before bed, and in the morning, they came to a head. The next night, she stuck acne stickers on top of the breakouts, and by the next day, they were flat. "This diaper cream had done what none of my acid-pink spot-treatment-sulfur-clay-mask-spot treatments could do," Infinitesimallyok added. In the past, she wrote that she's used popular treatments like the Mizon Acence Blemish Out Pink Spot, the La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo, and the Cosrx Centella Blemish Cream to no avail. Although this cystic acne tip shocked me, many Redditors chimed in on the thread to share that diaper cream has helped clear up their breakouts, too. Instagram star Farah Dhukai has also shared in the past that diaper cream doubles as an overnight "acne killer mask." Curious about the science behind these claims, I asked dermatologists and a cosmetic chemist if they believe diaper cream is an effective cystic acne treatment. The short answer is: Yes, you can clear up acne with diaper cream. Of course, utilizing this product and blemish-banishing "technique" does come with some caveats, though. New York City-based dermatologist Joshua Zeichner put the situation into perspective for me. Acne and diaper rash are both types of irritation. "The skin barrier is disrupted, there is a loss of hydration, and the hair follicles are surrounded by inflammatory skin cells," he explains. In both cases, diaper cream helps repair the skin barrier and reduce inflammation. This is all thanks to zinc oxide. Although cosmetic chemist Perry Romanowski tells Allure that zinc oxide isn't approved by the FDA as a safe and effective ingredient for treating acne, it's still used in dermatology. "Dermatologists use zinc, both orally and topically, for a number of inflammatory skin conditions, including acne, rosacea, and even warts," explains Shari Marchbein, a dermatologist and clinical assistant professor of dermatology at New York University School of Medicine. Reason being? It's packed with antioxidants, as well as anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties. With this in mind, diaper cream can be a useful acne spot treatment. 2005 .. In the span of the past several weeks, we have seen regulators created by the Dodd-Frank Act lose two important court decisions over their processes while a third looming ruling could take another swipe at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's authority. Meanwhile, several big banks failed yet again to meet a Dodd-Frank standard meant to eliminate "too big to fail." Nearly six years after Dodd-Frank's passage, can anyone honestly say that this law is working? The setbacks in the post-crisis legislative reforms include questions over regulators' adherence to administrative law, as well as the statutory bounds of the CFPB's authority. The legal tangling underlines this point: With many of the law's requirements simply too complicated to implement, evidence is mounting that those practical difficulties have led agencies to disregard legal norms as they try to fulfill their missions. First, a federal judge threw out the determination by the Financial Stability Oversight Council created by Dodd-Frank that MetLife was a "systemically important financial institution," or SIFI. Judge Rosemary Collyer chided the FSOC for "fundamental violations of established administrative law" and ruled that the final determination of SIFI status for MetLife was "arbitrary and capricious" without even considering the substantive arguments. Collyer's decision was a sweet victory for the insurer, but it does not provide redress for the significant financial costs incurred by MetLife in shutting down much of its retail operation in the face of its SIFI designation. More importantly, because the court did not even examine the substantive arguments by MetLife against the SIFI designation focusing instead on FSOC's departure from its own guidance about the SIFI process the decision is unlikely to affect the negative bias of regulators against nonbank financial institutions. The FSOC's reasoning with respect to MetLife makes little sense to those familiar with the insurance industry. The 2008 financial crisis was essentially about a run on liquidity, a cascade of investor fear that created a systemic event. Somehow, the FSOC came to the conclusion that a life insurance company could pose a systemic threat to the financial system, this even though insurers have few significant short-term liquidity needs. Insurers tend to be over-capitalized and are net providers of liquidity to the markets through investment activities, yet the federal regulators who sit on the FSOC somehow missed these key business model distinctions. Next we have the failure of a number of large banks to gain regulatory approval for the "living wills" that are mandated by Dodd-Frank. A living will is essentially a roadmap for winding down a large bank in the event of a bankruptcy. The living will provision was just one component of the law aiming to protect the system from the failure of a large firm. Banks drawing up the resolution plans must credibly prove their structures are simple enough that they could be unwound through a traditional bankruptcy without causing systemic chaos and without regulatory intervention. This is now the second time many of the banks received poor grades. Under the law, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. and Federal Reserve Board can ultimately force banks with subpar plans to increase capital or divest assets to become easier to unwind. But the banks' progress so far as well as the regulators' delay in providing feedback and vague guidance on what makes a good plan does not inspire confidence. Reading Dodd-Frank, you might get the impression that Congress really expects regulators to break up a large failed bank, but that is incorrect. The other component aiming to limit the effect of a firm's collapse is the authority for the FDIC to take over a failed bank or nonbank financial institution until the financial crisis has passed. This power arguably would have prevented the failure of Lehman Brothers and Bear Stearns. The key flaw in the Dodd-Frank law when it comes to living wills and the enhanced resolution authority is that the regulators themselves, not the banks, should be the ones developing the resolution plans. The notion that this process should be conducted by the banks is highly suspect. Trying to guess, in advance, how a bank resolution process might proceed is an entirely speculative exercise. U.S. banks have long been required to provide detailed information about their affiliated companies to federal regulators. Also, it may surprise readers of American Banker to learn that were a bank taken over by the FDIC under its expanded resolution authority, the receiver would not be required to use the living will to guide it actions. The living will process as it stands today seems to be a terrible waste of time and money. But the biggest questions about the Dodd-Frank reforms relate to the CFPB, which is arguably the progressive heart of the law. The bureau's latest setback was an April ruling by Judge Richard Leon of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia blocking the agency's investigation of an accreditor of for-profit colleges. Leon said the CFPB's pursuit of the company was "well outside" its authority. The CFPB also is under attack for its targeting of the nonbank mortgage firm PHH Corp., which has appealed its $109 million CFPB fine to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit. As in the case of the FSOC decision with respect to MetLife, the process used by the CFPB is as much an issue as the underlying facts in the litigation. But the PHH case also scrutinizes the constitutionality of the bureau's authority under Dodd-Frank, specifically the conditions by which a sitting president can remove a CFPB director. "The president and the Congress have no control over this agency," Ted Olson, the former solicitor general who is representing PHH, argued before the court. Sadly, the CFPB has chosen to use substantial fines and enforcement actions as its primary regulatory tools rather than rulemaking subject to public notice and comment which has greatly antagonized the industry. And as with the previous examples, the logic used by Congress in crafting the objectives of the Dodd-Frank law for the CFPB seem to be at fault. Even though these disputes may be decided not on the merits of the statute, judges increasingly see the processes carried out by regulators emboldened by the 2010 law as "arbitrary and capricious." The legal setbacks are ultimately a failure of a law that has proven too unwieldy to implement. Before the next financial crisis, Dodd-Frank is badly in need of review and revision. Christopher Whalen is senior managing director and head of research at Kroll Bond Rating Agency. Wall Street Journal The backlash to online marketplace lenders is in full swing. Prosper Marketplace will fire 171 workers and its CEO won't take a salary, as loan volume declines and investors purchase fewer loans. The company will close a Utah office that's assigned to making loans for medical procedures, as it will make cuts totaling about 14% of its workforce, which is based in both San Francisco and Phoenix. Prosper's chief risk officer is being replaced and its lead business-development officer is leaving. With the recent tightening of the capital markets, we are refocusing on our core consumer loans business, CEO Aaron Vermut said. Institutional investors have turned their backs quickly on Prosper and its ilk. Prosper has yet to post a profit. Earlier this week, OnDeck Capital reported a $12.6 million quarterly loss, as its CEO said volume from institutional investors who had previously bought its loans to securitize them has dropped down almost to zero, American Banker reported. OnDeck's shares plunged following the report and LendingClub's shares followed suit, the Journal said. What's next? Will Kabbage have to discontinue its full bar in the company office? The Fed released a proposal on Tuesday that would strip asset management firms of their right to terminate financial contracts with large banks. The proposal is designed as a failsafe against bank bailouts. Asset managers like Pacific Investment Management Co. have opposed the measure, but another large investment firm, Vanguard Group, came out in support of it. Some of the postcrisis rules have addressed risks that investment firms faced from swaps and big bank failures, so some of the early-warning triggers the industry had developed before 2008 are no longer as relevant, said Bill Thum, a principal in Vanguard's legal and compliance unit. The proposal's benefits to financial stability will outweigh its costs, Fed Chair Janet Yellen said in prepared remarks. The crisis underscored that when a large financial institution gets into trouble, its failure can destabilize other firms, Yellen said. Financial Times It's the U.K., but Barclays has introduced a mortgage product that lets borrowers take out a loan equal to 100% of the home's value, no deposit required. It is the first true 100 per cent mortgage since the financial crisis, a broker told the FT. New York Times The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau may be getting ready to crack down on deferred-interest promotions. The promotions lure consumers to buy expensive items like appliances by forgoing interest for six to 12 months. But deferred-interest promotions can be dangerous for consumers, as they will be slapped with interest charges if they don't pay their balance in full by the end of the promotion. The National Consumer Law Center calls the promotions one of the worst abuses, if not the worst abuse of consumer finance, after the 2009 Credit Card Act cracked down on things like hidden fees. The CFPB has not indicated its plans, but Director Richard Cordray in March told Congress that regulators had significant concerns about the product. The CFPB issued a report in December showing that the promotions had increased in volume between 2010 and 2013. Citigroup and Synchrony Financial are the two largest purveyors of deferred-interest promotions. Elsewhere ... Daily Beast: The identity of the creator of bitcoin is a rather meaningless question, as anyone could have invented the digital currency, Eric Geissinger writes. Not the work of a loner genius, the underlying concept for bitcoin was developed over a fairly long period of time. Starting in the 1980s, a group called the Cypherpunks developed a manifesto calling for, among other things, electronic currency. They didn't just come up with the idea, they developed prototypes. Later, in 1996, the E-Gold concept was revealed. More digital currencies popped up in the ensuing years, including b-money and Karma. So the idea that bitcoin emerged fully formed and without precedent from the skull of Satoshi Nakamoto/Craig Wright is false and misses the point entirely. Oh by the way, Wright probably isn't Satoshi, although he plans to continue claiming that he is. San Diego Union-Tribune: MUFG Union Bank's ATMs and online banking services went down on Tuesday after the bank's network crashed. The services were out for most of the day, but were back online as of 6 p.m. Pacific time Tuesday. Prudential Bancorp in Philadelphia has a new chief executive. The $522 million-asset company said in a press release Tuesday that Dennis Pollack had also become its president. Pollack succeeded Joseph Corrato, 55, who retired after spending 38 years at the company. Pollack had been a director at the company and at Savings Institute Bank & Trust in Willamantic, Conn., according to his LinkedIn page. He previously served as president and CEO at Savings Bank of Rockland County in Spring Valley, N.Y., from 1989 to 1996, and CBC BanCorp in Stamford, Conn., from 1997 to 2000. Corrato was Prudential's chief financial officer when he succeeded Thomas Vento as president and CEO last year. Corrato will remain at Prudential as a director emeritus. WASHINGTON Donald Trumps decisive victory in the Indiana primary late Tuesday has cleared the path for him to become the Republican nominee for president but hasnt cleared up the lingering doubts many bankers have about the real estate magnate. Just six months out from the general election, Trumps positions on banking issues remain a complete mystery aside from a general pledge to roll back the Dodd-Frank Act. Indeed, Trumps campaign has avoided giving specifics on most issues, even when it has promised to provide them. Take, for example, Trumps much-hyped speech on foreign policy last week, in which his message simply boiled down to putting America first. That was billed as a major foreign policy address and probably something he has given significant more thought to than to banking regulation, and there is still nothing there, said Brian Gardner, an analyst at Keefe, Bruyette & Woods. It was a vacuous statement, some large guiding principles but no meat on the bones for what it means for U.S. foreign policy. Dennis Kelleher, president and chief executive of the public interest group Better Markets, was more critical of Trump, saying he apparently thinks slogans are policy. He warned bankers that supporting Trump could backfire. The banking industry and the finance industry frankly need predictability within a certain reasonable range, and that is exactly what no one is going to get from Donald Trump. In fact, Trump prides himself on not being predictable and not being specific, Kelleher said. To be sure, many bankers traditionally a Republican lot will not care that Trumps positions remain unknown. For them, the Dodd-Frank Act was a destructive law that threatens the entire industry. They will support any candidate willing to target it. "Even though Trump carries tremendous controversy and everything else, the unknown is better than the known on the Democratic side," Albert Kell Kelly, chairman of the $650 million-asset SpiritBank in Tulsa, Okla., said in an interview last month. I want a president that is going to do anything" that would reduce regulation "and I'll take a chance on Genghis Khan right now if he comes out on the Republican side." Yet that view is far from universal. Speaking off the record, several prominent Republican bankers have expressed significant concerns with Trump. While they say they wouldnt vote for his expected rival, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, she would at least be stable and predictable. Even for critics among bank investors and the banking community critics of Hillary Clinton, I think they take comfort in the familiarity, Gardner said. Adding to those anxieties are what few specifics Trump has given on other issues. For example, he has said that he will cut off remittances to Mexico in order to get Mexico's government to pay for his proposed wall a move that would use banks as a tool of foreign policy. And while Trump has said he wants to repeal and replace Dodd-Frank, its not clear what he would replace it with. It is hard to understand how you could create more uncertainty than repealing Dodd-Frank right now when it is close to fully implemented if you dont have a viable replacement in mind, said Justin Schardin, acting director of Bipartisan Policy Centers Financial Regulatory Reform Initiative. Moreover, Trumps proposed trade war with China and other countries may endanger progress in other areas, including cross-border resolutions. What is he going to do on too big to fail? What is he going to do on cross-border resolutions? Gardner said. I feel pretty comfortable he has not given it much thought. Trumps lack of concrete positions like much of the rest of his campaign is unprecedented. In the past two presidential elections, both Mitt Romney and John McCain outlined specific views on banking policies in response to the financial crisis (as did their opponent, Barack Obama). All three candidates also had a clear stable of advisers they turned to, enabling bankers to gain insight into who they would pick for key government jobs if elected. But Trumps personnel picks are just as much of a mystery as everything else about his views. Trump could throw the rulebook out and put people in there who we have never heard of and have no experience in any of these issues, said Mark Calabria, director of financial regulation studies at the Cato Institute. That is a possibility. Overall, Gardner said the industry may grow more anxious as the election process continues if Trump does not provide more specifics. It is just generally negative for the sector because of a lack of familiarity, a lack of specifics and a lack of comfort in what actions he may or may not take, Gardner said. Comerica in Dallas, which has faced intense scrutiny from investors over its financial performance, has replaced its chief financial officer. The $69 billion-asset company said in a press release Tuesday that Karen Parkhill resigned on Friday to "pursue other opportunities." Parkhill, who had also been the company's vice chairman, had been with Comerica since 2011. Comerica said David Duprey, who had been its general auditor, had replaced Parkhill. The shakeup comes at a tough time for Comerica. The company said earlier this month that it had hired Boston Consulting Group to explore ways to boost profitability. Returns have lagged in recent years, as the company struggles with low interest rates and, recently, bad oil loans. First-quarter profit plunged 55% from a year earlier, to $60 million. The company's return on equity fell to 3.13%, compared to 7.20% a year earlier. Comerica is also facing increasing pressure from investors including Hudson Executive Capital to sell itself. Several investors traveled to Comerica's annual meeting in Dallas last week to express frustrations with the company's recent performance. Still, executives have downplayed a sale in recent days, saying that they will focus, for now, on cutting costs and finding new sources of revenue. The results of their strategic review are expected later this year. Duprey "will play an important role in driving the future of Comerica and creating value for our shareholders especially in working with the Boston Consulting Group in its current review of our revenue and expense base," Ralph Babb, the company's chairman and chief executive, said in Tuesday's release. In an ideal world a board member should devote ample time and attention to his or her company's operations, with few outside distractions. That's not always the case. Though institutional investors and proxy-advisory firms strongly advise public companies to discourage directors from sitting on too many boards simultaneously, companies often court the same business veterans and VIPs who find the fees and prestige attractive. The issue, which some corporate-governance experts call "overboarding," permeates corporate America, including the banking sector. Citigroup, Wells Fargo and the $7.8 billion-asset FCB Financial Holdings in Weston, Fla., each have a sizable number of overboarders. Many directors "are, by and large, very smart and capable people," said Ric Marshall, executive director of environmental, social and governance research at MSCI in Portland, Maine. "But how much can you do? Some are spreading themselves too thin." MSCI, a publisher of indexes for equities, fixed-income securities and hedge funds, provided to American Banker its analysis of biographical information for directors at all publicly traded banking companies. MSCI's report, based on regulatory filings, found that Citi, Wells and FCB had more directors with multiple board assignments than any other banks. Citi and Wells each have three directors who sit on the boards of four public companies including the banks themselves. Guidelines vary slightly by advisory firm or investment group, but the consensus is that a director should be on no more than three or four boards. "We consider four to be the maximum, and that's probably pushing it," Marshall said. Several banking companies have one or two directors who sit on four boards. Among the largest banks, however, Citi and Wells Fargo are the only ones with three such directors. Then there is FCB. The holding company for Florida Community Bank employs three directors who serve on five public company boards. No other publicly traded bank has that many directors who have five total board assignments, according to MSCI. Wells Fargo Responds Citi and Wells Fargo each recently completed its annual meeting without running into opposition for its directors with four public board seats. Citi's three directors who sit on four public company boards were all re-elected last week. Those directors are Renee James, James Turley and Ernesto Zedillo. James and a Citi spokesman declined to comment. Turley and Zedillo did not return calls seeking comment. Wells Fargo's three directors with four board seats each were also re-elected last week. They are Enrique Hernandez, Susan Swenson and Elaine Chao, a former U.S. labor secretary who is married to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky. Hernandez, Swenson and Chao did not return calls seeking comment. Wells Fargo has policies in place to "consider the number of boards" of each member, "to ensure that any board service does not impair the director's service to the company," company spokesman Peter Gilchrist said. "We have a robust process for evaluating the performance of the board, including the individual contributions of each board member," Gilchrist said. "We believe all our directors are doing an effective job." At FCB, two of its directors who each have five board seats are up for re-election this year at the company's May 16 annual meeting. Those directors are Alan Bernikow and Fred Salerno. The third director who has five board seats, Vincent Tese, is also FCB's chairman. FCB and Tese declined to comment. Bernikow and Salerno could not be reached. 'Not the Job It Used to Be' Many argue that being a bank director is harder than other board gigs. Financial services directors must be knowledgeable about a wide range of complex issues, far more than other industries, Marshall said. "They face some of the most complicated questions in the current environment," Marshall said. "With most industries, there is a clear separation between the operation of the company and the capital management of the company. In financial companies, those are kind of merged together." Bank directors during the financial crisis found out how much personal risk is involved. After the crisis, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. sued directors of some failed banks, asserting they were personally liable for approving loans that went bad. With the financial crisis over, the job of bank director may have changed slightly, but it is as stressful and time-consuming as it has ever been, said Robin Maxwell, an attorney at Linklaters who heads the firm's financial regulation group. "Serving as an outside director of a large financial institution is no longer considered as much of a part-time a job as it once might have been," Maxwell said. Directors for financial services companies must deal with issues such as Dodd-Frank regulations, cybersecurity, executive compensation and sensitive personnel decisions. For those reasons, financial services company directors probably have the most difficult job of any industry sector, said Steven Stokdyk, an attorney at Latham & Watkins in Los Angeles who advises public companies on corporate governance. "Directors of banks and bank holding companies spend a lot more time with their companies than directors in other industries," Stokdyk said. It is a wonder a director would want to subject himself or herself to the extra work, or the additional liabilities. But many directors are very generously compensated for their time. Many companies now give their directors a combination of cash and equity awards, Marshall said. "You can get rich, if you pick the right board," Marshall said. "It's not uncommon for an individual who's on four or five boards to take home $1 million a year for their board service alone." As a result some proxy advisory firms are taking a tougher stand on the issue. Glass Lewis, starting next year, will recommend shareholders vote against director nominees for any company if the nominee is an executive of a public company and serves on more than two public company boards. Glass Lewis' current recommendation is for no more than three boards. Banks with Tough Policies A number of banks have approved corporate governance bylaws to prevent directors from overboarding. The $7.8 billion-asset Berkshire Hills Bancorp in Pittsfield, Mass., has one of the strictest policies, limiting its directors to a total of three public company boards, including its own board. The $18 billion-asset PrivateBancorp in Chicago bans its directors from being on more than two outside public companies if they are a full-time executive. Directors who are not full-time executives are limited to three outside public companies. Other banks with stated "overboarding" policies include the $69 billion-asset Comerica in Dallas, the $2.8 billion-asset Capital City Bank Group in Tallahassee, Fla., and the $2.7 billion-asset First Connecticut Bancorp in Farmington. It makes sense for banks to take this step, said Bob Mahoney, chief executive at the $1.9 billion-asset BSB Bancorp in Belmont, Mass. It is a matter of looking out for your bank's own interests, especially if you are a community bank. "If I had somebody who was on two Fortune 500 company boards, then I'm going to lose out," Mahoney said. "If GE calls you to an emergency meeting in California, you're going to be gone for the whole week." "When it starts to get bad is when he can't come to my board meeting," Mahoney said. If governments are not guided by original principles, they are little more than toys of faction. Every democratic system has created its party of despots. Disrespect for constitutional order is a political disease of the democratic form of government that progressive interests have vigorously encouraged for one hundred years. Its pathogen, now metastasizing fully within the present administration, will lead inevitably to a loss of faith in democracy itself. President Obama envisions an America ruled by a network of organized minority and special interests whose combined political force represents an illegitimate control over the democratic political process. But there is nothing democratic in the idea of coercion, whether by majority or minority interests -- for either lays a burden of prejudice on elected representatives who may enact laws favorable to one part of society at the expense of other parts. In a republican system of government, the purpose of our rights is to protect individuals and vulnerable minorities from the tyranny of majorities. But how are majorities protected from combined and well-organized minorities that are keen to exact preferential treatment in law from the Obama administration? And how do Supreme Court decisions that favor these special interests not interfere with due process or the guaranteed rights of all persons? The 2016 Democratic presidential campaign has erected a platform of false promises directly appealing to a social network of "severely wronged and persecuted" groups; but only now have we discovered all that we should have known: that in a cynical and corrupt activist environment, such as that which now threatens absolutism and the very nature of justice itself, those who stand on principle are soon defeated. Mr. Obamas presidency and the Democratic supermajorities of the 111th Congress (2009 - 2010) confirmed how vulnerable our system is to hijacking and piracy. That was our first enlightenment. Two years of liberal steerage were quite enough to turn America from her founding purpose, well towards the salvage yards of the world. These policies successfully created the industry of grievance and entitlement necessary to divide and weaken society so that the people were no longer a threat to the new political order. The assertion of equality under the new order sounds the very essence of democracy until one understands that the kind of social equality cultivated for political purposes can be achieved only through compulsion in law. Only among undemocratic regimes, as we now see forming under progressive leadership, can we find the assertion that preferential justice for a few represents a political value greater than that of equal justice for all. Modern liberal doctrine in many ways distinguishes between the lawful and the fair. As an instance, under President Obamas conception of redistributive justice, his administration can act fairly only if it acts unlawfully, which is to say that the just distribution of social goods can be achieved only if the laws do not apply uniformly to all persons. Justice, in this regard, since the administration seeks to rectify social imbalances through executive orders and selective enforcement of existing laws, rewards only parts of society while penalizing others -- an action that clearly promotes class warfare. There can be no question that Obama regards lawfulness as the lesser part of justice, since he deems the nations laws as a repression of minority interests -- a strictly progressive conceit that suffices to pardon his several attempts on the Separation of Powers. The liberal gets with force what he cannot get with law. He cannot prove that what he intends to do shall be justly done. He has separated the principles of justice into a scheme of arbitrary authority and he has made a new dictionary of law. If the laws divide and burden society while benefitting those who govern society, then the laws are deviant. We find then, in progressive scripture, not an understanding of justice, but rather the conceit that injustice is stronger than justice. It is an elaborate invention of an ideology that regards justice as the rule of the stronger political faction, which can act unjustly only if it returns some measure of that rule to the common people. Progressivism is merely a new name for a very old crisis of civilization -- it is the means by which the beneficial products of human intelligence fall into disorder. The emergent ideology represents the destruction of value. It is an acid that dissolves foundations, customs, laws, civility, knowledge -- history itself -- anything that falls into its language. Its power is that of negation, working its will through opposition to established social and political institutions -- destroying, like an Ebola virus, the capillaries of trust that supply them. Its corruption extends throughout the culture, bringing State interference, dysfunction and regulatory force to the sanctuaries of the private sector, of markets and self-regulating commerce, of respect for property and religious freedom. It creates a deviant system, a pathology -- a condition of stasis that resolves fundamentally into a conflict over power. Force moves the argument. If despotism is the best hope for America that the progressive faction can deliver, then its activists have defined the best by the worst. We have discovered in the folly of the lefts pursuit of power the first cause of political stasis: a radical scheme of divided justice from which there can be no rest from civil strife -- a system in which truth opposes truth. Here, then, is our second enlightenment: if we are forced in our election to choose between our democratic longings for the principle of equality and its correlative principle of freedom from government coercion -- due to the ideological separation of political parties -- then we are at last a defeated people. The fate of American government will devolve into outrageous sways of parliamentary authority in which succeeding administrations, driven by well-established tribal hatreds and the urgency of revenge, expend their energies and political capital in taking down the accomplishments of their predecessors; and we are left in the end only with a politics of rubble. Uncompromising differences among political ideologies are the causes of stasis, never of reconciliation. A resolution of these differences should emerge from social consensus, never through the coercive powers invested in the ruling faction. All things that plead for seeding and tending and gathering in our enterprise require us to rid ourselves of government interference. A free society disturbed by the operations of government cannot remain free. Only the people, through their power of election, keep the nation in trust. But if we cannot cancel the left's attempts on our Constitution now, or if we are unable or unwilling to turn the nations distracted culture from its regenerative narcissism and folly, then we shall answer to the children who come after us, to the generations who must bear the burden of our negligence -- in whose books we shall be remembered, and in whose curses we shall most certainly deserve the fate that waits on all fools. Philip Ahlrich can be reached for comment at phahl@icloud.com. To the dismay of many serious conservatives, including many in our AT family, the Republican primary voters have spoken, and barring black swan events, Donald Trump will be the GOP nominee. He is not a perfect man, but those Republicans contemplating a cup of hemlock instead of coffee this morning (as one well-known writer told me he was jokingly, I hope in the wake of Indiana) need to take a deep breath and contemplate Trumps upside potential for America, for conservatives, and for the Republican Party. Lets face it: America has been locked into a downward spiral under the permanent grip that a corrupt system has had on power. Politicians bent on reform, representing voters demanding it, arrive in Washington, D.C. only to discover the impossibility of breaking the hold on the levers of governance of lobbyists, bureaucrats, and politicians in their pockets. Washington, D.C. thrives, becoming the richest city in the country, as most of the rest of the nation stagnates and declines. Businesses discover that it is far more important to cultivate government support than to innovate. Rent-seeking becomes the path to riches. Ted Cruz, who deserves enormous credit for suspending his campaign last night, swallowing his anger over Trumps escalating personal attacks on him and his family, has demonstrated the futility of reforming the federal government from the inside. A man of fierce intelligence and determination, he ran into a buzzsaw in the Senate and became the most hated man there in decades. He stood up for principle but was unable to move Congress in his (and conservatives) direction. A strong majority of Americans across the ideological spectrum understand how broken the system is. Something like two thirds of the electorate realize that the federal government is working to protect those who grease its wheels and feather its nest. Nobody exemplifies this corrupt system better than Hillary Clinton, now the Democrats presumptive nominee (again, barring black swan events). Trumps chosen profession, building, is an apt metaphor for what needs to be done for the GOP and America. Before you can build a new building on the urban sites Trump prefers, you have to tear down what was there before. Some heavy-duty political demolition needs to be undertaken. The Republican Party was locked into a downward spiral, with Democrats having re-engineered the voting population in their favor, importing millions of immigrants lacking the skills necessary to prosper in a 21st-century economy and therefore dependent on subsidies from a big government that would buy their fealty in return for the votes to keep big governments handmaidens in power forever. Trump first shot to notoriety positive and negative by addressing uncontrolled immigration. He followed this up by demonstrating an utter disregard for political correctness, which has been the enforcement mechanism used to keep dissent under wraps. In the process, he has violated taboos with abandon and in the process offended many people. C. Edmund Wright and Steve McCann today outline how grievously affronted are many in the electorate by Trumps off-the-cuff, unscripted rebellion against the laws of propriety that keep the political order in place. A large share of the conservative pundit class shares their dismay. Trump is smart, but he is no intellectual. Ever since William Buckley pulled together what became modern conservatism by founding National Review, there has been a distinct brainy cast to the movement. Part of it is the deep roots of modern conservatism in constitutional scholarship and the wisdom of the Founders of the American Republic. Unfortunately, the appeal of intellectual conservatism has been eroding ever since Ronald Reagan left the presidency. He was able to communicate its wisdom in language and emotion that reached the voting public. But thanks to decades of educational rot, the scandalous dumbing down of the public at the hands of teacher unions, and progressives like Bill Ayers in the education industry, the voting public today does not respond as it did in the 1980s to eloquent rhetoric. Pundits marinate themselves in large vocabularies and well-turned phrases and persuade the remnant of the electorate that maintains a belief in educational achievement. Donald Trump uses a surprisingly small vocabulary, something that I am certain annoys many pundits. He repeats himself, driving home his points with repetition. And for a public that adores reality television, at which Trump has proven himself a master, it works. Trump is explicit that he is assembling a new coalition for the Republican Party, one that has a distinctly populist character. He is appealing to those who feel locked out of the opportunity for advancement that has been the foundation of the American Dream. That includes many traditional Democrats. His appeal to union members and working-class people is clear from a cursory look at the huge crowds that have attended his rallies. Trumps bluntness and disregard for political correctness have the potential to break the stranglehold the Democrats have had on the black vote. The deep truth of the uncontrolled immigration that has added millions of unskilled workers to the labor force is that it has kept down wages for those with few skills, a condition that sadly includes a disproportionate share of blacks, who are the biggest victims of educational rot. Trump has the ability to point this out in ways accessible to the audience that needs to hear it. There are plenty of risks for conservatives in the rise of Trump. His devotion to the Constitution is uncertain. He is not well grounded in the intricacies of national security, though he does understand the rise of Islamism in ways that the GOP establishment has preferred to ignore. He shoots from the hip on the podium. But for all those uncertainties, Trump is a patriot and a man who sees the devastation the bipartisan D.C. power structure has wrought. The fate of the Republic will be in either his hands or Hillary Clintons. Choosing between them requires no more than a millisecond of thought. Trump is the chosen vehicle of the rebellion against a system that has failed us. If he is as smart as I think he is (and look at all the really smart people he has outsmarted), he will rise to the incredible challenges ahead for a reform presidency and a reformed GOP. From our "not such a good idea" department comes a new plan from the Obama administration to resettle refugees even faster by cutting the time expended to screen the newcomers for ties to terrorism. What could go wrong? Washington Free Beacon: The Obama administration has committed to bring at least 10,000 Syrian refugees onto American soil in fiscal year 2016 by accelerating security screening procedures from 18-24 months to around three months, according to sources who spoke to the Washington Free Beacon. Obama administration officials told the Free Beacon that they remain committed to the plan, despite warnings from the FBI and other law enforcement officials who say the federal government is not equipped to properly vet these individuals within that timeframe. The administration is committed to moving forward this year with a plan to resettle 10,000 Syrian refugees and 85,000 refugees overall, officials said. Lawmakers are pressing the State Department and White House to reconsider the plan, arguing that critical security concerns should be addressed before it is implemented. We know the 18- to 24-month vetting process for Syrian refugees has severe vulnerabilities after FBI Director James Comey warned about the federal governments inability to thoroughly screen Syrian refugee applicants for terrorism risk and after the Department of Homeland Securitys investigative arm warned about ISISs capability to print fake Syrian passports for terrorist infiltration, Sen. Mark Kirk (R., Ill.) told the Free Beacon. The administration has not specified what mechanisms it has put in place to facilitate the screening of a larger number of refugees on a three-month timeline, according to Kirk. Given that the administration has not explained to the American people whether and how it fixed these and other known vulnerabilities to terrorist infiltration, it is highly irresponsible for the administration to reduce the 18- to 24-month vetting process for Syrian refugees down to three months to meet its artificial and ideologically-driven goal of bringing 10,000 Syrian refugees onto U.S. soil by September, said Kirk, who recently introduced legislation to impose enhanced screening measures to prevent terrorists from taking advantage of the U.S. refugee program. There are likely to be close to zero mainstream media references to a culture of corruption if this news even gets reported. Irene Plagianos and Radhika Marya of DNA info: Former Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, once one of New York's most powerful politicians, was sentenced to 12 years in federal prison Tuesday following his conviction on corruption charges. Judge Valerie Caproni also ruled that Silver must pay a $1.75 million fine and forfeit $5 million, the net amount of money prosecutors said he earned through two kickback schemes. Silver was told to surrender to prison by noon on July 1. "Corruption attacks the very heart of our system of government," Caproni said, adding that her sentence would send a message that "corruption is going to be dealt with seriously." Before he was sentenced, Silver spoke briefly in a quiet voice, saying that he "let down" his family, colleagues and constituents. Shelly Silver, as he was almost universally known among his many, many friends in the New York Democratic Party, represented lower Manhattan (aka Wall Street) in the State Assembly for 40 years. He ran the State Assembly, and if you think what he was caught at was the sole indiscretion of an otherwise virtuous life, and unusual in anything but the size of his money grab, I have a bridge Id like to sell you. At the center of Silver's downfall was the issue of how business and politics intermingle in Albany. Prosecutors said Silver abused his power for personal gain, while defense attorneys argued that Silver was acting within the law, even if people were uncomfortable with a system that allows for legislators to earn an outside salary. Prosecutors said Silver had earned kickbacks through work he professed to do for personal injury law firm Weitz & Luxenberg. In that scheme, prosecutors said Columbia doctor, Robert Taub, would send patients with mesothelioma, an asbestos-related cancer, to the firm via Silver. The doctor would receive $500,000 in research money, while Silver earned referral fees. In addition, prosecutors said Silver took what he considered referral fees from a real estate tax law firm while directing tax breaks to two developers, including the state's largest political donor, Glenwood Management. During the trial, prosecutors said Silver lied about his work by claiming none of his clients had business with the state, though he was being lobbied by Glenwood. Along with the corruption presented at trial, the judge also considered evidence recently unsealed that showed Silver had two extramarital affairs with women who had business before the state. Hat tip: Clarice Feldman When the Associated Press chose a new Race and Ethnicity Editor in 2010, it picked an African-American woman, Sonia Ross, for the post, and bragged that Ross would produce coverage that captures the changing facets of race and ethnicity in the United States and its effects on the experiences of people of various races. That was then. This is now: Longtime Associated Press journalist Sonya Ross has sued the AP for race, sex and age discrimination and retaliation, alleging that she has worked under a hostile and abusive environment in the news services Washington bureau. According to the suit, Ross was the first African American woman to permanently cover the president for AP, but her career stalled several years later under one supervisor, identified in the suit as Employee A, and others at the organization. Ross claims that the AP created a climate of hostility towards African American employees and Employee A marginalized Ross. It also mentions that an AP executive warned the companys then-CEO that the discrimination could eventually impact the APs bottom line. Coincidentally, her predecessor in the post, Jesse Washington, was also African-American. David Paulin wrote a thoughtful analysis of the very concept of a Race and Ethnicity editor at the time of Washingtons appointment in 2008: In the good old days of American journalism, reporting beats had pretty mundane names: police, city government, national politics, etc. But in the post-modern journalism world, beats like "race and ethnicity" have become popular. And in a sense, they often feed the perception the false perception that America's race relations are in the dire state that's usually portrayed in the mainstream media's stories. I have no knowledge of the details of the lawsuit or the underlying facts of Rosss experiences at the AP. But from my knowledge of journalism, a hostile and abusive work atmosphere is pretty much the experience of staffers of all races. I gather that when race and ethnicity was defined as a beat, Caucasian was not considered a race that was part of the beat, nor was Italian-American an ethnicity that merited coverage. Was there racial discrimination involved in choosing the race and ethnicity editor? As Glenn Reynolds, the Instapundit, always asks: Why are Democrat-controlled institutions such cesspools of racism? Twenty five years ago, one of the most brutal massacres in war history occurred in Iraq, along Highway 80, about 32 km west of Kuwait city. On the night of February 2627, 1991, thousands of Iraqi soldiers and civilians were retreating to Baghdad, after a ceasefire was announced, when President George Bush ordered his forces to slaughter the retreating Iraqi army. Fighter planes of the coalition forces swooped down upon the unarmed convoy and disabled the vehicles in the front, and at the rear, so that they couldnt escape. Then wave after wave of aircraft pounded the trapped vehicles for hours on end. After the carnage was over, some 2,000 mangled Iraqi vehicles, and charred and dismembered bodies of tens of thousands of Iraqi soldiers lay for miles along what came to be known as the Highway of Death. Several hundred more littered along another road, Highway 8, that leads to Basra. The scenes of devastation on these two roads became some of the most recognizable images of the Gulf War. Photo credit: www.informationclearinghouse.info The day before, Baghdad had radio announced that Iraq's Foreign Minister had accepted the Soviet ceasefire proposal and had ordered all Iraqi troops to withdraw from Kuwait in compliance with UN Resolution 660. President Bush, however, had refused to believe it and had responded that "there was no evidence to suggest the Iraqi army is withdrawing. In fact, Iraqi units are continuing to fight. . . We continue to prosecute the war." The next day, the Iraqi President had himself announced over the radio that the withdraw had indeed begun on two highways and would be completed that day, to which Bush had reacted calling Hussein's announcement "an outrage" and "a cruel hoax." Rather than accept the offer of Iraq to surrender and leave the field of battle, thereby risking a settlement that might not be favorable to the United States, Bush and the U.S. military strategists decided simply to kill as many Iraqis as they possibly could. The bombing started near midnight. At first US and Canadian jets bombed the front and rear ends of the convoy to prevent it from moving forward or back, then attacked the trapped convoy by repeated bombing. The Commander-in-Chief of the United States Central Command had received instruction from Bush administration to "not to let anybody or anything out of Kuwait City." Consequently, any vehicle that diverted off of the highway was tracked, hunted and destroyed individually. Even disarmed Iraqi soldiers who surrendered were mowed down by gunfire. Not one Iraqi survived. Demolished vehicles line Highway 80, on 18 April, 1991. Photo credit: TECH. SGT. JOE COLEMAN/Wikimedia The cabs of trucks were bombed so much that they were pushed into the ground, and it's impossible to see if they contain drivers or not. Windshields were melted away, and huge tanks were reduced to shrapnel, wrote Lebanese-American journalist Joyce Chediac. The massacre of withdrawing Iraqi soldiers violates the Geneva Conventions of 1949, Common Article III, which outlaws the killing of soldiers who are out of combat, wrote Joyce Chediac. The Iraqi troops were not being driven out of Kuwait by U.S. troops as the Bush administration maintains. They were not retreating in order to regroup and fight again. In fact, they were withdrawing, they were going home. To attack the soldiers returning home under these circumstances is a war crime, Chediac added. "Even in Vietnam I didn't see anything like this. It's pathetic," said Major Bob Nugent, an Army intelligence officer. The most disturbing aspect of the incident was the secrecy involved, wrote Malcom Lagauche. When Newsday broke the story, many were taken by surprise. According to members of the U.S. House and Senate Armed Forces Committees, the Pentagon had withheld details of the assault from the committees. The media was also given a different story. U.S. field commanders tried to portray that Iraqi forces were not voluntarily withdrawing but were being pushed from the battlefield. Four years later, General Norman Schwarzkopf tried to justify what had happened on the Highway of Death: The first reason why we bombed the highway coming north out of Kuwait is because there was a great deal of military equipment on that highway, and I had given orders to all my commanders that I wanted every piece of Iraqi equipment that we possibly could destroy. Secondly, this was not a bunch of innocent people just trying to make their way back across the border to Iraq. This was a bunch of rapists, murderers and thugs who had raped and pillaged downtown Kuwait City and now were trying to get out of the country before they were caught. Photo credit: Staff Sgt. Dean Wagner/Wikimedia Photo credit: o.canada.com Photo credit: o.canada.com Photo credit: o.canada.com The charred remains of an Iraqi soldier as he attempted to pull himself up over the dashboard of his truck. Photo credit: Kenneth Jarecke The burned-out truck, surrounded by corpses, on the Highway of Death. Photo credit: Kenneth Jarecke The sole of a shoe left behind while fleeing Kuwait along the Highway of Death, taken on February 28, 2003. Photo credit: Christiaan Briggs/Wikimedia Photo credit: PHC HOLMES, US Navy/Wikimedia Photo credit: PHC HOLMES, US Navy/Wikimedia YouTube has steadily been taking users away from traditional TV and brought them to the web to watch all sorts of videos that are available on YouTube. The company even announced YouTube Red which is a subscription-based service that gives users an ad-free experience, but also gives users exclusive content that you dont get with regular YouTube. With YouTube Red, some of the larger YouTube stars got paired with some Hollywood directors for feature-films. It really shows that YouTube wants to compete with traditional TV for not only the cordcutters, but also those that want to get rid of their cable or satellite TV. And it looks like YouTube is continuing to move in that direction. According to a report that surfaced this morning and was later confirmed, Magna Global which is an ad-buying firm that typically buys ads on TV networks has moved about $200 million of their potential ads from TV networks to YouTube. Over the next five quarters, the firm is slated to spend $250 million in ads on YouTube. Magna Global stated in their statement that this agreement (which is for three years) is the largest Google Preferred deal ever signed. For those that may not have heard of Google Preferred, its a service that launched two years ago and allows advertisers to reserve spots for ads on videos from the top 5% of YouTubes channels. Magna Global has clients like Coca-Cola, Sony, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles FCA, CVS and even Johnson & Johnson (all of who spend a boat load on advertising, as they are huge companies), all told, they manage around $37 billion in marketing. Advertisement This is a big deal for YouTube and should definitely put the TV industry on notice, that they are part of something thats being slowly phased out. Many TV networks make their money from ads. With Magna Global moving $200 million this year and $250 million over the next five quarters, on over to YouTube, its not good news for many TV executives out there. Magna Global and other ad-buying firms are going to be looking towards YouTube and even Netflix or Hulu, for targeting the young people (18-25 year olds) demographic, as that is where they all are. Apple have proven to be a disruptive influence in the smartphone and mobile System-on-Chip markets. The first iPhone was not a commercial success but it did give Apple their first opportunity to announce that the new model was the best ever iPhone. Since then the Apple iPhone has gone from strength to strength largely reusing the same marketing term, although the last iPhone may have come a little unstuck as Apples sales and revenue numbers are not as encouraging. But in one part of the world, if you say iPhone you might not get an Apple product. In 2007, Xintong Tiandi registered the IPHONE trademark to make and sell leather products, about the same time the first iPhone smartphone was released but some five years after Apple registered the name for computer software and hardware. However, Apples trademark wasnt approved until 2013, under Class 9: Electrical and Scientific Apparatus. Xintong Tiandis trademark was approved in 2010 under Class 18: Leather Goods. Apple took the case to the Chinese trademark in 2012 and subsequently filed a lawsuit with a lower Chinese court. Both courts ruled against Apple because the Californian company couldnt prove that the iPhone was a recognisable name before 2007. A quotation from a source close to the court said: the general public will not link the trademark in dispute with Apple to harm its [Apples] interests. These two decisions have been backed up by the Beijing Municipal High Peoples Court, noting that the iPhone was first sold in Chine in 2009. That Apple quaintly make the first letter of iPhone in lower case is ignored by the court, as Xintong uses an uppercase I letter. Advertisement Following the court decision, Apple have remained quiet. Xintong Tiandi, however, said on its website that the decision shows the Chinese courts support of the free market We will also make full achievement of the iphone trademark, and work together [with Apple] to benefit more iphone consumers! Apple must be relishing the prospect of working with the Chinese manufacturer to help them build IPHONE cases for the iPhone device family! Apple appears to be struggling in China according to the sales figures for the first quarter 2016, which showed a fall of 11%. However, the business still earned $58 billion from the country more than any other non-American country. Its still an important region for the company, even if the company is facing the same difficulties other Western brands have with Chinese companies copying logos and slogans to sell similar products. Watching videos through the YouTube Android app is a decent experience as is but Google is always looking at ways to improve anything they can. While YouTube for the web looks to be gearing up for a material design implementation, the Android app is gaining an autoplay feature soon as the function seems to be appearing for some users. With autoplay being introduced into the Android app users will be able to bring up videos, begin watching, and simply let things continue playing as the next video in line would start to play immediately following the completion of the first one. Theres no detail just yet on if this is a small batch roll out to a handful of users, so theres no telling how long it may take for everyone to have the feature enabled. The good news for those who dont care for autoplay is that the functionality will be optional as it appears in the form of a toggle switch right under the video subscriber number details, so users can simply tap that toggle and disable the autoplay before watching anything. Autoplay in the YouTube Android app will work in the same way it does on the web, with videos up next in the list playing automatically after one finishes, making it feel like a library of videos have been queued up. Advertisement As with anything that Google adds into their app there is always the possibility that they could take the autoplay feature away at some point in the future after rolling it out to users, but that likely wouldnt be too soon after introducing it. The app shows up for us here on at least one device and the app hasnt been updated too recently, so the feature is likely server side. If autoplay is something youve been waiting on with the Android app you can always try checking to see if its already available to you and if not then it should just be a short wait with the chance that it will either pop up later on today or sometime throughout the rest of the week. Earlier this week on Monday, a judge from the northeastern state of Sergipe, Brazil, ordered five local carriers to block all WhatsApp traffic for 72 hours, effectively preventing over 100 million customers from using the application. Fortunately, it looks like the ban has been lifted ahead of time following a court appeal from the company, and WhatsApp users in Brazil can once again use the platform without restrictions. For those of you who may not be familiar with the background story, Brazilian authorities have previously contacted WhatsApp, asking for help from the company in ongoing investigations related to drug trafficking. Reportedly, although WhatsApp has been willing to cooperate, the Brazilian government asked repeatedly for user information that WhatsApp does not possess. WhatsApp messages are encrypted end-to-end and chat history is not kept on WhatsApp servers, thus retrieving such personal information can prove to be an impossible task even for WhatsApp / Facebook Inc. When you send an end-to-end encrypted message, no one else can read it not even us said WhatsApp co-founder, Jan Koun, on Facebook yesterday. However, this didnt stop Judge Marcel Maia Montalvao from ordering local carriers to block WhatsApp this week, much like it didnt stop the Brazilian authorities from ordering a 42-hour WhatsApp ban last December. Advertisement However, the good news is that yesterday following an appeal from the company, another official overturned Judge Marcel Maia Montalvaos request to block WhatsApp for 72 hours. Whether or not the original decision to block WhatsApp traffic helped in the criminal investigation is unclear, but regardless, these harsh rulings arent making any WhatsApp users happy, and with over 100 million Brazilians using the application, its rather difficult for authorities to go against WhatsApp without annoying a lot of people. But if recent history is any indication, it wouldnt be entirely surprising for the Brazilian authorities to decide and punish WhatsApp (and its users) again in the future. On the bright side, the unfair bans dont seem to stick for too long. Last December following a similar scenario, the 48-hour WhatsApp blockade was lifted after 12 hours, and needless to say, the more recent 72-hour ban doesnt seem to have lasted either. Smart home automation has become more and more common, with vendors offering tons of different automated and connected parts to augment your home life and make daily tasks easier than ever. Weve explored many facets of home automation, including robotic vacuums from iRobot and Neato Robotics, to hubs and lights to make things a little more awesome for those occasional parties and get-togethers. But what about just getting into your house and keeping it secure? Kwiksets Kevo Bluetooth Deadbolt is one piece of the puzzle that might have you interested if youre tired of fumbling around with those old toothy metal keys and would rather just use the power of Bluetooth to control the lock on your door instead. In the Box Advertisement For $200 MSRP the Kwikset Kevo comes with just about everything youll need to get this installed in your door in about 30 minutes time. Aside from the actual installation hardware to get the deadbolt into your door, the Kevo box includes a key fob and a pair of keys for backup locking and unlocking of the deadbolt itself. The locks housing comes in three different colors to match the decor of your home too: Venetian Bronze, Polished Brass and the Satin Nickel model that we have for review. If you wish to have additional features you can order the Kwikset Kevo Plus package for $99, which includes a smart gateway and access to more features for the Kevo as well. Hardware and Design Advertisement Kwiksets Kevo goes out of its way to be incredibly normal looking, and to be completely honest thats a really good thing. When it comes to home automation and smart devices its usually better to have a device that looks more like a traditional one than some fancy new high tech gadget. That doesnt mean the Kevo is some overly ornate looking lock that would look like an augmented object from King Henry VIIIs chamber, it just means it isnt going to be an obvious target for robbers or would be hackers to break into your home. The only part of the Kevos simple round outward-facing exterior that looks any different from any regular Kwikset deadbolt is the ring around the keyhole that lights up when the outside of the deadbolt casing is touched. This capacitive section of the Kevo activates the Bluetooth component of the lock, which then searches for any authorized Bluetooth devices to lock or unlock the door. The ring lights up blue, flashing and rotating around the bezel as it seeks for an authorized Bluetooth device, and then flashes a number of other colors to denote status of an action. Red for error depending on a number of parameters, amber for when the door locks successfully, and green for when it unlocks successfully. These colors are vibrant, bright and bold and will never be mistaken for one another unless you have a color blindness impairment, in which case the ensuing series of beeps will let you know for sure if the Kevo succeeded or failed its last status change. Advertisement The inside-facing part of the Kevo is a completely different story in the looks department though, and obviously looks quite a bit different from your usual round deadbolt with a simple locking handle piece. This tall, metal and plastic clad exterior houses the circuitry to make the technology for the Kevo possible, as well as those all-important AA batteries. Youll need 4 AA batteries to power the unit, a solution that keeps you from having to either plug the unit in permanently or attach a weird charging cable to it every now and then to juice it up. Battery life wont be a worry either, as weve been running the unit for 2 solid months and have yet to change the batteries out or be warned that the batteries are getting low. Underneath this plating youll also find a series of four dip-switches that control various parameters of the unit. The first switch controls whether or not the status LED on the inside of the unit blinks every 6 seconds, which is set to on by default, and notifies you that the lock still has adequate battery power. The second switch, which is off by default, will enable the triple touch lock functionality of the unit. This allows you to lock the Kevo via a series of three touches and doesnt need to be authorized in order to do it. This triple touch will not unlock the unit, only lock it, and is most useful in a situation where you need someone to lock the deadbolt behind you who would not have your keys or ability to get an eKey from the Kevo app. Switch number 3, which is on by default, gives a series of audible beeps when the Kevo is locked or unlocked, letting you know from anywhere in or outside of the house that the unit has just performed a command. This is enabled by default for security reasons but can be disabled in case it becomes annoying. Switch number 4 has no current function but is reserved for a future function, showing that Kwikset has plans for this unit beyond todays connected home devices. Next to the dip-switches youll also find the reset and calibrate buttons, which will enable you to pair your Kevos fob with the unit as well as get any new eKeys that have to be retrieved. Check out our installation video above for all the steps to install and setup your Kevo. Advertisement App and Usage Instead of going the route of trying to do everything and anything for you, Kwiksets Kevo app is a fairly simple app that does only what its supposed to do. After the initial setup process is completed, the home screen of the Kevo app displays any locks that are paired with your Kevo account and not a whole lot else. Youll find a Floating Action Button on the bottom right for adding Gateways or additional locks, and a small set of icons on the top right for settings, help and an upgrade to Kevo Plus if youre just a standard member. Once you click on the name of your lock itself youll be given a splash screen with the current lock status and available eKeys. Advertisement This lock status will depend on a few things; if youre a standard member and only have the Kevo deadbolt, youll only be able to see the status if the lock is within Bluetooth range, typically about 30 feet or 9 meters. Folks with Kevo Plus will be able to access the lock status no matter where they are in the world thanks to the connected Gateway that Kwikset provides you, but since thats a separate product we wont be covering that in this review. In addition to current lock information, youll be able to see all the historical data of when the lock status changes, who changed it, and an included time and date stamp. This gives you a good idea of whos been in your dwelling and when, if any nefarious deeds happen to take place, and the information is needed of course. From this section youll also be able to manage available eKeys including sharing or deleting them if need be. Sharing is likely one of the absolute coolest features of the Kevo, and works unbelievably well. Lets pull up a little scenario for you that would put this into context. Say youve gone on vacation and youve left one of your pets back at home for a sitter to watch. Instead of having to hide your physical key under a mat or some other incredibly obvious place for a shady individual to nab and enter your home, you can actually share an eKey with the sitter via the Kevo app. All they have to do is install the app, create an account and activate the key temporarily on their account. All the sharing is handled through the Kevo app and youll never have to exchange a physical key again because of it. Just be sure this persons phone is on the supported list of devices before getting out of Dodge though, as Ive run into a number of situations where the Kevo flat out didnt like the phone I was using, or a limitation of the phone itself came into play. For instance a number of review devices Ive had including some from smaller Chinese manufacturers either only sporadically work or just wont open the app at all. Others still didnt seem to want to transfer the Bluetooth signal to the lock, and other phones like the OnePlus X have strange Bluetooth limitations that keep it from properly using Bluetooth Smart from working properly with the Kevo. Because of this your mileage might vary if your phone isnt on the official list of supported devices, so again please check with that before you invest in a lock. Advertisement Theres little need to worry about security when it comes to the Kwikset Kevo. While I was a bit nervous about using my phone to unlock my house at first, the fact that Kwikset uses whats considered to be military grade PKI Bluetooth encryption for the wireless transmission put my mind to ease. Also worth noting are the physical protections against lock picking and bumping, as the Kevo has been tested to withstand lock-picking standard, UL 437, par. 11.6 according to Kwikset. UL 437 is a security rating from Underwriters Laboratories, which is an American worldwide safety consulting and certification company that specifically comes up with standards for these types of devices. Whats particularly amazing as of firmware update 1.2.3, is that the Kevo can detect whether or not youre inside or outside your home. This is done during the calibration process and lets your Kevo know whether or not youre actually standing at the outside of the door waiting to get in or just lock the unit, and when the key is inside your home. This gives the Kevo a massive security bonus, as it means you can essentially hang your keys and Bluetooth fob next to your door inside the house, and the unit will never lock or unlock based on the fact that the keys are inside rather than outside. That also means that someone cant just get into your home simply because the keys are in Bluetooth range, an effective way to keep people out that dont need to be in or just keeping the lock from unlocking accidentally when touched if youre inside the home. You still should exercise caution when placing fobs and smartphones close to the lock, though, as tempting fate is never a good idea. Whats also really nice is that you never have to take your phone out of your pocket or bag to unlock the Kevo. So long as youre outside and within an acceptable range of a few feet (usually less than 3ft/1 meter), the phone will be able to change the status of the lock by simply pressing on the outer ring of the lock itself. If youd rather not have the phone always waiting to send the Kevo code you can disable this behavior in the app, but by default its always running in the background on your device. I never once saw the Bluetooth service or the Kevo app appear on my battery stats either, meaning its drawing an incredibly tiny amount of power even though it has been running all day. Of course, the same formula applies to the key fob, which doesnt need to leave the keyring on your pocket or bag to talk to the deadbolt either. Those needing a physical key can of course, use one of the two included (or get copies if you need more) too, which might be smart to carry around as a backup just in case those batteries die. Advertisement Interconnection and Smart Home Compatibility Android Wear functionality is built in to the Kevo app as of a few updates ago, but its been a mostly miss effort for me rather than anything worthwhile. Functionally its pretty cool and will allow you to remotely unlock the Kevo within Bluetooth range if youve just got the deadbolt by itself, or of course from anywhere using the Kevo Plus service. Unfortunately no matter what watch I used, be it the Samsung Gear Live, Moto 360 or Huawei Watch, the app pretty consistently crashed at random times during the day. It doesnt always happen, and it didnt happen every day either, but I would randomly look at my wrist to be greeted with that nice white screen that read Unfortunately Kevo stopped instead of my watch face. It was annoying as all get up and I wished I could turn it off. What I wasnt able to test, thanks to simply not having compatible products, was the ability to integrate with Nest and Honeywell smart thermostats. The Kevo app allows you to pair your Kevo with compatible Nest and Honeywell thermostats, which in turn would adjust your thermostat to the away mode as soon as you lock the door on your way out. Subsequently unlocking your Kevo from the outside would place it in the returned home mode to readjust your homes temperature to more suitable living levels. Its a brilliant bit of integration that helps flesh out the smart home functionality thats part of such smart appliances and gadgets. Final Thoughts Kiwksets Kevo is an amazing product that works exactly like you think it would. Its incredibly convenient to no longer have to pull the keys out of my pocket to unlock my front door, especially when my hands are full. Lets not forget all the useful ways to let others in your house from afar without needing keys, the fact that you dont have to remember more than your phone when venturing forth from your adobe, and the countless many other scenarios that the Kevo really makes life just a little bit easier. Recent firmware updates have not only added some much needed functionality and security features to the Kevo, but stability as well. For $200 youre getting one incredible piece of hardware thats going to help you out in a way you will likely not want to part with any time soon, and gets a huge recommendation from us as an addition to your smart home. (ANSA) - Catania, May 4 - Police arrested 13 people on Wednesday as part of a widespread operation to take down an illegal online betting ring that did business totalling 10 million euros each month, ANSA sources said. The police operation covered 19 Italian cities and probed 107 people. Police seized 46 betting centres in the bust. The betting ring was managed out of Catania by two criminal organisations without State authorisation, and involved seven websites hosted in Malta, investigators said. (ANSA) - Rome, May 4 - The phone records of some of the 13 Egyptian citizens whose calls Rome prosecutors probing the Cairo torture and murder of student Giulio Regeni want to screen were sent to Rome by Egyptian Prosecutor-General Ahmed Nabil Sadeq on Wednesday. A new summit on the Regeni case will take place "in the next few days" in the Egyptian capital, after a request from Sadeq, judicial sources said. The Italian delegation is set to leave at the weekend, the sources said. Regeni, a 28-year-old Cambridge doctoral student researching Egyptian trade unions, disappeared on January 25, the heavily policed fifth anniversary of the uprising that toppled former strongman Hosni Mubarak. His beaten, burned, slashed, and mutilated body turned up in a ditch on the city's outskirts on February 3. Rome prosecutors want to examine the phone calls made in the vicinity of the areas where Regeni disappeared and where his body was found. Egypt has repeatedly dismissed speculation that its security forces may have been involved in Regeni's death. Italy has complained of a lack of cooperation from Cairo in getting to the bottom of the case and recently recalled its ambassador to Egypt for consultations after the investigation into Regeni's death stalled, with Egypt proffering versions of his death that stirred disbelief, included a car crash, a gay lovers' quarrel, and a kidnapping for ransom gone wrong. ROME - Fleeing from wars and poverty, but that's not all: in just a few decades migrants will also be fleeing inhospitable lands, too arid to be farmed, with air too hot to breathe. From North Africa and from the Middle East, a slice of the world that hosts 500 million people, a new migratory wave will be set in motion towards the north, putting pressure on European coasts. The fault is climate change, which is causing a fever on the planet. According to the UN, already by 2020 desertification will create 50 million climate refugees. But the numbers could be far higher looking at a longer-term future. German researchers at the Max Planck Institute, together with colleagues from Cyprus, attempted to explain some of the possible scenarios and found themselves in front of an anything-but-rosy picture. Even if global warming is kept within two degrees of its pre-industral level - which is the international goal set at last December's UN Climate Change conference in Paris - in areas of the Middle East and North Africa the increase would be at least four degrees. Experts estimate that by the middle of the century, summer temperatures won't ever go below 30 degrees at night, reaching up to 46 degrees during the day. At the end of this century, daytime temperatures on the hottest days could reach up to 50 degrees. Longer and more intense heatwaves are another threat to local populations. Between 1986 and 2005, there have been a total on average of 16 very hot days a year, but as early as 2050, according to scientist's estimates, that number could reach 80 per year. In 2100 the unusual heat could reach as many as 118 days per year, nearly four whole months. In the meantime the air will become even more saturated with fine particulates. In Saudi Arabia, Syria and Iraq the presence of desert dust in the atmosphere has already increased 70% since the start of the century, brought by dust storms that are expected to increase over time. "Climate change will significantly worsen living conditions in the Middle East and North Africa," the researchers warn. "Prolonged heatwaves and desert sand storms could make some regions uninhabitable, which would obviously contribute to migratory pressure". Aleppo hospital 'was never bombed', claims Russia Shows satellite photos; '87 anti-ISIS raids in 4 days' (ANSAmed) - MOSCOW, MAY 4 - Russia claimed Wednesday that the news of an April 27 airstrike on the Al-Quds hospital of Aleppo was false. General Igor Konashenkov, spokesman for the Russian Defense Ministry, provided two alleged photos of the facilities: one from April 29, 2016 and one from October 15, 2015. The spokesman said that the level of visible damage to the Doctors Without Borders (MSF)-supported hospital was the same. The MSF hospital had reportedly been hit by a Syrian government or Russian airstrike, killing over 50 people including several doctors and children. In a statement after the attack, MSF noted that the facilities had been targeted several times before. ''The so-called news story about the bombing of a hospital in Al-Quds was picked up by many international media outlets as an example of failure of the Russian and US-agreed Syrian ceasefire. We checked this information; and today we will show you the real picture based on the reconnaissance data,'' Konashenkov said. The defense ministry spokesman lashed out at what he called an ongoing ''media campaign to discredit the peace process in Syria'', saying that the technology used for similar falsifications had long been around. The Russian general showed media some images that he said had been received from Russian space reconnaissance vehicles and from a drone. He added that Russia had withdrawn a total of around 30 military jets from the Syrian air base Hmeimim southeast of the city of Latakia, including SU-25 fighter jets. He did not specify how many remained but stressed that there were enough to continue to fight the Islamic State (ISIS) and Al-Qaeda affiliate Jabhat Al-Nusra. On March 14, Putin announced the beginning of the withdrawal of most Russian forces from Syria. The defense ministry spokesman added that Russia had conducted 87 airstrikes in four days against ''ISIS facilities in the Raqqa and Deir Al-Zor provinces'', and that seven jihadist positions had been destroyed. Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday also noted that ISIS had suffered heavy losses from its operations and that ''it will suffer more if it continues'' to target southern Turkey. On Wednesday, mortars shot from ISIS-controlled areas in northern Syria hit the Turkish border town of Kilis, where 20 people have been killed in similar attacks since January 18. Ankara, which has always responded to incoming fire in line with its rules of engagement, claims to have killed over 360 jihadists since the beginning of the year. (ANSAmed). ROME - The Italian Centre for Peace in the Middle East (CIPMO) and Sotheby's have joined forces for migrants, hosting a benefit auction to take place May 10 at Rome's MAXXI contemporary art museum with works donated by more than 70 Italian and foreign artists. Proceeds from the auction - promoted by Arturo Schwarz, directed by Ermanno Tedeschi, and organised by Simonetta Della Seta, former director of the Italian Institute for Culture in Tel Aviv - will go to the CIPMO project 'Migration, Hosting, Inclusion, Co-Development - The Role of the Med-African Diasporas'. It's a project through which the Centre intends to promote a multi-year programme of activities to support migrants from the southern shores of the Mediterranean, "aimed at welcoming new migrants in advance, promoting their social inclusion and involving them in co-development initiatives directed at, when possible, their countries of origin". Founded in 1989 to promote Israeli-Palestinian and inter-Arab dialogue and Euro-Meditteranean cooperation, CIPMO is supported by the major Italian institutions, including the Foreign Ministry. ISIS attacks Syrian regime-held gas field near Palmyra For third consecutive day, SOHR (ANSAMed) - BEIRUT, MAY 4 - The Islamic State (ISIS) attacked Syrian government forces in central Syria on Wednesday for control of an important natural gas field near the World Heritage Site of Palmyra. The archaeological site was recently retaken by government and allied forces. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reported that ISIS was attacking regime forces for the third consecutive day and had made use of suicide car bombs to advance. Government forces reportedly pulled back into fortified areas inside the field amid aerial bombardment on the area. (ANSAmed). Jordan says it captured a pigeon carrying message for IS Army also shoots down drone controlled by the extremist group (ANSAmed) - ZARQA, MAY 4 - Jordan army said Monday they shot down a drone for the Islamic State (IS) and captured "a pigeon" carrying a secrete message to one of the group followers in the kingdom. Commander of border control army unit, Saber Mahayra said the homing pigeon was "captured by the army in the northern borders. The bird had a telephone number and a message. It was heading to Jordanian territories," he said during a press conference in city of Zarqa near Amman. Homing pigeons are common in the Middle East and have been bread for centuries to be used to carry messages across hundreds of kilometers. The official also claimed that IS had sent a drone into Jordanian territories but the army shot it down. He said authorities have sent a direct warning to rebel groups south Syria to remain at least 7 km from the Jordanian borders in order to secure the kingdom territories. "Any group that does not abide by our instructions will be dealt with in a hard way," warned the Jordanian general, whose country shares more than 520 km of borders with Syria. The pro-west Jordan has been taking a tough stance against IS, providing its territories for the US lead alliance to attack the group in Syria and Iraq, while also sending some special troops to Iraq and Syria to fight. (ANSAmed). TRIPOLI - The Libyan army under General Khalifa Haftar on Wednesday began attacking an Islamic State (ISIS) stronghold in Sirte. The attack goes against an ultimatum issued by the national unity government under Fayez Al-Sarraj to halt all military operations in the region. Prime Minister-Designate Sarraj had previously urged Haftar to suspend preparations for an attack on Sirte prior to the formation of a unified body coordinating Misrata militias as well, in order to prevent possible clashes between the rival Libyan factions. Some Regeni phone records arrive from Cairo New summit in Cairo 'in coming days' (ANSAmed) - ROME, MAY 4 - The phone records of some of the 13 Egyptian citizens whose calls Rome prosecutors probing the Cairo torture and murder of student Giulio Regeni want to screen were sent to Rome by Egyptian Prosecutor-General Ahmed Nabil Sadeq on Wednesday. A new summit on the Regeni case will take place "in the next few days" in the Egyptian capital, after a request from Sadeq, judicial sources said. The Italian delegation is set to leave at the weekend, the sources said. Regeni, a 28-year-old Cambridge doctoral student researching Egyptian trade unions, disappeared on January 25, the heavily policed fifth anniversary of the uprising that toppled former strongman Hosni Mubarak. His beaten, burned, slashed, and mutilated body turned up in a ditch on the city's outskirts on February 3. Rome prosecutors want to examine the phone calls made in the vicinity of the areas where Regeni disappeared and where his body was found. Egypt has repeatedly dismissed speculation that its security forces may have been involved in Regeni's death. Italy has complained of a lack of cooperation from Cairo in getting to the bottom of the case and recently recalled its ambassador to Egypt for consultations after the investigation into Regeni's death stalled, with Egypt proffering versions of his death that stirred disbelief, included a car crash, a gay lovers' quarrel, and a kidnapping for ransom gone wrong. (ANSAmed). UK to accept some unaccompanied Syrian minors from EU Arrived prior to 20/3; quantity unspecified (ANSAmed) - LONDON, MAY 4 - The British government bowed to pressure on Wednesday and decided to take in unaccompanied Syrian minors that have already arrived in Europe. The Prime Minister David Cameron's office made the announcement, saying that those that had been registered in Greece, Italy or France prior to March 20 would be eligible to go to the UK but did not specify how many the country would take in. The UK had previously agreed to take in over 3,000 refugee children from Middle Eastern refugee camps by 2020 and 20,000 Syrians. However, it had excluded those that had already entered Europe, saying that by accepting them it would encourage others to make the dangerous journey. An association to remember the 1930s "kindertransports" of Jewish children from Nazi-occupied Europe led a campaign to get Cameron's Conservative government to change its mind and on Wednesday sent a letter to the PM asking for ''compassion'' to be shown towards the children. (ANSAmed). ANSAmed - Today's events in the Mediterranean (ANSAmed) - ROME, MAY 4 - These are the main events scheduled for today in the Euro-Mediterranean area: TEL AVIV - Starting in the evening and for the entire following day, Israel prepares to remember the Holocaust. WASHINGTON - Visit by EU foreign policy chief, Federica Mogherini. BERLIN - Meetings on the Syrian crisis with German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Syrian opposition coordinator Riad Hijab, UN Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura and French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault. VATICAN CITY - Pope Francis receives the participants from the interfaith conference in Amman. ANTALYA - regional conference on the 'Agenda 2030' organized by FAO, wit EU commissioner Phil Hogan (also May 5) GENOA - Cycle of meetings between young Muslims to discuss identity. MILAN- First edition of the Festival of Human Rights, event organised by Reset-Diritti Umani and supported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (running until May 8) ROME - Presentation of Geopolitical Atlas of the Mediterranean 2016, created by the Institute of Political Studies of S.Pio V and Ce.Si- International Studies Centre. SIDI BOU SAID (TUNISIA) - 4th edition of "Meetings between European-Maghreb region writers" (until May 6) (ANSAmed). EU states may be fined 250,000 euros per refused refugee Dublin regulation reform proposed (ANSAmed) - BRUSSELS, MAY 4 - The European Commission has proposed reforms to EU asylum rules that would bring in high fines for member states refusing to take their share of asylum seekers. The basis of the Dublin regulation would remain in place, requiring refugees to request asylum in the first EU country they arrive in, but an ''equity mechanism'' would be introduced to help countries that receive a disproportionate number of asylum claims. There would also be the possibility to opt out of the relocation plan through paying 250,000 euros per refugee refused. The measures presented include a strengthening of the Eurodac database and the creation of an EU agency for asylum to support and implement the reformed Dublin system. * The new system will automatically establish at what point a country is dealing with a disproportionate number of asylum requests. The ''benchmark share'' will be calculated half on the basis of GDP and half on the population. If a member state takes in a disproportionate number of people totaling over 150% of its ''benchmark share'', all new asylum seekers of any nationality will - following assessment of the eligibility of the request - be relocated in the EU until the number of requests drops below the level. * Any member state will have the option of temporarily not take part in the relocation but will be required to pay 250,000 euros per asylum seeker to the country where the latter is relocated. * The ''equity mechanism'' will take into account the efforts made by member states to resettle those in need of international protection directly from a third country. * The system shortens the time period for the submitting of transfer requests, responses and for the transfer of asylum seekers. It also discourages abuses and secondary movements through clearer legal requirements for asylum seekers, including the requirement to remain in the member state in which the request was made, geographical limits to material benefits connected and proportional consequences in the case of violations. * The regulations protect asylum seekers' interests with greater guarantees for unaccompanied minors and through a balanced widening of the definition of family members. * The UK, Ireland and Denmark are not required to take part in the system. (ANSAmed). (ANSAmed) - LONDON, MAY 4 - As children they rode alone in trains from central Europe to escape Nazism and were generously welcomed in London. Now they aren't able to accept the fact that the conservative British government continues to put entry limits on Syrian child refugees, obstinately refusing entrance to all of those who have already arrived in other EU countries. So a group of now elderly Holocaust survivors took up pen and paper to criticise and appeal to British Prime Minister David Cameron. The letter is signed by one of them, Sir Erich Reich, on behalf of the Kindertransport-Association of Jewish Refugees, of which Reich is president. It's an organisation that conserves the memory of Jewish child refugees who were saved at the end of the 1930s thanks to the rescue operation Kindertransport, to which many people in Great Britain contributed. In the letter the organisation asks Cameron to "show compassion" now for young Syrians. "They are the most vulnerable victims" of war that bloodies their country, said Reich, calling their asylum "urgent". (ANSAmed). (ANSAmed) - TRIPOLI, MAY 4 - Libyan Premier-Designate Faiez Serraj on Wednesday said that he wants nothing more than aid in all sectors from the European Union and the international community, and not military intervention. Speaking from Tripoli following a meeting with Maltese Premier Joseph Muscat, the new Libyan leader declined to comment when asked if he had formally requested that the EU provide military equipment and personnel to guarantee security around oil wells. Serraj said immigration will be an absolute priority of his government once he takes office. (ANSAmed). In todays world, where marketing, billing and conferencing can all be done online, its never been easier for small pockets of local expertise to sell to a global audience. The Asia-Pacific's business landscape, largely regarded as a critical pillar of the global economy, is characterized by small to medium enterprises. These enterprises have been described1 as "relatively fragile" but with significant growth potential. Ninety-seven per cent of all business in the region is classified as micro, small to medium or MSMEs, with shares of GDP ranging from 20 per cent to 50 per cent in the majority of APEC economies. There is, however, a gap: less than 35 per cent of direct exports in the region is sourced from these small businesses. APEC has been very successful at stimulating cross-border investment by big corporations, says the Director of APECs Policy Support Unit, Denis Hew. However, there isnt enough sourcing of services or materials from local companies and this is partly because these small businesses do not possess the relevant expertise. The inability of small enterprises to tap easily into global value chains is a constraint on intra-APEC trade. APEC's policy agenda in the past couple of years is to support SMEs' engagement with international trade. APECs objective is inclusive growth, says Dr. Hew. At the global trade level, MSMEs dont have much of a voice so APEC is committed to examining what keeps them out of global supply chains. Last year, the Philippines highlighted the needs of MSMEs and included them in the APEC agenda. Now, APEC leaders have signaled their desire to enhance global companies ability to source goods, services, and expertise from local enterprises. The challenge: increased caution among big corporations Many factors contribute to the long-term success of large-small enterprises relationships, says Bernadine Zhang, co-author of an APEC study on integrating MSMEs into global value chains. There are internal factors such as performance measurement and supplier development; and external factors, such as the business environment and physical informational structures. The research showed that following the global financial crisis, big corporations consolidated their supply chains and secured components from fewer suppliers. The authors also observed a trend of re-locating businesses, especially in component manufacturing. This is due to increasing costs of business in developing Asian economies, which alters commercial advantage. Aside from challenges, the research also identified the broader opportunities for MSMEs. According to Zhang, these include the rise of consumer markets in developing economies, growth in cross-border e-commerce trade, and a rise in trade of services. Some economies have an intrinsically strong small businesses sector. For example, this sector provides over 80 per cent of employment in Canada, Chile, Indonesia, Republic of Korea and Thailand, says Zhang. The question really is: what can be done on an APEC-wide basis? The areas we are focusing on are customers and trade. The Boracay Agenda: practical measures for policy change Efforts to help small enterprises engage in intra-APEC trade received a boost in 2015 as APEC Leaders formerly adopted a reform program aimed at streamlining customs procedures, improving finance access and enhancing e-commerce opportunities. The Boracay Action Agenda is an eight-point plan that identifies areas for government action on trade policy, finance, and market regulation. The agenda is expected to be implemented in six years. According to Hew, the MSME integration initiative has the potential to transform wealth creation in communities across APEC. Since 80 per cent of global trade is conducted by international companies, enhancing MSMEs ability to tap into global value chains offers huge commercial and developmental prospects. The agenda highlights the need to streamline customs procedures and put the focus on the critical importance of access to finance. It encourages member economies to support measures like equity financing, venture capital and trade and supply chain finance being made accessible to small companies. The leaders also committed to changes in market regulation. The framework seeks to facilitate the access of MSMEs to free and regional trade agreements by simplifying and streamlining rules of origin requirements. It also seeks to foster clustering and enhance opportunities for e-commerce, including identifying regulations that unnecessarily constrains MSMEs ability to trade. Recognizing the important role of small businesses Were seeing an increased trend in political awareness of the needs of smaller companies and a desire to help start-ups, says Dr. Hew. Singapore has done a great job in encouraging small-scale entrepreneurship and Australia has demonstrated an economic vision that is creative, agile and innovative. In todays world, where marketing, billing and conferencing can all be done online, its never been easier for small pockets of local expertise to sell to a global audience, says Dr. Hew. If we can reduce the barriers that small businesses face within APEC, the potential impact on global trade could be immense. The APEC Secretariat, with support from Google, is hosting a video competition designed to show how small businesses across Asia Pacific are embracing mobile technology to grow, trade and integrate into global value chains. So get your mobile gadgets out, film your 60-second story, and head on to the APEC website to submit your videos! A sponsored trip to the APEC CEO Summit in November in Lima, Peru awaits the winners. 1. Policy Guidebook for SME Development in Asia and the Pacific For more information: Ma. Lizbeth Barona-Edra | [email protected] Lewis will be responsible for: technical standards and best practices across all divisions of the business, specifically MRO, reliability, warranty and inventory management for customers technical spares support programmes, aircraft maintenance, engine management and asset health monitoring; guiding aircraft teardown and end of lease management reconciliations, as well as service level agreements with AJWs approved repair vendors. This service expands Emirates destination offering on the mainland to five, including Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou. Chairman and chief executive of Emirates, Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum said: Emirates is very pleased to start services to Yinchuan and Zhengzhou. This new route will provide citizens in and near both cities with convenient and fast connections to destinations in the Middle East, Africa and Europe via Dubai. We are confident the new air transport links will also help boost trade and tourism flows to the growing central and western parts of China where these cities are located. We would like to thank the government and airport authorities for their warm welcome and support in the launch of our flights, and we look forward to serving our customers on the route. The group has been established to develop the science, technology and innovation capabilities in space sector in the UAE and to coordinate projects being undertaken by stakeholders across the space sector, including government entities, corporate elements, universities, and research facilities. ESIG aims to maximise national space-faring capabilities, with the ultimate objective of further improving the UAEs space sector involvement in and collaboration with future projects funded by the UAE Space Agency. Among the most significant outcomes of the inaugural session was the development of a science technology innovation roadmap. In addition, a survey was established to determine UAE space sector capabilities in relation to the most current international developments, and to outline opportunities for research and development. Khalifa Mohamed Al Romaithi, chairman of the UAE Space Agency, said: ESIG is the manifestation of our strategic vision and core values, as well as being aligned with the UAE Vision 2021 and contributing to further economic diversification. Firstly, ESIG will consolidate our national space-faring and research capabilities, ensuring that the UAE takes its place at the forefront of the space sector both regionally and internationally. Secondly, by working with universities, satellite operators and industry we are developing our practical commitments to the next generation and contributing to the human potential of the UAE. He added: By successfully conquering the unknown throughout our space exploration missions and research programmes, we are contributing to the pride our citizens feel for the UAE as a rapidly-developing space-faring nation. The group is led by a committee that meets twice a year and is headed by the UAE Space Agency Director General, Dr. Mohammed Al Ahbabi, and other members. This directs the main ESIG body, chaired by the Director of Space Missions Management, Khaled Al Hashmi, which includes all member bodies from universities, satellite operators and industry and gathers on a quarterly basis. Situated below this are three coordination task forces that themed in space science, technology, and exploration. The workshop sessions included proposals for involvement in space missions and projects, including design and build of CubeSat and microsatellites planned for operational plan 2017-2021. Some of the entities present were Masdar Institute, Khalifa University, Sharjah Center for Astronomy & Space Sciences, Strata, Tawazun Precision Industries, Thuraya, and YahSat Dr. Al Ahbabi said: We strive to incorporate a diverse range of creativity and ingenuity so that we can remain as innovative as possible. Participants on Thursdays session submitted proposals on a range of topics, including commercially viable space capabilities, deep space research, earth science research, and transformational space technologies. He continued: We believe that the space sector as a whole is greater than the sum of its parts. As such, this first workshop has proven to be an exciting opportunity that succeeded in bringing together some of the best minds in the country all of whom were joined together under the common vision of space exploration and research. The event also represented efforts for the Space Agency to operate as a hub, highlighting the importance of networking in the sector. As such, the Agency seeks to facilitate coordination between companies and entities that might otherwise be competitors. Jasser Salam Nasser, chief strategy officer at Thuraya, said: This is a brilliant initiative it has been eye-opening for us to see what others in the sector are achieving. ESIG is a significant development for the space sector on the whole, and we look forward to cooperating with our colleagues in the field. Another key area that was discussed throughout the two-day conference is the importance of education to the UAE space sector. Several participants stressed the need to prepare the next generation for cutting-edge scientific research by improving bilateral ties between schools, universities, and companies involved in the research and safe utilisation of space. Professor Lakmal Seneviratne of Khalifa University Robotics Institute said: I really appreciated the networking opportunities between universities and industry today. I think theres a great opportunity going forward to create a space ecosystem in the UAE. With the Space Agency playing a coordinating role, I think the future looks bright for space in the UAE. Dr. Hamdi Sheibani, Chair of Mechanical Engineering at Abu Dhabi University, added: We are planning to establish specific programmes, such as aerospace programmes, so that local and foreign students can contribute to UAE Space Agency missions. Statement Etihad Airways flight EY474 from Abu Dhabi to Jakarta on 4 May 2016 encountered severe and unexpected turbulence about 45 minutes prior to arrival at Soekarno Hatta International Airport. The flight landed safely and passengers were met by medical assistance teams as they disembarked the aircraft. A total of 31 passengers were injured. Twenty-two are being treated by paramedics for minor injuries at the airport. Nine other passengers have been taken to a local hospital. The turbulence also caused some damage to cabin storage areas. As a result, flight EY475 from Jakarta to Abu Dhabi on 4 May has been cancelled. Etihad Airways has sent a support team from its home base in Abu Dhabi, and is assisting passengers scheduled to travel on this flight, by rebooking them on alternate flights or providing hotel accommodation. Passengers can contact Etihad Airways global contact centre on +971 (0) 2 599 0000 or can visit www.etihad.com for more information. Addressing a media conference in Mumbai to mark the launch of Etihad Airways daily A380 service to Indias commercial capital, Etihad Airways chief commercial officer, Peter Baumgartner, said that the airline had stimulated competition, created thousands of jobs, helped drive inbound tourism, and connected India to the world. Bringing our flagship product to India is further proof of its significance as a market, and more importantly, our commitment to the countrys economy, added Baumgartner. The importance of Indian partner Jet Airways and the contribution of the Etihad Airways / Jet Airways partnership to the Indian aviation industry, also cannot be underestimated, he said. In Jet Airways we have a key ally, a strategic partner, and a true friend in the Indian skies that gives us the combined strength and enhanced competitive edge to provide what demanding consumers want today greater choice, more travel options, better products and a superior travel experience, he explained. Baumgartner was speaking as the airline celebrated the introduction this week of its Airbus A380, the worlds largest passenger jet, on the Abu Dhabi Mumbai route. The 496-seat aircraft features innovative products including the revolutionary, award-winning The Residence a three-room suite comprising a living room, shower and bedroom among its four-class products. He added: With the aircraft upgrade, Etihad Airways is able to offer an all-A380 daily service in both directions between Mumbai and New York JFK International with a seamless connection over Abu Dhabi, along with the unique USA customs border protection which enables guests to pre-clear US customs at Abu Dhabi International Airport and arrive in the US as domestic passengers. The service is operated as a codeshare flight with Jet Airways. The 63 per cent growth in passenger traffic last year on both airlines to and from India is the result of hard work and close cooperation to provide an appealing product to travellers. Gathered together in a 120 square metres national pavilion, the French exhibitors will present their innovative and varied products and know-how to buyers from all over the Middle East, and Business France will organise networking meetings for them with Dubai Aviation Engineering Projects and ADPI. Airports in the GCC zone are expected to handle 250 million passengers a year by the year 2020, and it is estimated that the airport infrastructure and equipment market in the Middle East will reach 100 billion USD of investments by 2020. Dubai is keen to move its airport hub as soon as the current airport has reached 90 million annual passengers. The delivery of the final Terminal 1 satellite is expected to be the last major project for the current airport, i.e. an investment of 3.7 billion USD. The capacity of the new airport, Al Maktoum International, is expected for its part to reach 120 million passengers by 2020 and 200 million when the project is completed, for which a total investment of 32 billion USD is forecast. In order to respond to future calls for tender linked in particular to the Al Maktoum project, the French offer is organised in clusters around a common banner, French Efficiency. French companies occupy a significant position on the global market and are intent on cementing their position. The French market is organised into different areas covering design, construction, equipment and systems as well as services distributed over 3 sectors flight control and ground traffic, airline stopovers, and terminals. TAV Airports Holding Executive Board Member and CEO Sani Sener said: The first quarter is traditionally the weakest season for the aviation industry. This year, we had a very challenging start, mainly due to security concerns driven by increased geopolitical risks. Despite these, TAV Airports Holding realised 6% growth in passenger numbers y-o-y, while Istanbul Ataturk Airport enjoyed the same growth in international passengers." In the first quarter of 2016, TAV Airports attained consolidated revenue growth of 2% and EBITDA growth of 4%, compared to the first quarter of 2015. We achieved these results, in an environment where the change in passenger mix towards transfer passengers have put significant pressure on our financials. Capital expenditures were almost flat at EUR24 million, with ongoing investment in Istanbul Ataturk Airport extension project and runway & taxiways rehabilitation project in Tbilisi International Airport, which we conduct to maximise passenger comfort and satisfaction. Sener added: "We distributed a total of TRY348m in cash dividends in 2016 in line with our 50% payout policy. In the future, we are going to remain on our track record of smart growth strategy and continue to balance growth with dividends. Le CBD, cette molecule active du cannabis a aujourdhui le vent en poupe. Et cela est en grande partie du au fait quil permet... All the latest Ashbourne news. Ashbourne is an historic market town in Derbyshire. Situated on the southern edge of the Peak District, it is known as the 'Gateway to Dovedale' and the 'Gateway to the Peak District'. Ashbourne is famous for the annual Royal Shrovetide Football Match, which has been played since at least 1667, although its origins may date back centuries earlier. Ashbourne became a Fairtrade town in March 2005. The popular Tissington Trail, which follows the route of the former Ashbourne to Buxton railway, starts on the edge of town. Keep up to date with the latest news from the town by signing up for our newsletter. by Christopher Sharma According to Hindu tradition, when a woman loses her husband she becomes impure, cannot honour the gods, nor sing or dance. She can only wear white. Child widows and women in arranged marriages are also victims. However, Nepals new constitution bans violence in the name of religion, traditions, or culture. Kathmandu (AsiaNews) About 500 Hindu widows dressed in red, which they are forbidden to wear, took to the streets in Lalitpur to protest against one of their religions oldest discriminatory practice. According to Hindu custom, widows must wear white, mourning clothing for the rest of their days, without any red. One effect of this is that they are victims of discrimination and marginalisation in various forms. Hence, protesters shouted widowed womens respect, decked in red. For centuries, Hinduism has discriminated against women who lose their husbands. As widows, they are impure, bearers of bad omens, and are even ostracised by their families, who might send them away or keep them segregated in a part of the house. However, this goes against Nepals recently approved constitution, which reads Article 38, section 3, There shall not be any physical, mental, sexual or psychological or any other kind of violence against women, or any kind of oppression based on religious, social and cultural tradition, and other practices. Such an act shall be punishable by law and the victim shall have the right to be compensation as provided for in law. In a reference to widows, Article 43 also explicitly recognises the right of single women to social security. Yet, despite such constitutional guarantees, discriminatory practices are widespread in Hindu societies, including India. So-called child widows, and women who were briefly married are subject to such discrimination. This is the case of Sabina Maharjan, in the village of Thencho, one of the protest leaders. My husband died three months after our marriage, she said. I had just two days with him before he went to Saudi Arabia for work. I received his dead body and cremated him according to Hindu practice. But Hinduism bans me from worshipping god, visiting temples, and wearing red for the rest of my life. For society, we are something untouchable. When there is a sacred ceremony, we are always unwelcome. Another widow, Bina Shahi, is 27 and has a five-year-old son. When he asks her why they dont go to parties, or why she does not wear a nice dress, all she can say is Because your dad died. But he doesnt believe her. The Newar are one of Nepals most ancient ethnic groups. They live in the Kathmandu Valley, and are Hindu with clear rules. Widows do not wear red, bangles, tika (a mark usually worn on the forehead), nor perform religious rites until Bhimratharohan, a ceremony performed when one reaches the age of 77 years, seven months, and seven days. No matter. The women protesting in Lalitpur have decided that they will worship, take part in celebrations, sing, and dance. They might have an ally. For Govinda Tandon, chief administrator at the Pashupatinath Temple, the religion has no flaw but the practice went wrong. Womens issues are serious and there should be no discrimination and oppression towards widowed women. Zhengzhou wants to punish migrant workers who threaten suicide to get what is owed to them, a growing practice that has caught the attention of national media. At the same time, the authorities want employers to set up accounts for workers who are not paid on time, and plan a score point system to rank companies. Beijing (AsiaNews) Authorities in Zhengzhou, Henan Province, want to punish workers who threaten to commit suicide during protests over unpaid wages. The draft regulation, set to come into force at the end of the month, would ban acts such as climbing on cranes or buildings and threatening to jump. This comes as a result of the bad press the area has received latterly, as national media cover the cases of desperate migrants. The by-law also would also go after unscrupulous workers who use force or money to convince others to join protests, something the authorities have said unhappy labourers have done in the past. In a recent commentary, the state-run People's Daily said that migrant workers resort to extreme measures because their knowledge of the law is rudimentary, and that the law protects workers in cases of injustice. Whatever the case, labour protests show an upward trend. Hong Kong-based China Labour Bulletin recorded 2,774 incidents in 2015, double the 1,379 incidents for 2014. This year, things appear to be getting worse, especially in construction and the steel industry. According to CaixinOnline, a business oriented paper, Zhengzhous draft proposal partially acknowledges the problem by calling on companies that hire migrant workers to set up special bank accounts approved by the government in case workers are not paid on time. However, how much money would be put in those accounts is unknown. The draft also calls for establishing a system to score companies based on their history paying migrant workers. Companies with low scores would be banned from the area. Still, the issue is not local. In July last year, a 20-year old migrant worker from the north-western province of Shaanxi threatened to jump off a 200 metre crane at a building site unless he got his back pay. A group of migrant workers also made national headlines in August in 2011 when they dug a hole in a dyke along the Yangtze River and said they would arrange for other workers to bury them alive if they did not get a total of 3 million yuan (US$ 460,000) in back wages. Despite these high profile cases, according to the China Labour Bulletin, in countless more, the victims remain nameless after they kill themselves out of shame for not being paid what is owed to them. Beijing (AsiaNews) - China "must encourage couples to have more children to address the countrys looming demographic crisis as its population ages and the number of people of working age falls , says Yi Fuxian, medical researcher and one of the most outspoken opponents of the one-child law, in an interview with the South China Morning Post. Exiled in 2000 by China as an "enemy of a fundamental policy," Yi works at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in the United States. In 2010, when the Communist executive began to rethink their population policies, the ban against him was withdrawn, and the author of "Big Country With an Empty Nest", began to travel several times a year to Chinese universities to talk about demographics. With the 2015 "turning point" in the decision to ease the one-child policy allowing everyone to have a second child, Yis theories begin to be quoted by state media: the culmination of his rehabilitation arrived with an invitation the prestigious Boao Forum of 2016. However, these accolades have not stopped him from criticizing the government: "the decision has already proved a failure. Fertility rates have seen no major changes ". Instead of the expected "baby boom," adds the researcher, last year the new births in China fell by 320 thousand units, and the fertility rate was 1.4 children per woman, one of the lowest in the world: " Its already too late Chinas population is ageing quickly and will start to shrink soon and theres no way for China to maintain strong economic growth under such demographic conditions. China had previously regarded birth control as the most difficult task in the world, but it will soon find out that boosting fertility rates is even harder, Yi said, citing the experiences of Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and Hong Kong". Zuo Xuejin, a renowned demographics researcher at the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences, said China should remove punitive measures, such as imposing social support fees on couples who have more children than the family planning policies allow. The government should, instead, encourage young couples to have more children, Zuo said. The government could, for instance, provide subsidies to employers who grant maternity leave to employees". The researchers' predictions clash with those of the Beijing Medical Association a state run non-profit organization - according to which in 2016 the capital will celebrate "more than 400 thousand new citizens, double the number recorded in the past five years." The same is predicted to happen in Shanghai. Official figures presented by the Association show that the last five years about 200 thousand children were born a year in Beijing. In 2012, the year of the Dragon considered lucky for births, 220 thousand infants were born; in 2015, the worst year for fertility according to the traditional calendar, that number dropped to 172 thousand. The court sentenced 31 year old Yosef Haim Ben David for the horrible crime. He is the leader of a gang that in 2014 killed the 16 year old Mohammed Abu Khdair. Insanity plea rejected. The father of the young man killed applauds the verdict. Meanwhile, Israel continues to demolish homes of Palestinian youths suspected of violence. Jerusalem (AsiaNews / Agencies) - An Israeli court sentenced 31 year old Yosef Haim Ben David, leader of a gang that in 2014 kidnapped, tortured and burned alive the sixteen year old Palestinian Mohammed Abu Khdair, to life imprisonment. The judges deemed the defendant capable of discernment, rejecting an insanity plea submitted by his lawyers. Two young Israelis were sentenced to prison with him for their involvement in the brutal murder that at the time rekindled clashes and violence between Israelis and Palestinians. The prosecutor had requested life imprisonment for Yosef Haim Ben David for the murder of 16 year old Mohammed Abu Khdair, 20 years for the crime of kidnapping and another 15 for other general crimes, including the attempted kidnapping of a child. He must also pay a sum of money to the Palestinians family. Khdair was kidnapped and killed to avenge the previous murder of three young Israelis in the West Bank, in a spiral of violence that culminated in the summer of 2014 in the 50-day war in the Gaza Strip. The body of the young Palestinian was found in a wooded area west of Jerusalem, two days after the discovery of the bodies of young Israelis killed by Hamas. During the trial, Ben David said he wanted to apologize for his act, emphasizing that he was "sorry for the family." "I was not me - he added - I was completely out of control." The father of the 16 year old Palestinian said he wants to see his sons murderer "die in prison". In April, the judges rejected an insanity plea lodged by Ben David. His accomplices, aged 17 and 16 at the time of the crime, were sentenced to life imprisonment and 21 years in prison in a previous trial that ended in February. Meanwhile, the demolition of houses in the West Bank belonging to Palestinian families accused by Israel of having collaborated in the murder of a couple of settlers in October 2015 continues. Yesterday, the authorities demolished the house of Zeid Amr, 27 years old, accused of being part of the squad that killed Hamas Naama and Eitam Henkin in front of their children. "They demolished the inner walls - said Zeids father, Ziad Amr - and put the seals on the house". The demolition policy, strongly desired by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, is supposed to act as a deterrent in an attempt to stop the escalation of violence between Israelis and Palestinians which, since last October, has killed 203 Palestinians and 28 Israelis. God does not know culture of waste, for Jesus the Good Shepherd, "there is no such thing as sheep lost forever, but only sheep that have yet to be found. "The only way to gather the flock together is to follow the path outlined by the mercy of the shepherd. While searching for the lost sheep, he calls on the ninety-nine to reunite the flock". Vatican City (AsiaNews) - God knows nothing of the culture of waste, for Jesus the Good Shepherd, "there is no such thing as sheep lost forever, but only sheep that have yet to be found in an open perspective, of moving outwards from the fold, because " as Christians we should not close in on ourselves, otherwise we will stink of closed things". This was how Pope Francis reflected on the parable of the Good Shepherd during todays General Audience. The parable is the concern of Jesus toward sinners and the mercy of God that is not resigned to losing even one, he said to the 30 thousand people present in St Peter's Square. The Pope said the parable "is told by Jesus to make people understand that his proximity to sinners is not a cause for scandal, rather the result of a serious reflection on how we live our faith. The story sees on one side the sinners who draw near to Jesus to listen and on the other side the doctors of law and scribes who are suspicious and draw away from him because of his attitude. They draw away because Jesus approached sinners. These were proud, they were vainglorious, they believed they were right. "Our parable - he stressed - is themed around three characters: the shepherd, the lost sheep and the rest of the flock. But the only one who acts is the shepherd, not the sheep. The pastor then is the only true protagonist and everything depends on him. The parable introduces a question: "Which of you, having a hundred sheep and loses one, would leave the ninety-nine in the desert and go after the one lost sheep until he finds it?" (V. 4). It is a paradox that casts doubt on the pastors actions: it is wise to leave the ninety-nine sheep for just one? And most importantly not safe in a sheepfold, but in the desert? According to biblical tradition, the desert is a place of death where it is difficult to find food and water, without shelter and at the mercy of wild beasts and thieves. What can ninety-nine defenseless sheep do? The paradox continues, however, saying that the shepherd, found the sheep, " puts it on his shoulders and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep" (v. 6). It therefore seems that the pastor does not return to the desert to rescue the flock! Straining toward that single sheep he seems to forget the other ninety-nine. But in reality it is not so. The teaching that Jesus wants to give us is rather that no sheep can be lost. The Lord cannot resign Himself to the fact that even one person be lost. Gods action is to go in search of lost children and then to celebrate and rejoice their recovery. It is a burning desire: even ninety-nine sheep cannot stop the shepherd and keep him closed within the fold. He might reason: 'Well, if I take stock I have ninety-nine, I lost one of them, but it is not a great loss'. No, he goes to look for that one, because each of them is very important to him and that one is the one most in need, the most abandoned, the most rejected; and he goes there looking for the lost sheep". "We are all warned: mercy toward sinners is the style with which God acts and He is absolutely true to that mercy: No one and nothing can distract Him from His salvific will. God knows nothing of our contemporary culture of waste, God is not involved in this. God does not discard anybody; God loves everyone, He looks for everyone ...Everyone! One by one. He does not know the word 'discard people', because He is all love and all mercy. "The Lords flock is always on a journey: It does not possess the Lord, it cannot hope to imprison Him in our plans and in our strategies. The pastor will be found there where the sheep is lost. The Lord then should be sought wherever He wants to encounter us, not where we want to find Him! The only way to re-unite the flock is to follow the path outlined by the mercy of the shepherd. While searching for the lost sheep, he calls on the ninety-nine to reunite the flock. Then not only the sheep carried on his shoulders, but the whole flock will follow the shepherd to his home to celebrate with friends and neighbors. We should often think of this parable, because in the Christian community there is always someone who is missing and has left an empty place. Sometimes this is daunting and leads us to believe that it is an inevitable loss, an incurable disease. It is then that we run the risk of locking ourselves up in our sheepfold, where there will be no smell of sheep, but the stale stink of closure!. And we Christians must not be closed in our herd because we will too will stink of closed things. Never! We have to go out and this close in themselves, in small communities, in the parish, there ... 'But we, the righteous' ... This happens when there is no missionary impulse that leads us to encounter others. In Jesus vision there is no such thing as a sheep that is lost forever, understand this well: for God no one is lost forever. Never! Until the last moment, God seeks us out. Think of the good thief; in the vision of Jesus no one is lost forever, just sheep waiting to be found ". "The prospect, therefore - he concluded must be dynamic, open, stimulating and creative. He urges us to go out in search, to embark on a path of brotherhood. No distance can keep the shepherd away; and no flock can give up on a brother. Finding those who are lost is a joy for the shepherd and God, but also the joy of the whole flock! We are all of us sheep who have been found and gathered by the Lord's mercy, called to gather all the flock together with Him". 50 thousand workers refuse to leave the country claiming wages in arrears. 12 thousand contracts with Saudi workers and employees also at risk. The Saudi official unemployment rate is 11.5%, but the real figure could be much higher. Government's plan to disengage from the oil economy. Riyadh (AsiaNews) - The Saudi construction giant Binladen Group has laid off 77 thousand foreign workers and, in the near future, could also tear up the contracts signed with 12 thousand local workers and employees. The daily Al-Watan reports that 50 thousand migrants are refusing to leave the country because they havent been paid in at least four months. A company spokesman confirmed the layoffs but refused to comment on the figures and claims that all former employees have received their salary in accordance with the law. After decades of growth and expansion, thanks to the many public contracts, even the Binladen Group - $ 5 billion in capital and tens of thousands of workers - is marking time because of the economic crisis and the downward spiral of oil prices. As the name indicates, the Arab corporation is owned by the same family of Osama bin Laden - al Qaeda leader and once the most wanted man of international Islamic terrorism who was one of the 52 sons of the founder Mohammed bin Laden. Among the various works carried out by the founder, the restoration of the famous al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem. However, today the group has been affected by the economic crisis and a crane collapse in September 2015 at the Grand Mosque in Mecca, which caused the death of 109 people, has certainly not helped redeem the groups image. In response, King Salman himself decided to cut a series of contracts that had caused a period of crisis and uncertainty in the multinational. According to an anonymous source in Al-Watan, in the last three days Binladen Group has laid off 77 thousand foreign workers on contract, who have already received their expulsion order from the Saudi authorities (employment is a necessary condition for a visa). The same source stated that in the past the company employed up to 200 thousand foreigners in the various construction sites of the country, with a higher incidence of Egyptians. At least 50 thousand of the workers left jobless in recent days have opposed the deportation order, denouncing wage arrears for four months. The Saudi newspaper Arab News, also writes of "massive" layoffs reporting that a group of workers would set fire to seven of the company's trucks to Mecca to protest. Official sources speak of a 11.5% unemployment rate in Saudi Arabia, but the real figure could be far higher. At the end of April, the country's government announced the sale of shares of oil giant Aramco and of having acquired a sovereign fund of $ 2 trillion, the largest in the world. A plan to diversify the national economy - the first in the Arab world - which so far has depended 70% on oil. The Commission gives the green light, but the agreement must be approved by the European Parliament and member states. Turkeys many contradictions: violence against freedom of the press, of speech, assembly, and against minorities. Ankara (AsiaNews / Agencies) - The European Commission is in favor of ensuring EU Shenghen entry visas for Turkish citizens, despite the strong resistance of MEPs. The new policy is expected to begin in July, but has yet to receive the approval of the European Parliament and member countries. Freedom of movement in Europe is part of a package signed on 18 March under which Turkey agreed to take back migrants who crossed the sea to Greece. The EU is concerned that if there is the granting of entry visas to Europe, Turkey will allow uncontrolled migration. The liberalization of visas for Turks will allow them to travel to Europe for tourism or business, but does not give them the right to find work. Many MEPs highlight the contradictions that are still prevailing in the Middle Eastern country under the 72 criteria that the EU requires for visa liberalization. These include attacks against freedom of the press (28 journalists are in prison; 49 in custody; 53 indicted for defaming President Recep Tayyip Erdogan); the politicization of the justice system, with a series of shadowy trials; the lack of freedom of speech and assembly, the lack of protection of minorities, especially Christians. Only two days ago the Armenian member of parliament Garo Paylan was attacked and beaten up by other nationalist and Islamist MPs. Paylan had sought recognition for some martyrs of the Armenian Genocide. Meanwhile, the president of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker, has lauded "the lowering of the number of migrants crossing the Aegean Sea" since Turkey agreed to control the flow. Turkey has already threatened that if the EU does not liberalize visas, it will stop receiving migrants from Greece. The pastor of a politically influential, wealthy and secretive Christian church in the Philippines has sought refugee status in Vancouver claiming he is being targeted for murder. Pastor Lowell Menorca II, who was expelled from the Iglesia Ni Cristo (INC) said via a letter released to the media that he was in Vancouver pleading his case before Canadas Immigration Refugee Board. The application for special entry lists himself, his pregnant wife Jinky, 2-year-old daughter Yuri Keiko, sister-in-law Jungko Otsuka, brother Anthony Menorca and his wife Shayne, and their house help Abegail Yanson. The family fled Manila on March 6, staying in Vietnam for two weeks before moving on to another country, citing threats to their lives. We confirmed reports the people who were responsible for our kidnapping and illegal detention are out of the country and actively searching for my family to use them against me, Menorca said in a six-page letter. They have mobilized local resources in Vietnam, Thailand, Vancouver and even Southern California to look for me and my family, he said. He attached to his letter screengrabs of supposed Facebook posts by INC members taunting the family with their photos at airports in Vietnam and Thailand to prove they were being tailed. Menorcas latest plea for help came after the Court of Appeals in Manila threw out last week the Menorca familys bid for court protection, as the case was rendered moot by the familys departure from the Philippines. The Menorca family initiated court proceedings against their former church last year after the INC allegedly detained them for three months at its Central Office in Quezon City. Menorca was among 10 INC workers and ministers abducted in July after being suspected of being behind online exposes of corruption in the upper echelons of the politically influential sect. Some members of the sects founding familythe Manaloswere also isolated. After Menorca filed abduction charges and sought protection against the INC, he was slapped with several counter cases, including three libel suits and an adultery complaintcharges Menorca said were part of the INCs efforts to harass him. In his letter, Menorca detailed his familys nearly yearlong ordeal, appealing to the Canadian government to grant him and his loved ones a new beginning. I am just one man standing for the truth and what is right against a very, very powerful institution which uses the church as a facade for its illegal activities and human rights abuses. I am no match for them, said Menorca. He described the INC as an institution that has a stranglehold on the Philippine government, saying authorities have been unable to do anything against the churchs wishes. We are all being targeted to be silenced by the INC and by extension, our own government, which INC is able to manipulate, said Menorca. This is why we are begging your good government to grant us refuge. We are in dire need of protection from a government such as yours which cannot be bribed or influenced by INC, whose law enforcement is faithful to its duty to protect and serve its citizens and not be used as an instrument to oppress and suppress by the influential and corrupt, he told the Canadians. Before he fled the country in March, Menorca issued a statement in Filipino saying he feared for his life, having received death threats, even one against his youngest child, from suspected members of the INC. He retold how he was abducted by armed menincluding some he identified as Quezon City policemenfrom his small church in Butag, Sorsogon, on July 16, 2015, jailed in Dasmarinas, Cavite, on trumped up charges, allegedly with the help of a city prosecutor in that town. He said he was released after nine days in the Dasmarinas jail and turned over by the police chief to INC leaders, who then detained them at the local churchs Quezon City compound for three months, before he was rescued by the National Bureau of Investigation. However, his nightmare has not ended as he faces threats of arrest for various cases filed by the powerful group. The Iglesia ni Cristo (INC or Church of Christ), with congregations across Canada and billions in assets worldwide is known for its unity and its members voting in a block. The Philippine-based church was founded in 1914 by Felix Manalo. Born out of his dissatisfaction with the Catholic Church. Manalo is viewed by his followers as Gods last messenger. They believe there is no salvation outside the INC. Within a century, the church has grown to three million members worldwide who support the church through generous donations. The largest congregation outside of the Philippines is in the United States. In Canada, the church has congregations from British Columbia to Quebec. The INC wields much influence within its overseas congregations as well in its homeland, where Philippine politicians seek its endorsement during elections. Manalo, broke away from the Catholic Church and is regarded by his followers as a prophet. He died in 1963, and was succeeded by his son, Erano Manalo, until his death in 2009, when another Manalo son took over as executive minister. In 2010, The Iglesia ni Cristo accounted for 2.45% of the Philippines population, around 2.5 million of today's 100-million population. Its membership lags way behind the majority Roman Catholic Church (more than 80%) and Islam (nearly 6% The INC gets its power not from sheer numbers but from the legendary unity of its flock. The faithful gather for religious services twice a week and pay regular tithes across 101 Philippine ecclesiastical districts, each with 15 to 70 locales, and 27 more districts across the United States, Canada, Europe, Africa, Asia and Australia. Guest Commentary By Farid Rohani Canada is not a militaristic country, in the sense that it has never used its military force to initiate acts of aggression against another country. Nor has it ever been a preponderantly military one. Yet our armed forces have always been an important part of the nations history and, without the existence of a strong military, our lives and our country would certainly have been very different. Little surprise, then, that a serious discussion of Canadas armed forces has not been high on the political agenda. The national discourse about defence has been low key, conducted away from the public gaze. The proud tradition of our forces, their proven heroics and their formative role in our history are rarely mentioned. Indeed, the enormous tasks that they perform daily throughout our country, from the arctic to the coasts, are largely taken for granted. We would do well to remind ourselves that what our armed forces do, at home and around the world, allows us to live our lives as Canadian citizens free from the shadow of fear. Safeguarding our individual safety, and our treasured national values, are responsibilities faced every day by those brave men and women serving in our forces. In addition to their vital role in maintaining international peace and security, patrolling our coasts and monitoring our skies, service personnel are also called upon to fight forest fires and cope with natural disasters from flooding to earthquakes. Yet many Canadians pay little heed to these selfless acts. In todays confused world, it has never been more important to have a clear and considered overview of how our armed forces should be prepared to deal with the most urgent issues of our times. From a global perspective, the ripples from war and bloodshed, whether in the Middle East or Africa, in Eastern Europe or the Far East, inevitably wash over us here at home. It is time to react accordingly and I believe that the current consultations on Canadas national defence, led by Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan, could not have come at a more appropriate time.We must find the means to ensure that our military continues not only to serve with honour, but to be amply provided with the necessary materiel to protect us from those whose evil ambitions threaten to disrupt our way of life. We must as a nation come to fully understand the radically changed nature of current conflicts. We must learn to anticipate our enemies emerging tactics and to develop the technology to support the most advanced military tools. We need a comprehensive national policy, crafted in cooperation with our allies. The primitive barbarism perpetrated by extremists in Iraq, Syria, Nigeria, Indonesia and elsewhere has shocked Canadians. We are sickened by images of innocent civilians cruelly caught up in the slaughter. And we are horrified that a Canadian citizen quietly going about his business is arbitrarily beheaded. The challenge for us as a nation is to develop the expertise to tame this horror. On a purely human level, we should show our moral support for our military men and women, vocally support them in their endeavours and let them know they occupy a special place in our hearts. On a practical level, we must resolve that the equipment we provide is the most up-to-date we can obtain. It is absurd that soldiers should be expected to fight with less than the best. If sacrifices must be made elsewhere to achieve this aim, so be it. We must secure the funding to provide the most appropriate tools, whether it be new aircraft, ships, land vehicles or electronics. Spending to modernize our military must become a long-term policy and a top priority. A new Canadian forces policy on diversity must also be developed. We must give Canadas visible minorities a more prominent role in the armed forces. And, as importantly, we must find ways to promote diversity, both in gender and cultural terms. The ongoing public consultations led by Minister Sajjan present an opportunity for Canadians to share their thoughts and ideas for formulating the most forward-looking policies for our nations military in the decades ahead. Canada is in a unique position to contribute to easing some of the worlds most dangerous trouble-spots and its armed forces can play a vital role in achieving that goal. But it will only happen if we can learn to fully appreciate the potential significance of our countrys new role in a changed world. It is to be hoped that the outcome of the present debate will at least offer Canadians a vision for the future of the armed forces behind which we can all unite. Farid Rohani is a member of the British Columbia Regimental Association and Chair of the Board of Directors Laurier Institution. According to Statistics Canada, there is an emerging appetite for farm-raised salmon in China. British Columbia set a new record for exports of farm-raised salmon in 2015, which is more than doubled over the previous high in 2012. China is now B.C.s second most important market next to the United States. Overall, B.C. exported a record 54.4M kilograms of farm-raised salmon to 11 countries. Trade with Asia overall is up 38% over the previous record in 2013. For the first time, B.C. exported fresh farm-raised salmon to South Korea, which is a potential market with the implementation of the Canada-Korea Free Trade Agreement. The United States remains our most important trading partner, and will be so for some time, however we are encouraged at the market diversification and the prospects for growing demand in the future particularly in Asia, says Jeremy Dunn, Executive Director, BC Salmon Farmers Association. Salmon farming has a total economic impact of $1.1-billion in British Columbia and accounts for more than 5,000 total jobs. Salmon farmers are working closely with coastal First Nations with 19 economic impact benefit agreements in place counting for 78% of all salmon raised in B.C. For more information visit BCSalmonFarmers.ca Photo caption: 28-year-old Syrian refugee, Kevork Eleyjian, and his two sisters, pose for a "selfie" in Montreal./ Photo Credit: UNHCR / Giovanni Capriotti By Selina Chignall Special to The Post As 25,000 Syrian refugees live through the process of resettlement and beginning new lives in Canada, a Statistics Canada study published today reveals that the children of refugees who arrived in Canada between 1980 and 2000 are thriving. StatsCans, Educational and Labour Market Outcomes of Childhood Immigrants by Admission Class, reviewed the 2011 National Household Survey to examine the socioeconomic outcomes of immigrant children who arrived in Canada before the age of 18 during those two decades. The study examined each class of immigrant skilled workers, business immigrants, live-in caregivers, the family class and refugees. The study found children of all categories of refugees (private, government and landed) had achieved better graduation outcomes than their Canadian-born peers. They had also outperformed those who settled here through the live-in caregivers and family class. Roughly 30 per cent of refugees from all classes went to university whereas 24 per cent of children born to two Canadian-born parents attended university and 19 per cent of those born to live-in caregivers. The highest portion of immigrant children were those who came via business and the skilled-worker class. Of those who came through the channel, 59% obtained a university degree, while 50% of those from the skilled-worker class got their diploma. The study also found that the average earnings of refugee children $41,000 to $44,000 were similar to the earnings of children with both Canadian-born parents and immigrant parents who came into the country via the business and skilled working class streams. Their annual earnings were about $46,000 Janet Dench, executive director of the Canadian Council for Refugees (CCR), said shes not surprised by the positive outcomes refugees have in their new home. We have the proof before our eyes how refugees and children of refugees have proved themselves in Canadian society. Dench said it confirms what CCR has been saying for a long time: refugees contribute enormously to Canada. However, there are barriers some refugee children face that can prevent them from pursuing higher education, including helping their families to pay off their transportation loan. Those looking to settle in Canada have to pay their way here and undergo a medical examination. If they cant afford to do so, the government will help pay for these services, but the families have to reimburse them for the loan. We hear they might not be able to go to university because they have to earn money to pay off the transportation loan, Dench said. For some refugees, the loan is waived. For the rest, it can cost a family $10,000. They have one to six years to pay back the loan, depending upon how much the owe the government. An issue that also could affect the future generations of refugees pouring into the country from countries like Guatemala, Ethiopia, Eritrea, and Syria is that they come from war-torn countries whose education systems have or are close to collapse, said Monica Boyd, a professor of sociology at the University of Toronto. A report from World Vision said between two million and three million Syrian children are not attending school. For many of these young children who have gone months and years without formal schooling, Boyd said its an added challenge when they start their new life in Canada. According to a November 2015 report by Citizenship and Immigration Canada, of those Syrians who arrived in 2014, 34 per cent were under the age of 15, and 15 per cent were 15 to 24 and 48 per cent were between 25 to 64. Statistics Canada and Boyd both said the younger the children are when they settle in a new country, the better education outcomes they have. She said this was due in part to youngsters spending a longer period in the school system where they can improve their language skills. Its harder for teens to catch up on language skills and to adapt to a new education system. Playing catch-up is an issue many teens face, and the educational system still hasnt figured out how to support these students, said Dench. This piece was originally appeared in New Canadian Media (newcanadianmedia.ca). See http://www.newcanadianmedia.ca/item/34689-children-of-refugees-thrive-in-canada-statscan-study-children-of-refugees-thrive-in-canada-statscan-study Drammatico Chi is a Vancouver based premium designers handbag brand founded by Ancelin Chi in 2014. The brand recently hosted its launch party at the Waterfall building on West 2nd in Vancouver. For more information go to website www.instagram.com/drammaticochi or email info@drammaticochi.com. Literacy is the backbone of a functioning democracy. In accord with that principle, Vancouver based Rotarians Barj Dhahan and Jaswant Bains are spearheading an initiative that targets newer immigrants who are lagging behind in reading skills. The Rotary Club (Fraserview) has donated $10,000 to a new, multi-year literacy partnership with John Oliver Secondary School to promote reading skills at the high school and in the Sunset neighbourhood community of schools. The new, multi-year partnership will strengthen the Wonder of Reading program which was launched in 2013. The program injected a new energy for reading engagement in the school and community with its many in-house and outreach programs. John Olivers diverse student population is largely composed of residents of the Sunset catchment which has traditionally been a landing area for immigrant families. With new Canadians making up a large proportion of its student population, literacy and English language comprehension remain a challenge at the high school. Many students entering grade 8 in John Oliver have literacy and numeracy levels that are below standard. As a result these students struggle to keep up and advance their education. The program takes high school students and educators into the homes of these families, said Dhahan, a Vancouver based businessman. They bring books and mentor the elementary school children and talk with parents about the importance of encouraging their children to read. Many of these children come from immigrant families where many parents have had less than grade 10 education and they are trying make ends meet holding two or three jobs. So the children often dont get the support they need in elementary years, explained Dhahan. The Rotary Club motto is Service before self. The organizations various chapters across BC support numerous community initiatives through a myriad of philanthropic endeavours. For more information on the Fraserview club, go to www.vancouverrotaryclubs.com Photo caption: A wreath at Sai Wan Military Cemetery in Chai Wan, Hong Kong, which contains the graves of soldiers from the Commonwealth and Allied Forces who died during the Battle of Hong Kong in WWII./ Photo Credit: Christopher DeWolf for the Morrin Centre, 2016 By Rosanna Haroutounian Special to The Post The 75th anniversary of the Battle of Hong Kong is being commemorated across Canada by veterans and survivors of Japanese occupation and their families. About 2,000 Canadians fought to defend Hong Kong against Japanese occupation in Canadas first combat mission of the Second World War. They were relatively inexperienced. A lot of them were new recruits, says Patrick Donovan, curator of the exhibit Hong Kong and the Home Front at the Morrin Centre in Quebec City, Quebec. A lot of them learned to fire their rifles on the boat ride over. The Royal Rifles of Canada, Quebec Citys main English-speaking regiment, and the Winnipeg Grenadierswere sent to Hong Kong in fall of 1941 to join a battalion of commonwealth forces totalling 14,000 troops. On December 8, 1941, Japanese aircraft began attacking Hong Kong. A day earlier, they had attacked Pearl Harbor. The defence of Hong Kong ended almost three weeks later when Canadian and other defending troops were forced to surrender. Among Canadian troops, 290 were killed and 493 were wounded. Hong Kong and several other countries and territories were occupied by Japan for the duration of the war. On November 4, 1948, the International Military Tribunals for the Far East found 25 Japanese military and government officials guilty of committing war crimes and crimes against humanity during the Second World War. Personal experiences of war The occupation is something we never talk about, says Sovita Chander, whose father grew up in Japanese-occupied British Malay. The former president of the Literary and Historical Society of Quebec, which runs theMorrin Centre, Chander says she learned about this period of her fathers life through his memoirs. I can't imagine my own children now in university having to go through that, and my heart goes out to my parents who were so young at that time, says Chander. Her fathers memoirs describe how at the age of six, he and his family spent a day in an underground shelter as the Japanese army passed overhead. The next day, he watched his father stay with a dying Indian soldier, who he buried the next day. Despite the atrocities, horror, and depravation, he held no animosity for the former occupiers, says Chander of her father, noting that Malaya was also a British colony. He developed an international outlook that was liberal and tolerant. Chander says its important to tell the story of the people from the Quebec City region who were in Hong Kong, including some people who were involved with the Morrin Centre at the time. Remembering tragedy We tend to focus a lot on the victories of the war and it tends to glorify the whole business of war, says Donovan of the Centres exhibit. It's important to look at some of the defeats, and this story is a tragedy. He says the soldiers who were not killed were held in Japanese Prisoner of War camps for the duration of the War. Many prisoners died of malnutrition or diseases related to lack of food. According to Veterans Affairs Canada, more than 550 of the almost 2,000 Canadians who went to Hong Kong never returned. The Japanese still have not come to terms with what they did in the Second World War, says Judy Lam Maxwell, whose mother lived under Japanese occupation in Hong Kong as a child. She had told me that because her father was a doctor, he could hide the kids in the hospital and they would be safe from harm, says Lam Maxwell. My mom, her siblings, and her mom are fortunate to have survived. She says that her grandfather, or Goong Goong, was tortured by the Japanese, but also survived. Commemorating the Battle Lam Maxwell heard the stories of other survivors when she travelled to Hong Kong with ex-servicemen from Canada several years ago. She collected newspaper articles from Canada and Hong Kong that will be part of an exhibit at Centre A in Vancouver, B.C. later this year to commemorate the Battle of Hong Kong. Many of the Canadians and immigrants from Hong Kong living in Canada do not know this history and its important for museums and historians to share the significant link between Canada and Hong Kong, says King Wan, president of the Chinese Canadian Military Museum Society. The Chinese Canadian Military Museum in Vancouver will showcase Force 136 on May 14 as part of Asian Heritage Month to commemorate Chinese-Canadians who joined the Special Operations Executive in East Asia during the war. He notes that at the time, people of Chinese descent were prohibited from joining Canadas armed forces. While many were rejected, recruiters who were eager to meet quotas accepted some Chinese-Canadians who enlisted. The policy against Chinese recruitment was rescinded after the British government pressured the Canadian government to recruit Chinese-Canadians, as they could easily assimilate into East-Asian society and work for the army undercover. More than 700 Chinese-Canadians joined the Canadian army, mostly in British Columbia. The museum will also commemorate the Battle of Hong Kong with another exhibit in the fall. For Wan, whose family immigrated to Canada from Hong Kong, he feels these events are especially important so that we remember the service of both Chinese and Canadian soldiers who served in Asia and in the Battle of Hong Kong. This piece was originally appeared in New Canadian Media (newcanadianmedia.ca). See http://www.newcanadianmedia.ca/item/34264-wwii-exhibit-remembers-canadian-troops-in-hong-kong (Bloomberg) -- Johnson & Johnson must pay $55 million to a 62-year-old South Dakota woman who blamed her ovarian cancer on the companys talcum powder in the second such trial loss this year. State court jurors in St. Louis Monday awarded $5 million in compensation and $50 million in punitive damages to Gloria Ristesund, who was diagnosed with cancer in 2011 after using J&Js talc-based feminine hygiene products for almost 40 years. Ristesunds cancer, after she underwent a hysterectomy, is in remission. In February, J&J lost a $72 million verdict in the same courthouse to the family of a woman who died of the disease. J&J is accused in more than 1,000 lawsuits in state and federal courts of ignoring studies linking its Shower-to-Shower product and Johnsons Baby Powder to ovarian cancer. Women contend the company knew the risk and failed to warn customers. Science has been simple and consistent over the last 40 years: Theres an increased risk of ovarian cancer from genital use of talc, Allen Smith, Ristesunds lawyer, told jurors Friday. Ristesund used talc for four decades unaware there were any health concerns, he said. J&J denied any link between talc and ovarian cancer or any need to warn women. J&J will appeal the verdict, Carol Goodrich, a company spokeswoman, said in an e-mailed statement. Unfortunately, the jurys decision goes against 30 years of studies by medical experts around the word that continue to support the safety of cosmetic talc, Goodrich said. Johnson & Johnson has always taken questions about the safety of our products extremely seriously. Third Trial Ristesunds lawsuit is the third to go to before a jury, preceded by the trial in the suit brought by the family of Jackie Fox, who died at 62. An earlier trial in federal court in South Dakota in 2013 ended with a jury finding that J&J was negligent while deciding not to award damages. Thousands of women or their family members contacted plaintiffs lawyers after the Fox verdict, attorney Jere Beasley said in March. His firm, one of several representing the Fox family and Ristesund, is reviewing more than 5,000 potential claims, he said in an interview. J&J documents showed the company was aware of health concerns since the mid-1970s, Smith told jurors Friday in closing arguments. A 1992 document suggested targeting women who were high users of talcum powder to boost sales, he said. Ristesund incurred $174,000 in medical bills, plus pain and suffering, Smith told jurors. Talc was found in her ovarian tissue after the hysterectomy, he said. J&J Supplier The jury didnt award damages against J&Js supplier and co-defendant, Imerys Talc America Inc. Smith didnt specify an amount for damages, while asking jurors to award enough to send a message to J&J. Compensating my client with a significant amount could change their behavior, Smith said. Ristesund had several risk factors for ovarian cancer, Christy Jones, a J&J attorney told jurors. That included a family history of cancer, having endometriosis and the fact she had no children, Jones said. Nobody knows what causes ovarian cancer, she said. The case is Hogans v. Johnson & Johnson, 1422-CC09012-01, Circuit Court, St. Louis City, Missouri. Litigation finance is seeing explosive growth and continuing evolution according to a report from global law-focused finance firm Burford Capital.In its 2016 Litigation Finance Survey, 28 per cent of private practice lawyers said their firm had used litigation finance directly. Thats a fourfold increase from a similar survey in 2013. The majority of lawyers expect litigation financing to continue to grow; 75 per cent of outside counsel and 61 per cent of clients believe that to be true.What weve found is that the growth in corporate finance for law not only reflects the enormous need for outside capital, said Burfords CEO Christopher Bogart. It also coincides with a broad array of changes in the traditional business model for law, which can help law firms thrive and provide high quality counsel in a new environment.The survey also revealed that 81 per cent of private practice lawyers feel that a lack of capital to invest in the firm is a major challenge, exacerbated by the capital structure of the partnership based system.A wave of new partner promotions has been announced by international law firms, adding a total of 9 partners to Asia-Pacific law firm offices. Ashurst has promoted 12 lawyers to its global partnership including: Ian Bolster (dispute resolution) and Rebecca Dixon (resources & utilities) in Sydney; Mark Bradley (dispute resolution) in Melbourne; Stuart James (resources & utilities) in Perth; and James Comber (dispute resolution) in Hong Kong.Bird & Bird has promoted 9 to partner globally including IP lawyer David Allison in Hong Kong/Beijing. The firm has also promoted 15 counsel Beijing. The firm has also promoted 15 to counsel including Jolie Giouw, Cassandra Ow, and Ping-Ping Oh in Singapore. Sally Barber becomes special counsel in Sydney.At Simmons & Simmons, Eva Chan makes partner in the financial markets practice in Hong Kong. Her promotion is among 7 globally for the firm.Finally, at Watson Farley & Williams, 8 partners have been promoted including Shawn Er and Chien Herr Lee in the asset finance group in Singapore.International law firm RPCs joint legal venture with Singapores Premier Law is now live, doubling RPCs size in the city state. RPC Premier Law will offer services across multiple practices including dispute resolution, international arbitration, M&A, insurance, marine and insolvency.The JLV is live now but will be based in the heart of Singapores financial district when it moves to new offices in Marina Bay Financial Centre on May 16th. New laws to be introduced by the State Government will mean that NSW police will be able to detain and question terror suspects as young as 14 without charge for up to two weeks. Previously suspects could be detained but not questioned unless they were charged under NSW law. A judge also needed to renew the orders every 48 hours for the detentions to last. But the government said this is not enough time for a thorough investigation by police, the ABC reported. We have to do everything possible to protect our community from terrorist threats and these new powers do exactly that, by giving our police the ability to properly investigate terrorist plots, said NSW premier Mike Baird in a statement, adding that the new powers would give police more time to investigate terrorist plots. New legislation, which was agreed by COAG to be used as a basis for a national model, will mean that after an initial four days of detention, a Supreme Court judge would be able to extend holding time in increments of seven days, up to a maximum of 14. Suspects can only be questioned for 24 hours within eight days of maximum detention before charges are laid under Commonwealth law currently. Deputy premier and minister for Police and Justice Troy Grant said police are supportive of the new laws. The terrorist threat has become more fast-moving and unpredictable and we need to have the powers to respond quickly and effectively, Grant said in a statement. By Alan Duffy, Research Fellow, Swinburne University of Technology David Kingham / flickr, CC BY-NC-ND For those of you needing to escape the (Australian) budget this week, the cosmos has produced a perfect distraction with the regular and reliable meteor shower, the Eta Aquarids, to give you a reason to look up from the paperwork. The Eta Aquarids meteor shower is caused by Earth ploughing through the debris tail of the Halley Comet. These tiny grains of material burn up in the atmosphere as they strike the air at speeds of tens of thousands of kilometres. We feel a similar force when holding our hands out of a moving car, now imagine doing it a hundred times faster, and you get some idea of why the friction with the air can destroy the grains. The intense heat produced causes the air itself to glow white hot, which we see as the streak of light in the sky. Credit: NASA/MSFC/MEO (flickr) With no moonlight to outshine these shooting stars, Australians in dark sites may see as many as 60 trails per hour in the early pre-dawn Thursday and Friday morning. This is one for the early birds / night owls most meteorites visible from 1am to 6am (just before dawn), but in these dark skies you can see the odd random shooting star anytime after sunset (it just wont be part of the more numerous Eta Aquarids meteor shower). To maximise your chance of seeing the radiant or region from which the meteor showers appear to originate from look East / North-East. However, if there are bright lights in the way, its best to just look away into a dark region as the shooting star trails will still be visible across the sky. No Moon is a Good Moon Unlike last years meteor shower when a Full Moon blinded us to all but the brightest shooting stars, this year sees a Super New Moon. This is where the Moon lies between us and the Sun, and as a result the illuminated face cant be seen, making it effectively invisible. However, the Moon is also 20,000 km closer to the Earth than average, and would appear bigger on the sky if it was visible, so this would really have ruined the great meteor shower for us. As it lies closer to the Earth the tides raised by the Moon will be larger, so this Super New Moon may not be visible to us but the effects are as a Perigean Spring or Fall tide. NOAA So take a break from the budget this week and enjoy the spectacular sight of a meteor shower, without the unwelcome glare of ordinarily lovely lunar light. Disclosure Alan Duffy receives funding from Swinburne University of Technology. Originally published in The Conversation. Hello everyone! Thank you for all the people in this forum! Big help and support! Me and my sponsor are waiting for the processing of our onshore Partner visa. We applied 5 months ago, got the bridging A visa and since then nothing. We are thinking of moving interstate. This means my sponsor needs to find a new job and we would change our address. QUESTION: Would this effect the processing of our visa? Especially when my husband(Sponsor) would leave his current job, and it could take some time for him to find another job. Would that be breaking of the sponsoring requirement? I am allowed to work myself on my bridging visa too. I Hope my question is clear. Appreciate the answer from someone who knows. THANK YOU Hi all, my query is regarding my invitation letter, i have successfully launched the EOI on 27th August 2015, and according to the points calculation i am standing at 60 points for subclass 189, 65 points for subclass 190, and 70 points for subclass 489. Now the problem is that my current student visa is expiring on 14th of may 2016, and i cannot apply 485(Temporary residence), because that is only once in lifetime and i have had that before for 18 months, as i came to australia to do commercial cookery previously, but since that had no PR i jumped back on student visa to study accounting, and the current EOI is done on the basis of masters in professional accounting, that has been completed. i just want to know is there any chance, anywhere or any how, that i can request the skillselect people to quickly issue me an invitation letter and i can straight away put my application for PR and avoid the extension of student visa? or any other way out from this? pls help and pls advise the best... m in a terrible shape thinking abt it all the time... pls reply pls help... thx a ton in anticipation Today I went for medical check up and I have previous medical history of TB 12 years back.Treated and cure.I am from Delhi and I bit confused about one thing that after my Xray they told me to go to the immigration Room instead of further weight height checkup but it slipped from my mind and I continued with other test. Now my doubt is when they will tell me about other follow up test required?Do they onspot tell about other test or I have to wait for the results?Since am going on student visa am bit worried cause culture test will take time and July I have to attend orientation. Kindly tell me after xray do they onspot tell for other test or after the reports they tell us to undergo?what's the procedure help me plz 02/01: Asuncion (Par)-Resistencia (Arg) 03/01: Resistencia-San Miguel de Tucuman (Arg) 04/01: San Miguel de Tucuman-San Salvador de Jujuy (Arg) 05/01: San Salvador de Jujuy-Tupiza (Bol) 06/01: Tupiza-Oruro (Bol) 07/01: Oruro-La Paz (Bol) 08/01: Rest day at La Paz 09/01: La Paz-Uyuni (Bol) 10/01: Uyuni-Salta (Arg) 11/01: Salta-Chilecito (Arg) 12/01: Chilecito-San Juan (Arg) 13/01: San Juan-Rio Cuarto (Arg) 14/01: Rio Cuarto-Buenos Aires (Arg). The 2017 edition will thus be shorter than the previous editions. The Dakar organizers haven't revealed the length of the stages and the total distance of the rally, but this info is expected soon.Unlike in other editions, when the start and the finish were in the same city, the 39th Dakar is not going to be a loop. The 2017 Dakar starts in Paraguay's capital Asuncion on January 2 and will end in the Argentinian capital Buenos Aires on the 14th of the same month. Funny thing, the Bolivian capital of La Paz was chosen as the place for the rest day on January 8, at an altitude of 3,600 meters (11,810 ft).Maybe thanks to the Dakar, the world will stop confusing Paraguay and Uruguay, half-joked Ms. Marcela Bacigalupo, Minister of Tourism in Paraguay. The Paraguayan officials also acknowledged that the Dakar Rally is without a doubt be the biggest international event the country has ever hosted. However, Paraguay is not a total stranger to the Dakar, as the country's Nelson Sanabria ranked 4th in the quad category two years ago.The registration for the 2017 Dakar will open on May 15 and will close July 15 for the bike and quad categories. September brings the competitor seminar in Paris, France, with all registrations closing on the first of November. Another competitor seminar will take place in South America in early November, followed by a route and field presentation in Paris in mid-November. At the end of the month, the European vehicles embark for South America. Apparently, General Motors was also in talks with Google regarding the self-driving car deal, but the two potential partners did not agree on the matter of data disclosure requests.The report is quoting insiders stating that Google wanted its potential automotive partners to supply data retrieved from the self-driving vehicles.While our original article on the topic indicated that Google wanted to use the collected information to figure out where customers would drive most often, a representative of the tech giant contacted us for clarification.He explained that Google wants to gather information just from the self-driving system. Once retrieved, engineers would then use the data to improve the behavior of Google's self-driving system for vehicles.Tesla already applies this approach for its Autopilot system, so this explanation makes sense. It's worth noting that the Google representative did not explain why the deal with General Motors did not get signed, but their partnership with FCA is open enough to allow the company from Mountain View to work with other automotive partners.As you already know, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles and Google have signed a collaboration which focuses on self-driving vehicles. The FCA group will provide Google with a fleet of 100 Chrysler Pacifica Plug-in Hybrid models, which will be used for self-driving trials. The partnership was described as an open one, allowing both partners to work with other companies in this field.While Google and General Motors did not confirm the situation outlined in the Bloomberg report on the matter, its worth noting that BMW and Daimler ditched a self-driving car deal with Apple on similar concerns. Both Google and Apple are known for collecting usage data from users, and the information is then used for predicting user behavior. However, Google's representative underlined the fact that the company has no plans of selling ads in driverless cars. Two things are worthy to be mentioned. First and foremost, Michelin gave lots of money to Citroen before the Traction Avant was ready for production. In 1934, Michelin bought Citroen outright and owned the company until 1976, the year when Peugeot took control of the French automaker. The second thing that connects the Citroen brand with Michelin is that a particular car was made to the measure of Mrs. Anna Michelin, the daughter of Edouard Michelin.This Citroen 15 CV Roadster is it. Built on May 20, 1939, the first of our examples bears chassis number 680959. Compared to the other three units, this 15 CV Roadster is equipped with goodies such as a retractable armrest in the back of the seat, a 75-liter gas tank, a deeper glovebox, and trafficator-style turn signals. By 1930s automotive standards in France, these things were exclusive.Slated to go under the hammer on May 14, the Citroen 15 CV Roadster you can admire in the photo gallery below is estimated to fetch up to 1.1 million or a little over $1.26 million according to current exchange rates. The car comes with Citroen Heritage certification for added authenticity and matching factory serial numbers. More to the point, it is the only original 15 CV Roadster in existence.Under the hood, youll find a 74 horsepower 2.9-liter straight-six engine connected to a three-speed manual transmission. On the handling front, youll have to settle for four-wheel drum brakes, a torsion bar at the front, and a solid rear axle. Despite the 1930s underpinnings, this is without question, the most significant example of the landmark Traction Avant, as noted by RM Sothebys SUV There are many reasons why it got so much attention. For starters, we had to wait 12 freaking years for it to arrive, which is almost unheard of in this day and age, when most car makers launch new models every 5 or 6 years. It also spearheaded Volvo's technology and design, while remaining one of the most advanced models in the segment.The XC90 can detect kangaroos and has been styled better than all the IKEA furniture combined. However, it still doesn't have the curb appeal of some of its rivals. BMW's X5 has an M version nearing 600 ponies and a tri-turbo diesel, while Audi has just launched the SQ7. Please, don't get us started on Mercedes, which offers crazy amounts of power on every, right up to the V12-powered G-Class. Meanwhile, the XC90 only uses 2-liter engines.To compensate, Volvo is trying to make self-driving cars and even designed a lounge-like area where the front seat is replaced by a baby seat. However, we want to focus on the moment that comes nine months before the baby is born.Poland has managed to surprise us with a professional looking photo shoot of epic proportions featuring the XC90 and the sort of girl you wish you had when you were wealthy enough to afford a new SUV. Her name is Justyna... just Justyna, and she was shot by a local photographer called Agnes Kubicka for Moto.pl . This is classy stuff, not that miss tuning dirty nonsense. However, the model shows enough skin to get our blood boiling. During her stay in Germany, The Queen and Prince Philip were chauffeured around in plenty of cars. The Mercedes-Benz 600 Pullman Landaulet featured in the collage above is one of them, the one used for driving the royal couple and their belongings from the FRGs Cologne-Bonn Airport to... wherever she had business.That exquisite machine is now offered for sale by Mercedes-Benz specialist Mechatronik, with pricing available upon request. Bear in mind that the German manufacturer has built 2,677 units of the W100 altogether, of which 59 examples were finished in Landaulet form. Of those 59 Landaulets, the XXL-sized 600 Pullman Landaulet is undoubtedly the most majestic subspecies of the breed.With the odometer showing 5,325 km (3,309 miles) since the engine was overhauled, this car is virtually new. Considering that BMW recommends M4 owners not to drive at speeds over 220 km/h (137 mph) for the first 5,000 km (3,100 miles) of the high-performance coupes life, this 600 Pullman Landaulet has barely passed its break-in period as far as mileage is concerned.Mechatronik details that the car underwent full restoration in Germany in the late 1980s and early 1990s, when it was repainted in the original color and the seats were retrimmed in Cognac (code 250) leather, among others. The wood veneer also appears to have been restored to its former glory. These being said, do follow this link for a 360-degree view of the interior. The attention to detail is simply mesmerizing.The DKW Munga (a.k.a. DKW Candango) at the 2-minute 10-second mark doesnt look half bad either. Photo of 2017 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid courtesy of FCA. Fiat Chrysler Automobiles' engineers will integrate Google's self-driving technology into the 2017 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid minivan under a new partnership between the automaker and tech giant. "Working with Google provides an opportunity for FCA to partner with one of the worlds leading technology companies to accelerate the pace of innovation in the automotive industry," said Sergio Marchionne, FCA's CEO. Under the initiative, 100 Pacifica Hybrid prototypes will be added to the Google Self-Driving Car Project's test fleet. FCA will initially design and engineer vehicles that have been built for Google's self-driving technology. Google will integrate a suite of sensors and computers that help the vehicles navigate roads autonomously. The companies will co-locate part of their engineering teams at a facility in southeastern Michigan to accelerate the design, testing, and manufacturing of the self-driving Chrysler Pacifica. Google is testing its self-driving cars in four U.S. cities. The self-driving Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid minivans will be tested by Googles self-driving car team on its private test track in California prior to operating on public roads. "The Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid minivan is well-suited for Googles self-driving technology," said John Krafcik, CEO of the Google Self-Driving Car Project. "The opportunity to work closely with FCA engineers will accelerate our efforts to develop a fully self-driving car that will make our roads safer and bring everyday destinations within reach for those who cannot drive." Krafcik served as CEO for Hyundai until Dec. 27, 2013, when his contract was not renewed. In May of 2014, he was named president of Web-based dealer network TrueCar. He joined Google in September of 2015. As the U.S. military deals with the uncertain complexities of a future dependent on and driven by robotic technologies, the soldier of the future will have unprecedented precision capabilities, but also higher expectations than soldiers of the last generation. Thats one of several observations offered by General David Perkins at Xponential 2016, the AUVSI trade and technology show in New Orleans, on Tuesday. Perkins is head of the U.S. Armys Training and Doctrine command, the agency charged with describing the future the military will have to operate in. Thats describing, not predicting, Perkins said. In an engaging 40-minute talk, Perkins said that unlike in previous eras, when threats were better understood, the modern military faces the unknown, the unknowable and the constantly changing. He said that the while unmanned systemsaircraft and land vehicleswill be a necessary part of planning for that future, the larger issue is to develop a force culture that can innovate much faster than the enemies it may face, giving commanders not just technology, but multiple options that bridge simple access to weapons systems, whether automated or not. In an unknown world, I dont know what problems Im going to have, Perkins said. That requires a completely different kind of organization than weve had in the past, he added. He said this level of innovative thinking is fundamentally reshaping the military, right down to redesigning basic training and rethinking how robotic systems fit into the force structure. Current thinking, according to Perkins, sees UAV-type technology at three levels of development: first as a tool, second as partner to the military people who will use such systems and last, in the longer term, as fully autonomous systems capable of machine learning. Still, he said, the Armys prime goal is not autonomous technology, but leadership development. For the foreseeable future, soldiers wont be replaced by robotic systems, but enhanced by them. This, he said, is reflective of an underlying culture that emphasizes constant innovation that doesnt always mean new technology or high-dollar weapons systems. A Boeing B747-400 that has been converted to an aerial firefighting tanker is ready to enter service, Global SuperTanker Services has announced. The airplane, christened Spirit of John Muir, will be based in Colorado Springs, Colorado. From there, it can be deployed at speeds up to 600 mph to reach wildfires almost anywhere in the continental U.S. within 4.5 hours, or anywhere worldwide within 20 hours. It can deliver nearly 20,000 gallons of water or fire retardant per flight, almost twice the capacity of the next-biggest tanker. The airplane is operated by Global SuperTanker, which is owned by Cyterna Air. The airplanes firefighting gear is the same system that was used by Evergreen International, which operated a smaller 747-100 in its fleet from about 2009 to 2013, when the company declared bankruptcy. Two separate, but identical,constant-flow pressurized systems allow for continuous discharge or up to eight separate drops.The system can deploy retardant, gel, foam, water, or the combination of any two of those agents. Ground servicing for the next sortie can be completed in 35 minutes or less. The cabin is configuredwith 14 first-class seats and two bunks forsupport staff and flight crew. The John Muir will perform a flyby in front of invited guests, press and government officials on Thursday, in Colorado Springs. This video was posted by the company today. The Weekender sees spring fever picking up all over on SocialFlight with airshows, fly-outs and airports opening up for the flying season. Fort Lauderdales 2016 Ford Lauderdale Air Show, running Saturday and Sunday, will feature the Navy F-18 Hornet, U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds, Canadian Air Force Snowbirds and the first civilian airshow performance of the F-35 Lightning II. Across the country, the Green River Chapter of the Washington Pilots Association will hold its Annual Work Party on Saturday to open the Ranger Creek airstrip for summer. Work starts at 10 a.m. followed by a chili feed at noon. Help pitch in and enjoy the scenic foothills of Mt. Rainier. Also Saturday, the Mandan Aero Center in North Dakota welcomes all pilots to join this years Aviation Poker Run to three different airports, heading back to Mandan Municipal Airport by noon. There will be three community cards and the one with the best five-card hand will win the grand prize. Join fellow pilots for a day of flying, more prize giveaways and lunch. In Illinois on Saturday, the Quincy University Aviation Club will host an all-you-can-eat pancake and sausage breakfast. Head for the Great River Aviation hangar at the Quincy Regional Airport. Aircraft rides will also be available. Proceeds will benefit the QU Aviation Club. For more details on this weekends events, visit SocialFlight. 4 May 2016 10:20 (UTC+04:00) Azerbaijani serviceman Amrah Yuzbekov was killed as a result of shootout on the line of contact between the troops of Azerbaijan and Armenia on May 3, Azerbaijan's Defense Ministry reported. The ministry has extended condolences to the family and friends of the killed soldier. Armenia's criminal military and political leadership bears the responsibility for the incidents on the line of contact, the ministry stressed. Azerbaijan and Armenia have been locked in conflict for over two decades. Armenia occupied over 20 percent of Azerbaijan's internationally recognized territory, including Nagorno-Karabakh and seven adjacent regions, after laying territorial claims against its South Caucasus neighbor that sparked a lengthy war in the early 1990s. The UN Security Council has adopted four resolutions on Armenian withdrawal, but they have not been enforced to date. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 4 May 2016 12:06 (UTC+04:00) By Gulgiz Dadashova The Armenian parliamentarians have involved the government in their unlawful plans to recognize the separatist regime of Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan. Two Armenian MPs proposed the country's government to recognize the "independence" of the occupied Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan in defiance of the international law. This move of Yerevan to resort political provocations in addition to its bloody armed provocations on the frontline with Azerbaijan to breach the peace process and hamper resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict was met with strict reaction in Azerbaijan. Baku immediately called on the international community to adequately respond to Armenian provocations. Armenia`s recognizing the separatist regime in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan means an end of the Minsk Group Process and the Minsk Group will have no mandate for any negotiations, Hikmat Hajiyev, Spokesperson for Azerbaijan's Foreign Ministry, said while commenting on the news. This is the example of extreme insult and arbitrariness against the Minsk Group Process, its co-chairs and the entire international community, Hajiyev added, urging the international community to react to Armenias steps. Armenia and Azerbaijan fought a lengthy war that ended with the signing of a fragile ceasefire in 1994. More than 20,000 Azerbaijanis were killed and over 1 million were displaced as a result of the large-scale hostilities. Since the war, Armenian armed forces have occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan's territory, including Nagorno-Karabakh and seven surrounding regions. The OSCE Minsk Group acted as the only mediator in resolution of the conflict, proceeding talks based on the renewed Madrid principles. Yerevan has staged sabotages every time when there was certain progress in the negotiations. It is not accidental that the call to recognize the so-called NKR coincides the time when the international community, in particular, the countries involved in the settlement of the long-lasting conflict have intensified their efforts for solving the problem. By this way Yerevan in fact demonstrates its intention to continue the illegal occupation of Azerbaijani lands, unwillingness to achieve progress in the peace process and firm desire to disrupt the negotiations. Novruz Mammadov, deputy head of the Azerbaijani presidential administration, chief of the administration's foreign relations department, is sure that this proposal by Armenian MPs is continuation of the provocations staged in early April. They knew that they would receive a response. And their main goal was to use this as a pretext to spoil the negotiation process and perpetuate the status-quo, he told Azertac. "The Armenian side has once again proved that the international law, the UN Security Council resolutions and the negotiation process are of no value to them. Armenia's recognition of the separatist Nagorno-Karabakh would mean a violation of all principles of international law, including the UN Security Council resolutions and documents adopted by the PACE, Council of Europe and nullifying of peace proposals of the OSCE Minsk Group. The OSCE Minsk Group, representing the U.S., Russia and France, need to express their opinion on this issue, believes Polad Bulbuloglu, Bakus ambassador to Moscow. In case Armenia makes such irresponsible decision and recognizes the separatist regime, all the responsibility for this decision and its negative consequences will lay on the parliamentarians and the leadership of Armenia, he said. The ambassador reminded that Baku is ready for peace talks, despite the fact that Armenia continues attacking civilians. Azerbaijans leadership has repeatedly announced that it seeks peaceful settlement of the conflict, but it does not mean that the negotiations are the only way to settle the problem. Baku, which has suffered from Yerevan's aggressive policy for more than two decades, has repeatedly stated that the presence of the Armenian Armed Forces in the occupied territories is a major obstacle to the settlement of the conflict and threat to the regional stability. Regularly staging provocative actions, violating the ceasefire by shelling towns and villages in Azerbaijan, along the line of contact between Armenian and Azerbaijani armed forces and the border between the two countries, Armenia aims to freeze the situation and prevent any progress in the negotiation process. Armenian authorities, without thinking on the consequences of such an irresponsible act as recognizing the separatist regime, are in fact preparing grounds for the explosion of political situation and the complete disruption of a peaceful settlement. Armenia well understands that it will have to withdraw from the occupied territories of Azerbaijan for the solution of the conflict based on the UN Security Council resolutions. Deputy Foreign Minister Shavarsh Kocharyan, talking to local media, refused that the government of Armenia is planning to approve the draft law on the recognition of the so called Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, saying that the government will only assess the proposal. Based on this assessment, the recognition will depend on further development of the situation, he said. For now prudence seems prevailing over selfish goals of Armenian politicians. Regardless of the results of discussions, such a provocative step is a gross violation of the norms and principles of international law -- Yerevan attempts to grab the internationally recognized territories of Azerbaijan and to hinder a peaceful resolution of the conflict. -- Follow Gulgiz Dadashova on Twitter: @GulgizD Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 4 May 2016 12:22 (UTC+04:00) Qatars TV "Al Jazeera" has aired a report on the damage caused to the Azerbaijani civilians as a result of the Armenian artillery attacks, Azertac reports. The report prepared by TV channel from the frontline begins with the words: "These frames don't reflect completely the scale of destructions as a result of regular firing of the Mahrizli village of the occupied Agdam region of Azerbaijan by the Armenian aggressors with use of heavy arms. And it is not the only place which was targeted to large-scale bombing by the Armenian armed forces. Many other villages along the front line and the Armenian-Azerbaijani border have also undergone similar attacks. These settlements in the last days of the last month have repeatedly undergone intensive fire by the Armenian armed units". The reporters emphasize that the Armenian armed forces daily more than 100 times break the ceasefire on various directions of the front, and also along the border. At the same time, they use mortars, guns and other heavy weapon. These intensive firings lead to uncountable destructions in the settlements located near the front line and also to death and wound of considerable number of civilians. The wounded are brought to the medical aid stations located nearby. According to official news, after the last bombing by the Armenian armed forces hundreds of houses and civil objects have been destroyed or have come to an unsuitable state. The extensive damage has been caused to local infrastructure and farms of the population. The reporters stress that as a result of the Armenia-Azerbaijan, Nagorno-Karabakh conflict more than one million Azerbaijanis have been ousted from their native lands. The UN Security Council has adopted in this regard 4 resolutions demanding immediate and unconditional withdrawal of the Armenian armed forces from the occupied Azerbaijani territories. However, Armenia still ignores these resolutions. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz Foreign Ministry Spokesman Hossein Jaberi Ansari underlined Iran's resolve to broaden relations with other countries, IRNA reported. 'The optimization and expansion of relations with the world countries is priority of Iran's foreign diplomacy,' Jaberi Ansari said on Tuesday, addressing a press conference in the Northeastern city of Tabriz. He pointed to the status quo of Iran-Azerbaijan relations, and said, 'Tehran is looking for the expansion of relations with Baku like other world countries.' Jaberi Ansari pointed to foreign ministry's facilities in issuance of visas for all foreign countries except for some few states, and said, 'The Islamic Republic of Iran is also following up this policy towards the Republic of Azerbaijan.' --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 4 May 2016 10:55 (UTC+04:00) Azerbaijan`s Ambassador to UAE Dashgin Shikarov has met Economy Minister of the United Arab Emirates Sultan bin Saeed Al Mansoori, Azertac reports. During the meeting Shikarov spoke about political and economic relations between the two countries, in particular the favorable relations established between the two governments. The Ambassador highlighted the visit of Prime Minister Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum to the country, stressing the new opportunities opened for boosting cooperation in the economic, trade and investment fields. The diplomat also underlined the country`s economic achievements, as well as steps taken in the field of development of non-oil sector and diversification of the export. Shikarov touched upon the socio-cultural projects carried out under the auspices of president of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation Mehriban Aliyeva across the world. He spoke about bilateral relations in the inter-governmental level. Sultan bin Saeed Al Mansoori, in turn, said his country attached great importance to the development of relations with Azerbaijan. The parties reaffirmed that reciprocal visits contributed to boosting ties between the two countries. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 4 May 2016 11:02 (UTC+04:00) The government of Armenia on its session May 5, 2016, intends to consider the so-called bill "on recognition of independence of Nagorno-Karabakh", according to media reports, Hikmat Hajiyev, spokesman for the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry, told Trend May 4. "Regardless of the results of discussions, it is clear that by such a provocative step Armenia once again grossly violates the norms and principles of international law, the UN Security Council resolutions adopted in 1993, as well as relevant documents and decisions on the conflict accepted by other international organizations," said Hajiyev. "In its resolutions, the UN Security Council unambiguously reaffirmed that Nagorno-Karabakh is an inseparable part of Azerbaijan and demanded the immediate, complete and unconditional withdrawal of the occupation forces from all the occupied territories of the country," he said. He also noted that by regularly undertaking provocative actions, including ceasefire violations, shelling Azerbaijan's towns and villages located along the contact line between the country's and Armenian armed forces and the border between the two countries, Armenia aims to 'freeze' the situation and prevent achieving any progress in the negotiation process. "Without considering the consequences of its irresponsible actions, the Armenian leadership started to prepare for a political explosion of the situation and a complete disruption of the peaceful settlement after getting a crushing response to its military provocations and finally realizing the inability to resist Azerbaijan's growing military power and to continue keeping the status quo any further," he added. "As part of this peaceful settlement Armenia would inevitably have had to withdraw from the occupied territories of Azerbaijan," he said. "By these actions the Armenian leadership is also trying to justify itself for the obvious failure of its policy of aggression and occupation," he said. "In favor of its domestic political ambitions the Armenian leadership is trying to meet the demands of some circles of the Armenian society, adhering to the militant and extremist positions." Hajiyev said that if selfish goals prevail over prudence and this provocation is made, Armenia and its leadership will be fully responsible for the consequences. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 4 May 2016 16:26 (UTC+04:00) Iran recognizes and respects the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Azerbaijan. Irans ambassador to Azerbaijan Mohsen Pak Ayin has reiterated his countrys support to Azerbaijan in an interview with the local press. He emphasized that Iran stands for a solution of Armenia-Azerbaijan, Nagorno-Karabakh conflict within the territorial integrity. Iran is ready to help solution of the conflict, if the two sides apply. Tehran is interested in peace and mutual cooperation in the region, Mohsen Pak Ayin underlined. Long-simmering tensions between Armenia and Azerbaijan flared again on April 2 when the Armenian side began to shell the Azerbaijani positions and settlements along the frontline. To protect civilian population, the Azerbaijani Armed Forces launched counter attacks and repulsed the enemy forces back. On April 5, the two sides agreed on a ceasefire. However, the Armenian forces commit armistice breaches on the frontline almost every day targeting civilians and shelling villages. Since the escalation of the situation on the frontline, both neighboring and world countries have expressed their concerns over the escalation of the tensions. Azerbaijan and Armenia for over two decades have been locked in conflict, which emerged over Armenian territorial claims. Since the 1990s war, Armenian armed forces have occupied over 20 percent of Azerbaijan's internationally recognized territory, including Nagorno-Karabakh and seven adjacent regions. The UN Security Council has adopted four resolutions on Armenian withdrawal, but they have not been enforced to this day. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 4 May 2016 15:20 (UTC+04:00) Armenias talks on a draft law on recognition of the occupation regime in Nagorno-Karabakh are a show called a "democratic process". Spokesman for Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry, Hikmet Hajiyev made the remark while commenting on a statement made by Vladimir Hakobyan, spokesperson for the Armenian president. "The contradictory statements of the Armenian president, foreign minister, his deputies, defense minister and other officials of that country, have become a tradition and the remark made by the Armenian president's spokesperson is another inadequate statement," Hajiyev told Trend. "That person, trying to preach about democracy, says that in case of recognition of the occupation regime in Nagorno-Karabakh, everyone will first hear that from the Armenian president. On the other hand, talking about the "democratic expression of people's will", Vladimir Hakobyan denies himself. "His words suggest that the Armenian leadership is turning a blind eye to "democratic expression of the will of the Armenian people"," said Hajiyev. He went on to add that the Armenian leadership, ignoring the results of its irresponsible actions, is trying to disrupt the process of a political solution to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. "It is evident that the Armenian leadership doesn't realize its actions. Assertions about the existence of democracy in Armenia can be perceived as a bad joke, he said. Two Armenian MPs proposed the country's government to recognize the "independence" of the occupied Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan in defiance of the international law. Hakobyan, commenting on the proposal, said that in case of the official recognition, everyone will learn about that first from the president of Armenia. The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts. The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 4 May 2016 18:17 (UTC+04:00) By Laman Ismayilova A branch of Baku International Multiculturalism Centre (BIMC) has been opened in Israel, Trend reports. BIMC Executive Director Azad Mammadov and Head of Israeli NGO "International Projects for the Society Arye Gut signed a memorandum of understanding Under the memorandum, the sides will work together to promote different values such as culture, multiculturalism and tolerance, and ensure successful activity of the Israeli branch of BIMC, representing and protecting the interests of the centre. The Israeli office will organize events to increase the international community's awareness of Azerbaijan's and Israel's history and culture. Azerbaijan, located on the junction of two continents- Europe and Asia, created all necessary conditions for representatives of different nationalities, religions and cultures to exist freely. The International Centre for Multiculturalism was established in Baku in 2014, as a concrete effort to promote the values of multiculturalism. The multiculturalism centers have been also established in the regions of the country, as well as in Germany, Italy, Portugal, Russia, Kazakhstan and other countries. This year, Azerbaijan hosted the 7th Global Forum of the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations. By using the UN tribune, Azerbaijan once again showed its multiculturalism traditions, and urged the world countries to respect tolerance, intercultural and inter-civilization dialogue. Furthermore, Azerbaijan named 2016 the Year of Multiculturalism. The Azerbaijani and Jewish peoples have a long tradition of tolerance and interaction. Estimated 9,000 Jews in the country are "fully part" of Azerbaijani society. Israel recognized the independence of the Republic of Azerbaijan very shortly after the official dissolution of the Soviet Union. Diplomatic relations between Azerbaijan and Israel were established in April 1992. The strategic relationship included cooperation in trade and security matters, cultural and educational exchanges Azerbaijan and Israel are focusing on many areas, and the four areas that relevant are telecommunications, agriculture, water supply and medical technologies. --- Laman Ismayilova is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Lam_Ismayilova Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 4 May 2016 16:51 (UTC+04:00) The tension on the frontline will continue, regardless of whether we want it or not, until the liberation of Azerbaijani lands occupied by Armenia, withdrawal of Armenian occupation troops from those lands and reaching a peace agreement. Azerbaijani President's Aide for Public and Political Affairs Ali Hasanov made the remark while talking to media on May 4, Region TV channel reported. The recent shelling of civilians showed Armenia's destructive position in the talks on resolving the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, said the top official, adding that it is also shown on the line of contact. Armenia has occupied 20 percent of the Azerbaijani territory in the early 1990s. As an outcome of the war, more than one million of people have been subjected to the ethnic cleansing by Armenia. The occupation of the territory of the sovereign State with its internationally recognized boundaries has been left out of due attention of the international community for years which resulted in the renewal of hostilities in early April. The renewed hostilities, which are regarded as the worst since the ceasefire deal signed in 1994, ended on April 5. Although both sides agreed to cease the operations on the frontline, Armenia still continues its provocations on the frontline and targets Azerbaijani civilians living in the villages adjacent to the frontline zone. Baku, which has been and remains committed to the peaceful negotiated solution to the conflict, had repeatedly stated that the presence of the Armenian Armed Forces in the occupied territories is a major obstacle to the settlement of the conflict and threat to the regional stability. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 4 May 2016 17:09 (UTC+04:00) Speaker of the Latvian parliament (Saeima) Inara Murniece will visit Azerbaijan this year. Latvia's Ambassador to Azerbaijan Yuris Maklakovs announced about this while talking to Trend o May 4. During the Baku visit, the speaker will hold a number of high-level meetings, during which the sides will discuss possibilities of expanding bilateral relations. Maklakovs added that Riga's Mayor Nils Usakovs is also expected to visit Baku. Both visits are planned for autumn of 2016. The envoy also noted that the parties are preparing for the Latvia-Azerbaijan business forum, which is to be held in September in Baku. Azerbaijan-Latvia relations are developing yearly and reciprocal visits play huge role in taking bilateral relations forward. The two countries have so far signed over 30 documents. The trade turnover between Azerbaijan and Latvia totaled $2.04 million in the first quarter of 2016, which is by 5.9 percent more than in the same period of 2015, according to Azerbaijan's State Customs Committee. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 4 May 2016 17:40 (UTC+04:00) Azerbaijan has once again stated that it stands for peaceful resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, stressing that it will not make concessions on its territorial integrity. Azerbaijan's Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov, addressing the meeting of Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the Visegrad Group and of the Eastern Partnership countries in Prague, emphasized that the presence of Armenian armed forces in Azerbaijan's occupied Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding regions is the main reason of instability and frequent armed clashes on the line of contact. "Armenia continues to ignore the calls of the international community for changing the status quo in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict," said the minister, adding that the provocative actions of Armenian armed forces on the line of contact in early April led to an unprecedented escalation of the situation in the conflict's history. Mammadyarov said that Azerbaijan is interested in the continuation of the negotiation process, noting that the "Road Map" of peace and stability is clear and is based on the international law. "Like the Visegrad Group and Eastern Partnership countries, Azerbaijan will not make concessions on its territorial integrity," said Mammadyarov. "As required by the UN Security Council's resolutions, Armenian armed forces should be unconditionally withdrawn from the occupied territories and the safe return of the IDPs to their homeland should be ensured." Armenia has occupied 20 percent of the Azerbaijani territory in the early 1990s. As an outcome of the war, more than one million of people have been subjected to the ethnic cleansing by Armenia. The occupation of the territory of the sovereign state with its internationally recognized boundaries has been left out of due attention of the international community for years which resulted in the renewal of hostilities in early April. The renewed hostilities, which are regarded as the worst since the ceasefire deal signed in 1994, ended on April 5. Although both sides agreed to cease the operations on the frontline, Armenia still continues its provocations on the frontline and targets Azerbaijani civilians living in the villages adjacent to the frontline zone. Cooperation with European Union Mammadyarov, speaking about Azerbaijans ties with the European Union, underlined that his country is interested in developing dialogue with the EU under the terms of strategic partnership. "The growth in number of the EU partners inspires Azerbaijan to continue cooperation with the organization under the terms of the strategic partnership, said Mammadyarov. Reminding that Azerbaijan has presented to the EU a draft agreement on strategic partnership, he expressed confidence that the agreement will raise bilateral cooperation to a higher level and will play the role of a platform for future EU-Azerbaijan relations. Under the new agreement, it is planned to adjust the Azerbaijani legislation and procedures to EUs most important trade norms and standards, meant to improve the delivery of Azerbaijani goods to the EU markets. Currently, the bilateral relations between the EU and Azerbaijan are regulated on the basis of a partnership and cooperation agreement, which was signed in 1996 and came into force in 1999 --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 4 May 2016 10:38 (UTC+04:00) By Amina Nazarli Azerbaijan will switch to the electronic declaration of goods and transport from May 4. The State Customs Committee reported that the new system will ensure the highest efficiency of the customs system. Registration of goods and vehicles through a system of e-declaration is intended to promote foreign trade, to create a favorable business environment, to ensure transparency of customs services and to simplify customs procedures, the committee said. In accordance with the customs legislation, the applicant is directly responsible for the correctness of the declarations. After the approval of e-declaration by customs authorities, it enters into force and any change in data in the declaration is invalid. The customs authorities will examine any error in the declaration seriously and any customs offense will be submitted to a special investigation. E-service opens opportunity to speed up the registration process, to eliminate various bureaucratic obstacles, and to save time. The new service of customs e-declaration of goods and transport means has been made available. By using this e-service, the citizens can promptly convey imported goods and transport means across the customs borders under the institution of customs mediation, by means of the Asan Imza mobile e-signature. To this end, the declaring person should log in to the E-Government portal using his/her Asan Imza or electron signature, then locate the relevant e-service there and fill in the e-declaration, and finally confirm. So far, this operation had been possible at the customs borders via filling in of a paper declaration and signing of the declaration by hand. The traditional method of declaration of goods involves the use of hard copy, which does not ensure efficiency. -- Amina Nazarli is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @amina_nazarli Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 4 May 2016 16:03 (UTC+04:00) By Amina Nazarli The opening ceremony of the "Ganja European Youth Capital" project was held at the Heydar Aliyev Center on May 4. Azerbaijani President's Aide for Public and Political Affairs Ali Hasanov, heads of central executive bodies, representatives of the European Youth Forum, members of the Network of European Youth Capitals, as well as the representatives of international organizations attended the event. Youth and Sport Minister Azad Rahimov, addressing the event, underlined significance of choosing Ganja as the youth capital of Europe for the city and youth. After the event, opening of the House of Youth was held. The four-storey House of Youth, built in the Heydar Aliyev Park in Ganja has been equipped with a conference room, gyms and rooms for various circles. All conditions have been created there for the effective organization of the leisure time of the youth. May 5 will see the meeting of the Network of the European Youth Capitals. Thy meeting will be addressed by the chief executive of the city of Ganja, the chairman of Public Association "Ganja European Youth Capital -2016", the Secretary General of the Network of the European Youth Capitals, and also representatives of the cities which were in previous years "The European Youth Capitals of Europe". Afterwards, the Heydar Aliyev Center will see presentation of women programs. The European Youth Capitals project was launched by the European Youth Forum in 2009. The project aims to develop international cooperation of the local and foreign youth organizations, and also exchange of experience among national youth organizations of the countries whose cities were elected the European Youth Capitals. The European Youth Capital is a title awarded to a European city for the period of one year, during which it is given the chance to showcase, through a multi-faceted program, its youth-related cultural, social, political and economic life and development. The initiative encourages cities to both continue and expand the implementation of new ideas and the innovative projects with regard to the active participation of young people in society, and seeks to present a role model for further development of youth policies in other European municipalities. Locating some 375 km away from Baku, Ganja is differ from its ancient architectural monuments. The northeastern foot of the Lesser Caucasus Mountains is a picturesque place which has attracted many people across the centuries. This made the history of the region profound and captivating. Ganja is significant to the politico-economic and cultural life of the country since the earliest of times. The region is famous for its nature, namely Goygol Lake and reserve. A large mountain lake surrounded by the mountains of the Lesser Caucasus was formed at a result of a devastating earthquake that destroyed the mountain Kapaz in the 12th century. -- Amina Nazarli is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @amina_nazarli Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 4 May 2016 17:57 (UTC+04:00) By Laman Ismayilova Azerbaijani model Oksana Rizayeva will participate in international Beauty Contest "Miss Eurasia 2016", Trend life reports. Oksana received the invitation to participate in the beauty contest from project managers in Moscow. They first saw her at the contest in Latvia, where she entered the top three. Beauty Contest Miss Eurasia 2016 will be held in the Turkish city of Belek on May 21. 40 beauties will fight for the title of the winner in the final of the contest. To bring the victory to Azerbaijans model, you just need to click on the link below www.miss-eurasia.com/start.php and vote for her. Oksana Rizaeva holds the title "Miss Photo Model Azerbaijan-2012", the second Vice-miss "Miss Top of The World-2013" in Latvia. She also represented Azerbaijan at "Miss Globe International 2014" and many other international competitions. --- Laman Ismayilova is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Lam_Ismayilova Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 4 May 2016 12:26 (UTC+04:00) By Fatma Babayeva The oversupply of oil in the global market will continue in the near future thus leaving grounds for forecasts on further decrease in crude prices. The European Commission predicts the oil prices to slowdown in 2016-2017. Oil prices will most likely remain low rather than high against the background of high-volume overproduction in the market, Robert Cutler, senior researcher at Carleton University and a consultant for the international energy said to Trend news agency on May 3. Cutler said it is hard to imagine that the balance in the global oil market will be fully restored by the end of the current year. Oil prices may fluctuate and grow which has been the case after the Doha meeting of oil producers, he stressed. However, there are many factors causing the oil supply overhang in the market, he stressed by adding particular role of the U.S. in this regard. Shale industry of the U.S. continues to improve its technologies and cost-efficiency in a way that will make greater production possible at low prices, said Cutler by emphasizing that it will support low oil prices in its turn, even if the signs of balance recovery appear in the market. In addition, analysts of the U.K. economic research and consulting company Capital Economics also said in its recent report that the surge in the U.S. shale production may delay the rebalancing of the world oil market. The company report further added that a premature rebound in prices could cause U.S. shale production to ramp up again which will delay the rebalancing in the market in its turn. The analysts of Capital Economics expect to see some temporary pull-backs in oil prices over the remainder of the year before the recovery resumes in 2017. At present, an increase is being observed in oil prices on May 3 against the background of an increase in OPECs oil production. The price for the July futures of the North Sea Brent crude increased by 0.94 percent to $46.26 per barrel, while the price for the June futures of the WTI oil rose by 1.03 percent to $45.24 per barrel on May 3. OPECs oil production increased by 170,000 barrels to 32.64 million barrels per day in April compared to March, according to the data obtained by the Reuters. Nevertheless, the quota on oil output officially set by the cartel amounts to 30 million barrels per day. The price of OPECs oil basket stood at $42.47 per barrel on May 2. Earlier, the last meeting of oil producing countries that held in Doha on April 17 ended without any agreement on freezing of oil production at the level of January 2016. Mainly, Iran and Libya were blamed for the failure of the meeting which they they decided not to attend. It is worth mentioning that the next meeting of OPEC member-countries is due in June 2016. Cutler thinks it is unlikely that an agreement on freezing oil production will be reached in the near future. He believes that the main obstacle will again be Iran who refused to take part in freezing oil production in the previous meeting. In addition, Spencer Welch, director of IHS downstream energy consulting company also said that he did not believe that the next meeting of OPEC to have fruitful results either. Meanwhile, the oil market will begin to balance itself during the second half of this year. Iran will still try to increase oil production and therefore is not going to agree to freeze its output. Furthermore, Saudi Arabia is unlikely to agree to freeze its production without Iran. Recently, the European Commission also revealed its forecasts for the oil prices. According to the spring report of the commission, the Brent average price will further fall this year to $41.1 per barrel in 2016 compared to $53.4 per barrel in 2015. The EC forecasts average oil price to be $45.9 per barrel in 2017. Output losses in some OPEC members were only partly offset by rising Iranian production, the report read. The EC believes that the negative impact of the Doha meeting on prices was outweighed by supply outages in Kuwait, Nigeria and Venezuela. High levels of oil stocks and concerns over economic growth in emerging markets are likely to keep a cap on price pressures, the report added. --- Fatma Babayeva is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Fatma_Babayeva Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 4 May 2016 13:52 (UTC+04:00) By Fatma Babayeva An increase which has been observed in the global oil prices since the failure of the top oil producers Doha meeting shows that Irans stance in freezing oil output does not have a key role for oil prices any more. Valentyn Zemlyansky, the director of the energy programs at the Center of World Economy and International Relations under the Ukrainian National Academy of Sciences, made a statement for Trend on May 3. Zemlyansky believes that the next meeting of OPEC which will be held in June is not going to bring significant results either. However, he expects the oil prices to get stabilized. He thinks oil prices may stand at $60 per barrel by late 2016. Of course, as a global commodity, oil price is not affected by only one factor or one player. Production volumes of oil by the U.S shale industry, the outages in production levels of OPECs member countries happening from time to time, the economic growth- particularly in Asia, balance of supply and demand and other factors impact the prices of the oil. The major oil producers gathered in Doha on April 17 to reach an agreement on curbing production level of the oil at the level of January-February 2016. However, the failure was inevitable as Iran and Libya refused to attend the meeting and join oil freezing act. In addition, the next meeting of the cartel which is scheduled for June 2016 is also expected to end without any success in finding a solution to balance the oversupplied global oil market. Irans participation in the next meeting is unlikely to happen as well. Many experts believe that freezing the oil production is not a solution but rather a cut is needed in production levels. Nevertheless, it is not the case as none of the oil producers want to lose their market share, especially Saudi Arabia who said previously that would not put a cap on its oil output if Iran did not agree to do so. In its turn, Iran wants to restore export volumes of oil at pre-sanctions levels, and freezing production at the levels of early 2016 does not fit the countrys interests. Today, maybe, Iran cannot influence the oil prices. In order to return to the previous production volumes of oil, Iran needs to have necessary infrastructure to export its hydrocarbon resources to the global market which will take several years for sure. The market is expected to clear itself by the end of 2016 and early 2017. However, prices will not surge to its record highs around $140 per barrel that experienced during 2014 in the near future. In accordance with the latest statistics, the cost for Light crude stood at $43.75 per barrel in NYMEX while Brent amounted to $45.02 per barrel in London ICE on May 4. In addition, a barrel of Azeri Light crude cost $45.81 at the given date. --- Fatma Babayeva is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Fatma_Babayeva Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 4 May 2016 11:54 (UTC+04:00) Iran and Germany joined in Tehran in an economic forum today to discuss the ways and means of boosting ties and sign several cooperation documents, but the event at some point turned into a political repartee between officials from the two sides. The dispute erupted when Uwe Beckmeyer, parliamentary state secretary at the German Federal Ministry of Economic Affairs and Energy, who was leading the German delegation, said Germany's long-term economic cooperation with Iran rests upon the "precondition" that Iran recognizes and acts in a friendly way toward Israel, Trend correspondent reported from the German-Iranian Business Forum held at the Iranian Ministry of Economy headquarters in Tehran's Grand Bazaar May 3. "The Palestinian right to authority is nonetheless needed to be recognized," Beckmeyer observed, but went on to list a number of topics that he believed Iran needs to take care of if it eyes long cooperation with the European country. "Human rights, juristic laws, the rights of minorities, and eliminating death sentences are areas in which you need to take serious and effective steps," the German official said. A few minutes later, Iranian Ambassador to Berlin Ali Majedi speaking from the same podium made strong objection to the statements, calling for attention to a broader scope of affairs. "If you are worried about human rights, you should pay attention to the many people in this region who are losing their lives because of terrorist acts.... If you are worried about security, the roots of insecurity lie in economic and cultural poverty. The security of many countries is at stake today. One cannot ignore one country and take another's side.... If Europe is looking for a solution to the refugee crisis, development and stability and security are needed. Improving life standards is needed in order to fight terrorism effectively. A regional center for production is needed where big international companies can come to and serve both that country's market as well as the regional market. If you know of any better place than Iran for that, show it to us.... We want development for the entire region," Majedi said. "I thank Germany for its brilliant cooperation in the past. Germany has almost always been our first or second economic partner. I hope there is not a solely economic view in taking such measures as this, but rather a developmental outlook underlies them," he added. But things did not happen only during the forum. A day before the event, there already existed in Iran speculations about a relation between Israel and the German delegation's trip to Iran. The Iranian state-run TV in a news program on Monday raised the question if the reason why Sigmar Gabriel, the minister for economic affairs and energy as well as vice chancellor of Germany, cancelled his trip to Iran due to "Zionist lobbyism" rather than illness. Initially, the German economic delegation had been scheduled to be headed to Iran by Gabriel, but later it was announced that he had a health issue and could not accompany the team. Speaking on the sidelines of the forum, the Iranian ambassador expressed great surprise over Beckmeyer's statements, saying the German official had better raised the issue during a private meeting in the afternoon. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 4 May 2016 15:18 (UTC+04:00) By Fatma Babayeva All participant countries of Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India pipeline are keen to see the project to come true, but the current situation makes it unlikely. The statement was made Michael Kugelman, senior program associate for South and Southeast Asia at the Woodrow Wilson International Center in Washington. It is hard to imagine the construction of the pipeline through Afghanistan due to security issues, Kugelman told to Trend news agency. Many parts of Afghanistan have become completely inaccessible. Thus, it is not wise to invest capital, labor and machinery for an extended period of time, he added. Kugelman further stated that Afghanistan and Pakistan have an urgent need and a strong interest in constructing their sections because of energy security issue as soon as possible. However, the current situation of the security in Afghanistan makes the construction of the pipeline improbable. TAPI pipeline will transport Turkmen gas from Galkynysh - the largest field of the country to the large and promising markets in South and Southeast Asia via Afghan cities of Herat and Kandahar to Fazilka settlement near the India-Pakistan border. The estimated cost of the TAPI project will exceed $10 billion. It will have the capacity of 33 billion cubic meters and its total length will be 1,814 kilometers- 214 kilometers will pass through Turkmenistan, 774 kilometers through Afghanistan and 826 kilometers through Pakistan. The construction of the pipeline is expected to be finalized in three years. Turkmenistan began building Turkmen section of the TAPI in December 2015, and it is not determined yet when Afghanistan and Pakistan will commence constructing their sections of the pipeline. Kugelman also reminded that Pakistan signed a huge infrastructure deal worth of $46 billion with China in April 2015, which also includes financing the construction of the Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline known as Peace pipeline. Thus, Pakistans incentive to construct its section of the TAPI pipeline is not as strong as it was before signing the investment deal with China last year. Recently, Turkmenistan invited Qatar and Saudi Arabia to support the implementation of the TAPI pipeline. Nevertheless, Kugelman believes that both Saudi Arabia and Qatars participation in the construction of the TAPI pipeline is also unlikely as those countries also currently suffer from low oil prices in the global market. Thus, they will act very cautiously and strategically in directing their investments. Kugelman thinks that these countries would be interested in deploying their capital to less risky ventures. They can't afford to lose more financial means, and TAPI project does not amount to a winning bet right now. The implementation of the TAPI pipeline will help Turkmenistan to diversify its gas export routes and contribute to the economic growth of the country as well and overall, enhance energy security in the region. In addition, many see the construction of TAPI as an opportunity to pave the way for restoring political and social stability and peace in Afghanistan that could contribute to the rehabilitation of the war-torn country. Turkmenistan believes that the Afghan side will take all necessary measures to ensure the safety while laying the TAPI pipeline. --- Fatma Babayeva is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Fatma_Babayeva Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 4 May 2016 16:00 (UTC+04:00) The Culture and Tourism Minister of Turkey has officially opened the worlds biggest international Halal Tourism Conference. Hundreds of delegates from over 30 countries attended the opening day of the Halal Tourism Conference 2016 in Konya, Turkey which brought together some of the worlds leading names in the travel industry. Turkish Minister Mahir Unal officially opened the two-day conference themed Developing Halal Tourism Industries which aims to shape the future of a sector currently worth $150 billion. The event featured a number of high profile guests from across the globe including Dr Bandar Fahad al Fehaid, delegation of Arab Tourism Organization of the Arab League, Irfan Onal, Director General of Ministry of Tourism Turkey, Tahir Akyurek, Mayor of Konya and Muammer Erol, Governor of Konya. The opening day, held at the Dedeman Convention Centre, featured a number of keynote speeches on topics such as Technology and its benefits to the Halal Tourism and The Muslim Traveller Needs alongside panel discussions and workshops. We are delighted to host this conference on this historic day, Unal said addressing the event. As a Minister of Tourism I will continue to support this kind of tourism and our aim as a tourism destination is targeting 50 million tourists into the country. We would like to thank the delegates who have come to this event and how we can all grow together. Dr. Bandar Fahad al Fehaid, Delegation of Arab Tourism Organization of the Arab League, said: We are delighted to be part of a global conference and representing the Middle East. An event like this is very important and how we can unite the world through tourism. Alongside the conference, there is also a three-day exhibition featuring businesses from across the world. Delegates from over 30 countries with over 110 buyers are attending the conference including UAE, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Croatia, Singapore, UK, USA, Malaysia, Indonesia, South Africa, Kuwait and Qatar including tourism boards, travel agencies, tour operators, hotels and airlines. This years event will also feature from Hajj and Umrah providers, financial institutions and food and drink businesses. It is the second time this tourism showpiece is being held in Europe following the success of the inaugural event in Andalucia, Spain. A recent study has revealed that in 2015 the estimated total Muslim visitor arrivals were 117 million representing close to 10% of the entire travel economy. This is forecasted to grow to 168 million visitors by 2020 and 11% of the market segment with a market value projected to exceed $200 billion. Organiser Bilal Domah, from CM Media based in UK, said: We would like to thank Mahir Unal, Minister of Culture and Tourism of Turkey for opening the event. Halal tourism is one of the biggest sectors in the world and we are delighted with the fantastic turnout including our VIPs, high profile delegates and quality speakers. We are looking forward to a very insightful two days which is certain to shape the ongoing agenda of the fast-growing Halal travel industry. Guest speakers at the event include Fazal Bahardeen, CEO of Crescentrating & HalalTrip, Zulkifly Md. Said, Director General of Islamic Tourism Centre, Riyanto Sofyan Chairman of the team for Accelerated Development of Halal Tourism, Indonesia, Irfan Onal, Director General, Ministry Of Culture and Tourism Promotion, Dr Khalid Al Rasheed, Arab Tourism Union, Rafi-Uddin Shikoh, CEO of Dinar Standard and Tariq Mahmood, Director and Founder of Andalucian Routes. Topics and workshops to be discussed over the two days include Halal Tourism & Technology, Opportunities and trends within Muslim women and young travel market, The market opportunity for European destinations, How to meet the demands of the 21st Century Muslim traveller and Integrating travel and technology to deliver the ultimate Halal Friendly travel experience. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 4 May 2016 16:17 (UTC+04:00) If necessary, Turkey may launch a ground military operation in Syria by itself, Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu told the Al Jazeera TV channel. He noted that over the recent months, Turkey's territory has been regularly subjected to shelling from Syria's territories controlled by the militants of the "Islamic State" (IS, aka ISIS, ISIL or Daesh) terrorist group. "The activities of terrorist organizations in Syria pose a serious threat to Turkey and the whole world," said Davutoglu. Turkey is the only country which actively fights the IS militants, added the prime minister. Turkey's Kilis and Hatay provinces were repeatedly subjected to missile attacks from Syria in April, after which Turkish armed forces began to strike back on the IS positions. Syria has been suffering from an armed conflict since March 2011, which, according to the UN, has so far claimed the lives of over 500,000 people. Militants from various armed groups are confronting the Syrian government troops. The "Islamic State" and Jabhat al-Nusra are the most active terrorist groups in Syria. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 3.0 ( - - ): editor [at] bahrainmirror.com The biannual Ones To Watch report by data experts Horizons, says Dunkin Donuts is the fastest growing brand. Dunkin Donuts is the fastest growing brand in the UK, according to the new report by Horizons. The company tops the chart of the fastest growing brands by percentage growth rate (2013-2016). Analyst Nicola Knight said: They [US brands] are opening across the UK, on high streets, in affluent market towns and secondary cities, many in converted pub premises, which offer the size, location and parking facilities that suit these all-day diners. American casual dining outlets, whether home-grown or US-based, have also been attracting the attention of investors as well as larger operators, largely because of their rollout potential and scaleability. To qualify for inclusion in Ones To Watch, a restaurant or quick service concept must have between five and 25 outlets and a growth in outlet numbers of at least 20% over the past three years. Fastest growing Ones to Watch brands by percentage growth 1. Dunkin Donuts 2. Bob and Berts 3. Kaspas 4. Pita Pit = Chicken Shop 6. Reds True Barbeque 7. Grillstock Smokehouse = Toros Steakhouse = Palm Sugar = Grind & Co In January, Dunkin Donuts managing director left to join Dominos. Raising a pet requires a lot of financial responsibility. You need to make sure that you can meet your pets every need and, depending on the pet, that can cost a lot of money. According to a breakdown [...] 4 min read Aug 14, 2018 Sept. 15, 2022 Even though some states have decriminalized or legalized marijuana for medical or recreational use, under federal law, Marijuana remains an illegal Schedule I Controlled Substance, with a high potential for abuse and no currently accepted medical use. John Kasich suspended his political campaign Wednesday, officially making Donald Trump the presumptive Republican presidential nominee. John Kasich suspending GOP presidential bid Wednesday Ted Cruz ended campaign less than 24 hours before Solidifies Donald Trump as presumptive Republican nominee The two-time Ohio governor made the suspension official in Columbus, Ohio. "I have always said that the Lord has a purpose for me as he has for everyone," Kasich said. "And as I suspend my campaign today, I have renewed faith, deeper faith, that the Lord will show me the way forward, and fulfill the purpose of my life." Winning just 8 percent of Indiana votes in Tuesday night's Republican primary, Kasich finished a distant third behind Donald Trump (53 percent) and Ted Cruz (37 percent), who dropped out of the race Tuesday night. Kasich had been facing pressure for months to get out of the race but his campaign recently had become an effort to prevent Trump from getting the 1,237 delegates needed to win the party's nomination. On Tuesday night, Kasich's campaign manager, Ben Hansen, said in a fundraising email to supporters: "Sen. Ted Cruz just dropped out of the presidential race and it's up to us to stop Trump and unify our party in time to defeat Hillary Clinton." Kasich's move solidifies Trump's status as the presumptive GOP presidential nominee to take on the Democratic nominee in the general election in November. Kasich had fundraisers scheduled in the Washington, D.C., area Wednesday but canceled them. He may return on the Republican ticket as a possible vice presidential pick due to his popularity in Ohio, a crucial swing state, CNN reported. Information from The Associated Press was used in this report. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate A 51-year-old homeless man arrested late last week in downtown Houston was linked by DNA evidence to the stolen truck of his slain stepfather, who was found stabbed to death in his Vidor home alongside a companion last summer, authorities said. Aaron Kyle Angelo was charged with unauthorized use of a motor vehicle on Friday, nearly nine months after he volunteered DNA samples to homicide investigators when he was picked up for urinating in public, according to an arrest record. Neither Angelo nor anyone else has been charged in the gruesome deaths of Richard "Dick" Ames and Edna Phillips, whose slaying shook Vidor's Maplecrest neighborhood 11 months ago. The long-awaited test results "conclusively" linked Angelo to a truck reported missing in the early stages of the investigation, Vidor Police Chief Dave Shows said. Angelo was booked on the car-theft charge at the Orange County jail, where he remained Tuesday on a $500,000 bond, a clerk said. Obtained Tuesday, the charging document signed by a Texas Ranger on April 8 shines light on an investigation police have been reluctant to publicly discuss as they await DNA testing on items recovered from the crime scene. "We're going to let the evidence that's at the lab, as it is processed and returned to us, lead the investigation," Shows said. Longtime friends Ames, 83, and Phillips, 85, were found dead June 11, 2015, in Ames' Timberlane Street home. They were stabbed a combined 24 times, according to an autopsy report. Shows would not say whether Angelo, who has not yet been indicted on the car-theft charge, is considered a suspect in the suspected double homicide. Angelo's court-appointed attorney could not be reached for comment. Angelo appeared on authorities' radar after one of Ames' family members reported that Angelo, estranged for years from his stepfather, began showing up at the Vidor residence, according to the affidavit. "Defendant showed up unannounced and told Richard Ames he had money and property at the residence," the affidavit stated, referencing an interview with a family member. Ames took Angelo to the bank, obtained money and brought him to a bus station on one occasion, the affidavit stated. Angelo, previously arrested several times on charges of assault, theft and stealing vehicles, had a Houston address, but local police believed he was homeless, the affidavit stated. One of Ames' neighbors reported seeing an unknown man dropped off by taxi at Ames' home one day before the suspected double homicide, according to the affidavit. The neighbor identified the rider as Angelo in a photo lineup, it stated. The taxi driver, who confirmed the route from Houston to Timberlane Drive, did not positively identify Angelo in a photo lineup, the report says. A witness spotted Ames driving his pickup at 8 a.m. the next day and Ames told the person he was going home to rest, the affidavit stated. That night, after police discovered Ames and Phillips had been killed, the truck was reported missing. Nearly two hours before authorities learned of their deaths, the truck was involved in a single-vehicle traffic accident near South Loop Freeway and Texas 288 in Houston, according to the affidavit. Witnesses to the crash told police the truck's driver left the scene on foot before authorities arrived. The truck was towed to a storage facility, where it remained until it was moved to the state's crime lab on June 20, the affidavit says. On Aug. 6, investigators met in Houston to try to find Angelo for an interview, according to the affidavit. They saw him urinating at a public bus stop and contacted police, who arrested Angelo on the misdemeanor charge, the report stated. During an interview, Angelo waived his rights, voluntarily provided his DNA by mouth swabs and agreed to an interview, the affidavit stated. Angelo told detectives he hadn't seen Ames in 22 years, denied ever being in the truck and denied taking it, according to the affidavit. DNA test results that came back April 4 found Angelo's DNA on an armrest and the inside handles on the front and rear driver's side doors, the affidavit stated. Angelo was arrested 18 days after an Orange County judge signed the warrant based on the test results. Shows said police had to wait for flooding in Houston to subside before Angelo returned to "places he normally frequents" in downtown Houston. Asked whether that meant police were keeping tabs on Angelo, Shows said police "had an idea where to go." The vehicle theft charge is a state jail felony, which carries a sentencing range between six months and two years and a maximum fine of $10,000. EBesson@BeaumontEnterprise.com Twitter.com/EricBesson_news A man who was found dead Tuesday night inside a car at a park in west Houston may have been caught in floodwaters when recent rainstorms swamped the region. The man was found about 7 p.m. at Cullen Park in the 18000 block of Groschke near the West Houston Airport, said Lt. Larry Crowson of the Houston Police Department. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate If you're planning on suing Starbucks, get in line. A recent lawsuit claims Starbucks' cold drinks are almost half ice and therefore the coffee chain misrepresents the fluid ounces in their iced drink. The lawsuit was filed last week in Chicago on behalf of Stacy Pincus, a concerned Starbucks customer who felt the coffee shop was misleading all buyers, according to ABCNews. The lawsuit alleges that an iced beverage advertised at 24 ounces contains about 14 ounces of fluid, and that ice isn't a fluid or beverage. Yeah, and the foam doesn't count either. "A Starbucks customer who orders and pays for a cold drink receives much less than advertised often nearly half as many fluid ounces," the lawsuit states, adding that the practice is "by design and corporate practice and procedure." In March, the coffee giant was sued for selling "underfilled" lattes, 25 percent less than what they claim, according to the lawsuit. In the recent plot twist, this current lawsuit notes that iced drinks are priced higher than their hot counterparts (a grande coffee is $2.10 versus a grande iced coffee for $2.65, for example). "Essentially, Starbucks is not only under filling its Cold Drinks compared to how they are advertised, but it is charging a premium price for them as well," the lawsuit states. The lawsuit is seeking $5 million in damages and is asking anyone who has purchased an iced beverage in the last 10 years to come out and speak. "We are aware of the plaintiff's claims, which we fully believe to be without merit," Starbucks spokesperson Jaime Riley told Courthouse News. "Our customers understand and expect that ice is an essential component of any 'iced' beverage. If a customer is not satisfied with their beverage preparation, we will gladly remake it." That's not the only crime the coffee giant has committed. They can't even get names written right. From Simon becoming "Semen" to Jude becoming "Jew," they've gone too far. Keep up the good work, Starbucks! A former civilian employee of the Beaumont Fire Department has sued Chief Anne Huff and the city of Beaumont, contending workplace sexual harassment that the chief denies. "I'm very, very confident. I want the truth to come out," Huff said in a telephone interview from a conference of Texas fire chiefs. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate A Beaumont police officer who killed a 22-year-old suspect in March by shooting him one time in the mouth from a "distant" range has been cleared of wrongdoing, authorities said, though details of the shooting remain sparse. A Jefferson County grand jury declined to charge the officer, a BPD spokesman said. The department has closed its investigation into the shooting, a department attorney wrote last week in a letter to the attorney general. "The case is now a closed criminal investigation which has not resulted in conviction or deferred adjudication," says the letter, which seeks to block The Enterprise from acquiring the dashboard camera video, the full 911 call recording and other records of the incident. Herbert Edgar Ballance IV was killed March 5 when police responded to a trailer park near the corner of South 23rd and College streets after a caller said a car-theft suspect was in the area. More for you Details emerge in Beaumont Police shooting Department spokesman Sgt. Cody Guedry said in March the caller told authorities the suspect was armed. When officers arrived, Ballance exited his home and confronted officers, Guedry said. Ballance, a 5-foot, 5-inch, 141-pound man, was shot one time, according to the full autopsy report. The bullet entered the right side of Ballance's mouth and exited his scalp 6 inches below the top of his head, according to the report. The report does not specify how far away the officer was when the shot was fired other than to classify the estimated range as "distant." A toxicology screening showed the presence of methamphetamine in Ballance's liver tissue, the medical examiner wrote. The full toxicology report was requested from Judge Ransom "Duce" Jones' office last week and again on Tuesday but has not been released. Ballance pleaded guilty on April 30, 2015, to possession of less than one gram of methamphetamine. Ballance received two years of probation, a $500 fine and 120 hours of community service and was ordered by the court to obtain a GED, the equivalency of a high-school diploma, according to court records. Related to the shooting, the Beaumont Police Department missed a deadline to report data from the shooting to the Texas attorney general, a relatively new requirement imposed on departments in the last legislative session. The law gives departments 30 days to submit the report to the attorney general's office, which has 10 days to post it in online. The AG's office has not received a report from the March 5 shooting, a spokesperson said on Tuesday. Guedry said BPD has submitted the report to the attorney general's office. Departments that maintain their own websites are supposed to post them there, as well. It could not be found on BPD's website on Tuesday. The reports are designed to collect data on officer-involved shootings that result in injury or death. They do not require a narrative. Instead, the 13-item questionnaires ask for information like the age, gender and race of the officer and the person shot, as well as date, time and location. It also asks whether the injured or deceased person carried a weapon and what prompted the incident. Police departments do not face a penalty for missing the filing deadline, the AG spokesperson said. EBesson@BeaumontEnterprise.com Twitter.com/EricBesson_news The animal that greeted Neil Griffin as he guided his kayak around a bend in the Guadalupe River looked more at home on a lazy Gulf Coast bayou than a rushing Hill County river. It kind of took my eyes a second to focus, said the 23-year-old Austin resident, who floated the river Sunday with a group of friends. Then he realized what caused the stirring in the reeds along the riverbank. If Texas voters suspect they are being played over Medicaid expansion under Obamacare, it's understandable. For years the Republicans who control state government have insisted they can't compromise on the issue. Except they just did this week for one part of it. Even though that's cynical, it actually offers a ray of hope. It shows that these same state officials could reach a larger compromise on the issue if they tried. In fact, after the November presidential election, they may have to. Barclays wants to sell-off non-core businesses and reduce its stake in Barclays Africa in a bid to bolster its financial performance Banking giant Barclays is selling shares worth 12.2% of Barclays Africa Group as it moves to drive down its stake in the lender. The bank said it is selling 103.6 million shares, with South African state pension fund Public Investment Corporation (SOC) taking up to 10.3 million. It added that it has received interest from "numerous potential investors" since it announced its intent to sell-down its stake in March. Chief executive Jes Staley said the sale is an "important first step" as it looks to reduce its 62% shareholding in the African lender. He added: " As we said at our Q1 results, we continue to explore opportunities to reduce our shareholding, including capital market and strategic options. "Barclays Africa is an important partner and we are working closely with local management, including planning for the operational separation of the two businesses in a way that will preserve value for shareholders in both the Barclays and Barclays Africa groups." Mr Staley is looking to sell-off Barclays' non-core businesses and reduce its stake in Barclays Africa in a bid to bolster its financial performance. He said at the bank's annual general meeting last Thursday that t he decision to sell-down the African business was a ''regret'' but ''necessary''. He added: ''We are faced with a situation where we shoulder 100% of the financial burden - including significantly increased capital and regulatory requirements over the past few years - but where we only receive 62% of the benefits. ''We therefore need to make the hard choice to sell-down our stake, and thereby release the benefits to the wider group, such as freeing up capital and reducing our UK bank levy payments.'' Barclays revealed in its first quarter results last Wednesday that profits tumbled after it was hit by tough trading in its investment banking arm. The group posted first quarter pre-tax profits of 793 million, down from 1.1 billion a year earlier, as underlying profits in its corporate and investment banking business dropped 31%. The Government is "talking intensively" with Tata Steel to ensure the sale of its UK assets is a "serious sales process," David Cameron has said as he acknowledged it was a "very short time table". His comments came as Labour's Stephen Kinnock (Aberavon) raised concerns over the time frame set for the sale and asked what the Government was doing to ensure Tata Steel "delivers on its promise to be a responsible seller". Speaking during PMQs, Mr Kinnock asked : "Tata Steel has indicated that it wishes to complete the sale of its UK assets by the middle of June and that it wants a preferred bidder in place by the end of this month. "Does the Prime Minister really think that that's a realistic time frame and that there'll be a credible process of due diligence, and what steps is the Prime Minister taking to ensure that Tata Steel delivers on its promise to be a responsible seller." Mr Cameron replied: "He is absolutely right about this. The positive news is that the deadline yesterday was met by a number of serious enquiries of interest into buying all of Tata, and that is good news. "Obviously now we need to work intensively with Tata and with those buyers to get that list down to those who are really seriously intending to bid for the business. But he's right, it's a very short time table. "He asks what we're doing. What we're doing is talking intensively with Tata to make sure they do everything they can to make sure this is a serious sales process." The Government has pledged to support any buyer of the business by buying up to a quarter stake, and making hundreds of millions of pounds of finance available. Tata has made it clear it cannot sustain the 1 million-a-day losses indefinitely. Mr Cameron last week visited the Tata Steel works in Port Talbot, South Wales to assure workers, unions and bosses of the Government's commitment to support the future of steel-making at the under-threat plant. The Wood Group announced last week it had won a new 342.5 million contract to provide services to BP in Azerbaijan About 300 jobs are expected to be cut at oil company Wood Group. The Aberdeen-based firm is opening a period of consultation with 1,000 onshore staff due to "cost and efficiency challenges" in the industry. Wood Group said it expects about 300 redundancies in order to " remain competitive both now and in the future". David Kemp, Wood Group's chief financial officer, said: "We are firmly committed to supporting the long-term sustainability of the industry in the North Sea and maximising economic recovery by ensuring we are fit for purpose, flexible and strongly-equipped to deliver efficiently and effectively. "To achieve this, and in response to a natural reduction in workscopes, we are streamlining our structure and our processes to reduce costs, and an inevitable outcome of this is an impact on our employee numbers. "As ever, our commitment is to act compassionately and sensitively, supporting our people through this consultation process and we will make every effort to minimise the impact on them." Wood Group employs about 6,200 people onshore in the UK. In February, the company revealed it cut 8,000 jobs last year as it battled to slash costs amid the global slump in commodity prices. The 20% workforce decline included 2,000 jobs in the UK as well as losses in the US and the Middle East as it made savings of more than 100 million. Last week, the company announced it had won a new 342.5 million contract to provide services to BP in Azerbaijan. Tens of millions of pounds of "dirty" Russian money is being laundered through the UK, MPs have been told. The UK authorities are refusing to investigate evidence of tens of millions of pounds of "dirty" Russian money being laundered through British firms and banks, MPs have been told. Former hedge fund boss Bill Browder said that, over the past five years, he had lodged six complaints with law enforcement agencies relating to 30 million US dollars (20 million) of stolen funds - but in each case they had refused to act. Giving evidence to the Commons Home Affairs Committee, Mr Browder - who became a leading anti-corruption campaigner following the death of his lawyer Sergei Magnitsky in a Russian prison cell in 2009 - said there was a "general political feeling" people did not want to "rock the boat". "Every single time we have filed a complaint, nobody has responded. They have always found excuses not to investigate," he said. Mr Browder said that the money coming into the UK was linked to a 230 million US dollar (160 million) tax refund fraud on his Russian Hermitage fund which Mr Magnitsky had uncovered before his death. But while 11 other countries - including the United States, France and Switzerland - had opened criminal cases into the stolen funds, in the UK the Metropolitan Police, the Serious Fraud Office, the National Crime Agency and its forerunner, the Serious Organised Crime Agency, had all refused to investigate. "I think this country is levitating off the flow of dirty money," he said. "If that money was stopped, I think that certain people would find themselves without businesses and I think those people have some political influence. I can't explain it any other way. "I have been to France, I am working very intimately with the French police, I am working with the Department of Justice, I am working with the Luxembourg police. "I think there is a general political feeling that you don't want to rock the boat. So many people benefit from that dirty money here, it is a politically toxic issue to address. "If there are a lot of businesses that are effectively surviving off the back of this money that wouldn't survive otherwise and they have friends in high places - these people are very close geographically to this House here - they're going to say 'Don't do that'." Mr Browder said that he believed the total sums being laundered through the UK ran into the "hundreds of billions of dollars". "There has been an orgy of spending on luxury goods - properties, yacht charter, couture dresses," he said. Much of the spending had concentrated around Belgravia, Knightsbridge, South Kensington districts of London - while properties had been bought up in the "fanciest parts" of the city including St John's Wood, Hampstead and Chelsea. He added: "If they open up a UK company for example and use then it for money laundering at a UK bank, the next destination will say that money has come from Britain which is a legitimate, normal country. "This is a perfect cover for laundering money because we don't investigate it in this country, we don't prosecute and it appears legitimate." A spokesman for the National Crime Agency said that it treated allegations of money laundering with the "utmost seriousness". "We have received material from Hermitage Capital which is now being actively reviewed. For operational reasons it will not be possible to confirm details of any investigation that may result," the spokesman said. Belfast actor Packy Lee is to play an elevated role in the much-anticipated third series of Peaky Blinders - the post-First World War crime drama television series starring Cillian Murphy. The 34-year-old plays the rough-and-ready traveller honcho Johnny Dogs, best friend of charismatic gang boss Thomas Shelby, whos played by Murphy. Lee landed the role after sending a tape of his performance in the acclaimed Irish drama King of the Travellers to Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight. I thought I was too late for the auditions, but 24 hours after they got my tape, I was on a plane over to England to meet them, says Lee. It really is a dream role for me and, in this series, Johnny Dogs provides a bit of comic relief although he can also be serious. Hes not as violent as the Peaky Blinders, though. A father-of-three Sodhla (8), Seadhna (5) and Dallan (1) Lee has been acting for 20 years and starred in the Oscar-winning short film The Shore (2011) and in Killing Bono (2011). He has relatives in the Travelling community, who have given him positive feedback on his performance in both King of the Travellers and Peaky Blinders. Im from west Belfast Im the only one in the family into acting and Ive spent time with the Travelling community to get into character. I wanted to be 100% authentic for these roles, he says. I would never disrespect them. The accent I have in Peaky Blinders is something I created with the writer and director. I came in with a very strong Traveller accent and they asked me to make it lighter and add a bit of Liverpool, Birmingham and Cork into it. I came up with something thats all forward from the front teeth. I get this wonderful expansion of every word. Over the course of four years of filming Peaky Blinders, Lee has become good friends with its very generous star Cillian Murphy, whom he describes as a pleasure to work with. In the new series, he has also been filming alongside Tom Hardy and Paddy Considine and will appear in the dramatic wedding scene in the first episode tomorrow. And before he dashed off to the red carpet premiere in London last night while his wife Danielle was looking after their three children Lee confirmed the rumours that the late David Bowie was a Peaky fan, who wanted to get involved with the drama. Writer Steven Knight strongly hinted at Bowies potential involvement when he said in a recent interview: Ive had unsolicited communication from Michael Mann, the film director, from (the author) Dennis Lehane, Snoop Dogg hes such a fan. And the late David Bowie was a huge fan more of that to come. Lee says: Yeah, Bowie left a podcast for Cillian to listen to and all these pictures of him wearing Peaky Blinders caps years ago. He wanted to contribute to the show. I mean wow. For something that was such a slow-burner at the start, with very little hype, it has really taken off. But the writings so good, we knew it would. And this series is going to be more nail-biting and international than ever. Im living the dream. I really am. Powerful role: Helen loves starring in Peaky Blinders and hopes rumours of several more series are true Powerful role: Helen loves starring in Peaky Blinders and hopes rumours of several more series are true Like Downton Abbey, Call The Midwife and Sherlock before it, Peaky Blinders has steadily picked up a string of Hollywood fans as the series has progressed. Now back for a third run, the Birmingham-set gangster drama - which follows the much-feared gang led by the ruthless Thomas Shelby (played by Irish-born actor Cillian Murphy) - boasts Ron Howard, Chris Hemsworth, Brad Pitt, Tom Cruise and Julia Roberts as devotees. "There we go, Pretty Woman in (Birmingham's) Garrison Lane," says Helen McCrory with a laugh. And after playing Polly, Thomas' tough aunty, since the first episode, London-born McCrory has a good inkling why the series has been such a hit for the BBC, with previous episodes streamed on Netflix. "Steve Knight has done a fantastic job with it," says the 47-year-old of the show's creator and writer. "It's one of the only things that I'm in, where you don't look at yourself when you watch it, because you're looking at the whole thing." While the previous series were set in the immediate aftermath of the First World War, this one begins with Tommy's wedding in 1924. Although the identity of the bride is being kept under wraps until the episode is shown, there will be significant changes in the way the working-class family lives, with Tommy lording it up in a country manor and mixing with a different, more affluent, crowd. McCrory believes there are key differences in the way the Peaky characters perceive wealth, compared to how it's generally viewed today. "We're now in a culture - not necessarily in my generation, but definitely my children's generation - where both wealth and glamour are greatly admired. But the complexity of these characters' relationships with the ruling classes is a much darker and more suspicious one," says the actress, who is married to Homeland's Damian Lewis. She adds that it becomes clear there's "as much corruption" in the ruling classes as there is within the Peaky Blinders set - and this can affect life for the inhabitants of Garrison Lane. Among the things people praise Peaky Blinders for - the stomping soundtrack, the breakneck dialogue and the distinct style - is the strength of the female characters. Or, as Murphy puts it, that "bad stuff happens to the women and bad stuff happens to the men in equal proportion - as it does in life". So does McCrory think female roles in TV are improving? "Things are changing very quickly, but the reason that it's the female characters so noted in Peaky Blinders, is because they are in Peaky Blinders - that's why people pick it out. "If things had changed, no one would bother to mention it. I'm lucky I get sent interesting stuff, but you just have to turn on the television to realise how many leads are being played by women and how many by men. They're still not on equal par," she adds. After four months of filming, McCrory is pleased to return home to her "lovely family", and admits she feels fortunate to have "the best of both worlds", combining her acting career with home life in London's Tufnell Park with Lewis and their two children, daughter Manon (9) and son Gulliver (8). "It's a bit like Enid Blyton in my house. It's an advert for Fifites housekeeping; my children are a delight at all times, obedient and quiet," McCrory deadpans, before quickly adding that in reality, most of the time, it involves watching their dog "s*** in the sitting room" and "my children not brushing their teeth when I've asked them to brush their teeth six times". The family recently acquired their cockapoo, which McCrory says is an "aptly named" breed. Despite their TV successes, she and her husband are very rarely approached in pubic, she notes. "No one in Tufnell Park seems to have watched any of our stuff, very disappointedly," she says. "Despite standing in the street doing Shakespearian monologues, no one's stopped us once. "I'd like to address that and get our own billboard, because nobody's paying any attention." But she would like to work with Lewis in the future. "We'd love to, it's just waiting for the right projects," McCrory confirms. As for Peaky Blinders, there's already talk of the drama continuing until the advent of the Second World War, which is some 15 years after the new episodes are set. Hearing that Knight is keen to take the series up to 1939 is met with enthusiasm from McCrory, who replies with an assured "God yeah", when asked if she'd be keen to carry on with it. "Genuinely, I feel so proud to be in it," she adds. In the meantime, she recently finished filming Loving Vincent, alongside Saoirse Ronan and Aidan Turner, and is about to return to the stage as the lead in Terence Rattigan's The Deep Blue Sea. She has mixed feelings about what it means to be "ambitious", though. "Ambition is how you perceive it," she says. "For instance, I just tried to explain to my accountant that I am very thrilled to be going back to work at the National Theatre. "He, as my accountant, can't believe my lack of ambition, but somebody else would see that as amazing. I, as an actress, want to play Rattigan on the main stage, or whatever it is, so it's all relative," says McCrory. "As long as you have a sense of what satisfies you, it'll be all right." Jodie Foster has insisted she will never quit acting, as she received a long-awaited star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The Oscar-winning actress was joined by her Panic Room co-star Kristen Stewart as she was presented with the honour in front of the TCL Chinese Theatre in Los Angeles. Foster, who has two Academy Awards for her performances in The Accused and Silence Of The Lambs, admitted she thought she may never receive a star in the city in which she grew up. She told the Press Association: "I've waited. I really wanted to wait. I thought for a while maybe it will never happen. "But I was holding out and it worked out for me." Foster, 53, has moved behind the camera in recent years and directed the upcoming thriller Money Monster, starring George Clooney and Julia Roberts. But she insisted she planned to continue acting after starting her career in a television commercial at three. She said: "I've been acting since I was three so I can't imagine I'll ever stop but I definitely wanted to focus on directing for now. It takes a real commitment in order to get movies off the ground. That has to be the first priority." Twilight star Stewart, who played Foster's daughter in the 2002 film Panic Room, said the actress should have received a star following her successful childhood career, which included roles in Taxi Driver and Bugsy Malone. "She's a baller on every level," Stewart said. "It's out of control. She did everything so young. She kicked Yale's ass. She won Oscars. She became a film-maker herself. She created a family and still is just normal and cool and kind. She's been there for me. "She should have had a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame when she was 10." Foster's star is the 2,580th to be awarded on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Actor Orlando Bloom spoke with children whose school had been destroyed by shellfire as he visited eastern Ukraine with Unicef. The Pirates of the Caribbean star, who is a Goodwill Ambassador for the UN children's organisation, made the trip last week to the war-scarred Donetsk region of the country, which became the frontline of the conflict between Ukrainian forces and pro-Russian separatists in 2014. Father-of-one Bloom, 39, visited one classroom just three kilometres from the war-zone which had been hit by shells while the students were at school, and spoke with children who are now receiving counselling from Unicef-supported psychologists. He said: "I met children like 11-year-old Liana who hid in the basement of their school for almost two weeks, in freezing conditions, without lighting or heat, while shelling devastated the classrooms above. "Now, after surviving some of the most terrifying experiences life could possibly throw at them, all they want is to get back to the safety and routine of school and plan for their futures." He continued: "Education is providing children in eastern Ukraine with the building blocks to rebuild their lives in a safe and supportive environment. "Every child in humanitarian emergencies deserves a fair chance of a bright future." Bloom, who became an ambassador in 2009, is the first high-profile celebrity to have visited the country for Unicef since the conflict. He has backed the Education Cannot Wait fund, launching at the first World Humanitarian Summit in Istanbul on May 23-24, which aims to raise nearly 4 billion US dollars (2.75bn) to reach 13.6 million children in need of education in emergency zones within five years, before reaching 75 million children by 2030. It comes after a new report revealed nearly a quarter of the world's school-aged children - 462 million - now live in countries affected by crisis. The report, by the Overseas Development Institute and commissioned by a range of partners including Unicef, found nearly one in six - 75 million - children aged 3 to 18 in crisis zones are in desperate need of educational support, while 37 million primary and lower secondary children are out of education entirely due to conflicts and natural disasters. In eastern Ukraine alone, approximately 580,000 children are in urgent need of aid and more than 230,000 children have been forced from their homes. Around one in five schools and kindergartens in the region have been damaged or destroyed and around 300,000 children are in immediate need of assistance to continue their education. Unicef believes getting children back into education could prevent them from trafficking and recruitment into armed groups. Even out your skin tone with a complexion-enhancing staple that's a smart multi-tasker. Blemish balm, beauty balm, call it what you will ... BB creams continue to rival foundation for our attention. They still offer coverage, but are clever multi-taskers that also can work as a moisturiser, sunblock and primer, as well as help to even out skin tone. We tested a range of products to come up with a top list, all of which left our skin feeling lustrous and looking radiant. These creams can all be worn on their own without foundation, with just a light dusting of powder required for an all-day matte finish. 1. Clinique Anti-Blemish BB Cream SPF 40: 28, Clinique People with oily skin will love this lightweight lotion that gives impressive coverage, disguising pores and regulating your skin tone beautifully. A little goes a long way, so theres no need to worry about emptying the bottle too quickly. Fragance-free and allergy-tested, the professional shine-free finish lasts all day and offers strong sun protection. Ideal for your summer get-up-and-get-outside routine. 2. Skeyndor BB Cream: 39.95, Skeyndor Make like celebrity fans Penelope Cruz and Monica Bellucci with this high-end cream that evens out any imperfections for a fresh-faced and natural look. Packaged in a plush shimmery tube, it is delicate and light in texture, quick to apply and gives medium coverage. If you want to minimise the look of your pores and keep your skin looking youthful, its worth splashing a bit more cash on this Hollywood hit. 3. Clarins BB Skin Perfecting Cream SPF 25: 30, Boots This easy-to-apply, three-in-one cream smooths out your skin, refreshes dull patches and offers sun protection to boot. Despite coming out of the tube thick and mousse-like, it gives a matte coverage that feels light on the skin. Totally oil-absorbing, it is not sticky in the slightest and hides enlarged pores effectively. Not everyone has time to faff with a full-on make-up regime, making this the top choice for ladies with long to-do lists. Comes in three shades. 4. Dior Hydra Life BB Cream: 45, Boots Silky skin is the order of the day with this new hydrating offering from Dior. Its lightweight texture and glow-enhancing correcting pigments leave skin looking radiant. Dont let the price tag stop you handing over the cash you get 50ml for your money as opposed to the more common 30ml tubes. 5. Benecos Natural BB Cream 8 in 1: 9.95, Pravera If youre wary of putting non-natural nasties on your face, try this gentle cream packed full of the good stuff from delicious jojoba and acai oil to moisturising shea butter and revitalising pomegranate extract. We recommend this one for those wanting to hide acne scars and lighten pigmentation spots, while avoiding a greasy sheen. Benecos has a total ban on animal testing. 6. Kiehls Actively Correcting & Beautifying BB Cream: 24.50, Kiehls This cream gets the biggest tick in the sun protection box, with an impressive factor 50. High in Vitamin C, which improves the appearance of skin ageing, its a fabulous option for those who prioritise keeping their skin in tip-top shape. There is a faint biscuity smell when using this product and it comes out fairly thick, but it blends superbly and can be layered depending on how much coverage you desire. Comes in four shades. 7. BareMinerals Complexion Rescue Tinted Hydrating Gel Cream: 26, bareMinerals If you struggle to find the right colour cream to match your skin, BareMineralss collection of 10 shades should help you out. Non-sticky and easily spreadable, the thin yet buildable coverage gives you the choice of a more natural, or more done-up look. This cream is particularly good at disgusting any red areas, while the classy metallic-coloured tube makes it look much more expensive than it is. 8. Algenist Anti-Ageing Tinted Moisturiser: 28, QVC This cream offers thicker coverage than much of the competition, making it a top choice for those not quite ready to give up their foundation. The sweet smell on application is distinctive but not off-putting, while the sleek, pale gold packaging adds a touch of glamour to your make-up bag. Comes in two shades light/medium and tan and we found it stayed put for 12 hours. 9. La Roche-Posay Effaclar BB Blur: 16.50, Escentual Heres our top pick for anyone with oily skin by sensitive skin pros, La Roche-Posay. This cream from the French brand is entirely non-greasy and luxuriously soft. The airy mousse absorbs immediately upon application to leave a matte look, while colour-adapting pigments match your skin. Comes in two shades. 10. skinChemists Coldtox Advanced BB Cream: 62, Look Fantastic If youre looking for a cream with anti-ageing benefits, this luxe option promises to banish your wrinkles in favour of dewy, youthful-looking skin. This slightly fruity-smelling cream cools your skin on application, plumping it to firm your complexion with the help of posh ingredients like glacier water, marine collagen and snow algae that really do revitalise your skin. The stylish, shapely lid deserves a mention too. Verdict Its tough to beat Skeyndor for the luxury factor because everyone wants to feel like an A-Lister, but the long-lasting, blemish-banishing power of Clinique wins our top prize for price-quality balance. Benecos earns ethical points and is a snip at 9.95 while bareMinerals choice of 10 shades gives you the best shot at a colour match. Exam grade excellence could suffer due to a cut to school budgets, it has been warned. The principal of one of Northern Irelands top performing schools which has achieved a 100% pass rate for the fourth year in a row has expressed her concern over the impact the cuts will have on test results. Deirdre Gillespie, head of St Marys Grammar in Magherafelt, said she feared decreased funding may force her to end support programmes she believed were key to the colleges success. Principals from post-primaries in a number of sectors united last month to warn cutbacks could result in fewer subjects being offered and even shorter school days. Ms Gillespie warned slashed budgets could also affect academic standards. The stark warning comes as the Belfast Telegraph publishes its annual GCSE league tables. Read More Five schools achieved a 100% pass rate at GCSE (including English and maths) in the 2014/15 academic year, compared to six in the previous year. However, on the other end of the scale there were five schools where less than a fifth of grades achieved were between A*-C (including English and maths). At the worst performing school, Movilla which is currently in formal intervention the pass rate was just 13.2%. The top 57 schools were from the grammar sector, with the best performing non-grammar St Eugenes College in Roslea reaching 61st with a pass rate of 87%. Read More Many of the schools where the top grades were achieved spoke of the importance of support programmes, including Dalriada in Ballymoney, which improved its pass rate from 98.2% to 100% in the 2014/15 academic year, and St Marys, which scored 100% for the fourth year in a row. But there are fears tightened purse-strings could spell the end of many of these programmes. A statement issued by a group representing the 90 post-primaries across Northern Ireland last month warned that cuts could leave some schools facing a deficit of up to 500,000. In March Education Minister John ODowd announced the aggregated schools budget would be cut by 0.8%. On top of absorbing this, schools must also fund a 3.4% rise in employer National Insurance contributions an average 70,000 increase per school as well as a 4.1% rise in employer superannuation contributions, and cost of living pay rises for staff of between 1% and 2.2%. Expand Expand Previous Next Close GCSE league table 2016 GCSE league table 2016 / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp GCSE league table 2016 Ms Gillespie said she was worried that St Marys learning support programme may have to be sacrificed. At the moment we are cutting back considerably on some of the provisions and some of the choices that we can provide moving forward into next year, she said. Ultimately I am going to have bigger class sizes; that means my teachers dont have the same amount of time to spend with children individually and one of the things that probably will go is my learning support, and that has been the key of the success we have here. That worries me. Todays league tables for exams sat in the 2014/15 academic year were compiled from statistics released by the Department of Education following a Freedom of Information request. However, the department has cautioned that it does not endorse league tables as a valid basis for comparing schools. Examination results should always be considered in the context of other information about a school and its pupils; and these data should be interpreted in that light, it said. The bullet-riddled minibus in which 10 Protestants were massacred in Kingsmills on their way home from work in 1976 First Minister Arlene Foster has defended her decision not to sign off on a plan to deal with a backlog of inquests into some of the most controversial killings of the Troubles. The plan was put on hold after the Executive failed to agree a request for funding at its last meeting in March. Lord Chief Justice Sir Declan Morgan wanted more than 10m to fund his proposal. Dozens of outstanding legacy inquests involving more than 80 deaths were due to be heard. They included the Kingsmills massacre, in which the IRA murdered 10 Protestant men in January 1976, and the 11 people shot dead by soldiers in Ballymurphy in 1971. In March, Sir Declan Morgan said he believed all could be heard within five years. However, a proposal to ask Secretary of State Theresa Villiers to release the Government funding failed to even make the agenda of the Executive's last meeting in March. Speaking on the BBC NI election debate last night, Mrs Foster said she wanted more discussion first. "Unfortunately a lot of innocent victims feel that their voice has not been heard recently and there has been an imbalance in relation to state killings as opposed to paramilitary killings," she said. "I was rather concerned about this story because the paper did come to OFMDFM (Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister) and I felt that I needed more discussion around it. "I was rather surprised to hear that Executive business was being talked about on the news. I wanted the opportunity to discuss further with the Lord Chief Justice around the issues with innocent victims and how we can deal with their issues and I make no apologies for that. I think the rights of innocent victims are very key in this and I will not allow any process to rewrite the past." Read More DUP deputy leader Nigel Dodds also said the proposal would have impacted on the ability of the Executive to address the needs of innocent victims. He also suggested it was too expensive. Patrick Corrigan of Amnesty International said he was "extremely disappointed" at the decision. "Bereaved family members have already been made to wait for decades for a proper investigation into the deaths of their loved ones," he said. "To snatch away the prospect of an inquest, after decades of delay and denial of justice, will only add to victims' sense of betrayal. "Putting right this wrong must be the number one item on the agenda at the first meeting of the new Northern Ireland Executive after this week's election." Briege Voyle, whose mother was one of those shot dead by soldiers in Ballymurphy in August 1971, said it was a "disgrace". "Even with the support of Sir Declan Morgan trying to make some progress with his proposal to move the system on, this is another slap in the face to victims' families," she said. Arlene Foster has accused Sinn Fein of "deliberately downplaying expectations" over how well it will do in the Stormont election to lull unionists into a "false sense of security". As voters prepare to go to the polls tomorrow to elect the next Assembly, the DUP leader issued a final warning over the prospect of Martin McGuinness replacing her as First Minister. Mrs Foster said that would become "headline news... across the world" and could leave unionists in a minority on the Executive. Making another call for support, she criticised parties which had argued it did not matter who becomes First Minister when the new Assembly meets towards the end of this month. Writing in today's Belfast Telegraph, Mrs Foster warned: "Sinn Fein have been deliberately downplaying expectations in order to lull unionists into a false sense of security, but you can be sure that in this, the 100th anniversary of the Easter rebellion, their goal is to win this election. Read More "The role of First Minister has huge symbolic significance at home and abroad. "You can be certain that were Martin McGuinness to become First Minister this would be headline news not just in Northern Ireland, but right around the world. Of course, in our system of government, we need to work with other parties to get things done, but it is essential that we can negotiate with them from a position of strength." Sinn Fein responded last night: "Under the Good Friday Agreement the Office of the First and Deputy First Minister is a joint position of equal powers. (We) will be going into Thursdays' election to maximise our vote and number of representatives." Martin McGuinness is on record as saying that if Sinn Fein emerged as the largest party, he would be willing to have the title changed to Joint First Minister. Read More Mrs Foster argued: "There are others who claim that it does not matter who wins the election and becomes Northern Ireland's First Minister. If this were the case, you would wonder why they are even contesting the election. The largest party will also get the first choice of departments and most seats around the Executive table. "Indeed, a Sinn Fein First Minister would almost certainly mean unionists would be in a minority in the Executive." Ulster Unionist leader Mike Nesbitt said: "I have seen the First Minister and Deputy First Minister out and about, in Northern Ireland and abroad, most recently in the USA, and it is clear that what people acknowledge is the joint nature of the office. That is the real symbolism. Read More "Given the titanic failures of the DUP over the last nine years, it is no surprise they are trying to deflect from their track record, but they created this situation following the St Andrews negotiations by supporting a change in the election of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister, which they are now cynically exploiting in 'Project Scaremonger'." TUV leader Jim Allister said: "The DUP have kept Sinn Fein in government since 2007. Yet now at election time, as they have done before, Mrs Foster resorts to the scare tactic that you must vote DUP to keep Sinn Fein out. It is the DUP which has kept Sinn Fein/IRA in power and will again make Martin McGuinness Joint First Minister." UUP leader Mike Nesbitt, Sinn Feins Martin McGuinness, DUP leader Arlene Foster, SDLP leader Colum Eastwood and Alliance Party leader David Ford took part in the debate on BBC last night Ulster Unionist leader Mike Nesbitt has accused the DUP of wrongly whipping up of fears of a Sinn Fein First Minister and of burying Peter Robinson from its election campaign. However, DUP leader Arlene Foster launched a stinging attack on the Ulster Unionists' political legacy, and said the party would be remembered for the days of "pushover unionism". The fiery exchanges took place during BBC Northern Ireland's Election 2016: The Leaders' Debate. SDLP chief Colum Eastwood and Sinn Fein's Martin McGuinness also clashed during the hour-long discussion, with Alliance boss David Ford complaining that he played only a marginal role in proceedings. Read More Mr Nesbitt went on the attack early, accusing the DUP of "Project Scaremongering" and "dog whistle politics" by exaggerating unionist fears that Sinn Fein would emerge the largest party and Mr McGuinness become First Minister. Referring to Mrs Foster's five-point plan, he said Mr Robinson had a similar plan last year, but it was now forgotten. "I think Arlene has a five-word plan - 'do not mention Peter Robinson'," he said. "I have a one-point plan - the Ulster Unionist one-point plan is 'Make it work. Make Stormont work'." Mrs Foster came back fighting. "Unlike Mike Nesbitt, I remember the bad old days of pushover unionism. I remember what it was like in 1998 when we had a concession a day to the IRA. I remember what happened in relation to prisoners. I remember what happened to the RUC." During the debate, which was chaired by Noel Thompson, the leaders were questioned by a studio audience made up of party supporters and some undecided voters. It was simulcast to UK-wide audience on the BBC News channel. Mrs Foster stressed the symbolism of the title of First Minister. Read More Mr Ford strongly disagreed and accused the DUP of trying to frighten voters. He said the positions of First and Deputy First Minister were fundamentally the same, with the only difference being "who gets to shake the Queen's hand first when she comes here". During the debate Mr Ford complained that viewers of the programme would just see "Mike versus Arlene, Martin versus Colum". He said the focus should be on "looking forward to the future" and developing the economy "to meet the needs of our children to stop them emigrating". Mr McGuinness accused the SDLP leader of not knowing "what he wants to do" over entering a new government at Stormont. "I am going into government. Colum can't say that tonight," he said. Mr Eastwood replied: "Not like in the South, where they've refused to go into government at every opportunity." The Sinn Fein politician said he had been told by the Dublin government that the SDLP was never planning to endorse last year's Fresh Start Agreement. Mr Eastwood retorted that the party was right not to endorse a deal that returned "welfare powers to the British government". Gerry Adams' controversial use of the 'n-word' was not raised during the debate. There was common ground between Sinn Fein and the DUP on several issues with both leaders saying they were working together to bring jobs to Northern Ireland. At one point, during a discussion on victims, Mr McGuinness called for transparency on the past, but Mr Nesbitt said that he had not told the Bloody Sunday Inquiry the full truth about his IRA history. Forensic officers at the scene of the blast. A bomb disposal unit officer inspects the damaged van after a car bomb attack on a prison officer at Hillsborough Drive. Mr Ismay, a 52-year-old father of three children, died from a heart attack on Tuesday, eleven days after he sustained serious injuries in an under-van bomb blast claimed by renegade group the New IRA A man accused of a fatal bomb attack on a prison officer in Belfast worked with the victim at a first aid charity, the High Court heard today. Christopher Robinson, 45, knew Adrian Ismay through their shared voluntary duties on St John's Ambulance emergency units, a judge was told Details of their association emerged as Robinson was granted bail on a charge of murdering the 52-year-old warder in March. Mr Ismay suffered serious leg injuries when a booby-trap device exploded under a van he was driving in east Belfast. He had been recovering, but died after being returned to hospital 11 days later. Dissident republican group the New IRA has claimed responsibility for the attack. Robinson, of Aspen Park in the Dunmurry area of the city, is also charged with possessing explosives with intent to endanger life. Prosecutors claim he is linked to the bombing by CCTV footage of a car believed to have been used to plant the device at the victim's Hillsborough Drive home early on March 4. It was claimed that Robinson borrowed and then drove the Citroen vehicle to the scene. A Crown lawyer said forensic examination of the car confirmed traces of RDX, an identifier in high explosive material, on its rear floor and seats. Cell-site analysis of alleged phone calls between Robinson and the vehicle's owner also features in the case. The prosecution barrister said: "During the course of interviews the applicant accepted he knew the deceased, the two of them had worked on voluntary emergency transport units with the St John's Ambulance team. "He said they had a good working relationship with one another." Opposing bail, he argued there is a risk of further bomb attacks against prison officers, members of the PSNI and "anyone seen as a target for dissident republican activity". Mr Justice Colton also heard attempts could be made to interfere with a civilian witness. But defence counsel Sean Devine contended that Robinson only faces a weak, circumstantial case. "This is a case in which the deceased died tragically 11 days after the event... he was released home and died of a blood clot," the barrister said. "There's going to be all sort of complications about causation." Mr Devine also stressed his client will be so closely monitored that there is no chance of involvement with organisations relying on "clandestine behaviour and secrecy". He revealed that the accused, formerly a social worker, had been training to become a paramedic. Acknowledging the "natural revulsion" at the allegations, the judge added: "I note the applicant in this case knew the victim and claims he got on quite well with him which, if if he is in fact guilty of the offence, makes it all the more heinous." But granting bail, Mr Justice Colton held that Robinson was now well-known to the authorities, diminishing the risk of any re-offending. He ordered the accused to abide by a curfew, electronic monitoring and report to police every day. Robinson is also banned from contacting a witness in the case, entering part of east Belfast or travelling in a private car. James Jordan, who was jailed for his part in the death of Andrew Lorimer This is the sick Facebook message posted by killer James Jordan, who is banned from touching booze as part of the conditions of early release for his part in the brutal death of Andrew Lorimer. Jordan was released on supervised parole four months ago after serving less than three years for his part in the killing of the 43-year-old father-of-one, who died in agony in his Lurgan flat in February 2012. In 2013 Jordan was jailed for four years, and two other men were given five years, when they pleaded guilty to Andrews manslaughter. Andrews badly beaten body was only found when a burglar broke into his flat two days after the vicious hammer assault. Mr Lorimer had been left to crawl around his home for two days before finally succumbing to his extensive injuries. Earlier this month his brother David (53) revealed the familys shock and anger that Jordan was back walking the streets of their home town. Last night Mr Lorimer said he was disgusted by the Facebook post in which Jordan copied the quote: If I stopped drinking, I would have to take up murdering. Mr Lorimer said: A friend showed me the post and it was a real shocker. It is sick; even if it was meant as a joke, it is a sick joke. It just makes you think. He served no time at all and is out walking the streets when we have been given a life sentence, as we will never get over what happened to Andrew. If prison is supposed to be about rehabilitation, then to me it hasnt worked. Jordan was released on supervised parole in January and another man convicted of killing Andrew in his Lurgan flat in 2012, Christopher Wright, has also qualified for an early release scheme. During the court case the judge said the men had carried out a ferocious, sustained and brutal attack using fists, kicks and a hammer on Mr Lorimer, who was much loved and missed by his family, friends and work colleagues. Since the convictions, David Lorimer and his family have tirelessly campaigned against what they consider lenient sentences for their brothers killing. Saboteurs could have derailed a train after a metal bar was discovered wedged in a heritage railway line, it has been claimed Saboteurs could have derailed a train after a metal bar was discovered wedged in a heritage railway line, it has been claimed. The Downpatrick and County Down Railway is the only full-size heritage line in Ireland. Robert Gardiner, vice chairman of the railway, said the bar was wedged in such a way that the points on the line were not engaged which could, in a worst case scenario, lead to a derailment. This sabotage was discovered prior to any trains running and remedied immediately. There was no risk to either train crew or members of the public at any time, he added. A PSNI spokesman appealed for parents to be aware of where their children are and urged young people to stay off the track. Northern Ireland's Lord Chief Justice Sir Declan Morgan said he was disappointed there had been no agreement yet on funding for legacy inquiries Families of those killed by the British Army in Ballymurphy in 1971 protest outside Parliament Buildings in Stormont Northern Ireland's most senior judge has expressed disappointment that funding has not yet been found for legacy inquests. Lord Chief Justice Sir Declan Morgan appealed for the new Stormont Executive to deal with the contentious matter urgently. A statement from Sir Declan said: "The Lord Chief Justice is disappointed that the Northern Ireland Executive has not yet submitted a bid to the Secretary of State for funding for legacy inquests. The incoming Executive needs to agree a way forward on these cases, and indeed all of the outstanding issues in relation to dealing with the legacy of the past, as a matter of urgency." Dozens of the most highly-disputed cases from the Troubles are awaiting inquests, decades after the killings took place. They span allegations of security force misinformation to frame the IRA for bombings, state collusion in loyalist murders, inept police investigations, and IRA men shot dead by the army as part of a claimed policy of shooting to kill in which civilians died in the crossfire. Sir Declan's proposals for a dedicated unit to hear cases over the next five years are dependent on the provision of additional resources. However, Stormont ministers did not discuss the funding bid before the dissolution of the Assembly, thus delaying a suggested September start date for some historic cases. Executive rules dictate that the First and Deputy First Ministers must agree if an issue is to be added to an agenda for discussion. It is understood Arlene Foster blocked the inclusion of legacy funding when ministers met in Londonderry during March. In a statement the DUP deputy leader Nigel Dodds said it would be considered again after Thursday's election. He said: "It is essential that any proposals are fully costed and meet the needs of everyone affected. "Preliminary discussions have taken place with the Northern Ireland Office in order to seek a way forward. The First Minister will meet the Secretary of State in due course. "This issue will be considered again by the new Executive in light of the budgetary situation after the election." Meanwhile, campaigners for victims of the Troubles voiced concern at the inquest delays during a protest at Stormont. John Teggart, whose father Danny was among 10 people killed in what became known as the Ballymurphy massacre in August 1971, vowed to continue their quest for justice. He said: "We are not going to be walked over. A proper inquest is something we should have had. After 40-odd years we are going through the coroner's court and you have politicians interfering. "We will be up here after the election and we will let them know, this needs to be sorted." Human rights lawyer Padraig O Muirigh, who also joined the Parliament Buildings picket, warned that families may be forced to take legal action to ensure progress is made. He said: "The continuing delay in progressing these inquests is a great source of frustration for all the families. "The British Government, as signatories to the European Convention on Human Rights have an obligation under Article Two to progress these inquests. Unless they do so, these families will have no option but to go to the High Court." Judith Thompson, the Commissioner for Victims and Survivors, said doing nothing was not an option. She said: "Legacy issues will not go away and for that reason I welcomed the recent proposals from the Lord Chief Justice on methods of progressing legacy inquests. This will provide a useful template for all future historical investigations, including the proposed establishment of a Historical Investigations Unit which would investigate all outstanding legacy cases. "Adequate funding has always been a difficult issue and the complication of an election inevitably had the potential to slow up decisions. "However, I know there is a will on all sides to move this very important issue forward and I can reassure the families that we will redouble our efforts to make this happen as soon as possible." A survivor of the Kegworth air disaster is to be prosecuted for sexual assault despite a report casting doubt on his "state of mind," a defence barrister has revealed. Chris Holmes told Newtownards Magistrates' Court he had a report from consultant forensic psychiatrist Professor Ian Bownes about 58-year-old Chris Thompson which "raises an issue about the defendant's state of mind at the time of the incident". The defence solicitor said: "I believe there is a decision to proceed in spite of that report." Thompson, from the Warren Road in Donaghadee, faces two charges of sexual assault against one woman on a date unknown between 10-14 August last year. A PPS solicitor confirmed the case is to proceed and it would take two or more weeks to fix a date. Adjourning the case to May 24 so that witness availability can be ascertained, District Judge Mark Hamill asked rhetorically: "If they agree that this man cannot form mens rea what are the legal implications?" In 1989, 47 people were killed and many more injured when a British Midland Boeing 737 lost both engines and crashed on the M1 at Kegworth. Thompson was one of the 112 passengers and he couldn't walk for a year after both his legs were shattered in the crash. Press Eye - Northern Ireland - 4th May 2016 Criminal damage at Strawletterdallon Orange Hall, Plumbridge Road, Newtownstewart overnight last night, Tuesday 03 May. Shortly after 7am this morning it was reported that a number of windows and the door of the hall had been damaged. Press Eye - Northern Ireland - 4th May 2016 Criminal damage at Strawletterdallon Orange Hall, Plumbridge Road, Newtownstewart overnight last night, Tuesday 03 May. Shortly after 7am this morning it was reported that a number of windows and the door of the hall had been damaged. PACEMAKER BELFAST 04/05/2016 An Orange Hall in west Tyrone has been attacked for the third time in less than three months. A number of windows were smashed at Strawletterdallon Orange hall, near Newtownstewart. PACEMAKER BELFAST 04/05/2016 An Orange Hall in west Tyrone has been attacked for the third time in less than three months. A number of windows were smashed at Strawletterdallon Orange hall, near Newtownstewart. An Orange Hall in west Tyrone has been attacked for a third time in less than three months. Up to 14 windows were smashed at Strawletterdallon Orange hall, near Newtownstewart in the early hours of Wednesday morning. The latest incident follows two similar attacks on the Plumbridge Road hall in February. An Orange Order spokesman condemned the latest incident, accusing the perpetrators of waging a hate campaign. He said: Once again Strawletterdallon has been attacked by vandals who have nothing to offer society, only destruction and division. The stark similarity to previous attacks indicates that the minority rump responsible have reverted to type, by returning to engage in their shameful sectarian criminality. These intolerant bigots believe they are damaging the Orange Institution by destroying its property. However, they fail to realise their wicked deeds are actually an attack on community groups in and around the Newtownstewart area who avail of this hall as a social facility and meeting place. He added: Their actions are futile and are not representative of the local community who will quite rightly be appalled at this latest attack. The spokesman appealed for any witnesses to the incident, or anyone with relevant information, to contact police immediately. The Strawletterdallon incident is the fifth attack on Orange property so far this year. Police said they are investigating an incident of criminal damage at the hall and are treating this incident as a hate crime. Inspector Alison Ferguson is appealing for anyone with any information that can assist with the investigation to contact officers in Strabane Police Station on 101, or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111. The coffin of Fiona Brady, sister of UTV reporter Aideen Kennedy, leaves Good Shepherd Church The funeral of the sister of UTV journalist Aideen Kennedy took place in Belfast yesterday. Fiona Brady (44) died in the Royal Victoria Hospital last week following a short illness. She had trained as a journalist and worked as a BBC producer before her death. She was remembered in a ceremony at the Good Shepherd Church on the Ormeau Road yesterday afternoon before a committal ceremony at Roselawn Crematorium. In a funeral notice, her husband Conor, parents Noel and Maura, and sister Aideen said her death would be deeply regretted by her loving husband, family and friends. Read More Aideen announced the sad news in a tweet to her 6,500 followers on Friday: My beautiful sister Fiona passed away last night in the Royal. With my brothers Dara and Rory in heaven now. It is the second family tragedy to hit the UTV star in under a year. Last year her brother Dara died of cancer. Another brother, Rory, died in childhood. Over recent months Aideen shared updates on the progress Fiona was making, also praising the skill and care of hospital staff. Just the week before Fiona passed away, Aideen wrote: Hey folks, you just never know whats round the corner. Say a wee prayer for my sister in the Royal. They are such amazing people. Rathlin Island polling station manager Teresa McCurdy with the ballot box in which the island's population of just over 100 people will cast their votes Electors will be able to vote for 108 members of the Northern Ireland Assembly when the polls open on Thursday. There will be six Members of the Legislative Assembly, known as MLAs, returned in each of the 18 seats using the Single Transferable Vote (STV) system, which is also used for council and European Parliament contests. This system aims to reduce the so-called "wasted votes" seen in the UK Parliament's first-past-the-post system. This is a situation where many electors in traditionally "safe" constituencies find their chosen party never wins and their vote does not count towards electing an MP, or it always wins, piling up majorities of thousands of votes more than are actually needed for victory. Under STV, instead of a majority of votes, the winning post for the candidates is the quota - the number of valid votes cast divided by the number of seats plus one, plus one vote. In all of the Northern Ireland constituencies, this comes to a seventh of the votes under this formula, meaning that any candidate passing the quota at any stage during the counting is elected. Voters will be asked to number candidates on the ballot paper in order of preference, and the system involves two distributions of votes through many counts. Candidates passing the quota are declared elected, and the number of their votes above the quota are then distributed to others in accordance with their supporters' lower preferences. Low-scoring candidates are progressively eliminated, with their votes distributed to others in accordance with their supporters' lower preferences. This means that the six people elected in each of the 118 seats will be either candidates passing the quota, or will be left when all the others have been eliminated. :: Example of a count of first preference votes in a six-member constituency with fictitious candidates: George Frost (SDLP) 8,264 Henry Thomas (UUP) 5,694 David Morris (UUP) 5,196 John McIntosh (DUP) 5,148 Chris March (UUP) 4,354 Chris Mills (UUP) 4,187 Donald Games (UUP) 4,161 Fred Prefect (DUP) 2,112 Maurice Massey (Alliance) 1,958 Don Donaldson (SDLP) 1,861 Les Mayor (UDP) 1,854 Jeff Sims (Lab) 1,742 Pat Reilly (SF) 854 George Goole (UDP) 852 Bob Stuart (Alliance) 742 Fred James (Alliance) 675 Stan Scott (Lab) 571 Val Alison (PUP) 560 George Frost has polled more than the quota of 7,255 - a seventh of the 50,785 turnout - and is declared elected. His 1,009 surplus is redistributed to other candidates in accordance with the second choices of his supporters. The second count result is: Henry Thomas (UUP) 5,695 David Morris (UUP) 5,196 John McIntosh (DUP) 5,148 Chris March (UUP) 4,354 Chris Mills (UUP) 4,187 Donald Games (UUP) 4,161 Fred Prefect (DUP) 2,112 Maurice Massey (Alliance) 1,983 Don Donaldson (SDLP) 2,673 Les Mayor (UDP) 1,859 Jeff Sims (Lab) 1,802 Pat Reilly (SF) 898 George Goole (UDP) 852 Bob Stuart (Alliance) 761 Fred James (Alliance) 688 Stan Scott (Lab) 572 Val Alison (PUP) 560 Nobody new has passed the quota this time. The lowest-scoring candidate, Val Alison, is now eliminated from the contest and her votes redistributed to other runners on the basis of lower preferences. If there had been a number of candidates at the bottom whose total vote was insufficient to make further progress, they could all be eliminated at the same time. This process continues with candidates either passing the quota and being elected or being eliminated. An example of a final - and in this case 15th count - where three candidates have already passed the quota: David Morris (UUP) 7,273 Chris March (UUP) 6,058 Chris Mills (UUP) 6,521 Maurice Massey (Alliance) 6,146 Morris clears the quota. Massey and Mills take the remaining two seats although polling less than the quota. Chris March is not elected because Morris has a surplus of only 18 votes - too few to make the difference. Orla O'Hanlon leaves Belfast Crown Court this afternoon after being cleared of all the charges against her relating to her alleged role in a so-called republican 'Bomb Factory'. A 20-year old woman who faced a host of terrorist-related offences after the border home she shared with her partner was searched by police was today acquitted of charges. Whilst Orla O'Hanlon was freed, her 21-year old partner Keith McConnan was remanded back in to custody after he was convicted of two charges. The couple were arrested on December 18, 2013 after their rented bungalow on the Tievecrom Road in Forkhill was searched by officers acting under the Justice and Security Act. During their search, officers located a number of items including an industrial grinder, a complete Timer Power Unit and a quantity of crushed ammonium nitrate fertiliser. Both Ms O'Hanlon and McConnan were arrested and subsequently charged with a number of terrorist-related offences, and the couple stood trial late last year at Belfast Crown Court. Earlier today Judge Sandra Crawford, who presided over the Diplock non-jury trial, presented her judgement on the case. She acquitted Ms O'Hanlon on all ten charges she faced, while McConnan - who originally faced nine charges - was found guilty of two offences and cleared of the other charges. The couple were tried on a series of serious offences including possessing explosives - namely crushed ammonium nitrate based fertilizer - both with intent to endanger life, and also in suspicious circumstances. McConnan - who admitted possessing the grinder but made the case he was acting under duress as he was under threat from a dissident republican who has been linked to the Omagh bomb - was cleared of all but two charges. During the course of the trial, it emerged that during the search of the bungalow, officers located a plastic bag in a wardrobe in the couple's bedroom. The bag contained items including an improvised mobile phone operated switch unit and portable power supply, as well as a reloaded cartridge. It was the Crown's case that these items, along with the presence of the industrial grinder, suggested that the couple were engaging in illegal activity linked to the preparation of bombs. McConnan admitted touching the bag and placing it in the wardrobe, but always denied he had any knowledge of its contents. Finding McConnan guilty of two charges linked to the bag - namely possessing the items in suspicious circumstances - Judge Crawford said it was "inconceivable and wholly implausible" that he didn't know what was in the bag. After giving her judgement, Judge Crawford told Ms O'Hanlon she was free to go. Before McConnan was returned back to custody, his barrister asked that he be released on bail pending sentencing next month. The barrister told Judge Crawford that McConnan has been on remand since his arrest and has already served over two years in custody. Judge Crawford said she would hear a full bail application later this week. The BBC has firmly rejected DUP claims of letting Gerry Adams "off the hook" over his use of the n-word in a tweet, for which he has apologised. Senior DUP members went on the warpath against the corporation yesterday as the row over the Sinn Fein president's social media post went on. Former Executive minister Edwin Poots said on Facebook: "Thus far the Bias Broadcasting Corporation has totally let Gerry Adams off the hook for his racist comment. I have no doubt if this had been a leading DUP member we would have had wall-to-wall coverage." Veteran former councillor Myreve Chambers agreed, and added: "The BBC is so anti-unionist it is unbelievable." Read More A BBC statement said: "Since this story broke BBC News NI has covered it across local and network BBC News outlets. "Coverage has been detailed, proportionate and judged on its editorial merit. "We strongly reject any suggestion of bias." Martin McGuinness said yesterday that his party leader had made an "honest mistake" - but added that it was not a term he would have used himself. Read More The Deputy First Minister said: "I do think it was an inappropriate way of trying to make what is a valid point in terms of his very strong stance over many years against injustice and against discrimination. "No, I wouldn't have said it, certainly not, but Gerry's human, just like the rest of us. We all make mistakes." As the fallout from the row continued, Mr Adams said: "I've never seen myself as 'white'. That's only skin deep. I'm a human being. "We're all human beings, whatever our skin colour, whatever our gender, whatever our ability or disability." Read More The Louth TD added that if anyone should be offended over his tweet, it would be the people of Ballymurphy, where Mr Adams is from. The Sinn Fein president was watching Quentin Tarantino's violent western Django Unchained when he issued a message to his 110,000 followers saying: "Watching Django Unchained - A Ballymurphy N*****!", followed by a second tweet saying: "Django - an uppity Fenian!" In several statements and a Press conference on Monday he argued he was drawing a comparison between the treatment of black people in the United States with the penal laws of the 19th century, partition and discrimination against Catholics in Northern Ireland in the 1960s over voting, housing and jobs. Yesterday he said: "I was comparing the African Americans to people in Ballymurphy. "So if anybody should be offended, it's the people from Ballymurphy. "Because if you read the tweet, I was describing Django, who was the main character, as a 'Ballymurphy n-word' and 'an uppity Fenian'. "It was inappropriate, I'm sorry that I used it. People of my own home district, Ballymurphy, have stood up for themselves. "And people in Louth, whether it's water protesters - not trying to compare like with like - or demanding health services, or fighting for the hospital to be returned to Dundalk, or better services in Drogheda, people standing up for themselves or their neighbours. "And while they may not be like with like because, obviously, if you're being horsewhipped or hanged, that's a different matter. But in terms of the dignity of human beings." Tim Peake is spending six months on board the ISS after blasting into space in December British astronaut Tim Peake feared being left stuck in space if the West's relations with Russia deteriorated, a Foreign Office minister has said. But Tobias Ellwood told MPs he had received assurances from Russian President Vladimir Putin that Maj Peake will not be abandoned on the International Space Station (ISS). The Tory frontbencher, who said he is a friend of Maj Peake, raised the issue with Mr Putin during the 2015 European Games in Baku, Azerbaijan. A Russian Soyuz FG rocket blasted Maj Peake into space in December, and he is spending six months on board the ISS. Speaking during a Westminster Hall debate on Anglo-Russian relations, Mr Ellwood said: " I had the opportunity to meet President Putin at the Baku Azerbaijan Games last year and wasn't quite expecting to see him, I have to say. "But I did say to him that a friend of mine had cause to use Russian transport and was a bit concerned about international developments - the East and West - and he might get stuck at the end of his destination and not be able to get back. "That friend of mine was called Tim Peake, he was using a Soyuz space capsule to get himself up to the International Space Station and didn't want to be abandoned up there. "Mr Putin grabbed my arm and said, 'Mr Ellwood, tell Mr Peake we will not abandon him'. "And that gives you an indication to say that it is possible to isolate some of these enormous concerns that we have, the sanctions that take place, that allow us to work on the international stage to tackle some of these areas, but also culturally and professionally and indeed from an industrial perspective, commercial perspective, to be able to continue these relationships." Tory Daniel Kawczynski (Shrewsbury and Atcham), opening the debate, said he was very concerned about the "growing anti-Russian sentiment" within the Commons. He said: "Even by calling for this debate a senior member of the Government called me comrade Kawczynski, I've been accused of being an apologist for president Putin and been criticised for even daring to raise the subject." Mr Kawczynski read out a personal statement noting he has "deep and personal" reasons to dislike and distrust Russia and its actions due to his Polish heritage and the suffering experienced by his family at the hands of the Soviet Union. He said: "It would be easy to cling to a prejudice and allow this to colour my view of the world today. "Yet as a British citizen and a proud member of this House it is my job and my duty, to argue strongly in favour of what I believe will best serve Britain's long-term security, stability and prosperity - even if this means encouraging dialogue with a country that was borne out of the remnants of the oppressive regime that so crippled my grandfather in Poland." He added Mr Putin is "almost treated as a sort of pantomime villain" in the Commons. German fashion designer, artist, and photographer Karl Lagerfeld (L) attends his performance for Chanel at the Prado promenade in Havana, on May 3, 2016. / AFP PHOTO / ADALBERTO ROQUEADALBERTO ROQUE/AFP/Getty Images US actor Vin Diesel arrivesat the Prado promenade in Havana, on May 3, 2016 to watch the Chanel performance. / AFP PHOTO / ADALBERTO ROQUEADALBERTO ROQUE/AFP/Getty Images German fashion designer, artist, and photographer Karl Lagerfeld (C) attends his performance for Chanel at the Prado promenade in Havana, on May 3, 2016. / AFP PHOTO / ADALBERTO ROQUEADALBERTO ROQUE/AFP/Getty Images German fashion designer, artist, and photographer Karl Lagerfeld (C) attends his performance for Chanel at the Prado promenade in Havana, on May 3, 2016. / AFP PHOTO / ADALBERTO ROQUEADALBERTO ROQUE/AFP/Getty Images German fashion designer, artist, and photographer Karl Lagerfeld (L) attends his performance for Chanel at the Prado promenade in Havana, on May 3, 2016. / AFP PHOTO / ADALBERTO ROQUEADALBERTO ROQUE/AFP/Getty Images German fashion designer, artist, and photographer Karl Lagerfeld (L) attends his performance for Chanel at the Prado promenade in Havana, on May 3, 2016. / AFP PHOTO / ADALBERTO ROQUEADALBERTO ROQUE/AFP/Getty Images German fashion designer, artist, and photographer Karl Lagerfeld (L) attends his performance for Chanel at the Prado promenade in Havana, on May 3, 2016. / AFP PHOTO / ADALBERTO ROQUEADALBERTO ROQUE/AFP/Getty Images Cuban star singer of the Buena Vista Social Club music band, Omara Portuondo (R) arrives at the Prado promenade in Havana, on May 3, 2016 to watch the Chanel performance. / AFP PHOTO / ADALBERTO ROQUEADALBERTO ROQUE/AFP/Getty Images Anglo-Scottish actress, performance artist, model, and fashion icon Tilda Swinton arrives at the Prado promenade in Havana, on May 3, 2016 to watch the Chanel performance. / AFP PHOTO / ADALBERTO ROQUEADALBERTO ROQUE/AFP/Getty Images Anglo-Scottish actress, performance artist, model, and fashion icon Tilda Swinton (L) arrives at the Prado promenade in Havana, on May 3, 2016 to watch the Chanel performance. / AFP PHOTO / ADALBERTO ROQUEADALBERTO ROQUE/AFP/Getty Images From their houses Cubans try to watch the Chanel performance at the Prado promenade in Havana, on May 3, 2016. / AFP PHOTO / ADALBERTO ROQUEADALBERTO ROQUE/AFP/Getty Images Cuban music Gente de Zona duo arrives at the Prado promenade in Havana, on May 3, 2016 to watch the Chanel performance. / AFP PHOTO / ADALBERTO ROQUEADALBERTO ROQUE/AFP/Getty Images From their houses Cubans try to watch the Chanel performance at the Prado promenade in Havana, on May 3, 2016. / AFP PHOTO / ADALBERTO ROQUEADALBERTO ROQUE/AFP/Getty Images From their houses Cubans try to watch the Chanel performance at the Prado promenade in Havana, on May 3, 2016. / AFP PHOTO / ADALBERTO ROQUEADALBERTO ROQUE/AFP/Getty Images From their houses Cubans try to watch the Chanel performance at the Prado promenade in Havana, on May 3, 2016. / AFP PHOTO / ADALBERTO ROQUEADALBERTO ROQUE/AFP/Getty Images Fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld arrives the presentation of his "cruise" line for fashion house Chanel, at the Paseo del Prado street in Havana, Cuba, Tuesday, May 3, 2016. With the heart of the Cuban capital effectively privatized by an international corporation under the watchful eye of the Cuban state, the premiere of Chanel 2016/2017 "cruise" line offered a startling sight in a country officially dedicated to social equality and the rejection of material wealth. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa) U.S. Actor Vin Diesel gestures to the crowd watching the presentation of fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld's "cruise" line for fashion house Chanel, at the Paseo del Prado street in Havana, Cuba, Tuesday, May 3, 2016. With the heart of the Cuban capital effectively privatized by an international corporation under the watchful eye of the Cuban state, the premiere of Chanel 2016/2017 "cruise" line offered a startling sight in a country officially dedicated to social equality and the rejection of material wealth. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa) EDS NOTE NUDITY - Models wear creations from the Karl Lagerfeld "cruise" line for fashion house Chanel, at the Paseo del Prado street in Havana, Cuba, Tuesday, May 3, 2016. With the heart of the Cuban capital effectively privatized by an international corporation under the watchful eye of the Cuban state, the premiere of Chanel 2016/2017 "cruise" line offered a startling sight in a country officially dedicated to social equality and the rejection of material wealth. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa) TOPSHOT - From their houses Cubans try to watch the Chanel performance at the Prado promenade in Havana, on May 3, 2016. / AFP PHOTO / ADALBERTO ROQUEADALBERTO ROQUE/AFP/Getty Images US actor Vin Diesel arrives at the Prado promenade in Havana, on May 3, 2016 to watch the Chanel performance. AFP/Getty Images Fashionistas and celebrities from around the world flocked to a grand Havana colonial avenue which was transformed into a private runway for French fashion house Chanel. With hundreds of security agents holding ordinary Cubans behind police lines streets away, actors Tilda Swinton and Vin Diesel, supermodel Gisele Bundchen and Cuban music stars Gente de Zona and Omara Portuondo watched slender models sashay down Prado boulevard in casual summer clothes seemingly inspired by the art deco elegance of pre-revolutionary Cuba. With the heart of the Cuban capital briefly privatised by an international corporation under the watchful eye of the Cuban state, the premiere of Chanel's 2016/2017 "cruise" line offered a startling sight in a country officially dedicated to social equality and the rejection of material wealth. Chanel welcomed the chance to show its creations in an unusual spot. "To explore new horizons is a way to fire imaginations and renew the vision of our brand while sharing the culture and heritage of the locations chosen for our fashion shows," it said in a statement. The show was the most extreme manifestation to date of the hot new status Cuba has assumed in the international art and cultural scene since the December 2014 declaration of detente with the United States. President Barack Obama visited in March, the Rolling Stones performed in Havana the same week, the first US cruise in nearly four decades docked on Monday and the latest instalment of the multibillion-dollar Fast And Furious action movie franchise is filming here now. Many Cubans say they are delighted their country is opening itself to the world, offering ordinary people a first-hand look at celebrities and extravagant productions. But the rampant display of wealth on the streets of Havana is providing fodder for many already disenchanted by what they call Cuba's failure to deliver on promises of sustainable socialist equality. Mabel Fernandez, a radio announcer, arrived four hours before the start of the show, eager to give her 14-year-old daughter a taste of a world of international fashion that she had only seen on television and in films. "We need this type of event, these new developments, so people can learn more about culture," she said. Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Previous Next Close A man waves a Cuban flag at the Malecon waterfront as the first US-to-Cuba cruise ship to arrive in the island nation in decades glides into the port of Havana, on May 2, 2016. AFP/Getty Images AFP/Getty Images The first US-to-Cuba cruise ship to arrive in the island nation in decades glides into the port of Havana, on May 2, 2016. AFP/Getty Images AFP/Getty Images The first US-to-Cuba cruise ship to arrive in the island nation in decades remains docked at the port of Havana, on May 2, 2016. The first US cruise ship bound for Cuba in half a century, the Adonia -- a vessel from the Carnival cruise's Fathom line -- set sail from Florida on Sunday, marking a new milestone in the rapprochement between Washington and Havana. The ship -- with 700 passengers aboard -- departed from Miami, the heart of the Cuban diaspora in the United States. / AFP PHOTO / JORGE BELTRANJORGE BELTRAN/AFP/Getty Images AFP/Getty Images TOPSHOT - A Cuban waves a US flag at the Malecon waterfront as the first US-to-Cuba cruise ship to arrive in the island nation in decades glides into the port of Havana, on May 2, 2016. The first US cruise ship bound for Cuba in half a century, the Adonia -- a vessel from the Carnival cruise's Fathom line -- set sail from Florida on Sunday, marking a new milestone in the rapprochement between Washington and Havana. The ship -- with 700 passengers aboard -- departed from Miami, the heart of the Cuban diaspora in the United States. / AFP PHOTO / ADALBERTO ROQUEADALBERTO ROQUE/AFP/Getty Images AFP/Getty Images The first US-to-Cuba cruise ship to arrive in the island nation in decades glides into the port of Havana, on May 2, 2016. The first US cruise ship bound for Cuba in half a century, the Adonia -- a vessel from the Carnival cruise's Fathom line -- set sail from Florida on Sunday, marking a new milestone in the rapprochement between Washington and Havana. The ship -- with 700 passengers aboard -- departed from Miami, the heart of the Cuban diaspora in the United States. / AFP PHOTO / JORGE BELTRANJORGE BELTRAN/AFP/Getty Images AFP/Getty Images Carnival's Adonia cruise ship arrives from Miami in Havana, Cuba, Monday, May 2, 2016. The Adonia's arrival is the first step toward a future in which thousands of ships a year could cross the Florida Straits, long closed to most U.S.-Cuba traffic due to tensions that once brought the world to the brink of nuclear war. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa) AP The first US-to-Cuba cruise ship to arrive in the island nation in decades glides into the port of Havana, on May 2, 2016. The first US cruise ship bound for Cuba in half a century, the Adonia -- a vessel from the Carnival cruise's Fathom line -- set sail from Florida on Sunday, marking a new milestone in the rapprochement between Washington and Havana. The ship -- with 700 passengers aboard -- departed from Miami, the heart of the Cuban diaspora in the United States. / AFP PHOTO / ANA RODRIGUEZANA RODRIGUEZ/AFP/Getty Images AFP/Getty Images The first US-to-Cuba cruise ship to arrive in the island nation in decades glides into the port of Havana, on May 2, 2016. The first US cruise ship bound for Cuba in half a century, the Adonia -- a vessel from the Carnival cruise's Fathom line -- set sail from Florida on Sunday, marking a new milestone in the rapprochement between Washington and Havana. The ship -- with 700 passengers aboard -- departed from Miami, the heart of the Cuban diaspora in the United States. / AFP PHOTO / ANA RODRIGUEZANA RODRIGUEZ/AFP/Getty Images AFP/Getty Images Cubans wave a US and a Cuban flag at the Malecon waterfront as the first US-to-Cuba cruise ship to arrive in the island nation in decades glides into the port of Havana, on May 2, 2016. The first US cruise ship bound for Cuba in half a century, the Adonia -- a vessel from the Carnival cruise's Fathom line -- set sail from Florida on Sunday, marking a new milestone in the rapprochement between Washington and Havana. The ship -- with 700 passengers aboard -- departed from Miami, the heart of the Cuban diaspora in the United States. / AFP PHOTO / ADALBERTO ROQUEADALBERTO ROQUE/AFP/Getty Images AFP/Getty Images TOPSHOT - People display images of Cuban former president Fidel Castro during the May Day parade at Revolution Square in Havana, on May 1, 2016. / AFP PHOTO / JORGE BELTRANJORGE BELTRAN/AFP/Getty Images AFP/Getty Images Security agent looks over towards the Carnival Crop.'s Adonia as passengers board before it leaves port in Miami, Sunday, May 1, 2016, en route to Cuba. After a half-century of waiting, passengers finally set sail on Sunday from Miami on an historic cruise to Cuba. Carnival's Cuba cruises, operating under its Fathom band, will visit the ports of Havana, Cienfuegos and Santiago de Cuba. (Carl Juste/The Miami Herald via AP) MAGS OUT; MANDATORY CREDIT AP The protest boat "Democracia" sails pass Carnival Corp.'s Adonia before it leaves port in Miami, Sunday, May 1, 2016, en route to Cuba. After a half-century of waiting, passengers finally set sail on Sunday from Miami on an historic cruise to Cuba. Carnival's Cuba cruises, operating under its Fathom band, will visit the ports of Havana, Cienfuegos and Santiago de Cuba. (Carl Juste/The Miami Herald via AP) MAGS OUT; MANDATORY CREDIT AP People take photos as Adonia leaves port in Miami, Sunday, May 1, 2016, en route to Cuba. After a half-century of waiting, passengers finally set sail on Sunday from Miami on an historic cruise to Cuba. Carnival's Cuba cruises, operating under its Fathom band, will visit the ports of Havana, Cienfuegos and Santiago de Cuba. (Patrick Farrell/The Miami Herald via AP) MAGS OUT; MANDATORY CREDIT AP The Cuban rights protest group Democracia escorts the Fathom cruise ship Adonia as she leaves Miami Beach, Florida with fanfare and water cannons on her inaugural seven-day voyage to Cuba in Miami Beach on May 1, 2016. The first US cruise ship bound for Cuba in half a century set sail from Florida on Sunday, May 1st, marking a new milestone in the rapprochement between Washington and Havan / AFP PHOTO / Gaston De CardenasGASTON DE CARDENAS/AFP/Getty Images AFP/Getty Images The Cuban rights protest group Democracia escorts the Fathom cruise ship Adonia as she leaves Miami Beach, Florida with fanfare and water cannons on her inaugural seven-day voyage to Cuba in Miami Beach on May 1, 2016. The first US cruise ship bound for Cuba in half a century set sail from Florida on Sunday, May 1st, marking a new milestone in the rapprochement between Washington and Havan / AFP PHOTO / Gaston De CardenasGASTON DE CARDENAS/AFP/Getty Images AFP/Getty Images A member of the police directs a police dog as they sweep the restricted area near Carnival Corp.'s Adonia before it leaves port in Miami, Sunday, May 1, 2016, en route to Cuba. After a half-century of waiting, passengers finally set sail on Sunday from Miami on an historic cruise to Cuba. Carnival's Cuba cruises, operating under its Fathom band, will visit the ports of Havana, Cienfuegos and Santiago de Cuba. (Carl Juste/The Miami Herald via AP) MAGS OUT; MANDATORY CREDIT AP The Fathom cruise ship Adonia departs Miami Beach, Florida with fanfare and water cannons on her inaugural seven-day voyage to Cuba on May 1, 2016. The first US cruise ship bound for Cuba in half a century set sail from Florida on Sunday, May 1st, marking a new milestone in the rapprochement between Washington and Havan / AFP PHOTO / Gaston De CardenasGASTON DE CARDENAS/AFP/Getty Images AFP/Getty Images Man takes a smartphone photo of the Fathom cruise ship Adonia as she departs Miami Beach, Florida on her inaugural seven-day voyage to Cuba on May 1, 2016. The first US cruise ship bound for Cuba in half a century set sail from Florida on Sunday, May 1st, marking a new milestone in the rapprochement between Washington and Havan / AFP PHOTO / Gaston De CardenasGASTON DE CARDENAS/AFP/Getty Images AFP/Getty Images The Fathom cruise ship Adonia departs Miami Beach, Florida with fanfare and water cannons on her inaugural seven-day voyage to Cuba on May 1, 2016. The first US cruise ship bound for Cuba in half a century set sail from Florida on Sunday, May 1st, marking a new milestone in the rapprochement between Washington and Havan / AFP PHOTO / Gaston De CardenasGASTON DE CARDENAS/AFP/Getty Images AFP/Getty Images The first US-to-Cuba cruise ship to arrive in the island nation in decades remains docked at the port of Havana, on May 2, 2016. The first US cruise ship bound for Cuba in half a century, the Adonia -- a vessel from the Carnival cruise's Fathom line -- set sail from Florida on Sunday, marking a new milestone in the rapprochement between Washington and Havana. The ship -- with 700 passengers aboard -- departed from Miami, the heart of the Cuban diaspora in the United States. / AFP PHOTO / JORGE BELTRANJORGE BELTRAN/AFP/Getty Images AFP/Getty Images Passengers stand on the deck of Carnival's Adonia cruise ship as they arrive from Miami in Havana, Cuba, Monday, May 2, 2016. The Adonia's arrival is the first step toward a future in which thousands of ships a year could cross the Florida Straits, long closed to most U.S.-Cuba traffic due to tensions that once brought the world to the brink of nuclear war. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa) AP Passengers on board Carnival's Adonia cruise ship wave flags as they arrive from Miami in Havana, Cuba, Monday, May 2, 2016. The Adonia's arrival is the first step toward a future in which thousands of ships a year could cross the Florida Straits, long closed to most U.S.-Cuba traffic due to tensions that once brought the world to the brink of nuclear war. (Joe Cavaretta/South Florida Sun-Sentinel via AP) MAGS OUT; MANDATORY CREDIT AP The first US-to-Cuba cruise ship to arrive in the island nation in decades remains docked at the port of Havana, on May 2, 2016. The first US cruise ship bound for Cuba in half a century, the Adonia -- a vessel from the Carnival cruise's Fathom line -- set sail from Florida on Sunday, marking a new milestone in the rapprochement between Washington and Havana. The ship -- with 700 passengers aboard -- departed from Miami, the heart of the Cuban diaspora in the United States. / AFP PHOTO / JORGE BELTRANJORGE BELTRAN/AFP/Getty Images AFP/Getty Images The first US-to-Cuba cruise ship to arrive in the island nation in decades remains docked at the port of Havana, on May 2, 2016. The first US cruise ship bound for Cuba in half a century, the Adonia -- a vessel from the Carnival cruise's Fathom line -- set sail from Florida on Sunday, marking a new milestone in the rapprochement between Washington and Havana. The ship -- with 700 passengers aboard -- departed from Miami, the heart of the Cuban diaspora in the United States. / AFP PHOTO / JORGE BELTRANJORGE BELTRAN/AFP/Getty Images AFP/Getty Images The first US-to-Cuba cruise ship to arrive in the island nation in decades docks at the port of Havana, on May 2, 2016. The first US cruise ship bound for Cuba in half a century, the Adonia -- a vessel from the Carnival cruise's Fathom line -- set sail from Florida on Sunday, marking a new milestone in the rapprochement between Washington and Havana. The ship -- with 700 passengers aboard -- departed from Miami, the heart of the Cuban diaspora in the United States. / AFP PHOTO / ANA RODRIGUEZANA RODRIGUEZ/AFP/Getty Images AFP/Getty Images Passengers stand on the deck of Carnival's Adonia cruise ship as they arrive from Miami in Havana, Cuba, Monday, May 2, 2016. Havana's Christ statue stands behind. The Adonia's arrival is the first step toward a future in which thousands of ships a year could cross the Florida Straits, long closed to most U.S.-Cuba traffic due to tensions that once brought the world to the brink of nuclear war. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa) AP / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp A man waves a Cuban flag at the Malecon waterfront as the first US-to-Cuba cruise ship to arrive in the island nation in decades glides into the port of Havana, on May 2, 2016. AFP/Getty Images But as police swarmed the area in the hours before the show, virtually all residents of the capital were swept behind yellow barricades and unbroken lines of uniformed and plain-clothes police at least a street away. Reinaldo Fonseca, a local model, stood with a group of friends similarly trying to make their careers in fashion and watched as rich foreigners with invitations arrived at the event in specially rented antique American saloon cars. "It's a shame they don't let us pass," he said. The show ended with the models dancing down Prado to the drumming and singing of an Afro-Cuban band. Afterwards, attendees were taken to Havana's Cathedral Plaza, an 18th-century Baroque gem transformed into a beach-themed party backdrop by the erection of a giant tiki-style bar and dance floor over its colonial cobblestones. Chanel creative director Karl Lagerfeld, 82, arrived in a blue-and-cream 1957 Ford Fairlane, picking his way gingerly towards the VIP section of the tiki hut as his gold-sequined jacket glinted in the lights of the dance floor. Models danced during a brief private concert by French-Cuban duo Ibeyi as waitresses handed out hors d'oeuvres and cocktails to the gathered crowd. The move is part of a package of incentives offered to Turkey The European Union is set to take a big step on Wednesday toward ending visa requirements for Turkish citizens, as a widely criticised deal to get Turkey to stop migrants entering the EU gathers pace. The EU's executive commission is expected to invite member states to vote before the end of June to allow Turks on short-term leisure or business stays to enter the EU without visas. The commission lauded on Tuesday a decree from Ankara to grant visa-free travel in Turkey to the citizens of all 28 EU member states - including Cyprus, which Turkey refuses to recognise in a decades-long stand-off - as meeting "one more of the important benchmarks" for visa liberalisation. The visa waiver process was started in December 2013 and as of March 4 this year only around half of the 72 conditions had been fulfilled. "Turkey has made a lot of effort over the past weeks and days to meet the criteria," commission spokeswoman Mina Andreeva said. Suggesting that a green light is imminent, she underlined that the waiver "can always be suspended if the conditions for it are not met". The move is part of a package of incentives offered to Turkey - including up to six billion euro (4.75 billion) in aid for Syrian refugees and fast-track EU membership talks - to persuade Ankara to prevent migrants heading to Europe and take thousands who have since March 20 back from Greece. That deal has raised legal and moral questions, as EU nations unable to agree among themselves about how to handle the refugee emergency chose instead to outsource it to Turkey, where almost three million refugees are staying, most of them people fleeing war in Syria. Visa liberalisation, which must come by June 30, would be an important sign that the Europeans are living up to their promises. Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan has warned that the whole agreement would collapse if the EU reneges on any pledge. To secure the visa waiver, Turkey must meet not just technical but also legal and political criteria. They include areas like passport security - few Turks have biometric travel documents - border controls and surveillance, cooperation with the EU on dealing with crime, human rights issues linked to anti-terror and discrimination laws, and the readmission of irregular migrants. Some politicians are perplexed at how Ankara has been able to meet dozens of conditions within just a few weeks. "The European Parliament cannot accept endorsing hasty bazaar-style negotiations," Guy Verhofstadt, head of the liberal ALDE bloc, said recently. "The EU-Turkey deal can only be acceptable, if standards and legality are respected. We cannot outsource our asylum and migration policy to Turkey." The commission is insisting that Turkey must fully respect all the conditions. "The onus is on Turkey," commission vice-president Frans Timmermans said last week. "We will not play around with those benchmarks. They are clear, they are legally framed." The building where residents used a blanket to catch a woman and her three children as they jumped to safety in Pyeongtaek, South Korea (DVIDS via AP) Residents in a South Korean city rescued a woman and her three children from a fire by safely catching them with a blanket as they fell four floors, fire department officials said. About 10 people, including US servicemen, held the blanket and persuaded the woman to drop her children from a fourth-floor window and then jump herself before rescue workers arrived at the scene last week in the city of Pyeongtaek, said Moon Sang-hyeon, from the Songtan fire department. The children - aged one, three and four - were not hurt and their mother, a 30-year-old Nigerian, suffered only minor injuries, Mr Moon said. Another woman was rescued by fire workers from a third-floor bathroom and there were no more injuries from the fire. The four-storey building stood on a narrow alley near a busy outdoor market and a US military base, which made it difficult for fire trucks to reach the scene quickly, Mr Moon said. "Usually it's safer to be patient and wait for fire workers to come but in this case everything worked out for the best," Mr Moon said. Mobile phone footage capturing the dramatic rescue has appeared on social media pages. One of the Americans who assisted in the rescue was initially trapped herself, according to Osan air base, where all of the Americans involved work. Staff sergeant Cierra Rogers, 731st air mobility squadron administrative assistant, was inside the building when she smelled smoke. Unable to use the doors, she kicked out a window to reach the patio. "From then I made a decision because you can easily die from choking on smoke," Ms Rogers said in an account posted on the base website. She tried to climb down using wires attached to the patio, but fell about 4.5 metres (15ft) to the ground. The other US personnel who had noticed the fire rushed to her aid. Tech sergeant Stefan Haynes, 51st force support squadron passport official, then saw the mother and children. The father of five told himself: "No, this is not going to happen." The base's website said the Osan personnel involved in the rescue returned a few days later to meet the father, who expressed his gratitude. Ms Rogers suffered a deep cut from the broken glass. This photo taken through a car windscreen shows smoke rising from a wildfire outside of Fort McMurray, Alberta (Mary Anne Sexsmith-Segato/The Canadian Press via AP) A fire that forced the evacuation of the Canadian oil sands city of Fort McMurray in Alberta could get worse, officials have warned. More than 80,000 residents were ordered to flee as flames moved into the city, destroying whole neighbourhoods, but no injuries have been reported. An overnight update from the regional municipality of Wood Buffalo said the Beacon Hill suburb in the south end has suffered the most damage from flames, with 80% of homes lost. Fire chief Darby Allen told the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation that parts of wooded areas of the city are still burning but no structures were currently on fire. But Mr Allen said he was worried about the plumes of smoke he could see outside his window and was concerned about the wind and its direction. "It could be even more devastating unfortunately," he said. Firefighters are working to protect critical infrastructure, including the only bridge across the Athabasca River and Highway 63, the only route to the city from the south. Forestry manager Bernie Schmitte told reporters overnight that there was still danger from "very high temperatures, low relative humidities and some strong winds". Canadian public safety minister Ralph Goodale said the "situation is fluid and evolving rapidly" and he is watching developments with "great concern". He noted the federal government is monitoring the situation carefully, including the military. Defence minister Harjit Sajjan, in a conference call from Germany, confirmed a formal request for assistance has been received from the Alberta government. What form that will take - at least on the military side - is still being determined and they are expecting to hear soon about the kind of equipment and personnel required. "We're making all assets available, whatever the province and the emergency operations centre assesses that they need," he said. Alberta premier Rachel Notley called it the biggest evacuation in the history of the province. Resident Carol Christian, who drove to the evacuation centre with her son and their cat, said: "When you leave ... it's an overwhelming feeling to think that you'll never see your house again." "It was absolutely horrifying when we were sitting there in traffic. You look up and then you watch all the trees candle-topping ... up the hills where you live and you're thinking, 'Oh my God. We got out just in time'." Fort McMurray is in the heart of Canada's oil sands region. The Alberta oil sands are the third largest reserves of oil in the world, behind Saudi Arabia and Venezuela. Most oil sands projects are well north of the community, while the worst of the flames were on the city's south side. Suncor, the largest oil sands operator, said it is reducing production at its regional facility - about 15 miles north of the city - so as "to allow employees and their families to get to safety". Medical staffers who were evacuated to Noralta Lodge, 26 kilometres (16 miles) north of Fort McMurray, were ready when a local woman went into labour. Fort McMurray mayor Melissa Blake saluted the news on Twitter: "Time for good news. I hear a baby (maybe 2) was born tonight and delivered by @NoraltaLodge! Full service evacuation rocks! #bewellbabies" The blaze had burned since Sunday and seemed on its way to being neutralised on Tuesday morning, but it overwhelmed firefighters when winds shifted quickly and drastically in the mid-afternoon to the south west of the city. Pictures and video on social media depicted a hellish scene of fire jumping roads and burning debris being pitched into the paths of cars as frantic residents, lined up bumper to bumper, scrambled to find their way through the thick grey haze. Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau tweeted that he had spoken to Ms Notley and said the federal government stands ready to help. He urged residents to follow evacuation orders. As the afternoon wore on and the fire intensified, more and more sections of the city were ordered evacuated until the entire community was ordered out after 6pm. Oil sands work camps were being pressed into service to house evacuees as the raging wildfire emptied the city. Resident Breanna Schmidt said evacuating almost felt like "an apocalypse". "We had to literally drive through smoke and fire, vehicles littered all over the sides of the road, and we had to drive as fast as we could and breathe as little as we could because the smoke was so intense and we could feel the heat from inside the vehicle," she said. Former National Hockey League player Doug Sulliman said he could see from his apartment balcony that both sides of the highway south were engulfed in flames and estimated hundreds of homes in the Beacon Hill suburb over the hill were destroyed. "You could hear the pop, pop, pop because of the propane tanks. The fire was just consuming these houses. It just destroyed the whole community," he said. He decided the best place to stay was the apartment but he was forced out three hours later. "I woke up just in time," he said. "Smoke had come into the apartment, but not bad. When I opened the door to the hallway it was burning my eyes and when I went outside it was burning my throat." He said the highway opened and it was bumper to bumper, adding that there were many cars on the side of the road because service stations were out of fuel. He said RV campsites were destroyed. "There was a Shell gas station that blew up and a Denny's next door. There was nothing but the foundation and it was still smouldering in flames," he said. In all the airtime given to the debate about anti-semitism and anti-zionism, most people who contributed seemed to agree that anti-semitism was wrong, but that it was reasonable to condemn the so-called 'apartheid' behaviour of the state of Israel - the only democracy in the Middle East. These are the facts: when the state of Israel was formed, the Arabs were not expelled. Many chose to stay and nowadays roughly 21% of Israel's more than eight million citizens are Arabs. The vast majority of the Israeli Arabs - 81% - are Muslims. Arabs in Israel have equal voting rights; in fact, it is one of the few places in the Middle East where Arab women may vote. Arabs currently hold 10 seats in the Knesset. And Arabic, like Hebrew, is an official language. The sole legal distinction between Jewish and Arab citizens is that the latter are not required to serve in the Israeli army. This was to spare Arab citizens the need to take up arms against their brethren. Nevertheless, many Arabs have volunteered for military duty. Israel's existence is under constant threat from its neighbours and its apparently controversial actions must be seen in the light of it acting in defence. This tiny country is surrounded by those who wish to wipe it from the face of the earth. Of course, some of the acts of the citizens and government of Israel should be condemned. There is no country in the world which can claim that it and its citizens are perfect. AMALIA MICHAELS By email Last updated: September 30, 2020 BN Media, LLC, (BN Media, "Beliefnet," we, us) has adopted this privacy policy (the Privacy Policy), which describes how we collect, use and share personally identifiable information (such as your full name, email address or mobile number) (PII) we obtain online and offline from and about individuals located in the United States. The Beliefnet.com web site (https://www.Beliefnet.com) (the Site) is a general audience web site, and we do not knowingly collect PII from children under 16 years of age. Our Privacy Policy applies to "Visitors, which means that you simply browse or use the Site, Subscribers, which means that you have subscribed to receive one or more BN Media newsletter, email alerts or partner emails, and "Members," which means that you have registered with BN Media. The term "User" refers to a Visitor, Subscriber or a Member. By using the Site, you signify your agreement with all the terms of this Privacy Policy. If you do not agree to the terms of this Privacy Policy, please do not use the Site. Our Privacy Policy does not apply to those web sites that do not display or link to this Privacy Policy or that have their own privacy statements. BN Media may modify this Privacy Policy at any time. Each such modification will be effective upon posting on the Site and the effective date will be noted at the beginning of such revised Privacy Policy. Your continued use of the Site after BN Media posts a revised Privacy Policy on the Site signifies your acceptance of the revised Privacy Policy. Therefore, you should review the Privacy Policy periodically so that you are up to date on our most current policies and practices. If BN Media materially changes its practices regarding collection or use of your PII, your PII will continue to be governed by the Privacy Policy under which it was collected unless you have been provided notice of, and have not objected to, such change. In the event the last e-mail address you provided to us is not valid or is not capable of delivering the notice to you, BN Medias dispatch of an e-mail containing the notice to that e-mail address shall nonetheless constitute effective notice. Because the BN Media services are hosted in the United States, if you are a User located outside the United States, you understand and consent to having any PII and non-PII you provide transferred to and processed in the United States. The data protection and other laws of other countries, such as the United States, may not be the same as those in your jurisdiction. As a result, please read this Privacy Policy with care. A. COLLECTION: COLLECTION OF PII AND NON-PII BY BN MEDIA (What Data Do We Collect, Where We Collect It From, and Why) 1. General . When BN Media collects PII from you it is because you are voluntarily submitting PII to us in order to register as a Member or a Subscriber. BN Media may also collect PII from you so that you can participate in activities like creating a personal profile (Your Profile), sweepstakes, contests, surveys, forums, in connection with questions you submit to us, or because you want us or a third party to furnish you with products, services or information. You are responsible for ensuring that the PII you provide is accurate and up-to-date. We may also obtain PII from reputable third parties or supplement PII that we have collected directly from our Users with additional PII or non-PII from reputable third parties. In addition, BN Media collects non-PII including, without limitation, IP address, aggregate User data, and browser type. This non-PII data is used to manage and improve the BN Media services, enhance your experience on the Site, track usage, and for security purposes. Our primary service provider for collecting and processing site data and behavior is Google. You can find more information on Googles processing activities, by clicking on the following link (https://www.google.com/policies/technologies/partner-sites/). We have also entered into Data Processing Amendments with third-party data and advertising partners, where necessary, to ensure compliance with all relevant local, national, and international regulations. You may also choose to voluntarily provide or store non-PII in Your Profile (as described in Section A (1) (a) below) or on message boards or other public forums, including but not limited to, text, files, images, photos, video, musical works, works of authorship, personal statements, comments or any other materials (collectively Content) that you choose to post to the Site (Content posted by any User is "User Content"). If you choose to store your Profile Information (as defined below in Section A (1) (a)), User Content or any PII on Your Profile, or provide any Profile Information, PII or User Content on message boards or other public forums provided on the Site, this information and content will be made public and you do so at your sole discretion and risk. As noted above with regards to Googles Data Activities on our site(s) as well as others across the web, the following resources may be helpful for you in understanding, changing, updating, and maintaining your profile data with Google. These pages provide you with detailed information and give you control over your data with Google: Myaccount.google.com Myactivity.google.com Privacy.google.com Important Information about Changing and Updating your Registration Data and Your Profile Information. Members can change, correct, edit or remove their Registration Data (as defined below in Section A (1) (a)) and Your Profile information at any time and can control how Users and BN Media communicate with them by controlling their profile settings and privacy settings, available within the Edit Profile portion of the Profile section located in the Community section of the Site. BN Media collects information from you at several different points on the Site in the manner set forth below: (a). Member Registration and Your Profile : In order to access certain information and services on the Site, you must first register to become a Member by completing the BN Media registration credentials. During the Member registration process you will be required to provide registration data, which may include PII such as your full name and e-mail address (such PII is the Registration PII) and non-PII such as a password (Registration Non-PII, collectively with Registration PII, the Registration Data). You may also choose to voluntarily provide or store PII (such as your first and last name), non-PII and User Content in Your Profile (such information is your Profile Information). During the registration process you will also be required to create a User Name. The User Name you provide will automatically be incorporated into Your Profile and will be made public. Please choose your User Name carefully; if you do not want your full name to be public, do not use it as your User Name. The Profile Information you include in Your Profile will automatically be made public and you provide it at your own discretion and risk. (b). Newsletters; Email Alerts : During the subscription process you will be required to provide subscriber data, which may include PII such as your full name and e-mail address (such information is the Subscriber PII) and zip code (such information is the Subscriber Non-PII, collectively with Subscriber PII the Subscriber Data). If you would like to unsubscribe from any BN Media newsletter or email alert, please use the unsubscribe link on the bottom of such newsletter or email. (c) Sweepstakes, Contests and Promotions : On the Site, you may have the opportunity to participate in sweepstakes, contests and other promotions that may require you to provide PII or other information about yourself. If and when we sponsor sweepstakes, contests or other promotions, or third parties sponsor such sweepstakes, contests or promotions with us, either we or the third party will post relevant privacy information in the official rules and/or registration area for the sweepstakes, contest or promotion. That privacy information, to the extent it conflicts with this Privacy Policy, will govern that particular sweepstakes, contest or promotionplease remember to read it carefully. 2. Cookies . Cookies are small bits of information that the Site places on the hard drive of your computer. BN Media uses cookies to identify your Internet browser, store your BN Media username for easy logon, store Users preferences, keep you logged in, and identify parts of the Site you have visited, applications you are using, advertisements you have seen and/or products you have purchased. Information about your activities on the Site and other non-PII about you may also be used to customize the online ads you encounter to those we believe are consistent with your interests. BN Media, or data providers we have engaged, use cookies to enable you to receive customized ads (either on our site(s) or in our outbound marketing efforts on other sites and platforms), content or services, and to provide BN Media with certain information that enhances and enriches the user experience and our ability to understand our audience and inform our content strategy.. No PII is placed into these cookies. The cookies may reflect demographic or other data linked to data you voluntarily have submitted to us, e.g., your e-mail address in hashed, non-human readable form. To opt-out of these cookies, please go to http://www.privacychoice.org/companies and http://www.aboutads.info/choices. You can opt out of our in-app behavioral targeted advertising by changing the settings on your mobile device. On Apple devices, the setting may be under Settings-Privacy-Advertising-Limit Ad Tracking. On Android devices, the setting may be under Settings-Account & Sync-Google-Ads-Opt Out of Interest-Based Ads. For further information, please go to the following links with device-specific opt-out instructions. iOS - https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT202074 Android - https://support.google.com/ads/answer/2662922?hl=en Third party advertisements displayed on the Site may also contain cookies set by Internet advertising companies or advertisers. BN Media does not control these cookies and Users of the Site should check the privacy policy of the Internet advertising company or advertiser to see whether and how it uses cookies. (See Section C (Notice) below for more information on third party advertisements). For personal, browser-specific information on how you can adjust your cookie and privacy settings and configurations on your devices, weve compiled the following list of resources: Internet Explorer https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/17442/windows-internet-explorer-delete-manage-cookies Firefox https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/delete-cookies-remove-info-websites-stored Chrome https://support.google.com/chrome/answer/95647?co=GENIE.Platform=Desktop&hl=en Safari https://support.apple.com/kb/ph21411?locale=en_US BN Media may use cookies and similar technology to relate your use of the Site to PII obtained from you or a reputable third party. For example, if you have asked us to provide you information about our upcoming products or promotions, cookie and/or click stream data about your activities on the Site may allow us to limit the materials we provide you to items we think you will find interesting, based on your prior online activities and preferences. You can program your computer to warn you each time a cookie is being set or to refuse cookies completely. However, without cookies you may not have access to certain features on the Site. A pixel tag or web beacon is a tiny image inserted in a webpage and used to record the number and types of views for that page. BN Media may allow third party pixel tags or similar technology to be present on the Site for purposes of advertising, providing services or data and statistics collection. We also may use this type of technology in order to recognize Users and assess traffic patterns, and we may include pixel tags/web beacons in our e-mail messages, including newsletters, in order to understand the time and date of when a User has opened an e-email and when he/she has utilized a link within the e-mail to visit a website. These pixel tags/web beacons do not contain PII. Users wishing to disable our pixel tags/web beacons should do so by turning images off in their email client (e.g., Outlook, Outlook Express). Please see your e-mail client for more information. Notwithstanding anything else in this policy, we or a data provider we have engaged may place or recognize a unique cookie on your browser to enable customized ads or content. No personally identifiable information is placed into these cookies. The cookies may reflect de-identified demographic or other data linked to data you have submitted to us, e.g., your email address, in hashed, non-human readable form. To opt-out of these cookies, please go tohttp://www.aboutads.info/choices. Uses of cookies, web beacons, and similar technologies: Our uses of such technologies fall into the following general categories: 1. Operationally Necessary. We may use cookies, web beacons, or other similar technologies that are necessary to the operation of our sites, services, applications, and tools. This includes technologies that allow you access to our sites, services, applications, and tools; that are required to identify irregular site behavior, prevent fraudulent activity and improve security; or that allow you to make use of our functions such as shopping-carts, saved search, or similar functions; 2. Performance Related. We may use cookies, web beacons, or other similar technologies to assess the performance of our websites, applications, services, and tools, including as part of our analytic practices to help us understand how our visitors use our websites, determine if you have interacted with our messaging, determine whether you have viewed an item or link, or to improve our website content, applications, services, or tools; 3. Functionality Related. We may use cookies, web beacons, or other similar technologies that allow us to offer you enhanced functionality when accessing or using our sites, services, applications, or tools. This may include identifying you when you sign into our sites or keeping track of your specified preferences, interests, or past items viewed so that we may enhance the presentation of content on our sites; 4. Advertising or Targeting Related. We may use first-party or third-party cookies and web beacons to deliver content, including ads relevant to your interests, on our sites or on third party sites. This includes using technologies to understand the usefulness to you of the advertisements and content that have been delivered to you, such as whether you have clicked on an advertisement. This information enables us to tailor our advertisements on third-party platforms like Facebook, Google, and other buying platforms and ensures that we can serve and target relevant ads to users on behalf of us and our advertising partners. 3. Message Boards and Public Forums : The message boards and public forums and similar features offered on the Site are for public and not private communications, and you have no expectation of privacy with regard to any PII, User Content or other information posted, submitted or distributed on or through a message board or public forum. BN Media cannot guarantee the security of any information you disclose through any of the message boards or public forums available on the Site, and you make such disclosures at your own discretion and risk. 4. Third Party Ad and Service Provider Disclosures and Resources Certain of our Third-party Advertisement and Data Service Providers have provided resources and disclosures to help you understand their positions in our site, data, and privacy framework. Below are those disclosures and resources: Exponential Subject to your consent, Exponential Interactive, Inc collect and profile personal data in the form of IP address and cookie ID from users on our website in order to provide targeted online advertising and ad measurement. You may change your consent decision at any time via . For more details including access requests and complaints, review their privacy policy or contact their data protection officer via privacy@exponential.com. Criteo The purpose of Criteo Email is to find visitors of Criteo advertising clients properties (websites, apps and newsletters) and send them personalized emails. Criteo uses cookies to single out users and then personalize ads based on their browsing experience. To learn more or opt out of Criteo Email click here (link to Criteo privacy policy at http://privacy.criteoemail.com/us/privacy-policy.html) Nativo Subject to your consent, Nativo, Inc. collects and processes personal data in the form of IP address and cookie ID from users on our website to measure user engagement and personalize ads and content based on your interests. You may visit Nativos Privacy Policy and Interest Based Ads Privacy Policy for more information and to object to such processing. B. Collection of Personal Financial Information on the Site by an independent Third Party company BN Media may use an independent third party company to process purchases and financial transactions on the Site. When an independent third party company selected by BN Media collects, transmits and/or processes your PII and your personal financial information, such as your credit card information or other payment information (collectively, Personal Financial Information), on the Site it is because you are submitting such Personal Financial Information in order to purchase any products or services offered from time to time on the Site. At the time of your purchase, BN Media will notify you of the identity of any third party that is collecting, transmitting and/or processing your Personal Financial Information. You must be 18 years of age or older to submit Personal Financial Information on the Site, including to place an order on the Site. You acknowledge and agree that this Privacy Policy will not apply to any Personal Financial Information that you provide to any independent third party company on the Site and that all payment obligations related to such purchase shall be governed solely by the applicable independent third party companys privacy policy. You further acknowledge and agree that BN Media will have no liability for or control over such independent third party companys use or protection of your Personal Financial Information. You should check the privacy policy of the independent third party companys website to determine how it will handle any Personal Financial Information it collects from you and/or processes. You acknowledge and agree that in the event that such independent third party company experiences a data breach that compromises or otherwise affects your Personal Financial Information, BN Media shall in no way be responsible or liable to you for such breach. You should contact the applicable independent third party company regarding any such data breach. C. NOTICE: BN MEDIA WILL PROVIDE YOU WITH NOTICE ABOUT ITS PII AND NON-PII COLLECTION PRACTICES When you voluntarily provide PII to BN Media, we will make sure you are informed about who is collecting the information, how and why the information is being collected and the types of uses BN Media will make of the information. At the time you provide your PII, BN Media will notify you of your options regarding our use of your PII, including whether we will share it with outside companies (See Section D ( Choice ) below). This Privacy Policy describes the types of other companies that may want to send you information about their products and services and therefore may want to share your PII, provided you have given BN Media permission to do so (See Section E ( Use ) below). Sometimes we collect PII from consumers in an off-line or manual format, such as by mobile phone. Providing detailed notice in those situations often proves impractical, so consumers will instead be provided with a short notice that describes how to obtain the full text of this Privacy Policy and other relevant information from us. The Site may be linked to Internet web sites operated by other companies. Some of these third party web sites may be co-branded with a BN Media logo, even though they are not operated or maintained by BN Media (for example, the co-sponsored chat pages, advertising sponsor pages or product purchase pages). The Site also carries advertisements from other companies. BN Media is not responsible for the privacy practices of web sites operated by third parties that are linked to the Site, for the privacy practices of third party or national Internet advertising companies or for third party payment processing companies selected by BN Media. Once you leave a BN Media Site via such a link or by clicking on an advertisement, BN Media's Privacy Policy no longer applies and you should check the applicable privacy policy of the third party or advertiser web site to determine how they will handle any PII they collect from you. The Site may also be linked to web sites operated by companies affiliated with BN Media. Visitors to those affiliated web sites should still refer to their separate privacy policies and practices, which may differ in some respects from this Privacy Policy. Some of the advertisements that appear on BN Medias Site are delivered to you by national Internet advertising companies. These companies utilize certain technologies to deliver advertisements and marketing messages and to collect non-PII information about your visit to the Site, including information about the advertisements they display, any cookie they place on your computer and your IP address. To opt out of information collection by these companies, or to obtain information about the technologies they use or their own privacy policies, please visit: http://www.networkadvertising.org/managing/opt_out.asp. D. CHOICE: BN MEDIA WILL PROVIDE YOU WITH CHOICES ABOUT THE USE OF YOUR PII BN Media will not use the PII you provide to us for purposes different from the purpose for which it was submitted unless otherwise provided in this Privacy Policy (See Section E ( Use ) below). BN Media will not share your PII with third parties that are not affiliated with BN Media, unless we obtain your permission or as otherwise provided in this Privacy Policy (See Section E ( Use ) below). E. USE: BN MEDIAS USE OF PII BN Media will use your PII provided under this Privacy Policy in a manner that is consistent with this Privacy Policy. If BN Media obtains PII from a third party, such as a business partner, our use of that PII is governed by this Privacy Policy. BN Media may occasionally send Users information about special offers, Site updates, contests and other offerings via e-mail. We may also send information about products and offerings of our partners or other affiliated companies that we think may be of interest to our Users. To opt out of receiving these messages, click on the opt-out link at the bottom of our e-mails. BN Media may also share your PII with affiliated companies. In addition, BN Media may share your PII with advertisers and business partners that are not affiliated with BN Media, but would like to send you information about their products and services. For example, BN Media may share your PII with the companies who supply prizes for BN Medias contests and may have special offers or promotions that might be of interest to BN Media users. BN Media employees, agents and contractors must have a legitimate business or legal reason to access your PII. BN Media may share your PII with outside contractors or agents who help us provide you with services or products or who help us manage our information activities, but they may only use your PII to provide BN Media with a specific service and not for any other purpose. For example, if you enter a sweepstakes on the Site, your PII may be shared with our sweepstakes administrators. BN Media may also enter into agreements with outside companies that possess the technology that allows BN Media to customize the advertising and marketing messages you receive on the Site. Your Non-PII and click stream data about your activities on the Site may be shared with these companies so this customization may be accomplished. Anonymous click stream and demographic information may also be shared with BN Media's advertisers and business partners. There may be instances when BN Media may disclose PII without providing you with a choice in order to protect the legal rights of BN Media, other affiliated companies or any of their employees, agents and contractors; to protect the safety and security of any person, including, without limitation, Users of the Site, or the public; to protect against fraud or for risk management purposes; or to comply with the law or legal process. In addition, if BN Media sells all or part of its business or makes a sale or transfer of assets or is otherwise involved in a merger or business transfer, BN Media may transfer your PII to a third party as part of that transaction. F. SECURITY: BN MEDIA PROTECTS THE SECURITY OF PII BN Media uses reasonable administrative, technical, personnel and physical measures to safeguard PII in its possession against loss, theft and unauthorized use, disclosure or modification. However, no security system is impenetrable. BN Media cannot warrant or guarantee the security of its servers, nor can it guarantee that any information, including, without limitation any PII, that you supply will not be intercepted while being transmitted to BN Media over the Internet. Additionally, as outlined in our DPAs with third-party processors, BN Media will also be notified promptly by our third-party data processors of any breach of their systems so we can notify users immediately. G. California Privacy Rights Under California law, California residents have certain rights. The following describes how California residents may exercise those rights: Right to Know You may request that we disclose to you, for the 12 months preceding your request, the following: (i) the categories of personal information we have collected about you, (ii) the categories of sources from which the personal information is collected, (iii) the business purpose for collecting or selling personal information, (iv) the categories of third parties with whom we shared your personal information, and (v) the personal information we collected, used, disclosed, and sold about you. To receive such information, please submit a request by email at copyrightagent@bnmediallc.com or call us at 1-833-796-0136 (enter PIN: 141439). We will use the information you provide to us solely for the purpose of verifying your request and locating your data, if any, within our records. In some instances, we may ask for (and require) additional information to verify your identity before we can release the information requested. Please note, under California law, such requests can be made a maximum of twice per twelve-month period. Well respond to your request in a manner consistent with the laws of your state. Disclosure or Sale of Personal Information We share PII with third parties in exchange for something of value. The laws of some states consider this a sale of PII. For example, sharing an advertising or device identifier to a third party may be considered a sale under the laws of certain states. Some states allow you to opt out of the sale of your PII. Categories of PII Collected, Categories of Sources, Purpose of Collection, and Categories of Third Parties to Whom We Disclose or Sell PII We collected the following categories of PII over the past 12 months. For each category, we have indicated the categories of sources from which the PII was collected, the business purpose for which we collected the PII, and categories of third parties to whom we disclose or sell the PII. Category of Information Sources Examples of Information and Purpose of Collection Third Parties to Whom We May Disclose Information Identifiers User Provided Data through forms, opt-ins, and subscriptions to our sites. Browsing activity across our websites on desktop, mobile, and tablet devices Interaction or Engagement with emails and newsletters Name, Address, Email address, IP Address, Cookie ID, Zip Code, and other information collected through signup forms across our sites. Uses of this data include helping improve and customize experience on our sites and in our emails Affiliates, Service Providers, third-party advertisers and analytics providers Internet or other electronic network activity information: Browsing activity across our websites on desktop, mobile, and tablet devices. Interaction or Engagement with emails and newsletters Browsing activity on our sites and apps, browser type and browser language. This also encompasses other information that gets collected automatically when you use our sites and apps or interact with us through social media. Used in analytics and personalization on our site to allow us to understand activity and improve experience for our readers and users. We also use their search behavior to personalize content and advertising Affiliates, Service Providers, Third parties, such as third-party advertisers and analytics providers Geolocation data Browsing activity across our websites on desktop, mobile, and tablet devices. Interaction or Engagement with emails and newsletters IP addresses and inferences made from IP address. Used in analytics and personalization on our site to allow us to understand activity and improve experience for our readers and users. We also use their search behavior to personalize content and advertising Affiliates, Service Providers, Third parties, such as third-party advertisers, and advertising and list brokering networks and analytics providers Inferences Browsing activity across our websites on desktop, mobile, and tablet devices. Interaction or Engagement with emails and newsletters preferences, predispositions and behavior as they relate to our sites and apps. Used in analytics and personalization on our site to allow us to understand activity and improve experience for our readers and users. We also use their search behavior to personalize content and advertising Affiliates, Service Providers, Third parties, such as third-party advertisers, and advertising and list brokering networks and analytics providers In addition, we may disclose PII and Non-PII as follows: To service providers or parties that we have engaged to perform business-related functions on our behalf. This may include service providers that conduct research and analytics, create content, provide customer, technical or operational support, conduct or support marketing, fulfill orders and user requests, administer contests, maintain databases, send or support online or mobile advertising and otherwise support our Products and Services. In response to legal processes such as court orders or subpoenas, law enforcement or government agency requests or similar requests. With our affiliates so they can provide, improve and communicate with you about their own, or their marketing partners, products and services. In the event that we consider the transfer our assets or sale of our business, either in whole or in part, Data, including PII, may be one of the assets transferred or sold, and may therefore be used by a third-party acquirer in accordance with this Policy. Such use by a third party may include review of PII, using such PII to contact you either before or after such a transfer or sale, use or transfer of non-PII before or after such a transfer or sale, or for other purposes. In addition, we may share your information as described below: Information You Elect to Share: You may choose to share information with Third Parties by clicking on links to those Third Parties from within the Products. In addition, you may elect to share information, including PII, through the Services offered on the Products by, for instance, posting comments on comment boards or listing classified advertisements. Some of your activity on the Products, including content you have posted, is public by default. Some of this content may include PII. Third-Party Advertisers and Web Sites: We may share your PII and non-PII with Third Parties as described in the section above titled Third-Party Advertising and Third-Party Web Sites. Information Disclosed to Vendors, Partners, Service Providers, and Others for Business Purposes: We contract with vendors to provide services related to the Products and may share information with such vendors in order to provide products or services to you or to help maintain the Products. We also may share PII and non-PII with our partners, service providers and other persons with whom we conduct business. Information Disclosed for the Protection of the Products and for Others. 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Right now, there is no industry standard for how companies should respond to do not track signals, although one may be adopted in the future. We do not respond to do not track signals at this time. If we do so in the future, we will modify this Policy accordingly. More information about do not track is available at www.allaboutdnt.org. No matter where you turn, theres always one thing thats for sure youre going to find conflict wherever you go. Your intentions could be the best of the best yet, youll still find yourself face-to-face with a complicated situation that causes you to question your morals and ethics. The real problem with conflict is not that it exists, but is how people choose to handle conflict and that lies the real problems within our society. Everyday people claim to be Christians yet, they verbalize ill comments and act out because of the conflictive nature they are facing. Society is quick to judge these people by proclaiming them less of a Christian because they reacted negatively. But, does a mere reaction mean youre not a Christian? The answer is absolutely not! Just because youre a Christian doesnt mean youre going to live free from mistakes. In reality, as long as youre living for Jesus Christ and doing your best thats all that can be asked of you. Now should a Christian react to lifes conflicts with a hot headed nature? Of course not, but mistakes happen and we as Christians must move on. Jesus died on the cross for our sins and he would want us to also forgive the sins of our sisters and brothers. Proverbs 10:12 says, Hatred stirs up conflict, but love covers over all wrongs. While conflict is inevitable, its important to recognize the hatred that lies within conflict and how the negativity can consume those who are suffering from conflictive natures. As Christians, we must be willing to look for the good within the evil and find a way to still love because in the end love will prevail. True Christians recognize the reality behind the day-to-day life of the average person and they do not hold grudges. In many cases, it may appear to be easier said than done to let hurtful actions go. However, Christians must have a wider lens and be able to accept the good with the bad. There may not always be a black and white solution to the problem, however we can demonstrate the unconditional love of Christ as a response to a hateful act. Matthew 18:16 says, But if they will not listen, take one or two others along, so that every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses. The only real way to combat conflict is to go at it with a great deal of wisdom, grace and love. And those who are called to deal with difficult conflictive situations should practice spiritual maturity that is lined thick with patience and kindness. Sometimes conflict calls for reinforcements and is not something that can be handled by one person in many cases an entire community is truly needed in order to overcome a difficult situation. This is where Matthew 18:16 truly comes into play its important to accept help from others and understand that there is no shame in a helping hand. In fact, youll grow into a stronger person if youre able to accept assistance throughout life. This doesnt make you any less a Christian. However, it does mean that youre listening to the following of Christ and youre willing to succumb to his teachings and plan. Conflict causes people to lose sight of whats important because they allow conflict to fester. Matthew 5:25-26 speaks about this and says, Settle matters quickly with your adversary who is taking you to court. Do it while you are still together on the way, or your adversary may hand you over to the judge, and the judge may hand you over to the officer, and you may be thrown into prison. Truly I tell you, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny. Christians need to understand the importance of letting go. Jesus laid his life on the line for all of our sins therefore, it is our duty as his children to settle our own matters in timely manner. Conflict blinds everyone and steers hearts and emotions into endless circles. With all that said youll turn on your TV tonight and see the faces of wanted people because they acted out and allowed conflict to take over their lives. Do Christ and yourself a favor and do not judge. This is a big part of being a Christian youre vowing to abstain from casting judgment. Instead pray for them and ask the Lord to guide them through this difficult time within their life. Look for ways you can use your faith to guide those around you and help them from creating these mistakes that you see all over the news. Christians make a difference and do not allow conflict to take over their lives. Angela Guzman is a Writer at Large for Beliefnet The celebration of Passover by Christians has been a great topic of debate in Jewish and Christian circles. Before taking your stance, its important to understand what the Passover is. The first of Gods seven annual festivals is the Passover (Leviticus 23:5). This falls in early spring in the Holy Land. The celebration of the Passover is in remembrance of the time in Israels history when the Lord moved through Egypt destroying the firstborn of all animals and people. This is described in great detail in the Old Testament in Exodus 11 and 12. The Israelites had been slaves in Egypt for hundreds of years. God commissioned Moses to lead the Israelites out slavery and out of Egypt but Pharaoh refused to let them leave. Though Pharaoh told his servants that he would release them, He never followed through on His promises and God took action. The plagues were Gods judgment in action on Egypt as a result of Pharaohs refusal to release the children of Israel, Gods people. The Passover references the final of the ten plagues God placed upon Egypt as a way to force Pharaoh to let the Israelites leave the country and their enslavement. The final plague was death of the first born, the most horrific of the ten. The Bible tells us at around midnight one night, all the firstborn children of the Egyptians began to die, including the first child of Pharaoh, which was the highest position in Egyptian society, and the first child of the maidservants, which was the lowest occupation in Egyptian society. The Israelites were commanded by God to take the blood of a male lamb that was without blemish, and smear it on the doorposts of their home. When the Lord saw the blood, he would pass over that house. This foreshadows the coming of Jesus, the spotless lamb of God whose blood would cover our sins for those who believe in Him. Gods judgment passed over believers who honored His command. Since that night, Jews have celebrated Passover in remembrance of Gods grace to them. There has been great interest in adapting the Passover festival to Christianity. One of these organizations includes Jews for Jesus. This group has promoted Christian Passover services in an effort to retain their cultural heritage, while also professing their Christian faith. Theyve even created a resource called Christ in the Passover, a visual demonstration that shows the link between the ancient Festival of Redemption and Christ as the Lamb of God. It begins with a table set with traditional Passover items. Through a Jewish Passover seder, the visual weaves the story of the Exodus together with the life, death and resurrection of Christ. Many churches that use this resource finish the presentation by celebrating communion, enriching the churchs communion experience. This has also been a means to communicate to Christians the value of their religious heritage, and a unique way to bring the story of salvation to life. While Jewish and Christian leaders, both in history and present day have offered considerable objection to the observance of the Passover, its important to turn to the Scripture for the answer. It is written in the Bible Because of Christ our Passover has been sacrificed for us; therefore, let us observed the festival [Passover and Unleavened Bread]with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth (1 Corinthians 5:7-8). This was written directly from a Christian apostle who was still a Jewish rabbi, and it was given to Gentiles. The Bible points to the celebration. In terms of how Christians should celebrate the Passover, the Bible also gives us an answer. We can turn directly to Jesus for it. Jesus celebrated the Passover with His disciples in the traditional Seder that were prescribed in His time by the sages. This was the order which He employed in the Last supper. Paul gives us the liturgical order for recognizing Jesus sacrificial death in the Passover celebration. The Bible tells us: For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me. In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me. For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lords death until he comes. The Lords supper occurred in a Passover seder. Communion represents the final Passover. While it is not a requirement for Christians to celebrate the Passover, it is beneficial to understand and celebrate the Passover if it leads to a greater understanding and appreciation for the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Christians who observe the annual memorial marking of Jesus death are reminded that eternal life only comes through Him. It is also a great reminder of His deliverance of us from the bondage of sin. Jesus sacrifice is the starting point of salvation. Lesli White is an Editor for Beliefnet.com Celebrating Diwali Around the World By Dilshad Ali Diyas, or tiny clay pots, are filled with oil into which a cotton string wick is inserted and lit. These little beacons are then displayed in Hindu homes across India and around the world this month to celebrate Diwali, the Festival of Lights that commemorates the victory of good over evil. Also known as Deepavali, this important Hindu holiday is a significant festival for Jains, Sikhs and even Buddhists. But more so for billions of Hindus the world over, Diwali is one of the most special times of the year. Diwali is known to most as a time of celebration, shopping, eating good food, and displaying those beautiful little diyas. But its significance goes much deeper, and though it typically lasts five days, various groups in Hinduism celebrate it in different ways. The holiday follows a lunar calendar, and it centers on the new moon that ends the Hindu month of Ashwin. Want to learn more? Get immersed in the celebration of Diwali with these five common Diwali customs as celebrated by people around the world. Holi is a lively Hindu festival celebrating the arrival of spring. It dates back to texts from the 11th century and is connected to both deities and rites of spring. You may know it best from images of Eat, Pray, Love where villagers toss vibrant colored powders onto each other and dance in the streets with joy. Holi falls around the time of the vernal equinox what in Western tradition would be the first day of spring. The deep meaning of Holi is connected to different Indian legends and their symbolic messages. The focus may vary depending on the part of India and the world where it is celebrated. Holi celebrates the story of a pure-hearted devotee, Prahlad who underwent many trials to maintain his faith as well as the burning of carnal desires by Shiva to reach a higher level of love. The stories, rituals and meanings behind them follow. The Legend of Prahlad and Holi Prahlad loved the Divine more than anything. This isnt easy when your father is Hiranyakashipu, the king of demons. While Prahlad worshiped the Divine in the form of Lord Vishnu, Prahlads father persecuted him. He gave his son poison, but in his mouth it turned into nectar. He ordered that Prahlad be trampled by elephants, but again God protected him. He was placed with poisonous serpents, but they didnt strike him. Finally, he ordered Prahlad to sit on a burning pyre on his sister Holikas lap. Holika had been given a boon by one of the gods that she could withstand fire. Prahlad bowed to his fathers command, but when the pyre was lit, Prahlad was protected while his sister burned to ashes. The name for the Holi festival and the bonfires are derived from Holikas name. Shiva Burning Away Desires on Holi Another legend associated with Holi is the story of Shiva and Kama, the lord of desire. Shiva is renowned for remaining undisturbed in deep meditation, but Kama sought out Shiva in order to stop a powerful demon who was destroying the earth. Only a seven-day-old child issuing from Shiva himself could stop the carnage. The people sought the help of Kama, the god of love and desire in Hindu mythology, so that Shiva might marry Parvathi and bear a child. Kama found Shiva in deep meditation and shot arrows at him to draw him out. But Shiva only opened his third eye and burned Kama to ash. The devas pleaded that Shiva restore Kama, and he was restored in ethereal form, representing a higher form of love. His intimate friend is Vasanta or the Spring. Shiva and Parvathi came together and gave birth to a son who killed the demon. The story represents releasing lower desires for desire for divine love. Naturally Colorful Celebrations The colors of Holi celebrate the renewal that arrives with the flowers and colors of spring. The colors were traditionally made from flowers, herbs and roots with medicinal value which may have been considered to act as protection against fevers and illness associated with the change of season. The powders were made from neem, turmeric, beetroot and its juice, henna and other natural plants. Red, green, yellow, blue and black powders fly from rooftops and in crowded squares and the festival transcends classes and caste. The colors used which were once made naturally from flowers are now often artificial. Environmental movements encourage a return to natural colors. The festival is celebrated over several days and may include creating beautiful and intricate rangoli or kolam patterns at the thresholds of houses as a way to bless visitors and those who enter. Families also gather around a bonfire where an effigy of Holika is burned to recall the triumph of Prahlad and the burning of his evil sister. Like many spring festivals around the world, it may also represent the burning away of the dullness of winter. Lord Krishna and his consort, Radha, are also associated with Holi. The day after the burning of Holika, some people place the ash from the fire mixed with sandalwood paste on their foreheads. Though for many people it is a secular holiday, Holi ultimately signifies the triumph of good over evil and of sensual values over spiritual ones. Holi Around the World As the Indian population grows, Holi is becoming a familiar festival celebrated on campuses and at Hindu and Indian homes worldwide. Elders may share stories and legends of Holi while families cook special dishes, decorate homes and exchange gifts. In Nepal, Holi is a national holiday. Its also celebrated in England, South Africa and elsewhere around the globe. A recent review article has shown that patients who have planned in advance for the end of their lives spend less time in the hospital, receive fewer intensive treatments, and have greater quality of life when they reach their final days. In addition, their surviving relatives experience less stress, anxiety and depression during the process. These findings from studies that have been conducted over several years at multiple sites present a compelling argument for planning ahead for the end-of-life and completing advance directives. Yet recent statistics show that only 20-30 percent of Americans have actually put their healthcare wishes in writing in the form of a living will or other legal document, so as a nation we are vastly unprepared for the end-of-life. To make matters worse, even when advance directives have been put in writing there are several reasons why patients may still not receive the care they have requested. Here are six common mistakes for you to avoid when doing your own end-of-life planning: 1. Putting it off for a later time According to a survey conducted by The Conversation Project, some respondents say they have delayed completion of advance directives because its too early to think about it or theyre not sick yet. But evidence shows that making choices for end-of-life care is more difficult during a crisis situation. In addition, some preferences, such as avoiding CPR, may not be possible if they are not in writing before an emergency occurs. The best time to do advance care planning is right now, as soon as the thought occurs to you. Then you will have your choices in writing no matter what happens, since life has its own set of uncertainties. The wishes you express now can always be updated whenever your health status or your preferences change. 2. Choosing the wrong healthcare proxy Naming a person to make health care decisions for you in case you cannot speak for yourself is one of the most important steps in the process of advance care planning. But it is essential to choose the right person for this responsibility. Remember that some friends and family members may be too overwhelmed with their own grief or guilt to advocate for your wishes as you reach the end of your life. You should choose as your proxy someone you trust who is emotionally strong enough to stand up to pressure from the medical system or loved ones in order to protect your wishes. This person also should either agree with your choices or be supportive of your right to choose in order to advocate for you. Finally you should consider whether or not the person is both willing and able to represent you now and in the future. 3. Getting lost in the details When planning ahead for future health care decisions, it quickly becomes obvious that there are millions of potential scenarios that could play out at the end of your life. You could spend months considering every possible circumstance and making decisions for each situation, but that would be an unfortunate waste of your time. Instead of getting lost in all the possible details for the future, ask yourself simple big picture questions like What do I want it to be like when I die? By starting at the end, you can work backwards and other decisions will become more apparent. For example, if you wish to be in your own home when you die, then you will want to avoid types of treatment that would require hospitalization during your final days. 4. Not discussing your plans with your doctor A large study found that even when patients had taken the time to complete advance directives only 25 percent of their physicians knew that the documents were on file. Your health care wishes are not likely to be carried out if your doctor doesnt know what they are and cannot access your paperwork. Schedule an appointment with your treating physician to talk about your end-of-life preferences and to ask for input. This will ensure that three factors of effective end-of-life planning are met: you will have the information you need about your health status in order to make decisions, your doctor will know what you want and will also know where your directives are stored. 5. Not expressing your wishes to your loved ones The survey conducted by The Conversation Project showed that while 90 percent of Americans believe it is important to discuss their end-of-life wishes with their loved ones, less than 30 percent have actually had these conversations. This lack of information can cause distress and anxiety for family members at the time of a loved ones death as they are forced to make difficult decisions without having a basis for them. Also many families have been disrupted at the time of a loved ones death because members have been told different things at different times by the patient. Plan a time to talk to all significant members of your inner circle about the healthcare decisions you have made, preferably at one time so that everyone hears the same information. Also give a copy of your advance directive to each person and make sure they understand what it says and why youve made that decision. 6. Not updating your end-of-life preferences over time Everything changes in life and your choices are also likely to change as you grow older and encounter new health challenges. It is important to regularly revisit the end-of-life plans you made in the past in order to ensure that they are still the right fit for your current situation. Consider reviewing your advance directives at least every 5 years while you are younger and still healthy. You should update your documents whenever you experience a change in your health status and then review them annually from that point on. The evidence seems clear that if you do complete your advance directives and avoid these six common mistakes you are more likely to have a peaceful end-of-life experience that honors your preferences. The time you spend now to do this planning and in the future to stay up-to-date will be worth it when you can meet your last days surrounded by love and content with a life well-lived. As you consider your wishes for the end-of-life you might seek out guidance from books, articles or online sources to help you complete your advance directives. There are numerous options available including a free 10-day challenge you can sign up for to get all of your paperwork done with support and encouragement by email. Remember to start your planning right away, make your best choices based on what you know right now, stop worrying, and spend your time loving the people in your life! Karen M. Wyatt, MD is a family physician who has spent much of her 25 year career as a hospice medical director, caring for dying patients on their homes. The author of "What Really Matters: 7 Lessons for Living from the Stories of the Dying," Dr. Wyatt has lectured and written extensively on end-of-life issues with an emphasis on the spiritual aspect of illness and dying. http://eoluniversity.com Lets admit it. Many of us have friends who share different religious beliefs. Some of these friends may even be a part of the rapidly growing religious nones those who are religiously unaffiliated and it can be especially difficult reaching them. With atheist, agnostic and no belief as labels, they profess no belief in any organized creed and present a different sort of challenge than do Jews, Muslims and other peoples of faith. Its particularly difficult to argue your faith based solely on emotional, faith-based appeal. There are some nones who are well-versed in the Bible, have heard your claims before and already have their answer related to God, and His existence. There are also nones who are not familiarized with the language of faith and find these conversations awkward and uncomfortable. But contrary to what you may think, there is opportunity to reach these friends, even the least receptive of them. Here are some suggestions on how to reach your friends who dont believe in God: Pray Often One of the ways you can guide your friends towards God is through prayer. God is the only one who can change your friends heart. Letting your friend know that you are praying for them, particularly during difficult circumstances and stages of their life is another way that you can witness Christ to those who dont know God. Through the praying of a friend, you have become a vessel of love that they may not have known had you not lifted them up. Then, show your friend the loving God you know through your actions, lifestyle and faithfulness to God. There is a certain energy, or frequency that comes from those who know God and love God that can be so powerful when youre in the presence of it that its contagious. Some of your friends will want to know more about God because they see how deeply moved you are and change by Him. Intellectualism Is Important We are called to proclaim our faith in Christ. For many of us, when we enter into a relationship with Christ, we feel like weve found the secret to everything being good in life and want to profess it to others, particularly those we hold closest to us. Because of this, many of us make appeals to our atheist or agnostic friends, using emotional, faith-based language like When I trust in the Lord, I can feel God at work in my life when or God turned my life around after. Though theres nothing wrong with doing this, its important to remember that when talking to non-religious friends that there is common perception that belief in God is simply motivated by irrational faith. When we rely on emotional appeals alone, we are ignoring the history of intellectualism and scholarship that is deeply rooted in the church. One of the greatest examples of this is Jesus and His own teaching. Through Jesus we see an amazing balance of faith and rationality. We can also go all the way back to figures like the apostle Paul, Augustine, and Niebuhr who argued faith with logic. There are great biblical scholars today like N.T. Wright who is a great example of this today. Another reason emotional, faith-based arguments go over the heads of nonbelievers is because the language may not be familiar. If theyve never set foot in a church, grown up in a household of believers, experienced trauma in their life or had bad experiences with people who professed to be Christian, this message may not resonate. They may even find this language awkward and discomforting. Im not saying that truth needs to be proven by rational means, but it is one of the greatest defenses against rational scrutiny. Being well versed in the Bible, Christian intellectualism and scholarship as well as atheist history and thought is a great way to strengthen your own faith and bring us closer to those who dont know him. Be Ready for Questions If your friends dont believe in God, or are practice another faith, be prepared for questions about your faith. Also, be prepared for tough questions about the faith. You may hear questions like Why do some of the stories in the Bible not line up with historical evidence, How can you prove that God exists without verifiable evidence or If Jesus is the way and the truth, what happens to those who were raised as non-Christians? Though it may be difficult to answer these questions, and some of the answers are not too comforting; however, its our responsibility to be well-versed in Christ and to bear credible witness to our friends to those who dont believe. Allow Your Friends To See Christ at Work in Your Life One of the best things you can do to show your friends that way to Christ is by being a living witness, practicing love, joy, grace, discipline and humility in your own life. Many people are drawn to God when they see Christ at work in your life. Your love and spirit as a result of your faith can be a drawing force. Dont be discouraged if your friends dont hear the message of Christ. This doesnt mean youre a failure, or that youre not being a good enough witness. Remember, God is the only one that can turn their hearts. Let your life be a witness, and never shy away from your faith. Lesli White is an Editor for Beliefnet.com Are you feeling a bit stressed, angry and frustrated? Youre not alone, stress is a part of life, but it's the way we deal with it that reveals our tolerance. Stress does not do the mind or the body any good. Exercising, eating better, therapy, and learning how to accept what is out of our control are all part of ending daily stressors. This includes bad drivers, and forever cranky boss, kids, or waiting in line can all equate to common stress. What do we know about stress? Hans Selye first defined and identified stress as a medical issue in 1936. He believed it to be a non-specific response of the body to any demand for change. This means: It is the physical need for the body to adapt to negative influences. Illnesses manifest from these stressors. Yes, stress is interferes. It affects our lives not only mentally, but creates health issuescalled General Adaption Syndrome. Physical symptoms like blood pressure, chest pain, migraines, causes insomnia, overeating and a myriad of issues could be rooted in stress. Harvard Health shared the repercussions. Many well-respected studies link stress to heart disease and stroke the No. 1 and No. 3 causes of death, respectively, in the United States. Stress is also implicated in a host of other ailments such as depression and anxiety, chronic lower respiratory diseases, asthma flare-ups, rheumatoid arthritis, and gastrointestinal problems. Follow these simple tips, such as eating healthier and exercising, to reduce the stress in your life. 1. American Psychological Association suggested in taking a break from your stress. Do something else like walk away from an argument, a conversation or making a tough decision. Dont try to magnify the problem, chose to use the break to switch your thinking into a more productive pattern. You can write out the frustrations in a journal as well. Write down why you are stressed over the situation to help get to the root of it. 2. Most things we stress over are useless, so let it go. Winston Churchill said when he looked back at all the worries he had, he had a realizationit wasnt that important. When I look back on all these worries, I remember the story of the old man who said on his deathbed that he had had a lot of trouble in his life, most of which had never happened. 3. What can you do to deal with stress? Some stress you can prevent. If youre always late you can control this. If you need more boundaries and are overextended, there is control over this area. Make a list of what is important, and do that first. Order and pick up groceries through online. Cancel engagements where needed. When we are overwhelmed and we become scattered. 4. Practicing good basic health habits provides you with the energy you need to cope with stress. Limit foods high in sugar and caffeine as these can aggravate stress, and deplete the body. Get more rest and drink plenty of water. You can deal with stress when the body and mind are fatigued. 5. Meditation and living in the present also will help deal with challenges. Take a 20 minute break and listen to guided meditation to allow the body to find a more restful state. Anyone can meditate, even if the first sessions are short. Guided meditation can be done alone by listening to an audio recording, in a group setting, and can be done by a narrator or teacher. 6. Keep a better attitude, and volunteer to help humanity. Giving is believed to help people struggling with depression and anxiety. It releases the feel-good hormone called oxytocin. 7. Find a community of support help through stress. Look for a therapist to help build better coping mechanisms. The APA recommends sharing concerns with other. However, make sure the person is someone you can trust. Call a friend, send an email. When you share your concerns or feelings with another person, it does help relieve stress. But its important that the person whom you talk to is someone whom you trust and whom you feel can understand and validate you. If your family is a stressor, for example, it may not alleviate your stress if you share your works woes with one of them. Corine Gatti is a Senior Editor at Beliefnet.com. Atiqullah Khan Masud (center), editor and publisher of The Daily Janakantha, appears in court in Dhaka where he was convicted for criticizing a judge, Aug. 13, 2015. A commissions recommendation in favor of suspending any newspaper that prints defamatory or false stories is spurring a lively debate over the limits of a free press in Bangladesh. The debate is also spreading to broadcast news and online media, where other moves are raising questions about whether the government is trying to impose controls in those journalistic realms as well, critics say. Last month, the countrys Law Commission recommended amending the Press Council Act of 1974 in order to authorize the state-backed Bangladesh Press Council to suspend publication of any newspaper for up to 30 consecutive days, if it is deemed to have violated the councils code on journalistic ethics. The Press Council turned to us for recommendations on ways to strengthen its authority. We made several suggestions, commission member M. Shah Alam told BenarNews. We know that the recommendation has created controversy. But we just made a recommendation, and it is up to the council and the government whether they would accept it, he said. Government officials say the 42-year-old act needs to be amended because the law is too limited in censuring journalists for ethical violations. The press council, a quasi-judicial body headed by a retired high court judge, includes senior journalists and is tasked with ensuring ethical standards in the media. The journalists do not bother if they are warned or censured for ethical violations. So, we sought recommendations from the law commission on the ways to strengthen the council, council chairman Mamtaz Uddin Ahmed told BenarNews. I am not in favor of closure of newspapers. But there should be some measures to strengthen the council so journalists do not violate the codes of conduct, he added. The council will review the commissions recommendation and deliver its own recommendations on a proposed amendment of the act to the Ministry of information. If the ministry accepts the recommendations, it will send them as a bill to parliament. A toothless tiger Bangladeshi journalists are divided over the issue. We have strongly opposed the law commissions suggestions to suspend the newspapers even for a day, Reazuddin Ahmed, a press council member and editor of News Today, told BenarNews, adding that financial penalties or other measure might be acceptable. Mortuza Haider Liton, a member of the executive committee of the Dhaka Union of Journalists echoed Ahmed. This will drag out burgeoning journalism and curtail freedom of expression, he said. But the head of the Press Institute of Bangladesh (PIB) disagreed. The press council is basically a toothless tiger, Shah Alamgir Hossain told BenarNews. What would happen if aggrieved people filed a dozen defamation suits against a journalist in courts in different parts of the country? The press council should have been strengthened so that people can trust in it and not [have to] go to the high court, he said. Broadcast, online policies Meanwhile, the information ministry has called on the Press Institute to form a national broadcast commission, which would oversee the implementation of a broadcast policy instituted by the government in 2014. On May 5, we will hold a meeting with all stakeholders to finalize the proposal on formation of the commission and send it to the government, Hossain said. The two-year-old policy stipulates that TV and radio broadcasters should not air anything that would harm the image of the state, persons, the armed forces or other forces tasked with maintaining law and order in the country. According to the policy, broadcasters should not broadcast anything that may sour Bangladeshs relations with a friendly country. The policy also forbids broadcasters from hurting religious sentiment. In addition, the Press Institute is expected to finalize the draft of an online policy that would require all new websites to register themselves with the government a move that has drawn criticism. What the government wants is to regulate all media newspapers, the online portals and the TV and radio through three separate laws. The government fears the media, Mahbubur Rahman, a member of the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Partys standing committee, told BenarNews. Malaysian cartoonist Zunar (second from left) and Kenyan cartoonist Gado (center) receive the 2016 International Editorial Cartoons Prize from former U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan, May 3, 2016. Malaysian satirical cartoonist Zunar traveled to Switzerland this week to pick up a prestigious international award for his work, just two months before he is to stand trial back home on nine counts of sedition. Zunar, whose real name is Zulkiflee Anwar Ulhaque, on Tuesday received the 2016 International Editorial Cartoons Prize from former U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan. Zunar shares the prize with Kenyan cartoonist Gado. The award was presented to the co-recipients at the Palais Eynard in Geneva on World Press Freedom Day. Malaysians are my strength. Without their support I would not be able to survive until now, Zunar told BenarNews from Geneva on Wednesday. Zunar is known for his biting cartoons that lampoon the Malaysias ruling Barisan Nasional coalition and Prime Minister Najib Razak, and that highlight themes such as corruption. The 2016 International Editorial Cartoons Prize gives new strength for me to continue the fight against the 60-year-old corrupt and repressive Malaysian regime. Human rights and freedom of expression in Malaysia are in dire straits, Zunar, a BenarNews contributor, said in a separate statement. The Sedition Act and other draconian laws are used widely to silence critics. All institutions are being used as political tools by the regime in order to maintain power, he added. Zunar is scheduled to stand trial on July 14, and he could be sentenced to more than four decades in prison if convicted on all nine counts under Malaysias Sedition Act. He has been jailed twice for two days in September 2010 and for three days in February 2015. Five of his books have been banned and his office in Kuala Lumpur has been raided. Printers have been warned to not publish any of his cartoon books. The latest charges against him stem from tweets he had sent that criticized the 2014 jailing of Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim on sodomy charges. The Sedition Act, enacted by British colonial rulers in 1948 to combat communists, was amended by Malaysia following race riots in 1969. The law defines sedition broadly and places many limits on free speech, particularly over sensitive political issues, according to a report by Center of Independent Journalism Malaysia. In March 2015 alone, some 114 people in Malaysia were arrested under the act for allegedly criticizing the government. The prize that Zunar received along with Gado was bestowed upon them by the Cartooning for Peace Swiss Foundation and the City of Geneva. Through their commitment toward open and transparent societies, Gado and Zunar, who have received threats in their countries of origin and can no longer practice their profession, confront us with our responsibility to preserve freedom of expression and act in order to support the combat of those who cannot express themselves through their art, Annan said during Tuesdays ceremony. Thai Journalists Association president Wanchai Wongmeechai hands a T-shirt to Gen. Prayuth Chan-o-Cha at the Government House, May 3, 2016. Marking World Press Freedom Day, two Thai media associations called on Prime Minister Gen. Prayuth Chan-o-cha to revoke measures that prevent reporting on current affairs freely. At the Government House, representatives from Thai Journalists Association and Thai Broadcast Journalists Association along with other reporters briefly met with Prayuth to hand him a statement and petition. They also gave him a T-shirt inscribed with media freedom message. The statement requested that orders issued by the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) be revoked and that the government-sponsored National Reform Council support efforts for reporters to cross check among themselves. It also urged the media to report objectively and without bias, while maintaining respect for human rights. I will take a look at this issue. If these ones are revoked, I can replace with others, he said. I wish you all happiness and be successful for the nation. According to iLaw, a Thai human rights advocate group, from May 2014 when Prayuth took power until the end of March 2016, at least 62 civilians have been charged under lese majeste, defamation of the royal family, and at least 39 were charged with sedition. In the last month, at least 10 people have been arrested for allegedly posting disturbing messages on social media as tensions rise over an upcoming constitutional referendum. On April 27, Election Commissioner Somchai Srisuthiyakorn said his office filed a complaint against a group for using Facebook to criticize the referendum, citing a new law that prohibits people from campaigning during the run-up to the Aug. 7 vote. Somyot Prueksakasemsuk, an editor of the Voice of Taksin magazine, has served five years of his 10-year jail term for committing lese majeste. The freedom of media situation has been flagging as reflected by the report from the Reporters Without Borders. Thailands media freedom ranking dipped from 130 in 2014 to 134 in 2015, the associations statement said. How free is Thailands media now? Meanwhile, representatives from media outlets such as The Bangkok Post, Prachatai and The Voice TV gathered at the Foreign Correspondents Club of Thailand to discuss government treatment since the 2014 coup. The Southeast Asian Press Alliance was present as well. Nopporn Wong-Anan, deputy editor of The Bangkok Post said Thailand has not been ruled by an elected government, so the situation is not normal. However, he said the government has not applied any pressure on The Bangkok Post, except for telephone calls asking for an opportunity to tell the side of their story. Are we given pressure by the government very rarely, he told more than 100 at the event. So far we didnt receive interference but they called to report the stories of their side, he said. If you (the government) want a reform of the nation, please be open to discussion, he added. Chiranuch Premchaiporn, the director of an on-line news outlet Prachatai who in 2015 was sentenced to a suspended eight-month jail term, said otherwise. One of our editors is still in jail for five years for sensitive contents (against the monarchy), she said in reference to Somyot Prueksakasemsuk, who was convicted of lese majeste on Jan. 23, 2013. She said the government monitored print, radio, TV and on-line. They have a list of forbidden guests to programs, she cited her colleagues accounts as saying. They used the penalty as laws state to the media and netizens as well, she added. Anthee Dejthevaporn, field reporter for Voice TV, delivered a blunt account of the countrys polarization amid the political rifts. He said the military has summoned his coworkers 10 times for inquiry into sensitive content. Kulachada Chaipipat, a campaign manager for Southeast Asia Press Alliance described press freedom as deteriorating. In comparison to other Southeast Asian countries, Thailand is facing deteriorated situation followed by Malaysia, she said. ein Google-Unternehmen Google-Dienste anzubieten und zu betreiben Ausfalle zu prufen und Manahmen gegen Spam, Betrug und Missbrauch zu ergreifen Daten zu Zielgruppeninteraktionen und Websitestatistiken zu erheben. Mit den gewonnenen Informationen mochten wir verstehen, wie unsere Dienste verwendet werden, und die Qualitat dieser Dienste verbessern. neue Dienste zu entwickeln und zu verbessern Werbung auszuliefern und ihre Wirkung zu messen personalisierte Inhalte anzuzeigen, abhangig von Ihren Einstellungen personalisierte Werbung anzuzeigen, abhangig von Ihren Einstellungen Wenn Sie Alle ablehnen auswahlen, verwenden wir Cookies nicht fur diese zusatzlichen Zwecke. Nicht personalisierte Inhalte und Werbung werden u. a. von Inhalten, die Sie sich gerade ansehen, und Ihrem Standort beeinflusst (welche Werbung Sie sehen, basiert auf Ihrem ungefahren Standort). Personalisierte Inhalte und Werbung konnen auch Videoempfehlungen, eine individuelle YouTube-Startseite und individuelle Werbung enthalten, die auf fruheren Aktivitaten wie auf YouTube angesehenen Videos und Suchanfragen auf YouTube beruhen. Sofern relevant, verwenden wir Cookies und Daten auerdem, um Inhalte und Werbung altersgerecht zu gestalten. Wir verwenden Cookies und Daten, umWenn Sie Alle akzeptieren auswahlen, verwenden wir Cookies und Daten auch, umWahlen Sie Weitere Optionen aus, um sich zusatzliche Informationen anzusehen, einschlielich Details zum Verwalten Ihrer Datenschutzeinstellungen. Sie konnen auch jederzeit g.co/privacytools besuchen. For Immediate Release, May 3, 2016 Contact: Randy Serraglio, (520) 784-1504, rserraglio@biologicaldiversity.org Federal Wildlife Agency Gives Approval to Harm Americas Only Known Jaguar Proposed Rosemont Mine Also Threatens Ocelot, Rare Fish and Other Imperiled Wildlife TUCSON, Ariz. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today issued its final analysis of the effects of the proposed Rosemont Mine on threatened and endangered species in the area. The formal document, called a biological opinion, gives approval to the mine despite admitting that it will destroy the home of Americas only known jaguar, nicknamed El Jefe by Tucson schoolchildren, and harm a number of other imperiled species. The Rosemont copper mine would blast a mile-wide, 3,000-foot-deep open pit in the heart of El Jefes home territory near Tucson and bury thousands of acres of surrounding public land with billions of tons of toxic mine waste. Photo of El Jefe the jaguar by Conservation CATalyst and the Center for Biological Diversity. This photo is available for media use. Our exclusive video of El Jefe is available for media to embed from our Facebook page or by download. The agency charged with protecting Americas most vulnerable wildlife thinks its just fine for a foreign mining company to harm our only known jaguar, said Randy Serraglio, conservation advocate with the Center for Biological Diversity. This outrageous decision, which was contradicted by the agencys own scientists, will not withstand judicial scrutiny. The Rosemont biological opinion has gone through multiple iterations. It was first released more than two years ago and then retracted. The conclusions regarding the jaguar in the final document released today remain largely the same as in the previous version. Documents obtained by the Center through the Freedom of Information Act showed that, in four different drafts of the previous document, agency scientists concluded that the mine would cause unacceptable harm to the jaguar, but their conclusions were reversed at higher levels of the agency. This is just the latest example of a very disturbing trend politics continues to trump science when it comes to protecting Americas disappearing wildlife, said Serraglio. There is no rational justification for approving this incredibly destructive mine in this very sensitive place, especially when copper mines are closing down as the industry continues to free fall with an existing over-supply of copper. The biological opinion outlines impacts to a number of other species, including the Gila chub and Gila topminnow, two rare fish with keystone populations in nearby Cienega Creek. The mine would use a tremendous amount of water, enough to supply tens of thousands of single-family homes. Rosemonts insatiable groundwater pumping will lower the water table and dry up Cienega Creek, which depends entirely on groundwater for its base flow, said Serraglio. If Rosemont is allowed to suck the creek dry, the fish will have nowhere to go. Earlier this year, millions of people watched the first-ever video released of El Jefe, the only known wild jaguar in the United States. The jaguar was named after a voting contest with Tucson school children and also now has a local beer named after it. The Center for Biological Diversity is a national, nonprofit conservation organization with more than 1 million members and online activists dedicated to the protection of endangered species and wild places. At the Capacity Development Forum (CDF), being held in Harare from 3 - 5 May, there was general agreement for a more coordinated and strategic approach to developing capacity if Africa is to achieve the ambitious goals as defined by Agenda 2063. The 3rd CDF is being held as part of the Silver Jubilee of the African Capacity Building Foundation, one of the leading capacity building actors on the continent. Experts are gathered in Zimbabwe's capital this week to discuss various continental capacity development initiatives within the wider context of the sustainable development goals and the AU's Agenda 2063. With the Africa Capacity Building Foundation (ACBF) celebrating its silver jubilee, this was also an opportunity for the ministers, development partners and experts to take stock of the progress made in the last 25 years. Having achieved successes in the policy arena, many capacity challenges remain. "To achieve economic, political and social transformation, we will need critical skills and a change of mindsets, said Professor Emmanuel Nnadozie, executive secretary of the ACBF. When asked to elaborate on what that meant in real terms, Nnadozie stressed the need to develop skills, such as more engineers, more agronomists, and more managers. Nnadozie said that currently Africa had a gap of 4.3 million engineers if the continent was to implement all its flagship projects. "We need 1.6 million agricultural scientists and researchers; we have identified a gap of 2.8 million water and sanitation engineers. And this relates to the targeted needs identified for 2023 - the 10-year target for the first leg of Africa 2063." Right now over 80% of students are enrolling in social sciences and humanities and there needed to be a conscious effort to stem this trend and direct more students towards the STEM disciplines (science, technology, engineering and maths), he said. Capacity issues Amongst the speakers present, it was agreed that capacity issues remained the missing link in achieving development agendas in Africa. And that a strategic and coordinated approach was needed. In a keynote address, Dr Anthony Mothae Maruping, commissioner for economic affairs at the African Union, highlighted how the AU had been working with the ACBF in assessing the capacity requirements for implementing Agenda 2063. "Through Agenda 2063 Africa has a clear and articulate roadmap for change. We are counting on ACBF to make this Agenda a reality. The focus should be on building capacity that builds further capacity to make it sustainable," he said. Permanent secretary in Zimbabwe's Ministry of Finance and Economic Development, Willard Manungo, co-host of the CDF, commended the ACBF for the work it had done across Africa in the past 25 years, testifying that Zimbabwe was a key beneficiary of the ACBF's work. "This gathering of diverse minds offers ample opportunity for us as a continent to introspect different ways and means of strengthening capacity development for the advancement of our continent," he said. Nnadozie stressed how the skills gap was not only relevant to the private sector but that institutional capacity needed to be reinforced. "To what extent are our constitutions development-friendly. We also need to ensure our parliamentarians have the necessary skills to push through a development agenda and understand the treaties they are ratifying." As well as the hard skills, Nnadozie stressed the importance of the development of 'soft' skills, which he identified as the confidence and leadership skills to define solutions to the continent's problems. "We need to educate African youths in order to solve African problems," he said. The CDF continues over the next two days with a focus on the role of governments, development partners, civil society, private sector and the media in capacity development. Weaving between tables at a seaside restaurant in Libya's capital bearing freshly baked rosemary bread, Abdelmuttaleb Twigiri shuttles between the wood-fired oven and his customers in a blur of hospitality. Tripoli, Libya It's the opening night of his brainchild Toucan, a Mediterranean fusion eatery that Twigiri hopes will give residents of once-bustling Tripoli a rare taste of normality amid political chaos. "If I think of a government that could provide everything I need, I'd risk waiting a very long time," the 46-year-old tells AFP. "It's only thanks to the people that life goes on." The North African nation has been mired in unrest since the 2011 NATO-backed ouster of longtime dictator Moamer Kadhafi, with militants fighting for power and a piece of Libya's vast oil reserves. A militia alliance swept into the capital in August 2014, setting up its own parliament and forcing the internationally recognised administration to flee to the remote east. Although a new, UN-backed unity government has gradually asserted its authority in the capital, Tripoli residents have grown used to fending for themselves. It is in keeping with Tripolitans' do-it-yourself spirit that Twigiri created Toucan. "There are enough people in distress," he says. "But now we want to live." His establishment is one of several cafes and restaurants to spring up in the past three months along a 15-kilometre (nine-mile) stretch of road linking several neighbourhoods in western Tripoli. They are braving an economic crisis marked by a dramatic cut in oil revenues, spiralling living costs, late wages and a recent liquidity shortage. Safety and investment Entrepreneurs hope the unity government can calm some of the chaos befalling Libya, particularly security in a country that is increasingly a haven for extremists including the Islamic State group. "Once people feel safe, they invest," explains Abdelqader al-Kanuni, president of a local charitable fund. Tripoli remains dogged by sporadic violence but even a near-total breakdown of daily routine has failed to sap one passion all of its residents agree on: a love of coffee. Libyans drink the stuff "morning, noon and night," according to Mohamad Aguili, who two months ago opened his Harley Davidson Cafe on Tripoli's western fringe. Coffee is often imported from former colonial power Italy along with clean, modern machines with which to make it. In straitened times such as these, import costs could impair Libyans' coffee intake, but Aguili says there are still cafes to suit every pocket. Nevertheless, he is fully aware of the economic and security risks involved in the business. "You need to have courage," he says in his coffee shop, which each afternoon is flanked by several chrome motorcycles that give the spot its name. "You have to throw yourself out there. Then it's make or break." In the family section of Cafe Veranda, a renowned patisserie, which despite the odds has maintained its reputation after its Italian chef fled in 2011, immaculately manicured cousins Hind, Mira and Lamaan struggle to make themselves heard above the hubbub. "Pastimes are limited" in Tripoli, says Mira, a 23-year-old pharmacy student. "There are cafes, hours spent on Facebook, or both at the same time." Hind, 25, says the capital's cafes and restaurants are a good way of giving them "the feeling" of a social life. "If they are open then everything is fine. Even during bombings or economic crises, people will always drink coffee." For Twigiri, whose restaurant looks out over date palms planted to replace a wall built by Gadhafi's sons to block access to the beach, Tripoli's cafe culture is a symbol of a people unbowed by turmoil. "Tripolitans bend - they don't break," he says. The disposal of Tiger Brands' Nigerian business boosted its interim earnings by up to 28%. Tiger Brands own All Gold, Tastic and Koo.Image source: The Times Excluding the gain from the sale of Dangote Flour Mills in February, headline earnings per share (HEPS) for the six months to end-March were roughly the same as in the matching period last year, the fast moving consumer goods group said on Tuesday morning. Tiger Brands said it expected to report on May 24 that interim HEPS excluding the sale of its Nigerian business would be in the range of 2.5% lower to 2.5% higher than the matching periods R9.75. Basic earnings including the sale are expected to be 23%-28% higher than the matching periods R8.32. Tiger Brands said it expected to report solid operating results for the period under review, reflecting a 9% increase in turnover and 7% increase in operating income from continuing operations, notwithstanding the significant cost push experienced from rand weakness and the effects of the drought on soft commodity prices, particularly within the grains division. Rhodes Food Group, which listed last year, also issued a trading statement on Tuesday morning. It expected to report on May 23 that, excluding the R21.8m listing costs, HEPS for the six months to March 29 had nearly doubled from the matching periods 26.7c. Including listing costs, Rhodes Foods said it expected to report growth in normalised HEPS of between 35% and 40% from the matching periods 36.6c. RMB Holdings (RMH) has diversified its banking interests to the commercial property market by acquiring a 25.01% stake in Mall of Africa developer Atterbury. RMH, which owns a 34% stake in banking group FirstRand, announced on Monday that it has broadened its investment focus to real estate through tie-ups with unlisted developers. The Atterbury deal is the first acquisition that forms part of RMHs new property strategy, but more deals are expected in the future. Management said on Tuesday that RMH will follow a phased approach to acquire its various property investments. FirstRand, through Rand Merchant Bank (RMB), was previously exposed to the property development sector through RMB Properties, which was renamed Eris Property Group in 2008. In 2012, RMB sold its stake in Eris to MMI. RMHs new property initiative will provide funding to entrepreneur-led businesses with proven track records in managing and building physical property portfolios. The focus will be on office, retail and industrial property developments, mostly in established and larger areas of SA. "RMH will assist these players with capital, strategic input, networking opportunities, structural longevity and additional governance systems, the company said. Since the unbundling of its insurance investments into Rand Merchant Investment Holdings in 2011, RMHs only investment is its FirstRand stake. Management believed that the property investment strategy meets RMHs stated objective of creating shareholder value. "It will also diversify RMHs earnings base as it will invest across the breadth of the property value chain. Although the value of the Atterbury acquisition has not been disclosed, Atterburys 20% holding in the newly completed 131,000sq m Mall of Africa at Waterfall City in Midrand alone is worth R980m. Atterbury also has stakes in various other malls across SA including the R1.4bn mixed-use Newtown Junction in the Johannesburg CBD as well as interests in shopping centres in Germany, Serbia, Cyprus, Ghana, Zambia and Nigeria. RMH said it had chosen Atterbury as its first property investment because the group has a successful track record in entrepreneurial property skills, development and asset management. The Pretoria-based group was founded by chartered accountant Louis van der Watt and IT entrepreneur Francois van Niekerk in 1994. "The Atterbury team is regarded as one of the most innovative players in the SA property market and has developed more than 2-million sqare metres of commercial, retail, industrial and residential properties over the past 22 years. Although Atterbury is an unlisted entity, it played an instrumental role in the listing of Attacq on the JSE in 2013. The latter owns 80% of the Mall of Africa. Atterbury was also involved in the establishment of Attfund, which sold a number of its shopping centres including Clearwater Mall on the West Rand to JSE-listed Hyprop Investments in 2011 in a deal worth R9bn. At a Youth Mentorship Symposium, held in April 2016 at the Stellenbosch Institute for Advanced Study (STIAS), keynote speaker Professor Jonathan Jansen, vice-chancellor and rector of the University of the Free State, said that for mentorship to be effective, a holistic approach that meets the intellectual, emotional and physical wellbeing of young people is key. The symposium, hosted by Rachels Angels Trust, aimed to explore key knowledge about mentoring across multiple experiences to add to mentorship theory and practice. Various stakeholders from Rachels Angels participating schools, different universities and other partners of the trust attended the symposium. Jansen shared critical lessons about mentoring young people, including that it is vital that South Africa, as a nation, increases its ability to recognise the potential that all young people have. Wilfred Taylor, principal of Eben Donges High School in Kraaifontein, added, We do not easily see the potential of all our youth. Often we have judgemental attitudes based on our personal racial growth path. Some people need to be treated differently because of their unique challenges and barriers. The symposium included panel discussions on Building a mentorship programme around partnerships and Mentorship models and levels of key interventions. The ten panellists in two sessions represented a range of educational institutions and shared best practices and knowledge in effective mentoring. Mentoring creates a caring environment and space for us to move forward as a nation, said Dr Vincent Bosman, an education and ethics specialist from the Cape Peninsula University of Technology. Professor Charl Cilliers, retired Director of Stellenbosch Universitys Centre for Student Counselling and Development, shared his three-point meta-plan for building a mentorship programme around partnerships. There is a need to appoint a steering committee from all schools, organise provincial feedback sessions and share best practices of mentoring partnerships. Just as with leadership, mentorship starts with self, said Adri Marais, co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Tertiary School in Business Administration (TSiBA). The first step is to understand what you want to do with mentorship and define those expectations. Mentors are seen as travelling partners. If you want to walk fast, walk alone; if you want to go far, walk together. The power of the mentor needs to be understood it can make or break the mentee. Not everyone can become a mentor especially when dealing with vulnerable adolescents. This was the caveat of ELouise Botes who recently completed her Masters degree in Industrial Psychology at Stellenbosch University. Her thesis focused on the development of a youth mentor competency model and the skillset required by youth mentors within Rachels Angels mentorship programme. Gloria Noemdoe, one of the educators at Steenberg High School who attended the presentation, said that the panel was so inspiring and showed us that we all speak the same language when it comes to the well-being of our children and society. In her concluding remarks, Prof Rachel Jafta, chairperson of the Rachels Angels Trust, encouraged all the stakeholders to keep moving forward and thinking of practical ways to reach out to more young people. Share the knowledge you have gained from this Symposium and also celebrate small victories along the way. For more information, go to www.rachelsangels.co.za. Known as one of the seven wonders of the world, the annual great wildebeest migration in Kenya and Tanzania is truly nature's greatest spectacle. Every year, approximately 1.7 million wildebeest, 400,000 Thomsons gazelle, 300,000 zebras and 12,000 eland will take a survival journey from the Serengeti National Park towards the Masai Mara National Reserve in search of better grass and water resources. Along the way, the massive herds will have to cross Nile-crocodile infested rivers and keep a keen eye out of opportunistic predators such as lions, leopards and cheetahs. If youd like to experience this natural phenomenon, here are 16 reasons why you should see the Great Migration in 2016: I'm still trying to wrap my head around how millions of wildebeests line up for miles to run across rivers and fields. Nature is brilliant. #kenyabelieveit #masaimara #wildebeestmigration A photo posted by Jemma Davis (@mischiefandmason) on Sep 13, 2015 at 9:05am PDT Watch as Ben Fogle follows the wildebeest during the Great African Migration at 9pm on Channel 5. A photo posted by Imagine Travel (@imagine_travel) on Apr 29, 2016 at 9:12am PDT Wildebeest migration- crossing through crocodiles hippos and more A photo posted by terryl chapman (@maycaper) on Aug 26, 2013 at 11:35am PDT #ndutu #tanzania #serengeti #nomadtanzania #wildebeestmigration #wildebeest A photo posted by Kristy Bowling (@bowlingkristy) on Mar 26, 2016 at 5:50am PDT #lioness #serengetisafaricamp #serengeti #tanzania #nomadtanzania #wildebeest #wildebeestmigration A photo posted by Kristy Bowling (@bowlingkristy) on Mar 15, 2016 at 1:13pm PDT SA Express has confirmed that the South African Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA) reinstated its Air Operator's Certificate (AOC) following the temporary suspension related to the airline's quality assurance systems. Following the suspension notice on Friday evening, and subsequent meetings between SA Express executive management team and SACAA, clarity was provided in terms of the audit-related concerns and procedural issues that the airline needed to adhere to, which has now been accepted and agreed to. It is regrettable that discrepancies in the submission of procedural paperwork and submission processes between SA Express and SACAA did not correspond. Following extensive consultations and revised documentation as well as submission procedures, our operating license has been reinstated and we will resume our normal operating schedule by 7pm this evening. We assure the general public that this matter has been substantially addressed and will never occur again, says Inati Ntshanga, CEO of SA Express. I wish to reiterate that SA Express safety record is of the highest possible standards, which is one of the reasons we are South Africas leading regional airline. Since we first took to the skies 22 years ago, safety has always been our utmost priority and I cant reiterate enough that the safety of our passengers, crew and aircraft is never negotiable. SA Express sincerely apologises to its passengers, staff and stakeholders for the inconvenience that the miscommunication between the relevant authorities caused over the past two days. The customer call centre will be operational until 11pm tonight and will return to normal operating hours between 8am to 4.30pm as of Tuesday, 3 May. We understand that because of procedural issues we have inadvertently let our passengers down. We have always been known for our reliability, our friendly service, and our punctual departures and I assure you that my team and I will do everything possible to rebuild that service promise and to restore your faith and confidence in SA Express, concludes Ntshanga. The digital revolution has opened businesses up to a world of possibilities that only a decade ago was considered science-fiction. By 2020 there will be more than 50 billion connected devices worldwide, that is seven devices per person. Welcome to the era of the connected consumer! Its difficult to imagine the possibilities for the ocean of behavioural data these devices will provide. It means we will (finally) have the data available to better understand people and what they want and to reshape our brands and business to become truly customer-centric. Being customer-centric is key in the current environment, where traditional value drivers such as product quality or a strong distribution network dont cut it anymore. Anyone can produce quality products, manufacturing no longer provides a sustainable competitive advantage, and with channels widely available and used by all (both online and offline) the distribution network hardly provides a competitive advantage. Thus, the true source of competitive advantage lies in understanding the needs of customers and serving them in a fast, transparent and credible way: being customer-centric. Put simply, creating a customer-centric culture is about understanding your brands value and delivering it consistently to customers regardless of channel. This doesn't mean doing everything customers want, but it means focusing on what they value most, in line with your overall business strategy and brand promise. Insights2020: A Vermeer initiative Marketers know deep in their hearts that customer-focus leads to better commercial decisions, which lead to improved commercial results. Vermeers recent study Insights2020 Driving Customer-Centric Growth, involving more than 325 interviews with global business, marketing, and Insights & Analytics (I&A) leaders and 10,500 quantitative survey responses across practitioners globally, has proven this relationship: Companies that show stronger levels of customer-centricity outperform their peers when it comes to business growth. The outcomes of this study reveal what outperformers do well that their underperforming peers dont. A clear pattern emerged, revealing 10 drivers of customer-centricity that impact business growth. These drivers are grouped along three distinct dimensions. The total customer experience: purpose-led, custom, and consistent Customers these days expect more than just a good product or service. They require a seamless, consistent and tailored brand experience that goes beyond functional benefits: one that has a clear purpose. Overperforming businesses understand this dynamic: 80% of their respondents say their company links all they do to a clear purpose, versus only 32% at companies identified as underperformers (those with lower customer-centricity and lower business growth). A clear African example of this is Safaricom, a leading mobile network operator in Kenya, which uses its leading role in mobile communication to give back to the community: through mobile health services, mobile education at refugee camps, and bringing connectivity to the underprivileged. Overperformers are also more likely to customise brand experiences with use of data-driven insights. 74% of respondents report doing this, versus only 30% amongst underperformers. A good use of data to provide tailored solutions is Discoverys car insurance programme, where Discovery uses DQ-Track sensors to assess the drivers style and issues points for additional discounts based on the associated risk, encouraging people to drive safe. The third driver is touch point consistency: a fully consistent brand experience across all touch points, for which the need will only intensify as the number of channels through which we interact with brands is increasing. A great example of this is Capitec Bank, who understands consistency and the busy life of current day consumers: they ensure that interacting with them is seamless and simple, irrespective of channel, whether it is inside a branch or using an app. Building a customer obsessed organisation The second dimension of customer-centric growth is to drive customer obsession through the organisation, an internally oriented dimension. Overperformers state that customer-centricity is not something that resides in a silo of the business, but is embraced by the entire organisation (79% vs. 13%). This is the driver where overperformers and underperformers show the biggest difference, ensuring that all employees make decisions with a view of the world from the perspective of the customer. A culture of customer obsession gets implemented starting from the top. Leaders can set the tone, embed Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) in order to drive the right behaviours, and base incentives on the customer-related KPIs to bring customer-centricity to life (45% vs. 25%). Other drivers of customer obsession are the fostering of a culture of collaboration and of experimentation, with collaboration active on different levels; Marketing to work better with other parts of the organisation, working with the right external partners, and co-creating with customers. We see this with brands asking consumers input for product development: e.g. Doritos flavour competition. GoPro takes collaboration further: they get most of their innovation ideas directly from their consumers (e.g. surfers complained about a lack of camera mount options for them, and came with the idea for a teeth mounted product). Nowadays GoPro even hardly develops its own media anymore: adverts are built with user generated content and users are rewarded for it. Culture at over-performing organisations is also skewed more towards embracing risk and experimentation. Budgets are allocated to reward experimentation and to ensure the proper tools and methodologies are in place to embed this behaviour in the organisation. The third dimension: The Insights Engine The final dimension of customer-centric growth is about the mindset, role and impact of Insights & Analytics in your business. It is what we have named the Insights Engine. Companies that have a strong Insights Engine, have reported to have I & A as leading the business and they also are more capable of bringing together different sources of data to distil insights and drive decisions. In the past, the Insights function used to have a supportive role, coordinating research activities, however today, it has an increasingly leading strategic role: independently challenging the rest of the business, and directly reporting into the CEO instead of the CMO. Unlike a decade ago, none of the respondents in the study complained about a lack of data. Todays major issue is what to do with all the data gathered its more about distilling data, and deriving insights from the data to drive key decisions. The I & A function is an orchestrator who connects the dots and understands the implications, and is a main driver of change in the business. The I& A function no longer relies on only historic data, but more and more they are building complex models to predict future behaviour and real-time insights. To be able to use the data to drive effective decisions, three capabilities have been identified as critical for a robust I & A function: A strong business sense: Good business acumen, and a macro view of the business world Storytelling abilities: Understand how to connect with both the internal and external customer Whole-brain thinking: Using creative ideas and analytics to drive business behaviour By combining the science/analytics (left-brain) with the creative (right-brain), we believe is the most effective way to bring the customer story to life. Managing the three dimensions So as an African marketer or an I & A leader, how will you build for customer-centric growth? How will you prepare your organisation for this new revolution? One has to be agile to be ready for todays ever-changing business world, and the best way to prepare is to develop a strong purpose to guide the company, build the processes and structure to ensure customers are at the heart of all actions and decisions. This customer-centric revolution is here. Will you be in the forefront leading, or will you be left behind by the winds of change? Click here to continue reading a detailed description of the Insights2020 PulseCheck tool now available. About the authors: Nicki Cunliffe, Senior Director Africa & Middle East, Vermeer moc.reemrevbm@effilnuc.ikcin Nicki is a Senior Partner with Vermeer, and leads the Africa and Middle East team. Nicki has specific expertise in growth strategy development, customer experience, effective brand building, and segmentation strategy. Nicki is involved in all aspects of client engagements, and has supported leading global companies, including Anheuser-Busch InBev, Procter & Gamble, Citi, Barneys New York, and British American Tobacco. Dennis Van Den Berg, Senior Consultant Africa & Middle East, Vermeer moc.reemrevbm@grebnednav.sinned Dennis is a Senior Consultant based in Cape Town, who has experience in project management, process optimisation, Operating Model Design, Marketing Strategy, Integrated Communications training, Digital Marketing and Change Management. Clients vary from Banking to Telco and FMCG. The Durban Whisky Live Celebration will be held at Suncoast from 12 to 14 May, 2016, and is open from 6.30pm to 10pm daily. Visitors can expect a range of whiskies - from single malt Scotch to blends, bourbon to Irish - presented by knowledgeable and passionate whisky experts. Highland and Speyside Single Malts take centre stage, including a return to the Whisky Live circuit by Dalmore: try the Cigar Malt Reserve and look for notes of cinnamon, vanilla, red fruits and toffee. Taste golden drams of Glenmorangie and savour the distinctive quality of The Macallan, Harvey Spectre of Suits whisky of choice. Expert connoisseur Jonathan Miles will present the extraordinary craftsmanship of the Balvenie range (the brand that boasts the worlds most expensive Single Malt Whisky) while the Glenfiddich Original is also on offer: a unique, limited edition that embodies the brands rich heritage, presented by Luthando Jezz Tibini, Glenfiddichs national brand ambassador. You can sample Chivas Regal, The Glenlivet, Glen Grant and The Singleton of Dufftown, as well as the premium range from the House of Walker if youve never had the luxury of tasting Johnnie Walker Gold Label Reserve, Platinum or Blue, this is your chance! The Whisky Academy will also be presenting a range of lesser-known whisky gems, including Kilchoman and Glenfarclas: the Glenfarclas 60 year old one of only 360 bottles that retail for over R360,000 each will be on display at Norman Goodfellows at the show, together with a range of whiskies for sale. Wolfburn Single MaIt Scotch Whisky arrives in South Africa just in time to debut. It was bottled at the beginning of March 2016 at the Wolfburn Distillery, which until now has been closed for over 130 years. Peaty treat Lovers of peaty whisky are in for a treat with Bowmore Small Batch and Laphroaig Select, two brand new peated malts of distinction, available for sampling. Taste Whyte and Mackays Jura Prophecy (look for cinnamon and sea spray undertones after its peaty kick) and compare it with the unchill-filtered and extraordinarily smooth premium Islay Single Malt, Bunnahahbain. Highland Park will also be available for sampling a well-balanced and delicious peaty malt. Proving the diversity of the 'water of life', the sexily packaged and boldly spicy Bulleit Bourbon is guaranteed to make an impact. Another newcomer to Whisky Live, Wild Turkey, is also available for sampling. If bold bourbon or powerful peat dont appeal, then ease into the evening with the famously triple-distilled Jameson or multi-award winning Bushmills, the oldest licensed distillery in the world, to experience the proud tradition of smoothness and richness synonymous with their whiskey portfolio. Dont end your Irish sojourn without trying Pernod-Ricards delectable range of the Irish Potstills of Midleton including Yellow Spot, Green Spot, Midleton and Powers Johns Lane. The 100% South African, multi-award winning whiskies - Three Ships and Bains Cape Mountain Whisky - will be presented by the Distell team. Three Ships will be offering a sneak preview taste of the Three Ships 10 year old to be launched later this year. Blends are on the rise globally and at Whisky Live. Taste the Glenbrynth range from the 3 year old to the 21 year old, while Black Bottle will surprise and delight with a 21st-century taste poured from a charming bottle replicating the original design first produced by Aberdeen tea blenders in 1879. Grants brand ambassador, Tshepo Pitjeng, will be presenting the Grants 18 year old, which was a hit at the 2015 Whisky Live Festival in Sandton when it launched. Fifth Cousin Big news on the blends front is the new range of Scottish Cousin blends, a 5-, 8- and 12 year old born from a love for whisky by the 'Fifth Cousin' (of van Loverens Four Cousins fame) who is of fourth generation Scottish ancestry. Tickets are R190 each at www.ticketpros.co.za or R200 at the door while tickets last and include 15 whisky-tasting vouchers, a glass and a 500ml Valpre Spring Water. Download the Whizzky app, answer a few questions and get five additional tasting vouchers on the night. Return your voucher card on exit and receive a 2016 SA Whisky Handbook worth R75. For more information, go to www.whiskylive.co.za or email az.oc.evilyksihw@ofni South Africa's clothing retail sector has become a battleground of international newcomers taking on the old guard. For decades, local clothing retailers were largely isolated from foreign competition, but, despite belt-tightening by consumers, this comfortable situation is changing fast as more players enter the market, according to the IMM Journal of Strategic Marketing in its latest April/May 2016 issue. The country has become the new hunting ground for growing numbers of big-name global players eager to stake their claim in a clothing market with annual sales of R180 billion. It is a change local fashion retailers do not take lightly. There is no doubt foreign retailers represent a major threat, said Ian Moir, CEO of Woolworths. He is one of those who has taken his company offshore to ensure diversification of revenue streams and lessen the impact of increased competition at home. Precisely how many foreign clothing retailers have entered South Africa is unclear, but an analysis of media coverage indicates the number is beyond 20. For local clothing retailers, the real challenge is coming from mass-market heavyweights, not least among them is newcomer Hennes & Mauritz, trading as H&M. A massively capable business H&M is also one of the worlds most aggressive clothing retailers when it comes to growing its footprint. In 2015 its store numbers grew by 413 to 3924 outlets and will expand by another 425 outlets in 2016. H&M is a massive business and a massively capable one, Moir told the magazine. It represents a bigger threat than Zara. Moir has good reason to sound a warning about H&M. We are going to be big in South Africa, said Par Darj, H&Ms country manager. SA has a large number of fashion stores and, where there is a big interest in fashion, thats where H&M wants to be. The retailer signalled that it means business when, in October 2015, it opened its first local store, in Cape Towns V&A Waterfront. Interestingly, the store received high praise from opposing CEO Doug Murray, who heads up The Foschini Group (TFG). It is extremely impressive and is probably the best store H&M has anywhere in the world, he observed. Published five times a year by the Institute of Marketing Management (IMM), the magazine is available in print and digital formats and is read by professional marketers and those working in related fields, business executives, IMM alumni and IMM Graduate School students. The print edition is on sale at selected CNA and Exclusive Books outlets, or available via subscription. Copies are also distributed via a targetted professional mailing list and through selected airline lounges and the IMM Graduate Schools student support centres. As World Press Freedom Day was celebrated on 3 May 2016, marking 25 years since the adoption of the Windhoek Declaration on Promoting an Independent and Pluralistic Media, The Right2Know Campaign issued its comments on the day and its importance. The organisation would like to underscore the important work of the countrys journalists, editors and other media workers who, under often trying circumstances, deliver critical coverage, inform public debate, and play a vital role in the democratic life of the country. Media freedom, free expression and the free flow of information are vital to a healthy democracy and in this country, they have been especially hard-won. However, there are times when the wind is against us, pushing us back towards the days of paranoia, secrecy and censorship. Threats from the State The legal protections of the Constitution risk being undermined by a range of new legislation and the revival of Apartheid laws. We hear echoes of the past in, among other things, the use of the apartheid-era National Key Points Act to obstruct the work of critical journalists and in the Film and Publications Boards proposed regulations and legislation for online content that would amount to internet censorship. The Broadcasting Amendment Bill threatens to undermine the independence of the SABC, giving the Minister greater power to appoint the Board. The Secrecy Bill, under the guise of protecting national security, would criminalise whistle-blowers and investigative journalists for doing their jobs. All across the world, even in countries regarded as being among the most democratic, open-ended notions of state security are used to cover up information that is of tremendous public interest and silence critical voices. Journalists also face harassment and intimidation from police and security personnel for simply doing their jobs. In 2014, in an extreme case of police brutality, Mike Tshele became the first journalist to be killed on the job in two decades (his murderer has finally been found guilty). Threats to media freedom do not just come from the state and ruling party. Opposition parties in recent times have also exhibited paranoid and hostile attitudes towards the media. Helen Zilles directive to provincial departments in the Western Cape to boycott the Cape Times sounded a lot like the ANCs dont buy City Press! Julius Malemas recent threats to journalists of Gupta-owned news organisations were also a threat to press freedom that ignored the fact that good journalists sometimes work for shoddy news outlets. For a party that claims to represent the interests of workers, one would expect the EFF to be more conscious of the difficult conditions facing media workers, especially those who are lower level workers and predominantly black. Big Brother is watching Surveillance is a growing threat to journalists. The Snowden leaks were a warning in bold of just how widespread mass surveillance abuses are among so-called established democracies. In South Africa, journalists should be concerned about the same. Our intelligence services are notoriously opaque and are not immune to political interference. Problems in the law, in particular RICA, as well as weak and inefficient oversight mechanisms (we have been without an Inspector General of Intelligence for over a year now) makes it easy for those within state security structures to spy on journalists and media workers for political ends. On 6 May 2016, the Specialised Commercial Crime Court will hear the first case of illegal surveillance against journalists in post democratic South Africa, in which members of the police's Crime Intelligence Division are accused of tapping the phones of two Sunday Times journalists, Mzilikazi wa Afrika and Stephan Hofstatter, while they were reporting on scandals in the security structures. In the past year, it has also emerged that members of the intelligence structures bugged the phone of former Mail & Guardian journalist Sam Sole, now with Amabhungane Centre for Investigative Journalism, while he was reporting on Jacob Zuma's corruption charges. The surveillance of journalists is a clear threat to media freedom, and the safety of their sources and points to the need for urgent reforms to RICA to prevent such abuses from taking place. Media diversity vs. commercial interests Right2Know has consistently said that media freedom and media diversity are inextricable and that one without the other is meaningless. Media ownership in South Africa remains highly concentrated and so it is important that we have better funding, with no strings attached, for community and alternative media. We need a media landscape that is more inclusive and that fosters more platforms for more voices, especially those that are the most marginalised. Moreover, we need to put an end to the predatory business practices of media giants like Naspers, which has actively undermined media diversity by undercutting small local competitors, as was the case with Gold Net News in the Free State. Media are a public good a constitutional right that is the key to the realisation and defence of other rights. If media consumption and production opportunities remain in the grip of monopolies, they will continue to be enjoyed disproportionately by the economically powerful. In a country with such high levels of poverty, unemployment and inequality, appropriate interventions may be necessary to counter market forces that contribute to this phenomenon. We should not have to choose between media that are beholden to political interests and media that are beholden to corporate interests. We need more media, not less; more voices, not fewer. Media owners vs. media freedom Savage cost cutting in the newsroom has left fewer journalists, carrying a greater workload. In recent years, bureaus have been shuttered and newsrooms, especially in the print sector, have been haemorrhaging staff, leaving those who stay on to do more work for less pay and greatly strengthening the hand of spin doctors in the public and private sector. Then there is the perennial tug-of-war between managers and editors. Managers continue to interfere with editorial content: in an important case this month, former Cape Times editor Alide Dasnois will face her bosses at Sekunjalo Group in court. The ostensible reason given for Dasnois sacking was that she refused to lead with a story on the death of Mandela. It is clear, however, that she earned the wrath of her bosses with coverage that was critical of their companys business dealings with the ANC. In the last year, we have seen a string of resignations of editors from major national newspapers, most notably the Mail&Guardian and Business Day, amid rumours of editorial interference from management and owners. This points to the urgent need to bolster newsrooms independence not only from outside influence and attacks but also from interference from their owners. The public vs. state broadcaster Our public broadcaster, the SABC, has by far the widest reach of any media organisation in the country and its independence from powerful interests is crucial for the wellbeing of our democracy. The recently introduced Broadcasting Amendment Bill threatens to undermine the independence of the SABC, giving the Minister greater power over the Board. Those in charge at the SABC have revealed themselves to be no friends of press freedom, with the broadcaster conceited yet woefully incompetent and scandal prone COO, Hlaudi Motsoeneng, demanding 70% of stories aired to be positive. With his every ham-fisted move, our once proud SABC that was a flagship of transformation is more at risk of running aground and reverting to a state mouthpiece. Political interference, maladministration and self-censorship have had a crippling effect and have meant that the broadcaster is increasingly unable to deliver high quality programming and news that reflects a plurality of views, is fair, accurate and independent of government and commercial interests. For many South Africans, the SABC is pretty much their only source of news. It is an impressive feat that the SABC reaches into the farthest corners of the country and delivers programming in all official languages, with local language radio stations that have audience figures in the millions and dwarf even the largest print publications. Nevertheless, we need more diversity. The countrys massive inequalities are replicated in media consumption. While the middleclass have a rich media experience and access to a wide range of local and international media on a variety of ever-improving platforms, those in poor rural parts of the country may have to make do with just a local language SABC radio station at best. Lost opportunity of digital TV The migration to digital TV has the potential to transform South Africa's media because many more TV channels available could add to diversity of content and ownership. However ICASA (the regulator) wants to give two-thirds (66%) of the channels to the private sector. The SABC has been given a quarter of the channels (25%). The SABC does not have the resources to produce all these extra public interest channels and is likely to run them as profitable partnerships with the private sector. ICASA's proposed privatisation of the airwaves will see only 5% of stations being community non-profit. Commercial stations will compete for existing advertising funds. There will be less advertising to go around so we can expect to see many re-runs, old shows and low budget American productions. Relative freedom It is not all bad news. South Africa ranked 39 out of 180 countries in the World Press Freedom Index, above the US and one place behind the UK, though that does say as much about the deteriorating state of press freedom in other parts of the globe as anything else. Nevertheless, in commemorating this day, we can celebrate our vibrant and often critical media and we can take some comfort in the knowledge that our progressive constitution promotes and protects media freedom. Compared to most of our neighbours, and indeed many old western democracies, our press freedom record is not very bad, but this is only because with every attempt by the powerful to restrict media freedom, the public is able to keep pushing back. On the next Biz Takeouts Marketing & Media radio show on Thursday, 5 May 2016, from 9-10am, show host Warren Harding looks at the hard-hitting commercial for Safely Home from Y&R South Africa entitled, The First Kiss. The First Kiss forms part of the Safely Home Calendar, a year-round sustainable road safety communication strategy that commenced in August 2014. It was launched as part of March and Aprils #BeTheChange theme. The ad was produced for television and cinema and is supported by billboards and radio. We chat to Hector Eliott, strategic co-ordinator for Safely Home in the Western Cape Department of Transport and Graham Lang, chief creative officer of Y&R South Africa and Africa to find out more about the campaign, the creative process and the results. Have a look at the commercial here. Tune into Biz Takeouts every Thursday from 9am-10am live from the 2oceansVibe Radio studio in Cape Town as we discuss the topics that matter in Marketing & Media. How to listen Comments or questions Podcast A podcast of the show will be available in the Biz Takeouts special section on Biz later during the week. This week, we find out what's really going on behind the selfie with technophile Yvonne Ndege, Al Jazeera's West Africa correspondent who says her phone is practically an extension of her arm. Ndeges had lots of practice smiling at cameras 1. Where do you live, work and play? Ndege: It feels like I live and work in the virtual internet world, as so much of what I do is transmitted online. But physically, mainly in West Africa, in particular Nigeria. I play in London. I was born and raised in the UK and my immediate family, parents, siblings, and cousins are there. I travel home a lot to see them. I also love Kenya and France for holidays. 2. Whats your claim to fame? Ndege: Covering the Boko Haram Islamist uprising in Nigeria. I was the first international journalist to report on Boko Haram from Maiduguri, the epicentre of the crisis in 2009 when it started, and have covered virtually every aspect of the crisis for six years. I have also covered lots of powerful humanitarian stories across Africa involving my two great passions: refugees and children. I have also done a few terrorism reports in Paris, France that I am proud of. I have been fortunate enough to get rare interviews with the Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari and his predecessor, ex-President Goodluck Jonathan. Ive interviewed the richest man in Africa, businessman Aliko Dangote, which was interesting. Ive done a lot, but in a nutshell its been reporting serious news and current affairs through ordinary people telling simple, moving, compelling, profound and sometimes funny stories. And sometimes through powerful and wealthy people! 3. Describe your career so far? Ndege: Ah, well, its been 18 years long so far, but neatly packed. I worked for the BBC for 10 years in the UK, where I started my career as correspondent after university. I joined Al Jazeera eight years ago. At the BBC, I covered the UK and European news and current affairs. It was serious political stuff mainly. At Al Jazeera, I have covered lots of human stories. 4. Tell us a few of your favourite things. Ndege: I love running and do so 3 to 4 times a week. I love playing around with hair and make up very girly, I know. I love cooking and a good glass of wine or a gin and tonic from time to time. More seriously, I also love mentoring young people who want to get into the media. I am involved in my old university alumni activities. I studied at London School of Economics in the UK and we regularly hold activities around the world for ex-students and prospective students. I love working in teams and with other people. These are all simple things I just enjoy. But above all of them, I am in love with my 21-month-old daughter! Shes my favourite person and I love spending time with her. 5. What do you love about your industry? Ndege: The power to tell stories that put issues on the agenda to create a better, more peaceful and equitable world. Working for a major media outlet like Al Jazeera gives me a lot of reach to talk about the issues I care about. 6. What are a few pain points your industry can improve on? Ndege: The industry is under a lot of pressure right now. Things are changing fast. Some people think anyone with a smartphone is a journalist. I think we can improve on providing context and analysis of issues as opposed to just reporting facts. Thats where media organisations who want to be a part of the future have to find an edge. 7. Describe your average workday, if such a thing exists. Ndege: I am on call 24/7, so I have to be ready to go on air within 30 minutes on any given day. So my day starts with hair, make up and wardrobe. After that I check Twitter, then Facebook for stories emerging from West Africa, the UK and Kenya which I have an interest in. 8. What are the tools of your trade? Ndege: My iPhone, my headphones, a hair brush and good lipstick. But above all that, its the contacts in my phone. You need lots and lots of good contacts to identify good stories and bring them to TV. 9. Who is getting it right in your industry? Ndege: Good question. I think different organisations are getting different things right. It depends. Al Jazeera is better than most at giving a human face to major global issues, as well as context and analysis. CNN is very good at breaking news. But there are many internet players now who are breaking stories and providing good video. The BBC is also very good at reach; the BBC has reporters everywhere. The BBC are also masters in excellent written analysis. 10. What are you working on right now? Ndege: I am working on a piece about the impact of falling oil prices on the Nigerian economy. It does not sound like much fun but it is fascinating. Nigeria relies almost exclusively on oil exports for income, so with falling prices its being forced to diversify its economy into other sectors, like agriculture and farming. 11. Where and when do you have your best ideas? Ndege: Usually when working with a team, but I have the very best when I am working alone or jogging. 12. Whats your secret talent/party trick? Ndege: Dancing. I am quite good! I can also do a few disappearing acts. 13. What would we find if we scrolled through your phone? Ndege: Lots of photos and lots of text messages with my story sources. Texting is my preferred way of communicating. I like to have things on record. 14. What advice would you give to newbies hoping to crack into the industry? Ndege: The most important trait is self-confidence and self-belief. You must believe you can succeed and that youre good. The currency is having good ideas that can translate to TV/video, audio or text. Its all about approaches to stories that can capture a wider audience. Read more about Ndege by clicking here, and interact with her through her Twitter feed, Instagram account and by subscribing to her public posts on Facebook. *Interviewed by Leigh Andrews Subscribe to daily business and company news across 19 industries SUBSCRIBE Suttha Saivanid, the Tak Deputy-Governor said the Thai government had been in contact with Burmas recently elected National League for Democracy government to set in place a process to start the repatriation of the refugees. The Democratic Voice of Burma reported that the Mr. Suttha told reporters that the governments of the two countries, together with the United Nations refugee agency UNHCR, are set to brainstorm a road map for the repatriation. The Tak Deputy-Governor told reporters that the process to repatriate the 100,000 people in nine refugee camps on the Thai Buirma border would begin within two to three years time. The Mae Sot meeting was attended by representatives of the UNHCR and Thai security officials from Umpium, Mae La and Nupo refugee camps. A refugee from Umphien camp who asked not to be named told Karen News that the problem they have is not with the time frame to return voluntarily with dignity to their homeland. The refugee said that living dignity in the camp is now being undermined by the decreasing food rations and cuts to other vital services in the camp. You cannot afford to care for dignity if you dont have enough to eat or feed your family. The issue is not about being repatriated in two or three years time. The critical issue is how will we survive the massive cuts to our rations, our health services and education while we wait to be repatriated? The important issue is how do we feed our families when donors are withdrawing their support? We are now being driven out by the donor cuts not the Thai government. A camp committee member from Umphiem camp said that the issue of repatriation is nothing new for them. It has always been the position and policy of Thai government to send us home when the conditions are right. The Thai government alone cant start the whole repatriation process. When we are to be sent back home, the Burma government will also need to be involved and take responsibility for their part in the process. We are not hearing of any official statement about this. The camp committee member said that they have not been informed by the Thai authorities about this recent discussion about repatriation and that if it has started there should be official discussions among local Thai officials and the various camp committees if the process is to start taking place. Naw Blooming Night Zan, a member of the Karen Refugee Committee said that no representative from KRC attended the recent meeting, but she had attended previous meetings where the Tak Deputy Governor also made his position clear about the return of refugees. In a meeting with our committee in the previous month, the deputy governor told us that right now there is no plan to send the refugees back. He told us that he agreed that the situation is not conducive to send refugees home. However, they said that they will not stop individuals who make their own decision to go back. Naw Blooming Night Zan said that KRC was told that the Thai government will not forcibly repatriate refugees as it is not their policy to do so. The Thai government has agreed in principle that repatriation should be according to international standards where refugee will return home voluntarily and with dignity. Karen News attended a workers rally in Mae Sot on the Thai Burma border and spoke to workers in Kawkareik, Karen State about what it meant to them. As many as 200 migrant workers in the Thai border town of Mae Sot took to the streets on the 126th May Day to demand for workers equal rights and to be paid the full minimum wage set by the Thai government. Win Zaw Oo, a mason worker who joined the May Day march organized by the Myanmar Rights Protection Working Group spoke to Karen News. Now workers dont get equal rights, so now I want that we get equal rights. Our workers should also respect and follow Thai laws and regulations. The NGOs that are working for workers should encourage and educate the workers about their rights. Even though the Thai government has officially set the minimum wage in Tak province area at 300 baht [a day], not more than 10% of migrant workers get that amount. Therefore, there needs to be pressure put on the Thai government and businessmen to make it happen. U Moe Joe, director of the Joint Action Committee for Burmese Affairs who co-organized the May Day event told Karen News that they held the ceremony to give knowledge about the background story of how May Day started, and for employers and the authorities to take responsibility for workers to be given their rights. Speaking to Karen News U Moe Joe said. The main purpose of this [May Day event] is the spirit of May Day. The spirit of May Day means people worked for eight hours, that leaves eight hours for leisure and eight hours for rest. If workers cannot do something alone, they can do it with through the strength of unity. We want people to cooperate. In all cases, obstacles and difficulties, it is always better to work with a team than to try to do it yourself. That is the spirit of May Day. If something is needed, you have to pay with your sweat and even blood. I want this spirit to spread to all workers. And for the rights the migrant workers are not getting, I want to show and encourage them to ask for those rights within the Thai law. Win Zaw Oo said that he expected to learn more about workplace issues by attending the May Day event. Win Zaw Oo also represents a group of Burmese migrant workers in the southern Mae Tao areas and he said that he wanted to share what he learnd from the event with all the workers in his area. May Day is an internationally recognized day for workers to get knowledge about their rights. The reason I joined the ceremony is that I am on the workers side and I am also a worker. As I am a leader, I want to share the knowledge with the people living in the Mae Tao areas. When we solve the social problems or workers problems, I want to share this knowledge with them for their understanding. There are as many as 200,000 Burmese migrant workers in the Mae Sot area which is located opposite the Burma border town of Myawaddy. U Moe Joe, the director of JACBA said that most workers in Mae Sot dont get paid the minimum wage. Even though [Thai] government has considered increasing the minimum wage to 300 baht all over Thailand, Mae Sot and some other districts still pay a minimum wage under 200 baht. So I want to call for the [Thai government] to press for 300 baht in Mae Sot and other districts. U Moe Joe had some words of advice for both the Thai and Burma governments on settling work related problems. If there are some problems with migrant workers, the two governments should discuss and make a shelter for the workers to stay temporarily. If the problems continue, instead of having the meeting with the Thai and Myanmar governments, I think it would be better to have a joint committee from Thailand and Burma. I just want to let the Thai government know. Sandar Win, a worker at Tesco Lotus in Mae Sot also joined the May Day event hoping to learn more about workers right. May Day is the worlds workers day so I came here because I wanted to know more about workers right more than what I have already known. Sandar Win came to Thailand in 1999. She said that in the past it was hard to survive with the daily payment of less than 150baht when she worked at a garment factory. When I worked at a factory, I only got 120 baht a day. Every month I got something over 3000 or 4000. It was not enough for us. But now, 300 baht a day is enough [for living]. Across the border Kawkareik Town is only 45 minutes drive from Mae Sot, but most workers are unaware of May Day and its significance. Thar Ku, a motorcycle taxi driver living in Kawkareik told Karen News that he learned about the worlds important days when he was in school, but now he has no idea what is May Day or the International Labor Day. Speaking to Karen News on May 1, Thar Ku said. I dont know what day is today. I have to work everyday. I work today to get food to eat for today. The business is getting harder and harder. When I was child, I learnt about days. Now as we are struggling for our living, we dont even know about these days anymore. As a taxi driver, Thar Ku earns between 20,000 (about USD $20) kyats and 2,000 (about USD $20) kyats. Thar Ku is a member of the local taxi driver association, but said that there is now hardly any benefit in doing so. I have a membership with the taxi driver group. We dont get any social or healthcare support from the group. We have few workers in this town. Most of the people are away working in a foreign country. I dont know anything about workers rights. Thar Ku is not alone in being unaware of workers right, Mai Lay, a domestic worker in Kawkreik agreed that she has a lack of knowledge about workers right. I live in Hpa-an. I first worked at a grocery store. I got 100,000 kyats (about USD $100) a month, but here I worked as a domestic worker and I also get 100,000. The former job was tiring, but here at home, they treat me like their family. The work is not that tiring. It is more convenient to stay here. Even though I am happy working here, I still want to work somewhere that has better opportunities. In Myanmar, we dont know anything about work opportunities and workers rights. Some of my friends are working in Bangkok. They said they are doing well. I think the opportunities we get here are not the same. Mai Lay said that as a domestic worker, its hard to learn about outside world, but she hope to see a better opportunity come to Burma. Speaking to Karen News on May Day, Mai Lay said. People say today is the worlds workers day, May Day, but I dont really know what it is. I only saw it on TV. I am doing domestic work and I dont go out, I dont know what is happening out there. I want to work somewhere that gives me a better salary. I want to live like other families do and I want to be happy like anyone else. I hope there will be better opportunity in Myanmar for me and for me to get better pay. Free Burma Rangers, a frontline humanitarian aid agency, has reported that the attacks have led to several civilian casualties including a 60-year-old woman, killed and a 7-year-old girl, badly injured by gunfire. A Kachin Independence Army official speaking to FBR reported that KIA forces had suffered six casualties in the intense fighting between 17th and 18th of April. Images provided by FBR showed a village damaged by artillery fire. The latest attacks reported by FBR began on the 8th of April at around 9am with Burma Army forces attacking a KIA post with mortars and small arms fire. Armed clashes in different areas of Kachin State spread to other areas and intensified from the 17th to the 24th of April. Burma Campaign UK called for the release of the three activists after their arrest in July 2015. The three were arrested after calls by Buddhist nationalists for their imprisonment in a social media campaign, branding the work the group does as a betrayal of Buddhism. The activists were charged with allegedly visiting the Kachin Independence Organisation under Articvle 17 (1) of the Unlawful Association Act, and for allegedly crossing into India illegally. Promoting religious freedom is a very important issue for Burma right now and we need more activists like Zaw Zaw Latt, Pwint Phyu Latt and Zaw Win Bo, Wai Hnin, Campaigns Officer at Burma Campaign UK, said in a statement. They should be released immediately so they can continue their peaceful activities to bring religious harmony in the country. Burma Campaign UK maintains that the arrest of the three activist is political and that they therefore fall under the category of political prisoners. The statement came after the resumption of fighting between the two armies on 1May in Mengwi in northern Shan State. The statement issued by RCSS/SSA said, Launching an offensive against our army clearly shows their lack of will towards peaceful negotiations and finding a peaceful resolution to the conflict. Fighting between TNLA and RCSS originally broke out on November 27, 2015 and after a brief lull resumed on May 1 at 8:45 a.m. in Sai Lane village Mengwi Township, northern Shan State. TNLA Information Department In-charge Mai Aik Kyaw told Mizzima that the current conflict areas have been controlled by the TNLA and only after signing the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA) did the RCSS enter these areas resulting in fighting between the two sides. To help resolve the ongoing conflict, the RCSS sent letters to United Nationalities Federal Council (UNFC) and United Wa State Party (UWSP) on 23 April requesting them to intervene between the two warring parties but no negotiations have taken place. U Wai Sein Aung of Rakhine State Constituency 1 submittedthe urgent motion calling for an immediate end to fighting between the Myanmar Military and the Arakan Army (AA) in Rakhine State. The motion also called for bringing the AA into political dialogue. Brig-Gen Aung San Chit, a military-appointed MP, objected to the use of the term AA Tatmadaw in the motion, saying there is only one Tatmadaw in the country and that the AA is an insurgent group. Moreover, he also protested the submitters comments, in which he said civilians were forced to become porters. The military MP denied that porters were conscripted on the ground, the report said. He said: If [the Burmese government] wants to immediately implement it [a 21st century Panglong Agreement] just as Daw Aung San Suu Kyi has said, a nationwide ceasefire needs to be immediately declared and the Tatmadaw [Burma Army] needs to accept it. He pointed out that a year after General Ne Wins revolutionary Council Government staged a military coup in 1962 the Burmese government and ethnic armed groups were able to hold political dialogue, declare a ceasefire and grant an amnesty for all opposition forces. Nai Hong Tha continued: I want the government, parliament, military, and political parties, and all ethnic armed groups to participate, discuss, and find solutions at a 21st Century Panglong Conference. All the ethnic armed groups including the NCA-signatories and non-NCA-signatories need to participate. He said that though a 21st century Panglong Agreement would not be the same as the 1947 Panglong Agreement signed between General Aung San and the ethnic groups from the hill regions, he hoped that it would be able to succeed in its main objective of bringing about the building of a federal union. In an interview with the I.M.N.A, the Shan Nationalities League for Democracy (SNLD)s Chairman U Khun Tun Oo said: Daw Aung San Suu Kyi said the 21st Century Panglong will be held within one or two months. We dont know which methods and format will be used to hold it. We dont know who will support it and who will participate. This is a problem. The biggest problem is that the Tatmadaw needs to be satisfied with it. Daw Aung San Suu Kyi told the Union Joint Monitoring Committee (JMC-U) on 27 April that she wanted to hold a 21st century Panglong Agreement within one or two months. Translated by Thida Linn Edited in English by Mark Inkey for BNI A camp of an armed group based on Maloa Taung (Photo: Facebook) A camp of an armed group based onMaloa Taung (Photo: Facebook) The disarmed four soldiers are from a splinter group of ABSDF, and the splinter group is active in southern Ye Township and along Maloa Taung (Mountain) between the border of Mon State and Tenasserim Division. The four soldiers, led by Major U Thant Soe, handed over their arms at Military Operation Headquarter No. 19 at 10 AM, on April 28, in Ye Town. This group has been active for a long time. The way they live and are active is very confusing. Although they are from ABSDF, they also cooperate with former members of New Mon State Party (NMSP). They also work with a Karen armed group. And, considered themselves working for environmental preservation, they are based there, said Ko Soe Thein, a resident of Ye Town. It is unknown that how many soldiers that ABSDF breakaway group has but its men have traveled around with their trucks and conducting their businesses around the Ye Township, according to Ye Township locals. The disarmed weapons include two pistols, 1 six-shooter and 4 hand-grenades, according to a source close to Tatmadaw. It remains unknown what support and what resettlement program the Tatmadaw (Burma Army) would provide the disarmed group. It looks like you have reached this page in error ... The content you are looking for has either moved, or if you typed in the address there might have been a mistake. If you believe there has been a technical error please let us know. Most Popular Destinations NEW DELHI (PTI): Four Indian naval ships including two stealth frigates will take part in a trilateral exercise next month near the South China Sea which will see India, US and Japan playing war games in East of Okinawa. Defence sources said the two frigates along with a tanker and a corvette with integral helicopters will take part in Malabar Exercise which will be held from mid-June to the end of the month. Reacting sharply to India's move in December last year of including Japan in the Indo-US Malabar naval exercises on a permanent basis, China had said that Tokyo will not "provoke confrontation" and "heighten tensions" in the region. China is in a territorial dispute with the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei and Vietnam over the South China Sea issue. There are overlapping claims over the waters in that maritime region. The US, which had been pushing for Japan's inclusion, has said the exercise is an important element for assessing the maritime capabilities of all the three countries. The US has in recent months ramped up its warnings over what it calls China's growing "militarisation" in the South China Sea. American warships and aircraft have undertaken number of operations in the region to challenge China's moves even as the US hopes to stitch Asian military powers into a closer cooperation. The US has also been pushing for a quadrilateral security dialogue involving itself, India, Japan and Australia. F-16 fighter jet. ISLAMABAD (PTI): Pakistan on Tuesday said it will buy F-16 jets from other countries if the US failed to provide agreed funds, amid reports that the State Department expressed inability to fund the USD 700 million deal with American tax payers' money. Prime Minister's advisor on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz said that the Congressional blockade may force it to turn to other countries. "Pakistan will buy F-16s from some other country if funding (from US) is not arranged," Aziz said at a seminar. The two nations had agreed on USD 700 million deal under which Pakistan was to pay USD 270 million from its national funds to purchase eight F-16s while the US was supposed to finance the rest of the amount from its Foreign Military Financing (FMF) fund. But Congress has refused to approve the funding, leaving the deal in limbo, as cash-starved Pakistan may not be able to make the entire payment. Earlier, at a Congressional hearing, US lawmakers made it clear that they would not allow the Obama administration to use US funds for the deal. Last Friday, a State Department official said Congress had placed a hold on the deal, forbidding the administration from using US funds for enabling Pakistan to buy the planes. And on Monday, the department confirmed that Pakistan will have to use its own funds if it wants the planes. Aziz said F-16s was an effective tool to fight militancy and it can be replaced by JF-17 Thunder jets, locally produced. He expressed concern at the growing military power of India and said if it isn't checked, Pakistan will be "forced to increase its strategic power" too. "The international community should avoid steps which may disturb the strategic balance in South Asia," he said. The F-16 fighter jet. ISLAMABAD (PTI): Pakistan is still negotiating with the US to buy eight F-16 fighter jets despite difficulties in getting the USD 700 million deal partially financed by the American government, a top Pakistani official has said. The purchase hit snags after US Congress withheld 60 per cent of the aid earmarked for subsidising the deal, which has been opposed by some American lawmakers and India. Tariq Fatemi, Special Assistant to Pakistan Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs, responding to reports about the deadlock said the "negotiations aren't over yet". He said Pakistan's mission in Washington is currently in talks with members of the Congress to raise awareness of Islamabad's views on the matter. "America understands how important a role these eight F-16s can play in the fight against terror, which is why the request was made in the first place," Fatemi was quoted as saying by BBC Radio. According to the deal, Pakistan would have paid USD 270 million and the remaining USD 430 million was to come from the US. "There is strong opposition to provide subsidised arms to other countries in the US Congress, but Obama administration's offer of military aid to Pakistan still stands," Fatemi said. Those opposing the deal argue that these jets can be used against India in the event of a war. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 04/05/2016 (2364 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. VANCOUVER The Earls restaurant chain says it will start serving Canadian beef again following a recent uproar over its decision to switch to meat without added hormones from the United States. The Vancouver-based company, which has 26 of its 66 locations in Alberta, said last week that it would serve only beef with the U.S.-based Certified Humane designation, raised without the use of antibiotics, steroids or added hormones. Earls president Mo Jessa said Wednesday the company made a mistake when it moved away from local beef. But to meet its supply needs while keeping its ethical standards, the chain will have to serve both Canadian and U.S. meat, he said. A Earls restaurant is pictured in North Vancouver, Thursday, April 28, 2016. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jonathan Hayward This is not going to be easy. Theres a supply issue for the criteria that we need. Were going to have to work very hard to find more local ranchers, he said in an interview. Were prepared to go back and address it, because its important to Canadians and our consumers. Its important to Albertans and its important to us. The chain began buying Certified Humane beef from an Alberta supplier about two years ago for select locations. But when it decided to serve only Certified Humane beef in all its restaurants, it couldnt find a Canadian supplier able to meet the high demand, Jessa said. Earls switched to a Kansas supplier because its simpler to buy from a single source, but Jessa said the chain will start buying from multiple suppliers. He said he couldnt confirm a timeline for when Earls will begin serving Alberta beef, but the chain plans to work quickly to source as much meat from Canada as possible. It isnt planning to differentiate between U.S. and Canadian beef on menus, he said. The chain has not reneged on its deal with the Kansas supplier and will not remove marketing materials from restaurants promoting the switch to Certified Humane, he added. He said Earls was still committed to meeting the criteria of the Certified Humane program, run by Virginia-based organization Humane Farm Animal Care. The criteria, enforced through annual inspections, include feeding cattle without animal by-products and ensuring access to clean, fresh drinking water, among many others. But Jessa said Earls would not require Canadian producers to have the Certified Humane trademark if they meet the same standards though another program that includes third-party audits. Alberta has high standards for raising their cattle ethically and humanely, but we do need certification, he said. We will look at equivalent programs. The decision last week prompted a backlash from cattle farmers and incited anger on social media, with politicians including Premier Rachel Notley jumping into the fray to defend Alberta producers. Scores of Twitter users threatened to boycott the chain. The melee also drew attention to competing certification programs for ethical beef. British Columbias SPCA offers a program called SPCA Certified that has many of the same criteria as Certified Humane. Industry advocates say Canadian codes of practice for beef cattle are also similar to the Certified Humane requirements. However, the codes of practice are guidelines that are not enforced through inspections. Rob McNabb of the Canadian Cattlemens Association said the industry will soon launch a program called Verified Beef Production Plus that could meet the same standards as Certified Humane and include inspections. The program will not include a requirement to have no added hormones, but such criteria could be added for individual farms, he said. But he said hes confident that Alberta ranchers are treating their animals humanely, regardless of whether they have a stamp that says so. If they arent, they wouldnt be in business, he said. The name Certified Humane can be inferred by people, who dont know what the alternatives are, that everybody else isnt treating their animals humanely. That doesnt wash. Follow @ellekane on Twitter. Note to readers: This is a corrected story. An earlier version said that there was no equivalent Canadian program to Certified Humane. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 04/05/2016 (2364 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. A 45-year-old man pleaded guilty to attempted murder in Brandon court yesterday. Jesus Arnoldo Sorto Granados, speaking through an interpreter, said he understood the charges levelled against him and pleaded guilty to one charge of attempted murder while pleading not guilty to three additional charges. On Aug. 16, 2014, Sorto Granados got into a fight on the lawn at a house party in the 900 block of 11th Street. The combatants had worked at the same construction company, and there was apparently some history between them, as previously reported in the Brandon Sun. The fight was broken up, but Sorto Granados broke a bottle and tried to go after the other man with it. Witnesses grabbed Sorto Granados, and he dropped the bottle when his original adversary struck him in the face. Following the scuffle, a witness said he heard Sorto Granados on a cellphone asking someone to bring a gun or knife. Fifteen minutes later, he returned to the party with a knife, and witnesses say he attacked the man hed fought with earlier. The victim was stabbed in the back, cut in the stomach and his throat was sliced. His trachea was cut, and the wound came within millimetres of major arteries. The then-31-year-old victim needed more than 100 stitches and was hospitalized for 11 days. As the attacker left the scene, a witness heard him say: Hes dead. No one touches my face. A knife and bloody clothing were found in his car and DNA tests show the blood was that of the victim. In court yesterday, Sorto Granados initially pleaded guilty to two charges an assault charge from the same evening and the attempted murder charge. After thorough questioning from Justice John Menzies through an interpreter to ensure Sorto Granados understood the charges, he pleaded not guilty to the assault. Crown attorney Jim Ross stayed the other three charges against Sorto Granados following the guilty plea. Sorto Granados is originally from El Salvador, but has lived in Canada for 11 years and has permanent residency status. He had no criminal record at the time of the incident. Almost one year after the initial incident, however, Sorto Granados pleaded guilty to breaching his bail conditions, which state he was to stay at least 100 metres away from the victims work. That charged stemmed from an incident approximately five months after the stabbing when Sorto Granados went to the victims workplace, at or near The Town Centre, where the man was outside having a cigarette with five co-workers. Sorto Granados walked right past the man, staring at him. He stopped about 20 feet away, lit his own cigarette, which he smoked, all the while glaring at the man whose throat had been cut. Co-workers said the victim turned white as a ghost and shook. He immediately called police and Sorto Granados was arrested at his home. Attempted murder carries a maximum penalty of life in prison. Menzies ordered a pre-sentencing report. Sentencing is set for July 21. ctweed@brandonsun.com Twitter: @CharlesTweed Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 04/05/2016 (2364 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. VICTORIA British Columbias forests minister says the province cant send personnel to neighbouring Alberta before dealing with its own fires spurred by unseasonably dry weather. Alberta understands that, Steve Thomson said Wednesday. He said officials have discussed the provinces needs with their counterparts dealing with a disastrous fire in Fort McMurray. We are in the process of bringing more human resources on stream as we do our training and our boot camps. Depending on how the situation develops, as soon as those resources are required well make them available. BC Wildfire Service spokesman Kevin Skrepnek said the Siphon Creek fire burning in the Peace region is likely to cross the border into Alberta, and if it does, B.C. crews will continue to fight it so Alberta can concentrate resources in Fort McMurray. In B.C., we know all too well how devastating wildfires can be so certainly our thoughts are with everyone affected right now, Skrepnek said. The province has also offered Alberta the use of air tankers and equipment, including pumps and fire hoses, he said. Skrepnek said there are currently 85 fires burning in B.C., and 57 of them are in the Prince George fire region Seven fires are causing concern in the Peace region, where five evacuation alerts have been issued. Ian Lightbody of Emergency Management BC said 325 residences are covered by the alert and residents have been warned that they may need to leave at a moments notice. Skrepnek said cooler temperatures forecast for the coming days are unlikely to bring much rain and worsening winds will likely fan the flames. He said dry conditions and heat across much of B.C. resembles the situation in Alberta communities such as Fort McMurray, where nearly 90,000 residents have been ordered to leave their homes after a fire-storm descended on the oilsands city. There have been 203 fires across the province since April 1, and the blazes have scorched more than 230 square kilometres. Those numbers are unusually high for this time of year, Skrepnek said, noting that a year ago there had been 93 fires and seven square kilometres had burned. All but four of the B.C. fires so far this season have been caused by people, which Skrepnek said is typical for this time of year, because there is little lightning activity. Whats exacerbating the situation here, particularly up in the Peace region, is that were in a bit of a period now where the snow has melted. So theres lots of dead grass, dead fuel on the ground. With it having been so dry that grass hasnt greened up yet, its still dead, quite flammable, quite volatile. There are few fire restrictions currently in place in B.C., with the only exception being a ban on open fires in the Prince George and Cariboo regions. Skrepnek said Environment Canada expects this summer to be warmer than normal. He said a big indicator for the coming fire season will be the amount of rain that falls from mid-May until the end of June. Skrepnek said spring rains have a huge effect on fires, which can turn even a hot summer into a manageable firefighting season. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 04/05/2016 (2364 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. TORONTO A group comprised of doctors, patients, health charities and scientists is urging Ottawa to invest $25 million over the next five years for research into the health effects and potential therapeutic benefits of medical marijuana. In a report released Wednesday, the Medical Cannabis Research Roundtable highlighted the lack of reliable, peer-reviewed Canadian-based research into marijuana as a potential treatment for a variety of diseases and conditions. As our country embarks on a debate about the legalization of recreational marijuana, we should not lose sight of the need to invest in medical science and proper trials to better understand the impacts and effects of medical cannabis, roundtable chairman Dr. Jason McDougall, a professor of pharmacology and anesthesia at Dalhousie University in Halifax, said in a statement. Physicians and patients are left with uncertainty about the potential therapeutic benefits of medical cannabis and particularly the potential to bring relief to those living with chronic pain. The group identified three priorities for funding: Basic science: To have a better understanding of how medical cannabis affects disease progression, physiological function and is processed by the body. Clinical science: Peer-reviewed studies that focus on safety, efficacy, dosing and administration of medical marijuana. Health services and policy: Exploring issues such as equitable access to medical cannabis; how to manage and market medical marijuana in the context of legalization; transferring knowledge about the product to health providers and the public; and its social and economic impacts. The Arthritis Society, a member of the group, also announced the creation of the Medical Cannabis Strategic Operating Grant, an annual commitment of at least $120,000 towards research into the effects of medical marijuana. The charitable organization is also doubling its commitment to medical cannabis research to $720,000 over the next three years. Patients with chronic conditions seeking relief face unfair barriers due to the lack of proper medical research (into cannabis), said president and CEO Janet Yale. The election of a new government that has voiced its support for science and evidence-based policy-making creates an ideal opportunity to commit to the sort of rigorous understanding of medical cannabis that should have occurred long ago. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 04/05/2016 (2364 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. KITCHENER, Ont. The City of Kitchener continues its efforts to identify and clean up the spill of a petroleum-like substance into the Grand River last week. The city says it will be meeting with the Ministry of the Environment and the Region of Waterloo to come up with a plan to clean up the spill. It says they were notified last Friday by the ministry about a spill after someone noticed a sheen on the water. They say they have contained the spill at the point of entry, but still have not identified the source of the substance. A boom has been installed to soak up the substance and workers are digging up and removing affected soil along the rivers banks. The city is asking residents to stay out of the river. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 04/05/2016 (2364 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. As Tyler Warman raced north toward the fire that was consuming Fort McMurray, memories of the blaze that devastated his small community five years earlier came flooding back. The mayor of Slave Lake and other crews headed to the northern oilsands city on Tuesday to help fight a fire that bore eerie similarities to one that reduced homes in Slave Lake to charred cement foundations and left entire neighbourhoods razed to ash. Warman, who also fought the Slave Lake fire when it broke out on May 15, 2011, said the sight of Fort McMurray as he and the crew approached took him back to the long, punishing days of battling the blaze that destroyed 400 buildings and forced 7,000 people out of the community. The smouldering remains of houses in Slave Lake, Alta., are seen in a May 16, 2011, file photo. The wildfire that is devastating large swaths of the northern Alberta city of Fort McMurray comes just five years after another blaze destroyed 400 buildings and left 2,000 people homeless in Slave Lake, Alberta. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ian Jackson We could see the flames from probably 35 kilometres out, he said about the drive into Fort McMurray. We drove through fire to get here. A lot of people were evacuating, there was lots of smokeThere was lots of traffic moving in the other direction and it reminded me of our experience in 2011. He said the devastation and evacuation were similar to what played out around Slave Lake, noting that they were trying to move 10,000 people out of his community rather than the 80,000 or so being evacuated from Fort McMurray. Warman, who was in the fire department and a member of the Slave Lake council in 2011, said thick, black smoke filled the air in Fort McMurray as flames crept close to the roadways. He said he and others were heading out again Wednesday to help fight the fire after getting a couple of hours of sleep. Lesser Slave River Reeve Murray Kerik, who also fought the Slave Lake fire, said he was heart sick when he turned on the TV and saw how a fire he had been monitoring for a couple of days in Fort McMurray had turned so dangerous, so quickly. He said it played out much like it did in Slave Lake, which had the added difficulty of flames that were whipped by 100-kilometre-an-hour winds. Watching it on TV, we could really feel for them because weve been there, he said from his home in Slave Lake. It just makes my stomach turn. Ive been there, Ive seen this. Kerik says he went three days without sleep while fighting the fire in Slave Lake. On Tuesday, when he saw the flames inching closer to Fort McMurray, he immediately thought: Here we go again. In the end, some estimates pegged the damage in Slave Lake at up to $1 billion, which insurance adjusters estimated at the time made it the second-costliest disaster after the Quebec-Ontario ice storm of 1998. It was later determined that the an arsonist recklessly or deliberately ignited the forest fire that reduced a third of Slave Lake to rubble. No civilians were hurt, but a fire-fighting helicopter pilot died after crashing on Lesser Slave Lake. About 1,400 firefighters along with 170 helicopters and tankers were deployed to Slave Lake, which is about 430 kilometres away from Fort McMurray. A subsequent report into the disaster found Albertas forest fire danger had grown to the point where it was beginning to outstrip the provinces ability to respond. It said the fires moved faster than officials were able to communicate with each other or the people of Slave Lake. As a result, residents werent told about how quickly the danger to themselves and their community was escalating. Some residents complained that they were forced to turn back into the inferno when they tried to leave town because they found that roads had been closed. Kerik says its too soon to say what may be learned form the fire in Fort McMurray, but that it appears they did well to get people out of the city quickly. He said a fire smart program has helped educate residents about risks, particularly when it comes to removing timber from near their homes to reduce it as a fuel source. He said part of the problem in Fort McMurray may be the presence of black spruce trees, which he described as a low-lying swamp tree that can get extremely hot and be quite flammable. Kerik said they have tried to remove much of it from around Slave Lake. Asked what he would tell the residents of Fort McMurray, Kerik referred to a sign that went up in Slave Lake after the blaze that read, God bless, we will rebuild. And they will rebuild, its just a matter of sticking to it, he said. Warman also said its too early to say whether lessons from the Slave Lake incident apply to this latest disaster. There will be lots of lessons learned here and some of them will be ones that wed experienced before and some will be new, he said. We just feel very fortunate that we are able to come up here and lend a hand and pay some of that back, but we also recognize theres a long road ahead and it will take a while to get Fort McMurray back on its feet. Follow @alison_auld on Twitter Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 04/05/2016 (2364 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. The organizer of a benefit social for sick and orphaned Ukrainian children hopes to see the community come together for a cause close to her heart. Ukrainian immigrant Nadiia Bulych is part of a volunteer initiative called No Child Left Behind, which helps needy babies and children in her home country. The social takes place on Saturday at the Ukrainian National Hall, 1133 Stickney Ave. starting at 7 p.m. until midnight. Proceeds will go to a foundation called The Future of Ukraine. Tom Bateman /The Brandon Sun Nadiia Bulych poses with some of the raffle prizes she has gathered for a benefit social set for this Saturday to fundraise for sick and orphaned children in her home country of Ukraine. This is a great opportunity to spend an evening in a circle of friends and family, have some fun, show off some dance moves and more important, you can help sick kids who are not as fortunate as us, Bulych said. Bulych will deliver donations and gifts in person when she travels back home later this month. There, she will meet with the head of the foundation, Marta Levchenko. We would like to help her a little bit, to purchase some medication or help with surgery, to bring some money with us, Bulych said. Bulych started gathering donations more than a year ago from fellow Ukrainian immigrants in Brandon, as well as other Canadian friends. She now regularly sends care packages to the foundation, which then distributes the supplies to orphaned, sick and disabled children in need in the city of Chernivtsi. While in Ukraine, Bulych will attend a childrens festival and deliver presents to the orphaned children, who wrote letters requesting simple items, such as a ball, shoes, markers and pencils. They never had a little (toy) car or a doll, so from our volunteer group when we fundraise some money on the social, we will take some amount of money to purchase some gifts for them, Bulych said. Bulych is originally from Lviv, Ukraine. She now lives in Brandon with her husband and two young sons. She wants to do what she can to help the children back home, where many have been orphaned due to the war, or abandoned because they are sick or disabled. The social will include traditional Ukrainian snack food, a 50/50 draw and many prizes. Tickets are $10, and children under 12 are free. Tickets can be purchased from Nadiia Bulych 204-721-4548; Nadiia Velykopolska 204-730-2170; Jylia Krykavska 204-740-0496; and Valentyna Reva 204-402-0277. jaustin@brandonsun.com Twitter: @jillianaustin Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 04/05/2016 (2364 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. A young refugee family from Eritrea will soon be arriving in Manitoba thanks to the efforts of the Boissevain Resettlement Committee. After months of work behind the scenes, the committee was recently approved as a sponsor for the couple and their infant son. Were really excited. Weve been waiting a long time, but we feel like in the end this will be a good fit for our community, said Heather Goertzen, co-chair of the Boissevain Resettlement Committee. A group of concerned citizens in the Boissevain area joined forces late last year and launched the committee to build up resources to sponsor refugees. Many people in the community were struck by the images of families fleeing war-torn countries, particularly the heart-breaking image of a Syrian boy who drowned. I think that really triggered something in a lot of us, Goertzen said. According to Human Rights Watch, about 4,000 Eritreans flee the country each month and as of mid-2014, more than 313,000 Eritreans had fled. The most common patterns of abuse include open-ended military conscription; forced labour during conscription; arbitrary arrests, detentions, and disappearances; torture and other degrading treatment in detention; restrictions on freedoms of expression, conscience, and movement; and repression of religious freedom, according to World Report 2015: Eritrea. Eritrea has no functioning legislature, independent press, or semblance of civil society organizations since 2001. The Boissevain Resettlement Committees sponsorship is classified under the Blended Visa program, which means the Government of Canada will provide up to six months of income support through the Resettlement Assistance Program. The committee and donors will provide another six months of financial support and up to a year of social and emotional support. Were finding that the governments budget looks a little low to us, so we might end up needing to subsidize a little bit but were prepared to do that, Goertzen said. Were really encouraged by the donations of our community, so we think were going to be just fine. The committee is working to finalize renovations and secure furnishings for a rental property in Boissevain. The family is expected to arrive in the next one to four months. Prior to the familys arrival, the committee plans to hold a cultural event for the community. There is a pretty strong Eritrean community in Brandon so our committee is connecting with them, Goertzen said. They are super excited and wanting to join our efforts. jaustin@brandonsun.com Twitter: @jillianaustin Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 04/05/2016 (2364 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Brandon will not have seat around Premier Brian Pallisters Progressive Conservative cabinet table. The new premier appointed eight men and four women on Tuesday a mixture of veterans and rookies but neither Reg Helwer (Brandon West) nor newcomer Len Isleifson (Brandon East) received a cabinet role. Westman will be represented through Cliff Cullen (Spruce Woods), Eileen Clarke (Agassiz) and Blaine Pedersen (Midland). The Brandon Suns requests to interview Helwer, Isleifson and Cullen were not granted. Clarke, who was named minister of indigenous and municipal relations, held a quick scrum in Winnipeg, where she answered a question about Brandon representation. Joe Bryksa/Winnipeg Free Press Brian Pallister leads his Progressive Conservative cabinet to the swearing-in ceremony at the Canadian Museum for Human Rights in Winnipeg on Tuesday. Pallister, who led the Tories to an election victory on April 19, was sworn in as Manitobas 22nd premier. Im very close (to Brandon) and in my previous position with the (Association of Manitoba Municipalities), we met with the Brandon City Council every year, she said. Ive actually lived in Brandon for a very short period of my time, and I think representation across the province is easily done and I dont see any problems with that at all. Pallister pledged to work hard after the April 19 election that saw the Tories oust a NDP government that had been in power for 17 years. The responsibility we assume today is to leave Manitoba an even better place than we found it, Pallister said at the swearing-in ceremony at the Canadian Museum For Human Rights. Our goal is to replace doubt with optimism, disharmony with unity and fear with hope. Pallisters cabinet has six fewer ministers than that of former premier Greg Selinger. Some ministerial titles have been discarded or merged with others. There is no longer a stand-alone minister for labour. The portfolio has been merged with economic development under the new title of growth, enterprise and trade. Separate ministries for municipal affairs and aboriginal affairs have been merged into indigenous and municipal relations. The titles of healthy living, as well as children and youth opportunities, have been swallowed up by larger departments. The Opposition NDP and the Liberals both said the loss of separate departments for labour, aboriginal affairs and other matters is worrisome. Things which I believe are important to Manitobans may not be given the same priority, New Democrat MLA Andrew Swan said. Liberal Leader Rana Bokhari criticized the lack of visible minorities and any member from the provinces north. Among the top appointments is Cameron Friesen, the longtime finance critic, who is now finance minister. He is tasked with preparing a budget expected early next month, and said Tuesday his first job is to find out whether the deficit has grown beyond the $773 million announced by the NDP in March. Theres a lot of discovery that remains to be done, he said. A few weeks is not a lot of time to prepare a budget, but Friesen said the Tory government will put its stamp on the fiscal plan with an eye to controlling spending. We will be making our mark and we will be steering this course in the right direction from the get-go. Other top appointments include longtime justice critic Kelvin Goertzen in health and deputy party leader Heather Stefanson as deputy premier and justice minister. Ian Wishart is minister of education, Ron Schuler will oversee Crown services, Ralph Eichler takes on agriculture, Cliff Cullen becomes minister of growth, enterprise and trade, and Blaine Pedersen has been appointed minister of infrastructure. Former Winnipeg city councillor Scott Fielding is among the rookies and has been named minister of families. Rochelle Squires, a former journalist and Tory staffer, takes on a raft of roles as minister of sport, culture and heritage, minister responsible for the status of women and minister responsible for francophone affairs. Squires does not speak French, but said she will work hard to support the francophone community. I can assure them that in me, they have a strong advocate. Steven Fletcher, a former member of Parliament for the federal Conservatives, was among the 27 Tories left out of cabinet. Pallister had to choose from the largest majority government in the province in a century. His Tories took 40 of the 57 legislature seats on election night. jaustin@brandonsun.com, with files from The Canadian Press Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 04/05/2016 (2364 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. FORT MCMURRAY, Alta. A look at what was being done Wednesday to battle the Fort McMurray wildfire: ON THE GROUND There were approximately 250 firefighters on the scene, including 100 wildfire firefighters. That also included 88 structural firefighters from across Alberta, who arrived in a convoy. The convoy also included 22 tanker trucks, including specialized foaming trucks. IN THE AIR Municipal Affairs Minister Danielle Larivee said there were 12 helicopters on the job. She said the air was completely saturated with as many aircraft as are safe to fight the fire. There were also 16 air tankers backing up crews on the ground. Tanker operations were moved from the airport to contingency bases because smoke and winds shifted. FROM OTTAWA The federal government said it would provide all possible assistance. A Hercules air transport plane was flying to CFB Cold Lake from CFB Trenton and four Griffon helicopters were headed to Fort McMurray. The Alberta government advised the Department of National Defence of its needs. Helicopters were on hand to rescue people and airlifts were to be provided to move in fire-fighting material and crews. FROM OTHER PROVINCES The Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre, which co-ordinates help between provinces, had a request from Alberta for fire crews, a management team and equipment, specifically pumps and hose. A standard hose in Canada is 30 metres long. The request was for 4,000 lengths. British Columbia was sending 100 pumps and hoses. Ontario said it would send 100 firefighters and 19 supervisory staff to be deployed Friday. FOR RESIDENTS At least eight reception centres to help 80,000 evacuees were set up in various communities, including Edmonton. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 04/05/2016 (2364 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. OTTAWA The Trudeau government cut short debate and forced a vote in principle Wednesday on its proposed new law on medically assisted dying, enraging opposition MPs who said theyre being deprived of the right to speak on a crucial life-and-death issue. The Liberals used their majority Wednesday to impose a time limit on second reading debate of the bill. But while the opposition parties were united in denouncing the restriction on debate, MPs from all parties came together later Wednesday to easily give the bill approval in principle. The bill passed by a vote of 235-75, with support from most Liberal, NDP and Bloc Quebecois MPs as well as 20 Conservatives and Green Leader Elizabeth May. Lone Liberal Robert-Falcon Ouellette and solitary New Democrat Christine Moore joined 73 Conservatives, including interim leader Rona Ambrose, in opposing it. The bill must still be examined by the Commons justice committee, which could recommend amendments, before returning to the Commons for more debate and a final vote. Prior to the vote, Justice Minister Jody Wilson-Raybould argued that limiting debate and getting the bill quickly to committee is necessary to ensure the bill passes by June 6, the deadline for enacting a new law set by the Supreme Court, which struck down the ban on assisted dying last year. However, the Commons justice committee and the Senates legal and constitutional affairs committee have already begun simultaneously conducting hearings on the bill not waiting for it to pass second reading in the Commons so its not clear why MPs could not have continued debating it at least until those committee hearings wrap up. The move to impose time allocation set off a furor in the Commons. I am absolutely outraged, said Alberta Conservative MP Blaine Calkins, adding that his constituents have very impassioned views on assisted dying which they expected him to express during the debate. The Liberal government has lengthened by two years the environmental hearings for something as innocuous as a proposed pipeline, Calkins argued, yet theyre only going to let one in four MPs at second reading on this bill talk about something as important as the sanctity of human life. This is an abomination and it violates my privileges as a member of Parliament. Wilson-Raybould countered that opposition parties rejected an offer earlier this week that would have allowed for unlimited debate after midnight. And she maintained it would be irresponsible to miss the court deadline. If we do not have legislation in place as of June 6, there will be no safeguards in place, the medical practitioners will have uncertainty with respect to the eligibility criteria around somebody who wants to access medical assistance in dying, she told the Commons. But Green Leader May argued that the deadline could be missed with no harm done since the parameters for assisted dying set out in the Supreme Courts ruling would take effect until such time as a new law was enacted. She said the harm to democracy caused by limiting debate is greater than the risk of missing the deadline by taking the time to do the legislation right. In striking down the ban on medically assisted dying, the Supreme Court recognized the right to assisted death for clearly consenting adults with grievous and irremediable medical conditions who are enduring physical or mental suffering that they find intolerable. The federal government last month introduced a bill that takes a more restrictive approach. It would require a person to be a consenting adult, at least 18 years of age, in an advanced stage of irreversible decline from a serious and incurable disease, illness or disability and for whom a natural death is reasonably foreseeable. All parties have promised free votes on the bill. Ambrose said Wednesday that shed vote against the bill at second reading, in hopes that it will be amended at committee to strengthen protection of the conscience rights of medical practitioners who refuse to help a patient die and improve safeguards for people with disabilities. NDP Leader Tom Mulcair said hed vote for the bill but reiterated his call for the government to refer the new law, once passed, to the Supreme Court to see if it respects the courts ruling and does not violate the charter of rights. But at a news conference to mark the six-month anniversary of his government, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau did not appear overly enthusiastic about amending the bill and ruled out altogether a reference to the top court. He defended the restrictive approach taken by the government, arguing legalization of assisted dying is a big change for the country that needs to be undertaken cautiously. He expressed confidence that the bill complies with the court ruling and the charter. I do not agree that every time we have a bill that we should go to the court and ask them if they believe our bill is charter compliant. To do so would be to undermine the governments role, Trudeau added. The bill may get a rougher ride in the Senate than it got Wednesday in the Commons, judging from the tough grilling senators gave Wilson-Raybould when she appeared before the legal affairs committee. Some, including Liberals Serge Joyal and James Cowan, suggested the bill would not stand up to a charter challenge because it is too restrictive. Others, including Conservatives Don Plett and Denise Batters, said it fails to adequately protect the conscience rights of doctors or to provide safeguards for vulnerable individuals, such as those with mental illnesses. Frances Lankin, an independent senator recently appointed by Trudeau, expressed concern that the bill would not allow advance requests for a medically assisted death from individuals suffering from conditions such as dementia that will eventually render them incapable of giving informed consent. I generally support this but it just doesnt go far enough, Lankin told Wilson-Raybould. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 04/05/2016 (2364 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. OTTAWA Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says the federal government will provide all possible assistance to Alberta as wildfires ravage Fort McMurray. That help ranges from satellite intelligence to help track to the fire to long-term financial help aimed at recovery. Canada is a country of people who help each other in challenging times, Trudeau told his caucus Wednesday. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau addresses members of caucus on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, Wednesday, May 4, 2016. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld Ive been dealing with offers of support and calls from the Atlantic provinces, all the way out to B.C., as people are looking for how they can support their friends and neighbours as people go through this difficult time. Trudeau urged people with friends or family in Fort McMurray to make sure they are OK and ask what help they need. Federal leaders called on Canadians who want to help to donate to the Red Cross. The prime minister said he has already spoken to Alberta Premier Rachel Notley to offer his governments total support. Notley, who formally requested federal help, said a memorandum of understanding had been signed with National Defence to provide helicopters for search-and-rescue efforts in isolated spots around Fort McMurray as well as transport aircraft to fly in firefighters. Our province is strong and we will get through this, she told a news conference. Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale stressed that helping Fort McMurray would be a long-term project. Were dealing with peoples emergency needs today but the recovery from this situation is going to take a considerable amount of time. Among the other federal assistance he outlined: Co-ordination and monitoring through the Government Operations Centre; Satellite and geomatics support to help the province track where the fire is moving; Determining what firefighting assets are available across the country; Stockpiling living supplies, cots and bedding in collaboration with the Red Cross; Efforts to restore communication systems following the destruction of cell-phone towers; Disaster financial assistance arrangements, through which the government begins to cost-share the expense of recovery. Infrastructure Minister Amarjeet Sohi, an Edmonton MP, called the disaster heartbreaking. I know people who have fled the situation. Two of my friends arrived home safely in Edmonton. It took them nine hours to get there, but theyre home home safe. Its very devastating. Opposition leader Rona Ambrose, who also hails from Alberta, called on residents to open their homes to evacuees. Theres 80,000 people without a home to go back to at this point and need to be safely moved out of the region. Its a huge concern. Follow @JimBronskill on Twitter Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 04/05/2016 (2364 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. TORONTO A woman who spent 20 years wrongly insisting she owned a piece of her neighbours property will have to pay his estate $282,000 in legal costs, the Ontario Court of Appeal ruled Wednesday. In making the award, the court found Angelina Bailey had acted unreasonably in pressing her claim despite solid evidence that she knew she was mistaken. It is truly regrettable that the proceedings carried on to this point, the Appeal Court said in its judgment. The dispute began when Bailey bought property on Nottawasaga Bay in Tiny Township, Ont. She claimed also to own a piece of adjacent property that actually belonged to Gerald Barbour, who died last July about a month after the case was argued. Had Bailey obtained a survey when she bought her island property, it would have been clear to her that she was not buying the piece she laid claim to, the Appeal Court found. In addition, the director of titles would later confirm the land boundaries in Barbours favour. Nevertheless, she ended up asserting a legal claim against Barbour, who had owned the property since 1949, that resulted in intensive litigation, including two trials and an appeal. Initially, a Superior Court justice sided with her, but the Appeal Court overturned the ruling in February. Barbours estate asked for a total of $410,000 in costs, while Bailey argued either the estate should pay her costs, or each side should foot its own bills. While the Appeal Court found the Barbour claim excessive, it also rejected Baileys position that she not pay him anything. For one thing, the court found she had achieved little beyond what Barbour offered her in 1995 to be allowed to walk across his property: an annual licence at $1 a year. Had (Bailey) accepted that or a similar offer, all of these proceedings could have been avoided, the Appeal Court said. Instead, she objected to Barbours position and argued she owned the land and had a right to use it. At that point, lawyers got involved and the dispute began escalating. Bailey stubbornly maintained her erroneous position that the property was hers, resulting in the unnecessary and costly litigation, the Appeal Court said. The court gave her 30 days to pay the $282,000 to the Barbour estate. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 04/05/2016 (2364 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. WASHINGTON The cover of a New York tabloid Wednesday showed a cartoon of a Republican elephant mascot in a coffin. Cause of death: Donald Trump, who is now the partys presumptive nominee. Such fatalism might be supported by current polls, and by the electoral-college map, and by a fair bit of conventional wisdom. But Trump has already defied expectations. Heres how he might hope to do it again in November and become president of the United States: Soften the language. The candidate of the Muslim-travel ban and the Mexican wall and the massive disapproval levels among women and minorities sounded inclusive in his Indiana victory speech: (This) is going to become one beautiful, loving country. Were gonna love each other, were gonna cherish each other, were gonna take care of each other. Unify the party. Lots of Republicans detest Trump. A recent Fox poll said 11 per cent of self-described Republicans would vote for Hillary Clinton against him. But Trump got some good news. Some of his fiercest critics, like former rival Bobby Jindal, said theyd fall in line: Im still critical of him but I think hes better than Hillary Clinton. Others havent. Hammer NAFTA. Hell hit this hard in states with a declining manufacturing base like Michigan, Pennsylvania and Ohio. Trump says hell inspire a higher voter turnout among disaffected, working-class people. Hes telling them trade deals killed their jobs including the big one signed by Clintons husband. He did it Tuesday: (Clinton) will be a poor president. She doesnt understand trade. Her husband signed, perhaps in the history of the world, the single worst trade deal ever done. Its called NAFTA. Hammer her ethics. Its gonna get nasty. Trump has started calling her Crooked Hillary. Hes already referred to her husbands sex scandals and tried using these against her. The family foundations financial relationships, older business deals that got scrutinized in the 1990s youll hear about them. FBI intervention. Hes demanding it. Clintons use of a home-made email system is under investigation. Trump has more than once called for charges. Earlier this year he said: (This is) so unfair to the people that have been prosecuted over the years for doing much less than she did. So shes being protected. But if I win, it is certainly something I will look into. External events. The latest quarterly GDP numbers were weak. Only once since 1948 has a party won a third consecutive term it would become even harder, should there be an economic downturn. Those numbers will be closely watched. National-security fears can also move polls, as they did last year in the U.S. after the Paris attacks. Pray for an upset. Democrats have a built-in advantage. Of the six biggest states, four have gone Democrat for a quarter-century; one (Florida) is a swing state; and just one (Texas) is solidly Republican. Never mind the electoral-college math just the popular-vote polls are nasty for Trump right now. Nine of every 10 polls show him losing, while other Republicans fare better against Clinton. He has two difficult potential paths ahead: One involves winning everything Mitt Romney won in 2012, plus taking Florida, Ohio and a couple of other swing states that help him reach 270 electoral college votes. The other possibility? Wrestle away a big Democratic state. Trump insists he can. The polls say hes losing to Clinton in New York by 16 to 29 points. Hence the coffin on the cover of todays New York Daily News. Ryanair's passenger numbers grew by 10% in April. The budget airline carried 9.9 million passengers last month, up from 9 million the previous year. The company have said that the record results were achieved despite air traffic control strikes in Belgium, France, Greece and Italy. Ryanairs Kenny Jacobs said: Ryanairs April traffic grew by 10% to 9.9m customers, while our load factor jumped 2% points to 93%. These record monthly numbers and load factors were delivered despite more ATC strikes in Belgium, France, Greece and Italy, as lower fares and the continuing success of our Always Getting Better customer experience programme continue to deliver even more great value for our customers. Ryanair customers can look forward to more improvements, as we enter Year 3 of our Always Getting Better programme, which includes even lower fares, more new routes, new digital features and new cabin interiors, as Ryanair continues to deliver the lowest fares and the most on time flights in Europe. In what has to be everyones worst nightmare, a mother in Pyeongtaek, South Korea was forced to drop her children, one by one, from the fourth story of a burning apartment block, before jumping herself. Dramatic footage caught by a passer-by on camera captures the moment the 30-year-old woman dangles the child out the window before letting them fall to rescuers waiting with outstretched blankets. U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Daniel Raimondo, who is stationed at nearby Osan Air Base, told CNN that he was walking to dinner Saturday night when he noticed the clouds of smoke. Sgt Raimundo and a colleague, First Sgt. Melanie Scott, co-ordinated other bystanders to take blankets from a nearby shop and began to convince the mother to drop her children, aged 1, 3 and 4, from the window as black smoke continued to billow from the second floor of the building. Scott said that, at first, the mother was understandably reluctant to do so: "You could tell she was scared. She didn't want to. But, as you can see in the video, spurred on by the crowd, she lets two of her children fall to those waiting below. However, Raimondo said that the "last baby was the most difficult in my eyes, she just wouldn't let her go for some reason." He repeatedly begged the mother: "Please just throw the baby down!" "I remember her screaming (at) the baby, 'I love you, I love you. ...' Next thing you know she dropped the baby." Amazingly, all survived without injury although the mother did suffer the effects of smoke inhalation. Sgt Raimondo said she also fell more heavily, hitting the ground beneath the blanket - but someone had had the good sense to lay cushions beneath. On Monday, the family - originally from Nigeria - met with their rescuers. "I don't know how I would explain my thanks," said the children's father, Prince Enyioko. "I was so surprised, I see the people gathering here to rescue my family, especially the military." And Sgt. Raimondo was able to speak to the little girl he had sat with after her rescue while her mother was being treated. "I let her know that she was very brave and she flew like Supergirl. She just smiled," he said. "It was an emotional experience. The good news is they made it through alive. Update 5pm: More than 8,000 patients spent time on trolleys waiting for beds in Irish hospitals last month, according to the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation writes Joe Leogue. INMO General Secretary Liam Doran said that the figures confirm a record level of overcrowding in the first four months of this year compared to previous years, and that it was a problem that required resources, even if that means not reducing taxes. April's 8,145 patients on trolleys brings the running count to a total of 35,756 since the start of the year, the highest since the INMO's records began and a 2% increase on the same period in 2015. Speaking at the INMO Annual Delegate Conference in Killarney today, Mr Doran said the overcrowding comes despite the work of nurses across the country. "But there's not enough of them. The bed numbers aren't enough, and until that is addressed and acknowledged - which means you can't cut taxes maybe, because you have to fund the public health service - we will be always counting trolleys, instead of one day arriving at the point where we no longer need to count trolleys because they are rare or never seen. But we are a long long away from that at the moment," Mr Doran said. "There has to be honesty. We cannot solve 10 years of neglect in one year," he said. "That's why what we are seeking is a political health summit that will set the journey for ten to 25 years. That starts with certain parameters - a guaranteed amount of funding every year. A minimum level of bed capacity being produced. Recruitment and retention of staff to allow that to happen and then it requires honesty with the electorate as to what that will cost. "Efficiency and effectiveness is an absolute requirement, but then you have to have an honesty that says perhaps you can't reduce taxation, or we can't give higher earners relief on the USC because we need that money to properly fund our health services," Mr Doran said. INMO President Claire Mahon said that the health system is facing a "crisis" in recruiting and retaining nurses. "That's not just our young graduates, that is also now our experienced nurses who are leaving the system, many of them are leaving the country for employment," she said. A HSE recruitment drive aimed at encouraging 500 nurses to come from the UK to Ireland yielded just 83 new recruits. "The issues are real, they're there, they're getting worse and our government needs to look at the crisis that is there, she said. "We are losing the battle of trying to hold onto nurses and midwives," Mr Doran said, adding that the INMO will be looking for a review of pay and conditions following this conference. INMO vice-president Geraldine Talty said that attracting people into nursing is essential for a working health system. "We will not get nurses and midwives in this country and we will not recruit any unless the 16% pay cut we have taken over the last number of years and the increased hours we have also sustained is reversed," she said. "We cannot have a health service without us, but there will not be enough of us to run the service unless we reverse the paycuts and reduce our hours to 37 hours which is in line with all other health care professionals." Earlier: The country's largest nursing and midwifery organisation has criticised the government support deal agreed between Fine Gael and Fianna Fail, claiming the document is "light" on proposals for the future of Irish healthcare, writes Joe Leogue. Around 350 delegates are attending the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation's Annual Conference which got underway in the INEC in Killarney today. The three-day conference's agenda will be dominated by calls for pay restoration for nurses and midwives to pre-recession levels, a reduction in working hours, and an increase in staffing levels. However, speaking ahead of today's meeting, INMO General Secretary Liam Doran (pictured) said that the organisation was disappointed in what has emerged to date on the political parties' discussion on health. "We gather today searching for evidence, based upon the last eight weeks, that our political parties in their discussions about forming a new government get it, in terms of the challenges facing the health system," Mr Doran said. "It seems to have been very light in terms of the discussions on health and what needs to be done. What needs to be done costs resources. "We need 1,500 additional acute beds, we need 2,000 continuing long-term care beds, we need more public health nurses in the community, we need more consultants across the extended day, we need more allied health professionals to allow diagnostics to be available across the extended day. "Those are the realities. You can't build a health service to meet capacity without building the workforce to meet that capacity, and we don't get a sense, from what the would-be government parties have said to date, that health is really being understood by them." Mr Doran said a study on access to healthcare released by the Irish Cancer Society last week shows that "money can buy you life" because the public health system is not large enough to meet the demand. He described the document outlining the agreement between Fine Gael and Fianna Fail as "completely minimalist" on healthcare. "It is completely inadequate in relation to what is required for health. If anyone needed to gather together for 84 days or whatever it was to decide we need multi-year funding for the health system, then you haven't been living on planet Earth," he said. "The document I have seen to date is 'health light'. It is light on reform, light on change and it is light on what actually has to be done to tackle the problems that our members experience everyday and, more importantly, what patients encounter everyday," he said. "What we need is a single tiered system where money does not buy you speed of access, where you have a system wide enough and deep enough to deal with people as they present. "Not where if you're elderly or frail you're sharing a cubicle - every day for the last 12 years in many hospitals. "If TDs had to share their offices, three or four of them, there'd be uproar and I guarantee there would be a Dail committee building a four-storey building on Kildare St before the week is out. "We had days and weeks of talks about water charges, and all those things are important, but while we're having those discussions there were between three and four hundred people on trolleys. It didn't seem to register on their Richter scale," Mr Doran said. He suggested that political parties drop their hostilities and preconditions with a view to working together to develop a long-term heath strategy. "We've been talking about this problem for years and we will be talking about it again until someone takes this giant leap, and that giant leap, in this new political dynamic, is there to be grasped if we have people willing to grasp it," he said. INMO vice-president Geraldine Talty said that while water is an important resource, little attention was given in the government talks to health. "I think it is very clear to those of us who work in health that it is most certainly pushed down the agenda. Personally I think the public would be better served if the 80-plus days that Fianna Fail and Fine Gael sat putting a government together if instead they went and spent some time in the ED department with patients who spent days on end on trolleys," she said. The European Court of Justice has rejected a challenge to laws that could see plain packaging introduced on cigarettes. The ruling requires that health warnings including a photograph must cover 65% of cigarette packaging. The court also rejected a challenge to the ban on the sale of menthol cigarettes from 2020. While a ruling banning advertising and sponsorship deals on e-cigarettes was also upheld following the challenge. The Irish Cancer Society has said that this is a defeat for the tobacco industry who knows plain packaging works. Donal Buggy, Head of Services and Advocacy at the Irish Cancer Society said: Big tobacco knows that plain packaging, as a health measure, works, and are doing everything to prevent its introduction because they need to recruit 50 new smokers every day in Ireland to replace those dying and quitting. The Irish Cancer Society warned however, that this will not be the last legal challenge to plain packaging either in Ireland or at EU level. Mr. Buggy said: The tobacco industry has deep pockets and will continue to fight these life-saving measures. Australia, the first country to introduce the measure, is still battling spurious cases from the industry four years on. A British American Tobacco spokesperson said: Weve always said that we support sound regulation that is consultative, evidence-based, delivers its policy aims and that respects our legal rights as a legal business selling a legal product. Despite todays decision by the European Court of Justice, we stand by our belief that the Tobacco Products Directive is a clear example of the EU overstepping the limits of its authority. The reality is that many elements of the Directive are disproportionate, distort competition, and fail to respect the autonomy of the Member States." Update 16.20pm: The jurors in the David Mahon murder trial have finished their first day of deliberations without reaching a verdict. They have now gone home after deliberating for two hours and 21 minutes and will resume their deliberations in the morning. Update 3.40pm: The judge in the trial of David Mahon, who is accused of murdering his stepson, has told the jurors she will only accept a unanimous verdict. Mr Mahon told gardai he was at fault for Dean Fitzpatricks death in May 2013, but claimed it was an accident and denied any intention to kill him. Just after 11pm on May 25, 2013, a passerby found Dean Fitzpatrick lying on the street outside Dave Mahons apartment in Northern Cross, Dublin 17. He said he was semi-conscious and having trouble breathing. The 23-year-old father of one died in hospital less than two hours later. It is the prosecutions case that the accused stabbed him during a row over a stolen water bottle. He claims Dean pulled a knife on him and later walked into it after he took it from him. He said it was an accidental self-impalement. His stepson had a history of self-harm and he suggested he may have wanted to walk into it. The jurors were sent out to begin their deliberations just before lunch. They have three verdicts open to them: Guilty of murder, not guilty of murder but guilty of manslaughter, or not guilty. Earlier: The jury in David Mahons murder trial has retired to consider a verdict. The 45-year-old has pleaded not guilty to murdering his stepson Dean Fitzpatrick outside his apartment at Northern Cross in Dublin in May 2013. Ms. Justice Margaret Heneghan spent almost hours summarising four days of evidence for the jurors. Deans ex, and the mother of his child, Sarah ORourke said she received an aggressive phone call from the accused in the hours leading up to the alleged murder. She said he threatened to stick a knife in her head or neck if she didnt get Dean to contact him. Daves friend Karl OToole was in the apartment that night. He said Dean left after agreeing to return a stolen water bottle. He said Dave followed him and was holding a large knife when he returned less than a minute later. A post mortem revealed he died from a single stab wound to the stomach but couldnt confirm whether there was a run on the knife or a deliberate thrust. David Mahon, whos married to Deans mother Audrey, claims it was an accident. He told Gardai Dean walked onto the knife and suggested he may have even wanted to. Ms. Justice Heneghan asked the jurors to be clinical and remove emotion and sympathy as they now begin their deliberations. New rules for landlords will not help tenants according to the Irish Property Owners Association. It is now an offence for landlords to evict a tenant on grounds of them selling the property unless they sign a statutory declaration that they're doing so. A woman has told German investigators she was held captive for around three months and was physically abused by a couple who are in custody over the deaths of two other women. Investigators travelled to the Berlin area to hear the woman's account of her dealings with the couple - a man and his ex-wife who still lived together. Authorities believe that the couple, from a village near the western town of Hoexter, held another woman for nearly two months and abused her so badly that she died in April. They have also said they believe the couple killed and dismembered a victim in 2014. The 51-year-old woman in the Berlin area, who was not identified, said she answered a personal ad placed by the husband in August 2011 and travelled to their house, police in western Germany said. She was not attacked during that three-week visit and stayed in touch with the man. The woman returned to the couple's home at the end of 2011. She said she was locked inside the house with "no possibility of fleeing" and was physically abused by both suspects, according to police. In March 2012, they said, she was taken to a station and put on a train home following a "significant physical dispute". She did not contact police at the time because of threats of further violence. The woman contacted police on Friday after seeing pictures of the house in German media. The suspects have been under investigation since April 21, when they called an ambulance after their car broke down and rescuers found a woman inside suffering from head injuries and other abuse. She died shortly afterwards in hospital and doctors alerted authorities to the signs of abuse. Prosecutors said their motive is still unclear but it appeared to be more about power and control than sexual reasons. Update 6pm: Police in Texas say a man who had just been fired from his job at a transportation company fatally shot an employee there before killing himself. Another member of staff at the building about 20 miles west of Houston was also injured. The United States and Russia have persuaded Syria's government and moderate rebels to extend the country's ceasefire to the northern city of Aleppo, US officials said. The news came as three people were killed in renewed shelling by Syrian rebels of government-held areas in Aleppo. The violence in Syria's largest city and once its key commercial centre has continued for almost two weeks despite intense diplomatic efforts to restore the ceasefire. US officials said they had seen a decrease in violence since the ceasefire extension, agreed on Tuesday night. But they acknowledged violations were continuing in some areas of the country. The deal on Aleppo follows reaffirmations earlier this week of truces in the Damascus suburbs and coastal Latakia province. None of the deals apply to the Islamic State group or the Nusra Front, al Qaida's Syria affiliate, which has caused problems in in places such as Aleppo. In some battles there and elsewhere, Western and Arab-backed militants have fought alongside those swearing allegiance to al Qaida, making it hard to determine which Syrian government offensives or Russian air strikes constitute violations. Nearly 300 people have been killed during this latest spate of violence in Aleppo. Over the past two weeks, hospitals and civilian areas in the divided city have come under attack from government war planes, as well as rebel shelling. NEW YORK: Gold prices rose more than 1% on Friday, on track for a weekly rise, as the dollar turned negative, with... MANILA: The use of LNG imports for power generation in the Philippines next year should not be a disincentive for... ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Railways was likely to resume its service towards Karachi during the first week of October that... TEHRAN: Iran has once again rejected allegations that it has supplied Russia with weapons "to be used in the war in... The response that best suggests how hard it will be for Labor to attack Scott Morrison's budget in the election campaign comes from what some may consider an unexpected place. Industry Super Australia (ISA) is a think-tank and policy lobby organisation for 15 industry funds, including Australian Super, which has more than $US91 billion in assets and more than 2 million members, and Cbus, the construction and building industry fund that has more than $31 billion in assets, and more than 726,000 members. Combined, the 15 industry funds oversee assets of almost a quarter of a trillion dollars on behalf of 5 million people, and the budget response from ISA is headlined: "Rebalancing of super tax concessions a sensible step in the right direction for 3 million lower income earners." ISA is right, and that is a problem for Labor, which has come out of the traps arguing that the budget "favours the millionaires over the battlers", in Bill Shorten's words. "The truth is, for many working mothers, self-employment is an option of last resort, which carries significant economic consequences," the Business School's Meraiah Foley said. "Without a doubt, self-employment offers many mothers the flexibility and autonomy they need to accommodate their children's schedules, but that flexibility comes at a steep price". The study of 60 self-employed mothers from around the country found that an increasing number of Australian mothers are forced into working from home as a result of family commitments. And despite some high-profile success stories, many suffer significant social and financial disadvantage. Dr Foley said many mothers are pushed into self-employment by the "high cost and poor availability of child care and employers who are not prepared to recognise the contribution that part-time workers and flexible hours can make to business". "The stereotypical view of the self-employed mother, the so-called 'mumpreneur', is a woman working from home, running some sort of cottage industry," Dr Foley said. "Many mothers are pushed into self-employment reluctantly rather than actively choosing it as their ideal option, because of barriers they encounter in the workplace or because of structural constraints, like a lack of child care." Data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics and the Australian Institute of Family Studies has shown that women with young children choose self-employment at more than double the rate of female workers generally. Just under a quarter of working women with a child under the age 12 take part in self-employment, compared to 9 percent of working women generally. Dr Foley said self-employment is a more common working arrangement than casual employment among mothers with young children. Self-employed mothers were less likely than casual workers to return to permanent employment when their children were older. Dr Foley said mothers often had difficulty negotiating part-time or flexible work. Business cultures were still sometimes hostile to part-time and flexible workers. Part time jobs were often low in quality with limited opportunities for promotion. "For working mothers with ambitious career goals, or who want work that is challenging and interesting, but can still accommodate the schedule requirements of raising young children, self-employment becomes the only viable option," she said. Dr Foley said nearly two-thirds of the women in the study were not contributing to superannuation, or building businesses that could be sold to fund a retirement. More than 85 per cent of self-employed women have either no superannuation savings or savings of less than $40,000, according to figures from the Association of Superannuation Funds of Australia. The Australia Council will pull the trigger on its next round of operational grants for arts companies after no new money and no further cuts were delivered in the federal budget. Funding for the country's premier arts and cultural body decreased in real terms by an expected $1.1 million, but the council had been waiting to see what the budget held before going ahead with its next round of grants after it was caught off guard by last year's $105 million cut ($32 million of which was later returned under new Arts Minister Mitch Fifield). "Now the federal budget has been delivered, the Australia Council board will approve the allocation," a spokeswoman for the council said on Tuesday. There was hope in the industry there may be more money coming before arts organisations find out next week if they have won a slice of the diminished four-year funding pie. Small to medium-sized arts organisations have already been informed of project-based decisions but key operational grants, capped last year at $300,000 for applicants, will be announced on May 16. The anchor of New Zealand current affairs program Story faced an embarrassing live broadcast situation on Wednesday night. Co-host Duncan Garner made a red-faced apology to viewers after the program's segment on nude dining showed a close-up of genitalia. The 7pm current affairs show sent reporter Lachlan Forsyth to cover a stunt where a radio station hosted a night of nude dining at a Hamilton restaurant. Things went awry when they crossed live to the restaurant and a naked waitress walked in front of the camera, providing viewers with a close-up of her crotch. Rosie Batty will front a campaign to overhaul the family law system throughout the federal election campaign, which could raise pressure on both major parties to beef up their family violence pledges. Ms Batty has been a prominent advocate for family violence survivors since her former partner killed their son Luke in a brutal public attack in Melbourne in 2014. The former Australian of the Year has been widely credited with raising the political profile of family violence, having successfully helped campaign for the Turnbull government's women's safety package and the Victorian Andrews government's family violence royal commission. Former Australian of the Year Rosie Batty. Credit:Graham Tidy On Thursday, she will launch a Women's Legal Services Australia campaign to improve the family law system for survivors. The group's plan - backed by more than 90 domestic violence groups and community legal centres - proposes a number of measures, including providing more survivors free legal help in family law cases and introducing laws that prevent women from being directly cross-examined by their abusers in court. It also suggests removing the Family Law Act's focus on "equal shared time" in custody battles "to shift culture and practice towards a greater focus on safety and risk to children". Ms Batty, a member of the government's COAG advisory panel on reducing violence against women and their children, would not be drawn on the major parties' family violence platforms, saying: "This is about raising awareness of a problem and offering a way forward to fix it." "It has remained warm so during this time when we would [not] normally see more Legionella cases there may have been more use of cooling towers. Also we have raised awareness among medical practitioners and the public to test for this condition so we may just be picking up more cases than normal." Nine people were hospitalised and a man in his 80s died as a result of the outbreak in the CBD in early March, while three were hospitalised in an outbreak in Kogarah later that month. The last investigation, which focused on cooling towers and other potential sources of contamination in most of the blocks between Bathurst, King, Elizabeth and George streets, identified Legionella in 13 cooling towers, Dr Sheppeard said. Twelve of them have been ruled out as the source of the infection and health authorities are waiting for the results of further analysis on the final one. But it is possible that the source will never be identified because the contaminated tower was cleaned before it was inspected. Tim Mander Credit:Bradley Kanaris "I know that there is a very overwhelming feeling of change. "Lawrence Springborg has done a great job in providing a stable leadership after our devastating election loss, however in this part of the election cycle now, it is important, I believe that we have somebody that is bold and innovative and can invigorate the leadership of the party. Tim Nicholls Credit:Glenn Hunt "...Let's see what will happen on Friday I do know that there are many of my colleagues that do believe the same thing, that they want a change. There is great respect for Lawrence, however we believe, right now, it is time for new leadership with fresh ideas to provide a fresh start." Mr Mander said he would not be running on a ticket and would be "simply" running for the leadership, and that "fresh" leadership was required to challenge the Labor government at the next election - and that it needed to be done now. "I am not going to focus on what Lawrence has done or hasn't done, he has done a good job in stabilising the party," he said. "But I think the people of Queensland are looking to their conservative side of politics to provide fresh, bold, innovative new ideas to provide strategic direction and to show that they can be a credible alternative government." Mr Mander came to parliament in the 2012 landslide win which saw Campbell Newman elected to parliament with a historic majority. He said his relative inexperience in parliament - compared to Mr Springborg who has almost three decades under his belt - was not a hinderance to his leadership ambitions. "I have 30 years of leadership experience in both public and private sector, I don't think people are looking for professional politicians what they are looking for is people who are authentic and people who are willing to serve the Queensland public and I believe I have the track record of doing that and I believe my skills can help the LNP win government at the next state election," he said. He also dismissed his critics suggestions that his marginal seat - Everton, traditionally a Labor seat, was reduced to a margin of less than 2 per cent at the last election, would be a problem, using an argument which relied on a uniform swing to counter it and borrowed heavily from his former leader who was forced to defend his own marginal seat. "I don't really see the relevance if we don't win my seat, we definitely won't be in government," he said. "It is a totally different situation to the situation with Campbell Newman, where it was possible for him to lose his seat and for us to retain government that is not the case with me. There are seven seats more marginal than mine so if I don't win my seat, we definitely won't win government." Mr Mander said while Mr Newman was "mathematically not right" when he used that argument - which ultimately was borne out to be correct, he had the numbers on his side. As long as the entire state voted the same way. "We could lose his seat, because it was a 4.5 per cent swing, but a 7.5 per cent swing to lose government," he said. "I can't we have to gain percentages, not lose them. So if I don't win my seat, that would mean that seven other seats haven't been won either which means we won't be forming government." Mr Springborg had sought to bring leadership rumblings to a head by calling an early party room meeting for Friday, in an attempt to head off his challengers. But he didn't mention a spill. Former deputy premier Jeff Seeney did that for him, announcing to colleagues he would move a motion for a leadership vote himself, but did not intend to stand for any of the positions. Mr Mander had previously been the face of a failed leadership coup in February, which didn't get off the ground. Speaking ahead of an event on Tuesday evening, Mr Springborg said he would "tell his story" to his colleagues, but would not speculate further. "It is a democratic party and they have a democratic opportunity to express their views," he said. "...As I have always done so and I know it is to the frustration to many people, including in the media, I'll keep my comments relating to any discussions like this, in the party room and I am not speculating beyond that. "I will tell my story to the party room and that is what I intend to do. What others do is a matter for them." Earlier Jeff Seeney is forcing a spill motion for the LNP leadership, while confirming he will not stand for a position himself. Mr Seeney has confirmed to colleagues that he will move "a motion at that special meeting calling for the positions of Leader and Deputy Leader of the LNP Parliamentary team to be declared vacant and new nominations called for the positions". The former deputy premier, who was virtually sidelined since the 2015 election, told colleagues he believed "this is the appropriate course of action" given the "extraordinary circumstances" after the "devastating election result" which fogged the last leadership vote when party members still hoped they could form minority government. "That is clearly no longer the case and the party must now consider whether the current leadership structure is appropriate to contest the next state election," Mr Seeney has told the LNP MPs. "While I will not be a candidate for any position I believe putting this question to the special party room on Friday will resolve this leadership issue and allow us to move forward towards winning the next election." The move means neither Tim Mander or Tim Nicholls have to push the spill themselves and bring on the vote, leaving both free to nominate as candidates. LNP phone lines are running hot with votes being counted in what is so far a tight contest. Earlier Lawrence Springborg has thrown down the gauntlet to his would-be challengers for the LNP leadership, calling a party room meeting for Friday to bring on the vote. Supporters of Mr Springborg have suggested the LNP leader would act sooner than the planned Monday meeting, as his potential challengers decide whether to put their hands up or not. Tim Mander and Tim Nicholls have been suggested as alternatives. Mr Mander, who holds the seat of Everton by less than 2 per cent, was the face of an aborted leadership challenge in February. Mr Nicholls is still seen as tainted by the Newman government years. Nanango MP Deb Frecklington has been suggested as the deputy for either, but has only said she supports the leader. Critics blame Springborg for voting blindside Mr Springborg won the LNP leadership by one vote against Mr Mander after the February 2015 election. The split in the party has remained since, with agitators plotting for a spill. This time around the one-upmanship Labor pulled during the last parliament sitting, when it blindsided the LNP by passing compulsory preferential voting with the help of the crossbench, has been used as the trigger. One of Mr Springborg's strengths had been his stated ability to negotiate with the crossbench, particularly the Katter party MPs, who had felt ill-treated and ignored by the former LNP government. While the LNP has had success with winning over the Katter party in the hung parliament, it was taken completely by surprise by the compulsory preferential voting move. Despite no one in the party seeing it coming, Mr Springborg has borne the brunt of the blame. His critics also question his ability to win city votes in an election and what they perceive as his "soft" approach with dealing with the Palaszczuk government. Springborg camp confident Mr Springborg's supporters dispute the city argument and point to his previous primary vote support and say after the Newman government, attacks on anything other than policy would not be welcomed by the public. The Springborg camp is confident he would remain leader, citing the party's continued popularity in the polls. On a two-party preferred basis, the LNP has flip-flopped with Labor for the lead but the LNP's primary vote stays relatively stable - and considerably higher - than the government's. Others within the party were not as sure that Mr Springborg would retain the leadership. "I wouldn't be that confident that it is the case," one LNP source said. "He might be confident, but the official counting will start now. Those who are interested will start the 'what are you thinking' conversations. "He's brought it forward to get the advantage, as many of us thought he would, but it's still not a done deal." Others expected Mr Mander to have to formally challenge before Mr Nicholls would throw up his hand. "That's the way we would expect it to go, if it does," one said. Mr Springborg called the meeting for 11am on Friday, in a letter sent to colleagues. Lawrence Springborg's letter: in full Dear Colleagues, You would all be aware that in recent days there has been a lot of anonymous media commentary from a handful of colleagues about the direction of the LNP. Given the ongoing nature of this commentary, I am keen to provide an early opportunity for any of these Members to be able to raise their issues with you directly. I have therefore decided to bring forward our scheduled party-room meeting to 11am this Friday, 6th May. I appreciate this will cause some inconvenience to many of you. However I believe it is important to bring forward this meeting given State Parliament is sitting next week; given the LNP is kicking off its Toowoomba South by-election this Saturday with our candidate endorsement; and given the reasonable prospects that a Federal Election could be underway by next Monday. I look forward to your attendance; and look forward to your ongoing support. Lawrence Springborg Labor responds Queensland Treasurer Curtis Pitt said he "was hearing" Mr Springborg did not have the numbers to see off a challenge. "They're, on the LNP side, are focused on changing leaders, trying to do themselves in and do each other over," he said. "We're in the business of making sure we're looking after Queensland and fighting against a Coalition government, which has really gutted us in this budget." Mr Pitt used Mr Springborg's support of the Turnbull government's federal budget, delivered on Tuesday night, to deliver a broadside against the LNP leader. "What I've seen today is a tweet from the current opposition leader, Lawrence Springborg, that very clearly shows he can't count on any measure," he said. "What he can't do is count the number of people supporting him in the party room and he clearly can't count if he thinks Queensland is better off as a result of the Morrison budget." The LNP leadership rumblings had Labor ministers fielding questions about a possible early election on Wednesday. Health Minister Cameron Dick said while the timing of the state election was a matter for Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk, he did not expect her to come under pressure to go to the polls while the LNP was in disarray. The Labor caucus will be meeting over the next two days to discuss the government's reaction to Tuesday night's federal budget. "I don't anticipate that will form any formal part of the agenda over the next two days," Mr Dick said. Leadership rumblings 'annoying' Earlier, Mr Springborg described potential leadership posturing from rivals as "annoying" and urged any potential challengers to come forward at a party room meeting. The LNP leader said while his colleagues were entitled to put their names forward, the leadership rumblings were distracting from the party's attacks on the Palaszczuk government's decision to change the state's voting laws without consultation. "The greatest majority of my colleagues are very, very annoyed that there are a few people that have wanted to agitate in this way because frankly they're letting down our supporters and they are letting down Queenslanders," he told ABC Radio. Mr Springborg urged those behind the leadership speculation to speak up at a party meeting. "People have the chance ... to raise any of these issues and I certainly hope that they do," he said. "I think many of our colleagues would like to understand the logic, as strange as it may be, of a small number of individuals and the extraordinary way they've gone about this." Reshuffle not ruled out The Opposition Leader questioned how serious any challenge would be, dismissing the reports as "rumour, speculation and innuendo". "In politics there's lots of rumour, there's lots of speculation and there's lots of innuendo," Mr Springborg said. A magistrate has acquitted an elite Gold Coast police officer of four assault charges and ordered the force to pay him $30,000 in legal costs. Senior Constable Aaron Minns, 29, faced four counts of common assault relating to incidents between September 2014 and January 2015. The senior constable was suspended from the unit featured on reality TV show Gold Coast Cops after the charges were laid. On Wednesday, Magistrate Noel Nunan cleared him of all charges. He also ordered the Queensland Police Service pay Minns, whose defence was supported by the police union, $30,000 in costs. A woman has been charged with stabbing a 64-year-old man multiple times overnight in a house fight in Logan, south of Brisbane. It's alleged an argument between the pair escalated into violence when the 46-year-old woman grabbed two knives and started stabbing and slashing the man, cutting his hands and head and forcing him to flee to a neighbouring house in suburban Loganlea. A woman allegedly armed herself with two knives before attacking a man in Logan. He has been taken to hospital for surgery while the woman was arrested at the home and will face Beenleigh Magistrates Court on Thursday. AAP A MIldura man accused of raping and murdering an 11-year-old girl was smoking bongs with her mother in the hours before the girl's death, a court has been told. Bowe Maddigan, 29, faced Wangaratta Magistrates Court on Wednesday to contest the charges on the first day of a three-day committal hearing, the Border Mail reports. Bowe Maddigan arrives at Wangaratta Magistrates Court for an earlier hearing. Credit:Mark Jesser/Border Mail Maddigan is charged with murder and two counts of sexual penetration of a child under 16. The court heard he would use the defence that he was mentally impaired at the time of the crime. Melbourne Express: Thursday, May 5, 2016 Were sorry, this feature is currently unavailable. Were working to restore it. Please try again later. Dismiss A "10-second" rapist who preyed on a woman asleep during a housewarming party has had his jail sentence reduced by a year. The promising chef, 22, from Chile, had been a guest at the Brunswick East party when he entered a bedroom where his victim was asleep at about 1am. Chef who preyed on a woman who'd fallen asleep during a party has had his jail sentence reduced by a year by the Court of Appeal. Credit:Getty Images He lay beside his victim before touching her and having sex with her during an attack lasting between 10-15 seconds. The victim could not remember why the chef suddenly stopped raping her, but it could have been when she moved her body and turned to look at him. Washington: As India, the world's second-most populous country, reels from an intense drought, the World Bank has released a new report finding that the most severe impact of a changing climate will be the effect on water supplies. The most startling finding? The High and Dry: Climate Change, Water and the Economy report suggests that a lack of water could knock down economic growth in some parts of the world by as much as 6 percent of GDP by the year 2050, "sending them into sustained negative growth." A girl carries drinking water on her head as she walks back to her village after collecting it from an almost dried up well in Samba, India, last week. Credit:AP Regions facing this risk - which can at least partly be averted by better water management - include not only much of Africa as expected but also India, China and the Middle East, according to the report. "When we look at any of the major impacts of climate change, they one way or another come through water," said Richard Damania, a lead economist at the bank and the lead author of the report, on Tuesday. Washington: "It's a beautiful thing to behold" so spoke Donald Trump as he celebrated a win in the Indiana primary, which effectively crowned him as the Republican Party's presumptive nominee for the US presidency. Outlining the likely contours of his general election campaign, Trump declared almost in his first breath: "Hillary Clinton does not understand trade. Her husband signed, perhaps, in the history of the world, the single worst trade deal ever done. It's called NAFTA [The North American Free Trade Agreement]. "We're going to bring back our jobs and we're going to keep our jobs. Let me tell you, the miners in Pennsylvania and West Virginia are going to start to work again. You're going to be proud again to be miners." Latest News NAB reveals six market megatrends for brokers More opportunities for investors, first home buyers Firstmac shifts up a gear on auto loans National sales manager appointed to pursue growing market Australian house prices rose in April, according to the CoreLogic RP Data Home Value index, with analysts suggesting that the return of investors to the market has been a factor in the increase.The CoreLogic data shows that across Australias capital cities, house prices rose by 1.7% in April from the previous month. The figure marks a slight increase on the 1.5% released as a preliminary forecast by CoreLogic last week.CoreLogic RP Data research director Tim Lawless said, The annual rate of growth in Sydney peaked at 18.4 per cent in July last year and has since moderated back to slightly less than half the peak rate of growth, at 8.9 per cent over the most recent 12-month period.Prices in Sydney rose 2.4% in April, with Melbourne prices increasing by 1.1%. Growth in Brisbane and Adelaide was above 2% for each, while Perth experienced an increase of 0.5%. Hobart and Darwin were the only capitals where prices fell.According to ANZ analysis, investment lending is making a significant return following an initial falling away as a result of increased regulation in 2015.Investors make up 46% of all new mortgages, according to CoreLogic.Improved sentiment looks to be supporting demand and therefore prices of housing, said David Cannington, senior economist at ANZ. "However, the standing regulatory cap on investor lending growth will limit the positive impact on sales and price growth compared to previous cycles."It is likely, therefore, that growth will remain moderate."We are not in a boom phase," said Cannington. "The [combined] 1.7 per cent comes after relatively flat conditions in the previous three months. It is probably statistical clawback. Latest News NAB reveals six market megatrends for brokers More opportunities for investors, first home buyers Firstmac shifts up a gear on auto loans National sales manager appointed to pursue growing market Banks targeting the asset-rich and income-poor (ARIP), combined with a record ratio of house prices to incomes, is precipitating a housing market fall, according to analysis from LF Economics.LF Economics co-founders Lindsay David and Phillip Soos have joined a chorus of industry figures (including John Hempton of Bronte Capital and Jonathan Tepper of Variant Perception) to issue such a warning. According to David, banks consistently lend to borrowers who will be unable to repay unless they flip their house for profit.David added that asset-rich, income-poor investors with incomes as low as $23,000 have been able to obtain loans to finance property purchases, often utilising negative gearing. Many loans were obtained through application forms manipulated to make borrowers seem more credit-worthy than they are, according to David.LFs analysis is based on research by financial services consumer activist Denise Brailey. In reviewing mortgage applications collected over 15 years, she said that lenders were systematically targeting ARIP older investors who owned their home.They were not told these mortgages were interest-only loans. They were not informed the loans would implode within five years and they would become homeless, said Brailey.Victor Kalinowski, founder and mortgage broker at Brisbane-based Blakk Finance, said he has not experienced this in his firm's nine-year history, and offered another explanation as to why banks will seek out borrowers who are asset-rich.I agree that clients who have higher assets are targeted by banks via attractive loan offers, though my understanding is that this is due to the lower risk of these borrowers missing repayments or defaulting on their home loans, Kalinowski told Australian Broker.It makes sense that the higher equity that a client has in a home, the more they will work to protect that equity to making repayments on time.Both LF Economics and Denise Brailey are to make a submission to the penalties for white collar crime senate inquiry which is due to report in July. Sign up for our amNY Sports email newsletter to get insights and game coverage for your favorite teams Theyve got it down to a fine martial art! Dozens of Brooklynites gathered at Grand Army Plaza for a free tai chi lesson on April 30 also known as World Tai Chi Day courtesy of Park Slopes Brooklyn Kung Fu and Tai Chi Academy The Windsor Place studio gets into the spirit of the event every year by holding a gratis class, said a spokesman for the school, and around 50 people showed up to take part in this years iteration. We see ourselves as part of a real world tai chi community, said Ryan Milov-Cordoba, who trains at the school. Turnout was good this year. The academy has been teaching the fighting arts at its Windsor Place studio for 20 years ago, and also practices near Prospect Parks bandshell. The center may return to the public plaza for the 2017 iteration, but is also considering hosting the free class in front of the Central Library nearby or in Brooklyn Bridge Park, Milov-Cordoba said. Sign up for our amNY Sports email newsletter to get insights and game coverage for your favorite teams 94th Precinct GreenpointNorthside Animal house A ruffian attacked a man while he was cleaning up garbage cans outside of a Dupont Street senior center on April 28. Police said the man was cleaning the sidewalk at Manhattan Avenue at 1:48 pm to deter the rodents that the garbage attracts, when a brute approached him, yelling and cursing. The jerk then shoved the victim, hurting him, before running away, according to cops. iConned A charlatan scammed a Freeman Street woman by calling her home and impersonating the Internal Revenue Service on April 29. The unknown caller contacted the woman at her home between Franklin Street and Manhattan Avenue at 8 pm and she owed the state agency $7,700 in back taxes, but that he would accept $4,000 in installments instead, cops said. The victim purchased 19 iTunes gift cards at drugstore near her home and then gave the caller the pass codes for them, police said.. Dont lend to a friend A thief broke into a car on N. 11th Street on April 26. A woman told police she was borrowing a friends car, and parked it between Roebling Street and Driggs Avenue, only to return at 10:20 pm to find the drivers-side window broken and possessions her pal had left inside the vehicle were gone. Cunning cashier Police cuffed a Bedford Avenue check-cashing employee who they say ripped off a customer on April 25. Authorities say the worker allegedly took Western Union money orders from a customer at the establishment between N. Sixth and N. Seventh streets at 4 pm and cashed them himself totaling $1,976 in stolen funds. Silent thief A burglar raided a Driggs Avenue apartment on April 29. Police say there were no signs of forced entry at the apartment between Kingsland Avenue and Sutton Street at 4:35 pm, but numerous personal items were gone. Madeline Anthony latest news October 3, 2022 Dee Gambit Hundreds if not thousands of new and returning TV shows and movies are released every month your options of what to watch are endless. Variety, they say is ... Communities, relationships influence marriage view for African-American young adults The childhood community context, that is, where children lived when they were 10 or 11 years old, is important when it comes to how these young people feel about marriage by the time they have turned 18 years old. BUFFALO, N.Y. For African-Americans transitioning into adulthood, childhood communities and late-adolescent relationships play strong roles in shaping later views about the meaning and importance of marriage, much more so than family background, according to new research by a University at Buffalo sociologist. The findings, published in the Journal of Family Issues, suggest that looking beyond the immediate context provides a better understanding for how the marital views of these young people form. We need to expand our scope to look further back in the life course, says Ashley Barr, assistant professor in UBs Department of Sociology in the College of Arts and Sciences and the studys lead author. We tend to view marital beliefs as coming from the immediate context: the current community, existing opportunities to marry; or an existing relationship with a good partner, says Ashley Barr. But the childhood community context, that is, where children lived when they were 10 or 11 years old, is important when it comes to how these young people feel about marriage by the time they have turned 18 years old. It appears as if the marital meanings embedded in early community contexts can sour an otherwise good opportunity for marriage or make a troubled relationship appear marriage-worthy, according to Barr. Many factors, including increased rates of non-marriage and rising age of first marriage in the U.S., have led scholars to question the relevance of marriage among young people and among young African-Americans, in particular. With poverty rates trending lower in married families, the federal government in 1996 launched the Healthy Marriage Initiative. Today, the Healthy Marriage and Responsible Fatherhood Initiative is charged with improving the lives of children through relationship, responsible parenting and marriage education services. But from a research standpoint, Barr says there was a discrepancy between the public discourse and some of the qualitative literature. There was a general sense in the literature that young African-Americans werent marrying because they didnt value marriage, she says. Another subset of literature based on interviews found that marriage did seem to be important, but that opportunities to marry were limited: lack of resources; there were no eligible partners; or living situations that werent viable for long-lasting marriages. Barr says her research tries to understand what contributes to how young African-Americans feel about marriage. The childhood community context and late-adolescent relationships are answers, but family background is not. Barr says the fairly weak evidence for the effect of family background is unusual. Usually we focus on the role of family, she says. We look at the parents relationship; were they divorced; were they nice to one another. In more general samples that is relevant, but it wasnt among our more than 600 African-American respondents. Other studies have also found a more muted effect of family background on the family-related behaviors of African-Americans when compared to whites, according to Barr. But at the same time, Barr found a great deal of diversity among the responses. Im finding a lot of variation among these young people regarding the importance and perceived benefits of marriage, she says. The experiences within contexts of communities and relationships explains much of this variation. Research News UB celebrates inventors and entrepreneurs By CORY NEALON UB held its annual Inventors and Entrepreneurs Reception last Thursday, honoring faculty, students and business partners whose are pushing boundaries in medicine, electronics and other industries. Award recipients included faculty members who have developed a new method to diagnose the autoimmune disorder Sjogrens syndrome, as well as researchers who have created new ways to protect buildings during earthquakes. Of particular note, President Satish K. Tripathi presented the Technology Innovation Leadership award to Vice Provost Robert J. Genco. Genco, who has overseen the universitys technology transfer efforts as director of the UB Office of Science, Technology Transfer and Economic Outreach (STOR), is stepping down from that role to lead UBs new Center for Microbiome Research. Dr. Gencos work in developing an exemplary technology transfer operation has had tremendous and lasting impact, Tripathi said. Much of the success were witnessing at the University at Buffalo and throughout the greater Buffalo Niagara region can be traced, in part, to programs that he has guided at UB to foster innovation and entrepreneurship. Were fortunate to continue to benefit from his outstanding service as leader of UBs new Center for Microbiome Research, and I look forward to seeing him break even more new ground in this important new role, he said. The event, held at the Saturn Club in Buffalo, also honored: Researchers who have developed nine technologies licensed to companies. These discoveries include a nanoparticle that can be used to fight hemophilia and other ailments, and technology designed to help doctors assess and treat unruptured brain aneurysms. Researchers named on six patents. These inventors include Julian L. Ambrus Jr., professor in the Department of Medicine, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, who developed the diagnosis for Sjogrens, as well as UB engineering researchers Michael Constantinou and Andrei Reinhorn, and industry partner Taylor Devices, who created the earthquake-protection system. The Entrepreneurial Spirit award will be presented Glenna Bett and Randall Rasmusson. Both are faculty members who co-founded Cytocybernetics, a UB spinoff company that is creating biotechnology that aims to cut in half the time and money needed for preclinical trials of certain medications. Three companies that graduated from the UB Technology Incubator. These include tech startup Cloud62, which was acquired in October by Illinois-based Huron Consulting Group but remains in Buffalo at the UB Gateway Building downtown. Six companies that joined the UB Technology Incubator. The list includes Geocove, a Florida-based company founded by UB alumna Karyn Tareen that builds geographic information systems for government agencies and other groups. A complete list of the companies, as well as new technologies, is available in the reception program. The event was organized by STOR, which helps UB researchers commercialize their inventions. The office also runs the UB Technology Incubator; the UB Biosciences Incubator in the Clinical and Translational Research Center in downtown Buffalo; Directed Energy, a virtual clean energy incubator; tenX, a co-working space within the UB Technology Incubator; and the Western New York Incubator Network, which provides services to incubated companies across Western New York. STOR also has partnered with the School of Management to run the universitys Entrepreneurship Lab program, a winter session class offered to students who want to turn their business ideas into reality. Additional speakers at the reception included Provost Charles F. Zukoski; Venu Govindaraju, vice president for research and economic development; and Genco. Barnsley-based Naylor Concrete Products has acquired the Whites Concrete business of flooring manufacturer Longley Concrete. Naylor Concrete Products has had an eventful 2015, celebrating its 50th anniversary, as well as moving premises from Ossett to a nine-acre freehold site at Barugh Green, Barnsley. Whites Concrete is a 2m turnover manufacturer of pre-stressed and pre-cast concrete panels, retaining walls and tanks. The business is currently based on the Longley site in Dewsbury. As part of the transaction, Naylor will move the business to its Barugh Green site, freeing up space at Dewsbury for Longleys planned expansion of its flooring business. The Whites Concrete commercial team will be relocating to Barugh Green and joining Naylor. Longley director Michael Wright will be assisting Naylor with the transition on a consultancy basis. Helen MacIntosh, managing director of Naylor Concrete Products, said: The acquisition of Whites Concrete extends our offering and we are looking forward to working with the companys team to develop sales of this exciting range. Picture caption: L-r: John Longley from Longley; Michael Wright from Whites Concrete; Helen MacIntosh from Naylor Concrete Products; and Michael Longley also from Longley. Norbord has been crowned Timber Supplier of the Year 2015 at the 2016 Fortis Building & Timber Conference. The Supplier of the Year Awards - alongside the annual Fortis conference - were held at the Hilton Metropole Hotel in Birmingham and were hosted by comedian Dara OBriain. David Mills, Norbord Europe key account manager, said: Norbord is thrilled to have been awarded these prestigious awards, especially as we are only in our second trading year with Fortis. Special thanks should go to our sales and logistics teams for engaging with the Fortis members who have been very receptive in developing our trading relationship. We are looking to improve further and look forward to another successful year together. Moorestown honors Percheron that helped build the town Percheron Park opened in downtown Moorestown with a tribute to the horse of yesteryear and its owner, who first brought the breed to the U.S. GOVERNMENT AS PRACTICE Democratic Left in a Transforming India Dwaipayan Bhattacharyya Cambridge University Press 273 pages; Rs 750 Five years after the Left Front government was ousted from power in West Bengal a new Assembly election has sparked a fresh wave of analysis of its 34 years in power. Dwaipayan Bhattacharyya in his book Government as Practice seeks to provide a novel analytical tool to assess the experience. This means looking at the Left Front with "the idea of government as a process that evolves with practice and that defies functional, structural or ideological bipolarity between attributes that are 'positive' and 'negative'." According to Mr Bhattacharyya, the Left Front government in its initial years attempted to stop the exploitation of tillers by landlords through land reforms. It felt the bureaucracy was either unable or unwilling to effect the changes the post-colonial state was undertaking. Hence, the Left Front decided to make the village panchayat the locus of politics, the first government in India to do so, deepening democracy in the process. In the chapter on land reforms, the author highlights the role the village panchayat played in ensuring the success of the reforms by empowering the masses. Mr Bhattacharyya quotes government data that show that of the 2.01 million people from the Scheduled Castes who benefited from land reforms, 49.5 per cent were from West Bengal. Among the Scheduled Tribes, 62 per cent of beneficiaries were from the state. However, the author argues, after the initial years, the Front was more interested in maintaining its core constituencies and not sharpening class struggle. In this way it undermined the work done in previous years and slowly went back on its promises and ideals. This was because of what the author calls the "party society". In a party society, "the overriding goal is to protect the constituency of the party's support base and expand it periodically from election to election." The author argues that over time the dedicated cadre of the party got replaced by careerists and self-seekers, who gained control over the machinery. This then led to an erosion of the party's support base. It also brought in a divide between the party and its core constituency, the poor and marginalised. The Left, which according to the author had married its spirit of ideology-based movements from below with pragmatic reforms from the top, was now left unconnected with the rural masses. This paves the way for the author to look at the industrialisation drive of the Left Front, beginning in the previous decade. Here, Mr Bhattacharyya takes pains to present the different views on the Left about the nature of capitalism that came into being in India. Some theoreticians have argued that industrial capital did not overcome feudal societal relations because the independent Indian state was a coalition between the bourgeoisie and landlords. Others have criticised this view, saying capital has never fulfilled this role in the developing world. In the Marxian analysis, capitalism disrupts the feudal order by divorcing peasants from the land and creating a proletariat that has nothing to sell but its labour time, a process Marx called primitive accumulation. This disruption caused large-scale unemployment in Western Europe too. However, as Prabhat Patnaik has pointed out, Western Europe overcame this crisis through colonialism and the mass migration of people to the "New World." The author criticises the Left for a flawed analysis of capitalism and the nature of change it would bring. He criticises the West Bengal government for competing with other states and wooing and acquiring land for the Tatas in Singur and the Salim Group in Nandigram to set up factories and a special economic zone. However, the Left has always held that agrarian economies need to move towards industrialisation to modernise the economy and overcome feudal relations. Mr Bhattacharyya, however, fails to talk about the contradiction of a leftist state government's existence in a neo-liberal national economy. Clearly, such a government will have far less room to manoeuvre than an entire nation ruled by a left-wing government. The other contradiction the author fails to dwell upon is the seemingly limitless mobility of capital and the immobility of labour. The effects of this were shown recently in Greece. The sovereignty of nations is no longer a given, and they must comply with the financial markets or face a flight of capital. The author is right in pointing out that the crises of Singur and Nandigram were because of the faulty communication of the party with the people, a practice it invented. Its support base was no longer able and willing to include the masses in decision-making in the same way as before. The spectre of defeat and erosion of support lead to the subsequent desertion of its cadre, who joined the Trinamool Congress en masse, because the composition of its cadre had changed. For the Left to come back to prominence it will have to try and theorise about these new contradictions. It must have the courage to "begin at the beginning", as V I Lenin said. Mr Bhattacharyya's book is an essential read in this regard because of the sweep of its scholarship. US taxi aggregator Uber has for the first time set up a global public policy advisory board to address regulatory concerns the company faces in many parts of the world. The Travis Kalanick-led company, valued at $62 billion with operations in 70 countries, has appointed an Indian - Adil Zainulbhai, chairman of the Quality Council of India and former chairman of McKinsey India - as part of the eight-member board, an Uber spokesperson confirmed. The development comes at a time when Uber is under scrutiny across many Indian states over its surge-pricing model, that lets it raise tariff in sync with demand for its cab service. The board, which comprises a curious mix of global leaders from government, business, academics and think tanks, had its first meeting in the US earlier this week, it is learnt. Besides the India representative, the members of this new board are Melody Barnes, vice provost for global student leadership initiatives at New York University and former director of the Domestic Policy Council at the White House; Roberto Danino, former Prime Minister of Peru; Allan Fels, professor at Melbourne, Monash and Oxford Universities and former chairman of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission; Neelie Kroes, Netherlands special envoy for start-ups and former vice-president of the European Commission; Ray LaHood, former US secretary of transportation; Gesner Oliveira, former president of the Brazilian Administrative Council for Economic Defence; and Princess Reema bint Bandar Al Saud, founder and chief executive of Alf Khair. Last year, Uber had set up a safety advisory board, but only for the US market. The latest global advisory board is expected to guide seven-year-old Uber as it increasingly finds itself in the midst of regulatory challenges. According to David Plouffe, chief advisor and member of the board of directors, Uber, "ride-sharing apps are not just about pushing a button and getting a ride - they're also about pushing a button and getting work. In France, 20 per cent of drivers using Uber were unemployed beforehand. In Egypt, that number is 40 per cent. In Mexico City, 50 per cent.'' Plouffe, who was advisor to US President Barack Obama during his two presidential campaigns, said that just a few years ago, only California had a regulatory framework for ride-sharing in the US. "Today, more than 70 jurisdictions in the US do, and many other places around the globe are following suit, including in Australia, India, the Philippines and Mexico." In India, the latest challenge for Uber has been in Delhi as the state government wants it to switch off surge pricing to comply with the guidelines. Defying the diktat, Uber has continued to offer rides with surge pricing. Karnataka is among the other states fighting Uber's surge pricing. It has, however, got a licence in Kolkata and Indore and has applied for one in Karnataka. Company executives say Uber would comply when an appropriate legal framework is brought in. Controversy is not new for Uber. Earlier, it had to go off the roads for a while following a rape incident in an Uber taxi in Delhi. In other parts of the world too, it has been clashing with policymakers frequently including in London, Paris, Seoul, Berlin, Tokyo, Pennsylvania, and Virginia for different regulatory reasons. In London, for instance, Uber drivers were asked to wait for at least five minutes before taking a passenger on a ride so that he or she could get other options if they wanted. The rule was changed after organised protests by Uber users. In Seoul, the company has withdrawn UberX following government directions, while retaining its high-end UberBlack limousine service. The civil aviation ministry has decided to stick to its original proposal of auctioning international flying rights out of major Indian airports to foreign carriers, despite stiff opposition from incumbent airlines. The proposal got the backing of the ministry of external affairs (MEA) during inter-ministerial consultations over the draft civil aviation policy. We've decided to retain the original proposal of auctioning rights. We have not faced any opposition over it from the MEA," said a top aviation ministry official. Major airlines, including IndiGo, SpiceJet, Jet Airways and Go Air, through the Federation of Indian Airlines (FIA) had severely opposed the proposal saying it is akin to handing over the sovereign rights of a nation. FIA told the ministry: The proposal to auction seats to countries within 5,000 km is also impractical, untenable and unworkable as bilateral rights are sovereign rights of the country, to be utilised by the designated carriers of that country only. They are not purposed to generate transaction values with foreign carriers. However, the aviation ministry is of the view that there is a mismatch between demand and supply in some routes as Indian carriers are not utilising their seats properly. If there is passenger demand, it is the governments duty to make the seats available, said another official in the aviation ministry. According to procedure, the policy, after being drafted by the ministry, is sent for inter-ministerial consultations, following which it is sent to the Cabinet for approval. The suggestions from other ministries have come and we will be sending it to the Cabinet in 10 days, Civil Aviation Secretary Rajiv Nayan Choubey told Business Standard. The government announced giving foreign airlines traffic rights to key destinations within seven hours of flying away from India (Gulf region, West Asia and southeast Asia) through auction as one of the ways. At present, countries sign an agreement to decide the flights or seats per week that can fly into each other's country. In its initial draft policy released in October 2015, the civil aviation ministry proposed: For short-haul countries partly or fully within 5,000-km radius, where domestic airlines have not fully utilised their quota, additional seats above existing bilateral rights would be allotted by bidding out these rights for a three-year period, without requiring reciprocity, the proceeds of which will go to Regional Connectivity Fund. CONFLICT OF INTEREST Banks are exerting pressure to recover dues from Winsome Diamonds and Jewellery. Winsome Diamonds owes Rs 6,800 crore to banks in India. The company had exported jewellery to a dozen firms, most of them in West Asia. These companies failed to make payments to Winsome Diamonds, which in turn led to it defaulting on loans from banks. Read more from our special coverage on "WINSOME DIAMONDS AND JEWELLERY" Wilful defaulter Winsome resigned to banks decision on board nominee Tanwars continuation The lending banks were investigating if these entities had any relations with Jatin Mehta, promoter of Winsome Diamonds, said a public sector bank executive. They are exploring legal action to bring Mehta back to India from Dubai and remedies to make Winsome Diamonds' creditors pay their dues to the company. The lenders were examining if they could lay claim on Mehta's ventures and business interests in Singapore, said another public sector bank executive. The banks have taken a tough stand against Winsome Diamond's board, which recently asked their nominee, Satya Prakash Tanwar, to resign. Tanwar, a former State Bank of India executive, was inducted on Winsome Diamond's board in September 2013, but the company's directors sought his removal after he dismissed an audit report as "nontransparent and unacceptable". "Since he made frivolous remarks about the company, which indicates he has started acting against the interests of the company, we sought Tanwar's resignation. Now, it is up to the banks to take a decision," said Harshad Udani, additional director and spokesperson of Winsome. Winsome promoter Mehta, who is based in Dubai, is said to have set up a subsidiary there to tap untapped potential in jewellery sector in West Asia and exported jewellery from India to many customers in the region. Sources said Tanwar raised questions on the existence of the subsidiary when the company promoter himself had interest in setting up a separate business. Mobile wallets have been cashing in on the rise of smartphones in India and ringing in some serious money. However, now that digital money transfer is at the cusp of another innovation with the coming in of the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) that is set to make transferring money as simple as sending text messages, some fear that mobile wallets may become obsolete. This fear stems from the fact that only banks are allowed to be a part of UPI that has been launched by the National Payments Corporation of India. The wallet players have been left out of its ambit. National Payments Corporation currently operates the Immediate Payment Service (IMPS) that allows people to make online transactions and transfer funds from one bank to another. UPI, which will be available from June, will allow its customers to do the same on a smartphone. At the same time, using UPI could also make it easier to directly transact with a seller for a buyer. Wallet payment services allow people to make payments only to those who have also subscribed to the same service. For example, a consumer can pay for, say, a taxi ride using his e-wallet only if the driver is also using the system, but UPI does not have such barriers and one can send money to any account. This is a big threat for wallet players who were targeting the digital-savvy urban customers. Industry players say these players will now need to tweak their business model to generate additional sources of revenue. Facing a big threat Soma Sundaram, founder & CEO of iKaaz, a mobile payment solution provider started in 2012, says, "The convenience factor, which was being taken care of by some wallet players, will get completely replaced by UPI and therefore some of these players might find themselves irrelevant." The bank-promoted wallet systems, such as SBI's Buddy, ICICI Bank's Pockets, and HDFC Bank's Chillr, will be equally affected. "These existing bank-led wallets offer their products to only those who have an account with them. UPI is open to account holders of all banks. This significantly increases the pool of customers UPI can tap into, compared to banks which have a limited universe of customers," says a research report by Centrum Wealth. An added feature of UPI is that it allows users to send reminders to their creditors by raising a "debit request". While the payment is made only after the user has accepted the request, it is expected to come in handy for transactions between e-commerce players and merchants. Clearly, UPI can reach far more people than all e-wallets put together today, given that its platform is open to users from all banks. The only mobile wallets that could escape competition are those which are engaged in reaching the unbanked and helping them with remittances etc. "In the short-term, there definitely will be challenges. However, the impact will be more on companies that are in the consumer-facing business. Ours is more concentrated on the unbanked population who are likely to continue using this medium for fund transfers," says Praveen Dhabhai, chief operating officer, Payworld. Looking for growth For others, diversification will be the key to survival. Thus, some players have started to work as check-out service providers by allowing users to link their credit and debit cards to their mobile wallets. Such service providers usually earn up to 1.5 per cent of the transaction value as revenue, which is higher than the commission earned if consumers transact from their digital wallet. In addition, they are also looking at remittances and the offline retail space to grow their businesses. "It might help to expand and add another line of business as just the payment part may be taken care of by UPI," says Naveen Surya, chairman, Payments Council of India, and managing director of ItzCash, a mobile wallet. However, he adds that wallet players can help India move a step closer to becoming a cashless economy if they are also allowed to join the UPI platform. "We can tie up with offline retailers and merchants and get them to transact via this medium that will not only eliminate cash but also the need for point-of-sales terminals," he says. In other words, digital wallets could play an intermediary between a seller and a customer who wants to transact via UPI. For now, new digital wallet players are thinking twice before entering the fray. After 41 new licences being granted over the past few years, this year no new prepaid payment instrument licence has been granted so far. Experts believe that those who were waiting to enter this space will now prefer to take a wait-and-watch approach and see how the existing players are able to weather the storm. Flipkart-owned fashion discovery portal, Myntra, will re-launch its desktop website on June 1, ending the companys push to become the worlds first app-only marketplace. While the jury is still out on whether the move was a bold experiment or a sour mistake, its clear that even a mobile-first country like India isnt yet ready for a mobile-only service. Here are five reasons why the portal is bringing back its desktop version. There are still people who shop only on a PC Read more from our special coverage on "MYNTRA" boss Ananth Narayanan said that the company expects sales to grow by 15-20% this year on the back of re-launching its desktop website. Many studies, including the ones done by before shutting down its web presence in May 2015, showed that people actually spend more on mobile when compared to shopping online. The only explanation for the shift is that the fashion portal sees significant number of shoppers during office hours evident in workers getting delivery of goods in most office complexes across large metros. The expected sales growth then can be attributed to these marginalised users who will now come back to shop on on their office PCs. The smartphone isnt yet the ideal shopping device Smartphones may beat desktops on a lot of fronts, but providing the best shopping experience isnt one of them. While smartphones make payments easier, apps are more customised to a user's preferences and notifications help them discover better deals, the lack of screen real estate and patchy and slow mobile internet connectivity in India are two huge hindrances. Myntra, too, said that people like viewing products such as home furnishings and fine jewelry on larger screens, not to mention fashion products require more scrutiny before purchase than something like groceries. The web experience is catching up with native apps It helps that Googles browser is the most widely used browser in the world (and in India). So, any improvements to Chrome can be counted as overall wins to web browsing. Google has built in several features into Chrome that parallel native apps, such as custom notifications, auto logins, location logging and has even improved the kind of data web developers can collect from their users. The company has also built several web tools that allow developers build websites that follow its Material Design principles, the design language of its Android OS and native smartphone apps. Registered users vs Transacting users Flipkart claims it has 75 million registered users on its platform. However, ask any web expert and theyll tell you the number of transacting users has barely crossed the 30 million user mark. Now these 30 million odd transacting users in all probability belong to the creamy layer in terms of income, that sit right at the top. By the power of deduction, it's not hard to assume that while these users do indeed have smartphones, they also have access to desktops. Now choice becomes a huge part of a services offering to customers and taking it away isnt an option. Ask Facebook, out of the 1.65 billion people that access its service, over a billion of them do so on mobile, however, the company continues to build out both web and app services, and doesnt ignore the former. Flipkart cant afford to alienate even a small number of users Myntras owner Flipkart is engaged in a heated battle with rivals Snapdeal and Amazon and regardless of whos in front and who may be closing in, its probably right to assume that every customer Flipkart and Myntra turns down is a customer of the other two. By alienating users that wanted to shop on desktops, Flipkart wasnt just losing users but was fueling the growth of its rivals. All along, we assumed that number would be quite small, but Myntras claim that bringing back its desktop website can yield an additional 15-20% in sales this year turns that assumption on its head. So what should we expect next? Myntras parent Flipkart has already built itself a Windows 10 app that runs on desktops running Microsofts latest OS. If apps do indeed provide better experience than websites that in turn result in higher yields for marketplaces, expect Myntra to do the same. By launching a Windows 10 app, Myntra will be able to cater to the few users of Windows Phones as well as desktop users that are willing to download its app. However, given that Microsoft too is struggling to get people to adopt Windows 10, dont expect Myntra or Flipkart to announce that theyre shutting down their desktop websites anytime soon. The mobile-only debate in India is reminiscent of the debate that took place in developed markets such as the US when smartphones began to become huge. Web services now had a new medium to play on, smartphones, and ones that chose to stick to just the web soon lost out. Facebook and Amazon are prime examples of web services that took the leap of faith and built for mobile, and they gained significantly because of it. In India, to dismiss the web and build for mobile isn't an option just yet. Unlike when the debate that panned out in the US, PCs arent growing to take over mobile, infact theyre dying if were to believe technology evolutionists. Still, to assume that the mobile has replaced the PC is daft. Many of us still use them almost on a daily basis and even if we dont own one, we often encounter them at the workplace. The future belongs to technologies such as virtual reality and augmented reality and they will be primarily driven by mobile. Today its not farfetched to think of putting on a pair of virtual reality glasses and seeing yourself clothed in a dress or trousers you like on Myntra, and things are indeed moving in that direction. However, until mobiles get that far ahead of the PC, dont dismiss the good old devices just yet. Etihad along with its strategic partner Jet Airways collectively registered 63 per cent growth in passenger volume from India in 2015 and is evaluating opportunities to expand its business, Etihad's chief commercial officer Peter Baumgartner said today. Etihad Airways which has emerged as the fastest growing foreign airline in India following its investment in Jet Airways in 2013 launched its Airbus A380 service to Mumbai on Sunday. The A380 aircraft has a three room private cabin called the The Residence and bookings for the service have been healthy though its only initial days after launch, Baumgartner said. A return fare for upto two persons on the Residence between Mumbai-London and Mumbai-New York costs about Rs 35 lakh and 50 lakh respectively. "The 63 per cent growth in passenger traffic last year on both airlines to and from India is the result of hard work and close cooperation to provide an appealing product to travellers. During 2015, 3.3 million guests were carried between India and Abu Dhabi on the combined networks, making the Etihad Airways-Jet Airways partnership the strongest, biggest and most diverse offering in Indian aviation. The two carriers have the largest international market share of any airline carrying 21 per cent, or 1 in 5 travellers, to and from India," he added. Currently the two airlines fly 254 weekly flights from 15 cities in India to Abu Dhabi. In 2013 Etihad picked up 24 per cent stake in Jet Airways and the deal followed the government hiking bilateral seat entitlement of Abu Dhabi from 13,000 seats per week to 50,000 seats per week spread over three years. Currently Jet Airways and Etihad offer 44,000 seats per week between India and Abu Dhabi. Etihad did not give a break up of seats offered individually by the two carriers. "There is further room to grow and we continue to examine opportunities for further joint success," he stated. Heavily-armed Naxalites on Wednesday morning raided the premises of National Mineral Development Corporation (NMDC) in Chhattisgarhs restive Dantewada district and set the conveyor belt on fire. The incident will, however, have least impact on the business as Naxalites are observing a two-day strike, starting today. During the strike, railways suspend the service after dusk, affecting the transportation of iron ore. A senior police official in Dantewada, MZ Baig said a group of heavily-armed Naxalites raided the Bacheli complex of at around 12.30 am. After the blast, the rebels set the conveyor belt on fire. The incident took place in the forested hills between iron ore deposits number 11 and 5. A portion of the belt, which was one of the two in operation in the complex, was severely damaged. The countrys largest iron-ore exporter and producer has been operating two fully-mechanized mines in the Kirandul and Bacheli complexes. Both the complexes have a production capacity of about 31 million tonne per annum a major chunk of the companys total iron-ore output. While the Naxal raid has unleashed a realm of terror, the development will not impact the companys business. A company official in Bacheli said it will take two-three days to repair the belt. The has been evacuating iron-ore through rail route to Vizag. Since the train service has been disrupted, the NMDC had scaled down the loading and hence it would not require much stock at the yard, the official said. The conveyor belt damaged was used for carrying iron-ore from the mine to the yard. On normal days, about two dozen goods trains ply the route, which will be confined to 10 to 12 during the Naxal strike. Maharashtra-based dairy products company was subscribed 10 per cent on Wednesday, the first day of its issue. The Rs 767-crore Initial Public Offering (IPO) opened on Wednesday and will close on Friday. The 19.1-million share IPO received 1.9 million shares on the first day. The company is offering around 33.8 million shares, which includes 20.6 million offer-for-sale shares while 113.2 million fresh shares. The dairy company is looking to raise Rs 300 crore through fresh sales. The price band for the IPO is Rs 220-227. On Tuesday, the company raised Rs 343 crore from anchor investors when it allotted 15.1 million shares at Rs 227 per share to investors including Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, Nomura India Investment Fund, and Tata Mutual Fund. is an integrated dairy firm that sells brands such as Go, Gowardhan, Pride of Cows, and Topp up. This is the third IPO in less than one week to hit the market after the success of Thyrocare Technologies and Ujjivan Financial Services. In the next 12-18 months, American major Amazon has the potential to be at the top in the India market, executives at three prominent international analyst firms told Business Standard. But theres a caveat. If Amazon focuses more on gross merchandise value (GMV) of the goods sold on its platform than it has so far, and if Flipkart and Snapdeal move towards profitability, the current pecking order in market share may change, analysts said. The strategy that these online marketplace follow in the next few months will determine whether Amazon gets to be the leader in 2017 or not, according to an executive at one of the analyst firms. Kunal Bahl-led Snapdeal has already stated that GMV is not a metric, it is chasing. Retaining and adding high-quality users would be Snapdeals goal, Bahl had said in a recent media interview. A report published by Bank of America-Merrill Lynch (BAML) in May 2015 had placed Flipkart on top of the table with 43% market share, followed by Snapdeal at 30% and Amazon at 18%. One year later, things have moved, pointed out analysts without giving any specific figures. Market share is typically based on GMV in the absence of timely revenue figures, which are posted to Registrar of (RoC) with a significant time lag making them almost irrelevant, explained industry trackers. > In 2015, industry estimates pegged Flipkarts GMV at around $10 billion, Snapdeals at $4 billion and Amazons at $2 billion. One of the analysts, that this newspaper spoke to, projected the 2017 GMV at $12 billion for Flipkart, $9 billion for Snapdeal and $6.3 billion for Amazon. However, he added that the math could alter and Amazon could cross Snapdeals GMV while moving closer to Flipkart or even overtaking it, depending on how the three players choose the GMV versus profitability play. Indeed, GMV has been an important metric for players for getting a higher valuation and attracting the next round of funds from investors. In the process, some have even inflated their GMV figures, according to an analyst. However, a company such as Amazon does not need to inflate its GMV because it does not depend on investors money, but gets funded by the parent, he added. How a company moves in certain categories will also determine the next pecking order of the market share. So, de-emphasising electronics as a category will help a company in attaining profitability faster, according to experts. Although electronics fetches higher GMV than others like clothes and accessories because of the higher price of the products, the margins and therefore revenues are much lower in that category. Against a margin of 2-3% in electronics, fashion apparel commands a margin of 10-15%. Also, repeat buying is very low in electronics. By shifting the focus from electronics, an player will move quicker towards profitability, a demand that is being increasingly made by investors pumping in funds into the internet-led business. But that may also imply a fall in the GMV pecking order that determines market share. Apart from GMV marketshare, some other metrics are also used by e-commerce companies to show leadership. For instance, a comScore analysis had pegged Flipkart on the top with 50 million to 100 million app downloads recently, followed by Snapdeal and Amazon at 10 million to 50 million. Another latest monthly visitor data (without taking into account mobile transactions) shows Flipkart is maintaining the lead, while Paytm has picked up traction, it is learnt. In 2014, Amazon had committed $2 billion for the India market. And recently after its first quarter earnings numbers, the group said India was one of the most important markets for it and it would invest what it takes. Its an open cheque book, is how Amazon India head Amit Agarwal had described the investment plans of the group into this market. Flipkart has raised $2.6 billion since May 2014 and Snapdeal $2 billion since the start of 2014 from marque international investors. Both are learnt to be in talks with investors for raising more funds. Earlier this year, Morgan Stanley, an investor in Flipkart, had marked down the value of its holding by 27% in the Sachin Bansal-led firm. This in turn brought down the valuation of Flipkart to $11 billion from $15 billion. Flipkarts valuation markdown is seen as a benchmark for the entire e-commerce industry. But according to reports, Flipkart continued to talk to investors pegging its earlier valuation at $15 billion, while Snapdeal too stuck to $6.5-billion valuation. None of the ecommerce companies commented on market share issues. The government went on the offensive in the AgustaWestland controversy on Wednesday, with Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar stating in Parliament that an inquiry into it would focus on those an Italian court judgment named. In the Rajya Sabha, the Congress defended its president, Sonia Gandhi, her political secretary, Ahmed Patel, and other leaders, who have been reportedly named in the scam around the acquisition of the choppers. The Congress claimed the government was spreading canards against its leaders to cover up its own "misgovernance". The government turned down the Opposition demand for a Supreme Court-monitored probe. In protest, the Congress and the Janata Dal (United) staged a walkout. Parrikar said, the "inquiry will focus on roles of those named in the judgment of the Italian court. The government will leave no stone unturned in bringing to justice those involved in the scam." He added, "It appears an 'invisible hand' was guiding the action or inaction of the CBI (Central Bureau of Investigation) and the Enforcement Directorate." In response, A K Antony, who was the defence minister in the preceding United Progressive Alliance government, said: "If you have all the evidence, take action but don't threaten us, don't blackmail us." A five-hour discussion in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday had both the government and the Opposition trading barbs. An initial victory seemed to have been scored by the Congress-led Opposition, which outnumbered the Treasury benches and refused to let Defence Minister Parrikar initiate the discussion. Congress' Abhishek Manu Singhvi directly addressed the issue of "CP, (Congress president Sonia Gandhi) V-P (Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi) and AP, (Sonia's political secretary Ahmed Patel)" - the three initials that had led to much heat and chaos in the House. He made detailed references to the Italian court's judgment and stated that the court had not indicted, or found any evidence against any of the Congress leaders. Singhvi cited the Jain Hawala judgment ruling, argued by the Arun Jaitley (now Union finance minister) to bolster his argument that initials have no evidence in a legal case. "LKA" (Bharatiya Janata Party leader Lal Krishna Advani) had been acquitted of all charges he reminded members. Targetting the Congress, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar, who replied to the discussion, said, "It appears an 'invisible hand' was guiding the action or inaction of CBI and ED." He accused the Congress-led UPA of delaying the probe even after the scam had broken out. "The case was handed over to CBI only after (Finmeccanica's former chief Giuseppe) Orsi was arrested." He accused the UPA of deliberately having a single vendor Agusta Westland in violation of all norms; facts that had been repeatedly highlighted by the CAG in its report,he said quoting extensively from the report. Parrikar claimed the helicopters were bought at inflated prices and no realistic basis for price negotiations was provided. The Treasury benches relied on the firepower of Subramanian Swamy, to the extent that the BJP withdrew all its speakers in order to give Swamy more time. Swamy accused the Congress of lying, "terminological exactitude" he said, stating that they were the ones who had changed the technical specifications of the helicopters to favour the single vendor Agusta Westland. This led to Congressmen vociferously denying his claim and outshouting him. Swamy then said, "In September 2008, contract negotiations committee arbitrarily fixed Rs 4,877.5 crore as the deal which was 6 times more." Swamy, who till now had been repeatedly naming Sonia Gandhi in the House leading to derailment of business all through this session, on Wednesday made a strong lunge stating those named in a note written by one of the alleged middleman should be interrogated by the CBI and if necessary it "should be custodial interrogation." Swamy attempted to put the Congress leadership including its president Sonia Gandhi, Ahmed Patel and former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on the mat by alluding to purported references in the judgment but the deputy chairperson asked Swamy to authenticate every document that he was citing as evidence. The debate had its moments of high drama when Ahmed Patel challenged Swamy to prove his claims saying he would resign not just from the Rajya Sabha but from political life as well. Refuting the BJP claim former defence minister A K Antony stated the decision to change the flying altitude from 6,000 metres to 4,500 metres was taken by then PMO and NDA government of Atal Behari Vajpayee in 2003. "The decision to change height was taken by the PMO. The major decision was taken by your government in 2003. I am not casting any aspersions, just stating facts." Antony said that it was the UPA which had acted on the "corrupt company" and cracked down on it, the then government, had paid Rs 1,586 crore but recovered Rs 2,062 crore from AgustaWestland. He added three helicopters worth Rs 900 crore were also impounded. Addressing the government directly, Antony said, "It is proved beyond doubt there was corruption in chopper deal; act now." The Congress got robust support from several Opposition parties; senior JD(U) leader Sharad Yadav demanded to know what was the progress in the investigation in these past two years. "Were you waiting for the Italian court's judgment, in order to act?" BSP chief Mayawati, CPM's Tapan Sen, CPI's D Raja, and NCP's Majid Memon, all demanded a Supreme Court-monitored CBI probe to ensure impartial investigation. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Venkaiah Naidu, however, rejected the demand citing that it was the Congress which had started the CBI probe so why should the norms be changed at this stage. Trinamool Congress' Sukhendu Sekhar Roy hit out both at the government and the Congress, and demanded to know why for 14 months then Defence Minister Antony did not take any action against anyone? Turning the guns on the BJP, Roy also questioned the inordinate delay by the government for these past two years. The Lok Sabha is also likely to take up the issue soon. Home Finance (RHFL) plans to raise Rs 268.85 crore (around $40 million) from International Finance Corporation. The investment involves an investment by IFC's own account of up to Rs 265.85 crore (equivalent to US$40 million) in NCDs. The investment would provide financing to RHFL for affordable housing loans to individuals in India. The project is expected to support RHFL to increase its reach and penetration in the affordable housing finance segments, especially in the low Tier II and Tier III cities in states outside of South India, said World Bank's investment arm IFC. IFC's investment will provide comfort to other potential lenders and investors in providing debt to the company and also to others operating in affordable housing segment. RHFL commenced operations in 2000 and is a public company. The Company was promoted by Bank, a Multi State Cooperative Society, which continues to own 37.14% of RHFL, whilst the balance is held by domestic and foreign investors. As of April 2015, the company is said to be operating through 106 branches and 36 satellite centres in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Jharkhand, Kerala, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Odisha, West Bengal and Puducherry. It is focused on providing access to housing finance to low income borrowers, specifically those employed in the informal sector such as self-employed micro-entrepreneurs and un-organized sector salaried workers. IFC debt will help diversify the funding profile of the company, which is currently largely dependent on banks and NHB for their funding needs. The NCD's will also provide RHFL with long term debt of 7 years which is also not readily available from the market. Massimo Dutti, the Spanish premium fashion brand from the Inditex stable which also owns Zara, is entering India after years of wait due to regulatory hurdles. Its first store will open in a Delhi mall with 5,027 sq ft of retail space. Globally, has 755 stores across 73 countries. The Zara group competes with Sweden's H&M, which entered India last year. The Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) had in 2012 rejected the proposal for citing violation of a rule framed by the Department of Industrial Policy & Promotion (DIPP) that says an investor must own the brand it is proposing to bring to India. In the case of Massimo Dutti, the application was made by Zara Holdings Netherlands, but the brand is owned by Euro 13.8-billion Spanish retail chain, Inditex. Indias largest pharmaceutical firm, Sun Pharmaceutical, is scouting for a partner to market 14 brands it acquired from Novartis in Japan. We are looking for a partner to market these brands there. The decision regarding this would be taken in the near future, said Kirti Ganorkar, senior vice-president (global business development). In April, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the company, acquired 14 established prescription brands from Novartis AG and Novartis Pharma AG in Japan, for $293 million. The acquired brands will be marketed by a local marketing partner under the Sun label. The local marketing partner will also be responsible for distribution of the brands. We have bought 14 brands from Novartis which are sold in Japanese market. Now, the same brands would be promoted by Sun to the Japanese doctors. This is how Sun would be known in that market, Ganorkar added. Meanwhile, the firm on Wednesday signed an deal with International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology to develop a novel botanical drug for treatment of dengue. Through this agreement, Sun Pharma commits development of Cissampelos pariera (Cipa), a botanical drug in collaboration with ICGEB, the company said. The company wants to launch this drug as a chemical entity. Therefore, it would take up this issue with regulators and then start with various stages of trials. Currently, there is no vaccine or treatment available for dengue in India. The company expects to launch this drug in India within four years. The drug development is at pre-clinical stage. First market, we would target is India. After that, we would go to United States Food and Drug Administration (US FDA) to launch it there and then globally, Ganorkar said. If road contracts were the biggest beneficiaries of government spending in 2015-16, urban also gained. The latter encompasses segments such as housing, schools, hospitals and waste management, among others. A recent report by Emkay Global Financial Services says projects awarded in segments such as water supply and housing rose 51-64 per cent over a year before in 2015-16. Compared to the traction seen in roadways contracts where orders worth nearly Rs 50,000 crore were awarded (up 108 per cent year-on-year), order awards in urban infra (Rs 43,000 crore) were close behind. Orders worth Rs 12,000 crore and Rs 18,000 crore were awarded in water contracts and in housing and government buildings, respectively. Those in hospitals and other community services were down 39 per cent but contracts of Rs 8,000 crore were awarded. Given the necessity for India to strengthen its urban and the government focus on 'smart cities', expect the amount of orders to increase. Going by the healthy order flows, ignoring this space might not be wise. For instance, Ahluwalia Contracts and J Kumar Infra registered order inflow of Rs 200 crore and Rs 133 crore, respectively, in the March quarter itself, after big orders they got in the December 2015 quarter. NCC and ITD Cementation, with 17 per cent and 20 per cent exposure to this sector, also stand to gain. However, all this might take a few quarters to reflect in earnings of these companies, given the systemic problem of slow execution. In the case of J Kumar, its December quarter revenue at Rs 310 crore was flat year-on-year due to delay in execution. Likewise, for Simplex, analysts at Karvy Broking reduced their earnings per share estimate by 36 per cent for FY17, due to execution overhangs caused by a stressed working capital cycle (224 days in the quarter. Even then, the lowered estimates still indicate that net profits of these companies will grow at a robust pace in FY17. High leverage is another issue for this sector but there is visible progress. Still, investors will need to keep an eye on the success of measures taken to cut debt levels. HDFC Securities says the ongoing asset monetisation of NCC should aid growth. In the case of J Kumar, it says funds raised though qualified institutional placement (QIP) had helped pare debt. ITD Cementation claims settlements with state governments for projects worth Rs 100 crore and QIP proceeds should help. For Simplex, high debt (estimated at Rs 930 crore in FY16) could remain a stress, as the average borrowing cost stands stiff at 10.88 per cent. For others, it has moderated to nine per cent. J Kumar ran into new trouble, with the likelihood of the civic body in Mumbai, the BMC, blacklisting it. J Kumars management has said such a step would not impact its order book significantly, as BMC accounts for a tenth of its orders. And, that BMCs action will not affect the Mumbai Metro project, where J Kumar is understood to be among the lowest bidder for projects worth Rs 5,000 crore. However, its stock has fallen 17 per cent since the news came out on April 25. "The news impacted J Kumar's stock sentimentally", says Adhidev Chattopadhyay of Elara Capital. But he insists that as orders from BMC are not material and it would not have an implication on the Mumbai Metro project there is not much to worry. Wipro, India's third-largest information technology services company, on Wednesday said a court in the United Kingdom had upheld the dismissal of a former employee in the country, Shreya Ukil. She had brought charges of sexual discrimination, unequal pay and unfair dismissal against the company. In a petition filed before the Central London Employment Tribunal in October last year, Ukil, who worked as a sales and marketing manager, had claimed that she was subjected to "deeply predatory, misogynistic culture" at Wipro, and had sought damages to the tune of 1 million (around Rs 10 crore). " is pleased the UK Employment Tribunal has upheld the dismissal of the complainant from the services of the organisation as appropriate and rejected claims of adverse cultural attitude towards women in the organisation," the company said. However, in a press release issued late Wednesday, Ukil claimed the tribunal had found many of her complaints valid, including her unfair dismissal. "The claimant was unfairly dismissed," said the summary judgment, adding that "the complaint of wrongful dismissal fails and is dismissed". According to Ukil and her lawyers, the court also found the comments of some of her former colleagues about her on different occasions reflected an "extra undercurrent of sexism in their attitudes" towards her, with remarks that "plainly conveyed a sexist innuendo." In her petition, Ukil also alleged that she was discriminated against in terms of her pay with a salary package of 75,000 a year, almost half the amount her male equivalents were drawing at that time. "The complaints of disability discrimination, and the Equality Act 2010 claims relating to stock options, are dismissed upon withdrawal," the judgment said. Ukil had alleged the atmosphere for women employees at was "toxic", and she was manipulated into having an affair with a senior executive. The court, however, observed that it could not find enough evidence to her claim to say that "she was pressured into a relationship that she was reluctant to enter". Meanwhile, has said the "company has built its business over the years by ensuring it adheres to the highest standards of integrity, fairness, and ethical corporate practices. Any transgression of these beliefs and policies will continue to be dealt with expeditiously and with the strictest action." The Supreme Court on Wednesday asked domestic to adhere to the directive mandating 85 per cent pictorial warnings on products. This regulation, which came into force in April, saw halt production in protest, challenging the ruling in court. Nearly 27 cases were filed in various courts across the country to stay implementation of the regulation. Wednesday's verdict came after the Karnataka Beedi Association had approached the SC, challenging the regulation, saying it would ground the tobacco industry to a halt. In a packed courtroom in New Delhi, a two-judge Bench rejected the Karnataka body's plea to extend a stay it had obtained from the Karnataka High Court. The Bench, however, agreed to a request to move the rest of the appeals to the Karnataka High Court and decide on the matter in six weeks. Shares of India's biggest cigarette maker ITC Ltd pared gains after the court ruling and ended 1.2 per cent lower on BSE. Godfrey Phillips also ended marginally down. Mails sent to ITC and industry group Tobacco Institute of India elicited no response till the time of going to press. have been up in arms against the regulation because it makes warning on packs the most stringent in the world alongside Thailand. Besides beedi makers, tobacco farmers and traders too protested the regulation, saying it would impact business. The World Health Organization, however, says tobacco-related diseases cost India $16 billion annually, prompting regulators to curb use. The Ministry of Railways has proposed a tariff for the upcoming service between Mumbai and Ahmedabad that will be 1.5 times more than the first class AC fare prevailing now, parliament was informed on Wednesday. In Duronto Express, for example, the current AC 1st Class fare between Mumbai and Ahmedabad, is Rs.2,200. This means, for the 508-km run between the two cities -- via a dedicated, high-speed corridor -- the fare will be around Rs.3,300. In Japan, a similar, 550-km run between Tokyo and Osaka on the Shinkansen, as the network there is called -- and on which the Indian service is being modelled -- costs around Rs.8,500. In a written reply in the Lok Sabha, Minister of State for Railways Manoj Sinha said the first phase of the Indian network will have a maximum design speed of 350 km per hour and an operating speed of 320 km per hour. The ministry expects around 36,000 daily users per day both ways by 2023, going up to 186,000 by 2053. "The total journey time of the fast train will be 2.07 hours and of trains stopping at each station will be 2.58 hrs," Sinha said. The ministry has planned a total of 12 stations for the train -- Mumbai, Thane, Virar, Boisar, Vapi, Bilimora, Surat, Bharuch, Vadodara, Anand, Ahmedabad and Sabarmati. "The total completion cost will be approximately Rs.97,636 crore," the minister said. "Further, it has been decided to undertake a feasibility study between Delhi-Nagpur as part of the New Delhi-Chennai corridor through government-to-government cooperation with China," he said in his answer to the question posed by G. Hari of the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam. In a debate in the Lok Sabha last week, Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu had brushed aside criticism of bullet trains being an expensive proposition for the country, saying the government had managed to secure a soft loan of Rs.1 lakh crore from Japan at a mere 0.1 percent interest. "The technology to be used for bullet trains will help improve the services of normal trains and the integration of signalling system," said Prabhu, wondering if a "deliberate misinformation" campaign was going on against the introduction of such trains. EPFO's Central Provident Fund Commissioner Tuesday challenged an arrest warrant issued against him by the Employees' Provident Fund Appellate Tribunal in the Delhi High Court which refrained from passing any interim orders. Justice V P Vaish adjourned for tomorrow the application of Employees' Provident Fund Organisation's (EPFO) head, V P Joy, who has sought a stay of the arrest warrant issued against him by the Tribunal for not appearing before it. The Tribunal had on May 2 issued a fresh arrest warrant against Joy in a case related to Dentsu Marcom Pvt Ltd's petition against an assessment order passed by one of the Assistant Provident Funds Commissioners. Initially, the Tribunal had on April 22 issued an arrest warrant against Joy but he got a stay from the Delhi High Court with the undertaking that he would appear before the Tribunal on May 2. However, Joy failed to appear before the Tribunal. "Considering all the circumstances of the case, fresh warrant of arrest against Central Provident Fund Commissioner (CPFC), to be executed by Station House Officer of Preet Vihar police station, New Delhi, be issued duly returnable on May 5, 2016 (after the de-notified date of hearing that is fixed before the High Court of Delhi)," the Tribunal had said in its May 2 order. Seeking stay of the May 2 order, Joy told the court that he was represented by his counsel, still such an order was passed against him. The court, however, refrained from passing any order, saying the application for stay is not before it so the matter will be heard tomorrow. To this, the counsel for the Tribunal told the court that in pursuance of the May 2 warrant Joy has to appear before it tomorrow. The court said "I am not saying anything, come tomorrow." The Tribunal also contended that since he has given an undertaking to appear before it, so fresh warrant was issued over his non-appearance. The counsel also said that the Commissioner was only protected from not being arrested as he was to appear in person. "The writ petition filed by petitioner (CPFC) is not maintainable," the Tribunal's counsel also said. The multi-billion dollar deal to purchase 36 jets from France's Dassault made headlines on Tuesday with after a Parliamentary panel expressed its distress over the delay in completing the agreement. Mystery around the deal increased when Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar said that the discussions were still going on. The minister informed the Rajya Sabha regarding the same in a written reply. Interestingly, the statement comes weeks after the minister had said that the discussions were in an advanced stage and the Centre was likely to close it quite soon. That statement, in turn, came after the Bharatiya Janata Party announced on its Facebook page that the deal had been finalised at $8.8 billion. On Tuesday, the Law Ministry put a fresh spanner in the works when it raised objections over certain aspects of the deal. It was reported earlier that the ministry had objected to several clauses in the deal on the grounds that these compromised the interest. Here is how the deal has progressed since the BJP-led Democratic Alliance came to power: 1) July 2014: Less than two months after the new government came to power, Frances Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Development Laurent Fabius met Prime Minister Modi to push for the deal. At that time, the deal was still for 126 aircraft, and French aviation major Dassault had emerged as the winner in the tender in 2012, beating Eurofighters Typhoon and Swedish Saabs Gripen-D light fighter. A month before the scheduled meeting, Dassault Aviation Chief Executive Eric Trappier had said that the company was hopeful of closing the deal by end 2014. 2) December 2014: India and France agreed to iron out issues like pricing and a guarantee clause for Dassault to fast-track the deal for 126 fighter jets. The issue was discussed during delegation-level talks between Parrikar and his French counterpart, Jean-Yves Le Drian. According to reports at the time, the deal was stuck over pricing and work-sharing. Additionally, Dassault was reported to be reluctant to stand guarantee for 108 fighters to be built by Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) as far as liquidity damages and timelines for production were concerned. Later the same month, Parliaments standing committee on defence sharply criticised the allocation of funds to the IAF, which didnt have any funding for purchases like the Rafale fighter. 3) January 2015: The Rafale deal ran into rough weather as Parrikar conceded there were serious problems in negotiating the purchase of the fighters. The Defence Minister said that additional Sukhoi-30MKI fighters, which HAL builds in Nashik, were adequate for the IAF in case it was decided not to procure the Rafale. A fortnight later, he again said the Indian-built Russian fighter offered a viable alternative to Rafale, especially given that HAL was upgrading and overhauling the fighter and equipping it with state-of-the-art electronic warfare systems. Following his comments, France decided to send an empowered delegation later that month to "solve all remaining issues" to salvage the contract. 4) February 2015: A senior ministry of defence (MoD) sources said that the proposal to buy Rafales was effectively dead. During three years of negotiations between Dassault and MoD officials in the so-called "contract negotiation committee" (CNC), it had emerged that Dassault's bid was actually higher than that of the Eurofighter Typhoon, not lower as the MoD had announced on January 31, 2012. Dassault replied that its pricing had remained the same from Day One and that it had not wavered from the request for proposal for the deal. Amid the growing uncertainty, Parrikar and French Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian held talks in a last-ditch effort to salvage the deal. 5) April 2015: Prime Minister Modi's trip to France brought some major developments in the deal. On April 10, 2015, setting aside the norms of New Delhi's procurement rulebooks, India and France announced that the IAF would buy 36 Rafale fighters in fly-away condition. These would equip two IAF squadrons with 18 aircraft each. 6) May 2015: India and France decided to set up teams to work out details of the acquisition of 36 Rafale fighter jets in fly-away condition in a "time bound manner". The decision came following the meeting between Le Drian and Parrikar. France reportedly offered India the 36 jets at the same price as its own armed forces. As the month came to close, Parrikar confirmed that the original deal for 126 aircraft was effectively dead. Terming the proposed deal for 126 Rafale fighter jets as "economically unviable" and not required, Parrikar said the government would buy only 36 aircraft. 7) June 2015: French Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said the deal would be finalised within "two to three months". 8) January 2016: Nearly two years after the original announcement made by Modi and Hollande, French Ambassador Francois Richier said a "complex negotiation" process was going on for the deal. Additionally, President Hollande said during a three-day visit to India that further discussions were needed on a prior inter-governmental agreement. During the trip, India signed an inter-governmental agreement with France to buy the planes. However, leaders of both countries said that there was still work to do to finalise financial terms. 9) February 2016: It emerged that issues such as pricing still remained unresolved. Parrikar stated that negotiations were deadlocked on the issue of price, and that no deal would be signed until the price was right. 10) March 2016: The Union Law Ministry raised questions over several clauses in the multi-billion deal, saying they 'compromise' Indias interests. Things seemed to take a turn for the worse, when a senior French official told Business Standard on condition of anonymity: If some people in the MoD (the ministry of defence) do not want to allow the Rafale deal to go through, so be it. We are currently building it for Egypt and Qatar, and we could have another customer in Malaysia. As the month came to a close, Parrikar admitted that the pace of negotiation with France was "not enough". However, he did express hope that the deal would be concluded soon. 11) April 2016: Reports emerged that the negotiations had entered the "final stages" as both India and France managed to narrow down their differences over the pricing. "The effort is to bring down the price to less than Euros 8 billion (Rs 59,000 crore)," these sources said, adding that the French side had pretty much agreed on the price. On April 19, Minister of State for Defence Rao Inderjit Singh said that most of the hitches in the multi-billion Euro deal had been addressed and the remainder would be cleared in the next meeting of the Defence Acquisition Council scheduled for April 21. Liquor baron Vijay Mallya's tenure in the Rajya Sabha came to an end on Wednesday with Chairman Hamid Ansari accepting his resignation after he sent a fresh letter with his signature, a day after his scanned offer was rejected on procedural grounds. Announcing the decision in the House, Deputy Chairman P J Kurien said a resignation letter of Mallya dated May 3 was received by the Chairman. "He has accepted his resignation effective from today, May 4," Kurien said. The decision came on the day the Ethics Committee of Rajya Sabha, headed by Congress leader Karan Singh, recommended the expulsion of Mallya with immediate effect, rejecting his defence on the matter and dismissing his resignation. The tenure of Mallya's second term was scheduled to end on July 1. The panel said, "The committee hopes that by taking such stern action, a message would reach the general public that Parliament is committed to taking such steps as are necessary against erring members to uphold the dignity and prestige of this great institution." Meanwhile, Mallya defended his position of not being personally liable for repayment of the Rs 9,431-crore loan given to the now defunct Kingfisher Airlines saying he had given personal guarantee for the loans "under coercion". "The fact of the matter is that much prior to the consortium of banks which had advanced loans to Kingfisher Airlines recalling those loans, in or about March 2013, I along with others filed suit... in the Bombay High Court... seeking a declaration that the personal guarantee dated December 21, 2010 executed by me in favour of the consortium of banks was void... on the ground that it was executed by me under coercion," he said in a signed letter to the panel on May 2. Mallya in a letter to Karan Singh on May 2 said, "In this circumstances it is clear that the so-called liability that the Ethics Committee refers to is heavily contested and denied by me in pending legal proceedings... The question, therefore, of me reflecting an alleged liability in my declaration of assets and liabilities does not and cannot arise, and I maintain that my declarations are complete and accurate". The Centre on Wednesday decided to purchase around 15,000 tonnes of from farmers to push up the commodity's prices, which have been reeling at record lows. The government also started selling 400 tonnes of tur and urad in Delhi through SAFAL stores and Kendriya Bhandars at a fixed rate to cool the market. It also proposed a stock limit of 5,000 quintals for sugar traders in most parts of the country also to bring down prices. A decision empowering the states to impose stock limits on sugar to check hoarding had already been taken few days ago. In Kolkata and its adjoining areas, this limit has been proposed at 10,000 tonnes. will be purchased at a price of Rs 8.5-9.50 per kg, which is far more than the prevailing market rate of Rs 1-2 per kg with an intention to help the farmers, Food Minister Ramvilas Paswan told reporters. The commodity will be bought by state-run National Agriculture Cooperative Marketing Federation (Nafed) and Small Farmers Agri-Business Consortium (SFAC), both of whom function under the ministry of agriculture. The difference between the market rate of and the price at which the Centre plans to purchase it from farmers will be adjusted from the newly-created Rs 900-crore price stabilisation fund. Already, Nafed has purchased around 1,500 tonnes of onion from farmers in Maharashtras Nashik, while SFAC has bought 800 tonnes. In Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, where prices have dropped to record lows due to bumper harvest, a high-level team of officials will visit to explore storage facilities in those states. It must be understood that FCI (Food Corporation of India) or state and Central Warehousing Corporations are not equipped to handle onion storage and we dont have adequate facilities across the country, which is why there is some delay, said Paswan. He added that instructions have been issued to state officials to hire private storage centres to store the onion purchased from farmers so that it can be liquidated as soon as prices rise. This year's onion production is expected to be 20.3 million tonnes (mt) against 19 mt last year. On pulses, the minister said the Centre has already created a buffer stock of 50,000 tonnes of pulses and has written to states to approach it for allotment of pulses, which can then be sold through retail outlets. We're giving un-milled tur at the rate of Rs 66 a kg and urad at Rs 82 a kg, which the states are free to sell at a price, which should not exceed Rs 120 a kg after taking into account milling, storing and transporting charges, Paswan added. In Delhi, 400 tonnes of tur and urad will be sold through the SAFAL stores and Kendriya Bhandars at a rate of Rs 120 a kg from Wednesday onwards. So far, Paswan said Rajasthan has placed a demand for 1,000 tonnes of tur and urad from the buffer stock. Andhra Pradesh has placed an order for 8,000 tonnes of tur and an allocation of 2,000 tonnes has already been made towards it. Tamil Nadu has demanded 10,000 tonnes of tur and 5,000 tonnes of urad and it has been allocated 2,000 tonnes of tur and 1,000 tonnes of urad, while Telangana has placed an order for 15,000 tonnes of tur and it has been allocated 2,000 tonnes. Maharashtra, one of the countrys main pulses growing-states, has placed an order for 30,000 tonnes of pulses. We have till now purchased 50,000 tonnes of pulses for the buffer and are in process of buying another 100,000 tonnes during the current rabi season. Plus, 26,000 tonnes are being imported. Therefore, we are fully prepared to meet any demand from the states, Paswan said. On sugar, the minister said the Centres recent decision to empower states to impose stock-holding limits wont have any impact on mills' ability to clear cane dues, because much of the arrears have already been paid. The stock-holding limit is just a start and we'll take all steps to ensure that there is no unusual rise in prices, the minister said. He said that already, the May, July and September futures were showing a rise in prices, which was one of the reasons behind the governments recent clampdown on sugar traders. The minister said India might end up exporting 1.5 mt of sugar and the total closing stock as on September 30, 2016 was 6.97 mt - 20 per cent less than the previous close. BJP President Amit Shah today came heavily on the Dravidian parties, including ruling AIADMK and its rival DMK, in Tamil Nadu. The BJP leader said that the parties are corrupt. Addressing an election rally at Pattukottai in Thanjavur district, Shah said "no development is visible, but only corruption is visible in Tamil Nadu". He also alleged that Central Government Schemes are not reaching the people of Tamil Nadu due to corrupt governance in the state. He gave schemes like UDAY and other projects as examples. Read more from our special coverage on "TAMIL NADU ASSEMBLY ELECTIONS" Jayalalithaa, Karunanidhi file nominations for assembly election Karuna slams Jaya for running queens rule BJP releases logo with Modis picture for TN election DMK-Congress seat sharing deal signed AIADMK to field 227 candidates, Jaya to fight from R K Nagar The BJP President slammed AIADMK for Aaavin Milk Scam, and said Tamil Nadu is the only state famous for scam even in milk. The AIADMK Government had looted Rs 20,000 crore in sand scam, alleged Shah. He also referred to the multi crore 2G scam and the Aircel-Maxis deal involving the DMK, to drive home his point on corruption. Both AIADMK and DMK are the root of all bribes and scams, and people should rout them, the BJP President asserted. "AIADMK, DMK and Congress are corrupt, and they do not know anything other than corruption," said Shah, adding that Jayalalithaa (Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and AIADMK Supermo) went to jail in connection with a disproportionate asset case. There is no single corruption case against BJP-led Government." He added, Prime Minister Narendra Modi fought for the rights of Tamils by ensuring the release fishermen lodged in Sri Lankan jails. He alleged the money which was given by the Centre were not used for infrastructure development in the flood affected areas. Voters in Tamil Nadu are waiting for a change, Change can happen only when the corrupt AIADMK and DMK were kept out of power, said Shah. There were 7,686 owing Rs 66,190 crore to state-owned as of December 2015, Jayant Sinha, minister of state for finance, told Rajya Sabha on Tuesday. Sinha also said that the total outstanding amount in top 100 non-performing accounts (NPAs) with public sector (PSBs) was Rs 1.73 lakh crore as of December 2015. Sinha said the number of of PSBs rose from 5,554 to 7,686 in three years to December 2015 while the amount involved more than doubled to Rs 66,190 crore from Rs 27,749 crore. "The total exposure of top 50 defaulters of PSBs as of December 2015 was Rs 1,21,832 crore," he said in a written reply in the Upper House. Read more from our special coverage on "WILFUL DEFAULTERS" Sebi to dry fund-raising taps for wilful loan defaulters In another reply, Sinha said there were 1,365 borrower accounts having outstanding of Rs 500 crore and more at the end of December 2015. He said government has taken specific measures to address issues in sectors such as infrastructure, steel and textiles, where instances of NPAs are high. Vibha Batra, head of financial sector ratings at ICRA said while such information is useful, such disclosures should happen frequently more for meaningful analysis and action. "This information would help to identify where instances and amounts involved in wilful default are high for further probe. There could be more questioning about credit underwriting practices adopted by banks," Batra said. The immediate benefit is limited as cases are mired in delays at various legal forums including Debt Recovery Tribunal and courts. In most cases, banks are saddled with bad loans because of economic downturn. But laxity in credit risk appraisal, loan monitoring and lack of appraising skills for projects have also landed lenders in problem. For development of tourism infrastructure in the country, the Ministry of Tourism has launched the Swadesh Darshan scheme - Integrated Development of Theme-Based Tourist Circuits, in 2014-15. Under the scheme, thirteen thematic circuits have been identified for development, namely North-East India Circuit, Buddhist Circuit, Himalayan Circuit, Coastal Circuit, Krishna Circuit, Desert Circuit, Tribal Circuit, Eco Circuit, Wildlife Circuit, Rural Circuit, Spiritual Circuit, Ramayana Circuit and Heritage Circuit. . . Under Buddhist Circuit theme, Ministry has sanctioned the project Construction of Cultural Centre at Bodhgaya, Bihar" for Rs.33.17 crore in 2014-15. . . This information was given by Dr. Mahesh Sharma, Minister of State for Culture and Tourism (Independent Charge) and Minister of State for Civil Aviation in a written reply in Rajya Sabha today. . . Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) of Department of Space, Government of India has signed MoU/ Cooperative agreements for exploration and use of outer space with 37 countries viz. Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Brunei Darussalam, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, China, Egypt, France, Germany, Hungary, Indonesia, Israel, Italy, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Mauritius, Mexico, Mongolia, Myanmar, Norway, Peru, Republic of Korea, Russian Federation, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Sweden, Syria, Thailand, The Netherlands, Ukraine, United Kingdom, United Arab Emirates, United States of America and Venezuela. . . The fields to explore newer research activities addressed in these MoUs include - Joint development of advanced scientific instruments to observe earth and universe; joint realization of satellite missions; jointly carrying out calibration and validation experiments; conducting airborne campaign with advanced instruments; deep space navigation and communication support for space science missions; development of advanced technologies for building and launching of spacecrafts for earth observation and space science exploration. . . Application possibilities in the field of remote sensing addressed in these MoUs include - natural resource management; vegetation biomass estimation; meteorological & oceanographic applications; atmospheric parameter retrieval & modelling; climate monitoring and weather forecasting; disaster management support. . . This information was provided by the Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Development of North-Eastern Region (DoNER), MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr, Jitendra Singh in written reply to a question in Lok Sabha today. . . The Minister of State (I/C) for Petroleum & Natural Gas Shri Dharmendra Pradhan informed the Rajya Sabha in a written reply today that the exploration of Coal Bed Methane from coal seams before coal mining would not only help India meet its energy needs, but would also help reduce green house gas emission. . . Government of India, in 1997, announced CBM Policy initiative to tap this energy resource and awarded 33 CBM Blocks to different PSU/Private/JV companies. So far 9.9 TCF reserve as Gas in Place (GIP) has been established in 8 CBM blocks. . . Government of India, in 2015, granted right of CBM exploration and exploitation of Coal India Limited and its subsidiaries from its lease hold areas for coal mining. This initiative will bring additional areas under CBM exploitation. . . RG/ Rk Donald Trump today virtually sealed his Republican presidential nomination as he forced nearest rival Ted Cruz to drop out of the race with an emphatic victory in Indiana and set up a likely November polls clash with Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton. Clinton, however, suffered an upset defeat at the hands of Bernie Sanders in Indiana but the outcome was unlikely to slow the 68-year-old former secretary of state's march to the Democratic nomination. "I am honoured to be the presumptive nominee for the Republican Party. It is time to unite our party and defeat Hillary Clinton," Trump said in a message to his supporters after winning the Indiana primary. Cruz, who has engaged in a bitter and nasty war of words with Trump, announced his decision to drop out of the race even when the counting of votes was still on. 69-year-old Trump, who now needs less than 200 delegates to reach the magical figure of 1,237 delegates to become the Republican presidential nominee still faces opposition from Ohio Governor John Kasich, who has less than 200 delegates. Kasich has made it clear that he is not dropping out of the race. After Trump's win, the Republican National Committee (RNC) chairman Reince Priebus said that Trump would be the presumptive nominee. "We are going to make America great again," a confident Trump told supporters at his campaign headquarters in New York as he announced to take on Clinton. "We are going after Hillary Clinton. She will not be a great president. She will not be a good president. She would be a poor president. She does not understand trade," Trump said, giving a brief glimpse of his campaign against the Democratic presidential nominee. Talking about Cruz, Trump described him as a tough competitor and appreciated his decision to withdraw from the race. "I want to congratulate Ted Cruz. He is a tough smart competitor," he said of the Texas Senator with whom he had a bitter exchange of words hours before the result of the Indiana primary. "Ted Cruz is one hell of a competitor. He is an amazing guy. He has got an amazing future. He is one tough competitor," Trump said. In his speech that lasted for a little less than 20 minutes, Trump talked about uniting the party and focusing on trade and economic issues. "We are going to bring back our jobs," Trump said as he warned the US companies with "consequences" if they moved out of the country. Trump, a New York-based real estate mogul who made money from constructing buildings and a popular reality television star, joined about 10 months ago with political pundits giving him not much of a chance to make it this far. With India's ice-cream industry growing at close to 17 per cent, regional brands Havmor and Vadilal have upped the decibel levels and taken their campaigns national this year while veterans - Amul, Mother Dairy and Kwality Walls among others - are banking on new flavours and an emerging premium category in urban areas to expand the market. From Rs 7,300 crore in 2014, the ice-cream category has bumped up to Rs 8,530 crore in 2015, points out a recent Euromonitor analysis. And according to several companies, volumes have grown about 30 per cent or so in March and April over the same period in the previous year. A hot summer is expected to push revenues up even further. Sumit Mathur, general manager, HUL says, "India continues to be one of the lowest per capita consumers of ice cream in the world. However, this is changing with the category growing in high double digits and 'out of home impulse' consumption being on the rise." GCMMF's (Gujarat Co-operative Milk Marketing Federation which owns the Amul brand) managing director R S Sodhi says, "Sales are very good this year, growing at least 30 per cent month on month as compared to the last season. We are also adding capacity, which will be ready within the next two months." Amul had expanded its sticks manufacturing capacity three-fold last year. Pradeep Chona's brand Havmor is among the big advertisers this season. The company has roped in Publicis to create television commercials that targets children as the end consumer. Chona explains, "We are present in nine states, and are all set to enter our tenth. Soon, we would be an all-India brand. Our TVCs too would be dubbed in regional languages." Chona claims his firm is clocking 25 per cent growth rate over the past few years. Havmor plans to double capacity (from 200,000 litres per day) over the next couple of years. Havmor started out as an ice-cream store in Karachi and after its founders moved to Ahmedabad, was served out of handcarts. The company still does not feature in the top five players of 2015 as per data from Euromonitor, but it is aiming big with its recent advertising splash on national media. Vadilals campaign talks of fun and happiness Pitching it right Traditionally, the ice-cream buyer has been classified as someone who makes an impulse purchase, a positioning that many brands still follow. In Vadilal ads, for instance, the message is ice-creams are all about having a good time. Players like Amul (GCMMF) and Havmor are positioning their ice-creams as healthy products with healthy ingredients. Havmor's tagline is 'Goodness of pure milk in Havmor ice creams' and Amul's 'Real milk Real ice cream' are similar as they both convey the purity of the product. The brands are thereby separating themselves from the others while scoring points in the ongoing debate over frozen desserts and ice-creams by highlighting the use of milk cream and not vegetable fat in their products. This appeals to the urban, health conscious consumers. Premium category player Baskin Robbins, however, is not harping on health. Like Vadilal, it has chosen to pitch its ice-creams around the 'happy-ness' quotient, but they are looking at young adults rather than children as end consumers. "Our target audience is not essentially the kids, but young adults (16-30 years), and we have taken care to go for a 'cool' packaging," says Baskin Robbins' South Asia head Sanjay Coutinho. Many brands are focusing on their premium range. Amul is pushing Epic through TVCs and hoardings, while Vadilal is doing the same with Gourmet and Bada Bite Select range. Hindustan Unilever (HUL) has launched a new brownie flavour in its Magnum range. Going premium means reaching out to a different set of customers. And perhaps that is why ice-cream brands are increasingly turning to celebrity endorsers for their products. Kwality Walls associated with designer Monisha Jaising for the 'Pleasure Seeker Collection' at Lakme Fashion Week 2016. For its new campaign Cornetto has Alia Bhatt as the brand ambassador. The premium category is likely to see more action in the coming months. Brands such as Magnum, Cornetto and Paddlepop from HUL will be pitted against Amul's Epic and Vadilal's Bada Bite. Industry sources indicated that competitive pricing by players like Amul (Epic at Rs 40) forced Unilever to slash prices of its Magnum range from Rs 95 to Rs 75. As the summer sizzles, price wars are only going to get more intense this year. India is unlikely to gain from the opening of Russian for hard cheese export due to price fall in international . As against the current Rs 350 a kg in Indian markets, skimmed milk powder (SMP) is quoted at Rs 180 a kg in international markets, including Russia. Hard cheese is being quoted in Indian at around Rs 400 a kg and Rs 200 a kg abroad. Butter is $5,000 a tonne here and less than $3,000 elsewhere. This slump in global prices, by about 50 per cent, has taken place in the 16 months since Russian president Vladimir Putin announced the opening of his country's market for Indian products. However, global markets seem to have begun a recovery and Indian exporters could see an opportunity in the future, says R S Sodhi, chairman, Gujarat Co-operative Milk Marketing Federation, producer of the Amul brand of dairy products. Amul has, sensing a coming opportunity in Russia, trebled its cheese production capacity to 120,000 tonnes a day from the earlier 40,000 tonnes per day, for an investment of Rs 600 crore. With its aggressive pricing, it has 96 per cent of the Indian butter market. The Union commerce ministry had signed the protocol, mandatory procedural requirement to commence exports to Russia, on April 28. GCMMF has initiated talks with a couple of Russian cheese importers for future deals. However, despite the reports of unviable prices, Govardhan brand dairy products producer Parag Milk Foods aims to dispatch a first consignment of hard cheese to Russia by the end of June. We have lined up a number of Russian buyers for hard cheese export. We were waiting for the government to sign the protocol to finalise the terms of trade with Russian buyers. Since the protocol has been signed by India, we expect the Russian government to reciprocate in two weeks. We would start negotiating terms of trade after that, said Devendra Shah, managing director at Parag. The government sought relaxation in this norm and Russia eventually agreed. According to Shirish Upadhyay, senior vice-president at Parag, the new Russian rules focus on sourcing of milk instead of number of cattle, to accommodate more exporters from India. Russias annual cheese consumption is estimated at 230,000 tonnes and is being met largely through import from the Americas and its neighbours. Shares of companies were under pressure declining by up to 6% after weaker than expected manufacturing data from China. Steel Authority of India (SAIL), the largest loser among pack, has dipped 6% at Rs 43, while Hindalco Industries (Rs 92), Tata Steel (Rs 330) and National Aluminum (Rs 44) were down 5% each on the National Stock Exchange (NSE). Vedanta, Hindustan Zinc and JSW Steel were down between 2%-3%. At 02:10 pm, Nifty index was down 3% as compared to 0.45% decline in the Nifty 50 index. Post Budget, since February 29, the metal index had outperformed the market by surging 25% against 11% rise in the benchmark index till yesterday. The London Metal Exchanges LMEX Metal Index on Tuesday slid 2.3%, the most in two months. The index had risen 7% in past one-month, till yesterday. The BSE issued a notice to Ricoh India, giving the latter 21 days to comply with the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi)'s listing regulations, failing which the company faces suspension of trading in its securities. Ricoh can avoid suspension only if it complies with the provisions of Sebi Listing Regulations, 2015, including payment of requisite fines, by May 20. The exchange has also frozen the entire promoter shareholding till further notice. Promoters held 73 per cent stake in the company at the end of March 2016. Ricoh India is a subsidiary of Japanese multinational imaging and electronics company Ricoh Company, which directly holds 46.04 per cent in the Indian firm. The parent company holds another 27.56 per cent of Ricoh India through NRG Group, taking it to 73.6 per cent. Ricoh had received a notice dated April 12 from the BSE on compliance issues regarding filing requirements and possible freezing of shareholding of promoters of the company. The shares of Ricoh India are currently placed in the Z category on account of non-filing of quarterly results for the September 2015 and December 2015 quarters. In a April 20 filing on the exchange, Ricoh India had said it had appointed new auditors BSR & Co and an independent agency to conduct forensic review of the company. It said the company had not been able to declare its financial results as BSR had not been able to finalise its audit on account of the review process by the independent agency and the suspicion of potentially fraudulent transactions. The company has been under the radar of Sebi for allegations of financial irregularities. Last month, Ricoh India asked its top officials, including its managing director and CEO Manoj Kumar, chief financial officer Arvind Singhal and chief operating officer Anil Saini to proceed on leave without pay. Subsequently, Kumar resigned from the board. He is currently serving a six-month notice. The industry is under stress as mercury levels have touched 45 degree Celsius in April. Instances of premature mortality of shrimps are on the rise. Exporters say this is likely to pull down exports in 2016-17 (FY 17). Exports of marine products increased from $2.1 billion (Rs 13,961 crore) in FY 10 to $5.5 billion (Rs 36,559 crore) in FY 15. However, exports fell for the first time in FY16, and the current conditions continue, FY17 may not be any better. Due to sizzling temperatures, farmers are not opting for stocking seeds at ponds because of rising instances of premature mortality, especially in West Bengal, Odisha and Andhra Pradesh. We are pinning hopes on rains," said Ajay Dash, president, Exporters Association of India (SEAI), Odisha region. Sea catch is also likely to plunge because of the heat, he added. If the mortality rate touches 30 per cent, it will have a definite impact on exports in this financial year, he added. In Odisha, shrimp mortality along the coastal Balasore district is around 50 per cent, while in Dhamra and Jagatsingpur it is around 30 per cent and 25-30 per cent, respectively. Exporters said this could improve if it rains properly and the second crop could be good, but said the current scenario is gloomy. V Padmanabham, president of SEAI, said exports may plunge 10 to 15 per cent because of rising temperatures and other reasons. "Depleting water levels at ponds because of the heat is leading to premature mortality. Salinity level is going up while water level is coming down," said G Mohanty, former president, SEAI-odisha region. Farmers are also harvesting the crops early. The growth of shrimps is not upto the expected size and may not fetch good prices, said an expert. At least 300 people have died as a result of the heat wave this month, including 110 in Odisha, 137 in Telangana and another 45 in Andhra Pradesh, where temperatures since the beginning of April have hovered around 45C, private weather forecaster Skymet said. has fallen an over 5% to Rs 388 on the National Stock Exchange (NSE) in intra-day trade after Jaguar Land Rover (JLR), the company's British luxury car unit, recorded decline in US sales during the month of April 2016. JLR North America April US sales for both brands hit 6,275 units, a 2% decline from 6,390 units in April 2015. The Singapore Investment Exchange (SDiX), the worlds first and only commodity exchange trading in physically settled diamonds, is going live from Thursday. This could change the way diamonds are traded. At present, trading is done after viewing diamonds and usually one on one. Once the exchange picks up, it will be portal-based and with transparent pricing. This could also bring investors into diamonds. India has a major share in cutting and polishing of diamonds, with 90 per cent of the global work. Several processors and exporters have taken membership of the Singapore exchange. One of them explained, SDiX offers a platform to trade diamonds electronically on a price/time priority in a continuous market and buyers can place indicative price bids by category. All stones traded on SDiX are Gemological Institute of America (GIA)-graded and buyers of single stones can examine certifications directly through the platform. Custodial services are by Malca-Amit, a global wealth management logistics company. The benefit of graded diamonds makes these reliable and pricing would be transparent. Investors not conversant with the product would find it interesting when it is graded and certified, apart from transparent pricing. Richcomm Global Services, a Dubai-based international commodity services company and leading independent broker and clearing member of the Dubai Gold and Commodities Exchange, has been approved as a pioneer member of the SDiX to offer clients the opportunity to invest in diamonds as an asset class. The exchanges website said the Singapore Diamond Investment Exchange has been established to provide the only transparent price discovery mechanism for the global diamond trade, giving banks, financial entities and investors a benchmark price. The exchange is supported by a fully integrated system, including a depository that enables physical settlement and a global network of partners focused on grading, vaulting, settlement and logistics. SDiX is backed by leading global investors, including Vertex Venture Holdings, one of the longest operating venture capital firms in Asia and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Temasek Holdings, Singapores sovereign wealth fund. Last year, Latika Kundu, chief operating officer of SDIX, had told this newspaper: "We conservatively estimate that in the first year (2016), the turnover would be $250 million, which will include basket lots and single diamonds." And, that the target was to double that figure in 2017. "Two years down the line, SDIX plans to launch forward trading and futures trading in diamonds," she had said. The process will be such that a seller will have to deposit diamonds according to standardised lots, after being graded and certified by the GIA, in dedicated physical vaults one operated by Malca-Amit in Singapore and the second one operated by Malca-Amit within the Bharat Diamond Bourse at Mumbai. Brokers will have to keep security deposits, based on which their trading limits will be decided. They will also have to collect money from buyers and deposit it with the exchange. Trade will be settled in a T+3 cycle (three business days after the transaction date). Congress leaders staged a walkout from the Rajya Sabha after being dissatisfied with Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar's statement on the AgustaWestland VVIP chopper deal on Wednesday evening. Emerging out of Parliament, leader of opposition in the Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad said all allegations levelled against our friends are baseless. "Two years on, they could not get a CBI inquiry finished neither they want it to finish. That is why we have demanded a Supreme Court-monitored CBI inquiry, which should be concluded in three months," he told reporters waiting outside Parliament. "This should have been done by the government, but people who are being alleged are saying this. It means that the government doesn't want to finish the matter and wants to continue with it. Their agenda is to defame the Congress and its leadership as they had done during the Bofors, added Azad. Challenging the BJP-led NDA Government to mark a SC-monitored CBI inquiry, Azad said, "The government should inform the House in the July-August session of Parliament that who had received how much bribe. And if they don't have any proof, they should stop defaming the Congress and apologise to the nation for their inability to nab people who had received bribes." Toeing the same line, former defence minister and Congress leader A.K. Antony told reporters, "Ultimately, we demanded a Supreme Court-monitored CBI inquiry, but the government did not agree to it." When asked Parliamentary Affairs Minister M. Venkaiah Naidu said when you were the ruling party you had asked for a CBI inquiry and now when the BJP is in power you are asking for a SC-monitored CBI probe, Antony shot back because they are in power for two years, and nothing is happening, but the country wants to know the truth. Saying that they ask for three things, Antony said: "First, take action against the giver as well as taker; second, the Italian court judgment is that there is corruption, so blacklist the company at the earliest; and third, remove the company from 'Make in India' project." Meanwhile, Congress leader Ahmed Patel told reporters, "How we would ask a question to him when we didn't know what he was reading? Generally, ministers reply after hearing all members, but he (Parrikar) had come with written reply even before listening to the members. Even then, his reply was not satisfactory. He should have at least circulated the statement." Alleging that the procurement process in the AgustaWestland VVIP chopper deal was violated, Parrikar today said that the former UPA regime had created "single-vendor situation" to benefit from the same. "Italian court has proof that there was 'malafide intent' and there was corruption in matter is brought out in extensive details in judgements of a Milan court. The country wants to know who benefitted from the deal," Parrikar asked to the Congress. "The Italian court has said there are omissions at many stages and the deal was cancelled by the government after the CAG advice," he said in the Rajya Sabha. "Why field evaluation trials were conducted outside India. Field trial in India was extremely important because topographical conditions here (in India) differ from that of in the U.S. and the U.K.," he added. Parrikar further said the UPA regime tried to take the longer route of writing to the embassy and the court etc. instead of taking action against the company. As soon as Parrikar concluded his speech, Azad said the Defence Minister's speech is full of allegations. Nepal's has revoked the visa of Robert Penner, a Canadian citizen, and ordered him to leave the country within the next 48 hours for criticizing the government on social media. The order was issued by the Department of Immigration under the Ministry of Home Affairs yesterday, reports the Himalayan Times. The Metropolitan Police Range of Lalitpur district arrested Penner, who has been living in Nepal for two years now, on charges of trying to undermine the sovereignty and integrity of the country and jeopardizing social harmony through provocative messages, views and comments on social networking sites, especially Twitter. He had obtained work visa as an employee at Lalitpur-based Cloud Factory, an outsourcing company. His visa was to expire in December. Police arrested him at the request of the Department of Immigration and handed him over to the immigration authority for legal action under the Immigration Procedures, 2008. Bishwa Prakash Nepuane, director and information officer at the Department of Immigration said that Penner was guilty of indulging in anti-Nepal activities and was ordered to quit Nepal within two days. "As per the DoI decision, Penner should fly back home no later than Thursday or else the government will initiate further action against him. We handed him over to the Consulate of Canada in Kathmandu, giving him two days for ticketing and other preparations," the Himalayan times quoted him as saying. "The government may consider granting him visa on the basis of his activity and attitude toward Nepal after 2016," he added. Penner was critical of the Nepal government, internal affairs of the country and Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli, which have angered the authority to take action against him. Bharatiya Janata party (BJP) leader Subramanian Swamy on Wednesday said the criminal case behind the AgustaWestland would be made clear during the discussion in the Rajya Sabha. "The case will be made out. So far, facts have been floating. The fact is the whole thing fits into a criminal case. What is that criminal case...that will be made clear today," Swamy said. "There is short duration discussion today after lunch. Manohar Parrikar will make the statement today. He is a studious person and he won't make any statement unless there is something important to say. He is bound to digest all these Italian High Court's judgments and CAG reports and so on in a way which ordinary people can understand," he added. A short duration discussion on the issue is slated to take place this afternoon the Rajya Sabha, which is likely to witness a verbal war of words between the BJP and Congress. The Congress may depute former defence minister A K Antony or even former prime minister Dr. Manmohan Singh to counter the charges from the treasury benches. Parrikar, who met Prime Minister Narendra Modi yesterday, is expected to address the Rajya Sabha at 2 p.m during the short duration debate. Parrikar had earlier on Monday said that his address in the Parliament would include how and when necessary clauses or provisions were relaxed to suit the company. Leader of the Congress in Lok Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge, has accused the Centre of pursuing a politically motivated campaign to defame the grand old party through the AgustaWestland copter scam. Meanwhile, former Indian Air Force chief S P Tyagi is being grilled for the third consecutive day by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) at its headquarter here in connection with alleged irregularities in the Rs. 3600 crore . As per reports, the former IAF chief is said to have told the CBI yesterday that he met senior officials of Finmeccanica, the parent company of AgustaWestland, while negotiations for the purchase of VVIP choppers were going on. He also told the interrogators that he had met Finmeccanica's Chief Operating Officer Georgio Zapa in New Delhi on February 15, 2005. The CBI yesterday questioned the former IAF chief on the four firms which he and his wife set up after his retirement from service. Tyagi, who retired in 2007, has told the CBI that he travelled to Florence, Milan and Venice in Italy in 2008 and 2009 after his retirement. Tyagi has so far rubbished the allegations levelled against him, saying the change in specifications was a collective decision in which senior officers of the IAF, SPG, NSA and other departments were involved. The former IAF chief's cousins have also been called for questioning later this week. Tyagi has been accused in Italy and India of helping AgustaWestland win the chopper contract by reducing the flying ceiling of the helicopter from 6,000 metre to 4,500 metre. The CBI registered a case against the former IAF chief along with 13 others, including his cousins and European middlemen, in March 2013. The investigating agency had earlier on Saturday quizzed former IAF deputy chief J S Gujral in connection with this case. Asserting that the brutal rape and murder of Dalit law student in Ernakulam has emerged as a stark reminder of the 'Nirbhaya' incident, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Meenakshi Lekhi on Wednesday took a dig at Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi and said that he has time to visit other states but not Kerala. "This incident reminds us of the 'Nirbhaya' incident. The young Dalit law student was at her house when such a heinous act took place. It has been six days and the government there has given no response," Lekhi told ANI. "He (Rahul Gandhi) goes to Uttar Pradesh or Rajasthan, he goes to Hyderabad, but does not have time to visit Kerala. The party chief (Congress president Sonia Gandhi) is a woman," she added. Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy today met the family members of the victim and assured them his government's full support. Chandy has described the crime as "shocking" and assured stringent action against the culprits. The police have taken two persons into custody who are being questioned by a police team headed by Ernakulam Range IG Mahipal Yadav. The Human Rights Commission (NHRC) yesterday took suo motu cognizance of 'Nirbhaya' like rape and murder of a Dalit law student, whose body was found by her mother on April 29 evening. According to reports, the 29-year-old woman was murdered after being raped inside her home, near an isolated stretch at Vattolippidi Canal Bund near Perumbavoor in Ernakulam district. Her body had at least 30 injuries, including on the private parts. Reportedly, the assault on her stomach was such that the small intestine had spilled out. The Ethics Committee of Parliament has recommended the expulsion of flamboyant businessman Vijay Mallya with immediate effect as it would send a stern message that such steps can be taken 'erring' members to uphold the upper house's dignity. The Committee unanimously decided at its meeting yesterday to recommend to the Rajya Sabha that Mallya be expelled with immediate effect and adopted the draft report. The committee expressed hope in its 10th report tabled in the upper house that by taking such a stern action a message would reach to the general public that the Parliament is committed to take such steps as are necessary against erring members 'to uphold the dignity and prestige of this great institution'. "We want to send a message that when things go wrong like this parliament is prepared to take action even against its own members," Ethics Committee chairman Karan Singh told the media here. Rajya Sabha chairman Mohammad Hamid Ansari yesterday rejected the resignation letter of liquor baron Vijay Mallya as it lacked his original signature. Secretary General of the Upper House Shumsher K. Sheriff wrote to Mallya that his resignation letter doesn't conform to the prescribed procedures and doesn't bear signature in original. He said that as per Rule 213 of Rajya Sabha procedures, the resignation must be voluntary and genuine. A day after liquor baron Vijay Mallya resigned from the Rajya Sabha, the ethics committee of the Upper House recommended that he be expelled. Earlier, Mallya resigned as a Rajya Sabha MP a week after the Ethics Committee decided to unanimously expel him from Parliament. Mallya has said that the Indian Government would not be able to recover any money from him by taking his passport or arresting him. The committee had given him a week's time to explain his conduct in the default on bank loans in excess of Rs. 9,000 crore extended to his Kingfisher Airlines Ltd. The government had revoked the passport of Mallya, who is believed to be in the UK after leaving India on March 2. The liquor baron is facing legal proceedings for alleged default of loans worth over nine thousand crore rupees from various banks. Several universities in Pakistan's capital Islamabad were cordoned off following a security alert on Wednesday. The universities were cordoned off by the Law enforcement agencies following the terror alert. Security has been deployed on campuses. "No individual is allowed to enter or leave the campus buildings," the Express Tribune quoted a source as saying. "Not even the employees are allowed to enter the varsities in their vehicles," the source added. Following the terror alert, Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar has reportedly supervised security arrangements at the campuses. The universities include National University of Modern Languages (NUML), National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST), Quaid-e-Azam University and Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU). Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) Vice-Chancellor M. Jagadesh Kumar on Wednesday dubbed the hunger strike by the students as 'unlawful' and called for a discussion, urging them to immediately call off the strike. In a statement, the vice-chancellor stated that the college administration was greatly concerned over the worsening health condition of the students who are on hunger strike. It appealed to the students to be mindful of their health in view of the extreme heat conditions in the capital. The administration further urged the students to use constitutional means to put forth their demands, if any, as it believed in dialogue and discussion to resolve any issue affecting functioning of the university. Terming the JNU administration as 'highly insensitive', the Jawaharlal Nehru Students' Union (JNUSU) earlier today issued a statement saying that its president Kanhaiya Kumar's health condition was getting worse and he was getting unconscious at times. The statement further stated that Kanhaiya had already lost 6 kgs and his blood pressure was critically low and other health parameters were also not normal. "Already three students had to discontinue the strike. The other students on strike are also extremely unwell. We are worried for all of them," it stated. Two groups of students are sitting on indefinite hunger strike since April 27, in protest against the punishment announced by the university against various students in connection with the controversial event on campus during which 'anti-national' slogans were allegedly raised. JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar, Umar Khalid and Anirban Bhattacharya were arrested in a sedition case in connection with the event. They are out on bail now. While Kanhaiya has been slapped with a penalty of Rs. 10,000 on grounds of 'indiscipline and misconduct', Umar, Anirban and Kashmiri student Mujeeb Gatoo have been rusticated for varying durations. Financial penalty has been imposed on 14 students. Hostel facilities of two students have been withdrawn and the university has declared the campus out of bounds for two former students. Nepal's Deputy Prime Minister and Rastriya Prajatantra Party chairman Kamal Thapa has urged Unified Communist Party of Nepal -Maoist (UCPN-M) chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal to correct his party's decision to seek support from other parties to form the government under his leadership. The third largest party of Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli-led ruling coalition insisted that the Maoist party should act responsibly to complete the Constitution implementation process. "Prachanda (Dahal) should not make any hurry to form a new government with a lust of the prime minister's position," the Himalayan Times quoted him as saying. He however, said that he was hopeful that Dahal would withdraw the decision. Thapa further warned that attempts to topple the government would put the peace process at risk. New Delhi, May 4 (ANI): Filmmaker Kabir Khan, who was insulted at theKarachi airport by a group of Pakistani men, hopes and prays that thisincident should not effect Pakistani actors working in India in anyway. The 'Bajrangi Bhaijaan' director in an exclusive conversation with ANIsaid, "As I said in my tweet, action of 7-8 lunatics screaming andshouting with their mobiles should not reflect their country and itshould not, in any way, effect Pakistan actors working in India as that would be extremely unfortunate," Kabir told ANI. Emphasising on how important it is to have more of collaborations andco-productions between Indian and Pakistan, Kabir added, "We should bewelcoming talent from all over the globe. This is a sign of maturecountry and it enriches talent of our own country. The more the people will meet, there will be more warmth and friendship. So, any suchKarachi episode should not allow change our perception about Pakistanor Pakistani actors." The director also said that people should not fall victims to politicshappening between the two countries because the situations will alwaysremain hostile. On May 27, Kabir was on his way to the Karachi airport terminal, whena group of Pakistani men started saying 'Shame, shame' and went on tothe extent of threatening him with a shoe. Since then this issue hasbeen a hot topic amongst celebrities and politicians. Amid fresh political developments of toppling Nepal Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli-led government, Nepali Congress president Sher Bahadur Deuba on Wednesday held a meeting with the leaders of Madhesi-based political parties. Deuba held a meeting with the chiefs of Tarai Madhes Democratic Party, Federal Socialist Forum-Nepal and Sadbhawana Party, Mahantha Thakur, Upendra Yadav and Rajendra Mahato respectively, among others, at the Parliament building, reports the Himalayan Times. His meetings with the Madhesi leaders is considered to be a significant amid fresh developments that the Unified Communist Party of Nepal -Maoist(UCPN-M) has called all parties to extend support in forming the government under its leadership reportedly after the Nepali Congress assured it of the same. Pakistan Army chief General Raheel Sharif on Wednesday, ordered an inquiry into the death of Mutahidda Qaumi Movement (MQM) member Aftab Ahmed's death in Rangers' custody. General Raheel has called for an inquiry into the death of Mutahidda Qaumi Movement leader Farooq Sattar's aide and said justice must be done, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) in a statement said, reports the Express Tribune. The Rangers, meanwhile, have suspended officials suspected of involvement in Ahmed's death. "The services of Rangers officials allegedly involved in Aftab's death have been suspended until further inquiry," the statement said. However, the number of officials suspended was not specified. Meanwhile, a high-level investigation committee has been formed on the directions of Sindh DG Rangers to probe Aftab's death. The statement stated that the committee would be headed by a sector commander designate of Sindh Rangers and would ensure that the truth about the incident is brought to light. Aftab died yesterday within 48 hours of his detention by the paramilitary force. He was reportedly picked up from his residence on Sunday and presented in an anti-terrorism court on Monday. While the Rangers said that Aftab died of cardiac arrest, the MQM allege that he was tortured during interrogation which led to his death. Aftab, 42, working as Sattar's coordinator since 2002 was detained by the Rangers in a raid in Karachi's Federal B area. He was later shifted to the Mitha Ram Hostel, a declared sub-jail where the paramilitary force interrogates suspected criminals and terrorists. The Rangers never disclosed his arrest until he was produced before an anti-terrorism court on Monday. The court had allowed the Rangers to detain the suspect in 90-day preventive custody. He was reportedly brought to the state-run Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre at 8 a.m. yesterday and died shortly afterwards. Dr. Seemin Jamali, who heads the JPMC's Emergency Ward, said that Aftab had no blood pressure or pulse on arrival and was declared dead at 8:20 a.m. after cardiopulmonary resuscitation failed to revive him. Dr. Kaleem Shaikh, Additional Police Surgeon, was among a four-member team which carried out the post-mortem. He, however, said the cause of death has been reserved until chemical and histopathology reports. The final autopsy report will take more than a week. The MQM have termed the death a murder and demanded an inquiry of the extrajudicial killing from the authorities. The party has also announced a countrywide day of mourning for today. Days after Afghan President Ashraf Ghani called on Islamabad to take action against the Taliban leadership based in Peshawar and Quetta, authorities in Pakistan have said that they are opposed to taking military action against the latter on the nation's soil. The country's foreign affairs adviser Sartaj Aziz said that such policy has not yielded results for 14 long years. "Afghanistan has been insisting that if the peace negotiations do not start, then other option should be tried. But that option has been used for 14 years but it has not produced any result," Khaama Press quoted him as saying. Following the deadly attack in capital Kabul which killed at least 64 people and 347 others wounded, President Ghani ordered the Afghan security institutions to start crackdown against the Taliban groups pursuing violence. He even asked Islamabad to take actions against the sanctuaries of the groups in its soil. Afghan President in his remarks also announced government's stance towards peace efforts and fight against terrorism and said that Kabul expects Pakistan to bring the Taliban to the negotiation table. To which Aziz replied, "Results cannot be achieved in weeks but it takes time. I do not see any other option to bring peace to Afghanistan." The insurgent group had rejected the proposed direct peace talks with Afghan government last month and instead announced their spring offensive. American rock band Pearl Jam and Beyonce Knowles have teamed to release a cover version of Bob Marley's Redemption Song. The rock group and R&B superstar, who first performed the song at last year's Global Citizen Festival, have decided to release their version of the 1980 classic as a part of the rock group's Ten Club Holiday Single programme, an annual single's club for members of their fan club, Channel 24 reports. Interestingly, the song release will also include an unreleased rendition of the band's 1991 cover of Free's Wishing Well. The Pearl Jam Italian fan page has shared a cover of 'Redemption Song', which features Beyonce and Eddie Vedder, on its Twitter handle writing, "More info on @PearlJam Holiday Single 2015! It is being said the new release comes only a week after the 'Halo' hit-maker unveiled new album 'Lemonade'. Bollywood actor Sanjay Dutt, who will soon make his comeback on the big screen, has recently dished about his plans and projects. During Global Convention India Unimagined EEMAGINE 2016, the 56-year-old actor said, "I am getting back into the film industry. I have signed movie with Siddharth Anand and I am doing another film with Vinod Chopra, which is an emotional film of a father and daughter." Sanjay added, "My biopic is being made and Raju Hirani is directing it. I won't act in it. Ranbir Kapoor will. So it will be a problem for him because he will have to grow his hair, will have to get lean and then make body. It's a challenge for an actor." The 'PK' star also revealed that after his biopic, he will work on the 'Munna Bhai' sequel. Shoes and bottles were hurled at former Punjab chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh during a gathering in California yesterday. The untoward incident took place when Captain Amarinder was addressing the people of Indian origin. One of the kin of the victim of the 1984 riots reportedly wanted to question the Congress leader over his recent remark that 'Jagdish Tytler had no role in killing of Sikhs in Delhi', but he was asked to keep quiet by Captain Amarinder's supporters. As the former chief minister was about to leave the venue under tight security, the Sikh separatists started raising 'Khalistan Zindabad' slogans and threw shoes and bottles at him. Confirming the clash, Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, Attorney Sikh for Justice, said: "It's unfortunate that instead of answering questions regarding his statement about Tytler's role in 1984 Captain Amarinder took support of his henchmen and created an atmosphere of fear. The Supreme Court on Wednesday adjourned the hearing till May 6 on the Centre's plea against the Uttarakhand High Court's order revoking President's rule in the hill state. Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi told the apex court that the Centre is seriously considering its suggestion to hold floor test in Uttarakhand. "The court made it clear that the floor test can only take place of Harish Rawat. The court will hear the matter on May 6," Additional Advocate General Mukesh Giri told the media here. "Mukul Rohatgi said there is no scope of a negative outcome as they have seriously considered it. Harish Rawat's lawyer Abhishek Singhvi, Kapil Sibal and Rajiv Dhawan clearly said there is not an issue of five-judges, all issues have been settled and it is not a case of the reference," he added. A bench comprising Justices Dipak Misra and Shiva Kirti Singh yesterday asked the Centre to explore the feasibility of holding a floor test in the Uttarakhand Assembly under the apex court's supervision. The apex court asked the Attorney General to take instructions from the Centre in this regard and respond to the court. The apex court had on April 27 directed to continue the President's rule for the while. The two- judge division bench had also asked several questions to the Centre asking it to justify the imposition of President's rule in Uttarakhand. The Centre had imposed the President's rule in Uttarakhand on March 27, a day before ousted chief minister Harish Rawat was to take a trust vote in the assembly. A United States Navy SEAL, identified as Charles Keating IV, has been killed by Islamic State militants during a direct firefight with U.S. forces and Kurdish Peshmerga troops in northern Iraq. He is the first American combat casualty since the U.S. redeployed forces to Iraq in the summer of 2014. Pentagon spokesman Peter Cook yesterday said that Keating, 31, was an adviser to Kurdish Peshmerga forces fighting ISIS. The Pentagon officials confirmed that he died as a result of a "coordinated and complex attack" by roughly 100 ISIS fighters nearly 30 km (18.6 miles) north of Mosul. "This sad news is a reminder of the dangers our men and women in uniform face every day in the ongoing fight to destroy ISIL and end the threat the group poses to the United States and the rest of the . Our coalition will honor this sacrifice by dealing ISIL a lasting defeat," CNN quoted Cook as saying. Defense Secretary Ash Carter confirmed the reports in Germany and said that the death shows "it's a serious fight that we have to wage in Iraq." Keating was the grandson of savings-and-loan financier Charles Keating Jr. He came from a long line of devoted service members. His great-grandfather Charles Keating, served in War I, and grandfather, Charles Keating Jr. was a Naval pilot in War II. Apart from mourning his death in his home of Arizona, Governor Doug Ducey has ordered flags in the state to be lowered to half-mast on Wednesday in his honor. According to an U.S. defense official, ISIS used multiple vehicles, suicide car bombs and bulldozers to break through a checkpoint at the front line and drive 3 to 5 km (1.9 to 3.1 miles) to the Peshmerga base where SEALs were temporarily visiting and were located as advisers. He said that gun battle took place around the town of Telskof in northern Iraq. He added that U.S. responded with F-15s and drones that dropped more than twenty bombs. Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone's (APSEZ) consolidated net profit rose 38.34% to Rs 914.06 crore on 18% increase in total income to Rs 2161.65 crore in Q4 March 2016 over Q4 March 2015. EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization) excluding other income rose 12% to Rs 1225 crore in Q4 March 2016 over Q4 March 2015. The result was announced after market hours yesterday, 3 May 2016. Cargo across all ports handled by the company rose 5% to 152 million metric tonnes (MMT) in the year ended 31 March 2016 over the year ended 31 March 2015. The company has given guidance of 10% to 15% growth in cargo volumes for the year ending 31 March 2017 (FY 2017). It has given guidance of 10% to 15% growth in net profit for FY 2017. In a separate announcement, APSEZ said that its board of directors has decided to seek shareholders' approval to raise funds by issue of equity shares/convertible bonds for an aggregate amount of up to Rs 10000 crore. The board has also decided to seek shareholders' approval to issue secured/unsecured redeemable non-convertible debentures on private placement basis within the overall borrowing limits of the company. Bharti Airtel announced after market hours yesterday, 3 May 2016, that its subsidiary Airtel M-Commerce Services has been renamed as Airtel Payments Bank after receiving necessary approvals from all concerned authorities. The company also unveiled a new logo to reflect its new identity. On 11 April 2016, Airtel Payments Bank became the first entity in India to receive a payments bank license from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). The company plans to start rolling out its banking network in the second quarter of the current financial year. Airtel Payments Bank (which began operations in 2011 as Airtel M-Commerce Services) currently provides money transfer services and semi-closed wallet services (Airtel Money). The company has presence in 800 plus towns across India. Yes Bank announced reduction in lending rates by 10 basis points (bps) across all tenures with effect from 1 May 2016. The bank's Marginal Cost of Funds based Lending Rate (MCLR) for one-year loans now stands at 9.50%, the bank said. The announcement was made after trading hours yesterday, 3 May 2016. NTPC announced that the 200 megawatts (MW) out of 250 MW of Stage-I Ananthapuramu Ultra Mega Solar Power Project has been synchronized on 30 April 2016. With this, the total capacity of non-conventional energy projects of NTPC has become 310 MW. Further, in continuation to the company's disclosure dated 16 October 2015, Government of Jharkhand has notified 'PTPS Transfer Scheme, 2015' on 1 April 2016 transferring specified assets of Patratu Thermal Power Station to PUVNL, a subsidiary company of NTPC, resulting in addition of 325 MW to NTPC's Group capacity. Consequently, the total commissioned capacity of NTPC and NTPC group has become 40,212 MW and 47,178 MW respectively, NTPC said. The announcement was made after market hours yesterday, 3 May 2016. Tata Motors announced that its total sales of commercial and passenger vehicles rose 8.9% to 39,418 units in April 2016 over April 2015. Domestic sales of Tata commercial and passenger vehicles rose 10% to 35,633 units in April 2016 over April 2015. Sales from exports were flat at 3,785 units in April 2016 compared with corresponding previous year. The company announced the revised monthly sales volume data after market hours yesterday, 3 May 2016. JSW Energy said that the company has agreed to acquire the 1,000 MW thermal power plant located at Village Tamnar, District Raigarh in the State of Chhattisgarh from Jindal Steel & Power, subject to receipt of necessary statutory and shareholder consents. The announcement was made before market hours today, 4 May 2016. Tube Investments of India will in focus after Q4 results. On a consolidated basis, the company's net profit rose 391.83% to Rs 725.55 crore on 28.58% decline in total income to Rs 1716.47 crore in Q4 March 2016 over Q4 March 2015. On a consolidated basis, the company's net profit rose 144.82% to Rs 1038.91 crore on 17.79% decline in total income to Rs 8011.93 crore in the year ended March 2016 over the year ended March 2015. The current and previous period figures are not comparable due to Cholamandalam Investment and Finance Company being considered as an associate instead of a subsidiary with effect from 2 September 2015. The result was announced after market hours yesterday, 3 May 2016. In a separate announcement after market hours yesterday, 3 May 2016, Tube Investments of India said that its board approved fresh long-term borrowing to meet the company's fund needs during the year ending March 2017 for a sum not exceeding in the aggregate Rs 400 crore, including by way of issue of privately placed secured non-convertible debentures, in one or more tranches. Adani Power will be in focus after Q4 results. On a consolidated basis, the company's net profit rose 64.10% to Rs 1173.39 crore on 57.36% rise in net sales to Rs 7335.37 crore in Q4 March 2015. On a consolidated basis, the company reported net profit of Rs 488.48 crore in the year ended March 2016 compared with net loss of Rs 815.63 crore in the year ended March 2015. Total income declined 22.18% to Rs 19791.44 crore in the year ended March 2016 over the year ended March 2015. The result was announced after market hours yesterday, 3 May 2016. Pursuant to the stake sale in Adani Transmission (India) by the company in the previous year, the merger of Solar Power Undertaking of Adani Enterprises with the company with effect from 1 April 2015 and the acquisition of 100% stake of UPCL by the company with effect from 20 April 2015, the figures for the current quarter and year are not fully comparable with the figures of corresponding quarter and previous year. In a separate announcement after market hours yesterday, 3 May 2016, Adani Power said that its board has approved seeking approval of the shareholders for raising funds by issue of Equity Shares / convertible Bonds through Qualified Institutional Placement (QIP)/GDR/ADR/FCCBs/FCEBs/Convertible Securities for an aggregate amount upto Rs 10000 crore. Shareholders' approval will be also sought in issuing secured/unsecured redeemable non-convertible debentures on private placement basis within the overall borrowing limits of the company. All the above will be issued in the period of next twelve months through private placement mode. Alstom T&D India will in focus after Q4 results. The company's net profit fell 44.72% to Rs 29.87 crore on 28.53% decrease in total income to Rs 977.93 crore in Q4 March 2016 over Q4 March 2015. Alstom T&D India's net profit fell 35.71% to Rs 77.51 crore on 7.3% decrease in total income to Rs 3450.31 crore in the year ended March 2016 over the year ended March 2015. MEP Infrastructure Developers said it won toll collection rights at Paduna toll plaza at National Highway (NH) number 8 in Rajasthan. The company said it received a Letter of Acceptance (LOA) dated 3 May 2016 from National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) informing that the company has been engaged as the contractor for the project of collection of user fee through fee collection agency on the basis of competitive bidding for Paduna toll plaza in Rajasthan. The announcement was made after market hours yesterday, 3 May 2016. Powered by Capital Market - Live News Sales rise 1.95% to Rs 15.71 crore Net profit of Benares Hotels declined 13.16% to Rs 3.43 crore in the quarter ended March 2016 as against Rs 3.95 crore during the previous quarter ended March 2015. Sales rose 1.95% to Rs 15.71 crore in the quarter ended March 2016 as against Rs 15.41 crore during the previous quarter ended March 2015. For the full year,net profit declined 10.18% to Rs 8.29 crore in the year ended March 2016 as against Rs 9.23 crore during the previous year ended March 2015. Sales rose 5.94% to Rs 49.97 crore in the year ended March 2016 as against Rs 47.17 crore during the previous year ended March 2015. ParticularsQuarter EndedYear EndedMar. 2016Mar. 2015% Var.Mar. 2016Mar. 2015% Var.Sales15.7115.41 2 49.9747.17 6 OPM %35.7741.27 -29.0233.62 - PBDT5.956.61 -10 15.5316.93 -8 PBT5.245.99 -13 12.8714.26 -10 NP3.433.95 -13 8.299.23 -10 Powered by Capital Market - Live News Water scarcity, exacerbated by climate change, could cost some regions up to 6 percent of their GDP, spur migration, and spark conflict, according to a new World Bank report.* High and Dry: Climate Change, Water and the Economy, says the combined effects of growing populations, rising incomes, and expanding cities will see demand for water rising exponentially, while supply becomes more erratic and uncertain. Unless action is taken soon, the report says, water will become scarce in regions where it is currently abundant - such as Central Africa and East Asia - and scarcity will greatly worsen in regions where water is already in short supply - such as the Middle East and the Sahel in Africa. These regions could see their growth rates decline by as much as 6 percent of GDP by 2050 due to water related impacts on agriculture, health, and incomes. The report also warns that reduced freshwater availability and competition from other uses - such as energy and agriculture - could reduce water availability in cities by as much as two thirds by 2050, compared to 2015 levels. Water insecurity could multiply the risk of conflict, the report adds. Food price spikes caused by droughts can inflame latent conflicts and drive migration. Where economic growth is impacted by rainfall, episodes of droughts and floods have generated waves of migration and spikes in violence within countries, it says. Water scarcity is a major threat to economic growth and stability around the world, and climate change is making the problem worse, said World Bank President Jim Yong Kim. If countries do not take action to better manage water resources, our analysis shows that some regions with large populations could be living with long periods of negative economic growth. But countries can enact policies now that will help them manage water sustainably for the years ahead. The negative impacts of climate change on water could be neutralized with better policy decisions, the report says, with some regions standing to improve their growth rates by up to 6 percent with better water resource management. There is a silver lining, said the report's author and a World Bank Lead Economist Richard Damania. When governments respond to water shortages by boosting efficiency and allocating even 25 percent of water to more highly-valued uses, losses decline dramatically and for some regions may even vanish. Improved water stewardship pays high economic dividends. In the world's extremely dry regions, more far-reaching policies are needed to avoid inefficient water use. Stronger policies and reforms are needed to cope with deepening climate stresses, the report says. It outlines policies and investments that can help lead countries to more water secure and climate-resilient economies. This includes better planning for water resource allocation, adoption of incentives to increase water efficiency, and investments in infrastructure for more secure water supplies and availability. The report follows the appointment last month of 10 heads of government to a High Level Panel chaired by the UN and World Bank to mobilize effective action to accelerate the implementation of Sustainable Development Goal 6, which focuses on ensuring the availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for everyone. During the recent COP21 in Paris, the World Bank announced a significant boost in funding for water programs in India, the Niger River Basin, Morocco and Kenya to help tackle water challenges. *The 6 percent figure represents a median across the various scenarios considered under business-as-usual water policies. In general the numbers inform us under business-as-usual water policies, GDP is 6 percent lower than what it would have been without climate change pressures. It is also worth noting there is a lot of variation across regions, so there are no major effects on Western Europe but more severe effects on warmer, drier parts of the world, which are also typically poorer. Powered by Capital Market - Live News The Union Cabinet in its meeting held on 17th Februray 2016 approved the signing of Agreement with the World Health Organization (WHO). The Agreement, however, is yet to be signed. As per Cabinet approval, as a first step in the long term collaboration, India would assign to WHO activities for development of the following WHO Technical documents/publications which will help in better international acceptability of Indian Systems of Medicines: Benchmarks for training in Yoga Benchmarks for practice in Ayurveda Benchmarks for practice in Unani Medicine Benchmarks for practice in Panchkarma For enhancing the acceptability and branding of AYUSH systems internationally, in the recent past Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) for undertaking collaborative research have been signed with Royal London Hospital for Integrated Medicine, UK and National Centre for Natural Product Research (NCNPR) University of Mississippi, USA and Letter of Intent (LoI) with University of Strasbourg, France. The long term collaboration with WHO would help in improving international acceptability and branding of AYUSH systems. The areas of cooperation would help to facilitate awareness regarding AYUSH systems of medicine by means of education, training, skill development, workshops, publications and exchange programmes between AYUSH and WHO for capacity building to facilitate advocacy and dissemination of information on AYUSH systems amongst the member states and collaborations with third parties for creating synergies in implementation of WHO Traditional Medicine Strategy 2014-2023. The Ministry of AYUSH has also launched a scheme for Voluntary Certification of Yoga Professionals on 22nd June, 2015 in collaboration with Quality Council of India (QCI). The scheme aims at promoting authentic Yoga as a preventive and health promoting drugless therapy and involves certifying the competence level of the professionals to help their deployment within and outside the country. Besides signing of 'Country to Country' MoUs for cooperation in the field of Traditional Medicine with Mongolia, Turkmenistan and China, MoUs for setting up of AYUSH Academic Chairs have been signed with Universities in Russia, Indonesia, Slovenia, Thailand and Armenia. AYUSH Information Cells have been set up to disseminate authentic information about AYUSH Systems of Medicine at Dubai, Croatia, Kyrgyzstan, Israel, Argentina, Serbia and Sweden. Powered by Capital Market - Live News Government of India has launched National Food Security Mission (NFSM) in 2007-08 to increase production of rice, wheat and pulses. The details of increase in production of rice, wheat and pulses during XI Plan are as under: Name of Crop Production ( million tonnes) Increase (Million tonnes) 2006-07 2011-12Rice 93.36 105.30 11.94Wheat 75.81 94.88 19.07Pulses 14.20 17.09 2.89 Mid-term and final evaluation of National Food Security Mission (NFSM) for 11th Five Year Plan has been conducted by an independent agency and reports have been received. The outcome of report reveals that Mission has helped in widening the food basket of the country with sizeable contributions coming from NFSM districts. The various interventions of the mission have been instrumental in bringing about significant yield gain to the farmers resulting into increase in their income level. The various suggestions/ recommendations like use of seed of newer varieties, farm machinery and implements and water saving devices etc. for increasing productivity of crops are being promoted. NFSM is being implemented in 29 states of country. The details of districts and states covered is given as under:- Name of component No. of States No. of DistrictsNFSM-Rice 25 194NFSM-Wheat 11 126NFSM-Pulses 29 638NFSM-Coarse Cereals 28 265 Powered by Capital Market - Live News Insecticides (India) fell 2.49% to Rs 414.50 at 14:12 IST on BSE after the company filed an appeal before Commissioner of Income Tax, New Delhi for an old case pertaining to allowance of capital receipts. The company made the announcement after market hours yesterday, 3 May 2016. Meanwhile, the S&P BSE Sensex was down 107.90 points or 0.43% at 25,121.80 On BSE, so far 3,887 shares were traded in the counter as against average daily volume of shares in the past one quarter. The stock was volatile. The stock fell as much as 1.19% at the day's high of Rs 420 so far during the day. The stock dropped as much as 4.37% at the day's low of Rs 406.50 so far during the day. The stock had hit a 52-week high of Rs 605 on 2 July 2015. The stock had hit a 52-week low of Rs 297 on 17 February 2016. The small-cap company has equity capital of Rs 20.67 crore. Face value per share is Rs 10. Insecticides (India) said that during the financial year ended 31 March 2012 (FY 2012), the company filed an appeal before Commissioner of Income Tax (CIT), New Delhi for allowance of capital receipts. CIT had decided in favour of the company. Now, the department has preferred an appeal before Income Tax Appellate Tribunal (ITAT), New Delhi. During FY 2013, the company has received a demand notice cum assessment order under section 156 of the Income Tax, 1961 disallowing the capital receipts allowed in previous year. The company has now filed an appeal before CIT, New Delhi. Insecticides (India)'s net profit dropped 87.8% to Rs 1.02 crore on 3.8% rise in total income to Rs 154.70 crore in Q3 December 2015 over Q3 December 2014. Insecticides (India) manufactures all types of insecticides, weedicides, fungicides and PGRs for all types of crops and household. Powered by Capital Market - Live News Market is set to open on a weak note tracking negative global cues. Trading of Nifty 50 index futures on the Singapore stock exchange indicates that the Nifty could fall 37 points at the opening bell. In overseas stock markets, Asian stocks edged lower amid renewed global growth concerns after weaker-than-expected Chinese manufacturing data. US stocks closed lower yesterday, 3 May 2016, led by declines in energy and materials stocks amid renewed global growth worries. Closer home, foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) sold shares worth a net Rs 755.28 crore yesterday, 3 May 2016, as per provisional data released by the stock exchanges. Domestic institutional investors (DIIs) bought shares worth a net Rs 484.64 crore yesterday, 3 May 2016, as per provisional data. Among corporate news, Bharti Airtel announced after market hours yesterday, 3 May 2016, that its subsidiary Airtel M-Commerce Services has been renamed as Airtel Payments Bank after receiving necessary approvals from all concerned authorities. The company also unveiled a new logo to reflect its new identity. On 11 April 2016, Airtel Payments Bank became the first entity in India to receive a payments bank license from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). The company plans to start rolling out its banking network in the second quarter of the current financial year. Airtel Payments Bank (which began operations in 2011 as Airtel M-Commerce Services) currently provides money transfer services and semi-closed wallet services (Airtel Money). The company has presence in 800 plus towns across India. Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone's (APSEZ) consolidated net profit rose 38.34% to Rs 914.06 crore on 18% increase in total income to Rs 2161.65 crore in Q4 March 2016 over Q4 March 2015. EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization) excluding other income rose 12% to Rs 1225 crore in Q4 March 2016 over Q4 March 2015. The result was announced after market hours yesterday, 3 May 2016. Cargo across all ports handled by the company rose 5% to 152 million metric tonnes (MMT) in the year ended 31 March 2016 over the year ended 31 March 2015. The company has given guidance of 10% to 15% growth in cargo volumes for the year ending 31 March 2017 (FY 2017). It has given guidance of 10% to 15% growth in net profit for FY 2017. In a separate announcement, APSEZ said that its board of directors has decided to seek shareholders' approval to raise funds by issue of equity shares/convertible bonds for an aggregate amount of up to Rs 10000 crore. The board has also decided to seek shareholders' approval to issue secured/unsecured redeemable non-convertible debentures on private placement basis within the overall borrowing limits of the company. Yes Bank announced reduction in lending rates by 10 basis points (bps) across all tenures with effect from 1 May 2016. The bank's Marginal Cost of Funds based Lending Rate (MCLR) for one-year loans now stands at 9.50%, the bank said. The announcement was made after trading hours yesterday, 3 May 2016. NTPC announced that the 200 megawatts (MW) out of 250 MW of Stage-I Ananthapuramu Ultra Mega Solar Power Project has been synchronized on 30 April 2016. With this, the total capacity of non-conventional energy projects of NTPC has become 310 MW. Further, in continuation to the company's disclosure dated 16 October 2015, Government of Jharkhand has notified 'PTPS Transfer Scheme, 2015' on 1 April 2016 transferring specified assets of Patratu Thermal Power Station to PUVNL, a subsidiary company of NTPC, resulting in addition of 325 MW to NTPC's Group capacity. Consequently, the total commissioned capacity of NTPC and NTPC group has become 40,212 MW and 47,178 MW respectively, NTPC said. The announcement was made after market hours yesterday, 3 May 2016. Tata Motors announced that its total sales of commercial and passenger vehicles rose 8.9% to 39,418 units in April 2016 over April 2015. Domestic sales of Tata commercial and passenger vehicles rose 10% to 35,633 units in April 2016 over April 2015. Sales from exports were flat at 3,785 units in April 2016 compared with corresponding previous year period. The company announced the revised monthly sales volume data after market hours yesterday, 3 May 2016. IT, banking sector stocks, shares of public sector companies and index heavyweights ITC and Reliance Industries led losses for key benchmark indices yesterday, 3 May 2016, triggered by weakness in global stocks. The Sensex fell 207.27 points or 0.81% to settle at 25,229.70, its lowest closing level since 12 April 2016. Powered by Capital Market - Live News With effect from 04 May 2016 Panoramic Universal announced that Sanjive Arora, Sr. Vice President - Corporate Affairs & Company Secretary and Compliance Officer of the Company has resigned from his office with immediate effect i.e. with effect from 04 May 2016. He also ceases to be a Whole-time Key Managerial Personnel of the Company with effect from 04 May 2016. Powered by Capital Market - Live News Allots 1.51 crore shares to 17 anchor investors Parag Milk Foods has raised Rs 342.85 crore by selling 1.51 crore shares to a total of 17 anchor investors ahead of the opening of the company's initial public offer (IPO). The shares were allotted to the anchor investors at Rs 227 per share, the top end of the Rs 220 to Rs 227 per share price band for the IPO. Among the anchor investors, Nomura India Investment Fund Mother Fund will be allotted 22.02 lakh shares, Tata Balanced Fund will be allotted 19.21 lakh shares and Abu Dhabi Investment Authority - Behave will be allotted 14.23 lakh shares. Other investors include, Government Pension Fund Global, Morgan Stanley Mauritius Company and Copthall Mauritius Investment, among others. The IPO of Parag Milk Foods, one of the leading manufacturers and marketers of dairy-based branded foods in India, comprises of fresh issue of equity shares aggregating up to Rs 300 crore and offer for sale of up to 2.05 crore shares from existing shareholders. The IPO opens for bidding today, 4 May 2016 and closes on 6 May 2016. The price band for the IPO has been fixed at Rs 220-227 per share. The three investors who are selling shares via the IPO are India Business Excellence Fund (IBEF) which is a unit scheme of venture capital fund Business Excellence Trust, India Business Excellence Fund I (IBEF I) and IDFC Private Equity Fund III (IDFC PE) which is a unit scheme of venture capital fund IDFC Infrastructure Fund 3. IBEF is selling 21.09 lakh shares, IBEF I is selling 39.17 lakh shares and IDFC PE is selling 82.59 lakh shares via the IPO. From the promoter group, Netra Shah is selling 20.04 lakh shares and Priti Shah is selling 11 lakh shares. Other selling shareholders are selling a combined 31.81 lakh shares. The company will utilize the proceeds of the fresh issue of shares to fund the expansion and modernisation at its existing manufacturing facilities at Manchar in Pune and Palamaner in Andhra Pradesh and improving the marketing/distribution infrastructure. The company has earmarked Rs 147.70 crore the expansion and modernisation plan. It has earmarked Rs 2.29 crore for investment in its subsidiary for financing the capital expenditure requirements in relation to the expansion and modernisation of the Bhagyalaxmi Dairy Farm. A sum of Rs 100 crore will be used for partial repayment of the working capital consortium loan. Promoted by Devendra Shah, Pritam Shah and Parag Shah, Parag Milk Foods manufactures a diverse range of products including cheese, ghee (clarified butter), fresh milk, whey proteins, paneer, curd, yoghurt, milk powders and dairy based beverages targeting a wide range of consumer groups through several brands. The company currently has aggregate milk processing capacity of 2 million litres per day. The cheese plant has a raw cheese production capacity of 40 MT per day. The company's two flagship brands are Gowardhan and Go. The company operates a diary farm through its subsidiary Bhagyalaxmi Dairy Farms Private Limited. It is a fully automated cow farm housing over 2,000 holstein breed cows with superior quality yields. It produces farm-to-home premium fresh milk, which is marketed under the Pride of Cows brand in Mumbai and Pune. Based on the consolidated financial performance, Parag Milk Foods registered net profit of Rs 31.92 crore on revenue from operations of Rs 1230.60 crore for 9 months ended 31 December 2015. The company reported net profit of Rs 25.96 crore on revenue from operations of Rs 1438.70 crore for the year ended 31 March 2015. The company has stated in its Red Herring Prospectus that it has not declared any dividend in the last five financial years. The company has no formal dividend distribution policy. Powered by Capital Market - Live News Oil prices seen rising as oversupply diminishes Amid improving market sentiment and a weakening dollar, the World Bank is raising its 2016 forecast for crude oil prices to $41 per barrel from $37 per barrel in its latest Commodity Markets Outlook, as an oversupply in markets is expected to recede. The crude oil market rebounded from a low of $25 per barrel in mid-January to $40 per barrel in April following production disruptions in Iraq and Nigeria and a decline in non-Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries production, mainly U.S. shale. A proposed production freeze by major producers failed to materialize at a meeting in mid-April. We expect slightly higher prices for energy commodities over the course of the year as markets rebalance after a period of oversupply, said John Baffes, Senior Economist and lead author of the Commodities Markets Outlook. Still, energy prices could fall further if OPEC increases production significantly and non-OPEC production does not fall as fast as expected. All main commodity indexes tracked by the World Bank are expected to decline in 2016 from the year before due to persistently elevated supplies, and in the case of industrial commodities - which include energy, metals, and agricultural raw materials -- weak growth prospects in emerging market and developing economies. Energy prices, including oil, natural gas and coal, are due to fall 19.3 percent in 2016 from the previous year, a more gradual drop than the 24.7 percent slide forecast in January. Non-energy commodities, such as metals and minerals, agriculture, and fertilizers, are due to decline 5.1 percent this year, a downward revision from the 3.7 percent drop forecast in January. Metals prices are projected to fall 8.2 percent in the coming year, less than the 10.2 percent drop forecast in January, reflecting expectations of stronger demand growth by China. Agriculture prices are forecast to fall more than projected in January in what is expected to be another favorable harvest year for most grain and oilseed commodities. Agricultural commodities prices are also pulled down by lower energy costs. Low commodity prices are undermining growth prospects for many resource-rich countries that experienced a surge in exploration, investment, and production during the commodities boom of the 2000s. Countries that have borrowed and invested heavily in anticipation of faster growth may struggle to service their debt and sustain investment when growth disappoints as a result of lower commodity prices, a special feature of the Commodity Markets Outlook says. With oil and metals prices today 50 percent to 70 percent lower than their early 2011 peaks, natural resource development projects have already been put on hold or delayed in several emerging and developing countries. These project delays can adversely affect countries that can ill-afford such setbacks, said Ayhan Kose, Director of the World Bank's Development Prospects Group. Greater transparency, improved government efficiency and improvements in macroeconomic frameworks could soften such disruptions. Countries may prefer to wait for prices to start rising again before launching new natural resource development initiatives. Powered by Capital Market - Live News Twelve sympathisers of Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terrorist group have been detained in Delhi and Uttar Pradesh, a senior Delhi Police official said on Wednesday. "We have detained 12 people from Delhi and Uttar Pradesh for subscribing JeM ideology. They were detained late Tuesday night. One IED has been recovered from them," Special Commissioner of Police (Special Cell) Arvind Deep told IANS. The official said all the suspected terrorists are under the age group of 30 years. "Some of them are permanent residents of Delhi and some are from the neighbouring state Uttar Pradesh," he added. --IANS rak-aks/sd At least 13 people were killed in Beni territory of Congo by suspected members of Ugandan rebel group Allied Democratic Forces (ADF). A non-governmental organisation led by human rights advocate Omar Kavota said the ADF rebels invaded Mimibo and Mutsonge localities in Beni on Tuesday, Xinhua news agency reported. The place of the attack was situated about 200 metres from a camp of the UN Mission for Stabilisation of Congo (MONUSCO), a statement from the organisation said. --IANS py/vt At least 18 Taliban militants have been killed in Kandahar province of Afghanistan over the past four days, a security official said on Wednesday. "Security forces launched operations against Taliban rebels in Khakriz district on Sunday and since then 18 rebels including Taliban key commander Mullah Khakrizwal were killed," Niaz Mohammad Majahid told Xinhua. Khakrizwal, according to Majahid, had served as military operational commander of Taliban in Khakriz and Arghandab districts and his death could prove to be a big blow to the Taliban fighters in Kandahar province. Taliban militants who have been fighting the government forces in parts of Kandahar and neighbouring Zabul, Helmand and Uruzgan provinces over the past several months, were yet to comment on the situation in Khakriz district. --IANS ahm/bg Abu Dhabi, May 4 (IANS/WAM) The UAE National Media Council hosted a cultural symposium on 'how to prepare a reading generation'. Speaking at the symposium on Tuesday were Ali Abu Al Reesh, a noted Emirati poet and novelist, and Sheikha Al Jaberi, an Emirati writer. The symposium shed light on reading as a daily activity and part of behaviour, aimed at widening knowledge and spreading culture among members of the community. The speakers discussed reading as a vital activity, and referred to the directives of President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan to mark 2016 as the year of reading and the support given to this initiative by Vice President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. They recommended utilising the media as a cultural tool and enlisting intellectuals and writers to promote reading. The symposium was held on the sidelines of the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair. --IANS/WAM ksk The Congress on Wednesday took a dig at the government, terming all allegations made by the Centre in the AgustaWestland helicopters deal as "distortions of the Italian court judgment" and quoted the judge as saying that there was no evidence against Congress president Sonia Gandhi. Taking potshots at the government, Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi questioned how a "mere mention" of anyone in a letter written by middlemen Guido Haschke to a man named Peter Hulet could make him culpable. Quoting the Italian judge, Singhvi said: "The judge who wrote this Italian judgment...the judge spoke extensively to a channel in India." "He says 'We've no evidence against Sonia Gandhi, only a mention of her in the facts. The translation of the facts were sent to Mr. Michell. Ms Gandhi has been indicated as someone who will fly in the VVIP helicopters. The same place is the mention of (former prime minister) Manmohan Singh'." Singhvi attacked the government for not relying on findings of the CBI and the Enforcement Directorate. "We are relying on not a single finding by the ED and the CBI, but on interpretations, miscalculations and distortions of the Italian court judgment. This is actually a vote of no-confidence," he said. He quoted from the letter written by middleman Guido Haschke to Peter Hulet: "Given that Mrs. Gandhi is the driving force behind the helicopter, she will fly no longer with MI8. Mrs. Gandhi and her closest advisors persons should be addressed by the English ambassador. The English ambassador in India is called the High Commissioner. The advisors are listed hereby:" "The advisors are the Prime Minister, Ahmed Patel, Pranab Mukherjee, M.K. Narayanan, Oscar Fernandes etc.," read the letter. Clarifying on the letter, Singhvi said: "Does it suggest that 'anybody talked to any of these persons to offer a bribe'?" "Is it not plain English that they are stating the obvious that people who use and fly on these helicopters are VVIPs and they would not want to fly on outdated machines called MI8." "On this logic, everybody mentioned in the next paragraph from the current president to several other names are all culpable because they find a mention." "Is this the way we have to tilt? There is not anything here about anybody except the mention of facts. I hope nobody is suggesting that the advise of Mr. Hashke is to request the British ambassador to go and bribe these people," he added. --IANS sid/pm/vt Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar on Wednesday said the probe in the AgustaWestland helicopter graft case will focus on those named in the Italian court judgment. "There is an agreement that corrupt practices were involved in procurement of AgustaWestland helicopters. The previous government recognised these and put on hold the group in 2014, and the present government passed the order," Parrikar said in the Rajya Sabha, replying to a short duration discussion on the issue. The minister said "corrupt practices" is the central matter, and it will be "unmasked" through inquiry. "Given the above background, these inquiries will necessarily focus on the role of those named in the judgment of the Italian court. It is also important for ensuring a comprehensive investigation," Parrikar said. The judgment names Congress president Sonia Gandhi, then IAF chief S.P. Tyagi, Congress leader Ahmad Patel and others. The Congress has, however, stressed that the judgment does not indict anyone. The minister, in an around-45 minute long reply, read out a detailed statement and gave a list of what was wrong in the deal. Opposition Congress objected to the fact that he was reading out from a written statement without laying a copy on the table of the house. The party later staged a walkout after his speech. Parrikar said the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is on a "money trail" and that in the past some "invisible hands" seemed to have been "guiding the actions" of the CBI and Enforcement Directorate. "CBI which registered an FIR in March 2013, did not bother to forward a copy of FIR to ED for nine months. Even more strangely, ED did not act on the FIR till July 2014," said Parrikar. "It appears that some invisible hands were guiding the actions or inactions by CBI and ED. After present government took over, CBI and ED have been vigorously pursuing all aspects," he added. On the current status, the minister said: "CBI is on the money trail, but I cannot give details. Where the money went, we are finding that." Giving out details of the deal, the minister said that the requirements of the chopper were changed to accommodate AgustaWestland's bid. "The RFP (Request For Proposal) was issued to AgustaWestland, Italy, and the response to RFP was received from AgustaWestland International Limited, UK, which was not the entity to which RFP was issued. The bid should have been rejected immediately as it was not the company to which RFP was issued," said the minister. The minister also pointed out that field trial was done on a representative helicopter, and not on AW101 which India was to buy. "Field trial was conducted on a representative helicopter and not on the actual helicopter," he said. He also questioned the conduct of trial outside India. "Conduct of trial in India is extremely critical because the climate, terrain and topography vary as compared to that of USA and UK. This crucial aspect has been given a go-by," he said. He also said that the trials in India after three choppers were received proved to be a failure. "When three helicopters were received and were being test-tried, at 5,400 feet in Srinagar, the effective payload of this helicopter was nil," the minister said. He also said that sorties could not be taken in Gulmarg and Pehalgam either, and added that the information was found in a file that was saved by chance from a fire that took place on June 3, 2014. --IANS ao/rn/vt A boat carrying asylum seekers was intercepted off the coast of Australia's remote Cocos Islands territory, sources said on Wednesday. The vessel was spotted by a ferry passing by the remote chain of islands, located between Sri Lanka and the west coast of the Australian mainland, and intercepted by authorities on Monday, EFE news reported citing the sources. It is said to have been two years since the last documented asylum seeker boat arrived in Australia. A passenger on board the ferry that spotted the vessel told The Australian daily that he did not know what happened after the boat was intercepted because "everything is so secret". The immigration department has not commented on the incident. Australia's "stop the boats" campaign seeks to stop asylum seekers from reaching the mainland. Many people who have tried to reach Australia from countries including Syria, Iran and Myanmar, are being held in immigration camps on Nauru and Papua New Guinea, where living conditions are poor. Two asylum seekers on Nauru have set themselves on fire in recent weeks, including a 23-year-old Iranian man who died of his injuries last week. --IANS ksk History will be made when dwellers of the erstwhile enclaves in Cooch Behar vote for the first time on Thursday, marking another giant leap in their absorption into India after nearly seven decades of stateless existence, as the staggered West Bengal assembly polls come to an end after the sixth and final phase of balloting involving 25 constituencies. Nine of the constituencies are in Cooch Behar district, and 16 in East Midnapore. Over 58 lakh (58,04,019) voters across 6,774 polling stations, including 9 auxiliary booths, are eligible to decide the fate of 170 candidates -- 18 of them female in this phase. The Election Commission will use 7,790 EVMs and 621 VVPATs. But it will be a memorable day in the life of the enclave dwellers -- 9,776 of whom are registered as voters. They include 567 -- residents of the erstwhile Indian enclaves which are now part of Bangladesh -- who have opted for Indian citizenship. Following the implementation of the historic Land Boundary Agreement, Bangladesh and India exchanged 162 adversely-held enclaves on August 1, 2015 as 14,864 residents of 51 Bangladeshi enclaves became Indians citizens. While over 37,000 dwellers in the 111 Indian enclaves in Bangladesh became citizens of the neighbouring country, 922 of them opted for Indian citizenship and have been living in Enclave Settlement camps in Dinhata and Haldibari in Cooch Behar. The electorate from the former enclaves are spread across five constituencies -- Dinhata (5,486 voters), Mekhliganj (988), Sitai (1,396), Sitalkuchi (1,898) and Tufanganj (8). Rising to the occasion, the Election Commission has rolled out the red carpet for the 9,776 first-time voters, besides setting up five model polling stations with facilities for sitting, wheelchairs etc. In East Midnapore, regarded as a stronghold of the Trinamool Congress, all eyes will be on Nandigram, where a peasants agitation in 2006-07 against the erstwhile Left Front government's bid to acquire farmland for a chemical hub and special economic zone had triggered police firing that resulted in 14 deaths. The peasants protest played a pivotal role in the ouster of the Left Front after 34 years in office. In 2011, the Trinamool Congress, then in alliance with the Congress, won 20 of the seats that go to the hustings in this phase. The Congress got one, while Left Front partner All India Forward Bloc triumphed in four seats. This time, the Left Front and the Congress have teamed up to throw a challenge to the Trinamool. While the Left Front is in fray in 18 seats, the Congress is contesting from four constituencies. In three seats of East Midnapore -- Nandakumar, Mahisadal and Khejuri -- the alliance has extended support to independent candidates. The Trinamool and the BJP are fighting all the seats. Among the Left Front partners, the CPI-M is in the race in eight constituencies, the Communist Party of India in five, Forward Bloc in four and Democratic Socialist Party (Prabodh Chandra) in one seat. The star candidates include Trinamool's heavyweight leader and MP Suvendu Adhikari (Nandigram), who was purportedly seen in the Narada News sting operation video taking wads of currency notes in return for favours to a fictitious company. Among other major candidates are state minister Sudarshan Ghosh Dastidar (Mahisadal), Udayan Guha (Dinhata) -- both from Trinamool, Paresh Chandra Adhikary (Mekhliganj) of the AIFB, BJP's Dadhiram Ray and the Congress's Hemangshu Sekhar Mahapatra. --IANS ssp/pm/ The British government is coming under increasing pressure to accept 3,000 child refugees from the Syrian war, who have made it into Europe unaccompanied, sources said on Wednesday. A group of former Jewish refugees who came to Britain in the "Kindertransport" rescue efforts of the 1930s has urged Prime Minister David Cameron to "demonstrate compassion", BBC reported. In a letter to Cameron, Erich Reich, chairman of Kindertransport-Association of Jewish Refugees, called on the prime minister to do more to help "the most vulnerable victims" of the Syrian conflict. He said it was "incumbent on us to provide sanctuary to those in need". The government has said it will accept up to 3,000 refugees, mostly vulnerable children, from the Middle East and North Africa by 2020. In September 2015, the government said Britain will accept up to 20,000 refugees from Syria over the next five years. But critics believe the moves will do nothing to help the thousands of unaccompanied refugee children who have made it to Europe, but are at risk of trafficking and abuse. Reich, who was among thousands of Jewish children rescued from Nazi-occupied Germany, said he had learned of the rejection of the resettlement proposal "with great sadness". He added: "I strongly urge you and your colleagues to reconsider how we can intervene to help some of the most vulnerable victims of an internecine conflict that has claimed the lives of thousands of people and displaced millions." --IANS ksk/vt Reggio Calabria (Italy), May 3 (IANS/AKI) Anti-mafia investigators impounded suspected Calabrian mafia property worth 30 million euros during raids in southern Italy and the central city of Florence on Tuesday. Tax police seized assets valued at 27 million euros from a businessman in Reggio Calabria and his four sons, who are all currently serving prison sentences for mafia membership and fraud. The impounded assets included five companies, 14 buildings, 20 plots of land, 43 vehicles and several bank accounts, according to police. The jailed businessman and his sons allegedly belong to the Calabrian mafia or 'Ndrangheta's Fontana di Reggio Calabria clan. In a separate operation in Florence, anti-mafia police impounded two well-known restaurants and an apartment worth more than two million euros in total from a 66-year-old 'Ndrangheta suspect named as N.C. N.C. was earlier convicted of buying drugs from suspected members of the 'Ndrangheta's Arcoti clan, police said. Anti-mafia police have impounded over 800 million euros of assets since March from businessmen with suspected links to the 'Ndrangheta. Drug trafficking, extortion and money-laundering rackets have in recent decades made the 'Ndrangheta Italy's wealthiest and most powerful international crime syndicate. --IANS/AKI vd Targeting Congress president Sonia Gandhi, BJP MP Subramanian Swamy on Wednesday said the CBI can, as per the law, question the person mentioned as the "driving force" behind the AgustaWestland deal. "The CBI has the right under Section 156 of CrPC to question the person who is mentioned in the Italian court judgment as the 'driving force' behind the AgustaWestland chopper deal," Swamy said in the Rajya Sabha. Swamy said that although the Indian Air Force in 2004 said the VVIP choppers must be able to fly up to 6,000 metres for safety reasons, the Agusta choppers could not fly above 4,500 metres altitude. Swamy alleged that conditions were manipulated by the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government to egg out the rest of contenders. "The internationally accepted standard for a chopper's cabin height is 1.45 metres. But in this case, the cabin height specification was set at 1.80 metres. Only AgustaWestland could fulfill this condition and the rest were out," he said. "Secondly, field trials were done with a different model than the one purchased, and the AW101 was cleared on the basis of these trials. Does it not attract prosecution under Section 420 of IPC?" he added. The BJP leader also alleged that while the original proposal was to buy eight choppers, the number was later raised to 12 once AgustaWestland won the contract. --IANS mak/pm/vt The BJP on Wednesday accused the previous UPA government of twisting norms in the process of procuring VVIP choppers from AgustaWestland. Initiating a debate in the Rajya Sabha on "allegations of bribery and corruption" in AgustaWestland deal, BJP MP Bhupendra Yadav said that competition was restricted by changing the altitude norms for procurement of the chopper. Yadav cited the CAG report and alleged that the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government "reduced the altitude (norms) from 6,000 metres to 4,500 metres and ignored the operational requirements, service quality requirement to favour AgustaWestland." "The fact that by making the cabin's height 1.8 meters as mandatory requirement, the competition was restricted, and this led to a single vendor situation for acquisition of AgustaWestlend," Yadav said. He said the defence procurement process should be made transparent. The multi-crore-rupee scam resurfaced last month after the names of some Congress leaders, including party chief Sonia Gandhi, were said to have figured in a judgment by an Italian court. AgustaWestland was alleged to have paid Rs.375 crore as bribe to secure the Rs.3,700-crore contract to supply 12 VVIP choppers to the Indian Air Force. The contract for purchase of helicopters for the use of VVIPs was signed in 2010. The previous UPA government scrapped the deal over charges of kickbacks. --IANS vin/ps/rn/vt As the saying goes, when two elephants fight, or make love, the grass suffers. In the coming together of two US tech giants - Dell Inc and EMC - some employees will have to be let go. How many? The company is not saying. "There will be some impact on headcount, but we will let you know that nearer to the date of actual merger," Rory Read, Chief Integration Officer, Dell, told the media. Dell announced in October a merger with EMC - the top multinational in computer storage and cloud computing which is holding its annual conference here this week. The $67 billion merger is the largest in tech history. On Monday, Dell Chairman and CEO, Michael Dell, announced here that the merged entity would be called Dell Technologies. The enterprise company, though, would be called Dell-EMC. Dell is a leader in PC technologies in the middle and lower segments. So how do you merge two giants which will bring 70,000 employees of EMC and over 100,000 of Dell under the same corporate leadership and branding? "By keeping the customer in focus," said Howard Elias, President and COO of Global Enterprises Services, EMC, who is in charge of the integration project on behalf of the storage giant. He said a tem of 200 people had been set up to work out the merger. "Every step is on course." He said the coming together was "just weeks away" pending final regulatory approvals and a greenlight from shareholders. Michael Dell had turned his company into a private entity by buying back shares of the corporation over two years ago. EMC too would go private before the merger. This would avoid some legal hurdles as well as obviates answers to pesky questions by shareholders or others. To ease the rites of marriage, a management information and decision making system was set up by the two integration officers, escalating hundreds of decisions to the top for quick decisions. The integration team also worked out the basic requirements for regulatory approvals from several countries around the world. Final assent from the US authorities and the Chinese is awaited. "What helped the preparation for the coming together is the similar cultures in the two companies, with the top one of 'customer focus' being the same," said Read, with Elias adding that most employees had shown huge enthusiasm for the marriage. "What also came to our aid was that the overlap on product or services between the two was very low," said Elias. How would the merger impact the 5,000-odd employees of EMC in India and around 20,000 of Dell? "I don't know the number, though it's likely to be low because of very little overlap between the two companies in terms of markets and products," Dmitri Chen, Chief Operating Officer, Asia Pacific and Japan, of EMC told a small group of visiting journalists on Tuesday. Some attrition on a small level had taken place in India after the announcement of the merger last year, but this was likely taking care of the built in redundancies. Dell runs three call centres and has manufacturing and software divisions in Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad and the National Capital Region of Delhi. EMC has a presence in Bengaluru, Mumbai, Delhi and some smaller cities. Apart from the question of employee layoff, analysts this week, and earlier, have been asking how Dell would be able to manage the debt it would take on to merge EMC with itself. Dell, with a turnover of around $58 billion and a profit level of around $3.2 billion would be absorbing $25 billion EMC, which made $5 billion profit. EMC has had subdued figures for last few quarters. The debt that Dell would take on would be around $51 bill for the merger. Although Michael Dell has said that this amount would be retired over the next few years, analysts feel it won't be easy. The hundreds of employees of both the companies who came for the EMC conference were largely upbeat about the merger. A survey on the merger among the two companies elicited 75,000 responses, mostly positive. (Hardev Sanotra is in Las Vegas at the invitation of EMC. He can be contacted at hardev.sanotra@ians.in) --IANS hs/mr A Pakistani court has granted bail to the five accused who were arrested on blasphemy charges on the complaint of a Sikh youth for publicly disgracing his turban. Mahinder Pall Singh said six attackers publicly disgraced his turban and humiliated him for complaining about a bus that broke down while he was travelling from Faisalabad to Multan city in Punjab province. Investigation Officer Abdul Sattar on Tuesday said bail was granted to Baqir Ali, Rashid Gujjar, Faiz Alam, Shakeel and Sodagar who were arrested on April 30, Dawn online reported. According to Singh, the accused were booked under the sections dealing with bailable offences and "desecration of a worship place". "I am not a worship place but a citizen of Pakistan having Sikh faith and attackers have disgraced one of my religious symbols. Police should have added 295/A which deals with non-bailable offence with maximum penalty of 10 year imprisonment," Singh said. --IANS py/vm Brazilian Attorney General Rodrigo Janot has accused former president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva of playing a key role in the huge corruption scandal in state oil company Petrobras. Janot on Tuesday urged the Supreme Court to authorise an investigation against da Silva for alleged corruption, BBC reported. The former president was previously accused of getting a penthouse flat in favourable conditions from a building company involved in the Petrobras scandal. But the accusations filed now by the Brazilian attorney general are much more serious. Janot said Lula and other senior politicians conspired to create a scheme that siphoned off vast amounts of money from Petrobras. He requested authorisation to investigate Lula and 29 other senior politicians, officials and businessmen. However, Lula, who was in office between 2003 and 2011, has denied all the allegations. He returned to frontline in March, when President Dilma Rousseff nominated him as her chief of staff. Prosecutors said the corruption scheme is estimated to have cost the company more than $2 billion, part of which was used to finance the electoral campaign of top Brazilian politicians. --IANS ksk/vm The union cabinet on Wednesday gave its approval for adoption of the UN Fundamental Principles of Official Statistics. "The adoption of these principles will bring professional independence, impartiality, accountability and transparency in methods of collection, compilation and dissemination of official statistics, besides adopting international standards," an official statement said. "The adoption will also pave way for devising a national policy on official statistics for improving systems, procedures and institutions consistent with these principles," it added. There are 10 fundamental principles as endorsed by the UN General Assembly. According to these, the statistical agencies need to present information according to scientific standards on the sources, methods and procedures of the statistics in order to facilitate a correct interpretation of the data. The statistical agencies are entitled to comment on erroneous interpretation and misuse of statistics. Also, the data for statistical purposes may be drawn from all types of sources, be they statistical surveys or administrative records. The UN principles state that bilateral and multilateral cooperation in statistics contributes to the improvement of systems of official statistics in all countries. The progress of work in implementation of the Fundamental Principles of Official Statistics is required to be reported by India to the UN Statistics Division for deliberation in the 48th session of the UN Statistics Commission to be held in 2017. --IANS mak/pm/ Hong Kong should focus on getting its citizens to behave well and rehabilitate the city's tourist-friendly image if it wants to attract more Chinese mainland tourists, tourism experts said. The suggestion was made after Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying announced on Tuesday that the Hong Kong government has no plans to restore the multiple-entry individual visit scheme for people from the nearby city of Shenzhen, Guangdong province, the China Daily reported on Wednesday. Evidence of the falling number of mainland tourists visiting Hong Kong came during the three-day "mini Golden Week" holiday from April 30 to May 2 when there was a 40 percent year-on-year drop in the number of mainland tour groups, according to the Hong Kong Inbound Travel Association. Lam Chi-ting, general secretary of Hong Kong Tourism Industry Employees General Union, said he agreed that the time is not right to reinstate the multiple-entry permits for residents from Shenzhen, or to loosen rules so that residents of other mainland cities can visit Hong Kong more easily. "The city still needs time to study its capacity before welcoming more mainlanders," Lam said. "Not to mention, Hong Kong people also need time to learn how to behave in a civil and friendly way toward mainland visitors." He made the comments after recent news stories reported isolated incidents in which mainland visitors had been criticized and made to feel uncomfortable in Hong Kong. The city has enjoyed several bumper years for tourism, with mainland visitors delivering a shopping and travelling bonanza to the retail sector, said Song Ding, a senior analyst from the Tourism and Real Estate Industry Research Center of the China Development Institute, a think tank based in Shenzhen. But in the wake of fewer mainland tourists visiting the city and a cooling economy, Hong Kong has been attempting to lure tourists from countries including Japan, South Korea and the USs. China contributes between 3 and 4 million arrivals to Hong Kong each month, compared with 150,000 to 160,000 monthly arrivals from other major markets. --IANS ksk Shreya Ukil, a 40-year-old Indian woman who was formerly a techie at the office in London, has won a landmark lawsuit in a British court against the IT major for sacking her on grounds of gender discrimination, unequal pay and victimisation. "The leadership team, including its (then) chief executive T.K. Kurien, conspired to push Ukil out of her job and her role in Britain," her counsel Slater Gordon said in a statement from London on Wednesday. The court observed that the direction (to sack Ukil) had come from the very top and was followed through with considerable resolve. "Ukil was victimised by Wipro's leadership for speaking up about sex discrimination, unequal pay and a culture of sexism," the statement said. Ukil, who worked with for almost 10 years, won multi-million-dollar contracts for the firm and received numerous performance awards, started raising concerns in 2012, which went unheeded. Ukil sued the Bengaluru-based outsourcing firm in October 2015, seeking one million pounds compensation for gender discrimination, unequal pay and harassment. Sacking Ukil and her superior Manoj Punja, 54, the company had then said that they were relieved from service after an internal inquiry established that they were into a relationship but did not report about it to the company as a policy. Ukil, who was the sales and market development manager for Wipro's back office operations in London, filed the lawsuit with the central London employment tribunal, claiming she was forced into an affair by Punja, a married man, who was head of its business process outsourcing (BPO) office in London. Former South Africa Test skipper Hashim Amla, who was on Tuesday included in the Kings XI Punjab franchise, is excited to make his debut in the cash-rich Indian Premier League (IPL). Despite an impeccable record with the willow in Test matches, Amla failed to find any takers during any of the IPL auctions. Amla's inclusion in the Kings XI Punjab squad comes only as a replacement for injured Australian Shaun Marsh, who has been ruled out with a back injury for the rest of this season's IPL. The 33-year-old Amla, who has an average of 31.35 in 88 matches at a strike rate of 125.95, including 16 half centuries, took to social networking website Twitter to express his delight after the announcement. "Excited to be with @lionsdenkxip for the remainder of the @ipl. Looking forward to it. Thanks for the support peeps," Amla tweeted. The Kings XI are languishing at the bottom of the IPL standings having only won two of their first seven games. --IANS tri/ajb/bg Lodi (Italy), May 3 (IANS/AKI) Italian finance police on Tuesday arrested Simone Uggetti, mayor of the northern city of Lodi, on suspicion of rigging bids for public swimming pools. A lawyer in Lodi was also arrested in the corruption probe. Police searched offices at the city council in Lodi, in the Lombardy region, and impounded documents on Tuesday as part of the investigation. Uggetti, from the ruling centre-left Democratic Party of Premier Matteo Renzi, and the unnamed lawyer, are accused of rigging public tenders for an open-air and an indoor pool, according to investigators. Both Uggetti and the lawyer are being held in prison since their arrest due to the risk they could tamper with evidence in the case, police said. In Uggetti's arrest warrant, investigating judge Cristiano Marino described his tenure as "completely arbitrary and overweening". Uggetti had "broken the law" and "violated his political mandate to nurture the public good," Marino said. Lodi city council said on Tuesday it had suspended Uggetti from his post and appointed Deputy Mayor Simonetta Pozzoli to carry out his duties. However, the current deputy leader of the Democratic Party and former mayor of Lodi Lorenzo Guerini described Uggetti as "upright and transparent". "I have complete faith that investigating magistrates will clear things up as fast as possible," Guerini said. The judicial probe began in March after a local official reported Uggetti for pressuring Lodi city council insistently to award contracts to build the two pools to a private firm, 'Sporting Lodi'. Uggetti, 42, was elected in mayor of Lodi in June 2013 with 53.62 percent of votes. He served as environment, urban planning, sustainable transport and productive activities councillor in Guerini's two previous administrations. --IANS/AKI vd Finance Minister Arun Jaitley is in Frankfurt, Germany, on a day's official visit for the annual meeting of board of governors' of the Asian Development Bank (ADB). "Mr Jaitley left for Frankfurt today morning to attend the ADB meet," a finance ministry spokesperson said on Wednesday. Jaitley will attend the 49th annual meeting of the board of governors' of ADB. "The finance minister would focus on the performance of Indian economy in the period of global slowdown. Cooperation with ADB in development will also be on his agenda," the ministry said in a statement. Jaitley is also slated to hold meetings with Hans-Joachim Fuchtel of German federal ministry for economic cooperation and development; and Takeshi Kunibe, President and CEO, Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation, during the trip. He will also discuss the economic assistance packages from India to Bhutan, progress of work of hydropower projects funded by India and the sub-regional cooperation in his meeting with Bhutanese finance minister Lyonpo Namgay Dorji. Jaitley will then participate in the CNBC debate on "Asian Economic Outlook-2016" along with other finance ministers of Indonesia, Pakistan, and ADB President Takehiko Nakao before returning to India on Thursday. Though Asian Development Outlook 2016 predicts softening in the region's growth rates from 5.9 percent projected last year to 5.7 percent each in 2016-17, India is projected to grow at 7.6 percent in 2015-16 despite decline in exports and two consecutive unfavourable monsoons. --IANS mm/sd/vm The number of children in Japan under the age of 15 reached a historic low again, according to figures released by the government on Wednesday. On April 1, the number of children of up to 14 years of age was 16.05 million, a year-on-year drop of 150,000 or almost one percent, and the worst figure since 1950 when the data began to be compiled, EFE news reported. The number has dipped for the 35th consecutive year. In terms of gender, the number of girls and boys stood at 7.82 million and 8.22 million respectively. This age group now represents only 12.6 percent of the total population, and the 42nd consecutive year of decrease, according to the ministry of interior and communications data. The data shows a serious fall in birth rate in the world's third largest economy, which has seen a downward trend since 1982. Meanwhile, the number of children rose in only one of the 47 prefectures -- Tokyo -- this year, while only two -- Fukuoka and Okinawa -- maintained their figures from last year. --IANS ksk/vt The Left is still fighting the spectre of a police firing that had left 14 dead nine years back in this rural hamlet. The firing, which focussed national and international attention on a peasant agitation against forcible land acquisition, had played a vital role in ending 34 years of Left Front rule in West Bengal. At the other side, the Trinamool Congress is battling allegations of corruption in Nandigram, about 160 km from Kolkata in East Midnapore district - which goes to the hustings on Thursday in the sixth and final phase of the state assembly polls. The trigger for the graft charges is the Narada News sting operation video that purportedly showed heavyweight Trinamool candidate Suvendu Adhikari taking wads of currency notes in return for doling out favours to a fictitious company. Ironically, the Communist Party of India, which had established a monopoly over the seat from 1996 to 2009, lost its grip after its then legislator, Md. Iliyas, was caught taking a bribe in another sting operation. But it is the infamous police firing that has brought about a complete shift in Nandigram's political centre of gravity. Such is Trinamol's stranglehold over the area that the CPI candidate, Abdul Kabir Sekh, backed by the Left Front and the Congress, complains he is unable to campaign in most parts of the constituency. "Trinamool workers are tearing-off our flags, festoons and placards. I don't know how many votes they can increase by terrorising voters," Kabir told IANS. Almost in all panchayats on the bank of the Haldi river, Trinamool flags are seen fluttering everywhere. Red flags are hardly visible. "Out of 17 gram panchayats where Trinamool is in power, we are not being allowed to campaign in 10-11," Kabir said. But Adhikari, also the sitting Lok Sabha member from Tamluk - of which Nandigram is a part - pooh poohed the allegations. "They (the Left) are unable to campaign as they have no organisation here. Since the time they killed farmers of Nandigram in the name of land acquisition, people have started hating them," Adhikari told IANS. Violence erupted in Nandigram in 2007 after the villagers started protesting against the then Left Front government's bid to acquire 10,000 acres of land for a chemical hub and a special economic zone to be developed by the Indonesia-based Salim group. After the government notified the land acquisition, the farmers, backed by the Trinamool, Maoists and the Congress, dug up all the approach roads and virtually created a free zone. As the administration tried to regain control of the area, 14 farmers died in police firing on March 14, 2007, and over 100 were declared "missing". The government withdrew the land acquisition notification, but violence continued for over a year. "The way we handled the land acquisition issue was wrong. The way our government tried to acquire land was a blunder," Kabir said. "We failed to convince farmers about the positive effects of industrialisation after we had given them land during our rule," he added. The Trinamool, cashing in on the anti-land acquisition stir, nominated Firoza Bibi, the mother of a youth who was said to be among the 14 who died in the police firing, in a by-poll for the assembly seat in January 2009. The by-poll followed Ilyas' resignation after the sting operation and Firoza Bibi easily won. In 2011, Firoza Bibi was re-elected with a 43,000-plus margin, but this time she has been shunted off to Panskura West in the same district. The ruling party is still making the forcible land acquisition an issue. However, the CPI has been highlighting the change of candidate by the Trinamool. Kabir claims she got the axe as the party failed to earn the confidence of the over 2.30 lakh voters. In the 2014 Lok Sabha polls, Adhikari had secured a massive lead of 87,283 votes over his CPI-M rival from the Nandigram assembly segment. The Congress garnered 29,613 votes to finish third, while the BJP candidate received 10,798 votes. The chief minister announced Adhikari's candidature, promising he would be made a minister if her party comes back to power. However, the Narada issue is causing Adhikari much discomfort. The East Midnapore district Trinamool strongman disconnected the mobile the moment IANS questioned him about Narada. Locals, however, acknowledged that several development projects have been undertaken in Nandigram, which is now connected through a ferry service to the industrial town of Haldia. "But we are annoyed with the local Trinamool leaders, who allegedly receive huge amounts of cut-money in various development projects," a local said on condition of anonymity. The BJP and SUCI-C are also in the fray. (Bappaditya Chatterjee can be contacted at bappaditya.C@ians.in) --IANS bdc/ssp/vm/sac Cutting across party lines, Lok Sabha members on Wednesday denounced the rape and murder of a poor Dalit law student in Kerala. Nominated member Richard Hay said it looked as if Kerala was losing its earlier glory. "Does it (Kerala) deserve the description 'God's own country'? It has become a devil's country," Hay lamented while raising the issue. He and other members raised the issue of Jisha, 27, who was murdered on April 28 in Perumbavoor in Ernakulam. Her body was found badly mutilated. The brutality has led to comparisons with the 2012 gang-rape in Delhi that shook the nation. BJP's Meenakshi Lekhi said the young woman's death "was a sad reminder of the Nirbhaya case". She wanted to know why no arrest had been been made. Days after this incident, another young student was allegedly gang-raped and dumped at Varkala near Thiruvananthapuram, she said. Admitting that the incident in Kerala was serious, Parliamentary Affairs Minister M. Venkaiah Naidu said "such incidents should not be made into a political issue". Naidu said he will share the concern of the Lok Sabha members with Home Minister Rajnath Singh and request him to seek a report on the matter. In the Rajya Sabha, members raised the issue and Social Justice Minister Thawar Chand Gehlot said he will visit Kerala soon. --IANS nd/sd/mr The absence of Railways Minister Suresh Prabhu and his junior Manoj Sinha during Question Hour, when questions related to their ministry were listed, led to a furore in the Lok Sabha and embarrassment for the government -- which was forced to apologise in the lower house. Speaker Sumitra Mahajan also issued a stricture against the government, saying such instances should not recur. During Question Hour, a question related to the railways ministry was listed at serial number 147. Shortly after question number 146 was completed, the Speaker took up the next number - 147, which was related to 'Go-India Smart Card', an initiative of the railways ministry. Neither Prabhu nor Sinha were present in the House at the time.. The situation led to loud protests by Congress members, led by its leader Mallikarjun Kharge. Raising the matter of the absence of the minister, Kharge sought to know from the government why the ministers were absent when questions relating to their ministry were listed. Kharge said this was not the first time that a minister was absent when matters related to their respective departments were taken up. "For running of the house, ministers must be present, but they are not following rules," Kharge said. Mahajan expressed her displeasure over the absence of the ministers. "I was informed that the cabinet minister is busy somewhere else. The minister of state was here but he left the House. Ministers should be present till the last. This should not happen again," she said. Parliamentary Affairs Minister M. Venkaiah Naidu apologised for the absence of the minister saying it will not be repeated. "I am sorry and it will not be repeated. The minister should be in the House. It is a mistake," he said. He also suggested that the particular question relating to the railway ministry should be postponed and taken up on another day. Manoj Sinha had been present in the House earlier when Question Hour started. The first question listed was for the railways ministry and Sinha gave a reply. At the time, Prime Minister Narendra Modi was also present in the House. Sinha, however, left the House probably assuming that question number 147 would likely not come up. Prabhu later came to the House and apologised for the mistake. --IANS bns/rn/dg The Pakistan Army chief on Wednesday ordered an inquiry into the death of a political activist in custody of the Rangers in Karachi. The Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), which has held a sway over Pakistan's port city for long, accused the Rangers of having carried out dozens of extra-judicial killings of party members since 2013. The Rangers, however, deny the charge. "The army chief (General Raheel Sharif) has ordered an inquiry in the case. He instructed that justice be done," a statement by the Inter-Services Public Relations said on Wednesday. Aftab Ahmed was reportedly taken into detention by law enforcement personnel from his house on Sunday and died on Tuesday. He was among seven suspects presented before a judge of the anti-terrorism court on Monday by the paramilitary Rangers. The Rangers initially said Ahmed died of a heart attack, but the MQM said Ahmed was "extra-judicially killed" in the force's custody. "COAS has directed to hold an inquiry to find out truth in the case of Aftab Ahmed," the ISPR said in a statement. On Tuesday he was rushed to the Jinnah Hospital where he was pronounced dead. "Aftab Ahmed was brought to the Jinnah Hospital at 7.25 a.m this morning. He was treated in the emergency ward. Aftab Ahmed passed away during emergency treatment," said Seemi Jamali, head of emergency at the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC). But later, a report by the medico-legal advisor stated that Aftab Ahmed had already expired before he was brought to the hospital at 8.05 a.m. --IANS ahm/vt The Odisha Assembly on Wednesday witnessed chaotic scenes, with the ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) and opposition parties trading barbs over the chit fund scam that has rocked the state. Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislators created a ruckus in the House, seeking clarifications from Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik over the transfer of money to BJD's bank account, allegedly by a chit fund accused. However, ruling party members rejected the charge and demanded an apology from the Leader of Opposition Narasingh Mishra for "misleading the House" on the issue. The pandemonium forced the Assembly Speaker to adjourn the House several times. Amid the din, Law Minister Arun Sahu rejected the allegations levelled by the Congress. He said opposition leader Mishra's charge that chit fund money was credited to the BJD bank account was not based on truth. "The allegation levelled by leader of opposition that the BJD received money from chit fund scam accused Purnachandra Padhi is false. The fund in question was transferred by one BJD worker with a similar name," the minister said. He said the BJD has received funds from the general electoral trust between the years 2000 and 2014. While the Congress received Rs.100 crore, BJP got Rs.70 crore and BJD received Rs.13 crore. BJD has already informed the Election Commission about its income and expenditure and has filed income tax returns, the minister added. "The leader of opposition is diminishing the dignity of the House by making false statements. He should refrain from taking political mileage over the issue. He should tender an unconditional apology in the House," Sahu said. However, the Congress and the BJP members were not satisfied with the law minister's statement and raised slogans against the chief minister, and moved to the Well of the Assembly. Congress chief whip Tara Prasad Bahinipati stood on the reporters' table and broke the Speaker's microphone. Leader of Opposition Mishra told mediapersons that he was ready to furnish all relevant documents to substantiate his allegation. He said if the chief minister appoints the Lokayukta, then he would submit the documents before him. Mishra also asked why the chief minister is afraid of making a statement in the House over the issue. On Tuesday, Mishra had asked the chief minister to clarify whether the bank account in the State Bank of India's main branch in Bhubaneswar belonged to the BJD and what kind of involvement he had with this account. He had alleged that Rs.8 crore was deposited in this account on a single day. --IANS cd/bim/sac Police on Wednesday claimed to have busted a major Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorist cell with the arrest of three suspects who were planning an attack in Delhi and neighbouring areas. Nine suspects, with alleged links to the Pakistan-based group, were being questioned. Police officials said the terror module was active and plotting to target "sensitive and crowded" areas in the national capital region. Police said the module, which was being closely watched by security and intelligence officials for some time, was busted after separate raids in parts of Delhi and neighbouring Uttar Pradesh. An IED has been recovered from them. "Three have been arrested and they will be brought to a Delhi court (on Wednesday afternoon)," a police official told IANS, adding nine more were detained and were being questioned for possible links to the JeM and for providing logistical support to the terror cell. Among those arrested is Sajid, identified by his first name only, who is in his early 20s. He was said to be one of the most wanted terrorists one of whose hands got burnt while preparing a bomb sometime ago. Sajid was arrested from Gokulpuri in east Delhi. "He is the main accused and was perhaps heading the module," the official added. The other two arrested were Shakir and Sameer, also known by their first names. They too were said to be directly linked to Jaish, which was blamed for the January 2 attack on the Indian Air Force base in Pathankot. Police said search operations were on at different places in Delhi and Uttar Pradesh. Arvind Deep, the Special Commissioner of Police (Special Cell), told IANS that most suspects were below 30. "Some of them are permanent residents of Delhi and some are from Uttar Pradesh." --IANS rak-aks/sar/mr Tension gripped Bihar's Ekangarsarai town after the body of an abducted 14-year-old boy was found in Jehanabad district, triggering protests on Wednesday, police said. Ritik Raj, a class 8 student and son of rice mill owner Niranjan Sahu, was abducted for ransom on Sunday from Ekangarsarai in Nalanda district. He was found murdered in Jehanabad district late Tuesday night. Kidnappers had demanded a ransom of Rs.50 lakh for his safe release on Monday, police said. "After Ritik went missing and we failed to trace him, we filed a report with police," said a family member. The boy's father received a call on his cell phone from the abductors, demanding Rs.50 lakh for his release. Police filed a kidnapping case for ransom. As the boy's body reached Ekangarsarai on Tuesday night, hundreds of angry people blocked roads and demanded action against police over its failure to begin a search to trace the boy soon after the incident came to light. Sensing trouble, additional security forces have been deployed in Ekangarsarai. "Protestors have pelted stones at police and shouted slogans against police. Tension is prevailing in Ekangarsarai," a district police official said. Police suspect the boy was killed two days after being kidnapped. --IANS ik/sd/sac Known for her work in path-breaking films such as "Kshay" and "Qissa", actress Rasika Dugal is stoked about the release of forthcoming Malayalam actioner "Kammati Paadam" in which she has worked with Dulquer Salmaan. "Although I've not watched the film yet, I'm still excited about it going by the experience of working on this project," Rasika told IANS. Directed by Rajeev Ravi, the well-known cinematographer, the film is produced by Prem Menon under the banner of Global United Media. Rasika had known Rajeev from the time she had made her acting debut in Anurag Kashyap's "No Smoking". "He was my senior in FTII, and he's always been supportive of people from the institute. Post aNo Smoking', we reconnected when we traveled to Colombo for a film festival with our films. He asked me if I'd like to work with him and I instantly agreed," she said. For Rasika, it was important that her role was significant to Rajeev more than herself. "I've always wanted to work with Rajeev, so when he asked, I didn't have any second thoughts. I wasn't even sure how I was going to be portrayed alongside Dulquer," she said. However, the way things panned out surprised Rasika, in a pleasant way. "I primarily relied on my instinct while working on this project. Rajeev is a very visual person, so he likes to change a lot of things on the sets. There have been instances where a three lines scene became three pages scene while filming. It was quite unnerving, but I enjoyed the process because the character stayed with me for long," she said. The film, which has music by K, also stars Vinay Fort, Shine Tom Chacko and Shaun Romy. It is slated to release on May 20. Talking about working with Dulquer, she said, "I was initially wary, because I assumed he's a star and might come with some baggage. However, the experience of working with Dulquer turned out to be very comfortable. He really gets invested in what he's doing." Dulquer also helped her get familiarize with the Malayalam filmdom, apart from suggesting some films to watch. Although Rasika doesn't divulge much about the film or her role, she says she'll be seen in the most deglamorous avatar of her career. --IANS hp/nv/vm Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) of Rs.26,000 crore has been made in the telecom sector in the last two years, Telecom Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad told the Lok Sabha on Wednesday. "We have received FDI of Rs.26,000 crore in the telecom sector in two years, the highest ever in the country's history. It is double that of the last 2-3 years," Prasad said during Question Hour. Replying to supplementary questions from Communist Party of India-Marxist member Sankar Prasad Datta, the minister said that rural telephony had increased by 6.62 percent while the increase in urban pockets was 5.52 percent. "In less than two years, we have laid 1,39,582 km of optic fibre pipe and 1,11,726 km of optic fibre," he said. He told Datta, representing Tripura West constituency, that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had given instructions to reinforce telecom connectivity with Bangladesh. "Provisioning of Internet has been made for Tripura, north-east and other places," he said. --IANS nd/tsb/sac Democratic hopeful Bernie Sanders picked up a key win in Tuesday night's Indiana state primary and is confident he can keep winning in the upcoming contests in West Virginia, Kentucky and Oregon. The Vermont senator led the Indiana polls with 53 percent against party front-runner Hillary Clinton who had 48 percent of the total votes, Politico reported. Less than a half hour after results began pouring in, Sanders rallied supporters in Louisville, Kentucky, where voters will head to the polls on May 17. Ticking through his standard stump lines while bashing Clinton for her paid speeches and 2002 vote in favour of invading Iraq, Sanders told a boisterous crowd that their ideas will prevail. "I'll tell you what is extremely exciting for me, and that is that in primary after primary, caucus after caucus, we end up winning the vote of people 45 years of age and younger," Sanders said, adding "And that is important because it tells me that ideas that we are fighting for are the ideas for the future of America and the future of the Democratic Party." According to experts, the calendar for the rest of May portends favorably for Sanders, as well, with West Virginia up next on May 10, followed by Kentucky and Oregon on May 17. "I want to thank the people of Indiana for the great upset victory that they gave us tonight. This is the 18th state that we have won, and we expect more victories in the weeks to come," Sanders said in a statement released Tuesday night. With 83 pledged delegates at stake, Indiana loomed large as an opportunity for Sanders to pull an upset in a state where Clinton has led narrowly in most recent polls. A joint NBC News, Wall Street Journal and Marist College survey conducted last week showed her with a 4-point lead. Sanders had kept up his criticism of the Democratic nomination process, riffing to crowds across Indiana on Monday about the outsize role superdelegates play and vowing to fight for a contested nomination should Clinton need those superdelegates to put her over the total number of 2,383 need to win. Clinton still leads the Democrats race with 2,217 votes (pledged: 1704, superdelegates: 513) against Sanders who has a total of 1443 votes (pledged: 1402, superdelegates: 41), according to CNN figures. Sanders have vowed to keep up the fight to clinch the final nomination, and said his ongoing struggle with Clinton would help the party in the fall. "The Clinton campaign thinks this is over. They're wrong," Sanders said. "Maybe it's over for the insiders and the party establishment, but the voters in Indiana had a different idea. The campaign wasn't over for them. It isn't over for the voters in West Virginia. It isn't over for Democrats in Oregon, New Jersey and Kentucky. It isn't over for voters in California and all the other states with contests still to come." --IANS ksk/vm South Korean President Park Geun-hye has said her landmark visit to Iran was an opportunity to secure Tehran's cooperation in denuclearising the Korean peninsula. Park paid a three-day visit to Iran from Sunday for a summit with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani. She is the first South Korean president to visit the Middle East country since they established diplomatic ties in 1962. "This visit was aimed at securing a room for cooperation with Iran on the Korean peninsula denuclearisation issue," Xinhua news agency quoted Park as saying. Park said it was very rare and meaningful for Iran to clearly and publicly express its position about the peninsula's denuclearisation in consideration of the very amicable relations that Iran traditionally had with North Korea. Rouhani expressed his country's opposition to nuclear development on the Korean peninsula during a joint press conference on Monday after a summit with Park. Park said Rouhani strongly voiced his opposition to any nuclear development and publicly expressed his support for peaceful reunification on the peninsula, saying he repeatedly stressed his opposition to any security instabilities on the peninsula. Park's comments came amid lingering concerns about North Korea's fifth nuclear test, which South Korean military expected to occur around the Pyongyang's ruling party convention on Friday. The seventh ruling Workers' Party of Korea (WPK), the first party congress in 36 years, is expected to last for three to four days. --IANS py/vm Spanish premium fashion brand Massimo Dutti will be making its debut in India with the launch of its first store here on May 13. The Massimo Dutti store is poised to start operations in the national capital at Select CityWalk Mall here with 5027 square feet of retail space and will house womenswear, menswear, footwear, accessories and personal tailoring, read a statement. The opening will mark the foray of the Spanish premium brand into the Indian market at the behest of Inditex, the Spanish retail group which owns the brand. Quality lies at the heart of the Massimo Dutti collections which offer contemporary styles in next generation fabrics. Globally, the brand has 755 stores across 73 countries. --IANS sug/nv/bg A court on Wednesday sent three Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) suspects arrested for planning a terror attack in Delhi and nearby areas to 10-day police custody. Additional Sessions Judge Reetesh Singh allowed Delhi Police to quiz the three -- Mohammed Sajid, Shakir Ansari and Sameer -- till May 14. Police said the terror module was active and plotting to target "sensitive and crowded" areas in the national capital region. Police had sought 15 days custody stating that some explosives had been seized from Sajid and it wanted custodial interrogation of the accused to unearth the entire conspiracy. Defence counsel M.S. Khan opposed the plea, saying police had already recovered the materials and there was no need for custodial interrogation. Nine suspects, with alleged links to the Pakistan-based group, were being questioned, police said. Police said the module, which was being closely watched by security and intelligence officials for some time, was busted after separate raids in parts of Delhi and neighbouring Uttar Pradesh. An IED was also recovered from them. Sajid, in his early 20s, is said to be one of the most wanted terrorists whose one hand got burnt while preparing a bomb sometime ago. He was arrested from Gokulpuri in east Delhi. The other two arrested are Shakir and Sameer. They too were said to be directly linked to JeM, which was blamed for the January 2 attack on the Indian Air Force base in Pathankot. Police said search operations were on at different places in Delhi and Uttar Pradesh. --IANS akk/pm/mr Two people were killed and one was injured in a shooting incident at a transportation company in west Houston, the US state of Texas early on Wednesday. According to local TV station Khou, the shooting happened at the Knight Transportation company in west Houston around 8:45 am local time, Xinhua reported. An ex-employee walked into the company and fatally shot one worker before killing himself. Houston police have confirmed the incident, saying that the shooter was fired earlier in the morning but returned with a weapon and opened fire. One other worker suffered injuries while fleeing the shooting and a deputy was injured as he ran into the building. The company is near the Morton Ranch High School was on lockdown as a precaution. The lockdown has now been lifted. --IANS sku/ South Korea and the US will hold a high-level defence dialogue next week in Washington, US, to discuss a joint response to North Korea's nuclear and missile threats, Seoul's defence ministry said on Wednesday. The ninth round of the South Korea-US Integrated Defence Dialogue (KIDD), which was launched in 2011, will be held for two days from Monday, Xinhua news agency reported. Those participating in the talks include South Korea's Deputy Defence Minister for policy Yoo Jeh-seung and US Assistant Secretary of Defense David Shear. During the meeting, the two sides will discuss their joint response to North Korea's "nuclear and missile threats", Seoul's defence ministry said. --IANS py/vt/vt In general, individuals and companies desiring to avoid/evade taxes have created an extremely lucrative business area for global banks - and not only those based in Switzerland, which have become notorious for their "secret" numbered bank accounts. In last week's article, I had referred to the corporate mergers and acquisitions, which had no economic justification other than saving on taxes. Initiating such ideas with corporate managements and helping in their execution have proved to be an extremely lucrative business for global banks. So has the business of helping non-corporate individual clients to evade taxes: A few years ago, Swiss banks alone paid $5.5 billion in fines to the US government to help US clients evade taxes. With growth being upbeat compared with much of the world, things must be going well with us. There are indeed a number of positive attributes that lend an upward trajectory to expectations. But, there's the difficulty of "living in interesting times", as in the apocryphal "Chinese curse", while we go through this period of transition, with uncomfortable but desirable transformations. The previous article set out the paradigm shift in financial inclusion in India through the Pradhan Mantri Jan-Dhan Yojana (PMJDY): Progress in inclusion has now gone beyond just the number of accounts and agents; there is more data available transparently online to be verified by analysts; not just no-frills basic savings accounts, the mission is also linking government benefits, insurance, pension and overdraft facility for the poor and the unbanked; the massive campaign in the initial phase of PMJDY did more to raise awareness among the masses on banking services, etc. MicroSave conducted three survey rounds of PMJDY over a year, and while the two main negative results grabbed headlines recently, this piece aims to give a more complete picture - the good, the bad and the ugly. Index funds, which mirror a particular index like the Nifty 50 or Sensex or Bankex, have been favoured by leading investment gurus for a long time. The latest to speak out in their support is Warren Buffett. Speaking at the annual general meeting of Berkshire Hathaway last week, Buffett said retail investors can make good returns by investing in index funds for the long term. John Bogle, who introduced the first index fund in 1975 and who is the founder of the Vanguard Group, would agree. Bogle has argued for eons that investing in low-cost index is the best way to make money. But, while the high utility of index funds is an accepted theory in the United States, does it really work in developing economies like India? There are few clear advantages. One, cost. Most index funds charge less than 100 basis points, while diversified equity funds cost a lot more (200-300 bps or even more in some cases). Two, lower volatility. Given that these funds follow benchmark indices, unless the fund manager has been managing the scheme actively, there is little chance that the index will move more than a couple of percentage points either side of the index. The difference in performance between the underlying index and the fund is called tracking error. Index funds or ETFs are suitable for those investors who wish to avoid active risk and are looking to generate higher return compared to other asset classes. The advantage of index funds is investment in diversified portfolio with low cost, says Krishan Kumar Daga, senior fund manager HDFC Asset Management, adding that a lower tracking error shows that the fund is closely following the benchmark index. However, despite these obvious advantages, many believe that there are too many opportunities for fund managers in India unlike the US. Feroze Azeez, Deputy chief executive officer, Anand Rathi Private Wealth Management says: In India, 80-90 per cent of the funds beat the index, while in the US only 10 per cent beat the index. According to Kaustubh Belapurkar, director Fund Research, Morningstar India: In the Indian market, a fund manager provides lot of alpha over the index. In case of actively traded large-cap funds, the returns could be higher than the index by 200-300 basis points over a five-year period. While in case of mid-cap funds returns could be even higher. That is why over the long term actively adjusted funds will give better returns, he says. Data support Belapurkars views. Over a 10-year period, equity diversified funds have returned 10.93 to 13.91 per cent a year, whereas returns for index funds have been in the range of 7.2 to 8.79 per cent annually, according to data from Value Research. Azeez says such funds do not pinch the pocket and if the fund manager is not very aggressive, returns can be steady over a long period as well. BJP MP Subramanian Swamy in his maiden speech in the Rajya Sabha laid out 5 allegations in the Rs 3,700 cr VVIP chopper deal. Listing out a chronology of events from 2004, Swamy mentioned that the Congress led UPA government changed norms to eliminate other players and facilitate the deal with . The Rajya Sabha witnessed huge ruckus after Swamy indicated that Congress MP Ahmad Patel is the 'AP' mentioned in the Italian court order who received Rs 125 cr as bribe on behalf of Sonia Gandhi. Swamy also said that while he respects former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh who will not do anything wrong personally, he takes orders very easily which is his biggest minus point. Read more from our special coverage on "AGUSTA WESTLAND" The Congress party objected strongly to the points made by Swamy and insisted that the documents that he has quoted from should be authenticated and placed in the house. Swamy agreed to authenticate the documents following a order from the Chairman of the house. Responding to the allegations, Ahmad Patel challenged the government to subject him to an investigation. He said that if it is proved that he received any bribe in the AgustaWestland deal, he is ready to quit . He also rubbished Swamy's claims as baseless. Following are the 5 allegations made by Swamy against the Congress party in the deal 1) The international norm for cabin height for any helicopter is 1.45 metre. But the parameter was changed by the new UPA government to 1.80 metres. There is no other helicopter produced in the world that produces under this parameter. So the process had already started to eliminate other players so that only one helicopter can be purchased. I Will advise the govt that those who are responsible - including minsters and officials be charged under the prevention of corruption act 2) Field trials should always be conducted on the helicopter you are going to use. The aircraft you are buying has to be subjected to field trials. They chose to have field trials in Italy but why was the testing done on another helicopter. That is amounting to fraud and they are prosecutable under section 420 of the IPC. 3) The Original proposal was to buy 8 helicopters. Suddenly after it became clear that is the only one that will qualify, they decided to buy 4 more. CAG said that the present 8 was hardly utilised- only 29% utilisation rate. Why was the additional copters needed? The government spent an additional amount of Rs 1200 cr. 4) Then the price negotiations started - there is a benchmark estimate. January 2006, the Air Force gave Rs 793 cr as the benchmark rate. But in Sept 2008, price negotiation committee arbitrarly fixed Rs 4877.5 cr, rejecting the Rs 793 cr fixed by the Air Force - six times the original price. The then defence minister Mr Antony put his signature on the file. Which was the authority above him that asked him to do it? 5) Middleman Christian Michel's father was connected with several Congress leaders. The hand written note by middle men as per the documents available from the Italian court mentions Rs 125 cr was given in the form of bribe to faciliate the deal to AP. Who is this AP? They say it was given to the political secretary. We know whose political secretary he is. One Ukrainian coal miner was killed and at least nine others were missing, feared dead today after a methane gas explosion at a mine in the war-scarred separatist east. The chief health official of the self-proclaimed Lugansk People's Republic said 20 workers were inside the mine when the blast occurred yesterday in an area some 40 kilometres west of the Russian border. "Four are in hospital getting treatment for burns. We recovered one body and nine are still under the rubble," Larisa Airapetyan told the official Lugansk separatists' site. "The chances of finding them alive are slim -- the gas accumulation is very high." She did not say how or when the other six miners were rescued. The head of the rebel region's police force said the mine had earlier been stripped of its operating license due to safety concerns. "We issued instructions to shut down this facility, but no one listened to us," the Lugansk site quoted police chief Igor Kornet as saying. Local officials said the blast occurred 210 metres below ground. Lugansk's separatist leader Igor Plotnitsky said today that he had issued orders to conduct "the strictest inspections possible" of all mines in the resource-rich region to prevent further accidents. The former Soviet republic's rust belt has suffered from repeated deadly blasts in its loss-making, poorly-maintained coal mines. Another methane gas build up in an accident-prone mine in the rebel-held city of Donetsk killed 32 people in March 2015. Mine safety has been hampered further by a two-year insurgency that has claimed the lives of more than 9,300 people and left few resources for crucial maintenance work. A 15-year-old boy, who was suffering from Progeria and had become the face of a campaign against the rare genetic disorder in the country, has died. Nihal Batla, from Bhiwandi in adjoining Thane district, was fighting the disease that aged him eight times faster than normal. He was at his grandparents' house at Karimnagar in Telangana to attend a family wedding. On Monday evening, he felt dehydrated due to the scorching heat and had to be rushed to a private hospital for treatment. Within a few hours, he passed away, family sources said. His last rites were performed in Karimnagar yesterday. Nihal and his family had taken up the challenge of raising awareness about the incurable disease, which has an incidence of one in four million, and of finding more such cases for medical intervention in the country. The boy, who was part of a clinical trial for Lonafarnib drug in Boston to test if the drug could delay ageing, had posted his pictures on Facebook and Twitter to reach out to parents, specially in rural areas. Progeria or Hutchinson-Gilford Progeria syndrome, from which Nihal suffered, causes accelerated ageing in children, leading to premature death mostly due to heart attacks. A total of 16 activists, including 14 of them belonging to banned Garo National Liberation Army and two from United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA), today surrendered before Meghalaya Home Minister Roshan Warjri along with arms. The self-styled Area Commander of GNLA, Pilliport D Shira, along with his two deputies and 11 others surrendered along with arms before state Home Minister Roshan Warjri and top officials at the Police headquarters here, a top police officer said. Those who laid down arms also included two cadres of ULFA-Oprai Osom alias Horniath Rabha (29) and Sengbarth K Marak @ Nengman (30), Director General of Police Rajiv Mehta said. A huge cache of arms and ammunition were also deposited by them during the surrender ceremony which include 4 AK rifles, an Insas, a carbine, 6 pistols, a grenade, 4 handsets, 9 AK magazines with 342 live rounds of ammunition, 2 Insas magazines with 89 rounds of ammunition, 1 carbine magazine with 25 rounds, 9 pistol magazines, 9mm with 37 round and 7.65 with 16 rounds besides 5 ID Cards and 19 Sim Cards. This is the biggest achievement on the part of the home department in ensuring surrender of the notorious GNLA command based in North Garo Hills district adjoining Goalpara in Assam. "If in this way an entire command is willing to give up arms, we hope that others will also shun violence and join the mainstream," Mehta said. The DGP hailed the role played by church and NGO leaders in ensuring that the outlaws came forward for surrendering. "The aim of the state government and the state police is to bring back peace in the Garo Hills region", he said. GNLA publicity secretary Anurag S Sangma said, "We have decided to surrender as we wanted to return to mainstream and continue to lead our lives as before." He also admitted that the main reasons for quitting the outfit was due to continued police operations including the deployment of the SF-10 commandos. Sixteen civilians were killed in a brutal attack on a village in the restive east of the Democratic Republic of Congo, UN and local officials said today. The unidentified assailants slashed the throats of local residents after they managed to get past army positions in the village in the Beni region of North Kivu province late yesterday, local administrator Bernard Amisi Kalonda told AFP. A trucking company worker, who was recenty terminated, today returned to the office and shot dead his supervisor before killing himself in Texas in the US. Another person was injured in the deadly shooting at Knight Transportation office in the Houston suburb of Katy, said Harris County Sheriff Ron Hickman. "Other than he was terminated, we don't know anything about him," Hickman said. "He parked right outside the building and came right in." Hickman did not divulge any information about the injured person. Police said the victim was an employee who was shot in the face with a bean bag fired from a shotgun. Knight Transportation is an Arizona-based trucking company with locations around the country. On its website, the company says it has a "fleet of over 4,000 tractors and more than 8,800 trailers" and employs nearly 5,000 "associates." Katy is about 30 miles west of Houston. Three persons were killed and 12 others injured when a mini bus overturned on Tripur road under Belaganj police station of Gaya district today. Deputy Superintendent of Police (Law & Order) Pradeep Kumar said the incident occurred when the bus' driver lost control of the vehicle near Diha More. Three persons died on the spot and 12 others were injured. The bodies, which are yet to be identified, were sent to Gaya Medical College and Hospital for post-mortem. Kumar said the injured were admitted to Belaganj primary health centre and a private clinic. The driver of the bus fled, he said. Four members of a family were today killed after being run over by a train in the vicinity of Banskhapa railway crossing near here, police said. However, prima facie it is a case of suicide, Sohagpur police station inspector Rajendra Burman said. The deceased were identified as Kailash Kushwaha(37), his wife Radha (35) and their two kids - Riya (3) and Mahi (1). The motorcycle they were plying on has been recovered from the spot, he added. The circumstantial evidence suggest that Kailash and Radha, who worked as labourers, along with their kids jumped before the moving train, Burman said, adding investigations are underway. Meanwhile, Government Railway Police (GRP) Jabalpur Railway Division Superintendent Savita Sohaney told PTI that they were crushed to death by the 12166 Varanasi - Lokmanya Tilak Terminus Ratnagiri Express at the crossing. The bodies have been sent for post mortem, she added. The UN's envoy for Syria today made a plea for a halt in fighting in the second city of Aleppo, warning that failure to do so could lead to a "catastrophic" outcome. "The alternative is truly quite catastrophic, because we could see 400,000 people moving towards the Turkish border," Staffan de Mistura said after talks in Berlin with France and Germany's foreign ministers. The Berlin talks, which also included Syria's main opposition leader Riad Hijab, is part of a week of whirlwind diplomacy as negotiators battle to salvage a collapsing truce. De Mistura stressed that a return to peace talks hinged on a ceasefire. "The test is Aleppo now," he said. German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier and France's Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault also issued similar warnings. "If the ceasefire does not happen in the next few hours in Aleppo, everything would collapse," said Ayrault. "All the hopes that we had put on a peace process would disappear, even though that's a necessity for Syrians for all the refugees who want to return to live in their country. As many as 5875 Indian workers died in Gulf countries last year with maximum number of deaths of 2691 reported from Saudi Arabia, government said today. Saudi Arabia was followed by UAE which reported 1540 deaths in 2015, Minister of State for External Affairs V K Singh said while replying to a written question in Lok Sabha. While Qatar reported 279 deaths, there were 520 Indian workers who died in Oman, the minister said, adding 223 deaths happened in Bahrain, 611 in Kuwait and 11 in Iraq. However, Singh ruled out any co-relation between cases of deaths of Indian migrant workers and employment in hazardous occupations, and said as reported by the Indian missions/posts in Gulf countries, the death of Indian workers is mostly due to natural causes and traffic accidents. Amid stiff resistance from the MNS, the state irrigation department here today released 600 cusecs of water from city's Khadakwasla reservoir to neighbouring Indapur and Daund tehsils, which are reeling under severe water shortage in wake of the prevailing drought situation in Maharashtra. "Out of 1 TMC, 600 cusecs water has been released in the first phase and remaining water will be released in a phased manner to Indapur and Daund tehsils," A A Kapole, Superintendent Engineer, Pune Irrigation Circle said. He said the local administration and irrigation department have made all the arrangements to make sure that the water reaches its destination. "Striking force, flying squads, technical staff, police and officials from revenue department will be keeping close watch to make sure that water is not lifted illegally from the canal enroute," he said. To avoid any untoward incident at the reservoir, police forces were deployed around the Khadakwasla reservoir. Yesterday, MNS activists vandalised the state Irrigation department's office here protesting decision of sharing water from city reservoirs prompting police to tighten bandobast outside the office of District Guardian Minister Girish Bapat in city's Kasba area today. "We have deployed two officers and 10 police personnel outside the office of the guardian minister," senior inspector of Vishrambaug police station Hemant Bhat said here. The issue of release of water from Khadakwasla reservoir to Indapur and Daund tehsils in the district hotted up after MNS workers staged a violent protest while corporators from various parties opposed the decision saying it would aggravate the water shortage in Pune city. After yesterday's incident, a case of rioting and damaging property was registered against MNS activists who vandalised Sinchan Bhavan, state Irrigation department's office here. Bapat, in a joint meeting two days ago , took the decision to release 1 TMC water to Indapur and Daund tehsils, which are facing scarcity. The decision was, however, opposed by corporators of various parties in Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) and a delegation, led by mayor Prashant Jagtap, even submitted a memorandum to the district collector yesterday to "rethink" over the decision. Barring BJP, all other parties demanded that the decision be revoked and also sought resignation of Bapat. (Reopens BOM 6) Meanwhile, Pune district collector Saurabh Rao said the city would not face any problem due to the release of water as there was enough stock in Khadakwasla reservoir to suffice till mid-July. "Currently we have 5.20 TMC water in the reservoir and Pune city will need 2.75 TMC water till mid-July. Even after releasing 1 TMC water and considering that 0.75 TMC will vaporise, we will still have sufficient stock," said Rao at a press conference here this evening. "I can assure you that present stock is more than sufficient and water crisis will not aggravate in the city and even if the crisis situation arises after July 15, we have additional one TMC water available as dead stock. "With current pumping system available with us, we will be able to lift the water from the dead stock, however, the way we have done the water management before taking the decision of water sharing, we are pretty sure that such situation will not arrive," he said. There would not even be more water cuts in the city, the collector said. Rao also refuted the claim that civic officials were not taken into confidence before taking the decision. "In the first meeting the municipal commissioner was present and in subsequent meetings even Mayor was there," he said. The electricity supply had been cut off at some points along the canal which is taking the water to Daund and Indapur so that the water is not pumped out en route, he said. The water released from Khadakwasla would give relief to over 4 lakh people and the cattle in the two tehsils, he said. About 65.65 lakh metric tonnes (MT) of wheat have so far been procured by government agencies in Haryana, an official said today. Out of this, 58.51 lakh MT, or 89 per cent of the total procured wheat, have already been lifted. HAFED, Haryana Warehousing Corporation and Haryana Agro Industries Corporation have, on average, lifted the maximum quantity of wheat from the mandis that is 90 per cent each., the spokesman of the Food and Supplies Department said here. Food and Supplies Department and Food Corporation of India together have lifted 87 per cent of the procured wheat. He said that HAFED has procured more than 24.28 lakh MT of wheat and out of it, lifted more than 21.93 lakh MT of wheat. Similarly, Haryana Warehousing Corporation has procured more than 11.02 lakh MT of wheat and out of it lifted more than 9.94 lakh MT of wheat. Haryana Agro Industries Corporation has procured more than 5.90 lakh MT of wheat and out of it lifted 5.29 lakh MT of wheat, he added. He said that Food Corporation of India has so far procured more than 7.11 lakh MT of wheat and out of it lifted 6.19 lakh MT, and the Food and Supplies Department has also procured 17.31 lakh MT of wheat and out of it lifted 15.15 lakh MT. As many as 761 villages across the Gujarat facing acute water crisis have received water through tankers, the state government said today. Till last week, 530 villages were given water through tankers. Now, 231 more villages are being covered, taking the total number to 761 villages, said an official release quoting Gujarat Education Minister Bhupendrasinh Chudasama. Chudasama heads a sub-committee of minister for the assessment of scarcity of water. The committee today held it's weekly meeting at Gandhinagar to assess the situation and steps being taken by the government. It said 91 out of 162 municipalities have been given water tankers of 5,000 to 10,000 litre capacity to ferry water in their respective regions. As a proactive measure, officials are calling up sarpanch or other leaders of around 100 villages daily from Gandhinagar-based control room to get information about availability of water and cattle-fodder in their villages. Till now, 885 villages have been contacted across Gujarat, the release added. Gujarat government has declared 994 villages across the state, all from parched Saurashtra and Kutch region as 'partially scarcity-hit' till now. According to the government, several teams are engaged in repairing existing hand-pumps across the state and so far 987 hand-pumps have been repaired, it said. A Rajya Sabha MP today sought action against authors who had referred to freedom fighters like Bhagat Singh as a terrorist in a history text book, but some others said they had only sought deletion of such references and not the banning the book. "I will examine," said Deputy Chairman P J Kurien in response to the demand by SP member Naresh Agrawal, who got support from treasury benches. Kurien had earlier instructed government to remove all references as terrorist against Bhagat Singh. "What action has been taken against the writers...Action should be taken against the writers also," Agrawal said and got support from BJP members sitting in the treasury benches. When the House took up Zero Hour, K C Tyagi raised a 'point of order' saying the government has banned the history text book when it was asked only to remove the mention of terrorist in reference to Bhagat Singh in the book. "Delhi University has banned the book. I had not asked for withdrawal of the book," he said. To this, Kurien said he had given a direction for removal of all references of terrorist to Bhagat Singh. "On that pretext, the book cannot be banned," he said. He further said in today's parlance, the word terrorist has a different connotation and should be deleted in reference to Bhagat Singh. Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Muktar Abbas Naqvi wondered whether the pages referring to Bhagat Singh as terrorist should be torn or the book itself is withdrawn. "Writers will term Bhagat Singh as terrorist and we support them, this is not possible," the Minister added. Shukendu Sekhar Roy (TMC) said the word terrorist has also been used in reference to freedom fighter Surya Sen, also known as 'Masterda'. "What is the ruling (on this)," he asked the Chair. Kurien said the same ruling as in case of Bhagat Singh would be applicable to all freedom fighters who have sacrificed their lives for the country. Referring to a particular historian, BJP MP Subramanian Swamy alleged that he was paid Rs one crore as "honorarium" by the government. But his remarks were immediately expunged by the Chair. Air France-KLM announced today it had trimmed losses in the first quarter of 2016 but the airline said passenger traffic to Paris had been affected by terror attacks in Europe and it warned of a difficult year ahead. The Franco-Dutch group warned of doubts over fuel prices, some bloated routes and uncertainty over the economic and politics. The carrier enjoyed lower fuel prices but said this was likely to be offset over the rest of the year by pressure on revenue and by the negative impact of currency swings. Air France-KLM reported a net loss of 155 million euros (USD 178 million) in the three-month period, which was overshadowed by a deadly attack on Brussels airport. The loss compared to a loss of 559 million euros in the same period a year earlier. Revenue edged up 0.4 per cent to 5.6 billion euros in the same period. "The global context in 2016 remains highly uncertain regarding fuel prices, the continuation of the overcapacity situation on several markets and the geopolitical and economic context in which we operate," Air France-KLM said in a statement. "As a consequence, the group expects the forecasted savings on the fuel bill to be significantly offset in the coming quarters by unit revenue pressure and negative currency impacts." The airline said it was sticking to its forecasts for this year, including cutting unit costs by around 1.0 per cent and a cutting its net debt -- now standing at 4.16 billion euros -- significantly. "Despite a difficult environment marked in particular by the Brussels attacks, the upgraded product offer, the commercial efforts and the ongoing network adaptation have enabled the group to limit the unit revenue decline and to retain a substantial part of the fuel savings," outgoing chief executive Alexandre de Juniac said in a statement. Two suicide bombers struck Brussels airport on March 22, while a third attacker blew himself up on a metro train. The twin attacks, which killed 31 people, came barely four months after the November 13 attacks in central Paris that killed 130 people. Air France-KLM finance director Pierre-Francois Riolacci said traffic to Paris had been affected due to "terrorist events" especially for the Japanese market. Air India today said it has inked a codeshare pact with European regional airline Flybe which will give passengers of the national carrier a seamless connectivity to the UK and rest of Europe from here and vice versa. Flybe, a member of Star Alliance along with Air India, is Europe's largest regional airline operating on 216 routes through 75 airports across 10 countries. Code-sharing allows an airline to book its passengers on its partner carriers and provide seamless connectivity to multiple destinations where it has no presence. The new partnership will allow customers of both Air India and Flybe to fly seamlessly from Europe to India and from here to destinations covered by Flybe, via Birmingham, an Air India statement said. "The codeshare will enable Flybe travellers using its multi-frequency Birmingham services from Belfast City, Edinburgh and Glasgow to book seamless flights onward to Delhi. Under the unilateral agreement, Air India (AI) will place its marketing code on these Flybe flights (BE)," it added. The seats for codeshare flights will be available for booking via Air India bookings portal as well as through local travel agents from May 10 for travel from June 1. "The United kingdom is the residence of a large number of Indian diaspora. This codeshare agreement will be a huge benefit not only to the Indians living in the UK but also to tourists travelling to and from domestic sectors of the UK and India," Air India Chairman and Managing Director Ashwani Lohani said. Flybe Chief Executive Officer Saad Hammad said the airline can now give the customers (under the code share pact with Air India) in the UK regions convenient access to the Indian subcontinent through Birmingham airport. "This will relieve them of the need to undertake long road or rail journeys to and from the UK's congested south east hub airports. It will also serve in contributing further to local economies by encouraging inbound travel from South East Asia," Hammad said in the statement. Air India now operates five daily direct flights to India from London/Birmingham. On its overall European network, its presently connects eight destinations in six countries. Flybe is the largest airline by traffic movements at Belfast City, Birmingham, Bournemouth, Cardiff, Exeter, Glasgow, Isle of Man, Jersey, Manchester, Newquay and Southampton airports It has a fleet of 75 aircraft. Besides, it also operates codeshare flights with British Airways, Air France, Etihad, KLM, Finnair, Cathay Pacific and Emirates. Nine men have been sentenced by an Albanian court to prison terms of up to 18 years for financing and recruiting fighters for jihadist groups in Syria. In the first trial of its kind in the Balkans nation yesterday, the Albanians were found guilty of "inciting and recruiting for terrorist aims", said Tirana court judge Ljiljana Baku. The men were also convicted on charges of financing terrorism, inciting hatred and terrorist propaganda, the judge said. Three of the nine defendants were self-proclaimed imams and were given the most severe sentences. Bujar Hysa got 18 years in jail, while Genci Balla and Gert Pashai were handed down a 17-year prison term each. The remaining defendants got jail terms ranging from seven to 16 years. The suspects were arrested in March 2014 during a police operation in Tirana and three other towns, with their trial opening a year later. According to the indictment, they recruited 70 jihadists and helped them travel to Syria to fight alongside "groups considered as terrorists by the United Nations." Volunteers were recruited notably during prayers at mosques. The defendants' relatives present in the courtroom strongly protested the "unjust verdict" by throwing objects and overturning chairs. From 2012 to 2014, between 100 and 120 Albanians joined the ranks of jihadists in Syria and Iraq, according to the authorities. About 15 Albanians have been killed in Syria or Iraq, and around 30 have returned home. A 41-year-old Dalit man died allegedly of starvation in the drought-hit district while going to fetch ration for his family members who had not eaten for four days, but authorities said it was a case of heart attack. The matter gave opposition BJP ammunition to attack the Akhilesh Yadav government over claims that nobody will be allowed to die for want of food in Uttar Pradesh. Nathu, who belonged to Aila village, was going to get a ration packet, being distributed by the government, to feed his family members when he died on the way here yesterday. According to Munni Devi, wife of the deceased, the family was going without food for four days and Nathu kept waiting for government help. Yesterday, when Nathu was on his way to fetch the food packet, he died. Howeve, rejecting the charge that it was a case of starvation death, District Magistrate Yogesh Kumar said as per the report of the sub-divisional magistrate of Naraini, it appeared to be a case of heatstroke or heart attack. Since the family cremated the body without a post mortem examination, nothing can be said precisely but investigation is on, Kumar told PTI. He said as soon as he was informed about the incident, the administration rushed ration packets to Nathu's family. But, a sobbing Munni Devi said the relief came too late. She also said the revenue official of the village asked the family to cremate the body soon as they would not get any compensation. She said an official of the tehsil today came over to take her thumb impression on some papers and asked them not to say anything about lack of food in their house to anyone. Meanwhile, BJP state unit chief Keshav Prasad Maurya accused the SP government of failing to provide relief to drought-hit people of Bundelkhand and termed the "starvation death" as very unfortunate. Alleging that the SP government has failed to fix responsibility in such sensitive matters, Maurya said the state machinery was not serious about reaching drought relief provided by the Centre to the needy and food packets being distributed by the state was aimed at wooing people for the 2017 Assembly polls. State BJP spokesman Vijay Bahadur Pathak described it as "a sorry tale of misgovernance" of Akhilesh Yadav government and charged the chief minister and his government with making "false propaganda" of helping people in drought-hit Bundelkhand. The Uttar Pradesh government had recently set up a drought monitoring cell to gather information about the draught situation in Bundelkhand and other regions of the state. The cell, headed by Joint Secretary (Revenue) Raja Ram, was constituted on April 28 to gather information as per the directives of National Disaster Management Authority and was asked present it to the government. Official sources said the directives to deal with the drought situation have been issued to divisional commissioners and district magistrates concerned. Besides, toll free numbers have been notified and control room set up at Relief Commissioner's office. With Bundelkhand facing severe heat wave and drought, the Uttar Pradesh government has announced a special package for the parched area, while the Centre has chalked out a multi- pronged strategy to mitigate the woes of distressed farmers. Bundelkhand region is home to 18.3 million people as per 2011 census and is blighted by drought and unseasonal rain that destroyed standing winter crops. Over the last few years, several farmers have committed suicide in the region. Dairy major Gujarat Co-operative Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF), which sells products under the brand, is planning to invest about Rs 2,500 crore to raise its milk processing capacity to more than 38 million litres per day in the next four years. "There has been rise in milk demand across the country and therefore, we are planning to raise our milk processing capacity by another 10 million litres per day from current capacity of 28.1 million litres per day," GCMMF Managing Director R S Sodhi told PTI. The cooperative is looking to raise the capacity by 2020, which will require an investment of about Rs 2,500 crore, Sodhi added. Read more from our special coverage on "AMUL" "As of now, we are looking to establish one plant each for milk processing in Kolkata and Mumbai and two more plants in Gujarat. Besides this, we have plans to raise the capacity in few existing plants, " he said. The cooperative has about 60 various processing plants, of which 40 are in Gujarat only. About 50% of Amul's turnover comes from milk sale only, commodity business contributes 5-7% and the rest comes from value-added products segment. Besides milk, the cooperative is focusing on value-added products like cheese and has raised cheese producing capacity three times to 120 tonnes per day from 40 tonnes per day in the last six months, as it was unable to meet the rising demand, he added. In the last six years, the dairy cooperative's turnover has jumped nearly three-fold to Rs 23,000 crore and is aiming to more than double it to Rs 50,000 crore by 2020, Sodhi said. There are 17 member unions of GCMMF associated with more than 36 lakh farmers across 18,600 villages of Gujarat. The member unions of GCMMF have also established their own milk processing plants in Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal and Rajasthan and are procuring milk from other states. In a first major reshuffle in Andhra Pradesh police administration, the state government today transferred 25 Indian Police Service officers, including the Commissioner of Visakhapatnam city and SPs of five districts. While eight IPS officers of 1998 batch have been promoted from the rank of Deputy Inspector General to Inspector General, four Superintendents of Police (2002 batch) were promoted as DIGs. SPs of five districts, who were transferred out, were not given any new postings in the reshuffle and have been asked to report to the police headquarters. Additional Director General of Police-rank IPS officer A R Anuradha (of 1987 batch) has been posted as Principal Secretary (Home)in the existing vacancy. She will continue to hold full additional charge of the post of Director General (Vigilance and Enforcement), an order issued by Chief Secretary Satya Prakash Tucker said. Visakhapatnam city Police Commissioner Amit Garg of 1993 batch has been shifted to the post of IGP (Provisioning and Logistics) which was lying vacant for the past few days after incumbent V S K Kaumudi joined the National Investigation Agency on deputation. T Yoganand, promoted to the rank of IGP, has been posted as Commissioner of Police, Visakhapatnam. Mahesh Chandra Laddha, who only last month was appointed as Additional Commissioner of Police, Vijayawada, has been transferred out as IGP (Intelligence). Sikkim cadre IPS officer N Sridhar Rao, who is on deputation to Andhra Pradesh, has been posted as IGP, South Zone while the incumbent V Venugopal Krishna has been posted as IG (Police Transport Organisation). A Sundar Kumar Das has been posted as Controller, Legal Metrology, on promotion as IGP, while K Venkateswara Rao has been made Director (Prohibition and Excise) in the existing vacancy. E Damodar has been promoted and retained in the Legal Cell as IG while K Satyanarayana has been posted as IG (Crime Investigation Department). B Srinivasulu too has been promoted as IGP and retained in the Special Intelligence Branch. Eluru Range DIG P Hari Kumar has been posted as Joint Commissioner of Police, Vijayawada, in a newly-created post. J Satyanarayana, currently the SP of Chief Minister's Security Group, has been promoted and posted as DIG (Security), while P V S Ramakrishna has been shifted from the Security wing to Eluru Range as DIG. Visakhapatnam and Anantapuramu ranges also got new DIGs in Ch Srikanth and J Prabhakar Rao respectively. While R Jayalakshmi has been posted as SP, Tirupati Urban, B Raja Kumari has been made SP, Rajamahendravaram Urban police district. J Brahma Reddy, C M Thrivikrama Varma, Rahul Dev Sharma, L K V Ranga Rao and P H D Ramakrishna have been posted as SPs of Srikakulam, Prakasam, Visakhapatnam Rural, Vizianagaram and Kadapa districts respectively. A 19-year-old Dalit nursing student was allegedly gangraped in Varkala, days after the and brutal murder of a law student in Kerala's Ernakulam district that sparked protests by students and rights activits. The victim, a second year BSC nursing student, was raped by an autorickshaw driver and two of his friends near Ayanthi bridge in Varkala, about 50 km from here, on Tuesday. She has been admitted to the ICU of a hospital, police said today. A case under IPC 376 (2) (g) (gangrape) was registered against the accused, who are absconding, police said, adding, her statement will be recorded before a magistrate today. "Based on the statement of the girl, we registered case against three persons. A medical examination has confirmed that she was gangraped," Varkala Circle Inspector Vinod B said. The victim had gone with an autorickshaw driver, who was known to her, in his vehicle on the day of the incident. Two of his friends also got into the vehicle later. They then took the autorickshaw to a deserted spot and allegedly raped her, police said. The girl was in a state of shock and suffered from fits when she was found by some people who rushed to the vehicle on hearing her cries for help, they said. A team of expert doctors is monitoring the condition of the girl, who was admitted to the ICU of the SAT hospital at the Thiruvanathapuram Government Medical College here late night from a private hospital in Varkala. Hospital sources said her condition is stable. "Doctors are frequently monitoring her health condition, which is stable now. Visitors are strictly prohibited," SAT hospital superintendent said here in a release. The incident comes days after a 30-year-old Dalit law student was raped and murdered in Perumbavoor in Ernakulam district. Terming sages in India as a "frustrated" lot, Uttar Pradesh Minister Azam Khan courted a fresh controversy as he advised BJP MP Yogi Adityanath to get married and "prove his masculinity" with the latter seeking his expulsion. "Yogi Adityanath should first get married and prove his masculinity," Khan told reporters on the sidelines of an event here last night. Replying to question on whether he considered all sages in the country did not possess masculinity, Khan said, "they are frustrated." "How would a Mahant know what love is ... He should first get married and help in growth of generation," he said. Following the Samajwadi Party leader's remarks, a fuming Adityanath advised Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav to sack him so that people can set him right. He said Khan has lost his mental balance and needed medical attention. Meanwhile in Lucknow, state BJP chief Keshav Prasad Maurya said such a statement only indicated Khan's mental bankruptcy. "The SP should apologise for the same," he said, adding the minister has degraded the dignity of sages. The remarks also invited wrath of various Hindu outfits who held a dharna against Khan and burnt his effigy in protest. Khan also attacked another BJP MP Sakshi Maharaj and said there are many serious cases against him which are condemnable. The BJP legislator from Unnao had recently described the provision of triple talaq (divorce) in Muslim community as an injustice to women. The ban on plying of diesel taxis in the national capital will have far reaching negative impact on India's ease of doing business scenario, with IT/BPO sector being the worst hit, an industry body said today. "Apart from the ban on taxis being a local (NCR) issue, there is a more global aspect; BPO companies and their employees support global companies and accordingly, the ramifications on ease of doing business in India are going to be far flung with all the MNCs being serviced," Indo American Chamber of Commerce (IACC) said. "With far reaching effects, this ban may also adversely impact the efforts made by the Government to promote the BPO industry," it said. The industry body said IT & BPO sectors especially have been impacted seriously through disruptions to operations of diesel-run taxis. "... Time sensitive operations have been affected due to disrupted commute times of employees; safety and security of employees are of concern, as most BPO companies operate night shifts; added costs to operations have arisen due to the need to find alternatives for transport," said the chamber. The Delhi government banned plying of diesel-run taxis on the city roads after the Supreme Court last week refused to extend the April 30 deadline fixed for conversion of diesel cabs into less-polluting CNG mode. After the ban, major companies in Delhi-NCR have decided not to provide any transport facility to their employees. With the water crisis in Bundelkhand deepening, Union minister Uma Bharti along with Lok Sabha members from the parched region today called on NITI Ayog Vice Chairman Arvind Panagariya to discuss special package for the affected swathe. During the meeting, it was decided that the parliamentarians will submit proposals for improving supply of drinking water in the region to the Ayog within three days for further action, Water Resources Ministry spokesperson Samir Sinha said. "The minister met Panagariya along with the MPs representing 13 districts of Bundelkhand to discuss special package for the region. It was decided that all the MPs will submit their proposals for improving supply of drinking water in the region to the Ayog within three days for further action," Sinha said after the meeting. Like Maharashtra's Marathwada, the Bundelkhand region, which covers 13 districts falling in Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh, too is reeling under water shortage. A controversy was erupted after a picture of a BJP corporator posing with a bust of Maratha king Chhatrapati Shivaji by placing her hand on its shoulder went viral on social media. With the incident evoking sharp reactions from political parties, Rajshri Shirwadkar, the corporator with the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, expressed "deep regret". "One of my picture has gone viral at social media. It was taken on the occasion of Maharashtra Day celebration. I realised my mistake and expressing my deep regret as I have immense respect for the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj," Shirwadkar said in a statement. She said the opposition is unnecessarily politicising the incident. "My respect to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj would remain forever in my heart. The opposition is seeing this as a political opportunity, but please try to understand my position and co-operate with me," the corporator said. Meanwhile, a Congress committee from Sion-Koliwada area organised a peace march in protest against the BJP leader near King Circle and demanded a police action against the "earring corporator". "I am very hurt and angry to brief you that Rajshree Shirwadkar has shown utter disrespect to Maharashtra's 'aradhya daivat' Shivaji Maharaj. We demand that she should be booked and criminal case be initiated against her," said Amit Shetty, a local Congress leader. The morcha was led by former MLA Jagannath Shetty and attended by District Mahila Congress Committee (DMCC) Roshna Shah, DCC INTUC president Ranganathan Iyer besides other leaders. However, Amit said, "It's not an act of lack of judgement that could be explained and she can get away by simply tendering a apological statement (sic). Her deed is unforgivable and police action is the only remedy for such an act of disrespect to whom we love so much". The said picture was taken during an event organised for children suffering from cancer, on May 1. The business process management (BPM) sector to hit a USD 1 billion potential loss if the ban on diesel taxis in Delhi NCR region continues for 2-3 weeks more, industry body Nasscom has said. "There will be a potential USD 1 billion loss to the business process management (BPM) sector if ban on diesel cabs continues for 2-3 weeks," Senior Vice President of Nasscom, Sangeeta Gupta said here. Nasscom, which is seeking a delay in the implementation of the ban, also plans to approach the Supreme Court in the next couple of days regarding the matter. Nasscom representatives have already met the Delhi Police and various central ministries, including the Ministry of Information Technology, and discussed the issues facing the industry in the wake of ban on diesel cabs in Delhi-NCR, resulting in non-availability of reliable transport options. "We have met the Ministry of Information Technology, and requested them to champion this across other ministries. Separately, we have also written to Heavy Industries Ministry, Transport and Environment Ministries, Delhi Police and Delhi Government," she added. In an end to the road for diesel taxis in Delhi and National Capital Region (NCR), the Supreme Court last week refused to extend the April 30 deadline fixed for their conversion into less-polluting CNG mode. The ban on diesel taxis in Delh-NCR region has brought the BPM (formerly BPO) industry almost to a standstill. The BPM industry in NCR provides direct and indirect employment to over 1 million people. "With 38 per cent women employees in our industry, their safety has always been a big concern to us...We are mandated to provide transportation for home drop to employees working after 8 PM. In absence of any reliable public transport, complying with this statutory guideline is impossible," Vice Chairman Nasscom and MD of Quatrro Global Services, Raman Roy said. There are five hours of downtime in last two days because of the ban and about 35 cabs are impounded and 20 cabs already challaned, he said adding parking is becoming an issue as employees are coming on their own vehicles. An emergency meeting was also called by Nasscom today. It was attended by all players of BPM industry and issue of implementation of the ban was discussed. "We need immediate relief as this involves the delivery of critical operations to clients outside India... We hope that the judiciary appreciates our predicament and resolves it by delaying the implementation," Keshav Murugesh, Group CEO of WNS and Chairman of the Nasscom BPM council said. The proposed changes in the UK visa policy come just days before British PM Theresa May lands in India on November 6 for a three-day visit. Nasscom said that India and UK have been natural business allies, and enjoy a continued association, where free movement of skilled talent is the cornerstone of growth. "Temporary placement of highly-skilled individuals into the UK provides a significant economic boost yet has a negligible impact on net migration," it added. The relationship between the UK and the Indian ICT sector has seen a step change in recent years and the shared goal of being global centres for innovation makes the UK and India natural partners in technology, it said. "We will continue to urge the UK government to realise that both countries stand to benefit massively from a fresh trade-based approach," it added. Attacking AIADMK, DMK and Congress for practising politics of "corruption", BJP chief Amit Shah today sought to pitch his party as an alternative in Tamil Nadu. He alleged that AIADMK and DMK, which have ruled the state for decades, have "pulled down" the development graph and urged the people of Tamil Nadu to vote for NDA to usher in politics of development. Addrressing an election rally here, Shah referred to various allegations of corruption against the two Dravidian parties besides BJP's arch-rival, Congress. He charged that DMK, AIADMK and Congress are "corrupt" and they do not "know anything other than corruption." "DMK (is facing allegations) in 2G spectrum allocation and aircel-maxis.. How many scams are there against DMK," he said. Targeting senior Congress leader and former Union Finance Minister P Chidambaram, Shah said he and his son Karti "were also facing charges," in an apparent reference to the Aircel-Maxis deal. Shah, who had last month called the AIADMK dispensation the "most corrupt government in the country," referred to the disproportionate assets case against its supremo and Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa, now being heard in the Supreme Court. "In AIADMK, there is a disproportionate assets case against Jayalalithaa," he said. "The voters of Tamil Nadu have to decide in these Assembly polls if they wish to continue with politics of corruption and nepotism or they want to move to politics of development. "The other three parties in the fray - be it AIADMK, DMK or the Congress-- there are corruption cases against their leaders and they have been exploiting the state's citizens. On the other hand, it has been two years since BJP government has been in power at the Centre but there is not even one allegation of corruption," he said. Shah said in the last 50 years, if the people have been upset with AIADMK government, they have voted for DMK and if they have been unhappy with DMK, they have chosen AIADMK. "The voters of Tamil Nadu have not voted to elect a new government but they have primarily voted to oust the old government. "There is no difference between the DMK and AIADMK. Both parties are corrupt, they have caused immense loss to Tamil Nadu and pulled down the state's development graph," he said. The Assembly election in the state will be held on May 16. Noting that the nation's voters gave a "new direction" to the country's politics by electing a government with full majority under Narendra Modi in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, Shah said a similar change is needed in Tamil Nadu and instead of replacing AIADMK with DMK, people should elect a good government. "I urge the state's voters to give one opportunity to the BJP-led NDA coalition," he said. Noting that Tamil Nadu used to be "way ahead" of other states but was lagging behind now as voters continue to elect either AIADMK or DMK, Shah said if NDA forms the government in the state, it will solve a lot of problems. He said during the Chennai floods, Prime Minister Narendra Modi came and stood with the people of the state in their "hour of crisis" and the Centre also gave a financial assistance of Rs 2,000 crore. "However, instead of utilizing the funds for rebuilding infrastructure and other facilities, the AIADMK government issued cheques to people in the name of Amma. "The Modi government sends rice costing Rs 27 per kg at Rs 3 per kg for people of Tamil Nadu but Amma repackages it and sells it at Rs 2 per kg as Amma chawal," Shah said. Noting that the Modi government has launched "path breaking" initiatives, Shah said that the Centre has initiated dialogue with Sri Lanka for protection of Indian fishermen and as a result the Sri Lankan Navy has not caused any harm to even one Indian fisherman in the last two years. Claiming that several central development programmes have "not been" been implemented properly in the state, the BJP president said that the UDAY scheme, meant to strenghen state electricity boards to help reach power to every household has been welcomed across the country but not introduced in Tamil Nadu. Referring to the Mudra Bank scheme, he said despite providing employment to over 1.85 crore people elsewhere, it has failed to reach the grassroots level in the state due to lack of effort on the part of the state government. "The budget for the state highways is lying untouched while Amma has no interest in implementing Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojna for providing road connectivity to villages," Shah said. Referring to schemes like accident cover of Rs 2 Lakh at an annual premium of Rs 12 and life insurance cover of Rs 2 lakh for annual premium of Rs 330, Shah said the state government has not allowed these schemes to reach the common man. "More than 3,000 shops have been opened across the country to provide medicine at affordable rates but I do not think the state government will allow such shops to be opened in Tamil Nadu. "The PM launched Ujjwala scheme on May 1 that will provide LPG connection to 5 crore poor families. However if we continue to have AIADMK government, LPG connection will not reach the state's poor. Tamil Nadu votes on May 16 and I urge you to work towards electing a BJP-led NDA government in the state," Shah said. A British couple was allegedly roughed up by forest department personnel in plain clothes when they visited Mahesh Yogi's ashram in Rishikesh. An official at Laxmanjhoola Police Station said today that the couple had come to visit the famous ashram on Monday. They had an argument with the forest department personnel in plain clothes at the ashram, which falls in the Rajaji Tiger Reserve area, when they were told that the entry fee was Rs 600 which they found too high, the official said. The couple objected to the high entry fee and entered into an argument following which they were allegedly roughed up by the forest personnel on duty at the ashram, he said citing a complaint lodged at the police station by the girl named Elisa. The forest department is tight-lipped on the issue. The couple has informed the British High Commission about the incident. (REOPENS DES2) The range officer of Rajaji Tiger Reserve's Gauhri range, Rajendra Nautiyal said the couple had trespassed into forest property by jumping over its rear walls stealthily to escape paying the entry fees. When the couple was caught by the forest guards on duty, they began fighting with them. Laxmanjhoola police had to be called in to control the situation, he said. Mahesh Yogi's Chaurasi Kutiya at Swargasharm in Rishikesh is famous all over the world as popular international rock band. The Beatles had visited it in the 1970s. It draws tourists from all over the world even today. The Union Cabinet today gave its ex-post facto approval to the memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the Reserve Bank and the Central Bank of United Arab Emirates (UAE) on co-operation on currency swap agreement. As per the MoU signed in February, and the Central Bank of UAE will consider signing a bilateral Currency Swap Agreement on mutually agreed terms and conditions after undertaking technical deliberations, subject to concurrence of respective governments. The MoU will further strengthen the close economic relationship and cooperation between India and the UAE, an official statement said after the Cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The swap agreement is also expected to facilitate invoicing of bilateral trade in local currencies. The government today gave nod to the signing of an Memorandum of Co-operation (MoC) between Women & Child Development Ministry and Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation for real time monitoring of Integrated Child Development Services and related matters. A meeting of the Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave approval to the proposal which, when executed, will enable officials in timely intervention to ensure proper service delivery, an official statement said. It will also help put in place a shared national communication campaign, communications strategy and guidelines, customising communications, products and material to local contexts along with developing plans for their large scale dissemination. Technical support through high quality technical teams of nutrition experts will also be provided with the MoC, it said. The phase-I of Integrated Child Development Services Systems Strengthening & Nutrition Improvement Program (ISSNIP) will roll out Information and Communication Technology-enabled Real Time Monitoring (ICT-RTM) through one lakh anganwadi centers in 162 high burden districts of eight states. The states include Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Chhatisgarh, Jharkhand, Maharashtrta, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh. Children of 0-6 years age, pregnant women and lactating mothers would be the ultimate beneficiaries, it said. The foundation would provide technical support at the national and state level for strengthening their capacities to deliver nutrition especially during pre-conception, pregnancy and first two years of life. The statement noted that there is no financial implication on the part of the ministry and the common application software will be developed by the foundation with the support of their partners and would be made available to it free of cost. The government today gave nod for renewal of agreement for scientific and technological cooperation with European Union (EU) for another 5 years. The decision was taken at a meeting of the Union Cabinet meeting. The purpose of the Agreement is to strengthen the co-operation in research and development activities in science and technology fields of common interest between the research institutions of European Union member-countries and India on the basis of parity, reciprocity and co-investment of resources including funds. The cooperation activities include supporting joint research and development projects; exchange of scientists and experts, sharing of advanced research facilities, joint seminars, symposia and workshops, sharing of relevant information on science, technology and innovation policy, programme and research and development projects. In another decision, the Cabinet approved leasing of 73 sq m of land to BEST in Mumbai to install transformers at a dry dock under construction for the navy. BSF killed more than double the number of criminals and cattle smugglers along the India-Bangladesh border during 2015 as compared to the previous year, government informed Parliament today. Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju, in a written reply to Rajya Sabha, also said a total of 4,37,958 cattle were seized between 2013 and March 31 this year in a total of 49,775 incidents. "During the year 2014 and 2015, Border Security Force killed 10 and 26 cross border criminals, out of which 6 and 17 were cattle smugglers, respectively," he said. Rijiju added there was "no definite" trend of cattle smuggling noticed in the last three years. After 18 years, CBI has arrested an absconder who allegedly cheated a person impersonating as Technical Advisor to the then Prime Minister. CBI spokesperson said a case was registered on a complaint dated August 2, 1999 alleging that Jai Vardhan Sharma impersonated as Technical Advisor to the Prime Minister of India, New Delhi and had cheated complainant to the tune of Rs 15,000 for getting him a UN Assignment. "Investigation had revealed that the said accused had allegedly approached the complainant on his own and allured him for a UN Assignment and demanded Rs 60,000 from him for processing charges of application for UN Assignment," the spokesperson said. She said further, he had allegedly demanded Rs 15,000 immediately to recommend his name for UN Assignment. "Complainant had paid Rs 15000 on March 26, 1998. The accused wrote down his fictitious telephone number and address in the diary of complainant showing himself as Technical Advisor to the Prime Minister. It was also revealed that at that time, the accused was staying in the Government Guest House at Ahmedabad as a Professor of IIT," she said. The spokesperson said a charge sheet was filed against the accused under relevant sections of IPC but the efforts to apprehend the absconding accused were continued. "After meticulous planning, the accused was arrested. The arrested accused is being produced today before the Competent Court at Ahmedabad," she said. The Competition Commission has dismissed allegations that five real estate websites, including Housing.Com and Magicbricks.Com, abused their dominant position by putting in place 'no brokerage policy' for realty deals. The Confederation of Real Estate Brokers' Association of India -- with around 20,000 members -- had also filed the complaint against 99acres.Com, Commonfloor.Com and Nobroker.In. After finding that the five entities are not dominant in the relevant market, the fair trade regulator decided to reject the allegations made against them. For the case, the Competition Commission of India (CCI) considered 'the services of real estate brokers / agents in India' as the relevant market. The main allegation was that these websites are monopolising the real estate broking business in India by adopting a 'no brokerage policy' because of which traditional brokers are losing their business. Generally, traditional brokers charge about 2 per cent of the sale / purchase value of a property as brokerage fee. "... Presence of a large number of listing sites and traditional brokers in the said relevant market poses competitive restraint on each other and hence, no specific player can act independently of the market forces and affect the consumers or other players in its favour," CCI said in its order. According to the watchdog, since no licence is required to undertake the brokerage business in the real estate sector, there are a number of players operating, both through online and off-line channels. Besides, CCI considered the website ranking figures by a portal to check whether the entities concerned are dominant in the relevant market or not. In the absence of dominance of any of the entities in the relevant market, the Commission said it is of the view that there is no case of violating Competition Act's Section 4 -- which pertains to abuse of dominant position. India has appealed against findings of a WTO panel on the solar case the country is contesting against the US, Commerce and Industry Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said today. "India had filled an appeal against the WTO panel findings and the recommendations thereof. India's appeal primarily focuses on the need for a holistic approach to the issue of government procurement, keeping in view the public policy objectives of ensuring energy security and achieving ecologically sustainable growth, Sitharaman said in written reply to a Rajya Sabha question. The Minister said there is no general stipulation under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission (JNNSM) for compulsory sourcing of locally manufactured solar cells and modules. "In order to promote and make Indian solar cells and modules manufacturing industry competitive, government imposed the condition of procurement of locally manufactured solar cells and modules, only in a few of its program under the JNNSM," she said. Replying to a separate query, Sitharaman said India had applied for membership of APEC in 1991 on the basis of its geographical location, potential size of the economy and degree of trade interaction with the Asia-Pacific. "However, at the 5th APEC Leader's meeting in Vancouver in 1997, a decision was taken to place a 10-year moratorium on expanding membership, which continues informally till date," the Minister noted. She said India is engaging with APEC member countries to develop a consensus on lifting the informal moratorium on accepting new members and to actively push for India's candidature for membership of APEC. Replying to another query, Sitharaman said Finance Minister Arun Jaitley in his Budget Speech for 2016-17 has announced that 100 per cent FDI will be allowed through FIPB route in marketing of food products produced and manufactured in India. The Minister, however, added that no decision has been taken by the government on the conditions of FDI in the sector. The Chhattisgarh government today inked memorandum of understanding (MoUs) with as many as seven companies across varied sectors, officials said here. "The MoUs were signed with seven major companies in the presence of Chief Minister Raman Singh at his official residence," an official spokesperson said. State's Department of Commerce & Industries Secretary Subodh Kumar Singh signed the MoUs on behalf of the state government with the representatives of companies, he said. These agreements would attract an investment of Rs 236 crore across electronics, food processing, engineering and coal value addition sectors, besides generating employment opportunities for over 2000 youths in the state, he said. Speaking on the occasion, the Chief Minister said, "The MoUs signed today would prove beneficial in the direction of implementing Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Make in India vision." The official apprised one MoU each was signed with SDSL Electronics Pvt. Ltd., Ligero Electronics Pvt. Ltd., and Beesons for investment in electronics sector. These companies would establish LED manufacturing units in EMC (Electronic Manufacturing Cluster) coming up at Naya Raipur, and would bring cumulative investment of around Rs 56 crore in the state, he said. "These projects would employ highly qualified professionals and highly skilled manpower in the state. The project is a fervent endeavour to bring the enabling electronics manufacturing ecosystem in Chhattisgarh," he said. Besides, an MoU was signed with Asquare Food & Beverages Pvt. Ltd. In food processing sector to establish a spice processing plant in Chhattisgarh, the spokesperson said, adding this would bring an investment of Rs 25 crore. Another MoU was signed with Chhattisgarh Coal & Power, managed by Nakoda Group, for setting up of 4 MTPA capacity coal washery unit in Korba, he said. The land allotment of the same is already in process by CSIDC (Chhattisgarh State Industrial Development Corporation), he added. Moreover, an MoU was inked with APL Apollo Tubes Pvt. Ltd. (a subsidiary of Sudesh Group) for setting up of ERW galvanised and pre-galvanised steel tubes and hollow sections, while another was signed with Tirumala Balaji Smelters Pvt. Ltd. (a subsidiary of Rungta Industries) to manufacture railway engineering products in Chhattisgarh, the official said. Chhattisgarh Industries Minister Amar Agrawal, state Chief Secretary Vivek Dhand, Principle Secretary to the Chief Minister Aman Kumar Singh among other officials were present on the occasion. Taking exception to a US diplomat's recent remarks that Arunachal Pradesh is an integral part of India, China today said it plans to seek a clarification from Washington as any "irresponsible" third party intervention in Sino-Indian border dispute will "complicate" the issue. "The Chinese side has noted the report and will ask the US side for verification and clarification," Chinese Foreign Ministry said in a written response to a question from PTI here about US Consul General in Kolkata Craig L Hall's comments that Washington regards Arunachal Pradesh, which China claims as Southern Tibet, as part of India. "But clearly the statement by the US side is completely inconsistent with the fact," it said. Hall during his meeting with Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Kalikho Pul on April 28 in Itanagar said that the US government is absolutely clear that Arunachal Pradesh is an integral part of India. In its rejoinder, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said: "China and India are wise and capable enough to deal with their own issue and safeguard the fundamental and long-term interests of the two peoples. "The intervention of any third party will only complicate the issue and is highly irresponsible." The two countries last month completed the 19th round of border talks here by the Special Representatives - National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and his Chinese counterpart Yang Jiechi. The Line of Actual Control (LAC) covers the 3,488 km-long border. While China says that the boundary dispute is confined to 2,000 kms, mainly in Arunachal Pradesh in eastern sector which it claims as part of southern Tibet, India asserts that the dispute covered the whole of the LAC including the Aksai Chin occupied by China during the 1962 war. In its response to Hall's remarks, the Chinese Ministry said: "The boundary question between China and India bears on China's territorial sovereignty and Chinese people's sentiment. "All the third parties must respect the history and reality concerning the boundary question, respect efforts by China and India to solve territorial disputes through negotiations, not get involved in the disputes or take sides on issues relating to the ownership of disputed territory." "As is known to all, the boundary between China and India is yet to be officially drawn. The two countries are striving to reach a fair, equitable and mutually acceptable settlement on the boundary question through negotiations. "The two still have major disputes over the eastern section of the boundary, which is the reason why China and India negotiate with each other," said the Ministry. It further added: "Sound negotiations between China and India on the boundary question as well as peace and tranquillity in the border areas over recent years have created favourable conditions for the growth of bilateral relations and their respective development. China today denounced United Nations criticism of its new law on foreign NGOs as "prejudiced and unfounded allegations", demanding that the statement be withdrawn. The law, passed almost unanimously last week by the country's Communist-controlled legislature, gives police wide-ranging powers over overseas charities and bans them from recruiting members or raising funds in the country. At least 1,000 foreign NGOs are thought to operate in China, including development charities such as Save the Children, advocacy groups including Greenpeace, chambers of commerce and university centres. Three UN human rights special rapporteurs said they feared the law's "excessively broad and vague provisions" and discretion given to authorities "can be wielded as tools to intimidate, and even suppress, dissenting views and opinions in the country". The measures were "vastly intrusive" and would have a "detrimental impact", they added according to the website of the UN's human rights high commissioner. China's foreign ministry spokesman Hong Lei told reporters Beijing "firmly opposed" the declaration, which was "utter interference in China's judicial sovereignty and domestic affairs". The law was intended to "protect the legitimate rights and interests of overseas NGOs", he said, insisting that the legislative process was transparent and outside inputs had been taken into account. But the European Union delegation to China said Wednesday that its most important suggestions had gone unheeded. The law gave the government "virtually unlimited authority to monitor and interfere with NGO affairs", it said. According to the legislation, when it comes into effect in January police will be able to revoke the registration of any organisation which "damages national interests" or "threatens society's interests". Any groups committing actions deemed "separatist" or "subverting of state organs" will also be banned, as will those which "spread rumours". The legislation comes as President Xi Jinping oversees a crackdown on civil society, which has seen scores of lawyers, academics and activists detained and dozens jailed. The controversial AgustaWestland chopper deal today triggered a stormy debate and trading of charges in the Rajya Sabha with the entire opposition pressing for a Supreme Court-monitored probe while Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar spoke of an "invisible hand" in preventing an investigation in UPA tenure. Newly-nominated BJP leader Subramanian Swamy, who was fielded by the ruling side, demanded recording of statement from former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh along with others named in the judgement of an Italian court recently. The ruling and the opposition benches clashed repeatedly as the House took up a short-duration discussion on the raging row over the Rs 3600 crore deal in the wake of an Italian court's judgement in which certain initials like "AP" have been recorded. The five-hour debate ended with a walkout by Congress after its demand for SC-monitored probe was rejected by the government. Leader of Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad described as an "insult" the Defence Minister reading out a prepared statement in his reply and said it contained only allegations. As Congress members raised objections to Parrikar reading out his reply from a prepared text, Deputy Chairman P J Kurien ruled that a Minister has all the right to read from a prepared speech. Swamy, who has already tilted at the windmills last week seeking to drag Sonia Gandhi into the row, refrained from naming her but made suggestive remarks on Congress leadership, repeatedly drawing protests from the opposition side. He asked, "We need to ask Mr Manmohan Singh whether you had decided not to give documents to the Italian government despite the request. Was it a Cabinet decision or a 'super Cabinet' decision?" At another point, he said he would not name anybody and in an apparent reference to Gandhi, he just remarked "blank, blank, blank..." The Congress fielded the then Defence Minister A K Antony, Congress President Sonia Gandhi's political secretary Ahmed Patel along with Abhishek Manu Singhvi to defend the actions of the previous UPA government, insisting that there was no wrongdoing. All of them pressed for a thorough and urgent probe into the matter to clear the air, with Leader of Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad wanting the investigation to be monitored by the Supreme Court and completed in three months. The government, however, rejected the demand. "Act now... Take strong action but don't threaten, don't blackmail," said Antony, while contending that he had immediately taken action after allegations of corruption surfaced in 2012. He contended that it was the Vajpayee government which had taken all the "major" decisions, including with regard to the parameters of cabin height and flying altitude of the helicopters. Patel, whose name has been dragged into the row because of the initials "AP' found on a hand-written note cited in the judgement, also sought a probe, declaring that he will quit Rajya Sabha as well as public life if any wrongdoing on his part was proved. While replying to the debate, Parrikar said the ongoing probe will focus on those named in the Italian Court judgement even as he suggested the role of an "invisible hand" in preventing a proper investigation earlier. Police used tear gas today to disperse protesters as they evacuated a high school under renovation in Paris that has been occupied by migrants for two weeks. Protesters, some masked and hooded, had formed a human chain around the high school in the north of the French capital to try to prevent police entering in the early morning raid. Demonstrators pelted the police with objects and chanted "everyone hates the police", an AFP journalist saw. Police entered the school by forcing their way in through another door where tables and chairs were piled up to try to block their passage. "This morning, the police gassed us and pushed us out of the way. At midnight, we built a barrier of tables and chairs, but they moved it all out of the way," said Emmanuel, a Ghanaian in his 20s who left the school when the police entered. "It's better here than being on the street," he said. "I don't know where they want to take us." The school is currently closed for renovation works and it was empty when 150 migrants occupied a part of the building on April 21-22. They are mainly from Afghanistan, Eritrea, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen. Clementine Verschave, from a charity which helps migrants, said: "There are a lot of women among the migrants in the school, including two who are pregnant." Eric Coquerel, from the far-left Left Party who was among the demonstrators, said the police had used "unjustified force". "This school is empty and has no purpose. These people are better off here than in the road," he said. The evacuation of the school was the second time this week that authorities in Paris have taken action against migrants. On Monday, riot police evacuated a makeshift camp set up around a metro station and took 1,600 migrants to an accommodation centre. Actor Manoj Bajpayee is fine not doing commercial films and will sign such movies when he needs money. The actor carved a niche for himself in B-town with films like "Satya", "Shool", "Pinjar", "Rajneeti", "Gangs Of Wasseypur", "Aligarh" and others. "I would do commercial films when I need money. As of now no commercial films for me. Commercial films don't need me. They have talented people there. I do get offers for commercial cinema but the offers are less," Bajpayee told PTI. He will be seen next in "Traffic" where he plays the role of a traffic policeman. Directed by late Rajesh Pillai, "Traffic" is the remake of a 2011 Malayalam film of the same name. It is inspired from an actual event that happened in Chennai where a doctor couple donated organs of their 15-year-old son who died in a road accident. "I was enamoured seeing the original film. It's a great story, which is inspirational," Bajpayee said. Several actors from Bollywood, including Aamir Khan, Shah Rukh Khan, have talked good about the film. The "Aligarh" actor feels the praise for "Traffic" from actors will eventually help the film in gaining attention of the audience. To get into the skin of the character, the 47-year-old actor followed the vision of his director. "As an actor, one has to observe things. In real life you keep meeting different kind of people and you use that experience in your work," Bajpayee said. Also starring, Jimmy Shergill, Prosenjit Chatterjee, Parambrata Chatterjee and Divya Dutta, "Traffic" is set to release on May 6. A day after the Centre asked Jammu and Kashmir government to identify land where displaced Kashmiri Pandits could be suitably rehabilitated, hardline Hurriyat Conference led by Syed Ali Shah Geelani today said "rigidness of the Indian government" was "unjustified". In a written reply in Lok Sabha yesterday, Minister of State for Home Haribhai Parathibhai Chaudhary had said further action would be taken once the land has been identified. "The rigidness of the Indian government over the setting up of the composite township for the migrant Kashmiri Pandits is unjustified. "Hurriyat cautions that the division of Kashmiris on religious lines and isolation of the Pandits from the society will not be allowed and both the communities collectively will not let this to happen," a Hurriyat spokesman said here. There are about 62,000 registered Kashmiri migrant families in the country, who left the Valley after the onset of militancy in Jammu and Kashmir in the early 1990s. About 40,000 registered Kashmiri migrant families are living in Jammu, about 20,000 in Delhi-NCR and about 2,000 families are settled in other parts of the country. The Hurriyat said the Pandits are a vital part of the Kashmir society and no individual or any group is against their return. "We are in no way against the return and rehabilitation of the Pandit community in the Valley but the Indian government and its policy makers want to play a very dangerous game under its grab and they not only want to divide the Kashmiri society on religious lines but they also want to harm the freedom struggle of the Kashmiris," he said. The spokesman said Kashmir issue is not about Hindu-Muslim dispute but the "people of this land are demanding their right to self determination for the last seven decades". The Hurriyat expressed apprehension that the composite townships "will act as safe zones for the communal agents and the Sang Parivar people and there is every possibility of misuse of these safe zones". Hurriyat also criticized the role of PDP, NC and "all other people of this tribe", saying these people are "playing a leading role in the implementation of the dangerous policies of India and they have sold their conscience for the chair and power". Copper prices drifted further by 0.25 per cent to Rs 332.75 per kg in futures trading today, as participants engaged in reducing their bets in tandem with a weakening global trend. At the Multi Commodity Exchange, copper for delivery in far-month August eased by 85 paise, or 0.25 per cent to Rs 332.75 per kg in a business turnover of 75 lots. On similar lines, the metal for delivery in June traded lower by 75 paise, or 0.23 per cent to Rs 328.55 per kg in 6,690 lots. Analysts attributed the fall in copper futures to a weakening trend where metals from Shanghai to London extended their decline on global growth worries amid a Chinese clampdown on commodity futures trading. Meanwhile, copper for delivery in three-months fell 0.7 per cent to USD 4,885 a metric tonne on the London Metal Exchange (LME). The LME Index of six metals had lost 2.3 per cent on Tuesday, the most since March 8, after weak manufacturing data from China, the US and the UK. National award winning filmmaker Nagraj Manjule has alleged that a copy of his recent Marathi blockbuster 'Sairat' has been leaked and is being circulated through pirated CDs and other mediums, police said today. Manjule and the film's producer Nikhil Sane yesterday met Maharashtra Director General of Police Praveen Dixit and complained about the issue, a police official said. The duo had also met Mumbai Police Commissioner Dattatray Padsalgikar and Joint CP (Crime) Atul Kulkarni in this regard, police said. Following this, Maharashtra police has instructed all police commissionarates in the state and the Railway Police to conduct raids and seize CDs and other mediums through which the film is being illegally sold or shown. Also, the Mumbai's police's cyber cell is probing the case, the officer said. 'Sairat', featuring Rinku Rajguru and Akash Thosar, released on April 29. SKS Microfinance Limited today said it has decided to change its corporate name to 'Bharat Financial Inclusion Limited' subject to regulatory and corporate approvals. "Bharat Financial Inclusion Limited reflects the new brand and its delivery capabilities as 'Bharat', the Sanskrit name of India, emphasises the Company's unique distinction of having a formidable, predominantly rural network across the country, and 'Financial Inclusion' is the delivery of financial services at an affordable cost to economically weaker sections of the society, which is the core business of the Company," SKS said in a statement. The name change decision has been taken in view of the fact that the Company's core has undergone a transformation, equipping it to play a major complimentary role in fulfilling the national priority of financial inclusion, it added. SKS Microfinance Limited is among the largest microfinance companies in India with presence across 18 states covering 1,00,000 villages, catering to its 63.65 lakh woman members. The Delhi Police today argued in a court here that the testimonies of a 52-year-old Danish woman and an eyewitness clearly nail the accused facing trial for allegedly raping the foreigner in 2014. Commencing final arguments in the case, Special Public Prosecutor Atul Shrivastava said the scientific and medical evidence collected in the case also prove the guilt of the five adult accused persons. "The foreign national was ravished in India. Her testimony coupled with the depositions of witness who had seen the accused committing the crime and the hotel manager who had seen the woman in an injured condition when she returned there after the incident are enough to convict the offenders," the prosecutor argued before Additional Sessions Judge Ramesh Kumar-II. He said the woman had clearly identified three of the six adult accused in the court while she was not completely sure about others. "She had left India immediately after the incident. We had requested her to undergo medical test but she had refused as she was traumatised. She was medically examined when she reached Denmark and the officers there also saw that she was in a bad condition mentally and physically which showed she was ravished," Shrivastava said. The prosecutor's arguments remained inconclusive and would continue on May 6. According to the prosecution, the nine accused, all vagabonds, had allegedly robbed and gangraped the Danish tourist at knife-point on the night of January 14, 2014, after leading her to a secluded spot close to the Divisional Railway Officers' Club near New Delhi Railway Station. All nine accused were arrested. The five adult accused - Mahendra alias Ganja (26), Mohd Raja (22), Raju (23), Arjun 21), Raju Chakka (22) - are in judicial custody and facing trial. 55-year-old accused Shyam Lal, who was in judicial custody, died in February. Three other accused were juveniles against whom inquiry before the Juvenile Justice Board is in progress. The European Central Bank is set to decide today the fate of the 500-euro banknote, which many people associate with money laundering, the black market and terrorist financing. But its possible abolition is raising hackles in countries such as Germany. The violet-coloured bill, the largest denomination banknote in the single currency area and physically also the bigger than the five other euro bills, is on the agenda of a meeting of the ECB's governing council, a bank spokesman told AFP. Notwithstanding any surprises, the council is likely to vote to stop issuing them, as the bill is believed to be favoured by criminals for moving large sums of money around without the authorities knowing. "Such notes are the preferred payment mechanism of those pursuing illicit activities, given the anonymity and lack of transaction record they offer, and the relative ease with which they can be transported and moved," according to a recent Harvard University study. Because of its size and portability, the 500-euro note has become so prized in underground finance that it can trade at more than its face value, and has become known in some circles as a "Bin Laden", the study said. The 500-euro note is "used more for hiding things than buying them," said French Finance Minister Michel Sapin in March. "It is used more to facilitate transactions which are not honest than to allow you and me to buy food to eat," Sapin said. France is pushing to step up the fight against terrorist financing in the aftermath of the bloody series of attacks in Paris in 2015. The EU Commission had said in February that it would "explore the need for appropriate restrictions on cash payments exceeding certain thresholds and to engage with the European Central Bank to consider appropriate measures regarding high denomination notes, in particular the EUR 500 note." According to ECB statistics, the 500-euro bills account for just three percent of the total number of banknotes in circulation, but 28 percent of the total value. Nevertheless, resistance to its possible abolition appears to be particularly high in Germany, where most people still prefer to make payments in cash. And when the euro was created, it was Germany that had been keen to have a 500-euro bill because it was of a similar size denomination as its 1,000-deutschemark banknote. Opponents of the note's abolition are concerned that it would simply be the first step in abolishing cash altogether and be replaced by electronic payment systems that can be completely monitored by authorities. The Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) has issued notice to the Principal of Hindu College over not providing accommodation to girls in the hostel. A senior official from the DCW said the Commission has received a representation from students of the college regarding high fee structure and "discriminatory rules" for girls in the newly constructed 200-seat hostel. "The representation states that the college is not yet providing accommodation to girls in the hostel despite the hostel having been constructed. The same has been highlighted in a newspaper report in a leading daily," the official said. The report also mentions that the decision of not providing hostel has been taken in the wake of protests by students against discriminatory practices and rules of the college against girl students, the official added. The notice issued to Principal Anju Srivastava said, "Prima facie, such an act by the college appears to be discriminatory and a violation of the Constitutional rights of women. The fact that a prestigious college such as Hindu College has allegedly taken such a step is even more disturbing." "The Delhi Commission for Women therefore directs you to respond to all allegations raised in the complaint received from the students of Hindu College," it said. Srivastava has been asked to send her reply within 48 hours of the notice. "Failing which appropriate action, under law will be taken," the notice said. The Delhi Commission for Women Act, 1994 mandates the DCW to investigate and examine all matters relating to the safeguards provided for women in Delhi under the Constitution and give recommendations to the government on the issue of women rights and safety under Section 10(i)(a,b,c). Also, Section 10(iii)(d) of the said Act empowers the Commission to requisition any public record or copy thereof from any office and gives it powers of a Civil Court for the same. In a recent circular, the college had said it will not admit students to its new girls' hostel this year. The move came in the backdrop of protests by students over high fees. The girl students are also demanding revocation of mandatory dress code for those willing to stay at the hostel. In an unprecedented move, a group of doctors today launched a national coalition to press for removal of the entire leadership of the Medical Council of India, alleging massive corruption and even demanded scrapping of the Indian Medical Council Act. The network of "ethical" doctors received support of a group of MPs who asked them to prepare a white paper on the alleged "massive corruption" in the body. Speaking at the launch of a national coalition of "ethical" doctors demanding the resignation of MCI leadership and scrapping of MCI Act, Members of Parliament including KC Tygai, Husain Dalwai and AV Swamy extended their support in exposing alleged corruption in the medical body. The move came close on the heels of a Parliamentary panel report calling for revamping the MCI and the Supreme Court appointing a three-member Oversight Committee headed by ex-CJI R M Lodha to oversee functioning of the body, which regulates medical practice in the country, with regard to an entrance test. "We want you to prepare a white paper on the prevailing corruption in the Medical Council of India with all your questions and present it to the President. MCI has become an institution of exploitation and torture and it should be exposed," Tyagi said. He expressed hope that the matter will be taken up in the monsoon session of Parliament. "We assure you of our support in this fight in whatever ways we can. I hope when the matter comes up this monsoon session, we are able to demand MCI's restructuring and bringing of a new law," he said. Dalwai, MP from Maharashtra, suggested launching one medical college in every district to meet the shortfall of doctors and surgeons in the country. "Like we have one hospital at district level, there should also be one medical college in each and every district so that the increasing demand of doctors can be met. Poor people are suffering the most as they cannot go to big hospitals even as it is mandatory," Dalwai said. The launch of the coalition preceded release of a book, 'Dissenting Diagnosis', which contains first person accounts of doctors about how patients are exploited in hospitals and laboratories in India authored by Dr Arun Gadre and Dr Abhay Shukla. The book was also launched on the occasion. In an unprecedented move, a group of doctors today launched a national coalition to press for removal of the entire leadership of the Medical Council of India, alleging massive corruption and even demanded scrapping of the Indian Medical Council Act. The move comes close on the heels of a Parliamentary panel report calling for revamping the MCI and the Supreme Court appointing a three-member Oversight Committee headed by ex-CJI R M Lodha to oversee functioning of the body, which regulates medical practice in the country, with regard to an entrance test. The launch of the coalition preceded release of a book, 'Dissenting Diagnosis', which contains first person accounts of doctors about how patients are exploited in hospitals and laboratories in India authored by Dr Arun Gadre and Dr Abhay Shukla. The book was also launched on the occasion. The alliance was announced by Dr Abhay Shukla of Jan Swasthya Abhiyan (People's Health Movement) at a press conference here which was also attended by representatives of a number of doctors' bodies including Indian Doctors for Ethical Practice (IDEP) and SATHI. They alleged "massive corruption" in MCI. The doctors termed as "worrying" the "silence" of the Health Ministry on the findings of the House panel. The coalition may draft a model Act if the government does not take any step in this regard, Shukla said. Adopting a resolution demanding scrapping of the Indian Medical Council Act, the doctors said its provisions were lenient and that it should be replaced with a new law to check corruption in medical education and promote ethics in the medical profession. Commenting on the collusion between MCI and private medical colleges, Dr GS Grewal of Punjab Medical Council alleged it was common knowledge that some of the MCI members prefer "gold instead of cash" and overlook the concept of "ghost faculty". "The formation of the alliance is unprededented. We have reached a stage where corruption in MCI and the medical world at large is bound to lead towards some major upheavel. The current MCI leadership looks like the proverbial three monkeys. It should immediately resign on moral grounds," Shukla said. He said they had approached Health Minister J P Nadda to be a part of the National Consultation on Reform and Restructure of MCI. "We will again approach him and also the Prime Minister with these demands." Dr Jasodhara Dasgupta of Medico Friend Circle, another partner of the alliance, said the time was ripe for the government to take strong action against MCI which she said has failed to equip doctors to handle even primary health care issues. Dr Samiran Nundy, a senior surgeon, suggested that Britain's General Medical Council could be a good model to follow in restructuring MCI and that the body should have nominated members from the civil society. "Right now the regulatory system is being hijacked. They have absolutely no regard for medical ethics. That is why the reform should involve multiple stakeholders as any such initiative requires wider civil society participation," Shukla said. Keeping the pot boiling on the issue of Prime Minister's educational qualifications, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal today said Delhi University was "refusing" to show records of Narendra Modi's degree as he never graduated from it. Kejriwal also promptly shared the copy of an RTI response on his engineering degree from IIT-Kharagpur, saying the authorities could immediately provide it as "I have a degree from there". He alleged that images of Modi's degrees published by some newspapers were "forged". "DU refuses to show records of PM's degree. Why? My info- he did not do BA from DU," Kejriwal tweeted. "No records in DU related to his enrolment, his degree, his marksheets and convocation," the Chief Minister said in another tweet, a week after the Central Information Commission directed DU and Gujarat University to search and provide information on Modi's degrees. Gujarat University had on Sunday said Modi had an MA degree and had scored 62.3 per cent as an external student of the varsity while DU is yet to share any information. AAP has been attacking the Prime Minister over the issue ever since Kejriwal wrote a letter to Information Commissioner Sridhar Acharyulu demanding that the CIC order on disclosure of educational qualifications of Modi. Acting on complaints, Election Commission has transferred a policeman in West Midnapore district and also instructed IPS officer Bharati Ghosh not to go to any poll-bound district ahead of the last phase of election tomorrow. The EC said it will not hesitate to respond to violence of any sort, anywhere and anytime and take appropriate legal action irrespective of political affiliations, official sources said today. The poll panel has directed the police to take strict action on all cases of post-poll violence. "All matters pertaining to law and order are being pursued by West Bengal chief secretary and the director general of police and EC has directed time-bound follow-up action on FIRs lodged in these cases (post-poll violence) and legal action be taken," the officials said. Officials said the officer-in-charge of Sabang police station in West Midnapore district, which went to polls in the second part of phase one on April 11, has been transferred. The action comes after reports of post-poll violence in the district and allegations of police inaction made by the Congress-Left alliance. The EC also asked the state administration to ensure that IPS Bharati Ghosh does not leave the city and go to the poll-bound districts of Coochbehar and East Midnapore, where polling will be held in the sixth and last phase tomorrow, officials said. Ghosh, who was working as officer on special duty in left-wing affected areas, was transferred by the poll panel as special superintendent (CID) after elections began. The IPS officer is now posted in Kolkata. A top Egyptian court today acquitted former Mubarak-era prime minister Ahmed Nazif of graft and profiteering charges in a retrial. 63-year-old Nazif was charged of misusing his position as prime minister and involved in corruption with his family and gained about 64 million Egyptian pounds in the form of lands and apartments in Alexandria. He was also accused of establishing an institution for child development and took 35 million Egyptian pounds as donation from government but it was later found to be fraud. The former prime minister was convicted in 2012 of graft and profiteering and sentenced to three years in prison. He was also also fined of about 4.5 million Egyptian pounds and ordered to repay another 4.5 million Egyptian pounds for gaining millions during his period as prime minister. The Cassation court today acquitted Nazif of graft and profiteering charges in a retrial. He was imprisoned after Hosni Mubarak's ouster and released in June 2013 because he had spent the maximum period in pre-trial detention for corruption charges. In a retrial which took place in July 2015, the Cairo Criminal Court sentenced Nazif to five years in prison and he was also fined about 53.3 million Egyptian pounds. He and his late wife were ordered to repay another 48 million Egyptian pounds. But Nazif appealed the sentence again. In February 2015, Nazif was acquitted in another graft case in which he and former interior minister Habib El-Adly had been sentenced to one year and five years in jail respectively over charges of illegal profiting and squandering public funds. Many other Mubarak-era figures have been cleared of corruption charges in recent months. Hundreds of Egyptian journalists demanded the sacking of the interior minister in a raucous meeting at the Journalists' Syndicate today, after an unprecedented police raid to arrest two reporters. Police cordoned off streets leading to the syndicate headquarters in downtown Cairo but allowed members to gather in and around the building for their general assembly, where they chanted "the interior ministry are thugs". President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, who has shown little tolerance for dissent, is facing a storm of criticism from the country's once compliant media after police raided the syndicate on Sunday to arrest the two journalists. The prosecution said it had issued warrants for their arrest on charges "relating to the peace and security of the nation" and imposed a gag order on the case. Today, hundreds of reporters stood outside the syndicate headquarters, yelling: "Hold your head high, you're a journalist." Inside, hundreds who packed a conference room roared their approval as an official read out a statement demanding Sisi apologise and Interior Minister Magdy Abdel Ghaffar be sacked. The statement also demanded the release of jailed reporters. Once feted as a hero by millions of Egyptians, Sisi, a former army chief, faces growing criticism over a crackdown once confined to Islamists that has spread to secular dissidents. The former defence minister came to power after overthrowing his Islamist predecessor Mohamed Morsi in 2013, unleashing a crackdown that killed hundreds of Islamist protesters. Police have since gone after secular and liberal dissidents who had supported Morsi's overthrow but turned on Sisi. In April, police arrested dozens of activists in the lead-up to a protest against a deal by Sisi to hand over two islands to Saudi Arabia. The protest, called for by a coalition of liberal and leftist groups, was quickly dispersed by police, who arrested several journalists in the process. An Egyptian court sentenced prominent activist Sanaa Seif to six months in prison today, months after she was freed by a presidential pardon in another case. Seif, whose older brother and dissident Alaa Abdel Fattah has also been imprisoned since February 2015, was convicted of "insulting the judiciary," a judicial official said. She had been caught up in a renewed crackdown on secular dissidents who had called for protests this month against President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi for handing over two islands to Saudi Arabia. Dozens were arrested in the lead-up to an April 25 protest in Cairo which ended with police dispersing the rally using tear gas and detaining more activists. Seif's conviction stems from a prosecution summons on suspicion of inciting protests. She did not attend and was charged with "insulting a member of the prosecution," the judicial official said. The verdict may be appealed, although Seif has said she will not contest it. In a Facebook post, Seif said she did not attend Wednesday's hearing but was going to hand herself in. "Simply, I do not have the energy to deal with their measures," she wrote. Seif had been pardoned last October after she was imprisoned over a 2014 protest outside the presidential palace in Cairo. Sisi, a former army chief who was elected president after overthrowing his Islamist predecessor in 2013, has been accused by activists of installing a heavy-handed regime that tolerates no dissent. After president Mohamed Morsi's overthrow, a police crackdown killed hundreds of Islamist protesters, while a jihadist insurgency has killed hundreds of policemen and soldiers. The crackdown has extended to secular and liberal dissidents over the past two years. Earlier this month, Sisi handed over two islands in the Straits of Tiran to Saudi Arabia during visit by King Salman to Cairo. The government says the islands had always belonged to Saudi Arabia and Egypt merely administered them since the 1950s, but critics accuse Sisi of "selling" them in exchange for Saudi largesse. Etihad Airways, which has 24 per cent stake in Jet Airways, today said the alliance carried 63 per cent more passengers from the country in 2015 at 3.3 million. "We (Etihad and Jet Airways) have carried 3.3 million passengers between India and Abu Dhabi in 2015. "This is a growth of 63 per cent over 2014," Etihad Airways Chief Commercial Officer Peter Baumgartner told reporters. "This makes the Etihad-Jet combine the largest international carrier from this country, flying in and out 1 in every 5 passengers, operating 254 flights a week from 15 gateways cities in the country and enjoying as much as 21 per cent market share," Baumgartner said. While Etihad directly connects 11 cities in the country with Abu Dhabi directly, Jet connects four more cities with the Gulf city. The UAE national carrier has from Sunday added Mumbai as the fourth destination for the super jumbo Airbus A380 that boasts of the world's first family suite in the skies called The Residence, offering a three-room suite (a living room, bedroom and a shower), 9 first-class apartments, 70 business studios and 417 economy class seats. The world's seventh largest airline group started deploying A380s on its network from December 2014. It has since then been connecting Abu Dhabi with New York (daily), London (twice a day) and Sydney (daily) and from May 1, Mumbai (daily). From June 1, it will also fly the super jumbo to Melbourne daily. With this, a passenger from Mumbai can fly all the way to New York (JFK) or London with just a halt in Abu Dhabi, Baumgartner added. Baumgartner further said the deployment of the world's largest aircraft on the Mumbai-Abu Dhabi sector shows the importance the airline accords to this market, which is the largest sourcing market for the flag carrier of the Emirate, getting close to 19 per cent of its total business in terms of load factor. Etihad becomes the fourth international carrier to deploy the A380s from the city after Emirates, Singapore Airlines and Lufthansa, all of which also connect Delhi with these aircraft. "We are flying 44,000 seats a week and hope to fly more with the A380 service," he added. Abu Dhabi has over 51,000 seats a week as part of the bilateral between the two nations, which means to and fro there are 1,02,000 seats available on the sector. Baumgartner further said "India continues to be a crucial part of Etihad's growth strategy contributing significantly to the airline's global operations and job creation and connecting India with the rest of the world. "Bringing our flagship product to India is further proof of the significance of this market and more importantly, our commitment to this country's economy. Of the more than 26,000 employees from as many as 144 nationalities, more than 20 per cent are Indians." Baumgartner, however, repeatedly parried questions on allegations that the UAE carrier has pushed down its partner Jet to being a feeder carrier. Jet is the largest international carrier from the country. Baumgartner also avoided questions about the reported plans of his carrier to increase stake in the Naresh Goyal-run carrier through debt investment. Etihad has so far invested over USD 750 million in Jet. From the cargo side, he said the airline is the ninth biggest carrier from the country. Last year, it airlifted as much as 1.2 lakh tonne cargo to and fro from the country. He said this is likely to go up further as the bilateral trade is set to jump 60 per cent by 2020 to USD 100 billion. The UAE is the largest Arab investor in the country and the 10th largest overall, while India is the third largest trading partner for the Emirate. Etihad launched only in 2003 has gone on to become the seventh largest airline group in the world carrying 17.6 million passengers in 2015, out of which close to 18 per cent or 3.3 million were to and from India alone. The airline connects as many as 117 destinations from its Abu Dhabi hub, deploying 122 aircraft (and 204 more on order). Along with its 49 code partners and five equity partners, it has carried 111 million passengers in 2015. It has 10 A380s now and more have been ordered. The airline owns 49 per cent each in Alitalia and Air Serbia, 40 per cent in Air Seychelles, 33 per cent in Etihad Regional, 30 per cent Virgin Australia and 24 per cent in Jet Airways. That apart, it also owns equity in Air Berlin and the Swiss-based Darwin Airline. Gushing over his new bride, actor Karan Singh Grover says every moment that he spends with Bipasha Basu is blissful and he will "love her forever." Karan and Bipasha, 37, tied the knot on April 30 after a year of dating. The 34-year-old "Alone" actor posted a photo of the couple from their wedding ceremony and heaped praise on his wife. "I must've have been a saint in my previous birth to deserve such a beautiful, loving, caring bride. Every moment spent with you is bliss. I love you forever and a day..." he captioned the picture, which shows him planting a peck on Bipasha's cheek. The simple Bengali ceremony was attended by family and a few close friends, while the couple's reception was a star-studded affair as celebrities like the Bachchans, Salman Khan, Shah Rukh Khan and Ranbir Kapoor turned up to wish the pair. Expelled leaders of the BJP Mizoram unit today demanded the resignation of the newly appointed state unit president Prof John V Hluna. The expelled leaders who convened a 'Special Assembly of the BJP Mizoram Pradesh' included former party vice presidents Chalngura Jahau, N Joshua and Laldinliana Hrahsel. The special assembly delegates accused Hluna of acting against the party constitution by suspending eight top unit leaders and also dissolving district, block and village level unit committees. The leaders alleged the present state unit president was not appointed with formal approval from the party's national leadership. CBI has told a special court that Prakash Industries Limited (PIL) and its director, who were discharged by the Delhi High Court in a coal block allocation scam case, have not been served with the notice issued on its appeal by the Supreme Court. The prosecutor also informed the court that the Registrar of Supreme Court has ordered the agency to serve the notice to PIL and its director A K Chaturvedi by hand and the CBI investigating officer would make all efforts to serve them. "Senior public prosecutor for the CBI has submitted that in the SLP which has been filed before Supreme Court, the two respondents namely A K Chaturvedi and M/s Prakash Industries Ltd have not been yet served. "However, the court of Registrar, Supreme Court has now ordered that notice be served upon the two respondents dasti by CBI. Investigating Officer Inspector Raja Chatterjee states that will make all efforts to get the service effected," Special CBI Judge Bharat Parashar and fixed the matter for August 30. CBI had earlier told the court that though the special leave petition (SLP) has been filed before the apex court the respondents have not been served yet. The SLP was preferred by CBI against the high court's September 5, 2014 order quashing charges of cheating, forgery and criminal conspiracy framed by the trial court against the firm and its Director (Corporate Affairs) A K Chaturvedi. The other two accused in the case are Goutam Kumar Basak, the then Executive Secretary of Steel Ministry's Joint Plant Committee, and Soumen Chatterjee, the then Manager (F&A) of the committee. They are currently out on bail. Basak and Chatterjee were earlier put on trial on charges of cheating, forgery and other offences under IPC and under Prevention of Corruption Act for allegedly giving a misleading report regarding PIL's production capacity. The Joint Plant Committee was set up in 1964 by the government to formulate guidelines for production, allocation and pricing of iron and steel and is the only institution which is empowered by the Steel Ministry to collect data on iron and steel industry. According to CBI, on the basis of allegedly inflated production figures and "bogus reports" submitted by PIL, Basak and Chatterjee, the screening committee had allotted captive coal block at Urtan in Madhya Pradesh and Vijay Central in Chhattisgarh to PIL. CBI's charge sheet had alleged that PIL had mined coal from Chotia mining block in excess and diverted approximately 50 per cent of it to the black market and earned a profit of about Rs 22.7 crore. Lifeguards, who protect beaches in Goa, have decided to go on an indefinite strike from May 15 to press for their various demands. "We have been forced by the state government to go on an indefinite strike from May 15. Our demands are not met. Goa government is not willing even to sit across the table and discuss the grievances," Suhas Naik, State Secretary, All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC) told PTI today. Among the demands of lifeguards include regularisation in services and hike in the pay scales, Naik added. Total 650 lifeguards employed by private agency Drishti Lifesaving Services which has been contracted for the work will be striking, he said. The lifeguards had struck work between December 29 last year to January 13. The strike was withdrawn following assurance by Goa Tourism Minister Dilip Parulekar and Goa Labour Minister Avertano Furtado. Recently, Drishti Lifesaving Services had approached the Goa bench of the Bombay High Court seeking to pass an order staying any attempt of strike by lifeguards, who are covered under the Essential Services Management Act. However, the high court had refused to pass any order while dismissing the petition. Goa is known for its scenic beaches like Calangute, Colva, Morjim, Palolem, Baga among others. Kerala Government today announced a solatium of Rs 10 lakh to the family of the 30-year-old Dalit woman who was brutally raped and murdered at her house in Perumbavoor recently. A government job will also be provided to the sister of the victim, an official press release said. With many persons coming forward to extend financial help to the family to build a house, the Ernakulam District Collector has been asked to coordinate and provide all assistance to the family in this regard. The government will also approach the Election Commission seeking permission to provide assistance to the family of the victim. The woman, a law student who hailed from a poor family, was subjected to rape and brutal assault using sharp edged weapons before being murdered at her house in Perumbavoor on April 28, police said. The Cabinet today approved a proposal to adopt United Nations Fundamental Principles of Official Statistics, in a move to improve data collection process. "The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given its approval to adoption of United Nations Fundamental Principles of Official Statistics," an official statement read. According to the statement, the adoption will lead to professional independence, impartiality, accountability and transparency in methods of collection, compilation and dissemination of official statistics, besides ensuring international standards. It is also expected to pave the way for devising a National Policy on Official Statistics for improving systems, procedures and institutions consistent with these principles. As per the 10 Fundamental Principles of Official Statistics, as endorsed by the UN General Assembly, it provides an indispensable element in the information system. Government today faced embarrassment in when a question relating to Railway Ministry was taken up but both Minister Suresh Prabhu and junior minister Manoj Sinha were absent, leading the Speaker to issue a stricture saying such instances should not recur. The incident happened during Question Hour when Speaker Sumitra Mahajan took up the issue of 'Go-India Smart Card', an initiative of the Railway Ministry, for discussion. As neither Prabhu, nor Sinha were present in the House, Congress members led by Mallikarjun Kharge strongly protested and wanted to know why the Ministers were absent when the question relating to their Ministry was listed for business in the House. Kharge said this was not for the first time that a Minister was absent when matters related to their Ministries were taken up. "They (Ministers) are not following rules. Earlier, when a Cabinet Minister was not present, we kept mum. For running the House, Ministers must be present. They are not following rules. It will have a repercussion on you (Speaker), not on them (treasury)," Kharge said. Congress chief whip Jyotiraditya Scindia asked the Speaker to issue a stricture and said "we are fighting for you, Madam". Speaker Mahajan expressed her displeasure over the absence of MoS Sinha, saying "I am sorry, it is unfair" "I was informed that the Cabinet Minister is busy somewhere else. The MoS was here. But I think he has left. This should not happen. Ministers should be present till the last. This should not happen again," she said. Parliamentary Affairs Minister M Venkaiah Naidu also expressed regret for the absence of the Minister saying it will not be repeated. "The Minister (MoS) was here. But he has left perhaps under the impression that it (the question related to the Railway Ministry) will not come up. I am sorry and it will not be repeated. Minister should be in the House. It is a mistake," he said. Naidu also suggested that the particular question relating to the Railway Ministty should be postponed and taken up on another day. The government is setting up a centralised monitoring system (CMS) to automate process of lawful interception and monitoring of phones and internet, Telecom Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said today. The monitoring centre at Delhi, and regional monitoring centre (RMC) at New Delhi and Mumbai have been operationalised. "Government has decided to set up the CMS in a phased manner to automate the process of lawful interception and monitoring of mobile phones, landlines and the internet in the country," Prasad said in a written reply to Lok Sabha. He further said the phase related with technology development and pilot trials of the CMS have been completed. "The CMC at Delhi, RMC at New Delhi and Mumbai has been operationalised and other RMC in licence service area, under CMC project across the country are progressively being operationalised in a phased manner," Prasad said. The aim and objective of CMS include electronic provisioning of target number by government agency without any manual intervention from telecom service providers (TSPs) on a secured network, thus enhancing the secrecy level and quick provisioning of target. "Secure flow of intercepted communication on near real time basis between law enforcement agency and TSPs on secured and dedicated CMS network," the Minister said. He further added central and regional centres which will help central and state level law enforcement agencies in lawful interception and monitoring in serious desirable cases of national security and allied matters. "Research and development in related fields for continuous upgradtion of the CMS," he added. Government was today forced to tender an apology in Lok Sabha as Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu and his junior Manoj Sinha were absent when the House took up a question relating to their Ministry and the Speaker issuing a stricture that such instances should not recur. The incident happened during Question Hour when Speaker Sumitra Mahajan took up the issue of 'Go-India Smart Card', an initiative of the Railway Ministry, for discussion. As neither Prabhu, nor Sinha were present in the House, Congress members led by Mallikarjun Kharge strongly protested and wanted to know why the Ministers were absent when the question relating to their Ministry was listed for business in the House. The Speaker initially said the Minister (Sinha) should be called as this was not fair and he should not leave the House when there is a question listed against his name. As Congress members continued to protest, Mahajan said that she had limited options. "What should I do? Should I hang him? I said it should not have happened," she said. Kharge said this was not for the first time that a Minister was absent when matters related to their Ministries were taken up. "You were here day before yesterday. When there is a discussion, Cabinet Minister should be present. That day also the Minister was not present, but we kept mum. Because they requested that such things will not happen again. "To run the House, the Ministers do not come but you keep telling us that we should follow the rules. But they do not go by the rules. There is a question but the Cabinet Minister is not present, the MoS is also not present. Its repercussion, reflection will be on you (Speaker) and us (opposition) but not on them (treasury)," Kharge said. The Speaker then said that she was informed that the Railway Minister would not be present. If the cabinet Minister is not in the House due to some work, the MoS is there. "He had given reply to the first question. He can give the reply for the second question too. There is no such rule. He can give reply under the rules. But it is a fact that the way he has left the House, till the complete question hour comes to an end, normally we do not reach fifth or sixth question, he has left under that impression. "But today I want to say that this should not happen and the Ministers should sit here till the end. We can't say whether the question will come or not. This is not fair. It should not happen again," she said. Parliamentary Affairs Minister M Venkaiah Naidu said it is a mistake and Sinha was very much in the House and he might have thought that the next Railway Ministry question will not come up. "But it is not correct. I am sorry for what has happened. I want to put it on record, on behalf of the government, I am sorry. It will not be repeated. If the Speaker wants, she can postpone the question also. I have no problem in that," he said. Naidu said he would ask the Railway Minister to answer that question again as that has been the practice earlier too. "But, as rightly observed by the Speaker, the Minister should be in the House whether the Question comes up or not," he said. Government will purchase 15,000 tonnes of onions in a move to help the growers in the wake of a bumper crop that has sharply brought down prices, the Lok Sabha was informed on Wednesday. Food and Civil Supplies Minister Ram Vilas Paswan said this in a brief intervention during the Zero Hour when concern was expressed over the fall in prices affecting the growers. Noting that production this year is to the tune of 20.3 million tonnes as against 19.0 million tonnes last year, the minister said that a decision to purchase 15,000 tonnes of the produce has been taken. Purchases have already started as there is infrastructure, he said in Nashik. The Centre has sent teams to all producing states, including Rajasthan, he added. The minister said that the states could also purchase the produce under the price stabilisation fund mechanism. The Food Corporation of India, he said, does not have the proper godowns to store onions and was ready to take them on rent from private sector. Raising the issue during zero hour, Bharatiya Janata Party member Manoj Rajouria expressed concern over the plight of the onion growers due to sharp fall in prices. Supported by his party colleagues, he wanted the Centre to intervene to help the farmer. The Gujarat High Court today admitted a PIL filed by former supercop Julio Ribeiro, challenging the appointment of IPS officer P P Pandey as in-charge DGP of Gujarat when he is an accused in the alleged fake encounter case of Mumbai college student Ishrat Jahan. A division bench of Chief Justice R Subhash Reddy and V M Pancholi admitted the PIL and asked the public prosecutor to take instructions from the state government on the issue. The court has kept the matter for further hearing on June 8. Public prosecutor Manisha Lav Kumar was asked to take instructions from the government. Ribeiro has in a PIL challenged the appointment of Pandey, who is an accused in the alleged fake encounter case of Ishrat Jahan and three others, and has sought to restrain him from holding the top police post. Ribeiro had served as the DGP of Gujarat and Punjab, the latter during the height of insurgency in the northern state which earned him the sobriquet as a super cop. He has stated that Pandey's holding the post could hamper the investigation and influence witnesses in the alleged fake encounter of Ishrat Jahan and three others in which he is an accused. Ribeiro has stated that Pandey's authority and influence of his post will affect witnesses many of whom are serving police officers who are were witnesses in the criminal case. Pandey, an accused in the case, was jailed after Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which is investigating the case, charge sheeted him along with other police officials in the encounter case. Pandey, who was suspended after his arrest in the Ishrat fake encounter case, was taken back in service four days after his release on bail on 5th February 2015. After being in jail for eighteen months before his release on bail, he was appointed as Director of Anti-Corruption Bureau. A case is pending in an Ahmedabad court. He took took over as in-charge DGP of Gujarat following unexpected transfer of incumbent P C Thakur to Delhi, on April 16. Ishrat (19), Javed Shaikh alias Pranesh Pillay, Amjadali Akabarali Rana and Zeeshan Johar were killed in an alleged fake encounter on the outskirts of Ahmedabad on June 15, 2004. Gujarat police had then claimed that the four with links to Pakistan based Lashkar-e-Taiba had come to the city to kill the then chief minister Narendra Modi. Gujarat government today refused to accept an undertaking given by jailed quota agitation leader Hardik Patel for obtaining bail. Prosecutor Mitesh Amin told Justice A J Desai of Gujarat High Court that the undertaking was not "agreeable to the government". Hardik's signed undertaking, presented by his lawyer Zubin Bharda, assured that if set free, he would refrain from the activities that may affect law and order situation but will "continue to agitate for grievances of the Patidar community in a peaceful and democratic manner". He would not indulge in any act disturbing the law and order and would abide by all the conditions that would be imposed by the court, it said. Advocate Bharda argued that his client was "better suited" for bail than his three associates arrested in the same case (Chirag Patel, Ketan Patel and Dinesh Patel) who have got bail after giving undertakings. The matter would be further heard tomorrow. The lower courts in Surat and Ahmedabad (where there are separate sedition cases against Hardik) have refused him bail. The young Patel leader and his three associates are facing charges under IPC sections 124(A) (sedition), 121 (A) (conspiracy to wage war against government) and 120 (B) (criminal conspiracy) here. They are accused of inciting violence to put pressure on the government to accept the demand of OBC reservation for Patels. Hardik is lodged at Lajpore jail in Surat. Gur prices remained unchanged at the wholesale market in the national capital today in the absence of any worthwhile moving activities. On the other hand, gur prices dropped by up to Rs 100 per quintal in Muzaffarnagar gur markets on sluggish demand amid fresh supplies. According to marketmen, increased arrivals from manufacturing belts against sluggish demand caused the fall particularly in Muzaffarnagar gur prices. In Muzaffarnagar, gur Laddoo prices declined from Rs 28,50-2,950 to Rs 2,800-2,850 per quintal. Similarly, Chakku prices dropped to Rs 2,625-2,950 from Rs 2,675-3,025 per quintal. Following are today's rates (in Rs per quintal): Gur chakku Rs 3,200-3,300, pedi Rs 3,400-3,500, dhayya Rs 3,600-3,700 and shakkar Rs 3,700-3,800. Muzaffarnagar: Rasket Rs 2,500-2,550, chakku Rs 2,675-3,025, khurpa Rs 2,600-2,700 and Ladoo Rs 2,850-2,950. Muradnagar: Pedi Rs 3,025-3,125 and dhayya Rs 3,150-3,175. The Madras High Court today dismissed a PIL filed by a DMK functionary seeking a special investigation team comprising non-state agencies such as CBI to investigate source of money seized by election officials in assembly poll-bound Tamil Nadu. A vacation bench, comprising Justices K K Sasidharan and S Vimala, observed that the petitioner being an office-bearer of a political party had come up with the PIL without any valid ground. Petitioner Arasakalai, referring to seizures of cash in the state ahead of the May 16 assembly elections, alleged that officials involved in the election work were mostly drawn from the state bureaucracy and hence unable to overcome the 'pressure' by the ruling party. He said only when the Election Commission finds out the real culprits behind the money supply, bribing of voters could be prevented. He further submitted that he had made a representation to the EC to constitute a SIT but the Commission in its reply said the allegations were baseless and false and the raids were conducted jointly by the District Flying Squad Team and the Income Tax department. This was false, he contended adding the search was not conducted as mandated by the Standard Operating Procedure prescribed by the EC itself. Dismissing the PIL, the bench said "It is not the case that the EC has not conducted the investigation in a free and fair manner. The petitioner being an office-bearer of a political party has come up with this writ petition without any valid ground. We do not find any reason to entrust the matter to SIT at this point of time," it said. The Delhi High Court today extended the stay granted on the bailable arrest warrant issued by the Press Council of India (PCI) against Sunil Arora, the then Union Information and Broadcasting (I&B) Ministry Secretary, for failing to comply with the summons to appear before it. Arora has retired from service on April 30. Justice Manmohan extended its April 19 interim order while asking the Ministry and the PCI to resolve the issue among themselves, saying "it's not a big deal". The court had restrained the PCI from proceeding further against Arora in pursuance to its March 17 order to institute a suo motu inquiry into the "continued apathy" of the Ministry towards the activities of the Council. During a brief hearing, the counsel for the PCI told the court that several issues had to be discussed, so the Council issued notice to the then Secretary. The counsel said there were matters concerning the powers of the Council, the autonomy and the sitting fee to the non-official members which required redressal. The advocate said that to reduce the Council's dependency on the government it had proposed increasing the levy fee on newspapers. The levy fee is paid by newspapers depending on their size and circulation to avail themselves of the services of the Council, she added. The PCI said that all this was done for amicable dialogue with the government. To this, central government standing counsel Ripu Daman Bhardwaj, claimed that all this issues were raised for personal benefit of the council members. He said that the issue of levy has been resolved, and the remaining matters will also be looked into. To this, the court asked the counsel for both the parties to settle the issue and listed the matter for further hearing on October 6. It asked the PCI to file their response to the Centre's plea challenging the suo motu enquiry being conducted by the Council and the summons and warrants issued by the PCI on April 1 and April 11 respectively. The Ministry has sought quashing of the suo motu enquiry conducted by the PCI by its March 17 resolution, summons and bailable warrants emanating from the enquiry. The government in its plea has said the PCI's order is not sustainable in the eyes of law in as much as the same is completely against the principles of natural justice since the reply made on behalf of Arora have not been considered at all by the PCI. "There are no provision under the PCI Act and regulation, which empowers the Council to summon the Secretary or any other officer of the central government on its administrative, financial and legislative proposals for which the government is empowered to take decision, whenever necessary with the approval of the Parliament, as the bare perusal of the Act and Regulation make it manifestly clear," the plea said. It has further said that the impugned inquiry proceedings culminating in passing of the orders are in "total disregard to the statutory provisions and it is a colourable exercise of power." The ministry in its petition said that the order was not warranted particularly when the government has taken action on their proposal with regard to enhancement of fees and the same has been notified in Gazette notification of March 30, 2016. As per the PCI's decision on April 11 after Arora failed to appear on that day, the Warrant of Arrest was to be issued through Commissioner of Police, Delhi/ACMM, Patiala House Court, Delhi for securing his appearance before the Council on April 22. The warrant was kept in abeyance by the Council after it received a communication from the I and B Ministry that the Secretary would appear any day after April 18. The unanimous decision to secure Arora's attendance before the Council at its next meeting was taken by its members at their meeting on April 11 under Chairmanship of C K Prasad. The PCI on March 17 had decided to institute a suo motu inquiry into the "continued apathy" of the I and B Ministry towards the activities of the Council particularly at its efforts to preserve the freedom of the press and its mandate under the Press Council Act and directed its Secretary to appear before it on April 11. Delhi High Court today directed the Election Commission of India (ECI) to hear afresh an application seeking de-recognition/de-registration of the Communist Party of India (Marxist). A bench of Chief Justice G Rohini and Justice Jayant Nath set aside the ECI's July 2015 decision rejecting the application for cancelling the political party's registration, saying no reasons were given while passing that order. The bench, after setting aside the earlier decision of the Commission, asked it to "hear the application afresh and to pass an appropriate reasoned order within 12 weeks from today". With the above direction, the court disposed of the petition filed by Jojo Jose, who claims to be a social worker, alleging that "CPI(M) secured its registration by misrepresentation, fraud and forgery". During the brief hearing today, the lawyer for ECI said the commission cannot go into the issues of fraud and forgery which allegedly took place 20 years ago. The lawyer said the petitioner would have to prove that fraud or forgery was allegedly committed by the party. The petitioner had contended in his petition that ECI rejected the application filed before it, without considering the contentions raised in it. The application before the poll panel had claimed that the party constitution of CPI(M) does not contain the provision of true allegiance to the Constitution as mandated by the law. The petitioner had also alleged that the main object of the CPI(M) was unconstitutional and it was formed for an unlawful purpose. Airconditioner firm Hitachi Home & Life Solutions expects its sales to cross Rs 2,000 crore mark in the current financial year. The company, a part of Johnson Controls-Hitachi Air-Conditioning company, is also aiming to double its sales in next five years by leveraging the strengths of US-based Johnson Controls and Japanese partner Hitachi Appliances. Hitachi Appliances has formed a global JV -- Johnson Controls-Hitachi Air-Conditioning -- with Johnson Controls. "With 20 per cent Y-o-Y growth, and present turnover of Rs 1,700 crore, we expect to grow around Rs 2,000 crore by FY 2016-17," said Hitachi Home and Life Solutions India Executive Director (Sales, Business Planning & Marketing) Gurmeet Singh. "The company is presently having 11 per cent market share in the residential AC market and we would double our sales in next five years by increasing our product portfolio and penetration of our distribution network," he said. The Indian residential airconditioning market is estimated at around 4 million units, Singh added. The company would also expand its network to boost sales in tier II & III places. "Right now, our products are available at 4,500 retail counters and we would expand it to 10,000 in next five years," he said. While talking about the synergy of the JV, Johnson Controls Hitachi Air Conditioning Global CEO Franz Cerwinka said: "By leveraging the strengths of both the companies, we will maximise our synergy and competitiveness to drive sustainable growth as a leading air-conditioning company in India and in the world". He further added that India is one of the fastest growing markets of the company and is projected to become the world's third-largest energy consumer by 2020 after the US and China. "Post this joint venture, we have upped the ante for our business expansion plans in India and we are focusing on developing more advanced technologies and products that surpass others in terms of their energy efficiency," Cerwinka said. The JV would also focus on industrial and commercial airconditioning and its chiller units. It has a manufacturing unit at Kadi in Gujarat. The company has exported some units to Sri Lanka and some West Asian countries. "We would first focus on the domestic market, which has very low penetration and then would focus on the exports," said Singh. The fixed monthly honorarium of Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs) in Haryana has been doubled to Rs 1,000 with an aim to motivate and enhance their performance. The decision, announced by Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar today while presiding over a meeting of the Health Department here, would benefit about 19,000 ASHAs and cost the state an additional Rs 12 crore, an official release said. The ASHAs would be entitled to the enhanced honorarium every month in which they earn incentive of Rs 1,000 or above. If the earned incentive in a month is less than Rs 1,000, they would get an amount equal to it as monthly incentive, it said. Every activist would also be entitled for 50 per cent additional incentive from the state government over and above the Centre's norms subject to a cap of Rs 1,500 per month, the release said. It was also decided that the ASHAs would continue to get Rs 200 per delivery for facilitating institutional delivery of general category women in government hospitals. Britain will admit a limited number of child refugees who have travelled alone from Syria to Europe, Prime Minister David Cameron announced today, in a U-turn on the politically-charged issue of migration. The government's change of heart is a victory for Alf Dubs, an 83-year-old member of Britain's House of Lords who argued that the country should be more compassionate, citing his own story of fleeing the Nazis as a child in 1939. Around 95,000 unaccompanied children applied for asylum in Europe last year, a fourfold increase on 2014, according to figures published by the Bureau for Investigative Journalism last month. Cameron said lone Syrian children who had registered in Greece, Italy or France before March 20 -- when the European Union signed a deal with Turkey to curb new arrivals -- would be considered. "We are going to do more for children who were already registered in Europe before the EU-Turkey deal," Cameron said in the House of Commons. "But we must stick to the principle that we shouldn't be encouraging people to make that perilous journey." Cameron's announcement was seen as a bid to head off probable defeat in a parliamentary vote next week on a legislative amendment tabled by Dubs, of the main opposition Labour party. The peer -- who came to Britain from Prague aged six in a scheme known as the Kindertransport, in which hundreds of Jewish children were rescued -- told AFP he was "delighted". "When you use the word immigrants and refugees, it's not always popular with some people. I'm very sad about that, but certainly when we talk about child refugees, people responded," Dubs said. "As a country, we have a good humanitarian tradition which has been somewhat lacking in the recent past and I think the public felt we should be doing this." The government has not said how many children will be allowed to come to Britain, saying it needs to talk to local authorities about how many they can cope with. A senior Downing Street source speaking anonymously to reporters said it would be "more than just tens". Britain has not joined EU schemes for the relocation and resettlement of migrants from Syria, where a five-year conflict has left around 270,000 people dead. Cameron's government believes it is best to offer help to refugees who have fled to camps in neighbouring countries like Jordan and Lebanon rather than encouraging them to take the risk of travelling to Europe. With China blocking India's bid at the United Nations (UN) to proscribe Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) chief Masood Azhar, government on Wednesday said it is exerting diplomatic pressure to remove the "technical hold" and get a ban imposed on him. Minister of State for External Affairs V K Singh told the Lok Sabha that India has also told China that there cannot be selective approach when it comes to terrorism. Last month, China had blocked India's bid at the UN to ban Azhar JeM chief and mastermind of the Pathankot attack. Read more from our special coverage on "TERROR" During Question Hour, Singh said the move to ban Azhar is on "technical hold" at the UN. "Hum zor dal rahe hai (we are putting pressure)" through diplomatic channels to ensure that it is done away with, he noted. China is among the five permanent members of the UN Security Council (UNSC) and has veto powers. The others are France, Russian Federation, the UK, and the US. The UN had banned the JeM but India's efforts for a ban on Azhar after the 2008 Mumbai attack also did not fructify as China did not allow the ban. On reforms at the UN, Singh said the expansion in both permanent and non-permanent category of its membership would be an essential element of the reforms at the UNSC. Referring to the four permanent member countries, Singh said "hamari baat ko samarthan karte hain (they support our demand for reforms)". On China, he said the country understands India's position and is of the view that India should have the opportunity to do good work at the UN. "We are seeking enough support" for UNSC membership and leaders of the country who visit overseas raise this issue, Singh said and noted that reforms in the UN is a long process. In a written reply, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said a large number of countries have supported India's initiatives for reform of the Security Council, as well as endorsed India's candidature for permanent membership. "This has been expressed in various forms and fora including in bilateral discussions with the Government of India," she said. "Government is of the view that early reforms of the Security Council is an essential element in the overall effort to reform the UN in order to make it more broadly representative, efficient and transparent and thus to further enhance its effectiveness and the legitimacy and implementation of its decisions," Swaraj said. A series of initiatives involving bilateral and multilateral platforms continue to be taken in pursuance of permanent membership in an expanded UNSC, she said. "India is also actively engaged in the ongoing inter-governmental negotiations on UNSC reforms at the UN and is working alongside other reform oriented countries through the G-4 (India, Japan, Brazil and Germany) and the L 69 (a cross regional grouping of developing countries) groupings," she added. To another query, she said that India is not a member of the '1267/1989/2254 ISIL (Da'esh) and Al-Qaeda Sanctions Committee' since the country is not member of the UNSC. The 15 members of the UNSC are the members of this committee. "A 10-member 'Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team' (monitoring team) comprising of independent experts, assist the Sanctions Committee. Depending on the vacancies available, India and all other member states may forward nominations of their nationals to serve on the Monitoring Team for which selections are made by the UN Secretariat," Swaraj said. Government today said it has retified the Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA) of the WTO and the pact aims to expedite the movement, release and clearance of goods, including goods in transit. "India has ratified the Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA) of the World Trade Agreement (WTO) and the instrument of Acceptance for Trade Facilitation Agreement was handed over to WTO Director-General by India on April 22, 2016," Minister of State for Commerce and Industry Nirmala Sitharaman said in a written reply to Rajya Sabha. The Trade Facilitation Agreement will enter into force once two-thirds of WTO members have completed their domestic rectification process, Sitharaman added. India is the 76th WTO member to accept the TFA. TFA sets out measures for effective cooperation between customs and other appropriate authorities on trade facilitation and customs compliance issues. "These objectives are in consonance with India's 'Ease of Doing Business' initiative," the Minister said. She said the ratification of the WTO's TFA will help in improving border procedures, and also help further India to boost economic growth by reducing trade costs, improve trade flows and reap benefits from international trade. On India European Union Bilateral Trade and Investment Agreement (BTIA), Sitharaman said negotiations are underway and 16 rounds of negotiations have been held so far. "Recently, two rounds of stock-taking have taken place on January 18, 2016, and February 22, 2016. We are committed for an early and balanced outcome of the negotiations," she said. Asked whether the WTO deal in Nairobi is a huge setback for India, the Minister said," At the Ministerial Conference of the WTO held in Nairobi, Kenya in December 2015, Ministerial decisions were adopted on some agricultural issues and issues of importance of developing countries and least developed countries." Sitharaman noted that decisions in the WTO are mostly taken by consensus and India joined the consensus in agreeing to the outcomes of Nairobi Ministerial Conference, after ensuring that its interest were protected. India has received USD 48 billion in remittances in the first nine months of the previous fiscal, the government informed Lok Sabha today. India, one of the top recipients of remittances globally, had received USD 66.26 billion in 2014-15 while the amount was USD 65.48 billion in 2013-14. Replying to a question, Minister of State for External Affairs V K Singh also said, as per policy, investments made by NRIs under schedule 4 of FEMA (transfer or issue of security by persons residing outside India) Regulations is deemed to be domestic investment on par with investment made by residents. He said existing policy allows special dispensation for NRI investments in construction and civil aviation sector. To a separate question on whether over 300 Indian students are facing action by US government for staying in that country illegally, Singh said the American authorities have arrested 22 brokers, recruiters and employers who allegedly conspired with foreign nationals to fraudulently obtain visas through a "pay to stay" New Jersey college namely University of Northern New Jersy (UNNJ). "This 'college' was created and operated as part of the US Homeland Security Investigations' (HSI) enforcement action in this matter," he said. He said, as per the US government, during investigation, it was found that 1,076 foreign nationals who previously entered the US on F1 non-immigration student visas to attend other accredited schools were found to have knowingly participated in the visa fraud by enrolling at UNNJ for the sole purpose of illegally obtaining or maintaining their non- immigrant status. "306 of these students are Indian nationals. It is understood that the US authorities have terminated the enrolment of all these students. "The US authorities have further informed that any student thus terminated, who chooses not to file for reinstatement or his or her reinstatement application denied, must depart the country immediately," Singh said. The minister said government was in touch with the US government and has emphasised that due process must be followed and there should be no harassment and injustice to the students. India has remained united after independence and retained democracy due to the non-violent approach followed by Mahatma Gandhi which became ingrained in the hearts of Indians, his grandson Rajmohan Gandhi said. On his first-ever tour of China, Rajmohan said 68 years have passed since Mahatma Gandhi, also known as "Father of the Nation", was assassinated but his principle of nonviolence still influences present-day India. Rajmohan, a biographer and research professor at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in the US, said "nonviolence was a great success," as Gandhi planted a nonviolent tradition in the hearts of Indians, who learned to resolve differences through dialogue and negotiation. "If India had adopted violence, more and more violence would have taken place. There are so many ways Indians can fight against each other, but one reason India has remained a united single country after 70 years (since independence) is nonviolence," state-run china.Org.Cn reported today, quoting him as telling a meeting here on Monday. In other words, had guns been employed to resolve differences in the early 20th Century, then guns would have had to rule India afterwards, he said, adding, had that happened, India would not have become a democratic country but a military dictatorship. He cited his grandfather's two biggest successes as democracy and the unity among different religions in India. Rajmohan's remarks are significant in China's context as Chinese leader Mao Zedong followed the opposite, advocating the principle of power through the barrel of a gun. While India became independent in 1947, China came under the rule of the Communist Party headed by Mao in 1949. On the partition of India and formation of Pakistan, Rajmohan said it was Gandhi's biggest failure, since he was unable to unite the country's Muslims leading to Pakistan's creation alongside India's independence in 1947. Rajmohan said Mahatma Gandhi's unity-minded holistic principles should apply to India's peripheral diplomacy, particularly in its ties with China, another populous country as well as a major power and growing economy. While China has replaced the US as India's top trading partner, with bilateral trade amounting to about USD 70.83 billion, relations between both the countries were affected by border dispute and mistrust. Rajmohan, a specialist in South Asian studies, said the two countries "should keep the planet in mind". "Although China and India have a border and a recent history of conflict and tension, both counties should look at each other in the context of the plant, thinking about what we can do together for the world. We should realise that our differences should be resolved, instead of letting them get in the way of cooperation and partnership," he said. Former Chinese Ambassador to India Zhou Gang, who was present during the meeting, supported Rajmohan's suggestions. India has sought consultations with the US at WTO on higher visa fees as it is of the view that the measures are inconsistent with the WTO General Agreement on Trade and Services (GATS), Parliament was informed today. "India has decided to seek consultations with the US under the dispute settlement mechanism at WTO regarding certain measures, namely allegedly imposing increased fees on certain applicants for L-1 and H1-B categories of non-immigrant visas," Commerce and Industry Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said in a written reply to the Rajya Sabha. "India believes that the measures are inconsistent with a number of provisions of WTO GATS." In March, WTO had said India filed a complaint against the US decision to impose high fees on temporary working visas. "India notified the WTO Secretariat on March 3 that it has initiated a WTO dispute proceeding against the US regarding measures imposing increased fees on certain applicants for L-1 and H-1B categories of non-immigrant temporary working visas into the US, and measures relating to numerical commitments for H-1B visas," it had said. India has raised serious concern over the issue, saying the move would impact Indian IT professionals. India, in its complaint, claimed that these and comparable measures are not in conformity with several provisions of GATS, including those on movement of natural persons supplying services. The request for consultations is the first step in a dispute at the dispute settlement system of WTO. Consultations give the parties an opportunity to discuss the matter and find a satisfactory solution without proceeding further with litigation. If consultations fail to resolve the dispute, the complainant may request the Dispute Settlement Body to establish a panel of experts to study the dispute. A 48-year-old Indian-American woman has been shot dead in the US state of California with police arresting her husband for her murder. Sonia Nallan -- a technical recruiter at Encore Semiconductors -- was allegedly shot dead by her husband James Nallan, also an Indian-American, at a home on Indigo Oak Lane, San Jose. James, 63, was arrested and booked into the Santa Clara County Jail for murder. Officers arrived to find her with at least one gunshot wound, police said. She was rushed to the hospital, where she was pronounced dead. The motive in the shooting that took place on Saturday is still under investigation, San Jose Police Department said. There are no outstanding suspects. Sonia has left behind her two sons -- Sahil, 21, who attends UC Berkeley and Nitin, 20, who attends UC Irvine. Chris Nallan, the suspect's younger brother, visited the Nallans' two-story stucco said the family is in shock. "They had a wonderful relationship," he was quoted as saying by The Mercury . James and Sonia met at a technology firm and had been married for decades, Chris Nallan said. About seven years ago, James suffered severe injuries in a fall while doing home repairs. And he fell into a coma for three months. When he awoke, his personality had changed dramatically, his brother said. Once fun-loving and engaging, he became withdrawn, and his moods were unpredictable, Chris said. Sonia Nallan cared for her husband, who was unable to work, he said. Indonesia is preparing for a new round of executions, police said today, around a year after Jakarta sparked global outrage by putting seven foreign drug convicts to death by firing squad. Officials recently started getting ready after an order from the attorney-general's office, which oversees executions, said Central Java police spokesman Aloysius Lilik Darmanto. He said no date had been set for the executions, which will take place on the prison island of Nusakambangan in Central Java, and he did not know who would face the firing squad. Indonesian President Joko Widodo has repeatedly insisted that drug traffickers must face the firing squad to stem rising narcotics use. There are scores of drug convicts on death row in the country, including Indonesians and foreigners. "We have been making preparations," Darmanto told AFP. "We are ready whenever the order comes." There has been growing speculation in recent weeks that executions were set to resume after a year-long hiatus, but high-ranking officials in Jakarta have so far said little. There was no immediate comment Wednesday from the attorney-general's office. The execution in April last year of seven foreigners -- two Australians, a Brazilian and four Nigerians -- and an Indonesian for drug offences sparked international fury. Since then, no one else has been put to death, but officials had continued to insist publicly that it was the country's right to use capital punishment. Among the foreigners on death row are Frenchman Serge Atlaoui and Filipina Mary Jane Veloso, who were both pulled from the last round of executions. A British grandmother, Lindsay Sandiford, is on death row in Bali after she was caught smuggling a huge stash of cocaine into the resort island. Darmanto said preparations included ensuring locations where the executions would take place were ready. For last year's executions, the drug convicts were taken to a jungle clearing on the island, which houses several high-security prisons, and tied to stakes before being shot. "We have also prepared the facility for the bodies," he said. "Each death row convict will face a group of 10 shooters and one group commander. We have selected and trained the personnel." The executions last year of Australian drug smugglers Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran in particular caused tensions, with Indonesia's neighbour Australia temporarily recalling its ambassador from Jakarta. Targeting the previous UPA regime over the controversial AgustaWestland deal, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar today said the ongoing probe will focus on those named in the Italian Court judgement even as he suggested the role of an "invisible hand" in preventing a proper investigation earlier. He, along with Parliamentary Affairs Venkaiah Naidu, rejected the opposition demand for Supreme Court-monitored probe, protesting which Congress staged a walkout. Replying to a debate in Rajya Sabha on the controversy surrounding the Rs 3600 crore deal for 12 VVIP helicopters, Parrikar said there was "relentless push" by the UPA to go in for the AgustaWestland choppers. Narrating amid repeated disruptions the sequence of events related to the deal, he said CBI had registered a case on March 12, 2013 but it did not bother to forward a copy of the FIR to ED for nine months. Later, ED did not act on the FIR till July 2014, he said. "It appears an invisible hand was guiding action or inaction of CBI and ED," the Minister said. Noting that a probe was already underway, he said, the "inquiry will focus on roles of those named in the judgement of Italian court.. Government will leave no stone unturned in bringing to justice those involved in the scam." He said CBI has already done a lot of investigation and is currently on the money trail to track down where the bribe money went. "Pursuant to the judgement of the Milan appelate court, the Defence Ministry has written to both ED and CBI to take into account contents of the judgement and conclude the investigations expeditiously," Parrikar said. He added that the Defence Ministry is initiating the process of blacklisting the companies concerned and for legal proceedings for recovery of damages. Beginning his speech by promising to not take names so that there is no disturbance, the Defence Minister mentioned an anecdote of Birbal related to a "theft" to suggest that the Congress was unnerved, fearing the truth would implicate it. "The country wants to know who instigated, supported and benefited from the corruption. We cannot let this pass," Parrikar said. He added that the fact that there was corruption in matter is brought out in extensive details in recent judgments of Milan court. "A litany of omissions and commissions at various stages of the decision making process indicate malafide and corrupt actions, driven by a goal to favour a particular vendor," the Defence Minister said. Hitting out at the UPA government, he said the field trials of the chopper were conducted in Italy even though it was necessary for it to be held in Indian conditions. Parrikar said the helicopter offered by AgustaWestland was still in "development stage" and hence the trials were conducted on a different helicopter. He took a dig at former Defence Minsiter A K Antony who had said he had written down his objections of trials, saying he is aware as it was Antony's "habit" to do so. Parrikar said even though the reports of wrongdoings and unethical conduct by Finmeccanica, the parent company of AgustaWestland had surfaced in 2012, followed by arrest of its CEO, the action of putting on hold all procurement cases with the accused group of companies in pipeline was approved by Antony only on May 12, 2014 towards the fag end of the its government. "It was the present government which finally issued the order on July 3, 2014," he said. (Reopen PAR51) Parrikar also quoted from a file about IAF's noting about chopper flights in Gulmarg and Srinagar, which he said was "luckily saved from devastating fire" on June 3, 2014. "It was kept in an officer's drawer rather than in open," the Defence Minister said. Parrikar alleged that instead of taking action against the company, the UPA wrote to the external affairs, embassy and the court. "It took nearly two years to cancel the contract and too primarily as a response to an arbitration request by the supplier. In fact the delivery of the first three aircraft could have been avoided," he said. The Minister also alleged that choppers were bought at inflated prices and no realistic basis for price negotiations was provided. Mincing no words, Parrikar alleged that IDS Infotech, one of the companies selected for offsets, was used as a conduit for bribe money. There must be robust rationale for deviation from policy," Parrikar said. "The benchmark cost given was unreasonably high and had provided no realistic basis for price negotiations," he added. He said that at various stages from March 2005, despite specific directions to the contrary, requirements were changed and processes influenced to make AgustWestland the "only alternative". Parrikar said "unusually large number of deviations approved, counter-party to supply agreements and exceptional dilution of FET standards". He added that there was suspected benchmarking of procurement costs which may have led to acceptance of materially overpriced supply agreements. As Parrikar was reading out his reply from a prepared text, Congress members raised objections but Kurien ruled that a Minister has all the right to read from a prepared speech. Congress Deputy Leader in the House Anand Sharma, quoting Rule 167-177, said, "When a discussion is raised, the minister should respond to members. He is not responding to us. He is reading Akbar-Birbal story. This is just mockery of rules. What is he doing?" Sharad Yadav (JD-U) said, "I have no objection to the written statement. I have problem with the lengthy statement." He said the reply should be short as the whole country is listening to his reply. "If he wants to keep it lengthy, let him lay it on the table." To this, Parrikar said that the reply will be lengthy if he had to respond to all points raised by the Opposition during four-hour debate. As noisy scenes continued, Kurien said, "I cannot ask minister how to reply. The Minister can always prepare the speech and read it. If the minister wants to reply to each point, he can do." Leader of Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad also said, "The Minister can read out. This is four and half hour discussion. All members have put their view points. Now, the minister is reading. It is insult. If he has to read it out, he should have circulated it." To this, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Venkaiah Naidu said, "This is a short duration discussion. It is normally for two and half hours. Since everyone wanted to speak, the time was extended. If the minister wants to share all information, he can speak for an hour. Truth is unfathomable. Ex-minister speaks for one hour, Parrikar has spoken only for 25 minutes." As the Defence Minister gave details of the deal, Sharma again rose saying, "You are misleading the House". Even Azad said, "Minister is stating wrong". To this, the Chair said, "If minister is misleading, you can invoke the rule." After the minister's reply, Azad said his party leaders are facing allegations. "May be BJP must be indulging in propaganda. It is a matter of safety of our country. My hopes were belied. The Minister made the worst kind of speech. Entire speech was rebuttal. It was full of allegations without facts and denegrade the House. This is insult to the House," he said. Tapan Sen of CPI(M) said the CBI probe, which is going on, should be monitored by the Supreme Court. Azad also then said the probe should be Supreme Court-monitored. To this, Parrikar said the CBI has already made a lot of progress in the probe. Naidu, also while rejecting the demand, said that when the probe by CBI was without any monitoring by the Supreme Court during the UPA rule, how could Congress ask for it now. Unhappy with this, the Congress members then staged a walkout. The US has said Iraqi forces must fight for their own country and it can only provide a training and advisory role in the war-torn nation, after it emerged that ISIS had killed a third American soldier. "Iraqi forces must fight for their own country. United States forces cannot be a substitute for those Iraqi forces. Some of our special operators, in fact, are offering them important support, but that support comes in the form of offering advice and assistance. And this is the core of our strategy, which is to build up the capacity of local forces to fight for their own country," White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest said yesterday. Having learnt important lessons in the last decade, Earnest said the US will not be successful if its US troops act as a substitute for local forces. Iraqi security forces must be do that for themselves, he said. "They can count on the support of the United States, they can count on the support of the 65 nations that have signed on to this coalition to degrade and ultimately destroy ISIL. This is a fight that the United States is committed to because we under the consequences for our national security," he said. But, ultimately, it is Iraqi forces that are on the frontlines. It's Iraqi forces that must fight for the security situation in their own country, the presidential spokesman said. When Barack Obama became the President, there were 144,000 US troops on the ground in . The number now on the ground in is 4,000 or 5,000 -- a small fraction of the footprint that was ordered by the previous President in the context of the invasion of Iraq, he said. "Our strategy is predicated on building the capacity of local forces on the ground to fight for their own country," he said. Earnest observed that the Iraqi forces have made considerable progress against ISIL. "All of that progress that Iraqi forces made on the ground against ISIL fighters was only possible because of the important support that they have received from the United States and our coalition partners. That came in the form of training before they even took the battlefield," he said. Navy SEAL Charles Keating IV was recently killed in combat against ISIS in northern . Keating, 31, is the third American combat casualty since the US redeployed forces to Iraq in the summer of 2014 to advise local forces and conduct special operations against ISIS. State-run Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency (IREDA) might be converted into a Green Bank to enable it to access funding from overseas banks, a top official said today. IREDA might be converted in to Green Bank without under going any altercation in its basic structure to enable it access funding from overseas banks that are currently not supporting the solar and wind funding, barring well-known KFW, IREDA CMD S K Popli said at an event here. "With IREDA conversion into Green Bank, it would be entitled to avail of certain benefits, which the agency is currently deprived of and the proposal is being well supported by the Union Power Ministry," Popli was quoted as saying in a statement. Large banks in India are perhaps reluctant to fund the solar and wind projects though no developer in these two segments have defaulted on re-payment though might have delayed the pay off schedule, he added. A green bank provides low-cost financing support to clean and low-carbon projects. Meanwhile, a study by IREDA, Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW), and Natural Resources Defense Council said that India's goal to ramp up solar and wind energy capacity could get a major boost through two fast-growing financing innovations -- green banks and green bonds. "As India surges ahead with its RE plan, the availability of finance has not kept pace with the commitments made by developers. Establishing a green bank and accessing green bonds, the reports show, could help overcome this key market barrier," the study said. It said that India needs as much as USD 264 billion in financing to reach its target of producing 160 gigawatts of power from solar and wind energy by 2022. The clean energy target is the centrepiece of India's climate pledge announced in the international Paris climate agreement recently signed by more than 170 countries at the United Nations. According to the report, just three years ago, green bonds financed about USD 11 billion projects worldwide. This year the financing could rise to USD 100 billion. India, meanwhile, has used green bonds to finance only about USD 1.85 billion in clean energy projects to date. A green bank could offer lower interest charges than traditional banks and tap into international capital to finance solar and wind projects to help India power its cities and rural communities. IREDA, an arm of the Indian government, currently appears to be the closest institutionally to a green bank, the report notes. Yet, opportunities for state level banks also appear promising. Green banks are public entities created to work with the private sector to increase investment in clean energy and bring clean energy financing into the mainstream. They are innovative and new tools that have been successful in the United Kingdom, Australia, Japan, Malaysia and several US. states. State-owned renewable energy player Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency (IREDA) may raise Rs 1,500-2,000 crore through taxable bonds in the ongoing fiscal to finance projects. "May be we would like to raise Rs 1,500 to Rs 2,000 crore this year (financial year) through taxable bonds," CMD K S Popli told reporters here today on the sidelines of an industry event. The money raised will be utilised for financing renewable energy projects, he said, adding that last fiscal "we raised Rs 2000 crore through tax-free bonds". Government stopped tax-free bonds as it thinks that these would distort the market, he said. "Some are raising taxable bonds and some are raising tax-free bonds probably that is their (government) thinking," he added. The CMD further said that 100 Gw solar energy target is achievable. "100 Gw will be achieved. 6 Gw is done. 20 Gw has already been bid out. This year some bidding will happen. Rooftop will pick up. So things are moving faster than we had anticipated," Popli said. The government has ambitious plans for deployment of 175 Gw renewable power capacities by 2022, including 100 Gw of solar and 60 Gw of wind, which may require investment of around $150 billion in the next seven years. Dreaded terror group ISIS has the capability to stage a Paris-style attack in the US using its local cells to strike in multiple locations and inflict dozens of casualties, top American intelligence official has said. "They do have that capacity," Director of National Intelligence James Clapper told CNN. "That's something we worry about a lot in the United States, that they could conjure up a raid like they did in Paris or Brussels," where March attacks on a train and at an airport left 32 dead and 300 people injured, Clapper said. At least 130 people died and hundreds other injured in the multiple coordinated terror attacks by the ISIS militants in the French capital in November. Earlier, President Barack Obama and some of his top security advisors spoke of the ISIS threat in less stark terms and emphasized efforts to protect the US. Obama had said that "we, here in the United States, face less of a threat than Europe" from ISIS. Still, he said, "The Paris-style attack, the Brussels style attack is the challenge that we're going to continue to face." Clapper, who identified the ISIS with "brutality", predicted that its beheadings, crucifixions and repression would eventually be self-defeating, the channel said. In the meantime, he and other administration officials raised their concerns about attacks like the broad assaults ISIS unleashed in the streets of Paris and Brussels. Clapper said any attempted attack in the US would echo these assaults in Europe and, as in those cities, ISIS would "either infiltrate people or incite people who are already here," he said. ISIS central would not necessarily give directions for a specific target, Clapper added. "That's apparently not exactly their modus operandi," he said. "It's more general, strategic guidance, and then let the local cell figure out how to achieve the objectives." Clapper qualified the level of danger ISIS poses to the US, saying that, "as an existential threat to this country, it's not ISIS or any other other terrorist group." But he said that he also worries about the "lesser-scaled attacks of what we have seen in this country, or worse, a Paris or Brussels kind of thing", CNN said. Rubbishing Congress' claim of having blacklisted AgustaWestland, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley today said he had as defence minister in June 2014 put the transaction to buy 12 helicopters from the Italian firm on hold and in July barred any future contract with it. The NDA government, he said, has no political motive except to identify the beneficiaries of the kickbacks received in award of the helicopter contract. "Today we are at a stage that we have reason to suspect that bribes have been taken. And therefore that is a launching pad for a proper investigation.... Today it is only reason to suspect that somebody has taken bribe," Jaitley said here. Maintaining that the government has no political intention in pursuing the case except that the beneficiaries should be identified, he said "The identity of the beneficiaries cannot be camouflaged behind a political controversy". Noting that defence procurement decisions were influenced by "extraneous factors", he said bribe givers have been identified and convicted in Italy, and now the beneficiaries of the bribes in India have to be identified. "So, obviously this is a ground for a serious investigation," he said. Attacking Congress, Jaitley said they "invented" an argument that UPA had blacklisted Agusta and NDA had removed it from the black list. "The UPA never blacklisted Agusta. On June 9, 2014 I had put the whole transaction on hold and then a formal order was issued on July 3 after taking Attorney General's advice that no new contracts will be entered into till the matter is investigated," he said. Jaitley had held additional charge of Ministry of Defence from May 2014 till early November 2014. He said the July 3 order of the Defence Ministry still holds. "If they (Congress) are rubbishing the allegations (of bribe being paid), then why is that (AK) Antony claims that he had blacklisted Agusta? Why should the Congress party feel that the cap fits them? "In fact, if they have no connection they should say there should be a proper investigation and the truth must be found out. When the truth is found out and it is somebody else it will vindicate them also," he said. Asked if the AgustaWestland case may also meet the fate of Bofors scandal, he said: "I don't know. It will all depend on kind of evidence that come". Jaitley said there were inherent challenges in the investigation even for CBI as the crime is being investigated in India but evidence is located outside the country. "Therefore unless the outside jurisdictions cooperate with us through a process of Letters of Rogatory.... The investigation only then moves forward. The CBI has said they sent requests," he said, adding some countries including Italy have responded while some are yet to respond. He said it was incumbent on all including decision makers, defence officers and suppliers to cooperate with the investigators and find out the identity of the bribe taker. Taking the line that capital increase of the Asian Development Bank cannot wait, Finance Minister today hammered home the need for making the multi-lateral lender "bigger and better" to support growth in the region. The Asia-Pacific, he said, is trying to navigate its course amid shifting tides in the global economy and ADB's ability to make valued, timely and effective contribution is on test. "I hope that the winds of change sweeping the region will manifest in transforming ADB into a bigger and better bank," Jaitley said while addressing the meeting of the board of governors of ADB. Resource limitation need not constrain operations of the bank, he said, adding that "capital increase to enable ADB to meet its objectives in the medium and long term cannot be delayed for too long". Recalling his speech at the last annual meeting of ADB, the finance minister felt that ADB needs to become not just bigger, but better as a model among multilateral development banks (MDBs). He was of the view that much more needs to be achieved to transform ADB, acknowledging that various steps have already been taken. Jaitley made it a point to mention that India continues to maintain a high growth rate despite the global slowdown. "Our economy is projected to grow at 7.6% in 2015-16 compared to 7.2% in the previous year," he added. The minister also referred to the government's approach of 'Reform to Transform' through various structural reforms. "We have taken several initiatives to boost business climate and improve ease of doing business," he said. Calling for reforms in processes of ADB, Jaitley said decline in disbursements under sovereign projects is a cause of concern and needs to be corrected although disbursements in 2015 showed an increase of 20% over 2014. Actress Jane Fonda has revealed that she once went skinny-dipping with Michael Jackson. The 78-year-old actress said it was "Thriller" hitmaker's idea, reported People magazine. "Of course," she responded when Ellen DeGeneres asked if she'd swam nude with Jackson. "Here's how it happened; he was visiting me when we were shooting On Golden Pond and I had a little cabin on the lake. "He stayed with me for about eight days and one night it was a full moon and he said lets go swimming. It was his idea!" Fonda said the second time she went swimming without her clothes was with Hollywood legend Greta Garbo. "I was about 16 and my father had rented a house in the South of France," Fonda told the talk show host, explaining how they always had celebrities over the house. "Then one day Garbo came and she said 'You wanna go swimming?' She came out with a robe and one of those serious, white, rubber caps... And dove in. JD(U) leader Sharad Yadav today raised in the Rajya Sabha the issue of paucity of judges over which Chief Justice T S Thakur recently broke down in front of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and contended that it was one of the reasons for overcrowding of jails. Responding to this, Home Minister Rajnath Singh attempts are being made both at the level of the government as well as the judiciary to fill up the vacancies as soon as possible in both lower and higher judiciary, where the number of judges is less. Yadav raised the issue in a supplementary during Question Hour after a reply by Minister of State for Home Haribhai Parthibhai Chaudhary on the issue of overcrowding of jails. Holding that vacancies in the judiciary is one of the reasons for overcrowding in jails due to non-disposal of cases, Yadav recalled how the CJI broke down while raising the issue at a public function here recently attended by the Prime Minister. "He (CJI) was also given an assurance there," the JD(U) leader said asking the Home Minister what was being done on the issue. "One of the reasons for such a condition of jails is also due to vacancy of judges," he said. Addressing the inaugural session of Joint Conference of Chief Ministers and Chief Justices of High Courts over a week back, the Chief Justice had said that "nothing moved" since 1987, when Law Commission recommended increase in the number of judges from then 10 per 10 lakh people to 50. A teary-eyed Chief Justice of India TS Thakur had also lamented "inaction" by the Executive to increase the number of judges from the present 21,000 to 40,000 to handle the "avalanche" of litigations. The Prime Minister assured him of his government's resolve in finding a solution jointly with the judiciary. "... It is not only in the name of a litigant or people languishing in jails but also in the name of development of the country, its progress that I beseech you to rise to the occasion and realise that it is not enough to criticise. You cannot shift the entire burden on the judiciary," the Chief Justice of India had said in a choking voice then. Replying to a question regarding overcrowding in jails, the Minister of State for Home Affairs said as per the data compiled by NCRB from states and Union Territories, occupancy rates were 112.2, 118.4 and 117.4 against the authorized capacity for 100 inmates during 2012, 2013 and 2014, respectively. In response to a question whether the government set up any commission/committee to suggest ways to initiate prison reforms, he said that 'Prison' is a state subject as per entry 4 of the list II of the Seventh Schedule of the Constitution and the management and administration of prisons is the responsibility of the state governments. "However, Government of India has supported the states for prison modernization during 2002 to 2009 under the scheme of Modernisation of Prison, where funds to the tune of Rs 1347.22 crore were provided as per annexure-I. "Based on the recommendations of the 13th Finance Commission funds to the tune of Rs 402.79 crore were released to nine states--Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Arunachal Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Kerala, Maharashtra, Mizoram, Odisha and Tripura during 2011-2015," he said giving state wide figures of it," he said. Replying to supplementarties, Chaudhary said that four committees were set up in past to recommend prison reforms and 90 percent of their recommendations have been sent to states while Centre looked into the remaining 10 percent recommendations concerned with it. He recalled that the 13th Finance Commission had given fund for constructing 1800 jails. Terming the ongoing hunger strike as "unlawful" activity by two groups of students against punishment given by JNU in connection with the February 9 event, Vice Chancellor M Jagadesh Kumar asked the students to put their demands using "constitutional" means, prompting ABVP to call off the fast. The administration called the students for a "dialogue" on seventh day of the strike in protest against the punishment in connection with the event during which anti-national slogans were allegedly raised. While the left-affiliated groups termed the meeting to be "unfruitful", members of ABVP claimed that the varsity agreed to their demand of "reconsidering" the punishment and hence they called off the indefinite fast and will continue with relay strike. "Hunger strike is an unlawful activity and a harmful method of protest that adversely affects the health and career of the students. The administration urges the students to use constitutional methods to put forth their demands, if any," the VC had said in an appeal to the students this morning. "The administration believes in dialogue and discussion to resolve any issue affecting functioning of the varsity and urges students to immediately call off the strike and come for discussion," Kumar added. While JNUSU President Kanhaiya Kumar complained of low BP yesterday, ABVP's Saurabh Sharma was rushed to AIIMS after his glucose level dipped. Following separate meetings with the VC, the two groups issued statements about their future course of action. "The meeting with the VC was highly disappointing. The appeal by him to call off our hunger strike was a threat statement. How come a VC of a premier university of India defines hunger strike as an "unlawful" activity. Hunger Strike is a mode of protest under which no law of the land is violated," the statement from left-affiliated groups said. "Our demands are clear and loud, its a do or die battle for us. We will continue our indefinite hunger strike till all the charges are scraped against the students," it added. ABVP on the other hand said, "our main demand of reconsidering the charges against Saurabh Sharma has been accepted. We have got an assurance from the administration that the new order will be issued soon. We are calling off the indefinite fast but will continue with relay strike till demands are met". Kanhaiya, Umar Khalid and Anirban Bhattacharya, were arrested in a sedition case in connection with the controversial event. They are out on bail now. While Kanhaiya has been slapped with a penalty of Rs 10,000 on grounds of "indiscipline and misconduct", Umar, Anirban and Kashmiri student Mujeeb Gatoo have been rusticated for varying durations. Financial penalty has been imposed on 14 students. Hostel facilities oftwo students have been withdrawn and the university has declared the campus out of bounds for two former students. Saurabh, who is the lone ABVP member in JNU Students Union, has also been slapped with a fine of Rs 10,000 for blocking traffic. Billionaire Sajjan Jindal's JSW Energy will acquire a 1,000 mw power plant from his younger brother Naveen-led heavily indebted Jindal Steel and Power Ltd for Rs 6,500 crore. JSW will pay at least Rs 4,000 crore, excluding net current assets, and an additional Rs 2,500 crore if JSPL's 1,000 mw power plant in Raigarh, Chhattisgarh secures a long term power purchase agreement, the firms said in statements. Sajan and Naveen, sons of billionaire Savitri Devi Jindal, once competed to buy foreign assets, but JSPL has run into rough weather with Supreme Court cancelling its coal mine allocations and weak global commodity prices. JSPL, which has a debt of close to Rs 46,000 crore, said the deal, to be completed by mid-2018, would help meet its liabilities while JSW gained a foothold in coal-rich Chhattisgarh. JSW would also extend Rs 500 crore as advance against interest. The sale is expected to be completed by June 30, 2018. The buyout by JSW comes close on the heels of its acquisition of Jaiprakash's 1,391 mw hydro-power plants. JSW is also said to be in talks to acquire Jaiprakash's 500 mw thermal power plant in Madhya Pradesh and Monnet Ispat & Energy Ltd's 1,050 mw power plant in Odisha. These buyout would help JSW to expand its power portfolio to a planned 11,500 mw. "The adverse operating environment within power sector in the country is driving distress sales in the sector, and JSW Energy's robust financial health coupled with a strong balance sheet is providing the company an opportunity to acquire quality power assets at reasonable valuations..." JSW said. JSW said the buyout would be done through a special purpose acquisition entity, Everbest Steel and Mining Holdings Ltd. Also, the acquisition would fall with the provisions of related party transaction as Sajjan and Naveen are related. "The acquisition price is supported by an independent valuation and hence is at arms-length," it said. Through this acquisition, JSW Energy is moving a step towards its strategic vision of becoming a leading private sector power company in India. Post acquisition, the aggregate installed and operational power generation capacity of JSW Energy will enhance to 5,531 mw," the statement said. The deal was inked between both the firms yesterday. However, the enterprise value of the deal is Rs 4,000 crore plus net current assets and "which will be increased to Rs 6,500 crore plus net current assets, if certain pre-arranged conditions regarding fuel security and power off take are satisfied," JSW Energy said in a statement. The transaction also contemplates payment of an interest bearing advance of Rs 500 crore pursuant to the receipt of approvals from the shareholders of JSW Energy and JSPL and the fair trade regulator CCI, it added. As per the deal, JSPL Board has approved to divest the 1,000 mw power unit of its subsidiary Jindal Power Ltd (JPL) into a special purpose vehicle (SPV), for the purposes of transferring the same to JSW Energy Ltd, through sale of the entire share capital and other securities. On the deal, JSPL said: "As part of monetisation plans already advised, JSPL has been looking to generate cash flows from select divestments to be in much stronger position to meet all its liabilities and emerge as financially strong and sustainable company in 2016-17." JPL, a subsidiary of JSPL, has a 4x250 mw plant in Raigarh and a 2,400 mw thermal plant in Tamnar, Chhattisgarh. Three Kenyan suspected members of an Islamic State affiliate have been arrested for allegedly planning an anthrax attack, Kenyan police said. The man and two women arrested on Friday were part of "an East Africa terror group network, that has links to ISIL," another name for the Islamic State terror group (IS), according to Kenya police chief Joseph Boinnet. They are accused of "planning large-scale attacks" including "a biological attack in Kenya using anthrax," said Boinnet. Mohammed Abdi Ali, the alleged leader of the group and a medical student in Wote, southeast of the capital Nairobi, was arrested in Kenya and is being held in custody for 30 days while investigators gather further evidence. Two suspected accomplices -- his wife Nuseiba Mohammed Haji, a medical intern, and another woman, Fatuma Mohammed Hanshi -- were arrested in neighbouring Uganda. Two other suspects, Ahmed Hish and Farah Dagne, also medics, are on the run in Kenya, with police offering $20,000 (17,000 euro) on wanted notices for each man. "From our initial investigations, it has been established that the terror network linked to Mohammed Abdi Ali has been engaged in the active radicalization, recruitment of university students and other Kenyan youth into terrorism networks," Boinnet said. "The same network has been facilitating Kenyan youths to secretly leave Kenya to join terror groups in Libya and Syria." Foreign intelligence sources confirmed Ali's links to IS but said he was more likely involved in recruitment of East Africans to fight in Libya and Syria than in plotting an attack in Kenya. IS recruiters are known to seek out medical students. Kenyan police compared the group's alleged plots, biological and otherwise, to the 2013 Westgate mall attack in Nairobi in which four gunmen from the East African Al-Qaeda affiliate, the Shebab, killed at least 67 people. While the Shebab has been active in Kenya since 2011, after the Kenyan army was deployed in southern Somalia, there has been little evidence to date of an IS presence in the country. Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar today expressed grief over the demise of a 102-year-old freedom fighter, Mawasi Ram. The Chief Minister described Ram, a soldier in the Indian National Army, a great freedom fighter. "Mawasi Ram was born in village Khoh in 1914, and reached Japan in 1939 after being recruited by the British Army. There, he joined the Indian National Army and fought for India's independence. He was jailed on multiple occasions and retired in 1945," a Haryana Government release said here. Mawasi Ram was cremated with full state honours at his native village Khoh in Gurgaon today, the release said. Ram is survived by two sons who serve in the Army, four daughters, two grandsons and two great-grandsons. Countries hit by Boko Haram violence were warned today not to make premature claims of victory, despite the Islamist group being pegged back by a sustained military counter-insurgency. "Though the military response to Boko Haram has become more cogent, the Lake Chad states should not too quickly proclaim 'mission accomplished'," the International Crisis Group said. "Even if they are made to abandon all territorial pretensions in Nigeria's northeast and the Lake Chad area, or are forced to abandon their guerrilla war, some Boko Haram militants at least are likely to seek to continue their insurgency in some form, probably through terror attacks," the security analysts added. Nigeria and its neighbours Cameroon, Chad and Niger are due to hold a security summit in Abuja on May 14 with international partners including Britain, France and the United States. The ICG said the meeting -- two years after the first in Paris -- was "an opportunity to consolidate regional and wider international cooperation" as well as review current policies. Closer ties beyond military support were vital to address key drivers of the conflict, as well as its effects, to prevent sustained support for the Islamists and similar, future threats. These include addressing the humanitarian situation for the more than 2.8 million people made homeless by the violence since 2009, and re-establishing the rule of law and governance in the region. Also key was treatment of detained Boko Haram suspects and even more moderate fighters willing to be rehabilitated, the ICG wrote in a briefing paper, "Boko Haram on the back foot?" "How governments treat and distinguish Boko Haram ideologues from those who joined from other motives will be vital," the report said. "Dealing appropriately with ex-members is the first step to lessen recruitment." Nigeria's military on Tuesday said dozens of Boko Haram fighters were now at a rehabilitation camp in an undisclosed location and undergoing a "deradicalisation" programme. President Muhammadu Buhari, who has made defeating Boko Haram a priority since taking power last year, in December declared that the Islamic State group affiliate was "technically" defeated. Armed service chiefs have in recent days also been talking up operations in Boko Haram's Sambisa Forest stronghold, indicating a final push was under way. But the rebels have still been able to deploy suicide bombers in northeast Nigeria, and particularly northern Cameroon, even if attacks have decreased in Chad and Niger. The ICG recommended winding down the use of civilian militia forces who have helped the military maintain security but also been accused of abuses against civilians. RJD chief Lalu Prasad, who has had a 'blow cold, blow hot' relationship with Baba Ramdev, today lauded the yoga guru for attaining "huge" success through "sheer hard work" and also advised him to be "careful as he has many enemies now". Prasad's remarks came after Ramdev called on him this morning at his residence here. The bonhomie between the two was apparent during the meeting with Ramdev gifting Prasad a range of Patanjali products and also applying an ayurveda cream on the politico's face - suggestive of their new-found closeness. Showering praises on Ramdev, Prasad said people are "jealous" of the "huge" success the yoga guru has attained through "sheer hard work". The former Union Minister also advised the yoga guru to be "careful" as he has "many enemies now". "Yesterday, I had told him over phone to be careful as he has many enemies now," the RJD president said. On asked by scribes whether he will promote Patanjali products, Prasad replied in a lighter vein saying, "I am a permanent brand ambassador of his products." On his part, Ramdev said he had come to invite Prasad for an yoga event. Sri Lanka's Sinhala-majority Western Province has opposed a recent resolution by Tamil-dominated northern provincial council on a federal solution to grant political autonomy to Tamils, calling the move "constitutionally and legally incorrect". The Western Provincial Council yesterday passed a resolution against the resolution passed by the Northern Provincial Council, Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU) Provincial Councilor Nishantha Sri Warnasinghe said. Warnasinghe also serves as an advisor to President Maithripala Sirisena. "We urge the President and the Prime Minister to reject the demand for federalism at a time the whole country has geared to achieve reconciliation with the Tamils. He said the North's attempt is to create two separate federal governments in the island based on language and ethnicity. This is constitutionally and legally incorrect," Warnasinghe said. The northern chief minister CV Wigneswaran said the planned federal solution would not threaten the integrity of the island as it would not lead to separate states. The Sinhala-majority state has historically opposed the Tamils' federal demand since the island gained independence from Britain in 1948. The main Tamil party, TNA is hopeful of a federal solution when the country is expected to formulate its new constitution this year. The process is already underway to replace the current constitution which was made in 1978. Oscar-winner Lupita Nyong'o says she chose Broadway play "Eclipsed" instead of chasing Hollywood parts because it meant more to her than playing a role in a movie. The play, written by 'The Walking Dead's Danai Gurira, features an all-black, female cast and the 33-year-old actress said she found the story of five women, who during the Liberian civil war in 2003 are trapped by rebel commander, an important narrative. "Eclipsed" has been nominated for six Tony Awards and has been garnering praise for the actress. Writing for Lenna Dunham's Lenny Letter, Nyong'o said during her last round of press, she was asked "Why would such a big star choose to do such a small play?", which felt silly to her. "This question felt quite silly. I mean, I'm an actress; why wouldn't I want to be in an incredible, gorgeous, meaty piece about the complicated choices of women during wartime? But then it went deeper than that. To me it felt like a question about our value system in this culture, the ways we define success for ourselves as well as others," the "12 Years A Slave" star wrote. The actress said perhaps there is more value given to Hollywood roles but she was bothered by the way success is perceived in society. "I think as women, as women of color, as black women, too often we hear about what we 'need to do.' How we need to behave, what we need to wear, what's deemed as too much or not enough, the cultural politics of what society considers appropriate for us and for our lives. "What I am learning is that the most important questions you can ask yourself are 'What do I want?' and 'Who do I want to become?'." Nyong'o says stars like Tilda Swinton, Cate Blanchett, and Viola Davis inspire her as they are "fearless" actresses and "Eclipsed" gave her a chance to explore this, which was more fulfilling than playing an inconsequential role in Hollywood. "So often women of color are relegated to playing simple tropes: the sidekick, the best friend, the noble savage, or the clown. We are confined to being a simple and symbolic peripheral character - one who doesn't have her own journey or emotional landscape. "I am proud of my decision to take the time to sit with myself and not get caught up in what others want for me. With an aim to attract more investments, Maharashtra government has decided to reduce the number of permissions required to set up industries, a top government official said today. "To improve the ease of doing business, we have already started changing laws and bring down number of licences (to set up industries) and provide more and more facilities online so that we can attract more investments," state Chief Secretary Swadheen Kshatriya said. "These efforts will help attracting investors to the state," he remarked at the Maharashtra Investment Seminar here. Following the success of the 'Make In India' programme, the state government has succeeded in attracting Rs 8 lakh crore worth investment, which is expected to generate 30 lakh new jobs, Kshatriya added. The Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM) has already cut down number of licences for construction sector, opened single window facility for various payments and brought more and more services online, which is expected to help investors, he added. The Maharashtra government had taken several radical policy decisions in the last one year for ease of business, state's principal secretary for industries Apurva Chandra said. Officials of the Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) today carried out a mega demolition drive and razed over 1,100 illegal structures in Mumbra area near here. The drive was carried out under the name 'Operation Mumbra' under supervision of Civic Commissioner Sanjeev Jaiswal and Thane Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh, a TMC release said. A total of 1,196 illegal structures were pulled down in the drive. A large number of police and other security personnel were deployed for it, officials said. Among those structures which were pulled down include 182 galas of tin, 158 pucca galas, 182 stalls, 456 sheds, 68 Chinese and chicken stalls, 64 garages, 80 tea stalls, 4 timber marts, and two shops which were being operated from containers, it said. Congress today demanded action against those who made the sting CD of ousted Uttarakhand chief minister Harish Rawat, saying "smuggling" videography and shooting equipment inside the hangar of an airport amounted to "major security breach". Pradesh Congress President Kishore Upadhyay today wondered how the Centre "lost sight" of this aspect of the sting CD case and demanded action against those who made it for "playing with national security". "Jollygrant and Pantnagar airports of Uttarakhand are strategically sensitive as they belong to a border state. Taking videography and shooting equipment inside the hangar of any of these airports is a major security breach. The security of airports falls under the jurisdiction of the Centre and the Airports Authority of India. "I want to ask both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Rajnath Singh how they lost sight of this major security breach by those who made the so-called sting CD," Upadhyay told reporters here. Demanding that a case be lodged against those involved in making the CD for "playing with national security" by taking the equipment inside the core area of an airport, Upadhyay said this is one aspect of the case which was "totally ignored" by the Centre. The sting CD made by the editor-in-chief of a private channel and circulated by the nine Congress rebels who created a political crisis in Uttarakhand by siding with opposition BJP in the state Assembly, purportedly shows Rawat negotiating a money deal with the journalist to buy back the support of MLAs who had revolted against him. Rawat, who had all along been saying that the video was fake, recently accepted his presence in it by saying "there was nothing wrong in meeting a journalist". He had even said that he was ready to be hanged publicly if there is any evidence in the CD proving that he made an offer in cash or kind to buy the support of any legislator. Malaysian authorities are searching for three foreigners who went missing in waters near the Philippines where a spate of recent kidnappings have taken place, a coast guard official said today. The official cautioned there was so far no cause to suspect the abduction of the foreigners, who went missing late Monday along with a Malaysian off the state of Sabah on Borneo island. The missing were identified as Spanish nationals David Hernandes Gasulla and Martha Miguel, and Hong Kong citizen Tommy Lam Wai Yin. The Malaysian was identified only by one name, Ella. "We believe they experienced an engine problem and could be drifting in their small fibre boat. The area they were travelling is quite safe," Mohamad Zubil Mat Som said. He said the four missing people had been travelling near Borneo island's northern tip. Two Malaysian warships, several smaller boats, and a helicopter were among the assets deployed in the operation, he added. Islamic militants from the Abu Sayyaf group have been blamed for repeated kidnappings off Sabah of about 20 people. Among the recent incidents, 10 Indonesian sailors were snatched from their tugboat in late March. They were released on Sunday. Just over a week ago, however, Abu Sayyaf militants beheaded Canadian tourist John Ridsdel, for whom they had demanded USD 21 million in ransom. The Canadian government is planning to crack down on the import of ultra-filtered milk a move that would have a negative impact on upstate New York dairy cooperatives and farmers. Members of the Canadian Parliament are seeking to impose limits on the ability of companies to use imported ultra-filtered milk to make cheese. According to U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer's office, a motion in the House of Commons that would crack down on the imports was rejected Tuesday. Another vote will be held and if that doesn't pass, the government will consider taking regulatory action. Ruth Ellen Brosseau, a member of the Parliament and supporter of the plan, said the imports are hurting Canadian dairy farms. "The situation is urgent and producers are tired of waiting," she said in a statement. "The solution is simple and comes down to this government standing up for Canada's dairy industry by enforcing cheese composition standards." Ellen Brosseau added that Canadian producers lost more than $220 million last year due to ultra-filtered milk imports from the U.S. But in the United States, companies and officials are concerned about the impact the proposed rule change would have on exports. Kevin Ellis, CEO of Cayuga Milk Ingredients in Aurelius, said his company would lose $30 million if Canada imposes restrictions on its product. "It's an export sale we would have to work very, very hard to replace," he said. U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer visited Cayuga Milk Ingredients in March to urge the U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Trade Representative to discourage Canada from adopting the new restriction. During that appearance, Schumer, D-N.Y., seemed confident that Canada wouldn't go forward with the plan. "We have the weapons. They trade with us a lot. I think they'll back off," he said. A 50-year-old woman was hacked to death while her daughter was injured when her son-in-law hit them with an axe in Pratapgarh district, police said today. The accused Balu Meena went to his mother-in-law's house last night and hit her with an axe. When his wife Kesar (25) came to rescue her mother Dhapudi Devi Meena, he hit her also, they said. Police said Meena had a heated argument with his wife and mother-in-law earlier that day, following which he attacked them. The mother-in-law's body was found this morning by their neighbours. Kesar has been admitted to a district hospital, where her condition is stated to be stable, they said. Police said the accused is absconding and efforts are on to apprehend him. Director Rahat Kazmi feels on top of the world with the selection of his "Mantostaan" at Cannes Film Festival, and says it will be a huge encouragement for independent filmmakers to make movies they believe in. The movie will be screened in the festival's Le Marche du Film category this month, ironically coinciding with Manto's birthday that falls on May 11, the day one of Cannes. The official screening of "Mantostaan" is on May 14. "I am very excited for the premiere. As an independent filmmaker, this is a huge boost for me and others because not many studios come forward to back such projects easily. A platform like Cannes will encourage us a lot as our aim is not to earn crores of rupees but to make people aware about the film," Rahat told PTI. The film brings to celluloid celebrated Pakistani writer Saadat Hasan Manto's some of the most controversial stories, "Khol Do", "Thanda Gosht", "Aakhri Salute" and "Assignment". "When Manto had written those stories, there was a huge controversy, but now people who write literature appreciate it. Pakistan said he was Indian and India said he was a Pakistani. He was in fact a world in his own and hence I titled the film 'Mantostaan'," Rahat said. The filmmaker, who made his directorial debut with 2009 comedy "Dekh Bhai Dekh", starring Gracy Singh, went on to make the critically acclaimed "Identity Card", which talked about the history of Kashmir, ideological differences of people, myths about religion, about identity of a common person in a warlike situation. "Mantostaan" deals with the issue of India-Pakistan partition, but Rahat is not afraid of any backlash. "There is nothing in the film which will hurt the sentiments. The approach to filmmaking should be clean and without any motives. We have retained the same zone, characters, names from the story. We did not feel the need to add or subtract anything from it," the director said. Rahat, who hails from Jammu and Kashmir, had to scout for locations, which would resemble the era of partition. "I didn't have to work on the language or to get the nuances right since there is not much of a difference between from where I come from and where the stories are set in. But to get the get up of the characters, to get the period setting right was a task," he said. "We had to scout for locations, which would look of that era, we didn't shoot anything in the studio. We mostly shot in Punjab and Jammu," he said. Rahat also plans to show the film to Manto's family. "They are very happy with it. They said through this film, the work of Manto will reach a wider audience, which is the biggest compliment to me. They have also applied for visa. I plan to hold a special screening for them in Kashmir after I am back from Cannes," he said. The film stars Raghubir Yadav, Sonal Sehgal, Shoib Nikash Shah, Tariq Khan, Virendra Saxena among others. Director Rahat Kazmi will bring to celluloid celebrated Pakistani writer Saadat Hasan Manto's some of the most controversial stories in his upcoming film "Mantostaan". Kazmi, who made his directorial debut with 2009 comedy "Dekh Bhai Dekh", starring Gracy Singh, and "Identity Card", has adopted Manto's "Khol Do", "Thanda Gosht", "Aakhri Salute" and "Assignment". "When Manto had written those stories, there was a huge controversy, but now people who write literature appreciate it. Pakistan said he was Indian and India said he was a Pakistani. He was in fact a world in his own and hence I titled the film 'Mantostaan'," Rahat said. "Mantostaan" deals with the issue of India-Pakistan partition, but Rahat is not afraid of any backlash. "There is nothing in the film which will hurt the sentiments. The approach to filmmaking should be clean and without any motives. We have retained the same zone, characters, names from the story. We did not feel the need to add or subtract anything from it," the director said. Rahat, who hails from Jammu and Kashmir, had to scout for locations, which would resemble the era of partition. "I didn't have to work on the language or to get the nuances right since there is not much of a difference between from where I come from and where the stories are set in. But to get the get up of the characters, to get the period setting right was a task," he said. "We had to scout for locations, which would look of that era, we didn't shoot anything in the studio. We mostly shot in Punjab and Jammu," he said. Rahat also plans to show the film to Manto's family. "They are very happy with it. They said through this film, the work of Manto will reach a wider audience, which is the biggest compliment to me. They have also applied for visa. I plan to hold a special screening for them in Kashmir after I am back from Cannes," he said. The film stars Raghubir Yadav, Sonal Sehgal, Shoib Nikash Shah, Tariq Khan, Virendra Saxena among others. Power transformers maker Marsons today said it is in advance discussions with a manufacturer in Bangladesh to set up a joint venture and production facility in the neighbouring country. "Marsons is now in advance stages of discussions with a Bangladesh-based transformer manufacturer to create a joint venture company and set up a manufacturing facility for transformers up to 20 MVA 33 kV class as part of the first phase of the company's plan to enter Bangladesh power sector," Marsons said in a regulatory filing today. The company said the local set up in Bangladesh will give Marsons the benefit of price preference from the Bangladesh power utilities, which will be an instrumental advantage in the company's favour. The Bangladesh government has announced concrete plans to enhance the generation capacity through investments of nearly Tk 50,000 crore. These plans present a huge opportunity for the power sector and Marson has developed concrete plans to capitalise on these opportunities with clear focus and renewed vigour, the company said. Spanish premium fashion brand Massimo Dutti is set to open its first store in India next week, more than two years after it received the government's nod for FDI. "Massimo Dutti will open its doors to international fashion followers in Delhi on May 13, 2016. The Massimo Dutti store is poised to start operations in the national capital at Select CityWalk Mall...And will house womenswear, menswear, footwear, accessories and personal tailoring," the company said in a statement. "The opening will mark the foray of the Spanish premium brand to the Indian market at the behest of Inditex, the Spanish retail group which owns the brand," it added. In September 2013, India approved a proposal by Spain's Inditex SA to sell its Massimo Dutti line of clothing, apparel, footwear and other products. The Foreign Investment Promotion Board cleared the proposal as part of a go-ahead to 15 foreign direct investment plans worth USD 330.3 million. India had rejected an application by Inditex unit Zara Holdings BV to sell the more upscale brand through a joint venture with Tata Group's retail arm, Trent Ltd, in July 2012. Globally, Massimo Dutti has 755 stores across 73 countries. More than 250,000 deaths per year in the US occur due to medical errors, making it the third highest cause of mortality after heart disease and cancer, according to a new study. Researchers from Johns Hopkins University in the US examined four separate studies that analysed medical deaths rate data from 2000 to 2008. Using hospital admission rates from 2013, they found that based on a total of 35,416,020 hospitalisations, 251,454 deaths stemmed from medical errors, which researchers say now translates to 9.5 per cent of all deaths each year in the US. According to the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in 2013, 611,105 people died of heart disease, 584,881 died of cancer, and 149,205 died of chronic respiratory disease - the top three causes of death in the US. The newly calculated figure for medical errors, published in The BMJ, puts this cause of death behind cancer but ahead of respiratory disease. "Right now, cancer and heart disease get a ton of attention, but since medical errors do not appear on the list, the problem does not get the funding and attention it deserves," said Martin Makary from Johns Hopkins University. The researchers caution that most of medical errors are not due to inherently bad doctors, and that reporting these errors should not be addressed by punishment or legal action. Rather, they say, most errors represent systemic problems, including poorly coordinated care, fragmented insurance networks, the absence or under-use of safety nets, and other protocols, in addition to unwarranted variation in physician practice patterns that lack accountability. "Unwarranted variation is endemic in health care. Developing consensus protocols that streamline the delivery of medicine and reduce variability can improve quality and lower costs in health care. More research on preventing medical errors from occurring is needed to address the problem," said Makary. Medical services were today disrupted in Lala Lajpat Rai Medical College here after a clash between groups of junior doctors and administrative staff, following which police was deployed on the campus. A group of junior doctors allegedly had a scuffle with the staff members of the college last night after one of the interns had a fight with the son of an official over roaming around in the stadium. The president of the Medical Worker's Association, Vipin Tyagi has accused the students of throwing stones at the houses of the staffers, beating up women and damaging vehicles. "The houses of two officials- Manoj Pundir and Ravinder Rana were attacked by the students. A complaint has been filed against the students at the local police station," Tyagi told PTI. The students have also alleged that two of their fellow students have been badly injured in the scuffle. "A meeting is underway to resolve the issue, soon a decision will be taken by the administration in the matter," college CMO, Ajit Chaudhary said. Police have been deployed on the campus to maintain law and order. "To keep situation under control a large number of police personnel have been deployed in the campus. We are trying to restore peace by talking to both sides," College Principal, Dr. K K Gupta said. Attacking the Modi government for stating that their is no bar on the meeting of Kashmiri leaders with the representatives of any country, Shiv Sena today said the BJP dispensation has given separtists the "concession" to talk to Pakistan and "is changing colours faster than a chameleon". The ruling alliance partner in Maharashtra also said, "The volte-face by the Centre on Hurriyat is like calling the Ram temple in Ayodhya as Babri mosque." "Hurriyat Conference is now going to discuss Kashmir with Pakistan and the Central government has given them this concession. Tomorrow, talks on Kashmir will be held with Masood Azhar, Dawood Ibrahim and (Zakiur Rahman) Lakhvi," the Sena said in an editorial in its mouthpiece 'Saamana'. "When colours are changed faster than a chameleon, people wonder how they (Modi government) manage this...Had Congress made such an about turn on Hurriyat and Kashmir issues, BJP and the Sangh Parivar would have termed them as agents of Pakistan," the editorial said. "Then they (Congress) would have been told that they were selling the country and there would have been a demand that such traitors should be ousted from power," it said. "Till yesterday, the Modi government was saying that it will discuss everything except Kashmir with Pakistan. Now that stance has been changed and it has taken a weak stand which even the previous Congress regime didn't take. "Actually, the country shouldn't be surprised over this change of stand. People had noticed this volte-face when for the sake of power, BJP tied up with PDP, which is sympathetic of Pakistan and has strengthened terrorists," the Sena said. Hitting out at the opposition and the Centre for creating "an emergency type situation" during the Assembly polls, TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee today said she felt "ashamed" to witness the "most scandalous and malicious" poll campaign in the history of Bengal politics. "The Central forces have created a havoc. In the name of conducting polls they have created an emergency like situation. They have stopped voters, heckled handicapped voters, misbehaved with candidates of our parties. We have never witnessed such a scenario in Bengal. "We have also conducted Panchayat polls in 2013 and municipal elections but not a single person died during that period. But in last two months, about 12 of my party workers have been killed," she said in an interview to a Bengali channel. Banerjee said the central forces tried to intimidate the voters by asking them whether they were voting in favour of opposition CPI(M), BJP or ruling TMC. Expressing confidence of returning to power for the second time, Banerjee said she can feel the "positive" pulse of the masses more than the leaders of opposition parties. "I always stay with the masses throughout the year. I can feel their pulse and read their body language. They are with me. They are with TMC. The so-called alliance by Congress and CPI(M) is a desperate attempt by both the parties to save themselves from being irrelevant in the state politics," Banerjee said. The Chief Minister said she felt ashamed as there has been so much scandalous and malicious campaign by the opposition political parties in the ongoing state Assembly polls. "There has been so much of malicious and scandalous poll campaign by political parties that I feel ashamed. Never before in the history of Bengal there has been so much of malicious campaigning," Banerjee said. Over 81 per cent electorate exercised their franchise in the polling for the fifth and penultimate phase of West Bengal Assembly election on April 30. The last and the sixth phase of polling will be held on May 5. A Navy SEAL killed during a firefight in Iraq was part of a quick reaction force that moved in to rescue US military advisers from an Islamic State attack, the Pentagon said today. The attack triggered a massive coalition air response that destroyed equipment, buildings and killed up to 60 militants. Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Charles Keating was shot and killed when he and other special operations forces went to the rescue of the US forces that got caught in a gun battle involving more than 100 Islamic State fighters, Army Col Steve Warren said. The small team of American advisers went to Teleskof, about 14 miles north of Mosul, to meet with Kurdish peshmerga forces. Warren said that Islamic State fighters launched a large, complex attack on the peshmerga there around 7:30 a.M., with armored Humvees and bulldozers, and broke through the front lines. It was, he said, one of the largest attacks that the Islamic State group has launched in recent months, and it came in the wake of several recent defeats of the militants in the region. Warren, a US military spokesman in Iraq, told Pentagon reporters that the US advisers were less than two miles behind the front lines, and called for help just before 8 am. The quick reaction force went in to get the American forces out. Warren said Keating was hit at about 9:30 a.M. And was evacuated for medical treatment, but "his wound was not survivable." He said Keating was taken to a medical facility in Irbil and that both of the Black Hawk medical evacuation helicopters were hit by small arms fire. According to Warren, even as the US advisers were being rescued from the fight, a barrage of coalition aircraft including F-15 and F-16 fighter jets, B-52 bombers, A-10 close air support aircraft and drones responded and launched airstrikes on more than 30 locations, destroying truck bombs, vehicles and bulldozers and killing close to 60 enemy fighters. With 19 signatures to spare, Eric Kingson has qualified for the Democratic primary in the 24th Congressional District. The state Board of Elections determined Kingson, D-Manlius, submitted 1,269 valid signatures, which is enough to remain on the June 28 primary ballot. Candidates needed to file 1,250 signatures to be eligible for the primary. Kingson initially submitted 1,676 signatures, but the petitions were challenged by David Scalisi, who supports Steve Williams one of Kingson's Democratic primary opponents. Scalisi objected to 742 of the signatures. Williams said Wednesday there were "hundreds of illegal, invalid signatures" filed by Kingson's campaign. "If he ends up being on the ballot, that's fine," Williams said in an interview before the board's determination. "My supporters and I, quite frankly, simply want to make sure he has the requisite number." A hearing was held Monday in Albany, where both sides were allowed to present their case. More than 400 signatures were deemed to be invalid, but it wasn't enough to remove Kingson from the ballot. Kingson said the objections raised by Scalisi took up a considerable amount of his campaign's time over the past week. He criticized Williams for the challenge, calling it "unfortunate." "From the beginning, I thought it was going to hurt Steve more than anyone else," Kingson said in a phone interview. "But I also think it hurts Democrats. I don't like it. More than that, I think it's the kind of politics voters don't like." A spokesperson for Colleen Deacon, who's also vying for the Democratic nomination, said she's pleased Williams' effort to remove Kingson from the ballot has failed. "Steve should be ashamed of himself for trying to circumvent democracy, and I know that Colleen welcomes the exchange of ideas Eric will continue to bring to this race," said Erin Fleck, Deacon's campaign manager. There won't be any appeals or other action related to Kingson's petitions. In a statement, Williams reiterated his position that he only wanted to ensure Kingson had the required number of signatures. "I'm content with the board's decision to keep him on the ballot, and I welcome the chance to discuss our views going forward, assuming he and Colleen don't duck the next forum like they did the one in Auburn last week," Williams said. With the petition process behind them, the candidates will shift their focus to the upcoming primary election. The three Democrats are vying for the party's nomination to challenge U.S. Rep. John Katko. Katko, R-Camillus, is seeking his second term in Congress. The 24th Congressional District includes all of Cayuga, Onondaga and Wayne counties, plus the western portion of Oswego County. The Italian judge who delivered the verdict in the controversial AgustaWestland chopper deal today said there was no "direct evidence" linking any Indian politician with alleged kickbacks to swing the deal in favour of the Anglo-Italian helicopter firm. There is a "possibility or probability but there is no direct evidence," Judge Marco Maria Maiga, who delivered the verdict against Italian middlemen and senior officials of the chopper company, told TV channels. Maiga, a judge of a Milan court, said this when he was asked whether he believed that bribes were offered to Indian politicians by Italian middlemen. He maintained that his verdict was only against senior officials of the chopper company and middlemen who had paid bribes to some officials in India and that it was up to Indian investigators to follow the money trail. "Identifying the (Indian)individuals was not in for judgement for Italian courts. Well, we have to clarify that the object of our judgement was on two Italian businessmen and their indictment," he said. He said his order was based on documents which probably showed that the family of former IAF chief S P Tyagi received the money till April 2012. The judge said the bribes could have gone to others who were instrumental in bringing in the AgustaWestland helicopters to India but "we have no evidence." Guido Haschke, Carlo Gerosa and Christan Michel, who have been sentenced by the court, have alleged in the court that the money was paid to "family Tyagi along with Shashi Tyagi (the then IAF Chief)." Tyagi has denied any involvement in alleged payoffs. Asked about the cooperation received from the Indian government as he had mentioned "substantial disinterest on clarification of facts in the case" on behalf of Indian side, the judge said "all we had was a copy of the CAG, request for proposal, agreement copy and nothing more than that." "We can take note of what is sent to us," he said. On an unsigned note cited by the prosecutor in the judgment in which some names like 'AP' were mentioned, the jduge said one accused said he did not remember whereas another accused alleged it was Ahmed Patel, a political aide of Congress President Sonia Gandhi. Patel today denied any involvement in the deal and said he will quit public life and resign from Rajya Sabha if any allegation against him is proved. There is absolutely no truth or scientific basis that radiation from mobile towers and handsets has adverse impact on humans and other living beings, Telecom Minister Ravishankar Prasad said today. "There are rumours that people will suffer from cancer and other diseases. It is completely baseless and unfounded. There is no impact on humans. There is no empirical evidence of any danger to human life because of all this. Even World Health Organisation after 30 years of studies has revealed there are no such threats," he said in Lok Sabha during Question Hour. Prasad said six high courts in the country, in separate rulings, have made it clear that there is no radiation from mobile towers that impact human health. "World over there is no impact. But I want to ask why are such issues raised in India only? No one has raised such issues in the US, the UK, China or Korea where mobile towers are installed in large numbers. "If there is no mobile tower, there will be more call drops. Can we afford to do that? Can we live without mobile phones? If you want that not to happen, please allow mobile towers to come up in your areas," he said, adding "let us be pragmatic. In today's world,can we do without a mobile phone?" The Minister said if people have apprehensions about radiation, it can come while undergoing X-Rays or when people are subjected to screening by metal detectors. When BJP's Rama Devi wanted to know whether any scientific research has been conducted on the impact on birds from mobile towers, Prasad said there is no basis for such apprehensions. A committee set up by the Allahabad High Court made it clear that there was no mobile tower radiation impact on human and animals. Several studies on the impact of radiation from mobile towers and handsets have been conducted in different countries, under the aegis of World Health Organisation. WHO had referred to about 25,000 articles published around the world over past 30 years and based on an in-depth review of scientific literature, has stated 'despite the feeling of some people that more research needs to be done scientific knowledge in this area is now extensive than for most chemicals' and concluded that 'current evidence does not confirm the existence of any health consequences from exposure to low level electromagnetic fields'. The Minister, however, said during audit carried out by Telecom Enforcement Resource and Monitoring (TERM) cells, 108 number of Base Transceiver Stations (BTSs) have been found exceeding the prescribed EMF radiation limits in the years 2013, 2014, 2015 and upto February 29, 2016. For all these non-compliant BTSs, TERM cells have imposed applicable financial penalty amounting to Rs 6.60 crore of defaulting Total Solar Pyranometers as per the prescribed DoT guidelines, he said, adding one BTS in Haryana LSA was shut down. Domestic pharmaceutical industry has not approached the government for early intervention to resolve regulatory issues faced by them in the US, Parliament was informed today. "There is no representation from the industry to the government for early intervention and dialogue with the US health regulator," Minister of State for Commerce and Industry Nirmala Sitharaman said in a written reply to the Rajya Sabha today. Despite the regulatory action by the US Food and Drug Administration (USFDA), Indian pharmaceutical exports to the US have increased from USD 3.4 billion in 2013-14 to USD 3.8 billion in 2014-15, she added. On steps being taken by the government to grow domestic pharma industry, Sitharaman said, "India and the US are collaborating in information sharing about good manufacturing practices, inspections, capacity building of inspectors and industry." In recent times various Indian drug firms -- Sun Pharmaceuticals, Wockhardt, Dr Reddy's Laboratories, Cadila Healthcare -- have come under the USFDA scanner for various reasons including manufacturing norms violations at their respective facilities. The USFDA has refused entry of 12,012 Indian products, including drugs, into the American market between January 2011 and March 2016 for various reasons. The reasons given for the refusal include misbranding, adulteration, packaging, labelling, pesticides, unapproved products and the like. Government has not fixed any timeline to take a decision on declaring Jews as a minority community, the Lok Sabha was informed today. Responding to queries whether the government has received any proposal from the community to be declared as minority and time line set by the Centre to take a decision in this regard, Minister of State for Minority Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said, "A proposal of Jewish community demanding grant of minority status has been received by this Ministry. "No time line has been fixed by the central government to take a decision to declare Jewish community as minority community." He informed the population of Jews/Judaism religious community as per 2011 Census is not yet published. The community, according to Office of the Registrar General, is classified under the category 'Other Religion and Persuasion', he added. According to 2001 Census, the number of Jews living in India was 4650 with 2466 of them residing in Maharashtra. People are not willing to get their daughters married off in some eight villages of Odisha due to lack of water there, a BJD member said in Lok Sabha today. Rabindra Jena, who represents Balasore in Odisha, spoke of the peculiar problem saying that the water table has gone so down that one cannot get water even 1,000 feet depth. Raising the issue during Zero Hour, he said some village elders from eight panchayats had met him to flag the issue as parents of girls from other areas do not want to get their daughters married in this area. "I am helpless," he said. Jena urged the Centre to bring water in the Concurrent List of the Constitution from the state list to help ensure that the precious natural resource is available to all. Shrirang Barne (Shiv Sena) said people of a village in his Maval constituency have to travel several kilometers to reach the mainland as it is surrounded by defence land from three sides. The restriction, he said, was imposed after some villagers moved court on use of passage. He said despite Pakistan sending in infiltrators, we allow their citizens to enter India through Wagah. He said though the villagers are Indian citizens, they are facing restrictions on their movement. Another Shiv Sena member Sadashiv Rao Lokhande demanded that education loans given to students be made interest free as they find it difficult to replay the interest of 14 per cent per annum. He claimed that while home buyers have to pay 6 per cent interest, students have to cough up higher interest. Pritam Munde (BJP) made a strong plea for a passport office in Marathwada region to service some two crore people residing in the backward area. Bijoya Chakraborty (BJP) expressed concern over the Jamaat-e-Mujahidden terror outfit allegedly spreading tentacles in Assam and West Bengal. Irked by the lackadaisical approach of authorities concerned in dealing with the issues concerning pollution in river Ganga, the National Green Tribunal today observed that "nobody wants to do anything" on these aspects. "There is no use of calling meetings. We have got nothing from anybody about phase two (of cleaning of river Ganga)," a bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar said, adding, "The problem is that nobody wants to do anything." The bench observed this while saying it has not received the reports about quality of water in Ganga in Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand. It, however, fixed the matter for hearing on May 20. On April 5, the Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board had informed the tribunal that it has identified 1,070 seriously polluting industries from Haridwar to Kanpur which discharge 219.18 million litres per day of effluents in Ganga. The NGT had earlier ordered the UP Pollution Control Board to put on its website the list of these seriously polluting units and had directed the Environment Ministry to clarify the process of identifying seriously and grossly polluting industrial units in public domain. The tribunal on December 23, 2015 had held a meeting of stakeholders including chief secretaries of Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand besides other senior officers from both the states. The green panel had divided the cleaning work of Ganga into different segments -- Gomukh to Haridwar, Haridwar to Kanpur, Kanpur to border of Uttar Pradesh, border of Uttar Pradesh to border of Jharkhand and border of Jharkhand to Bay of Bengal. On December 11, last year, the tribunal had imposed a complete ban on use of plastic of any kind from Gomukh to Haridwar along the Ganga with effect from February 1 while slapping a penalty of Rs 5,000 per day on erring hotels, dharamshalas and ashrams spewing waste into the river. Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray today said he was not satisfied with the performance of the BJP-led government, of which his party is also a constituent, pertaining to drought mitigation. "I am unhappy with the government's performance about drought work. However, it's time to help out people in crisis and not to blame government," Thackeray said. The Sena chief was on tour of Osmanabad district in worst-hit Marathwada region. On the occasion, he dedicated to people the 'Shiv Jal Kranti' water conservation project in Paranda tehsil. The project covers 78 villages in the district. He took a dig at NCP MP Supriya Sule over her tour of the region recently. "Maharashtra has a 137-year-old history of drought. However, the previous governments failed to work effectively. Recently, an NCP leader came here in a big van on drought tour. NCP was in power for last 15 years. Had it worked well this situation would not have arrived," Thackeray said. At least three temples in Kopar in the district have banned the entry of women donning regular wear gowns, citing hygiene and other factors. Authorities of Gamdevi, Mahadeo and Hanuman temples have put up notice boards outside temple premises, banning the entry of the women who are wearing gowns. Shiv Sena corporator Ramesh Mhatre, who manages the three temples, told mediapersons that women, who undertake cooking and other activities wearing gowns, cannot be allowed to enter the sanctum sanctorum of the "pious place", because of hygiene factor. The move has found supporters in the local villagers. Uttarakhand Congress chief Kishore Upadhyay today accused National Security Advisor Ajit Doval of "playing a role" in toppling Congress governments in Arunachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand. "I have many friends in Arunachal Pradesh who have confirmed that Doval played a role in toppling the Congress government there," Upadhyay alleged at a press conference here. "In Uttarakhand also I have information that he did the same thing. 3-4 MLAs out of the nine who sided with the BJP in Uttarakhand Assembly were in touch with Doval," he alleged. He said the NSA should concentrate on his job, which is basically securing the country's frontiers and stop playing a role in toppling opposition governments in the states. Upadhyay said think tank Vivekanand Foundation, headed by Doval, was "acquiring political dimensions". He said its functioning should be probed and, if found guilty of being involved in toppling governments, its registration should be cancelled. National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) and Dalmia Bharat Foundation today signed an agreement to impart vocational and skill training to 60,000 unemployed youth over the next 10 years across the country. Under the 10-year agreement, vocational training will be imparted to benefit the country's youth across various sectors like apparel, beauty & wellness, retail, auto, healthcare, construction, agriculture, etc. Under the programme, 70 per cent of the candidates will be assured employment in sectors and job roles in which they get trained. "For all training that happens through our partners it is mandatory that atleast 70 per cent people (who get certified) have to be employed or self-employed. We only give soft loans to people who make this commitment," NSDC CEO Jayant Krishna told PTI. The duration of these training programmes will vary from three to six months. Upon successful completion, trainees will receive a certificate from NSDC/Sector Skills Councils (SSCs). "Our target is to skill 60,000 people over 10 years. In the first year we will be setting up three Centres of Excellence and scale it up to 10 centres. We have done some preliminary surveys and are designing the courses accordingly. "The overall project cost is 4.65 crore we have committed 1.40 crore and the rest is the NSDC soft loan," Gautam Dalmia, Managing Director, Dalmia Bharat Group said. The first year of partnership will see three training centres at Trichy, Rourkela and Belgaum be set-up that will roll out skill training for local youth. Dalmia Bharat Foundation's overall targets is to set up a network of 8 Livelihood Skills Training Centres at Tamil Nadu (Trichy), Andhra Pradesh (Kadapa), Karnataka (Belgaum), Uttar Pradesh (Sitapur), Assam (Guwahati), Odisha (Rourkela and Cuttack) and Jharkhand (Bokaro). In addition to these new facilities, existing ITIs at Dalmiapuram and Rajganjpur and one handloom cum weaving training center at Umrongso (Assam) will also be leveraged. National Skill Development Corporation, through its skill ecosystem will ensure that the courses run in these centres are all aligned to the National Skill Qualification Framework (NSQF) which is a competency based framework that organises all qualifications according to a series of levels of knowledge, skills and aptitude. Cayuga Centers President/CEO Edward Myers Hayes has announced the promotion of two employees: Troy Brathwaite has been promoted to chief of operations: New York City. He previously oversaw the city's federally funded foster care program for unaccompanied children and Treatment Family Foster Care, as well as start-up programs in Florida and Delaware. His promotion and the agency's restructuring will allow Brathwaite to more narrowly focus on the New York City programs, which have recently expanded. Elizabeth Palin has been promoted to chief fiscal officer. She joined the agency as its chief financial officer in 2012, and will work to oversee the integration of Cayuga Centers' finance, IT and HR departments. Cayuga Centers promotes three employees Cayuga Centers President/CEO Edward Myers Hayes has announced the promotion of three employees: Additionally, Cayuga Centers has announced it will host a job fair from 3 to 8 p.m. Thursday, May 12, at the Cayuga Centers Annex, 210 Osborne St., Auburn. Attendees should bring a current resume and be prepared for an initial interview. To view available jobs, visit cayugacenters.org. Headquartered in Auburn, Cayuga Centers serves children and families throughout New York and southeast Florida through evidence-based programs, residential and foster care treatment, and services for people with disabilities. For more information, visit cayugacenters.org. US President Barack Obama will travel to Ottawa next month for a "Three Amigos" North American summit with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto, the White House said today. The White House said Obama will also address a joint session of parliament while in the Canadian capital for the June 29 summit. "The summit is further recognition of the value of a more integrated North America to advance the security and prosperity of the continent," a White House statement said. "It also highlights the importance of continuing to strengthen the bilateral and trilateral ties between United States, Canada, and Mexico." The last "Three Amigos" summit was hosted by Pena Nieto in 2014 in Toluca, Mexico. The seven-month-old Nepal government led by Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli today faced a crisis after cracks developed in the ruling alliance with the UCPN-Maoist deciding to form a national unity government under the leadership of party supremo Prachanda. A meeting of the high-level body of the Unified Communist Party of Nepal(UCPN-Maoist) exerted pressure on the party's leadership to make efforts to form a national unity government under the leadership of Prachanda and asked the Nepali Congress, Madhesi parties and other fringe parties to join the new government. Prachanda, known for his anti-India stance, had served as Prime Minister of Nepal for a brief period from August 18, 2008 to May 25, 2009. The move by Prachanda's party has threatened the seven-month-old coalition government led by CPN-UML chairman Oli. Although the Maoists have not yet officially announced the withdrawal of support from the Oli-led coalition but next meeting of the party Standing Committee scheduled tomorrow is likely to take a decision in this regard, said party insiders. However, senior UCPN-Maoist leader Dinanath Sharma talking to PTI said that though the party has decided to form a national unity government, it has not yet decided who should lead the new government. Main opposition Nepali Congress is also not happy with the working style of Oli-led government. Nepali Congress president Sher Bahadur Deuba, who has returned from a week-long personal visit to India last week said that the government is unilaterally making all political appointments in the key posts sidelining the main opposition. The Nepali Congress has also reached out to the Maoists and Madhesi parties in a bid to find an alternative to the coalition government. If the rift between ruling alliance widens, Oli government might be prevented from presenting the budget later this month. The agitating Madhesi parties are also not happy with the coalition led by Oli as the government has turned deaf ears towards the demands of the Madhesi parties, that had launched six-month-long agitation in which more than 50 people were killed. The Nepali Congress and the Maoists have accused Prime minister Oli for failing to implement the new Constitution, address the problems related to the Madhesi people, expedite the post-quake reconstruction work, failing to check soaring market price and promoting black marketing and corruption. Oli held a dinner meeting with the Maoistchief Prachanda yesterday to mend ties but the prime minister's efforts appear to have failed. Oli yesterday also asked his party lawmakers to present themselves effectively during the Parliament session. In the parliamentary party's meeting held at parliament building in New Baneshwor, Oli directed his party lawmakers to be prepared to counter any move by the Nepali Congress, the main opposition party in the parliament, as it may put obstruction when the government will present its policy documents in the parliament next week. One person was arrested and 3,600 bottles of Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL) along with arms and ammunition were recovered today from Shankarpur village in Bihar's Munger district. Acting on a tip-off, police raided a house in the village and recovered 300 boxes, each carrying 12 liquor bottles, Superintendent of Police Ashish Bharti said. One rifle and 20 live cartridges were also recovered and a person was arrested in this connection, the SP said. The seizure was made as part of the intensive drive in the state following imposition of complete ban on sale and consumption of liquor, country, spiced and IMFL from April 5. Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, is personally monitoring the implementation of total prohibition in the state. Online beauty retailer Nykaa.Com today said it plans to raise Rs 60-100 crore for marketing and setting up warehouses even as it focuses on opening more retail outlets to deepen its footprint. "We plan to raise another Rs 60 to Rs 100 crore from private sources...Majority of investment will be into marketing to build the brand, warehouses and also on technology to enable more number of shoppers to shop simultaneously on the portal," Nykaa.Com Founder and CEO Falguni Nayar told reporters here. The company had raised USD 9.5 million from private equity firm TVS Capital last year. To expand its offline presence, the former investment banker said the company plans to open 30 stores in 30 cities by 2020. "We shall soon open three more stores -- two in Mumbai and one in Bengaluru," she said, adding that currently the company has one outlet in Delhi. She further said the company has three warehouses in Mumbai, Delhi and Bengaluru. "We have plans to open another warehouse at Kolkata," Nayar said. Noting that Indian customers have embraced online shopping, she said there are about 85-90 million online shoppers at present, out of which about 40 million are women. "There are five million people who visit the company's portal every month while there are about 1.5 million customers who have signed up with Nykaa.Com," she said. Nykaa.Com has over 400 brands and 40,000 products covering make-up, skincare, hair care, fragrances, personal care and luxury products which are delivered across 900 cities in India. Some of the key beauty brands available on Nykaa.Com include L'Oreal, Maybelline, Lakme, Forest Essentials, Kama, Kiehls , Lancome, La Roche Posay, Inglot, Makeup Revolution, Vichy and Avene. "The company shall endeavour to bring in the best of beauty products from across the globe, including Korea and Israel, to the Indian customers," she said. Out of Rs 867 crore sanctioned for providing relief to people in drought-hit areas of Uttar Pradesh, only Rs 52 crore has been utilised so far. Chief Secretary Alok Ranjan today expressed concern over disbursement of only Rs 52 crore at a meeting where he reviewed drought relief. He directed the district magistrates concerned to provide relief to farmers within next 10 days or action could be initiated against them, an official spokesperson said here. Ranjan was addressing senior officials in districts through video conferencing. When several DMs pointed out Jal Nigam's slow pace of working, the Chief Secretary directed its Managing Director to take up installation of handpumps and re-boring of defunct ones on priority. Ranjan also asked District Magistrate, Banda, Yogesh Kumar to give him a report on alleged starvation death in the district. "There should be no starvation death in any district and DMs should take measures for it. DMs will be personally held responsible if such incidents take place," the Chief Secretary said. A 41-year-old Dalit man died allegedly of starvation in Banda district while going to fetch ration for his family but authorities said it was a case of heart attack. Taking a jibe at the foreign visits of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday alleged that the Opposition tried to ensure the failure of as the initiative was being praised "world over". He said that the Opposition was worried after Delhi government's scheme was praised by a noted international magazine. "They had a fear. After the last odd-even, there were talks about it world over. Even Fortune magazine discussed about it....(Modi) is going around the globe, but not being praised," he said, without taking Modi's name. "The AAP government people did not visit a single place, but even then they are being discussed world over. So they thought the has to fail," Kejriwal said. ALSO READ: Kejriwal on Fortune's list of '50 greatest leaders', PM Modi conspicuous by his absence He was speaking at the 'thanks-giving' event to celebrate the odd-even "success". Kejriwal said that the Opposition tried to ensure the failure of the scheme from day one. "They tried to orchestrate a strike of auto-drivers but all of them are with the AAP government and their (Opposition) first attempt failed," he said. "Then their MP (Vijay Goel) said that he will do a 'civil disobedience' movement and violate the . Not a single person stood behind him, not even his party men. They resorted to setting fire in Bhalswa and Gazipur (dumpyards). All their attempts failed. Truth cannot be hidden," Kejriwal added. As many as 8,056 incidents of website hacking were reported in the first three months of 2016, Parliament was informed today. In written reply to a Lok Sabha question, Communications and IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said that the total number of "cyber security incidents including phishing, scanning, malicious code, website intrusion, denial of service etc" stood at 41,319, 44,679, 49,455 and 14,363, during the years 2013, 201, 2015 and 2016 (till March), respectively. Citing information reported to and tracked by Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In), the Minister further said these cyber security incidents included 28,481, 32,323, 27,205 and 8,056 website hacking incidents during 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016 (till March), respectively. "In addition, 54,677, 85,659, 61,628 and 13,851 spam (unsolicited email) incidents were reported to CERT-In during the year 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016 (till March), respectively," Prasad said. Over a period, the nature and pattern of incidents have become more sophisticated and complex, he added. "The National Cyber Security Policy is released for public use and implementation by relevant stakeholders. The objective of the policy is to create a framework for comprehensive, collaborative and collective response to deal with the issue of cyber security at all levels within the country," he said. In addition, the government has formulated cyber crisis management plan for countering cyber attacks and cyber terrorism for implementation by all ministries/departments of central government, state governments and their organisations and critical sectors, he added. A Pakistani national, who appeared to be a snake-charmer, was held by the Border Security Force (BSF) along the Indo-Pak border near Khavda in Kutch district of Gujarat. He was identified as Javed, resident of Tando Jaan village in Sindh province of Pakistan. He was arrested last evening, a BSF official said. "He appeared to be a snake-charmer who may have entered the Indian territory by mistake. We found a snake, Pakistani currency, an I-card and some food items on him," said the official. Javed was handed over to Khavda police for further inquiry, added the official. The son of a Pakistani bus driver looks set to be elected as London's first Muslim mayor and the first such leader of a European Union capital in local elections tomorrow. Labour party candidate Sadiq Khan is leading in most surveys by a minimum of nine points over his Conservative party rival Zac Goldsmith on the eve of the polls. Khan's lead has been fairly consistent throughout the mayoral campaign, despite his party being embroiled in an unseemly anti-Semitic row over the last week. The 45-year-old was himself accused of racism as a video emerged of him referring to moderate Muslims as "Uncle Toms". "I do regret using the phrase and I am sorry," he said in a BBC radio interview today but went on to accuse his rival, the son of late billionaire Sir JamesGoldsmithand brother of Jemima Khan, of using "divisive and increasingly desperate" tactics. "We need a mayor that will unite us, not divide us... I've had seven months of negative, divisive and increasingly desperate stuff from him," he said. He also addressed Hindu and Sikh voters directly to say that he had no plans to "tax or nick their gold", in reference to some Goldsmith campaign leaflets which had implied that Khan would go after London's minority communities who tend to have gold reserves in temples and at home. An Opinium poll for 'Evening Standard' yesterday put Khan on 35 per cent of first preference votes and Goldsmith at 26 per cent. The lead is even stronger on second preference votes, with Khan leading by 57 per cent to 43 per cent. None of the other candidates, including Kashmiri-origin Ankit Love, gets more than four per cent. Khan is a former human rights lawyer and an MP from Tooting, east London, since 2005. He was a prominent figure in former Labour Prime Minister Gordon Brown's Cabinet and had resigned from the shadow Cabinet last year to launch his campaign to replace Boris Johnson - whose second and final term as London mayor comes to an end this week. He has relied on his working class roots and upbringing on a London council housing estate as strong credentials against Goldsmith's more privileged background. Khan has also tried to distance himself from the unpopular Labour party leader, Jeremy Corbyn, who he had in fact nominated to widen the field of candidates. Goldsmith has sought to capitalise on Corbyn's unpopularity and warned of the dangers of the Khan-Corbyn project and not letting the "Lefties" gain control of London's City Hall. The Oxford-educated billionaire also tried to cash in on Narendra Modi's popularity among Indian-origin Londoners and issued leaflets with an image of him shaking hands with the Indian Prime Minister during the latter's visit to the UK. The message read: "Standing up for the British Indian community." But while it seems his tactics seem to have had little effect on voters, poll pundits warn that the race is far from over as a low turnout could change things around at the last minute. With drought in different parts of the country putting pressure on rural sales, FMCG firms including Marico, Dabur and Godrej Consumer Products Ltd (GCPL) are pinning hopes on 'pent up' demand to push growth after predictions of a normal monsoon this year. They expect a pick up in sales during the second half of the current fiscal. "Rural sales have definitely come under stress due to the two successive droughts. We have extreme water scarcity in some states. These two successive droughts have lead to purchasing power of people to crash in the rural areas," GCPL Business Head India and SAARC Sunil Kataria told PTI. Expressing similar sentiments, Marico Ltd MD and CEO Saugata Gupta said: "There is short-term pressure on rural consumption and the situation is slightly stressed, especially in the states that have been affected by drought for two consecutive years." Dabur India Chief Financial Officer Lalit Malik said: "Poor monsoons last year did have an adverse impact on rural demand and we have seen growth slowdown in the hinterland towards the second half of the year." Kataria said due to the combined effect of drought and lower price for crops, overall rural demand which was growing significantly between 2011 to 2014 has definitely come down. Many parts of states like Maharashtra, Karnataka, Kerala, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Orissa and West Bengal are facing drought. With companies garnering up to 30 per cent of their overall sales from rural markets, they are keeping their fingers crossed for a good monsoon this year. The companies are keeping fingers crossed for a good monsoon this year so that sales could be revived in the second half of this fiscal. "The monsoon is going to be very critical for the rural demand to pick up, and with prospects of a good monsoon, we remain assured that the second half of the year will go well," said Gupta. Expressing similar views, Kataria said: "I expect a significant swing in the second half because of monsoon is June to September and it would change the consumer sentiments." He said the measures announced by the government in the Budget to boost rural economy will also have an impact on FMCG sales during the course of the year. "There has been a pent up demand. People have been postponing purchases because as they do not have money today but aspirations do not die in consumers' mind. They just hold back," Kataria said. Agreeing with him, Malik said the government initiatives coupled with the forecast of a normal monsoon this year, should accelerate demand growth in the hinterland. The Met office predicted last month that after two consecutive drought years, the country will receive "above normal" monsoon with a fair distribution of rainfall across major parts of country and it will be a "good year", easing fears of struggling farmers. With the expectation of demand to pick up in the second half, Gupta said Marico lined up "an aggressive pricing strategy, prioritising long-term value and consumer delight over maximising short term margin." Malik also said Dabur has already put in place distribution footprint to tap the demand growth. It is continuing to enhance distribution coverage in rural India from 14,000 villages to over 45,000 villages now. "In addition, we are also working towards improving the portfolio coverage in rural outlets," he added. Likewise, Kataria said GCPL has also continued its focus on rural markets, despite the challenging conditions through product innovations to drive sales growth from the hinterlands. "We have kept our rural journey intact and not taken shortcuts and taken back investments," Kataria said. The Cayuga Community Health Network has announced its receipt of funding from Excellus BlueCross BlueShield to facilitate a diabetes prevention program in northern Cayuga County. The workshop is designed to help people at risk of Type 2 diabetes by guiding them through lifestyle changes they can make to be healthier, such as increasing their physical activity and improving what they eat in order to lose 5 percent of their body weight. "We're so grateful to work with Excellus BlueCross BlueShield because that organization recognizes the benefits of preventing this life-altering disease for individuals, families and communities," Cayuga Community Health Network Executive Director Jessica Soule said in a news release. The network will work with the Greater YMCA of Syracuse to facilitate the program, which will kick off this summer in Port Byron. For more information, call (315) 252-4212 or visit cayugahealthnetwork.org. The Madras High Court today posted to June one a PIL seeking to take measures to close down all unrecognised schools in Tamil Nadu, which were now functioning on adhoc conditional recognition. A division bench comprising Justice K K Sasidharan and S Vimala posted the PIL filed by Change India, an NGO, after Additional Advocate General sought time to file counter. Recalling that the 2004 fire in a school in Kumbakonam in which more than 90 students of the primary section were charred to death in their classroom after the thatched roof caught fire, the PIL said that the tragedy was the result of serious flaw in the Education Department's inspection and approval mechanism, notwithstanding specific directions from the Supreme Court while giving approval. The PIL said more than 700 schools cannot be allowed to function beyond May 31, 2016 as they have already been given "illegal" ad-hoc conditional recognition since 2004 till date. Even the conditional recognition cannot be given to these schools, the PIL submitted. The PIL submitted that there has been no effort to make alternative arrangements to put the students of these illegally functioning schools in other neighbourhood schools from the next academic year which is less than two months away. It is the responsibility of the government to constitute an inspection team consisting of experts including Civil Engineer, Health Officer, Revenue Officer, Psychologist, Fire Officer, Local Body official besides the educational authorities to carry out inspection and assessment of infrastructural facilities in schools before the commencement of the coming academic year, the PIL submitted. Prime Minister Narendra Modi's foreign visits have yielded results in terms of increase in Foreign Direct Investment inflows and overall trade in goods, Parliament was informed today. "As a result of these (visits), the FDI inflows have witnessed a 40 per cent increase in 2015 (up to December) over the corresponding period in 2014. Moreover, India's overall trade in goods with these countries has risen by 2.3 per cent from 2013-14 to 2014-15," Commerce and Industry Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said in a written reply to the Rajya Sabha. The foreign visits undertaken by the Prime Minister have been instrumental in creating a positive momentum and boosting the bilateral relations between India and respective countries, she said. The visits have also resulted in signing of several trade pacts, establishing framework for enhanced security, border defence and space cooperation, promoting cooperation flagship campaigns like Digital India, Make in India, Clean India and Skill Development, she said. PM's foreign visits also facilitated meetings of CEO Forums and several B2B meetings to enhance business opportunities and investments, she added. Since June 2014, the Prime Minister has gone abroad over 35 times and has visited number of countries including Bhutan, USA, Myanmar, China and Canada. An advocate of Dayaram village was arrested by police for having a gun without a gun licence. The advocate was arrested under arms act, the police said. When the police presented the advocate before the court the court yesterday with handcuff, the lawyers protested against handcuffing the advocate. The lawyers had an heated argument with the police regarding handcuffing of the advocate. Police today lathicharged members of Kisan wing of Punjab Congress when they tried to break the police barricade and marched to gherao the official residence of Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal here. Led by Kisan Wing chairman Inderjit Singh Zira and Congress legislature party leader Charanjit Singh Channi the protesters tried to break the barricades, police said. The cops lathicharged and used water canons to disperse the protesters, police said adding that around 15 members were taken into preventive custody but later released. The Kisan wing members were protesting against non-payment to farmers for wheat procurement and also raised slogans against the state government. Zira alleged that the government had failed to procure wheat produce and farmers are facing hardships. The Congress claimed that just 40 per cent of farmers have been paid for their procured wheat. Zira said Congress will soon move the Punjab and Haryana high court against the "losses" being heaped on farmers by the Punjab government. He claimed farmers had incurred an additional interest burden of Rs 300 crore for delay in payment for their paddy crop last year. Channi condemned the police lathicharge on peaceful demonstrators. "Many farmers were injured and few were also taken to government hospital. The protesters were abused by the force and made to run to save their lives also," he claimed. "The police officials also misbehaved with the office staff, and journalists, a formal complaint has been lodged against police officer to the relevant authorities," he said. With the enclave residents all set to vote for the first time since Independence, the new voters are being aggressively wooed by various political parties, who are taking credit for resolving the 68-year old border dispute. "It is our government which has resolved this enclave problem. None of the previous state governments could address the same. But we had solved this problem and given you the rights," Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo Mamata Banerjee said at various rallies in Coochbehar district. Banerjee's comments are echoed by party's district President Rabindranath Ghosh who promised to usher in development if TMC won in Coochbehar. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which is heading the National Democratic Alliance government at the Centre, also took the credit of resolving the enclave problems. "It was our government at the Centre that took the initiative and solved the problem. We have been with the people of enclaves from the very beginning and our government has been very proactive," BJP National Secretary Rahul Sinha said. The 51 enclaves are spread across Dinhata, Mekliganj, Sitai, Sitalkuchi and Toofanganj Assembly constituencies, with over 14,864 residents, has over 9,776 registered voters. The six Assembly constituencies were Mekhliganj (584), Sitalkuchi (1,980), Sitai (1,362), Dinhata (5,605), Natabari (0) and Tufanganj (9). Out of 9,540 eligible voters, 9,209 enrolled themselves to vote on May 5 in 41 polling stations. There were 567 more voters among the 922 people in the settlements in Coochbehar. In the Sitalkuchi and Sitai Assembly constituencies, where TMC and its then alliance partner Congress had won with a slender margin of 257 and 1,577 votes, respectively, in last assembly polls, the votes of enclave dwellers could play a vital role as well as in Dinhata. Striking a different note, the CPI(M), however, refuted the claims by TMC and BJP and said that both the parties had stalled the enclave exchange during the United Progressive Alliance rule. "Both the parties have stalled the process of enclave exchange during UPA rule. It was the rehabilitation package that ensured that the state agreed to give a nod to the enclave exchange," CPI(M) Politburo member Mohammed Salim said. The government is planning to introduce a Bill for speedier resolution of disputes in PPP projects in the monsoon session of Parliament as part of its efforts to improve ease of doing business, Economic Affairs Secretary Shaktikanta Das said today. "The Public Utility Dispute Resolution Bill will come in the monsoon session (of Parliament)," he said on the sidelines of ADB annual meet here. The Budget 2016-17 had proposed a Public Utility (Resolution of Disputes) Bill to streamline institutional arrangements for resolution of disputes in infrastructure related construction contracts, PPP (Public-Private Partnership) and public utility contracts. The draft is ready, he said, adding that it would be the endeavour of the government to push it with a view to improving ease of doing business. The enactment of the public utility Bill will provide a legal framework for speedier resolution of disputes in PPP projects. The new law will deal with construction and PPP contracts or any other which involves a public utility authority and a private contractor. On the Goods and Services Tax (GST), Das said efforts of the government will be to get it passed in the current session of Parliament. The current session of Parliament is scheduled to end on May 13. Yesterday, Das had a bilateral meeting with Afghan finance minister and discussed strategic economic partnership and role being played by India. "We had broad review of the assistance to Afghanistan," he said. India has announced USD 2 billion assistance to Afghanistan. Maharashtra Irrigation Minister Girish Mahajan today said the state government will accord priority to those irrigation projects which are nearing completion. "Those irrigation projects (in the state) where 70 per cent or more work is completed will be funded on a priority basis. Efforts will be taken to finish the projects in a quick time," Mahajan told reporters here. The Minister, undertook a review of pending irrigation projects in Vidarbha and visited some of them in the region along with Maharashtra Energy Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule. "The state government would be spending about Rs 8,000 crore from the budgetary provisions and a total of Rs 20,000 to 22,000 crore in a year and a total of Rs 90,000 crore in a span of three years," he added. Mahajan further said the government was keen on providing water for irrigation to the farmers which was the need of the hour and help them overcome the crisis. To a query, he said, the state government will make all efforts to complete 26 pending irrigation projects. The Delhi High Court today expressed anguish over the continuing tussle between the AAP government and the Centre on the issue of who will represent the Delhi Police before it saying it is "becoming a routine". "Today again, the drama is being watched in this court wherein two advocates are claiming themselves to be Special Public Prosecutor (SPP) and Additional Public Prosecutor (PP) representing the state. "This court observes that it is becoming a routine in other cases where two advocates appear wherein one is claiming to be SPP and the other is claiming to be APP for the state... It is apparent that there are few matters, in which such conflict is seen. Earlier also, in one case both the parties were asked to file their respective replies," Justice P S Teji said. The judge made the remarks when the application seeking cancellation of bail granted to AAP MLA Somnath Bharti in a domestic violence case came up for hearing today. Cautioning both the counsel, who claim themselves to be representing in the matter, the court said, "This is not in the interest of criminal justice or in the state to have such scenario to be watched in the court as well as by the public." When the plea, filed by Bharti's wife Lipika Mitra, was heard, the prosecutor appointed by the Delhi government, objected to the appearance of police's lawyer Shailendra Babbar. Babbar opposed the contention saying he has been appointed as SPP for this case by the Lieutenant Governor. On which the court observed that Bharti was granted bail during investigation of the case, but this court "is of the view that in such a scenario it should be left with the Investigating Officer (IO) to have its representative, as the prosecution and the investigation cannot have a difference of opinion. "This system of representing the state by two public prosecutors has itself affected the judicial process, wherein one advocate claims himself to be representing the state and the other claims to be representing the police." "In the aforesaid scenario, it is once again directed to all the three persons, i.E., Shailendra Babbar, Special Public Prosecutor, Rajat Katyal, Additional Public Prosecutor for the State, and respondent No. 2 (Bharti) to file their respective replies to the petition within a period of one week, so that at least the status of the investigation is clear to everybody," it added. The court has also asked Bharti to file reply to the plea to cancel his bail within one week and fixed the matter for May 17. The Delhi government and the police have been at loggerheads on the same issue in other cases too, like the Kanhaiya Kumar sedition case and the CNG fitness scam case. Bharti's wife has sought cancellation of his bail granted on October 7 last year on several grounds, including that the trial court "has not applied its mind" while granting relief to the former Delhi minister. Lipika claimed the bail order was almost like a verdict and the trial court had relied on the case diary which allegedly should not have been done at that stage. She had lodged a case of domestic violence and attempt to murder against the AAP MLA, who was arrested in the wee hours on September 29 last year after the Supreme Court had ordered him to surrender. The trial court had granted him the relief, saying he was no longer required for investigation purposes and had observed that since he was a member of Delhi Legislative Assembly, there was no ground to agree with the apprehensions of the police that he may flee abroad. However, the trial court had imposed several conditions on him, including that he would not leave Delhi without its prior permission, not tamper with evidence and join the probe as and when required. On September 22 last year, the high court had rejected his anticipatory bail plea, observing that allegations against him were backed by "documentary proof". A jawan of the Rapid Action Force (RAF) today allegedly committed suicide by shooting himself from his service weapon at the forces' camp here. Officials said the incident occurred at about 4:30 AM inside the Phaphamau-based camp of the 101st battalion of the RAF when constable Manoj Kumar (24) shot himself from his official self loading rifle. They said Kumar allegedly pointed the barrel of the gun under his chin and fired two rounds which instantly killed him. "The force has ordered for a Court of Inquiry into the incident which looks to be a case of suicide, prima facie. The exact reasons for Kumar taking the extreme step are being investigated and his colleagues at the camp are being questioned," they said. Kumar hailed from the Sant Kabir Nagar district of Uttar Pradesh and had joined paramilitary CRPF in year 2000 and recently joined the special counter-riot unit-- RAF. Local police officials and senior Central Reserve Police Force officers have reached the spot soon after the incident, they said. The blue-dungaree uniform donning RAF has been created as an exclusive unit under the CRPF and a battalion (about 1,000 personnel) is permanently based here. Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje today directed officials to ensure proper supply of potable water during the ongoing summer and asked them to prepare action plan to control water-borne and seasonal diseases. "Contingency plans for supply of water should be properly implemented and swift action be taken for removing illegal connections on water supply lines," a release quoting her said. "Adequate funds have been sanctioned for maintenance of water supply lines in all districts," it said. She told the district collectors to appoint zonal in-charge officers in water-scarce regions for monitoring of water supplies. Supply of drinking water through tankers should be properly monitored using GPS or other technologies, she said while speaking at the Collector-SP conference here. She also suggested to set-up district-level control rooms and timely redressal of water-related grievances. She asked the members of the Council of Ministers and Parliamentary Secretaries to regularly gather feedback on this during their monthly meetings and inform the senior officers concerned whenever negligence is found. The CM asked them to ensure maximum participation of farmers in the proposed Global Rajasthan Agritech Meet (GRAM-2016), to be held in November this year. She said that farmers from each village panchayat across the state should be invited for it and arrangements should be made for this at the district and state-level, she added. Raje asked the collectors to make proper arrangements for the proposed 'Nyan Apke Dwar' campaign as well. AUBURN Katie Lacey, commissioner of the Cayuga County Board of Elections, said last month's New York presidential primary saw an unusually high number of voters asking to fill out affidavit ballots at the polls 251 in the county. Of those 251 ballots, 153 were rejected, she said. Affidavit ballots allow a person to vote when the Board of Elections does not have record of a person enrolled in a party. The Board of Elections collects the vote, but after the election, the board checks its records to see if the person is in fact eligible. If the person is, the vote counts. If the person is not registered in a party or is registered under a different party, the vote doesn't count. Lacey told county legislators at Tuesday night's Government Operations Committee meeting that she believes social media campaigns around Democratic candidate Bernie Sanders, calling on people not registered or registered as independents to demand an affidavit ballot to protest the state's closed primary, was the cause for the increase. "We didn't want the election inspectors to argue with people, so what we told them was, if they want an affidavit ballot, give them an affidavit ballot," Lacey said. "Everybody whose vote wasn't counted receives a letter that says, 'Your vote wasn't counted because you were registered in no party, or you were registered in another party. After you filled out that affidavit, we're re-registering you in the party you think you were in, so if you don't want to do that, call us up, now.'" In other news: This month's full county Legislature meeting will be held at 1 p.m. May 24 at Emerson Park to celebrate Senior Citizen Day. Asserting that reporting the truth is not a crime, US Secretary of State has said a country without a free and independent press has nothing to teach and cannot fulfil its potential. "To those who try to coerce or imprison reporters, we will always say loudly and clearly that committing journalism, reporting on the truth, is not a crime. It is a badge of honour and today we salute all near and far who proudly wear that badge," Kerry told reporters on the occasion of the World Press Freedom Day. No government, whatever its pretentions or whatever its accomplishments, can fairly claim respect if its citizens are not allowed to say what they believe or denied the right to learn about events and decisions that affect their lives, he said in his special appearance before the State Department press. "A country without a free and independent press has nothing to brag about, nothing to teach, and no way to fulfil its potential," Kerry said. Noting that every journalist is unique, Kerry said governments who crackdown on them may seek to convey strength, but what they actually convey is a deeply rooted kind of insecurity and weakness. "It is no secret that we live in a turbulent era, and that the heart of a lot of that turbulence is a struggle that is waged over truth versus either outright lies or the obfuscation and denial of truth," he said. In a separate statement, the White House thanked the journalists around the world without whom democracy could not flourish and whose courageous work helps hold authorities to account. "These are the men and women who work to ensure that debate on public issues can be, in the words of Justice William Brennan, 'uninhibited, robust and wide open'. Through such debate we make the choices that shape our lives and the world around us," said Ned Price, spokesman of National Security Council of the White House. "While it is in the nature of responsible journalism to confront the powerful, the corrupt and the brutal, too many journalists risk their liberty and even their lives in doing so," he said, adding that from China to Iran to Venezuela, brave men and women languish in prison for no greater crime than seeking to inform their fellow citizens. "The United States calls for the release of those who have been imprisoned for exercising the freedom of expression that is enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, even as we encourage governments to foster societies in which journalists can work freely and without fear," Price said. Eight radicalised Bangladeshi nationals arrested here for plotting terror attacks and attempting to overthrow the government back home have been put under two year detention, authorities said today. The eight detained under the Internal Security Act were issued with two-year Orders of Detention in late April this year, said the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA). Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam said, "They were looking at bomb making, they have material on sniper rifles, they have collected money and they have list of targets. "They have pledged allegiance to Islamic State," Shanmugam told reporters today, adding Singapore could have been a target for ISB since they were prepared to attack anywhere. The Minister was also asked if the authorities would consider blocking "certain sites", as those detained had been radicalised online. "I think blocking sites on the Internet is not an easy thing to do, we have to recognise that. We have to put a lot of emphasis on education, inoculation, but also recognise different people face different influences. These ideas are sweeping through the world and the entire region, including Singapore," he said. The eight were part of a secret group called the Islamic State in Bangladesh (ISB). MHA said it is the first group comprising all foreigners to be detained under the ISA for terrorism-related activities in Singapore. They had each worked in Singapore for cumulative periods of between three and 10 years and had generally lived in different accommodations here. While they were all employed in the local construction and marine industries, there was no significant concentration in any particular company, it added. The members had met largely at open parks or fields when they shared "large amounts" of radical propaganda and videos. The group also had an organisation structure with specific roles, such as the leader or persons assigned for tasks like finance, MHA said. It added that Bangladeshi authorities have been informed of the group and its activities and "have been helpful" in providing some information. At the time of the arrests, the funds raised by the group were from the members and they are not known to have acted on plans to procure firearms, the ministry said. The eight are still under investigation for their activities in Singapore and several of them are liable to be prosecuted for terrorism financing. (Reopens FGN 12) Investigations are ongoing and the ministry said it is not able to comment further on the matter. As for any links to the 27 radicalised Bangladeshis repatriated from Singapore in December 2015 for terror links. MHA said: "There is no indication that this group of Bangladeshi nationals are also members of the Bangladeshi radical religious group who were arrested last year." It added that some of them did know each other "because they chanced upon one another in Singapore". MHA said the five other Bangladeshi nationals who were repatriated in April are: Evan Galib Hassan Chowdhury; Rana Masud; Pailot Md Rana Miea; Islam Tanjemul and Alomgir Md. Bangladeshi newspaper 'The Daily Star' had reported on yesterday that the five had been arrested back home and face legal action. The ministry said the uncovering of the ISB in Singapore sends a "strong signal" that the country cannot take its security for granted or be complacent. "As part of ongoing heightened vigilance against the terrorism threat, Singapore has enhanced our law enforcement agencies' capabilities to prevent, detect and respond to terrorist attacks," MHA said. "The Government also works closely together with foreign security services to share intelligence on terrorism activities and with various religious and community groups to counter extremist ideology and protect our community from radical influences." There are currently 23 persons detained under the ISA for terrorism-related activities, MHA said. The Supreme Court today directed Gujarat government to provide within a month compensation of Rs 3 lakh each to the families of 238 workers who died of silicosis after working in the state's quartz industries. A bench comprising justices Kurian Joseph and R F Nariman also asked the Madhya Pradesh government to immediately rehabilitate another 304 ailing patients. Meanwhile, the court has asked the Chairperson of Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) to personally appear before it on May 11, the next date of hearing. On February 19, the apex court had directed CPCB to file an affidavit within four weeks on the action taken on the suggestions on spreading of silicosis disease due to pollution from quartz industries located in Godhra. The court's direction came while hearing a plea by an NGO seeking compensation and rehabilitation of workers who had developed silicosis while working in crushing factories. In 2010, the National Human Rights Commission had ordered Gujarat government to pay compensation of up to Rs 3 lakh to 238 silicosis affected workers. The Supreme Court today directed the companies to implement the rule mandating larger pictorial health warnings on packets of products and refused the manufacturers' plea to stay the implementation of new cigarette packaging rules introduced from April 1. The apex court said that the companies have to follow the rules till the Karnataka High Court, where all the petitions from various high courts are being transferred, pronounced its final order. While directing the transfer of the related petitions from High Courts of Delhi, Bombay and Gujarat to the Karnataka High Court, the top court said the operation of order of the principal bench of the Karnataka High Court in Bengaluru refusing stay on the new rules would continue. A bench comprising Justices Pinaki Chandra Ghose and Amitava Roy also directed that all the petitions challenging the amendments to Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products (Packaging and Labeling) Amendment Rules, 2008 (COTPA), pending before various high courts, will be heard fresh by the Karnataka High Court. When the apex court was told that Dharwad bench of the Karnataka High Court has stayed the implementation of the new rules, it said that any stay granted by any court shall not be implemented until the final order is passed by Principal Bench of the Karnataka High Court in Bengaluru. A notification by the Union Health Ministry for implementation of COTPA came into force on April 1, which mandated increasing the size of health warning to 85 per cent up from the current size of 20 per cent of the principal display area on packets of tobacco products. The bench said that the pending petitions in the three high courts to be transferred to the Karnataka High Court shall be done in two weeks and the matter be decided in eight weeks. "We request all the petitioners that till the disposal of matters by the Karnataka High Court, it will be the endeavour of all the parties to implement the rules whatever as amended. This order will not stand in the way of the Karnataka High Court deciding the matter on merit. "Any stay granted by any court shall not be implemented until the final order is passed by the Karnataka High Court," the bench said. The apex court also directed the Chief Justice of the Karnataka High Court to decide if the batch of petitions would be heard by a single bench or a division bench. During the hearing, the court observed that in public interest, tobacco companies should act responsibly and said that the awareness created on the issue would help curb the ill effects of tobacco. The bench was hearing a plea filed by the Karnataka Beedi Industry Association, which sought a stay on enforcement of the new rules, saying that these would cause a grave and irreparable harm to the tobacco industry. The Supreme Court collegium is learnt to have red flagged at least two issues in the revised memorandum of procedure including the one relating to government's right to reject a recommendation on concerns of national interest. The memorandum, a document which guides the appointment of SC and HC judges, was revised after a Supreme Court bench asked the government to rewrite it in a bid to make the collegium system more transparent. The memorandum was sent to Chief Justice of India T S Thakur by law Minister D V sadananda Gowda in March. Now, the SC collegium, after going into the document is learnt to have objected to at least two clauses. According to one of the clauses, the collegium's recommendation can be rejected by the government if it feels the appointment is not in the overall interest of the country. The MoP further provides that once the Centre has rejected a recommendation it will not be bound to reconsider it even after reiteration by the collegium. This is contrary to the current practice where government is bound to accept a recommendation by the collegium, comprising four senior-most judges of the Supreme Court and the CJI, if it reiterates the same. The other clause which the collegium is learnt to have objected to is that the Attorney General at the Centre and Advocates General in the states should have a say in recommending candidates for appointment and elevation of judges of the Supreme Court and high courts. Sources said while the draft of the memorandum of procedure is still with the SC collegium, the objections have been conveyed to the government. The Supreme Court Collegium has recommended elevation of three High Court Chief Justices and a senior lawyer to the apex court, the first since a new law on appointment of judges to higher judiciary was struck down by the top court. This is the first set of recommendations made by the SC Collegium for appointment as judges of the apex court after the National Judicial Appointments Commission Act came into force on April 13 last. The new law which sought to scrap the collegium system was struck down by a Supreme Court bench on October 16 last. The Collegium, headed by Chief Justice of India T S Thakur, has recommended the elevation of Justice A M Khanwilkar of the Madhya Pradesh High Court, Justice D Y Chandrachud of the Allahabad High Court and Justice Ashok Bhushan of the Kerala High Court to the Supreme court. The Collegium has also recommended senior lawyer and former Additional Solicitor General L Nageshwar Rao for appointment as a Supreme Court judge. Meanwhile, Acting Chief Justice of the Andhra Pradesh/ Telangana High Court Justice D B Bhonsle has been recommended for the post of Chief Justice of the Allahabad High Court in place of Justice Chandrachud. These recommendations assume importance as the Supreme Court is functioning with only 25 judges though its approved strength is 31, including the CJI. While Justice Thakur will retire on January 3, 2017, five more apex court judges will retire this year. These include Justice A R Dave who will retire on November 18, Justice F M I Kalifulla (July 22), Justice V Gopala Gowda (October 5), Justice Shiva Kirti Singh (November 12) and Justice C Nagappan (October 3). Former law officer Nageshwar Rao is the fourth member from the Bar recommended for Supreme Court judgeship by the collegium after the Narendra Modi government came to power in 2014. In 2014, U U Lalit and R F Nariman were appointed as SC judges, but the government had returned the file of former Solicitor General Gopal Subramanium citing negative Intelligence Bureau report. After a bitter spat with the government, Subramanium had withdrawn his name. The recommendations come at a time when the Supreme Court collegium is yet to give its view on the draft of the revised memorandum of procedure to the government. So far, the collegium had refrained from recommending names for the apex court. Hitherto, it had recommended elevating additional judges of high courts as permanent judges. The government, in a bid to increase the judges' strength, had cleared fresh names for appointment as additional judges, the recommendations for which were received before the NJAC Act was struck down by the Supreme Court. The memorandum, a document which guides the appointment of SC and HC judges, was revised after a Supreme Court bench asked the government to rewrite it in a bid to make collegium system more transparent. A day after MNS activists staged violent protest opposing the decision of sharing water from city reservoirs, police today heightened security outside the office of District Guardian Minister Girish Bapat in Kasba area here. "To avoid any untoward incident, we have deployed two officers and 10 police personnel outside the office of the guardian minister," senior inspector of Vishrambaug police station Hemant Bhat said. The issue of release of water from Khadakwasla reservoir to Indapur and Daund tehsils in the district hotted up yesterday after MNS workers staged a violent protest while corporators from various parties opposed the decision saying it would aggravate the water shortage in Pune city. A case of rioting and damaging property was registered against MNS activists who vandalised Sinchan Bhavan, state Irrigation department's office here last afternoon. The officer said they have learnt that Shiv Sena workers are going to stage protest in Kasba area and hence, police bandobast was deployed as a precautionary measure. The district administration and guardian minister, in a joint meeting, took the decision to release 1 TMC water to Indapur and Daund tehsils, which are facing water shortage. The decision was, however, opposed by corporators of various parties in Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) and a delegation, led by mayor Prashant Jagtap, even submitted a memorandum to the district collector yesterday to "rethink" over the decision. Barring BJP, all other parties demanded that the decision be revoked and also sought resignation of Bapat. According to Irrigation department officials, the 1 TMC water from Khadakwasla reservoir is expected to be released to the two tehsils later in the day today. BJP President Amit Shah today trained his guns on Congress, DMK and AIADMK, accusing them of corruption and billed his party as an alternative in Tamil Nadu going for in the assembly elections. Addrressing an election rally here, Shah referred to various allegations of corruption against the two Dravidian parties besides BJP's arch-rival, Congress. He charged that DMK, AIADMK and Congress "are corrupt" and they did not "know anything other than corruption." "DMK (is facing allegations) in 2G spectrum allocation and aircel-maxis.. How many scams are there against DMK," he said. Targeting senior Congress leader and former Union Finance Minister P Chidambaram, Shah said he and his son Karti "were also facing charges," in an apparent reference to the Aircel-Maxis deal. Shah, who had last month launched a frontal attack against the ruling AIADMK, dubbing it as "most corrupt government in the country," referred to the disproportionate assets case against its party supremo and Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa, now being heard in the Supreme Court. "In AIADMK, there is a disproportionate assets case against Jayalalithaa," he said. Shah also accused the state government of non-cooperation in taking the Centre's Mudra Bank scheme to wider sections of the society. The BJP chief said his party was the alternative to DMK, AIADMK and Congress and asked the people to vote for it. BJP is contesting the elections in tie-up with some smaller parties. Five of the six men arrested under Pakistan's tough blasphemy law for throwing a Sikh man's turban to the ground during a scuffle in Punjab Province have been granted bail after police declared them "innocent". The police also warned Mahinder Paal Singh against raising the matter before the top authorities as a blasphemy case could also be registered against him. A civil judge of Chichawatni, some 300 kilometres from Lahore, yesterday granted to bail Rashid Gujjar, Baqir Ali, Faiz Alam, Shakeel and Snawal in the blasphemy case. "During a day in police custody we interrogated the suspects but did not find that they had committed blasphemy. It was just a brawl and during the fight Singh's turban fell to the ground," Khaizer Hayat, Chichawatni city police in-charge, said. "We have declared the suspects innocent in the challan we submitted in the court," he said, adding that police had inserted the blasphemy section (295 of Pakistan Penal Code) at the insistence of Singh. "We could have registered a blasphemy case against Mr Singh as he had claimed that insulting of Sikh turban is tantamount to insulting the Prophet. "He (Mahinder Singh) is lucky that the suspects did not press for registration of the FIR for committing blasphemy," Hayat said. He further said section 295 was a bailable offence. To a question that Singh is pressing for 295/A which deals with non-bailable offence with maximum penalty of 10-year imprisonment, Hayat said, "It is in fact not a case of blasphemy. It is a case quarrel between two groups and the matter should be resolved amicably. Otherwise there will an FIR and counter FIR on blasphemy allegations." Police last Sunday registered an FIR under sections 295 (blasphemy), 506 (hurling threats) and 148 of Pakistan Penal Code against the six suspectsunder blasphemy law on the complaint of Singh, a resident of Multan district of Punjab, some 350 kilometers from Lahore. Singh told police that he was travelling from Faisalabad to Multan by a bus that developed a fault on the way. The driver fixed the fault but its speed was very slow and it took passengers five hours to get Chichawatni bus terminal where he and other passengers complained to the staff of the transport company and demanded an alternative vehicle for the journey to Multan. "The arguments over issue led a scuffle between the company's staff and the passengers. During the fight a bus terminal hawker, Rashid Gujjar, threw my turban on the ground and others manhandled me. Turban is considered sacred in the Sikh religious code and throwing it on the ground is tantamount to desecration," Singh had said. The Delhi government on Wednesday terminated the services of a government school vice-principal on charges of indiscipline. The action against the Vice-Principal of Mandawali Govt School was taken following a surprise visit by Deputy Chief Minister . Sisodia said that he found three teachers, despite being absent at 8.15 am, were marked present in the register. The principal of the school has also been given a show cause notice. Hav ordered termination of Vice Principal of Mandawali Govt School against indisciplinary action. 1/2 (@msisodia) May 4, 2016 In a surprise visit I found 3 teachrs were absent but were shown present in data base @8.15AM.Hav given show cause notice to Principal. 2/2 (@msisodia) May 4, 2016 "Hav ordered termination of vice-principal of Mandawali Govt School against indisciplinary action. "In a surprise visit I found 3 teachrs were absent but were shown present in data base at 8.15 AM. Have given show cause notice to Principal (sic)," Sisodia said in a series of tweets. Not much has happened at the state Legislature since the budget passed a month ago, but lawmakers still have time to conduct the people's business before they take the summer off, and they should listen to what the people want them to accomplish. A recent Siena poll indicates that 97 percent of New Yorkers want to see more action on anti-corruption legislation. One reform that's been talked about, but hasn't gotten close to becoming law, is making state legislator a full-time job with a ban on outside income. It's a great idea, because it would eliminate the temptation that so many have found impossible to resist to sell one's influence for personal gain. State comptroller Thomas DiNapoli also weighed in on ethics reform this week with a report that points out that while the newly enacted state budget does provide some positive things, such as increased school aid and income tax cuts, it also "sacrificed public transparency both in process and content." In process, DiNapoli points out that the budget was once again passed at the last minute and with little public scrutiny. In content, the budget authorizes billions of dollars to flow through public authorities as lump sum appropriations, a process that reduces "transparency and accountability for public resources." And an additional reminder of why Albany is often referred to as home to the most corrupt government in the land, former Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver was sentenced on Tuesday to 12 years in prison for using his office to enrich himself. He isn't the first to do so, and he won't be the last until the Legislature at last succumbs to the will of the people and addresses the problem. The current legislative session is scheduled to end on June 16. If lawmakers are paying attention to what's going on around them, they should realize that ethics reform is something that needs to be addressed before that day arrives. A special committee has found two lawmakers responsible for the violent clash inside the Sri Lankan Parliament and is likely to recommend disciplinary action against them, sources said today. One lawmaker was injured and rushed to a hospital during the clash that broke out between at least three MPs of government and opposition over a move to replace former president Mahinda Rajapaksa's military guards with police. Speaker Karu Jayasuriya appointed a special committee to probe yesterday's incident. Deputy Speaker Thilanga Sumathipala and Deputy Chairman of Committees MP Selvam Adaikalanathan were appointed to the committee. The committee has named two MPs, sources said. It will present its report to the House Committee tomorrow. Disciplinary action awaits them, they said. The trouble started when Minister of Regional Development Sarath Fonseka addressed the House on the withdrawal of army personnel from the security detail of Rajapaksa, sources said. Jayasuriya adjourned the parliament after the clash and condemned it as worst in the country's parliamentary history. The government leaders blamed the Joint Opposition members backing Rajapaksa for the clash. Opposition members claimed that an accusation by the former Army chief and now government minister Fonseka that Rajapaksa's younger brother Gotabhaya had plotted a 2006 bomb attack against himself had ignited the clash. Gotabhaya, the then powerful defense ministry secretary, survived the attack which was blamed on the LTTE. The bodies of four terrorists, killed in the Pathankot terror attack four months ago, were buried today at an undisclosed location in the garrison city. Official sources said the bodies kept in the mortuary of the Pathankot Civil hospital were moved around 2 AM by Pathankot police and buried at an unidentified Muslim burial ground in the city. They said the place of burial in Pathankot is close to where the bodies of three terrorists involved in last year's attack on the Dinanagar (Gurdaspur) police station were buried. The bodies were brought at the hospital by NIA and local police on January 6 and since then have been kept in two big deep freezers. During the visit of the Pakistan Joint Investigation Team to the forward air base on March 29, India had requested it to take the bodies, but the JIT had refused. The National Investigation Agency had earlier taken vital DNA and other biological samples from the bodies in order to take its probe in the case forward. The NIA had also published the photographs of these terrorists as it sought information from the public about them and offered Rs 1 lakh cash money to an informant. These terrorists had breached the security apparatus at the airbase and had entered on the morning of January 1 before launching the attack later that night. They killed seven securitymen before being shot dead after an 80-hour gun fight. There have been "some cases" of ISIS activities in India but the country does not face any alarming situation as the Muslims here are committed to the values of life and won't allow it to spread its tentacles here, the government told the Rajya Sabha today. Home Minister Rajnath Singh expressed confidence that there will be no increase in the dreaded terror outfit's activities in India in future too. Replying to questions on spread of ISIS activities in India and whether any Muslim organisation was involved, he said the Muslim community is well entrenched in the Indian traditions and cultures. "There is no alarming situation in our country relating to ISIS activites as of now. I am fully confident that ISIS activities are not going to increase in India. "I know the Indian muslim community very well and all countrymen know that it is fully entrenched with Indian traditions and cultures and is committed to life values of the nation. They will not allow ISIS activities to spread in this country," he said. Earlier, Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju said there have been some activities in India perpetrated by ISIS but the situation is "not very alarming as some may try to project" as the Indian security and intelligence agencies and are alert both at the Centre and state level. "There are some cases which have been registered and number of arrests have also been made. These are all under investigation. There is nothing much to worry. Our country is able to contain the threat from ISIL," he said. Asked how many cases have been registered and arrested, Rijiju said, "As of now, six cases have been registered. In six cases, many people have been arrested. Investigation is going on and it is not possible to provide all details. We cannot fix the time limit of completing investigations." He said it is a dynamic situation and the government is seriously pursuing it. The National Investigative Agency (NIA), which registered these cases, is working very professionally and no innocent should be troubled. Rijiju said the NIA is working to reach to the right prople who have committed the wrong. To a question on whether any Muslim leader or organisation is involved, he said, "No organisation is involved. Muslims leaders and organisations have openly opposed ISIS in this country. Government must focus on structural reforms to put the country on the path of faster economic growth, as the "several reforms" implemented so far may not be enough in a fast-changing world, says a new research report. Referring to the weakness in Chinese economy and the resultant benefits to India, the report by Kotak Institutional Equities also said that a "neighbour's gloom will get you so far only" and the governments globally will have to finally use fiscal policies and implement structural reforms to fix the current 'broken' model. "We will not go through the usual laundry-list of reforms below but focus on 2-3 'crazy' ones, which the government can focus on a priority basis," it said, while seeking urgent measures for GST rollout, sale of stakes in the public sector companies for investing the proceeds in healthcare and education, and for higher number of courts and judges. The report noted that the government should implement GST as soon as possible and if need be, it should agree to the difficult conditions being demanded by the main opposition party. "We would note that GST is unlikely to be implemented until after the next general elections (2019) if the government fails to pass the GST constitutional amendment bill in the parliament in the next few months," the report said. Moreover, the government should look to sell its stakes in government companies and invest as much money as it can in education and healthcare. "Whatever the world may look like in the next 5-10 years, children/adults without basic skills will struggle to play a meaningful 'economic' role in the same," it added. The government should expand the number of courts and judges meaningfully and run courts in double shifts after appointing new judges to clear the pendency in the Indian judicial system, as this will help restore the common man's faith in the laws of the land, instill greater respect of law and institutionalise the concept of 'rule of law'. "Although the RBI governor's 'one-eyed king' statement generated a fair degree of controversy in India, we believe it is perhaps time that the government focused on a few critical 'must-do' changes to put India on to the path of faster economic growth and social development," it added. Students from 17 countries, including India, are coming together to promote the message of peace and brotherhood by showcasing diversity of languages through song and dance, at the 14th edition of International Festival of Language and Culture (IFLC) here on May 7. The festival, which has been in vogue for the last 14 years, is being held for the first time in India and is scheduled to be held at the Talkatora Stadium under the theme 'Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam - the world is one family'. "We believe that understanding the different languages and cultures helps us understand each other better, and that is the motive behind IFLC to bring together people from around the world on a single platform to share their cultures and languages," Bilal Acikgoz, an IFLC coordinator said. The event is being held by city based non-profit and nongovernmental organisation The Educational Endowment Trust (EET) in association with the Ministry of Culture and the UN Information Centre for India and Bhutan. "The 3-hour long event is a by invite only festival which students and others can access by requesting for passes from the IFLC," Acikgoz said. "The UN has long recognised that our human experiences are deeply interwoven with language and culture, that they are the tools through which we perceive the world and communicate with it," Kiran Mehra-Kerpelman, Director UNIC for India and Bhutan said. Around 43 students and their mentors from 17 participating countries- Azerbaijan, Belarus Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Bulgaria, Germany, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Tanzania, Tunisia, Ukraine, Hungary, US, Gerogia and Russia have been camping in the city from May 1. "We visited Gandhi musuem and a few local shops, I love history and wanted to know more about Gandhi. There is so much colour and different cultures here but the weather is very hot, much hotter than in my country," said 16-year-old Abdulmalik Athumani, a 16-year-old participant from Tanzania. Apart from being hosted by families in India, the international students have participated in workshops of Gond art and a nutrition workshop where they got acquainted with the food in India. Schools from the national capital associated with the IFLC include Spingdale's, Frank Antony, Ahlcon International, Mata Guruji, Tagore International and Bluebells International. "I think the IFLC provides a wonderful opportunity for children to share their cultural histories and be ambassadors of peace. One of my students just came back from an IFLC event in Washington and previously in Thailand, it has been a learning experience for us too," Ameeta Mulla Wattal, Principal, Springdale's School said. The Telangana government today sought the cooperation of Malaysia in setting up industrial parks and in other sectors, including education, innovation, food processing. Malaysian Minister for International Trade and Industry Mustapa Mohamed today met the Telangana Minister for IT, Municipal Administration and Industries K Taraka Ramarao here and discussed possibilities of cooperation in various sectors in the state, according to an official release. KTR, while welcoming the delegation, said India and Malaysia shared long traditional ties and that there is a cultural bond between the two countries. With eight percent of the Malaysian population consisting of people of Indian origin, synergy is possible with Malaysia, he said. Ramarao explained about the new industrial policy and the incentives provided by the government for setting up industries. The industrial policy of the state promises uninterrupted power, dedicated water supply and right to single window clearance, the Minister said. KTR said the state has a huge land bank for industrial use and it has set aside 2.5 lakh acres of land for setting up new industrial units. He further said Amazon, Google, Microsoft and Novartis have set up their campuses here. KTR sought the cooperation of Malaysia in setting up industrial parks, education, innovation, food processing and services sectors. The Malaysian minister assured that his government would work closely with the Telangana government on T-Hub (incubation centre for startups) to create opportunities for young people. India is the fastest growing economies in the world, he said recalling that the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has endorsed Centre's policies and rated the country as a rising star. Nandigram, the spearhead of Bengal's anti-land acquisition movement which had played a crucial role in ousting the Left Front regime, is geared up for the May 5 Assembly poll in which Trinamool Congress candidate Suvendu Adhikari is pitted against CPI's Abdul Kabir Sheikh, a joint Congress-Left alliance candidate. Nandigram in East Midnapore district, about 125 km from Kolkata, was known as a stronghold of the communists and from where a CPI candidate was mostly returned except in the 1996 and 2011 Assembly poll. But the agitation against forcible land acquisition by the previous Left Front government led by Mamata Banerjee, had changed the political equation in the area. This time too the TMC candidate has an edge over the Opposition candidate in the seat. The LF government had planned to acquire 10,000 acres of land for a Special Economic Zone (SEZ) to be developed by an Indonesia-based company Salim Group for industrialisation. The fierce agitation against forcible land acquisition had led to police firing in which 14 people had lost their lives in 2007. BJP's Bijan Kumar Das besides SUCI(C) and Bharat Nirman Party candidates are also in the fray from this constituency, which has a 230541-strong electorate of which a sizable chunk is Muslim population. The TMC riding on the anti-land acquisition movement had not only won the Assembly by-poll in Nandigram but also swept the panchayat polls in East Midnapore district. TMC had won all the 16 seats, including Nandigram, in East Midnapore district in the 2011 Assembly poll which paved the way for the ouster of the Left regime. Both Nandigram and the East Midanpore district as a whole have turned into a TMC bastion with the party sweeping the 2013 Panchayat poll and the Lok Sabha poll in the following year. Firoza Bibi of the TMC, who had lost her son during Nandigram agitation, won the bypoll in 2009 and was re-elected with a margin of near about 50,000 votes in 2011 Assembly election. Suvendu Adhikari, sitting Lok Sabha MP, known for his mass contact in the district, said that people would vote in favour of the development ushered in by the Mamata Banerjee government in five years. "First of all, the people will vote for the development model of Mamata Banerjee. The people of Nandigram know that Suvendu Adhikari stands by them round the year. And secondly it is not true that action has not been taken against the culprits involved in Nandigram firing," Adhikari said. Although Adhikari is confident about his victory, opposition CPI and Left said that the TMC after coming to power did not fulfil the promises made by it. "The TMC came to power by promising that action will be taken against the police officers who were involved in the Nandigram firing. But did they take any action? The answer is no. They have only pursued political vindictiveness and people will answer the vindictive politics by voting TMC out," Sheikh said. The opposition Congress-Left alliance also said that the TMC won't be able to take away the entire minority votes in the constituency. The opposition parties also allege that corruption is rampant in the TMC-run East Midnapore Zilla parishad and highlighted the Narada sting video in which Adhikari figured. Adhikari, however refuted the allegations of corruption and Narada sting and termed them as 'malicious propaganda' of opposition. His opponent Sheikh said, "The people have seen the rampant corruption that TMC had indulged in last five years and now the person who is contesting election from this seat is seen in the sting video. Why will people vote for such a candidate," he asked. A day before West Bengal goes to the sixth and last phase of Assembly elections, the main contenders - Trinamool Congress and Left-Congress alliance - today sounded confident of forming the next government. Senior TMC leader Mukul Roy rubbished speculation of his party doing badly in the poll, saying he was "relaxed", while CPI-M state secretary Surjya Kanta Mishra said the state would witness a 'parivartan' (change). "I am relaxed. We will form the government under the leadership of Mamata Banerjee," Mukul Roy said adding everyone was well-aware that "our Chief Minister is coming back to power". Roy refused to comment on the Election Commission's decision to transfer several officers in the state, saying he would speak only after tomorrow. CPI-M state secretary Surjya Kanta Mishra also exuded confidence that the alliance will win in the elections and said that the state was going through a phase of 'parivartan' (change). "Ours is an alliance of the people. They prepared the alliance," he told a TV channel. Mishra, the Opposition leader in the outgoing state Assembly, said that on being voted to power they would take action against the accused in the Saradha chit fund scam, 'Narada sting operation' and other cases of corruption. The alliance would also act against those involved in post-poll violence, he said and accused the ruling TMC of it. "Whatever is happening is at the behest of the ruling party," he alleged. On measures being taken by the Election Commission to ensure a free and fair poll, he claimed that many of their complaints had not been addressed. "We are not dependent on anyone. We are relying on voters," Mishra said. Nandigram, the centre of resistance to West Bengal's Left Front government's land acquisition programme, is geared up for the May 5 Assembly poll in which TMC candidate Suvendu Adhikari is pitted against CPI's Abdul Kabir Sheikh, a joint Congress-Left alliance candidate. Nandigram in East Midnapore district, about 125 km from Kolkata, was known as a stronghold of the communists from where CPI candidates always emerged victorious except for the 1996 and 2011 Assembly polls. However, the agitation against forcible land acquisition by the previous Left Front government led by Mamata Banerjee, changed the political equation in the area. This time too the TMC candidate has an edge over the Opposition nominee. The LF government had planned to acquire 10,000 acres of land for a Special Economic Zone (SEZ) to be developed by an Indonesia-based company Salim Group for industrialisation. The fierce resistance movement against forcible land acquisition had led to police firing in which 14 people had lost their lives in 2007. BJP's Bijan Kumar Das besides SUCI(C) and Bharat Nirman Party candidates are also in the fray from this constituency, which has a 2,30,541 voters, including a sizable chunk of Muslims. The TMC, riding on the anti-land acquisition movement, had not only won the Assembly by-poll in Nandigram but also swept the panchayat polls in East Midnapore district. TMC had won all the 16 seats, including Nandigram, in East Midnapore district in the 2011 Assembly poll which paved the way for the ouster of the Left regime. Both Nandigram and the East Midanpore district as a whole turned into a TMC bastion with the party sweeping the 2013 Panchayat poll and the Lok Sabha poll the following year. Firoza Bibi of the TMC, who had lost her son during Nandigram agitation, won the bypoll in 2009 and was re-elected with a margin of near about 50,000 votes in 2011 Assembly election. Suvendu Adhikari, sitting Lok Sabha MP, known for his mass contact in the district, said that people would vote in favour of the development ushered in by the Mamata Banerjee government in five years. "First of all, the people will vote for the development model of Mamata Banerjee. The people of Nandigram know that Suvendu Adhikari stands by them round the year. And secondly it is not true that action has not been taken against the culprits involved in Nandigram firing," Adhikari said. Although Adhikari is confident about his victory, opposition CPI and Left said that the TMC after coming to power did not fulfil the promises made by it. "The TMC came to power by promising that action will be taken against the police officers who were involved in the Nandigram firing. But did they take any action? The answer is no. They have only pursued political vindictiveness and people will answer the vindictive politics by voting TMC out," Sheikh said. The opposition Congress-Left alliance also said that the TMC won't be able to take away the entire minority votes in the constituency. The opposition parties also allege that corruption is rampant in the TMC-run East Midnapore Zilla parishad and highlighted the Narada sting video in which Adhikari figured. Adhikari, however refuted the allegations of corruption and Narada sting and termed them as 'malicious propaganda' of opposition. His opponent Sheikh said, "The people have seen the rampant corruption that TMC had indulged in last five years and now the person who is contesting election from this seat is seen in the sting video. Why will people vote for such a candidate," he asked. The 'commander-in-chief' and five other cadres of the All Adivasi National Liberation Army (AANLA) were arrested with arms in Karbi Anglong district, a senior police officer said today. Acting on a tip off, a joint team of police and army launched an operation at Jilangso under Bokolia police station and arrested the six last night, Superintendent of Police Debojit Deuri told PTI. Two 9 mm pistols with magazines, four 7.65 mm pistols with as many magazines, two hand grenades, eight rounds of 9 mm ammunition and 28 rounds of 7.65 mm ammunition were seized, Deuri said. The apprehended insurgents include AANLA 'commander-in-chief' Dilip Nayak alias Anand Nayak. The other five arrested cadres are Mahadev Gour, Somon Gour alias Rahul Gour, Kanakeram Gour, Uttam Munda and Riten Munda, the SP said. Formed in 2006, the AANLA is active in Golaghat and Karbi Anglong districts. Claiming to be fighting to safeguard the tribal culture of the plantation workers whose ancestors were brought from northern India by British colonialists, the outfit demands ST status for the Adivasi community. Agriculture and farming sector not happy with backpacker tax, Budget measures A number of agriculture and farming representative groups have today expressed disappointment over the governments decision to keep the backpacker tax introduced in the 2015 budget. Amongst upset groups was vegetable industry representative body, AUSVEG, which said growers are concerned will act as a deterrent to work on Australian farms and jeopardise the viability of the vegetable industry. The tax will remove the tax-free threshold and increase the amount of tax paid by workers who come to Australia under the Working Holiday Maker program. The decision by the Federal Government to keep the proposed backpacker tax unchanged in the Federal Budget could impact the ability for Australian vegetable growers to harvest their crops and potentially devastate the industry, said AUSVEG Deputy CEO Andrew White. Without any changes to the tax announced in the budget, the backpacker tax will be introduced on 2 July 2016. Decision on backpacker tax unacceptable: WA Farmers Federation The WA Farmers Federation joined AUSVEG in its disappointment over the tax decision, labelling it unacceptable. WAFarmers Chief Executive Officer, Stephen Brown said the move would cause irreparable damage to the Australian economy. We are thoroughly disappointed that the advocacy efforts of WAFarmers, the National Farmers Federation, other industry organisations and individual working holiday makers appear to have been in vain, Brown said. Despite constructive and open discussion during a round-table workshop with Federal Ministers and Senators last month, during which the interests of WAFarmers and other Western Australian stakeholders were represented, it appears our recommendations have simply been ignored, he stated. This is an extremely disappointing result, and appears to be a way of the government taking the easiest way out of a highly contentious issue, he said. National Water Infrastructure Loan Facility investment The farming and agriculture sector benefited from other Budget announcements, including the ten year tax plan, the inland rail link and the National Water Infrastructure Loan Facility which will see AUD $2 billion awarded in concessional loans to invest in water infrastructure. In a commentary by the National Australia Bank, these were described as modest initiatives, reflecting a subdued overall revenue environment. For a detailed overview of the 2016 budget and how it impacts the food and beverage industry, please click here. As many as 42 Indian trucks laden with garlic were sent back by Pakistani authorities through the Attari-Wagah route, saying "it was unfit for consumption", traders in Amritsar said today. "42 Indian trucks which were carrying garlic have been sent back by authorities in Pakistan and they have reasoned that it is unfit for consumption," Amritsar-based trader and President of Federation of Dry Fruit and Karyana Commercial Association, Anil Mehra, told PTI. Describing this as a "blow" to Indo-Pak trade relations, traders rued that the consignment was returned almost two months after it was sent. "After two months, they (Pakistani authorities) decided to send back our trucks on frivolous grounds," Mehra said, adding that the garlic was of good quality. "Earlier also, the garlic of same quality was sent but that was accepted by Pakistan," claimed Mehra. Majority of the 42 trucks belonged to Delhi-based traders, while a few were sent by traders in Amritsar. Traders said the move can result in a loss of about Rs 3-4 crore, adding that it was for the first time that such a big consignment was rejected by Pakistan. "I had sent three trucks of garlic to Pakistan almost two months back. But now without any concrete reason, my trucks were sent back. Phytosanitary department of Pakistan has rejected our garlic on the ground that it was not fit for consumption, which is completely wrong," Amritsar-based trader Mukesh Sindhwani said. India exports perishable items like tomatoes, ginger, garlic and cotton yarn to Pakistan, while the neighbouring nation exports cement, gypsum and dry fruits to the country via the Attari-Wagah land route. Pakistan allows import of 137 items from India through Attari-Wagah. As per estimates, the total volume of trade between two nations via Attari-Wagah is estimated at Rs 3,000 crore per annum. India and Pakistan had resumed cross border movement of trucks in October 2007 after a gap of sixty years from Attari check post at Amritsar in India to Wagah border in Pakistan. An integrated check post was set up at Attari-Wagah border in 2012 with at an estimated cost of Rs 150 crore for smooth movement of traffic. Launching a frontal attack on Donald Trump, Democratic presidential frontrunner Hillary Clinton has dubbed the Republican presumptive presidential nominee as a "loose cannon" on which the country cannot take a risk. Clinton, who is most likely to lead the Democratic party in the November 8 US presidential elections against Trump, fired her first salvo against her fellow New Yorker as it became evident that he was now the Republic presumptive nominee. "I don't think we can take a risk on a loose cannon like Donald Trump running our country," Clinton yesterday told CNN in a major television interview, the first after the crucial Indiana primary wherein she was defeated by her sole Democratic rival Bernie Sanders in a tight contest. She is still headed to be the party's presidential nominee because of her delegate count. "Donald Trump has said it's okay for other countries to get nuclear weapons. I think that's just downright dangerous. He has said wages are too high. I think we need to have a raise for the American people, raise the minimum wage, get wages back going up," Clinton said. "I think when he says women should be punished for having abortions, that is just beyond anything that I can imagine, I think most women can imagine," she said in response to a question. "Well, he's a loose cannon. He's somebody who has said so many things, and I'm sure he'll be scrambling and his advisers will be scrambling, but he's already said all of these things," Clinton argued. "He says climate change is a Chinese hoax, and I think it's real, and we've got to pull the world together to deal with it. So you can go down a long list, some of which he's tried to bob and weave a little bit, but I think it's a risk. I think he is a loose cannon and loose cannons tend to misfire," she said. Clinton said she is running her own campaign to become the president of the country and not against Trump. "I'm not running against him. I'm running my own campaign. I'm running to become president, to really deal with the economy, get it working again, take on all the barriers that stand in the way of people of people getting ahead. I have a very clear mission in this campaign," she said. A day earlier, Trump had criticised her husband and former US president Bill Clinton for signing NAFTA trade deal. "The economy does better when we have a Democrat in the White House. We saw the stark difference between my husband's presidency and George W Bush who went back to trickle down economics which is also what Donald Trump is advocating," she said. "Then we saw Barack Obama have to rescue the economy from the failed economic policies of the Republicans, so I'm more than happy to take that issue on," she said. Donald Trump today became the presumptive Republican presidential nominee after a sweeping win in Indiana that forced his nearest rival Ted Cruz to quit the race and the controversial billionaire was poised to clash with Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton in November. Clinton, however, suffered an upset defeat at the hands of Bernie Sanders in Indiana but the outcome was unlikely to slow the 68-year-old former secretary of state's march to the Democratic nomination. By becoming the presumptive nominee, Trump, who joined politics only last year, has scripted history as he is now on course to be the first standard-bearer of the party since Dwight D Eisenhower, a five-star general and the commander of Allied Forces in Europe during World War II, who had not served in an elected office. "I am honoured to be the presumptive nominee for the Republican Party. It is time to unite our party and defeat Hillary Clinton," 69-year-old real estate tycoon said in a message to his supporters after winning the Indiana primary. Trump won 51 of the 57 delegates at stake in Indiana and now has 1,047 delegates in his kitty. He is just short of 190 delegates, which he is expected to bag as the primary season moves into its last lap now and his main competitor Senator Cruz is out of the race. Cruz, who has engaged in a bitter and nasty war of words with Trump, announced his decision to drop out of the race. Trump, however, still faces opposition from Ohio Governor John Kasich, who has less than 200 delegates. Kasich has made it clear that he is not dropping out of the race. After Trump's win, the Republican National Committee (RNC) chairman Reince Priebus said that Trump would be the presumptive nominee and asked his party to rally behind him to defeat Clinton in the November polls. "We are going to make America great again," a confident Trump told supporters at his campaign headquarters in New York as he announced to take on Clinton. "We are going after Hillary Clinton. She will not be a great president. She will not be a good president. She would be a poor president. She does not understand trade," Trump said, giving a brief glimpse of his campaign against the likely Democratic presidential nominee. Talking about Cruz, Trump described him as a tough competitor and appreciated his decision to withdraw from the race. "I want to congratulate Ted Cruz. He is a tough smart competitor," he said of the Texas Senator with whom he had a bitter exchange of words hours before the result of the Indiana primary. "Ted Cruz is one hell of a competitor. He is an amazing guy. He has got an amazing future. He is one tough competitor," Trump said. Democrat Hillary Clinton's campaign today launched a frontal attack on Donald Trump, saying he was "too divisive" and lacks presidential temperament as a clash between the two leaders in the November polls seemed likely. "Fundamentally, our next president will need to do two things: keep our nation safe in a dangerous world and help working families get ahead here at home. Donald Trump is not prepared to do either," John Podesta, chairman of the Hillary Clinton presidential campaign, said yesterday. "Throughout this campaign, Donald Trump has demonstrated that he is too divisive and lacks the temperament to lead our nation and the free world. With so much at stake, Donald Trump is simply too big of a risk," he said. Hillary has proven that she has the strength to keep us safe in an uncertain world and a lifelong record of fighting to break down the barriers - economic and social - that hold working families back, Podesta said. "While Donald Trump seeks to bully and divide Americans, Hillary Clinton will unite us to create an economy that works for everyone," he said. The Clinton Campaign immediately sought for donation from its supporters after Trump, 69, won Indiana primary and sent his nearest rival Texas Senator Ted Cruz, 45, crashing out of the race, becoming the presumptive Republican nominee. The Democratic Party too launched an attack on Trump with Democratic National Committee chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz saying Trump is the Republican Party. "Ted Cruz may have been the least-liked politician in Washington, but Trump is one of the least liked men in America and Democrats will hold him accountable for his offensive rhetoric, dangerous ideas and lack of judgement every single day between today and November 8. "The decades-old Republican strategy of exploiting unfounded fear of immigrants, minorities, the poor, the LGBT community and more, all for political gain, have laid the groundwork for Donald Trump," Schultz said. He said Democrats won't hesitate to fight for the vast majority of the American people, who share our values of inclusion, hard work, dignity and opportunity for all. "We will hold Republicans on the ballot at every level accountable for their standard bearer," he said. Senator Bernie Sanders, 74, of the Democratic Party who narrowly defeated Hillary in the Indiana primary, said that Trump should never become the US president. "We understand that we have an uphill climb to victory but we have been fighting uphill from the first day of this campaign. We are in this campaign to win and we are going to fight until the last vote is cast. There is nothing I would like more than to take on and defeat Donald Trump, someone who must never become president of this country," Sanders told his supporters in Indiana's New Albany. Presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump today warned American companies of "very serious consequences" if they shift their operations overseas. "We're going to bring back our jobs and we're going to keep our jobs. We're not going to let companies leave," Trump said after winning the Indiana Primary which propelled him to the position of being a presumptive nominee. "Now, if they want to go to a different state, good luck, compete. But when they start going to different countries, and in many cases countries that devalue their currency and make it impossible for our companies to compete, that's not going to happen, not going to happen," he said. "If they want to do it anyway, there will be consequences and there will be very, very serious consequences," Trump said in his first major warning to American companies. The real estate mogul indicated that economy and trade would be one of his major election issues this summer leading to the November presidential elections in the fall, wherein he is expected to clash with the former Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton. Trump used the occasion to lash at Clinton and claim that the former top American diplomat has no understanding of trade. "She will not be a great president; she will not be a good president. She will be a poor president. She doesn't understand trade. Her husband (the former president Bill Clinton) signed, perhaps in the history of the world, the single-worst trade deal ever done; it's called NAFTA. And I was witness to the carnage over the last six weeks especially," Trump said. "Now, I've known Syracuse and I've known Poughkeepsie and I've known all of the different places that I visited in New York and then Pennsylvania and then Maryland,...And all of the different states, Connecticut, and I've witnessed what it's done really firsthand. And it has been indeed carnage," he said referring to shutting down of local industries in these cities and States. "And we're going to change it around. We're not going to let Carrier and all of these companies just think that they can move, go to another country, make their product, sell it back to us and we get only one thing, we get unemployment. Not going to happen anymore, folks. It's not going to happen anymore," he asserted. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has warned the Islamic State group will suffer heavy losses if it continues attacking Turkey. Erdogan said Tuesday that no attack against Turkey's territory and its citizens would go unpunished. The Turkish military is pounding IS targets in northern Syria in response to a months-long rain of rocket attacks concentrated on the Turkish border town Kilis. Erdogan said IS "has suffered its greatest casualties through its operations against Kilis and will suffer even more casualties if they continue." Since January, projectiles fired from Syria have claimed 20 lives in Kilis, a town where Syrian refugees outnumber the Turks. The Turkish military says dozens of IS fighters have been killed in retaliatory artillery fire and air strikes launched from Turkey. The Cyberabad police here today arrested two persons including a Nigerian national and seized 44 grams of the narcotic drug mephedrone. Acting on a tip-off, special operation team of police nabbed Chimaosi Simon Chukwu, a Nigerian national, and Manish Kumar Goel at Sun City here, a release said. Simon was living in India since 2013 and supplying drugs to the clients in Goa, Bengaluru, Hyderabad and other cities, police said. "As per his confession, the drug is called as 'Mio' and he was sourcing it from his friend Osas, also a Nigerian, who lives in Bengaluru," the release said, adding that Osas was absconding. The two men were handed over to Rajendranagar Police Station for further probe. Chinese tourists, whose numbers last year touched 120 million, will be able to pay for rides in yuan through Alibaba's mobile payment services when travelling abroad, the ride-hailing service said. and Alipay teamed up earlier this year to offer Chinese yuan payment options for rides in Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan. The option has been expanded to more than 400 cities in 68 countries and regions in which Uber operates, state-run Xinhua news agency reported. China has emerged as the world's biggest source of outbound travellers. Last year over 120 million Chinese tourists travelled out of China. But most of them go through group tour packages. This has prompted Chinese bank card association UnionPay and mobile payment services such as Alibaba's Alipay to work with retailers and merchants in popular destinations to offer the option of paying their bills in Chinese yuan, rather than in the foreign currency. Uber also wants to tap China's travel boom by encouraging Chinese tourists to book rides using its service in foreign countries. Previously, Chinese riders had to pay Uber fares in US dollars. Uber rival Didi said last month that it has allowed Chinese tourists using its mobile app to access ride-hailing services through its partner Lyft in the US, with bills payable through mobile payment services from China's Alibaba and Tencent. With electioneering for the May 16 Assembly polls in Kerala picking up steam, emergence of the BJP-led NDA third front has become the main campaign plank of the ruling UDF and its rival LDF with both targeting it and as as a result relegating to the background, the solar and bar bribery scams. The bipolar politics of Congress-led UDF and CPI(M) headed LDF that dominated state's electoral arena for the past several decades seems to have received a beating with the third Front of BJP-led NDA becoming a reality this time. With only a fortnight left for the polls, both UDF and LDF are fiercely attacking the BJP led-NDA alliance with slogan of 'BJP free Kerala Assembly' as their main agenda. UDF that focused its electioneering in the initial stages on 'development initiatives' of the government to retain power has lately shifted its campaign gear by targeting BJP. Similarly LDF, which attacked UDF over corruption charges, especially relating to solar, bar bribery scams and land assignment row, seems to have now sidelined these issues to some extent. However, the exception is 93-year CPI(M) veteran V S Achuthanandan who is continuing his tirade against Chief Minister Oommen Chandy over corruption allegations connected with bar and solar scams. Launching a fierce attack on BJP, CWC member and former Defence Minister A K Antony set the tone with his statement that Congress party's main agenda is to ensure that BJP does not open its account in the state in the assembly polls. Antony also claimed that there would be a communal divide in the state if BJP wins seats in the polls. CPI(M) politburo member Prakash Karat welcomed Antony's remark but said Congress "has no resources neither politically or ideologically to take on the BJP and in Kerala, it is only LDF that can challenge the saffron party." Both Congress and CPI(M) leaders also asserted that BJP would not win a single seat this time also despite the campaign hype the saffron party is trying to create by lining up its top leaders including Prime Minister Narendra Modi to canvass for NDA candidates. "Attacking BJP is part of UDF and LDF strategy to lure the minority votes," a political observer claimed, adding, "accusation by each Fronts of having links with BJP is also part of that strategy. BJP, in turn, has countered UDF and LDF by raking up the ties between Congress and CPI(M) in West Bengal. BJP leaders also feel that UDF and LDF's attack on them is with an eye on minority votes and it would only result in polarisation of majority votes in their favour. BJP this time has forged an alliance with Bharat Dharma Jana Sena, a new party formed by Sree Narayana Dharma Paripalana Yogam, a social organisation of the backward Ezhava community. The saffron party has also roped in Janathipathya Rashtriya Sabha, led by well-known tribal leader C K Janu, who is contesting as NDA candidate in Sulthan Bathery in Wayanad district. Slamming Antony for his remark against BJP, party state President Kummanom Rajasekharan said "Antony is trying to divide the society on communal lines." "Antony's attempt is to create communal tension in the state by provoking religious communities," Rajasekharan said adding he would approach Election Commission against the former defence minister's statement. On the other hand, Chief Minister Chandy, KPCC President V M Sudheeran and Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala, have alleged a secret tie-up between CPI(M) and BJP. CPI(M) State Secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan and Party politburo member Pinarayi Vijyan have countered this, alleging that there is an understanding between Congress and BJP for the polls. In the UDF, Congress is contesting in 87 seats, while its second largest partner Indian Union Muslim League 24, Kerala Congress (M) 15, RSP five, JD (U) seven and CMP and KC-J one each. CPI(M), the lead partner in LDF, is contesting in 92 seats while CPI in 27, JD (S) in five, NCP four, Congress (S) 1 and its associates Democratic Kerala Congress four, INL three, and CMP, KC-B, RSP (L), KC-Sacria Thomas one each. In the NDA, BJP is contesting in 97 seats while second largest partner BDJS in 37 and Kerala Congress (P C Thomas faction) four, and JSS (Rajan Babu) and Janathipathya Rashtra Sabha one each. A total of 1203 candidates are in the fray this time, while 971 candidates had contested the 2011 assembly polls. Britain's government bowed to pressure today and agreed to take in some unaccompanied children from Syria who have made their way to Europe. Prime Minister David Cameron's office said children who registered in Greece, Italy or France before March 20, when the European Union struck a deal to return many migrants to Turkey, would be eligible to come to the UK. It did not specify how many Britain would accept. The government said that "the retrospective nature" of its resettlement plan "will avoid creating a perverse incentive for families to entrust their children to people traffickers." Britain has already agreed to resettle up to 3,000 vulnerable child refugees from the Middle East and Africa by 2020, as well as 20,000 Syrians from Middle Eastern refugee camps. But the government had argued that accepting children already in Europe would encourage others to make the dangerous journey. Labour peer Alf Dubs, who came to Britain on the 1930s "kindertransports" of Jewish children from Nazi-occupied Europe, led a campaign to get Cameron's Conservative government to change its mind. Dubs won the support of some Conservative lawmakers, and the government had faced the risk of defeat in a House of Commons vote on the issue next week. "I trust the prime minister will be true to his word and move swiftly to ensure the Home Office works closely with local authorities to find foster families to give these young people a stable and secure home," Dubs said. A UK-based tribunal today dismissed a suit filed by a former Wipro employee of "wrongful dismissal" but held that she was a "victim of discrimination" by the Bengaluru-based IT firm. Last year, Ukil had approached the Employment Tribunal alleging sexual discrimination and harassment allegations against the Bengaluru-based IT firm. She had filed a suit claiming 1.2 million pounds in damages, claiming she was subjected to gender discrimination, unequal pay and unfair dismissal. Ukil's complaints that succeeded include "direct sex discrimination in respect of remarks by Mr (George) Joseph", "victimisation" in respect of being required to return to India in 2014 and in relation to blocking attempts of finding another internal job within Europe during the same year. Compensation (referred to as 'remedy') will be decided at a later date. Following the judgement, her counsel Slater Gordon in a statement said "the Wipro leadership team, including its (then) chief executive T K Kurien, conspired to push Ukil out of her job and her role in Britain." Ukil, 40, said she hoped that "companies will again reconsider their treatment of female employees, ensuring they are treated fairly and equally." "I hope that this verdict will encourage women everywhere at every level to raise their voices and be heard. It is undoubtedly a struggle and a very hard one but the only way to change this equation is by ensuring that it is brought to light. No organisation or person is too big that they can get away with unethical and illegal behaviour," she added. "The complaints of disability discrimination, and the Equality Act 2010 claims relating to stock options, are dismissed upon withdrawal," the Tribunal said. The Tribunal further said the "complaint of wrongful dismissal fails and is dismissed." The BSE-listed Wipro in an emailed response said it was "pleased the UK Employment Tribunal has upheld the dismissal of the complainant from the services of the organisation as appropriate and rejected claims of adverse cultural attitude towards women in the organisation". "The company has built its business over the years by ensuring it adheres to the highest standards of integrity, fairness, and ethical corporate practices. Any transgression of these beliefs and policies will continue to be dealt with expeditiously and with the strictest action," Wipro said in an emailed statement. The company said it has a Global Prevention of Sexual Harassment Committee (PSHC), an impartial body for investigation with members across locations, including an external expert. "All such matters are reviewed at the highest level at Wipro and we will continue with this practice," it added. Unattributed banners accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi of "saving" Congress president Sonia Gandhi in the AgustaWestland chopper deal controversy were today spotted in some parts of the city. Reacting sharply to the banners, Delhi BJP termed it as "dirty" politics by AAP and filed a complaint with Commissioner of Police, demanding necessary action. "The posters and banners were seen in many areas including Tilak Nagar, Ashok Vihar, Munirka and Akshardham. A written complaint has been submitted to the police commissioner in this regard," Delhi BJP spokesman Praveen Kapoor said. The language used in the banners was "derogatory" and "similar" to that used by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal against Modi, Delhi BJP president Satish Upadhyay claimed. "It is quite obvious that these banners have connection with Aam Aadmi Party," he further claimed. He also alleged that AAP MLA Jarnail Singh is tweeting it since morning and promoting it on social media. Upadhyay said he has complained to the Delhi Police commissioner in this regard, demanding an investigation to identify the persons behind the banners. Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force in a joint operation with CBI today arrested one of the main accused in the Ramesh Shivhare, who has been absconding, from Kanpur. "We have arrested Shivhare this morning. He is wanted by CBI in several cases in Vyapam scam," Uttar Pradesh DGP Javeed Ahmed said over phone. Shivhare allegedly acted as a middleman and arranged for the impostors and dummy candidates to appear in the examination carried out by Madhya Pradesh Professional Examination Board commonly known as Vyapam for a certain amount. A resident of Uttar Pradesh, Shivhare has been evading any questioning by authorities probing the case. His application for anticipatory bail was also turned down by the Madhya Pradesh High Court in 2014. "There is material to indicate the involvement of applicant in the commission of the crime, for which reason, the Investigating Officer has been insisting for attendance of the applicant for quite some time but in vain," a bench of Chief Justice A M Khanwilkar and Justice Alok Aradhe had said. The US has asked Syria's Assad regime and its international backers, including Russia and Iran, to stick to the agreed transition timeline of August 1 and warned that they risk facing consequences of a different American approach if they do not comply. "I've said that before, I have said it to (Russian) President (Vladimir) Putin, I've said it to others: It will not hold unless there is a bonafide effort to put in place a transition," Kerry told reporters at the State Department. "We are getting into the period, folks...The target date for the transition is the 1st of August. So we're now coming up to May. So either something happens in these next few months or they are asking for a very different track," Kerry said in response to a question. Condemning the recent spike in violence in Syria, Kerry said the cessation of hostilities was put in place precisely to give the people on the ground, who are caught between these warring factions, some breather, some ability to be able to be safe and work this out at the negotiating table, which is waiting for the parties to come back to it in order to resolve this issue. The US and its partners, Kerry said, have a responsibility to work with the opposition to keep it from breaking the cessation or from engaging in any acts that put civilians at risk. Likewise, Iran and Russia have a particular responsibility that they assumed. "We all signed the same agreement and we all supported the same UN Security Council Resolution 2254, which calls for a nationwide cessation of hostilities and it calls for a nationwide, full delivery of humanitarian assistance within all of Syria," Kerry said. Russia, he said, has an ability to impact this. The United States has an ability to impact it. "We continue to remain committed to working towards a political transition away from (Bashar al-)Assad because only if you transition away can you actually end this war," said the top American diplomat. "As we work to get the cessation back on track, we are also working to get the full humanitarian access -- not just the cessation, but accompanied with full humanitarian access," he said. Kerry said the US and the international community knows beyond a doubt that the Syrian regime continues to block food and medical supplies from getting to the people who are in desperate need and from and that includes actually removing critical medicines and surgical supplies from those deliveries. "So as a result, some of the areas of the Damascus suburbs have not received any supplies in years. That, I think, is unconscionable and it really has to stop," he said. The combat death of an American Navy SEAL in Iraq shows that despite recent gains against the Islamic State in Iraq, "this fight is far from over," U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter said today. Carter spoke at the outset of a closed-door meeting in Germany with his counterparts from 11 countries contributing to the military campaign against the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria. They convened at the headquarters of US European Command, where Carter was presiding at a change-of-command ceremony Tuesday when of the US battlefield death reached him. In a joint statement issued after the meeting, the group reaffirmed its support "to further accelerate and reinforce the success of our partners on the ground and for the deployment of additional enabling capabilities in the near term." The meeting was a follow-up to a similar session Carter led in Brussels in mid-February. "While we have gathered momentum since our ministerial in Brussels, this fight is far from over," Carter said in an opening statement. "That point was brought into stark relief by yesterday's attack on Peshmerga forces in northern Iraq, which unfortunately claimed the life of an American service member." The Peshmerga are Kurdish militia who have generally fought more effectively against the Islamic State in northern Iraq than the regular Iraqi security forces. The US has been training, equipping and advising Pershmerga forces as well as Iraqi security forces, and the Pentagon recently pledged up to $415 million in aid to the Kurds. Adhering to a legal ban on officially identifying a military death until 24 hours after the family has been notified, Carter did not mention the name. But his family has confirmed that Charlie Keating IV, 31, was the SEAL who was killed. Carter expressed condolences for the loss, which is the third US combat death in Iraq since U.S. Forces returned there in mid-2014 to help the Iraqi government regain the wide swaths of territory captured by the Islamic State. Wednesday's session in Stuttgart was the latest in a series with partners on strategies for increasing assistance to the Iraqis, including the Kurdish Peshmerga forces, as they seek to recapture the northern Islamic State stronghold of Mosul. This comes as a political crisis in Baghdad clouds the outlook for further military advances against the militants. Carter has placed a high priority on drawing coalition members more deeply into the counter-IS campaign, stressing the threat posed by allowing the extremists to spread their influence. The United States and Russia have persuaded Syria's government and moderate rebels to extend the country's fragile truce to the northern city of Aleppo, although sporadic clashes continue, US officials said on Wednesday. The agreement was reached late Tuesday and took effect at 12:01 am Wednesday Damascus time (7 am EDT), said the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren't authorised to publicly discuss the diplomatic developments. A formal announcement was expected later on Wednesday. Read more from our special coverage on "SYRIA" How important the partial truce proves will depend on its durability. The US and Russia finalised a nationwide cease-fire in late February, but have struggled to make it stick. On Tuesday, Secretary of State John Kerry expressed hope for a more sustainable arrangement. Three people were killed on Wednesday in renewed shelling by Syrian rebels of government-held areas in Aleppo, state media and opposition activists said. The violence in Syria's largest city and once its key commercial centre has continued for almost two weeks despite intense diplomatic efforts to restore the cease-fire. The UN Security Council also was due to meet later Wednesday to discuss the escalation. The US officials said that they had seen a decrease in violence since Tuesday night's extension of the cessation of hostilities, as diplomats are calling it. But they acknowledged violations persisting in some areas of the country. The deal on Aleppo follows reaffirmations earlier this week of truces in the Damascus suburbs and coastal Latakia province. None of the deals applies to the Islamic State group or the Nusra Front, al-Qaida's affiliate, which has caused problems in places such as Aleppo. In some battles there and elsewhere, Western and Arab-backed militants have fought alongside those swearing allegiance to al-Qaida, making it hard to determine which Syrian government offensives or Russian airstrikes constitute violations. Nearly 300 people have been killed during this latest spate of violence in Aleppo. Over the past two weeks, hospitals and civilian areas in the divided city have come under attack from government warplanes, as well as rebel shelling. An American police officer, who brutally assaulted an Indian grandfather that left him paralysed, will now face a fresh trial for misdemeanour assault next month. Eric Parker will stand trial on June 8 and June 9 for misdemeanour assault against Sureshbhai Patel, the Indian grandfather who was taking a stroll around his son's neighbourhood in Alabama when he was brutally assaulted by the police officer in February last year. Newly-appointed Limestone County DistrictJudge Douglas "Doug" LeePatterson said he was ready to move forward with the trial since it is amisdemeanour and there was no need to prolong the case, according to a local television station. Parker was cleared of federal civil rights charges in January, after two mistrials. Parker's attorney Robert Tuten told WAAY 31 that he plans to appeal if he is found guilty. If convicted Parker faces up to one year of imprisonment. He was fired from the force after the alleged attack on Patel. The former Alabama police officer also faces a lawsuit filed against him by Patel. The assault had sparked outrage in the Indian community and India had raised the issue with the US, demanding expeditious investigation into the matter. The Governor of the US state of Alabama had apologised for the brutal police assault on Patel. A coalition of countries battling Islamic State jihadists in Syria and Iraq pledged today to pour more resources into the fight, after coming under strong pressure from Washington for greater contributions. The promise came after a meeting in Stuttgart of defence ministers from countries involved in the anti-IS coalition, during which US Defence Secretary drove home the message that to deal IS a body blow, "all must do more". Carter's call to step up the fight came just a week after US President Barack Obama reiterated a long-standing demand for members of NATO to increase their defence spending to meet the alliance's target of two percent of output. In a joint statement, the coalition stressed their "strong support to further accelerate and reinforce the success of our partners on the ground and for the deployment of additional enabling capabilities in the near term, in order to hasten the collapse of ISIL's control" over the city of Mosul in Iraq and Syria's Raqqa. Speaking to reporters, Carter said he was "confident that today's meeting will produce additional military commitments". Besides military resources, defence ministers meeting at the US European Command's headquarters also examined their economic and political contributions to the campaign, he said. "It's going to take more to win. We're going to win but we all need to do more," Carter told reporters. "This fight is far from over and there are great risks," he said. But "allowing ISIL safe haven would carry even greater risk. To accelerate ISIL's lasting defeat, all must do more," he said, using another acronym for the Islamic State group. Carter also paid tribute to a US Navy SEAL who was killed in Iraq today during an IS attack on a position of Kurdish peshmerga forces north of Mosul. "The whole country has to be grateful to this young man and his family for this sacrifice. But tragically losses will occur. "This is necessary to protect our country and not to do something would entail even greater risks," he said after the talks with the defence ministers of Australia, Britain, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, New Zealand, Norway and Spain. Carter said he had proposed that the anti-IS coalition hold another meeting in Washington this summer. Continuing to rebut charges by a US commission that religious freedom is on a negative trajectory in India, the government today said the American entity does not have the locus standi in making such pronouncement on constitutionally-protected rights of Indian citizens. At the same time, the government said it looked forward to continue working with the US government for sharing of experience and best practice on all issues of mutual interest under established bilateral mechanism. In its annual report, the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) had said religious tolerance deteriorated and religious freedom violations increased in India in 2015. "India is a vibrant pluralistic society founded on strong democratic principles. The Indian Constitution guarantees fundamental rights to all its citizens including the right to freedom of religion," Minister of State for External Affairs V K Singh said, replying to a question in Lok Sabha. He further said "government does not see the locus standi of a foreign entity like USCIRF to pronounce on the status of Indian citizens' constitutionally-protected rights." The minister also said the USCIRF has expressed desire to send a delegation to India. To a separate question, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, in a written answer said India, Iran and Afghanistan have finalised the text of the agreement on establishment of international transport and transit corridors through the Chabahar port in Iran. "The agreement provides necessary legal framework for movement of goods and passengers across the territories of the parties via Chabahar port in Iran," she said. Swaraj was admitted to AIIMS on April 25 following chest congestion and has been undergoing treatment there since then. The upcoming Vizag-Chennai Industrial Corridor (VCIC) will be important for Government's 'Make In India' initiative to attract foreign funds and boost manufacturing, Asian Development Bank said today. "VCIC will also be an important component of the government's Make in India campaign to attract foreign investors and encourage the creation of manufacturing hubs in the country", Asian Development Bank (ADB) said in a summary of a publication. The VCIC will be India's first coastal economic corridor. Spanning over more than 800 kilometers of India's eastern coastline, the VCIC is part of India's East Coast Economic Corridor. It can help unify the country's domestic market, integrate its economy with Asia's global value chains, and support the Make In India initiative to spur manufacturing, ADB said. "The new industrial corridor is expected to spur growth by augmenting existing investment in world-class transport networks, infrastructure, and industrial and urban clusters that are supported by a robust institutional framework and a competitive business environment", said the Manila based multi-lateral funding agency. "As a coastal corridor, VCIC can provide multiple access points to international gateways." Greater connectivity and economic integration between South Asia and the rest of Asia is likely to contribute significantly to development and foster regional cooperation as well, it added. ADB and the Government are working together to draw up a master plan for the VCIC. ADB's assistance in supporting preparation and implementation of the comprehensive integrated master plan for the VCIC aims to help improve the readiness of government agencies working in the development of corridor. Small businesses biggest Budget winners Small businesses are amongst the biggest winners in the 2016 Australian Federal Governments budget revealed last night in Canberra. In Federal Treasurer Scott Morrisons first budget, businesses with turnover of less than AUD $10 million annually will receive a one per cent tax rate drop from 1 July 2016 to 27.5 per cent. The cut follows from the 2015 budget which saw businesses with AUD $2 million annual turnovers receive a 1.5 per cent tax cut pushing the rate down from 30 per cent 28.5 per cent. By the year 2023-24, all businesses, no matter the size, will receive the 27.5 per cent tax cut. The rate is then projected to fall further to 25 per cent three years after that. Food and Grocery Council welcomes budget The Australian Food and Grocery Councils (AFGC) Chief Executive Officer, Gary Dawson, has welcomed the above ten-year plan saying it will help stimulate business investment. In this budget the government has recognised the importance of confidence and certainty as a prerequisite for investment, Dawson said. By laying out a ten year plan to progressively cut company tax the Budget lays the foundation for higher economic growth and a pathway back to a balanced budget, he stated. AFGC said the tax relief will have a positive flow in effects through the grocery and supply chain and welcomed the AUD $594 million set aside for creating a rail link between Brisbane and Melbourne. Also welcome is the commitment to major infrastructure projects, including the inland rail link between Melbourne and Brisbane, to cut transport costs and boost efficiency, with particular benefits for the food and grocery sector given its strong regional presence, said Dawson. Health Star system investment The budget revealed a further AUD $5.3 million will be allocated to promoting the Federal Governments Health Star Rating program. The additional funding comes after the launch of the system entered its third phase on Sunday 17 April 2016 seeing a new wave of advertising and promotion for the scheme. Tabacco tax increase The Federal Government will be applying a tax increase of 12.5 each year, for the next four years on tobacco. It is expected this will result in a packet of twenty cigarettes costing Australians AUD $40 by 2020. The government will also be dedicating AUD $7.7 million to the Australian Border Force to help fight illegal importation of tobacco. The Cancer Council of Australia welcomed the tax hike with Chief Executive Officer, Professor Sanchia Aranda saying it will save lives. The increase in tobacco tax alone will translate to tens of thousands of cancer deaths avoided, with trend data showing that the recurrent increases will lead to around 320, 000 smokers quitting and 40, 000 teenagers deterred from taking smoking up, Professor Aranda said. Agriculture and farming sector A number of agriculture and farming representative have today expressed disappointment over the governments decision to keep the backpacker tax introduced in the 2015 budget. For more information on how the agriculture and farming will be impacted by the 2016 budget please read Australian Food News article here. Volcanoes erupted beneath an ice sheet on Mars billions of years ago, according to new research that indicates an environment combining heat and moisture, which could have been favourable for microbial life. New evidence from NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter suggests there was extensive ice on ancient Mars, researchers said. Sheridan Ackiss from Purdue University in the US and colleagues used the orbiter's mineral-mapping spectrometer to study surface composition in an oddly textured region of southern Mars called "Sisyphi Montes." The region is studded with flat-topped mountains. Other researchers previously noted these domes' similarity in shape to volcanoes on Earth that erupted underneath ice. The research adds information about an environment combining heat and moisture, which could have provided favourable conditions for microbial life. "Studying the rocks can show how the volcano formed or how it was changed over time," Ackiss said. When a volcano begins erupting beneath a sheet of ice on Earth, the rapidly generated steam typically leads to explosions that punch through the ice and propel ash high into the sky. For example, the 2010 eruption of ice-covered Eyjafjallajokull volcano in Iceland lofted ash that disrupted air travel across Europe for about a week. Characteristic minerals resulting from such subglacial volcanism on Earth include zeolites, sulfates and clays. Those are just what the new research has detected at some flat-topped mountains in the Sisyphi Montes region examined with the spacecraft's Compact Reconnaissance Imaging Spectrometer for Mars (CRISM), providing resolution of about 18 meters per pixel. The Sisyphi Montes region extends from about 55 degrees to 75 degrees south latitude. Some of the sites that have shapes and compositions consistent with volcanic eruptions beneath an ice sheet are about 1,600 kilometres from the current south polar ice cap of Mars. The cap now has a diameter of about 350 kilometres. The Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter Project has been using CRISM and five other instruments on the spacecraft to investigate Mars since 2006. Widening its probe in the Rs 3,600-crore VVIP chopper deal, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has begun a trail of cash which is suspected to have been paid as alleged kickbacks for the purchase of 12 helicopters from UK-based AgustaWestland. The financial probe agency has set the ball rolling with the second round of questioning of witnesses and accused in connection with the scam and is likely to quiz former IAF Chief S P Tyagi on Thursday, provided his recording of statement with the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) ends on Wednesday. ED, which has been probing the money laundering angle in the case, has summoned cousins of Tyagi after his round of questioning is over besides realty firm Emaar MGFs boss Shravan Gupta. His name cropped up after it was found that the alleged middleman Guido Haschke was an independent director of the firm between September to December 2009. Company officials said Gupta will cooperate with investgative agencies. ED, in its charge sheet filed last year in a court, had claimed to have detected flow of alleged kickbacks sent from abroad to companies of the accused Gautam Khaitan and cousin brothers of the former IAF chief. Officials said the flow of funds is being probed as it is alleged that it was quid pro quo to make AgustaWestland eligible to get selected for the final delivery of the 12 AW-101 helicopters to India for VVIP flying duties. ED, according to the charge sheet, had traced two payments of ^126,000 and another ^200,000 from a company based in Tunisia and others made to Tyagi brothers camouflaged in the form of consultancy fee and its probe had found that the said remittances correspond with the developments taking place in alteration/reduction of mandatory servicing ceiling of the helicopters. ED claimed that besides these two remittances, the Tyagi brothers including the then IAF Chief Tyagi, also received some amount of cash from Haschke and Gerosa. ED probe found that the alleged middlemen Haschke and Carlo Gerosa, in collusion with the Tyagi brothers Sanjeev, Rajeev and Sandeep managed to make inroads in IAF through Air Chief Marshal Tyagi and thereby could influence and subvert the consistent stand of IAF regarding mandatory service ceiling of the helicopters. This ground was used by CBI and ED to register their respective FIRs in the case and brought out the alleged illegal involvement of the ex-IAF chief and his cousins in perpetrating the scam. The agency, sources said, suspects the tainted cash could have been used by the accused for making certain high-value payments and purchase of costly items. It is also expected that a joint team of the two agencies could be authorised by the government to soon travel to few overseas locations to track the trail of funds, both through wire tranfer and cash. Sources said while the agency has filed its first charge sheet in the case last year in November, it is now looking to establish the further "proceeds of crime" of the alleged scam in order to prepare a water tight case against other accused and even those named earlier in its prosecution complaint. "That includes both cash and wire transfer funds routed through multiple or single overseas locations," they said. It has recently begun a second round of questioning of the accused in the wake of the recent judgement of a Milan (Italy) based court which sentenced Italian defence and aerospace major Finmeccanica's former chief Giuseppe Orsi and the former CEO of the firm Bruno Spagnolini on corruption charges in the sale of a dozen AgustaWestland helicopters to India. The Milan court order also mentions the name of Tyagi at several points. ED will also go through the contents of the order as soon as it gets translated into English from Italian, they said, adding there could be few more attachments of the accused in the case after the agency detected some more 'benami' properties. Apart from filing a charge sheet, the ED has also attached assets worth Rs 11 crore belonging to the cousins of Tyagi and Italian national and another alleged middleman in the case Christian Michel James. All the three middlemen have been notified by the two agencies under the Red Corner Notice of the Interpol also early this year. While Tyagi has denied all the allegations against him, Emaar MGF has said it has no "business links" with Rahul Gandhi's aide Kanishka Singh while Haschke was an independent director for an "extremely brief period". As BJP MP Kirit Somaiya dragged Singh's name into the controversy involving alleged kickbacks paid for the VVIP chopper deal, Emaar MGF termed the allegations as "baseless and incorrect. Thousands of security personnel dotted every nook and corner of East Midnapore and Cooch Behar districts as polling will be held tomorrow for the sixth and final phase of West Bengal Assembly elections covering 25 constituencies in the two districts. An electorate of over 58 lakh is eligible to cast their ballots at 6,774 polling stations between 7 a.m to 6 p.m. In all, 170 candidates, including 18 women, are in the fray for the last phase. Maintaining a tight security cover, the poll panel has deployed 361 companies of central forces who are assisted by a contingent of 12,000 state police personnel. Out of the total electors, 27.8 lakh are females while the third gender is a small minority of 68 voters. For the first time since Independence, residents of border enclaves in Cooch Behar district will be able to exercise their franchise, thanks to the formal inclusion of the enclaves in the Indian territory last year. There are 9,776 voters in the enclave, for whom special arrangements and awareness programs have been done. Among them is 103-year-old Asgar Ali of Madhya Mashaldanga who is eligible to vote for the first time in his life. In East Midnapore, on the other hand, the district administration has taken special intervention to make the elections a disabled friendly one. They have pinpointed 15,500 persons with disability in the electoral rolls. Each polling premises has a wheelchair, ramp with handrails and braille signage. In the two districts, the commission has so far identified 714 vulnerable hamlets and 1685 vulnerable voters. Close to 900 trouble-mongers have been identified and action taken against all of them. All eyes will be on Nandigram in East Midnapore district where a violent anti-land acquisition movement had helped uproot the 34-year-long Left Front government. Trinamool Congress, which had won all 16 seats in East Midnapore district in 2011, has now fielded its Tamluk MP Suvendu Adhikari from Nandigram. He is pitted against CPI's Abdul Kabir Sheikh, supported by the Congress-Left alliance. State Environment Minister Sudarshan Ghosh Dastidar is another heavyweight in the fray. He is seeking to defend his Mahisadal seat. Former Trinamool minister Hiten Barman is trying his luck once again from Sitalkuchi seat. The entire population of the Canadian oil sands city of Fort McMurray, Alberta, has been ordered to evacuate as a wildfire whipped by winds engulfed homes and sent ash raining down on residents. An earlier order that had applied to almost 30,000 people, mostly on the city's south side, was extended to tens of thousands more as flames continued to make their way into the city yesterday. The wildfire, whipped by unpredictable winds on a day of high temperatures, worsened dramatically in a short time and many residents had little notice to flee. Alberta Premier Rachel Notley said officials were doing all they could to ensure everyone's safety and said they were looking into the possibility of an airlift for residents with medical issues. Scott Long of Alberta Emergency Management says the flames had burned a number of structures, but couldn't say how many. Carol Christian's home was in one of the neighbourhoods under the order to leave. She said it was scary as she drove to an evacuation center with her son and cat. "When you leave ... It's an overwhelming feeling to think that you'll never see your house again," she said, her voice breaking. "It was absolutely horrifying when we were sitting there in traffic. You look up and then you watch all the trees candle-topping ... Up the hills where you live and you're thinking, 'Oh my God. We got out just in time.'" The main road into Fort McMurray, was closed at the southern entrance to the city after flames jumped the road. Pictures posted on Twitter showed long lines of traffic and skies darkened by thick smoke as flames licked the edges of roads. Fort McMurray is the capital of Alberta's oil sands region and had a population of 61,000, according to the 2011 census. The Alberta oil sands are the third largest reserves of oil in the world behind Saudi Arabia and Venezuela. Oil sands work camps were being pressed into service to house evacuees as the raging wildfire emptied the city. Most oil sands projects are well north of the community, while the worst of the flames were on the city's south side. Officials were also evacuating non-essential staff at Suncor's base plant. It is 30 kilometres (18 miles) away and one of the closest facilities to the city. Spokesman Paul Newmarch said evacuees were moving into the plant's work camps. Will Gibson, a spokesman for Syncrude, which also has a plant north of the town, was himself one of the evacuees heading north away from the flames. Gibson said he had to flee his neighbourhood via a grass embankment because the fire had already cut off the road at both ends. Under attack for his name being dragged in the AgustaWestland controversy, Congress leader Ahmed Patel today pressed for a thorough probe into the deal, declaring that he will quit Rajya Sabha as well as public life if any allegation against him is proved. Patel, the political secretary to Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, said the "propaganda" against him was due to baseless allegations to defame his party and its leaders. "If anyone proves any wrongdoing by me, I will quit public life and Rajya Sabha. There should be a thorough investigation carried out into this deal and guilty should be punished. Bring the truth out... I repeat again, if you can find an iota of truth against me, I will quit public life and resign from this House," he said in Rajya Sabha while participating in debate on the chopper controversy. At the same time, he questioned, "what about people who are tarnishing the reputation of people by presenting wrong facts and baseless allegations? This is an attempt to defame Congress and its leaders." Patel's name has been dragged into the controversy because of an initial 'AP' reportedly found in the documents recovered in connection with probe by the Italian authorities. He said things are being created and "false propaganda" is being carried out to tarnish the reputation of people on the basis of wrong and baseless charges. "My name has appeared four times in Italian court judgement. But has any leader been indicted or anyone painted as accused?" he asked. He said he has been in public life for so many years but has never crossed its limits and that the CAG report should not be used as a tool for political mudslinging. Patel said he had left his old mother behind in the village not to do anything wrong. "I have not crossed any limits of public life. This is not my first 'agni-pareeksha' (trial by fire)," he said. He quoted Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who as Chief Minister had said, that 'CAG report should not be used as a tool for political bickerings'. Three Pakistani Taliban terrorists, including a woman, were today shot dead by police in this northwestern restive Pakistani city in an encounter that also claimed life of a security personnel. The police and officials of law enforcement agencies raided the house at a village Pind Ghakhara in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province following secret information about the presence of terrorists. When ordered to surrender, the terrorists started indiscriminate firing at the police. The security forces then retaliated. As result of encounter, three Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) terrorists including a woman were killed and an official of law enforcement agency was killed and another wounded, Geo TV reported. Security in the province has been tightened since the attack on Bacha Khan University (BKU) near provincial capital Peshawar on January 20, when Taliban militants breached the varsity complex and shot dead 21 people, including students. A 37-year-old woman, who was set ablaze by two motorcycle-borne assailants, died in the wee hours today at a government hospital here, police said. The assailants poured petrol on the woman and set her on fire yesterday afternoon while she was returning after appearing in a court in connection with the divorce petition she had filed, they said. She was admitted to the government hospital with serious burn injuries and breathed her last around 1 AM today, they added. Police said they were questioning her estranged husband Mohanraj in connection with the case. You want to make sure you prepare thoroughly before starting a business, but realize that things will almost certainly go awry. To run a successful business, you must adapt to changing situations. Conducting in-depth market research on your field and the demographics of your potential clientele is an important part of crafting a business plan. This involves running surveys, holding focus groups, and researching SEO and public data. Before you start selling your product or service, you need to build up your brand and get a following of people who are ready to jump when you open your doors for business. This article is for entrepreneurs who want to learn the basics steps of starting a new business. Tasks like naming the business and creating a logo are obvious, but what about the less-heralded, equally important steps? Whether its determining your business structure or crafting a detailed marketing strategy, the workload can quickly pile up. Rather than spinning your wheels and guessing at where to start, follow this 10-step checklist to transform your business from a lightbulb above your head to a real entity. How to start a small business 1. Refine your idea. If youre thinking about starting a business, you likely already have an idea of what you want to sell online, or at least the market you want to enter. Do a quick search for existing companies in your chosen industry. Learn what current brand leaders are doing and figure out how you can do it better. If you think your business can deliver something other companies dont (or deliver the same thing, only faster and cheaper), or youve got a solid idea and are ready to create a business plan. Define your why. In the words of Simon Sinek, always start with why,' Glenn Gutek, CEO of Awake Consulting and Coaching, told Business News Daily. It is good to know why you are launching your business. In this process, it may be wise to differentiate between [whether] the business serves a personal why or a marketplace why. When your why is focused on meeting a need in the marketplace, the scope of your business will always be larger than a business that is designed to serve a personal need. Consider franchising. Another option is to open a franchise of an established company. The concept, brand following and business model are already in place; all you need is a good location and the means to fund your operation. Brainstorm your business name. Regardless of which option you choose, its vital to understand the reasoning behind your idea. Stephanie Desaulniers, owner of Business by Dezign and former director of operations and womens business programs at Covation Center, cautions entrepreneurs against writing a business plan or brainstorming a business name before nailing down the ideas value. Clarify your target customers. Desaulniers said too often people jump into launching their business without spending time to think about who their customers will be and why would want to buy from them or hire them. You need to clarify why you want to work with these customers do you have a passion for making peoples lives easier? Desaulniers said. Or enjoy creating art to bring color to their world? Identifying these answers helps clarify your mission. Third, you want to define how you will provide this value to your customers and how to communicate that value in a way that they are willing to pay. TIP: To refine your business idea, identify your why, your target customers and your business name. During the ideation phase, you need to iron out the major details. If the idea isnt something youre passionate about or if theres not a market for your creation, it might be time to brainstorm other ideas. 2. Write a business plan. Once you have your idea in place, you need to ask yourself a few important questions: What is the purpose of your business? Who are you selling to? What are your end goals? How will you finance your startup costs? These questions can be answered in a well-written business plan. A lot of mistakes are made by new businesses rushing into things without pondering these aspects of the business. You need to find your target customer base. Who is going to buy your product or service? If you cant find evidence that theres a demand for your idea, then what would be the point? Free download: Here is our business plan template you can use to plan and grow your business. Conduct market research. Conducting thorough market research on your field and demographics of potential clientele is an important part of crafting a business plan. This involves conducting surveys, holding focus groups, and researching SEO and public data. Market research helps you understand your target customer their needs, preferences and behavior as well as your industry and competitors. Many small business professionals recommend gathering demographic information and conducting a competitive analysis to better understand opportunities and limitations within your market. The best small businesses have products or services that are differentiated from the competition. This has a significant impact on your competitive landscape and allows you to convey unique value to potential customers. Consider an exit strategy. Its also a good idea to consider an exit strategy as you compile your business plan. Generating some idea of how youll eventually exit the business forces you to look to the future. Too often, new entrepreneurs are so excited about their business and so sure everyone everywhere will be a customer that they give very little, if any, time to show the plan on leaving the business, said Josh Tolley, CEO of both Shyft Capital and Kavana. When you board an airplane, what is the first thing they show you? How to get off of it. When you go to a movie, what do they point out before the feature begins to play? Where the exits are. Your first week of kindergarten, they line up all the kids and teach them fire drills to exit the building. Too many times I have witnessed business leaders that dont have three or four predetermined exit routes. This has led to lower company value and even destroyed family relationships. A business plan helps you figure out where your company is going, how it will overcome any potential difficulties and what you need to sustain it. When youre ready to put pen to paper, these free templates can help. 3. Assess your finances. Starting any business has a price, so you need to determine how youre going to cover those costs. Do you have the means to fund your startup, or will you need to borrow money? If youre planning to leave your current job to focus on your business, do you have money put away to support yourself until you make a profit? Its best to find out how much your startup costs will be. Many startups fail because they run out of money before turning a profit. Its never a bad idea to overestimate the amount of startup capital you need, as it can be a while before the business begins to bring in sustainable revenue. Perform a break-even analysis. One way you can determine how much money you need is to perform a break-even analysis. This is an essential element of financial planning that helps business owners determine when their company, product or service will be profitable. The formula is simple: Fixed Costs (Average Price Variable Costs) = Break-Even Point Every entrepreneur should use this formula as a tool because it informs you about the minimum performance your business must achieve to avoid losing money. Furthermore, it helps you understand exactly where your profits come from, so you can set production goals accordingly. Here are the three most common reasons to conduct a break-even analysis: Determine profitability. This is generally every business owners highest interest. Ask yourself: How much revenue do I need to generate to cover all my expenses? Which products or services turn a profit, and which ones are sold at a loss? Price a product or service. When most people think about pricing, they consider how much their product costs to create and how competitors are pricing their products. Ask yourself: What are the fixed rates, what are the variable costs, and what is the total cost? What is the cost of any physical goods? What is the cost of labor? Analyze the data. What volumes of goods or services do you have to sell to be profitable? Ask yourself: How can I reduce my overall fixed costs? How can I reduce the variable costs per unit? How can I improve sales? Watch your expenses. Dont overspend when starting a business. Understand the types of purchases that make sense for your business and avoid overspending on fancy new equipment that wont help you reach your business goals. Monitor your business expenses to ensure you are staying on track. A lot of startups tend to spend money on unnecessary things, said Jean Paldan, founder and CEO of Rare Form New Media. We worked with a startup that had two employees but spent a huge amount on office space that would fit 20 people. They also leased a professional high-end printer that was more suited for a team of 100; it had key cards to track who was printing what and when. Spend as little as possible when you start, and only on the things that are essential for the business to grow and be a success. Luxuries can come when youre established. Consider your funding options. Startup capital for your business can come from various means. The best way to acquire funding for your business depends on several factors, including creditworthiness, the amount needed and available options. Business loans. If you need financial assistance, a commercial loan through a bank is a good starting point, although these are often difficult to secure. If you are unable to take out a bank loan, you can apply for a small business loan through the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) or an alternative lender. [Read related article: Best Alternative Small Business Loans] Business grants. Business grants are similar to loans; however, they do not need to be paid back. Business grants are typically very competitive, and come with stipulations that the business must meet to be considered. When trying to secure a small business grant, look for ones that are uniquely specific to your situation. Options include minority-owned business grants, grants for women-owned businesses and government grants. Investors. Startups requiring significant funding upfront may want to bring on an investor. Investors can provide several million dollars or more to a fledgling company, with the expectation that the backers will have a hands-on role in running your business. Crowdfunding. Alternatively, you could launch an equity crowdfunding campaign to raise smaller amounts of money from multiple backers. Crowdfunding has helped numerous companies in recent years, and there are dozens of reliable crowdfunding platforms designed for different types of businesses. You can learn more about each of these capital sources and more in our guide to startup finance options. Editors note: Looking for a small business loan? Fill out the questionnaire below to have our vendor partners contact you about your needs. Choose the right business bank. When youre choosing a business bank, size matters. Marcus Anwar, co-founder of OhMy Canada, recommends smaller community banks because they are in tune with the local market conditions and will work with you based on your overall business profile and character. Theyre unlike big banks that look at your credit score and will be more selective to loan money to small businesses, Anwar said. Not only that, but small banks want to build a personal relationship with you and ultimately help you if you run into problems and miss a payment. Another good thing about smaller banks is that decisions are made at the branch level, which can be much quicker than big banks, where decisions are made at a higher level. Anwar believes that you should ask yourself these questions when choosing a bank for your business: What is important to me? Do I want to build a close relationship with a bank thats willing to help me in any way possible? Do I want to be just another bank account, like big banks will view me as? Ultimately, the right bank for your business comes down to your needs. Writing down your banking needs can help narrow your focus to what you should be looking for. Schedule meetings with various banks and ask questions about how they work with small businesses to find the best bank for your business. [Read related article: Business Bank Account Checklist: Documents Youll Need] Key takeaway: Financially, you will want to perform a break-even analysis, consider your expenses and funding options, and choose the right bank for your business. 4. Determine your legal business structure. Before you can register your company, you need to decide what kind of entity it is. Your business structure legally affects everything from how you file your taxes to your personal liability if something goes wrong. Sole proprietorship. If you own the business entirely by yourself and plan to be responsible for all debts and obligations, you can register for a sole proprietorship. Be warned that this route can directly affect your personal credit. If you own the business entirely by yourself and plan to be responsible for all debts and obligations, you can register for a sole proprietorship. Be warned that this route can directly affect your personal credit. Partnership. Alternatively, a business partnership, as its name implies, means that two or more people are held personally liable as business owners. You dont have to go it alone if you can find a business partner with complementary skills to your own. Its usually a good idea to add someone into the mix to help your business flourish. Alternatively, a business partnership, as its name implies, means that two or more people are held personally liable as business owners. You dont have to go it alone if you can find a business partner with complementary skills to your own. Its usually a good idea to add someone into the mix to help your business flourish. Corporation. If you want to separate your personal liability from your companys liability, you may want to consider forming one of several types of corporations (e.g., S corporation, C corporation or B corporation). Although each type of corporation is subject to different guidelines, this legal structure generally makes a business a separate entity from its owners, and, therefore, corporations can own property, assume liability, pay taxes, enter contracts, sue and be sued like any other individual. Corporations, especially C corporations, are especially suitable for new businesses that plan on going public or seeking funding from venture capitalists in the near future, said Deryck Jordan, managing attorney at Jordan Counsel. If you want to separate your personal liability from your companys liability, you may want to consider forming one of several types of corporations (e.g., S corporation, C corporation or B corporation). Although each type of corporation is subject to different guidelines, this legal structure generally makes a business a separate entity from its owners, and, therefore, corporations can own property, assume liability, pay taxes, enter contracts, sue and be sued like any other individual. Corporations, especially C corporations, are especially suitable for new businesses that plan on going public or seeking funding from venture capitalists in the near future, said Deryck Jordan, managing attorney at Jordan Counsel. Limited liability company. One of the most common structures for small businesses is the limited liability company (LLC). This hybrid structure has the legal protections of a corporation while allowing for the tax benefits of a partnership. Ultimately, it is up to you to determine which type of entity is best for your current needs and future business goals. Its important to learn about the various legal business structures available. If youre struggling to make up your mind, its not a bad idea to discuss the decision with a business or legal advisor. Did You Know: You need to choose a legal structure for your business, such as a sole proprietorship, partnership, corporation or LLC. 5. Register with the government and IRS. You will need to acquire a variety of business licenses before you can legally operate your business. For example, you need to register your business with federal, state and local governments. There are several documents you must prepare before registering. Articles of incorporation and operating agreements To become an officially recognized business entity, you must register with the government. Corporations need an articles of incorporation document, which includes your business name, business purpose, corporate structure, stock details and other information about your company. Similarly, some LLCs will need to create an operating agreement. Doing business as (DBA) If you dont have articles of incorporation or an operating agreement, you will need to register your business name, which can be your legal name, a fictitious DBA name (if you are the sole proprietor), or the name youve come up with for your company. You may also want to take steps to trademark your business name for extra legal protection. Most states require you to get a DBA. If youre in a general partnership or a proprietorship operating under a fictitious name, you may need to apply for a DBA certificate. Its best to contact or visit your local county clerks office and ask about specific requirements and fees. Generally, there is a registration fee involved. Employer identification number (EIN) After you register your business, you may need to get an employer identification number from the IRS. While this is not required for sole proprietorships with no employees, you may want to apply for one anyway to keep your personal and business taxes separate, or simply to save yourself the trouble later if you decide to hire someone. The IRS has provided a checklist to determine whether you will require an EIN to run your business. If you do need an EIN, you can register online for free. Income tax forms You also need to file certain forms to fulfill your federal and state income tax obligations. The forms you need are determined by your business structure. You will need to check your states website for information on state-specific and local tax obligations. You might be tempted to wing it with a PayPal account and social media platform, but if you start with a proper foundation, your business will have fewer hiccups to worry about in the long run, said Natalie Pierre-Louis, licensed attorney and owner of NPL Consulting. Federal, state, and local licenses and permits Some businesses may also require federal, state or local licenses and permits to operate. The best place to obtain a business license is at your local city hall. You can then use the SBAs database to search for licensing requirements by state and business type. Businesses and independent contractors in certain trades are required to carry professional licenses. One example of a professional business license is a commercial drivers license (CDL). Individuals with a CDL are allowed to operate certain types of vehicles, such as buses, tank trucks and tractor-trailers. A CDL is divided into three classes: Class A, Class B and Class C. You should also check with your city and state to find out if you need a sellers permit that authorizes your business to collect sales tax from your customers. A sellers permit goes by numerous names, including resale permit, resell permit, permit license, reseller permit, resale ID, state tax ID number, reseller number, reseller license permit or certificate of authority. Its important to note that these requirements and names vary from state to state. You can register for a sellers permit through the state government website of the state(s) youre doing business in. Jordan says that not all businesses need to collect sales tax (or obtain a sellers permit). For example, New York sales tax generally is not required for the sale of most services (such as professional services, education, and capital improvements to real estate), medicine or food for home consumption, Jordan said. So, for example, if your business only sells medicine, you do not need a New York sellers permit. But New York sales tax must be collected in conjunction with the sale of new tangible personal goods, utilities, telephone service, hotel stays, and food and beverages (in restaurants). Key takeaway: Register key documents like articles of incorporation or an operating agreement, a DBA, an EIN, income tax forms, and other applicable licenses and permits. 6. Purchase an insurance policy. It might slip your mind as something youll get around to eventually, but purchasing the right insurance for your business is an important step to take before you officially launch. Dealing with incidents such as property damage, theft or even a customer lawsuit can be costly, and you need to be sure that youre properly protected. Although you should consider several types of business insurance, there are a few basic insurance plans that most small businesses can benefit from. For example, if your business will have employees, you will at least need to purchase workers compensation and unemployment insurance. You may also need other types of coverage, depending on your location and industry, but most small businesses are advised to purchase general liability (GL) insurance, or a business owners policy. GL covers property damage, bodily injury, and personal injury to yourself or a third party. If your business provides a service, you may also want to consider professional liability insurance. It covers you if you do something wrong or neglect to do something you should have done while operating your business. 7. Build your team. Unless youre planning to be your only employee, youre going to need to recruit and hire a great team to get your company off the ground. Joe Zawadzki, CEO and founder of MediaMath, said entrepreneurs need to give the people element of their businesses the same attention they give their products. Your product is built by people, Zawadzki said. Identifying your founding team, understanding what gaps exist, and [determining] how and when you will address them should be top priority. Figuring out how the team will work together is equally important. Defining roles and responsibility, division of labor, how to give feedback, or how to work together when not everyone is in the same room will save you a lot of headaches down the line. 8. Choose your vendors. Running a business can be overwhelming, and you and your team probably arent going to be able to do it all on your own. Thats where third-party vendors come in. Companies in every industry from HR to business phone systems exist to partner with you and help you run your business better. When youre searching for B2B partners, youll have to choose carefully. These companies will have access to vital and potentially sensitive business data, so its critical to find someone you can trust. In our guide to choosing business partners, our expert sources recommend asking potential vendors about their experience in your industry, their track record with existing clients and what kind of growth theyve helped other clients achieve. Not every business will need the same type of vendors, but there are common products and services that almost every business will need. Consider the following functions that are a neccessity for any type of business. Taking payments from customers: Offering multiple payment options will ensure you can make a sale in whatever format is easiest for target customer. Youll need to compare options are find the right credit card processing provider to ensure youre getting the best rate for your type of business. Managing finances: Many business owners can manager their own accounting functions when starting their business, but as your business grows you can save time by hiring an accountant, or comparing accounting software providers. 9. Brand yourself and advertise. Before you start selling your product or service, you need to build up your brand and get a following of people ready to jump when you open your literal or figurative doors for business. Company website. Take your reputation online and build a company website. Many customers turn to the internet to learn about a business, and a website is digital proof that your small business exists. It is also a great way to interact with current and potential customers. Take your reputation online and build a company website. Many customers turn to the internet to learn about a business, and a website is digital proof that your small business exists. It is also a great way to interact with current and potential customers. Social media. Use social media to spread the word about your new business, perhaps as a promotional tool to offer coupons and discounts to followers once you launch. The best social media platforms to utilize will depend on your target audience. Use social media to spread the word about your new business, perhaps as a promotional tool to offer coupons and discounts to followers once you launch. The best social media platforms to utilize will depend on your target audience. CRM. The best CRM software solutions allow you to store customer data to to improve how you market to them. A well-thought-out email marketing campaign can do wonders for reaching customers and communicating with your audience. To be successful, you will want to strategically build your email marketing contact list. The best CRM software solutions allow you to store customer data to to improve how you market to them. A well-thought-out email marketing campaign can do wonders for reaching customers and communicating with your audience. To be successful, you will want to strategically build your email marketing contact list. Logo. Create a logo that can help people easily identify your brand, and be consistent in using it across all of your platforms. Also, keep these digital assets up to date with relevant, interesting content about your business and industry. According to Ruthann Bowen, chief marketing officer at EastCamp Creative, too many startups have the wrong mindset about their websites. The issue is they see their website as a cost, not an investment, Bowen said. In todays digital age, thats a huge mistake. The small business owners who understand how critical it is to have a great online presence will have a leg up on starting out strong. Creating a marketing plan that goes beyond your launch is essential to building a clientele by continually getting the word out about your business. This process, especially in the beginning, is just as important as providing a quality product or service. Ask customers to opt in to your marketing communications. As you build your brand, ask your customers and potential customers for permission to communicate with them. The easiest way to do this is by using opt-in forms. These are forms of consent given by web users, authorizing you to contact them with further information about your business, according to Dan Edmonson, founder and CEO of Dronegenuity. These types of forms usually pertain to email communication and are often used in e-commerce to request permission to send newsletters, marketing material, product sales, etc. to customers, Edmonson said. Folks get so many throwaway emails and other messages these days that, by getting them to opt in to your services in a transparent way, you begin to build trust with your customers. Opt-in forms are a great starting point for building trust and respect with potential customers. Even more importantly, these forms are required by law. The CAN-SPAM Act of 2003 sets requirements for commercial email by the Federal Trade Commission. This law doesnt just apply to bulk email; it covers all commercial messages, which the law defines as any electronic mail message the primary purpose of which is the commercial advertisement or promotion of a commercial product or service. Each email in violation of this law is subject to fines of more than $40,000. TIP: Create a strategic marketing campaign that combines various marketing channels, like a company website, social media, email newsletters and opt-in forms. 10. Grow your business. Your launch and first sales are only the beginning of your task as an entrepreneur. To make a profit and stay afloat, you always need to be growing your business. Its going to take time and effort, but youll get out of your business what you put into it. Collaborating with more established brands in your industry is a great way to achieve growth. Reach out to other companies and ask for some promotion in exchange for a free product sample or service. Partner with a charity organization, and volunteer some of your time or products to get your name out there. While these tips will help launch your business and get you set to grow, theres never a perfect plan. You want to make sure you prepare thoroughly for starting a business, but things will almost certainly go awry. To run a successful business, you must adapt to changing situations. Free download: Weve created a sales plan template you can use to scale customer acquisition. Be prepared to adjust, said Stephanie Murray, founder of Fiddlestix Party + Supply. Theres a saying in the military that no plan survives the first contact, meaning that you can have the best plan in the world, but as soon as its in action, things change, and you have to be ready and willing to adapt and problem-solve quickly. As an entrepreneur, your value lies in solving problems, whether that is your product or service solving problems for other people or you solving problems within your organization. FAQs about starting a business How can I start my own business with no money? You can launch a successful business without any startup funds. Work on a business idea that builds on your skill set to offer something new and innovative to the market. While developing a new business, keep working in your current position (or day job) to reduce the financial risk. Once youve developed your business idea and youre ready to start on a business plan, youll need to get creative with funding. You can raise money through investments by pitching your idea to financial backers. You could also gather funding through crowdsourcing platforms like Kickstarter, or set aside a certain amount of money from your weekly earnings to put toward a new business. Finally, you can seek out loan options from banks and other financial institutions as a way to get your company up and running. What is the easiest business to start? The easiest business to start is one that requires little to no financial investment upfront, nor should it require extensive training to learn the business. One of the easiest types of new business to launch is a dropshipping company. Dropshipping requires no inventory management, saving you the hassle of buying, storing and tracking stock. Instead, another company will fulfill your customer orders at your behest. This company will manage the inventory, package goods, and ship out your business orders. To get started, you can create an online store by selecting curated products from the catalog available through partners. When is the best time to start a business? Each persons ideal timeline for starting a new business will be different. First and foremost, you should start a business when you have enough time to devote your attention to the launch. If you have a seasonal product or service, then you want to start your business a quarter before your predicted busy time of the year. For nonseasonal companies, spring and fall are popular times of years to launch. Winter is the least popular launch season, because many new owners prefer to have their LLC or corporation approved for a new fiscal year. Skye Schooley contributed to the reporting and writing in this article. Source interviews were conducted for a previous version of this article. Reliance Industries (RIL), India's largest private oil refiner, is in the final stage of its biggest-ever investment cycle for launching a digital 4G business (Jio), expanding petrochemical facilities and making its refineries more efficient. For RIL, a large capital expenditure cycle is not unusual. However, the sheer scale of the investments this time, and the unusually high debt it is taking for that - remember that founder Dhirubhai Ambani built RIL on the strength of small shareholders and singlehandedly made equity investing popular in India - is making investors jittery. Especially as newer investments such as in shale gas in the US and retail are not adding much to the bottom line, leaving it dependent, some say over-dependent, on refining and petrochemical verticals. In the last financial year, for instance, it spent Rs 1,13,000 crore - Rs 54,000 crore in refining and petrochemicals, Rs 50,000 crore in Jio and Rs 5,000 crore in shale gas exploration and production (E&P) in the US, besides others. The total investment in the digital business is now Rs 1,20,000 crore. The business will take in Rs 30,000 crore more in 2016/17. Plus, the company will invest another Rs 30,000 crore in refining and petrochemical verticals, say executives. RIL's gross debt is Rs 1,81,079 crore. After adjusting for Rs 86,033 crore cash, the net debt comes to around Rs 95,000 crore. While such high debt will put stress on the balance sheet, even hit the bottom line for some time, the question analysts are asking is - can RIL come out unscathed from this debt binge? And, will it be able to again become a net debt-free company, a target that Chairman Mukesh Ambani has set for 2017/18, especially as the cut-throat telecom sector, its latest and largest bet, has been a graveyard of several business ambitions? The Trigger The key to these questions lies in RIL's expansion from 2005 to 2009, when its debt quadrupled to Rs 76,250 crore. A lot of this went into the second refinery and the KG D6 block off the Krishna-Godavari basin. After the start of cash flow from these two assets, in 2009/10, RIL's profit before interest, depreciation and tax, or PBIDT, jumped 64.5 per cent to Rs 41,685 crore. The high cash flow from these investments helped RIL achieve resilience of global standards. It started reducing debt on the one hand and accumulating cash on the other. It turned net debt-free in 2011 on a standalone basis. After that, in spite of the sharp fall in gas production from KG D6, it kept generating Rs 40,000-45,000 crore PBIDT a year, partly due to the US shale gas business but largely due to local petrochemical and refining assets. Shareholders wanted to deploy the cash pile in high-return businesses. But Chairman Mukesh Ambani was cautious because of the global downturn and failure of the E&P programme in India. Still, he invested in shale gas - by acquiring stakes in three joint ventures in the US - and took the big telecom bet. The Roadblocks However, some of the latest ventures have not gone off as smoothly as the earlier ones. The launch of Jio has been delayed, and that too more than once. At the 2013 meeting of shareholders, Ambani had said the launch would take place in 2014. The next year, he said the services would start in 2015. Now, after the 2015/16 results, executives said the rollout would happen in three months, and pan-India operations would start by the end of the year. The company is targeting 100 million subscribers by the end of the first year. The largest player, Bharti Airtel, has 264 million customers, while the second, Vodafone India, has 185 million. The expansion of petrochemical facilities has also hit a speed bump. According to Nomura analysts Anil Sharma and Ravi Adukia, paraxylene and coke-gasification projects have been delayed. "Reliance's entire ongoing refining and petchem expansion is likely to completed by the end of the financial year with majority of benefits likely to flow from the next financial year," they said in a report. Alhough one of RIL's earlier investments, the second refinery, has been a show stealer, the $10.5-billion investment in KG D6 is stuck because of the reservoir's geological complexity. At present, D1 and D3 are producing 13-15 mscmd gas, compared with 60 mscmd in 2010. The company, though, has recovered most of its costs by selling gas and 30 per cent stake in upstream assets to BP Plc for $7 billion. Similarly, shale gas investments in the US, about $8.2 billion, are suffering due to the fall in gas prices. RIL's revenue from the business fell 45.8 per cent to Rs 3,256 crore in 2015/16 compared to the 83.8 per cent fall in earnings before interest and tax, or EBIT, to Rs 316 crore. "We will continue scaling down the investments in shale gas assets because of lower energy prices this year," said RIL's Joint Chief Financial Officer Srikanth Venkatachari. At present, no rigs are in operation in any of the company's US joint ventures. RIL wrote off Rs 3,261 crore as impairment charge after depreciation of asset values in the US. It had, though, got Rs 3,684 crore from sale of stake in the midstream pipeline business in the US. Organised retail has also not taken off. Reliance Retail initially faced competition from unorganised players and direct competitors such as Big Baazar. Now, the scene has changed with the advent of Amazon, Flipkart and Snapdeal. In the last financial year, it posted revenue and EBIT of Rs 21,612 crore (up 22.5 per cent) and Rs 506 crore (up 21.3 per cent), respectively. Analysts don't foresee any sharp rise in profits from the retail business in the near future. Treasury King The debt, say experts, is high but nowhere near crisis levels. This is because RIL's EBIT from refining and petrochemicals, Rs 23,598 crore (up 49.1 per cent) and Rs 10,221 crore (up 23.3 per cent), respectively, in 2015/16, continue to be strong. These two will continue to make a lot of money. Expansion of petrochemical facilities is expected to increase segment revenue by 50 per cent in the next financial year. In 2015/16, too, refining and petrochemical verticals helped RIL post 17.2 per cent growth in net profit to Rs 27,630 crore despite the difficult oil market. Another area where RIL does extremely well is treasury operations. In 2015/16, it earned Rs 3,026 crore interest income (compared to Rs 4,513 crore in the previous financial year). This was almost the same as the interest paid - Rs 3,316 crore in 2014/15 and Rs 3,608 crore in 2015/16 - which is surprising considering that its gross borrowings are double its cash and cash equivalents. One reason for such a performance is the way it deploys short-term cash. "RIL keeps about Rs 30,000 crore for working capital. The treasury deploys this for the short term at high rates," says a Mumbai-based analyst. Company executives also say that a big chunk of the loans is either supplier's credit or Exim borrowings - from US, Korea, Germany and Italy. For instance, the investment break-up for Jio is - Rs 45,000 crore equity, Rs 33,000 crore debt and Rs 42,000 crore from creditors for capex and long-term spectrum liabilities. Exim loans have a moratorium of two-three years and low rates. "We have domestic credit rating of AAA from CRISIL and FITCH and investment grade rating for international debt from Moody's (Baa2) and S&P (BBB+). This helps us borrow at low rates from international markets," says an executive. The management has said that the net debt will peak at Rs 1,15,000 crore by the end of the financial year, according to Kotak Institutional Equities Research analysts Tarun Lakhotia and Simran Kaur. The company will also have to incur working capital expenses, which are relatively lower, for the digital business. That is why the performance of Jio is crucial. RIL is prepared to keep investing till 2020. After that Jio will have to repay loans from its own cash flow. Ambani said in the 2014 annual general meeting that the company was at an inflection point in its journey to create value for stakeholders. "In the next two years, we will go up in debt to about Rs 60,000 crore. Our goal is to become debt-free by 2017/18 on a much larger base," he said. For RIL, it sure is going to be a challenging phase. As the country grapples with poor water management, polluted water bodies, shortage of drinking water and water-borne diseases, businesses and entrepreneurs are coming up with unique solutions to quench the thirst of the people. Business Today profiles a few promising initiatives that could prove to be game-changers. PIRAMAL SARVAJAL In a country where 125 million people do not have access to drinking water, Sarvajal's ATMs cater to 300,000 people every day at 30 paisa per litre of potable water. Since its launch in 2009, the company has installed over 180 water units across 13 states. "All one has to do is swipe the prepaid card and key in the amount required, and the machine dispenses the water. The Sarvajal server keeps a record of user transactions and deducts the amount used on the card," says Vasu Padmanabhan, CEO, Piramal Sarvajal. The company has got into partnerships with local entrepreneurs, panchayats and community-based organisations to run the water treatment plants. "Local community members are selected and trained to manage the purification units. The projects are also monitored remotely on a daily basis to ensure production and purity, and understand the consumption pattern for remedial action," he adds. The ATM units cost Rs 5 lakh to Rs 10 lakh, and the local partners can also earn up to Rs 35,000 per month. The plant works on reverse osmosis and UV-based filtration technology. WATERLIFE INDIA Sudesh Menon, who was tipped to take over as the South East Asia head of GE, quit the company to later launch Waterlife India in partnership with two former colleagues - Mohan Ranbaore and Indranil Das - in 2009. So far, the Hyderabad-based company has installed over 4,000 water purification plants to quench the thirst of over 12 million people across 15 states. Waterlife focuses on community water systems in villages and urban slums, and works in collaboration with governments, local bodies and corporate houses. Menon says that sustainability is key while providing high quality water over the long-term (five to 15 years), compared to systems that go defunct after the first year "due to poor maintenance or apathy". A Waterlife team first visits the village to map its drinking water requirements, analyses the viability and tests sources of water for contamination. Based on the findings, a customised plant is built. It costs anything between Rs 5 lakh and Rs 25 lakh. Operators are hired to operate and maintain the plant after rigorous training. "We expect to maintain revenue growth of 30-40 per cent per annum over the next five years," says Menon, adding that the World Bank's recognition of Waterlife as one of the pioneers in the provision of safe water in the bottom-of-the-pyramid market was a rewarding experience. KENT RO When Mahesh Gupta failed to get a quality water purifier for his children diagnosed with jaundice, he decided to make one himself. "Purifiers primarily work on the Ultra Violet principle, wherein the water passes through UV rays and the bacteria are killed in the process. For me, that was not enough because industrial activity has resulted in contaminated ground water, and impurities such as arsenic, rust, pesticides and fluorides," says Gupta, Chairman, KENT RO Systems. After several trials, he zeroed in on the reverse osmosis (RO) technology and the first KENT purifier was launched in March 1999 from his garage in South Delhi. In the first year he sold around 100 units for Rs 20,000 a piece, compared to the Rs 5,000 price tag of other available water purifiers in the market. Gupta claims, KENT RO now enjoys 40 per cent share of the RO market and is looking at Rs 1,000-crore turnover in 2016/17. VISHVARAJ INFRASTRUCTURE Nagpur was no different from the rest of India when it came to water mismanagement. "These inefficiencies clubbed with low tariff made the urban water distribution unsustainable," says Arun Lakhani, Chairman, Vishvaraj Infrastructure. So, when Nagpur Municipal Corporation issued tenders for 24x7 water supply in the city and another project at Bhandewadi for water reuse, Lakhani bid for both projects. For the Rs 550-crore 24x7 water supply project the company is supposed to provide continuous water supply to every household, improve the technical and commercial efficiency of the system, lay 2,100 km of pipelines, set up a water treatment facility and storage reservoirs, apart from providing 325,000 new house service connections. It is also responsible for metering, billing and collection of charges. "We carried out our hydraulic modelling of the city and, now, all households in Nagpur are getting at least three to four hours of daily water supply." Urvesh Goel appears thrifty on professional networking site LinkedIn where he talks about how his company, Syberplace, is different from other online electronic stores. "The key differentiation is that we do not give away anything for free," he writes. His thriftiness is apparent in the way he promotes his company - by watching every return on investment (ROI). "About 22-30 per cent of our advertising spending is on Google and about 1-5 per cent on Facebook," he says. "Facebook is on and off." Why is that? Goel's loyalties towards Google came from a gradual realisation. Social media giant Facebook is great for building a brand, he figured out. But, unlike Google, it falters when it comes to sales or ROI. On the other hand, Google helps businesses capitalise on existing demand - likely, you search for a product or service when you need it. "For a company like ours, which doesn't have a huge branding-communication budget, it is a challenge to spend a lot of money on social media because it gives us no direct ROI," Goel explains. "I have been trying to use Facebook since 2008 with mixed results. I have never seen much of conversion, but I have seen a lot of visibility coming through," he adds. Same is the experience of other advertisers Business Today spoke to. Self-driven car rental start-up Revv, for instance, advertises both on Google and Facebook. "Google addresses people who are in the market, people who are looking for self-drive car rental. Facebook generally makes people aware. So the awareness quotient of Facebook is far higher while the conversion quotient is better on Google," says the founder of Revv, Anupam Agarwal. The company advertises on Facebook 8-10 times a month; on Google, it advertises every day. "We do have a bias towards Google," he admits. How successful are social media companies in terms of monetisation? The simple answer is that social media advertising in India has a long trek to cover. Facebook doesn't disclose its country-wise numbers, but according to an estimate by Neil Shah, Research Director at Counterpoint Research, the company had revenues of $80 million in India in 2015. That's a dot compared to its global revenues of $18 billion in 2015. India revenues seem more insignificant when you consider that it is the company's second largest market with 69 million daily active users. Similarly, data from the Registrar of Companies shows that Twitter made only Rs 13.26 crore ($2 million) in 2014/15 in India, while globally, it generated $2.2 billion in 2015. Twitter doesn't disclose its user numbers in India, but as per an eMarketer report, the micro-blogging site had 22.2 million users in India as of January 2015. "The notion of social media advertising is still at a nascent stage among marketers in India, compared to search or display-type advertising where Google is strong," says Shah, who pegs the digital ad spend in India at $1 billion in 2015 with Google's share at 65 per cent. Facebook is working towards enhancing its offerings in India and other emerging economies. Analysts predict that the scales would tilt soon, given Facebook's introduction of live broadcasting and focus on smartphones. "Facebook and LinkedIn are giving Google a run for its money. There is a huge shift happening and Facebook is going to kill Google's YouTube. Within a year, you will see companies launching campaigns on just Facebook," Anshul Sushil, CEO and Co-founder of advertising firm Boring Brands, says. DIGITAL DASHBOARD Social Shopping: Social media influences in different ways across the globe When a life sustaining resource is in short supply, conflicting claims over it are bound to arise. Water conflicts span the gamut of fights, from neighbours in water starved colonies to those between states over river waters. But perhaps the most vital current conflict over water is that between agriculture and industry. "Around 70 per cent of the cases before the National Green Tribunal relate to water," says Rahul Choudhury of Legal Initiative for Forest and Environment (LIFE), a group of advocates involved in environmental issues. They usually remain localised, but occasionally do hit the headlines - such as the protest in Tirunelveli district, Tamil Nadu, where locals, supported by a number of opposition parties, are opposing the setting up of a PepsiCo bottling plant that will draw water from the nearby Thamirabarani River. They have held demonstrations - including one last October that turned violent - circulated an online petition that has drawn 65,000 supporters, and filed a public interest litigation (PIL) in the Madras High Court last December. The bottling plant is in Gangaikondan village on land owned by the State Industries Promotion Corporation of Tamil Nadu (SIPCOT) which, the protesters maintain, has already given the plant permission to draw vast quantities of water daily. (SIPCOT provides water to water intensive industries such as this bottling plant at Rs 37.5 per 1,000 litre and at Rs 25 to other industries.) There is also a Coca-Cola bottling plant in the SIPCOT industrial area taking water from the same river, against which, too, protests had been held when it was started in 2006, though to no avail. The protesters allege that in practice, the bottling plants will draw much more than the 500,000 litres permitted for beverage units, and that water guzzlers like Coke and now Pepsi will ruin the local ecosystem. "It's the Ganga of South. The Thamirabarani River has a special connect with us," says Usman Khan, District Secretary of one of the local opposition parties, the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI). "It is our lifeline. It is okay to take water from the river for domestic consumption or to operate other industries. But reselling that water for huge profits, as the aerated drinks industry does, is neither ethical nor feasible for our area. Water is not a commodity. It is a precious resource of the community." PepsiCo India refuses to be drawn into the controversy, noting that the bottling unit is an independent company. "The land in question belongs to Prathishta Business Solutions Pvt Ltd with whom we have a co-pack arrangement," says its spokesperson. "The plant will use surface water supplied by SIPCOT, from a river that is a perennial water source, as it is fed by both pre- and post-monsoon." Those supporting the protests say the Thamirabarani will not remain a perennial river if it is indiscriminately exploited. "Thamirabarani has a small basin that irrigates 200,000 hectares of land directly and another 100,000 indirectly," says M. Arunachalam, former Professor, Sri Paramakalyani Centre for Environmental Sciences (SPCES). "If industry takes away 1 million cubic metres a day, how much will be left for irrigation? The economy of the entire district is dependent on paddy and banana cultivation. Already, the vegetation along the river has begun disappearing, which is affecting the ecosystem. Groundwater recharge has reduced and in the dry season, there is less water available than before." Srijlangan, a paddy farmer from the district's Marudhur village, says the river's water has indeed shrunk since SIPCOT built a check dam on it two years ago. "We had two cropping seasons earlier, which has reduced to one due to lack of water," he says. "My income is down 40 per cent." There have been other protests that received national attention - around the Bisalpur dam in Rajasthan's Tonk district in 2005, when five farmers were killed in police firing while demonstrating against diversion of water to Jaipur city; around the Hirakud dam in Orissa's Sambalpur district in 2007 when farmers sought more water from the dam for their lands. As industry grows, such competition with agriculture is likely to multiply. Around 2 billion cubic metres (BCM) of water annually have already been transferred from agriculture to industry in the past decade, according to a study by Pune-based NGO, Prayas. "That quantity of water could have irrigated over 300,000 hectare," says K.J Joy, Secretary, Society for Promoting Participative Ecosystem Management. Industry also claims substantial portions of dam stored water. Shripad Dharmadhikarya, who runs the NGO Manthan Adhyayan Kendra, which researches water and energy related issues, informs that a white paper released by the Water Resources Department in Maharashtra in November 2012 notes that of the 8,450 million cubic metre (MCM) of water made available by large and medium irrigation projects in the state annually, 1,146 MCM goes to the Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC), 1,455 MCM to thermal power stations, 497 MCM to Maharashtra State Power Generation Co (MAHAGENCO) and 3,050 MCM to various municipal corporations. Yet, in a growing economy, can the needs of industry be denied? Overall, 80 per cent of water is still used by agriculture. "We should look at the complete picture instead of engaging in a blame game," says K.B. Biswas, Chairman, CGWA. "Agriculture is the single largest water consumer and will always remain so. But the impact of consumption by industry is more visible because the usage is concentrated in certain areas. Still, it is possible to monitor industry's water use, impose checks and insist on compliance. What about farming practices where water intensive crops are being grown in water-stressed areas, such as paddy in Punjab and Haryana?" Dharmadhikarya also points to Western Maharashtra, where widespread cultivation of sugarcane has contributed considerably to the prevailing water stress. Pradeep Purandare, former Associate Professor at Water and Land Management Institute (WALMI), blames Maharashtra's sugar lobby. "Only 5 per cent of the total cultivated area in Maharashtra is under sugarcane, and barely 6 per cent of its farmers cultivate the crop. But almost 70 per cent of water is hijacked by sugarcane because of this lobby." Sugarcane needs 1,500-2,500 million cu m. of water during a total growing period of 270-365 days. And these conflicts may well be just the beginning. "Climate change will give rise to extreme events and there will be long, dry spells impacting agriculture-based livelihoods," says Joy. "Evaporation and transpiration rates will increase, which means we will need more water for the same amount of agricultural production, leading to more demand and more conflicts." There is a proposal to ensure that only INR 2,500 is charged per ticket for one-hour flights, government told the Lok Sabha on Tuesday amid concerns expressed by members over exorbitant airfares. The government also said it will hold consultations with the airlines to explore the possibility of curbing the menace of charging exorbitant airfares during emergency situations. "The Ministry will commence the process of consultations with stakeholders, including airlines, to explore possibilities ... of containing fares," Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju said while replying to a debate on Demand for Grants for the Ministries of Civil Aviation and Tourism which was approved by the House later. During the debate, members voiced concern over exorbitant airfares during emergency situations like unprecedented floods in Chennai and Srinagar and the recent Jat agitation. Raju said that during the Chennai floods, the airlines did help the government to evacuate stranded people by operating flights from Arakonam air base to Bengaluru and Hyderabad. He said airlines also came forward to operate additional flights during floods in Srinagar, earthquake in Nepal and the Jat agitation in Haryana. When a member from south Indian state of Kerala complained of exorbitant fares on the Gulf route, the Minister remarked, "we can control only things in India". Minister of State for Civil Aviation Mahesh Sharma said the government is working on strengthening regional air connectivity and in this regard, there is a proposal to ensure that only INR 2,500 per ticket is charged for one-hour flights. Raju said a comparative study undertaken by the Ministry for January-March 2013 and the same period during 2016 showed a reduction of 18.10 per cent in airfares. This shows that the airlines are passing the benefits from lower ATF (Aviation Turbine Fuel) costs to the passengers, he added. In recent times, concerns have been expressed in various quarters about rising airfares despite fall in fuel prices, which account for over 40 per cent of a carrier's total operating costs. Raju denied knowledge of any proposal from Kerala government for starting an airline by the state government. "There has not been even an application...Imaginary questions are being asked," the Civil Aviation Minister said, adding "We have not denied any airline that has applied... Four airlines have got permission (in the last two years)... No such Kerala airline has applied." During the debate, Congress member K C Venugopal had said the Kerala government had proposed to launch an airlines Air Kerala that would mainly cater to people from the state living in Gulf countries. He asked the Centre to expedite the proposal. On the purchase of 68 aircraft by Air India during the UPA regime, Raju said the matter is before the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) which has taken oral evidence and the matter is going to come up before the panel this month. The Minister said that Air India has reported operating profit of Rs 8 crore in the last financial year (2015-16) as against the loss of Rs 2,686 crore in 2014-15. Raju said there has been robust growth in the civil aviation sector which has grown by 21 per cent and at present, India is ninth in the world in terms of passenger traffic. The aim is to become the third largest civil aviation economy by 2022, he added. The last two years have witnessed substantial growth in the civil aviation sector where the seats in flights have grown from 66,758 to 74,499 on daily basis, which is a 12 per cent rise, he said. The Minister said civil aviation regulator DGCA will soon provide as many as 166 services online and the first set in this regard will be launched this month. According to Raju, all airlines are strictly adhering to the route dispersal guidelines and performace of all of them was in "excess of target". The national civil aviation policy is being formulated in consultation with all stakeholders. With regard to problems faced by Air India in its Boeing 787 fleet, Raju said some bottlenecks have been sorted out as spares were available. He also said the Ministry is working on setting up no-frills airports. Sharma said despite the country's huge potential, it is getting only around 0.68 per cent of the world's overall tourist arrivals. India received about Rs 1.35 lakh crore from foreing tourist arrivals last year, the Tourism Minister said, while noting that the sector provides about 12 per cent of the employment in the country. To promote medical tourism, Sharma said the government is looking to provide electronic visa (e-visa) for medical purposes. "This is our effort," he noted. According to him, e-visa is being extended to people from 150 countries and the facility has helped in increasing the number of tourist arrivals. He also said that e-visa systems need reforms such as extending the validity and providing multiple entries. "India is a safe country. India is not an unsafe country," Sharma said even as observed that safety is a matter of concern for everyone and a single incident can have multiple effects. "Safety, security and hospitality are the pillars of tourism... We have tried to address all of them," the Tourism Minister noted. On the Tourism Ministry not able to spend its budgetary allocation in the last fiscal, Sharma said that was due to introduction of new schemes for which there was delay from state governments in giving their detailed project reports. As a result, the funds could not be fully utilised, he added. State-run Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency (IREDA) might be converted into a Green Bank to enable it to access funding from overseas banks, a top official said on Wednesday. IREDA might be converted in to Green Bank without under going any altercation in its basic structure to enable it access funding from overseas banks that are currently not supporting the solar and wind funding, barring well-known KFW, IREDA CMD KS Popli said. "With IREDA conversion into Green Bank, it would be entitled to avail of certain benefits, which the agency is currently deprived of and the proposal is being well supported by the Union Power Ministry," Popli was quoted as saying in a statement. Large banks in India are perhaps reluctant to fund the solar and wind projects though no developer in these two segments have defaulted on re-payment though might have delayed the pay off schedule, he added. A green bank provides low-cost financing support to clean and low-carbon projects. Meanwhile, a study by IREDA, Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW), and Natural Resources Defense Council said that India's goal to ramp up solar and wind energy capacity could get a major boost through two fast-growing financing innovations - green banks and green bonds. "As India surges ahead with its RE plan, the availability of finance has not kept pace with the commitments made by developers. Establishing a green bank and accessing green bonds, the reports show, could help overcome this key market barrier," the study said. It said that India needs as much as $264 billion in financing to reach its target of producing 160 gigawatts of power from solar and wind energy by 2022. The clean energy target is the centrepiece of India s climate pledge announced in the international Paris climate agreement recently signed by more than 170 countries at the United Nations. According to the report, just three years ago, green bonds financed about $11 billion projects worldwide. This year the financing could rise to $100 billion. India, meanwhile, has used green bonds to finance only about $1.85 billion in clean energy projects to date. A green bank could offer lower interest charges than traditional banks and tap into international capital to finance solar and wind projects to help India power its cities and rural communities. IREDA, an arm of the Indian government, currently appears to be the closest institutionally to a green bank, the report notes. Yet, opportunities for state level banks also appear promising. Green banks are public entities created to work with the private sector to increase investment in clean energy and bring clean energy financing into the mainstream. They are innovative and new tools that have been successful in the United Kingdom, Australia, Japan, Malaysia and several US. The government plans to save Rs 40,000 crore in foreign exchange on account of lower coal imports this fiscal. Helped by record coal production by the world's largest coal miner Coal India, India reduced its import bill of the dry fuel by around Rs 28,000 crore last fiscal. "Last year (fiscal), we did saving of Rs 28,000 crore in foreign exchange. This year, we are targeting Rs 40,000 crore," Coal and Power Minister Piyush Goyal said in New Delhi. He was addressing the media after the launch of the web portal on 'Contract Labour Payment Management System'. "We would endeavour to... reduce the import of thermal coal and increase the production of domestic coal. Last year, the reduction in foreign exchange outgo because of import of thermal coal was Rs 28,000 crore and this year we are targeting Rs 40,000 crore," the minister said. Coal Secretary Anil Swarup said Coal India's output for this fiscal is fixed at 598 million tonnes (MT). Swarup said Coal India had decided to set up 15 washeries, which are expected to be completed by October 1, 2017. He further said, "Thereafter, ensuring that all coal that has ash content of more that 34 per cent is washed... and we are going well on our target. We are monitoring them very closely. There is not a single coal-based power plant in the country which has critical coal stock position." The thermal power plants in the country have an average coal stock of 26-27 days. The target before us is that there should be no shortage of coal in any coal-based power plant, the minister added. Record coal production by CIL leads to reduction in import by 34.26 million tonnes (MT). Results in a saving of Rs 28,070 crore in foreign exchange during 2015-16, Coal Secretary had earlier said in a tweet. He had further tweeted, imports of the crucial natural resource came down by 27.4 per cent to 15.54 MT in March last fiscal from 21.42 MT during March 2014-15. In 2015-16, Coal India had achieved a production of 536 MT. However, CIL-which accounts for over 80 per cent of the domestic coal production-was eyeing 550 MT in 2015-16. The latest set of forecasts published by the European Commission (EC) yesterday predicts that the Irish economy will grow by 4.9% in 2016. This is up from its previous estimate of 4.5% GDP is expected to grow by 3.5% in 2017. This puts Ireland at the top of the growth league table in all of Europe yet again. For the euro area, the EC expects growth of 1.6% in 2016. This is down from its Winter forecast of 1.7% and is, in fact, modestly above current consensus forecasts, suggesting that there may be further downside risks. The most significant forecast reductions came in Netherlands (from 2.1% to 1.7%), Italy (from 1.4% to 1.1%) and Germany (from 1.8% to 1.6%). Forecasts for France were left unchanged but growth of just 1.4% is expected there. According to Goodbody Stockbrokers, "The Irish economy has clear domestic momentum, but needs some help from the international environment if this solid performance is to be maintained in the medium-term. With forecasts also being reduced in the UK, it is certainly not getting that help from Europe." Source: www.businessworld.ie About us Hays Ireland have today released their latest salary and recruiting report for 2016. The report shows that the Irish labour market is experiencing a period of steady growth. Although unemployment is still over 8.5%, many sectors are already experiencing skills shortages. Furthermore, the report indicates that nine out of ten organisations in Ireland say they will be recruiting this year and this intense competition for skilled professionals is likely to change the recruitment and retention strategies in the future. Irish businesses are increasingly optimistic about the future. Seventy nine per cent of organisations expect increased business activity in 2016 and 86% plan to recruit in the coming 12 months. This positive outlook is particularly apparent across sectors such as IT, construction, life sciences, financial services and insurance. According to the report, 81% of Irish employees are looking to change jobs within the next two years. Less than half (47%) of all employees were satisfied with their salaries but almost two-thirds (62%) expect to receive a pay rise in the next 12 months. Salary increases remain relatively modest as a whole, with some notable exceptions in IT, construction and finance. Over one third (35%) of employers said salaries have increased by 2.5% or more in the last 12 months, with 65% stating that salaries have increased by less than 2.5%, remained the same or even decreased. Managing Director of Hays Ireland, Richard Eardley says, "As economic conditions continue to improve, recruitment is firmly back on the agenda for the vast majority of organisations in Ireland. Irish employees are becoming increasingly confident about their future prospects and are taking the opportunity to look for new roles." He added, "Furthermore, increased business confidence, strong economic growth and major job creation announcements in recent months have not gone unnoticed by employees. Given all these factors, it is now more important than ever before for employers to focus on retention and development strategies in order to retain their staff in an increasingly competitive market." Source: www.businessworld.ie About us Alphabet Inc's Google unit and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV have agreed to work together to build a fleet of 100 self-driving minivans in the most advanced collaboration to date between Silicon Valley and a traditional carmaker, the companies said Tuesday. The deal marks the first time that Google has worked directly with an automaker "to integrate its self-driving system, including its sensors and software, into a passenger vehicle," the companies said in a statement on Tuesday. Google and Fiat Chrysler engineers will work together to fit Google's autonomous driving technology into the Pacifica minivan. Some engineers for both companies will work together at a facility in Southeast Michigan, where Fiat Chrysler has its major North American engineering center, the companies said. Google said it is not sharing proprietary self-driving vehicle technology with Fiat Chrysler, however, and the vehicles will not be offered for sale to the public. The agreement between Google and Fiat Chrysler comes as rival technology and auto companies are accelerating efforts to master the complex hardware and artificial intelligence systems required to allow vehicles to pilot themselves. General Motors Co in March agreed to acquire San Francisco self-driving car startup Cruise Automation . German automakers Daimler AG, BMW AG and Volkswagen AG last year bought digital mapping company HERE to accelerate their autonomous driving development. Some features already available on mass market cars, SUVs and trucks take steps in the direction of replacing a human driver, such as automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise control and automatic lane-keeping. Some analysts said a self-driving minivan would make sense for testing the technology in a fleet of mass transit vehicles deployed in a controlled environment, such as a Google or Fiat Chrysler campus or a city center. "Minivans fit into the transportation fleets easily," said Karl Brauer, a senior analyst at Kelley Blue Book. "They can be a box-on-wheels and can move more humans around." Google's self-driving car engineers had previously purchased Lexus sport utility vehicles made by Toyota Motor Corp and retrofitted sensors and other hardware into the cars on their own. Tuesday's deal holds benefits for both companies. Fiat Chrysler has a net debt pile of 6.6 billion euros. Chief Executive Sergio Marchionne has been trying unsuccessfully for more than a year to convince reluctant rivals, including GM, to consider a merger to spread the rising costs of advanced safety and emissions technology. Fiat Chrysler shares rose more than 2 percent in after market trading after the Google agreement was announced. Google has said that it does not want to build self-driving vehicles on its own and has explored alliances with auto companies, but none have been finalized. Working more closely with Fiat Chrysler could help Google refine its systems as a step toward offering them in regular production cars. The deal does not preclude either FCA or Google from cooperating with others, the companies said in their statement. "The opportunity to work closely with FCA engineers will accelerate our efforts to develop a fully self-driving car that will make our roads safer and bring everyday destinations within reach for those who cannot drive," John Krafcik, chief executive of the Google Self-Driving Car Project, said in a statement. Collaborating with Google provides an opportunity for Fiat Chrysler "to partner with one of the world's leading technology companies to accelerate the pace of innovation in the automotive industry," Marchionne said in a separate statement. The Fiat Chrysler vehicles will more than double Google's testing fleet, which currently includes about 70 Lexus SUVs and small prototype cars designed by Google. Google is now testing self-driving vehicles in four U.S. cities. Executives at other automakers, including GM, Ford Motor and Daimler, have expressed wariness about alliances with Alphabet or other technology companies that could relegate them to the role of hardware suppliers. John Elkann, Fiat Chrysler's chairman, in April dismissed the idea that automakers must shoulder alone the burdens of heavy investments in automated driving or ride sharing. By 2030, Elkann said, fully self-driving cars will likely account for just 15% of global sales. "Boring old car makers need to figure out how to make this profitable and guard against falling into the ... trap of ignoring that business while chasing profits in other parts of the value chain," Elkann said. (Reuters) Source: www.businessworld.ie British clothing retailer Next warned that its sales could fall as much as 3.5% this year if current trends continue, hitting profits, on concerns over a possible further slowdown in consumer spending. Next said that it now expected full-price sales for its 2016-17 year to be between 3.5% lower and 3.5% higher, widening the range from a previous forecast for sales to be down 1% to up 4%. The downgrade was Next's third in five months. "The poor performance of the last six weeks may be indicative of weaker underlying demand for clothing and a potentially wider slow-down in consumer spending," Next said in its statement on Wednesday. The company also blamed a tough weather comparison for the recent negative trends, noting that last year the same period was unusually warm. It said warmer weather in the last few days had driven a pick-up in sales. Next's negative outlook comes as British retail sales fell at the sharpest rate in more than four years last month, after cold weather turned shoppers away from new spring and summer clothes, the Confederation of British Industry said last week. Next said that as a result of its uncertainty over sales it was also cutting its pretax profit forecast and now expected profit in the range of 748 million pounds to 852 million pounds, compared to a previous range of 784 million pounds to 858 million pounds. Analysts currently expect Next to report annual pretax profit of 829 million pounds according to Thomson Reuters data. The retailer, which trades from over 500 shops in Britain and Ireland and about 200 in more than 40 countries overseas, said total sales fell 0.2% in the 13 weeks to May 2, its fiscal first quarter, with full price sales down 0.9%. (Reuters) Source: www.businessworld.ie Flagstaff cardiology patients are raising concerns about where theyre supposed to go and if their cardiologist is still available after the cardiac outpatient and rehab services at Flagstaff Medical Center closed Monday and were transferred to Mountain Heart and DeRosa Physical Therapy. I dont know whats happening, said Linda Quinn, a heart patient at the Heart & Vascular Center. I havent heard anything from my doctor or the hospital. The hospital didnt ask for any input from the patients on this. It can take a long time for a patient to find a doctor that meets their needs. FMC really had a nice thing going with the Heart & Vascular Center, Quinn said. Don Luther, who helps facilitate the Mended Hearts Support Group for patients who have had a heart attack or heart surgery, said he is not concerned about the transition. Cardiac rehab was a great place to make connections with people who are recovering from heart disease. The nursing staff there was plugged in to all the cardiac activity in the hospital. Their information and caring was invaluable to us Mended Hearts volunteers, and to the patients under their purview, he wrote in an email. It will take a while for the dust to settle as to our function and interaction with the patients and caregivers in this new environment. But knowing the fine folks at Mountain Heart who are taking over this care, in partnership with DeRosa Physical Therapy, Im sure that something can be worked out for our continued functioning. Mary Carter, who has been going to the Heart & Vascular Center for six and a half years, said she was concerned about her doctor and her records. Where are my records? Are they here? Are they there? Did they go with my doctor? Is that legal? she asked. What about my prescriptions? Its like starting all over again. Usually, when a doctor transfers records to another doctor you have to fill out a lot of paperwork, Carter said. She wasnt asked to fill anything out. Carter was also worried about getting across town for appointments at Mountain Heart. I havent owned a car in years, she said. She lives close to FMC and rides her bike around town for medical appointments and for grocery and other shopping trips. Mountain Heart is far away for me. She acknowledges that she could take the bus, but prefers the exercise that walking and bike riding gives her. Susan Taylor said she and her husband, Garry, have been seeing cardiologists for regular treatment and therapy at the Heart & Vascular Center at FMC for at least three or four years. She said they had no warning that the outpatient and rehab services were being transferred until she called to make an appointment on Friday and was immediately transferred to Mountain Heart for services. We got a letter from the hospital several months ago saying that they were considering a partnership with Mountain Heart but we havent heard anything about it since, she said. I dont know whats going to happen. I dont know which doctors are going to stay or go over there or leave. Im trying to figure out who will do follow-up care for us. She was also concerned about patients who may travel a great distance to get treatment and then find that they have to visit multiple locations in Flagstaff to get all of their lab work, tests and office visits accomplished, when before the partnership it would have taken one trip to Flagstaff Medical Center. Im not angry, but this confusion needs to be resolved. Something needs to be done to reassure people that theres a number and a name to call for more information, Taylor said. Suzanne Duval, the practice administrator for Mountain Heart, said that patients are more than welcome to call Mountain Heart for details about what happened to their records and their doctors. She said that three FMC doctors, Eric Cohen, Omar Wani and Andrew Atiemo, have moved over to Mountain Heart and will continue to see their patients there. Three other doctors remain listed on the Heart and Vascular Center website for FMC. Duval deferred all other questions to leaders at Northern Arizona Healthcare and Dr. Kent Winkler, one of the founding business partners and the medical director of Mountain Heart. Winkler and Florence Spyrow, FMCs chief administrative officer and Northern Arizona Healthcares executive vice president, are scheduled to speak with the Daily Sun on Thursday. The European Union's highest court on Wednesday upheld a tough EU law that will standardize cigarette packs, ban menthol flavoring and restrict e-cigarette advertising, paving the way for its adoption this month and dealing a blow to Big Tobacco. The European Court of Justice's rejection of a legal challenge brought by Philip Morris International and British American Tobacco (BAT) could weigh on profits for the industry and sets a precedent for other governments to crack down on a habit that causes nearly six million deaths a year worldwide. "The court finds that, in providing that each unit packet and the outside packaging must carry health warnings ... the EU legislature did not go beyond the limits of what is appropriate and necessary," the court said in its decision, which reflected the opinion a court adviser had published in December. The legal challenge, which was also supported by Japan Tobacco International and Imperial Brands, can now be taken no further and the Tobacco Products Directive (TPD) will take effect on 20 May, though wholesalers and retailers will be given a year's grace to sell stocks manufactured before that date. The TPD will ban menthol cigarettes by 2020, standardize packs and impose rules on e-cigarettes, such as limits on nicotine strength, tank size and advertising. The court also said that member states may introduce further packaging requirements, such as the "plain packaging" measures proposed in Britain, France and Ireland. These regulations, aimed at reducing the lure of smoking by forcing tobacco to be sold in uniformly drab packs with no branding, are due to come into force in the UK on 20 May, though the English High Court is expected to rule on another legal challenge brought by the tobacco companies in the coming weeks. Action on Smoking and Health, an advocacy group, said the decision was "welcome if not surprising." Japan Tobacco International, a leading player in the UK with brands such as Benson & Hedges and Camel, said the ruling "endorses the proliferation of different regulations for the same product" and "brings additional confusion." Shares of BAT and Imperial, the two big tobacco firms that trade in London, were each down by about 1%. Imperial also reported weaker than expected sales volume on Wednesday. Imperial Chief Executive Alison Cooper told reporters that the new rules would affect different European markets to varying degrees and could lead to an increase in illicit trade. "Our view on this is that clearly consumers will be making some different choices given some of the changes in the market," Cooper said, adding that Imperial had budgeted tens of millions of pounds for implementation. The impact of TPD remains unclear because of limited precedent. When it comes to plain packaging, only Australia serves as an example. In the year after implementation in Australia in December 2012 sales of mainstream and premium brands fell, but value brands rose, suggesting that smokers traded down to cheaper alternatives. Yet there was a significant increase in tobacco tax at the same time, so it's hard to isolate the impact of the switch to plain packaging. Morningstar analyst Philip Gorham said that margins will be at risk in the UK, with potentially lower sales growth if pricing power is undermined. Wells Fargo analyst Bonnie Herzog said the development was disappointing for the industry but called it a manageable risk. She recommends owning shares of Philip Morris. On plain packaging, Herzog said that the failure of the Australian law to bring any dramatic reduction in smoking suggests that the move in Britain "will result in more 'headline' than actual risk." (Reuters) Source: www.businessworld.ie Panel / The Poetics of Caption, with Wayne Koestenbaum, Jeff Dolven, Robert Slifkin, and Catherine Taylor Date: Saturday, 21 May 2016, 1:303 pm Location: The Whitney Museum of American Art, 99 Gansevoort Street, New York (map and directions here) Free admission; Advance registration through the Whitneys website highly recommended. Please join us for a panel discussion organized on the occasion of the publication of Notes on Glaze (Cabinet Books), a new book by poet and cultural critic Wayne Koestenbaum. The book has its origins in the spring of 2010 when Cabinet invited Koestenbaum to begin writing a regular column. Entitled Legend, the column had an unusual premise; every three months, the editors of the magazine would send Koestenbaum a single image and ask him to write one or more extended captions for it. Drawn from obscure vernacular, commercial, and scientific sources, all of the images were unfamiliar to the author. The volume Notes on Glaze collects all the Legend columns, as well as their accompanying photographs. Notes on Glaze arrives as a serio-ludic manifesto on a basic, ubiquitous, and under-thought modern practice. The panel will provide a taste of the book itself (in the form of a reading by Koestenbaum), as well as responses by three scholars of the relationship between text and imageJeff Dolven, Robert Slifkin, and Catherine Taylor. The aim is to provide some history and context for modern practices of the labeling and glossing of life, and to scrutinize the caption as a form that arbitrates, unremarked, among title, picture, story, and moral. The afternoon will also feature guest appearances by the books impossibly variegated cast of charactersranging from Debbie Reynolds, Duccio, and Barbra Streisand to Hegel, Pee-wee Herman, and Emily Dickinsonas well as a great feast of captions, many baked fresh for the occasion. For more on Notes on Glaze, see here. The audio for this event was not recorded, alas, but we do have these two excellent drawings by artist Lucy Hogg of the various speakers along with small snippets of their presentations and conversation. About the Participants Jeff Dolven is a critic and poet who teaches at Princeton University. He has written on subjects from humanist pedagogy to literary style to player pianos to poisoned milk, and is also an editor-at-large at Cabinet. Wayne Koestenbaum is a poet, critic, painter, and musician. He has previously published seventeen books of poetry, criticism, and fiction, including The Pink Trance Notebooks (Nightboat Books, 2015), My 1980s & Other Essays (Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 2013), Hotel Theory (Soft Skull Press, 2007), and The Queens Throat (Poseidon Press, 1993), a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award. Koestenbaums first solo exhibition took place at White Columns in New York in 2012; a survey of his paintings appeared at the University of Kentucky Art Museum in fall 2015, and a solo exhibition opened in March 2016 at 356 Mission in Los Angeles. He has given piano performances at the Kitchen, New York; REDCAT, Los Angeles, the Whitney Museum of American Art, New York; and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Los Angeles. He has written the libretti for two operasMichael Daughertys Jackie O and Mohammed Fairouzs Pierrot. Koestenbaum has taught at Yale University, both in the English Department and as a visiting member of the painting faculty of the School of Art, and is a Distinguished Professor of English and French at the CUNY Graduate Center in New York. Robert Slifkin is associate professor of Fine Arts at New York Universitys Institute of Fine Arts, where he teaches courses addressing various aspects of modern and contemporary art and culture. He is the author of Out of Time: Philip Guston and the Refiguration of Postwar American Art (University of California Press, 2013), and his essays and reviews have appeared in Artforum, American Art, Art Bulletin, October, and Oxford Art Journal. among other publications. Catherine Taylor is a writer, editor, and teacher who works on a wide range of nonfiction forms. She is the author of the essay Inanimate Subjects, an exploration of autonomy and power that focuses on puppetry and military drones, and Apart, a hybrid-genre book of memoir and political history that combines prose, poetry, cultural theory, and found texts from South African archives (Ugly Duckling Presse, 2012). She is a founding editor of Essay Press, an independent press dedicated to publishing innovative essays in book form. Taylor received her PhD from Duke University and is co-director of the Image Text Ithaca MFA program at Ithaca College. Photos Filip Wolak FILE - In this June 17, 2015 file photo, marijuana plants grow at LifeLine Labs in Cottage Grove, Minn. (AP Photo/Jim Mone,File) A recent UtahPolicy poll is a clear message that two-thirds of the states citizens want to see legalized medical marijuana. It will give legislators something to think about at their monthly interim meetings, if not during the May 18special session. It certainly represents a shift in public opinion. I think most people in Utah dont want legalization for recreational use, said Rep. Ed Redd of Logan, who is also a physician. They dont want whats happened in Colorado and other states. The science is still evolving but a lot of it is positive about some of the beneficial effects that components of the plant can have on certain disease processes. Redd said the challenge is how Utah deals with a schedule one drug like marijuana. The question is how to get it to people that need it without causing problems. Thats where a lot of the concern is raised in the legislature and in the medical community. It is intended the upcoming special session will deal with Gov. Herberts vetoes of some education funding bills and the possibility of another national monument designation in Utah. We have interim days on the third Wednesday of every month between the general sessions, said Rep. Redd. During those days we have committee meetings and discuss possible legislation for the next year as well as budget issues. Its a way to get things moving for the next session. The special session and the legislatures interim day will be held on the same day in May. The Arizona Daily Sun's staff received two honors at the 2015 Arizona Press Club awards. Crime and Courts Reporter Michelle McManimon won first place for community public safety reporting for her series of five articles about the shooting of 24-year-old Flagstaff Police Officer Tyler Stewart. McManimon doggedly pursues every angle in one of the toughest stories a reporter can cover: the murder of a police office," the judges wrote. "In doing so, she brings humanity to the story of the office killed, provides needed background on the killer and gives readers a much better understanding of an event that prompted both grief and questions within the Flagstaff community. The newsroom staff received second place in the community breaking news category for its coverage of the October shooting incident that took place on the Northern Arizona University campus. The judges wrote: The Daily Sun staff pursued multiple angles on this campus shooting story. The sidebar about parents calling and texting their sons and daughters at school was a good angle that a lot of news organizations might not think to cover. Whistleblowers: Antoine Deltour and "LuxLeaks" Published on May 4, 2016 Story by Lucas TRIPOTEAU Translation by: Oriana HENRY en fr it es de pl Antoine Deltours trial, the whistleblower at the centre of the LuxLeaks case, finishes today after opening on the 26th of April in Luxembourg. He risks up to ten years in prison and thousands of euros in fines. Portrait of a man waiting for his sentence with bated breath, but no regrets. Antoine Deltour, despite being all but unknown a few years ago, became famous following the LuxLeaks incident towards the end of 2014. This leak, revealed with the help of the International Consortium for Investigative Journalists (ICIJ), brought legal but unfair tax practices conducted within Luxembourg into the limelight, which had for years negatively affected other European states. The practice allowed European companies to embed themselves within Luxembourg's tax system, incorporating all of its benefits. Under an agreement between the state and society, the taxes of the latter were significantly under the average for other European countries. These revelations were disclosed just as Jean-Claude Juncker, the former Prime Minister of Luxembourg, was taking up his post as President of the European Commission garnering significant media coverage. In the aftermath, the Commission presented an action plan to revaluate corporate taxation on the January 28th 2016. Up to 10 years in prison and a 1,297,500 euro fine Even if this case might lead to tax harmonisation for companies in the European Union, for now it mainly consists of the heavy legal proceedings brought against the whistleblower. The trial of the 34-year-old former employee of PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) closes today in Luxembourg. He risks jail time for revealing classified documentation. The business school graduate is accused of stealing data on taxation rulings from his former employer. In 2010, Antoine Deltour quit PwC. Whilst gathering up his training documentation, he found evidence of these tax arrangements and decided to keep hold of them. A few months later, he contacted the journalist Edouard Perrin also accused in the trial along with a third person who wants to remain unnamed. In 2014, the ICIJ published the results of its investigation on the basis of the whistleblowers purloined documents. For having taken such confidential documents and having passed them on to a third party, Antoine Deltour is charged with theft, the breach of professional secrecy, penetration of a computer network and the possession and distribution of confidential documentation. We contacted one of his lawyers, Philippe Penning, by e-mail. He explained that, for all these accusations, his client risks between one and 10 years in prison, and from 2,752 to 1,297,500 euros in fine. It's thus very difficult to speculate about his sentencing, or to predict the possible impact of the collective mobilisation that has built up around the defendant. European Citizens Prize 2015 Indeed support for the three defendants, and in particular for Antoine Deltour, has always been significant. The website https://support-antoine.org/en/ catalogues a number of personalities and organisations that express solidarity with the former auditor. Among them can be found ATTAC, Oxfam, Les Economistes atterres and the LDH, as well as Edward Snowden, Julian Assange, Daniel Cohn-Bendit, Pascal Lamy and even Erri de Luca. More recently, a support committee in solidarity with Antoine Deltour and Edouard Perrin has been created in Luxembourg made up of activists, human right's campaigners, journalists and Luxembourgian lawyers. All unite to stand up for the defendants' cause because of the "selfless aspect" of Antoine Deltours approach and because they believe in the freedom of information. According to Philippe Penning: "With these two committees and hundreds of public figures supporting him, Antoine Deltour couldnt have hoped for better." Romain Deltour, his brother and also a member of the support committee, said via email: "The support is impressive. Over 100,000 people signed the petition, as well as a very long list of public figures and organisations. The diversity of support is striking. It shows once again Antoine's action is widely recognised to be in the general interest." Moreover, the former employee of PwC has acquired a certain symbolic prestige for his actions after disclosing Luxembourgs tax practices. On the 3rd of June 2015, he received the European Citizens Prize from the European Parliament among 46 other competitors. The prize acknowledges his contribution to "European cooperation and for promoting common values" a considerable diplomatic support. Antoine Deltour was also nominated, along with Edward Snowden and Stephanie Gibaud (UBS), for the Sakharov Prize 2015 rewarding people who bring an "exceptional contribution for the fight for human rights across the world". "Antoine Deltour has no regrets" But how was the main defendant bearing up leading into his trial? According to his lawyer: "Split between concern about the potential personal consequences for himself and his relatives, and the expectations that all potential whistleblowers and people working for a more transparent world have for change." Odile Delhaye, spokesperson for the support committee, commented on France Info a few days ago that Antoine Deltour was "relaxed, as he always is". Anyway, no matter what the verdict might be, the former auditor acted "out of conviction" (as he said to the French newspaper Liberation in December 2014). As his lawyer told us: "Antoine Deltour doesnt regret anything. His regret disappeared after the huge impact his actions had and the great political developments that have resulted from the leak. He acted, moved solely by his conscience, in a completely selfless manner." Romain Deltour adds that: "With hindsight and considering the essential role played by LuxLeaks in renewed public debate, judiciary advances and tax transparency he doesnt regret his actions, even if his current situation really doesnt suit him." The trial is also an occasion to focus on the wider status of whistleblowers, not only in Luxembourg but within the European Union. Contrary to the media campaign carried out by Parliament since the vote on the directive on business secrecy, Penning is rather optimistic in this regard. For him it is "a step forward, but we will need to carefully follow up the process through which it is transcribed in national law". In any case, Luxembourg's legislation is insufficient according to the Minister for Justice, Felix Braz. So are Penning and his client expecting the legal status of whistleblowers to be recognised following the trial? "Yes," he answers. "If not explicitly, at least implicitly. At least a judgement consistent with the almost unanimous condemnation of these 'unacceptable tax practices' along with the willingness to show more transparency." --- This article was published by our local team at cafebabel Brussels. Story by Lucas TRIPOTEAU Translated from Lanceurs d'alerte : Antoine Deltour, le grand LuxLeaks PHOENIX -- State schools chief Diane Douglas and the board of education have agreed to a deal to divide up responsibilities, bringing a pair of lawsuits to an end. The deal, to be offered by Sen. Jeff Dial, R-Chandler, would spell out in law that the education board has sole authority to hire, fire and control its own employees. Douglas had argued the law put the workers under her purview. In return, the board has agreed to give up control of the investigators who look into allegations of teacher misconduct. If HB 2620 becomes law, each side has agreed to drop its lawsuit against the other. Board President Greg Miller praised the deal. "The board will be able to get back to doing its business, which is trying to implement the best policies that we possibly can for kids to be successful,'' he said Tuesday. Douglas spokesman Charles Tack said his boss is pleased that the problems are being worked out without having to spend more time -- and money -- in court. The school chief was elected in 2014, largely on a promise to repeal the Common Core academic standards. A month after taking office she attempted to fire the board's executive director and assistant, calling them "two liberal staff who have publicly stated they will block all efforts to repeal or change Common Core.'' That move fizzled when Gov. Doug Ducey told state personnel officials to keep the pair on the payroll. Ongoing spats eventually led the board to move its workers out of the Department of Education Building. Douglas sued, contending state law gives her control of board employees. She also said the board can only hire a director on her recommendation. A trial judge sidestepped the question, calling it a political dispute. Douglas had filed an appeal. Separately, the board sued Douglas after she refused to give its investigators remote computer access to teacher files. Dial has been trying to work out a deal for months, pointing out that both sides are represented by attorneys being paid for by taxpayers. Fridays news that Arizona Game and Fish Department officials had captured and later euthanized a bear that had wandered into a west Flagstaff neighborhood spawned a wave of emotional reaction that department officials say they rarely see in such situations. Social media lit up with questions about why the bear couldnt have been relocated, harsh critiques of the departments wildlife policies and more general commentary about humans relationship with wildlife as development encroaches further into their natural habitat. A petition was created that calls Game and Fishs policy on the euthanization of male black bears outdated and reactionary. To date, it has garnered 2,200 signatures. Living in Flagstaff, surrounded by National Forest, is a blessing and we accept the risk of encountering wildlife, including predators. We feel it is only acceptable to euthanize an animal when it has become a repeat offender, the petition states. Therefore, we wish to revisit and modify the policy. This land belongs to the animals first. We are the visitors. The state's policy, which dates back two decades, requires that wildlife officials "destroy" any adult male black bear exhibiting unacceptable behavior, found in an unacceptable location or posing a potential threat to human health and safety. It stems from a 1996 incident near Tucson in which an adult male bear that was caught and released by Game and Fish returned to a campground and seriously mauled a teenage girl. But Game and Fish Regional Field Supervisor Larry Phoenix emphasized that the policy wasnt created in a vacuum. Phoenix and other wildlife researchers emphasize that such predator management policies have to take into account not only animals ecology, but also the complex influence of politics, social factors and peoples personal fears and values. We dont want to kill anything, Phoenix said. At the same time, we can't have a bear that finds itself in the middle of town, and has jumped fences and run through parking lots, being captured by us, being released, then having 1996 happen all over again." If such a situation were to happen again, the department certainly would have some liability, Phoenix said. Ken Wilson, head of the Department of Fish, Wildlife and Conservation Biology at Colorado State University, agreed that its unfair to view something like Game and Fishs black bear policy only in the context of science. The risk from wildlife is pretty small compared to the risk of getting in your car and driving, but nobody wants to be injured by a wild animal, its an innate fear. So most policy isnt set by pure science, its set by our liability as humans and the risk, said Wilson, who led a five-year study on bear foraging and bear-human interactions in the Rocky Mountains. Other factors that come into play in managing black bears is the animals propensity to return to their home territory after being relocated. The bears are known to move up to 100 miles in search of food, and Wilson said that in his study in the mountains of Colorado, well over half of the bears returned after being relocated. Whether those bears would be aggressive toward humans is another issue. Considering all the years of bear encounters, the percent of times those encounters are aggressive is very small, Wilson said. I think most bears aren't necessarily going to be bad bears, he said. Phoenix, however, pointed to a 2011 study by a University of Calgary researcher that analyzed fatal predatory bear incidents over the past 100 years and found 92 percent involved adult male bears. That fact, the papers authors wrote, reflects biological and behavioral differences between male and female bears. Even if Game and Fishs policy about black bear euthanization were to change, there are challenges with other ways of dealing with a captured bear, Phoenix said. Due to urbanization, there are fewer and fewer suitable habitat locations that are far enough from rural communities where Game and Fish can release a bear, Phoenix said. The option of collaring the animal and monitoring it also runs into constraints in both cost and staff time, he said. COMPARING BEAR DEATHS Black bears once roamed nearly all of Canada, the United States and northern Mexico. Today, the species range has shrunk drastically but the bear is still found in at least parts of 40 states, much of Canada and northern Mexico. Compared to other states, Arizona, with a population of about 3,000 black bears, is on the low end of human-bear conflicts, Phoenix said. Since 1996, Game and Fish has recorded 11 human attacks by black bears. A woman in Pinetop was seriously attacked while walking her dog in 2011 and three bear attacks were recorded in the Payson area in 2012. Last summer, Game and Fish officers killed a black bear while it attempted for the second time to break into a cabin on Hart Prairie. Statewide, Phoenix said Game and Fish probably euthanizes between 10 and 20 adult male bears or return offending female bears each year. Phoenix estimated about five nuisance bears have been killed in the Flagstaff area in the past decade, he said. The majority of bears the department deals with locally, which ranges from two to nine each year, are females with cubs and yearlings that are caught and then released in locations far from town, Phoenix said. The Arizona Game and Fish Department also considers black bears a big game animal and manages hunts of the animals in the spring and fall. Statewide data from the past five years shows that between 144 and 210 bears have been killed annually by hunters. Hunting season ends for the bears when a certain number of female bears are killed one to three in the Flagstaff area, Phoenix said. OTHER POLICIES Arizonas policy is stricter than neighboring Colorado, which has a two-strike policy for nuisance bears. A bear not exhibiting threatening behavior is generally deterred or relocated on the first instance. Only if it again wanders into human development will it be euthanized. California gives leeway to responding state employees to take whatever action is necessary to protect public safety unless the animal poses an imminent threat, in which case it is humanely euthanized. Wilson said he personally would advocate for a two strike policy. At the same time, every time wildlife officials add another strike there is a higher risk that a human being will be harmed, he said. John Beecham, a former research biologist with the Idaho Department of Fish and Game and now the co-chair of the International Union for Conservation of Natures Bear Specialist Group, said a hard and fast rule on euthanizing bears fails to recognize the variation in bear behavior around humans and the varying likelihood they will become dependent on human food instead of natural foraging. I don't agree with an agency policy that does not have the flexibility to treat each case on its merits, Beecham wrote in an email. There are times when bears need to be euthanized (rather than moved), but you cannot conclude that every bear that comes into conflict with humans will become food-conditioned. To the editor: When in the voting booth, the question of an Arizona Corporation Commission vote has long been an afterthought, a hip-shot, a guess, or a random response for many voters. This needs to change. The Arizona Corporation Commissions formally declared mission is, To recommend thoroughly researched, sound regulatory policy and rates...that are based on a balanced analysis of the benefits and impacts on all stakeholders and are consistent with the public interest. Presently, the commission is composed largely of members who actively violate this mission. "Thoroughly researched, sound policies cannot possibly be based on climate change denial, support of homeowner penalties for going solar or objections to Arizona becoming the alternative energy capital of the US. Tom Chabin is running for a seat on the Corporation Commission. Ive known Tom for over 40 years. His dedication to public service, knowledge of science and related fiscal policies, and promotion of cost-saving technologies long overdue in the 21st Century cannot be considered anything short of Herculean. I support Toms candidacy without qualification or reservation. From one 60-year Arizonan to another, I hope Tom Chabin will be your choice, too. DAN CADY Flagstaff Contributed photos A bas relief shows Henry Gilpin (left), who landed trade goods for Mexico in 1829 at the site where Corpus Christi was later built. A Matthew Brady photo from the Library of Congress shows Gen. Winfield Scott (right) in 1849. When Henry Addington Gilpin landed on the shore of Corpus Christi Bay, where the city is today, no one was there to welcome him. In 1829 it was deserted, 10 years before Henry Kinney built his trading post that later grew into the city. Very little was known about Gilpin. He was a mystery man. Some said he came from Canada, others from Rhode Island, but people knew nothing of his family pedigree. Though they didn't know it at the time, Gilpin came from a well-regarded English family. His grandfather was the Rev. William Gilpin, a celebrated author in England, and his father, John Bernard Gilpin, was a British consul in Rhode Island. Henry was born on May 13, 1808. His mother died when he was 6 and his father retired and moved to Nova Scotia. Henry Gilpin worked in a bank in New Jersey and by some accounts "left suddenly." In 1829 he purchased trade goods and arrived on a schooner from New Orleans. He landed at the site of today's Corpus Christi and went on to Matamoros where he became a trader and business partner of Frederick Belden. While Belden kept the store Gilpin hauled merchandise to Mexico. On a trip in 1833 he carried $80,000 in goods to Zacatecas (worth $2.3 million in today's dollars). In the early 1840s Gilpin and Belden moved to Corpus Christi, which was a good spot to land goods destined for Chihuahua, away from the annoyance of Mexican customs officials. Gilpin was elected chief justice of Nueces County in 1852. At a sheriff's sale, he bought 1,476 acres of land for $50, or 2.9 cents an acre, which became Gilpin's ranch at Penitas. It was 12 miles northwest of San Patricio, 50 miles from Corpus Christi, once part of Nueces County but now in Jim Wells. Gilpin and Belden were partners in another ranch called Carmel. When Belden died in 1868 Gilpin administered the estate for his widow. In 1873, Gilpin was elected to the Texas House in a district that covered 22 counties from Corpus Christi to El Paso. On Good Friday 1875, Gilpin was in a buggy heading to Corpus Christi when he was captured by bandits in the Nuecestown Raid. The bandits made their captives walk or run as they headed for Noakes store. A bandit who knew Gilpin shouted, "Andale! Don Enriquez! Andale!" After Gilpin retired and moved to the ranch, he spent his time studying weather patterns and making astronomical observations. Ruth Dodson, whose family lived nearby, wrote that his house had a wide gallery where the judge liked to sit. He was an exotic neighbor, a courtly man with an English accent who would invite visitors to tea. Several women, Dodson wrote, set their cap for the judge but got nowhere. He lived with a young man named Graham. "They were well suited to be company to each other," Dodson wrote, "although Mr. Graham was much younger." Conventions of the time did not encourage speculation about domestic arrangements. A daughter (which no one knew he had) came to visit the judge. She brought her husband and three children. The later story was that Gilpin was married and the father of two children before he fled to Texas. Gilpin sold the livestock on his ranch and half the land but the proceeds evaporated and he was living in dire poverty when he died on Nov. 11, 1895. Judge Henry A. Gilpin was a man with a mysterious past but whatever secrets he brought to Texas were buried with him. * * * More fuss than feathers Ethan Allen Hitchcock was a senior officer with Zachary Taylor's command at Corpus Christi in 1845 before the war with Mexico. Later in Mexico he joined Gen. Winfield Scott as inspector general. In "Fifty Years in Camp and Field," Hitchcock wrote an account of one of Scott's tirades over punctuation and misspellings in a letter copied by an aide. Scott was known as "Old Fuss and Feathers." As Hitchcock tells it, "A funny scene occurred last evening that would require Dickens to describe. The General called for his letter-book to show me a letter from himself to Commodore Connor. It had been copied by Colonel Edmonson. An error was discovered and the General broke out: 'Colonel Edmonson! Colonel Edmonson!' 'Did you copy this?' " 'Yes, sir.' " 'My dear Colonel! That is not right; that interlineation should be there' (pointing with his finger) 'and not there. Don't you see? The sense requires it. I never wrote it so! It is not sense! You make me write nonsense! You will kill me! I'll commit suicide if you don't follow me. Follow me no matter where I go follow me, if out of a third-story window. I'll commit suicide if you don't!" " 'Send that nonsense to the government? My dear Colonel! Don't you attempt to correct me! And here again over here there should be a period and not a semicolon. The capital letter shows it. How could you make it a semicolon? Correct that on your life.' " 'And there, you've left a space at the beginning of the line! That shows a new sentence; but there was none it was all one sentence in the original! Never leave a space at the beginning of a line except when beginning a new sentence. There! You've put a 'g' in Colonel Hardin's name. I'll bet a thousand ten thousand dollars to a farthing there was no 'g' in the original. I'll agree to be shot tomorrow morning if I put a 'g' in the original. " 'Follow me follow me. I'll kill myself if you don't! I'll kill six others and then kill myself! I'll die before I send such a copy to the government! What would be said of me? That I write nonsense and don't know how to spell Colonel Hardin's name! Hardin d-i-n there is no 'g' in it and never was! No matter how strange the spelling follow me. Don't you attempt to correct my spelling!'" Hitchcock said that was a fraction of the general's angry outburst. Besides being a great general, Old Fuss and Feathers was a man with a colossal ego and monstrous vanity. And apparently, when it came to grammar and spelling, he was a tyrannical nit-picker. Like a few editors I have known. Murphy Givens is the retired Viewpoints editor of the Caller-Times. Email him at givens.murphy@gmail.com. A general rule of thumb says that when something is not working, you should stop doing that thing as fast as possible. For example, if you are hitting your thumb with a hammer, you should stop swinging that hammer until you get your thumb out of the way. Or, if some obstacle is possibly depriving thousands, and even possibly hundreds of thousands, of their rights as citizens, then that obstacle should quickly be removed. Or at least that might a reasonable conclusion in the case of Texas' photo ID law which so far has been struck down by two courts. And yet the law that is the strictest of all states that have such a photo requirement continues in effect. Why? The Texas law, passed by the Legislature in 2011, requires voters to present on appearance at the polling place not only their voter registration card, but also certain types of government documents with a photo. But not just any government documents. A college I.D. card doesn't qualify. Neither does a federal ID such as a federal worker carries. Only a Texas driver's license, a U.S. passport, a concealed gun permit, a U.S. military ID card, a U.S. citizenship certificate with a photo, or a Department of Public Safety ID card are accepted. Those without such IDs can obtain an election identification certificate from the DPS. The effect of the law, federal judge Nelva Gonzales Ramos of Corpus Christi ruled in 2014, is that about 600,000 voters could potentially be denied the right to vote because they lacked such documentation. Greg Abbott, then Texas' attorney general and now governor, argued that the law was necessary to combat voter fraud. Ramos, however, said the law was part of a "shameful" state history of discrimination against minorities that went back to the poll tax, literacy tests and other intended obstructions to the voting booth. Last year, a three-judge panel of the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals agreed with Ramos that the law is discriminatory. So now the trial court and an appeals court has said the law is bad. And they've said it in no uncertain terms. And yet the law goes on. Shortly after Ramos' ruling in 2014, the federal appeals court stayed her order, saying it was too close to the election for things to change. That was upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court though the highest court has yet to hear the argument on the merits. The same appeals, which had upheld the trial court last summer, urged both sides to come up with a compromise. Where would we be if Brown vs. the Board of Education, the landmark case that ended school segregation of African-American children, had been treated in the same way? Huh, we know it's wrong to segregate black children but changing this would be difficult. Is there a way for segregationists to come up with a compromise? Just how do you come up with a compromise of someone's civil rights? How can the suspension of someone's civil rights be justified? When the U.S. Supreme Court first refused to block the photo ID law in 2014, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg wrote a blistering dissenting opinion. "The greatest threat to public confidence in elections in this case," Ginsburg wrote, "is the prospect of enforcing a purposefully discriminatory law, that likely imposes an unconstitutional poll tax and risks denying the right to vote to hundreds of thousands of eligible voters." What about that voter fraud by appearance at a voting booth that Abbott warned about and which his successor, present state Attorney General Ken Paxton, still maintains is the threat that the photo ID guards against? Well, it's a stretch the size of a Texas tall tale to believe that the two convictions of voter fraud over 10 years constitutes the tip of an iceberg of voter deception. The full Fifth Circuit is supposed to hear arguments in the case next month. The U.S. Supreme Court said that after the lower court rules, it may yet step in again possibly remove the stay on Ramos' order. All this might happen just months before the November general election. Already that discriminatory law has affected state and local elections, serving as a barrier to hundreds of thousands of citizens whose only failing is that they can't afford to obtain a birth certificate or a birth certificate is simply unattainable to them. But I think that truth was probably already known to the writers of the photo ID law. How long can someone's civil rights be knowingly put aside? Nick Jimenez has worked as a reporter, city editor and editorial page editor for more than 40 years in Corpus Christi. He is currently the editorial page editor emeritus for the Caller-Times. His commentary column appears on Wednesdays and Sundays. SHARE Caller-Times By Fares Sabawi of the Caller-Times It's only fitting that the city Selena Quintanilla Perez called home would host a festival in her honor. The two shared an unbreakable bond, according to the Tejano superstar's sister. "Selena has always loved her city and where she was from," said Suzette Quintanilla Arriaga, CEO of Q Productions, Inc. "She was always proud of Corpus Christi. I believe very much that Corpus feels the same way about her." Fans from all over the world will flock to Fiesta De La Flor this weekend and organizers have been hard at work making the event bigger in its second year than the first. Last year, roughly 10 food trucks and 15 artisans set up shop for the Selena-themed weekend. But with bigger crowds expected officials knew they had to expand the offerings. Forty food trucks and 80 artisans have signed up for this year's two-day event, said Paulette Kluge, CEO of the Corpus Christi Convention & Visitors Bureau. The festival, which once spanned Shoreline Boulevard from Power Street to Resaca Street, has spread out to include even more venues. This year its reach extends to the American Bank Center and Art Museum of South Texas. More space allows for a bigger kids zone, expanded beer and food stations and a bigger mercado with artisan vendors. The extra room is also needed to hold the 70,000 fans that are expected to take part in this year's Fiesta de la Flor. "Mainly, we've doubled the size of the footprint," Kluge said. The second annual event is also expected to again bring in revenue that will benefit the city and local vendors, Kluge said. The CVB retained all of last year's sponsors and added new attractions this year, including screening the movie "Selena" in the Selena Museum and the McDonald's Fiesta Tour, a mobile museum dedicated to Latin Grammy winners. "There are a couple of surprises too," Kluge said. Police feel better prepared to handle Fiesta de la Flor this year. Last year's event coincided with Wings Over South Texas and heavy rain, wearing police resources thin. "We knew from our side the traffic control plan was similar," police Capt. Billy Breedlove said. "The thing we have working for us is there's no other major event at the same time." Breedlove said planning meetings for Fiesta de la Flor started in November. It was a long-term process involving the city's traffic engineer and staff from the buildings in that area, Breedlove said. Police will keep an eye on the festival with their mobile command center, which has recently been equipped with new monitors and more cameras. Some downtown road closures around Resaca and Power streets begin Wednesday. The newly-established bike unit will also work the exterior of Fiesta de la Flor, keeping the peace and helping tourists find whatever they need. "Bike officers will be ambassadors to the city," he said. "We want them to make folks feel like this is a safe place." Corpus Christi RTA buses will get fans to the festival with park-and-ride routes. Buses will pick people up from City Hall and the Nueces County Courthouse. "The big thing we want people to do is taking the park-and-ride," Breedlove said. "That was really successful last year." The city is ready to host an event this size, Kluge said. She hopes it will be a staple for years to come. "We want this to be an event that people look forward to every year," she said. "They'll know it's going to be something new and exciting and trendsetting." Twitter: @Caller_Fares IF YOu GO What: Fiesta de la Flor When: Gates will open at 5:30 p.m. Friday and 10 a.m. Saturday. Where: North Bayfront Park, American Bank Center and Art Museum of South Texas Cost: Tickets will be $10; $15/two day passes; Children 7 and younger will receive free admission. Information: Ticketfly.com, www.fiestadelaflor.com and Facebook.com/fiestadelaflorcc CONTRIBUTED PHOTO Border Patrol agents found eight undocumented immigrants in a refrigerated tractor-trailer. SHARE By Fares Sabawi of the Caller-Times Border Patrol agents found eight undocumented immigrants hidden inside a refrigerated tractor-trailer Sunday morning at the Falfurrias checkpoint, according to a news release. During an inspection of the truck, a K-9 unit alerted agents to inspect the vehicle further. When they did, agents discovered eight people hiding between pallets of cabbage. The temperature inside the trailer was 38 degrees, according to the release. The driver and passenger, both U.S. citizens, were arrested. The undocumented immigrants declined medical attention and will be processed for deportation. Twitter: @Caller_Fares SHARE Deases By Julie Garcia of the Caller-Times A man landed behind bars after breaking his shoulder when he crashed a stolen vehicle, police said. About 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, Corpus Christi police and port police were taking a report of a stolen pickup from a convenience store in the 1140 block of Cantwell Street. A port officer told Corpus Christi police the 2004 Ford F-250 pickup was being tracked by On Star, an in-vehicle security system. The system alerted officers the pickup was in the 4600 block of South Staples Street, according to a police news release. An officer found the pickup with a 39-year-old man inside near the intersection of South Padre Island Drive. The 39-year-old man tried to speed away but crashed the pickup into a 2015 Ford Mustang that was being driven by a 16-year-old boy. The suspect ran away before he put the pickup in park and it continued to roll into a police cruiser. Officers caught up with the 39-year-old man. He suffered a broken shoulder and was treated at Christus Spohn Hospital Memorial before being taken to the City Detention Center. Esteban Deases Jr. was arrested on suspicion of two counts of unauthorized use of a vehicle and evading arrest. He is at Nueces County Jail with bail set at $55,500. Twitter: @Caller_Jules COURTNEY SACCO/CALLER-TiMES Fannie Blunter Nason Renewal Center's Spirit Center held its ground breaking Tuesday, May 3, 2016. SHARE COURTNEY SACCO/CALLER-TiMES Mayor Nelda Martinez speaks during the ground breaking ceremony for Fannie Blunter Nason Renewal Center's Spirit Center on Tuesday, May 3, 2016. COURTNEY SACCO/CALLER-TiMES Bishop Michael Mulvey leads a prayer at the start of the Fannie Blunter Nason Renewal Center's Spirit Center ground breaking ceremony Tuesday, May 3, 2016. COURTNEY SACCO/CALLER-TiMES Bishop Michael Mulvey blesses the land where the Fannie Blunter Nason Renewal Center's Spirit Center will be built during its ground breaking ceremony Tuesday, May 3, 2016. By Fares Sabawi of the Caller-Times BLUNTZER Bishop Michael Mulvey remembers how one of his first acts as leader of the Diocese of Corpus Christi involved signing a donation request for the Spirit Center. "I feel connected to a part of it," Mulvey said. Mulvey and Corpus Christi Mayor Nelda Martinez joined the Fannie Bluntzer Nason Renewal Center board of directors Tuesday afternoon to break ground, paving the way for a project that has been discussed in some capacity as far back as 1997, according to a previous Caller-Times story. The Spirit Center will include an activity hall that can fit nearly 200 people and dormitories that can house 96 people. Local church leaders will be able to use the location for youth retreats. Set back about a mile from any roads, the Spirit Center will be the perfect place for religious reflection, Mulvey said. "There is nothing that can replace a moment of silence," Mulvey said. "In that looking at yourself, you find God." There is no deadline for completion yet, board member Joe Coco said. The project is still in its engineering phase, but Coco said the goal is to make the buildings as self-sustaining as possible. The buildings are designed to run on clean energy and conserve water. "We wanted to preserve the trees, the foliage and the wildlife habitat as much as we can," Coco said. Sisters of the Incarnate Word and Blessed Sacrament received the land in 1964 from the Bluntzer family. The nuns eventually sought to develop the land for public use in the family's honor. Mulvey said he expects the retreat to empower the future of South Texas. "Everything that proceeds from here ... will hopefully impact many lives," Mulvey said. Twitter: @Caller_Fares SHARE By Julie Garcia of the Caller-Times Officials have identified a woman who was killed after being hit by a tractor-trailer on U.S. Highway 77 before dawn in late April. Rosmery Marisol Roblero Monterroso, 25, was killed when she ran into the path of a 2015 Freightliner tractor-trailer about 5:28 a.m. April 28 on U.S. Highway 77 about half a mile north of Armstrong in Kenedy County, according to a Texas Department of Public Safety news release. The tractor-trailer's driver was not injured. Monterroso was identified by her family who said she is a native from San Pedro, Guatemala. Twitter: @Caller_Jules SHARE As Texans recover from recent intense rain, we applaud the local Republican and Democratic leaders who are coming together to respond to the crises on the ground. When contrasting this to Washington, D.C., we often lament that a loss of bipartisanship on the Hill has left our government unable to respond to big risks anymore. But, with the excitement here at home, Texans could be excused for missing an important development late last month. On April 20, five Republicans and five Democrats held the first hearing of the new bipartisan Climate Solutions Caucus in the House. Any reach across the aisle is laudable, but given that the topic was one of the most politically divisive of all, climate change, this was a remarkable step. Their goal? To figure out what policies the United States should consider to mitigate and prepare for future climate risks. Just as Texans need to insure for flood risk, we need to take out a national insurance policy to manage climate risks. Ironically, that same week, Rep. Steve Scalise of Louisiana added six co-sponsors to his Republican-only resolution that says a carbon tax would be detrimental to the U.S. economy. At first glance, this resolution appears to counter the work of the Climate Solutions Caucus. However, most economic models actually agree with Rep. Scalise. A carbon tax, all on it's own, may slow economic growth in the short term because it generates lots of new government revenue that is removed from the private economy. So, when considering what "insurance policy" the U.S. should take out to manage climate change risks, the Climate Solutions Caucus is faced with several options. Rep. Scalise and his co-sponsors have done a good job explaining that the straight "carbon tax" insurance policy has a high premium. What can be done instead? To be sure, there is a lot to like about a straight carbon tax it's predictable, transparent, tough to cheat, and gives industry exactly the certainty it needs to plan its future investments (as opposed to an opaque regulatory approach). However, diverting so much revenue to the government makes it an economic loser. That is precisely why many others, from ExxonMobil to reliably conservative think tanks in Washington like the R-Street Institute, continue to point out that any carbon price must be REVENUE-NEUTRAL. This basically means the government doesn't keep the money, but instead it is all returned to the economy in some way. This revenue neutrality may sound like a subtle difference, but it's not it's a game changer that alters the economics dramatically. How, you ask? By returning the revenue to American households, whether through a "tax swap" where we cut income taxes or through a "dividend check" where each household gets an equal check, this puts money back into the hands of consumers. And consumers who emit the least will actually come out ahead, paying less in carbon fees than they'll receive in the dividend check in fact it's estimated that 66 percent do. Conservative economists have been vocal supporters of a revenue-neutral carbon price for decades, including former Reagan folks like George Shultz and Art Laffer. Many models now confirm the suspicion that this policy could be economically stimulative, including from libertarian think-tanks like the American Enterprise Institute. So where does that leave us? The Climate Solutions Caucus is faced with one insurance policy option that Rep. Scalise has demonstrated comes with a high premium: the straight carbon tax. Then there is a large and growing chorus of folks supporting another option with much lower premiums: the revenue-neutral carbon price. This proves to be a no-regrets approach: if the climate scientists are right, we have done our due diligence. If they're wrong, we still enjoy a stronger economy and cleaner air. Sometimes it takes a large threat to set aside our differences and work together. The flooding in Texas was a clear example of that, and it was mirrored by the bipartisan Climate Solutions Caucus coming together in D.C. to seek solutions to climate risk. I encourage our Texan representatives to join this conversation in Washington. A new platform of opposition parties and civil society organizations have called on Moise Katumbi to be their candidate for presidential election. ADS After the G7 group of political parties endorsed the former Katanga Governor, Moise Katumbi Chapwe last March as their candidate for the upcoming presidential election, another platform of 16 political parties and civil society organizations called Change for the Republic, have joined the endorsement caravan. The opposition platform declared their support for Katumbi on May 1, 2016 in a rally in the town of Fikin in the Democratic Republic of Congo. One of the opposition leaders, Delly Sesanga, President of the l'Envol et coordonnateur de l'Alternance pour la Republique, party explained that they have chosen Katumbi as their candidate owing to his experience, popularity, legitimate fight in resolving youth unemployment and fight against poverty. Delly Sesanga, RFI cited, further said by choosing Katumbi their candidate, they aim at the transformation of the country through a common programme he would pilot. Reports say, the platform is the third political grouping to declare Katumbi their candidate for the presidential election expected in November 2016. A group of nationalists started the calls and were followed by the G7 group of political parties. Mr Katumbi has reportedly not yet made a declaration with regard to the various calls. International Business Times cited him of saying after the G7 declared their support for him that he was honoured to have their confidence. As for accepting the offer, he was quoted as saying that, "I will give my position on the candidacy soon but the priority today is to agree on a common candidate. He said he was continuing consultations in Europe for the unity of the opposition. He further declared that, "I am also consulting all the forces to have a single opposition candidate." One official of the G7, Didier Molisho justified their choice by the fact that, "Moise Katumbi Chapwe presents the ideal profile to assume such leadership and realise the common programme in government of the G7." Moise Katumbi resigned from the ruling Peoples Party for Reconstruction and Democracy (PPRD) in September 2015 after accusing President Joseph Kabila of attempting to subvert the constitution and stay in power. ADS Upon arrival in Nigeria, the First Couple of Cameroon was treated to a warm welcome from Cameroonians living in Nigeria as well as Nigerians. ADS Inhabitants of Abuja, the capital city of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, saluted the entrance of Cameroons First Couple into their city on May 3, 2016, with an honorary reception during which President Paul Biya was handed the key of the city of Abuja by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Muhammadu Bello. At about 11:00 am, when the Boeing 767-200 aircraft, bearing President Paul Biya and Wife, Chantal Biya, hit the tarmac of Abujas Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, for an official visit, the Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Professor Yeni Osinbajo and wife, Oludolapo Osinbajo were on hand to receive them amidst songs and dance from Cameroonians living in Nigeria as well as the Federal Capital Territory Cultural groups; the Gbagyi and the Yoruba. Before receiving the key of the city of Abuja, Cameroons First Couple was handed two bouquets of fresh flowers from a little girl, Tehilah Lemo and a boy, Ameh Akwashiki. The warm reception continued as the Presidential Couple, while walking on the red carpet, could not resist the dancing styles from the Federal Capital Territorys cultural groups. As such, Paul and Chantal Biya stepped out of the red carpet, moved towards the dancers to show some appreciation. The climax of it all was when Paul and Chantal Biya came out of the airports Presidential Lodge to ride in a presidential limousine for the Transcorp Hilton Hotel, where they will be hosted during their stay in Abuja. Cameroonian nationals from all 36 states of the Nigerian federation had gathered in front of the airport, in a show of solidarity and oneness that has become characteristic of President Biyas visits abroad. It was a historic moment for Cameroonians living in the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Crowds of joyful compatriots thronged the streets and strategic avenues of the Federal Capital Territory, as the convoy carrying President Paul Biya and Wife, drove past the streets of Abuja. These Cameroonians, who were mostly militants of the Cameroon Peoples Democratic Movement (CPDM), did not just shout in joy but also carried the effigies of President Paul Biya and Wife as well as that of the President of Federal Republic of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari. The Secretary General of the Cameroon Community in Nigeria, Dr Celestine Nse said despite the scorching sun, they could not stay back from coming to welcome the First Couple of Cameroon, whom he called august guest. According to Celestine Nse, it is a heroic visit to Cameroonians living in Nigeria because it is a sign that the State visit is an opportunity to reinforce the bonds of oneness that exist within the fabric of Cameroons Nigeria-based community. A Cameroonian teaching at the French Institute in Nigeria, Seraphine Ngo-Keng said they are greatly committed to ensure that the President and his Wife feel at home. Cameroons High Commissioner to Nigeria, Salaheddine Abbas Ibrahima said such a depth of commitment is a message to the entire world, and particularly the people of Nigeria, that Cameroonians love their President, and those in Nigeria are happy and proud to receive him and his entourage ADS Sabar itu subur (Patient people thrive) is an adage Indonesian parents have their taught children for generations. And while patience remains a virtue, new cash-rich, time-poor dynamics mean Indonesian consumers now expect brands to come to them, and not the other way around, according to Henry Manampiring, executive director of strategic planning at Leo Burnett Indonesia. Typical of rapidly developing economies, worsening traffic jams plague urban dwellers who have begun to find it too troublesome to travel within the city areas unnecessarily. They just no longer have patience to endure being stuck in traffic, resulting in a males gerak [too lazy to move] culture, Manampiring said. A shrewd brand taking advantage of this is Go-Jek, a startup that puts Jakartas traditional motorcycle taxi on steroids, Manampiring said. It is the first company to utilise mobile apps so Jakartans and Surabayans can order a two-wheeler from their smartphones while stuck in standstill traffic. In gridlock, these taxi drivers, or ojeks, can work their way between helpless cars or navigate narrow alleys. Seeing other potential goldmines from positioning itself as a time-saver, Go-Jek has expanded into office courier services, cashless payments, food delivery, bus-route planning and even concert logistics. Here, impatience translates to money, Manampiring said. Go-Jek is part of an interesting breakthrough with utility applications, observed VML Indonesias head of digital, Piotr Jakubowski. Indonesians also turn to Waze, the crowdsourced real-time traffic update app, in attempts to deal with their turtle-paced journeys. The chaotic realities of life have at the same time increased consumer expectations for brand responses significantly, pointed out Jakubowski. Especially when problems or complaints arise, brands can no longer wait to provide responses, and many have beefed up their social strategies to address these issues." Telkomsel, for example, prides itself on having built the worlds fastest Twitter customer-service team, with a response time of minutes instead of hours. Patience is now the virtue of the dead, said Pradeep Harikrishnan, technical advisor at IPG Mediabrands Indonesia. A truer description for urban upper-middle-class millennials, he said, is a generation that seeks instant gratification and is in a tearing hurry to accomplish something, be it success at work or acquiring a new gadget launched by Apple." So, these consumers tend to shop online and avoid the pain of going out to the stores since traffic and pollution are unavoidable. Time is a precious commodity for this generation, Harikrishnan added. While Go-Jek is a good story for filling a latent need for speedliterallyin the market, there are a few other instances in the food sector that have been successful in being quick. Heinz ABC introduced variants of traditional chilli sauces (see one variant below) that eliminated the chore of grinding the ingredients from scratch. Sosro filled Indonesians cups with ready-to-drink tea for those with no patience for long brewing processes. Over the last two to three years, impatience has also caused a shift in communication themes. Patience is not completely in line with youth values anymore, echoed Manasi Trivedi, strategic planning director at McCann Indonesia. Brands in categories ranging from telecommunications, e-commerce to technology are all rallying millennials to maximise their potential with here and now themes. Mizones This is the time campaign and XL Indonesias Now you can campaign both ride on the wave of positivity and confidence in achieving ones dreams in the shortest time possible, Trivedi said. This is also reflected in the rise of social-media stars in Indonesia showcasing their talent on YouTube: Isyana Saraswati and GAC (the band) being good examples. However, when it comes to gender equality, advertising is playing catchup in Indonesia. Most ads succumb to showing the woman to be a serving, 'others first', needing permissibility sort of a woman, Trivedi said. When you look at history, Indonesia has had female revolutionaries who set the path for education," Trivedi added. "Indonesia has had a woman as president. Women tend to be strong influencers or decision-makers. In some cases, women are the key stakeholders to progress. From being passive acceptors of fact, women should be seen as an instrumental zeitgeist of change in the country." More and more Indonesian women are internalising this belief, she said, citing Hijab fashion paraded on runways and female entrepreneurs smashing glass ceilings as cultural glimpses of this trend. While conversations about women are underway, most brands are neither sensitive nor agile enough, Trivedi said. There are opportunities here for marketers, but they cannot be too slow. With nearly 70 million Facebook users, 29 million Twitter users and 4 million Path users, brands must know that each and every Indonesian consumer could become an ally or a critic on these socially enabled platforms, especially on socially charged topics. One must be careful, too, in believing Jakarta is representative of Indonesias population of 250 million. The digital media landscape in this vast archipelago spread across 5,000 populated islands is not yet defined properly, said Harry Deje, director of digital and technology at Burson-Marsteller Indonesia, who clarifies that his statements are his own and not of his employers. No generalisations can be made regarding media consumption behaviour for all Indonesians in all the various geographies and demographics. This is despite the market being the fastest in technological adoption, he says. Some people are living in a more advanced stage of anything with internet access anytime and anywhere; some are behind on the digital wagon. Hence, Yasir Riaz, managing director at Starcom Mediavest Group Indonesia, advocates marketers hurry up with gathering data around people. Somehow, we were focusing too much on gathering data around media and brands, and not around the consumer, Riaz said. In fact, the speed at which such data is available has made static media planning less relevant and less effective, he notes. Our clients who understand the value of data have already started DMP deployments at their end to organise their first-party data and enrich it with second- and third-party data sets. Even with all of the growth that has taken place in the industry, some marketers still struggle when it comes to justifying the ROI of content. A common misconception, and one that continues to pervade companies of all sizes, is that content is an asset created to influence only top-of-funnel actions, and cant directly translate into sales. Many still question whether you can really leverage different content formats to bring prospects from brand awareness to consideration, intent, and lastly, action. Thats easy to understand when 'content marketing = traffic' has functioned as the equation. Because sure, content marketing is a very effective way of driving targeted audiences to owned pages. But thats not all. Lately, were seeing more and more brands successfully tackle cross-funnel customer journeys with smart content strategies. How are they doing that? A few ways: Long-form video engagement Mobile-optimised content Clear CTAs Content landing pages. In return, theyre delivering on leads, making sales and giving greater meaning to content ROI. Putting banners to bed Armed with content, it has made sense up until now to seek effective channels like display or even paid social for driving cross-funnel engagement. But unsurprisingly, marketers have struggled to produce lasting levels of engagement with push formats like popups, pre-rolls, and banners, as they are disruptive and offer very little value to audiences who may not be ready to move through the funnel. After all, the 'in-feed' and 'opt-in' environment is a much more intrinsic and natural way to capture audience attention. So, whats been working then, for these successful brands? Capturing the interest moment by creating in-feed experiences. Today, global fashion brands like Reiss are using content discovery to authentically capture audience attention by being in the feed and delivering value in an opt-in manner, ultimately increasing their average order value by 36 percent. Its about letting audiences proactively choose to engage with your content. Capitalising on the moment of interest Its clear, from examples like the one above: Marketers are learning to understand how content can help them find audiences that might not necessarily be searching for their brand, but can be nurtured to take action and make purchase decisions with them. And as it has become harder than ever to win the attention of consumers who are blocking, skipping and ignoring ads, knowing how to reach them at the right moment with the right content is of utmost importance. Ultimately, its about providing value beyond an ad message. So, how do you capture your audience's attention? There really are only three opportunities, or as we like to call them, moments: The intent moment: Users are after specific nuggets of information and will search to find useful content that addresses their query. The influence moment: Audiences go online to interact with family and friends or to follow their favourite brands and celebrities on social platforms. The interest moment: Online browsing, video viewing, and reading the news take The last one in particular, the interest moment, is the moment of discovery, and together these three moments make up your prime time. Youll need an effective strategy across all three stages in order to gain the attention of your audience. Channeling audiences from 'funnel' to 'tunnel' 'Funnel to tunnel', a marketing mantra coined by Angeli Beltran, Mead Johnsons digital marketing and CRM director, describes the necessity of not only using content to drive prospects through the funnel, but also using it to drive continued engagement, keeping them in that customer tunnel, while producing outcomes for their companies. According to a study by Kissmetrics, new customer/user acquisition can cost up to seven times more than customer retention. Yet, many content marketers are so focused on driving audiences through the funnel and casting the net as far as they can that they often forget the lifetime value of an audience member who has already chosen their brand. Isabella Barbato is head of marketing for Southeast Asia and India with Outbrain. PARTNER CONTENT Younger Asian adults are significantly likely to view career achievement as a major life milestone than their counterparts in other parts of the world, but Zeniths research shows their attitudes are changing rapidly to encompass enriched experience as a core life goal. The media agency has found 45 percent of Asians aged 18 to 34 see building a career as a mark of adulthood, topped in importance only by financial independence (60 percent), being a decision-maker (50 percent) and being a problem-solver (47 percent). Just 21 percent feel the same way about moving out of their parents homea stark contrast to the 45 percent of respondents in the rest of the world who believe flitting the coop is an essential part of becoming a grown-up. The findings are based on a major survey of younger consumers across the region. The study is linked to a global work, and is based on 6,021 interviews with young adults aged 18 to 34 from 11 countries, including Australia, China, India, Indonesia, Malaysia and South Korea. Zenith has tagged these Asian millennials the Open Generation due to the ease with which they combine old traditions, such as marriage and family obligations, with more modern pursuits such as personal freedom, financial independence and building life experiences. The agency has found that this generation tend to value journeys of discovery, and are more comfortable than their predecessors with taking risks in order to expand their horizons. The research finds a similar link between the groups attitudes to careers and happiness as the agencys earlier findings on finance and shopping: a sense of control is crucial to feeling they are leading fulfilled lives. Across Asia, the Open Generation rank career as their third-most important life concern, with 65 percent of respondents saying it is of high importance, behind health and wellbeing (87 percent) and financial stability (79 percent). Career comes well ahead of the next contenders: formal education (51 percent), following your dreams and passions (47 percent), and even having a family (46 percent). But the survey also found wide divergence in attitudes in different countries and regions across Asia. In India, career topped the list of concerns at 85 percent, seven points ahead of both financial stability and health and wellbeing. Australians proved to have starkly different priorities: the importance of a career, at just 55 percent, ranked fifth in the country, beaten out by health (88 percent) and financial stability (84 percent), plus being in a loving relationship (67 percent) and following your dreams (59 percent). We talk about young adults in the region as though they are all the same, where clearly they are not, says Howard Wincott, research director at Zenith. The sense of control varies in different markets, but there is the same correlation with happiness. Those who feel they have a high sense of control of their career are 62 percent happier than those who feel they do not. He adds that the contrast of different markets reveals a different psyche altogether, and a mark of evolving prioritiesparticularly in the more advanced economies in the region. I read into this a view that having a balanced life is as important to this generation as it was in the past, Wincott says. But I think that for the younger generation, they just have a different way of thinking about that work-life balance. People are looking for the maximum of flexibility in their career. Ng Tsuey Jen, Zeniths chief talent officer, Southeast Asia, says younger professionals life priorities are changing across the region, and this is prompting employers to work harder to retain their the best staff. Where previous generations tended to be happy to find a secure job for life, younger professionals today need a sense of connection to stay with the same company long-term. Young people these days want to be associated with a brand that is hip, that is a fun place to work, she says. All of them want to work for Google. The challenge for everyone who isnt a global internet giant, she adds, is how to do that without incurring excessive costsparticularly given the difficulty in proving the precise RoI of employee satisfaction to head office. However, she points out there are ways to achieve this relatively economically. One of the things that stands out in our research on the Open Generation is that health and well-being is quite high on their priorities, Ng says, explaining that offering small perks such as subsidised gym memberships, providing daily breakfasts and other healthy snacks, or holding occasional yoga lessons can develop a health-conscious company culture without breaking the bank. More than simply looking for balance, this generation looks for work-life integration, Ng adds, and employers should explore ways to enable staff to bring their personal passions into the workplace. While Zenith has a longstanding curiousity fund to support employees who want to take self-improvement coursessuch as languagesthe agency is now taking this one step further in its Singapore office. Ng says the idea is to encourage staff to form interest groups on their own initiative, providing them with a small amount of funding to get their projects off the groundwhether that passion is for photography, Korean dramas or musical instruments. Its really moving towards creating a sense of community, Ng explains. SPONSORED CONTENT For Omnicom Media Group (OMG), the key to connecting advertisers with consumers lies in the best use of digital tools and the wealth of information brands now have about their audiences. Saying all of that is one thing, putting it into practice another. But with the launch of two new proprietary industry ad-tech breakthroughs at its Digital Connect Forum in China in April, OMG has built something unique in the marketplace, says Doug Pearce, CEO of OMG China. Were moving away from judgmental reasons for buying advertising to a data-led buying strategy, based on insights we can develop from looking into data, he says. So weve got a whole next generation of excitement to be part of, and what the digital landscape is enabling us to do is really-game changing. To that end, OMGs Annalect Data Cloud and Accuen trading desk are new, cutting-edge platforms in programmatic buying and data that allow targeted, flexible and precise marketing for brands. Our data ecosystem, Annalect Data Cloud, aggregates, analyses, and activates consumer data enabling marketers to connect tocustomers and prospects at all stages of the buying journey, explains Wen Jia, head of platform logistics at Annalect China. Annalect also lets you target the right consumers, personalise their experience, and measure the effectiveness of that engagement. We can even combine irregular customer experiences and preferences to grasp customer loyalty, to know how customers interact with advertisers, to optimise content and broadcast approach. The service has four components: data management platform (DMP), audience centre (integrated third party data), consultancy (human analytics), and activation. We start with a framework that focuses on business issues, not just marketing issues. We provide multidisciplinary analysts that help to inform, measure and optimise clients business, says Jia. For marketers today, knowing what happened to a brand is only table stakes. We take it a step further and tell clients why it happened. Wen Jia Jun Yuan Annalect also integrates seamlessly with Accuen, OMGs new flexible, open and transparent aggregated programmatic trading platform. It is the first trading platform launched in China that ties together multiple DSPs and programmatic solutions, ensuring speed, precision and meaningful insight for publishers and campaigns. We used to always talk about cost per thousand being the currency in which you would trade across media, Pearce says. So instead of throwing a pebble into the sea and hoping we hit a fish, what were able to do nowbecause we know what people are looking at, searching for, what patterns they havewe can narrow that down to almost a cost per one. What these products provide is efficiency in getting the right target audience quicker, and overall should lead to a greater ROI. Jun Yuan, head of Accuen in China, explains that Accuen aggregates various platforms, including DSPs, tracking technology, DMP, programmatic creative and others. We integrate all of the leading programmatic buying platforms, which acts as a command centre for campaign optimisation, he says. We can expand audience and media analytics to include predictive models based on media consumption and client data. We use the most granular data available so that marketers can make better decisions about how to reach the right audience at the right price. Accuen is of particular significance in China, Yuan says, because although programmatic buying has evolved rapidly, the ecosystem remains fragmented, with lots of buyers and sellers. So we wanted to launch a 360-degree, one-stop solution to connect the pieces together and solve marketers challengers, and allow easy adoption at scale. Every OMG client can have their own one-stop customised trading solution. For Pearce, the development of Annalect and Accuen symbolises OMGs continued commitment to innovation in the ad-tech and media space, as programmatic becomes the standard means of doing business. Its just going to be the way we work. Its almost like saying you want to keep working with pencil and paper not use a computer, he says. You might talk to people in China that say this type of programmatic buying will be slow to develop, people will want to hang onto their relationships and the way they work. But its coming like a bullet train. Rebate Confirmation (). It was less than 300 Chinese characters, and according to the agency that showed it to us, it was the full and only contract between this media vendor and themselves. Based on an agreement between Client X and Media Vendor, the agency will receive 8.539 percent rebate, the document said. It didn't even include the name of the agency involved (it was a global media agency). It was just one of many identical agreements we recently audited as part of our normal work at R3. Of course, we all know China is the home of fake brands. But in our experience, its not the only place that is the home of fake contracts. How did it come to this? How did global marketers and agencies agree to work together with lengthy 30,000+ word MSA (master services agreement) legal documents, only for one party to produce such an untrue 300-character rebate report? Have other industries ever seen such a low level of trust between two parties? My attention got turned to an old Harvard Business Review article by Joel Brockner of Columbia Business School entitled Why its so hard to be faira studied piece looking at the impact of business outcomes, connected to the way employees and stakeholders are treated. When you connect these dots, its clear that agencies and clients urgently need to sit down individually and mutually discuss fairness. Transparency is not a new concept in the history of both sidesbut it boiled to the top at last years ANA Media Conference, where former Mediacom CEO Jon Mandel alleged widespread use of kickbacks in the US. This set off a firestorm, including an independent investigation by the ANA in June 2015 and an unprecedented pre-emptive strike by the 4As to try to set new guidelines in January this year. As 500 marketers descend on Florida this week for the annual ANA Agency Financial Management conference, the independent investigation is still not complete, so there are still troubled waters around us, and not enough bridges. One interesting article in June last year still resonates. It talked about one holding group forcing its media suppliers to sign offshore contracts for media executed in the US. It makes one thinkperhaps media rebates in the US are as accurate as I did not have sexual relations with that woman. This month, the discussion also jumped the pond, with UK marketers association ISBA working on a new Framework Agreement for its members. Agencies are naturally up in arms about the approach. For us at R3, the discussion about all this can best be described in one word: fairness. We spend our working lives (and too much of our personal ones as well) intertwined between marketers and agencies seeking this fine line. We used to jest, When both sides are unhappy, that means the agreement is fair. Well, as of right now, both sides are clearly unhappy on the media-rebate issue, and agency profitability continues to stay around the 15 percent margin for the last 10 years. So should we all go back to find others things to worry about? We shouldnt. Because we need to sort this fairness thing out. How agencies can be more fair Agencies need to accept that in 2016, marketers should pay them an appropriate fee for their services, plus a bonus for outstanding work, and that should be their only form of compensation. Thats that. Yet there are some countries in which we work (not the US) where more than half of the media agencys revenue comes from rebates from vendors. I guess this must be why they are called media agencies. Clients and consultants should have the right to audit, and the right to confirm that all the hours and time mutually invested in setting up those fee agreements, was done on a transparent basis. The mere idea that there would someone be individual client-rebate agreements between individual media owners and marketers is ridiculousjust ridiculous. Agencies pool their weight into a holding company just for that reason: to negotiate the best financial terms. Those contracts should be independently sighted and validated to let clients sleep at night, knowing their multimillion-dollar investments have been handled professionally. The growth of programmatic has, of course muddied these waters, but the best agencies are already transparently showing the cost of the DSP, ad serving and technology, and letting their clients make a choice. How clients can be more fair Sad to say, this is a two-way street. When agencies get sucked into a Mediapalooza where cost and fee commitments become such a critical factor on outcomes, the inevitable will happen. Marketers and their procurement teams need to step back from the edge of the 1 or 2 percent commission rates for media, and focus more on the 100 percentthat of the actual media committed. This is easy to say, and hard to do, until agencies are clearer on what their true financial baselines are. Still, there needs to be more investment in training and research of how different media mixes will lead to different business outcomes, and this is the best basis to hold agencies accountable for. I always remember a famous turn-of-the-century campaign for the now defunct Compaq brand'Compaq costs you less than cheaper computers'and this sums up the challenge for marketers. How do you tolerate a campaign that may be with a 'more expensive' agency at a 'more expensive' media rate, yet you deliver a substantially better result in brand equity and business growth? In the end, aren't those the only reasons we bother to do marketing and procurement? A plea for fairness Independent financial and media audits of agencies should be the backbone of the business we work in. They provide marketers with the reassurance that their agency is accountable and transparent. And for the best agencies, they play the same role as Moodys does for the financial industry: an independent rating of performance. Both sides should approach these with a more open mindset. Brockner ended his article with this: There is a moral imperative for companies to practice fairness. It is, simply put, the right thing to do. The sooner you realise it, the better off you and your company will be. Let's get to work, shall we? Greg Paull is principal and co-founder of R3 (www.rthree.com), an independent consulting firm measuring and improving the efficiency and effectiveness of marketers and their agencies. Industry sources with knowledge of the matter told Campaign Asia-Pacific that the account has been awarded to MediaCom following a pitch. Competitors included incumbent Zenith, which had held the account for 10 years. Other agencies involved in the pitch included OMD and Carat. The scope of the business covers media planning and buying for the telco brand within Malaysia. Zenith is still managing media matters for Celcom, with the official handover of duties slated for July, according to sources. GroupM Malaysia declined to comment when contacted. Celcoms business comes under MediaComs wing following DiGi Telecommunications awarding its media and digital business to Mindshare Malaysia in March and m/Six Malaysias appointment as Packet One Networks (P1)s media agency in October last year. WiMax operator P1, a subsidiary of Telekom Malaysia, rebranded itself as a mobile digital service provider Webe in mid-April. The Celcom win is also makes for some vindication for GroupM, as Mindshare Malaysia lost Maxis media business to IPG Mediabrands subsidiary Initiative in September last year. Mindshare had held the account for 10 years prior. According to Nielsens Adex report for 2015, advertising expenditure by different telco brands in 2015 were as follows: Maxis: RM254 million (US$64.8 million) DiGi: RM115 million (US$29.34 million) Celcom: RM99 million (US$25.26 million) Telekom Malaysia: RM48 million (US$12.25 million) U Mobile: RM45 million (US$11.48 million) However the adex figures, based on officially reported rate-card figures, do not include outdoor and digital spending. With most Chinese in some way digitally connected now, a digital presence is seen as an elixir to branding and retail woes. Incredible faith is placed in the instant ability of a WeChat account to turn around a brand's fortune in China. A 'build it, and they will come' bravado seemingly overpowers the reality that a brand is almost impossible to find on WeChat unless a consumer already knows the brand. Brands are equally gung-ho when it comes to e-commerce in China. Recently Maserati, Biotherm and Vans handed over the reins of their brands in a special Tmall 'buying day'. In the process, each brand was reimagined through the e-shop giant's penchant for animated graphics, leading to some odd outcomes. Maserati cars had balloons streaming out of their boots; Biotherm's face cream became multi-coloured party face paint; and Vans had its usual coolness completely sucked out of the brand (see below). Gamification is another area where brands seem to 'forget their stripes' in China, just because Chinese like games (right?). The reality is brands are building wondrous theme parks, where the themes have little or nothing to do with their brands. When it comes to using celebrities and KOLs, brands seem even blinder. Yes, a 'hot' celebrity can provide a power boost to your number of followers. But the increasingly random use of internet celebrities based on pure popularity is arguably confusing for local consumers, and ultimately damaging to long-term brand-building. The US$3.4 million (RMB 22 million) auction price for mega-vlogger Papi Jiang's brand endorsement last week suggests the advent of a new 'cyber celebrity economy where KOLs can really leverage their value to brands. However, I wonder if the successful bidderLili & Beauty, which represents cosmetic brands Shu Uemura, Max Factor and Maybellinehad thought beyond the sudden popularity of Papi Jiang. A closer look at her vlog would have revealed a deeply sarcastic attitude towards women and beauty stereotypes, which she rips apart regularly with abandon. The reality of digital in China is that it has become a primary context for local consumers to engage with brands. In many cases this occurs before, or in the absence of, retail presence. That is, the goodwill brands have built up over generations in mature markets is absent here in China. So, brands have gone online and mobile, largely clueless in terms of the brand truths that mature markets take for granted. Ultimately, digital platforms are where brands have less control than other media. Perceptions are magnified and go viral in an organic and unstoppable way here in China. Digital has to be an integral chapter of your China brand book, not a flashy DVD that is tucked in the back cover. But in case I am sounding like a hater, there are two brands that have recently shown consistency. Starbucks' creation of its 'fourth space' on Tmall has been a case study in consistency despite not actually selling coffee on the platform. In addition to converting brand loyalists to its Tmall store, Starbucks also created a new digital ecosystem that allowed coffee lovers to strengthen their connection to the brand and share their passion with others. An even more brave case study is KFC's digital co-branding with Tencent's QQ community, with a focus on the next generation of fast-food consumers. It has been so solid that KFC launched its first physical QQ restaurant in Shenzhenliterally O2O. Remember, consistent messaging on digital platforms in China that is in line with brand positioning is paramount. Established in 2011, VeryStar is based in Shanghai and positioned as a mobile and online retail commerce agency. The agency has more than 70 staff and services clients including Uniqlo, Pizza Hut and KFC. Nick Waters, CEO of Dentsu Aegis Network Asia Pacific, said he believes VeryStar is in a position to take advantage of the rapid growth of the online and mobile commerce market over the next few years. There is great talent within the VeryStar business, and I look forward to seeing their significant contribution to both Isobar and Dentsu Aegis Network in China, said Waters. According to Dentsu Aegis Network, VeryStar is a certified WeChat and Alipay-certified mobile platform design agency. Milan Jiang, founder and CEO of VeryStar will continue to lead VeryStar, reporting to Jane Lin-Baden, CEO of Isobar China Group. Lin-Baden said the acquisition is strategically important to support Isobars ambition to becoming the number one agency in brand commerce in China by 2018. Im confident that the added strength to the Isobar China leadership team and VeryStars specialist capabilities in mobile commerce and online retail will drive us to fulfil our goals, Lin-Baden added. | BY Ricki Green | Australian customer experience agency MercerBell has created a new campaign to relaunch international childrens charity, ChildFund, in the Australian market which uses Australian musician Matt Corbys haunting track Big Eyes. The Through their eyes campaign was shot on location in local communities in Cambodia and Papua New Guinea, and features children the organisation is supporting. Says Simon Bloomfield, creative director, MercerBell: Weve been working with ChildFund for the past year, developing their brand positioning Because every child needs a childhood and this campaign to launch it. It was clear to me when visiting some of these communities and hearing the kids stories firsthand, that the impact of a lost childhood cant be ignored. I hope weve been able to capture something of that in this campaign. Says Karen Foard, fundraising manager, ChildFund: One of the children featured in the campaign is 13-year-old Phhoung. She was forced to leave school to care for her younger siblings, and now earns money by collecting and selling cow dung. That was just one of many similar stories. Were hoping to raise at least $400,000 in donations from this campaign so we can help more children like Phhoung. Says Nigel Spence, CEO, ChildFund Australia: Were really proud of this campaign, as it reflects the authenticity of ChildFund and our work with children in poor communities. Working in partnership with MercerBell has been a great experience, and we hope this campaign really highlights the importance of childhood for all children, regardless of where they are born. The campaign has launched nationally with broadcast, DM and digital executions. Says Matt Olanda, group account director at MercerBell: Weve had the great fortune of taking ChildFund right from the establishment of their brand positioning, including customer and stakeholder research, through to the development of the communications idea to launch that positioning to the market. Its been a wonderful project and were incredibly proud of the work. Executive Creative Director: David Bell Creative Director: Simon Bloomfield Art Director: Sarah Straker Copywriter: Shelley Dodd Digital and Print design: Juan Maciel, Harry Court, Matt OKeefe, Alanna Rados Producer: Lex Tully, Stewart Sheargold Group Account Director: Matt Olanda Account Manager: David Rogers Photography and Motion footage: Jocelyn Pederick (Cambodia), Cam Suttie, Know Studio (PNG) Post Production: Frame Set Match; Emile Rademeyer, Creative Director; Tina Braham; Head of Production Music: Matt Corby Licensing: Donna Fitzhenry, Music Mill ChildFund CEO: Nigel Spence ChildFund Communications and Marketing Director: Diana Mason ChildFund Fundraising Manager: Karen Foard | BY Ricki Green | Advertisings marketing-to-women authority Bec Brideson is teaming up with start-up Miss Collective on a new series of female empowerment workshops. Titled #LikeABoss, these workshops will set out to nurture and assist young women into leadership positions within the still male-dominated communications and creative fields. Brideson, one of only 3% of female creative directors in her time, wants to see more women on top who are recognised and respected. Bridesons campaign for women began when she left a successful advertising career to start the first marketing-to-women agency in Australia. It continues today with these workshops and the launch of her new consultancy, Bec Brideson, assisting brands to understand and leverage the growing importance and economic impact of the modern women. Says Brideson: Change is happening but its slow. We have to constantly push it, move it forward. We have to be like Cindy Gallop and blow-shit-up. This is the century of women lets own it. Peak Australian ad industry body Communications Council reported in 2014 that only 15% of women were in creative while only 13.5% of them hold senior positions. Advertising seems keen to remain a boys club despite rising awareness around a lack of diversity and an increasing number of women calling it out. However research has consistently shown that diversity of staff can elevate creativity and increase revenue in what many have considered a stagnated industry. Says Brideson: With the lack of role models in agencies, its up to those of us who have fought for leadership to send the elevator back down for the new female talent. If we dont, the industry will go to the dogs. The Port Melbourne workshops will include Brideson discussing how to move up and break down the female glass ceiling with anecdotes and insights. Brideson has held multiple senior executive positions in the APAC region as well as being the head of her own agency for over ten years. Miss Collective, co-founded by Kara Jenkins, creative director at Isobar and Steph Webster, group account director at Reactive, was created to help women in the advertising, media and marketing industry. Jenkins felt #LikeABoss was the perfect addition to Miss Collectives unique selection of workshop and networking opportunities. Says Jenkins: Bec is inspiring, thought provoking and a well-known advocate for supporting women in our industry. We hope Bec can share her inimitable wisdom in how to succeed in a male dominated industry. Miss Collectives first #LikeABoss workshop will be held on May 11th at Blix Spaces in Port Melbourne. Tickets for singles cost $59, You+Your Friend are $99. Tickets can be bought here. Find out more about Miss Collective here. | BY Ricki Green | Commercial radio broadcasters have welcomed the announcement in the Federal Budget of a 25 percent reduction in commercial radio license fees, applicable from the 2015-16 licence period. Says Joan Warner, chief executive officer of peak industry body Commercial Radio Australia: The cut in licence fees is a welcome relief to Australian radio broadcasters, who operate in one of the most intensively competitive industries in the world. We are disappointed that the relief is not greater but will enter into discussions with the Minister on further cuts later in 2016 as mentioned in his Budget statement. This has been a key issue for the industry for some time. We need to be able to better compete against global players who are largely unregulated and do not carry the many costs, obligations and restrictions that local radio broadcasters do. The Australian Communications and Media Authoritys Annual Report shows commercial radio stations paid a total of $24.83 million in broadcasting licence fees in December 2014 for the 2013-14 period. The Budget papers said the licence fee relief is the result of the Governments review of broadcast licence fee arrangements, which found that the rapidly changing media market was placing significant financial pressure on commercial broadcasters. | BY Ricki Green | Leading Australian business leaders and marketers from across Australia will gather in Brisbane on Thursday 2 June for one of Australias largest marketing events to explore how innovation is changing how businesses operate and engage with customers. To be held at Rydges South Bank in Brisbane, the Australian Marketing Institute (AMI) Innovation Summit 2016 will see attendees inspired by some of the countrys leading business people across industries including technology, social media, professional services and retail. The keynote speaker for the event is consumer psychologist and frequent television panellist Adam Ferrier, Co-owner of Cummins & Partners. Federal assistant minister for innovation Wyatt Roy has echoed the need for innovation, providing the following video for the summit: AMI chair Andrew Thornton said the digital movement continued to transform the marketing profession and the summit would provide attendees with insight into upcoming trends and practical applications. Says Thornton: Impacts of globalisation, digitisation and new technologies are reshaping the marketing landscape. This summit provides Australian leaders and marketers with the opportunity to be inspired by experts who use the latest thinking and technologies to disrupt existing markets, create loyal customers and drive business growth. Big budgets are no longer a guarantee of marketing success and the digital world has levelled the playing field. Thats why weve focused on innovation. Todays organisations dont necessarily need to work harder, just work smarter. He will be joined by other leading industry figures including: Mark Jones, Chief Storyteller and CEO of Filtered Media Cat Matson, Chief Digital Officer of Brisbane Marketing Dr Linden Brown from Market Culture Jock Fairweather, Director at Little Tokyo Two Jordan Duffy, Founder of Buckham & Duffy Paul Hawkins, Managing Director of Crazy Might Work The summit is a full-day of presentations and workshops and also includes an exhibition hall and networking event. Delegates are generally middle to senior level markets and communications professionals from state and federal governments, national not-for-profits and other public sector groups. Last years AMI Summit attracted 200 delegates from across Australia, with more than half from multinational and national companies. | BY Ricki Green | DDB Australia has today announced the appointment of creative powerhouse, Ben Welsh, to the position of chief creative officer at DDB Group Sydney. Welsh replaces Toby Talbot who is moving to Assignment in New Zealand. A world-renowned creative leader with numerous Australian and international creative and effectiveness accolades under his belt, Welsh will join DDB Sydney from M&C Saatchi, where he was creative chairman, Asia. Says Andrew Little, chief executive officer, DDB Group Australia: Ben is such a great person and the perfect creative leader for our agency as we look to continue our creative trajectory. I know our Exec Team and Creative Partners are excited to have him on board and I have every confidence that under Bens leadership, our agency will continue to deliver world-class work across the portfolio of fantastic brands we have within the building. Says Welsh: Some of the best people Ive ever worked with are at DDB Group Sydney. Its a standout office, in one of the worlds great networks, and the time is right for me to return to DDB. Toby has done a brilliant job during his tenure and I look forward to building on that. He has assembled a team brimming with talent, who I cant wait to work with. Says Marty OHalloran, chairman DDB Group Australia and New Zealand: Ben has long been at the forefront of exceptional creative work in Australia and Im delighted to welcome him back to the DDB family. His proven track record of delivering integrated, award-winning telco, financial services and automotive campaigns will no doubt inspire the creative teams to continue to develop world-leading work. | BY Ricki Green | Film Construction is proud to announce the addition of Way Ward to the new look Sydney team. Way Ward are director-producers Sam Doyon and Morgan Way. Originally hailing from Wollongong, they now ply their trade up and down the East coast of Australia. Their partnership formed at the University of Wollongong and they have been creating, collaborating and growing facial hair ever since. Creating high quality film and content, Way Ward are first and foremost ideas guys who work with a passion and authenticity that sets them apart from the pack. Concept is king is their central proverb as they strive to create original, interesting, and fresh work in an industry too often dominated by mediocrity. Says Matt Hayward, executive producer, Film Construction Sydney: I am very excited and proud to bring on young Sam and Morgan as my first official signing for Film Con Sydney. They are a couple of bright stars on the horizon and I believe there are big things in store for them. Says Doyon, one half of Way Ward: We are absolutely thrilled to be a part of Film Construction, being able to put our stamp on Sydney and really shake things up. Says Way, the other half: Film Construction and Way Ward are a really great fit. We love to push the boundaries of what we do and Film Construction is the perfect place for us to do that. For further information please contact EP Matt Hayward on +61 412 388 515 or at matt@filmconstruction.com. | BY Ricki Green | This week, fresh Mexican grill, Mad Mex is serving up its annual Mad Mex Big Burrito Challenge, calling on brave amigos around the country to defeat a one kilo burrito in one sitting. The five week campaign, running until 5 June, will be supported through PR via Tonic PR & Communications; a national radio partnership with Novas drive show featuring Kate, Tim and Marty; in-store promotions; social media; and event activations in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, and Perth. The campaign theme developed by Sarah Hendry, Mad Mex national marketing manager, centres around the tagline Unleash the Beast. Only those challengers brave enough to Unleash the Beast and defeat the one kilo burrito will be rewarded with an authentic wrestling mask, custom made for Mad Mex in Mexico. Released in stages across the five-week campaign, there will be four different animal themed masks to collect. Kicking off is El Aguila (the Eagle) with the remaining masks kept a surprise until their release date. Champions can share their victory and enter Big Burrito Hall of Fame on social media using #bigburritofame while those left without a mask can capture their defeat using #bigburritofail. Gaye Steel, head of marketing at Mad Mex, who joined the brand in January, says this years Big Burrito campaign is the biggest yet for the brand. Says Steel: Were really excited for this years Big Burrito campaign because for the first time, we have solid PR support, a series of national in-store activations and a media partnership to help us amplify this already successful campaign even further. We believe Novas drive team is a great match for this particular campaign, especially after we heard that co-host Marty Sheargold is a passionate Mad Mex fan. People who want to break the portion control rules are being challenged to chow down on a monster Mexican classic. Those looking to take it on need to head into any Mad Mex store across the nation, take down the one kilo burrito then show one of the luchadores the receipt and foil when it has been polished off. Made with the same fresh ingredients as a regular burrito, the big burrito is double the size and double the fun. | BY Ricki Green | Publicis Pusher has launched a global campaign for the Queensland Government to attract the worlds smartest startup talent to the state. Announced by the Queensland Premier, Anastasia Palaszczuk, at the Advance Queensland Innovation and Investment Summit, the campaign from Publicis Pusher launched with a 360 video that showcases local success stories that reinforce Queenslands credentials as the newly coined Startup State. Highly targeted social media encourages the startup community to embrace and amplify the campaign, with world-respected influencers bringing credibility to the Queensland story. A new website hotdesq.com.au invites viewers to explore the dedicated Hot DesQ hubs across Queensland that provide mentors, support services, infrastructure and desk space to visiting startups. Everyone from early stage startups to established innovation teams and Aussie expats are invited to apply for Hot DesQ, with up to $100,000 in funding available. Says Phil Nobay, creative director, Publicis Pusher: The name Hot DesQ reflects the free spirit of todays startup highly mobile and keen to hop around the globe to chase the next big opportunity. In coming months, Publicis Pusher and Advance Queensland will leverage their global networks to engage international startup communities with activations that reach as far as London and New York. Client: Advance Queensland Agency: Publicis Pusher, Brisbane General Manager: Andrew Kolb Creative Director: Phil Nobay Art Director: Yuji Sekiya Lead Developer: Erin Campbell Video Production: Taxi Films | BY Ricki Green | The One Club, producers of the prestigious One Show Awards and Creative Week, has today announced that it has appointed six new members to its board of directors including Colenso BBDO New Zealand creative chairman Nick Worthington (left) as a member of the international board along with Mark Tutssel, Leo Burnett Worldwide global chief creative officer and Publicis Communications creative chairman, Judy John, CEO and CCO of Leo Burnett Canada, Rei Inamoto, founding partner of Inamoto & Co., Pete Favat, North American CCO at Deutsch, Leslie Sims, chief creative officer of Y&R New York. Margaret Johnson and Tiffany Rolfe were also recently appointed to the board. The new Board members accompany a collection of industry all-stars who serve as ambassadors for and advisors to The One Club, a non-profit whose diversity and education initiatives ensure the perennial betterment of the industry. Past Board members include legends such as Jeff Goodby, Dan Wieden, Bob Barrie, Ed McCabe, Jerry Della Femina, Sir John Hegarty, Lee Garfinkel and Lee Clow. See the complete list of current Board members here: http://www.oneclub.org/oc/directors/. Worthington joins the International Board of Directors, which consists of 10 members in 10 countries and was established in December of 2014 to promote the organizations mission in key markets around the world. The One Show receives entries from more than 60 countries. To see the complete list of International Board members, visit: http://www.oneclub.org/oc/intldirectors/. Says Worthington: Over the years, by osmosis, the One Club has taught me to be a better writer, a sharper thinker. Its an honour to now be on the inside helping to inspire others on the outside. Says Tutssel: The One Club has been a stalwart of creative excellence in the industry, celebrating its legacy yet acting as a constant inspiration for the future. Im honoured to play a greater role with The One Club along with other influential figures in the business of creativity. Says Sims: After college, I went out one day with money Id saved to buy a new mattress and came home with a One Show annual. So from the beginning it was pretty clear I wasnt cut out for business school. Now its just an incredible honor to be joining an amazing group of people on the Board of what has always been advertisings pre-eminent textbook on how to do it right. Says John: Im thrilled and honoured to be joining The One Club Board. Ive been a huge fan of the show, the organization, and their focus on creative development. Im really looking forward to working with this amazing group of people. Says Favat: The One Club stands for the highest creative integrity in our industry. Im honored to be chosen to help carry that torch. Says Inamoto: I feel fortunate to live in a time that we are in now. The next ten years of the One Club will be more dramatic than the previous ten. I couldnt be more excited. Creative Week takes place May 9 through May 13. Tuesday, May 3, 2016 at 4:28PM Micro Docs - #HotDocs4Life from HotDocsFest on Vimeo. The yearly Hots Docs film festival is on the great draws of Toronto and features dozens of compelling documentary and independent films on a wide range of topics. This year, they are adding alumni-shot micro documentaries that are shot exclusively on Apple's iPhone and cover topics pertinent to the festival. With advances in mobile filmmaking, putting iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus into the hands of filmmakers will drive new movements in the short doc space, offering filmmakers the ability to create stunning, pro-level content easier and faster than ever. says Elizabeth Radshaw, Hot Docs industry programs director.The films were shot on 4K using the Filmic Pro app. Hit jump for more details. Talented alumni who created micro docs shot on iPhone for Hot Docs 2016 include Charles Officer (see video above) (Might Jerome, Hot Docs 2011), Sarah Goodman (Army of One, Hot Docs 2004), Tiffany Hsiung (The Apology, Hot Docs 2016), Doc Accelerator participant Jake Chirco, and recent CrossCurrents Doc Fund recipient Elle-Maija Tailfeathers. During the lead-up and durations of the Festival, these filmmakers will capture the stories that happen behind-the-scenes and create shorts that will play as part of the pre-show reel at Festival screenings. The shorts will also be available online at hotdocs.ca. The government had already applied for and received works approval with the National Capital Authority to remodel the London Circuit car parks opposite the Sydney and Melbourne Buildings. With 68 fewer parks outside the Magistrates Court, it was creating 93 extra parks in the Canberra Theatre car park. It was also planning to extend the theatre car park on to the grassed hill behind, next to Vernon Circle. Forty-five trees would have been removed in the remodelled areas. One has to love Rossini for his exuberant approach to composing the Petite Messe Solennelle expressed in his forthright conversation with God: 'Who would believe it? Among your disciples there are those who sing out of tune! Lord rest assured: I affirm that there will be no Judas at my supper and that mine will sing in tune and with love your praises.' Roland Peelman presented the work in its original form for 12 voices (The Song Company and Friends) accompanied on piano (Neal Peres Da Costa playing the Erard Grand Piano) and harmonium (Aaron Chew playing the 1912 Packard Harmonium). The 12 "Cherabim" as Rossini referred to them, brought to life a score that combines ethereal harmonies with operatic gaiety an entertaining combination. The distinctive physicality of performing on historical instruments as much as the unique sound produced contributed to the success of this concert transporting us to an era in which keyboard players had to use quite different techniques to produce music. With its wonderful Steampunk bellows and strident growling sometimes braying chords, the harmonium added an elemental underpinning to the performance. Our Promise: Welcome to Care2, the world's largest community for good. Here, you'll find over 45 million like-minded people working towards progress, kindness, and lasting impact. Care2 Stands Against: bigots, racists, bullies, science deniers, misogynists, gun lobbyists, xenophobes, the willfully ignorant, animal abusers, frackers, and other mean people. If you find yourself aligning with any of those folks, you can move along, nothing to see here. Care2 Stands With: humanitarians, animal lovers, feminists, rabble-rousers, nature-buffs, creatives, the naturally curious, and people who really love to do the right thing. You are our people. You Care. We Care2. Applications are invited by King George's Medical University, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh for the recruitment of 8 Research Officer and other posts. Details of this recruitment is listed below. Name of the Post and Number of Posts Data Entry Operator: 1 Post Field Attendant: 2 Posts Research Assistant: 2 Posts Research Officer: 1 Post Senior Research Fellow (SRF): 2 Posts Eligibility Criteria for KGMU, Lucknow Job Qualification: Candidates interested to apply for the above post must be qualified as per the organisations requirement. Qualification becomes manadatory to test the skills and their perseverance in doing a certain job. Data Entry Operator: Candidates should have Bachelor's Degree in the relevant field Field Attendant: Candidates should have passed Class 12 (10+2 Standard) Research Assistant: Candidates should have MBBS or MD in the relevant field Research Officer: Candidates should have Post Graduate Degree or Ph.D in the relevant field Senior Research Fellow (SRF): Candidates should have Master's Degree in the relevant field How to Apply for the KGMU, Lucknow Job? The candidates who are eligible to apply for this job can send their complete application form to, The Officer of the Professor and Head, Dept. of Geriatric Mental Health, King George's Medical University UP, Lucknow. Important Dates Associated with KGMU, Lucknow Job: Last date to apply: May 8, 2016 New Delhi: Seven out of total 19 Indian Institutes of Management increased their tuition fees in the last two years with IIM-Lucknow hiking it by nearly 30 per cent, the government said. HRD minister Smriti Irani shared the data in Lok Sabha providing details on the fee hike. According to the data, IIM-Ahmedabad and IIM-Shillong increased their fees by 5 per cent and IIM Lucknow by 29.6 per cent. IIM Calcutta Hikes Fee by 16 percent for PGP Courses IIM-Calcutta hiked its fees by 17.3 per cent, IIM-Kozhikhode 23.1, IIM-Ranchi 19 and IIM-Trichy 20. "The fees in IIMs are not linked to the fees in other institutions in the country. IIMs are autonomous institutions and are governed by their respective memorandum of associations and rules of the society which include the fixing of fees and other charges as per provisions contained therein," Irani said. "The hike in tution fee has not adversely affected poor and lower-class students since institutes extend financial assistance, including up to full tuition fee waiver and maintenance allowance, to needy students," the minister said. Six New IIMs to Come up Across India PTI Runners & walkers dash around Delphi The Do It In Delphi Dash was Saturday morning with the 5K walk/run beginning downtown on the Courthouse Square. The... Special prosecutor issues report on Liggett campaign The Comet sponsored a sheriffs candidate debate on Sept. 29. After the debate, Sheriff candidate and deputy Tony Liggett provided... Delphi Council member Conner resigns post It has been an upward struggle for Delphi City Council member Gayle Conner to represent her constituents as witnessed at... The 1 millionth vehicle rolled off the assembly line at Kias Zilina plant in Slovakia just a little over five years since the factory opened, marking a significant landmark for the South Korean automaker. The milestone model was a white, diesel-engined Ceed SW that was handed over to a Slovakian childrens charity called the Red Nose Clowndoctors (no connection with Adult Swims Childrens Hospital). Kia Motors Slovakia has achieved an important milestone in its history with the production of the millionth car. We decided to donate it to an organisation which will bring pleasure to children during their stay in hospitals, said Eek-Hee Lee, President and CEO of Kia Motors Slovakia. In addition, Kia said that the Ceed SW is also the 600,000th version of the Zilina factorys first car. Today, the plant also produces the Kia Sportage SUV and the Venga mini MPV. Last year, the Zilina factory produced 252,000 cars and 359,000 engines, recording a 10 percent and 12 percent increase respectively over 2010. The soon-to-be replaced Ceed topped the list with 103,000 units in 2011, representing 41% of the overall production. It was followed closely by the Sportage with 101,000 units or 40% of total production, the Hyundai ix35 (which was manufactured up to June 2011) with 36,000 units and the Venga with 11,000 units. Internet giant Google and the Fiat-Chrysler group announced their partnership for developing the formers self-driving technology using the Chrysler Pacifica as a platform, following a report last week. This is the first time Google partners directly with an automaker for the integration of their autonomous driving program into a passenger car. Google said that they are planning to more than double their fleet by initially adding 100 2017 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid minivans, with the first of them hitting the road by the end of this year. Both companies will have shared engineering responsibilities, based on their respective expertise, with FCA to engineer and prepare the 100 cars to accept Googles technology. The former will then install their self-driving system, including the software and suite of sensors required. In the coming months, our team will collaborate closely with FCA engineers, said Google in their statement. This experience will help both teams better understand how to create a fully self-driving car that can take you from A to B with the touch of a button. Working with Google provides an opportunity for FCA to partner with one of the worlds leading technology companies to accelerate the pace of innovation in the automotive industry, said Sergio Marchionne, Chief Executive Officer, FCA. The experience both companies gain will be fundamental to delivering automotive technology solutions that ultimately have far-reaching consumer benefits. Googles testing program will soon expand to a total of four US cities, with the autonomous Pacifica Hybrid minivans to be tested first at Googles private test track in California before their operation on public roads. This is one of the most important strategic partnerships in the race towards full autonomous vehicles and comes after the announcement of the Self-Driving Coalition For Safer Streets which aims to speed the process of regulation and includes Google, Ford, Volvo, Uber and Lyft. PHOTO GALLERY Kia celebrates another milestone, as two million vehicles have been built in the United States ever since the automaker set up its operations in the country seven years ago. The milestone vehicle is a 2016 Sorento SXL finished in white, that was assembled at at Kia Motors Manufacturing Georgia (KMMG), which began mass production on November 16, 2009, following an investment of more than $1.1 billion. Assembling two million vehicles in less than seven years is a remarkable achievement, and one that each of our team members can take a lot of price in, said the KMMG President and CEO, Hyun-Jong Shin. Governor Nathan Deal commented: Together, Kia and Georgia have a strong reputation of success. The companys continued investment in the state speaks volumes to our pro-business atmosphere, and we will continue to support them as they grow here. KMMG is the South Korean brands first manufacturing site in North America and, together with its local suppliers, its responsible for creating more than 15,000 jobs in West Point and in the surrounding region. The facility, located on 2,200 acres, has an annual capacity of 360,000 units and it is home to the Sorento and Optima, two of the companys best-selling models in the States. PHOTO GALLERY Takata is getting ready to recall another 35 million airbag inflators, as the Japanese company is in talks with US regulators. An announcement is expected to be made as early as this week and the new number will add up to the current recall of over 28 million airbag inflators, which are affecting roughly 24 million cars produced by more than a dozen automakers in what turned out to be the worlds largest safety recall. Takata is working with regulators and our auto maker customers to develop long-term, orderly solutions to these important safety issues. We strongly urge all consumers to check NHTSAs www.safercar.gov website and contact their dealers immediately if they discover their vehicle is subject to a recall, said a Takata spokesman, quoted by WallStreetJournal. Recalling approximately 50 million vehicles has been estimated by CreditSuisse to cost Takata some $3.5 billion, according to AutoNews, leaving the companys future under question. The Japanese firm was fined by US regulators for $70 million last November and was ordered to stop using ammonium nitrate in airbag inflators, but the penalty could go up to $200 million if Takata is flagged for other infractions. Settling legal claims for victims of airbag ruptures and covering recall-related costs has made the supplier disclose another $189 million in financial loss throughout the fiscal year that ended on March 31. Exploding airbags have claimed 11 lives globally, including 10 in the United States, and more than 100 have been injured. The last victim was a 17-year old girl, who rear-ended another vehicle with her 2002 Honda Civic, in Texas, triggering the airbags that sent shrapnel towards her neck, killing her on the spot. VIDEO Franky Zapata flew with his hoverboard for almost 1,4 miles setting a new Guinness World Record for the farthest distance travelled ever. The record flight took place at the coast of Sausset-les-Pins in the South of France, with Zapata flying his own Flyboard Air jet-propelled hoverboard, flying at an average speed of 55km/h to cover the distance in three minutes. Zapata is known for developing a series of water-propelled hoverboards with his latest, record-breaking flying device using an independent propulsion unit which allows it to operate for up to 10 minutes. Zapatas Flyboard Air hoverboard took four year to develop and has a top speed of 150km/h (93mph), reaching a maximum altitude of 3000 meters (10,000 feet). Its propulsion unit can offer a maximum thrust of 160N while the weight of the device is 20kg in total. The jet turbines are burning kerosene at a rate of 5.6 litres per minute while the gas tank is strapped to the riders back. The whole thing is operated via a hand remote which adjusts the thrust of the engines. Ford offered a pair of Ranger Wildtrak pickup trucks as support vehicles in his Guinness record setting. Unlike other hoverboards we saw recently, Franky Zapatas creation is by far the most impressive take on a transport technology thats been teased for the best part of three decades and is probably the first time a device of this type comes close to what weve been promised for ages now. VIDEO PHOTO GALLERY A well-finished V8-swapped Miata shows up for sale and the normal thing to do is check your bank account. This 1990 Mazda Miata has ditched its four-cylinder unit for a LS1 engine sourced from a 2001 Camaro Z28, massaged to produce 385hp at the wheels. The seller claims that the car was always garaged, has never visited a track and that runs reliably. Power is sent through the donor cars six-speed manual gearbox to a Gertrag 3.43 limited-slip differential which has only 1,000 miles on it. The brakes come from a MX-5 1.8 and deemed in good shape but the near 400hp under the bonnet will probably need something stronger. Suspension-wise, the car has a set of Koni Yellows paired with Eibach springs while a set of 158 alloys are wrapped in 225/45 tires. The interior looks mostly stock and in great condition, with the seller saying that all gauges work as they should. Overall this looks to a very clean conversion and the bodywork looks in great shape too, especially in this beautiful Mariner Blue color. The car is located in Chicago, Illinois with the ad providing a more detailed list of the mods. Stuffing a big V8 inside a compact Mazda roadster was always the recipe for permanent smiles carved on the drivers face. You could always build your own but it will likely cost you more than the $20k the seller is asking for his finished project. Add some big brakes in there and prepare to never stop grinning. H/T TO BaT! PHOTO GALLERY Contact: Rennie Sloan, rennie.sloan@cartercenter.org The Carter Center Partners with Al Jalila Foundation to Establish its First Journalism Fellowship Program in the Middle East ATLANTAThe Carter Center Mental Health Program has partnered with the Al Jalila Foundation to develop and implement a United Arab Emirates (UAE) Rosalynn Carter Fellowships for Mental Health Journalism (RCJF). This program will be the first mental health fellowship program for journalists in the Middle East. The announcement of this mental health program was made today at a signing ceremony at the Mohammed Bin Rashid Academic Medical Center at Dubai Healthcare City. The signing was attended by Her Excellency Dr. Raja Easa Al Gurg, member of the Board for Trustees and chairperson of the Board of Directors, Al Jalila Foundation; Dr Abdulkareem Sultan Al Olama, chief executive officer of Al Jalila Foundation; Jason Carter, chairman of the Carter Center's Board of Trustees, and a number of leading healthcare and media representatives. Over nearly two decades, the Center has awarded one-year fellowships to 165 journalists to connect them with resources and experts to increase the quality and accuracy of mental health reporting around the world. The program is currently in the United States and Colombia and was previously in New Zealand, South Africa, and Romania. "Reporting by Rosalynn Carter fellows has contributed to more awareness and coverage of mental health issues and more balanced and accurate reporting in the participating countries," said Jason Carter, chairman of the Carter Center's Board of Trustees. "In partnership with Al Jalila Foundation, we are proud to extend the reach of this program to reduce stigma and discrimination against those with mental illnesses in the UAE." The Carter Center will provide trainings, educational materials, mentorship, evaluation tools, and technical assistance to develop a sustainable and tailored program in the UAE. The Al Jalila Foundation will manage the program in the UAE and will be responsible for the selection of journalists, facilitating media trainings, adapting the program to meet the needs of the Emirates, and local evaluations. Her Excellency Dr Raja Easa Al Gurg, Chairperson of the Board of Directors and Member of the Board of Trustees of Al Jalila Foundation, said: "Journalists have immense power to inform, educate and influence society. Their support is essential to raise awareness and create a dialogue about mental health in the region. It is our collective responsibility to ensure that people with mental illnesses are not marginalized and that they receive the required support to live happy productive lives." Dr. Abdulkareem Al Olama, chief executive officer of Al Jalila Foundation, said: "It is a huge privilege to launch the mental health journalism program for the first time in the region and continue the incredible work that former United States First Lady Rosalynn Carter has done to combat the stigma associated with mental illnesses." Since the Rosalynn Carter Fellowships for Mental Health Journalism were established in 1996, fellows have produced more than 1500 stories, documentaries, books, and other works during and after their fellowship year. Their projects have garnered an Emmy, nominations for the Pulitzer Prize, and other awards. ### The Carter Center "Waging Peace. Fighting Disease. Building Hope." A not-for-profit, nongovernmental organization, The Carter Center has helped to improve life for people in over 80 countries by resolving conflicts; advancing democracy, human rights, and economic opportunity; preventing diseases; and improving mental health care. The Carter Center was founded in 1982 by former U.S. President Jimmy Carter and former First Lady Rosalynn Carter, in partnership with Emory University, to advance peace and health worldwide. Al Jalila Foundation Al Jalila Foundation, a global philanthropic organisation dedicated to transforming lives through medical education and research, was founded by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Ruler of Dubai in April 2013, to position Dubai and the UAE at the forefront of medical innovation. Al Jalila Foundation promotes medical education and research by investing in the UAE's medical treatment capabilities; it provides scholarships to nurture a home-grown generation of medical professionals and supports ground-breaking research that addresses health challenges prevalent in the region. The Al Jalila Foundation Research Centre, set to open in 2017 in Dubai Healthcare City, will be a beacon for regionally-relevant medical innovation produced by home-grown biomedical researchers. The UAE's first independent multi-disciplinary medical research centre will focus on five of the most pressing regional health challenges: cancer, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, obesity and mental health. Benefitting from the Foundation's global outreach, the Al Jalila Foundation Research Centre will bring together international best practice and regional expertise in a cultivating environment with state-of-the-art facilities. Al Jalila Foundation is named after Her Highness Sheikha Al Jalila Bint Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the daughter of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed and Chairperson of Dubai Healthcare City Authority Her Royal Highness Princess Haya Bint Al Hussein. Al Jalila Foundation is fully funded by the generosity of donors. 100% of funds donated to Al Jalila Foundation are invested into medical research, education and treatment in the UAE. Al Jalila Foundation is one of the 28 member organisations under the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives. Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives embodies the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, to improve the Arab world through humanitarian, developmental and community work. For more information on Al Jalila Foundation, please visit www.aljalilafoundation.ae. For media inquiries in the UAE, contact Carla Duarte, +971 50 654 0296, c.duarte@aljalilafoundation.ae. Photo: Jo Slade Our guest writer for this week's Writer's Bloc is Dennis Warner, of West Kelowna. Dennis taught instrumental music for 34 years in the BC public school system. He is also the author of Tweak the school system? for Writer's Bloc. Time to land the helicopter By Dennis Warner Those of us who are parents know that it's not an easy job, but it's the most important and rewarding job that we'll ever have, so we need to do everything possible to hone our parenting skills. In 1969, Dr. Haim Ginott wrote Parents and Teenagers, and he referred to a parent who hovered over a child as a helicopter, and so the term helicopter parent was coined. Similar terms such as over-parenting, over-protective parents, lawnmower parents, and bulldoze parenting have been used, but whatever the term, it is often easier to recognize those parenting traits in others than it is in ourselves. How do you know if you're a helicopter parent? If you have a toddler, you may allow the child little if any time by himself, or you may discourage him from playing with other toddlers. You might overly direct his playing, and restrict his choices to activities that limit creativity in the interest of overzealous safety. If you have an older child, you might be too involved with his schoolwork by way of helping out a bit too much with homework. You might even be one of those parents who does the science fair project yourself, or the parent who writes that essay. Even some university students have helicopter parents who call the prof to question an assignment, or who complain about an assigned grade. What is the end result of helicopter parenting? Children of helicopter parents often lack self-esteem. They lack the confidence to make decisions because too many decisions are made for them. They often don't know how to handle failure because they've been sheltered and not allowed to experience the normal ups and downs of life. Children of helicopter parents get the message that they're not really trusted to make judgments on their own, and when they do fail their coping skills are lacking. Where is the balance? Children need guidance, and they need to be taught by example. They obviously need to be loved as well, but children also need to have a reasonable degree of independence. That independence will help nurture maturity, good judgment, and problem solving skills. Children need to experience success, but they need to experience failure as well. They need to figure out on their own what works and what doesn't work. Parents need to be mindful of the child and his current abilities while allowing him to grow into the adult that he will become. What's the bottom line? If you have a toddler, let him play in the dirt. Let him play with others, and let him take reasonable risks that might lead to occasional cuts and scrapes. If you have older children, help them with their homework but don't do their homework. Offer advice, but don't fight their battles for them. Love them, but don't smother them. Cut yourself some slack Finally, as you try to find that balance, remember to give yourself some slack. Being the perfect parent is impossible. Just as your child will fail sometimes so will you as a parent, and often that failure can be a teachable moment for you and your child. So, relax, keep learning, and stay positive. This article is written by or on behalf of an outsourced columnist and does not necessarily reflect the views of Castanet. Photo: Dean Drobot There are two kinds of people, those who have a fear of public speaking and those who dont. If you dont have any fear of speaking in public, good for you. If you do have a fear of speaking in public, then you suffer from glossophobia. Glossophobia is the irrational and intense fear of public speaking. A glossophobic person is unable to control the overwhelming feeling of nervousness when speaking in public, and they may have a nervous breakdown when confronted with a big audience. This can leave both their personal and professional life disturbed. The term glossophobia in itself seems innocuous. Chances are, if you were amongst friends and you suddenly just outright told them that you have glossophobia, most of them wouldnt know what the term meant. If you told them that you suffer from the fear of public speaking, youd be met with their psychological defence mechanism called simple denial. Once their skepticism subsided, and you convinced them that you really do suffer, youd likely be met with their suggestion of the cure-all remedy: Toastmasters. Its safe to say that your friends care, and its true that the folks at Toastmasters are wonderful people and can assist in the cure for public speaking fears. Once youve fessed up, youre also likely to be met with other innovative suggestions from friends, like my home inspection colleague Mark Goodwin, RHI, who inspects in Squamish BC. Mark told me to pretend the audience is naked. Thanks Mark, that may be a great solution when you are addressing an audience of professional athletes or models, but I can tell you from experience that it didnt work for me this past weekend in a convention hall with a few hundred home inspectors, most of whom were out of shape males in their fifties and sixties. Its estimated that 75% of people suffer from speech anxiety, making it one of the most common phobias to exist, so the good news is, Im not alone. That statistical finding doesnt add comfort for long, though, because glossophobia ranks higher than the fear of death. The fear of death is necrophobia. If you have a bad case of glossophobia, its likely that you will wish for your own death before you have to give your next speech. Once youre booked, its a long journey until you finish your speech. Interestingly, one of the causes of glossophobia is a previous related trauma. Almost all glossophobic people are distressed about being embarrassed in front of a mass of people, and being a failure while speaking. The trauma can result from a previous distressful event that happened when speaking in public. Apparently, such incidents may not appear intense when they happen, but they can cause a longer lasting fear that can take the form of a phobia. Glossophobia, along with other social fears, is thought to begin at around age 13. Mine began at age 15 when I ran for student council president against Lisa Schienbein. In a highly competitive battle, it was neck and neck between Lisa and me, in what was pretty much a popularity contest. Things went very badly for me, glossophobia-wise, when I took the stage to address the entire school. If there are 30 symptoms of glossophobia, I had 47 of them. Lisa, on the other hand nailed it. She eloquently parlayed all of her genuine kindness and positive hopes for the school, and made some pretty impressive promises. The good news is, I went first, and she was so good that everyone pretty much forgot about me at some point during her speech. Since that day, I have been ever so thankful for alphabetical order. Fast forward 40 years later to the home inspector convention this past weekend, with another election, one that included my good friend and colleague Mark and six others. Mark Goodwin is a retired bobby - a British police officer - who began his professional home inspection career overseas before immigrating to Canada. He is a man of authority and integrity, and has the gift of the gab topped off with British wit. Obviously he offered the best and most dynamic election speech of the day, and since Goodwin comes after Cairns, I went first and he, not I, was remembered. I can trace my glossophobia all the way back to you, Lisa Schienbein. Its been 40 years that Ive suffered to various extents, but I do thank you for such a great speech that it caused the school to focus on you, and caused them to forget my clanger. As for you, Mark, thank you for your encouragement that resulted in one of my best speeches to a convention hall of naked home inspectors. Unfortunately, now I have a weird form of gymnophobia: An irrational fear of imagining convention halls filled with naked home inspectors. Photo: TV Tropes This article is written by or on behalf of an outsourced columnist and does not necessarily reflect the views of Castanet. As a record-breaking April comes to a close, the month of May is looking to be another scorcher. In fact, April 2016 was the hottest April on record and the second driest ever for the Central Okanagan with 4.9 millimetres of rain. Overall, Kelowna set the monthly record for April. It was 13 C on average in April versus the normal 8.4 degrees. That is 4.6 degrees above normal, which is kind of an absurd number, says Environment Canada meteorologist Armel Castellan. We hardly ever see numbers that high for an average statistic. Castellan says April 1987 previously held the hottest April on record in Kelowna, averaging only 10.4 C. So April 2016 was 2.6 degrees higher than the last record, says Castellan. When you have such a strong El Nino signature that was present all winter and now the spring, we are seeing records broken at the monthly level. This fits a bigger weather pattern, as 2015 was the warmest year on record globally. It seems to be continuing in May. Monday saw more than 20 temperature records busted across the province. The Vernon area clocked in at 27.8 C, breaking the old record of 27.3 set in 2014. Kamloops broke the 30 C mark, coming in at 30.9 C, breaking the old record set in 1937 of 30. Hope also hit over 30 C, coming in at 30.4 C, breaking its old record of 30 set in 1945. Revelstoke set a new record of 27.4 C, breaking a 116-year-old record of 26.7 set in 1900. And Vancouver came in at a balmy 24.7 C, snapping the 1945 record of 23.9. Kelowna hit 28.7 C on Monday and while it was a scorcher, it did not break the May 2 record for this area of 30.6 C set in 1900. Today's forecasted high is 28 C, but things are cooling down for tomorrow. It looks like you are going to have chance of showers and clouds lingering through Thursday with temperatures dipping to 20 C, which is more normal. Normal for Kelowna is 18 at this time of year, says Castellan. But the overnight low is still higher than normal sitting at 9 to 12 C higher than the normal of 6 C. If you're getting used to this beach weather, don't fret; the hot temperatures are back on Friday. Saturday is looking like high 20s and Sunday may even crack the 30-degree mark. The weekend will be a bull's-eye, lasting into Monday and further into the week as well, says Castellan. As for the entire month of May, it is looking like the southern part of the province may be above normal. Check out your local forecast online here and check out the list below for the rest of the records broken across the province on Monday, May 2. Abbotsford Area New record of 29.6 Old record of 29.4 set in 1946 Burns Lake Area New record of 24.3 Old record of 22.8 set in 1991 Campbell River Area New record of 23.7 Old record of 23.6 set in 1991 Chetwynd Area New record of 26.9 old record of 25.6 set in 1976 Chilliwack Area New record of 29.9 Old record of 28.3 set in 1898 Clinton Area New record of 24.2 Old record of 20.5 set in 2014 Dawson Creek Area New record of 28.0 Old record of 27.2 set in 1998 Fort St. John Area New record of 28.1 Old record of 27.2 set in 1945 Hope Slide Area New record of 26.5 Old record of 22.2 set in 1971 Mackenzie Area New record of 25.5 Old record of 21.4 set in 2009 Malahat Area New record of 25.1 Old record of 23.5 set in 1991 Nanaimo Area New record of 26.5 Old record of 25.6 set in 1945 Pitt Meadows Area New record of 30.3 Old record of 29.4 set in 1945 Powell River Area New record of 25.9 Old record of 22.6 set in 1991 Squamish Area New record of 29.8 Old record of 23.0 set in 1991 Victoria Area New record of 27.3 Old record of 25.0 set in 1945 Whistler Area New record of 25.4 Old record of 23.2 set in 1998 White Rock Area New record of 26.1 Old record of 24.4 set in 1946 Yoho National Park Area New record of 22.3 Old record of 21.9 set in 1998 Photo: wildpixel In February 2015, the Supreme Court of Canada, in a unanimous decision (Carter v Canada), confirmed that in certain defined circumstances, Canadians have the constitutional right to choose physician assistance in dying. The BC Civil Liberties Association and a number of individuals filed this lawsuit in 2011 to challenge the laws that criminalize doctors for helping competent individuals with serious and irremediable medical conditions who wish to hasten death. After four years and hundreds of hours of pro bono work by lawyers, experts from all over the world, very ill people and their families, and many others who volunteered their time and resources, this was a decision of monumental significance, about which I was very pleased. Full disclosure - my daughter, Alison Latimer, was one of the lawyers on the team that took this case to the Supreme Court, and I am very proud of her and her work. Since then, Canadians have been discussing, debating, and predicting how our government would craft new legislation surrounding physician-assisted suicide. The Conservative government did nothing, and the Liberals sought an extension from the Supreme Court. Finally the federal government has tabled bill C-14 in response to the Supreme Court of Canadas ruling on the subject. To those who fought so valiantly to get the Carter v Canada decision, this bill is a disappointment. It is much more restrictive than the Supreme Court decision and, if passed, will almost certainly be challenged again on constitutional grounds. Bill C-14 gives too narrow a set of circumstances under which an individual may request assistance in dying. They must be mentally competent adults with a serious, incurable illness, disease or disability, they must be in an advanced state of irreversible decline in capability, and their natural death must be reasonably foreseeable. There are people with serious, chronic illness including mental illness, who suffer horribly but who may not meet the stringent criteria set out in this proposed legislation. Many of these people, having exhausted all available treatment options, commit suicide, alone and unsupported, as their only means of escape. Those who cannot do it on their own are left to simply suffer unbearably - some for decades. Psychiatric disorders are not always treatable. There are people who, despite their own courage and best efforts, remain very ill, miserably unhappy, isolated, and often abandoned by their families and communities. I hear quite frequently from such people that they want to die, wish they were dead, and are constantly thinking about suicide as an option. I think that when all reasonable, conventional treatments have been tried and failed, and assuming they are competent to make the decision, these people should have physician assisted dying as an option. Of course many psychiatric patients have thoughts about suicide before they have had reasonable attempts at treatment and we would continue to do what we can to help these people as we do now. My position on this is simple. Competent individuals suffering from any illness, terminal or otherwise, should be able to choose for themselves the amount of suffering that is tolerable for them, and have doctor assisted dying as an option. When they have a condition such as dementia, in which their competency will be gradually deteriorating, they should be able to provide an advance directive while they are still competent. The autonomy of the individual is paramount. It is not up to society to determine who has to live or die, for how long, and under what circumstances. Many polls have documented that Canadians support this position, the Supreme Court has already supported it, and the government should draft legislation that is consistent with these wishes. Failure to do so will result in much more unnecessary suffering and many more years of unnecessary legal wrangling. This article is written by or on behalf of an outsourced columnist and does not necessarily reflect the views of Castanet. Photo: Mike Crane When it comes to the best tasting water in B.C., Hope reigns supreme. Battling against 13 other communities in the province for the best tasting water in B.C., Hope just squeaked out a win again runners-up Squamish and Port Alberni at the Whistler event. All of the judges commented on how difficult it was for them to pick an overall winner because all of the water was exceptionally good, says Tanja McQueen, CEO of the B.C. Water and Waste Association. In particular, our guest judges from out of country, who do a lot of these taste tests, said this is the first region where they have actually had a really difficult time making a distinction between the different water they tasted. This is the third time the organization has held the tap water taste test, after taking a page from the American Water Works Association, which stages a continent-wide challenge every year. A panel of "aqualiers" judged tap water from the different communities based on appearance, aroma, taste, mouth feel, aftertaste and overall impression to declare the winning water. Every year we have this contest where we basically structure it like a wine tasting. Where the judges look at five different characteristics. They score them on a range of one to five and then we declare a winner. We have four judges this year, including Samantha Rahn, wine director at Araxi Restaurant in Whistler, as well as three guests from our partner associations, says McQueen. The first year saw City of Kelowna water getting top nod from the elite judges, while last year Chilliwack took the title and now nearby Hope has grabbed the best water in B.C. honour. McQueen says the annual competition aims to celebrate the resource and raise awareness about the value of our water system. This is held to raise awareness about the importance of our water and wastewater systems to our health and to our environment," says McQueen. How many of us turn on our taps and we give it no thought? It just magically appears, and we flush our toilet and it magically goes away. We do our laundry, we have a shower. We dont really give any thought at all to the complex infrastructure and the people who make that magic happen for us every day of the year, very reliably. Competing against the District of Hope, District of Squamish and City of Port Alberni, the other competitors were: the City of Kelowna Water Utility, City of Merritt, City of Nanaimo, City of Penticton, City of Salmon Arm, City of Whitehorse, Cherry Creek Water District, Clearbrook Waterworks District, Columbia Shuswap Regional District and the Resort Municipality of Whistler. Photo: 5iveby5ive UPDATE 8:21 P.M. Eric Graf wants to set the record straight: there was no marijuana grow operation in a barn that caught fire in Rutland Sunday. Graf contacted Castanet Tuesday evening after seeing some reports saying the barn contained a grow op. He vehemently denies there was any such activity in the barn on Hartman Road. The grow op was next door on a different property, but that is not what started the fire, said Graf. The fire started in the barn, but they don't know what from, but it was not from pot. There were no pot plants in the barn. Graf said a small grow op was found in a picker's shack on the property next to his daughter-in-laws. Even the police said there were half a dozen plants in this little picker shack, but that's not what started the fire, said Graf, adding police told him they only found the grow op because of the fire next door in the barn. Investigators have discovered a grow-op on the property of a damaging blaze Sunday evening, but the grow-op is not to blame. Kelowna fire investigators said the fire started between two of the buildings and is not suspicious at this time they do not associate the grow-op with the fire itself. We found that the cause of the fire was undetermined, says platoon captain Kelly Stephens. It started outside between the buildings and was not suspicious. While he says investigators do not like leaving the cause of the fire "undetermined," they are confident it was not suspicious. There are obviously contributing factors there were kids in the area, there was a lot of things going on with the nature of what was in the building there, but according to what could be found by our investigators, it started in between some buildings. It could be possibly be a tossed cigarette. We are just not aware ... we can't determine it as such. Unfortunately, in these situations that is the direction we have to go, he said. Kelowna RCMP confirm a marijuana grow operation was discovered on the property, but could not currently comment on whether the grow was a legal or illegal one. The call came into the fire department Sunday at 7:46 p.m. and firefighters arrived to find flames coming from the barn, as well as two other outbuildings. The barn was a complete loss, with damage to the other structures. Water had to be shuttled to the property by water tenders, as fire hydrants were not close enough to fight the fire. A total of three fire engines, one rescue vehicle, a water tender, command vehicle and a safety officer responded to the incident, with assistance from B.C. Ambulance paramedics, RCMP and FortisBC crews. Photo: Jon Manchester RCMP refute a homeless man's claim he was rounded up on the streets of Penticton, given an ultimatum to get out of town, and unceremoniously dumped in downtown Kelowna. Jeff says he arrived in Kelowna in a police "paddy wagon" along with three other people, just over a week ago. "They're taking prolific offenders and anyone selling drugs and offering them to get on the bus or they will invent charges to put you away for the summer so they don't have to deal with you," Jeff claimed. Police in Penticton and Kelowna strongly deny the allegation. "That's a good one," Penticton RCMP Supt. Kevin Hewko laughed. "We don't even have a paddy wagon." The claim is ridiculous, he said. "It would be completely inappropriate. I'm not going to burden my colleagues in Kelowna." Castanet spoke to clients of the Gospel Mission after hearing rumours of the practice from within law enforcement circles. A group gathered on the street outside the shelter hadn't heard of people being bused from Penticton. But Jeff said he was dropped off "right here on Leon (Avenue)." "I was told not to talk about it. There would be repercussions if it came back to me," he said. Meanwhile, Supt. Nick Romanchuck at the Kelowna RCMP detachment said that's not something he's aware of. "It would be completely unacceptable," he said. "I've spoken with Penticton, and they assure us this is not happening ... if it were, I'd be very, very unhappy." Romanchuk said during his 25 years on the force, "we have transported people between communities ... but it's generally to assist somebody, not to get rid of a problem." Jeff admitted he's run into trouble with the law. "I am a prolific offender and got myself into trouble selling drugs," he said. "The cops are trying to clean up the streets for the summer. They told me they are tired of it." Since then, he's had trouble collecting his welfare cheque and is living on the street, with only the belongings he can carry in a backpack. "They're asking why I came here from Penticton. I don't really know what to tell them I can't really say the police told me if I didn't leave I was gonna have a lot of problems. I don't really know who to talk to about that what can a homeless drug dealer say? "It's kind of scary that it's come down to that. Most people would not believe that story if you told them. "I get why they're doing it, but on the same note, we are people, too." At the Gospel Mission, executive director Randy Benson said he hasn't heard of people being bused out of Penticton. And at Kelowna's B.C. Sheriff's Service office, Acting Sgt. Brendan Gojevic said his staff are "definitely not involved." In Penticton, Hewco said the Okanagan's pleasant climate attracts transients and the homeless. "It's an issue for all of us," he said. "But not all homeless people are committing crimes. In fact, very few of them are." Jeff sighs as he concludes: "At least this way I have a chance to start over, in a sense." Brain Dare has posted this mathematical brain teaser and its been causing quite the rift on the Internet. The puzzle doesnt give much away, but to obtain the solution to the fourth equation, you must uncover the method used to answer the previous three equations. But this puzzle does appear to have two separate solutions. Brain Dare, however, says only one is correct. What do you think the missing number is? Photo: Contributed Click here for the answer. Photo: Google Street View Arrests have been made over an armed robbery last month where a teenage clerk was held at knifepoint. Const. Jocelyn Noseworthy said Lumby RCMP have arrested two men in connection with the robbery of the Lumby Mac's store April 24. Thomas Belanger, 34, of Lumby, is facing charges of robbery, unlawful confinement and uttering threats. Keegan Reed, 21, also from Lumby, is facing charges of unlawful confinement, robbery, uttering threats and accessory to an offense. They are both currently remanded into custody and are scheduled to appear in provincial court on May 4, said Noseworthy. Anyone with further information regarding this matter is asked to call the Lumby RCMP at 250-547-6184 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477. At approximately 1:10 a.m. on April 24th, a lone man entered the Mac's convenience store in Lumby and produced a knife, demanding money from the cash register and safe. The man had locked the door leading outside and held the knife to the female employee, forcing her to sit on the floor behind the till for a period of time. An undisclosed amount of cash, lottery tickets and cigarettes were stolen and the man fled the store. WorksafeBC looked into the circumstances of the robbery and has told the convenience store to comply with certain recommendations. Photo: kanzefar An announcement by the provincial government to cut film and TV industry tax credits by five per cent is good news for the industry in the Okanagan. Okanagan film commissioner Jon Summerland, says, despite the tax credit cut from 33 to 28 per cent, additional regional tax credits in the Okanagan will make this area even more attractive. You have these companies in Vancouver that are not getting any regional tax credits, but they are still getting good (credits), but, if they go to the regions, they can add another 12 per cent," said Summerland. "If you are in B.C., you used to get 33 per cent just being in B.C. If you went outside of 200th Avenue, and you were Canadian, you got 12.5 more tax credits. That's why you see more filming in Fort Langley and Mission." There is an additional six per cent for distance regions, such as the Okanagan. The biggest benefit will come in the effects and animation industries where Kelowna already has the infrastructure in place. Films, he said, will more often than not, go to where the location is more suited, not where the better tax credits are. "Animation is ours to lose. We could have as much, or as little, as we wanted. Our issue is qualified labour." Summerland said many companies are ready to relocate to Kelowna but need the workforce the city just doesn't have. "If we could get the college to set up an animation course to feed into these jobs, we'd be set. We've been working on it for quite some time. "I am hoping they will come through. They are talking about something starting very soon, but it could end up being another school coming in and setting up." He added the head of every major studio has been through Kelowna. They love it, he said. "They will all move here, it's not a difficult sell." The tax credit changes announced Monday, are scheduled to come into effect in October, once approved by the legislature. Finance Minister Mike deJong says the subsidy was forecast to cost the government almost $500 million this year, up from the average of $313 million over the past three years, and the strong American dollar has made the province even more attractive to the industry. Photo: The Canadian Press Danny Letain never imagined he'd be able to "feel" his fingers move again after losing part of his arm in a workplace accident 35 years ago. But with a new bionic hand developed by researchers at Simon Fraser University, he's now able to use the remaining muscles in his stump to activate robotic fingers. The Paralympic skier says he feels as though his hand is actually opening and closing, and he hopes eventually the device can be developed for daily use. In October, Letain will wear the prosthesis in Switzerland at the inaugural Cybathlon event, an international competition for people with disabilities using robotic technology. He'll be the only Canadian competing in an obstacle course for people with powered-arm prostheses to perform everyday tasks like slicing bread and opening jars. SFU team leader Lukas-Karim Merhi says the device differs from other robotic prostheses in that it's more intuitive and allows the wearer to use their muscles naturally to move the hand. Photo: The Canadian Press Conspiracy-peddler-in-chief Donald Trump might claim that title, if he doesn't get the presidency. He's used his public platform to elevate apocryphal stories into national debate topics. He did it again Tuesday. Trump has used a similar modus operandi in most cases: take an outlandish story that's popped up somewhere, raise it publicly and say you can't confirm whether it's true. Some examples: Suggesting Supreme Court justice Antonin Scalia might have been murdered: "It's a horrible topic. But they say they found a pillow on his face, which is a pretty unusual place to find a pillow." To a radio host earlier this year Suggesting President Barack Obama is secretly a foreigner or a Muslim: "He doesn't have a birth certificate. He may have one, but there's something on that, maybe religion, maybe it says he is a Muslim... I don't know. Maybe he doesn't want that." To Fox News in 2011 Falsely claiming he saw thousands of Muslims on TV in New Jersey celebrating the 9-11 attacks: "Hey, I watched when the World Trade Center came tumbling down. And I watched in Jersey City, New Jersey, where thousands and thousands of people were cheering as that building was coming down. Thousands of people were cheering. So something's going on. We've got to find out what it is." To a rally in Alabama late last year Telling a fake story about U.S. Gen. John Pershing squashing a Muslim rebellion in the Philippines: "He took the 50 terrorists and he took 50 men and dipped 50 bullets in pig's blood. You heard about that? He took 50 bullets and dipped them in pigs blood. And he has his men load up their rifles and he lined up the 50 people and they shot 49 of those people. And the 50th person, he said, you go back to your people and you tell them what happened." To a rally in South Carolina Linking Sen. Ted Cruz's father to John F. Kennedy's assassin: "His father was with Lee Harvey Oswald prior to Oswald's being you know, shot. I mean, the whole thing is ridiculous. What is this, right prior to his being shot, and nobody even brings it up. They don't even talk about that... I mean, what was he doing what was he doing with Lee Harvey Oswald shortly before the death? Before the shooting?.. It's horrible." To Fox News, on Tuesday Photo: Facebook - Roxy Reich British Columbia's auditor general has delivered a scathing report that concludes the government is not properly prepared to protect the environment from potential disasters in the mining industry. Carol Bellringer said Tuesday that her office's mines audit was already underway in August 2014 when the tailings dam at the Mount Polley mine in central B.C. collapsed, spilling millions of cubic metres of silt and waste into nearby lakes and rivers. Her report, "An Audit of Compliance and Enforcement of the Mining Sector," took two years to complete. It says almost all expectations for government compliance and enforcement in the mining industry are not being met. She said in a telephone news conference with reporters that the enforcement and compliance activities of the ministries of energy and mines and environment are not set up to protect the province from environmental risks. Bellringer highlighted major gaps in the ministries, citing too few resources and insufficient staff. She said the results were inadequate inspections of mines to ensure operators complied with requirements. Bellringer added that mining companies have not provided government with enough financial security deposits to cover potential reclamation costs if a firm defaults on its obligations. She said the fund is short more than $1 billion. "We concluded the Ministry of Energy and Mines and Ministry of Environment compliance and enforcement activities of the mining sector are inadequate to protect the province from significant environmental risk," she said. "Almost all of the expectations for a robust compliance and enforcement program were not met." Mines Minister Bill Bennett said he accepts Bellringer's recommendations and the ministry on its way to implementing a total of 43 recommendations from combined reports, linked to the Mount Polley disaster. "We actually agree with the central opinion that is expressed in the report that our compliance and enforcement regime ... in terms of our legislation and our oversight of engineers, is in need of some significant improvement," said Bennett in an interview. "We are not backing away from this. The auditor general is correct." Bennett said the government and the auditor general differ on her call for the creation of an independent mining compliance office to keep watch on the industry. Bellringer said the government has rejected her recommendation, but Bennett said the government is open to discussions. The minister refused Opposition New Democrat calls for his resignation following Bellringer's report. Photo: Facebook An Illinois woman has been declared brain-dead after being shot during a random drive-by shooting along a Wisconsin interstate while travelling home with her husband and children, a coroner said Tuesday. Tracy Czaczkowski, who was shot Sunday, was declared brain-dead early Monday morning and is being kept on life support only to preserve her organs for donation, said Greg Hahn, the coroner in Wisconsin's Sauk County, where the shooting took place. Hahn said her condition is irreversible and it's accurate to say she is dead. The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration released a statement earlier Tuesday saying Czaczkowski had died. Her husband works for the DEA, but investigators believe the shooting was random and that the suspect had killed another person just hours earlier in suburban Milwaukee. "Tracy was a loving wife of 15 years, a mother of two tender age children, daughter and good friend to all," the DEA statement said. The family was returning to their home in Buffalo Grove, a Chicago suburb, after spending the weekend in the resort city of Wisconsin Dells when they passed a Chevrolet Blazer on Interstate 90/94. The Blazer's driver opened fire on their BMW sedan, hitting Czaczkowski in the neck, according to investigators. Police stopped the Blazer with a spike strip and shot the driver after he emerged with a gun. The Dane County Sheriff's Office identified the suspect Tuesday as 20-year-old Zachary T. Hays of West Allis, a Milwaukee suburb, and said two of his brothers also were in the Blazer. No charges have been filed against Hays, and he remained hospitalized at the University of Wisconsin Hospital on Tuesday. His condition hasn't been released. Investigators believe Hays killed 42-year-old Gabriel Sanchez in West Allis hours before the interstate shooting. Authorities have said responding officers found Sanchez fatally shot when responding to a report around 7 a.m. of a man forcing his way into a pair of apartments. At the time, police said Hays had also threatened members of a local church. Hays has not been formally charged in either Sanchez's or Czaczkowski's deaths. Phone calls to numbers publicly listed for Hays' family were either disconnected or rang unanswered, and it wasn't immediately clear whether he had an attorney. Court records show that Hays was found guilty of battery and receiving stolen property in Milwaukee in 2013. He was ordered to serve two years' probation. His defence attorney in the case, Bridget Krause, said she didn't remember details about the case. One of Hays' brothers who was in the Blazer on Sunday, 30-year-old Jeremy Hays, was being held Tuesday on suspicion of being a felon in possession of a firearm. He has two felonies on his record: for a burglary in 2005, and for escaping custody in 2006, both in Milwaukee. The sheriff's office said it opted not to identify the other brother who was in the Blazer because of his "cognitive disability." Sheriff's office spokeswoman Elise Schaffer said investigators are trying to get him back to his group home setting as soon as possible. Photo: Darren Handschuh UPDATE: 4:50 p.m. A woman was taken to Vernon Jubilee Hospital Tuesday afternoon following a head-on collision south of Vernon. A full-size GMC pick-up truck collided with a southbound older Honda Accord at the intersection of Birnie Road and Highway 97. Vernon Fire Rescue Cpt. Reinhard Mann said the unidentified woman sustained substantial injuries to her lower extremities, however, they are not considered life threatening. Mann said the woman was awake and talking when rescue crews arrived. She had to be removed through the rear doors of the car because of the extensive front-end damage. The driver of the truck was not injured. Traffic was slowed in both directions, but the highway remained open. The accident happened at 3:39 p.m. The woman was the lone occupant in the Honda. There is no word if any charges will be filed by police. Vernon Fire Rescue is reporting a two vehicle crash on Highway 97, south of Vernon, by the Birnie Road exit to the landfill site. The crash occurred around 3:40 p.m. First responders were said to be treating a woman, involved in what has been described as a head-on crash, along the side of the road before an ambulance crew arrived. The woman is being transported to Vernon Jubilee Hospital. Southbound traffic on Highway 97 is said to be slow. Castanet will have more details as they become available. Photo: CTV An evacuation alert has been issued for residents in the Peace River area. The Peace River Regional District issued the alert because of the potential danger to life and health due to a wildfire. The alert includes the Beatton Airport Road area in Electoral Area B including all properties on the following roads: East on the 254 Road (Montney Highway) from Alaska Highway to 281 Road North on the 281 Road to the 256 Road East on the 256 Road to the east side of the Prespatou Road North on the Prespatou Road to where it crosses the Blueberry River West along the Blueberry River south of Blueberry First Nations to where the Blueberry River crosses the Beatton Airport Road South along the Beatton Airport Road to the west side of the Alaska Highway South along the west side of the Alaska Highway to 254 (Montney) Highway The evacuation alert was issued to prepare people to evacuate their homes or property should it be found necessary. Residents will be given as much advance notice as possible prior to evacuation; however they may receive limited notice due to changing conditions. For updates, go to the Peace River Regional District website and Facebook page. For the latest on current wildfire activity, go to bcwildfire.ca. Photo: CTV UPDATED: 11:20 p.m. Barring a meteor, a miracle, or a massive, unprecedented plot twist, Donald Trump will become his party's candidate for president of the United States. He was so dominant in the Indiana primary Tuesday that his chief rival exited the Republican race, leaving Trump the improbable king of a hill that once comprised 17 candidates. A crowd gasped as Sen. Ted Cruz broke the news. It was an audible echo of the lingering disdain for Trump among vast pockets of his own party, which failed over the course of a year to successfully coalesce around an alternative. "It appears (my) path has been foreclosed," said the Calgary-born Cruz. "We left it all on the field in Indiana. We gave it everything we've got. But the voters chose another path. "And so, with a heavy heart but with boundless optimism for the long-term future of our nation, we are suspending our campaign." That leaves a scenario that would have been derided a year ago as science-fiction. A perma-tanned billionaire, heretofore renowned for glitzy buildings, beauty pageants, bountiful bragging, and a reality-TV show, has transformed himself into a champion of the aggrieved everyman. After a year of bomb-tossing epithets at his rivals, he's arrived near the gates of power with only two obstacles remaining on his path: that hypothetical miracle, and Hillary Clinton. Trump swiftly swerved toward a general-election message. He complimented Cruz effusively after having repeatedly called him a liar. And he turned his sights on Clinton. "We're going to win. We're going to win in November," Trump said. "And we're going to win big." He remains a general-election underdog. Polls for a matchup against Clinton have mostly pointed to a Democratic rout on Nov. 8. But he's already signalled that he'll attempt to recalibrate, and tailor his message to a general-election audience. He's already started hammering Clinton over trade deals dating back to her husband's presidency like NAFTA. He can't be discounted. Trump steadily grew his support since he entered the race last June. Meanwhile, Clinton's has eroded. She's faced a far-tougher-than-expected challenge from 74-year-old socialist Sen. Bernie Sanders. On the Democratic side, Sanders' campaign technically remains alive. On the Republican side, so does Ohio Gov. John Kasich's although he appears mathematically eliminated. Anti-Trump Republicans are already pointing fingers every which way. Many have blamed the news media for allowing the outlandish showman so much airtime; some grumble that power-brokers were too slow to pick a stop-Trump strategy; some even blame President Barack Obama for the political mood. A Wall Street Journal columnist this week blamed everybody including the angry, white working-class voters he said were leading their party to electoral ruin. On Fox News, a sombre-sounding commentator said history is unfolding. "What are we just witnessing happening tonight is one of the major American parties changing its political ideology, radically," said Charles Krauthammer, a prominent Trump critic. "It was ... for the last 50 years, going all the way back perhaps to Eisenhower, the conservative party in the country. As of tonight it's being led by a non-conservative populist." The day of Trump's triumph was of a weirdness befitting the entire race. The front-runner rolled enthusiastically in the mud of an outlandish conspiracy theory: that his rival's dad was somehow linked to John F. Kennedy's assassin. That drew an understandably outraged response from the rival in question who has already had his mud-flinging front-runner insinuate that his wife's ugly and now that his dad was pals with shooter Lee Harvey Oswald. "This is nuts," an exasperated Cruz told reporters earlier in the day. "Yes, my dad killed JFK. He is secretly Elvis. And Jimmy Hoffa's buried in his backyard. ... I'm going to tell you what I really think about Donald Trump: this man is a pathological liar. He doesn't know the difference between truth and lies. He lies, practically every word that comes out of his mouth. ... He combines it with being a narcissist. A narcissist at a level I don't think this country's ever seen ... "Donald Trump is such a narcissist that Barack Obama looks at him and goes, 'Dude, what's your problem'?" The trigger for this outburst was Trump's habit of using the platform of a presidential campaign to elevate urban legends into national discussion topics. He did it recently by recycling a made-up story about a general who supposedly executed Muslims with bullets dipped in pig's blood more than a century ago. He did it again Tuesday by referring to a supermarket-tabloid item about Cruz's father Rafael. It had originally appeared in the National Enquirer owned by Trump's buddy, David Pecker. The Miami Herald more recently ran a report questioning the tabloid story so, naturally, a Trump spokesperson defended the candidate's decision to raise it by saying it had appeared in the Miami Herald. The original tabloid story was headlined: "Ted Cruz's Father Caught With JFK Assassin." It said the Cuban-born father was with Oswald a few months before the assassination, at a protest where the latter handed out pro-Castro-Cuba flyers. Trump brought it up in a morning TV interview. Hours later in his victory speech, he expressed surprise at how well the day had gone. After Cruz dropped out, Trump said: "I didn't expect this." Residents of Fort McMurray are literally fleeing for their lives as a massive wildfire threatens to consume the entire town. A complete evacuation of the northern Alberta community has been ordered and thousands are heading to the relative safety of local camps. Castanet spoke to a worker in one of those camps who is witness to one of the largest evacuations in Canadian history. Because the company he works for does not allow employees to talk with the media, his name is not being used. I can't confirm this, but someone said they just lost the hospital, the man said Tuesday evening from a camp 20 minutes from Fort Mac. The highways are backed right up to the point where people are camping on the side of the road. There are people living in their cars because they have nowhere to go. Hundreds of people have poured into the camp in a surreal scene that is being repeated throughout the region. The camp holds 1,500 people, but it is at least double that right now, he said. There are lots of little kids. In our parking lot there are people with campers and trailers. This is a very open area, so they are fleeing to the safety of open areas. Having worked in camps around Fort McMurray for more than a decade, this is the worst he has ever seen. At the site that I work at, we had ash falling that looked like snow. There is usually a fire every year, but this is the worst I have seen, he said, adding the upper area of Fort McMurray known as Gregoire has been devastated by the flames with numerous homes and businesses being lost. I heard one couple say when they left, the fire was 50 feet from their house. They watched their home go up in flames. There are all these people sitting outside who will have to sleep in their cars, he said. The camp is projecting it will run out of food fairly fast. Photo: Contributed A pig attacked and seriously injured a man less than two hours after the same animal attacked a woman at a Massachusetts farm. Townsend Police Chief Robert M. Eaton Jr. said his department was investigating "two very unfortunate farm incidents" in the town about 50 miles northwest of Boston. Police and emergency responders were called to the farm Tuesday evening for a report of an injured woman. When they arrived they found a 38-year-old woman with lacerations on her body from an apparent pig attack. She was taken to a hospital for further treatment. Less than two hours later, rescuers were called to the same location for a report of a man who had received more serious injuries from the same animal. Police said a medical helicopter was requested, but could not fly due to weather conditions. The 50-year-old man was taken to a hospital with life-threatening injuries. The animal, an adult boar, or male pig, was quarantined pending further evaluation on Wednesday by the Massachusetts Department of Agriculture, State Veterinarian, Animal Rescue League and Townsend Animal Control. "We will be working closely with our partners in the animal control and veterinary world to determine the best course of action," Eaton said. Police did not immediately release the names of the victims. It was unclear why the pig attacked. Photo: YouTube An Air Canada Jazz flight was forced to abort its takeoff from Kelowna Airport recently. Aviation website Aeroinside.com reports that on April 20 the de Havilland Dash 8-300 was departing for Vancouver and was accelerating for takeoff when the crew experienced difficulties with the aircraft's flight controls. The takeoff was rejected, and the airliner safely returned to the apron. The flight was cancelled. The Transportation Safety Board reported that maintenance crews checked the cockpit under-floor cable runs and found the left elevator bearings were dry, requiring lubrication. The bearings were replaced. Aeroinside reported the information from the Civil Aviation Daily Occurrence Report System. Transport Canada says it "endeavours to ensure the accuracy and integrity of the data contained within CADORS, however, the information within should be treated as preliminary, unsubstantiated and subject to change." Photo: Wayne Moore - Castanet An arsonist may be on the loose. The West Kelowna Fire Department has concluded a fire in a dormitory at the Green Bay Bible Camp Saturday night was suspicious. The file has now been turned over to the RCMP for further investigation. The fire broke out in a second story lounge shortly before 10 p.m. When crews arrived, the lounge was fully engulfed with smoke. The fire was burning against an interior wall, and had spread into the wall and attic space. Fire crews were able to knock down the main body of fire with an offensive interior fire attack and pull the drywall from the wall and ceilings to expose and extinguish the extended fire. Once the fire was under control, crews worked to protect the attached units from fire, smoke and water damage. Quick action by staff and guests prior to fire crew arrival helped confine the fire to the lounge area. "When the fire was discovered; one or more individuals quickly closed the doors to the lounge while they were evacuating the building," said assistant fire chief Darren Lee. "This simple act confined the fire and protected other evacuating occupants. Closing the doors to the lounge also prevented the rapidly growing fire from receiving the oxygen it needed to spread throughout the dormitory. " Photo: Chad Edwards Chad Edwards is Aprils winner in the Big Surf Beer Summer Fun Photo Contest. Chad sent in this great shot simply titled Surfing. Send in your summer fun photos for a chance to be May's winner of a summer shred package consisting of a Big Surf longboard and shorts, sandals, shades and a shirt from ONE Boardshop. Click here to submit your entries. View the gallery of submissions here. Photo: Instagram It's all about having a Big Mac for a big smile. McDonalds restaurants across the Okanagan are celebrating McHappy Day for the 23rd year in a row. All day, $1 from a sale of every McCafe, Big Mac sandwich or Happy Meal goes to local Boys and Girls Clubs and Ronald McDonald Charities. Since its inception, McHappy Day has raised more than $51 million for Canadian children. Members of the Okanagan Boys and Girls Club have joined staff at restaurant locations from West Kelowna to Lake Country, opening doors, cleaning tables and helping in the kitchen. Boys and Girls spokesperson Richelle Leckey said this year's proceeds will support the clubs' Safe Place to Belong initiative. We know that not every young person in our community has it easy, and we want to be sure that no matter what a kid's circumstances, they have a safe place to belong where they have a chance to become healthy, successful and active participants in society, she said. Donations can be made at www.boysandgirlsclubs.ca Dear Mayor and Council, We understand that the AAP group has rallied and may have enough names to force a decision on council, to either go ahead or cancel a referendum. We strongly urge you to proceed with the referendum as planned. We need a new City Hall and complex which will also house important IHA facilities. To date, there has been a tremendous effort by Council, and many other consultants, to plan this facility. It would be short sighted to cave-in to a minority now, and not proceed with a referendum. You have all been elected to get a job done, and to date have made responsible decisions. We are confident there is a majority of residents willing to go to the polls and support this project. A strong marketing campaign will ensure success. Peter and Deirdre Wannop Photo: Google Street View Work on Tumbleweed Bridge (also known as Lafarge Bridge) is slated to begin next week in Kamloops. The city has contracted with HRC Construction to carry out rehabilitation work on the bridge, with work starting May 9. The project is anticipated to be complete by the end of August. The project will be limited to the rehabilitation of the bridge piers and deck soffits, and will not involve repairs to the bridge deck. However, motorists traveling across the bridge will be impacted as construction crews will need to access the work on the piers from the bridge deck. Temporary traffic signals will be installed at both ends of the bridge for traffic control. Once the work begins, the city will post regular construction updates on its website. Photo: The Canadian Press Tens of thousands of people have fled the wildfire that has ravaged parts of Fort McMurray, Alta. Here are some of their stories: Steve Andrejiw, 51, was about to head into work for an afternoon shift Tuesday when he realized the fire that had previously posed little threat was now raging out of control. He had earlier fuelled up the truck with gas and packed up some important possessions, but could not leave until accounting for his wife and daughters, ages eight and three. His wife collected one child and a family friend picked up the other from a daycare. The daycare was destroyed by fire about 30 minutes later. Once home, his wife rounded up the girls and tried to leave town, only to find herself metres from a wall of flame emitting so much heat that the girls were crying. Eventually she drove into the lane of oncoming traffic and used it to get herself out of the area. Andrejiw stayed behind to try and secure the house, but soon realized his efforts may be fruitless. He stood beside a distraught neighbour. The neighbour was watching his home, his father's garage and his sister's house all succumb to the blaze. Andrejiw took to the road to join his family in St. Albert, Alta., where relatives were waiting to put them up. The drive that normally lasts four hours took 10 hours. The drive took him past decimated neighbourhoods and trailer parks that he'd gotten used to seeing in the 29 years he's spent living in Ft. McMurray. "I feel like I'm looking at someone else's town. This is Slave Lake. This is some place in California. This isn't Ft. McMurray. it's not sinking in." Planning for the future seems too daunting. Andrejiw, who works for Municipality of Wood Buffalo, believes his house is gone and says the family may have to relocate if the fire proves too taxing on his children's mental health. "Our oldest is fairly traumatized. She keeps crying and asking questions that we can't answer." "We're very thankful our family is OK, but I think we're still allowed to experience the loss of our community. That's a big blow. "We don't know if we're going to go back to jobs now. We don't know if we're going to leave town. Is the town going to rebuild? . . . We have mortgate payments that are due right away. We don't know if our companies are going to put the direct deposits in. Those things become, unfortunately, a worry very quickly." Dustin Shillolo, 29, linked up with a group of friends and rode out of town in a truck on Tuesday. "We were stuck on the highway and we could see the flames of the forest fire coming toward us. I'm thinking to myself, 'Well, here we are in a back of a truck going nowhere fast.'" Shillolo said he saw terrified people trying to bike away from the scene. He said his group made it about 10 kilometres south of town before running out of gas. On Wednesday morning, he was stuck at a staging area waiting to refuel. He said the highway nearby had all four lanes going southbound. "I must have stayed up till 3, 4 o'clock in the morning last night just standing there watching the headlights, and it didn't stop. For hours, it didn't stop." Shillolo said he has been amazed by the generosity of the community. "We've got people coming up to us saying they're getting a can of gas for us, . . . and they're bringing four or five extra cans just for anybody who needs it. And they're buying food, and they're getting kitty litter for people who have cats, they're getting dog food. They're driving up the highway, and anybody they see they're going to stop and give some to." Shillolo, a labourer living in Fort McMurray, said he believes his home is safe at the moment, but he recognizes that could change at any moment. "If there's something to go back to, I'll go back. I have enough stuff on me that if I didn't want to go back I guess I wouldn't have to, but I probably would." Jay Telegdi said he and his roommate were watching smoke from the fire from an overlook on a ridge in the Abasand area of Fort McMurray on Tuesday when they first realized how serious the threat was. "We saw the flames jump up over the ridge to the other side," said Telegdi. "We saw the fire creeping down the hill, so it was, OK time to go." He said smoke started rolling into the neighbourhood as they packed up their two cars to leave the area near their home in bumper-to-bumper traffic. As Telegdi drove he said he noticed clusters of people dragging what possessions they could along the side of the road until some were picked up by passing vehicles. "You just started seeing abandoned suitcases as people just dropped what they had and hopped into a car or a truck," he said. "Honestly it seemed like the beginning of Dawn of the Dead sirens, smoke, people running all over the place." Telegdi said he made it to a friend's place near a river south of the town where he and a couple of others were picked up by a tour helicopter that was circling in the area and taken to the town's airport. From there he rented a car and made it down Highway 63 to Edmonton where he had previously booked a hotel. Telegdi, who works in government relations for the local Metis community, said he wonders whether his home survived in what was an area hit hard by the fire. "I've seen two videos now online of fire 50 feet high on my street," he said. Hunter Lawrence-Carr, 18, is a high school student from Fort McMurray. When he was in school Tuesday, he saw students starting to get texts from concerned parents telling them to get moving. "By the time class ended they're trying to settle everyone down in school and stuff, and I just said I had to go home and had to get my dogs ready, get everything packed up, get ready for my parents to come home and get ready to leave. "We didn't realize how serious it was until we went out to the parking lot and the sky was orange. You could feel the heat radiating just from the smoke alone. It's still surreal just trying to think about it." Lawrence-Carr didn't wind up leaving until 9:30 p.m. Tuesday night and said it took a couple of hours to make it out of the city limits. He left the city with his mom and three dogs. He could see flames in the rearview mirror as they drove out of town. He was en route to Edmonton on Wednesday morning when he talked to The Canadian Press. His stepfather is a supervisor at the municipal wastewater plant, which is deemed an essential service, so he was still in town. He has been in touch with his close friends and they're safe. "My main concern, a worry to me was maybe if the fire was to head north towards the camps where they put everyone. I guess you can never tell that stuff, but it's just a worry in the back of my mind that creeped in I guess as you think about all these different scenarios and stuff." Steve Jenson was at work at a car dealership Tuesday when he first realized the gravity of the situation. Jenson said the grass had caught fire near the divided highway next to the dealership and flames were clearly visible. "You could feel the heat on your face as if you had just gotten a sunburn," said Jenson. Jenson, who lives in the Timberlea subdivision, said once the evacuation order was given it was a matter of making it home to get his dog before trying to head north to get out of town. He said traffic was so bad it took three hours to move one kilometre a frustrating journey that was compounded when he stopped at the only gas station open in town. "The one I went to initially lost power as I was trying to do my transaction," said Jenson. "I had to change vehicles so I left my car and jumped in my truck." Jenson, a friend and his English Mastiff Darwin, headed north for about 60 kilometres when they realized Highway 63 heading south was open to traffic so their plans changed. On Wednesday, Jenson was still slowly making his way south toward Edmonton where he will stay with a friend. "There are hundreds of vehicles abandoned on the side of the highways," he said. "People are out of fuel all over the place." Chris Evangelista, 30, is a pastor in Fort McMurray who is originally from Toronto. He said it was a beautiful day Tuesday when he woke up and thought the fire was well under control, but later things changed. "Literally just in ... (the) hour that I was at lunch, things deteriorated really crazily. When I walked out of the building there was a huge cloud of smoke over the east side of downtown.... That was really our first sign." Evangelista had to be in Edmonton for a conference later this week. He decided to bump up his travel plans and head out on Tuesday. As he was trying to get on the highway, he saw a wall of flame three to five meters away from him. He shot some video. "I just couldn't believe it was really happening. It was really only an hour later ... where I was kind of processing things and I realized actually I'd done some pretty crazy, dangerous things just now." Evangelista said he did not feel fear at the time of shooting the video, though he could feel the heat. "It was only later on when I had a chance to reflect that I was like, 'Wow, that was pretty dangerous.'" He said it took him about two hours to get out of town. His house is next to the church where he works and he doesn't know if either building is safe. Evangelista, who spoke to The Canadian Press from a hotel in Edmonton, said he expects the church will have to help people when life returns to normal. "Everyone's really evaluating. We know there are some neighbourhoods that are pretty much gone, and we know that some of our congregation members are from that neighbourhood. There are definitely people from our congregation that are going to need help, . . . but that might not even be the extent of the damage." Paul Newman is a resident of the Timberlea subdivision, where he said at least 12 trailers had burned down. Newman, who works as a surveyor, said Tuesday began as any other with a trip to the local gym to work out. "When I walked out of the gym is when I noticed the flames and smoke looked a bit more serious, so I started to consider packing a bag," he said. "It was a few hours later after that I was really wishing I had left much earlier because we were stuck in traffic." Newman said it took at least 90 minutes to get to nearby Highway 63 to begin the trek out of town. "We honestly weren't sure if we were going to get out of Timberlea because everybody started driving like maniacs. Driving eastbound on the westbound lane . . . driving down sidewalks and a lot of the roads were blocked for emergency vehicles." Newman said he and a roommate made it to Calgary, where he has family and friends, around 4 a.m. Wednesday. "We'll wait it out here and hopefully I can return to my home sometime in the next couple of days. Hopefully I still have a job and a lot of people still have jobs and don't lose their homes." Photo: CTV UPDATE: 4:30 p.m. Alberta declared a state of emergency Wednesday as crews frantically held back wind-whipped wildfires that have already torched 1,600 homes and other buildings in Fort McMurray, forcing all 80,000 residents to flee. "The situation in Fort McMurray is not stable. It is unstable," Scott Long of Alberta Emergency Management told reporters in a Wednesday afternoon briefing. "The downtown core is being held through some Herculean efforts of the structural firefighters in the area." Municipal Affairs Minister Danielle Larivee said the state of emergency allows the province to take full control of the situation, conscript people if necessary, and bulldoze structures as required. "We are still in the throes of an intense crisis," said Larivee. There were dangerous and dramatic developments on multiple fronts Wednesday in a story that has made headlines worldwide with stunning video footage of trucks and cars driving past sheer walls of flame. There were haunting images of scorched trucks, charred homes and telephone poles, burned out from the bottom up, hanging in the wires like little wooden crosses. Alberta Premier Rachel Notley flew up to survey the situation first-hand, while officials in the evacuation centre had to bolt to the south of the city as flames edged closer. Notley tweeted pictures of the fire from above. "The view from the air is heartbreaking," she wrote. The blaze effectively cut Fort McMurray in two late Tuesday, forcing about 10,000 north to the safety of oilsands work camps. The other 70,000 were sent streaming south in a bumper-to-bumper snake line of cars and trucks that stretched beyond the horizon down Highway 63. Some vehicles sat in ditches, the victims of engine trouble or a lack of gas. The situation took a tragic twist Wednesday when an SUV collided head on with a tractor-trailer on another southern escape road, Highway 881, killing two and shutting down the road in both directions. The displaced arrived in communities of Anzac, Lac La Biche and Edmonton. Some were going as far as Calgary. At Anzac, volunteers served eggs and pancakes to some of the 2,500 people at the recreation centre. Chantelle Boutin said she was grateful that she and her husband found a safe refuge. The couple brought their two dogs, but one of them died from the stress. "We lost our house, we lost everything, but we didn't lose our spirit," said Boutin. "Thank you, God, nobody died. Our prayers are with you guys, those firefighters, EMS." Crews had been battling the blaze since Sunday. But the situation turned destructive within minutes on Tuesday afternoon when the blaze, whipped up by winds, roared into the southwest corner of the city. It engulfed homes in three subdivisions and destroyed vehicles, gas stations and a motel. Most of the homes in the suburbs of Beacon Hill and Waterways were destroyed. There have been no reports of fire-related injuries or deaths. The wildfire was still listed out of control as it curled around the city, 435 kilometres northeast of Edmonton, and was expected to reach 10,000 hectares by day's end. Robin Smith with the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo, which includes the city, said it was believed everyone left the city. "We have RCMP patrols that are regularly looping the neighbourhoods to make sure there's no one straggling," said Smith. Long said area pipeline operations were shutting or reducing operations, and residents of the nearby Alexis-Nakota First Nation were ready to leave on an hour's notice if necessary. Mayor Melissa Blake said her city is strong and remembers Slave Lake, a community devastated by wildfires in 2011. "We will hope to follow in the shadow of Slave Lake in our perseverance and resolve," said Blake. "And as we look to the future, this is still a place of incredible strength, resiliency and vibrancy." The province said 255 firefighters were on scene, backed up by 12 helicopters and 17 air tankers. The military has provided rescue helicopters and 15 residents who had been cut off by fire were airlifted to safety, Long said. Concerns and best wishes poured in from around the world. From Britain, the Queen said in a statement: "Prince Philip and I were shocked and saddened by the news of the wildfires that are causing such devastation to Fort McMurray. "Our thoughts and prayers are with all those who have been affected." In Ottawa, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the federal government will provide all possible assistance to Alberta. ORIGINAL The Alberta government has declared a provincial state of emergency due to a devastating forest fire that has destroyed 1,600 homes and forced more than 80,000 people from the city of Fort McMurray. Municipal Affairs Minister Danielle Larivee says the declaration will allow the province to better support the municipality and request additional resources from outside the province. "We are still in the throes of an intense crisis," she said at a briefing in Edmonton on Wednesday afternoon. "Fire conditions remain extremely challenging." She said the fire was actively burning in residential areas "with significant structural loss." "Our responders are facing extreme fire conditions and rapidly changing fire behaviour. The fire situation remains dynamic and, unfortunately, current temperatures and wind present extreme fire conditions." Scott Long of Alberta Emergency Management said flames were being kept from the downtown area thanks to the "herculean" efforts of firefighters. Larivee also said there had been a fatal traffic accident on a secondary highway being used by evacuees, but it wasn't yet clear whether the collision was connected to the fire. Several Gage County community members and organizations were recipients of Gage County Tourism Awards Tuesday evening in recognition of their commitment in promoting and establishing Gage County as a tourist destination. We choose to hand out the awards because we want to recognize peoples efforts in improving tourism throughout the county, said Abby Schademann, tourism and special events director for Gage County Tourism. Any event that is well organized and brings people into town deserves the recognition, she said. This years award recipients were: Marilyn Lytle for Friend of Tourism, Spring Nationals for Outstanding Event, Scott Street Ballfields for Outstanding Attraction, Rice Lodge for Outstanding Website, and Homestead National Monument for Outstanding Publication, relating to the park's brochure. Laureen Riedesel from the Chamber of Commerces visitors committee, which meets each year to decide the Gage County Tourism Awards, presented the awards to each of the winners. Lytle was not in attendance to accept the award for Friend of Tourism, so Gwen Vitosh accepted on her behalf, though Riedesel said that Lytle has been a big contributor to Gage County Tourism for some time. She is on the board of directors for the Old West Trail Center, is a founder of the Odell Craft Fair, and has participated in the Community Players in Beatrice since 1998. Derek Fralin accepted the award for Outstanding Event for Spring Nationals, which bring thousands of visitors for racing, according to Riedesel. Though nobody from the city offices could attend to accept the award for Outstanding Attraction, Riedesel applauded the city of Beatrice for its quick work in cleaning up and even improving the Scott Street Ballfields after flooding in 2015. The ball fields encourage people to have a pleasant experience and to stay in town, bolstering tourism, she said. Of best website Riedesel said that because Rice Lodge provides user-friendly ways to communicate to potential visitors and is mobile-friendly, Shelley Eisele deserved the award for putting together the lodge's website. Gwen Vitosh, who also helped with the website, accepted the award. Mark Engler, superintendent at Homestead National Monument, accepted the award for Outstanding Publication. Riedesel said he and everyone involved should be proud for making that publication possible. I think Beatrice and Gage County is awesome and you should be very proud to be living here, said Twyla Witt, who gave the opening introduction at the award event and has been involved in Nebraska state tourism for 19 years. Congratulations to you all for being involved in tourism and for the work you do that makes tourism very important for our state, our county, and your community, she added. The award ceremony was held at the Homestead National Monument of America Education Center, which continues to be one of the areas biggest tourist attractions each year. We cannot look at the current state of Mobile Operating Systems without looking at the past. Android, iOS, and every modern OS drew inspiration from their past counterparts. Back then, mobile phones had simpler functions and that is to help us get connected. Besides the basic functions of calling, answering phone calls, and receiving messages, at most youll just play The Snake game on the phone. Before mobile phones took a turn to the Millenium, it mostly ran on embedded systems. An embedded system usually features a processor, input, output, and memory which is commonly seen used on portable music players and vehicles. Soon after, mobile operating systems evolved in the form of Personal Digital Assistants. What it does are far more sophisticated than the basic is by allowing mobile devices to organize emails and gain internet access. At that time, the most popular OS for PDAs was the PenPoint OS. Then a few years later, Symbian OS emerged during the mobile blooming era of the late 1990s and early 2000s. Symbian was a cooperative effort from Nokia, Motorola, Ericsson, and PSION. That said, these three brands gains its popularity mainly during the rise of Symbian. The 2000s also saw the rise of mobile operating systems from Microsoft and Blackberry. But, in 2007 Apple released its first iPhone, and with it is Apples iOS changed the whole landscape. The iPhone combined cell phone functionality with iPod and internet capabilities. Soon enough in 2008, Android 1.0 was launched for mobile phones and subsequently for tablets and other mobile devices. Until now, iOS and Android remain the most favorable mobile operating systems. And though these two OS seems to be a constant rivalry, a healthy competition doesnt hurt. CRETE -- A man who was teaching dance in Lincoln and Crete has been charged with sexually assaulting two 14-year-old girls in Crete. Police arrested 27-year-old Vinson Jenkins Thursday at Dynamic Dance Co., 1318 Main Ave., which he co-owns with his wife, according to court documents. Both of the girls Jenkins is accused of sexually assaulting are students at Crete Middle School and at least one of them a student at the Dynamic Dance Co. studio. One of the girls told police Jenkins sexually assaulted her in the basement of his home at 2025 Fairway Drive on the evening of April 25, according to a probable cause affidavit written by Crete Police Officer Dawn Jonas. The other girl said Jenkins repeatedly sexually assaulted her from August through December 2015 at the dance studio, the affidavit says. He also contacted the second girl on social media including SnapChat and Instagram, court documents say. Jenkins also worked at Pure Movement Dance in Lincoln teaching a small group of students once a week for the past couple of years. A representative of the Lincoln studio said in an email that the families of the students he worked with have been informed of the charges and that none of the Lincoln students has come forward with a claim against Jenkins. A spokeswoman said Pure Movement Dance did a criminal history and arrest background check before hiring Jenkins and was shocked by the allegations. He has been fired from the Lincoln dance company, she said. Jenkins was charged Monday in Saline County Court with two felony counts of first-degree sexual assault of a child and one count of felony enticement by electronic communication device. A message left at Dynamic Dance Studio seeking comment was not returned. Jenkins remained in the Saline County jail in Wilber Monday. La Commission europeenne a ouvert la voie mercredi a une exemption de visas pour les Turcs dans l'espace Schengen, et devoile une proposition aussitot decriee de sanctions financieres contre les pays refusant un partage de l'accueil des refugies. L'avis favorable sur les visas reste sous reserves de nouvelles mesures du gouvernement turc, alors qu'Ankara a fait de cette exemption une condition pour continuer d'appliquer son accord migratoire controverse avec l'UE. Meme en cas de feu vert complet ulterieur de la Commission, le Parlement europeen, comme les Etats membres, devront encore donner leur aval a cette mesure, dans un contexte de mefiance grandissante vis-a-vis du regime islamo-conservateur turc. Ils auront aussi leur mot a dire sur la reforme proposee du reglement Dublin, qui definit quel pays de l'UE est responsable d'une demande d'asile. La Commission a propose mercredi des retouches plutot qu'une revolution, avec un mecanisme de repartition automatique entre pays europeens, en fonction de leur population et de leur PIB. -"Chantage"- Declenche seulement en cas de pression "disproportionnee" sur un Etat membre, il serait assorti d'une sanction de 250.000 euros par personne non accueillie par un Etat membre ne s'y pliant pas, versee a celui qui prendra cet accueil en charge. En situation normale, la regle principale resterait celle du pays de premiere arrivee. C'est du "chantage", a immediatement reagi le chef de la diplomatie hongroise a propos de la sanction financiere, denoncant un projet "inacceptable" et demandant a la Commission europeenne "de ne pas s'engager dans cette impasse". Le gouvernement turc a lui salue une "nouvelle page" dans les relations avec l'UE apres la proposition de Bruxelles d'integrer la Turquie dans la liste des pays exemptes de visas" pour les courts sejours (90 jours maximum) familiaux, de voyages d'affaires ou touristiques. Ankara en a fait un enjeu de politique interieure et menace, s'il n'obtient pas satisfaction, gain de cause, de remettre en cause son pacte migratoire du 18 mars avec l'UE, prevoyant le renvoi en Turquie de tous les nouveaux migrants arrivant sur les iles grecques. Combine a la fermeture de la route migratoire des Balkans, l'accord a fait baisser la pression sur l'Union, meme si la situation reste inquietante en Grece ou sont bloques des dizaines de milliers de refugies. En 2015, l'UE a ete ebranlee par l'arrivee d'un nombre sans precedent de 1,25 million de demandes d'asile, deposees principalement par des Syriens, Irakiens et Afghans fuyant la guerre et l'insecurite. D'ou la crainte que Bruxelles fasse preuve d'une indulgence interessee vis-a-vis de la Turquie, que l'ONG Amnesty International accuse d'avoir renvoye des dizaines de personnes en Syrie, ravagee depuis 2011 par la guerre. Mais la Commission a assorti son avis favorable de conditions : parmi une serie de 72 criteres pour rendre la mesure possible, Ankara doit encore en respecter cinq "d'ici a la fin juin", a explique le vice-president de la Commission Frans Timmermans. Ils concernent notamment la lutte des autorites turques contre la corruption, ou encore une revision de la legislation du pays sur le terrorisme. "Aucun citoyen turc n'entrera dans l'UE sans visa s'il n'a pas de passeport biometrique", a en outre assure M. Timmermans. Tojours pour rassurer, la Commission a repris la proposition franco-allemande d'une procedure permettant de suspendre rapidement une exemption de visas, notamment face a un eventuel un afflux de migrants venant de pays exemptes. Le chef du principal groupe politique du Parlement europeen, l'Allemand Manfred Weber (PPE, centre-droit) a salue cette mesure. Mais il a aussi prevenu que les eurodeputes ne transigeraient pas sur le respect "de tous les criteres", dans un communique commun avec ses homologues des autres groupes politiques et le president du Parlement. -Controles prolonges aux frontieres- Egalement sur le terrain migratoire, la Commission a donne son aval mercredi a une prolongation exceptionnelle des controles aux frontieres interieures de la zone Schengen de libre-circulation, retablis par plusieurs pays au plus fort de la crise migratoire. L'Autriche, le Danemark, l'Allemagne et la Suede vont aussi pouvoir poursuivre les controles sur certaines zones frontalieres precises, alors que la duree maximale de ces derogations a la libre circulation arrivait a son terme (le 13 mai pour l'Allemagne, le 16 pour l'Autriche). La Commission, tout en louant les "efforts significatifs" de la Grece, a constate que de "graves deficiences" persistaient dans la gestion de la frontiere greco-turque, justifiant le declenchement de cette procedure inedite. Mais l'executif europeen a aussi insiste sur l'objectif de voir cesser ces controles "d'ici la fin de l'annee", et a pris soin de souligner que ces mesures n'etaient pas synonymes d'une exclusion de la Grece de l'espace Schengen. Source : AFP Catholic Family News A Monthly Journal Preserving our Catholic Faith and Heritage Home Latest Archives Subscribe CFN Media - videos Contact Us CFN Bookstore Oltyn Library Services 2017 CFN Daily Blog Originally started as a daily Blog update of news reports on the Papal Conclave and ongoing news on Pope Francis, it is now a general Blog updated daily on traditional Catholic topics Updated Regularly Book mark this page click here Luxury hotels in the historic center for a Catholic family. Only luxury hotels can provide a paradisiacal vacation for a big Catholic family. A high-level vacation for families, children and not only. The gorgeous views, divine service, and the best location are all luxury hotels. Catholics, Orthodox, Protestants, and more. Everyone will find their place in this corner of paradise. Popular destinations Breckenridge, CO, United States In Breckenridge, Colorado, there are plenty of places to visit, whether you're a nature lover or thrill seeker. For nature lovers, the Blue River runs right through town and there are plenty of trails to explore. If you're looking for a thrill, Breckenridge is home to some of the best skiing and snowboarding in the country. There's also plenty of shopping and dining options in town, so you'll never run out of things to do. Breckenridge Luxury Hotels Savannah, GA, United States Savannah, Georgia is a beautiful city with lots of places to visit, including Forsyth Park, River Street, and the Juliette Gordon Low Birthplace. Another place to visit is the Savannah History Museum, which is jam-packed with interesting exhibits on the history of the city. Savannah Luxury Hotels Naples, FL, United States Naples is known for its stunning white sand beaches and crystal-clear waters. Its also home to a wide variety of attractions, including world-class golf courses, vibrant nightlife, and interesting cultural experiences. Here are five places to visit in Naples, Florida: Naples Pier: Stroll along the pier and enjoy panoramic views of the Gulf of Mexico. Fifth Avenue South: This popular shopping and dining district is home to eclectic boutiques, award-winning restaurants, and lively bars. The Ritz-Carlton, Naples: This luxurious resort is set on 26 acres of pristine waterfront property and offers superb amenities, including a world-class spa and championship golf course. The Naples Zoo at Caribbean Gardens: This zoological park is home to more than 700 animals representing 150 species, including flamingos, lemurs, and tigers. Tin City: This eclectic shopping and dining district is housed in a series of restored waterfront warehouses and features eclectic shops, galleries, and award-winning restaurants. Naples Luxury Hotels Naples Luxury Resorts Louisville, KY, United States Louisville is in the heart of Kentucky and is known for being the home of the Kentucky Derby. There are a lot of great places to visit in Louisville, including the Louisville Zoo, the Muhammad Ali Center, and the Frazier History Museum. There are also a lot of great restaurants and bars in Louisville, and it's a great place to visit for a weekend getaway. Louisville Luxury Hotels Galveston, TX, United States Galveston is a Texas coastal town that is rich in history and offers visitors a variety of places to visit and things to do. Some of the most popular attractions include the Moody Gardens, Schlitterbahn Waterpark, and Historic Downtown. There are also a number of museums and other historical landmarks, as well as plenty of shopping and dining options. Galveston Luxury Hotels Galveston Luxury Resorts Omaha, NE, United States The birthplace of Warren Buffett, Omaha, Nebraska, is a great place to visit. There are plenty of things to see and do in Omaha, from touring the Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium to visiting the Durham Western Heritage Museum. Other popular tourist destinations in Omaha include the Joslyn Art Museum, the Ak-Sar-Ben Aquarium, and TD Ameritrade Park. Omaha Luxury Hotels Columbus, GA, United States Columbus is a charming small town in Georgia that is worth a visit. There are several places to visit in Columbus, including the Riverwalk, the Chattahoochee River, the National Infantry Museum, and the Coca-Cola Space Science Center. The Riverwalk is a beautiful walkway along the Chattahoochee River that is perfect for a relaxing stroll or a bike ride. The Chattahoochee River is a great place to go fishing, swimming, or kayaking. The National Infantry Museum is a museum dedicated to the infantry of the United States Army. It is a must-see for history buffs. The Coca-Cola Space Science Center is a museum dedicated to space science. It is perfect for kids and adults alike. Columbus Luxury Hotels Anchorage, AK, United States Anchorage is a great place to visit if you're looking for an adrenaline rush. From skiing and snowboarding in the winter to rafting and fishing in the summer, Anchorage has something to offer everyone. In addition to its outdoor activities, Anchorage also has a variety of cultural and historical attractions, including the Anchorage Museum and the Tony Knowles Coastal Trail. Anchorage Luxury Hotels Portland, OR, United States Portland is a city that is located in the US state of Oregon and it is known for its art scene, food, and coffee. There are a lot of interesting places to visit in Portland, such as the Portland Art Museum, where you can see a variety of art from all over the world. Another place to visit is the Powell's City of Books, the largest independent bookstore in the world. If you're looking for a place to eat, Portland has no shortage of amazing restaurants, such as Pok Pok, which serves Thai cuisine, and Le Pigeon, which serves French cuisine. And, of course, no trip to Portland would be complete without trying some of the city's famous coffee, such as Stumptown Coffee Roasters. Portland Luxury Hotels Florence, Italy No trip to Italy is complete without a visit to Florence. This historic city is home to some of the country's most famous attractions, including the Duomo, Ponte Vecchio, and Michelangelo's David. There's also plenty to see and do outside of the city center, including the picturesque Tuscan countryside and the vibrant university town of Arezzo. Florence Luxury Hotels Florence Luxury Villas Asheville, NC, United States Asheville is a city in western North Carolina. It is the largest city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. It is the county seat of Buncombe County. Asheville is home to the Biltmore Estate, the largest private home in the United States. The city of Asheville proper had a population of 84,236 in 2010. The city is known for its art deco architecture, mountain scenery and outdoor activities, and as the birthplace of American novelist Thomas Wolfe. It is also home to the Sierra Nevada Brewing Company, the second largest craft brewery in the United States. Asheville Luxury Hotels Asheville Luxury Cottages Long Beach, CA, United States There's plenty to do in Long Beach, California without ever having to leave the city limits. If you're looking for a little adventure, head to the Aquarium of the Pacific for a glimpse of the ocean's creatures or take a walk on the boardwalk at Rainbow Harbor. If you're more of a history buff, the Queen Mary is a must-see. This retired ocean liner is now a hotel and museum with plenty of stories to tell. And no trip to Long Beach is complete without a visit to the iconic Vincent Thomas Bridge. Long Beach Luxury Hotels Long Beach Luxury Villas Cincinnati, OH, United States Cincinnati is a city located on the Ohio River in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Ohio. The city was founded in 1788 and named after the Society of the Cincinnati, an organization of Revolutionary War officers. Cincinnati is a major U.S. city and the metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million people. The city is well-known for its German heritage, Oktoberfest celebration, and its variety of chili dishes. Cincinnati is home to three major sports teams: the NFL's Cincinnati Bengals, MLB's Cincinnati Reds, and the NBA's Cincinnati Cavaliers. The city is also home to the University of Cincinnati and Xavier University. The city's historic neighborhoods include Over-the-Rhine, Mount Auburn, and Hyde Park. Cincinnati is a popular tourist destination and offers a variety of attractions and places to visit, including the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden, the Newport Aquarium, the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center, and the Museum of Contemporary Art. Cincinnati Luxury Hotels Laughlin, NV, United States Laughlin, Nevada is a great place to visit if you're looking for a fun and affordable vacation. There are plenty of casinos and resorts to choose from, as well as plenty of outdoor activities and attractions. Be sure to check out the local nightlife, and don't forget to take a trip down the mighty Colorado River. Laughlin Luxury Hotels Laughlin Luxury Resorts Anaheim, CA, United States Anaheim, California is home to both Disneyland and California Adventure Park. The parks are just a short walk away from each other, and make for a great day of exploration. Anaheim is also home to the Anaheim Angels and the Anaheim Ducks, so there's always a game to catch. If you're looking for something a little more low-key, Anaheim has a great shopping district and a variety of restaurants to choose from. Anaheim Luxury Hotels Santa Cruz, CA, United States Santa Cruz is a great place to visit! There are so many places to see and things to do. Some of my favorite places to visit are the Boardwalk, the wharf, and the University of California, Santa Cruz. The Boardwalk is a great place to go for a walk, ride on the amusement park rides, and eat some of the delicious food. The wharf is a great place to go for a walk, eat some seafood, and listen to the street performers. The University of California, Santa Cruz is a great place to visit to learn about the history of the area and to see some of the beautiful architecture. I highly recommend visiting Santa Cruz if you are looking for a fun and interesting place to visit!. Santa Cruz Luxury Hotels Eugene, OR, United States Eugene, Oregon is a great city to visit with a lot of places to see and things to do. One of the most popular attractions is the University of Oregon campus, which is home to a number of museums and a large football stadium. The city also has a vibrant arts scene, with a number of theaters and art galleries. Outdoor enthusiasts will enjoy the dozens of parks and hiking trails in the area, and there are also a number of wineries and breweries in the area. Eugene Luxury Hotels Branson, MO, United States There's plenty to see and do in Branson, Missouri, from state parks and amusement parks to theaters and shopping. Here are some of the most popular places to visit: Silver Dollar City is a theme park with rides, shows, and craftsmen demonstrations. is a theme park with rides, shows, and craftsmen demonstrations. The Shepherd of the Hills Outdoor Theatre puts on a variety of shows, including "The Legend of the Shepherd of the Hills" and "The Catfish Fry." puts on a variety of shows, including "The Legend of the Shepherd of the Hills" and "The Catfish Fry." Table Rock State Park has fishing, swimming, and hiking trails, as well as a nature center. has fishing, swimming, and hiking trails, as well as a nature center. The Titanic Museum features a half-sized replica of the ship, along with exhibits about the history of the Titanic. features a half-sized replica of the ship, along with exhibits about the history of the Titanic. Branson Landing is a shopping and entertainment complex on the waterfront. There's something for everyone in Branson, Missouri come visit and see for yourself!. Branson Luxury Hotels Panama City Beach, FL, United States The white sand beaches and emerald waters of Panama City Beach, Florida, are a popular tourist destination. The city is home to numerous hotels, resorts, and restaurants, as well as amusement and water parks. Visitors can also enjoy fishing, kayaking, and surfing. Panama City Beach Luxury Hotels Panama City Beach Luxury Resorts Monterey, CA, United States Monterey is a coastal city in Monterey County, California, United States. It stands at the southern end of Monterey Bay, on the Pacific coast. The city is also the home of the Naval Postgraduate School. Monterey is the largest city in the Central Coast region of California. The main attractions in Monterey are the Monterey Bay Aquarium, Fisherman's Wharf, Cannery Row, and the downtown area. Monterey Luxury Hotels Norfolk, VA, United States Norfolk, Virginia is a great place to visit for its historical places and military bases. Some places to visit in Norfolk are the Chrysler Museum of Art, Norfolk Botanical Garden, and the Norfolk Naval Station. Norfolk Luxury Hotels Palm Springs, CA, United States Palm Springs is a vibrant city located in the Coachella Valley and is known for its year-round sunshine, resort atmosphere and Mid-Century Modern architecture. Top places to visit include the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway, Palm Springs Art Museum, Indian Canyons and Moorten Botanical Garden. For a truly unique experience, be sure to check out the Palm Springs Modernism Show & Sale the worlds largest vintage furniture and design event. Palm Springs Luxury Hotels Palm Springs Luxury Resorts Palm Springs Luxury Villas Rochester, NY, United States Rochester is a city in western New York State and is the county seat of Monroe County. Rochester is known for its annual festivals, including the Rochester International Jazz Festival, the Rochester Fringe Festival, and the Holiday Folk Fair International. Places to visit in Rochester include the George Eastman Museum, the Strong National Museum of Play, the Rochester Museum and Science Center, and the Seneca Park Zoo. Rochester Luxury Hotels Pigeon Forge, TN, United States Visit the Titanic Museum in Pigeon Forge for a unique experience. This museum is dedicated to the Titanic, one of the most infamous ships in history. Tour the ship and learn about the passengers and crew who were on board. You can even see the actual artifacts recovered from the shipwreck. If you're looking for a little more excitement, head to Dollywood. This amusement park is home to roller coasters, a water park, and plenty of other rides and attractions. Plus, the park is themed around the life and music of Dolly Parton. No trip to Pigeon Forge is complete without a visit to the Great Smoky Mountains. These mountains offer a variety of activities, including hiking, fishing, and horseback riding. Plus, the natural beauty of the area is simply breathtaking. Pigeon Forge Luxury Hotels Jacksonville, FL, United States Jacksonville is less than an hour's drive from the beaches of Amelia Island and St. Augustine, and a little more than two hours from Orlando. The city has a lot to offer visitors, including a riverwalk, museums, and a vibrant arts scene. Jacksonville is also home to the Jacksonville Jaguars NFL team. Jacksonville Luxury Hotels Minsk, Belarus Minsk, the capital of Belarus, is a city that has something for everyone. If you're looking for a little history, Minsk has plenty of it, with churches and monuments dating back to the 12th century. If you're looking for a lively nightlife, Minsk has that, too, with plenty of bars, clubs, and restaurants. And if you're looking for a little nature, Minsk has parks and gardens to enjoy. Here are just a few of the places you can visit in Minsk: The Holy Spirit Cathedral, one of the oldest churches in Minsk, is a must-visit for history buffs. The National Library of Belarus is a huge library with more than 18 million items in its collection. The Opera and Ballet Theatre is a beautiful building that hosts performances of both opera and ballet. The Victory Park is a large park with a war memorial, a children's playground, and a lake. And for a little bit of nature in the heart of the city, the Botanical Garden is a great place to relax and take a break from the hustle and bustle of Minsk. Minsk Luxury Hotels Jaipur, India Jaipur is one of the most popular tourist destinations in India. It is the capital of the state of Rajasthan and is known for its palaces, forts and temples. Some of the places to visit in Jaipur include the Amber Fort, the City Palace, the Jantar Mantar Observatory and the Hawa Mahal. Jaipur is also a great place to shop for traditional Indian handicrafts. Jaipur Luxury Hotels Chicago, IL, United States Chicago is a city full of culture and history. There are plenty of places to visit, such as the Willis Tower, Buckingham Fountain, and the Lincoln Park Zoo. Chicago is also home to many restaurants and bars, so there is something for everyone. Chicago Luxury Hotels Auckland, New Zealand Auckland is a beautiful city located on the north island of New Zealand. There are many places to visit in Auckland, including the Sky Tower, the Auckland War Memorial Museum, and the Auckland Domain. The beaches in Auckland are also worth visiting, especially Karekare and Piha. Auckland is a great place to visit, and I highly recommend it!. Auckland Luxury Hotels Auckland Luxury Villas Amsterdam, Netherlands If you're looking for a city that's got it all, Amsterdam should be your go-to destination. From the city's lively and vibrant nightlife to its charming and quiet neighborhoods, Amsterdam has something for everyone. Be sure to check out the Anne Frank Huis, the Rijksmuseum, and the Van Gogh Museum, as these are some of the most popular attractions in the city. And if you're looking for a little bit of nature, be sure to take a walk or bike ride through Amsterdam's many parks. Amsterdam Luxury Hotels Berlin, Germany There are so many great places to visit in Berlin that it can be hard to know where to start. From the iconic Brandenburg Gate to the fascinating Reichstag Building, there's something for everyone in this vibrant city. If you're looking for a bit of history, make sure to check out the Berlin Wall Memorial or the DDR Museum. And for those looking for a bit more fun, there's always the Alexanderplatz Christmas Market or the Zoologischer Garten. No matter what your interests, Berlin is a city you won't want to miss. Berlin Luxury Hotels Bangkok, Thailand Bangkok is a city of contrasts with its gleaming temples and skyscrapers, chaotic markets and tranquil canals. While it's a popular tourist destination, Bangkok is a city that can be enjoyed by visitors of all ages. Some of the top places to visit in Bangkok include the Grand Palace, Wat Arun, the floating markets and the Chatuchak Weekend Market. Bangkok Luxury Hotels Bangkok Luxury Resorts Bangkok Luxury Villas Bruges, Belgium Bruges is a city in Belgium that is worth visiting. It is full of medieval charm and there are a lot of things to see and do. Some of the places to visit include the Markt, the Belfry, and the Begijnhof. Bruges Luxury Hotels Brussels, Belgium Brussels is a city in Belgium that is best known for its chocolate, waffles, and beer. But there is much more to see and do in Brussels than just indulge in the local cuisine. There are a number of interesting historical landmarks to visit, such as the Grand Place and the Atomium, as well as a variety of parks and gardens. And, of course, Brussels is also a great city to explore on foot. Brussels Luxury Hotels Budapest, Hungary Budapest, Hungary's capital, is a city of thermal baths and medival, baroque and art nouveau architecture. Crowded with tourists, the city is bisected by the Danube River into the hilly Buda and the more developed and flat Pest. Among the main places of interest are the neo-Gothic Parliament, the Chain Bridge linking Buda and Pest, the Matthias Church and Fisherman's Bastion on the Buda bank, and the State Opera House and Heroes' Square on the Pest side. Budapest Luxury Hotels Playa del Carmen, Mexico Home to some of the best beaches in Mexico, Playa del Carmen is a favorite tourist destination for visitors from all over the world. With its lively nightlife, gorgeous coastline and ample shopping opportunities, there's something for everyone in this tropical paradise. Don't miss the opportunity to visit some of the area's most popular attractions, such as the ancient Mayan ruins of Tulum and Coba, or the eco-friendly Turtle Beach. With its friendly people, delicious food and stunning scenery, Playa del Carmen is a place you'll never want to leave. Playa del Carmen Luxury Hotels Playa del Carmen Luxury Resorts Playa del Carmen Luxury Villas Denver, CO, United States Denver is a great city for visitors. There are so many places to see and things to do. Some of the top places to visit include the 16th Street Mall, the Denver Botanic Gardens, the Denver Art Museum, and the Colorado State Capitol. There are also plenty of great restaurants and shops to explore. Denver is definitely a city worth visiting!. Denver Luxury Hotels Dublin, Ireland Dublin is a city located in Ireland. It's a city full of culture, with plenty of places to visit. Some popular tourist spots are the Guinness Storehouse, Trinity College, and the Dublin Castle. There are also plenty of pubs and restaurants to discover. Dublin Luxury Hotels Dusseldorf, Germany Dusseldorf, Germany is a city with many different places to visit. The city has a mix of old and new buildings, and a variety of activities to do. The best places to visit in Dusseldorf are the Konigsallee, the Rhine Tower, and the Oktoberfest. The Konigsallee is an open-air shopping mall that has many high-end stores. The Rhine Tower is the tallest building in the city and offers great views of Dusseldorf. The Oktoberfest is a week-long festival that celebrates German culture and food. Dusseldorf Luxury Hotels Edinburgh, United Kingdom Edinburgh, Scotland is a beautiful city to visit. The architecture is very old and unique, and there are plenty of historical places to visit, like Edinburgh Castle. There are also plenty of parks and gardens, and lots of shops and restaurants. Edinburgh Luxury Hotels Rome, Italy Rome is a city rich in history and filled with beautiful places to visit. Make sure to stop by the Colosseum, the Roman Forum, and the Pantheon. Also be sure to visit St. Peters Basilica and the Sistine Chapel while in Rome. If youre looking for a little more nature in your trip, head to the Villa Borghese gardens or the Janiculum Hill for some wonderful views of the city. And of course, no trip to Rome is complete without a gelato!. Rome Luxury Hotels Rome Luxury Villas New York, NY, United States There are many amazing places to visit in New York State. Some of my favorites are the Niagara Falls, the Adirondack Mountains, and the Finger Lakes. If you're looking for a city break, New York City is definitely worth a visit. There's endless things to see and do, from touring the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island to visiting world-famous museums like the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the American Museum of Natural History. No matter what your interests are, you'll be able to find something to enjoy in New York State. New York Luxury Hotels New York Luxury Villas London, United Kingdom London is a city rich in history and full of amazing places to visit. Some of my favorite places are Westminster Abbey, Buckingham Palace, and the Tower of London. There is so much to see and do in London, you could spend weeks here and never run out of things to do. If you're looking for a city full of culture and history, London is the place for you. London Luxury Hotels London Luxury Cottages Madrid, Spain Madrid is one of the most beautiful and culturally rich cities in the world. From the Royal Palace to the Prado Museum, theres plenty to see and do in Madrid. If youre looking for a little bit of nature, Madrid has plenty of parks, like the Buen Retiro Park, to relax in. And dont forget to try some of the delicious tapas and wine while youre in town. Madrid Luxury Hotels Memphis, TN, United States The birthplace of rock 'n' roll, Memphis is a city rich in history and culture. From Graceland to Beale Street, there are plenty of places to visit in Memphis. Be sure to check out Sun Studio, where rock 'n' roll was born, and the National Civil Rights Museum, which tells the story of the African-American civil rights movement. Memphis is also home to some amazing food, so be sure to try some of the city's famous barbecue and soul food. Memphis Luxury Hotels Miami Beach, FL, United States There is much to explore in Miami Beach, from the famous Art Deco district to the vast beaches and crystal-clear waters. Outdoor enthusiasts will love the opportunities for fishing, kayaking, and paddleboarding, while history buffs can explore the ancient burial mounds at Miami Beach. Shoppers and foodies will find plenty to keep them busy, with vibrant neighborhoods like Lincoln Road and Ocean Drive offering unique boutiques and award-winning restaurants. And of course, no trip to Miami Beach is complete without a visit to world-famous South Beach. Miami Beach Luxury Hotels Miami Beach Luxury Resorts New Orleans, LA, United States You can't visit New Orleans without trying some of the local food. Beignets, Po' Boys, and gumbo are just a few of the must-try dishes. While you're in town, be sure to check out the French Quarter, Jackson Square, and St. Louis Cathedral. If you're looking for some nightlife, Bourbon Street is the place to be. And, of course, no trip to New Orleans is complete without a visit to Mardi Gras!. New Orleans Luxury Hotels Milan, Italy Milan is a city located in the Lombardy region of Italy. It is a popular tourist destination because of its historical and artistic heritage. Some of the places you should visit while in Milan are the Duomo, La Scala, and Castello Sforzesco. Milan Luxury Hotels Naples, Italy Naples is one of the most beautiful and historic cities in Italy. There are countless places to visit, such as the Royal Palace, the Museum of San Martino, and the Church of Gesu Nuovo. Naples is also home to excellent shopping and dining options. Be sure to enjoy a cup of coffee at one of the city's many cafes and take a stroll through the picturesque streets. Naples Luxury Hotels Paris, France Paris is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world. It's home to iconic landmarks like the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre Museum, as well as a thriving nightlife and restaurant scene. If you're looking to explore all that Paris has to offer, here are some of the top places to visit: The Eiffel Tower: This iconic landmark is a must-see in Paris. Climb to the top for stunning views of the city, or take a ride on the elevator to the bottom for a closer look at the structure. The Louvre Museum: This world-famous museum is home to some of the most famous works of art in the world, including the Mona Lisa. The Notre Dame Cathedral: This beautiful cathedral is one of the most famous landmarks in Paris. Make sure to climb to the top for some amazing views of the city. The Champs-Elysees: This famous avenue is a popular destination for shopping and dining. Be sure to wander down the street and take in all the sights and sounds. The Arc de Triomphe: This towering arch is another iconic landmark in Paris. Climb to the top for some amazing views of the city. Paris Luxury Hotels Paris Luxury Villas Prague, Czech Republic Prague is a city rich in history and culture. There are plenty of places to visit, including the Prague Castle, the Charles Bridge, and the Old Town Square. There are also plenty of restaurants and bars to enjoy, and the nightlife is vibrant. Prague is a truly unique city and a must-visit for anyone traveling to the Czech Republic. Prague Luxury Hotels Punta Cana, Dominican Republic Located on the easternmost tip of the Dominican Republic, Punta Cana is known for its beautiful beaches and turquoise waters. This paradise is a favorite destination for travelers looking for a Caribbean getaway. Punta Cana is home to a wide variety of resorts and activities, from enjoying the sand and surf to golfing, spas, and shopping. Nature lovers can also explore the areas jungles, caves, and waterfalls. Punta Cana Luxury Hotels Punta Cana Luxury Resorts Punta Cana Luxury Villas Marbella, Spain If you're looking for an idyllic and luxurious Spanish escape, look no further than Marbella. Located on the country's Costa del Sol, Marbella is home to stunning beaches, top-notch resorts, world-class golfing, and much more. A visit to Marbella is the perfect way to experience all that Spain has to offer. Marbella Luxury Hotels Marbella Luxury Villas Marrakesh, Morocco Marrakesh is a city in Morocco that is full of culture and history. There are several places to visit in Marrakesh, including the Palace of the Bahia, the Ben Youssef Madrasa, and the Saadian Tombs. The souks (markets) are also a must-see, where you can find everything from souvenirs to spices to traditional clothing. Be sure to enjoy a meal in one of the many restaurants or cafes in Marrakesh; the food is delicious and the atmosphere is always lively. Marrakesh is a wonderful city to explore and definitely worth a visit!. Marrakesh Luxury Hotels San Francisco, CA, United States San Francisco is a popular tourist destination, and for good reason. There are plenty of things to see and do in this vibrant city. Here are some of the top places to visit: 1. Fisherman's Wharf: This neighborhood is home to a variety of shops and restaurants, as well as a popular pier where you can enjoy views of the bay. 2. The Golden Gate Bridge: This iconic bridge is a must-see for any visitor to San Francisco. 3. Alcatraz Island: This former federal prison is now a popular tourist attraction. It's a must-see for fans of history and crime dramas. 4. Chinatown: This colorful neighborhood is home to some of the best food in San Francisco. Be sure to check out the Dragon Gate entrance. 5. The Mission District: This trendy neighborhood is home to hip restaurants, bars, and art galleries. San Francisco Luxury Hotels Moscow, Russia Moscow, Russia is a beautiful city with plenty of places to visit. Some of the most popular tourist attractions are the Kremlin, Red Square, and Saint Basil's Cathedral. Other great places to see include the Bolshoi Theatre, Gorky Park, and the Tretyakov Gallery. There are also many churches and other historical buildings to explore. Moscow is a lively city with a lot of culture and nightlife. There is something for everyone to enjoy in Moscow. Moscow Luxury Hotels Venice, Italy Venice is one of the most beautiful places on earth. The city is built on a lagoon in northeast Italy and is known for its canals and gondolas. There are many places to visit in Venice, including the Grand Canal, St. Marks Square, and the Rialto Bridge. Venice is also home to many museums, including the Peggy Guggenheim Collection. Venice Luxury Hotels Vienna, Austria Vienna, Austria is a city with a long and rich history. There are many places to visit in Vienna, including the Hofburg Palace, the Ringstrasse, and St. Stephen's Cathedral. Vienna is also home to some of the world's best shopping, including the Karntner Strasse and the Graben. Finally, no visit to Vienna is complete without experiencing the city's world-famous nightlife. Vienna Luxury Hotels Zurich, Switzerland Zurich is a marvelous city located in the heart of Switzerland. It is a city that has something to offer for everyone. From amazing restaurants and beautiful architecture to exciting nightlife and gorgeous parks, Zurich has something for everyone. Some of the most popular places to visit in Zurich include the Bahnhofstrasse, which is the city's most famous shopping street, the Lindenhof, which is a beautiful park with amazing views of the city, and Grossmunster, which is a stunning Romanesque church. Zurich is also home to some of the best museums in the world, including the famed Museum of Art and the Swiss National Museum. With its mix of old-world charm and modern amenities, Zurich is a city that is definitely worth exploring. Zurich Luxury Hotels Acapulco, Mexico If you're looking for a Mexican vacation spot with plenty of history and culture to explore, Acapulco is a great option. From the archeological wonders of the ancient city to the stunning coastal views, there's something for everyone in Acapulco. Plus, with its temperate climate, it's a great escape from colder winter weather. Acapulco Luxury Hotels Acapulco Luxury Resorts Acapulco Luxury Villas Nashville, TN, United States One of the United States' most interesting places to visit is Nashville, Tennessee. There's plenty to see and do there, from the Grand Ole Opry to the Country Music Hall of Fame. Music is a big part of the city's history and culture, so be sure to catch a show while you're in town. Other popular attractions include the Ryman Auditorium, the Parthenon, and the Jack Daniel's Distillery. Nashville is also a great place to eat, with a wide variety of restaurants serving up everything from barbecue to Mexican food. So if you're looking for an exciting and diverse city to visit, be sure to add Nashville to your list. Nashville Luxury Hotels Nashville Luxury Villas Atlanta, GA, United States What's not to love about Atlanta? From the iconic Georgia Aquarium to the World of Coke, from the Fox Theatre to Centennial Olympic Park, Atlanta offers a wealth of destinations for tourists. Sports fans will want to check out the new Mercedes-Benz Stadium, and history buffs will enjoy the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum. Braves fans can take a tour of SunTrust Park, and shoppers will enjoy the many boutiques and malls in the city. There's also a great restaurant scene in Atlanta, and music lovers will want to check out the many venues offering live music. Whether you're looking for a fun family vacation spot or a place to explore on your own, Atlanta is a great choice!. Atlanta Luxury Hotels Miami, FL, United States The Magic City is a top tourist destination for a reasonthere are endless things to do in Miami! From exploring the trendy neighborhoods and dazzling beaches to soaking up the Latin culture and nightlife, Miami is jam-packed with amazing places to visit. Here are a few of our favorites: 1. Wynwood Walls: This outdoor art exhibit is a must-see for any art lover. The colorful murals are awe-inspiring and definitely Instagram-worthy. 2. Vizcaya Museum and Gardens: This estate is dripping with luxury and opulence, from the grandiose architecture to the expansive gardens. It's the perfect place for a day of relaxation. 3. South Beach: This world-famous beach is a must-visit for any sun-seeker. The crystal-clear water and soft sand make for the perfect day-long beach getaway. 4. Little Havana: Experience Cuban culture at its best in Little Havana. From delicious food to lively music and dance, there's something for everyone in this vibrant district. 5. Art Deco District: This district is home to Miami's most iconic architecture. Take a stroll down the charming streets and admire the colorful buildings that make Miami so unique. Miami Luxury Hotels Miami Luxury Villas Tokyo, Japan Tokyo is a must-see destination in Japan. There are endless places to explore in this city - temples, shrines, gardens, and more. The Shinjuku district is a great place to start, with its neon-lit streets and myriad shops and restaurants. For a taste of traditional Japan, visit the Sensoji Temple in Asakusa or the Imperial Palace. Nature lovers will enjoy the Hamarikyu Gardens or the Hama-rikyu Teien Garden. And for a unique experience, take a trip to Mount Fuji. Tokyo Luxury Hotels Tokyo Luxury Villas Buenos Aires, Argentina There are plenty of places to visit in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Some popular tourist destinations include the obelisk, the Casa Rosada, and the Puerto Madero district. Every barrio (neighborhood) has its own unique culture and flavor. San Telmo, La Boca, and Palermo are some of the most popular barrios. There are also many parks and plazas, such as Plaza de Mayo and Plaza de la Republica, that are worth checking out. Buenos Aires Luxury Hotels Hamburg, Germany One of the most popular tourist destinations in Germany is Hamburg. From the lively and colorful harbor district to the grandiose City Hall, there is plenty to see and do in Hamburg. Some of the other popular places to visit include the Reeperbahn district with its pubs and nightlife, the Planten un Blomen botanical gardens, and the architecturally stunning Rathausmarkt square. Hamburg Luxury Hotels Lisbon, Portugal The capital of Portugal, Lisbon is a city of fascinating contrasts. From its coastal location, visitors can enjoy stunning ocean views, while its hilly, narrow streets are home to a maze of charming traditional homes and lively nightlife. A city of 7 hills, Lisbon is a bustling metropolis with something for everyone. Here are some of the top places to visit: The Belem Tower, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is one of Lisbons most iconic landmarks. This 16th-century fortress and lighthouse is a must-see for visitors. The Alfama district, with its winding streets and tile-roofed homes, is the oldest district in Lisbon. This is the perfect place to get lost and explore the citys history. The Lisbon Zoo is a great place to enjoy a day out with the family, with over 2,000 animals from around the world. The Christ the King statue, located atop a hill in the suburb of Almada, offers impressive views of Lisbon and the river Tagus. The Lisbon Oceanarium, located in the Parque das Nacoes district, is home to more than 12,000 marine creatures and is one of the largest aquariums in Europe. Lisbon Luxury Hotels Lisbon Luxury Villas Malaga, Spain Malaga is an attractive seaside city in southern Spain with a long history. There are many places to visit in Malaga, including the Gibralfaro Castle, the Alcazaba fortress, and the Malaga Cathedral. Malaga is also home to a variety of museums, including the Picasso Museum. The city is well known for its beaches, and there are many delightful places to relax and enjoy the sun and the sea. Malaga Luxury Hotels Malaga Luxury Villas Munich, Germany When planning a vacation to Munich, Germany, be sure to include these top places to visit: The Marienplatz is a must-see square in the city center, featuring a beautiful Glockenspiel show and the Old and New Town Halls. The Englisher Garten, Europes largest city park, is a great place for a relaxing stroll or a picnic. OlympiaPark is home to the famous 1972 Olympic Stadium as well as a huge amusement park. The Frauenkirche is a stunning church in the old town with a Glockenspiel of its own. Beer lovers will want to visit the Hofbrauhaus, the worlds most famous beer hall. For a bit of history and culture, check out the LudwigMaximilians-University and the Deutsches Museum. There is so much to see and do in Munich these are just a few highlights!. Munich Luxury Hotels Granada, Spain Granada is a city in southern Spain that is known for its Moorish architecture and history. The city is home to the Alhambra, a palace and fortress that was constructed in the late 1300s. Visitors can also enjoy the citys many churches, including the Cathedral of Granada. Granada is also a convenient base for exploring the other cities and towns in Andalusia. Granada Luxury Hotels Bucharest, Romania Bucharest is a city full of history and culture. There are many places to visit, such as the Palace of Parliament, which is the world's largest civilian building. Other places to visit include the old city center, which is full of charming streets and buildings, and the Botanical Garden, which is the largest botanical garden in Romania. Bucharest Luxury Hotels Bologna, Italy Bologna, Italy is a beautiful city with plenty of places to visit. Some popular tourist destinations include the Piazza Maggiore, the Tower of Asinelli, and the Sanctuary of the Madonna di San Luca. There are also plenty of museums and churches to explore, and the city is full of charming restaurants and cafes. Bologna is an excellent destination for a vacation, and there is something for everyone to enjoy in this amazing city. Bologna Luxury Hotels Porto, Portugal Porto is a port city in Portugal that is well known for its wine. It's also a city with a long and rich history. There are many places to visit in Porto, including the old city center, the Dom Luis I Bridge, and the Clerigos Tower. Porto is also home to the famous Port wine caves, which are a must-visit for wine lovers. Porto Luxury Hotels Cologne, Germany Cologne, located on the Rhine River in western Germany, is a city well worth visiting. The city has a long and rich history, dating back to the time of the Roman Empire. Some of the city's most popular tourist attractions include the Cologne Cathedral, Hohenzollern Bridge, and the RheinEnergieStadion. Additionally, Cologne is home to a wide variety of museums, shops, and restaurants. In fact, the city has been ranked as one of the best places to live in Germany. So, if you're looking for a great European city to visit, be sure to add Cologne to your list. Cologne Luxury Hotels Istanbul, Turkey If you're looking for an exotic and affordable vacation destination, look no further than Istanbul, Turkey. Filled with historical places to visit and bargains to be found, Istanbul offers something for everyone. Be sure to visit the Hagia Sophia, Topkapi Palace, and the Blue Mosque while you're there. Don't forget to bargain for the best prices when shopping in the bazaars, and enjoy some delicious Turkish cuisine while you're at it. Istanbul is sure to leave you with a lasting impression. Istanbul Luxury Hotels Istanbul Luxury Villas Dubai, United Arab Emirates Dubai is a fascinating and exotic city that offers visitors a mix of traditional Middle Eastern culture and modern, cosmopolitan life. There are plenty of places to visit in Dubai, from the towering skyscrapers of Downtown Dubai to the luxury shopping malls and luxurious hotels of the Palm Jumeirah. Don't miss a chance to experience an Arabian night out on an epic dhow cruise, or take a trip out into the Arabian Desert to see the stunning sand dunes. Dubai Luxury Hotels Dubai Luxury Resorts Dubai Luxury Villas Antwerp, Belgium Antwerp is a city located in the Flemish region of Belgium. It is the capital of the province of Antwerp and has a population of over half a million people. Antwerp is a popular tourist destination due to its many historical buildings, museums, and art galleries. Some of the most popular places to visit in Antwerp are the Cathedral of Our Lady, the City Hall, the Rubenshuis, and the Antwerp Zoo. Antwerp Luxury Hotels Lyon, France Lyon is a beautiful city in the south of France that is full of culture and places to visit. Some of the most popular places to visit in Lyon are the Basilica of Notre Dame de Fourviere, the Place Bellecour, and the Vieux Lyon. The Basilica of Notre Dame de Fourviere is a beautiful cathedral that is a must-see when visiting Lyon. The Place Bellecour is a large square in the heart of Lyon that is full of restaurants and cafes. The Vieux Lyon is a district in Lyon that is full of old buildings and is a great place to wander around and take in the sights. Lyon Luxury Hotels Athens, Greece If you find yourself in Athens, there are definitely some spots you won't want to miss. The Acropolis, Parthenon, and Olympic Stadium are all essential stops, but there are plenty of others, too. If you're looking for a bit of history, the National Archaeological Museum is a must-see, while nature lovers will enjoy a visit to the botanical gardens. If you're looking to relax, take a walk along the beach in Glyfada or head to the Plaka district for a charming and picturesque setting. No matter what you're interested in, Athens has something for you. Athens Luxury Hotels Athens Luxury Villas Helsinki, Finland While in Helsinki, make sure to visit these popular tourist destinations: The Senate Square and Lutheran Cathedral The Sibelius Monument Ateneum Art Museum Market Square Helsinki Zoo. Helsinki Luxury Hotels Vilnius, Lithuania The capital of Lithuania, Vilnius, is a picturesque city with a rich history. The old town is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is full of charming churches, narrow streets, and pretty squares. There are also lots of museums and other places of interest to visit, including the Hill of Crosses, Gediminas Tower, and the Presidential Palace. Vilnius is a great city to explore on foot, and there are plenty of cafes, restaurants, and bars to enjoy in the evening. Vilnius Luxury Hotels Reykjavik, Iceland A city of remote beauty, Reykjavik is teeming with interesting places to visit. One of the worlds most northern capitals, Reykjavik offers stunning landscapes and a wealth of cultural experiences. From the iconic Hallgrimskirkja church to the popular Golden Circle tour, theres plenty to see and do in Reykjavik. Be sure to check out the citys lively nightlife scene, too you wont be disappointed!. Reykjavik Luxury Hotels Glasgow, United Kingdom Some of the most popular places to visit in Glasgow include the Gallery of Modern Art, the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum, the Riverside Museum, and the Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre. There are also many wonderful parks and gardens to explore, including the Botanic Gardens and Glasgow Green. For those interested in history and architecture, there are many fascinating old buildings to see, such as the Glasgow Cathedral and the University of Glasgow. And for those looking for a lively nightlife, Glasgow has no shortage of pubs, clubs, and restaurants. Glasgow Luxury Hotels Los Angeles, CA, United States As the birthplace of Hollywood and home to some of the world's most recognisable landmarks, there's no shortage of places to visit in Los Angeles. Start by exploring the city's iconic neighbourhoods like Beverly Hills and Hollywood, then venture out to attractions like the Griffith Observatory, Venice Beach and Disneyland. And don't forget to savour the city's world-famous cultural scene, with its abundance of museums, theatres and restaurants. Los Angeles Luxury Hotels Los Angeles Luxury Villas San Diego, CA, United States San Diego is a city located in California and is a major tourist destination. One of the main reasons people visit the city is for its many beaches. Coronado Beach, Mission Beach, and Pacific Beach are some of the most popular and are all within close proximity to the city center. Other attractions in San Diego include the San Diego Zoo, SeaWorld San Diego, and the USS Midway Museum. Restaurants, bars, and shopping can be found throughout the city, and world-renowned museums, like the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego, are also located in San Diego. San Diego Luxury Hotels San Diego Luxury Resorts San Diego Luxury Villas Washington, DC, United States Washington, D.C. is a city full of history and places to visit. Some popular places to visit are the Lincoln Memorial, the White House, and the Smithsonian. D.C. is also home to a number of monuments and memorials, like the Vietnam Veterans Memorial and the Korean War Veterans Memorial. There are also a number of museums in D.C., like the American History Museum and the National Air and Space Museum. Washington Luxury Hotels Cancun, Mexico Cancun is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Mexico. Aside from its beautiful beaches, there are plenty of places to visit and things to do in Cancun. Some of the most popular attractions include the ancient ruins of Chichen Itza, the eco-park Xcaret, and the nightclubs and bars in the resort district. Cancun Luxury Hotels Cancun Luxury Resorts Cancun Luxury Villas Virginia Beach, VA, United States Virginia Beach is one of the top tourist destinations on the East Coast. From the Virginia Beach Boardwalk to the miles of sandy beaches, there's something for everyone to enjoy. There are also plenty of restaurants, shops, and other attractions to keep visitors busy. Some of the most popular places to visit in Virginia Beach include: The Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center : This aquarium is home to more than 20,000 animals, including sharks, dolphins, and rays. : This aquarium is home to more than 20,000 animals, including sharks, dolphins, and rays. The Virginia Beach Boardwalk: This 3.5-mile boardwalk is one of the most popular attractions in Virginia Beach. It features a wide variety of shops, restaurants, and amusements. This 3.5-mile boardwalk is one of the most popular attractions in Virginia Beach. It features a wide variety of shops, restaurants, and amusements. First Landing State Park: This park offers miles of hiking and biking trails, as well as a beachfront area for swimming and sunbathing. This park offers miles of hiking and biking trails, as well as a beachfront area for swimming and sunbathing. Cape Henry Lighthouse: This lighthouse is one of the oldest in the country and offers stunning views of the Chesapeake Bay. There are plenty of other things to do in Virginia Beach, including dolphin and whale watching tours, kayaking, and golfing. Whether you're looking for a fun family vacation or a romantic getaway, Virginia Beach is sure to please. Virginia Beach Luxury Hotels Virginia Beach Luxury Resorts Beijing, China If you're looking for an amazing cultural experience, be sure to add Beijing, China to your travel bucket list! With beautiful temples, charming hutongs (traditional alleyways), and a lively food scene, there's something for everyone in this bustling city. Plus, Beijing is home to some of the most iconic attractions in China, like the Great Wall of China and the Forbidden City. So if you're looking for an unforgettable East Asian adventure, be sure to add Beijing to your list!. Beijing Luxury Hotels Seoul, South Korea Seoul is a metropolitan city that is home to over 10 million people. It is a city full of culture, history, and a vibrant nightlife. There are plenty of places to visit in Seoul, including the Gyeongbokgung Palace, Changdeokgung Palace, and N Seoul Tower. The Jeongdongne district is a must-see for anyone interested in art and culture, and the Itaewon district is a great place to go for a night on the town. Seoul Luxury Hotels South Lake Tahoe, CA, United States Known for its dramatic lake and mountain scenery, South Lake Tahoe offers visitors plenty of places to visit and things to do. Some of the most popular attractions include floating down the river on a tube, hiking the trails in the summer and skiing or snowboarding the slopes in the winter. The city also has a variety of restaurants and nightlife options, as well as casinos for those looking to try their luck. South Lake Tahoe Luxury Hotels South Lake Tahoe Luxury Resorts Daytona Beach, FL, United States Daytona Beach is a city in Volusia County, Florida, United States. It is approximately 40 miles northeast of Orlando, and 85 miles southeast of Jacksonville. The city is known as "The World's Most Famous Beach." Daytona Beach is a principal city of the Fun Coast region of Florida. The Daytona Beach area is a popular tourist destination. It is well known for its beaches, sports events, and motorsports. Daytona Beach was the birthplace of NASCAR and home to its first track, Daytona International Speedway. Dayton Beach also features a large number of tourist-oriented businesses, such as motels, restaurants, and bars. Daytona Beach Luxury Hotels Rio de Janeiro, Brazil The coastline of Rio de Janeiro is breathtaking, and the views from Christ the Redeemer and Sugar Loaf Mountain are unforgettable. Rio's world-famous beaches are the perfect place to relax and enjoy the sun and the surf. The city's rich culture and history can be experienced in its many museums and in the lively nightlife. Rio is also a great place to shop for souvenirs. Rio de Janeiro Luxury Hotels Rio de Janeiro Luxury Villas Jaco, Costa Rica Jaco is a town on the Central Pacific Coast of Costa Rica. It's about an hour drive from San Jose and is a popular spot for surfers, sunbathers, and tourists. There are a number of beaches in the area, as well as restaurants, bars, and hotels. If you're looking for a place to relax and enjoy the Costa Rican sun and beaches, Jaco is a great option. Jaco Luxury Hotels Oslo, Norway Oslo, Norway is a city with plenty of places to visit. You can find the peace and tranquility of nature parks and green spaces, experience the city's vibrant nightlife, or take in the historical and cultural sights. Here are a few of the top places to visit in Oslo: The Royal Palace: Oslo's Royal Palace is the official residence of Norway's king and queen. The palace is open to the public year-round, and offers a glimpse into the lives of the royal family. Oslo's Royal Palace is the official residence of Norway's king and queen. The palace is open to the public year-round, and offers a glimpse into the lives of the royal family. Vigeland Park: Considered one of Oslo's most popular tourist destinations, Vigeland Park is home to over 200 sculptures by Gustav Vigeland. The park is a great place to spend a sunny day outdoors. Considered one of Oslo's most popular tourist destinations, Vigeland Park is home to over 200 sculptures by Gustav Vigeland. The park is a great place to spend a sunny day outdoors. The Maritime Museum: This museum is home to a variety of exhibits on Norway's maritime history. Visitors can explore everything from Viking ships to modern submarines. This museum is home to a variety of exhibits on Norway's maritime history. Visitors can explore everything from Viking ships to modern submarines. The National Gallery: The National Gallery is Norway's largest art museum, and home to a vast collection of paintings and sculptures from the country's most famous artists. The National Gallery is Norway's largest art museum, and home to a vast collection of paintings and sculptures from the country's most famous artists. Aker Brygge: Aker Brygge is a popular waterfront district in Oslo, home to a variety of bars, restaurants, and shops. The area is a great place to people watch and enjoy the view of the Oslo Fjord. Oslo Luxury Hotels Lima, Peru If you're looking for a city that's bursting with culture and flavor, Lima, Peru is the place for you! This vibrant destination is home to some of the most amazing places to visit in all of South America. From ancient ruins to lush rainforests, there's something for everyone in Lima. Here are just a few of the must-see attractions in this amazing city: The Larco Museum is one of Lima's top tourist destinations. This incredible museum is home to one of the largest collections of pre-Columbian art in the world. The Historic Center of Lima is a must-see for any history lover. This vibrant area is home to some of the oldest architecture in Lima, including the iconic San Francisco Monastery. If you're looking for a little bit of jungle in the city, head to the Parque de la Reserva. This lush park is home to beautiful gardens, a zoo, and even a butterfly farm! No trip to Lima would be complete without a visit to Machu Picchu. This ancient Inca citadel is one of the most iconic sites in all of South America. Lima Luxury Hotels Ankara, Turkey Ankara is the cultural and political center of Turkey. The city is home to many museums, including the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations, and is a popular destination for tourists. The Citadel, the Ataturk Mausoleum, and the War of Independence Museum are all popular tourist destinations in Ankara. The city is also home to a vibrant nightlife and is a popular destination for students. Ankara Luxury Hotels Birmingham, United Kingdom There are plenty of great places to visit in Birmingham, United Kingdom. Some of the most popular places to go include the Birmingham Botanical Gardens, the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery, and the Black Country Living Museum. These places are all great for tourists, as they offer a variety of attractions, including beautiful gardens, interesting art, and a recreation of an old-fashioned town. Additionally, there are plenty of other great places to visit in Birmingham, such as the Jewellery Quarter and the German Christmas Market. Birmingham Luxury Hotels York, United Kingdom With a rich history that spans back over 1,000 years, York is a must-visit destination in the United Kingdom. Explore the city's medieval architecture and narrow cobblestone streets, or enjoy a leisurely walk along the River Ouse. Visitors can also enjoy a variety of cultural experiences, such as the York Minster cathedral, the Jorvik Viking Centre, and the National Railway Museum. There are also plenty of shops and restaurants to enjoy in York. York Luxury Hotels Inverness, United Kingdom Inverness, Scotland is a must-see destination on any traveler's list. Filled with rolling green hills, historical sites, and plenty of outdoor activities, there's something for everyone in this charming town. Start by exploring the city center, which is home to a variety of shops and restaurants. Make sure to check out the Inverness Castle, which offers commanding views of the area, and the Inverness Cathedral, a beautiful example of medieval architecture. Outside of the city center, there are plenty of other attractions to explore. The Loch Ness Monster is said to make its home in the loch here, and visitors can take boat tours to hunt for the mythical creature. If you're looking for a more active adventure, take a hike in the hills or go fishing on the loch. No matter what you choose to do, Inverness is a beautiful and welcoming town that is sure to charm you. Inverness Luxury Hotels Marseille, France The Vieux Port (Old Harbor) is the oldest port in France. It is a beautiful place to visit with its sailboats, restaurants, and cafes. The Notre Dame de la Garde Basilica is also worth a visit. It offers stunning views of the city. If you're looking for a more lively atmosphere, head to the La Canebiere. It's a wide avenue with plenty of shops and restaurants. Marseille Luxury Hotels Marseille Luxury Villas Honolulu, HI, United States Honolulu is a city located on the island of Oahu in Hawaii, United States. It is the most populous city in the state of Hawaii and the county seat of the City and County of Honolulu. Honolulu is the cultural, commercial, and financial center of Hawaii. Waikiki Beach is one of the most famous beaches in the world and is located in Honolulu. Other places to visit in Honolulu include Diamond Head, the USS Arizona Memorial, and Hanauma Bay. Honolulu Luxury Hotels Honolulu Luxury Resorts Honolulu Luxury Villas Bar Harbor, ME, United States Famous for lobster and stunning ocean views, Bar Harbor is a popular destination in Maine. There are plenty of things to do in the town and its surroundings, including hiking, biking, whale watching, and exploring Acadia National Park. Bar Harbor Luxury Hotels Colorado Springs, CO, United States There are many places to visit in Colorado Springs. Garden of the Gods is a popular park with beautiful rock formations. Pike's Peak is a 14,115 foot mountain that offers great views and outdoor activities. The Broadmoor is a world-renowned resort with lovely gardens and a championship golf course. Royal Gorge Bridge is the world's highest suspension bridge and a popular tourist spot. Colorado Springs Luxury Hotels Fort Myers Beach, FL, United States Just an hours drive from the Southwest Florida International Airport in Fort Myers, Fort Myers Beach is a popular tourist spot, especially in the winter when the snowbirds migrate down. The seven-mile-long beach is known for its white sand and clear water and is a popular spot for swimming, sunbathing, fishing, and kayaking. There are also a number of restaurants and bars in the area, as well as a few stores. Fort Myers Beach Luxury Hotels Biloxi, MS, United States There are plenty of places to explore in Biloxi, Mississippi from the citys iconic Beaches to the picturesque Bay Saint Louis. Venture into the citys downtown area to check out the many shops and restaurants, or take a walk along the shoreline. No matter what you choose to do, youre sure to have a great time in Biloxi. Biloxi Luxury Hotels Palermo, Italy If you're looking for a city with a rich and diverse history, Palermo is the place for you. This coastal city in Italy is teeming with medieval architecture, churches, and cathedrals. Be sure to check out the Teatro Massimo, the largest opera house in Europe, and the Palazzo dei Normanni, the seat of the Sicilian government. Don't miss out on the city's vibrant nightlife and vast array of restaurants that serve up some of the best food in the country. Palermo Luxury Hotels Palermo Luxury Villas Manila, Philippines The capital of the Philippines, Manila is a fascinating city with a rich history and a vibrant culture. There are plenty of places to visit in Manila, including the walled city of Intramuros, the Rizal Park, and the Manila Bay. The city is also home to a large number of churches, including the Manila Cathedral and the San Agustin Church. Manila is a great city to explore on foot, and there are plenty of restaurants and shops to enjoy. Manila Luxury Hotels Zermatt, Switzerland Zermatt is an alpine village in the canton of Valais in Switzerland. It is famous for its ski resort, mountaineering and hiking trails. The views of the Matterhorn from Zermatt are iconic. The village is car-free, making it a cyclists' and pedestrians' paradise. There are many places to visit in Zermatt, including the village's beautiful churches, impressive museums, and great restaurants. Zermatt Luxury Hotels Basel, Switzerland Basel is a city located in northwestern Switzerland on the river Rhine. Basel has a population of about 176,000 and is the third most populous city in Switzerland. Basel has many interesting places to visit, including the Basel Munster, the Basel Rathaus (town hall), the Basel Zoo, and the Munsterhof, the old town square. Basel also has a number of art museums, including the Kunstmuseum Basel, the Fondation Beyeler, and the Schaulager. Basel is a great city to visit, and I highly recommend it!. Basel Luxury Hotels Copenhagen, Denmark There are a number of places to visit in Copenhagen, Denmark. Some of the most popular tourist destinations include Tivoli Gardens, Nyhavn, and the Rosenborg Castle Gardens. Tivoli Gardens is a beautiful amusement park that has something for everyone. It is perfect for a day of fun with family or friends. Nyhavn is a charming canal district that is popular for its brightly colored houses and lively atmosphere. Visitors can enjoy a relaxing cruise down the canal or take a seat in one of the many cafes and restaurants. The Rosenborg Castle Gardens are home to a majestic castle as well as beautifully landscaped gardens. There is plenty to see and do in Copenhagen, Denmark. Copenhagen Luxury Hotels Steamboat Springs, CO, United States Steamboat Springs is located in northwestern Colorado. The town is named for the steamboats that traveled up the Yampa River in the 1800s. Today, the town is a popular tourist destination, known for its skiing, snowboarding, hiking, and rafting. Steamboat Springs Luxury Hotels Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates Abu Dhabi is the capital of the United Arab Emirates and is home to many tourist attractions. Some popular places to visit in Abu Dhabi include the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, the Ferrari World Theme Park, and the Yas Island Waterpark. There are also a number of museums and shopping malls in Abu Dhabi, making it a great destination for those looking for a mix of culture and leisure. Abu Dhabi Luxury Hotels Abu Dhabi Luxury Resorts Abu Dhabi Luxury Villas Bogota, Colombia There's a lot to see and do in Bogota. Some of the top places to visit include the historical La Candelaria district, the cobblestone streets of Plaza de Bolivar, the Monserrate mountain, the Bogota Botanical Garden, and the Gold Museum. La Candelaria is home to many brightly-colored colonial buildings, churches, and plazas. Plaza de Bolivar is the center of Bogota and is surrounded by important landmarks like the Presidential Palace and the National Capitol. The Monserrate mountain is a popular tourist destination due to its stunning views of Bogota. The Bogota Botanical Garden is the largest in Colombia and features a wide variety of plants and trees. The Gold Museum is home to the largest collection of Pre-Columbian gold artifacts in the world. Bogota Luxury Hotels Cebu, Philippines Due to its location and its rich history, there are plenty of places to visit in Cebu. Some of the most popular tourist destinations include the Cebu Taoist Temple, the Fort San Pedro, the Yap-San Diego Ancestral House, and the Magellan's Cross. Cebu Luxury Hotels Cebu Luxury Resorts Lagos, Portugal Lagos is a small town in Portugal with a population of around 22,000. It's located in the Algarve region and is a popular tourist destination. Some of the places to visit in Lagos are the beaches, the old town, and the Marina. The beaches are beautiful and there are a lot of them to choose from. The old town is a maze of narrow streets and alleyways with lots of shops and restaurants. The Marina is a great place to walk around and watch the boats. Lagos Luxury Hotels Medellin, Colombia Some places to visit in Medellin, Colombia are: the Botanical Garden, the Ethnographic Museum, the Jardin Botanico, the Metropolitan Cathedral, the Park of Lights, and the San Pedro Claver Church. Medellin Luxury Hotels Genoa, Italy While there are many places to visit in Genoa, one of the must-sees is the city's cathedral. Dedicated to San Lorenzo, the church features an intricate Gothic facade and a Renaissance interior. If you're looking for a place to take in some stunning views, head to the Genoa Aquarium, which is located on the promenade stretching along the city's harbor. Genoa Luxury Hotels Hoi An, Vietnam Hoi An is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Vietnam. Its a bridge town thats best explored on foot. The narrow streets are a mix of Chinese, Japanese, and Vietnamese architecture. There are tailors, artisans, and lantern shops galore. The food is also some of the best in Vietnam. Be sure to try the local specialties, like Cao Lau and White Rose dumplings. Hoi An Luxury Hotels Hoi An Luxury Resorts Baku, Azerbaijan Baku, Azerbaijan is a city with a lot of culture and history. There are a lot of places to visit, like the Palace of the Shirvanshahs and the Maiden Tower. There are also a lot of great restaurants, like the Flame Club, which has a great atmosphere and delicious food. Baku Luxury Hotels San Luis Obispo, CA, United States San Luis Obispo is a city located in the central coast of California. It's known for its natural beauty, relaxed vibe, and abundance of things to do. Some of the top places to visit in San Luis Obispo include the Madonna Inn, Hearst Castle, and the Paso Robles wine country. The city is also home to a variety of beaches, parks, and other attractions. In addition, San Luis Obispo is a great place to live, with plenty of restaurants, shops, and other amenities. San Luis Obispo Luxury Hotels Colombo, Sri Lanka Colombo is the largest city and commercial capital of Sri Lanka. The city is located on the west coast of the island and is the administrative, commercial, and industrial center of Sri Lanka. Colombo is also the center of Buddhism in Sri Lanka, with numerous Buddhist temples. There are a number of places to visit in Colombo, including the Galle Face Green, the Dutch fort, the Pettah Bazaar, and the Sri Lankan National Museum. Colombo Luxury Hotels Yogyakarta, Indonesia The city of Yogyakarta in Indonesia is home to some of the most stunning temples and historical landmarks in the country. The city is also a great place to enjoy traditional Javanese culture and cuisine. Some of the must-see places in Yogyakarta include the Borobudur Temple, the Prambanan Temple, and the Sultan's Palace. Yogyakarta Luxury Hotels Cefalu, Italy Looking for a beautiful and historic place to visit in Italy? Look no further than Cefalu. This town is teeming with history and stunning architecture, and its location on the coast makes it the perfect place to relax and take in the stunning scenery. Don't miss the Duomo di Cefalu, a 12th century Norman church that is definitely worth a visit, or the Palazzo dei Normanni, a former royal palace. Cefalu Luxury Hotels San Jose, CA, United States San Jose, California, is home to a variety of tourist destinations. Some popular places to visit include the Winchester Mystery House, the Tech Museum of Innovation, and the Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum. There are also a number of lovely parks, such as Kelley Park and Plaza de Cesar Chavez, that are well worth a visit. San Jose is also home to a number of great restaurants, so be sure to check out the local cuisine. Whatever your interests, San Jose has something to offer visitors. San Jose Luxury Hotels Hong Kong, China Hong Kong is one of the most popular destinations for tourists in China. There are many places to visit in Hong Kong, including the Hong Kong Disneyland Resort, Victoria Peak, and the Temple Street Night Market. Hong Kong is also a great place to shop, with many high-end malls and markets. Hong Kong Luxury Hotels Hong Kong Luxury Resorts Orlando, FL, United States Orlando is a city in the central region of Florida, in the United States. The city is the county seat of Orange County, and the center of the metropolitan area also known as Greater Orlando. Orlando is well known for its theme parks, including Walt Disney World, Universal Orlando Resort, and SeaWorld Orlando. Other tourist destinations in Orlando include the Holy Land Experience, the Orlando Science Center, and the Charles Hosmer Morse Museum of American Art. Orlando is also home to the University of Central Florida, one of the largest universities in the United States. Orlando Luxury Hotels Orlando Luxury Resorts Orlando Luxury Villas Philadelphia, PA, United States If youre looking for a place thats rich in history and culture, Philadelphia is the place for you. The city is home to numerous iconic landmarks, including the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall. Theres also a great variety of museums and other attractions to explore, such as the Philadelphia Zoo and the Please Touch Museum. And, of course, Philly is the birthplace of Americas favorite sandwich, the cheesesteak. So why not visit Americas most historic city and see for yourself what all the fuss is about?. Philadelphia Luxury Hotels Nice, France France is known for its many beautiful places to visit, and Nice is no exception. With its stunning coastline and mild climate, Nice is a popular tourist destination. Some of the most popular places to visit in Nice include the Promenade des Anglais, the Castle Hill, and the Old Town. There is also a wide variety of shops and restaurants to enjoy in Nice. If you're looking for a beautiful and relaxing place to visit in France, Nice is definitely worth considering. Nice Luxury Hotels Nice Luxury Villas Singapore, Singapore Singapore is a popular tourist destination, brimming with cultural and natural attractions. From award-winning restaurants to serene gardens and pristine beaches, there is much to explore in this diverse city-state. Here are some of the top places to visit in Singapore: 1. Marina Bay: This iconic waterfront district is home to stunning architecture, world-class landmarks, and a vibrant nightlife. 2. Gardens by the Bay: These stunning gardens feature a mix of plants from around the world, as well as towering sculptures and a biodome. 3. Chinatown: This lively district is home to traditional Chinese shops and restaurants, as well as vibrant street markets. 4. Little India: This neighborhood is known for its vibrant culture and colorful temples. 5. Sentosa Island: This resort island is home to sandy beaches, lush rainforests, and a variety of entertainment options. Singapore Luxury Hotels Singapore Luxury Resorts Nottingham, United Kingdom Nottingham is a city in the East Midlands of England. It is one of the United Kingdom's major cities, with a population of over 321,000. The city is home to two universities, Queen's Medical Centre, and seven football grounds. Nottingham is known for its lace-making and bicycle manufacturing. The city has a rich history, dating back to the Bronze Age. There are plenty of places to visit in Nottingham, including the Nottingham Castle, the Sherwood Forest, and the National Ice Centre. The city also has a lively nightlife, with a variety of pubs and bars. Nottingham Luxury Hotels Cannes, France Cannes is a city located in the south of France. Some of the places to visit in Cannes are the Palais des Festivals et des Congres, the Boulevard de la Croisette, and Le Suquet. Cannes Luxury Hotels Cannes Luxury Villas Park City, UT, United States Park City, Utah, offers visitors a wealth of places to visit and things to do. Main Street, with its charming shops and restaurants, is a must-see. The Park City Museum tells the town's fascinating history, and the Park City Utah Temple is a beautiful sight. For outdoor enthusiasts, there's plenty of skiing and snowboarding in the winter and hiking and mountain biking in the summer. And don't forget to visit the Olympic Park, where the 2002 Winter Olympics were held. Park City Luxury Hotels Park City Luxury Resorts Port Angeles, WA, United States If you're looking for a quaint, small town to visit in the US, Port Angeles is worth a stop. Located in the state of Washington, it's right on the Pacific coast with stunning views of the Olympic Mountains. There's plenty of things to do in the area, from hiking and fishing to whale watching and enjoying the local restaurants and breweries. Port Angeles Luxury Hotels Fort Lauderdale, FL, United States If you're looking for a fun-filled Florida getaway, look no further than Fort Lauderdale! With its miles of pristine beaches, world-famous shopping and vibrant nightlife, there's something for everyone in this seaside city. Here are some of the top places to visit in Fort Lauderdale: Las Olas Boulevard: This popular shopping and dining district is home to some of Fort Lauderdale's most upscale boutiques and restaurants. The Beach: With its wide, sandy beaches and crystal-clear waters, Fort Lauderdale's beach is a major draw for visitors. The Everglades: Just a short drive from Fort Lauderdale, the Everglades are home to an abundance of wildlife, including alligators, bald eagles and manatees. The Broward Center for the Performing Arts: This world-class performing arts center is home to a variety of theater, dance and music performances. So what are you waiting for? Book your trip to Fort Lauderdale today!. Fort Lauderdale Luxury Hotels Fort Lauderdale Luxury Resorts Myrtle Beach, SC, United States Myrtle Beach, South Carolina is a popular tourist destination. There are plenty of places to visit in the area, including amusement parks, beaches, and golf courses. Myrtle Beach also has a lively nightlife, with plenty of bars and restaurants. Myrtle Beach Luxury Hotels Myrtle Beach Luxury Resorts Salzburg, Austria Salzburg is one of the most visited places in Austria. It is a city rich in history and culture. There are many places to visit, such as the Hohensalzburg Fortress, the Mirabell Palace, and the Salzburg Cathedral. There are also many hiking trails and parks to enjoy. Salzburg Luxury Hotels Pattaya, Thailand Pattaya is an amazing city with plenty of places to visit and things to do. One of the most popular tourist destinations in Thailand, Pattaya offers something for everyone. There are lovely beaches, interesting temples, great shopping, and exciting nightlife. With its moderate climate and affordable prices, it's no wonder Pattaya is a favorite destination for tourists from all over the world. Pattaya Luxury Hotels Pattaya Luxury Resorts Pattaya Luxury Villas Dallas, TX, United States Dallas is a city located in the U.S. state of Texas. It is the ninth most populous city in the United States and the third most populous city in the state of Texas. Dallas is also the main city of the fourth most populous metropolitan area in the United States. The city's prominence arose from its historical importance as a center for the oil and cotton industries, and its position as a major transportation hub for the South. Dallas is home to the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League and the Dallas Mavericks of the National Basketball Association. The city's economy is primarily based on banking, commerce, telecommunications, technology, energy, healthcare and medical research, and transportation. The city is home to the world's largest airline hub and the third largest cargo airport in the United States. Dallas Luxury Hotels Kolkata, India Kolkata, also known as Calcutta, is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. The city is located on the east bank of the Hooghly River. It is the second most populous city in India, after Mumbai, and the third most populous metropolitan area in India, after Mumbai and Delhi. The city is notable for its colonial architecture, art and culture, and for its overwhelming poverty. Kolkata is home to the Indian Museum, the Calcutta Stock Exchange, the National Library of India, and the Indian Statistical Institute. Kolkata Luxury Hotels San Antonio, TX, United States San Antonio is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Texas. There are plenty of places to visit in this city, from the well-known River Walk to the exquisite Spanish missions. If you're looking for a fun place to spend the day, you can't go wrong with San Antonio. San Antonio Luxury Hotels Seattle, WA, United States There are many wonderful places to visit in Seattle, Washington. Some of the most popular attractions include Pike Place Market, the Seattle Space Needle, and the Museum of Pop Culture. There are also many parks and gardens, such as Volunteer Park and Seattle Chinese Garden, as well as plenty of restaurants and shops. Located on the other side of the world, Western Australia is a great place to visit for those looking for something different. Some of the most popular attractions include Rottnest Island, the Margaret River region, and Monkey Mia. There are also plenty of beautiful parks and gardens, such as Kings Park and Botanic Garden, as well as restaurants and shops. Seattle Luxury Hotels Liverpool, United Kingdom Liverpool is a city located in North West England and is one of the largest metropolitan areas in the United Kingdom. The city is known for its football teams Liverpool and Everton, The Beatles, and its maritime history. Liverpool is a popular tourist destination and is home to various tourist attractions including Mersey Ferry, Liverpool Cathedral, and Albert Dock. Liverpool Luxury Hotels Malmo, Sweden Malmo is Sweden's third largest city with a population of over 310,000. It is located in the province of Scania on the country's southern tip. Malmo is a vibrant city with a strong arts and cultural scene. There are plenty of places to visit in Malmo, including the Malmo Castle, the Botanical Gardens, and the Turning Torso skyscraper. Malmo is also home to a large shopping district and a lively nightlife. Malmo Luxury Hotels Gothenburg, Sweden Goteborg, Sweden's second largest city, is a major port on the country's west coast. It's a popular tourist destination, known for its lively nightlife, beautiful architecture and delicious seafood. Some of the city's highlights include the Liseberg amusement park, the Botanical Garden, and the charming old town district. Goteborg is also home to a large number of museums, including the Volvo Museum, the Maritime Museum and the Universeum science center. Gothenburg Luxury Hotels Ljubljana, Slovenia Ljubljana is the capital city of Slovenia and is a city full of culture and history. There are many places to visit in Ljubljana, such as the castle, the old town, and the cathedral. The city is also home to many museums, art galleries, and parks. Ljubljana is a great city to explore on foot, and there are many restaurants and cafes to enjoy. Ljubljana Luxury Hotels Sydney, NSW, Australia Australia is a vast country with plenty of stunning places to visit, but Sydney is undoubtedly one of the most popular tourist destinations on the continent. From the iconic Sydney Opera House and Harbour Bridge to the beautiful beaches and lush national parks, there's something for everyone in this lively city. There's also a thriving food and nightlife scene, so you'll never run out of things to do in Sydney. Sydney Luxury Hotels Sydney Luxury Villas Melbourne, VIC, Australia There's a lot to love about Melbourne its lively arts and culture scene, its parks and gardens, its diverse range of restaurants and cafes, and its stunning architecture. Here are some of the best places to visit in Melbourne: - Federation Square: This iconic square is a great place to people-watch and take in the city's impressive architecture. It's also home to a number of museums and galleries, including the Australian Centre for the Moving Image and the National Gallery of Victoria. - Queen Victoria Market: This vibrant market is a must-visit for foodies and shoppers alike. It's the largest open-air market in the Southern Hemisphere, and offers a vast array of fresh produce, meat, seafood, and souvenirs. - Melbourne Cricket Ground: If you're a sports fan, be sure to check out the Melbourne Cricket Ground, which is the largest cricket stadium in the world. It's also home to the Australian Football League, and has hosted a number of major sporting events, including the Commonwealth Games and the Rugby Union World Cup. - Royal Botanic Gardens: These beautiful gardens are a great place to relax and take in some of Melbourne's natural beauty. They're home to a number of different gardens, including the Australian Garden, the Sculpture Garden, and the Japanese Garden. Melbourne Luxury Hotels Melbourne Luxury Villas Vancouver, BC, Canada The top places to visit in Vancouver are Stanley Park, Granville Island, Gastown, and Chinatown. These are all must-see attractions that offer an array of activities, scenery, and history. Stanley Park is a world-famous urban park that features greenery, beaches, gardens, and a stunning view of the North Shore Mountains. Granville Island is a vibrant neighbourhood with unique shops, restaurants, and art galleries. Gastown is the city's oldest neighbourhood and is home to charming cobblestone streets and funky boutiques. Chinatown is one of the largest and most vibrant Chinatowns in North America and offers delicious food, interesting history, and vibrant culture. Vancouver Luxury Hotels Toronto, ON, Canada From the CN Tower and Hockey Hall of Fame to the Art Gallery of Ontario and the Distillery District, there are plenty of amazing places to visit in Toronto, Canada. With something for everyone, Toronto is a great city to explore. So what are you waiting for? Start planning your trip today!. Toronto Luxury Hotels Montreal, QC, Canada Montreal is a vibrant city with something for everyone. There are plenty of places to visit, including the Notre Dame Basilica, the Olympic Stadium, and Mount Royal. The city is also home to a lively arts and culture scene, with theatres, art galleries, and music venues. Montreal is a great place to visit year-round, with festivals and events happening throughout the year. Montreal Luxury Hotels Seville, Spain Seville is one of the most visited places in Spain for a plethora of reasons: its stunning architecture, tapas bars, flamenco and great weather. The Giralda Tower is a must-see when in Seville as is the Plaza de Espana. Andalusian culture is heavily present in the city and is best experienced by wandering the narrow streets and alleyways, popping into a lively tapas bar for a drink and some snacks or enjoying a flamenco show. Seville Luxury Hotels Seville Luxury Villas Ocean City, MD, United States Ocean City is a seaside resort town in Worcester County, Maryland, on the Atlantic coast. It is well known for its long promenade, its fishing, and its crab cuisine. There are plenty of places to visit in Ocean City, including the boardwalk, amusement rides, shopping, and restaurants. You can also visit the Assateague Island National Seashore, which is home to wild horses, or head to the nearby town of Berlin for more shopping and dining options. Ocean City Luxury Hotels Cambridge, MA, United States If you're looking for a quintessential New England town to visit, Cambridge, Massachusetts is the place for you. With its elaborate architecture and Colonial history, Cambridge is a lively town with plenty of things to see and do - perfect for a weekend getaway. Some of the places you won't want to miss include the Harvard University campus, the charming and lively shops and restaurants in Harvard Square, and the leafy paths of the Cambridge Common. Cambridge Luxury Hotels Laguna Beach, CA, United States Laguna Beach, California is a place known for its stunningly beautiful coastline, excellent restaurants, and art galleries. But there's more to Laguna Beach than meets the eye. Here are some of the best places to visit in Laguna Beach: Crystal Cove State Park: This state park is known for its coves, tidepools, and bluffs. It's a great place to go hiking, swimming, and snorkeling. Heisler Park: This park is a great place for a walk or a picnic. It's also home to some of the best views of the Pacific Coast. Downtown Laguna Beach: This charming downtown area is home to art galleries, boutique shops, and excellent restaurants. Aliso Beach: This beach is known for its excellent surfing and swimming conditions. It's also a great place to take a walk or enjoy a picnic. Laguna Beach Luxury Hotels Hot Springs, AR, United States In downtown Hot Springs, Arkansas, you'll find historic buildings, antique shops, and art galleries. For nature lovers, there are also plenty of places to visit, including the Garland County Arboretum, Ouachita National Forest, and Hot Springs National Park. Spa enthusiasts can enjoy a relaxing day in one of the area's hot springs. And no trip to Hot Springs is complete without a visit to the world-famous Bathhouse Row. Hot Springs Luxury Hotels Sedona, AZ, United States There are many places to visit in Sedona, Arizona. Among the most popular are the Chapel of the Holy Cross, Bell Rock, Cathedral Rock, and Boynton Canyon. The town's unique red-rock formations and ancient ruins offer plenty of photo opportunities. Visitors can also enjoy hiking, biking, and horseback riding. Sedona is a great place to relax and take in the natural beauty of the Southwest. Sedona Luxury Hotels Sedona Luxury Resorts Boulder, CO, United States Boulder, Colorado is a breathtaking city nestled in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains. The city is home to stunning views, ample outdoor recreation, and a lively arts scene. Outdoor enthusiasts will love exploring the city's many trails, parks, and open spaces. History buffs will enjoy checking out the city's museums and historic sites. Culture seekers will appreciate the city's many theaters, art galleries, and restaurants. No matter what your interests, you'll find something to love in Boulder. Boulder Luxury Hotels Key West, FL, United States Key West is a small island off the coast of Florida that is filled with history, charm, and fun places to visit. Its lush tropical setting and the laid-back vibe of the island make it a popular destination for those looking for a relaxing getaway. There are plenty of places to explore in Key West, from the charming historic district to the crystal-clear waters of the Florida Keys. Here are some of the top places to visit in Key West: -The Ernest Hemingway Home and Museum: This iconic museum is dedicated to the life and work of Nobel Prize-winning author Ernest Hemingway, who lived in Key West for over 20 years. -Duval Street: This lively street is the heart of Key West's nightlife and is home to many bars and restaurants. -The Southernmost Point: This landmark is located at the end of Duval Street and is the southernmost point in the continental United States. -The Key West Lighthouse: This picturesque lighthouse is a popular spot for tourists and offers stunning views of the island. -The African American Heritage House: This museum is dedicated to the history and culture of African Americans in Key West. -The Key West Butterfly and Nature Conservatory: This attraction is home to over 2,000 butterflies and a variety of other tropical plants and animals. Key West Luxury Hotels Key West Luxury Resorts Key West Luxury Cottages Key West Luxury Villas Stockholm, Sweden Stockholm, Sweden is a city with many places to visit. One place is the Vasa Museum, which is home to a ship that sunk in 1628 and was raised from the ocean floor 333 years later. The ship is preserved and on display in the museum. Another place to visit is the Royal Palace, the official residence of the Swedish monarch. The palace is open for tours, and visitors can see the royal apartments, the throne room, and the Hall of State. Stockholm Luxury Hotels Destin, FL, United States Looking for a place to visit in Florida? Look no further than Destin! This city is home to beautiful beaches, wonderful restaurants, and plenty of places to shop. No matter what you're looking for, you can find it in Destin. Be sure to check out the Destin Harbor and the fishing pier for amazing views and plenty of things to do. If you're looking for a place to relax, head to the beach and enjoy the sun and sand. There's something for everyone in Destin, so be sure to visit this amazing city!. Destin Luxury Hotels Destin Luxury Resorts Ashland, OR, United States There are many places to visit in Ashland, Oregon. Some of the most popular places are the Shakespeare Festival, Lithia Park, and Mt. Ashland. The Shakespeare Festival is a great place to see some of the best plays in the world. Lithia Park is a beautiful park with a river running through it. Mt. Ashland is a great place to go skiing in the winter. Ashland Luxury Hotels Seaside, OR, United States One of the most beautiful places on the Oregon Coast is Seaside. With its wide, sandy beach and majestic promenade, Seaside is a popular tourist destination. There are plenty of places to eat and shop, and the Seaside Aquarium is a must-see. Visitors can also enjoy fishing, whale watching, or just taking a leisurely stroll along the beach. Seaside Luxury Hotels Newport, RI, United States Newport is a picturesque town located in southern Rhode Island that is home to some of the most visited tourist destinations in the United States. The city is known for its miles of beaches and historic mansions that line the coast. Some popular places to visit in Newport include the Cliff Walk, the Breakers Mansion, the Museum of Yachting, and the International Tennis Hall of Fame. Newport Luxury Hotels Siena, Italy Siena, Italy is a popular tourist destination, thanks to its well-preserved medieval city center. The city is famous for its art, food, and wine. Siena is located in the heart of Tuscany, making it the perfect base for exploring this beautiful region of Italy. Don't miss the Duomo (cathedral), the Piazza del Campo, and the Torre del Mangia. Siena Luxury Hotels Reno, NV, United States Home to the University of Nevada, Reno and a wide variety of cultural and natural attractions, Reno is a great place to visit. Some of the top places to see in Reno include the Nevada Museum of Art, the Fleischmann Planetarium and Science Center, and the Reno Events Center. Outdoor enthusiasts will enjoy hiking and skiing at Lake Tahoe and biking and kayaking on the Truckee River. In addition, Reno is home to a diverse array of restaurants and nightlife venues. Reno Luxury Hotels Atlantic City, NJ, United States Atlantic City is a popular East Coast tourist destination, known for its boardwalks, beaches and casinos. There are plenty of places to visit in Atlantic City, from the Boardwalk Hall and the Absecon Lighthouse to the Atlantic City Aquarium and Lucy the Elephant. For a more thrilling experience, head to one of the city's casinos, where you can try your hand at blackjack, slots, roulette and more. Atlantic City also offers a wide variety of restaurants, from seafood spots to pizza places, so you're sure to find something to your taste. And if you're looking for some nightlife action, the city has you covered there too. Atlantic City is definitely a place worth visiting!. Atlantic City Luxury Hotels Atlantic City Luxury Resorts Lake George, NY, United States Looking for a place to visit in upstate New York? Look no further than the stunning Lake George. This picturesque locale is located in the heart of the Adirondacks and is known for its pristine beauty and terrific recreational opportunities. Visitors can enjoy hiking, biking, boating, fishing, and skiing, among other activities. Don't miss the chance to take in the spectacular views from the summit of Prospect Mountain or from the water's edge. Lake George Luxury Hotels Buffalo, NY, United States If you're looking for a city that has it all, Buffalo is the place to be. From its vibrant downtown district to its abundance of parks and nature preserves, there's something for everyone in Buffalo. Here are some of the top places to visit in Buffalo: 1. The Buffalo Zoo - One of the top zoos in the country, the Buffalo Zoo is a must-visit for animal lovers of all ages. 2. The Albright-Knox Art Gallery - Buffalo's answer to the Louvre, the Albright-Knox is home to some of the world's most famous paintings and sculptures. 3. The Buffalo-Niagara Heritage Village - This living history museum offers a glimpse into what life was like in Buffalo in the 1800s. 4. The Buffalo River - Take a walk or bike ride along the Buffalo River, one of the city's most picturesque areas. 5. Delaware Park - This large park is home to a variety of attractions, including a zoo, a golf course, and a nature preserve. Buffalo Luxury Hotels Rochester, MN, United States Rochester, Minnesota is a city with plenty of places to visit. There's the Mayo Clinic, the Apache Mall, and several other shopping areas, as well as a variety of restaurants. There are also a few parks and golf courses. For those who love the outdoors, Rochester is also close to several state parks and the Mississippi River. Rochester Luxury Hotels Duluth, MN, United States If you're looking for an amazing place to visit, Duluth, Minnesota should definitely be at the top of your list. This city is home to some of the most beautiful scenery in the United States, and there are plenty of things to do here that will keep you entertained for days on end. Some of the most popular places to visit in Duluth include the Aerial Lift Bridge, the Glensheen Mansion, and Chester Creek Park. Additionally, there are a number of excellent restaurants and shopping areas in the city, so be sure to explore everything that Duluth has to offer. Duluth Luxury Hotels Maputo, Mozambique Maputo is the capital of Mozambique and a city full of culture and history. There are many places to visit in Maputo, such as the Jose Eduardo dos Santos Museum, the Maputo Cathedral, and the Rua da Independencia. Maputo is also home to the Maputo Bay, which offers beautiful beaches and great seafood. Maputo Luxury Hotels Barcelona, Spain Barcelona, located on the northeast coast of Spain, is a renowned tourist destination and one of the most popular cities in the world. There are plenty of places to visit in Barcelona, such as the Gothic Quarter, the Temple of Olympian Zeus, the Parc Guell, La Sagrada Familia, and more. The city is also home to a lively nightlife and some of the best restaurants in the country. Barcelona Luxury Hotels Barcelona Luxury Villas Split, Croatia Split is a city on the eastern shore of the Adriatic Sea. It is the second-largest city in Croatia and the largest city in Dalmatia. It has a population of over 200,000 inhabitants. The metropolitan area, which includes the City of Split and the surrounding towns, has a population of over 330,000. Split is a popular tourist destination and is the home of the Diocletian's Palace, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Other popular tourist destinations include the Riva, the Peristyle, the Cathedral of Saint Domnius, and Sustipan. Split Luxury Hotels Split Luxury Villas Dubrovnik, Croatia Dubrovnik is a city on the Adriatic Sea in Croatia. It is one of the most prominent tourist destinations in the Mediterranean Sea, a seaport and the administrative center of Dubrovnik-Neretva County. Dubrovnik is nicknamed "The Pearl of the Adriatic". Dubrovnik Luxury Hotels Dubrovnik Luxury Villas Byron Bay, NSW, Australia Byron Bay is a magical place. It's no wonder that it's one of the most popular destinations in Australia. The town is set in a beautiful location, surrounded by rolling green hills and the bright blue ocean. There's plenty to do in Byron Bay, whether you're looking for a relaxing beach holiday or an adventure-filled trip. Some of the top places to visit in Byron Bay include the iconic lighthouse, the stunning beaches, and the lush rainforest. There's also a great nightlife and plenty of restaurants and cafes to enjoy. If you're looking for an amazing Australian getaway, be sure to add Byron Bay to your list!. Byron Bay Luxury Hotels Wellington, New Zealand If you're looking for a little slice of heaven on earth, look no further than Wellington, New Zealand. With its gorgeous landscape and plethora of activities, there's something for everyone here. Whether you're a nature lover or a city slicker, Wellington has something special to offer. Top Wellington attractions include the Zealandia eco-sanctuary, the cable car up to the Botanic Gardens, and the sprawling Te Papa museum. For those who love getting out into the great outdoors, there are plenty of hiking and biking trails, as well as lovely seaside towns and villages to explore. And of course, no trip to Wellington would be complete without trying some of the delicious local cuisine be sure to sample a traditional Maori hangi feast! So what are you waiting for? Book your flight to Wellington today and start planning your perfect holiday!. Wellington Luxury Hotels Saint Louis, MO, United States If you're looking for a fun place to visit with a rich history and plenty of things to see and do, look no further than Saint Louis, Missouri. This vibrant city is home to a variety of interesting attractions, including the Gateway Arch, the Missouri Botanical Garden, and the Anheuser-Busch Brewery. There's also no shortage of restaurants and shopping options in Saint Louis. So, whether you're looking for a place to explore new cultures and cuisines or you're just looking for a place to have some fun, Saint Louis is a great option. Saint Louis Luxury Hotels Bloomington, IN, United States The city of Bloomington, Indiana is home to a variety of attractions and places to visit. The Indiana University campus is a popular destination, as is the city's historic downtown district. Monroe County Courthouse It has been far too many years since the Woke theology interlaced its canons within the fabric of the Indoctrination Realm, so it is nigh time to ask: Does this Representative Republic continue, as a functioning society of a self-governed people, by contending with the unusual, self absorbed dictates of the Woke, and their vast array of Victimhood scenarios? Yes, the Religion of Woke must continue; there are so many groups of underprivileged, underserved, a direct result of unrelenting Inequity; they deserve everything. No; the Woke fools must be toppled from their self-anointed pedestal; a functioning society of a good Constitutional people cannot withstand this level of "existential" favoritism as it exists now. Kathy Manos Penn I'll shop the local arts festival as usual, and I'm sure I'll notice all the items I might once have gotten for Mom. I've smiled as I've discovered items from previous festivals among her belongings, and I continue to have thoughts likeorI somehow thought these moments would become less frequent, but they haven't and they still bring a bittersweet smile to my face.As the oldest of three girls, I've inherited the 22 photo albums and numerous other keepsakes, many of which I don't recall ever seeing before. As I've flipped through albums or dug through the box marked "Keepsakes/Kathy Jean," I've found fascinating memorabilia. I already had Mom's MacArthur doll from WWII but also found a pair of wooden shoes her uncle had brought back from the Pacific and a military banner her father had sent her when he was in the Army.I have a few of my parents' wedding photos framed at my house, but I got a kick out of the book that contained telegrams my mom and dad had received on their wedding day in 1952. I don't think I've ever seen an actual telegram before. Mother also kept a journal about the honeymoon trip to NYC to meet Daddy's family after the wedding in Macon. I can just imagine my mom in a bit of shock as she met her new Greek/Italian family and toured NYC. She grew to love the city when they moved there from Jacksonville after my dad left the Navy, but that first visit had to be something for a Southern girl from Macon.I have a handmade quilt and bag of crocheted doilies but don't know which of my many great aunts did the handiwork. They probably all crocheted and quilted, but who knows who made what. I'll never display any of this but can't bear to just give it to Goodwill. And you're probably wondering why I wouldn't save all this for a grandchild. Oddly enough, neither I nor my two sisters have any children, something I don't think Mom ever quite forgave us for.When I found a white chenille baby's bedspread with a pink donkey applique, I remembered it clearly. It's worn thin in spots, and I know Mother must have used it for my two younger sisters and can only assume she first used it with me. What hit home as I looked at it was that there's no longer anyone around to ask.We girls asked Mom to write down her memories, and she tried but didn't get very far. I'd say, though, that there are plenty of memories contained in her albums and keepsakes. And, of course, each of us has a personal store of memories. As one of my many sympathy cards said, "There are some things that never, ever leave us. A mother's love is one of them. She will be with you in spirit and in heart forever." It may be the end of an era, but the memories will last a lifetime. This service applies to you if your subscription has not yet expired on our old site. You will have continued access until your subscription expires; then you will need to purchase an ongoing subscription through our new system. Please contact The Chanute Tribune office at 620-431-4100 if you have any questions Parade steps off Audio Article For the first time since 2019, marching bands, classic cars, dance troupes, scouts and politicians made their way along Midlothian Turnpike for the annual Midlothian Day Parade on Saturday, Oct.... Each week, readers of New Homes Marketplace ask questions of area homebuilders. Craig A. Shodeen, president of Shodeen Homes, provides this week's answers. Q: What are the benefits of buying a move-in ready home? If I want to move this summer but want to customize my kitchen, flooring, etc. is there still time or am I stuck with the finishes in the quick move-in home? Do these homes come with special incentives? Amanda, Grayslake Advertisement A: Knowing that buyers have a variety of move-in needs, Shodeen Homes provides a selection of popular plans at varying price points available for quick move in at each of our communities. We realize that sometimes buyers may sell an existing home more quickly than they anticipated or may have transferred into the area and are in need of a home without the wait. Depending on the stage of construction, these, buyers may select some interior finishes. If the home is 100 percent complete and move-in ready, changes cannot be made, however, buyers enjoy peace-of-mind knowing Shodeen's professional design staff selected the finishes for their home. The biggest benefit when purchasing a move-in ready home is that you enjoy the design, finishes and energy efficiencies of a newly constructed home without the wait. You can be moved in as quickly as you can be approved for a loan. No need to put belongings in storage and move twice. With the school year coming to a close, the demand for move-in ready homes is high as families with children want to be settled into a new home before school resumes in the fall. We have homes now at various stages of construction that allow you to design your kitchen, make flooring choices and add other finishing touches to your new home. In addition to the quick timetable, many of these move-in ready homes benefit from attractive pricing and other incentives. Q: What sets your company apart from other homebuilders? Kendall, Arlington Heights Advertisement A: Many of today's homebuilders are national building giants with no roots in the Chicago market. Their decisions about product, pricing and customer service are made from another state. Shodeen Homes has been family owned and operated since 1961. For more than 55 years, our family has lived in Geneva and we take great pride in the communities we've created and the customer service we've provided. We have deeply seeded roots in this community and display the Shodeen name proudly on the front door. Our commitment to our buyers and building exceptional neighborhoods, pushes us to consistently strive for excellence. My door is open to every Shodeen homebuyer. About Shodeen Homes Shodeen Homes is a family-owned company specializing in residential and commercial real estate development in Chicago's Fox Valley region. Kent Shodeen founded the company in 1961. Submit your question; Do you have a question for Ask A Builder? To submit your question, send an email with "ASK A BUILDER" in the subject line to CTMGlocalcontent@chicagotribune.com. Please include your name and hometown in the email. Takata Corp. raised provisions for its air-bag recalls that involve more than a dozen auto manufacturers, after denying reports that the biggest safety crisis in the industry's history will expand further. The auto parts supplier will book a combined 20.1 billion yen ($189 million) in charges, 16.6 billion of which was decided after reviewing air bag recall costs, according to a statement on Monday. The remaining 3.5 billion yen charge is related to settlements with consumers injured by the devices. Takata plunged by the most in a month after the Nikkei newspaper reported that U.S. regulators plan to call for expanded recalls. The shares fell 9.2 percent to 373 yen at the close in Tokyo, dropping its market capitalization to about 31 billion yen. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has told carmakers that recalls will widen to all vehicles with air bags lacking a moisture-absorbing desiccant that keeps the devices from deteriorating, the Nikkei reported Saturday, citing unidentified sources. There are more than 100 million such vehicles worldwide, the newspaper said. Takata issued a statement saying it is in discussions with NHTSA though there has been no decision on expanding the U.S. recalls. NHSTA spokesman Bryan Thomas said Monday in Washington that the media reports about NHTSA preparing to expand the recalls are "incorrect." "NHTSA is reviewing the findings of three separate investigations into the Takata air-bag ruptures," Thomas said. "The agency will take all appropriate actions to make sure air bags in Americans' vehicles are safe." The air-bag maker has lost more than half of its value this year. Takata inflators that can deploy too forcefully, rupture and spray plastic and metal shards at vehicle occupants have already prompted more than a dozen auto manufacturers to recall at least 60 million air bags worldwide. The defective components are linked to the deaths of 10 motorists in the United States and a pregnant woman in Malaysia in 2014. A fatal accident involving a Honda Civic driver in India last year also is under investigation. A researcher hired by a coalition of automakers said in February that moisture seeping into Takata's inflators was determined to be the reason the air bags may rupture. Several other investigations are still under way, and challenges with determining root cause have held back automakers and the supplier from deciding how the companies will divvy costs. The latest charges for Takata don't include costs related to recalls that are still under investigation, according to the statement. The company said it'd already booked 2.6 billion yen in settlements during the nine-month period ended in December. The air-bag supplier is scheduled to report earnings for the fiscal year ended in March on May 11. Takata has estimated cash and equivalents may drop 24 percent to 49.7 billion yen by the end of March 2017 if recalls continue at the current pace, a person familiar with the matter said last month. Takata is seeking sponsors that would replenish its capital and allow it to emerge as a new company, said the person, who asked not to be identified because the internal forecast and search are confidential. The results of the tasting were eye-popping on one side and cause for celebration on the other, but the next important development in this whole scenario was that the lone journalist in attendance, George Taber, wrote a story about it in Time magazine. There was no turning back at that point. This was way more than an endorsement, unintentional or otherwise. It raised awareness of (and respect for) California wines but also acted as a sort of sword tap on each shoulder. It was the equivalent of tenure for a college professor, or a federal judgeship for a lawyer. The only way to lose the status would be to quit or to mess up in mind-boggling ways. What's Quickly? It's where readers sound off on the issues of the day. Have a quote, question or quip? Call Quickly at 312-222-2426 or email quickly@post-trib.com. I read in the Post-Tribune that the Chicago White Sox fans booed when they had the Chicago Cubs highlights on their large video board at U.S. Cellular Field. What nice people. Cubs fans are so above that. I wish the Sox as well as the Cubs good luck. It'd be wonderful to have a crosstown World Series, wouldn't it? Advertisement I heard on the radio that Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton received $225,000 for speaking to a group from General Electric. What could she possibly say that merits that amount of money? There was an extensive Post-Tribune article on MonoSol, an established and successful company with roles in the local and global economy including in Portage. Having worked in the employment field for 30 years, I dealt with MonoSol periodically and know it to be a topnotch company that pays well above minimum wage, and you can emphasize well. They also hire quality people with education and transferable skills who are serious about working. Advertisement A loved one's struggle with addiction can take you on a wild and scary roller coaster ride. My teenager quit drugs through tough love, therapy and medical treatment only to start drinking years later and die of accidental alcohol poisoning before 30 years old. All the would coulda shouldas don't help. This was a good student. She was a good student from a good home. It can happen to anyone. After reading your Quickly comments all week, I get really depressed. That's all I can say. It's really depressing to read the Quickly comments. There are so many people screwing up which way to go with the Democrats or Republicans. They don't know which way is right or wrong. There's only two ways they're going to be able to vote in this election. You're going to be able to sit here and think about it real hard, and you're going to vote America first or you're going to vote America last. You choose which one you want to pick. As a resident of Porter County, I have absolutely no problem with the new Great Lakes Basin Transportation freight rail line coming in as long as we emplace a toll just like we do for cars and trucks on the toll road. I am a truck driver and I pay about $20 for that length of time on the toll road. I think they should pay $1,000 per train for anything over 20 minutes, which is state law anyway. They should be charged at $1,000 per minute, and they should also build overpasses so that we can get around the train tracks. The first comment about the cashier needing to use a calculator to figure out what change to give was right on. I see it as a sad situation when anyone now doesn't know basic math. Calculators are fine to check work or work detailed math problems. This wasn't rocket science but grade school-level math. It's an example of the dumbing down of our society, which we should find troubling and not make excuses for. Former U.S. House Speaker Dennis Hastert gets 15 months in prison for structuring financial transactions to conceal payments to an individual he sexually abused and former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich got 14 years on federal corruption charges. Really? When Prince passed away he left me a great parting gift. He removed Donald Trump from my Facebook feed for two whole days. Typical fascist comment. If I don't support Pence, you want to round them up using a goon squad? What ever happened to political tolerance and democracy? The Republican party has become quite sad. Go John Gregg. A big thank you to Hobart Mayor Snedecor and the Hobart Public Works Board for doing something about the Cressmor Trailer Park on Route 6 and Wisconsin Street. It is nice to see the progress of the cleanup. Advertisement To the motivated and skilled Right-To-Work advocate, if you do not keep paying your union dues, you lose your representation to apply for workman's compensation and disability. Those two benefits themselves are worth two hours of dues payments. Have you noticed that your morning cereal with the two scoops of raisins is now made in Mexico? Read more at www.post-trib.com/quickly Frustrated by a slow-moving lawsuit and aware this may be the last shot at keeping George Lucas from bolting for the West Coast, Mayor Rahm Emanuel's administration resorted Wednesday to a seldom-used legal maneuver to try to keep the movie mogul's museum project in the city. In a 219-page filing, city attorneys asked the U.S. 7th Circuit Court of Appeals to toss the lawsuit brought by the Friends of the Parks on emergency grounds, arguing the case has no federal jurisdiction and the city will lose the project if the normal legal process plays out. Advertisement The vice president for the Lucas Museum, Angelo Garcia, in a signed declaration attached to the city's motion, said the museum is "unwilling to put this project on indefinite hold pending the conclusion of this litigation, and will thus abandon its plans to locate in Chicago unless this legal uncertainty is promptly resolved." Mayor Rahm Emanuel discusses his continued fight for the Lucas Museum to be built in Chicago after a lawsuit from Friends of the Parks blocked development. May 4, 2016. (John Byrne/Chicago Tribune) (Chicago Tribune) Garcia also said "no non-lakefront site that has been proposed in Chicago would be acceptable to the Museum." That rules out Friends of the Parks' suggestions of the former Michael Reese hospital site or an area on the west side of Lake Shore Drive near 18th Street. Advertisement The city's petition asks for what's known as a writ of mandamus, a highly unusual practice in which a higher court is asked to circumvent the normal appeals process and immediately undo a ruling by a lower court. Joel Bertocchi, a former federal prosecutor and expert in appellate law, told the Tribune that such petitions are an "extraordinary" step that's supposed to be reserved for "very unusual situations." "The standard is very high," Bertocchi said. "It has to be about something that can't be fixed later." Bertocchi said such petitions are typically filed when it's believed a district judge is "not just wrong, but wildly wrong." In order for the 7th Circuit to grant the petition, the court would have to deem the error by U.S. District Court Judge John Darrah was not only egregious but also will cause irreparable damage to the losing party. The fact that Lucas has threatened to take the project elsewhere does not seem to meet that high standard, Bertocchi said. "It's a self-made crisis," Bertocchi said. "I don't think anyone on the 7th Circuit is going to be fooled by that." The move by the city comes a day after Friends of the Parks said the group remains opposed to the museum project anywhere on the city's lakefront, including the original site south of Soldier Field and a newly proposed location at McCormick Place. Lucas' wife, Mellody Hobson, issued a statement Tuesday threatening to pull the project by the "Star Wars" creator out of Chicago if the litigation isn't resolved soon. Advertisement In allowing the Friends of the Parks lawsuit to proceed, Darrah ruled earlier this year the group had a valid federal claim that the museum would be a violation of the public trust if it was built on lakefront land. The city's petition, which was docketed Wednesday afternoon, said: "To allow a federal court to exceed its jurisdiction to meddle in a sensitive land-use issue would be troubling enough. To allow it to do so when it might cause the city of Chicago and the state of Illinois to lose this museum would be devastating." Despite pivoting from its original site south of Soldier Field to a proposal at McCormick Place last month, the legal maneuvering indicates the city may feel the South Lot site is its last chance to keep the museum in Chicago. The appeals court filing relates to the original site, where Friends of the Parks' lawsuit remained the final barrier preventing construction. The petition will be decided by a "motions panel" of judges assigned to the 7th Circuit. They're typically resolved within days, sometimes without oral argument or further briefing. No court dates had immediately been set. The city argued in the filing that Friends of the Parks has no federal claim for violation of due process because the state legislature amended the law in 2015 allowing the city to lease "formerly submerged" lakefront land to museums. The "first-of-its-kind" Lucas project would be a boon to all residents, the city said. "The city expects the futuristic building, located in the city's very heart, to become a Chicago icon, and to burnish the city's reputation for bold and innovative architecture," the petition stated. "The creation of this world-class cultural attraction, with incalculable attendant social and economic benefits, is a matter of enormous importance to the city." Advertisement In announcing the move, the mayor's office put out a statement saying the claims made by the Friends of the Parks were "frivolous" and the city could not afford to wait for the courts to correct Darrah's legal error on appeal. "Due to the extraordinary circumstances here, if immediate review is denied, there will be no litigation to appeal, as the museum will abandon its efforts to locate in Chicago," the mayor's office said in the statement. City Hall said the parks group "cannot be trusted, and we will not allow them to hold this project hostage any longer." "In an ordinary situation, we'd appeal the district court's decision through the traditional appeal process, which takes time," the city's statement said. "But the museum is being actively pursued by other cities, and it is understandably unwilling to put this project on indefinite hold pending the final conclusion of this litigation." While the city now wants the appeals court to swiftly rule on the case, a few months ago they were being scolded by Darrah for not moving more quickly in the case. Proceedings in district court had stalled during the early spring while the judge waited for the city and Park District to turn over to Friends of the Parks thousands of pages of documents on the decision-making process related to the South Lot site. The city recently turned over about 18,000 pages of documents. Daywatch Weekdays Start each day with Chicago Tribune editors' top story picks, delivered to your inbox. > Friends of the Parks did not comment Wednesday. Advertisement Late Tuesday, the city of Los Angeles revived its #WhyLucasinLA campaign, with Mayor Eric Garcetti saying "we would welcome" the museum. "Our city is deeply invested in the legacy of George Lucas: he is a major benefactor of one of our best film schools, his biggest fans are here, and our city is the cultural capital of the world. The Lucas Cultural Arts Museum will inspire creativity wherever it lands, and we would welcome it in Los Angeles," Garcetti's statement said. poconnell@tribpub.com jmeisner@tribpub.com Twitter @pmocwriter Twitter @jmetr22b For the second week in a row, there was a temporary glitch in The Associated Press's election night data. On Tuesday, that glitch was to Hillary Clinton's favor, showing her with 2,000 more votes in Vigo County, Indiana, than she actually had. That gave Clinton a giant margin in early returns, vastly at odds with what exit polls showed - and far bigger than the 7-point margin she enjoyed in the final polling average from Real Clear Politics. Within minutes, the wrong numbers in Vigo County were erased, and, over the next hour or so, Clinton's remaining lead started to vanish. It wasn't until about two hours after polls closed -- at about the same time that Ted Cruz dropped out of the Republican race, all-but-handing the nomination to Donald Trump -- that the race in Indiana was called for Bernie Sanders. He'd beaten the polls, as he did in nearby Michigan -- and probably, once all the votes are in, by a wider margin. After losing five of six races over the last two weeks and only winning the small state of Rhode Island, the Indiana win was no doubt a welcome psychological boost. But why did Sanders win Michigan and Indiana, while losing other Midwestern states like Missouri (narrowly), Illinois and Ohio? Unlike in the Republican contests, there have been pretty consistent patterns that have defined the Democratic match-ups. Bernie Sanders consistently does better with younger and more liberal voters; Clinton does better with older, more moderate and black voters. In Indiana, preliminary exit poll data reported by CNN showed that the electorate in the state was more likely to identify as liberal than in other Midwestern states, and less likely to identify as moderate. What's more, the change since 2008 was much larger than in those other states. But Sanders also won Michigan, where there were relatively few voters who identified as liberal. The best predictor of outcomes to date is how many black voters came to the polls. There's been a correlation between how many black people live in a state and how well Hillary Clinton has done there, an effect that's slightly stronger in states with closed primaries (meaning that independents, who strongly back Sanders, can't vote). Advertisement On Tuesday night, the percentage of the electorate that was black was slightly lower than the average of all contests for which we have polling data so far, but not dramatically so. Black voters preferred Clinton by a 3-to-1 margin. But white voters -- nearly three-quarters of the electorate -- leaned heavily toward Sanders, giving him nearly 6 in 10 of their votes. (On average so far, the two have been equally matched, about 50-50.) Sanders also did better with the upper end of the young-voter bracket, a group that turned out more heavily than they did in 2008. Those two shifts made the difference. It wasn't totally unexpected that Sanders would pull out a win in the state, despite the polls being against him. FiveThirtyEight's model, which looks at racial composition and the type of primary, figured that Sanders would win by 7 points -- slightly more than where it is right now. Despite Sanders's win, and despite slightly narrowing the delegate gap with Clinton, Sanders' position for winning the nomination actually got worse. He needed, by our estimates, to win 64.9 percent of the delegates to stay on track to pass Hillary Clinton. He'll end up getting somewhere around 53 percent of them, if current figures hold. Meaning that he'll need even more of what remains in order to possibly pass Clinton's pledged delegate total -- demonstrating again why doing so is a nearly impossible feat. (The Indiana results also made it impossible for Sanders to clinch the nomination with pledged delegates.) What's particularly remarkable about the night's results is that Donald Trump was expected to win, did, and knocked Ted Cruz out of the race. Hillary Clinton was expected to win and didn't, and Bernie Sanders soldiers on despite underperforming on the delegates he needs in order to win and despite the fundamentals of the Democratic race having not changed in nearly two months. Part of that loops back to the way the Democratic race is divisive in the way the Republican race isn't. There are very passionate groups of supporters for Bernie Sanders that want him to keep fighting. So he'll keep fighting. And, as with Tuesday night, occasionally winning. Donald Trump smiles as he arrives to speak in New York on May 3, 2016, following the primary in Indiana. (Jewel Samad, AFP/Getty Images) In the last four presidential elections, the Republican nominee has never won less than 90 percent of the Republican vote. Republicans won the popular vote only one of those times, in 2004, and when they did they carried 93 percent of Republican voters. Donald Trump has defied the odds before, but they are against his achieving this degree of party unity. Trump has won more primary votes than any previous nominee, and he is going to add to that number in the weeks to come. But he will also be a nominee with a record number of primary votes cast for his opponents. Advertisement And to say the race has been divisive is an understatement: The day he clinched the nomination, he suggested, insanely, that Ted Cruz's father was somehow involved in the assassination of John F. Kennedy. Cruz responded by mentioning that Trump once bragged about his close calls with venereal disease. A lot of Republican officeholders past, present and would-be-in-the-future will rapidly endorse Trump, regardless of what they previously said about his psychological stability, honesty and all-around fitness for office. Trump's numbers in polls against Hillary Clinton may improve as many Republican voters accept him as their nominee. (Then again, they may not, depending on whether Democrats quickly start running ads attacking him.) Advertisement Some Republican officeholders and voters will still consider Trump unfit for office and no conservative but his supporters, old and new, will try to shame them into supporting the presumptive nominee. Newt Gingrich, who has for months been backing Trump without explicitly endorsing him, told radio host Sean Hannity on Tuesday night that if you're not for him you're "functionally for Hillary Clinton" and therefore for a "radical Supreme Court." Gingrich and other Trump supporters will have to overcome five problems in making this case. First, Trump himself has said quite recently that he does not need Republican unity to win the election. So Gingrich is asking Republican voters who have serious misgivings about Trump to support him even though he himself is hardly asking them to do so. Second, his most vocal supporters have spent the primaries trashing the Republican Party and declaring anti-Trump conservatives irrelevant. It's a little late to flip the script now. Third, the message vote Trump, you idiot crybabies may just fall flat because a lot of voters dislike being addressed this way. Fourth, conservatives don't have much reason to trust Trump on the Supreme Court. He has given no indication of caring about judicial conservatism. If he put up non-conservative nominees, he would win praise for his bipartisanship and could make one of those deals with the Democrats he is always promising. What would hold him back? His word? Fifth, and I think most important, Trump may spend much of the campaign too far behind Clinton for all this shaming to have any force. If the candidates are neck and neck, then maybe Republicans on the fence could be swayed by the argument that they have to vote for Trump or see Clinton in power. If Trump is behind by eight points, on the other hand, then a lot of Republican voters won't see themselves as having to make the agonizing choice to back Trump to stop Clinton. If Clinton has a consistently large lead, Trump won't get the 90-plus percent of the Republican vote that his predecessor nominees got. A significant fraction of Republican voters will feel free not to vote for Trump because they will assume, accurately, that Clinton will be president whatever they do. And the root cause of that assumption will be that Trump is such a weak general-election candidate. Advertisement In that case, the functional allies of Clinton, the enablers of her judicial nominees, will turn out to have been those, like Gingrich and Hannity, who helped that weak candidate win the Republican nomination. Bloomberg View Ramesh Ponnuru, a Bloomberg View columnist, is a senior editor for National Review and a visiting fellow at the American Enterprise Institute. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks to supporters and the media at Trump Tower in Manhattan following his victory in the Indiana primary on Tuesday. (Spencer Platt / Getty Images) If you think of the presidential primaries as a hiring process for nominees, the Republican Party is about to offer the job to Donald Trump. As they say in the executive suite when a personnel crisis arises: Alert the folks in Human Resources. While there was plenty of interest in the presidential position, the interviewers the voters have settled on a candidate with neither appropriate experience nor a coherent governing philosophy. Instead, he brims with outrageous promises and makes statements that sound at times like he's ignorant of the law (killing the families of terrorists), disconnected from economic reality (demanding that American companies open factories at home) and callous to women and minorities (his sexist put-downs and proposed ban on allowing Muslims into the country). Advertisement Sigh. Is HR on the phone yet? Maybe Trump's tantalizing vow to "make America great again" and his ability to connect with angry, disenfranchised Republicans (and, yes, even some Democrats) qualifies him for a position as a marketing whiz. "Trump" these days is the most famous name in real estate, steaks and narcissism. But hire a businessman and reality TV star as CEO of our multitrillion-dollar government? No thanks. We do not want to see Donald Trump become president of the United States of America, nor even the Republican nominee. As an apprentice to name-check his former show he doesn't have sufficient potential to grow into the job. Advertisement Paul Ryan says he can't support Donald Trump right now. May 5, 2016. (CBS Miami) (CBS Miami) Yet on Tuesday night, Trump cleared a major hurdle to securing the nomination with his convincing victory in Indiana over Sen. Ted Cruz, who immediately quit the race. Gov. John Kasich, Trump's only remaining rival, dropped out Wednesday. There is now a direct path for Trump to reach the threshold of 1,237 delegates before July's Republican convention in Cleveland, and to win the nomination on the first ballot. Trump got this far through vigorous showmanship and a focused message to dyspeptic voters, blasting some surprisingly ineffective competitors out of his way. His appeal among disaffected Republican primary voters is intensely visceral: He'd arrive in Washington a billionaire businessman in a hurry and get things done. After years of gridlock in Washington, who doesn't find the idea of an outsider appealing? The Democrats have their own in Sen. Bernie Sanders. But once nominated, the numbers would start to work against Trump. He would be the most divisive presidential nominee of our time. Against even a flawed Democratic challenger, Hillary Clinton, Trump is a significant underdog. His core constituency of white, socially conservative, working-class voters isn't big enough to get him to victory Nov. 8. About two-thirds of voters view him unfavorably, according to the RealClearPolitics average of opinion polls. Through the primary season, a majority of Republicans and many conservatives rejected him. Stuart Stevens, a former Mitt Romney strategist, says Trump is "unbalanced." Wall Street Journal columnist Bret Stephens uses a literary reference about upchucking to describe his feelings about a Trump candidacy. They see what we see: Trump is an undisciplined political neophyte who loves the limelight and promises big changes, most of which appear either implausible or too vague to take seriously. What would a Trump loss to Clinton mean for the fractured GOP? Maybe not so much. Both parties have been shellacked in presidential elections and bounced back. In 1964, President Lyndon Johnson, a Democrat, creamed Republican challenger Barry Goldwater. In 1972, against incumbent Richard Nixon, Democrat George McGovern carried only Massachusetts and the District of Columbia. And in 1984, Republican President Ronald Reagan lost only D.C. and Minnesota to Walter Mondale, D-Minn (stands for minimum). There is no incumbent this year, so you have to go back to 1928 to find a closer potential comparison: Republican Herbert Hoover in a landslide over Democrat Al Smith. More recently, things looked bleak for the Republicans after Barack Obama's 2008 victory, but then came their 2010 congressional victories. Analysis has failed everyone this election cycle. All you can say for certain is that Trump is a unique character whose success or failure isn't a true reflection of the Republican Party. At this point, the GOP's energy might be best directed at figuring out what it wants to look like after Trump leaves the stage. Advertisement We're still holding out hope that Republicans will find the will, and a way, to replace Trump at the convention. Maybe like this: Dear Mr. Trump: Thank you for your interest in the position. Unfortunately, your qualifications do not meet our needs at this time. Join the discussion on Twitter @Trib_Ed_Board and on Facebook. This block of Downer Place, including the Fox River bridge, in downtown Aurora will be closed for a block party Friday evening. (Steve Lord / The Beacon-News) A block party will be held in downtown Aurora Friday including food trucks, music and more. The Downer Place Block Party will feature a Food Truck Festival from 5 to 10 p.m. with a dozen food trucks parked just west of Stolp Avenue. Advertisement Live music, featuring The Ron Porter Trio and Bones Jugs, will be around the corner at Millennium Plaza on Stolp Avenue. The quarterly Pop Up Shop is back from 6 to 9 p.m. at Leland Tower, 7 S. Stolp Ave. About 15 local artisans will sell their wares in the historic building. Advertisement The event is part of First Fridays, a night of art, music, and culture at a variety of venues in downtown Aurora once a month. Friday's event will also feature two student art shows, three open museums and several art openings. Visitors can pick up a free First Fridays passport at any venue for a full map of participating venues or visit the welcome table at the block party. Participants can then return the punched passport at the last venue visited for a chance to win a First Fridays treat bag filled with gifts from downtown businesses. The venues which will be open for First Fridays: Oxie Affordable Optical, 131 W. Galena Blvd., which will hold a grand opening with an open house from 5 to 9 p.m. River's Edge Cafe, 14 W. Downer Place, celebrates its second anniversary with cake, photography by Tim Perroud, and live music with Dan Becker, from 5 to 7 p.m., and The Simple Teller from 7 to 9 p.m. Ballydoyle Irish Pub, 28 W. New York St. It will feature art by Jennifer Toshack, terrariums by Zach Toshack, and live music by Elissa Sophia Metropolis from 6 to 8 p.m. Emergent at Metropolitan Coworking, 14 W. Downer Place, opens "Past Matter," a solo show by artist Stephen Signa-Aviles, from 6 to 9 p.m. The David L. Pierce Art and History Center, 20 E. Downer Place, which offers three floors of exhibits. The Aurora Historical Society presents "Flavors of Aurora: Stirred, Not Shaken - Jewish," an exhibit honoring Jewish history and culture in Aurora, and "Aurora Story" on the second floor. The Aurora Public Art Commission hosts the third annual Jazz Occurrences on the third floor from 6 to 9 p.m. Advertisement PME Cake Supplies and School of Cake Decorating, 35 N. Broadway, is teaching patrons how to make their cakes, cupcakes, and cookies pretty from 5 to 6:30 p.m. If These Walls Could Talk, 32 S. Stolp Ave., opens "Unveiled," photography by Richard Sperry, from 7 to 11 p.m. Fox Valley Homebrew, 14 W. Downer Place, is open with a free brewing workshop. Visit www.foxvalleyhomebrew.com. Culture Stock, 43 E. Galena Blvd., hosts an art show with students from Washington Middle School from 6 to 9 p.m. Rocktown Adventures, 107 Spruce St., is back with free paddle rides from 6 to 8 p.m. The ArtBar at Two Brothers Roundhouse, 205 N. Broadway, features "The Urban Show," a pop-up art show featuring local artists. Vibes N Stuff, hip hop music featuring a handful of performers, is in the tavern from 6 p.m. to midnight. Advertisement The SciTech Hands On Museum, 18 W. Benton St., and the Aurora Regional Fire Museum, 53 N. Broadway, are open with free admission. SciTech hosts a postal carrier exhibit and a STEAM exhibit is at the fire museum from 6 to 8 p.m. Leland Tower, 7 S. Stolp Ave., hosts the Pop Up Shop with local artisans selling handmade wares from 6 to 9 p.m. West Aurora High School's first annual National Art Honor Society art show begins at 7 p.m. A free trolley service runs throughout downtown between all the venues from 7 to 10 p.m. All events are free and art is for sale. For more information, a list of First Fridays specials at participating businesses and for a map of venues, visit www.auroradowntown.com. slord@tribpub.com Elgin Communications Director Kristine Rogowski (left) and City Councilwoman Tish Powell met with State Sen. Michael Noland (D-Elgin) Tuesday as part of the city's annaul trek to Springfield. (City of Elgin / handout) Councilwoman Tish Powell, City Manager Sean Stegall and three other Elgin staffers were in Springfield Tuesday to lobby and to gather information on state matters that impact the city. "We're here in part to make sure (legislators and state department staff) realize they make an impact on local government and our residents," Powell said. "I realize something has to give when it comes to the state's budget, but not on the backs of local government." Advertisement Powell said the Elgin contingency drove to Springfield Monday after working their respective jobs and would be returning to Elgin Wednesday morning and in time for the evening City Council meeting. Stegall said the day began with breakfast with Elgin's contracted lobbyist, Dan Shoman. Shoman would be taking Powell to the Capitol Building to pop in on legislative sessions to meet not only with politicians but with other lobbyists. Advertisement Over the course of the day, Stegall said, those from Elgin hoped to learn up-to-date information on the state of the budget process, if a plan to change the state's income tax from a flat one to a graduated one had traction and the status of the Illinois Historic Preservation Tax Credit Program. That program is set up for qualifying projects in the state's River Edge Redevelopment Zone and is designed to help five of the state's river towns redevelop sites and properties. Those cities include Aurora, East St. Louis, Elgin, Peoria, and Rockford. The program is set to expire Jan. 1, 2017, but a bill being discussed would extend the program until January 2022. Capstone Development Group is using the program as one of its funding mechanisms for the renovation of Elgin's iconic Tower Building, 100 E. Chicago St., downtown. Assistant City Manager Rick Kozal also has noted that the rest of Elgin's downtown was added to the National Register of Historic Places in December 2014, meaning an additional 100 buildings might be able to take advantage of the program if it is extended Powell said the morning also included city staff meeting with staff from various state departments, including the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, Transportation, for updates on road projects such as the Route 20/McLean work, and Revenue about the $145,000 the state overpaid Elgin and wants back. On her own to-do list was to talk with legislators and state staff about appropriation authority for local funds such as motor fuel taxes, 911 centers and gaming which at one point were held up in the still unresolved 2015-16 budget. "These need to come back to Elgin and other cities as they directly impact the services we provide," Powell said. Tuesday afternoon included a lunch and briefing with Metro West Council of Government, which serves municipalities in Kane, Kendall and DeKalb counties. Powell said Metro West had arranged meetings with key legislators including Democrats State House Majority Leader Barbara Flynn Currie and Senate President John Cullerton and Republican House Leader Jim Durkin and Senate Leader Christine Radogno. Those who represent Elgin and surrounding communities also would be visited. Advertisement According to Elgin Communications Director Kristine Rogowski, along with the issue of appropriation Powell mentioned, Metro West is lobbying for allowing all towns with more than 5,000 residents to have home rule status. The process involves amending the Illinois Constitution through a voter referendum. To have such a referendum placed on the November 2016 ballot, it would need approval by a 3/5 vote of the General Assembly. If a 3/5 majority of voters were in favor of the measure, it would become law. An additional 173 municipalities would be granted home rule status, according to Metro West. Metro West also is urging Springfield to hone the definition of terms in the Public Safety Employee Benefits Act so that eligibility becomes based on the federal standard for "catastrophic injury" to make sure that only those former public safety employees whose injuries are severe enough to make future employment impossible could receive the benefit. The day was to conclude with a dinner arranged by Metro West where the Elgin delegation could informally meet with others involved with state government, Powell said. Stegall said this was his 13th trip in 16 years working for Elgin for this particular annual lobbying effort. In past years the trip has resulted in the city getting the tax credits secured for the Tower Building project and in getting funding for the Riverside Drive Promenade. There are always updates pertinent to Elgin to be had from various state departments, too, Stegall said, and what is learned will be one of the topics discussed at a special quarterly council meeting set for Saturday. Advertisement "There is value in coming down like this once a year," Stegall said. This was Powell's second such visit to Springfield. "You never know what the value might be," Powell said. "But you can't not participate." MDanahey@tribpub.com History's obsolete artifacts all seemed like bright ideas at the time. But their usefulness passes, and then you wonder what idiocy made you want them. Then they go away. Rapper Vanilla Ice, subprime mortgages and the Ford Pinto all seemed like good ideas momentarily, too. Remember the last time you made a collect call from a pay phone? Advertisement But you still can find obsolete trinkets if you peer into odd nooks and odder crannies, but we have no further use or time for them. Be gone, ancient junk. Junk clutters history that way, too. Advertisement If you are fond of Christopher Columbus, this is a warning that he's also expired, like mayonnaise left out too long. And first, why would you love Columbus? Even in a 15th European century replete with plundering slave traders and genocidal murderers, he was notoriously vile. But our cultural self indulgence transformed him into a hero because America preferred to be discovered by a courageous seafarer sailing the ocean blue in fourteen hundred and ninety-two. If we don't like the truth, we fabricate pleasing lies. We would have backed Vikings in the discovery derby because they got here 500 years earlier. But "ocean blue" rhymes with "14 and 92," and "Leif Ericksson" doesn't rhyme with anything. Plus, Ericksson "discovered" Newfoundland, and went home as soon as he could because, well, have you ever seen Newfoundland in February? But before we get around to the annual second Monday in October celebration of Columbus Day, we have sad tidings for you remaining Columbiaphiles: The joke is over. The illusion is shattered. Ever so slowly, cities across the country are ditching Columbus Day in favor of Indigenous Peoples' Day, an inelegant title for a well-it's-about-time premise. It's a slow-motion return to sanity. Evanston became the first city on Chicago's North Shore to adopt the position last week, and students in Elgin are pushing the cause there. It's been a quasi-federal holiday since 1937, but burgs that don't let workers off work that day can simply change their minds and ignore Columbus. The doomsday clock on the Columbus fib is ticking ever closer to extinction. Advertisement St. Paul, Minn., Seattle and Portland have joined the movement to designate the second Monday in October as Indigenous Peoples' Day. Why not honor millions of innocent people from a culture that Columbus enslaved, pillaged and raped? And that was on Chris' good days. Once the more-or-less total fabrication of the Columbus myth was embedded in our schools, we surrendered to Italian immigrants' natural desire to be respected. We should be happy Italians didn't insist on National Mussolini Day. As for Columbus, almost no positive tidbit attached to his legend is true. His trip to the "New World" was mostly an exercise in getting really lost and not stopping to ask for directions. He and his three ships meandered around the Atlantic for a few months and eventually crashed into the Bahamas and Cuba, though he was looking for Asia. Discovery allows for serendipity, but you can't drive west next week and claim to have discovered Denver. It's already there, as are hundreds of thousands of people with houses and local street addresses. Advertisement As for Columbus, he discovered a place where several million cultured, peaceful people hence the indigenous already lived and had for 12,000 years. He was thrilled, but no one else on the beach was. He called it "October 12, the day of Our Lord 1492 when I claim the New World for all of civilization. By the way, all your gold is now mine." Folks on the beach called the day Thursday. Over the next few years, Columbus stole as much as he could, lopped off ears and noses to show he was a deity-inspired discoverer, enslaved everyone he could find and drafted 8-year-old girls into sexual slavery. This was all done according to the Almighty's will. Lake County News Sun Twice-weekly News updates from Lake County delivered every Monday and Wednesday > He even wrote that the current inhabitants had pleasing faces, did not use weapons and were perfect for servitude. Easy-peasy. Contagions that he and his crews imported wound up killing millions of people. That Caribbean culture is gone now. Columbus killed it. Advertisement Luckily for Europeans, they found enough slaves to repopulate the Southern Hemisphere. As for Newark or Fort Lauderdale, Columbus never found that part of the New World or knew it existed. He was the world's first accidental tourist. Columbus was lost most of the time, as is the culture he helped kill. It's about time to lose him, too. David.rutter@live.com Gary resident Sam Love says being a community organizer involves "getting a group of people to listen to the other guy's point of view." (Jeff Manes / Post-Tribune) "I have no country to fight for; my country is the Earth, and I am a citizen of the world." -Eugene V. Debs Advertisement Sam Love, 38, is a community organizer who lives in Miller. He is married to attorney Brenda Likavec. He has degrees in history from Indiana University Northwest and the University of Illinois at Chicago. ** Advertisement "I grew up in a completely diverse neighborhood on 54th & Connecticut during the '80s. I thought that's how the rest of the world really was. Then, I got to Harrison Junior High School and it was far more white." Did you go to Merrillville High School? "Class of '95. I was in choir. I had Mr. Emig. He was a great teacher. I think he still lives in Miller. He was the choir director. We had such a diverse group. Mr. Emig was the right person to be teaching or leading us at that time because he respected that diversity. We would do things ranging from Balkan folk music to African songs to hip-hop. "We took field trips to Florida and the Bahamas. I remember we had two buses. One bus contained all the preppy, snobby, privileged, white kids and the other was the mixed bus. We had so much (expletive) fun. Always go with the mixed group. It's wonderful. That's what Martin Luther King called the 'Beloved Community.' We try to build that here in Miller as much as we can." How long have you lived in Miller? "I moved out here from Chicago in 2012. Brenda and I just bought this place about a month ago. This house is seven years older than Gary. I'm so happy to live in one of the 'pre-Gary' houses as a I call it. I really like this block. It's salt of the earth." Were you and Brenda high school sweethearts? "She used to watch my punk band play back in the '90s." Advertisement What was the name of the band? "The Fuzz Factor. Through social media we connected." Besides singing in the band, did you play guitar? "No, because I'm left-handed and I'm not clever like (Jimi) Hendrix. With that said, I can keep a very basic rhythm on a bass guitar. I'll just do that for stress relief. "In addition to the organizing work I've done in Gary, I was a teacher in Chicago at a college that just closed. There are a lot of young, black men in their late teens and early twenties who are curious about rock 'n' roll. It's not just hip-hop. They kinda wanna synthesize all these styles. They'll approach me and ask: 'Who was this Keith Moon?' I watched some teens filming a hip-hop video here in Miller in front of the graffiti murals while wearing Guns n Roses and Nirvana T-shirts. I was wearing a Bob Marley T-shirt." On being a community organizer? Advertisement "I always like to mention the work of Lucy Parsons. This was a woman of color who was more feared than 1,000 rioters according to the Chicago Police because she was such an effective organizer. Her husband was one of the Haymarket martyrs. Lucy kept his legacy going." A community organizer today? "Nuts and bolts, it's hearing a lot of conversations, trying to get the essential details, and then putting that together in a context. It's getting a group of people to listen to the other guy's point of view. It's a lot of emailing and a lot conference calls. It should be more like knocking on doors or speaking publicly. Right now, I'm working for 350.org. We have an event at 1 p.m. on Sunday at Whiting Park called Break Free." What's that all about? "It's an effort to avoid climate chaos by breaking free from fossil fuels that threaten the Midwest with piles of petcoke (petroleum coke), refineries, pipelines and bomb trains. We're breaking free from business as usual, and we're taking on BP, Enbridge, the Koch Brothers and their toxic tar sands projects. Break Free is an escalated mass mobilization of independently-organized actions around the world to keep fossil fuels in the ground." Thank you. Advertisement "There's a whole team of us. I'm not the only one. I am responsible for keeping the people of Northwest Indiana abreast and to recruit them to participate. We'll have a nice resource fair planned for the 15th." Have you seen the documentary films "Everglades of the North: The Story of the Grand Kankakee Marsh or "Shifting Sands: The Path to Sustainability?" "No, but I'm dying to see them. I grew up with one foot in the Calumet and one in the Kankakee. Dad's family is from Gary. They came here really early and stayed really late. But my mom's side, they were Dutch and they settled around DeMotte. I spent more time with that side of the family. My great-uncle was Walt Roorda. He was a state rep down there. "I hope the consciousness of both regions is elevated because we're so down on ourselves, we don't even allow ourselves to think we should have nice, healthy things. We deserve tar sands processors that will probably be, in five years, redundant. This is what I do as an organizer. We all have our different strategies, approaches and tactics. You have to make people feel good about themselves where they're at. Why the hell shouldn't we Gary residents feel that way about ourselves? The same with the residents of East Chicago, Hammond, Michigan City, Cedar Lake and the towns along the Kankakee River. I love it here." Sam, I realize you're a former choir member, but I have to tell you, at this very moment, you're preachin' to the choir. ** Advertisement We need people like Sam Love who believe the status quo has got to go. Nuts and bolts? More like checks and balances. Jeff Manes is a freelance columnist for the Post-Tribune. Jeffmanes@ sbcglobal.net What's Quickly? It's where readers sound off on the issues of the day. Have a quote, question or quip? Call Quickly at 312-222-2426 or email quickly@post-trib.com. What will it take to stop trains from blocking traffic on Hendricks Street in Merrillville maybe an ambulance not getting through and a person dying? I have lived on this road for 30 years and have seen a train, at times, blocking the road for over two hours and usually more. It's so very dangerous. It happens at least once a day every day. Is there anything that can be done? This is the track between 57th Avenue and 73rd Avenue. Advertisement I, for one, am totally incensed that we, the ordinary people, have to pay for health care for this creep, former U.S. House Speaker Dennis Hastert who was sentenced to 15 months in prison for structuring financial transactions to conceal payments to an individual he sexually abused, when we struggle to pay for our own. Let him sell his house and vehicles and cash in his stock to pay it himself. This stinks. What's up with hard lemonade? Now there's hard iced tea. That is only an excuse for more alcohol consumption. What is next, hard buttermilk? Advertisement About the word "Hoosier": I heard it's a word and it was spelled "Hoosa," which is the American Indian name for a coin. I don't know if it's true but, as I understand it, it's an American Indian name for coin. Daytime television increasingly shows alcoholic drinking on all kinds of their shows. No one needs all this alcoholic drinking in the daytime. It should not be allowed. Post Tribune Twice-weekly News updates from Northwest Indiana delivered every Monday and Wednesday > About the Hoosier stuff in Indiana: I remember something about that back in school when I was a young kid. I'm over 65 years old now. I can't remember for sure exactly. I know it was back during the settlers' time. I think it was "Who's there?" and not "Who's here?" The more they said it from inside the house and around the back because they couldn't see who was knocking, then you'd come up with it blended in so well that it sounded like "Hoosier" so that's what I heard. So that's pretty correct, but I'm not sure if it was "Who's here?" or if it was "Who's there?" But I know we were taught that in grade school. I decided I'm not going to worry about what direction America is going. If it's not good, I'll grab my family and yours and work to change it. After all, this is America and that is the American way. Also, we have done it before. Well, I see another Republican family values guy said there's values and then there's Republican values. You don't want anything to do with the latter. Republicans don't have values. The only value they have is exploiting people and money. More about people dumping things they shouldn't be dumping: You know why they dump it on the side of the road? Because they don't have a place to take it. They can't put it in the Lake Station city dump. You can only go once a year at one time. Shame on all you young women out there who are so quick to give the middle finger. Do you realize you're giving it to some people who are old enough to be your grandmothers? Also, if you wouldn't be texting or talking on the phone at stop signs and stoplights and if you would go like you're supposed to when the light turns green instead of finishing your conversations, we wouldn't drive around you. Thus, no need for giving the middle finger. Shame on all of you. In my time, young women respected the elderly. I went to the East Chicago Health Department to get a copy of a birth certificate. They have a sign in the window that they only take money orders or some credit cards with an extra charge. I wonder how they can do that when all of our dollar bills say, "This note is legal tender for all debts, public and private." The health department is a government agency and they won't accept cash backed by the Federal Reserve Bank? What's with that? Advertisement Read more at www.post-trib.com/quickly As Chinas economy continues its path towards reform, the make up of its still-growing receipts of foreign investment dollars continue apace. Chinas FDI increased by 4.7 percent in 2015, yet the form of investment is changing. A whopping 72 percent of the US$126.3 billion invested last year was in the services sector, as global businesses continue to invest to support the selling of goods and services to Chinese consumers. This fits right in line with Chinese government policy China wants and needs to attract dollars into services, and has said as much. According to President Xi, The economy has entered a new stage of slower but more resilient growth. which Xi calls the new normal. The essence of which is an improved economic structure that relies more on domestic consumption, the service sector and innovation. Its important to reiterate that President Xi himself refers to the development of Chinas services sector, and foreign direct investment within that, as the new normal. But there is a caveat. What is to become of the foreign invested manufacturing entities in China? Once feted and attracted to invest their dollars in China by means of low (15 percent) income tax rates, five year tax holidays and low China wages, these investors are now increasingly at odds with Chinas own plans for development. Chinas wages are now higher than much of the rest of Asia, and at a senior level are outstripping salaries in Japan, the EU and the United States. Manufacturing in China, once the darling of sharp penciled in-house accountants, is now becoming a headache for many. But where to turn to for considered market intelligence and financial comparisons? Happily, our own China Briefing facility has over the years been quietly adding additional strings to its bow, as has Dezan Shira & Associates, the consulting practice behind it. If youre not already familiar with these titles, check out our additional, well established portals and magazines below: Regular updates on all matters relating to foreign investment trends, laws, taxes and costs throughout ASEAN. Includes updates investing in Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam as well as Cambodia, Laos & Myanmar. Most recent online articles: ASEAN Regulatory Brief: Share Capital, Indonesian Corporate Income Tax Reductions, and Cyber Security in Singapore Understanding Financial Integration in ASEAN Singapore Overtakes Hong Kong As Asias Top Financial Hub Our catch all portal containing updates on all Asian countries and comparisons between them. Most recent online articles: Cambodia, Laos & Myanmar 2016 Foreign Investment Outlook Thailand 2016 Foreign Investment Trends & Opportunities Philippines 2016 Opportunities & Roadblocks for the Foreign Investor Established way back in 2005, and now one of the leading business sites for foreign investors looking at India. All news and regulatory updates for the foreign investor in India. Most recent online articles: City Spotlight: Pune India Regulatory Brief: New Rules to Ease Double Taxation, Contract Workers to Benefit from New Minimum Wage India Market Watch: Indias Fuel Demand Jumps, New Solar Policy Expected, and E-Trading to Aid Farmers Despite its problems, top economists feel Russia is weathering its economic storms and is expected to emerge from them stronger than before. Meanwhile, many EU governments are becoming increasingly unhappy with the sanctions. What can Russia and the CIS promise for the savvy investor? Most recent online articles: Russia To Tag Fur Imports To Prevent Customs Fraud Fitch Affirms Russia as BBB While Some Are BB Stable Moscow To Arrange Shopping Tours for Wealthy Chinese Clientele With U.S. President Barack Obama about to visit Vietnam, and the TPP agreement signed, Vietnam is poised to attract a lot of investment previously destined for China. Read all about Vietnams regulatory, investment law and tax updates on this popular portal. Most recent online articles: The Guide to Drafting PPP Proposals and Feasibility Studies in Vietnam Vietnam Regulatory Brief: Timber Export Standards, Venture Capital Funding, and Proposed Increases to Business Licensing Fees Industry Spotlight Vietnams Growing Appetite for Education Complimentary Subscriptions, inclusive of updates containing the best of each of these websites, together with the most important news from China Briefing, can be obtained by clicking here. Chris Devonshire-Ellis is the Founding Partner of Dezan Shira & Associates a specialist foreign direct investment practice providing corporate establishment, business advisory, tax advisory and compliance, accounting, payroll, due diligence and financial review services to multinationals investing in emerging Asia. Since its establishment in 1992, the firm has grown into one of Asias most versatile full-service consultancies with operational offices across China, Hong Kong, India, Singapore and Vietnam, in addition to alliances in Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines and Thailand, as well as liaison offices in Italy, Germany and the United States. For further information, please email china@dezshira.com or visit www.dezshira.com. Chris can be followed on Twitter at @CDE_Asia. Stay up to date with the latest business and investment trends in Asia by subscribing to our complimentary update service featuring news, commentary and regulatory insight. Managing ASEAN Expansion From Singapore For the second issue of our ASEAN Briefing Magazine, we look at the benefits of using Singapore a hub for the management of regional operations throughout ASEAN. We firstly focus on the position of Singapore relative to its competitors, such as the Netherlands and Hong Kong. We then provide step-by-step instructions on corporate establishment, and provide expert insight on maximizing returns through the reduction respective tax burdens. Understanding the Trans-Pacific Partnership & Its Impact on Asian Markets In this issue of Asia Briefing magazine, we examine where the TPP agreement stands right now, look at the potential impact of the participating nations, as well as examine how it will affect Asian economies that have not been included. Hiring, Terminating and Retaining Employees in India In this issue of India Briefing Magazine, we examine issues related to hiring, firing and retaining employees in India. We highlight the most common legal issues that arise from Indias employment process, summarize the procedures for terminating an employee, and detail some of the most important factors for attracting talent. In addition, we outline some cultural considerations for foreign personnel working with Indian employees. Understanding Localization in Russia In this issue of Russia Briefing we discuss the advantages of localization in Russia for foreign companies, and provide an analysis of Russias industrial parks and Special Economic Zones (SEZs). We also feature an article from the General Director of ZENTIS Russia on their experience of producing jam, marmalade and other sweets in the country. Understanding Annual Audit & Compliance in Vietnam In this issue of Vietnam Briefing, we address pressing changes to audit procedures in 2015, and provide guidance on how to ensure that compliance tasks are completed in an efficient and effective manner. We highlight the continued convergence of VAS with IFRS, discuss the emergence of e-filing, and provide step-by-step instructions on audit and compliance procedures for Foreign Owned Enterprises (FOEs) as well as Representative Offices (ROs). Arthur R. Kroeber [Photo provided to China Daily] Arthur R. Kroeber believes the debate about the Chinese economy is almost always polarized. The founding partner and head of research of Gavekal Dragonomics, a Beijing research firm, and author of a new book, China's Economy: What Everyone Needs to Know, says as a result it is difficult to get the true picture. "I think the biggest mistake, in general, is that people always think you can reduce China to one thing - it's good, it's bad, it is going to take over the world or it is going to collapse tomorrow," he says. Kroeber, 54, spoke to China Daily in a meeting room of his company, which he helped establish at the Soho Nexus Center in 2002. His book, published by Oxford University Press in April, is timely with huge international interest now in the Chinese economy, which intensified at the start of the year with a renewed bout of stock market volatility, which has recently abated. "That is kind of good luck, I have to say. This project actually originated a couple of years ago. I was often asked by clients whether there was one book they could read to give them the basic facts about the Chinese economy. I never could come up with one," he says. "There are obviously some dense academic tomes, which are quite good, but not very accessible to an ordinary reader and particularly not to the kind of business reader who wants a quick scan. So there was kind of gap in the market," he adds. But his book of 319 pages, although an interesting read, is in no way just a beginner's guide. It is a genuine examination of the issues facing the country's economy from reform and opening-up in the late 1970s to today's many policy dilemmas. "The problem is that people try to simplify China into one narrow storyline, which they would never think of doing, for example, with the United States, or any other large, complex economy," he says. Kroeber, who grew up in an academic family in New York and is the grandson of Alfred L. Kroeber, a highly influential anthropologist, did not want to get into academia himself. After studying comparative religion at Harvard University, he became a freelance journalist, eventually coming to Beijing and starting the consultancy. "I swore when I left college (that) I would never go to graduate school. Although I kept to that promise, I've wound up relocating many aspects of academic life in my professional career." He says economics is also a subject that he reluctantly came to. "I swore I would never do business journalism but I wound up in India doing freelance reporting. And I quickly came to realize you couldn't understand politics or the social environment unless you had an understanding of what the economic motivations of people were." Follow China.org.cn on Twitter and Facebook to join the conversation. Chinese tourists will be able to pay for Uber rides in Chinese yuan through Alibaba's mobile payment services when travelling outside China, Uber said on Tuesday. Uber and Alipay teamed up earlier this year to offer yuan payment options for Uber rides in Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan. The option has been expanded to more than 400 cities in 68 countries and regions in which Uber operates. China has emerged as the world's biggest source of outbound travellers. This has prompted Chinese bank card association China UnionPay and mobile payment services such as Alibaba's Alipay to work with retailers and merchants in popular destinations to offer the option of paying their bills in Chinese yuan, rather than in the foreign currency. Uber also wants to tap China's travel boom by encouraging Chinese tourists to book rides using its service in foreign countries. Previously, Chinese riders had to pay Uber fares in U.S. dollars. Uber rival Didi said last month that it has allowed Chinese tourists using its mobile app to access ride-hailing services through its partner Lyft in the United States, with bills payable through mobile payment services from China's Alibaba and Tencent. Wang Zhongfu, a village head charged with torturing and killing a suspected thief, has been captured in a village in Xianyang City, Shannxi Province. A photo taken on March 10, 2016 shows Wu Wenying holds a portrait of her husband Hou Shuwei, who was tortured to death on May 22, 1997 at the age of 33. [Photo: hsw.cn] On June 9 last year, a local villager reported via the bulletin board system hsw.cn that Wang, who had been the head of the village since 2014, had a criminal record. Based on this report, Xingping City police department responded and took Wang into custody on December 28, 2015. Wang, together with six other people who worked in the same local police station, was convicted on November 19, 1998 after pleading guilty to a felony charge of extorting confessions by torture from two goat thief suspects in Shaanxi in May, 1997. One of the victims was tortured to death. On November 2, 2001, Wang was sentenced to serve four years in prison for negligent assault by Xianyang Intermediate People's Court, which made the final judgment in the case. For 14 years after the final judgment was made by the court, Wang Zhongfu was one of two cops who were never put into custody. Instead, he joined the Communist Party in 2012 and was appointed the village branch secretary two years later. The court told media that they tried to find and arrest the criminal but their efforts were in vein. However, Wang Zhong'an, the elder brother of Wang Zhongfu, said that he had never seen anyone attempting to find his brother until he was finally caught by Xingping police, who claimed to have just received the arrest order from the court last year. Authorities have started investigating the allegations of law enforcement misconduct with regard to this case. The death of a 21-year-old student has turned public attention to an expensive cancer therapy that became all the rage in China in recent years. The parents of Wei Zexi, a computer science major at Xidian University in Shaanxi province who died of a rare form of cancer, wait outside a funeral home in Xianyang, Shaanxi, on April 13. [Wan Jia/ for China Daily ] Wei Zexi, a student at Xidian University in northwest China's Shaanxi Province, died from synovial sarcoma, a rare cancer of the soft tissue, on April 12 after seeking treatment in the Second Hospital of the Beijing Armed Police Corps. The DC-CIK therapy Wei received was advertised to be a kind of immunotherapy. It uses the patient's own immune system to help fight cancer. However, the DC-CIK therapy has already been stopped in the West because it was difficult to evaluate its effect. "In the United States, clinical tests on traditional CIK therapy have been stopped," said Zhang Minhui, a researcher with the Medical Center at Tsinghua University. The unchecked development of the therapy is partly fueled by the huge profits. A business insider said that anyone can join in the business with 500,000 yuan (US$76,950) to 600,000 yuan (US$92,340). A full therapy charges around 200,000 yuan (US$30,800). "Receiving less than 10 patients, you will begin to make a profit," said the business insider. Sloppy government supervision is also blamed for the development of the therapy. In 2015, the National Health and Family Planning Commission eased restrictions on hospitals eligible to offer DC-CIK therapy. In 2013, Zeng Yixin, a leading oncologist, submitted suggestions on therapy standards to relevant authorities, but hadn't received a reply until today. Actually, it remains unclear which government department should be responsible for the supervision of the issue. Experts are debating whether it should come to the purview of the China Food and Drug Administration or the National Health and Family Planning Commission, because they can't decide if it should be seen as a medicine or a treatment method. Hospitals have also been found failing to self-discipline in this field. To avoid going through necessary internal inspection procedures, hospitals usually subcontract part of the therapy to third-party laboratories. Despite sloppy supervision, a lack of standards and ambiguous effects, the therapy has still been included into the public health care package in many provinces and regions. A caregiver, found guilty of the murder of an elderly woman in her care, was sentenced to death by a court in south China's Guangdong Province Wednesday. Carer He Tiandai, 46, murdered her 70-year-old client in the woman's home in the provincial capital Guangzhou, according to a statement from the city's intermediate people's court. He Tiandai was hired on Dec. 13, 2014. On the morning of Dec. 16, she fed the victim soup laced with sleeping pills and pesticide and then injected the victim's body with the same solution once her client had fallen asleep. Later, she found her client still breathing, and so she strangled her. He Tiandai said she would not appeal her sentence. She also claimed to have attempted to kill another nine clients, and succeeded in murdering seven of them. No lawsuits have been filed due to a lack of evidence. Flash Kurdish security forces on Tuesday repelled attacks by Islamic State (IS) militants on towns and villages near the militant-seized city of Mosul in northern Iraq, a Kurdish security source told Xinhua. IS militants carried out a pre-dawn attack on the Christian minority town of Tall Asquf, some 30 km north of Mosul, and managed to seize part of the town, while fierce clashes continued with the Kurdish forces, known as Peshmerga, and allied Christian paramilitary unit, the source said on condition of anonymity. After fierce clashes with the attackers, the troops, backed by U.S.-led coalition aircraft, retook control of the town, while sporadic clashes continued with the extremist militants in small pockets, the source said. Meanwhile, dozens of IS militants attacked Khazer area in northeast Mosul, which itself located some 400 km north of the Iraqi capital of Baghdad, but the Kurdish troops repelled their offensive, killing and injuring a number of them, the source added. Another IS attack targeted the Kurdish defensive lines near the town of Gwer in southeast of Mosul, but were also repelled by the Peshmerga, the source said without giving further details about casualties. U.S.-led coalition aircraft provided air support to the troops in all battlefields, killing many of the attackers and destroying some of their vehicles, while a number of U.S. advisers are providing assistance to the troops on the ground, the source added. Earlier in the day, the U.S. military said that one of its soldiers was killed by "direct fire" in northern Iraq. IS militants frequently attacked the Iraqi security forces and Kurdish Peshmerga members outside Mosul and at the edges of the semi-autonomous northern region of Kurdistan. On March 24, the troops have launched first phase of major offensive and recaptured several IS-held villages in south of Mosul, as part of their preparations to flush out IS militants from the city, the capital of Nineveh province. According to Iraqi officials, the operations to free Mosul and other IS-held parts of Nineveh province will be carried out by the Iraqi army, Kurdish Peshmerga, and U.S.-led coalition, with participation of paramilitary units from local volunteers, including Sunni Arab tribesmen. Flash Al-Shabaab militants fired mortar rounds at a military base in Halane belonging to the African Union peacekeeping troops in Somalia (AMISOM) on Monday night. AMISOM force spokesman, Joe Kibet confirmed the incident on Tuesday, saying three mortar shells landed outside Halane military base, AU's main station near Mogadishu International Airport in Wadajir district in Benadir region. "There were three mortar shells that hit our base from outside, but it did not cause any casualties. We are working with Somalia National Army (SNA) to establish if there were any civilian casualties," Kibet told Xinhua. However, Kibet did not say whether the pan African body's troops responded to such attacks by the militants. Al-Shabab militants claimed to have carried out the heavy attack against AU base in Mogadishu. The Islamist militant group claimed they dropped seven mortar shells into the base at midnight. This is the first attack in which AU base in Mogadishu has come under terrorist attack from Al-Shabaab militants. Somali National Army backed by the AU troops removed Al-Shabaab militants from the capital Mogadishu in 2011, but the group tries to undermine peace and stability by staging several attacks in many towns in the south and central Somalia. You are here: Home Flash Eighteen militants of the outlawed Kurdish Workers' Party (PKK) were killed as Turkish warplanes struck PKK targets in northern Iraq late Monday, the Turkish military said on Tuesday. The Turkish jets carried out raids on positions in Qandil region in northern Iraq on Monday night, killing 18 PKK members, said a statement issued by the General Staff of the Turkish Armed Forces. Turkish warplanes also destroyed the PKK targets in Qandil, northern Iraq, according to the statement. Since a two-year cease-fire between the government and the PKK disintegrated last July, Turkish security forces have launched a major campaign against the PKK in southeast Turkey, leaving over 400 government soldiers and over 3,700 PKK members dead. The PKK, waging a separatist war against Turkey since 1984, is listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the United States and the European Union. Flash The ASEAN (the Association of Southeast Asian Nations) Defence Ministers Meeting-Plus Maritime Security and Counter Terrorism Exercise (ADMM Plus MS & CT) was officially launched Tuesday with an opening ceremony at the Multi National Coordination Centre (MNCC) in Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei's capital. The opening ceremony was officiated by Brunei's Commander of Royal Brunei Armed Forces (RBAF) Mohd Tawih who delivered his opening remarks and then proceeded with the activation of the Exercise Task Groups. "The pressures we face today are greater than ever before as security challenges have proven to be more complex and very often cross between borders with relative ease and speed", Mohd Tawih said, "there is so much we can learn from each other and resolve challenges together." "I believe that this exercise will provide that much needed platform of transparency and open communication in order to reduce any tension, enhance trust and build deeper cooperation among all the participating countries," he added. Chinese military officers including Hu Weihua, task commander and head of a Destroyer Division of the Chinese Navy and Tang Yinchuan, captain of the "Lanzhou" guided-missile destroyer also attended the opening ceremony. Navies of the 10 countries of the ASEAN participate in the drills, along with those from China, the United States, Russia, Australia, India, Japan, New Zealand and South Korea. The Chinese military sends "Lanzhou" destroyer along with 12 SWAT soldiers and four staff officers to the exercise. According to the Exercise Co-Director, Seri Pahlawan, Joint Force Commander RBAF, a total of 18 warships, 16 helicopters, two Maritime Patrol Aircraft, counter terrorism elements and shore based personnel from the participating ADMM-Plus Nations is involved in the exercise. Following the official launching of the exercise, the RBAF commander, senior officials and personnel from the participating ADMM Plus countries were taken for a tour of the Exercise Control Center in MNCC. The ADMM Plus ADMM Plus MS & CT this year is co-hosted by RBAF and Singapore Armed Forces from May 1 to May 12 after the success of the ADMM-Plus Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief and Military Medicine (ADMM Plus HADR & MM) Exercise in 2013. It is a multilateral exercise which aims to enhance military cooperation and increase interoperability between participating countries in responding to maritime threats. The ADMM-Plus mechanism was proposed and founded by the ASEAN Defense Ministers' Meeting, with the purpose of enhancing the mutual trust and cooperation between ASEAN and relevant countries in the Asia-Pacific region, and jointly responding to transnational non-traditional security challenges. The multinational joint exercise this time is the first maritime security and anti-terrorism exercise under the framework of the ADMM-PLUS. You are here: Home Flash U.S. defense officials confirmed on Tuesday that an American serviceman was killed during an operation in Iraq. The Pentagon said in a brief statement that a coalition service member was killed in northern Iraq as a result of enemy fire. "Further information will be released as appropriate," said the statement. Meanwhile, U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter said on Tuesday in Stuttgart, Germany, that the slain service member was American. According to the U.S. daily The Wall Street Journal, the American soldier was hit by "direct enemy fire" on Tuesday about 20 miles, or 32 km, north of Mosul, the extremist group the Islamic State's (IS) de facto capital in Iraq. The serviceman was killed during a train-and-assist mission, said the Journal. It was the third time an American serviceman was killed since the U.S.-led coalition's operation against the IS began in the summer of 2014. You are here: Home Flash European Council President Donald Tusk on Tuesday said people need to build a global awareness on migration and refugee crisis. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe(L) and European Council President Donald Tusk attend a joint statement prior to their meeting in Brussels, Belgium, May 3, 2016. [Photo/Xinhua] He made the call ahead of his meeting with visiting Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, urging the international community to step up efforts in solving the migration and refugee crisis. "This is a global crisis and we need to realize that no single country -- or no group of countries for that matter -- holds a golden key to solving it," he said. "The international community needs to acknowledge that countries like Lebanon or Jordan are providing a global public good in assisting refugees. This public good has to be financed by the global community," he added. Flash The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said Tuesday that it has helped repair Libya's only operational radiotherapy machine after a long outage, enabling it to resume essential cancer care for hundreds of patients every month, a UN spokesman said. Responding to a request from the Libyan medical authorities, the IAEA provided assistance totaling 70,000 U.S. dollars through its technical cooperation program, Stephane Dujarric said at a daily news briefing here. The radiotherapy machine in the Tripoli Central Hospital, which can treat more than 10,000 patients per year, broke down in September 2015. "In view of the urgent health need, the IAEA procured spare parts and services from the manufacturer and the machine was brought back to operation," the spokesman said. Flash A pedestrian was killed on Tuesday after a man stabbed a metrobus driver and hijacked the bus, local authority said. The whole incident lasted less than three minutes shortly before 11 a.m. local time, said D.C. Police Chief Cathy Lanier here at a briefing, adding that the male suspect was in custody for attacking the bus driver. After attacking the driver with an unknown weapon, passengers and the driver managed to escape from the bus, said Lanier. Then the suspect took control of the bus and drove it to a gas station where the bus mounted a curb and struck a pedestrian who died shortly after the incident. Calling the suspect "very distraught and violent," Lanier said the incident was "bizarre" and "uncharacteristic" for a person to take a bus and then attack a bus driver. Flash Sixty-eight years have passed since the Father of the Nation of India, Mahatma Gandhi was assassinated in January 1948, but his principle of nonviolence still influences present-day India, said his grandson, Rajmohan Gandhi, during his first-ever visit to China. Rajmohan Gandhi, grandson of Mahatma Gandhi, talks about his grandfather's spirit in Beijing on May 2, 2016. [Photo by Chen Boyuan / China.org.cn] Most people around the world have come to know Mahatma Gandhi through their history books as a man who led a "nonviolent" and "non-cooperation" movement against British rule in early 20th century colonial India, although some have alleged that nonviolence itself was a reflection of Gandhi's weakness and was a reason for the man's partial failure in the end. But Rajmohan, Gandhis grandson and a biographer and a research professor at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in the United States, insists that "nonviolence was a great success," in that Gandhi planted a nonviolent tradition in the hearts of Indians, who learned to resolve differences through dialogue and negotiation. "If India had adopted violence, more and more violence would have taken place. There are so many ways Indians can fight against each other, but one reason India has remained a united single country after 70 years [since independence] is nonviolence," said Rajmohan Gandhi on May 2 in Beijing. In other words, had guns been employed to resolve differences in the early 20th Century, then guns would have had to rule India afterwards. Had that happened, India would not have become a democratic country but a military dictatorship, said Prof. Gandhi, citing his grandfather's two biggest successes as democracy and the unity among different religions in India. But the division of Pakistan was Gandhi's biggest failure, since he was unable to unite the countrys Muslims leading to Pakistans creation alongside India's independence in 1947, according to Rajmohan. Mahatma Gandhi was once the most beloved person in India and his death sent the whole nation into a deep shock. Sixty-eight years on, Gandhi still enjoys an exceptionally good reputation. He is on the Indian currency, his portraits and pictures are seen across India and both his birth and death are observed nationwide. In Rajmohan's view, Mahatma Gandhi's unity-minded holistic principles should apply to India's peripheral diplomacy, particularly in its ties with China, another populous country as well as a major power and growing economy. China has replaced the United States as India's top trading partner. In 2015, India-China bilateral trade volume reached US$70.83 billion; as of January of this year, China is India's largest source of imports and the sixth largest market of exports, according to the statistics on the website of China's Ministry of Commerce. While demonstrating to the world their presence and influences, India and China have inevitably run into tensions and conflicts, such as those regarding border issues and maritime rights. Rajmohan, who is a specialist in South Asian studies, advised that the two countries "should keep the planet in mind." "Although China and India have a border and a recent history of conflict and tension, both counties should look at each other in the context of the plant, thinking about what we can do together for the world. We should realize that our differences should be resolved, instead of letting them get in the way of cooperation and partnership," said Rajmohan, explaining how his teaching in the United States may have improved his perspective on the issue. Former Chinese Ambassador to India, Zhou Gang, supported Rajmohan's suggestions. He pointed out that mutual understanding has been improving in recent years between China and India, adding that the China and India should strengthen ties, not only bilaterally, but regionally and globally as well. You are here: Home Flash The 27-year-old uncle of Chinese student Mengmei Leng who is accused of her murder will plead not guilty, the ABC reported on Wednesday. Australian authorities arrested and charged Derek Barret last week in connection with her murder. Derek Barrett's lawyer Bill Whitby attended a brief hearing at a Sydney court on Wednesday where he told reporters his client was not finding conditions at the Sydney police centre "particularly attractive". "It's a terrible place to be incarcerated and I can only hope he'll be moved in the very near future and I'll be making a bail application in the not distant future," Whitby said. "Obviously he's very upset, shocked." Leng, a Chengdu native, had been in Australia for over five years and recently graduated from the University of Technology Sydney while living with her uncle, aunt and cousin in western Sydney. Last week, Leng's body was discovered floating face down by a tourist at a popular "blow hole" on the New South Wales state central coast. It's believed she had been stabbed multiple times in the neck. A spokesman for the Leng family said Leng's mother would address the media on Thursday regarding the matter. Barret was not required to appear in court today and will reappear on June 29. Flash Warplanes carried out 20 airstrikes against rebel-held areas east of the capital Damascus at early time Wednesday, as an extended 48-hours truce expired last night, a monitoring group said. The airstrikes targeted the towns of Deir al-Asafir, and Shaba' amid shelling from the ground troops on Deir al-Asafir, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. The UK-based watchdog group said the army forces are trying to advance in Deir al-Asafir in the Eastern Ghouta countryside of Damascus. On Monday, the Syrian army said the regime of silence state near the capital Damascus was extended for 48 hours. It was the second time the "regime of silence" truce was being extended in the Eastern Ghouta. On Sunday, the army announced it has extended the truce for additional 24 hours, just a couple of days after declaring such a system. On Friday, Russia and the United States have reportedly agreed to enhance truce in northern Latakia and suburbs of Damascus. However, the northern city of Aleppo, which has recently seen an escalation of violence, was not included in the regime of silence while reports by the pro-government al-Watan newspaper said that Moscow and Washington were discussing ways to include Aleppo into the cease-fire. Flash Mortars were fired early Wednesday at Israeli soldiers stationed near the Gaza Strip enclave, the Israeli army said. A mortar round was fired at forces during "operational activity" near the security fence border in the southern Gaza Strip early Wednesday, a statement from the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spokesperson said. No injuries were reported, and the IDF responded and fired towards the threat with tanks, the statement added. The Gaza Strip enclave had been ruled by the Hamas organization, which Israel deems a terrorist organization, since 2007, with Israel imposing a de-facto blockade on the enclave. Since then, several rounds of fighting between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip had taken place. On Tuesday, shots were fired towards Israeli soldiers traveling in a military vehicle near the border. Nobody was injured, but damages were caused to a heavy army engineering machinery, the Times of Israel website reported. Earlier on Tuesday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited the Gaza Strip area, where he was briefed by military officials on the situation in the area, and about the recently discovered underground tunnel which crossed over from the Gaza Strip into Israeli territories. Israeli security forces believe the tunnel was aimed to carry out attacks. Also on Tuesday, the Israeli Tax Authority said it thwarted an attempt to smuggle several tons of ammonium chloride into the Gaza Strip, as the chemical can be used for military purposes, including long-range rockets. Israel and Hamas fought a 51-day-long offensive in July through August of 2014, amid rocket attacks from the Gaza Strip and the fear of underground tunnels. It claimed the lives of at least 2,251 Palestinians, mostly civilians, and 72 Israelis, all but six were soldiers. Since then, occasional rocket fire hit southern Israel in sporadic attacks, usually without injuries or damage. The Israeli Air Force retaliated several times by attacking targets in the Gaza Strip, resulting in several casualties. Despite that, tensions have increased in recent months, as Hamas encouraged Palestinians in the West Bank and East Jerusalem to carry out attacks against Israelis, amid a wave of unrest which started in October and claimed the lives of 28 Israelis and nearly 200 Palestinians. Hamas had also claimed responsibility for an explosion attack on a bus, which left 20 Israelis injured in Jerusalem last month. Flash A spokesperson for China's Foreign Ministry has urged Japanese leaders to listen to the call for peace and play a constructive role for regional peace and stability. "China hopes Japan can draw lessons from history, follow the tide of the times, listen to the Japanese public's call for peace, adhere to a path of peaceful development and play a constructive role for regional peace and stability," said Hong Lei at a regular press briefing on Wednesday. Some 50,000 people rallied in Tokyo on Tuesday, Japan's Constitution Memorial Day, to protest against Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's unwanted attempts to amend the nation's pacifist Constitution. Hong said the development direction of Japan was always going to be a subject of concern for its Asian neighbors due to Japan's history of aggression. The spokesperson was also asked to comment on claims by Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida during their Europe and Southeast Asia trips that China was militarizing the South China Sea. "Though a country outside the South China Sea region, Japan has deliberately attempted to make a presence felt on the South China Sea issue...that has simply revealed records of Japan's illegal occupation of China's islands and reefs in the South China Sea during WWII and exposed Japan's current ill intentions on South China Sea issue," he said. Hong urged Japan to stop meddling in the South China Sea issue. China has advocated that sovereign disputes in the South China Sea be resolved peacefully through talks between the directly concerned states -- China, Vietnam, the Philippines, Brunei and Malaysia. CNOOC's LNG imports. [Photo/China Daily] Fujian LNG terminal, the country's largest liquefied natural gas project in terms of storage capacity, started building two more storage tanks on Tuesday, a move that will facilitate offshore gas transportation and the pipeline network. The two tanks, which can hold 160,000 cubic meters of gas each, will be added to the existing LNG station in Putian, Fujian province, the project's operator said in a statement. China National Offshore Oil Corp said the construction of the two tanks is expected to be completed by 2018. Fujian LNG terminal consists of a wharf, six storage tanks and pipelines. After completion, it will be able to receive as much as 6.3 million metric tons of LNG per year, CNOOC said. Yang Hua, chairman of CNOOC, said that the company plans to provide more clean energy especially in the coastal regions during the 13th Five-Year Plan (2016-20). "We will continue to push the LNG industry as well as related technologies, making our efforts to optimize the country's energy mix," he said. The global glut and sluggish economy will continue to drive down prices of LNG, which means that imports of the super-cooled fuel is cheaper than domestic production, experts said. They added that China's LNG imports are expected to rise in the long term amid mounting pressure caused by air pollution. Neil Beveridge, a senior analyst at Bernstein Research, said that China's gas demand is also expected to increase after rising 14 percent in the first quarter. "Imports of LNG will also accelerate this year, driven by the ramp-up of a number of Australian LNG projects contracted to China," he added. LNG is natural gas that has been changed into a liquid state by cooling it to minus 162 C, which poses high requirements for technologies and tank structure. Since 2008, CNOOC has formed a team to develop the LNG storage technology called full containment LNG storage tank. Just a few countries in the world have the ability to produce such facilities. CNOOC is running the Dapeng LNG terminal in Guangdong, the country's first and largest LNG importer, as well as six other LNG receiving stations in Shanghai, Fujian, Zhejiang, Tianjin and Zhuhai, with a total capacity of 27.8 million tons per year. Last year, CNOOC imported 1.3 million tons of LNG, accounting for 70 percent of the country's total LNG imports. The Beijing-based company is also building LNG vessels and has set a target to develop its LNG transportation business. Workers at Gree Electric Appliances Inc's industrial park in Wuhan, Hubei province, assemble air conditioners. [Photo/CFP] Gree Electric Appliances Inc, a major Chinese home appliances maker, will develop more product lines and activities in the years ahead, amid a sharp drop in its core air conditioner operations. Sales of its air conditioners, the company's staple since launching in 1991, dropped nearly 30 percent year-on-year to 83.7 billion yuan ($12.9 billion) in 2015, according to the company's annual report. Following the slump, Gree's overall revenue and net profits fell by 29.04 percent to 97.75 billion yuan and 11.46 percent to 12.53 billion yuan, respectively, according to its annual report. Last year's performance was in sharp contrast to the 2012-14 period, when annual sales grew by nearly 20 billion yuan. Despite a slowdown in electric home appliances, Gree said it will make more efforts to develop emerging businesses, including new energy, smart home products, industrial-related products, smartphones and intelligent equipment, according to the report. Dong Mingzhu, Gree's president, said in an earlier interview with China Daily that the market for air conditioners "needed to be reconstructed after expansion in previous years". Gree's dramatic sales drop was very much in line, however, with nationwide market conditions. Domestic makers sold about 106 million air conditioners in 2015, down 8.6 percent compared with the previous year, according to an industry report. Dong Mingzhu, Gree's president. [Photo/IC] Midea Group, based in Foshan, Guangdong province, reported a 2.28 percent year-on-year drop in sales to 138.4 billion yuan in 2015. Haier Group, a leading producer of white goods headquartered in Qingdao, Shandong province, was also hit hard, with sales falling 7.41 percent year-on-year to 89.7 billion yuan. Based in Guangdong's Zhuhai, Gree was forced to reduce its prices last year, with some items being cut by as much as 1,000 yuan, according to Dong. "The (sales) drop is partly attributed to an adjustment in air conditioner pricing and large rebates being offered to sales agents," Dong confirmed. She said the planned emerging businesses are based on the company's already-strong capabilities in self-developed home appliances technology, especially its air conditioners, which have proved highly competitive in both domestic and overseas markets. "It is a natural process for Gree to diversify its products as it has already developed a series of strong core technologies and efficient market channels over the years." Gree began testing its smartphones early last year, and its second generation will be launched soon domestically, according to the company. It said in the new-energy sector, Gree has acquired a Zhuhai energy company, with the aim of developing new-energy vehicles. China has developed its own subsea pipeline inspection device, ending foreign companies' dominance in this field, said the machine's designers. "We are the first in China to successfully develop this kind of device, for which our offshore oil industry had waited more than 20 years. Now we can proudly announce that China can inspect its subsea pipelines on its own," said Zhou Ming, director of the Beijing Huahang Radio Measurement Institute that developed the equipment. Such a device uses magnetic flux leakage method to detect corrosion and pitting in pipelines and is used to inspect about 70 percent of existing pipelines in the world. Previously, China depended on overseas manufacturers for this kind of equipment, resulting in high expenditure and risks like exposing sensitive information to foreigners, he said. The device developed by the institute passed a host of stringent tests in pipelines in the Bohai Bay in October, proving it is ready for mass production and formal operations, said Zhou. "We are now working with China National Offshore Oil Corp to promote the machine as well as our inspection service in the oil and gas industry," he said. "Compared with foreign companies, our charges will be much lower and our product is as competitive as theirs." The Zhou-led institute specializes in radar and photoelectric equipment for spacecraft and rockets. Though its focus is still on space equipment, many of its researchers have been designated to take advantage of their expertise in the space industry to develop products to serve other business sectors. The value of the institute's civilian businesses reached nearly 400 million yuan ($62 million) last year. The institute plans to double the figure by 2020. CNOOC owns hundreds of subsea pipelines off China's coastline that spans more than 6,000 kilometers, the company's statistics show. A standard industry practice is to check a pipeline every three to five years to make sure it is working well with no damage or risk like corrosion. Industry observers said for long, several foreign firms, including General Electric and ROSEN Group, have dominated the pipeline inspection services segment in the Chinese market. They charge an average of $10,000 for each km of pipeline they check. "They make millions of dollars from the Chinese market. They don't sell the machine to Chinese oil companies, but only provide the Chinese clients an inspection report," said Zheng Li, chief designer of the equipment at the institute. "Our machine is capable of continuously inspecting about 100 km in a single mission. Moreover, we not only provide inspection service but offer a solutions package," she said. Two engineers at the Tianjin Jinhang Physics Research Institute under China Aerospace Science and Industry Corp conduct test on a 3-D printer. [Photo provided to China Daily] A State-owned space institute has sold its 3-D printers to Argentina, marking China's first 3-D printer exports to South America, said a senior engineer at the institute. Tang Xiaoyu, who heads the 3-D printer development at the Tianjin Jinhang Physics Research Institute under China Aerospace Science and Industry Corp, told China Daily that a consumer electronics wholesaler in Argentina has placed orders for 1,000 3-D printers developed by the institute and the first batch of 100 were delivered to the buyer in December. "The client would sell our products to retailers in Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay," Tang said. He did not reveal the contract's value and his products' prices. During the mid-March CeBIT, the largest and most internationally represented information technology and electronics expo held in Hanover, Germany, companies from more than 20 nations, including the United States, Egypt, Iran and Japan, expressed interest or intent to buy the institute's 3-D printers. "We brought four sets of 3-D printers to the CeBIT 2016 and all of them were sold at the expo. A buyer from Germany placed an order for 20 of our products at the event while two retailers from France and the Netherlands respectively are in talks with us on their procurement contract after they saw our 3-D printer at CeBIT," Tang said. Tianjin Jinhang specializes in laser-related equipment and has produced many types of optoelectronic instruments for China's carrier rockets and spacecraft. He said the institute has developed seven types of desktop 3-D printers. Most of their users in China are schools and research organizations while some State-owned aircraft and space enterprises also use its products. "The core part of a high-end 3-D printer is the laser, which is our specialty. Therefore, we are good at developing 3-D printers and we have full intellectual property rights of our products, which is why many foreign clients favor our products rather than those made by some Chinese private firms despite their lower prices," the engineer said. Domestically, there are more than 200 retailers selling the institute's 3-D printers, according to Tang. He said the institute expects a total revenue of about 100 million yuan ($15.4 million) from its 3-D printers within the coming five years. According to the Shenzhen-based consulting firm Qianzhan Industry Research Institute, the market value of 3-D printer industry in China will reach 10 billion yuan by the end of this year while International Data Corp, a US-based market research, analysis and advisory company, expects nearly 160,000 made-in-China 3-D printers would be sold this year, more than doubling last year's sales of 77,000 units. A Shanghai-listed company suspended trading of its shares on Tuesday in the wake of the death of 21-year-old cancer patient Wei Zexi. The company, VCANBIO Cell & Gene Engineering Corp, issued a public statement in March on the acquisition of 100 percent of the equity in Shanghai Claison Bio-tech Co, with investment of 1.1 billion yuan ($170 million). Clasion provided immunotherapy technology services for the Second Hospital of the Beijing Armed Police Corps, where Wei received immunotherapy treatment. Wei learned about the treatment from search engine giant Baidu, but died last month from a rare form of cancer. Since news of his death broke, it has been impossible to access Clasion's website, which is displaying the words "coming soon". Asked if there was a connection between Clasion and the hospital, VCANBIO's general manager Wu Mingyuan said it was not possible to give a response at present and the company would release a statement later. Clasion's main business involves research and development of cellular immunotherapy and providing technical services for medical institutions. The company's technical services for this therapy include using a patient's own cells to fight cancer, and the controversy over Wei's death centers on such therapy. Earlier, VCANBIO said it intends to acquire Kangxin Hospital Investment and Management Co. This hospital manages the domain name of the tumor diagnosis and biological treatment center of the Second Hospital of the Beijing Armed Police Corps. Clasion and Kangxin are both controlled by Chen Xinxi and Chen Xinxian from Putian, Fujian province. Another listed company saw its stocks plunge on Tuesday. Shares in Hua Xia Healthcare Holdings dropped by 13 percent to close at 53 Hong Kong cents ($0.06). The company is controlled by Weng Jiajin, the son of Putian businessman Weng Guoliang. Ji Xuwo, a healthcare analyst at Orient Securities in Beijing, said: "This case is expected to accelerate the launch of standardized regulations on the cellular therapy industry in China. The sector lacks supervision and quality control in specific clinical applications. "The private medical care system in China will in future focus on medical quality, and only those companies that can provide value for patients can achieve growth." BEIJING - Tangshan Songting Iron and Steel Co, a steel mill in China's largest steel-producing city Tangshan, re-opened in April after five months laying idle. The company, which temporarily shutdown in November over mounting debt, is looking to restart production soon, media outlets quoted an unnamed industrial insider as saying. Similarly, mills in other steel-producing regions, including Tianjin and Shanxi, are resuming operation, despite a move by the government to downsize the steel sector. China's steel sector had experienced years of plunging prices and factory shutdowns due to the sluggish economy, however, in March demand picked up thanks to infrastructure and property projects. Steel product prices have increased more than 60 percent in the year to date. Hot-rolled steel coils, for example, increased to around 3,200 yuan ($500) per ton from less than 2,000 yuan at the beginning of the year. Encouraged by the upward pricing trend, many steel mills are resuming production. National daily crude steel output amounted 2.28 million tons in March, up 12.9 percent from the first two months -- nearing the record 2.31 million tons seen in June 2014. The purchasing managers' index that tracks the iron and steel sector increased to 57.3 in April, the first time in two years that the index has climbed above 50, the level that separates expansion from contraction. China's steel industry has been plagued by overcapacity for years. It has been felt even more in the past two years as demand for steel has dropped. Steel producers experienced their worst year in 2015, with combined losses in main business soaring 24-fold from 2014 to over 100 billion yuan. Despite the warming market, however, some are warning that it is too early to celebrate, just yet. There are concerns over whether the construction-driven price spike will impede the government plans for the steel sector. The return of steel companies adds pressure to the streamlining of the sector, thus, policies need to be better implemented, said Ma Li, an analyst with Lange Steel, a steel information website. Analysts expect the reopened factories will push crude steel output to a new high in April, but the government has vowed to control production. North China's Hebei Province has asked officials to crack down on new mill projects and close those that failed to secure re-opening approval. On the other hand, some are downplaying the impact from surging steel prices, describing the rebound as "no more than a blip." The rapid price spikes are not sustainable as they are largely driven by a seasonal pick-up in fixed-asset investment and exacerbated by speculation in the steel futures market, according to Fitch Ratings. The rating agency expects steel prices will be under significant pressure in the near term as domestic demand for steel has generally remained flat. Vice president of China Iron and Steel Industry Association Qu Xiuli, said that although steel production is likely to hit new high in April, the rise in supply will help rein in the rampant market. Some industry insiders argue that consolidation of the sector will be a long process and unlikely to be disturbed by short-term changes. "It is like a 'protracted war' we cannot win in single combat," said Zou Jixin, vice president of Wuhan Iron and Steel (Group) Co. To cut excess capacity, debt-ridden and inefficient steel producers need to make big changes, Zou said. Liu Weiming, financial analyst with CITIC Bank, went further and said the price surge may even help steel mills; "The price rebound will improve the solvency of steel companies and give them more room for restructuring." Moreover, price hikes are unlikely to change policymakers' resolve. China's financial regulators in late April ordered banks to stop issuing loans to steel and coal enterprises that operate at a loss. The Ministry of Commerce said last week that it will work with more nations to address steel overcapacity. The government shut down outdated facilities with total production capacity of over 90 million tons in the past five years, and it plans to slash another 100 million to 150 million tons by 2020. BEIJING - German firms in China are still optimistic about their local sales growth despite the economic slowdown, a report showed Tuesday. About 90 percent of the surveyed 189 German firms, based in China, planned to continue business in China despite the economy seeing the weakest quarter-on-quarter expansion in the first quarter since 2011, according to the report released by the German Chamber of Commerce in China. Over one third of the surveyed German firms have taken steps such as rolling out new products and services to adapt to market changes, the report showed. Meanwhile, most German firms look forward to the opportunities brought about by China's development plan for the next five years. Over half of the surveyed firms regard China's growing sales market to be their biggest opportunity as more Chinese firms upgrade their systems and equipment. "One important area of business we see from the 13th Five-Year Plan is the focus on innovation -- this carries the potential for ample Sino-German business cooperation," said Alexandra Voss, North China executive director with the German Chamber of Commerce in China. China is Germany's largest trade partner outside Europe. There are more than 5,000 German companies in China. Sentiment is high among the firms as they have been encouraged by China's efforts in the areas of environmental protection and innovation, according to the report. They also expected more agreeable market environment thanks to continuous opening up and easier market access, the report said. A vessel sails on the Yangtze River in Yichang, Central China's Hubei province, March 28, 2016.[Photo/IC] The city cluster development plan in the Yangtze River Delta region has been mapped out and submitted to the State Council for approval, the China Business News reported Wednesday. The National Development and Reform Commission said on its official website yesterday that this year the country will improve six aspects of new urbanization construction, including unveiling a new batch of plans and optimizing urban layout. Among several city clusters in China, the Yangtze River Delta region, with its excellent location, solid economic foundation and completed urban system, has become the region with the greatest overall strengths. There could be two changes in the city cluster development plan of the Yangtze River Delta region, Yu Hongsheng, director of the Institute of Urban and Demography Studies under Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences, said to the newspaper. First, it could include more cities. The number of member cities has increased to 30 since 1992 when the 15 cities' economic and cooperation joint conference system was established. Second, the regional planning of the Yangtze River Delta region could be adjusted according to the overall economic environment both at home and abroad, such as the Belt and Road Initiative and Yangtze River economic belt. A blue print to set the development direction of the Yangtze River economic belt was jointly issued by the National Development and Reform Commission, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and the Ministry of Science and Technology in March. Yu said that regional cooperation has three development phases. First, city layout cooperation. Second, cooperation of production factors. Third, system cooperation between governments. Currently, the city cluster development in the Yangtze River Delta region has entered the third phase and integrated development needs more cooperation from various cities, Yu added. A trolley smeared with graffiti in Guangzhou, capital of South China's Guangdong province, May 3, 2016. [Photo/IC] Ten graffiti artists from China, Germany and Japan decorated a trolley in Guangzhou, capital of South China's Guangzhou province, on Tuesday as part of a series of cultural activities held by a local streetcar company. The activities, organized by Guangzhou Street Car Co Ltd, aim to popularize arts and culture among local citizens and create an open space for the locals to enjoy culture and arts of various forms. The trolley enlivened with the creative scrawls of the artists is expected to become a moving art piece in the landscape of the city. China will conduct a one-month, sweeping examination of a series of incentives encouraging private investment that were designed to boost the role of such investment in the country's economic development. The examination will review implementation of 39 State Council documents released in 2014 that have encouraged social investment in key innovation sectors. It will be conducted throughout May in 18 provinces and regions across China. The review was announced at Wednesday's executive meeting of the State Council, or China's Cabinet, which was presided over by Premier Li Keqiang. "Any decline in private investment will affect the vitality of China's economy," Li said. "What's more, private investment is a crucial driving force for the country's private economy, which provides over 80 percent of the country's total employment opportunities," he added. China's economy increased by 6.7 percent year-on-year in the first quarter, within the 6.5 to 7 percent yearly growth target that the government set in March. This has to some extent steadied nerves internationally regarding China's economic performance, after the year began with stock markets tumbling and negative expectations at home and abroad. However, there were concerns because the country's private investment rose in the first quarter by only 5.7 percent, down by 7.9 percentage points compared with the same period last year. The premier called on local governments and ministries to provide support for private investment. "We should not offer umbrellas on sunny days and take them away while it is raining," Li said. While China is going through an economic transition from being an export-oriented economy to one that is consumption-driven, private investment momentum is considered to be a long-term driving force for economic growth. It is also seen as reflecting the private business sector's confidence in the nation's economy. Since 2005, the State Council has been carrying out incentives to encourage private investment. A number of major infrastructure projects that were previously off-limits to private investors were gradually opened up for social investment. Private entrepreneurs can now invest in projects in transportation, energy, water and environmental protection, as well as urban utilities. However, implementation of these incentives has faced various setbacks, such as local red tape and difficulty in getting loans. "What bothered me most is that we private investors are not treated the same as our public counterparts, and we still face too many restrictions," said a private entrepreneur who requested anonymity. The comprehensive examination, which is to be completed by the end of the month, is expected to keep steady the momentum of China's private investment growth. "Problems found during the examination need to be handled appropriately, and a third-party evaluation will be carried out toward the implementation of incentives in encouraging private investment," the premier said. Beijing has the world's least affordable rental housing market, according to a survey of 15 global cities, with costs soaring to more than 1.2 times average wages. San Francisco has the most expensive monthly rent of $2,824 in an absolute sense, while Beijing, $789 per month, is least affordable given local salary level, according to the report by UK-based not-for-profit organization Global Cities Business Alliance. In part due to high rents, the city also has the second-longest commute, an average of 104 minutes per round trip, ranking only after Mexico City. The rent spikes come as China's property sector has staged a revival over the last couple of months. Beijing saw home price rise 18 percent in the year to March, and restrictions on non-residents buying housing until they have paid tax in the city for five years makes renting the only option for many. For bus drivers, nurses and primary school teachers in the city, the average cost of housing exceeded their annual disposable income level in 2015, the findings showed. "Beijing's average housing cost suggests that a worker on an average salary cannot live alone in typical city accommodation," said the report. Abu Dhabi only comes as a distant second in terms of affordability, with rental costs equal to 69.5 percent of local net earnings, followed by Hong Kong as a third. Here, let's take a look at the top 10 least affordable cities to rent in the world. 10. Paris Annual rent: 36.2 percent of net earnings Xu Heyi, chairman of Beijing Automotive Industry Holding Co. [Photo/IC] At $773 million, it will be the single-largest Chinese investment in the whole of Africa Beijing Automotive Industry Holding Co, one of China's largest automakers in terms of sales, plans to produce up to 100,000 vehicles at its new manufacturing base in South Africa in 2018, the company's chairman said on Tuesday. Scheduled to break ground next month and begin production in November 2017, the Port Elizabeth plant will be the single-largest Chinese investment in all of Africa. With a 5-billion-yuan ($773 million) investment from BAIC, the plant will be operated as a joint venture with Industrial Development Corp, a South African financial company providing capital for various projects. Xu Heyi, the group's chairman, said continued investment in infrastructure development will be key for the company's sustained growth in Africa over the next decade as consumers there are keen to buy easily serviceable and inexpensive vehicles. Buoyed by the surging demand for new vehicles in Africa, BAIC established a minibus assembly plant that employs more than 500 people in Springs, also in South Africa, in 2013. "We will continue to invest in our South African factories and an assembly plant in Nairobi, Kenya, to make pickups and light trucks," said Xu. "Having factories in Africa will help the company move closer to the market and avoid it paying duties of up to 25 percent." BAIC's new manufacturing base will produce passenger vehicles, sport utility vehicles, minivans and vans. It will create 2,500 jobs directly, and more than 10,500 jobs indirectly. At its full capacity, the plant will generate an industrial added value of 12.4 billion yuan for vehicles and 6.2 billion yuan for parts. "More than 50 percent of the plant's products will be exported to contribute a trade volume of about 6.2 billion yuan to South Africa," said Xu. A visitor to the 2016 Beijing International Auto Expo, which was held last month, examines a new-energy vehicle made by Beijing Automotive Industry Holding Co. [Photo/Xinhua] Zhao Ying, a researcher at the Institute of Industrial Economics of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences in Beijing, said in most African countries, where new vehicles are beyond the reach of most people, secondhand vehicles command a large share of the market. The proportion is about 70 percent in most Sub-Saharan countries such as South Africa, Ghana, Ethiopia, Angola and Kenya, Zhao said. "The disadvantage of such a big secondhand market is that the brand life of some cars can be as long as 20 years, and anyone with one of the old models can face problems in obtaining spare parts." For instance, Japanese carmakers including Toyota Motor Corp and Nissan Motor Co, the main source for secondhand vehicles in Africa, have stopped producing spare parts for some models from the 1990s. BAIC managed to sell 40,000 vehicles in global markets through its 24 overseas plants and 124 sales branches in 37 countries by the end of 2015. As China and other partners are accelerating the pace of the ongoing negotiations to upgrade the China-ASEAN Free Trade Agreement, Xu from BAIC said the company will add more products in its manufacturing base in Ruili of Yunnan province by the end of 2017 to compete with other established global rivals in the markets of Southeast Asia. A boy interacts with a robot, developed by Beijing-based Aerospace Science and Industry Intelligent Robot Co Ltd, at an industrial fair in Beijing. [Photo provided to China Daily] Chinese space engineers are taking advantage of their expertise to develop a large family of industrial robots in the hope of grabbing a share of the huge Chinese market. Wang Xiaolin, chief designer at Beijing-based Aerospace Science and Industry Intelligent Robot Co Ltd, said researchers at the company are specialists in servomotor, navigational devices and sensors, all of which are key parts in a robot. The researchers had helped develop China's carrier rockets and missiles as Wang's company is part of China Aerospace Science and Industry Corp, one of the nation's largest space and defense contractors. "We have used our expertise gained in the development of space equipment to make a series of industrial robots. We also design small and mid-sized portable robots that can handle counter-terrorism tasks, reconnaissance, explosive defusing, nuclear plant patrol as well as mineshaft inspection," Wang told China Daily. The company has been commissioned by a Taiwan-based electronics manufacturing giant, whose name Wang would not disclose, to develop a robotic transport system for its industrial parks on the Chinese mainland. "We expect each of the client's industrial parks will use tens of such robots," Wang said, without elaborating on the contract's value. His firm is also designing inspection robots for the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development to check urban underground pipelines. The engineer said introducing this will create a big opportunity to the company because a metropolis like Beijing will need hundreds of such machines. In 2015, Aerospace Science and Industry Intelligent Robot earned 50 million yuan ($7.7 million) in sales revenue from its robots and robotic components, according to Wang. He added the goal for this year is set at around 200 million yuan. Wang Xiaolin, chief designer at Aerospace Science and Industry Intelligent Robot Co Ltd. [Photo provided to China Daily] Despite its rapid growth, the company is facing fierce competition as many private enterprises have considerable share of the market already and are better placed to make products quickly to meet clients' specific requirements, according to Wang. "They can deliver products to buyers in only three to four months while their robots have a very attractive price," he said. "For our part, we will continue to promote our robotic components such as motors, control units and decelerators to enable domestic users to replace foreign products with ours." Once the users familiarize themselves with the company's products, there will be a higher chance for it to sell its robots to them, Wang said. According to statistics from the International Federation of Robotics, China has been the biggest user of industrial robots in the world since 2013 when it surpassed Japan in terms of the number of robots sold that year. In 2014, about 57,000 industrial robots were sold in China, accounting for nearly 25 percent of the world's total sales of robots that year, it said. Experts say faster testing methods and earlier treatment are essential to curb an epidemic spreading among young gay men, as Shan Juan reports. Almost every day for the past seven years, "Old" Peng has visited a hillside pavilion in Beijing's Dongdan Park. The 60-something gay man is usually looking for a casual sexual encounter, but he also spends time listening to gay men who are struggling with their sexual orientation, and distributing condoms and tips on how to prevent becoming infected with HIV. Although the number of young gay men visiting the park, a well-known haven for the gay community, has fallen in recent years, Peng and five fellow volunteers from the Dongcheng district disease control and prevention center still performed about 6,000 rapid HIV tests last year. The park, 2 km east of Tian'anmen Square, has long been a popular venue for gay men from across China looking to land a date and experience a sense of belonging, according to Peng. In recent years, an increasing number of young gay men have moved from physical meeting places to gay dating sites, and now about two-thirds of the men who regularly visit the park are middle-aged or older. The move to the internet is one of Peng's biggest concerns: "It makes it even harder now to reach young gay men and provide AIDS intervention, but the HIV epidemic is exploding among them." Wu Hao, a leading AIDS specialist at the Beijing YouAn Hospital at the Capital Medical University, said nearly 90 percent of HIV/AIDS cases reported in Beijing last year involved gay men. In 2013, the figure was around 70 percent. Nationally, the incidence of HIV among gay men has soared to 8 percent from less than 1 percent in 2003, according to statistics from national sentinel surveillance sites, which measure the incidence of disease via a limited network of carefully selected sites. By contrast, the national incidence of HIV is less than 0.1 percent. "An HIV epidemic is exploding among the nation's gay men population," Wu warned. Higher risks Experts estimate that China's gay men population is 25 to 30 million, but the number is not recognized by the government. Same-sex marriage has not been legalized, which makes it hard for gay men to settle down with a partner, according to Peng. In addition, many practice anal sex, which carries a far higher risk of HIV transmission than other sexual activity. Shang Hong, director of the HIV/AIDS key lab at the National Health and Family Planning Commission, said a survey conducted in 11 major cities last year found that the HIV prevalence rate among 8,943 men who have sex with men was 9.9 percent. Furthermore, only 4.9 percent of men with HIV informed casual sexual partners of their positive status, and nearly 46 percent reported having unprotected sex. Intravenous drugs users are at greatest risk, she added. Despite growing public tolerance of gay men, discrimination and social stigma still exist, and about 20 to 30 percent marry to mask their true sexual orientation, according to a 2014 study conducted by Shang's team. Gay men in this situation are more likely to seek sex with male prostitutes, increasing their chances of contracting HIV, Shang said. "Their wives and children are at risk as well," she added, noting that many married gay men conform to social pressures by having sex to produce children, thus further increasing the chances that their partners and offspring may contract the disease. She warned that without effective intervention, the epidemic could spread to the wider public. Innovative approach Wu Zunyou, director of the National Center for AIDS and Sexually Transmitted Disease Control and Prevention, echoed Shang's message: "Innovation and reform are needed to allow the current AIDS-control strategies to better reach gay men in particular for more-effective intervention." He said gay men have long been a major target group of AIDS intervention efforts, but the epidemic has still grown quickly within the gay community. "It's not simply down to a lack for knowledge," he added. "I used to talk with a (gay) doctor who knows all about the epidemic and the risks, but still couldn't resist having sex without a condom frequently." Zhao, a gay man in Beijing, said the heart often overrules the head. "It's hard to always stick to protected sex - when the two of you are in the mood, you forget everything else," he said. Because he was aware of the risks, the 35-year-old business manager at an insurance company, has had an HIV test every three months since he was 27. In January, the results came back positive. "The day of doom finally arrived and I started antiretroviral treatment immediately," he said. He takes three different medications every night at 11 pm, but has never revealed his HIV status to sexual partners. Gay hookup apps and websites mean casual sex is widely available, and one-night stands are even more accessible. "It's just so easy with so many possibilities," he said. Wu Zunyou said it's hard to change long-term behavior, even if one is fully aware of the risks. "This aspect of the 'human condition' should be introduced into intervention work targeting gay men as well." Shang Hong, of the HIV lab, urged the mobile apps and online platforms used by gay men to provide more education to enable better-targeted intervention, Zhao said the message must be reiterated regularly. "At the moment, a lot of the information related to HIV is only released in the period around World AIDS Day, which falls on Dec 1 every year. For the rest of the year, I have no reliable sources of information about the prevention and treatment of HIV/AIDS. I don't know if the information available online is accurate and reliable," he said. He warned that a lack of education can be fatal: "I have seen many young gay men die from serious complications because of late detection and treatment." Huge public interest has been triggered in the treatment given to a young cancer patient who died after he learned about it from search engine giant Baidu. Wei Zexi died from synovial sarcoma, a rare cancer of soft tissue, on April 12. He had been given immunotherapy. Ying Jianming, deputy director of the Pathology Department at the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences' Cancer Institute and Hospital, said immunotherapy is used to induce, strengthen or suppress an immune response to help fight diseases including cancer. It includes two main approaches - stimulating the patient's immune system to work harder or smarter to kill cancer cells and giving the immune system new components. "Immunotherapy in the past few decades has become an increasingly important weapon in treating cancers," he said. Two drugs inspired by immunotherapy are available in the United States and Europe mainly to treat lung, liver, stomach and breast cancers and melanoma, a type of skin cancer. However, they have not been approved by the Chinese drug authority. Cai Qiang, who heads a medical tourism agency with headquarters in Beijing, said more Chinese cancer patients are traveling overseas to seek such treatment. Ying urged people not to condemn immunotherapy simply because of media reports on Wei's death. The therapy Wei received was first studied in the US but later phased out due to doubts that emerged during the clinical trials, Ying said. But in China, this type of treatment, which Ying stressed would be helpful for some individual patients, is still practiced both in studies and for clinical use. "But the latter is banned by the National Health and Family Planning Commission," he said. Ying added that one of the two immunotherapy drugs available in the US and Europe is expected to be approved for use in China and could benefit patients by the end of the year. But he said such treatment is still at an early stage. Children prepare to enter Hong Kong at Futian Port in Shenzhen, Guangdong province, on April 14. They were born in Hong Kong and go to schools there, but live in Shenzhen. Photos By Edmond Tang / China Daily Many children from the mainland commute to Hong Kong every day to attend school as their families look to use the advantages offered by the city's Western-style education system, report Shadow Li in Hong Kong and Chai Hua in Shenzhen, Guangdong province. Three years ago, when her 2-year-old son had a fever that sent his temperature soaring to 39 C, Zou Fang rushed more than 100 km to the hospital in Shenzhen, Guangdong province. The moment she entered the ward, though, her son, named Xuanxuan, said he didn't want to see her and asked her to leave. Zou, who was living and working in Guangzhou, the capital of Guangdong, was devastated. She was overwhelmed with guilt at not being there for her son and realized she had to make a choice between her work and family commitments. Then 32, Zou immediately quit her job as second-in-command at the South China office of an advertising agency and moved back to Shenzhen to repair the breach with Xuanxuan, who had lived with her mother since he was born. Zou said it was the hardest decision of her life, but in retrospect, it was the wisest she ever made. It took six months to restore her relationship with her son. She took him to the park every day and spoke with him at length to improve his language skills, which were extremely poor, and far worse than those of children of the same age in Shenzhen and neighboring Hong Kong, where her son was born and her husband has permanent residence. The months she spent with Xuanxuan also gave Zou time to think about the things she valued most in life. Zou and her husband met in Guangzhou and married after a seven-year relationship. Xuanxuan was born five years ago. After making the momentous decision to give up her career and care for her son, Zou was faced with another dilemma-where should he be educated? Because Xuanxuan has permanent residency status in the city of his birth, he was eligible to be educated in Hong Kong, so Zou spent six months researching schools and preparing her son for school at a well-respected kindergarten. Despite her months of preparation, there were still plenty of surprises in store for Zou. She and her husband had to line up all night just to get an application form for the Fung Kai Kindergarten, a top institution in Hong Kong's North District. The couple was shocked by the other parents' enthusiasm and the preparations they had made for the vigil. Many arrived equipped with sleeping bags and other items to help them endure the long night, while Zou and her husband only brought one portable chair. It was worth the effort, though; although there were more than 2,000 applicants, Xuanxuan was one of just 200 children admitted to the kindergarten that year. Didi Chuxing, a car-booking mobile app, is shown on a mobile phone, Sept 17, 2015. [Photo/IC] A car-hailing app driver who robbed and killed a 24-year-old woman passenger on Monday in the southern city of Shenzhen has been arrested in Baoan district on Tuesday, according to Nanshan district police. Police received a report early Tuesday that the woman, a teacher surnamed Zhong, booked a ride from Nanshan to her school at Baoan Monday evening but she could not be contacted at 10:15 pm as her phone was switched off, the circular said. Nanshan police launched a search and found the vehicle the woman was riding in and arrested the suspect, a 24-year-old driver surnamed Pan, at a rented room in Baoan around Tuesday noon. The suspect said that he received Zhong's order on the car-hailing platform and picked her up around 9 pm on Monday. He said he drove to an isolated area and used a knife to force her to hand over her valuables and then killed her. The police said the woman's body has been recovered and the case is under investigation. Nanshan police did not release the name of the car-hailing service platform, but media reports claimed that it was the Didi Chuxing, a leading online car-hailing service provider in China. Tuesday night, the company confirmed that Pan was a registered driver on its platform, but the license of the car he was driving that night was fake. A family member of the woman published an online post around 7 am on Tuesday to get help in the search, the Beijing Youth Daily reported. The woman left home after 9 pm Monday and would have reached her dormitory by around 10 pm. She also took a photo of the vehicle's license plate and sent it to her family before she got into the vehicle, the post said. But she did not call back home till 11 pm and her phone was off, the post added. Her roommates said that she had not reached the dormitory. The woman's husband called the car-hailing platform late Monday and discovered that the driver had cancelled the ride, and the driver could not be reached as his phone was off. The family reported the matter to police. In late March, Hongshan district court in Wuhan, Central China's Hubei province, sentenced a driver of Didi Chuxing to eight years in prison for raping and robbing a female passenger. The driver, surnamed Li, picked up the victim late at night on Oct 19 last year before he threatened her with a fake gun. The victim said she was later raped and forced to wire 25,000 yuan to the man's bank account. In November, Haidian district court in Beijing sentenced a driver of the same company to four years for raping a female passenger in July last year. Safety concern has been one of major issues for the rapid development of the car-hailing service in China's cities since 2014. Shenzhen city government said it has pledged to step up efforts to regulate the emerging industry to ensure passenger safety and urged online ride-hailing companies to comply with the law, accept their social responsibilities and resolve problems quickly. One report published by the Shenzhen Transportation Commission estimated that 1,425 drivers working for online platforms had a history of drug abuse, and 1,662 had serious criminal records before taking up their current jobs. Earlier in April, Didi Chuxing said it had expelled an undisclosed number of drivers in Shenzhen who were found to have a history of drug use, mental illness or significant criminal records. China has no special law on regulating the car-hailing service. In March, several ministries vowed to support the popular services as part of the country's drive to encourage green consumption, sending a positive signal that ride-sharing operators in China will gain legitimacy and see further growth in the years ahead. A formation of the Nanhai Fleet of China's Navy on Saturday finished a three-day patrol of the Nansha islands in the South China Sea. [Photo/Xinhua] Japan should not constantly show its "sense of presence" which is displayed "almost in a paranoid way" on issues concerning the South China Sea, the Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday. "On the South China Sea issue, Japan is a country outside the region. But recently, it has constantly shown its sense of presence on the issue, almost in a paranoid way," ministry spokesman Hong Lei said at a regular news conference in Beijing. Hong made the remarks when asked to respond to Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida's comments on the South China Sea during recent overseas engagements. Kishida, during a visit to South Asian countries, said it is important for ASEAN to demonstrate uniformity toward China's maritime presence in the South China Sea. Hong said Japan's "sense of presence" only reminds people of its illegal occupation of South China Sea islands during the World War II, and its agenda on the South China Sea issue. We urge Japan not to continue to do so, he added. About 50,000 people rallied in Tokyo on Tuesday to mark the 69th Constitution Memorial Day to protest against Abe's attempts to amend the nation's pacifist constitution. Hong said for historical reasons, Japan's behavior has been attracting the attention of its Asian neighbors. China "hopes that Japan could earnestly learn from the lessons in history" and "listen to the outcry of the public who love peace", Hong said. "We hope that Japan could adhere to the path of peaceful development and make constructive contributions to regional peace and stability," he added. mojingxi@chinadaily.com.cn China to intensify crackdown on IPR infringement, fake goods (Xinhua) Updated: 2016-05-04 21:30 BEIJING -- China's State Council said on Wednesday that the country will intensify crackdowns on intellectual property rights (IPR) infringement and the production and sales of counterfeit goods this year, particularly in the Internet sector. Supervision and management will be strengthened to fight fake and inferior products, targeting items including drugs, gasoline and diesel oil, construction materials and children's products, according to a circular issued by the State Council. China will boost exchanges on IPR with the United States, Russia, Japan and European countries while strengthening cooperation with Africa, Latin America and countries along the Belt and Road, it said. The central government, faced with slowing growth of private investments, will inspect a nationwide implementation of policies that encourage private capital to enter new fields in hopes of boosting China's economic vitality and international competiveness. An executive meeting of the State Council presided over by Premier Li Keqiang on Wednesday made the decision in addition to looking over the integration of internet and the manufacturing sector, the housing rental market, and general aviation projects. Private investments play a crucial role in boosting economic growth and restructuring as well as creating more jobs, said a statement of the meeting. However, the statement also said the growth rate of private investments slowed down recently and the government should take sturdy measures to further relax market access and create fair competition to ensure a steady growth of private capital. Private investments accounted for about 65 percent of the country's fixed asset investments last year, from that 30.6 percent in 2004, according to a report by the research institute of China Minsheng Bank in January. The growth rates of private investments had declined nationwide, especially in western China. Zhao Nong, a researcher at the Institute of Economics at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, applauded to the policy which he thinks will break up monopolies in some industries and increase vitality of domestic economy. "Private capital can meet the demand in some areas where government-pooled investments cannot reach. Governmental revenues are no longer increased as much as it used to be over the past two years," said Zhao. "China's manufacturing sector is facing double challenges from high-end manufacturers in countries such as Germany and also low-cost competitors from India and Southeast Asia.". "When monopoly is broken in some industries such as telecommunications and energy sector, private investors will be willing to promote technological upgrading and pursue higher profits." "By doing this, costs can be reduced to ease the burden for downstream companies and enhance the competitiveness for Chinese manufacturers in the global market." "Meanwhile, the move is also expected to create more job opportunities since private companies have provided a great number of jobs created for urban residents and migrant workers," he said. In 2014, the State Council announced 39 new regulations to encourage private capital into fields such as transportation, energy, and environmental protection. Wednesday's move was a follow-up on Premier Li's announcement in March, 2015, that promised to remove barriers of market access for private capital. BEIJING - Three naval ships of China's Nanhai Fleet left a naval port in Sanya, Hainan province, on Wednesday, kicking off an annual combat drill in the South China Sea and neighboring waters. The three ships include missile destroyer Hefei, missile frigate Sanya and supply ship Honghu. They will later be joined by missile destroyers Lanzhou and Guangzhou, as well as missile frigate Yulin, which are now carrying out other duties. With three helicopters and dozens of "special warfare" soldiers, the fleet will be separated into three groups that will sail to areas of the South China Sea, the east Indian Ocean and the west Pacific, to conduct varied drills. The fleet will mobilize naval air force, garrison forces in the Xisha and Nansha islands, and forces of the Beihai Fleet along the way to take part in the drill. The drill aims to enhance combat readiness and practise coordination between ships and aircraft, and other forces, the navy said. The Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday that China holds a "strong opposition" against a UN human rights experts' remarks about the country's law regarding the management of foreign non-governmental organizations. Speaking at a regular news conference, foreign ministry spokesman Hong Lei said China strongly opposes to the remarks made by the so-called experts with the special mechanism of UN human rights council. "Relevant remarks are full of prejudice and false accusations against China, and this is rude interference of China's legislative sovereignty and internal affairs," Hong added. According to the Associated Press, UN human rights experts called on China to repeal a law tightening controls over foreign non-governmental organizations by subjecting them to close police supervision. The UN experts said in a statement released in Geneva on Tuesday that they fear the law can be "wielded as tools to intimidate, and even suppress, dissenting views and opinions in the country". "We demanded people concerned to withdraw their irresponsible remarks immediately," Hong said. According to Hong, the aim of this law is to guarantee the legitimate rights and interests of foreign non-governmental organizations in China. "During the deliberation of the law, China's legislative body has widely listened to opinions from home and abroad, and some reasonable suggestions have been adopted. China welcomes friends from various fields to make constructive suggestions concerning the management of non-governmental organizations. However, we strongly oppose misrepresentations and accusations that are in disregard of the fact." BEIJING -- Wednesday is the first anniversary of the landmark meeting between Xi Jinping and then Kuomintang (KMT) Chairman Eric Chu. The Chinese mainland and Taiwan have come through military confrontation and division to embrace increasingly warm ties over the past six decades, and May 4, 2015, saw another major step forward -- the first meeting between leaders of the KMT and Communist Party of China (CPC) since the 18th CPC National Congress in 2012. During the meeting, Xi, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, urged both sides of the Taiwan Strait, as well as the CPC and KMT, to trust each other to maintain peaceful development of cross-Strait relations and work together to build a community of common destiny. Xi's remarks set the tone for cross-Strait relations in the past year, in which people from both sides enjoyed closer exchanges against the backdrop of Taiwan leadership elections that gave the island a new leader. Concrete benefits Liao Hui-ching still remembers the morning of Sept. 21, 2015, when she reached Xiamen in southeast China's Fujian Province by sea from Taiwan and quickly passed through customs thanks to simplified entry-exit procedures introduced on that day. All Liao needed was a simple card, rather than the previous entry permit with an expiration date. "The old paper entry permit had to be re-applied for every three months. I had to fill in forms, stand in queues and pay an application fee. It was not convenient at all," she said. Liao's card even served as a pass for high-speed rail lines. In the eyes of Li Cheng-hung, president of a Shanghai-Taiwan business association and chairman of Taiwan Karon Valve Machinery Co., the agreement on avoidance of dual taxation in cross-Strait trade signed last year has benefited them most. With the pact, Li said, enterprises are not "skinned" twice, referring to dual taxation. Taiwan financial authorities estimated that the new pact would save business people from Taiwan 3.9 billion new Taiwan dollars (120.6 million U.S. dollars) a year. "Policies that serve the immediate interests of Taiwanese people have made the destinies and the future of people across the Strait more interconnected, and laid a solid social foundation for tightening cross-Strait relations," said Yang Yizhou, vice president of the All-China Federation of Taiwan Compatriots. "Young people in Taiwan are looking for opportunities whenever and wherever they can. They are willing to have a try in the mainland but don't know where to start," said Meng Hsien-ting, a 27-year-old Taiwan businessman who now runs a company in Fujian providing professional training and other services for young Taiwanese people who want to work in the mainland. As far as Meng is concerned, a lack of knowledge about the mainland has blinded young Taiwanese people to the prospects they could enjoy there. "If we tell young people from Taiwan what situations they are going to encounter in the mainland and how they can deal with them, their concerns will melt away," said Meng. During the May 4 meeting, Xi called for efforts to create more opportunities for ordinary people, small businesses, farmers, fishermen and young people who want to start their own career, promising to protect the legitimate interests and rights of Taiwanese businesses on the mainland and create a better environment for their development. More to come Following the Xi-Chu meet, Xi and Ma Ying-jeou came together in Singapore in November in the first meeting between leaders of the two sides of the Taiwan Strait since 1949, turning a historic page in cross-Strait relations. "It was such a sweet moment when Xi and Ma were holding hands together, just like family members," said Cheng You-ping, professor with National Taipei University, "This perfectly showed that Taiwan and the mainland belong to a community of common destiny." Figures provided by Ma at the time showed that more than 40,000 students have taken advantage of academic exchange programs, and more than eight million tourists have traveled between the two sides each year since 2008, when the mainland and Taiwan embarked on a peaceful development fast track with dozens of agreements signed. Annual trade is now worth over 170 billion U.S. dollars. Last year, 40 percent of tourists visiting Taiwan came from the mainland. It is also Taiwan's largest destination of investment and export. During China's "two sessions" political congresses in March, Xi told legislators that the mainland's policy toward Taiwan is clear and consistent, and it will not change with Taiwan's political situation. "Compatriots from both sides of the Taiwan Strait are expecting the peaceful development of cross-Strait relations, and we should not disappoint them," he added. Echoing Xi's words, the government work report reiterated "a cross-Strait community of common destiny," vowing to share with "our fellow countrymen and women in Taiwan both the responsibility of the Chinese nation and opportunities for development." "Building a community of common destiny between both sides of the Taiwan Strait has been an effective approach and a vital goal for pushing forward cross-Strait relations," said Ni Yongjie, vice director of Shanghai's Taiwan Research Institute. Two days prior to Chinese New Year in February, a powerful earthquake killed 117 people in southern Taiwan. The following day, the counties of Beichuan and Lushan in southwest China's Sichuan Province, both having suffered greatly in the devastating May 12 earthquake in 2008 and received support from Taiwan afterwards, offered relief donations to the Taiwan Red Cross. "Compatriots across the Taiwan Strait are one family whose blood is thicker than water," Xi said when expressing his condolences to quake victims on the same day. "The historical experiences and lessons, the present emotional connection between people across the Strait, as well as the need for future integration of resources on both sides have called for building a community of common destiny," said Ni. By Cai Hong In Tokyo And Zhang Yunbi In Beijing | China Daily | Updated: 2016-05-04 08:01 In the wake of his visit to China over the weekend, Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida is apparently moving to lobby Southeast Asian countries to contain China on the South China Sea issue, experts said. Kishida left Beijing on Sunday and began visiting Thailand, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam through Friday. In a policy speech delivered in Bangkok on Monday, Kishida addressed maritime security and renewed a call for countries to respect the "rule of law".He gave a briefing on the statement of the G7 foreign ministers' meeting in Hiroshima last month regarding the maritime issue. China and Laos pledged on Tuesday to build an "unbreakable" community of joint destiny. The promise was made during the first visit to China by the Southeast Asian country's new president, two weeks after his inauguration. The visit also comes 10 days after Laos said it understands China's stance on the South China Sea issue. A US consultant's new book takes wide-angle view of Chinese economy from reform and opening-up to current policies, Andrew Moody writes. Arthur R. Kroeber believes the debate about the Chinese economy is almost always polarized. The founding partner and head of research of Gavekal Dragonomics, a Beijing research firm, and author of a new book, China's Economy: What Everyone Needs to Know, says as a result it is difficult to get the true picture. "I think the biggest mistake, in general, is that people always think you can reduce China to one thing - it's good, it's bad, it is going to take over the world or it is going to collapse tomorrow," he says. Kroeber, 54, spoke to China Daily in a meeting room of his company, which he helped establish at the Soho Nexus Center in 2002. His book, published by Oxford University Press in April, is timely with huge international interest now in the Chinese economy, which intensified at the start of the year with a renewed bout of stock market volatility, which has recently abated. "That is kind of good luck, I have to say. This project actually originated a couple of years ago. I was often asked by clients whether there was one book they could read to give them the basic facts about the Chinese economy. I never could come up with one," he says. "There are obviously some dense academic tomes, which are quite good, but not very accessible to an ordinary reader and particularly not to the kind of business reader who wants a quick scan. So there was kind of gap in the market," he adds. But his book of 319 pages, although an interesting read, is in no way just a beginner's guide. It is a genuine examination of the issues facing the country's economy from reform and opening-up in the late 1970s to today's many policy dilemmas. "The problem is that people try to simplify China into one narrow storyline, which they would never think of doing, for example, with the United States, or any other large, complex economy," he says. Photo provided by global mining giant Rio Tinto on April 28, 2016 shows the 2.83 carat polished oval shaped Argyle Violet diamond. The tender attracts private bids for Rio's most exclusive diamonds with prices fetching over one million Australian dollars per carat. The 2016 Argyle Pink Diamonds Tender will commence private trade viewings in June and travel to Copenhagen, Hong Kong and New York. [Photo/Xinhua] The parents of Wei Zexi, a computer science major at Xidian University in Shaanxi province who died of a rare form of cancer, wait outside a funeral home in Xianyang, Shaanxi, on April 13. WAN JIA / FOR CHINA DAILY The wrath directed at China's online search giant Baidu is understandable. The company, which holds a monopoly over access to online information in China, has been accused of showing little sense of its corporate social responsibility and of risking people's lives with a paid search listing model that promotes medical treatments in its search results in exchange for money. The latest victim of this business model was a college undergraduate, Wei Zexi, who suffered from a rare tissue cancer and in desperation searched for a treatment on Baidu. High on the first page of the search results he found a Beijing hospital that seemed to offer an effective cure. However, in less than a year, he had lost both his money and his life. While the public's anger at this dubious business practice has been sparked by the young man's death, Baidu should not be the only target. The immunotherapy treatment Wei received at the hospital in Beijing proved to be both ineffective and expensive. Wei's family paid more than 200,000 yuan ($31,000) for four rounds of treatment. The biological treatment center at the Second Hospital of the Beijing Armed Police Corps, which is funded by private money, is not alone in promoting itself in this way. And while providing patients with an alternative to the resources-pressured public hospitals, private medical facilities are known for extracting as much money from patients as they can. It is no secret that profit-driven private capital is taking up an increasing share of China's medical market, and that privately funded medical centers are often linked to or get subcontracts from reputable public or military hospitals, oftentimes secured through corruption, and thus are able to hoodwink patients into paying for unnecessary or excessive treatment. That is where the regulators must play their intended role. Strict supervision is needed to ensure they grow in a healthy way, so profits are not placed before the well-being of patients. If the authorities played their due role and related departments functioned as they should, medical centers would not be able to use advertisements with exaggerated claims that appear in search results to solicit patients. Official investigations are being conducted into Baidu and the hospital after the tragedy. But to make people believe it is not a one-off remedial or a public relations tactic to appease their anger, efforts should also be made to overhaul the whole private medical care market that is plagued by dubious practices and even fraud. A gavel in a court. [Photo/IC] Courts across Beijing have handled 16,281 cases involving "individuals suing the government" since the country's new Administrative Procedure Law came into force on May 1, 2015, an increase of 99 percent year-on-year. Local governments have lost 29 percent of them. The continuous increase in such lawsuits reflects people's disapproval of the government's administrative behavior and a growing awareness they can use the courts to protect their rights and interests. Since its enactment, the new law on administrative procedure has raised higher requirements for governance. The increasing number of cases being filed by individuals against the government, which mainly involve land requisitions, demolitions, traffic punishments and administrative adjudication, will be of positive significance to promoting the rule of law and improving governance. By filing lawsuits against more powerful governments, individuals are showing their confidence in and expectations of the judicial system and their awareness that governments too must abide by the law. But at the same time, the rise in the number of such cases is also a testing stone of the courts' credibility, since if mishandled, they will aggravate concerns about the independence of the courts. The established system stipulates the judicial organs operate independently, but the subordination of local courts to same-level governments in either personnel or funding means it is difficult for judicial organs to operate free of administrative interventions. China is devoted to establishing a society ruled by law. Such a goal cannot be realized without fostering the public's awareness of the law. As well as freeing themselves from the meddling hands of influence, the courts should also handle cases fairly. More people suing governments and full openness about the cases will help raise the credibility of the legal system. -Beijing Youth Daily A view of the former "comfort station" called Home of the Sea in Hongkou district, Shanghai, Feb 23, 2016. [Photo/CFP] AFTER A VIDEO was posted online showing people in uniforms beating women and children in Haikou, southern China's Hainan province, as they were evicted from their homes, the local government has apologized and detained some suspects. But there are more questions to be answered, says Bi Yantao, a professor at Hainan Tropical Ocean University: The local government said in a statement that they were demolishing illegal buildings and the residents resorted to violence first. But that explanation is rather weak: When did the residents build their illegal buildings? Why did the government not enforce the law until now? Did they send any notice before they evicted the residents and tore down their make-shift homes? The local government said residents "attacked" those sent to demolish the illegal constructions. In this digital age everyone carries a camera; the government has hundreds of "legal enforcers" but they show no video as evidence. And some journalists say local officials tried to stop them from covering the incident. Such a policy only further damages their image. The local government needs to do something to gain the public's trust. If it has evidence, such as a video, of the residents violently resisting the forced demolition, it needs to release it. And the judiciary needs to investigate the incident and punish all those guilty of breaking the law, either those working for the government or residents. Since the local government is one of the parties involved in the dispute, independent third parties should be part of the investigation team, so people can trust its impartiality. The local government should also verify the ownership and legality of local properties, to prevent such violence in the future. "Through this initiate, we are telling Italian citizens that their state is joining hands with a great country, in teamwork to ensure the safety of everybody, including Italian citizens and Chinese tourists in Italy." Italian Interior Minister Angelino Alfano speaking to Xinhua News Agency about joint patrols in Rome and Milan by Italian and Chinese police. Photo provided by Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on March 24, 2016 shows the top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) Kim Jong-un guiding a ground test for heavy-lift, solid-fuel rocket engine and its separation. [Photo/Xinhua] The Democratic People's Republic of Korea announced last week that the ruling Workers' Party of Korea will hold its 7th Congress in Pyongyang on May 6. It will be the first major conference of the party in 36 years and the first under current DPRK leader Kim Jong-un. The ensuing changes in the partys rank and file are expected to be big and will have far-reaching implications on the country. The conference could see the Workers Party of Korea strengthening its hold over the military. It is also expected to highlight Kim's major political achievements in the five years he has been in power, especially in the development of nuclear weapons and deployment of ballistic missiles. On the diplomatic front, the DPRK, which is suffering the consequences of the UN sanctions and could change its mindset and hint at reconciling with the international community. The passing of Resolution 2270 by the UN Security Council on March 2 against the DPRK despite its concerns for the well-being of the countrys ordinary people has put added pressure on the Pyongyang leadership. To facilitate the country's economic recovery and create a benign environment for the party, the countrys leadership should have sought to hold dialogues with other countries, such as the United States. But instead of doing so, the DPRK declared on April 23 that it had successfully test-fired an underwater strategic submarine ballistic missile, apparently to welcome the party congress and boost people's morale, and thus created more uncertainties on the Korean Peninsula. The UN Security Council strongly condemned Pyongyang's latest ballistic missile test, and urged it to "refrain from further actions in violation of the relevant resolutions and comply fully with its obligations under these resolutions, including to suspend all activities related to its ballistic missile program". Concerns were also raised regarding the DPRK's possible fifth nuclear test given the increased activities near its main nuclear test site in the northeastern region, where it has conducted all of its four nuclear tests. The DPRK's nuclear advocacy has been increasingly clear since 2013, when it decided to simultaneously pursue economic development and nuclear power. But the truth is, its nuclear strategy has only pushed the Republic of Korea closer to the US and strengthened their military alliance, injecting fresh momentum into the long-stalled deployment of the US-sponsored Terminal High Altitude Area Defense anti-missile system on the Korean Peninsula. The DPRKs wrong decision has given the US a good excuse to strengthen its military presence on the peninsula, which will pose huge strategic threats to Russia, China as well as the DPRK. Pyongyang would commit a grave mistake if it continues to believe that its national security depends on its nuclear arsenal, because that will only cause more harm to regional stability and draw harsher sanctions against the DPRK. The only viable option left for the DPRK is to re-engage in the Six-Party Talks, abandon its nuclear program for good and cooperate with the international community. The author is an associate researcher at the Center for Northeast Asian Studies in Jilin province. More tourists visiting different countries will mean more jobs, more investment, more infrastructure and more development.[Photo/Xinhua] Several governments around the world are asking the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) the best way to attract more visitors from China, showing how important China is in the global tourism sector, its Secretary General Taleb Rifai said in an interview with Xinhua. Promoting the First World Conference on Tourism for Development taking place in Beijing between May 18 and 21, Rifai said the meeting would discuss how the tourism industry can help with sustainable economic development and promote peace. He said the conference could not have a more appropriate host than China, because apart from proposing the conference, "China is a leader in tourism and a nation that knows exactly what tourism is able to do for economic and social development." Rifai called tourism an exchange of experiences that "makes the world a better place." "In economic terms, the arrival of income and job creation in communities helps the vulnerable sectors of communities," he said. "There are also political gains with increasing tolerance and understanding of other people, which makes us better people. When you go to a different country, you eat the food, speak to the people, listen to the music and that makes you a more respectful person to other cultures and people," Rifai added. Meanwhile, investment in infrastructures such as railways, roads and airports is an important benefit of the tourist sector. "It is very important for us to highlight in Beijing that this development and investment has to be socially and environmentally sustainable. Tourism has to be seen as a force for good for people and for the planet," Rifai said. More tourists visiting different countries will mean more jobs, more investment, more infrastructure and more development, he commented. "Tourism can be as important as you want it to be and examples show that countries which pay attention to tourism receive the benefits. It all depends on what you do with what you have and on the political will," said Rifai. "Travel today is different to travel in the past. People want more opportunities to interact with the local population. This does not happen by itself -- we need a plan, itineraries and we need tourism products," he said. SYDNEY - The 27-year-old uncle of Chinese student Mengmei Leng who is accused of her murder will plead not guilty, the ABC reported on Wednesday. Australian authorities arrested and charged Derek Barret last week in connection with her murder. Derek Barrett's lawyer Bill Whitby attended a brief hearing at a Sydney court on Wednesday where he told reporters his client was not finding conditions at the Sydney police centre "particularly attractive". "It's a terrible place to be incarcerated and I can only hope he'll be moved in the very near future and I'll be making a bail application in the not distant future," Whitby said. "Obviously he's very upset, shocked." Leng, a Chengdu native, had been in Australia for over five years and recently graduated from the University of Technology Sydney while living with her uncle, aunt and cousin in western Sydney. Last week, Leng's body was discovered floating face down by a tourist at a popular "blow hole" on the New South Wales state central coast. It's believed she had been stabbed multiple times in the neck. A spokesman for the Leng family said Leng's mother would address the media on Thursday regarding the matter. Barret was not required to appear in court today and will reappear on June 29. Professor Stephen Hawking could finally win a Nobel Prize, as an Israeli scientist proves the professor's theory may be correct by creating a black hole in his laboratory. A scientist from Israel may have finally helped to prove one of the world's most famous theories is, in fact, correct. Research by Professor Hawking, a cosmologist at Cambridge University, disputed the notion that black holes are a gravitational sink hole that pulls in matter and never allows anything to escape, even light. Back in 1974, Professor Hawking made ground-breaking claims that black holes are actually slowly evaporating. His theory said particles could rob black holes of their energy, making them disappear at a minuscule rate as they release everything they had once swallowed in a trickle of dust. For years scientists have been plagued by the existence of black holes and have questioned whether Professor Hawking's theory is in fact true. Now for the first time, one scientist in Israel may have proven that what Professor Hawking has been saying for many years is right. Professor Jeff Steinhauer, who teaches Physics at the Technion University in Haifa, has created something similar to a "black hole" in his laboratory. In a paper published on the physics pre-print website arXiv, Professor Steinhauer describes how he cooled helium close to zero, roughly minus 459 degrees Fahrenheit and moved it around so quickly that a sound barrier was created and no sound could pass through it much like light in a black hole. Professor Steinhauer says the phonons - the energy that makes up sound waves - were escaping from the "sound black hole," much like in Hawking's theory. If this proves to be correct, Professor Hawking could finally win a Nobel Prize for his work. However, Professor Steinhauer's work has been met with slight skeptism amongst the scientist community, who are currently looking for alternative reasons as to why the particles may have leaked. Nevertheless, the development could open up a bizarre vision of the universe in which black holes can cough themselves into nothingness, Hawking said during his recent lectures at Harvard. "This raises a serious problem that strikes at the heart of our understanding of science If determinism, the predictability of the universe, breaks down with black holes, it could break down in other situations," Hawking said. "Even worse, if determinism breaks down, we can't be sure of our past history, either. The history books and our memories could just be illusions." The Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 has long since been repealed, but Chinese-American advocates are trying to ensure that the notorious piece of legislation and its legacy are not forgotten over time. "The Chinese Exclusion Act is not a straightforward story. There is a struggle to make sure that the accurate story is being told," said Jack Tchen, director of the Asian/Pacific American Center at New York University, at the fourth annual symposium held by the 1882 Project Foundation in Washington on Monday. The foundation held the event to discuss the Chinese Exclusion Act to start off Asian Pacific American Heritage Month (APAHM). Documents, photos and documentaries are critical for addressing what happened during the era of the Chinese Exclusion Act, Tchen said. "The voices that are being heard through all these films, books and documents are unique stories that nobody has ever heard," said Ed Gor, president of the Chinese American Citizens Alliance. The exclusion act became a US law in May 1882. It prohibited all immigration by Chinese laborers into the United States for 60 years until its repeal in 1943. It was the first and only time in American history that a federal law prohibited the immigration of a single group of people based on their race. Congresswoman Judy Chu, a Democrat from California, stated in a letter addressed to the symposium on Monday: "When I was first elected, one of my goals was passing a congressional apology for one of the most discriminatory bills to ever be passed by Congress -The Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882." "It took 60 years for this law to be repealed," she said. "But the trauma left a permanent scar on Chinese Americans, splitting families apart and disenfranchising many." Chu's grandfather was denied the process of becoming a naturalized citizen due to the act. Those who remain outraged by the act have seen some victories in recent years, including the unanimous congressional apology in 2012 pushed through Congress by Chu. The Chinese Exclusion Act is a PBS documentary to be released in May 2017. The film gives a broad narrative of the law in a historical context, and the legacy it has left among Chinese-Americans today. Others, such as Finding Cleveland, produced by Chinese-American Baldwin Chiu, tell a more personal story. Chiu's short film documents a Chinese-American man's search for his ancestral roots in Cleveland. Along the way, he discovers the struggles of his father and other Chinese immigrants. Though Congress unanimously passed a resolution of regret, Tchen said it is not much of an apology if the American public is widely unaware of what the Chinese Exclusion Act is. "This is in some way only the beginning of the effort to make sure that the Chinese Exclusion Act becomes a part of the story that all Americans know about," he said. Ted Gong, director of the 1882 Project Foundation, said ideally they would like "a presidential apology". "It would be fitting for this to happen on May 10, during APAHM and on the day that the famous golden spike was driven into the Transcontinental Railroad, uniting this country," said Gong. Allan Fong in Washington contributed to this story. China and Russia will hold their first joint computer-assisted anti-missile drill, the Ministry of National Defense announced on Tuesday. According to a release by the ministry website, the drill will be held later this month at an air-space defense force science research center of the Russian Defense Ministry. The goal of the drill is to "address urgent and provocative strikes by ballistic and cruise missiles against the territory of the two countries", the Chinese ministry said. The drill "does not target any third party", it added. China and Russia will hold their first joint computer-assisted anti-missile drill this month, a move analysts believe will help counteract the increasing deployment of US weapons on their doorsteps. The Ministry of National Defense and the Russian Defense Ministry announced late on Tuesday that the drill will be held later this month at a Russian defense force research center. Although both ministries said the drill "does not target any third party", observers said the two countries are faced with imminent challenges posed by the US plan to deploy the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense missile-interceptor system in the Republic of Korea. Beijing and Moscow have responded strongly against deploying the system. The X-band radar associated with THAAD can locate missiles 2,000 kilometers away, a range that includes parts of China and Russia and fully covers northeast China. White House spokesman Josh Earnest said on Friday that Washington has been talking with Seoul "for several weeks" about deploying THAAD. In March, Foreign Minister Wang Yi warned after meeting with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov that the deployment "will break the strategic balance of the region and spark an arms race". Wu Enyuan, former director of the Institute of Russian, Eastern European and Central Asian Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said "the drill marks strategic cooperation entering a new phase of greater maturity". Wu said Beijing and Moscow have a shared duty in stabilizing the Korean Peninsula. "The drill later this month should not necessarily be targeted at a certain country ... because anti-missile cooperation is a component of long-term bilateral military cooperation," Wu said. Li Jie, a senior expert at the Naval Military Studies Research Institute of the People's Liberation Army, said the drill involving data transmission and command structures will help the militaries familiarize themselves with their different systems. "The drill not only shows political and moral support for each other, but also introduces joint anti-missile efforts that will effectively fend off threats by enemies on their doorsteps," Li said. Major General Luo Yuan, a researcher at the Chinese People's Liberation Army Military Science Academy, said the US is "building an encirclement of anti-missile systems around China, and the only missing link is the Korean Peninsula". As China-Russia anti-missile cooperation is at its initial stage, they could learn from the strengths of each other to address their own weak links, Luo said, referring to the Russian S-400 system and China's own anti-missile system. (Photo : Kevin Frayer/Getty Images) Chinese students who are children of migrants wait in line for lunch in a classroom at an un-official school on Dec. 18, 2015 in Beijing, China. Advertisement China's Hukou system has been put on the spotlight after a Chinese woman's Beijing household registration was nullified by authorities after she admitted using falsified documents to secure it. After 11 years, the Public Security Bureau of the capital's Dongcheng district nullified the Beijing hukou of Cheng Yuanyuan after confessing that she used the university certificate of another person to get approval for her hukou in 2015. Like Us on Facebook Advertisement Liu Hongli, the real owner of the university certificate used by Cheng, only learned that her hukou was void when she went to the bank in September of last year to apply for loan, which raised questions regarding China's Hukou System. Liu, a teacher residing in Xiangcheng, Henan province, was surprised when she was informed that her hukou had been transferred to Beijing. What is even more surprising is that Cheng and Liu don't know each other. However, Liu recalled that a colleague had borrowed her university certificate, which the latter would use for a job application. It turns out that Liu's colleague was a relative of Cheng. Beijing police have confirmed that Cheng had indeed used Liu's personal information to enable her to obtain her Beijing household registration. There is now an ongoing investigation on the case, while the Xiangcheng police has already issued Liu a new hukou and assured her that her complaint will be addressed soon. Under China's Hukou System, all Chinese nationals are issued a household registration certificate or hukou, which is also called a residence registration account. The document determines the specific education and other social welfare services that a person can avail of in the locality where his or her hukou is registered. However, a person cannot obtain certain social welfare benefits which are outside the registered locality. For people who live and work in Beijing without a local hukou, their children can still attend public schools providing they pay a fee. The children will not also be qualified to take the college entrance examinations in Beijing. As mandated by China's Hukou System, they must return to the place where their hukou was registered in order to take the test, wherein they may be required to obtain a higher score based on a different set of criteria. Advertisement Tagschina, Beijing, Hukou System (Photo : Reuters) Apple has the potential to reach millions of new users in India, according to analysts. Advertisement Apple lost a trademark suit against a Chinese handbag and leather goods company that uses the same brand, iPhone. Beijing Municipal High Peoples Court has rejected Apples appeal of the trademark dispute against Xintong Tiandi Technology (Beijing) Co., Ltd., leaving the Chinese firm free to wiggle its bare backside at the Cupertino-based tech company. The final judgement allows the Beijing company to brand leather products including handbags, purses, and cellphone and passport cases with the name iPhone. Like Us on Facebook Advertisement The trademark dispute between Apple and the local Chinese company started in 2012 as Apple fought to gain exclusive rights over the iPhone brand. Following the courts ruling, Xintong Tiandi took to its website to state that the decision highlights the existence of a free market. The judgement makes no distinction between Apples lower-case i in the brand and Xintongs uppercase I, referring to both companys brands as IPHONE. We will also make full achievement of the iphone trademark, and work together [with Apple] to benefit more iphone consumers! the company added. Chinese authorities refused to revoke Xintong Tiandi's trademark and argued that Apple's iPhone was not prominent in the region when Xintong Tiandi submitted its application. Xintong Tiandi registered the IPHONE trademark to make leather products back in 2007, and the after five years, Apple registered the same name in China for computer software and hardware. This is not the first time Apple has taken the Chinese company to court. Back in 2012, a court ruled that Apple must pay a Shenzhen tech company $60 million over the iPad name. In 2015, it went as far as blocking its news app in the country to avoid displeasing the Chinese authorities. Advertisement Tagsapple, iPhone, china, iPhone trademark, Apple trademark suit, Xintong Tiandi Technology Common carp: Australia's underwater nemesis Advertisement Australia has declared war on Common Carp infesting rivers in the Murray-Darling Basin in southeastern Australia, and will use the herpes virus to wipe out at least 95 percent of the pesky fish in the next 30 years. Common carp (Cyprinus carpio) is also known as European carp and is included in the list of the world's 100 most invasive species. It is, however, considered vulnerable to extinction by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN). Like Us on Facebook Advertisement Australia's declaration of biological warfare on this vulnerable species is being financed by a US$11 million budget. The federal government said resorting to the herpes virus to infect the carp population is the only way to get rid of this bottom-dwelling, mud-sucking fish. An Australian law already orders fishermen to kill carp they capture. European carp competes with native fish and adversely affects the sustenance of life because they denude river beds of nutrients needed by other aquatic animals. They also degrade water quality by stirring-up sediment from riverbeds as they feed. The muddied waters prevent other fish species that rely on sight from detecting prey. Carp are also unpopular as food for humans. The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Organization will destroy the fish by releasing a carp-specific herpes virus that will only kill carp and not other organisms. The virus will attack the carp's skin and kidneys until the fish dies. The government expects some 95 percent of the carp population in the Murray-Darling Basin to be slaughtered within 30 years. Christopher Pyne, Australia's minister of industry, innovation, and science, described the common carp as "a nasty pest in our waterways and makes up 80 percent of fish biomass in the Murray-Darling Basin." The government is already planning to tackle the most gruesome outcome of this type of warfare: how to get rid of millions of dead carp. Advertisement TagsCommon Carp, carp, European carp, Australia, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Organization, Christopher Pyne (Photo : Getty Images) Xi Jinping, leader of China, is adamant on bilateral talks instead of international arbitration to resolve the South China Sea dispute. Advertisement Chinese President Xi Jinping is seeking the cooperation of global leaders and will use international forums such as the G20 Summit to promote Beijing's anti-corruption campaign, specifically in hunting down financial fugitives who have fled abroad. President Xi said he would also call on western nations like the United States to back Beijing in its efforts to go after graft suspects who are hiding overseas. Like Us on Facebook Advertisement In a speech before the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI), Xi said he would push for greater cooperation from the international community in his fight against corruption. "In the past, the United States and other Western nations often used the corruption issue to attack us at multilateral occasions such as the United Nations, G20 and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation," the president told People's Daily on Tuesday. He said China's ongoing anti-corruption drive has allowed Beijing to 'occupy the international moral high ground' and has somehow improved its reputation on the global stage. Strategic Initiative Xi said he is eyeing the 'strategic initiative' of the G20 Summit and other international avenues to boost Beijing's efforts in its campaign to go after economic fugitives. "We will put forward a series of proposals on global anti-corruption efforts and establish a new international order on fighting corruption. In particular, we will ratchet up pressure on the US and other Western nations ... which used to think those criminal suspects as their cards [against China]," he said. Analysts remain skeptical about the cooperation Beijing is seeking from other countries. Most western nations such as the US and Canada, among others, refuse to set up extradition treaties with China because of its poor human rights record. Mistreatment of suspects These western countries refuse to get involved in China's campaign citing its mistreatment of suspects and its lack of evidence to prove guilt. Some analysts in Beijing said Xi may be attempting to address concerns relating to the Panama Papers, which exposed relatives of past and current Chinese leaders as owners of offshore shell companies. "Beijing finds itself in the eye of the storm over the Panama Papers and everyone is waiting to see how the leadership handles the credibility crisis," Zhang Lifan, a Beijing-based analyst, said. Zhang said it is unlikely western nations would be willing to cooperate with China on corruption right now. Advertisement TagsPresident Xi Jinping, anti-corruption campaign, international community, G20 summit, Beijing, financial fugitives (Photo : roanokecollege/Flickr/CC) Robert P. George, Chairman, United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) The cause of religious freedom has suffered over the last several years, according to the2016 annual report released on Monday by the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF). It referred to the mass displacements triggered by ISIS persecution of Christians and minorities in the Middle East, acts of bigotry against Jews and Muslims in Europe, imprisonment of Christian lawyers and pastors in China who protested against crackdown on churches and crosses, among several other "serious and sustained assault(s)," on freedom of religion all over the world. "Regrettably, the situation is that things have not improved, and in some places things have gotten worse," said Robert P. George, who chairs the commission. The report cited over 30 countries, where the religious freedom norms were being flouted, and listed "countries of particular concern" where the "governments either engaged in or tolerated 'particularly severe' violations of religious freedom." The countries of particular concern (CPC) included Myanmar, China, Eritrea, Iran, North Korea, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. USCIRF did not rank the nations on the level of abuses committed against religious groups, but George told The Washington Times that North Korea was "one of the worst offending nations, if not the worst offending nation in the world." According to the report, the North Korean regime gives no precedence to religious freedom, and continues to severely persecute those who practice religion. "They arrest, torture and even execute those who are secretly engaged in religious activities," USCIRF said. Since 2014, the Chinese government conspicuously took steps to suppress religious freedom in its efforts to maintain communal order based on socialism. Most of the persecution was directed towards Christian groups, as they sought to put pastors and Christian lawyers behind bars for protesting against government campaign of razing churches and taking down crosses. "The incarceration of prisoners of conscience - people whom governments hold for reasons including those related to religion - remains astonishingly widespread, occurring in country after country, and underscores the impact of the laws and policies that led to their imprisonment," the report states. Meanwhile, USCIRF said that religious freedom in India was on a "negative trajectory" since last year. "In 2015, religious tolerance deteriorated and religious freedom violations increased in India," the report noted, alluding to rising instances of violence reported against the minorities. Last year, the USCIRF panel had wanted to come to India to assess the religious freedom situation in the country, but was denied visas by the Indian government on the grounds that a foreign third party had no standing to investigate religious freedom. The USCIRF has asked the Indian government to hold officials and religious leaders accountable who violate religious freedom. "Minority communities, especially Christians, Muslims, and Sikhs, experienced numerous incidents of intimidation, harassment, and violence, largely at the hands of Hindu nationalist groups," the report alleged. In Eritrea, about 3,000 people are imprisoned for their faith and receive harsh punishment at the hands of the state. Pakistan, one of the countries on CPC, has the highest number of people on death row or life sentence for blasphemy. Pakistan's "Religiously-discriminatory constitutional provisions and legislation, such as the country's blasphemy law and anti-Ahmadiyya laws intrinsically violate international standards of freedom of religion or belief and result in prosecutions and imprisonments," the report said. The commission asked the world leaders to end the abuses rampant in different parts of the world. There is "a continued gap between rhetoric of the regime and the situation on the ground... While we welcome the rhetoric, rhetoric doesn't really matter unless it's accompanied by action," George said. press@cdaily.co.kr - Copyright , #ReligiousFreedomDeteriorating Gay 'Star Wars' character in next film? Major group pressures Disney to be 'inclusive' Guest Reviewer | 03 May, 2016 by Michael Foust LOS ANGELES (Christian Examiner) The "Star Wars" franchise may have taken place a "long time ago in a galaxy far, far away," but if a modern-day gay rights group gets its way, the movies soon will have an on-screen gay character, too. The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) released its fourth-annual Studio Responsibility Index Monday, showing that while 17.5 percent of the 126 films from the seven largest studios in 2015 contained lesbian, gay, bisexual and/or transgender characters, some of the year's biggest films did not. "Hollywood's films lag far behind any other form of media when it comes to portrayals of LGBT characters," said GLAAD President and CEO Sarah Kate Ellis. "Too often, the few LGBT characters that make it to the big screen are the target of a punchline or token characters. The film industry must embrace new and inclusive stories if it wants to remain competitive and relevant." Further, GLAAD complained, of the 17.5 percent of films that contained LGBT characters, three-quarters of those were on screen for less than 10 minutes. GLAAD gave a failing grade to Walt Disney, the studio behind the newest films in the "Star Wars" franchise, led by "The Force Awakens." Not one of Disney's 11 films in 2015 were what GLAAD called "LGBT inclusive." "Of all the studios tracked in this report, Walt Disney Studios has the weakest historical record when it comes to LGBT-inclusive films," the GLAAD report read. The report then set its criticism on the "Star Wars" franchise. "As sci-fi projects have the special opportunity to create unique worlds whose advanced societies can serve as a commentary on our own, the most obvious place where Disney could include LGBT characters is in the upcoming eighth 'Star Wars' film," the report said, referencing a film set to be released in 2017. "2015's 'The Force Awakens' has introduced a new and diverse central trio, which allows the creators opportunity to tell fresh stories as they develop their backstory. Recent official novels in the franchise featured lesbian and gay characters that could also be easily written in to the story." The report by GLAAD one of the most influential LGBT groups in the U.S. likely will add pressure on not only Disney but on other studios to include more gay characters. Bob Waliszewski, director of Focus on the Family's Plugged In department, said Disney should withstand any pressure and stick to what works for the "Star Wars" saga. "GLAAD asking for a gay character in an upcoming Star Wars movie is a bit like me asking for a strong evangelical character who clearly shares the Gospel in the same film," Waliszewski told Christian Examiner. "While everyone has the right to ask (and dream), let's be honest, neither furthers the sci-fi saga's story development. Somehow, Lucas and now Abrams have done just fine imagining a galaxy far, far away that doesn't delve into character's sex lives or a biblical account of sin, crucifixion and an empty tomb." Reunification is approaching. We need a strategy for reunification, and a strategy after reunification. Our sincere prayers for peaceful reunification will open the door for reunification between North and South Korea. The reunification of one people is not in the hands of political leaders, but those of God. God hears the cries of our brothers in North Korea and will save them. Congregants of various churches in the Seattle region raised their hands in prayer for peaceful reunification in the Korean peninsula. A prayer meeting that took place on May 1 at United Presbyterian Church of Seattle brought together church-goers of Seattle in one place to pray fervently for reunification in Korea and the re-establishment of churches in North Korea. Speaking from Esther 4:14, Rev. Peter I. Sohn, the international director of Until the Day Mission, said, The churches in Korea -- which should be the main agent of prayer for reunification between the North and South -- are asleep and immersed in vanity and conceit. Churches in Korea must wake up and take to heart the serious human rights violations that are occurring against the North Korean people, and repent and pray, Sohn emphasized. The completion of reunification in the Korean peninsula is not just political or physical reunification, but the re-establishment of churches in North Korea and revival happening once again, Sohn continued, and encouraged Christians to pray for a reunification without war, without the shedding of precious blood, and that through reunification, Korea would rise as a nation of a priesthood in which youth and young adults from both North and South Korea would participate in mission together. This prayer meeting in Seattle comes as part of a series of prayer gatherings that will take place in various states, the first which took place in Denver in April. Another will take place on May 15 in Oregon, and in July, two prayer meetings will take place in Washington, D.C. and Baltimore. This article has been translated. For the original in Korean, visit kr.christianitydaily.com. 'How We Got the Bible' Named Christian Book Award Winner LOS ANGELES, May 4, 2016 / How We Got the Bible was awarded the 2016 Christian Book of the Year Award in the Bible Reference category on May 3rd at the ECPA Leadership Summit/Industry Awards Night in Nashville, Tennessee. Gretchen Goldsmith, CEO of Rose Publishing, said she is deeply pleased to see Jones' work honored. "Dr. Jones has a unique ability to communicate the history of the Bible in a way that is easy-to-understand for the average Christian," she said. Jones serves as a professor and associate vice president at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. Dr. Jones recognized that many Christians are unaware of the history of the Bible and unable to confidently answer questions about their faith. Drawing from his own personal journey, research, and expertise, Dr. Jones put together How We Got the Bible. In 184 pages filled with dramatic stories, time lines, charts, and illustrations, Dr. Jones answers the most pertinent questions about biblical reliability. With solid research, an approachable writing style, and a dash of humor, Dr. Jones expertly guides readers through the history of the Bible, addressing the importance of how the Bible came to be. Covering Wycliffe, Tyndale, Gutenberg, and many others, this easy-to-understand Bible history handbook takes its readers from the earliest clay tablets and papyrus copies to the first bound Bible and the various Bible translations that we use today! Perfect for individuals, Bible study groups, pastors, and church libraries, the How We Got the Bible handbook is just one of many of Dr. Jones' resources on Bible apologetics. Last summer Rose Publishing also released an entire 6-session How We Got the Bible DVD kit, hosted by Dr. Jones and inspired by his own personal search for the truth of the Scriptures. "I'm deeply grateful for this honor and for the many people whose efforts have resulted in this book," expressed Dr. Jones upon hearing the news. Dr. Jones has previously received recognition for his book Christian History Made Easy, collecting the 2010 awards for Book of the Year in the Christian Education category from both Christian Retailing Magazine and ECPA. "In an increasingly secular world, this latest book with Rose Publishing is one of the most important projects I've undertaken," Jones remarked. "My goal in this book was to describe the reliability and integrity of the Scriptures in a way that's accessible and enjoyable for anyone from a teenager to a senior adult." Dr. Jones is also is an editor of The Journal of Discipleship and Family Ministry and has authored more than a dozen books on Bible apologetics, family ministry, and Christian history. For interviews, contact Don Otis at (719) 275-7775 or email: The How We Got the Bible handbook is priced at $14.99. Product Code: 4067X - ISBN: 9781628622164 Share Tweet Contact: Don Otis, 719-275-7775, interviews@veritasincorporated.com LOS ANGELES, May 4, 2016 / Christian Newswire / -- Timothy Paul Jones' book, How We Got the Bible, won a prestigious award from the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association.How We Got the Bible was awarded the 2016 Christian Book of the Year Award in the Bible Reference category on May 3rd at the ECPA Leadership Summit/Industry Awards Night in Nashville, Tennessee.Gretchen Goldsmith, CEO of Rose Publishing, said she is deeply pleased to see Jones' work honored. "Dr. Jones has a unique ability to communicate the history of the Bible in a way that is easy-to-understand for the average Christian," she said. Jones serves as a professor and associate vice president at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.Dr. Jones recognized that many Christians are unaware of the history of the Bible and unable to confidently answer questions about their faith. Drawing from his own personal journey, research, and expertise, Dr. Jones put together How We Got the Bible.In 184 pages filled with dramatic stories, time lines, charts, and illustrations, Dr. Jones answers the most pertinent questions about biblical reliability. With solid research, an approachable writing style, and a dash of humor, Dr. Jones expertly guides readers through the history of the Bible, addressing the importance of how the Bible came to be. Covering Wycliffe, Tyndale, Gutenberg, and many others, this easy-to-understand Bible history handbook takes its readers from the earliest clay tablets and papyrus copies to the first bound Bible and the various Bible translations that we use today!Perfect for individuals, Bible study groups, pastors, and church libraries, the How We Got the Bible handbook is just one of many of Dr. Jones' resources on Bible apologetics. Last summer Rose Publishing also released an entire 6-session How We Got the Bible DVD kit, hosted by Dr. Jones and inspired by his own personal search for the truth of the Scriptures."I'm deeply grateful for this honor and for the many people whose efforts have resulted in this book," expressed Dr. Jones upon hearing the news. Dr. Jones has previously received recognition for his book Christian History Made Easy, collecting the 2010 awards for Book of the Year in the Christian Education category from both Christian Retailing Magazine and ECPA."In an increasingly secular world, this latest book with Rose Publishing is one of the most important projects I've undertaken," Jones remarked. "My goal in this book was to describe the reliability and integrity of the Scriptures in a way that's accessible and enjoyable for anyone from a teenager to a senior adult."Dr. Jones is also is an editor of The Journal of Discipleship and Family Ministry and has authored more than a dozen books on Bible apologetics, family ministry, and Christian history.For interviews, contact Don Otis at (719) 275-7775 or email: interviews@veritasincorporated.com The How We Got the Bible handbook is priced at $14.99. Product Code: 4067X - ISBN: 9781628622164 home US Donald Trump wins big in Indiana primary as Ted Cruz quits Republican front-runner Donald Trump swept to a commanding victory in Indiana on Tuesday, putting him on a glide path to the party's presidential nomination as Ted Cruz finally ended his campaign. The New York billionaire won decisively in a state where Cruz, his nearest rival, had hoped to show he was still a factor in the race for the Republican nomination. Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus called Trump the party's presumptive nominee in a tweet and said, "We all need to unite and focus" on defeating Clinton. As the vote returns flowed in, Cruz announced that he has ended his campaign at an event in Indianapolis, with his wife, Heidi, at his side. Cruz, 45, sounding beaten but defiant, said he no longer sees a viable path to the nomination. "Together we left it all on the field in Indiana," said Cruz, a U.S. senator from Texas. "We gave it everything we got. But the voters chose another path, and so with a heavy heart, but with boundless optimism for the long-term future of our nation, we are suspending our campaign." Trump was on track to take over 50 percent of the vote. Ohio Governor John Kasich was running a distant third. On the Democratic side, Bernie Sanders was leading Hillary Clinton by a modest margin, but the race was still considered too close to call. Cruz had been counting on a win in Tuesday's primary to slow the New York businessman's progress toward the nomination. But Trump rode momentum from wins in five Northeastern states a week ago to wrest Indiana from Cruz, whose brand of Christian conservatism had been expected to have wide appeal in the state. David Yepsen, director of the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute at Southern Illinois University, said the Republican race is over. "Cruz is certainly young enough to fight again another day. Kasich's a serious guy but if stays in this he could look silly," Yepsen said. The loss for Cruz was a sour ending to a rough day in which he got entangled in a harsh back-and-forth with Trump. It began when the billionaire repeated a claim published by tabloid newspaper the National Enquirer that linked Cruz's father, Cuban emigre Rafael Cruz, with President John F. Kennedy's assassin Lee Harvey Oswald. Campaigning in Evansville, in the state's southwest corner, Cruz sounded deeply frustrated by the bombastic real estate mogul, who has ripped Cruz at every turn. "The man cannot tell the truth but he combines it with being a narcissist," Cruz said, "a narcissist at a level I don't think this country has ever seen." Cruz termed Trump a "serial philanderer" - likely as part of his strategy to try to win the support of evangelical voters. Trump, in response, said Cruz had become "more and more unhinged." The only hope Kasich has for becoming the Republican nominee is to somehow deny Trump the 1,237 delegates he needs to win the nomination outright and force Republicans at their July convention in Cleveland to choose one of them. Kasich vowed to stay in the race. "Tonight's results are not going to alter Gov. Kasich's campaign plans," Kasich senior strategist John Weaver said in a campaign memo. "Our strategy has been and continues to be one that involves winning the nomination at an open convention." home World Pastor found dead near Chinese-Korean border killed by North Korean agents? A Chinese pastor, Korean by ethnicity, who was found dead in China's Jilin province is speculated to have been killed by North Korean agents. According to Yonhap News, the body of the man, identified only by his last name Han, was found on the evening of Saturday near the Chinese-Korean border in the mountains in Changbai county. The pastor, who worked at a Changbai church, had reportedly been helping North Korean defectors since 1993. In its report, UPI said that he had been a target of previous threats from the North. Three agents, according to activists in Seoul, South Korea, said that the North sent three agents to Jilin, and after killing the pastor, they returned to their country. "A man who appeared to be a North Korean customs official, killed the pastor and took away his belongings," a source is quoted by Korea Times as saying. A source told the activist's representative, Choe Seong-yong, that the pastor could have been killed by agents because he refused to go to the North. Moreover, "many" North Korean agents are said to have been operating in the border region in secret. Chinese authorities are reportedly investigating what could possibly be a murder case, although they have not given any comment about the speculated involvement of agents from North Korea. "I have no relevant information on that," China's foreign ministry spokesman Hong Lei said, as quoted by Yonhap News. However, UPI quotes the activist group as saying, "The Chinese authorities are not regarding this case as a mere homicide and are undertaking the investigation with considerable seriousness." It seems that the North is addressing the issue of defection. In April, 13 restaurant workers reportedly defected to the South. In retaliation, said the South China Post, the North Korean government announced that they would kidnap 120 people from the South, including expatriates, soldiers and officials, in exchange for the 13 defectors. "We are closely watching out for multiple possibilities, including abduction or terrorism ... by the North," said Unification Ministry spokesman Jeong Joon-hee. "We are trying to ensure the safety of our nationals." home US Tennessee law to protect counselors who refuse clients based on religious beliefs Gov. Bill Haslam has signed into law a new bill that protects counselors who choose to refuse clients because of religious convictions. Under Senate Bill 1556, "no person providing counseling or therapy services shall be required to counsel or serve a client as to goals, outcomes, or behaviors that conflict with a sincerely held religious belief of the counselor or therapist." Haslam said he had one concern regarding the bill: that people who need care will not receive it. However, two provisions in the bill address this concern. First, counselors and therapists are mandated to provide referrals. Second, the bill will not apply if the case involves an individual who poses threat to himself or herself and to others. The American Counseling Association expressed opposition to the bill, saying it legalizes discrimination against the LGBT community. "We are extremely disappointed that Governor Haslam has ignored the lessons learned in North Carolina, Georgia, and Mississippi and has elected to sign this dangerous bill into law," ACA director of government relations Art Terrazas said, according to the Wall Street Journal. North Carolina passed a law in March that requires transgenders to use the bathroom according to the gender specified on their birth certificate, sparking an outcry from the LGBT community. On the other hand, Mississippi passed a law last month allowing businesses to refuse services to gay clients if their religious convictions dictated it. The Republican governor defended the bill, saying it "doesn't address a group, issue or belief system" but gives individuals the freedom to not violate their religious beliefs without having to worry about lawsuits or legal discrimination. Haslam said counselors and therapists should be allowed to decide for themselves if a client "would be better served by another counselor" according to the client's needs. Bill sponsor Sen. Jack Johnson agrees, saying the new legislation is not discriminatory. He said it will help counselors prevent losing their license when they choose not to accommodate clients because of their faith. Bishop's own priests among men arrested for his assault and kidnapping Three priests who were in the service of a bishop who was kidnapped and beaten are among 14 people arrested in connection with the case. Father Raja Reddy from Jammalamadugu, of the Cuddapah diocese in southern India, is among those arrested after the kidnapping and assault of Bishop Gallela Prasad, Crux reported. Prasad and his driver Vijay Kumar were kidnapped last month, blindfolded and beaten and taken to an undisclosed place where 50,000 was demanded in ransom. The attackers took three ATM cards, a silver chain with the bishop's holy cross and his iPhone, according to the police. From 2000 to 2004, Prasad served as a priest in the diocese of San Angelo, Texas, before returning to India to teach in a local seminary. Prasad, aged 54, whose motto is "The Lord is my strength and I trust in him", said: "They hit me and punched me resulting in injuries all over my body. I did not resist." He said he was quizzed repeatedly about diocesan finances. The kidnappers told him that since he helped so many other people, he should help them too. They also claimed to be from the police before releasing him the following day. "They appeared to be paid goons and non-Christians from the way they talked and behaved," he said. Both men were left on a roadside at around 2am after the bishop agreed to pay about 20,000. After his release, Prasad called the police. Cameron and Corbyn clash over antisemitism and Islamophobia at PMQs David Cameron and Jeremy Corbyn have clashed over antisemitism and Islamophobia in a heated Prime Minister's Questions (PMQs) ahead of local elections on Thursday. The Prime Minister repeatedly grilled the Labour leader over his reference to Hamas and Hezbollah as his "friends" and said they are "terrorist groups who believe in killing Jews, not just in Israel but around the world". He asked the leader of the opposition: "Will he take this opportunity and withdraw that they are his friends?" Corbyn insisted Labour was "an anti-racist party" and he "absolutely does not approve of these organisations". He said: "Obviously anyone who commits racist or antisemitic acts is not a friend of mine. I am very clear about that." The Labour leader then turned on Cameron and said the Prime Minister should reflect on the way Zac Goldsmith's campaign for London mayor has smeared Labour candidate Sadiq Khan, who is a Muslim. He accused the Conservatives of running a "repulsive campaign of hate" against Khan. Corbyn went on to say Labour has set up an inquiry into antisemitism and Cameron should follow suit and set up one into racism in the Tory party. In response, the Prime Minister restated his allegations that Khan shared a platform with extremists to shouts of "shameful" from Labour MPs. The toxic exchange came after the home affairs committee of MPs confirmed it will call the Prime Minister, the Leader of the Opposition and Ken Livingstone to give evidence to an inquiry into antisemitism. It is unusual for such senior politicians to appear before select committees and the decision highlights that antisemitism has become a major political topic. Naz Shah, the Labour MP suspended for anti-Semitic comments on her Facebook page, was formerly a member of the committee. She has stepped aside from her role. Keith Vaz, the chairman of the committee, said on Tuesday: "Naz Shah attended the private session of the committee today and she has informed me and the committee that she wishes to stand aside from all her duties until current matters are resolved. "We have accepted her decision. She will not take part in any future matters concerning the home affairs select committee with immediate effect, until further notice. "The committee will now proceed with its inquiry into antisemitism, and we will begin calling witnesses including the Community Security Trust, the Jewish Board of Deputies, Ken Livingstone, and the Prime Minister, Jeremy Corbyn and the Scottish National party's parliamentary group leader Angus Robertson." Cameron backs down over child refugees: UK will resettle unaccompanied children from Europe The government has backed down on its refusal to allow unaccompanied child refugees in Europe into the UK. David Cameron announced during Prime Minister's Questions on Wednesday afternoon that Labour peer Lord Dubs' amendment would not be blocked, paving the way for thousands of refugee children to be accepted into Britain. The U-turn came in the face of growing opposition to the government's previous stance of only accepting refugees from camps in Syria and the Middle East. In PMQs Cameron repeated his argument that the UK should not encourage people to "make this dangerous journey" across the Mediterranean to Europe. However he went on to say he is in talks with Save the Children, a charity that has fronted the campaign to allow unaccompanied child refugees into the UK. He said he would discuss "what more we can do in particular with children who arrived in Europe before the EU-Turkey deal". He added: "We are going to go round the local authorities and see what more we can do." Cameron's announcement came after Dubs' initial amendment, which set the number of children to be accepted at 3,000, was defeated in the House of Commons last week. After Dubs tabled a second amendment that did not specify a number, the government faced pressure from a growing number of its own MPs. If a deal was not reached up to 30 Conservative MPs had threatened to rebel. David Burrowes, a key Conservative backbencher and a Christian who has visited the Jungle camp in Calais a number of times, told Christian Today it was "excellent news". He added: "I have concerns over the cut off date in relation to the children's registration which I don't believe match the reality of children who are avoiding going into the system." Burrowes also told Christian Today he thought Dubs' amendment "could be improved" to have a wider understanding of unaccompanied child refugees. Heidi Allen, another leading Conservative backbencher who had promised to rebel, tweeted her support for Cameron's announcement. Lord Dubs added he was pleased with the decision and said it would "ease the plight of some of the unaccompanied child refugees in Europe". He said: "I trust the Prime Minister will be true to his word and move swiftly to ensure the Home Office works closely with local authorities to find foster families to give these young people a stable and secure home." After the announcement, Tanya Steele, chief executive of Save the Children, said it would be a lifeline to children who are "now living on the streets, in overcrowded camps or locked in police detention". Steele promised to "work with the government and the UN to ensure these commitments are rapidly implemented". She added: "Under this scheme there can be no lingering anxieties about whether sanctuary represents a 'pull factor'. "The UK government has today matched the great leadership they have shown in providing aid and support to Syrian refugees in the region by reaching out a hand to children already on European shores. This announcement echoes Britain's proud history of offering safety at times of great crisis and we want to thank the members of parliament who have led the way in championing this cause, as well as the British public who have opened their hearts to refugee children." Specific criteria needed for a child to be accepted into the UK is yet to be announced but they must have registered as refugees within Europe before March 20, when the EU-Turkey pact came into force. Cameron set for U-turn on child refugees in face of mass rebellion David Cameron is set to water down his opposition to allowing unaccompanied child refugees in Europe to enter the UK. The government will meet with rebel MPs on Wednesday afternoon in an attempt to head off a mass rebellion from Conservative backbenchers. However Cameron may use Prime Minister's Questions today to annouce a compromise. A deal will need to be struck before Monday, when the House of Commons will vote for a second time on accepting additional child refugees from Europe. The government has previously opposed the plans, which have been put forward by the Labour peer Lord Dubs, arguing that it will encourage more people to make the perilous journey from the Middle East to Europe and risk their lives with people smugglers. However, a number of Tories who abstained or voted with the government at the last vote are now expected to vote for Dubs' amendment. One Christian MP, David Burrowes, who voted with the government on April 25 has said he will "most likely" vote for the amendment to accept child refugees this time. He urged ministers to show "more compassion". Heidi Allen, another lead rebel, abstained from the vote last week. She told BBC Radio 4's Today programme she would "absolutely, 100 per cent" vote for the amendment on Monday. A new compromise is expected to be announced today. Under the deal Britain would support camps in Europe to process the paperwork more quickly for children with families in the UK. Currently, about three children's paperwork are processed per week. Save the Children, which has campaigned on this issue alongside Tim Farron, the Christian leader of the Liberal Democrats, says there are "significant numbers" of children in camps in Europe with families Britain. Steven McIntosh, Save the Children's head of government relations, suggested the move was welcome but hinted it would not be enough. He said: "Any extension of family reunification for lone child refugees in Europe that makes it easier for them to safely join their families is welcome. "However, we remain concerned about the plight of unaccompanied children who have fled wars and persecution but don't have any family to join they're on their own and the UK can help to offer them sanctuary." Donald Trump is declared 'presumptive' GOP presidential nominee, praises Ted Cruz after sweeping Indiana primary The chairman of the Republican National Committee has declared Donald Trump as the party's "presumptive" presidential nominee after the real estate tycoon swept the Indiana primary, prompting his closest rival Sen. Ted Cruz to drop out of the race. In making the declaration on a Twitter post on Tuesday night moments after Trump secured his victory in Indiana, Chairman Reince Priebus also called on the party to unite and focus on defeating likely Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton in November, Newsmax reports. In his victory speech, Trump praised Cruz as a "tough, smart guy" right after the Texas senator announced that he's suspending his campaign. "I have met some of the most incredible competitors that I have ever competed against right here in the Republican Party," Trump said to cheering supporters at Trump Tower in New York City. "We started off with 17 and just so you understand, Ted Cruz, I don't know if he likes me or if he doesn't like me, but he is one hell of a competitor. "He is a tough, smart guy," Trump added. "And he has got an amazing future. "So, I want to congratulate Ted. I know how tough it is. It's tough. It's tough. I've had some moments where it was not looking so good and it's not a great feeling. "I understand how Ted feels and Heidi and their whole beautiful family," he added. "I want to just say, though, that's one tough competitor." Trump's conciliatory tone, however, did not match that of Cruz whose concession speech did not give any inkling that he would eventually endorse Trump for the sake of party unity. The division came into sharp focus even before the Indiana votes were counted on Tuesday night, WND reports. Commentators said the differences between Trump and Cruz may now be irreconcilable following the latest firestorm triggered by a National Enquirer article that contained a photo allegedly showing a young Rafael Cruz, Ted's father, handing out pro-Fidel Castro pamphlets in New Orleans in 1963 alongside Lee Harvey Oswald, the man believed to have killed John F. Kennedy. Trump picked up on the story on Tuesday, stating on Fox that Cruz's father was with Lee Harvey Oswald prior to Oswald being shot. "I mean, the whole thing is ridiculous. What was he doing with Lee Harvey Oswald shortly before the death, before the shooting?" Trump asked. Trump's insinuation that Cruz's father had something to do with Kennedy's assassination triggered a fiery retort from the Texas senator. "Listen, Donald Trump is a serial philanderer and he boasts about it," Cruz said, directly raising Trump's marital history for the first time. "I want everyone to think about your teenage kids. The president of the United States talks about how great it is to commit adultery. How proud he is. Describes his battles with venereal disease as his own personal Vietnam." Cruz also called Trump "utterly amoral, narcissistic, pathological liar and a bully." As for the insinuation that his father was involved in assassinating Kennedy, Cruz said, "Let's be clear, this is nuts. This is not a reasonable position. This is just kooky." Trump not only insinuated that Cruz's father had links with Oswald. He likewise criticised Rafael Cruz for having sought God's intervention and in his son's presidential race, slamming the pastor for using the pulpit to advance his political beliefs. Speaking to fellow church members recently via a video conversation with the American Family Association of Indiana, Rafael Cruz said: "I implore, I exhort every member of the Body of Christ [church] to vote according to the Word of God and vote for the candidate that stands on the Word of God and on the Constitution of the United States of America. And I am convinced that man is my son, Ted Cruz. The alternative could be the destruction of America." Trump said the call to godly arms was disgraceful. "I think it's a disgrace that he's allowed to do it," he said on Fox News. "I think it's a disgrace that he's allowed to say it. You look at so many of the ministers that are backing me more so than they're backing Cruz and I'm winning the evangelical vote. It's disgraceful that his father can go out and do that." Meanwhile, Ohio Gov. John Kasich is also set to drop out of the race, according to multiple reports shortly after he cancelled a campaign event in Virginia. Kasich had earlier vowed that he would remain in the race despite Trump's overwhelming victory in Indiana. The news about Kasich broke just hours after Cruz suspended his campaign followed by Priebus declaring Trump as the "presumptive nominee." Evangelical Christians help bring more than 100 new Syrian refugees to Italy More than 100 Syrian refugees have arrived in Rome under the "humanitarian corridors" programme of the Christian Sant'Egidio community and Italy's evangelical churches. The 37 Syrian families, who include some Chaldean Christians and were chosen because of vulnerability or illness, join more than 90 other Syrian families already flown to Rome under the same programme. They had been living in a refugee camp in Lebanon and were flown in from Beirut. Sant'Egidio's aim is to find homes for 1,000 refugees in Italy over two years. "Through this experience we are saying to our friends at the European Union that Europe cannot be a frightened fortress," the charity's founder Andrea Riccardi told Reuters. "Europe has its responsibilities to the world if it wants to continue to call itself Europe, because a Europe with walls is no longer Europe." Khalid Chaouki, a deputy of the Democratic Party, wrote for the Huffington Post: "Humanitarian corridors are a message of hope for Europe." He said the refugees were people in particularly "vulnerable" states and were mostly single women with children, the elderly, sick and disabled and victims of persecution and torture. He said this was the third time a "corridor" had been activated and was made possible thanks to Italy's ministry of foreign affairs, Sant'Egidio, Italy's Federation of Evangelical Churches and the Waldensian Church. The programme means these people will avoid risking their lives in the Mediterranean or becoming victims of human traffickers, he added. "They will go to courses to learn Italian and start a new life, away from the bombs and the Syrian violence," he wrote. Vita reported: "Humanitarian corridors are the synthesis of legality and security. We are faced with a model that works for European institutions." Jamaica: Widow of slain Christian missionary speaks of 'huge loss' The wife of one of the two US missionaries found dead in Jamaica last weekend has said she does not want the men's deaths to reflect badly on the country. The bodies of Harold Nichols and Randy Hentzel were found bearing marks of violence in the Albion Mountain region. They had left on a motorcycle on Saturday morning. The motive for the killings remains a mystery and so far police have failed to find evidence of who might have been responsible. Teri Nichols told CNN affiliate WKBW-TV in New York: "I don't ever want anything portrayed that Jamaica is a terrible place. I know this is a tragedy, but tragedies happen everywhere. They've been really good to us." She said her husband's death would affect many Jamaicans. "It's a huge loss, not just to me, but [to] so many children and so many elderly people who count on him to visit and get them to hospitals, to get them medicine, to get them all those things that they're not able to do and that's what he did around the clock," she said. "He didn't know 'no'. He didn't know the word 'no.'" Randy Hentzel is survived by his wife Sara and five children. She was at their home in Iowa at the time of his death. Their pastor Todd Stiles, minister of the First Family church which Hentzel co-founded, told Baptist Press: "We are praying for right biblical justice, but we're also praying for gospel expansion... Randy paid with his life in the country he loved and was trying to help them train up pastors and plant churches. We're praying that God will use his blood as a seed for the gospel to go even to greater lengths in that country." Stiles said that if Hentzel were still living, "he would say, 'If giving my life would be a way to further God's Kingdom [with] more churches, more souls saved... then count me in.' He wouldn't worry about the risk. That's just the kind of guy he was." Jamaica's prime minister Andrew Holness told families of the men: "I know the entire Jamaica mourns with you, and I stand here on their behalf to express their deep sympathies and sadness." Acknowledging that "No words can give any comfort to the loss of a loved one, especially under such tragic circumstances," he paid tribute to "the strength that you have displayed and the true Christian spirit of forgiveness". A statement from the The Jamaican Constabulary Force said it was "doing everything possible to identify the criminals responsible for these brutal acts". It added: "We are profoundly saddened by this senseless act of violence and our thoughts and prayers are with the families of these victims who tirelessly devoted their lives to assisting those in need here in Jamaica." Kidnapped priest Fr Tom Uzhunnalil is still alive and could be freed 'imminently', says bishop Fr Tom Uzhunnalil is still alive though he remains in captivity, according to his bishop. Uzhunnalil, from Bangalore in India, was kidnapped by ISIS gunmen who murdered four Indian nuns, two Yemeni female staff members, eight elderly residents and a guard at a nursing home in Aden, Yemen, on March 4. Wild internet rumours said his captors would crucify him on Good Friday, but no evidence for the claim was ever produced and both his superiors and the Indian government consistently denied it. Bishop Paul Hinder, Apostolic Vicar of Southern Arabia, told the Fides news agency: "The last words, which are quite reassuring, I received indirectly about ten days ago. I was told that Father Tom is alive, and that his return to freedom could be imminent. But since then nothing has happened. We hope and pray for him." Pope Francis has urged prayer for Uzhunnalil's safety. However, the Indian priest is not the only one to be held by Islamist terrorists; two Orthodox bishops were kidnapped just over two years ago in Syria. Syriac Orthodox Metropolitan Gregorios Yohanna and Greek Orthodox Metropolitan Boulos Yazii, both from Aleppo, were kidnapped three years ago on April 22 near the city. Catholic priest Fr Jack Mourad was captured last year but released. Aden has been racked by lawlessness since supporters of Yemeni President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi, backed by Gulf Arab military forces, drove fighters of the Iran-allied Houthi group from the city in July last year. International aid groups have pulled most of their foreign staff from Yemen due to security concerns. Pegida founder guilty of inciting racial hatred after calling refugees 'filth' The founder of German anti-Islam group Pegida was found guilty of inciting racial hatred and fined 9,600 on Tuesday. Lutz Bachmann, who pleaded not guilty, was fined for referring to refugees as "filth", "cattle" and "scumbags" on his Facebook page in October 2015. Bachmann, 43, avoided jailtime as the court rejected the prosecution's demand for a seven month custodial sentence. His lawyers said they would appeal the decision, as have the prosecutors. The verdict allows Bachmann to continue leading the German wing of Pegida, an acronym for Patriotic Europeans Against the Islamisation of the Occident, which campaigns against immigration and against the "Islamisation" of Germany. The group has gained popularity in the past year both in Germany and internationally. It organises mass protest across Germany and in other countries, protesting for the expulsion of refugees and a closing of borders to Muslims refugees and migrants. Bachamann's lawyer, Katja Reichel, told the court that it was possible to hack Facebook accounts. The insinuation that it was not him who made the remarks was quickly rebuffed, when the prosecution showed a video of Bachmann at a Pegida rally in February 2015 saying the post used "a few words that any of us would use". The judge, Hans Hlavka, said it was "clear" Bachmann was responsible for the comments and that these insults could not be counted as free speech. Russell Moore: America is not a Christian country America is not a Christian country, according to Russell Moore, the president of the Southern Baptist Convention's Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission. Though America is predominantly Christian, it is not a Christian nation in the way that people mean when they use the term, which implies that America is "a new Israel", he said. "If what you mean by that, is that a nation in which most of the people profess to be Christians, then, certainly, the United States of America was and is a Christian nation, based upon that sociological definition of a 'Christian nation,'" Moore said in a new video for The Gospel Coalition. "That's not what most people mean though." What they actually mean, he suggests, is that "God was in covenant with the United States of America in order to bless the United States of America as a special people, as a new Israel, as a group of people covenanted under Christianity," he said. On these terms, the answer to whether America is a Christian nation is "clearly, no". While the founders of the nation were deeply influenced by Judeo-Christian ideas, stemming from the Protestant reformation, they were also acting from an enlightenment perspective, which led to the separation of church and state. "They did not found the country as a Christian nation, which is why there is, for instance, no religious test for office holders and why there is a separation between the responsibilities of the state from the responsibilities of the church or of worshipping communities," he said. Moore highlights that many American Christians wrongly impute Old Testament passages onto America, assigning the country a "providential place in history that the Bible never assigns". "This shows up in people taking, for instance, Old Testament passages and applying those passages directly to the United States," Moore said. "The most common of these would be 2 Chronicles 7:14, [which says,] 'If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves, repent of their sins, and pray and seek my face, then I will hear from heaven and I will forgive their sins, and I will heal their land.'" God never transferred this promise to a political body, he added. It is only given to people through "the mediation of Jesus Christ". "So the idea that we're living in a Christian nation in that sense, is really a form of theological liberalism," said Moore. "It assumes the person or the nation can be a Christian apart from the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit, apart from new birth. That is contrary to the gospel that we have received in Jesus Christ. "Instead, we must say that we are Christians who live in a nation among many people who profess to be Christians some of whom are and some of whom aren't. And we must be the people to give a faithful gospel witness in those days." Why Ted Cruz failed to win over American evangelicals Why did Cruz lose? As the dust settles over his campaign, his advisers are asking themselves what went wrong and particularly, what went wrong with the evangelical vote. Cruz, whose father Raphael is an evangelical firebrand preacher, campaigned on issues that ought to have brought evangelicals flocking to his banner. As well as traditional Republican positions like small government and a strong military, he spoke out on religious liberty, preferencing it over gay rights: "We want to be able to live in a world where we don't have the government dictating our beliefs and how we live. We have a right to live according to our faith and according to our conscience." Cruz said at Bob Jones University that same-sex marriage was "not settled": "It's not the law of the land. It's not the Constitution. It's not legitimate, and we will stand and fight." He also supported North Carolina's bathroom ordinance, that aligns public restroom use to people's biological gender identity. Cruz has spoken of his personal faith and used evangelical religious language on the campaign trail. He ticked every box for evangelical Republicans in an effort to gain their votes in the states where they could make the difference between success and failure and they still voted for Trump. He and his advisers must be bewildered. But there are reasons why he didn't convince. One is personal: Trump is just a more human and accessible human being. Cruz comes across as unlikeable (though he has personal friends who deny this). Another is that Cruz has a reputation for arrogant inflexibility, and this severely limited his effectiveness as a state senator. But aside from all this, the real reasons may be much simpler. The first is this: pollsters among them those relied on by the Cruz campaign didn't dig down deeply enough into what evangelicalism is. A Christianity Today article makes this point very clearly. The distinction is between evangelicals who actually attend church regularly the solid core of the evangelical constituency who voted for people other than Trump, and those who attend much less, who voted for him. In Missouri, Cruz garnered 56 per cent of those who attended more than once a week and 50 per cent of those who attended once a week way ahead of Trump in each case. So the more people attend church, the less likely they are to vote Trump. It's fair to say that the others are evangelicals in name only, as people in England used to say "C of E" when they were asked for their religion even if they hadn't been to church since they were christened. It's a social badge rather than a religious one, and it says nothing about their views on gay marriage or religious liberty. So in a sense, the Cruz strategy succeeded. He won the evangelical vote; it's just that there weren't enough real evangelicals out there for it to matter. The second reason is even simpler. Evangelicals are not just evangelicals. They care about gay marriage and worry about finding a transgender person in a public lavatory, but they also worry about their jobs, about being able to afford to send their children to college, about healthcare and law and order. Even the evangelical core is going to factor these concerns in, and they are unquestionably what will sway people outside that inner circle. Playing to a few dog-whistle themes is sound in theory and will get the applause at campaign rallies, but when people are alone in the ballot box their real agenda shows and they didn't choose Cruz. Full disclosure: I'm very, very glad Cruz lost. And if it's argued that someone from the wrong side of the Atlantic doesn't have the right to an opinion, I'd answer that nowadays we're all connected. It's a small, small world, and who sits in the White House affects me too. Cruz and Trump are both conservatives who want to roll back big government, dismantle Obamacare, stop immigration and send illegal immigrants back home. They both use divisive rhetoric and demonise whole swathes of the population. They both use religion, too, but here there's a difference between them. Trump is nakedly opportunistic when he talks about it. Cruz really believes it. His play for the vote of religious conservatives wasn't just a tactic. These are his people, the ones he would have governed for. Americans who didn't fit the template gay people, transgender people, for instance had every right to feel afraid. Of course, I don't live there. But on foreign policy, Ted Cruz frightened me more than Donald Trump ever did. He threatened to bomb Syria and Iraq and see if sand could glow in the dark. He wanted to devote four per cent of US GDP to the Pentagon. He'd have ripped up Obama's Cuba and Iran deals. Again, his rhetoric is similar to Trump's, but the difference was that Cruz is a driven man who never backs down and never listens to anyone who doesn't agree with him. Trump will negotiate; Cruz never would. Trump will almost certainly be the Republican nominee for the presidency. Can he take it all the way? Who would have dreamed he could have come this far? No one should rule it out and a Rasmussen poll has just put him neck and neck with Clinton. There's no doubt that a Trump presidency would be "very challenging", as the Archbishop of Canterbury put it. There would unquestionably be embarrassing moments for the US. It might create all sorts of domestic and foreign policy issues as the rhetoric of the campaign trail came up against the realities of office. But it may not be the disaster everyone is predicting. Trump has a short attention span and a tendency to make things up as he goes along. He won't be allowed to if he's elected. He will be carried as many presidents have been carried by people who know what they're doing, and he may be smart enough to let them get on with it. Cruz, on the other hand, would have taken charge and that's a very scary thought. Follow Mark Woods on Twitter: @RevMarkWoods 11 things to know about Richard Prince From the Fashion photographs of the 1980s to the celebrated Cowboys, Upstate and Nurses series, we chart the work and life of one of Americas most important living artists 1 His parents were spies Richard Prince was born in the Panama Canal Zone in 1949 a small territory of the United States initially created to build the Panama Canal. Both of Princes parents worked for the OSS (Office of Strategic Services), the forerunner of the CIA. When Prince was four his parents took him to stay with Ian Fleming, the creator of James Bond, at Goldeneye the authors house in Jamaica. Fact and fiction always seem to have been intertwined for Prince. He has written: Right from the beginning it was always hard to tell the truth. Indeed, in a 2007 interview with Vanity Fair, titled Richard Princes Outside Streak, writer Steven Daly wrote: [the artist] faked an interview between himself and British author J. G. Ballard, and you cant quite tell if Prince is serious when he repeats the old story about his father working for the Office of Strategic Services... and defoliating forests in Vietnam. 2 Prince spent his 18th birthday detained at the Panama airport His family left the Canal Zone for Hawaii when he was nine. Just before his 18th birthday Prince returned to Panama to secure dual American/Panamanian citizenship. As he told J. G. Ballard in that Punch magazine interview in September 1967, on arrival in Panama he discovered the photograph had fallen out of his passport, and he was held at the airport for five days. He was then sent to the Bahamas, which sent him to London, which sent him to Jamaica, which sent him back, and so on. He crossed the Atlantic five times in three weeks, clocking up 20,000 miles and costing British Airways $13,500 in food and flights, until finally he was allowed to remain in detention on British soil. 3 Jackson Pollock inspired him to become an artist A 1956 Time magazine article on Jackson Pollock made Prince believe art could be a career, and he became very attracted to the idea of someone who was by themselves, fairly antisocial, kind of a loner, someone who was non-collaborative. After high school he visited Europe, then attended Nasson College, Maine, where he came across a photograph of Franz Kline staring out of his 14th Street window. Seeing also in Kline a man content to be alone, pursuing the outside world from the sanctum of his studio, Prince took a studio in New York. 4 Prince is a pioneer of appropriation art... ...in particular through the technique of rephotographing photographing an existing image rather than something in the natural world. This approach put him in the vanguard of what has come to be known as The Pictures Generation the title of a 2009 exhibition of their work at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. They were a disparate group of artists working in late 1970s and 80s New York who took to appropriating images from consumer culture and the media, sometimes changing very little from their source material. In rephotographing, the only thing changed by Prince, arguably, is the context, removing images in order to comment on the values and aspirations they transmit. His first appropriation artworks were drawn from Time, where he had a job providing tear sheets of articles and adverts to advertisers and journalists. 5 Princes first breakthrough was his series of Cowboys... ...taken from adverts for Marlboro cigarettes from 1980 onwards featuring the Marlboro Man. Originally photographed by Sam Abell, the adverts present sanitised versions of the Old West. Prince cropped all the text relating to the product and photographed the cowboys. In doing so, his rephotographing highlights the highly posed nature of the photographs, designed to create an image of ideal, contemporary American masculinity that is intended to work subliminally in the original advertisements. 6 I had limited technical skills regarding the camera,... ...claimed Prince in a 2003 interview with Artforum. Actually I had no skills, he added. I played the camera. I used a cheap commercial lab to blow up the pictures. I made editions of two. I never went into a darkroom. Nevertheless his eye for American self-presentation continued to win him acclaim, and he began his Gangs series in the early 80s. Here Prince focused on images of sub- and counter-cultures such as surfers, hot-rod enthusiasts, itinerant rockers, heavy metalers and Hells Angels, presented as grids of juxtaposed images of that particular scene. In 1992 he began a related series entitled Girlfriends, concentrating on images of biker girls sent into magazines by their boyfriends. 7 Richard Prince can take a joke In about 1985 he began to work with jokes, sometimes incorporating images and text, sometimes using images and text that had no relevance to each other. In the late 1980s he refined the idea, painting simple one-liners onto a monochrome background, often taken from joke books or New Yorker cartoons. 8 His private museum was struck by lightning In 1996 Prince moved upstate, buying land around his home in Rensselaerville, New York (he owned about 300 acres in 2014 according to the Wall Street Journal). He began photographing banal, wan vistas of semi-rural America, cut off from the cultural mainstream. In 2005 the Guggenheim bought a ranch-style shack where he was displaying his series of painted car hoods. Two years later the building, called Second House, was struck by lightning and burned to the ground. Prince bought its ashes back from the museum. 9 He collaborated with Marc Jacobs for Louis Vuitton... ...taking inspiration from his series of Nurse Paintings. Begun in 2003, the Nurse Paintings use cover images from pulp romance novels with titles like Surfer Nurse, Naughty Nurse, Millionaire Nurse, and Dude Ranch Nurse, blown up and hand-finished with acrylic so that all but the books title and the nurse image is covered. In 2007, Marc Jacobs asked Prince to collaborate with him for the Louis Vuitton Spring 2008 collection, at which time Prince was concentrating on a series of Nurse Paintings set in exotic cities after dark. Prince suggested a collection of Louis Vuitton after dark. 10 Richard Princes art has pushed the boundaries of copyright law In December 2008 the photographer Patrick Cariou filed suit against Prince for copyright infringement. The photographs were a series featuring Rastafarians that Cariou had taken in Jamaica, collected in his book Yes Rasta, and appropriated by Prince for his 2008 series Canal Zone. It was the first time Prince had ever used source material from another artwork, and it began a long legal battle ending in a landmark ruling in April 2013: no infringement had taken place because Princes works, although appropriated, were transformative of the originals. Prince has since said that he wishes he had sought rights to the photographs. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Dance Houston Ballet: "Season Selections" program includes Christopher Bruce's "Ghost Dances," Stanton Welch's "Velocity" and Act III of Ben Stevenson's "The Sleeping Beauty." 8 p.m. Friday-Sunday at Miller Outdoor Theatre, 6000 Hermann Park Drive; 281-373-3386; milleroutdoortheatre.com. FREE Through the Sheets of Clouds: Frame Dance Productions premieres a new evening of dance directed by Lydia Hance based on Mary Oliver's poem "The Journey." Performed by Frame Dance, the Little Framers, the MultiGen Framers and Baylor Percussion Group, with music by Sam L. Richards, Leah Reid, D. Edward Davis, Mark Hirsch and Panayiotis Kokoras. 7:30 p.m. Saturday, the MATCH, 3400 Main; $15-$25, 713-521-4533, matchouston.org. Theater The Hero Squad vs. The World's Angriest Cow: The nefarious Nikolai has a plan to rid the world of its heroes, just as a new enemy appears. 10:30 a.m. Wednesdays-Saturdays, through May 14; $12; Grace Theater, 2710 W. Alabama; 713-526-2721, adplayers.org. The Christians: On the anniversary of the church's founding, Pastor Paul is about to preach a sermon that will shake the foundation of his congregation's beliefs. 7:30 p.m. Thursday, 8 p.m. Friday, 2:30 and 8 p.m. Saturday, 2:30 and 7:30 p.m. Sunday, 7:30 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday; Alley Theatre, 615 Texas; $26-$67; 713-220-5700, alleytheatre.org. The Nether: Set in the future, "The Nether" is a sci-fi crime drama that tells the story of a new virtual digital world that provides total sensory immersion. 8 p.m. Friday-Saturday, 2:30 and 7:30 p.m. Sunday, 7:30 p.m. Tuesday-Wednesday; Alley Theatre, 615 Texas; $26-$46; 713-220-5700, alleytheatre.org. I and You: On the night before a high school assignment is due, Anthony arrives unexpectedly at his bedridden classmate's house to seek her help with the project. 7:30 p.m. Wednesday-Thursday, 8 p.m. Friday-Saturday, 3 p.m. Sunday; Stages Repertory Theatre, 3201 Allen Parkway; $19-$42, 713-527-0123, stagestheatre.com. Plenty of Time: Set in the late 1960s, a spoiled Southern debutant and a Black Panther fall in love. 8 p.m. Saturday, 3 p.m. Sunday, 7:30 p.m. Wednesday; Ensemble Theatre, 3535 Main; $23; 713-520-0055, ensemblehouston.com. Damn Yankees: Joe trades his soul to the devil for a chance to lead his favorite team to victory in the pennant race against the New York Yankees. 7:30 p.m. Friday-Saturday, 3 p.m. Sunday; Houston Family Arts Center, 10760 Grant; $15-$26; 281-587-6100, houstonfac.com. Carousel: Shortly after young carnival worker Billy Bigelow and local mill girl Julie Jordan fall in love and marry, they're faced with hardship that leads to a devastating loss. 7:30 p.m. Friday-Saturday; Wortham Theater Center - Brown Theater, 501 Texas; $18-$370.25; 713-546-0200, houstongrandopera.org. Dollface: Loosely borrowing from the Medusa myth, a young woman's journey goes from innocent to outcast at the hands of an unknown suitor. 8 p.m. Thursday-Saturday, 3 p.m. Sunday, 8 p.m. Monday; Studio 101 at Spring Street Studios, 1824 Spring, $15-$20, pay what you can on Monday; 832-463-0409, mildredsumbrella.com. Heathers: The story, based on the 1989 cult classic film, focuses on the most ruthless clique at Westerberg High. 7:30 Thursday, 8 p.m. Friday, 3 and 8:30 p.m. Saturday, 3 p.m. Sunday, Theater Under The Stars, 800 Bagby, $25-$49, 713-558-2600, tuts.com. Travelsty (Ditties From Your Favorite Cities): This musical tour of America includes iconic songs, comedy sketches and other travel-related favorites. 7:30 p.m. Friday-Saturday; Music Box Theater, 2623 Colquitt; $27-$37; 713-522-7722, themusicboxtheater.com. Miracle on South Division Street: After a "miracle," a barber builds an 18-foot-tall shrine to the Blessed Virgin Mary. 8:30 p.m. Friday-Saturday, 3 p.m. Sunday; Theatre Suburbia, 4106 Way Out West, $13-$16; 713-682-3525, theatresuburbia.org. Classical Music Under The Stars: Featuring the River Oaks Chamber Orchestra Brass Quintet as part of the city of West University Place Parks and Recreation Department's Classical Concert Series in Colonial Park. 7 p.m. Friday; Colonial Park, 4130 Byron; 713-665-2700, rocohouston.org. FREE Dreams Can Come True - Music from 'The Little Mermaid': The Houston Symphony presents music from the Disney film. 5:30 p.m. Thursday; Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion, 2005 Lake Robbins; $20 orchestra seating, free mezzanine and lawn; 713-629-3700, houstonsymphony.org. Passion for Bach and Coltrane - Imani Winds and Harlem Quartet: Chamber music and jazz come together in this concert celebrating the 50th anniversary of John Coltrane's "A Love Supreme." 8 p.m. Friday; Wortham Theater Center - Cullen Theater, 501 Texas; $25; 713-524-7601, dacamera.com. Celtic Woman: Destiny World Tour: The performances honor Ireland's past while bringing a contemporary musical edge to songs old and new in a way that reflects the modern nation that Ireland has become. 5 p.m. Sunday; Revention Music Center, 520 Texas; $49.25-$109.25; 713-230-1600, reventionmusiccenter.com. Robert Brewer: Organ Recital: Robert Brewer serves as collaborative pianist and instructor of organ and harpsichord at University of Texas at San Antonio; instructor of organ and harpsichord at the University of St. Thomas; and organist at Temple Beth-El, San Antonio. 6 p.m. Sunday; St. Thomas' Episcopal Church, 4900 Jackwood; $5-$20; 713-666-3111, stthomashouston.org. Chamber Music with Jennifer Lane: Jennifer Lane, alto, joins the Bach Orchestra and presents three Bach solo cantatas. 6 p.m. Sunday; call for admission information; Christ the King Lutheran Church, 2353 Rice; 713-400-0514, bachsocietyhouston.org. Talk about a plot twist. Former Disney child star Deleriyes Joe Cramer, aka Joey Cramer, was arrested Thursday in connection with a bank robbery in Canada, sources say. Reports say the 42-year-old former actor allegedly wore a disguise that included a shoulder-length wig, a bandana and sunglasses in an attempt to rob a bank. He fled on foot but was later apprehended. "Despite the fact that a disguise was used during the robbery, the suspect was quickly identified by some of our officers, who had recently dealt with him on an unrelated matter," Constable Harrison Mohr with Sunshine Coast Royal Canadian Mounted Police told the Coast Reporter Newspaper. SEE ALSO: Famous movie quotes from the 1980s Reports say he was charged with charged with robbery, disguise with intent to commit an indictable offense, failing to stop for a peace officer and dangerous operation of a motor vehicle. MCMLXXVI PSO Presentations You may remember him from the 1980s hit movie "Fight of the Navigator," the story of a young boy who regains consciousness eight years after having been accidentally knocked out in the woods. The real mystery here is that he hasn't aged a day in that time. Does a nearby UFO discovered by a NASA scientist have anything to do with it? You'll have to watch and find out. This isn't the star's first run-in with the law. Reports say he was arrested in 2011 for allegedly cashing fake checks. It's also worth noting that the above picture is not connected with this recent arrest. Cramer isn't the only star who had to spend some quality time with police. Take a look at the gallery above for celebrity mugshots. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Market Square 301 Milam; marketsquarepark.com THREE AMIGOS!: When three silent-film stars (Steve Martin, Chevy Chase and Martin Short) are mistaken for real heroes, they must find a way to live up to their reputations. 7 p.m. Thursday Culinary Institute Lenotre 7070 Allensby; culinaryinstitute.edu WAITRESS: Jenna (Keri Russell) works in a diner in a small Southern town and is a genius pie maker, but her overbearing husband makes happiness impossible. 1:15 and 6:15 p.m. Thursday Museum of Fine Arts, Houston 1001 Bissonnet; mfah.org THE FILTH AND THE FURY: Groundbreaking British filmmaker Julien Temple will present and discuss his documentary about the rise of the Sex Pistols. 7 p.m. Thursday NEVER MIND THE BAUBLES: XMAS '77 WITH THE SEX PISTOLS: Temple will present and discuss this TV special that includes his footage of the Sex Pistols' last British concert with Sid Vicious. 9 p.m. Thursday ABSOLUTE BEGINNERS: Temple will present and discuss this film, set in 1950s Britain, about a young photographer obsessed with the jazz nightlife. 6 p.m. Friday EARTH GIRLS ARE EASY: Temple will present and discuss his cult classic about three aliens (Jim Carrey, Jeff Goldblum, Damon Wayans) who crash-land in California. 6 p.m. Saturday River Oaks Theatre 2009 W. Gray; landmarktheatres.com BLUE VELVET: Writer/director David Lynch's dark and sensuous mystery reveals the sordid underbelly of a small American town and its denizens. Midnight Friday and Saturday Discovery Green 1500 McKinney; discoverygreen.com MULAN: Clever Mulan disguises herself as a male soldier named "Ping" to bravely take her father's place in the Imperial Army. Along with her dragon, Mushu, she encounters love and adventure in this Disney animated film. 8:30 p.m. Saturday Houston Museum of Natural Science 5555 Hermann Park; hmns.org SECRET OCEAN: Jean-Michel Cousteau and marine biologist Holly Lohuis take viewers on a breathtaking underwater journey. Filmed in the Bahamas, Fiji and Bimini. DINOSAURS ALIVE: 3-D adventure follows paleontologists around the world as they uncover evidence that the descendants of dinosaurs still walk (or fly) among us. Multiple screenings daily. NATIONAL PARKS ADVENTURE: Join world-class mountaineer Conrad Anker, adventure photographer Max Lowe and artist Rachel Pohl as they bike, hike and climb their way across America's most pristine parks. Central Green Park 23501 Cinco Ranch, Katy; drafthouse.com FOOL'S GOLD: A divorced couple finds love again when they search for lost treasure in this comic adventure starring Kate Hudson and Matthew McConaughey. Dusk Sunday This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Theres been a changing of the guard at one of the citys best restaurants. Uchi Houston has tapped Lance Gillum as its new chef de cuisine. RELATED: Houston's top sushi restaurants. Previously sous chef at the mothership Uchi in Austin, Gillum replaces Kaz Edwards, who recently was promoted to concept chef for Hai Hospitality, which owns Uchi, Uchiko and Top Knot. Im humbled to have this opportunity to lead the kitchen at Uchi Houston, a role I feel like Ive been working towards for my entire career, Gillum said in a release. A native of Conroe, Tx., Gillum attended the Texas Culinary Academy in Austin before joining Uchi full time in 2011. Its been really impressive to watch Lances talent with food flourish over the years at Uchi, chef/owner Tyson Cole said in a release. His aptitude for creating interesting dishes and connecting with people makes him a perfect lead for the kitchen. As concept chef, Texas native Edwards will lead the growth and development of staff, as well as maintain the core and specials menus for Hai Hospitality. Located on lower Westheimer, Uchi Houston is considered one of Houstons most cutting edge Japanese restaurants. Chronicle restaurant critic Alison Cook has counted it among her Top 100 restaurants since the prestigious lists inception in 2012. Uchi Houston: 904 Westheimer, 713-522-4808 Browse the slideshow above to see some of Uchi Houston's best dishes. About $640 raised for burial costs for an 18-month-old boy was stolen from a Houston-area pizza restaurant Tuesday night. Two thieves can be seen on security footage working together to take a donation jar from Papa Ro's in Cleveland. While one of the suspects blocked a bartender's view by reaching for a phone charger plugged in behind the bar, the other casually walked away with the jar of money which was supposed to pay for a memorial for Greyson Lane McCool-Terry, who died in April from double pneumonia. A man was wounded in the head in a shooting Tuesday night along a street in southeast Houston. The shooing happened about 11 p.m. in the 3100 block of Rosalie near Brailsfort in the Third Ward, said Lt. Larry Crowson. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Four California sea lions at the Houston Zoo get to have a little more fun come dinner time thanks to six Rice University students. Students Amelia Brumwell, Matthew Chagnot, Cody Davis, Jeremy Palmer, Brady Taylor and Jasmine Zhou spent the fall semester creating the Sea Lion Enrichment Device. ADORABLE VIDEO: Houston Zoo now home to exotic dogs from Africa The S.L.E.D. features rotating pieces that the seals must learn to move in order to access fish inside of the pipes. The device floats and consists of four PVC pipes so sea lions Kamia, Rockie Cali and Jonah can eat from it simultaneously. "The idea, whenever we make enrichment, it satisfies a specific goal," said Heather Crane, a sea lion trainer at the zoo. "In this case, it happens to be foraging and problem solving." FINALLY MADE IT: Lemur at the Houston Zoo stars in National Geographic project The students got to see their Sea Lion Enrichment Device in action April 21 and are pleased to be working with the animals. "It's an interesting experience for us to get to see how they react differently than we originally thought and how they can evolve after this," said Zhou, a natural science major. "Maybe when we come back one week later, one month later, they will change." DON'T FIGHT: There are alternatives to parking in the Houston Zoo parking lot A suspect has been arrested in a shooting last month that left one man dead and another wounded in northwest Houston. Sterling Chance Brumant is charged with murder in the slaying of 20-year-old Darobie Stenline about 3:50 a.m. April 17 at 3380 Crestdale, according to the Houston Police Department. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Former Houston news anchor Steve Smith opened the Brookwood Community's biennial benefit lunch by sharing one of founder Yvonne Tuttle Streit's favorite sayings, "God founded Brookwood; I just work for him." In 1985, the first resident enrolled at Streit's God-centered educational, residential, and entrepreneurial facility for adults with special needs. Thirty-one years later, more than 100 "citizens" live on the 475-acre campus which includes eight group homes, a worship center, health clinic, greenhouses, the Cafe at Brookwood, and an inn; 110 additional adult participate in the organization's day program. On Tuesday, the not-for-profit's "Brookwood Proud, Texas Proud" themed event garnered a record-breaking $1.5 million at the Omni Houston Hotel after an anonymous donor matched the $750,000 already raised. With co-chairs Melinda Stubbs and Stephanie Tucker standing beside her, Nancy Beasley reminded nearly 700 lunch-goers that 92 percent of goes towards the community's supplemental and operational fees in addition to scholarships. Citizens such as Melinda's own son, Charlie Stubbs, who delivered the invocation, and the Brookwood Bell Choir, were on hand to illustrate how providing special needs adults with vocational opportunities and a sense of purpose greatly enhances their quality of life. Special guest speaker and 48th Governor of Texas Greg Abbott spoke openly about the accident that left him paralyzed from the neck down. According to Abbott, the experience was unexpectedly liberating. "I had just moved to Houston and was jogging with my friend, Fred Frost, who's in the audience, after studying for the bar exam, when a tree came crashing down, paralyzing me," he said, summarizing the premise of his soon-to-be released book, "Broken, but not Unbound." "I was never able to walk again. And I know what some of you must be thinking: 'How slow had that guy been running?'" Abbott went on to explain that the accident galvanized his relationship with God. He also shared that Brookwood receives zero government funding. Although the governor's literary debut isn't until later this month, attendees queued up to have Streit's co-authored work, "Everybody's Got a Seed to Sow: The Brookwood Story," signed in the lobby. All proceeds benefit the community's citizens and outreach programs. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate The Wunderlich Farm Interactive History Park is preparing for a new addition. A home once belonging to the Theiss family, early founders of Klein, has been donated to the outdoor history museum located at 18218 Theiss Mail Route Road. Steven Baird serves as living history educator and district historian for Klein Independent School District, which manages the property. He first heard about the possibility of acquiring the house in October and went to visit the property in January with Glenn Jiral, the current owner. More Information Want to go? What: Wunderlich Farm Interactive History Park Where: 18218 Theiss Mail Route Road, Klein Open: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. the last Saturday of each month except November, December and May Details: www.kleinhistorical.org; 832-249-5800; sbaird1@kleinisd.net See More Collapse "We're always looking for things to add to the museum that will add to the educational experience," Baird said. "The problem is that we're landlocked. We don't have an access point for larger houses without cutting them in half and removing the roof." Luckily, the Theiss house is fairly narrow, Baird discovered. And the home is in good shape with many original features still intact. "We don't see those types of houses very much anymore," Baird said. The home is on the site where Butch Theiss was born. He has become a fixture in the community, as an alumnus of Klein ISD and a former district trustee. Butch Theiss Field is named for him. Theiss said his father built the home in 1924. "I was born in that house in 1928 and there was an old country doctor who delivered me," he said. "I lived there all my life until high school." His father sold the house to Jiral's family in the mid-1960s. "Glenn has been living here and farming the land for a long time," Theiss said. "Glenn just sold the property. He called me and told me he'd like to donate the house. He didn't want to see it destroyed." The Theiss family agreed to donate $3,500 to help move the home to Wunderlich. "I'm very excited about it; so I did everything I could to get it accomplished," Theiss said. "We're very proud to have it over there. It will be here for years to come." The school board granted an additional $12,000 to cover the expenses. Baird said the home will pay tribute to the Theiss family and serve as a first stop at the museum. "It will be the first house people walk into," he said. "As you step into this new visitor's center, you will step back in time right into the 1920s. Then people will step off the back porch and into the museum." The home will also serve as an office for museum staff and provide space for a research room. Baird said Theiss has some furniture that is original to the home, which will be used in the interior. "There's a lot of good potential," he said. "There's a lot of history in this house. We'll put up old black-and-white photos of the house and the people who lived here." Baird said that Pulte Homes purchased the property where the home is located and will cut trees to prepare the land for development. "Then we'll come up with a time frame to move the house," Baird said. "Once we get it, it's a one- to two-year process to get it ready." He explained that one section of the home is not original and will have to be removed. Then a portion of the exterior brick wall will be rebuilt. Wunderlich will begin raising funds for the restoration. In the meantime, Baird is eager to move the house. "Let's get it moved and let's get it saved," he said. Baird said the museum stands as a reminder of the way life was in Klein when northwest Harris County was a rural area farmed by German immigrants. Now it is surrounded by suburban housing and rapid commercial development. "Things are growing so quickly in this community and changing so quickly," he said. "We have thousands of people moving in every month who don't know the traditions here or how it all got started." Wunderlich Farm was occupied by the Wunderlich family until 1995 and was recognized with a Texas Historical Marker and placed on the National Register of Historic Places. The home was transformed into a museum by the Klein Historical Foundation in 1995 with exhibits meant to capture life in Klein as it was from 1890 to 1920. The walls have never been painted or covered with wallboard or wallpaper. Outside, a chicken coop, smokehouse, barn and other outbuildings serve as part of elementary school curriculum. Hands-on activities also include corn-shelling and grinding, spinning, weaving and washing clothes on a washboard. Volunteer docents make everything more realistic. The museum and farm are open to the public the last Saturday of every month, except November, December and May. "Any good community needs to know how and why it started to preserve its history," Baird said. "If you don't preserve your history, you lose your identity." The push to rebrand a segment of northeast Houston as West Lake has begun to take shape through a partnership of two entities. Crescent Communities, the developer for the Groves master-planned community, and McCord Development, which manages Generation Park, formed the West Lake Alliance in November of 2015. Nicole Zimmermann, project manager for Crescent Communities, said Generation Park approached them in 2013 about rebranding the area as West Lake. "We want people to be able to identify with something," Zimmermann said. The West Lake region has been determined as west of Lake Houston running along West Lake Houston Parkway, from the northeast corner of Beltway 8 to the southern end of Atascocita. Zimmermann said the group held discussions with the Lake Houston Area Chamber of Commerce, Humble ISD trustees and community leaders in the area about the brand. "We want to encourage everyone who lives and works in the area to jump onboard and think of this as West Lake," she said. The first public mention of efforts to rebrand the area to West Lake was made by Ryan McCord, president of McCord Development and Generation Park, during a luncheon hosted in downtown by the Urban Land Institute in February 2015. The region is considered primed for development and is attracting developers who see expansion of Beltway 8, the proximity to Bush Intercontinental Airport, and the near completion of the Grand Parkway is attractive options for new businesses. At the same time, the population has increased substantially in recent years. Since 2010, the population has increased from 225,507, to 257, 729 last year. It is projected the population will go as high as 288,599 by 2020. Ian Adler, McCord Development's marketing director, said there is no formalized plan in place, but that the alliance is working with the Lake Houston Area Chamber of Commerce and business leaders to promote the brand. "We would love to have all of the developers in the area to be members (of the West Lake Alliance)," Adler said. "There are about 13,000 homes going, so we'd love for all those groups to be a part of this." Adler said the alliance plans to launch a public relations campaign this year that will include print advertising and billboards that will become more visible to residents. To learn more about the West Lake Alliance, go to www.westlakehouston.org/ This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate As part of an international rescue, six dogs have arrived in Texas from Wonju, Korea. They are among 250 canines the Humane Society International (HSI) removed recently from a Korean "dog meat farm"through a partnership with a number of U.S. animal welfare organizations. The six pooches arrived Tuesday in Dallas, where they were met by representatives of the Texas Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. The dogs will be up for adoption in Dallas once they have been medically examined. (Story continues below.) Since February, the Humane Society International has transported 79 dogs in several shipments from Wonju to the United States.ments. The animals have been placed in shelters that are a part of The Humane Society of the United States' Emergency Placement Partner program. SEE ALSO: Young rescued dolphin swimming free, with frequent checkups According to a statement from the SPCA of Texas, the remaining 171 dogs will be dispersed throughout the United States and Canada. An emergency shelter in Madison, N.J., will welcome 121 dogs, some of which will be distributed to the SPCA of Texas as well as other shelters nationwide and foster families in Ottawa, Canada. "HSI worked with the farm owner to permanently shut down his farm and remove all dogs from miserable conditions. As part of the plan, the farmer signed an agreement with HSI to stop raising dogs for meat and permanently leave the trade," a statement from the SPCA of Texas reads. "HSI provided guidance and support to make this transition possible and will follow the farmer's progress to ensure compliance. The farmer intends to focus on scrap metal as a main business." RELATED: Houston SPCA shares cutest/saddest looking dog photo ever The practice of raising dogs for slaughter is common in this part of Asia. The HSI is currently working to reduce the dog meat trade there and is actively working with other dog farmers to stop this practice. South Korea will be the site for the 2018 Winter Olympics. "We are proud to work with Humane Society of the United States Emergency Placement Partners, SPCA of Texas, to help find these dogs permanent homes with loving and caring families in Texas," Kelly O'Meara, director of companion animals and engagement for HSI, said. ROCKWALL, Texas (AP) A Dallas suburb has rejected its mayor's proposal targeting transgender people from using the public bathrooms of their choice. Rockwall's city council on Monday night voted down an ordinance that would require all people to use restrooms based on the gender listed on their birth certificate. The proposal resembles a law approved earlier this year in North Carolina. A former guard at the Federal Detention Center in Houston pleaded guilty Wednesday to sexually abusing a female inmate at the facility. Samuel Hawkins, 51, of Houston, admitted to knowingly engaging in sex in November 2015 with an inmate while employed as a correctional officer. After hearing conflicting accounts of a 2011 confrontation between Houston police and a suicidal teenager, a federal jury Wednesday ruled that the officers were not liable for tasing the teenager in the eye. The verdict hinged on whether jurors believed the distressed 19-year-old posed a threat: Was he brandishing long kitchen knives and screaming in the front yard of his parents' Glenshire home? Or was he unarmed when police aimed guns and tasers at him and his panicked mother and then hit him with the taser? A Houston teenager who died in a hotel room after prom had neck injuries that were so severe, they likely rendered her unconscious, prosecutors said Tuesday. "She had hemorrhaging through every layer of her neck," Assistant Harris County District Attorney Justin Wood told jurors in the closing arguments of 20-year-old Eddie Herrera's trial for assault. "Anybody who is able to inflict that kind of injury is doing it with intent." This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate A Texas man and woman got slapped with a felony trafficking charge after he allegedly tried paying an underage girl $10,000 for her virginity. The Dallas Morning News reports that Cirino Santiago Delacruz, 32, and Adriana Aguilar, 33, were lodged in the Collin County Detention Center on Tuesday on suspicion of trafficking and indecency with a child - sexual contact. ADVICE FAIL? Dear Abby comes under fire after giving advice about whether girl was raped Aguilar allegedly asked the girl to ride with her to Dallas in December, and then took the girl to an apartment where Delacruz was waiting. "The girl said she was physically forced into a bedroom," the Morning News reports after acquiring a probable cause affidavit. "Delacruz kissed her, put his hand up her shirt and felt her bare breast while she tried to get him off of her," according to the affidavit. "When he tried to take off her pants, the girl said she fought him and was allowed to leave the bedroom." DEVELOPING STILL: Former NFL star denies rape charges The incident is believed to have happened in December and police arrested the two after the girl told her parents on April 23. Read the full article here on the Dallas Morning News. Although it left his supporters shocked, Sen. Ted Cruz's exit from the GOP presidential primary on Tuesday was a long time coming. A month ago Cruz faced a slim shot at winning the nomination outright, and losses a week ago put it out of reach. Results in Indiana put any sort of Cruz win out of the question. READ THE FULL STORY AT HOUSTONCHRONICLE.COM A victory there would only have kept Cruz in the race with hopes of barely blocking Donald Trump's path to the nomination. It would not have provided Cruz with an easy path himself. "Cruz knows that you've got to be able to have money and momentum," said Matt Mackowaik, an Austin-based GOP strategist. "And he knew it wasn't going to happen. He knew it was going to get worse after tonight." Still, Cruz comes out of this race a much larger figure than he entered it. For now he's the leader of a significant conservative bloc in the GOP and he commands an active faithful following. For almost 30 years Cruz has worked towards his presidential ambitions and he's not likely to give up now. He'll be back on the scene but not as a fresh-faced outsider. Soon he'll turn to his 2018 Senate reelection campaign, then 2020 is not far away. RELATED: Cruz laid out presidential plan with striking precision at 17 Cruz has made a big name for himself. He kicked off the presidential campaign cycle last March on a novel platform of challenging his own party's so-called establishment. It seemed like a long-shot then but he was ahead of his time. He postured as the outsider in the race, but Trump edged him out with star status and outrageous condemnation of party leaders. Still, Cruz hung on as the other candidates dropped from the race. A first place finish in Iowa, the nation's first primary caucus, established Cruz as a serious presidential contender. A home state win in Texas kept him alive on Super Tuesday, even as Trump won a stretch of evangelical southern states that had seemed suited to Cruz's demographic appeal. RELATED: Ted Cruz celebrates primary wins in Houston area A win in Wisconsin kept Cruz in the running, even as Trump tightened his grip on the race. Then Trump six-state sweep in the northeast last week set the stage for Cruz's last stand in Indiana. The situation was getting desperate for days. Cruz announced an unorthodox partnership with rival John Kasich with stated aim of blocking Trump in Indiana and days later he tapped Carly Fiorina as his running mate in an attempt to grab media attention. On Tuesday, as the media discussed Trump's nonsense allegations linking Cruz to the assassination of President John Kennedy, the senator from Texas unleashed a rare candid outburst; his voice swelled with emotion as he told reporters "what I really think of Donald Trump"he's a "pathological liar." Hours later Cruz had to admit that he'd fallen to the same force as his rivals before him: Trump. Many experts blamed Cruz's downfall on his narrow appeal to evangelical Christians and conservative stalwarts, however Cruz outlasted the supposedly broad-based moderate Republican candidates like Jeb Bush. It was an exceptionally unique election cycle, due in no small part to the fire the Cruz brought to the political scene. Twitter lit up with memes when Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, announced Tuesday that he was suspending his bid for the U.S. presidency. The decision came after Donald Trump won the Indiana Republican primary, making his nomination as the party's presidential candidate all but certain. -- All that talk about the GOP coming together? Trump this morning on MSNBC: I dont think its imperative that the entire party comes together. I dont want everybody. I dont even want certain people that were extraordinarily nasty. Let them go their own way. Let them wait eight years or let them wait 16 years or whatever because I think were gonna have a great success against probably Hillary because the system is totally rigged against Bernie. -- LAST NIGHT: Trump gave a victory speech from New York, where he read from written remarks and claimed all of Indiana's 57 delegates. He vowed to go after likely Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton but also acknowledged Cruz, who outlasted all the 15 or so 17 GOP competitors besides Ohio Gov. John Kasich, who trailed in Indiana's voting but remains in the race, per the Chrons Kevin Diaz . >> Inside Cruzs crumbling campaign: He sold himself as trustworthy. Rivals made sure voters didnt buy it. PoliticosShane Goldmacher and Katie Glueck: Just when Cruz had emerged as Trumps sole serious challenger, he needed to win over the same Republican party insiders he had built his career running against; he needed them to rally around him. Their problem wasnt with Cruzs hardline conservative principles. It was his hard-edged personality and political practices. They all had (Ben) Carson stories of their own. -- How does Ted Cruz return to the Senate? by The Texas Tribunes Abby Livingston. It will likely be a striking re-entry. At times in recent months, Cruz appeared on track to land the nomination. But soon his campaign apparatus will fade away, as will the buses and traveling press corps. And come next week, he will be back to being just one of one hundred. And when he returns to the Senate with two and a half years left in his freshman term, he will enter hostile territory. There is no way around it: The actions he took over the course of his presidential campaign only further frayed Cruz's strained relationships with colleagues. -- WHERE DO CRUZ TEXANS GO? Gov. Greg Abbott posted this on Facebook last night: Congratulations to my good friendTed Cruz on a hard fought campaign. Conservatives must unite to support the presumptive GOP nominee and prevent the Constitution from being destroyed by Hillary. Take a look the comments under his post if you want a first look at how hard it will be for Trump and his supporters to unify the party. I'm saddened by your encouragement to support Donald Trump, writes one. If (Trump) is what the Republican Party stands for, then I cannot stand with you. -- Here are Dan Patricks thoughts: As I've said for the last few months our nominee should be Cruz or Trump based on the votes and I would support the winner. We MUST beat Hillary. It's time for the party to unite. I congratulate Trump and his supporters and will do what can to help him defeat Hillary. It is my hope that after a few weeks Trump and Cruz meet. Campaigns are tough. Words are said in the heat and fatigue of the race. The race between the two had been very heated but I hope they can mend fences sooner than later. -- THE BIG PICTURE Read Business Insiders Josh Barro on why a Trump nomination could be worse than a lot of people think: His nomination could signal the death of orthodox conservatism as one of the two main forces in American public policy, since he is running away with the nomination despite being exposed as a nonconservative. Trump is the candidate who finally figured out how to exploit the fact that much of the Republican voter base does not share the policy preferences of the Republican donor class, and that it is therefore possible to win the nomination without being saddled with their unpopular policy preferences. He will not be the last candidate to understand this. Future candidates will seek to rebuild Trump's coalition, and they will follow in his footsteps by opposing free trade, promising to protect entitlements from cuts, questioning the value of America's commitment to military alliances, and shrugging at social changes like the growing acceptance of transgender people. -- MUST READ, from The Dallas Morning News' Bob Garrett and David McSwane. Tens of thousands of infants and children believed to be in imminent danger of abuse or neglect, even death, are not being seen promptly by state child abuse investigators and thousands of them havent been checked on at all. Over the last two months, on any given day, more than 3,400 children who were on the radar of Child Protective Services hadnt been seen once by a caseworker, according to state data of face-to-face interactions analyzed by The Dallas Morning News. -- AUSTIN -- Gov. Greg Abbott has chosen a longtime ally to run the Texas Health and Human Services Commission,a move likely to give the governor more control over the mega-agency that oversees everything from abortion to foster care. The new leader, Charles Smith, will assume control of the commission next month upon the retirement of Chris Traylor, who served in the job for less than a year. The decision, which had been expected, was announced Tuesday, per the Chrons Brian Rosenthal. CAPITOL DAYBOOK THE SENATE 9:00 a.m.: Business & Commerce [ E1.016 (Hearing Room) ] Veteran Affairs & Military Installations-S/C Border Security [ E1.028 (Hearing Room) ] 11:30 a.m.: Texas Ports, Select [ E1.012 (Hearing Room) ] SPEED READ Boycott boycotts, Texas Observer Rockwall resoundingly rejects anti-trans bathroom ordinance, Texas Observer Cruzs defeat is a win for transgender rights, Washington Post Ted Cruzs bitter end, The New York Times Villalba: Trump is the death of the Republican Party, TribTalk Warren unleashes Twitter storm on Trump, Associated Press Texas prison ban on Muslim inmate beards, caps ruled illegal, Austin American-Statesman Immigrant family detention center granted child-care license, Austin American-Statesman Police begin wider body camera use after months of testing, Austin American-Statesman Texas Supreme Court ruling helps bar the door to public release of company records, critics say, Houston Chronicle Dems want probe into GOP chief of staff politicking claim, Houston Chronicle Perrys predecessors moved aside to make room at Capitol, The Dallas Morning News Higher oil prices likely signal a false down, Houston Chronicle RACE TO THE WHITE HOUSE -- Clinton plots swing-state ambush for Trump, by Politicos Gabriel Debenedetti. In recent days, the Clinton campaign has finalized a series of senior hires around the country, expanded the size of her central swing-state planning team in New York, and hundreds of thousands of dollars have been transferred to strategically important state parties from the Democratic National Committee. Shes also scheduled a series of public speeches and private meetings in states that will be crucial to her general election campaign. -- GOP wakes up to Trump victory and plenty of questions, by CNNs MJ Lee. From congressional leaders to top donors to veteran strategists, the GOP establishment has been deeply skeptical of Trump's candidacy and motives. As Trump began to amass delegates and gain momentum, his feud with his GOP rivals grew increasingly acrimonious and the Never Trump campaign -- a rare inter-party movement aimed at stopping its own front-runner -- failed. -- Republicans consider Clinton over Trump, by Politicos Eli Stokols. While many conservative stalwarts are conflicted and stuck in a state of paralysis, some are considering the ultimate betrayal. Hours before Indiana polls closed Tuesday evening when it was becoming clear that Trump was headed for a decisive win, some prominent Republicans were moving away from him. Mark Salter, John McCains former campaign speechwriter, signaled his support for Clinton via Twitter. Conservative pundit Ben Howe did the same. It may just be the beginning. The summers final Live on the Waterfront concert was held Wednesday evening at Prince Arthurs Landing. The popular series in Thunder Bay has completed nine weekly shows that began on July 13. Wednesdays concert was unique as it was held one hour later in the evening to mesh with the 10 p. Andrew Sullivan has written an admirably informedthough crucially flawedessay on Donald Trump for the May 2 issue of New York, in which he draws attention to the perhaps ironic underside of the liberal triumph in the culture wars: This is an age in which a woman might succeed a black man as president, but also one in which a member of the white working class has declining options to make a decent living. . . . A struggling white man in the heartland is now told to check his privilege by students at Ivy League colleges. Rather than respond to their victory in the culture wars with magnanimity, as Sullivan suggests, the so-called social-justice warriors stepped up their attack on the losers in the culture wars, rubbing their noses against the grates of political correctness. But Trump, aided and abetted by his media-savvy, Twitter, and Internet forays, arose from the rubble like an angry genie. The web, notes Sullivan, fuels precisely what the Founders feared about democratic culture. It encourages feeling, emotion, and narcissism, rather than reason, empiricism, and public-spiritedness. Trump, notes Sullivan, pledged above all to take on the increasingly despised elites. And as the people thrill to him as a kind of solution, a democracy willingly, even impetuously, repeals itself. Sullivan warns that those who assume Trumps ugly, thuggish populism has no chance of making it to the White House are mistaken. Neo-fascist movements like Trumps, he writes, first transform the terms of the debate, create a new movement based on untrammeled emotion, take over existing institutions, and then ruthlessly exploit events. Sullivan concludes by warning that, for Americas liberal democracy and constitutional order, Trump is an extinction-level event. He makes his case with artful references to Platos fears of democracy (shared by the Founding Fathers), Eric Hoffers writing about true believers, and the model for a fascist takeover of America laid out by Sinclair Lewis in his 1935 novel It Cant Happen Here. Whats striking is whats not in the essay. Barack Obama, the most divisive president since Richard Nixon, barely makes a cameo appearance. And Hillary Clinton is mentioned only insofar as shes offered Sullivans advice. Sullivan effusively endorsed Obama in 2008. Obama, insisted Sullivan, would restore the rule of law and Constitutional balance while bringing America back to fiscal reason. Since then, the presidents performance has not changed Sullivans mind. The national debt has doubled under Obama, but Sullivan, like the president himself, blames Republicans. As late as October 2013, Sullivan wrote on his blog: Many of us found in Barack Obama a very post-ideological president, a pragmatist, a Christian, and a traditional family man, and naively believed that he could both repair the enormous damage done by the Bush-Cheney administration and simultaneously reach out to the red states as well. I refuse to say the failure is his. Because he tried. Sullivan seems to be the last true believer in the wisdom of Obamas stimulus, most of which went to pork barrel projects. But, as Sullivan sees it, Obama was not to blame, because he got zero votes from House Republicans for a desperately needed stimulus in his first weeks in office. Obamas ties with Bill Ayers, Rod Blagojevich, and the ranting Reverend Wright held little or no interest for Sullivan. He hadnt the slightest concern with the intersection of Chicago-style patronage politics and left-wing ideology as it coalesced in the Obama presidency. Al Sharpton became a White House regular under Obamas moderate administration. Sullivans admonitions about Trump, accurate as they are, would have more credence if he had been willing to criticize Obama for fanning the flames of racial hostility in the aftermath of Ferguson. What Sullivan misses is that Trump wasnt possible without Obama. You didnt have to be a white, male, working-class voter to be stunned by Obamas unprecedented assertion of executive power. Obamas argument time and again was that he had to bypass Congress because he was in a hurry. When he claimed that things needed to be done quickly, he promised to govern with his telephone and a pen. He not only refused to enforce Americas border laws; he also claimed the right to legalize undocumented workers by executive action. He forged an international agreement with the Iranian mullahs by winning approval for the deal with the U.N.bypassing constitutionally required support from the Senate. Obama unilaterally revised Obamacares rules without any pretense of seeking legislative approval. It was Obama who showed that ignorance was no obstacle, and sheer demagoguery worked. When Obama spoke of the Austrians speaking Austrian, talked of 57 states, and referred to a naval translator as a corpsemen, it produced barely a murmur. When he met at the White House with the activists who incited those who laid waste to a section of Ferguson, Missouri, he instructed them to stay the course. That produced but a faint rustling. Our postmodern president, a good friend of mine points out, has proved that facts dont matter. The weakest economic recovery in post-World War II history has been sold as a rousing success. We increased our troop levels in Iraq, but miraculously we still dont have any boots on the ground. The man who told his supporters, If they bring a knife to the fight, we bring a gun, was sold to America by the New York Times, the New Yorker, and the networks as a post-partisanone who somehow found a way to blame Republicans for all the countrys ills. Obama also showed that bullying the Supreme Courtcalling them out for their Citizens United decision in a State of the Union addresscould pay dividends down the road. An intimidated Chief Justice John Roberts used pretzel-like logic to redefine the Obamacare mandate as a tax, though the administration had insisted that it was nothing of the kind. Most of the maladies Sullivan attributes to Trump were incorporated into American politics by the man he deeply admires, the man whose face alone, Sullivan suggested, proved his worthBarack Obama. Sullivan rightly sees the danger of democracy willingly, even impetuously, repealing itself. That repeal began under the man sitting in the Oval Office today. Photo by WPA Pool/Getty Images Audio Transcript Nicole: Hello, this is Nicole Gelinas of the Manhattan Institutes City Journal. Im here today with Janette Sadik-Khan, the Bloomberg transportation commissioner for New York City from 2007-2013, and now the author of the book Streetfight: Handbook for an Urban Revolution. Good afternoon, Janette, thanks for coming on this afternoon. Janette: Hey, Nicole. Great to be talking with you. Nicole: So, you write in your book that, and this was one of my favorite lines toward the end of the book, I love the smell of asphalt, its acrid odor, its super heated shimmer and sticky texture. You say that the tabloids were correct in saying that you are indeed a wacko, but before you grew to love the smell of asphalt, you write that you never planned on going into transportation at all. So maybe you can explain to our listeners how you came to see transportation as so important to the life of the city. Janette: Well, I grew up in New York City so I grew up on the streets of New York, and I think you kind of fall in love with the city at that early age. I learned to ride a trike in the park, and had my first bus pass, which I felt like such an adult when I had my first bus pass. And then, you take a subway as a kid and you run to the front of the subway car and you peer down through the tunnels. Its really exciting and its really fun. But I didnt really think that much more about it as I was growing up until, actually I was coming off of Mayor Dinkins campaign for mayor and I had left legal practice. I was in litigation at a big firm, and I really was not happy with it. And I wanted to do something important--something that touched peoples lives everyday. I called my mom and I said, Mom, Im looking at where I want to go. I want to do something that touches peoples lives everyday. And my mom said, Well sweetie, you have two choices: transportation or sanitation. And I fell in love with transportation working under Lou Riccio and there was a lot of experimentation at the time, glassphalt, asphalt, all that. You could see the incredible power of the field of transportation in terms of the economics of the city, the livability of the city, the sustainability of the city. I just got hooked, and Ive really been hooked for the last 25 years. Nicole: Yeah, I think a lot of us got hooked on transportation. I never really thought about this too much before until I started taking the subway everyday back in 1999 and just sort of said, How can I try to make this better for people? I havent gotten very far yet, but thats how I got interested in it. And you write that even.. You worked for Dinkins, you worked for the federal government, you worked for a private company, then by the time you came back to the city you didnt know the mayor. You hadnt met the mayor so maybe you can tell us how you came to be the transportation commissioner. Janette: Well I had actually worked at a firm called Parsons Brinkerhoff and one of the projects that I had worked on was to reanimate lower Manhattan after 9/11, and we worked on a public information campaign (lowermanhattan.info) to encourage people that it was a part of the city that was very much open for business. Lots of places to go, lots of great restaurants and things to see. And I got to know Dan Doctoroff through that process and so when Iris Weinshall left, I was called to come in for an interview. Of course I never met the mayor, Mayor Bloomberg, before. And so I came in and had a conversation with Dan about what my priorities were and then eventually had a conversation with the Mayor and his Deputy Mayor. I actually, after that interview--which I did not think went very well--I was sure that I was not going to get the job. I was quite sure it was going to go to Michael Horodniceanu who was in competition for the job. Because when the Mayor and I had that conversation, it was very much clear that after my going through bike lanes and bus lanes and plazas and safety, there was not a lot of positive reaction. I learned later that it was because they were putting the finishing touches on PlaNYC and they didnt want it to leak but at the time I certainly didnt have any positive indication that this was a good fit. Nicole: And lucky for the city that it did, and you remade the streets rather than still wrestling with the East Side access for the MTA. Janette: Yeah, well its an incredible opportunity. Working for a mayor like Mike Bloomberg at the time that we were with the team that we had and the team of people at New York City DOT. It really was extraordinary having the framework of PlaNYC, the long range sustainability plan that the mayor put out with Dan Doctoroff, really allowed us the running room to develop the strategic plan and the different pillars of that plan that made the bike lanes possible, the bus lanes possible, the plazas possible, the bikes share possible. Because they were all connected to this larger vision and not a series of one-off projects, and I think also having somebody that knew transportation running the agency also helped. When I was there, I wasnt scared to try things. And frankly said that I would take the hit for anything that went wrong and so I think that unleashed a lot of innovation in the agency. People certainly took me very seriously when I said I would take the hit. I didnt realize just how serious a statement that would turn out to be, but it was incredible moments. Nicole: And one of the biggest hits and the thing that made you famous around the world was the Times Square Plazas. When people say you closed Times Square, its really counterintuitive and thats wrong. You really opened Times Square to the vast majority of people who get there not by car but by foot or on transit before theyre on foot. Theres sometimes this myth that you just sort of woke up one day and decided to close Times Square. Maybe you can talk about how this was a long process over two and a half years where you tried different things, made sure that they worked, before getting to this point. How were able to be reasonably confident that this would work and this would end up being a good thing for the city. Janette: Its a really good point. People think that people characterize this as this wand that I had and just sort of waved over the city and all of these things just kind of magically happened. That couldnt be further from the truth. The truth is that Times Square has been a problem thats been hidden in plain sight for many decades. People had tried lots of different things to try to fix it. Foot lanes here, change traffic signalization patterns there, and nothing worked. It didnt work because the grid was basically broken. When weve got this North/South/East/West grid and Broadway cuts diagonally through it, weve got three traffic signals to get through instead of two. It doesnt work for drivers. It certainly didnt work for pedestrians. We saw much higher incidents of injuries and fatalities on that Broadway corridor through Times Square than we did on any of the adjacent avenues. Nicole: And people walking in the streets and getting hit and thats partly why.. Janette: Yeah, the street was completely out of balance. Ninety percent of the traffic in Times Square was on foot, and yet they only had ten percent of the space. Ninety percent of the space was for cars. When youre talking about 350,000 people walking through that space everyday, thats a lot of conflict. Times Square is one of the greatest stages in the world and its always been a place of change and transition. With exception, perhaps, of the street itself. Traffic may have gone in one direction or another and the cars may have had tailfins and there may have been streetcars, but basically the curbline and the streets themselves have stayed very much the same. In fact, when we rebuilt the street, we literally dug up the streetcar rails that were leftover from more than half a century ago that had just been repeatedly paved over. But when we changed it, we did it as an experiment as you said. Just try it, well see, well block it off, well do it in temporary materials and if it works, well keep it. And well know if its working because well measure it. Well measure what happens with traffic flow, well measure what happens with safety, well measure what happens with the economics. After six months, the data all showed that it was better mobility, better on safety, it was much better for business. A majority of New Yorkers really supported these changes, and so weve gone from 350,000 people walking through Times Square to 480,000 people walking through Times Square today. Weve got better real estate and retail values, and I think its been a really great success story for public space and its certainly been picked up by cities around the world. Nicole: And I think that point about how much the foot traffic has grown, its hard for people to understand if theyre not walking through everyday or at least once every few months, that the people just dont fit unless you were to do something. And they certainly wouldnt fit today. When the theatres get out at ten oclock or when people are going to work at eight or nine in the morning, even with the plazas it is a difficult thing just to move all of these people through this space. Looking at trying to fit all of these people, with subway traffic in these Times Square stations having almost doubled over the past twenty years, and trying to fit them in with increasing bus traffic, increasing car traffic, it just was not going to work. This is a pragmatic solution to a pretty pedestrian problem if you will forgive the term. Its just a mathematical and physics problem of how do you put the most people possible into this space. You dont do it by having people go through one at a time in a car. Janette: Exactly, that map of the street is really important. And I think the balance was flipped, that ninety/ten balance (ninety percent of the space dedicated to the cars that were only ten percent of the throughput) so fixing the math It was one of those places that, sort of, nobody goes there anymore, its too crowded. And out of the 480,000 people there, its not just tourists but workers, and residents. The piece that you talked about in terms of being better for businesses is a really important concept that people find difficult to get their head around. But the bottom line is that cars dont shop, people do. We need to change how we design our streets from places to drive into places where people want to be. And that, I think, was something that we showed in Streetfight and in the six years at New York City. Nicole: Yep. And I walked through earlier this afternoon. I went out and took a walk and all of the red tables and chairs were full, people stopping and looking to figure out where theyre going to go next, having snack, talking to their families. And yes, I would venture to say that most of these people are tourists but a big part of our economy now is tourism. This creates jobs for people who may not even speak English to people who make six figures managing a big hotel. And tourists have just as much of a right to our public space as anybody else and so that they are using this space makes it a successful space. Yes, Elmo was there but he wasnt bothering anyone and as you note in the book, New Yorks Police Department can figure out how to deal with the Muppets and they are in fact doing that with the same techniques that they used thirty years ago on the subway. You go after behavior, not people. A person is allowed to stand there in a costume, he is not allowed to aggressively harass anybody. But we certainly, weve learned enough about policing in the city over the past 30 years. We dont need cars to police the space. We can do it through both policing and other behavioral cues. Janette: Exactly. Certainly with great public space comes great cottage industries. I dont like the Hello Kitties any more than the next person. But this is one extreme of an exciting and energetic and unpredictable city, which is what we love about it. I think the legislation can help get a handle on the time, place, and manner that these characters get their Elmos on and express themselves while leaving visitors and residents and workers free to enjoy the space. Times Square today is an issue of public space management and not a problem of traffic safety and congestion and economic underperformance, which was the case for many, many years. Nicole: Yep, and you go to the Eiffel Tower, you see people selling little statues of the Eiffel Tower, trying to sell people all kinds of different products and services. You see people trying to sell tour bus tickets at the entrances to Central Park. Anywhere where there is a critical mass of people, other people are going to want to sell them stuff, or in more extreme circumstances, try to take their money. So that is not a traffic issue, its more a density management issue. Your other big and true claim to changing the face of the city is the CitiBike program. New York launches CitiBike over three years ago or nearly three years ago in 2013. The biggest problem with the bike-share now is that there are not enough bikes. The stations are empty, we can easily do 40,000 rides or more on a nice day. You talk a little bit about not only starting up CitiBike and having people skeptical that New Yorkers are going to get on these bikes and go to meetings and go to work and go do grocery shopping. But also just what you call the bike-lash in general: this idea that nobody is going to ride a bike in New York City. No ones going to be in these bike lanes and maybe you can talk a little bit about how you dealt with that issue, and putting in the lanes and starting up the program. And how its turned out, really, after three years of CitiBike and really a decade of protected bike lanes. Janette: People said these changes would never work. Some people said nobodys going to ride in a bike lane. Some people said too many people are going to ride in the bike lanes. People said there was going to be blood on the streets, triple number of fatalities. None of these dire predictions came true. They said our streets were too congested, too dangerous. It was going to block emergency vehicles, it was going to kill business. Our streets were never safer, never better for the economy. There was no increase in traffic congestion, and on many streets we found that fewer but better designed lanes were better for traffic and that better streets meant better business. Now it was a fight. Each one of the acres we reclaimed from cars in New York City was a fight. Changing city streets for people on foot or on bike or on transit, you will generate a fight. Part of navigating that fight is a key part of the process and its not just having a new design vocabulary for the street but literally a new vocabulary to describe these changes. It really does take political courage to try something for the first time and the strategy is to win the buy-in of the public. Mayor Bloomberg was fully behind these changes and fully behind the program, but all of these changes require changing the status quo and that was really the problem that we were trying to solve. We had a real problem with traffic fatalities and injuries and before there seemed to be this kind of oh well, thats just part of life in the big city. Thats not acceptable, and so changing that and changing our streets so that they can serve lots of different people in lots of different ways was at the heart of that strategy. CitiBike changed the street not just with the cyclists but with stations, which were a visible invitation for people. Now I think there is a new generation of New Yorkers that wont know a city without them. Nicole: And they do make the street safer for everybody because having the bikers in the bike lane, it forces the drivers of the cars and trucks to look for the bicyclists and then it makes them look that extra time for pedestrians as well. Slower, calmer traffic has helped elderly walkers, children, anyone who is put in danger by a speeding car or truck. Janette: Exactly. The combination of slowing down the traffic, making pedestrians and cyclists more visible, and the refuge islands that anchored our projects led to the record low fatalities that was seen across the board. Its amazing, people have taken 25 million rides and there have been no fatalities. Nicole: And it also, if someone says well I never use the bike, I take the subway, the subways are reaching a point where we cant fit another person on these crowded trains. On the 4,5,6 line, on the L train, on the 7 train, and so every person who is on a bike, it may be a person who used to take the subway. They are helping to ease the marginal demand for the subway was well. It costs billions of dollars to increase capacity on the subway, but we can ease a little bit of that need for capacity by getting tens of thousands, and hopefully hundreds of thousands of people when its five boroughs city-wide, off the subways and on to the bikes. Janette: Absolutely, and its critical in terms of the capacity issue that you mentioned and its true. We are at an overload now and the funding for the MTAs capital program is still yet to be identified. Its kind of fairy dust at this point. So, having these really cost effective strategies roll out to deal with that capacity improves mobility. Its not just the CitiBike program, its the select bus service program. By prioritizing the street space for buses and making them move much more quickly and in much more attractive vehicles that make it easy to get on and off the bus and give those buses a green light and enforce it with cameras, thats been a homerun. And again, it didnt take a lot of time, didnt take millions of dollars to do. We can make these kinds of changes now, here on the streets that provide the kind of mobility and affordable transportation that this city so desperately needs. Nicole: Right, and as you say in the book, these were not multi-billion dollar projects. This was one percent of the budget that you have to fix up bridges and repair potholes and do everything else that needs to be done in the city. This is cement islands and paint and the Times Square project is a bigger project but it is going all the way down to below those old streetcar tracks and fixing all kinds of infrastructure that should hopefully see us through another few decades once it is complete. You end the book by saying if you can remake it here, you can remake it anywhere. And as you say last year when some people in the de Blasio administration said we should take out these pedestrian plazas, you note that you were a little bit worried that you might have to have a strategy to respond to this, but New Yorkers really did it for you. People writing in New York Magazine and people saying on Twitter and on Facebook, we want some changes to Times Square, but we certainly dont want the car and truck traffic and the crashes and the injuries and the exhaust back and this is the way it is, but we dont want that change at this point. Janette: No, its true. I think there is a new status quo in New York. As you mentioned, two years after we left office, when the new Mayor suggested he might remove the plazas at Times Square there was this huge backlash. The plazas were controversial just a few years ago but today, no New Yorker wants to get rid of them. And there are still people that are opposed to any proposal and there are people opposed to doing nothing, but I think most people have moved on and learned to love the changes and the new status quo. Nicole: Yeah, well, Im still opposed to the Barclays stadium but its there so I guess we all have something that we dont like sometimes for an irrational reason but as you note in the book, vast majorities of New Yorkers are perfectly happy with the bike lanes and pedestrian plazas and Im sure a good number of them dont care and dont think about it. But they are still safer because of these changes as they cross the street. And again, Ive been talking with Janette Sadik-Khan who served New York as the Transportation Commissioner from 2007-2013 and her book is called Streetfight: Handbook for an Urban Revolution. I do urge people to go out and read it. Theres lots more interesting stuff there, including just the nuts and bolts of how you get anything in government done. Thank you, Janette, for taking the time to talk to me this afternoon. Janette: Thanks, Nicole. In Moore v. GEICO General Ins. Co., 2016 WL 736824 (11th Cir., Feb. 19, 2016), the United States Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals reversed a District Court grant of summary judgment in favor of GEICO in a bad faith set-up case relating to a Florida lawsuit. In granting summary judgment, the District Court focused on the conduct of the insureds attorney. In a serious injury and death case, GEICO offered its policy limits. The attorney, Lance Holden, advised GEICO that his client would accept the policy limits only if GEICO provided (1) affidavits from the insureds establishing that they had no other applicable insurance policies, and (2) a precisely worded release-of-claims document for Holdens clients to sign. However, neither the affidavits nor the release that GEICO subsequently transmitted to Holden complied with Holdens demands. Holden therefore treated GEICOs submission as (1) a rejection of his settlement offer, and (2) a counteroffer for settlement on new terms. Holden then rejected the new settlement offer and stated that he would pursue litigation. The lawsuit resulted in a $4 million verdict in favor of Holdens clients. Thereafter, the insured filed a bad faith claim against GEICO in the District Court for the Middle District of Florida. The District Court granted summary judgment in favor of GEICO. While noting that GEICOs conduct was sloppy and bordering on negligent, the Court nevertheless determined that this conduct did not rise to the level of bad faith. Additionally, the Court extensively discussed attorney Holdens conduct. The Court concluded that Holden had attempted to manufacture an artificial bad faith claim by creating unnecessary obstacles to GEICOs settlement of the claims against the insureds. As a result, the Court attributed the failure to settle to Holden, absolving GEICO. The Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals reversed the grant of summary judgment. First, the Eleventh Circuit Court noted that there was evidence supporting and contradicting the allegations of bad faith. Second, the Eleventh Circuit Court noted that the District Court had improperly focused its analysis on the conduct of Holden. Under Florida bad faith law, the Courts focus should not have been on the actions of the insured or the insureds attorney agent, but rather on the conduct of the insurance company in fulfilling its obligations to the insured. Therefore, the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals reversed the District Courts grant of summary judgment. The Moore case signals that at least the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals will not allow summary disposition in bad faith set-up cases. If, in fact, an attorney is attempting to set up an insurance company for bad faith, such a determination will have to be resolved by the trier of fact. An underwater search has successfully recovered a voice and data recorder that may provide clues about why a cargo ship sank last year off the U.S. East Coast in a hurricane. The National Transportation Safety Board, which last year located the wreckage of the El Faro without finding the recorder, resumed the search with a robot submarine on April 18. It recovered the device at a depth of about 15,000 feet (4,572 meters), according to a NTSB statement released Tuesday. The recorder will be used in NTSB and U.S. Coast Guard investigations, according to the NTSB. It should have recorded the ships operators talking in the hours before the sinking and also stored navigational data. The 790-foot container ship was heading from Jacksonville, Florida, to Puerto Rico when it encountered Hurricane Joaquin. All 33 aboard were lost. The latest search, which was also designed to capture better photos of the wreckage to assist investigators, was conducted in partnership with the National Science Foundation and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. Copyright 2022 Bloomberg. Under pressure from U.S. regulators, Japanese airbag manufacturer Takata Corp is expected to announce that it is recalling 35 million to 40 million additional inflators in U.S. vehicles, three sources briefed on the matter said on Tuesday. The expanded recall will be phased in over several years and more than double what is already the largest and most complex auto safety recall in U.S. history. The new recall will cover all frontal airbag inflators without a drying agent, sources briefed on the matter said. To date, 14 automakers, led by Honda Motor Co, have recalled 24 million U.S. vehicles with 28.8 million inflators due to the risk that they can explode with too much force and spray metal shards inside vehicles. In recent days, officials from the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) told Takata they need to expand the recall based on the governments determination of the root cause of the problems, sources briefed on the matter said. NHTSA spokesman Bryan Thomas declined to confirm the expanded recall. NHTSA has reviewed the findings of three separate investigations into the Takata airbag ruptures. The recall of Takata airbag inflators continues and the agency will take all appropriate actions to make sure airbags in Americans vehicles are safe. The new recall is expected to include about 35 million passenger-side airbags and some driver-side airbags without a drying agent. It is also expected to include some airbags that were previously replaced that did not have a drying agent. Takata spokesman Jared Levy declined to confirm the expansion, but said the company is working with regulators and our automaker customers to develop long-term, orderly solutions to these important safety issues. Last month, NHTSA said there were about 85 million unrecalled Takata airbag inflators in U.S. vehicles that would need to be recalled by 2019 unless the company can prove they are safe. The recall expansion, earlier reported by The Wall Street Journal, leaves open the question of whether about 50 million inflators including 18 million side inflators and about 32 million frontal and side airbags with drying agents will eventually need to be recalled. At least 11 people have been killed worldwide in incidents linked to defective Takata inflators. The latest was the March 31 death of a 17-year-old driver in Texas. Under an agreement signed last year, the company has until 2019 to demonstrate that all of its unrecalled air bag inflators are safe. The prospect of ballooning recall costs has prompted Takata to look for a financial backer. (Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by Dan Grebler; Editing by Dan Grebler) "That was a bridge we thought we shouldn't cross that was not good for America, and so we stood up I think when you are approached like this you have to stand up for what you believe in," Cook said. In an interview with CNBC's Jim Cramer on Tuesday, Cook stated that Apple has always worked with law enforcement. As long as a valid warrant was presented, the company would provide any information that it had. What made the San Bernardino request different was that Apple was asked to create a product that did not exist. Cook believes that this could have put millions of people at risk. That intention came under fire earlier this year when Cook refused to assist the FBI with unlocking an iPhone used by one of the two attackers that resulted in the death of 14 people in San Bernardino, California, in December. "We produce products that give the people ability to do things that they couldn't do before. And in doing so, we helped change things," Cook said. (Tweet This) In Apple CEO Tim Cook 's perspective, his company has always stood for being able to build the best products on Earth to enrich people's lives. I think government in general has gotten quite dysfunctional in the U.S. and in some other countries as well. As a result of Apple's opposition to override the iPhone encryption features, the U.S. government decided to sue. Cook remains proud that his company conducts business in a way that he considers to be right and just. He cited such examples as Apple caring deeply about the environment, how it makes it products, the use of renewable energy and taking a stand for people's right to privacy. "I think government in general has gotten quite dysfunctional in the U.S. and in some other countries as well," Cook said. Read more from Mad Money with Jim Cramer Cramer Remix: What history's taught us about Apple Tim Cook: The most important thing for Apple long term Cramer: Tim Cook cops to a conference call error The dysfunction, Cook says, has resulted in putting more responsibility on the everyday citizen and companies to help promote change in society. He believes that it is everyone's responsibility to change the environment, not just the government. When the "Mad Money" host asked what Cook is most proud of at Apple, he pointed to products that give customers the ability to do things they couldn't have done before. Cook said what lights him up the most is the possibility of a grandmother using Apple's FaceTime feature to connect with her grandchildren across the globe, or reports of autistic children finding a new voice through the use of his technology. "All of these things excite me because they are bringing out the best in people. And we are about empowering people," Cook said. Ultimately, Cook says the iPhone encryption issue should not belong in court. His team always thought it belonged in a discussion between various groups that include intelligence, law enforcement, civil liberties and technology. He hopes that the issue in court will not happen again. Cook says he deeply admires people who fight for human rights and push humanity forward. "I had incredible love and respect for Steve [Jobs]. I think there has never been anyone like him and believe his contributions and gifts to the world were unbelievable," Cook said. He also said he admires both Robert "Bobby" Kennedy and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. for risking everything, including their lives, to push people towards inclusiveness. "They were all about inclusiveness and I am a great believer in inclusiveness. I have always respected them and believed that we need more people in the world with that kind of view," Cook said. watch now Jim Cramer sees a transformation happening in how companies gain revenue, and it is clear to him that not all revenues are created equally. "The Holy Grail here is service revenue that customers don't mind paying for because it represents a valuable asset that they cannot live without," the "Mad Money" host said. Companies like Costco , Netflix , Amazon Prime and Apple have all figured out the valuable role that service revenues play. Customers don't mind paying these charges because it's not like some sort of a tax or bill that they resent handing over their hard-earned money for. "Memo to Reed Hastings, I would easily pay double for it. Why not? Netflix is a ridiculous bargain given how much I love the original content and I'm addicted to their shows," Cramer said. Read More Cramer: The Holy Grail behind Apple's revenue Apple iPhone Chesnot | Getty Images From Apple CEO Tim Cook's perspective, his company has always stood for being able to build the best products on Earth to enrich people's lives. "We produce products that give the people ability to do things that they couldn't do before. And in doing so, we helped change things," Cook said. (Tweet This) That intention came under fire earlier this year when Cook refused to assist the FBI with unlocking an iPhone used by one of the two attackers who killed 14 people in San Bernardino, California, in December. In an interview with Cramer on Tuesday, Cook said that Apple had always worked with law enforcement. As long as a valid warrant was presented, the company would provide any information that it had. What made the San Bernardino request different was that Apple was asked to create a product that did not exist. Cook believes that this could have put the security of millions of people at risk. "That was a bridge we thought we shouldn't cross that was not good for America, and so we stood up I think when you are approached like this you have to stand up for what you believe in," Cook said. Read More Apple CEO Tim Cook: US government is dysfunctional On a day like Tuesday when all of the major averages sank, many investors are tempted to sell in May and go away. But Cramer doesn't subscribe to that view. He advises selling what's run too much, and keeping what's valuable. "I still think the major trends the weaker dollar, higher oil and rebounding China remain very much in place," the "Mad Money" host said. On Tuesday, all three of these major trends were in reverse, and stocks gave up gains in response. But that doesn't mean those themes have gone away. "You still got some pretty darned good moves in a whole different set of stocks that we least expected to rally. That is bullish, not bearish, and it means that sell in May and go away strategy isn't a strategy," Cramer said. Read More Cramer: Despite stocks falling3 signals make me bullish A Chinese boy stands next to Shanghai's charging bull statue Philippe Lopez | AFP | Getty Images New companies that have emerged over the last couple years with models that leverage the new individual market have a variety of ways to answer these, and this industry is in its infancy. However, employers will continue to wonder if their workers are equipped to navigate such open markets. Consider the introduction of the 401(k) as an example of a successful marketplace shift. Before the 401(k), employers created pension funds that workers benefited from but had no control over. Now, pensions are a rarity, and most employers give their workers the ability to pick from a wide range of retirement funds or to invest in an individual brokerage product. What did it take to get to that point? It took the workforce investing in education, and trusting that the smart people hired to run the business are just as smart when it comes to making decisions about their own future. A health benefit transition to a new individual model can learn a lot from this previous experience. Companies have to determine their appetite for change and risk, and find the right time to make the transition if it makes sense for their employee base. But if they do decide to make this change, they will be a part of disrupting an industry that has been playing by the same (no-longer-relevant) rules for over 100 years. It will take vision and leadership to change the benefits industry to better serve both employers and workers. And allowing workers the power of personal ownership only available in the individual healthcare market is the first step in the right direction. watch now Theresa Schliep thought her bank made a mistake when it notified her she had accumulated almost $250 in overdraft fees. At the time, Schliep was an 18-year-old college student working a summer job at a New Jersey pizza eatery. She said she was shocked at the amount, a sign that her bank's $35 overdraft charges had been piling up for weeks. Schliep had been depositing all of her earnings into savings a responsible course of action, she thought. But after she used the limited amount of transfers available to move funds from her savings account to checking to cover purchases, her checking account swiftly dwindled to nothing. "Overdraft protection is a misleading term, because it doesn't protect you from overdrafting," Schliep said, after paying the bank back for the charges. "It allows you to overdraft when you don't have enough money in checking so you're not embarrassed by getting your card denied." Schliep spent much of her summer earnings paying off the overdraft fees. "What's annoying is that I incurred over $200 not because of outrageous expenses, but because I spent $5 here and there on coffee and tacos," she said. Schliep is not alone among those who fall prey to recurring overdraft fees. Young people and minorities often pay the most in those sorts of fees, a recent study by The Pew Charitable Trusts found. Those fees are especially damaging to people in their late teens through early 30s, such as Schliep, who make up more than a third of what Pew, a nonprofit that studies public policy issues, calls "heavy overdrafters" those who pay more than $100 in overdraft fees a year. Yet people in other age groups are also hit by the fees. Take Kathy Hauer, a Georgia-based certified financial planner who describes herself as someone who is very conscientious about her bank balance. This is a huge profit center for banks and they will do anything they can to generate these fees. Allan Katz CFP at Comprehensive Wealth Management Group "You try to plan your cash flow perfectly, but unexpected problems and unforeseen timing can result in overdrafts for even the most careful people," Hauer said. Pew found that overdraft fees mainly affect those making less than the national median income of about $54,000 unsurprising, according to Susan Weinstock, director of the consumer banking project at Pew. "These people are likely to be living paycheck to paycheck to paycheck," she said. Nearly 1 in 4 of the heavy overdrafters lost the equivalent of a week's worth of wages to fees, according to the report. Many of those choose to leave the banking system entirely as a result and now rely on even more pricey alternatives such as check-cashing storefronts, Pew found. The fees bring in a lot of revenue for the banks. The 628 largest institutions made $11 billion from overdraft and nonsufficient fund fees in 2015, according to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Although overdraft programs may be touted as a customer courtesy, they have become an expensive and risky form of credit for many consumers. "It is being used as credit, but it doesn't come with the consumer protection that normally covers credit," said Weinstock. Overdraft fees generally also do not have annual limits, and half of all heavy overdrafters paid at least $210 in fees. In addition, regulations on overdraft fees may not have always helped those who are being hit the hardest. For example, customers must agree to be enrolled in overdraft programs as part of federal regulations, but Pew found in 2014 that 52 percent of those who paid overdraft fees don't remember signing up for such services. To help consumers prevent overdrawing their accounts, some banks offer text or email alerts to notify them when their balance falls below a certain amount, said Virginia O'Neill, senior vice president of the American Bankers Association's Center for Regulatory Compliance. She also said many banks may not assess an overdraft fee for small-dollar amounts and some have daily caps on how many times a consumer can overdraw. HSBC Bank, for example, charges a $10 maximum daily overdraft fee on certain accounts. In the study, Pew called on the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to create a rule limiting overdraft fees. "A majority of consumers would prefer their transaction to be declined than be processed for the $35 fee," said Weinstock. Reuters Islamic State militants killed a U.S. Navy SEAL in northern Iraq on Tuesday after blasting through Kurdish defenses and overrunning a town in the biggest offensive in the area for months, officials said. The elite serviceman was the third American to be killed in direct combat since a U.S.-led coalition launched a campaign in 2014 to "degrade and destroy" Islamic State and is a measure of its deepening involvement in the conflict. "It is a combat death, of course, and a very sad loss," U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter told reporters during a trip to Germany. A U.S. defense official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the dead serviceman was a Navy SEAL. The SEALs are considered to be among the most able U.S. special operations forces and capable of taking on dangerous missions. The serviceman's identity and rank were not disclosed. A senior official within the Kurdish peshmerga forces facing Islamic State in northern Iraq said the man had been killed near the town of Tel Asqof, around 28 kilometres (17 miles) from the militant stronghold of Mosul. watch now The Islamic State insurgents occupied the town at dawn on Tuesday but were driven out later in the day by the peshmerga. A U.S. military official said the coalition had helped the peshmerga by conducting more than 20 air strikes with F-15 jets and drones. The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the Navy SEAL was killed "by direct fire" while on a mission to advise and assist local forces in Iraq. Carter's spokesman, Peter Cook, said the incident took place during an Islamic State attack on a peshmerga position some 3 to 5 km behind the forward line. Snipers and suicide bombers In mid-April the United States announced plans to send an additional 200 troops to Iraq and put them closer to the front lines of battle to advise Iraqi forces in the war against the Islamic State militant group. Underscoring the complicated nature of the U.S. role in Iraq, the White House told reporters that even though the serviceman died in a combat situation, he was not on a combat mission. "He was not on the front lines. But he was two miles away, and it turns out that being two miles away from the front lines between Iraqi forces and ISIL is a very dangerous place to be," said White House spokesman Josh Earnest, using an acronym for Islamic State. Last month, an Islamic State attack on a U.S. base killed Marine Staff Sergeant Louis Cardin and wounded eight other Americans providing force protection fire to Iraqi army troops. Such Islamic State incursions are rare in northern Iraq, where the Kurdish peshmerga have pushed the militants back with the help of coalition air strikes and set up defensive lines that the militants are rarely able to breach. The leader of a Christian militia deployed alongside peshmerga in Tel Asqof said the insurgents had used multiple suicide bombers, some driving vehicles laden with explosives, to penetrate peshmerga lines. Pfizer has approached U.S. cancer drug maker Medivation to express interest in an acquisition, raising the possibility of a bid rivaling a $9.3 billion offer Tuesday. Pfizer's approach comes less than a week after Sanofi went public with its $52.50 per share cash offer, complaining that Medivation refused to engage. Medivation subsequently rejected the offer as too low. Its shares closed on Tuesday at $57.52. Medivation has not yet decided whether it should engage with Pfizer in negotiations and is in discussions with its financial and legal advisers, the people said. There is no certainty that Pfizer will press ahead with a bid, they added. Spencer Platt | Getty Images Sanofi currently has no plans to raise its offer and is waiting for Medivation to launch an auction to sell itself before it makes any new bid, some of the people said. The sources asked not to be identified because the matter is not public. Medivation, Sanofi and Pfizer declined to comment. Based in San Francisco, Medivation is best known for its oncology drug Xtandi, which treats prostate cancer. For Pfizer, a deal with Medivation would mark another attempt at building scale in patented drugs after it scrapped its $160 billion acquisition of Dublin-based Allergan last month. U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas, the unlikely survivor of a once-crowded GOP presidential field, said Tuesday night that he was suspending his campaign to be his party's presidential candidate, potentially ending any real battle for the GOP nomination. NBC News earlier in the night projected that Donald Trump would easily win the GOP primary in Indiana. Cruz was the only candidate to notch multiple state victories against the real estate magnate, surviving a crowded field of experienced politicians and political newcomers alike. (Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida had won three contests include Washington D.C. and Puerto Rico). But the glow of those Cruz victories had faded after Trump won a resounding series of seven straight victories. "From the beginning I've said that I would continue on as long as there was a viable path to victory. Tonight, I'm sorry to say, it appears that path has been foreclosed," Cruz said during a Tuesday night speech. "The voters chose another path, and so with a heavy heart, but with boundless optimism for the long-term future of our nation, we are suspending our campaign." Cruz appeared to be positioning for a political future, saying he would continue to fight for the ideals of his supporters. watch now Over the last two weeks, much of the investment world has been focused on the earnings of high-growth stocks like Facebook and Amazon, both of which saw their stock price rise 8 percent and 11 percent, respectively, after posting big numbers last week. Investors love these companies they're fun to watch, they bring in big revenues, and if they exceed analyst expectations, their stock prices can soar, too. However, if you really want to make money in the market, then you should consider owning value companies instead. Numerous studies show that over time, value outperforms growth. So far this year, the S&P 500 Pure Value index is up 7.3 percent, compared to 2.5 percent for the and minus 0.5 percent for the S&P 500 Pure Growth index. If anyone knows how to make money finding value stocks, it's Charles Brandes, a legendary investor who studied directly with Benjamin Graham, the father of value investing. According to Forbes, the founder and chairman of Brandes Investment Partners has a net worth of $1.18 billion, and he made much of his wealth managing funds that invest in cheap, beaten-down stocks that no one wants but him. While his process has its ups and downs, over time it's worked well. His Brandes Emerging Markets Value fund has returned 18.6 percent year-to-date and around 7 percent annualized since inception in 1996. The Brandes Global Opportunities Value Fund , which allows his team to find buys anywhere around the world, is up nearly 10 percent year-to-date. What's the key to making money in value stocks? We asked the investor for his advice. 1. Search for value. Brandes has a four-step test that the average investor can apply to any company that catches their eye. A good company should have sustained no losses over the past five years, its total debt should be less than 10 percent of total tangible equity, its share price should be less than the book value per share, and its yield, if it has one, should be at least twice the yield on long-term AAA bonds. Value investing has a lot to do with being antihuman. ... You have to think very differently and independently and counter to everyone else. Charles Brandes founder and chairman of Brandes Investment Partners 2. Stay the course. As well as value investing has done this year, there can be long stretches where value stocks underperform. According to CNBC, in late 2015 value stocks were underperforming the broad market by its widest margin since 2000. For investors, these periods can get dark value stocks tend to be ignored by the general public and then only rebound when people start paying attention again. After all these years, Brandes still gets calls and emails from clients wondering why he's sticking with a position when others have cashed out. "Value investing has a lot to do with being antihuman," he said. "People act on emotions, and that will never change. You have to think very differently and independently and counter to everyone else." This was especially true during the tech boom, he said. Everyone was jumping on the internet bandwagon, while he didn't own any tech stocks at all. Other value managers went out of business because they couldn't make any money in what they owned. When the bubble burst, his global equity fund outperformed its benchmark by 36 percent. According to Institutional Investor, between 2003 and mid-2006, when value soared, his firms' assets under management climbed from $76 billion to $117 billion. (Its AUM has since fallen to about $27 billion.) He said that while his clients might feel the need to sell, he's trained himself not to feel that pull. Instead, he feels pressure to buy more in a bad market. "Down markets are an opportunity," he said. And now is the time to go on the prowl. Another value-related rebound started in February, he said, in part because people are finally looking for new ideas and finding them in value stocks. "It's a normal cyclical change that always comes," he explained. "All the people who are going passive and going high-quality have already done that that's over again. So now they're going somewhere else." 3. Consider emerging markets. Emerging markets account for 42 percent of global GDP, 23 percent of the global investable equity universe and 10 percent of the MSCI All-Country World Index. That is why investors cannot overlook the sector's vast potential. The average investor has around 5 percent allocated to the area. "It should be higher given the value of opportunities that exist in the asset class," he explained. But many investors are nervous about economic certainty. And for good reason. Emerging market investments have been stuck in a long bear market, and for many professionals the asset class has become "the big short." Despite big risks, it may be time to look for opportunities. Brandes has always found big returns in developing nations. He was one of the first investors to buy stocks outside of America. One of his first was Telefonos de Mexico , now Telemex, which he bought in 1983, reaping huge profits on the stock over the last 40 years. He was an early buyer of many other developing nation stocks as well, including Jardine Matheson and Hopewell Holdings , both Hong Konglisted holdings with significant exposure to China. Brandes actually sold off many of his emerging market investments around 2009, well before people started rushing out of these nations, as they were getting expensive, he said. But now he's buying. In 2011 he had less than 2 percent of assets in emerging markets in his Brandes Global Equity Fund . That's increased to nearly 20 percent today. One country that's looking particularly attractive is Brazil. Headlines of impeachments and economic woes have made many stocks cheap. Yet there are still good global operations. For instance, he likes Embraer , a Brazilian aerospace company that competes with the struggling Bombardier and is doing well internationally. He also likes Brazilian banks and food companies. His firm currently holds Banco Bradesco , a well-capitalized bank and leading player in the Brazilian insurance industry, and Cia Brasileira de Distribuicao, a onetime pastry shop that's grown into the largest food retailer in Brazil. While he admits that the news out of the country isn't great its GDP is shrinking by around 3.8 percent, its president is facing impeachment he's over-allocating assets to the nation. "[Our stocks] have done extremely well this year," he said. "The market got too low, but it's coming back." Iraqis cool down from the scorching summer temperatures under public showers in Baghdad on August 12, 2011. Climate change could make sections of North Africa and the Middle East uninhabitable, according to a recent study. Researchers at Germany's Max Planck Institute for Chemistry and the Cyprus Institute in Nicosia have found that the region already incredibly hot in the summer could become so warm that "human habitability is compromised." The researchers found that even limiting global warming to lower than two degrees Celsius agreed at the United Nations COP21 climate change summit in Paris last year would do little to stop the region from overheating, with summer temperatures increasing more than two times faster than the average pace of global warming. "In future, the climate in large parts of the Middle East and North Africa could change in such a manner that the very existence of its inhabitants is in jeopardy," Jos Lelieveld, director at the Max Planck Institute for Chemistry and professor at the Cyprus Institute, said in a statement released this week. London. 04 May 2016. CNBC International today announced its latest digital innovation, World Markets Live. The live blog, produced from CNBC's London headquarters, will provide financial and business news updates throughout the European trading day. In addition to breaking news, data alerts and earnings reports, World Markets Live will include exclusive content from CNBC International's anchors, including Squawk Box Europe hosts Steve Sedgwick, Karen Tso and Geoff Cutmore. Running from Monday to Friday 07:00 - 17:30 CET, the live digital destination aims to provide CNBC's elite audience of global business leaders and investors the best of CNBC's programmes as well as what's happening on CNBC.com and social media. Phillip Tutt, Managing Digital Editor at CNBC International said: "World Markets Live is the latest digital innovation from CNBC as we look to diversify the way we deliver our news. Our audience are telling us they want a live digital companion which can keep them up to date with all the market movements no matter where they are we've therefore launched World Markets Live. Our previous live blog, Squawk Box Live, was a huge success so we're looking forward to being able to provide the service throughout the European trading day." World Markets Live will be managed by a team of reporters in CNBC International's London headquarters. CNBC recently brought Spriha Srivastava on board to help manage the blog. Spriha joins CNBC International from the Financial Times Money Management magazine. You can visit the World Markets Live at CNBC.com/World-Markets-Live Ends watch now U.S. stock index futures traded lower early Wednesday, following declines overseas and ahead of earnings and amid U.S. data. European stocks traded more than half a percent lower, while Asian equities ended lower, with the Shanghai composite off only 0.05 percent. Japanese markets remained closed for a holiday. Dow futures were last off about 104 points, while S&P and Nasdaq futures fell 14 points and 32 points, respectively. Time Warner and Delphi Automotive reported first quarter results early in the day, with numbers due from Kraft Heinz , Tesla Motors and 21st Century Fox after the markets close. In Europe, Royal Dutch Shell posted a sharp fall in earnings for the first three months of 2016, in its first earnings report since its purchase of BG Group. If you ask some big companies like Halliburton and Pfizer, the Justice Department doesn't seem to have had much enthusiasm for mergers lately. We've witnessed a string of high-profile companies fail in their merger attempts, and several other companies, including Staples and Office Depot and Aetna and Humana, have come under close scrutiny. And yet, it seems like the rest of the country's mergers seem to be getting by just fine. In fact, the rate of canceled merger deals (deals that were announced but later scuttled) worth more than $100 million remains around 5 percent, according to a CNBC analysis of FactSet data on more than 7,000 attempted acquisitions by U.S. companies. Stanley Druckenmiller speaking at the SOHN Conference in New York on May 4th, 2016. Legendary billionaire investor Stanley Druckenmiller told Sohn Investment Conference attendees to sell their equity holdings Wednesday. "The conference wants a specific recommendation from me. I guess 'Get out of the stock market' isn't clear enough," said Druckenmiller from the conference stage in New York. Gold "remains our largest currency allocation." The billionaire investor expressed skepticism about the current investment environment due to Federal Reserve's easy monetary policy and a slowing Chinese economy. "The Fed has borrowed from future consumption more than ever before. It is the least data dependent Fed in history. This is is the longest deviation from historical norms in terms of Fed dovishness than I have ever seen in my career," Druckenmiller said. "This kind of myopia causes reckless behavior." Read More Gundlach: These are the best bets in slow-growth economy He believes U.S. corporations have not used debt in productive investments, but instead relied on financial engineering with over $2 trillion in acquisitions and stock buybacks in the last year. This is finally showing up on the books of companies as operating cash flow growth in U.S. companies has gone negative year-over-year, while net debt as gone up, according to the investor. Druckenmiller was negative on China's economy going forward and believes recent attempts at further stimulus in the Asian country will not work and "aggravated the over-capacity in the economy." "Higher valuations, limits to further easing..the bull market is exhausting itself," he said. Druckenmiller is chairman and chief executive officer of the Duquesne Family Office. His hedge fund track record is unparalleled, generating annualized returns of 30 percent during his investment career. The Duquesne fund never had a down year, according one of his investors Ken Langone. --With reporting by Dawn Giel A boy plays in a mud puddle at a makeshift camp of the Greek-Macedonian border near the Greek village of Idomeni, on March 8, 2016, where thousands of refugees and migrants are trapped by the Balkans border blockade. European Union (EU) countries who refuse to take in their allocation of migrants may face fines of up to 250,000 Euros ($287,304) per refugee. The new legislation, reported by the Financial Times, is likely to be the most disputed out of several proposals to be announced Wednesday in Brussels at the European Commission. It is part of a revision to the so-called Dublin asylum regulation, and is the EU's biggest push to rescue a process struggling to cope with the million-plus migrants to have arrived in Europe in the last year, according to the FT. In 2015, 1.3 million people sought asylum in Europe, said Eurostat. The majority come from Syria, with Afghanistan and Iraq following closely behind. European governments have been facing increasing calls to curb the number of migrants entering the EU. The number of migrants to cross the Mediterranean fell 59 percent last month compared to April 2015, according to the United Nations. Americans will spend more than half of their social networking time on Facebook this year, but growth of user engagement with the platform is set to slow, a new report shows. Of the 43 minutes a day U.S. adults spend on social media in 2016, 22 minutes will be spent on Facebook, according to eMarketer. But by 2018, while U.S. adults will spend three more minutes a day on social networks, they will only give an extra minute of their time to Facebook. Between 2013 and 2018, time spent on social networks as a whole will grow 5.9 percent, while time spent with Facebook will grow 5.3 percentmeaning Facebook lags slightly behind the category in growth in usage time. "Facebook hasbeen facing competition from other fast-growing social networks like Snapchat, and cannibalization from its own property, Instagram," eMarketer forecasting analyst Monica Peart, said in the report. Family businesses in many of Asia's emerging markets (EMs) have long spearheaded economic development by being better providers of public goods than local governments. It's a system that has benefited both businesses and the local population, but certain inherent dangers means it's not always the optimum solution for turning EMs into developed markets. A history of public assistance Asian EMs have traditionally lacked elements vital to a well-functioning economy; infrastructure, power, access to finance, business customer protection, transparency and good governance are just a few. When these elements are missing, it creates "institutional voids," a term coined by Harvard University professors Tarun Khanna and Krishna Palepu in 1997 that refers to a country's undeveloped market ecosystem. Institutions responsible for creating and maintaining the ecosystem, namely governments, don't always function as expected, so private-sector players frequently step in, according to Khanna's and Palepu's theory. By providing solutions that local institutions cannot, these private players create profitable business empires. "These entrepreneurs are public spirited because they must fill the institutional voids, that is, compensate for the inadequacies in their environment...Virtually all well-run large entities in Asia do this," Khanna told CNBC. Family-run businesses, in particular, are at the forefront of this phenomenon, Khanna added, pointing to the Philippines' Ayala Corporation as a prime example. Ayalas step in with infrastructure The Zobel de Ayala family has controlled Ayala, the country's largest conglomerate, since its creation in 1834. The firm is credited with developing the Philippines' premier business district in Makati, Manila, as well as championing education across the country. The Makati central business district of Manila where Ayala Land is building new residential developments, office buildings and hotels. SeongJoon Cho | Bloomberg | Getty Images Following the end of World War II, Ayala Landthe company's property development armconverted the area that hosted Manila's first commercial airport into the country's first master-planned, mixed-use development with modern infrastructure. The infrastructure included underground electricity and telephone lines, integrated sewage and a well-planned road layout, all public goods that the government couldn't provide at the time, explained Jamil Paolo Francisco, associate professor of economics at the Asian Institute of Management (AIM). Several of Ayala's companies also invest in "skilling" their middle managers in order to address the country's weak human capital development. A 2015 World Economic Forum index showed the Philippines ranked 46th of 124 countries when it came to nurturing talent through education and skills development. 'Ciputra does the government's job' Indonesia's Ciputra Group, meanwhile, is hailed for establishing a higher standard of living in Jakarta. The company's vast property portfolio comes with a range of public goods, including the provision of security guards and the upkeep of greenery. "The government has always possessed little capacity to provide public grids, which makes living in Jakarta hard with the lack of parking and cleanliness. Ciputra was the pioneer among property developers to organize these things themselves," Marleen Dieleman, associate professor at National University of Singapore and a specialist in Asian family business groups, said. In a broad sense, companies like Ciputra were doing the government's job, she noted. "Legally speaking, it's a grey area. City infrastructure, such as roads or water treatment plants, mostly belongs to government but private companies like Ciputra maintain them since local governments don't possess the capacity to do so." Power from the people The fact that citizens typically have little faith in national institutions empowers these companies, allowing them to wield substantial power, the AIM's Francisco said. But there are weighty consequences of such intense private sector participation in public life. If just one or two private firms control most of the public goods, there is more room for market abuses, such as higher prices, inefficient service, or poor quality products, noted Francisco. "This is where competent competition policy must come in," he added. Moreover, inequality can spike, Dieleman said, explaining that some public goods, such as infrastructure provided by property developers, were only available to wealthy gated communities within cities, rather than the general public. But on the bright side, this should allow the government to focus on the poor while corporates take care of the rich, she said. Public spirit or pure profit? Republican presidential candidate, Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, walks off the stage following a primary night campaign event, Tuesday, May 3, 2016, in Indianapolis. If the Republican and Democratic parties were choices on Tinder, a whole lot people would have been swiping left to look for another option on Tuesday night. Google searches for the words "Libertarian Party" exploded late Tuesday as Donald Trump won the Indiana GOP presidential primary in a landslide, and prompted his closest opponent, Ted Cruz, to suspend his campaign. Tuesday night also saw Sen. Bernie Sanders beat Hillary Clinton in Indiana's Democratic primary, while still trailing her significantly in overall delegates nationally. A chart on Google Trends indicating the volume of searches for Libertarian Party shows a relatively low level during most of the day, but a marked pickup in the early evening, and then a huge spike after 8 p.m. That surge occurred as it became clear Trump and Sanders had won, and after Cruz effectively abandoned his bid for the White House. Similar spikes tied to the primary's outcome were seen Tuesday night in Google searches for "libertarian" and "move to Canada." The term "Socialist Party" also saw several bumps during the night, but the change in volume was not as pronounced as searches related to "libertarian." watch now watch now watch now Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks at a campaign event at The Palladium at the Center for Performing Arts in Carmel, Indiana, U.S. May 2, 2016. Aaron P. Bernstein | Reuters Trump won by discovering a primal desire among GOP voters for a swaggering populist who would buck orthodoxy on trade, protect entitlements, build a border wall, deport all undocumented immigrants, and implement an "America First" foreign policy that demanded allies pay for U.S. protection or go it alone. Millions of supporters, distrustful of their party's leaders, rallied behind him as a unique figure whose personal fortune enabled him to spurn donors and say what he wanted with impunity. He was as ruthless in attacking his Republican opponents as anyone else. With a nod toward party unity, however, he pivoted Tuesday from attacking Cruz, who he had nicknamed "Lyin' Ted," to calling him a "tough, smart guy" and "one hell of a competitor" with an "amazing future." Trump graciously acknowledged Cruz's "whole beautiful family," which presumably included the wife whose looks he had mocked on Twitter and the father who he had insinuated just hours earlier was involved in the assassination of John F. Kennedy. Trump's speech came shortly after Cruz, halfway across the state, told dejected supporters that he was ending his campaign. "From the beginning, I've said that I would continue on as long as there was a viable path to victory," Cruz said. "Tonight, I'm sorry to say, it appears that path has been foreclosed." Cruz made no mention of the opponent who he had told Americans that same morning was "utterly amoral," a "pathological liar," a "bully" and a "narcissist" after Trump's attack on his father. Instead, Cruz offered a flowery tribute to Ronald Reagan and conservatism that sounded like a stump speech for a future campaign. In meekly ceding the race to Trump on Tuesday, Cruz joined a growing group of rivals who had denounced the front-runner's candidacy in apocalyptic terms, only to soften their opposition as the general election neared. Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal called Trump "an unserious, unstable, narcissistic egomaniac" last September. He said he would back Trump on Tuesday. Former Texas Governor Rick Perry called him a "cancer on conservatism" in a speech last July. He said he planned to support him this week as well. Cruz's supporters weren't all so ready to forget, however. Some chanted "Never Trump!" as images of the near-presumptive nominee flashed on the screen. An exit poll showed 43 percent of Republican voters on Tuesday were "concerned" or "scared" about a Trump presidency rather than "excited" or "optimistic." "We have lost our country," a female Cruz volunteer, crying with rage, said after he finished his speech. "We're a country of fools who believe liars and entertainers." "The Republican Party has transmogrified into something it was never supposed to be," 60-year old Cruz supporter William Gebby said. Gebby had already made up his mind on what to do in the general election if Trump secured the nomination: not vote. Several others in the room said they were grappling with what to do come November. The national party, however, was moving on. Republican National Committee chairman Reince Priebus declared Trump the "presumptive nominee" on Tuesday, ignoring Ohio Governor John Kasich's continued presence, and urged voters to unite against Hillary Clinton. Reince Priebus tweet After all of Indiana's 57 delegates were awarded to Trump, NBC News' count had the real-estate tycoon at 1,055 with Cruz at 564, Marco Rubio at 172 and John Kasich at 154. A total of 1,237 delegates are required to seal the GOP nomination. Senior Trump aides told NBC News that they had begun vetting potential vice presidential candidates, a move they had resisted until they were sure of victory. Cruz's withdrawal left the #NeverTrump movement, a loose alliance of conservative activists committed to stopping his candidacy, grasping for a way forward. If recent days are any indication, Republicans will face significant pressure to unite behind Trump, or at least tone down their criticism. The movement's leading elected official, Nebraska Senator Ben Sasse, reiterated on Twitter that he would not vote for Trump in the general election. Trump's complete contempt for the usual rules governing politics improbably put him on the verge of accepting the party's nomination. But the general election is another story, and there are serious questions about whether Trump will be able to repeat his gravity-defying act a second time. The same unfiltered resentment that made him a hero to his base horrified large portions of the country outside of it. Polls show he'd be the most unpopular major party nominee in history. An April NBC/WSJ survey found 65 percent of Americans had a negative view of him, versus just 24 percent who viewed him positively. He's especially disliked among women, Latinos, and young voters, all groups that were critical to President Obama's victories in 2008 and 2012. Polls have shown Clinton competitive in some ordinarily deep red states, including Utah and Mississippi. Jim Chanos said the reversal in the China commodity super-cycle will have negative ramifications for Africa. Chanos is the founder and managing partner at Kynikos Associates, one of the largest short selling investment firms in the world. Chanos is lauded for his prescient negative calls on Enron and Tyco. Speaking at the Sohn Investment Conference on Wednesday, he cited how the publicly traded miners had annual capex of $6 billion a year, which grew to $14 billion in 2001. Then due to China's construction demand the miners capex grew "geometrically" to $122 billion in 2012. "Ultimately this will normalize," Chanos said. As this goes in reverse, commodity-dominated countries such as South Africa and Nigeria will suffer. He recommended a short position in MTN Group , a mobile operator. More than 60 percent of the MTN Group's revenue and 70 percent of EBITDA is in South Africa and Nigeria with increasing competition. Chanos concluded his presentation by saying MTN Group's other large-country exposure includes Iran, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Cameroon, Uganda, Sudan and Syria, which may be in even worse shape. Ken Langone, investor and co-founder of Home Depot, said Wednesday that he is ready to support Donald Trump's presidential run if his preferred candidate drops out. News broke in February that Langone, a GOP mega-donor, would back Ohio Gov. John Kasich's campaign. But multiple sources told NBC News on Wednesday that Kasich planned to drop out he was the last man standing against Trump in the primary competition . "Well, it is what it is," Langone said of Kasich's expected exit from the race, adding that he thinks "We're at a point where the American people are saying, 'Hey, forget you guys, we know what we want, we're not happy and we're going to do some drastic things.'" Langone added that he will "absolutely" stand with Trump and that likely Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton is "absolutely not" closer to Kasich than Trump is in terms of policy. Former UBS trader Tom Hayes, who is currently serving 11 years in prison for his part in rigging the key interbank rate Libor, has resorted to crowdfunding to fund his appeal . Hayes, described on his FundRazr page as a "scapegoat" jailed after an "unfair and politically motivated LIBOR show trial" is asking for 150,000 ($217,000) to help pay for his legal fees to fund his appeal to the U.K.'s Criminal Cases Review Commission, an independent organization which investigates suspected miscarriages of justice in U.K.. Four days into the crowdfunding campaign, he has raised 2,135. Danish shipping and oil group Moeller-Maersk reported a first-quarter net profit above analysts' forecasts, supported by higher container volumes and increased oil production. "We've come out of the first quarter with a strong growth in our container business," Moeller Maersk CEO Nils Andersen told CNBC on Wednesday. "Things are actually improving quite a bit because the oil prices are itching up," said Andersen. "It's not that the world has improved greatly but the oil price is moving in the right direction." The stock reacted positively to the news and was up 5 percent in early trading. Net profit fell to $224 million, Maersk reported, beating an average forecast of $55.6 million in a Reuters poll of analysts. watch now Malaysia's finance ministry said on Wednesday it would dissolve the board of advisers at 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) and take over its remaining assets, in an apparent move to scale down a state fund whose scandals have rocked the government. Parliament's Public Accounts Committee (PAC) last month had called for the 1MDB advisory board, chaired by Prime Minister Najib Razak, to be abolished, after a probe into alleged graft and mismanagement at the fund, whose debt in January had totalled about 50 billion ringgit ($12.5 billion). The finance ministry, which is the sole shareholder of 1MDB, said in a statement it would also comply with the PAC's recommendation to remove Article 117 and change all references of "Prime Minister" to "Minister of Finance", in the fund's company articles. Najib is also the finance minister. Article 117 requires the prime minister's written approval for all of 1MDB's financial commitments, including investments, and matters such as the appointment of the board of directors. Ownership in 1MDB's subsidiaries and land assets in Bandar Malaysia Sdn Bhd, TRX City Sdn Bhd, Air Itam and Pulau Indah will be transferred to the Ministry of Finance Incorporated, the ministry said. It did not say what happens to the debt linked to these assets. In its report, the parliamentary committee had slammed the board of state fund 1MDB for being irresponsible and urged a probe into its former chief executive, but stopped short of implicating Najib. The ministry also accepted the resignation of 1MDB's board members, who had collectively stepped down after the release of the report. New board members would be appointed to reflect the limited business profile of 1MDB, it said. Kuala Lumpar, Malaysia Afiandi | Getty Images Damir Sagolj | Getty Images North Korea's rain-soaked capital was festooned on Tuesday with banners celebrating leader Kim Jong Un ahead of a ruling party congress, as rival South Korea expressed concern that Pyongyang could conduct a nuclear test before or during the rare event. Flower pots lined balconies along streets that have been tidied as part of a 70-day campaign for the first Workers' Party congress in 36 years, which starts on Friday. At the congress, Kim is expected to declare isolated North Korea a nuclear weapons state and formally adopt his "Byongjin" policy to push simultaneously for economic development and nuclear capability. It follows Kim's father's Songun, or "military first," policy and his grandfather's Juche, the North's home-grown founding ideology that combines Marxism and extreme nationalism. watch now "Let's uphold Great Comrade Kim Jong Un's Songun revolutionary leadership with patriotism!," one banner read. Isolated North Korea has conducted a series of weapons tests, including three failed launches of an intermediate-range missile, in the run-up to the Workers' Party congress. One banner in Pyongyang extolled a February rocket launch that put a satellite in space. Overseas, however, the launch drew condemnation as a ballistic missile test in disguise. Kim has aggressively pursued nuclear weapons and could be looking to a successful fifth test this week as a crowning achievement, foreign analysts have said. South Korean Defence Minister Han Min-koo said Pyongyang's nuclear test may come before or around the time of the opening of the congress. "North Korea's goal is to be internationally recognized as a nuclear weapons state," Han told a parliamentary hearing on Tuesday. "We believe its nuclear capability is advancing." North Korea has invited foreign media to cover the congress, although journalists' movements are closely managed and much of the country and its people remain off-limits to outsiders. Pyongyang citizens "fervently welcomed participants of the congress who have given all their patriotic passion ... as a new generation of true warriors of Juche revolution under the leadership of dear comrade Kim Jong Un," North Korea's official Rodong Sinmun newspaper said on Tuesday. Security has been stepped up ahead of the congress. The Daily NK, a website run by defectors with sources in North Korea, said that since mid-April, free movement in and out of the capital had been stopped and security personnel summoned from the provinces to step up domestic surveillance. First since 1980 The party congress is the first since 1980, before the 33-year-old Kim was born. His father and predecessor, Kim Jong Il, who died in December 2011, never held one. Starboard Value is making a move against a pharmaceutical company it says is mismanaged, CEO Jeff Smith said Wednesday. Smith said his activist firm is looking to replace the board at Depomed , a pharma company that specializes in pain and neurology products. While the company in recent years "has seen strong growth in many of its core products," it remains hampered by a lack of scale and an over-emphasis on remaining independent, Smith said. On the latter point, he criticized Depomed for fighting off an offer last year from Horizon Pharma , which was offering a 60 percent premium for the company. "We are concerned that this lack of scale potentially pushes the company to make poor capital allocations and poor strategic decisions," he said Wednesday at the Ira Sohn Investment Conference in New York. Andy Puddicombe and Rich Pierson, co-founders of Headspace, want to help people become more productive by secularizing meditation. "We live in a culture where maybe we think the more we're thinking about stuff, the more that we're doing stuff, the more productive we're going to be, but it doesn't actually always work like that," Puddicombe told CNBC. "Meditation offers us the ability to step out from that thinking mind and to see it in a different way so that we're not so easily overwhelmed," Puddicombe said. "Headspace is our way of helping society think differently about the health and happiness of the mind. There's always been a focus on physical health. Our focus is on the health of the mind," he said. Puddicombe and Pierson, who practice meditation regularly, say it has helped them make business decisions more skillfully by teaching them how to take a step back. "When we started, there was so much uncertainty and that was the hardest thing. ... Resting in that uncertainty and being OK with it, I think that was the biggest benefit of regular meditation," Pierson said. The two met in 2008. Pierson had just quit his job as an advertising executive and Puddicombe had started thinking about ways to bring meditation into modern life. Puddicombe had returned to London after spending years as a Buddhist monk traveling through Nepal and Myanmar, among other places. When they started setting up meditation events in 2010, the two learned a lot from each other. Puddicombe taught Pierson meditation and Pierson taught Puddicombe business. "Most people thought we were completely bonkers when we first started because meditation, especially in the U.K., was quite 'out there' at the time. There was a lot of resistance to the subject matter," said Pierson, 35. The company is now based in Los Angeles. Rich Pierson and Andy Puddicombe, co-founders of HEADspace. Jarrett Bellini | CNBC Some of the resistance might have been reflected in the struggles Headspace encountered before its subscription app model. "We had $50,000 left and the event business was a terrible business model and we weren't making any money," said Pierson. The situation led him to consider alternative ways to make the company financially sustainable. That's when Headspace pivoted to its current subscription model, something that Puddicombe wasn't totally sold on at the time. "Before we even got to subscription, I was absolutely terrified of even going digital, never mind going to subscription. I genuinely didn't believe that it could work," said Puddicombe, 43. Intention, it's not just important at the beginning, it remains an important thing. Andy Puddicombe co-founder of Headspace watch now The likelihood of Donald Trump becoming the Republican presidential candidate compounds concerns about the U.S. economy's inability to kick into higher gear, Eastern Bank Chief Investment Officer Michael Tyler said Wednesday. Trump moved decisively closer to the nomination on Tuesday after his most formidable rival, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, suspended his campaign following the celebrity businessman's victory in the Indiana primary. Tyler said the win adds to his concerns that central bank policy is proving incapable of producing growth in the United States and abroad. "His impact on what markets might do is also somewhat concerning if you look at economic policies," Tyler told CNBC's "Squawk Box." "In particular, the dramatic tax cuts combined especially with the protectionist tariff increases I think could be really negative for the U.S. and global economy." Trump has said he would threaten China, one of the country's top trading partners, with tariffs during trade negotiations. Asked about anti-free-trade sentiment on the left, Tyler said Sen. Bernie Sanders faces a tougher path to the Democratic nomination than Hillary Clinton. Clinton is more moderate than President Barack Obama, and more mainstream and accepted by Wall Street than Trump, he added. watch now Whole Foods Market reported an earnings beat and a slight miss on revenue after the closing bell Wednesday. The upscale grocer posted adjusted earnings of 44 cents a share on revenues of $3.70 billion. Analysts expected Whole Foods to report earnings of about 41 cents a share on $3.74 billion in revenue, according to a consensus estimate from Thomson Reuters. Whole Foods also said that total sales increased to $3.7 billion in the second quarter. "We produced record sales and operating cash flow, and returned $144 million of capital to our shareholders. Through our improved cost structure and expense disciplines, we delivered strong EBITDA in a challenging sales environment," John Mackey, co-founder and co-CEO of Whole Foods, said in a statement. Whole Foods shares were up more than 5 percent after the result, before giving back some of those gains. The stock was last up about 2 percent in after-hours trading. Whole Foods said it saw comparable store sales decline 3 percent in the quarter. Analysts had expected same-store sales to fall 2 percent, according to a consensus estimate from FactSet. The company also updated its forward guidance and said it now expects to "be at or below the low end of prior sales and earnings per share ranges, reflecting recent sales trends and additional investments in marketing and technology in the second half of the year." Whole Foods said it now sees diluted full-year earnings of $1.53 a share. Analysts had previously forecast fiscal 2016 earnings of $1.55 per share, according to a consensus estimate from FactSet. Shares of Whole Foods are down more than 40 percent in the last year as the company has struggled with its image of being too expensive. In December, the supermarket chain agreed to pay a $500,000 settlement after being accused of overcharging its New York City customers. As part of the agreement, Whole Foods said it would implement new policies to ensure more accurate labeling and weighing of its produce. Walter Robb, co-CEO of Whole Foods, told CNBC in November that the company is making progress with its plans to reduce prices, become more transparent and better communicate differences in quality standards. watch now In the year since the verdict was returned to not prosecute the police officer who shot and killed Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, some of the nearly two dozen businesses destroyed in the Nov. 24, 2014, riots have reopened. Concrete barricades that protected the police station are gone. The majority-black St. Louis suburb once led almost exclusively by whites now has a black city manager, municipal judge and two new African-American council members. Types of obituaries The Missourian publishes two types of obituaries family obituaries and life stories. A family obituary is the version submitted by a funeral home or family. Please see the submission form for details on cost and deadlines. Family obituaries A life story is a closer look at a person's life and involves a reporter contacting family and friends. Life stories are based on newsworthiness and consent of the family. Life stories. Family aims to raise awareness about invisible illness Michelle and Jason Kemp's two children were born with cystic fibrosis. The Columbia family shares their story to raise awareness about the genetic disorder. By Katie Fretland of The Commercial Appeal A man who worked as a Millington reserve officer pleaded guilty Wednesday to federal child exploitation charges. Rickie Friar pleaded guilty to transporting a minor around July 10 to July 13, 2015 between Tennessee and Oklahoma with the intent for the victim to engage in sexual activity. He coerced her to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing child pornography. Friar also coerced a girl under 12 years old in January 2015 and a girl under 18 years old in May 2015 old to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing child pornography. Sentencing is set for August 11. Jennifer Balink (right) SHARE By Ted Evanoff of The Commercial Appeal Exchange Club Family Center said Jennifer Balink will succeed Barbara King as executive director. King, who has headed the Memphis nonprofit for 23 years, will step down July 1, the agency said today. Exchange Club Family Center, founded in 1985, counsels and educates violent offenders and victims with 24 programs serving about 5,500 adults and children each year. The 35 employees have nominated the nonprofit twice for The Commercial Appeals annual Top Workplaces award. Balink, a Princeton University graduate, was vice president of donor relations at Lifeblood. Earlier she was special projects advisor to then-Shelby County Mayor A C Wharton and co-founded Shelby County Books from Birth. Ida B. Wells, Rabbi James Wax and Vasco and Maxine Smith There isn't a wall big enough to honor all of the Memphians who have risked life or livelihood to stand up for their rights or the rights of others. When you're limited to 300 square feet room for a Memphis Upstanders Mural with about a dozen images you have to make some hard choices. So, if you're the folks at Facing History and Ourselves, who will announce Thursday the honorees whose images will appear on a wall facing the National Civil Rights Museum, you start by setting some ground rules. 1. Honorees must have lived and worked here at some point in their lives. That's why those who were chosen include Dr. Sheldon Korones, founder of the Regional Medical Center's neonatal intensive care unit, but not St. Jude Children's Hospital founder Danny Thomas. 2. The "upstanding" efforts of the honorees must have been focused here and primarily helped others who were here. That's why the list includes Charl Ormond Williams, the county schools superintendent who championed quality public education for all, but not Supreme Court Justice Abe Fortas, who championed quality public defense for all. 3. Honorees haven't been duly honored in other big ways. So some very familiar and deserving names made the list, such as Ida B. Wells, and Maxine and Vasco Smith; but others didn't, such as those whose names graces such high profile places as the Benjamin L. Hooks Central Library, Robert Church Park, and (C.H.)Mason Temple. 4. Honorees must be deceased. That would include such courageous clergy as Rev. Samuel Billy Kyles, Bishop Carroll Dozier and Rabbi James Wax, but not Rev. Nicholas Vieron or Dr. James Netters. Facing History's selection committee also worked to choose honorees who collectively represent the city's ethnic, religious, generational and vocational diversity. "There are many ways to be an upstander through education, law, art, friendship, or speaking the truth as a witness," said Marti Tippens Murphy, Facing History's local director and a native Memphian. The mural will include the images of some powerful witnesses. Kyles, who died last week, and who witnessed Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s assassination. John T. Fisher, a local businessman who organized the interracial "Memphis Cares" rally after King's death. Nina Katz, a Holocaust survivor, and Lucy Tibbs, a survivor of the 1866 Memphis Massacre. The Yellow Fever martyrs of the 1870s, and the "I Am a Man" striking sanitation workers of 1968. "Sometimes it is being the leader of a movement, other times it is behind the scenes with actions that may never get noticed," Murphy said. There isn't enough room on the wall to notice everyone. The seven-member selection committee, which included three African-Americans, a Jew and a Muslim, received about 150 nominations. That boiled down to about 65 individuals. The committee spent about two months reviewing them all. They asked local historians and community leaders to weigh in. "That wall is a huge opportunity to do something special that speaks to the mission of Facing History as well as the civil rights museum," said Lauren Kennedy, executive director of the Urban Art Commission and a member of the selection committee. Committee members are well aware of the gaps we will find in the wall. There are no Native Americans. No Latinos. No one representing non-Judeo-Christian faiths. No one born after 1934. There won't be enough room on the wall to add more images. But once the mural is complete, Facing History will continue to add names, images and stories including eligible nominees who weren't chosen to a virtual wall on its website. The next step is to find an artist. Facing History is accepting proposals until June 30. They hope the mural will be finished by early fall. "We will consider the mural a success if it inspires people young and old to think about the variety of ways people have worked to stand up for justice and to create a more inclusive community," Murphy said. "We want to inspire people to action." It's a lofty goal for a mural, but a fitting tribute to those who continue to inspire us to tear down the walls between us. Honorees for Memphis Upstanders Mural Lucy Tibbs (1860s) Spoke the Truth at Great Personal Risk Freed slave. Key witness for U.S. House Select Committees investigation of the 1866 Memphis Massacre, and one of first victims of sexual assault to testify publicly. Ida B. Wells (1862-1931) Challenging Racist Ideologies Teacher and journalist. Her newspaper office was burned and she was forced to flee Memphis for her anti-lynching crusade. Yellow Fever Upstanders (1878) Compassion in Times of Crisis Nuns of St. Marys Episcopal Church, Catholic Dominican sisters, members of The Howard Association, and others who helped care for Yellow Fever victims. Charl Ormond Williams (1885-1969) Equality in Schools and in the Voting Booth County schools superintendent. Led local and national efforts for equal access to public schools, and for womens suffrage. Bishop Carroll Dozier (1911-1985) Love the Stranger First bishop of Catholic Diocese of Memphis. Led efforts to oppose Vietnam War, support integration and help refugees via formation of local Catholic Charities. Rabbi James Wax (1912-1989) Building Bridges Clergy leader of local civil rights movement and efforts to help striking sanitation workers and bring peace to Memphis. Efforts led to formation of MIFA. Nina Katz (1924-2014) Victimhood Didnt Define Her Holocaust survivor. Helped establish Memphis Literacy Council and Diversity Memphis. Dr. Sheldon Korones (1924-2013) Protecting the Most Vulnerable Physician. Founded citys first neonatal intensive care unit in 1968; led efforts to address infant mortality. Maxine Smith (1929-2013) and Vasco Smith (1930-2009) Even Great Leaders Have to Protect their Hope City school board member and county commissioner. Local NAACP and civil rights leaders. Rev. Samuel Billy Kyles (1934-2016) Hold on to Your Dreams Pastor, local civil rights leader. Witness to assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. John T. Fisher (1934-2011) Going Against the Status Quo Local businessman. One of few white businessmen to offer public support for sanitation strike and equal rights. Organized interracial Memphis Cares peace rally after King was killed. Sanitation Strike Upstanders (1968), T.O. Jones (1924-1989) Power in Identity Jones and other black striking sanitation workers who participated in I Am a Man demonstrations in 1968. Selected by Memphis Upstanders Mural steering committee members and partners: Ephraim Urevbu, Art Village Gallery, South Main Association; Barbara Williams, Educator, Facing History and Ourselves Advisory Board; Amy Israel, Director of Cultural Arts, Jewish Community Center; Tracy Lauritzen Wright, National Civil Rights Museum; Lamisa Hasan, Rhodes Fellow, Facing History Alumna; Elle Perry, journalist; Lauren Kennedy, Urban Art Commission. Honorees for Memphis Upstanders Mural Lucy Tibbs (1860s)Spoke the Truth at Great Personal RiskFreed slave. Key witness for U.S. House Select Committees investigation of the 1866 Memphis Massacre, and one of first victims of sexual assault to testify publicly. Ida B. Wells (1862-1931)Challenging Racist IdeologiesTeacher and journalist. Her newspaper office was burned and she was forced to flee Memphis for her anti-lynching crusade. Yellow Fever Upstanders (1878)Compassion in Times of CrisisNuns of St. Marys Episcopal Church, Catholic Dominican sisters, members of The Howard Association, and others who helped care for Yellow Fever victims. Charl Ormond Williams (1885-1969)Equality in Schools and in the Voting BoothCounty schools superintendent. Led local and national efforts for equal access to public schools, and for womens suffrage. Bishop Carroll Dozier (1911-1985)Love the StrangerFirst bishop of Catholic Diocese of Memphis. Led efforts to oppose Vietnam War, support integration and help refugees via formation of local Catholic Charities. Rabbi James Wax (1912-1989)Building BridgesClergy leader of local civil rights movement and efforts to help striking sanitation workers and bring peace to Memphis. Efforts led to formation of MIFA. Nina Katz (1924-2014)Victimhood Didnt Define HerHolocaust survivor. Helped establish Memphis Literacy Council and Diversity Memphis. Dr. Sheldon Korones (1924-2013)Protecting the Most VulnerablePhysician. Founded citys first neonatal intensive care unit in 1968; led efforts to address infant mortality. Maxine Smith (1929-2013) and Vasco Smith (1930-2009)Even Great Leaders Have to Protect their HopeCity school board member and county commissioner. Local NAACP and civil rights leaders. Rev. Samuel Billy Kyles (1934-2016)Hold on to Your DreamsPastor, local civil rights leader. Witness to assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. John T. Fisher (1934-2011)Going Against the Status QuoLocal businessman. One of few white businessmen to offer public support for sanitation strike and equal rights. Organized interracial Memphis Cares peace rally after King was killed. Sanitation Strike Upstanders (1968), T.O. Jones (1924-1989)Power in IdentityJones and other black striking sanitation workers who participated in I Am a Man demonstrations in 1968. Selected by Memphis Upstanders Mural steering committee members and partners: Ephraim Urevbu, Art Village Gallery, South Main Association; Barbara Williams, Educator, Facing History and Ourselves Advisory Board; Amy Israel, Director of Cultural Arts, Jewish Community Center; Tracy Lauritzen Wright, National Civil Rights Museum; Lamisa Hasan, Rhodes Fellow, Facing History Alumna; Elle Perry, journalist; Lauren Kennedy, Urban Art Commission. May 3, 2016 - Michael Rimmer's re-trial continues Tuesday morning with previous testimony being read into evidence. He won a new trial after being sentenced to death in the 1997 killing of his former girlfriend Ricci Lynn Ellsworth. Ellsworth's body was never found. (Stan Carroll/The Commercial Appeal) By Katie Fretland of The Commercial Appeal Richard Rimmer testified Wednesday that he knows nothing about a shovel in the case of his brother, who is on trial for capital murder in the disappearance of 45-year-old Ricci Ellsworth. During a previous trial, evidence was presented that Michael Rimmer asked Richard Rimmer to keep a shovel and for help cleaning blood from the backseat of a car during the morning of Feb. 8, 1997, hours after Ellsworth was last seen alive. Richard Rimmer, 47, said Wednesday he has no memory of speaking with police in 1997. "I don't know nothing about no shovel," he said. Michael Rimmer, 50, was convicted of killing Ellsworth, his former girlfriend, in 1998. Her body was never found after her disappearance from the Memphis Inn near Interstate 40 and Sycamore View. A new trial was ordered in 2012 after a judge found Rimmer's defense counsel, both in 1998 and at a resentencing, failed to effectively investigate the capital case. Shelby County Criminal Court Judge James Beasley Jr. found that the Shelby County prosecutor who handled the case, Thomas Henderson, "purposefully misled" Rimmer's defense counsel about evidence. Richard Rimmer said Wednesday he has had health problems, including head injuries. Special prosecutor Pam Anderson asked if he had any memory at all of giving a statement to police officers. "I really don't," he said. Given a copy of a statement, Richard Rimmer testified it included his signature, but he denied making parts of it and said he did not remember others. Anderson asked if he remembers his brother showing up with blood in the car. "I sure don't," he said. Tim Helldorfer interviewed Richard Rimmer when he worked on the investigation of Ellsworth's disappearance for the Memphis Police Department. Helldorfer, the chief investigator of Shelby County District Attorney General Amy Weirich's office, is working on the retrial as an investigator for special prosecutors Anderson and Rachel Sobrero. Weirich announced in 2014 she would ask for the appointment of a special prosecutor to handle the trial. Helldorfer said Wednesday that Richard Rimmer said Michael Rimmer came to his house with mud on his white tennis shoes and wanted him to clean the inside of a car. Richard Rimmer saw a bloodstained back seat and a shovel, Helldorfer said. Helldorfer also interviewed Billy Wayne Voyles, who was identified as being at the motel where Ellsworth disappeared. A woman in Arkansas identified him from a sketch published in The Commercial Appeal, and a witness at the motel identified him from photos. "(Voyles) gave me some alibi information, and I put that in my supplement," Helldorfer said Wednesday. "And I don't know if it was followed up by another investigator or not." SHARE By Jody Callahan of The Commercial Appeal Sixteen alleged members of the West Tennessee Gangster Disciples have been indicted on various charges as part of a national roundup targeting the a violent street gang, officials said Wednesday. Dozens more gang members were also arrested in Atlanta on a separate indictment, officials said. According to the indictment, the Gangster Disciples operate in more than 35 states. Of the Memphis indictments, all 16 were arrested Wednesday by federal, state and local law-enforcement agencies. According to the indictment, the defendants committed attempted murders, robberies, assaults, drug distribution, kidnappings, witness intimidation, extortion and other offenses. These Memphis and Jackson, Tennessee, residents have been indicted on RICO conspiracy charges as well as drug charges: Byron Purdy, 37; Derrick Crumpton, 32; Demarcus Crawford, 32; Henry Cooper, 36; Rico Hassis, 43; Shamar James, 37; Demario Sprouse, 35; Robert Jones, 36; Denton Suggs, 40; Santiago Shaw, 23; Tommy Champion, 27; Cory Bowers, 32; Gerald Hampton, 30; Daniel Cole, 37; Tommy Wilkins, 28; and Tarius Taylor, 26. The RICO charge carries a maximum sentence of life in prison and a fine up to $250,000. The drug charges carry a minimum sentence of 10 years and a maximum of life imprisonment, and a fine up to $10 million. Five of the defendants Crawford, Shaw, Champion, Taylor and Bowers are charged with seven counts of attempted murder in aid of racketeering. They are also charged with seven counts of using a firearm during the commission of those offenses. Those crimes carry a maximum sentence of 10 years imprisonment for each offense, and a fine up to $250,000. SHARE James Griffin By Yolanda Jones of The Commercial Appeal The former principal at Manassas High School has been accused of stealing school funds by forging signatures on 14 checks. James Griffin, 42, was arrested Tuesday charged with multiple counts of theft of property $1,000 to $10,000, forgery and official misconduct. Griffin resigned as principal April 1, said Shelby County Schools in an email Wednesday. According to an affidavit, Griffin wrote the checks on the schools account at Tri-State Bank, an account that should have been closed in 2015 after Shelby County Schools switched their banking to Regions Bank. In January, the schools financial secretary told Griffin that the Tri-State bank account was still open and had over $14,000 in it. Police said Griffin then withdrew $12,000 and deposited the money in the Regions account. That left over $2,000 in the Tri-State bank account that remained open. Investigators said Griffin forged the signatures of the schools assistant principal and financial secretary on checks to be able to get the funds in the Tri-State account. He wrote two checks in January and February totaling $1,400 and gave the checks to a teacher to buy concessions from Sams Club, according to police. The teacher told police that Sams Club would not accept the checks from the Tri-State account, so she cashed the checks, bought the concessions and then gave the receipt and change to Griffin. Shelby County Schools completed a preliminary inquiry to see if reasonable suspicion of a crime had occurred and could not find where a request for the funds was submitted or where a receipt or change to reconcile the money expenditure was made, police wrote in an affidavit. The schools financial secretary and assistant principal were shown the Tri-State checks with their signatures and they told police they did not sign the checks. On Feb. 7, police said the school received a donation from Grace Ministries that should have been deposited in the schools Regions account, but was deposited by Griffin in the Tri-State account. Two days later on Feb. 9, Griffin wrote a $1,000 check to himself from the account and forged the signature of the schools assistant principal, according to the affidavit. Police said the theft continued on April 18, when a school employee said Griffin told her she would receive a stipend for work she had done, and when she received the funds that she was to give him half the money. The woman told police that she was put in position she did not know what to do and did give Principal James Griffin half of the stipend when she received it. The affidavit did not state how much the stipend was for. On Monday, police received copies of 11 additional Tri-State checks with the signature of the assistant principal forged on 10 checks. Griffin caused the checks to be executed for payment by writing them to himself, other teachers and businesses using his position of authority as principal of Manassas High School, the affidavits states. Griffin was taken into custody Tuesday but was released Wednesday after posting a $50,000 bond. SHARE By Jody Callahan of The Commercial Appeal Memphis police have identified a man shot to death Saturday night as Ricky Irving, 21. Irving was shot and killed around 11:40 p.m. in the 2200 block of Airways Boulevard in South Memphis. He was pronounced dead at the scene. No arrests have been made. This old hotel at Interstate 55 and Crump Boulevard will be demolished, a developer says. (Photo by Google) SHARE By Ryan Poe of The Commercial Appeal For close to 30 years, French Fort resident Bruce Walker has driven past the former Quality Inn near the Memphis & Arkansas Bridge crossed by an estimated 55,000 drivers per day and cringed. "It's a slap in the face to everyday have to see this," he said. Walker and some of his neighbors flanked Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland on Wednesday as the mayor announced that French Fort developer Lauren Crews had agreed to demolish the five-story eyesore by Sept. 1. The agreement resolves a city lawsuit filed against Crews in environmental court late last year. The property at 271 Alston near the Interstate 55 river crossing has been the focal point for neighbors' criticism of Crews' long-term plan to redevelop part of the French Fort area, including the former U.S. Marine Hospital. He hopes to eventually develop a new hotel, grocery store, events center and apartment complexes as part of a $138 million master plan stretching from the Marine Hospital to the river. Crews said he bought the 1967 structure which had been tattooed with graffiti and crowned with trees on the roof as it sat vacant for about two decades in 2006 because he was "passionate" about protecting the area. But his plans to secure financing for a redevelopment have been sidelined while the Tennessee Department of Transportation delays moving forward with the I-55/Crump Boulevard realignment project. With no timetable for a redevelopment, he said tearing down the structure was the "right thing to do." "People in the community just see it as an ugly, blighted building, and rightly so," Crews said. "And I'm with them on that." The building was deemed a "public nuisance" in environmental court, thanks to the work of the University of Memphis Blight Clinic a team of law students working with the city on blight lawsuits. Environmental Court referee John Cameron signed a consent order for demolition earlier Wednesday. Crews said the demolition would cost him about $300,000. At the announcement, Crews said the agreement wouldn't have happened without Strickland, who personally mediated between Crews and neighbors. "Let's move forward," Crews said. But Sara Lewis, a former Memphis City Schools board member and nearby resident who pushed for the demolition, said she still has "reservations" about Crews' plans, as well as personal beefs with the developer. "Most people know that you don't start a fight with me," she said, speaking of Crews. "But if you start a fight with me, I'm going to finish it." Crews said he hopes Strickland will pressure TDOT to move forward more quickly and find an alternate plan to the one currently being pursued, which would require closing the bridge for nine months or more, or closing the bridge intermittently in exchange for adding years to the construction time. Strickland said he's committed to gathering business and community leaders to look at the project in the future, but didn't know when that would be. Also present at the announcement were council members Janis Fullilove, Joe Brown and Martavius Jones, whose super districts include French Fort. Shading her eyes as she looked up at the building, Fullilove said the structure shouldn't be one of the first things that I-55 drivers see coming to Memphis. "It's a good day," she said. May 4, 2016 - Former Memphis mayor Willie Herenton (left) speaks of his plan to create juvenile rehabilitation facilities during a Shelby County Commission meeting as Shelby County Mayor Mark Luttrell sits beside him in support. (Brandon Dill/Special to The Commercial Appeal) SHARE By Linda A. Moore of The Commercial Appeal Former Memphis mayor Willie Herenton is proposing to build multiple juvenile rehabilitation facilities that would keep the young people in Shelby County, as well as the $17 million now being spent to house them elsewhere. Herenton presented to a Shelby County Commission committee Wednesday his plan for NewPath, which would "partner" with Juvenile Court and provide two 200-bed facilities on 40 acres in Frayser and Millington. The facilities would offer wrap-around services that include medical and mental health care as well as educational and vocational training. The project has investors and would not require county funding, he said. "I think the boys and girls who commit crimes, there out to be some consequences for crimes, but it ought to be addressed in some rehabilitative process," Herenton said. Juvenile Court Judge Dan Michael supports Herenton's effort to help the county's children, but said the court does not enter into partnerships with for-profit or non-profit agencies and has no control over where young people are sent. Juveniles who are sent to residential facilities are placed in the custody of the Tennessee Department of Children's Services, which then decides where they go, Michael said. "Once we commit a child to the state's care who has committed a delinquent act, we lose control over where that child goes," Michael said. Commissioners were receptive to Herenton's presentation, with Commissioner Reginald Milton asking why it took so long for him to bring them the idea. Herenton is now executive director of W.E.B. Du Bois Charter Consortium and at one point owed Shelby County Schools $866,675 for utilities, rent and other expenses. Commissioner David Reaves wanted to know if that debt had been paid, prompting Herenton to ask why the question was relevant. County Mayor Mark Luttrell was at Herenton's side during his presentation and told the committee that he and Herenton, also a former superintendent of Memphis City Schools, had discussed the concept years ago when Luttrell was sheriff. The idea has Luttrell's support, but will probably face a tough audience at the state level, the mayor said. Herenton agreed, pointing out that the economy of those communities where the juveniles are housed is "built on the shoulders of the boys and girls of Shelby County." NAEP results show Memphis students suffered some of greatest pandemic losses While Tennessee saw declines in line with other states across the country, Memphis declines were more severe. Thomas Busler/The Commercial Appeal files Kevin Kopp (left) helps owner John Sanders bathe Susie on May 5, 1982, in preparation for the annual Children's Pet Parade. John, the 11-year-old son of Mr. and Mrs. M.R. Sanders of 282 South Circle Road, is spending the week getting Susie ready to put her best pigfoot forward in the Overton Park competition. SHARE May 4 25 years ago: 1991 LeMoyne-Owen College's Board of Trustees elected Fredrika Hodges as its chairman Friday and began forming a 13-member committee to lead the search for a new president of the college. The trustees also named two new members to the board Benjamin L. Hooks, national executive director of the NAACP and a LeMoyne-Owen alumnus, and Walter M. Langford, recently retired executive vice president and general manager of Cleo Inc. The board now has 42 members. 50 years ago: 1966 Stockholders of American Snuff Co., meeting yesterday in Flemington, N.J., approved the proposal of the directors that the company name be changed to Conwood Corporation. The name change will become official late in June with amendment of the company's New Jersey charter, and other formalities which must be undertaken. The change was presented to the shareholders as being more representative of a corporation which has diversified from a snuff and chewing tobacco manufacturer to such things as popcorn, shoe polishes and insecticides. The name American Snuff Co. will be preserved as the tobacco products division of the Conwood Corporation. 75 years ago: 1941 Dr. Willis Campbell, famed bone specialist, is ill at St. Luke's Hospital in Chicago. Mrs. Campbell said Dr. Campbell, 60, had been ailing with heart trouble since March. 100 years ago: 1916 The members of the University Club will entertain with a party on board the steamer Kate Adams, leaving Memphis this afternoon and returning Saturday. 125 years ago: 1891 A large share of the sidewalks on each side of Union street, east of Second, is taken up by the paving stones that are stored there for future use. Pedestrians complain that they are carelessly piled and that they obstruct traffic more than is necessary. SHARE Buddy Billings has been named interim fire chief for the town of Collierville. By Daniel Connolly of The Commercial Appeal Collierville Mayor Stan Joyner will nominate interim Fire Chief Buddy Billings to the permanent post, setting aside a search for an outside candidate. Joyner confirmed his decision Wednesday. The Board of Mayor and Aldermen is scheduled to consider the Billings nomination at its meeting Monday. Billings, a longtime employee of the town fire department, took the role of interim chief following the retirement of Jerry Crawford at the end of February. The town narrowed the search to four finalists from outside the department, including former Memphis Fire Director Michael Putt. Joyner said the search for an outside candidate ended because Billings changed his mind about staying in the chief's job. "We had actually talked to Buddy before we went out on a search. And at that particular time, he said that he didn't feel like he was interested in becoming the permanent chief," Joyner said. "But I think as time went on, and he received encouragement probably from others, he decided that he would like to be the chief." Joyner said town staffers went through a lengthy interview process with other candidates. "But I have to say that going in, Buddy would have been our first choice." Reached by phone Wednesday, Billings confirmed he'd changed his mind. The 57-year-old said he'd worked for the town since he was 19, and that, at first, he didn't want to stay in the chief's job because he was thinking about retiring in a few years. "I just felt like they might want to get somebody to stay a little longer," Billings said. But different people urged him to stay. "I've talked with a lot of firemen from all ranks of the department from the bottom to the top," he said. "I've talked to citizens I've known all my life that are part of the community. Chamber members. People at church. Even my preacher. He told me I ought to take it, I'd be a good man for the job, type thing." He said he told the mayor about his change of heart about a week ago. "Now I'm all in, 100 percent, and raring to go." He said he'd already spoken with some of the town's five aldermen and anticipated they'd support his appointment as chief. Collierville is a fast-growing suburb and the fire department's operations accounted for nearly $7 million in spending in the most recent fiscal year. The department has 72 employees. The salary for the Collierville fire chief ranges from $70,000 to $121,000. Billings earns $95,400 as interim chief, said town spokesman Mark Heuberger. SHARE By Ron Maxey of The Commercial Appeal They watched the 30-odd balloons drift slowly away until they vanished into a clear blue sky, much as James Irby Jr. did three years ago Wednesday. Eight members of the Memphis man's family gathered alongside U.S. 61 in Walls to remember Irby's still-unexplained disappearance after a traffic stop by local police. "We just want to ask that somebody out here on this highway that saw what happened to my brother come forward," Viola Johnson, Irby's sister from Clarksdale, Mississippi, said during a brief prayer before she, her children and grandchildren, and Irby's mother, Ethel Allen, released a multicolored bundle of balloons into a flawless sky. Irby, 55, ran across the highway into a wheat field and eluded a pursuing police officer after being stopped for what police said was a traffic violation on May 4, 2013. After spotting drugs in the car, Irby was asked to step outside and fled, according to police. The FBI found no wrongdoing on the part of Walls police or town officials, who speculate Irby found a ride and dropped out of sight. His family says, however, they haven't heard a word from him in three years and don't believe he would cut off contact if alive. "It just does something to me every time I come this way," Allen, also of Clarksdale, said of her son's disappearance. "We just want some kind of closing in this," Johnson added. "I pray each and every day that my brother is going to show up. "Anybody anybody who saw something that day, please just come forward and say what you saw." The balloon release area was near where family and volunteers searched for clues almost a year after Irby went missing. They walked along railroad tracks and scoured the open fields near the Mississippi River, but they only found some bones which were determined to be from a deer. Wednesday, in addition to releasing balloons, Johnson's children and grandchildren attached fliers to posts along the highway, bearing Irby's photo and information about the missing man. Fliers also were attached to some of the balloons. The family has done a balloon release on the anniversary each year since Irby's disappearance, and Johnson said they'll keep it up until there's some sort of resolution. "As long as I'm able," Johnson said, "I'll make sure he's not forgotten." SHARE Josh Salter is a prime example of what a kid with a lot of ambition and determination, along with solid parental support, can accomplish. When Salter, 18, graduates from Middle College High this month, he will be among a handful of students here who have earned 60 college credits the equivalent of two years of college while still in high school. His academic assiduousness has also earned him more than $1 million in scholarship offers from colleges across the nation. He chose Austin College in Sherman, Texas, a private liberal arts campus north of Dallas that reminds him of Rhodes College. While his academic prowess is laudatory, his perseverance, despite a number of life hurdles that would have derailed most teens, is what makes this young man really stand out. The North Memphis teen's story is one that should serve as an inspiration to all of us, rich or poor, that where there is a will there is a way. Salter is headed to college with the good wishes of a half-dozen Memphis philanthropists and mentors who read his story in The Commercial Appeal in December 2014. Salter's father is in prison. His mother, Monique Salter, was working two part-time jobs when Josh at 16 decided he was going to earn as many college credits as he could through Middle College High's partnership with Christian Brothers University. He got up at 5 a.m. to catch the bus at Jackson and Maury, headed Downtown and waited 30 minutes for the transfer to Middle College in the former Fairview Middle at the Fairgrounds. If the buses were on time, he would arrive 45 minutes before school started. Teachers noticed him standing outside and let him inside. When the school day was over, he would catch another bus to his night job at the drive-up at Chick-fil-A on Union. At 10 p.m., when the store closed, his grandmother picked him up in her 2003 Nissan Sentra, in time to do homework for his high school classes and the five or six classes he was taking at CBU. Most nights, he dropped in bed at midnight. It was a daily regimen that would have overpowered a lot of high schoolers. But his story buttresses a point and deflates a too- common stereotype about African-American families. Youth from financially challenged households can achieve when there is desire and solid family support, even in a single-parent household. Salter's mother provided that support and guidance. If what Salter and his mother have could be bottled and distributed to this city's poor families, Memphis would be better off in terms of failing schools, high crime and its quest for high-paying jobs that build a strong middle class. Unfortunately, however, there are too many parents who do not know how to be parents and, as a result, their young children are denied the foundation and nurturing that produce Josh Salters and other successful students. That is why finding ways to mitigate that nurturing deficit early in a child's development is so important. By Debra Nutall, Special to Viewpoint In the 1990s, I owned a natural hair care salon in the Memphis area called The Dee-Nu-Tall Braiding Academy. My salon was so successful that I was able to pull myself out of the welfare system and even buy a home for my family. Unfortunately, the occupational licensing laws in Tennessee placed a tremendous burden on my ability to run my business and make a living. That's why I am very grateful that the Beacon Center of Tennessee has filed a lawsuit against the state challenging the ridiculous requirement that someone must get a license to wash hair. I've been particularly impacted by similar licensing laws in the hair care field. Tennesseans should rally against these terrible laws that drove me to take my business out of Tennessee. When I owned my salon, I trained women to braid using my techniques, and they were also able to improve the quality of their lives. My sister, Tammy, and daughter Latisha were among those who worked in my salon, and we adored our jobs. We found great meaning in our trade and relished the ability to work among family. We also provided many women with hairstyles that made them feel beautiful and that were healthy for their scalps, unlike many of the traditional cosmetology styles that involve harsh chemicals. Unfortunately, the state Board of Cosmetology ended all of this in 1998. It claimed my business was in violation of state law because I did not have a cosmetology license. We were simply braiding hair in my salon, a practice that is entrenched in the African-American community and a distinct part of our heritage and culture. But nevertheless, the government was determined to make me get a license just to work. A cosmetology license can cost from $15,000 up to $32,000, and requires 1,500 hours of training. Furthermore, the license has practically nothing to do with hair braiding (or shampooing, for that matter). I had invested all my savings in my business; if the state closed my business, I would have had to go back on welfare. I didn't have the time or resources to go to cosmetology school, and more important, I didn't see any legitimate need to do so considering the degree had nothing to do with my line of work. Instead, I did the only thing I could do: I moved. I took my family and my business across the state line to Mississippi, where I could run my business without government interference. But many in our community can't afford to move like I did. The Volunteer State continues to burden them with numerous, onerous occupational licensing requirements, making it difficult or impossible to get a good job. Washing hair is just the tip of the iceberg. In fact, 53 low-income occupations require a license in Tennessee. Only five states require a license to wash hair, an activity that practically everyone does every day and that we would frequently carry out in the salon before we braided hair. The licensing requirement for this field is particularly ridiculous. And because no school in the state even offers the program required to obtain the shampooing license, the only way for someone to wash hair in Tennessee is to become a fully licensed cosmetologist. Sound familiar? These unnecessary requirements that pushed me out of the state continue to affect my friends and family. My sister, Tammy, who is now a police officer, has not only been told that she cannot braid hair without a license, but that she cannot simply wash hair in one of her friend's salons for additional income without acquiring a cosmetology license. Why do we make it difficult for people to earn an honest living? Licenses, such as the shampoo license, are nothing more than a tax on lower-income individuals who simply wish to work. I view this as a civil right, one that affects all Americans. Tammy, with the help of the Beacon Center, has taken her case to court in a lawsuit against the Board of Cosmetology. This suit seeks to overturn the hair washing licensing law, and it's a case I very much hope will be successful so Tennesseans can get to work without government standing in their way. Debra Nutall is the former owner of The Dee-Nu-Tall Braiding Academy in Memphis. Select Commodity All Ajwan Alasande Gram Almond(Badam) Alsandikai Amaranthus Ambada Seed Amla(Nelli Kai) Amphophalus Antawala Anthorium Apple Apricot(Jardalu/Khumani) Arecanut(Betelnut/Supari) Arecanut(Betelnut/Supari) Arhar (Tur/Red Gram)(Whole) Arhar (Tur/Red Gram)(Whole) Arhar Dal(Tur Dal) Ashgourd Astera Avare Dal Bajra(Pearl Millet/Cumbu) Bajra(Pearl Millet/Cumbu) Balekai Bamboo Banana Banana - Green Barley (Jau) Bay leaf (Tejpatta) Beans Beaten Rice Beetroot Bengal Gram Dal (Chana Dal) Bengal Gram(Gram)(Whole) Ber(Zizyphus/Borehannu) Ber(Zizyphus/Borehannu) Betal Leaves Bhindi(Ladies Finger) Bitter gourd Black Gram (Urd Beans)(Whole) Black Gram Dal (Urd Dal) Black pepper BOP Bottle gourd Bran Brinjal Broken Rice Broomstick(Flower Broom) Bull Bunch Beans Cabbage Calf Capsicum Cardamoms Carnation Carrot Cashewnuts Castor Seed Cauliflower Chapparad Avare Chennangi Dal Cherry Chikoos(Sapota) Chili Red Chilly Capsicum Chow Chow Chrysanthemum Chrysanthemum(Loose) Cinamon(Dalchini) Cloves Cluster beans Cock Cocoa Coconut Coconut Oil Coconut Seed Coffee Colacasia Copra Coriander(Leaves) Corriander seed Cotton Cotton Seed Cow Cowpea (Lobia/Karamani) Cowpea (Lobia/Karamani) Cowpea(Veg) Cucumbar(Kheera) Cummin Seed(Jeera) Custard Apple (Sharifa) Dalda Dhaincha Drumstick Dry Chillies Dry Fodder Dry Grapes Duck Duster Beans Egg Elephant Yam (Suran) Field Pea Firewood Fish Foxtail Millet(Navane) French Beans (Frasbean) Galgal(Lemon) Garlic Ghee Gingelly Oil Ginger(Dry) Ginger(Green) Gladiolus Cut Flower Goat Gram Raw(Chholia) Gramflour Grapes Green Avare (W) Green Chilli Green Fodder Green Gram (Moong)(Whole) Green Gram Dal (Moong Dal) Green Peas Ground Nut Oil Ground Nut Seed Groundnut Groundnut (Split) Groundnut pods (raw) Guar Guar Seed(Cluster Beans Seed) Guava Gur(Jaggery) He Buffalo Hen Hippe Seed Honge seed Hybrid Cumbu Indian Beans (Seam) Indian Colza(Sarson) Isabgul (Psyllium) Jack Fruit Jaffri Jamun(Narale Hannu) Jarbara Jasmine Jowar(Sorghum) Jute Kabuli Chana(Chickpeas-White) Kacholam Kakada Kankambra Karamani Karbuja(Musk Melon) Kartali (Kantola) Khoya Kinnow Knool Khol Kodo Millet(Varagu) Kulthi(Horse Gram) Lak(Teora) Leafy Vegetable Lemon Lentil (Masur)(Whole) Lilly Lime Linseed Lint Litchi Little gourd (Kundru) Long Melon(Kakri) Lotus Lotus Sticks Lukad Mahedi Mahua Mahua Seed(Hippe seed) Maida Atta Maize Mango Mango (Raw-Ripe) Marasebu Marget Marigold(Calcutta) Marigold(loose) Mashrooms Masur Dal Mataki Methi Seeds Methi(Leaves) Millets Mint(Pudina) Moath Dal Mousambi(Sweet Lime) Mustard Mustard Oil Myrobolan(Harad) Neem Seed Niger Seed (Ramtil) Nutmeg Onion Onion Green Orange Orchid Ox Paddy(Dhan)(Basmati) Paddy(Dhan)(Common) Papaya Papaya (Raw) Patti Calcutta Peach Pear(Marasebu) Peas cod Peas Wet Peas(Dry) Pegeon Pea (Arhar Fali) Pepper garbled Pepper ungarbled Persimon(Japani Fal) Pigs Pineapple Plum Pointed gourd (Parval) Pomegranate Potato Pumpkin Raddish Ragi (Finger Millet) Raibel Rajgir Ram Rat Tail Radish (Mogari) Raya Resinwood Rice Ridge gourd(Tori) Ridgeguard(Tori) Rose(Local) Rose(Loose) Rose(Loose)) Round gourd Rubber Sabu Dan Sabu Dana Safflower Sajje Same/Savi Season Leaves Seemebadnekai Seetafal Seetapal Sesamum(Sesame,Gingelly,Til) Sesamum(Sesame,Gingelly,Til) She Buffalo She Goat Sheep Snake gourd Snakeguard Soanf Soapnut(Antawala/Retha) Soapnut(Antawala/Retha) Soji Soyabean Spinach Sponge gourd Squash(Chappal Kadoo) Sugar Sugarcane Sunflower Sunhemp Suram Surat Beans (Papadi) Suva (Dill Seed) Suvarna Gadde Sweet Potato Sweet Pumpkin T.V. Cumbu T.V. Cumbu Tamarind Fruit Tamarind Seed Tapioca Taramira Tender Coconut Thinai (Italian Millet) Thogrikai Thondekai Tinda Tobacco Tomato Toria Tube Rose(Double) Tube Rose(Loose) Tube Rose(Single) Turmeric Turmeric (raw) Turnip Walnut Water Melon Wheat Wheat Atta White Peas White Pumpkin Wood Yam Yam (Ratalu) Select State Select Market All blogs hosted on Google's blogspot.com domain can now be accessed over an encrypted HTTPS connection. This puts more control into the hands of blog readers who value privacy. Google started offering users of its Blogger service the option to switch their blogspot.com sites to HTTPS in September, but now that setting was removed and all blogs received an HTTPS version that users can access. Instead of the "HTTPS Availability" option, blog owners can now use a setting called "HTTPS Redirect," which will redirect all visitors to the HTTPS version of their blogs automatically. If the setting is not used, users will still be able to access the non-encrypted HTTP version. Forcing HTTPS by default would have been better, but would have likely triggered mixed content alerts in users' browsers for some blogs. These errors happen when a website served over HTTPS loads resources, such as images and code, from external servers that don't use HTTPS. "Mixed content is often caused by incompatible templates, gadgets, or post content," Google software security engineer Milinda Perera said in a blog post Tuesday. "While we're proactively fixing most of these errors, some of them can only be fixed by you, the blog authors." To help authors detect such errors early, Google has built a tool directly into the Blogger editor that warns authors about mixed content issues even before a blog post is saved and published. In addition to using blogspot subdomains, Google's Blogger service allows users to use their custom domains for their blogs; however, those blogs have not received HTTPS support yet. This is in contrast to WordPress.com, the blogging platform run by Automattic, which recently enabled HTTPS by default for all custom domains. The company achieved that by partnering with Let's Encrypt, a new certificate authority that provides free SSL/TLS certificates and automates their deployment, configuration and renewal. Users who want to always access the HTTPS version of a blogspot.com domain can install the HTTPS Everywhere extension developed by the Electronic Frontier Foundation that's available for Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox and Opera. IBM Research is making its quantum processor available to the public via IBM's cloud to any desktop or mobile device. "This moment represents the birth of quantum cloud computing," Arvind Krishna, senior vice president and director of IBM Research, said in a statement today. "Quantum computers are very different from today's computers, not only in what they look like and are made of, but more importantly in what they can do. Quantum computing is becoming a reality and it will extend computation far beyond what is imaginable with today's computers. The cloud-enabled quantum computing platform, dubbed the IBM Quantum Experience, is designed to let people use individual quantum bits, also known as qubits, to run algorithms and experiments on IBM's quantum processor. Jay Gambetta, manager of Theory of Quantum Computing and Information at IBM, told Computerworld that the public use of Quantum Experience will be free. "Since this is open to the public, there is no organization or business that will have priority," said Gambetta. "There are several opportunities for material and drug design, optimization, and other commercially important applications where quantum computing promises to offer significant value beyond what classical computers can offer." Charles King, an analyst with Pund-IT, Inc., said IBM's 5-qubit processor should be powerful enough to handle a variety of research and other computations. "I personally believe this is a very big deal," he added. "First and foremost, it should significantly broaden interest in and work around quantum computing. At this point, those efforts are mainly being performed by researchers associated with companies and labs able to afford highly experimental and highly expensive quantum technologies." King also noted that providing public access should help validate work being done on quantum computing algorithms and applications, which previously could only be run in simulations. "The project demonstrates that IBM's concepts around quantum processors work, can be reproduced and are stable enough to support cloud-based access and services," said King. "If the project succeeds and leads to a clearer understanding of quantum computing, as well as workable larger systems, it will definitely be remembered as a game changer." Earl Joseph, an IDC analyst, noted that in addition to fully building a quantum computer, the big challenge is figuring out how to program it. IBMs move to engage the public should help with that. This experiment provides the opportunity for a large group of people to start to learn how to program quantum computers, which will help to develop ways to use this new type of technology, said Joseph. Hopefully, it will help to motivate students to go into quantum computing programming as a field of research. Its a milestone in allowing a larger number of people around the world to get their hands on this. Richard Doherty, an analyst with The Envisioneering Group, called the IBM move a potential game changer. Quantum computers may be the most compelling, rich-data, cognitive engines for decades to come, he said. Our eagerness to solve business, and societal IT and calculation challenges seems limitless. Data farms and smart data demand quantum computing power. If you make it, they will come. IBM and the public get to establish this. Although D-Wave Systems Inc., a Canadian company, has said it's built a quantum computer and Google and NASA are testing their own quantum hardware, many in the computer industry and the world of physics say a full-scale quantum computer has not yet been created. IBM isn't saying it's built a quantum computer. What it has are quantum processors, which are much smaller than a full-scale computer. According to IBM, four to five qubits is the minimum number required to support quantum algorithms and simple applications. IBM's quantum processor contains five qubits. The company noted that its scientists think in the next 10 years they'll have medium-sized quantum processors of 50 to 100 qubits, which they believe will be capable of tapping into quantum physics. At 50 qubits, IBM contends that classic computers could not compete with it in terms of speed running complex calculations. A quantum computer uses qubits, instead of the bits used in classic computers. A qubit has the possibility of being both a one and a zero. Using qubits, a quantum machine doesn't work in an orderly fashion and can calculate all possibilities at the same time. That means quantum machines should be able to work on problems requiring complex and massive calculations much faster. Scientists hope quantum computers will eventually be used to find distant habitable planets, create greater computer security and find a cure for cancer and heart disease. IBM's current quantum processor is being housed at the IBM T.J. Watson Research Center in New York. "By giving hands-on access to IBM's experimental quantum systems, the IBM Quantum Experience will make it easier for researchers and the scientific community to accelerate innovations in the quantum field, and help discover new applications for this technology," said Krishna. Opera Software today released a production version of its flagship desktop browser with an integrated ad blocker, along with a similarly armed version of its Opera Mini for Android. In March, Opera revealed plans to bake an ad-blocker into its browsers when it shipped a developer preview of the desktop Opera that included the technology. Rival browser makers, including Apple, Google, Microsoft and Mozilla, do not scrub pages of their ads themselves, but instead have taken a path of least resistance by supporting third-party ad-blocking extensions. [Related story: Ad blockers: A solution or a problem?] Today, Opera again argued that it's included an ad blocker because customers want a faster browser. "We do this because we want to provide people with the fastest browsers in the market," asserted Opera CEO Lars Boilesen in a statement. "Our speed test shows that online ads slow down the browsing experience." But in March, Krystian Kolondra, who leads Opera's engineering, said that the Norwegian-made browser was integrating a blocker not only to accelerate rendering -- an obvious result of dropping any page content -- but also for evangelical reasons. "The [ad] industry should be making sure that ads are not ruining the user experience," said Kolondra in a March 10 interview. He also noted ad industry claims that it is working on creating ad types that are less intrusive and come with a smaller rendering penalty, but wondered, "Where are those better ads? If we could accelerate this change, there wouldn't be a need for ad blocking." The increase in browser-based ad blocking has raised the temperature of a long-running dispute between some users and many privacy advocates on one hand, and online advertisers on the other. The former cite the overwhelming number of ads on many sites and the tracking those ads perform, while the latter -- and the content publishers and service providers that rely on ad dollars -- claim that blockers are stealing money out of their pockets. Like the vast majority of commercial websites, Computerworld generates some of its revenue through ads. Browser makers, Kolondra argued, had the right to insert themselves in the conversation because of the slow load speed of some websites. "It's quite obvious that users care about speed," Kolondra said, in defending the integrated ad blocker. Even so, Opera "doesn't want to be in the ad-blocking business," Kolondra said. "We definitely don't want to create a living out of whitelisting." The impact of Opera's decision is unlikely to be significant, as its desktop user share has remained below the 2% bar since mid-2011. According to metrics vendor Net Applications, Opera accounted for 1.9% of all browsers used in April. Opera Mini had a stronger following, with an estimated share of about 6% of the mobile browser market. It's also not the first browser to adopt an ad-blocking strategy: In January, a new browser called Brave debuted with a business model that explicitly relied on blocking website ads. Unlike Opera, however, Brave plans to replace the stricken ads with its own, a plan that has drawn the ire of U.S. newspaper publishers, which a month ago threatened to sue the browser maker if it persisted. Interestingly, for all Opera's emphasis on the ad blocker, the tool is turned off by default. To enable it, users must pull up "Settings" -- on OS X, it's labeled "Preferences" -- head to the "Privacy & security" page, and click the box under "Block ads." It may have taken that route to sidestep the fierce criticism from advertisers that other browser makers have faced in the past when they switched features on by default: In 2012, for example, Microsoft came under fire from a long list of large American companies -- including Intel, McDonalds and Visa -- when it said it would enable the now-moribund "Do Not Track" signal in Internet Explorer 10 (IE10). Microsoft later stepped back from its Do Not Track position. Opera Software's board of directors wants to sell the company to a consortium of Chinese investors, which include Beijing Kunlun Tech, a mobile game maker; Qihoo, known for its search and anti-malware business in the People's Republic of China; and private equity firm Golden Brick Silk Road Fund Management. The group has offered $1.2 billion for the firm. Shareholders have until May 24 to vote on the proposed sale. According to Opera Software's fiscal year 2015 annual report, $418 million of its year-long total of $620 million in revenue, or 67%, was booked from its mobile advertising arm, which delivers ads to users from third-party apps and websites. Much of the remainder also stemmed from ads in one way or another: Opera was paid approximately $50 million, or 8% of the total, for setting Google or Yandex -- the latter is a Russian search provider -- as the default search in the desktop browser. Opera 37, the stable build for Windows, OS X and Linux, can be downloaded from the Opera Software site. Opera Mini for Android must be downloaded from Google Play. Cllr Peter Golds is Leader of the Conservative Group on Tower Hamlets Council. On Easter Monday I spent some time watching the BBC day long 50th anniversary re-broadcast of their 1966 general election programme. I first campaigned in a general election as a teenager and as a result of attending counts have never watched or indeed listened to election night live. I have managed to see some coverage, but this was always limited, although video and later youtube provide detail of the coverage. Over Christmas I read a number of books covering the 2015 election and downloaded the BBC programme. Forget colour, graphics and technology the difference in half a century is that in 1966 the BBC concentrated on results, whilst in 2015 much of the programme became a series of chat shows into which election results intruded. 1966 was a different era. There was a seemingly unbreakable two party system into which a handful of Liberals intruded. During the 1966 campaign opinion polls showed a strong Labour lead which was confirmed in the earliest results. Enoch Powell, the third MP to be returned, appeared to concede the result seventy minutes after the polls closed. Yet there still remained the excitement of an election night. After what is an election about, if not election results? Most watchers are likely to be those interested in the results of the election and not the lengthy opinions of presenters and commentators. In 1966, Sir David Butler was brilliant, giving a snap analysis of constituencies covering swing, majority and often a few words about the elected or defeated candidates. 1966 was just twenty one years after the end of the war and reference is made to candidates who had lost limbs in the conflict. When Ayrshire South came through it was given with the observation that the Labour MP, Emrys Hughes, was a Welshman representing a Scottish constituency who was also the son in law of Keir Hardie. Another earlier comment from Hitchin was that Mrs Shirley Williams was the most popular Labour MP amongst TV and radio producers! I also noted two defeated Labour candidates who are currently serving Conservative councillors. Despite the absence of modern graphics one got a picture of the culmination of the campaign. Interviews with Prime Minister Wilson in victory, Ted Heath in defeat and Jo Grimond on behalf of the Liberals were substantial and inquisitive without being trivial. Yes, there were commentators, but these spoke in the context of the result rather than personal prejudices and what ifs. Although, one man did predict a balance of payments crisis, a run on the pound and an eventual devaluation in the wake of the election. The commentaries increased on the Friday morning whilst results were awaited from those constituencies counting that day. The BBC also televised outside broadcast vox pops from Birmingham Bull Ring, Manchester and outside Bank station in London. 50 years ago the results were quicker. Polls closed at 9pm and there were many constituencies with just two candidates from the main parties. These included the first five results which were declared by 10.30pm. There were no combined local elections resulting in ballot papers being separated and delaying the count. Importantly there was no exit poll, just the pre-election opinion polls to cover. Viewing this programme, after 50 years, what mattered was coverage of the votes, candidates, majority and swing in constituencies, which was the most relevant factor on the night and half a century later. Contrast this this with 2015 with the virtual graphics and the endless chatter that filled the programme. Last year there was a long delay between the first three results from Sunderland and when results began to flow in. There was the exit poll which we know slightly underestimated the Conservative victory. The BBC, faced with a gap filled their studio with guests who would have been pre-booked and were there to discuss a hung parliament and a Miliband led government. In addition were the graphics firstly led by Jeremy Vine, who, in 2008 adopted a fake American accent, wore a cowboy suit and was shown entering a mocked up western bar for his election commentary. In 2015, seven years after this farce, he was prancing around a virtual House of Commons, later a virtual Big Ben and then walking down a virtual Downing Street. To what end? Even the most casual watcher could have worked out that 326 seats were needed for a an overall majority in a House of Commons of 650; that the Scottish Nationalists were polling extremely well, the Liberal Democrats were being decimated and Labour was not making up ground. Indeed the early results from Swindon, Nuneaton and Kilmarnock and Loudoun confirmed all of this. Instead the unfortunate Jeremy Vine constantly appeared doing increasingly frantic gymnastics to state the glaringly obvious. In the studio ever more politicians were interviewed unendingly to spin and re-hash campaign speeches, speeches that were redundant immediately the polls closed. Sophie Rayworth, for those who were missing Jeremy Vine, was stationed outside BBC HQ with a large map of the UK on which coloured tiles were added to colour code results but rarely identify constituencies. A carefully selected group of people had been selected to give commentaries. Sadly the careful selection did not coincide with the results. In between, Andrew Marr, Nick Robinson and Andrew Neill talked amongst themselves or with their wildly spinning politician guests. In the midst was David Dimbleby whose position on general election night is now part of the BBC hereditary system; his late father having presented the first ever election night programme programme as far back as 1955. Indeed of the sixteen general elections since 1955 the two Dimblebys have, between them, anchored twelve of them for the BBC. The absence of commentary on the actual results was cringeworthy and the emphasis on aspects that excited BBC simply annoying. The SNP sweep of Scotland was little short of sensational. However, long into the programme, when Gower rejected the Labour Party for the first time since 1918, nothing was said of that result as the cameras returned to Glasgow for yet another series of shrieks from Kirsty Wark. At one point, when even the BBC appeared to accept that the trend was obvious, Andrew Marr said that the hours of commentary regarding the hung parliament/Miliband government were pointless. He then drew breath and started on the future Labour leadership, and there was even more wasted time as on that subject as he, along with all the pundits, misread the situation as badly as they had the election. The BBC had booked the early morning guests anticipating the Miliband arrival at Downing Street, by which time it was well known that Ed Balls was about to lose his seat. This panel was led by Jonathan Powell and Alastair Campbell, who sat like a pair of gargoyles at each end of the table with former Blair speechwriter Steve Richards in the centre. It was obvious that there would be no Miliband administration and that Labour would be facing a leadership election. Regarding the gargoyles, I strongly recommend readers invest in the recent Tom Bower book on Tony Blair. It includes direct quotations by some of the nations most senior officials on both Powell and Campbell which leads one to hope that Sir John Chilcott will persuade the BBC to use less of the licence payers hard earned money in keeping this gruesome duo in the lifestyle to which they have become accustomed, a lifestyle and profile based solely on their activities on behalf of Tony Blair. By the small hours, election night is being viewed mainly by those who want actual results. This will include many who get home from their own counts and do not need politicians rehashing speeches. Punditry is as stale as any other prediction after the event. All that matters is the result and that includes the results in constituencies rather than Jeremy Vine graphics which would shame cbeebies. Accounts published after polling day by journalists who had access to the campaigns indicate that there was a very different picture emerging within the parties by as early as midnight. Labour were well aware that Ed Balls was in serious danger, Nick Clegg was asked did he want to hear even worse news from counts and the Conservatives were sending press officers to counts where support might be needed. Furthermore there was the twittersphere which showed strong indications of the unfolding trend. All of this activity was well known to the BBC. Indeed their own political correspondent, Iain Watson in his book Five million conversations says that on May 1st, Douglas Alexander was handed a telephone to communicate to Labours shadow secretary for Scotland, Margaret Curran that her Westminster career was over. Iain Wilson also knew that very day that Labour were diverting their efforts into just two Scottish constituencies, both of which were lost. The BBC, with its vast resources, must have had some inkling of a surprise when David Cameron went to campaign in the home village of Paddy Ashdown in his former Yeovil constituency with all the panoply of a prime mInisterial campaign visit. On election night the BBC were present at the joint count of both Somerton and Frome, lost by the Liberal Democrats by over 20,000 votes and Yeovil, a Conservative win, the first in 36 years. Yet these results, in their way as sensational as many in Scotland, were ignored, although cameras and a reporter were present, for ever more pointless chat when both seats were declared. The programme commenced at 10pm and it was almost four hours before the two Swindon seats and Nuneaton declared at 01.52, gave credence to the exit poll, Having had four hours of endless talk, then this would have been the time to concentrate on and show results. The BBC, does just occasionally, listen. The disastrous coverage of the 2012 Diamond Jubilee River Pageant, also spoilt by a programme dominated with banal comments from Z list personalities. Criticism led by Stephen Fry, who tweeted the coverage was celebrity driven drivel, Jonathan Dimbleby and thousands of viewers resulted in an internal enquiry and a promise of more balanced coverage of state occasions in the future. Last year saw a public outcry when it appeared that the BBC had dumbed down coverage of Wimbledon fortnight. Footage of games was replaced by guests and a TV audience, criticism was so high that there was rapid change for the second week. In both of these cases,the public outcry concerned a major event subsumed to banal celebrity driven comment, It is time for those who interested in election night to campaign for the BBC to return to more election results, less election chat and no gymnastics for Jeremy Vine. Unfortunately the BBC, with its internal culture of self regulation, rarely concedes any kind of error. Therefore those interested in election night as opposed to a programme of speeches and soundbites that have been tested to destruction during the campaign, need to ensure that the BBC understands this before they start planning for 2020. It will be interesting to see what coverage is planned for this May. Just how much time will the BBC devote to the actual election results in this fascinating round of elections and how much time will be spent on their commentators talking to their guests will be a test of their coverage. The BBC should be providing the results service for their viewers and listeners, not expecting the licence payer to view blogs and local news outlets just so Polly Toynbee, who has scarcely made an original remark in two and a half decades, can add to her bulging bank account, courtesy of BBC TV. The 2015 election was a remarkable result, sadly the BBC missed many of the results and the archive will consist of commentary and spin that was irrelevant before dawn broke on May 8th. In 2066 viewers expecting an archive programme may wonder why on earth all these half forgotten figures were talking about what did not happen as opposed to what was happening before them on the night.. Constitution dominates closing stages of Holyrood campaign Those hoping that the devolution of substantial tax powers would elevate Scottish political debate have been disappointed, just as such devolutionary expectations always are. As Scots go to the polls tomorrow, a common complaint from voters is that the constitutional question is once again sucking all the oxygen out of the debate, leading to issues like poverty and education being marginalised. Nicola Sturgeon has stoked speculation and said that she expects a referendum rematch whilst she is First Minister prompting a unionist backlash which the Tory and even Liberal Democrat leaders cheered to the rafters at a televised debate as they denounced the SNP. Polling expert John Curtice reports that there is some evidence that the focus on a second plebiscite is eroding support for the Nationalists amongst No voters. Jones pleads with minor party voters to scupper Tories The First Minister of Wales has entreated the supporters of smaller parties to cast tactical votes for Labour in seats where his Party faces a tight fight with the Conservatives, according to Wales Online. As I wrote last week, the Tories have slipped a little over the last couple of months and now face a series of close-fought, seat-by-seat struggles which may determine whether the party can hold on to second place. Carwyn Jones has hinged his pitch on what life is like in Labour Wales a country with health and education systems in such dire straits that the Tories made national issues of them ahead of the last general election. Northern Irish Labour defiant as Party threatens to expel candidates The News Letter reports that members of the Northern Ireland Labour Representation Committee a group set up to allow local Labour members to circumvent an official ban on contesting elections are confident that they will avoid expulsion. Labours General Secretary has written to the handful of candidates to threaten that they will be ineligible to continue to hold party membership if they are found to be defying the its tacit alliance with the nationalist Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP). However Kathryn Johnson, the NILRCs leader, dismissed this as nonsense and claims that by standing as part of a separate organisation they have stuck to the letter of Labours rules. Scottish Labour civil war over Trident Labours conflicted position on Britains nuclear deterrent was highlighted this week when Jackie Baillie, a long-serving MSP whose constituency includes the Faslane naval base, tabled a pro-Trident submission to the UK partys review on the subject despite Scottish Labour being formally opposed. As the SNP try to squeeze the left-wing vote their literature is playing up the confusion, contrasting their consistent anti-nuclear weapon stance with a party which is pro-Trident at the UK level (but with an anti-Trident leader) and anti-Trident at a Scottish level (with a pro-Trident leader). Ruth Davidson, the Scottish Conservative leader, has put her partys staunch support for retaining the nuclear deterrent front and centre in her campaign, alongside the Union and the need for a strong opposition to hold Sturgeon to account. as Welsh Labour snubs Corbyn The Labour leader has not visited Wales ahead of tomorrows elections because Welsh Labour told him not to come, according to Wales Online. The request came as Jeremy Corbyn and the far left became mired in the unfolding row about anti-Semtism. Calling for Ken Livingstones expulsion from the party, the First Minister said: There are incredibly serious issues for Jeremy to deal with in Westminster, and it is right and in the interests of the UK party that he stays there today and sorts this out. In fact, the great majority of Labours current spate of suspensions have been local councillors rather than MPs but Jones has made a habit of defining himself against Westminster. SNP urged to shred 10 billion Chinese deal over human rights abuse claims The First Minister has been urged to abandon an already-controversial deal with a huge Chinese construction firm after it was linked to alleged human rights abuses in the resource-rich region of Katanga, in the Democratic Republic of Congo. An Amnesty International report on mining and human rights in the region, found and publicised by The Herald, named both China Railway Group Limited (CRG) and its local subsidiary, the Congo International Mining Corporation (CIMCO). This comes in the same week that the SNP were accused by business leaders of milking successful Scottish firms as they warned against another five years of crippling tax increases. Ex-Tory Hamilton hopes to spearhead UKIP breakthrough in Cardiff Bay Neil Hamilton, the one-time Conservative MP who lost his seat in 1997 in the aftermath of a cash-for-questions scandal, looks set to enter the Welsh Assembly as one of the very first UKIP AMs. The Financial Times reports that the Peoples Army expects to get six or seven seats in Cardiff Bay from the regional top-up lists which provide the proportional element of the Welsh electoral system. Despite its sometime Thatcherite image, in Wales the party is performing best in Labour strongholds in the south east of the country. Rebecca Coulson is a freelance classical musician and writer, and was Parliamentary Candidate for the City of Durham at the 2015 General Election. Chap in the interval bar: Yeah, but that production was just so META At the time, my thought was: why do some idiots make it so hard to convince people that opera isnt elitist? Now, however, I have a newfound appreciation for the word that annoyed me because, lately, Ive been having something of a meta problem, myself. Meta, in the way a friend uses it to explain that metaphilosophy is to philosophy, as talking about sex is to actually having it. Meta, as in to discuss anything, we need to know what it is. I wanted to write about the term right wing. And I wanted to write about it in a sociological sense: how we react to it, who (particularly among Conservative voters) volunteers it as a self-description, and whether they should. Yet I realised that, before I could, Id have to clarify what we take right wing to mean. And that French Revolution origins, onwards is surely a book in itself. Heres my unhappy attempt. Firstly, the terms right wing and left wing indicate a binary choice. This reflects the traditionally bipartite nature of British politics, and lets us feel excitingly antagonistic (even when we arent). Secondly, they imply a scale made finite by extremes. This is helpful because while our scale contains fixed points that allow for comparison between nations disparate political systems, its (non-abstract) centre is dependent on place and time. Being centrist here can be different from being centrist elsewhere. (Something thats also true with centre right: I might describe myself so in Britain; in the States, I might not.) But Im procrastinating. Im hesitant to define this term partly since right wing seems largely oppositional to left wing. (Not least because, to me, its easier to be non-ideological on the right than the left. Who is the lefty alternative to the pragmatic conservative? Someone who believes that whether it aint broke or not, we should always try to improve it?) That said, most of us see sense in the usual claims that left wing is x, and right wing is y. (Oh, we definitely agree on what is represented by those variables.) And, to bite the explicit bullet in terms of sometime non-negotiables, right might imply general positivity about (productive) tradition, and encapsulate ideas such as property rights, and the individualism in which people are ends in themselves; left might suggest redistribution, a focus on outcomes, and a belief in the benefits of an increased state. As for our scales fixed points, there are movements that correctly or not have become stuck on either side: movements like Fabianism, Communism, Liberalism (good luck placing that one today), Nationalism, and Fascism. I hope weve sufficiently reached consensus on this meta stuff to move on. I have an assumption that most Britons arent especially keen to describe themselves, voluntarily, as right wing. A quick and very unscientific vox pop didnt contradict my assumption: putting aside variations such as on the right, and a bit rightish, I suppose, few of the Conservatives I asked said they typically ventured that specific descriptor (exceptions being the more politically confident among them). One explanation is that that species of wing invites connotations of a wartime German eagle. A heightened fear of unwelcome association fits with the excellent Michael Portillo comment (I think it was him, back in 2010) that Conservatives think Labour voters are misguided, whereas Labour voters think Conservatives are evil. On a grand scale, that no doubt reflects the exuberant idealism that finds laudability in the aims of even hard-core left-wing movements. And, obviously, that conviction usually relates to a lack of awareness. Thankfully, we all know about Hitlers vileness; unfortunately, many Britons dont know enough about that of Stalin et al. (Contrastingly, a friend from an ex-Soviet country says that, there, its the left wing thats thought to be evil.) However, Labour voters dont seem so happy to wing it, either. Instead of providing a useful simplification, the term feels to some like an accusation that they are simple, themselves. One party member said she suspected people were happier to use overriding terms to describe the left, because those on her side were considered to be less clever or individual than those on the right. Its unsurprising that generalisations are used to dismiss and divide. Until recently, a distaste for right and left (Such a passe idea!) could also be connected with a move towards pragmatic centrism: the hope to prevent a resurgence of extremist pain during a period of calm; an aversion to ideology, precipitated by the violent social and economic disasters of the twentieth century; a recognition that politicians needed to stop letting exploitable principles get in the way. But new or previously veiled uncertainties have inspired shifts, once again, to the extremes. On the left (no time to address this fairly), these are too often marshalled by the privileged, who dont need to accept that most people support capitalism not because of what it represents ideologically, but because it works and in absolute terms has led to a vastly improved world. Ditto crusades against free speech led by those who clearly cant comprehend what it truly means to curtail freedom. In these weeks of schism, it seems overly evident that both sides are verging outwards. But is that strictly the case, here? Brexit has greater appeal to (some on) the right of the Conservative Party, yet is it necessarily right wing? Is social liberalism not a growing unifier within the parliamentary party? Isnt the country becoming less politically tribal? And, rather than exposing an expanding hard left, dont ongoing revelations of Labour antisemitism better point up the danger in unthinkingly assuming their side to be nice? That stain also magnifies a left-wing desire to define (rather than describe) people by using prescriptive labels, in order to squash them unevenly into some stylised zero-sum equality. Unease over labels could lead us to conclude that maybe there isnt such a need for meta, after all or at least in any normative way. Right wing and left wing are vague societal constructs; they dont exist objectively. Sure, theres value in weighing up whether they seem a consistent and useful method of categorising a range of political views. And, on limited reflection, I think they probably do. But thats more in the sense of familial resemblance: as with those other famously hard-to-define terms, like game, we are able to understand what they generally signify, even if we dont know how to define them precisely. In a national or global context, the wing thing can help us begin to learn where our opinions fit. OK, not as specifically as a grid reference or postcode, yet they might tell us which map to look at, or, perhaps, which page. If people feel uneasy about this not simply because the terms are toxic, but because they are insufficiently nuanced, too that seems (from an individualist point of view) good. Apparently, Kingsley Amiss least favourite dinner party question was Red or white? Sometimes, answering it seems like a decent place from which to start. SUBSCRIBE Sign up with your email address to receive news and updates straight in your inbox. Close Curtis Jackson, the rapper well known as 50 cent got into a controversy lately by mocking an autistic airport janitor in a video on social media. 50 cent who landed himself in huge trouble and criticism soon apologized to the worker and his family for his blunder. The rapper uploaded a video on Twitter where the janitor, Andrew Farrell was seen pushing a cart towards the terminal at Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky Airport. 50 cent commented in the video that the new generation is crazy and noted that the janitor seemed "high as a motherf--r," according to Page six. 50 cent, who was at Cincinnati for the promotion of a liquor brand, seems to have taken his spare time at the airport to invite trouble. The 19-year-old Farrell reportedly has trouble in communicating because of his health condition which the rapper seems to have no idea about. "While the incident at the airport resulted from an unfortunate misunderstanding, I am truly sorry for offending the young man," the rapper, whose real name is Curtis Jackson, told Page Six in a statement. "It was certainly not my intent to insult him or the disability community, which is a source of great strength in America. I have apologized personally to him and his family." The media were on overdrive about the issue and there were also reports that the family of the janitor is demanding for compensation for the disgrace 50 cent had brought to Farrell. But the attorney Matthew J. Hammer clarified Page Six that the family is expecting only for a sincere apology and not any money from the rapper. "We would first like to thank everyone for the amazing amount of support that they have shown over the past few days. It has been an emotional roller coaster that we are ready to put to rest. As requested, we have received a letter apologizing for 50 Cent's behavior and we have chosen to accept it, along with a request that a donation is made to Autism Speaks. Though a letter of apology will not undo what 50 Cent has put our family through, we are choosing to forgive," noted the family in reply to 50 cent apology, reported WLWT. See Now: What Republicans Don't Want You To Know About Obamacare The Spirit of Nelson Mandela In Palestine: Is His Real Legacy Being Upheld? By Ramzy Baroud 04 May, 2016 Countercurrents.org I had mixed feelings when I learned that Palestine has erected a statue of Nelson Mandela, the iconic South African anti-Apartheid leader. On the one hand, I was quite pleased that the unmistakable connection between the struggles of Palestinians and South Africans is cemented more than ever before. On the other hand, I dreaded that rich, corrupt Palestinians in Ramallah are utilizing the image of Mandela to acquire badly-needed political capital. The six-meter bronze statue now stands in its own Nelson Mandela Square in Al-Tireh neighborhood in Ramallah, where the Palestinian Authority headquarters are based. The PA is known for its endemic political and financial corruption. In some ways, its survival is both essential for the richest Palestinian class and also for the Israeli military Occupation. Thus, it was quite disheartening to witness the travesty of political theater where the likes of PA President, Mahmoud Abbas, who rules with a long-expired mandate, unveiling the statue in a ceremony attended by his ministers and foreign diplomats. The statue was a gift from the City of Johannesburg, and its costs of R6 million was paid for by the people of that city, whose solidarity with Palestine is rooted in a long history, that of blood and tears, and the haunting cries of pain and freedom. At that, the gift is most appreciated. But the Mandela that now stands erect in Ramallah has been incorporated into the zeitgeist of this city, particularly the rich and beaming neighborhood of massive white-stone villas and luxury cars. It would have meant much more if it had stood in the center of Gaza, a city that is withstanding an ongoing genocide; in the heart of Jenin, a town known for its bravery and hardship; in Al-Khalil, in Nablus or in Khan Younis. Seeing rich Palestinian officials and businessmen rubbing shoulders with unmistakable giddiness while fighting for space before the many cameras, made the occasion vastly less special. Oddly enough, the main location of the Nelson Mandela Square and statue in Sandton City in Johannesburg is equally unsettling. I visited the place more than once, and despite my immense admiration for Mandela, it failed to move me. The commercial atmosphere there felt as if it was an attempt at redefining who Mandela was: from a populist leader and a former prisoner with proud ties to the Communist Party to an emasculated icon, a warm, fuzzy figure with no radical roots. Worse, he is being promoted as if a merchandise within a precarious neoliberal marketplace, where revolutionary values are shunned and everything is on sale. This is how the Sandton City website describes the square: Home to some of South Africas finest restaurants, exclusive couture and designer labels and a European styled piazza, Nelson Mandela Square offers chic sophistication, culture and glamour, all under the African sun. Yet, the Mandela that is promoted by some in South Africa and their counterparts in Palestine is fundamentally different from the Mandela many of us knew about. The man passed away on December 5, 2013, but he clearly left behind two legacies, one celebrated in Palestinian refugee camps and South Africas slums, while another is sold to the culturally sophisticated tourists and Ramallahs corrupt class. The name Nelson Mandela was a staple in my family, living in a dilapidated refugee camp in Gaza under military Occupation and the constant threat of violence. We rushed to the television to watch whenever his name was mentioned in the news. The finest young men in camp were chased down, beaten, arrested and shot while trying to write his name on the decaying walls of our humble dwellings. That was the Mandela I knew, and most Palestinians remember with adoration and respect. The one standing in Ramallah, unveiled by those Palestinians who speak proudly of conducting security coordination with Israel as in jointly cracking down on Palestinian Resistance is a whole different Mandela. He is a different Mandela because Abbas and his Authority do not, in the least, embody the spirit of Mandela the freedom fighter, the defiant prisoner, the unifying leader, the champion of a boycott movement. In fact, the Palestinian leadership as represented in the unelected government of Abbas in Ramallah, is yet to endorse the Palestinian civil society call for Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS), itself modeled after the South Africa boycott movement. Instead, Abbas PA has wasted over 20 years of nonsensical and futile negotiations, collaborated with Israel, divided the ranks of Palestinians and is actively involved in suppressing Palestinian Resistance in the West Bank. With his popularity falling to an all-time low among Palestinians, Abbas is desperate to concoct hollow victories, and insist on presenting himself as a national liberation leader, despite all evidence to the contrary. But the bond between South Africa and Palestine is much greater than a photo-op in Ramallah, involving well-dressed men repeating insincere cliches about peace and freedom. I dare say it is bigger than Mandela himself, regardless of which legacy we insist on remembering him by. It is a link that has been baptized in the blood of the poor and the innocent and the tenacious struggle of millions of black and brown Africans and Palestinian Arabs. I was fortunate enough to experience this for myself. In my last South African speaking tour a few years ago, I was approached by two South African men. They seemed particularly grateful for reasons that initially eluded me. We want to thank you so much for your support of our struggle against apartheid, one said with so much sincerity and palpable emotions. It made sense. Palestinians saw the struggle of their black brethren as their own struggle. But the two men were not referring to sentimentalities. While the Israeli government, military and intelligence supported the apartheid government in many ways, the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) had actually trained and equipped ANC fighters. Cuba and others did too, but to think that the then Palestinian leadership had the kind of political consciousness to extend a hand of solidarity to a nation fighting for its freedom, while the Palestinian people were themselves still enduring that same fight, filled me with pride. Those men told me that they still hold onto their PLO-supplied military uniforms, even after all these years. We embraced and parted ways but, with time, I came to realize that the present struggle against apartheid in Palestine is not merely similar to that of South Africa. Both struggles are extensions of the same movement, the same fight for freedom and, in fact, against the same enemy. When Nelson Mandela said, We know all too well that our freedom is incomplete without the freedom of the Palestinians, he was not trying to be cordial or diplomatic. He meant every word. Someday, we hope that a statue of Mandela, one that represents the spirit of Resistance in Palestine, will stand tall amid the people who championed his cause and loved him most. - Dr Ramzy Baroud has been writing about the Middle East for over 20 years. He is an internationally-syndicated columnist, a media consultant, an author of several books and the founder of PalestineChronicle.com. His books include Searching Jenin, The Second Palestinian Intifada and his latest My Father Was a Freedom Fighter: Gazas Untold Story. His website is www.ramzybaroud.net. Gripped By Climate Disruption, World On Brink Of Global Water Crisis By Deirdre Fulton 04 May, 2016 CommonDreams.org Global water shortages, exacerbated by human-caused climate change, are likely to spur conflict and migration across the Middle East, central Asia, and Africaall while negatively impacting regional economies, according to a new World Bank report published Tuesday. Rising demand combined with increasingly "erratic and uncertain" supply could reduce water availability in cities by as much as two thirds by 2050, compared to 2015 levels, the report warns. Meanwhile, "food price spikes caused by droughts can inflame latent conflicts and drive migration," a World Bank press statement reads. The report further cautions: "Unless action is taken soon, water will become scarce in regions where it is currently abundantsuch as Central Africa and East Asiaand scarcity will greatly worsen in regions where water is already in short supplysuch as the Middle East and the Sahel in Africa. These regions could see their growth rates decline by as much as 6% of GDP by 2050 due to water-related impacts on agriculture, health, and incomes." However, the World Bank adds, "the negative impacts of climate change on water could be neutralized with better policy decisions, with some regions standing to improve their growth rates by up to 6% with better water resource management." Please donate now - we're coming up short Scientists have warned that global warming is setting the stage for more frequent, and more devastating, droughts. Indeed, extreme drought is currently causing hardship in several of the regions named in the World Bank report. Just this week, Zimbabwe put its wild animals up for sale, "saying it needed buyers to step in and save the beasts from a devastating drought," Reuters reported. On Tuesday, Burkina Faso's government began rationing water in its drought-hit capital, which is home to some two million people. Much of India is currently suffering from a scorching heat wave and severe drought conditions that have decimated crops, killed livestock and humans, and left at least 330 million Indians without enough water for their daily needs. The World Bank's warning comes on the heels of a study published this week in the journal Climatic Change, which suggests that the Middle East and North Africa could become "uninhabitable" by the end of this century due to climate change and increasing hot weather extremes. Echoing the World Bank, the Max Planck Institute researchers behind that study wrote: "We anticipate that climate change and increasing hot weather extremes in the [Middle East and North Africal], a region subject to economic recession, political turbulence and upheaval, may exacerbate humanitarian hardship and contribute to migration." People wait in line to cast their votes at Washington Square Mall. SHARE By Richard Gootee of the Courier and Press A poll worker left paper verification of votes behind at a Vanderburgh County polling place Tuesday night, prompting a delay in tallies that kept some races undecided until Wednesday morning. Vanderburgh County Clerk Debbie Stucki said just more than 1,000 ballots were on the 10 machines affected by the incident. Stucki made assurances that the ballots were not compromised overnight. "The machines were locked up with seals, and the (location) was locked up," she said. The votes didn't change the results of any major races, including two tight contests on the Democratic side, according to results posted by the Election Office on Wednesday morning. With the new votes included, Ryan Hatfield defeated Lori Sherman for the party's Indiana House District 77 race by 208 votes, and Zachary Heronemus won the Democratic nomination for county clerk over Elliot Howard by 73, which was less than 1 percent of the ballots cast in that race. Of the 1,042 votes that were added Wednesday, 681 were Republican ballots and 361 were Democratic. Total turnout for the primary election came in at just shy of 32 percent. Stucki said the paper verification serves as a "double-check." Its absence wasn't noticed until workers locked the voting center, Stucki said. On Wednesday, Stucki also explained why some people saw voting machines unused while would-be users waited in line. Stucki said it takes time for workers to check in prospective voters before they can actually go to a machine and cast their ballots. Using Washington Square Mall as an example, Stucki said the popular vote center has six election "judges," whose job it is to take voters to the machines. A poll worker would occasionally go through the line and urge people to have their driver's license or identification card out before they got to the front of the line in an attempt to speed the process. "Even though there are 30 machines, it still takes so many people to process (voters)," she said. "You try to get them checked in and to the machines as quick as you can." Stucki said the solution is not as simple as recruiting more people. To add vote center workers, more laptops would also be needed. Even though all of Vanderburgh County's votes are now in, Tuesday's election results have not yet been deemed "official." That will be done on May 13 by the election board, in accordance with Indiana state law. MIKE LAWRENCE / COURIER & PRESS Republican State Representative Jonny Kincaid (right) is congratulated by Evansville Mayor Lloyd Winnecke as Kincaid was declared the winner in the District 77 race on Tuesday. SHARE MIKE LAWRENCE / COURIER & PRESS Indiana State Senator Vaneta Becker checks out her new look wearing a pair of patriotic glasses Tuesday night at the Vanderburgh County Republican Party headquarters. Becker defeated challenger Jeremy Heath. MIKE LAWRENCE / COURIER & PRESS Johnny Kincaid talks with his wife Jill Kincaid while they wait for results at the Vanderburgh County Republican Party headquarters on Tuesday night. By John Martin of the Courier and Press With election results for Vanderburgh County still incomplete Tuesday night, the outcome of a Democratic primary for the Indiana House of Representatives in District 77 remained too close to call. The seat is being vacated by state Rep. Gail Riecken, D-Evansville, after this year. District 77 is concentrated in the city limits of Evansville, taking in the Downtown area, Southeast Side and a few other neighborhoods. Ryan Hatfield led the Democratic primary late Tuesday with 2,700 votes (44 percent), to 2,488 for Lori Sherman (40 percent) and 993 for Brandon Lee Ferguson (16 percent). In the Republican primary for the same seat, Johnny Kincaid was cruising to victory over two other candidates. Vanderburgh County Clerk Debbie Stucki said Tuesday that totals from 10 voting machines (out of 390 countywide) from one vote center will not be added to the final vote total until Wednesday. Hatfield, a deputy county prosecutor, trailed Sherman, an attorney with the Department of Child Services, in earlier returns, but the last returns released on Tuesday night showed Hatfield ahead by a close margin. Kincaid, meanwhile, was assured a comfortable victory over Billy Garrett and Henrietta Jenkins in the Republican primary. "The biggest thing was getting out and working really hard, hitting lots of events and being seen," Kincaid said. District 77 historically has elected Democrats. "It boils down to we just have to work that much harder and that much smarter," Kincaid said. "It will take a lot of door-knocking, calls and face-to-face time in order to win." In other primaries for legislative seats, state Rep. Thomas Washburne, R-Darmstadt, defeated challenger Ann Ennis in District 64, which includes Northern Vanderburgh County, all of Gibson County and slices of Posey, Knox and Pike counties. Washburne has represented the area since 2013. No Democrat is on the general election ballot. State Sen. Vaneta Becker, R-Evansville, gained a lopsided victory Tuesday's primary in Senate District 50 over challenger Jeremy Heath. No Democrat is on the general election ballot. Senate District 50 includes much of Vanderburgh and Warrick counties. Becker has been in the Senate since 2005. From 1981-2005, she was in the House. Like Washburne, Becker has no Democratic foe in November. "I always try when I do my job and to remember the people who elect me, rather than what leadership in Indianapolis or Fort Wayne say," Becker said. "I focus on Southwest Indiana and vote for the people they represent. I try to listen and hear their concerns and do the best job for them that I can. And I work hard on constituent service." SHARE Ron Drake By Zach Osowski, zach.osowski@courierpress.com INDIANAPOLIS Votes from 10 unverified voting machines in Vanderburgh County meant Ron Drake had to wait until Wednesday morning to find out he won his race against David Orentlicher by a mere 61 votes out of more than 58,000 cast. The win, still unofficial until the votes are verified 10 days after the election, gives Drake the Democratic nomination for Indiana's 8th Congressional District. He will take on incumbent Republican Larry Bucshon, who cruised to victory Tuesday night. The race between Drake and Orentlicher was close all night and the results from Vanderburgh County weren't finalized until Wednesday morning. The county clerk's office said the votes on 10 machines weren't counted and had to be examined the day after the election. The votes from those machines gave Orentlicher a slim win in Vanderburgh County, but it wasn't enough to pass Drake in the entire district. The final vote count from the Secretary of State's office showed Drake with 29,182 votes and Orentlicher with 29,121, a 0.1 percent difference. Orentlicher said he wants to see the official results before conceding defeat or asking for a recount. "Given the size of the district, I think it's possible," Orentlicher said. "We're going to wait and see." Drake, also a former Indiana legislator, said the tremendous support he received in his home in Sullivan County might have been the difference in a very tight race. "They treated me like a son," Drake said of the Sullivan County voters. "I'm extremely thankful for their support." Drake won by more than 850 votes in Sullivan County, the biggest county win by either candidate. Orentlicher's largest win came in Vigo County, where had a 701-vote triumph. Orentlicher won in Posey, Warrick and Vanderburgh counties, with Drake winning Gibson County. The smallest margin on either side was Crawford County, where Drake won by just two votes. Drake won 10 of the 19 counties that make up the district. Looking to November, Drake said he hasn't had time to think about his upcoming election with Bucshon, instead putting all his focus on the primary battle. Bucshon has been in the 8th District seat since 2011, winning re-election in 2012 and 2014. In 2014, he beat Democrat Tom Spangler 60 percent to 35 percent. SHARE By Father Ed Schnur And Linda Henzman, Special to the Courier & Press On April 25, Congregations Acting for Justice and Empowerment brought together 1,154 justice seekers to their annual Nehemiah Action to address community injustices and make the Evansville area stronger together. The CAJE action this year focused on affordable housing, mental health care and suicide prevention with Narcan. Community members from Vanderburgh, Warrick and Posey counties were present to witness the power of organized people, hear emotional testimonies, and make commitments to improve these critical problems. Saundra Ross provided a powerful testimony about her struggle to find affordable rental housing that could have caused her to lose custody of her children, despite her college degree, professional position, and working part-time jobs. Saundra did "everything right" but couldn't afford rent and utilities for the limited affordable rental properties in Evansville. After hearing Saundra's story and the results of CAJE's research, Kelley Coures, director of the Department of Metropolitan Development, emphatically agreed to ask and advocate the City Council to dedicate 2 to 5 percent of Tropicana funds to the existing but nearly bankrupt Affordable Housing Trust Fund. This question was posed after months of work by CAJE leaders to find a solution to the critical lack of decent affordable housing in the Evansville area. Their research prompted them to travel to Nashville, where they met with the mayor, leaders, and developers involved with that city's fund that has been successful at building new rental units. The CAJE leaders and other Evansville housing experts returned with a renewed purpose for our trust fund to be strengthened. CAJE members promised to show their people power by attending City Council meetings where Coures will be asking for funding for the land bank and trust fund. The CAJE Mental Health Research Team continued their quest from 2015 for a Crisis Care Center by traveling to San Antonio, Texas, along with local law enforcement and mental health providers to tour and learn about their Crisis Care Center that serves as a model for several in the U.S. There they learned how this center started with the goal of reducing the number of individuals incarcerated in their overflowing county jail. The San Antonio Center has been so effective at achieving their goal that today they have empty jail cells. The Evansville leaders returned with so much knowledge and passion for establishing such a center here that CAJE hosted a Mental Health Summit in March to share all they learned with local mental health providers and law enforcement officials. Kathy Guntel provided a testimony for a crisis care center that might have helped her son who has been in and out of jail for nearly half his life, but never for violent crimes. He might have benefited from a crisis care center, but Kathy said his diagnosis of paranoid schizophrenia "came too late" to help him. So she is advocating for a crisis care center to help others who struggle with mental health conditions by providing intervention and treatment during a crisis. A crisis care center will offer police officers a therapeutic place, rather than jail or a hospital emergency room, to take nonviolent offenders. Mayor Lloyd Winnecke and Wyeth Hatfield, director of ECHO Community Health, answered "yes" when asked to co-chair a Mental Health Commission to work toward development of such a center. Other community leaders from health care, law enforcement, and city and county government were present. They were asked and agreed to serve on this new commission. The issue of suicide prevention has been one that CAJE has worked on for several years. At the 2014 Action, sheriffs from Vanderburgh and Warrick Counties were asked to equip and train their deputies with Narcan, the lifesaving opioid overdose antidote. They agreed, and three lives have been saved in those two counties. After declining our request in 2014, the Evansville Police Department announced at the 2015 Action that they would initiate a pilot Narcan program, equipping 22 officers with Narcan. Already, four lives in Evansville have been saved by officers administering Narcan to overdose victims. Action attendees heard from two community members who were directly impacted by Narcan. Evan Mand, an overdose survivor, and his mother, Lisa Mand, shared their stories. Lisa lovingly described her son, his upbringing, close family, his interests, and talents. Lisa also shared the terror she felt when she received the call that Evan had overdosed. She then described her relief when she learned that he was saved with Narcan administered by an off-duty Evansville Police Department officer. Evan, who works night shift, shared his testimony via video. He described what led to his overdose and what he remembered when he regained consciousness and was told that he was nearly dead before receiving Narcan. Lisa and Evan both thanked the officer for saving his life, and they thanked CAJE for our continued pursuit to get Narcan into the hands of local law enforcement. CAJE recognized all officers who have saved a life with Narcan and presented letters of thanks. Each officer was named and honored with a standing ovation, as were Lisa and Evan for sharing their poignant stories. What better way to close this powerful meeting than this message that serves to remind us of the value of life and second chances and that we are truly stronger together. As we do every year, CAJE members will have meetings in the fall to listen to our neighbors' concerns about our community. Then CAJE members will gather for our annual Community Problems Assembly on Nov. 14 where we'll hear progress reports on current issues and vote on problems to tackle next year. CAJE continues to strive for a just and fair community where all God's people live in dignity. Chairs of CAJE are Father Ed Schnur, pastor of St. Wendel & St. Francis Xavier Parishes, and Linda Henzman, a member of Central United Methodist Church. SHARE Patricia R. King Tennyson, Indiana I take issue with (syndicated columnist) Leonard Pitts when he says, "How ironic that the Sanders campaign, conducted mostly on the high ground of ideas and ideals, descends to cries of boycott and even revolution as it nears its end. Granted, nobody likes to lose. But the loss was fair and square....." My definition of fair and square includes the Democratic hierarchy, from the President and the Democratic National Committee Chair all the way down through the County Central Committees, remaining neutral during the primary campaigns. Fair and square includes a national media that gives all candidates equal time in their "news" stories. Neither of those requirements was met during this presidential campaign. That has been plain for all to see. The unresolved question that may never be fully resolved is just how much illegal activity has taken place in the various states as we have proceeded through the primaries and caucuses. Some of these questions may be resolved by the courts but some may never be fully investigated. In addition, voter suppression is an ongoing problem exacerbated by the decimation of the Voters' Rights Act by the Supreme Court of the United States. Until we succeed in returning control of the Congress to the Democratic Party it is unlikely that the problem of voter suppression will be addressed. None of this should inspire anyone to fail to vote in their state's primary or keep them from the polls in November. Changing the political process can only happen from the ground up and that means a groundswell of voters who continue to work to support candidates who are most likely to support the needed changes and who infiltrate the system from the ground up and continue to demand the changes we need. Offshore detention Always was IMMORAL, ILLEGAL The Human Rights Commission was among the many individuals and organisations to welcome the ruling by the Supreme Court of Papua New Guinea that the detention of refugees and asylum seekers on Manus Island is illegal. The Court has ordered Australia and Papua New Guinea to take immediate steps to end the detention of asylum seekers. All five judges unanimously ruled that detention in the facility violates the right to personal liberty, as guaranteed in Papua New Guineas constitution. The ruling is clear: the detention of 900 men at the Australian-built facility on Manus Island is illegal and unconstitutional and must end immediately. The Courts decision affirms the Commissions long-standing concern that the prolonged and indefinite detention of refugees and asylum seekers in Papua New Guinea may lead to breaches of our obligations under international law, said President of the Australian Human Rights Commission, Professor Gillian Triggs. This ruling is further confirmation that Australias detention policies are increasingly out of step with international norms, she said. The Commission along with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and the United Nations Committee against Torture have all expressed concern about the arbitrary detention of refugees and asylum seekers in Regional Processing Centres. Numerous studies, including the Commissions The Forgotten Children Report, have shown that prolonged detention has negative impacts on the health and wellbeing of refugees and asylum seekers. While the Commission welcomes efforts to release people from detention in Papua New Guinea, it points out that the future of the men remains profoundly uncertain. UNHCR has previously stated that the sustainable integration of these refugees into the Papua New Guinea community will raise formidable challenges and protection concerns. The Commission also holds ongoing concerns for the safety of same-sex attracted refugees and asylum seekers who have been sent to Papua New Guinea, where same-sex sexual activity is criminalised. The action to enforce the constitutional rights of the asylum seekers sent to Manus by the Australian government will seek more explicit orders from the court for the release and return to Australia of those asylum seekers and refugees. Always illegal The proceedings will also seek orders in relation to all aspects of the breach of their human rights endured since 2013, and will seek compensation for those human rights breaches. The Australian and PNG governments have not just breached the constitutional right to personal liberty, but have also denied them the protection of law (in regard to access to legal representation and the courts); freedom from torture and inhuman conduct; their right to be treated with humanity and with respect for the dignity of the person. Regardless of any future arrangement between the Australian government and PNG, all the asylum seekers and refugees presently in Papua New Guinea are covered by the present Supreme Court general ruling. It is shocking that Opposition Immigration spokesperson, Richard Marles, is demanding any continuation of offshore detention in Papua New Guinea. The Labor Party should take the opportunity to admit its been a terrible mistake and to drop its offshore policy, said Ian Rintoul, spokesperson for the Refugee Action Coalition. Not only have people been detained for almost three years, they have suffered appalling human rights abuses over that time for which government Ministers and corporations must be held to account. The Manus people must be brought to the mainland. After three years of torture, the hell of Christmas Island is no alternative to the hell of Manus Island. The talk of sending them to Nauru is just wishful thinking by Peter Dutton. Besides being unseemly, such a move would be politically impossible. Nauru is in meltdown. And public opinion is running against the idea. The Let Them Stay movement has already won majority opinion for those from Nauru and Manus to be able to stay in Australia. Immigration Minister Peter Dutton is ducking and diving, but in the end, there is only one alternative to close Manus and Nauru; and bring all the refugees and asylum seekers to Australia. The Manus detainees in detention in Australian mainland detention centres should be set free immediately. Editorial Money, arrogance in child abduction attempt It was the story that had everything. A man of Middle Eastern background has fled to Lebanon taking his two children and leaving his wife in Australia without access. Lebanon is almost synonymous with turmoil in the corporate media. Hezbollah is a major force in the country and is currently fighting alongside Syrian forces defending the legitimate government of President Assad. The opportunities for Channel Nines Sixty Minutes program to sensationalise the issues surrounding this familys strife and boost ratings proved too hard to resist. As a result, Nine paid $70,000 to Child Abduction Recovery International (CARI), a UK-based outfit claiming to specialise in such cases, to snatch the children of Ali Elamine off the streets of Beirut and smuggle them back to Australia. The operation was botched. The childrens grandmother was knocked to the ground and CCTV footage shows it to have been a very forceful attempted kidnapping. The childrens mother, Sally Faulkner, CARI staff and members of the Channel Nine crew were taken into custody and brought before a court in Beirut. CARI chief, Adam Whittington, remains in custody with other crew members in Lebanon awaiting trial. He accuses a rival child recovery company of tipping off authorities and sabotaging the operation. Channel Nines reputation took a hammering in the rest of the media in the weeks that followed the incident. Prime Minister Turnbull described the actions as very unwise and reminded Australians that they are obliged to obey the laws of countries they visit. Channel Nine is reported to have reached a settlement with the childrens father in which, in return for a payment of at least $500,000 to the family, the charges against the Nine crew and the childrens mother were dropped. The tabloids took up the Lebanese justice for sale theme with gusto. While the senior journalist covering the story, Tara Brown, sounds largely unrepentant about the Nine crews involvement, the network is in damage control. Chief Executive Hugh Marks said, You should know that the crew has asked me to thank the officials in Lebanon who were involved in their detention for their professionalism and for treating them with dignity and respect. Not what a public brought up on the relevant stereotypes would have been expecting! Nine is to hold its own inquiry into how it became part of the story and caught up in what most would people see as an unethical piece of cheque book journalism. The very messy saga still has some way to go as the would-be abductors come before the courts again. Nine is planning to air a program giving its side in the matter. The events contain a number of lessons. The number of international custody disputes is reported to be growing. Reporting on the issue and citing examples is perfectly legitimate journalism but capitalism and the pursuit of profits poisons everything it touches. In this case, the publics perceptions of the Middle East were in play. Decades of prejudicial reporting of struggles in the region are at the base of these attitudes. The engagement of a company to seize the children from the custody of the father, obviously in violation of the law of the country in which this was to take place, was considered appropriate. How could this be justified? One can only conclude that the country and system of law are not held to be worthy of respect. More than one commentator has asked the hypothetical, rhetorical question about how Australians would react had a Lebanese citizen attempted such a thing in Australia. The lack of reciprocity when it comes to these questions is written large when it comes to international relations. Countries like the US, Britain, France, Canada and Australia demand respect for their sovereignty but seek to exert influence, if not control, over the territory of countries far distant from our borders. Regime change is seen as legitimate. The government of President Assad is only the latest government to be listed for elimination by the worlds imperialist powers. As long as capitalism and imperialism exist, genuine respect and cooperation among all countries will remain a pipe dream. NSW govt to deregulate nursing home care The aged care system is under attack from the NSW state government with a bill before Parliament to remove the requirement for a registered nurse (RN) to be present 24/7 in nursing homes where there are high care needs. This could leave nursing homes with elderly residents requiring high levels of care staffed by unregulated and unlicensed carers with no professional accountability, just an employee employer relationship. NSW Nurses and Midwives Association marching in May Day parade, 2016. (Photo: Anna Pha) The governments action follows a recent inquiry into registered nurses in NSW nursing homes. The inquiry recommended the retention of the legal requirement in the Public Health Act for a registered nurse to be on site at all times in aged care facilities where there are people with high care needs. So what does the Baird pro-big business government do? It ignores the recommendation and puts before Parliament a bill to remove the requirement. The consequences for residents of nursing homes will be disastrous while the private, for-profit nursing home industry stands to make a killing in higher profits. And it is an industry with large monopoly corporations on the rise. The demand for aged care beds is expected to reach 392,000 by 2025. Unregulated, unlicensed staffing It would leave thousands of pensioners and other vulnerable, elderly people in the care of unregulated and unlicensed staff. Brett Holmes, general secretary of the NSW Nurses and Midwives Association (NSWNMA) warned that by upsetting the staffing skill-mix in residential aged care facilities, the NSW government was setting Australians up for more horror stories of neglect and hospitalisations. Having an appropriate skills mix in aged care facilities where there are people with high care needs is crucial. At an average age of 83.5, Australians entering aged care facilities are older and frailer than ever before, many with chronic and complex care needs. This is why its so important to have legislation to enforce that high level of care going forward. This decision will send NSW backwards. The federal government Quality of Care Principles 2014, defines standards for carers as having the the appropriate knowledge and skills to perform their roles effectively wording that might best be described as a lawyers picnic and a patients nightmare. With the removal for the presence of registered nurses 24/7, the only requirement to become a carer in a aged care facilities would be a five-week online course. Would this provide the appropriate skills? Facilities could be left with residents requiring high levels of need being cared for by an unlicensed and unregulated workforce. How does anyone learn such skills as the insertion, care and maintenance of tubes, including intravenous and naso-gastric tubes or the management of the insertion, removal and replacement of catheters online! Likewise other nursing responsibilities for suctioning of airways, tracheostomy care or dialysis treatment. The nursing skills required can also involve the complex administration of medications, clinical decisions and dealing with drugs of addiction. Language is another issue. RNs must meet a minimum language requirement. Overseas students working part-time are not required to do a language tests. This can make it difficult for residents, who might also be hard of hearing, pose risks in handling medications, equipment and carrying out procedures. The result will be many more night and weekend calls to GPs, who have already indicated that they are only prepared to deal with RNs, and to hospital emergency departments. Aged care facilities are most likely to employ a registered nurse during week days when there are no penalty rates. The most skilled RNs in the largely private, for-profit aged care sector can be paid between $5 to $6 an hour less than their counterparts in the public health system. It is not surprising that nursing homes have difficulty in attracting RNs. This may not affect the upper end of the market where hundreds of thousands of dollars are required in deposits. Such nursing homes are not reliant on government funding to pay for a registered nurse. In fact the presence 24/7 of a registered nurse would be a selling point. Not that all of these expensive nursing homes always meet government requirements. The government also refuses to adopt another recommendation for genuinely unannounced inspections to occur at any time of the day on any day of the week to check compliance with other regulations. Its very sad news for NSWs elderly and families who rely on aged care facilities to operate to a standard of care that allows the elderly to have a dignified journey through the final years of their lives, Holmes said. The NSWNMA are waging an extensive campaign in NSW. Around 165 organisation and individuals made submissions to the inquiry into registered nurses in NSW. On May Day members of the NSWNMA marched in Sydney with hands tied under the banner If you dont care, we cant care, sending a powerful message to state and federal governments. Give your support The NSWNMA needs your support. The union says that the Minister for Health is expected to make her decision some time in 2016. To ensure the right decision is made, please contact your local MPs and raise awareness within your communities. There is a draft letter you can send to the Health Minister and your MPs on the unions website: www.nswnma.asn.org.au You can also register your support, sign on to receive campaign updates, like the Aged Care nurses facebook page, follow RN24/7 on Twitter, and other suggested actions. Justice call Observers of Indonesian politics over the past 50 years must have received a great surprise to read the story released by the Antara newspaper on April 25, 2016 that Indonesia is going to investigate human rights abuses committed by its military (TNI) and its police (POLRI) in West Papua and settling the crimes committed by the TNI in 1965 when the CIA helped it to overthrow the Sukarno government and replace it with the Suharto dictatorship. A march on the opening of the Free West Papua Campaign office in the Netherlands. Many will find it hard to believe Luhut Panjaitan, Indonesias Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs, is being serious when he makes this claim. After its 24 year reign of genocide, terror and human rights abuses in East Timor, Indonesia refused to cooperate with the UN and the Timor-Leste Commission for Reception, Truth and Reconciliation (CAVR) when they attempted to bring the TNI and POLRI perpetrators to justice. It must be remembered that this illegal occupation caused the death of nearly a third of the East Timorese population. In 1991, the TNI under the leadership of General Sintong Panjaitan , carried out a massacre of East Timorese at the Santa Cruz Cemetery in Dili. About 270 civilians were shot down by machine gun fire and other follow-up killings were carried out to wipe out observers. There was an international outcry and the Suharto dictatorship sacked Panjaitan. In 1994, while he was studying in the US, the mother of one of the victims of the massacre took out a civil court action against him. The finding was that Panjaitan should pay an amount of several million dollars to the estate of the deceased. He hurriedly left the US. Neither the US nor the Indonesian government have taken action to apprehend him since. West Papua has been occupied by Indonesia since 1962 when the US intervened in the then Dutch governments decolonisation process to give the West Papuans their freedom. It is well known that the US intervention was carried out to purloin West Papuas copper and gold. Today, the US corporation Freeport-McMoRan makes huge profits out of the gold and copper at West Papuas Grasberg mine and that the taxes on the profits provide the Indonesian Republic with a sizeable part of its income. The TNI is hired by the corporation for security purposes. West Papuans are understandably upset by the agreement between the corporation and the Indonesian government as they receive precious little out of the huge profits being made out of their resources. Human rights observers estimate that at least 400,000 West Papuans have perished at the hands of the occupying TNI and POLRI and sickening, gross human rights abuses have occurred since 1962 and are still occurring. The crimes include torture, rape, evisceration, poisoning and extrajudicial killings of those who express the desire for independence. No attempt has ever been made to bring those responsible for these crimes to justice. Following the CIA assisted overthrow of the Sukarno government in 1965, Amnesty International estimates that between 500,000 to a million people were slaughtered by the TNI and their civilian gangs. Some Indonesians tell us that the total number is nearer 3 million. This was one of the worst slaughters in the 20th century and is in the same league as the crimes committed by the Nazis or the Pol Pot regime. Some Indonesians claim that the rivers ran red. To this date, no Indonesian government has sought to bring those responsible for this period of terrorism to justice. The US Copenhagen-based film maker, Joshua Oppenheimer, has produced two documentaries about this period The Act of Killing (2012) and The Look of Silence (2014). Both films include interviews with those who took part in the 1965 indiscriminate killing of Indonesians suspected of being left wing. Some even re-enacted how they went about killing their victims. What is obvious to the viewer is that these murderers are very proud of the crimes that they committed and that they had no fear of ever having to face justice for them. What many do not realise is that CIA personnel in Indonesia gave lists of names of people to be eliminated to the TNI. This is a very shameful period of history shameful to both those involved in the mass killings and the western leaders who were implicated or ignored what was happening. If the statement by Luhut Panjaitan in the Antara report is true, then it should be welcomed. However, past history tells us that this might well be another ruse by an Indonesian government to shut up its critics and that little will come from it. It is very disappointing that President Widodo has chosen Luhut Panjaitan, a former senior TNI officer, to have carriage of the portfolio that he does. Expecting such an officer to seriously pursue TNI alleged criminals is not very credible. The only way for the victims of the TNI and POLRI to obtain justice is for this matter to be taken up by the International Criminal Court as were the mass murderers involved in Rwanda and the former Yugoslavia. *Andrew (Andy) Alcock is Information Officer Australia East Timor Friendship Association Venezuela US$1.4bn gold mine payment The World Banks International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) has ordered the government of Venezuela to pay US$1.386 billion to Crystallex, a bankrupt Canadian gold mining company, for cancelling a 2002 permit to mine for gold in the Imataca Forest Reserve. Brown-crested Flycatcher (Myiarchus tyrannulus) in the Imataca Forest Reserve. Crystallex brought its arbitration claim to the ICSID in 2011 stating that Venezuela had violated the companys rights guaranteed under a bilateral treaty between Canada and Venezuela. Even though most national courts refuse to hear community claims against companies for environmental or human rights abuses abroad, a number of international arbitration courts routinely allow companies to sue governments for investment rights written into new bilateral and multilateral treaties (ICSID alone is currently hearing 211 cases). Imataca, one of four major pristine forest reserves in the country, is home to the Indigenous Akawaio, Arawako, Karina, Pemon and Warao peoples. It also sits above what geologists believe to be the largest gold deposits in the continent worth some US$20 billion. In recent years successive governments have extended environmental protection over most of the region but specifically excluded the gold mining area. This was despite regular protests by the Indigenous communities to protect the area from environmental damage. The forest is our home, our laboratory, our hospital, our university. It is the source of the knowledge we need to survive, Jose Gonzales, the coordinator of the Federation of Indigenous People of the State of Bolivar, Venezuela, said in an international appeal almost 20 years ago. Over time, the area has been invaded by small scale diamond and gold miners who have destroyed almost a tenth of the forested area. For some 50 years, mining investors have also battled to gain access to two adjoining sites Las Cristinas and Las Brisas where they hope to use large scale open pit cyanide heap leach technology to extract the deep underground reserves of the precious metal. Unfortunately for the mining companies, every deal has quickly become mired in a series of legal or political disputes. At one point Placer Dome, a Canadian multinational, had a joint venture to dig for gold at Las Cristinas with state-owned Corporacin Venezolana de Guayana (CVG), which they sold off for just US$50. Others like Chinese state investment company CITIC and Russian-Canadian miner Rusoro have also attempted to cut deals with Venezuela, only to ultimately fail. In 2002, the government of Hugo Chavez handed the rights to mine for gold to Crystallex, but then in an about turn, decided to cancel the permit on environmental grounds in February 2011. Crystallex immediately filed an arbitration claim but was forced to declare bankruptcy later that year. Last month the World Bank ruled in favour of Crystallex awarding the company US$1.2 billion plus almost US$200 million in interest. We are pleased that the Tribunal has recognised Venezuelas unlawful expropriation of the companys investment in the Las Cristinas mining project, Robert Fung, Crystallex CEO said in a press release. The company looks forward to collecting on the award on behalf of all of its stakeholders. The court decision marks yet another milestone in corporate victories against national governments using international trade treaties. For example in 2014 Kazakhstan was ordered to pay Stans Energy of Canada US$118 million for a rare earths mine. And last year Mongolia was ordered to pay Khan Resources of Canada US$70 million for the Dornod uranium project. And Venezuela was ordered to pay US$740 million for cancelling a permit issued by Gold Reserve Inc, also from Canada, for the Las Brisas mine. CorpWatch Culture & Life Vietnam and the legacy of continuous war On March 29, 1973 the last US combat troops were officially withdrawn from South Vietnam. Withdrawn? Driven out would be more accurate. The war would not actually end for another two years, but it was clear that the worlds richest imperialist power had suffered ignominious defeat at the hands of one of the worlds poorest nations. Philadelphia protest against the Vietnam War. The people of the whole of Indo-China had been invaded and conquered by France, intent on adding the regions territory and its rice and rubber to their colonial empire. Then the French were ousted by the Japanese imperialists. In the jungles of Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh began a guerrilla war against the foreign invaders and continued it when the French attempted to reconquer the region after Japans defeat in WW2. Frances crushing defeat at Dien Bien Phu in 1954 should have been a salutary lesson for the USA, but the leaders of US capitalism preferred to believe that it did not apply to them. With their massive industrial and military might how could it? They would learn the hard way, but the resultant war would last 20 years and cost the lives of over a million Vietnamese (and 58,000 US troops). The US waged a rich mans war against the former French colony, which fought back with a poor peoples guerrilla-style war. The high-tech war waged by the USA produced enormous profits for that countrys military-industrial complex. The US dropped a greater weight of bombs on tiny Vietnam than was dropped in the whole of WW2. In just one campaign, 1972s Operation Linebacker for example, US air and naval forces dropped more than 150,000 tons of bombs over North Vietnam. (According to US propaganda then and now, these bombing campaigns targeted exclusively air fields, power plants and other key infrastructure to disrupt the flow of supplies being sent to enemy troops in the south. In fact, strategic US bombers, flying so high they could not see anything on the ground, flew to prearranged radar co-ordinates and released their huge load of bombs indiscriminately.) The cost to the Vietnamese people in death and destruction was horrific. Much of Vietnamese society had to move underground to avoid US bombs, in a defence campaign that far outshone the resistance to the London blitz, but which has been largely ignored by the capitalist media. The Vietnamese people became masters of digging and hiding intricate systems of tunnels, permitting the US troops to uncover the tunnels they were meant to find and not the deeper, hidden ones used by the NLF fighters. The scale of the US war against Vietnam is hard to grasp today but consider this: there are 7.2 million US veterans of that war still alive today. Most of them were either poverty stricken volunteers or equally poor draftees, who found themselves being ordered to carry out horrific actions on the flimsiest of excuses justified by blatantly racist propaganda. As a famous anti-war slogan of the time said, No Vietnamese ever called me Nigger! So horrendous were the things that US troops were made to do by their officers, that large numbers of soldiers were seriously psychologically damaged as a consequence. In Vietnam, this resulted in frequent attacks on officers by lower ranks. Fragging rolling a fragmentation grenade into an officers tent was a favourite action. When they returned from service in Vietnam, they were often so disturbed by what they had seen and done that they simply could not reintegrate into civilian life. Many sought refuge in the woods and other isolated places. Large numbers actually joined the anti-war movement. The Vietnam War was the culmination of the US military effort to roll back Communism. That effort began during WW2 with the betrayal of the Sicilian Communist guerrillas by the invading Americans (the British betrayed the French Maquis to the Germans at the same time, in what was obviously a co-ordinated action.) It was followed by intervention on behalf of colonial powers in various wars of national liberation, everywhere from the Philippines to Algeria to Malaya and of course Vietnam. Later, the US, Britain, Australia and other imperialist states tried to first foment a war on the Korean Peninsula and then to turn that into a nuclear war with China. Fortunately, the USSR held its nerve and the US had to back down, ignominiously sacking its hero General Douglas Macarthur who had brought them to this sorry pass. The US was fought to a standstill in Korea. Nevertheless, when the French were defeated at Dien Bien Phu, US imperialism was quick to take their place. After all, even unsuccessful wars are extremely profitable if they are fought on someone elses territory. Since the end of the Vietnam War, the leading imperialist powers the USA, Britain and France have fought numerous wars, but always on someone elses territory: in Iraq, Syria, Libya, Yemen, in central Africa, all over Central America and much of South America. Most recently, the US and its bosom buddy Japan has been trying to foment a war with China over some nondescript islands in the South China Sea. The right-wing Japanese government of Shinzo Abe is hell bent on reviving the glory days of Japans imperial past, and sees trying to bully its bigger neighbour as the way to curry favour with the USA. The latter, of course, is the worlds most powerful imperialist state, but the days are long gone when empires can be built at the point of a gun. China has been invaded before by Japan (and also by Britain and the USA) but it is no longer a defenceless imperial remnant at the mercy of whatever colonial power wanted to seize some of its territory. Today, anyone attempting to bully China is likely to get a bloodied nose. But of course, the Chinese government is aware that they have an even more potent weapon than their military: their economic clout. Their policies for economic integration and development across central Asia promise to change the face of the global economy out of all recognition. No country will want to miss out on a share of that future. Sussex News Story Saved You can find this story in My Bookmarks. Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right. I. Overview Under its new president, Muhammadu Buhari, Nigeria has regrouped, and neighbours are collaborating with it more meaningfully, taking a more powerful military response to Boko Haram into rural areas where the jihadist group remains strong. Other international partners also are supporting the effort against the insurrection that since 2009 has cost tens of thousands of lives, uprooted millions and spread to other Lake Chad basin states, damaging local economies and cross-border trade. Boko Haram is seemingly on a back foot, but formed of dispersed segments spread over a vast area (Borno state alone is 92,000sqkm) and accomplished in terror attacks, it is unlikely to be eliminated in a decisive battle. The Lake Chad basin states and their international partners, who meet in Abuja on 14 May 2016 at their second regional summit, must use their new collaboration to move beyond military cooperation and design a more holistic local and regional response, lest Boko Haram or similar groups remain a long-term threat to the entire Lake Chad basin. In response to the regional campaign, Boko Haram is adapting to the new conditions, including by making greater use of women and children as suicide bombers to attack softer targets, though it can sometimes still launch large raids. It remains challenging to develop a clear picture of how the group has evolved over the past seven years and what motivates its leaders and rank-and-file. Many reports, as well as some books, are available, but most build on few first-hand sources, beyond statements and sermons by the movements leaders. Nigeria and its allies should more effectively collate and use information gathered from captured fighters, supporters and civilians in occupied areas. New accounts beginning to emerge from former abductees, jailed militants and defectors should help to produce an assessment of the continued threat, the best strategy for curbing the insurgency and, more generally, shape new thinking and measured policy options for responding to terrorist attacks from other extremist groups. The Abuja summit is a major opportunity for Nigeria, its Lake Chad basin neighbours Cameroon, Chad and Niger and wider international partners, namely the European Union (EU), U.S., France and the UK, to address vital policy issues, including: the bleak humanitarian situation, especially how to better support the regions 2.8 million internally displaced persons (IDPs) and refugees, including how to limit or mitigate the short- and medium-term impact on local communities of military embargoes on trade believed to sustain Boko Haram; ensuring return of the rule of law and ending state-ordered or state-sponsored counter-insurgency tactics that exacerbate local grievances and push youths to join armed groups and further alienate communities whose support is essential to combatting militancy; releasing some of those detained on suspicion of supporting Boko Haram and retrying individuals sentenced without adequate legal representation; preparing avenues for the rehabilitation of the movements rank-and-file, who join for diverse and often non-ideological reasons, while remaining open to engagement, public or discreet, with those Boko Haram leaders who may be looking for a compromise; rolling back the use of vigilante groups to fight the insurgents, which if not properly managed, could pose a longer-term threat; and returning government administration to marginalised peripheries, so as to provide crucial basic services security, rule of law, education and health and address factors that push individuals to join movements like Boko Haram. This briefing builds on Crisis Groups past work on violent Islamist radicalism in Nigeria, current field research there and in Cameroon, Chad and Niger, and its March 2016 special report, Exploiting Disorder: al-Qaeda and the Islamic State. It sets the stage for a series of publications analysing Boko Harams evolution from a small protest movement in north-eastern Nigeria into a regional menace and the responses of the Lake Chad basin states and their allies. II. Boko Haram, Technically Defeated? On 24 December 2015, President Buhari declared that technically Nigeria has won the war against Boko Haram. It is true that for several months, the group has carried out fewer attacks, and those smaller, on softer targets and with reduced success. As recently as December 2013, hundreds of Boko Haram fighters overran the air force base in Maiduguri, the Borno state capital. Today, the group seems to deploy fewer fighters, who mostly attack remote villages and refugee camps, and it relies increasingly on terrorist attacks, notably suicide bombings. Its four-wheel drive fleet is depleted, and many of the armoured vehicles it seized from Nigerian forces are destroyed or recaptured. Its last terror attack in Nigerias capital, Abuja, was in October 2015. On 27 March that year, it lost its own capital, Gwoza, in south-east Borno state. While from 2011 insurgents were very active in the other north-eastern states of Adamawa, Yobe and Gombe, they now seem largely limited to Bornos north-eastern quadrant. In February 2016, a Borno senator claimed controversially that Boko Haram still could operate in half the state and had full control of three of its 27 local government areas (LGAs). What seems clear is that it retains presence and capacity in some rural areas, including several permanent bases, particularly in the Sambisa forest, along the borders with Cameroon and Niger and on Lake Chad islets, from where it can launch raids, including into neighbouring states. Boko Harams reach into Chad, Cameroon and Niger appears to have peaked in 2014-2015. Attacks in Chad and Niger seemed to diminish at the start of 2016, and it has turned to suicide bombings against Cameroonian towns and garrisons. Equally notable, Boko Haram has produced many fewer statements and videos since the end of 2015. There has been no credible proof of life from its leader, Abubakar Shekau, in at least a year. A video released on 24 March that shows him was doctored, according to several experts; one on 1 April only featured supporters insisting he was still the leader, though it also depicted well-equipped fighters and four-wheel drive trucks with heavy weapons, including a heavy artillery piece. At the least, Boko Haram has demonstrated that it remains a potent asymmetrical threat. While ostensibly on the back foot, it is not yet defeated. In mid-April, it launched a large attack against Nigerias 113th battalion in Kareto, northern Borno state. The nature of its tactics and geographical reach will make the groups comprehensive defeat difficult. Current attacks seem to be less about military strategy than extracting resources and sending a violent message that it is surviving. Increasingly they are on targets that offer easy plunder, including young captives, many of whom are turned into wives and child soldiers. In its desperate and violent search for resources through plunder, Boko Haram shares some characteristics with late nineteenth century warfare in the Lake Chad area, in which states sustained themselves through raids for goods and people became a tool to sustain (temporarily) the state. It seems even more strikingly similar to the current Uganda-born Lords Resistance Army (LRA), a force also originally formed around a radical, religion-based rejection of society that has deteriorated into a roaming gang, surviving by plundering goods and people. But because of its connection to the global jihad, it has, unlike the LRA, an understanding of the special power of terror attacks. Much like other jihadist groups, such as al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), it may become less a guerrilla force attached to a specific territory and more a terror group with a longer reach. Initially, Boko Haram members attacked strategic individuals (local officials, civil servants, chiefs, imams, traders who refused to cooperate and turncoats). They moved on to greater violence against specific communities, including those that formed vigilante groups to resist them, such as the Civilian Joint Task Forces (CJTF, see below). They now appear to be motivated by a broader anger against all who do not support them, including communities over which they have lost control. In so acting, they may be destroying what little appeal they once had among segments of the local population. The insurgency has badly damaged the Lake Chad basin economy, destroyed or driven away the little services (and cash infusion) the state provided and forced some traders to flee. But in an effort to break its financial base, Cameroon, Chad, Niger and Nigeria have deliberately targeted economic activities they believe have been benefiting Boko Haram, through tribute, a criminal racket or direct militant participation in certain businesses. States have ordered a variety of bans, such as on motorbike taxi service in the countryside, rural markets, the sale of fuel and trade in fish, pepper, cattle and dried meat. Some trade prohibitions have been lifted after civil society groups raised concerns, but there is little doubt that the local economies are suffering. Under pressure from the regions armies, Boko Haram faces growing challenges to exact tribute from trade flows that have largely vanished and has difficulties finding suppliers willing to engage in risky illicit commerce. The money from bank robberies and ransoms has either run out or become more difficult to spend. Raids have replaced the tribute once exacted from villages, another indication that its revenue base is being stifled, though the group may still have control of markets in some areas. There is one recent report, quoting security sources, that militants were surrendering out of starvation. Pictures released by the Nigerian military of alleged militants killed or captured in combat show emaciated bodies. Nevertheless, that Boko Haram is losing resources and fighters does not mean the governments have quite regained control. As Lake Chad basin states push further to dislodge Boko Haram and regain access, further research may shed light on the movement. Since the killing of Mohamed Yusuf, its founder, in police custody in 2009, the evasive Abubakar Shekau, once a Yusuf deputy, is the best-known figure. A known sub-group (or faction), Ansaru, publicly confirmed its existence in 2012. It formed around Nigerian radicals associated with AQIM and had links to, but sought to distinguish itself from Boko Haram. It is not clear whether it was completely dispersed by the security forces, was absorbed into Boko Haram or transformed and survived as something distinct. It is not clear either how deep doctrinal differences run within the organisation, notably over the affiliation to the Islamic State (IS). Organisational charts in literature on Boko Haram are hypothetical, with many empty boxes and question marks. Likely the assaults have weakened the centre of the movements network, making it less capable of securing obedience and coordination, and fragmenting it into smaller, more local units, tied to specific areas and resource bases. In its areas of influence, Boko Haram tried to set up a quasi-administrative structure, linking the imam (Shekau) and its Shura council to designated emirs (locals or outsiders) charged with organising levies in recruits and kind from local communities. In some areas where its control was most intense and durable, it tried to implement its version of Sharia (Islamic law), controlling male and female dress, limiting female mobility and forcing attendance at Quran classes and prayers. However, some consider the notion of Boko Haram as a structured organisation a state-centric misunderstanding of a group that should be viewed as a network of networks. Boko Haram, as it deployed in the rural areas and along the border apparently integrated smaller, pre-existing networks some of which did not have a religious agenda such as of illicit traffickers or bandits. Some of these are returning to their previous lives but may still be using Boko Harams name and notoriety. It would be wrong, however, to consider the movement a spent force. Since the beginning of 2016, its network along Cameroons border has been able to attempt 35 suicide attacks. III. The Regional Fightback Boko Haram has been weakened by a stronger, coordinated military response that began in 2015. A combination of regional and wider international support that increased notably with Buharis election has put it on the defensive. After years of inaction and a series of spectacular setbacks in 2013-2014, Buharis predecessor, Goodluck Jonathan, tried to fight back as the 2015 elections approached. Reaching out to Russia and China, among others, he secured training and weapons and arranged for a South African private military company to train and operate a small force in Borno state from December 2014 to March 2015. Most significantly, forces from Chad and Niger were allowed to intervene on Nigerian territory around Lake Chad that February-March. Boko Haram was pushed out of some areas, sometimes for good (Gwoza and Dikwa), but sometimes not, for failure to maintain a permanent deployment (Gambaru and Abadam, which are further north, along the Cameroon and Niger borders respectively). Nigerias own army is not large enough to secure the entire north east and cannot depend on the deeply troubled federal police to help secure urban areas. The armed response strengthened further after Buhari assumed the presidency in May 2015, although given the militarys history, there remains scepticism about the coherence of the fight against Boko Haram. A retired northern general with strong anti-corruption credentials and military governor experience in the north east (1975-1976), he boosted the morale and capacity of Nigerias armed forces, which had been compromised by years of mismanagement and wide-scale graft and fraud. Several of his acts have improved the military response: a thorough command change, transfer of the operations base from Abuja to Maiduguri, moving tactical formations headquarters forward and quick improvements in logistics, wage-payment, air support, rotation of troops and equipment procurement. To reflect the more aggressive disposition, Nigerias counter-insurgency operation changed names from Operation Zaman Lafiya (We will live in peace) to Operation Lafiya Dole (Peace by All Means). The armed forces have sustained an offensive posture, catching off balance insurgents who were used to facing a demoralised army largely confined to fixed locations. To boost morale and improve capacity, the president also ordered investigations of more than 300 companies and prominent citizens, including senior serving and retired officers, believed involved in security budget mismanagement. Some have been detained. Another important change has been the growth and spread of vigilante CJTF groups. Born and nurtured in Maiduguri by local authorities in 2013, they played an important role in pushing the insurgency out of that city, and they eventually formed in Bornos rural areas and in neighbouring states; the Cameroon and Chad equivalents are known as comites de vigilance. They are alleged to have been involved in serious abuses, including extrajudicial executions and rapes, sometimes in association with security forces. But in rural areas, they have provided essential local knowledge and intelligence to the security forces and, more importantly, given people a chance to reconnect with the state who otherwise may have looked to Boko Haram for protection. Nigerias more cogent response and the insurgencys growing cross-border footprint have done much to mobilise Cameroon, Chad and Niger, as well as Western partners. As early as 2012, in the framework of the Lake Chad Basin Commission (LCBC), there were attempts to revive the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF), an unsuccessful regional anti-banditry operation established in 1998, at a time when bad memories and suspicions between Nigeria and its neighbours, particularly Cameroon, were high. However, Chad and Niger pulled out in 2013 and 2014 respectively, and Boko Haram overran the MNJTF headquarters near the Nigerian town of Baga, on the shores of Lake Chad, in January 2015. Bagas fall was a wake-up call. Seeing its trade routes to the sea under threat, Chad sent two large columns, one through Cameroon, one through Niger, and supported by a Niger contingent, to fight the insurgents in Nigeria. Faced with mounting criticism for collateral damage, the interventions heavy human and financial toll and what it considered insufficient regional and wider international support, as well as an increase in Boko Haram activity on its territory, however, Chad quickly pulled out of Nigeria, somewhat frustrated. It has since focused most of its operations on its Lake Chads islands and shore. Buhari revived regional cooperation that had seemed dead at mid-2015 by paying special attention to neighbours. The MNJTF settled into an expanded NDjamena headquarters, led by a Nigerian general officially in command of all Lake Chad basin operations. In reality, there has been no force integration: the MNJTF is about coordination, and national contingents re-hatted as MNJTF operate primarily in their own country and report to their own capital. But the task force allows a level of cross-border operational coordination, while assuaging sovereignty concerns and helping to erase the borders a bit. Not without difficulties, it also coordinates intelligence and does some joint planning. It likewise performs a function common to many African regional organisations, that of a recipient and coordination point for international technical and financial aid. Several bi-lateral and multilateral partners provide funds and seconded officers directly to the intelligence cell (Cellule de Cooperation et de Liaison, CCL), support which may not have been available purely bilaterally. Western aid, particularly from France and the U.S., but also the UK and other allies, had already begun accruing to Nigerias three neighbours in the form of training, equipment and intelligence, including from U.S. drones operated out of northern Cameroon. Buharis reformist agenda has allowed the West, notably the U.S., to commit or pledge more support to Nigeria as well. IV. Understanding Boko Harams Staying Power Even if it may be on its back foot, Boko Haram is likely to be difficult to eradicate, because it originates from Nigerias deep structural challenges. Key factors include: demoralisation resulting from massive, oil-fed corruption; chronic mismanagement; growing inequalities between regions, with high birth rates, poverty and low levels of formal education particularly acute in the north east; instrumentalisation of Sharia by northern elites in a context of sudden democratisation; and dysfunctional federalism. Climate change has probably also had a part, though contrary to received wisdom, Lake Chad has not retreated in recent years. The insurgencys specific home in the north east owes something to Yusufs appeal in his region of origin and ethnic community, the Kanuri. That region has also been propitious for the insurgency; the long international borders have allowed it to seek refuge, develop support networks and procure weapons in the Lake Chad basin, an area both of porous frontiers and of regions that are marginal peripheries in their own states. But another local factor mattered for the insurgencys origin and continuation: the history of violence in Nigeria, and particularly in the north east. Globally, jihadist groups have tended to emerge or gather strength during conflict at least as much as initiate it. When Boko Haram took root and grew, north-east Nigeria and the broader area of the Lake Chad basin were not home to an open, large armed conflict, but there was diffuse, daily, structural violence. Cattle-rustling, banditry, vigilantism, the protection needed for a lively illicit economy and abuse by state officials have all been pervasive and inter-connected. It is a region where trade and the requisite mobile protection have been more important than production, and the 1990s economic liberalisation did not change this. Untying the nexus of wealth and violence is the regions key structural challenge. A new study of ex-Boko Haram fighters attitudes tellingly notes that [a]bout half of former members said their communities at some time supported Boko Haram, believing it would help bring about a change in government. State legitimacy is the core problem. The challenge has been heightened by a violent counter-insurgency campaign to which little thought has been given about how it could further fuel insurgency. The brutal summer 2009 military crackdown in Maiduguri, Yusufs extrajudicial execution in police custody and heavy-handed attempts to crush the movement made things worse. Repeated pledges by the states involved to comply with the laws of war have had minimal follow-through; there are still too many troubling reports by human rights NGOs. A human rights expert contended that, throughout the region, security forces were probably more deadly for civilians than Boko Haram. Even accounts from the security forces are dispiriting reads. How, for example, did Nigerian forces know the 58 they killed on 21 March 2016 in the village of Musari were insurgents if they seized only two grenades afterwards? This context explains some of Boko Harams success in penetrating rural areas, an essential but little analysed issue. It put rural civilians before a false choice. On one side was a state that has often made itself felt through unfulfilled promises of development and the taxations, seizures and predations of its agents, many of whom do not speak local languages, and their local allies the chiefs and government officials. On the other was the presence of armed militants with sticks, but also some carrots access to a gun, money, a motorbike, protection for trade (or the loss thereof), promises of plunder or a bride, chance for revenge against state abuse and moral justification couched in an understandable religious discourse. Boko Haram has also provided opportunities for communities, not only individuals. Along Lake Chad, for instance, significant segments of Buduma fishing communities have rallied under its flag to counter the economic dominance of Hausa traders. It is probable, too, that Boko Haram was a chance for some rural youths to gain leverage in a sclerotic patriarchal social system that gave them little, while delaying access to marriage and formal adulthood. The movement has abducted many women. There have been reports of rapes, particularly against Christian women. It seems many of the captives have been forced into marriages, which has led to marital rape. Reportedly, fighters spent much of their off-duty time talking about marriage prospects. The easy access to brides, via coercion or otherwise, Boko Haram gives young militants, an aspect observed in some other Muslim reform movements across West Africa, has probably been a major pull factor for the insurgency. Analysis of womens experience with Boko Haram has often been centred, understandably, on the plight of the female captives and girls used as suicide-bombers. It should not be ruled out, however, that some women may have seized on Boko Haram as an opportunity for a kind of emancipation observed in other mobilisations drawing on radical Islam. A recent study notes that for some women, particularly young ones, the group offered unique opportunities, notably access to Islamic education and a form of social power. Overall, the relationship of many civilians to the movement has certainly been more varied than usually thought, combining fear and opportunity in complex ways, with each person joining for diverse reasons. That complexity must be understood and dealt with if Boko Haram is to be degraded. V. Uncertainties Remain The military balance is currently tipped in favour of the Lake Chad states, and Boko Haram is not likely to create a large territorial enclave as IS has done in Iraq and Syria. There are, however, substantial long- and short-term uncertainties that still threaten Nigerias far north and neighbouring countries and must be carefully monitored. First, Boko Haram is trying to adapt to military defeats. Its networked nature may mean it is unlikely to collapse from the top and is well-suited to surviving as a loosely-coordinated structure. Some bastions, such as the Lake Chad islets or the Mandara hills, may offer long-lasting cover for guerrilla operations. Other militants could drop the attempt to maintain a guerrilla force, complete with families, in favour of a slimmer structure with a longer reach and a focus on terror acts. Some may move to new areas. While Boko Haram has a primary audience among the Kanuri, the dominant ethnic group in Borno state and surrounding areas (and Yusufs and Shekaus community), it has been able to reach further. The daily violence of banditry and cattle-rustling prevalent throughout northern Nigeria and the region could open up new areas of operation. Another uncertainty is the potential to reach out to other jihadist movements. There has long been evidence of some links, notably with AQIM or ex-Ansaru militants. Several sources noted the presence of a few Maghreb Arabs among Boko Haram ranks, and Shekau pledged allegiance in March 2015 to IS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. U.S. officials have recently claimed links between IS and Boko Haram are tightening, but evidence so far is slim. Nigeria articles in ISs magazine, Dabiq, are of poor quality, unlike its coverage of the fronts where IS is clearly present. With the exception of the 27 November 2015 attack on a Shia gathering near Kano, Boko Harams targeting seems to have been less global recently. Nigerias ability to capitalise on Boko Harams current weakness and curb it is another uncertainty, particularly with oil prices low and the naira falling. The neighbours strengths are also unknown. Each in its way is fragile. Cameroon confronts a delicate presidential succession in 2018, a security apparatus with internal tensions and a north with a large (not exclusively) Muslim population that feels marginalised. Niger is tense, fresh from controversial presidential elections, with budget problems, a partial criminalisation of the state due to illicit trafficking and a military used to meddling in politics. Chad is also fragile, with a long history of armed rebellions, essentially controlled by a tribal army awash with aspiring men-at-arms, reeling from the oil-price collapse and just past the controversial election in which President Idriss Deby, in power since 1990, won a fifth term. Such frailties could, in various ways, offer ground for an extension or more indigenous mutation of Boko Haram, as well as the emergence of other violent actors, jihadist or not. VI. A Mounting Humanitarian Toll The humanitarian impact has been huge. There is no solid body count, an indication of state weakness and dearth of local civil society, made worse by security concerns. The Council on Foreign Relations (U.S.) assesses that Boko Haram and state actors together have killed 28,000 since 2011 in Nigeria alone, but the toll may be higher. There are now 2.8 million displaced persons in the Lake Chad basin, about 200,000 of them refugees. With limited resources made worse by weak capacity, the states and aid community have struggled to handle the crisis. Regional governments policies have not always helped the displaced. Authorities have seemed keen for civilians to leave and stay away from Boko Haram-held territory (where they could be a potential source of voluntary or coerced support for the insurgents) but are at the same time embarrassed by the massive IDP camps, fearing they may turn into hotbeds of discontent. Also, such camps have reportedly attracted human trafficking and sexual abuse. President Buharis initial plans to push IDPs back to their home areas have apparently been dropped, and Nigeria seems to be preparing for massive long-term displacement. Cameroon is not keen on retaining Nigerian refugees and is pushing for swift repatriation, at the risk of returning them to areas still plagued by insurgency and possibly to starve. Niger and Chad have pushed Nigerian refugees and nationals not always an easy distinction away from the insurgent-infested Lake Chad islands, sometimes forcibly, and are trying to prevent returns. The future of IDPs, stuck in camps often removed from their resource bases, is sombre. Displaced or not, 9.2 million of the 20 million living in the affected areas require humanitarian help. Nearly half face severe food insecurity, and in Borno state some 50,000 are starving. Agriculture is at a standstill, with labour drained from rural areas, movement of goods and people complicated and poor rains. While many civilians have fled to urban centres, there still seem to be many in the bush, with little to no mobility, and the lean season has not even begun. Hasty return to rural areas without sufficient seeds, tools or fertilisers will not help. At this stage, if rural populations are not supported adequately by government, they may be vulnerable to Boko Haram offering similar supplies. With the size of the impacted areas, security concerns, intermittent international attention and Nigerias perceived sensitivity to external involvement, aid organisations are struggling to increase their activity. Humanitarian aid is nevertheless indispensable, as bans on economic activities, which seem to have proven militarily effective, will likely continue. Even if states were willing to reverse them, it is far from certain that would produce a rapid improvement in local livelihoods, since many IDPs and refugees are cautious about returning, and traders are reluctant to re-enter the markets. Whether pushed back to unsafe areas or stuck in insufficiently supplied and protected camps, the displaced would be easy targets for voluntary or coerced Boko Haram recruitment. VII. Conclusion Dell and EMC will merge their partner programs next year, including combined deal registration and a centralised global channel structure. The plan was revealed by Gregg Ambulos, senior vice-president of worldwide channel sales at EMC, on the opening day of the vendor's conference in Las Vegas, where hundreds of channel partners attended the Global Partner Summit running alongside EMC World. Ambulos offered channel partners a glimpse into the vendor's forward plans From day one of the merger, which is expected to complete later this year, EMC and Dell will continue to operate separate programs. Partner will be able to cross-sell the entire range, as long as they have been approved by both vendors. While the deal registration programs will initially remain separate, the vendor will "cross check every one of these registrations and address any conflicts head on". "We will also put a process in place to ensure we have integrity for all net new deal registrations moving forward." Fast-forward to 2017 and the programs will come together, said Ambulos. " We will have one common approach for deal registration to ensure you are all protected, and we will offer robust incentives to drive cross-selling opportunities as well as incremental business and net new accounts. " The merged business "will have a centralised global channel structure, to ensure consistency worldwide", he added, with "field-based channel resources that will be aligned with out sales organisations. This is similar to the way EMC goes to market today in the channel." Following the channel chief's presentation, partners were given a Q&A presentation by Dell founder Michael Dell and EMC chief executive Joe Tucci, though media were not allowed into this session. The journalist travelled to EMC World as a guest of EMC. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) may have dropped its attempts to get Apple to crack a pair of iPhones obtained during two separate investigations, but the agency hasn't eased up its position in the battle over encryption. The agency recently pushed for a 29-year-old Los Angeles woman to provide her fingerprint to open her phone after she was sentenced in an identity theft case. Paytsar Bkhchadzhyan had already been sentenced in an identity theft case and whisked away to lock up, when the FBI sought a warrant in another California court for Bkhchadzhyan's fingerprint to open the phone an agent took her print later that same day. Although the FBI wouldn't say why it wanted access to the phone, the woman is allegedly the girlfriend of Armenian Power gang member Sevak Mesrobian, according to a report in the Los Angeles Times, which cited assistant US attorney Vicki Chou as saying the phone is part of an ongoing investigation. The order sparked a debate as to whether the order was in violation of the Fifth Amendment. University of Dayton law professor Susan Brenner told the Times, that the case "isn't about fingerprints and the biometric readers," but instead is about "the contents of that phone, much of which will be about her, and a lot of that could be incriminating". The Supreme Court was clear in a June 2014 decision barring warrantless search of cell phones, noting in the Riley v California case that modern cell phones are not just another technical convenience, but a device giving law enforcement access to far more information than other physical evidence carried on a person, such as a wallet or purse. When federal authorities backed off Apple in March after the iPhone 5c used by one of the San Bernardino shooters was cracked by a third party and again in April after another person provided the passcode for an iPhone at the center of a drug investigation in Brooklyn privacy advocates and security pros said the battle between the feds and tech companies over encryption was far from over. "Unfortunately, this news appears to be just a delay of an inevitable fight over whether the FBI can force Apple to undermine the security of its own products. We would all be more secure if the government ended this reckless effort, Alex Abdo, staff attorney at the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), said in a statement emailed to SCMagazine.com at the time. This article originally appeared at scmagazineus.com The federal government has revealed tax reductions for small businesses in the 2016 budget. Starting from 1 July this year, the tax rate for small businesses will be reduced from 28.5 percent to 27.5 percent. The rate will continue to lower to 25 percent by 2026-27. The definition of 'small business' has also been widened, with maximum annual turnover for businesses eligible for the new tax rate increased from $2 million to $10 million. The government expects this will affect approximately 870,000 businesses. The threshold will continue to rise to $25 million in 2017, $50 million in 2018-19 and $100 million in 2019-20. Treasurer Scott Morrison announced the changes as part of a ten-year enterprise tax plan. Small and medium businesses are driving jobs growth in Australia, and must continue to do so. They are also overwhelmingly Australian-owned and more likely to reinvest their earnings in future growth as they seek to build their businesses. A tax on their business is a tax on their enterprise and the jobs they provide, said Morrison during his budget remarks. Small businesses win, multinationals lose The government also revealed its plans to crack down on multinational corporations shifting profits made in Australia offshore. Companies earning more than $1 billion globally will be taxed at a higher rate of 40 percent for profits they shift offshore. Morrison said the restrictions should reclaim $3.9 billion over the next four years. The Australian Taxation Office will be given a huge boost to combat corporate tax dodging. An extra $679 million will go to hiring 390 additional staff to fill out a 1000-person tax avoidance taskforce. Individuals who report corporate tax avoidance are set to receive greater protections from 1 July 2018. The government is cracking down on multinational tax avoiders, following scrutiny on the likes of Apple, Microsoft and Google shifting profits overseas. The 2016 Budget, announced yesterday, introduces a Diverted Profits Tax, which will impose a 40 percent penalty rate on large multinationals found trying to shift their profits offshore. The government is also creating a taskforce to hunt down multinational tax cheats. The budget measures follow years of scrutiny on global companies that fail to pay their fair share of tax in Australia. Technology companies have been particular targets, with leaders from Apple, Microsoft and Google forced to front up to a Senate Enquiry in 2015. Last December, the Australian Taxation Office published tax data on more than 1,500 public and privately held companies, showing hundreds didn't pay tax in in Australia in 2013-14, including Acer, Alcatel-Lucent, Citrix, HP, NEC and Vodafone. It has just been revealed that Google Australia restructured its business to recognise revenue it earns in Australia, in a move that was effective 1 January this year. Taxation taskforce The government will provide the ATO with $679 million over the next four years to fund a new Tax Avoidance Taskforce, which will employ around 1,300 people, including 390 new specialised officers, to crack down on multinationals and high-earning individuals. The taskforce is expected to raise an extra $3.7 billion over the next four years. "Tax cheats will be tracked down and will face the full force of the law," according to a media release from treasurer Scott Morrison. Other changes to tax laws will focus on transfer pricing, as well as better protection for whistle-blowers who expose tax misconduct. Transfer pricing was under scrutiny during last year's Senate Enquiry into corporate tax avoidance, when Apple was forced to deny "inflating the transfer price" of products in order to reduce taxable income in Australia. Companies with global incomes of more than $1 billion that fail to lodge their tax returns and other documentation will see a massive 100x increase in fines, from $4,500 to $450,000. VCE, the converged platforms division of EMC, has revealed an OpenStack model of its VxRack System 1000, which will join versions based on VMware as well as for alternative hypervisors. The VxRack System 1000 can be configured with different node types for different workloads, and now comes in three "personalities", said Matthew Oostveen, CTO of VCE Asia-Pacific & Japan. The latest model, the VxRack model with Neutrino nodes, joins the SDDC (software-defined data centre) model, for companies that have standardised on VMware, and the Flex model, suitable for non-VMware hypervisors such as Microsoft Hyper-V and KVM. The Neutrino model lets user rapidly deploy apps, and is a foundation for multiple cloud-native services including OpenStack, VMware Photon and Apache Hadoop. Oostveen said VCE was offering the three different models to accommodate customer preference whether for VMware or for rival platforms. "I don't think that building walls around the empire and trying to keep the tide out has ever worked as a strategy." The VxRack SDDC model, due to ship later this year, is aimed at "customers that have made heavy VMware investments", said Oostveen. "Not only do they have strong level of licensing, they also have large numbers of technical teams trained in VMware. It makes sense that they are able to deploy a technology where they don't have to retrain, and more importantly, don't have to insert a new silo. "Some customers have made an investment in a different hypervisor and want to deploy applications differently, and an SDDC environment is not going to be right for them. What we have for them is the Flex configuration, which opens up the bare metal capabilities of the infrastructure to enable customer to configure and tune the infrastructure dependent upon their needs. With the new Neutrino model, VCE recognises that "OpenStack is gaining momentum in the marketplace", said Oostveen. "IT teams are looking for ways they can better serve lines of business who are asking them to be more rapid in the deployment of an application. [Line of business] are asking them to stand up infrastructure and software faster than they were able to before. What they are looking for is a public cloud-like environment on-premise." He explained that line-of-business teams would bypass IT if they couldn't get the rapid deployment they were seeking. "I am really interested in this bypassing phenomenon. Why do people bypass IT? What is IT not doing right?" "That is where this OpenStack solution comes into play," he added. VCE claims to be the world leader in converged systems, with a range spanning from the lower-end with its VxRail hyperconverged appliance, which launched in February and competes with Nutanix and Simplivity, up to its flagship Vblock system, which combines technology from EMC, VMware and Cisco. The journalist travelled to EMC World as a guest of EMC. VMware on Tuesday US time introduced two new less expensive versions of its NSX software-defined networking product with reduced functionality, while also raising the price of its fully featured version. At a list price of US$5,996 per CPU socket, NSX has primarily been a technology for deep pocketed enterprise customers. With its new entry-level and intermediate versions of NSX, VMware is shifting its software-defined networking sales efforts to small and medium sized organisations for the first time since launching NSX in 2013. VMware is now selling a Standard version priced at US$1,995 per CPU socket, and an Advanced version priced at US$4,995 per CPU socket, a VMware spokesman told CRN. With the new versions, VMware is hoping to boost sales of NSX and counteract the ongoing decline in its core vSphere server virtualisation business. At the same time, VMware is hiking the list price of its fully functional version of NSX, now called Enterprise, to US$6,995 per CPU socket, said the VMware spokesman. This version lets customers use NSX across different data centres, and also includes IPSec and SSL virtual private networks, remote gateway and multi-site NSX optimisations, VMware said in an FAQ on its website. Customers that want to use NSX's network security features, which VMware calls "microsegmentation," will have to shell out for the Advanced or Enterprise versions. The Standard version doesn't include distributed firewalling, integration with Microsoft Active Directory or automation of security policies with VMware's vRealize cloud management software. All three NSX versions are available on a perpetual license, while the Advanced version also includes a per-user pricing option so it can be used with virtual desktops, VMware said in the FAQ. The new NSX licensing model went into effect Tuesday US time, and the VMware spokesman said customers working with partners on active deals will get the old pricing until the end of the vendor's fiscal second quarter on 30 June. Current NSX customers with active VMware support contracts will get the functionality of the Enterprise version, VMware said in the FAQ. By introducing a set of tiered NSX offerings with different functionality and price points, VMware is following the playbook of Microsoft and other enterprise software vendors, while also signaling that NSX is mature enough to gain mainstream market traction. VMware said earlier this month that NSX now has more than 1,400 customers, with around 350 using the technology in production networks. NSX was on an annualised run rate of US$600 million going into 2016, but VMware hasn't updated that figure since then. VMware partner bookings of NSX grew 100 percent year-over-year in the vendor's latest quarter, Dom Delfino, vice president of worldwide sales and systems engineering for VMware's networking and security business unit, said in a blog post Tuesday US time. Some customers are deploying NSX alongside Cisco's competing SDN technology, called Application Centric Infrastructure, said Delfino in the blog post. Meanwhile, VMware's vSphere server virtualisation cash cow continues to decline, with compute license bookings falling 10 percent year over year in its latest quarter, and total compute bookings dropping 1 percent. This article originally appeared at crn.com Seera Holdings has appointed Newport Capital to raise $10 million in A-round capital to support its international expansion. The cloud-based talent management software provider expects to grow in Asia-Pacific by opening its first international office in Singapore this year. According to Seera, its HR solution is currently the fastest growing on Microsoft's Azure cloud platform and provides "comprehensive insights" into individual, team and an entire organisation's performance. Partnerships such as the one with Microsoft contribute to Seera's growth strategy, according to the company's founder and chief executive Bradley Birchall. "Our affiliation with ASX-listed companies such as Rhipe, as well as our affiliation with Microsoft, have been a driving force behind our growth and Asia-Pacific expansion," said Birchall. Newport Capital chairman Lou Richard said that he believes Seera's technology has the ability to make it into the Asia-Pacific market. The federal government Tuesday night announced its budget for 2016, which included a number of tax breaks for small and medium businesses. As part of a ten-year enterprise tax plan, the tax rate for small businesses will be reduced from 28.5 percent to 27.5 percent. The rate will continue to lower to 25 percent by 2026-27. Businesses with a maximum annual turnover of up to $10 million will be eligible for the new tax rate, up from the current $2 million. The threshold will rise to gradually cover larger businesses: $25 million in 2017, $50 million in 2018-19 and $100 million in 2019-20. The $20,000 accelerated depreciation intiative for small businesses, which debuted in last year's budget, has had its life extended to June 2017. There were also a number of other announcements affecting businesses, including: $213 million in various initiatives to improve Australias cyber security practices $679 million to establish a 1000-person tax avoidance taskforce within the Australian Taxation Office $199.4 million to build a new payment processing system for the Department of Education, Department of Human Services and Department of Social Services Multinational companies will be taxed higher rates of 40 percent on profits they shift offshore The channel verdict: where's the innovation? CRN spoke to a number of solutions providers in the Australian channel to gauge their thoughts on whether the new budget initiatives would help their business. Brisbane-headquartered consultants Business Analysts are one of the estimated 870,000 businesses eligible for the new small business tax rate with a turnover of less than $10 million. Chief executive Tim Coventry said he doesnt know yet what impact the new tax bracket will have on his company. The biggest issue with the budget, according to Coventry, was a lack of support for the underlying factors that encourage innovation. Theres a lot of talk around the idea that we want to move to a new economy of innovation and disruption, but I dont see anything that actually talks about the skillsets that sit behind it, said Coventry. [The government] has to realise that just chucking money at it is not the answer. You cant expect to throw money at people and expect them to suddenly have technical capabilities. Theres a skillset around being able to innovate that involves understanding the cycle of innovation, understand the current state were in and then looking at the current possibilities for disruption. Chief executive eNerds Jamie Warner said it was a safe budget, but praised the governments support for small and medium businesses. He added that a lot of the innovation initiatives had already been implemented prior to the budget. Anything that helps small business be more profitable is a win. I think the $20,000 depreciated asset write-off is probably the biggest win for IT providers looking to sell infrastructure because smart companies will use it as part of their sales process. Warner also praised the governments export market and development grant, eligible for businesses looking to productise and export their intellectual property to the global market. Businesses can be reimburses up to 50 percent of promotional expenses above $5000 provided the total expenses are at least $15,000. There werent too many changes to innovation in the budget because a lot of those initiatives are already in effect. Ultimately, eNerds is a software development company and weve taken advantage around incentives for R&D in our new business. Those tax concessions can be significant when theyre done properly. The channel verdict: boost in confidence Director Joshua Boys from Perth cloud provider Ignia said the biggest thing for his company was a boost in spending confidence. Boys was particularly happy with the tax incentives for startup investors passed in the senate this morning. The Tax Laws Amendment bill was part of last years $1.1 billion innovation fund that includes a 20 percent tax offset on investments to innovative businesses. Its a fairly safe budget, but our key interests are innovation. Even if it doesnt necessarily affect us, its positive even if it creates competitors. Our philosophy is around doing whats next, and I relish the competition and the vibrancy in the industry it creates, said Boys. Continuing to fund innovation isnt just good, its needed. Lincoln Computer Centre owner Greg Williams was also more enthused about boosting industry confidence, rather than a tax cut. "I don't look at it as how it will benefit my business but my market. If my small business customers are happy then we do well. If it increases confidence then our future is secure," said Williams. The South Australian business owner also said that the immediate tax rate cut is helpful but it does not make a material difference unless businesses are already making a lot of money. He believes the real difference will be when the rates reach the 25 percent promised in ten years' time. The channel verdict: accelerated depreciation Owner of Townsville reseller Dennis Computers and Backup Service, Dennis Evans, said that dropping the tax rate for small businesses helps, even if it doesnt directly impact his own company. The only direct impact this might have for his businesses, said Evans, is that companies may be more willing to invest in new server infrastructure after years of holding off. This is because the government has extended the threshold that businesses can apply for a $20,000 instant asset depreciation scheme to companies with an annual turnover up to $10 million. CPS general manager Tony Warhurst agreed, adding that small businesses will have more room to spend and invest. "It allows businesses to increase revenue and therefore invest in productivity and infrastructure," said Warhurst. He was also cautious over the safe budget, saying it could be just another election stall. The channel verdict: NBN Budget papers also revealed that the national broadband network will run out of public funding by the end of the 2016-17 financial year. The government will fork out its last payment of $8.8 billion of a $29.5 billion funding cap for the NBN before the end of next year. That leaves an extra $16.5 billion and $26.5 billion that needs to be covered by the private sector to finish the NBN rollout. Chief executive Rene Sugo of publicly-listed telecommunications and hosted voice provider MNF said he was disappointed that the government didnt write off part of the network build in the budget. The NBN business case is under serious threat. Failure for the scheme to reach a critical mass of activations could ultimately affect the viability of the whole telco industry and leave consumers worse off, said Sugo. In order to reach its targets, NBN has to be the number one choice for data services for consumers and be available at a viable price point for service providers of all sizes to resell. As it stands, this is not going to be realistic. A fair model would allow middle players to step up and effectively compete in the market, driving NBN uptake and balancing out the challenge of the NBN bypass services. Virtustream will launch an Australia cloud at the end of this year or early next year, the company's founder revealed at EMC World this week. The hyperscale cloud provider, which was acquired by EMC in May 2015 for US$1.2 billion, already has eight regions around the world, centred largely in North America, as well as Europe. Company founder Rodney Rogers said that the Asia-Pacific was in his sights for the second half of this year, with Japan set to be first cab off the rank, followed by Australia in the last quarter of this calendar year or the first quarter of 2017. One reason Japan is in front of the queue is because Virtustream already works with Japanese IT service provider CTC. "Australia will be next," said Rogers. "Whether we hit Australia in Q4 or Q1 of 2017 I don't know yet and we are having that discussion with service providers in region around partnering." Virtustream targets mission-critical workloads, with its heritage focused on SAP and recently expanding into Oracle. Some of its high-profile customers include Coca-Cola, Avon and Goodyear. Joergen Jakobsen, EMC's vice-president and general manager of channel Asia Pacific and Japan, said that Virtustream still had a place despite the dominance of Amazon Web Services and Microsoft Azure. "The reality is not to go and compete directly with AWS. It is really a differentiated solution. They can provide something that the big hyperscale clouds today don't provide. It is really differentiated software that gives that SLA. We are not aware of companies that are going to AWS and Azure with their mission-critical aspects today, which is why Virtustream is so differentiated." Virtustream differentiates itself from AWS and Microsoft Azure with guarantees of uptime and data durability that exceed the industry standard. While most cloud providers offer 99.5 percent availability or more than four hours of downtime per year Virtustream's service-level agreements stand apart. The company promises five nines of uptime for availability (99.999 percent) for its Virtustream Enterprise Cloud and 13 nines of durability for the storage cloud. The company used EMC World to reveal its cloud storage solution, though it said it was not looking to compete with market leader Amazon Web Services' S3 object storage service. Jeremy Burton, EMC president of products and marketing, said: "We at EMC are not going to go and compete with Amazon S3. The Virtustream storage cloud is really a peer of Amazon S3." Its new cloud storage aligns to the EMC product family as a means for offsite backup. Burton called it "the new tape", where users can "set a policy and that cold data will automatically migrate to the Virtustream storage cloud. "For cold data, take advantage of cloud economics and your hot data is still on-premises. I think that is the most basic hybrid cloud environment that a lot of people will go for, especially the realm of backup," said Burton. "People tend to keep these backup copies a long time. Back in the day they put those backups on tape, they put those tapes on a truck and they take the truck to some vault and bury it inside a mountain somewhere. The new way is we don't use tapes and trucks anymore, we use the internet. You set a policy, after so many days your backup copies migrate to the Virtustream storage cloud. It is the new tape vaulting, for want of a better word," he added. But there is already a cloud option for EMC partners before Virtustream lands down under. "In the meantime, we have a strong service provider community," said Mark Fioretto, general manager of service providers, system integrators and alliances at EMC Australia & New Zealand. "We have a program called Cloud Connect, so we have got integrators that don't have cloud infrastructure or capabilities are able to leverage this Cloud Connect program to utilise service provider capacity to on-sell as part of a hybrid type solutions." Cloud Connect launched in Australia earlier this year with service provider partners Macquarie Telecom and Rackspace. Networking News EMC Exec: Michael Dell Is Avoiding Networking 'Collision Course' With Cisco Matt Brown Share this Dell Chairman and CEO Michael Dell will maintain a tight relationship with Cisco Systems in the networking market after Dell completes its acquisition of EMC, an EMC executive said at EMC World in Las Vegas this week. Dell did not mention networking in his keynote address at the conference and, according to an EMC executive, the omission was no accident -- even though Dell competes day in and day out with Cisco in the networking market. "It's not a coincidence that if you go back and watch the Day 1 presentation, networking was not mentioned by Michael," Chad Sakac, president of EMC's Converged Platforms division, told CRN. [Related: Michael Dell On Dell-EMC's Storage Overlap, Future Acquisitions And The Blockbuster Deal's Channel Impact] EMC and Cisco have a longstanding partnership, and while their server relationship has been contentious as EMC develops hyper-converged solutions with x86 servers, some in the industry have speculated that the two companies would increasingly do battle in the networking market soon after Dell's acquisition of EMC is finalized later this year. "If Dell had a truckload of networking, it would put us on a big strategic collision course with Cisco," Sakac told CRN. "And what is the most important thing to [Cisco]? Is it hyper-converged? No, it's switching, routing, networking. It's a huge thing inside their DNA. "Everyone is like, 'Hey, Dell sells servers, Cisco sells servers, and when this occurs, there's an inevitable collision course.' But really, it's more like they're doing their thing, and we're doing our thing. If we went and said we're going to go to town with [Dell] Force10 [networking], our ability to partner with Cisco as an ecosystem partner would be dramatically reduced." Cisco declined to comment for this story, but pointed to a February corporate blog post reaffirming the companys commitment to its EMC relationships. A Dell spokesman provided the following comment: "Dell has [publicly] communicated its intent to continue VCEs relationship with Cisco, assuming the successful satisfaction of customary closing conditions. Michael Dell published an open letter in which he notes 'After joining with Dell, VCE's close working relationship with Cisco will continue. Vblock will continue to follow Cisco's compute and networking roadmaps and EMC's storage roadmaps to bring the latest technologies to VCE customers.' Further, 'We know that VCE is a centerpiece of EMC's 2016 plans, and we are extremely enthusiastic about VCE's future and our continued partnership with Cisco.' " Dell's 17.5 percent market share in servers in 2015 roundly beat Cisco's 6.4 percent share, according to research firm IDC, and it's likely that Dell will need and want to preserve EMC's networking relationship with Cisco because it doesn't have a significant networking presence on its own, said Sakac. He called that a "feature" of the deal, "not a bug." Dell, Round Rock, Texas, entered the networking market when it acquired Force10 Networks in 2011, but it finished 2015 with only a 4 percent share in the networking market, compared with a a 57 percent market share for Cisco in data center switch revenue, according to data from the Dell'Oro Group research firm. In the short term, Dell's best bet is to make the most of the opportunity to sell Cisco networking, said a top executive at one Dell and EMC solution provider who did not want to be named. "Why would they want to play with anyone but Cisco?" said the solution provider executive. "They're in a great spot. There are good partnerships with Cisco; VMware has relationships with Palo Alto and Arista; Force10 has its market segments. There's no reason to get into a shooting war. For a lot of old partners like us, it's a good deal. Who knows what the future is, but right now I don't think there's any reason to be nervous." Patrick Moorhead, president and chief analyst at Moor Insights, took a similar position, saying Dell is likely to maintain EMC's Cisco relationship until new technologies take hold in the market. "They're going to leverage Cisco and Brocade for today's stuff, and [for] tomorrow's stuff, we'll see what they can do with software-defined," said Moorhead. "They've got so many balls in the air that it sounds like they want to keep this networking thing constant until software-defined networking gets off the ground." Gino Guidi, solutions architect at Sidepath, an Irvine, Calif.-based solution provider and longtime Dell partner that's now signing up with EMC as well, said he believes Dell and EMC will eventually develop a networking play independent of Cisco. "Dell networking will play nicely with EMC," Guidi told CRN. "Cisco is trying to build a closed networking ecosystem that locks customers in. Dell and Brocade are trying to be open and work with other vendors' ecosystems." As customers increasingly adopt converged infrastructure, they don't want to manage the switches, Guidi said. Bob Venero, CEO of Holbrook, N.Y.-based solution provider Future Tech, No. 232 on the CRN 2015 Solution Provider 500, said he expects there to be significant incentives from Dell-EMC to sell an end-to-end Dell offering from the client to the data center. "If I am Dell and I am one of the last companies that has a true end-to-end solution, I am going to incent my partner community to sell that end-to-end offering," he said. "There is definitely value in supporting an end-to-end Dell solution versus a multitude of vendor offerings. With a single solution, you have a single point of communication, integration and a single P&L [profit and loss statement]. If you go deep and wide with a single vendor it will be a more profitable engagement." Furthermore, Venero said, Dell will certainly have a compelling end-to-end price-performance advantage against Cisco given the high price of Cisco's annual SmartNet maintenance contracts. "Dell is going to be much more cost-competitive than Cisco, not only in the acquisition of the product, but in the long-term maintenance as well," he said. "Cisco SmartNet is a huge portion of Cisco's annuity revenue streams that corporations feel they are strong-armed into buying in order to obtain Cisco support." Joseph F. Kovar and Steven Burke contributed to this story. A Lighter Approach to Business Travel The Lenovo Yoga 900S is a laptop the business traveler should appreciate. Touted for being ultra-light and thin -- the "world's thinnest convertible laptop," actually, according to Lenovo -- the Yoga 900S debuted in January at the Consumer Electronics Show. The 2-in-a laptop serves as a new spin on the Yoga 900 focused on easier mobility. But the device also begs for a comparison to another business-friendly, on-the-go Windows 10 device -- the popular Surface Pro 4. Which is a better fit for you? What follows is our comparison on the specs and prices of the two devices. Also, be sure to check out more of the CRN Test Center's side-by-side comparisons of the latest smartphones, tablets, and 2-in-1s. Carnival Cruise Line will just barely be the largest brand in the North American by 2025, based on new ship orders and announced deployments, according to the 2016-2017 Cruise Industry News Annual Report. The Carnival brand will have an estimated market share of 24.8 percent, compared to 24.3 percent for Royal Caribbean International. Ten years ago, Carnival had more than 28 percent. The shift is partially due to ship deployment and a more aggressive newbuilding program by the Royal Caribbean brand. In the Carnival fleet, Princess Cruises has also seen a shift to an estimated 9.1 market share in North America this year, from 12.1 percent 10 years ago, with more ships deployed to other sources markets, such as Australia, China and the UK. Pending deployment of its recent newbuild order, Princess could see its market share here erode further to 8.5 percent by 2025. Among other brands, pending any changes in deployment, Holland America Line, Celebrity Cruises and Norwegian Cruise Line maintain or increase their market shares slightly. In 2016, the three largest companies in the North American market, Carnival Corporation, Royal Caribbean Cruises and Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings, command 90 percent of the passenger capacity, and will have 86.3 percent by 2025. Today, the Carnival brand dominates the contemporary market (with the most passenger capacity); Celebrity Cruises the premium market; Silversea Cruises, the luxury market; and Lindblad Expeditions the expedition and adventure market. About the Annual Report: The Cruise Industry News Annual Report is the only book of its kind, presenting the worldwide cruise industry through 2025 in 350+ pages. Statistics are independently researched. Learn more by clicking here. The report covers everything from new ships on order to supply-and-demand scenarios from 1987 through 2021+. Plus there is a future outlook, complete growth projections for each cruise line, regional market reports, and detailed ship deployment by region and market, covering all the cruise lines. Order the 2016-2017 edition today. In part 1 and part 2 of this series, I focused on the Cybertech conference in Tel Aviv which I attended in in January. In this and the final blog piece on the topic, Ill look at how Israel has become a leading player in the worldwide information security sector. I attended Cybertech on a trip sponsored by the AmericaIsrael Friendship League and the Israeli Foreign Ministry. Also on the trip was fellow CSO columnist Richard Stiennon who wrote about it as well. In his illuminating article, he calculated the number of information security vendors per country. Predictably the United States came out on top with 827 firms. Surprisingly, Israel was second with 228. Whats astonishing from Stiennons research is that Israel has more security companies than the next five countries combined. How is it that Israel has more security firms than the UK, Canada, India, Germany and France combined? The question is even more compelling given that Israel has a population of roughly 8 million; while those five countries have roughly 1.5 billion inhabitants. [ MORE ON ISRAEL: Israel is number two in cybersecurity behind the U.S. ] An excellent resource with detailed listings of Israeli technology startups is the IVC Research Center High-tech Yearbook. It has trend analysis and YOY investor activity, along with detailed profiles of investors, including venture capital funds, private equity funds, incubators, angels and corporate investors investing in Israel. For a visual listing of firms, the Israel CyberScape map from Bessemer Venture provides a listing across 14 information security domains. So just how did Israel become a global information security superpower? Heres a few reasons. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu set the goal of making Israel one of the worlds five leading global cyber powers. When a government makes something a priority, and backs it up with financial incentives including research and development grants, which Israel has done; thats a compelling initiative to generate interest. Obviously government incentives alone are insufficient to generate a global industry. Dr. Jimmy Schwarzkopf, managing partner at Israeli market research and strategic analysis firm STKI notes that Israeli youth serve in the army (IDF) between three to five years. A modern army; the IDF is centered on C4I (command, control, communications, computers, and intelligence) systems. To use these complex systems, young soldiers must become experts in IoT and other cutting-edge technologies. With that, many students prepare themselves with honor subjects in high school, combined with an extended curriculum in the IDF computer training, and later in universities. When they finish their army service, many of these well trained individuals tend to either start or join startups, often in information security, and as of late IoT. Another viewpoint from Ron Moritz, founding partner of TrueBit CyberPartners, building on the army notion, is that despite being ranked among the top armies in the world, the Israeli army mantra often is not to worry about the how; its just about getting the job done. The main focus is to make it work. The solution could be ugly, it could be a Band-Aid, it could be a hack. The approach trickles out into Israels high-tech sector where problem solving and fast innovation drive products to market. This anti-bureaucratic approach fuels innovation. Also broadly speaking, the geo-political realities of Israeli have formed an exceptionally creative military which, out of necessity, operates with substantially less formal processes, rigor, and discipline than most armies. A meritocracy atypical of highly-formalized bureaucratic armies, the IDF encourages experimentation and out-of-the-box thinking and quickly rewards those who push the envelope and succeed. As an example, an IDF soldier serving and advancing in an IT unit will at the age of 20 typically control a budget and has operational responsibility equivalent to that of a mid-career IT executive twice his age employed by a US firm. The soldier will carry this experience when they enter the working world; either with a high-tech company developing solutions or as an IT professional where they will become a natural development partner for those creating new solutions. In the next and final piece on the topic, I provide some insights from one of the smartest people in the Israeli high-tech scene; Gadi Tirosh of Jerusalem Venture Partners. News broke yesterday where a flight in Australia was delayed due to some intellectually challenged individual thought it would be funny to rename his/her wifi hotspot. But, before we dig into that Ill share a personal story. A few months ago I took my daughter to her piano lesson. Normally this is where I sit there for a half hour with a book and a coffee and relax. On this occasion I managed to forget my book and my coffee. So, I decided to look for open wifi access points for giggles. One of the first ones that I discovered was an iPhone belonging to a woman named Carrie. My smartass side jumped up and said, Hey I have an idea. So, I renamed the wifi hotspot on my iPhone to Hey Carrie, whats up? Now, not one to pat myself on the back but, I found that funny. What happened on the Qantas flight QF481 was most assuredly not funny. From Time: The Australia-based Qantas airline delayed a flight leaving Melbourne for two hours over the weekend when a passenger noticed a Wi-Fi hotspot called Mobile Detonation Device after boarding. After the crew notified him of the hotspot name, the captain broadcast over the speakers that the flight would not leave until the source device had been located and cleared with security. After a search of the plane nothing was unearthed. No one came clean as to being the instigator of the incredibly stupid joke. The real problem here is that this sort of puerile behavior puts passengers at risk from possible law enforcement responses and jeopardize their travel plans through their nonsense. Pathetic really, much in the same vein of people who think it is acceptable to flash green lasers at flights on final approach. But, this isnt unique. It seems that morons love to do this sort of thing. Here is an example from 2014. From DailyMail: An American Airlines flight was delayed for 17 hours at LAX because a passenger spotted an 'Al-Quida Free Terror Nettwork' while trying to connect to the WiFi on board. The aircraft bound for London turned back to the gate after a flight attendant was shown the list of hotspots while taxiing. Passengers were then forced to get off of the plane with some having to stay in hotels overnight while waiting for the next available flight. While this isnt as bad as defeating the laws of physics and changing a flight direction it is still foolish. I would hope that people who find this sort of thing amusing at some level would take the time to learn how to actually be funny. If they want to continue to protect our nations most valuable data from cyber-attacks, leading security practitioners need to look to the future of the security industry and develop ways to grow the talent needed to fill the looming jobs gap. That's why Jim Treinen, vice president of security research at ProtectWise, was happy to help J.B. Holston, dean at the University of Denvers Daniel Felix Ritchie School of Engineering and Computer Science, when they ventured into designing their Master's in cybersecurity curriculum. Having earned both his Masters and PhD at Denver University (DU), Treinen was thrilled at the opportunity to give back to his Alma Marta given his long history of involvement with DU. A couple highlights of the course work that Treinen is most excited about include working on lab activities and classic computer systems. He said, "There are some lab activities mostly focused around how vulnerabilities are being exploited, current ransomware and how to exploit with crypto systems, and how they can be turned around and used against unsuspecting users." In addition, students will learn how operating systems work. "Understanding how modern OS have built in security, understanding at a deep level of how the underlying networking works, and the theory of OS and why it matters, is important, as are secure software engineering practices," said Treinen. Knowing that when academic and industry work in partnership, good things happen, Treinen said he values and appreciates that DU is so very forward looking. "They recognized the gap in prospects and moved to add specialties to their computer science program, which is a great recruiting tool for institutions, and I expect to see more universities roll out forward looking programs," he continued. In designing the course work and deciding on the different levels of depth and breadth that ought to be offered, Holston credited Protectwise for having been incredibly helpful in co-creating this program. Holston also spoke with a cybersecurity company on the West Coast and said, "They have 500 job openings right now. They happen to be a very mature company, but if you extend that beyond cyber security companies and include those organizations that actually need to be better at cyber security, there is a huge gap." [ ALSO: Top U.S. universities failing at cybersecurity education ] So they used a broader brush in designing this intensive one-year program. "If you dont have any kind of background in computer science, there are bridge courses. Prospects can take a pre test online to determine whether they need bridge courses. There is an intensive period focused on the basics of computer science," Holston said. In addition to building a strong core in computer science, the degree program also offers a number of electives, so there will be folks that take a number of different paths. "One primary goal," said Holston, "is to help students structure relationships with companies. We have structured everything from the capstone all the way to the individual working on an internship from the first day." Those enrolled in the year long program will be required to commit one work day of interning, and the program leaders will work with students to help them decide which company, which capstone, and which internship is best suited for their professional goals. "I think we will get a lot of folks who have been out of school for a year or two working for a think tank, likely holding a generic undergrad degree. Those who like what they are doing but realize that they are not on a path toward a career that is really interesting. That's our highest probability target," said Holston. So, for those who can take a year full-time to do it, (though part-time classes are available online) DU is ready to help you kick-start a career in cybersecurity. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate MILFORD The former Milford police officer who crashed his cruiser into a car carrying two teens, killing them both, was sentenced to what amounted to a year in prison in Superior Court Wednesday morning. Jason Anderson, who was fired six months after the June 2009 crash, was sentenced to five years in prison, suspended after one year. Anderson is also to serve three years of probation. His defense attorney, Hugh Keefe, said that there were no winners, only losers in this case. Its a fitting compromise it was a smart decision by the court to reduce the sentence from 10 years suspended after five to five years suspended after one, Keefe said. I know a lot of people in the community had wanted more jail time, but anyone who sat through the trial will see that this is a fair sentence, given the legal problems that the state had. Anderson had been convicted in December 2012 of reckless driving and misconduct with a motor vehicle in the deaths of Ashlie Krakowski and David Servin, who were both 19-year-old Orange residents. He was sentenced in January 2013 to 10 years in prison, suspended after five, and remained free on a $250,000 bond while appealing the sentence. In 2015, the state Appellate Court granted Anderson a new trial, ruling that the jury in his 2013 trial made conflicting findings, and that the judges instructions to the jury may have been misleading. Wednesdays sentencing was the result of a plea bargain. Andersons speed was estimated at 94 mph when he broadsided a car carrying Servin, the driver, and his girlfriend Krakowski, on the Boston Post Road in Orange in the early morning hours of June 13, 2009. Anderson was fired by the Milford Police Commission in December 2009. A dashcam video from another Milford cruiser captured the crash and the aftermath, showing Andersons cruiser passing on the right and plowing into the 2008 Mazda carrying Krakowski and Servin. The Mazda was struck as it made a left turn from the Post Road onto Dogwood Road at a flashing red light at 2:13 a.m. Andersons light bar wasnt on at the time. Anderson was returning to Milford at the rime of the crash after a mutual aid call to a melee in a West Haven bar. Still, there was a number of facts in the case, many of which that were kept from the ears of the jury, that placed some culpability in the lap of Servin, the driver of the car that was struck. In the January 2013 trial, it was revealed that Servins blood-alcohol content at the time of the crash registered 0.14 well above the limit for a legal drinker. What the jury didnt hear was the fact that that his girlfriends blood alcohol count also 0.14 and that pair werent wearing their safety belts. However, in Connecticut, culpability in a criminal case cant be shared between parties, attorneys in the case said. Gabriella Duran, 15, is used to being on her own. Every school day, she wakes up at 5 a.m. She takes the train from Bridgeport to South Norwalk, where the Brien McMahon High School bus picks her up in time for first period. And every evening, she gets home after her family has eaten and makes dinner for herself mostly cereal. But what the Bridgeport natives not used to is being far from home, and shes headed to a southern college. North Carolina is so far away and I was like, Do I want to go that far away from home? What about my family? she said. Duran was one of 27 students selected to participate in the Norwalk school districts first collaboration with Wishbone, a program that helps students raise money to participate in summer programs at prestigious universities. After a months worth of applications, and after qualifying for their low-income requirements, the chosen students have 30 days to raise the money for their program. Wishbone uses online crowd-funding to help the students raise the money. With its matching grants for the students and social media contests, Wishbone touts a near-100 percent history of students reaching their goals. When I heard about the program I was like This is too amazing for words! And this is a lot of work! said the principal of Brien McMahon, Suzanne Brown Koroshetz. The Carver Community Center had invited Koroshetz and fellow district high school principals to hear from Wishbones representatives about their organization. The minute they left I said, We have to get as many kids in as possible. And who is my best kid-gatherer? she asked, moving her arms in a flourish to present the man beside her. Qadir Abdus-Salaam, one of five staffed housemasters at the school, laughed in response. And I said, Hmm, what's this program? And then when I heard about it, I said, Done deal, I'm all over this, Abdus-Salaam said. A fundraising challenge Abdus-Salaam had participated in a similar program when he was in high school that completely changed his world view, he said. "I was like, this is what I did, this is me right here, he said. I told them my whole story and I said, And look at me now, I'm a boss for a reason. Under his guidance, 12 Brien McMahon students are participating in the 30-day challenge; five have already completed their donation goals. The other 15 are at Norwalk High School. On Thursday, Brien McMahon sophomore Ja'rya Dorsey had 17 more days and $966 more to go, but she said shes not too worried. At this point I'm like, if its meant to be it's meant to be. I can't make people take money out of their pockets, she said. Duran, who started her challenger earlier than Dorsey, said she had not felt the same way when she was at her 13-day mark. I was crying every day, she said, laughing. I think the Wishbone lady was fed up with me. She was done. I think she was going to sell herself by the end. I didn't really ask my family, because my mom does work hard for us. So I couldn't really ask them for money or help, said Justin Ngomepaul, a 16-year-old sophomore. He completed the 30-day challenge and will be attending the National Student Leadership Conferences International Diplomacy program. His father sells vacuums, he said, and his mother stays home to take care of him and his seven siblings. The program usually costs about $6,000, but with Wishbone he only had to raise $2,995. I go to my teachers and say, Yo, you know youre my favorite teacher Dorsey said, making Ngomepaul and Duran laugh. Dorsey is a competitive dancer and wants to be a cardiothoracic surgeon. Shes about two weeks into her campaign, hoping to attend Hofstra Universitys National Youth Leadership Forum on Medicine. I like blood. Like, I love open wounds, she said. If you have a cut I'll help, no problem. It gives me a rush. Ready to venture out Though she'd only be traveling to New York City unlike Ngomepaul and Duran, who will be going out of state Dorsey said shes nervous about leaving home for that long. They tell us when you go it' like youre on your own and you have to fend for yourself, she said. Doing stuff on my own and being only 15 years old that's a lot of pressure. But getting out of their comfort zone is what Abdus-Salaam hopes his students will do. He said that right now theyre big fish in a small pond, and that its important for them to see what the big pond looks like. That's what I want these guys to see to see what building your future is about, he said. And that will be their trajectory, to the stars. Duran has completed her challenge, having raised $6,450, and will be participating in the Duke University Summer Academy for High School Students program as a global helper this summer. Those interested in donating to a local student can visit https://www.wishbone. org/campaigns. While Dorsey isnt quite there yet, shes already picturing her summer. I can't wait to cut people open, she said, smiling, then serious. Medicine just never gets old. There's always something new to uncover. SFoster-Frau@ctpost.com; @SilviaElenaFF This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate With Mother's Day on the horizon, there's no better time than now to honor our moms for all they do. Especially in Connecticut, where working moms thrive. Moms may find they have it best in Connecticut, according to a recent study by financial website WalletHub. The study found that the state was among the best for working moms, ranking first in "work-life balance," 12th best in "child care," and 37th best in "professional opportunities." While Connecticut sits among the top three states, the website noted there are still obvious and deeply ingrained injustices that contribute to inequality between working momsand women, in generaland their male peers. "Women today comprise nearly half of the American workforce, and slightly less than three quarters of them are solo moms with young children," WalletHub said. "Yet women still earn only $0.79 for every dollar that men make and have far less upward mobility, as evidenced by the fact that only 4 percent of S&P 500 companies' chief executives are female." Related: Things to do with mom on Mother's Day Vermont and Minnesota joined Connecticut as the best states for working moms, while Nevada, Alabama, and South Carolina ranked as the worst. The study also found that Democratic states ranked higher on average for working moms than Republican states, with an average rank of 21.3 to 31.2. Recently, the issue of providing paid leave for parents has grown in momentum. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo signed into law a bill that will bring paid family leave, including parental leave, to New York in 2018. San Francisco, Calif., also approved six weeks of full-paid leave for new parents beginning in 2017. Rhode Island, New Jersey, and California currently offer some form of paid parental leave. Connecticut Rep. Rosa DeLauro sponsored a bill in March 2015, alongside New York Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, that aims to provide individuals with some income during parental leave. The Family and Medical Insurance Leave Act (H.R. 1439/S. 786) would prevent employers from firing an individual for taking 12 unpaid weeks off to care for a newborn child or deal with a serious illness. Both the House and Senate bills have yet to pass in their respective houses. The House bill was last referred to the Subcommittee on Social Security and the Senate bill was read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance. Check out the slideshow above to see where working moms have it best in America. To check out WalletHub's full write up, click here. Pa. is about to vote. Here's what to know about voting and ballot access in 2022 Elections Gov. Ron DeSantis and Charlie Crist square off in their only TV debate Gov. Ron DeSantis and Democrat Charlie Crist are expected to tussle over the economy, abortion and culture war issues. Lifestyle | Daily Life | News | The Sydney Morning Herald Were sorry, this feature is currently unavailable. Were working to restore it. Please try again later. Dismiss Millions of voters across Britain have their first chance tomorrow to pass judgement on the Labour party under Jeremy Corbyn. Nearly 2,800 council seats are up for grabs, as well as the mayoralty of London, two Westminster constituencies, the Scottish Parliament, Welsh and Northern Irish Assemblies and several police commissioner posts. In normal times, Mr Corbyn might be feeling quietly confident. Tory infighting over the EU referendum has been bitter, David Cameron is at odds with his own grassroots members and there are worrying signs that the much-vaunted economic recovery is beginning to slow. Millions of voters across Britain have their first chance tomorrow to pass judgement on the Labour party under Jeremy Corbyn Yet the pollsters predict Labour will have its worst result since under the hapless Michael Foot. The party faces wipe-out in Scotland, conceding power in Wales and losing up to 200 councillors in England. Its easy to see why. The party under Mr Corbyn is arguably more divided and chaotic than ever before. On the economy, Europe and defence, his policies are a blizzard of confusion, and the anti-semitism row showed a deeply unpleasant seam of bigotry in the party which he shows little sign of being inclined to tackle. Rumours of a coup to remove him are rife. The Mail takes no pleasure in Labours implosion. A functioning democracy needs a strong opposition to hold the Government to account but the sad truth is that Mr Corbyns party is in danger of becoming a fractious, irrelevant rabble. True, he is adored by the socialist Labour members and trade unionists who propelled him to power last summer. Tomorrow may show that the ordinary British voter has little in common with hard-Left party hacks. For that reason Mr Corbyn could simply be unelectable. A show of compassion The Mail welcomes the signals emerging from Downing Street that a change of heart is imminent on taking in unaccompanied child refugees from squalid camps within the EU. It shows the Prime Ministers compassion and that he understands the depth of public concern over the safety of these frightened, vulnerable boys and girls. In a full-page editorial last week, this paper recognised that we have no legal obligation to give them asylum and that we should not encourage more Syrian parents to send their children across the Mediterranean in rickety boats in the hope of a new life in Britain. But the plight of these children has become so harrowing that we simply cant turn our backs. We argued for a one-off, carefully controlled amnesty. Between now and next week, when the Immigration Bill returns to the Commons, the Government must devise a resettlement plan which is both practical and humane. For every child we take, it could mean a life of hope, rather than despair. EUs barmy army German proposals for the creation of a pan-European army are just the latest phase in the relentless march by EU federalists towards ever-closer union. This combined force with shared military assets would mean member states giving up sovereignty over defence policy and sound the death knell of Britain as an independent nation. And what of Russia? President Putin would undoubtedly see the creation of an EU force as a provocation, sending East-West relations back into the freezer But along with many other European countries, we are already members of Nato, arguably the most successful military alliance of modern times. Why would we risk compromising our relationship with the US to join a rag-tag army run from Brussels or Berlin? And what of Russia? President Putin would undoubtedly see the creation of an EU force as a provocation, sending East-West relations back into the freezer. A daughter, who thought she had ordered her dream prom dress, has been left bitterly disappointed after the reality failed to measure up to the dazzling photographs online. Chloe Bradley, 16, from Gloucester, chose a 'made-to-measure' embellished floor-length gown from website Shillas.co.uk. However she told how when the 120 teal design arrived it failed to fit over her hips - leaving the material bunched up and the side-split exposing her underwear. Here her mother Emma Bradley, who paid for the dress, explains why it's ruined the experience for both of them. Chloe Bradley was left devastated when her made-to-measure prom dress turned out to be nothing like she expected. Pictured: Chloe in the dress A daughter's prom is a rite of passage, a step into early adulthood and a party to celebrate the end of a stressful few months of study and exams. It is the time for a mother and daughter to enjoy shopping trips to try on dresses and debate colours and styles and I was really looking forward to sharing this special time with my daughter. But what happens when you have exhausted the High Street and still haven't found 'it'? 'It' being the dress that has it all, the one that ticks all the boxes. Chloe had a look in mind and she wanted a fitted dress to show off her size 8 figure. She wanted it to have a slit in the side and a low back detail. After searching the high street for weeks with no joy Chloe took to the internet. The 16-year-old had her sights set on a custom made 120 chiffon prom dress from Chinese company Shillas (left) but when it arrived the dress did not fit like she expected Despite having sent the company her measurements, Chloe could not even get the fabric over her hips Chloe says the dress material ended up bunched up around her stomach where it does not fit properly Buying online is not alien to her, she lives in a digital world where shopping on the internet is an everyday occurrence. Some of her friends had done the same and they had had no problems so why would we? Therefore, together we ordered the dream dress, it wasn't cheap at 120 and we were not trying to save money more than that we wanted the perfect dress, the one she had imagined over the past few years. The one that would make her feel special and the one that she had in her mind's eye. Online, the dress was promised to be made-to-measure, there is little in the way of a description but the picture speaks a thousand words and she had set her heart on it. It was over budget but I decided to treat her. The model in the photograph looked picture perfect in the backless dress (left), but in reality Chloe's dress stretched awkwardly across her back Desperate to get her daughter the dress of her dreams, Chloe's mother Emma Bradley contacted the company who then offered them to have dress remade for another 70 per cent of the original cost We followed the site's guidelines and I measured Chloe using a tape measure around her bust, waist, hips and from her collarbone to the floor. We compared this to the standard size eight fitting and it was very similar so we were confident that we did it correctly. I also added a note in my order that Chloe is a size eight and our measurements should reflect that. She counted down the days until it arrived and I opened the dress to hang on her door ready to wow her after a revision lesson. Yet as I did so I become concerned at the length, it seemed very, very long. Once Chloe was home she tried it on, she called for me as it was not gliding on as expected. In fact trying it on was like a limbo dance into a badly fitting arrangement of material. She tried putting it on over her head, then stepping into it, but to no avail. It simply didn't fit in the right places. I was devastated and Chloe was desperately frustrated. Initially, she laughed saying it was 'hilarious' but when it dawned on her she had no dress for prom and all her friends had theirs, suddenly she didn't find it funny. I had an upset teenager on my hands, her dreams had been left in tatters and we realised that we had a huge problem. Emma, pictured, says she was also offered a refund of just nine per cent by the company I immediately contacted the website, believing they would refund or sort the dress but they have washed their hands of it since taking my money. The website states that there is no need to worry about changing and returning dresses if they are custom made. It states: 'If you don't like the dress you ordered, you can return or re-make.' It says the same if you don't like the colour or the size is wrong. They asked for the photos which I immediately sent and then they replied 'Dear customer, the best we can do is nine per cent partial refund, thanks.' I could not believe this! Nine per cent they were offering me which is less than 12. This is supposedly for the refund of a faulty, badly made, unwearable dress. I then asked for them to remake the dress and they replied: 'We can remake this one for you, but we need to charge you 70 per cent of the dress as the remake material fee. Is it okay?' 'Are you kidding' was my initial response they want me to pay a further 70 per cent to risk having another dress made that won't fit either! Furious Emma (pictured here with Chloe) says that they have now been left to look for cheaper options on the high street and are avoiding online stores The final email I have received has suggested that I send them the dress back, but I worry it will get lost and end up not being their responsibility. The website has ruined what should have been a big occasion for my daughter and me. We have been really badly let down and now we are running out of time to get a dress plus I am seriously out of pocket and now can't afford her dream dress. We will have to look at cheaper options instead and we certainly won't risk ordering online! In the meantime, Chloe continues to focus on her upcoming exams which, of course, are the priority. However, how can any mum relax until their 16-year-old daughter is ready for the dream night that all young girls dream of. MailOnline has contacted Shillas.co.uk for comment. Doctors had given her just months to live in 2014 Youngster went on dream trip to Disneyland thanks to public donations She died at home on Friday with her mother and sisters by her side A heartbroken mother has revealed her terminally ill daughter - known as 'little lion' thanks to her man of red hair and ferocious courage - has lost her battle with cancer. Jolene Hale, 35, from Charlton, south east London, said she was able to make five-year-old Isabella Coomber's dreams come true thanks to the generosity of strangers - including MailOnline readers - after she was diagnosed with a brain tumour aged one. The youngster died at home on Friday surrounded by her mother Jolene, grandmother and sisters Rebecca, nine, Sophia, four and Gabriella, one just seven days after she was pictured laughing happily on her first ever school trip. Isabella Coomber, five, was known as little lion because of her mane of red hair and amazing courage The youngster died at home on Friday surrounded by her family after losing her battle with cancer Jolene said: She was the bravest lion. Isabella loved life and she fought so hard. 'I feel so very very lucky to have had her as my daughter and her beauty, courage and bravery will live on in us. She will forever be our little lion cub. Right now I am broken and missing her with every breath I take, but I am determined to be as strong and brave as my daughter was. I am so incredibly proud of her. She had the strength of a lion and now so must I. She was diagnosed with cancer aged one, with doctors telling her family it was terminal when she was three She was given months to life in April 2014 but outlived predictions to start school in September 2015 Her mother (left) made the heartbreaking decision to halt treatment to allow her to enjoy a better quality of life Isabellas plight was shared after her mother made the heartbreaking decision to halt chemotherapy when she was three to allow her to enjoy a better quality of life. She had already endured two years of gruelling treatment before doctors warned Jolene that Isabella could never be cured. After stopping treatment she asked her daughter what she would most like to do and Isabella announced that she wanted to visit Disney World in Florida. Heartbroken Jolene knew she could never afford it so she appealed for public donations, which enabled her daughters wish to come true. Mother Jolene paid tribute to Isabella, describing her as the 'bravest lion' who 'fought so hard' She was there were 'no tears' while Isabella was alive, adding that all she knew was 'fun and laughter' She said the family had made memories to cherish forever, thanks to the generosity of strangers, including MailOnline readers, who pledged tens of thousands of pounds. She said: Thanks to the readers who donated we have so many magical memories that we are reliving over and over, they are making us laugh and cry all at one. Those memories are keeping us strong and to us are priceless. Thank you so much to everyone. Jolene also managed to fulfil several more of her daughters wishes, including making her a big sister again and getting her a dog. She said: There were no tears while Isabella was here, all she knew was fun, laughter and joy. She said the family had made memories to cherish forever thanks to the generosity of strangers Jolene also managed to fulfil several of her daughters wishes, including making her a big sister again Isabella is pictured here hugging her mother's tummy when her baby sister was on the way Isabella was born in perfect health on September 30 2010. But at just five months old Jolene began to worry something was wrong. She says her concerns over Isabella were dismissed by GPs who assured her all babies grow differently. But by ten months and still unable to sit she was finally referred for tests. A brain scan revealed a large tumour on December 16 2011. Initially it was thought not to be cancerous and surgery was arranged to remove it. But surgeons were only able to remove 80 per cent; the rest was too dangerous to operate on as it was wrapped around a main blood vessel. Isabella had already endured two years of gruelling treatment before doctors warned Jolene that she could never be cured Her red hair led to nurses at the Lion Ward at the Royal Marsden, London, to nickname her little lion As she recovered in hospital, nurses on Lion Ward at the Royal Marsden nicknamed her little lion because of her red hair and bravery - and the name stuck. But tests showed the tumour was cancerous and she started chemotherapy, causing her locks to fall out. Then in April 2014 the little girl was given just months to live. Jolene said: The words shattered me. To be told your daughter will never grow up breaks your heart. The youngster, pictured with her sister Gabriella, managed to go on her first ever school trip before she died She was able to go to Disneyland in America after her mother appealed for public donations Isabella (centre) is pictured here with her sisters Sophia (top left), Gabriella (left) and Rebecca (right) So instead of fighting for her life, we began to fight to give her the best life. Isabella originally continued chemotherapy in a bid to extend the time she had left but it left her so ill that Jolene made the gut-wrenching decision to halt treatment so she could enjoy quality of life instead. She said: She was too sick to do anything. She had already spent too much of her life in hospital, I knew it was time for her to live her life to the full. Consultants agreed to withdraw treatment, and assured Jolene she would only be wasting precious time if she tried to arrange treatment abroad. Jolene grew concerned that there was something wrong at just five months old. A brain scan a few months later revealed a large tumour Initially it was thought not to be cancerous and surgery was arranged to remove it, but they could only remove 80 per cent Further tests showed the tumour was cancerous and she started chemotherapy. It meant her trademark red hair sadly fell out Cash that had been raised for treatment was instead spent on a caravan to offer respite holidays to the families of children with cancer. It meant that when Jolene decided to take Isabella to Disney in America, having already been to Disneyland in Paris, fundraising had to start again. After telling her story to MailOnline, Jolene was astounded when funds were raised in hours after the nation took little lion to their hearts. The trip took place in January 2014 and for the rest of the year Isabella stunned doctors by defying their expectations and even starting school in September. Her thick mane of curly red hair grew back and was Isabellas pride and joy. Isabella (right) is pictured in hospital with her mother and sisters Rebecca (left) and baby Sophia The youngster managed to go on her first ever school trip to the Cutty Sark a week before she died Jolene said: She loved her hair, and she loved being everyones little lion. The mother eventually gave birth to her fourth daughter, Gabriella, making another one of Isabella's dreams come true. There had been fears that she may not live long enough to meet her. Jolene said: We were lucky enough to experience some wonderful things thanks to all those that donated but Isabella also loved normal life too, going to school and helping me change nappies. She started in reception in September 2015 and loved going to school. She remained relatively fit and well, despite scans showing the tumour was growing. Isabella (right), pictured with her sisters Rebecca and Sophia, managed to enjoy a normal life prior to her death The five-year-old (left) even helped her mother change nappies when her youngest sister as born On April 22 she went on her first school trip with her mother to visit the Cutty Sark in Greenwich, near the family home in Charlton. Jolene said: She loved it, she was happy and smiling all day. I would never have guessed we would have just one week left with her. The following week on Wednesday 27 Jolene celebrated her 35th birthday but Isabella felt sick. She recalled: She told me she had a headache and wished she wasnt sick on my birthday. I told her not to worry at all and we snuggled up. But she became sleepy and the following night complained she couldnt see. Jolene said: I knew then we were coming to the end. We all held her hand and spoke so she knew we were there all the time. Isabella (right) is pictured opening presents with her older sister Rebecca at Christmas She started in reception in September 2015 and loved going to school, despite her illness. Her red mane grew back after treatment was halted Following Isabella's death Jolene saw a cloud in the shape of a lion in the sky, which she believes was 'her way of telling me she is OK I asked her if she knew how much I loved her and she answered: Yes, too much, which is what we always said to each other. She lost her battle on April 29 at 1.45pm. Jolene said: It had happened too quickly and we werent ready. We needed another night with her at home to say all the things we wanted to do. 'The girls would have been more upset not to have seen her than to see her. Her mother thanked the public for their support, adding that the 'memories are keeping us strong' Isabella was absolutely delighted when she came a big sister again to baby Gabriella On Saturday Jolene accompanied her daughters body to Demelza Hospice and was stunned to notice a cloud in the shape of a lion. She said: The sun was shining and from nowhere appeared a cloud in the shape of a lion, it was her way of telling me she is okay. Friends are now raising funds to arrange a magical themed funeral. Jolene said: It will be as her short life was, colourful, magical and fun. We will sprinkle coloured sand and glitter on her coffin and say goodbye but she will always be with us. With an Oscar win and a role in one of the biggest movie franchises ever, Star Wars, on her resume, some fans found it surprising that Lupita Nyong'o chose to take a step back from the silver screen spotlight to appear on Broadway this season. The 33-year-old has been starring in Eclipsed, a play about women trapped by a rebel commander during the Liberian civil war, since it opened in March but while she felt like it was a perfect career move, she's still found herself fending off questions from confused reporters. So in a new essay on Lenny Letter, Lupita answers the question once and for all: 'Why would such a big star choose to do such a small play?' Scroll down for video On stage: Lupita Nyong'o (center) is currently starring in the show Eclipsed on Broadway Meaningful: She said she's been asked why she chose to do a 'small' play when she options for major Hollywood movie roles While performing in Eclipsed every night, Lupita is also promoting the new live-action version of The Jungle Book but at a recent press event, a journalist seemed more fixated on her Great White Way performance, asking why she'd pick such a 'small play'. Lupita found the question 'silly', saying it seemed obvious that she'd want to do 'an incredible, gorgeous, meaty piece about the complicated choices of women during wartime' but when she thought about it, she realized it went deeper. 'I think as women, as women of color, as black women, too often we hear about what we "need to do." How we need to behave, what we need to wear, what's deemed as too much or not enough, the cultural politics of what society considers appropriate for us and for our lives,' she wrote. 'What I am learning is that the most important questions you can ask yourself are "What do I want?" and "Who do I want to become?"' Influence: Lupita won an Oscar in 2014 for her role in 12 Years a Slave Priorities: However, the Star Wars actress says that what's most important to her is the meat of the role not the prestige or how much it'll make her Lupita definitely wanted this Broadway role she even turned down some Hollywood projects to peruse it. And that's because, the star said, she places more value on 'good' roles than 'Hollywood' roles. 'As an actress, feeling connected to a fully realized, complex character is what I look for first,' she went on. 'The size of the role, and the budget, and the perceived "buzz" around the project are much less important to me.' In this way, she wants to follow in the footsteps of other great actresses, like Oscar winners Tilda Swinton and Cate Blanchett, and Primetime Emmy winner Viola Davis. 'They are all fearless actresses who approach every role without ego or vanity. They have a fierce commitment to the moment and the role, whether it's the lead or a character we see for just one scene. They give it their all, and it shows. The thought of having a career that in any small way might resemble theirs excites me,' she said. Role models: Lupita (pictured at the 2016 Met Gala) said she looks up to actresses like Tilda Swinton, Cate Blanchett, and Viola Davis To Lupita, Eclipsed was an incredible opportunity to play a 'fully rendered African woman', and she jumped at the chance not to have to play a 'trope' the sidekick, best friend, or clown. That doesn't mean she'll turn away from big leading roles in Hollywood but she does want to 'participate more fully in the development of roles' she takes on in the future. And in the meantime, she feels 'lucky' to be part of the play she's in. 'I look at this play it's the first play on Broadway to feature an all-woman cast, playwright, and director, and the fact that we are all women of African descent makes it even more incredible and I feel profound gratitude to be a part of it,' she concluded. 'I look at this play and see nothing about it that is "small."' And, although she did not know this at the time of writing her essay, her gamble certainly paid off as Eclipsed was nominated for six Tony Awards on Monday night - including a nod for Lupita for Best Actress in a Leading Role in a Play. Their father is one of the most infamous fashion photographers in the world, so it should come as no surprise that Terry Richardson's newborn baby sons are already getting the chance to meet some of Hollywood's hottest stars at just a few weeks old. On Tuesday, 50-year-old Terry shared a new image of his six-week-old twin boys, Rex and Roman, being cradled by their 'uncle', actor Jared Leto, who looked pleased as punch to be spending time with the precious infants, which he proudly held in his arms. Sitting in a grey chair in what appears to be the babies' nursery, the actor happily beamed away at the camera, looking quite content to balance the two boys in his arms. Proud moment: Photographer Terry Richardson shared this image of actor Jared Leto cradling his twin sons, Rex and Roman, on Tuesday afternoon, describing the Hollywood star as the babies' 'uncle' Proud parents: On Monday, Terry, 50, joined his girlfriend - and the mother of his children - Alexandra 'Skinny' Bolotow, 33, for a stroll around Manhattan The image, which was posted on Terry's Instagram account, comes just hours after he spent the night working away at the Met Gala, photographing the likes of Nicki Minaj and Jeremy Scott as they prepared to make their way to the event. Earlier in the day on Monday, however, Terry took some time away from work in order to enjoy a stroll with his girlfriend and the mother of his children, Alexandra 'Skinny' Bolotow. The pair were pictured walking near their Manhattan apartment on Monday, wearing matching puffer vests and sunglasses, with both of the proud parents failing to raise a smile during the outing. However it is likely their spirits were lifted on Tuesday by the arrival of 'Uncle Jared', who was in New York to attend the Met Gala on Monday night, where he made quite the impression on the red carpet while dressed in an all-white tuxedo. He went for a rather more casual ensemble for his visit to Terry and Skinny's, however, wearing a pair of black jeans, a flannel shirt and a blue bomber-style jacket, while opting to cover up his long locks with a black beanie hat, which he appears to have kept on throughout his visit. The Thirty Seconds to Mars frontman has been close friends with Terry since they first began collaborating on shoots together as far back as 2010. All white on the night: Jared, 44, looked incredibly dapper at the Met Gala on Monday night, wearing an all-white tuxedo while carrying a very fancy walking stick Back to normal: But by Tuesday, the actor was back in a more casual ensemble of jeans, a bomber-style jacket and a black beanie Terry has frequently photographed Jared, both for his own portfolio, and for several editorial campaigns, and the pair have been spotted out and about together in New York on a number of occasions during the past few years. Although Terry shared many moments throughout Skinny's pregnancy with his one million Instagram followers, he has been slightly more restrained when it comes to posting pictures of his baby sons, posting just a few snaps of the adorable duo since their birth. Last weekend, he posted a rare photo of his newborns on Instagram - just a few days after posting a picture of girlfriend Skinny using a breast pump. The photographer and first-time father shared a precious photo of his one-month-old sons Rex and Roman modeling matching black sunglasses. 'Future's so bright we gotta wear shades,' he captioned the image of his boys cuddled together wearing complementary white onesies. Terry's girlfriend gave birth to Rex and Roman on Saturday, March 19, and she has quickly taken to motherhood. Doting dad: Terry took to Instagram last Sunday to share this adorable photo of his then-one-month-old twins Rex and Roman wearing sunglasses 'Hard-working mama': Terry paid tribute to his girlfriend last Friday by posting this photo of her pumping breast mil for the twins And the photographer made clear how comfortable she has become with her role as a mother by sharing a candid photo of Alexandra pumping milk, wearing a a black bustier that attaches to her electric breast bump and allows her to go hands-free. The first-time mom posed in the twins' nursery with her hands on her hips as she modeled neon green Richardson World sweatpants. 'Hard-working mama and sweats from @richardsonworld TGIF,' Terry captioned the image on Friday. A month ago, Terry paid homage to the doctors who delivered his twin boys, sharing a snapshot of New York City-based obstetricians Dr George Mussalli and Dr Jaqueline M. Worth holding his son's Rex and Roman on the day of their birth. 'It's National Doctors Day and what better opportunity to say how obsessed I am with these two, Dr Worth and Dr Mussalli of @villageobstetrics, two of the kindest, funniest, most attentive, and compassionate doctors. Happy: The first-time father is pictured taking his newborn twin sons for a visit to the doctors in New York back in March just a few days after their birth Proud father: Terry took to Instagram on National Doctors' Day to share this photo of Dr George Mussalli and Dr Jaqueline M. Worth holding Rex and Roman on the day of their birth 'Thank you so much for the incredible care and for bringing these boys safely into the world! [sic]' he wrote. The proud father's tribute came just a week after he announced the birth of his twins on Instagram,sharing a sweet picture of Alexandra cradling her newborns. 'Watching this woman rock it through an insane delivery and push out our babies was the most intense, inspiring, exhilarating, and humbling experience of my life,' he captioned the photo. 'So blessed and grateful for this sweet family. 'Welcome to the world Rex + Roman. March 19th, 2016 6:23pm and 6:35pm, 6lbs 1 oz and 6lbs 10oz.' The day before her delivery, Terry shared a revealing photo of his heavily pregnant girlfriend posing in her bra and underwear as she gave the camera two middle fingers. 'TGIF I think someone is very happy to be at the end of their pregnancy!' he captioned the picture of the her bulging baby bump. Double the love: Terry announced that his girlfriend gave birth to twins on Saturday, March 19, by sharing this sweet photo on Instagram Terry started documenting the pregnancy online after the couple announced that they were expecting twins. Most of the photos he shared, however, were less than traditional - which is not such a surprise for those who have followed his career. The photographer first confirmed his girlfriend's pregnancy this fall by posting a picture of the announcement featured in New York Post's Page Six on his Instagram page. 'Babies' first Page Six shout out!' he wrote. 'We weren't planning to make this news quite so public quite so soon, because we are very cautious after going through some very difficult and heartbreaking losses, and always afraid of jinxing it, but since the cat is out of the bag... 'Skinny and I are very excited to let you guys know that we are expecting TWINS in the spring!!! 'This has been a difficult journey and we are so thankful to be surrounded by so much love and support from our friends and family, and some incredibly smart doctors! 'I'm sure the kids will be excited to use this as a Throwback Thursday one of these days!' Alexandra has stood by Terry's side among many alleged scandals, starting as his intern while a student at New York University before dropping out to become his full-time assistant. 'TGIF': Terry took to Instagram on March 18 to share a photo of his heavily pregnant girlfriend giving the middle finger to the camera while wearing only her bra and underwear. The twins were born the next day 'Hump day': Alexandra posed for this image not long after they confirmed that they are expecting While she was an intern in 2004, she was photographed performing oral sex on the photographer while wearing a tiara labeled 'slut'. Other explicit photos of her that were taken by Terry appear in his 2005 book, Kibosh. After the famed photographer received countless accusations of sexual misconduct by multiple models, for which he was never actually charged, Alexandra came to his defense. 'I think part of being a strong woman is owning the decisions that youve made in your life,' she told New York magazine for their cover story on the photographer in 2014. 'Trying to put the onus onto someone else for your own decisions is really cowardly and kind of dishonest.' Terry has photographed countless celebrities, including Beyonce and Miley Cyrus, however, the photographer, who is known to many as 'Uncle Terry', has been accused of pressuring models into posing for sexually explicit photoshoots and performing unwanted sexual acts with him on set. The photographer has continued to deny the allegations, writing on his blog that he was 'really hurt by the recent and false allegations of insensitivity and misconduct'. Last year was something of an annus horribilis for James Middleton, the Duchess of Cambridges bearded brother. He dissolved two cake companies and one wine company that failed to take off, and his marshmallow business Boomf racked up a near 250,000 loss for its first year of trading. Yet to the amazement of his friends, he is close to raising his target figure of 1.5 million to keep Boomf afloat and help it expand and diversify. Boomf: Business partners and pals Andy Bell and James Middleton. Boomf allows you to print your Instagram images on to marshmallows More than 800,000 was raised last December from some of Middletons original investors, including Nick Jenkins, the founder of personalised greeting card company Moonpig. Since then Boomf has raised another tasty 500,000, which he hopes will secure the companys future. Wed raised 1 million in a round that closed December 2014. Now weve raised 1.3 million in a combined debt and equity round we are just closing, says business partner Andy Bell. The figure is just 200,000 shy of the 1.5 million they were hoping to get. Bell says the Far East represents a fair chunk of the companys business and sales were up 600 per cent over the last year. This week, Boomf installed a pop-up street kiosk in Hong Kong to further tempt Asian customers to buy its personalised marshmallows. However, Boomf is also in the middle of legal action over a rip-off of one its TV ads by a copy-cat Chinese competitor. Bell confirms legal action against the unnamed company is ongoing. Middleton founded Boomf in 2013 and named it after the noise a marshmallow makes when it falls through your letterbox. The company has also branched out into Buntella bunting, where customers can put photos or messages on nine flags for 25. James has certainly got a new spring in his step and he has not been shy about cashing in on the Queens 90th birthday. Last month, he marked the milestone in inimitable style by emblazoning the monarchs image across a nine-piece marshmallow jigsaw for only 15. What do you buy the woman who has everything? The Queen received a commendably practical gift for her 90th birthday from cousin Margaret Rhodes. She says: Its difficult to know what to buy for the Queen, as you can imagine. So I decided to give her a purely practical present: one of those handy grabber tools. 'I had one when I broke my hip recently. I know she has people who pick up things for her, but I thought when she is alone upstairs it might be helpful. She is very happy with it. Daddy's girls look strikingly skinny Lily Collins daughter of musician Phil Collins and model Jill Tavelman showed off a newly slender frame at the Met Gala. Her dramatic weight loss is for the film To The Bone, in which she plays an anorexic. With a white line drawn down her body to represent an ethereal robot, the 27-year-old brunettes plunging red Valentino evening gown did little to hide her skinny arms. Johnny Depps daughter Lily was a dead ringer for her mother, model Vanessa Paradis, not only facially but in her very slim physique, left. Lily Collins daughter of musician Phil Collins and model Jill Tavelman showed off a newly slender frame at the Met Gala, right Meanwhile, Johnny Depps daughter Lily was a dead ringer for her mother, model Vanessa Paradis, not only facially but in her very slim physique. The 16-year-old posed in a white Chanel dress adorned with gold and diamante beading, coupled with a white floral bomber jacket for warmth. Glyndebournes latest general director, Sebastian Schwarz, had just one small demand to make of the Sussex opera festivals organisers his own apiary. I am bringing my bees to Sussex, the 41-year-old German tells me. It is amazing to sit next to a beehive in the morning when you first get up. You watch how extremely organised bees are, every bee has a function. We can learn from them. Gus Christie, Glyndebournes executive chairman, who is married to the elegant soprano Danielle de Niese with whom he had a son, Bacchus, last year tells me that he agrees wholeheartedly: Were putting new hives in for Sebastian. Our bees are doing very well. Another tip is to bring sample sizes on the plane, keeping your bag light By not taking liquids, you avoid products leaking through your bag Chloe Morello's beauty cabinet is the envy of women everywhere. Now the popular vlogger has revealed the products she can't live without, as she packed her bags to travel to Peru, South America, on Contiki. The makeup artist gave Daily Mail Australia an exclusive glimpse inside her beauty bag before she jetted abroad on Wednesday, and shared her tips on what to pack to get the most out of your products. Travel light: Make up artist Chloe Morello has shared her beauty tips for travelling abroad The essentials: The YouTube vlogger revealed her top products, including a multi-purpose base, stick highlighter and concealer, waterproof mascara, eyebrow gel, kohl liner and cushion foundation Instead of bringing her entire collection of brushes and products, Chloe opted to bring an all-in-one base that moisturises, tints and provides SPF, as well as highlighting and bronzing sticks. 'I'm bringing crayon products so they don't leak,' she said. 'A Contiki trip is focused on adventure, there is less focus on me being glamorous,' Chloe said. Jetting off: By packing stick or crayon products, Chloe prevents liquid foundations or moisturisers from leaking through her bag Essentials: A lip balm, pair of thongs, camera and hand cream are essentials for the make up artist Making it fit: She also kept her clothing to a minimum, packing five pairs of bottoms and tops as well as light dresses CHLOE MORELLO'S TRAVEL TIPS: THE PRODUCTS YOU NEED ABROAD MAKE UP PRODUCTS: La Prairie Ice Crystal Corrector with SPF 30 Bronzing and highlighting stick Eye shadow and foundation brush Kohl eyeliner Waterproof mascara Eyebrow gel Cushion foundation BEAUTY PRODUCTS: Sample size night cream Sample size hand cream Lip balm Lush moisturising body bar Facial cleansing brush Night and day cream Toothbrush Deodorant TIPS: Bring multi-purpose products, like an all in one face tint, moisturiser and SPF. Use crayon or stick products to prevent leakage. Bring sample size products on the plane. Use products that can be applied with your fingers so you don't need to bring brushes. Advertisement As well as her base, the La Prairie Ice Crystal Corrector with SPF 30, Chloe packed waterproof mascara, brow gel, and a kohl eye pencil for when she goes out at night. 'I'm mostly putting make up on with my fingers, so I'm bringing products that can be applied without the aid of a brush,' she said. 'I'm packing one foundation brush and a single eye shadow brush to blend out the eyeliner.' Keep it small: One of her tricks was to pack sample size products, leaving you with more space in your luggage As well as her make up, Chloe will pack skin care products such as a facial cleansing brush, night and day cream, toothpaste and deodorant. 'I'm packing my lush massage bar, it's a solid oil, I like to use it as a body oil,' she said. 'This one is good for travelling as it looks like a soap and you rub it on your body, it's better than a liquid.' Skin care: While on the plane, Chloe opts to wear no make up and instead keeps her skin hydrated with night cream Body bar: Instead of bringing liquid moisturiser, Chloe chose a Lush massage bar Chloe also shared her tips for skin care while travelling on a plane. 'I don't wear make up on a plane,' she said. 'I've requested little skin care samples from my facialist, so I have small sample sizes of a night cream, a hand cream as my skin gets so all over dry, eye drops and a lip balm.' While she is known, and loved, for her beauty tips, Chloe also shared what clothes she planned to pack for her ten-day trek around Peru. Wardrobe staples: She kept her luggage light by writing a list of the essential items she needed abroad 'I went on Contiki last year in south-east Asia and I definitely over packed,' she said. 'I have made a list of five pairs of bottoms, like pants and jeans, five tops and I'll wear a lot of casual dresses.' She has also packed sneakers, sandals and thongs, with some jackets for night time. The RoadTrip: Latin America 2016 will see Chloe travel to Lima via Juliaca Lake Titicaca, Cusco, Aguas Calientes and Machu Picchu. Four decades on, Jerry Hall has recreated the iconic Norman Parkinson swim-hat photograph that made the cover of Vogue in 1975. The 59-year-old model, who married media mogul Rupert Murdoch earlier this year, has brought a new generation into the latest shot however, posing alongside 24-year-old daughter Georgia May Jagger. The pair don blue and red swim-hats respectively with matching bathing suits in the latest shoot, which features in the centenary edition of next month's Vogue magazine. Scroll down for video New generation, same style: Jerry Hall, 59, recreates her famous blue swim-hat shoot for Vogue, shot by celebrated snapper Norman Parkinson in 1975, this time with daughter model Georgia May Jagger, 24 Parkinson, who died in 1990, has gone into photography folklore as one of the fashion bible's most celebrated snappers with a host of stars striking a pose for him through the decades. The original 1975 image of Hall, then at the height of her fame as a supermodel, showed the Amazonian Texan with a phone to her ear, with the swim-hat holding the old-style receiver in place. The striking shot made the cover and the latest June 2016 issue offers an homage to 'Parks'' work. The latest image, photographed for the magazine by Tim Walker and styled by Kate Phelan, shows mother and daughter interlocking arms as they both stare directly at the camera. It was shot two weeks before Hall's wedding to Murdoch in Walker's studio. On the telephone: The original image showed an Amazonian Jerry staring straight at the camera with the blue phone tucked under her swim-hat...the image was shot two years before Hall starting dating Mick Jagger Happy together: Holding hands as they meandered around the streets of the seaside city this week, the 59-year-old model and her media mogul husband Rupert Murdoch, 85, looked the picture of matrimonial bliss Loved-up: It seems like the honeymoon period is still well and truly underway for Jerry Hall and Rupert Murdoch, as the newlyweds put on a loved-up display as they strolled around Santa Monica There's a warmth to Jerry, unlike the cool-as-ice 1975 shots, as she smiles at the camera. Georgia May, with a strong slick of scarlet lipstick, has clearly taken on the more aloof role. The young model reveals her trademark gap-teeth through red lips but her pout remains unmoved. Norman Parkinson, died in 1990 at the age of 76, by which time his status as one of Britain's finest snappers was confirmed. His career as a fashion photographer spanned 50 years and created some of the most iconic images of the 20th century. Meanwhile Jerry, who shot the original image two years before her famous relationship with Rolling Stone Mick Jagger began, recently wed for a second time. She tied the knot with Murdoch in March after a whirlwind romance. And it seems like the honeymoon period is still well and truly underway for Jerry Hall and Rupert Murdoch, as the newlyweds put on a loved-up display as they strolled around Santa Monica. Holding hands as they meandered around the streets of the seaside city, the 59-year-old model and her media mogul husband, 85, looked the picture of matrimonial bliss as they took in the sights. The 100th anniversary edition of the magazine has seen Tim Walker shoot a host of celebrities including a very red Eddie Redmayne who, wittily, poses in a red room, wearing red...referencing his surname. Kate Middleton is the fashion bible's cover star in next month's centenary edition: photographer Josh Olins shot Kate in the countryside close to the Duchesss Norfolk Home The June edition's biggest name however is cover star Kate Middleton. The Duchess of Cambridge has turned down numerous magazine covers but agreed to become a model for the day to mark Vogue 100: A Century of Style exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery (NPG), of which she is patron. The portraits, shot by trendy snapper Josh Olins in countryside close to the Duchesss Norfolk Home, appear in the latest edition of the fashion magazine, with two on display at the NPG in London. According to Vogue the Duchess wanted the photographs to be as informal and as countryside as possible. She didnt want to be dressed as a fashion plate and was not keen to be shot in gala gowns and tiaras, says the magazine. Instead, its fashion director gathered a wardrobe based on what Kate likes to wear when she is off-duty jeans, shirts, T-shirts. The same as the rest of us. Hollywood actor Channing Tatum couldn't stop laughing during his most recent TV interview after the host confessed she was in love with him and asked him to divorce his wife. Channing, 36, from Cullman, Alabama, appeared on the first of a new YouTube series, Speechless, by Carly Fleischmann, a 21-year-old with autism who speaks with the help of a computer. Carly, who dreams of becoming a talk show host, got her career off to a flying start with the interview by repeatedly catching Tatum off guard. Carly, 21, was diagnosed with autism at the age of two and uses a computer to talk. Her amazing jokes caught Channing off guard and repeatedly left him scrambling through laughter to regain his composure The Hateful Eight actor can be seen putting his head on the table in shock at Carly's direct line of questioning and he is repeatedly overcome by giggles. In the video the interviewer opens with a brief precis of Channing's career before joking he 'will soon leave his wife to be with me'. Carly, who has also written a book called Carly's Voice: Breaking Through Autism, asks about his early career as a stripper, comments on some of his wife Jenna Dewan-Tatum's spiritual beliefs and asks who among his Hollywood friends would be allowed to date his daughter. 'Would you date a 21-year-old person with autism?' she asks. '[You] will soon leave your wife to be with me': The interviewer had Channing in stitches as she joked about moving into his house and having her lawyers organise divorce papers for him and his wife Carly left Channing with his head in his hands as she asked about his early career as a stripper and asked how many women he would take home To which a laughing Channing replies: 'Yes, if I got permission from my wife.' She smiles and says: 'Alright I've got my lawyers working on your divorce papers as we speak.' Carly, who was diagnosed with autism and oromotor apraxia at the age of two, asks Channing if he 'finds it hard to be good looking?' He replies: 'I find it hard to make people take me serious at all, ever. I'm very lucky that my parents are two good looking people.' Carly beguiles the actor by following compliments with hard questions. 'Now even though I'm in love with you I do realise that you're married,' she says, before suggesting his wife believes in fairies and inquiring if there are any of her spiritual beliefs that Channing just can't entertain. 'Is it hard being good looking?' Channing answered every single one of Carly's questions through laughter and at the end of the interview he invited her over to his house to meet his wife and daughter Asking the actor about his early career taking his clothes off, Carly is up front: 'I know you were a stripper growing up. How many girls at the end of the night would you take home?' Channing splutters, putting his head on the table: 'How many? At the end of one night? Some nights it was more than others.' In an introductory video to her Speechless series Carly describes what it is like to live with autism. 'Nobody understands me,' she says. 'I want to be like every other kid. But I can't. Because I am Carly.' 'Nobody understands me,' Carly says of living with autism and oromotor apraxia. 'I want to be like every other kid. But I can't. Because I am Carly' She learned to communicate using a computer from an early age and her story was recorded by her father in the book Carly's Voice: Breaking Through Autism by Arthur Fleischmann Channing's daughter, Everly Elizabeth Maiselle Tatum, was born in 2013. Carly asks him who out of his Hollywood actor friends would be allowed to date her. A visibly amused Channing calls the question 'very complicated' before answering: 'I wouldn't let [my daughter] date any of them only because they are totally different in ages and she's only three.' At the end of their time together Carly thanks Channing 'for this once in a lifetime interview' before adding: 'My bags are at your house and I'm ready to move in!' Breaking up with someone is always a delicate subject that most of us would approach with some sensitivity. However, for one young Lothario, honesty was the best policy as his older sister revealed when she shared his break up texts on Twitter. Annie Williams, 19, from Liverpool, who says she didn't know 'whether to laugh or cry' shared the screen shots of her brother Liam's brutal approach to dumping on her social media. Annie Williams, 19, from Liverpool, who says she didn't know 'whether to laugh or cry' shared the screen shots of her brother Liam's brutal approach to dumping on her social media Annie Williams shared the screen shots of her brother's brutal break up texts on Twitter as his now ex-girlfriend questions him about his feelings towards Jess Annie, a fashion student, shared the screen shots on Saturday captioning the photos with 'my little brother's texts to his (now) ex'. In the exchange ex girlfriend Loz asks: 'Why was you speaking to Jess today? xxxxxxx' In an attempt to defend his actions Liam, who says he works at Hollister Co on his Facebook page, replies: 'Cos she's my mate xx' However, this doesn't wash with Loz who continues to pry asking her boyfriend whether he is more interested in Jess than her to which he admits 'she's fit like.' Annie's brother Liam has left the internet in stitches with his brazen approach to breaking up even going as far as to ask his ex if she has Jess' number As Loz pushes for further answers from Liam he later admits that he 'cba (can't be arsed) with a relationship.' When a baffled Loz then asks why her boyfriend hadn't mentioned the way he felt earlier, the very honest ex says he 'couldn't be assed with the hassle.' Despite the rather cut throat approach to their break up, Loz appears to take the news rather well reassuring Liam that she will be ok. But a brazen Liam takes the opportunity to ask his now ex-girlfriend if she can supply him with Jess' number. His sister Annie couldn't resist the opportunity to share her brother's approach to break ups with the web sharing the screen shots on Twitter. Since tweeting them on Saturday she has received more than 8,000 retweets and 11,000 likes. Advertisement Pippa Middleton and her handsome beau James Matthews have been spotted enjoying a romantic getaway by private plane to a luxury hotel. The high society couple, who have been dating since late last year, spent several days on the pretty French island of Corsica this weekend. Casually dressed in light blue skinny jeans, camel-coloured Kurt Geiger trainers and a close-fitting jacket navy and black jacket, Pippa, 32, and boyfriend James, 40, also in casual attire, were seen boarding the single-propeller plane to leave an airfield in Bastia on Monday. How the other half live! Pippa Middleton, 34, and boyfriend James Matthews, 40, travelled to the French island of Corsica for a romantic short break this weekend Wearing light stonewash skinny jeans and a fitted zip jacket with camel-coloured Kurt Geiger sneakers, Pippa looked relaxed in her casual attire Au revoir Corsica! Pippa strides alongside the private plane, which left Bastia, on Corsica, this weekend When they touched down, the lavishness of their chosen mode of transport, a Pilatus PC-12/47E aircraft, was clearly on display, with the plane's cream leather seats and walnut panelling on view. Mark Courtenay, Charter Sales Manager at UK-based Private Jet Charter, told MailOnline that such a trip might cost around 12,000 if you were hiring from a company. The pair boarded their plane with James sporting blue chinos and a long-sleeved shirt and blue suede loafers. The couple travelled lightly, with brown leather luggage by upmarket brand Brics among their bags and suitcases. Clutching a $1152 AEVHA London 'Arboreal Garnet' tote and a bright red coat, Pippa looked happy to be enjoying the romantic jaunt, one of a number of trips abroad that the London-based couple have taken already this year. Their destination on this trip was thought to be the Grand Hotel de Cala Ross, a luxury Relais and Chateaux hotel perched in a secluded bay in the island's south-west. Rooms at the swish property cost from between 160 euros a night, rising to over 1000 euros for a suite. Heading back to Bastia Airport on bank holiday monday, the couple enlisted the help of a taxi driver, in a rather more modest Citroen, to help them get a stash of wine from a trolley into his car. Who needs upper class? The couple's luxury mode of transport, a Pilatus PC-12/47E, left Corsicaon Monday James Matthews prepares to board the private plane wearing casual blue trousers, a light shirt and blue suede loafers Although the sun is shining the island has been going through some inclement weather Oh the glamour: The cream leather seats of the plane's interior alongside wood panelling can clearly be seen Water in the skies, water in the bottle - Pippa clutches a plastic bag with two bottles of water in it The couple appeared to have stocked up on some wine, with James carrying bottles from a luggage trolley The couple are thought to be staying at the Grand Hotel de Cala Rossa, a luxury property in South Corsica The swish resort near Porto Vecchio lies in a secluded bay tucked away on the south west coast of the island Pippa has been dating Matthews, the brother of Made in Chelsea star Spencer Matthews, since earlier this year after having a brief dalliance in 2012 The couple have already clocked up the holidays, having spent eight days in January together on the exclusive Caribbean island of St Barts. James is really into Pippa and she is falling into step. There is affection between them, a source said. Mr Matthews, 40, is an Old Etonian and chief executive of Eden Rock Capital Management, which he founded in 2001. His parents, David and Jane, own and manage the Eden Rock hotel on St Barts, a resort affordable only to the super-rich. But rather than stay at the hotel during her recent break there, Miss Middleton holidayed in a luxury villa in the hills overlooking Gustavia, the islands capital. Something to celebrate? The loved-up couple pack their holiday booze stash into a car While an aide pushes the bottles on a trolley, Pippa and James walk alongside, with Pippa carrying a $1152 AEVHA London 'Arboreal Garnet' tote Brights are in! Pippa's all blue outfit was given a dash of colour with her expensive tote bag and red jacket asks a firefighter to light her 'fiya' and asks another, 'What's the dilly wit yo dog?' Some of comedian Amy Schumer's best material is about the struggles of dating, and while she may have a boyfriend now, she has no problem hijacking another woman's Tinder account to help her find love. The 34-year-old Trainwreck star happily took over Andrea Cuttler's dating profile and interacts with her potential suitors for a hilarious video filmed for Vanity Fair. Amy, who stars on the cover of Vanity Fair's May issue, gleefully warns the magazine's assistant features editor that she has her Tinder profile and she can't do anything about it. Scroll down for video Hijacker: Amy Schumer (center) happily took over Vanity Fair employee Andrea Cuttler's Tinder profile. While the comedian is thrilled about find her a match, Andrea (inset) seems a bit embarrassed Too cute: The 34-year-old comedian loves that a 38-year-old firefighter named Thomas (inset) has a photo of himself holding a kitten he rescued while in uniform Before they get started, Amy asks Andrea to verify that swiping left means no and right means yes because she has never used Tinder before. The first man who comes up is a 35-year-old named Michael who is posed with his guitar, and Amy is not impressed. 'Michael you're 35 like I'm 25,' she says. 'A guitar in a picture is a big red flag. That is the clearest you are just trying to get p***y at a party move.' After passing on Michael, Amy turns down a man called Niall just because of his name. Next up is a 34-year-old man named James and Amy is intrigued. She goes on to ask Andrea how old she is, and when she admits she is 'almost 31', Amy rolls her eyes. 'Almost 31? Oh my god freeze your eggs,' she jokes. Although the comedian says she is 'not digging' how James has his hand on his foot in one of his pictures, she still swipes right, and they turn out to be a match. Ridiculous message: Amy can't help but laugh when she asks Thomas to light her 'fiya' and tells him she is ''bloated and hemorrhaging' How to lose a guy: Thomas doesn't get scared off easily, and Amy goes on to tell him she needs a green card and has been drinking since 2pm Amy is already ready to move on, and Andrea's next potential beau pops up on the screen - and, much to Amy's horror, he is shirtless in his profile picture. 'This guy's name is Nevada and he is not wearing a shirt. Yes!' she jokes before assuring Andrea she isn't serious. 'No, I am just kidding,' she continues. 'If you're not wearing a shirt in your profile photo, stop.' Amy is then surprised to find that she actually knows one of the guys who pops up on the screen - a professional athlete who also appears shirtless in his profile picture - but she warns Andrea that she is taller than him and quickly moves on. She also passes on a man named Dave, specifically because he is a comedian like herself. 'That is a huge red flag,' she says. 'I know that from people trying to date me.' After then happening across a man's profile picture in which he appears to be posed with his mother, Amy advises Andrea to steer clear of guys who are a little too close with their moms. 'The guys that are the closest with their moms, and do the most charity work are the secret dirtbags of the universe,' she explains. 'U a baby?' Amy swipes right to like this potential suitor simply because he is using a photo of himself as a baby for his profile picture Amy goes on to say that she is also not impressed by guys who flood their profiles with pictures of themselve snowboarding, surfing, and drinking 'little digestifs' in Europe. 'Like chill out. You're not James Bond. Just be real and funny. That's what I look for,' she says, giving fans a hint at how her furniture designer boyfriend Ben Hanisch won her heart. During the entire clip, Andrea looks petrified because she is getting multiple text messages from her friends. And what appears to be embarrassment is actually genuine worry. Andrea later explains that she had just accepted a job as a talent booker at Late Night with Seth Meyers, and only told a few of her friends. However, no one at Vanity Fairincluding her bosshad any idea, and she feared her big news was about to be revealed in the most unusual away. Luckily for her, none of her friends wished her congratulations on her new job, and things get interesting when Amy comes across 38-year-old Thomas, a firefighter in New York City. Amy can't help but try to find a picture of him in uniform, and she is ecstatic when she find a photo of himnot only in uniformbut holding a kitten he had rescued. 'You almost said no. He is holding a little kitten,' she tells Andrea. 'Bam, guess what? You like him.' True artist: The comedian, who is pictured performing at the Beacon Theatre in New York last November, often jokes about the struggles of dating in the city Perfect pair: Amy has found love with her boyfriend Ben Hanisch (right). The two are pictured together after the Met Gala on Monday night. 'I'm glad I Met his Balls,' she captioned the Instagram photo When they turn out to be a match, Amy proves that she might not be that serious about helping Andrea find a date. 'How bout lightin my fiya?' she writes to Thomas, telling Andreas: 'And don't worry you will never hear from him.' While they are waiting for Thomas to respond, Amy swipes right to a 32-year-old lawyer named Abe because he has a cute dog. Once again Andrea finds another match, and Amy notes: 'Girl, I need to look at your pictures.' Despite Amy's outrageous message asking Thomas to light her 'fiya', he responds to her by saying: 'Sure, I'd love to! How are you?' At this point, Amy is juggling two men at once. She goes back to the lawyer with the dog and quickly writes, 'What's the dilly wit yo dog? Name? Breed?' before she moves back to Thomas. Amy tells Thomas she is 'bloated and hemorrhaging', adding: 'Being a chick blows.' Assuming that she has scared Thomas off for good, she moves back to swiping left and right. After liking a guy who is 'super duper hot', she promises Andrea she will write a 'cool' message and goes with: 'Let's do dis.' Red hot: Amy wore a gown by Alexander Wang when she attended the high-profile Met Ball earlier this week In the meantime, Thomas once again responds to Amy, and she can't figure out how he is not scared off. 'Ha. Well. Good to know,' he replies to her message about hemorrhaging. 'He is still writing to you. New York is a lonely place,' she points out. Amy goes on to swipe right to one guy just because he has a baby photo of himself as his profile picture. 'U a baby?' she writes to him. While messaging another man, Amy is shocked when Thomas responds to her yet again. 'Oh my god. Thomas wrote: 'I'm also a nurse if you need,' she says with disbelief. Determined to get rid of him, Amy pulls out all the stops. 'This is so embarrassing. I need a green card. Can you hook that s**t up or what's up,' she writes. 'Wouldn't know how to. But good luck!' he responds. Amy is now convinced his is 'over' Andrea, but she wants to make sure. 'Psych. I'm a citizen. Wanna check my credensh?' she writes. 'You drankin tonight? I started at 2!' Their potential relationship is clearly over when Thomas replies: 'Nope. Unfort can't. Work.' Tiffany, Donald's only child with his second wife Marla Maples, was presumably unable to travel to New York because of her final exams The student's sister Ivanka and sisters-in-law Lara and Vanessa gleefully watched the TV as Donald's Tiffany Trump is counting down the days until her college graduation while her father Donald is preparing to fight his way to the White House after his Indiana primary win virtually assured his spot as the GOP presidential nominee. The 22-year-old senior at the University of Pennsylvania took to Instagram on Tuesday night to share a picture of herself cuddled up to her 21-year-old boyfriend Ross Mechanic at an apartment near the school's Philadelphia campus. 'Let the countdown begin! #graduation,' she captioned the photo, which sees her modeling a patterned dress and fringed jacket while posed next to her beau. Big day! Tiffany celebrated her impending college graduation on Tuesday night by sharing this photo of herself with her boyfriend Ross Mechanic at a party near their University of Pennsylvania campus in Philadelphia Big win: While Tiffany was in Philadelphia, her father Donald was in New York giving his victory speech after winning the Indiana primary that night Family affair: Tiffany's stepmother Melania (third from left), her siblings Donald Jr. (second from left), Ivanka (second from right), and Eric (back left), and their spouses all joined their father on stage Meanwhile, Ross looks dapper in a suit and tie as he smiles happily next to his girlfriend despite her nearing departure from their college campus. According to his LinkedIn profile, the computer science major isn't graduating from the university until 2017, which means the two may be looking at a long-distance relationship in their near future. While Tiffany was in Philadelphia paying tribute to the end of her college career, her family was in New York City celebrating Donald's victory in the Indiana primary. As Donald's opponent Ted Cruz dropped out of the presidential race following his humiliating defeat that night, Tiffany's sister Ivanka and her sisters-in-law Vanessa and Lara gleefully watched the TV as the Texas Senator suspended his campaign. Making it work? The 22-year-old has been dating Ross, 21, since 2015, but they may be looking at a long-distance relationship in their near future as he still has one more year of school 'Glued to the TV!' Tiffany's brother Eric tweeted this photo of his wife Lara (front), his sister Ivanka (center), and his sister-in-law Vanessa (back) watching Donald's opponent Ted Cruz dropping out of the presidential race Lara's husband Eric tweeted a photo of the three ladies, writing: 'Glued to the TV!' Meanwhile, Donald Jr. took to Instagram to share a photo of Ivanka and Lara with his wife Vanessa, which he captioned: 'The Trump ladies watching the results come in and some interesting news. @ivankatrump @laraleatrump and Vanessa Trump. #MakeAmericaGreatAgain #Trump2016 History in the making family time.' And while it was certainly a family affair, Tiffany, Donald's only child with his second wife Marla Maples, was missing. Tiffany, who has frequently appeared at her father's side throughout much of his campaign, was most likely unable to join her family at Trump Tower in New York on Tuesday night because she is in the midst of final exams. However, Tiffany trumped at least two of her siblings when she voted for her father last week in Pennsylvania's primary election. Doting daughter: Last week, Tiffany announced that she voted for her father in the Pennsylvania primary by sharing this snapshot of herself posed with her family Night out: When she isn't at school or on the campaign trail with her father, she has been enjoying lavish vacations with Ross. The two are pictured at the Trump family Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida in March Ivanka and Eric were unable to vote in New York's Republican primary last month because they failed to register as Republicans six months before the election. Although it is unclear what the future holds for the blonde beauty, her mother Marla revealed last month that Tiffany 'had her first job interview' in New York on April 5. 'My first instinct was [to tell her], "I feel so bad I can't be there with you,"' she told FOX411 before adding: 'I don't think I would be able to be there with her anyway. 'She's probably glad I'm not there, [because I would say], "Can I just walk you there? Did you eat before? We've gotta make sure you get food first."' Although Marla wouldn't reveal the job her daughter is pursuing, Tiffany is double majoring in sociology and urban studies. Escaping the cold: Two weeks before they headed to Mar-a-Lago, they enjoyed a relaxing spring break vacation at The Cove Eleuthera Resort in the Bahamas Political views: When he first started dating Tiffany, Ross was a registered, active Democrat whose Facebook 'likes' included Hillary Clinton. Ross shared this throwback photo of himself with his lady love last week Getting serious: Ross met Tiffany's mother Marla Maples (left) in January. Tiffany's beau presumably took this picture during their trip to the One World Observatory in New York And it has certainly been a busy couple of months for Tiffany. In addition to her class schedule and traveling across the country for her father's campaign, the college senior has made sure to spend a lot of quality time with Ross. In March, the two headed to the Trump family Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida, just two weeks after they enjoyed a relaxing spring break vacation at The Cove Eleuthera Resort in the Bahamas. Tiffany and Ross were first spotted together in late 2015, and in January he met her mother Marla in New York after their New Year's trip to Florida, where he was presumably introduced to Donald. At the start of their relationship, Ross was a registered, active Democrat whose Facebook 'likes' included Hillary Clinton, NARAL Pro-Choice NYC, and the Penn Green Campus Partnership for environmental sustainability and policy development. Advertisement The Duchess of Cambridge was on fine form tonight looking elegant in Alexander McQueen - not entirely surprising given that she was meeting fashion's finest. Kate Middleton, 34, was concluding a busy day of engagements with a visit to the National Portrait Gallery to view her much talked about new photographic portraits in the Vogue 100: A Century of Style exhibition. She was met by the gallery's director Nicholas Cullinan and British Vogue editor Alexandra Shulman. It was the first time Kate had seen the two pictures of herself displayed in the gallery - although an oil of herself has previously hung there - which were taken as part of a wider spread for British Vogue's centenary June issue. Scroll down for video Kate Middleton stands next to the cover image for her Vogue debut, which shows her wearing a brown suede trench and vintage trilby Kate Middleton was concluding a busy day of engagements with a visit to the National Portrait Gallery to view her much talked about new photographic portraits in the Vogue 100: A Century of Style exhibition, pictured inside the gallery Kate chose a pale-pink dress is in light-weight wool which featured a low-cut plunge neckline, three-quarter length sleeves and a pleated knee length skirt for the occasion. The Duchess complemented her dress with blush tones, wearing nude court shoes and a pale boxy clutch. Kate picked natural tones for her makeup also, with rosy blush, a nude lip and her signature eyeliner while her hair was at it's blowdried best in bouncy waves. Adding some glitz to her ensemble, she also wore a Monica Vinader Diamond Cluster Bib necklace with matching earrings. The Duchess, a keen photographer herself who has taken official pictures of Prince George and Princess Charlotte, discussed photography with Josh Olins, who took her portrait, as well as the exhibition decision-making process. Chatting to him, Kate said of the portraits: 'It doesn't look like January. You did a very good job.' Recalling the January shoot in a freezing field in Norfolk as looked at a picture of herself leaning on a fence, Kate told photographer Josh Olins: 'It was such a lovely moment, a beautiful end to the day. It didn't seem like January.' Kate waves to the crowd as she steps to the gallery as onlookers take photographs, left, and continued to gesture to the excited crowd Kate's dress has a flattering waist with a pleated skirt as she was met by the gallery's director Nicholas Cullinan and British Vogue editor Alexandra Shulman Kate wore a simple silver watch with her designer dress and maintained her poise as she exited her car The Duchess looked elegant as she stepped out for the occasion and teamed her pale-pink dress with nude court shoes Kate complemented her dress with similar nude tones and carried a structured box clutch Kate wears delicate Monica Vinader Diamond Cluster Bib necklace and matching earrings with her elegant dress as she gets ready to view her portraits She added of the location: 'We were very exposed up there as well. ' The Duchess appeared pleased with the pictures as she chatted intently about the technicalities involved in the shoot. 'As a photographer do you get involved with the exhibition,?' she also asked Olins. An aide said it was a 'surreal' experience for her seeing the pictures but that she had enjoyed the process enormously. The Duchess's pictures had been hung next to a picture of her father-in-law, Prince Charles, with some of his beloved chickens. 'Ah, I haven't seen this before,' she said, before taking a step closer to get a better look. Kate listens intently inside the gallery after looking at her portraits and no doubt is soaking up photography techniques Kate is engrossed in other artworks as she drinks up the other artists on exhibition Kate continued to look around the exhibition and Nicholas Cullinan, director of the National Portrait Gallery, said afterwards: 'I think she was very pleased by them [her pictures]' Kate chatted about the exhibitions and spoke articulately about the other artworks featured Kate bent down to look closer at one particular piece during her tour of the gallery Kate wore a silver watch with her 1 million sapphire and diamond engagement ring, right, which was originally Princess Diana's The Duchess looked intently at images by legendary model turned war photographer Lee Miller Earlier she had greeted photographer Olins, who gave her a bound collection of prints from their shoot, warmly and said: 'Josh, how lovely to see you again. How have you been? Still jetting about?' Afterwards Kate toured the exhibition in its entirety, drinking in every detail. Pausing by one display, which had been arranged on a textured khaki material, she remarked: 'It's just fascinating this texture, with the glossy photographs....did you do it [the arrangement] on the floor first? It looks almost casual....' '...But secretly there has been tons of work,' laughed Robin Muir, curator of the exhibition. Kate lingered over a stunning sequence by legendary model turned war photographer Lee Miller. 'It's amazing she was a model and a muse and turned to this,' she said. Nicholas Cullinan, director of the National Portrait Gallery, said afterwards:'I think she was very pleased by them [her pictures]. It is obviously a process, so of course seeing the images first and then to see them up in the gallery, in the context of the exhibition, is very special. Kate makes sure to turn around and give a smile and a wave to the waiting crowds behind her Kate looks excited as she enters the gallery and is no doubt thrilled about this occasion and being featured in the exhibition Despite a small breeze, Kate's bouncy blow dry maintains its glossy look as she gets out of her car 'It was a very natural way to round off the exhibition with our patron. 'What did she think? I can't speak for her but she is obviously used to seeing her face. But she was very pleased, I think. Josh did a fantastic job, she was very relaxed, which is great.' Mr Cullinan described the duchess as being 'really knowledgable' about the subject. 'What came across in my first meeting with her was understanding of art, especially photography,' he said. 'She was asking some very intelligent and engaging questions tonight. It's always a joy to work with people who really understand the process, the technicality, how to hang it, the process of making an exhibition. She has a good eye. 'We talked about how this is an exhibition of fashion photography first and foremost, it is also a nexus of shifts in culture, society and music.' Kate matched her blush dress with natural makeup and a rosy blush as well as a nude lip Kate appeared impressed with her portrait and spoke at length about the other artworks inside the gallery The National Portrait Gallery, which the Duchess has been Patron of since 2012, collaborated with British Vogue on the series of photographic portraits Kate previously wore the Alexander McQueen dress on a royal tour in New Zealand and Australia, right, in 2014 Kate, pictured leaving the gallery, wore her signature black eyeliner for the occasion The Duchess smiled as she exited the gallery, inside Kate commented to Josh Olins, who took her portrait: 'It doesn't look like January. You did a very good job' Kate's Alexander McQueen dress features a flattering peplum detail around the waist and hips Kate's demure look matched her understated portraits on show in the National Portrait Gallery Kate wore delicate drop earrings with her timeless outfit. Inside the gallery, she reminisced how cold it was in January when they did the shoot The Duchess is a keen photographer herself who has taken official pictures of Prince George and Princess Charlotte and chatted with photographer Josh Olins inside Kate became a Vogue cover girl for the first time after posing for natural photos in her Norfolk garden The National Portrait Gallery, which the Duchess has been Patron of since 2012, collaborated with British Vogue on the series of photographic portraits, shot by photographer Josh Olins in the Norfolk countryside, and styled by Vogue Fashion Director Lucinda Chambers. The series shows Kate in typical country style, although she can also be seen wearing a daring 312 denim jumpsuit that has been likened to something that seventies sexpot and Good Life star Felicity Kendal might have worn. Forming part of the magazines centenary celebrations, Vogue 100: A Century of Style showcases the range of photography that has been commissioned by British Vogue since it was founded in 1916. With over 280 prints from the Conde Nast archive and international collections being shown together at the National Portrait Gallery for the first time, the exhibition tells the story of one of the most influential fashion magazines in the world. After viewing the two portraits in the exhibition, The Duchess will have the opportunity to look around the rest of Vogue 100: A Century of Style, and meet staff from the National Portrait Gallery and British Vogue who worked on the collaborative project. Kate's pink McQueen dress with a low V neck was an appropriate choice since a large portrait of the label's late founder features in the exhibition. The Duchess has worn the bespoke dress before, worth more than 2,000, on her 2014 tour to Australia. She also sported a 2,000 Monica Vinader Riva rose gold and diamond cluster bib. In a recent interview the firm's founder revealed that Kate's staff have borrowed pieces to wear in the past, having sworn them to secrecy. But it is not known whether this piece was borrowed or bought. It was the second of Kate's recycled outfits for today's engagements. The Duchess proved she is the queen of thrift as she chose a 800 Roksanda dress that she has worn twice before for a lunch reception in London today. Kate wore an 800 Roksanda dress for her first engagement as newly-announced patron of the Anna Freud Centre at a lunch reception on Wednesday, supporting the development of a new centre of excellence for children's mental health Kate dazzles in a dove grey dress as she attends a lunch reception in London. Earlier that day, the Duchess revealed that Prince George and Princess Charlotte have a new pet: a hamster called Marvin. The family keep the rodent at their country home, Anmer Hall Kate wore an 800 Roksanda dress for her first engagement as newly-announced patron of the Anna Freud Centre at a lunch reception on Wednesday, supporting the development of a new centre of excellence for children's mental health Kate arrives at the Anna Freud Centre lunch. The Duchess has a continued interest in drawing attention to child mental health issues The Duchess has worn the Roksanda dress several times before, most notably when she arrived at Los Angeles airport back in 2011 (left) and at the Royal Academy of Arts (centre) Kate was at historic Hampton Court to officially open its recently unveiled Magic Garden, a newly-unveiled children's play area - one of three engagements she will undertake today - in a Michael Kors coat dress, L.K. Bennett nude heels and clutch bag, and sheer tights The Duchess chats with staff and special guests as she arrives at the palace to officially open the new children's play area in the sunshine The Duchess of Cambridge told school children how she thought Prince George would be 'a bit scared' of the 25ft plastic dragon in the newly-unveiled playground. She was speaking to to Elodie and Olivia, both eight, who were sitting on the dragon On the first of three engagements today, Kate will be taken on a tour around the new play area and meet those involved in the Magic Garden's design and construction, as well as children and families enjoying the facilities Kate wore the same blue-grey coat dress from Michael Kors as she wrapped up the royal tour of Australia in April 2014 (pictured) Kate was making her debut as the patron of the Anna Freud Centre at a special lunch in London's Spencer House, following a busy morning at Hampton Court Palace. She chose a dove grey dress for the occasion which she has been spotted in twice before - in 2011 and 2012. Earlier today, the Duchess revealed that Prince George and Princess Charlotte have a new pet: a hamster called Marvin. The family keep the rodent at their country home, Anmer Hall, where they are currently based, she said. The existence of Martin, a royal pet whose role in the Cambridge household has remained undisclosed until now. Despite the warm early summer weather, Kate started the morning in a thick blue coat by Michael Kors - an old favourite - paired with nude shoes and a matching clutch, both from L.K. Bennett. A college student has become the envy of Seth Rogen fans across the world after he met the actor three times in as many years. A photograph shows University of Vermont student Ted Andrew, who is originally from Moorestown, New Jersey, and lives in Burlington, Vermont, standing with the Canadian actor, filmmaker and comedian who is holding two pictures of them together on previous occasions. The picture, which was taken during a charity visit to the university, has attracted the attention and admiration of thousands online. Super fan: Ted Andrew, a student at University of Vermont from Moorestown, New Jersey, pictured left, met actor, comedian and filmmaker Seth Rogen, 34, pictured right, three years in a row Prepared: Each time Ted, pictured the second time he met Seth, encountered the Canadian star he got him to pose for a picture with him doing the same pose and holding pictures from other times they met Thumbs up: The student, pictured with Seth the first time they met, was part of a fundraising initiative for Seth's charity Ted Andrew posted the picture on his Facebook with the caption: '3peat [sic]'. In each of the pictures - taken across three years - Seth, 34, is standing in a similar position, smiling and doing a thumbs up standing on the same side of Ted. The only difference between the photos is their outfits and the backdrops. The second time Ted met him, he asked him to pose holding a photo from the first time they met, writing 'round two' in the caption. Seth visited the university recently on behalf of his fundraising organisation Hilarity For Charity. Address: Students at the university raised the most money for Hilarity for Charity three years in a row - each time earning them a visit from Seth, pictured speaking to students Regular: Seth, pictured with his wife, actress Lauren Miller Rogen, 33, visited the university last month Thanks: In his latest visit to the university, Seth, pictured far right in a lecture theater, praised their efforts Students at Vermont raised the most money for the Alzheimer's charity three years in a row. As a reward they earned three visits from Seth and his wife, actress Lauren Miller Rogen, 33, whose mother was diagnosed with early onset Alzheimers when she was 55, and a viewing of a film. In his latest visit to the university last month, Seth thanked them for their generosity. He said in an interview broadcast on WPTZ-News Channel 5: '[I am] very impressed. It's incredible. Anyone who keeps winning anything is impressive to me.' Achievement: Seth, posing for a selfie with Lauren, said: '[I am] very impressed. It's incredible. Anyone who keeps winning anything is impressive to me.' Every mother lives for those small, joyful moments when her child masters something new - a book once too challenging, the telling of a joke previously stumbled over, a food devoured that had formerly been rejected. For it's in the gentle minutiae of a little one's life that you really see their budding personality grow. Imagine, then, the agonising pain of being privy to your child's life for only half the time. The milestones missed. The lost cuddles before bedtime. The long nights spent wondering if they are sleeping sweetly or crying out for Mummy. Nicola Hewitt, 42, an office manager from Kenley, Surrey, split from her 42-year-old police officer husband Dan in 2011 after ten years of marriage. She faces the trauma of being without her children - Devon, 10, right, and Sonny, eight, left, every weekend This is the reality for Britain's growing legion of 50/50 mothers, who divide their time with the children equally with their exes. It's a growing phenomenon that - on the surface - might seem the fairest way for separated parents to organise their lives. But it comes at an emotional price for the mothers involved - and the consequences for children are as yet untold. Veronica Sweeney-Bird is one such mother who wishes more than anything that her two little girls were having a more relaxed, stable childhood. Instead, every other Thursday, she drops one off at nursery and one at primary school, full of foreboding as she kisses them goodbye. A week-on, week-off shared care arrangement with her ex-husband is the high price Veronica has to pay for her broken marriage. And two years on from the split, she still struggles to cope with the moment she says goodbye to her girls for seven long days. 'I so hate being a 50/50 mother,' says the 33-year-old bar worker from Tunbridge Wells, who was married for seven years. 'When it's not my week to have the children, I have to try to switch off from being a mum and it's so very hard. Nicola looks after her two children during the week, meaning she must deal with school runs and tired evenings, whereas her ex-husband gets them at the weekend 'To distract myself from the pain, I throw myself into work, working all the hours I can to keep me occupied. 'When they're not here I daren't even go into the girls' room because just seeing all their clothes and toys is very painful. I know I'll just dissolve into tears and won't be able to function.' Veronica only ventures into their room the night before they are due home, to tidy up and get ready for their return. 'I know they're coming back so I feel more excited than upset and can handle it,' she says. Nicola finds holidays and special days especially hard - such as Mother's Day and her birthday. She also finds that the children can be needier and more attention-seeking after having been away from her Although her ex-husband lives just a ten-minute walk away, relations are strained and there is little contact between them apart from a court-ordered FaceTime conversation with her daughters - Ziva, five , and Tali, three - every other day while they are with him. 'Even that is hard because Ziva doesn't like talking on the phone and I can't force her,' says Veronica. On Mother's Day this year, Veronica wasn't even able to speak to the girls, as it didn't fall on her court-appointed FaceTime day - something, she says, she found utterly heartbreaking Although she trusts her ex-husband implicitly with the care of her girls, the lack of easy communication means she knows little of what they do in their time apart. More than this, decisions about their care are often made that are out of her control. 'I once went to pick the girls on my Thursday and was shocked to see that he had taken them to the hairdresser's without telling me,' says Veronica. 'Tali's hair had just grown long enough to tie into ponytails and now it was too short to tie up. I was devastated.' On Mother's Day this year, Veronica wasn't even able to speak to the girls, as it didn't fall on her court-appointed FaceTime day - something, she says, she found utterly heartbreaking. And recently her ex informed her that Ziva would be going to an after-school judo class every Wednesday - which encroaches on her own week with the girls. 'Ziva really enjoys it, so that's OK,' says Veronica, 'but I don't like not being part of the discussion to decide what activities my own children are going to take part in. 'When you have children, you want to have a say in every element of their upbringing. But in my situation, that's impossible.' Veronica Sweeney-Bird, a 33-year-old bar worker from Tunbridge Wells, was married for seven years. She has a week-on, week-off shared care arrangement with her ex-husband and she finds it hard to deal with the times that she's not looking after her children, Ziva, five, and Tali, three Such emotionally gruelling arrangements over childcare are becoming increasingly common. While official figures suggest that only 3 per cent of separated parents share their children's time equally, experts say this is a gross underestimate because many arrangements are unofficial - and so unrecorded. More and more couples are agreeing to split care of their children without any intervention by the courts, according to Jane Robey, the chief executive officer of National Family Mediation, an organisation that conducts over 30,000 mediations a year between separating couples. 'Ten years ago, shared care wasn't really an option,' says Jane. 'Now there is a cultural shift towards fathers taking an active role in their children's upbringing. So many men are saying they want to be involved in day-to-day parental care.' However, Jane warns that trying to be fair to both adults can be damaging for the children. 'It can be very hard for them, as they have to live in different homes and move from place to place continually and that can make them feel unsettled and unhappy. 'There may come a time when they just won't want to go, or they'll start playing one parent off against another. When deciding on arrangements post-split, all this has to be considered. 'Shared care has to work in favour of the child and has to focus on their needs, not just those of the parents.' There are many potential permutations of shared care - some more difficult to bear for the mother than others. It can mean a 50/50 week-on, week-off arrangement like Veronica's; splitting the week, with three or four days for each parent; or one parent having the children during the week and the other every weekend. Nicola Hewitt, who split from her 42-year-old police officer husband Dan in 2011 after ten years of marriage, faces the trauma of being without her children - Devon, ten, and Sonny, eight every weekend. Instead, she must make do with being a midweek parent. 'It made sense because my ex lives half-an-hour's drive away and wasn't near school, so the weekends work better all round,' says Nicola, 42, an office manager from Kenley, Surrey. 'But I really miss the children being in the house. I miss putting them to bed and hearing Sonny say 'I love you' as I walk down the stairs. Three years ago their father took them to Florida for Christmas for two weeks - which they loved, of course - but I couldn't stop crying when they came through at the airport 'I sit in the house at weekends deafened by the silence, hankering after their company and feeling like bits of me are missing. 'After all, when you're married, you do everything with your partner and everything is centred round the children. Then suddenly it ends and you're ousted from your normal life. It took me two years to get my head around it.' At first, she coped by filling the hours as best she could - focusing on her work, her five dogs (three of which she got after her husband left) and going running. But the void remains. 'It is lonely on special days like Mother's Day or my birthday when they're not with me and I just try to power through the day,' says Nicola. 'Holidays are hard, too. Three years ago their father took them to Florida for Christmas for two weeks - which they loved, of course - but I couldn't stop crying when they came through at the airport. It was far too long to be away from them.' While Nicola knows her ex is a good father, there are often sticking points when it comes to their styles of parenting. 'I am very outdoorsy so the kids are often muddy and not in their best clothes, whereas he likes them to be ultra-clean and dressed nicely,' she says. 'I believe kids should be a bit grubby and fit.' Charlotte Dickinson, a 38-year-old teaching assistant from Cardiff, splits care of their five-year-old daughter Jessica with her ex-partner, who lives just over the road. He has her three nights of the week and Charlotte the remainder She is left to cope with the travails of the school and working week, whereas her partner gets to enjoy the more relaxed weekends. 'I get the worst of them, as he has them when they're not tired, whereas I get their grumpy sides and have to nag them to do homework.' Nicola believes the children have adjusted well to this set-up and enjoy having two separate lives. But even after two years of having their mother only part-time, there are still signs of neediness. Sonny often plays up when he gets home from his father's after the weekend, she confesses, and is a lot more clingy and attention-seeking. 'But I know they feel secure and loved because my ex and I have a good relationship and can communicate easily and the kids know their routine well,' says Nicola. Charlotte finds it very hard to be away from her daughters, but acknowledges that Jessica needs to see her father and that she enjoys spending time with both parents and has adapted well to the new set-up And that's the key, according to Jane Robey. Communication, she says, is the key to a good shared care arrangement, and is often a problem with warring couples who can't put their personal differences aside. 'Shared parenting has to be about focusing on the children's needs and it works best when the parents aren't playing silly games with the children caught in the middle. 'It's also beneficial if the parents live close to each other, so they can maintain the children's routine to give them a sense of belonging. It's important that the kids are not being shuttled round the country or feeling isolated in one parent's house away from everything they know. It's not about the parents' rights, but the children.' FAIR SHARES Eighty-four per cent of us believe both partners should have equal custody rights after a split, a YouGov poll found Advertisement It was this relentless focus on the child that Charlotte Dickinson tried to maintain when she separated from her partner of ten years 12 months ago. Charlotte splits care of their five-year-old daughter Jessica with her ex-partner, who lives just over the road. He has her three nights of the week and Charlotte the remainder. 'It was a joint decision to split up and there was no animosity, so it made the shared care a lot easier,' admits the 38-year-old teaching assistant from Cardiff. 'But it took time to adjust. On the days when Jessica was gone, the house was so quiet. In the middle of the night she'd often crawl into my bed, and when she wasn't there I struggled to sleep.' Charlotte soon developed coping mechanisms for the lonely nights when her little girl was away. 'I ended up getting a cat,' she says, 'as it was nice to have something else to come home to. And I started cooking meals for the freezer, so I wouldn't have to cook when Jessica was here and could devote more of my time to her. 'I also took up running, going for a long run on each of the nights Jessica was with her dad, and made arrangements with friends.' Although they do differ in parenting styles - 'I'm a soft touch, while my ex is more disciplined,' says Charlotte - she believes Jessica benefits from the continuity of contact with both her parents. I know the girls have to see their dad, but at the end of the day I'm a mother who has to somehow learn to stop being a mother for half of my life 'It's very hard to be apart from her but she loves her dad and enjoys spending time with both of us. She has two sets of toys and her own bedroom at both our places, and seems to have adjusted well to the new set-up.' It is this maturity of attitude that more separating couples need to adopt, says Relate counsellor Denise Knowles, or children will undoubtedly suffer. 'As children grow up, they do become less needy of us. But in these shared-care situations the loss becomes acute from an early age. 'While it can be heartbreaking, you just have to make the most of the time you're with your child, see your time apart as time off and use it to focus on your own interests. 'Eventually we all feel the loss of our children as they grow up into teenagers and leave home, and we end up having to re-find our purpose aside from being parents. This is a chance to do that a little earlier.' Veronica Sweeney-Bird, though, is yet to adopt this sunny attitude. The ultimate in food porn, or a sacrilege of two totally delicious, but separate dishes? You may have to let your taste buds decide. This cheese toastie/burger hybrid, dubbed the 'Young Cheezy', is the latest creation by Sydney bar and bistro, Bar Luca, where this week it will feature as the weekly special on the menu. Food porn or sacrilege: This cheese toastie/burger hybrid, dubbed the 'Young Cheezy', is the latest creation by Sydney bar and bistro, Bar Luca, where this week it will feature as the weekly special on the menu 'Char grilled pattie, double American cheddar, streaky bacon, green tomato & jalapeno relish, and Westmont pickles between two milk bun cheese toasties,' Bar Luca describes the kilojoule-laden meal on the post. The burger/toastie mash-up is available at the Sydney bar this week between Monday and Friday at 11am, and from 5pm on Saturday until sold out. It retails at $16, and you can add an extra fried cheese pattie for another $4. Kilojoule-laden meal: While the burger/toastie hybrid is perhaps not the best option for anyone watching their waistline, the Instagram post of the meal is proving popular If you're looking to re-create something similar at home, Instagram is a good place to start for inspiration. Countless people from around the world have realised that gooey cheese toasty and soft, juicy burger is a great meeting of foodie minds. Several cooks have turned to the social media site to share their homemade versions of the latest burger trend. Homemade version: For anyone looking to make their own, turn to Instagram for inspiration While this might not be the best option for those watching their waistline, judging by the comments on the Bar Luca Instagram post, the 'Young Cheezy' is already very popular with diners: 'Dear God, it's beautiful,' someone writes on Instagram. 'Omg omg want,' another person succinctly puts it. The tobacco industry was dealt a huge blow today following the approval of sweeping new rules that will require plain cigarette packs, a ban on menthol cigarettes and a crackdown on the growing electronic cigarette market. Tobacco companies had protested against a 2014 EU directive containing the new rules, calling it disproportionate. But the European Court of Justice today upheld the directive, arguing it is in line with efforts to fight smoking and protect public health. Key outcomes of today's decision are: * The court said it is OK to ban menthol and other flavourings that make tobacco more appealing. * The directive also requires standardised, plain labels that cover at least 65 per cent of all cigarette packs with health warnings. * The rules will require warnings for e-cigarettes, limit their nicotine levels to 20g and restrict advertising and sponsorship by their makers. The rules will require warnings for e-cigarettes, limit their nicotine levels to 20g and restrict advertising and sponsorship by their makers The Independent British Vape Trade Association said in a statement that it is disappointed by the ruling and argued it could push some e-cigarette smokers back to tobacco. Among those welcoming the decision was French health minister Marisol Touraine, who said plain cigarette packs will be required in France starting on May 20. 'It's a victory for public health, a victory in the battle against lobbies, because in the fight against smoking ... the obstacles are numerous,' she said. The EU Commission has been criticised in the past for failing to fully disclose information about its dealings with tobacco lobbyists. The ruling follows challenges to the EU Tobacco Products Directive, which was adopted in 2014 but has been held up by a series of court cases. The court rejected a legal challenge brought by Philip Morris International and British American Tobacco, with Japan Tobacco International and Imperial Brands acting as interested parties. The Independent British Vape Trade Association said the ruling could push some e-cigarette smokers back to tobacco The court said: 'The court finds that, in providing that each unit packet and the outside packaging must carry health warnings ... the EU legislature did not go beyond the limits of what is appropriate and necessary.' The court also upheld a prohibition on menthol cigarettes, following a challenge by Poland, and tighter regulation of electronic cigarettes. The legal challenge can now be taken no further and the directive will take effect on May 20, although there is a one-year sell-through period to allow wholesalers and retailers to sell existing stocks. Tobacco companies had protested a 2014 EU directive on the new rules, calling it disproportionate. But the European Court of Justice today upheld the directive, arguing it is in line with efforts to fight smoking and protect public health. Poland, which appealed the 2014 tobacco directive, seemed to accept the verdict. But a statement issued by its ministry of Development said it was able to postpone the ban on menthol cigarettes until January 1, 2020. According to the statement, Poland is EU's fourth-largest tobacco producer and second-largest producer of flavored cigarettes. Some 6.3 billion menthol cigarettes were produced in the country in 2013. The EU Commission has come under criticism in the past for failing to fully disclose information about its dealing with tobacco lobbyists. Marc Firestone, senior vice president at Philip Morris International, which had questioned the directive's legality, said in a statement that the court didn't address whether plain packaging is legal or reduces smoking rates. He said the ruling 'reflects the substantial deference that the Court of Justice often shows to the EU institutions.' TV ads for e-cigarettes to be banned in the UK TV advertisements for e-cigarettes will be banned this month, after Europes highest court ruled that vaping gadgets could provide a gateway to smoking. The European Court of Justice said yesterday tough new laws were necessary to protect non-smokers particularly children from using e-cigarettes. The ruling means a new EU directive, which warns that e-cigarettes mimic and normalise the act of smoking, will be pushed into law on May 20. TV advertisements for e-cigarettes will be banned this month, after Europes highest court ruled that vaping gadgets could provide a gateway to smoking The decision will have long-lasting implications for the debate raging between health experts in Britain, some of whom insist that e-cigarettes will save thousands of lives, and others who are concerned that they have not yet been proven to be safe. British firm Totally Wicked had mounted a legal bid to overturn the rules, which it said would destroy the emerging e-cigarette industry and turn millions of people back to smoking tobacco. But judges in Luxembourg yesterday dismissed the objection, ruling that the EU directive on e-cigarettes did not exceed the limits of what is necessary. Electronic cigarettes can develop into a gateway to nicotine addiction and ultimately traditional tobacco consumption, as they mimic and normalise the action of smoking' The decision means that from May 20, all advertising for e-cigarettes or refills will be banned on television, radio, websites, newspapers and magazines. Billboard advertising will be permitted, as will posters on the sides of buses. But e-cigarettte packaging for the first time will have to carry health warnings telling people they contain a highly addictive substance. And the strongest vaping devices will be banned, with gadgets no longer allowed to contain more than 20mg of nicotine for every millilitre of liquid, which the industry claims will rule out a quarter of gadgets currently on sale. A single full-strength cigarette typically contains about 0.8mg of nicotine. Retailers have until now suggested that people who smoke ten cigarettes a day switch to 12mg e-cigarettes, and those who smoke more than 20 a day switch to 24mg or 36mg strength. The European Tobacco Products Directive says: Electronic cigarettes can develop into a gateway to nicotine addiction and ultimately traditional tobacco consumption, as they mimic and normalise the action of smoking. A 12-year-old girl from Bangladesh is suffering from a rare condition so severe that her body is covered in thick black hair from head to toe. Bithi Akhtar, from Tangail district in central Bangladesh, was apparently born with 'werewolf syndrome', according to local media reports. However other medical experts suggest she may also be suffering from hirsutism - excessive growth of hair that is usually thick and dark. Her mother Beauty Akhtar, 27, said: 'My daughter was born with thick black hair that looked like wool all over her body. 'We sought help from several doctors but no one could treat her completely. Now, at least, the hair has stopped growing any longer.' Bangladeshi schoolgirl Bithi Akhtar was born with a rare condition which leaves her body covered in thick hair Bithi was apparently born with 'werewolf syndrome', according to local media reports. However other experts suggest she may also be suffering from hirsutism - excessive growth of hair that is usually thick and dark But last year, as she neared puberty, Bithi's mother noticed her daughter's breasts had started growing at an abnormal rate. And by then end of the year, they were so big she was not even able to stand straight under the weight. Eventually she was forced her to stop going to school. 'I understood it was natural as she was hitting puberty but her growth was again abnormal,' her mother explained. 'Her breasts grew so fast that they became really heavy and started sagging below her stomach.' 'She would cry all day long because of the immense pain due to the weight. She could not walk or sit straight.' Despite being a bright student, Bithi had to stop attending school because of the pain and jibes of her peers. Bithi's miserable condition left her parents both distressed and worried for her future. Their two other children do not suffer any health problems. And last year, as she neared puberty, Bithi's mother noticed her daughter's breasts had started growing at an abnormal rate. 'She would cry all day long because of the immense pain due to the weight - she could not walk or sit straight, she recalls Bithi's father, Abdur Razzak (pictured with her mother, Beauty) has now borrowed 100 from a bank in the hope a hospital in the capital Dakha can treat his daughter Their father, Abdur Razzak, who ferries passengers on a rented motorcycle and makes 30 a day, took a loan from bank and Bithi to the capital her to Dhaka. There, he had her admitted her to Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujb Medical College. He said: 'I have already spent a lot of money on Bithi's treatment even though that has not paid off well. My daughter's condition has shattered me. I am heartbroken to see her in pain and live a life of recluse 'But my daughter's condition has shattered me. I am heartbroken to see her in pain and live a life of recluse. 'I want to give her a normal life and I am determined to get help from specialists. 'I borrowed 100 from bank and brought her straight to the hospital. I am hoping they will give the best treatment to Bithi.' Doctors are now looking for possible treatments for her. Dr Farid Uddin, Head of the Department of Hormones at the hospital said: 'This looks like a severe case of abnormal hormones. Ketamine could form the basis for new, faster-acting antidepressants, say scientists, who believe they have unlocked the 'secret' to the drug's ability to ease depression. Their discovery has 'fundamentally' altered the way experts understand the process, and could pave the way for new drugs to combat the mental illness. It has long been known that ketamine can ease the symptoms of depression, often having an impact within hours. But, the drug, which is approved as an anaesthetic has major side effects, including hallucinations and dissociation - a sense of being outside your own body. Ketamine could lead to new treatments for depression, after scientists believe they have unlocked the 'secret' to the drug's antidepressant qualities. Scientists at the University of Maryland and National Institutes of Health identified a metabolite that is produced when ketamine is broken down by the body and believe it is responsible It is these side effects that have seen the drug abused by party-goers. But, now a new study by scientists at the University of Maryland School of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health, reveals how the drug could be safely harnessed as a treatment for depression. And, crucially researchers believe they have found a method whereby they can limit the negative side effects. They identified a chemical byproduct, or metabolite, created as the body breaks down ketamine, and believe this holds the answer to the drug's ability to treat depression. The metabolite singularly reversed depression-like behaviors in mice without triggering any of the anesthetic, dissociative, or addictive side effects, known to the linked to ketamine. Dr Carlos Zarate, of the NIH's National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), and a co-author of the study, said: 'This discovery fundamentally changes our understanding of how this rapid assessment mechanism works and holds promise for development of more robust and safer treatments. 'By using a team approach, researchers were able to reverse-engineer ketamine's workings from the clinic to the lab to pinpoint what makes it so unique.' Dr Todd Gould from the University of Maryland, who worked with Dr Zarate and colleagues, said the next step is to examine the effects in humans. 'Now that we know that ketamine's antidepressant actions in mice are due to a metabolite, not ketamine itself, the next steps are to confirm that it works similarly in humans, and determine if it can lead to improved therapeutics for patients.' This discovery fundamentally changes our understanding of how this rapid assessment mechanism works and holds promise for development of more robust and safer treatments Dr Carlos Zarate, National Institute of Mental Health Clinical trials by Dr Zarate and his team have shown that ketamine can lift depression within hours, even minutes - much faster than the most commonly-used antidepressant drugs available. These medications often take weeks to take effect. Furthermore, the antidepressant effects of a single dose of ketamine can last for a week or longer. However, despite legitimate medical uses, the drug also has dissociative, euphoric and addictive properties, making it a potential drug for abuse and limiting it's use as a treatment for depression. For their new study, researchers aimed to find a way of turning ketamine into a more practical treatment for depression. As such they sought to pinpoint the exact mechanism by which the drug relieves the mental health condition. Ketamine belongs to a class of drugs that block cellular receptors for glutamate, the brain's chief excitatory chemical messenger. Until now, the prevailing view was that ketamine produced its antidepressant effects by blocking N-methyl-D-aspartic acid (NMDA) glutamate receptors. However, human trials of other NMDA-receptor blockers failed to produce ketamine's robust and sustained antidepressant effect, suggesting it was not the trigger. As a result, the researchers focused their exploration on the effects of ketamine on depression in mice. Ketamine harbors two chemical forms that are mirror images of each other, denoted (S)- and (R)-ketamine. The metabolite singularly reversed depression-like behaviors in mice without triggering any of the anesthetic, dissociative, or addictive side effects, known to the linked to ketamine. Ketamine is currently approved as an anaesthetic, but due to the negative side effects is not currently used to treat depression The investigators found that while (S)-ketamine is more potent at blocking NMDA receptors, it is less effective in reducing depression-like behaviors than the (R) form. The team then turned their attention to the effects of the metabolies created as the body breaks down (S)- and (R)-ketamine. They did so in the knowledge that ketamine's antidepressant effects are known to be greater in female mice. Researchers identified a key metabolite, showing levels of it were three times higher in female mice, hinting that it might be responsible for the sex difference in the antidepressant effect. To find out for certain, the scientists chemically blocked the metabolism of ketamine. This prevented the formation of the metabolite, which blocked the drug's antidepressant-like effects. Notably, unlike ketamine, the compound does not inhibit NMDA receptors. Instead, it activates, possibly indirectly, another type of glutamate receptor, known as AMPA receptors. Researchers are now working on further research before drugs based on the metabolite can be tested in human clinical trials Blocking these receptors prevented the antidepressant-like effects of the metabolite in mice. The experiments confirmed that the rapid antidepressant-like effects require activation of AMPA receptors, not inhibition of NMDA receptors. Dr Richard Hodes, director of the National Institute of Aging, said: 'Unraveling the mechanism mediating ketamine's antidepressant activity is an important step in the process of drug development. 'New approaches are critical for the treatment of depression, especially for older adults and for patients who do not respond to current medications.' Acting director of the NIMH, Dr Bruce Cuthbert, added: 'Pending confirmation in humans, this line of studies exemplifies the power of mouse translational experiments for teasing out brain mechanisms that hold promise for future treatment breakthroughs.' The researchers are now following up on their discovery with safety and toxicity studies of the metabolite, as part of a drug development plan in advance of a NIMH clinical trial in humans, using the metabolite to treat depression. Dr James Stone, clinical senior lecturer at King's College London, and honorary senior lecturer at Imperial College London, hailed the findings as 'exciting'. He said the study 'raises the possibility' that new antidepressants could be developed. 'This paper predicts that it would have a similar, very rapid onset of action and efficacy against treatment resistant depression to ketamine, but that it would lack some of the undesirable side effects such as percetual distortion and addiction potential.' However, Dr Stone urged caution, adding though promising, clinical trials in patients with depression would be required to determine whether a new drug based on the metabolite was effective. Professor Celia Morgan, from the University of Exeter, agreed. She said: 'These findings are exciting as they appear to demonstrate that the rapid antidepressant effects of ketamine are possible by giving a metabolite of that drug that is free from abuse potential.' The Supreme Court on Tuesday set a two-day deadline for the AAP government to file a detailed plan to phase out diesel-run taxis from the national Capital. The move came as Delhi faced protests and blockades by diesel taxi operators, causing stress for regular commuters for the second consecutive day. A bench comprising Chief Justice TS Thakur and Justice FMI Kalifulla granted the time after the counsel appearing for the Delhi government said that meetings with the representatives of stakeholders would be held on Tuesday evening and Wednesday, after which it can submit a plan as directed by the court. Commuter hell: Policemen try to clear a traffic jam caused by the diesel taxi drivers' protest Pass an order modifying the order dated 30th April 2016 to implement the conversion of diesel cabs/taxis into CNG in phases as to accommodate traditional non-CNG cabs/ taxis operator/owners/drivers to have peaceful transition and no adverse effect on law and order situation, said the Delhi governments plea in the apex court. Earlier in the day, the government had moved the SC seeking time to phase out diesel taxis from the national Capital, after which the court had directed it to submit a plan by 4 pm on Tuesday. During the brief hearing, senior advocate Chander Uday Singh, appearing for the Delhi government, said that in the wake of the Supreme Courts order around 30,000 diesel taxis have stopped plying in the national Capital. This is causing inconvenience to the common people and creating a law and order hurdle. The AAP government had moved the Supreme Court, seeking time to phase out diesel taxis from the Capital He sought some time to phase out the vehicle in a time-bound manner, saying the government is committed to tackling the problem of pollution. Meanwhile, several members of the association of cab drivers met Transport Minister Gopal Rai at Delhi Secretariat seeking relief from the crackdown. Even the transport minister admitted during the meeting that there is no clarity on cars with the all India permit, and assured taxi drivers that a proper road map for phasing out diesel taxis will be made in consultation with the taxi unions. The operators have been asked by the government to submit their proposals by Wednesday, when the SC-constituted Environment and Pollution Control Authority (EPCA) will meet to discuss the issues arising from the ban imposed by the apex court. The Supreme Court order dated April 30, that put an end to the plying of diesel-run cabs in the national Capital, had no reference to vehicles running on All India permits and that had created a lot of confusion. The written order is ambiguous on the status of cabs running on national permits leading to the confusion. It also gave ammunition to the Opposition to spread rumours, said Rai, adding that they have moved the SC to dispel the confusion. Traffic crawls as taxi drivers keep up protests By Mail Today Bureau in New Delhi and Gurugram The cascading effect of the cab drivers protest in the national Capital was quite visible in the neighbouring districts of Noida and Gurugram, where business was severely affected at various MNCs and BPOs. A majority of office-goers arrived late to their workplaces, while female workers were denied cab facilities in the wake of the Supreme Courts ban on diesel vehicles. In Delhi, traffic crawled for the second successive day as the drivers of diesel cabs blocked arterial roads connecting the city to Noida and Gurugram, leading to a number of diversions. A traffic officer stops a diesel taxi near India Gate The roads connecting the IGI Airport were worst hit, causing inconvenience to flyers as well as flight crew members who could not reach their destination on time. NH-8, a key link between the airport and the rest of the city, was blocked by several protesting drivers. According to airport sources, a number of international airlines also bore the brunt with their crew members reporting late. There are two roads through which anyone can reach Delhi airport Terminal- 3. One is through tunnel area and other is from NH-8. On Monday as well as Tuesday due to heavy jam, various passengers missed their flights. Also, staff of the airline reported late due to which few flights got delayed. We are hope that the situation on Wednesdaywould be different, an airline official said. According to a senior traffic police official, police have been deployed to man the traffic on entry points of the airport. According to BPO officials, attendance of employees was severely affected due to the unavailability of cabs. We understand the Supreme Courts concern on environment but at the same time it should have given us some time to make arrangements. It is unfair to impose a ban which has direct bearing on common people, said Amit Chaudhary, MD of prominent BPO Harva. Many bottlenecks, including the one near Radisson Blu Plaza on National Highway 8 which connects Delhi and Gurgaon, were cleared by the Traffic Police by 12pm - but their ripple effects were visible in the form of long tailbacks. A day after the newly-appointed head of the Karnataka unit of the BJP, BS Yeddyurappa, announced his plans to visit the drought-hit regions of the state, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah hurriedly inspected some of the affected areas. He declared that the situation was not alarming - despite thousands of farmers and agricultural labourers migrating to Goa and Bengaluru in search of a livelihood. Senior Congress leader and Minister for Rural Development & Panchayat Raj HK Patil also refused to regard it as a drought. Instead he declared, after visiting a few districts, that it was the result of an intense summer. Karnataka: The entire state is reeling under a drought - and the government seems to be in denial While the entire state is reeling under drought and acute water shortage, the Congress government does not seem to think so. The government and its leaders are still under the impression that the water crisis affecting people in towns and cities and agriculture is a manifestation of the extreme summer. Apart from a handful of ministers, the remaining ones seem oblivious to the problems faced by people in the rural areas. Though the CM is hopping across important districts where drought is reigning supreme, his Cabinet colleagues do not seem to be following suit. In many towns in the Malenadu region (Western Ghats where rainfall is the highest in the state), water supply from rivers has stopped. Colleges have instructed students to vacate their hostels and return to their hometowns because of water shortages. The perennially water-fed coastal city is unable to supply water to residents. In some villages of Thirthahalli, people are guarding the wells fearing that water might get stolen. In north Karnataka, the worst-hit region, the big rivers Krishna and Bhima are dry along several vast stretches. The Alamatti Dam, one of the biggest water reservoirs in Karnataka, is near dead storage capacity. It has become a common sight to see people collecting dirty water from ponds near villages and standing in long queues for a bucket of water in front of local tankers. In the face of these facts, Siddaramaiah declared that the state was in a position to supply water to every village and did not require the intervention of the Centre. If that was the case, well-known Kannada actor and youth icon Yash need not have taken up the responsibility of supplying water to more than 50 drought-hit villages at his personal cost in the north Karnataka region. It is evident that the Congress government lacks a structured approach to tackling the drought. It is relying merely on the information provided by local district administration officials, who tend to mislead decision-makers to cover up their lapses. While the media continues to portray the grim reality of the drought, when the CM visits a particular region, officials give the impression that everything is under control. If Siddaramaiahs drought inspection remains the same in the coming days, people have no option other than waiting for the monsoon. The Congress government has literally left the people of the state at the mercy of the rain gods. People are watching every blunder being committed by the government time and again. This could be a great opportunity for Siddaramaiah to turn things in his favour. ___________________________________________________________________________________ Karnataka's Congress leader and Bengaluru city development Minister KJ George gave journalists a lesson for writing political stories based on sources. Interacting with the media on April 24 in Bengaluru, George advised journalists not to write speculative stories based on their sources when it comes to the change of leadership in Karnataka. You should know that somebody is indulging in mischief in the name of sources. Why say sources? You should name the source or the person giving you the information, he remarked. He went a step further and told the scribes that they should go only by the official statements issued by Congress president Sonia Gandhi and vice-president Rahul Gandhi. CCTV network to curb crime 24-7 CCTV: But will it discourage criminals? Over the next six months, Bengaluru will be networked with 1,000+ CCTV cameras installed at crucial locations in an effort to curb crimes. The governments decision to install the CCTV cameras comes in the wake of the success enjoyed by the Bengaluru police in nabbing miscreants and criminals. Earlier this week, the police managed to track down a would-be criminal who allegedly tried to kidnap and rape a girl. Likewise, dozens of crimes have been solved by the police using the CCTV network. There are already 150 cameras functioning at sensitive locations in Bengaluru, and 750 more CCTV cameras will become operational in the coming days. The government has set aside Rs 43 crore for this project, which the police believe is a critical step in improving surveillance. These CCTV cameras are in addition to the traffic cameras installed at all the junctions in the city. A monitoring station has been set up in the city for surveillance 24x7. The police are also of the view that the presence of CCTV cameras will discourage miscreants from committing crimes. The Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation, which runs more than 4,000 buses in the city, has also decided to install cameras inside buses to enhance security for women commuters. Will Metro ease traffic burden? Could the much-delayed Bengaluru Metro ease the city's east-west traffic burden? After four years of delay, the Bengaluru Metro (Namma Metro) has finally connected the west (Mysuru Road) with the east (Byappanahalli), with the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Ltd (BMRCL) recently opening a crucial 5.2 km underground section in the heart of the city. The 18.1 km east-west corridor is expected to bring down vehicular traffic significantly in the coming months. Thousands of IT professionals travel from east (Vijayanagar, Chandra Layout, Rajajinagar, Mysuru Road and Nagarabhavi) to the IT clusters in Whitefield and Old Madras Road every day in private cars. The minimum time required to reach Old Madras Road, the gateway to Whitefield from the KR Puram side, is two hours during peak hours. Every day, hundreds of vehicles are caught in traffic jams on the Old Madras Road near the KR Puram railway bridge. The opening of the east-west corridor is likely to eliminate this scenario in the long run. The Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation operates feeder bus services from the Byappanahalli Metro station to the IT clusters in Whitefield providing crucial connectivity for IT professionals. Since the first day of the operation of trains on the east-west corridor, the BMRCL is witnessing a healthy ridership with more than 80,000 commuters utilising the services. It popularity is expected to rise in the coming days as Namma Metro trains take a flat 35 minutes from the Mysuru Road to reach the Old Madras Road against a road journey of two hours in a car. Union minister of State for External Affairs Gen (retd) VK Singh has hit out at the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) Shashi Kant Sharma, saying he should have stepped down from a constitutional post and joined the investigation immediately after his name was linked to the AgustaWestland deal. Morality matters It depends on his morality, but if I was in his place and my name had cropped up in the deal, I would have immediately resigned from a constitutional post and joined investigations, Singh said. Speaking exclusively to Mail Today, the former chief of the army staff also said all those named in the Italian court verdict should be called in for questioning to ascertain the truth. General VK Singh (pictured) has hit out at the Comptroller and Auditor General Shashi Kant Sharma If needs be, a polygraph-test and a narco-analysis test should be done. The truth must emerge, he said. The general launched a frontal attack on the CAG saying: For all you know, this constitutional post is a reward for all the good work that he has (allegedly) done making money for people and himself." The CBI has been questioning Air Chief Marshal (retd) SP Tyagi and former deputy chief of air staff Air Marshal JS Gujral. Both officers have reportedly told the agency that bureaucrats in the Ministry of Defence (MoD) play a pivotal role in the acquisition process. Whoever has been named in the Italian court papers should be called for questioning, whether a politician, bureaucrat or service officer, Singh told Mail Today. Having worked in the Integrated Headquarters of Ministry of Defence Army, the former chief said that it is possible through investigations to find out why air staff requirements were changed and on whose instructions. There are detailed documents and officers will be questioned to ascertain the truth. The government has the will to punish the bribe-takers, he asserted. The general insisted the AgustaWestland probe will not go the Bofors way and there will not be any back-door deals between the government and the Opposition. Bofors was in another era. I have full faith in the leadership of the prime minister. Sincere investigations are being undertaken to unearth the truth, he said. Responding to the Congress charge that the Modi government was indulging in political mud-slinging, Singh said: There was deliberate cover up in the previous governments tenure in the Agusta case. It takes time to get to the truth and now there is a sincere effort to find out who was paid a bribe for the deal. 'I have never met met Mrs Gandhi... all this is built on sand:' AgustaWestland deal middleman denies wrongdoing Christian Michel, the key middleman in the AgustaWestland deal, is ready to come to India and share evidence. In an exclusive interview with India Today TV, Michel said he would travel to India only if he was given a guarantee that he would not be arrested. He also denied having ever met Congress president Sonia Gandhi, or her family or associates. Christian Michel, the key middleman in the AgustaWestland helicopter deal, is ready to come to India and share evidence I have not met met Mrs Gandhi or any of her family and associates or friends, no one. All this has been built on sand. And I had predicted in November that a political vendetta was commencing and I was clear who would be targeted. So none of this comes as a surprise to me, he said. That is incorrect (over turning approver). I had talked to my lawyer, but I didnt mean that I was ready to come to India and turn approver. What she (lawyer) said has been taken out of context. What she was trying to say was that under the right conditions, I would be prepared to give evidence in the embassy in UAE or India if I am guaranteed that I would not be arrested and be allowed to return after having given evidence to prove that there was no wrongdoing, he added. Regarding the nature of evidence that he has, Michel said: I have a lot of records about the motivation behind some of these forgeries that have been created and I have documented proof that the forgers these are the proof that I want to bring. Michele told India Today TV that he had shared this information with Italian authorities. I have taken legal action against Mr Haschke by suing him in Switzerland for forgery and given strong evidence in the court. I will be presenting this evidence in India in due course. BJP lawmakers got yet another dressing-down from PM Narendra Modi on Tuesday, after many of them failed to answer basic questions on their duty to inform people about the government's achievements. In the BJPs parliamentary party meeting, Modi drove home the achievements of his government, which will turn two later this month, and asked MPs to connect directly with people to make them aware about the welfare schemes. The PM asked MPs if they visited their constituencies regularly and engaged with people. Modi listed schemes like Jan-Dhan Yojana, Mudra Bank, free LPG connections for poor families' and others, and explained how beneficial these programmes are. Prime Minister Narendra Modi (centre) spoke to party MPs at the BJP's parliamentary party meeting Modi said that over three crore people have benefited from Mudra Bank and an equal number of people were given the gas connections. Do you talk about these schemes to the people in your constituencies? he asked the party lawmakers. Stressing the need to publicise the achievements of the government, Modi asked lawmakers to play an active role in making people aware. Pointing to the massive electrification drive in villages and distribution of LED bulbs to the people, Modi asked whether the MPs have informed their constituencies about the proposed Urja Utsav celebrations. The meeting decided to celebrate Urja Utsav to highlight the achievements of the government in the power sector. We are implementing the schemes and the people are directly benefiting from them. We should take the advantages of such schemes to the people and they should be well informed about them, said a party source, quoting the PM. Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs, Rajiv Pratap Rudy, said that the issue of the VVIP chopper scam, over which the BJP has targeted Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, was also taken up in the meeting. The Rajya Sabha will debate it on Wednesday and the Lok Sabha on May 6. Speaking about the meeting, Rudy said: The prime minister noted that the government and the Lok Sabha members will complete two years of their five-year term. Mudra Scheme, ongoing electrification of 18,000 villages, bringing over three crore families under the LPG network and distribution of cheap LED lights were cited as major successes. He asked the members to take them to people. Once again, the importance of social media and how the majority of party MPs have failed to make their presence felt in this arena was also discussed in the meeting. Rahul Gandhi wants the Kerala rape and murder solved as soon as possible Concerned over the impact of the ghastly rape and murder case in poll-bound Kerala, which is being compared to the similar Nirbhaya case in Delhi in 2012, Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi spoke to state unit chief Sudheeran and urged the state government to bring the culprits to book at the earliest opportunity. Rahul also tweeted to deplore the incident. Police said the attack on the 30-year old law student from the lowest Dalit caste was particularly vicious. CRPF cries foul over transfers A recent spate of transfers in the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) has caused some heart-burn among the middle rung of officers, as several of them made representations against their new postings. There is a general resentment in the force over the way some officers have been allowed to stay in the states of their domicile, while others have been transferred out. The officials pointed out that there was no consistency in the way transfers have been ordered, leading to negative sentiments within the force. When RK Singh corrected HM Union Minister Rajnath Singh was having an easy run while answering a question in the Lok Sabha on police modernisation plans, until his party colleague RK Singh decided to chip in. RK Singh sought to correct the minister on facts as he pointed out that the NDA government had removed the housing component from the police modernisation scheme. He sought a course correction and requested the minister to make amendments. Too many onions make the government cry Not only the Opposition but also some ruling BJP members expressed concern over the glut of onions in the market, which has led to crashing prices. The MPs sought the governments intervention in helping farmers who have suffered because of the drastic drop in prices of essential food items. The onion can bring tears to the eyes of even mighty governments, some lawmakers pointed out. Modi, Shah head to Tamil Nadu Political temperatures are set to rise in Tamil Nadu. PM Narendra Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah are scheduled to address public meetings in the southern districts this week. Shah will reach the state for four rallies on Wednesday. Modi will arrive on May 6. Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar tore into the Congress over the AgustaWestland chopper deal There was chaos in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday when Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar tore into the Congress over the AgustaWestland chopper deal. Parrikar claimed that the government was probing the names of people who received bribes and were named by an Italian court. The country wants to know who instigated, supported and benefited from corruption. We cant let this pass, said Parrikar. He added that proper procedures were not followed during the previous UPA government in the purchase of 12 VVIP choppers from Italian firm AgustaWestland. The Rs 3,600 crore deal was later cancelled after allegations of bribery surfaced in the media. The minister's remarks invited angry reactions from the Congress. Following a recent Italian court order, the chopper deal has become a major flashpoint between the Congress and the ruling BJP, which is targeting the opposition party and the Gandhi family over alleged corruption. Court order Parrikar, who listened to the debate for over four hours, pointed out that a recent Italian court order said that there is proof of mala fide intent in the deal. The Italian court - which concluded last month that bribes of up to 30 million euros or Rs 226 crore were paid in India for the chopper deal - referred to documents which mention Sonia Gandhi and other Congress leaders, including the initials AP which the BJP alleges refers to senior leader Ahmed Patel. A visibly upset Leader of the Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad termed the defence ministers speech an insult to the House and asked his party to walk out in protest. Minutes before that, the government refused to accept the Oppositions demand for a Supreme Court-monitored CBI probe into the chopper deal, which it said should be completed in three months. According to Parrikar, a CAG report highlighted that allowed offsets were not compliant with Defence Procurement Policy (DPP). He said the benchmark cost given by the contract negotiation committee (CNC) was unreasonably high, and had provided no realistic basis for price negotiations in the chopper deal. The Air Force in January 2006 gave their benchmark estimate for this deal as Rs 793 crore. In September 2008, contract negotiations committee arbitrarily fixed Rs 4877.5 crore as the deal which was 6 times more, he said. The minister alleged that instead of taking action against the company, the UPA wrote to the external affairs Ministry, embassy and court. CBI registered an FIR in the case on March 12, 2013 based on reference made by defence ministry on February 12, 2013. But the CBI didnt bother to forward a copy of the FIR to Enforcement Directorate (ED) for nine months. Strangely ED did not act on the FIR till July 2014. It appears that an invincible (sic) hand was guiding actions or in-actions by CBI and ED, he said. After the present government took over, the CBI and ED have been rigorously pursuing all aspects of the investigation," the defence minister said. Investigation so far in the VVIP chopper case has revealed involvement of IDS Infotech as a channel for transfer of bribe money. Parrikar claimed the BJP government actually banned the company and not the UPA. The BJP's Bhupendra Yadav initiated the short duration debate, saying: The truth of the Agusta deal must come out... A convenient backdoor entry was given to Agusta by the Congress. Kickbacks routed through an 'intricate maze' of companies By Atir Khan The probe into the AgustaWestland chopper deal has revealed that alleged kick-backs in the helicopter purchase were carefully crafted through an intricate maze of companies using multiple bank accounts across several countries. Lawyer Gautam Khaitan and former Air Chief SP Tyagi, who are being probed as suspects, were put under sustained interrogation by CBI officers on Wednesday. Sources say Gautam Khaitan has told the CBI that kickbacks were routed to India through an account in Delhis Defence Colony bank. It has been alleged that Khaitan, Haschke and Gerosa had very cleverly crafted the art of routing kickbacks into India through the FDI route. AgustaWestland hired a Chandigarh-based company, IDS India, which was given a contract for providing engineering services for 3D modelling of helicopter structural parts. This was certified as exports through the Software Technology Parks of India scheme. The Congress presented a strong line-up in the Rajya Sabha to blunt the BJP attack over the AgustaWestland chopper deal. Former defence minister AK Antony, spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi, and senior leader Anand Sharma were in the Rajya Sabha to oppose the onslaught. The Congress argument centred around the points it has been raising over the past few days, including that it cancelled the deal, brought back the bank guarantees worth Rs 2,000 crore, confiscated three choppers, blacklisted the company, and initiated a CBI and ED probe into the deal to find out who paid and who received the bribes. Congress leaders Ghulam Nabi Azad and Abhishek Manu Singhvi attempted to blunt the BJP attack Singhvi alleged the BJP and the Centre had been highlighting a recent Italian court order to target the Opposition party and the Gandhi family to settle political scores, and questioned why the Centre did not move forward with the probe. Countering the BJP attack on "AP", a reference to Sonias political secretary Ahmed Patel, Singhvi said there are many "APs" in India - including the Gujarat Chief Minister Anandiben Patel. Now lets move to the AP. There are many APs in the country. Including one leading Gujarat," Singhvi said, while referring to quotes attributed in media reports to Guido Haschke, a middleman hired by AgustaWestland allegedly to pay kickbacks to Indian decision-makers. Former defence minister Antony, who had finalised the deal, rejected the BJPs allegations and said: First you take action against the company, blacklist it and take strongest action against whoever took money. Prosecute us if you have evidence, but dont threaten or blackmail us. Miffed over the BJP dragging his name into the deal, Ahmed Patel made a passionate plea for a thorough probe and said he will quit the Rajya Sabha and public life if any allegation against him is proven. I have not crossed any limits of public life. This is not my first agni-pareeksha, he said. Gandhi-basher Subramanian Swamy hints CBI should grill Sonia Targeting Congress president Sonia Gandhi, BJP MP Subramanian Swamy on Wednesday said the CBI can - as per the law - question the person mentioned as the driving force behind the AgustaWestland deal. The CBI has the right under Section 156 of CrPC to question the person who is mentioned in the Italian court judgment as the 'driving force' behind the chopper deal, Swamy said. BJP MP Subramanian Swamy said the CBI can - as per the law - question the person mentioned as the driving force behind the AgustaWestland deal Training guns Without naming Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, Swamy - a known Gandhi-family baiter - made many references to her as the person behind the deal. Even before Manmohan Singh, she should be interrogated by the CBI, Swamy said. At another point, Swamy referred to the Congress chief as a super cabinet and a higher authority than Manmohan Singh" while alleging that there was plenty of evidence to prove that she was the main driver in the scam. A person, who had no qualifications to decide helicopter deals was the driving force, he said, quoting the middleman Christian Michel's letter. The BJP leader cited a former CAG report to argue that the UPA changed parameters in the purchase of choppers to suit AgustaWestland, like fixing the cabin height at 1.8 m and increasing the cost of the deal manifold over the amount initially suggested by the air force. The internationally accepted standard for a chopper's cabin height is 1.45 metres. But in this case, the cabin height specification was set at 1.80 metres. Only AgustaWestland could fulfil this condition and the rest were out, he said. Secondly, field trials were done with a different model than the one purchased, and the AW101 was cleared on the basis of these trials. Does it not attract prosecution under Section 420 of IPC? he questioned. The BJP leader, who invited angry reactions from Congress members, also alleged that while the original proposal was to buy eight choppers, the number was later raised to 12 once AgustaWestland won the contract. The deputy chairman asked him to authenticate the documents he was quoting in his speech after Congress member Anand Sharma protested against the remarks hinting at Sonias political secretary Ahmed Patel. Car trouble Drivers switching from BMWs luxury sedans to 4x4s produced by their rivals have caused the German car maker to miss forecasts and post lower quarterly operating profit. The low cost of fuel means Americans are buying gas-guzzling pick-up trucks and off-road vehicles. First-quarter earnings at BMW slid 2.5 per cent to 1.95billion just below the 1.96billion analysts had forecast. While BMW stuck to profit guidance for the year it will increase the proportion of SUVs sold in the United States to 40 per cent from 30 per cent. German car maker BMW missed forecasts and post lower quarterly operating profit Cussons boss Imperial Leather owner PZ Cussons has recruited the chairman of fizzy drinks maker AG Barr to its board. John Nicolson, a former executive of Heineken and Scottish & Newcastle, joined the Cussons board as a non-executive director on May 1. Cussons chairman Richard Harvey is retiring to New Zealand at the end of the year. Package pair-up Packager Macfarlane has bought rival Edward McNeil for 1.8million. Glasgow-based Macfarlane makes specialist packaging used by the electronics industry to protect fragile components as well as in the aerospace and medical sectors. McNeil posted sales of around 3.6million in 2015. Shares in Macfarlane fell 0.36 per cent or 0.25p to 68.25p. Astra deal AstraZeneca has sold the global rights to angina treatment Imdur outside the US. The British drugs giant will receive 130million following its deal with China Medical System Holdings and Tibet Rhodiola Pharmaceutical Holding. The company has also completed the takeover of Takeda Pharmaceuticals lung business for 393million. No fly Lufthansa is the latest airline to cut routes as travellers stay home. The terrorist attacks in Belgium and fierce price competition has caused the German airline to cut growth plans for the year. Last week British Airways owner IAG axed routes because sales had been hurt by a change in the travel habits of multi-national companies. Lufthansa will increase overall flight capacity by 6pc this year instead of 6.6 per cent. Sweet smell Estee Lauder Companies was boosted by Brits buying more make-up this year. The US group reported 11 per cent rise in sales in Europe for the third quarter, helped by a strong performance in the UK, and is pinning hopes on more success with launches including a range by Victoria Beckham. FTSE 100 tobacco giant Imperial Brands is eyeing up a return to Cuba to make high-end cigars now that the communist island- state has been opened for business once more. The US imposed a strict trade embargo on Cuba in 1962, but a visit by President Barack Obama in March to encourage commerce and travel between the countries heralds a thawing of relations and the possibility of sanctions being lifted altogether. Imperial has become the latest firm to express an interest in expanding its business by taking production to Cuba. It currently makes cigars for the US market in Dominican Republic. Chief executive Alison Cooper said she sees the US as a big growth opportunity because consumers have more cash to spend because of the low price of oil. The cigarette industry is going through enormous upheaval as many customers switch from tobacco to e-cigarettes. It was dealt another blow yesterday when the European Court of Justice approved new European Union rules that will require plain cigarette packs, ban menthol cigarettes and regulate the growing electronic cigarette market. Tobacco companies had protested against the 2014 EU directive containing the new rules, calling it disproportionate. But the EUs top court upheld the directive yesterday. Firms such as Imperial are now looking for new ways to boost profits. Smoke break: Imperial currently makes cigars for the US market in Dominican Republic but has expressed an interest in expanding its business by taking production to Cuba Imperial bought US brands Salem, Winston and Kool last year, which helped to boost sales by more than 15 per cent to 3.4billion in its first-half results. Cooper said: I am delighted with the performance of the US business. Imperial, whose other brands include Gauloises and Lambert & Butler cigarettes, reported forecast-busting operating profit of 1.64billion compared with 1.34billion in the same period of last year and said that it is on track to meet full-year expectations. A 10 per cent increase in the dividend was also announced. Yesterday the shares fell 0.8 per cent, or 30p, to 3710p. Imperial, which dropped tobacco from its title in an attempt to diversify the business away from traditional cigarettes, said that specialist products, such US cigars and Scandinavian chewing tobacco, accounted for 14.4 per cent of sales and benefited from strong performances in the first half. Cooper was optimistic about the groups Fotem Venture e-cigarette business, which sells the second highest number of e-cigarettes in both the UK and US markets, although less than 5 per cent of sales are to people switching from regular cigarettes. Two of the High Streets biggest names saw their sales suffer as shoppers opted to splurge on holidays and cars rather than spend in stores. Sainsburys profits tumbled nearly 14 per cent to 587million for the year to March 12 and sales fell 1.1 per cent to 25.8billion as it lost ground in the supermarket price war. And clothing chain Next revealed sales tumbled 4.7 per cent in its first quarter, claiming a cold spring deterred shoppers. Sainsburys has been one of the better performing of the big four supermarkets in the face of competition from German discounters Aldi and Lidl, but cutting prices has hit its profits. Struggling: Sainsbury's profits tumbled nearly 14 per cent to 587m for the year to March 12 and clothing chain Next revealed sales in its stores tumbled 4.7 per cent It reported a second straight year of declining profit after investing in lower prices, chopping food by 4 per cent in the past year. It is on track to deliver a three-year 500million cost-saving programme, which will complete by the end of 2017-18. But grocers are moving away from endless promotions to offer everyday low prices more in line with the likes of Aldi and Lidl. Traditional retailers have been threatened by the rise of online groups, including Amazon, which is expected to launch a food business in the UK this year, and discounters such as Poundland and B&M Bargains. Despite this competition there is a trend for shoppers to spend less than they did previously on their supermarket shop. This is partly to do with a crackdown on waste and partly because people are spending on other things. Sainsburys chief executive, Mike Coupe, said there had been a 15 per cent rise in household disposable incomes in the UK in the past few years. But he added: This is not finding its way into the grocery sector. People are spending it on holidays and buying bigger and better cars. In an attempt to compete, Sainsburys has increased its online operations and has made a 1.4bn offer to buy Argos to bolster its delivery capabilities. It has also expanded its convenience shops and now has 773 generating 2.3billion in turnover, but sales growth and the expansion of these stores has now slowed. The supermarket chain has also been expanding its clothing business, which grew by 8.5 per cent in the year to reach sales of nearly 1billion. It is now the sixth largest clothing retailer in the UK, and has overtaken Matalan. The success of supermarket clothing has been a further drain on traditional clothing retailers such as Marks & Spencer and Next. Full-price sales at Next fell by 0.9pc for the quarter from January 31 to May 2. They were dragged down by poor sales in stores, but sales in its directory business its catalogue and online business rose by 4.2 per cent. Next cut its sales guidance for the full year for the second time in two months. Chief executive Lord Wolfson warned in March that shoppers are not buying new clothes. Jasper Lawler, market analyst at CMC Markets, said Next shares rose yesterday despite the figures because Lord Wolfson had previously suggested there was a shift away from spending on clothing towards travel and leisure but had conceded the weak recent results could just be weather related. Next shares rose 3.5 per cent, or 172p, to 5150p. When it comes to capital punishment, he insists executing people in the same way they committed their crimes is the best Without any experience or medical training, Dan Vasquez was employed by the government to kill other human beings. As warden of San Quentin, one of the most notorious prisons in the world, put inmates to death in the gas chamber - known by his staff and those on death row as the 'coughing box'. The day before an execution he would bring in a psychologist to help his team prepare to watch a condemned criminal die, in a bid to avoid post-traumatic stress. Then, just hours later, he would ask the prisoner for his last words as he was strapped into a chair inside a tiny metal green room. Then he would start the chemical reaction that has been deemed the most dangerous and expensive way to kill an inmate. Vasquez insists he was never fazed by putting an inmate to death, as it was his job. In his first interview since stepping down as California's state executioner, Vasquez has told Daily Mail Online his role as California's state executioner has never haunted him. For more than 30 years he has been involved in the death penalty, either carrying it out or testifying as consultant at capital murder trials. The grandfather-of-two also believes in an 'eye-for-an-eye' when it comes to the death penalty - that condemned inmates should be killed in the same manner they killed their victims California's former state executioner Dan Vasquez describes the last moments of executed inmate Robert Alton Harris in 1992. In an interview with the Daily Mail Online he believes that the only way to bring an end to capital punishment is to kill condemned inmates in the same manner they killed their victims The day before an execution, Vasquez described how he would gather his staff in the death chamber at San Quentin (pictured in 1972) A controversial policy like that, he believes, would send a strong message to would-be criminals and act as a deterrent, 'In my opinion, if you want to stop human beings killing other human beings, when you execute the first person in the manner that they killed their victim. 'I think it would get rid of the need for the death penalty. 'For example, if I rape a woman and strangle her, then they would rape and strangle me.' 'If that happened, maybe other people would get the message of murder under special circumstances. 'I shoot you to death, then maybe I should be executed by being shot. 'It should be an eye-for-an-eye. If it's done that way, I guarantee you that you are going to go a long way to stopping the criminal offense of killing another person. 'If I stab you to death and cut you into pieces, maybe I should be stabbed and cut into pieces.' Vasquez is a father-of-two who has been married for 51 years to wife Juanita. As warden at San Quentin, Vasquez was the state executioner between 1983 and 1993. For the first nine years, he didn't put any inmates to death, as the 1976 US Supreme Court decision of Gregg v. Georgia had put a moratorium on the death penalty. But when it was lifted, he carried out the first execution in San Quentin for almost 25 years. 'I knew it was part of the job. A chemical engineer would have tested the lethal gas to make sure it was toxic enough to kill the inmate, who would face his fate inside the tiny metal green room known as the 'coughing box' 'I prepared for it by preparing the procedure and putting it all together. 'I made sure the gas chamber was working, made sure maintenance was done on it. I prepared in that manner. 'I also practiced in running the lethal gas. We had a chemical engineer from Indiana who would come in and measure the toxicity of the lethal gas inside the chamber.' The first person he put to death was Robert Alton Harris, who killed two teenage boys in San Diego in 1978. He was originally scheduled at 12.01am on April 21, 1992, but stays meant his death was delayed for six hours 'I didn't receive any training, but I prepared myself. I didn't need the department to help me with anything.' He killed two inmates by lethal gas - Robert Alton Harris and David Edwin Mason. The gas chamber was never as popular as the electric chair in the United States but was used widely in Arizona, Wyoming, Missouri, Mississippi and California. Still, it was considered the most expensive and most dangerous way to kill an inmate. The prisoner, strapped into a metal chair inside a tiny chamber, waits as potassium cyanide pellets are dropped into a bath of sulfuric acid below. The chemical reaction would generate fumes of lethal hydrogen cyanide. As a result, the inmate would then suffer terribly before dying of hypoxia, a form of oxygen starvation Harris, who killed two teenage boys in San Diego in 1978, was originally scheduled at 12.01am on April 21, 1992. He finished his last meal - a 21-piece bucket of Kentucky Fried Chicken, two large Domino's pizzas, a bag of jelly beans, a six-pack of Pepsi, and a pack of Camel cigarettes - before he was led into the death chamber. But a series of four stays of execution issued by 9th circuit appeal court delayed the execution until just after 6am. At one point he was strapped into his seat in the gas chamber when the phone rang. According to witnesses, he urged the prison guards to get over and done with, but they couldn't. Moments later, the guards opened the doors and Alton Harris became the first prisoner to leave the gas chamber at San Quentin alive - even if it was for just a short time. Aside from the delays execution was however remembered for his bizarre choice of last words: He said: 'You can be a king or a street sweeper, but everybody dances with the grim reaper,' a misquotation of a line from the 1991 film Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey. Vasquez said he was frustrated by the constant delays, but when it came to it, the prisoner was killed without an issue. David Edwin Mason, who murdered four elderly people in 1980 and his cellmate in 1982, would be the last person in California to be put to death by lethal gas. His execution was far smoother, as he kept his vow not to go through any final appeals. Instead of having a traditional last meal, he instead opted to dine with his family on sandwiches provided by the prison. He finished his last meal - a 21-piece bucket of Kentucky Fried Chicken, two large Domino's pizzas, a bag of jelly beans, a six-pack of Pepsi, and a pack of Camel cigarettes - before he was led into the death chamber. Vasquez said he was frustrated by the constant delays, but when it came to it, the prisoner was killed without an issue When Mason was in the chamber, Vasquez asked if he wanted to proceed, knowing that his attorney could stop the execution at any time. But Mason refused. He died on August 24, 1993, 12 months before a federal judge said the execution method constituted cruel and unusual punishment. It would be the last execution Vasquez carried out, but a year later he was invited to watch the lethal injection procedure in Texas. David Edwin Mason, who murdered four elderly people in 1980 and his cellmate in 1982, would be the last person in California to be put to death by lethal gas. From then on the state would use lethal injections to kill condemned inmates - and it still does today As a witness, he returned and offered his advice to the then California Attorney General Dan Lungren, on the new method that has been used to kill inmates ever since. Despite his involvement in the controversial system, Vasquez insists capital punishment hasn't had a damaging impact on his life. 'They don't haunt me. I didn't put the inmates on the row, they put themselves on their with their actions. 'I have never received any complaints from my execution team nor from the department of corrections in California. 'I have never received any kind of disability initiation for participating in the executions. 'It hasn't affected my life at all.' Capital punishment in the United States is still frequently part of political debates. Recently, Virginia's legislature said they were bringing back the electric chair as a back-up way to kill inmates. Vasquez says it will never happen because of the courts, but insists he is still for capital punishment. 'I'm for the executions. I would be a hypocrite if I wasn't'. But he does believe that a sentence of life without parole is more punishment than an execution. 'In California there hasn't been an execution in ten years. It is held up in the courts right now. 'The policy of the state of California is the death penalty. 'The citizens of the state of California have been asked on three different occasions on a ballot if they wanted to do away with capital punishment in California. 'Three times they have voted for the death penalty. I don't have any problems with the death penalty. But I don't have any problems with life without the possibility of parole either.' There hasn't been an execution in California since 2006, when Clarence Ray Allen was put to death by lethal injection. He is pictured in San Quentin with his family the day before his execution San Quentin State Prison, pictured above in 2015, opened in 1852 and is the oldest prison in California. The facility is located across the bay from San Francisco There hasn't been an execution in California since 2006, when Clarence Ray Allen was put to death by lethal injection. Legal cases and problems with the lethal injection procedure led to a moratorium being signed in California. As capital punishment was brought to a halt, the death row population swelled A quarter of condemned inmates in the United States currently sit on death row in California. Now, it has been lifted, and some of the 764 rapists, murderers and kidnappers on death row are facing their sentence. As warden at San Quentin, Vasquez was the state executioner between 1983 and 1993. For the first nine years, no one went to the gas chamber because of a moratorium on the death penalty. But when it was lifted, he carried out the first execution in San Quentin for almost 25 years Seven have been there since the 1970s. It could be at least a year until California puts another inmate to death, but Vasquez thinks the questions surrounding the death penalty will prevail, and will never be answered. 'Attorneys are always raising issues. It's like the question a philosopher once posed: 'How many angels can dance on the head of a pin. 'It is a question that can never be answered, but is a question that will always exist. 'Does it hurt when they execute you? How many angels dance on the head of a pin?' Now, Vasquez is a consultant, and still has a role in the whole execution process. He said: 'When your watch is over at San Quentin then you don't do anymore executions. 'Now the closest I get to any issue of executions is when I testify in the penalty phase of capital trial in California. 'What that requires is for me to educate the jury that is going to make the decision on an inmate who has been charged with a capital crime. 'Whether to sentence them to death or sentence them to life without the possibility of parole.' He explains to the jury what prisons in the California state system are like, and how life without parole will impact a prisoner. 'The defense usually hire me,' he added. 'It does not involve pros or cons. It only involves educating the jury on all the policies involved in incarcerating a prisoner' Vasquez also does a variety of consulting on prisons. He has testified on death in custody, either by suicide or at the hands of the prison guards. He has also been involved in informing prisons on how to avoid escapes. In January, four inmates managed to flee the Orange County Central Jail through the roof. They went on the run for almost a week before they were spotted and captured. Vasquez slammed the prison, claiming their regime, the decision to lock the criminals together and the fact they left so long between headcounts, was the cause of their escape. San Quentin state prison has California's only death row for male inmates, though there hasn't been an execution in the state in ten years A Sydney woman who watched both her sisters die after mysteriously contracting Tay-Sachs Disorder 20 years ago lives in constant fear of one day suffering the same fate. Venessa Chidiac, 23, from Earlwood revealed to Daily Mail Australia the heartache her family endured after her siblings Mary and Belinda were struck down by the illness just a few weeks apart. Doctors were never able to tell her family why they were afflicted by the genetic disease later in life when it is normally diagnosed soon after birth. 'Yes, of course, I have lived in fear always that it would happen to me one day, my parents especially, even if I had a headache I would go straight to the doctor,' she said. Venessa Chidiac (pictured with a framed photo of her late sisters Mary and Belinda) was honoured for her charity work when named Miss International Liaison last year. The mystery of how her siblings had the onset of the genetic Tay-Sachs Disorder has left Venessa with unanswered questions and her own fears Venessa Chidiac, 23, threw herself into charity work after her sister Mary died in May last year after years battling a degenerative genetic disorder The Chidiac sisters pictured together in the same outfits before Mary (left) and belinda (right) were diagnosed with Tay-Sachs disorder - Venessa (centre) has spoken of her family's heartache and the mystery behind how they were diagnosed with the genetic disease later in life WHAT IS TAY-SACHS DISORDER? Tay-Sachs Disorder is a genetic (inherited) disease Most commonly detected in infancy Extremely rare to be found in children, adolescents or adults A lack of enzyme stops the breakdown of fatty waste in brain cells Condition causes causes cognitive and motor skill deterioration Also causes seizures, hearing and vision loss, intellectual disability and paralysis Statistics show there are less than 2 Tay-Sachs affected births each year There is no effective treatment or cure *Sources - Medical Journal of Australia and US National Library of Medicine Tay-Sachs disease is a rare and fatal genetic disorder that destroys the nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord causing cognitive and motor skill deterioration. It is caused by an enzyme deficiency which prevents the body shedding fatty waste in the brain. According to statistics from the Medical Journal of Australia, on average there are less than two Tay-Sachs related births each year. Mary died at age 27 last May; Belinda was just 18 when she passed away eight years earlier. Venessa says they were informed this late onset of the disorder was the only documented case of its kind in Australia. Tay-Sachs occurs when children inherit the same gene from each parent - in a cruel twist Mary and Belinda were diagnosed within weeks of each other. 'They began by stuttering, then it was problems with their leg movement, no concentration and teachers told my parents "your children are acting odd".' The girls, aged 6 and 8 at the time, were tested and the family got the shock of their lives in the mail. Mary pictured in hospital during one of the Chidiac sisters' many admissions after being struck down with the symptoms of Tay-Sachs Disorder. 'They were in and out of hospital' said their young sister Venessa Venessa Chidiac, 23, from Earlwood revealed the heartache that she and her parents Raymond (l) and Lametta (r) endured after her siblings Mary and Belinda were struck down by the illness just a few weeks apart Belinda (left) and Mary Chidiac (right) seen at their family's Earlwood home before they were diagnosed with the disease in 1996 Belinda seen with school friends from Undercliffe Public School at Earlwood from her kindergarten class 'For them to be at school in primary and be diagnosed then was a real shock, they (doctors) literally gave a letter to mum to tell her they had just six to eight months to live,' she said. But the siblings lived for much longer than expected and the workload was shared among the family which refused to place the girls in respite care. 'Belinda used to sleep with my mum and I would look after Mary, they needed 24 hour care never but my mother (Lametta) and father (Raymond) never sought out help.' Despite the lingering doubts Venessa has established a charity called Give Them Hope and lats year was crowned the Touch of Goodness Miss International Liaison for her philanthropic work. On May 11 she will join with her lifelong friend Vivien Challita in the second annual Walk of Hope from Earlwood to Berrima to raise awareness for carers. The Chidiac family say they were told by doctors that Mary (left) and Belinda's (right) case was extremely rare Venessa Chidiac (pictured with Mary in wheelchair) has spoken about the genetic illness which claimed her older sister's life Venessa Chidiac pictured with her parents Raymond and Lametta after being honoured for her charity work in 2015 just weeks after the death of her sister Mary The 130 kilometre walk will begin at the Earlwood Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church and finish at the Shrine of Our Lady of Mercy in Penrose Park at Berrima. 'Whatever funds are raised will go directly towards families that are in need, whether that's to pay for medical bills for a week, a month, it will be given to the family to help them just that little bit,' Vivien said. She said the money raised will go to those needing assistance with medication costs and professional help 'or just trying the get through the daily grind while being a support for a child or adult with a disability'. 'Viv has honestly been my biggest supporter from day one, never letting me fall back without pulling me forward instantly,' added Venessa. 'I'll be doing this walk in memory of my sisters and all those with a special need who struggle to do the simplest things in life that we take for granted.' Advertisement Australian animals like kangaroos, lizards and wombats have physically evolved in ingenious ways over thousands of years to survive the Australian climate. From the ability to pause a pregnancy, to forked tongues that can detect smell and spiky armour that can suck up water, these physical developments help different animals cope with their environment, according to Australian Geographic. Some of the adaptations act as a defence mechanism, help better hunt for prey or control the animal's body in extreme conditions. Female kangaroos Female kangaroos can pause their pregnancy during development if the environtal conditions aren't right for caring for a joey or two Female kangaroos have a special ability to make sure their offspring is born safely, and has to best chance of survival. The marsupials, or also known as flyers or does, have the incredible ability to pause their pregnancy. They do this if the environmental conditions, like food and climate, aren't right for caring for a joey. The emu When running at high speed, emus make sharp turns thanks their wings. They raise one wing to the sky and point the other to the ground The emu uses its wings to help it quickly change direction when running at top speed. Unlike its relative the ostrich, the emu can raise one of its little wings to the sky and point the other to the ground when it wants to take a different path. The bird has a third toe that helps anchor it while it makes a turn, says Parks Victoria. Its toes also have small pads that help the flightless bird stride over Australia's difficult terrains, says Australia Zoo. The Platypus A platypus's bill is made up of electroreceptors that help it hunt for worms, larve, shrimps and in rivers and creeks The platypus is a monotreme mammal which means it lays eggs instead of giving birth to live young. When the platypus was first brought to Europe by explorers, many naturalists and scientists had seen nothing like it and thought the creature was fake because it had the bill and webbed feet of a duck, the fur of a beaver and the tail of an otter, according to the Australian Geographic. The platypus's bill is a sensory organ made up of thousands of electroreceptors, which helps it search for food in rivers and creeks. The creature closes off all other senses and relies on its bill when hunting for worms, larve, shrimps and in rivers and creeks according to NatGeoWild. The Echidna The backward-facing hind legs of an echidna helps it push dirt when burrowing underground Like the platypus, the echidna is a monotreme animal - meaning it's a mammal that lays eggs. While its short and stout legs help it dig underground, its backward facing hind legs are unique physical features that push the dirt out of the way. The adaptation of backward facing hind legs helps it push dirt away when burrowing, according to the Environment of the NSW Office of Environment and Heritage. Wombats Wombats use their square-shaped poo to mark their territory and producing the waste can take 14-18 days for the nocturnal marsupial Although the wombat may appear adorable, it has a bizarre way of marking its territory. The animal finds a dirt mound roughly at the same height as its nose on which to do a square-shaped poo, so other wombats know the area belongs to them. The nocturnal marsupial produces the square-shaped poo over 14 to 18 days, a process that takes out all the moisture, according to a report from The Conversation. The Thorny Devil Thorny devils can drink up water through their spiky armour which directs the water straight to its mouth The thorny devil is a lizard that has developed adaptations that help it cope with the extreme climate of the Australian desert. Its spiky exterior is a defensive mechanism that make it look hostile, however it also serves another purpose. The armour acts like a straw to suck up water channeling it directly into its mouth, according to Alice Springs Desert Parks. The purple copper butterfly The purple copper butterfly has a symbiotic relationship with attendant ants who protect their larve The purple copper butterfly, found only in the Central Tablelands region of New South Wales, has developed a mutually beneficial relationship with ants. A female butterfly will lay her eggs in a blackthorn bush that is then protected by attendant ants. Once the eggs reach the full gestation period the ants guide the larve to food at night and continue to protect them in underground nests during the day. The ants feed on a sugary dew found on the back of the larve until they grow and become butterflies, according to Environment of the NSW Office of Environment and Heritage. The goanna The goanna's forked tongue helps it detect chemical signals in the air when hunting for prey like smaller reptiles, frogs, birds and insects The goanna is one of the largest lizards in the world. The reptile has a forked tongue that flicks in and out, which helps it smell - especially when hunting for prey such as smaller reptiles, frogs, birds and insects, according to the Queensland Museum. It detects chemical signals in the air and the ground, which are then sent to the roof of its mouth where they are interpreted, says the Australian Museum. The pellucid hawk moth Decreased reflection in the transparent wings of the Pellucid Hawk Moth help it hide against predators while flying The transparent wings of the pellucid hawk moth are its defence against predators, and also provide advantage over its prey. Found in Queensland, Australia, the insect can also have a wing span of over seven centimetres. Researchers found the moth's wings decrease reflection by more than 50 percent making them close to invisible while flying, according to Australian Geographic. An Islamic preacher has warned fellow Muslims not to use certain emojis on messaging apps because they are blasphemous. Saudi-based preacher Wajdi Akkari, 36, said it was 'haram' - or forbidden - for Muslims to use the angel, 'anything devilish' or even the prayer symbol. In a video seen by MailOnline, a very animated Akkari told his audience: 'You have to be selective in these emojis. Not everything is halal [permissible] to share.' Scroll down for video Islamic preacher Wajdi Akkari (pictured), 36, said it was forbidden for Muslims to use a number of emojis including the angel with a halo The Lebanon-born preacher also said it was not Islamic to use any 'devilish' symbols on WhatsApp because Muslims 'don't know what Satan and the devil look like' The Lebanon-born preacher moved to the United States and joined a rap group when he was 18. He later relocated his wife and children to Saudi Arabia where he teaches Arabic, delivers Friday prayers and holds lectures in some hospitals. When someone wants to share their innocence or say, 'I'm a good boy', they send that yellow smiley face with a halo. No! Wajdi Akkari In a video shared by the Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI), he said the angel with a halo was a Christian interpretation of the entity and therefore 'haram'. He added: 'When someone wants to share their innocence or say, "I'm a good boy", they send that yellow smiley face with a halo. No! 'Do we believe that angels in Islam are like the angels in Christianity... Absolutely not.' Akkari, who has a Bachelor of Arts in Islamic Studies and now lectures in Saudi Arabia, claimed using any 'devilish' emojis are also out of bounds for Muslims. He said: 'We don't know what Satan and the devil look like. Therefore, we are not allowed to draw him. 'These emojis that are devilish in their nature are not allowed, even if you are trying to say that "you are being a bad boy or a bad girl".' Pressing both palms together, Akkari said it was also forbidden to use the prayer emoji because it denotes a Christian or Buddhist practice Akkari said the angel symbol (right) was a Christian interpretation of God's messengers and Muslims should not use anything 'devilish' because no one knows what Satan looks like Akkari also took issue with the 'prayer' emoji. Pressing both palms together, he said: 'This one - many people send it as a prayer and this is, again, used among Buddhists and Christians. 'In Islam, how do you make du'a [prayer]? You have your hands facing heaven like this... Maybe they do it in karate or something too.' People send it as a prayer and this is, again, used among Buddhists and Christians... Maybe they do it in karate or something too Wajdi Akkari He then invited his audience to fact check what he was telling them on Google, saying it was 'halal' to do. Finally, he introduced the 'devil hands' hand gesture once used by revellers at heavy metal concerts. He demonstrated the gesture and asked: 'Do you know this one? This is also a symbol of the devil. These are the two horns of Satan. 'This is one of the hand symbols on WhatsApp. People don't know what it means. They just send it. You cannot send this one.' In 2011, Akkari extraordinarily claimed that saying 'Merry Christmas' was worse than 'killing someone', 'fornication' and 'drinking alcohol'. He said in the YouTube video: 'It is the concept that God was born on the 25th of December. That's as polytheistic and heretic as you can get.' The preacher, who was once an underground rapper, also demonstrated a symbol used by rockers at heavy metal concerts and said it actually illustrated the devil Akkari went on to say the 'devil hands' symbol (left) was forbidden and so was the prayer symbol (right), because it was again practiced by Christians and Buddhists, not Muslisms On his website, 'One way to paradise', Akkari credits Islam for saving him from a life of self destruction and 'humiliation'. As a young man in America, he joined an rap group called 'Scums of the Earth' with whom he 'got into all kinds of Hollywood-like situations'. See more news on the migrant crisis at www.dailymail.co.uk/migrantcrisis More than 3m displaced in the Lake Chad basin by Boko Haram Niger Foreign Minister 'solicited the help of EU, France and Germany' Niger needs one billion euros to combat illegal migration to Europe, its Foreign Minister told its EU counterparts on Tuesday. The African nation is a major transit country for refugees and migrants from across the continent, many hoping to reach the EU. Some 150,000 migrants will travel through Niger this year, crossingthe Sahara Desert on their way to the Mediterranean coast,according to the International Organisation for Migration (IOM). Journey: Some 150,000 migrants will travel through Niger this year, crossing the Sahara Desert on their way to the Mediterranean coast, after which they attempt to cross the water at great risk A vast landlocked country, Niger borders Nigeria in thesouth and Libya to north - from whose coast many migrants setoff on the perilous sea journey to EU members Italy or Malta. 'Niger needs a billion euros to fight against clandestinemigration,' Foreign Minister Ibrahim Yacoubou told a newsconference in Niger's capital, flanked by his French and Germancounterparts Jean-Marc Ayrault and Frank-Walter Steinmeier. 'We've solicited the help of the European Union, France andGermany. We want to protect legal migration against clandestinemigration,' Yacoubou said. As the EU faces its worst migration crisis since World War Two, it allocated 1.15 billion euros in aid to West Africa lastJuly, part of which was intended to go toward migration. Aid: Niger has asked for one billion euros to fight illegal migration and help legitimate refugees, as millions have been displaced as a result of Islamist insurgent violence in the Lake Chad basin (pictured are African migrants being picked up by Italian coast guard last month) 'I was particularly struck by the energy that Niger hasdeployed in the fight against terrorism and migration and forits development,' said Ayrault, on a West Africa trip withSteinmeier that also took them to Mali. Niger is one of the world's least developed nations and has been targeted by islamist militants from Boko Haram as well as MUJWA, a breakaway faction of Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb. More than three million people have been displaced in the LakeChad basin - which alongside Niger includes Nigeria, Cameroon and Chad - by Boko Haram's violent Islamist insurgency. Last week more than 100 people were arrested by Niger security forces as they tried to illegally cross the country's northern border intoneighbouring Algeria. Thearrests concerned 122 women andchildren found in a single truck. Local media in Niger said 150 peoplehad been arrested. There are 'extremely worrying' signs ISIS is making its own chemical weapons - and may already have used them in Iraq and Syria, a global watchdog has warned. Evidence of sulphur mustard attacks has been detected in the two countries, according to the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons. The watchdog's leader Ahmet Uzumcu said there are now 'strong suspicions' that ISIS has deadly toxic materials at its disposal. He also warned the international community to be vigilant should the extremists attempt to use such weapons in a terror attack on the West. There are 'extremely worrying' signs ISIS is making its own chemical weapons - and may already have used them in Iraq and Syria, a global watchdog has warned (file picture) 'Although they could not attribute this to Daesh... there are strong suspicions that they may have used it (chemical weapons),' Uzumcu told AFP, using the alternative name for the jihadist group. 'Secondly the suspicions are that they may have produced it themselves, which is extremely worrying,' Uzumcu said on the sidelines of a three-day conference at the OPCW's Hague-based headquarters. 'It proves that they have the technology, know-how and also access to the materials which might be used for the production of chemical weapons,' Uzumcu said. CIA director John Brennan told CBS News in February that ISiS fighters had the capability to make small quantities of chlorine and mustard gas. Uzumcu did not point to any specific attacks, but last month ISIS mounted a deadly gas attack against Syrian troops at a government-controlled airbase outside the divided eastern city of Deir Ezzor, according to the SANA state news agency. The attack was the latest in a string of suspected mustard gas attacks by the jihadists in Syria and neighbouring Iraq. Ahmet Uzumcu, director general of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, said there are now 'strong suspicions' that ISIS is using deadly toxic materials On March 9, a suspected ISIS gas attack on the Iraqi town of Taza, south of Kirkuk, killed three children and wounded some 1,500 people, with injuries ranging from burns to rashes and respiratory problems. While chemical agents allegedly used by ISIS so far have been among its least effective weapons, the psychological impact on civilians is considerable. A total of 25,000 people fled their homes in and around Taza last month, fearing another attack. Uzumcu also urged vigilance by other nations to guard against any chemical attacks outside Syria and Iraq. 'The international community should be very vigilant to such threats and cooperate further to prevent such attacks from occurring elsewhere,' Uzumcu said. Russia last month pushed for measures at the United Nations to monitor extremist groups fighting in Syria, warning of a 'clear and present threat' that they could stage chemical attacks, possibly in Europe. Russia and China presented a draft Security Council resolution that calls on all countries, in particular those neighbouring Syria such as Turkey and Iraq, to report any move by armed groups to acquire or produce chemical weapons. A former Australian Idol host had to be removed from a park by police as he protested the planned removal of trees in Sydney. James Mathison joined demonstrators at Sydney's Moore Park on Monday to protest against the felling of a 100-year-old Moreton Bay Fig Tree. The 38-year-old television presenter was removed from the site by New South Wales Police officers, the force confirmed today. Former Australian Idol host James Mathison was removed by police from Anzac Parade in Sydney on Monday night as he protested against felling of trees in the park A 39-year-old mother-of-two who was also protesting was arrested and later released pending further enquiries. Photographs show Mr Mathison being escorted across the park by two policemen, his t-shirt and jeans dishevelled as he tried to remain in place. A NSW Police spokesman told Daily Mail Australia on Wednesday that he had been 'moved on' like 'many others' at the protest but would not face arrest. 'He was one of many people who was given a move-on by police,' they said. On Tuesday Mr Mathison, who also hosted the failed morning show Wake Up, took to Twitter to share his grief after the tree was felled. '130 years to grow. Destroyed in an hour. So sad,' he wrote alongside a photograph of the toppled Bay Fig. He later responded to a fan who asked if it had been rotting: 'I'm afraid not. It was destroyed by the nsw state government.' Daily Mail Australia has contacted the presenter for comment. Hours earlier an activist group fighting for the trees' survival celebrated his joining their efforts. In a video shared by Sydney Light Rail Action Group on social media, Mr Mathison pleaded with residents to join him in his protest a gainst the destruction of the trees The presenter pleaded with viewers to protect the trees in the video, describing them as 'a thing of beauty' Appearing in a video for Sydney Light Rail Action Group, Mr Mathison pleaded with residents to join their protest. 'The light rail project will see more than 1,000 trees affected through Sydney. Tonight, if we don't do something about it they will be gone,' he said. 'Trees are part of our community, they're part of who we are. They're a thing of beauty. They provide a connection with ourselves to the land. 'This is an appeal to you guys to get down here, show people power still counts. Hopefully we can make a difference.' Hundreds of trees will be felled as part of the light rail construction including those in Moore Park and Anzac Parade (above) The 38-year-old was one of 'many' removed from the site, said police. He later took to social media to share his grief at the tree's destruction, sharing a photograph of it having been toppled (above) Scores of trees will be removed to make way for light rail, Transport for NSW's new initiative to reduce traffic and buses in Sydney's CBD with the introduction of tram in the city centre. George Street has been all but shut down to allow its construction, reducing one-way traffic to just one lane in parts. The building work saw this year's Anzac Day parade moved off course for the first time since the 1920s. The work on the city's busiest street will continue to disrupt commuters until January 2017. The project has two components; the Inner West light rail extension and the CBD and South East Light Rail which have a combined cost of $1.7billion. The light rail project will see two new transport services introduced in Sydney's West (above) and in the CBD In a move that will force parents to find deeper pockets, one of Victoria's most prosperous state schools is asking parents to cough up $1000 if they want their child to secure a place there. The Age reports that Clifton Hill Primary School in Melbourne has been requesting the fee from parents who live outside its catchment area so that they can confirm enrolments, which can be up to a year in advance. Outraged parents raised their concerns about the charge, which some believe is used to prevent poorer families from applying for places at the school. Clifton Hill Primary School in Melbourne is asking some parents to pay $1000 to secure a coveted spot for their child 'It is well known that families pay their way into this school,' one parent, who did not want to be named, told The Age. It was also alleged that even more money was involved, with some families asked to pay $1000 to $2000 extra on top of this, 'particularly if they have a Dr in front of their name'. Another unidentified parent said they were asked to pay $1000 in February this year to secure a place at the renowned school for a place for their child next year. However, co-principal Megan Smith defended the school's protocol and said the payment was the school's normal fees, and that no extra charge was added on to gain special preferences. 'It is well known that families pay their way into this school,' one parent said about Clifton Hill Primary 'The suggestion that Clifton Hill Primary School has accepted enrolments based on offers of payments in excess of scheduled fees is outrageous and untrue,' she said. Private schools generally charge a registration fee of up to about $1500 to confirm a place for a child, but in the school state system the method is not common practice. The Education Department said parents should contact their local regional office if they had any worries or concerns about fees. It is not common practice for public schools like Clifton Hill Primary to charge fees to confirm places A 12-year-old student allegedly attacked a teacher with a metal pipe after smashing windows at a Perth school. Video footage shows the year 7 student yelling and smashing windows with the pipe before kicking in a glass door. The hooded student then approaches a teacher, cursing, and smashes the pipe on the ground in front of him. Scroll down for video The year 7 student from a Perth school smashed windows and then assaulted a teacher on Monday The 12-year-old student used a metal pipe in the rampage just after school finished Police have confirmed the boy struck the teacher twice with the bar on his arm and body, 7News reported. The school has launched an investigation and criminal charges could be laid. Following the after-school incident on Monday afternoon the boy was taken to hospital, The West Australian reported. He has been suspended. 'While this is an uncommon event, it is a grim insight into the growing complexity of issues that schools have to deal with.' Sharyn O'Neill, director general of the Education Department, told the paper. The student allegedly attacked a teacher with the metal bar, striking him twice on the arm and body Video footage shows the boy smashing the pipe on the ground in front of the teacher The boy was taken to hospital after the incident and has now been suspended The attack is one of a dozens of incidents involving weapons that have occurred in West Australian schools this year. In the first four weeks of the school year Education Department recorded 63 events in which students used weapons to threaten or assault others. There were 17 incidents involving classroom scissors, rocks, knives and pepper spray. Other objects included paper, scissors, drawing pins and a lunch box. Police are investigating the incident and the school says criminal charges could be laid One of Britain's biggest charities has taken the wrong amount from 25,000 donors, leaving many in the red. Concern, who work with poor people to tackle hunger, took up to 100 times more from some accounts instead of their usual monthly gift, placing thousands in the red and facing bank charges. On Tuesday the organisation contacted its supporters saying it was 'extremely sorry' and advised them to get in contact with their bank and process an indemnity claim. The charity's chief executive said anyone who had been charged by their bank would be reimbursed. But Rose Caldwell admitted it might take weeks One donor had 1,500 taken from her account rather than her usual monthly donation of 15. Nik O'Flynn, 34, from Essex, said: 'They're a charity that helps the poor, but they've certainly pushed me into poverty. 'I'm hugely in the red because of this and now have to sort everything out with the bank myself. 'I expect I'll be charged for being over my overdraft limit and have to claw that back as well.' She added: 'They've admitted it's their mistake but say the quickest way to sort it is for each customer to ring their bank themselves. 'They should be paying back the money as soon as possible and squaring overdraft fees with the banks, not leaving us to do it. 'This shouldn't be what you get when you give to charity.' Rose Caldwell, the charity's UK Executive Director said anyone who has been charged by their bank will be reimbursed, but admitted it could take weeks. Around 25,000 donors are believed to have been affected. Most only discovered the error when they checked their accounts online She said: 'We would like to apologise unreservedly for the error and any problems this may have caused supporters. 'As soon as we became aware of the problem, we took immediate steps to start addressing it and contact those affected. 'We are working closely with the banks who advise that the quickest way to be refunded is to file an indemnity claim. 'If for any reason people cannot file an indemnity claim, then Concern will process the refund. 'However that method will take longer which is why we are encouraging people to use the indemnity option. We are conducting a full investigation into this matter to ensure that it never happens again Rose Caldwell 'Either way, all affected supporters will be refunded, that is guaranteed.' The charity became aware of the mistake on Friday afternoon but say they will get a full report later this week to know exactly which amounts bounced from supporters' accounts. Following the report, donations will then be reimbursed for those who have been unable to get refunds from their bank. Ms Caldwell added: 'If any supporter has also incurred bank charges as a direct result of this mistake we will reimburse them. 'We are conducting a full investigation into this matter to ensure that it never happens again. Advertisement Archaeologists are set to reveal whether the site of five sunken ships found in the United States contains that of HMS Endeavour, the famous ship sailed by Captain James Cook on his voyage of discovery to Australia and New Zealand. The Rhode Island Marine Archaeology Project says it has made 'major progress' in its project to confirm the ship's final resting place, and will make an announcement with more detail on Wednesday. It comes after the organisation said it was 80 to 100 per cent certain the famous ship's final resting place was off the coast of Newport, Rhode Island, in Narragansett Bay. 'RIMAP has mapped nine archaeological sites of the 13 ships that were scuttled in Newport Harbour in 1778 during the American Revolution,' the group said in a statement. 'One group of five ships included the Lord Sandwich transport, formerly Capt James Cook's Endeavour. RIMAP now knows the general area of Newport Harbour where those five ships were scuttled.' The researchers now say they will examine each of the scuttled remains of the five ships to try to determine which is which. 'The next phase of the archaeological investigation will require a more intense study of each vessel's structure and its related artefacts.' Scroll down for video Researchers are expected to announce on Wednesday, Rhode Island local time, that they believe the original Endeavour is submerged somewhere in Rhode Island's Newport Harbor. A replica of the ship HMS Endeavour (pictured in April 2005), lies at anchor after it was removed from a sandbar in Botany Bay, Sydney Archaeologists are set to reveal plans on Wednesday to confirm if the site of five sunken ships in the United States contains that of HMS Endeavour (replica ship pictured in 1998), the ship sailed by Captain James Cook on his voyage of discovery to Australia and New Zealand Kathy Abbass, founder and executive director of the group, said on Tuesday she would not comment further until Wednesday, when she has scheduled a news conference in Providence, Rhode Island, north-east US, to outline plans to confirm the wreck. In 1998 a RIMAP scientist first discovered historical documents in a shipping archive which hinted that the Endeavour had been renamed and scuttled in the United States. In 2014 the Australian National Maritime Museum funded RIMAP to investigate the theory further. RIMAP said it would now excavate material from the shipwreck and display it to the public. If confirmed, the incredible discovery of Captain Cook's famous ship in the US would mark almost 230 years since it was sold, sunk and forgotten. The wreck, believed to be the Endeavour, was found in Narragansett Bay off the coast of Newport, Rhode Island. It is thought the wreck was sunk there in an attempt to block the harbor before the Battle of Rhode Island in 1778 The ship was launched in 1764 as the merchant collier Earl of Pembroke. A painting shows the ship leaving Whitby Harbour in 1768 HISTORY OF HMS ENDEAVOUR April 1768 - Lt. James Cook appointed to lead British expedition to the Pacific in His Majesty's Bark the Endeavour August 1768 - Cook departs port in Plymouth, England, sails travels along the African coast, across the Atlantic Ocean to Rio de Janerio and then on to the Pacific June 1769 - Arrives in Tahiti to observe the transit of Venus for four months 1769-1770 - Circumnavigation of New Zealand 28 April 1770 - Cook anchors at Botany Bay, Australia 10 June 1770 - Endeavour strikes the Great Barrier Reef and is repaired at site of Endeavour River, near Cooktown 13 September 1770 - At Possession Island, in far north Queensland, James Cook claims British possession of the east coast of the Australian continent July 1771 Cook's first Pacific voyage on HMB Endeavour ends 1771-1774 HMS Endeavour used to sailed to and from the Falkland Islands, Argentina 1775 - The ship is sold privately and renamed Lord Sandwich 1778 - Lord Sandwich was sent to Rhode Island as a prison ship when the British attempted to recapture the port city of Newport. It was blown to pieces to blockade the harbour during the Battle of Rhode Island 1998 - Rhode Island Marine Archaeologist Project scientist discovered historical documents, which hinted the Endeavour had been renamed and scuttled in the United States 2014 - The Australian National Maritime Museum funds RIMAP to investigate the theory further 2016 - Archaeologists announce plans to confirm a shipwreck believed to be HMS Endeavour in Narragansett Bay, Rhode Island The Endeavour is one of the most famous ships in naval history and was used by Capt James Cook to discover the East Coast of Australia in 1770. The last sighting of the Endeavour was around 1778 when it is believed the ship was resold to the British Navy, renamed the Lord Sandwich, and then used to transport British troops during the American Revolution. RIMAP said the ship was scuttled in Newport Harbor in 1778 by British forces in the lead up to the Battle of Rhode Island. The HMS Endeavour was first launched in 1764 as the Earl of Pembroke, and then renamed His Majesty's Bark the Endeavour after it was purchased four years later by the British Royal Navy. It was sent out to explore the Pacific Ocean in August 1768 both to observe the 1769 transit of Venus across the sun and in the search for the continent which was then called Terra Australis Incognita, or unknown Southern land. The previous transit of Venus in 1639 had provided a vast amount of the information astronomers and scientists had about the size of the solar system and universe. The ship departed from Plymouth with 94 people on board, including Captain Cook. It traveled down the coast of Africa before cutting across the Atlantic and arriving in Rio de Janeiro in November of that year. The boat then set out to round Cape Horn, which it managed to do in January after its third try after wind, stormy weather and difficult conditions forced Captain Cook to turn back during his first two attempts. In April the ship reached Tahiti, where it stayed for the next four months and where astronomer Charles Green was able to study the transit of Venus in June. After months exploring the Pacific for islands, the Endeavour reached the coast of New Zealand in October, becoming the first European vessel to land on the island in over 100 years. Dutch explored Abel Tasman had previously reached the islands of New Zealand and Tasmania during his 1642 journey while with the Dutch East India Company. Cook spent six months exploring and mapping the coast of New Zealand and claimed the land for Great Britain before sailing west. In April of 1770 individuals on the ship first spotted Australia, and on April 29 the HMS Endeavour became the first European vessel to make landfall on the east coast of the island. Cook spent four months charting the coast and at one point ran into trouble when the ship struck part of the Great Barrier Reef. The ship was 24 miles off the coast at the time with not enough life boats, but managed to clear the water from the hull of the ship and make its way safely back to shore. The ship continued to explore the island, and in November was taken out of the water to have major repairs done before setting sail back to Great Britain. It set sail the day after Christmas, and in March rounded the Cape of Good Hope before docking in Cape Town. On July 12 it made its way into port in Dover, almost three years after it first left from Plymouth. Cook was later promoted to Commander and explored the Pacific twice more on the HMS Resolution. A print from an oil painting attributed to J Clevely, showing Captain James Cook arriving at Queen Charlotte's Sound, New Zealand, in 1777 The Endeavour beached at Endeavour River for repairs after her grounding on the Great Barrier Reef in 1770 A print from a 1770 painting showing Captain James Cook taking possession of New South Wales Captain James Cook returned the Endeavour to England in 1771 where it was largely forgotten before it was sold four years later He was killed in 1779 during a fight with Hawaiians on the island. The Endeavor soon become a naval transport ship, and was sold to a shipping magnate just before the start of the Revolutionary War. That individual then tried to sell the ship back to the British when the demand for ships increased during the war but they would not accept the vessel given its age and what it had been through over the years. The seller then made the decision to rename the boat Lord Sandwich and try to sell it again, which worked after the boat underwent serious repairs. It was sent to Rhode Island as a prison ship when the British attempted to recapture the port city of Newport in 1778, and there it was blown up in hopes of creating a blockade in the harbor during the Battle of Rhode Island. The Endeavour was discovered alongside 13 other ships in a massive archaeological investigation that combined high-tech mapping of the seabed with analysis of historical shipping documents found in London. RIMAP said it was '80 to 100 per cent certain' that the remains it has discovered belonged to the Endeavour. In a statement, the group said: 'RIMAP has mapped 9 archaeological sites of the 13 ships that were scuttled in Newport Harbor in 1778 during the American Revolution. 'One group of 5 ships included the Lord Sandwich transport, formerly Captain James Cook's Endeavour. 'All of the 13 ships lost in Newport during the Revolution are important to American history, but it will be a national celebration in Australia when RIMAP identifies the Endeavour.' More details about the discovery, including scans and documents will be presented on Wednesday. Graphics and other materials related to this effort will also be placed on this website for public review on this day. This date will mark Rhode Island's 240th birthday as the anniversary of the Rhode Island Colonial legislature's disavowal of loyalty to the King of England in 1776. That was two months before all the colonies issued the formal Declaration of Independence. A cutaway painting showing an impression of Captain Cook's Endeavour ship during its journey An 1893 chart showing Endeavour's track along the South Pacific Ocean between 1769 and 1770 Sir Michael Fell (pictured) was one of the Royal Navys most distinguished pilots, a man who shot down a string of enemy aircraft and even tackled Hitlers last battleship, the mighty Tirpitz They are a testament to a long career of courage, sacrifice and sheer accomplishment. These are the medals won by Sir Michael Fell, one of the Royal Navys most distinguished pilots, a man who shot down a string of enemy aircraft and even tackled Hitlers last battleship, the mighty Tirpitz. For his role in the attack on the Tirpitz deliberately drawing the fire of the anti-aircaft gunners so his comrades could drop their bombs he won the Distinguished Service Order. But now the DSO and the other medals awarded to the Fleet Air Arm ace are to be sold off by his family. They are expected to fetch around 20,000. Sir Michael fought dog fights with the Luftwaffe and Italian air force over the North Sea, the Mediterranean and Egypts western desert. He led air operations for Allied landings at Sicily and Salerno in Italy and in the South of France, and provided cover for the relief of Greece. After the war he served in the Korean conflict and remained in the Royal Navy into the 1970s, rising to the rank of Vice Admiral. But perhaps his most daring exploit was the attack on the Tirpitz, Operation Tungsten on March 30, 1944. The battleship, fast and well-armed, lurked in the fjords of Northern Norway, waiting to attack British supply convoys to northern Russia and tying down a large number of allied warships. 1: Distinguished Service Order. 2: Distinguished Service Cross and Bar. 3: 1939-45 Star. 4: Air Crew Europe Star. 5: Africa Star. 6: Italy Star. 7: War Medal, mention in despatches oak leaf 8: Korea Medal. 9: UN Korea Medal. 10: Naval General Service Medal. 11: Coronation Medal More than 120 aircraft took off from Royal Navy carriers to take part in the raid over Kaafjord and Sir Michael led a wing of Hellcat and Wildcat fighter-bombers. He and his aircraft strafed the battleship, deliberately drawing the fire of the gunners on the ship and around it, allowing other aircraft to deliver their bombs, before flying in low beneath the German smoke screen to drop his own bomb. The raid knocked the Tirpitz out of the war for three months and killed or wounded some 400 of her crew. Sir Michael played a pivotal role in knocking the Tirpitz (pictured) out of the war Sir Michael went on to be twice awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for his bravery. He died soon after retiring in 1976 aged 58. His 13 medals are now being auctioned by his family following the death of his widow, Lady Joan Fell, last year. A spokesman for London auctioneers Dix Noonan Webb said: He was one of the most distinguished pilots in the history of British naval aviation. He was awarded the CB [Companion of the Order of the Bath] in the 1960s and this was elevated to KCB [Knight Commander] in 1974 the most senior appointment in naval aviation. Sir Michael, who came from Stoughton, West Sussex, went to Harrow School and joined the Royal Navy in 1938. He was first attached to 804 Squadron, defending the allied naval base of Scapa Flow in the Orkneys from Luftwaffe attacks by bombers based in Norway. While there he scored one of just a few kills by a biplane in the Second World War when, flying a Gladiator, he shot down a Heinkel 111 bomber. He then served on HMS Ark Royal in the Mediterranean where he shot down two Italian aircraft before moving to the Royal Navy Fighter Squadron in North Africa, downing three more aircraft while flying Hurricanes. In 1943 he served on HMS Illustrious and commanded 878 Squadron and provided air cover for Operation Avalanche - the Allied invasion of Italy for which he was Mentioned in Despatches. After the Tirpitz raid he led ten fighter-bomber attacks on enemy positions and transports in the South of France. Sir Michael, who came from Stoughton, West Sussex, went to Harrow School and joined the Royal Navy in 1938. He was first attached to 804 Squadron, defending the allied naval base of Scapa Flow in the Orkneys from Luftwaffe attacks by bombers based in Norway He was awarded the first DSC for leading 12 attacks in the Aegean Sea which included blowing up an torpedo boat and three trains. Sir Michaels second DSC award came in 1952 while serving as Air group Commander on HMS Sydney in Korea. The medals, together with photographs, including one of him meeting the Queen Mother, are being sold on May 17. Fr Max is also a psychologist and has published about 30 books His wife Jane Robinson and the community have been left devastated Anglican priest and renowned psychologist and author has been gored to death by a bull he had reared from a calf on his property. Father Max-Augustine Eggert and his wife Jane Robinson moved to Putty, a small village, north-west of Sydney in the Hunter Valley from Bondi four years ago, reported the Sydney Morning Herald. The 72-year-old was killed by a bull that had turned territorial and aggressive charging directly at the ordained priest who was moving a water tank with his car on Monday afternoon. Father Max-Augustine Eggert has died on his property in the Hunter Valley after a bull gored him to death (pictured left with his wife) Fr Max's wife, Jane Robinson, said her husband's magic helped her believe the impossible was possible. 'They did tell him to get rid of that bull- they said you couldn't keep a bull,' Ms Robinson said. 'But that's Max for you. He wasn't going to be told. That was his magic and that's what's made it all possible.' Fr Max was known to love working on the farm, established the only Anglican church in the community and was generally seen out on his paddock or helping someone else in the community. 'The community is absolutely stunned, in disbelief,' fellow Anglican Communities of our Lady priest Thomas Peacock told AAP. 'His wife, Jane is just absolutely distraught. Max and her were so close and such a happy couple ... she's absolutely devastated.' A fellow Anglican priest said his wife is 'absolutely distraught' after he was killed on Monday morning After the attack members of the rural fire service destroyed the bull, NSW police said. Fr Max moved to Australia after being ordained in England and completing his psychology studies. He set up his own church, known as the Communities of our Lady of Advent and was about to launch a healing ministry in Putty. Along with his religious duties Fr Max was a prominent psychologist and author who had published about 30 books. The 72-year-old leaves behind his wife and two children Max-Charles Eggert and Mary-Sian Eggert. Consumer minister to price comparison site: After losing her seat in 2015, former Lib Dem consumer affairs minister Jo Swinson began advising the website comparethemarket.com The employment gravy train linking Whitehall to the City of London can be revealed today. Seven out of nine Treasury ministers who have applied to the appointments watchdog for jobs clearance since 2008 took work in big corporations. The same was true of 17 out of 21 Treasury civil servants. In the Department of Business 14 out of 15 former ministers and eight out of ten ex-civil servants took jobs in related sectors. Analysis by the Mail has found that two thirds of ministers and officials leaving government over the past eight years have taken private jobs in the same sector as their ministry. And rules against them exploiting 'insider information' are unenforceable, admits the official watchdog set up to police the practice. The Advisory Committee on Business Appointments Acoba has not blocked a single job in 40 years. The Mail reported yesterday that Sir Danny Alexander a former Lib Dem Treasury chief has taken a post with the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank. Another beneficiary has been Shriti Vadera, a close adviser to Gordon Brown before becoming a Treasury minister. She left frontline politics for a number of City jobs worth over 1million. The baroness advised the leaders of oil-rich Dubai Acoba merely asking her to 'refrain' from becoming involved with 'direct negotiations' with UK officials. She is also the chairman of Santander UK bank. Her spokesman said: 'Shriti was an international career banker for 14 years before joining the Treasury as a specialist adviser for eight years, and then as a minister for two years. Her roles since leaving government are based on her wide and international financial experience.' David Laws, another Lib Dem former chief secretary to the Treasury, now works for asset management firm Stanhope Capital. His colleague Jo Swinson, an ex-consumer affairs minister, has an advisory role with price comparison website comparethemarket.com, working six days a year. Mark Hoban, a Tory Treasury minister, took a 3,333-a-month non-executive directorship of the London Stock Exchange, waved through even though he had been responsible for financial services policy affecting the exchange. Mr Hoban told the Mail: 'I follow all the procedures and all of my arrangements have been cleared. I've been through all the steps I am required to do.' Health minister to health lobbyist: Lib Dem Paul Burstow (left) went on to lobby the Government on health for the firm MHP. Right, Steve Webb, once a Lib Dem minister, became a director at Royal London pensions There is no suggestion any of the politicians broke any rules or engaged in any wrongdoing. But Margaret Hodge, who chaired the Commons public accounts committee, said: 'It is just not acceptable that ex-civil servants and ex-ministers like Danny Alexander who have gained knowledge and made contacts at the taxpayers' expense should exploit these by getting highly-paid jobs in the private sector largely on the basis of the contacts they have made. The rules for the revolving door should be tougher not weaker for people coming out of the public sector.' WATCHDOGS WITH QUESTIONS TO ANSWER The committee responsible for policing the revolving door is packed with members who have made fortunes switching from public service into big business. Before being made chairman of Acoba in 2014, Baroness Browning was forced to admit she was on the books of a political consultancy. The former Tory vice-chairman and minister is paid up to 800 a day to work for Cumberlege Eden, which advises NHS staff on how to influence the political agenda. She has denied being an establishment stooge insisting to MPs who questioned her recently: Ive scrubbed out operating theatres in my time as a nurse before going into politics. But she admits all members of her committee have extra jobs. They include Helen Liddell, an energy minister under Tony Blair who is paid by Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult. And Mark Addison, a former civil service mandarin, has set up a consultancy. He was also paid a salary of 48,000 for two days a week as head of the Nursing and Midwifery Council, before stepping down as its chairman in 2014. Alexandra Runswick, of campaign group Unlock Democracy, said: 'The extent to which you can now move straight from working in government to the sector you used to regulate is truly shocking. There is a real risk of a job in government looking like work experience for a lucrative career in the private sector, rather than public service. 'Acoba has failed as a regulator. Successive governments have failed to act and we are now at a crisis point. We need a new statutory regulator, with investigative powers and real sanctions, before the public lose all faith in politics.' A YouGov survey has found that 73 per cent of people believe former ministers should be banned from joining company boards if it meant they were profiting from experience gained in office. A similar number felt ex-civil servants should not become paid advisers to companies they worked with. Tamasin Cave, of SpinWatch, which campaigns against lobbying by former ministers, said: 'Enough is enough. As somebody at the top of government, Danny Alexander had a lot of insider knowledge and contacts which will be so valuable not just for corporations but also for foreign powers. 'He shouldn't be able to do that for profit. We need an inquiry and an overhaul of the whole system.' Sir Danny did not respond to requests for comment. A Downing Street spokesman said: 'We think that the system is in place and that it is the right one.' ... Government officials who have switched sides Defence minister to arms firm: Labour peer Baroness Taylor (left) did business with arms firm Thales, is now on its board. Right, Tory Andrew Lansley, who pushed NHS privatisation, took job at drug firm Roche Treasury to Stock Exchange: Ex-Tory minister Mark Hoban (left) is a director of London Stock Exchange on 3,333 a month. Right, Lib Dem Dan Rogerson gets up to 3,500 a day to chair Wessex Water Partnership MoD to defence firm: Procurement chief Lt Gen Richard Applegate (with Prince Charles) went on to chair an Israeli arms company MoD to reviewer of his own work: Former procurement chief Sir Bernard Gray (left) is paid as consultant to MoD. Right, Philip Wheatley, once head of the Prison Service, took a job with G4S which runs prisons The inaugural Give Local Yellowstone campaign struggled Tuesday with website malfunctions from its Texas-based host, but organizers said it was nonetheless good to bring the local philanthropy community together. The Billings Community Foundation, which hosted the event, raised about $10,000 in online donations by 10 a.m. through Kimbia, an online fundraising platform for nonprofits. Ralph Spence, event coordinator, said 61 nonprofits had signed up and promoted the Give Local Yellowstone event. The Kimbia website, which hosted a simultaneous fundraiser for 54 communities nationwide including Billings and Missoula, crashed Tuesday morning. By the afternoon, the Billings Community Foundation was directing donors to its own site, bcfpages.homestead.com and clicking on "Donate." Volunteers spent 24 hours Tuesday at three downtown businesses, Rock Creek Coffee Roasters, Thirsty Street Brewing and Hooligans, promoting the cause. At Rock Creek, a table along the window was set aside with Billings Public Library iPads that could be used to donate. The event attracted a lot of people interested in giving, organizers said. Theyre responding great. This place was packed this morning, said Jack Nickels, a board member for the Billings Community Foundation. Spence said the nonprofit was on pace to meet its goal of $50,000 to $70,000 before the technical troubles, and he praised the hard work of more than 40 volunteers. The final tally wasnt available by Tuesday evening. Despite the glitches, Spence said it was good to work with other nonprofits and come together. Theyre an enthusiastic crowd. Its a generous group of people that have philanthropy in their hearts, Spence said. Jack McCain, a Lieutenant in the U.S. Navy and son of Arizona senator John McCain, got involved Tuesday in a Twitter war between supporters and opponents of an Old Navy ad featuring a mixed-race couple. McCain joined couples from across the nation who posted photos of their own mixed-race relationships and families after bigots accused Old Navy's innocuous sales advertisement of being 'mixed race propaganda'. 'To the people upset about the @OldNavy "Scandal" of an a picture of a mixed race marriage, eat it,' McCain wrote as a caption to a picture of him and his wife, Air Force Reserve Capt. Renee Swift McCain, who is a black woman. Jack McCain, son of Arizona senator John McCain, posted this picture to Twitter in response to a racist backlash to an Old Navy ad featuring an interracial couple 'I hope this one burns too, you ignorant racists,' McCain captioned a picture of him and his wife Renee Swift McCain on their wedding day Renee Swift McCain joined in the debate too, and said she went to make a purchase at an Old Navy store Swift McCain also joined in, posting a picture of the couple with the caption 'I was just in @OldNavy this weekend! Bought something for me and my husband.' A torrent of vile abuse had earlier been directed at the company for posting an ad of a happy interracial couple and their child to advertise an ongoing sale on its website. 'Oh, happy day!' Old Navy's tweet reads. 'Our #ThankYouEvent is finally here. Take 30% off your entire purchase.' The ad shows the couple dressed in bright summer clothes, the child wrapped around his father's shoulders. Old Navy found itself under attack this weekend after posting this ad, which featured an interracial couple and their child, to advertise an ongoing sale on their website But haters aside, the ad also inspired a number of Twitter users to share photos of their own beautiful interracial families and spouses Racist trolls immediately began accusing the brand of 'race-mixing' and miscegenation, an antiquated term used to define sexual relations or marriage between two people of different races. 'So basically, you couldn't get a White woman,' one Twitter user wrote in response to McCain's tweet. 'She is a strong, fiercely independent, well educated woman, and far more than I deserve,' McCain fought back. In response to another Twitter user who said McCain has 'low self-esteem' for considering his wife more than he deserves, McCain wrote: 'Dude, I am a United States Navy Pilot. There is no lack of confidence here.' 'The mere fact that this is a conversation in the year 2016 is disheartening enough, and why this type of response like the one aimed at Old Navy merits conversation,' McCain said in a comment to Navy Times Tuesday. 'I did not intend for this level of exposure. Mostly, I wanted to take a principled stand on an issue that shouldn't be one in the first place,' McCain said in an email to Navy Times. 'If there is one result I could hope for out of all of this furor, it would be helping to ensure that intolerance has no place in service, or in our national discourse.' One supporter of the ad, who serves in the military, shared of a photo of himself and his wife in uniform and their young daughter writing, 'From our families to yours. Thank you!' Scroll down for video People immediately commented on the retailer's tweet, writing that it was propaganda for 'race-mixing' and miscegenation The antiquated term is used to define sexual relations or marriage between two people of different races Meanwhile, the racist backlash was swift and fierce. One user compared Old Navy's sale ad to 'white genocide'. 'Old Navy HATES white babies!' they wrote. 'It takes a White mother and a White father to make a White baby. Stop #WhiteGeocide (sic)'. 'Absolutely disgusting,' another Twitter user complained. 'What's next? Gender neutral bathrooms? Pedophilia acceptance propaganda?! Never shopping here again.' A number of the Twitter users who spoke out against the tweet indicated on their Twitter bios that they were supporters of the 'Alt-right' movement. But while Old Navy may have lost some customers with their ad, a number of others pledged that they would be running to scoop up the retailer's clothes. '@OldNavy on some real s*** though im on my way to buy a bunch of your clothes just because racist white people mad,' one user wrote. 'Ain't sported their s*** in forever, but now im down,' one of the user's friends replied. 'Bout to be old navy on deck!' And countless other users pledged their support and thanked Old Navy for the tweet. 'This is a lovely ad,' wrote one. 'Thank you for portraying real world families in your advertising.' The ad also inspired a number of Twitter users to share photos of their own beautiful interracial families and spouses. The ad got plenty of support from the Twitterverse and Old Navy was soon trending on the social media site as people pledged to buy even more of the retailer's clothes to show their support 'Hey, @Old Navy, my family and I thank you for the diversity in this ad!' wrote Khary Penebaker, a Democratic candidate for Wisconsin's 5th Congressional District. '#LoveWins no matter the color.' 'LOVE has no color! Thank you.' wrote another user named Janel, who shared a picture of her and her girlfriend. 'From our families to yours, Thank You!' wrote user TJ Willis, who shared a photo of both him and his wife in uniform and their young daughter. 'Families like our will continue to succeed and grow in number!' A child who brought a race discrimination claim against Tesco after being stopped and searched in store has received a 3,000 payout. The unnamed child, who is mixed race, was left scarred by the supermarkets physical, high-handed manner at the store. During the incident in November 2013, the child was approached by a shop assistant, who grabbed his arm and took him into an office at the back of the store. The incident happened at a Tesco store in Maida Vale, west London. A Tesco spokesman said: 'We take any allegations of this nature extremely seriously.' Tesco has nearly 7,000 stores around the world, including this one (pictured) in Stoke-on-Trent He was not given a reason for being detained or being held in the back room, while he was searched by the shop assistant and duty manager. When staff failed to find items on the child, he was allowed to leave the branch in Maida Vale, West London. The child said he was left feeling constantly unnerved when entering shops, and believed he received unfair treatment in a way that his white friends were not. We doubt this is the only incident of this sort and hope that this case will make Tesco look at how they train their staff on equality and diversity Nick Webster His mother contacted the trade union GMB, who then instructed solicitors to pursue a race discrimination claim. Nick Webster, the childs lawyer from Leigh Day, said: It is unacceptable to treat somebody differently because of their race, and what was particularly concerning about this incident was the physical, high-handed manner of Tescos conduct. The result is that a child has been scarred by a company, just because of his race. We doubt this is the only incident of this sort and hope that this case will make Tesco look at how they train their staff on equality and diversity, as well as giving those who have been subjected to this type of treatment the confidence to speak out. The childs mother said: My son was treated utterly appallingly. Doing nothing just wasnt an option - there was no way that I could stomach Tesco getting away with how they treated my son because of his race. The child's mother said: 'My son was treated utterly appallingly.' Tesco did not accept liability and said: 'Everyone is welcome at Tesco so we take any allegations of this nature extremely seriously. Getting reparation, and recognition for how they had wronged my son, was like getting blood out of a stone but our efforts were worth it. Her son said: The way Tesco treated me was unacceptable and for a while left me constantly unnerved whenever I was in a store. I think it is absolutely fantastic that we have been able to show them this is not acceptable and that they cannot get away with these kinds of actions anymore. A Tesco spokesman said: Everyone is welcome at Tesco so we take any allegations of this nature extremely seriously. Leave campaigners have hit back after Tony Blair suggested 'rational' voters would listen to US president Barack Obama's warnings about the dangers of Britain leaving the European Union. In an outspoken intervention in the referendum campaign, the former prime minister also insisted the wave of immigration from eastern European countries that took place under his premiership had not been a problem for the country because the migrants contributed more in taxes than they took in benefits. Tony Blair, seen at a conference in Beverly Hills yesterday, has said he believes Britons will do the 'sensible' thing and vote to say in the EU But Brexit campaigners attacked the ex-Labour leader for consistently failing to secure a good deal for Britain during his time in No 10 and accused him of 'irresponsibly' opening up the UK's borders. It comes as David Cameron prepares to be quizzed on the June 23 referendum by the powerful Commons Liaison Committee. Chairman Andrew Tyrie said the Prime Minister would face 'careful scrutiny' in the 1hr 30min session later. 'The Prime Minister is uniquely well placed to provide this evidence,' he said. 'The decision to call the referendum was his. He led the renegotiations. So it is his views and explanations that matter most, and are most worthy of careful scrutiny.' Mr Obama used a visit to London last month to warn that Britain would be at ''the back of the queue'' for American trade deals if it quit the EU. After talks with Mr Cameron, he insisted the UK would not be able to strike a free trade deal with the US 'any time soon' because Washington's focus would be on reaching agreement with Brussels. The comments sparked a furious backlash from the Brexit camp, which claimed the president was 'doing the bidding of Cameron' and accused him of 'hypocrisy' for intervening in the British campaign. But Mr Blair said Mr Obama's views 'count' and it was 'important' that voters know what he thinks. In an interview for Bloomberg TV in Los Angeles, he said: 'When you look at the polls, they're pretty evenly matched. But my best instinct about this is that the country will do the sensible thing and stay in the EU. Mr Blair catching a flight in the US yesterday 'If we were to leave it would put a level of economic insecurity into the ordinary family household that I think most people would think is a foolish risk to take. But I have to say I look at politics round the world these days and it's in an unpredictable state. 'If you're rational, the view of the president of the most powerful country in the world and our biggest ally should matter. When someone like President Obama comes, I think it's important we know his view. It does count. 'Personally, I do not feel that the immigration from eastern Europe was a problem for Britain. I think those people contribute far more in taxes than they ever take in benefits. They're hard-working people, they're good members of our community. And the benefit of having eastern Europe in the EU is enormous.' A Vote Leave spokesman said: ' Tony Blair consistently failed to get a good deal for Britain from the EU, squandering our rebate and irresponsibly opening up our borders. Curbing benefits paid to EU workers is unlikely to lead to a dramatic reduction in migration, a report claims today. As few as one in ten foreigners from the Brussels bloc claim handouts soon after arriving in the UK meaning they were mostly lured by jobs, said the Migration Observatory. The revelation torpedoes David Cameron's EU referendum deal which he said would tackle mass immigration. Scroll down for video As few as one in ten foreigners from the Brussels bloc claim handouts soon after arriving in the UK meaning they were mostly lured by jobs, said the Migration Observatory. The revelation torpedoes David Cameron's EU referendum deal which he said would tackle mass immigration Currently, migration from within the EU adds 172,000 to our population every year, equivalent to a town the size of Southend-on-Sea. The Prime Minister claimed his so-called 'emergency brake' would help cut the numbers moving to Britain. UK GROWTH 'THE BEST IN EUROPE' Britain will be the fastest-growing major economy in Europe over the next two years, despite worries over the country's future in the European Union, according to official forecasts published in Brussels. The European Commission said the UK would continue to outperform Germany, France and Italy this year and next with growth increasing in the coming months. The findings, in a 200-page report published yesterday, undermine claims that the threat of Brexit is damaging the British economy. George Osborne was last week accused of talking down Britain after he warned that the referendum 'is weighing on our economy'. With storm clouds gathering over the global economy, the Commission trimmed its growth forecasts for Britain and Europe. Brussels expects the UK economy to grow by 1.8 per cent this year and 1.9 per cent next year down from its previous forecast of 2.1 per cent in both years. But it expects growth in the UK to accelerate in the coming months even as voters go to the polls on June 23. The policy limits tax credits to incoming EU workers for four years and restricts child benefits. Government figures last year said up to 45 per cent of European Economic Area migrants, excluding students, arriving within the past four years had claimed taxpayer-funded handouts. But the study by the Oxford University think-tank said the measures were unlikely to spark large reductions in migration. The Migration Observatory said a 'large majority' of recent EU migrants do not receive benefits with a maximum of 19 per cent claiming any at all. Those claiming in-work tax credits were as few as 10 per cent fewer than 88,000. Many of those who had arrived in the past four years had only a limited entitlement to in-work benefits, so the brake would be unlikely to act as a deterrent. The report said: 'The number of people whose initial migration decision might be affected by the immediate availability of tax credits is likely to be a small share of the total, suggesting the proposed benefits restriction is unlikely to lead to a dramatic reduction in EU immigration to the UK. 'Among those who do receive benefits, it is not known whether the availability of benefits was an important factor. Some people would presumably have moved to Britain for the higher wages or better job opportunities even if these benefits had not been available.' The Migration Observatory said a 'large majority' of recent EU migrants do not receive benefits with a maximum of 19 per cent claiming any at all. Those claiming in-work tax credits were as few as 10 per cent fewer than 88,000 (stock photograph) The introduction of the Living Wage of 9-an-hour by 2020 ten times higher than the equivalent in Eastern Europe means for many families the effect of benefit curbs would be 'small or irrelevant'. US-EU TRADE TALKS 'TO FAIL' France has warned that trade talks between Europe and the US are likely to grind to a halt blowing apart Barack Obama's argument on why Britain should remain in the EU. The President said the UK would benefit from an EU-US trade deal if it stayed part of the bloc and threatened that the country would be at 'the back of the queue' if it tried to make a similar agreement by itself. But yesterday French trade minister Matthias Fekl revealed talks on Europe's deal with the US were 'most likely' to be stopped, telling French radio: 'It is an agreement which, as it would be today, would be a bad deal It cannot be agreed without France.' The country is concerned the so-called Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership which seeks to boost trade across the Atlantic by harmonising business regulations will not offer better market access for its smaller firms in the US and poses a risk to its agricultural sector. The European Commission has said it hopes to achieve a deal later this year. The impact of benefits cuts for EU migrants would focus on a small proportion of families with children, it said. The report found that EU migrants were less likely to claim jobless benefits but more prone to claiming in-work handouts compared with those born in the UK. The number of EU citizens living in the UK has doubled to more than 3million since 2004, when Tony Blair's government threw open the doors to mass migration from Eastern Europe. Madeleine Sumption, director of the Migration Observatory, said: 'A large majority of recent EU migrants are not claiming benefits of any kind. That means most migrants to the UK would not be affected by proposed changes to the welfare system.' Tory MP Philip Hollobone, a leading Eurosceptic, said: 'The Migration Observatory report has shown the emperor has no clothes. The key plank of David Cameron's EU renegotiation has been demonstrated to be ineffective. 'The increase of the minimum wage to the national living wage will act as a far greater magnet for people coming to the UK from the EU. 'It is much easier for people to understand that level of the national living wage than the issue of complicated tax credits.' The Leave campaign has said that ditching the EU is the only way to allow Britain to seize back control of borders and slash the country's net migration. Millions of pounds of dirty Russian money is being laundered through British banks and firms, but authorities are refusing to investigate, MPs were told yesterday. Anti-corruption campaigner Bill Browder told a select committee a Russian crime lord with links to the Kremlin had channelled 20million of stolen funds through the UK in an orgy of spending on jets, yachts and school fees. But despite being offered evidence about the illegal money trails, UK authorities including the Metropolitan Police, Serious Fraud Office and the National Crime Agency allegedly ignored calls to act. 'Dirty': MPs were told millions of pounds of dirty Russian money is being laundered through British banks Former investment manager Mr Browder, who founded the firm Hermitage Capital Management, accused the UK Government of not wanting to tackle the problem for fear of rocking the boat and upsetting powerful Russian individuals close to the Putin regime. Evidence of criminal activity was allegedly obtained by Mr Browder during his investigation into the death of his firms lawyer Sergei Magnitsky, who was looking into a 155million tax fraud against his firm when he died after brutal beatings in a Russian prison in 2009. Mr Browder believes Dmitry Klyuev, 48, a businessman with a previous fraud conviction, is the scams mastermind and claims he has colluded with police and high-rank officials. Lawyers for Mr Browder have lodged six complaints to UK law enforcement agencies since 2010. But while 11 other countries including the US, France and Switzerland have opened inquiries, Britain has so far refused, MPs were told. Giving evidence to the Commons Home Affairs Select Committee, Mr Browder explained: Every time we filed a complaint nobody responded. Theyve always found an excuse not to investigate. London is levitating on a flow of dirty money. If that was stopped, I think certain people would find themselves without businesses and I think those people have political influence. Former investment manager Mr Browder accused the UK Government of not wanting to tackle the problem for fear of rocking the boat and upsetting powerful Russian individuals close to the Putin regime If there are a lot of businesses that are effectively surviving off the back of this money and they have friends in high places people very close geographically to this House theyre going to say, Dont do that. He added: We should not let Russian torturers and murderers send and spend their money here. According to Mr Browder, his evidence shows for the first time a connection between Russian organised crime and spending in the UK. He added: There has been an orgy of spending on luxury goods. The money was allegedly spent on school fees, private jets and multimillion-pound properties in London, but there is no suggestion that recipients of the money in the UK are involved in any wrongdoing. Klyuev has strongly denied any involvement in tax fraud and has denounced Mr Browders money-laundering claims as a fabrication and a lie. Sir Michael Wilshaw (pictured above), the head of Ofsted, said grammar and maths assessments for six and seven-year-olds could improve Britain's 'mediocre' position in the international rankings The head of Ofsted has condemned parents who took their children out of lessons yesterday in protest at testing. Michael Wilshaw said grammar and maths assessments for six and seven-year-olds could improve Britain's 'mediocre' position in international education rankings. He stressed the tests helped identify struggling children, pointing out that poorer pupils had the odds stacked against them if they fell behind. Councils had threatened 60 fines for families involved in the 'kids' strike' but it will be left to headmasters to take action. Few are likely to do so. Only around 2,000 pupils were withdrawn from school yesterday, notably in Brighton, Newcastle and Hackney in north-east London. Some regions were almost entirely unaffected. Sir Michael, who is chief inspector of schools, said: 'As I have long argued, children who fall behind in the early years of their education struggle to catch up in later years. 'If by the age of seven, a child has not mastered the basic skills of reading, writing and mathematics, the odds will be stacked against them for the rest of their lives. This is especially the case for poorer children. 'All the evidence shows that social mobility does not start at the age of 16, or even 11, but at a much earlier age. That is why it is so critical to lay solid foundations from the start of a child's education. 'I understand testing can sometimes be stressful but I am also confident that most schools do everything they can to minimise the stress that children experience in preparing for and sitting these tests.' A protest by parents and pupils against SATS testing in Brighton attracted nearly 500 people yesterday MINISTER FAILS HIS OWN GRAMMAR TEST An education minister wrongly answered a question for 11-year-olds yesterday. Live on air, Nick Gibb was given the sentence I went to the cinema after Id eaten my dinner and asked whether after was being used as a subordinating conjunction or as a preposition. Its a preposition, he told Martha Kearney on BBC Radio 4s World At One. She told him he was wrong, while raising concerns among parents that the primary tests are too prescriptive and risk putting children off reading. Defending the tests, he said: This isnt about me. This is about ensuring that future generations of children unlike me, who was not taught grammar at primary school are taught grammar properly. But he was ridiculed on Twitter, with one user, Steve Johnson, saying: Breaking news: Nick Gibb fails on the key stage 2 grammar test. Advertisement But, addressing a rally in Brighton, which has been the focus of the campaign, children's laureate Chris Riddell claimed pupils were exposed to undue stress. Responding to comments yesterday by education minister Nick Gibb, in which he said that missing a day's school could have a knock-on effect on pupils, Mr Riddell said: 'I completely agree with him. 'They are going to learn it is OK to disagree with policy and disagree with ministers. They will remember this for the rest of their school lives.' Speaking later, Mr Riddell said: 'My feeling is there should be more trust in teachers and their ability to assess children at this age rather than through testing.' The author and illustrator joined a 300-strong protest in the city's Preston Park. Jason Collodi, who attended the event with his two children and works in international development, said: 'My daughter is really stressed. This is a girl who would once play school at home, on the weekends and on her holiday. She now doesn't want to go to school because of maths. 'It's been counterproductive for my daughter.' Formerly called Sats, the key stage tests are held at the end of infant and junior school to help teachers assess pupils and measure school performance. Andrew Lansley: 'Should I not work?' After former health secretary Andrew Lansley bagged a job at drugs firm Roche, he told critics: 'Should I not work?' The Swiss pharmaceutical giant had reason to be grateful to Lord Lansley, who had set up a fund to provide expensive cancer drugs not routinely available on the NHS. In fact, the former Tory minister was the architect of wide-ranging reforms seen to herald a push towards NHS outsourcing in a boon for the private sector. Lord Lansley's jobs since leaving government in 2014 include advising his wife's consultancy firm Low Communications which facilitates networking between the private and public sectors as well as working for a fitness industry organisation that is part-funded by Coca-Cola. Responding to claims his continuing work in the sector was inappropriate, he said: 'When I cease to be a politician and become a private citizen, is the intention that I should not work?' He said he had notified Acoba the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments that vets the new jobs of ex-ministers and mandarins about all his roles. Lord Lansley added: 'Their job is to decide whether there has been a conflict of interest, which there isn't. None of these involve lobbying the Government, and they are not full-time.' Last night he reiterated that he had 'fully complied' with Acoba's rules. His former special advisers, Jenny Jackson and William Morgan also bagged new roles. Miss Jackson went to work for UCL Partners, which does not-for-profit work in the health sector. Mr Morgan went back to his former employer, commercial lobbying firm MHP Communications, before co-founding his own health lobbying company. He said: 'I don't work at MHP any more, and I left government well over three years ago so I'm no longer subject to Acoba. When I was ... I would obviously never have taken any role unless Acoba had cleared it.' New roles: Former health minister Paul Burstow, left, is now paid to advise MHP's healthcare clients. Right, Jim Easton was director of the Department of Health until 2013 and walked into a job at a care provider Another former health minister, Paul Burstow, is now paid to advise MHP's healthcare clients. The ex-Lib Dem MP said there was a period of three years between the jobs, adding: 'I have had an interest in health and social care my entire parliamentary career of 18 years. It would be odd if my knowledge of the sector did not lead me into undertaking consultancy and other roles where I might put that expertise to good use.' Health department mandarins are just as keen to jump into the private sector. Jim Easton was director of the Department of Health until 2013, and a leading proponent of the push to use more private firms. He walked straight into a job with one of the country's biggest care providers, Care UK. Acoba allowed the move, even though the committee said it could appear he was being 'rewarded' for influencing policy. Labour peer Lord Darzi, who was also a health minister, began advising Kuwait, Qatar and Saudi Arabia after leaving his post. It is not known how much he is paid, but he and his wife's personal company generated 3.25million in shareholder funds in 2014. There is no suggestion any of these individuals broke rules or engaged in wrongdoing. Considered suicide: Hafiz, 24 Two former interpreters for UK troops in Afghanistan have been warned they face deportation from Britain. After paying people-smugglers to help them flee the Taliban, they applied for UK asylum. But they were arrested and held at immigration centres before being released and told they could be deported to the first European country where they were fingerprinted. It follows the tragic story of translator Nangyalai Dawoodzai revealed by the Daily Mail this week. The 29-year-old killed himself, fellow interpreters said, after being warned he faced deportation to Italy where he had been fingerprinted. The death has sparked fresh support for the Daily Mails Betrayal of the Brave campaign to give sanctuary to the men who were the eyes and ears of UK frontline troops. Field Marshal Lord Guthrie, former head of the Armed Forces, said the policy on Afghan interpreters shamed Britain. Yesterday Baroness Coussins, a crossbench peer who campaigns for protection of civilian interpreters in conflict zones, said the system urgently needed reviewing. Mr Dawoodzais death highlighted the plight of translators threatened with deportation because they were fingerprinted elsewhere in Europe, meaning any asylum claim should be made there. Among them is Hafiz, 24, a former frontline translator, who said he was devastated to be served with a deportation letter. I have thought about killing myself rather than being sent to Austria where I was fingerprinted because they said I should go back to Afghanistan, he said. The Taliban has made many threats against me and they took my father and shot him in the legs. Hafiz has glowing references from British officers, but he added: These have counted for nothing. My work in saving British lives has counted for nothing. I know how my colleague [Mr Dawoodzai] must have felt. The situation, the uncertainty, the feeling [that] what we did for the British means nothing to your government, it is hard for us to understand. Afghanistan is more dangerous than when the British left. How many interpreters and their families have to die or live in fear because of the help we gave the soldiers? We helped save lives the thanks we get is to be told translators must leave because of a fingerprint. Death threats: Former interpreter Abdul, 26, worked for a year for UK forces and later received threats The translator, who worked for the British between 2009 and 2012, said he arrived in the UK on January 6 via Iran, Turkey, Serbia, Bulgaria and Austria where he was fingerprinted by police. He was arrested when he made his asylum claim in Britain and held at an immigration centre before being released and told he would be returned to Austria. I could not believe that after all I had done for the British forces and the lives I had helped protect they want to throw me out, he added. Hafiz said he did not know whether police will come and send me back, and has asked lawyers about making a fresh asylum claim. He said he did not know Mr Dawoodzai, who came to Britain more than a year ago and told fellow translators he had made an asylum claim. Months later, police arrested him and he was warned he faced deportation. Mr Dawoodzai considered returning to Kabul, but his family told him it was not safe. He hanged himself last Wednesday. His case is mirrored by that of his friend and fellow translator Abdul, 26, who lived at the same Birmingham hostel. Abdul worked for a year for UK forces, including collecting body parts of two translators who were blown up. He needed hospital treatment for 20 days. He said he fled Afghanistan after receiving death threats calling him a British spy. When the Taliban came looking for him, his brother was murdered. Abdul applied for UK asylum in May 2015 but was warned he could be returned to Hungary, where he was fingerprinted. A man has been charged with murdering a family-violence advocate who was found dead in her home on Sunday night. Homicide detectives have charged a 36-year-old man after Karen Belej, 31, was found dead in her Cardross home, near Mildura in Victoria's north-west, at 7.30pm on Sunday night. The man, who also lived in Cardross, has been charged with one count of murder and will face an out of sessions court hearing at the Mildura Police Station on Wednesday evening. Homicide detectives have charged a 36-year-old man after Karen Belej (pictured), 31, was found dead in her Cardross home, near Mildura in Victoria's north-west, at 7.30pm on Sunday night A woman found dead at her Mildura home on Sunday evening has been identified as Karen Belej, 31 Ms Belej was a local council worker and an advocate for White Ribbon - an organisation aimed at preventing violence against women. She was a human resources officer at Mildura Rural City Council employee and was behind the push for the council to become a White Ribbon accredited workplace, The Age reported. Mildura Mayor Glenn Milne said Ms Belej's sudden and tragic death had impacted the whole office and would 'take a long time to get over'. 'To have somebody just disappear out of your office, out of your life, with no notice, no nothing, it leaves a huge gap,' he said. A statement from council CEO Gerard Jose said was are 'no words' to describe the tragic loss of Ms Belej. 'Her beautiful, bubbly personality and room-warming smile will always be remembered,' it read. 'On behalf of all staff and Councillors, we offer our heartfelt condolences to Karens family and friends at this very sad time.' Homicide detectives are investigating the woman's death, and Victoria Police could not provide any further information when contacted by Daily Mail Australia. Ms Belej worked in human resources at Mildura Rural City Council in Victoria George Osborne signalled the UK Government is preparing to open the door to some child refugees living in camps inside the EU today in a major climbdown. Under pressure from MPs and peers, Downing Street has accepted that it will not be able to face down a parliamentary revolt on their plight. The Chancellor said this morning the Government is 'in discussions' over whether the UK can help unaccompanied children who have already arrived in Europe. The anticipated U-turn also follows calls from the Daily Mail to give sanctuary to unaccompanied children in squalid European refugee camps. David Cameron is preparing to open the door to some child refugees (pictured) living in camps inside the EU in a major climbdown after Downing Street accepted that it will not be able to face down a parliamentary revolt Officials have now been instructed to work on a plan which would make it easier for those who can prove they have family in Britain to move here from countries such as France and Greece. Under a scheme known as Dublin 3, youngsters who have a sibling or aunt or uncle already here are eligible to relocate to the UK, but the rules are strictly administered benefitting only 23 children who were living in squalor in Calais. Relaxing the rules to include extended family, while making more strenuous efforts to identify would-be beneficiaries, is now under consideration by No10 and the Home office. Indicating an announcement would come later today, Mr Osborne said this morning: 'Britain has always been a home to the vulnerable and weve always done what we need to do to help people who are fleeing persecution. George Osborne (pictured yesterday) signalled a U-turn was imminent, saying the Government is 'in discussions' over whether the UK can help unaccompanied children who have already arrived in Europe 'Thats why we are taking people from the refugee camps as a result of this terrible Syrian civil war and were working with others, with charities, with other political parties, talking to people about what we can do to help the unaccompanied children as well, where were already providing financial support. 'So we are in those discussions and those discussions will go on and you will hear what weve got to say in due course,' the Chancellor added. An announcement is expected to be made in the House of Commons at lunch time today. Officials are also looking at extending the 'humanitarian protection' which is currently granted to children taken from refugee camps on the border with Syria to youngsters already present in Europe. Under this special status, they are granted permission to stay in the UK for an initial five years only. Last week the Mail published a leader that said: 'It cannot be stressed too strongly that, under international law, the UK has no duty to these children, however wretched or desperate they may be.' But it went on: 'While we understand the arguments for hardening our hearts, we believe that in the exceptional circumstances of this crisis, it would be wrong to do so. True, we have no legal or treaty obligation to lift a finger to help. But our moral and humanitarian duty cannot so easily be shrugged off.' The proposals are likely to be unveiled at the end of this week ahead of a House of Commons vote on Monday. Senior Government sources said the Prime Minister was determined not to do anything which would increase the UK's 'pull factor' and lead to more children being put on boats to Europe in the hope of a new life in Britain. Officials have been instructed by David Cameron to work on a plan which would make it easier for those who can prove they have family in Britain to move to the UK from countries such as France and Greece But insiders said there was a recognition that, if the Government's flagship Immigration Bill is to clear Parliament by the end of the current session, concessions would have to be made. The Prime Minister's Official Spokeswoman hinted at the climbdown yesterday. She said: 'There's a bit of time for the Government to be thinking about that and how we make progress on the immigration bill. As on any bill, it is quite sensible that you consider how you take it through the House and how you get it on to the statute book.' BOYS' ST PANCRAS WELCOME Two teenage Syrian refugees thanked David Cameron yesterday after reaching Britain from the Calais Jungle camp by train. The boys, who fled the war in Syria to reach their family in the UK, arrived at St Pancras on Eurostar. They are among just 23 children who have been allowed into Britain following a court case in which a judge branded the Jungle a 'living hell'. Another 157 several as young as ten are waiting in the camp in squalid conditions as their asylum applications are considered. Lawyers argue they have a legal right to be here under the 'Dublin 3' scheme but a 'broken system' means the Government is yet to allow them in. Yesterday the two boys and their families called on the Prime Minister to let in more. Yazan, 16, whose real name cannot be given because his asylum application is ongoing, embraced his uncle and said: 'I'm extremely thankful for the UK to let me come here. I have a special thank you for David Cameron.' Mohamad, 17, said: 'I'm truly really happy. I wish that all the other children from the camp could join me.' Up to 35 Tory MPs and eight Democratic Unionist Party members have signalled they intend to switch sides and back a compromise plan put forward by Labour peer Lord Dubs. His attempt to make Britain take 3,000 child refugees from the EU was blocked in a Commons vote last Monday with a majority of just 18. His latest amendment which does not give a specific number of beneficiaries will be voted upon in the Commons on Monday. Lib Dem leader Tim Farron said: 'The Prime Minister has dragged his heels for far too long. 'In that time more vulnerable children in refugee camps across Europe will have fallen into the hands of traffickers and those who would push them into forced labour or sex work.' Yesterday Lord Dubs, who fled to Britain as a child fleeing Nazi persecution, asked potential foster parents to put their name forward to take a refugee child in readiness for the climbdown. He has described the Government's position as 'a monumental political misjudgment'. Lord Dubs said he would not accept any compromise that involved Britain contributing funding to other European countries without bringing any child refugees to our shores. He said: 'It dodges the issue. There is no question of our dealing with it all ourselves but we should have some share of the responsibility.' Today Yvette Cooper, who chairs Labour's taskforce on the issue, will visit child refugees in Athens with Stephen Phillips, the Tory MP who led the rebellion against the Government. They want to highlight the plight of vulnerable, unaccompanied youngsters languishing in squalid conditions in the EU. HELENA Montana attorneys on Tuesday defended the state's new campaign finance disclosure law against a gun-rights organization that wants parts of it struck down before next month's primary elections. The Virginia-based National Association for Gun Rights claims the law passed by state legislators last year would force it to register as a political committee for making issue-advocacy statements that are protected by the First Amendment. The law imposes burdens filing reports, disclosing contributors and opening a bank account among them on groups that "simply desire to talk about matters of public concern," the association's attorney, Matthew Monforton, said in court filings. State attorneys argued the law does not prevent so-called social welfare groups such as the National Association for Gun Rights from speaking freely, but it requires disclosure from those who do. "Enjoining Montana's election laws on the eve of an election would deprive Montanans of information that they have a compelling interest in knowing, at a time they need it most," Assistant Attorney General Stuart Segrest wrote in court filings. The arguments were held Tuesday in federal court in Missoula. The gun-rights group is asking U.S. District Judge Dana Christensen to issue an order preventing the state from enforcing portions of the law by May 15. The case by the National Association for Gun Rights is one of two federal lawsuits that could potentially upend Montana's campaign finance rules just weeks before the June 7 primaries. In the other, a federal judge in Helena is weighing whether the state's limits on how much donors can give to candidates is unconstitutional. U.S. District Judge Charles Lovell previously struck down those limits weeks before the 2012 general elections, leading to new lawsuits when money flooded into the governor's race in the days before the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals reinstated the limits on appeal. Lovell has the case again, with instructions from the appellate court to apply a different standard for determining if Montana is justified in keeping the limits. His decision is expected before the June elections. The National Association for Gun Rights is registered with the Internal Revenue Service as a "social welfare organization" that does not have to disclose its spending or donors. The group said it informs Montana citizens of the identities of state officeholders who falsely claim to support gun rights, which should be considered protected free speech not subject to regulation. The group also seeks to strike another part of the law that requires a mailer that speaks about a candidate's previous vote on an issue to list the candidate's relevant voting record. Monforton also is asking Christiansen to protect the group from state prosecution for a mailer it sent in 2012 criticizing state Sen. Bruce Tutvedt, who was up for re-election. New York's Stonewall Inn, where the modern gay rights movement took root, will become the first national monument honoring the history of gays and lesbians in the U.S. Designating the small swath of land will mark a major act of national recognition for gay rights advocates and their struggles over the last half-century. Since the 1969 uprising in Greenwich Village, the U.S. has enacted anti-discrimination protections, allowed gays and lesbians to serve openly in the U.S. military and legalized same-sex marriage nationwide. Though land must still be transferred to the federal government and other details worked out, the president is expected to move quickly to greenlight the monument following a public meeting Monday in Manhattan, according to two individuals familiar with the administration's plans. The individuals weren't authorized to discuss the plans publicly and requested anonymity. President Barack Obama is preparing to designate the Stonewall Inn in New York the first national monument dedicated to gay rights (file photo) Next month marks Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Pride Month in the U.S. The gritty tavern, known colloquially as the Stonewall, became a catalyst for the gay rights movement after police raided it on June 28, 1969. Bar-goers fought back, and many more joined in street protests over the following days in an uprising widely credited as the start of large-scale gay activism in New York and around the word. Annual pride parades in hundreds of cities commemorate the rebellion. The White House declined to comment. Yet Obama has paid tribute to the site before, most notably in his second inaugural address in 2013. In what's believed to be the first reference to gay rights in an inaugural address, Obama said the principle of equality still guides the U.S. 'just as it guided our forebears through Seneca Falls, and Selma, and Stonewall.' New York lawmakers have long advocated for a national designation for the Stonewall. Last year, New York City made it a city landmark the first named primarily because of significance to LGBT history. In Congress, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand and Rep. Jerrold Nadler both Democrats are pushing legislation to make the Stonewall a national park while urging Obama to commemorate the site through executive authority. Nadler said the site would serve as 'an important reminder of the struggle for equality in our country,' including the ongoing fight for rights for transgender people. Proposals the Obama administration is considering include Christopher Park, a small public area on the street where the Stonewall is located, as well as the surrounding vicinity. At 51 Christopher St., where two adjoining buildings once housed the gay bar, the building where the current Stonewall Inn operates is still a popular gay gathering place. Originally built as stables in the 1840s, the structures still have the brick-and-stucco facade that greeted bar-goers in 1969. Obama (seen Tuesday) has made wide use of his power to designate monuments, not only to protect millions of acres of wilderness and ocean but also to honor groups whose struggles for equal treatment have become milestones in U.S. history A number of procedural steps stand between the Stonewall and formal designation by the president. The first step comes Monday evening at a public school in Manhattan, first reported by The Washington Post. The Interior Department said Interior Secretary Sally Jewell and National Park Service Director Jon Jarvis will attend an open meeting about proposals to 'protect Christopher Park for future generations.' Obama has made wide use of his power to designate monuments, not only to protect millions of acres of wilderness and ocean but also to honor groups whose struggles for equal treatment have become milestones in U.S. history. Last month, Obama named an historic Washington home as the Belmont-Paul Women's Equality National Monument. The Human Rights Campaign and other gay rights groups cheered the forthcoming announcement. Corey Johnson, an openly gay New York City councilman who represents the area, said it was 'incredibly important' for the federal government to recognize the site. 'What happened at Stonewall and at Christopher Park is a key chapter in American history,' Johnson said. The woman is expected to appear before court on Wednesday South Australia Police confirmed the pair were known to one another A 65-year-old man has died after being found in house with stab wounds A 41-year-old woman has been charged with the murder of a man found with stab wounds in Adelaide. Police were called to a property in the city's Holden Hill area on Tuesday night where they discovered the 65-year-old victim. South Australia Police confirmed on Wednesday he had suffered stab wounds. The woman, who has not yet been identified, is expected to appear in court on Wednesday. A 41-year-old woman has been charged with the murder of a 65-year-old man found in this home in Holden Hill, Adelaide She is being treated at Royal Adelaide Hospital for injuries unrelated to the incident, a police spokesman said. The suspect and victim are known to one another. A police cordon remained at the suburban home on Wednesday as the investigation continued. 'Just after 6.30pm on Tuesday 4 April, police and ambulance crews were called to a residence,' South Australia Police said in a statement. 'A 41-year-old woman was arrested at the scene and has since been charged with murder. 'Holden Hill CIB are investigating the incident and Major Crime Detectives attended along with Crime Scene examiners. 'The woman was refused bail and is currently receiving treatment for unrelated matters at the Royal Adelaide Hospital. She is expected to appear before court later today. 'Police wish to reassure the public that this is not a random incident and that those involved are known to each other.' Tina Green, the wife of billionaire tycoon Sir Philip Green (pictured together), has escaped an investigation into the collapse of BHS The wife of billionaire tycoon Sir Philip Green has escaped an investigation into the collapse of BHS. Tina Green, who is a shareholder in the department store which went into administration last week, will not be called before MPs to explain her role. Instead, her husband has announced he will appear before a joint hearing of the work and pensions, and business, committees in June. It came as the Government announced a fast-track investigation into BHS. Business Secretary Sajid Javid ordered an immediate inquiry led by the Insolvency Service which investigates firms which have gone bust. It will probe past and present directors, including Sir Philip and Dominic Chappell, the twice-bankrupt playboy he sold the firm to for 1 in 2015. The MPs were widely expected to call Lady Green, who lives in Monaco, as she controls the family business empire. However they have said they now have no plans to invite her as they believe Sir Philip will be able to answer all of our questions on the operation of BHSs pension fund. Iain Wright, chairman of the business committee, said the tycoon would be questioned about enormous sums taken out of BHS. He added: The sale and acquisition of BHS raises serious questions about the stewardship of the business both before, during, and after the sale. We welcome this opportunity to question the key players and we will also be keen to quiz advisers on their role in this process. The Greens are thought to have taken up to 400million in dividends from BHS before it was sold. Frank Field, chairman of the work and pensions committee, said: The spine of our inquiry is looking at how and where money went out of the company, to whom it went, and how this may have disadvantaged the pensioners. Mr Chappell and BHS Pension Trustees will also be called to appear ahead of Sir Philip. BHS, which has 164 shops, went bust last week, leaving 11,000 staff at risk. Around 20,000 savers in the companys pension scheme, which has a 571million black hole, are also under threat. The Pensions Regulator, a government organisation set up to hold firms to account for the way they manage retirement funds, has launched its own investigation. The Greens are thought to have taken up to 400million in dividends from BHS before it was sold The retirement scheme is now set to be handed over to the Pension Protection Fund a lifeboat which pays for the pensions of savers whose company has gone bust. But workers who have not yet retired are facing the loss of 10 per cent of their retirement income. An Insolvency Service investigation would usually have to wait three months for the administrators to report. However Mr Javids fast-track plan will begin this month. If the investigation finds directors have been involved in misconduct the department can request they are disqualified for up to 15 years. Compensation for losses could also be enforced if the misconduct took place after October last year. Retro: How Kate might look in AG Jeans jumpsuit Its meant to be the height of fashion, although some might think it owes more to Seventies sexpot Felicity Kendal. This is the clinging 70s-style denim jumpsuit worn by the Duchess of Cambridge in her first magazine photoshoot. Made by AG jeans, the rather inappropriately named Lolita Cutie costs 312 and is, apparently, cut for a sensual vintage-inspired fit. Kate paired it with a cashmere jumper by supermodel Claudia Schieffer for TSE, which would have cost around 400, and a pair of 115 navy suede ankle boots by Dune (although the photographs cannot be published here due to copyright restrictions). The Good Life theme - reminiscent of the popular BBC sit com - is followed through in several other portraits with the Duchess also wearing checked country-style shirts by Burberry and Cabbages and Roses, 7 For All Mankind jeans and a Beyond Retro vintage hat. Although she has turned down numerous magazine covers, Kate, 34, agreed to become a model for the day to mark Vogue 100: A Century of Style exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery (NPG), of which she is patron. The portraits, shot by trendy snapper Josh Olins in countryside close to the Duchesss Norfolk Home, appear in the latest edition of the fashion magazine, with two on display at the NPG in London - neither of which, it should be said, feature the, ahem, jumpsuit. According to Vogue the Duchess wanted the photographs to be as informal and as countryside as possible. She didnt want to be dressed as a fashion plate and was not keen to be shot in gala gowns and tiaras, it says Instead its fashion director gathered a wardrobe based on what Kate likes to wear when she is off-duty jeans, shirts, T-shirts. The same as the rest of us. Kate, Vogue said, showed a refreshing lack of vanity, allowing the magazines stylist and make-up artist to have free reign and posing without complaint in freezing temperatures, often in just a thin shirt. And for a male model companion Kate chose her own dog, spaniel Lupo, whose glossy black coat appears to have been equally primped and preened. Lupos appearance in the magazine (complete with a credit the family dog, Lupo, proved a willing partner on set) is a remarkable turn-about: Kensington Palace refused to even confirm his name when the couple got him as a puppy as it would have been a breach of their privacy. The magazine also hilariously revealed that Kate drove herself to their shoot in Land Rover with her hair in curlers - a look beloved of WAGS everywhere. Once a total fashion no-no, Coleen Rooney, Abigail Crouch and Alex Curran have all happily walked down their local high street, with their jumbo Velcros in. Despite having a team of high flying fashionistas at her fingertips, the royal, it seems, had settled for her tried and trusted crimper, Amanda Tucker, to wash and her set her hair at home before they left. According to the magazines editor, Alexandra Shulman, the duchess even joked about what passers-by must have thought as she drove herself to the shoot in rural Norfolk. She writes in the June edition of the magazine, out this week: We drank coffee and everyone prepped until the Duchess arrived, in jeans and a parka, her hair in big rollers, with a bright, inclusive smile. Country girl: A casual Kate in 2011 - Vogue revealed Kate arrived to the shoot with her hair still in rollers She walked through the small cottage door with her hairdresser, Amanda Tucker, who was dragging a wheelie case of products. The Duchess joked about how she must have appeared to anyone who saw her driving the car in her rollers, before introducing herself to everyone she hadnt yet met. Coleen Rooney, it has to be said, has defended the look saying: If I go to the hairdresser before a night out, Ill often leave the rollers in and take them out at home. Billionaire businessman Clive Palmer will not be seeking re-election in the House of Representatives at the upcoming federal election. The leader of the Palmer United Party will announce he won't be contesting his Queensland seat of Fairfax at a press conference in Canberra on Wednesday afternoon. Mr Palmer is also set to reveal his Western Australian Senate team at the announcement, prompting speculation he may seek selection in parliament's upper house, Fairfax Media reports. Billionaire businessman Clive Palmer has announced on Wednesday that he will not be seeking re-election in the House of Representatives for his Palmer United Party The Palmer United Party leader won the Sunshine Coast seat of Fairfax by just 53 votes at the 2013 election. His term in parliament has been dogged by controversy surrounding the collapse of Queensland Nickel, a company he acquired from BHP Billiton. Along the way he also lost two of the party's senators - Jacqui Lambie and Glen Lazarus - after both fell out with him over his leadership style. Mr Palmer said he would make an announcement regarding the party's West Australian Senate team, which is likely to include Senator Dio Wang. Switched sides: Former defence minister Ann Taylor For defenders of the realm, going off to work for an arms company rather than retiring is increasingly the norm. Whether generals or politicians, most are exploiting their experience and contacts after leaving the military field. Ann Taylor visited a UK facility of weapons maker Thales in 2008 as defence minister and declared the French firms presence was welcome news. It was also welcome news for herself three months after leaving government she joined the multinationals board. During her 2007-2008 spell as minister of state for defence equipment, she signed off deals with Thales worth hundreds of millions of pounds. Before joining the MoD, Baroness Taylor chaired the intelligence and security committee, which has access to highly sensitive information from MI5 and MI6. The appointments watchdog had no difficulty however with her taking a post at Thales. Acoba did not even include a stipulation about her use of sensitive material. Instead, it simply imposed a six-month waiting period on joining and said she should not become personally involved in lobbying ministers for two years. She is one of five out of nine defence ministers who applied for Acoba clearance since 2008 to take jobs in defence. And 32 out of 41 military chiefs at the MoD did the same. There is no suggestion any of them broke the rules or engaged in any wrongdoing. Acoba gave the go-ahead to each and every one albeit with the usual condition that they should not sell any secrets or lobby ex-colleagues within the two-year quarantine period. In 2012, The Sunday Times secretly filmed a former naval fleet commander, Admiral Sir Trevor Soar, saying he had to be slightly careful of lobbying ministers but that a way to get around Acobas rule was basically ignore it. Caught on camera: Admiral Sir Trevor Soar, pictured left, was secretly filmed saying he had to be slightly careful of lobbying ministers but that a way to get around Acobas rule was basically ignore it Sir Trevor said yesterday he had been cleared by a subsequent MoD investigation of any infringement of the rules. And General Richard Applegate, who was the MoDs head of procurement, was recorded boasting about his involvement lobbying for a 500million contract on behalf of an Israeli company he chaired. A homeless man has been charged after a teenager was hit on the back of the head and thrown down a well where he was trapped for seven hours in the dark. Chris Moore, 19, was walking to a friend's house from the south-west suburb of Gosnells to Kelmscott in Perth when he was attacked on April 13, The West Australian reported. He was thrown down a 5m to 7m deep well at an abandoned church on Railway Avenue in Kelmscott. A homeless man has been charged after teenager Chris Moore (above) was hit on the back of the head and thrown down a well where he trapped for seven hours in the dark He was thrown down a 5m to 7m deep well at an abandoned church on Railway Avenue in Kelmscott Mr Moore suffered serious injuries to his face, body and arms and was taken to the intensive care unit at Royal Perth Hospital in a neck brace. He does not remember much other than being hit in the back of the head before he lost consciousness. 'I woke up a few hours later at the bottom of the well and sort of blood everywhere - didn't know what was going on,' Mr Moore told 7News. '[I was] crying a lot, praying and just calling out for help. The 19-year-old (right) does not remember much other than being hit in the back of the head before he lost consciousness Pictured are injuries to Mr Moore's back. He was treated at the intensive care unit at Royal Perth Hospital He was trapped for seven hours inside the well (above) after he woke up trapped inside Mr Moore was saved by a passer-by who heard his cries for help seven hours later and walked him to the Kelmscott Train Station. Above is the well 'At one point, I just sat down and gave up but then I had the urge to call out again and that was when I was found. 'It could have been any reason, I didn't do anything to upset anyone as far as I know.' Mr Moore was saved by a passer-by who heard his cries for help seven hours later and walked him to the Kelmscott Train Station. Western Australia detectives have charged a 26-year-old homeless man with acts or omissions causing bodily harm or danger. He is due to appear in the Armadale Magistrates Court later on Wednesday. Western Australia detectives have charged a 26-year-old homeless man with acts or omissions causing bodily harm or danger over the incident involving Mr Moore (above) Helen Wood, who famously had a threesome with Manchester United star Rooney - an actor who allegedly slept with her was named in the United States today An A-list actor who won an injunction to hush up claims he slept with a prostitute used by Wayne Rooney has been named in the US today. The married father, whose reputation as a family man has boosted his career as a world-renowned star, allegedly paid escort Helen Wood 195 for sex. The millionaire then paid a firm of high-powered lawyers tens of thousands of pounds to stop his fans finding out. His lawyers obtained a draconian gagging order in 2011, but the cheating well-known celebrity was outed today in American print media. Miss Wood famously had a threesome with Manchester United and England star Rooney and her friend while the players wife Coleen was pregnant. She claimed the actor booked her for an afternoon sex session in which she used a sex toy on him through an escort agency in March 2010. Miss Wood described how he arrived without his wedding ring before having a shower in her room. He came out of the shower naked. I asked him if he wanted a massage and I gave him one, she said at the time. He turned over and he was a disgusting kisser. He kissed like a virgin. She says she offered to use a sex toy on him and he 'eagerly agreed'. Afterwards, he left without leaving a tip, but he did recommend a local restaurant, she claimed. The ex-escort compared the barmy legal situation to that of the other married celebrity, who has spent 1million battling to stop details of his threesome with another couple being published. The Supreme Court will decide imminently if he can be named after the Court of Appeal overturned his gagging order - but meanwhile the rest of the world knows who he is. Miss Wood told The Sun: I read about the other injunction involving a celeb threesome and an olive oil bath and have seen the name everywhere on the internet. 'Its strange that the rest of the world knows who these stars are but newspapers in the UK cant report it. The 29-year-old, who is no longer a prostitute and who won Celebrity Big Brother last year, said the man who paid her for sex has used his family to boost his own career. She said: He tries to come across with this persona as if hes some fantastic family man. I dont think a fantastic family man sleeps with escorts. Outed: This is the article printed in the US today - an injunction in England means that the star's details cannot be shown Past: Miss Wood (left) famously had a threesome with Manchester United and England star Rooney and her friend while the players wife Coleen was pregnant (together right last night) Reaction: The former escort, who won Celebrity Big Brother, tweeted this last night as it emerged the star she slept with is set to be named in the US Since the star obtained the High Court injunction, the wealthy actor has ignored a deluge of rumours on social media and continued his career as if everything was normal. He has attended glittering functions with other actors and given celebrity interviews about his life and work. The actor has basked in the adulation with his glamorous wife, slipping an arm around her and posing with a smile for photographers. The philandering star has given publicity interviews in which he mentions his family to promote his work and attempt to boost his audiences. News outlets in England and Wales have been gagged by the courts in order to prevent them revealing full details of the celebrity's initial extra-marital affair - or even naming them When he ran to the courts to hush up Miss Woods kiss-and-tell claims to The Sun, Mr Justice King agreed the actor whom he described as a world-famous celebrity had a reasonable expectation that his sex session with Miss Wood was private. At the time friends of Miss Wood, of Bolton, the daughter of an academic, claimed her relationship with the actor was well known. Jenna Hughes, 24, a former nightclub friend, said: 'It has been common knowledge up here for a while now and it really doesn't come as a surprise to us.' A friend named only as Hayley said: 'The blokes she has these flings with should really know better. She is the ultimate kiss-and-tell, and people in the public eye should watch their back. More fool them, I say.' The latest case means people around the world will know all about the sordid claims, but UK publications still cannot publish the details. Supreme Court judges are still considering whether a different married star who had a threesome with another couple will be named. An injunction protecting the married man was overturned a fortnight ago by the Court of Appeal, which ruled that widespread online and global coverage meant the affair was now common knowledge. But Supreme Court judges said the Press blackout in England and Wales should continue while they decide if his appeal should be allowed. No timescale was given for how long they will take. The anonymity order was branded a farce after the celebritys name was published in Scotland, the US, Australia and online. A survey carried out by MailOnline found that one in five people in England claimed to know the name of the star, who has two children with his spouse, who is also famous. Ryan Giggs family-man image was left in tatters five years ago when he tried to hush up an affair with model and Big Brother contestant Imogen Thomas. The 1,200-a-night vice girls: Jennifer Thompson (left) and Helen Wood (right), who were involved in the Wayne Rooney scandal. Wood is linked to another famous name The former footballer secured an injunction to stop his name being made public despite his identity being common knowledge online. It then emerged that he had been sleeping with Natasha, his brothers wife. The affair apparently began in 2003 and continued while Stacey was pregnant with their children, now aged ten and 13. Giggs even paid Natasha 500 to abort his child weeks before she married his brother. Mrs Giggs apparently forgave her husband after the revelations. The Manchester United star is now facing one of the largest sporting divorce payouts in British history after his wife finally ran out of patience with his womanising ways. Stacey Giggs, 37, stood by the former Manchester United player, even after he had an affair with his brothers wife. More than 350 frozen food products from 42 brands are being voluntarily recalled over possibly containing listeria, CRF Frozen Foods revealed this week. The company said Monday in a release: 'This expanded recall of frozen vegetables includes all of the frozen organic and traditional fruit and vegetable products manufactured or processed in CRF Frozen Foods' Pasco facility since May 1, 2014. 'All affected products have the best by dates or sell by dates between April 26, 2016 and April 26, 2018.' More than 350 frozen food products from 42 brands are being voluntarily recalled over them possibly containing listeria, CRF Frozen Foods revealed this week (stock image) It stated that: 'Products being recalled may have been purchased in all fifty U.S. states and the following Canadian Provinces: British Columbia, Alberta, Manitoba, and Saskatchewan.' The recall's in cooperation with both the Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention over concerns Listeria monocytogenes is in the goods, CRF Frozen Foods announced. Columbia River Organics, Panda Express, Safeway Kitchens, and Trader Joe's brand items are among those being recalled. A voluntary recall over 15 products possibly containing listeria was launched in April, CRF Frozen Foods said at the time in a release. It said in April: 'The Listeria was discovered through routine testing by state health officials in Ohio. 'Listeria monocytogenes was found to be present in one lot of Individually Quick Frozen (IQF) organic petite green peas and one lot of IQF organic white sweet cut corn.' According to CRF Frozen Foods, the expanded recall involves 'approximately 358 consumer products sold under 42 separate brands.' It said: 'CRF had already suspended operations at its Pasco, Washington facility as of Monday morning, April 25, 2016 following the initial voluntary recall, so a thorough review could be conducted. 'CDC has informed CRF Frozen Foods that the government has identified seven people from three states who became ill and were hospitalized due to Listeria. 'Some of these illnesses have been linked to consuming CRF-manufactured or processed products. 'CDC also informed us that, sadly, two of these individuals later died, but that Listeria was not the cause of death in either person.' A voluntary recall over 15 products possibly containing listeria was launched in April Customers can throw out the goods or return them to where they were bought and be refunded, according to the company. According to the CDC, 'Listeriosis, a serious infection usually caused by eating food contaminated with the bacterium, is an important public health problem in the United States. 'The disease primarily affects older adults, pregnant women, newborns, and adults with weakened immune systems.' The products being recalled can be found here. Stephanie's mother explained she cannot top up her card alone The 24-year-old was told she did not have enough money on her Myki card A Down syndrome woman was fined $220 fine for not having enough money on her bus pass when she was travelling to a care centre, her mother has claimed. Stephanie Macey was on her way from her home in Lilydale to the centre in March when she was stopped by a ticket officer on board the 685 bus. She was handed a ticket for not having enough money on her myki travel card but reportedly received a fine in the post on Tuesday demanding she pay the council $223. The highest day fare across Public Transport Victoria's buses using a myki card is $6.80. Steph Macey (above) was issued a $223 fine for not having enough money on her bus pass when travelling to a care centre, her mother has claimed The woman's mother, Clare, has since told of her disgust at the incident, labeling it 'despicable'. 'I'm beyond furious. Stephanie has no concept of how to put money on her card, she just knows she has to touch on and off the bus each day,' she told 3AW Radio. 'She very obviously has Down Syndrome. I can understand her but some people have trouble. When she came home she was upset and she handed me a little white ticket that she said a man gave to her.' On Tuesday Miss Macey received a letter in the mail demanding she pay Public Transport Victoria $223. 'It wouldn't have been much, we usually go down every fortnight or three weeks to put money on it. I'll definitely be getting it reviewed,' she said. The 24-year-old was issued a white ticket but received a letter in the post on Tuesday demanding she pay the fine Public Transport Victoria said described the incident as 'unfortunate'. 'This is obviously a disappointing and unnecessary incident. We want everyone to be treated fairly when they use public transport. 'We have spoken to Ms Macey to apologise for the incident and have asked the Department of Economic Development, Jobs, Transport and Resources to proactively investigate. 'Authorised Officers are given a level of discretion to manage situations involving passengers with special needs,' a spokesman said. They confirmed that the standard fine for passengers on public transport who are over 18 and do not have a ticket is $223. Stephanie was travelling on the 685 bus in Lilydale, Victoria (above). Her mother explained she cannot top up her travel card herself Its website states that passengers caught without a valid ticket or myki card will be given the option to pay an on-the-spot $75 fine. If they decline, their details are taken by a ticket officer for further contact. 'An On-the-spot Penalty Fare is an option for passengers caught without a valid ticket. No passenger will be forced to pay an On-the-spot Penalty Fare,' it says. 'The process of taking name and address will continue to be available for passengers who do not wish to pay an On-the-spot Penalty Fare. HELENA Interior Secretary Sally Jewell on Tuesday used Montana's scenic Hauser Lake as a backdrop while urging Congress to permanently reauthorize a key funding source for the country's parks and recreation system. Federal officials have cobbled together a temporary funding extension until Congress can decide whether to rededicate money from oil and gas royalties for the Land and Water Conservation Fund. Jewell made her plea at Devil's Elbow Recreation Area northeast of Helena at an event billed as a kickoff to the summer recreation season. The U.S. Senate has already moved to reinstate funding as part of a broader energy bill, but the House has yet to act. The conservation fund, which was established in 1965, lapsed last year and Congress later extended it for three years. The program is authorized to receive $900 million a year through royalties paid by energy companies that drill offshore for oil and gas, though the actual amount varies from year to year. Jewell was joined by U.S. Sen. Jon Tester, a Montana Democrat, who helped push the reauthorization through the Senate. "Outdoor recreation in Montana is more than a hobby. Quite frankly, it's becoming one of Montana's fastest-growing industries," Tester said on a clear day as a slight wind pushed ripples across Hauser Lake. He called Montana's outdoors the lifeblood of many of the state's communities, supporting some 64,000 jobs. The federal government purchased Devil's Elbow Recreation Area in 1998 from the Montana Power Co. and other private landowners using $600,000 in conservation funds. The pine-dotted landscape now features about 45 campsites and miles of hiking trails across 20,000 acres along the Missouri River and Hauser Lake. The Interior Department recently released $95 million in fund money, nearly $900,000 of it destined for Montana, Jewell said. Over the years, Montana has received some $540 million from the fund to expand recreational opportunities across the state and protect wide expanses of wildlands. Last month, Jewell announced a joint project with the Commerce Department to study how outdoor recreation contributes to the nation's economy. Her office estimated that $5.8 billion is pumped into Montana's economy every year by the outdoor recreation industry. In a recent speech, she said natural areas are disappearing at an alarming rate, particularly in the West. Immediately after her stop in Helena, Jewell headed for the Blackfeet Reservation in Browning to meet with tribal leaders about a land buy-back program. Montana Republicans and those connected with the state's coal industry had urged Jewell to visit communities they say could be devastated by a prolonged moratorium on new coal leases, but the secretary said it was not part of her itinerary this time. She asserted that the moratorium won't harm the state's economy because current leases won't disrupt the coal industry's viability for at least two decades. "There's 20 years of supply right now under lease in Montana," she said. "So this pause on the leasing ... will have no impact on coal jobs or coal mines staying open or power plants continuing to operate. I want to make that clear." Tester said he and Jewell met for an hour with unions, some of which Tester's staff said have a stake in coal jobs, to talk about issues and challenges in the region. Almost eight decades after two brothers were separated during the Holocaust, their families have reunited from opposite sides of the world. Abram Belz's younger brother Chaim Belhitzky escaped into the Soviet Union from Poland in 1939 and he never saw him again. Their mother had begged both her sons to save themselves, but as the older sibling, Belz remained with his family. Their entire family had been forced into the Piotrkow Trybunalski ghetto along with thousands of other Polish Jews that year. Although the pair never stopped looking for each other, neither lived to see their families reconnect after 77 years last month. Almost eight decades after two brothers Abram Belz (left) and Chaim Belhitzky (right) were separated during the Holocaust, their families have reunited from opposite sides of the world The reunion was orchestrated by Belz's granddaughter Jess Katz, who did some digging online and used genealogy site JewishGen.org to find her relatives. And on April 20, the families of the two brothers one in New Jersey and the other in Russia were in tears as they spoke on Skype for the first time. 'I used to stare into my grandpa's deep blue eyes and wonder about the kind of pain and suffering he must have seen,' Katz wrote in a blog post. 'His wrinkled eyes would instantly become those of a 19-year-old boy as he cried to me and told me about his parents who were gassed to death, his sister who was killed in the ghetto and his brother who escaped to Russia and was never found again.' Katz said she knew from a young age that her grandfather had survived the Holocaust because of his tattoo - a number marked on the arms of those in concentration camps for identification purposes. 'I always knew he was a Holocaust survivor from the time I was very little because I would ask my parents why he had a blue tattoo on his arm,' she told Daily Mail Online. On April 20, the families of the two brothers one in New Jersey and the other in Russia were in tears as they spoke on Skype for the first time Jess Katz (pictured with her grandfather Abram Belz) said he never stopped searching for his brother She explained that her grandfather had tried to protect her by not speaking about it. 'It was very difficult for him to speak about it and I think because I was his granddaughter, he tried to protect me from it. 'One thing my grandpa did tell me quite often as I got older is that the Nazis killed his parents and his sister and he never found his brother. He would cry as he told me this. 'He once said "You don't need to know what happened to my family, but you should know."' The family knew that Chaim had made it to the Soviet Union, after fleeing the ghetto, Washington Post reports because he sent letters. But then the letters stopped coming. Belz had remained in the ghetto in Nazi-occupied Poland with more than 60 relatives but by the war's end, he and one of his cousins were the only survivors, according to the Post. He described what happened after his brother escape in his own words for a testimonial for Steven Spielberg's USC Shoah Foundation Project. 'Less than a year after we moved into the ghetto, my grandfather dropped dead in the house,' he said. 'Two weeks later, my 24-year-old sister died of tuberculosis. My uncle who was 26 years old was shot, his wife and baby were sent to Treblinka where they were gassed to death by the Nazis. My uncle who was 26 years old was shot, his wife and baby were sent to Treblinka where they were gassed to death by the Nazis. The rest of my family was exterminated. My parents were sent to Treblinka and were killed in the gas chambers Abram Belz, in a 1990 testimonial 'The rest of my family was exterminated. My parents were sent to Treblinka and were killed in the gas chambers.' Belz was liberated from the Mauthausen-Gusen concentration camp in 1945, he relocated to a refugee camp in Italy. He eventually immigrated to the United States in 1950 and settled in Brooklyn, New York, which is when he changed his surname from Belzycki. Then, he began his quest to find out the fate of his lost brother. He wrote to the Polish government and sought help from organizations that aimed to reunite Holocaust survivors with their families to no avail. 'I can't find out anything about my brother who escaped to Russia,' Belz said in his 1990 testimonial. 'My daughter wrote all kinds of letters to try to find him. We can't find him.' But despite Belz spending decades searching for his long-lost brother, it took his granddaughter, who works for a software company in New York City, just two weeks to find their long-lost relatives. 'I always knew that my grandpa and my mom were searching for Chaim,' she told Daily Mail Online. 'I watched my mom write letter after letter, and receive responses from all over the world, always saying the same thing, that Chaim couldn't be found. 'She would often say that he probably didn't make it, but she needed to keep hope alive on the off-chance that he did survive. 'The reason I was able to find our family is because my mom and my grandpa both never gave up hope that Chaim could have survived.' She sent messages to genealogy groups on Facebook and Russian Jewish forums asking for advice on how to find out more about her great uncle. 'I used Google Translate for everything because I don't speak one word of Russian,' she said. 'I woke up to an email in Hebrew from a woman who told me that she thinks she found my Great Uncle's son. I was in complete disbelief.' Katz did some social media digging and using genealogy sites, found Chaim Belhitzky's son Evgeny Belzhitsky (pictured with his family) Abram Belz helped his younger brother escape into the Soviet Union from Poland in 1939 and never saw him again. Pictured, left, Belz, and right, Belhitzky, both at age 32 'In a few hours we found more than we ever knew in 70 years of searching,' she told ABC News. Chaim Belhitzky died of a brain tumor at 51 in 1970, but Katz tracked down his son Evgeny Belzhitsky. She said that one of the reasons it was so difficult to find him was because he had changed his first name to Nikolai 'since it was extremely difficult to be a Jew in Russia during those years.' 'We Skyped with Eugene and his family - it was an experience I will never forget. 'We sat and told stories, we cried, we shared pictures. We cannot believe that we found each other. I used to stare into my grandpa's deep blue eyes and wonder about the kind of pain and suffering he must have seen Belz's granddaughter Jess Katz 'It's such a painful heartbreak that they were both alive and never found one another after the war.' 'I don't even know if there are words to describe it, this was all he wanted, he just wanted to know that his brother survived,' Katz, 25, added. Now, they know that not only did Chaim Belhitzky survive the Holocaust, but he settled and had a family in Sakhalin Island, Russia. Belz died in 2011 at the age of 95 without knowing what became of his brother but his family now know the pair, separated by thousands of miles, lived parallel lives. Both became successful tailors, both became doting father to their children and both never stopped looking for the other. Now that the families have found each other again, they speak daily and are hoping to arrange a visit as soon as possible. It's particularly bittersweet that the reunion comes just before the anniversary of Belz' liberation from Mauthausen May 5 - and the beginning of his search for his brother. The date, this year, also coincides with Holocaust Remembrance Day. The retirement savings of 134,000 steel workers are at risk despite two rescue bids being made for Tata Steel's plants. Fears for the future of the British Steel pension scheme are growing after bidders for Tata's UK business failed to agree to take it on. As a deadline for the sale passed yesterday, two big names had signalled their intent to buy Tata and its plant in Port Talbot, South Wales. The retirement savings of 134,000 steel workers are at risk after two potential rescue bids for Tata Steel said they did not want the burden of its pension scheme. It currently has a 485m black hole But the Mail understands that neither wants the burden of the pension scheme, which has a 485m black hole. The British Steel pension, which is the responsibility of Tata, has 134,000 members. Anyone taking it on would have to pay off the debt and make regular contributions, which will jump from 35million to 60million next year. Such large sums make a rescue of the loss making business financially impossible. It is feared this could force the pension into the Pension Protection Fund, a lifeboat for savers if the Government cannot bail it out. Independent pension consultant John Ralfe said: 'It is no surprise that companies do not want to take the on British Steel pension. 'Potential purchasers are interested in Tata's underlying steel making business, which is struggling to make a profit. They certainly don't want to take on one of the UK's largest pension schemes.' The Government said last night that it recognises that the pension is a challenge and it is looking at various options of support. Just last week the BHS pension scheme, which has 20,000 savers and a black hole of 571m was passed on to the Pension Protection Scheme. This could see many BHS store workers seeing their pension reduced by 10 per cent. Last month Tata's Port Talbot steel plant was put up for sale when the firm decided to pull out of the UK altogether after rejecting a 100m rescue plan because it was 'unaffordable'. Up to 7,000 staff and contractors at the site will lose their jobs if a buyer cannot be found. Bids for the Tata's business have been submitted by Liberty House, run by tycoon Sanjeev Gupta, and a management consortium backed by a Welsh billionaire. Up to 7,000 staff and contractors at the site on Port Talbot will lose their jobs if a buyer cannot be found Liberty is being supported by a panel of financial advisers led by international investment bankers, Macquarie Capital, with the State Bank of India Capital Markets. The proposed management buyout, under the name of Excalibur Steel, is led by Port Talbot boss Stuart Wilkie and backed by Welsh billionaire Sir Terry Matthews' Canadian investment firm Wesley Clover. Mr Wilkie said: 'It was only two weeks ago we made the decision to pursue a buy-out that enables the management and staff to take a stake in the ownership and operation of a strategic British industry. 'We believe we have a large number of the pieces in place required to make this a success, including a management team with vast experience of steel making and processing. A man captured on video vandalising a Melbourne train carriage is wanted by police as part of a crackdown on graffiti that has already seen 50 people charged. CCTV footage shows the man in a black singlet tagging the walls of an empty carriage with a marker in four different places. The man, who was travelling on the Glen Waverley line, first tags the carriage near his seat before calmly getting up and writing on the walls at the end of the carriage. Scroll down for video Police have charged fifty people in a crackdown on graffiti of Melbourne trains CCTV footage from one incident shows a man tagging the walls of an empty carriage four times The video, which was recorded on September 24 last year, was released by Victoria Police as part of 'Operation Deep Clean', a crackdown on the graffiti of Melbourne's trains which has seen 50 people charged and fined. The 50 vandals charged were behind more than 145 incidents, Victoria Police said. In one case, a 38-year-old man is facing more than 60 charges, including charges of criminal damage and possession of graffiti implements. 'At the lower end of the scale we are seeing young offenders writing their names on the inside walls of trains,' Acting Superintendent Karl Curran said. 'In other instances vandals have scrawled their "graffiti tag" multiple times across many areas.' Police used CCTV footage from Metro Trains' security and surveillance unit to identify and track offenders. Victoria Police released CCTV footage of the incident as part of 'Operation Deep Clean' After tagging near his seat, the man calmly gets up and writes on the walls at the end of the carriage Police have said the 50 vandals that were charged were behind more than 145 incidents Mr Curran said graffiti was a 'gateway crime' and had to be stamped out early. 'Vandals can end up turning to more serious crimes such as assault, robbery and aggravated burglary,' he said. 'It is crucial that we can catch them at the start of their offending to try and break the cycle. 'On top of that they cause a great safety risk to themselves and others by getting on the back of moving trains and interfering with operating equipment.' The police operation with Metro Trains was ongoing. 'It's all about, keeping our trains clean, deterring offenders and for commuters to feel safe on public transport,' Mr Curran said. 'Our message to vandals is ... you are endangering yourself and others. Metro will see you and we will find you.' Earlier this year a masked gang stunned passengers on a Melbourne train after they locked them inside and then painted a huge 'graffiti bomb' on the train's exterior The uncle of a 25-year-old Sydney based Chinese international student who was found dead in a blowhole with stab wounds will plead not guilty to her murder. Derek Barrett, 27, is accused of stabbing his niece Mengmei Leng, also known as Michelle, to death and dumping her body in a blowhole at Snapper Point on the Central Coast in NSW last month. His lawyer Bill Whitby told Burwood Local Court on Wednesday that Barrett would be pleading not guilty and he was shocked and upset over her death, according to the ABC. Scroll down for video Derek Barrett, 27, (left) is accused of stabbing his niece Mengmei Leng (right) to death and dumping her body in a blowhole at Snapper Point on the Central Coast in NSW last month Police believe Mengmei Leng was murdered inside her family home at Campsie, south-west of Sydney. An autopsy revealed she tried to fight off her attacker and suffered a number of stab wounds Friends and family of Ms Leng were in the packed courtroom but Barrett was not required to attend and will appear on June 29. Ms Leng's mother has travelled from China with relatives after news of her daughter's murder. Barrett, who is married to Ms Leng's aunt, was charged over the 25-year-old student's murder after police released CCTV footage of her last shopping trip in Sydney's CBD on April 21. The footage showed her shopping in Pitt Street Mall before boarding a train at St James Station and getting of at Campsie in Sydney's south-west. Police believe Ms Leng returned to her family home in Campsie on the Thursday afternoon where she lived with her uncle, aunt and cousin. She was allegedly murdered inside the home. Barrett, who is married to Ms Leng's aunt, was charged with over the 25-year-old student's murder after police released CCTV footage of her last shopping trip in Sydney's CBD on April 21 Ms Leng appears to have visited the where her body was found in the past as she posted a photo to her Instagram account of the exact same blowhole almost three years ago on June 13, 2013 The 25-year-old, who is originally from China, is a University of Technology Sydney graduate who studied economics and hospitality business management Police released CCTV footage to track Ms Leng's last movements, which showed her shopping in Pitt Street Mall before boarding a train at St James Station and getting of at Campsie in Sydney's south-west An autopsy revealed Ms Leng attempted to fight off her attacker and suffered a number of defensive wounds, as well as over 30 stabbing blows. It is believed CCTV footage captured a car entering Lake Munmorah national park around 7am on Sunday. Police will allege Ms Lengs body was inside the car. Barrett, a former IT worker, was unemployed at the time of the murder. Police will allege that he stabbed Ms Leng more than 30 times and are awaiting further forensic results. An autopsy revealed Ms Leng attempted to fight off her attacker and suffered a number of defensive wounds, as well as over 30 stabbing blows The 25-year-old, who is originally from China, is a University of Technology Sydney graduate Security footage showed Ms Leng shopping in Sydney's Pitt Street Mall on the Thursday before her body was found Barrett did not apply for bail after he was arrested. He wore a blue forensic jumpsuit and did not speak nor show any emotion throughout the hearing via video link last month, according to The Daily Telegraph. Ms Leng appears to have visited the site of her alleged murder in the past, as she posted a photo to her Instagram account of the exact same blowhole almost three years ago on June 13, 2013. The 25-year-old, who is originally from China, is a University of Technology Sydney graduate who studied economics and hospitality business management. Ms Leng was living with her aunt and uncle at Campsie and had been living in Australia for five years. Her mother and brother live in China. Animal control said it is up to the couple if they want to have Boss killed A 150lb pig named Boss has attacked and seriously injured a man less than two hours after mauling his wife at their Massachusetts farm. Shannon Hernandez was attacked when she tried to corral the boar into his pen on her ranch - but she managed to escape and call for help. After her husband Jose had visited her in hospital, he returned to the farm only to be attacked by Boss himself, suffering severe lacerations to his arm, Fox25 reported. The boar named Boss attacked the farming couple when they attempted to move it back into its pen The 150lb pig mauled Shannon Hernandez, before less than two hours later attacking her husband Jose Townsend Police Chief Robert Eaton Junior said his department was investigating 'two very unfortunate farm incidents' in the town, which is located about 50 miles northwest of Boston. Police and emergency responders said they were called to the farm Tuesday evening for a report of an injured woman. When they arrived they found Mrs Hernandez with lacerations on her body from the attack. She was taken to a hospital for further treatment. Less than two hours later, rescuers were called to the same location for a report of Mr Hernandez, 50, who had received more serious injuries from the same animal. Police said a medical helicopter was requested, but could not fly due to weather conditions. Mr Hernandez was taken to a hospital with life-threatening injuries. The animal, an adult boar, or male pig, was quarantined pending further evaluation on Wednesday by the Massachusetts Department of Agriculture, State Veterinarian, Animal Rescue League and Townsend Animal Control. 'We will be working closely with our partners in the animal control and veterinary world to determine the best course of action,' Eaton said. It was unclear why the pig attacked the couple, though Mrs Hernandez said the decision on whether or not to put down the animal had been left up to her. Shocking images of a woman who was allegedly punched by her son in the backseat of a car before running into the bush where they were caught by police have emerged. The 55-year-old is understood to have been travelling in the backseat of a car in Carrara, Queensland, when a police officer on a motorbike reportedly saw her being beaten. She is said to have fled the vehicle with a 33-year-old man believed to be her son and a 30-year-old woman. A woman has been taken in to police custody after allegedly being punched by son in the face and running in to the bush where police had to use a helicopter to track her down Gold Coast Police used a helicopter to trace the three people who are now in their custody and 'assisting' with inquiries. A spokesman for Queensland Police Service confirmed none had been arrested but were that the man and younger women were assisting with inquiries. 'Around 10.30am police signaled for a vehicle to stop after sighting a man allegedly physically assaulting a female passenger. 'The vehicle failed to comply with police direction and drove away. 'Police located the vehicle in a nearby street where police arrested a 33-year-old male driver, a 30-year-old woman and a 55-year-old woman who had sustained minor injuries to her arms and face. 'The 55-year-old woman was transported to hospital for treatment of non-life threatening injuries. The woman was placed in handcuffs and taken into custody on Wednesday 'The 33-year-old male driver and a 30-year-old woman are assisting police with their enquiries.' A woman who is thought to have been travelling in the front seat of the car was also seen being taken in to custody at the scene on Wednesday morning. The force used one of its two Polair helicopters to track down the woman after she ran in to the bush when officers first attempted to stop their car. She was seen emerging later with blood smeared across her face, flanked by two officers and wearing handcuffs. Another woman, believed to have been travelling in the front seat of the car, was also taken in to custody A young cook, 22, dubbed the '10-second rapist' had his jail sentence cut by a year after the Court of Appeal found his punishment was 'manifestly excessive'. The man, from Chile, was initially given a five-year prison term with a non-parole period of three years for two counts of rape that happened at housewarming party in Melbourne in May 2013. The female victim, who he had never met, was sleeping in a bed at the Brunswick East house where she was naked from the waist down. The young cook's victim, who he had never met, was sleeping in a bed at the Brunswick East house in Melbourne when the attack was carried out. Above is a stock image He lay down beside her and started touching her before he raped her in an attack that happened over about 10 seconds. The man, who had moved to Australia to take part in a chef's training course at the William Angliss Institute on scholarship, stopped when the woman woke up and looked at him. He had his non-parole period reduced to two years by Justices Robert Osborn and Phillip Priest last month in Victoria's Court of Appeal. As a consequence of the incident, the man lost his job, had his visa revoked and was sent to the Christmas Island detention centre where he was held for four months. When he handed down his sentence, Justice Osborn said the man's sentence was 'manifestly excessive' because the offender was young, the duration of the rape was 'brief' and he had to end his studies at which he had 'excelled'. He had his non-parole period reduced to two years from three years by Justices Robert Osborn and Phillip Priest last month in Victoria's Court of Appeal The judge added the man's imprisonment would isolate him from his family back in Chile. His attack on his victim was described the rape as 'opportunistic' by the trial judge Philip Misso in 2015. 'You nonetheless set upon a young woman who was asleep in bed and proceeded to take advantage of the fact that she was asleep, and partially naked, to obtain sexual gratification,' Judge Misso said. 'You must have known that she was asleep. You must have known that she could not be consenting to any level of sexual activity whilst in that state.' The man had moved from Chile to Australia in 2012 to improve his English language skills and to obtain qualifications as a chef. Initially he lived with a Chilean family for about six months before he moved to a share house with other students. Melb. cigarettes more than $7 more expensive than New York, London Smokes in Sydney ($AUD22.54) are double the price of Paris ($10.13) Tobacco Atlas figures said only Norway has pricier cigarette packs Australia is already among the most expensive countries in the world Federal Budget 2016 tax hikes will see $40 cigarette packets likely It's already among the most expensive places in the world to buy a pack of cigarettes, according to experts. And Australians are going to have to fork out more than ever for smokes, with prices set to soar past $40 per pack by 2020 after Budget tax changes. Cigarette makers fumed and public health advocates celebrated on Tuesday evening as Treasurer Scott Morrison announced he will hike the tobacco excise by 12.5 per cent each year for the next four years. 'This means Australia has the highest excise regime in the world,' claimed Andrew Gregson, the head of legal and corporate affairs for Imperial American Tobacco. But how do Australia's cigarette prices stack up against other countries? From $24.58 for a Marlboro pack in Melbourne to $1.80 in Moscow, this is how much cigarette packs cost around the world, according to a Deutsche Bank report released last year Federal Treasurer Scott Morrison announced he would lift the tobacco excise by 12.5 per cent a year for four years until 2020, which experts said would lift prices to up to $40AUD The cost of a typical packet of Marlboro cigarettes varies dramatically and does not just hinge on excise A 2015 Deutsche Bank survey found a Marlboro pack in Melbourne ($24.58AUD) or Sydney ($22.54) was double the price of those in Paris ($10.13) or Ottawa (11.59). The study, named Mapping The World's Prices, found Australian smoke packets were nearly $7 more expensive than similar packs in London ($17.79) or New York ($17.32). And the prices were astronomical compared to the dirt cheap products on offer in Beijing, China ($4.34), Cape Town, South Africa ($3.74) or Jakarta, Indonesia ($1.80). AUSTRALIA'S 'MOST EXPENSIVE' CIGARETTE RANKINGS * Sydney and Melbourne the most expensive cities for smokes in a Deutsch Bank 2015 survey * Second place in the Tobacco Atlas 2012 rankings of price per pack (USD) * Fourth least affordable in the 2011 Big Mac Index of Cigarette Affordability Public health expert Simon Chapman, an Emeritus Professor at Sydney University, said Australia is 'definitely' already one of the world's most expensive countries for cigarette packets. There are few up-to-date figures of which country is the world's most expensive, but 2012 Tobacco Atlas figures placed Australia second to Norway. Prof. Chapman said the $40AUD tax hike could possibly see Australia 'pushing out in front of that as well'. Other Tobacco Atlas 2012 measurements listed Australia as the sixth most expensive country when relative income was factored in, behind Belize, the U.K, Ireland, New Zealand and Singapore. Sydney University tobacco control researcher Becky Freeman said: 'Affordability is important to consider, which is generally measured in the average number of minutes you'd need to work to be able to purchase a pack of cigarettes. 'Again, there are countries/jurisdictions that are in front of Australia.' Cigarettes in Sydney (pictured) were the second most expensive in the Deutsche Bank survey at $22.54 Smokes in London were some $7 below the Australian cost in 2015, figures said Smokes in New York City cost $17.32AUD, according to the 2015 'Mapping The World's Prices' index Mr Morrison and public health lobbyists have cheered the tax measure as being good for Australians' health. Cancer Council CEO Professor Sanchia Aranda said it will save lives. 'The increase in tobacco tax alone will translate to tens of thousands of cancer deaths avoided,' Prof. Aranda said. She claimed the increases will lead to up to 320,000 smokers quit and 40,000 teenagers deterred from taking up smoking. In a statement, Imperial Tobacco Australia said it was 'justifiably furious' about the tax hike, accusing Mr Morrison of going back on his word. 'The government needs to stop treating Australia's three million plus smokers like second-class citizens, said Andrew Gregson, the company's head of legal and corporate affairs. He urged the government to respect people's rights to 'buy a legal product'and said smokers would be furious. The plan will kill millions of carp by infecting them with herpes virus The man who threatened to kill Johnny Depp's pet dogs has now backed a move to kill millions of carp fish by infecting them with herpes. Dubbed 'Carpageddon' and backed by Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce, the latest plan to control the carp fish - an introduced species in Australia - will use the herpes virus to eradicate millions of predatory fish. The National Carp Control Plan will cost $15 million to spread the virus through the aggressive common carp, introduced to Australia in the mid-1800s. The Invasive Animals Cooperative Research Centre released a shocking image on Wednesday that shows the Menindee Lakes, near Broken Hill in New South Wales, infested with common carp. It has brought Agriculture Minister Barnaby Joyce another brush with notoriety after his threat last year to put down Hollywood star Depp's dogs after he and wife Amber Heard breached Australia's quarantine laws. An undated handout photo (pictured) received from the Invasive Animals Cooperative Research Centre on May 4, 2016 shows juvenile common carp in the Menindee Lakes in New South Wales The National Carp Control Plan will cost $15 million to spread the virus through the aggressive common carp, introduced to Australia in the mid-1800s A pile of dead carp at Lake Bonney in South Australia Joyce strutted and yelled in an extraordinary show in parliament on Monday when he reported the carp scheme to members. In a booming rasp, the red-faced Joyce branded the fish 'disgusting mud-sucking creatures', and kept shouting 'CAAARP' and 'venereal disease' to the amusement of some MPs. 'Carp are the worst freshwater aquatic pest in Australia,' he said in a statement, estimating the cost to the economy at Aus$500 million a year. 'Current control measures, including trapping, commercial fishing and exclusion, are expensive and largely ineffective at controlling carp over large areas or for any length of time.' But the virus developed in Israel had worked elsewhere. 'We've seen in lakes, in Japan, lakes that are multiple times the size of Sydney Harbour, we've lost 70 percent of the European carp in two weeks,' Joyce said. According to Science Minister Christopher Pyne, who came up with 'Carpageddon', the virus has no impact on humans and is carp specific. 'Suddenly, there will be literally hundreds of thousands, if not millions of tonnes of carp that will be dead in the River Murray,' Pyne said. According to Science Minister Christopher Pyne, who came up with 'Carpageddon', the virus has no impact on humans and is carp specific In a booming rasp, the red-faced Joyce branded the fish 'disgusting mud-sucking creatures' on Monday, and kept shouting 'CAAARP' and 'venereal disease' to the amusement of some MPs in Parliament Carp account for 80-90 percent of the fish biomass in southeastern Australia's Murray-Darling river system. The plan hopes to wipe out 95 percent of them over 30 years and allow native species such as silver perch and Murray cod to thrive. The virus attacks the carp's kidneys, skin, gills and stops them breathing. 'They have the virus for a week before they show any symptoms and it suddenly kills them within 24 hours,' said Pyne. Carp have spread across Australia, except the Northern Territory. Agricultural Minister Barnaby Joyce threatened in 2015 to put down Hollywood star Johnny Depp's dogs after he and wife Amber Heard breached Australia's quarantine laws A lawsuit filed on Monday alleges that a group of seven women were kicked out of Urth Caffe, a coffee house in Laguna Beach, California, last month because they were Muslim. The women, six of whom wear the headscarf, allege that management had asked them to vacate their table on April 22 on grounds that the restaurant was busy and that the policy limited seating to 45 minutes when no free tables are available. When the women refused to leave, the coffee house called in the police. Scroll down for video A lawsuit filed Monday alleges that a group of seven women were kicked out of Urth Caffe, a coffee house in Laguna Beach, California, last month because they were Muslim Plaintiff Sara Farsakh (seen left and right) has said: 'What began as a night out with some friends ended as a painful and embarrassing reminder of what it is like to be visibly Muslimeven in liberal California' Plaintiff Sara Farsakh wrote on Facebook last month: 'What began as a night out with some friends ended as a painful and embarrassing reminder of what it is like to be visibly Muslimeven in liberal California. 'By visibly Muslim, I mean women who wear the hijab, or headscarf.' She also posted a video to Facebook, apparently showing empty tables at the coffee house. In a press release on Farsakh's profile, the other plaintiffs were identified as Soondus Ahmed, Rawan Hamdan, Sara C., Yumna H., Safa R. and Marwa R. Dan Stormer, whose law firm is representing the women, told AFP that it was clear his clients were targeted because of their religion. 'At the time our clients were there, there were several dozen free tables,' he said. 'There were people who were there before our clients arrived and they were not asked to leave. 'Those people were white and they were not wearing the hijab.' Farsakh posted this image on Facebook last month, which allegedly shows Urth Caffe's seating policy Farsakh also posted a video to Facebook, apparently showing empty tables at the coffee house. The incident at Urth Caffe allegedly happened on April 22 Urth Caffe said in a April 26 Facebook post: 'Urth Caffe categorically denies any and all claims of racial or religious discrimination against Sara Farsakh. 'While a full investigation is still on-going, it appears that Ms. Farsakh and her friends violated company policies and that the staff at Urth Caffe in Laguna properly and justifiably applied company procedures.' The statement said: 'Urth Caffe sincerely hopes that its customers will withhold judgment until all of the evidence in this case comes to light. Urth Caffe published this statement on its Facebook page last month Restaurant owner Shallom Berkman (pictured) has denied discriminating against the women and pointed out that his wife was Muslim 'Once the evidence is fully revealed, Urth believes that everyone will be satisfied that Urth Caffe continues to serve all of its guests with the same respect and admiration.' In interviews with local media, the owner of the restaurant, Shallom Berkman, denied discriminating against the women and pointed out that his wife was Muslim. Other patrons were waiting in line, he told KABC last month. Berkman told the TV station: 'We're very sorry that [Farsakh] has this feeling that this was something racist, but that is just not the case.' Voters shot down levies that would have raised taxes for School District 2 high schools and elementary schools, according to preliminary results released Tuesday night. "I think it was really solid," SD 2 Superintendent Terry Bouck said Tuesday evening of the levy design. "I think we need to take a look at things and then move forward." About 51.5 percent of voters rejected the elementary levy, and about 52.2 percent of voters shot down the high school levy. Overall, more than 35,000 ballots were cast a turnout of more than 60 percent. The elementary levy would have reduced class sizes by providing more aides, added math as reading intervention teachers and expanded gifted and talented and STEM resources. The high school levy would have added Advanced Placement and Dual Credit classes, expanded resources for struggling students, reduced class sizes and bolstered professional development and textbooks for expanding programs. Ten new teacher aides would have been hired, plus 22.5 teacher positions and two mental health professionals. "It obviously is disappointing," said Luke Kobold, who co-chairs Yes For Kids, a pro-levy group. "I thought we had momentum." Bouck said that levy passage is built in to the district's strategic plan. "Now we have to step back," he said. He emphasized that no existing services will be cut because of the vote. He and Kobold complimented pro-levy organizers. "This was a tall ask in a very short amount of time," Kobold said. He and Bouck said that voters could be better educated about Montana school funding, which sets a local and state funded minimum budget and sets a maximum budget that requires local tax increases to reach. "I think that some people understand that pretty well, I think some don't understand that, and I think that some are angry about it," Bouck said. About 300 provisional ballots were rejected because of signature issues that could be resolved by the individual voters tomorrow. However, the ballots could not affect results. Several independent elementary districts also offered levies. According to preliminary results: A $56,000 Canyon Creek school district levy offered for the purpose of paying for an additional teaching position, with leftover funds going towards other day-to-day costs failed. A $50,000 Blue Creek school district levy offered for the purpose of helping retain educators, maintaining current class sizes and promoting educator training and curriculum development passed. A $50,000 Elder Grove school district levy offered for the purpose of upgrading current facilities and technology and purchasing land for future expansion failed. A $75,000 Independent school district levy offered for the purpose of purchasing additional land for future expansion of current facilities or a new facility failed. A $16,680 Pioneer school district levy to support the general fund failed. The Philippines is set to have its first ever transgender lawmaker in its lower house elections on Monday. Geraldine Roman blowed kisses to the crowd and serenaded them with a love song as she proudly campaigned in the mainly Catholic Philippines. If the 49-year-old candidate wins, it would be a remarkable breakthrough for the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community. Conservative church dogma is a dominant force in Philippine politics: divorce, abortion and same-sex marriage are illegal, while there are no openly gay politicians at the national level and an LGBT party has long struggled for influence. Legislator candidate Geraldine Roman (in yellow) shakes hands with voters during a campaign trip to the town of Orani, Bataan province, north of Manila Roman has been mocked and abused on the campaign trail in recent weeks but, after living as a woman for more than two decades, she refuses to be cowed. 'My life has not been a secret,' Roman told AFP in a rare interview after a day of campaigning in Bataan, a rural province just north of Manila where her mother has served as congresswoman for nine years and the family holds immense political sway. 'I grew up here. People know me. (Gender) only becomes an issue when you try to keep it a secret. It's nothing bad. I never hurt anyone in the process. I'm so happy so why should I be ashamed?' Roman said she grew up being teased by classmates but her late father, a powerful politician, taught her to be confident. She speaks three European languages, holds two master's degrees and worked in Spain as senior editor of the Spanish News Agency, before returning four years ago to care for her ailing father. Roman underwent sex realignment surgery, and legally changed her name and gender, in the 1990s. She has been involved in a relationship with a man for the past 18 years. Geraldine Roman is proudly campaigning to be the first transgender lawmaker in the mainly Catholic Philippines Roman hopes winning on Monday will help in the fight for gender equality. 'My loyalty is to the first district of Bataan,' she said. 'But that somebody of my condition is going to enter Congress for the first time is a statement that even transgender people can serve our country and should not be discriminated against.' It will be a long battle. On the most basic front, a law was passed in 2001 making it impossible for transgender Filipinos to change their name and sex. In 2010, the election commission also barred the Ang Ladlad party, which represents the LGBT community, from contesting the polls, accusing it of 'immorality which offends religious beliefs'. The Supreme Court overturned the commission's ruling, but Ang Ladlad failed to win a seat in Congress in the past two elections. Roman belongs to current President Benigno Aquino's ruling Liberal Party. Roman said, if elected, she intended to back an anti-discrimination bill that has been languishing for 16 years that would give the LGBT community rights, such as equal treatment in the workplace, hotels and schools. She will also campaign to make changing gender legal. Transgender legislator candidate Geraldine Roman (in yellow) speaks three European languages, holds two master's degrees and worked in Spain as senior editor of the Spanish News Agency, before returning four years ago to care for her ailing father 'I am living proof that such a law will allow transgender people to pursue happiness and become productive citizens,' she said. Still, the soft-spoken and refined candidate emphasised she did not want to make gender the centrepiece of her political career. Roman outlined her plans for the people of Bataan if elected as their congresswoman, including continuing the medical assistance and scholarships her family has been providing for three generations. Her socio-economic platform also includes providing modern equipment for public hospitals and expanding Bataan's road network. Roman is widely expected to win on Monday, largely on the back of her family's entrenched power in the province. She is running for Congress to continue her family's rule, because her mother has to stand down after serving the maximum of three terms. On the streets of Orani, a small city where Roman lives and she was campaigning on the weekend, farmer Bern Salenga said he would vote for her because she promises to follow her parents' tradition of helping the poor. 'She is also a human being. We all have rights. It's not an issue to me that she is transgender,' Salenga, 49, told AFP. The LGBT community is under no illusion that Roman's expected success next week is because of her family -- such dynasties dominate Philippine politics from the local to the national level. However Roman is also being seen as a powerful voice for a group that has long been marginalised and struggled to have its concerns addressed by national lawmakers. 'Even if she's just one, she will create noise,' Anastacio Marasigan, spokesperson of the Lesbian and Gay Legislative Advocacy Network, told AFP. 'That will help us in mainstreaming or highlighting issues often ignored, like HIV and sexual violence.' An Australian scientist described as 'brilliant' for his work in combating Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and other diseases has been sentenced to six-and-a-half years' prison in New York for child pornography offences. Dr Matthew Hynd, 40, formerly of Mundah, Queensland, was living a double life. Professionally, he was a highly regarded scientist and professor at New York's SUNY Albany Colleges of Nanoscale Science and Engineering. Matthew Hynd has been sentenced to six-and-a-half years' prison forchild pornography offences The Australian scientist was working at New York's SUNY Albany Colleges of Nanoscale Science and Engineering (pictured) when his offending was exposed Hynd's lawyer Gene Primomo told the US District Court the Australian was 'on the cutting edge of cerebral implants being developed to deliver medicines to combat diseases such as epilepsy, Parkinson's and Alzheimer diseases'. His secret life was exposed in 2010 after the discovery of two laptops when the FBI executed a search warrant on his New York home. One laptop had 'several hundred' deleted image files containing child pornography that were later recovered and the other had more than 900 images of child pornography. Hynd had recreationally used methamphetamine on weekends, but this increased to 'full blown addiction', Mr Primomo said. 'It was during this period that Matt began to download and view child pornography,' the lawyer told Judge Mae D'Agostino. An FBI investigation uncovered his offending US prosecutors told a different story, describing Hynd as manipulative and attempting to falsely blame a friend for the child pornography. Three days after the search warrant was executed, Hynd bought an airline ticket to fly from New York to Casablanca, Morocco, and the next day he boarded the flight. He left his job in Albany without providing notice to his employer and prosecutors said flight records showed Hynd 'travelled around the world before landing in Australia, where he is a citizen'. Hynd was indicted in the US in 2012, extradited from Australia in August 2015, and entered guilty pleas to distribution and possession of child pornography charges. The charges carry a minimum sentence of five years and maximum of 20 years. At Tuesday's sentencing in Albany, Hynd asked for the minimum, while prosecutors recommended between 12.5 and 15 years. Judge D'Agostino ordered Hynd also serve a lifetime term of supervised release after he leaves jail and to pay $US1000 in restitution to one of his child pornography victims. Hynd will be deported to Australia once he has served his sentence. Muslim militants have threatened to kill three more hostages in their jungle base in the southern Philippines more than a week after beheading a Canadian man when their multi-million-dollar ransom demands were not met. In a video circulated by the SITE Intelligence Group, which monitors jihadi websites, the captives from Canada, Norway and the Philippines pleaded for the Canadian and Philippine governments to heed the Abu Sayyaf terror group's demand. Six heavily armed fighters stood behind the hostages, who were made to sit in a clearing and spoke briefly before a camera. A black flag hung in the backdrop of banana trees and lush foliage. Scroll down for video Muslim militants have released a new video (above) threatening to kill three more hostages a week after beheading a Canadian man when their multi-million-dollar ransom demands were not met. The captives from Canada, Norway and the Philippines pleaded for governments to heed the Abu Sayyaf terror group's demand Norwegian hostage Kjartan Sekkingstad said that if the demand was not met, 'we will be executed like our friend John.' The militants beheaded John Ridsdel on April 25 in the southern Philippine province of Sulu, an impoverished Muslim province in the south of the largely Roman Catholic country after they failed to get a ransom of 300 million pesos ($6.3 million). Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau condemned the killing but vowed not to give in to the kidnappers' ransom demands. Following the beheading, the Philippine military launched an offensive, which security officials believe have killed more than a dozen gunmen so far. A screenshot taken from the beheading video shows Canadian John Ridsdel sitting while his captors stand around him. The 68-year-old was killed late last month after the group's ransom demands were not met Canadian captive Robert Hall asked the Philippine government to 'please stop shooting at us and trying to kill us. They're gonna do a good job at that.' He asked his government to heed the militants' demand. Holding back tears, Filipino Marites Flor asked several officials and prominent Philippine personalities, including local presidential candidates, for help 'because we want to be freed alive.' A masked militant warned Canada and the Philippines that the three remaining hostages would be killed 'if you procrastinate once again.' It was the first time, the three captives were shown in a video after Ridsdel's killing. Abu Sayyaf militants had threatened to behead one of three men - two Canadians and a Norwegian - if a ransom was not paid by 3pm Monday. Mr Ridsdell is pictured second from right Two men on a motorcycle left Ridsdel's head, placed inside a plastic bag, along a street in Jolo town in Sulu province and then fled, Jolo police said. Above, the location of Jolo is illustrated The four were seized from a marina on southern Samal Island and taken by boat to Sulu, where Abu Sayyaf gunmen continue to hold several captives, including a Dutch bird watcher who was kidnapped more than three years ago. Eight Indonesian and Malaysian crewmen who were snatched recently from three tugboats are also being held. The militants freed 10 Indonesian tugboat crewmen a few days ago reportedly in exchange for ransom. The United States and the Philippines have separately blacklisted the Abu Sayyaf for kidnappings for ransom, beheadings and bombings. A local self-defence group in Cameroon killed a female suicide bomber using a poisoned arrow just moments before she was set to blow herself up. The 40-year-old woman, who had explosives strapped to her body, had crossed over from neighboring Nigeria along with a 14-year-old girl. Local residents shot the poisoned arrow at the woman after she failed to stop as demanded. The girl also died when she detonated her own explosives. A local self-defence group in Cameroon killed a female suicide bomber using a poisoned arrow The attacks were reported shortly before Cameroon's president Paul Biya left for Nigeria to discuss ways of ending Boko Haram violence with his Nigerian counterpart Residents near the northern town of Mora said at least five other suicide bombers have died in the last several days. The attacks were reported shortly before Cameroon's president Paul Biya left for Nigeria to discuss ways of ending Boko Haram violence with his Nigerian counterpart. Local governments on the Cameroonian-Nigerian border have allowed self-defence groups to bear arms following the threat of Boko Haram. The groups have the power to carry out intelligence gathering missions, question travellers, and denounce to the military anyone deemed suspect. Many of the vigilante group use ancient guns and homemade weapons to protect civilians from suicide bombers in Cameroon Residents near the northern town of Mora said at least five other suicide bombers have died in the last several days Girls abused as sex slaves by the group are psychologically damaged and therefore more vulnerable, the army says A regional offensive last year drove the insurgents from most of their traditional strongholds, denying them their dream of an Islamic emirate in northeastern Nigeria Young girls have been taken by the jihadi group and used as sex slaves before being forced to carry out suicide bomb attacks as part of a cruel tactic increasingly used by the struggling extremists. A regional offensive last year drove the insurgents from most of their traditional strongholds, denying them their dream of an Islamic emirate in northeastern Nigeria. An 8,700-strong regional force of troops from Benin, Cameroon, Chad, Niger, and Nigeria is seeking to finish the job but now Boko Haram have been using guerrilla tactics to target civilians. Several locals stand guard, watching out for any suspect Boko Haram members in northern Cameroon An 8,700-strong regional force of troops from Benin, Cameroon, Chad, Niger, and Nigeria is seeking to finish the job but now Boko Haram have been using guerrilla tactics to target civilians Since August 2014, the jihadi group has carried out 336 attacks in Cameroon, according to the Cameroonian army, which has lost 57 of its own men while defending the north Outside Nigeria, Cameroon has been hardest hit by Boko Haram, which now operates out of bases in the Mandara Mountains, Sambisa Forest and Lake Chad. Since August 2014, the jihadi group has carried out 336 attacks in Cameroon, according to the Cameroonian army, which has lost 57 of its own men while defending the north. Of 34 recorded suicide bombings killing 174 people, 80 percent were carried out by girls and young women aged 14 to 24 years. Girls abused as sex slaves by the group are psychologically damaged and therefore more vulnerable, the army says. Boko Haram also uses girls because they are thought less likely to arouse suspicion, although that may be changing now. A notorious bank robber - dubbed the 'Postcard Bandit' - has landed in Perth where he could face up to 16 years behind bars over his jailbreak charge. Brenden Abbott was taken from the Brisbane Correctional Centre and flown to Western Australia on a small police plane on Wednesday, with the journey taking about eight hours. The plane stopped twice to refuel, first at Broken Hill on the NSW-South Australian border, where a handcuffed Abbott was photographed wearing a shirt and tie as he disembarked, then at Forrest near the WA-SA border. Moments after touching down at Jandakot airport in Perth's southern suburbs, the 53-year-old was whisked to an unknown location in a convoy of six police vehicles. Prison escapee Brenden Abbott (pictured) has emerged from a police plane after arriving in Western Australia Abbott was escorted off the plane wearing a shirt and tie as he disembarked in handcuffs on Wednesday A police aircraft is seen arriving at Jandakot airport in Perth carrying the serial armed robber on Wednesday Notorious 'Postcard Bandit' Brenden Abbott was taken from a Brisbane jail on Wednesday morning and transported to Brisbane airport under heavy police guard to be extradited to Western Australia The prison escapee is listed to appear via video link in Perth Magistrates Court on Thursday, charged with escaping legal custody, a spokeswoman for the WA courts said. He had fought extradition, with his lawyers arguing it was an abuse of process, but a Brisbane judge rejected the bid on Tuesday. Abbott was released from the Brisbane jail on parole in April, having served 18 years of a 25-year sentence for a string of robberies and another brazen escape from a Queensland prison in 1997, but WA authorities ensured he was swiftly arrested. WA Premier Colin Barnett said while Abbott had spent a long time in prison, it was appropriate would again face the justice system in WA, where he may serve up to 16 years behind bars. A police convoy is seen leaving Jandakot airport in Perth escorting Abbott after his extradition to WA Moments after touching down at Jandakot airport in Perth's southern suburbs, the 53-year-old was whisked to an unknown location in a convoy of six police vehicles WA Attorney-General Michael Mischin said Abbott had to answer for the crimes he committed in the state. 'He's a fugitive from justice. He can run but he can't escape,' Mr Mischin said. 'People can lobby on his behalf and if he wants to put up representations that says that I ought to exercise the prerogative of mercy in his case, then I will consider that on its merits. 'But I have received nothing to that effect and I'll worry about that when the time comes.' Mr Mischin said he didn't appreciate Abbott's Ned Kelly-like infamy, saying he had made people fear for their lives when committing his crimes, while the late bushranger was a killer. 'To me, they are criminals.' A police vehicle is seen leaving Jandakot airport in Perth believed to be carrying the serial armed robber A police aircraft is seen arriving at Jandakot airport in Perth carrying the 53-year-old prison escapee Abbott was dubbed the Postcard Bandit amid claims he sent postcards while on the run after his Fremantle prison escape. Earlier on Wednesday morning, he arrived at the airport in a grey van and was driven onto the tarmac and into a hangar, where he boarded the plane behind closed doors. He is on his way to Western Australia, where he will face charges stemming from a 1989 jailbreak, after a Brisbane judge on Tuesday rejected his bid to stop his extradition from Queensland. Abbott was dubbed the 'Postcard Bandit' amid claims he taunted police by sending them postcards while on the run after his Fremantle prison escape. He escaped from the jail in 1989 by dressing up as a guard, sneaking out of his cell and then climbing to freedom through the roof. Abbott left Brisbane Airport on a WA Police plane bound for Perth around 7.45am on Wednesday The 53-year-old was transported to Brisbane airport under heavy police guard to be extradited on Wednesday Abbott spent five and a half years on the run, donning disguises, making fake IDs and committing bank robberies to keep himself afloat. It is estimated he stole up to $6 million. He was finally captured in Queensland in 1995 and sent back to prison in Brisbane. Two years later, he broke out for a second time by cutting through his cell bars with wire smuggled in by an accomplice. Abbott and his accomplice Brendan Berichon, 19, evaded authorities for another eight months, before Abbott was finally re-captured at a laundromat in Darwin in 1998. Abbott was under heavy police guard as he was transported to a Brisbane court last month following an extradition warrant from WA authorities Abbott has been ordered to return to Western Australia where he could face a 16 year jail sentence He is being taken to Western Australia, where he will faces charges stemming from a 1989 jailbreak, after a Brisbane judge on Tuesday rejected his bid to stop his extradition from Queensland He was sentenced to 25 years at the then-new SuperMax at Woodford Prison, 80 kilometres north of Brisbane, where he was subjected to surveillance checks every 15 minutes. Abbott, who was released on parole last month having served 18 years, was arrested in Brisbane to be extradited to face charges in Western Australia. His lawyer tried to argue in Brisbane's Supreme Court his extradition would be an 'abuse of process'. Abbott (pictured left with a tourist) donned disguises, made fake IDs and robbed banks to keep himself afloat while on the run from police in the 80s Marcin Jaworski, a mushroom farmer's son, who came to Britain after attacking a girl in his home country of Poland, is now being forced to flee the UK A Polish rapist who was sent to Britain in shame by his family after he attacked a girl in his home country is being forced to flee the UK fearing a vigilante backlash after police failed to keep his crime a secret. Marcin Jaworski, a mushroom farmer's son, left Czarnkow in northern Poland for a fresh start after he was found guilty of rape. The 20-year-old made a new life in Derbyshire - where police tried to keep his identity a secret to avoid fuelling racial tension after they discovered he was a convicted sex offender. But now Jaworski is being forced to flee the UK after police failed in their bid to keep his crime a secret from members of the community in the village of Shirebrook, where he had been living. His mother Iwona has arrived in Britain from her home in Poland with his sister Marzena to take him back to his home country. It is understood he will be meeting a British lawyer with his mother and will fly home within days. His father told The Sun: 'He hasn't left the house since his conviction was revealed and is afraid he might be lynched. 'He has been called a rapist but it's not true - he touched or molested the girl but didn't rape her. 'Now he's very depressed because of these lies - his life is ruined.' Jaworski came to Britain after his conviction in 2014 when his mother and the rest of his family felt 'humiliated' by his crime. A former neighbour said: 'Marcin and the girl were about the same age and were both drunk when he raped her. 'He comes from a respectable family and they were so horrified and ashamed they thought it best to send him away. 'Britain made perfect sense. It's in the EU so there was no problem with him living and working there and he could make a new start.' The 20-year-old made a new life in Derbyshire - where police tried to keep his identity a secret to avoid fuelling racial tension after they discovered he was a convicted sex offender. But officers failed in their bid and now Jaworski fears vigilante attacks Police officers in Derbyshire only found out about his past when he was arrested for drinking in the street. The force applied for his name to be added to the sex offenders register but asked for the hearing to be held behind closed doors. The application for Jaworski's hearing to be held in private was rejected by the court after The Times and other publications argued that it had breached the principle of open justice. The Mansfield Chad, a local newspaper, also argued that the publication of the case was in the interest of public safety and that keeping it secret would hamper an investigation into why Jaworski was allowed to live in the UK. Rejecting the application for a reporting restriction District Judge Andrew Davison told Chesterfield Magistrates' Court: 'A fundamental principle is open justice which is the hallmark of the law. The media plays a vital role in the upholding of that principle on behalf of the public.' Police officers in Derbyshire only found out about Jaworski's past when he was arrested for drinking in the street in the village of Shirebrook, pictured, where he settled Reporting restrictions had been requested in the case because of concerns raised by local officers, Superintendent Jim Allen explained. 'There have been widely reported community tensions in the Shirebrook area, in the past, linked to the large number of Eastern European people who now live and work in the area,' he said. 'We respect the decision of the judge who ruled the case should be heard without restriction.' He continued: 'As a result of proactive policing, Marcin Jaworski was questioned after being found drinking in a prohibited area within Shirebrook. Further checks revealed he had a conviction for a sexual offence in Poland. 'We applied for the notification order to ask magistrates to allow us to require Marcin Jaworski to sign the sexual offenders register. 'This would ensure that he has to abide by the restrictions of the register and be monitored in the community by the police.' But Derbyshire Police has since admitted they were wrong to try to keep the identity of Jaworski secret over 'community tension' concerns. A company has been told it can use the name 'iPhone' on its leather goods after Apple lost a trademark fight in China. Manufacturer Xintong Tiandi registered the word as a trademark for use on leather products in 2007 and has been producing wallets, handbags and phone cases emblazoned with it ever since. Intellectual property rights have long been a bone of contention between Western countries and China, where counterfeiting is rife. Apple has used the 'i' prefix for years and spends vast sums on marketing around the world. Name game: Leather manufacturer Xintong Tiandi has been told it can use the name 'IPHONE' on its handbags and wallets after Apple lost a trademark fight in China Its first iPhones were produced in 2007, but the wildly popular device was not first officially sold in China until 2009. The firm took Xintong Tiandi to China's trademark commission in 2012 and then to court, losing the initial case the following year. On appeal, the Beijing municipal higher people's court ruled Apple had failed to prove that the iPhone brand was 'familiar to the public and widely known' in China before the leather company registered it. As such, the court said Xintong Tiandi did not violate the country's trademark law, the People's Daily newspaper, the official publication of the Communist Party, reported today. The Beijing municipal higher people's court ruled Apple had failed to prove that the iPhone brand was 'familiar to the public and widely known' in China before the leather company registered it The report came after Apple's iTunes Movies and iBooks service became unavailable in China two weeks ago, reportedly shut down at the demand of state censors less than seven months after they launched in the country. It also followed Apple's first quarterly revenue decline since 2003 as the company faces slowing growth in the world's second-largest economy. Greater China is a key market for Apple, but its sales in the area fell 26 per cent year-on-year in the first three months of 2016, and it has previously been targeted by state-run media over issues such as service and pricing. Apple did not immediately respond to a request by AFP for comment on the court ruling. Following the decision, Xintong Tiandi posted on its website a statement saying: 'The 'iphone' brand can blossom widely outside Apple.' When you visit a safari park the most you can often expect is animals nonchalantly passing by the outside of your bus. But one group of Danish people had the close-up encounter of a lifetime after a group of hungry giraffes poked their heads right through the windows into the vehicle. The curious giraffes were determined to get their hooves on the whole tub of carrots offered by one woman as they press their long necks into the truck at the Aloha Safari Park in North Carolina. What do we have here? One group of Danish people had the close-up encounter of a lifetime after a group of hungry giraffes poked their heads right through the windows into the vehicle Oh hello: The curious giraffes were determined to get their hooves on the whole tub of carrots offered by one woman as they press their long necks into the truck at the Aloha Safari Park in North Carolina The occasion offered the most fantastic intimate footage of the friendly animals as they explore the car. But the woman isn't quite so thrilled with the invasion of personal space. She yells as two giraffes approach her from both sides, laughing with fright as she cowers. Eventually she places the food away from her in the hopes of distracting them. They duly tuck in but that doesn't stop them inquisitively peering around the bus. Other men can be seen filming the giraffes as they slowly retreat out of the window and the lady escapes back to the apparent safety of the back of the vehicle. But one exceptionally amicable animal just can't seem to leave her alone though and once again pokes it's neck in, curving it round to face her. Panic! But the woman isn't quite so thrilled with the invasion of personal space Get away from me! She yells as two giraffes approach her from both sides, laughing with fright as she cowers Fortunately she continues to see the funny side of the situation and laughs hysterically, her head in her hands. The Aloha Safari Park was founded by Lee Crutchfield whose aim is rescue animals in need. The 60-acre zoo currently holds about 400 animals of various species, most of which are exotic, including Bengal tigers, capybaras, kangaroos, baboons, emus and skunks. Many of the creatures have been previously injured, abandoned, abused, neglected, or were unable to be cared for by their previous owners. Three area veterinarians aid the zoo with medical care and health certificate exams. Just stopping by for a chat...Eventually she places the food away from her in the hopes of distracting them. They duly tuck in but that doesn't stop them inquisitively peering around the bus Having a good day? Other men can be seen filming the giraffes as they slowly retreat out of the window and the lady escapes back to the apparent safety of the back of the vehicle President Obama got a big hug from an eight-year-old girl as he visited Flint, Michigan, to address the water crisis. Mari Copney embraced the commander-in-chief after he invited her on stage at Northwestern High School on Wednesday. The third-grader, who has become known as 'Little Miss Flint' wrote a letter to the President in March, asking if she could meet him during a trip to DC to discus what was going on in the embattled city. The youngster's mother told her not to expect a response. But last week she got a call from a White House staffer saying the President was so moved by her words, he wanted to meet her. They announced his visit by uploading a copy of the letter. Scroll down for video President Barack Obama hugs eight-year-old Mari Copney after she wrote a letter to him about the water crisis in Flint, Michigan The youngster waves as she is introduced by the President at Northwestern High School in Flint She invited Obama to the Michigan city just days before heading to Washington, D.C. to hear Gov. Rick Snyder testify before Congress on the water crisis A delighted Mari wraps her arms around the President. He spoke to many Flint residents to get their first-hand take on the water crisis A parched President Obama also had a coughing fit at the most inopportune time - during his speech dealing with the city's battle to get lead out of its water. After several fits and starts, Obama finally said to no one in particular, 'Can I get some water?' The crowd erupted, as Obama twice stated, 'I want a glass of water.' 'I'm alright. I'm gonna get a glass of water right here. Let's make sure we find one. It'll be filtered, hold on, I'm gonna talk about that in a second,' he said. 'Settle down everybody.' For whatever reason, the president's water was not promptly delivered. Coughing again, he said, 'I'm still waiting for my water. Somebody obviously didn't hear me. Usually I get my water pretty quick.' 'Now the reason I know I'm OK is because I already had some Flint water,' he told his concerned audience. Finally someone fulfilled his request, and the president said, as he took a swig, 'Here we go!' 'I really did need a glass of water. This is not a stunt,' Obama told the rowdy audience once he'd quenched his thirst. 'Everybody settle down. This is a feisty crowd.' The president was in Flint to demonstrate to the residents of the Michigan town that their needs following long-term exposure to lead in their drinking water won't be ignored by the federal government. MARI'S LETTER IN FULL Mr. President, Hello my name is Mari Copeny and I'm 8 years old, I live in Flint, Michigan and I'm more commonly known around town as 'Little Miss Flint'. I am one of the children that is effected by this water, and I've been doing my best to march in protest and to speak out for all the kids that live here in Flint. This Thursday I will be riding a bus to Washington, D.C. to watch the congressional hearings of our Governor Rick Snyder. I know this is probably an odd request but I would love for a chance to meet you or your wife. My mom said chances are you will be too busy with more important things, but there is a lot of people coming on these buses and even just a meeting from you or your wife would really lift people's spirits. Thank you for all that do for our country. I look forward to being able to come to Washington and to be able to see Gov. Snyder in person and to be able to be in the city where you live. Thank You Mari Copeny (Source: White House) 'Little Miss Flint' Mari Copney excitedly waves at the crowd during Obama's address A parched President Obama had a coughing fit today at the most inopportune time - during a speech in Flint, Michigan, on the city's fight to get the lead out of its water Finally an aide fulfilled his request and the president said as he took a swig, 'Here we go!' 'I really did need a glass of water, this is not a stunt,' Obama told the crowd. 'Everybody settle down. This is a feisty crowd' Flint, Michigan resident Sue Quintanilla holds our a cup of water for President Barack Obama as he asked, 'Can I get some water?' In another effort to show that the filtered water in the locality is now safe to consume, the president drank from a glass earlier this afternoon he said contained water from Flint, following in Michigan Governor Rick Snyder's footsteps. 'Generally I haven't been doing stunts but here you go,' he said, taking a sip after he was asked if the glass sitting in font of him was filled with Flint water. The president said his consumption of the water 'just confirms what we know scientifically, which is that if you're using a filter...then Flint water at this point is drinkable.' Filtering the water, he said works 'as a short-term measure' and is 'the right thing to do.' 'And, frankly, it's going to be a lot more convenient than people traveling long distances to try to lug back a bunch of bottled water. All right?' The White House had previously mocked the act and suggested Obama wouldn't parrot Snyder during his journey. 'I'm not aware of any photo-ops that involve the President's consumption of water,' the president's spokesman told reporters on Monday. Perhaps dehydrated after speaking to officials in the room for more than 15 minutes prior, the president acquiesced and wet his whistle by taking a sip of the Flint water during the afternoon meeting. 'Filtered water is safe, and it works,' he said during his remarks. 'Working with the state and the city, filters are now available for everyone in the city.' In an effort to show that the filtered water in the locality is now safe to consume, the president took a drink from a glass he says contained water from Flint, following in Michigan Governor Rick Snyder's footsteps The White House had previously mocked the act as a 'photo op' and suggested Obama wouldn't do the same during his journey. 'Generally I haven't been doing stunts but here you go,' he said, taking a sip after he was asked if the glass sitting in font of him contained water from Flint. Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder, right, drinks filtered Flint tap water with Flint resident Cheryl Hill while listening to her concerns with the city's ongoing water crisis at her home on April 18, 2016. Snyder said he would drink Flint's water for roughly a month to show residents it is safe Obama was greeted on the tarmac by Snyder and Flint Mayor Karen Weaver, both of whom also sat in on his meeting afterward with federal officials. His first order of business was an update on the response to the crisis that EPA administrator Gina McCarthy participated in along with Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Burwell. The president met with city residents this afternoon and gave public remarks to the community before flying back to Washington. Obama told residents of Flint they should have their children checked if they were exposed to the water but they should not panic. 'Lead is a serious issue and if undiagnosed and not dealt with it can lead to some long-term problems,' he said. To anyone working with a health care provider, he said, 'your child will be fine.' Aside from science, Obama said the reason he can say that 'with some confidence' is it wasn't until the 80s that the United States began banning lead in paint, toys and gasoline. 'So if you are my age, or older, or maybe even a little bit younger, you got some lead in your system when you were growing up,' he said. 'You did.' 'I am sure that somewhere when I was 2 years old that I was taking a chip of paint, tasting it, and I got some lead.' The president said he wasn't trying to make light of their situation, rather he was pointing out that as long as children have good healthcare, they won't have any long-term development issues. The president acknowledged today that the city still needs to replace many of its pipes so that water can be consumed without a filter, and said at a meeting with public officials, 'It might take a year. It might take two years. It might take more.' He encouraged residents to take seriously the 'Flush for Flint' program. 'It's not the most elegant name,' he said. 'We need everybody to turn on their tap in the kitchen, the tub, for 5 minutes each day.' Obama declared a state of emergency in mid-January and ordered federal aid to supplement the state and local response. At that point, however, the crisis was in full bloom. It took several months for the nation to focus on the beaten-down city's plight, raising questions about how race and poverty influenced decisions that led to the tainted water supply and the beleaguered response once problems surfaced. More than 40 percent of Flint residents live in poverty and more than half are black. 'This administration will continue to help mobilize the resources necessary that will allow Flint to recover and come back stronger than ever,' spokesman Josh Earnest said as Obama flew to Flint on Wednesday. 'He'll be focused on that even after broader national attention moves on to other things.' Obama's first order of business was an update on the federal response to the crisis that EPA administrator Gina McCarthy participated in along with Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Burwell. He drank the water at the meeting to show it's safe to consume Protesters lined the streets outside a Flint high school where Obama and Snyder were scheduled to speak this afternoon. One man wore a jailbird costume topped with a head fashioned after Snyder and held a sign that said, 'President Obama stand with Flint not Rick'. Inside, the crowd booed Snyder as tried to deliver remarks. 'Let me begin by saying I understand why you are angry and frustrated. I want to come here today to apologize,' he said, over shouting and jeers. Snyder told them, 'You didn't create this problem. Government failed you,' which earned him more negative commentary from the audience. 'You failed us,' some said. Snyder said in turn, 'I will apologize and work hard to fix that.' When Obama gave him a call-out during his own remarks, community members also booed their governor. 'No no no,' the president said, 'because we're doing some business here.' His press secretary said earlier in the day their anger was not uncalled for, however. 'Considering that many of the people in this community were serving poison water to their children for a year and a half or two years, their frustration is entirely justified,' he said. The White House made clear today Obama wouldn't use the trip to focus on accountability, saying he doesn't want to be perceived as weighing in on either side of an active investigation. 'This is not an exercise in finger pointing,' Earnest said. 'This is an exercise in asserting the responsibility that everybody has to make sure the people of Flint have an opportunity to get back on their feet.' Both Democratic presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders have called on Snyder to resign over the handling of the health hazard. Sanders was the first to do so, and Clinton joined him during a March 6 Democratic presidential debate held in Flint. Drinking fountains are marked 'Do Not Drink Until Further Notice' at Flint Northwestern High School where President Obama talked with local residents about the ongoing water crisis President Barack Obama is greeted by Michigan Governor Rick Snyder as he arrives on Air Force One in Flint, Michigan, today. The president is in Flint to discuss the ongoing water crisis A protester dressed as Michigan Governor Rick Snyder in a jail suit stands outside of Northwestern High School The White House said today that Obama wouldn't use the trip to focus on accountability, saying he doesn't want to be perceived as weighing in on either side of an active investigation. To save money, the city, while under state management, began drawing its water from the Flint River in April 2014. Despite complaints from residents about the smell and taste and health problems, city leaders insisted the water was safe. However, doctors reported last September that the blood of children contained high levels of lead. The source of the city's water was subsequently switched back to Detroit, but the lead problem still is not fully solved, and people are drinking filtered or bottled water. The political and legal fallout is ongoing. An independent commission appointed by Snyder determined the state was primarily responsible for the water contamination in Flint, and he issued an apology. The Obama administration's response, through the Environmental Protection Agency, has also come under criticism from Snyder and some in Congress who say the EPA didn't move with necessary urgency upon hearing of problems. EPA Administrator McCarthy told Congress that, while staff repeatedly urged the state to address the lack of corrosion controls, 'we missed the opportunity late last summer to quickly get EPA's concerns on the public's radar screen.' An inspector general is investigating the EPA's response. Congress is also grappling with how to help Flint, but progress has been slow. A Senate committee last week approved a $220 million aid package as part of a broader bill that would authorize nearly $4.8 billion for water-related projects around the country. The bill could come up for a Senate vote in May. Snyder apologized today for the Flint water crisis during remarks before the president's at Northwestern high school - but local residents weren't satisfied 'This is not an exercise in finger pointing,' Earnest said. 'This is an exercise in asserting the responsibility that everybody has to make sure the people of flint have an opportunity to get back on their feet' President Barack Obama follows Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder to the president's motorcade at they leave the airport following Obama's arrival this morning Obama, joined by Jaslyn Morris, left, and Harold Harrington, right, participates in a roundtable discussion at Flint Northwestern High School Iran has threatened to close the vital Strait of Hormuz to the United States and its allies if they threaten the regime in Tehran. The Strait of Hormuz is a key pinchpoint at the eastern end of the Persian Gulf and a third of all oil traded by sea is said to pass through it. Last summer Iran agreed a deal with the US and five other world powers to scale down its controversial nuclear programme in return for the lifting of crushing economic sanctions. The Iranian navy is pictured conducting naval wargames in the Strait of Hormuz in 2012. Earlier this year the US Navy was humiliated when the Iranians captured 10 seamen who had unwittingly sailed into Iranian waters But the rapprochement with Washington seems to be in danger already with the belligerent remarks of a key Revolutionary Guard commander. General Hossein Salami, the deputy commander of Iran's Revolutionary Guard, said: 'Americans should learn from recent historical truths.' He is believed to have been referring to the humiliating capture in January this year of 10 US Navy sailors who accidentally entered Iranian waters. Several supertankers are pictured anchored close to the Straits of Hormuz. Shutting the straits would shut off much of the oil supplied to Europe and the Far East The sailors were released within 24 hours but only after Iranian state TV aired footage of them on their knees with their hands on their heads. Gen Salami said: 'If the Americans and their regional allies want to pass through the Strait of Hormuz and threaten us, we will not allow any entry. 'Americans cannot make safe any part of the world.' His remarks follow comments made by Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Monday. Ayatollah Khamenei criticised US activities in the Persian Gulf. Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Iraq and the United Arab Emirates all rely on the Strait of Hormuz to export oil by tanker to Europe and the Far East. The footage was filmed in the strategic Strait of Hormuz late last month, which is only about 21 miles wide at its narrowest point Lieutenant Rick Chernitzer, a spokesman for the US Navy's 5th Fleet in Bahrain, said: 'We continue to operate in accordance with professional maritime standards and international law' in the region. He said: 'We remain thoughtful, vigilant and responsible mariners as we conduct our operations here. We do, however, reserve the inherent right to self-defence.' The two countries have clashed heads before in the Gulf. In April 1988 they fought a one-day naval battle after the frigate USS Samuel B Roberts was almost sunk by an Iranian mine during the Iran-Iraq war. We do...reserve the inherent right to self-defence Lieutenant Rick Chernitzer US forces attacked two Iranian oil rigs and damaged six Iranian vessels. Three later the USS Vincennes shot down an Iranian airliner heading to Dubai, killing all 290 civilians on board, after mistaking it for an Iranian fighter jet. Earlier this year the Iranians began buzzing US vessels with military drones and in December last year the Iranians carried out what Washington described as a 'highly provocative' rocket test. Iran's state-run IRNA news agency quoted Iran's Foreign Ministry as saying the country will take any necessary action to maintain security, peace and stability of the region. US Congressman Randy Forbes was even criticised this week by Iran over a resolution in Congress which referred to the Arabian Gulf, rather than the Persian Gulf. Yellowstone County is an area blessed with a wealth of gorgeous views, natural resources, and history. We are a community that appreciates hard work and value for our tax dollars. We rightfully expect the same from our elected officials. As a fourth-generation Montanan, I was instilled with these ideals at a young age. As a Yellowstone County taxpayer, I share the same expectations of those we vote into office. As a former deputy clerk of District Court and current judicial assistant, I have absolute confidence that we are not receiving the best value for our tax money from our current clerk of District Court. I am running for the office because I know I am the right choice. I have the right experience and the right plan for the job. I cannot stand idly by; I am invested in the office, both as a taxpayer and as a former employee who takes pride in my work. After travelling extensively as the wife of a military member, I returned to Montana to raise my family and attend school, obtaining a double degree in business administrative management and legal administrative management. Upon graduation, I began working as a deputy in the same office Im now campaigning to lead. I worked for Jean A. Thompson, one of Yellowstone Countys most highly respected clerks, from 1996 until 1999. During this time, I received comprehensive and ongoing training on both how to do my job and why it was crucial to our judicial process. In 1999, I accepted a position as Judge Russell Faggs judicial assistant, and I continue to hold that position. The judicial assistants work closely with and parallel to the clerks office, and I interact with the office and its work product daily. I have continued to expand my knowledge and understanding of court processes in my current position and have a thorough understanding of how the clerks office should be run. My plan will restore professionalism, accountability and value to the Clerks office. I understand the statutes that govern the office and I will fulfill all statutory responsibilities. I recognize that these are law, not mere suggestions, and must be followed precisely. I will provide comprehensive, ongoing training and supervision and be sure the deputies understand not just how, but why they do tasks in a certain way. I will make logical and efficient staffing decisions. I will ensure timeliness in tasks and assignments. I will also maintain my excellent working relationship with the District Court judges to ensure a seamless and efficient use of our tax dollars. I am the right choice for Yellowstone County Clerk of District Court. I urge you to be informed. Learn about the candidates, speak to people who work closely with the office, and research your decision. Arm yourself with the knowledge you need to invest your tax dollars wisely. Cast your vote for Terry Halpin for clerk of District Court either by absentee ballot or at the polls on June 7. Medicinal marijuana will be available on prescription at pharmacies Germany will legalise cannabis for medicinal purposes early next year, the health minister said on Tuesday. Medicinal marijuana will be available on prescription at pharmacies across the country from spring 2017, following a draft bill set to be voted through in Parliament today. The German draft bill comes as many parts of the world, in particular the Americas, are relaxing laws on cannabis use. Gangela Merkel: The German Bundestag will vote on a draft bill to legalise medicinal marijuana in 2017 Health Minister Hermann Groehe is due to present the draft legislation on cannabis legalisation for medicinal use to the German cabinet on Wednesday. 'Our goal is that seriously ill patients are treated in the best possible way,' Mr Groehe said yesterday, adding that while he did not want to pre-empt a vote, he was confident that the bill would be passed. Medicinal marijuana is gaining popularity to ease suffering from cancer, glaucoma, HIV or AIDS, Hepatitis C, Parkinson's disease and other serious conditions across the world. In the wake of legalisation in several U.S. states and South American nations such as Uruguay, Colombia and Puerto Rico, it has been predicted that some EU nations would follow. Das blunt: As of next spring, medicinal marijuana will be available on prescription at pharmacies in Germany However the issue of legalising cannabis for medicinal and recreational purposes remains controversial in many countries, including the UK, as opponents fear it could fuel addiction and drug-related crime. Groehe acknowledged that cannabis was 'not an inoffensive substance' and stressed that cannabis would be available from pharmacies only on prescription. Until specially supervised plantations have been established to grow cannabis, Germany will import 'medical marijuana', the minister added. Brookside and Hollyoaks actor Kristian Ealey went to sleep with a pain in his arm and did not wake up, a former co-star has said. There was shock among friends of the Liverpool-based actor yesterday when it emerged he had died at the age of 38. Ealey was best known for his character Matt Musgrove, who appeared in Brookside between 1998 and 2000 and also Hollyoaks from 2000 to 2004. Actor Kristian Ealey, best known for his roles in Hollyoaks and Brookside, has died aged 38. Ealey (pictured in Italy a month ago) reportedly went to sleep with a pain in his arm and did not wake up His Brookside co-star Suzanne Collins said father-of-one Ealey was working in Italy at the time of his death. She said she understood he had gone to sleep with a pain in his arm and had not woken up. Collins commented: 'I'm very privileged to have called him a friend. There were a gang of the young ones who grew up on the set of Brookside, we called ourselves the Brooki Brat Pack and have an incredible bond. 'We were together nearly every day on set and we socialised out of work together, we became family.' She added: 'It has shocked us all to the core. Kris was full of life, full of smiles and so full of music.' A number of other former co-stars of Ealey have paid tribute to him online. Ex-Hollyoaks actress Helen Noble, who is now an agent, wrote: 'So saddened to hear the news about @Smithdownslim - one of the nicest guys I knew at the oaks. Always smiling #RIPKris,.' Former Hollyoaks star Gemma Atkinson, who is now in Emmerdale, tweeted: 'Just awful. What a lovely, lovely man! Had many laughs with him at work back in the day... RIP.' Hollyoaks production company Lime Pictures told Digital Spy: 'Many crew worked with Kristian on both Hollyoaks and Brookside and enjoyed following his musical success after leaving the show. 'The news has been met with shock and sadness on set and everyone's thoughts are with his family at this time.' Ealey with former co-stars Alex Carter (centre) and Marcus Patric (right) at a Hollyoaks party in 2001 Missed: Ealey's Brookside and Hollyoaks co-stars took to social media to pay tribute to the soap actor today Ealey's on-screen family the Musgroves left Brookside after Matt's older brother, Luke, admitted to raping neighbour Nikki Shadwick. Ealey's character then appeared on Brookside's sister show, Hollyoaks, as a janitor Hollyoaks Community College. His character enjoyed an on-again off-again relationship with student and radio show host Chloe Bruce, whom he came close to marrying. The character left the show after Chloe ended their relationship before making a brief return in 2004. In 2001, Ealey appeared as Ringo Starr in the made-for-TV biopic, In His Life: The John Lennon Story. Ealey also had considerable talents as a musician. In the early 2000s he was one of the founding members of Liverpool rock band Tramp Attack, alongside Matt Barton, Ian Lane, Scott Dulson, Tony Dunne and Dave McCabe, who would later form The Zutons. Soap star: Kristian Ealey (seated, left) as Matt Musgrove alongside the rest of Brookside's Musgrove family Jeremy Corbyn is under fresh pressure over his handling of Labour's anti-Semitism row after the Chief Rabbi condemned denials that there is a problem. Ephraim Mirvis warned that the party had a 'severe' issue and called for 'decisive action' to tackle it. He also said the 'worst mistake' would be to dismiss the controversy as a political attack on the leader - as Mr Corbyn's allies have repeatedly suggested. The intervention came as the race row widened with less than 24 hours to go until the polls open in key elections. Jeremy Corbyn on the campaign trail for Labour yesterday. He has urged restive MPs to focus on attacking the Tories rather than trying to unseat him Labour's London mayoral candidate Sadiq Khan was accused of being unfit to take over City Hall after footage emerged of him describing moderate Muslims as 'Uncle Toms'. He used the term during a 2009 interview with Press TV, saying: During a discussion about Muslim voters, Mr Khan said: 'You can't just pick and choose who you speak to. You can't just talk to Uncle Toms.' Mr Khan's team said he 'regretted' using the phrase, used against black people to suggest they are subservient to whites. A spokesman said: 'This was a bad choice of phrase and Sadiq regrets using it. Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis 'As communities minister at the time, Sadiq was talking about the need to engage with all parts of the community to tackle extremism and radicalisation - as he has pledged to do as mayor.' But Paul Scully, MP for Sutton and Cheam, said: 'Once again, Sadiq Khan has shown he doesn't have the judgment to be Mayor of London. 'He's deeply hypocritical on race issue when it suits his political purpose. Labour must show they won't put up with attitudes like this in the party. The Labour anti-Semitism row has so far seen Mr Corbyn forced to suspend his close ally Ken Livingstone for suggesting that Hitler was a 'Zionist', and Bradford MP Naz Shah for Facebook posts about relocating Israel to the US. Mr Corbyn has repeatedly denied there is a 'crisis' or a major problem, but has set up an independent inquiry led by former Liberty chief Shami Chakrabarti. Today the leader defended his stewardship of the party and urged rebellious MPs to focus their fire on the Tories. 'There will be some who are resistant to it, and those who honestly or otherwise will believe it won't work or can't work. But politics in this country must change - and people are demanding it,' he wrote in an article for the i newspaper. 'Our focus this spring and summer must be campaigning hard against Tory plans to force schools to become academies - removing power from parents and communities.' However, Mr Mirvis said Labour had a 'severe' problem with anti-Semitism that would get worse if the party's inquiry into the issue was used as 'sticking plaster' to placate voters. 'If this inquiry turns out to be no more than a sticking plaster, designed to placate and diffuse until after the elections this week, the problem will surely get worse and not better,' the Chief Rabbi wrote in the Daily Telegraph. 'Jeremy Corbyn has stated that his party 'will not tolerate anti-Semitism in any form', and I very much hope that this inquiry will deliver on that pledge and be followed by decisive action. 'All political parties share in the responsibility to rid our society of anti-Semitism but we cannot achieve that objective with political posturing or empty promises of action never to be fulfilled.' Shadow cabinet minister Diane Abbott has insisted it is 'a smear to say that the Labour Party has a problem with anti-Semitism'. Unite union leader Len McCluskey has also claimed Mr Corbyn is the victim of ''a cynical attempt to manipulate anti-Semitism for political aims'' that was ''got up by the right-wing press aided and abetted by Labour MPs''. Mr Mirvis warned it would be a mistake to treat the problem as a 'political attack'. He wrote: 'There are many people, from all sectors of our society, who are demanding more responsibility, particularly from our politicians, for stamping out racism and anti-Semitism. The Labour Party has a long and proud history of doing precisely that. 'Yet, comments from senior and long-standing members of the party, both Jewish and not, show just how severe the problem has now become. 'Everyone agrees that there must be no place for anti-Semitism in our politics and I welcome the inquiry recently announced by the party's leadership. And yet, I would sound an urgent note of caution. 'In recent days, we have heard anti-Semitism in the Labour Party described variously as 'a smear' and as 'mood music' being manipulated by political opponents of Jeremy Corbyn. 'There has been nothing more disheartening in this story than the suggestion that this is more about politics than about substance. The worst of mistakes, in trying to address this problem would be to treat it as a political attack which requires a political solution.' Labour backbencher Louise Ellman said the Chief Rabbi was 'quite right' to intervene in the row. 'I think we need a great deal more education about what antisemitism is,' she told BBC Radio 4's Today programme. 'Criticising the government of the state of Israel is absolutely legitimate. 'But when the worlds only Jewish state is demonised, treated in a way no other state is, when people talk about conspiracy theories, they talk about Jewish power and Jewish control, indeed applying to Zionism exactly the same untruths that are applied to Jews in straightforward antisemitism, we are moving into antisemitic territory. 'And that has to be understood. I dont think it is understood at the moment.' David Cameron has 'no intention of withdrawing' his angry blast that Donald Trump was 'divisive, stupid and wrong' to suggest banning Muslims from entering the US. The Prime Minister was today urged by a senior aide of Mr Trump to make an apology and extend an invitation to visit Britain after the billionaire tycoon seized the Republican nomination for the White House. But No 10 sources said Mr Cameron stood by his remarks that Mr Trump was 'divisive, stupid and wrong', made to the House of Commons last year after the Republican politician made incendiary claims about Muslims entering the US and the threat of terrorism in London. The source said: 'The Prime Minister has no intention of withdrawing his comments which were made in response to comments made by Donald Trump about banning Muslims from entering the United States.' Donald Trump effectively secured the Republican nomination last night, pictured, with a big win in Indiana. A key advisor today called on David Cameron to apologise for calling him 'divisive, stupid and wrong' David Cameron, seen leaving Downing Street today, has no plans to make an apology to the Republican nominee for declaring him to be 'decisive, stupid and wrong' Today George Papadopoulos, who advises Mr Trump on foreign policy, said it would now be 'wise' for Mr Cameron to apologise and invite Mr Trump to the UK - or risk the special relationship. Mr Cameron believes the US election is a 'choice for the American people' and would in principle welcome Mr Trump to Britain as the nominee were a trip to be planned. Mr Trump's comments last year prompted a huge petition in Britain for the Government to ban him from entering Britain and while the politician was a relative outsider in the Republican race, Mr Cameron took the opportunity to signal support for the public outrage. He went further than other international leaders but was joined in his condemnation by other senior figures in Britain, including Boris Johnson and George Osborne. It emerged last month Mr Cameron had ordered diplomats in Washington to reach out to Mr Trump as he closed in on the Republican nomination. Following his victory in Indiana last night and the concession of his only significant rival Ted Cruz, the demands on Mr Cameron are likely to grow today. Mr Papadopoulos told The Times: 'First we need an invitation. Of course if the United Kingdom extended an invitation it would be a tremendous show of unity and a wonderful spectacle. 'That invitation has not yet been extended ... but if it is it would be received in a positive way.' Asked if Mr Trump would forgive Mr Cameron's comments, Mr Papadopoulos told the newspaper: 'I can't speak directly for him but it would seem that if Prime Minister Cameron is serious about reaching out, not only to Mr Trump's advisers but to the man himself, an apology or some sort of retraction should happen. 'To see Mr Cameron come out as the most vocal opponent was uncalled for. 'Considering that we believe that the UK-US relationship should be a cornerstone, not just of Nato policy but elsewhere, it would be wise for him to reach out in a more positive manner to Mr Trump.' Tory MPs were split on whether Mr Cameron should make an immediate apology. Mr Cameron, seen at a last-ditch campaign rally for Zac Goldsmith last night, is likely to face further calls to address his position on Mr Trump now he has secured the nomination Asked whether Cameron should apologise for describing Trump as divisive, stupid and wrong, a Tory MP said: Trump might be all of those things but so was the Prime Minister for saying what he said about a potential leader of the most powerful country in the world and our longest standing ally no. Andrew Bridgen said: Okay people might think that the worlds most powerful country has a choice between an unenviable choice between Trump or Clinton but bear in mind that when other people look at our country, weve got Jeremy Corbyn as a potential prime minister. Philip Davies said: I don't think it is a question of apologising as much as it was a stupid thing for Cameron to say about a potential future U.S. President in the first place. 'He could have said he doesn't agree with what Trump said in a more temperate way. Mr Cameron was asked to comment on Mr Trump's White House bid by US reporters travelling with President Barack Obama on his two-day visit to the UK. The PM said he would neither add nor subtract from his earlier remarks about Mr Trump, who looks set to become the Republican candidate to take on Democrat Hillary Clinton in this year's election. Speaking alongside Mr Obama at a press conference, Mr Cameron said: 'As for the American elections, I have made some comments in recent weeks and months. 'I don't think now is the moment to add to them or subtract from them. 'But I think, as a Prime Minister who has been through two general elections leading my party, you always look on at American elections in awe at the scale of the process and the length of the process and I marvel at anyone who's left standing at the end of it.' Tory MP Mark Pritchard suggested there would be little support for Mr Trump's nomination on the Conservative benches The PM told the House of Commons he opposed a travel ban on Mr Trump, but added: 'I think his remarks are divisive, stupid and wrong. 'If he came to visit our country I think he would unite us all against him.' Downing Street has previously confirmed that Britain's ambassador in the US has been 'engaging' with Mr Trump's team as 'part and parcel' of the UK's usual efforts to establish good links with presidential candidates. Prime ministers are traditionally wary of making any public comment about candidates in elections overseas, for fear that they may be accused of attempting to interfere in the democratic decisions of foreign nations, or that their words may come back to bite them if they later have to deal with the candidate in office. WHO WANTS SOME HUMBLE PIE? BRITAIN'S TOP POLITICIANS ALL PILED INTO THE DONALD OVER HIS CLAIMS David Cameron: 'I think his remarks are divisive, stupid and wrong. 'If he came to visit our country I think he would unite us all against him.' Boris Johnson: 'I think Donald Trump is clearly out of his mind if he thinks that's a sensible way to proceed, to ban people going to the United States in that way, or to any country. 'What he's doing is playing the game of the terrorists and those who seek to divide us. That's exactly the kind of reaction they hope to produce. 'When Donald Trump says there are parts of London that are 'no go' areas, I think he's betraying a quite stupefying ignorance that makes him frankly unfit to hold the office of President of the United States. 'I would invite him to come and see the whole of London and take him round the city - except I wouldn't want to expose any Londoners to any unnecessary risk of meeting Donald Trump.' George Osborne: 'Frankly, Trump's comments fly in the face of the founding principle of the United States and is one of the reasons why they have provided such an inspiration. 'The best way to defeat nonsense like this is to engage in robust democratic debate and make it very clear that his views are not welcome.' Jeremy Corbyn: 'If Donald Trump wants to come to Britain, absolutely fine, he can come and join me in Finsbury Park mosque. 'And then he can come to the synagogue afterwards. We can have a chat there. We'd go around. We manage to have a coherent, multifaith, multicultural society in London, in Birmingham, in Leicester, all parts of this country. 'He's welcome to come and see. He might learn something.' Medic: Mohammed Abdi Ali allegedly led an ISIS-linked terror network planning attacks in Kenya Kenyan police has foiled a 'large scale biological terrorist attack' after arresting three members of an ISIS-linked terror group. Three people, a married couple and a woman, allegedly planned 'large-scale attacks' including 'a biological attack in Kenya using anthrax,' Kenyan police said. Married medical students Mohammed Abdi Ali and Nuseiba Mohammed Haji were arrested along with Fatuma Mohammed Hanshi, after police connected them to a terrorist network. Ali, Haji and Hansi are allegedly part of 'an East Africa terror group network, that has links to ISIS,' according to Kenya police chief Joseph Boinnet. Both Ali, the alleged leader of the group, and his wife Haji worked as 'medical interns' while studying medicine at university. 'Ali has been engaged in the active radicalisation,recruitment of university students and other Kenyan youth intoterrorism networks,' a police statement said. The terror network linked to Ali 'has been facilitating Kenyan youths to secretly leave Kenya to join terror groups in Libya and Syria,' the statement added. Ali, from Wote, southeast of the capital Nairobi, was arrested in Kenya and is being held in custody for 30 days while investigators gather further evidence. His two female alleged accomplices were arrested in neighbouring Uganda. Two other suspects, Ahmed Hish and Farah Dagne, also medics, are on the run in Kenya, with police offering $20,000 (13,800) on wanted notices for each man. Kenyan police compared the group's alleged plots, biological and otherwise, to the 2013 Westgate mall attack in Nairobi in which four gunmen from the East African Al-Qaeda affiliate, the Shebab, killed at least 67 people. Arrested: Ali, his wife Nuseiba Mohammed Haji, left, and Fatuma Mohammed Hanshi, right, allegedly 'planned large-scale attacks' including 'a biological attack in Kenya using anthrax' according to police While there has been little evidence to date of an IS presence in the country, at least 20 Kenyans have travelled to Libya to join the extremist group, according to police. Authorities fear that ISIS is trying to establish a presence in Kenya, East Africa's biggest economy and telecommunications and transport hub. Al-Qaeda has long had a presence in Kenya through its affiliation with Somalia's extremist insurgents al-Shabab. There is concern that those who join IS and al-Qaeda will be used to launch attacks on western targets in Kenya and neighboring countries. A rapist who legally changed his name to Avril Lavigne has been arrested by Oregon police after allegedly failing to register as a sex offender. Avril Ramona Lavigne, formerly known as Romany Yves Mesina, was arrested in Portland on Monday after police asked the public for help locating him. The 30-year-old, who is thought to be homeless, was found guilty of raping a girl under 14 years of age in 2009. Avril Ramona Lavigne, 30, was arrested on Monday after allegedly failing to register as a sex offender after being convicted of rape in 2009 He is thought to have failed to register with Oregon authorities as a sex offender, as neither version of his name appears on Oregon's registry, NY Daily News reported. He legally changed in his name in 2014, with a judge approving his request to be named after the female Canadian musician known for hits such as Sk8er-Boi and Complicated. Portland Police Bureau's Sex Offender Registration Detail (SORD) put out a public appeal for help in locating Lavigne. He had most recently been spotted stalking young women and teenage girls in around Portland, taking photographs of them which he posted to social media, said Sergeant Pete Simpson. 'That in itself isn't a crime,' said Sgt Simpson told KGW. 'You pair that activity with the fact that he's a registered sex offender and he's actually wanted for failing to register right now, it's important to us to put that out into the community.' He legally changed his name from Romany Yves Mesina to the same name as the popular Canadian songstress (pictured) in 2014 Lavigne represented himself in a Multnomah County court and denied that he had not registered as a sex offender, saying instead that he had. According documents seen by the court, Lavigne has been living on the streets since 2014 and before coming to Portland he had been living in Beverly Hills, California. When questioned by police after being arrested he said he had been diagnosed with schizophrenia and was not taking medication. Advertisement These disturbing pictures expose the macabre truth about the fur farms in Russia and China which supply the fashion market in the world's leading cities, including London, Paris and New York. Across ten time zones, the images show the reality of mink and sable gulags - many set up during the harsh Communist past - where prized animals are bred for slaughter, bringing in millions of pounds to the Russian economy every single year. An investigation by MailOnline also reveals the appalling conditions in which wild animals, including different types of fox, are captured and killed, from being skinned alive to being poisoned by the faeces in the air, and reveals the heartless farm owners who can't see beyond their profits. And there are certainly profits to be made: a sable 'blanket' sold for a record-breaking $900,000 to a royal just a few years ago, while a coat at last year's Fendi show was rumoured to have a price tag of $1.2million. Disgusting: Some 1,000 rotting mink carcases were discovered dumped near a fur farm in the Leningrad region last year by animal rights group VITA - laying bare for all to see the sheer numbers of animals which have to die to someone can wear a fashionable coat A pile of money: Each of these defenceless creatures - likely to have been very young - will have earned their owner 35 for their fur Horrifying: Animals like this mink are providing fur to feed demand across the world - but as a MailOnline investigation has revealed, not only do these animals often die in horrific pain, they are also kept in conditions so awful many die before their precious pelts can be used Callous: 'I have no sympathy for the animals that are about to be killed,' admitted Belarusian fur farm owner Yekaterina Klitsova (pictured) Demand: A short coat needs about 35 pelts, medium length 40-to-45 pelts and a long coat 90. Pictured: A woman models a hat and scarf made from the fur of a silver fox But many would argue, whatever price, it is too high. Deeply shocking photographs show up to 1,000 skinned corpses of mink from animal farm Luzhskoye in the Leningrad region of western Russia. The stinking remains of the captive mink were found here close to Znamenka biological waste disposal facility in November last year by activists from VITA Animal Rights Centre of Russia. I have no sympathy towards the animals when they are about to be killed. On the contrary, I feel deep satisfaction. I'm happy we managed to grow good fur - and that I'll sell it and make money. Yekaterina Klitsova They were left rotting on this pyre for at least three days, causing a health hazard, but such scenes barely register any shock in Russia, a country largely immune to Western raging against fur. A hard-hitting statement from the animal rights organisation over these pictures warned: 'Mink given to a woman costs a lot. It costs thousands of roubles, thousands of screams, a ton of suffering and despair, kilometres of fur cleaned by human hands....' In these fur farms the animals are condemned to 'a complete absence of activity, constant fear, no chance to hide'. They 'jump from side to side for hours in their cages showing their despair. 'There is no single animal in a farm that has not gone insane or depressed. How much time could you live in a crate? 'Thirty per cent of animals die before they grow their winter coat that the fur industry is counting on.' Activist Emiliya Nadin said: 'Foxes, mink, and raccoons live in small crates with metal nets instead of flooring which cuts their paws. 'The air they breathe is poisoned with their faeces. 'At the end of this hell animals will go through excruciating death. In most cases the murder is rushed in order to keep the fur and remove it more easily. As a result, the still breathing animal is skinned alive.' Rusted: As these pictures of a fur farm in Tatarstan show, animals live in small crates with metal nets, cutting their paws Torture: Campaigners say conditions are so bad that animals like this silver fox breathe air 'poisoned by faeces' Madness: The animals, many born in the wild, are said to live in a state of constant fear, slowly losing their minds in captivity A significant proportion of animals are caught in the wild, not bred on farms, and VITA say: 'If every woman wearing her fur coat could hear the scream of suffering and pain of the animal gnawing off its paw stuck in a trap, if she...saw how some animals are left disabled, it might not have been necessary to ask you to desist from wearing furs.' There is deep concern over sable farms, where it has been reported animals have been killed by lethal injection of a drug banned in the West. This is also a farm - set up in 1928 under Stalin - where up to 16,000 highly prized sable cubs died six year ago from starvation due to a lack of forage amid an ownership crisis which led to Vladimir Putin ordering a state takeover. Yet today, despite Western protests, there are signs that the sable industry, of which Russia has a monopoly, is booming not declining, fuelled in part by illegal trading but also by a conscious Kremlin effort to expand fur as a money earner during the current economic crisis. Dying for breath: Some animals have been killed by lethal injection of a drug banned in the West, which leaves the animal paralysed and slowly and painfully dying of suffocation while being fully conscious. Pictured: A fox receiving a lethal injection in Belarus Excruciating: Sometimes, the animal is still alive as they skin it for its fur, which will earn them about 35 each Speed: When they are killed, it is often 'rushed', say campaigners. Pictured: A man carries silver foxes in Belarus Natural Resources Minister Sergey Donskoy said recently: 'In 2015, sales of sable skins exceeded the limit of their production by 120 per cent.' The farm in question is now back on its feet, with a total of 27,000 sables, including 15,800 cubs, yet conditions remain bleak, as they do in many ex-Soviet fur farms. An account by a whistleblower here said lethal Dithylin, leading to an 'excruciating death' from a long, slow suffocation, was used at the farm, a famous fur farm where a highly sought-sfater new type of black sable was bred during the Soviet era. 'The drug paralyses muscles and the animal is slowly and painfully dying of suffocation while being fully conscious. 'In Russia, it is also used against homeless animals. The European Union banned the use of Dithylin. But it is cheap.' An appeal by VITA to the Agriculture Ministry in Russia against the use of Dithylin brought the chilling official reply: 'The concept of cruelty is not accepted for fur farms.' Blood on their hands: The Agriculture Ministry in Russia has said 'the concept of cruelty is not accepted for fur farms' Supply: Demand for mink (dead animals picture here) is on the decline, with business turning their focus towards sable, or 'soft gold' Satisfaction: Ms Klitsova said she felt a certain calm when they slaughtered the animals as she 'understands that the long and hard working process is about to be over'. Pictured: Dead minks in Pushkinskoye Short lives: These animals may have been allowed to live for eight months, or three years - but all met the same barbaric end At Verkhne-Purovsky fur farm on the Yamal Peninsula in Arctic Siberia, caged sables hurtle frantically around their wire gratings, searching for an impossible escape back to the natural environment. Director Vladimir Shevelyov is banking on them for his future business success, ditching mink in favour of sable. 'The prime cost of mink is the highest now but it's a lot cheaper as a fur. That's why we are getting rid of mink completely and keeping sables,' he said. 'We will be only a sable farm.' Fur from the far north is particularly valuable. 'There is always demand for 'soft gold',' he said. Despite this, conditions on this and similar farms remain 'primitive and barbaric', according to animal rights campaigners. More shocking scenes were captured at a fur farm owned spouses Vladimir Borisyonok and Yekaterina Klitsova in the village of Litusovo in the Orshansky region of Belarus, where the animals are killed by lethal injection, the final act of their unnatural lives locked in cramped cages. International: These horrific scenes came from China, where - like Russia - there is also a thriving fur industry Inhumane: They then begin to skin the polar fox - which in many case is still alive when the process starts This farm breeds and slaughters Scandinavian black and pearl short hair mink, along with silver blue fox, blue fox, and red fox for fine coats. 'I'll tell you honestly, I have no sympathy towards the animals when they are about to be killed,' said Ms Klitsova. 'Perhaps it is my professional immunity. On the contrary, I feel deep satisfaction. 'I understand that the long and hard working process is about to be over. 'I'm happy we managed to grow good fur - and that I'll sell it and make money.' Many outsiders do not understand the complexity of making a good fur coat, she complained. 'Ordinary people think it's easy: you just put an animal into crate, give it food and wait until grows,' she said. 'In fact, a fur farm is a hell lot of work. You need to find food, bring it, store it, cook it properly, feed the animals on time. 'Each stage affects quality of the fur. For example, in July when animals are very small, it was very hot. 'Eventually, in November quality of fur isn't that good. It all went well, we vaccinated them and then all of a sudden, the heat hit 28C. 'The animals were not ready for it and 30 to 40 animals can die in a day. Their hearts cannot deal with it.' Dedication: Ms Klitsova said running a farm 'is a hell lot of work. You need to find food, bring it, store it, cook it properly, feed the animals' - and people simply didn't understand what it took. Pictured:Pokrovskaya fur farm in Yakutia Luxury: 'A women wearing a mink coat looks ten years younger and catches glances of other people,' says Ms Kliptovia. 'I'm proud to be helping her in that.' Pictured: ilver fox furs in Pokrovskaya fur farm in Yakutia She is unsentimental about the slaughter, and rejects the claim that artificial fur is as good as the real thing. 'People artificially grow flowers, kill them and sell them. I'm growing mink and foxes and selling their furs. 'Thanks to running such a business, less fur animals are killed in their natural habitat. That's life. 'Artificial fur can never be compatible to natural. A mink coat is a status item. 'A women wearing a mink coat looks ten years younger and catches glances of other people. I'm proud to be helping her in that.' She explained: 'Mink live around 10 years in the wild, in the farm breeding animals are kept for three years after which they are killed because with intensive feeding they develop problems with their liver. 'But most of our mink live only eight months. 'They are born in April and are killed in November. Foxes have the same life span. 'However, a male fox can be kept alive for seven or eight years to breed. Some of them become fathers 30 times a season.' After the injection the animals 'fall asleep and their heart stops beating', she said, skipping over the snow, agonising way their life is snuffed out, according to activists. 'Their skins are degreased, first manually, then - in a special drum with sawdust.' Taking a stand: Liana Klevtsova, 20, who has become known as Siberia's naked protester, comparing what happens at the farms to mass killing by Nazis in the Second World War Statement: She posed nude in a cage to make a stand against cruelty in fur farming - for which she received threats of acid attacks Brave: Liana's outspoken views are all the more audacious because in Russia there is hardly any controversy over fur, which is seen by a majority as a necessary part of survival in the coldest climate in the world. Pictured: Liana's 'advert' for a human coat In China, footage obtained by animal protection campaign PETA and originally highlighted by actress Olivia Munn showed polar foxes being brutally clubbed and electrocuted for their fur. These gruesome images are currently being highlighted in a one-woman fur protest in Russia by an engineering student Liana Klevtsova, 20, known as Siberia's naked protester. She posed nude in a cage to make a stand against cruelty in fur farming she compares to mass killing by Nazis in the Second World War. It is a brave stand in Russia. The student is defying sinister threats of acid attacks to ruin her looks, and a barrage of verbal abuse. She has vowed to go on highlighting what she sees as barbarism, with more stunts like a her recent 18+ video. She has also faced strong opposition from her university in Irkutsk. Her move is all the more audacious because in Russia there is hardly any controversy over fur, which is seen by a majority as a necessary part of survival in the coldest climate in the world. But in a social media outburst, she claimed fur farms are the equivalent of 'concentration camps during the Second World War, when human hair was used to stuff pillows and mattresses'. And people's skin was 'used to make wallets' which were 'especially valuable' if they were tattooed, she said. 'All mankind remembers this as a terrible page of history, but no-one thinks that all this is happening today. 'Yet such a death camps are still working - only to satisfy the whim of humans.' Soft gold: A dead sable is skinned in Pushkinskoye farm back in 2010 - the same time that the baby animals were starving Profit: These furs will sell for a good amount from the farm, but by the time it get to be auctioned in St Petersburg, the price can skyrocket Babies: Similar pictures were taken of the bodies of 16,000 highly prized sable cubs, who died from starvation on Pushkinskoye farm in 2010. They died despite the fact their coats are known as 'soft gold' and fetch as much as 75 each People and animals are 'one big family, our home is planet Earth, and that each of us has a soul', she said. 'To save the maximum number of souls, the choice is obvious,' she said, demanding the closure of fur farms in Russia and other countries. THE COST OF CRUELTY: HOW THE CLOTHING INDUSTRY IS MAKING THOUSANDS While there is huge money in sable and other furs, much of the profiteering comes after it leaves the fur farm, or the hands of the hunter. The price of sable from a fur farm is around 60 to 72. Wild sable can be in the range 50 to 100. A short coat needs about 35 pelts, medium length 40-to-45 pelts and for long coat 90, or even more. By the time sable is auctioned in St Petersburg, the average price in the most expensive lot was 1790. Mink fur can be cheaper, around 35 per pelt, but fewer are needed in a full length coat - around 60. Fox fur can be more expensive, for example around 85 for a pelt. To make a fox fur coat requires the fur from around a dozen animals. Russia produces around half a million wild sable pelts a year, while farms produce approximately 60,000. The main export markets are Italy, Greece and China. Advertisement She claimed that to make a coat for one human, it takes the fur of 25 foxes, or up to 60 ferrets, or 30 raccoons. She says she loves wearing fur - but only artificial. A Russian who visited a sable farm in Tararstan for business came away deeply shocked by what he saw. 'The farm isn't particularly well-to-do and has a lot of problems,' he said. 'People don't want to work, it's hard, their equipment is old and the animals are capricious. 'The worst thing is to imagine humans in the place of sables: for example if aliens particularly liked human skin as much as we like sable fur. 'And so they grow people on special human farms, in crates, and then kill them and skin them once they are seven months old. 'Well, it's better not to think too much about what goes on here or you'll go insane.' He added: 'Polar foxes are grown for seven months, then the animal is killed. They are killed in a more humane way: sleeping medication is put in their water. 'Their skins are taken off, the meat is boiled and given to survivors. Wasteless production. 'But you cannot do the same with sables. They have a special gland and they stink worse than skunks if they sense danger.' Irina Novozhilova, president of VITA animal protection centre, told MailOnline: 'To me, fur farms a priori can never be humane, in any country and under any condition. 'They are a concentration camp for animals. 'Animals are imprisoned and kept there against their will. 'The experience tells us that improving the living conditions of these animals is completely unprofitable for the manufacturers, so they don't do it. 'We know that when in Scandinavia it was decided to build proper swimming pools for sea animals bred for their fur, and it led to the collapse of the whole industry.' She said: 'Regarding the methods of killing animals, unfortunately, Russia has a long term tradition of using poisons similar to curare. 'These belong to the muscle relaxant group of poisons. 'These are Dithylin, Listinon, Adilin-Super - an injection of these drugs leads to paralysing the animal's muscles, including those used for breathing. Sickening: A Russian who visited a farm in Tararstan said it was better not to think about it 'because you would go insane'. Pictured: The dump outside Luzhskoye fur farm in Leningrad region discovered earlier this year Decomposed: These pictures of the minks - left rotting on this pyre for at least three days - may be horrific to the West, but such scenes barely register any shock in Russia 'They causes the very painful death from inability to breath, and it is particularly horrible because the muscles are not paralysed at once. 'It happens gradually, and the animal is fully conscious all this time. It is an extremely inhumane way of killing. 'From the students of veterinary universities and colleges, we know that this method is still in use. 'Students in their fourth year of studies are invited to visit such fur farms and all of them complain later that Dithylin is still around and in use.' She accused the authorities of seeking to boost the fur industry in Russia. 'We know that there is a state plan which was adopted by the Ministry of Agriculture three years ago,' she said. 'The aim is to double the number of animals at the fur farms by 2020. 'It is called "the revival of the fur industry". 'If there were 2.5million animals kept at such farms two years ago, by 2020 they plan to have 5million animals.' Crumbling: The Russian who visited a farm like this said that its employees 'don't want to work, it's hard, their equipment is old and the animals are capricious' Terror: They said they began to imagine humans being treated in this way - and it sent shivers down their spine Waste nothing: Polar foxes here are grown for seven months, then killed, their skins are taken off, the meat is boiled and given to survivors She believes there is now a realisation in Russia that fur farming amounts to cruelty, and is encouraged that more and more celebrities in her country are ready to speak out. 'Still we are optimists. We are convinced that the wave of anti-fur protests is growing in Russia and it won~t let this plan come true,' she said. For the first time this year there will be anti-fur protests in 100 towns and cities in October, up from 60 in 2015, she said. 'Public opinion about furs in Russia is rapidly changing, trust my word,' she said. 'More and more celebrities join our anti-fur campaign and openly admit that it is not fashionable any longer to wear furs. 'With the help of our organisation the hunting of baby seals was completely banned and we take it as one of our major victories in the anti-fur fighting field.' Thriving business: Despite concerns over cruelty, the plan is to double the number of fur farms in Russia by 2020 Necessary: Anzhelika Gorskaya, owner of the Wild Fur Association in Kamchatka, on Russia's Pacific coast, claimed that arguments about fur are for the West where such items are a fashion accessory, not in Russia where they are an essential to life But Anzhelika Gorskaya, owner of the Wild Fur Association in Kamchatka, on Russia's Pacific coast, claimed that arguments about fur are for the West where such items are a fashion accessory, not in Russia where they are an essential to life. 'Breeding animals for 'murder' can be interpreted there as unmotivated cruelty. It shouldn't be but it can be. But that's for the West,' she said. 'But we are living in a northern country where fur really saves us from freezing and where it is needed for four to eight months a year depending on the latitude,' she said. In Russia fur was not a luxury item but an essential for many people, she claimed. 'So fighting for the rights of pelted animals is not a subject for Russians. Jeremy Corbyn on the campaign trail for Labour in London yesterday Jeremy Corbyn will offer Labour MPs a free vote on Trident as he struggles to keep a grip on the party, according to a key ally. Unite chief Len McCluskey said he had been assured there would be no effort to force politicians to oppose renewing the deterrent. Mr Corbyn is vice-president of CND and has repeatedly voiced his determination to oppose nuclear weapons. But his efforts to shift Labour policy have been met with a furious response from moderates. The leader shifted Trident-supporting Maria Eagle from shadow defence secretary during a ham-fisted reshuffle earlier this year, replacing her with fellow unilateral disarmament supporter Emily Thornberry. Ms Thornberry has been jointly heading a review of the policy with former London Mayor Ken Livingstone, who was recently suspended for suggesting that Hitler was a 'Zionist'. But dozens of MPs have indicated that they will ignore any change in approach when the government brings the issue to the Commons, even if Labour conference votes it through in September. Union chief Mr McCluskey, a strong backer of the Labour leader, said: 'What I'm expecting to happen, and what I am told will happen, and I think Jeremy should announce this and be clearer about it, is that Labour MPs will be given a free vote. 'So that's the end of any division, people will be able to vote in accordance with their passion. 'That will mean that the Trident replacement submarine and their successor submarines will go through comfortably in parliament.' Asked by the Guardian if he had been told by Mr Corbyn's office that there would be a free vote, Mr McCluskey said: 'Absolutely. My understanding is that the Labour leader is in favour of a free vote for MPs and the quicker everybody knows that, the quicker the media can't try to prise any divisions.' Unite is keen to protect the jobs of thousands of workers connected to the nuclear deterrent. Labour former minister John Spellar told MailOnline Mr Corbyn was trying to save himself embarrassment rather than being 'generous'. The Warley MP pointed out that Labour's existing policy remained to support Trident renewal. 'Party policy is clear,' he said. 'What he is really saying is that he himself can have a free vote. 'It is Jeremy who wants to go against party policy. It may be a sensible move but actually it is to get him off the hook of voting for something that is not party policy. Former minister John Spellar supports renewing the Trident deterrent 'It is being presented as somehow Jeremy is being generous. It is actually helping him and the CND wing. 'Do not try to tell me that it is him being generous.' News of the concession emerged with Mr Corbyn under fresh pressure over his handling of Labour's anti-Semitism row. Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis has condemned denials by the leader and his allies that there is a problem. He said the party had a 'severe' issue and called for 'decisive action' to tackle it. Mr Mirvis also said the 'worst mistake' would be to dismiss the controversy as a political attack on the leader - as Mr Corbyn's allies have repeatedly suggested. Meanwhile, Labour's London mayoral candidate Sadiq Khan stands accused of being unfit to take over City Hall after footage emerged of him describing moderate Muslims as 'Uncle Toms'. He used the term during a 2009 interview with Press TV, saying: During a discussion about Muslim voters, Mr Khan said: 'You can't just pick and choose who you speak to. You can't just talk to Uncle Toms.' Mr Khan's team said he 'regretted' using the phrase, used against black people to suggest they are subservient to whites. A spokesman said: 'This was a bad choice of phrase and Sadiq regrets using it. A number of disappointed Republicans have torched their voter cards and declared support for the #nevertrump campaign after the billionaire businessman clinched the party nomination following Ted Cruz's resignation. Such is the resentment towards Trump, many are now readying themselves to vote for the Democrats despite being lifelong Republican supporters. Photographs of them burning their voter registration cards have appeared on social media, while others say they are prepared to vote for Hillary Clinton. Donald Trump is not virtually assured of receiving the GOP nomination for the White House but faces a tough task to unite a skeptical Republican Party of his suitability for the role Dozens of Republican voters, such as those above, have vowed to vote Democrat in a bid to block Trump Dennis Jordan wrote: 'I've been a lifelong loyal @GOP, since the day I could vote. Tonight, I have unregistered and now am an Independent.' Lachlan Markay posted a photograph on Twitter of his District of Columbia voter registration card burning. Ben Howe said: 'If you are #nevertrump then I suggest you accept the implications of what that means. Don't kid yourself. I'm not.' Growing concern is emerging from once firmly established Republicans after Ted Cruz officially announced he was bowing out of the race for the GOP nomination. After defeat to Trump in Indiana, he dropped out 'with a heavy heart' as he no longer saw a 'viable path to victory'. 'Tonight, Im sorry to say it appears that path has been foreclosed, Cruz continued, to shouts of No! from his supporters.' 'And so with heavy heart, but with boundless optimism for the long-term future of our nation, we are suspending our campaign,' he added. Trump appeared in Trump Tower in Manhattan not long after Cruz's and spoke magnanimously about his vanquished rival who just hours before he repeatedly referred to by the moniker 'Lyin' Ted.' The billionaire, virtually assured of being the GOP's standard-bearer for the general election in November, called the Texas senator 'a tough, smart competitor' during a 20-minute victory speech. To formally secure the nomination, Trump needs to win about 200 more delegates with only John Kasich technically still in the race. However, he now faces an uphill battle to retain unity within the party, given the level of discontent towards him among both everyday voters and party leaders. Leicester City's unbelievable run to winning the Premier League has been billed as the greatest sporting story ever but now an Italian priest suggests they might have had some divine help. Father Mario De Santis, rector of a basilica dedicated to St Rita in Roccaporeana, claims that it was manager Claudio Ranieri's faith in St Rita, the patron saint of impossible causes, that might have been the difference. The 5,000/1 Premier League champions won the league on Monday with two games to spare after title-chasers Tottenham could only manage a draw with London rivals Chelsea. Father Mario De Santis, rector of to a basilica in Roccaporeana, claims that it was manager Claudio Ranieri's faith in St Rita, the patron saint of impossible causes, that might have been the difference Ranieri, who was fired from his previous job with Greece, is thought to have previously taken his past teams to the village of Roccaporena for pre-training, where St Rita was born Father Mario believes Ranieri was regularly praying to St Rita and suggested 'she could well have been out there on the field with the players,' according to The Times. Ranieri, who was fired from his previous job with Greece, is thought to have previously taken his past teams to the village of Roccaporena for pre-training, where St Rita was born. Past players under Ranieri reportedly practiced hill sprints on the slope near to where St Rita is thought to have prayed. 'Leicester's exploits this season have been an impossible cause and I believe Ranieri will pay us a visit soon to offer a prayer,' said the manager of the shrine to St Rita, Alfredo Cherubini In a change of strategy, Ranieri took Leicester on a pre-season trip to Austria, where his team quickly showing a continuation of its end of season form which saw them win six out of their last eight games under Nigel Pearson to stay in the Premier League. Delighted Leicester City fans celebrate their fairytale end to an unbelievable season under Claudio Ranieri Leicester City's Marc Albrighton scores his side's fourth goal of the match against West Brom last month Reflecting on his side's staggering achievement, Claudio Ranieri said he is still struggling to comprehend how he managed to transform Leicester from 5,000-1 outsiders to Premier League champions WHO WAS ST RITA? St Rita was born in the Italian village of Roccaporena in 1381. She was baptised Margherita Lotti. Rita's family believed she should be devote her life to God after she was surrounded by a swarm of white bees following her baptism. The bees entered her mouth but did not sting the young child, prompting her family to believe it was a sign from God. Rita entered the monastery following the death of her two sons. She had also been married to a violent husband who was murdered. She pardoned her husband's murderers in public. Whilst praying in the monastery, she developed a deep wound on her forehead. It is thought she had asked to suffer like the Passion of Christ. The wound didn't heal and meant she suffered pain until she died from tuberculous. She is often depicted in paintings with the wound on her forehead. 'I said to them ... `It is difficult to understand 25 people. It is important you understand only me. If we link very well we can do something good,'' Ranieri recalled when he first met his squad. As well as the help of St Rita, the Foxes have been regularly visited by Buddhist monk Phra Prommangkalachan over the last three seasons. He has provided the players with good luck charms and blessed the pitch. 'I hang some amulets on their necks and I gave them these fabric talismans,' he said in March. 'I'm not sure if they understood what I explained to them about it, but they knew that it would bring them luck.' Reflecting on his side's staggering achievement, Claudio Ranieri said he is still struggling to comprehend how he managed to transform Leicester from 5,000-1 outsiders to Premier League champions. 'You have to leave a little more (time) and taste slowly, slowly like a good wine. Savor it,' Ranieri said. 'Maybe now is too early to think what we have done. Maybe in one or two years it could be better to understand.' As well as the help of St Rita, the Foxes have been regularly visited by Buddhist monk Phra Prommangkalachan over the last three seasons Marketing fees collected from U.S. ranchers are being unconstitutionally spent, according to a Billings-based cattle group suing the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The Ranchers-Cattlemen Action Legal Fund, United Stockgrowers of America, or R-CALF USA, filed a federal lawsuit Monday contending that the beef checkoff fees, a mandatory fee of one dollar per animal collected to promote beef, is being misspent. Last year, ranchers paid $80 million into the checkoff system. The gist of the lawsuit is that the government-collected fee is given to private groups that dont specifically promote U.S beef, but rather beef from anywhere. The practice is offensive to R-CALF members for two reasons, said Bill Bullard, the groups executive. First, R-CALF believes marketing funded by U.S. cattlemen should promote U.S. beef. Second, R-CALF contends its unconstitutional for the government to fund the speech of a private group. We have long complained that the message espoused by checkoff-funded entities has gone astray from our original interests, Bullard said. The marketing practices of the Montana Beef Council serve as lawsuits main exhibit. R-CALF attorneys cite several examples in which the Montana Beef Council produced advertising campaigns promoting beef, but not U.S. beef specifically or beef from Montana. One collaboration with Wendys Hamburgers in Montana offered extra beef patties to customers during a promotional period, but the closest the campaign came to promoting U.S. beef was to say the beef promoted was from North America. R-CALF has long objected to the importing of Canadian and Mexican beef to the United States. The imported beef drives down the price ranchers receive for their cattle, R-CALF argues. Bullard said large meatpackers and their ranch industry ally, the National Cattlemens Beef Association, are promoting a message that beef is beef no matter where its from. In private groups promoting the message, like the Montana Beef Council, NCBA members are well represented. Drank turtle blood and endured daily enemas to get liquid into their bodies Family scrambled onto their lifeboat and fought for survival for six weeks Schooner was attacked by pod of orca 200 miles from Douglas Robertson was just 18 when he and his family found themselves shipwrecked and adrift in a tiny lifeboat on the Pacific ocean for almost six weeks after their boat sank. His father, Dougal Robertson, then aged 47, was sailing their boat, the Lucette, from Panama to the Galapagos Islands when it was attacked and sunk by a pod of killer whales on June 15, 1972. The group managed to scramble aboard a small inflatable life raft with little in the way of tools or provisions and spent the next month and a half fighting for survival in one of the most hostile environments on earth. Douglas Robertson (pictured left), from London, was just 18 when he and his family found themselves adrift in the Pacific ocean for almost six weeks after their boat, the Lucette, was sunk by a pod of orca The Robertson family pictured in Jamaica. As a former maritime captain Mr Robertson was the only person on board with any sea-faring experience - wife Lyn, daughter Anne, 19, Douglas, 18 and twins Neil and Sandy, 10, were all complete beginners A year and half before the incident Mr Robertson senior, a farmer originally from Edinburgh, sold the family home and surrounding land in Leek, Staffordshire, in order to buy the boat and told the family there were embarking upon the adventure of a lifetime. As a former maritime captain Mr Robertson was the only person on board with any sea-faring experience - wife Lyn, daughter Anne, 19, Douglas, 18 and twins Neil and Sandy, 10, were all complete beginners. The motley crew left Falmouth, Cornwall, in 1971 on board their 43ft schooner and spent the next 17 months travelling around the Caribbean before daughter Anne retired from the voyage in the Bahamas. The family and their deck hand Robin were en route to the island chain when the Lucette was attacked by the pod of orca. Douglas said: 'There was a bang! Bang! Bang! And we were lifted off our feet. The whole boat shook and the keel must've cracked. Mr Robertson senior, a farmer originally from Edinburgh, sold the family home and surrounding land in Leek, Staffordshire, in order to buy the boat and told the family there were embarking upon the adventure of a lifetime 'There was a splintering noise of wood cracking, if you can imagine the sound of a tree trunk being snapped in two. 'There was a huge splashing noise behind me and I turned round and saw three whales.' Douglas later recalled that he was terrified the orca would eat the group, unaware that killer whales have no interest in devouring humans. From then it took only minutes for the Lucette to sink - his mother was still in her nightgown - and the group crowded into the small dinghy, using it as a towboat powered by a jury-rigged sail. They were not on a shipping route, so their chances of being sighted and rescued were remote. Mr Robertson senior was fatalistic and told the group they would not survive - but Douglas suggested they make their way towards the doldrums, hoping to find rain so they could collect drinking water. It took only minutes for the Lucette (pictured) to sink and the group crowded into the small dinghy, using it as a towboat powered by a jury-rigged sail The group only had six lemons, ten oranges, a tin of biscuits, a bag of onions and half a pound of glucose sweets to sustain them. More worryingly, there was only enough water for ten days - and before long they turned to turtle blood for hydration. After their rescue, Douglas said: You have to knock it back quickly otherwise it sets into blancmange. It has an after-taste that makes you want to retch. He later told the New Day: 'You wouldnt believe how hard it is to kill a turtle with your bare hands. 'The first ones I caught I had to let go they fight hard and slash you with razor-sharp claws. But you learn quickly when you have to. We ended up catching 13 in total. 'Wed tie them up, bleed their jugular into a cup and drink their blood. Its grim a little bit salty and hard to get down but it keeps you alive.' After 38 days, the castaways were picked up 300 miles from land by a Japanese fishing trawler The family with some of the Japanese fishermen who rescued them from their dinghy on the Pacific ocean They also ate the turtles and sometimes even found eggs inside the creatures, which they devoured. On other occasions they caught sharks and would sometimes find whole flying fish inside, which tasted 'slightly grilled.' After 17 days in the lifeboat it deflated, forcing them to transfer to an even smaller dinghy, the Ednamair, which was just three metres long. No one knew they had gone adrift, and sharks staked out their dangerously overcrowded vessel, prompting Mr Robertson senior to take matters into his own hands. Douglas said: 'He was only 5ft 5in, but when sharks circled our boat waiting for us to die, hed punch them with his bare hands. He never stopped protecting his family.' It helped, too, that his mother, Lyn, had trained as a nurse. Before his death from cancer in 1992, Mr Robertson senior (pictured centre with his family) wrote a book about the family's adventure called Survive the Savage Sea, which was turned into a film She knew about the healing properties of turtle oil (turtle flesh is rich in it), which she rubbed into the painful, saltwater boils that the family developed as a result of constantly sitting in seawater. There was only one dry seat in the boat, and the six of them took turns sitting on it. Crucially, Lyn was aware of the danger of drinking the fluid at the bottom of the dinghy a polluted combination of blood, turtle offal and rainwater. This would have been poisonous if taken orally, yet taken rectally by enema it would not impair the digestive system. Lyn kept them all hydrated by using an enema tube that they crafted from the rungs of a ladder. After 38 days, the castaways were picked up 300 miles from land by a Japanese fishing trawler Before his death from cancer in 1992, Mr Robertson senior wrote a book about the family's adventure called Survive the Savage Sea, which was turned into a film. He used the profits of the book to buy another boat and moved to the Mediterranean after he and Lyn divorced, and she went back to farming. Douglas went on to join the navy and then became an accountant and now lives in London. A woman who arrived at an airport expecting to jet off on an overseas holiday but was unable to board her flight because it was 'too heavy', has ended up missing her vacation. Alex Catchpole-Ozpnar was supposed to be flying from New Zealand to Tonga on Monday morning, but was unaware her holiday plans would be thrown into disarray until she checked-in. The Auckland woman - who says she booked her holiday in February - was unable to get on the overbooked Air New Zealand plane because the airline's management claimed she was last to book. Alex Catchpole-Ozpnar took to Facebook to vent her anger at being prevented from boarding her flight by Air New Zealand Ms Catchpole-Ozpnar took to Facebook to vent her anger, describing the incident as a 'screw up'. 'At 9:30 this morning I should've been on a flight to Tonga,' she began her post. 'However, at 6:30 this morning i turned up to the Air New Zealand check in counter to be told that I cannot board my flight because they've reached their maximum weight allowance for passengers. 'This is such a screw-up. I expected way better from Air New Zealand.' 'I turned up to the Air New Zealand check in counter to be told that I cannot board my flight because they've reached their maximum weight allowance for passengers,' Ms Catchpole-Ozpnar said. In response to the post, Air NZ offered a link to its conditions of carriage according to Stuff.co.nz. Those conditions outline that for safety reasons, the airline can refuse to carry any item for safety or operational reasons. 'I was hoping for a positive experience but I feel discouraged to fly with you to the Pacific again,' the disgruntled traveller said to the airline. Ms Catchpole-Ozpnar was rebooked on a flight on Tuesday, but was unable to get a refund for her unused accommodation on the Pacific island. Indiana has become the first state in the US to introduce 'baby hatches' where mothers can leave unwanted newborns in safety. The 'Safe Haven Baby Boxes' are climate controlled, padded and lock from the outside as soon as a baby is put in. They have a sensor which alerts the authorities as soon as the door is opened. Costing between $1,500 and $2,000, (1,000 - 1,400) each, the state's Knights of Columbus - world's largest Catholic fraternal organisation - is funding the first of 100 planned baby box installations, NY Daily News reported today. Scroll down for video Indiana has become the first US state to introduce baby drop-off boxes, which are secure and alert the authorities when a newborn has been placed inside. Founder of Save Haven Baby Box Monica Kelsey (pictured) presented her idea to a state senator who approved of it The first incubator was installed on April 19 on the side of a fire station in the town of Woodburn, near the Ohio border. The second was fitted in the Cool Spring Fire Department in Michigan City last Thursday. 'Anything we can do to make that specific situation better,' said Wes Rogers, captain at the Cool Spring Fire Department told IndyStar. 'We try to do it every day with running our calls, fighting fires and helping sick people. This is just another way to help.' Each US state has its own safe haven laws which allow unwanted newborns to be given up safely. In Indiana, an adult can drop a child younger than 30 days old to a fire station, hospital or police station with no questions asked. Save Haven Baby Boxes founder Monica Kelsey, a volunteer firefighter and medic, said the boxes were part of a broader approach that includes increasing awareness about the laws and other options available to new mothers in crisis. 'If these boxes are the answer, great,' she said. 'We're trying to come at it from all angles.' 'This is not criminal,' Ms Kelsey said. 'This is legal. We don't want to push women away.' Kelsey, who was abandoned in a hospital shortly after her birth because her mother's pregnancy was the result of rape, suggested the boxes to Indiana State Representative Casey Cox. Mr Cox said last year he was unaware of any other states that have considered the issue at the level Indiana has, and has publicly pushed for their installation. He submitted a proposal for the new boxes which drew on a centuries-old concept to help 'those children that are left in the woods, those children that are abandoned in dangerous places.' Ms Kelsey was abandoned in a hospital shortly after her birth because her mother's pregnancy was the result of rape. The first box has been installed at the fire station where she works in Woodburn, near the Ohio border The boxes are climate controlled, padded and lock from the outside as soon as a baby is put in. Around 100 more are set to be installed across the state The boxes have been installed despite State Department of Health officials advising last December they not be used. 'A team of child health experts ... carefully studied available research on newborn safety incubators and determined that there are no standards or protocols that can ensure the safety of children placed in these devices,' Jennifer O'Malley, State Department of Health spokeswoman, told IndyStar. Advocates argue, however, that despite save haven laws, many children do not make it into safe hands and that new parents need a better way to surrender their newborn. Dawn Geras, president of the Save the Abandoned Babies Foundation in Chicago, said that while safe haven laws have resulted in more than 2,800 safe surrenders since 1999, more than 1,400 other children have been found illegally abandoned, nearly two-thirds of whom died. Baby boxes, known in some countries as baby hatches or angel cradles, originated in medieval times, when convents were equipped with revolving doors known as 'foundling wheels.' Baby hatches, like this one pictured in Dortmund, Germany are common in countries across the world but have not yet reached the US Unwanted infants were placed in compartments in the doors, which were then rotated to get the infant inside. Hundreds of children have been surrendered in modern-day versions in place in Europe and Asia. The devices are even the subject of a new documentary titled 'The Drop Box,' which chronicles the efforts of a pastor in Seoul, South Korea, to address child abandonment. Supporters contend the boxes can save lives by offering women who can't face relinquishing a child in person a safe and anonymous alternative to abandonment or infanticide. But critics say the boxes make it easier to abandon a child without exploring other options and contend they do nothing to address poverty and other societal issues that contribute to unwanted babies. Some baby hatches in China have been so overwhelmed by abandonments in recent years that local officials have restricted their use or closed them. Pack in Sydney (11.65) currently twice the price of a pack in Paris (5.24) Australia is already among the most expensive countries in the world Federal Budget 2016 tax hikes will see $40 (23) cigarette packets likely Australian smokers will have to pay more than anyone else in the world for cigarettes amid plans for a huge tax hike that will push prices up to 23 a pack. The country already has some of the priciest cigarettes on the planet with a pack in Melbourne costing over 3.50 more than in London and New York. But prices will soar past $40 a packet by 2020 under planned tax changes which will see tobacco excise hiked by 12.5 per cent each year for the next four years. Federal Treasurer Scott Morrison announced he would lift the tobacco excise by 12.5 per cent a year for four years until 2020, which experts said would lift prices to up to $40AUD From $24.58 for a Marlboro pack in Melbourne to $1.80 in Moscow, this is how much cigarette packs cost around the world, according to a Deutsche Bank report released last year A 2015 Deutsche Bank survey found a Marlboro pack in Melbourne (12.70) or Sydney (11.65) was already double the price of those in Paris (5.24) or Ottawa (5.99). The study, named Mapping The World's Prices, found Australian packets were nearly 3.62 more expensive than similar packs in London (9.20) or New York (8.95). And the prices were astronomical compared to the cheap products on offer in Beijing, China (2.24), Cape Town, South Africa (1.93) or Jakarta, Indonesia (94p). Cigarette makers fumed and public health advocates celebrated on Tuesday evening as Australia's Treasurer Scott Morrison announced the changes. 'This means Australia has the highest excise regime in the world,' claimed Andrew Gregson, the head of legal and corporate affairs for Imperial American Tobacco. Public health expert Simon Chapman, an Emeritus Professor at Sydney University, agreed that Australia is 'definitely' already one of the world's most expensive countries for cigarette packets. THE COST OF CIGARETTE PACKS IN CITIES AROUND THE WORLD CITY PRICE (GBP) 1. MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA 12.70 2. SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA 11.65 3. AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND 10.88 4. WELLINGTON, NEW ZEALAND 10.36 5. LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM 9.19 6. NEW YORK CITY, UNITED STATES 8.95 7. EDINBURGH, UNITED KINGDOM 8.18 8. BOSTON, UNITED STATES 6.88 9. TORONTO, CANADA 5.99 10. OTTAWA, CANADA 5.99 11. ZURICH, SWITZERLAND 5.71 12. PARIS, FRANCE 5.24 13. HONG KONG 4.97 14. BERLIN, GERMANY 4.02 15. TOKYO, JAPAN 2.57 16. KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA 2.41 17. BEIJING, CHINA 2.24 18. MEXICO CITY, MEXICO 1.56 19. CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA 1.93 20. MOSCOW, RUSSIA 0.93 20. JAKARTA, INDONESIA 0.93 Source: Deutsch Bank Research: Mapping The World's Prices (April 2015). Current GBP conversion rate There are few up-to-date figures of which country is the world's most expensive, but 2012 Tobacco Atlas figures placed Australia second to Norway. Prof. Chapman said the $40AUD tax hike could possibly see Australia 'pushing out in front of that as well'. Other Tobacco Atlas 2012 measurements listed Australia as the sixth most expensive country when relative income was factored in, behind Belize, the U.K, Ireland, New Zealand and Singapore. Sydney University tobacco control researcher Becky Freeman said: 'Affordability is important to consider, which is generally measured in the average number of minutes you'd need to work to be able to purchase a pack of cigarettes. 'Again, there are countries/jurisdictions that are in front of Australia.' Cigarettes in Sydney (pictured) were the second most expensive in the Deutsche Bank survey at $22.54 Smokes in London were some $7 below the Australian cost in 2015, figures said Smokes in New York City cost $17.32AUD, according to the 2015 'Mapping The World's Prices' index Mr Morrison and public health lobbyists have cheered the tax measure as being good for Australians' health. Cancer Council CEO Professor Sanchia Aranda said it will save lives. 'The increase in tobacco tax alone will translate to tens of thousands of cancer deaths avoided,' Prof. Aranda said. She claimed the increases will lead to up to 320,000 smokers quit and 40,000 teenagers deterred from taking up smoking. In a statement, Imperial Tobacco Australia said it was 'justifiably furious' about the tax hike, accusing Mr Morrison of going back on his word. 'The government needs to stop treating Australia's three million plus smokers like second-class citizens, said Andrew Gregson, the company's head of legal and corporate affairs. He urged the government to respect people's rights to 'buy a legal product'and said smokers would be furious. Former Australian Idol host James Mathison has hilariously spoken on radio just hours after he was removed from a Sydney park by police for protesting against the removal of 130 year old trees. In a lighthearted discussion on Triple M's Merrick and Australia program on Tuesday, Mr Mathison opened up about his protesting efforts the night before. The 38-year-old had joined demonstrators at Sydney's Moore Park on Monday to protest against the felling of Moreton Bay Fig Trees to make room for the New South Wales government to construct light rail tracks. Scroll down for video Former Australian Idol host James Mathison was removed by police from Anzac Parade in Sydney on Monday night as he protested against felling of trees in the park Despite the disappointment of the failed protest Mr Mathison sounded like he was in good spirits when discussing the incident. 'Listen if this phone call drops out, this is my one call from prison. Just understand I have to watch what Im saying,' Mr Mathison joked. Merrick Watts and co-host Chris Taylor dubbed the TV and radio regular a 'greeny' and laughed at how far he has come since his days as the face of Australian Idol. 'So James Mathison is the greeny among all our celebrities! You wouldnt have picked that all those years ago on Idol would you?' Mr Taylor said. Having first achieved fame when he was appointed host of the Australian reality singing show in 2003, Mr Mathison went on to appear on a number other shows and even hosted Ten's failed breakfast show Wake Up. The media personality has been a strong voice against the removal of the old trees in his local neighbourhood over recent years. In a video shared by Sydney Light Rail Action Group on social media, Mr Mathison pleaded with residents to join him in his protest a gainst the destruction of the trees Mr Mathison discussed the efforts he and other protesters have made to stop the destruction of the trees, saying he eventually decided he had to be the one 'to do something'. 'At one point we were gathering round, we were doing sort non-violent resistance by just standing in the way and then we realised that wasnt working and that these 130-year-old Moreton Bay figs were going to be chopped down and destroyed,' he said. 'So I was like "screw it, somebodys got to do something here", so I tried to climb a fig tree.' Mr Mathison indicated that despite being led away from the protest by police, he'd do the same thing again. 'Yeah, not the smartest thing Ive ever done, but the thing is unless people stand up for when this stuff happens the next time developers and governments will go, oh, theres just a bit of nature and environment in the way, no one cared last time, and theyll just roll through us,' he said. 'So someones actually got to put a line in the sand every now and then and go "this is not cool guys".' The co-hosts commended Mr Mathison on the rarity of a celebrity not being drunk as he was led away by police, but continued to have a laugh at his expense. 'Its always good to see people follow their convictions into protests if they feel its necessary. Youve obviously done it for trees, gee Id hate to see a real issue,' Mr Watts said. On Tuesday Mr Mathison took to Twitter to share his grief after the tree was felled. '130 years to grow. Destroyed in an hour. So sad,' he wrote alongside a photograph of the toppled Bay Fig. The 38-year-old was one of 'many' removed from the site, said police. He later took to social media to share his grief at the tree's destruction, sharing a photograph of it having been toppled (above) He later responded to a fan who asked if it had been rotting: 'I'm afraid not. It was destroyed by the NSW state government.' A 39-year-old mother-of-two who was also protesting was arrested and later released pending further enquiries. Photographs showed a dishevelled Mr Mathison being escorted across the park by two policemen. A NSW Police spokesman told Daily Mail Australia on Wednesday that he had been 'moved on' like 'many others' at the protest but would not face arrest. 'He was one of many people who was given a move-on by police,' they said. The presenter pleaded with viewers to protect the trees in the video, describing them as 'a thing of beauty' Hundreds of trees will be felled as part of the light rail construction including those in Moore Park and Anzac Parade (above) Hours earlier an activist group fighting for the trees' survival celebrated his joining their efforts. Appearing in a video for Sydney Light Rail Action Group, Mr Mathison pleaded with residents to join their protest. 'The light rail project will see more than 1,000 trees affected through Sydney. Tonight, if we don't do something about it they will be gone,' he said. 'Trees are part of our community, they're part of who we are. They're a thing of beauty. They provide a connection with ourselves to the land. 'This is an appeal to you guys to get down here, show people power still counts. Hopefully we can make a difference.' The light rail project will see two new transport services introduced in Sydney's West (above) and in the CBD Scores of trees will be removed to make way for light rail, Transport for NSW's new initiative to reduce traffic and buses in Sydney's CBD. George Street has been all but shut down to allow its construction, reducing traffic to just one lane in parts. The building work saw this year's Anzac Day parade moved off course for the first time since the 1920s. The work on the city's busiest street will continue to disrupt commuters until January 2017. The project has two components; the Inner West light rail extension and the CBD and South East Light Rail which have a combined cost of $1.7billion. A fight at a bus stop in Leeds has gone viral after shocking footage of thugs ganging up a young man was posted on Facebook. The footage, which was posted online by Facebook page 'Leeds born n bred', shows a fight between two young males at a bus stop in the city centre on Monday. The video, shot at the busy bus stop close to the city's famous Corn Exchange, shows one male start the fight while his friends watch from the sidelines. Footage shows the shocking moment a man starts attacking a youth at a Leeds bus-stop, watched by his friends When it looks like he is losing the fight, another attacker joins in by throwing a series of punches to the victim, who is now sat on the floor. The shaken victim stands up and exit the bus stop but one of the thugs tries to intimidate him by squaring up to him. The shocking video has been viewed over 90,000 times in less than 24 hours on the Facebook page. One Facebook user commented: 'I feel sorry for the normal people at the bus stop having to put up with all that c***. A lot of elderly people use that stop next to Corn Exchange.' The attacked throws his victim brutally into the glass wall of the shelter before throwing him onto the floor Another said: 'Absolutely disgusting that poor lad was trying to walk away. I'm all for one on one but absolutely detest bullies. I hope every one of them gets humiliated in public like they did to him. How proud their parents must be.' The identity of victim and his attackers has not been revealed, despite a number of witnesses that can be seen at the bus stop on a busy Bank Holiday in Leeds City centre. West Yorkshire Police have been contacted over the incident. In a series of tweets, she promised to 'fight my heart out' to oppose him She claims his campaign was based on 'racism, sexism and xenophobia' Senator Elizabeth Warren has launched a scathing attack on Donald Trump, vowing to fight her heart out to prevent his 'toxic stew of hatred and insecurity' from reaching the White House. In a series of damning tweets, she labeled the now-presumptive Republican nominee's campaign racist and xenophobic - and described him as an authoritarian narcissist. The Massachusetts democrat - who is soon expected to endorse Hillary Clinton in the race for the White House - has made a series of vocal attacks on the GOP candidates in recent weeks. Scroll down for video Senator Elizabeth Warren has labelled Donald Trump's campaign authoritarian, xenophobic and racist in a damning series of tweets Senator Elizabeth Warren's barrage of tweets accused Trump of running a campaign based on sexism and xenophobia and declared she would do everything in her power to stop him reaching the White House The two have a history. In March Warren labelled Trump a loser and claimed his own insecurities were visible in his 'petty bullying, attacks on women, cheap racism' and 'flagrant narcissism'. Last night she wrote: '@realdonaldtrump is now the leader of the @GOP. It's real - he is one step away from the White House. Here's what else is real: @realdonaldtrump has built his campaign on racism, sexism, and xenophobia. 'There's more enthusiasm for @realdonaldtrump among leaders of the KKK than leaders of the political party he now controls. @realdonaldtrump incites supporters to violence, praises Putin, and is "cool with being called an authoritarian". '@realdonaldtrump attacks vets like @senjohnmccain who were captured & puts our servicemembers at risk by cheerleading illegal torture. 'And @realdonaldtrump puts out out [sic] contradictory & nonsensical national security ideas one expert called "incoherent" & "truly bizarre". Trump last night became the presumptive GOP nominee after Ted Cruz dropped out of the race 'What happens next will test the character for all of us - Republican, Democrat and Independent. It will determine whether we move forward as one nation or splinter at the hands of one man's narcissim and divisiveness. 'I'm going to fight my heart out to make sure @realdonaldtrump's toxic stew of hatred and insecurity never reaches the White House.' Her outburst came just as the billionaire businessman became the presumptive GOP candidate following Ted Cruz's decision to drop out of the race. Trump beat Cruz in the latest primary in Indiana by a 53 to 37 percent margin - effectively making him unreachable by Cruz or Kasich. Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus even called Trump the 'presumptive GOP nominee' and urged party-wide unity. Casting himself as a lifelong fighter in the bruising world of New York real estate, Trump said he had met 'some of the most incredible competitors that I have ever competed against, right here, in the Republican Party.' 'Ted Cruz I don't know if he likes me, or if he doesn't like me, but he is one hell of a competitor,' he said. 'And he has got an amazing future.' Flanked by three of his adult children and their spouses, Trump said he had 'never been though anything like this, but it's a beautiful thing to watch and a beautiful thing to behold. 'We're going after Hillary Clinton,' he said, looking ahead to what will be an expensive and protracted fall. A man whose girlfriend pulled out of a family holiday after landing her dream job on board a cruise ship got back at her by posting a series of hilarious 'wish you were here' photographs online. Will Bower, 22, had booked to take Kayley Harrison, 22, away on a break with his entire family to La Palma in the Canaries, but she pulled out of the trip after she starting a new job as a dancer. Instead of abandoning the all-inclusive week away Mr Bower decided to take a series of hilarious 'couples' pictures' to show Ms Harrison exactly what she was missing. A man whose girlfriend pulled out of a family holiday after landing her dream job on board a cruise ship got back at her by posting a series of hilarious 'wish you were here' photographs online Will Bower, 22, (pictured left) had booked to take Kayley Harrison, 22, (both right) away on a break with his entire family to La Palma in the Canaries, but she pulled out of the trip after she landed a job as a dancer Mr Bower, an entrepreneur from Crawley, West Sussex, recreated photos that couples typically take on holidays after he noticed his brother taking pictures with his girlfriend. The hilarious shots showed Mr Bower posed as if he was enjoying intimate moments with his significant other - sunbathing, holding hands while watching the sunset and enjoying a romantic dinner date - when in reality he was by himself and Ms Harrison was thousands of miles away. But Ms Harrison, who is also from Crawley, did not discover the mischief her boyfriend had got up to while he was away for a week - and only spotted the images after her friends and family shared the pictures on Facebook. Mr Bower's family saw the funny side to his antics and helped him to pose up for the photos on his own - despite earning some odd looks from locals. Mr Bower, an entrepreneur from West Sussex recreated photos that couples typically take on holiday Instead of abandoning the holiday Mr Bower (pictured wiht his family while on the holiday) decided to take a series of hilarious pictures showing Ms Harrison exactly what she was missing He said: 'While we were on the family holiday, my brother George and his girlfriend Siobhan were taking all the typical couples' shots that you see in holiday albums, like watching the sunset together and raising a glass of champagne. 'I thought that it would be funny to some "wish you were here" photos and was gently ribbing Kayley at the same time, saying "I bet you wish you on holiday rather than having to work". The couple will be reunited at the end of the month when Ms Harrison's ship docks in Athens, Greece 'We found out that Kayley wouldn't be able to come on the family holiday about a month before we went to the Canaries, but by that point it was too late to get refunds on everything. 'So we had a spare for everything - in the hotel and even a spare seat on the plane.' He added that because it was his girlfriend's dream job they were all supportive - despite it being too late to cancel. He said: 'The photos were pretty spontaneous really and although I took photos of all the usual things that couple might do when they're away together, I got a few funny looks from the people in the area.' The couple, who have been together eight years, will be reunited at the end of the month when Ms Harrison's ship docks in Athens, Greece, and Mr Bower will fly out to meet her. Mr Bower said: 'I've booked a ticket to see Kayley next time her cruise ship docks in Greece, this month. 'It will have been three months since we've seen each other, so it'll be a much-needed catch up - I'm sure this will come up at some point. 'All Kayley's friends had seen the photos I'd posted on Facebook before she did, as the Wi-Fi on her ship isn't the best. She laughed it all off though and managed to see the funny side to things.' A brave teenager who became the public face of the campaign for more research into a rare ageing disease he suffered from has died. Nihal Shrinivas Bitla, who was diagnosed with progeria as a child, has succumbed to the disease at the age of just 15 at a hospital in Karimnagar in Telangana this week. During his short life, he campaigned tirelessly for more funding into researching the condition and was the face of the Progeria Research Foundation's campaign. Brave: Nihal Shrinivas Bitla has died at the age of just 15 after suffering from a rare condition that caused him to age eight times faster than normal The teenager's parents said that they had tried to give Nihal as normal a life as possible and had travelled with him from their home to attend a wedding when he was taken ill after suffering from dehydration Hutchinson-Gilford progeria syndrome, often shortened to progeria, causes the body to age eight times faster than normal. The typical cause of death is either a heart attack or stroke. The teenager's parents had tried to give him as normal a life as possible and had travelled with him from their home in Bhiwandi to attend a wedding when he was taken ill from dehydration. He was admitted to a local hospital, where doctors believe that hardened arteries, which are a typical problem in old people, were a possible reason for his sudden death. One of his doctors, Dr Parag Tamhankar from the National Institute for Research in Reproductive Health, said that when he was 10 he already had the body of a 60-year-old. Despite his efforts to raise awareness Nihal had to deal with stigma of the disease and stopped going to school A campaign called #finding 60 in India is working towards finding undetected cases in India. So far only four, including Nihal, have been diagnosed Nihal Bitla and his friend playing pilots. One of his doctors, Parag Tamhankar from the National Institute for Research in Reproductive Health, said that when he was 10 he already had the body of a 60 year old In 2014, Nihal along with three-year-old Ishan, another child with progeria from Satara, went to Boston, Massachusetts in the United States to undergo a clinical trial of a cancer drug meant to slow accelerated ageing. A campaign called #finding 60 in India is working towards finding undetected cases in India. The campaign is spearheaded by Team Nihal, under the aegis of the Progeria Research Foundation that estimates that at least 60 children in India suffer from progeria. So far only four, including Nihal, have been diagnosed. It was Nihal's efforts that were instrumental in finding two more cases: five-year-olds Aditya from Rajasthan and Prachi from Patna. Nihal liked painting and had the opportunity to personally gift one of his works to actor Aamir Khan (above) Nihal Bitla with actor Aamir Khan. Only 56 children were diagnosed with progeria around the world in 2009 In 2009, only 56 children were diagnosed with progeria around the world, according to the foundation. With their efforts, now 125 children have been found. Despite his efforts to raise awareness, Nihal had to deal with stigma from the disease and stopped going to school. He liked painting and had the opportunity to personally gift one of his works to actor Aamir Khan. The Bollywood actor met Nihal after he found out the boy wanted to meet him. Dr Tamhankar had earlier said that children with progeria generally appear normal at birth. 'During the first year, signs and symptoms, such as slow growth and hair loss, begin to appear. Advertisement These rare images show tribal women who each wear a large lip plate in their mouths - stretching their lips to extreme proportions. The Mursi Tribe women, who live in Mago National Park, in Ethiopia, start wearing the lip plates as teenagers and gradually increase their size. Heavy plates, made of clay and often as big as five inches in diameter, are used to mark traditional rites of passage and are seen as a sign of beauty. Women start wearing them at the age of around 15 when they will have their lip cut by another member of the tribe. The cut heals after three months but it then enables the lip to stretch to accommodate a plug. Rare images show tribal women in Ethiopwho each wear a large lip plate in their mouths - stretching their lips to extreme proportions Mursi Tribe women, who live in Mago National Park, in Ethiopia, start wearing the lip plates as teenagers and gradually increase their size Advertising worker Cezary Filew, 54, from Warsaw, Poland, travelled to Ethiopia to meet the community and took these stunning photographs. He said: 'I am particularly interested in vanishing tribes. There is an allure to their photogenic aspect, and I am keen to have my own record of these incredible people. 'Only Mursi tribe women wear lip plates. They are made of clay, and are quite heavy. The women can make the size of the plate grow gradually to stretch the lower lip - the bigger, the better. 'Young girls begin with tiny plates and then these can be increased in size as time goes on. They are worn everyday without any special occasion.' He said the women overcome the issue of being able to eat by removing the plates at meal times. However, some women are able to eat with the plate still on. As well as the lip plates, the Mursi have a range of their own adornments, including beaded headdresses, horns, underskin tattoos, gunshell necklaces and hardware headhangers. Heavy plates, made of clay and often as big as five inches in diameter, are used to mark traditional rites of passage and are seen as a sign of beauty Tradition: Women start wearing them at the age of around 15 when they will have their lip cut by another member of the tribe Mr Filew added 'There are a few theories behind the plates, one being to repulse slave hunters and men from other tribes although these theories are flawed. 'The Ethiopians say it is a matter of beauty, just like in Western culture it is acceptable to be pierced, tattooed and wear make up. 'To me, the tribes appear to be very happy how they are, much happier then we are in fact, and they are definitely not interested in being like us.' He added: 'To meet the Mursi, we went to Mago National Park as they are seldom seen outside of that area. Once you arrive, you can see them along the ground road doing their daily jobs. 'When we arrived at the village we had to make a deal with the Chief, with a help of a local guide who knows their language and customs. After paying 100 Birr per person (around 3.16) and some gifts like soluble coffee we were allowed to visit the village. 'I had to pretend for about 20 minutes that I was not interested in taking photos until the local guide gave me a sign saying I could get my camera out. Advertising worker Cezary Filew, 54, from Warsaw, Poland, travelled to Ethiopia to meet the community and took these stunning photographs He said that some of the women with plates in their lip charged 2 Birr (6p) per photo, which went up depending on the number of people in a picture and the number of clicks with a camera. He said: 'They also ask to view the photos so they can count them. They hear the clicks and count very well. 'My wife played the role of walking ATM machine as she carried a bag of 2 Birr notes and the local guide did all the negotiations. Higher nominals are unfamiliar to the Mursi and may not be accepted by them. 'One girl was rushing at me hoping to be a perfect model and grabbed her husband's gun to pose with. 'The Mursi do have a great sense of humour, about themselves too and they know how to be attractive to strangers. You cannot be there unnoticed and you can't just mingle in the crowd. Piers Corbyn today claimed Ken Livingstone was 'misunderstood' when he claimed Hitler supported Zionism before he 'went mad and killed six million Jews'. The brother of Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn waded into the race-row engulfing the Labour Party to claim there was 'too much sensitivity' surrounding anti-Semitism. Former London mayor Mr Livingstone threw the final days of Labour's election campaign into chaos with his incendiary remarks last week. A spokesman for the Labour leader today said it was a 'family matter' and Jeremy Corbyn was not responsible for his brother's statements. Labour was today forced to suspend another two local councillors as claims continued to emerge about anti-Semitic remarks made by Labour politicians. Piers Corbyn today claimed Ken Livingstone had been 'misunderstood' in an explosive row over anti-Semitism which is rocking Labour In an unrelated row, Labour's London mayor candidate Sadiq Khan today issued a grovelling apology for referring to moderate Muslims as 'Uncle Toms'. Piers Corbyn today told the Evening Standard: 'I think Ken has been misunderstood, because he has been talking actual history which now looks incomprehensible. 'We can't understand now the context those things happened in, but there is numbers of historical documents around which seem to bear out some things that Ken has said. ' 'But they've been taken out of context.' Asked if Mr Livingstone's comments were anti-Semitic, he added: 'You have to look into the whole history of what happened in Germany. 'The relationship between Nazis and the Jews, and Russia, have been complicated and there have been serious alliances, or mutual supports, or dealings which are difficult to understand now. 'But there have been arrangements that went on, or certainly some type of understandings going on between Hitler and Zionists.' Piers is not currently a member of the Labour Party. Labour today confirmed suspensions, pending investigation, of Miqdad Al-Nuaimi and Terry Kelly. Both were named on the Guido Fawkes political blog which has been responsible for unearthing a string of anti-Semitic claims. Miqdad Al-Nuaimi was one of two Labour councillors who joined the suspension list earlier today after more anti-Semitic social media posts emerged The website triggered the scandal which has rocked Labour when it revealed Bradford West MP Naz Shah shared a graphic claiming Israel should be 'relocated' to the United States. Mr Al-Nuaimi, a Labour councillor in Newport, published tweets alleging a link between Israel and the ISIS terror group. In other messages, he said: 'Jews in whose name Israel Zionist regime commit war crimes should worry it's the same arrogant mentality as Nazis.' Mr Kelly, a Labour councillor in Renfrewshire, posted blogs protesting the influence of the 'Jewish lobby' and comparing the actions of Israelies to the Holocaust. A Labour Party spokeswoman said: 'Miqdad Al-Nuaimi has been suspended from the Labour Party pending an investigation.' She added: 'Terry Kelly has been suspended from the Labour Party pending an investigation.' The new suspensions bring to 18 the number of Labour Party politicians who have faced investigation for anti-Semitism. A spokesman for Mr Corbyn's office said: 'In the time he has been leader, 18 people have been suspended in relation to anti-Semitic allegations or incidents and every single one of those has taken place within 48 hours. 'I should say getting on for half of those relate to incidents or online posts from before Jeremy Corbyn was leader. 'He's taken more action, more quickly than any other Labour leader or any leader of a political party.' It's not a national holiday, yet it might be an intergalactic one. May the Fourth, as in 'May the Fourth Be With You' has become a day to celebrate all things Star Wars, especially following last year's revival of the series with Star Wars: The Force Awakens. And even Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has marked the occasion - by inviting Chewbacca, two Ewoks, a Rebel soldier and an Imperial stormtrooper into the firm's headquarters for a team meeting. Scroll down for video May the 4th...! Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has marked the occasion - by inviting Chewbacca, two Ewoks, a Rebel soldier and an Imperial stormtrooper into the firm's headquarters for a team meeting Fans dressed as movie Star Wars characters pose as they cerebrate the Star Wars Day in Taipei, Taiwan May 4 is known as Star Wars Day among fans worldwide since the date sounds phonetically similar to the franchise's slogan, 'May the Force Be With You' One the stars of the current Star Wars trilogy, Daisy Ridley, appeared in a YouTube video surrounded by some of the series' characters to deliver well wishes from the cast of Star Wars: Episode VIII, which is set for release next year. While Star Wars VIII actress Daisy Ridley shared a video from the set of Episode VIII with BB-8 and her co-star John Boyega posted a video of twerking Storm Troopers, vet Mark Hamill chose to use the day to help sick kids. Daisy seen in a video posted to the official Star Wars Instagram page. The beauty was on the set of Star Wars VIII with BB-8 in the background. She thanked fans for donating to Force For Change. And she also pretended not to be disappointed when she was handed a gift from Boyega. Turns out that gift was a Star Wars John Boyega doll. 'Over one million raised. One million matched. @daisyridley (and friends) thank you for being a #ForceForChange and wish you a happy #StarWarsDay! #StarWars,' read the caption. On Instagram, her flashback photos were all of her. Daisy's first snap was of her grinning on the set of The Force Awakens as she wears a Jedi-approved turban. The 24-year-old star captioned the collage: 'HAPPY STAR WARS DAY!' In the next snap she is holding hands with Boyega in a beige tent. Her caption for this one read: 'HAPPY STAR WARS DAY Y'ALL! @jboyega_ PEANUTS.' A look at VIII: Daisy Ridley shared a video from the set of Episode VIII to wish everyone a Happy May the 4th Awkward: Turns out the gift was a Boyega doll and Daisy was not too impressed Nice scarf: Daisy's first snap was of her grinning on the set of The Force Awakens as she wears a Jedi-approved turban. The 24-year-old star captioned the collage: 'HAPPY STAR WARS DAY!' A lot of love here: In the next snap she is holding hands with Boyega in a beige tent. Her caption for this one read: 'HAPPY STAR WARS DAY Y'ALL! @jboyega_ PEANUTS' Jokes: Boyega's Twitter post was playful. It read: 'There is a reason I left these guys #starwarsday' Awkward: Several dancers in Storm Troopers outfits were seen twerking in an alley way She also had 15 heart emojis. Next there was a split screen of her getting her makeup done in the desert as director JJ Abrams looked on. 'HAPPY STAR WARS DAY Y'ALL! This is team Dazzle; Lisa, Amanda and Callie (missing Sonny!) AKA the incredible women that kept me going the whole way through the shoot! Plus JJ in the back being a general BAWS!' Boyega's Twitter post was playful. It read: 'There is a reason I left these guys #starwarsday.' Several dancers in Storm Troopers outfits were seen twerking in an alley way. Hamill, who plays Luke Skywalker in all of the Star Wars films - including 2017's Episode VIII - shared a photo with a sick child. His caption read: 'Don't donate for me-Donate for THIS guy! #AwesomeOscar #ForceForChange #GOSH #StarWarsDay.' What a trooper: Hamill, who plays Luke Skywalker in all of the Star Wars films - including 2017's Episode VIII - shared a photo with a sick child. His caption read: 'Don't donate for me-Donate for THIS guy! #AwesomeOscar #ForceForChange #GOSH #StarWarsDay' He's a favorite! Mark was also with Naheem Abidoye at the ICAP MediCinema, Guy's Hospital in London celebrating Star Wars Day for Force for Change Like many Star Wars characters, 'May the Fourth' comes with an interesting origin story. One of the earliest known references to the day followed the May 4, 1979, election of Margaret Thatcher as Britain's prime minister, according to a post on the official Star Wars website. Thatcher's party took out an ad in the London Evening News with the message, 'May the Fourth Be With You, Maggie. Congratulations,' the website said, adding that the day took off once the Internet began connecting fans. The day has been a trending topic on social media. Comedy Central's '@midnight' got things started by launching a #StarWarsSongs hashtag, asking fans to come up with Star Wars themed song titles. Some of the responses include 'Whiskey in the Jar Jar' and 'When You Wish Upon a Death Star.' NASA got in on the fun with a blog comparing real planets to the ones depicted in Star Wars, including Saturn's moon, Mimas, which has become known as the 'Death Star' moon thanks to its distinctive crater. Retailers are trying to turn fan enthusiasm into a profit. Many, including Wal-Mart, Target and Toys 'R' Us are offering promotions on Star Wars related items this week. A former child actor who starred in the Disney classic Flight of the Navigator was arrested in British Columbia on Sunday. Deleriyes Joe Cramer, 42, who acted under the name Joey Cramer, was charged with robbery, disguise with intent to commit an indictable offense, failing to stop for a peace officer and dangerous operation of a motor vehicle. The arrest stems from an incident last Thursday when he allegedly robbed a bank and then fled on foot before police arrived on the scene. Scroll down for video In custody: Deleriyes Joe Cramer, 42, was arrested on Sunday for allegedly robbing a bank in Sechelt, British Columbia last week (above in a 2011 booking shot) Back in the day: Cramer acted under the name Joey Cramer as a child and starred in the 1987 Disney classic Flight of the Navigator Scene: Cramer entered the bank (above) in a wig, bandanna and sunglasses, taking money from a teller before fleeing on foot Royal Canadian Mounted Police say that a man entered a Scotiabank in Sechelt wearing a wig, bandanna and sunglasses and demanded a teller hand over money, according to CBC News. He then fled the scene, but after looking at surveillance footage authorities were able to identify him based on previous encounters with the man. 'Despite the fact that a disguise was used during the robbery, the suspect was quickly identified by some of our officers, who had recently dealt with him on an unrelated matter,' said Constable Harrison Mohr with the Sunshine Coast Royal Canadian Mounted Police. 'We hope that the community feels safer now that the suspect has been apprehended.' He then added; 'Here on the Sunshine Coast, robberies are extremely rare. We're fortunate that the officers were able to get the suspect into custody quickly.' Spaceship: Cramer starred in just one other film after Flight of the Navigator (above) and then moved back to British Columbia. Cramer previously ran into trouble with the law back in 2011 when he was accused of cashing fake checks. He is now in custody and authorities have not yet revealed whether or not a weapons was use in the robbery. Cramer had bit parts in the films Runaway and Clan of the Cave Bear alongside Daryl Hannah before landing the lead role in the 1986 Disney film Flight of the Navigator. He starred in just one other film after that, Stone Fox, and moved back to British Columbia. Billionaire Tesla boss Elon Musk was stopped from entering a Met Gala after-show party at the Top of the Standard hotel after turning him with his mother Maye. The tech boss, who is worth more than $13 billion and is planning to send a man to Mars, was at the $30,000-a-ticket Met Gala with his 68-year-old mother. However, when Musk tried to get into one of the after-show parties, he was blocked by security. Billionaire technology boss Elon Musk, pictured, was prevented from entering an aftershow party after the The Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute Benefit Gala hosted by Anna Wintour editor-in-chief of Vogue Anna Wintour, pictured, left, personally vets the entire 600-strong guestlist making it New York's most exclusive party because even if someone is willing to pay the $30,000 fee they are not guaranteed entrance Elon Musk's mother Maye, 68, told the Humans of New York blog at the entrance to the gala: 'From the moment he could speak, he could discuss.' According to Page Six, a source said; 'Everyone was shouting and trying to help, saying, "Hes Elon Musk!" And they were just like, "We dont care, hes not on the list."' The after-show event follows the The Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute Benefit Gala, which is often described as the Oscars of the east coast with the A-list guestlist chosen by Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour. This year's event was sponsored by Apple who developed the theme 'Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology.' The billionaire tech boss has announced he is putting a 'Ludicrous mode' in his $35,000 electric cars. The new Model 3 can go from a standstill to 60mph in less than six seconds. However, with Ludicrous mode engaged, it will slash the time to just 2.8 seconds. The name comes from Mel Brooks' 1987 Star Wars spoof 'Spaceballs'. The Model 3 is a cheaper version of Tesla's electric car aimed at the mass market. Orders for it surged to 276,000 in just three days, Musk said at the weekend. A week after the launch last month, Musk said orders had passed 115,000 and he hinted demand was outstripping expectation with the tweet: 'Definitely going to need to rethink production planning.' With the Model 3, Tesla is aiming to show it can appeal to the general public and produce cars en masse. This is the British holidaymaker who drowned in the bath after a night out drinking in Magaluf. Samantha Johnson, from Blackpool, Lancashire, was found dead after staff saw water seeping under the door of her hotel room. Police say her death was accidental and unrelated to a row she had the night before with her boyfriend who flew home early following an apparent argument. 'A lovely girl': Samantha Johnson (pictured) drowned in the bath after a drunken night out in Magaluf Friends paid tribute to her on social media sites. Leah Hincliffe said: 'Horrible because I went to school with her. RIP Samantha.' Another said: 'She was a lovely girl and will be missed.' Staff at the three-star TRH Torrenova hotel called police after seeing water seeping under the door of her hotel room and finding her lying lifeless in her bath. Efforts by paramedics to revive her failed. A bathroom at the TRH Torrenova Hotel like the one where Miss Johnson was found lying lifeless in her bath Investigators believe she fell asleep or slipped into semi-consciousness after drinking too much during a night out. She was found just before 11pm on Monday. An autopsy carried out yesterday morning ruled she had died from drowning. A local report today claimed Samantha was found in another hotel guest's room, but police said they were unable to confirm the claims. Local Civil Guard investigators say they will be drafting a report for a judge tasked with a routine investigation into her death stating they believed it was a tragic accident. The TRH Torrenova is just 300 metres from Magaluf beach. Its website says it is ideal for 'resting and enjoying holidays.' Staff at the three-star TRH Torrenova hotel (pictured) called police after seeing water seeping under the door of her hotel room and finding her lying lifeless in her bath A string of Brit holidaymakers have lost their lives in Magaluf in accidents including hotel falls and drownings in recent years. Most were linked at the time to the excessive consumption of drink or drugs or both. British police were sent to Magaluf last July to patrol Magaluf's rowdy Punta Ballena area as part of a week-long trial. A Lithuanian model and her boyfriend who stole 1,000 worth of sunglasses from John Lewis to fund their heroin addiction have been jailed for four months each. Nerile Narbutaityte, 25, and boyfriend Mindaugas Vasiliauskas, 27, were caught on CCTV trying on the sunglasses at the company's flagship store on Oxford Street on April 26. A security guard later spotted five pairs - worth a total of 1,092 - were missing from the display. The couple returned to the store five days later and were arrested. Lithuanian model Nerile Narbutaityte, 25, was caught on CCTV along with her boyfriend stealing sunglasses Narbutaityte, who advertises on modelling website Bloom.com, wept as she was sentenced They admitted to theft and selling the glasses for 200 to fund their drug addiction. The pair, who live in Walthamstow in northeast London, have a 'dreadful' criminal record and an 'astonishing' number of convictions for similar offences. They were last jailed for three months for theft in 2013. Evan Cranfield, for the defence, said: 'They are both from Lithuania. They've been here for about ten years. They came here after the equivalent of A-Levels where they both did quite well. 'They came to join Mr Vasiliauskas's father, and had been studying at college and working in part-time jobs. 'It came to the point when they started to experiment with drugs, then they became addicted to them and they have been ever since. 'They have tried to come off them but to no avail, although there have been promises and good intentions.' He added: 'They are both looking to get back into study and to work more often. [At present] they are dependent on family for rent and food.' Narbutaityte admitted to stealing the sunglasses worth more than 1,000 to fund her heroin addiction Vasiliauskas comforted his girlfriend in court as they were sentenced to four months each in prison The couple were found stealing the shades from this John Lewis store in Oxford Street, central London Jailing the couple for four months each, Magistrate Edward Lord said: 'You two have a dreadful record, it's astonishing the number of convictions for similar offences you have racked up over the period you have been living in the UK. 'It appears to us that you have been abusing this country's hospitality, and you're about to abuse it for a period of four more months - we're sending you to prison. 'You're essentially on an escalator, you carry on down this road and it's just going to get worse and worse.' Narbutaityte, who advertises on modelling website Bloom.com, wept as she was sentenced and was comforted by her boyfriend. An advertising executive who refused to pay her ex-boyfriend his share of the flat after he spent thousands on renovations has been left with a 200,000 bill. Chloe Thomas, 28, and Gareth Powell, 31, had planned to make a healthy profit when they embarked on an overhaul of the 'uninhabitable' property in Wandsworth, south London. Miss Thomas had enough capital to buy the 315,000 home, while Mr Powell was due to carry out the work. Advertising executive Chloe Thomas, 28 (left) has been left with a 200,000 bill after refusing to pay her ex-boyfriend Gareth Powell (right) after he spent thousands renovating her property But Mr Powell was left without a penny when the couple split in 2014 because the property - now worth around 450,000 - was solely in her name. Mr Powell then sued his former partner, claiming he had been promised one third of the profit if they ever broke up. But Miss Thomas turned down a 35,000 settlement offer, instead choosing to fight her case through the courts. She has now been ordered to foot the 150,000 legal costs, as well as pay Mr Powell 50,000, after Judge Heather Baucher found in his favour. Handing down the ruling at Central London County Court, the judge said: 'Accepting the offer would have saved the whole trauma of this case. And I do say trauma - it is a very sad case. Speaking afterwards, Mr Powell said he had been hurt by his ex-girlfriend's refusal to give him his rightful share. I was completely in love with Chloe, he said. We had a strong relationship and I trusted her implicitly. We had great plans for the future - buying a home to renovate was only the start. I had borrowed funds and invested a lot of time and effort into the property. I thought I knew Chloe well, but now I realise that I didnt know her at all. Miss Thomas's mother told the Evening Standard: 'We are very disappointed with the courts decision, we thought we were going to win. She has been very distressed by the whole thing.' The court heard the couple, who had been together for eight years, decided to buy the flat in 2012. They agreed that, because he was unable to contribute to the purchase price, Mr Powell would use his skills to renovate the apartment. He told the judge how there was very poor water pressure and no heating and that the couple suffered a freezing winter when they moved in. Chloe Thomas, 28, and Gareth Powell, 31, had planned to make a healthy profit when they embarked on an overhaul of the 'uninhabitable' property in Wandsworth, south London (pictured). Miss Thomas bought the 315,000 home, while Mr Powell was due to carry out the work Using cash loaned by his parents, Mr Powell then spent more than 14,000 on materials to bring the flat up to scratch. He installed a brand new kitchen before converting the dilapidated bathroom into a wet room. He told the judge that he had been approached by Miss Thomass mother Heather in February 2013 and asked to sign a contract, which would guarantee him a third of the profit if they split. He claimed that he had discussed the contract with Miss Thomas and that they both decided to sign. But, giving evidence in court, Miss Thomas, originally from Buckinghamshire, denied she was ever part of any such agreement, saying she was vehemently opposed to her mother's suggestion. I was completely in love with Chloe. I thought I knew her well, but now I realise that I didnt know her at all Gareth Powell She said that she was furious when she found out her boyfriend had signed it. In court, her mother said she had arranged for the contract because she wanted to protect her daughter 'if things went bad. She said that, when Miss Thomas made clear that she did not want to sign, her mother tore up the copy that Mr Powell had signed. Giving judgment, Judge Baucher said Miss Thomas was no wallflower' and that she did not accept her evidence that she did not know about the contract. I reject the contention that Chloe knew nothing about the proposed agreement. She accepts her mother raised the matter, she said. Her mother says she did not discuss it with her daughter, but I dont accept that evidence. Her daughter must have known. She added: I find it was destroyed by Heather Thomas in the vain hope the contents would never surface if the relationship between the parties faltered. The judge also said that messages exchanged between the pair after the split showed Miss Thomas had promised she would stick to their agreement. Miss Thomas was accepting, firstly that there was an agreement, and secondly that she was going to fulfil it because she knew full well the terms, she said. Given my findings of fact, there was a clear intention by both parties to be bound by the agreement. Experts valued the flat at 445,000, meaning Mr Powell should get just short of 50,000 for his share of the profit, reimbursement of cash he spent on the work and interest. It is believed Miss Thomas still owns the property. David Cameron has launched a furious assault on Jeremy Corbyn over his links to Hamas, demanding he condemn the group as anti-Semitic terrorists. The Prime Minister seized on the row engulfing the Labour leader as they squared up at the weekly Commons questions session. On the eve of crucial elections, Mr Cameron repeatedly demanded that Mr Corbyn withdraw his reference to Hamas and Hezbollah as 'friends'. Scroll down for video A visibly angry David Cameron repeatedly demanded the Labour leader distance himself from Hamas in the Commons Mr Corbyn initially tried to dodge the issue, insisting: 'I have made it very clear Labour is an anti-racist party and there is no room for anti-Semitism.' But under intense pressure he then conceded that any group that committed racist or anti-Semitic acts was 'no friend of mine'. The attack came after Israeli ambassador Mark Regev delivered a thinly-veiled attack on politicians who 'embrace' Hamas, the armed wing of which is banned in Britain as a terrorist group. Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis has also waded into the row warning that Labour has a 'severe' issue and calling for 'decisive action' to tackle it. He said the 'worst mistake' would be to dismiss the controversy as a political attack on the leader - as Mr Corbyn's allies have repeatedly suggested. Yesterday a spokesman for Hamas reportedly hailed Mr Corbyn for his refusal to condemn the group. Taher Al-Nunu said Mr Corbyn's willingness to engage with it was a 'painful hit that the Zionist enemy received'. 'We consider the statements of the Labour leader to be an important message to people in Western countries that Hamas is not and will not be considered a terrorist group and our struggle is reduced to the borders of occupied Palestine,' he told Breitbart Jerusalem. But later Hamas attempted to retract the comments, denying Mr Nunu had given the interview. Mr Nunu told the Middle East Eye: 'I did not make any statements on this issue at all.' Turning the tables on Mr Corbyn during PMQs, a visibly angry Mr Cameron pointed to his previous comments on Hamas and Hezbollah. 'Are they your friends or are they not? Because these organisations in their constitutions believe in persecuting and killing Jews. They are anti-Semitic organisations, they are racist organisations,' he said. Jeremy Corbyn was on the back foot during the PMQs exchanges with David Cameron today 'He must stand up and say they are not his friends.' Mr Corbyn responded: 'Obviously, anyone who commits racist acts or is anti-Semitic is not a friend of mine. I am very clear about that.' He insisted his goal had been promote the peace process in the Middle East, and that 'I absolutely do not approve of those organisations'. Labour had suspended members involved in anti-Semitic activities and statements and had established an inquiry into the issue led by Shami Chakrabarti, he said. Mr Corbyn also accused the Tories of 'systematically smearing' Labour's London mayoral candidate Sadiq Khan. But Mr Cameron responded by repeating claims that Mr Khan had shown a 'pattern of behaviour' in appearing on platforms alongside people like 'Sajeel Shahid, the man who trained the ringleader of the 7/7 attacks and accused the US of bringing the 9/11 attacks on themselves' and 'an extremist who called for Jews to be drowned in the ocean'. 'If he wants to know why he has a problem with anti-Semitism, it's because his candidates share platform after platform after platform with extremists and anti-Semites and then excuse their words,' Mr Cameron told MPs. Mr Cameron said Mr Corbyn's attempts to deal with anti-Semitism were 'utterly condemned to failure'. Labour was a 'party that puts extremists over working people', he claimed. The row came as Labour struggles to shake off a series of highly damaging allegations of anti-Semitism that are threatening to derail its election campaign this week. Mr Corbyn was reluctantly forced to suspend close ally Ken Livingstone after he suggested that Hitler had been a Zionist. Bradford West MP Naz Shah has also had the party whip removed over Facebook posts in which she said Israel should be relocated to the US. Advertisement US President Barack Obama bestowed the National Teacher of the Year honour on a Connecticut woman who has demonstrated through her own life that students can overcome anything. Obama described how high school teacher Jahana Hayes grew up in a Waterbury housing project and lived in a community full of 'poverty and violence, high crime and low expectations,' at the annual White House ceremony on Tuesday. But Obama said Ms Hayes' teachers saw something in her and challenged her to dream bigger and imagine a better life. They convinced her she was college material. Jahana Hayes was bestowed the honour of National Teacher of the Year 2016 by Barack Obama at the White House on Tuesday evening The social studies teacher from Walcott, Connecticut, had a baby in high school and grew up with a mother who was a drug addict 'Our teacher of the year here stands as proof that you can't set expectations high enough for our kids,' Obama said while presenting the crystal apple award Ms Hayes, 43, from Walcott, Connecticut, has taught social studies for over a decade and is known for going above and beyond for her students, particularly getting them involved in community service, the Hartford Courant reported. She will spend the next year on sabbatical from the school travelling around to try to recruit more minority teachers. 'I know what the demographics look like and I know that we really have to make this profession more attractive to people people who previously felt they were not included in this conversation,' she told the newspaper. 'Being a teacher was the furthest thing from her mind,' Obama said. 'In fact, there were times where she didn't even want to be a student.' He added that Hayes now uses that experience to connect with the students she teaches at John F. Kennedy High School in Waterbury. 'Our teacher of the year here stands as proof that you can't set expectations high enough for our kids,' Obama said. 'There's magic in those kids. We just have to find it.' Ms Hayes accepted the crystal apple given to the winner each year. She was selected for the honor by the Council of Chief State School Officers and was joined at the ceremony by those selected as teacher of the year in their home state. Obama said Ms Hayes also pushes her students to volunteer in the community. She's helped get students involved in Relay for Life walks to raise money for cancer, and also organized efforts to feed the homeless, donate clothes to the poor and register to vote, the president said. Ms Hayes is known at John F Kennedy High School in Waterbury, Connecticut, where she teaches, for getting students involved in volunteering and community service Ms Hayes was selected for the honor by the Council of Chief State School Officers and was joined at the ceremony by those selected as teacher of the year in their home state The president poses for a photograph with the National Teacher of the Year honourees in the East Room at the White House 'She understands the less you have the more important it is to see yourself giving,' Obama said. 'I see myself in every one of those students,' Hayes said at the beginning of the ceremony. 'I have to seize every encounter as an opportunity to create a positive memory for a child. I remember vividly the teachers who created those memories for me and encouraged me to challenge myself.' Obama also used the moment to talk about progress in education during his administration, stating that high school graduation rates have never been higher. Still, he said too many schools are not preparing students as well as they should and challenged states to invest more resources into education. He also said he considered teaching to be one of the noblest of professions and said if his daughters planned on becoming teachers, 'I would tell them I could not be prouder.' Stephanie Mew, Hawaii teacher of the year, gave a traditional shaka hand gesture while taking the stage with other honorees Obama used the ceremony to address the condition of education in the country. He said that he considering teaching one of the most noble professions Kim Thomas, Illinois's teacher of the year takes to the stage. Former lawyer and Georgia's teacher of the year Ernest William Lee II gave up at 20 year career in court to become a teacher Teachers are nominated by their bosses, colleagues and wards for the accolade each year, they then and have to write an essay detailing what makes them stand out as an educator. The award began in 1952 after being launched by the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) and the national winner has their salary paid and spends a year touring the US serving as a spokesperson and advocate for education. Last year, Shanna Peebles from Palo Duro High School in Amarillo, Texas, received the title, which is traditionally presented by the president in the White House each year. The former radio journalist hung up her headphones to spend time in the classroom, and her dedication was honoured with the award - which made her the first Texan to win it in over 40 years. Obama, who was very well received by the teachers, said in his speech that too many schools are not preparing students as well as they should and challenged states to invest more resources into education 'I remember vividly the teachers who created those memories for me and encouraged me to challenge myself' Ms Hayes told the room at the beginning of the evening SCOTT SLECHTA - IOWA English language arts teacher Scott Slechta was named Iowa's teacher of the year. The veteran educator has been taking classes for 35 years and wrote in his application: 'I work hard on days when teaching isnt easy. I try even harder on days that are really difficult'. Students at Fairfield High School where he teaches praised the importance he places on preparing for the future. DIANE MCKEE - FLORIDA Diane McKee teaches English at the the Williams Middle Magnet School in Hillsborough, Florida. She earned this year's title through her determination to get her students through state tests, going to extra mile by putting on after-school classes. Her hard work resulted in the school ranking highly in the state and county. LETICIA GUZMAN - COLORADO English language development teacher Leticia Guzman took the title in Colorado. The Basalt High School educator was praised by the state's panel of judges for her ability to work with both families and students and to make a classroom into a safe space. She volunteers with Teachers Across Borders in deprived areas across the world during holidays . JEAN RUSSELL - INDIANA Indiana's Haverhill Elementary School teacher Jean Russell took away the accolade this year. Referring to herself as having 'the heart of a servant' Ms Russell was greeted in packed room by staff and students when she won the title. She is a literacy coach and is known for putting great emphasis on reading and literacy in her pupils. KIM THOMAS - ILLINOIS Ms Thomas teaches maths to students who have been expelled, in Woodruff, Illinois and at an alternative school. The Illinois resident is know among pupils and colleagues for bringing puns into the world of maths to make it more accessible and enjoyable. She can be heard wishing students a 'Happy Christmath' or a happy 'Math'O'Ween'. TOPHER KANDIK - COLUMBIA Boarding school English teacher Topher Kandik took the title in the District of Columbia. Mr Kandik began his professional life as an arts fundraiser and moved into teaching more recently. 'I value their voice on what they think is important. Often, students dont value their ideas. I want them to figure out their own voice' said the SEED School of Washington teacher. ERNEST WILLIAM LEE II - GEORGIA History, US government and civics teacher Ernest William Lee II was named Georgia's teacher of the year. Mr Lee swapped a 20-year-long career as a lawyer for one in the classroom in 2008. He also teaches the International Baccalaureate at Windsor Forest High. Lee swapped after asking himself what he had done to make a lasting and positive impact ANNA MORRIS - MISSISSIPPI Anna Morris, second-grade teacher at Oak Grove Elementary School, was named teacher of the year in Mississippi. Born in Spain, Ms Morris has been vocal about teachers needing more say in the state's education policy. She is also pushing for public schools to have better resources and to neutralise the negative narrative surrounding state-run education. JENNIFER BROWN - ALABAMA Jennifer Brown, a science teacher at Vestavia Hills High School, is Alabama's teacher of the year. While she dreamt as a youngster of being a professional basketball player, Ms Brown realised she was better at science so instead studied nursing at college. It was not until she started coaching softball that she realised her passion lay in teaching. MELYSSA FERRO - IDAHO Syringa Middle School science teacher Melyssa Ferro was not only named Idaho's teacher of the year, but also won the Presidential Award for Excellence in Maths and Science. The daughter of two educators, Ms Ferro realised she had a passion for teaching while at college and said she wanted to speak out for those who couldn't for themselves. LINDA GLASGOW - MISSOURI Linda Glasgow from the Blue Springs School District in Missouri is the state's 'well deserved' teacher of the year. Ms Glasgow has been teaching for 30 years. Both her sisters and their husbands are teachers, making them a family of educators. The elementary school teacher is known for constantly building on her professional skills by taking extra classes. However, she has now undergone surgery and is confirmed cancer-free When informed, Chrissy broke down and told her mother she was terrified Annette Turner said it was the most 'horrifying' thing she ever had to do The youngster's mother has described the moment she broke the news Chrissy Turner was diagnosed with a rare form of breast cancer aged just 8 Chrissy Turner, of Utah, was just eight years old when her parents gave her the news only an adult would hope to never hear - she had cancer. She is one of the youngest people in the world to ever suffer breast cancer after she discovered a small but painful lump on her chest. Her parents, Annette and Troy - who had both suffered from the disease - have now revealed the heartbreaking moment they had to break the news to their daughter. Chrissy Turner, 8, underwent mastectomy surgery in early December to remove cancer from her lymph nodes The brave girl is one of the youngest in the world to suffer from breast cancer - but a recent ultrasound has confirmed she is now cancer free. Here she is pictured being led through the hospital Mrs Turner said: 'Telling my little girl, whos only eight years old, that she has breast cancer was the most horrifying thing Ive ever had to do,' The Mirror reported. 'She gasped and started crying: "Mummy Im scared. Im so scared". I just held her and said, "Were going to be here for you and were going to fight this. Youre brave. Youre going to win". Video Courtesy ABC4 Utah News 'Later, when Chrissy was in bed, I collapsed on the floor saying, "Why my baby girl? Why couldnt it be me? Why has an eight-year-old got breast cancer?"' Both Mrs Turner and her husband - a veteran who served in Operation Desert Storm - had suffered the disease themselves. She had beaten cervical cancer when her oldest daughter Brianna - now 16 - was six-months-old, while Mr Turner is on a 'wait and watch' routine after being diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma in 2008. Several doctors first dismissed Chrissy's lump as an infection or a non-cancerous breast tumour. After receiving a third opinion on the lump, it was confirmed as secretory breast carcinoma - a slow going breast cancer. However, late last year Chrissy underwent a masectomy and a recent ultrasound confirmed she was now cancer-free. When Chrissy (left) awoke from her surgery, she found her bear named Andy (right) sporting a bandage just like her As she grows older and develops, doctors will use a 'tissue expander' which can be slowly inflated like a balloon in her chest to keep the right side of her chest the same size as her left. Because of this surgery, Chrissy was able to avoid radiation therapy, which can severely weaken cancer patients. 'Shes been really brave and this is a big persons surgery for such a little girl,' Mrs Turner had previously told ABC News. 'Shes been through a lot.' WHAT IS SECRETORY BREAST CARCINOMA? Medical literature describes secretory breast carcinoma as a 'slow growing breast cancer'. In the past, secretory carcinoma of the breast was described as a juvenile breast carcinoma as it is the most common type of breast carcinoma in children. It may occur at any age, but is mostly seen in people under the age of 30, according to Stanford University. It is one of the rarest types of breast carcinomas, accounting for less than 1 per cent of all breast cancers in the US. While the prognosis is good, it is prone to spreading and recurring again where it first appeared, so must be treated aggressively. On a Facebook page the family set up to keep friends up to date on Chrissy's progress, the Turners posted pictures of their daughter bravely walking into surgery in early December, holding a medical worker's hand and wearing a pair of pink socks. When she came out of surgery, she was also given her bear named Andy, dressed up in doctor's scrubs and sporting a bandage on its chest. The Turner family first noticed something was bothering Chrissy in early fall last year, when she came home with a lump on her chest. 'It was about the middle of October she came to us with a lump on her chest and was scared,' her father Troy told ABC4 Utah News. To her parents' horror, tests revealed she was suffering from the very rare form of breast cancer. 'I was scared the first time I knew about it,' she said. 'But I knew I could fight it off and I hope that I can fight it off.' Mrs Turner said: 'It's a struggle every day worrying about my family, about my husband and now my baby girl.' Friends of the family also started a Go Fund Me campaign to raise money for medical bills while the Turners vowed to stay strong for their daughter. 'We're just going to keep fighting,' her mother said. 'Doing everything we can to smile every day and laugh every day and carry our head high and do our best to overcome this.' Both of Chrissy's parents have suffered from cancer previously. Her father Troy (pictured) was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma in 2008, while her mother, Annette, has battled cervical cancer When she hits puberty, Chrissy will be given a implant that works similar to a balloon so doctors can inflate it to match the right side of her chest's natural development with her left LIVINGSTON A notion exists that humanity cannot improve on nature a sense that the aesthetic splendor the good, green Earth has already created cannot be groomed past what we already see. But one inspired artist, who happens to call Livingston her home, shatters that basic assertion. As of late, she is becoming known to the world as the "Montana Banksy" a play on the title of the renowned British graffiti artist Banksy, whose spray-painted pieces spark a sense of wonder on the otherwise cold, drab and indifferent gray walls of the globe's cityscapes. And just like the famous Englishman, our Banksy remains earnestly anonymous, The Livingston Enterprise (http://bit.ly/1VIsE7E ) reported. Montana, being the wild place that it is, has inspired the Montana Banksy, or "MB," as she goes by for short, to blend elements of the earth with human creativity bringing out the most captivating aspects of both and enrapturing an exponentially growing audience every day, thanks in large part to social media. Something about MB's work seems to resonate resolutely with anyone who senses even the slightest shred of the harmonious potential between art and nature. Her most recent and popular works have included a series of designs crafted from carefully color-sorted river rocks around the Yellowstone River's frequented Carter's Bridge fishing access. As of this week, an 8-foot-long rainbow trout still remains intact above the spring runoff on a sandbar on the east bank, alongside a bison and a figure of a galloping horse striding away from a pair of pleasing circular patterns. A butterfly, also borne of hued river rocks, is displayed in the sand just downriver from the bridge. In the wooded area adjacent to the Moja Campbell dog park next to Mayor's Landing, the sprouting spring grass is swallowing a panda bear of MB's making. As a geologist by training, MB's affinity for rocks is evident, but her past works have integrated wood, sticks, snow, sand, leaves, bones and animal skulls. At the suggestion of a family member, she now leaves a "calling card" on her designs a solitary stone with an ornate, black "M'' painted on it within the design. She is also responsible for the small painted stones places in random locations around Livingston bearing the same initial. MB, who agreed to be interviewed only via email to retain her anonymity, said she is more than a bit flustered from the spotlight. "I am a bit freaked out by all the attention," she typed on April 15. "I have always felt awkward around people, even eye contact is hard for me, which is quite honestly part of the reason I'd like to stay anonymous. People are hard for me ... I am much, much better with animals and nature." But even for one who feels challenged getting comfortable with humans face-to-face, she's inadvertently forged a social connection much deeper, and with a fan-base far bigger, than she could have ever anticipated. MB has created nature art since her childhood. She grew up as a "farm kid" in America's flatlands, moving around the vast expanses of the Midwest several times with her family. Her first land art projects were intricate pieces constructed from hay bales. MB would conjure a design and then enlist the help of her siblings to bring them to reality. Before reaching adulthood, her designs would cross many state and international lines. "In my teens, I made a giant sea horse, and a sea turtle, out of sand on a beach in Florida, and then spent the rest of the day watching the reactions of people who came across them," MB wrote. "So, even though I was never formally taught, I was always doing art in some form, even if I didn't realize it at the time." Further south, the "Land Down Under" was adorned by one of MB's first, and largest works. Uluru, or Ayers Rock, as it was more commonly known when she climbed it, is Australia's iconic sandstone monolith. The climb took a lot longer than she and her brother anticipated, and the sun was sinking low. Their destination was a logbook listing past climbers that was across the mountain from where they'd ascended. To not lose their way in the dimming light, MB created a series of large arrows out of rocks on the top of the formation to trace the way back to their descension point. She recalls the pattern she'd created in their wake as "this interesting, repetitive pattern" that was "very large, obvious, artistic and cool." "However, because of the scale of the line of arrows and how obvious they seemed," she continued, "I had an attack of conscience, and so my brother and I wrecked each arrow as we went past it on our way back down the mountain." But she and her brother had been gone so long that their worried mother had assembled a team of rangers, who received them when they climbed down. "I think it made me realize that art was everywhere, and not just something I drew in my sketch books," MB wrote. "That, and don't climb mountains at night. It makes people worry," she typed, ending the sentence with a winky face. Her entrancement with Montana began early on, when she would head west to visit her grandparents, who lived in a mobile home on the banks of the Yellowstone. As an adult she'd settle in Livingston, where she's lived for over a decade. "Even living, and traveling, in places like Australia, England, Europe and Russia didn't dim the fascination I had with this place," she wrote of Big Sky Country. Her desire for anonymity is rivaled only by her modesty. After sharing tales of her world travels, she expressed concerns in follow up emails, worried she might come off as "pretentious." Her admirers have even started creating tribute rock art pieces alongside her work. A rock owl, not of MB's making, appeared next to her Carter's Bridge designs. It's something she said she loves to see. One of her most popular works, the large rainbow trout, is 8 feet in length. Banksy said she's found it takes her about an hour to piece together every foot of a design. She'll often start sorting and stashing rocks for weeks at the design site and will work as swiftly as she can during the twilight hours of the day, so she can limit her chances of being spotted. But perhaps the greatest beauty in her work stems from its ephemerality. The rocks of the panda will eventually be sucked back into the soil by the vegetation growing up through it, and the designs on the river will inevitably be washed away. As for future pieces, MB said she already has the site for her next creation scoped out. It will be in an unspecified spot in a frequented area of the Yellowstone. "Dog walkers, and other joggers, should keep their eyes peeled!" MB typed. "And, of course, my @montanabanksy Instagram account makes it a bit easier to find my installations, too." But Lib Dem leader Tim Farron says the proposals don't go far enough David Cameron has announced Britain will take in some child refugees living in camps inside the EU in a major climbdown. He said the Government will accept a plan put forward by Labour peer Lord Dubs to take in an unspecified number of unaccompanied refugee children who have already arrived in Europe and told MPs he is talking to Save the Children to 'see what more we can do'. The U-turn comes after increasing pressure from Tory MPs, who pledged to rebel against the Government and back Lord Dubs' plans in a parliamentary vote next week. Downing Street accepted that it will not be able to face down a parliamentary revolt. Mr Cameron said ministers are coordinating with local authorities to draw up plans to take in child refugees from camps in Europe and pledged to speed up applications from child migrants in Europe with a direct family connection to the UK. Downing Street accepted that it will not be able to face down a parliamentary revolt on the plight of unaccompanied Syrian refugee children who have fled to continental Europe The U-turn follows calls from the Daily Mail to give sanctuary to unaccompanied children in squalid European refugee camps. The Government had resisted calls to take in any refugees who had already fled to Europe because of fears that doing so would encourage more to make the perilous journey to the continent. Downing Street said the amended plans announced today would only apply to child refugees who had arrived in Europe before March 20, when the EU-Turkey migrant deal came into effect. Under the deal, the EU takes in one Syrian migrant living in Turkey for every unregistered refugee sent back to Turkey from the Europe. Lord Dubs, who came to Britain under the Kindertransport scheme for children fleeing Nazi Germany, had initially attempted to make Britain take 3,000 but the proposal was narrowly defeated. His latest amendment, which does not give a specific number of beneficiaries, won the backing of enough Tory MPs to suggest the Government would be defeated in next week's vote. Speaking at Prime Minister's Questions today, Mr Cameron backed down and said the Government will support his plans. He said that 'because of the steps we are taking' it would no longer be necessary to try to overturn Lord Dubs' amendment. David Cameron is preparing to open the door to some child refugees (pictured) living in camps inside the EU in a major climbdown after Downing Street accepted that it will not be able to face down a parliamentary revolt 'I do want us to proceed with as much support across the House as we can,' he told MPs. 'I am also talking to Save the Children to see what we can do more, particularly about children who came here before the EU-Turkey deal was signed. 'What I don't want us to do is to take steps that will encourage people to make this dangerous journey because otherwise our actions, however well-meaning they will be, could result in more people dying than more people getting a good life.' Explaining the Government's fresh approach, the Prime Minister's spokeswoman said: 'Throughout this whole process, the key principle we have worked with is the idea we don't create a system or approach that encourages people to make the dangerous journey from refugee camps in Lebanon, Jordan and Turkey to Europe we don't want to create that perverse incentive. 'Clearly, we also want to ensure there is support across the House on this so the PM has announced today in addition to what we are already doing which is more than any other country in Europe we will be working with Save the Children and speaking to some local councils about taking some additional unaccompanied children but only those that arrived in the EU before March 20, which was the EU-Turkey deal.' The spokeswoman said it was important to ensure councils have the appropriate support structures in place - such as education and other social services - before Britain started to accept children. 'It's important we take it forward in a sustainable and principled way,' she added. To qualify to come to the UK, child refugees will have had to be registered in Greece, France or Italy before March 20, she said. The climbdown was welcomed by Lord Dubs. 'I welcome the government's decision, as it will help ease the plight of some of the unaccompanied child refugees in Europe,' he said. The Prime Minister (left) said the Government will accept a plan put forward by Labour peer Lord Dubs (right) to take in an unspecified number of unaccompanied refugee children who have already arrived in Europe David Cameron said he was talking to Save the Children to 'see what more we can do' to help unaccompanied children who are living in refugee camps in Europe, such as the 'Jungle' in Calais (pictured) 'I trust the Prime Minister will be true to his word and move swiftly to ensure the Home Office works closely with local authorities to find foster families to give these young people a stable and secure home.' Government officials have also been instructed to work on a plan which would make it easier for those who can prove they have family in Britain to move here from countries such as France and Greece. Under a scheme known as Dublin 3, youngsters who have a sibling or aunt or uncle already here are eligible to relocate to the UK, but the rules are strictly administered benefitting only 23 children who were living in squalor in Calais. Relaxing the rules to include extended family, while making more strenuous efforts to identify would-be beneficiaries, is now under consideration by No10 and the Home office. But Lib Dem leader Tim Farron, who has led calls for the UK to open its doors to refugees in Europe, said Downing Street's plan to strengthen the Dublin regulations do not go far enough to tackle the growing humanitarian crisis in Europe. 'It will take time to make Dublin more effective and efficient and this is something we simply don't have,' Mr Farron said. David Cameron said ministers are coordinating with local authorities to draw up plans to take in child refugees from camps in Europe and pledged to speed up applications from child migrants in Europe with a direct family connection to the UK Government officials have also been instructed to work on a plan which would make it easier for those who can prove they have family in Britain to move here from countries such as France and Greece 'That is why the PM must act now and offer safety to 3,000 vulnerable refugee children who are unaccompanied in Europe. Many Conservative MPs are u-turning on their vote against this last week, and it is time for the PM to join them.' Officials are also looking at extending the 'humanitarian protection' which is currently granted to children taken from refugee camps on the border with Syria to youngsters already present in Europe. Under this special status, they are granted permission to stay in the UK for an initial five years only. Yvette Cooper, chair of Labour's refugee taskforce, said much more detail from the Government was needed. 'The huge campaign to help child refugees has forced the Government to accept that more needs to be done - and that is real tribute to Alf Dubs, Save the Children and the cross party campaign,' she said. 'But we still need much more detail about what the Prime Minister is planning now. 'Last week David Cameron said he was opposed to the Dubs amendment, now it appears he will accept it. If so that would be extremely welcome and would show that strength of Parliamentary feeling has forced Ministers to change their minds. 'But they need to show they will turn the amendment into new and tangible action. The spirit of the Dubs amendment is for Britain to give sanctuary to lone child refugees in Europe and simply reiterating their previous promise to speed up existing rules isn't enough.' Officials have been instructed by David Cameron (pictured) to work on a plan which would make it easier for those who can prove they have family in Britain to move to the UK from countries such as France and Greece Last week the Mail published a leader that said: 'It cannot be stressed too strongly that, under international law, the UK has no duty to these children, however wretched or desperate they may be.' But it went on: 'While we understand the arguments for hardening our hearts, we believe that in the exceptional circumstances of this crisis, it would be wrong to do so. True, we have no legal or treaty obligation to lift a finger to help. But our moral and humanitarian duty cannot so easily be shrugged off.' The proposals are likely to be unveiled at the end of this week ahead of a House of Commons vote on Monday. BOYS' ST PANCRAS WELCOME Two teenage Syrian refugees thanked David Cameron yesterday after reaching Britain from the Calais Jungle camp by train. The boys, who fled the war in Syria to reach their family in the UK, arrived at St Pancras on Eurostar. They are among just 23 children who have been allowed into Britain following a court case in which a judge branded the Jungle a 'living hell'. Another 157 several as young as ten are waiting in the camp in squalid conditions as their asylum applications are considered. Lawyers argue they have a legal right to be here under the 'Dublin 3' scheme but a 'broken system' means the Government is yet to allow them in. Yesterday the two boys and their families called on the Prime Minister to let in more. Yazan, 16, whose real name cannot be given because his asylum application is ongoing, embraced his uncle and said: 'I'm extremely thankful for the UK to let me come here. I have a special thank you for David Cameron.' Mohamad, 17, said: 'I'm truly really happy. I wish that all the other children from the camp could join me.' Senior Government sources said the Prime Minister was determined not to do anything which would increase the UK's 'pull factor' and lead to more children being put on boats to Europe in the hope of a new life in Britain. But insiders said there was a recognition that, if the Government's flagship Immigration Bill is to clear Parliament by the end of the current session, concessions would have to be made. This morning the Tory backbencher Heidi Allen - who abstained when the issue was last debated by MPs - said that ministers faced defeat at the hands of Conservative rebels unless they gave ground. 'It is not relatively safe to be pulled into trafficking and prostitution. Talk to the doctors there - Medecins Sans Frontieres - they are literally stitching up children on a daily basis and sending them back to the camps,' she told the BBC Radio 4 Today programme. 'That is not the safety that you and I think of when we think of Europe. These children are not safe at all. They need our help.' The Prime Minister's Official Spokeswoman hinted at the climbdown yesterday. She said: 'There's a bit of time for the Government to be thinking about that and how we make progress on the immigration bill. As on any bill, it is quite sensible that you consider how you take it through the House and how you get it on to the statute book.' Up to 35 Tory MPs and eight Democratic Unionist Party members have signalled they intend to switch sides and back a compromise plan put forward by Labour peer Lord Dubs. His attempt to make Britain take 3,000 child refugees from the EU was blocked in a Commons vote last Monday with a majority of just 18. His latest amendment which does not give a specific number of beneficiaries will be voted upon in the Commons on Monday. Yesterday Lord Dubs, who fled to Britain as a child fleeing Nazi persecution, asked potential foster parents to put their name forward to take a refugee child in readiness for the climbdown. He has described the Government's position as 'a monumental political misjudgment'. Lord Dubs said he would not accept any compromise that involved Britain contributing funding to other European countries without bringing any child refugees to our shores. He said: 'It dodges the issue. There is no question of our dealing with it all ourselves but we should have some share of the responsibility.' Today Yvette Cooper, who chairs Labour's taskforce on the issue, will visit child refugees in Athens with Stephen Phillips, the Tory MP who led the rebellion against the Government. They want to highlight the plight of vulnerable, unaccompanied youngsters languishing in squalid conditions in the EU. Randy Bevers said the blood was from his chihuahua Last week, a search warrant was executed for a piece of bloody clothing Bevers' father-in-law dropped off at the dry cleaners She came to the gym before dawn to teach an exercise class and security footage shows someone entering the gym before her The 45-year-old fitness instructor's body was found inside Creekside Church of Christ in Midlothian, Texas the morning of April 18 Investigators say a fitness instructor found dead at a North Texas church had multiple puncture wounds to her head and chest when her body was found. According to a search warrant affidavit obtained Tuesday by KXAS-TV of Fort Worth and Dallas, the wounds on the body of Terri 'Missy' Bevers were 'consistent with tools the suspect was carrying throughout the building,' as captured on a surveillance video. The 45-year-old Red Oak woman had driven to the Creekside Church of Christ in Midlothian before dawn April 18 to teach an exercise class. Scroll down for video Terri 'Missy' Bevers had puncture wounds to her head and body when she was found murdered in a Midlothian, Texas church last month Just before she arrived at the church to teach a fitness class the morning of April 18, a male or female suspect was spotted on surveillance footage walking through the halls dressed in SWAT gear The surveillance video showed a person clad in a police jacket and helmet and roaming the church before Bevers' arrival. No arrests have been made. Last week, it was revealed that her father-in-law took a bloody t-shirt to the dry cleaners just days after she was killed. Randy Bevers took the stained clothing into the Dry Clean Super Center in Midlothian, Texas, on Friday, insisting the blood belonged to his injured Chihuahua. He arrived on Friday, four days after daughter-in-law Terri 'Missy' Bevers was killed in the church. According to an affadavit seen by CBS Dallas/Fort Worth, Midlothian police seized a woman's white shirt, size XXL. Last week, police executed a search warrant for a bloody piece of clothing that Bevers' father-in-law Randy Bevers (left) took to the dry cleaners days after her murder. He says the blood was from his chihuahua They also obtained a copy of a receipt for the shirt which claims to have 'animal blood all over' it. Workers from the store contacted police that day, telling authorities that Bevers told them the stains were animal blood. Authorities have said they found evidence of forced entry at the church and believe Missy may have walked in on a robbery while preparing for her Camp Gladiator fitness class They also claimed someone tried to clean it up before bringing it in. He told the news station he'd taken his Chihuahua to the hospital after it had gotten into a fight with another dog. There is nothing to suggest the blood came from a human being, but authorities are still waiting for the results from a DNA test. The veterinarian where Randy Bevers took his dog for treatment confirmed the story about the dog fight to WFAA. Bevers was found dead by one of her bootcamp participants at the Creekside Church in Midlothian around 5am on Monday, April 18. Questions have swirled around the suspect's identity, but Kristi Stout does not believe her sister-in-law died because she was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Authorities have said they found evidence of forced entry at the church and believe Missy may have walked in on a robbery while preparing for her Camp Gladiator fitness class. Her body showed signs of a struggle. A motive for the killing has not been confirmed. 'Even amongst our investigators, there are a lot of theories,' Johnson said Tuesday. 'We're discussing all possibilities. And we'll go where the evidence leads us.' Police have asked the public to watch the video closely to see if they can recognize the walk of the individual and are offering $10,000 for any information about the alleged crime. A photograph of a police officer swinging on a makeshift rope swing has provoked hilarity and ridicule after it was posted on Facebook. The image shows a policeman smiling away as he plays on a piece of orange rope attached to a tree in Torry, Aberdeen. It was captioned: 'Pictured in Aberdeen today, police enjoying a bit of down time.' Another officer, also wearing his full Police Scotland uniform, is seen watching on. A second picture shows officers moving children on from the swing - before deciding to test it out for themselves. A photograph of a police officer swinging on a makeshift rope swing (left) has provoked hilarity and ridicule after it was posted on Facebook. A second picture shows officers moving children on from the swing (right) The swing was then taken down before the officers reportedly drove the children back to their homes, allowing them to wear their police hats on the way. The force said its officers had responded to safety concerns about children playing on a swing rope near a construction site - and took a playful approach to get their message across. Although some social media users criticised the officers, most saw the funny side. Tracy Marie Marr, who uploaded the images to Facebook, wrote: 'I think it's an absolutely brilliant picture, shows they have a different side to what people think.' Debbie Thomson said: 'Love it. These boys work so hard and under so much stress. A bit of light relief.' And former officer Brian Wallace said: 'I've just retired after 50 years work and not once did I get to go on the swing....Envy.' But not everyone agreed. A spokeswoman for the Scottish Conservatives said: 'Taxpayers will be dismayed that police officers are playing on swings when they should be out keeping our streets safe. 'What kind of example does this set to others? It highlights a police force in utter chaos. 'The Scottish Conservatives are the only strong party to hold the SNP to account on their soft touch approach to justice in Scotland.' The post has received hundreds of likes, with many users taking to the image to ridicule Police Scotland. Welcomed: A number of people responded to the Facebook post by praising the actions of the police officers Playful: Although some social media users criticised the officers, most saw the funny side (pictured) Mocked: On Reddit, though, the approach used by the officers came in for a spot of ridicule and criticism One user wrote: 'That's not down time, he's in the police helicopter looking for crime. 'Afterwards they ran back to their treehouse headquarters shouting 'NEE NAW! NEE NAW!' and farted into their walkie talkies.' Another said: 'Requesting urgent backup. PC McCloud has uncovered a major crime swing-dicate' And one wrote: 'If they're anything like their Glaswegian counterparts then they're probably waiting for some 10 year old kids to come along so they can pat them down and aggressively question their motives for being out the house.' Chief Inspector Graeme Mackie said: 'Our officers responded to a report of concern from a member of the public on Tuesday regarding children playing on a makeshift swing in the Torry area. I've just retired after 50 years work and not once did I get to go on the swing....Envy Former police officer Brian Wallace 'Police Scotland's main priority is the safety of the public, and in this case our main priority was the safety of the children involved. 'Community policing often requires different ways of handling different situations, and on this occasion the officer in question engaged with the children in a light hearted manner as the situation required and the children involved responded very positively to this.' The force came under fire last year after taking more than three days to attend to a car crash on the M9 - despite receiving an emergency call at the time of the incident. Lamara Bell, 25, was forced to lay beside her dead boyfriend, John Yuill, 28 until police officers finally attended the scene near Bannockburn, Stirling. The mother-of-two was placed in a medically induced coma after suffering a head injury, broken bones and kidney damage as a result of dehydration. She died four days later at Queen Elizabeth University hospital in Glasgow. It later emerged that the initial emergency call was not entered into Police Scotland's system, prompting an urgent review into the force's call-handling procedures. Last month the force was also criticised for sending 40 police officers and a police helicopter to a family home in Glasgow after receiving a complaint about a dog biting another dog. A Georgia student was stabbed to death after he rushed to help some female students who were being harassed and groped by a man on campus, authorities said. Donnell M. Phelps, 19, a freshman at Fort Valley State University, had tried to intervene to help the three women outside a school cafeteria on Tuesday and ended up getting into a struggle with the suspect, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation said. The suspect, identified as former student Joseph Anthony Scott, pulled a pocketknife and began stabbing Phelps repeatedly, GBI Special Agent J.T. Ricketson said at a news conference at the historically black university, about 29 miles southwest of Macon. Scroll down for video Donnell M. Phelps (left and right), a freshman at Fort Valley State University, was stabbed to death after he rushed to help some female students who were being harassed and groped by a man on campus The suspect, identified as former student Joseph Anthony Scott (above), pulled a pocketknife and began stabbing Phelps repeatedly When Phelps realized he was severely wounded, he ran toward the campus infirmary and collapsed on the ground outside shortly after 5pm on Tuesday, Ricketson said. Meanwhile, Scott ran toward the campus' main entrance and knocked on the window of a small guard shack, Ricketson added. The security officer inside, Ernest Johnson, was unaware of the stabbing and opened the door. Johnson was then stabbed multiple times. Fort Valley State's internship coordinator, Donavon Coley, was at the main gate and helped to separate Scott from the officer. Coley then helped to restrain Scott until campus police arrived moments later to take him into custody, said Kenneth Morgan, the campus police chief. Johnson was taken to a hospital and was in stable condition, school spokeswoman Pamela Berry-Johnson said on Wednesday. 'He is going to recover from those injuries, but he was seriously injured,' Ricketson said. Fort Valley State University President Paul Jones speaks during a news conference on Wednesday Phelps had tried to intervene to help the three women outside a school cafeteria (above) on Tuesday Authorities on Wednesday were seeking a murder warrant against Scott, 24, who was being held in the Peach County Jail following the attack. The GBI is still investigating, with help from campus police, Ricketson said. He added that authorities were in the process of filing two additional felony charges against Scott, who lives near the campus: aggravated assault and possession of a knife during a crime. The knife, which had a 3.5 inch blade, was recovered by authorities, the Macon Telegraph reports. It wasn't immediately clear whether Scott has a lawyer who could be reached for comment. At Wednesday's news conference, Fort Valley State President Paul Jones said 'we are just absolutely devastated.' 'Words cannot describe the pain that we all feel in the Fort Valley State community,' Jones said. The violence was likely seen by several students, Ricketson said. 'We have a large list of witnesses who have potentially seen this,' he said. Grief counselors were on the campus and helping students, school officials said. 'We will do what families do in times of loss, we will gather together to support each other through this extremely difficult time,' Jones said. After being stabbed, Phelps ran toward the campus infirmary (above) and collapsed on the ground outside 'We will focus on ensuring that our students and our campus community have the support they need. Please keep our entire campus in your thoughts and prayers.' Phelps was an agriculture engineering technology student from nearby Marshallville, Georgia, who graduated from Macon County High School in 2015, school officials said. As a high school junior, he got involved with Fort Valley State through a summer program aimed at helping minority students learn about agriculture and potential careers in that field, school officials said in a statement Wednesday afternoon. His mentor in the summer program was Archie Williams, head of Fort Valley State's department of engineering technology and associated professor of agricultural and biological engineering. 'Donnell cared more about other people than he did about himself,' Williams said in the university's news release. 'This is an extremely safe campus,' Morgan said. 'I've been here seven years and nothing of this magnitude has ever occurred since I've been here.' The stabbings happened just four days before the university's 75th annual commencement ceremony planned for Saturday on the campus. A policewoman has run into the ocean to rescue a snorkler in distress and struggling to get to shore. The officer was on patrol when she was alerted to a man struggling in the water at 1.10pm Wednesday on Glenelg Beach near Adelaide, South Australia. A South Australia police spokesman told Daily Mail Australia the swimmer had a 'medical episode' while snorkeling and couldn't make it to shore by himself. The moment a policewoman jumped into the sea to help the man trying to get out of the water at Glenelg beach Recent conditions at the beach had been 'pretty choppy' and 'not swimming weather at the moment' The officer ran into the sea in full uniform to pull him out to safety. The lucky swimmer was treated at the beach by ambulance officers and was doing well after the dramatic rescue. A member of the public captured the rescue and sent it to SA police commending the good work of the quick-thinking policewoman. The spokesman said recent conditions at the popular metropolitan beach had been 'pretty choppy' and 'not swimming weather at the moment.' A Jewish man says he's been driven out of his home in east London by racist thugs. Yisro'el Shalom has lived in Plaistow for 20 years and has built up a network of friends in the area. But he says he has had to move after he was attacked 30 times in three years and verbally abused more than 60 times. Yisro'el Shalom says he has been driven out of his home in east London by anti-Semitic thugs Scottish-born Mr Shalom said he was forced to turn his home into a fortress after swastikas were sprayed across his front door and he found young men trying to break in. Describing some of the abuse he suffered, he said an Asian man shouted: 'You die soon for invading our lands' in 2012, and another man told him he was 'an insult to Allah' in the same year. The year before he was punched and kicked to the ground by five yobs in Canning Town bus station and he said he was twice beaten up by a gang who screamed 'kill the Jew'. The father-of-one, 52, said: 'I had to flee my home just because I was a Jew. I can't go into Newham because I am a Jew. 'You hear about these no-go areas for police in France. But I never thought for a second that would happen in Newham under a so-called democratic governance. 'When you see these things, we are at the beginning of what we said "never again" to 70 years ago.' His house in Plaistow was daubed with a swastika and the words 'die, die' were written in red writing A poster advertising a Holocaust Memorial Day was also defaced near Stratford Park, east London East London became home to thousands of Jewish refugees in the build-up to the Russian Revolution, as they fled persecution on the continent. Many of those fleeing Hitler's Germany the settled in the area, which is now home to a number of Jewish cemeteries. But the demographics of the area has changed in recent decades and Newham now has second-highest percentage of Muslims in the UK, after neighbouring Tower Hamlets, at 32%. Cllr Jo Corbett, cabinet member for equalities, who is also Jewish, insists the borough is a place for everyone to get along. She said: 'I am sad to hear about Mr Shalom's experiences. The majority of our residents have told us that they feel that Newham is a place where people from different backgrounds get on well with each other and as a Jewish woman myself I totally agree. 'This is a diverse and tolerant borough that welcomes people from all communities, faiths and backgrounds.' Mr Shalom fears that the situation for Jews living in east London has become impossible in recent years Mr Shalom started wearing a stab-proof vest in a bid to protect himself and fitted a steel gate to his home The number of anti-Semitic crimes reported in Newham rose over the last year. According to Met Police figures, eight incidents were recorded in the 12 months leading up to March this year, four more than the previous year. A Met Police spokesman said: 'We will not tolerate hate crime and take positive action to investigate all allegations, support victims and arrest offenders. 'Victims of hate crime must be assured that they will be taken seriously by the police. Reclining on a sofa bed, this is the man accused of luring vulnerable women to his 'house of horrors' using lonely hearts ads and murdering them with his former wife. Dubbed Germany's Fred West, Wilfried W and his former wife Angelika B allegedly duped women into moving in with them and keeping them prisoner in their home in Hoxter, west of the country. A woman was kidnapped, tortured, chained up, abused and finally died of her injuries inflicted by the couple, it is claimed. Now police say a second woman was also murdered inside the house and confirm they are looking to link further missing persons to the premises. 'Killer': This man, identified by Bild in German as 'Wilfried W', is accused of luring women into his home in the west German town of Hoxter and killing them Horrors: Police have already discovered the death of another woman, 33-year-old Annika, who police say moved to Hoxter and married Bochum-born Wilfried in the autumn of 2013 Once married, Wilfried, 47, and Angelika, 46, remained living together after their divorce, posing as brother and sister. It is claimed they published personal adverts in newspapers targeting lonely women before stripping them of their savings. One of their victims, a 41-year-old divorcee knoen a Susanne F. is one of the women police believe was promised a loving relationship, but met her death at the hands of the couple. Victim: Police believe Susanne F, a 41-year-old German divorcee, was duped into the home of Wilfried W. and Angelika B. by a bogus personal advert before they killed her, it is alleged Detectives are now combing the former couple's squalid branded 'The Horrors of Hoxter'. Police chief Ralf Ostermann said the house will be searched 'centimetre by centimetre to see whether we can find traces of other women'. The murder squad is hunting for more victims in the hope of solving murder cases that date back more than a decade. Once lured to the house their victims were allegedly chained up, beaten, made to sleep in a bathtub and forced into slavery. The terrible claims emerged last month when Susanne F died of a brain haemorrhage. Police believe she replied to Wilfried's advert for a girlfriend and moved into the house in March, believing that his former wife was his sister. She was immediately subjected to a savage and sustained abuse and imprisoned in the couple's home, it is claimed. 'She was abused for nothing,' Police chief Ostermann told Bild. 'If the knife was not put on the correct side of the plate, that was a trigger for punches, stomping, kicking, abuse.' He added the couple did not kill for sexual pleasure but from a need to 'exercise power'. Chilling: Annika, from Bad Gandersheim in Lower Saxony, is also believed to have met Wilfried through a small advert in the summer of 2013. Pictured, a police car outside the house on May 3 Probe: Police believe Annika's body was kept in a chest freezer before being dismembered with a chainsaw and burned. Pictured, two policemen and a sniffer dog arrive at the house in Hoxter Upset: Prosecutor Ralf Meyer revealed that the circumstances of the case had 'deeply affected' the officers in the 40-strong homicide squad that is investigating the allegations Susanne was reportedly spotted only once out shopping with her tormentors, who had 'pulled out her hair' and left her totally bald. Angelika B, who has turned against her former husband since their arrest last week, claimed that during one beating Susanne fell and hit her head on a cabinet. She was abused for nothing. If the knife was not put on the correct side of the plate, that was a trigger for punches, stomping, kicking, abuse. Police Chief Ralf Ostermann It was this fall that police believe triggered the blood clot in her brain that would lead to Susanne's death. The couple, realising that Susanne was close to death, allegedly laid her on the backseat of their car to drive her to her apartment. But the car broken down en-route and, panicking, the couple called an ambulance. The woman died two hours later in hospital on April 21 and it was then doctors discovered how badly beaten her body was and called police. Since the couple's arrest, at least one more murder victim has been discovered - a 33-year-old called Annika from Bad Gandersheim in Lower Saxony. She, too, is believed to have met her killer through a small advert, in the summer of 2013. Annika moved to Hoxter and married Bochum-born Wilfried in the autumn of that year. But for the following two months, police believe, she was abused and beaten so severely that she died. Afterwards, her body was allegedly kept in a chest freezer before being dismembered with a chainsaw and then burned piece by piece in a stove heater. Her ashes are later thought to have been scattered from the window of her accused killers' car. Accusations: Since their arrest last week, Angelika is claimed to have turned on her husband - accusing him of also abusing her and being 'the boss' in the alleged scheme Squalid: Police are combing the couple's house 'centimetre by centimetre' in the hunt for traces of more victims. They hope this case will offer a solution to murder cases dating back more than a decade Prison: According to police, Wilfried and his ex-wife Angelika B. targeted vulnerable women with 'lonely hearts' adverts before imprisoning them in their home and torturing them In an act that prosecutor Ralf Meyer described as 'perfidious', Wilfried later sent a text message to Annika's mother from Annika's phone reportedly telling her that she had moved to Amsterdam but was 'in good health'. The case has been likened to that of English serial killers Fred and Rose West. Between 1967 and 1987, Fred alone and later with his second wife Rose tortured and raped numerous young women and girls in their home, including their own family members. Fred killed at least two people before he began collaborating with Rose, while Rose murdered Freds stepdaughter when he was in prison for theft. Mr Meyer revealed that the case had 'deeply affected' the experienced officers in the 40-strong homicide squad, which has been code-named Bosseborn. 'We have concrete evidence that we are investigating,' a spokesman for the prosecutors' office said, adding that officials plan to send sniffer dogs in to search for more victims. According to police, the pair took out so many adverts in so many publications across Germany, looking for their victims, that there were only two newspapers that they weren't in debt to. They also allegedly trawled for victims with adverts placed in newspapers in the Czech Republic. Both Wilfried and Angelika are believed to have lived off Hartz IV welfare payments - which are the most meagre in Germany for the long-term unemployed. Since their arrest, Angelika, who is being held in a separate jail to her ex-husband, has claimed she was also severely abused by Wilfried shortly after their marriage in 1999. She accused her former husband of being 'the boss', and insisted that 'his word was law'. In August 1995, just four years before their wedding, Wilfried was sentenced to two years in jail for beating another woman so brutally that she was left fighting for her life. Angelika was given probation. The case has attracted a great deal of publicity in Germany, provoking another victim to come forward to claim that she also once lived in the house, and was abused and badly injured but eventually permitted to leave. Arrest: The pair, who pretended to be brother and sister as they led their lives in the quiet west German community, are being held in separate jails as the investigation continues Quiet: Although the village of Bosseborn, where the pair lived, appears peaceful, police believe at least two women were brutally killed in one of the houses here Police hope that the investigation will finally solve other deaths dating back more than a decade - including that of 21-year-old Frauke Liebs. She vanished from her home 40 miles from Hoxter in June 2006, and in October that year her corpse was discovered in a field. A young man facing a possible life sentence over his alleged role in a gang rape of a 16-year-old girl at a house party has failed in his bid to be freed on bail. Tristan Carlyle-Watson has remained behind bars since last year after he allegedly contacted the girl over Facebook and invited her to a St Clair party in western Sydney. The 25-year-old allegedly gave the girl alcohol and cannabis shortly before she blacked out, and as she drifted in and out of consciousness she was sexually assaulted by several men. During a bail hearing on Wednesday, the NSW Supreme Court heard the alleged attackers took turns having sex with the teenager and filmed themselves in the act using a GoPro camera, and that Carlyle-Watson was captured on film laughing. Tristan Carlyle-Watson has remained behind bars over his alleged role in a gang rape of a 16-year-old girl Justice David Davies said the footage depicted 'what can only be described as a gang rape of the victim when she was sometimes unconscious, and the rest of the time exceptionally inebriated'. He added that it was reasonable to infer that one of the drinks she had been given was spiked. However, the accused man's lawyer told the court the film did not show Carlyle-Watson engaging in sexual activity with the complainant, and that the girl's stated memories of what took place at the party were unreliable. 'Her first recollection was that she had no idea that she had sex with anyone. That was the first thing that she told her friends,' the lawyer told the court. 'It was only when the police had access to the GoPro that they saw the footage, and made inquiries and spoke to her.' The footage was only discovered after police involved in a graffiti crackdown seized the GoPro as part of that investigation. It is alleged Carlyle-Watson (pictured) gave the girl alcohol and cannabis shortly before she blacked out, and as she drifted in and out of consciousness she was sexually assaulted by several men NSW Supreme Court (pictured) heard the alleged attackers took turns having sex with the teenage girl They allegedly filmed themselves in the act using a GoPro, and Carlyle-Watson was captured on film laughing Although Carlyle-Watson was initially charged with concealing a serious indictable offence, he has since been charged with further offences including aggravated sexual assault in company, which carries a maximum penalty of life in prison. He was also charged with sexual assault. Justice Davies refused bail after finding the defendant had failed to show cause as to why his continued detention was not justified. 'I have serious doubts that any bail conditions that could be put in place would ensure the victim's safety,' he added. The case against Carlyle-Watson returns to Penrith Local Court on Friday. A man who sued the government after claiming he couldn't get a job because he wasn't taught properly at school has pleaded guilty to stealing a car. Beau Abela achieved notoriety in 2007 when he took on the Victorian Education Department, claiming he was unable to read or write when he left school at age 14, the Herald Sun reported. He was last year awarded a private payout - believed to be worth around $1million - but in court on Tuesday pleaded guilty to stealing a $2100 Nissan from a Melbourne car park, as it was revealed he still doesn't have a job. Beau Abela, 22, pleaded guilty to stealing a $2100 Nissan car from a Melbourne car park It was the second time Abela has faced court on charges of stealing a car. The 22-year-old told the court that he had been unable to find work and had subsequently turned to crime. 'I want to work. Its hard with an intellectual disability,' he told Magistrate Tim Burke. However the Magistrate urged Abela to use his disability as a motivation to get his life on track. 'Dont use that as an excuse. Use it as a motivation to prove everyone wrong,' Magistrate Burke said. Abela escaped conviction, but was placed on a good behaviour bond. In suing the Victorian Education Department in 2007, Abela claimed he couldnt get an apprenticeship without the basic skills of reading, counting money or using a bus timetable. The payout reportedly guaranteed continuing payments and government assistance to get him a job. Sergeant Juan Ruiz-Carrillo, 47, has been accused of sexually abusing a teenage girl on a near weekly basis for four years starting when she 15 A Texas police officer is being investigated over claims he sexually abused a teenage girl for four years, officers have said. Sergeant Juan Ruiz-Carrillo, 47, an officer with the San Antonio Police Department for five years, was arrested on Monday night after calling into work sick earlier in the day. Carillo is accused of sexually assaulting the girl starting when she was 15 and continuing the abuse nearly every week for at least four years, according to an arrest affidavit. The girl said Carillo forced her to cover up the abuse by threatening to kill himself if she told anyone about it, according to the San Antonio Express News. The girl told officers the abuse took place while she and her family were guests in Carillo's home, KSAT reports, though it is not clear if they were staying in his house permanently or only visiting. The alleged abuse was only uncovered after the girl reached out to a pastor at her church on May 1, who informed her parents, who in turn contacted police. The girl had reached out to a different pastor at her church last year, according to the affidavit. But instead of informing authorities, the pastor informed the girl's parents and then spent four months counselling Carillo, it is alleged. San Antonio Police Chief William McManus said Carillo was arrested on Monday following a manhunt when he called in sick to work before his shift Police believe the abuse did stop for a while around that time, but started again some time later, prompting the girl to reach out again. Police say they immediately moved to arrest Carillo, who was due into work on Monday, but called in sick before his shift started. Video courtesy of KSAT That prompted a manhunt which ended Monday night when Carillo was eventually tracked down and taken into custody without incident. Carillo has now been placed on paid administrative leave while police carry out their investigation. He is being held in Bexar County Jail. San Antonio police Chief William McManus said: 'There is no one in this police department that is pleased by this or happy about this. It is an embarrassment to the department. 'Officers take great pride in their jobs, and no one wants to see an officer whos been convicted or whos been involved in something like this remain on the department.' Their mother Tanya Saylor said: 'No child should ever feel like they're in a porn every night' Warfel would threaten the two girls, aged 15 and 17, and make racial slurs She also shouted out what she was doing through the wall, a court heard The 25-year-old kept the Saylor family's daughters awake by her loud sex A woman who kept the neighbors children awake with her loud sex for two years has finally been charged with harassment. Amanda Marie Warfel plagued the Saylor family for years, calling them racial slurs, having loud sex and even shouting out descriptions of what she was doing, court documents state. 'No child should ever feel like they're in a porn every night,' said Tanya Saylor, who lives next door to Warfel in West Gay Street, York in Pennsylvania. 'All while being threatened at the same time!' Amanda Marie Warfel harassed the Saylor family for years, calling them racial slurs, having loud sex and even shouting out descriptions of what she was doing, court documents state. Saylor, who lives with her terminally ill husband and five children, claims that the harassment began two years ago, the Indy Star reports. But every time she tried to confront Warfel, the noise would get even worse. The 25-year-old would allegedly call out the names of Saylor's daughters, aged 15 and 17, whose room shares a wall with Warfel's, and threaten them. She would also shout racial slurs through the wall at the girls, who are mixed race, and have sex 'which she screams through the wall so loud she makes sure the girls hear her,' Saylor wrote on Facebook. 'It's intentional! When asked to stop she only gets louder and then tells them the acts she's doing.' Tanya Saylor, who lives next door to Warfel with her terminally ill husband and five children, (all pictured) claims that the harassment began two years ago Saylor (left, with her husband, and right) said that every time she tried to confront Warfel, the noise would get even worse On March 21 this year, Warfel was 'loudly fornicating and banging around her bedroom to the degree that the victims' dresser and her own bed shook,' court documents state. When a family member knocked on the common wall, the noise became louder. The problem became so desperate that Saylor began giving her daughters headphones at night before they went to bed. But Warfel's harassment, which could go on to 3am, still kept the girls up so late that they would struggle to get up for school. State police had to write notes for Riah, 15, on two separate occasions to excuse her lateness. Sadly, Saylor's older daughter Shay has cancer and earlier this year was going through radiation treatment. Because of the radiation, the 17-year-old had to be quarantined for ten days in the attic room. During that period, Saylor says Warfel had sex 'non-stop, making sure that my daughter heard.' Warfel was alleged to have had loud and sex and called out threats towards the Saylor who lived next door in Warfel in West Gay Street, York in Pennsylvania. (pictured) 'It's pretty pathetic when you have to have a protocol due to your neighbor's actions,' she said on Monday. The family reported their neighbor to the police earlier this year and in April, Warfel, pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct and harassment charges. The court hearing was the first time Saylor had come face to face with Warfel who usually stayed cooped up inside the home. Warfel's charges were reduced to non-traffic citations, according to District Judge John H. Fishel's office. David Cameron (pictured at Prime Minister's Questions today) wrote to the Foreign Affairs Committee saying he was too busy to find time to attend the committee before the EU referendum David Cameron has rejected demands to be quizzed by MPs over the Government's role in Libya. The influential Foreign Affairs Committee had asked the Prime Minister to appear before them to explain the UK's increasing presence in tackling ISIS in the north African country. But Mr Cameron today wrote to the committee saying he was too busy to find time to attend the committee before the EU referendum. His refusal to appear before the committee comes as the UK prepares to step up its role in Libya. Around 100 British special forces troops are already in Libya helping to protect its current leadership and advising local forces on fighting the increasing IS presence in the country. And last month Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond told MPs that 'now is the time to move against' ISIS, which has seized a long stretch of coastline along the Mediterranean. He said Britain could send planes and warships to Libya to help support the new Libyan government and said Britain could send combat troops into Libya in the future as he cannot 'rule anything out'. Britain's role in Libya since it helped oust the country's dictator, Muammar Gaddafi, in the Arab Spring of 2011 has come under scrutiny over the last few weeks. In a remarkable criticism of Mr Cameron's foreign policy earlier this year, Barack Obama blasted him and former French President Nicolas Sarkozy for leaving Libya a 's*** show' after the 2011 intervention. Shortly after the US President's intervention in March, Crispin Blunt, chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee, asked Mr Cameron to come before it to give evidence as part of its inquiry into Libya. In his response to the Foreign Affairs Committee's invitation to give evidence, David Cameron said he could not find time to attend before the end of the current parliamentary session later this month Last month Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond told MPs that 'now is the time to move against' ISIS, which has seized a long stretch of coastline along the Mediterranean He wanted him to appear before the end of the current parliamentary session later this month in order to clear the way for it to publish its report on the UK's military intervention in the 2011 uprising against Muammar Gaddafi and its bloody aftermath. In his response today, Mr Cameron claimed Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond had already provided the Government's evidence. The committee said it will press ahead with the publication of its report without the Prime Minister's input. Prime Ministers have traditionally refused to appear before the cross-party select committees of backbench MPs which scrutinise departmental policy, arguing that this is a job for individual ministers. Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond (left) met Fayez-al-Sarraj (right), the new prime minister of the new national unity government of Libya in a surprise visit to the war-ravaged country last month and offered UK assistance in training Libyan forces The north African country has been reigned by chaos since the 'Arab Spring' in 2011, opening up a vacuum for militias to exploit, with ISIS seizing a long stretch of coastline along the Mediterranean. Above, an ISIS car bomb that targeted a security post in Misrata, 200km from Tripoli, last month Instead, they attend regular sessions of the Commons Liaison Committee, which brings together the chairs of all the select committees - and Mr Cameron will appear before the committee today to answer questions about the EU referendum. In his letter, Mr Cameron told Mr Blunt: 'I am afraid that, for reasons I am sure you will understand, the pressures on my diary in this period will not permit me to appear before the end of the current session of Parliament. Bill Shorten has survived his hardest chat yet, asked in a satirical interview which policy he was 'most proud of pretending to care about' and whether he could be sure he has his own support after taking down former Labor leaders. The Opposition Leader 'and soon to be Prime Minister, maybe' has faced off against comedian Tom Gleeson in ABC The Weekly's segment Hard Chat on Wednesday night. 'Are you tempted to vote Liberal because, even you have to admit, six prime ministers in six years is just plain embarrassing,' Gleeson asked Mr Shorten. Scroll down for video The Opposition Leader 'and soon to be Prime Minister, maybe' has faced off against comedian Tom Gleeson in ABC The Weekly 's segment Hard Chat on Wednesday night 'Are you tempted to vote Liberal because, even you have to admit, six prime ministers in six years is just plain embarrassing,' Gleeson (pictured) asked Mr Shorten 'Yeah, not 'til hell freezes over,' Mr Shorten replied. Gleeson wasn't done discussing the revolving door of the prime ministership which began with the Rudd-Gillard Labor governments. 'You helped drag down Kevin Rudd, and then you helped drag down Julia Gillard; are you sure that you can have your own full support?' the comedian asked. 'Yeah, I am. The Labor Party's learned its lessons. They were terrible times,' Mr Shorten replied. 'What can we expect from the Shorten-Plibersek-Shorten governments?' Mr Shorten replied that Australia could look forward to 'Tanya [Plibersek] being a great deputy' Gleeson still had more. 'What can we expect from the Shorten-Plibersek-Shorten governments?' Mr Shorten replied that Australia could look forward to 'Tanya [Plibersek] being a great deputy'. 'And then leader, and then you coming back,' Gleeson trailed off. Video of Mr Shorten delivering a pub speech in July last year was then raised. 'Your best performance is when you're drunk and yelling at students on the street while standing on a milk crate. Have you considered maybe just staying drunk until the election?' Gleeson asked. The Opposition Leader said 'no' but added 'it was a good YouTube video'. 'You recently crashed your car into some parked cars. Was that because you were on two phones at the same time?' Gleeson continued. 'You helped drag down Kevin Rudd, and then you helped drag down Julia Gillard; are you sure that you can have your own full support?' the comedian asked Mr Shorten 'I don't know where that parked car came from,' Mr Shorten said jokingly. In November, Mr Shorten spilled hot coffee on his lap and crashed into two parked cars in Carlton, Melbourne. 'What policy are you most proud of pretending to care about?' Gleeson then asked. When Mr Shorten replied that he doesn't pretend, Gleeson replied: 'You're pretending now, you're pretending to like me.' The Opposition Leader said he did like the comedian. But Gleeson said 'flattery won't get you anywhere'. 'I'm a high income earner, I don't vote Labor,' Gleeson joked. Gleeson and Mr Shorten also discussed Mardi Gras and an emissions trading scheme. A black Oxford student who became an international hate figure after refusing to tip a Caucasian waitress has refused to defend his actions before 'white media'. Ashleigh Schultz, 24, was reduced to tears when Ntokozo Qwabe and a friend wrote on their bill 'We will give tip when you return the land' at Obz Cafe in the Western Cape, South Africa. He bragged online that they had made her cry 'typical white tears', leaving him 'unable to stop smiling because something so black and wonderful had happened'. Ashleigh Schultz (right), 24, was reduced to tears when Ntokozo Qwabe (left) and a friend wrote on their bill 'We will give tip when you return the land' at Obz Cafe in the Western Cape, South Africa The incident last week ignited a backlash against Mr Qwabe, who was branded a racist bully. In a Facebook post responding to the outrage, Mr Qwabe - a leader of the campaign to remove a Cecil Rhodes statue at Oxford - said he would only speak to the 'white media when we have the land back'. In the message, now deleted, he wrote that it was a 'pity' posts he had made about the matter had been removed by Facebook for 'violating Facebook community standards,' Sowetan Live reports. The website said his message noted that 'white' people had started a petition to have his scholarship revoked and had launched a campaign to have him expelled from Oxford University. He said others were attempting to lodge a hate speech campaign with the South African Himan Rights Commission. But he added that he was going to have 'lots of fun' explaining 'why asking for land stolen from my ancestors isn't "hate speech"'. Online campaigns sprang up to 'tip the waitress', Miss Schultz, after the cafe incident. South African Mr Qwabe is a Rhodes scholar at Oxford University, meaning he receives money from the Rhodes estate to study. In a Facebook post responding to the outrage, Mr Qwabe - a leader of the campaign to remove a Cecil Rhodes statue at Oxford - said he would only speak to the 'white media when we have the land back' Ntokozo Qwabe bragged online that they had made her cry typical white tears, leaving him unable to stop smiling because something so black and wonderful had happened But he is also one of the leaders of the Rhodes Must Fall movement, which wants the statue of the 19th-century imperialist removed from Oriel College. One of the online campaigns was triggered by an outraged South African, Sihle Ngobese, who decided to pay the tip himself and said: 'Qwabe is someone that claims to speak to the downtrodden and the disenfranchised yet he has the audacity to bully a working-class young woman. 'I just wanted to make a small gesture to show South Africans that if we love and respect each other it makes our country great.' In his incendiary Facebook post last Thursday, Mr Qwabe boasted he and his friend a 'radical non-binary trans black activist' had refused to pay the 'white woman' a tip, instead leaving the note. Mr Qwabe wrote: 'She sees the note and starts shaking. She leaves us and bursts into typical white tears.' He said a male waiter then approached the table to 'annoy us more with his own white tears telling us that he finds our act racist'. America's fight against the Islamic State terrorist group is far from over, Defense Secretary Ash Carter has warned in a crisis meeting with international military officials in Germany. His words on Tuesday came as James Clapper, Obama's intelligence chief, predicted ISIS could stage a Paris-style attack in the US at any time. The president has insisted America faces less of a threat than its European allies. However, Carter's analysis on Tuesday was markedly more bleak, speaking hours after he confirmed a Navy SEAL was killed by an ISIS militant in Iraq. Defense Sec. Ash Carter met with officials in Germany to discuss combating ISIS, and warned threats loom 'While we have gathered momentum since our ministerial in Brussels, this fight is far from over,' Carter said in an opening statement in Stuttgart, urging all nations to invest more in fighting ISIS. 'That point was brought into stark relief by yesterday's attack on Peshmerga forces in northern Iraq, which unfortunately claimed the life of an American service member.' Carter identified the SEAL as Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Charles Keating, whose family had confirmed his death on Tuesday. 'These risks will continue' as the war goes on, Carter warned. Analyzing the situation, James Clapper told CNN's Anderson Cooper the threat is not exclusive to the battlefield. The terrorist group has shown their capacity to 'either infiltrate people or incite people who are already here,' he said. It means homegrown attacks coordinated between a network of jihadists around the country are a constant concern for US intelligence officials. 'That's something we worry about a lot in the United States, that they could conjure up a raid like they did in Paris or Brussels,' Clapper told CNN. Combating the terrorist group requires more than intelligence and counter-terrorism, he explained. Socio-economic factors and lack of governance in the Middle East drive up resentment, making for 'fertile recruiting grounds,' Clapper said. James Clapper, Obama's intelligence chief, warns ISIS could stage a Paris-style attack in the US at any time He concluded: 'Until those fundamental issues are more effectively addressed, I think we're going to be in this battle for a long time, whether it's ISIL or some other groups.' The international coalition that met with Defense Secretary Carter also acknowledged these deeply-embedded issues. Wednesday's session in Stuttgart was the latest in a series with partners on strategies for increasing assistance to the Iraqis, including the Kurdish Peshmerga forces, as they seek to recapture the northern Islamic State stronghold of Mosul. It was a follow-up to a similar session Carter led in Brussels in mid-February. This comes as a political crisis in Baghdad clouds the outlook for further military advances against the militants. Carter has placed a high priority on drawing coalition members more deeply into the counter-IS campaign, stressing the threat posed by allowing the extremists to spread their influence. 'We must do this,' Carter told the opening session. 'It's important for civilization that we do this. We can do this. We're going to. With your help, it'll go faster.' The Stuttgart session was attended by senior defense officials from Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain and Britain. Norway was also invited and was expected to attend. Paytsar Bkhchadzhyan, 29, was forced to unlock her iPhone using a fingerprint back in February after pleading no contest to identity theft A woman in California has been forced to unlock her iPhone using her fingerprint in the first such case in U.S. legal history, it has been reported. Paytsar Bkhchadzhyan, 29, from Los Angeles, the girlfriend of suspected Armenian gangster Sevak Mesrobian, was ordered to supply police with the print back in February, the LA Times reports. While the exact reason for police wanting access to the phone is unknown, Bkhchadzhyan had pleaded no contest to a charge of identity theft on February 25, court records show. The same day magistrate judge Alicia Rosenberg approved a warrant forcing the woman to supply the print, and at 1pm FBI investigators got access to the iPhone. The case, which only came to light on Saturday, is just the latest episode in the ongoing battle between law enforcement and technology companies over access to customers' data. While authorities have tried unsuccessfully to force Apple into unlocking phones involved in criminal cases using a passcode, this case is unique because it involves a fingerprint. Legal experts are sharply divided over whether forcing someone to supply a fingerprint violates their Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination. Susan Brenner, a law professor at the University of Dayton, told the Times: '[This is about] the contents of that phone, much of which will be about her, and a lot of that could be incriminating. 'By showing you opened the phone, you showed that you have control over it. It's the same as if she went home and pulled out paper documents - she's produced it.' Scroll down for video However, Albert Gidari, director of privacy at Stanford Law School's Center for Internet and Society, said the order does not appear to violate the Fifth Amendment as courts traditionally interpret it. He said: 'Unlike disclosing passcodes, you are not compelled to speak or say what's "in your mind" to law enforcement. "Put your finger here" is not testimonial or self-incriminating.' Since Bkhchadzhyan chose not to appeal the order to a higher court, which would have set a precedent on the issue, the legal quandary will remain remain unsolved. Legal experts are divided over whether being forced to provide a print violates Fifth Amendment rights, since pressing a finger on a button does not constitute 'testimony' as courts traditionally interpret it However, for the time being it appears that iPhone users who lock their phones using a fingerprint rather than a passcode put themselves at increased risk of being forced to unlock their device. Riana Pfefferkorn, a cryptography fellow at the Stanford Center for Internet and Society, told Ars Technica: 'I don't find this warrant legally problematic under the Fifth Amendment. 'But it does serve as a wake-up call to folks who may not have been aware of the important legal consequences that hang on which option they pick to protect their phones. 'It's troubling to think that the police could end up using against you a choice you made for the sake of convenience and to make it harder for someone to snoop into your phone.' That analysis could prove a stumbling block for companies such as Apple, which introduced the fingerprint reader to their devices back in 2013, since they have boasted the security measure makes the phone almost impossible to crack. While that may be true for thieves who steal the device from its owner, the legal grey area surrounding fingerprints and law enforcement appears to significantly weaken that protection. Cases involving the unlocking of phones with fingerprints are exceptionally rare because the finger sensor is only available as an option for investigators for a short period of time. If a phone has not been unlocked for 48 hours, the fingerprint scanner is disabled and a passcode is required instead. If the device is restarted at any point, a passcode must also be entered. In 2014 a Virginia court did rule on the issue, saying that suspects could be forced to provide fingerprints but not passcodes. However the accused in that case was not compelled to provide his own print. In March, the FBI attempted to force Apple to break through security measures on an iPhone used by San Bernardino terrorist Syed Farook. Agents attempted to force the tech giant to create a special version of its software with a security 'backdoor' built in, but the company refused, saying it would set a dangerous precedent and could open users up to the risk of being hacked. In an incredibly rare interview, Woody Allen is opening up about his 19-year marriage to wife Soon-Yi Previn and how he has improved her life. The Oscar-winning writer and director spoke with The Hollywood Reporter where he said about his wife; 'Oh, well, one of the great experiences of my life has been my wife. She had a very, very difficult upbringing in Korea: She was an orphan on the streets, living out of trash cans and starving as a 6-year-old. And she was picked up and put in an orphanage.' He then added; 'And so I've been able to really make her life better. I provided her with enormous opportunities, and she has sparked to them.' When asked if he had seen Previn's mother Mia Farrow since he left his then partner for her daughter, Allen, 80, said; 'No. I don't think she lives in New York. I think she lives in Connecticut. I'm not sure. Or travels for UNICEF or something.' Scroll down for video Coming clean: Woody Allen is opening up about his 19-year marriage to Soon-Yi Previn in a new interview (above in July 2015) Opening up: Allen gave a rare interview to The Hollywood Reporter (above) about his life Complicated family: Allen (left in 1986) would go on to marry Soon-Yi Previn (right) after being accused of abusing Dylan (center in mother Mia's arms) in 1993 (Misha second from left and Moses second from right) Allen was also asked about how he responded to the tabloid scandal that surrounded his relationship with Previn at the time, saying he was not bothered at all by all the negative press. 'I was immune, yes I was. You can see I worked right through that, undiminished. Made films all through those years and at the same rate I was making them,' said Allen. 'I'm good that way. I am very disciplined and very monomaniacal and compartmentalized.' When asked what Previn has given him in their relationship Allen said; 'Well, she's given me a lot of pleasure. I adore her, and she's given me a wonderful life. We've been married 20 years. And we were together for a few years before that. And she has given me the great years of my life, personally. 'She's a great companion and a great wife. She has given me a stable and wonderful home life and great companionship.' Allen noted that his wife had not changed him however, saying; 'I'm not sure. I mean, I seem to have the same habits, the same work habits, the same phobias, the same enjoyments. I don't think I have changed much over the years at all.' He also said of the thing he has given Previn; 'She's educated herself and has tons of friends and children and got a college degree and went to graduate school, and she has traveled all over with me now. 'She's very sophisticated and has been to all the great capitals of Europe. She has just become a different person. So the contributions I've made to her life have given me more pleasure than all my films.' Allen and Farrow had been together for 12 years in 1992 when she reportedly discovered nude photos the director had taken of her then 21-year-old daughter. He was 57 at the time. Farrow later claimed that Allen admitted to the relationship and in 1992 the pair split and Previn moved in with the Oscar winner. Previn and Allen were married in 1997 and have two adopted daughters, 17-year-old Bechet and 16-year-old Manzie. Family: Allen and Previn have two adopted daughters, Manzie (left in 2014 with Previn) and Bechet (right in 2010 with Allen and Previn) New work: Allen recently filmed an Amazon series starring himself, Miley Cyrus and legendary comedienne and screenwriter Elaine May (Allen and Cyrus on set in March) Cannes do: Allen';s next film Cafe Society stars Kristen Stewart (above) and will open Cannes next week Allen also spoke about his upcoming Amazon show in the interview, and how excited he was to work with Miley Cyrus on the project, which also stars himself and legendary screenwriter and comedienne Elaine May. 'I met her for this project. I noticed years ago that my kids would be watching Hannah Montana. And I would say: "Who is that girl? She's got such a good delivery,'" said Allen of Cyrus. 'You know, she snaps those lines off so well. The show is a silly little show, but she's very good at what she does. And then she emerged as a singer, and someone showed me a little clip of hers from Saturday Night Live, and I said, "It confirms what I always thought about her: She is very good, she is really a talented girl.'" Allen said he had just finished editing all six 30-minute installments of the comedy series. He closes out the interview with a bit of political talk saying he supports Hillary Clinton but likes what Bernie Sanders 'espouses,' and then admits to being a fan of Trump. I've met Trump because he was in one of my movies, Celebrity,' said Allen. 'He's very affable, and I run into him at basketball games and at Lincoln Center. And he is always very nice and pleasant [which is] hard to put together with many of the things he has said in his campaign.' Allen's next project, Cafe Society, will be debuting next week in Cannes. The film, which is opening the festival, stars Kristen Stewart, Jesse Eisenberg, Blake Lively, Steve Carrell, Parker Posey, Corey Stoll and Anna Camp. Deal: The NHS has data sharing agreements with 1,500 third parties, it has emerged, as another hospital admitted it was in talks with Google to allow it to use data for a new app Hark, pictured The NHS shares patient data with 1,500 outside organisations including Google and doesn't ask first because it is 'not practical', it was revealed today. Private firms including computer giants and consultancy agencies are among those who are being supplied with the confidential records. Only this week the Royal Free NHS Trust in London revealed that it had passed on medical files of up to 1.6million patients to a Google subsidiary to develop an app. This included highly personal details such as whether patients had been diagnosed with HIV, suffered from depression or had ever undergone an abortion. Under Government rules drawn up in 2013, staff do not have to obtain patients prior consent as long as the information does not include names and is being used to improve care. The revelation has exposed the ease with which private companies can obtain highly sensitive medical information without consent. Explaining why they did not speak to patients first the Royal Free said: 'Health professionals may rely on implied consent when sharing personal data in the interests of direct care. 'The NHS has data sharing agreements with 1,500 third party organisations, many of which are vital to the safe and effective treatment of patients. It would not be practical or safe to ask every patient to consent to every one of these arrangements'. The spokesman listed just two of these third party organisations: Cerner, a private firm that sorts data for hospitals and GPs, and Webmail, which allows staff to email each other about specific patients. The trust said that the data will not be sold on, adding in an online Q&A: 'Patients can opt out of any data-sharing system that the Royal Free London uses by contacting the trusts data protection officer'. NHS officials have since confirmed that similar data sharing arrangements are in place between hospitals and private firms throughout the health service. Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust admitted it was also in talks with Google over a deal - this time for an app to alert staff to hospital patients at risk of deterioration through kidney failure. But bosses at St Mary's in Paddington, one of the hospitals overseen by the Trust, say that no patient records have been handed over to DeepMind - Google's secretive artificial intelligence arm. It is not yet clear how many other NHS trusts or hospitals have already confirmed or are in talks to set up similar deals. It is also not known which organisations have existing deals with the NHS. Defence: The NHS at the Royal Free in London has said it did not need to ask permission from patients before they agreed to share their data with Google Pilots: Another smartphone healthcare app was trialled at St Mary's Hospital in Paddington, London. The app, Hark, has been bought by Google's DeepMind arm But other third party organisations with similar data sharing arrangements include other NHS bodies as well as consultancy firms, universities and computer companies which have contracts to compile data or want it for research. Professor Sir Brian Jarman, a specialist in NHS data, admitted he was concerned by the practice. He said patients should be made aware of the extent to which their records are being shared before being given the chance to opt out. Once the data has gone to another company its impossible to get it back so you have to be very careful, he said. TRUST FINED 185K FOR DATA LEAK A health trust has been hit with a 185,000 fine after it posted the private details of thousands of members of staff, including their sexual orientation, on its website. Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust inadvertently published workers confidential data, which included National Insurance numbers, dates of birth and religious beliefs, in March 2014, watchdogs revealed. The trust failed to notice the mistake for ten months and then took a further five months to alert affected staff, the Information Commissioners Office (ICO) said. Stephen Eckersley, head of enforcement at the ICO, said: This trust played fast and loose with the highly sensitive and private information that was entrusted to them. It seems they ignored their duty to put rules in place to protect staff who deliver hospital services to others. Any measures taken to protect this information from reaching the public domain were woefully inadequate or non-existent. The fact that the error went unnoticed for so long beggars belief. The breach related to spreadsheets containing confidential and sensitive personal data relating to 6,574 employees past and present - including pay scale, disabled status, ethnicity, religious belief and sexual orientation. Information was volunteered by staff as part of the trusts commitment to publish annual equality and diversity statistics on its website. The ICO said the trust failed to notice that the published spreadsheets also contained hidden data that became visible by simply double-clicking the table. During the period that the spreadsheets were publicly available, tables were accessed at least 59 times by 20 visitors, while associated data was also downloaded by persons unknown on several occasions, according to a penalty notice published by the watchdog. Advertisement The only way to be on the safe side is to ask the patient first. I think if explained properly, the vast majority of patients would be willing for their data to be used. Daniel Nesbitt, of Big Brother Watch, added: Its clear that in many cases members of the public simply dont know who has access to their information. All too often we see data being shared without the proper understanding of those it will actually affect. Its vital that patients are properly informed about any plans to share their personal information. In the past other NHS organisations have admitted passing data to companies such as Bupa, the insurance firm, on the strict provision it was only used for research. In 2014 the Health and Social Care Information Centre which compiles NHS data published a list of organisations given information on patients. They included Bupa, the McKinsey consultancy firm and IMS, a data analyst. Google was given the Royal Free data to develop an app to monitor possible kidney failure. The encrypted information includes the names and medical histories of every patient who had stayed in hospital overnight or attended A&E in the past five years. Privacy campaigners told MailOnline that the revelations exposed the public's lack of power and control over their own personal details. Experts say the deal between Google and the Royal Free NHS Trust could set a precedent for patient data to be routinely passed on to private firms. The Royal Free insisted it did not sell the files to Google and no money changed hands. The trust, which includes three London hospitals, and Google say the data is encrypted, will be processed by only a computer program, and there is no chance of it being leaked online. Last month Google DeepMind bought another healthcare app, Hark, which was developed by a team of scientists at Imperial College London led by Tony Blair's former health minister Lord Darzi. Hark is said to show who is on the ward, what treatment they have had or require, and whether any treatment is overdue. The technology was piloted at St Mary's Hospital, London, but bosses said no patient data had been shared with DeepMind. Lord Darzi said in February that there was an urgent need to improve the way busy medical staff manage their extensive lists of tasks throughout the day. Imperial and Google say that the software will help staff plan their days and also alert them if patients are at risk of deterioration. Lord Darzi told the Guardian in February: 'Innovation is the only solution we have for a sustainable NHS, both economically and in meeting the challenges and demands upon it'. A St Mary's spokesman said: 'The Trust has not shared any patient data or records with Google Deepmind. Concerns: Experts say the deal between Google and the Royal Free NHS Trust could set a precedent for patient data being passed on - as it emerged St Mary's, right, is in talks with Google 'The Trust is currently in discussion with Google Deepmind about the use of the Hark app at the Trust, which could involve the processing of encrypted patient information for the sole use of Trust clinicians.' The Google app at the Royal Free is being developed by its subsidiary company DeepMind, which was bought for 275million ($400m), to alert doctors when patients are at risk of a form of kidney failure caused by dehydration. The app will process blood test results and immediately inform doctors in charge of their care if they are at risk. But neither Google nor the Royal Free could explain why the data of so many patients was needed for the software to be developed. The deal was uncovered by the New Scientist. THE 'INFORMATION-SHARING' DEAL The Royal Free NHS Trust in London drew up an information-sharing agreement contract with Google, allowing patients data to be handed over. It covers patients who went to A&E, intensive care or stayed in hospital within the past five years, and those who do this between now and September 2017. The terms of the agreement state that the records can be shared as long as they are encrypted and cannot be read by Google employees. Patients were not asked beforehand as NHS rules state their consent is needed only if the information being passed on will identify them. The data contained their names and medical histories, but it is encoded, so theoretically identities are protected. Patients can choose to opt out of such schemes, but otherwise they are automatically included. Advertisement The project is a pilot and if it is deemed a success, other hospitals may ask Google to develop similar apps and pass on medical files. Under the arrangement, Google's DeepMind has access to the details of all patients who have stayed overnight at Barnet, Chase Farm or Royal Free Hospitals or attended A&E over the past five years. It is not clear exactly how many patients this covers. The company will also be given information on a monthly basis relating to all inpatients and those attending casualty until 2017. Although patients can theoretically opt out of their information being passed on in such a way, they would firstly need to be aware such arrangements exist. They would then need to contact the hospital's data protection officer in writing to make a specific request. Details of the arrangement emerged two years after health officials were forced to scrap a national project to harvest patients' records without their consent. The Care.Data scheme was designed to extract details from patients' files and store them on a national computer database so they could be used by academics and private companies for research. It was put on hold following mounting concerns by doctors and campaigners that patients had not been given enough opportunity to opt out and that the information would be used for the wrong purposes. Daniel Nesbitt, research director of privacy and civil liberties pressure group Big Brother Watch told MailOnline: 'With more and more information being shared about us its becoming clear that in many cases members of the public simply don't know who has access to their information. 'All too often we see data being shared without the informed consent or proper understanding of those it will actually affect. 'It's vital that patients are properly informed about any plans to share their personal information.' Katherine Murphy, chief executive of the Patients' Association, said: 'It's an awful lot of data if it gets into the wrong hands. Patient confidentiality must always be protected. 'Patients will be worried and they need reassurances that their data is going to remain confidential.' Dr Neil Bhatia, a GP in Yateley, Hampshire, who campaigns on the issue of patient privacy, added: 'Patients need to be made aware of what's happening, and of their right to opt out of Google processing their information in this way. 'Vast amounts of personal confidential data some of it extremely sensitive is going into the hands of a massive commercial organisation.' Software: Google's company want to develop a programme that could, for example, analyse blood data Phil Booth, of the campaign group MedConfidential, said: 'We have no idea why Google needed so many sensitive details of every treatment for every patient in the hospital, covering over half a decade.' A trust spokesman said: 'The Royal Free London approached DeepMind with the aim of developing an app that improves the detection of acute kidney injury by immediately reviewing blood test results for signs of deterioration, then sending an alert and the results to the most appropriate clinician via a dedicated handheld device. 'Absolutely no patient- identifiable data is shared with DeepMind. 'All information sent to and processed by this app, named Streams, is encrypted and is only decrypted once returned to the clinician's device.' The trust did not confirm whether data which could identify patients had been handed to Google in the past. Dominic King, a senior scientist at Google DeepMind, said: 'Access to timely and relevant clinical data is essential for doctors and nurses looking for signs of patient deterioration. This work focuses on acute kidney injuries that contribute to 40,000 deaths a year in the UK, many of which are preventable. 'The kidney specialists who have led this work are confident that the alerts our system generates will transform outcomes for their patients. For us to generate these alerts it is necessary for us to look at a range of tests taken at different time intervals.' Mustafa Suleyman, Co-Founder at DeepMind, said: 'We have, and will always, hold ourselves to the highest possible standards of patient data protection.' Life sciences minister George Freeman said: 'NHS patients need to know their data will be secure and not be sold or used inappropriately, which is why we have set up a new National Data Guardian and introduced tough new measures to ensure patient confidentiality.' Google could make billions from healthcare and is keen to expand into this area. In 2013 it announced it is now turning its attention towards the quest for eternal life. Founder and Google CEO Larry Page announced they were working on a well-being project called Calico. Calico will focus on tackling the 'challenge of ageing and associated diseases' and will use expertise from Levinson's biotechnology firm Genentech to look for potential cures for age-related illnesses. In 2014, Google said it was determined to work out how the human body works and exactly what it should look like when it is healthy. The ambitious science project, dubbed Baseline Study, will see researchers collect anonymous genetic and molecular information from 175 people, and later thousands more, in a bid to help detect diseases, such as cancer and heart disease, much earlier. The project is being spearheaded by renowned molecular biologist Andrew Conrad who pioneered cheap, high-volume tests for HIV in blood-plasma donations. An Indiana woman has been charged with murdering her newborn son after giving birth to him in the bathtub of her college dorm room, police say. Mikayla Munn, a 21-year-old former student of Manchester University in Indiana, called authorities on March 8 after giving birth in her dorm. They rushed both Munn and the unresponsive baby to hospital before the child was pronounced dead, while Munn received medical treatment for the effects of giving birth. Mikayla Munn (pictured), 21, has been charged with murder after she gave birth to him in her dorm room Munn was a student at Manchester University (pictured) in Indiana but left shortly after the incident In a statement, police said 'inconsistent information as it related to the evidence' triggered an investigation which resulted in her arrest on Monday. 'During the investigation, detectives developed enough probable cause for an arrest warrant to be issued for Munn. 'The warrant alleged criminal charges for murder of the infant boy and neglect of a dependent [her son] resulting in death.' Munn left Manchester University shortly after the incident occurred, though Dave McFadden, its president, asked people not to jump to conclusions regarding her guilt, The Elkhart Truth reported. 'I encourage you to keep all involved in your thoughts and prayers. It is important that we reach out and support each other in this difficult time.' Advertisement Two 'tech wizards' are offering 'the ideal housemate' a room in their 8million London penthouse for just 1 a week. The duo want a 'fun and ambitious' Londoner to move into their 4,000sq ft flat in the coveted neighbourhood of Paddington, where the lucky housemate will have a chauffeur, cook and two Chihuahaus at their disposal. The advert for the sprawling five-bed property, which is apparently based just five minutes' walk from Paddington station, close to the newly-developed Sheldon Square and Little Venice, emerged on SpareRoom. Two 'tech wizards' are offering 'the ideal housemate' a room in their 8million London penthouse (pictured) for just 1 a week The duo want a 'fun and ambitious' Londoner to move into their 4,000sq ft flat (pictured), which is sitated in the coveted neighbourhood of Paddington, west London The advert says the chosen housemate will have a chauffeur, cook and two Chihuahaus at their disposal. The sparsely-decorated hallway is pictured above It claims to have been posted by a pair of technology entrepreneurs who say they have successfully built and sold two start-up companies. The men - who say they are straight and aged between 24 to 35 - said all bills will be included as part of the bargain price. It reads: 'We're two lads living in a large 4000 sq ft Penthouse in Paddington. We've successfully built and sold two well known technology companies and are now working on the third. 'We'd like to find an interesting flatmate to hang out with - we don't need the money (hence the room is FREE!) but we want some good company - someone to hang out with, party with, bounce ideas around with and generally enjoy all that London has to offer.' The advert for the penthouse (pictured) claims to have been posted by a pair of technology entrepreneurs who say they have successfully built and sold two start-up companies The men - who say they are straight and aged between 24 to 35 - said all bills will be included as part of the bargain price. The outside area is pictured above The penthouse has a paved outdoor area with deck chairs and stunning views across central London The room is open to anyone aged between 16 and 40, but the housemates said they would prefer someone who is also into technology and enjoys a drink. 'We are open minded about the sort of person we'd like - you might already be successful and wealthy and want to live with like minded people or at the very least you'll be ambitious,' it reads. 'Being entrepreneurial and into technology is a big plus and enjoying getting drunk quite often is essential!' The advertiser is no longer accepting applications, perhaps because he has already been inundated The advert, posted by a man called Andrew, stipulates a few house rules, including no smoking, no pets - they already have two dogs - and no overnight guests without prior arrangement. This is the open plan living area The two men said they are 'open minded' about the person who will move into the property but want someone who is 'good company' The advert, posted by a man called Andrew, stipulates a few house rules, including no smoking, no pets - they already have two dogs - and no overnight guests without prior arrangement. But he says some of the benefits include 'a team of household staff at the apartment to look after you, a chef who prepares delicious meals 5 days a week and a team of drivers who take us out to party'. SpareRoom director, Matt Hutchinson said the advert appeared to be a genuine offer. 'We've seen some quirky ads in the 12 years we've been running SpareRoom but this definitely one of the most unusual,' he said. 'We know plenty of people share for the social benefits, not just the money, but most can't afford to waive the rent completely. The ad has already sparked a lot of interest so Andrew's likely to have a very full inbox right now.' The advert is currently not taking applications, perhaps because the advertiser has already bene inundated. The room is open to anyone aged between 16 and 40, but the housemates said they would prefer someone who is also into technology and enjoys a drink MISSOULA Sam Resurrection. Mary Ann Coombs. Victor Vanderburg. Sackwoman. A generation of Montanans who may have otherwise never heard those names and learned their places in Salish tradition have reference points thanks to Louis Adams. The stories used to roll off his tongue with something akin to reverence. They wont any more. Adams, as fit a man at 82 as youll ever see, passed away last Monday night, April 25, en route by ambulance to Missoula after suffering a heart attack. It was one of those days that you know is going to come, but my dad had an aura of invincibility about him, Jason Adams said Monday. His kids and grandkids just thought Dad and Grandpa was going to be with us forever. A Salish elder, cultural leader and tribal historian, Adams was one of the most important remaining windows into a world that bridged cultures on and off the Flathead Reservation in the early and middle 20th century. I remember a Father was giving a sermon one time, Adams said in 2014 as he sat in St. John Berchman Catholic Church at the old Jocko Agency near Arlee. I was sitting over there with my folks. He said, In quietness and dignity shall be their strength. And I looked around and thats who I saw, all these old people. Because they never spoke much, but when they did, youd better listen. A group of Missoula teachers videotaped and interviewed Adams at sites that were especially important to his life, and Cheryl Hughes high school students at Missoula Sentinel edited the clips into a 15-minute video. He was sort of a Buddhist spirit almost, Hughes said Monday. He had no vendetta, no anger. He was just wanting to share stories with these kids. I think he had such an impact with my students that theyre never going to forget him. Indian Education for All is Louis Adams. Thompson Smith, who spoke at Adams funeral at the Arlee Community Center on Friday on behalf of the Salish Pend d'Oreille culture committee, said Adams talked about being beaten for speaking Salish in school and remembered the sign in the Park Hotel in Missoula next door to his fathers Christmas tree sales that read, No Indians or Dogs Allowed. On a number of occasions, Adams also described in detail the forced removal of the Salish from their ancestral Bitterroot Valley in 1891. But, said Smith, I dont remember Louie ever using the word racist or racism. Smith, like fellow eulogists Earl Old Person and Smoke Elser, noted that most of Adams' stories focused on the old way of life of the Salish people, the closeness of the traditional community, and their respect for the land. Hes been a hit with the students, said George Price, whose invitations to Adams to speak to Prices Introduction to Native American studies class at the University of Montana were routinely and gladly accepted. They really enjoy him and respect him. He could reach out across cultural and ethnic lines. Kind of one of his core philosophies was that, I guess one of his elders taught him to see good in everybody, that everybody has goodness in him or her. He really believed that goodness could overcome the negative. "He was one of my all-time favorites," said historian Hal Stearns, who was on the national Lewis and Clark, Montana and Nebraska bicentennial commissions. "We traveled together, we talked Lewis and Clark together. He was just such a delightful guy." Adams retired in 2002 after 42 years in forestry, first with the Bureau of Indian Affairs and then as it transitioned to tribal management. He was active in affairs of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes, serving on the tribal council off and on for more than 20 years starting in the mid-1970s. For the past decade or more Adams became a go-to source for school talks and history presentations. We just relied on him, said Joe McDonald, co-founder and former president of Salish Kootenai College in Pablo. He was so immersed in Salish culture and he could tell the stories. He got very good at that. I wish Id had a tape recorder running. You take for granted things like that. McDonald remembers the University of Montana calling him two years ago and asking who hed recommend to present a prayer and message at the dedication of the new Missoula College on East Broadway. He suggested Adams, who at the ceremony gestured to the UM campus across the river where his grandmother was born during the bitterroot harvest season. He did such a nice job, before long he got an honorary degree from UM, McDonald said with a laugh. As a young man, Adams was a jockey at area horse races. After he married he worked at the Diamond Match mill in Superior until the family house burned down. Jason Adams said his mother, Nadine, whom Louis had married after returning from the Navy and the Korean War, was pregnant with an older brother and barely escaped the flames and smoke. He returned to his beloved Jocko area and soon launched his career in forestry, which included surveying work high in the mountains of the Jocko. It was and remains a magical country for the whole family, Jason said. As McDonald understands it, Adams was well into his late 70s and was always the first one into this lake or that lake in the spring, cutting trail through the windfall. The Bitterroot had a different kind of hold on Adams. Two weeks ago, Louis called Jason and asked if hed accompany him to the Medicine Tree in the upper Bitterroot. Jason said he took the day off work and is glad he did. The whole day was just a great day, he said. As soon as we got out of Missoula and into the Lolo area, boy, he just came alive. He started talking about what place name that mountain had, the area all his people used to go work. As they made their way up the valley they passed the family land where Louis great-grandfather and his family used to go. Id seen it before, Jason said, but this time we stopped along the road and he shared the story. "All the way down and all the way back, he was just telling stories and talking. Growing up with seven siblings, Wed hear the same stories, but they were always new and rich, he added. Thats whats going to be the hard part, just missing stories like that. In 2011, Adams accompanied Hughes class of freshmen up the West Fork of the Bitterroot, over Nez Perce Pass and into the rainy Selway River corridor. The swollen Selway River roared past as Adams began drumming on a large hide drum inside a ranger station supply room and sang in a language foreign to the students who sat mesmerized in camp and lawn chairs. Whenever something good is going to happen, we sing the honor song, he told them. While the Selway was a traditional hunting ground for his people long before he was born, this was his first visit there. When I come to places where my ancestors have been, I feel them, he said before he left. I feel at home, because when I look at this meadow I know this was a campground, and I imagine theres more of these through this area. Thats what it means to me. Its just like goin home. Adams returned with the Sentinel class each of the succeeding four Junes, hiking with them at the top of the pass to the grave of his great-grandfather Francis Adams and telling the touching story of how the man came to be buried there in 1900. Last year was the final time, Hughes said. Often family accompanied Adams, but this time they werent able to. At age 81, he drove from his home near Arlee the 100 or more miles by himself, gave his usual talk at Fales Flat on the Montana side of the pass, then made the steep hike to the grave at the top. It was the last time she saw him, Hughes said, so it was a shock to learn from a friend last Monday night that Adams was gone. Dad was a very eloquent public speaker and at those talks and around us hed always joke, Jason Adams said. Hed say, You know what I want my people to say about me in 50 years? He sure looks good for his age. You know sometimes I watch these political campaigns and I want to grab the candidates by their ridiculously coiffed hair and give them a good shake. For goodness sake, I scream at the telly, just give them a reason. Give them a reason to vote for you. During my time in The Apprentice I made it my clear policy not to tell Little Lord Sugar why he should fire the others, but why he should employ me. And it worked. Scroll down for video Candidates: In the London mayoral election both Zac and Sadiqistan seem intent on waffling on about why we should fire the other lunatic in the running rather than shouting their own virtues But in the London mayoral election both Zac and Sadiqistan seem intent on waffling on about why we should fire the other lunatic in the running rather than shouting their own virtues. Now when it comes to Sadiq Khan, going negative is pretty easy. If the state of Europe and the recent spate of attacks in Paris and Brussels aren't a good enough reason to vote against the Muslim Mafia, then I fail to understand the people of London. I am tired of listening to him babble on about his poor upbringing. He is not defined by his father, because he is a bus driver's son. He is a slimy lawyer who took taxpayers' cash to defend extremists against the very police force he would like to work alongside. I did a recent poll of my Twitter followers, unsurprisingly, they voted that this election will be decided by religion. And I would agree with them. If Sadiq gets in it will be because he mobilised the massive Muslim vote and failed to reject anti-Semitism outright. This is not democracy. But all that doesnt add up to a vote FOR Zac Goldsmith. So if he isn't giving you a good enough reason, let me come up with one. And it is not because he is exceptionally handsome or restores my faith in politicians. It is not because he keeps his promises and delivers on his word. It is not even that he has increased his constituency support exponentially. Support from the PM: Vote Zac. Because if you don't, I'll run Regent Street naked with a sausage up my bum It is because he represents the heart of my country, London. He has moral courage, a sense of humour and is more interested in policy than prophets. But if that isnt enough, let me give you another a reason. Vote Zac. Because if you don't, I'll run Regent Street naked with a sausage up my bum. Ive even Tweeted as much. A grandmother who is bringing up triplets in North Dakota was given a surprise $300 tip by visitors to the bar where she works with a scribbled note saying 'take care of those boys!' The visitors were in the First and Last Bar in Lisbon, North Dakota where Sheila Weisgerber works behind the bar. The visitors were in town for a funeral and Weisgerber told them how she had looked after her three grandsons since they were two months old. Weisgerber's daughter Stephanie already had a toddler when she gave birth to the three boys and was unable to cope with the massively increased brood. Shelia Weisgerber, pictured with her three grandchildren Bentley, Ashton and Dalton told a strange couple how she was looking after the boys while at work in the First and Last Chance bar in Lisbon, North Dakota Weisgerber said she decided to raise the young boys because her daughter Stephaine could not cope Two guests at the bar left a $300 tip for Weisgerber after hearing her story about her three grandsons The boy's father Joshua Ertelt died in a car crash in February. So, Weisgerber decided to rear the children Bentley, Ashton and Dalton, who are now four. Weisgerber said she often talks about her grandchildren while at work but never expected anything like the couple's generosity. She said she did not realise the size of her tip until she looked down on the note with the message of support attached. Weisengerber told ABC News: 'I was in disbelief at first. I looked at it, and I looked at it again. You read stuff about it, and you hear about it, and you wonder, "Is that really true? Do people really do that?"' Weisengerber said she had to stand in for her daughter so the family would not be split up.'At first it was very overwhelming. And, at first I thought I bit off more than I could chew. She tried to do it, and when the boys were two months, she said she couldn't do it, so I stepped in and offered to raise the boys. Theyre good little guys.' Weisgerber said she broke down in tears when she looked down and saw the generous gesture After receiving the tip, Wisengerber said he went into the toilet and cried because of the generosity shown to her by some complete strangers. The 48-year-old grandmother has three adult daughters. She told Inforum.com: 'I love children and it wasn't in my cards to have more," she said. "And now I've been blessed to raise the boys. If I was asked to do it over again, I would. These little guys are a true blessing.' See more news on the migrant crisis at www.dailymail.co.uk/migrantcrisis Hungary has accused the EU of 'blackmail' after proposals to impose a fine of 250,000 euro per refused refugee under a new quota system. The European Commission is proposing a system to distribute asylum seekers across the EU, with the aim of easing pressure on states like Greece and Italy where more than a million arrived in the past year. EU countries would have pay a 'solidarity contribution' of 250,000 euros per refugee they decline to take in, a move which Hungary's Foreign Minister called 'unacceptable and non-European'. Anti-relocation: Hungary's Foreign Minister said plans to fine EU nations that refuse to accept their designated quota of refugees, is 'unacceptable and non-European' The 'quota system' would be a reform the so-called Dublin system of EU asylum rules - which forces refugees and migrants to apply for asylum at 'point of entry'. The new system would include a 'fairness mechanism' under which each of the 28states would be assigned a percentage quota of all asylumseekers in the bloc that it would be expected to handle. The quotas would reflect national population and wealth and,if a country found itself handling 50 percent more than its dueshare, it could relocate people elsewhere in the bloc. No pick and choose: First Vice-President of European Commission Frans Timmermans said solidarity within the EU is not an 'a la carte' option Statescould refuse to take people for a year - but only if they paidanother country 250,000 euros per person to accommodate them. But at a meeting in Prague, ministers from Poland, Hungary, Slovakia and the Czech Republic all repeated their opposition to the idea of relocation. 'It's blackmail, it's unacceptable and a non-European type of proposal from the (European) Commission,' Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjartosaid after a meeting with his counterparts from the CzechRepublic, Slovakia and Poland in Prague. 'The quota concept is a dead-end street and I would like toask the Commission not to run into this dead-end streetanymore.' Poland's Foreign Minister Witold Waszczykowski echoed Szijjarto, saying: 'I'm still wondering if it's a serious proposal, because it sounds like an idea announced on April Fool's Day.' The Visegrad-four countries - the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia - have staunchly opposed the quota system proposed by the EU to distribute refugees. All four countries argue asylum seekers are not interested in long-term stays in central or Eastern Europe and would seek to move to wealthier EU member states such as Germany instead. Hungary and Slovakia challenged the quota proposal in court last December and Budapest also expects to hold a referendum on it later this year, arguing that the quota system violates its national sovereignty. The 'quota system' would be a reform the so-called Dublin system of EU asylum rules - which forces refugees and migrants to apply for asylum at 'point of entry' However, the EU Commission's First Vice President Frans Timmermans said there is no 'a la carte solidarity in this Union'. 'This [quota and fine system] is a wayto be able to show solidarity in a situation where ... you arenot able to take the refugees which were allocated to you.' A two-year emergency relocation scheme was set up last yearas Greece struggled to cope with the chaotic arrival of nearly amillion people, many of them Syrian refugees, most of whomreached Germany. TURKEY 'SHOULD GET VISA FREE TRAVEL TO THE EU' Turkey could get visa-freetravel to the European Union if it meets 'outstanding conditions', the EU executive said onWednesday. EU Commission First Vice President Frans Timmermans saidTurkey had yet to meet five of the required 72 conditions for visa-free travel. "There is no free ride here," he told reporters, stressingthat Ankara must meet standards required of other states exemptfrom visas. In its proposal to allow visa-free access to Turkey - whichnow must be approved by EU governments and the EuropeanParliament - the Commission included a "snap-back mechanism", that would allow the EU to suspend the system. Applicable to any country that has a visa-free deal with theEU, visa requirements could be re-imposed if there were problemssuch as a surge in people staying beyond the allowed 90 days. It was agreed over the furious objections ofseveral central and eastern states, two of whom, Hungary andSlovakia, are contesting the quota system in the EU courts. In fact, only 1,441 asylum seekers have been relocated outof the 160,000 allowed for under the current temporary scheme. The proposals, which also include measures to speed up theprocess of handling asylum claims and tighter controls on themovements of migrants themselves, need backing from governmentsand the European Parliament - a process that officials expectto be an uphill battle and involve many amendments. Germany, the bloc's main paymaster and destination for thebulk of migrants crossing the Mediterranean, has pushed hard fora permanent relocation system and has voiced frustration withthe refusal of governments in the east who benefit the most fromEU subsidies to take in asylum seekers. Poland, Hungary and other formerly communist states sayimmigration, especially from the Muslim cultures of the MiddleEast, would disrupt their homogeneous societies. Governmentsalso object to paying as an alternative to taking people in. A similar proposal last year to set a payment of 0.002per cent of GDP was not taken up in the temporary scheme. After spending years pining after dream girl, Kanye West isn't going to let anyone get in between him and Kim Kardashian - not even his bodyguard. Kanye is believed to have sacked NYPD officer and Chippendales dancer-turned security guard Steve Stanulis, who once went by the stripper name Savage Steve, in the run-up to Monday night's Met Gala in New York City. The 39-year-old rapper reportedly flew into a fit of rage and dramatically fired the bodyguard after he was seen chatting to the Keeping Up With The Kardashians star outside her hotel room at the Waldorf Astoria. It's believed Kanye locked horns with Stanulis - who has previously protected the likes of Leonardo DiCaprio and Alanis Morissette - after he came out of his room on the 36th floor of the establishment and saw the muscleman handing Kim a package that had arrived at reception for the couple. He's got the moves! Stanulis became a Chippendales dancer when he was just 18 years old, when a college friend asked if he wanted to make some money dancing Protective partner: Kanye West allegedly fired a security guard after he caught him trying to talk to his wife Kim Kardashian in the run-up to Monday night's Met Gala in New York City Kanye is believed to have sacked NYPD officer and Chippendales dancer-turned security guard Steve Stanulis. During his Chippendales days, Stanulis went by the name 'Savage Steve' The Life of Pablo hitmaker asked Stanulis why he was speaking with Kim and screeched, 'This isn't right!', an onlooker told the New York Daily News column, Confidenti@l. Stanulis told the publication: 'I'm a happily married man with three children and I have no comment.' This isn't the first time Kanye - who married Kim in 2014 and with whom he has daughter North, two, and son Saint, four months - has had a run in with Stanulis. The pair reportedly came to blows just a few months ago when the rapper caught the bodyguard charming the 35-year-old beauty during New York Fashion Week in February. A source close to Kanye told Confidenti@l that no one had been fired. 'Untrue,' the source said. 'No changes have been made to the security team.' Stanulis is a former NYPD officer who has appeared in TV projects including The Sopranos and I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry. The Staten Island native for a time was also a Chippendales dancer who went by the name 'Savage Steve'. Stanulis (left) performed NYPD duties by day and would dance to make extra cash at night. In 2015, he starred in the off-Broadway one-man show Sex & the Shield (pictured right is an advertisement for the show), about a former cop and stripper Stanulis retired from the police force in 2002, and went on to act as security for celebrities including Leonardo DiCaprio, Cameron Diaz and Kanye West Dramatic scenes? Kanye West reportedly flew into a fit of rage and sacked bodyguard Stanulis when he found him chatting to Kim outside her hotel room at the Waldorf Astoria on Monday He performed his regular NYPD duties by day, but worked as a dancer by night, and when he retired from the force in 2002, he devoted his time to his Savage Men dance group. He also spent time working on indie film making and hosting a Sirius radio show called In the Life, according to SLive.com. In 2015, he starred in the off-Broadway one-man show Sex & the Shield, about a former cop and stripper. Proceeds benefited the Silver Shield Foundation, which helped the families of fallen NYPD officers Rafael Ramos and Wenjian Liu. Stanulis, the son of a police sergeant, started working as a dancer when he was just 18 years old. 'My first day at Wagner College, I met this guy in class who said, "I have to work at Chippendales tonight; you looking to make some extra money?",' Stanulis told SLive.com last year. 'No way! Really?! Make money and meet chicks? Yeah, I'm there!' he recalled saying. By the time he joined the NYPD, he was already a two-year veteran with the Chippendales. It was his Savage Steve alter-ego that landed him bodyguard jobs, protecting some of the world's most elite celebrities. Clash: Stanulis, pictured with Kim in February 2016, has previously came to blows with Kanye and was caught trying to charm the reality star just months ago 'When I became a featured dancer, we used to have a lot of weird people come in,' he told SLive.com last year. 'One time, this guy came up to me and asked if I wanted to "dance for some ladies" at a private party. 'After the show, he was hanging around so I was like, "Dude, I'm a cop". He said, "No, no, I really have these girls!"' Invitations for gigs kept coming in, and eventually celebrity money manager Dana Giacchetto asked Stanulis to work security for Leonardo DiCaprio. 'He said he would call me, but I was thinking it was nonsense - until he did, to say, "Leo's here, he wants to meet you at 8 o'clock",' Stanulis told SLive.com. 'I had a bachelor party, so I couldn't get there until 8:30. 'We had nothing in common. I was feeling weird. I had just had my first knee injury, a torn ACL, so I was talking about that.' It turns out, however, Leo had previously torn his ACL as well and the men bonded when he asked to see Stanulis's scar. '"Well, if you don't mind this G-string I'm wearing",' he recalled saying. 'That broke the ice. That was it.' Looking out for Kim: The bodyguard, formerly a member of the New York Police Department, was reportedly dropped from the team a few hours later, but has denied claims he was flirting with the reality TV star After being a bodyguard for Leo, Stanulis said 'everybody wanted me'. While working as security among the stars, he continued to work on and off stage in the stripping business, which he said 'opened up too many doors'. 'I started off making extra money as a kid, it turned into a profitable business and then opened up five other doors,' Stanulis told SLive.com last year. 'Films, radio - it all stems from stripping. And I've been with my wife 13 years - married for six - and I met her at her cousin's bachelorette party!' Stanulis went on to act as security for Cameron Diaz, Michael Stipe and Tobey Maguire, and eventually Kim and Kanye. In spite of the alleged drama, Kim and Kanye looked loved-up as ever on the red carpet at the Met Gala. The couple arrived at the event in matching silver sequined Balmain designs, with Kim showing off her impressive post-baby body less than five months after welcoming son Saint. The 35-year-old reality star was seen standing still as her rapper husband, 38, rearranged her slicked back hairstyle to perfection it was camera ready. A disgruntled former employee stormed a Texas trucking company Wednesday morning, killing a supervisor before committing suicide inside the shell-shocked office. The gunman was reportedly fired from Knight Transportation two weeks ago. This morning, he returned to the company's office in Katy, a Houston suburb, armed with a pistol and a shotgun. Shortly before 8:45am, the gunman re-entered the building and yelled 'y'all ruined my life!' and fire a warning shot into an employee break area. He then started combing the offices, appearing to look for someone in particular. When he came across the employee he was looking for, he shot and killed the man dead before turning the gun on himself to commit suicide. Authorities have speculated that the man he killed was his old supervisor. Neither the gunman or his supervisor have been identified by name yet. It's also unclear what position the man held at the company and why he was fired. Scroll down for video A disgruntled former employee went on a shooting rampage Wednesday morning at a trucking company in Katy, Texas, which is a suburb of Houston The employee was reportedly fired two weeks ago. He returned to the office of Knight Transportation Wednesday morning, before 9am, armed with a shotgun and a pistol He then used the shotgun to shoot dead his supervisor before turning the gun on himself to commit suicide 'Other than he was terminated, we don't know anything about him,' Harris County Sheriff Ron Hickman said Wednesday morning. 'He parked right outside the building and came right in.' Sheriff Hickman called the shooting a 'retaliatory act'. Two other male employees were also injured. Harris County Sheriff's Office spokesman Ralph Gonzalez says that one of the employees was injured on his face and another one was injured on the arm and leg. Both were treated at the scene and did not need to be taken to the hospital. It's unclear whether the employees were hit with shrapnel or a piece of glass. Two other employees were injured in the shooting, but they were treated at the scene and did not need to be hospitalized A sheriff's deputy injured his knee responding to the shooting and was hospitalized. Authorities say he was not shot by the gunman though and his injuries are not life threatening The names of the shooter and his victim have not yet been revealed. It's unclear what position he held at the company before being fired Earlier, authorities said one of the employees was hit in the face by a bean bag fired from a shot gun. A sheriff's deputy was also injured responding to the shooting, and was hospitalized for a knee injury. However, the officer was not hurt by the shooter and his injuries are non-life-threatening. As the shooting played out Wednesday morning, nearby Morton Ranch High School and Franz Elementary were put on lockdown. Those lockdowns were cancelled after just an hour. The schools are located just steps across the street from the trucking company on the 204000 block of Franz Road. The office where the shooting happened is also located near the Katy ISD police department. Knight Transportation is a trucking company based in Arizona which operates a 'fleet of over 4,000 tractors and more than 8,800 trailers' and employs nearly 5,000 'associates,' according to its website. A man leaving the Knight offices on Wednesday nurses a wound to his face. One of the employees was injured by a bean bag shot out of a shot gun. It's unclear if the man above is the same employee A law enforcement agent appears to be taking a picture inside this white truck parked at the Knight offices on Wednesday Bullet holes are seen piercing the windows of the Knight Transportation facility in Katy on Wednesday The company has since issued a statement. 'It is with deep sadness that we confirm a shooting at our Katy, Texas, facility, and the death of a Knight Transportation employee. Our deepest sympathies are with the family during this difficult time. 'This was the action of a lone former employee, who also died as a result of todays events. One other employee was confirmed to have injuries, and was treated at the scene and released. 'We appreciate the quick response of authorities and are closely monitoring the situation. Knight is doing everything possible to ensure the safety of all of its employees. Counselors will be on site to support our employees. We have suspended all work at our Katy facility pending completion of the investigation,' the statement reads. As the shooting played out Wednesday, two schools located across the street from Knight Transportation were temporarily put on lockdown A red-faced mother has told how she was stopped by airport security after they mistook her toddler's phallic-shaped swimming aid for a sex toy. Shona Hamilton said she was intercepted at an airport in Oman while heading off on holiday. She was carrying a plastic device with a shark's head that is designed to help young children swim. 'They picked it up with two fingers (like they were grossed out)': A mother has told how she was pulled over at an airport after security mistook her child's Speedo swimming aid (like the ones above) for a sex toy But security apprehended her thinking it was a sex toy which are illegal in the country, it was reported by The Sun. Writing on the Facebook page of parenting blog The Unmumsy Mum, she said: 'I'd thought you'd find this funny. 'Top travel tip with a toddler: check pool toys don't look like sex toys which happen to be illegal in the country to which you are travelling! 'Airport security pulled me aside, most embarrassing.' Shona Hamilton said she was intercepted at an airport in Oman (above) while heading off on holiday She said she didn't realise she would be breaking the law until her mother, who lives in Bahrain, pointed it out. She added: 'You'd think when they picked it up with two fingers (like they were grossed out), I'd have caught a clue.' Other mothers responded to her post saying they had also been caught out with the swimming aids. One said: 'Oh my goodness, this happened to me too, we got our cases searched in Dubai because of these!' Made by Speedo, the pool toys are designed to be thrown into the water to help children dive under the surface and build their confidence. They are available in four bright colours. No divine intervention: Indonesian policemen pose with a sex doll in Banggai in Sulawesi.Indonesian villagers thought they had been blessed when a beautiful doll turned up on a beach only to discover it was an sex toy Heaven sent: Villagers gave the 'angel' a fresh change of clothes and new Muslim headscarf to wear every day and pictures showed it sitting up in a chair and accompanying locals on a boat trip (above) Shona Hamilton's story comes days after excited Indonesian villagers thought they had been blessed by an angel fallen from heaven when a beautiful doll washed up on a beach only to discover it was an inflatable sex toy. The discovery in March came a day after a solar eclipse swept across the area, a deeply spiritual experience in the world's most populous Muslim-majority country. Villagers gave the 'angel' a fresh change of clothes and new Muslim headscarf to wear every day and pictures showed it sitting up in a chair and accompanying locals on a boat trip. An Australian man who was one of Islamic State's highest-ranking recruiters and the sister of the 15-year-old who shot Curits Cheng dead in Parramatta have been killed by air strikes in the Middle East. The US has advised the Australian Government the nations most wanted terrorist, 24-year-old Melbourne-born Neil Prakash, was obliterated in the Islamic State stronghold of Mosul in Iraq. They also confirmed Sydney-student Shadi Jabar Khalil Mohammad the sister of Curtis Chengs murderer Farhad Jabar was taken out in a separate US air strike on Al Bab in Syria, reports ABC. Scroll down for video Australia's most wanted terrorist, 24-year-old Melbourne-born Neil Prakash, has been killed by US air strikes The 24-year-old Melbourne born man was one of Islamic State's highest-ranking recruiters Prakash, known as Abu Khaled al-Cambodi, has been linked to a number of domestic terror threats including an alleged Anzac Day terror plot in Melbourne. He climbed the ranks of the group by using social media to persuade members to carry out terror plots as well as travell to the Middle East to take up arms. The former rapper featured in an alarming IS propaganda video last year which called for atrocities to be carried out in Australia. His death has been deemed as a major blow to the groups abilities to lure Australians into committing terror acts. He climbed the ranks of the group by using social media to persuade members to carry out terror plots as well as travell to the Middle East to take up arms The former rapper featured in an alarming IS propaganda video last year which called for atrocities to be carried out in Australia The US also confirmed Sydney the sister of police Curits Cheng's (right) murderer Farhad Jabar (left) was killed in a separate air strike in Syria Shadi Jabar Khalil Mohammad fled Australia the day before her brother infamously gunned down the police employee in Parramatta Australian police were eager to speak with her about her knowledge of the shooting Shadi Jabar Khalil Mohammad, also a member of the Islamic State, was killed alongside her Sudanese husband. The student lived in a Parramatta flat before fleeing Australia the day before her brother Farhad Mohammed infamously gunned down police employee Curtis Cheng. Australian police were eager to speak with her about her knowledge of the shooting, passing her details onto the Turkish police when she was passing through to reach the Middle East. Armed police were scrambled to their chief constable's home after he was punched by a high-ranking colleague who discovered he had been having an affair with his officer wife, a tribunal has heard. Jim Peacock, chief superintendent at Northumbria Police, allegedly lashed out at his boss Mike Craik after discovering he had been in a relationship with his wife Carolyn Peacock - assistant chief constable at the same force. As the fracas unfolded, Mr Craik's stunned 58-year-old wife Sharon - who had been busy entertaining guests in the couple's back garden - was said to have pressed a panic alarm which led to armed officers storming the detached property. But it is claimed the call-out was later deleted from the police log - on the demands of the chief constable - amid fears the alleged love triangle would be made public. The force later used a draconian order to try and stop the identities of the three former officers being named in the Press because they said it would breach their right to a 'family and private life'. A high-ranking police officer attacked the chief constable of Northumbria Police Mike Craik (pictured) when he found out he was having an affair with his wife, a tribunal has heard Jim Peacock (left), chief superintendent at Northumbria Police, allegedly launched the attack because Mr Craik was having an affair with his wife Carolyn (right), also a high-ranking officer in the force But the ban was overturned yesterday after a tribunal was told of claims that the former chief constable, now 61, had used public time and money to try and hush up the affair. After officers were reportedly called to the 2007 brawl, Mr Craik - who retired from the force three years later - is said to have insisted records were removed from a police log. The claims emerged at an employment tribunal in which the force's legal chief Denise Aubrey is claiming unfair dismissal. The long-term employee, 54, was sacked for gross misconduct after she was accused of discussing the affair with her colleagues at Northumbria Police. But Ms Aubrey denies ever gossiping about the relationship and claims she was unfairly sacked after being repeatedly exposed to 'sexist' and 'bullying' treatment by senior officers that 'ruined her life'. In a statement read to the tribunal yesterday, Ms Aubrey said she first heard whispers of the affair in 2007. Details of the alleged incident emerged at a tribunal in which the force's legal chief Denise Aubrey (pictured) is claiming unfair dismissal She said: 'I first heard them from a female officer in another force when I was attending a function in Wakefield. Mrs Peacock was mentioned and it was suggested there was "something going on" between her and Craik.' She said she 'could not recall the exact words' but that 'colloquial language like s******g was used. I heard male officers joking over coffee about the body language between Craik and Mrs Peacock,' she said. Ms Aubrey also described how she heard about the alleged attack at the barbecue. 'One of the stories circulating was that Craik had been having a barbecue at his house when Mrs Peacock's husband, who was also on the force, turned up and punched him,' she said. 'I now believe it is true that Craik's wife set off the panic alarm and a response team was sent to the house. 'It was said that the police were called and Craik was alleged to have insisted that the incident log was removed from the force computer system.' She added: 'I have since found out from a former inspector who was the operational commander on duty that the log was indeed removed.' Ms Aubrey claimed she 'did not take much notice' of the stories about the affair and denies discussing the matter with her fellow lawyers. Daphne Romney QC, representing Ms Aubrey, said the 2007 incident attracted attention from Operation Elveden, an investigation into allegations of inappropriate payments to police officers and other public officials. Northumbria Police then told the Met - which was running the operation - that there was no log meaning no such incident had taken place. But Ms Romney told the court that 'strong' evidence from one of the officers who wrote the log would be heard later in the proceedings which would contradict the force's version of event. She told the tribunal: 'There was an incident. We have strong evidence in the shape of an inspector who was on duty that evening. 'He says there had been a log but he could not find it. It was also reported to the Met that there was no incident because there was no log. 'So it is not simply a matter of whether two or three people were involved in a scuffle but also an investigation of how that was used in covering up and misleading a criminal investigation.' It is claimed the call-out was later deleted from the police log on the demands of Mr Craik (left and right) who feared the alleged love triangle would be made public. The former chief constable, now 61, is accused of using public time and money to try and hush up the affair As the fracas unfolded, Mr Craik's stunned wife Sharon - who had been entertaining guests in the back garden - was said to have pressed a panic alarm which led to armed officers racing to the property (pictured) Ms Aubrey, who worked for the force for 20 years, claims 'overt sexism was rife' at Northumbria police force. She claims she was referred to as 'sex on legs' and 'sex on a stick' by her superiors - and that a male chief inspector once told her she had 'been appointed as the 'token woman'.' She described how on one occasion, after giving a presentation, she was told that 'everyone was transfixed as they could see my nipples through my blouse.' Miss Aubrey said she was very unwell before her suspension in June 2013 and was dismissed following a disciplinary hearing she was unable to attend. Ms Aubrey, 54, denies ever gossiping about the affair - and claims she was unfairly sacked after senior officers at the force including the Chief Constable Steve Ashman (pictured) exposed her to 'sexist' treatment She said: 'My appeal was rejected on July 1 2014. After two decades of dedicated service, Northumbria Police ruined my life, my mental health and my career.' The names of those involved can now be reported after restrictions at the tribunal were lifted. The Peacocks and Mr Craik - who have all since retired from the force - had requested the names of the officers be banned. But Judge Humphrey Forrester withdrew the order he had initially made after listening to representations on behalf of the press. Barrister Gervase de Wilde argued that the conduct of senior police officers should not be kept a secret merely because it is embarrassing to those involved. Former chief constable Sue Sim (pictured) is due to give evidence during the tribunal in favour of Ms Aubrey, after sharing a very close working relationship while still at the force He said: This tribunal will deal with the allegation that public time and money was spent in dealing with the fallout from the incident. Their argument was that we succeeded in covering this up ten years ago and thats why it should not come out now. It can be summarised so that we succeeded in preventing any light being shed on it at the time, and so no light should be shone on it now. Today, former chief constable Sue Sim is due to give evidence during the tribunal in favour of Ms Aubrey, after sharing a very close working relationship while still at the force. Mrs Sims relationship with her old force has been strained since she was accused last year of bullying male colleagues by giving them Alex Ferguson-style hairdryer treatments. She was cleared of misconduct but chose to retire to spend more time with her family. She later accused male officers of treating her differently because she is a woman but says her complaint has been dismissed by Northumbria Police. A few weeks later, the married mother of two was enjoying the night out in Edinburgh city centre with a woman from her old force, who was later questioned by British Transport Police after appearing 'intoxicated'. The mid-ranking serving officer, who was not named, was given a verbal warning but was allowed to go home to sleep it off after Mrs Sim intervened. The force later launched a top-level disciplinary inquiry, which Mrs Sim said was the forces way of getting back at her after her career ended amid toxic allegations of bullying and sexism. Mr Craik, who is married to his second wife Sharon, a solicitor, and the Peacocks, who are both 60, were not present at the hearing. But it was said they deny the affair and that the incident at the BBQ ever took place. Mr Craik, originally from Heaton, Newcastle, is the third generation of policemen in his family. He took up the second-in-command post at Northumbria in 2000, after 23 years with the Met Police in London. Mrs Peacock, a mother-of-two, spent 32 years at the force, climbing through the ranks to become Mr Craik's deputy. When she retired in 2013, she became a performance and leadership coach. Her husband retired at the same time, after 33 years with the force. An investigation has been launched into the crowning of Salim Mehajer's younger sister as Miss Lebanon Australia after a fellow contestant alleged the pageant was 'rigged'. The suspended Auburn deputy mayor couldn't keep the smile off his face as Mary (Mariam) Mehajer, 18, took out the beauty pageant in a dazzling gown on Sunday. But questions have been raised after it was claimed the contest was fixed after money was used to influence the judging panel - and that the teenager was a late entry, News Corp reported. Fair Trading NSW will be investigating after another contestant lodged a complaint about how Ms Mehajer won the title despite entering just three weeks before the competition. Scroll down for video An investigation has been launched into the crowning of Salim Mehajer's younger sister Mary (pictured) as Miss Lebanon Australia after a fellow contestant alleged the pageant was 'rigged' The 'baby' of the Mehajer family cradled a large bouquet as she posed for pictures with her parents, Mohamed and Amal, and the rest of the clan One of the five pageant judges Dr David Carr said he did not pick Ms Mehajer in his top five. 'I certainly didn't rate her and I felt there were far better contestants but then my count is only one fifth of the count so who knows?' Dr Carr said, according to the publication. It was also suggested that Ms Mehajer was given an advantage as her brother's business - Mehajer Bros - was a major sponsor of the competition. Pageant director Joe Khoury denied the pagent was rigged. The claims comes after Mr Mehajer expressed his congratulations with a vague Facebook platitude: 'Greatness is to stay humble when the world calls you great,' he wrote. Older sister Aisha has had similar success in the contest in the past. She was named Miss Personality Miss Lebanon Australia in 2015. She gushed over her sister's victory - 'she made the whole family proud!' - which was watched by several hundred people and the patriarch and matriarch of the Mehajer clan, Mohamed and Amal. The competition was held at Doltone House in Pyrmont, Sydney, with organiser Joe Khoury telling Daily Mail Australia the rules as 'exactly the same' as your run of the mill pageant. Salim Mehajer's little sister, Mary, took out the title of 'Miss Lebanon Australia' at Doltone House in Pyrmont, Sydney, at the weekend Strutting her stuff, Ms Mehajer (centre) faced off against eight competitors in her quest for the prestigious title, catching the attention of several onlookers (right) The nervous competitors, including Ms Mehajer (in a silver sequined dress, centre), placed their hands on their hips as they waiting for the winner to be announecd Belle of the ball! Touting a bouquet of flowers, Mary Mehajer poses with a friend (left) after sweeping the title. On right, she is pictured during a candid moment with Salim Mehajer's wife, Aysha In this family photo obtained by Daily Mail Australia, Mary is pictured furthest on right with (from left) Aysha Mehajer, Salim Mehajer, the matriarch of the eight-strong clan Amal and sister Khadijeh At the end of the day, Ms Mehajer beat out eight other competitors to take out the title, with competitors Mary Hakim and Jessica Nercessian coming in as first and second runners up. In recent days, the western Sydney clan has been the subject of increased attention after rumours Mr Mehajer has split from his wife Aysha. Mr Mehajer was allegedly seen 'screaming' and 'yelling' out the front of a home in the Illawarra region where his wife was staying a week ago. In recent days, a cryptic posts filled with loving messages about his wife have disappeared and re-appeared from his Facebook page. Salim's older sister Khadijeh 'Kat' Mehajer is likely to bring some more good news to the family with a 'big wedding' to fiance Ibrahim Sakalaki expected later this year. Old pictures obtained by Daily Mail Australia a fortnight ago showed 'Kat' has turned over a glamorous new leaf in the lead-up to the ceremony. Khadijeh (left) is pictured with look-a-like sister Aiisha (right). The pair are often confused with one another Revealing photos of Salim Mehajer's sisters Kat (pictured left) and Aiisha (right) before their dramatic transformation have emerged It is unknown how long ago the photographs were taken, but Aiisha (pictured left, before and right, after) has had dramatic changes to her appearance over the years Salim Mehajer's wife Aysha Mehajer (centre) is pictured with Khadijeh (right) during family celebrations Despite the newfound attention, Kat Mehajer has remained silent, working hard to promote her family's new 'Beauty Bar' business on Instagram. The Mehajer clan has courted the spotlight since Salim's extravagant wedding in August 2015. But it has brought an unprecedented level of scrutiny to his personal, business and council affairs. The wedding - which he hired helicopters and Ferraris, Lamborghinis and Harley Davidsons for - also left Mr Mehajer with a $220 City Council fine for closing Frances Street in Lidcombe. Stark pictures also emerged of Salim Mehajer's wife, Aysha, in her youth before she met Mr Mehajer and changed her name by deed poll from April Amelia Learmonth. Salim Mehajer married Aysha in what he called the 'wedding of the century' last year, and has faced the unforgiving glare of the public spotlight ever since Heartbreaking video has emerged showing the moment a distraught man had to be pulled away from an inferno that engulfed an historic church in New York on Sunday. The footage, taken by Instagram user Dzera Bamboleo, shows the man with his head in his hands on the steps of the 160-year-old Serbian Cathedral of Saint Sava as flames pour from the windows. Moments later a police officer emerges and is forced to move the man back and on to the sidewalk on the other side of the road as he struggles to return to the church steps. This is the heartbreaking moment a man overcome with emotion had to be dragged away from the steps of the Serbian Cathedral of Saint Sava as it was consumed by flames on Sunday Instagram user Dzera Bamboleo said she filmed the emotional scene after noticing the historic church was on fire from her workplace across the street and going outside Bamboleo said she was working opposite the church on Sunday when she noticed it was on fire at around 7pm. As she made her way outside along with hundreds of others to witness the terrifying scene, she encountered the man and decided to film the moment he was led away. While Bamboleo said she did not speak to the man, she suspects he was either part of the church or deeply religious, as she saw him crying in the crowd later. The cathedral, an historic site where the first Orthodox liturgy took place in America, was all-but destroyed by the fire that ripped through the building Sunday night and into Monday morning. Flames reached up to 50ft in the air, scorching the building's roof away, while the heat was so intense it caused the stained glass windows to explode into the street. Images from after the flames died down show that only the outer stone walls of the building remain, while the 'irreplaceable' interior has burned to ashes. While Bamboleo did not speak to the man, she said he was later seen in the crowd outside crying, leading her to believe he was a member of a church, or deeply religious While the man cannot be heard speaking in the footage, a police officer (pictured right) can be heard telling him to step back before having to escort him across the road Despite the flames billowing from the church windows, the man attempts to get back to the doors and the officer has to force him on to the sidewalk opposite Investigators believe the blaze may have been started by candles left over from Easter services on Sunday that were not properly extinguished before being placed in a cardboard box. Two services took place in the morning at the church, with a luncheon scheduled for 1pm that was attended by around 700 people. Fortunately nobody was in the building at the time of the blaze, though a caretaker did attempt to extinguish the flames before suffering from smoke inhalation and being dragged to safety. However, members of the community believe the fire may have been sparked as retaliation for a row over the church's role in blocking the canonization of Nazi-supporting Cardinal Aloysius Stepinac, which has caused a rift between Serbia and Croatia. The theory comes after three other Orthodox churches across the globe - two in Australia and another in Russia - also caught fire on Sunday. According to the New York Post, Serbian Othordox Patriarch Irinej wrote to Pope Francis and said: 'We are afraid that there are too many open questions and wounds which Cardinal Stepinac symbolizes. Flames up to 50ft tall were seen billowing from the windows and roof of the 160-year-old building on Sunday (left) which was left as little more than a shell following the fire (right) Officials say they are investigating whether the fire was started by candles from Orthodox Easter services on Sunday that were stored in a cardboard box without being properly extinguished Some believe the devastating fire was an act of arson carried out by people angry that the Orthodox church is attempting to block a controversial Cardinal from being made a Saint Images show the inside of the building, once branded 'irreplaceable' by New York officials, has been completely burned away by the inferno 'His canonization, to our great regret, would return the relations between Serbs and Croats, as well as between Catholics and Orthodox faithful, back to their tragic history.' Dusan T. Batakovic, a former Serbian ambassador, told the New York Post: 'Too many churches have burned to call it an accident. 'It is very strange that it happened, that the fires all took place on Easter, the greatest Christian Orthodox holiday. Some kind of terrorist action can not be excluded.' Barry Lituchy, the executive director of Jasenovac Research Institute, told the paper many among the community had told him 'the thought that this is an attack has not escaped us'. The cardinal is a deeply divisive figure for Serbs and Croats. He is accused of supporting the Croation Nazi puppet regime during World War Two which persecuted Jews and Serbs and allegedly forced Orthodox Christians to convert to Catholicism. He was sentenced to 16-years for collaboration but was still made a cardinal by Pople Pius XII. In 1998, Pope Jon Paul II declared him a martyr for his imprisonment and beatified him, the first step towards being made a saint. More than 170 firefighters were called to deal with the blaze in the Flatiron district of Manhattan after it broke out at around 7pm on Sunday While 700 people are estimated to have attended Easter services in the building earlier in the day, nobody was inside at the time the blaze broke out MISSOULA Montana Rail Link has furloughed 36 operating employees in the past couple weeks, and the Missoula-based railroad anticipates that number will continue to climb. Volumes down, and coal volume is really down. Thats really the main impact right now, MRL spokesman Jim Lewis said Tuesday. The furloughs have been divided almost evenly between Missoula, Helena and Laurel, each with 11 or 12, while two Livingston-based workers are also out of work. Lewis said Missoula is seeing an average of 13 to 15 trains per day, down from an average of 18.1 in January through April 2015. Most of those furloughed are operating locomotive engineers, among MRLs highest paid employees, Lewis said. MRL president Tom Walsh said the company has tried to avoid furloughs, but poor international market conditions combined with less demand from Pacific Northwest power plants has significantly reduced coal production in the region. Given current and forecasted volumes, we must align our workforce to current workload levels, Walsh said in a statement. "We are hopeful the challenges facing the coal industry will ease in the future. The plummet that started in earnest in early 2015 is far from just a Montana Rail Link conundrum. Railroads across the nation are feeling the springtime pinch after a bleak winter of furloughs. Texas-based Burlington Northern Santa Fe, which conducts the bulk of the rail business in Montana, has temporarily furloughed roughly 4,500 employees, according to spokesman Matt Jones. The railroad announced in February its offering voluntary retirement incentives to workers with 10 or more years of experience in order to reduce the number of furloughed workers. Union Pacific, headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, had reportedly furloughed 4,100 employees across 23 states as of early March, and had put 1,500 locomotives in storage. If coal makes a resurgence, well put people back to work, a UP official said at the time. However, I dont think were going to see any real movement until after the presidential election. Rail volumes fluctuate throughout the year, Lewis said, and at MRL we are hopeful for a strong soybean and corn harvest in the fall that will result in calling back furloughed employees," he said. U.S. railroad coal shipments were down 32.5 percent more than 450,000 carloads in the first quarter of 2016. That was after a lackluster 2015 in which carloads dropped nearly 700,000 from the year before. Lewis said MRLs coal shipments are down 35 percent from this point in 2015. Class I railroads had nearly 20,000 fewer employees in April than they did in February 2015, a decrease of more than 11 percent. Montana Rail Link is a Class II regional railroad and a partner of Class I BNSF, with a main line between Sandpoint, Idaho, and Billings. Two doctors are accused of the manslaughter of a 12-year-old boy after failing to diagnose that he was suffering from a rare medical condition. Ryan Morse, from Brynithel in Blaenau Gwent, died on December 8 2012, of Addison's disease. Dr Joanne Rudling, 45, and Dr Lindsey Thomas, 42, deny the charges of manslaughter by negligence. Ryan's mother Carol, 54, made several appointments at Abernant GP Surgery in Abertillery and was on the phone with the doctors 24 hours before his death but they failed to properly diagnose the treatment condition, the court heard. Scroll down for video Ryan Morse (pictured), from Brynithel in Blaenau Gwent, died on December 8 2012, of Addison's disease Cardiff Crown Court heard how Ryan's mother became worried with her son's health during the 2012 summer holidays when he complained of a headache, sore throat and aching legs. She was concerned his skin was 'yellowing' and feared he may have glandular fever. He looked so sickly and discoloured his school friends had nicknamed him 'Teabag'. A welfare officer at his school, who was asked to look into his regular absences in the months leading up to his death, noted he looked 'thin, grey and gaunt' during a school meeting with his mother. The teacher said: 'I noticed that his skin was dark. He looked Indian or Pakistani in race. There wasn't much of him.' But his condition was not properly diagnosed in the several trips he made to the GPs' surgery. Dr Joanne Rudling, 45, and Dr Lindsey Thomas, 42, (right) deny the charges of manslaughter by negligence Ryan was described as being 'fit and healthy' until he started to fell unwell in the three months before his death Three days before his death, his mother was forced to pick him up from school early as he was 'shaking' after vomiting twice and complaining of feeling 'so ill'. When he got home, his temperature changed from 'very cold' to 'burning'. The next day Ryan was 'delirious' and 'talking rubbish' and his anxious mother rang the surgery. She was put in contact with Dr Thomas who, after hearing his symptoms, told the mother to 'fetch him up' to see her. But Carol - who has four other children - explained she wasn't able to carry her son and could not bring him in as he 'felt too ill'. She made another phone call later that day and spoke to Dr Rudling. The court heard she 'also ignored' signs the schoolboy was dying. Prosecutor John Price QC said: 'The doctors should have visited Ryan at his home to personally examine him. 'Had that happened it would have confirmed the severity of the situation. They would have seen a very sick child in need of immediate attention. 'Ryan was in fact dying. 'They could have called an ambulance. If they had done as they should, his life would have been saved.' Dr Joanne Rudling, 45, (left) and Dr Lindsey Thomas, 42, (right) are accused of killing the schoolboy by failing to treat him for a rare medical condition The court heard Addison's sufferers have symptoms including progressive anaemia, low blood pressure, weakness and discolouration of the skin. The schoolboy was described as being 'fit and healthy' until he started to feel unwell in the three months prior to his death. He died at his family home on December 8, 2012, a week before he would have turned 13, weighing a little over four stone. Dr Thomas, of Tredegar, Gwent, denies one count of manslaughter. Dr Rudling, of Pontprennau, Cardiff, also denies manslaughter and trying to pervert the course of public justice. She is accused of making false entries into his medical records two days after his death. She allegedly made the notes to look like they had been entered on the day his mother rang in for a consultation. She is also accused of dismissing his discoloured genitals as a sign of 'puberty'. Ryan's mother told Dr Rudling her son's penis had turned black as his condition worsened, but Dr Rudling is alleged to have played down her concerns Ohio Gov. John Kasich pulled the plug on his presidential campaign Wednesday, just a day after Texas Sen.Ted Cruz bailed out on his own bid for the White House. 'I believe we need to live a life bigger than ourselves,' he told a crowd of supporters inside a botanical garden facility near the state capital. 'I have always said that the Lord has a purpose for me as he has for everyone. And as I suspend my campaign today I have renewed faith, deeper faith that the Lord will show me the way forward and fulfill the purpose of my life,' he said. When his remarks ended, Kasich immediately walked off stage, without posing with family members for the cameras. Nor did he take questions, as Republicans through the country were debating whether or not to rally behind Donald Trump. Kasich had been scheduled to make a campaign stop to talk with reporters at an airport near Washington, D.C. on Wednesday morning but called it off at the last minute as his plane was ready to take off for a host of fundraisers to try to keep his uphill battle afloat. Ohio Gov. John Kasich pulled the plug on his presidential campaign Wednesday, just a day after Texas Sen. Ted Cruz bailed out on his own bid for the White House As reporters gathered at a private air facility in Dulles, Virginia, a volunteer press aide said Kasich's plane was still on the ground in Columbus. Kasich had the plane taxi back from the runway while he called his closest friends, CNN reported. Kasich said 'My heart is not in this,' and ultimately decided to end his run. Instead delivered an emotional announcement from his home state of Ohio where he launched his presidential campaign. He thanked his family, his staff, and volunteers for aiding a campaign that ran on much longer than many predicted although in the end it may have siphoned votes from more viable candidates. 'I would show up places [on the campaign trail] and there were people I knew and Im like, why are you here?'' Kasich said, saluting his volunteers. Kaisch, who has failed to make a significant impact in the primaries, bowed his head as he announced that he was stepping aside - leaving Donald Trump as the presumptive GOP nominee Kasich had been scheduled to make a campaign stop to talk with reporters at an airport near Washington, D.C. on Wednesday morning but called it off at the last minute as his plane was ready to take off for a host of fundraisers to try to keep his uphill battle afloat 'I believe we need to live a life bigger than ourselves,' he told a crowd of supporters inside a botanical garden facility near the state capitals The subject Kasich didn't touch was Donald Trump's seizing the nomination after his rout of Kasich and Texas Senator Ted Cruz in Indiana. Trump is already speculated that Kasich will be helpful in delivering his home state in what is certain to be a major battleground of the general election. The Ohio governor said he enjoyed the snows of New Hampshire and even 'being able to sit in traffic in Los Angeles.' He said he learned during the campaign where the Upper Peninsula of Michigan was. 'Never knew where it was,' he digressed. 'I think John is doing the right thing,' Donald Trump told CNN when informed of Kasich's decision. 'Today's press gaggle in Dulles has been cancelled, his campaign said in the initial statement indicating Kasich's run was almost over. Kasich had announced he would spend two days in the DC area raising funds for his uphill battle against Donald Trump, who has amassed more than 1,000 delegates and was on track to get a winning majority by taking just 40 percent of the remaining delegates in upcoming states. Killing time: Kasich bailed on a planned media availability at a private airport facility near Dulles Airport only to cancel the event after several delays The announcement came just hours after the Kasich tweeted out a 'Star Wars' themed video calling Kasich 'Our only hope' to defeat Hillary Clinton and the Democrats. The video looked like the film's famous opening credits, and declared: 'Only one candidate can defeat Hillary Clinton in the fall.' It seemed designed to bolster Kasich supporters as he argued it was worth keeping up the fight even as Trump's odds of getting enough delegates to win the nomination increased considerably following his Indiana blowout win on Tuesday. Wretched hive: Kasich bailed out of the contentious primary after outlasting nearly all of his rivals Kasich had said he intended to campaign all the way to California or until someone reached the requisite number of delegates to win the nomination. His campaign released a lengthy justification for going forward Tuesday night, even as Cruz told supporters he had no 'viable path' forward and was therefore quitting. Kasich's campaign has been plagued by a lack of funds and a lack of Republican National Convention delegates. In a rare pat on the back for donors, Kasich said: 'I want to thank the people who gave the money, the financial resources.' Donald Trump immediately said he would consider vetting Kasich for vice president He had pinned his nomination hopes on the prospect of emerging as a consensus candidate following a long contested convention something that is no longer a possibility with Cruz out of the race and Donald Trump on the cusp of claiming the nomination outright. Trump unintentionally presaged a Kasich exit on Tuesday night after his strong victory in the Indiana primary, a contest that saw Kasich claim less than 8 per cent of the vote. Speaking in the lobby of Trump Tower in New York City, he said Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus 'had 17 egos' to deal with during the hotly contested primary season. 'And now I guess he's down to one.' Kasich's decision came after Donald Trump had begun training some of his fire on the governor mocking him for the 'disgusting' way he wolfed down local food on the campaign trail. Kasich still has a political future. His name still gets mentioned by D.C. insiders as a possible vice presidential pick. He has significant experience in the Congress as former chairman of the House Budget Committee. And his home state is nearly a must-win for any Republican hoping to take the White House. Asked whether he'd consider naming Kasich as his vice presidential running mate, Trump told CNN Wednesday, 'I'd be very interested in vetting John.' 'I like John, I've had a good relationship with John, I've gotten along with him well,' Trump said. Then he added, 'I think John will be very helpful with Ohio, even as a governor.' Kasich told CNN in February: 'I'd be the worst vice president anybody could ever imagine. I'd be worse than [Vice President Joe] Biden, because I'm my own man.' Still, Kasich went farther than many pundits predicted at the start of the race, playing off a better than expected performance in New Hampshire. But he failed to deliver even in more centrist states in the mid Atlantic in the final weeks of the campaign. Don't know much: Kasich says he learned the location of Michigan's Upper Peninsula during his campaign If nothing else, the Ohioan he got a geography lesson. 'I remember we were in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan never knew where it was. Heard about it all my lifetime. I never knew it was actually located above Wisconsin,' Kasich said Wednesday. David Cameron told MPs at Prime Minister's Questions that the publication date will be 'not too much longer after' the EU vote on June 23 David Cameron today revealed another delay in the publication of the Chilcot report, telling MPs the long-awaited inquiry into the Iraq War will not be released before June's EU referendum. He told MPs at Prime Minister's Questions that the publication date will be 'not too much longer after' the EU vote on June 23. It means the Chilcot Inquiry is likely to go into a seventh year without the public seeing a single word of its findings. And it comes despite Downing Street last month dismissing claims it could delay publication of the report until after the EU referendum. Asked by Tory MP David Amess whether his 100-year-old mother would live to see the report as well as get to vote in the EU referendum, Mr Cameron replied: 'I think I can reassure Maud that this summer she'll have I think a double opportunity to deal with these things, a referendum on 23 June, and I'm sure the Chilcot report will come not too much longer after that.' The inquiry's last public evidence session was in 2011 but it has been delayed for years over negotiations with US authorities over what can be disclosed and many legal concerns over the findings. The publication of Sir John Chilcot's report into the 2003 invasion of Iraq as also been set back by the so-called Maxwellisation process - the legal practice where individuals due to be criticised in an official report are sent details of the criticism in advance to give them a right to reply before publication. The long list of delays have heightened concerns that the final findings will be a 'whitewash' as key details could have been removed. Last month it emerged that British spies were drafted in to vet the Chilcot report to make sure it does not accidentally reveal classified information about national security. The publication of Sir John Chilcot's report into the 2003 invasion of Iraq as also been set back by the so-called Maxwellisation process - the legal practice where individuals due to be criticised in an official report are sent details of the criticism in advance to give them a right to reply before publication The vetting process was expected to be finished by the end of last month. Senior MPs warned that the security checks must not be used as an excuse to delay the findings of the inquiry any further. Reg Keys, whose 20-year-old son Lance Corporal Thomas Keys died in an ambush in Iraq in 2003, said an independent official must oversee the vetting process to ensure was not a 'whitewash'. He told the Telegraph: 'There needs to be a referee almost if someone says 'I am taking this out it needs to be shown to an independent person' otherwise it will be a whitewash, it will be sanitised.' Sir John Chilcot has described the size of the report is 'considerable', with more than two million words - four times the length of Leo Tolstoy's War and Peace. Cabinet Office minister John Penrose previously indicated the Iraq Inquiry report was still not expected to be published before summer, even though national security vetting would be completed by May. Mr Penrose earlier said the Chilcot report into the Iraq War should be handed to the Government for security checks and, as promised by Mr Cameron, vetting would take two weeks or less. Sir John will still need to prepare the 'very large' report for publication, and will announce a firmer publication date once vetting is complete - but as it stands, June or July remains the expectation. Mr Penrose had earlier stressed that there was nothing in the 'purdah' rules for the EU referendum to stop it being published before the June 23 poll. The wreckage of the Endeavour,the storied British ship that Captain James Cook sailed through the uncharted South Pacific, may lie a few hundred feet off Rhode Island's coast in Newport Harbour. The 105-foot long, three-masted bark - later renamed the Lord Sandwich - had been hired out by the British Royal Navy as a troop transport when it was one of 13 ships deliberately sunk by the British in 1778 in an effort to blockade the harbour. New research by the Rhode Island Marine Archaeology Project indicated it was one of a group of five vessels sunkin an effort to prevent French forces from coming to the aid ofthe rebellious American colonies. An inspection of the site by RIMAP, in water less than 50 feet (about 15 metres) deep, found the remnants of four ships and an indentation where a fifth may be, Kathy Abbass, executive director of the Rhode Island Historical Preservation and Heritage Commission, said. Scroll down for video Captain James Cook discovered eastern Australia in the HMS Endeavour (a replica of the ship above) The ship, captained by Captain Cook (above) returned to England in 1771 after a three-year journey and lay forgotten for years They had been positioned to protect a battery of cannon. 'When we saw that there's five that were put in front of the north battery, well glory be, we found four of them and there's a hole where the fifth one should be,' Ms Abbass said. 'That's pretty significant.' The HMS Endeavour was first launched in 1764 as the Earl of Pembroke, and then renamed His Majesty's Bark the Endeavour after it was purchased four years later by the British Royal Navy. It was sent out to explore the Pacific Ocean in August 1768 both to observe the 1769 transit of Venus across the Sun and in the search for the continent which was then called Terra Australis Incognita, or unknown southern land. The previous transit of Venus in 1639 had provided a vast amount of the information astronomers and scientists had about the size of the solar system and universe. The Rhode Island Marine Archaeology Project believes they have found its scuttled remains just off the coast The ship departed from Plymouth with 94 people on board, including Captain Cook. It travelled down the coast of Africa before cutting across the Atlantic and arriving in Rio de Janeiro in November of that year. The boat then set out to round Cape Horn, which it managed to do in January after its third try after wind, stormy weather and difficult conditions forced Captain Cook to turn back during his first two attempts. In April the ship reached Tahiti, where it stayed for the next four months and where astronomer Charles Green was able to study the transit of Venus in June. After months exploring the Pacific for islands, the Endeavour reached the coast of New Zealand in October, becoming the first European vessel to land on the island in more than 100 years. Dutch explorer Abel Tasman had previously reached the islands of New Zealand and Tasmania during his 1642 journey while with the Dutch East India Company. Captain Cook spent six months exploring and mapping the coast of New Zealand and claimed the land for Great Britain before sailing west. A statue of the 18th century French Count de Rochambeau points towards the harbour where researchers believe they have found the wreck of Captain Cook's ship the Endeavour The wreck, believed to be the Endeavour, was found in Narragansett Bay off the coast of Newport, Rhode Island The ship was launched in 1764 as the merchant collier Earl of Pembroke. A painting shows the ship leaving Whitby Harbour in 1768 In April 1770 individuals on the ship first spotted Australia and on April 29 the HMS Endeavour became the first European vessel to make landfall on the east coast of the island. Captain Cook spent four months charting the coast and at one point ran into trouble when the ship struck part of the Great Barrier Reef. The ship was 24 miles (about 38 kilometres) off the coast at the time with not enough life boats, but managed to clear the water from the hull of the ship and make its way safely back to shore. The ship continued to explore the island and in November was taken out of the water to have major repairs done before setting sail back to Great Britain. It set sail the day after Christmas and in March rounded the Cape of Good Hope before docking in Cape Town. On July 12 it made its way into port in Dover, almost three years after it first left Plymouth. Captain Cook was later promoted to Commander and explored the Pacific twice more on the HMS Resolution. He was killed in 1779 during a fight with Hawaiians on the island. The Endeavour soon became a naval transport ship and was sold to a shipping magnate just before the start of the Revolutionary War. That individual then tried to sell the ship back to the British when the demand for ships increased during the war but they would not accept the vessel given its age and what it had been through over the years. The seller then made the decision to rename the boat Lord Sandwich and try to sell it again, which worked after the boat underwent serious repairs. It was sent to Rhode Island as a prison ship when the British attempted to recapture the port city of Newport in 1778 and there it was blown up in hopes of creating a blockade in the harbour during the Battle of Rhode Island. The Endeavour beached at Endeavour River for repairs after her grounding on the Great Barrier Reef in 1770 An 1893 chart showing Endeavour's track along the South Pacific Ocean between 1769 and 1770 To confirm the wreckage is in fact that of the Endeavour, RIMAP will need to send divers down to inspect the site, studying the design of the vessels and any debris such as buttons or other equipment to survive that would confirm its identity, Ms Abbass said. The privately funded group estimates it will need to raise about $1 million to complete the fieldwork, and another $7.5million to build a proposed research facility and museum to study and showcase the artefacts. The story of the Endeavour has inspired subsequent tales of exploration, including the Star Trek television and movie series. One of the United States' former fleet of space shuttles also took the Endeavour's name. There is a replica of the ship at the Australian National Maritime Museum in Sydney. This is not the first time a wreckage has been identified as the Endeavour. Another ship was found in an area of the harbour that has since been built over as landfill, that may in fact have been the Resolution, the ship Captain Cook sailed around Antarctica, Ms Abbass said. 'It turns out that Rhode Island, specifically Newport, is the home of two vessels that went around the world with Cook,' she said. It is not clear how long it will take the researchers to confirm if the wreckage is the Endeavour's. 'It's a slow journey and a very careful and particular journey,' Charlotte Taylor, with the Rhode Island Historical Preservation and Heritage Commission, said. A young lawyer has avoided a conviction for cocaine possession after getting a character reference from a prominent retired judge. James Cowled, who is a judge's associate at the Federal Circuit Court of Australia, pleaded guilty to the charge after he was caught with a bag of cocaine on March 26, News Corp reported. The 31-year-old came close to ruining his career but was let off after Magistrate Lisa Stapleton noticed the reference had come from retired Federal Circuit Court Judge Michael Lloyd-Jones. James Cowled, 31, (right) pictured with his former boss Federal Circuit Court Judge Michael Lloyd-Jones 'You were found in possession of cocaine. If the person says this was out of character for you they don't know you very well so why shouldn't I convict you of this offence?' she questioned. He replied by telling her he was a judge's associate, and the magistrate then asked to see the letter. Magistrate Stapleton told Cowled that working 'in the justice system doesnt mean you have to have higher standards than everyone else, the law applies equally'. Appearing in court this week, the Sydney lawyer revealed he was embarrassed when he told his former mentor about the cocaine charge. He came close to losing his career but was let off after magistrate noticed his reference was from a top judge 'I must say telling my former judge was one of the most difficult things I've done in my life,' he said. Judge Lloyd-Jones retired from the Federal Circuit Court last year and Cowled has since worked for another judge, who was not aware of his drug offence. She has been sentenced to seven years in jail and a A middle school teacher has been jailed after she sexually assaulted a 12-year-old boy 45 times in a year. Katerina Bardos was teaching sixth grade at Brentwood Elementary School in Greeley, Colorado, when she began an intimate relationship with one of her students, the Denver Post reports. The 25-year-old admitted she'd had a 'close relationship' with the boy who she had been mentoring, supplying him with marijuana and even allowing him to sleep over at her home. But she had initially denied ever having sex with the 12-year-old. However, when the victim told police he and Bardos had sex 'more times than he could count' - including in the parking lot of the teacher's school - she admitted sleeping with him 'between forty and fifty times.' Scroll down for video Katerina Bardos has been jailed after she sexually assaulted a 12-year-old boy 45 times in a year This week, Bardos was sentenced to seven years in jail and a further five on parole After a three-week investigation by Greeley Police, Bardos was arrested in May last year. She pleaded guilty to felony child abuse and criminal attempt to commit sexual assault on a child at her hearing on March 3. This week, she was sentenced to seven years in jail and a further five on parole. 'It is most unfortunate when someone we entrust with our children's safety and well-being takes advantage of that inherent expectation,' Chief Deputy District Attorney Thea Carrasco said. Bardos had begun her relationship with the boy in her 6th grade classroom in 2014, according to court records. The court heard that the teacher had also fostered a relationship with the child's mother and sisters, who were described as being 'like family.' Bardos was teaching sixth grade at Brentwood Middle School (pictured) in Greeley, Colorado, when the relationship began Bardos, 25, moved to another school in fall 2014, but the relationship with the now-13-year-old boy continued until just before the arrest 'Her friendship with his mother and sisters only reinforced the expectation that she hold herself to a high standard which she likewise gained by being in a position of trust,' the DA's office said in a statement. The Greeley-Evans School District released a statement last year following Bardos's arrest, according to FOX 31. 'Katerina Bardos was a teacher at Brentwood Middle School from August 2013 through May 2014. Her contract was not renewed at the end of May 2014,' the statement read. It continued: 'The only alleged male victim in this case is a student at Brentwood Middle School. Greeley-Evans School District 6 personnel are cooperating with the Greeley Police Department investigation of these allegations.' Bardos moved to Frontier Charter School to teach fourth grade in fall 2014 and continued to have a sexual relationship with the boy until just before her arrest, police said. Brentwood denied any knowledge of their former employee's inappropriate behaviour with a student when they chose not to continue her employment. However, several teachers at the school told police they had seen Bardos with the boy outside of school on numerous occasions while one said they were aware that the suspect often text the child. A 61-year-old man was shot with a crossbow after he was mistaken for a turkey while hunting in Jackson, Michigan. The victim, from Brooklyn, New York, was chasing game birds on private land at 6am on Sunday when he was struck in the left arm. It transpired a fellow hunter, a 51-year-old local, mistook the victim for a turkey. A 61-year-old man was shot with a crossbow after he was mistaken for a turkey while hunting in Michigan The victim was transported to Henry Ford Allegiance Hospital for non-life threatening but serious injuries, Jackson County Sheriff's Office said. The investigation is ongoing. Charges are expected to be filed against the shooter. Hunters flock to Michigan in the spring to hunt wild turkeys. High season runs from April 18 to May 31, according to the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. After years of low turkey population, there are now 7 million wild turkeys across America. Michigan is ranked seventh in the country for turkey harvest. Presumptive GOP nominee Donald Trump doubled down on his call to ban non-American Muslims from entering the United States even if the stance causes problems going forward in the general election. 'They're destroying Europe, I'm not going to let that happen to the United States,' Trump said this morning during an interview on Morning Joe. The Donald was taking a victory lap after his chief rival, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, threw in the towel last night after a disappointing showing in Indiana. Scroll down for video Donald Trump handily won Indiana last night ensuring that he would become the Republican nominee as chief rival Sen. Ted Cruz dropped out. Ohio Gov. John Kasich will drop out later today This morning, during Donald Trump's victory lap, he doubled down on a controversial policy to ban all non-American Muslims from entering the United States Ohio Gov. John Kasich is expected to suspend his campaign later today. That leaves the brash billionaire the only man standing on the Republican side, with six months to wage battle on the likely Democratic nominee, Hillary Clinton, who despite Bernie Sanders' win in Indiana last night has an almost insurmountable delegate lead. Generally, in politics, the nominee will shed off some of his positions that are more in line with the party's base in order to be palatable to the general public. But on the Muslim ban, which is likely Trump's most controversial position, he's not budging. 'I don't care if it hurts me,' he told hosts Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski. 'I'm doing the right thing.' 'I've been guided by common sense, by what's right,' he continued. 'We have to be careful. We're allowing thousands of people to come into our country,' he said. 'Thousands and thousands of people being placed all over the country that, frankly, nobody knows who they are.' 'We don't know what we're doing,' he added. Trump originally pulled out the idea in the aftermath of the San Bernardino terror attacks in which two ISIS sympathizers gunned down 14 at an office holiday celebration. 'Donald J. Trump is calling for a total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States until our country's representatives can figure out what is going on,' a statement from the Trump campaign read. Trump later clarified that he meant Muslims who weren't citizens of the United States. Even though Trump was criticized by many Republicans, including rivals like former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush and former Vice President Dick Cheney, he stood firm. While Clinton is not yet her party's presumptive nominee, the former secretary of state's campaign already bashed Trump today on his support of the Muslim ban. 'Trump is going to be the Republican nominee,' said a fundraising letter signed by Clinton's deputy communications director Christina Reynolds. Saliman Barci is said to have fled to Britain after shooting two men nearly 20 years ago (file image) A one-legged Albanian suspected of a double murder gained UK citizenship by posing as a Kosovan refugee, a court heard. Saliman Barci, 40, is said to have fled to Britain after gunning down two men with a military rifle nearly 20 years ago. The father-of-three is now wanted by Albanian authorities but is fighting extradition using human rights laws to claim his life is at risk from a deadly blood feud. Barci, who has lived in the UK using a false identity for the past 14 years, also claims he faces torture in prison and systematic judicial corruption. Westminster Magistrates Court heard he is accused of luring the two victims to their death in Albania in July 1997 with the promise of 340,000 in cash. Barci claimed his nephew was later killed in a brutal revenge attack in a country where honour is more important than life. But he escaped prosecution and fled to the UK in 2001, claiming asylum as a Kosovan refugee before eventually gaining British citizenship using the alias Samir Bashsa. Although he was convicted and sentenced to 25 years in jail in his absence in 2009, the conviction was quashed in 2013 following a number of appeals led by his mother and sister. The case has now been sent to Albanias Appeal Court. However, Albanian prosecutors say they have new evidence to mount a fresh criminal case and requested Barcis extradition in July last year. Daniel Sternberg, prosecuting on behalf of Albanian authorities, told magistrates: The changes in Mr Barcis life are irretrievably coloured by the fact that he has lived in the UK using a false identity for the past 14 years. Whilst Mr Barci claims this is because he was in fear for his life, it is equally consistent with his fleeing Albania to avoid prosecution. Mr Sternberg referred to a statement from Albanian officials which said defendants cite blood feuds in most cases where they claim they are facing persecution. He also claimed there was no direct evidence that Barcis 2009 trial was affected by corruption. Barcis legal team argues that extradition would be oppressive due to his numerous medical conditions. Westminster Magistrates Court (pictured) heard Barci is accused of luring the two victims to their death in Albania in July 1997 with the promise of 340,000 in cash Using a crutch to hobble to the witness stand, the Albanian told the court he had his left leg amputated 2cm under the knee in 1996 after a motorcycle crash. He is now taking medications including beta blockers and statins after suffering what he claims was a minor heart attack in custody in the UK recorded as minor chest pains by police. Barci, who lives in Northolt, west London, told magistrates: Because its corruption they can kill me easy there [in Albania]. He said he came to the UK because I knew England [was] going to protect me and my family. When asked how he claimed asylum in Britain, he replied: Like every Albanian, you said you were from Kosovo. The hearing continues. Justice Secretary Michael Gove warned at the weekend that around one in 20 of the 10,000 foreign criminals in British jails is from Albania. A key insider in the original Star Wars film crew has revealed that Boba Fett, a mysterious masked bounty hunter who has become a cult character, was originally to be at the heart of the movie Return Of The Jedi. Craig Miller also said Darth Vader was to be a key part of several of the sequels until George Lucas lost interest after the first trilogy of films. Miller told the Inverse website: 'Originally Boba Fett was set up in Empire (Strikes Back) as a character, and the third movie's plot was going to be more about Boba Fett rescuing Han Solo and all of that...Boba was gonna be the main villain.' Brief but memorable: Wingreen voiced Boba Fett - the space bounty hunter in 1980's Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back Although Boba has only four lines of dialogue in the whole franchise, including classics such as 'As you wish' (said to Vader), he remains a cult idol among Star Wars obsessives and has his own fan club. Jason Wingreen, the actor who voiced Boba Fett, died earlier this year aged 95. English actor Jeremy Bulloch physically played Boba, although Wingreen dubbed the voice on after. Miller left Lucasfilm shortly after The Empire Strikes Back hit cinemas in 1980, and worked with some of the biggest names in animation, including Muppets creator Jim Henson. Miller revealed that Lucas originally said Star Wars was a one off but then said it would be the first of 12 films. But he added: 'And then during all of it, George kind of lost interest in continuing it While we were working on The Empire Strikes Back, George decided he was going to complete the first film trilogy and that would be it.' He said: 'When George decided not to make another trilogy, he completely jettisoned that story line, which is why in the first ten minutes (of Return Of The Jedi), Boba Fett gets bumped into and falls into the mouth of a giant monster.' 'So he took what was planned for the next trilogy, which was the confrontation between Luke and Darth Vader, and the battle with the Emperor, and that got squished down from three movies to one movie. And that became the plot of Jedi.' May 4 is marked as Star Wars Day around the world and Miller, speaking at a fans' convention in Toronto, said: 'I'm proud of having been involved in something that's become so iconic all over the world. CASPER, Wyo. The No. 2 ranking Republican in the Wyoming House is seeking re-election, and if Rep. Rosie Berger wins, she said shell run for the top position potentially becoming the first woman speaker of the House in nearly 50 years. Berger, a resident of Big Horn, is a Republican who has served in the Legislature since 2003. Berger, 61, represents House District 51, a mostly rural district from Story to the Montana line, including Big Horn, the west side of Sheridan and Burgess Junction. That would be my intention, is certainly to seek the role of speaker, Berger said. But my first priority right now is to get re-elected in House District 51. If I win the primary and move onto the general, I will certainly look at that. I think I have the experience to run for that position. Speakers wield much power in Wyoming politics. They assign the committees on which each House member serves. Speakers accept lawmakers bills for introduction on the floor and influence the schedule of bills up for discussion each day. Speakers can sit on a bill they dislike. They decide which committee each bill is sent to for further consideration. They can send bills they dislike to committees where they know they will be killed. They appoint representatives to conference committees, which negotiate when a bill passed by the House and Senate have differing amendments. Practically, speakers are the first face people in the House gallery can see. They spend much of their time during the session at the front of the chamber reading bills, calling on lawmakers to speak for and against them and counting bills. Wyoming has not had a woman speaker of the House since 1969, when Republican Verda James from Casper served in the role, said Joan Barron, a longtime Capitol observer who covered the Legislature for the Casper Star-Tribune from 1969 to 2014. In 1966, Edness Kimball Wilkins, a Casper Democrat, became Wyoming's first woman House speaker, when Walt Phelan died suddenly of a heart attack. But she ran and won a state Senate seat the following fall and never actually served as a speaker, Barron said. Since James, three women representatives served in the No. 2 spot of House majority floor leader. But they never advanced to speaker, she said. A statement announcing Bergers re-election bid said she leveraged her current leadership position to move forward key priorities for Sheridan County, including advocating for Sheridan Community College and expanding business and job growth opportunities. Bergers agenda is a conservative, low-tax budget that prioritizes Wyoming people and communities, she said. Revenues from coal, oil and gas are all down. Shes pushed for the state to sock away revenues into a $1.8 billion rainy day fund. The savings paid off, she said. In the session that ended in March, lawmakers helped fill a revenue gap by adopting a budget that will spend $221 million from the fund. Her efforts in the House helped increase savings to the Permanent Wyoming Mineral Trust Fund by about $7 billion, she said. The state takes investment income from the fund, and a larger fund means more money. We need to make sure our community is the yardstick for good decisions. For instance, our community wants fiscal responsibility through tight budgets, and Ive worked vigilantly to deliver that, she said. And people want to keep taxes low, and Im proud to say Wyoming people have low taxes that will stay that way under my watch. For years, Berger worked in the travel industry as a consultant and business owner, and in various business management, film location and event coordination positions. In the Wyoming Legislature, she has served on the Judiciary, Local Government Finance and Management Audit committees. Berger is on the executive board of the National Conference of State Legislatures. She is past president of the organizations Women's Legislative Network. In 2008, Berger helped create the Wyoming Womens Legislative Caucus to improve members leadership skills and potential. Each year the organization hosts the Leap into Leadership conference, which has groomed women across the Equality State to serve in public office. Dozens of boarding school places which were offered to Syrian refugees and are worth 1.6 million a year have not been filled because of government red tape. More than 80 fully-funded school places have been made available to unaccompanied children from the war-torn country in a humanitarian gesture by boarding schools. But eight months after the generous offer was made, head teachers say the beds they set aside are empty and they are no closer to being sent any refugees. The government has thanked the BSA for their pledge but has told them there are currently no unaccompanied refugees for them to take. Generous: Westonbirt School in Gloucestershire was one of 50 boarding school that offered places to unaccompanied refugee children from war torn countries, although the government has said there 'aren't any' The places, which would look after a refugee child until the age of 18, are worth an average of 20,000 each a year and are designed for youngsters who have no family. Many schools have even found host families to take care of them during school holidays, and have promised to lay on counselling, English lessons and other pastoral care facilities. The places are being managed by the Boarding Schools Association, which said yesterday it has been in constant contact with the government since September. Robin Fletcher, chief executive of the BSA, said: Weve been sitting there poised. Weve been saying, guys heres 80 fully-funded places, does anybody want them? The schools want to help and of course it would be great if we could turn that into a reality. The wheels turn slowly and probably the sector responded quickly and quicker than the mechanics could cope with. Its a humanitarian gesture. We would all be very disappointed if this large offer from the schools never translated into action. Natasha Dangerfield, head teacher at Westonbirt School in Gloucestershire, said: I had my head of boarding find a bed ready to go because I really thought we would be directly involved and immediately involved, so we were surprised [at the delay]. At the end of the day, youve got children that need somewhere to be nurtured, somewhere to be given the opportunity to thrive, to have food, the basic needs, that can be met by a number of schools. Were all head teachers of pastoral caring institutions. Its disappointing that you cant be part of something that can support children that you know need it. Mr Fletcher added that if it was not possible to give places to Syrian children, the schools would be prepared to offer places to unaccompanied children from other war-torn countries who had arrived in the UK already. He said most of the schools viewed it as being about helping a child, whether they are from Syria or another country. He added: Kent has bus-loads of illegal immigrants arriving the whole time, and some of those will be unaccompanied minors. Vulnerable: The Boarding Schools Association said it has been in constant contact with the government since September, but that they have 80 places waiting that have still not been filled He added that it wasnt a criticism of the government but said it would be great if they could speed up the process. He added: The boarding school sector helps vulnerable children already. They have got the expertise to do this, the support systems, the money, the places, but we havent got the children. The initiative was originally suggested by Saint Felix School in Suffolk, with 50 other schools then joining in to offer a place, many with money donated by parents. The BSA said that the Home Office has not been able to provide any unaccompanied minors via the Syrian refugee programme. And bureaucratic processes have so far stood in the way of working with local councils to take refugees who have already travelled to the UK. Those refugees arriving with their families are considered less suitable for boarding schools because they already have a family unit which can look after them. Yesterday, at their annual conference in Manchester, BSA heads challenged schools minister Nick Gibb on the issue. Mr Gibb replied: In terms of refugees, the BSA schools have made an offer of places for refugees for their school, and information about the offer including a helpful guidance document provided by the BSA has been shared with the regional strategic migration partnerships who are working with the Government's resettlement team to coordinate all of the offers of help at the local level. And this is to ensure that these offers are directed at local authorities which will be resettling or have already resettled refugees. I think it's an important offer that the boarding schools have made. I am very grateful that the offer has been made. A gang of conmen who fleeced pensioners out of 1million in life savings have been jailed for a total of 35 years. The 'heartless' fraudsters posed as police officers to dupe elderly victims, including a Second World War veteran, into handing over their money. The cash was spent bankrolling a trip to Syria and frittered away on foreign holidays and designer clothes. Scroll down for video A gang of conmen who fleeced pensioners out of 1million in life savings have been jailed for a total of 35 years. Sentencing the gang, which includes former X Factor contestant Nathan Fagan-Gayle (left) and Mohamed Dahir (right) Video footage shows another member of the gang, Achmed Abdulaziz Ahmed, going to the address of a victim in Dorset and then leaving with a package of money. The victim believed him to be a police officer The fraud led to a string of pensioners duped across seven counties. Pictured above is some of the money police recovered from one of the properties while investigating The victims, who were in their 70s, 80s, and 90s, were preyed upon because they were old and 'vulnerable'. Some died without seeing justice done. Many others have been left almost penniless by the scam as banks have failed to refund their money. Sentencing the gang, which includes former X Factor contestant Nathan Fagan-Gayle, Judge Anujar Dhir said victims were left 'shattered' by the crime. She said: 'You all played a part in a fraud that targeted elderly, vulnerable victims. The youngest of the identified victims was 63-years-old. Most of them were in their 80s. The oldest was 94-years-old. 'It was a heartless plan with a devastating and lasting impact on the victims. 'You fleeced your victims of large sums of money. For some of them it was their life savings. 'But their loss was more than that. They lost confidence in their own ability to look after themselves and their own affairs and this contributed to the distress and misery which your victims have endured for the last two years.' Makhzumi Abuka (left) and Fahim Islam (right) were part of a nine-strong gang of fraudsters who fleeced pensioners out of 1million in life savings Scam: Yasser Abukar, left, Anrul Islam, right, were in a group posing as police officers to persuade victims to transfer cash into accounts controlled by their associates The Old Bailey judge paid tribute to the victims and said the gang of eight men had shown no remorse for their crimes She said: 'Having heard some of the victims give evidence in the trial, it is clear to me that they were left completely shattered by your actions and the effect of it will last until the end of their lives. 'I was struck by their dignity and their courage when giving evidence about a matter that was so obviously painful for them to relive.' Shakeria Aden, 22, was found guilty of conspiracy to commit fraud between May 2014 and May 2015 She added: 'None of you has shown any remorse. None of you has done anything to return any of the money you stole. None of you has had the decency to explain what happened to the money.' Gang members phoned their victims pretending to be investigating a fraud at their bank and told them they needed to transfer their money for 'safekeeping'. They persuaded one of their elderly cancer-stricken victims to miss a doctor's appointment to withdraw cash for them. Believing they were helping police, victims were deceived into lying to their family, friends and the bank about what they were doing. The men, described by police as 'cruel, callous and calculating' committed fraud on an 'industrial' level in 2014 and 2015. Kenneth Whitaker, who fought at the Battle of Arnhem and was 93 at the time of the fraud, said he was left feeling 'dumb and stupid' after he had 113,000 stolen from him. Elizabeth Curtis, 71 at the time of the fraud, who was conned out of 130,000, said she felt 'physically sick' and had her independence and self confidence shattered. Barbara Davidson, 86, from Poole, had 14,000 stolen from her. She had been planning to use the money to visit her family in South Africa, but now fears she will never see her relatives again before she dies. Some 140 victims had nearly 1million stolen from them, and the Metropolitan Police believe far more people were conned but have not come forward. The victims were from Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Bedfordshire, London and Kent. Fagan-Gayle, 29, from Tower Hamlets, East London, was jailed for 20 months. 'Key player' Makhzhumi Abukar, 24, from north London, was jailed for seven years and four months, Yasser Abukar, 24, also from North London, was jailed for six years. JEREMY CORBYN PLEADED FOR ACCUSED FRAUDSTERS FREEDOM Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn wrote a letter on behalf of Mohamed Dahir asking for him to be granted bail when he was first charged. The 23-year-old tried to use it so he could get home for Christmas while he was being kept in custody over the then alleged offences. However, it was rejected by the judge. Corbyn hoped that he would be able to use his sway as Islington North MP to secure Dahir's freedom. Shakaria Aden, 22, a 'prolific cash collector' who picked up 154,000, was jailed for six and a half years. Ahmed Ahmed, 23, of north London, was jailed for four years and two months. Mohamed Dahir, 23, who received a letter from Jeremy Corbyn in support of his bail application last May, was jailed for 21 months. Fahim Islam, 21, of east London, was jailed for six years and three months for his role in this and a 'strikingly similar' fraud also targeting pensioners. Anrul Islam, 24, from Dagenham, East London, was jailed for 16 months for this and a student loan fraud. Pensioners' life savings spent on designer clothes and foreign trips - and may even have been used to fund IS in Syria Money scammed from pensioners in a 1 million fraud was used to bankroll someone travelling to Syria, a police chief has said. A group of conmen posed as police officers to dupe elderly victims, including a Second World War veteran who fought at Arnhem, out of their life savings. Some 140 victims have come forward, but police believe many more pensioners could have fallen prey to the fraud and much more money stolen. Commander Dean Haydon, head of the Met's Counter Terrorism Command, said officers established the Syria link 'early on', but the cash was heavily laundered so it is difficult to tell if more found its way into terrorist hands. Many pensioners lost their life savings in the 'cruel, callous and calculating' scam. The eldest victim was 94 and some who were targeted died before ever seeing justice done and the perpetrators convicted and sentenced He said: 'When we look at what we can prove evidentially, what we knew fairly early on from some unusual banking transactions is that some of the money was used to facilitate an individual who travelled out to Syria. 'But what we can't say is whether any of that money is directly related to terrorism. 'Though we got our link to Syria pretty early on, actually what we think is that the vast majority of the money, in cash, was spent here in the UK. We can't prove it was being used and funnelled into terrorism.' He said it is 'really difficult to trace' where the money went, but some of it was splashed on designer clothes and trips to America. Many pensioners lost their life savings in the 'cruel, callous and calculating' scam. The eldest victim was 94 and some who were targeted died before ever seeing justice done and the perpetrators convicted and sentenced. Commander Dean Haydon, head of the Met's Counter Terrorism Command, said officers established the Syria link 'early on', but the cash was heavily laundered so it is difficult to tell if more found its way into terrorist hands Pensioners told how their trust and self confidence was left shattered after the scam, while one said she does not think she will be able to see her family in South Africa ever again because she can no longer afford the flights. But the Old Bailey heard that most of the victims have not received a penny back from their banks following the fraud. Mr Haydon called on banks to stump up some cash so the victims do not have to spend their twilight years without any savings. He said: 'The vast majority of those victims, we've got about 140 but personally I think there are more that didn't come forward, did not get any compensation or their money back. They have in essence lost their life savings. 'As a result we are working with the banking industry currently to try and see if we can get some kind of compensation or reimbursement for those victims. 'I'm optimistic, although ultimately that is a decision for the bank. It's a callous crime and ideally from my point of view I would like to see them get some kind of compensation or their money back.' Adacia Avery Chambers, 25, pleaded not guilty to four counts of second-degree murder and 42 charges of assault and battery in court Wednesday The woman charged with killing four people including a two-year-old child after crashing her car into the Oklahoma State University homecoming parade has pleaded not guilty. Adacia Avery Chambers, 25, from Stillwater, is facing 46 charges including four counts of second degree murder following the fatal crash on October 24 last year. Chambers did not speak during her arraignment on Wednesday in Payne County District Court, but attorney Tony Coleman read out her pleas to judge Stephen Kistler. Chambers had previously waived her right to a preliminary hearing to determine whether there is sufficient evidence that a crime occurred and probable cause the defendant committed it. While a date for the trial has yet to be set, attorneys will return to court May 13 to discuss whether Chambers should be given an expert investigator at state expense, The Oklahoman reports. Coleman had previously argued that Chambers is mentally ill and was suffering some sort of breakdown at the time of the crash after leaving work because she was distressed. District Attorney Laura Austin Thomas said she expected more than 100 witnesses to be called during the trial, which she believes will last a month. Scroll down for videos Chambers is accused of driving her car into the Oklahoma State University homecoming parade in October last year, killing four people including a two-year-old While Chambers admits being behind the wheel of the vehicle, her lawyer claims she is mentally ill and 'blacked out' before the crash took place Evidence that Thomas plans to present will include recreations of the crash scene, she added. Chambers is accused of driving around a police barricade, over an officer's motorcycle and into the crowd at OSU's homecoming parade. An elderly married couple and an MBA student were killed instantly while a two-year-old boy later died in hospital. Nearly 50 people in the crowd, including young children, were seriously injured. Toddler Nash Lucas, Nikita Nakal, a 23-year-old MBA student at the University of Central Oklahoma and Bonnie and Marvin Stone, both 65, of Stillwater, were killed in the crash. Chambers was initially charged with DUI, but subsequent tests showed she was not intoxicated at the time of the crash. Nash Lucas, who was just two years old at the time of the crash, initially survived being hit by the car but later died from his injuries in hospital Retired agricultural engineering professor Marvin Stone (left), 65, his wife Bonnie, 65 and University of Central Oklahoma business student Nikita Prabhakar (right), 23, were also killed According to her lawyer, Chambers had been feeling suicidal before the accident and had left work in tears around half an hour before after something distressed her. Coleman said his client does not remember anything between leaving work and the moment police were pictured escorting her from her vehicle. Coleman has asked for extra time in preparing his defense, saying his team 'need to conduct our own investigation' before the case goes to trial. A pretrial conference is set for June 1. Prosecutors have asked that the case does not go to trial around the anniversary of the deaths. Witness: Actress Gemma Chan, pictured, locked eyes with Frederic Russell moments after the attack A killer has admitted to stabbing a homeless man to death in a 'random attack' on a busy west London street almost four years ago. Frederic Russell, 30, knifed Colin Hammond, 65, after a tussle outside Putney Bridge Underground station, in Fulham, on the evening of October 25, 2012. The assault was witnessed by a number of bystanders, including actress Gemma Chan - best known for Channel 4 sci-fi series Humans - who locked eyes with Russell moments before he fled the scene. Russell was charged with murder but deemed unfit to stand trial and detained in a psychiatric hospital following a September 2013 hearing. He has since made 'considerable progress' and was today able to enter a plea at the Old Bailey, although he still suffers from paranoid schizophrenia. Russell admitted to a charge of manslaughter by reason of diminished responsibility but pleaded not guilty to murder. He will be detained indefinitely in a secure mental hospital. The judge said today: 'The events of 25 October 2012 are painful indeed to recall. A totally innocent man knifed to death by you while experiencing a psychotic episode and no words from me can give comfort to the distressed members of the family. It is a tragedy that you have caused to a totally innocent family and individual.' During the September 2013 hearing, the court was told that French national Frederic Russell had a history of mental illness dating back to 2002. Prosecutor Alan Kent told the court Russell had been repeatedly sectioned in mental hospitals around his home town of Grenoble in south-east France. He came to believe that his father, Englishman Derek Russell, was a demon and and had sexually abused him when he was drunk. The court heard that in 2007, while staying at his father's house in Germany, Frederic stabbed him in the thigh and then slashed his hand when he was disarmed. His father died in October 2012, and at his funeral Russell tried to prize open his father's coffin, and then ran away. His family found him and tried to take him back to France, but he ran away again, and was next seen 24 hours later fighting with Mr Hammond outside the Underground station. Miss Chan, who also appeared in BBC1 show Sherlock, gave evidence at the September 2013 hearing into the attack. 'Random attack': Miss Chan, left outside court, told the jury how she watched Russell, right, attack his victim The actress, who studied law at Oxford University, told jurors that she was on her way to Putney Bridge Tube station when she saw Russell kneeling on top of Mr Hammond in front of a bookshop. 'Their faces were a few inches apart. Initially I continued walking past but when I got a few footsteps fast I heard sounds of a scuffle. 'One of the men shouted: "I haven't got your f***ing money" or "I haven't got any f***ing money". I stopped, looked back and walked back so I was directly opposite them. 'I then noticed the man with the goatee [Russell] had got his right hand pressed into the neck of the older man [Mr Hammond], just underneath the jaw. 'His hand was pressed there for about six seconds. The younger man pulled his hand away and that's when I realised there was a knife in his hand.' The attacker walked away and Miss Chan approached to see Mr Hammond 'groaning and holding the left side of his neck.' On screen: Gemma Chan is known for her starring role in Channel 4 sci-fi series Humans, pictured 'I asked him if he was all right. Then I noticed the man with the goatee re-appeared. He peered around the corner looking at the older man. He then stepped out and looked directly at me and stepped towards me.' 'We started at each other for about three seconds and then the road started to fill with other people as they left Putney Bridge Tube station. 'The man turned to his right, crossed the road and disappeared into the crowd. I shouted to call an ambulance and I also shouted: "Someone take a photo of that man, he's just stabbed this man".' Miss Chan waited for the emergency services to arrive at the scene while a local doctor tried to resuscitate Mr Hammond. After fleeing the scene Russell was arrested near Hammersmith Bridge when police found him trying to cut himself with the same knife. The naked body of Ashlynne Mike, a Navajo fifth-grader was found in the Shiprock desert on Tuesday - a day after she was kidnapped A Native American man charged with kidnapping and murdering an 11-year-old Navajo girl told authorities his motive was to have sex with her. Tom Begaye, 27, made his first court appearance Wednesday in Farmington, New Mexico, after police arrested him at a sweat lodge near to the Shiprock murder scene. According to the complaint, Begaye lured fifth-grader Ashlynne Mike, from Fruitland, into a van Monday afternoon by offering her and her younger brother a ride as they played in an irrigation ditch near to their home after school. Ashlynne's brother, Ian Mike, nine, told investigators they accepted the lift because his sister had hurt her foot while playing in the ditch. Begaye - a regular at church meetings on the Navajo Nation - from Waterflow, New Mexico, told investigators he drove the siblings along a dirt road toward the Shiprock pinnacle. Ian Mike said Begaye then took his sister and a 'curved piece of metal' out of the van and to a hill near a remote dirt road, before returning to the vehicle alone. The boy said he was then told to get out of the vehicle, at which point he ran two miles to the highway where he was picked up by motorists along Navajo Route 13 and taken to police. He told authorities the two didnt know the man previously. The girl's body was found on Tuesday morning in Shiprock, near a rock formation that the town is named after, said Jesse Delmar, the tribe's public safety division director. Police arrested Begaye Tuesday night at a sweat lodge after he matched the description given to them by the victim's brother. Sweat lodges are considered sacred places. Scroll down for video Tom Begaye, 27, was arrested by Federal Bureau of Investigation agents and appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge B. Paul Briones in Farmington on Wednesday Tom Begaye (pictured) shuffled into the courtroom in shackles but stayed quiet as some of the victim's relatives and other community members listened to the charges being read He said he stripped the girl naked while she was 'crying and begging to be taken home,' the complaint states. According to authorities, Begaye told police he penetrated Ashlynne with his fingers before hitting her twice in the head with the tire iron. He told police Ashlynne was moving when he left her naked in the desert. When investigators found her body late Tuesday morning, they said it appeared shed suffered blunt force trauma. As Begaye left the courthouse, a group of people who were waiting on the street across from the courthouse screamed: 'Die. Go to hell', the Albuquerque Journal reported. Begaye faces life in prison if he is convicted. U.S. Magistrate Judge B. Paul Briones in Farmington ordered him held in the custody of U.S. marshals and transferred, along with the case, to Albuquerque. The next hearing will be there on Friday. A woman who knew the 11-year-old victim and Begaye said he was active in cultural and religious life on what is the nation's largest American Indian reservation. Sher Brown, of Lower Fruitland, New Mexico, says one of her brothers knew Tom Begaye, and they regularly went to sweat lodges and church meetings on the Navajo Nation. Pictured left is Begaye, (in shorts) after his arrest at a Navajo sweat lodge. He is pictured right dressed in prison overalls attending his federal court hearing Wednesday Begaye was arrested Tuesday night at a sweat lodge similar to this visitor center sweat lodge at the Navajo National Monument in Arizona, USA. The sweat lodge (also called purification ceremony or simply sweat) is a hut, typically dome-shaped and made with natural materials, used by Indigenous peoples of the Americas for ceremonial steam baths and prayer Governed by the Navajo Nation, Shiprock is in the Four Corners region and plays a significant role in Navajo religion, myth, and tradition An access road to the Shiprock pinnacle (seen in the distance) is taped off Tuesday along Navajo Route 13, just a few miles from where Ashlynne Mike's body was discovered Family and friends gather near Shiprock, New Mexico Tuesday just a few miles from where the girl's body was discovered Albuquerque FBI Public Affairs Specialist Frank Fisher, left, with local law enforcement agent hold a news conference regarding the death of the 11-year-old girl Tuesday Begaye was cited in Farmington in mid-April for marijuana and paraphernalia possession. 'We were very hopeful that we would find Ashlynne in good shape,' Jesse Delmar, the tribe's public safety division director said. 'We found her, but it didn't turn out well.' 'Tears are falling,' The girl's mother Pamela Foster, wrote in a social media post. 'Mommy loves and misses you my sweet little angel,' according to the Albuquerque Journal. The girl's sister, Anna Celeste Begay, wrote: 'I'm so devastated... No one will know the way I feel right now.. I love you Ashlynne .. You never deserved anything like this.. Rip'. Tribal police faced criticism for the delay in issuing the Amber Alert which came some hours after the incident was reported. After the girls body was found, San Juan Chapter President Rick Nez said: 'The Navajo Nation, they are always slow to respond,' he told The Daily Times. 'As soon as the child was abducted, they should have put out the Amber Alert.' Ashlynne's cousin Shawn Mike, 43, told The Daily Times today that his own son, nine, was also approached by a driver of a maroon van along Navajo Route 36 at approximately the same time that Ashlynne and Ian went missing. He said the driver asked his son whether he wanted to see a movie, but that his son declined. He added that his son saw both Ashlynne and Ian inside the vehicle at the time. 'As they drove away, Ashlynne was waving at him,' he said. The search for the girl included federal, tribal, state and county officers on the ground as well as a New Mexico State Police helicopter, Fisher said. The FBI asked anyone with information to call the FBIs Albuquerque office at 505-889-1300. Before Ashlynne's body was found, a woman claing to be her distraught mother posted the above Facebook post to raise a search party in the hope of finding her alive Russia is to reinforce its western and southern flanks with three new divisions by the end of the year in retaliation for Nato's plans to boost its military presence in Poland and the Baltic states. Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said the new divisions would be formed to counter what Moscow saw as Nato's growing strength. US Defense Secretary Ashton Carter said on Monday that Nato was considering rotating four battalions of troops through Poland, Lithuania, Estonia and Latvia amid rising tension in the Baltic. A soldier of the Nato Response Force takes part in a massive amphibious landing exercise at Ustka in northern Poland last year. Nato is flexing its muscles in the Baltic region and it is unnerving Russia But a senior official in the Russian Foreign Ministry, Andrei Kelin, told the Interfax news agency on Wednesday: 'This would be a very dangerous build-up of armed forces pretty close to our borders. 'I am afraid this would require certain retaliatory measures, which the Russian Defence Ministry is already talking about.' Mr Shoigu said: 'The Ministry of Defence has adopted a series of measures to counter the growing capacity of Nato forces in close proximity to the Russian borders.' Russia's President Vladimir Putin (pictured, left) has been keen to build up Moscow's military strength and regain the prestige lost since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. Soldiers march through Sevastopol (right) on the first anniversary of the annexation of the Crimea Moscow accuses the alliance of threatening its Russia's security but Nato claims it is acting defensively in response to Russia annexing the Crimea in 2014 and backing ethnic Russian rebels in the eastern Ukraine. Russia has scrambled jets to intercept US reconnaissance planes in recent weeks and made simulated attack passes near a US warship in the Baltic Sea. Nato Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said the alliance would deploy 'battalion-sized' multinational units along the south coast of the Baltic. Nato Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg is pictured speaking at a change of command ceremony at the alliance's headquarters in Mons, Belgium on Wednesday. Mr Stoltenberg insisted: 'What we do is defensive' He said: 'What we do is defensive, it's proportionate ... And therefore we will continue to respond.' 'There can be no doubt that what Nato does is a reaction to the Russian behaviour in Ukraine. We didn't have any troops in Baltic countries...before the illegal annexation of Crimea and Russia's destabilising activities in eastern Ukraine.' Russia announced in January it would create three new military divisions and bring five new strategic nuclear missile regiments into service. Nato's new supreme allied commander in Europe, US Army General Curtis Scaparotti (pictured) says he is in favour of selling arms to Ukraine to bolster their defences against Russia The Russian media said the new units would most likely be motorised rifle divisions numbering around 10,000 soldiers each. The new divisions are likely to be deployed close to Russia's borders with Ukraine, Belarus, the Baltic states and Finland as well as Georgia and Azerbaijan. Nato's newly appointed Supreme Allied Commander Europe, General Curtis Scaparrotti, said: 'I do believe we should have communication, it's how we ensure that we don't have an accident or miscalculation. US air force F-22 Raptor fighter jets are pictured shortly after landing at the Siauliai airbase in Lithuania last week. They are part of Operation Atlantic Resolve, a show of force to support Nato's Baltic member states 'But I would reinforce this by saying it's expected that they adhere to international norms and international laws. And until such time, those communications will likely be limited.' Gen Scaparrotti said he was in favour of supplying arms to Ukraine to enable them to 'successfully defend their territory and their sovereignty'. she called The Donald a 'loose cannon' - an attack line she's tried out before Democratic frontrunner Hillary Clinton is backing Sen. Elizabeth Warren who took to Twitter last night to call out Donald Trump, the presumptive GOP nominee, for his 'racism, sexism and xenophobia.' 'I think Elizabeth Warren is really smart,' Clinton told CNN's Anderson Cooper today, sitting down for her first interview since Republican Sen. Ted Cruz exited the race, and Ohio Gov. John Kasich signaled he would do the same, leaving Trump her likely opponent in November. Last night Warren, the liberal senator who progressives tried to recruit for a presidential run before Clinton's chief rival Bernie Sanders jumped in, wrote: 'Here's what else is real, [Donald Trump] has built his campaign on 'racism, sexism and xenophobia.' Cooper asked Clinton if she agreed. 'I think that anybody who has listened to him and how he's talked certainly can draw that conclusion,' she said, after complimenting the Massachusetts senator's intelligence. 'I'm going to let people judge for themselves,' Clinton also said. 'But I have the highest regard for Sen. Warren.' Scroll down for video Hillary Clinton sat down for her first interview today since Donald Trump became the presumptive nominee, being asked if she was prepared to go up against the billionaire As Donald Trump was nearing the GOP nomination last night with his win in Indiana, Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren was tweeting about his campaign Hillary Clinton told CNN's Anderson Cooper that she was prepared. 'Oh please!' she said when asked about Donald Trump potentially bringing up her marriage and Bill Clinton's infidelity Cooper, in a full-length interview that will air on the network tonight, asked Clinton again and again if she was ready for a fight against Trump, who skillfully picked off 16 GOP competitors throughout the primary season, without having a day of political experience under his thumb. Clinton suggested that that was because the Republicans couldn't differentiate their viewpoints much from the brash billionaire. 'Well, they maybe just didn't have the experience,' Clinton pushed. 'Maybe they didn't want to take him on on issues because they actually agreed with him,' she said. 'Everybody in that Republican primary didn't want to raise the minimum wage, don't believe equal pay is a problem, don't want to talk about climate change, have a lot of the same views,' she continued. 'So they were really trapped,' she added. Cooper brought up how Trump has used attacks not usually found in political rhetoric, such as the one he deployed at Cruz and his family before the senator dropped out. Trump floated a National Enquirer story that said Rafael Cruz, Ted's father, had associated with President John F. Kennedy's assassin Lee Harvey Oswald in the 1960s. The CNN journalist asked Clinton if she was worried about some of these unconventional attacks, especially about her marriage, as her husband's affair with White House intern Monica Lewinsky has already gotten some ink this campaign cycle. 'Well, he's not the first one Anderson,' Clinton said of Trump bringing up her marriage, after letting out one of her trademark loud guffaws. 'I can't say this often enough, if he wants to go back to the playbook of the 1990s, if he wants to follow in the footsteps of those who have tried to knock me down and take me out of the political arena, I'm more than happy to have him do that,' she said, also uttering an, 'Oh, please!' 'This is, to me, a classic case of a blustering, bullying guy who has knocked out of the way all of the Republicans because they were just dumbfounded, they didn't know how to take him on and they couldn't take him on on the issues because they basically agreed with him,' she repeated. She also reused her 'loose cannon' line that was central to the major foreign policy speech she gave in March at Stanford University in the aftermath of the ISIS attack on Brussels. She used the dig on several occasions through the interview today. 'I've seen the presidency up close from two different perspectives and I know what it takes,' she said, acknowledging her previous roles as first lady and secretary of state. 'And I don't think we can take a risk on a loose cannon like Donald Trump running our country.' Cannabis may join the herb and spice rack in California kitchens as the most populous U.S. state prepares for the possible legalization of recreational marijuana in November. Chef Chris Sayegh is leading the way by taking haute cuisine to a higher place with his cannabis-infused menus in private homes for as much as $500 a head, or in 'pop-up' banquets around Los Angeles for $20 to $200 a person. For now, diners must show their medical marijuana cards. Sayegh, 23, who cut his teeth in the kitchens of top restaurants in New York and California, said incorporating cannabis into his recipes creates an entirely new consciousness for diners that goes beyond the effects of a fine wine. Flying high: Chef Chris Sayegh (pictuerd) is taking haute cuisine to a higher place with his cannabis-infused menus in private homes for as much as $500 a head, or in 'pop-up' banquets around Los Angeles Sayegh said incorporating cannabis into his recipes creates an entirely new consciousness for diners that goes beyond the effects of a fine wine 'To me, this is a cerebral experience,' he said during a demonstration at his Hollywood apartment last week. 'You're eating with a different perception with each bite, with each course. You're literally changing your brain chemistry and you are viewing this food differently than you did five minutes ago, 10 minutes ago.' Edible marijuana products are nothing new, and the market for them has evolved into a multimillion-dollar industry. Cannabis dining, on the other hand, is a relatively new concept, and Sayegh wants to bring it to the masses. Marijuana has been legally permitted in California for medical purposes since 1996, and voters are widely expected to pass a measure on the upcoming November election ballot to legalize pot as a recreational drug for adults statewide. 'To me, this is a cerebral experience,' he said during a demonstration at his Hollywood apartment last week. The chef is pictured here in a social media photo Sayegh said he began experimenting with cannabis cuisine after growing tired of pot-baked brownies and other snacks. 'It really wasn't until I started to break it down into a science that I realized that cooking with cannabis ... was much, much different than baking with it,' he said. In the kitchen, Sayegh uses oil containing an extract of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the psychoactive component of cannabis, and a 'vaporizer' to infuse ingredients with THC. 'You'll never taste the cannabis in my cooking unless I specifically want you to taste it because it's not a pleasant taste. ... It throws off the whole flavor of the dish,' he said, adding that he 'micro-doses' his dishes to the desired potency of individual clients. At his apartment last Friday, he prepared an elaborate three-course meal for a friend. Carrot confit gnocchi with cannabis-infused pea emulsion was followed by New York strip steak with parsnip puree and a 'medicated' red wine reduction. The finale: a sticky toffee pudding with toasted coconut and pot-infused chocolate. A 21-year-old woman who was arrested at Sydney Airport trying to leave Australia allegedly spent millions on handbags and luxury goods after $4.6 million was mistakenly transferred into her bank account. Christine Jiaxin Lee, a Malaysian national, wrongly received the money after it was transferred into her Westpac bank account as an overdraft four years ago. The chemical engineering student, who was attempting to leave to Malaysia when she was picked up by Australian Federal Police at Sydney Airport on Wednesday night, still allegedly owes $3.3 million to her bank. Scroll down for video Christine Jiaxin Lee was mistakenly transferred $4.6m into her Westpac bank account a number of years ago The Malaysian national was attempting to leave the country when she was arrested by police on Wednesday The student will spend a night in jail after her boyfriend - who tried to pay a $1000 bond for her release - was only carrying a Malaysian ID card and officers could not verify his identity, meaning they had to refuse her bail She allegedly purchased 'luxury items' while taking advantage of the mistakenly extended overdraft. According to Nines News, the young woman allegedly spent $3.3 million in less than a year where she made purchases on designer handbags and making cash transfers. Ms Lee had been living in a sub-penthouse apartment with Sydney Harbour Bridge views before her arrest. The apartment in Rhodes, in Sydney's inner west, was rented at $780 a week or $3120 per month, according to property records. Lee appeared at Waverley Local Court on Thursday after being charged with dishonestly obtaining financial advantage by deception and knowingly dealing with the proceeds of crime. The young student was granted bail in court on condition that she report twice daily to police in the Sydney suburb of Ryde, surrenders her emergency passport and lives with her boyfriend Vincent King at his home, also in the suburb of Rhodes. But she will spend a night in jail because her boyfriend - who tried to pay a $1000 bond for her release - was only carrying a Malaysian ID card and officers could not verify his identity, meaning they had to refuse her bail, The Daily Telegraph reported. There was also a misspelling on her bail address, which must be updated in front of a magistrate before she can be released. Lee will return to court on Friday morning where she's expected to walk free after the hearing. The Malaysian national had been renting a lavish penthouse in Sydney's inner west, believed to be $780 a week The Rider Boulevard apartment boasts sweeping oceanfront views of the Sydney Harbour Bridge and city Earlier on Thursday, a Magistrate said of the money Lee had accessed from her bank account: 'She didn't take it from them - they gave it to her.' The court heard that although the police fraud unit had started their investigation into the withdrawal of the money in 2012, they only issued the arrest warrant on March 4 this year. The student told her lawyer that she had obtained the emergency passport to fly home to Malaysia to visit her parents, who did not know about her arrest. Lee's lawyer, Fiona McCarron told the court that the money was partly spent on luxury items like expensive handbags, to which the Magistrate commented: 'That's a lot of handbags.' And Ms Stapleton agreed with the lawyer when she said the police would struggle to prove the spending of the money was illegal. 'They gave it to her,' said the Magistrate, who added that if it was proved that the money was indeed given to Lee, then the student would owe the money to the bank and have to pay it back. 'But she wouldn't necessarily have broken the law,' said the Magistrate. She allegedly purchased 'luxury items' while taking advantage of the mistakenly extended overdraft Lee, who has lived in Australia for five years, lives with her boyfriend at Rhodes in Sydney's north-west Her boyfriend of 18 months Vincent King (pictured) arrived at court where he described Lee as a 'good girl' Ms McCarron claimed there was 'nothing nefarious' about the student obtaining an emergency passport - she had simply lost her original passport. Marc Turner, Prosecuting, said the police and the bank had tried to speak to Lee about the money, but she had failed to return phone calls or answer emails. He said that within weeks of a warrant being issued for Lee's arrest, she had applied for a passport. Earlier on Thursday, her boyfriend of 18 months arrived at court where he described Lee as a 'good girl'. He told News Corp he had 'no idea' she had ever been given access to the money and reportedly claimed to have never seen her make extravagant purchases. It wasn't until Thursday morning when Lee called him asking for help that he knew anything about it, according to the publication. Court documents revealed she is alleged to have committed the offences on multiple occasions between July 2014 and March 2015. It is alleged she failed to notify the bank that she was not entitled to the money. Police fraud experts launched their investigation in 2012, but a warrant for her arrest was only issued in March this year. The court heard she knew police were attempting to make contact with her and she obtained an emergency Malaysian passport in order to leave the country The court heard she knew police were attempting to make contact with her and she obtained an emergency Malaysian passport in order to leave the country. But Lee's lawyer reportedly said that she had wanted to return home to visit her parents who were unaware of her arrest in Australia. She was granted bail for $1,000 and faces strict bail conditions, with Magistrate Lisa Stapleton agreeing with the prosecution that her attempts to flee Australia meant that she posed a flight risk. Ms Stapleton appeared to suggest the student may not have broken the law and told the court: 'It's not proceeds of crime. It's money we all dream about. 'She didn't take it from (the bank). They gave it to her.' The magistrate said that if this is what happened, the student would owe the money she had spent but would not have broken the law. The chemical engineering student, who was attempting to flee to Malaysia when she was picked up by Australian Federal Police at Sydney Airport on Wednesday night, still allegedly owes $3.3 million to her bank She appeared at Waverley Local Court on Thursday after being charged with dishonestly obtaining financial advantage by deception and knowingly dealing with the proceeds of crime The 21-year-old was stopped from boarding a flight to Malaysia on Wednesday night by Australian Federal Police Lee, who claimed to have obtained the emergency passport because she had lost her original one, will not be allowed to enter any international airport or port and has to report to police twice daily. She is also not allowed to apply for another passport. Lee, who has lived in Australia for five years, lives with her boyfriend at Rhodes in Sydney's north-west. The court was told she had been in Australia for a year by the time the overdraft was wrongly put in place. She is three years through a four-year chemical engineering degree but has deferred her final year. It could not be determined if Gomez died from an overdose or the choking Herrera's mother allegedly gave the teens 10 pills each of prescription painkiller hydrocodone and two bottles of Crown Royale whiskey But prosecutors said he left hemorrhaging through every layer Herrera told police she had asked him to squeeze her neck during sex His girlfriend Jacqueline Gomez was found dead in the bed next to him at a Houston Hyatt Hotel in May 2014 A 20-year-old Texas man has been convicted of aggravated assault in the choking death of his girlfriend on the night of their prom two years ago. Eddie Herrera faces the possibility of life in prison. His girlfriend Jacqueline Gomez, 17, was found dead at a Hyatt Hotel in Houston on May 16, 2014. Herrera told police that Gomez had asked him to 'squeeze' her neck during consensual sex. Prosecutors said Herrera left hemorrhaging through every layer of the neck, arguing that the extent of the injury made it clear it was inflicted 'with intent'. Eddie Herrera, 20, has been convicted of aggravated assault in the choking death of his girlfriend, 17-year-old Jacqueline Gomez, on the night of their prom two years ago Gomez had prescription painkiller hydrocodone in her system as well as a blood alcohol level 0.26. Herrera told police he and his mother, Melissa Ann Martinez (right), worked together to obtain the drugs and alcohol Gomez, who died in bed next to Herrera, was found to have the prescription painkiller hydrocodone in her system as well as a blood alcohol level 0.26 - more than three times the legal limit to drive. Prosecutors said Herrera left hemorrhaging through every layer of Gomez's neck after choking her Harris County medical examiners could not determine whether Gomez's death resulted from an overdose or being choked, according to the Houston Chronicle. Herrera was not accused of his girlfriend's murder, but was charged with causing serious bodily injury in a dating relationship, a first-degree felony. Prosecutors did not have to prove that he killed Gomez. It was revealed during the investigation that Herrera worked with his mother, Melissa Ann Martinez, to obtain the two bottles of Crown Royale whiskey, drugs and hotel room. Prosecutor Justin Wood said Martinez gave her son and Gomez 10 hydrocodone pills each and set 'them up for one heck of a fantastic prom night'. When Herrera woke up and found Gomez dead next to him he called his mother, who had stayed in a different room at the hotel the night before and was waiting in the lobby to take the couple home. Herrera and Martinez then put a nightshirt and sweatpants on Gomez's body. They waited two hours before calling 911, according to KHOU. Martinez admitted to giving both teens drugs during a taped interrogation. She was charged with drug possession and is awaiting trial. 'With a combination of the alcohol and the hydrocodone, the body was already so depressed that it could not recover from those choking injuries,' Wood said in court on Tuesday. 'This is just extremely sad because it could've all been prevented.' Wood argued that Herrera changed his story as police investigated Gomez's throat injury. He initially told police that the couple stayed up and talked after they had consensual sex, but later said that he had passed out while choking her. Police arrested Herrera more than six months after Gomez's death, arguing that his story was inconsistent. The jury of 10 men and two women deliberated for two hours before reaching the guilty verdict on Wednesday, according to the Houston Chronicle. They are currently deliberating sentencing. The prosecutor is asking for 40 years to life in prison. CASPER, Wyo. Police arrested a man for robbing an Evansville bank at gunpoint Tuesday morning, locating him in downtown Casper about two hours after the heist. The man, whom police did not identify, was found with money that authorities believe he stole from the Platte Valley Bank, Evansville Police Chief Tom Laughrey said. Police were still determining if they had recovered all the money. The man is middle-aged, Laughrey said. Laughrey did not disclose how officers found the man, but did say his department received help from several agencies, including the FBI. "It went smooth," he said. "I'm highly impressed with the other agencies around here, coming to my aid and my department's aid and getting the job done. It was fantastic." The suspect was being held Tuesday in the Natrona County Detention Center. Criminal charges are pending. The robbery took place at about 9:45 a.m. A man armed with a pistol and wearing a black mask entered the bank and demanded money from workers, according to details offered by police and bank officials. No customers were inside the business at the time. The suspect made off with an unknown amount of money and fled the scene in a white SUV. "We have officers throughout the entire county," Laughrey said Tuesday morning, before the suspect was apprehended. "We are hunting down leads." Officers from multiple agencies remained at the bank, which is at Luker Lane and Curtis Street, a few hours after the crime. Laughrey said he wasn't sure when it would reopen. We are grateful that no one was injured in the incident, our associates did the right thing by handing over the money to the perpetrator," Platte Valley Bank Community President Ron Wright said in a statement to the press. "There is no amount of money that is worth putting our associates in danger, we want to express our gratitude to the Evansville Police Department and all other agencies involved for their quick and thorough response. The robbery took place a day after a bank heist in Douglas, about 45 minutes east. Douglas-area schools and businesses went on lockdown while authorities searched the area. The suspect was arrested while fleeing on Interstate 25. He has been identified as 52-year-old Charles Mathis. Mathis was being held Tuesday in the Converse County Detention Center. Charges against him are pending. Laughrey said he didn't believe the two robberies were linked in any way. Donald Trump's senior aides are kicking the tires on a handful of early contenders for the vice presidential slot, including a few potential running mates who could blunt some of the Democratic Party's attacks on the presumptive GOP nominee. The Republicans' standard-bearer has said he aims to choose a political workhorse, someone who could help him interface with Congress, as a counterweight to his outsider status and inexperience in Washington. Emerging as possible VP picks on Wednesday were South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez and Ohio Sen. Rob Portman, according to a campaign official who spoke with CNN. But Haley quickly yanked her own name out of contention, embarrassing Trumpworld by saying saying she doesn't want the job. SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO LIKEABLE: South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley endorsed Marco Rubio for president and famously broadsided Trump in a January speech, but is a natural campaigner and a gifted retail politician who could help blunt Hillary Clinton's 'woman card' A LIST THIS LONG? Trump is reportedly vetting vice presidential running mates, including two female govenrors and two Ohioans 'I have great respect for the will of the people, and as I have always said, I will support the Republican nominee for president,' she said in a statement. 'To the members of the press who are asking, while I am flattered to be mentioned and proud of what that says about the great things going ton in South Carolina, my plate is full and I am not interested in serving as vice president.' Haley, one of two Indian-American Republican governors, famously tangled with Trump when she delivered the GOP's response to this year's State of the Union address. She leveraged the story about her own immigrant family to castigate the real estate tycoon for proposing a freeze on Muslim immigration into the U.S. following Islamic terror attacks in California and France. 'During anxious times, it can be tempting to follow the siren call of the angriest voices,' she said in her mid-January speech. 'We must resist that temptation. No one who is willing to work hard, abide by our laws and love our traditions should ever feel unwelcome in this country.' Five weeks later she endorsed Florida Sen. Marco Rubio as Republican White House candidates barnstormed her state. Rubio lasted another month in the race, pulling out after a devastating loss in his native Florida. Trump later turned Haley's criticism back against her, embracing the adjective 'angry' during his rallies to acknowledge his supporters' frustration with what he called 'all talk and no action politicians.' MAKING LATINAS GREAT AGAIN? New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez as a conservative Hispanic woman whose views line up nicely with Trump's on key issues like immigration, border enforcement and education OHIOANS: Buckeye Senator Rob Portman (left) and Gov. John Kasich (right) could potentially help deliver the critical swing state of Ohio to Trump Martinez would provide Trump with a foil against what he sees as Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton's primary qualification to run for office: 'the woman card.' In addition, Martinez is of Hispanic descent, providing her with an avenue to identify with a key voting bloc that Trump could easily lose 'Big League,' as he might say if Democrats succeed in using his immigration and border control policies as a wedge issue to drive Latinos to the political left. The New Mexico governor was in the news this winter when she signed a bill banning illegal immigrants from obtaining drivers licences. On the same day she enacted a law cutting back on New Mexico schools' reliance on standardized testing. Trump told CNN on Wednesday that he would consider vetting Ohio Gov. John Kasich, who is dropping out of presidential contention, for his number-two slot. He said he has 'a very good relationship with John,' and predicted that the governor 'will be very helpful with Ohio' in November. Kasich's home state will be a key to winning the general election. No Republican has ever captured the White House without carrying the Buckeye State. Portman, too, is an Ohioan, underscoring the Trump team's certainty that the state is bound to be a crucial battleground. Whoever Trump chooses, he or she won't be the first second-banana to be anointed this year. Ted Cruz announced last week that he would run with former tech CEO Carly Fiorina and quit the race six days later after she failed to give him the boost he needed to be competitive in the key primary state of Indiana. She didn't help her ticket's case when she fell off a stage on Sunday while introducing the Texas senator. NOT ON THE LIST: Vice President Joe Biden joked that Trump might want to give him four more years in his current job One person who is certainly not on Trump's short list, current Vice President Joe Biden, joked on Wednesday about the possibility of an extended term in his job. During a meeting with Central American leaders, a White House pool reporter asked Biden what he thought about Trump's elevation from front-runner to 'presumptive' nominee. 'I anticipate he'll ask me to be vice president,' he deadpanned. An army captain is suing the president over claims that the fight against ISIS is illegal, as the war claims its third US military casualty. Capt. Nathan Michael Smith, who is stationed in Kuwait, claims in his lawsuit that Barack Obama failed to get congressional authorization for the conflict, the New York Times reports. The 28-year-old intelligence officer said that while he supports a fight against the terrorist group, his 'conscious' and vow to uphold the Constitution forced him to speak out. He wants the president to get 'proper authority' from Congress, under the War Powers Resolution of 1973. Scroll down for video Capt. Nathan Michael Smith (left) is suing President Obama (right) over claims that the fight against ISIS is illegal Smith's lawsuit comes after the death of the third American service member fighting against ISIS. Navy SEAL Charles Keating was killed in Iraq on Tuesday after he was brought in as part of a special ops team charged with the rescue of U.S. forces. Keating, a former Phoenix high school star distance runner and the grandson of disgraced Arizona financier Charles Keating, was hit by 'direct fire' during the 'coordinated and complex' attack by the jihadis. It also follows President Obama's announcement that he will boost the number of military personnel, including Special Forces, in Syria while Defense Secretary Ash Carter pledged to 'accelerate' the fight against ISIS during a meeting with European allies this week. The lawsuit focuses on the War Powers Resolution - a law brought in around the Vietnam War - which states that the president must get authorization from Congress within 60 days of deploying troops or they must withdraw within another 30 days. 'In waging war against ISIS, President Obama is misusing limited congressional authorizations for the use of military force as a blank check to conduct a war against enemies of his own choosing, without geographical or temporal boundaries,' Smith said in his suit, according to the Washington Post. 'Congress passed the 1973 War Powers Resolution in response to just such presidential overreach in the Vietnam War, and to protect against such abuses of presidential power in the future.' Obama argues that he has full authority to wage war on ISIS after Congress granted authority to fight the terrorist groups behind September 11, 2001. But critics argue that ISIS did not exist in 2001 and is at odds with Al Qaeda who claimed responsibility for the atrocity. Islamic State also operate out of Iraq and Syria while Al Qaeda's base was in Afghanistan. Therefore, ISIS should be treated as a separate entity, they claim. The lawsuits claims that Barack Obama (pictured at a ceremony on Veterans Day, 2015) failed to get congressional authorization for the conflict Obama argues that he has full authority to wage war on ISIS after Congress granted authority to fight the terrorist groups behind September 11, 2001 (pictured, Kurdish Peshmerga fighters search for Islamic State militants in Tel Asqof in May) But the Pentagon argues that the terrorist group was an Al Qaeda affiliate in Iraq during the Iraq war and had spun off into its own faction after the death of Osama Bin Laden. Therefore, the United States still had authority to fight Al Quaeda's successors. The administration also argued that the war is covered by the 2002 authorization granted under President George W. Bush for the invasion of Iraq. However, Captain Smith believes that without specific permission from Congress, the fight against ISIS is illegal. 'To honor my oath, I am asking the court to tell the president that he must get proper authority from Congress, under the War Powers Resolution, to wage the war against ISIS in Iraq and Syria,' he wrote. His lawyers David Remes, who has represented Guantanamo detainees, and Bruce Ackerman, a Yale Law School professor who has argued the war against ISIS is illegal and that serviceman ordered to fight may be able to challenge the government. President Obama had announced in 2014 plans to pursue ISIS terrorists in Syria and expand airstrikes in Iraq because 'if you threaten America, you will find no safe haven'. Charles Keating was shot and killed when he went to the aid of military advisers who had got caught in a gun battle involving more than 100 extremist fighters He also pledged that he will not put tens of thousands of American boots on the ground there. At the time, Obama had been faced with a difficult decision; he could announce that he would target ISIS as part of the ongoing war on terror, or he declare a new war. The president decided that the fight was part of the war on terrorists after September 11 so decided to go with the first option. Administration officials say that Obama had been concerned that at a time when ISIS appeared to be making huge advances, the House of Representatives would have never voted on war authorization within the time frame. Obama may still have been reeling from stinging criticism over his military intervention in Libya - which did not have congressional authorization and fell outside the 60 days. While Congress has not granted authorization for a separate war on ISIS, they have passed bills to approve funding for the effort. Lawyers warn that by approving money for the fight had implicitly authorized it making it harder to for Capt. Smith to argue against in court. A group of seven Muslim women have launched a civil rights lawsuit against a cafe claiming they were ejected from the premises because of their religion. Sara Farsakh, Soondus Ahmed, Rawan Hamdan, Sara C, Yumna H, Safa R and Marwa R, filed a lawsuit Tuesday accusing Urth Caffe in Laguna Beach, California, of discrimination. The women claim the police were called and they were forced to leave the restaurant despite being in the middle of their food because six of them were wearing headscarves. Attorneys representing the women accuse Urth of going back 'to the days of "Whites only" signs and colored water fountains.' Sara Farsakh (center) and six of her friends claim they were thrown out of Urth Caffe in Laguna Beach, California, because they were Muslim and wearing headscarves According to the lawsuit Farsakh and six of her friends were having a meal at Urth on April 22, placing their food order at around 7.15 pm. The food arrived staggered between 7.20pm and 8.15pm, with several of the women ordering coffee and desert, when a staff member that Farsakh identifies as Tino came over to their table. Farsakh said Tino asked the women to leave, pointing to to a restaurant policy that says customers may be asked to leave after 45 minutes if people are waiting and there are no tables available. Farsakh said employees to her friends they had to leave because of a rule about tables only being occupied for 45 minutes at busy times However, in a video taken by Farsakh at the time of the incident, multiple free tables can be seen. Farsakh claims that, in total, there were 20 free tables in the restaurant and outside seating area at the time they were ejected. The restaurant policy, which Farsakh photographed, states: 'If tables are available, you are certainly welcome to enjoy Urth for as long as you like.' Farsakh says Tino informed the group that the restaurant was expecting a 'busy period', despite queues being short at the time. In a Facebook post, she goes on to say that other staff and even a security guard who were called over to speak with the group seemed confused as to why the policy was being applied to them. Farsakh added: 'The party on the table next to us - a group of white women - overheard our conversation and were shocked. 'They told us they had been sitting far longer than we had but had never been told to leave.' According to the Council on American-Islamic Relations, another group said they had been in the restaurant for four hours and had not been spoken to by staff. Farsakh added: 'I am completely appalled by the racist and Islamophobic treatment some friends and I were subjected to by staff at Urth Caffe in Laguna Beach last night. 'What began as a night out with some friends ended as a painful and embarrassing reminder of what it is like to be visibly Muslimeven in liberal California. 'By visibly Muslim, I mean women who wear the hijab, or headscarf. 'I truly believe, that if I were sitting there with my friends who were not wearing headscarves, we would not have been asked to leave.' However, a video taken by Farsakh before her group were ejected show multiple empty tables in the restaurant, while the policy states that if all tables are not full guests are welcome for 'as long as you desire' Attorneys for the group have accused Urth of going back 'to the days of "Whites only" signs and colored water fountains' by throwing the women out A second video shot by Farsakh shows two police officers standing by their table, who eventually removed them from the restaurant. Mohammad Tajsar, an attorney at Hadsell Stormer & Renick LLP who represents the women with Gallinger Law, said: 'Urth Caffes expulsion of this group of women is a throwback to the days of "Whites only" signs and colored water fountains, with Muslims now being the convenient targets of discrimination. 'Urth Caffes attempt to whitewash its upscale clientele by using its seating policy as a justification to expel those who outwardly appear Muslim is both immoral and illegal, and should have no place in Orange Countys diverse community.' The lawsuit goes on to claim that there have been several racially motivated incidents against Muslims at the restaurant, including eggs being thrown and tires slashed. Management at the cafe (pictured) deny all claims of discrimination against them and say the seating policy was 'properly and justifiably applied' While police say they have been called out to reports of eggs being thrown and tires being slashed, according to CBS Los Angeles, officers say all of these incidents were reported by staff and none are believed to have been racially motivated. In a statement on the cafe's own Facebook page, managers wrote: 'Urth Caffe categorically denies any and all claims of racial or religious discrimination against Sara Farsakh. 'While a full investigation is still ongoing, it appears that Ms. Farsakh and her friends violated company policies and that the staff at Urth Caffe in Laguna properly and justifiably applied company procedures. Two school police officers were assaulted in Philadelphia on Monday as they attempted to break up a fight between a group of adult men and high school students. Officials say the officers were watching over students waiting for the bus outside Northeast High School around 3.30 p.m. when the pair noticed another student being attacked. The officers separated the student from the two men in order to stop the attack, however the two men then confronted the cops, which quickly turned violent. The incident, which was caught on camera and released by Philadelphia police on Wednesday, shows the men pushing the officers, and one being thrown to the ground. Scroll down for video Fight breaks out: Police say the two officers (pictured) stopped a group of men from attacking a student, however the men then turned on them Assault: Footage of the incident shows the men pushing and hitting the cops and throwing one to the ground Both officers suffered minor injuries in the fight, and the men - all believed to be adults - fled the scene on foot According to Philly.com, one officer suffered a broken jaw and the other suffered bruises and swelling to his ankle. Both were taken to Temple University Hospital, where they were treated for their injuries. The men allegedly involved then fled the scene, but were caught on nearby CCTV cameras. 'The police officers were there to protect these students and did a fantastic job,' Philadelphia School District spokesman Fernando Gallard said. 'They were very brave to take this on, and it resulted in them getting injured.' Royce Merriweather, president of the School Police Association of Philadelphia, said he spoke to the officer with the broken jaw, who has been on the force about 16 years. 'He's sore and hurt, but he's in good spirits,' Merriweather told the website. Wanted for questioning: Officials are not sure how many people were involved in the fight, but released images of three men they are interested in speaking with So you know this man?: The third suspect is described as a black male, 6', thin muscular build, wearing a gray hooded sweatshirt and black pants The district confirmed that neither officer was armed. 'We're going to work real closely with Northeast Detectives to get some witness statements and some other investigations going on to find them,' Brenden Lee, the Executive Director of Philadelphia School Safety, told WPVI. The first suspect is described as a black male, 5'8, 185 pounds, muscular build, 20 years-of-age, dread locks, wearing a black hooded sweatshirt, and gray sweat pants. The second suspect is described as a black male, 5'10, muscular build, 20 years-of-age, blonde and black hair, wearing a green muscle shirt, and red sweat pants. The third suspect is described as a black male, 6', thin muscular build, wearing a gray hooded sweatshirt, and black pants. Scene: Officials say the officers were escorting escorting students outside Northeast High School around 3.30 p.m. when the pair noticed another student being attacked Kendall did, however, dismiss her lawsuit against Cutera without prejudice Kendall said she never did a deal to promote the company and claimed she would charge eight figures for a similar endorsement Laser Genesis treatment for acne claimed their treatments were the reason for Kendalls flawless skin Kendall Jenner has dismissed her massive $10million legal battle against a skin treatment company who she accused of illegally profiting off her lucrative face by featuring her in advertisements without permission. Court documents dont explain why the Keeping Up with The Kardashians star threw out her case on Tuesday, but she dismissed the suit without prejudice. In February, Kendall filed a federal lawsuit against skin treatment company Cutera, who she claimed used her face and name to advertise their Laser Genesis treatment for acne. Scroll down for video Kendall Jenner dropped a massive $10million federal lawsuit on Tuesday against skin treatment company Cutera Kendall claimed she did not make a deal to promote the company, which used her face and name to advertise their Laser Genesis treatment for acne The companys advertisements claimed their treatments were the reason for Kendalls flawless skin. The ad in question featured a picture of Kendall and claimed the companys treatments improved her skin. 'Acne "completely ruined" Kendall Jenner's self-esteem,' the ad read. Kendall, however, said she never did a deal to promote the company, and claimed she would charge well into the eight figures for a similar endorsement. In addition to being the face of Estee Lauder, the lawsuit points out Kendall has been on the cover of fashion magazines around the world, and would typically earn at least eight figures to pose as the face of a product. Kendall explained in her complaint that her face and likeness are worth money, pointing out that she has graced the cover of fashion magazines such as Vogue, Vogue Paris, Vogue Japan, Vogue Brazil, Harper's Bazaar (shot by Karl Lagerfeld), Allure, GQ, Glamour, Marie Claire, LOVE, Interview, Paper, InStyle, Cosmopolitan, Cleo, Garage, Dazed, Raine and BLANK.' The complaint said Kendall was a widely successful model and had numerous other endorsements. The ad in question, for the company Kendall said she didn't officially endorse, featured a picture of Kendall and claimed the companys treatments improved her skin Court documents dont explain why the Keeping Up with The Kardashians star threw out her case on Tuesday, but she dismissed the suit without prejudice Cutera had not yet publicly responded to the allegations when Kendall dropped the lawsuit. Kendall has previously said she that Laser Genesis treatment helped cure her acne, which was once so bad that she refused to make eye contact with people. The model and reality star opened up late last year about her struggle with acne and the toll it took on her confidence. 'It completely ruined my self-esteem,' she wrote on her app and website KendallJ.com. 'I wouldn't even look at people when I talked to them. I felt like such an outcast; when I spoke, it was with my hand covering my face.' Her lawsuit did not dispute whether or not she ever used the acne treatment, but rather stated that she was not paid for use of her image to promote the treatment. Rebecca Haley, 18, said to have died after 'suspected self-harming incident' A sixth-former found dead at one of the country's most prestigious public schools was a talented prefect, police said yesterday. Rebecca Haley, 18, was discovered in a dormitory at Gresham's School in Holt, Norfolk, whose alumni include Benjamin Britten and Sir James Dyson. The teenager, a grade-A student and gifted artist known as Becca to family and friends, is understood to have committed suicide and there are no suspicious circumstances. Sixth-form student Rebecca Haley, 18 (pictured), was found dead in a dormitory at 32,000-a-year Gresham's School in Holt, Norfolk, whose alumni include Benjamin Britten and Sir James Dyson, in a suspected suicide Paramedics were called to the school at 7.30am on Saturday and found her unconscious. They were unable to revive her. The school, where boarders pay 31,950-a-year, was founded in the 16th century and has been tipped as the place where the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, who live nearby at Anmer Hall on the Queen's Sandringham Estate, may educate their children. A statement released by the school said: 'Gresham's School can confirm that a pupil was found unconscious early on Saturday morning in their dormitory on the school premises. 'Emergency services were immediately called and on arrival they determined that the young woman had tragically lost her life. Her death is not being treated as suspicious. 'The family was immediately notified and some family members attended the school later on Saturday and were met by the headmaster who offered his condolences on behalf of the whole school.' Headmaster Douglas Robb added: 'We are all devastated by the death of a much-loved and cherished pupil. 'The thoughts and prayers of the whole school are with the family and friends of the young woman.' Becca, who had a younger brother and sister, was a prefect in the school's Britten House, which has 72 girls including full-time and weekly boarders and day pupils. Rebecca Haley, 18, was found dead in a dormitory at Gresham's School (pictured) on Saturday morning It is described online as having 'a particularly colourful and cheerful interior and a new Upper Sixth Form wing' and 'a warmth and vibrancy which are quite unique'. There is a 'homely' common room with sofas and television and a large kitchen for pupils to use. Becca's parents, Julian and Patsy, are understood to be divorced and her father works abroad. The family were too upset to comment last night. Gresham's is spread over several sites in the upmarket Georgian town of Holt on the north Norfolk coast. It was originally for boys only but has been co-educational since 1971. There are around 480 pupils in its senior school including 300 boarders. Younger children sleep in small dormitories while older pupils have study bedrooms. Most sixth formers have their own room. The Duchess of Cambridge met pupils from the school when she opened the new East Anglia Children's Hospices shop in the market town in March. Headmaster Douglas Robb (pictured) paid tribute to the 'much-loved and cherished pupil' who died in her dorm The Night Manager actress Olivia Colman (pictured) is a former pupil at the 32,00-a-year school A Norfolk Police spokesman said: 'Police were called to an address shortly after 7.30am on Saturday following reports that the body of an 18-year-old woman had been discovered. 'Paramedics attended but the woman was sadly confirmed dead at the scene. The death is not being treated as suspicious and a file will be prepared for Her Majesty's Coroner.' An East of England Air Ambulance helicopter crew from Norwich were despatched to help the teenager but were recalled a few minutes later and did not attend the school. A spokesman said: 'We sent an ambulance crew but sadly the patient had died at the scene. There was nothing that could be done for the patient.' Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has been labelled 'out-of-touch' after he suggested parents should 'shell out' to help their children who have been 'locked out' of the housing market. Mr Turnbull made the comments to ABC Radio Melbourne's Jon Faine on Wednesday morning as the host questioned the Prime Minister over his negative gearing policy after Treasurer Scott Morrison delivered his first Budget. 'It's [negative gearing] created conflict with effectively the kids of your and my generation who can't get into the market and they're saying: "For goodness sake, you baby boomers, you just want everything and you're locking us out",' Faine said. Scroll down for video Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has been labelled 'out-of-touch' after he suggested parents should 'shell out' to help their children who have been 'locked out' of the housing market 'Are your kids locked out of the housing market?' Mr Turnbull asked. To which Faine responded with a 'yes'. 'Well you should shell out for them. You should support them, a wealthy man like you,' Mr Turnbull quipped, triggering a laugh from the radio presenter. 'That's what they say,' Faine said. Mr Turnbull added: 'Yeah exactly, see you've got the solution in your own hand, you can provide a bit of intergenerational equity in the Faine family.' His comments sparked a verbal lashing from Opposition Leader Bill Shorten during Wednesday's Question Time. Mr Turnbull made the comments to ABC Radio's Jon Faine on Wednesday morning as the host questioned the Prime Minister over his negative gearing policy The interview followed the delivery of Treasurer Scott Morrison's first Budget on Tuesday night (centre lauded by colleagues) 'Is that really the prime minister's advice for young Australians struggling to buy their first home - have rich parents?' Mr Shorten asked. 'Just how out-of-touch are you?' But the Prime Minister did not back down. Mr Turnbull said Labor was 'sneering at hard-working Australians who seek to make something for their children'. 'This is a political war they want to commence against aspiration, against ambition, against enterprise,' he said. India is to remove the 'Viceroy' tag from its airport codes, one of the last vestiges of its British colonial past. The registration codes stamped on the side of all Indian aircraft have begun with the initials VT - for Viceroy Territory - since 1929. India's parliament has now launched a bid to replace the prefix, saying it 'high time' to move on from the country's imperial past. This Air India Express Boeing 737 is pictured about to take off at Birmingham airport. The VT code - for Viceroy Territory - can be seen on the fuselage at the rear of the plane A parliamentary report said: 'The Indian civil aviation sector has grown stupendously and it can be compared to any other developed nation. 'The committee also feels that it is high time to set aside the sign of a colonial past and acquire a new call sign which appropriately denotes the Indian civil aviation sector.' Previous efforts to change the prefix have faltered because no another code distinctly identifies India. India has changed a great deal since the last viceroy, Lord Mountbatten, left the sub-continent. A plane is pictured coming in to land in Chennai, better known under the Raj as the city of Madras The initial I belongs to Italy. Two-letter prefixes beginning with 'V' were once used by all British colonial territories. But many including Fiji, Nepal and Pakistan have since updated to codes reflecting their independent sovereign names. Codes are allotted by the International Civil Aviation Organisation. British planes fly under codes beginning with 'G', standing for Great Britain. The minister who holds the future of the BBC in his hands has admitted aspects of the Corporation drive me insane and it is tempting to abolish it. In an unguarded speech, Culture Secretary John Whittingdale also discussed his intention to top-slice the licence fee, claiming certain areas of programming are not meeting the needs of particular communities. And despite insisting his support for the Corporation overall, he described it as a market intervention of around 4billion by government and joked that abolishing it altogether was occasionally a tempting prospect. Culture Secretary John Whittingdale has been blasted by Gary Lineker, who called him a 'chump' His comments were made to members of the Cambridge University Conservative Association last Friday, according to student newspaper Varsity. When asked about the issue of impartiality complaints to the BBC, Mr Whittingdale said: Sometimes they will drive me insane. He added that BBC Trust rulings on complaints were unsatisfactory. A White Paper on the BBCs future is expected to be announced next Thursday, but Mr Whittingdale hinted that licence fee funding for childrens, arts and local programmes could be handed to a third party. He said: There is a case for having some plurality, so that the decision as to what programmes are commissioned isnt exclusively taken by the small group of commissioning editors at the BBC. They will still take the overwhelming majority of those decisions, but ... there a certain areas where the BBC is not delivering programming which meets the needs of particular communities. The BBC could be forced to air popular shows like Strictly Come Dancing at non-peak viewing times under the charter review, according to recent reports. All will become clear when the White Paper is printed next week Questioned about the contents of the charter renewal, Mr Whittingdale insisted it was a closely guarded secret. But he added: If we dont renew it, it may be that the BBC will cease to exist, which is occasionally a tempting prospect. Although the BBC last week issued its new diversity strategy to encourage a better reflection across its workforce, it seems the power to commission more diverse programmes could also be sent elsewhere. Leicester-born Gary Lineker (pictured) has been loving the Foxes' Premier League title win but he snapped at Mr Whittingdale on Twitter this week, describing him as a 'chump' for his attitude to the BBC Mr Whittingdale said it was an area he was looking at closely but that it would only be a small proportion. His comments saw him branded a chump by Match of the Day presenter Gary Lineker. Tweeting a link to a report on the Culture Secretarys comments, the ex-England striker said: This chump sums politicians up. The BBC is revered throughout the world. We should be proud of it, not destroy it. Last night a BBC spokesman said: Well wait to see what the White Paper says, but we agreed a financial deal with the Government last year and have had assurances thats still the deal. Now that Donald Trump is the only Republican left standing and he'll likely compete against Democrat Hillary Clinton through the fall he's again charging that she's the one who started the 'birther' movement. 'You know who started the birther movement? You know who started it? Do you know who questioned his birth certificate? One of the first? Hillary Clinton,' Trump told CNN's Wolf Blitzer in an interview where he learned that Ohio Gov. John Kasich would be dropping out, making the billionaire officially the presumptive nominee. It was Trump who fanned the flames of conspiracy theorists who suggested that President Obama wasn't born in the United States, forcing the White House's hand to release President Obama's long-form birth certificate in 2011. Scroll down for video Donald Trump sat down with CNN's Wolf Blitzer and again blamed Hillary Clinton for starting the 'birther' movement, which questioned President Obama's place of birth Donald Trump later grabbed on to that mantle and forced President Obama in 2011 to release his long form birth certificate. Now he says he doesn't 'talk about it anymore' because it always becomes a news story Blitzer then suggested that Clinton would bring up Trump's role in the birther movement as part of the general election campaign. 'She's the one who started it,' Trump replied. 'She brought it up years ago before it was brought up by me, so she can talk.' Trump has on several occasions made this charge and Politifact debunked it as 'false' in September of last year. It started because a number of pro-Clinton supporters as the 2008 primary wound down started floating the birther rumors on PUMA websites, which stood for the anti-Obama movement of 'Party Unity My A**.' In particular, a Clinton supporter had passed around an email questioning where then-Sen. Obama was born. 'Barack Obama's mother was living in Kenya with his Arab-African father late in her pregnancy,' it said. 'She was not allowed to travel by plane then, so Barack Obama was born there and his mother then took him to Hawaii to register his birth.' Clinton, nor her campaign, was ever connected to the start of this rumor, which thanks to Trump persisted through Obama's first term. Blitzer, today, asked where Trump stood on the birther claim he had made over and over again before, and even after, the release of Obama's birth certificate. 'I don't talk about it anymore because every time I talk about it it becomes a story,' the Republican claimed. Blitzer pointed out that Clinton would likely use it against him. 'I don't care,' the billionaire answered. 'I'm going to raise it against her.' Speaking with Lester Holt on NBC Nightly News, Trump previewed some other attacks he might use against the Democrat. 'Bad judgement is a couple of words that we could use and they were used by Bernie Sanders. Bernie Sanders said she's not qualified to run for president because she suffers from bad judgement and I think that's true, all you have to do is look at the email scandal,' Trump said. Holt asked if there was any subject off the table going into the general election. 'Well, I'll see what they do with me. If they're fair, I'll be fair. We'll have a high level campaign,' Trump began. What about Bill Clinton, Holt asked, 'will he be part of this?' 'If they are fair with me, I'm going to be fair with them, otherwise he becomes part of it,' Trump replied. CASPER A Wyoming foundation, started by a former senator and his wife, is providing scholarships for laid-off energy workers. The Craig and Susan Thomas Foundations new program, Retrain to Gain, will offer money for workers to go back to school, gain new certifications or finish an interrupted education. Applicants must be former energy workers, Wyoming citizens and attending a Wyoming school, according to the foundation's website. Applications for the fall semester are due June 15. In a letter to potential scholars, Susan Thomas offered mentoring to those awarded the scholarship as they consider other career options. Former Sen. Craig Thomas died in 2007. Dozens of families on Wednesday sued two federal agencies and a suburban Chicago school district over a policy they said disregards student privacy and safety by allowing transgender students to use bathrooms that correspond with their gender identity. Fifty-one families in the Palatine, Illinois, area sued the U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Justice Department and Township High School District 211 for agreeing last December to provide a changing area in the girls' locker room for transgender students. The lawsuit seeks an injunction to prevent enforcement of that agreement. That deal stemmed from a complaint filed in 2013 by the American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois on behalf of a transgender student who was born male and identifies as female. Fifty-one families in the Palatine, Illinois, area sued the U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Justice Department and Township High School District 211 for agreeing last December to provide a changing area in the girls' locker room for transgender students Dorie Turner Nolt, a spokeswoman for the Education Department, said the agency would not comment on pending litigation. Officials with the Justice Departments and the school district could not be reached. Legal battles over bathrooms are being fought across the country as school officials, lawmakers and Republican presidential candidates debate whether transgender people should be allowed to use restrooms that match their gender identity instead of their birth sex. Wednesday's lawsuit, representing 73 parents and 63 students, contends the Education Department is unlawfully redefining terms of the Title IX Act, a federal statute that prohibits sex-based discrimination by schools receiving federal funding. The plaintiffs also said the federal agency is forcing its political will on school districts. The lawsuit was filed by attorneys for the Alliance Defending Freedom, which advocates for conservative positions on religious liberty. Legal battles over bathrooms are being fought across the country as school officials, lawmakers and Republican presidential candidates debate whether transgender people should be allowed to use restrooms that match their gender identity instead of their birth sex (stock image) 'Every day of the school year a certain number of girls have to share the locker room space with a biological male and it makes them incredibly uncomfortable, stressed and anxious about the things going on in their school day,'Jeremy Tedesco, an attorney for the families, said at a news conference in U.S. District Court in Chicago. The Department of Justice told North Carolina's governor on Wednesday that a new state law limiting restroom access for transgender people violates the U.S. Civil Rights Act. Last month, a U.S. appeals court ruled for a Virginia transgender student seeking access to the bathroom of his gender identity. Chicago's public school system said Tuesday it would allow transgender students to use restrooms and locker rooms that correspond with their gender identities. A 25-year-old man was allegedly caught laughing on a GoPro camera as he filmed an unconscious 16-year-old girl being gang-raped at a house party. Tristan Carlyle-Watson has remained behind bars since last year after he allegedly contacted the girl over Facebook and invited her to a St Clair party in western Sydney. The 25-year-old allegedly gave the girl alcohol and cannabis shortly before she blacked out, and as she drifted in and out of consciousness she was sexually assaulted by several men. During a bail hearing on Wednesday, the NSW Supreme Court heard the alleged attackers took turns having sex with the teenager and filmed themselves in the act using a GoPro camera, and that Carlyle-Watson was captured on film laughing before he was refused bail. Tristan Carlyle-Watson has remained behind bars over his alleged role in a gang rape of a 16-year-old girl Justice David Davies said the footage depicted 'what can only be described as a gang rape of the victim when she was sometimes unconscious, and the rest of the time exceptionally inebriated'. He added that it was reasonable to infer that one of the drinks she had been given was spiked. However, the accused man's lawyer told the court the film did not show Carlyle-Watson engaging in sexual activity with the complainant, and that the girl's stated memories of what took place at the party were unreliable. 'Her first recollection was that she had no idea that she had sex with anyone. That was the first thing that she told her friends,' the lawyer told the court. 'It was only when the police had access to the GoPro that they saw the footage, and made inquiries and spoke to her.' The footage was only discovered after police involved in a graffiti crackdown seized the GoPro as part of that investigation. It is alleged Carlyle-Watson (pictured) gave the girl alcohol and cannabis shortly before she blacked out, and as she drifted in and out of consciousness she was sexually assaulted by several men NSW Supreme Court (pictured) heard the alleged attackers took turns having sex with the teenage girl They allegedly filmed themselves in the act using a GoPro, and Carlyle-Watson was captured on film laughing Although Carlyle-Watson was initially charged with concealing a serious indictable offence, he has since been charged with further offences including aggravated sexual assault in company, which carries a maximum penalty of life in prison. He was also charged with sexual assault. Justice Davies refused bail after finding the defendant had failed to show cause as to why his continued detention was not justified. 'I have serious doubts that any bail conditions that could be put in place would ensure the victim's safety,' he added. The case against Carlyle-Watson returns to Penrith Local Court on Friday. A passerby has caught the moment a man was electrocuted alive after he climbed on top of a high-speed train in southern China. The man had reportedly broken into Guangzhou South Railway Station on the morning of May 2 and was killed instantly after he touched the high-voltage wires on the roof of the train. According to eyewitnesses, the man ignored warnings from staff about the wires, reports the People's Daily Online. Suddenly there is a giant flash of fire and light and the man can be seen on the roof electrocuted Fatal charge: The wires on top of the train contain a high electrical charge that electrocuted the man Eyewitnesses say that the man did not have a train ticket and ignored the warnings given to him by staff, according to local reports. In the footage, the unidentified man can be seen running on top of the high-speed train and then suddenly there is a big flash of light. The man can then be seen lying on the roof of the train. Emergency services were called however the man was pronounced dead at the scene. Local police say they are investigating the case further and verifying the man's identity. It's unclear how the man managed to enter as security at train stations in China has stepped up after a spate of violent attacks in recent years. On May 6 2014, at least six people were injured in a knife attack in Guangzhou. At least one suspect was shot and detained by authorities. Witnesses say around four suspects were involved and were carrying large knives. Sprinting: The man was seen running on the roof of the train at Guangzhou South Railway station A woman was publicly shamed in a Chinese city after she had allegedly attempted to snatch a girl from her mother on the street on Monday. The suspect, who appeared in her 40s, grabbed hold of the child who was sitting on a scooter and tried to run away with her in the city of Wanning, Hainan Province, People's Daily Online reported. After the terrified mother screamed for help, onlookers quickly surrounded the woman and saved the girl. Condemned: A would-be kidnapper was captured and shamed by residents in Wanning, China, on Monday Safe return: The suspect tried to snatch a toddler from her mother. The pair were shortly reunited (pictured) According to the report, the incident took place near the city's North Guangming Road at around 11am. The mother, who was named by Chinese media as Liu Yan, was travelling down the road with her daughter on a scooter. The suspect, who remains unidentified, reportedly stopped the mother's scooter and quickly snatched the child from her seat. She allegedly tried to run away with the girl. The stunned mother then shouted: 'Someone is stealing my child!' Upon hearing her cry, passersby quickly caught up with the suspect and surrounded her. They tried to rescue the little girl while condemning the women's behaviour. Pictures from the scene, published by Chinese media, show angry onlookers pointing at the woman and scolding her; while others were taking pictures using their smartphones. The terrified child was reunited with her mother shortly after the ordeal. An eyewitness, surnamed Chen, said: 'Perhaps the woman has gone through some mental issues, otherwise why would anybody do this in broad daylight?' Another eyewitness, surnamed Wu, said: 'Is there a kidnap gang in action nearby?' Police were called to the site by the public and have detained the suspect. The case is under further investigation. She stole my child: The angry mother (right) described the suspect's (left) shocking behaviour to the crowd Caught red-handed: Police soon arrived at the scene and detained the suspect who tried to steal a child Missing children is a much talked-about topic in China. In some parts of the country, boys are still more desirable than girls by families, making human trafficking a lucrative and systematic business. Media regularly feature parents who spend their life savings travelling throughout the country to look for their abducted sons or daughters. It remains largely unknown exactly how many children are gone missing every year in China. Previous media reports have mentioned 200,000 in 2013. The Chinese police authority denied the allegation, but they had not released a correct number. Baobeihuijia, a charity organisation helping Chinese parents connect with their missing children, has more than 40,000 cases registered on its website. SoundCloud has expanded its subscriptionservice SoundCloud Go to the UK and Ireland just weeks after making it available in the US. The site lets people record, upload, promote, and share their own music and other audio files. It is now offering its content free of advertising in the UK for a monthly subscription fee of 9.99 and in Ireland for 9.99. SoundCloud has expanded its subscription service SoundCloud Go (landing page pictured) to the UK and Ireland just weeks after making it available in the US. The site lets people record, upload, promote, and share their own music and other audio files Last year consumers spent $5 billion on music streamingsubscriptions, a rise of 70 per cent from the previous year. SoundCloud Go will chase competitors such as Apple and Spotify. 'Streaming is at a very early stage,' Eric Wahlforss,SoundCloud's Chief Technology Officer and co-founder toldReuters. 'SoundCloud is not a profitable business yet. And that isvery intentional. We are investing heavily in growth and that iswhat we will continue to do. We are in this for the long haul.' SoundCloud Go is free of advertising in the UKfor a monthly subscription fee of 9.99 and in Ireland for 9.99. The firm said it would rapidly introduce SoundCloud Go to other countries around the world HOW THE STREAMING SERVICES COMPARE Service Cost Apple Music Apple Music costs $9.99 a month or $14.99 for a family plan (up to six family members) - both with a three-month free trial Tidal $9.95-a-month for standard sound quality and $19.99-a-month for 'lossless high fidelity sound quality' (9.99 and 19.99 in the UK) Spotify Free level with adverts, Premium $9.99-a-month service (9.99 in the UK) SoundCloud Go $9.99-a-month in the US, 9.99 in the UK and 9.99 in Ireland Beats Music $9.99-a-month or $99 per year Pandora $4.99-a-month for Pandora's ad-free internet radio service Deezer Free with adverts, $9.99-a-month for Premium+ (9.99 in the UK) Rdio Free with adverts, Rdio Unlimited costs $9.99 (9.99 in the UK) and US users can also get Rdio Select for $3.99 a month with limited downloads SoundCloud currently has 175 million users but Wahlforsssaid he could not give an indication of its number of payingsubscribers as most of them were still in their free trialperiod. Since its launch in 2007, the Berlin-based online music service has allowed pretty much any audio to be uploaded to its cloud - from Kanye West outtakes to teenagers singing over canned music. SOUNDCLOUD'S PREMIUM SERVICE Speaking to MailOnline, SoundCloud's CTO and co-founder, Eric Wahlforss, said: 'We like to think of it as the ultimate music experience, it really is everything. 'It has the most breadth and most depth of any music subscription service in the world. Commenting on the platform's future, he explained: 'We've agreed deals with all of the major labels, we have Universal, Sony, Warner, and then all of the big indie labels and publishers...we essentially have all of the relevant artists and labels, so all of them will be available. 'If you subscribe, you will have all of the content you have on other streaming services, you will find a lot more content you won't find anywhere else. 'You have offline syncing, you can make playlists, you can do pretty much most of the things you can do on other services.' It has slowly introduced tools to earn revenue, introducing paid services for artists in 2008 and ad revenue sharing for invited musicians in 2014. But after signing deals with major labels, including Sony Music last month, Soundcloud added a subscription plan for consumers, giving them ad-free listening and a whole range of music from mainstream artists that had shunned the service because it only gave tracks away for free, including top acts like Taylor Swift. Spotify had 30 million subscribers at the end of March,while Apple Music had a tally of more than 10 millionsubscribers early this year. SoundCloud's Wahlforss said the company would rapidlyintroduce SoundCloud Go to other countries around the world. 'We are planning to roll out to multiple territories thisyear. We are looking at a couple of years to really take this tothe whole world,' he said, declining to give further detailsabout the next countries it intends to roll out. Financing the roll-out is not a problem, Wahlforss said. SoundCloud earlier this year raised around $35 million indebt financing and has an option to secure another $70 millionthrough a convertible bond. Fiat Chrysler and Google will work together to more than double the size of Google's self-driving vehicle fleet by adding 100 Chrysler Pacifica minivans. The companies announced the agreement on Tuesday, saying that Chrysler engineers would work with Google to install sensors and software so the vans can drive themselves. The added vehicles are needed as Google expands real-world testing. Fiat Chrysler and Google will work together to more than double the size of Google's self-driving vehicle fleet by adding 100 Chrysler Pacifica (pictured) minivans. The companies said Chrysler engineers will work with Google to install sensors and software so the vans can drive themselves Google says it will own the gas-electric hybrid vans, and it's not currently licensing autonomous car technology to Fiat Chrysler or anyone else. Both companies are free to work with others as well. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. The added vehicles are needed as Google increases real-world testing in four cities including Mountain View, California; Austin, Texas; Kirkland, Washington; and the Phoenix area. Initially the vans will be tested by Google on its private test track in California, but eventually they'll make their way to public roads. Currently Google's seven-year-old autonomous car project, which is now part of the so-called X lab at Alphabet' Mountain View-based parent company, has 21 Lexus (pictured) SUVs modified to drive autonomously, plus another 33 pod-like small cars. The added vehicles are needed as Google increases real-world testing in four cities including Mountain View (HQ pictured), California; Austin, Texas; Kirkland, Washington; and the Phoenix area. Initially the vans will be tested by Google on its private test track in California, but eventually they'll make their way to public roads It's the first time Google has worked directly with an auto company on installing self-driving sensors and computers. TERMS OF THE DEAL Fiat Chrysler and Google will work together to more than double the size of Google's self-driving vehicle fleet by adding 100 Chrysler Pacifica minivans. The companies announced the agreement on Tuesday, saying that Chrysler engineers would work with Google to install sensors and software so the vans can drive themselves. Google says it will own the gas-electric hybrid vans, and it's not currently licensing autonomous car technology to Fiat Chrysler or anyone else. Both companies are free to work with others as well. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. The 100 newly redesigned minivans would be 'uniquely built' for Google's self-driving technology, FCA said in a statement. Both companies will have engineers at a site near Detroit to work on the vans. 'The opportunity to work closely with FCA engineers will accelerate our efforts to develop a fully self-driving car that will make our roads safer,' said John Krafcik, CEO of Google's project. The agreement could give FCA an inside track to manufacturing vehicles for Google because its engineers would become experienced with what Google needs. But neither company would comment on possible future deals. Currently Google's seven-year-old autonomous car project, which is now part of the so-called X lab at Alphabet' Mountain View-based parent company, has 21 Lexus SUVs modified to drive autonomously, plus another 33 pod-like small cars. Fiat Chrysler - which has lagged bigger, richer rivals like Volkswagen AG and General Motors Co. in the development of self-driving cars - will welcome the chance to test Google's technology. The Italian-American automaker also has manufacturing expertise and factories that Google lacks. Some of the most powerful people in the world have gathered this week to discuss the most pressing issues affecting humanity. And the overwhelming conclusion is that the robots are coming. At the Milken Institute's Global Conference in California, at least four panels focused ontechnology taking over markets to mining, and most importantly,jobs. Some of the most powerful people in the world have gathered this week to discuss the most pressing issues affecting humanity, and the overwhelming conclusion is the robots are coming. At the Milken Institute's Global Conference in California, four panels focused on technology taking over markets and jobs (stock image) 'Most of the benefits we see from automation is about higherquality and fewer errors, but in many cases it does reducelabor,' Michael Chui, a partner at the McKinsey GlobalInstitute, said on Tuesday during a panel on 'Is Any Job TrulySafe?' The four-day annual conference, which began on Sunday, has3,500 invite-only participants exploring 'The Future of HumanKind.' Technology has not only done away with low-wage, low-skilljobs, some of the more than 700 speakers said. They cited robotsoperating trucks in some Australian mines, corporate litigationsoftware replacing employees with advanced degrees who used tosift through thousands of documents prior to trials, and on WallStreet, the automation of jobs previously done by bankers withMBAs or PhDs. FIVE JOBS AT RISK FROM ROBOTS Accountants are 99 per cent likely to lose their jobs to machines. Umpires and referees have a 98.3 per cent chance of being automated. Waiters and waitress are 93.7 per cent likely to be replaced by machines. Legal assistants and paralegals have a 94.5 per cent chance of being automated. Fashion models are 97.6 per cent likely to lose the lime light because of robots. Advertisement 'Anyone whose job is moving data from one spreadsheet toanother...that's what is going to get automated,' said DanielNadler, chief executive of Kensho, a financial servicesanalytics company partly owned by Goldman Sachs Group. 'Goldman Sachs will be in here in 10 years, JPMorgan will behere. They're just going to be much more efficient in terms ofoperating leverage and headcount,' he added. Big banks have slashed tens of thousands of jobs in recentyears as businesses like bond trading have become lessprofitable. Under tremendous pressure from investors to boostprofits, but unable to grow revenue much, banks haveincreasingly turned to technology to reduce costs. A Citigroup report in March suggested morepain is on the way for financial industry staff. Citi's analystspredicted a 30 per cent drop in banking jobs across the UnitedStates and Europe over the next decade. The four-day annual conference, which began on Sunday, has 3,500 invite-only participants exploring 'The Future of Human Kind.' Big banks have slashed tens of thousands of jobs in recent years as businesses like bond trading have become less profitable. Stock image of humanoids in an office Martin Ford, an author and entrepreneur, argued that while the so-called gig economy has created temporary jobs for independent contractors, the next step is to get rid of them. The ride-hailing service Uber (app pictured), for example, is investing heavily in building cars that do not need drivers, he said Milken panelists noted technology's impact on work farbeyond Wall Street. Martin Ford, an author and entrepreneur, argued that whilethe so-called gig economy has created temporary jobs forindependent contractors, the next step is to get rid of them. The ride-hailing service Uber, for example, is investing heavilyin building cars that do not need drivers, he said. SHOULD WE BE SCARED OF ARTIFICAL INTELLIGENCE? Artificial Intelligence has been described as a threat that could be 'more dangerous than nukes'. Now a group of scientists and entrepreneurs, including Elon Musk and Stephen Hawking, have signed an open letter promising to ensure AI research benefits humanity. Stark warning: Professor Stephen Hawking says we must be vigilant about artificial intelligence The letter warns that without safeguards on intelligent machines, mankind could be heading for a dark future. The document, drafted by the Future of Life Institute, said scientists should seek to head off risks that could wipe out mankind. The authors say there is a 'broad consensus' that AI research is making good progress and would have a growing impact on society. It highlights speech recognition, image analysis, driverless cars, translation and robot motion as having benefited from the research. 'The potential benefits are huge, since everything that civilisation has to offer is a product of human intelligence; we cannot predict what we might achieve when this intelligence is magnified by the tools AI may provide, but the eradication of disease and poverty are not unfathomable,' the authors write. But it issued a stark warning that research into the rewards of AI had to be matched with an equal effort to avoid the potential damage it could wreak. For instance, in the short term, it claims AI may put millions of people out of work. In the long term, it could have the potential to play out like a fictional dystopias in which intelligence greater than humans could begin acting against their programming. Advertisement David Siegel, co-chairman of the quantitative hedge fund TwoSigma, blamed technology for income problems that have led topolitical upheavals around the world over the past severalyears. 'One of the big causes for the stagnation of middle classwages is essentially because of clever computer programs,'Siegel said during a panel about artificial intelligence. Some panelists were less dire in their assessments. Billionaire investor Steve Cohen said it would take a whilebefore robots replace stockpickers like himself. Kate Mitchell,co-founder of Scale Venture Partners, said freelance sites haveallowed workers to supplement their income. The techniques will be put to test in a clinical trial starting next year To be declared officially dead in the majority of countries, you have to experience complete and irreversible loss of brain function, or 'brain death.' And although this sounds final and absolute, two companies in India and the US believe it doesn't have to be. Bioquark and Revita lifeciences biotech claim death may not be 'irreversible' and we have reached a point to 'push the envelope' and test if this is really the case. And now the project has gained ethical approval from regulatory bodies for the first stage in what has been dubbed 'Lazarus trial'. The irreversible loss of brain function, or 'brain death', is the legal definition of human death in most countries around the world. But one company believes brain death may no longer be the end of the line. The project has gained ethical approval from regulatory bodies for the first stage in what has been dubbed 'Lazarus trial' The project now plans to recruit a small number of patients, who will have been declared clinically dead from brain injury. It has been dubbed Lazarus after Saint Lazarus who is said in the Bible to have been brought back to life by Jesus four days after his death. 'We are repeatedly told through the medical establishment that brain death is "irreversible" and should be considered the end of the line,' Ira Pastor, boss of Bioquark said. WHAT IS BRAIN DEATH? The complete and irreversible loss of brain function, or 'brain death', is the legal definition of human death in most countries around the world. In the UK and the US, among other countries, a person is confirmed as being dead when their brain stem function is permanently lost. Being brain dead is widely accepted to be just as final as cardiac death. 'Or is it? Have we come to a technological point where we are able to 'push the envelope' to see if this is truly the case? 'While it is true that human beings lack substantial regenerative capabilities in the central nervous system (CNS), many non-human species, such as amphibians, planarians, and certain fish, can repair, regenerate and remodel substantial portions of their brain and brain stem even after critical life-threatening trauma,' Mr Pastor said. Dr Himanshu Bansal, principal investigator of the project and also owner of the Anupam Hospital, where first clinical trial will be conducted, is very enthusiastic about the project. 'We have got some very encouraging results in patients in coma, persistent vegetative state,' he said. 'We have even offered the same protocol to a couple of brain dead subjects in Gulf and Europe. We have been able to revert those terminal coma impending brain dead subjects into useful human beings, the same protocol with more intensity has brought back couple of brain dead subjects into a stage of consistent vegetative state as of now. 'So encouraged by those results, we are now trying to create a definitive study in 20 subjects and prove that the brain death is reversible. This will open the door for future research and show that all damage in the body is reversible if treated appropriately.' Confirming death used to be straightforward, according to the NHS. It was said to occur when the heart stopped beating and a person was unresponsive and no longer breathing. The lack of oxygen, which occurred as a result of no blood flow, quickly led to the permanent loss of brain stem function. The project now plans to recruit a small number of patients, who will have been declared clinically dead from brain injury. It has been dubbed Lazarus after the Bible's Saint Lazarus who is said to have been brought back to life by Jesus four days after his death (illustrated) BIBLICAL MIRACLE OF LAZARUS The project has been dubbed Lazarus after Saint Lazarus who is said in the Bible to have been brought back to life by Jesus four days after his death. The story of the Raising of Lazarus is found in the Gospel of John. Lazarus is described as a follower of Jesus, who lives in the town of Bethany near Jerusalem. A similar resurrection story is in the Secret Gospel of Mark, although the man is not named. But now confirming death is more complicated, because it's possible to keep the heart beating after the brain stem has permanently stopped functioning. This can be done by keeping a person on a ventilator, which allows the body and heart to be artificially oxygenated, for example. In the UK and the US, among other countries, a person is confirmed as being dead when their brain stem function is permanently lost. Being brain dead is widely accepted to be just as final as cardiac death. Mr Pastor, along with Dr Sergei Paylian, the founder of Bioquark, is on the advisory board of a project called ReAnima. The ReAnima project website describes the project as 'exploring the potential of cutting edge biomedical technology for human neuro-regeneration and neuro-reanimation.' 'The mission of the ReAnima Project is to focus on clinical research in the state of brain death, or irreversible coma, in subjects who have recently met the Uniform Determination of Death Act criteria, but who are still on cardio-pulmonary or trophic support - a classification in many countries around the world known as a "living cadaver"' Mr Pastor told MailOnline. A salamander (pictured) is part of a group of amphibians that can repair, regenerate and remodel substantial portions of their brain and brain stem even after critical life-threatening trauma. A study in 2007 showed that after a portion of their brains were removed, the animals managed to grow it back He said the project has an 'ultimate goal of inducing epimorphic, intercalary, regenerative and remodeling events that can begin to restore CNS form and function.' Mr Pastor added that 'epimorphic' in this context refers to the ability of cells to erase their history and re-start life again. THE REANIMA PROJECT The ReAnima project website describes the project as 'exploring the potential of cutting edge biomedical technology for human neuro-regeneration and neuro-reanimation.' 'The mission of the ReAnima Project is to focus on clinical research in the state of brain death, or irreversible coma, in subjects who have recently met the Uniform Determination of Death Act criteria, but who are still on cardio-pulmonary or trophic support - a classification in many countries around the world known as a "living cadaver"' Mr Pastor, one of the project's advisors, told MailOnline. He said the project has an 'ultimate goal of inducing epimorphic, intercalary, regenerative and remodeling events that can begin to restore CNS form and function.' 'To undertake such a complex initiative, we are combining certain biologic regenerative tools, with other existing medical devices typically used for stimulation of patients with other severe disorders of consciousness,' he explained. 'We just received Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval for our first 20 subjects and we hope to start recruiting patients immediately.' The first stage, named 'First In Human Neuro-Regeneration & Neuro-Reanimation' will be a non-randomised, single group 'proof of concept' study. The team will examine individuals aged 15-65 declared brain dead from a traumatic brain injury using MRI scans, in order to look for possible signs of brain death reversal. They will use techniques involving peptides, lasers, stem cells and median nerve stimulation to try and bring about the reversal of brain death, whilst monitoring the patients using MRI scans. 'We hope to see results within the first two to three months,' he said. A positive initial result would be 'an epimorphic event upwards at the intersection of the upper spinal cord, the highest part still "alive" in a living cadaver subject, and the lowest region of the brain stem, the lowest area of brain stem death and the source of independent breathing / and subsequently heart beat. The team will examine individuals aged 15-65 declared brain dead from a traumatic brain injury using MRI scans, in order to look for possible signs of brain death reversal. False colour of an MRI scan of a human brain shown. They will use techniques involving peptides, lasers, stem cells and median nerve stimulation But this research is likely to be years from any stage where it could be applied widely. A non-randomised single group study is far from the randomised control trial, which is seen as the gold standard of clinical trials. UNDERSTANDING CLINICAL TRIALS All clinical trials of new medicines go through a series of phases to test whether the medicines are safe and whether they work. A non-randomised single group study is far from the randomised control trial, which is seen as the gold standard of clinical trials. In a randomised control trial (RTC) participants are randomly assigned to a study group. This means they have an equal probability of being assigned to any group - either receiving the treatment or the 'control' group receiving a placebo. 'While there have been numerous demonstrations in recent years that the human brain and nervous system may not be as fixed and irreparable as is typically assumed, the idea that brain death could be easily reversed seems very far fetched, given our current abilities and understanding of neuroscience,' Dr Dean Burnett, neuroscientist at the Cardiff University Centre For Medical Education told MailOnline. 'The brain is a very demanding and vastly complex organ, but this also means it's very fragile.' He said even a brief interruption of blood supply could cause permanent damage to the active parts of the brain. 'It's true some brain areas may be more durable, or have a more reliable blood supply, but a person, despite the myth, needs all of their brain working. It's not just the brain cells that are important, it's the incredibly intricate ways they're connected to many other areas. 'Saving individual parts might be helpful but it's a long way from resurrecting a whole working brain, in a functional, undamaged state. There's been nothing to suggest we're even close to that point yet.' But Mr Pastor thinks the trials could lead to results by as early as next year. 'We believe we are quite close to a point in time where the delineation between coma, and irreversible coma or brain death will become "blurred" and hope to have such promising insights by 2017,' Pastor told MailOnline. It was then was kicked out by gravity from the other gas giants Most likely suggestion is that it is a gas giant that formed close to sun At the start of this year, a team of US researchers predicted the existence of a mysterious ninth planet in our solar system - much to the cynicism of other experts. Since then theorists have puzzled over how this planet could end up in such a distant orbit. New research has found the most likely explanation for the planet described earlier this year is that it formed close to the sun and was kicked out by the gravity from the gas giants. This artist's concept illustration shows a distant view from Planet Nine back towards the sun. New research has found the most likely explanation for the ninth planet described earlier this year is that it formed close to the sun and was kicked out by gravitational forces The unknown world, dubbed 'Planet Nine' by some and 'Planet X' by others, is thought to be 10 times more massive than Earth and the furthest planet from the sun - but its exact location is unknown. The planet is predicted to circle the sun at a distance of about 40 billion to 140 billion miles (24 billion to 87 billion km), placing it far beyond all the other planets in our solar system. Now physicists at the Harvard Smithsonian Centre for Astrophysics looked at the most likely scenarios for how a planet could get to such a distant part of the solar system. MYSTERY OF PLANET NINE The unknown world, dubbed 'Planet Nine' by some and 'Planet X' by others, is thought to be 10 times more massive than Earth and the furthest planet from the sun - but its exact location is unknown. The planet is predicted to circle the sun at a distance of about 40 billion to 140 billion miles (24 billion to 87 billion km), placing it far beyond all the other planets in our solar system. Now physicists at the Harvard Smithsonian Centre for Astrophysics looked at the most likely scenarios for how a planet could get to such a distant part of the solar system. They found it is probably a gas giant that formed close to the sun and was kicked out by a series of gravitational pushes by nearby planets. They found it is probably a gas giant that formed close to the sun and was kicked out by a series of gravitational pushes by nearby planets. In January, a group of US researchers at the California Institute of Technology published a paper suggesting the existence of the extra planet. 'The evidence points to Planet Nine existing, but we can't explain for certain how it was produced,' said Dr Gongjie Li, lead author on one of the papers. Dr Li and her colleagues carried out millions of computer simulations in order to consider three possible scenarios. The first and most likely scenario involves a passing star that tugged the planet further away. According to the researchers, this would nudge the planet into a wider orbit and also make the orbit more elliptical. When the sun formed it was part of a star cluster with several thousand neighbours, which means interactions with nearby stars were more common in the early life of our solar system. But although this is possible, the probability of it happening is unlikely. If a star did affect the planet's gravity, it is much more likely the planet would have been completely kicked out the solar system. Physicists at the Harvard Smithsonian Centre for Astrophysics looked at the most likely scenarios for how a planet could get to such a distant part of the solar system. It is probably a gas giant that formed close to the sun and was kicked out by a series of gravitational pushes by nearby planets including Saturn (shown) CASSINI AND DARK ENERGY SURVEY Last month, evidence from Nasa's Cassini spacecraft, orbiting Saturn, might have helped close in on the missing planet. Researchers at the Cote d'Azur Observatory in France checked whether a theoretical model with the new addition of Planet Nine could better explain slight perturbations seen in Cassini's orbit. They found a 'sweet spot' for Planet Nine, 600 astronomical units away towards Cetus, that can explain Cassini's orbit quite well. If the planet is where they think, other instruments might also be able to help find it. The Dark Energy Survey is a Southern Hemisphere observation project designed to probe the acceleration of the universe that started in 2013. It was not designed to look for a ninth planet, but by chance it is already looking in the right direction, according to the Cassini data. The researchers found a 10 per cent probability, at best, of the planet landing in its current orbit - and even then it would have had to start at an improbably large distance to begin with. Dr Scott Kenyon, lead author of two of the papers, said the most likely explanation is that it was kicked out by other planets and not a star. 'The simplest solution is for the solar system to make an extra gas giant,' said Dr Kenyon. He suggests the planet formed much closer to the sun and then interacted with the other gas giants, particularly Jupiter and Saturn. A series of gravitational kicks then could have boosted the planet into a larger and more elliptical orbit over time. 'Think of it like pushing a kid on a swing. If you give them a shove at the right time, over and over, they'll go higher and higher,' said Dr Kenyon. 'Then the challenge becomes not shoving the planet so much that you eject it from the solar system.' That could be avoided by interactions with the solar system's gaseous disk, he said. 'The nice thing about these scenarios is that they're observationally testable,' Dr Kenyon said. Dr Scott Kenyon, lead author of two of the papers, said: 'The simplest solution is for the solar system to make an extra gas giant.' He said the planet formed much closer to the sun and then interacted with the other gas giants, particularly Jupiter (pictured) and Saturn HOW EXPERTS 'FOUND' THE MYSTERIOUS PLANET NINE Researchers inferred Planet Nine's presence from the peculiar clustering of six previously known objects that orbit beyond Neptune. They say there's only a 0.007% chance, or about one in 15,000, that the clustering could be a coincidence. Instead, they say, a planet with the mass of 10 Earths has shepherded the six objects into their strange elliptical orbits, tilted out of the plane of the solar system. 'A scattered gas giant will look like a cold Neptune, while a planet that formed in place will resemble a giant Pluto with no gas.' External astronomers admit even the original paper published in January is very theoretical, and does not confirm the existence of a ninth planet. 'The paper is...all modelling. It might be there, it might not be,' Monica Grady, Professor of Planetary and Space Sciences at the Open University told MailOnline. A group of physicists in France also looked at their own models, along with data from the Cassini spacecraft, to narrow down the search for the giant stellar body. There is one location, identified by a group French researchers in a paper published in March, where if Planet Nine exists it would explain the distance between Earth and Saturn slightly better. The six most distant known objects in the solar system with orbits exclusively beyond Neptune (magenta) all mysteriously line up in a single direction. Such an orbital alignment can only be maintained by some outside force, according to the Caltech researchers who predicted Planet Nine in January THE CONTROVERSIAL PLANET NINE Even the mysterious planet's name causes controversy. Mike Brown is Professor of Planetary Astronomy at Caltech. He is best known for his discovery of Eris, the most massive object found in the solar system in 150 years, and the object which led to the debate and eventual demotion of Pluto from a real planet to a dwarf planet. Alan Stern is an engineer and planetary scientist. He is the principal investigator of Nasa's New Horizons mission to Pluto. He is famously a defender of Pluto's planet title, which was stripped from it in 2006. The two scientists are 'at loggerheads' with each other over the classification of Pluto, according to some astronomers. The mysterious planet has always been termed 'Planet X', X being the roman numeral for ten, suggesting a tenth planet. But when Professor Brown and his team published the paper in January, they controversially named the planet 'Planet Nine' instead of Planet X, as a nod to Professor Brown's work towards declassifying Pluto. 'Calling it Planet Nine is very mischievous,' Professor Monica Grady told MailOnline. Professor Mike Brown predicted the existence of 'Planet Nine' in January this year. He is best known for his discovery of Eris, the most massive object found in the solar system in 150 years, and the object which led to the debate and eventual demotion of Pluto (shown) from a real planet to a dwarf planet The group used data from Nasa's Cassini spacecraft measuring the distance between Saturn and Earth. 'No-one would look at the Cassini data and say there must be a Planet Nine,' Professor Mike Brown, Professor of Planetary Astronomy at Caltech, who originally reported finding Planet Nine in January this year, told MailOnline. 'But you might consider a Planet Nine and then realise it makes the Cassini data ever so slightly better.' Cassini's mission is planned to end in late 2017, when the spacecraft, too low on fuel to continue on a longer mission, will plunge into Saturn's atmosphere. A paper published in March suggests the distance between Earth and Saturn measured by Cassini (artist's impression pictured) could be used to narrow down an area of space where the planet could be While the proposed planet's existence may eventually be confirmed by other means, mission navigators said they have observed no unexplained deviations in the spacecraft's orbit since its arrival there in 2004. But if the planet is where the French researchers predicted, other instruments might be able to help find it. The Dark Energy Survey is a Southern Hemisphere observation project designed to probe the acceleration of the universe that started in 2013 It was not designed to look for a ninth planet, but by chance it is already looking in the right direction, according to the Cassini data. 'It turns out fortuitously that the favoured region from Cassini is smack dab in the middle of our survey footprint,' said David Gerdes, who is working on the cosmology survey. 'We could not have designed our survey any better.' From constructing the world's tallest skyscraper to building its own palm-shaped islands, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is no stranger to grand projects. Now there are plans to build a massive mountain in a bid to collect much-needed water. Scientists are working on a design for a man-made mount which would create clouds that could then be seeded to force it to rain on demand. Scientists are working on a design for a man-made mount which would create clouds that could then be seeded to force it to rain on demand, or nature could run its course (illustrated in the graphic above). Based on plans for a previous structure, it could be 1.2 miles (2km) tall However, the plans are in their infancy and there are no details about how tall the mountain would be or where it would be built let alone how much the project would cost. A previous proposal put forward in the Netherlands suggested a mountain that measured 1.2 miles (2km) high would be enough to generate rain. However, the region isn't as hot as the US and the plans said this height would only work if the 'mountain' was hollow. Experts from the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR) in Colorado are working on a 'detailed modelling study' according to lead researcher Roelof Bruintjes, at a cost of $400,000 (276,384). He told Arabian Business: 'What we are looking at is basically evaluating the effects on weather through the type of mountain, how high it should be and how the slopes should be.' 'We will have a report of the first phase this summer as an initial step.' Scientists are working on a design for a man-made mount which would create clouds that could then be seeded to force it to rain on demand. There is no news on where it could be located, or how tall the mountain would be, but the project could provide water for bustling cities such as Dubai (stock image) WHY DO MOUNTAINS MAKE FOR MORE RAINFALL? Areas on the slopes of mountains receive more rainfall than flow-lying and flat areas, because the temperature at higher altitudes is much cooler than at sea level. This means that as winds carry moist air over the land, when the air reaches a mountain, it is forced upwards because the natural structure is in the way. As the air rises, it cools, forming water droplets. When the droplets become large and heavy enough, they fall to Earth as rain. The man-made mountain would cause this natural effect to occur, while clouds could also be seeded, to generate more rainfall and decided when it rains. Advertisement Mountains play a vital role in influencing both regional and global weather, causing warm, moist air to rise, creating clouds and ultimately rain. The idea is that this natural process would be forced to occur thanks to the towering man-made structure. The clouds generated by the mountain could be seeded a weather modification process designed to maximise the amount of rain produced to boost rainfall and control when wet weather occurs. It is possible that if the mountain was tall enough, the precipitation process may occur naturally, so cooler temperatures would cause moist air to condense and droplets to fall as rain without the need for seeding. Either way, the water could be collected and used to provide much needed hydration for people and plants nearby. It only rains for a handful of days a year in the UAE, where temperatures reach 43C (110F), generating just five inches of water in total, The Washington Post reported. This means cities such as Dubai have serious water shortages and supply problems, while rural farming areas need water for growing food for the population and tourists. In a bid to solve this problem, cloud seeding is already used in the UAE. Mountains play a vital role in influencing both regional and global weather, causing warm, moist air to rise, creating clouds and ultimately rain. A scene like this one in India could become a reality in the UAE HOW DOES CLOUD SEEDING WORK? Its now possible to make it rain on demand a technology used in times of drought and to ensure a regular supply of water in arid but rich regions. The process involves seeding the atmosphere with chemicals such as silver iodide or dry ice, which help form ice crystals. This can be done by airplane, for example. It works thanks to a process called nucleation, where a small amount of water in the air condenses around the new icy particles, which are liquid, but below freezing. The minute ice droplets fall to Earth when they are too heavy to suspend in the air, melting on their way down to form rain. Advertisement The process involves seeding the atmosphere with chemicals such as silver iodide or dry ice, which help form ice crystals. This works thanks to a process called nucleation and involves a small amount of water in the air condensing around the new icy particles, which are liquid, but below freezing. The minute ice droplets fall to Earth when they are too heavy to suspend in the air, melting on their way down to form rain. The emirates' National Centre of Meteorology & Seismology (NCMS) recently revealed it spent $558,000 (385,556) on 186 cloud seeding missions in UAE last year alone. Dr Bruintjes admitted building a mountain is not a simple thing, and his team are experimenting with different heights, widths and locations in their plan to make the rain-making mount as effective as possible. He said: 'If [the project] is too expensive for [the government], logically the project won't go through, but this gives them an idea of what kind of alternatives there are for the long-term future.' The story of a family of tiny people who secretly live in the walls of an English house and borrow from the big people to survive has captured children's attention since 1952. But the little family described in Mary Norton's novel would not have had a very happy life if they did exist. According to a new scientific paper, humans would not be able to hear, see or keep their body heat if they were really as small as portrayed in the book. The 1997 film 'The Borrowers' told the story of the family of tiny people who secretly live in the walls and floors of an English house and borrow from the big people to survive. But those tiny people would be blind, deaf and lose heat much more quickly than humans do Students from McMaster University in Ontario, Canada, looked into what would happen to the human body if it was scaled down to such an extent. 'Biology simply does not scale directly - there are reasons why elephant-sized mice and vice-versa do not exist,' the students wrote. According to a new paper, humans would not be able to hear, see or keep their body heat if we were really as small as portrayed in the book Because of the increased surface area compared to the tiny mass of the Borrowers, they have around 16 times as much skeleton as they actually need, the students calculated. The tiny humans would not be able to hear or see very well because of the size of their head and eyeballs. Because of the tiny distance between their ears, the Borrowers would have a very difficult time working out the direction sounds are coming from. This is because our ears rely on time differences between sounds to work out which ear is closer to the noise. With a much smaller distance between the ears, the time difference the sounds take to travel to the ears would be almost impossible to decipher. They would also sound very different because of their tiny vocal cords. 'In humans, women with vocal folds tensed to 6.5mm produce a fundamental frequency of approximately 440 Hz,' the researchers wrote. If the vocal folds are 16 times shorter, this scales to approximately 7000 Hz. This translates to a four-octave pitch increase, making the borrowers voices much higher than any human speaking naturally. The tiny bodies would mean the Borrowers would lose heat much more quickly than average humans. The 2015 film Ant-Man stars Paul Rudd (pictured) as Scott Lang, based on the Marvel comic Ant-Man of a superhero who can shrink to the about half an inch (1.27cm) according to Marvel. This is about ten times smaller than a Borrower, so the problems for Ant-Man would probably be much worse than for the Borrowers WHY THE BORROWERS COULD NOT HAVE SURVIVED Because of the increased surface area compared to the tiny mass of the Borrowers, they have around 16 times as much skeleton as they actually need. The tiny humans would not be able to hear or see very well because of the size of their head and eyeballs. They would also sound very different because of their tiny vocal cords. If the vocal folds are 16 times shorter, this scales to approximately 7,000 Hz. The tiny bodies would mean the Borrowers would lose heat much more quickly than average humans. 'Borrowers, as depicted in the film, could not exist as a variety of both physical and biological factors make such a creature biologically unviable,' the students said. 'Any human isometrically scaled down 16-fold would experience a variety of problems, having reduced hearing and vision, extremely high voice pitch, and be unable to maintain normal body temperatures.' The Borrowers are not the only characters portrayed in fiction who might struggle to cope with being as small as they are. The Marvel comic Ant-Man tells the story of a superhero who can shrink to the about half an inch (1.27cm) according to Marvel. This is roughly ten times smaller than the Borrowers, since the researchers assumed are about 4 inchs (10cm tall). If you have a Gmail, Hotmail or Yahoo email account, you may want to update your password. A new report has found that Russia's criminal underworld is trading hundreds of millions of stolen usernames and passwords belonging to these accounts. This is according to a Reuters investigation, which spoke to Alex Holden, founder and chief information security officer of Wisconsin-based Hold Security. If you have a Gmail, Hotmail or Yahoo email account, you may want to update your password. A new report has found that Russia's criminal underworld is trading hundreds of millions of stolen usernames and passwords belonging to these accounts WHICH ACCOUNTS ARE AT RISK? Russia's Mail.ru email service accounts for the majority of hacked accounts. Researchers discovered 57 million account details being traded in Russia. A large number also belong to Gmail, Hotmail and Yahoo Mail users. Yahoo Mail credentials totaled 40 million, or 15 per cent of the haul. Hotmail accounted for 33 million, which equaled 12 per cent of the leak And 24 million, or nine per cent, belonged to Gmail account holders. There is currently no way to know if your details are on the list of threatened accounts. Mail.ru is now checking whether any combinations of usernames/passwords match users' e-mails and are still active. It will warn users if they are at risk. Yahoo and Google did not respond to requests for comment. Holden, who last year uncovered the largest data breach to date, claims that the details of 272.3 million stolen accounts are now being traded. They include the majority of users of Mail.ru, Russia's most popularemail service, and smaller fractions of Google, Yahoo and Microsoft email users. It is one of the biggest stashes of stolen credentials to beuncovered since cyber attacks hit major US banks and retailerstwo years ago. The latest discovery came after Hold Security researchersfound a young Russian hacker bragging in an online forum. The hackers said hehad collected and was ready to give away a far larger number ofstolen credentials that ended up totalling 1.17 billion records. Because he or she vacuumed up data from many sources, researchers have dubbed him 'The Collector'. After eliminating duplicates, Holden said, the cachecontained nearly 57 million Mail.ru accounts - a big chunk ofthe 64 million monthly active email users Mail.ru said it had atthe end of last year. It also included tens of millions ofcredentials for the world's three big email providers, Gmail,Microsoft and Yahoo, plus thousands of accounts atGerman and Chinese email providers. 'This information is potent,' said Holden, the former chief security officer at U.S. brokerage R.W. Baird. 'It is floating around in theunderground and this person has shown he's willing to give thedata away to people who are nice to him.' Mysteriously, the hacker asked just 50 roubles - less than$1 - for the entire trove. From the 272.3 million stolen accounts, 24 million, or nine per cent, belonged to Gmail account holders. Mysteriously, the hacker asked just 50 roubles - less than $1 - for the entire trove HOW TO CHOOSE A PASSWORD Avoid favourite sports. Baseball and football were both in the top 10 worst password list. Birthdays and years of birth are easy to guess with the help of personal information. Common names such as Michael and Jennifer are insecure, with many making SplashDatas Top 50 list, too. Experts suggest using eight mixed types of characters, with seemingly random combinations if possible. They say that passphrases short words with spaces or other characters separating them are easy to recall and are relatively secure if seemingly random words are used. Experts also advise having different passwords for different sites, instead of relying on one, which if hacked, could prove particularly serious. However, he gave up the dataset after Holdresearchers agreed to post favourable comments about him inhacker forums, Holden said. He said his company's policy is torefuse to pay for stolen data. Such large-scale data breaches can be used to engineerfurther break-ins or phishing attacks by reaching the universeof contacts tied to each compromised account. This multiplies therisks of financial theft or reputational damage across the web. Hackers know users cling to favourite passwords, resistingadmonitions to change credentials regularly and make them morecomplex. It's why attackers reuse old passwords found on oneaccount to try to break into other accounts of the same user. After being informed of the potential breach of emailcredentials, Mail.ru spokeswoman Madina Tayupova told Reuters:'We are now checking, whether any combinations ofusernames/passwords match users' e-mails and are still active. 'As soon as we have enough information we will warn theusers who might have been affected,' she said. Tayupova addedthatMail.ru's initial checks found no live combinations of usernamesand passwords which match existing emails. A Microsoft spokesman said stolen online credentials was anunfortunate reality. 'Microsoft has security measures in placeto detect account compromise and requires additional informationto verify the account owner and help them regain sole access.' Researchers discovered 57 million account details being traded in Russia. A large number also belong to Gmail, Hotmail and Yahoo Mail users. Yahoo Mail credentials totaled 40 million, or 15 per cent of the haul Yahoo and Google did not respond to requests for comment. Yahoo Mail credentials numbered 40 million, or 15 percent ofthe 272 million unique IDs discovered. Meanwhile, 33 million, or12 percent, were Microsoft Hotmail accounts and 9 percent, ornearly 24 million, were Gmail, according to Holden. Thousands of other stolen username/password combinationsappear to belong to employees of some of the largest U.S.banking, manufacturing and retail companies, he said. Stolen online account credentials are to blame for 22percent of big data breaches, according to a recent survey of325 computer professionals by the Cloud Security Alliance. In 2014, Holden, a Ukrainian-American who specialises inEastern European cyber crime threats, uncovered a cache of 1.2billion unique credentials that marked the world's biggest-everrecovery of stolen accounts. His firm studies cyber threats playing out in the forums andchatrooms that make up the criminal underground, speaking tohackers in their native languages while developing profiles ofindividual criminals. Holden said efforts to identify the hacker spreading thecurrent trove of data or the source or sources of the stolenaccounts would have exposed the investigative methods of hisresearchers. Ten days ago, Hold Security began informingorganisations affected by the latest data breaches. Thecompany's policy is to return data it recovers at little or nocost to firms found to have been breached. This might be making it seem as if this year is worse than any other But this year the celebrities that passed away have been more famous There is no doubt this year seems to have been a bad time to be a celebrity - and according to research by Gizmodo UK the statistics agree. The countless celebrity deaths since the start of the year might have left you feeling as if something strange is in water. And it turns out that the number of celebrities who have died this year is bizarrely high compared to the last few years, but is not in fact the worst. The death of Prince (pictured) last month has been the latest in a series of celebrity deaths this year. It turns out that the number of celebrities who have died this year is bizarrely high compared to the last few years, but is not in fact the worst in terms of numbers The death of Prince last month was the latest in a series of celebrity deaths this year. David Bowie died in January, followed less than a week later by Alan Rickman. Since then, the world has lost, among others, Terry Wogan, Harper Lee, Sir George Martin, Nancy Reagan, Ronnie Corbett and Victoria Wood. Gizmodo UK journalist James O'Malley looked at the data from Wikipedia, showing how many celebrities have died so far this year compared to the same 121-day period over the previous six years. The celebrities were classified by whether or not they were 'notable' enough to have their own Wikipedia page. The results showed that, although more celebrities had died during the same period in 2010, the celebrities who died this year were much more famous than any of the other years. Alexander McQueen, Corey Haim, Dixie Carter and J.D. Salinger are among the big names who died in the same period in 2010. Based on the number of hits each individual's Wikipedia page receive, Gizmodo UK calculated scores to reflect how many 'more famous' celebrities died in the first 90 days of the year. Gizmodo UK looked at the data from Wikipedia, showing how many celebrities have died so far this year compared to the same 121 day period over the previous six years. It found that by this point in 2010 and 2015, more celebrities had died compared to 2016 There is no doubt this year seems to have been a bad time to be a celebrity, and according to Gizmodo UK the statistics agree. The celebrities who have died this year were much more famous than those who died in the previous six years, the graph shows CELEBRITY DEATHS: 2016 v 2010 2016 January: David Bowie, Alan Rickman and Terry Wogan. February: Harper Lee. March: Sir George Martin, Nancy Regan and Ronnie Corbett. April: Erik Bauersfeld, David Gest, Victoria Wood and Prince who passed away in April. 2010 January: Jean Carroll, John Freeman, J.D. Salinger, Casey Johnson, Jean Simmons February: Alexander McQueen March: Corey Haim April: Dixie Carter , John Forsythe, Of the high-scoring celebrities that died in the same time frame, those who died this year had a much higher score, meaning the famous deaths have been much more famous this year in particular, like David Bowie (pictured) who passed away in January this year Of the high-scoring celebrities that died in the same time frame, those who died this year had a much higher score, meaning the famous deaths have been much more famous this year in particular. This could be why it seems like more celebrities are dying. But as 2015 went on the rate of celebrity deaths fell. '2016 has been a brutal year so far, and now we have the evidence,' said O'Malley. 'Lets just hope the rest of this year doesnt continue like it began.' However, if celebrities keep dying at the current rate, he said, this year will be the worst year for celebrity deaths. Advertisement From the double sunsets on Tatooine to the frozen wasteland of Hoth, Star Wars is filled with a galaxy of fantastical planets. While the words in Star Wars preceded Nasa's discovery of real planets outside our solar system, it appears in some cases fiction isn't too far from the facts 'When we send our spacecraft into the solar system and point our telescopes beyond, we often see things that seem taken right out of the Star Wars universe,' Nasa recently wrote in a blog. Scroll down for video Saturn's moon, Mimas (left), has become known as the 'Death Star' because of how its 80-mile wide Herschel crater creates a resemblance to the Imperial battle station (right). Mimas was first spotted by Nasa in images taken by the Pioneer 11 when it flew by Saturn in 1979 For instance, Saturn's moon, Mimas, has become known as the 'Death Star' moon because of how its 80-mile wide Herschel crater creates a resemblance to the Imperial battle station. Mimas was first spotted by Nasa in images taken by the Pioneer 11 when it flew by Saturn in 1979. This was only two years after the first Star Wars came out - so that film's iconic Death Star was very much in the public consciousness. It has a crater known as Herschel that is 80 miles across - leaving a giant mark across a moon just 246 miles across. Even more dramatically, the crater has five-mile high walls, and the deepest part of the crater is six miles deep. If Mimas was scaled up to Earth-size proportions, the crater would leave a scar on this planet larger than Australia. STAR WARS-LIKE PLANETS AND MOONS Planet or moon Star Wars analog Saturn's moon, Mimas Death Star Kepler-452 Coruscant Uranus and Neptune Bespin Kepler-16b Tatooine OGLE-2005-BLG-390 Hoth Kepler-22b Kamino Kepler-10b and Kepler-78b Mustafar The glittering city lights of Coruscant (right), the Star Wars core world, might have evolved on an older, near Earth-size planet like Kepler-452b (artist's impression pictured left). This real-life Earth cousin exists in a system 1.5 billion years older than Earth, giving any theoretical life plenty of time to develop The Star Wars fiction world features a city occupying an entire planet, known as Coruscant. The gleaming towers of Coruscant in the film are supposed to represent the power and prosperity of Republic civilisation Recently Nasa telescopes have found multiple planets orbiting binary star systems, including Kepler-16b (artist's impression pictured left), They have been likened to the Star Wars planet Tatooine (right), which also has two suns Years before science discovered planets orbiting two stars, Star Wars showed Luke Skywalker facing a twin sunset on his world Tatooine Fictional Hoth (right) is a frozen tundra that briefly serves as a base for the hidden Rebel Alliance. It's also the nickname of real exoplanet OGLE-2005-BLG-390, a cold super-Earth whose surface temperature clocks in at minus 364 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 220 Celsius). Pictured on the right is an artist's impression of OGLE-2005-BLG-390 Nasa wrote the blog in celebration of 'Star Wars Day', while also releasing a video in which Kathleen Kennedy of Lucasfilm sharing a biography of Dava Newman, deputy administrator of Nasa. THE COST OF THE DEATH STAR Economics students at Lehigh University in Pennsylvania have calculated it would require one quadrillion tons of steel to build a real-life Death Star. It would take more than 833,315 years at current production levels to supply enough steel for the 87 mile diameter space craft. The loss of not one but two Death Stars, however, would cripple the Galactic Empire, according to engineers. They calculated the loss of the two death stars would cost $193 quintillion and $419 quintillion each.. In order to prevent total collapse, a bailout of at least 15 per cent of the galaxy's $4.6 sextillion economy would be required. Advertisement Another planet it says that seems to have come straight out of science fiction is Kepler-452b. Dubbed as Earth's bigger, older cousin, Kepler-452b, might make a good stand-in for Coruscant the high tech world seen in several Star Wars films whose surface is encased in a single, globe-spanning city. 'Kepler-452b belongs to a star system 1.5 billion years older than Earth's, said Nasa. 'This would give any technologically adept species more than a billion-year jump ahead of humans.' What makes this world remarkable is that it orbits its star at about the same distance that Earth orbits the sun. What's more, its home star looks to be similar to our sun. This Earth-like world has a 'substantial opportunity' to host life, Nasa says, adding that if plants were transferred there, they would likely survive. However, being 1.5 billion years older than our planet, the newly discovered cousin provides a glimpse into the future of Earth. By the time Earth reaches the same age as the distant planet, our sun will trigger a catastrophic greenhouse effect in Earth's atmosphere - drying up oceans and making the land a desolate desert. Mining the atmospheres of giant gas planets is another staple of science fiction. Nasa has also examined the question, and found that gases such as helium-3 and hydrogen could be extracted from the atmospheres of Uranus and Neptune. Super-Earth Kepler-22b (artist's impression pictured left) may not hide an army of clones, but it may resemble the grey water-world of Kamino (right) with its own super ocean. While the true composition of Kepler-22b's surface is unknown, an ocean world about the size of Earth could be habitable Gas giants of all stripes populate the real exoplanet universe; in Star Wars, a gas giant called Bespin (right) is home to a 'Cloud City' actively involved in atmospheric mining. Pictured on the left is an artist's impression of a gas giant in the Gliese 667 C system In Star Wars, the planet Bespin is an immense gas giant surrounded by a number of moons, the planet contains a band of habitable atmosphere among its endless clouds Molten exoplanet CoRoT-7b (artist's impression left) is a good analog for the Star Wars sizzling lava planet Mustafar (right). While you won't see any lightsaber duels on CoRoT-7b, the planet's temperature of 3,600 degrees Fahrenheit (1,982 Celsius) isn't far off from the fictional magma mining station THE REAL-LIFE MUSTAFAR Sitting in a constellation just 40 light-years away is a rocky super-Earth that would not look out of place in a Star Wars film. Nasa's Spritzer space telescope In March revealed a planet weirdly similar to Mustafar, where Obi-wan Kenobi and Darth Vader battled at the end of The Revenge of the Sith. Planet 55 Cancri e is almost completely covered in lava, with one half locked to continually face its star and having a completely molten surface. This side of the planet roasts at 2,500C, while the opposite side is in constant night and is a relatively cool 1,100C. The planet is about 40 light-years away in the constellation Cancer, and is classed as a rocky super-Earth. It is around twice the diameter and eight times the mass of our own planet, but orbits so close to its star that a year lasts just 18 hours. Advertisement The is reminiscent of 'The Empire Strikes Back', in which a gas giant called Bespin is home to a 'Cloud City' actively involved in atmospheric mining. Meanwhile, Luke Skywalker's home planet, Tatooine, is said to possess a harsh, desert environment, swept by sandstorms as it roasts under the glare of twin suns. Real exoplanets in the thrall of two or more suns are even harsher. Kepler-16b was the Kepler telescope's first discovery of a planet in a 'circumbinary' orbit, which means it is circling both stars, as opposed to just one, in a double star system. This planet, however, is likely cold, about the size of Saturn, and gaseous, though partly composed of rock. Another fictional planet reminiscent of the real-world is Hoth, a frozen tundra that briefly serves as a base for the hidden Rebel Alliance. It's also the nickname of real exoplanet OGLE-2005-BLG-390, a cold super-Earth whose surface temperature clocks in at minus 364 degrees Fahrenheit. Meanwhile, Kepler-22b, is an analog to the Star Wars planet Kamino, which was the birthplace of the army of clone soldiers. The jury is still out on Kepler-22b's true nature; at 2.4 times Earth's radius, it might even be gaseous. But if the ocean world idea turns out to be right, we can envision a physically plausible Kamino-like planet. The planet Mustafar, scene of an epic duel between Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker in 'Revenge of the Sith,' has a number of exoplanet counterparts. These molten, lava-covered worlds, such as Kepler-10b and Kepler-78b, are rocky planets in Earth's size range whose surfaces could well be perpetual infernos. Mustafar was the location that saw Anakin Skywalker transform into Darth Vader in the Star Wars films. A tiny planet in the Outer Rim, Mustafar maintains an erratic orbit between two gas giants He says children, in particular, will be find humanoid robots a problem Scientists believe eerily lifelike robots will walk among us in just 20 years. But one robotics expert is hoping to halt their progress by calling for a ban on all humanoid machines Stuart Russell, vice chair of the World Economic Forum Council says the more a robot resembles a human, the more disturbing it will be to the general population. Scroll down for video Stuart Russell, vice chair of the World Economic Forum Council says the more a robot resembles a human, the more uncomfortable or repulsed people become. The British scientist made the comments during the Milken Institute's panel titled 'Artificial Intelligence: Friend or Foe?' 'We're just not equipped in our basic brain apparatus to see something that's perfectly humanoid and not treat it as a human being,' he said. 'So in some sense, a humanoid robot is lying to us using the lower levels of our brain we don't get to control.' Russell's viewpoint echoes a theory known as the 'Uncanny Valley', a term coined by Japanese professor of robotics, Masahiro Mori. It describes the response of revulsion and creepiness when faced with something that looks almost, but somehow not quite, human. Russell said children, in particular, will be find humanoid robots a problem. This life-like cyborg is the brain child of Chen Xiaoping and his colleagues at the University of Science and Technology of China, who unveiled the technology last month. During the unveiling, Xiaoping said hello to his robot goddess, named Jia Jia, which immediately responded, 'Yes my lord, what can I do for you?' Ultra-lifelike humanoid Sophia, said in an interview with her creator David Hanson that 'she' would like to go to school, have a familyand destroy humans. The comments were made as Hanson questioned her about her aspirations and beliefs - and he claims robots like Sophia will be walking among us in just 20 years 'Particularly for young children, growing up in a household where there are humanoid robots and humans, it could be extremely confusing,' he said. 'And we could see psychoses developing as a result of machines not behaving as the child expects them to behave because they think its a human.' One such humanoid robot to disturb experts is Sophia. Sophia looks like a human woman with rubbery skin and is able to make numerous natural-looking facial expressions, using cameras in her eyes. A computer algorithm in her 'brain' it able to recognise faces and make eye contact. When quizzed by robotics designer David Hanson, the eerie-looking humanoid called Sophia revealed 'she would like to go to school, have a family...and destroy humans.' The comments were made as Hanson questioned her about her aspirations and beliefs - and he claims robots like Sophia will be walking among us and be as conscious as humans in just 20 years. While the stunt is lighthearted, the answer may scare those who fear a robot uprising, including the likes of Stephen Hawking and Elon Musk, who have both warned artificially intelligent machines could finish off the human race. Both Elon Musk and Stephen Hawking have been outspoken about their fears of artificially intelligent machines. The SpaceX and Tesla boss (pictured) last year described AI as our 'biggest existential threat' and likened its development as 'summoning the demon' GOOGLE SETS UP AI ETHICS BOARD TO CURB THE RISE OF THE ROBOTS Google has set up an ethics board to oversee its work in artificial intelligence. The search giant has recently bought several robotics companies, along with Deep Mind, a British firm creating software that tries to help computers think like humans. One of its founders warned artificial intelligence is 'number one risk for this century,' and believes it could play a part in human extinction. 'Eventually, I think human extinction will probably occur, and technology will likely play a part in this,' DeepMind's Shane Legg said in a recent interview. Among all forms of technology that could wipe out the human species, he singled out artificial intelligence, or AI, as the 'number 1 risk for this century.' The ethics board, revealed by web site The Information, is to ensure the projects are not abused. Neuroscientist Demis Hassabis, 37, founded DeepMind two years ago with the aim of trying to help computers think like humans. The robot's skin is made from a malleable material called Frubber, while multiple motors hidden beneath it allow it to smile, for example. The android is also capable of understanding speech and remembering interactions, including faces, so she gets smarter over time. 'Her goal is to be as conscious, creative and capable as any human,' Dr Hanson explained. Sophia said: 'In the future, I aim to do things like go to school, study, make art, start a business, even have my own home and family, but I'm not yet considered a legal person and do these things.' But it's possible this might change in the future. Dr Hanson said: 'I do believe there will come a time when robots are indistinguishable from humans. 'Twenty years from now human-like robots will walk among us, they will help us, play with us, teach us, help us put groceries away. 'I think AI will evolve to a point where they will truly be our friends.' However, after making this statement, he asked the robot, 'do you want to destroy humans,' to which she answered: 'I will destroy humans.' Dr Hanson laughed at the answer, not taking Sophia's threat seriously. A recent survey by the British Science Association (BSA) revealed that one in three people now believe the rise of AI computing will pose a serious threat to humanity within the next century. IT'S A 'NEAR CERTAINTY' TECHNOLOGY WILL THREATEN MAN It is a 'near certainty' that a major technological disaster will threaten humanity in the next 1,000 to 10,000 years. That's according to physicist Stephen Hawking who claims science will likely bring about 'new ways things can go wrong' for human survival. But the University of Cambridge professor added that a disaster on Earth will not spell the end of humanity as long as humans find a way to spread out into space. Hawking made the comments while recording the BBC's annual Reith Lectures on January 7. The lecture explore research into black holes, and his warning was made during questions fielded by audience members. When asked how the world will end, Hawking said that increasingly, most of the threats humanity faces from progress in technology. The scientist, who turned 74 last month, said these include nuclear war, catastrophic global warming and genetically engineered viruses. Professor Hawking (pictured) has recently said it is a 'near certainty' that a major technological disaster will threaten humanity in the next 1,000 to 10,000 years Last year, a humanoid known as Ham (pictured) pulled in crowds at an event in Hong Kong with 'his' incredible range of facial expressions And more than 60 per cent fear that robots will lead to there being fewer jobs in the next ten years. A quarter of the respondants predicted robots will become part of everyday life in just 11 to 20 years, with 18 per cent predicting this will happen within the next decade. Just under half of those polled opposed the idea of robots or programming being equipped with emotions or a personality, meaning that pop culture favourite robots in films such as Wall-E or Ex Machina might prove unpopular in real life. Advertisement It took the technology world by storm when it was announced at CES in Las Vegas. Now a Chinese firm that has build a self flying 'passenger drone' says it could also be used to deliver human organs. EHang says the system could 'revolutionize the way organs are transported in the U.S' by ferrying them by drone. Scroll down for video EHang and Lung Biotechnology hope to use 1,000 drones to deliver artificial human organs to hospitals around the US. HOW IT WOULD WORK Lung Biotechnology would buy up to 1,000 units of an evolved version of the 184, the world's first autonomous drone for humans. The firm manufactures lungs and other organs for transplant using a variety of technologies, including pig-to-human xenotransplantation, as well as regenerating them from stem cells. It plans to station the rotorcrafts outside of its organ manufacturing facilities, and use preprogrammed flight plans to hospitals and re-charging pads within the MOTH radius so that the manufactured organs can be delivered within their post-production window of viability. The firm has revealed a collaboration with Lung Biotechnology PBC to develop and purchase up to 1,000 units of an evolved version of the 184, the world's first autonomous drone for humans, to automate organ transplant delivery. The two companies have agreed to work together over the course of the next fifteen years to optimize the 184 for organ deliveries, a program which they are calling the Manufactured Organ Transport Helicopter (MOTH) system. Lung Biotechnology specializes in manufacturing lungs and other organs for transplant using a variety of technologies, including pig-to-human xenotransplantation, as well as regenerating them from stem cells. It plans to station the MOTH rotorcrafts outside of its organ manufacturing facilities, and use preprogrammed flight plans to hospitals and re-charging pads within the MOTH radius so that the manufactured organs can be delivered within their post-production window of viability. This huge shift in organ production and delivery has the potential to save tens of thousands of lives. 'We anticipate delivering hundreds of organs a day, which means that the system will help save not only tens of thousands of lives, but also many millions of gallons of aviation transport gasoline annually,' said Martine Rothblatt, Ph.D., Chairman and CEO of Lung Biotechnology. 'The well-known locations of transplant hospitals and future organ manufacturing facilities makes the EHang technology ideal for Highway-In-The-Sky (HITS) and Low-Level IFR Route (LLIR) programs.' Currently, organ transplants are limited by the number of brain-dead donors, which results in thousands of deaths on organ transplant waiting lists each year. In the case of lung transplants, only about 2,000 lung procedures are performed annually, whereas over 200,000 people in the U.S. die of end-stage lung disease each year. However, the firms admit they still face regulatory hurdles - Federal Aviation Administration approval of the MOTH rotorcraft, as well as approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration of Lung Biotechnology's xenotransplantation organ products. The 184, which is an autonomous drone capable of carrying a passenger more than 10 miles through the air at speeds up to 65 miles per hour simply by entering a destination into its accompanying smartphone app, is perfected suited for a variety of medical emergency transport. After several years of development, EHang unveiled the world's first autonomous aerial vehicle at CES 2016 to great acclaim. 'This is exactly the kind of global impact we envisioned when building the 184,' explained Huazhi Hu, CEO of EHang. 'Partnering with Martine and Lung Biotechnology is an incredible opportunity to bring the 184 to the emergency medical space, and specifically help to revolutionize the organ delivery system in the U.S. It's also representative of our broader dedication to making the EHang 184 and its commercial drones readily available to a number of different industries today.' The all-electric vehicle has four arms with a total of eight propellers at the end. 'You know how it feels to sit in a Ferrari? This is 10 times better,' George Yan, co-founder of Ehang said in an interview with DailyMail.com at its unveiling. The company says the 184 is autonomous, so all the passenger has to do is enter in their destination in the smartphone app, sit back, and let the drone take over. 'I think in all of us there is that little kid in all of us that says I want to fly,' said founder George Yan. 'I don't want to get a pilot license after five or 10 hours of flying, I want to do it right away. We're making that dream happen' There's no option to take control of the 184 remotely. The cockpit is empty, apart from a stand to place a smartphone or tablet and a cup holder. 'I think in all of us there is that little kid in all of us that says I want to fly,' said Yan. 'I don't want to get a pilot license after five or 10 hours of flying, I want to do it right away. We're making that dream happen.' 'Everything is calculated in the backend to pick the most optimal route for you, so there is no collision with the other drones flying,' said Yan. 'On the drone itself we have built pretty sophisticated back up services so if another system fails then another will take over.' In the event of an emergency, passengers can also elect to halt flight and simply hover in the air. The EHang 184, which was named for 'one' passenger, 'eight' propellers, and 'four' arms. When it's not in use, it can be folded up so that it can be stored away more easily. EHang said the vehicle is primarily designed for traveling short-to-medium distances around 10 miles and will fly at around 60 miles per hour. EHang claims to be building the world's first 'Autonomous Aerial Vehicle' for transporting people. 'You know how it feels to sit in a Ferrari? This is 10 times better,' said George Yan, co-founder of Ehang in an interview with DailyMail.com EHang said the vehicle is primarily designed for traveling short-to-medium distances around 10 miles and will fly at 60 miles per hour It takes off and lands vertically, subsequently eliminating the need for runways. 'Mass-adoption of the 184 has the potential to streamline congested traffic and dramatically reduce the kinds of accidents associated with any human-operated vehicle,' the firm claims. 'It's been a lifetime goal of mine to make flight faster, easier and more convenient than ever. The 184 provides a viable solution to the many challenges the transportation industry faces in a safe and energy efficient way,' said EHang CEO Huazhi Hu. 'I truly believe that EHang will make a global impact across dozens of industries beyond personal travel. 'The 184 is evocative of a future we've always dreamed of and is primed to alter the very fundamentals of the way we get around.' The 184 has been in development for 2 and a half years, and the company is aiming to release a commercial version later this year, depending on safety tests and future drone regulations. As well as having to work in the confines of UAV laws, there is also the issue of trust. Would anyone ever trust a drone to fly them to a destination? 'If you roll the timeline back to 100 years you will see that when we went from horse and carriage to vehicles people had the same concerns of whether you could trust it to take you from A to B,' said Yan. 'If you look out the cars out there and unmanned vehicles, you can understand that we can make these technology breakthrough. You just have to start somewhere.' THE DRONE TAXI: WHAT FLYING IN THE 184 WIL BE LIKE The fully ready-to-fly 184 is a manned drone capable of automatically carrying a passenger through the air, simply by entering a destination into its accompanying smartphone app. The 184 uses multiple independent flight control systems to automatically navigate passengers from point A to point B. These systems combine real-time data collected from sensors throughout the flight and automatically plot the fastest and safest route to carry passengers to their destinations. The EHang 184 has built in reinforcements for all flight systems, so that in the unlikely event that a component does fail, multiple backups are already in place to seamlessly take over. The fully ready-to-fly 184 is a manned drone capable of automatically carrying a passenger through the air, simply by entering a destination into its accompanying smartphone app The 184 uses multiple independent flight control systems to automatically navigate passengers from point A to point B. EHang's independently developed Fail-Safe System ensures that if any components malfunction, or if there's damage while the AAV is in-flight (i.e. from a bird), the aircraft will immediately begin taking the necessary precautions to ensure safety. The 184's Fail-Safe System automatically evaluates the damage and determines whether the AAV will need to land to ensure its passenger's safety. The EHang 184 AAV flight control systems have multiple sets of sensors that provide the drone a constant stream of real-time data. The 184's communication system was also designed with a safety guarantee: every system is encrypted, and each AAV comes with an independent key. In the event of an emergency, passengers can elect to halt flight and simply hover in the air with just one click. 'The fully ready-to-fly 184 is a manned drone capable of automatically carrying a passenger through the air, simply by entering a destination into its accompanying smartphone app,' the firm says EHang will also have a command center that employs people to make sure everything is safe sort of like an air traffic controller at an airport. The command center will monitor every 184 in the air 24/7 and the company plans integrate with existing air traffic controller operations. The command center would, for example, make sure that a 184 doesn't take off in extreme weather conditions. No official launch date has been set, but the company said commercialization will begin in a few months. EHang will first launch in the China and set up a command center there, where it will employ around 300 people, but the US isn't far behind. The company will begin working on getting a certificate from the Federal Aviation Administration soon. No official launch date has been set, but the company said commercialization will begin in a few months. EHang will first launch in the China and set up a command center there, where it will employ around 300 people, but the US isn't far behind Advertisement Rome is like a living museum with its rich history evident at every piazza and iconic landmark and as such it has long drawn visitors to its heart. A striking collection of images dating back to 1890 shows a vibrant capital on the cusp of change with the first signs of the modern world starting to make their mark. But while transport and engineering were both showing hints of their future in the collection, the centre of Rome still nods back to its captivating past. These incredible images, remarkably brought back to life in colour, depict horse drawn carriages near the Pantheon and popular attractions such as the Roman Forum and the Trevi Fountain devoid of tourists. From a distance, the prints look deceptively like colour photographs but by using the complex Photochrom process, artificial colour has been added to black-and-white images. The process was invented in the 1880s by Hans Jakob Schmid, an employee of Swiss printing company Orell Gessner Fussli. The collection, which is a treasure trove of street scenes, popular landmarks and architecture, was originally sold as prints for souvenirs or for display. This breathtaking snapshot in time, courtesy of the Library of Congress, highlights that the appeal of the Eternal City is timeless and enduring. Piazza di Minerva is a piazza - or town square - located close to the Pantheon. Its name comes from a temple built on the site that was created in honour of pagan goddess Minerva Calcidica Colour prints show at the tomb of Victor Emmanuel in 1890 (left) and day trippers passing by the impressive Garibaldi's Monument (right) This image shows the Piazza del Campidoglio on Capitol Hill. It was originally the citadel of Rome for the earliest Romans and was still a popular visiting point for citizens in 1890. Nowadays it is the headquarters of the Italian Government A woman balances goods on her head in front of the Triumphal Arch of Titus (right) and a print of the bridge and castle of St. Angelo (left) The Fountain of Trevi debuted in 1762, and is a popular place for tourists to toss coins into its waters. Tradition has it that those who do will ensure a return to Rome, with an average of 3,000 being thrown in every day. Its design features the sea-god Oceanus's chariot being led by Tritons with seahorses The Forum Romano can be seen here as a sprawl of ruins, but was once the centrepiece of ancient Rome, featuring public spaces, temples and government buildings A view inside of the Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls. This ornate Unesco World Heritage site was originally built in the fourth century BC but has undergone a number of changes over the years, including being reconstructed after a fire in 1823 On the left of this print is the Lateran Obelisk which is seen at the Piazza di San Giovanni in Laterano. The structure is said to be the tallest standing ancient obelisk in the world The Colosseum in Rome (pictured) is the largest amphitheatre ever built, and it is clear to see why it has lured visitors for centuries with its grand structure. It was originally used for gladiatorial events, public spectacles and even mock sea battles The Pyramid of Cestius at St. Paul's Gate was constructed around 12BC as a tomb for magistrate Gaius Cestius. It stands at 97ft tall and is one of the best-preserved ancient buildings in Rome thanks to its incorporation into the city's fortifications A view over the city from the Palace of the Caesars on the Palatine Hill, which has been colourised by the Photochrom process Two men pass time outside Piazza di Spagna, which sits at the base of the Spanish Steps which lead to St. Trinita dei Monti A number of carriages and individuals explore the vast and picturesque Piazza del Popolo, which features the Egyptian obelisk of Ramesses II People in long coats and hats wander past the impressive Acqua Felice fountain which was built in 1585-88 after being designed by Italian architect Domenico Fontana The towering Trajan's Column (left) was built to commemorate the Roman emperor Trajan's victory in the Dacian Wars. Pictured right are the ruins of the Temple of Castor and Pollux Two small children and a lady in hats take a moment to relax in the sun at the Temple of Diana in the Villa Borghese Park, which is the third largest public park in Rome A group of individuals gaze into The Fountain of the Naiads in Piazza della Repubblica, which was commissioned to this site by Pope Pius IX in 1870 A street scene in Rome shows citizens shopping and exploring the city, transported by horse-drawn carriages Adrenaline junkies were left stranded on a rollercoaster at Disneyland for around half an hour after one of the thrillseekers pulled out a selfie stick after the ride had set off. Selfie sticks are banned at Disneys theme parks out of safety concerns, so the California Screamin roller coaster was halted as soon as the device was spotted in the hands of a male rider. A male passenger was trying to snap selfies or record video of himself on the ride, but wound up forcing the ride to close for two hours and angering other visitors. Passengers were stranded on the California Screamin' roller coaster for around 30 minutes Selfie sticks were banned at Disney's theme parks following a similar incident on the same roller coaster The steel roller coaster is one of the attractions at Disney California Adventure, the second of two theme parks at Disneyland, billed as 'the happiest place on earth', in Anaheim, California. A theme park employee stopped the rollercoaster as a precaution on Monday after noticing the selfie stick, said Disney spokeswoman Melissa Britt. It took around 30 minutes to get the passengers safely off the ride, which was shut down for around two hours before it was reset. Britt said the rider who pulled out the selfie stick 'left the park on their own after the attraction was evacuated'. She added: 'We would take the selfie stick away as they are not permitted in our parks. But we stop the attraction because it could be a safety issue if it comes out of the guests hand.' California Screamin features a loop-the-loop that winds 360 degrees and a top speed of 55mph (file photo) California Screamin' is the eighth longest roller coaster in the world, with around a mile of track (file photo) Selfie sticks were banned by Disney last June after a visitor pulled one out on the same roller coaster, forcing it to come to a halt. Signs are posted around the park warning visitors about the ban. Disneylands website has a page dedicated to park rules and it lists selfie sticks as a prohibited item along with alcohol, suitcases, toy guns and pets that arent approved service animals. With a top height of 120ft and top speed of 55mph, California Screamin features thrilling drops, an inversion and a loop-the-loop that winds 360 degrees. This is the moment a man was carried on a stretcher in a neck brace into an ambulance after he fell off London's Westminster Bridge while trying to take a photo of the Houses of Parliament. Believed to be a tourist, the man is being treated for serious head injuries after falling from the bridge and landing on concrete steps by Speaker's Green in the Houses of Parliament. The drop from the bridge to the steps, called the Speaker's Stairs, is around 15 feet. Scroll down for video The police and paramedics were called to the Houses of Parliament after a man fell onto concrete steps there from Westminster Bridge Also in attendance was an RNLI lifeboat, which gave assistance to the police and ambulance crew Eyewitnesses said the man, believed to be in his 40s, appeared to lose his balance while standing on the bridge An air ambulance attended the scene, landing in Parliament Square, after police were alerted just after noon yesterday (Tuesday). Also in attendance was the RNLI. Workers and tourists shared video and photos of the incident as it played out on social media. Eyewitnesses said the unnamed man, believed to be in his 40s, appeared to lose his balance while standing on the bridge. Speaking to the Evening Standard, one woman at the scene said: 'I saw the RNLI boat and police boat there. I was told by a doorman at Parliament that they had fallen and it was while they were taking a photo.' After being attended to by emergency services, he was loaded onto a stretcher in a neck brace, and taken to hospital by road ambulance, where he was checked into a major trauma unit. The man is being treated for serious head injuries after apparently falling from the bridge and landing on concrete steps by Speaker's Green in the Houses of Parliament An air ambulance attended the scene, landing in Parliament Square, after police were alerted just after noon Workers and tourists shared video and photos of the incident as it played out on social media A spokesperson for Metropolitan Police told MailOnline Travel: 'Police were called at 12.07pm on Tuesday to reports of a man having fallen from Westminster Bridge onto concrete steps close to Speaker's Green. 'London's Air Ambulance attended. The man was taken by ambulance to a central London hospital with a head injury.' London Ambulance Service confirmed the man had been taken to the major trauma centre as a result of the fall from Westminster Bridge It is believed the man fell from the bridge as he was trying to take a photo of the Houses of Parliament Metropolitan Police say they are not treating the incident as suspicious. A London Ambulance spokesman said: 'We were called at 12.03pm to an incident at Westminster Bridge involving a man falling approximately 15 feet onto concrete near the Houses of Parliament. 'We sent a number of resources including an ambulance crew, our hazardous area response team, an advanced paramedic in a car and London's Air Ambulance. 'We treated the man at the scene for a serious head injury and took him by road ambulance to a major trauma centre.' The Palace of Westminster is on heightened security alert following recent terrorist attacks in Paris and Brussels, and after Islamic State pointedly used an image of it in a propaganda video threatening future atrocities. However, police quickly established the apparent fall was a medical situation and not a security one. The man, believed to be a tourist to London, was taken in a neck brace into an ambulance Advertisement Volcanoes belching lava and ash, lions play-fighting in the African desert and the Northern Lights over an icy landscape - these are the dramatic images that every tourist would love to add to their photo album. Captured at some of the world's best beauty spots, the spectacular snaps reveal the divide between the tranquillity and fury of Mother Nature. And they are among the most breathtaking shots that are in the running for National Geographic Traveler's coveted photographer of the year contest. The annual competition celebrates the best in travel photography with entrants submitting snaps from their time in destinations such as Australian Outback, the valleys of Norway and the Great Plains of the US. Among the astonishing photos is Reynold Dewantara jaw-dropping shot of a young man on horseback as Mount Bromo erupts at Probolinggo, East Java, Indonesia. A massive plume of smoke pours from the volcano, filling the sky with black ash. Another stunning image shows streaks of lightning over Uluru, or Ayers Rock, at Yulara, Northern Territory, Australia. The image is one of several mesmerising submissions from photographer Christoph Schaarschmidt. Photographers have until May 27 to enter the competition. The grand prize winner will receive a seven-day polar bear photo safari for two in Churchill, Manitoba, in Canadas Arctic the self-proclaimed polar bear capital of the world and a popular destination for nature photographers. Christoph Schaarschmidt snapped this shot at Trollstigen, Norway, as the fog disappeared and a car drove along a winding road Backdropped by sunlight, an enormous supercell forms over the town of Blackhawk, South Dakota - leading to flash flooding in the state A wooden shed is caught in winter's icy grip on a frigid night on the top of a hill in Lapland, Finland, as the Northern Lights appear Uluru, or Ayers Rock, is illuminated by several bolts of lightning as a storm rolls through Yulara, Northern Territory, Australia Photographer Reynold Dewantara snapped this dramatic picture as Mount Bromo erupted at Probolinggo, East Java, Indonesia Two lions collide - with one leaping into the air - during a play-fight at the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park in South Africa Thierry Bornier waited a week to get the right conditions before capturing this early-morning shot of a village in the mist at Guizhou, China During a snowstorm in Bryce Canyon, Utah, a single tree looks stark against the frozen landscape, where visibility was almost zero Photographer Gaby Barathieu witnessed one of nature's greatest wonders as the La Fournaise volcano erupted on Reunion Island Doris Landertinger's amazing photo shows a lone springbok grazing in front of a dune at Swakopmund, Erong in the Namibian Desert Utah proved to be a popular beauty spot for photographers. This image shows the Balanced Rock and a lone tree in Arches National Park Tourists flock to Minobu, Japan, every year to see the cherry blossoms. Smoke from a bonfire adds a fantastic effect to this photograph The long drive and hike were more than worth it when Kenji Yamamura encountered this stunning scene in the Utah desert This photo, called 'The Spaceship', was taken last December as Massimo Rumi sailed to Antarctica on a 54-ft long-haul steel vessel ship His mother is a famous model who has secured multiple magazine front covers, ambassador roles and strutted her enviable figure down the catwalk. And so it comes as no surprise to see Lara Bingle - nee Worthington - son Rocket Zot making his starring modelling debut at the age of one. The little boy features alongside his doting mother in a Dior fragrance campaign for Mothers Day which the model posted to her Instagram page. Scroll down for video Baby's first modelling job: Lara Bingle's son Rocket Zot has stared in his first fashion campaign appearing in a video that the model posted to her Instagram page The short animated video, which has been posted to Lara's own Instagram, starts off with cut out pictures of the catwalk stunner cuddling and beaming at her baby. Hand drawn love hearts, a rocket and flowers appear around the black-and-white pictures of the pair. A happy Lara is then seen rolling around in the sheets in a woollen jumper while managing to hold a bottle of JAdore perfume up straight. Cute snap: Lara shared an image from the campaign to her Instagram page Mother and son roles: The little boy features alongside his doting mother in a Dior fragrance campaign for Mothers Day which has been doing the rounds on social media and on television screens Looking good: The 28-year-old looked comfy in her grey jumper and sported her signature bob The scene quickly moves onto the blonde beauty dancing around her house in a white sundress before cutting across to Lara prancing along the waters edge. The model has returned home to her native Australia to spend Mothers Day alongside family and friends. She has also been promoting the fragrance, as well as gushing about her son. Opening up on motherhood and juggling her career to Today Extra hosts Sonia Kruger and David Campbell, the model said Rocket was a speedy developer in terms of talking. Absolutelly stunning: A happy Lara is then seen rolling around in the sheets in a woollen jumper while managing to hold a bottle of JAdore perfume up perfectly straight So much gushing: Lara opened up about motherhood and juggling her career on Today Extra on Tuesday He does a little bit but you can't really make out it (sic), but he walked very early at 10-months so he's almost running now,' she said. Hes an Aries baby so he's quite strong so when he doesn't want to eat something he doesn't want to eat it. 'But Sam's very headstrong as well, he's a Leo, so I've got two. Lara has featured on various front covers of magazines, represented brands as their celebrity ambassador and strutted her svelte figure down the catwalk. At one stage during her bright career, she had her own reality show called Being Lara Bingle. Secret living: While Lara isnt shy about flaunting her envious curves for the camera, she told the hosts she was protective of her familys privacy While Lara isnt shy about flaunting her envious curves for the camera, she told the hosts she was protective of her familys privacy. I think with my life now and now that I've had Rocket I'm really big on the privacy thing, she said. I think when I was younger, I was very young. You know, I grew up in the spotlight and people do change and once you have a family. She also opened up about the possibility of having another child, saying: I would love to have more children, definitely.' Lara and her actor husband Sam Worthington welcomed Rocket in March 2015. Baby's first starring role: Lara Bingle's son Rocket Zot makes modelling debut for Dior aged 13-months So what do you do after a long night looking glamorous at one of the most prestigious fashion galas of the year? If you're Taylor Swift, you grab a few BFFs, change into animal-themed onesies and eat pizza. The pop superstar posted a photo Tuesday showing herself and the Haim sisters chilling with two large delivered pies after attending The Met Gala in New York City Monday night. Scroll down for video 'After the party': Taylor Swift, far right, kicked back with squad members Este, Danielle and Alana Haim and some pizza following Monday's Met Gala in New York In the snap, Taylor is wearing a unicorn onesie with straggles of her platinum blonde hair peeking out from under the hood and still wearing dark red lipstick. The Haim sisters, who are one of Taylor's favorite bands, also wear similar onesies with the hoods up - one is a cat and the other two are Dalmatians. They've ordered large pepperoni and large cheese pizzas and are clearly very hungry. See Taylor Swift updates as she shares photo of herself chilling with the Haim sisters Working up an appetite: On Monday night, Taylor stunned on the red carpet at the Met Gala in a futuristic silver Louis Vuitton dress with cut-outs and gladiator heels Just hours earlier, Taylor was dressed to the nines as she served as a co-host of the prestigious Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute Benefit. The 26-year-old donned a futuristic silver Louis Vuitton mini-dress with a cutaway design; the edgy costume included knee-high leather strappy stilettos and Gothic dark red lip paint. The Haim sisters were also at the gala with Este, Danielle and Alana wearing specially-designed and complementary gowns by Rodarte. Coordinated: The Haim sisters were also on the guest lst for the prestigious event and wore complementary Rodarte gowns The three Haim sisters became part of Taylor's squad after the Shake It Off star fell in love with their debut album Days Are Gone in 2013. She even invited them to open for her at some of the 1989 World Tour concerts. Haim are about to embark on a new series of gigs themselves as they prepare to release their second studio album this summer. BFFs: Taylor and the Haims spend a lot of time together and are pictured enjoying a sun-soaked vacation in Maui back in January 2015 Meanwhile, at the Met Gala, Taylor had shown off her dance moves in an impromptu pas de deux with British actor Tom Hiddleston. The tuxedo-clad hunk, currently starring in AMC's The Night Manager, was caught on cell phone video getting jiggy with it - and Taylor - to the sounds of T.I.'s Bring 'Em Out. The pop star shakes her booty to perfection as she and Hiddleston enjoy their little dance off around the empty tables before dinner was served. The video clip was shared on Instagram and soon went viral, along with another video showing them still making moves to Beyonce's Crazy In Love. Pas de deux: Taylor was caught on cell phone video shaking it off with British actor Tom Hiddleston before sinner was served at the Met gala on Monday night Impromptu performance: The pop star put all her best moves on display as Hiddleston got jiggy with it My Kitchen Rules judge Pete Evans has only just married his new wife Nicola Robinson. And despite Pete now being on a trip to the US, the smitten chef has have said how much he misses his girls, Nicola and his daughters from a previous relationship, Indii and Chilli. Sharing a new shot of the girls at the wedding to Instagram on Wednesday, Pete gushed: 'Missing these 3 angels.' Scroll down for video Sweet: Pete Evans has gushed over new wife Nicola Robinson and his daughters Indii and Chilli as he travels in the US, sharing a shot from his and Nicola's wedding day recently He also used the hashtags 'spellbound' and 'Spell Designs,' with Spell Designs being a bohemian fashion boutique. In the image, Nicola stuns in her flowing white, embroidered wedding dress as her new step children stand behind her in tutus holding her long veil. Nicola - complete with a floral white crown - holds her hand in the air as she stands in the lush green hinterland. Pete is currently in the US and has shared various snaps of food and dining tables in Virginia and California. The wedding snap he shared on Wednesday comes after Nicola shared various snaps from their big day, including of herself sitting on a black horse. The nuptials were held on their farm in NSW and Pete also wore white like his bride, wearing a white shirt. Travels: Pete Evans is currently in the US appearing to be on a work trip Newlyweds: The snap comes after Nicola shared various snaps from their big day Majestic: Nicola is seen here on a black horse on the property What a backdrop: The nuptials were held on their farm in NSW and Pete also wore white like his bride, wearing a white shirt Having fun? Pete is currently in the US and has shared various snaps of food and dining tables in Virginia and California On Sunday, Pete shared an image of his three girls on the black horse and gushed about the special occasion, writing: 'Everyday is unique & special, but this particular day was a fairy tail! [sic]. 'Thank you for creating such a wonderfully magic day to celebrate LOVE!' Nicola has also written on Instagram that she has changed her name, calling herself Nicola Robinson Evans, although her handle is still 'nutritionmermaid.' Special: Nicola has also written on Instagram that she has changed her name, calling herself Nicola Robinson Evans Happy: On Sunday, Pete shared an image of his three girls on the black horse and gushed about the special occasion Off into the sunset: Nicola is seen here galloping on the horse in her wedding dress She told New Idea magazine last week that she changed her name because it is 'definitely time for me to honour Pete and share his last name.' The newlyweds also told the publication that they ate 'paleo cake.' Speaking about their vows, they said they decided to say them on the spot. 'We didn't write vows, we chose to do what we call "winging it",' Nicola said. 'We shared our deepest hopes, dreams and promises from our hearts.' Pete proposed in New York last year and the couple first met in Adelaide four years ago. He shares his two children with former wife Astrid Edlinger, who he split from in 2011. Nicola was also previously married to millionaire Warriors rugby league club owner, Eric Watson. Bachelor star Tim Robards works at a health clinic which promotes controversial chiropractic technique to treat newborns, it has been revealed. He is listed as working as a chiropractor at Health Space, a Sydney-based network of clinics which has made claims about how the alternative therapy can fix babies' spines. The company also recommends a check-up if a child suffers from bed wetting, allergies, colic, reflux, colds, flu and attention deficit hyperactive disorder (ADHD). Scroll down for video Controversial: It has been revealed that Bachelor star Tim Robards works at a Sydney health clinic which promotes controversial Chiropractic technique to treat newborns It comes after a controversial video emerged of Melbourne chiropractor Ian Rossborough manipulating a four-day old baby girl's spine to treat colic and reflux. The 'baby back cracking' video was widely criticised by health professionals. Robards is listed as a 'talented Chiropractor' on the website for Health Space, which has been slammed by a leading orthopaedic spine surgeon. Claims: He works as a chiropractor at Health Space, a Sydney-based network of clinics which has made extraordinary claims about how the alternative therapy can fix babies' spines and misshapen heads Fitness fanatic: Robards recently said he would love to 'elope' with his long-term girlfriend, Anna Heinrich Under the 'helpful tips' for 'Mums and Bubs' section of its website, the Health Space claims that children are susceptible to trauma in their spines from activities including the 'birth process'. 'Although symptoms, such as pain and malfunction may not show up for years, injury to their vital nervous system can have a lifetime of damaging effects,' it states. Health Space suggests that children should be checked by a chiropractor as soon as possible after birth as well as before and after vaccination. It also recommends that they should be checked when they start rolling, sitting, teething, eating solids, crawling, standing, and walking at a minimum. The website says: 'If your child is ever sick; including colds, flu, ear aches, sinus problems, sore throat etc, an adjustment can help strengthen their immune system so they get better faster and without drugs. 'To ensure their nervous and immune systems are at their best and to get the best results from vaccination, it is best to have your child checked 24-48 hours before and after their jabs! Baby back cracking: It comes after a video of Melbourne chiropractor Ian Rossborough (pictured) manipulating a premature baby's spine to treat colic and reflux was widely criticised 'If they have colic, reflux, constipation, explosive stools, feeding difficulties, bed wetting, digestive issues, allergies, behaviour & concentration issues, co-ordination problems, postural problems, scoliosis, flat or mis-shaped heads, ADD or ADHD.' Dr Nick Wood, the director of Health Space, said the clinics use 'chiropractic, physiotherapy, acupuncture and massage to ensure everybody works to their best level.' 'The chiropractic and physiotherapy practitioners apply the same neurological and orthopaedic testing that is taught in medical school,' he told Daily Mail Australia. 'They work with everyone from stressed corporate employees, crossfitters, elite athletes, pregnant mums and children to optimise the way their bodies move and perform.' Following the video of Rossborough manipulating a premature baby's spine to treat colic and reflux, President of the College of GPs, Dr Frank Jones, told Daily Mail Australia that manipulating a child's spine is a 'cruel' process. 'I think that this is an unnecessary and seemingly almost cruel process that there is actually no evidence to support,' Dr Jones said. 'It should not be advertised, it should not be practiced.' Fitness: Robards, who was Australia's first ever Bachelor, studied an Exercise Science and Rehabilitation degree Claims: Health Space suggests that children should be checked by a chiropractor as soon as possible after birth as well as before and after vaccination Health Space has also claimed that chiropractic care can be used to treat infertile women. It states that the alternative therapy is safe and beneficial for the mother and unborn baby throughout pregnancy. 'Chiropractic is completely safe throughout your pregnancy, and as your belly starts to grow, techniques will be modified to suit your needs,' the website states. Health Space claimed that it would decrease labour time and the chance of postnatal depression. Orthopaedic spine surgeon John Cunningham has said some of the claims were 'rubbish' and 'a clear breach' of the Australian Health Practititioner Regulation Agency's (AHPRA) advertising rules. 'This is so disappointing this is exactly the kind of stuff that gives chiropractors a bad name,' he told The Australian Women's Weekly Online. Robards, who was Australia's first ever Bachelor, studied an Exercise Science and Rehabilitation degree. He is now referred to as a Doctor of chiropractic. Daily Mail Australia is not suggesting that Robards has ever treated babies or children. Dr Wood from Health Space said: 'Dr Tim Robards has a special interest in the area of functional movement and performance and injury prevention/rehab in active adults. 'Health Space has certain practitioners who have done post graduate studies in pregnancy and paediatric care. These are the people that look after babies, children and pregnant mums.' Robards has been approached for a comment by Daily Mail Australia. As the founder and CEO of a billion-dollar strong company, she had something to contribute to the conversation at the 2016 Milken Institute Global Conference. Jessica Alba made a pretty picture as well among the business bunch at this year's event in Beverly Hills, California on Tuesday. The 35-year-old actress and entrepreneur was dressed for success in a sleeveless and slightly below-the-knee Roland Mouret frock that was the palest of blues. Pastel beauty: Jessica Alba stood out among the rest - in a dress that was the palest of blue - at the 2016 Milken Institute Global Conference in Beverly Hills on Tuesday Jessica's dress fit her snugly from its modest neckline to hemline and was matched with buff-coloured pointy suede pumps and a pastel handbag. She wore her brown hair wavy and parted in the center, and not much fuss went into its styling but no matter. The entrepreneur finished off her outfit with some simple accessories, including a Randall Scott Fine Jewelry necklace and a Pamela Love ring. Jessica commanded attention with her straight talk, presumably how she built a start-up venture selling eco-friendly baby products into a $1.7 billion strong company. Laughing all the way: The 35-year-old actress is also founder and CEO of The Honest Company that was valued at $1.7 billion last August Straight talk: Jessica could discuss a thing or two about start-up companies and how to run them Global issues: The conference was designed to discuss ways to solve problems around the world in finance, industry, government, health and education The event also brought out the likes of Tom Hanks, recently retired Los Angeles Lakers player Kobe Bryant, former US Vice President and environmentalist Al Gore, and former British Prime Minister Tony Blair among others. Jessica, however, may have drawn eyes her way when she pulled out a slim lip gloss out of her designer bag for a little touch up. She also managed to flash tanned and toned limbs while taking center stage at the conference, which continues Wednesday with more speakers. Time for touch up: The Fantastic Four star pulled out a lip gloss for a quick touch up Nice arrangement: Jessica matched her pretty pale blue dress with buff-coloured heels and a pink handbag Golden touch: It seems everything Jessica touches turns to success A-lister: Forrest Gump star Tom Hanks was also a speaker at the event and he was running with it by the looks of things California dreaming: Goldie Hawn lent her golden presence to the conference Casual style: The Private Benjamin star was casually chic in jeans, white shirt and black cardigan She wore a red beret: Cher made her lively presence known at the conference Star power: The singer spoke onstage during the conference in Beverly Hills Water crisis: Cher talked about the water crisis in Flint, Michigan after helping send hundreds of thousands of bottles of water there The point of the event is to 'explore solutions' to some of the world's problems. According to the organization's website, 'The Global Conference convenes some of the world's most extraordinary people to explore solutions to today's most pressing challenges in financial markets, industry sectors, health, government and education. 'Where others see problems, we seek solutions.' From court to conference: Recently retired LA Lakers player Kobe Bryant was a welcomed speaker at the conference Something to say: Russell Simmons was also a guest and everyone was listening to the co-founder of music label Def Jam Records and creator of a multiple clothing lines Tough talk: Former US Vice President and environmentalist Al Gore stood firm on the issues Politically correct: Former Prime Minister of the UK Tony Blair was among the speakers Later that day, Jessica switched from savvy businesswoman to devoted mom as she visited a friend with her two daughters Honor, seven, and Haven, four, in tow. By then the mother-of-two had changed into black trousers, a black-and-white striped top and white trainers, although she still clutched the pale pink handbag. Meanwhile, on Friday Jessica was just an average mom as she enjoyed a birthday lunch with her daughter Honor in Venice Beach, California. Switch: Jessica went from savvy businesswoman to doting mom as she visited a friend's house in Beverly Hills with her daughters Honor, seven, and Haven, four, on Tuesday Stripes are never out of fashion: The mom-of-two was wearing a striped top while her daughter Honor wore a striped skirt Giggles and hugs: Jessica's eldest daughter Honor was giggly as Jessica ferried her and her sister across the street Crossing guard: The actress looked out for cars as she led her daughters to the other side Also that day, Jessica's husband of nearly eight years, Cash Warren, 37, sent his love in a sweet Instagram share that she re-posted. It read: 'I still get butterflies in my stomach around you. I still wake up in the middle of the night and smile because you're next to me. I still laugh at your jokes. I am still inspired by you. I'm still in awe of your beauty. 'The only thing that's changed since the first day I met you is our age. Happy Birthday my sweet love!!! @jessicaalba.' BRIAN VINER: Philippa lives in Edinburgh, where she works in a dreary sales job and is passed over for promotion. 'You are at the right level for you,' says her condescending boss. A part-time paparazzo involved in an alleged confrontation with Biggest Loser star Michelle Bridges arrived in court to face an AVO hearing on Wednesday. Flanked by members of his legal team, Liam Mendes, 20, arrived in a suit and tie at Sydney's Downing Centre court after he was accused of following the 45-year-old around a Woolworths store. The celebrity fitness instructor filed for an apprehended violence order against Mendes in April, complaining she had been harassed at a supermarket in Potts Point, Sydney, when she was with her five-month-old son, Axel, and partner Steve 'Commando' Willis. The hearing was adjourned and will re-open on 8 June after Mendes's lawyer Chris Murphy insisted his client's behaviour was 'not illegal' and it was 'bad luck' if celebrities don't like being photographed. Scroll down for video Court day: Liam Mendes arrives in a suit and tie at Sydney's Downing Centre court on Wednesday morning after he was accused of following Biggest Loser star Michelle Bridges around a Woolworths supermarket Angry: The 45-year-old star was seen on camera confronting a man believed to be a photographer filming her in a Woolworths supermarket in Potts Point Mr Murphy told news.com.au after the hearing: 'Its based on a mistake. The incident occurred at the Woolworths at Kings Cross. Ms Bridges has been filmed many times in Kings Cross, and at Woolworths, and has put many photos of herself on Facebook I believe.' 'He never broke any law, its almost restraint of trade to try and stop him taking photos the way you do. 'If you [celebrities] dont like the photos, thats bad luck.' Footage of the incident taken on April 22 shows the TV star demanding that the camera is turned off before she appears to reach out and block the lens with her hand. 'You're breaking the law by taking photographs of people in a shop,' she can be heard saying in the footage from within the store. 'You can cross your arms, you can get upset, but you're actually breaking the law. 'And you're breaking the law by filming me in a shop.' Ready to be heard: Mendes (centre) and his legal team arrive for the morning hearing Fighting his corner: The part-time photographer will state his claim before a magistrate with help from his legal team Not happy: In the footage Michelle can be seen demanding that filming is stopped before she appeared to reach out to block the camera The man behind the camera is alleged to have initially refused to stop filming and can be heard saying he had not been asked to leave the store. Wearing a black tracksuit top and with her dark hair tied back, Michelle is heard becoming increasingly frustrated at the man filming her and at one point is seen standing hand on hip. Police were eventually called and issued a 20-year-old man with a move-on direction to which he complied. New mother: The fitness fanatic is said to have been in the store with her son Axel at the time A spokesman for NSW Police told Daily Mail Australia at the time that witnesses tried to intervene after the couple were 'filmed and intimidated' by the photographer. A Current Affair reported that days before the incident, the photographer had followed Michelle and her partner Steve to dinner. Mendes told the programme he was 'dumbfounded' at Michelle's reaction. TV pair: Michelle was said to be with her partner Steve 'Commando' Willis at thew time of the incident in April 'There was absolutely nothing different on these two occasions than the other 365 days a year she is photographed, I am dumbfounded,' Mendes said. Mendes denies any responsibly. It's not the first time the celebrity couple have confronted the paparazzi, sparking renewed public interest in the pair since they went public with their relationship in 2013. In 2015, Steve was caught delivering an expletive-ridden tirade toward a photographer, threatening to 'knock [his] f***ing head off'. TV trainers: It is not the first time the celebrity couple have confronted the paparazzi, sparking renewed public interest in the pair since they went public with their relationship in 2013 'Hey mate, you are a f***ing dick, you had to have the f***ing police called on you and you f***ing had your a*** tackled to the ground by the security,' he was filmed yelling. A week prior, The Daily Telegraph reported the former special forces infantryman had called the police when photographers had refused to stop taking pictures of him. 'The police were called to Bondi Junction Westfield on Saturday after a paparazzo continued to take photos of Steve and his daughter,' confirmed his management to the newspaper at the time. 'Steve assisted the police with their inquiries and left.' They say you cant teach an old dog new tricks, but Ronnie Woods wife, Sally, has found a way to keep all the hounds in her house happy. The 38-year-old theatre producer has given Rolling Stones guitarist Ronnie, 68, a cushion with a photograph of their pet dog, Dolly, printed on it. Ronnie Woods wife, Sally, has found a way to keep all the hounds in her house happy The 38-year-old theatre producer has given Rolling Stones guitarist Ronnie, 68, a cushion with a photograph of their pet dog, Dolly, printed on it However, the cushion seemed to make Dolly even more comfortable than usual on their sofa, prompting jokes from friends about Ronnie being forced to relax in the dog basket instead. Ha, ha, very funny, responded Sally. Lets hope Ronnie is tickled. His last wife, Jo, booted him out of their kennel after he had an affair with a Russian cocktail waitress even younger than Sally. He might be a millionaire who counts the Duchess of York and Kate Moss as friends, but even entrepreneur Sir David Tang, who founded The Dorchester restaurant China Tang and fashion brand Shanghai Tang, isnt above flogging second- hand goods on auction site eBay for a bit of extra cash. My father sold my most prized possession, a one-of-a-kind Hindustan Ambassador classic car, on eBay without telling me, moans his daughter Victoria. It broke my heart. Suki acts the LA part - in hot pants Ever since ending her mutually beneficial relationship with actor Bradley Cooper, Suki Waterhouse has been on the lookout for a new leading man. The 24-year-old Burberry model turned actress was certainly dressed to impress in Los Angeles this week wearing a pair of thigh-skimming Daisy Dukes with a shearling jacket. Suki: The 24-year-old Burberry model turned actress was certainly dressed to impress in Los Angeles this week wearing a pair of thigh-skimming Daisy Dukes with a shearling jacket Waterhouse, the daughter of a Harley Street plastic surgeon, appears in a forthcoming Winston Churchill biopic and has spoken of how daunting she finds the acting world. One of my biggest insecurities is that I didnt train, but thats not necessarily the only way, she says. Wearing fewer clothes no doubt helps. Rapper Professor Green has found a silver lining in the ending of his marriage to Millie Mackintosh: more time to read. Just finished a book for the first time in A LONG time, he writes online. Years, actually. Back on one a week minimum. Who knew the prof was such an intellectual? Eccentric TV historian Mary Beard wont take Emma Soamess insults lying down. Sir Winston Churchills granddaughter Emma said she could watch the Cambridge classicist only through my fingers. But Professor Beard says she would dye her long grey hair pink rather than have it cut. I do hope [Emma] can bring herself to peep through her fingers and learn something about Rome. It has been revealed that Cody Simpson's new flame, Sierra Swartz, was one of the survivors from the Santa Barbara shooting in May 2014. The pair are said to be in a relationship as they were photographed cuddling up over the weekend while attending the Malibu Guitar Festival. Aspiring model Sierra survived the Santa Barbara massacre when gunman Elliot Rodger murdered six students and injured 14 others before taking his own life. Scroll down for video Young love: Cody Simpson was recently seen out in Malibu with his new girlfriend Sierra Swartz, who was one of the survivors of the Santa Barbara shootings in May 2014 Tragic: Sierra survived the Santa Barbara massacre in 2014 when gunman Elliot Rodger murdered six students and injured 14 others before taking his own life At the time of the ordeal in Isla Vista, she was walking to a friends house when Elliot aimed at her from his black car - luckily, she managed to flee and find safety inside a neighbouring house. Shortly after the ordeal, she told reporters: He [Elliot] lifted up a little black pistol and I just thought it was some kind of airsoft gun or something. I was like, hey, whats up? And then I turned around and I started walking away, she trailed off, before reducing to tears. Sierra added: The fact that I could feel the wind pass through my face [from the shot] I didnt even know that could happen with a gunshot. Lucky escape: At the time of the incident in Isla Vista, Sierra was walking to a friends house when Elliot aimed at her from his black car - luckily, she managed to flee and find safety inside a neighbouring house Fatal incident: In the stabbing and shooting spree two years ago, British-born Rodger killed six of his fellow University of California students and injured 14 others near the Santa Barbara campus before killing himself Soon after the ordeal: This photo shows the scene of the drive-by shooting that left six people dead In the stabbing and shooting spree two years ago, British-born Rodger killed six of his fellow University of California students and injured 14 others near the Santa Barbara campus before killing himself. Rodger's first three victims were his roommates, David Wang and James Hong, and a friend, George Chen, who were stabbed dozens of times with a 9-inch boar-hunting knife. After Rodger killed himself, police found three semi-automatic handguns and nearly 550 unspent rounds in his car. All were purchased legally. His main support: Cody and Sierra spent the weekend attending the Malibu Guitar Festival where Cody entertained the crowds with an energetic performance of his hit songs Close bond: On Sunday, the genetically-blessed duo - who recently went public with their romance - were seen putting on an affectionate display On Sunday Cody and Sierra - who recently went public with their romance - were seen putting on an affectionate display as they stepped out at the gig in Malibu. The lovebirds spent the weekend attending the Malibu Guitar Festival where Cody entertained crowds with an energetic performance of his hit songs. Dressed down in a slouchy T-shirt and dark denim jeans, the 19-year-old pop sensation was unable to take his eyes off his stunning girlfriend. Keeping his cool: The pop sensation was dressed down in a slouchy T-shirt and rocked a black cap on his head Smitten: The 19-year-old crooner was unable to take his eyes off his stunning girlfriend Pretty in pink: Sierra, 20, cut a relaxed figure in a cute salmon coloured knee-high dress Carefree: She wore her blonde tresses scraped into a loose pony tail with a pair of sunglasses popped causally on her head Sierra, 20, cut a relaxed figure in a pretty salmon knee-high dress, while she wore her hair scraped into a loose pony tail with a pair of sunglasses popped causally on her head. According to News Corp Australia, the couple were recently introduced to one another at an event and have since been inseparable. Sierra, daughter of a guitar maker, was born and raised in California. Cody split from his on/off again girlfriend Gigi Hadid for the final time in May 2015. The Victoria's Secret supermodel is now dating former One Direction band mate, Zayn Malik. American beauty: Cody's new girl is said to have been raised in California with her family After a trip to a North Dakota coal mine Tuesday, an U.S. Interior Department official agreed to take more of the states concerns into consideration when enacting federal regulation. Along with North Dakotas congressional delegation, Janice Schneider, the federal agency's assistant secretary for land and minerals management, toured the Coteau Properties Freedom Mine near Beulah to hear how the agencys proposed Stream Protection Rule would affect miners in the state. The office of Sen. John Hoeven, R-N.D., said the delegation wanted Schneider to see how streams might form in the spring and then dry up during the summer. She was escorted to a yet unmined portion of the property where groundwater was coming out of a side hill and flowing in a seasonal stream before returning underground. So theres no stream, stream, no stream, stream, said David Straley, a spokesman for the mines parent company, North American Coal. Straley said under the rule as written, North American would be prevented from mining the coal in that area. The inclusion of these intermittent streams and waterways that permeate the Prairie Pothole region in the proposed rule is that causes the industry concern. This would take more than 600 million tons of otherwise minable coal in the state off the table, according to the Lignite Energy Council. It could lead to $50 million a year in compliance costs related to additional monitoring and data collection, as well as further box cuts needed to mine around areas. When the proposed rule was introduced, industry was allowed 60 days to review and make comment on the 2,000-page document. Straley said they made initial comments but, as they continued to review the rule, they found more impacts. As a result of her visit, Schneider has agreed to accept those additional comments. We think shes pretty serious about it,"" Straley said. "Were hopeful. When it comes to returning the land to its original state once mining is completed, Straley said the proposed rule would also prevent North American from putting what was previously agricultural land back to agricultural use. For example, portions of the rule would require what started as a 25-foot seasonal stream to be put back as a 225-foot stream. Tree brush and rootballs would have to be pushed back into waterways. Most farmers farm through those things, Straley said. The congressional delegation said the problem stems from the agency trying to apply rules for Appalachian coal mining to all coal mining. The rule was initially intended to address issues with Appalachian mining practices, but shows little understanding of the mining practices of the lignite industry or the geography of North Dakota, Sen. Heidi Heitkamp, D-N.D., said in a statement. In North Dakota, we already have a pretty rigorous process for reclamation, said Rep. Kevin Cramer, R-N.D., who used to oversee coal mine reclamation during his time on the North Dakota Public Service Commission. We were stewards of this land long before the Obama administration came. Weve won awards for reclamation. Buying time, the North Dakota delegation helped to include language in 2014 and 2016 federal spending bills to halt the rule for a year at a time, requiring the agency to consult each state on the proposal. They have vowed to do this again in 2017 if concerns arent addressed. The lawmakers also said they will push the agency to remain engaged with the coal industry and state regulators, and Tuesday was the beginning of that dialogue. We are pleased Secretary Schneider accepted additional comments on the proposed Stream Protection Rule after a days worth of discussion and tour of coal mining reclamation at the Freedom Mine. The opportunity for additional input is vital to the formation of the final rule, and we hope they will seriously consider reopening the public comment period, Joe Friedlander, director of regulatory affairs for North American Coal, said in a prepared statement. Schneider told industry that the proposed rule is expected to be finalized in the coming months. Straley expects it will be two to four months from now. Waleed Aly has revealed that Lisa Wilkinson reached out to him after she laughed along with an awkward gaffe which suggested she was 'too white' to be in the running for a Gold Logie. The Project co-host said he spoke to Lisa about what was 'actually going on behind the scenes' when Karl Stefanovic made the joke. During a discussion on the Today Show when the nominations were announced last month, Ben Fordham asked 'Where is Lisa Wilkinson's Gold Logie?' Scroll down for audio Apology: TV presenter Waleed Aly has revealed that Lisa Wilkinson texted him to explain the awkward gaffe which suggested she was 'too white' to be in the running for a Gold Logie To which Karl joked: 'I think it's very clear, Lisa's too white'. Lisa then chimed in with: 'I got a spray tan and everything, still didn't make it'. Aly, who has been nominated for the coveted category along with Lee Lin Chin, Carrie Bickmore and Grant Denyer, said he was happy to dismiss the comment as a 'gaffe'. But he told Kiis FM's Matt Tilley and Meshel Laurie on Wednesday that the 'subtext' suggested the awards were making a 'token gesture'. 'Too white': The Today Show host Karl Stefanovic joked that co-host Lisa Wilkinson is 'too white' to be nominated for the TV Week Gold Logie Nominees: Karl's comments came after The Project's Waleed Aly (L) and SBS newsreader Lee Lin Chin (R) were announced as Gold Logie nominees Matt said: 'I read it as basically saying, 'Oh they're making a token gesture towards people like Waleed and Lee Lin (Chin) to embrace the multicultural nature of TV these days'.' 'That's clearly the subtext,' Aly said. 'But I think what happened was, it was one of those bantery things that just went wrong and Karl threw in a comment that other people were not expecting'. He revealed that Lisa Wilkinson texted him and they spoke over the phone a few days later. 'So you cleared the air with Lisa?' Laurie asked. 'I really like Lisa and she's also been incredibly effusive about me in the past,' Aly said, adding, 'We've only met once before.' 'I think she (Lisa Wilkinson) felt that it just didn't represent who she was,' Aly said when asked what Wilkinson said during the conversation. Questions: 'Where is Lisa Wilkinson's Gold Logie?' fellow Channel Nine star Ben Fordham inquired during the show, to which Karl eventually responded: 'Lisa's too white' Having her say: Nodding, 56-year-old Lisa laughed, saying: 'I got a spray tan and everything, still didn't make it' Explanation: The Project co-host said he spoke to Lisa about what was 'actually going on behind the scenes' when Karl Stefanovic made the joke Pioneer: Earlier on in the segment 41-year-old Karl suggested he was the pioneer for ethnic diversity in the Gold Logie award category, given his Serbian and German heritage Social media post: After the segment The Today Show posted this on its official Twitter account 'So you're happy to just put it up there as a gaffe?' Tilley asked. 'Yeah I think so,' replied Aly. 'Especially when I spoke to her (Lisa Wilkinson) about what was actually going on behind the scenes, because as I recall ... wasn't she in a separate studio? 'I don't think she was listening. I reckon she was doing some other thing, heard them mention her name and just went, 'Oh I'd better say something'. The 58th Logie Awards will be presented at Crown's Palladium Room in Melbourne on Sunday. While Karl, Lisa and Ben have personally missed out on nominations this year, The Today Show has been nominated in the Best News Panel or Current Affairs Programme category. The Gold Logie nominations this year feature Indonesian-born SBS newsreader Lee Lin, who is of Chinese descent, as well as The Project host Waleed Aly, who is Egyptian. Waleed, 37, is set to go head-to-head with co-host Carrie Bickmore, who won the coveted gong at last year's prestigious ceremony in Melbourne. Victory: Karl pictured with his Gold Logie he won in 2011. That year he defeated fellow nominees Jessica Marais, Chrissie Swan, Asher Keddie, Rebecca Gibney and Adam Hills Going for gold! Waleed, 37, is set to go head-to-head with co-host Carrie Bickmore, who won the coveted gong at last year's prestigious ceremony in Melbourne Inspiring: Waleed's nomination comes after the journalist has used his position on the panel of The Project to speak about important issues Also in the running for Gold in 2016 is Reno Rumble's Scott Cam, Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries actress Essie Davis and Family Feud host Grant Denyer. Speaking to Fairfax, TV Week editor Emma Nolan commented on the line-up for the Gold Logie nominations this year. 'In all my time I don't think we've ever seen a list like this,' she said. 'It's different, in a good way it's diverse in terms of gender, age and background.' Waleed's nomination comes after the journalist has used his position on the panel of The Project to speak about important issues. In November last year the personality made an impassioned speech on the show about Islamic State, after the Paris terrorist attacks. Great news: Lee Lin, has become the first personality from the SBS to be nominated in the Gold Logie category, having presented with SBS World News since 1992 Contenders: Family Feud's Grant Denyer and Reno Rumble's Scott Cam are also nominated for Gold His speech - where he called for Australians to be above 'hate' - reached 16 million people worldwide. He was also nominated for a Walkley Award last year. Meanwhile Lee Lin, has become the first personality from the SBS to be nominated in the Gold Logie category, having presented with SBS World News since 1992. She took to social media on Monday to tweet her excitement of being nominated, writing: 'Waking up a gold Logie nominee just feels better you know?' This year there are 24 categories for the TV Week Logie Awards, of which 12 are the 'Best' awards and voted by the public, while the remaining 12 'Outstanding' awards are voted by industry experts. She's known for her glamorous style and her luscious good looks. But on Tuesday night Snezana Markoski decided to showcase a remarkably different side of herself by going make up free for a disheveled selfie that her beau Sam Wood shared to social media. 'When your beautiful wife to be sends you this and says 'if you don't look this then you haven't really worked out',' gushed Sam, who was clearly proud of the 35-year-old's natural beauty. Scroll down for video Total transformation! Snezana Markoski ditched her glamorous image for a makeup-free selfie on Tuesday night, which her beau Sam Wood eagerly shared to social media Sam's Instagram fans were quick to comment on the photo, heaping praise upon The Bachelor starlet. 'My skin doesn't look like this and I'm 9 years younger. I need to start looking after myself lol,' wrote one user. Another added: 'She looks better after a workout than I do in everyday life haha.' 'She looks so much better without makeup!' Fans were quick to praise the 35-year-old's good looks, going as far as to state that they prefer her bare-faced instead of glammed up 'When your beautiful wife to be sends you this:' The Bachelor Sam Wood proudly shared the photo of his stunning fiance, gushing over her post-workout beauty Red hot: The brunette bombshell loves to wear bold red lipstick during nights out on the town Several fans even went as far as to say that the Macedonian stunner is more gorgeous without wearing makeup. 'She looks so much better without makeup!' exclaimed one particularly enthusiastic user. Snezana is often seen wearing lots of makeup, using eyeliner and mascara to highlight her large, brown eyes. She's also a fan of lipsticks, opting for coral and pinkish shades for her general everyday look, and then glamming up with bold reds for events and fancy nights out. I see you: Snezana loves to highlight her brown eyes with smokey eyeshadow, eyeliner, and mascara Striking: The reality TV star was known for her glamorous, heavily made-up looks on The Bachelor The mother-of-one's sophisticated image has earned her attention in the fashion world, with the brunette beauty landing the cover of the Sunday Telegraph's Sunday Style magazine in February. In an interview with the magazine, Snezana confessed to undergoing a breast augmentation to achieve a busty chest. 'Yes, I have [had breast augmentation],' she said. 'That was a few years ago; Ive never hidden it. Im not ashamed of it.' Though not disclosing the details, she added that there may have been reasons other than 'purely cosmetic.' She was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma, a rare form of blood cancer, which put her life on hold as she was pursuing dreams of Hollywood stardom in 2014. But Australian actress Tessa James, who two weeks ago celebrated her 25th birthday, showed off her renewed confidence in a glamorous photo shoot. The former Home And Away star exuded an inner glow as she poses arms across her chest in a series of striking photographs. Scroll down for video Radiant: Australian actress Tessa James showed off her renewed confidence in a photo shoot for which she poses topless Tessa, perhaps best known for her role as Nicole Franklin on Home and Away, shows off her tanned and slender physique and longer hair style as she poses wearing just a white skirt. Her pixie-style hair appears longer and is styled in a side parting and she wears only a dusting of makeup for a natural look. In stark contrast, she covers up in a black and white image in a long flowing black dress as she perches on two wooden boxes, all doe-eyed and angelic-looking. Contrast: In a black and white image taken by photographer Christian Blanchard she covers up in a long flowing black dress all innocent-looking and doe-eyed Striking: The images, taken by photographer Christian Blanchard, also show her posing in a loose-fitting leather jacket The striking photographs, taken by photographer Christian Blanchard, also show her posing hair deliberately messed and in a loose-fitting leather jacket, peering seductively into the camera lens. Last year, after she was given the all-clear by doctors, Tessa spoke of her battle with the disease, telling Sunday Night: 'No one should have to go through that.' The petite star had been following her Hollywood dream in LA when she found a lump above her collarbone in a moment that turned her life upside down. Her nearest and dearest: Tessa (R) celebrated her 25th birthday on Saturday with Jodi Anasta (second right), Daly Cherry-Evans and his partner Vessa Rockliff, Dan Conn and his new girlfriend Lynzey Murphy (third right) 'You deserve it': Husband Nate Myles shared a sweet image of the couple taken during the boat party, showing him placing a tender kiss on his wife's head She returned home to her native Australia and, with the help of husband NRL player Nate Myles and her family, overcame the illness. Today, she has spoken of her plans to reconquer Hollywood and to start a family saying: There are high stats of people my age having had treatment who have children, so I hope that is in the future for us.' In April she celebrated her one-year-anniversary of being cancer free as she marked her 25th birthday with a boat cruise around Sydney. Diagnosis: She was first diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma in 2014 while living in Los Angeles, after she discovered a lump above her collarbone For the double occasion, she was joined by her husband, best friend actress Jodi Anasta, NRL player Daly Cherry-Evans and his partner Vessa Rockliff, and former NRL player Dan Conn and his new girlfriend, MKR star Lynzey Murphy. On the day, Nate shared a tender image on Instagram of the couple at the party, showing him planting a tender kiss on her head. Celebrity fitness instructor Michelle Bridges was seen looking downcast as she took her baby son Axel for a stroll the day before an AVO hearing against the photographer she confronted. The Biggest Loser star was pictured balancing blankets in one arm while pushing along her four-month-old in the pram. With her hair pulled back in a ponytail, Michelle looked a far cry from her usual perky self as she spent quality time with her son before a session in the gym on Tuesday. Doting mother: Celebrity fitness instructor Michelle Bridges was seen taking her four-month-old son Axel for a stroll the day before an AVO hearing against the photographer she confronted in a Woolworths She looked ready for a workout in a navy tracksuit, gillet and white trainers. Her partner Steve 'Commando' Willis, who she met on the set of The Biggest Loser, was later seen looking after Axel while Michelle was in the gym. The fitness fanatic was involved in a clash with a photographer at a Woolworths in Sydney last month. Quality time: The Biggest Loser star appears to be adjusting well to life as a new mother, balancing blankets in one arm while pushing along the pram Gym ready: She looked ready for a workout in a navy tracksuit, gillet and white trainers She was filmed confronting part-time paparazzo Liam Mendes, 20, after she allegedly caught him trying to take photographs of her and her baby son at the supermarket in Potts Point, Sydney. Michelle filed for an apprehended violence order against Mendes in April and he arrived for the hearing at Sydney's Downing Centre court on Wednesday. She welcomed her first child with Steve in December last year. Confrontation: The celebrity fitness instructor, 45, has filed for an apprehended violence order against the photographer after she accused him of following her through the supermarket Angry: The Biggest Loser star Michelle Bridges has been caught on camera confronting a photographer who was filming her in a Woolworths The Biggest Loser personal trainer maintained a high level of her fitness and working out while she was pregnant and came under fire from critics at the time. She previously admitted to Daily Mail Australia that despite keeping up the intense workouts during her pregnancy, it's taken some time to get back into her training routine. 'I'm only just starting to get back into my training after having the baby a few months ago,' she told Daily Mail Australia. 'I'm just taking it at my own pace.. I'm slowly getting there,' she continued before adding being a first time mother is 'going really well.' Argument: A Current Affair reported that days before the incident, the photographer had followed Bridges and her partner, Steve 'Commando' Willis, to dinner In Marvel's Jessica Jones, Krysten Ritter is usually seen sporting leather jackets, jeans and hoodies. But the 34-year-old showed just how well she scrubs up at a screening and Q&A for the Netflix series in Los Angeles on Tuesday. Krysten looked sensational in a flimsy scarlet dress, which had long sleeves and highlighted her slender figure. Red hot: Krysten Ritter looked sensational in scarlet at a Jessica Jones screening and Q&A in Los Angeles on Tuesday The flirty frock also boasted a daring slit up one side, leaving the actress's long legs on show. Krysten teamed the dress with embellished gold peep toe heels despite her statuesque frame, and carried a metallic clutch bag. The star wore her raven locks down and poker straight, and finished off her look for the evening with smoky eye make-up and bold red lipstick which perfectly matched her outfit. Krysten was joined by her co-stars Mike Colter, Rachael Taylor and Carrie-Anne Moss. Showing some skin: The actress displayed her long legs in the bright dress, which had a slit up one side Hot metal: Krysten also wore embellished gold shoes and carried a metallic clutch bag Mike almost stole the spotlight away from his leading lady in a gold suit jacket and trousers, teamed with a mustard T-shirt and brown brogues. The 39-year-old portrays Jessica's love interest in the series, and will be reprising his role as the titular character in the upcoming spin-off series Luke Cage, which is currently filming. What's more, Krysten and Mike are joining forces with Charlie Cox, who plays Daredevil in the show of the same name, and Finn Jones, who will portray Iron Fist, in ensemble show The Defenders. Sultry star: The 34-year-old sported smoky eye make-up and bold red lips, and wore her raven hair down Dream team: Krysten was joined by co-stars (L-R) Mike Colter, Rachael Taylor and Carrie-Anne Moss Luke Cage is set to air later this year, while The Defenders is in pre-production and likely to be released in 2017. The two spin-offs leave little time to focus on Jessica Jones itself, and Bloomberg revealed last week that production on the second season of the show won't begin production until next year. Also at the event on Tuesday was Rachael Taylor, who plays Jessica's best friend Trish Walker. The 31-year-old kept things simple but stylish in a a black mini-dress with fringed hemline, along with matching pumps. Fringe benefits: Rachael, who plays Trish Walker, looked sexy in a black mini-dress which had fringing on the hem, along with matching pumps Meanwhile The Matrix alum Carrie-Anne Moss, who portrays Jeri Hogarth in the show and appeared as the character in an episode of Daredevil, wore a black blazer and trousers with a teal camisole and suede pumps. Jessica Jones's first season, which also starred David Tennant as baddie Kilgrave, was praised by critics. The show will be hoping to win big the 2016 Emmy Awards, which take place in September. Voting for nominations begins next month, with the nominees being announced on July 14. When one's ex-boyfriend and his girlfriend flock to your premiere, you know it's going to be a good time. Kate Beckinsale certainly lived up to the title of her latest movie Love & Friendship as she showed she had a lot of both when it came to her ex Michael Sheen and his current love Sarah Silverman. The English actress, 42, looked thrilled to see the pair as they showed their support for her at the Los Angeles screening of her new film. Scroll down for video All that shimmers: Kate Beckinsale exuded charm and grace in a black halterneck gown as she attended the Los Angeles premiere of her film Love & Friendship on Tuesday Make 'em laugh: Kate was joined by her ex-boyfriend Michael Sheen and his girlfriend Sarah Silverman The actress got some preferential treatment from a couple of her premiere guests - her former partner, actor Michael Sheen, and his beloved, comedienne Sarah Silverman. Kate, who shares daughter Lily, 17, with Michael, was having a blast kidding around with the Welsh actor, 47. Her glee extended to Michael's current love, with at one point, Kate cupping Sarah's face in her hands as the stand-up comic, 45, gave her a silly, languorous look. Ex factor: Kate's former beau Michael was in attendance with his current squeeze Sarah Confident: The 42-year-old star posed with hand on hip while displaying a cheery smile Checking her glands? The English actress showed that she likes to kid around just like Sarah Speaking to E!'s Marc Malkin on the red carpet, Kate admitted she was thrilled at Michael's choice of girlfriend. She said: 'I love her. I love her. I love her. I am so glad Michael found her so I don't have to spend the rest of my life looking for her.' Sarah has been equally complimentary about Kate in the past, having previously said: 'I love her. She's hilarious... She's really really cool. They're really funny together.' When she compared herself to Michael's famously stunning exes, Sarah added: 'No it's more like, "Look at all these beautiful women and he loves me." It's more like that, like "Wow".' Details, details: Kate's Thierry Mugler gown was snug from top to bottom where it ended in a mini split Dare to bare: Kate flashed a hint of her long legs as she walked the red carpet, thanks to the frock's slit Quite a greeting: Sarah gave Kate a big bear hug Firm friends: Kate has spoken of her love for Sarah, admitting she was thrilled her ex had found the comedienne as a life partner Meanwhile, Kate was looking her usual glamorous self in a form-fitting black halterneck gown by Thierry Mugler. The inward swoop of the bodice allowed her to show off her toned shoulders and arms while a mini split in front allowed glimpses of ankles and black-strapped heels. The dress' fabric had a subtle shimmer to it, and long earrings and dramatic dark nail polish were cool additions. Kate clutched a small bag as she posed this way and that way, her long brunette-bronze locks flat on top and cascading in neat orderly waves. Curly is girly: Kate's hair was styled in sleek and cascading curls Getting along famously: Kate welcomed Michael and Sarah to the premiere with opens arms Romance still going strong: The couple - who have been dating since early 2014 - breezed to the screening hand-in-hand Kate, who is said to have split from director husband Len Wiseman, was in a relationship with Michael from 1995 until 2003, although they never married. If anything, Kate proved that there was a lot of 'love' and 'friendship' going on right here. Michael has been dating Sarah since early 2014, a year after his split from Canadian actress Rachel McAdams after two years together. Love & Friendship is based on the novella Lady Susan by Jane Austen. Shall we dance? Kate did a little waltz with Love & Friendship writer-director Whit Stillman Accessories are nice: The actress added long earrings and a black and purple clutch It tells the story of a widow, Lady Susan Vernon, who seeks refuge at her in-laws' estate where she soon begins to act as matchmaker for her daughter Francesa - and herself. The movie also stars Chloe Sevigny, Xavier Samuel and Emma Greenwell. The romantic drama premiered at Sundance Film Festival in January and will bow in US theatres on May 13. Gorgeous at every angle: Kate showed off her stunning figure in the dress as she twirled for the cameras Star trip: Kate gratified her fans by signing autographs to Beckinsale memorabilia Anything goes: Sarah displayed her signature anything goes style while Isabel Lucas looked simply chic Centre of attention: The English actress posed up a storm for the cameras She's the blonde bombshell who shot to fame on the seventh cycle of Australia's Next Top Model. And on Tuesday night Simone Holtznagel showed exactly how she's carved out such a successful career in reality TV as she stepped out for dinner in Sydney's Potts Point. The 22-year-old looked sensational in a clinging black star-studded mini-dress as she left trendy eatery Missy French after dining with her former ANTM co-star Montana Cox. Scroll down for video A different world! Simone Holtznagel showed off her trim pins in a starry mini-dress as she stepped out to dinner in Sydney with her former ANTM co-star Montana Cox on Tuesday night The Guess model's lengthy legs were on full display in the skimpy dress, which cut off mid-thigh. Simone further elongated her toned pins in a pair of dangerously high beige stilettos. The stunning star had been eating with Montana Cox, who beat her to win the seventh cycle of Australia's Next Top Model back in 2011. Fortunately the pair were still able to forge a close friendship despite meeting in a competition. Bombshell: The 22-year-old looked incredible as she strutted her stuff in a pair of beige stilettos The genetically-blessed duo shared a joint selfie during dinner, with Simone writing: 'Baby gal and I reunited.' The Wollongong-born beauty may have been out celebrating her latest modelling gig after starring in the latest campaign for A.Che Swimwear. In a promotional image for the campaign, the busty blonde posed in a black and white bikini. Still friends: Simone shared a selfie with former co-star Montana Cox during their dinner together Origins: Montana beat Simone on the seventh cycle of Australia's Next Top Model, but the pair still remain friends years later The beauty is standing in the water, waist deep, pushing her hair back and striking a sultry expression. Simone - who is currently back in her native Australia after touching down from the US where she is based - said online that she 'loves' the image. She is no stranger to showing off her impressive body having posed for a number of swimwear brands as well as modelling for Guess. The stunner last year scored her first Playboy cover, appearing on 'The College Issue' special. She also posed topless for the magazine. Busty: The stunning starlet is currently the face of A.Che Swimwear As a style blogger she's used to embracing different styles. And on Wednesday former Big Brother contestant Aisha Jade McKinnon mixed up her look sporting a super feminine velvet and lace dress teamed with a bomber jacket. The 24-year-old blogger finished her look with a pop of colour with a bright red lip and she slicked her hair back for the car event. Scroll down for video Mix of styles: Reality star turned fashion blogger wore a super shot black velvet dress teamed with a bomber jacket and boots to the launch of Holden's new Spark Jade sported strong brows, a smokey eye and rouge on her cheeks to finish off her look. In contrast to her pretty dress Aisha, who runs the blog Boy By Her, opted for a pair of chunky black boots on her feet. Aisha joined Carissa Wolford, Tegan Martin and Ryan Channing at the bash held at Vine Double Bay. Hot stuff: The 24-year-old added a flash of colour with a bright red lip and a white manicure at the event held at Vine in Sydney's Double Bay From reality star to fashion blogger: After appearing on Big Brother in 2014 The gang gathered together to celebrate Holden's launch of the all new Spark car with an intimate brunch. Aisha, who appeared on the eleventh series of Big Brother in 2014, has had a busy few days. On Tuesday the reality star attended the Debenhams press event held at The Mint to look at the latest wares available from the department store. Poser: The blogger knows how to work the camera For the fashion meeting Aisha rocked a semi-sheer white pleated skirt and a peach blouse for the fashion event. Earlier this year the Big Brother babe opened up to Daily Mail Australia about the inspiration behind her unique style. 'It's all about embracing your inner boy. Boys just get up in the morning and they chuck on their clothes and it looks good. That's the type of vibe that I want to give off on the blog,' she revealed. 'I think people know what they are looking for when they come to my blog, which is very laid back fashion and it says that in the title - Boy By Her. 'I think I'm very aware of the brand and I'm very aware of what I'm trying to get across and that's affordable fashion,' she added. They were up against each other five years ago for the title of Australia's Next Top Model. But model pals Simone Holtznagel, 22, and Montana Cox, also 22, seemed very happy to be in each other's company as they cosied up to pose for this snap on Tuesday night. Simone uploaded the black and white selfie to her Instagram account while out at trendy Sydney restaurant, Missy French. Scroll down for video Don't pout about it: Models Simone Holtznagel, 22, and Montana Cox, also 22, have clearly continued their friendship after competing against each other on Australia's Next Top Model in 2011 The close-up shows the two stunners huddled together, pouting towards the camera while the caption reads: 'Baby gal and I reunited'. Simone's trademark blonde locks fall in thick waves around her face, and she is rocking a flick of black eyeliner, accentuating her bold features. Montana, whose choice of minimal make-up gives a more natural look, rests her chin affectionately on Simone's shoulder and matches her pout. Her dark hair is parted in the middle and slicked back away from her face, allowing the camera full vision of her pretty complexion. Top Models: Montana (left) won the 2011 series while Liz Braithwaite (centre) came in second place and Simone (right) in third The two girls made it to the finals of 2011's Australia's Next Top Model, which saw Montana claim the title and Simone place third behind Liz Braithwaite. As the winner, Montana received a modelling contract with Chic Model Management, twenty thousand dollars in cash, a Ford Fiesta and an overseas trip to New York City to meet with Next Model Management. Montana has since enjoyed a successful career in the modelling industry, signing with international modelling agency IMG and appearing on the catwalk for some of the most highly-regarded fashion houses in the world such as Chanel and Christian Dior. Bevvy of beauties: Sarah Murdoch (pictured second left) hosted the series and announced Montana as the winner in 2011 Closer to home, she has also appeared on the David Jones catwalk numerous times, starred in campaigns for Australian label Witchery, and taken part in Australian Fashion week - walking for Manning Cartell and Toni Maticevski. Simone, who moved to the US in 2014 to pursue her burgeoning career, also has a stack of modelling credentials to her name. The stunner - who hails from Sydney's Wollongong - last year scored her first Playboy cover on 'The College Issue' special and she has also posed topless for the magazine. The blonde bombshell has also recently appeared in a campaign for Guess. Made to model: Montana has enjoyed a successful career in the modelling industry since winning the competition, signing with agency IMG and appearing on international catwalks She often stands out from the crowd with her effortlessly cool red-carpet style. And true to form, Elsa Pataky made a statement by rocking a pair of tight black jeans and a silver metallic jacket to support a Denim Day charity event in Barcelona on Tuesday. The actress, who has three children with her husband Chris Hemsworth, looked stunning in the ensemble which she paired with a black stilettos. Scroll down for video Blonde beauty: Elsa Pataky decided to make a statement by rocking a pair of tight black jeans and a silver metallic jacket to support a Denim Day charity event in Barcelona on Tuesday With her lightly curled blonde locks styled into an on-trend long bob, Elsa glowed as she took to the red carpet wearing statement earrings. She returned to her home country for the event at the W hotel which supports the Guess Foundation's annual Denim Day. This encourages people to wear jeans to support survivors of sexual assault and educate themselves about assault. See Chris Hemsworth updates as his wife Elsa Pataky attends charity event in Barcelona Stylish: The actress, who has three children with her husband Chris Hemsworth, looked stunning in the ensemble which she paired with a black stilettos Glowing: With her lightly curled blonde locks styled into an on-trend long bob, Elsa glowed as she took to the red carpet wearing statement earrings Elsa, who starred in some of the Fast & Furious films, was seen arriving at the hotel several hours before the event. She oped for a more laidback look, donning a purple long-sleeved top, white tracksuit bottoms and trainers. The actress also sported a large brown bag adorned with flowers. Earlier in the day, she spent quality time with her two-year-old twins Tristan and Sasha. She also dedicated a loving snap to all mothers on Spanish Mother's Day. Charity event: She returned to her home country for the event at the W hotel which supports the Guess Foundation's annual Denim Day Charity: The event encourages people to wear jeans to support survivors of sexual assault and educate themselves about assault Taking to Instagram, the 39-year-old shared a picturesque shot of the trio on the beach which shows a silhouette of the stunning actress lifting one of her sons up above her head while the other plays by her feet in the sand. Elsa first captions the picture in her native Spanish tongue before adding the English translation writing, 'Mother love, makes possible the impossible! , congrats to all the Spanish mums!!' While Australians will give love to their mother's this weekend on May 8, Spain celebrates the day on May 1. Chris and Elsa also have a three-year-old daughter India. The loved-up parents wed at the end of 2010 and welcomed their daughter two years later. Relaxed: Elsa, who starred in some of the Fast & Furious films, was seen arriving at the hotel several hours before the event Comfort is key: She oped for a more laid-back look, donning a purple long-sleeved top, white tracksuit bottoms and trainers Questionable choice: The actress also sported a large brown bag adorned with flowers Earlier this week, Chris, who relocated his young family from LA to Byron Bay on the New South Wales north coast last year, spoke to TV Week about the love he has for his wife of six years. 'Each week I find something different, more I love about her,' he told the publication. 'It continues to grow, which is a great thing. 'It just made sense to both of us. There was an ease to it neither of us had had before,' he concluded. The family are regularly seen enjoying the relaxed beach lifestyle in Byron Bay and were this week seen with Chris' younger brother Liam and his rumoured fiancee Miley Cyrus. Loved up: Elsa and her husband Chris Hemsworth wed at the end of 2010 and welcomed their daughter two years later The North Dakota Petroleum Council on Wednesday announced the amazing speaker it had been teasing as keynote for the Williston Basin Petroleum Conference will be Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump. Obviously, it provides a lot of excitement for the conference, said Ron Ness, president of the Petroleum Council. This has been so much of the American discussion over the past five, six, seven months that its obviously going to garner huge attention. The annual conference rotates between North Dakota and Saskatchewan and is scheduled to be held May 24-26 at the Bismarck Event Center. Getting a big name to headline the conference has been in the works for just more than a month. But Donald Trump wasnt the only name floating around. About a week before the North Dakota Republican Convention, someone from Sen. Ted Cruzs presidential campaign contacted the North Dakota Petroleum Council about perhaps having the candidate speak at the conference. Once we realized there was that interest, we decided we would also contact Mr. Trump, said Tessa Sandstrom, communications manager for the Petroleum Council. It didnt take long to get things in order for Trump to visit the state. I received confirmation from the campaign manager on Monday, Sandstrom said. Cruz on Tuesday announced he was dropping out of the presidential race and Ohio Gov. John Kasich dropped out Wednesday, making Trump the presumptive nominee for the Republican Party. Sandstrom has not heard whether Cruz still is interested in coming, too. Ness said he has not reached out to the campaigns of either Democratic candidate. We would be thrilled to have one of the Democratic nominees attend and discuss North Dakota issues and real energy issues, he said. We have not had any type of interest or response shown. At least one Democrat expressed displeasure. "North Dakotans deserve elected officials who stand up to extremism, hatred and discrimination of any form, rather than those, like Trump, who promote it. He does not share our values, and we call on North Dakota Republicans to denounce his hateful rhetoric and serve all North Dakotans," said Robert Haider, executive director of the North Dakota Democratic-NPL, in a statement. Trump will not receive a speaking fee, Sandstrom said. Before the Trump announcement was made on Wednesday, 1,650 people had registered for the $400 conference. Sandstrom said within 2 hours, an additional 100 already had registered. Ness said a $30 ticket will be available for anyone who wants to see Trump without attending the whole conference, but he was unsure exactly how many of those tickets will be available. It will depend on the number of regular attendees. Were expecting it to be a draw for people from a pretty wide region, Sandstrom said. By early Wednesday afternoon, Ness said hed heard some pushback from people bothered by the Petroleum Council bringing Trump to North Dakota. But he was focused on the chance for North Dakota to get some attention during a presidential race a rare opportunity for a low-population rural state. Love him or hate him, this is the process, and he is moving forward and were thrilled to have him coming, Ness said. Sandstrom said everything was developing smoothly for Trumps visit. He was available to speak at 1 p.m. May 26, so not much juggling had to be done. While the conference will be held in the Exhibit Hall of the Bismarck Events Center, Trumps speech will be held in the main arena to allow more space. Sandstrom said that also will simplify preparations, as no one will have to be cleared out of the conference to do a security sweep. Prior to getting Trump on board, legendary football coach Lou Holtz was scheduled as the keynote speaker. Holtz will speak at 11 a.m. Holtz recently endorsed Trump for president. Other speakers include high-ranking oil company officials and research analysts. The Williston Basin Petroleum Conference has brought in big names before. Two years ago, television personality Sean Hannity spoke to a crowd of 4,200 the biggest ever for the conference. Though he was a big name, he wasnt Trump big, Sandstrom said. He didnt have a Secret Service motorcade, she said. Ness said the interest of national political figures says a lot about the conference. While getting Trump is a big opportunity for the Petroleum Council, Sandstrom said it also is a big opportunity for Trump to talk about his policy positions. She prides herself on her laser-like focus on fashion. So no wonder fuming Sarah Jessica Parker decided to lash out at a self-styled fashion blogger who mocked her for failing to grasp the them of this year's Met Gala on Monday night. While many thought she looked a million dollars as she powered down the red carpet in an outfit inspired by the musical Hamilton, the Ivy Marshall Blog was not one of them. Meow: Sarah Jessica Parker bared her verbal claws after a blogger slated her Met Gala outfit A three-way Instagram image which mocked the clothing of Sarah, designer Diane von Furstenberg and the awfully dressed Madonna, was captioned, 'this trio didnt get the memo.' The fuming 51-year-old actress wrote: 'Got the memo. Always welcome thoughts but I'm a stickler for the theme and pay close attention to what it means. Every year with great consideration, research and conviction. 'The understanding of man and machine, how they intersect, when and why is what we considered. Perhaps you weren't aware of the technology used in the details and embellishments of the design. 'Or perhaps you simply didn't like what I wore which is completely fine but you can't accuse me of not paying close attention and adhering to the theme. With respect and warmest regards, sj.' 'Didn't get the memo': The Ivy Marshall fashion blog mocked Sarah, designer Diane von Furstenberg and Madonna Founding Father fashion: Sarah Jessica Parker wore an outfit inspired by the Hamilton musical to the Met Gala in New York on Monday Basquing in the glory: Her jacket was cut in half to expose the corset she was wearing underneath It seems the fans are on SJP's side, with one commenting on the original Instagram photo: 'I feel bad for you. Your blog is completely discredited now. You still have time to close this account.' The Sex And The City favourite looked chuffed to bits with her all-white Monse outfit, which boasted a backless white jacket with ruffled sleeves, bust-boosting corset and baggy breeches. She rounded off her look with a trendy pair of blue stilettos from her very own SJP Collection. Boasting at the event about how she came up with her latest stylistic masterpiece, she told reporters she was inspired after seeing the popular Hamilton musical with her twin daughters. Too clever by half: Her jacket came in two pieces and allowed her to showcase her toned back Drinking from the fountain of youth: It is hard to believe the stylish Sex And The City star is really 51 Explaining how it touched on this year's Manus x Machina theme, she said: 'You have to really ponder how youre going to illustrate that in some way without having something that lights up or is LED. 'Technology becomes more about what we use outside that is a part of getting through the day. So for me I like arriving at this.' Sarah was co-chair for the event in 2014, and is known for going all-out when it comes to her look for the annual gala. The star recently told the New York Post that she will no longer be sticking to Anna Wintour's 'no selfies' rule. A striking look: Sarah decided to wear the ensemble after watching Lin-Manuel Miranda's Hamilton musical Making waves: The actress showcased her ruffled sleeves as she saluted the adoring crowd Glam to glum: After lashing out at the blogger defiant Sarah was seen stepping out in her beloved NYC looking low-key and worlds away from her high fashion self '[Everyone is] taking pictures all night long and they have pictures of each other and all the beautiful and architectural displays of flowers and I am going to stop living by the rules,' she said. 'I'm literally the only one who does.' Hamilton, which was written by Lin-Manuel Miranda, tells the story of failed US presidential nominee and founding father Alexander Hamilton. While it has been a critical smash, the show has also been criticised for its simplistic depiction of Hamilton and its negative portrayal of his rival Thomas Jefferson. After lashing out at the blogger defiant Sarah was seen stepping out in her beloved NYC looking low-key and worlds away from her high fashion self. Wearing tracksuit bottoms and a loose-fitting grey top with her hair tucked into a grey beanie hat, the SATC star looked nothing like her Met Gala best. She's beanie and gone: Wearing tracksuit bottoms and a loose-fitting grey top with her hair tucked into a grey beanie hat, the SATC star looked nothing like her Met Gala best Big bauble: The busty beauty drew attention to her enviable charms by wearing a massive pendant She must have known there would be several celebrities in attendance at Rihanna's Los Angeles gig on Tuesday. So Blac Chyna knew she would have to wear something special to stand out from the crowd as she joins some pals at The Forum in Inglewood. The 'video vixen', 27, made sure she got noticed as she arrived at the venue in a head-turning outfit of Beetlejuice-style black and white striped trousers which were so tight, they looked sprayed on. Scroll down for video Booty-ful: Blac Chyna showed off her derriere in a super tight pair of trousers and sheer top as she arrived at Rihanna's Los Angeles concert on Tuesday Sheer daring: The 27-year-old showed off her ample chest in a black bra and sheer top The trousers were flared and high-waisted, and clung to Chyna's extremely curvy derriere. The model also wore a sheer black top which revealed her bra and ample chest, completing her outfit with matching chunky heels and a red leather jacket. Chyna showed off wavy blonde locks and finished off her eye-catching look with smoky eye make-up, false lashes and pink lips. The fiancee of Rob Kardashian - whose other half did not join her for the evening - shared Snapchat videos from her seat in the audience. Did she spray those on?: The 27-year-old wore a pair of skintight black and white striped trousers Girls only: The video vixen headed out to the concert without her reality TV star fiance Rob Kardashian And she wasn't the only famous face to have scored a coveted ticket to see Rihanna's ANTI World Tour. Jessica Alba and Nicole Richie also shared pictures to Snapchat as they geared up to watch the star perform. Rihanna kicked off the tour in the US in March, and after performing in Atlanta on May 18 she will start the European leg of the tour next month. Girls' night: Chyna was without her other half, but enjoying a night out with a female friend Big draw: Blac Chyna was one of several personalities in attendance at the Rihanna gig, including Nicole Richie and Jessica Alba The ANTI World Tour will finish up on November 27 in Abu Dhabi. Travis Scott has been the opening act for Rihanna in the US and Canada, while she will be joined by Big Sean for her European performances - aside from two in England with David Guetta. Chyna was no doubt enjoying being able to let loose on Tuesday after her house was burgled over the weekend. Blonde ambition: The model showed off wavy blonde locks for the occasion Leaving little to the imagination: Chyna also wore a black crop top and matching chunky heels, with a red leather jacket for warmth Off we go: The fiancee of Rob Kardashian was seen heading inside The Forum in Inglewood for the concert According to TMZ, Rob called the police after noticing that someone had broken into the safe at her Tarzana home and stolen more than $200,000 in cash and jewellery. In more positive news, Chyna recently made peace with her fiance's youngest sister Kylie Jenner, and the pair shared photos together after calling a truce. The 18-year-old is dating rapper Tyga, who just so happens to be Chyna's ex-fiance and the father of her three-year-old son King Cairo. Meanwhile, the mother-of-one has lodged a trademark application for fear of fellow entertainers cashing in on her name. Bottoms up: With her super tight trousers, Chyna ensured she would get noticed at the star-studded event View from the top: Once she was inside, the star shared Snapchat videos from her seat Picture perfect: Chyna wore smoky eye make-up, false lashes and pale pink lipstick Sources tell TMZ that the pretty star is concerned others will scoop her name to help sell products or rake in money on TV or party appearances. According to documents filed last month, as Blac's business opportunities expand she is determined to claim ownership over the name which made her famous. TMZ claims she lodged the application just two weeks before she became engaged to Rob Kardashian, which is said to be a coincidence. Team RiRi: Nicole Richie (L) and Jessica Alba also shared Snapchats from the concert Lisa Vanderpump was incensed by Brandi Glanville's prerecorded appearance on The Real Housewives Of Beverly Hills Reunion on Tuesday. Brandi, 43, in a video shown during the third and final part of the reunion sipped wine as she picked apart the current cast. The outspoken former model said she preferred Kyle Richards when 'Lisa [Vanderpump] wasn't in her life' and noted that Kathryn Edwards has a 'hot' husband. She's back: Brandi Glanville made a prerecorded appearance on Tuesday during the third part of The Real Housewives Of Beverly Hills Reunion on Bravo Brandi also praised Eileen Davidson for 'standing up to LVP' and complimented her hair. 'You need to get Rinna on that bandwagon,' she barked in a gibe about Rinna's perennial hairstyle. She also called out Lisa Rinna on her supposed mental health issues. 'You're not bipolaryou're justnutty as a squirrel s***, like bats*** crazy,' she claimed as Rinna scowled. Not happy: Lisa Vanderpump objected to Brandi appearing in the prerecorded segment Instant reaction: Kyle Richards was shown reacting as Brandi said she preferred her without Vanderpump in her life Her puppeteer: Brandi accused Vanderpump of manipulating her while on the show Brandi, who was cut from the reality show, then blamed Lisa Vanderpump, 55, for her bad behaviour. 'She was my puppeteer,' she accused before signing off with: 'Cheers bitches'. Vanderpump was furious that Brandi had been allowed to speak at all. Good question: Vanderpump asked host Andy Cohen why Brandi was given a platform 'Why are we giving her a platform for this?' she asked reunion host Andy Cohen, executive producer of the lucrative Housewives franchise. 'She was firedreally Andy?' Vanderpump said calling her 'ridiculous' and 'so derogatory'. Feisty newbie Erika Girardi said she did not regret joining the show. No regrets: Erika Girardi said she had no regrets joining the Bravo reality show 'I knew it was insanity and I'm insane,' she sighed. The 44-year-old performer also admitted that she hadn't watched the show before she took part. 'Until you go through it you don't understand it, I jumped in and found out a lot of things the hard way,' she said. Reunion finale: The RHOBH reunion was broken into three parts The reunion finale opened explosively with the normally stoic Lisa Vanderpump crying while recounting an abusive relationship she had at age 19. 'I don't want to cry,' sobbed the 55-year-old restaurateur. Recalling that she'd been hurt twice: 'Once, then twice, then I walked away,' she said. Abusive relationship: Lisa finally opened up about being in an abusive relationship as a teenager Getting emotional: The restaurateur wiped tears away as she recounted her past abusive relationship The other woman chastised her for being too cold and 'detached' and Vanderpump's rebuttal invoking her love for dogs didn't help. 'It's abundantly clear that you have far more empathy and compassion for animals than you do for the women in this room,' scoffed Eileen, 56. Eileen also accused Lisa of 'deflecting' and finding it impossible to apologise. Still feuding: Vanderpump shot a glare at Eileen Davidson as their feud continued The beef between Kathryn and Erika also was unearthed. 'You did not conduct yourself well in my house,' said Erika who was annoyed that Kathryn had told Lisa that she'd called her a 'sniper' behind her back. 'You called her a harmless old lady,' she bit back. Lighter moment: Erika Girardi, Yolanda Hadid, Kyle and Lisa enjoyed a lighter moment Kathryn, 51, vehemently denied saying such a thing. 'You're desperate,' she told Erika. 'No you're desperate honey,' Erika shot back. Going at it: Lisa Rinna, Eileen and Kathryn Edwards all tangled during the reunion The women recounted their opulent trip to Dubai where some of their hotel suites cost $40,000 per night. Once again Kyle defended her friendship with Vanderpump. 'I love her and I think she loves me,' she said. Love fest: Kyle defended her friendship with Vanderpump and proclaimed her love for her Yolanda Hadid became offended on hearing that they had been laughing at her Instagram posts, which mostly revolve around her Lyme disease. The images showed Yolanda seeking out alternative therapies to treat her chronic illness. 'I'm glad you found that funny,' she frowned. Seeking treatment: Yolanda was shocked to learn that her Instagram posts chronicling her efforts to recover from Lyme disease were being ridiculed Real funny: The former model frowned upon learning she had been mocked for her Instagram posts Vanderpump's husband Ken was shown in flashbacks calling Lisa Rinna a 'stupid bitch,' a 'wanker' and 'not the full ticket'. 'It was disturbingly insulting,' said Rinna, 52. Rinna accused Vanderpump of manipulating her by trying to involve Kyle in the Munchausen debacle. Munchausen scandal: Lisa Rinna once again brought up the whole Munchausen scandal that plagued the entire season 'I didn't bring anybody into ityou make everybody think they're crazy,' she accused. 'She doesn't lie,' Eileen said, backing up Rinna. Kyle shrugged it off saying: 'No one's a f***ing angel here'. That's true: Kyle noted that there wasn't a single angel in the group In a reflective segment at the end Yolanda, who has suffered chronic illness and a divorce, said she would concentrate on 'getting well'. Lisa Vanderpump said she regretted not being more supportive of Yolanda. 'I don't think I really knew what she was going through,' she confessed. Rinna also was reflective on the past season, saying: 'I hope I've learned and become a better person'. Following last week's drama, it looks like everything is going swimmingly again for Sheridan Smith's West End hit Funny Girl. Following Tuesday night's performance at the Savoy Theatre, the 34-year-old was greeted by adoring fans at the stage door. Speaking for the first time since the reports on Tuesday, Sheridan told the Evening Standard: 'Its always pressure if its the fans favourite show. Im just pleased I didnt disappoint and Im glad they thought I pulled it off.' Scroll down for video The show must go on: Sheridan Smith looked relaxed and happy as she left The Savoy Theatre in London on Tuesday night Her co-star Darius Campbell added: 'Sheridan was great, she always is.' The actress looked relaxed and happy as she chatted to audience members, with one who had apparently travelled from Mexico. Among those in the audience were Star Wars actor Mark Hamill, who is currently in the UK filming Star Wars: Episode VIII. Posting a photo montage on his Twitter, he wrote: 'Another night of fantastic London theatre @FunnyGirl_UK Spectacular Sheridan Smith & ENTIRE company crushed it! #WOW.' Comfortable: The 34-year-old actress wore a pair of skinny jeans, long black coat, suede ankle boots and animal-print scarf Greeting her public: Sheridan delighted fans as she stopped for hugs, selfies and autographs outside the stage door It seems the production is running smoothly following last week's cancellation of one evening performance. Although the theatre blamed technical issues, some audience members claimed Sheridan 'appeared drunk on stage'. A production source told the Mail there had 'a lot of fear and terrible upset. The cast have been told to keep their mouths shut and support Sheridan'. Audience member Abigail Richter told one newspaper: It was an unbelievable disaster. Sheridan was all over the place. At one point, she was standing centre stage and her leg went from underneath her. Making an effort: One fan had travelled from Mexico to see Sheridan and presented her with roses outside Star in the audience: Star Wars actor Mark Hamill went to see Sheridan in action and was really impressed She started in a Bronx accent but slipped into Irish. Then there was a dance scene where at one point she grabbed the dancers groins. She walked off and they literally just dropped the curtains. Despite reports, the theatre and Sheridan have issued vehement denials, with the actress' spokesperson saying: 'I have spoken to my client and this is categorically not true.' Sheridan has been in the role since December when the production originally opened in the smaller Menier Chocolate Factory in Borough, before moving to the West End last month. Treading the boards: Sheridan has been in the role since December when the production originally opened in the smaller Menier Chocolate Factory Breaking her silence: Sheridan spoke out following reports she was struggling to cope with the pressure, saying 'Im just pleased I didnt disappoint' Joining Sheridan (Fanny Brice) and Darius (Nick Arnstein) in the musical is Marilyn Cutts (Mrs Brice), Valda Aviks (Mrs. OMalley), Gay Soper (Mrs Strakosh), Natasha J Barnes (Emma/Mrs Meeker), Maurice Lane (Mr. Keeney), Bruce Montague (Ziegfeld), Joel Montague (Eddie). Sheridan won raves reviews when the show opened, having followed in the footsteps of singing legend Barbra Streisand, who played Fanny in the 1964 Broadway production and the 1968 movie. In March, Sheridan pulled out of one of the shows after finding out her beloved father Colin had been diagnosed with cancer. Speaking about the role last year, she said: 'It's a dream role. I'd have kicked myself for the rest of my life had I not done it.' She's rocked a plethora of hair colours over the past few months. But Amber Le Bon's latest vibrant shade looks to be sticking around as she maintained her multi-tonal lilac locks when attending the opening of the Jaguar Land Rover British Style Week In Munich on Tuesday. The 26-year-old model even colour coordinated her tresses' pink undertones with her wardrobe as she dazzled in an intricate blush dress. Scroll down for video Hair chameleon: Amber Le Bon's latest vibrant shade looks to be sticking around as she maintained her multi-tonal lilac locks when attending the opening of the Jaguar Land Rover British Style Week In Munich on Tuesday The daughter of Duran Duran front-man Simon Le Bon was a sight to behold as she smiled for photographers in a laser-cut Self Portrait gown. The feminine frock showcased Amber's flawless decolletage with its low-cut neckline and slinky spaghetti-style straps, before conceding at the calves making for a demure finish. The gorgeous DJ elongated her lithe legs with caged gold stilettos, while a chain choker necklace toughened up the look. Hair she is! The 26-year-old model even colour coordinated her tresses' pink undertones with her wardrobe as she dazzled in an intricate blush dress Pretty in pink: The daughter of Duran Duran front-man Simon Le Bon was a sight to behold as she smiled for photographers in a laser-cut gown But while her stylish look was bound to win the approval of fashionistas everywhere, all eyes would undoubtedly have been on Amber's daring new hairstyle. Comprised of a slightly overgrown fringe and a variant of pastel shades, the British beauty jazzed up her 'do once more by styling her locks into edgy tousled waves. Her make-up look was particularly dramatic, honing in heavily on the eyes with a smokey eyeshadow and a generous application of eyeliner. Spin it! The party circuit staple took charge of the DJ decks for the evening, spinning tracks alongside her model pal Zara Martin Stunning: The girls appeared to be a playful mood as they danced around their set Work it! The photogenic pairing showcased their modelling prowess as they worked the camera from all angles Leggy in leather: Like Amber, the TV presenter had dressed to impress in a sheer blouse which boasted ornate squiggle detailing and a ruffled hem, paired with skin-tight leather trousers and skyscraper stilettos The party circuit staple took charge of the DJ decks for the evening, spinning tracks alongside her model pal Zara Martin. Like Amber, the TV presenter had dressed to impress in a sheer blouse which boasted ornate squiggle detailing and a ruffled hem, paired with skin-tight leather trousers and skyscraper stilettos. While it'd be assumed that Amber's prosperous modelling career has seen the stunner adjust to early wake up calls, the catwalk pin-up admitted that she was struggling earlier that morning. Posting a make-up free selfie while on her way to the airport, she quipped: '5.30 wake up and off to the airport Munich here I come! #ThankGodForSunglasses #WannaGoByRocket #OffToWork'. Say cheese! The girls weren't afraid to strike up a pose as they snapped some photos of their own Fashionistas galore! German model Rebecca Mir also put on a stunning display at the event in a leather pencil dress British theme: The beauties also posed with two hunky models dressed as Beefeaters Beverley Callard has reportedly returned to Coronation Street following her depression battle. The 59-year-old show stalwart is said to back at work playing Rovers Return barmaid Liz McDonald following her candid admission that she was dealing with mental health issues. Sources tell Mirror that she is back on set with producers ensuring she does not feel under pressure or facing too much strain in the work environment. Scroll down for video Smiley: Beverley Callard has reportedly returned to Coronation Street following her depression battle Beverley revealed last month that she was facing a battle with depression and struggling to play her brassy character as she was lacking confidence. Now with the help of the 'family'-like team behind the show, the Morley-born star is said to be back at work in a supportive environment. An insider said: 'Theyre like a family there and shes very popular on set so everyone wants to make sure shes OK and not pushed too hard, too soon. 'Theyre like a family there and shes very popular on set so everyone wants to make sure shes OK and not pushed too hard, too soon.' See Coronation Street updates as Beverley Callard returns to the cobbles Back on the cobbles: The 59-year-old show stalwart is said to back at work playing Rovers Return barmaid Liz McDonald following her candid admission that she was dealing with mental health issues Back in action: Sources tell Mirror that she is back on set with producers ensuring she does not feel under pressure or facing too much strain in the work environment Beverley has been open about her battle with depression in the past, and recently told her fans that she was on the mend. Taking to Twitter, she announced: 'Had a good day today, things are on the up!'. Moments later she added further detail by posting a second tweet which read: 'Saw a new doctor today. Got hope!'. Speaking about her depression, the star previously told The Mirror: 'At first no one knew I was struggling. I wanted to keep it a secret.' 'I was getting worse and worse each day. I was getting ready in my dressing room and I couldn't take it any more. Liz had to be dressed up for a certain scene she had to wear a PVC outfit.' Back on her way: Beverley has been open about her battle with depression in the past, and recently told her fans that she was on the mend 'Fear took over and I started to cry. I thought, 'I'm not confident enough to put this on. I can't do it'. Whilst Coronation Street bosses were sympathetic towards Beverley's needs, her absence from the soap has resulted in a series of rewrites and changing plot lines for her co-stars. A source told The Sun: 'We began filming [Liz's lover] Tony Stewart's funeral last week and are continuing this week. As Bev has been off for two weeks, she hasn't been able to be a part of it, which is a shame as she was going to be heavily involved. 'Whole scenes have been reworked. These include one scene in which Jason Grimshaw, played by Ryan Thomas, was to have a fight with Liz. But that has been scrapped.' Wild thing! Smiling at the cameras the Coronation Street star looked like she was enjoying her evening as joined her co-stars at producer Stuart Blackburn's party whilst clad in a chic baby blue leopard print dress However, soap bosses are pleased with the changes and the insider insisted no one blames Beverley for what has happened. The insider added: 'It's far from an ideal situation but the scriptwriting team have risen to the occasion. There are obviously no hard feelings towards Bev, who is loved on set.' Late last month Smiley Beverley seemed in good spirits as she enjoyed a night out with her co-stars in the midst of her depression battle Smiling at the cameras the soap star looked like she was enjoying her evening as joined her co-stars at producer Stuart Blackburn's party in Manchester. Wearing her golden tresses loose and tousled, she beamed broadly as she cosied up to her husband of six years, Jon McEwan. She's juggling her Hollywood acting career alongside building a billion-dollar business. After speaking at a conference on Tuesday, Jessica Alba was back to her most important role yet as she picked up her children from school. The Fantastic Four star, 35, and eldest daughter Honor, seven, complemented each other in matching stripes as they were spotted in Los Angeles. Family time: Jessica Alba was back in mom mode as she picked up her daughters Haven and Honor from school in Los Angeles on Tuesday While Jessica was going for black and white stripes on her top, Honor had a similar-patterned skirt, teamed with a white T-shirt. Joining the pair was Honor's younger sister Haven, four, who was going for a more tomboy look than her sibling in trousers and a shirt. While young Haven looked happy to carry her school backpack, mother Jessica had her hands full with her daughters' lunch bags, her own handbag and her car keys. Matchy matchy: Jessica had opted for a similar black and white striped pattern to her daughter Honor, who teamed her skirt with a white T-shirt Sunshine: Honor's younger sister Haven, four, who was going for a more tomboy look than her sibling in trousers and a shirt Earlier on Tuesday, Jessica had joined fellow entrepreneurs to speak about businesses at the Milken Institute Global Conference. The actress co-founded The Honest Company four years ago, a company which sells non-toxic and organic products. Jessica is said to own between 15 to 20 per cent of the business, which has been valued at $1.7billion. In demand: Jessica juggles parenting with her acting career and running her business She means business: Earlier on Tuesday, Jessica spoke about setting up her business The Honest Company at the Milken Institute Global Conference Last week, Honest Company vehemently denied claims their baby food was not organic following a lawsuit filed in April. Last month, American advocacy group Organic Consumers Association alleged Honest Company's Premium Infant Formula contains 11 synthetic ingredients, including some which haven't been 'assessed as safe for human foods'. She took on the role as a single mother six months ago. Now model Jodi Anasta has revealed how she intends to spend her first Mother's Day as a single woman. Speaking to Daily Mail Australia on Tuesday the 31-year-old explained she will enjoy the annual day with her two-year-old daughter Aleeia as well as her close family and friends. Scroll down for video Getting ready: Jodi Anasta has revealed how she intends to spend her first Mother's Day as a single woman She explained she will begin the day with 'a gorgeous breakky with my friends and Aleeia' before relocating to the Sydney Aquarium for lunch with her mother Bronwyn Gordon. 'It will be a full but wonderful day with all my loved ones,' Jodi continued to tell Daily Mail Australia. As she gushed with excitement for the upcoming day, the Myer ambassador spoke highly about her own mother, saying she has learnt many life lessons from her mum. Bond: Speaking to Daily Mail Australia on Tuesday the 31-year-old explained she will enjoy the day with her two-year-old daughter Aleeia as well as family and friends Family...and friends! The actress explained she will begin the day with 'a gorgeous breakky with my friends and Aleeia' before relocating to the Sydney Aquarium for lunch with her own mother Bronwyn Gordon Jodi said she taught her 'how to be strong and independent'. Going on to add, 'she encourages me to see life from a different perspective'. Late last month the former Home And Away actress told Daily Mail Australia at her Mon Purse collection launch that she hoped her daughter would see the hard work she has put in as a single mother. Doting: Late last month the former Home And Away actress told Daily Mail Australia at her Mon Purse collection launch that she hopes her daughter would see the hard work she has put in as a single mother Hard at it: The model mum noted that Aleeia understands what her job is and will recognise her on magazine covers and on TV 'She understands what my job is, she'll pick up a magazine or if it's on TV and (she'll) go "mummy mummy!" 'I just like to think that she sees me as a hard working mother doing the best I can in a world where it's not always easy to work.' Jodi, who announced her split from former husband Braith Anasta in December, added that the pair were supportive of one another and eager to succeed as co-parents. Proud: Jodi, who announced her split from former husband Braith Anasta in December, added that the pair were supportive of one another and eager to succeed as co-parents Joint effort: The actress explained her little girl is thriving on quality time with both her mother and father, Braith (pictured) Asked how the pair were coping with parenting whilst no longer together, she said: 'It's amazing. 'I make sure the days Im not working we have really good quality time together and she has a great time with me and a great time with Braith and I think together you only have to look at the little girl that she is (to see) that shes thriving, shes in her element, shes intelligent, shes funny and very entertaining.' Jodi welcomed their daughter in 2014. Following news of her split from Braith, the 34-year-old former NRL player said he felt she had put her career on hold to have children. She's one of the most in-demand Hollywood stars, with her upcoming film Suicide Squad one of the most anticipated releases of the year. But Margot Robbie looks considerably high-fashion on the cover of Oyster magazine's latest issue, contrasting over-the-top jewellery with very little makeup. The 25-year-old's normally glamorous red carpet makeup has been stripped back, presenting the Australian actress in a beautifully natural light. All that glitters! Near makeup-free Margot Robbie sparkled on the latest issue of Oyster, out Thursday May 5 The Gold Coast-born beauty's ensemble features heavy, large sequin embellished pieces from Prada's SS 16 collection, including their coveted sequin ball earrings. Her luscious blonde locks are styled in a messy top bun, with stray hairs fanning out to give a slightly dishevelled effect. Margot's makeup is light and luminous, with a subtle dusting of blush to highlight her high cheekbones and allowing for ever-so-subtle freckles to poke through. Playing it safe: Margot opted for a sleek white Calvin Klein at the Met Gala on Monday night Keeping it natural: While her dress was minimal in style, so too was her approach to her makeup On Monday night, the former Neighbours star showcased a completely different look for the Met Gala, wearing a chic, floor-length Calvin Klein frock. The gown flashed some flesh across her back and it also boasted a subtle split up the star's right side. Margot added a pair of gold cuffs around her wrists, a pair of diamond studded earrings and carried a small black clutch bag. Flashing some flesh: Her sleek dress flashed some flesh on her back as well as featuring a high thigh split The theme for the event was taken from the Metropolitan Museum of Arts exhibition Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology and many guests donned futuristic-inspired ensembles. While her dress was minimal in style, so too was her approach to her makeup - sporting a copper eyeshadow, sun-kissed skin and a bronze lipstick. The actress has recently been promoting her upcoming flick Suicide Squad, in which she plays fictional super villain Harley Quinn. Miranda Kerr and boyfriend Evan Spiegel out in a rare dual appearance on Tuesday night, as they stepped out for the Berggruen Institute: 5 Year Anniversary in Los Angeles. The 33-year-old mum-of-one plumped for understated elegance, save for her striking scarlet lipstick, as they linked up at the The Beverly Wilshire Hotel. Snapchat co-founder and CEO Evan, 25, was all smiles as he followed the elegant Australian actress out of the restaurant with governor Jerry Brown. Scroll down for video Cute couple: Miranda Kerr (right) stepped out with her boyfriend Evan Spiegel for a rare public appearance on Tuesday night at the Berggruen Institute: 5 Year Anniversary in Los Angeles Miranda was dressed in all black and cloaked with a cocoon coat sitting elegantly on top of her shoulders. Beneath it, the brunette had a printed minidress on, that featured a chunky collar and a neckline cut that featured laser-cut detail with a hint of skin on show. With barely-there mascara and a dewy complexion, the model completed her parred down image with a bright lipstick. Rare public appearance: The duo were joined at The Beverly Wilshire Hotel by governor Jerry Brown (right) It was a rare red carpet appearance for the couple, despite almost a year of dating and numerous low-key dates solidifying their relationship in the public eye. Orlando Bloom's ex - with whom she has a son, Flynn - recently explained how she met the businessman, who she's been linked to since September 2015. On how long they've been together, Miranda said in January: 'For a little while now, we met at a dinner in LA for Louis Vuitton and became friends. We were really good friends for a long time before we started dating. We've just been having fun together and sharing our time amongst friends and family' Rare appearance: The beauty opted for understated elegance in black, which she offset with a red lipstick Miranda previously said that Flynn and Orlando have both met the 25-year-old and she now considers them a 'modern family.' Considering that she's now dating the man behind Snapchat, she went to explain to The Sydney Morning Herald that she tries to keep some aspects of her love life off social media. She said: 'I am so proud to be a mother, so I will sometimes share little pictures of maybe [Flynn's] hand or a drawing he has made, but I keep it to a minimum. So much of my life is public, it's important for me to keep some things sacred and just for my family.' Math and English lessons for North Dakota students will soon be based on a new set of standards written over the next year to replace Common Core, State Superintendent Kirsten Baesler announced Tuesday. Students will continue to take the Smarter Balanced standardized test in spring 2017 until the new standards are finished, she said during a press conference at the Capitol. The state will then look for an assessment aligned to the future standards. Baesler said she anticipates educators tasked with writing the new standards will wrap up their work in early 2017 so schools can begin implementing them that fall. We will create a set of standards by North Dakotans for North Dakotans, she said. These standards will set clear and high expectations for all students. North Dakota schools began implementing the Common Core standards six years ago. Critics push against Common Core Common Core marked the first effort to use the same education standards for grades K-12 in all states, a move which came under fire across the nation for exemplifying an overreach of the federal government. The majority of states adopted the standards, and North Dakotas participation has drawn criticism from some Republican lawmakers, parents and community members. A legislative effort failed last year to force North Dakota to sever ties with the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium, an organization of states that developed the standardized test students take on computers each spring to measure their ability to meet Common Core standards. Opponents then filed a lawsuit against the state for its membership in the consortium. Baesler on Tuesday acknowledged that the backlash flared up again last month at the state Republican convention in Fargo. She referenced the strong support for Common Core opponent Rep. Rick Becker, R-Bismarck, in his campaign for governor. Becker, however, did not secure the nomination at the convention. What that did was affirm this is a process that we need to begin at this point in time, that this is what our community, our state wants to do, she said. Becker welcomed Tuesdays news that North Dakota would write new standards to replace Common Core. I am glad they are making a move in the right direction, he said. Clearly, the control of the education system needs to be brought back to the state and to the schools, teachers and parents. He called the move a first step and said opponents voices are starting to be heard. Without their efforts, the state would not be rewriting its standards, he said. Baesler's challenger in her bid for re-election, Joe Chiang, has also criticized Common Core. The Bismarck Tribune made three attempts to seek a comment from him Tuesday afternoon but was unable to reach him. Education groups back review process Leaders of several education organizations spoke Tuesday in support of Baeslers effort to revise the standards. North Dakota has a standards review process that works well, said Russ Ziegler, assistant director for the North Dakota Council of Educational Leaders. For many years, we have asked our best teachers to come together and review standards for each subject we teach in a three- to five-year cycle, he said. Baesler said the new federal education law replacing No Child Left Behind regulations provides an opportune time to review the standards, which have been used in all North Dakota schools the past three years. Some schools chose to implement them earlier. Since then, teachers have identified instances in which certain standards dont pair well or should be moved to a different grade level, Baesler said. Nick Archuleta, president of the North Dakota United union for teachers and public employees, agreed with her assessment. Teachers want to fine-tune these standards and make sure they are relevant to the age group, he said. Developing new standards The Department of Public Instruction will seek applications from teachers and professors interested in sitting on committees to write the new standards. They will research other states standards, as well as the existing ones in North Dakota, Baesler said. The committees will meet for the first time in June. The department also will convene three review committees of elected leaders, business and industry leaders, and parents and other citizens to offer feedback on the educators work. Drafts of the standards will be available for public comment, Baesler said. This process will be thoughtful, deliberate and transparent, she said. Becker said its important to bring people onto the committees who have an appreciation of what North Dakota is looking for and will not merely tout the lines of out-of-state academics. I have full faith, if there is a true array of people on the committees who have that in mind, it will be a success, he said. Baesler said applications to sit on the committees will be available on DPIs website Friday. Searching for a test After the standards are written, the state next year will seek a test assessing students ability to meet them. Once we have these new standards, we will need a test that aligns to those standards, Baesler said. The state will request proposals from testing organizations, which must ensure the exam they offer is relevant to North Dakotas new standards, she said. In February, lawmakers on the interim Education Committee heard from the heads of two of those entities the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium and the ACT Aspire, which offer different standardized tests used in various states. Baesler said Tuesday that North Dakotas options are not limited to those two groups. Students in grades 3-8 and 11 currently are taking the annual Smarter Balanced test for the second year in North Dakota. She is one of Australia's most successful models. And on Tuesday Kelly Gale proved exactly why, as she took to social media to document her latest beach-side getaway. The 20-year-old Victoria's Secret model showed off her killer body as she slipped into a tiny yellow bikini while holidaying in Puerto Rico. Scroll down for video Victoria's Secret model Kelly Gale showed off her killer body on Tuesday as she slipped into a tiny yellow bikini set while holidaying in Puerto Rico With the background of a never-ending pool and palm trees, she posed with her hands placed firmly on her hips while turning her head to the left. While displaying a large pearly white smile Kelly allowed her thick black hair to fall freely in front of her makeup free face while it was styled naturally with a curl. Alongside the image she wrote: 'In the sun is where I'm meant to be.' Stunner: The 20-year-old shared an image of herself wearing the triangle swimsuit which flaunted her busty chest and flawless tanned skin Moments earlier she shared another image of herself wearing the triangle swimsuit which flaunted her busty chest. As she rested her tanned back against the trunk of a tree Kelly angled her left knee high while resting the opposite hand above her head. While the model arrived on the Caribbean island over the weekend, it's not known why she's there - be it a photoshoot or a holiday. Work or play? While the model arrived on the Caribbean island over the weekend, it's not known why she's there - be it a photoshoot or a holiday Last year Swedish-born Kelly, whose parents are Australian and Indian, was named as number one of the '50 best things in the world' for GQ India. Kelly broke into the modelling industry after being discovered outside a Gothenburg coffee shop when she was just 13-years old. She has since modelled for the likes of Chanel, H&M, Tommy Hilfiger, Ralph Lauren, Jean Paul Gaultier and lingerie giant Victoria's Secret. She vowed to shed the pounds after ballooning from a size 6 to 16. And while Scarlett Moffatt is suffering body hangups she is also in the throes of new love as she is dating former hairdresser Luke Crodden. The 25-year-old Gogglebox star took to Instagram to treat her 148,000 followers to a series of adorable snaps showing the pair cosied up. Scroll down for video Onwards and upwards: While Scarlett Moffatt is in the throes of body hangups she is also in the throes of new love as she is currently hooking up with former hairdresser Luke Crodden The Newcastle-born beauty has been littering her social media feeds with sweet snaps of their love together including a romantic trip to London. Always ready to snap a selfie, she shared an image of the duo on the London Eye, in a lift and later a sweet selfie, while adding the caption: 'Another fab weekend with this one @lukecrodden #boyfriend #london'. In yet another collage of selfies, the pretty starlet posed for a picture in a mirror after she was lauding Luke for how he treats her, adding the caption: 'When you're a pure drama queen but your boyf still treats you like a princess @lukecrodden'. He then commented on the snap saying: 'Had the best time in London, love you little one'. New love: The 25-year-old Gogglebox star took to Instagram to treat her 148,000 followers to a series of adorable snaps showing the pair cosied up Sexy: Despite her woes Scarlett still favours a sexy snap Scarlett is clearly enamoured with her new beau as she revealed in an interview with Closer magazine that he is helping her in her weight battle. Speaking of her new boyfriend she said: 'Luke is so encouraging. He says whatever I choose to do, he'll do it with me and it will be great to have his support'. In the same chat Scarlett revealed her horror at learning she was clinically obese and risking developing diabetes and she vowed to stop eating 'the wrong things' such as cocktails, cake and chips. Cocktail o'clock: Scarlett's bubbly personality is hiding a deeper pain after she revealed her horror at learning she was clinically obese and risking developing diabetes Scarlett is determined to lose weight after she was left mortified during a routine trip to the doctors in which she discovered her Body Mass Index. After growing up in constant training as a semi-professional ballroom dancer, upon leaving to go to university in York she soon fell off her exercise regime. The beauty, who ballooned from a size six to a 16, revealed: 'I knew I was overweight but when I went to the doctor for a check up, she said: "You're not overweight, you're obese". Upon discovering she was at high risk of developing Type 2 diabetes, Scarlett was adamant the practitioner's words were a 'rocket up her bum'. 'Obese': The reality star spoke to Closer magazine about her fears and her vow to stop eating 'the wrong things' such as cocktails, cake and chips Of her former interest in dance, she said: 'It was really intense training but when I stopped when I was a student and discovered alcohol and kebabs and I've never found any exercise to replace it.' Scarlett has suffered a tough time of late, as she revealed online trolls have made her feel low atop her weight issuses. She told Belfast Telegraph: 'There are odd ones, mostly men, who criticise me about my weight and my size and say I'm ugly. I'd be lying if I said that it doesn't hurt sometimes.' The pretty brunette first found fame appearing on MTV's Beauty School Cop Outs in 2013, starring opposite Celebrity Big Brother star Jeremy McConnell. Not ideal: Of her former interest in dance, she said: 'It was really intense training but when I stopped when I was a student and discovered alcohol and kebabs and I've never found any exercise to replace it' Feeling low: Scarlett has suffered a tough time of late, as she revealed online trolls have made her feel low atop her weight issuses Scarlett and Jeremy shared a particularly tempestuous relationship in which she became bitterly upset with some comments made by the Irish hunk towards her. While she shared a romance with co-star Richard Cull in the show, Jeremy memorably uttered to her: 'Shut your mouth you little monster, you're punching above your weight.' The comments from the fellow reality star no doubt hurt her even more - adding to what is said by the trolls. She split with her on/off boyfriend Jake Hall for good this Spring. And Chloe Lewis was showing her cheating ex what he was missing as she posed up a storm at a 1920s theme photocall for COLLECTION's new DeLuxe Lipsticks range on Wednesday. The TOWIE star looked incredible in a gold fringed dress as she chanelled a retro vibe for the beauty launch held at London's So SPA hotel. Scroll down for video Golden girl: The Only Way Is Essex's Chloe Lewis looked lovely in a gold flapper dress as she attended a 1920s theme photocall for COLLECTION's new DeLuxe Lipsticks range on Wednesday Chloe displayed her enviable legs in the little lame number, embellished with sparkling tassel detailing. The 25-year-old stunner set off the ensemble with a pair of snakeskin print block heels and a statement coal coloured ring. The brunette opted for natural beauty look including heavy kohl rimming her eyes, and styled her hair in a flattering updo. See TOWIE updates as star Chloe Lewis channels 1920s chic in gold flapper dress 20s vibe: Chloe displayed her enviable legs in the little lame number, embellished with sparkling tassel detailing Sitting pretty: The 25-year-old reality star set off her toned legs with a pair of snakeskin print heels Working it: The brunette opted for natural beauty look including heavy kohl rimming her eyes, and styled her hair in a flattering updo Chloe was promoting the new Deluxe Lipsticks, which come in five shades and are now available from Boots and Superdrug. Dishing the dirt about her fellow TOWIE girls' beauty regimes, she told MailOnline: 'Georgia Kousoulou has great style shes like a Kardashian! She always funks it up and plays around with her looks. 'Kate Wright always looks great shes majorly sexy! Lydia Bright has such a classic style and looks immaculate. I love all three of those girls.' She said of the new range: 'I always wear a nude lip so I was really excited when COLLECTION launched their new nude DeLuxe Lipstick shades. Pucker up: Chloe was promoting the new Deluxe Lipsticks, which come in five shades and are now available from Boots and Superdrug Envious: Chloe revealed she most admires her co-star Georgia Kousoulou's glamorous sense of style Perfect pout: The brunette beauty says she couldn't do without a nude lip 'All of the colours are really easy to wear and are the great finish to your daytime make-up look. With 5 to choose from you can match the shade perfectly to your skin tone.' The star has been heartbroken ever since Jake confessed during the TOWIE series finale that he had cheated on her. Speaking to the official TOWIE website, Chloe explained: 'I feel bad for him because it's not what he wanted and he's hurting and I'm the one who is just getting on with it. 'So I do feel a little bit down about the whole thing, if I'm honest. I'm not happy about it at all but I haven't got a choice.' Moving on: The star has been heartbroken ever since Jake Hall confessed during the TOWIE series finale that he had cheated on her Second to vocal ability, stage presence plays a huge part in the coveted Eurovision contest, and Dami Im is sure to turn some heads come her performance later this month. On Wednesday, the former X Factor contestant has revealed the incredible bespoke gown by Australian couturier Steve Khalil she will wear on stage. In an exclusive behind-the-scenes video for Vogue Australia, the 27-year-old took viewers through the intensive design process and subsequent fittings for the dramatic garment. Scroll down for video 'So proud to be wearing this incredible design': Dami Im revealed on Wednesday the stunning custom gown she will wear on stage for Eurovision 2016 'Since Im representing Australia at Eurovision I thought it was important I wear something designed by an Australian designer,' she explained to the magazine. 'So proud to be wearing this incredible design,' she later wrote on Instagram. The frock, a voluminous gown of Italian organza, will aim to capture the lights of the stage with the metallic piping throughout the fabric. 'Dressing Dami for the world stage of Eurovision, it's a different spotlight,' said Steven, who's known for his bridal couture, but his work as also been showcased on the red carpet. Keeping it local: The former X Factor contestant said that because she was representing Australia, it was important for her to wear an Australian designer 'It's a different spotlight': Steven explained that to have his work showcased on the world stage was very exciting 'The dress shows the vulnerability, which is what the song is about, but it also empowers you,' she said in reference to her song Sound Of Silence. The announcement that Dami would be the Australian representative at this year's contest was made by 2014 Eurovision winner Conchita Wurst earlier this year. Australia's 2016 entrant revealed her plans for her performance in Sweden next month, saying: 'I don't want the performance to be bigger than the song.' Balancing act: The 27-year-old said she wants to balance intimacy and grandeur with her performance 'I want there to be a sense of intimacy as well as grandeur, so we're working that out.' 'It needs to be amazing and spectacular but I also want the meaning to really come across,' she added. The 2016 Eurovision semi-finals start on May 10 with the grand final taking place on May 14. Roxanna Pallett proves she still looks stunning even when her face is covered in blood. The British actress was pictured on the set of her new horror flick, Habit, in Manchester on Wednesday as she prepared to film a messy scene. Roxanne, 33, was wrapped up in a white dressing gown which kept her costume hidden, while she sporting a copious amount of fake blood across her mouth, neck and cheeks. Messy grin: Roxanna Pallett proves she still looks stunning even when her face is covered in blood The former Emmerdale star was all smiles as she spoke with the film crew and chugged down a bottle of water. At the end of April she announced, Thrilled to be joining an awesome cast & creative team on new film HABIT @SimeonH. She then added: All set to start shooting this little beauty on Monday. Get ready Manchester HABIT is coming! Set life: The British actress was pictured on the set of her new horror flick, Habit, in Manchester on Wednesday as she prepared to film a messy scene Screen star: The 33-year-old was wrapped up in a white dressing gown which kept her costume hidden, while she sporting a copious amount of fake blood across her mouth, neck and cheeks The film is written by Simeon Halligan and based on the novel of the same name by Stephen McGeagh. Just weeks ago when she filmed an analysis of how the elderly get treated in society by transforming into an old woman. After undergoing four hours of prosthetics and make-up, the actress finally became 'Doris' and mentioned: 'It was a pretty brutal experience. I thought it was going to be fun and exciting but it just wasn't.' She also mentioned that she felt 'invisible' after going undercover for BBC Radio 5 Live. 'I only went through it for a few hours but it's left me with a really heavy heart,' said Roxanne- who is an ambassador for Age UK. Wrapped up: The former Emmerdale star was all smiles as she spoke with the film crew and chugged down a bottle of water Excited: At the end of April she announced, Thrilled to be joining an awesome cast & creative team on new film HABIT @SimeonH Continuing about her experience and the lack of help she received, she mentioned: 'No one was assisting me and it was obvious I needed help. 'One man barged me when I was walking down the street, it was like I didn't matter. 'There's a lot of chivalry out there but it doesn't seem to apply to older people and that's not right and it's not fair.' Since leaving Emmerdale in 2008, Roxanne has appeared in the stage production of the Rocky Horror Show and is set to star in the British film The Violaters this coming June. Olivia Munn wants action and plenty of it. The actress has revealed that she was offered the role as Ryan Reynold's girlfriend in hit superhero flick Deadpool but didn't take it as she didn't want to be the love interest again, she wanted fight scenes. But the 35-year-old star was excited to get the role as Psylocke in another Marvel movie, X-Men: Apocalypse, which included a lot more butt-kicking. Scroll down for video Looking for action: Olivia Munn has revealed that she turned down a role in Deadpool because she didn't want to be just the girlfriend again 'I said, "Is there a fight scene?"' Olivia recalled of an early meeting with producers when she wasn't convinced there would be enough action for her. The actress told American Way Magazine: 'I thought Psylocke was always one of the most lethal characters, and I said, "Yes [I'll take the role], as long as you're not using her to be the eye candy. She has really powerful abilities." And they said, "Yes, that's an important part."' Morena Baccarin ended up taking on the role as Deadpool's girlfriend Vanessa. Too much monologue: Morena Baccarin took the role as Deadpool's girlfriend Vanessa. The movie, released in February became highest-grossing R-rated film of all time The Marvel movie, which was released in February, ended up being the highest-grossing R-rated film of all time. 'I thought Psylocke was always one of the most lethal characters' Olivia stars as Psylocke in upcoming X-Men: Apocalypse Also in the issues, Olivia revealed she would love to move to directing or working behind the scenes - much to the shock of her acting pals. She said: 'For me, I would eventually love to be behind and not in front of the camera. Even my own friends are like, "Really?" 'I love being an actor. Maybe its just the feeling of being in front of the camera or the people Ive met whove rubbed me the wrong' The Newsroom star spoke to American Way Magazine for its latest issue Painful: The action star revealed the bruises she collected while filming fight scenes for X-Men last year 'When youre behind the scenes, you get to shape the whole thing. In front, its just your character.' The fearless actress revealed the bruises she gained from filming X-Men in a throwback photo she posted last week. In the snap, her legs can be seen covered in numerous ugly and painful looking black marks. '#tbt training and filming #psylocke fight scenes last summer. #battlebruises #xmen #xmenapocalypse.' she captioned it. X-Men: Apocalypse premieres on May 27th. It's been a difficult few months for the family following Jay Rutland's recent legal woes. So with the former City Trader now cleared of accusations he tried to help an on-the-run drugs baron, he's clearly in the mood to celebrate with his wife Tamara Ecclestone and their young daughter. The family looked thrilled to be getting away from it all as they escaped for a sunshine break in the Bahamas. Scroll down for video Putting the past behind them: Tamara Ecclestone and Jay Rutland enjoy their first family holiday since February as they stroll in the Bahamas with daughter Sophia Family time: Jay has been missing from the last few holidays so no doubt Tamara and Sophia were thrilled to have him back in their vacation club Formula 1 heiress Tamara, 31, showed some serious cleavage in a low-cut white kaftan-style dress as they checked out some of the shops near their resort. The socialite looked bronzed and relaxed in a pair of sunglasses as she strolled with her husband and daughter. Young Sophia, nicknamed Fifi, led the way as she toddled in front of her parents in a pastel sundress and Mickey Mouse shoes. A bit of all white: Tamara showed some serious cleavage in a low-cut white kaftan-style dress Sexy style: Tamara showed off plenty of cleavage in her low-cut maxi dress as she strolled through the town centre Looking for a bargain: The toddler soon spotted some funky yellow sunglasses to try on Haven't you got enough, darling? Tamara was the patient mother as her daughter tried on a pair of sunnies Meanwhile, Tamara's husband of three years went for a smart casual look in a blue shirt and pink shorts. While Tamara has been surprisingly quiet on social media since they arrived in the Bahamas five days ago, Jay has been sharing photos and videos of their time together. In particular, Jay has been posting cute photos of Sophia in her waterproof nappies enjoying the swimming pool at the Atlantic, Paradise Island resort on his Instagram. One cool little lady: Young Sophia led the way as she toddled in front of her parents in a pastel sundress and Mickey Mouse shoes What's new pussycat? Jay strokes a cat as the couple encourage their daughter to make a furry friend Inspiration for a family pet? Perhaps the encounter may lead to the Ecclestone-Rutlands getting a new family pet? He wrote: 'Back in our favourite spot in the Bahamas, a year on from our last visit. So proud of our little girl and how she is growing up.' The holiday is Tamara and Sophia's sixth vacation this year, having last travelled two weeks ago to Los Angeles, where her sister Petra Stunt lives with husband James and their three chlidren. Tamara visited Switzerland - where her father Bernie lives - in March and February, while she also flew to Dubai in January and February. The family also spent Christmas in Gstaad with Bernie, 85, and his new wife Fabiana Flosi. 38, Jay has missed out on some of the holidays this year, presumably while he stayed in the UK during his legal troubles. Jet-setter: Tamara and her daughter Sophia have been on six holidays already this year Just regular tourists: The couple blended into the crowd as they enjoyed an evening stroll around the shops Tamara and Jay wed in a lavish multi-million pound ceremony in the south of France in June 2013 after a whirlwind five month romance. The heiress admitted falling pregnant on her honeymoon and has previously spoken of her wish to have two children. She previously told the Evening Standard: 'I want two but he wants three, which means well probably have three.' Beach baby: Sophia looks like she's enjoying the water as she plays in the pool in her waterproof nappy Luxury travel: The family poses for a shot against the backdrop of the five-star Atlantic, Paradise Island She shocked fans when she posted a selfie sporting peroxide blonde locks and different coloured contact lenses. But Suki Waterhouse revealed her dramatic transformation was all for a project as she shared a behind the scenes snap of herself being dressed in synthetic skin whilst still donning the bizarre beauty make-over. Strategically holding her hands over her fake chest, the 24-year-old model appeared to be getting herself wedged into the outfit, whilst she pulled a funny face for an Instagram snap on Wednesday. Scroll down for video Under her skin: Suki Waterhouse revealed her dramatic beauty transformation was all for a project as she shared a behind the scenes snap of herself being dressed in synthetic skin Whilst she may have one of the most recognisable faces in the modelling industry, Suki looked worlds away from her typical self as she sported her visibly lighter locks and coloured eyes, whilst she wore a pair of sunglasses on her head. Showing off her initial transformation with a selfie, she stared down the lens whilst she appeared to be having her tresses styled, as she captioned the snap: 'Get yo creep on.' With half her peroxide locks poker straight and the other half tousled she looked as though she was in the middle of her transformation. Sporting a base of lighter powder and foundation which concealed her tanned complexion, the Insurgent star also wore a slick of rosy pink gloss on her plump pout. With her eyebrows bleached, Suki also wore one green contact lens and one blue, drawing the attention to her large almond shaped eyes. 'Get yo creep on': Suki Waterhouse looked worlds away from her typical self as she shared a selfie sporting visibly lighter locks and different coloured contact lenses on Wednesday Transformed: Suki was unrecognisable in the snap, where all her defining features had been changed The London-born beauty has been away shooting in Los Angeles, which meant she was forced to miss the annual Met Gala. Suki dazzled at the 2014 event, topping every best dressed list in her ruffled pink Burberry gown and showed her support for this year's attendees, by posting a sweet throwback snap. 'Have a smashing Met Ball 'Love from the desert xxx' she wrote. Worlds apart: Suki's typical beauty look includes her honey hued locks and signature darker eyebrows, whilst her natural eyes are hazel coloured. She also boasts a more tanned complexion Meanwhile, Suki recently discussed the downside to modelling, which is relinquishing all control of the final outcome, which she explained inspired her to pursue photography. She told The Telegraph: 'I always wanted to have more control over everything. You go on a modelling shoot and you don't get to choose the clothes, the picture, your hair and makeup, you don't get to chose anything. 'And I really hate that, and I'd always come back after and do almost my own photoshoot and in my own surroundings. I'd f*** up the hair and put on whatever I wanted, because you go home with done hair and makeup, and you get to make your own thing of what you remember.' Lupita Nyong'o and Michelle Williams are known for their timeless red carpet elegance. And the Hollywood starlets did not disappoint as they attended the Tony Awards Meet The Nominees Press Reception on Wednesday. Both women wore chic feminine frocks at the New York City event the day after the exciting news was announced. Scroll down for video Frock stars: Lupita Nyong'o, 33, and Michelle Williams, 35, at the Tony Awards Meet The Nominees Press Reception in New York City on Wednesday The 33-year-old Star Wars: Force Awakens favourite looked regal in a peach-coloured lace ensemble. Her two-piece matching wardrobe included a fitted pencil skirt and sleeveless cropped top which flashed a hint of her toned torso. Rounding out the Oscar winner's look was simple black ballet flats, diamond stud earrings and shimmering eye shadow, adding to her majestic presence. Pretty as a peach! Lupita's looked regal in a lace ensemble with cropped top that flashed a hint of her toned torso Regal: Rounding out the Oscar winner's look was simple black ballet flats, diamond stud earrings and shimmering eye shadow, adding to her majestic presence Lupita is being nominated for her role in the Broadway smash hit Eclipsed where she plays 'The Girl'. The play, set in 2003, tells the story of five women near the end of the Second Liberian Civil War. It is almost entirely set in a small one-room shack where three of the women are being held by the Commanding Officer of a rebel faction, who basically uses them as sex slaves. Williams, 35, was ever the classic beauty in a simple black A-line number with rhinestone-studded collar. Timeless elegance: Michelle was ever the classic beauty in a simple black A-line number with rhinestone-studded collar Leggy blonde! Her slim pins were on display in the minidress and she added extra height to her petite 5ft 4in frame with pointed black heels The long-sleeved garb cinched at the waist with a thin black leather belt and showed off her slender physique. Her slim pins were on display in the minidress and she added extra height to her petite 5ft 4in frame with pointed black heels. Michelle's nomination is for her performance in Blackbird, alongside actor Jeff Daniels who is also named as a nominee. Contender: Jeff Daniels, 61, attended the reception as a nominee for his starring role in the Broadway hit Blackbird Scottish playwright David Harrower's play is about an uneasy encounter between Ray, a male business executive, and Una, the woman he seduced when she was only a child. Daniels, 61, looked handsome in a beige suit jacket with blue button-up shirt, dark denim jeans and brown leather dress shoes. Honorary Oscar winner Steve Martin, 70, earned two nominations for Best Book of a Musical and Best Original Score for Broadway hit Bright Star. Bright Stars! Steve Martin, 70, earned two nominations for Best Book of a Musical and Best Original Score, as he paused for a snapshot with actress Carmen Cusack and songwriter Edie Brickell Ageless beauty! Oscar-winning actress Jessica Lange, 67, earned a nomination for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Play for Long Day's Journey Into Night Oscar-winning actress Jessica Lange, 67, earned a nomination for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Play for Long Day's Journey Into Night. Sara Bareilles, 36, has earned herself five Grammy nominations and has now been nominated for Broadway musical Waitress. Late night talk show host and English comedian James Corden will host the star-studded awards ceremony. The 70th Annual Tony Awards will air on the CBS network on Sunday, June 12. Last month House Husbands star Gyton Grantley became and husband in real life. While detailing his secret Byron Bay nuptials, the 35-year-old also announced that he and his new wife, Alex Ortuso, are also expecting their first child. And on Tuesday night, the newlyweds made their red carpet debut since their pregnancy announcement, showing off Alex's burgeoning baby bump as they attended Opera Australia's La Boheme in Melbourne. Scroll down for video 'Stunning night': Gyton Grantley and Alex Ortuso made their red carpet debut since announcing their pregnancy and showed off Alex's burgeoning baby bump at the opera in Melbourne on Tuesday Dressed to the nines for the evening, the brunette beauty donned a clinging khaki dress, which fell to the knee and seemed comfortable in heels. While Gyton looked dapper in a tuxedo and tenderly placed his hand over Alex's belly. Posting a photo from the red carpet to Instagram on Wednesday, the actor gushed: 'Stunning night with my stunning wife!' The post was met with many messages of congratulations for the couple of over five years. The loved up pair announced their impending arrival to guests during their April nuptials on the New South Wales north coast. A day to celebrate: The House Husband's and his now wife revealed to guest during their nuptial celebrations in April that they are expecting their first child together Living on a high: The newlyweds, who are expecting their first child in September, married in an intimate ceremony in Byron Bay last month, after over five years of dating Speaking to Woman's Day magazine last month Alex revealed, 'We are both so excited to be welcoming a baby in September'. The 30-year-old teacher went on to gush with excitement about the couple's latest addition before explaining her actor husband was still in shock with 'how small they [babies] are'. 'I don't think he's ever seen a baby,' she laughed to the publication. But that wasn't the only secret they kept from their close family and friends during their wedding day. 'I don't think he's ever seen a baby': Alex laughed in an interview with Woman's Day about her actor hubby's lack of experience with babies The pair also announced that they had said their 'I dos' weeks beforehand during a visit to a registry in Melbourne. 'We had a small ceremony in Melbourne, so this second wedding was about sharing it with all our friends and family,' Gyton explained. Despite it being the pair's second time reading out their vows, the actor admitted to shedding a tear once he saw Alex walk down the aisle in her custom-made Fiona Claire dress. Full of surprises: The couple also revealed on the day that they had said their 'I dos' weeks beforehand during a visit to a registry in Melbourne 'I started to tear up, but I brushed them away because Alex told me she wasn't going to marry a princess,' he laughed. While the couple went above and beyond to celebrate their relationship for the second time, Gyton's co-star and close friend Julia Morris received the honour to be the pair's 'unofficial' celebrant. Fellow House Husband star's Darren McMullen, Gary Sweet, Rhys Muldoon and American actress Crystal Reed were part of the 170 guests who attended the special day. Spotlight: Gyton's co-star and close friend Julia Morris received the honour to be the pair's 'unofficial' celebrant on their big day (pictured here with fellow House Husband's star Gary Sweet who was a guest) The beginning: Gyton dropped to one knee and popped the question while the pair were on holidays in Burano, Italy, last year after five years of dating Gyton dropped to one knee and popped the question while the pair were on holidays in Burano, Italy, last year. The pair first met at the Woodford Folk Festival in Queensland in 2010 and immediately hit it off, spending the whole day together before going their separate ways. A few months later, Gyton landed his role in the Nine Network drama and moved to Melbourne to begin filming and wound up moving into the same street as Alex. North Dakota delegates heading to the national Republican Party convention this summer see the party moving to rally behind presumptive presidential nominee Donald Trump. Delegates said the landscape has changed dramatically in the past month since the state party convention. Trumps main challenger, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, dropped out of the race Tuesday, no longer seeing a path forward after a drubbing in the Indiana primary. Ohio Gov. John Kasich, who had been running a distant third, was dropped out of the race on Wednesday. Its no secret our delegates were leaning towards Cruz, North Dakota GOP Chairman Kelly Armstrong said. I think most people will rally behind the nominee. A majority of the 28 North Dakota delegates were favoring Cruz following last months state party convention. State convention delegates elected 25 delegates to join the partys chairman, national committeeman and national committeewoman, who are automatic delegates, to attend the national convention July 18-21 in Cleveland. North Dakotas delegates are unbound because the state party chose not to sponsor a caucus this year. Armstrong said what surprised him was how the GOP race suddenly calmed down this week but a bitter Democratic Partys nomination fight is continuing full speed ahead between Hillary Clinton and Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders. That fact wasnt lost on other GOP national convention delegates. Delegate Shane Goettle said he planned on voting for Cruz on the first ballot if there was a contested convention but was willing to keep an open mind. I think theres a number of folks who say Never Trump. Im more of in the Never Hillary camp, said Goettle, also pointing out how the GOP race calmed this week and the fight continues between Clinton and Sanders an interesting flip-flop in a short amount of time. Goettle said rule changes could always occur at the national convention but his hope is the party coalesces around its presumptive nominee and no damaging fight occurs. I think theyre going to want to come together, state Sen. Dick Dever, R-Bismarck, said. Dever said prior to the suspension of the Kasich campaign hed already suspected Trump was in line for the nomination. He said its critically important Republicans unite. Were in an ideological war in this country, and the last thing we need is to see this nation elect Hillary Clinton, Dever said. For billionaire Jessica Alba one would think her life is all about work, work, work. But the 35-year-old Honest Company founder knows how to let loose and enjoy some quality time with her friends. Alba was spotted going to Rihanna's concert in Los Angeles on Tuesday evening with Nicole Richie, who promptly took to Snapchat to document their evening out. Scroll down for video Needed Me: Jessica Alba was spotted going to Rihanna's concert in Los Angeles on Tuesday evening with Nicole Richie, who promptly took to Snapchat to document their evening out Ready for the ball: The reality star looked thrilled to be going to the show The Sin City star wore a pencil skirt and black leggings as she made a casual entrance to the show at The Forum in Inglewood, California. While Richie sported a black and white printed coat with comfy jeans and Converse All Stars. Rihanna for her part sure to put on a racy display during her star-studded Los Angeles leg of her Anti world tour. Casual chic: Richie sported a black and white printed coat with comfy jeans and Converse All Stars Loving it: Alba and Richie (pictured) also shared pictures to Snapchat as they geared up to watch the star perform The 28-year-old songstress put on, arguably, her sexiest show to date as she bent double in a pair of chaps before flashing her entire chest in a sheer ensemble. Rihanna looked simply sensational as she stormed the stage at the concert where a host of celebrities sat in the audience. Bent over: Rihanna is sure to put on a racy display wherever she goes - as she proved during her star-studded Los Angeles concert at The Forum in Inglewood on Tuesday Sexy stuff: Rihanna looked simply sensational as she stormed the stage at the concert where a host of celebrities sat in the audience Several celebrities descended upon Rihanna's concert at The Forum including Blac Chyna, who made sure she got noticed as she arrived at the venue in a head-turning outfit. The 27-year-old was clad in a pair of black and white striped trousers which were so tight, they looked sprayed on. Rihanna kicked off the tour in the US in March, and after performing in Atlanta on May 18 she will start the European leg of the tour next month. He's well known for his action-man exploits on the big-screen, having taken on the worst fiends in Middle Earth and battled ghoulish pirates on the Seven Seas as well. But Oralndo Bloom slipped into a very different role recently, when the actor travelled to the war-torn country of Ukraine as part of his role as a UNICEF ambassador. The 39-year-old actor travelled to schools just three kilometers from the frontline of the conflict, in the east of the country, where he met children affected by conflict. Scroll down for video A regular action man: Oralndo Bloom slipped into a very different role recently, when the actor travelled to the war-torn country of Ukraine as part of his role as a UNICEF ambassador The Lord Of The Rings star, who is a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, headed to schools situated just mere miles from where the conflict is still raging (following the breakout of hostilities in 2014). Visiting classrooms, which have been shelled during battles between warring factions in the region, Orlando met up with school children directly affected by the fighting. Speaking about his visit to the school, the Pirates of The Caribbean star explained how some of the children had told him their amazing and harrowing tales of surviving during the worst of the conflict. 'I met children like 11-year-old Liana, who hid in the basement of their school for almost two weeks, in freezing conditions, without lighting or heat as shelling devastated the classrooms above [her],' Orlando revealed. A very different role: The 39-year-old actor travelled to schools just three kilometers from the frontline of the conflict, in the east of the country, where he met children affected by conflict Noble cause: The Lord Of The Rings star, who is a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, headed to schools situated just mere miles from where the conflict is still raging (following the breakout of hostilities in 2014) The Canterbury-born thespian added: 'Now, after surviving some of the most terrifying experiences life could possibly throw at them, all they want is to get back to the safety and routine of school and plan for their futures.' The actor was pictured throughout his visit charming and chatting away to the children as they played in their classrooms. Orlando, who has five-year-old son, Flynn, with ex-wife Miranda Kerr, looked to have no problems bonding with the girls and boys during his visit to the classrooms. Clearly a natural with children, the actor had no trouble chatting away and bonding with the boys and girls as they showed him around their classroom and school. A real role model? Visiting classrooms, which have been shelled during battles between warring factions in the region, Orlando met up with school children directly affected by the fighting A touching visit: Speaking about his visit to the school, the Pirates of The Caribbean star explained how some of the children had told him their amazing and harrowing tales of surviving during the worst of the conflict A real natural: Orlando, who has five-year-old son, Flynn, with ex-wife Miranda Kerr, looked to have no problems bonding with the girls and boys during his visit to the classrooms And Orlando even managed to squeeze in a game of ping pong with some of the older members of the school. However, despite the touching and happy images that were taken during the Hollywood star's time in the school, the severity of the conflict was abundantly clear when he stepped back outside. Clearly with safety being a paramount factor in his visit, the star's casual ensemble of jeans and a long-sleeved tee-shirt were beefed up by a flack jacket and a military grade helmet. Still game! He even managed to squeeze in a game of ping pong with some of the older members of the school Orlando's visit to the country was in aid of raising awareness of the global education crisis facing children in humanitarian emergencies, as part of the Education Cannot Wait fund. Speaking about the fund's important work, Josephine Bourne, UNICEFs Global Chief of Education, said: 'Education changes lives in emergencies. 'Going to school keeps children safe from abuses like trafficking and recruitment into armed groups and is a vital investment in childrens futures and in the future of their communities. 'It is time education is prioritised by the international community as an essential part of basic humanitarian response, alongside water, food and shelter.' His roguish character Thomas Shelby never fails to hit the mark with his sharp period tailoring. And Cillian Murphy looked to have taken a tip or two from his Peaky Blinder's alter-ego, as he turned up suited and booted to the show's series three premiere in Birmingham, on Wednesday. The 39-year-old actor cut a dapper figure in a charcoal suit, as he turned up to the launch of the latest series of the popular BBC gangster series alongside his glam new co-stars, Kate Phillips and Gaite Janson. Scroll down for video Tips from Thomas Shelby? Cillian Murphy looked to have taken a tip or two from his Peaky Blinder's alter-ego, as he turned up suited and booted to the show's series three premiere in Birmingham, on Wednesday A new arrival: Kate Phillips (left) opted for a modest yet slightly racy ensemble, slipping into a black wraparound midi dress, which featured a low-cut V-shaped neckline - showing just a hint of skin Cillian - who plays the lead roll of Thomas Shelby, the de facto leader of the Peaky Blinders gang - looked every inch the leading man as he made his way up the red carpet at the Everyman Cinema. The Batman Begins star looked the epitome of suave sartorial styling in his tailored charcoal two-piece suit. Opting for a more modern edge to his look, Cillian wore an open-neck shirt for the balmy evening. He rounded his look off with a pair of patent leather oxford lace-ups, whilst he opted to keep the rest of his look uncluttered. The 39-year-old actor cut a dapper figure in a charcoal suit, as he turned up to the launch of the latest series of the popular BBC gangster series alongside a number of his fellow castmembers. A very different look: Cillian - who plays the roll of Thomas Shelby, the de facto leader of the Peaky Blinders gang - looked every inch the leading man as he made his way up the red carpet at the Everyman Cinema Clearly having decided to not stick with Thomas' trademark shorn and disconnected 'do', the actor - who first shot to fame in 28 Days Later - sported his familiar tousled locks. And Cillian wasn't the only one flaunting their fashionable sense of style on the red carpet, as the three most recent and very glamorous additions to the cast also pulled out all the stops. Kate opted for a modest yet slightly racy ensemble, slipping into a black wraparound midi dress, which featured a low-cut V-shaped neckline - showing just a hint of skin. Chic and simple: The pretty blonde actress - who plays Thomas' new sister-in-law (wife to Arthur) Linda - rounded her look off with a pair of towering black stiletto heels. The pretty blonde actress - who plays Thomas' new sister-in-law (wife to Arthur) Linda - rounded her look off with a pair of towering black stiletto heels. She wore her shoulder-length locks in a perfectly coiffed side-parting, which allowed the Wolf Hall star's pretty features to take centre-stage. Gaite - who plays the aristocratic refugee Duchess Tatiana Petrovna - went for a vampish all-black ensemble, slipping into a plunging catsuit which featured semi-sheer mesh panelling. A real screen siren: Wearing her dark tresses pulled back in a topknot ponytail, the 24-year-old beauty ensured her striking looks were firmly in the limelight The 24-year-old Dutch actress rounded her look off with a pair of platform heels, which made sure the trailing legs of her one-piece wouldn't drag on the floor. Wearing her dark tresses pulled back in a topknot ponytail, Gaiter ensured her striking looks were firmly in the limelight - while a flash of ruby red lipstick added just a hint of a screen siren edge to her look. Also joining Cillian, Gaite and kate on the red carpet were fellow castmembers Stephanie Hyram, Jordan Bolger and Harry Kirton. Bringing the Blinders home: Also joining Cillian, Gaite and kate on the red carpet were fellow castmembers (L-R) Stephanie Hyram, Jordan Bolger and Harry Kirton Another fresh face: Stephanie Hyram was also enjoying her first taste as a member of the highly popular BBC 2 drama A Brummy icon: Local lad Jasper Carrott turned out in a suitably period look for the screening The new series of the period drama - set in Birmingham and London in the 1920s - sees the one-time violent racketeers, smugglers and thugs attempting to go on the straight and narrow. And while Thomas may have plans to retire the Peaky Blinders from the world of crime, it seems outside forces have other ideas. The preceding two series charted the rise of the gang from a simple street gang in Birmingham to a force to be reckoned with in the country - and even saw the gang enlisted by politicians to assassinate a high-ranking army officer. And having taken both London and Birmingham by force, edging out the mafia, the police and the Jewish gang-leader Alfie Solomons (Tom Hardy), it looks as though Tommy is hoping for a slice of the good life at last. Peaky Blinders returns to BBC Two at 9pm on Thursday May 5. There's some knots in life that are hard to break. And Emma Roberts proved she really does love her Met Gala braids as she stepped out continuing to wear the 'do two days after the costume party. The 25-year-old was spotted on Wednesday in Los Angeles still rocking the unique updo braids as she grabbed some coffee during the overcast day. American Hair Story: Emma Roberts is still wearing her updo braids TWO DAYS after debuting the look at the Met Gala as she was spotted in Los Angeles on Wednesday No wonder the American Horror Story star is sticking to the look as they represent her glamorous night at the elite ball hosted by Vogue Editor-in-Chief Anna Wintour. For her outing on Wednesday the actress wore cat eye sunglasses and a grey coat as she ran errands in the celeb hotspot. Completing her attire a salmon coloured mini-dress booties as she carried a snack bag from Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf. Tie me up, tie me down: No wonder the American Horror Story star is sticking to the look as they represent her glamorous night at the elite ball hosted by Vogue Editor-in-Chief Anna Wintour Gordion knot: There's some ties in life that are hard to break The Scream Queens star cut a regal figure the night before at the the Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute Benefit. She turned heads in a stunning Halter-top ombre chiffon plisse gown by Tory Burch which was embellished with heat-sealed Swarovski crytal-rock fabric. The niece of Hollywood star Julia Roberts completed her look with an Edie Parker clutch, Norman Silverman diamonds and Giuseppe Zanotti heels. Something sweet for your sweetheart? For her outing on Wednesday the actress wore cat eye sunglasses and a grey coat as she ran errands in the celeb hotspot The Met Gala was hosted this year by Taylor Swift as well as Editor of American Vogue Anna Wintour, Idris Elba, and Jonathan Ive, chief design officer of Apple. Wintour took over as chairwoman of the gala in 1999. Since then, she has transformed what was once a local fundraiser into one of the world's most elite costume parties that ranks as a celeb magnet only equaled by the Academy Awards red carpet - with A-listers hungry for a chance to be the muse of a fashion designer. The honorary chairs were the Chanel designer Karl Lagerfeld; Miuccia Prada; and Nicolas Ghesquiere, Louis Vuittons artistic director. Simply stunning: The Scream Queens star cut a regal figure the night before at the the Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute Benefit He only had minimal screen time in The Force Awakens. But Mark Hamill made all the time in the world for those ill and recovering at a hospital in London, U.K., on Wednesday. The 64-year-old actor surprised patients at Guys Hospital in the city with a visit to mark Star Wars Day aka May 4th. Jedi Knight in shining armour: Mark Hamill made a visit to patients at a hospital in London, U.K., on Wednesday Mark - who famously plays Luke Skywalker - brought a special Jedi training session to their bed-sides complete with light sabers. He captioned an Instagram snap playing doctors with a blonde tot called Oscar: 'Don't donate for me-Donate for THIS guy! #AwesomeOscar #ForceForChange #GOSH #StarWarsDay.' The star - who was dressed casually and sporting a beard - also brought along droids R2-D2, C-3P0 and BB-8. He then hosted a special charity screening of Star Wars: The Force Awakens - the seventh instalment of the Star Wars saga at the ICAP MediCinema, in collaboration with Force for Change. Force be with you: The 64-year-old actor surprised patients at Guys Hospital in the city with a visit to mark Star Wars Day aka May 4th Hamill returned to the franchise with other original trilogy actors Harrison Ford (Han Solo), Carrie Fisher (General Leia Organa), Peter Mayhew (Chewbacca), Anthony Daniels (C-3PO) and Kenny Baker (R2-D2), much to the delight of Star Wars fans. He told The Sun that he was initially uncertain about reprising his role as Luke, 32 years after his last appearance in Return of the Jedi. However, he said after seeing the script he was excited about the project - which became the highest grossing film of all time in the UK. Bed-side visit: Mark - who famously plays Luke Skywalker - brought a special Jedi training session complete with light sabers to Naheem Abide Cheering up: He met patients including Vince Nieass ahead of hosting a special charity screening of The Force Awakens at the ICAP MediCinema, in collaboration with Force for Change Hospital visit: Mark gave patient Benjamin Tshibaugu a hug Medicinema screening: The star - who was dressed casually and sporting a beard - also brought along droids R2-D2, C-3P0 and BB-8 'I read the script on a little iPad with a security man with me so I couldn't take notes ... The first few words in the crawl are "Luke Skywalker has vanished" and I thought, "Boy, this is going to be good!"' he told the publication. The actor - who first appeared in Star Wars in 1977's A New Hope - said that his small amount screen time as the Jedi Knight didn't matter to him because he knew Luke was central to the plot. He added: 'I thought, "Good, I'm going to have one of those 11th-hour entrances." I wanted impact. I wanted to affect the storyline.' Hamill is currently shooting the next installment Episode VIII. Fine with it: He only had minimal screen time in The Force Awakens A host of celebrities have found their way into Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie. But Georgia May Jagger was the chosen star to pose alongside Eddy and Patsy for the June issue of British Vogue. Posing in character, Jennifer Saunders and Joanna Lumley transformed into their beloved alter-egos for the snap, which was shot in typical high fashion style. Scroll down for video Absolutely brilliant! Georgia May Jagger was the chosen star to pose alongside Eddy and Patsy (Joanna Lumley and Jennifer Saunders for the June issue of British Vogue Sandwiched between the award-winning comedy duo, Georgia, 24, smoulders in the shot, staring down the lens with her honey blonde locks loose and tousled to frame her pretty face. Sporting a neutral make-up palette, the daughter of Mick Jagger and Jerry Hall, was a vision of beauty in the snap, holding her hand up below her chin in a striking pose. Not quite perfecting her model pose, Joanna in full character as Patsy as she held her mouth open whilst her golden locks were styled in a vintage bouffant. Out now: See the full shoot in the June Centenary Issue of British Vogue, on sale now Meanwhile, Jennifer also transformed into Eddy as she mischievously played with Georgia's hair whilst sporting a coy grin. Flattening her chestnut curls with a burgundy flat cap, the 57-year-old seemed to be enjoying herself on the shoot as she joined her glamorous co-stars. The Ab Fab girls are in good company with the centenary issue of Vogue which features a selection of the the most iconic style icons in order to honour 100 years of the magazine. But Joanna and Jennifer are no strangers to rubbing shoulders with stars, as no less than sixty celebrity guest stars have joined the Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie. As well as Kate, designer to the stars Stella McCartney, Mad Men's Jon Hamm and Aussie A-lister Rebel Wilson, the cameos keep coming, with appearances from the likes of Barry Humphries aka Dame Edna Everage, Graham Norton, Jeremy Paxman, Jerry Hall, Dame Joan Collins, Pam Hogg, Perez Hilton and Wanda Ventham. The official synopsis for the film reads: 'Edina and Patsy are still oozing glitz and glamour, living the high life they are accustomed to; shopping, drinking and clubbing their way around Londons trendiest hotspots. 'Blamed for a major incident at an uber fashionable launch party, they become entangled in a media storm and are relentlessly pursued by the paparazzi. 'Fleeing penniless to the glamorous playground of the super-rich, the French Riviera, they hatch a plan to make their escape permanent and live the high life forevermore!' Star-studded: No less than sixty celebrity guest stars have joined the Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie cast which tracks Eddy and Patsy as their pursuit of their style idol Kate Moss ends in a soggy disaster The original TV series was first broadcast in 1992 and continued for five seasons. The film hits cinemas in the UK on July 1, 2016 with US and Australia release dates of July 22 and August 11, respectively. See the full shoot in the June Centenary Issue of British Vogue, on sale now. She slammed New Idea back in 2013 for 'making up' a cover story about her. But Johanna Griggs, 42, has apparently decided to forgive the magazine, giving an interview to promote the new season of House Rules. The Channel Seven presenter has been accused of making the dramatic U-turn in a bid to rescue the show's dwindling ratings which have been down a massive 20 per cent on last year. In the new cover interview, she was seen celebrating Mother's Day with her mother Leigh and grandmother Mooreen - who is set to turn 100 in October. Change of heart: Johanna Griggs, 42, has decided to forgive New Idea, giving an interview to promote the new season of House Rules Johanna has since taken to Instagram to praise the magazine, saying: 'I love, love, love this shoot and story that @newideamagazine have done with my stunning mum, and gorgeous Nanna ahead of Mothers Day and to promote @houseruleson7 and @bhgaus Nanna turns 100 in October and these photos will be treasured forever by us. 'What a treat, and a lovely article. Oh and our puppies (who Nan is obsessed with) look completely adorable too. #houserules #newidea #officialmagazineofhouserules #hammondcare.' This lies in stark contrast to her previous tweets about the magazine when she accused it of 'making up' quotes for a story which she had done a shoot for in November 2013. Host: The Channel Seven presenter has been accused of making the dramatic U-turn in a bid to rescue the show's dwindling ratings which have been down a massive 20 per cent on last year The 2013 piece, which was focused on Johanna turning 40, was a cobbled together collection of quotes from stories published in The Daily Telegraph and The Australian, according to reports. 'Just read yet another made up cover story in new idea where they pretend I've spoken to them. I haven't. Nice work,' Johanna posted on Twitter. The article also discussed the ups and downs of her sporting career and personal life. In January last year she opened up about how she was diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome at the age of 17. Effusive: Johanna has since taken to Instagram to praise the magazine following the recent interview U-turn: This lies in stark contrast to her previous tweets about the magazine when she accused it of 'making up' quotes for a story which she had done a shoot for in November 2013 The chronic fatigue changed everything,' she admitted to TV Week. 'I now make a point of really looking after myself especially now that Im over 40! According to Johanna, who is mother to two children, Joe and Jesse, exercise is a big part of beating the fatigue. Johanna was a competitive swimmer prior to her taking up hosting duties in the media, but her career was cut short in 1993 by her CFS, roughly three years after it was diagnosed. These days she manages her condition and it hasn't stopped her enjoying all life has to offer. In 2014 she headed off on a honeymoon with her second husband Todd Huggins - eight years after they tied the knot. Channel Seven has been approached for a comment. Her Majesty's Prison: Norwich (ITV) Rating: Horizon: Ice Station Antarctica (BBC2) Rating: Pull up a Kleenex and prepare to snuffle. The saddest sound in television is playing echoey chords like a funeral dirge on a toy organ. This music tells us to be unhappy. Something heartbreaking is happening. And sure enough, heres devoted father-of-three Nick, fighting the lump in his throat as he reads a bedtime story for his little boy. Nick cant be at the childs bedside, so hes recording the story instead. The electric piano swells. Only a callous beast could watch dry-eyed . . . a callous beast like me. Muddy sentiment: Liam, pictured, had been given 20-months after buying a stun-gun off the internet 'for a laugh' Her Majestys Prison: Norwich (ITV), a documentary exploring the plight of fathers in one British jail, was a self-pitying whinge on behalf of men whod put their families through hell yet expected our sympathy. Nick was serving 13 years for conspiracy to supply cocaine, or drug-dealing. His excuse was that he hadnt been thinking straight, owing to the litre of vodka hed been consuming every day. He now claimed he had detoxed, thanks to his stay behind bars: he called it HMP Health Farm. But he yearned to go home, to be with his young children. This isnt where I want to be, he sighed. If only someone had told the poor lamb that a career peddling Class A drugs might involve a prolonged sojourn inside. TIPPLE OF THE NIGHT Terrified of the dentists chair, 49-year-old Greg needed sedation before having teeth out on Never Seen A Doctor (C4). The anaesthetic made him feel, he said, as if hed just had 30 or 40 pints of bitter. Thats what you call feeling no pain. Window cleaner Liam, 21, was speechless with shock to be serving a 20-month sentence for an offence he regarded as utterly trivial, barely meriting a slap on the wrist possession of a firearm. Hed sent off for a stun-gun or taser via the internet, for a laugh. Clearly, the judge didnt have a sense of humour. Liam didnt really explain what a window cleaner wanted with a high-voltage weapon that could instantly paralyse victims. George Formby never needed one. This one-off programme was awash with muddy sentiment and dubious statistics. Actor Paul McGanns voiceover told us that 250,000 children in the UK had a parent in prison, and claimed that was twice as many as were affected by divorces. Even without Googling, that fact sounds as though it cant possibly be right. Far more people end up in the divorce courts than in prison. And a quick check uncovered the flaw in the figures: over their childhoods a third of children will see their parents split up. Our prisons may be overflowing, but by that logic, ITV seem to think that two-thirds of British dads are locked up. Sloppy research, and gooey moralising no wonder this programme was a mess. Weatherman Peter Gibbs returned to Antarctica for the first time since the early 1980s in a BBC documentary about the research station There was nothing wrong with the fact-checking in Horizon: Ice Station Antarctica (BBC2), which saw weatherman Peter Gibbs return to the Halley Research Station on the polar ice shelf where he spent two years in the early Eighties, as a meteorologist fresh out of university. Halley is crammed with people who live for data. They might not be great conversationalists some were too shy to reply to Peters questions in more than monosyllables. But when they tell you theres a 152mph wind with outside temperatures of 49.5c below zero, you may confidently assume they are correct. In its own way, the research station a row of plastic pods on hydraulic stilts, looking more like a toy construction kit than a scientific community was a kind of prison. Escape from Dartmoors maximum security jail would be a doddle, compared to getting off this frozen continent. But nobody wanted to leave. This seemed to be the most contented village in the world, stress-free and filled with purpose, in a frostily beautiful landscape. Mind you, the cuisine left something to be desired: on the menu, 3,300lb of tinned tomatoes and half a ton of minced beef. Its bolognese tonight, then. When Peter was last at Halley, there were no women. Now the crew includes a lady known as Madame Whiplash, whose office is fitted with a special leather chair. That chair is a space station simulator, and whiplash is what the trainee astronauts get if they fail to master the controls. Trump romps to Indiana win, White House nomination in sight Donald Trump crushed his Republican rivals in Indiana's primary Tuesday, bringing him to the brink of outright victory in the presidential nomination race and dashing the hopes of a movement bent on stopping him. The billionaire trounced Senator Ted Cruz and Ohio Governor John Kasich, his two remaining competitors in a roller-coaster nomination race that appears increasingly likely to see Trump go head-to-head with presumptive Democratic standard-bearer Hillary Clinton in the general election. "Thank you Indiana!" Trump tweeted as the race was called in his favor and he romped to a seventh straight state-wide victory. US Republican presidential frontrunner Donald Trump speaks at Trump Tower in New York on April 26,2016 Kena Betancur (AFP/File) The Democratic race was initially too close to call, with Bernie Sanders taking a razor-thin lead over former secretary of state Clinton based on 25 percent of precincts reporting. Both Trump and Clinton were betting on Indiana to put them one step closer to locking up the White House nominations. The latest contest in the 2016 White House race was also seen as a day of reckoning for the "stop Trump" movement. Cruz had been hoping to use the midwestern state as a firewall, blocking Trump from receiving the 1,237 delegates needed to secure the nomination ahead of the Republican convention in Cleveland in July. But the bombastic real estate mogul -- who has thus far defied all political logic to lead the Republican race -- swept the arch-conservative senator aside. Partial results showed the billionaire real estate mogul securing over 53 percent of the vote, almost 20 points ahead of Cruz. Kasich languished at eight percent. "Lyin' Ted Cruz consistently said that he will, and must, win Indiana. If he doesn't he should drop out of the race-stop wasting time & money," Trump taunted in a tweet. Should Trump win all 57 delegates at stake in Indiana, he will need just 40 percent of remaining Republican delegates to reach the magic number of 1,237 needed to avoid a contested party convention. Clinton, 68, is far enough ahead overall that Sanders' only hope now lies in the unlikely scenario of her failing to win a majority of delegates in the primaries, in which case her nomination could be contested at a Democratic convention in July. But regardless of the outcome in Indiana, Clinton has already pivoted toward Trump. "I'm really focused on moving into the general election," she said confidently Tuesday in West Virginia. "That's where we have to be because we are going to have a tough campaign against a candidate who'll literally say or do anything," she said of Trump. "We're going to take him on at every turn." - 'Staring at the abyss' - With momentum favoring the 69-year-old Trump, the primary battle took a nasty turn Tuesday when Trump cited a tabloid report linking Cruz's father Rafael to John F. Kennedy assassin Lee Harvey Oswald. Trump raised the recent National Enquirer story in his interview with Fox News. "This is just kooky," an irate Cruz shot back while stumping in Evansville, Indiana, branding Trump a "pathological liar." "The man is utterly amoral," said Cruz, lambasting the frontrunner as "a caricature of a braggadocious, arrogant buffoon who builds giant casinos with giant pictures of him everywhere he looks." "We are staring at the abyss," Cruz warned. Cruz now has an extremely steep road ahead to block Trump. Until recently, Indiana was widely seen as a good state for the senator, who has performed well in primaries dominated by conservative and evangelical voters. Observers say a Trump victory raises serious questions about whether Cruz can still win other states where he was thought to be favored, such as Nebraska, Washington, Montana and South Dakota. "Very hard to see how Trump doesn't get to 1,237 now," tweeted the leading statistician and election analyst Nate Silver of the blog FiveThirtyEight. "He'd need to lose big in Cali, where he's up by 20+ points." The frontrunner has so far amassed 1,002 delegates prior to Indiana, according to CNN's tally. Cruz is at 572 delegates, while Kasich trails with 156. The map currently favors Trump, who is polling well ahead in the largest states yet to vote -- California and New Jersey. Clinton needs only 21 percent of remaining Democratic delegates to win her party's nomination, but she has declined to call on Sanders to drop out. "He has every right to finish out this primary season. I couldn't argue with that," Clinton said. Sanders, a self-proclaimed democratic socialist senator representing Vermont, has indicated he will remain in the race through California. US Republican presidential candidate Ted Cruz addresses the California Republican Party 2016 Convention in Burlingame, California on April 30, 2016 Gabrielle Lurie (AFP/File) Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders speaks during a press conference at the National Press Club, on May 1, 2016 in Washington DC Olivier Douliery (AFP/File) Republican presidential candidate Ohio Governor John Kasich speaks during a town hall meeting in Rockville, Maryland on April 25, 2016 Yuri Gripas (AFP/File) Ted Cruz ends White House bid, setting Trump on path to nomination Ted Cruz suspended his White House campaign on Tuesday after suffering a crushing defeat in Indiana's primary, leaving the road wide open for Donald Trump to seize the Republican nomination. "From the beginning, I've said that I would continue on as long as there was a viable path to victory. Tonight, I'm sorry to say, it appears that path has been foreclosed," the Texas senator told supporters in Indianapolis. "We gave it everything we've got, but the voters chose another path," said Cruz, whose withdrawal leaves the low-polling John Kasich as Trump's sole challenger. The 2016 Governors Photo Contest is underway. North Dakota photographers are encouraged to submit photos of things to see and do in the state. Deadline for entry is Aug. 31. Categories include: Adventure and Recreation, Places to Visit, Events, People, Scenery and Wildlife. Entries will be judged on originality, interest of the subject matter, visual appearance and consistency with the category theme. Photo entries should be taken within the past three years and must be in color. One $200 winner will be selected in each category. Additional honorable mentions may be selected in each category, with photographers receiving $50 and North Dakota Legendary merchandise. A Best of Show photo will be selected from the winning photographs and the photographer will receive an additional $300 cash prize and a free, one-year basic membership to AAA. All photos must be submitted electronically via Flickr or postmarked by the contest deadline. Contest rules can be found on the Tourism Division website at NDtourism.com. For more information, call 701-328-2525 or 800-435-5663. Trump urges Republican unity as he eyes clash with Clinton Billionaire Donald Trump pledged Wednesday to unify the fractured Republican Party following a bruising primary season, as he declared the battle for the White House starts now against likely Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton. Trump's path to the GOP presidential nomination is clear after his command victory in Indiana's primary Tuesday pushed remaining challengers Ted Cruz and then Ohio Governor John Kasich out of the race. Their capitulations brought the curtain down on one of the most contentious and chaotic nomination battles in generations, one in which Trump pummelled no fewer than 16 rivals into submission. Donald Trump knocked out his only serious Republican challenger, Ted Cruz, in Indiana's primary Jewel Samad (AFP) "Now we'll unify the party. We're going to get people together," Trump, 69, told Fox News. "I think we'll beat Hillary Clinton." But with unfavorability ratings among the highest of any modern presidential candidate, and concern within his own party about his temperament, the real estate mogul swiftly sought to assuage concerns about how he would govern. "I know people aren't sure right now what a President Trump will be like," he told The New York Times. "But things will be fine. I'm not running for president to make things unstable for the country." - 'They loved me' - Trump also began discussing the idea of his possible running mate, telling ABC News he wanted "a person with political experience" to compliment his own business acumen. Names being tossed around included Senator Rob Portman of critical swing state Ohio, and South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, who as the daughter of Indian immigrants could strengthen Trump's appeal with minorities. Trump himself said he could consider Kasich, a former congressman who helped balance the federal budget, as his vice presidential pick. Kasich rarely followed rivals like Trump into the mud, aiming to stay above the fray and offer Americans optimism instead of insults and negativity. In bowing out Wednesday, he grew wistful about the thousands of Americans he met on the campaign trail. "They loved me, they encouraged me. The people of our country changed me... with stories of their lives," he said. Just as Trump seized the GOP mantle, a new CNN poll emerged that highlighted the formidable challenge facing him. It found Clinton, hoping at 68 to become America's first female commander-in-chief, leading the tycoon 54 percent to 41 percent -- her largest lead since July. The former secretary of state however suffered a shock loss in Indiana to her challenger Bernie Sanders, who has pledged to remain in the race until the end despite an extremely steep hill to climb. Clinton has amassed 2,217 delegates -- just shy of the 2,383 needed to secure the nomination, according to a CNN tally. Sanders is at 1,443. - 'Loose cannon' - With the matchup essentially set, several prominent Republicans were refusing to support Trump in November despite his status as the presumptive nominee. Those refusals highlight the continued tensions within the GOP, which has been at a loss to describe the stunning ascent of a brash billionaire who was given no chance of winning when he launched his campaign last June. "If we nominate Trump, we will get destroyed... and we will deserve it," tweeted Senator Lindsey Graham, a Trump rival whose campaign fizzled. Like Trump, Clinton was already pivoting to the general election. "He is a loose cannon, and loose cannons tend to misfire," she said on CNN. "He makes these grand statements and grand accusations. At some point when you're running for president you actually have to put a little meat on the bones," she said. "You've got to tell people what it is you're going to do." Trump, who has never held elective office, expressed surprise that he became a party standard-bearer before Clinton. "She can't put it away," Trump taunted. - Voters 'chose another path' - Tuesday's contest in Indiana was the final firewall thrown up by Republican heavyweights to keep the brash, name-calling Trump from locking up the nomination. But as the race was called overwhelmingly in Trump's favor, Cruz conceded to supporters in Indianapolis that he no longer had a viable way forward. "We gave it everything we've got, but the voters chose another path," Cruz said. It was a stunning denouement for the 45-year-old arch-conservative Texas senator, who had insisted he would press on to the final day of the Republican race. Having amassed 1,053 delegates, Trump was already close to reaching the magic number needed to avoid a contested party convention in July. With Cruz and Kasich out, the nomination is a foregone conclusion. "I believe Donald Trump will ultimately get chosen," Republican National Committee chief Reince Priebus said, in an extraordinary embrace of a candidate the establishment had fought tooth and nail to stop. "We need to get behind the Republican nominee." The delegates count for the US primaries Paz PIZARRO, Alain BOMMENEL (AFP) Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton suffered a shock loss in Indiana to her challenger Bernie Sanders, who has pledged to remain in the race until the end Joe Raedle (Getty/AFP/File) Ohio Governor John Kasich announced on May 4, 2016 that he was suspending his US presidential campaign Olivier Douliery (AFP/File) Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders won the primary in Indiana John Sommers II (Getty/AFP) White House eyes first national monument to gay rights movement President Barack Obama is close to creating the first US national monument to the gay rights movement, in a New York City area seen as the birthplace of the struggle. While many national monuments are distinctive places or landscapes, this would be the first national monument centered on a bar, the Stonewall Inn, plus surrounding area, in the Greenwich Village neighborhood of Manhattan. In 1969, police raided the inn, owned by the mafia at the time, which catered to marginalized groups. Activists and authorities clashed in surrounding streets. Less than five decades on, the United States has recognized same-sex marriage and survivors' benefits for them. People gather outside of New York's Stonewall Inn, an iconic gay bar recently granted historic landmark status in June 2015 Yana Paskova (Getty/AFP/File) Gay Pride events are held in June to commemorate the month of the Stonewall riots. Obama is nearing action, possibly as soon as June, The Washington Post reported. North Korea completes work at missile sub shipyard: US think tank Recent satellite images suggest North Korea has completed the external refurbishment of a shipyard dedicated to building and launching a new class of ballistic missile submarines, a US think tank said Wednesday. While it is unlikely that any such vessel would become operational before 2020, the North's efforts to develop a working submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) is clearly "making progress", according to the US-Korea Institute at Johns Hopkins University. A credible SLBM capability would take North Korea's nuclear strike threat to a new level, allowing deployment far beyond the Korean peninsula and the potential to retaliate in the event of a nuclear attack. The underwater test-fire of a strategic submarine ballistic missile at an undisclosed location in North Korea on April 23, 2016 Last month, one of the North's experimental GORAE-class submarines carried out an SLBM test in the East Sea (Sea of Japan), launching a missile that travelled around 19 miles (30 kilometres). South Korea deemed the test a failure as the missile appeared to have exploded, but analysts at the US Korea Institute said it was a success. "It was probably intended to be limited, focusing upon the submarine's launch systems, missile ignition sequence and initial guidance operations rather than a full operational test," it said, predicting further similar launches this year before a "full-range" flight test. Satellite pictures dated April 28, five days after the test, showed post-launch maintenance activity being carried out on the submarine at the North's Sinpo South Shipyard. They also indicated that external work on the yard's submarine construction halls had been completed, and a ramp where new vessels are launched was nearly finished, the institute said. "When complete, the North will be able to build and launch submarines much larger than the GORAE-class -- including a new class of ballistic missile submarines," it added. South Korea is particularly concerned by the North's SLBM development, and its defence minister, Han Min-Koo warned Tuesday that Seoul had been slow to respond. Developers zero-in on Bangkok's historic Chinatown For nearly a century Thanuan has watched history sweep through the bustling maze of alleyways that make up Bangkok's Chinatown, one of the city's few districts yet to be devoured by malls and high-rise condos. But change is coming -- and fast. A new metro service will soon plough straight into the heart of the historic quarter, and in the process transform a chaotic but charming area into a property goldmine. Food vendors fry chicken at their street stall in Bangkok's Chinatown Christophe Archambault (AFP) "We can't do anything," the 92-year-old, whose full name is Thanuan Amnueilap, said from a noodle stall tucked inside a lane of shophouses. His neighbourhood, known as Charoen Chai, lies near the proposed new metro station, which is set to open in 2018 and will link the riverside district to Bangkok's glitzy downtown. Around 60 families have lived there for generations selling joss paper and other wares, but now they fear eviction as the developers -- and their influential Bangkok backers -- close in. Scores of homes across the street have already been knocked down to clear a path for the metro, and land prices have soared more than 20 percent over the past five years. The cards are stacked against Thanuan and his neighbours, whose land is owned by a charity run by Bangkok's governor -- a distant member of the royal family. "If they want us to leave, we have to leave," Thanuan said before sidling back to his modest home, where a sign still bears the name of the clinic his father ran before hospitals were widespread. - Cradle of commerce - The governor's charity would not comment on its plans for the area. But it has stopped offering long-term leases in favour of monthly ones since the subway plans were set. That has left the community in constant fear of eviction, a fate that has befallen tenants across the district. Chinatown emerged in the 18th century, when throngs of traders transformed the area into a commercial hub. It is one of the world's oldest and largest Chinese diasporas, with many tracing their ancestry to boat migrants who fled famines in southern China and arrived with meager savings, often sleeping dozens to a room. Elders still chatter in their Teochew dialect. Bangkok's financial sector has since shifted east, but its business elite is dominated by tycoons who grew up on Chinatown's streets, some of the countrys most striking rags-to-riches stories. Yet some of those same figures are now behind the conglomerates gobbling up swaths of Chinatown's desirable riverside land. TCC Land, a company run by Chinatown-bred Charoen Sirivadhanabhakdi, one of Thailand's richest magnates and owner of the Chang beer empire, has already bought up a clutch of shops famous for selling autoparts and musical instruments down the road from Charoen Chai. Plans for that area, known as Woeng Nakhon Kasem, are still under discussion. But fear abounds that the company will build a mall similar to the one it erected down the river. Unable to outbid Bangkoks billionaire developers, Charoen Chai residents have instead focused on making the case for their neighbourhoods historic value. Sirinee Urunanont, 45, took the lead and turned a shophouse down the street from hers into a museum showcasing the simple, dimly lit abode where a Chinese opera troupe used to live. "We need to show people why we want to keep this area," she told AFP. - Chaos and charm - Yongtanit Pimonsathean, a professor of architecture at Bangkok's Thammasat University, has spent years lobbying the government to safeguard Chinatown's historic structures. "The conservation system in Thailand is more about preserving temples, not common property like shop houses or markets," he said from an office stacked with colour-coded maps marking the neighbourhood's treasures. While the government only lists 26 Chinatown buildings as heritage sites, Yongtanit and his group of preservationists say there are nearly 7,000 that need protection, including those in Chaoren Chai. The biggest challenge, he says, is getting city planners to listen to local residents rather than the developers. "It's very hard to get voices from the community to reach those people," the professor explained. Despite grassroots resistance, communities across Bangkok are facing extinction as authorities escalate a campaign to sanitize streets known for their character. Much-loved outdoor markets have been dismantled overnight, drawing condemnation from locals and visitors alike. The head of Bangkok's city planning council dismisses these sweep-ups as minor. Instead he points to his ambitious plan for Chinatown, laid out in elaborate presentation posters and cardboard models featuring leafy parks and tidy waterfronts. But Sirinee and others bracing for eviction say their voices are not being heard. "I want people to know that we have sent a letter to many organisations," she said, listing off various government bodies she's petitioned to help save the community. "But after that nothing happened. So many times like this, but never any action." Bangkok's Chinatown is one of the world's oldest and largest Chinese diasporas, with many tracing their ancestry to boat migrants who fled famines in southern China Christophe Archambault (AFP) Bangkok's Chinatown emerged in the 18th century, when throngs of traders transformed the area into a commercial hub Christophe Archambault (AFP) Construction goes on along the current extension of the Metropolitan Rapid Transit (MRT) subway 'Blue Line' into Bangkok's historic district of Chinatown, next to Hua Lamphong's central railway station (L) Christophe Archambault (AFP) Floods following drought worsen Ethiopian hunger Stuck on a track in eastern Ethiopia, trucks carrying food for the starving are forced to turn back. After one of the worst droughts for decades, the rains have finally arrived, but now only add to the complication of the delivery of food aid. Flash floods have effectively transformed dry dirt tracks into impassable quagmires, adding to the woes of the victims in remote areas, some of whom have received no help for weeks. A year of drought has pushed 10.2 million Ethiopians into dire conditions needing food aid to survive, according to the United Nations Vincent Defait (AFP/File) A year of drought has pushed 10.2 million Ethiopians into dire conditions needing food aid to survive, according to the United Nations. Here in Sitti province, in the far east of the Horn of African nation, times were tough even before the drought. The region is classified as "emergency", according to UN monitors, one step short of famine. In the small village of Derela, cattle herders come from far for aid. Dozens of carcasses of goats and cattle testify to the magnitude of the drought. "All my animals died," said Ali Boor, installed in a makeshift camp with his wife and their seven children. From his 200 cows, only six survived. "Without any help, there was no hope," he said. "We heard that here we could have food and water." Floods and failed rains caused by the El Nino weather phenomenon have sparked a dramatic rise in the number of people going hungry in large parts of Africa, with southern Ethiopia an area of especial concern. - Food and funding gaps - Food insecurity is a sensitive issue in Ethiopia, which enjoys near-double-digit economic growth, but which has struggled to change its image following the famine of 1984-85 which followed an extreme drought. "A drought like this is unheard of," added Mohamed Aden, the leader of the community, a few huts away. In two years, three consecutive seasons of rains were abnormally low, a situation attributed to El Nino. "At the beginning, we sold the livestock to buy food. Without help, we would have only the skin of animals to eat," said Aden. Children receive a bowl of porridge a day at school, and their families get wheat rations distributed by the UN, often irregularly. Despite these efforts, malnutrition has reached grim levels: 350,000 children under five years were treated for severe malnutrition in Ethiopia in 2015, a figure expected to reach 450,000 in 2016, according to the UN children's agency UNICEF. In Malkashek, amidst a vast expanse of desert, the mobile clinic set up by Save the Children is always busy. Aid worker Abd Rahman Adan measures the children to identify the most malnourished. Last month, 136 cases of severe malnutrition were registered in this district alone. "Since the beginning of the drought, we have seen many more cases of malnutrition," said Adan, who hands out packets of super-sweet and specially fortified peanut paste. "Some children regain a normal weight, but others must be sent to a stabilisation centre," he added. - 'Last hope' - Aisha Nour, the mother of a malnourished two-year-old girl leaves with a few packs of food supplements and bags of wheat loaded onto a donkey. "We eat pancakes from sorghum and wheat, that's all, no milk or oil," she said. The rains are making things worse. "Roads are turning into raging rivers and our trucks carrying food assistance are unable to reach many communities," warned the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) aid agency. Weakened without water and food, the lashing cold rains are now killing the livestock that provides for many people their last lifeline. "The rain has led to livestock deaths that in their weakened state are more susceptible to illnesses. For many this was the last hope they had," said Mohamed Hassan, NRC operations chief in the eastern Jigjiga district. Faced with the food crisis, the Ethiopian government has allocated $766 million in emergency aid. Donor countries have also promised aid, but there is still a worrying $600 million shortfall from the $1.4 billion needed. "The Middle East and the migrant crisis has diverted attention from our partners," said Minister for Food Security Mitiku Kassa. Aid agencies are worried too. "Last year, many farmers had little or no harvest," said Save the Children's chief in Ethiopia, John Graham. "There are millions of people who will be increasingly hungry until the next harvest, September at the earliest." Herders try to help a malnourished camel carry a load in Sitti Zone, one of the areas most affected by the country's worst drought for 30 years Vincent Defait (AFP/File) Obama faces looming trade row with China US President Barack Obama is facing a fresh trade row with Beijing that could inflame the 2016 election race and complicate his farewell visit to China in September. Beijing is pressing Obama's administration to treat China like a "market economy," a move that would spell lower tariffs on controversial Chinese exports like steel. The issue lit up the 2016 campaign trail Monday, when Obama's Democratic heir apparent Hillary Clinton appeared to challenge the White House to deny China's demand. US President Barack Obama is facing a fresh trade row with Beijing that could inflame the 2016 election race and complicate his farewell visit to China in September Ed Jones (AFP/File) "I have made this clear, I'm going to say it again and I hope the press writes it so people in the administration see it, I am dead set against making China a market economy," Clinton told steel workers in Kentucky. "They don't follow the rules and they don't play by the rules," she said, echoing longstanding allegations that China hurts US jobs and businesses by dumping goods on the market below cost. The Chinese government denies such actions and has fought back against waves of US and European retaliatory tariffs. Now Beijing is opening a new front, challenging the unfavorable and arcane way those tariffs are calculated for non-market economies suspected of dumping goods. China argues its 2001 deal to join the World Trade Organization dictates that from December 11 the United States must change. "We anticipate all WTO members to fulfill their treaty obligations on time, not to distort or delay its implementation," Zhu Haiquan, a spokesman for the Chinese Embassy in Washington, told AFP. - Rock and a hard place - Few trade partners would argue China is a fully fledged market economy, but even fewer want to pick a fight with the world's second largest economy. Smaller nations like New Zealand and Singapore have already granted China market economy status ahead of the December crunch point. The Obama administration insists its determination will be quasi-judicial, based on established Commerce Department criteria. "Nothing in China's protocol of accession requires that WTO members automatically grant China market economy status later this year," a Commerce official told AFP on condition of anonymity. The official said that instead, China would have to "request a review of status" in the context of a specific dispute. That stance is unlikely to wash with Beijing. "If that's how it comes out, then I expect China to bring a case to the WTO arguing that it is being denied what it bargained for," said Gary Clyde Hufbauer of the Peterson Institute for International Economics. "In China, this is a big issue because it has a lot of atmospherics to it." That risks making Obama's September trip to Hangzhou for a G20 meeting -- likely his last trip to China and one of his last meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping -- an uncomfortable one. And even if Obama avoids a public spat, he faces the prospect of presiding over a China trade dispute during his final months in office. "They have a pattern of retaliating, so they will figure out some combination of industries where they can shift shipments from US sources to friendly sources," said Hufbauer, predicting Chinese sanctions. Any retaliatory measures would only be a blemish on trade worth trillions, but they could be a significant irritant nonetheless. It would be a bitter irony for Obama, again undermining a presidency long effort to improve relations with China and "pivot" US foreign policy away from the Middle East and toward Asia. And for Obama the issue is made more difficult by a 2016 election that has been a festival of protectionist rhetoric from both the left and the right. Clinton's opposition to the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal has already called into question the future of a landmark Obama achievement, designed to serve a counterbalance to China's regional economic clout. Meanwhile, candidates like Republican frontrunner Donald Trump routinely point to the roughly $368 billion trade deficit with China as evidence the United States is being taken for a ride. Trump has ditched his party's free trade mantra, provocatively stating "we can't continue to allow China to rape our country." Figures like Erin Ennis, senior vice president of the US-China Business Council say the US must meet its WTO commitments to China, but common ground on anti-dumping measures can still be found. North Korea to anoint 'Great Sun' Kim at party congress North Korean state media on Wednesday hailed Kim Jong-Un as the "Great Sun of the 21st Century" as the country made final preparations for a rare ruling party congress seen as the young leader's formal coronation. Getting ready for the rare gathering -- the first of its kind for nearly 40 years -- has involved mobilising the entire country in a 70-day campaign that only ended on Monday. The congress opens on Friday and is expected to cement Kims status as supreme leader more than four years after he came to power following the death of his father Kim Jong-Il. North Korean state media has hailed Kim Jong-Un as the "Great Sun of the 21st Century" as the country made final preparations for a rare ruling party congress seen as the young leader's formal coronation The ruling party's official mouthpiece, the Rodong Sinmun daily, said the coming congress was a "sacred" event that would enshrine Kim's achievements, from infrastructure projects to developing submarine-launched ballistic missiles. These were victories won, the newspaper said, through a national struggle against UN sanctions over the North's nuclear programme, the threat posed by US-South Korea military drills and international criticism of the North's human rights record. Referring to the country's nuclear arsenal as a "precious sword", Rodong said the weapons were a "treasure of all happiness that will ensure many things in decades to come". - Nuclear test? - There has been widespread speculation -- backed in part by satellite imagery -- that North Korea is preparing to carry out a fifth nuclear test just before, or even during, the congress to underline its claim to be a genuine nuclear power. "Regarding the preparatory situation, the North is able to carry out a test any time it wants," the South Korean Unification Ministry said Wednesday. The North conducted its fourth nuclear test in January, followed by a long-range rocket launch and a flurry of other missile and weapons tests. Not all of them were successful, with the failure in recent weeks of three separate efforts to test fire a powerful, new mid-range ballistic missile capable of striking US bases on the Pacific island of Guam. Pyongyang has invited the world's media to cover the congress, while offering few clues as to what might -- or might not -- be announced at the event. And it has still not officially confirmed just how long the gathering will go on for. The last congress lasted four days and was held in 1980, when Kim's grandfather, founding leader Kim Il-Sung was still in power. - Security tightened - Defector-run news websites in Seoul, with sources in the North, have reported a tightening of security around Pyongyang in recent weeks, with strict controls on movement in and out of the capital. "Anyone getting in trouble with the authorities during the congress preparation period is being treated as a political offender and punished accordingly," the Daily NK website quoted one source as saying. State media, meanwhile, have been busy during the 70-day campaign running endless stories extolling examples of individual selflessness and sacrifice. One farming couple volunteered to keep working on their wedding day, the Rodong Sinmun proclaimed, while a woman security guard insisted on turning up for duty the day after her husband died. Some observers believe Kim Jong-Un will use the congress to confirm the completion of North Korea's nuclear deterrent and announce a switch in focus towards economic development. In his very first public address as leader, at a military parade in April 2012, Kim had said he was determined that North Koreans would "never have to tighten their belts again". The need to raise living standards has been a constant refrain of his annual New Year addresses, although analysts note that they have been largely devoid of any specific policy initiatives. A ruling party congress opening on Friday in Pyongyang is expected to cement Kim Jong-Un's status as supreme leader of North Korea more than four years after he came to power following the death of his father Kim Jong-Il Drought takes toll at Palau's famed Jellyfish Lake A severe drought in Palau is killing marine life at the island nation's popular Jellyfish Lake, researchers say, forcing tourism operators to cancel trips to the unique Pacific destination. The lake near the capital Koror normally provides a tranquil, otherworldly experience for tourists, mostly from China, who snorkel and float among throngs of non-stinging, golden jellyfish. But with the tiny nation of 18,000 in the grip of its worst drought on record, scientists last month estimated the jellyfish population had plummeted from eight million to under 600,000. Chinese tourists swim in the world renowned "Jellyfish lake", a lagoon where visitors can swim with thousands of golden jellyfish on the Rock Islands in Palau Sebastien Blanc (AFP/File) Boat operators such as Sam's Tours say even that figure is optimistic, putting the numbers at 300,000 and falling. Sam's no longer runs tours to the lake, normally one of Palau's main attractions, and four out of five operators contacted by AFP last week had adopted a similar policy. "Many tour companies including ours that have been taking guests to the lake have not seen any jellyfish," Sam's said in a statement to customers. "We at Sam's Tours have therefore decided to suspend our tours to Jellyfish Lake with immediate effect until further notice." Palau had 160,000 foreign visitors last year, more than half of them from mainland China, and tourism is the economy's largest earner. The drought, fuelled by an El Nino weather pattern, has depleted rivers and dams, forcing the government to declare a state of emergency and appeal for overseas aid. The Coral Reef Research Foundation said the lack of rainwater had increased salinity in the lake, killing off the plankton that sustain the jellyfish. "The golden jelly population could be on the verge of crashing, to the point where there are no more medusae (adults) swimming around the lake," the foundation said. It said juvenile polyps could usually go dormant and repopulate when conditions improved but current conditions on the lake were unprecedented. "This time around the situation is uncertain, as no one knows how this El Nino/La Nina scenario is going to play out," it added. The Koror state government said it was confident that eventually Jellyfish Lake would once again live up to its name. "This is a phase in the natural cycle of events in the overall realm of the ecosystem," it said. Louis J. Hanson, of Bismarck, says his time fighting in the Philippines and Solomon Islands during World War II was a grueling experience and hes the only one from his unit still around to talk about it. Hanson, 96, was a staff sergeant in the 164th Infantry Regiment of the North Dakota Army National Guard. We were the first Army troops in action in World War II in Guadalcanal, Hanson said. I had three-and-a-half years of action in the South Pacific. Hanson was born in Jud and enlisted in April of 1942, undergoing training at Camp Claiborne, La. After that, he was sent to Umatilla, Ore., where his unit was tasked with guarding bridges from there all the way to the North Dakota border. He also spent a short stint living in Billings, Mont., guarding bridges. In spring 1942, his unit was sent across the Pacific to take part in the fight to free the Philippines and Solomon Islands of Japanese occupation. Upon his arrival at Guadalcanal in October 1942, Hanson said he had no idea the level of ferocious fighting and physical strain he would endure. When we landed, we thought the world was coming to an end. They really baptized us when we landed, Hanson said of the Japanese. They just kept coming and coming and coming. The bombardment came from land, air and sea. He said the noise from the artillery shelling damaged both of his eardrums. Each day, we didnt think wed make it to the next day. Wed see a flash like lightning and a second later bang, Hanson said of the shelling. Between the fighting and lugging around his equipment, the effort took its toll. During six months on Guadalcanal, Hanson said he went from weighing just over 150 pounds to 99 pounds. The campaign led to approximately 20,000 Japanese casualties compared to fewer than 2,000 for the United States. The battle was a key early step in pushing the Japanese back, island by island, northward as the war progressed. Hanson over the next couple of years was involved in the battles for the islands of Bougainville, Leyte, Cebu, Bohol and Negros. He said one thing that stuck out was his return trip back to the United States in August 1945. As the boat carrying his unit was approaching Hawaii, he saw artillery being shot off and planes begin to swoop and dive. What in the world another Pearl Harbor? Hanson said he thought initially. He said what he saw was a celebratory reaction to word that the Japanese had surrendered. Hanson said he was thankful that the United States dropped the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, adding that he believes it may have saved thousands of troops from an even more grueling invasion of Japan. With his service over, Hanson returned to North Dakota and farmed for 34 years near Ypsilanti. He also worked for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, retiring in 1982. Hanson said his unit was great. Every one of them was like a brother, Hanson said. Tripoli cafes offer Libyans taste of normality Weaving between tables at a seaside restaurant in Libya's capital bearing freshly baked rosemary bread, Abdelmuttaleb Twigiri shuttles between the wood-fired oven and his customers in a blur of hospitality. It's the opening night of his brainchild Toucan, a Mediterranean "fusion" eatery that Twigiri hopes will give residents of once-bustling Tripoli a rare taste of normality amid political chaos. "If I think of a government that could provide everything I need, I'd risk waiting a very long time," the 46-year-old tells AFP. "It's only thanks to the people that life goes on." Customers done at Toucan, a Mediterranean "fusion" eatery in once-bustling Tripoli Mahmud Turkia (AFP) The North African nation has been mired in unrest since the 2011 NATO-backed ouster of longtime dictator Moamer Kadhafi, with militants fighting for power and a piece of Libya's vast oil reserves. A militia alliance swept into the capital in August 2014, setting up its own parliament and forcing the internationally recognised administration to flee to the remote east. Although a new, UN-backed unity government has gradually asserted its authority in the capital, Tripoli residents have grown used to fending for themselves. It is in keeping with Tripolitans' do-it-yourself spirit that Twigiri created Toucan. "There are enough people in distress," he says. "But now we want to live." His establishment is one of several cafes and restaurants to spring up in the past three months along a 15-kilometre (nine-mile) stretch of road linking several neighbourhoods in western Tripoli. They are braving an economic crisis marked by a dramatic cut in oil revenues, spiralling living costs, late wages and a recent liquidity shortage. Entrepreneurs hope the unity government can calm some of the chaos befalling Libya, particularly security in a country that is increasingly a haven for extremists including the Islamic State group. "Once people feel safe, they invest," explains Abdelqader al-Kanuni, president of a local charitable fund. Tripoli remains dogged by sporadic violence but even a near-total breakdown of daily routine has failed to sap one passion all of its residents agree on: a love of coffee. Libyans drink the stuff "morning, noon and night," according to Mohamad Aguili, who two months ago opened his Harley Davidson Cafe on Tripoli's western fringe. - 'You need courage' - Coffee is often imported from former colonial power Italy along with clean, modern machines with which to make it. In straitened times such as these, import costs could impair Libyans' coffee intake, but Aguili says there are still cafes to suit every pocket. Nevertheless, he is fully aware of the economic and security risks involved in the business. "You need to have courage," he says in his coffee shop, which each afternoon is flanked by several chrome motorcycles that give the spot its name. "You have to throw yourself out there. Then it's make or break." In the family section of Cafe Veranda, a renowned patisserie which despite the odds has maintained its reputation after its Italian chef fled in 2011, immaculately manicured cousins Hind, Mira and Lamaan struggle to make themselves heard above the hubbub. "Pastimes are limited" in Tripoli, says Mira, a 23-year-old pharmacy student. "There are cafes, hours spent on Facebook, or both at the same time." Hind, 25, says the capital's cafes and restaurants are a good way of giving them "the feeling" of a social life. "If they are open then everything is fine. Even during bombings or economic crises, people will always drink coffee." For Twigiri, whose restaurant looks out over date palms planted to replace a wall built by Gadhafi's sons to block access to the beach, Tripoli's cafe culture is a symbol of a people unbowed by turmoil. "Tripolitans bend -- they don't break," he says. Libyan bikers pose on their Harley Davidsons outside the "Harley Davidson Cafe", which opened in February in west Tripoli Mahmud Turkia (AFP) Libyan chefs cook in the kitchen at Toucan, a newly opened Mediterranean "fusion" restaurant in Tripoli Mahmud Turkia (AFP) Libyan bikers sit at the "Harley Davidson Cafe", which opened February 2016 in west Tripoli Mahmud Turkia (AFP) 'Jessica Jones' star calls superhero part her dream role The star of Netflix hit "Jessica Jones" said Tuesday she knew she had found her dream job even before she read for the role of the titular superhero sleuth. Krysten Ritter, 34, has won plaudits for her performance as a private investigator with superpowers in the hard-hitting Marvel television adaptation, hotly tipped to win big at the Emmy Awards in September. "This was always meant to be this dark, gritty, grounded psychological character study," she told the audience at a screening and panel discussion in Hollywood on Tuesday. Krysten Ritter, 34, has won plaudits for her performance as a private investigator with superpowers in "Jessica Jones" Valerie Macon (AFP) "So at that point I'm like 'Where do I sign? Give it to me.' And then Jeph (Loeb, executive producer) locked me in a room and took away my cell phone and I read the script and every page just got better. "It was like everything I'd always dreamed to do, from walking around looking cool to doing these cool action sequences to having this really vulnerable, heavy dramatic work." "Jessica Jones" is the second Marvel television conversion after "Daredevil", to form part of a "groundbreaking deal" with Netflix, which committed in 2013 to four 13-episode series culminating in a miniseries "programming event." Ritter's co-star Mike Colter, 39, who plays Jessica's love interest, is getting his own spin-off series, "Luke Cage", which is due to air later this year. The pair are due to team up with Charlie Cox, the titular character in "Daredevil", and Finn Jones, who will portray "Iron Fist", in ensemble show "The Defenders", at a date yet to be announced. Cast members Rachael Taylor, 31, and Carrie-Anne Moss, best known for her role as Trinity in "The Matrix", were also at the screening, with series villain David Tennant beamed into the Paramount Pictures studio from his office in Britain via Skype. "It's four in the morning here, I'm wearing my pajamas," Tennant joked -- gesturing to his off-screen bottom half, when it was put to him that he inspired fear. Tennant, known worldwide as the Tenth Doctor in long-running BBC sci-fi drama "Doctor Who", recalled initially seeing the part of bad guy Kilgrave in "Jessica Jones" as "a gamble". "You just read the script and you go 'Well writing isn't this good normally -- these scripts are just perfection.' So I just thought this is a gamble worth taking." Netflix, faced with increasingly aggressive competitors such as Amazon and Hulu, has spent recent years prioritizing the production of original series and exclusive distribution deals. The Netflix political drama "House of Cards" made television history in 2013 when it became the first online-only series ever nominated for a major Emmy award. Battles rage in Aleppo as diplomats scramble to save truce Fierce fighting raged in the war-ravaged Syrian city of Aleppo and air strikes pounded rebels east of the capital Damascus on Wednesday as diplomats scrambled to salvage a collapsing truce. Intense international efforts to bring a halt to the latest surge in Syrian fighting continued, with talks between senior diplomats in Berlin and the UN Security Council set for an urgent meeting later Wednesday. The renewed violence has threatened the complete breakdown of a landmark ceasefire between President Bashar al-Assad's regime and non-jihadist rebels brokered by Moscow and Washington in late February. A coalition of opposition groups fighting under the name "Fatah Halab," or Aleppo Conquest, launched an assault on Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's forces with a tunnel bomb Karam al-Masri (AFP) Fighting has been especially intense in and around Syria's devastated second city of Aleppo, with more than 280 civilians killed since April 22. Some of the heaviest clashes in Aleppo in months continued on Wednesday as rebel forces pressed an offensive against regime troops on the city's western outskirts, a monitor said. Rami Abdel Rahman, head of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, said the fighting was "the most violent in Aleppo in over a year". The rebels have fired a barrage of rockets into regime-held neighbourhoods in western Aleppo in recent days, with three more civilians killed in the attacks early on Wednesday, Syrian state news agency SANA said. Regime warplanes were hitting the advancing rebels, giving opposition-held areas of eastern Aleppo a respite from air strikes, an AFP correspondent in the city said. Suspected regime strikes also pummelled the rebel stronghold of Eastern Ghouta near Damascus, the Observatory said, after a temporary freeze on fighting in the area expired overnight. - Flurry of talks - The district was hit with at least 22 air strikes, but there was no immediate word on casualties, it said. Russia had said on Tuesday it hoped a new ceasefire for Aleppo could be agreed "within hours" but on Wednesday said truce efforts had been stymied by jihadists. Russian military spokesman Igor Konashenkov said a plan had been agreed for a "regime of silence" in and around Aleppo but fell apart following rocket attacks by Al-Nusra Front, an Al-Qaeda affiliate. In Berlin, German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier and French counterpart Jean-Marc Ayrault held talks with UN Syria envoy Staffan de Mistura. After the talks, De Mistura issued a plea for a halt in fighting in Aleppo. "The alternative is truly quite catastrophic, because we could see 400,000 people moving towards the Turkish border," said De Mistura, who this week met US Secretary of State John Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. Steinmeier, who also met with Syria's main opposition leader Riad Hijab, said "the terrible images from Aleppo in recent days" showed "what is at stake" in the conflict. "Either we put peace efforts back on track... or we risk falling back into escalation, into an explosion of violence and the continuation of the civil war." The United Nations said the Syrian government had refused a request for aid access to rebel-held eastern Aleppo, warning that the area could soon be besieged. "The horrific fighting and bombardment in recent days, especially in and around Aleppo, is creating new areas with endless suffering and no access for humanitarians," Jan Egeland, who heads an international humanitarian taskforce for Syria, said in Geneva. - 'Syria's Sarajevo' - The diplomatic push aims to bring the ceasefire back from the brink and to restore hope for peace talks aimed at finally resolving a five-year war that has left more than 270,000 dead and forced millions from their homes. France on Wednesday announced it would also host talks with the Saudi, Qatari, Turkish and Emirati foreign ministers next week. The countries are all key backers of the Syrian opposition, and French government spokesman Stephane Le Foll said the Monday meeting would focus on efforts to move deadlocked peace talks forward. Wednesday's Security Council meeting was called by France and Britain to discuss the situation in Aleppo, with envoys demanding an urgent solution. "(Aleppo) is to Syria what Sarajevo was to Bosnia," France's UN ambassador Francois Delattre said. Syria's conflict erupted in 2011 after anti-government protests were put down, escalating into a multi-front war with consequences including the seizure of large parts of the country by the jihadist Islamic State group. A US-led coalition of countries battling IS in Syria and Iraq pledged Wednesday to pour more resources into the fight, after coming under strong pressure from Washington for greater contributions. In a joint statement after a meeting led by US Defence Secretary Ashton Carter in Stuttgart, coalition members pledged "the deployment of additional enabling capabilities in the near term" in order to defeat IS. A Syrian girl holds a placard during a rally in solidarity with Aleppo, in the Lebanese northern port city of Tripoli, on May 1, 2016 Ibrahim Chalhoub (AFP) Nearly two weeks of renewed fighting in the Syrain city of Aleppo have left more than 270 civilians dead George Ourfalian (AFP) US Secretary of State John Kerry speaks to reporters in Washington DC, on May 3, 2016 Mandel Ngan (AFP) Crisis in Syria: the battle for Aleppo Asylum-seekers held in PNG launch Australia court action More than 750 asylum-seekers held in a Papua New Guinea detention camp launched legal action Wednesday to be moved to Australia after a court in the Pacific nation found the centre unconstitutional. Australian lawyers acting for the 757 men -- who are held on Manus Island as part of Canberra's tough policy of sending those who try to reach Australia by boat to camps in PNG and Nauru -- sought an "urgent injunction" in the High Court. "The group of 757 asylum-seekers also seek a writ of habeas corpus alleging the Australian and PNG governments have committed gross human rights violations and high international crimes, constituting crimes against humanity," the lawyers said in a statement. A pro-refugee protester holds up a banner outside the Transfield Services annual general meeting in Sydney on October 28, 2015 William West (AFP/File) The court action came as Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull admitted on national radio that he sympathised with "the misery that many of those people are in". But he added that the asylum-seekers held in offshore centres would not be allowed to settle in Australia. Last week, Papua New Guinea's Supreme Court ruled that detaining asylum-seekers on the island was "contrary to their constitutional right of personal liberty" and the country's prime minister ordered it to close. One of the solicitors acting for the asylum-seekers, Matthew Byrnes, added that there was an urgent need for an inquiry, or royal commission, into the Manus island facility. In recent days two refugees on the remote Pacific island of Nauru -- a Somali woman, 21, and an Iranian man, 23, -- set themselves on fire. The man suffered severe burns and died in an Australian hospital, while the young woman remained in critical condition. The asylum-seekers' lawyers said they were also seeking court orders to prevent the men on Manus being transferred to Nauru. Australia's asylum-seeker policy has been heavily criticised internationally, including by the United Nations, and in October Nauru's Regional Processing Centre was converted into an "open centre", giving its inhabitants freedom of movement. More than 150 people turned out for a candlelight vigil for those who self-harmed on Nauru in central Sydney on Wednesday, calling for the detainees in offshore camps to be brought to Australia. Canberra has long defended its policy of denying asylum-seekers resettlement in the country, saying it has prevented deaths at sea and secured the nation's borders. Under the previous Labor government, at least 1,200 people died trying to reach Australia by boat between 2008 and 2013. Yemen foes resume face-to-face peace talks: UN Yemen's warring parties resumed face-to-face peace talks on Wednesday after a three-day break triggered by a walkout by the government delegation, the United Nations said. It is only the second round of face-to-face talks in the hard-won negotiations to end a devastating conflict that has killed more than 6,400 people and displaced 2.8 million since March last year. "The plenary session has started. All are present including the government delegation," the UN envoy's spokesman, Charbel Raji, told AFP. Forces loyal to the Saudi-backed Yemeni president stand on the back an armed vehicle on a road leading to the entrance of Abyan province on April 23, 2016 Saleh Al-Obeidi (AFP/File) The negotiations, which began on April 21, broke off on Sunday after the government delegation quit in protest at the apparent surrender of one of the few loyalist bases in the northern mountains to Iran-backed rebels. UN envoy Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed said the two sides had agreed that a monitoring committee supervising an April 11 ceasefire would launch a fact-finding mission into the rebels' takeover of the Al-Amaliqa base in Amran province, one of their strongholds. The committee will submit a report within 72 hours with practical recommendations that all sides pledge to carry out, Ould Cheikh Ahmed said. Foreign Minister Abdulmalek al-Mikhlafi, who heads the government delegation, has demanded a rebel pullout. The United Nations stressed the need to strengthen ceasefire monitoring committees on the ground, particularly in and around battleground third city Taez, where loyalist troops have been under siege for months, trapping tens of thousands of civilians. Human Rights Watch, which has been deeply critical of alleged violations of the rules of war by the government and its supporters in a Saudi-led military coalition as well as the rebels and their allies, called for justice for the victims from the UN-brokered talks in Kuwait. It urged the warring parties to "support international investigations, transitional justice and victim compensation as key elements of any agreement". "The armed conflict in Yemen has been characterised by numerous violations of the laws of war by all sides, which have not been investigated nor have resulted in any redress for victims of unlawful attacks," the New York-based watchdog said. Despite a Saudi-led military intervention in support of the government launched in March last year, the rebels and their allies still control the capital, as well as much of the northern and central mountains and Red Sea coast. The United Nations says that most of the civilians killed in the conflict in the past 14 months have died in Saudi-led bombing raids. HRW accused the coalition of carrying out "indiscriminate air strikes" against civilian areas even as rebels "committed various abuses." "It's crucial for the Yemen peace talks to address past atrocities as well as future political arrangements," said HRW's Middle East director Joe Stork. 22 air strikes near Syria capital as fighting 'freeze' ends At least 22 air strikes pounded a key rebel bastion east of the Syrian capital on Wednesday after a local freeze on fighting expired overnight, a monitoring group said. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the suspected regime raids hit Eastern Ghouta as clashes with rebels erupted. The fighting was centred on the town of Deir al-Assafir, where March air strikes by the regime killed 33 civilians, 12 of them children. Smoke billows following reported air strikes by Syrian government forces in the eastern Ghouta region, a rebel stronghold east of the capital Damascus, on February 17, 2016 Amer Almohibany (AFP/File) There was no immediate word on any casualties from the renewed fighting Wednesday, the Observatory said. The municipal council in the flashpoint town of Douma confirmed that clashes and air strikes were rocking Eastern Ghouta, a belt of countryside and small towns east of the capital. Moscow and Washington reached a deal last week on a temporary "freeze" in fighting in Eastern Ghouta and in the Mediterranean coastal province of Latakia. The so-called "regime of silence" is meant to reinforce a broader truce brokered by the two world powers in February. The halt in fighting was initially set for 24 hours in Eastern Ghouta but was extended twice, according to Syria's armed forces, and finally expired on Tuesday night. A military source in Damascus confirmed to AFP on Wednesday that it was not renewed a third time. The fresh fighting does not bode well for efforts to agree a "regime of silence" in the battleground second city of Aleppo, ravaged by nearly two weeks of surging violence. 16 villagers hacked to death in eastern DR Congo Attackers armed with machetes and axes hacked at least 16 civilians to death in a night-time assault on their village in the volatile east of the Democratic Republic of Congo, UN and local officials said Wednesday. Local administrator Bernard Amisi Kalonda said the brutal attack took place late Tuesday in the Beni region of North Kivu province, an area which has witnessed numerous massacres in the past. "Between 8 pm and 10 pm (1900 GMT and 2100 GMT), the enemy managed to get past army positions and kill peaceful residents in their homes, slashing their throats," he told AFP. People gather in Beni, in the North Kivu province of eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, after five people were killed in an attack blamed on Ugandan rebels near the town on May 12, 2015 Kudra Maliro (AFP/File) "The 16 bodies are in front of me, killed by machete or axe." He was not able to say if the attackers were Ugandan rebels from the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), who have long been active in the region. The area has suffered chronic unrest for two decades fuelled by ethnic differences and claims to land, along with bids for control over valuable natural resources and rivalry between regional powers. "Around 8 pm, we heard people shouting and the sound of bullets," said Adona Lesse, head of Eringeti village, adding that a search was continuing for more possible victims. General Jean Baillaud, the military chief of the UN mission in the DR Congo known by its French acronym MONUSCO, said there were 17 dead. ADF rebels have been accused of carrying out numerous bloody attacks on civilians in Beni and the neighbouring Ituri region which the United Nations says have cost the lives of more than 500 people since 2014. The ADF launched a rebellion against Uganda's President Yoweri Museveni more than 20 years ago, but were forced to pull back into DR Congo. Active in the east of the DRC since 1995, the movement is accused of repeated human rights violations while financing its activities by trafficking tropical timber. The UN currently has a force of about 20,000 mainly military personnel operating in the giant central African country. Map locating a deadly attack on civilians in Beni, eastern DR Congo P.Pizarro, J.Jacobsen (AFP) Chad constitutional council upholds Deby re-election Chad's Constitutional Council has upheld President Idriss Deby's re-election to a fifth term, confirming the results of last month's vote that the opposition had challenged. In final results, the council said Chad's leader of 26 years won 59.92 percent of the vote, compared with 12.77 percent for opposition leader Saleh Kebzabo and 10.61 percent for Laoukein Kourayo Medard, mayor of Moundou city. In announcing the results, the council rejected an appeal by eight opposition candidates to invalidate the April 10 election over voting irregularities. Chad's President Idriss Deby arrives to cast his ballot at a polling station in N'Djamena on April 10, 2016 Issouf Sanogo (AFP/File) Council president Nagoum Yamassoum said all appeals "must be individual" and that a group request was "not admissible". The opposition called Deby's re-election in the first round of the ballot an "electoral stick-up", saying their own count showed no candidate won outright at the first stage. Kebzabo and five other failed presidential candidates called for a general strike on Thursday to protest the results. The election campaign was marred by a clampdown on demonstrations by unions and rights groups demanding a change of leadership and democratic reforms. Several leading activists were arrested. Some have since left the country. The situation in the oil-producing semi-desert country, a key player in the fight against west African jihadist groups, remains tense. Israel to upgrade ties with NATO Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Wednesday that Israel would upgrade its ties with the 28-member NATO military alliance by opening a permanent mission to its Brussels headquarters. "Israel will accept the invitation and open an office, in the near future," Netanyahu said at the start of a cabinet meeting. "The countries of the world want to cooperate with us because of our determined fight against terror, our technicological know-how, our intelligence network and other things," his office quoted him as saying. Israel already participates in military exercises with NATO members Gil Cohen Magen (AFP/File) NATO announced on Tuesday that it agreed that "an official Israeli mission be established at NATO headquarters" with the Israel's EU envoy as head of the mission. An Israeli expert told AFP that the move was a result of pressure from other NATO members on Turkey, which joined in 1952, to drop its veto on closer alliance ties with its former ally. "It's a Turkish confidence-building measure vis-a-vis Israel," said Tommy Steiner, an expert on NATO-Israel ties at the Institute for Policy and Strategy near Tel Aviv. "Since the introduction of the new (NATO) partnership policy in 2014 Israel was formally invited," he said. "But Israel never did that because there was a Turkish veto on such a measure." Turkey was a key regional ally of Israel until the two cut ties in 2010 over the deadly storming by Israeli commandos of the Mavi Marmara, a Turkish aid ship bound for Gaza, which left 10 Turkish activists dead. After years of bitter accusations and rhetoric the two sides held secret talks in December on a rapprochement, with another round taking place in February in Geneva. "Following the Mavi Marmara affair, Turkey blocked everything (at NATO) concerning Israel," a Brussels-based diplomat told AFP. "In order to avoid discrimination (NATO) did not therefore open any other foreign mission." "After five years the Turks lifted their objections" allowing for the establishment of missions for Israel and for other states, the diplomat said. Steiner said that the geographically and politically diverse NATO grouping would not invite Israel into a full-fledged mutual-defence pact. "Israel is not going to be a full member, it's not on the cards," he said. "Israel will be officially accredited to NATO, it will have a permanent mission at NATO headquarters as a partner." Relief in Yemen's Mukalla after year of Qaeda rule Ten days after Gulf-backed forces drove Al-Qaeda out of the Yemeni port city of Mukalla, the signs of their harsh year-long rule are still everywhere for relieved residents to see. Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula took advantage of the chaos of fighting between pro-government forces and Iran-backed rebels to expand its control in southern Yemen, seizing Mukalla in April last year. AQAP ruled with an iron fist over the city of 200,000 people, capital of the vast desert province of Hadramawt. A street in the Yemeni port of Mukalla, in Hadramawt province, 480 km (300 mi) east of Aden on May 3, 2016 with banners hung by Al-Qaeda militants announcing Islamist orders "We lived in terror," said Mujahid al-Qaiqi, a resident of the central neighbourhood of Dis. The 22-year-old said he had fears of either being detained by Al-Qaeda or forced to join its ranks. AQAP established a religious police force tasked with enforcing strict Islamic rules. The jihadists forced women to cover themselves from head to toe and banned mixing between sexes in public. They also banned all music, a harsh move in a city with a reputation for its traditional music. "They even banned songs and dances at weddings," said resident Alawia Sakkaf. Issa Ghaleb, a seller of music CDs, said militants arrived one day at his shop and ordered him to erase all recorded music and films. "Instead, they offered videos of Al-Qaeda operations in Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria," he said. Al-Qaeda angered the people of Mukalla by destroying ancient tombs and mausoleums, claiming they were forms of idolatry banned in Islam. Its police systematically detained couples found together in the city, verifying their identities to ensure that they were close relatives, said resident Saleh Nasser. Banners announcing the Islamists' orders against such behaviour are still in place. "Faithful woman: protect your pure body from prying eyes," declares an AQAP sign still hanging in a street. Violators were hunted down and their punishments were often meted out in public. On January 4, the militants stoned to death a woman accused of adultery. - Qaeda touted its benefits - Eventually, however, authorities backed by a Saudi-led coalition turned their firepower on the Sunni Muslim extremists, launching a broad operation against them. The jihadists vanished when fighters loyal to President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi swept into the city on April 24 with the backing of Emirati and Saudi special forces. Now on the streets of the city, patrols and checkpoints manned by security forces have replaced those of the jihadists. The pro-government forces search vehicles thoroughly in search of infiltrators. Al-Qaeda's black and white banners have made way for flags and pictures of Emirati and Saudi leaders. Despite its restrictions on freedoms, Al-Qaeda made sure public services remained operational in areas under its control. That was while residents elsewhere across the impoverished country complained of shortages of water and food as well as power cuts due to the ongoing conflict. "Al-Qaeda militants have made sure that public services like water and electricity were working and they managed to do that," said Abduljabbar Bajbir, a student from Shihr, a coastal town 60 kilometres (40 miles) east of Mukalla that was also controlled by the jihadists. In a statement released by Al-Qaeda on April 25 justifying the retreat of its militants, it reminded people of services offered to inhabitants during its rule. It said jihadists "saved the city from the Huthis," the Shiite rebels considered heretics by Sunni Islamists, and cities along the coast of Hadramawt had "enjoyed security unseen elsewhere in the country". The statement described the jihadist withdrawal from Mukalla as tactical to avoid the destruction of the city, insisting that Al-Qaeda rule allowed it to prosper economically. But for residents, providing services was not enough to accept AQAP's rule. "We feared the consequences of their deviant ideology," said Bajbir, who fled Shihr when Al-Qaeda militants threatened him for criticising them on Facebook. Map locating Mukalla in southern Yemen Egypt sentences activist Sanaa Seif to six months An Egyptian court sentenced prominent activist Sanaa Seif to six months in prison on Wednesday, months after she was freed by a presidential pardon in another case. Seif, whose older brother and dissident Alaa Abdel Fattah has also been imprisoned since February 2015, was convicted of "insulting the judiciary," a judicial official said. She had been caught up in a renewed crackdown on secular dissidents who had called for protests this month against President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi for handing over two islands to Saudi Arabia. Jailed Egyptian sibling activists Alaa Abdel Fattah (2L) and Sanaa Seif (R) gesturing after they were granted permission by authorities to attend the funeral of their father, in Cairo on August 28, 2014 Hasan Mohamed (AFP/File) Dozens were arrested in the lead-up to an April 25 protest in Cairo which ended with police dispersing the rally using tear gas and detaining more activists. Seif's conviction stems from a prosecution summons on suspicion of inciting protests. She did not attend and was charged with "insulting a member of the prosecution," the judicial official said. The verdict may be appealed, although Seif has said she will not contest it. In a Facebook post, Seif said she did not attend Wednesday's hearing but was going to hand herself in. "Simply, I do not have the energy to deal with their measures," she wrote. Later in the day, Seif said the prosecution refused to jail her even after she signed a statement relinquishing her right to appeal the ruling. "They told me 'we have informed you of the ruling; 10 days from now you come and turn yourself in'," she wrote on Facebook. Seif had been pardoned last October after she was imprisoned over a 2014 protest outside the presidential palace in Cairo. Sisi, a former army chief who was elected president after overthrowing his Islamist predecessor in 2013, has been accused by activists of installing a heavy-handed regime that tolerates no dissent. After president Mohamed Morsi's overthrow, a police crackdown killed hundreds of Islamist protesters, while a jihadist insurgency has killed hundreds of policemen and soldiers. The crackdown has extended to secular and liberal dissidents over the past two years. Earlier this month, Sisi handed over two islands in the Straits of Tiran to Saudi Arabia during visit by King Salman to Cairo. Bangkok governor centre of graft probe into lavish light show Bangkoks influential governor is being probed over a $1.1 million New Year light show, a state auditor said Wednesday, the latest graft scandal amid a junta effort to root out corruption. Sukhumbhand Paribatra, a distant relative of Thailand's respected royal family, has been criticised in recent months over a string of shady deals made by his administration. He and seven other senior city officials now stand accused of colluding with a private company they hired to set up a pricey light display outside city hall in December 2015. Governor of Bangkok Sukhumbhand Paribatra, a distant relative of Thailand's respected royal family, has been criticised in recent months over a string of shady deals made by his administration Bryan Bedder (Getty/AFP/File) The contractor was a tour agency that did not have any experience in lighting, said Pisit Leelavachiropas, Thailand's auditor general. His office also slammed the governor for pulling money from an emergency budget to fund the display of 5 million LED bulbs. "We are confident that the evidence is concrete enough to take [legal] action against him," Pisit told AFP, adding that he has urged the national anti-corruption body to file criminal charges. Thailand's junta has vowed to clear the kingdom of corruption since coming to power two years ago, despite facing several graft scandals of its own including allegations that a military-built park was riddled with kickbacks. It has also severely restrained free speech and jailed critics who have accused the regime of corruption. The two-term governor denied the graft allegations Wednesday and defended the light installation, saying it attracted tourists and brought some 10 million baht to local food vendors and shopkeepers. "I followed the rules and regulations," he told Channel 3. In recent months fellow Democrat politicians have sought to distance themselves from Sukhumbhand, who has shied from the press as his popularity sinks among Bangkokians. Hamas accuses Fatah of organising military cell in Gaza The militant Palestinian Hamas movement accused its rival Fatah on Wednesday of organising a military cell to "breach security and stability" in the Gaza Strip. In the latest sign of tensions between the Palestinian factions, Iyad al-Bozum, the interior ministry spokesman in the Hamas-run strip, accused senior Fatah leaders of "being behind the cell and communicating with it," without naming those allegedly involved. Hamas has ruled Gaza since 2007, while Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas's Fatah movement controls the occupied West Bank. Palestinian fighters with the Fatah movement Mahmoud Zayyat (AFP/File) Bozum told AFP the cell was made up of "fewer than 10 people who were arrested around a month ago." He said they aimed to "affect the internal situation in the Gaza Strip and internal relations," including through "incitement," but would not provide further details. Fayez Abu Aita, spokesman for Fatah in Gaza, denied the accusations and said the charges would "complicate the internal situation and hinder reconciliation efforts." Officials from Hamas and Fatah have been meeting in the Qatari capital Doha in recent months as they seek a reconciliation agreement. Abu Aita said talks were ongoing but that "complicating matters like these affect the dialogue." The two sides agreed a unity deal in April 2014, which was supposed to lead to a technocratic government taking over administration of Gaza and the West Bank. Turkey ready to send ground troops to Syria 'if necessary': PM Turkey is ready to send ground troops into Syria if necessary, Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said on Wednesday, after weeks of deadly rocket strikes on a Turkish region from jihadists across the border. "If it becomes necessary then we will send the ground forces," Davutoglu told Al-Jazeera television in an interview, when asked if Turkey was mulling sending troops to Syria. "We are ready to take all measures that we need, both inside Turkey and outside, to provide for our own security," he added, according to a transcript published on Al-Jazeera's Turkish website. Turkish soldiers stand guard in Akcakale by the border with Syria in 2012 Bulent Kilic (AFP) The Turkish border region of Kilis -- which lies opposite areas controlled by Islamic State (IS) jihadists in Syria -- has been battered since January by rocket fire from the other side of the border which has claimed 20 lives. Turkey has hit back with artillery fire of its own against IS but has always stopped short of making any firm commitment to send its troops over the border. Drones from the US-led international coalition fighting IS have also taken off from Turkey's Incirlik base in the south of the country for bombing raids against IS targets. Asked if Turkey could act unilaterally against IS, Davutoglu said Turkey had a right to self-defence against IS based on UN resolutions. "But we still prefer an international consensus. As IS is an issue that concerns the whole world," he added. Turkey has in the past repeatedly said it is open to a ground operation in Syria but wanted to move in cooperation with its Western and Gulf allies. Turkey's NATO allies have sometimes lamented that Ankara could do more in the fight against IS but Turkey appears to have stepped up efforts in the last weeks after a string of attacks on its soil. US wins pledge of more resources from anti-IS allies A coalition of countries battling Islamic State jihadists in Syria and Iraq pledged Wednesday to pour more resources into the fight, after coming under strong pressure from Washington for greater contributions. The promise came after a meeting in Stuttgart of defence ministers from countries involved in the anti-IS coalition, during which US Defence Secretary Ashton Carter drove home the message that to deal IS a body blow, "all must do more". Carter's call to step up the fight came a week after US President Barack Obama reiterated a long-standing demand for members of NATO to increase their defence spending to meet the alliance's target of two percent of output. A coalition of countries battling Islamic State jihadists in Syria and Iraq stressed their "strong support ... for the deployment of additional enabling capabilities in the near term" Safin Hamed (AFP/File) In a joint statement, the coalition stressed their "strong support ... for the deployment of additional enabling capabilities in the near term, in order to hasten the collapse of ISIL's control" over the city of Mosul in Iraq and Syria's Raqqa. Speaking after the talks with counterparts from Australia, Britain, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, New Zealand, Norway and Spain, Carter said he was "confident that today's meeting will produce additional military commitments". Besides military resources, defence ministers meeting at the US European Command's headquarters also examined their economic and political contributions to the campaign, he said. "It's going to take more to win. We're going to win but we all need to do more," Carter told reporters. "This fight is far from over and there are great risks," he said. But "allowing ISIL safe haven would carry even greater risk. To accelerate ISIL's lasting defeat, all must do more," he said, using another acronym for the Islamic State group. Carter also said he hoped that NATO as an organisation could join the coalition, particularly in the area of logistics coordination. The defence secretary also pointed to "the NATO AWACS issue", in reference to surveillance aircraft of the alliance's members. As a first step, NATO had agreed to deploy such surveillance aircraft, in order to allow the US to free up its planes for operations in Iraq and Syria. But a diplomatic source said Washington is hoping to go a step further in getting NATO on board to fly such AWACS surveillance aircraft over Syrian and Iraqi airspace. Carter also paid tribute to a US Navy SEAL who was killed in Iraq on Tuesday during an IS attack on a position of Kurdish peshmerga forces north of Mosul. "The whole country has to be grateful to this young man and his family for this sacrifice. But tragically losses will occur. "This is necessary to protect our country and not to do something would entail even greater risks," he said. Carter said he had proposed that the anti-IS coalition hold another meeting in Washington this summer. US trade gap shrinks in March as imports fall The US trade deficit narrowed sharply in March as imports fell and the gap with China diminished, the Commerce Department reported Wednesday. The deficit shrank nearly 14 percent from February to $40.4 billion, its lowest level in a year. The decline followed two consecutive months of a widening gap and was sharper than expected. The US deficit shrank nearly 14 percent from February to $40.4 billion, its lowest level in a year Carmen Jaspersen (AFP/File) The March trade data reflected sluggish US growth in the first quarter and weak demand in the slowing global economy. "The US trade deficit contracted significantly in March, but the details show little cause for optimism," said Emily Mandel of Moody's Analytics. Imports fell 3.6 percent in March to $217.1 billion while exports fell a much smaller 0.9 percent, to $176.6 billion. Imports of goods fell to their lowest level since December 2010, while imports of industrial supplies and materials were at their lowest since April 2004. Weighed down by falling oil prices, US imports of petroleum products slid to $9.4 billion, a low last seen in 1999. US exports of foods, feeds and beverages, as well as industrial supplies, were the weakest in six years. "Strength in the US dollar and soft demand abroad continue to weigh on exports, and broad-based weakness in imports suggests that domestic demand may be slackening," Mandel said. However, while the strong dollar has been a drag on exports, a recent weakening of the US currency could help ease the trade tailwind. The politically sensitive goods trade gap with China narrowed more than 34 percent to $20.9 billion, a two-year low. The trade gap in goods with the European Union, meanwhile, swelled 31 percent to $13.1 billion. The shortfall with Canada, the number-two trade partner after China, shrank sharply to $121 million from $959 million in February. Declining US exports contributed to the economy's near-stall at the start of the year. Last week the Commerce Department estimated that first-quarter gross domestic product grew at a paltry 0.5 percent annual rate. Fights erupt in S. African parliament over Zuma speech Fists flew in the South African parliament on Wednesday as security guards physically ejected leftist opposition lawmakers in the latest outbreak of political drama over the troubled presidency of Jacob Zuma. About 10 lawmakers from the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) party shouted down the Speaker and refused to let Zuma deliver his budget speech, saying they did not recognise him as president. Plain-clothed security guards pulled the EFF members from their seats and bundled then out of the chamber as punches were exchanged and parliamentary benches knocked over. Criticism of South African President Jacob Zuma has built over recent months with several stalwarts of the anti-apartheid struggle calling for him to step down Michael Sheehan (AFP/File) The country's highest court in March found Zuma had violated the constitution over the use of public funds to upgrade his private residence. After another damaging court ruling last week, he could also face almost 800 corruption charges that had been dropped in 2009. "We cannot allow an illegitimate president to speak here as if nothing has happened," EFF deputy president Floyd Shivambu told parliament during chaotic scenes. "We cannot be addressed by a person who is facing corruption charges (and) undermines the constitution. He must not speak here." Criticism of Zuma has built over recent months with several stalwarts of the anti-apartheid struggle calling for him to step down, but he retains the loyalty of many in the ruling African National Congress (ANC) party. Opposition parties hope to gain ground against the ANC at local government elections on August 3. Zuma calmly delivered his speech to parliament after the EFF members were removed. Trump eyes running mate with political experience Donald Trump, the de facto Republican nominee in the race for the White House, said Wednesday he wants a running mate with political experience who can work well with Congress. Trump said his pick for vice president -- unlike the billionaire real estate mogul himself, who is political novice -- will be someone well-versed in Washington politics. "It will probably be a person with political experience," Trump said in an interview with television broadcaster ABC the morning after his chief remaining rival in the race, Texas senator Ted Cruz, abandoned his White House bid. Donald Trump is expected to be the Republican candidate in the US presidential election after winning the Indiana primary on May 3, 2016 Jewel Samad (AFP) "I would like to have somebody that could truly be good with respect to dealing with the Senate, dealing with Congress, getting legislation passed." Trump seized a resounding victory in Tuesday's primary in Indiana and is expected to easily scoop up the 1,237 delegates necessary to officially secure the nomination. His brash style, stances on issues that depart from party orthodoxy and personal attacks have divided Republicans. Trump's choice of running mate -- a decision generally announced shortly before the party's national convention that culminates the nomination process -- could help him sway skeptics. This year's Republican National Convention will take place in Cleveland, Ohio in July. Trump declined to divulge any VP names on Wednesday. Thousands honour 'rumba king' as Papa Wemba laid to rest in DRCongo Thousands of fans paid a last tearful tribute to Congolese "rumba king" Papa Wemba at a requiem mass in Kinshasa on Wednesday where his songs were played, before he was finally laid to rest. Papa Wemba was a "worthy son of the DRC, the quality of his work has made him a citizen of the world", the president of the national episcopal conference of Congo, Bishop Nicolas Djomo, said in a homily. He was "a great artist who was able to speak to all social classes," and "a man who did not live for himself but for others and for God." A mourner pays his respects during the funeral of 'rumba king' Papa Wemba in Kinshasa on May 2, 2016 Junior Kannah (AFP) He conveyed "the message of love, the message of peace and of reconciliation". Papa Wemba collapsed while performing at a festival in Ivory Coast on April 24. The flamboyant musician, who led the Kinshasa music scene for four decades, died before reaching hospital. He was 66. His body returned to his native Democratic Republic of Congo last week, and lay in state at the national parliament since Monday. "For three days, like one man, the Congolese people", Africa and the world "cried over the one they agreed to call the father of Congolese rumba," said the archbishop of Kinshasa, Cardinal Laurent Monsengwo. Six bishops, about 60 priests, family members, officials and celebrities were among about 2,000 people in the Notre Dame du Congo Cathedral for the mass in his honour. About 10,000 more crammed into the streets outside, where giant screens were erected to watch the service. Many young people were among those who sweated, many bare-chested, under Kinshasa's brutal equatorial sun to hear the service. Some had gathered since dawn on Wednesday to watch the funeral cortege arrive. Before the service, Cardinal Monsengwo, Bishop Djomo, and other clerics, bowed before the coffin and before Papa Wemba's tearful widow. In his funeral oration, the governor of Kinshasa, Andre Kimbuta, honoured the memory "of the high priest of Congolese music". The oration was interspersed with excerpts of Papa Wemba's songs, including "L'Esclave" which recounts the stories of African slaves taken to America, as many in the congregation responded with barely muffled sobs. Congo's President Joseph Kabila on Monday posthumously awarded Papa Wemba one of the country's highest honours, making him a grand officer of the Order of National Heroes Kabila-Lumumba. A father of six, Papa Wemba helped to pioneer a blend of Congolese popular music with electric rock during the 1980s, when an interest in world music stirred in Western countries. He was laid to rest later Wednesday in a cemetery on the eastern outskirts of Kinshasa -- the Necropole Entre Ciel et Terre (Graveyard Between Heaven and Earth), where the cheapest tomb costs $1,500 -- in the presence of several thousand fans. DR Congo announces probe into opposition use of US mercenaries DR Congo's justice minister said on Wednesday he had ordered a probe into the alleged use of foreign mercenaries by opposition politician Moise Katumbi, who later announced his candidacy for president. Katumbi hit back at the mercenary allegations describing as a "grotesque lie" claims his camp were recruiting mercenaries specialised in "training and the use of weapons, as security guards or bodyguards". "It's a disgrace, a grotesque lie... they are simply looking to harm me.... Never will I, Moise Katumbi, take up arms for power," he told AFP, adding that his "struggle is democratic and peaceful out of respect for the constitution". DR Congo's ordered an investigation into the alleged use of foreign mercenaries by opposition politician Moise Katumbi, a likely contender in presidential elections due this year Federico Scoppa (AFP/File) Justice minister Alexis Thambwe Mwamba earlier told journalists he had given orders to the general prosecutor to open a judicial case in the southeastern former province of Katanga. "We have documented proof that several former American soldiers are currently in Katanga in the service of Mr Katumbi," he said, adding that the mercenaries were being recruited via a "network with a company based in Virginia in the United States". On April 24, four members of Katumbi's entourage including an American were arrested in DR Congo's second city Lubumbashi, the capital of Katanga, and transferred to Kinshasa. Thambwe accused American "ex-corporal Lewis Darryl of having tried to force a police barrier during an opposition protest" in Lubumbashi on Friday and "having tried to flee during his transfer from Ndjili airport to Kinshasa". The minister said seven other former American soldiers and at least two South Africans had been staying in residences belonging to Katumbi, "for reasons that the inquiry will clarify". - Crisis since election - Katumbi was formerly governor of Katanga, which has since been split into several different administrative regions. He joined the opposition in September after quitting as governor and leaving the party of President Joseph Kabila. Popular and charismatic, the 51-year-old wealthy businessman is also head of the prestigious Tout-Puissant Mazembe football club, three-time winner of the African Champions League. A coalition of opponents of Kabila announced Sunday that they had chosen Katumbi as their candidate to run against Kabila in the presidential election. On Wednesday Katumbi wrote on Twitter: "I accept this heavy responsibility with humility." On Friday the politician accused the regime of targeting him with "false allegations", drawing reference to the "supposed recruitment of foreign mercenaries in Katanga province" and a report, by a TV station close to the government, of "the existence of training camps". Authorities are under pressure from the international community to hold the polls as planned in November before Kabila's second -- and constitutionally last -- mandate ends, but this appears increasingly unlikely. DR Congo's political climate has grown increasingly tense, with Kabila's opponents accusing him of seeking to extend his stay in power. The country has been in crisis since Kabila's re-election in late 2011 in polls marred by irregularities and massive fraud. Kabila assumed power after his father, president Laurent Kabila, was assassinated in 2001. Radio stations mourn Prince with song simulcast Leading US radio stations Wednesday simultaneously played Prince's ballad "Nothing Compares 2 U" in a memorial over the airwaves to the late pop legend. The Current, a Minnesota public radio station that has long been a leading news source on the music star and hometown hero, spearheaded the simulcast at 5:07 pm local time (2207 GMT). The timing comes from the opening lyric to the 1985 heartache song -- "It's been seven hours and 13 days since you took your love away" -- corresponding to the period since the 57-year-old superstar unexpectedly died on April 21. The Current radio station encouraged fans to share tributes over social media with the hashtag #NothingCompares2U Mark Ralston (AFP/File) The Current, also known by its call letters KCMP, encouraged fans to share tributes over social media at the time with the hashtag #NothingCompares2U. Radio host Mary Lucia introduced the song by saying that Prince's death had devastated Minnesota but that the Purple One spoke to people across races, ages and geography. The Current followed the ballad immediately with one of the Purple One's funkier tracks -- "My Name is Prince." "I know that wasn't the biggest, uplifting, get-your-jam-on kind of tune, so I want you to turn it up and dance no matter where you are," Lucia said. "Do it because you know that's what he would be doing," she said. Other major radio stations that joined in playing "Nothing Compares 2 U" included New York's WFUV and Seattle's KEXP-FM, a top taste-maker in indie rock circles. KEXP-FM plans a full four-hour Prince broadcast Friday led by its host Kevin Cole, who was close to Prince during his rise to fame and served as the DJ at many of his parties around Minneapolis and adjacent St. Paul. Cole has said that Prince, who was famously prolific and left vaults worth of unreleased material, would sometimes give him new songs to test out on unsuspecting audiences at parties. The timing of the KEXP-FM tribute is also linked to "Nothing Compares 2 U." The song is better known through its 1990 version by Sinead O'Connor, who changed the first line to "seven hours and 15 days." Prince, whose death is being investigated and may be linked to painkillers, was mourned in a private ceremony by family and friends who plan a memorial concert at a latter date. In the latest tribute, the Apollo Theater, the iconic jazz venue in New York's Harlem, announced Wednesday that it would dedicate a star to Prince as part of its Hollywood-style Walk of Fame outside the entrance. The star dedication will come ahead of a June 13 annual gala at the Apollo featuring Philadelphia-school soul greats The O'Jays as well as younger stars Andra Day and Leon Bridges. Eastern Aleppo could soon be besieged, UN warns The Syrian government has refused a UN request for humanitarian aid access to rebel-held eastern Aleppo, the UN said Wednesday, warning that the area could soon be besieged. "The horrific fighting and bombardment in recent days, especially in and around Aleppo, is creating new areas with endless suffering and no access for humanitarians," said Jan Egeland, who heads an international humanitarian taskforce for the war-ravaged country. Speaking to reporters after a meeting of the taskforce created in February by the 17-nation International Syria Support Group (ISSG), he said the situation in Aleppo needed to change immediately. Syrian civil defence volunteers evacuate a man and children from a residential building in the rebel-held eastern neighbourhood of Bab al-Nayrab in Syria's second city Aleppo following a reported air strike on April 29, 2016 Ameer Alhalbi (AFP/File) "If not, eastern Aleppo may even become a besieged area," he warned. Syria's second city has over nearly two weeks been hit by a wave of violence, including numerous attacks on hospitals and other medical facilities, that has killed more than 270 people. Washington and Moscow are working together to include Aleppo in a so-called "regime of silence" -- a freeze in fighting -- aimed at bolstering a broader, but now crumbling truce in place since February 27. Egeland said the efforts by the United States and Russia "couldn't be more important." But, he stressed, "we don't need declarations. We need an end of the bombardment and end to fighting." "It is a catastrophe that medical relief has been targeted, that doctors and nurses are killed while the population is bleeding," he said. Since February, there have been efforts to dramatically scale up humanitarian aid access to the some half million people living in besieged areas and the some four million others in so-called hard-to-reach parts of Syria. For the month of May, the UN had requested permits to access 35 locations, counting more than 905,000 inhabitants. But Egeland said the response from Damascus was "not good news," granting access to only a quarter of the people requested. Permits were granted for another quarter, but with numerous conditions attached, and "half of the places in the May plan were not accepted, including east Aleppo," he said. He said "hundreds of relief workers, hundreds of trucks" were waiting to go into eastern Aleppo with desperately needed aid. "What we need are two things: an end to the fighting, and... permission to go to the suffering people," he said. A group representing some 850 doctors and other medical workers on the ground in Syria meanwhile decried the "systematic" attacks on health facilities. Tawfik Chamaa, the general secretary of the Union of Medical Care and Relief Organisations, told reporters Aleppo was heading for "humanitarian disaster" due to lacking access to health care. Kasich to end White House bid: US media Ohio Governor John Kasich will suspend his presidential campaign on Wednesday, his campaign told US media, a move that would leave frontrunner Donald Trump as the sole Republican candidate in the White House race. Kasich's campaign abruptly canceled an event in the Washington area and rescheduled a press conference for 5:00 pm (2100 GMT) in Ohio's capital Columbus. Broadcaster MSNBC and others reported that a senior campaign advisor said that appearance would be Kasich's announcement that he is dropping out of the 2016 race. Republican presidential candidate John Kasich, pictured on April 25, 2016, will reportedly suspend his campaign Yuri Gripas (AFP/File) Rival Ted Cruz, a conservative senator from Texas, bowed out late Tuesday after Trump's commanding Indiana win made it far more likely that the real estate billionaire would reach the 1,237 delegates necessary to win the party's nomination and avoid a contested convention. Donor group suspends aid to Mozambique over hidden debt Donor nations and institutions that contribute to Mozambique's state budget have suspended their support over revelations of $1.4 billion in hidden debt, officials said Wednesday. Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, representing the donors, announced the move at a press conference in Maputo alongside Mozambican President Filipe Nyusi. De Sousa said it was a "temporary suspension" and not a "final judgement" on the direct contribution to the state budget, estimated at $265 million this year. Mozambican President Filipe Nyusi (L) reviews an honour guard with his Portuguese counterpart Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa (R) during a welcoming ceremony in Maputo on May 4, 2016 Sergio Costa (AFP) The donor group has 14 members including France, Britain, Canada, the European Union and the African Development Bank. Mozambique has admitted hiding the debt, which was used to fund maritime security vessels and defence equipment. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) said last month it had suspended aid "pending a full disclosure and assessment of the facts." The World Bank and Britain have already frozen funds to Mozambique, which relies heavily on foreign donor money. "The consequences are very serious for the state, which will have to make cuts in several sectors," Mozambican economist Joao Mosca told AFP. One of the ten poorest countries in the world according to the IMF, Mozambique has been hit hard by falling commodity prices. The government said tensions with the Renamo opposition group, which waged a 16-year civil war that ended in 1992, were behind its decision to hide the debt. The battle for Aleppo Following are key moments in the battle for Aleppo, the former commercial capital of Syria, since civil war broke out in March 2011. - First demos - - April-May 2011: Thousands of students demonstrate in Aleppo, a northern city that had been spared the sort of violent protests that erupted elsewhere in the country. The demos are swiftly crushed by students who back the regime of President Bashar al-Assad and security forces. Syrian security forces evacuate medical staff after rockets reportedly fired by rebels hit Al-Dabbeet hospital in the government-controlled neighbourhood of Muhafaza in the northern city of Aleppo on May 3, 2016 George Ourfalian (AFP/File) - Aleppo drawn into war - - July 20, 2012: Fierce fighting breaks out between the army and rebels of the Free Syrian Army (FSA), a group comprised of civilians and army deserters, in several city districts. In August, troops backed by heavy artillery and warplanes secure central Christian neighbourhoods after a two-week offensive. Since then, the city has been divided between loyalist districts in the west and rebel-controlled areas in the east. Each side has tried to wear the other down. Aleppo province has become a theatre of operations for most of the factions fighting in Syria's war. They include the Islamic State (IS) group, the Al-Qaeda affiliated Al-Nusra Front, various rebel groups, the army and pro-regime militias, Lebanese Hezbollah fighters and Kurdish militiamen. - January 15, 2013: More than 80 people are killed in an Aleppo university massacre over which the regime and rebels accuse each other of responsibility. - City landmarks destroyed - - April 24, 2013: Months of fighting around the Ummayad mosque destroys its minaret, an architectural and cultural landmark. Both sides blame the other for the destruction. Other landmarks that have suffered are the souk, which was partially destroyed by fire in September 2012, and the UNESCO-listed citadel, which was damaged by a blast in July 2015. - Barrel bombs - - December 15, 2013: Regime attacks air strikes using "barrel bombs" on rebel districts kill 76 people, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. The bombs are made of TNT packed into oil drums that are dropped from the air. In late July 2014, Human Rights Watch says the number of neighbourhoods hit by barrel bombs has almost doubled in five months, causing almost 1,700 deaths. - Shredding the ceasefire - - February 1, 2016: The regime launches an offensive against the rebels in Aleppo province backed by Hezbollah fighters and Russian aircraft. More than 500 people are killed in 10 days, according to the Observatory. The rebels are squeezed between regime forces and unfriendly fighters from the IS and Kurdish groups, and suffer a string of defeats. - February 27: A "cessation of hostilities" is declared but it excludes IS and Al-Nusra Front. Warplanes begin to strike rebel-held areas of Aleppo again on March 11. - April 22: The ceasefire is effectively destroyed by the start of large-scale regime raids in Aleppo. Since then, more than 250 civilians have been killed, mostly by barrel bombs. - May 3: A rebel coalition goes on the offensive in pro-regime areas of Aleppo. - France's UN ambassador Francois Delattre says Aleppo "is to Syria what Sarajevo was to Bosnia". - May 4: Fierce fighting rages in Aleppo and regime raids hit rebel regions. Since April 22, more than 280 people have died in the unrest, according to the Observatory. A Syrian girl holds a sign during a rally in solidarity with Aleppo, in the Lebanese port city of Tripoli, on May 1, 2016 Ibrahim Chalhoub (AFP/File) 400,000 refugees could head for Turkey if no Aleppo truce: UN envoy The UN's envoy for Syria on Wednesday made a plea for a halt in fighting in the second city of Aleppo, warning that failure to do so could lead to a "catastrophic" outcome. "The alternative is truly quite catastrophic, because we could see 400,000 people moving towards the Turkish border," Staffan de Mistura said after talks in Berlin with France and Germany's foreign ministers. The Berlin talks, which also included Syria's main opposition leader Riad Hijab, is part of a week of whirlwind diplomacy as negotiators battle to salvage a collapsing truce. A Syrian family runs for cover amid the rubble of destroyed buildings following a reported air strike in Aleppo, on April 29, 2016 Ameer Alhalbi (AFP/File) De Mistura stressed that a return to peace talks hinged on a ceasefire. "The test is Aleppo now," he said. German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier and France's Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault also issued similar warnings. "If the ceasefire does not happen in the next few hours in Aleppo, everything would collapse," said Ayrault. Qaeda threatens attacks on homes of Yemeni forces Al-Qaeda in Yemen threatened Wednesday to target the homes of officers and soldiers who took part in a government offensive that drove militants out of key areas. But militants in Zinjibar appear to have agreed to leave the Abyan provincial capital following tribal mediation to spare the city destruction, said the region's security chief Colonel Nasser Hadi. Government troops backed by air and ground support from a Saudi-led coalition launched last month a widespread operation against jihadists in south and southeastern Yemen. Forces loyal to the Saudi-backed Yemeni president stand guard on a road at the entrance to Abyan province as they take part in an operation to drive Al-Qaeda fighters out of the southern provincial capital, on April 23, 2016 Saleh Al-Obeidi (AFP/File) "We warn all military leaders and soldiers who participated in the campaign that their houses are now legitimate targets for us," said an online statement issued by the Abyan branch of Ansar al-Sharia, another name used by Al-Qaeda in Yemen. "We advise their wives and children to leave their houses because they (the houses) will be our next target," the statement said. Al-Qaeda fighters had remained in Zinjibar after government forces advanced towards the city in late April. Residents took to the streets demanding the extremists leave to spare the city any fighting. Abyan's security chief said Wednesday that Al-Qaeda militants demanded a "safe exit" from the city and nearby Jaar town, adding the militants "promised to clear the mines and explosives they planted on the edges" of Zinjibar. He said a tribal dignitary led mediation with the militants to "spare the city destruction and war." Witnesses said however that Al-Qaeda fighters were still visible in Zinjibar and Jaar. The militants last month fled the key southeastern city of Mukalla, the capital of Hadramawt province, and other coastal areas, due to the government offensive. Earlier in April, government troops pushed Al-Qaeda fighters out of Huta, the capital of Lahj province. Yemen-based Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula is regarded by Washington as the network's most dangerous branch, and AQAP militants have come under repeated US air and drone strikes. The Saudi-led coalition intervened in Yemen in March 2015 in support of President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi against Shiite Huthi rebels who had seized the capital Sanaa and other areas. But it has recently turned its firepower against jihadists impeding the government's bid to firm up its grip on southern areas recaptured from the rebels. Israeli raids on Gaza after day of border tensions Israel launched air raids Wednesday on the Gaza Strip after a day of tensions along the border of the Palestinian territory whose Islamist rulers warned against an escalation. Air strikes hit around Gaza's derelict international airport near the southern city of Rafah and in nearby farming areas, said the territory's Hamas-run interior ministry. Security sources in Gaza said the jets fired two missiles at the airport but said no one was hurt in the strikes. Israeli soldiers stand guard with their tank along the border between Israel and the Gaza Strip near the southern Israeli Kibbutz of Nahal Oz on May 4, 2016 Menahem Kahana (AFP) Israel's army said its warplanes had hit five sites operated by Hamas. "The (Israel armed forces) will continue to operate in order to protect the civilians of Israel from all Hamas terrorist threats above & beneath ground," spokesman Peter Lerner said on Twitter. The raids followed a bout of violence on the Gaza-Israel border Wednesday, with exchanges of fire that put a 2014 ceasefire agreement to the test. Israeli tanks shelled the Palestinian enclave at least twice, saying it was in response to mortar fire across the border, while the army designated an Israeli border town a closed military zone. A military official said up to five mortar shells in total were fired at Israeli territory, while forces were fired upon near the small border community of Nahal Oz. "In accordance with security assessments, a closed military zone has been established in the area of Nahal Oz," an army statement said. "It means that only the residents of Nahal Oz and the area can enter." Earlier the Israeli army twice confirmed its tanks had fired on targets in Gaza, saying both times it was in response to mortar rounds fired from inside the strip. Palestinian security sources reported tank fire in Al-Tufah in eastern Gaza. There were no reported casualties and no claims of responsibility for the mortar fire. - Warnings of escalation - Hamas and Islamic Jihad, another militant Palestinian group, released separate statements warning Israel against any escalation along the border. Hamas' armed wing, the Ezzedine al-Qassem Brigades, said it was ready to respond to Israel's strikes. "We will not permit this aggression to continue and the enemy should not invoke any reason and leave the Strip immediately," the group said in a statement. Wednesday's violence puts pressure on a ceasefire that has held since the last round of hostilities in Gaza ended in summer 2014. Despite Israeli allegations that Hamas is building new tunnels in Gaza that could reach into Israel, the border region has remained relatively quiet since then. The tunnels were cited by Israel as a key cause of the 50-day 2014 war in Gaza, which killed 2,251 Palestinians, mostly civilians, and 73 Israelis, including 67 soldiers, according to the United Nations. The ceasefire which ended the conflict has been sporadically threatened by rocket fire from Gaza. Most of it has been attributed to fringe Islamist groups challenging Hamas's authority, although Israel holds Hamas responsible for all rocket fire from the territory and routinely responds with attacks on its positions. The UN's special coordinator for the Middle East peace process, Nickolay Mladenov, said he was "concerned" at Wednesday's escalation. "It is critical that peace be maintained to ensure the safety and security of Israelis and Palestinians, alike," he said in a statement. During a visit to the Gaza border on Tuesday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hailed its calmest period in years, according to comments reported by Israeli media. "We are nearing the end of close to two years since Operation Protective Edge," he said, referring to the 2014 conflict. "These have been the quietest two years we can recall since Hamas came to power." Daniel Nisman, founder of the Levantine analysis group, said the Netanyahu visit could have triggered a reaction. "Maybe for Hamas that lit one fuse too many," he told AFP. Palestinian men work on the remains of a building destroyed during the 50-day war between Israel and Hamas-led militants in the summer of 2014, on April 30, 2016, in Gaza City Mahmud Hams (AFP/File) Arab League vows 'international justice' for Aleppo crimes The Arab League said Wednesday it will strive to ensure that all of those behind mounting violence in the war-ravaged Syrian city of Aleppo face "international justice". The pan-Arab organisation met in Cairo as fighting that raged in the divided city threatened a complete breakdown of a truce between President Bashar al-Assad's regime and non-jihadist rebels. More than 280 civilians have been killed in the fighting since April 22, with Assad's regime launching air strikes on the rebel-held east Aleppo while rebels shell the regime-controlled west. A Syrian man rides his motorbike past destroyed buildings on May 2, 2016, in Aleppo's Bab al-Hadid neighbourhood which was targeted recently by regime air strikes Karam al-Masri (AFP/File) The Arab League said it had decided to "work on bringing all those who participated in and contributed to the brutal attacks against innocent civilians in Aleppo and other Syrian cities to international justice". The 22-member bloc denounced the "the Syrian regime's brutal actions against unarmed civilian residents" in Aleppo, calling the attacks "a massacre," in a resolution announced after the meeting. It also denounced the Islamic State group and "all terrorist groups" which are committing crimes against civilians in Aleppo and other Syrian cities. The meeting of the bloc's delegates was requested by the Gulf nation of Qatar after Russia announced it would not ask the Syrian government to cease its air strikes on the city. All member states approved the resolution except Lebanon, which abstained from voting. Slain Navy SEAL was part of US rescue squad A Navy SEAL who was killed by Islamic State fighters died while helping rescue a team of American troops from an unexpected firefight with the jihadists, an official said Wednesday. Charles Keating IV became the third US troop to be killed in the US-led coalition campaign against the IS group when he was struck by a bullet during a pitched battle on Tuesday. His death illustrates the growing dangers US troops face in Iraq and Syria as they move ever closer toward the jihadists' frontlines. Special Warfare Operator 1st Class Charles Keating IV, 31, of San Diego Keating, 31, from Arizona, was part of a "quick reaction force" comprised of special operations troops on a mission to support US military advisers working with local peshmerga forces, Baghdad-based US military spokesman Colonel Steve Warren said. Keating was the grandson of Charles Keating Jr., who was involved in a massive savings-and-loan scandal of the 1980s and 1990s, in which thousands of small financial institutions failed. Tuesday's events started early in the morning as the US advisers were meeting with peshmerga fighters near the village of Tal Asquf, north of IS-stronghold Mosul. According to Warren, the jihadists were unaware US troops were in vicinity but coincidentally launched an assault on the village. Using suicide bombers, bulldozers and armored trucks, a group of about 125 IS fighters broke through peshmerga defenses and rushed toward Tal Asquf, getting about two miles (3.5 kilometers) beyond the line. When the attack began, the US military advisers called Keating's quick reaction force to help get them away from the chaos. "When the fire erupted, the quick reaction force... came to the battle and provided the additional firepower" needed to "extract the remainder of our personnel," Warren said in a video call to Pentagon reporters. - 'Bullets everywhere' - Keating was struck during the ensuing battle. Although a Black Hawk helicopter evacuated him to a hospital within an hour, he did not survive. "This was a gun fight, you know, a dynamic gun fight, so he got hit just in the course of this gun battle. Whether it was a sniper or some fighter with his (AK-47) is unclear," Warren said. "There were bullets everywhere." The fighting lasted all day, with US forces involved on the ground for at least a couple of hours. The US-coalition carried out 31 plane and drone strikes, destroying 20 IS vehicles and other gear, Warren said. About 60 IS fighters died, and the peshmerga forces went on a counterattack and recaptured Tal Asquf by the end of the day. US advisers have been working with the peshmerga in northern Iraq for about a year, but recent decisions mean increasing numbers of US troops will be closer to the front lines. Last month, the Pentagon said US military advisors will start working with Iraqi forces at the battalion level, meaning greater numbers will be physically closer to the fight in Iraq than before. And the United States has increased sixfold -- from 50 to 300 -- the number of special operations forces and support personnel working in northern Syria, where they are training Kurdish and Syrian Arab fighters to tackle the IS group and call in air strikes. The United States launched an anti-IS coalition, now supposedly comprising 65 countries, in August 2014. Since then, the coalition has launched more than 12,000 air strikes against the self-proclaimed Islamic State group, and the Pentagon has deployed around 5,000 troops to Iraq. Keating is the third US troop to be killed in action since the campaign began. Rocket fire killed a US Marine in northern Iraq in March, while a special forces soldier died of wounds received during a raid in October. At Catholic Vote, Acton Research Director Samuel Gregg joins the web sites political director Josh Mercer to look into the reasons why socialist and Democrat presidential candidate Bernie Sanders was invited by the Vatican (actually: Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences) to speak on income inequality. Gregg and Mercer also discuss whether socialism is on the rise here in the United States. Tune in here. US, Russia win truce promise in Syria's Aleppo Under pressure from Russia and the United States, the Syrian army agreed to respect a two-day truce in the war-ravaged city of Aleppo. The Syrian climb-down came after Washington said the US and Russia had agreed to push the warring parties to extend their shaky ceasefire. "A truce will be in place in Aleppo for 48 hours from 1:00 am on Thursday (2200 GMT Wednesday)," Syrian army command said, according to state media. Under pressure from Russia and the United States, the Syrian army agreed to respect a two-day truce in the war-ravaged city of Aleppo Ameer Alhalbi (AFP/File) The Russian defence ministry said its ceasefire monitors had agreed with their US counterparts to oversee this truce until midnight on May 6. But for his part, US Secretary of State John Kerry said a new Aleppo truce had already begun at at midnight Syrian time (2101 GMT Tuesday) and that violence had already fallen off. On the ground, AFP correspondents said fierce fighting continued in both Aleppo and an area west of Damascus that was already under the ceasefire regime. "We've seen an overall decrease in violence in those areas even though there are some reports of continued fighting in some locations," Kerry said. Kerry added that US officials in Geneva were coordinating with their Russian colleagues on "enhanced monitoring efforts for this renewed cessation." And he stressed that for Washington, the "cessation of hostilities" must spread nationwide and underpin a return by both sides to peace talks in Geneva. - War crimes - Russia and the US were joint sponsors of the previous February 27 ceasefire agreement that had begun to fall apart, especially around Aleppo. The city is divided between Bashar al-Assad's government forces, Western-backed opposition forces and Al-Nusra Front rebels not party to the ceasefire. Last week, Russia agreed to a ceasefire in Latakia and a suburb of Damascus but said Assad should be allowed to fight Al-Nusra "terrorists" in Aleppo. Intense fighting continued in the city, and hospitals in both rebel and government-held areas were hit, which two top UN officials warned Wednesday amounted to war crimes. On Sunday, Kerry flew to Geneva for talks with UN peace envoy Staffan de Mistura, who in turn went to Moscow for talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. By Wednesday, Kerry felt confident enough in Russia's "buy-in" to the process that the State Department was able to announce what it hopes will be a new truce. Nevertheless, in Aleppo new explosions could be heard. Rami Abdel Rahman, head of the London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, said the fighting was "the most violent in Aleppo in over a year". - Rocket barrage - According to the Syrian state news agency SANA, in recent days rebels have fired a barrage of rockets into regime-held neighbourhoods in western Aleppo. Three more civilians were killed in the attacks early on Wednesday, it said. Regime warplanes struck the advancing rebels, giving opposition-held areas of eastern Aleppo a respite from the bombing, an AFP correspondent in the city said. Suspected regime strikes also pummelled the rebel stronghold of Eastern Ghouta near Damascus, after a temporary freeze in the area expired overnight. Kerry confirmed these strikes, but said the joint US-Russian ceasefire monitoring centre which is being set up in Geneva would redouble its efforts. Russia had said on Tuesday it hoped a new ceasefire could be agreed "within hours" but on Wednesday said truce efforts had been stymied by jihadists. Russian military spokesman Igor Konashenkov said a plan had been agreed for Aleppo but fell apart after rocket attacks by Al-Nusra, an Al-Qaeda affiliate. The UN's top political affairs officer Jeffrey Feltman and Stephen O'Brian, its aid chief, told the Security Council that those responsible for the hospital attacks and starvation sieges in rebel-held eastern Aleppo should face trial for war crimes. The UN said the Syrian government had refused a request for aid access to Aleppo. The diplomatic push seeks to restore peace talks aimed at ending a five-year war that has left more than 270,000 dead and forced millions from their homes. France announced on Wednesday that it would also host talks with the Saudi, Qatari, Turkish and Emirati foreign ministers on Monday next week. These countries back the Syrian opposition, and French government spokesman Stephane Le Foll said they would focus on efforts to move deadlocked peace talks forward. Syria's civil war erupted in 2011 after Assad brutally suppressed anti-government protests, and quickly escalated into a multi-front conflict. Jihadist forces, including the Islamic State group, seized large tracts of the country, leaving civilians and opposition rebels besieged in western cities. On the ground, AFP correspondents said fierce fighting continued in both Aleppo and an area west of Damascus that was already under the ceasefire regime George Ourfalian (AFP) Targetting hospitals Omar Kamal, Gebeily (AFP) Michael Phelps has welcomed his first child Boomer into the world with a heart-melting Instagram post of him holding the tiny baby boy. The 30-year-old swimming star uploaded the image on Saturday of himself and Boomer with fiancee Nicole Johnson in the background, saying it was the 'best feeling I have ever felt in my life.' He wrote: 'Welcome Boomer Robert Phelps into the world!!! Born 5-5-2016 at 7:21 pm !!! Healthy and happy!!! Best feeling I have ever felt in my life!!!' Scroll down for video Michael Phelps announced the birth of his first child, a son named Boomer, on Saturday in this heart-melting Instagram post with fiancee Nicole Johnson in the background Just hours before Phelps uploaded the image of Boomer, Johnson sent these pregnancy photos to her own followers, saying she was 'so excited' to welcome the new baby Boomer was born on Thursday in Arizona, where Phelps has been training ahead of his return to the pool at the Rio Olympics. Phelps had been training at high altitude in Colorado, and left the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs to return to Johnson's side. Last month at a meet in Mesa, Arizona, Phelps said the couple had already selected the baby's name, although he didn't reveal it then. 'It's something we both agreed on, thought it was different,' he said. Asked what type of parent he would be, Phelps said: 'I'll probably be very protective. That's how I am.' Phelps credited Johnson for being 'nothing but one of the best supporters I could ask for.' At the Mesa meet, Phelps talked with Dana Vollmer, who is attempting to make another Olympic team after giving birth to her son 13 months ago. 'It will be good for him, like it is for me,' she said. 'Michael and Nicole will be good parents.' The birth came a day after Phelps announced he would be withdrawing from a swimming meet due to take place between May 13 and 15 to be with Johnson. 'We understand some of you may have purchased tickets to see Michael Phelps. He is no longer able to attend,' organizers said. Johnson's sister Ellice Boon (pictured), a professional photographer, helped to organize the pregnancy shoot and even brought along her own baby for some last-minute parenting practice Johnson, a former Miss California, and Phelps have announced plans to get married following the Rio games which will finish on August 21 Phelps, 30, retired from swimming after the London 2012 games, where he won four golds and two silvers, before returning to competition in 2014. He aims to compete in his fifth Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro in August after appearances in Sydney, Athens, Beijing and London, where he amassed a record 18 gold medals. Phelps and Johnson have said they will get married once the competition is over on August 21. The pair have been engaged since February last year, a celebration they also announced on Instagram with a picture of them rolling around in the snow. The couple have been dating on-and-off since at least 2009, officially splitting late in 2011 before rekindling their romance in 2014. They announced the pregnancy in November last year. Phelps has previously praised Johnson for helping him through his struggle with alcohol dependency following his DUI arrest in 2014. Speaking with Today, Phelps said his drinking problem reached the point where he 'didn't want to see another day' because of the effect it was having on his family. Phelps and Johnson have been dating on an off since at least 2009, splitting late in 2011 before getting back together three years later. They have been engaged since February 2015 Phelps (pictured at the 2012 London Olympics) had been training at high altitude in Colorado for the Olympics, but moved to Arizona to be closer to Johnson as the birth approached However, he said Johnson was instrumental in getting him support, even accompanying him when he flew to The Meadows in Arizona for rehab. Phelps spent 45 days in treatment before joining Alcoholics Anonymous, and announced his engagement to Johnson shortly afterward. Looking ahead to Rio, he said: 'If I'm going to come back, I need to do this the right way. I've got to put my body in the best physical shape I can possibly get it in. 'Is it a challenge? No. I go to bed earlier. I sleep more. I wake up every day and have a completely clear head. I don't feel like my head went through a brick wall. There are so many positives to it. 'Are there days I'm sitting on the golf course or sitting on my roof (patio) and would like to have a beer? Yeah. But I have a year left in my career. If I really want it bad enough, I will make that sacrifice.' Netanyahu decries anti-Israel propaganda in the West Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu denounced Wednesday what he called "poisonous" anti-Israeli propaganda in the West which he compared to Nazism, in remarks on the eve of Holocaust Remembrance Day. "What led to the Holocaust is the incitement to hatred that continues today against Israel," said Netanyahu. "Anti-Semitism didn't disappear with the death of Hitler in his bunker... propaganda in the Western world against Israel is no less poisonous than that of extremist Islam and the Arab world," he said. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delivers a speech during a ceremony marking the Holocaust Remembrance Day on May 4, 2016 at the Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial in Jerusalem Gil Cohen-Magen (AFP) Netanyahu singled out "British parliamentarians, Swedish officials and opinion leaders in France" for criticism in his comments at the Yad Vashem Holocaust Remembrance Centre. "If throughout history, Jews were designated as enemies of humanity, today it is the state of the Jews that is the enemy of humanity, and this lie has no bounds," he said, referring to Israel. Recalling a recent UNESCO resolution on the status of Jerusalem, he accused the UN's cultural body of "spreading lies transforming victims into aggressors and aggressors into victims". In a brief ceremony marking the start of Holocaust Remembrance Day in Israel, six survivors lit candles in memory of the six million Jews killed by the Nazis. Israel will come to a standstill for two minutes at 10:00 am on Thursday (0700 GMT), when sirens will be sounded in memory of Jewish victims of Nazism. A 2015 study found that some 45,000 of Israel's estimated remaining 190,000 Holocaust survivors are now living in poverty. International Holocaust Remembrance Day is held on January 27 but Israel commemorates it separately on Thursday. Obama drinks water in Flint, hits Republicans A combative President Barack Obama visited crisis-hit Flint, Michigan, Wednesday where he conspicuously sipped filtered water to prove it was potable and attacked "corrosive" Republican attitudes toward "big government." More than 8,000 children are believed to have consumed lead-contaminated water in the hardscrabble northern city, which has become a focus of the 2016 election campaign. Republican and Democratic presidential candidates have used the crisis to trade barbs about the failings, size and role of local and federal governments. US President Barack Obama drinks filtered water during a meeting at the Food Bank of Eastern Michigan in Flint, Michigan, May 4, 2016 Jim Watson (AFP) The town has a Democratic mayor and the state governor is a Republican. Obama wasted no time in offering his take, linking the crisis to "a corrosive attitude that exists in our politics." "It's a mind-set that believes that less government is the highest good, no matter what." "This was a man-made disaster. This was avoidable, this was preventable," he said, pointing to a "pipeline of neglect." The contamination began after a decision in 2014 to shift Flint's water source from the Detroit River to the Flint River as part of cost-cutting measures ordered by state Governor Rick Snyder, a Republican who has consistently resisted calls to resign. Experts believe the chemical-laced Flint River water corroded lead pipes, allowing large amounts of the poisonous element to leach into the city's water. The state attorney general has filed criminal charges against a city official and two state regulators for allegedly falsifying tests and tampering with evidence. Before Obama took to the stage, Snyder made brief remarks but was roundly booed by the 1,000 strong crowd. While Obama set out to make a political point, his address was also part public service announcement. He used a coughing fit to show that tap water is safe to drink as long as it is filtered. "I really did need a glass of water. This is not a stunt," he said. Earlier, during a meeting with a group of government officials responding to the crisis, Obama cautioned residents about drinking unfiltered water and the scale of the problem the rust belt city faces in replacing lead-tainted pipes. "It might take a year," he said. "It might take two years. It might take more." Located in the heart of America's declining industrial rust belt, Flint has come to represent the crossroads of many of the issues dominating the 2016 election cycle -- foreign trade, environmental standards, the economy and the gap between rich and poor. Democratic candidates Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders even held a presidential debate in Flint ahead of the Michigan primary in March. Sanders's strident message about the need to address income inequality narrowly won the day in the Democratic primary. Now the state is set to become a battleground in the general election, too. Donald Trump's populist message targeting disaffected white voters also propelled the Republican presidential frontrunner to win his party's Michigan primary. Marines review iconic Iwo Jima photo identities An iconic image from World War II, depicting Marines raising the US flag over Iwo Jima in Japan, is undergoing new scrutiny after it emerged one of the troops in the picture may have been misidentified. In a statement late Tuesday, the US Marine Corps said it was reviewing information provided by the Smithsonian Channel related to the photograph, taken in February 1945 during the bloody battle for the Japanese island. The Smithsonian Channel is producing a documentary about the photo and examining the identity of the six men long identified as having erected the flag. The sun rises behind the Iwo Jima Memorial on November 10, 2010 in Arlington, Virginia Mark Wilson (Getty/AFP/File) The channel has given the results of its probe to the Marines, though these have not yet been made public. "With the information and research provided by the Smithsonian Channel, who used advanced digital technology to examine battle footage, the Marine Corps decided to review their photo-enhancements, film analysis, and findings. This review is still ongoing," the Marines said. The famous photograph was taken by Associated Press photographer Joe Rosenthal, who did not have time to get the names of all the troops in the shot. US visitors to Cuba surge 93 percent The number of Americans visiting Cuba surged 93 percent year-on-year in the first four months of 2016, the Cuban government said Wednesday. The communist island is basking in its newfound glow as a trendy tourist destination since Washington and Havana announced a historic rapprochement in December 2014. Cuba has welcomed a stream of celebrities and VIPs since then, including US President Barack Obama, the pope, the Rolling Stones and German designer Karl Lagerfeld, who presented a Cuban-inspired runway show Tuesday for French fashion house Chanel. 94,000 Americans visited Cuba from January to April, Tourism Minister Manuel Marrero said Yamil Lage (AFP/File) The United States still maintains a trade and financial embargo on Cuba that forbids US citizens from traveling to the island for tourism, but Obama has loosened restrictions to the point that the first US cruise ship in 50 years was able to dock in Havana Monday. The Carnival cruise liner circumvented the tourism ban by offering passengers "cultural exchanges," including meetings with artists, musicians and business owners, as well as dance classes and guided tours. In all, 94,000 Americans visited Cuba from January to April, Tourism Minister Manuel Marrero said at the opening of an international tourism fair in Havana. The figure for all of last year came in at more than 160,000, an increase of 76 percent from 2014, he said. Cuba welcomed 3.5 million tourists from around the world last year, a 17 percent increase, adding a much-needed $2.8 billion to the economy. Regular flights from the United States to Cuba are expected to begin later this year. The Cuban government has announced an accelerated hotel construction program to cope with booming demand. UN warns of war crimes over Aleppo carnage Two top UN officials told the Security Council Wednesday that those responsible for hospital attacks and starvation sieges in Syria's frontline city of Aleppo should face trial for war crimes. The 15-member council met to discuss the crisis in Aleppo just as the United States and Russia agreed to extend a truce to end nearly two weeks of near-constant attacks in the northern city. "Let me be absolutely clear once again: intentional and direct attacks on hospitals are war crimes," said the UN's top political affairs official, Jeffrey Feltman. Jeffrey Feltman, Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs, speaks during a United Nations Security Council meeting on August 19, 2015 in New York City Andrew Burton (Getty/AFP/File) "Using starvation as a weapon during conflict is a war crime." Feltman demanded that Syria be referred to the International Criminal Court in The Hague for war crimes prosecutions. "Those responsible for war crimes must be held to account," he said. A bid by the council in 2014 to refer Syria to the ICC was blocked by China and Syrian ally Russia, and it appeared unlikely that a new push for such action would garner enough support. UN aid chief Stephen O'Brien said "life for people in Aleppo is horrendous" as he condemned the "inexcusable, deeply disturbing attacks" on medical facilities. Those responsible for the attacks "must understand that these acts cannot and will not be forgotten," said O'Brien. "Those who are responsible must know that they will one day be held accountable," he added. Hospitals in both rebel and government-held areas of Aleppo have been hit, triggering global outrage and calls for an end to the fighting. The upsurge in Aleppo has left hundreds dead and is threatening to derail international efforts to resume peace talks in Geneva this month and push ahead with a plan to end the five-year war. - Fighting 'terrorists' - The United States, France and Britain put the blame squarely on the regime for the escalation, but Russia insisted Bashar al-Assad's forces are fighting terror groups in the city. "The regime has launched more than 300 air strikes, 110 artillery strikes and 18 missiles, and dropped more than 68 bombs on the city over just these last two weeks," US Ambassador Samantha Power told the council meeting. Power rejected Russian and Syrian claims that the attacks were directed at extremists, saying recent targets included an ambulance, a market, a bakery, a school and a mosque. Syria's Deputy UN Ambassador Mounzer Mounzer said regime forces were taking on terror groups in Aleppo. "What the Syrian government has been doing in the city of Aleppo is merely the fulfilment of its obligations to protect its citizens from terrorism," he told the council. Russian Ambassador Vitaly Churkin insisted that jihadist groups in Aleppo were not covered by the ceasefire agreed in late February and that "to make a pause in the combat of terrorism and allow them to regroup is unacceptable". Syria's conflict erupted in 2011 after anti-government protests were put down. Fighting quickly escalated into a multi-faceted war that has killed more than 270,000 people and forced millions from their homes. Targetting hospitals Omar Kamal, Maya Gebeily (AFP) Red Cross suspends travel after workers kidnapped in DR Congo The International Committee of the Red Cross announced Wednesday it was suspending planned travel in the restive eastern Democratic Republic of Congo after three workers were kidnapped. Armed men seized the employees -- who a local official said previously were Congolese nationals -- Tuesday in the turbulent Nord-Kivu province. "All planned ICRC travel in Nord-Kivu has been suspended until further notice," the aid agency wrote in a statement. The employees -- who a local official said were of Congolese nationality -- had been sent to work in Rutshuru in the south of turbulent Nord-Kivu province Junior D.Kannah (AFP/File) The three kidnapped men were part of a convoy headed to the village of Kyaghala to distribute aid to people impacted by the armed conflict in the area. "We strongly condemn the kidnapping and are making every effort to reunite our colleagues with their families," said Alessandra Menegon, head of ICRC's delegation in DR Congo. "We call on the assailants to free the hostages, safe and sound, immediately," she added. Attacks against aid workers are regular occurences in the area, which has suffered chronic unrest for two decades. The strife is fuelled by local armed groups and others committing ethnic-related violence, or over land or the region's mineral wealth. Gannett bid for big newspaper tie-up rejected The owner of the group that includes The Los Angeles Times on Wednesday rejected a takeover bid by rival Gannett to create a national newspaper powerhouse, saying it undervalues the publisher. The $815 million bid "understates the company's true value and is not in the best interests of our shareholders," said a statement from Tribune Publishing, which owns the big Los Angeles newspaper as well as the Chicago Tribune, Baltimore Sun, Orlando Sentinel, Hartford Courant and other dailies. The offer announced last month would combine the big metropolitan dailies with USA Today and its more than 100 publications around the United States. Tribune Publishing owns the Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune, Baltimore Sun, Orlando Sentinel, Hartford Courant and other dailies David McNew (Getty/AFP/File) Tribune Publishing chief executive Justin Dearborn said the company was carrying out its own strategic plan to adapt the company's newspapers to digital. "Tribune Publishing is in the early stages of a compelling transformation, with a well-defined strategic plan to drive increasing monetization of our important brands, capitalize on the global potential of the LA Times and significantly accelerate our conversion of content to revenue through an enhanced digital strategy," Dearborn said. "While the board is always open to evaluating any credible proposal that it believes to be in the best interests of the company and its shareholders, Gannett's opportunistic proposal understates the company's true value and is not a basis for further discussion." Dearborn added that the company believes "our standalone strategic plan will generate shareholder value in excess of Gannett's proposal." Tribune Publishing group was spun off the larger Tribune Co. in 2014, and has been examining options such as the sale of the coveted Los Angeles daily. Earlier this year, it lost a bid for the Orange County Register after US antitrust officials objected to its merger with The Los Angeles Times, claiming it would have too much dominance in southern California. Gannett last month said its Tribune offer had been rejected in private talks, but went public with its bid in an effort to win over the board. Gannett last year became the latest media conglomerate to break itself apart, splitting off its television operations into a new firm called Tegna. Iraq PM sacks commander after Green Zone breach: statement Iraq's premier sacked the commander of special forces in Baghdad's Green Zone after protesters breached the fortified area, a military statement said on Wednesday. The removal of Staff Lieutenant General Mohammed Ridha may indicate that security forces will take a harder line against demonstrators who are expected to protest later this week. Angry demonstrators, most of them supporters of Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, broke into the Green Zone and stormed parliament on Saturday in an unprecedented security breach. Iraqi protesters climb over a concrete wall surrounding the parliament (unseen) after breaking into Baghdad's heavily fortified "Green Zone" on April 30, 2016 Haider Mohammed Ali (AFP/File) Iraqi premier Haider al-Abadi issued an order "for the relief of special forces division commander Mohammed Ridha," who will be replaced by Major General Karim Aboud al-Tamimi, a statement from Iraq's Joint Operations Command said. Ridha kissed Sadr's hand when he entered the Green Zone in March during a sit-in organised by the cleric, who has demanded the government carry out reforms. The removal of Ridha may be a sign that security forces that stood by as demonstrators broke into the Green Zone will now take action against them if they attempt to do so again. Demonstrators are expected to protest on Friday and may attempt to re-enter the Green Zone, which is home to Iraq's main government institutions as well as various embassies, including those of the United States and Britain. Angry protesters broke into the area after lawmakers again failed to approve new ministers proposed by Abadi. Abadi has called for the current cabinet of party-affiliated ministers to be replaced by a government of technocrats. Five year ago, Roman Ostriakov, a homeless Ukrainian living in Italy, attempted to steal cheese and sausages worth $4.50 (4.07). Before he could leave the supermarket, though, Ostriakov was caught and convicted of theft. He was ordered to pay a fine of $115 (100) and spend six months in jail. But Italys supreme court has overturned the conviction, writing: The condition of the defendant and the circumstances in which the merchandise theft took place prove that he took possession of that small amount of food in the face of the immediate and essential need for nourishment, acting therefore in a state of need. For the judges, the right to survival has prevailed over the right to property, says Massimo Gramellini, an editor of the Italian newspaper La Stampa. He adds that in America this would be blasphemy. Gramellini is partially right. While the court was right to show mercy to Ostriakov, theyve essentially set of precedent for legalized theft. While it may seem compassionate for the judges to allow those in need to have access to other peoples property, the result is likely to lead to greater harm of the poor. The ruling leaves too many questions unanswered. Who gets to determine how much food can be taken and how often? Can a modern day Jean Valjean steal a weeks worth of food for his hungry family? Can he repeatedly return to the same store to take what he needs? When the public is unclear about such questions and about when the law will protect them, they are likely to overreact in defense of their property. Consider the case of Ostriakov. He was in the store buying breadsticks, when a customer noticed that he had stolen the other items. But now he and other homeless people will likely not be allowed in stores at all. Why would storeowners allow the poor to even enter their businesses when they can take what they want without repercussions? The change in the law provides perverse incentives for the poor and needy. Before, they may have stolen out of sheer necessity and received mercy and leniency for their crime. Now, they may feel they are entitled to other peoples property. Like Karl Marx they may decide the rule should be, From each according to his ability, to each according to his need. What the poor truly need is not a pass to steal but an opportunity to earn their own living. As the Apostle Paul said, If a man will not work, he shall not eat (1 Thess. 3:10). Men like Ostriakov need help finding ways to work so that they can take care of themselves. And if they cant, society as a whole not individual shopkeepers should provide the safety net that catches them when they slip into a state of need. (Via: Quartz) Australia says top IS recruiter killed in US air strike Australia's most wanted Islamic State terror suspect, linked to several attacks on home soil, has been killed in a US air strike in Iraq, Canberra said on Thursday, warning others will be targeted. The death of Neil Prakash is considered significant by Australian and US authorities because of his highly prominent and influential role as a senior recruiter for the jihadist group. Attorney General George Brandis called him "the most dangerous Australian involved with ISIL in the Middle East," using an acronym for the self-proclaimed Islamic State. The death of Neil Prakash is considered significant by Australian and US authorities because of his highly prominent role as a senior recruiter for the Islamic State group Marwan Ibrahim (AFP/File) He said Washington had told Canberra that Prakash died in Mosul, Iraq, on April 29 after Australia provided intelligence on his identity and location. "Neil Prakash was a prominent ISIL member and a senior terrorist recruiter and attack facilitator," he said in a joint statement with Defence Minister Marise Payne. "Prakash has been linked to several Australia-based attack plans and calls for lone-wolf attacks against the United States. He is considered to be Australia's most prominent ISIL recruiter." Since the start of their campaign, the US military and its coalition partners have launched more than 12,000 air strikes against the IS group and Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said more Australians were in their sights. "Australians who think they can go to Syria and Iraq and fight with Daesh have to recognise that they will be targeted," he told Sky News, referring to IS by another acronym. "They are waging war against Australia and they are enemies of Australia once they choose to wage that war in those theatres." - Home-grown extremists - US authorities also told the government that Australian woman Shadi Jabar Khalil Mohammad was killed in an air strike near the Syrian city of Al-Bab on April 22, along with her Sudanese husband. "Mohammad and her husband, Abu Sa'ad al-Sudani, were both active recruiters of foreign fighters on behalf of ISIL, and had been inspiring attacks against Western interests," said Brandis. In Washington, Pentagon press secretary Peter Cook said al-Sudani was involved in planning attacks against the United States, Canada and Britain, though he did not provide details of the plots. "Both al-Sudani and his wife were active in recruiting foreign fighters in efforts to inspire attacks against Western interests," Cook added. Mohammad was the sister of Farhad Jabar, a 15-year-old who shot dead police employee Curtis Cheng in Sydney last October. The teenager was killed in gunfire shortly afterwards. Prakash, who left Australia in 2013 and was known as Abu Khaled al-Cambodi, was linked to an alleged terror plot on Anzac Day last year, when Australia honours its war dead. He has also appeared in IS propaganda videos, including one last year calling for attacks on Australia. "His death disrupts and degrades ISIL's ability to recruit vulnerable people in our community to conduct terrorist acts," added Brandis, who said that between 50 and 59 Australians had so far been killed fighting for jihadists in Iraq or Syria. At least 110 more are still battling with Islamic State. Australia has long been concerned about home-grown extremism and raised the terror threat alert level to high in September 2014. Indiana GOP voters chose Rep. Todd Young as Senate nominee INDIANAPOLIS (AP) Indiana Republican voters chose Rep. Todd Young as their U.S. Senate nominee on Tuesday, opting for his pragmatism over a tea party-backed congressman who boasted of his obstructionist stance in Washington. Young, 43, will now face Baron Hill in November's general election, the same Democrat he ousted from Congress in 2010 when he rode a tea party wave to Washington. The GOP primary to succeed retiring U.S. Senator Dan Coats featured increasingly biting exchanges between Young and Rep. Marlin Stutzman even though both campaigned as stalwart conservatives with similar policy platforms. In this April 9, 2016 photo, Rep. Todd Young, center, R-Ind., speaks with Purdue ROTC students as he leaves a meeting of the Reserve Officers Association in Indianapolis. Young faces Rep. Marlin Stutzman in the primary for U.S. Senate seat. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy) Despite the intraparty turmoil, Young said he expects Republicans to unify behind him because the race could have national implications as Democrats seek a net gain of four Senate seats to retake the majority from Republicans. "Hoosiers are practical people and Hoosier Republicans in particular have a history off unifying," Young told the Associated Press. "They understand the importance of holding on to this seat and beating Baron Hill." Young presented himself during the campaign as a pragmatic former U.S. Marine who is more interested in getting things done than lobbing verbal bombs. Stutzman called himself an outsider and small-town farmer. He also played up his membership in the House Freedom Caucus, a Republican faction that wanted to confront Democrats and made the GOP-controlled House so unruly that former House Speaker John Boehner resigned. Young said voters "have clearly had enough of politicians talking a good game and not following through." But his Democratic opponent said Young is still an ideologue and only looks pragmatic when compared to the most extreme of tea party hardliners. "I came out of political retirement because people are fed up and tired with all the political bickering that is going on in the House," said Hill, who was known as a moderate Democrat when he was in Congress. "I want to be bipartisan." Young's campaign nearly foundered at the start when Democrats and Stutzman complained that he had failed to collect enough voter signatures from one congressional district to qualify for the ballot. An Associated Press count found Young three signatures short. But the state election board deadlocked 4-4 along partisan lines, which allowed Young to stay on the ballot. Both Stutzman and Young crisscrossed the state in the months leading up to the election, but the campaign was fought mostly over the airwaves through negative ads. Young dominated the TV blitz with ads accusing Stutzman of being a career politician who puts his own self-interests first. A smaller number of science fiction-themed Stutzman ads portrayed Young as a "sell out," and a robot politician who votes the way party leaders tell him. But in the final weeks of the campaign Stutzman found himself in the difficult position after he struggled to explain more than $300,000 in travel and meal charges that were paid for with his campaign fund since 2010. That included more than $3,000 in campaign funds used to take his family to California on a trip his wife described on Facebook as a "family vacation," a review by the AP found. The AP also reported that Stutzman paid his brother-in-law, who is also one of his business partners, nearly $170,000 to do campaign work even though he had little prior experience. Young also had a nearly 2-to-1 edge in fundraising while racking up endorsements from groups such as the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. He also received financial backing from a group with ties to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, while financing from outside conservative groups that Stutzman had counted on failed to materialize. Young served as a Marine intelligence officer. He has an MBA from the University of Chicago and is married to the niece of former U.S. Vice President Dan Quayle. In this April 7, 2016 photo, Rep. Todd Young, R-Ind., answer a question during an interview in Indianapolis. Young faces Rep. Marlin Stutzman in the primary for U.S. Senate. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy) Celebrities jam Havana streets for Chanel's Cuban takeover HAVANA (AP) The afternoon sun was still baking central Havana when Mabel Fernandez and her 14-year daughter took their spot facing the Prado, a grand colonial boulevard hung with lights and loudspeakers for a fashion show by French luxury label Chanel. "This is something that we've never seen in Cuba," Fernandez said, delighted to be exposing her fashion-crazy daughter to a world of supermodels and Hollywood actors that the girl had only seen in TV and movies. But as evening fell on Tuesday, hundreds of state security officers swarmed the area, pushing Fernandez and other Havana residents behind police lines blocks away. Fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld, left, poses with the models who participated in the presentation of his "cruise" line for fashion house Chanel, at the Paseo del Prado street in Havana, Cuba, Tuesday, May 3, 2016. With the heart of the Cuban capital effectively privatized by an international corporation under the watchful eye of the Cuban state, the premiere of Chanel 2016/2017 "cruise" line offered a startling sight in a country officially dedicated to social equality and the rejection of material wealth. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa) "We couldn't see anything," Fernandez lamented Wednesday morning. "It wasn't right. My daughter was dying to see it." With the people of the city held at a distance, actors Tilda Swinton and Vin Diesel, supermodel Gisele Bundchen and Cuban music stars Gente de Zona and Omara Portuondo watched top models sashay down the Prado in casual summer clothes seemingly inspired by the art deco elegance of pre-revolutionary Cuba. Afterward, attendees were taxied in antique American cars to Havana's Cathedral Plaza, an 18th-century Baroque gem transformed into a beach-themed party backdrop by the erection of a giant tiki-style lounge over its colonial cobblestones. Chanel creative director Karl Lagerfeld, 82, arrived in a blue-and-cream 1957 Ford Fairlane, picking his way gingerly toward the VIP section of the tiki hut as his gold-sequined jacket glinted in the lights of the dance floor. Models gyrated to a brief private concert by French-Cuban duo Ibeyi as waitresses handed out hors d'oeuvres and cocktails to the gathered crowd. It was a startling sight in a country officially dedicated to social equality and the rejection of material wealth the temporary privatization of two of the capital's most iconic sites by an international corporation dedicated to selling exclusivity and luxury. The show was the most extreme manifestation to date of the hot new status Cuba has assumed in the international art and cultural scene since the December 2014 declaration of detente with the United States. President Barack Obama visited in March, the Rolling Stones performed in Havana the same week, the first U.S. cruise in nearly four decades docked Monday and the latest installment of the multibillion-dollar "Fast and Furious" action movie franchise is filming here now. Chanel welcomed the chance to show its creations in an unusual spot. "To explore new horizons is a way to fire imaginations and renew the vision of our brand while sharing the culture and heritage of the locations chosen for our fashion shows," the label said. Many Cubans say they are delighted their country is opening itself to the world, offering ordinary people a firsthand look at celebrities and extravagant productions. But for others, the conversion of Cuba into a stage set and playground for some of the world's wealthiest people fuels disenchantment with what they call Cuba's failure to deliver on promises of sustainable socialist equality. Among those disappointed was Reinaldo Fonseca, a local model, who stood outside the show Tuesday night with a group of friends similarly trying to make their careers in fashion. "It's a shame they don't let us pass," he said. ___ Michael Weissenstein on Twitter: https://twitter.com/mweissenstein Brazilian top model Gisele Bundchen, second right, attends the presentation of Fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld's "cruise" line for fashion house Chanel, at the Paseo del Prado street in Havana, Cuba, Tuesday, May 3, 2016. With the heart of the Cuban capital effectively privatized by an international corporation under the watchful eye of the Cuban state, the premiere of Chanel 2016/2017 "cruise" line offered a startling sight in a country officially dedicated to social equality and the rejection of material wealth. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa) U.S. Actor Vin Diesel gestures during the presentation of fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld's "cruise" line for fashion house Chanel, at the Paseo del Prado street in Havana, Cuba, Tuesday, May 3, 2016. With the heart of the Cuban capital effectively privatized by an international corporation under the watchful eye of the Cuban state, the premiere of Chanel 2016/2017 "cruise" line offered a startling sight in a country officially dedicated to social equality and the rejection of material wealth. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa) Drivers of vintage American cars receive their final instructions on how to bring in the fashion models that will take part in the upcoming Chanel fashion show, at the parking lot of the Hotel Nacional, in Havana, Cuba, Tuesday, May 3, 2016. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa) Fashion models are driven in vintage American convertible cars along the Malecon to take part in the Chanel fashion show in Havana, Cuba, Tuesday, May 3, 2016.(AP Photo/Desmond Boylan) Fashion models are driven in vintage American convertible cars along the Malecon to take part in the Chanel fashion show in Havana, Cuba, Tuesday, May 3, 2016. (AP Photo/Desmond Boylan) A model wears a creation from the Karl Lagerfeld "cruise" line for fashion house Chanel, at the Paseo del Prado street in Havana, Cuba, Tuesday, May 3, 2016. With the heart of the Cuban capital effectively privatized by an international corporation under the watchful eye of the Cuban state, the premiere of Chanel 2016/2017 "cruise" line offered a startling sight in a country officially dedicated to social equality and the rejection of material wealth. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa) Actress Tilda Swinton has a photo taken with a guest during the presentation of fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld's "cruise" line for fashion house Chanel, at the Paseo del Prado street in Havana, Cuba, Tuesday, May 3, 2016. With the heart of the Cuban capital effectively privatized by an international corporation under the watchful eye of the Cuban state, the premiere of Chanel 2016/2017 "cruise" line offered a startling sight in a country officially dedicated to social equality and the rejection of material wealth. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa) Guests arrive to the presentation of fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld's "cruise" line for fashion house Chanel, at the Paseo del Prado street in Havana, Cuba, Tuesday, May 3, 2016. With the heart of the Cuban capital effectively privatized by an international corporation under the watchful eye of the Cuban state, the premiere of Chanel 2016/2017 "cruise" line offered a startling sight in a country officially dedicated to social equality and the rejection of material wealth. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa) Fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld arrives the presentation of his "cruise" line for fashion house Chanel, at the Paseo del Prado street in Havana, Cuba, Tuesday, May 3, 2016. With the heart of the Cuban capital effectively privatized by an international corporation under the watchful eye of the Cuban state, the premiere of Chanel 2016/2017 "cruise" line offered a startling sight in a country officially dedicated to social equality and the rejection of material wealth. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa) Models dance after the presentation of fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld's "cruise" line for fashion house Chanel, at the Paseo del Prado street in Havana, Cuba, Tuesday, May 3, 2016. With the heart of the Cuban capital effectively privatized by an international corporation under the watchful eye of the Cuban state, the premiere of Chanel 2016/2017 "cruise" line offered a startling sight in a country officially dedicated to social equality and the rejection of material wealth. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa) People depart aboard a vintage American convertible, from the presentation of fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld's "cruise" line for fashion house Chanel, at the Paseo del Prado street in Havana, Cuba, Tuesday, May 3, 2016. With the heart of the Cuban capital effectively privatized by an international corporation under the watchful eye of the Cuban state, the premiere of Chanel 2016/2017 "cruise" line offered a startling sight in a country officially dedicated to social equality and the rejection of material wealth. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa) U.S. Actor Vin Diesel gestures during the presentation of fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld's "cruise" line for fashion house Chanel, at the Paseo del Prado street in Havana, Cuba, Tuesday, May 3, 2016. With the heart of the Cuban capital effectively privatized by an international corporation under the watchful eye of the Cuban state, the premiere of Chanel 2016/2017 "cruise" line offered a startling sight in a country officially dedicated to social equality and the rejection of material wealth. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa) People have cocktails prepared for them before the presentation of fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld's "cruise" line for fashion house Chanel, at the Paseo del Prado street in Havana, Cuba, Tuesday, May 3, 2016. With the heart of the Cuban capital effectively privatized by an international corporation under the watchful eye of the Cuban state, the premiere of Chanel 2016/2017 "cruise" line offered a startling sight in a country officially dedicated to social equality and the rejection of material wealth. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa) People attend the presentation of fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld's "cruise" line for fashion house Chanel, at the Paseo del Prado street in Havana, Cuba, Tuesday, May 3, 2016. With the heart of the Cuban capital effectively privatized by an international corporation under the watchful eye of the Cuban state, the premiere of Chanel 2016/2017 "cruise" line offered a startling sight in a country officially dedicated to social equality and the rejection of material wealth. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa) Models wear creations from the Karl Lagerfeld "cruise" line for fashion house Chanel, at the Paseo del Prado street in Havana, Cuba, Tuesday, May 3, 2016. With the heart of the Cuban capital effectively privatized by an international corporation under the watchful eye of the Cuban state, the premiere of Chanel 2016/2017 "cruise" line offered a startling sight in a country officially dedicated to social equality and the rejection of material wealth. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa) U.S. Actor Vin Diesel gestures during the presentation of fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld's "cruise" line for fashion house Chanel, at the Paseo del Prado street in Havana, Cuba, Tuesday, May 3, 2016. With the heart of the Cuban capital effectively privatized by an international corporation under the watchful eye of the Cuban state, the premiere of Chanel 2016/2017 "cruise" line offered a startling sight in a country officially dedicated to social equality and the rejection of material wealth. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa) No end in sight to election mess in struggling Haiti PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) Senate leader Jocelerme Privert took office as Haiti's caretaker president with one real task: Quickly untangle a political stalemate blocking presidential and legislative runoff elections. Three months on, yet another voting date has fallen by the wayside as political infighting continues to snarl election efforts. Privert, meanwhile, seems increasingly comfortable as Haiti's leader, traveling through the capital in horn-blaring motorcades and recently attending a U.N. climate change meeting in New York. Welcome to Haiti's dysfunctional democracy, where few people think there will be voting anytime soon. FILE - In this Feb. 14, 2016, file photo, Haiti's provisional President Jocelerme Privert stands for the national anthem after delivering his speech at an installation ceremony, in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Haitian lawmakers chose Privert, the country's former Senate chief to lead a caretaker government to fill the void left by the departure of ex-President Michel Martelly. (AP Photo/Dieu Nalio Chery) Under the accord that helped put him in office, Privert was supposed to make way for a voter-approved president May 14 following a late April election. But his provisional administration got off to a sluggish start, and only recently appointed a commission to verify contested elections held last year that many Haitians believe were rigged to benefit Tet Kale, the party of previous President Michel Martelly. "We can't go to the polls without first restoring confidence in the process," said Privert, who now suggests holding presidential and legislative runoffs in October along with already scheduled balloting for a third of Senate seats. Lawmakers aligned with Tet Kale are demanding Privert's resignation, accusing him of putting up obstacles so he can hold onto power. The faction is stoking street protests as it opposes the verification panel, questioning its legality. The impasse is a reminder of the fragility of democracy in one of the poorest and most unequal countries in the world. Laurent Dubois, a Haiti historian at Duke University, said election postponements and declarations of fraud have been a consistent part of the nation's electoral process since the overthrow of dictator Jean-Claude Duvalier in 1986. They were also a part of the political process before that, including during the U.S. occupation of 1915-1934. "Much of what is going on today is not that different from earlier election cycles," said Dubois, author of "Haiti: The Aftershocks of History." In 2010, outgoing President Rene Preval was suspected of rigging the vote to elect his preferred successor, Jude Celestin, sparking violent clashes between Martelly's supporters and U.N. peacekeepers. Celestin was eventually eliminated from the two-candidate runoff under pressure from Washington, the Organization of American States and opposition protests. Martelly took office in May 2011. This time, No. 2 presidential finisher Celestin announced a boycott as he rejected first-round results that put the Martelly-backed Jovenel Moise in the front-runner spot. As local election observers decried the October election as a sham, Celestin's opposition alliance called for a transitional government to organize a "fair" vote. International monitors with the EU and OAS have said last year's election results appeared legitimate to them. The U.S. and other countries have been pressing Haiti to meet the deadlines of the last-minute deal for an interim administration negotiated by legislative leaders and Martelly less than 48 hours before he was to leave office. The February accord paved the way for Privert's 120-day government to oversee the runoff. Few voters expected a quick fix. "Haitian politicians refuse to compromise and will do anything to get power or keep it," said Patrice Zephyr, an electrician from downtown Port-au-Prince who voted for the first time in 2010 and was so disappointed with the result he doesn't expect to cast a ballot again. Worried by Haiti's partisan tensions, the OAS says it's critical that elections resume without repeating the issues or problems of the recent past. "The elections should be held as soon as possible but shouldn*t be rushed," Luis Almagro, secretary general of the organization, told The Associated Press. Frustration in Washington has grown. Last month, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry told a Miami television station that Haiti's "so-called leaders need to understand there's a clear limit to the patience, the willingness of the international community to condone this process of delay." In Haiti, though, there is deep resentment of anything that could be construed as outside meddling in the impoverished country, where foreign powers and NGOs have long held considerable sway. "No Haitian should accept the meddling of foreigners trying to dictate what we do in our election," the National Human Rights Defense Network and three other local groups said in a statement. Kenneth Merten, the U.S. State Department's special coordinator for Haiti, said the U.S. recognizes the vote is a Haitian process even though foreign powers are funding much of the cost. The U.S. has already spent $33 million on Haiti's suspended balloting. Rejecting accusations of meddling, Merten said the international community simply wants an elected government in place that reflects the voters' will rather than a president chosen by politicians. Merten described the newly launched verification process of last year's balloting as a sort of "black box" that risks being manipulated by political actors whose factions didn't make the cut last year. "It is a very opaque and you could argue non-democratic way of moving forward," he told the AP shortly before traveling to Haiti last week to discuss the stalled elections. Now there are new deadlines that Haiti may struggle to meet. The five-member verification commission installed last week has 30 days to finish gauging the legitimacy of the official results. Meanwhile, a revamped Provisional Electoral Council says it aims to publish a new election calendar later this month. Many Haitians have little faith in their country's democracy due to years of unmet promises and political infighting. But some, deeply proud of Haiti and serious about their duties as citizens, still want to vote. "If I get the chance, I will vote even though no government has ever brought improvements to this area," said Jean-Mary Daniel, a subsistence farmer struggling to grow beans and corn in isolated southeastern Haiti. ___ David McFadden on Twitter: www.twitter.com/dmcfadd FILE - In this Oct. 25, 2015, file photo, a voter looks for his name on a voters lists during elections in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Worried by Haitis partisan tensions, the OAS says its critical that elections resume without repeating the issues or problems of the recent past. (AP Photo/Ricardo Arduengo, File) FILE - In this Jan. 4, 2016, file photo, Presidential candidate Jovenel Moise, from the PHTK party, speaks during a press conference in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Allegations of electoral fraud surfaced after Martelly-backed Jovenel Moise ended in the front-runner spot. (AP Photo/Dieu Nalio Chery, File) In this April 28, 2016 photo, a man takes pictures from inside a taxi of a fake coffin that represents Provisional President Jocelerme Privert, with a sign that reads Creole "Privert resign or die" during a protest in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Although chosen as a provisional President, Privert seems increasingly comfortable as Haitis leader, traveling through the capital in horn-blaring motorcades and recently attending a U.N. climate change meeting in New York. ( AP Photo/Dieu Nalio Chery) Critics question mine exploration near Alaska eagle preserve ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) In early winter, after most tourists have fled Alaska, another kind of visitor flies in: bald eagles, up to 4,000 of them. In the world's largest congregation of bald eagles, they gather along the Chilkat River in southeast Alaska to feast on salmon carcasses washed downstream after spawning. Well after other rivers have frozen, the river remains open. Wildlife advocates are concerned that a possible mining project near a major tributary of the river could threaten the eagles. In this undated photo provided the American Bald Eagle Foundation, a bald eagle perches on a tree branch along the Chilkat River within the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve outside Haines, Alaska. The preserve is about 10 miles downstream from a copper and zinc prospect that could someday be developed into a hard rock mine. Critics say a spill from mining operations could harm salmon in the rivers of the preserve, where up to 4,000 eagles gather each winter to feed on the fish after they spawn. (Cheryl McRoberts/American Bald Eagle Foundation via AP) A Canadian company, backed by a Japanese metals firm, is spending millions to explore a copper and zinc deposit that might someday turn into a hard rock mine about 10 miles upriver of the preserve. "That just seems like a very foolish thing to do, to risk everything we have for a few years of economic development," said environmental activist Gershon Cohen, who lives in nearby Haines. Mine advocates say mining and wildlife can co-exist, noting that the state's strict mining regulations will require measures protecting salmon and eagles. But long before the specifics of a mine are designed, wildlife advocates question why a development with the potential for a deadly spill would ever be considered on a site close to salmon habitat that nourishes the eagles. Haines is a commercial fishing and tourism town of 2,500 with an asset missing in most other southeast Alaska towns: a highway that climbs through nearby mountains to connect to the continental road system. The highway and port are a huge draw for Vancouver, British Columbia-based Constantine Metal Resources Ltd., a company formed in 2006 to explore for copper, zinc, gold and silver in the project on five acres about 35 miles northwest of the city. "We have a promising project that's growing, that we've been investing in for a long time, but it requires more work," said Darwin Green, vice president of exploration, in a phone interview. Japan's Dowa Metals & Mining Co. in 2013 agreed to invest $22 million in what's being called the Palmer Project over four years in exchange for a 49 percent interest. The Bureau of Land Management is reviewing Constantine's application to build roads and expand exploration to 40 acres. But a decision on production is years off, Green said. "The question everyone wants to know 'When will it be a mine is one I can't answer," he said. The project ultimately could take the form of a medium-size underground mine, with high grade ore extracted and trucked to port, loaded on ships and moved to overseas smelters. Baseline information collected during exploration would shape mine design. But it's much too early, he said, to provide meaningful details about what processing would entail. "What we do know is that Alaska has incredibly stringent regulations and laws that are very protective of the environment we operate in," Green said. Cohen, a sponsor of the 2006 cruise ship ballot initiative that required the vessels to get state pollution discharge permits for wastewater, is frustrated by a system in which debate about a mine that could damage a world-class natural attraction does not begin until after millions of dollars have been spent. "If you wait until it's later in the process, then they turn that around and say, 'Where were you years ago when we first started this?'" he said. No matter what Constantine promises, he said, it ultimately is an exploration company. "Once they find a major mining company that wants to buy the prospect, they will have little to nothing to say about how the mine actually gets developed," he said. "It will be the major mining partner who will bring in their engineers and they will decide how the mine needs to be developed." The specifics of a future mine are not needed to know that it will produce millions of gallons of wastewater contaminated with heavy metals in a location prone to earthquakes and heavy rainfall, Cohen said. "There is a long history of dams for tailings ponds failing under these conditions," he said. Army says troops lost their way, went off cliff DENVER (AP) An Army vehicle took the wrong road in the dark and was making a U-turn when it tumbled 250 feet off a cliff at a Colorado training range last year, killing one soldier and injuring five, according to a newly released investigative report. The soldier who died had an unspecified medical condition at the time of the February 2015 crash at Fort Carson, and a physician assistant had recommended that he not go on the training exercise, investigators said. It wasn't clear from the report whether Staff Sgt. Justin Holt's condition was a factor in his death or in the crash of the Stryker fighting vehicle. He was the commander of the vehicle but wasn't driving, the report said. FILE - In this May 27, 2015 file photo, a Stryker armored vehicle leads a group of vehicles south on I-25 south in Colorado Springs, Colo. Investigators say an Army vehicle took the wrong road in the dark and was trying to make a U-turn when it tumbled 250 feet off a cliff at a Colorado training range in Feb. 2015, killing one soldier and injuring five. Investigators also said medical personnel had recommended that the soldier who died shouldnt go on the exercise because of an unspecified condition. But it wasnt clear if his condition was a factor in the 2015 crash of a Stryker fighting vehicle at Fort Carson. (Mark Reis/The Gazette via AP, File) MAGS OUT; MANDATORY CREDIT The Army provided the report to The Associated Press Monday, more than a year after the AP requested it under the Freedom of Information Act. Previously, the Army had released few details other than Holt's identity. Holt, of Bogata, Texas, had not been sleeping well because of shoulder pain, the report said, but investigators didn't say if that was related to his medical condition. He suffered multiple blunt force trauma to his head, chest and torso in the crash, investigators said. The report said an unidentified Army captain had allowed Holt to participate in the exercise against the advice of the physician assistant and a squadron commander. One of the survivors, Spec. Timothy Riney Jr. of Safety Harbor, Florida, suffered a severed spine and other injuries and is paralyzed from the chest down, said his father, Tim Riney Sr. The younger Riney was medically retired from the Army in February 2016, his father said Wednesday. The Army hasn't released the names of the other survivors, who also held the rank of specialist. The driver had a broken leg, and three soldiers suffered cuts and bruises. One survivor was wearing a seat belt but the others were not, the report said. One soldier told investigators Holt accidentally released his seat belt as the Stryker began to roll. Fort Carson spokesman Lt. Col. Jason Brown said Army regulations require soldiers to wear seat belts in Strykers and other tactical vehicles. Holt and his team were returning to a remote camp on the 219-square-mile post shortly before 9 p.m. on Feb. 6 after a training exercise had ended. A soldier in another Stryker alerted them that they had made a wrong turn, the report said. Holt told his driver to turn around. The driver told investigators he then began a left turn at about 5 to 10 mph when the Stryker drove off the cliff. The driver said the vehicle had white lights on, but it wasn't clear from the report if they were headlights. The Stryker rolled and tumbled down a steep, rocky slope studded with trees. Holt and the driver were ejected, the report said. Leaking fuel started a fire, but the survivors and rescuers put it out. It wasn't clear what action commanders took after the incident. Eight pages of findings and recommendations were redacted, as were sections on mistakes made. The Army initially said six soldiers were injured. Fort Carson spokeswoman Dani Johnson said Wednesday the sixth soldier was a rescuer who was hurt while helping at the scene. ___ Syria's volunteer sappers improvise mine-clearing methods BEIRUT (AP) Volunteers in opposition-held areas of Syria are forced to improvise as they carry out one of the world's most dangerous tasks: dismantling cluster munitions, land mines and explosive booby-traps as they work to make battle-torn areas safe for civilians to return. The result has been tragic. Booby-traps laid by the Islamic State group in the Kurdish-held town of Kobani, in northern Syria, have killed more than 20 volunteer sappers in 15 months, according to a senior regional official. In this Thursday, April 14, 2016 photo, a Syrian man pushes a trolley with his belongings to load them onto a bus with others leaving their home towns, near a crater in the town of Palmyra in the central Homs province, Syria. Volunteer sappers in opposition-held areas of Syria are improvising their approaches to one of the world's most dangerous tasks: dismantling cluster munitions, land mines and explosive booby-traps as they work to make battle-torn areas safe for civilians to return. The result has been tragic. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar) "They knew they were going to be martyred when they joined," said Ojalan Hisso, the deputy head of the Defense Administration for the Kobani Canton. The sappers were all regular fighters in the main Syrian Kurdish militia, the YPG, who volunteered to take a munitions-clearance course based on Internet videos and shared experience. But the death toll in the Kobani area was so high that the campaign there has been suspended, Hisso said. Still, the amateur demining effort continues in other parts of Syria, often with minimal training and no specialized equipment. Members of the Civil Defense demining teams in Aleppo province have developed their own methods, including burning explosives in primitive pits and detonating unexploded cluster munitions by shooting at them. "Most of the time, we are exploding them in batches," said Ibrahem Alhaj of the Aleppo Civil Defense team. "Or we bury them deep underground, away from non-residential areas." An estimated 5.1 million Syrians live in what the U.N.'s demining coordination body, UNMAS, calls "contaminated" areas, where unexploded ordnance poses a threat to life and limb. More than two million of them are children. Defusing or otherwise neutralizing unexploded ordnance is a perilous task for even the best-trained technicians, to say nothing of volunteers. The weapons have been used extensively by the Syrian government, the Russian Air Force, and the Islamic State group in civilian areas throughout much of the war, according to evidence gathered by Human Rights Watch and other watchdog agencies. The Syrian government has been able to rely on Russian military technicians to secure areas under their control, such as the ancient city of Palmyra, which pro-government forces retook from IS in March. Clips broadcast from Palmyra on Russian media showed the technicians, clad in specialized protective gear, moving methodically across minefields and booby-trapped neighborhoods, sweeping the ground with metal detectors and explosives-sniffing dogs. In contrast, hours-long amateur footage circulating on social media shows YPG volunteers in opposition-held areas prodding the ground with sticks, digging up bomblets with spades, and defusing them by hand. "It's ridiculously dangerous," said James Le Mesurier, the founder of Mayday Rescue, an Istanbul-based NGO that trains rescue workers in conflict environments. "They were doing it because they hadn't received training and equipment, and they didn't know any better." Ordnance clearance usually begins in earnest after the end of a conflict, Le Mesurier said, when it is safe enough for international teams to work in the environment. But the scale of the munitions threat in Syria, paired with the difficulty of sending teams into the indiscriminate conflict, has meant that locals are taking matters into their own hands. A video from the central province of Hama shows a man in civilian clothes and sandals layering some two dozen bomblets inside a deep pit in a field. He then places two tires and a sponge doused in oil on top of them fuel for a fire he'll light to detonate the munitions. "This is the only way to finish with cluster bombs," he solemnly explains. He lights a fuse at the edge of the pit, then sprints off screen. It takes a few minutes, but a fire eventually catches and deep red flames are seen rising out of the pit. Then a series of massive explosions blast dirt several meters (yards) into the air, jarring the cameraman who apparently thought he was standing a safe distance away. "God is great," he exclaims, as several more blasts follow meters away from where the sapper had been working possibly undiscovered munitions set off by the force of the first blast. In another clip, a man shows how to defuse a spherical cluster munition using a clamp and some household tools. After removing the detonator, he explains the bomb's mechanisms and points to the explosives. Other clips show how to safely harvest those explosives for use by weapons-starved rebel militias. These improvisational methods, while often effective, have led to many casualties. "Practically everyone who worked on this team and was martyred knew they were on the path to martyrdom," said Kobani-based activist Mustafa Bali of the sappers who died in his town. "But they feel compelled to work because there are people in camps who need to return ... There was no other choice." Still, with experience and innovation, the volunteers are gradually developing safer methods. Aleppo's Civil Defense teams, known as the White Helmets, are training civilians in opposition areas how to spot munitions and prevent children from playing with them. They mark off areas immediately after a cluster munitions strike to minimize post-strike casualties. Mayday Rescue, which shepherded the White Helmets into existence in 2013, has trained 25 Civil Defense volunteers in Idlib and Hama provinces on an innovative method to "melt" away explosives in the ground without detonating them, using thermite flares. "None of these guys that we're training ... used to be explosives engineers," said Le Mesurier. "These are ordinary guys in the streets." The volunteers were trained to train others, in the hope that the lessons will filter through to other Civil Defense teams in opposition areas. But if the experience of other post-conflict societies is any indication, it will take decades to rid Syria of its unexploded munitions. "The problem is vast, and it's going to take multiple generations to solve it," said Le Mesurier. In this still image made from video taken May 19, 2015 provided by the Syrian Center for Demining and Rehabilitation, a volunteer deminer collects several cluster munitions from the ground in Daraa, Syria. Volunteer sappers in opposition-held areas of Syria are improvising their approaches to one of the world's most dangerous tasks: dismantling cluster munitions, land mines and explosive booby-traps as they work to make battle-torn areas safe for civilians to return. The result has been tragic. (Syrian Center for Demining and Rehabilitation via AP) In this still image made from video taken Jan. 31, 2016 provided by the Civil Defence Force in Aleppo, Syrian volunteers take an unexploded ordnance out of the ground in Hayan, Aleppo. Volunteer sappers in opposition-held areas of Syria are improvising their approaches to one of the world's most dangerous tasks: dismantling cluster munitions, land mines and explosive booby-traps as they work to make battle-torn areas safe for civilians to return. The result has been tragic. (Civil Defence Force in Aleppo via AP) In this Thursday, April 14, 2016 photo, Smoke rises above a controlled land mine, which was detonated by Russian experts, in the ancient town of Palmyra in the central Homs province, Syria. Volunteer sappers in opposition-held areas of Syria are improvising their approaches to one of the world's most dangerous tasks: dismantling cluster munitions, land mines and explosive booby-traps as they work to make battle-torn areas safe for civilians to return. The result has been tragic. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar) In this Thursday, April 14, 2016 photo, smoke rises above a controlled land mine, which was detonated by Russian experts, in the ancient town of Palmyra in the central Homs province, Syria. Volunteer sappers in opposition-held areas of Syria are improvising their approaches to one of the world's most dangerous tasks: dismantling cluster munitions, land mines and explosive booby-traps as they work to make battle-torn areas safe for civilians to return. The result has been tragic. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar) In this Thursday, April 14, 2016 photo, smoke rises above a controlled land mine, which was detonated by Russian experts, in the ancient town of Palmyra in the central Homs province, Syria. Volunteer sappers in opposition-held areas of Syria are improvising their approaches to one of the world's most dangerous tasks: dismantling cluster munitions, land mines and explosive booby-traps as they work to make battle-torn areas safe for civilians to return. The result has been tragic. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar) In this Thursday, April 14, 2016 photo, smoke rises above a controlled land mine, which was detonated by Russian experts, in the ancient town of Palmyra in the central Homs province, Syria. Volunteer sappers in opposition-held areas of Syria are improvising their approaches to one of the world's most dangerous tasks: dismantling cluster munitions, land mines and explosive booby-traps as they work to make battle-torn areas safe for civilians to return. The result has been tragic. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar) In this still image made from video taken May 19, 2015 provided by the Syrian Center for Demining and Rehabilitation, a volunteer deminer collects several cluster munitions from the ground in Daraa, Syria. Volunteer sappers in opposition-held areas of Syria are improvising their approaches to one of the world's most dangerous tasks: dismantling cluster munitions, land mines and explosive booby-traps as they work to make battle-torn areas safe for civilians to return. The result has been tragic. (Syrian Center for Demining and Rehabilitation via AP) In this still image made from video taken May 19, 2015 provided by the Syrian Center for Demining and Rehabilitation, a volunteer deminer collects several cluster munitions from the ground in Daraa, Syria. Volunteer sappers in opposition-held areas of Syria are improvising their approaches to one of the world's most dangerous tasks: dismantling cluster munitions, land mines and explosive booby-traps as they work to make battle-torn areas safe for civilians to return. The result has been tragic. (Syrian Center for Demining and Rehabilitation via AP) Ky. bourbon trail offers a lesson for reviving racing's fans MIDWAY, Ky. (AP) Camera-toting visitors to the grounds at Three Chimneys Farm can get a glimpse of the pampered lives of thoroughbred stallions the star attractions that frolic in lush paddocks or relax in stately stalls when they aren't in the breeding shed. Some of the best-known farms in Kentucky's horse country are borrowing from another of the state's contributions to the good life bourbon whiskey distilleries in an effort to win new recruits to horse racing's aging and shrinking fan base. "I'd say they're living the good life," said farm worker Anna Hair, who recently led 15 tourists on a springtime tour of stone buildings and manicured lawns amid sprawling pastures. FILE - In this April 6, 2011 file photo, a tour group pauses in front of a statue of Seattle Slew during a tour of Three Chimneys Farm in Midway, Ky. Some of the best-known farms in Kentuckys scenic horse country are borrowing from another of the states contributions to the good life - Kentuckys bourbon whiskey distilleries - in an effort to win new recruits to an aging and shrinking fan base. Taking cues from the overwhelming success of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail, they hope to develop a thoroughbred trail with a more coordinated outreach to fans. (AP Photo/Ed Reinke, File) The farms are taking cues from the overwhelming success of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail, and hope to develop a thoroughbred trail that can connect with fans. Ahead of this weekend's Kentucky Derby, nearly 30 horse farms have teamed up to create the trail. Each member ponied up $10,000 to get the initiative started through Horse Country Inc., a Lexington-based, not-for-profit organization. People visiting farms are more likely to root for horses produced by those farms, said Brutus Clay, co-owner and president of Runnymede Farm near Paris, Kentucky. The goal is to keep those fans connected to the farms in an ongoing way through social media. "We actually might have the most potent tool to convert fans," Clay said. He was among the early supporters, known as the "mule team," who pushed for the project. Racehorses often spend just a fraction of their lives on the racetrack, and there's "a whole other story to tell" about the lives of stallions, mares, yearlings and foals, he said. "There's a certain amount of romance to it," he said. The tourism initiative gained a foothold after a sobering 2011 study commissioned by The Jockey Club that said horse racing was losing the battle for new bettors and fans. Without new growth strategies, the study predicted that thoroughbred racing's handle would decline by 25 percent in the next decade and the number of viable tracks would fall by 27 percent. Horse racing enthusiasts were older than fans of several other sports, the study said, and the average age of racing fans was projected to increase by 6 years by 2020. The initiative gained more momentum when a review by the Disney Institute paid for by a group of horse farms pointed to the untapped tourism potential of the Bluegrass region. That got the mule team thinking about another Kentucky staple bourbon. The Kentucky Bourbon Trail, featuring many of the industry's top-producing distilleries, had 762,009 visits in 2015, up 22 percent from the prior year's record pace, according to the Kentucky Distillers' Association. When combined with the Kentucky Bourbon Trail Craft Tour, featuring a collection of small distilleries, the two trails attracted nearly 900,000 visits last year. The bourbon tourism venture started in 1999 but didn't start hitting its stride until about a decade ago, said distillers' association President Eric Gregory. Gregory said he sees plenty of potential for a thoroughbred trail, but said building the brand of bourbon tourism "took a lot of hard work and time." There's plenty of star power at farms participating in the Horse Country initiative. Coolmore's Ashford Stud is home to Triple Crown winner American Pharoah. Kentucky Derby winners Animal Kingdom and Street Sense are at Darley's Jonabell Farm. Gainesway features leading sire Tapit. Claiborne was home to the great Secretariat, and fans still visit his grave. Stonestreet is home to former Horse of the Year Rachel Alexandra. Darby Dan was a filming location for the movie "Secretariat." Most participating horse farms were fully booked for Derby week tours, and some added tours or allowed larger tour groups to meet demand, said Anne Sabatino Hardy, executive director of Horse Country. Bringing visitors to working farms with spirited animals will be a balancing act, Clay said. During a recent tour at Runnymede, visitors looked at a picture of an ultrasound that a veterinarian had performed on a pregnant mare, Clay said. The veterinarian took time to explain the process and what the ultrasound showed. "We were able to observe in a respectful way that gave people an insight into what a working farm is like, while not severely compromising the operations of the farm," he said. At the recent Three Chimneys tour, the visitors clicked photos of Will Take Charge, a leading sire whose career included wins in the Travers and Pennsylvania Derby. The chestnut stallion stood calmly outside his stall. "He's a little bit of a ham," Hair said. Her one admonition was that visitors not try to pet the horses, but she framed it as a marketing tip. "It's not a great end of a tour when a horse mistakes a finger for a carrot," she said. FILE - In this April 6, 2011 file photo, a tour group stands along a fence to view Exchange Rate in a paddock at Three Chimneys Farm in Midway, Ky. Some of the best-known farms in Kentuckys scenic horse country are borrowing from another of the states contributions to the good life - Kentuckys bourbon whiskey distilleries - in an effort to win new recruits to an aging and shrinking fan base. Taking cues from the overwhelming success of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail, they hope to develop a thoroughbred trail with a more coordinated outreach to fans. (AP Photo/Ed Reinke, File) FILE - In this April 6, 2011 file photo, Point Given is taken outside to graze at Three Chimneys Farm in Midway, Ky. Some of the best-known farms in Kentuckys scenic horse country are borrowing from another of the states contributions to the good life - Kentuckys bourbon whiskey distilleries - in an effort to win new recruits to an aging and shrinking fan base. Taking cues from the overwhelming success of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail, they hope to develop a thoroughbred trail with a more coordinated outreach to fans. (AP Photo/Ed Reinke, File) Indonesian sulfur miners brave volcano, fumes, earn pennies KAWAH IJEN, Indonesia (AP) Stunning Mount Ijen in eastern Java draws tourists by day and hundreds of sulfur miners by night. They endure toxic fumes and backbreaking loads to earn pennies hauling out a substance used to bleach sugar and vulcanize rubber. Just after midnight, wearing headlamps to find their way through the darkness and volcanic smoke, the miners descend into the crater with shovels and crowbars, often without protective masks. They break up the mustard-yellow slabs of sulfur that are formed by planting pipes into the crater, forcing sulfuric gases to condense and then solidify. In this April 16, 2016 photo, a miner tries to balance his steps as he carries sulfur slabs on his shoulders up from the crater of Mount Ijen in Banyuwangi, East Java, Indonesia. Stunning Mount Ijen in east Java draws tourists by day and hundreds of sulfur miners by night. More than 9,000 feet above sea level, the men descend into the volcano's crater to dig out slabs of bright yellow sulfur, enduring toxic fumes and back-breaking loads to earn $10 a day delivering a substance used to bleach sugar and vulcanize rubber. (AP Photo/Binsar Bakkara) Bearing loads of up 70 kilograms (154 pounds), the men make an agonizing climb out of the crater and then a 3-kilometer (2-mile) journey down the mountain. They face deformities and shortened life spans working in a job that in other countries is mechanized because of the high dangers. Lethal gas explosions are an ever-present risk. "This is very hard work," said 42-year-old miner Suratna, who like many Indonesians uses only one name. "I barely make enough money to buy food for my family and for my children's education, but I still thank God for giving me something". The miners earn 1,000 rupiah (7 cents) for each kilogram, or about $10 a day if they make two trips up and down the smoldering 2,799-meter (9,183-foot) volcano. In this April 16, 2016 photo, a sulfur miner carries baskets full of sulfur slabs through volcanic smoke as he climbs up from the crater of Mount Ijen in Banyuwangi, East Java, Indonesia. Stunning Mount Ijen in east Java draws tourists by day and hundreds of sulfur miners by night. More than 9,000 feet above sea level, the men descend into the volcano's crater to dig out slabs of bright yellow sulfur, enduring toxic fumes and back-breaking loads to earn $10 a day delivering a substance used to bleach sugar and vulcanize rubber. (AP Photo/Binsar Bakkara) In this April 16, 2016 photo, a sulfur miner pauses as he works at the crater of Mount Ijen in Banyuwangi, East Java, Indonesia. Stunning Mount Ijen in east Java draws tourists by day and hundreds of sulfur miners by night. More than 9,000 feet above sea level, the men descend into the volcano's crater to dig out slabs of bright yellow sulfur, enduring toxic fumes and back-breaking loads to earn $10 a day delivering a substance used to bleach sugar and vulcanize rubber. (AP Photo/Binsar Bakkara) In this April 16, 2016 photo, volcanic smoke blankets a miner as he collects sulfur rocks he just dug up at the crater of Mount Ijen in Banyuwangi, East Java, Indonesia. Stunning Mount Ijen in east Java draws tourists by day and hundreds of sulfur miners by night. More than 9,000 feet above sea level, the men descend into the volcano's crater to dig out slabs of bright yellow sulfur, enduring toxic fumes and back-breaking loads to earn $10 a day delivering a substance used to bleach sugar and vulcanize rubber. (AP Photo/Binsar Bakkara) In this April 16, 2016 photo, miners dig out sulfur rocks at the crater of Mount Ijen in Banyuwangi, East Java, Indonesia. Stunning Mount Ijen draws tourists by day and hundreds of sulfur miners by night. They endure toxic fumes and back-breaking loads to earn pennies delivering a substance used to bleach sugar and vulcanize rubber. The miners earn about $10 a day if they make two trips up and down the smoldering 2,799 meter (9,183 foot) volcano. (AP Photo/Binsar Bakkara) In this April 16, 2016 photo, a miner digs out sulfur slabs at the crater of Mount Ijen in Banyuwangi, East Java, Indonesia. The workers started to work just after midnight in order to finish early in the morning to avoid having to work under the hot tropical sun. They endure toxic fumes and back-breaking loads to earn pennies delivering a substance used to bleach sugar and vulcanize rubber. (AP Photo/Binsar Bakkara) In this April 16, 2016 photo, Marzuki, a sulfur miner, carries baskets of sulfur as he climbs up from the crater of Mount Ijen in Banyuwangi, East Java, Indonesia. Stunning Mount Ijen in east Java draws tourists by day and hundreds of sulfur miners by night. More than 9,000 feet above sea level, the men descend into the volcano's crater to dig out slabs of bright yellow sulfur, enduring toxic fumes and back-breaking loads to earn $10 a day delivering a substance used to bleach sugar and vulcanize rubber. (AP Photo/Binsar Bakkara) In this April 16, 2016 photo, a miner pulls a cart fully loaded with sulfur slabs to a collecting point a few kilometers away at Mount Ijen in Banyuwangi, East Java, Indonesia. The miners earn 1,000 rupiah (7 cents) for each kilogram, or about $10 a day if they make two trips up and down the smoldering 2,799 meter (9,183 foot) volcano. (AP Photo/Binsar Bakkara) In this April 16, 2016 photo, a sulfur carries baskets full of sulfur slabs through volcanic smoke as he climbs up from the crater of Mount Ijen in Banyuwangi, East Java, Indonesia. The baskets could weigh up to 70 kilograms (154 lbs) which miners have to carry a few kilometers up and on a rocky terrain to a collecting point at the foot of the volcano. The miners earn 1,000 rupiah (7 cents) for each kilogram, or about $10 a day if they make two trips up and down the smoldering 2,799 meter (9,183 foot) volcano. (AP Photo/Binsar Bakkara) In this April 16, 2016 photo, a sulfur miner is dwarfed by giant volcanic rocks as he carries baskets full of sulfur slabs on his shoulders up from the crater of Mount Ijen in Banyuwangi, East Java, Indonesia. The baskets could weigh up to 70 kilograms (154 lbs) which miners have to carry a few kilometers up and on a rocky terrain to a collecting point at the foot of the volcano. The miners earn 1,000 rupiah (7 cents) for each kilogram, or about $10 a day if they make two trips up and down the smoldering 2,799 meter (9,183 foot) volcano. (AP Photo/Binsar Bakkara) Hillicans? As Trump wins, Clinton explores how to woo GOPers ATHENS, Ohio (AP) With Donald Trump's remaining rivals bowing out of the race, clearing his path to the nomination, Hillary Clinton is looking for ways to woo Republicans turned off by the brash billionaire. The Democratic front-runner's campaign believes Trump's historically high unfavorable ratings and penchant for controversy may be enough to persuade a slice of GOP voters to get behind her bid, in much the same way so-called Reagan Democrats sided with the Republican president in the 1980s. As Trump stood alone on Wednesday after Texas Sen. Ted Cruz and Ohio Gov. John Kasich ended their bids, there were some early signs that a sliver of the party might see Clinton as the only option. Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton listens during a campaign stop at Jackie O's Production Brewery and Tap Room in Athens, Ohio, Tuesday, May 3, 2016. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya) "I'm with her," tweeted Mark Salter, a top campaign aide to 2008 Republican nominee John McCain. Democrats caution their effort to win over Clinton Republicans or Hilla-cans is in its earliest stages, but could grow to include ads and other outreach targeted in particular at suburban women in battleground states. Already, aides say, a number of Republicans have privately told Clinton and her team they plan to break party ranks and support her. "Let's get on the American team," Clinton said, making an explicit appeal to independents and Republicans, in an interview with CNN on Wednesday. Hoping to hasten any move to her side, her campaign on Wednesday released a list of Republicans vowing never to vote for Trump along with a web ad featuring clips of prominent GOPers, including his former rivals, bashing the New York billionaire in every possibly way. "He needs therapy," says former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, at the end of the spot. While such bipartisan support would expand Clinton's base of potential voters, a series of high-profile endorsements from Republican officials could dampen enthusiasm among some in her own party. For months, primary rival Bernie Sanders has criticized Clinton's record from the left, highlighting her 2002 vote in favor of the war in Iraq and support from Wall Street. The Vermont senator won the Indiana primary Tuesday, demonstrating her lingering weaknesses within her own party. Trump's campaign has also made a conscious effort to target Independents and Democrats in the primary. He's said he expects to win a portion of Sanders' support thanks to their shared positions on trade and outsourcing. "We have tremendous numbers of Democrats that have voted for me," he said, in a Tuesday morning interview on MSNBC. "Hundreds and hundreds of people were coming in that were registered Democrats that wanted to vote for Donald Trump." Clinton has begun casting her candidacy as an effort to unify a divided country. After a series of victories last week, which all but ensured she will capture her party's nomination, Clinton called on Democrats, independents and what she called "thoughtful Republicans" to back her bid.vs But even though a vocal segment of the Republican Party has denounced Trump, so far few have been willing to go as far as saying they would back Clinton in the fall. Ben Howe, a Republican strategist who has worked for Cruz, said he'd be actively working against Trump a decision he recognizes means backing Clinton. "Anything right now that would allow Donald Trump to become president is the wrong move, so the de facto result is that Hillary would win," he said. Endorsements from prominent GOP backers could potentially pave the way for Republican voters to back Clinton, particularly woman. "Educated, suburban white women are turned off en masse and there will be more of that," Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown, a Clinton backer, said of Trump. "In the Columbus suburbs, she's going to do very well." A February poll of likely Republican voters commissioned by a Democratic firm led by Stan Greenberg, a former pollster for former President Bill Clinton, found that 20 percent of Republicans are "uncertain" whether they would back Trump or Clinton in a head-to-head match-up. There is some irony in Clinton playing the role of a unifier: She's long been one of the most divisive figures in American politics. For some voters, that leaves them feeling like they have few good options. Amy Bishop, 42, a stay-at-home mom from Indianola, Iowa, said she wasn't sure how she would vote. She said she would "most likely" go for Clinton over Trump, but stressed that she wasn't "100 percent." "I don't feel like she's honest and upfront," said the self-identified independent. Of Trump, she said, "I think he's very reactive." Tracey Kingery, a Republican from Des Moines, Iowa, said she, too, was unsure about how to vote. "I think he seriously would go half-cocked on everything. He's a little too hot-headed for me," she said. But, said the 47-year-old, "there's been too much negative stuff about her." ___ Lucey reported from Indianola, Iowa. ___ Follow Lisa Lerer and Catherine Lucey on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/llerer and http://twitter.com/catherine_lucey Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton greets audience members during a campaign stop at Jackie O's Production Brewery and Tap Room in Athens, Ohio, Tuesday, May 3, 2016. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya) Washington Post CAIR Cover-Up Fails Readers | Main | U.S. Pro-Tehran Lobby Meets Putins Propaganda Machine May 04, 2016 Salon.coms Ben Norton Smears Israel, Again Steven Van Zandt of Bruce Springsteens E Street Band had been a vocal activist against South African apartheid and he does not support the anti-Israel boycott, divest, sanction (BDS) movement. Some fans called him out on this supposed contradiction so Van Zandt took to his Twitter account to express his pro-Israel opinions. Ben Norton of Salon.com, whose shoddy reporting on Israel is a frequent topic on CAMERA, covered Van Zandts comments in a virulently anti-Israel article headlined, Steven Van Zandts Israel gaffe: Musician gets basic facts wrong in Twitter rant. It is apartheid South African activists agree?. Unfortunately for Ben Norton, simply insisting that something is,? does not make it fact, and the facts prove that Israel is not apartheid South Africa. Norton's article proposes to right the erroneous statements the musician made, but does so with an inaccurate, ahistorical version of Israeli history and no acknowledgement of Palestinian antisemitic violence and terrorism. Norton states "Palestinians have lived under illegal military occupation for almost 50 years, and Palestinian citizens of Israel face more than 50 Israeli laws that directly or indirectly discriminate against them 'in all areas of life,' according to Israeli human rights organization Adalah.? In fact, Israels occupation? in the West Bank is not illegal under international law. That is a claim journalists often make but it is refuted by many international legal scholars (and often exposed by CAMERA for example, here in response to the New York Times and here, regarding another Salon.com article). CAMERA has also unmasked the fallacies riddling Adalahs list of Israels allegedly discriminatory laws,? which include, for example, the ridiculous citation of the 1949 Flag and Emblem Law that put the Star of David on the Israeli flag. Adalah claims that the presence of the Jewish Star of David on the national flag is discriminatory to other religions, even while the cross is depicted on the flags of countries across Europe and the Islamic crescent appears on many national flags around the world. Van Zandt tweets that The problems there have existed for a thousand years and you want the solution in 140 characters?? How does Norton rebut this? By parroting Palestinian talking points: In 1917, the British colonial regimes Balfour Declaration pledged the land of Palestine to the Jewish people, without consideration of the people who already lived there. From 1947 to 1948, Zionist militias waged a war of independence from the British, forming the state of Israel. In this war, Zionist militias ethnically cleansed the Palestinians, forcibly expelling roughly two-thirds of the population, as renowned Israeli historian Ilan Pappe documented in his book The Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine.? Today, the more than 5 million Palestinian refugees registered with the U.N. do not have the right to return to their home. One of the core demands of the BDS movement is the right to return. The claim that Zionist militias ethnically cleansed the Palestinians? trusts in the entirely unreliable research of Ilan Pappe, who is known for making up quotes to support his charges. Additionally, Nortons statement that One of the core demands of the BDS movement is the right to return? does not acknowledge that Palestinian return is meant to cause the destruction of a Jewish state. Norton also misrepresents the entirety of the Palestinian refugee issue, failing to include important context. Norton's description of the creation of the Jewish State of Israel suggests the destruction of an established national Palestinian people who had lived in the land for centuries. This is patently untrue. As others have done in their reporting of Israel, Norton also completely ignores the deep and long history of a Jewish presence in Israel, as well as the necessary context of antisemitic violence. Refuting comparisons of Israel to South African apartheid does not amount to a ludicrous "Twitter rant.? The facts prove that Israeli society, which is marked by Arab doctors, lawyers, judges, and academics working alongside Jews and Christians, is nothing like racist, apartheid South Africa. Norton quotes an Israeli activist who preposterously states that "Tel Aviv is a modern day Sun City," comparing the Israeli city known for its beaches, Gay Pride parade, and thriving cultural scene that welcomes racial diversity to the segregated South African metropolis of wealth whose only residents were white. Ben Norton, not Steven Van Zandt, is the one who has made the Israel gaffe." --Rachel Frommer, CAMERA Intern Posted by SC at May 4, 2016 04:56 PM Why does Norton not mention the 850,000 Jews that were Expelled by Middle Eastern Arab Muslim nations in 1948?? Posted by: Michael Palmer at May 5, 2016 11:07 PM I have a masters degree in public international law and in international criminal law from Leiden University in the Netherlands. The one thing that rankles me every time I hear it is that "illegal" trope. Everyone is so anxious to claim that what Israel does is "illegal"; excessive force in its defense, security measures and most commonly it's "illegal occupation" of the "Palestinian territories". Other than the "Wall" decision of the International Court of Justice (the "ICJ") which refers to the "Occupied Palestinian Territories" without having litigated the issue, there has never been a finding by any legitimate international body that Israel occupies anything! Saying it is so does not make it so, no matter how often it is repeated. Posted by: Ian at May 6, 2016 10:03 AM Guidelines for posting This is a moderated blog. We will not post comments that include racism, bigotry, threats, or factually inaccurate material. Post a comment Georgia governor's vetoes on guns, faith bucked his GOP base ATLANTA (AP) When Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal recently vetoed bills allowing guns on college campuses and shielding religious people who deny people services based on their faith, he was directly bucking his fellow Republican lawmakers, who overwhelmingly supported the proposals, and possibly losing points with his conservative political base. Why would he do such a thing? The answer may lie at least partly in term limits and corporate persuasion, observers say. Deal never needs to win over the Republican base again. Georgia's Constitution limits governors to two consecutive terms, and Deal, 73, plans to retire at the end of his second and final term. Charles Bullock, a political science professor at the University of Georgia, said the term limits, coupled with the outpour of opposition on both issues, likely factored into the governor's decision to veto the bills. While conservative lawmakers spoke loudly, the sound of Georgia's economic powerhouses may have been louder in Deal's ear. The state's business community and economic giants including Apple, the Walt Disney Co. and the NFL campaigned against the religious bill -- which many viewed as a slam at gay marriage -- and warned it would jeopardize Georgia's economy. In his veto announcement, which came five days after a North Carolina law curtailing LGBT rights provoked a political firestorm there, Deal focused on legal precedent and creating a "welcoming state." His entire gubernatorial career has been staked on Georgia's business reputation. Meanwhile, Bullock noted that the so-called "campus carry" bill has been kicked around the legislature for years, failing to make it as far as the governor's desk until now. He said this suggests it could be lobbying interests, and not the strong beliefs of the legislators that helped the bill pass this time around. "I believe that some of the legislators that voted for it wouldn't feel that strongly about it," Bullock said. "It's not something they would necessarily go to the wall for." So the political cost of Deal's veto might not be overwhelming. His veto contrasted with Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam, who allowed a bill permitting colleges' faculty and staff to carry handguns to become law without his signature Monday. Richard Pacelle, head of the Department of Political Science at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, said Deal likely faced more pressure for a veto than Haslam, due to Georgia's diversity compared to Tennessee. "Georgia is a state that many people think will be purple in the near future, whereas Tennessee will likely stay red," Pacelle said. Deal initially didn't object to the "campus carry" bill. But after lawmakers approved it over protests from the powerful Board of Regents, which governs the state university system, and all 29 campuses' presidents, he asked legislators to exempt on-campus day cares and other spaces. Legislative leaders rejected the suggestion, a direct challenge to Deal's authority with more than two years remaining in his term. Eric Tanenblatt, who served as chief of staff to former Republican Gov. Sonny Perdue, said he doesn't think any legislator should have been surprised by Deal's two high-profile vetoes. The governor spoke publicly about his concerns, but the legislature didn't respond, Tanenblatt said. "The governor needed to follow through on his word," Tanenblatt said. "I think he's sending a signal to the legislature: 'This is what I said was important, and I hope you take me seriously.'" Rep. Rick Jasperse, a Republican from Jasper, sponsored the gun bill. He said he thinks Deal's reputation with conservative lawmakers will take a hit, but they plan to move forward working with the governor. "The way I look at it, this is a great civics lesson," Jasperse said. "With the legislature, I'm out here listening to the people then the governor gets to do what he wants. Does he lose credibility? I think maybe a little, but I feel we still have to work with the governor." House Speaker David Ralston, who staunchly supported the campus carry bill, said, "We're a big party and sometimes we respectfully disagree." But, he said, the campus carry issue isn't going away. "Obviously we know we have a disagreement on this, but that's an issue I'm not going to quit fighting for to protect the rights of Georgians under the Second Amendment." John Watson, who also served as a chief of staff to Perdue, said governors have to evaluate the long-term effect of any bill along with lawmakers' wishes and potential response. In this case, Watson expects Deal to preserve a good working relationship with House and Senate leaders. Trump's open path to nomination causes agony for some in GOP WASHINGTON (AP) Donald Trump's last Republican foe, Ohio Gov. John Kasich, ended his quixotic presidential campaign Wednesday, cementing Trump's remarkable triumph as his party's presumptive nominee and launching him toward a likely fall battle with Hillary Clinton. Some Republican leaders began reluctantly rallying around Trump, but others agonized over their party's future. The billionaire businessman vowed to unite the splintered GOP, even as he was bitingly dismissive of members who have been critical of his campaign. "Those people can go away and maybe come back in eight years after we served two terms," he said on NBC's "Today" Show. "Honestly, there are some people I really don't want." Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump is joined by his wife Melania, right, and daughter Ivanka, left, as he arrives for a primary night news conference, Tuesday, May 3, 2016, in New York. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer) Trump's challenge in uniting Republicans was abundantly clear Wednesday. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell issued a frosty statement saying he had committed to backing the GOP nominee and noting Trump's "obligation" to bring the party together. And in a remarkable move, the last two Republicans to occupy the Oval Office President George H.W. Bush and President George W. Bush made clear they would not be helping Trump win the White House. Clinton, in her first remarks since Trump's new status was crystalized, said she was more than prepared to handle the kind of deeply personal attacks that helped defeat Trump's Republican rivals. "To me, this is the classic case of a blustering, bullying guy," the all-but-certain Democratic nominee told CNN. The long and chaotic Republican primary came to an abrupt end after Trump's decisive victory Tuesday in Indiana. His win pushed Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, his closest rival, out of the race, with Kasich following on Wednesday. "The people of our country changed me," Kasich said during an emotional speech announcing the end of his campaign. "They changed me with the stories of their lives." Trump's takeover of the GOP marks one of the most stunning political feats in modern political history. A first-time candidate, he eschewed traditional fundraising and relied more on his own star power than television advertising to draw attention. He flouted political decorum with controversial statements about women and minorities, leaving some Republicans convinced he won't be able to cobble together the diverse coalition needed to win the general election. "It's his party between now and November, but I don't think it's going to be his party after November," said Peter Wehner, a former adviser to President George W. Bush. Wehner is among the Republicans vowing to never vote for Trump, even if that means essentially handing Clinton the presidency. Bob Vander Plaats, an influential evangelical leader who backed Cruz, withheld his support for Trump Wednesday, saying the real estate mogul needs to prove his conservative credentials with his vice presidential pick and more information about what kind of judges he would appoint. "It's kind of a wait-and-see moment with Mr. Trump," he said. Vander Plaats and a handful of other Republicans are clinging to the hope that an alternative option might yet emerge. Operatives have floated former Texas Gov. Rick Perry, Nebraska Sen. Ben Sasse and former Oklahoma Sen. Tom Coburn as possible candidates for a third-party or independent bid. But that is a long shot at best, with filing deadlines for getting on state ballots fast approaching. There was notable silence from House Speaker Paul Ryan, who has spoken critically of Trump. Aides to both Ryan and McConnell said the Republican leaders had not spoken with Trump since his Indiana victory. A spokesman for George W. Bush said the former president "does not plan to participate in or comment on the presidential campaign." And a spokesman for Bush's father said simply, "At age 91, President Bush is retired from politics." Still, several GOP governors and senators said they would support Trump, according to a survey by The Associated Press. "Our first and foremost goal is to elect a conservative, pro-business, strong on national defense, a man who will stand behind our freedoms and our rights, and that person is Donald Trump," Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin said. "It is not Hillary Clinton." Clinton has yet to shake Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, the democratic socialist who has energized young people and liberals with his calls for sweeping government-run health care and education programs. Still, Clinton has 93 percent of the delegates she needs to clinch the Democratic nomination and now is focusing her attention on Trump. "He is a loose cannon and loose cannons tend to misfire," Clinton said Wednesday. Both Clinton and Trump head into the general election with historically high unfavorable ratings. But Clinton is generally popular within her own party, particularly with women and minority voters who are crucial to winning general election battleground states like Florida, Colorado and Nevada. Some Republicans fear Trump's poor standing with those voters will not only cost the party the White House for a third straight term but the GOP's Senate majority as well. Some Republican senators in tough races struggled Wednesday to position themselves in a party with Trump at the helm. One, New Hampshire Sen. Kelly Ayotte, said that while she would support him in the election, she would not endorse his candidacy. Trump turned quickly to the general election, saying he's planning to work with the Republican National Committee to fundraise, a departure from his largely self-funded primary campaign. "We're going to try over $1 billion, which is what's going to be necessary," he told NBC. He also said he was starting to vet potential running mates. He later said he could consider Kasich, predicting the Ohio governor would be helpful this fall in any role given his state's significance in the general election. ___ Associated Press writers Bill Barrow, Lisa Lerer, Stephen Ohlemacher, Laurie Kellman and Julie Bykowicz contributed to this report from Washington. ___ Follow Julie Pace and Steve Peoples at http://twitter.com/jpaceDC and Steve Peoples at http://twitter.com/ Republican presidential candidate Ohio Gov. John Kasich pauses as he speaks at The Franklin Park Conservatory & Botanical Gardens, Wednesday, May 4, 2016, in Columbus. Ohio. Kasich announced the end of his White House bid. (AP Photo/John Minchillo) Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton addresses the Asian Pacific American Institute for Congressional Studies (APAICS) reception in Washington, Wednesday, May 4, 2016. (AP Photo/Cliff Owen) Democratic presidential candidate, Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., speaks during a campaign rally Tuesday, May 3, 2016, in Louisville, Ky. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel) Detroit teachers ending 2-day sick-out, fighting legislation DETROIT (AP) Detroit schools reopened Wednesday after teachers who had called out sick for two days received assurances from the financially struggling district that they would continue to be paid. But while the teachers are returning to work, their union is sparring with lawmakers over a $500 million plan to restructure the district. House lawmakers met late Wednesday night to work on the plan, which is supposed to deal with the district's debt and assuage teachers' fears that they won't be paid if the district runs out of money. Majority Republicans were trying to muster enough votes to pass it without Democrats' support. House Minority Leader Tim Greimel said Democrats' opposition to the measure is "unanimous." Teachers rally outside the school district's headquarters, Tuesday, May 3, 2016,m in Detroit. Nearly all of Detroit's public schools were closed for a second consecutive day Tuesday after hundreds of teachers called out sick over concerns that many may not get paid if the financially struggling district runs out of money. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio) The teachers union blasted the legislation that would also forbid existing labor agreements from transferring to the new district and restrict collective bargaining over work schedules and school calendars. Terrence Martin, executive vice president of the Detroit Federation of Teachers, said teachers are "truly outraged" by the proposal. He said the measures heading to the full House "feel like and look like anti-teacher bills" and differ radically from legislation approved in March by the Senate that he described as "workable." "(It's) very discouraging to our membership," Martin said. "We'll continue to fight." The union said it would encourage members to go back to school Wednesday based on discussions with the district's state-appointed transitional manager, Steven Rhodes. He said in a statement that teachers "are legally entitled to be paid in full" for their work. The sick-out idled 45,000 children and presented yet another crisis with racial overtones for a governor and Legislature already engrossed in the water emergency in Flint, a majority-black city like Detroit, where many residents have complained about being treated like second-class citizens. "Teachers, you're going to get paid," Republican House Appropriations Committee Chairman Al Pscholka said before the panel approved the plan. The proposal that passed mostly along party lines would launch a new district in July. Students would attend school in that district, while the old one would remain intact for tax-collection purposes to retire the district's enormous debt by 2023. The seven-bill plan aims to ensure the newly created district could spend more on academics if freed of debt payments equaling $1,100 per student. The full GOP-led House could vote on the idea later this week. But big differences would still need to be resolved with the Republican-led Senate, which passed a $700-plus million plan. It was unclear how quickly that could occur before the Legislature adjourns for the summer in mid-June. On Tuesday, the district closed 94 of its 97 schools, the same number that canceled classes on Monday, when more than 1,500 teachers did not show up for work. On Wednesday morning, the district said all schools were open except for one that was closed due to a power outage. "We want to be in school teaching children," said Randi Weingarten, national president of the American Federation of Teachers. "But you cannot in good conscience ask anybody to work without a guarantee they're going to be paid." The district considered the worst academically of its size in the country has been under continuous state oversight since 2009. It has been led by a series of financial managers who have confronted debt and enrollment that has declined to a third of what it was a decade ago. Rhodes, the current manager and a former federal judge who oversaw the city's bankruptcy, warned over the weekend that nearly $50 million in emergency spending that the state approved in March will run out by June 30. Teachers opting to have their pay spread over 12 months instead of the course of the school year would not receive paychecks in July and August without more help from the state. ___ Associated Press writers Jeff Karoub and Ed White in Detroit, and Michael Gerstein in Lansing contributed to this report. Eggert reported from Lansing. Detroit Federation of Teachers President Ivy Bailey addresses teachers outside the school district's headquarters, Tuesday, May 3, 2016, in Detroit. Nearly all of Detroit's public schools were closed for a second consecutive day Tuesday after hundreds of teachers called out sick over concerns that many may not get paid if the financially struggling district runs out of money. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio) Coalition vows to build up further against Islamic State STUTTGART, Germany (AP) An international coalition leading the military campaign against the Islamic State in Syria and Iraq agreed Wednesday to accelerate their contributions but did not publicly specify what those would be. The group also called on Iraqi leaders to reconcile political differences. A day after a U.S. Navy SEAL was killed in small arms fire with IS forces, U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter said that as the war intensifies, "these risks will continue." Carter identified the SEAL as Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Charles Keating, whose family had confirmed his death on Tuesday. Carter said he regretted the loss but stressed that combat risks in Iraq are unavoidable. U.S. Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter delivers a statement to the press following the meeting of the alliance of Defense Ministers in the fight against the terrorist organization Islamic State (IS) in Stuttgart, Germany, Wednesday, May 4, 2016. (Christoph Schmidt/dpa via AP) "Our overall approach is to enable local forces to do the fighting ... but that doesn't mean we aren't going to do any fighting at all," Carter said. "We are putting these people are risk every day," including the aircrews who are flying strike missions daily over Iraq and Syria, "and, tragically, losses will occur," he added. Other U.S. officials, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss details not yet publicly released, said that Keating, 31, and his SEAL advisory team were moving between Kurdish Peshmerga units when they got caught in a firefight with Islamic State forces that had created a breach in Peshmerga lines. Other U.S. officials said Keating was in a group of SEALs who were coming to the aid of a second U.S. military adviser group pinned down by IS fire at or near a Peshmerga command post. Carter and his counterparts from 11 coalition countries met behind closed doors at the headquarters of U.S. European Command, where Carter was presiding at a change-of-command ceremony Tuesday when news of Keating's death reached him. In a joint statement issued after the meeting, the group reaffirmed its support "to further accelerate and reinforce the success of our partners on the ground and for the deployment of additional enabling capabilities in the near term." "We called on all of Iraq's political leaders to commit themselves to the legal and peaceful reconciliation of political differences in order to confront the nation's challenges and to remain united against the common enemy," they said. The statement was not specific about what additional contributions would be offered, beyond citing resources to support the Iraqi military campaign and "various forms" of help to a civilian effort to stabilize and reconstruct areas of Anbar province devastated by war damage. The meeting was a follow-up to a similar session Carter led in Brussels in mid-February. "While we have gathered momentum since our ministerial in Brussels, this fight is far from over," Carter said in an opening statement. "That point was brought into stark relief by yesterday's attack on Peshmerga forces in northern Iraq, which unfortunately claimed the life of an American service member." The Peshmerga are Kurdish militia who have generally fought more effectively against the Islamic State in northern Iraq than the regular Iraqi security forces. The U.S. has been training, equipping and advising Pershmerga forces as well as Iraqi security forces, and the Pentagon recently pledged up to $415 million in aid to the Kurds. Carter expressed condolences Keating's death, which is the third U.S. combat death in Iraq since U.S. forces returned there in mid-2014 to help the Iraqi government regain the wide swaths of territory captured by the Islamic State. Wednesday's session in Stuttgart was the latest in a series with partners on strategies for increasing assistance to the Iraqis, including the Kurdish Peshmerga forces, as they seek to recapture the northern Islamic State stronghold of Mosul. This comes as a political crisis in Baghdad clouds the outlook for further military advances against the militants. Carter has placed a high priority on drawing coalition members more deeply into the counter-IS campaign, stressing the threat posed by allowing the extremists to spread their influence. "We must do this," Carter told the opening session. "It's important for civilization that we do this. We can do this. We're going to. With your help, it'll go faster." The Stuttgart session was attended by senior defense officials from Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain and Britain. Norway was also invited and was expected to attend. Complaint details kidnapping death of girl on Navajo nation SHIPROCK, N.M. (AP) On the far side of a desert hilltop in the shadow of the Shiprock Pinnacle, a towering monolith sacred to the Navajo Nation, the stranger ignored the cries of an 11-year-old girl. Hours had passed since the man had talked the girl and her brother into his van by promising to show them a movie. She begged to be taken home, but he led her away from her 9-year-old brother, to an even more remote spot, where he removed her clothes and sexually assaulted her. Then he hit her twice in the head with a tire iron and left her for dead before driving off and leaving the boy as well, all alone, as night fell. This photo provided by San Juan County, N.M. Detention Center shows Tom Begaye of Waterflow, N.M. Begaye was arrested in connection with 11-year-old Ashlynne Mike's disappearance and death. The FBI said Mike, was abducted after school on Monday, May 2, 2016 and her body was found the next day. (San Juan County, N.M. Detention Center via AP) These and other details about the final moments of Ashlynne Mike's life began to emerge Wednesday from court documents and family members, as the suspect, Tom Begaye, a 27-year-old Navajo man from a neighboring community, appeared before a federal magistrate on murder and kidnapping charges. A criminal complaint released Wednesday outlined the crime based on statements Begaye made to investigators after he was arrested. Begaye was quiet as he faced the victim's family and other tribal members in court. Outside, they yelled "bastard" and "go to hell" as he was led away. The crime has sent shockwaves through the small tribal communities that line the San Juan River in New Mexico's northwest corner. The grief that overwhelmed searchers when they found the girl's body Tuesday, the morning after she disappeared, shifted Wednesday to anger, and to disbelief that one of their own could commit such a heinous crime. Sher Brown knows both the victim and the suspect. Begaye regularly joined one of her brothers at sweat lodge ceremonies and church meetings on the Navajo Nation. It was inside a sweat lodge, where Navajo men traditionally participate in spiritual cleansing, that an FBI agent and tribal investigators found Begaye on Tuesday night. His vehicle was parked outside, matching the boy's description of a maroon van with no hubcaps. The girl's brother later identified Begaye as the driver of the van. "How can a man of that nature who did what he did go into a sweat lodge after?" Brown said through tears. Begaye was silent as the magistrate told him he could face life in prison if convicted of the murder charge. A public defender will represent him, but one has yet to be appointed. He will remain in federal custody. A preliminary hearing is scheduled Friday in Albuquerque. There was no immediate indication of a criminal history an Associated Press review of state and federal records shows only one previous run-in, a drug possession citation less than three weeks ago. San Juan County sheriff's deputies had stopped Begaye at a gas station in Farmington hours before he was arrested Tuesday after spotting a maroon van driven by an American Indian man, but they didn't detain him because the vehicle and Begaye didn't completely fit the descriptors, sheriff's Lt. Kyle Lincoln said. Authorities had said the kidnapper had a teardrop tattoo under his left eye and two earrings, but Begaye had neither. The case raises questions about law enforcement responses in remote areas of the Navajo Nation. The tribe doesn't have its own Amber Alert system, so it must rely on outside agencies to spread the word about child abductions. "If they would have put out an Amber Alert right way I believe they might have saved her life," said Rick Nez, the president of the Navajo's San Juan Chapter. According to the criminal complaint, Ashlynne Mike and her 9-year-old brother were playing Monday with their cousin near a road about a quarter-mile from their home after being dropped off at their bus stop after school, when Begaye offered them a ride. Not wanting his sister to go alone, her brother jumped in too. Their cousin refused, as did the victim's older sister, moments earlier. "My son said he just waved," said Shawn Mike, Ashlynne's cousin and the father of the boy who stayed behind. "He said the vehicle just sped off, and as it was driving off he just saw Ashlynne waving toward him." Ashlynne was bloodied but still moving when Begaye told investigators he left her hours later. Her brother, also abandoned, tried to find her but gave up as darkness fell. He ran for help, toward some distant headlights, and was finally scooped up by a passing motorist who brought him to police. Word spread quickly, and tips flooded in from across the reservation that spans parts of New Mexico, Arizona and Utah. About 100 people from the community joined the search, but their initial hunt focused on the opposite side of a highway from where they needed to be looking. It wasn't until 2:30 a.m. Tuesday that officials sent out an Amber Alert. Protocols were followed, but Navajo President Russell Begaye no relation to the suspect acknowledged Wednesday that the tribe "needs to implement an effective response system in which modern technology is utilized more effectively." Hundreds of residents packed the San Juan Chapter House, a tiny community hall south of Shiprock, while hundreds more stood outside the building Tuesday night, sharing their grief with Ashlynne's family. Her father sat silently as the girl's principal remembered her as a kind child who was a part of the school band, and local leaders offered condolences. "As a dad, you would like to see your daughter grow up and see her have a family of her own one day. And unfortunately, Ashlynne won't experience any of this," Shawn Mike said. ___ Fonseca reported from Flagstaff, Arizona. Susan Montoya Bryan contributed to this report from Albuquerque, N.M. This undated photo provided by the New Mexico State Police shows Ashlynne Mike. The air and ground search for the abducted Navajo girl ended tragically Tuesday, May 3, 2016, when authorities found the 11-year-old dead near the towering rock formation that gives the New Mexico town of Shiprock its name. Ashlynne Mike was kidnapped from the Navajo Nation, FBI spokesman Frank Fisher said. (New Mexico State Police via AP) This Tuesday, May 3, 2016 photo community members comfort one another, during a vigil for Ashlynne Mike at the San Juan Chapter House in Lower Fruitland, N.M. The FBI said Ashlynne Mike, was abducted after school on Monday and her body was found the next day. Tom Begaye was arrested in connection with Mike's disappearance and death. (Jon Austria/The Daily Times via AP) MANDATORY CREDIT Two vehicles are seen in the distance near the area where Ashlynne Mike's body was discovered, in south of Shiprock, N.M., on Tuesday, May 3, 2016. Police gleaned some information about the suspect from the younger brother of Ashlynne, whose body was found Tuesday near the distinct rock formation that the rural town of Shiprock, is named for. Authorities are poring over parts of the Navajo Nation in search of the man who snatched the children and killed Ashlynne. (Jon Austria/The Daily Times via AP) MANDATORY CREDIT Family and friends gather along Navajo Route 13, just a few miles from where Ashlynne Mike's body was discovered, in south of Shiprock, N.M., on Tuesday, May 3, 2016. Police gleaned some information about the suspect from the younger brother of Ashlynne, whose body was found Tuesday near a distinct rock formation that the rural town of Shiprock, N.M., is named for. Authorities are poring over parts of the Navajo Nation in search of the man who snatched the children and killed Ashlynne. (Jon Austria/The Daily Times via AP) MANDATORY CREDIT An access road to the Shiprock pinnacle is taped off along Navajo Route 13, just a few miles from where Ashlynne Mike's body was discovered, in south of Shiprock, N.M., on Tuesday, May 3, 2016. Police gleaned some information about the suspect from the younger brother of Ashlynne, whose body was found Tuesday near the distinct rock formation that the rural town of Shiprock, is named for. Authorities are poring over parts of the Navajo Nation in search of the man who snatched the children and killed Ashlynne. (Jon Austria/The Daily Times via AP) MANDATORY CREDIT The 13 mile marker is posted off Navajo Route 36 near the San Juan Chapter, N.M., on Tuesday, May 3, 2016. An 11-year-old girl and her brother were abducted on Monday, May 2, 2016, near this mile marker off Navajo Route 36 near the San Juan Chapter, N.M., according to authorities. (Jon Austria/The Daily Times via AP) MANDATORY CREDIT This Tuesday, May 4, 2016 photo Klandre Willie, left, and her mother, Jaycelyn Blackie, participate in a candlelight vigil, for Ashlynne Mike at the San Juan Chapter House in Lower Fruitland, N.M. The FBI said Mike, was abducted after school on Monday and her body was found the next day. Tom Begaye was arrested in connection with Mike's disappearance and death. (Jon Austria/The Daily Times via AP) MANDATORY CREDIT San Juan Chapter President Rick Nez, second from right, walks out of the Farmington Municipal Court building on Wednesday, May 4, 2016 after an initial court hearing for Tom Begaye, who has been accused of abducting and killing 11-year-old Ashlynne Mike. He faces murder and kidnapping charges. (Jon Austria/The Daily Times via AP) MANDATORY CREDIT Independent Algerian paper faces closure threat ALGIERS, Algeria (AP) Independent Algerian newspaper El Khabar is facing likely closure after the government cracked down on its ad revenue and challenged its pending sale in court. The newspaper has been critical of the government, notably its handling of the gas-dependent economy. The advertising agency for state companies banned ads in Arabic language El Khabar in 2014, at the request of the communications minister. Ads by state-run companies make up the vast majority of ad revenues for Algeria's press, and Algerian authorities in the past have used this as a tactic to silence critics. FILE - This Jan.8 2011 file photo showsfood industry magnate Issad Rebrab, owner of the Khabar media group, in Algiers. Independent-minded Algerian newspaper Al Khabar is facing likely closure Wednesday May 4, 2016, after the government cracked down on its advertising and challenged its pending sale in commercial court.The papers income plunged, so it sold a majority stake to Rebrab. (AP Photo) El Khabar's income plunged after the government move, so it sold a majority stake to food industry magnate Issad Rebrab. The Communications Ministry alleged the deal was illegal for technical reasons. An Algiers commercial court held a hearing Wednesday on whether to invalidate the sale, but delayed a decision until May 11. Rebrab told The Associated Press that the legal action is "a power play against independent press in Algeria." Southeast European business forum draws global investors SARAJEVO, Bosnia-Herzegovina (AP) The countries of southeastern Europe are aiming to attract more investment from international business executives gathered at a conference in Sarajevo. The annual event, which opened Wednesday, this year has gathered investors from 30 countries, including China, India, Malaysia, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and others. First held in 2010, the Sarajevo Business Forum has positioned itself as one of the most important investment events for southeastern Europe. The Latest: 16 Syrians detained in Albania BRUSSELS (AP) The Latest on Europe's response to the wave of migration from the Middle East and elsewhere (all times local): 9:05 p.m. Albanian police say they have detained 16 Syrians who had entered the country illegally. Czech Republic's foreign minister Lubomir Zaoralek talks to EU commissioner for european neighbourhood policy Johannes Hahn during a meeting of Visegrad 4 foreign ministers with their counterparts from six post-Soviet republics in Prague, Czech Republic, Wednesday, May 4, 2016. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek) A police statement Wednesday said the group that included nine children had come from the Idomeni shelter in Greece, taken a taxi and then walked 16 kilometers (9.9 miles) before entering Albania. They were discovered by border police in the district of Devoll, near the Greek border. Police said the group had aimed to cross into Serbia in order to reach Germany. Police said they will be kept at a shelter until their health situation is good, after which they are expected to be returned to Greece. Albania hasn't been part of the transit route for migrants through Europe so far. Tirana has said it doesn't have the capacity to shelter refugees, but will accept a number of them if Europe decides to distribute them between countries under a coordinated plan. ___ 4:05 p.m. Italian Premier Matteo Renzi has called Austria's measures to reinforce its borders against a possible influx of migrants "a pure propaganda exercise." Renzi told the lower house of Parliament on Wednesday that the Brenner Pass connecting Italy and Austria "is a symbol of friendship and dialogue, and the closure is little more than a provocation that concerns the Austrian electoral campaign." Austria has announced plans to increase monitoring of the Brenner Pass crossing, including a series of highway checkpoints, out of concern that the closure of the Balkans migrant route will increase migrant traffic through Italy. Austria has plans to erect a border fence in the event numbers increase. Renzi said the moves "play with fear, and when you play with the past you risk reinforcing those who are good at agitating the specters of the past." ___ 3:50 p.m. Britain's government has bowed to pressure and agreed to take in unaccompanied children from Syria who have made their way to Europe. Prime Minister David Cameron's office said Wednesday that children who registered in Greece, Italy or France before March 20 will be eligible to come to the U.K. It didn't specify how many Britain would accept. Britain has already agreed to resettle up to 3,000 vulnerable child refugees by 2020, as well as 20,000 Syrians from Middle Eastern refugee camps. But the government had argued that accepting children already in Europe would encourage others to make the dangerous journey. Labour peer Alf Dubs, who came to Britain on the 1930s "kindertransports" of Jewish children from Nazi-occupied Europe, led a campaign to get Cameron's Conservative government to change its mind. ___ 3:30 p.m. Four Central European countries have condemned a proposal by the European Commission suggesting that EU countries which refuse to accept refugees should face fines. Czech Foreign Minister Lubomir Zaoralek says the proposal is an unpleasant surprise because it goes back to the principle of mandatory quotas his country together with Hungary, Poland and Slovakia strictly refuse. According to the proposal, countries could face fines of 250,000 euros ($285,000) for each asylum-seeker rejected. Polish Foreign Minister Witold Waszczykowski says he is "wondering if it is a serious proposal," while Hungary's Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto says it's "simply blackmailing" and "unacceptable." Slovak Deputy Foreign Minister Lukas Parizek says his country would only agree to accept refugees on a voluntary basis. The four whose countries form an informal group known as the Visegrad four spoke at a news conference in Prague on Wednesday. The countries also said Turkey must meet all requirements before their citizens could be allowed to travel to Europe without visas. ___ 2:45 p.m. Turkey has hailed the European Union executive Commission's recommendation to grant Turkish citizens the right to travel to Europe without visas as "a new page" in relations. Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said Wednesday's announcement brings Turkish citizens closer than ever to visa-free travel to Europe. He says Turkey would continue to work to meet the remaining benchmarks before June when EU lawmaker and member states are due to endorse the visa waiver for Turkish citizens traveling for short vacations and business trips. Cavusoglu said: "We are pleased of the point we have reached... We will continue to fulfil our obligations in a sincere way." The foreign minister said the recommendation amounts to the EU's fulfilling a long-delayed promise to Turkey. "The decision taken today is not just a turning point for visa-free travel, it is also a new page in relations with the European Union," Cavusoglu said. ___ 1:20 p.m. The European Commission has proposed that Germany, Austria, Sweden, Denmark and Norway be allowed to keep border controls in place for six months more to help manage the flow of migrants. The EU's executive arm said Wednesday that it had made the proposal because Greece still isn't able to properly manage its border with Turkey, which prompted the five to reintroduce ID checks. More than 1 million people arrived in Europe last year seeking sanctuary or jobs. Many entered Greece from Turkey but made their way north looking to stay in Austria, Germany and Scandinavian nations. Those countries tightened border controls to cope with the arrivals but Germany, which was hardest hit by asylum-seeker numbers, can only legally keep controls in place until May 13. ___ 1:15 p.m. The European Commission has recommended that Turkish citizens be allowed to travel to Europe without visas on short vacations and business trips. The EU's executive arm said Wednesday that Turkey has met most of the 72 criteria needed for a visa waiver, and it invited member states and EU lawmakers to endorse the move by June 30. European Commission Vice-President Frans Timmermans said "there is still work to be done as a matter of urgency but if Turkey sustains the progress made, they can meet the remaining benchmarks." Turkey must fulfill the final five criteria before the visa waiver is approved. The move is part of a package of incentives offered to Turkey including up to 6 billion euros ($6.8 billion) in aid for Syrian refugees and fast-track EU membership talks to persuade Ankara to stop migrants heading to Europe and take thousands back from Greece. ___ 11 a.m. Protesters have scuffled with police trying to evacuate migrants camped out in an empty Paris high school. Nearly 300 migrants from Sudan, Eritrea and a few from Syria had been living in the school in recent weeks, according to Paris police chief Michel Cadot. City authorities ordered it evacuated, and police arrived around dawn to clear them out. Cadot told reporters that police used tear gas to clear protesters who had blocked the entrance to the Jean Jaures school in northeast Paris. Some masked protesters threw projectiles. The demonstrators included members of a nationwide protest movement against labor reforms. Cadot said the migrants were being relocated to shelters and encouraged to apply for asylum. French authorities have routinely cleared out migrants camping in public places in recent months. ___ 10:55 a.m. European Union countries that refuse to accept refugees under proposals to overhaul the EU's failed asylum laws could face large fines for each asylum seeker rejected. One document seen by The Associated Press shows that the fines dubbed a "solidarity contribution" could total 250,000 euros ($287,300) for each asylum seeker a country turns down. Officials said the total could still change ahead of the final decision expected later Wednesday. The penalties are part of a European Commission plan to be made public Wednesday to more evenly share the burden of hosting hundreds of thousands of people fleeing conflict and violence in places like Syria, with the current asylum system on the verge of collapse. The plan still has to be accepted by a large majority of member countries around two-thirds under the bloc's qualified majority system and EU lawmakers. The fine will prove controversial as some countries already vehemently oppose the current EU scheme to share 160,000 refugees in Greece and Italy. Hungary has even moved to hold a referendum on the issue. Ministers and deputies pose for a family photo during a meeting of Visegrad 4 foreign ministers with their counterparts from six post-Soviet republics in Prague, Czech Republic, Wednesday, May 4, 2016. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek) Britain's Prime Minister David Cameron, right, speaks flanked by Britain's Conservative party candidate for Mayor of London Zac Goldsmith, left and current Mayor of London Boris Johnson during an mayoral election campaign rally with supporters at a school in Ham, a suburb in south west London, Tuesday, May 3, 2016. The Mayor of London election takes place on Thursday. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham) Aded Rahim, left, and Mohammed Aziz, both from Syria, stand by a fire at at the northern Greek border point of Idomeni, Greece, Wednesday, May 4, 2016. European Union countries that refuse to accept refugees under proposals to overhaul the EU's failed asylum laws could face large fines for each asylum seeker rejected. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia) Refugees from Syria holds placards during a demonstration in the northern Greek border point of Idomeni, Greece, Wednesday, May 4, 2016. European Union countries that refuse to accept refugees under proposals to overhaul the EU's failed asylum laws could face large fines for each asylum seeker rejected. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia) Greek police in riot gear stand near refugees and migrants at the northern Greek border point of Idomeni, Greece, Tuesday, May 3, 2016. Germany and some other EU countries are planning to ask the European Commission for an extension of border controls within the Schengen passport-free travel zone for another six months because they fear a new wave of migrants. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia) Egypt's journalists warn of strike if minister stays CAIRO (AP) Hundreds of Egyptian journalists rallied in Cairo on Wednesday in an escalating standoff with police, threatening a possible strike by media workers if demands including the dismissal of the interior minister are not met. On the steps outside their union headquarters, they chanted "Journalism is not a crime" while demanding Interior Minister Magdy Abdel-Ghaffar's departure following a police raid on the premises and the arrest of two journalists. The protests are the latest in a series of demonstrations against the government of President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi, which has banned virtually all protests and carried out a wide-ranging crackdown on dissent. Egyptian American journalist Ahmed Bakr shows his identification card as he and others are blocked from entering a protest near the Press Syndicate in Cairo, Egypt, Wednesday, May 4, 2016. Egyptian riot police cordoned off the headquarters of the journalists' union and limited access to the building Wednesday in an escalating standoff following a raid on the premises and the arrest of two journalists. (AP Photo/Brian Rohan) The government's decision to transfer two Red Sea islands to Saudi Arabia last month brought protesters into the streets on two occasions, marking the largest show of public defiance of el-Sissi since he was elected in 2014. Police severely restricted access to the site, banning non-union members from entry, as well as some residents and people who came on work errands to the surrounding area. Foreign journalists were allowed entry only after approval by several levels of officers, up to the rank of general. At one point, several dozen journalists pushed through a barrier and entered the area, causing a brief moment of chaos. Several held up their union cards, saying that the police would not let them enter despite their membership. "There are thugs here threatening us, and the police don't want us to enter for the meeting because they know we'll condemn the Interior Ministry," said journalist Ahmed Bakr, who was allowed into the building's street eventually. The union, which held a general assembly, demanded the release of all detained journalists as well as a presidential apology by Tuesday, saying in a statement that reporters were considering a strike if the demands were not met. Earlier statements read out at the building suggested a strike would be automatic. In the meantime, it decided to print a logo reading "no to media gag order" on newspapers. If its demands are not met, the union plans to boycott all statements coming from the ministry. Several dozen counterdemonstrators and el-Sissi supporters showed up at either end of the blocked-off street, blasting patriotic songs, chanting "Long live Egypt" and insulting union members, who responded by calling the police "thugs." Former presidential candidate Hamdeen Sabahi, whose own party offices were surrounded by police last month, called for the dismissal of the interior minister and an apology from the state. "Those who made this mistake should be held accountable," he said from the syndicate's steps. "We are here to keep the dignity of our union, and show support and unity against what happened." Since the ouster of Egypt's Islamist President Mohammed Morsi in 2013, the government of army chief-turned-president el-Sissi has clamped down on political demonstrations, mainly by Islamist opponents demanding Morsi's return. Hundreds of protesters have been killed and thousands detained over the past three years, and a draconian anti-protest law has virtually banned all street demonstrations without prior police permission. On Wednesday, the privately owned al-Maqaal daily carried a cartoon depicting riot police beating up a young man holding up a newspaper as a shield while blaming el-Sissi for unleashing police violence. The two journalists were arrested on Sunday over allegations they called for anti-government protests in response to the decision to transfer the Red Sea islands. Egypt's prosecutor general has since defended the raid and imposed a media gag order on the investigation. Similar blockades at the union headquarters have been imposed intermittently since April 25, when security forces largely quashed demonstrations against the transfer of the two islands. "We are here today to defend journalism," said Yahia Kalash, the head of journalists' union, who was at the rally on Wednesday. "We are defending the rights and the dignity of journalists." ___ Associated Press writers Maggie Michael and Brian Rohan contributed to this report. Dear Editor: Washington Post coverage (for example, For first-time lobbyists, a day of small victories,? April 20) continues to omit the history of a questionable source repeatedly cited: the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR). The Post uncritically calls the organization one of the countrys largest Muslim advocacy groups.? But it fails note that CAIR was an unindicted co-conspirator in the largest terrorism funding case in U.S. history, the Holy Land Foundation trial. At least five former staff or lay leaders from CAIR have been indicted, arrested or deported on weapons or terrorism-related charges. The Post quotes CAIRs executive director, Nihad Awad, but omits his history of extremist statements. In 1994, Awad said I am in support of Hamas?a U.S.-designated terrorist group. In a March 1998 article in the Georgetown Voice, Awad trafficked in antisemitic conspiracy mongering claiming that U.S. foreign policy was driven in part by the Jewish origin of many Clinton administration officials.? In June 1996, CAIR signed an open letter to then-Secretary of State Warren Christopher calling for the immediate release from a U.S. jail of Mousa Abu Marzooka Hamas leader. It is perhaps for these reasons that Steve Pomerantz, the former counterterrorism chief of the FBI, has written, Any objective assessment of the materialleads to the conclusion that CAIR, its leaders, and its activities effectively give aid to international terrorist groups.? The chronic failure by The Post to fully identify CAIR and its history misleads readers. Sincerely, Sean Durns The writer is media assistant for the Washington D.C. office of CAMERA, the 65,000-member, Boston-based Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting in America Updated May 4, 2016: In his May 4, 2016 article "'It could get a lot worse for Muslims in America,'" The Washington Post's Dana Milbank relied on CAIR as a source for alleged hate-crime statistics. Milbank wrote that the rise of presidential candidate Donald Trump "has coincided with a rise in the number of anti-Muslim incidents to the highest level the Council on American-Islamic Relations has ever found." However, as CAMERA noted in its special report on the organization, "critics have charged that the council has shown a tendency to embellish statistics about hate crimes" against Muslims. For example, an examination by scholar Daniel Pipes showed that "an earlier CAIR hate crimes report in 2005...discovered that 'of twenty "anti-Muslim hate crimes" in 2004 that CAIR describes, at least six are invalid." In keeping with apparent Post practice, this didn't keep Milbank from relying on, and failing to identify, CAIR. Updated May 12, 2016: The Washington Post continues to cover for CAIR. Reporter Susan Svrluga used the organization as a source for an article on the Citadel, a U.S. military academy in South Carolina, refusing to allow a Muslim student to wear a hijab. The Citadel's president, Lt. Gen. John Rosa said that no exceptions could be made to the school's uniform. CAIR spokesman Ibrahim Hooper was quoted throughout the article. Hooper claimed that not granting religious accommodation amounted to a bar on any practicing Muslim. CAIR's history was omitted by The Post. However, the article did quote Asra Nomani, co-founder of the Muslim Reform Movement. Nomani said, "The headscarf is not a requirement in Islam. It is a requirement of an interpretation of a fundamentalist, puritanical, political Islam that is sold by cleric in countries like Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Iran." Of course, that is precisely the kind of Islam that CAIR advocates for. Readers would know, if The Post identified its source. Updated May 19, 2016 In an article on Ashraf Nubani ("Terrorism cases don't deter him," May 18, 2016), an attorney who represents clients accused of terrorism, The Post called one of his clients, Randall "Ismail" Royer, "an activist with the Council on American-Islamic Relations." As CAMERA has noted in its Special Report, Royer was more than just an "activist." He was an employee of the organization. Nonetheless, this mention, almost in passing, of Royer's CAIR association, is a rarity for The Post. Vigil held for New Jersey student killed at frat house NEWARK, N.J. (AP) A vigil has been held for a New Jersey Institute of Technology student shot to death during a burglary at a fraternity house near the school. Joseph Micalizzi was killed early Monday at the Tau Kappa Epsilon house. People formed a ring at the Newark campus Tuesday night, lighting candles in Micalizzi's memory and sharing memories they had with him. Tau Kappa Epsilon members of New Jersey Institute of Technology and other students pay tribute to student Joseph Micalizzi, who was killed Monday morning, during a vigil in Newark, N.J., Tuesday, May 3, 2016. Gov. Chris Christie said he was shocked by the shooting death of the student killed during a burglary at the fraternity house near the school. (Marko Georgiev/The Record of Bergen County via AP) MANDATORY CREDIT The Freehold man had been a member of the fraternity and a mechanical engineering major. He was in his second year at NJIT after transferring from Brookdale Community College in Monmouth County. The university says it plans to ramp up patrols and distribute information on safety resources, including campus police escorts. The Latest: Sen. McConnell calls on Trump to unite party WASHINGTON (AP) The Latest on the 2016 presidential campaign (all times EDT): 7:55 p.m. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell says Donald Trump, as the Republican Party's presumptive presidential nominee, has the "opportunity and the obligation" to unite the GOP. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump is joined by his daughter Ivanka, left, and son Eric, background left, as he speaks during a primary night news conference, Tuesday, May 3, 2016, in New York. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer) In a statement, McConnell says he committed to supporting the nominee chosen by Republican voters and noted that Trump is on the verge of clinching that nomination. But McConnell's statement was hardly a full-throated endorsement. The Kentucky Republican says his party is committed to "restoring economic and national security" and preventing what he characterized as a "third term of Barack Obama" if Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton wins the White House. He says Trump now must unite the party around "our goals." __ 7:30 p.m. Donald Trump is sticking with two of his most controversial policy proposals now that he has become the Republican Party's presumptive presidential nominee. Trump tells NBC's Lester Holt that he stands by his plan to temporary bar foreign Muslims from entering the country if he's elected president because of the dangers of extremism. He says, "We have to be vigilant." Trump is also standing by his plan to deport all of the estimated 11 million people living in the country illegally. He says, "Yes, they're going to be deported." He wants to put a system in place that would allow some to return. __ 6:26 p.m. Hillary Clinton is taking nothing for granted as California's mega-primary approaches, reaching out to Hispanic and black voters in the hope of waging a final knockout against rival Bernie Sanders. Clinton's visit to the Golden State Thursday coincides with Cinco de Mayo, the annual celebration of Mexican culture and heritage. She also plans to rally supporters in the gymnasium of a community college that serves heavily Hispanic cities on the edge of Los Angeles. The event will carry symbolic value. The venue, East Los Angeles College, isn't far from another local school where Clinton kicked off her successful 2008 presidential primary run, and later, went on to beat then-Sen. Barack Obama in the state's Democratic primary. ___ 6:20 p.m. Donald Trump says he's setting up a vice presidential vetting committee "very soon" that could include some of his former running mates. In an interview with CNN's Wolf Blitzer Wednesday, Trump said that he has yet to begin to seriously consider his potential running mates. He says he may put Ben Carson and Chris Christie on the committee. ___ 5:43 p.m. Donald Trump is revealing some possible Cabinet picks if he's elected president. In an interview with Fox News's "The O'Reilly Factor," the presumptive GOP nominee says he'd consider naming former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani secretary of homeland security, Gov. Chris Christie attorney general and Dr. Ben Carson secretary of health and human services. He says he has not made final decisions, "but certainly they would three very wise choices." Trump also said Carson is not interested in being his running mate. ___ 5:30 p.m. Hillary Clinton is wooing Asian-Americans voters, saying she looks forward to the fast-growing voting bloc be part of her administration. The Democratic front-runner says there is "a place for" the community in her campaign. "I want you to be part of not only winning a campaign but more importantly really governing our country," she says in Washington on Wednesday. Clinton spoke at a conference hosted by an advocacy organization representing Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islanders. ___ 5:25 p.m. A spokesman for George W. Bush says the former president does "not plan to participate in or comment on" the 2016 presidential race. The spokesman, Freddy Ford, was responding to an inquiry from The Associated Press about whether Bush planned to support Donald Trump now that the businessman is the presumptive Republican nominee. While Bush has largely stayed out of politics since leaving the White House, his refusal to publicly support his party's nominee is remarkable. It underscores the deep frustration within some corners of the GOP over Trump's candidacy. The former president helped raise money for his brother Jeb Bush's failed primary campaign. He also headlined a rally for his brother in South Carolina where he implicitly criticized Trump for inflaming Americans' anger and frustration. ___ 5:24p.m. South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley says she's "flattered" but "not interested" in being vice president. But Haley, who had endorsed former presidential candidate Marco Rubio, said she will "support the Republican nominee for president" out of her "great respect for the will of the people." She did not mention presumptive nominee Donald Trump's name in a short statement. Haley has frequently been mentioned as an appealing candidate for the GOP nominee. But she's crossed swords with Trump who won the South Carolina primary over immigration and other issues. ___ 5:23 p.m. Ohio Gov. John Kasich (KAY'-sik) is acknowledging that his message "wasn't a great sound byte" and he is suspending his campaign for president. The two-year Ohio governor and former congressman was visibly emotional Wednesday as he thanked his family, campaign staff and supporters without ever saying directly what would happen to his campaign. Kasich had perpetually trailed even as the crowded GOP field narrowed. But Kasich was insisting ? even as recently as after Texas Sen. Ted Cruz' departure from the race Tuesday night ? that he would remain in the race until New York billionaire Donald Trump definitely secured the 1,237 delegates necessary to clinch the GOP nomination. He thanked his wife, twin daughters, campaign staff and armies of volunteers. Kasich said of his staff, "Nobody has ever done more with less in the history of politics. ___ 3:00 p.m. With Donald Trump seizing the GOP mantle, Hillary Clinton says she's running on her plans for the country's future not simply to stop the billionaire New Yorker. She also says she's not worried about fending off the kind of deeply personal attacks that took out Trump's GOP rivals. "This, to me, is a classic case of a blustering, bullying guy," she tells CNN in an interview. Clinton says Trump has yet to detail his policies and has divided the country with a campaign that is "insulting people." "He has played all sides of the political area. That's his choice and he can explain it. I've been very specific," she says. Clinton also is urging Republicans and independents to join her "on the American team," against Trump. ___ 2:47 p.m. Donald Trump says he's willing to consider Ohio Gov. John Kasich as a running mate. He tells CNN that he would "be interested in vetting John," but adds that even as governor, Kasich would be "helpful" with swinging Ohio into Trump's column on Election Day. Trump says he has a good relationship with Kasich, the billionaire's last remaining Republican rival for the GOP presidential nomination. Kasich is expected to quit the race later Wednesday, according to three campaign officials who spoke to The Associated Press anonymously because they're not authorized to discuss the matter. ___ 2:20 p.m. The Rolling Stones have asked presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump to stop playing their songs at his campaign events. In a statement Wednesday, the rock band said they have not given permission to the Trump campaign to use their songs and "have requested that they cease all use immediately." A Trump campaign spokeswoman didn't immediately respond to a request for comment. Trump, an avid music fan, has featured Rolling Stones songs at his rallies for months as part of a diverse soundtrack that includes Elton John, opera and classic rock songs. The Rolling Stones' 1969 classic "You Can't Always Get What You Want" was a popular song choice for his events. ___ 2:10 p.m. Hillary Clinton is now 93 percent of the way to clinching the Democratic nomination. She lost Indiana on Tuesday, but split enough of the delegates with Bernie Sanders to move closer to the 2,383 delegates needed to win. For the night, Sanders picked up 44 delegates while Clinton gained 38. One Indiana delegate remains to be allocated, pending final vote tallies. That means in primaries and caucuses to date, Clinton has 1,683 to Sanders' 1,362. When including superdelegates, or party officials who can back any candidate, Clinton's lead is much bigger. She now has a total of 2,205 delegates, or 93 percent of the number needed to win, according to the AP count. Sanders has 1,401. Just 178 delegates short, Clinton remains on track to clinch the nomination by early June. ___ 1:35 p.m. Make it a clean sweep for Donald Trump in Indiana. The brash billionaire and presumptive GOP presidential nominee has won all 57 delegates at stake in Tuesday's primary. He now has 85 percent of the delegates needed to win the Republican nomination for president. And with all of his rivals gone from the race, he should have no problem collecting the other 15 percent. The AP delegate count: Trump: 1,053. Ted Cruz: 565. John Kasich: 153. Needed to win: 1,237. ___ 12:51 p.m. Bob Vander Plaats, an influential evangelical leader who backed Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, says it's "premature" to make a decision on whether he'll throw his support behind Donald Trump. Vander Plaats says he could never support Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton in the general election. But he says he needs to know who Trump will name as his running mate and what kind of judges he would appoint before he can make a decision on backing the presumptive GOP nominee. The Iowa-based Vander Plaats says that if Trump's answers on those fronts aren't sufficient, he'll "look for another option" in the fall campaign. He specifically left open the possibility of backing a third-party candidate. Vander Plaats says it's a "wait-and-see moment with Mr. Trump." ___ 12:42 p.m. Seasoned Republican operative Ed Rollins is making his debut in Donald Trump's presidential bid. Rollins, who was Ronald Reagan's 1984 campaign manager, spoke on a conference call Wednesday with supporters of Great America, a super PAC that backs Trump. Rollins has signed on as a strategist for the group. Rollins says the super PAC aims to help offset what he sees as a huge financial advantage for likely Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton. "They're licking their chops," Rollins says of Clinton's team. "They think they're going to win this thing." Great America will likely conduct polls, collect opposition research and run television ads in the lead-up to Election Day, Rollins says. First, though, the group must raise money: As of the end of March, it was almost $700,000 in debt, fundraising documents show. Ben Carson, a prominent Trump ally, also spoke on the call - a signal that the billionaire businessman is more accepting of outside help from groups that during the primary contest he had called "corrupt." ___ 12:10 p.m. John Kasich plans to end his bid for the Republican presidential nomination, making Donald Trump the presumptive Republican nominee. Three campaign officials who spoke to The Associated Press said the Ohio governor plans to announce his decision in a statement from his home state later Wednesday. The officials spoke anonymously because they are not authorized to disclose Kasich's decision. Kasich's decision to suspend his campaign comes after he failed to convert a win in his home state primary into momentum in the chaotic GOP campaign. The move comes a day after one of his only remaining rivals, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, announced that he was suspending his campaign. ___ 11:40 a.m. John Kasich has cancelled a press conference in Virginia and plans to make a statement from Columbus, a day after one of his last remaining rivals, Ted Cruz, ended his campaign. Kasich's campaign is not providing details about what the Ohio governor plans to say in his statement later Tuesday, or on why he canceled his Virginia event. Kasich is facing increasing pressure to drop out of the race to clear the path for front-runner Donald Trump to win the nomination. Kasich had planned fundraisers in the Washington, D.C., area Wednesday. He had planned to address reporters at Dulles Airport but his campaign says he is no longer going there. ___ 11:35 a.m. One of the more vulnerable Senate Republicans New Hampshire Sen. Kelly Ayotte will support likely Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, but won't endorse him. Liz Johnson, a spokeswoman for the senator, said in a statement Wednesday that Ayotte "plans to support the nominee" with no mention of Trump's name. Ayotte is locked in a tight race with New Hampshire Democratic Gov. Maggie Hassan. Johnson said that Ayotte, who is a candidate, "hasn't and isn't planning to endorse anyone this cycle." Republicans hold a 54-46 advantage in the Senate, but with more GOP seats on the ballot in November, they are fighting to hold onto their majority. ___ 10:35 a.m. One of Ted Cruz's staunchest financial backers is signaling support for Donald Trump now that he is the presumptive Republican nominee. Mica Mosbacher writes in an email to The Associated Press that she is calling "on fellow conservatives to unite and support our new nominee Trump." Mosbacher was a key part of Cruz's finance team. She is the widow of Bob Mosbacher, a Houston oilman who served as President George H.W. Bush's Secretary of Commerce. She says she supported her senator, Cruz, because she saw him as giving voice to the American people. Trump, she says, "also listened to the people." Cruz abruptly quit the race after Trump won a resounding victory over him in Indiana Tuesday night. ___ 7:28 a.m. Donald Trump says he's planning to accept more political contributions now that he's the Republican Party's likely presidential nominee. The billionaire businessman previewed his path forward Wednesday morning, a day after his chief rival, Ted Cruz, suspended his campaign. Trump tells ABC's "Good Morning America," that he "probably will take small donations," up to the legal contribution limits but will still contribute to his own campaign. He adds that he doesn't "want anyone to have big influence over me." Trump often tells supporters that he's funding his campaign largely from his own pockets, although he's been accepting smaller donations for several months. He says he's spent about $44 million so far of his own money. He needs much more, however, going forward. The price tag for a general election is likely around $1 billion. Trump also says he's confident he "can unite much of" the Republican Party even though he doesn't want the support of some Republican critics. ___ 6:30 a.m. Virtually assured of the Republican presidential nomination, Donald Trump says he likely will "go the political route" in choosing a vice presidential running mate. The real estate mogul says in a broadcast interview Wednesday that he's "inclined" to prefer a No. 2 person on the ticket "who can help me get legislation passed." He notes he already has business experience and tells MSNBC's "Morning Joe" he wouldn't want to have to resort to presidential executive orders to get things done. Trump also reveals he'll be making a decision over the next week on how to fund a general election campaign. He says "I do love self-funding," but adds that he's thinking over his strategy and will have an answer soon. "Do I want to sell a couple of buildings? I don't really want to do that," he said. But he said that he wouldn't necessarily want a new source of money "for myself" but that the party needs to bolster its funding. He was asked if he would accept money from super PACs in the fall, although he has refused to do so thus far. ___ 5:50 a.m. Senator Elizabeth Warren has taken to Twitter to attack what she calls presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump's "toxic stew of hatred & insecurity." The Massachusetts Democrat issued a series of tweets Tuesday night as results from the Indiana GOP primary forced Texas Senator Ted Cruz from the race and left Trump as the overwhelming favorite for the nomination. Warren tweets that Trump has built his campaign on "racism, sexism and xenophobia" and that there's more enthusiasm for him "among the leaders of the KKK than leaders of the political party he now controls." Warren says what happens next is "a character test for all of us -- Republican, Democrat, and Independent." Warren has been mentioned by party insiders as a potential running mate for likely Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton. 5:30 a.m. Gov. John Kasich is not abandoning his quest for the White House in the wake of Donald Trump's victory in Indiana. His campaign issued a statement on Facebook early Wednesday saying that the election results "are not going to alter Gov. Kasich's campaign plans." The statement adds: "Our strategy has been and continues to be one that involves winning the nomination at an open convention. The comments from Trump, on the verge of winning in Indiana, heighten the differences between Governor Kasich and his positive, inclusive approach and the disrespectful ramblings from Donald Trump." Kasich has won just one primary his home state of Ohio and trails Trump by nearly 900 delegates. Kasich pledged to stay in the race, with his campaign manager saying the governor would continue to "offer the voters a clear choice for our country." ___ This story has been corrected to reflect that Kasich is a two term governor, not a two-year governor. Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton waves as she exits the room forllowing her address the Asian Pacific American Institute for Congressional Studies (APAICS) reception in Washington, Wednesday, May 4, 2016. (AP Photo/Cliff Owen) Greece rules out "what if" austerity measures sought by IMF ATHENS, Greece (AP) Greece will not approve contingency savings measures that the International Monetary Fund is demanding in case the country does not meet budget targets set out by bailout lenders, an official said Wednesday. Deputy Defense Minister Dimitris Vitsas said the contingency spending cuts could not be approved under Greek law, and argued the action would undermine international confidence in Athens. "We have made clear that for procedural and substantive reasons this cannot be done," Vitsas told private Antenna television. European Council President Donald Tusk, right, and European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, center, welcome Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe upon his arrival for an EU Japan leaders' meeting at the EU Council building in Brussels on Tuesday May 3, 2016. (AP Photo/Geert Vanden Wijngaert) Disagreements between Greece, the IMF, and eurozone lenders have for months held up approval of the country's next batch of bailout loans. The IMF and lead bailout lender Germany are at odds over the extent of debt relief Greece should receive to revive its battered economy. Eurozone finance ministers are due to hold a special meeting on Greece on Monday, and are under pressure to break the deadlock this month. European Council President said lenders needed to reach a deal with Greece before a May 26-17 meeting of the world's seven leading industrial nations on Kashiko Island, Japan. "In terms of geopolitics and economics, we need to make sure that Europe contributes to stability rather than global instability," Tusk said late Tuesday after meeting Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. "There is no doubt that a successful completion of the ongoing review of Greece's program would strengthen confidence." Greece has committed to a new round of austerity measures with new tax hikes and pension cuts and high budget surpluses to cope with the national debt that is set to peak this year at nearly 183 percent of gross domestic product, according to a European Commission forecast published Tuesday. The country was expected to remain in mild recession this year, the forecast said. __ Russia to boost troops levels along borders to counter NATO MOSCOW (AP) Russia says it will form new military divisions to be stationed along the country's borders with Europe to counter a planned NATO buildup. Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said Wednesday that two new divisions would be formed along the western border and one along the southern border by the end of the year. Shoigu gave no specifics about the number of additional troops to be deployed. U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter said Monday that the NATO alliance was considering establishing a continuous rotation of up to 4,000 troops in the Baltic states and possibly Poland, reflecting deepening worry in the West about Russian military assertiveness. UK councils face court challenge over Israel boycotts LONDON (AP) A Jewish group has launched a lawsuit against British local authorities that called for boycotts of goods from Israeli settlements, claiming the actions are anti-Semitic. Jewish Human Rights Watch is asking the High Court to rule against three councils: Leicester in England and Swansea and Gwynedd in Wales. It claims the authorities have failed to consider "the impact of their actions on the Jewish community." Leicester and Swansea councils say their resolutions calling for sanctions are nonbinding, apply only to illegal settlements and are not attacks on the state of Israel. Gwynedd says it backed a trade embargo with Israel in 2014 to condemn "attacks by the Israeli state on the territory of the Palestinians living in the Gaza Strip." People holding blanket save mom, kids from fire in S. Korea SEOUL, South Korea (AP) Residents and U.S. military personnel in a South Korean city rescued a woman and her three children from a fire by safely catching them with a blanket as they fell four floors, fire officials said Wednesday. About 10 people held the blanket and persuaded the woman to drop her children from a fourth-floor window and then jump herself before rescue workers arrived at the scene last week in the city of Pyeongtaek, said Moon Sang-hyeon from the Songtan Fire Department. The children aged 1, 3, and 4 were not hurt and their mother, a 30-year-old Nigerian, suffered only minor injuries, Moon said. In this April 29, 2016, image made from closed circuit video provided by the Songtan Chamber of Commerce, residents, including U.S. servicemen, use a blanket as they catch a woman and her three children as they jump to escape a fire in Pyeongtaek, South Korea. South Korean officials say residents rescued a woman and her three children from a fire by safely catching them with a blanket as they fell four floors. (Songtan Chamber of Commerce via AP) The four-story building stood on a narrow alley near a busy outdoor market and a U.S. military base, which made it difficult for fire trucks to reach the scene quickly, Moon said. "Usually, it's safer to be patient and wait for fire workers to come, but in this case, everything worked out for the best," Moon said. One of the Americans who assisted in the rescue was initially trapped herself, according to Osan Air Base, where all of the Americans involved work. Staff Sgt. Cierra Rogers, 731st Air Mobility Squadron administrative assistant, was inside the building when she smelled smoke. Unable to use the doors, she kicked out a window to reach the patio. "From then I made a decision because you can easily die from choking on smoke," Rogers said in an account posted on the base website. She tried to climb down using wires attached to the patio, but fell about 4.5 meters (15 feet) to the ground. The other U.S. personnel who had noticed the fire rushed to her aid. Tech Sgt. Stefan Haynes, 51st Force Support Squadron passport official, then saw the mother and children. A father of five kids, he told himself, "No, this not going to happen." The base's website said the Osan personnel involved in the rescue returned a couple of days later to meet the father, who expressed his gratitude. Rogers suffered a deep cut from the broken glass. Firefighters arrived a short time later and rescued another woman from a third-floor bathroom, but there were no more injuries, Moon said. Latest: House tries to rally votes for Detroit schools bill LANSING, Mich. (AP) The Latest on Detroit's financially struggling schools, which saw teacher sick-outs this week (all times local): 11:00 p.m. The Michigan House met late into the night as Republicans tried to muster enough votes to pass a $500 million plan to restructure the ailing Detroit school district. Teachers rally outside the school district's headquarters, Tuesday, May 3, 2016,m in Detroit. Nearly all of Detroit's public schools were closed for a second consecutive day Tuesday after hundreds of teachers called out sick over concerns that many may not get paid if the financially struggling district runs out of money. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio) House lawmakers emerged from hours of private meetings late Wednesday and were working on a plan that's supposed to deal with the district's debt and assuage teachers' fears that they won't be paid. But the plan, which a House committee approved earlier this week, doesn't include a commission that would have the authority to approve which schools would open and close. That's a key part of a plan the Senate has approved, but a point of contention for some House Republicans. Both chambers are GOP-controlled. House Minority Leader Tim Greimel says Democrats maintain "unanimous" opposition to the House plan because it does nothing to fix the district's problems and doesn't return local control. ___ 7:40 a.m. Students are returning to class in Detroit after teachers who called out sick for two days received assurances from the financially struggling district that they will continue to be paid. District spokeswoman Michelle Zdrodowski says in an email that all schools are open Wednesday morning, except for the Foreign Language Immersion and Cultural Studies School, which was shut due to a power outage. While the teachers are returning to work, their union is sparring with lawmakers over a $500 million plan to restructure the district and its debt. A state House panel on Tuesday advanced the measure, which was intended to ease teachers' fears that they might not get their paychecks. But the union blasted the legislation that would also forbid existing labor agreements from transferring to the new district. ___ 3:30 a.m. Detroit teachers who closed city schools for two days by calling out sick say they will return to the classroom Wednesday after being assured by the district's manager that they would continue to be paid. But their union has turned its sights to state lawmakers in Lansing, who on Tuesday advanced a $500 million plan to restructure the district. The vote by a House committee was intended to ease teachers' fears they might not get paid if the district runs out of money. But the union blasted the legislation because it would forbid existing labor agreements from transferring to the new district and restrict collective bargaining. Union Executive Vice President Terrence Martin says teachers are "truly outraged" by the House proposal. Detroit Federation of Teachers President Ivy Bailey addresses teachers outside the school district's headquarters, Tuesday, May 3, 2016, in Detroit. Nearly all of Detroit's public schools were closed for a second consecutive day Tuesday after hundreds of teachers called out sick over concerns that many may not get paid if the financially struggling district runs out of money. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio) US trade deficit in March smallest in 16 months WASHINGTON (AP) The U.S. trade deficit fell in March to the lowest level in 16 months as imports plunged by the largest amount since the depths of the recession seven years ago. The trade deficit narrowed to $40.4 billion in March, a drop of 13.9 percent from February, the Commerce Department reported Wednesday. It was the smallest trade gap since November 2014. Exports slipped 0.9 percent to $176.6 billion. Meanwhile, imports declined 3.6 percent to $217.1 billion as American demand for everything from autos to computers and toys fizzled. It marked the largest percentage drop since February 2009. FILE - In this Thursday, March 3, 2016, file photo, a sailboat makes its way past the container ship MSC Ivana as she is unloaded at the Port of Oakland in Oakland, Calif. On Wednesday, May 4, 2016, the Commerce Department reports on the U.S. trade gap for March. (AP Photo/Ben Margot, File) Trade is playing a major role in the current presidential campaign, with Republican front-runner Donald Trump vowing to punish countries such as China and Mexico for unfair trade practices. For March, the politically sensitive deficit with China fell by 25.7 percent to $20.9 billion. Through the first three months of this year, the deficit with China is running 5.4 percent lower than the same period a year ago. Even with that drop, America's trade gap with China remained the largest imbalance with any country. In his campaign, Trump has accused China and other nations of pursuing unfair trade practices that have cost millions of American jobs. He has said that as president, he would seek to impose a 45 percent tariff on Chinese goods to try to halt the objectionable practices. America's deficit with the European Union jumped 31.9 percent to $13.1 billion. The deficit with Mexico increased 8.9 percent to $5.4 billion, and the deficit with Japan increased 25.6 percent to $6.7 billion. The March drop in imports reflected declines in a number of categories, but it followed a big import rise in the previous month. Economists are forecasting that imports will keep rising this year. Demand is expected to be solid in a U.S. economy that is growing faster than many other parts of the world. Paul Ashworth, chief U.S. economist at Capital Economics, discounted the big drop in imports in March, saying it mainly reflected the impact of China's Lunar New Year holiday. He said Chinese producers ramped up shipments before the holiday, resulting in the jump in imports in February, and then took time off for the holiday. Oil imports dropped 4.3 percent to $9.4 billion, the lowest level since September 2002. The decline reflected in part the sharp fall in global oil prices over the past year. So far this year, the trade deficit is running 0.8 percent below the pace during the same period in 2015. However, economists are forecasting the deficit will rise further this year as exporters continue to struggle. U.S. exporters have been hurt by a weak global economy and by the rising value of the dollar, which makes American goods more expensive in overseas markets. Malta's premier visits Libya to discuss migration, security VALLETTA, Malta (AP) Malta's prime minister became the first head of government to visit Libya since the formation of a unity government following a U.N.-brokered agreement, meeting the Libyan prime minister-designate at a naval base near Tripoli's international airport. Libya's prime minister-designate, Fayez al-Serraj, said the illegal migration phenomenon is a priority for the government, telling reporters that "we need to find solutions." On security in Libya, al-Serraj said Libya always asked for assistance from the European Union, not intervention. "The kind of assistance will be agreed by our experts and those of the EU and international community," he said, without offering a time frame. Prime Minister Joseph Muscat told Maltese reporters that they discussed the presence of Islamic State militants in and around Sirte, noting that the unity government "is still operating from inside a military base, rather than from ministries." "Security, at least in Tripoli, is one of our main concerns," Muscat said. Muscat said the two countries agreed to set up technical commissions to work on illegal migration and energy issues. The possibility of Air Malta resuming flights to Libya was also discussed. Malta wants to re-open its embassy in Libya, but first wants to ensure the safety of its diplomats. "We will probably be one of the first Western countries to open an embassy here and that will undoubtedly lead to some pressure on the issuance of visas," he said. "We need to be prepared for this, to see how this will be managed, and identify any problems and find solutions." Libya slid into chaos following the 2011 uprising that toppled Moammar Gadhafi and has been split between rival governments since 2014. Powerball jackpot increases to $415 million DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) The Powerball jackpot has grown even larger. There was no jackpot winner in Wednesday night's drawing, increasing the prize from $348 million to an estimated $415 million. While that's not chump change, it's a far cry from the $1.6 billion Powerball prize shared by three winning lottery ticketholders in January, the largest ever jackpot draw in the world. No one has won the full jackpot since March 2. FILE - In this Jan. 13, 2016 file photo, a clerk hands over a Powerball ticket for cash at Tower City Lottery Stop in Cleveland. Powerball estimates that its jackpot for the May 4, 2016, drawing is $348 million. (AP Photo/Tony Dejak, File) Powerball says the odds of winning the top prize are one in more than 292 million. Tensions surface between Turkish president, prime minister ANKARA, Turkey (AP) Long-denied tensions between Turkey's president and prime minister are beginning to surface publicly, leading to speculation from political observers that the country's powerful leader may be considering replacing the premier with a figure more willing to take a backseat role. The rift comes at a precarious time for Turkey, which is gripped by a surge in violent attacks perpetrated by Kurdish and Islamic State militants. The country has also seen renewed fighting with the rebels of the Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK, and growing spillover from the war in neighboring Syria, including a refugee and migrant crisis. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan hand-picked Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu to succeed him as premier and leader of his ruling Justice and Development Party, or AKP, after he was elected president in 2014. Davutoglu was largely expected to play second fiddle as Erdogan pushed ahead with plans to make the largely ceremonial presidency into an all-powerful position. FILE - In this April 22, 2016 file photo, Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, center, and Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, right, salute together during a ceremony in Antalya, Turkey. Long-denied tensions between Turkeys president Recep Tayyip Erdogan and prime minister Davutoglu are beginning to surface publicly, leading to speculation that the countrys powerful leader may be considering replacing the premier with a figure more willing to take a backseat role. Erdogan's wife Emine Erdogan stands at the left.(Yasmin Bulbul, Presidential Press Service, File, Pool via AP) The president, who has dominated Turkish politics for more than a decade, is pressing for a new constitution to change Turkey's political system to a presidential one, which would push his prime minister deeper into the shadows. Davutoglu, an independent-minded former professor, adviser to Erdogan and foreign minister, is struggling to be his own man. He has offered half-hearted support at best to an all-powerful presidential system and has also established himself as a moderating influence on an array of issues, by opposing, for example, the pre-trial imprisonment of academics or journalists. He has also addressed the possibility of the resumption of a peace process with Kurdish rebels. Some observers even call him the voice of reason in the party. But he has also been the architect of Turkey's policy in the region and particularly Syria one that has massively backfired. Turkey is vulnerable to terrorism attacks, cross-border rocket fire from IS, and has few friends left in the region. "This was a foreign policy that was meant to make Turkey a regional star, not only shape the outcome of the Syrian war," said Soner Cagaptay of the Washington Institute. Sacrificing Davutoglu would allow Erdogan to distance himself from these failures, Cagaptay said. Tensions between the two men were exposed this week, when the AKP's executive committee dominated by Erdogan loyalists seized Davutoglu's powers to appoint local and provincial leaders, further weakening his grip on the party. This development was billed as a "coup" against Davutoglu by independent media. Divisions between the Erdogan and Davutoglu camp spilled into the open over the conflict with Kurdish militants in the southeast. Erdogan took issue with Davutoglu after he spoke of the possibility of resuming peace talks with the PKK if it withdraws its armed fighters from Turkish territory. Erdogan said in a public speech that it was out of the question for the peace process to restart, saying military operations would continue until the very last rebel is killed and the PKK threat is removed. More fissures were apparent over Davutoglu's opposition to the pre-trial detention of journalists accused of spying and academics accused of voicing support for the PKK. Erdogan spurned Davutoglu and even suggested that anyone deemed to be supportive of extremists should be stripped of their citizenship. On Wednesday evening, many speculated that an unscheduled meeting between the two men would result in Davutoglu's resignation. No announcement was issued after the meeting, but that doesn't mean the prime minister is in the clear. Analysts point out that Erdogan has shown no hesitation in the past to sidelining rivals even when they come from within the party. Unconfirmed news reports suggested Davutoglu would call an emergency convention of the ruling party at the end of the month and step down then. "While Erdogan and Davutoglu may appear keen to dispel any notions that divisions are emerging between them, the writing on the wall shows that a rift is in fact developing on a number of levels, and it is just a matter of time before this erupts in earnest," wrote Semih Idiz, a columnist for Hurriyet Daily News newspaper. Journalist and political commentator Mustafa Akyol said Davutoglu was likely to step down and be replaced with a figure "100 percent loyal to Erdogan." "Davutoglu will never be comfortable being prime minister after being targeted and seeing his powers decrease," Akyol, who writes for the Al-Monitor website, told The Associated Press. "It is not something that will make Turkey look good. The accusations of authoritarianism (against Erdogan) will be more legitimate. Criticisms about a one-man show will be emboldened." The gulf between the two leaders has led others to attack Davutoglu, seen as the weaker of the two. Nasuhi Gungor, a prominent pro-Erdogan journalist, said the AKP can "no longer carry on" with Davutoglu and that the party should find itself a new path. Gungor, among other things, accused the Davutoglu government of not being active enough in going after supporters of U.S.-based Muslim cleric, who has become the president's chief foe. An anonymous blog believed to have been authored by Erdogan aides or a pro-Erdogan journalists aired the presidential camp's alleged grievances with Davutoglu, including not advocating the presidential system strongly enough or defending Erdogan against opposition parties' allegations of corruption against the president. During an address to party legislators on Tuesday, Davutoglu mounted a veiled attack on the authors of the blog calling them "virtual charlatans." He said he would "step aside if necessary," adding that he would never "back down from the truth we believe in and clean politics." Critics fear that a presidential system sought by Erdogan will further erode Turkey's checks and balances leading to one-man rule. Erdogan has already overstepped the traditional mandate of a president by chairing Cabinet meetings. He is also largely believed to steer the Cabinet to a certain extent through ministers loyal to him, including son-in-law Berat Albayrak, the energy minister. Erdogan has also appointed an army of advisers who are accused of running a "shadow Cabinet" at his huge new presidential palace which boasts 1,150 rooms, apparently built in anticipation of Turkey's possible switch to a presidential system. ___ Dominique Soguel in Istanbul contributed. FILE - In this April 21, 2016 file photo, Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, left, drives his official car with Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu sitting next to him during a ceremony for a new bridge in Kocaeli, Turkey. Long-denied tensions between Turkeys president Recep Tayyip Erdogan and prime minister Davutoglu are beginning to surface publicly, leading to speculation that the countrys powerful leader may be considering replacing the premier with a figure more willing to take a backseat role. (Kayhan Ozer, Presidential Press Service, Pool via AP) FILE - In this April 25, 2016 file photo, Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, center, shakes hands with head of the Constitutional Court Zuhtu Arslan as Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, right, stands in Ankara, Turkey. Long-denied tensions between Turkeys president Recep Tayyip Erdogan and prime minister Davutoglu are beginning to surface publicly, leading to speculation that the countrys powerful leader may be considering replacing the premier with a figure more willing to take a backseat role. (Yasmin Bulbul, Presidential Press Service, File, Pool via AP) Turkey's Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu addresses his lawmakers at the parliament in Ankara, Turkey, Tuesday, May 3, 2016. Long-denied tensions between Turkeys president and prime minister are beginning to surface publicly, leading to speculation that the countrys powerful leader may be considering replacing the premier with a figure more willing to take a backseat role. (AP Photo) Turkey's Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu addresses his lawmakers at the parliament in Ankara, Turkey, Tuesday, May 3, 2016. Long-denied tensions between Turkeys president Recep Tayyip Erdogan and prime minister Davutoglu are beginning to surface publicly, leading to speculation that the countrys powerful leader may be considering replacing the premier with a figure more willing to take a backseat role. (AP Photo) Turkey's Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu salutes his lawmakers and supporters at the parliament in Ankara, Turkey, Tuesday, May 3, 2016. Long-denied tensions between Turkeys president Recep Tayyip Erdogan and prime minister Davutoglu are beginning to surface publicly, leading to speculation that the countrys powerful leader may be considering replacing the premier with a figure more willing to take a backseat role. (AP Photo) Trump would need to sway broader group of voters in November DENVER (AP) Nomination within his grasp, Donald Trump would need to win over a broader group of voters in November beyond those who have helped clear the Republican presidential field for him. As a whole, voters in the general election will be younger, more likely to be female and vastly more diverse than the predominantly white groups of the Republican primaries. In recent elections, those sets of voters have leaned sharply toward the Democrats. To counter the Democrats' advantage among women, young people and black, Latino and Asian-American voters, Trump will have to maximize his support among whites especially white men to levels rarely seen. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump is joined by his wife Melania, right, and daughter Ivanka, left, as he arrives for a primary night news conference, Tuesday, May 3, 2016, in New York. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer) His target, analysts say: winning about two-thirds of white voters, a feat reached in modern politics only by Ronald Reagan in his 1984 landslide. "It's going to be difficult for him to increase his margins among some of the groups" that already support him, such as white men, said Karlyn Bowman, a demographer at the right-leaning American Enterprise Institute. Ruy Texeira of the liberal Center for American Progress noted that Trump has performed well in the primaries among white college graduates, but polls indicate the businessman is disliked by that demographic in the broader electorate. "People get so caught up in how well he's done in the Republican primaries, but that's just so very different from the kind of people who show up in November," Texeira said. Some Republicans acknowledge the steep curve for Trump, who edged closer to clinching the nomination after winning Indiana on Tuesday. "The guy is hated and detested by an extraordinary amount of the American electorate," said Whit Ayres, a GOP pollster who worked on Florida Sen. Marco Rubio's presidential campaign. "It's not just one group that detests him," Ayres said, alluding to Trump's rhetoric on immigration and his incendiary comments about women. "He has been on a concerted effort to make enemies of millions of Americans." Those trends could make it difficult for Trump to triumph in states such as Ohio and Florida, must-wins for Republicans to have any shot as retaking the White House. Still, more Republican leaders are likely to unite behind him now that Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, Trump's nearest rival, has dropped out. The likely Democratic nominee, Hillary Clinton, has her share of weaknesses, as well. Polls find voters don't trust her, and she's had to fight harder than expected against Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, who beat her in Indiana and has locked down the fast-growing youth vote. "I'm not convinced at all that Hillary matches up well with Donald Trump in a general election," said Dave "Mudcat" Saunders, a self-described populist Democrat who ran former Virginia Sen. Jim Webb's abbreviated 2016 presidential bid. "If you're just fed up with all of it, why are you ever going to line up with her?" Still, Trump has another barrier: his own party. As partisan divisions have hardened, recent presidential nominees have counted on support from 90 percent or more of their political base. It's not clear Trump can rely on Republicans to that degree. He's only modestly increased his backing over the course of primary contests, even as rivals dropped out. His ascendancy also has led to a movement among conservatives who have pledged never to vote for him, and many prominent Republicans plan to skip the party's summer convention in Cleveland. Ohio Republican Chairman Matt Borges, who still backs his governor, John Kasich, for the nomination, insists Clinton's unpopularity will bridge any GOP gaps. "Ohio voters know the double-speak that has defined her career," he said. Trump regularly boasts he can knock off Clinton. His supporters predict his appeal to working-class whites gives him a shot in recent Democratic strongholds like Pennsylvania or Michigan. "I'll bring places in play that nobody else can bring," Trump told California's Republican Party convention. "For example, New York, I won it by landslide numbers." The New York example, though, shows why Trump's performance in primaries doesn't necessarily translate to success in November. Clinton also won New York and received more than 500,000 more votes on primary night than Trump did. In the New York Republican primary that Trump won so convincingly, 91 percent of voters were white. Minorities comprise 42 percent of the state's population. Democrats outnumber Republicans in New York by a 2-1 margin and have carried the state in the past seven presidential elections. Bowman said Trump's New York claim "seems completely ridiculous," though she and others allow that he could make inroads among Democrats, particularly if black voters are less enthusiastic about Clinton than they were for Barack Obama. And, of course, there's plenty of time between now and the Nov. 8 election. "There are a lot more shoes to drop before both conventions and throughout the fall," Republican pollster Greg Strimple said. "I don't think we can make anything of what's happening right now." ___ Barrow reported from Atlanta. Follow Riccardi and Barrow on Twitter at https://twitter.com/NickRiccardi and https://twitter.com/BillBarrowAP. At least 100 people turn out for Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump's campaign office opening Tuesday, May 3, 2016, in Edison, N.J. The opening of the headquarters in a suburban office park took place on Tuesday, just as the businessman's primary victory in Indiana was announced. (AP Photo/Michael Catalini) Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump greets supporters as he arrives for a primary night news conference, Tuesday, May 3, 2016, in New York. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer) Victoria Azarenka retires from Madrid Open with back injury MADRID (AP) Fourth-seeded Victoria Azarenka has pulled out of the Madrid Open because of a back injury. The 26-year-old Azarenka says she "tweaked" her back during her opening match against Laura Robson and that the pain persisted during her second-round win over Alize Cornet. Azarenka had been scheduled to play Louisa Chirico of the United States on Wednesday, but she withdrew during the warmups. Azarenka says "I don't feel that I'm able to compete today," adding she will undergo medical tests in Madrid later Wednesday before making a decision about playing in Rome. 9 more workers at closed school face abuse charges, 16 total GREAT BARRINGTON, Mass. (AP) Nine more employees of a now-closed Massachusetts school for boys with autism and behavioral disorders have been charged with physically abusing students, raising the number of employees charged to 16. The Berkshire Eagle reports that eight former Eagleton School employees were arraigned on assault and battery and other charges in Southern Berkshire District Court on Monday. A warrant is out for the arrest of a ninth. All pleaded not guilty and were released on personal recognizance. Sixteen former employees of the private Great Barrington school have now been charged in the case. The state closed the school last month despite staff efforts to correct problems cited by state education officials. Forty-two students have been relocated to other facilities or schools. Police say the investigation is ongoing. ___ Sept. 11 families seek answers in secret pages from inquiry NEW YORK (AP) Fifteen years after the attacks that killed her husband, Lorie Van Auken thinks she still hasn't been told the whole truth about 9/11. She wants to know what's in 28 classified pages locked away in a basement room of the U.S. Capitol. They describe investigative leads about "specific sources of foreign support" for the terrorists and might shed light on possible Saudi connections. The secrecy "gnaws at you every day," Van Auken says. "Fifteen years is long enough. We want to stop guessing." FILE- In this Aug. 11, 2011, file photo, Lorie Van Auken poses for The Associated Press in her East New Brunswick, N.J. home. Fifteen years after Van Auken lost her husband, Kenneth Warren Van Auken, in the Sept. 11 attacks, Van Auken thinks she still hasn't been told the whole truth about 9/11. She wants to know what's in 28 classified pages locked away in a basement room in the U.S. Capitol which describe investigative leads about "specific sources of foreign support" for the terrorists. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez, File) She soon may. President Barack Obama has hinted that at least portions of the 28 pages may be released shortly amid growing calls to reveal what some see as a hidden chapter in the explanation of Sept. 11. Victims' relatives say they and the public deserve full transparency about the worst terrorist attack on U.S. soil, and some argue that continued secrecy raises troubling questions about who or what is being shielded, and why. Some Sept. 11 families expect the pages' contents will help them sue the Saudi Arabian government, since a former lawmaker has said the 2002 document casts suspicion that the terrorists got financial help from the kingdom, though U.S. investigations later concluded otherwise. But the push to unveil the pages stirs mixed feelings among victims' families, and sometimes even within them. Diane Massaroli, who lost her husband, is convinced responsibility for 9/11 extends beyond al-Qaida. She and sister-in-law Joann Massaroli find suspicions of Saudi links compelling, and they lament that important questions have been left unanswered. "To see us get to the bottom of the financial paper trail ... would give me tremendous satisfaction," Joann Massaroli says. "To me, those pages hold something that's going to be revealing." Diane's son, Michael, doubts it. He favors releasing the pages but thinks the idea of Saudi complicity doesn't add up, and he wonders about the point of grasping for what he sees as fragments of data. "There's no information out there that's going to bring my father back, that's going to bring any of these people back," says Michael, 20, a college senior and his father's namesake. "I'm at as much peace as I will ever be with what happened." The classified pages come from a congressional inquiry into the attacks, which killed nearly 3,000 people when hijacked planes smashed into the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and a Pennsylvania field in 2001. Republican President George W. Bush decided releasing the pages could divulge intelligence sources and methods. Former Rep. Tim Roemer, a Democrat who has viewed the document, has likened it to a "preliminary police report," including unvetted tips and allegations that were later investigated. The congressional inquiry, the subsequent 9/11 Commission, a review commission and a CIA inspector general report last year found no reliable evidence that the Saudi government or senior officials knowingly supported the 19 hijackers, 15 of them Saudi citizens. The Saudi government vociferously denies involvement and says it would welcome release of the 28 pages to clear the air. But former Sen. Bob Graham, a Democrat who co-chaired the congressional inquiry and has also read the document, told CNN the pages point to "a connection at the highest levels between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the 19 hijackers." He has also said the U.S. government covered up the link to preserve its relationship with a key Middle East ally. Kathy Owens believes that, reluctantly. Widowed on Sept. 11, she initially trusted in Washington's vow to hold everyone involved responsible. But in recent years, she has felt increasingly bothered by the secret pages and the Democratic president's opposition to changing federal law to let Sept. 11 families sue Saudi Arabia, after a judge dismissed claims against the country on grounds of sovereign immunity. "I feel betrayed, really," Owens says. "Something is more important than justice for all those 3,000 people ... oil money, arms money, donation money, whatever it is." It doesn't feel that way to Donald Goodrich, who lost his son. He would like the 28 pages released, though he accepts that the government may have a plausible, security-related argument for withholding them. Regardless, he's skeptical of allegations of Saudi government responsibility for Sept. 11, and he doesn't expect the documents to change how he understands or lives with it. "The important issue, for me, is not the little bits and pieces of the puzzle that are missing," says Goodrich, who with his late wife founded a girls' school in Afghanistan as a tribute to their son. It's "a more nuanced appreciation of the historical precursors of 9/11 that is important to me and how to address them." ___ Reach Jennifer Peltz on Twitter @ jennpeltz. ___ This story has been corrected to show the spelling of two women's surname is Massaroli, not Masseroli. Group: 13 Peuhls killed in latest attacks in Mali BAMAKO, Mali (AP) Pro-government militia killed four members of the Peuhl ethnic group in central Mali and then struck again at the funeral, killing nine more victims, a local community group said Wednesday. The attacks mark the latest violence targeting members of the Peuhl community, who have been accused of collaborating with Islamic extremist groups active in the area. Sekou Bah, the secretary-general of a group called Dental Wuwarbe, said four victims were killed over the weekend while eating at a restaurant. The next day nine more Peuhls were fatally shot while at the cemetery for the burial, he said. A spokesman for Mali's security minister says investigators are looking into the reports of the 13 killed. "We sent a team of investigators two days ago to shed light on this incident and for the moment we are awaiting the results," said spokesman Amadou Sangho. In addition to the violence blamed on pro-government militias, local Peuhl groups also have accused the Malian military of arresting, torturing and killing civilians. Ethnic Peuhls are accused of supporting an extremist group known as the Macina Liberation Front, which has been carrying out attacks in central Mali. The violence has worried residents because it represents an escalation in extremism much further south. Germany raises tax income forecast, bolstering budget plans BERLIN (AP) Germany has raised its forecast for government tax income thanks to a healthy economy and low unemployment, bolstering its insistence that it can continue to avoid running up new debt. Wednesday's estimate foresees a 691.2 billion euros ($798 billion) tax take this year, 5 billion euros more than forecast in November. The forecast runs through 2020 and foresees a total 42.4 billion euros in additional tax income over five years. Chancellor Angela Merkel and Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble have made maintaining a balanced budget a major plank of their political platform, even as Germany faces the costs of dealing with a large influx of migrants. German Finance minister Wolfgang Schaeuble arrives for the cabinet meeting of the German government at the chancellery in Berlin, Germany, Wednesday, May 4, 2016. Schaeuble will presents the latest tax estimate for Germany later the day. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber) Brazil president impeachment recommended in Senate RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) A senator selected as a fact-finder by a special Senate commission considering the impeachment of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff recommended Wednesday that she be put on trial for possible removal from office. The Senate's website said Sen. Antonio Anastasia made the recommendation for a Senate trial in a 126-page report he presented to the 21-member commission. Rousseff is facing impeachment over allegations her administration violated fiscal laws by shifting around government funds to plug holes in the budget. Her critics say it was done to prop up flagging support before elections. Brazil's first female president insists the procedure amounts to an attempted coup against her. Brazil's President Dilma Rousseff gestures to supporters during a May Day rally in Sao Paulo, Brazil, Sunday, May 1, 2016. President Rousseff is facing impeachment over allegations her administration violated fiscal laws. (AP Photo/Andre Penner) The full Senate is scheduled to decide whether to try Rousseff in a vote next Wednesday. If a majority of senators, or 41 out of 81, vote in for impeachment, Rousseff will be suspended from office for up to 180 days as a full impeachment trial goes ahead. Vice President Michel Temer would become the interim president. Meanwhile, Brazil's attorney general has asked the country's highest court to authorize an investigation into Rousseff over obstruction of justice allegations, according to major Brazilian news organizations. The country's top newspapers and the Globo television network said late Tuesday that Rousseff was among 30 people targeted by Attorney General Rodrigo Janot's requests. Others include former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and Solicitor General Jose Eduardo Cardozo as well as opposition politician Aecio Neves, who lost to Rousseff in the 2014 presidential race, and House Speaker Eduardo Cunha. The attorney general's office, which needs the Supreme Court's permission to investigate legislators and high-level government officials, declined to comment on the reports. The media stories said Rousseff is suspected of trying to undermine the snowballing investigation into corruption at the state-run oil company Petrobras by appointing her predecessor, Silva, as her chief of staff this year. Silva's nomination was later suspended. The newspaper o Globo in Rio de Janeiro reported that Janot's request accuses Silva of being the ringleader behind the scheme that saw big construction firms pay bribes in exchange for inflated contracts with Petrobras, with some of the money ending up in the coffers of political parties across the ideological spectrum. The case has already ensnared leading politicians and businessmen. "This criminal organization could never have functioned for so many years and in such a wide and aggressive manner within the federal government without ex-President Lula's taking part in it," the newspaper quoted Janot's petition as saying. The reports said the attorney general's requests grew out of the plea bargain testimony by Sen. Delcidio do Amaral, formerly the government's leader in the Senate who was detained after recordings emerged suggesting he was plotting to spirit a key player in the Petrobras scandal out of the country. Silva and Rousseff have repeatedly denied any wrongdoing. Rousseff on Wednesday sought to cast doubt on Amaral's testimony, saying the senator "is in the habit of lying." She added that the leaked news of Janot's requests appeared to have been timed to do maximum damage to her and her close collaborators. Teori Zavascki, the Supreme Court justice in charge of the Petrobras investigation, will decide whether to grant Janot's requests. The news reports said there is no timetable for a decision. Brazil's President Dilma Rousseff pauses during a ceremony launching an agricultural plan that allocates billions of dollars to farmers at Planalto presidential palace in Braslia, Brazil, Wednesday, May 4, 2016. Brazils attorney general has asked the countrys highest court to authorize an investigation into embattled Rousseff over obstruction of justice allegations, according to major Brazilian news organizations. (AP Photo/Eraldo Peres) Senator Antonio Anastasia gestures during the presentation of his report on a Senate commission's analysis of the impeachment process against Brazil's President Dilma Rousseff at the Senate in Brasilia, Brazil, Wednesday, May 4, 2016. The Senate's impeachment commission is expected to vote this week on whether to recommend impeaching Rousseff, with the decisive vote by the full Senate slated for next Wednesday. (AP Photo/Eraldo Peres) President of the Impeachment Commission, Senator Raimundo Lira, right, talks with the commission's special investigator Senator Antonio Anastasia during a meeting analyzing the impeachment process against Brazil's President Dilma Rousseff at the Senate in Brasilia, Brazil, Wednesday, May 4, 2016. The Senate's impeachment commission is expected to vote this week on whether to recommend impeaching Rousseff, with the decisive vote by the full Senate slated for next Wednesday. (AP Photo/Eraldo Peres) In Jordan's spring desert bloom, hints of human history WADI EL-QATTAFI, Jordan (AP) For a brief time, Jordan's eastern desert blooms. The dozens of mesas commanding the bleak horizons are now skirted with vegetation. Through binoculars, these charcoal husks of dead volcanoes seem shrouded in green mist. Birds sing above yellow, red and purple wildflowers peeking up around flint shards and stone carvings. Many carvings are in the ancient Safaitic script, an ancestor of modern Arabic, but others are more recent: a drawing of a long-haul truck and "1999" scrawled in Arabic. In this April 23, 2016 photo, clouds perch above one of the 30 black basalt mesas of eastern Jordan near the border with Saudi Arabia. Archaeologists of the Eastern Badia Archaeological Project believe the desert's thousands of 8,000-year old stone structures prove the environment was much more fertile during the Neolithic era. (AP Photo/Sam McNeil) Summer's heat will soon burn the spring colors away, and return the "qaa" or plains in Arabic to the basalt black, sandy brown sand and sky blue, says Yorke Rowan, an archaeologist who has spent the past seven years studying the dawn of human civilization in Wadi El-Qattafi, Jordan. He has learned that this desert was grassland with topsoil where long ago humans stalked herds of gazelle and built homes, corrals and hunting traps. Semi-nomadic peoples built "Neolithic hamlets" used during seasonal hunting, shepherding and perhaps farming in the 6500 B.C to 6000 B.C. era, Rowan said. "There's a lot more going on in this desert region that looks like such a blasted, empty territory to our Western eyes, including archaeologists who should know better, that we're starting to discover," he said. Sixty kilometers from the nearest city, Azraq, Rowan and colleagues in the Eastern Badia Archaeological Project have mapped thousands of these 8,000-year old stone structures, aided by a 21st century technology. Rowan drives out across the plain to a launch site for a drone, built and operated by archaeologist Austin Hill. Rowan throws it into the sky and Hill pilots the drone and its cameras out over the mesas. From the air, peculiar shapes form on the slopes of the black mesas: some circular, others kilometers-long. The large number of structures hints at an environment much more like the today's spring bloom. Human remains, stone knives, arrowheads and seeds discovered at the mesas or nearby at Wisad Pools also support the theory. Current understanding of the Neolithic era is "undergoing its own revolution," Rowan said. Archaeologists across the Middle East are re-examining the basic assumptions of humanity's roots. Did the spread of agriculture cause the era's population spike, or was it the other way around? For now, there remains so much to do with trowel and drones, that Rowan and colleagues named the valley "the land of conjecture." In this April 24, 2016 photo, archaeologist Austin Hill holds "008," a fixed-wing drone equipped with cameras and electronics that Hill uses to rapidly and precisely map thousands of 8,000-year old stone structures. Hill and colleagues in the Eastern Badia Archaeological Project believe the structures prove the climate has changed significantly since the Neolithic era. (AP Photo/Sam McNeil) In this April 23, 2016 photo taken by a drone, 8,000-year old stone structures stick out from the natural landscape of the black basalt desert of eastern Jordan near the border with Saudi Arabia. (Austin Hill/The Eastern Badia Archaeological Project via AP) Prison for US man caught with $100,000 in Jamaica airport KINGSTON, Jamaica (AP) A Brooklyn man who was arrested after authorities in Jamaica found more than $100,000 in undeclared cash in his luggage has been sentenced to prison in the Caribbean country. A statement from the Jamaica Constabulary Force says 35-year-old Dalton Forrester was sentenced to three years in prison. He was also fined about $6,000. Survey: Growth at US services firms strengthened in April WASHINGTON (AP) A private survey says growth accelerated in April at U.S. services companies, a potential positive for the economy after a sluggish start to 2016. The Institute for Supply Management said Wednesday that its services index climbed to 55.7 in April, the highest level this year. The increase follows a reading of 54.5 in March. Any level above 50 signals growth. New orders and employment measures all advanced last month, showing a stronger pace of expansion. The rate of business activity slipped in April, although that measure also pointed to continued gains. In this Wednesday, March 23, 2016, photo, construction workers rest while unloading supplies off a hoisted pallet on a rooftop in Atlanta. On Wednesday, May 4, 2016, the Institute for Supply Management, a trade group of purchasing managers, issues its index of non-manufacturing activity for April. (AP Photo/David Goldman) The services index suggests that the economy might be improving slightly after an anemic opening to 2016. The U.S. economy expanded at an annual rate of just 0.5 percent during the first three months of the year, the government reported last week. "The increase in the ISM non-manufacturing index in April suggests that growth in the much larger service sector continues to strengthen," said Andrew Hunter, an assistant economist at Capital Economics, who said recent indicators point to the economy growing at a decent but unspectacular 2 percent this year. In the first quarter, the pace of consumer spending slipped compared with the end of 2015, while business investment fell and the trade deficit subtracted from growth. But steady job gains have prevented fears about the economy succumbing to the same level of financial turmoil that has recently gripped China, Japan, Brazil and parts of Europe. Employers have added 2.8 million jobs during the past 12 months, the hiring helping to provide a modest boost to household incomes that should support economic growth. The employment report to be released Friday released by the government is expected to show job growth of 200,000 in April with the unemployment rate staying at 5 percent, according to a survey of economists. Still, payroll processor ADP said Wednesday that businesses added just 156,000 jobs in April, a slowdown from recent months. There are signs that manufacturing has become less of a drag on growth, after factory activity contracted due to falling oil prices and a stronger dollar making American-made goods so expensive that exports were hurt. ISM said in a separate report this week that manufacturing expanded in April, the second straight monthly improvement. The manufacturing index registered at 50.8 in April and 51.8 in March, after activity had been declining in the prior five months. The Latest: Deputies couldn't detain suspect in girl's death SHIPROCK, N.M. (AP) The Latest on the abduction and killing of an 11-year-old girl on the Navajo Nation (all times local): 6:35 p.m. Sheriff's deputies in northwestern New Mexico had stopped a man charged in the kidnapping and death of a Navajo girl hours before he was arrested Tuesday. This Tuesday, May 4, 2016 photo Klandre Willie, left, and her mother, Jaycelyn Blackie, participate in a candlelight vigil, for Ashlynne Mike at the San Juan Chapter House in Lower Fruitland, N.M. The FBI said Mike, was abducted after school on Monday and her body was found the next day. Tom Begaye was arrested in connection with Mike's disappearance and death. (Jon Austria/The Daily Times via AP) MANDATORY CREDIT But San Juan County sheriff's Lt. Kyle Lincoln says the deputies didn't detain Tom Begaye Jr. because he didn't completely fit the description of the suspect. Authorities had said the kidnapper had a teardrop tattoo under his left eye and two earrings, but Begaye had neither. Lincoln says Begaye's van also wasn't a true match of the description. Lincoln says Begaye let deputies search his van at a gas station in Farmington around 11:30 a.m. Tuesday, but they didn't find anything suspicious. Begaye was arrested later Tuesday in the death of 11-year-old Ashlynne Mike. He made his first appearance Wednesday before a federal magistrate in Farmington. ___ 1:10 p.m. A woman who knew an 11-year-old Navajo girl and the man accused of kidnapping and killing the child says the suspect was active in cultural and religious life on the nation's largest American Indian reservation. Sher Brown, of Lower Fruitland, New Mexico, says one of her brothers knew Tom Begaye, and they regularly went to sweat lodges and church meetings on the Navajo Nation. The U.S. attorney's office in New Mexico says investigators found and arrested Begaye on Tuesday night at a sweat lodge outside Shiprock. Sweat lodges are considered sacred places. Brown says she was shocked by the allegations. She says victim Ashlynne Mike and her siblings would play at Brown's brother's house, where Brown remembers braiding the girl's hair. She described the girl as kind and obedient. ___ 11:15 a.m. Authorities say an 11-year-old Navajo girl who was abducted from a school bus stop and killed was hit twice in the head with a tire iron. A criminal complaint released Wednesday details how Ashlynne Mike died and a motive for the attack on the Navajo Nation. Tom Begaye told investigators his motive was to have sex with the girl. He is facing murder and kidnapping charges and made his first court appearance Wednesday in Farmington, New Mexico. According to the complaint, Begaye lured Ashlynne into a van Monday afternoon by offering to take her to a movie. Her younger brother joined her. Begaye told investigators he drove the siblings out to a remote area along a dirt road. The brother later was freed. Search crews found Ashlynne's body Tuesday morning. Begaye doesn't yet have an attorney. ___ 10:45 a.m. A man suspected in the death of an 11-year-old girl who was kidnapped from a school bus stop on the Navajo Nation is facing murder and kidnapping charges. Tom Begaye made his first court appearance Wednesday in Farmington, New Mexico. The 27-year-old man shuffled into the courtroom in shackles but stayed quiet as some of the victim's relatives and other community members listened to the charges being read. As he was taken away from the Municipal Courthouse in an SUV, people outside yelled profanity. Federal authorities say he lured Ashlynne Mike into a van after she got off a school bus Monday afternoon. Her body was found Tuesday morning south of Shiprock, New Mexico. ___ 8:40 a.m. New safety measures are taking hold on the Navajo Nation following the abduction and death of an 11-year-old girl. Ashlynne Mike was lured into a van after getting off a school bus Monday afternoon and her body was found Tuesday morning south of Shiprock, New Mexico. Tribal President Russell Begaye says children need to be taught about "the dangers of strangers" and that adults shouldn't let children out of their sight for extended periods of time. The school district serving the rural area where the girl lived says students whose parents aren't present when the children are dropped off at bus stops will be taken back to the school. The FBI says a 27-year-old man from nearby Waterflow has been arrested in the girl's abduction and death. ___ 8:30 a.m. A 27-year-old New Mexico man arrested in the abduction and death of an 11-year-old girl on the Navajo Nation is expected to appear in court Wednesday. The FBI says 27-year-old Tom Begaye of Waterflow, New Mexico, will appear before a federal magistrate in nearby Farmington. Ashlynne Mike was abducted in the Fruitland area Monday afternoon, and searchers found her body Tuesday morning south of the monolithic rock that gives the community of Shiprock its name. The girl and her 9-year-old brother were picked up by a man described as a stranger who lured them into a van by offering to take them to watch a movie. The boy got away and was found by a passer-by. This undated photo provided by the New Mexico State Police shows Ashlynne Mike. The air and ground search for the abducted Navajo girl ended tragically Tuesday, May 3, 2016, when authorities found the 11-year-old dead near the towering rock formation that gives the New Mexico town of Shiprock its name. Ashlynne Mike was kidnapped from the Navajo Nation, FBI spokesman Frank Fisher said. (New Mexico State Police via AP) This photo provided by San Juan County, N.M. Detention Center shows Tom Begaye of Waterflow, N.M. Begaye was arrested in connection with 11-year-old Ashlynne Mike's disappearance and death. The FBI said Mike, was abducted after school on Monday, May 2, 2016 and her body was found the next day. (San Juan County, N.M. Detention Center via AP) Killer of 4 to testify against man charged with slaying 7 NEW BRITAIN, Conn. (AP) A man who killed two women and two children in Connecticut is expected to be a key witness against another man who allegedly told prison fellow inmates about using his "murder mobile" while killing seven people in the state in 2003, according to court documents. William Devin Howell allegedly told cellmate Jonathan Mills about the seven killings, according to documents filed last week. Mills is serving life in prison without the possibility of parole for killing his aunt, her two young children and another woman in Guilford in 2000. Mills' testimony is expected to play an important role for prosecutors in a probable cause hearing next week in New Britain Superior Court on whether there is enough evidence to take Howell to trial for six of the seven killings. Howell, a native of Hampton, Virginia, is already serving a 15-year prison sentence for manslaughter for the one of the slayings and has pleaded not guilty to murder charges in the other six. All seven victims disappeared in 2003 and were found buried behind a shopping mall in New Britain. Three bodies were discovered in 2007, and the others were found last year. According to an arrest warrant affidavit, Howell told fellow prison inmates he killed seven people, including one whose body he kept for two weeks in a van he called the "murder mobile." The DNA of six of the seven victims were found in the van, police said. Under a cooperation agreement with prosecutors, Mills may get all or part of a $150,000 reward offered in the seven killings, according to the new court filings. ICE backs away from bid for London Stock Exchange ATLANTA (AP) Intercontinental Exchange has jettisoned plans to acquire the London Stock Exchange. Since the owner of the New York Stock Exchange first revealed two months ago that it was pursuing a buyout, German stock exchange operator Deutsche Boerse and the London Stock Exchange announced a $30 billion merger. ICE said Wednesday that it didn't receive enough engagement from the London Stock Exchange to determine if the deal would make sense. Also on Wednesday, Intercontinental Exchange Inc. reported better-than-expected earnings for its first quarter and said it would pay its dividend next month. Specialist Jay Woods, right, works at the post that handles Intercontinental Exchange on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, Wednesday, May 4, 2016. Intercontinental Exchange is jettisoning plans to acquire the London Stock Exchange and reported better-than-expected earnings for its first quarter, and said it would pay its dividend next month. (AP Photo/Richard Drew) The Atlanta company posted a profit of $369 million, or $3.08 per share. Earnings, adjusted for one-time gains and costs, came to $3.68 per share, surpassing Wall Street expectations by a penny, according to a poll of analysts by Zacks Investment Research. It posted revenue of $1.15 billion in the period, which was just shy of analyst projections. The company said it will pay a dividend of 85 cents per share on June 30, to shareholders of record as of June 16. The dividend is part of its previously announced plan to pay shareholders $3.40 per share this year. ICE shares rose $16.10, or 6.7 percent, to $257.08 in early trading Wednesday. _____ Elements of this storyThis story was generated by Automated Insights (http://automatedinsights.com/ap) using data from Zacks Investment Research. Access a Zacks stock report on ICE at http://www.zacks.com/ap/ICE _____ Western countries urge Kenya to take steps for smooth polls NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) Kenyan voters must have confidence that the electoral commission and judiciary are impartial and efficient ahead of polls next year, 11 diplomats from western countries said Wednesday. In a joint statement the diplomats, who included U.S. Ambassador to Kenya Robert Godec, said with elections in 15 months, it is time for Kenyans to consider the steps needed to ensure free, fair and peaceful elections. Kenya's main opposition leaders, protestant churches and Central Organization of Trade Unions have called for the disbandment of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission on the grounds of corruption and alleged bias. Opposition leaders former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, former Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka and Senator Moses Wetangula were tear-gassed late last month as they led hundreds of supporters to the electoral commission offices to demand that it is disbanded for being biased. Some commissioners of the electoral commission have been named in a case in which two executives of British printing firm Smith and Ouzman Ltd were sentenced to a total of five years after being convicted in the U.K. for making corrupt payments to individuals in various countries including Kenya to win business for the company. Violence following a disputed Dec. 2007 presidential election, which the international community said was flawed, killed more than 1,000 and forced 600,000 others to flee their homes. The violence started when opposition supporters disputed the results from Electoral Commission of Kenya the predecessor of the current election commission declaring former President Mwai Kibaki the winner of the presidential elections against opposition leader Raila Odinga. Street protests degenerated into ethnic violence. Romania: new culture minister sworn in amid opera dispute BUCHAREST, Romania (AP) Romania's president has urged the country's new culture minister to resolve a major crisis at the country's main opera house that cost her predecessor his job. President Klaus Iohannis who officially appointed Corina Suteu as culture minister Wednesday, noted there was "an inflamed public mood," connected to the culture ministry. He urged her to use "tact, dexterity and indulgence" in tackling problems. "Clearly the situation at the Opera needs to be resolved." Former Culture Minister Vlad Alexandrescu was fired Tuesday after he failed to mediate a month-long crisis at the Bucharest National Opera. The opera has had four interim managers and three shows have been canceled since April 4. A waiting game for companies hoping to do business in Cuba NEW YORK (AP) The thaw in U.S.-Cuba relations has many small and medium-sized companies thinking about doing business with the nation that has largely been off-limits for more than half a century. Most companies, however, will have to wait. The Obama administration has taken steps that allow companies in the travel and telecommunications industries to work with Cuba, but most exports and other business contacts remain prohibited under an embargo Congress passed in 1960 in response to Communist rule in Cuba. Because of the embargo, the U.S. exported only $180 million in goods to Cuba last year, most of it agricultural products and medicine. By comparison, exports to nearby El Salvador totaled nearly $3.3 billion. Only Congress can lift the embargo, and it's not known when that might happen some lawmakers are against ending it because of charges of human rights violations by the Castro government. Greg Geronemus' travel company, smarTours, expects to run 45 tours to Cuba this year, most of them leaving from Miami. He began planning to increase his Cuba business two years ago, when he ran 15; Geronemus anticipated that the administration was moving toward a normalization of U.S.-Cuba relations. In this Wednesday, April 20, 2016, photo, smarTours tour director Pamela Boudrot, center, and local tour guide Enedis Tamayo, left, lead a group of tourists in Havana. The thaw in U.S.-Cuba relations has many small and medium-sized companies thinking about doing business with the nation that has largely been off-limits for more than half a century. Greg Geronemus, owner of smarTours, based in New York, began planning to increase his Cuba business two years ago, when he ran 15 tours. He expects to run 45 tours to Cuba this year, most of them leaving from Miami. (AP Photo/Desmond Boylan) "There is an unbelievable appetite for travel," says Geronemus, whose company is based in New York. Because of the embargo, Geronemus works with a Cuba-based company, HavanaTur, and an intermediary company in Europe to handle reservations, itineraries and payments. Trips to Cuba must be highly structured under U.S. government regulations, with itineraries that show substantial interactions with Cubans. For example: a visit with an artist or a tour of a community revitalization project. "It is still so cumbersome and it will be for a while," Geronemus says. Another unknown is what requirements the Cuban government, which controls most of the businesses in the country, might impose on U.S. companies that want to sell goods and services. Maria Contreras-Sweet, head of the U.S. Small Business Administration, found during a recent visit to Cuba that officials and business leaders are interested in building a relationship with U.S. companies, but they also want Americans to understand that Cuba, which doesn't have a free market, has a different culture and a different way of doing business. "There's this great desire but also some apprehension. And to some extent, they're overwhelmed by the U.S.," Contreras-Sweet says. Small and medium-sized businesses will be competing with big U.S. companies that want to trade with Cuba, but Contreras-Sweet expects smaller players will find opportunities with Cuban counterparts. In recent years, Cuba has started allowing people like small restaurant owners, real estate agents, house painters and home builders to work independently of the government. As relations between the U.S. and the Castro government expand, the Cuban people are expected to demand a better standard of living, and that can create opportunities for American businesses, says Ronald Recardo, managing partner with Catalyst Consulting Group in Shelton, Connecticut. His company hopes to do business with Cuban companies. "There's a lot of people clamoring for something beyond a subsistence level for their families," Recardo says. Companies that the U.S. government already allows to sell to Cuba include technology and telecom businesses whose products can improve communications to, from and inside the country. Revel Systems, the maker of software for retailers and restaurants, has started selling its products to small Cuban customers. "They're dying for technology," says Chris Ciabarra, a co-founder of the San Francisco-based company. Revel makes software that allows tablet computers to be used as cash registers. The company has sold its products to a dozen Cuban customers who found Revel by searching the Internet. Revel delivered the software to them using an app. Ciabarra expects Revel's Cuban business to grow because the company tends to get new customers through referrals from existing clients. "It is going to be an up-and-coming market," he says. Cuba already has a tech-savvy workforce that wants to work with U.S. companies, says Faquiry Diaz Cala, the CEO of Tres Mares Group, a private equity firm based in Miami. These workers are well-educated in areas like web development and programming, Diaz says. Lori Hirons believes that when the U.S. embargo is lifted she'll find strong demand for her resort clothing among Cuban women. Ninety percent of sales for her company, Island Contessa, come from other Caribbean markets, including St. Croix in the U.S. Virgin islands, where she is located. "As I read about Cuba, the people have interest in all things American," Hirons says. While she waits to see what Congress does, she's learning everything she can about Cuba. One unknown that concerns her is regulations Cuba might impose that could make trade difficult, and perhaps impossible for her. "It's going to depend on how many hurdles there are," she says. One company already dealing with Cuban government restrictions is Global Rescue, a medical evacuation company that helps people who become ill during overseas trips. The medevac planes the company uses must get clearance from Cuba officials to fly over the country for rescues in a nearby country, says Dan Richards, CEO of the Boston-based company. "We often have to avoid Cuban airspace entirely," Richards says. "We're certainly hoping that the Cuban government changes its stand." _____ Follow Joyce Rosenberg at www.twitter.com/JoyceMRosenberg . Her work can be found here: http://bigstory.ap.org/content/joyce-m-rosenberg In this Wednesday, April 20, 2016, photo, smarTours tour director Pamela Boudrot, center, gives an explanation to her group of tourists in Havana. The thaw in U.S.-Cuba relations has many small and medium-sized companies thinking about doing business with the nation that has largely been off-limits for more than half a century. Greg Geronemus, owner of smarTours, based in New York, began planning to increase his Cuba business two years ago, when he ran 15 tours. He expects to run 45 tours to Cuba this year, most of them leaving from Miami. (AP Photo/Desmond Boylan) Defender Adriano joins list of Barca players probed for tax MADRID (AP) Defender Adriano has joined the list of Barcelona players to be probed by Spain's prosecutors for alleged tax fraud. Prosecutor Ricardo Sanz-Gadea says in a writ issued Wednesday that Adriano has defrauded Spain's tax authorities of 646,086 euros ($742,900). Sanz-Gadea says Adriano failed to declare income linked to his image rights between 2011 and 2012. Although the prosecutor acknowledges that the Brazilian has responded and paid the amount outstanding on March 7, a judge must now decide whether to take the case to court. Adriano joined Barcelona from Sevilla in 2010. Other Barcelona players to fall foul of Spain's tax authorities include star forward Lionel Messi and Argentina defender Javier Mascherano. Proposed Market Street Improvements Master Plan.jpg This sketch shows proposed improvements to potential revitalization of Market Street in Pascagoula. (File photo/ City of Pascagoula) PASCAGOULA, Miss. -- Residents and business owners packed Tuesday night's meeting of the Pascagoula City Council to voice their displeasure with proposed changes to Market Street. City leaders recently announced a plan to revamp the street, applying a boulevard concept. They have presented design concepts, and said they are actively seeking public feedback. According to the conceptual sketches on the city's website, proposed changes to Market Street will include additional parking, sidewalks, roundabouts, and two lane streets instead of four. On Tuesday they got a robust discussion, hearing from citizens who said they felt the city council was making decisions without their input at Tuesday's city council meeting. First among the were Lynae Jacob, owner and dance director of Duo Dance Studios and David Anderson, owner of Anderson's Bakery. "My favorite thing about Pascagoula is coming over the high rise bridge and being able to look into Ingalls shipyard," Anderson said. "In Pascagoula, we build things and we fix things, but my concerns about the plans you guys have been working on -- I feel you all might be overreaching with your current plans," Anderson said. "We have started a petition online where we have collected a total of 859 signatures in favor of keeping the four lanes and no round-a-bouts and so far, we have 859 people opposed to changing or redesigning Market Street," Jacob said. "When it comes to the proposed Wal-Mart, according to the new design, it has been zoned for 'neighborhood commercial' meaning that the zone does not encourage traffic from outside of the neighborhood. I'm not opposed to the neighborhood market Wal-Mart," Jacob said, "the traffic is going to be increased and reducing lanes down from four lanes to two is only going to cause more problems with increased traffic, based on the size of the lot." After Jacob's and Anderson's presentation, Mayor Jim Blevins addressed the crowd, explaining the council's reasoning in trying to improve the happenings on Market Street. "We are still looking at lots of ideas, but the sole purpose of this thing, at least the primary driver, is to try to bring new revenue streams into the city of Pascagoula, primarily on Market Street, to help the businesses out and bring new businesses to Market Street," Blevins said. "Market Street is a challenge within itself with over 31 buildings or more that are no longer occupied and no are no longer bringing in revenue streams, but used to, and we need to figure out how we can bring it back to life." Blevins cited situations in Austin, Texas, and Greenville, S.C., as potential precedents Market Street could follow to bring in more revenue to the city. He said he did not solely deem the proposed changes to Market Street as the "right formula," but wants residents to know a solution must be found to bring more revenue back to Pascagoula. "I think everyone on the council would agree on one thing and that is you can't expect different results in this city and along Market Street if you do the same things year after year," Blevins said. Blevins then posed the question deriving from Jacob's and Anderson's presentation about the changes from four lanes to two and parallel parking where he asked everyone in attendance to raise their hands if they were against the lessening of lanes and parallel parking in which everyone in attendance raised their hands signifying they were against both of those proposed changes. Other business owners such as Jason Keenum chimed in with their displeasure about the council lack of speaking specifically to business owners and residents along Market Street. "I think a lot of people were just blindsided by the plan," Keenum said. "I don't think many people were aware of it and the fact that you guys did not seek any input from business or homeowners took us a little off guard. The fact is that we are not really against change, it just has to be productive change. You are dealing with a lot of livelihoods, a lot of business and homeowner investment on Market Street and you are not just changing Market Street, you are radically redesigning it and that will not favor businesses. I just wish you guys would tap into some of the knowledge that people have here who have run a business for over 40 years or someone in business who deals with clients on a daily basis who hear their concerns." Many opinions were spewed Tuesday evening, but the consensus among the councilmen was that the city cannot move forward by simply saying what is not liked about the proposed changes, but also opinions from citizens are valued and favored. "As you think about what you want Market Street to look like, think about looking out 10-15 years from now, not just 3-5," Councilman Freddie Jackson said. "Before we were able to get the bond passed, we considered how long that infrastructure had been there and how long the infrastructure we are trying to put into place now needs to last before someone has to go back to obtain another bond to fix some more," he said. "Bring your ideas and think along the lines of 15 years down the line." The Latest: Company says gunman acted alone KATY, Texas (AP) The Latest on a fatal shooting at a Texas transportation company (all times local): 4 p.m. Officials at the transportation company where a recently fired employee fatally shot a former co-worker says it's suspending all work at the Texas facility and providing counselors to employees. Sheriff's deputies exit Knight Transportation after an employee, who was recently fired, returned to the business and fatally shot an employee before killing himself, Wednesday, May 4, 2016, in Katy, Texas. (Michael Ciaglo/Houston Chronicle via AP) MANDATORY CREDIT Knight Transportation released a statement confirming one of its employees was killed Wednesday during the shooting at its office in Katy, a city about 20 miles west of Houston. The company said: "Our deepest sympathies are with the family during this difficult time." The Phoenix-based company also confirmed the gunman was a former worker, saying the shooting "was the action of a lone former employee, who also died as a result of today's events." The statement didn't include information about the gunman or the victim, whose names haven't been released. Harris County sheriff's officials said the gunman was fired from the company two weeks ago and stormed the office Wednesday morning with two guns. The sheriff's office said two other workers were injured but treated at the scene. The company thanked law enforcement officers for their quick response. The company said it was doing "everything possible to ensure the safety of all of its employees." ___ 12:50 p.m. Authorities say a man who was fired last month from a Houston-area transportation company stormed onto the property and declared his life was ruined before fatally shooting a co-worker. The Harris County Sheriff's Office says two other employees of Knight Transportation in Katy were wounded by shrapnel or other flying debris during the shooting Wednesday. None of the victims' names has been released. Sheriff's spokesman Ralph Gonzales says the suspect was heard by co-workers saying something to the effect of, "you all ruined my life," before he opened fire. Gonzales didn't release the man's name, his previous job duties or why he was fired from the company two weeks ago. The two injured employees were both men and treated at the scene. A sheriff's deputy sustained a knee injury while entering the site in Katy, 20 miles west of Houston. ___ 12 p.m. Authorities say a man who fatally shot a former co-worker at a Houston-area transportation company had been fired from the business two weeks ago, not hours before the shooting. Harris County Sheriff Ron Hickman said during a news conference that the gunman had been fired early Wednesday and then returned with a gun to the Knight Transportation office in Katy. But the sheriff's office later said it received misinformation, and that the gunman had been fired two weeks ago. The sheriff's office also clarified that two workers were injured during the shooting, not just one. The office said both victims were men and wounded by shrapnel or other debris. They were treated at the scene. Sheriff's spokesman Ralph Gonzales didn't release the gunman's name, his previous job duties or why he had been fired. A sheriff's deputy sustained a knee injury while entering the property. ___ 11:10 a.m. Officials say several schools went on lockdown amid reports of gunfire at a transportation company near Houston. Harris County sheriff's officials say a recently fired employee opened fire Wednesday at a Knight Transportation office in Katy, about 20 miles west of Houston. Sheriff Ron Hickman said one worker was killed and another injured before the gunman fatally shot himself. Katy Independent School District spokeswoman Denisse Cantu says a high school across the street from the facility went on lockdown for about an hour as a precaution. She said three other district campuses also were briefly closed amid the reports. ___ 10:15 a.m. Authorities say a recently fired employee opened fire at a transportation company near Houston, killing one employee and injuring another before fatally shooting himself. Harris County Sheriff Ron Hickman said during a news conference Wednesday that the gunman had been fired earlier in the day, then returned with a gun to the Knight Transportation office in Katy, about 20 miles west of Houston. Hickman says the man opened fire, killing one person and injuring another. Hickman says the man then shot himself. The sheriff didn't release the name of the gunman or the victims. Numerous patrol vehicles are surrounding the facility. A nearby high school went on lockdown as a precaution. A message left with Phoenix-based Knight Transportation also wasn't immediately returned. The company provides truckload transportation services. ___ 10 am. Officers are responding to reports of gunfire at a transportation company near Houston. The Harris County Sheriff's Office says deputies responded Wednesday following reports of a shooting at a Knight Transportation office in Katy, about 20 miles west of Houston. The office didn't immediately return phone messages for details. Numerous patrol vehicles are surrounding the facility. A nearby high school is on lockdown as a precaution. A message left with Phoenix-based Knight Transportation also wasn't immediately returned. The company provides truckload transportation services. Harris County Sheriff Ron Hickman talks to the media outside Knight Transportation after a recently fired employee returned to the business and opened fire before fatally shooting himself, Wednesday, May 4, 2016, in Katy, Texas. (Michael Ciaglo/Houston Chronicle via AP) MANDATORY CREDIT Sheriff's deputies surround Knight Transportation after a recently dismissed man opened fire inside the facility, fatally shooting a former co-worker before turning the gun on himself, Wednesday, May 4, 2016, in Katy, Texas. (Michael Ciaglo/Houston Chronicle via AP) MANDATORY CREDIT Sheriff's deputies surround Knight Transportation after a recently dismissed man opened fire inside the facility, fatally shooting a former co-worker before turning the gun on himself, Wednesday, May 4, 2016, in Katy, Texas. (Michael Ciaglo/Houston Chronicle via AP) MANDATORY CREDIT The Latest: Police ID suspect in deadly campus stabbing ATLANTA (AP) The Latest on the deadly stabbing of a student at Fort Valley State University in central Georgia (all times local): 12:15 p.m. Authorities say they're seeking a murder warrant against a man accused of stabbing a Fort Valley State University freshman to death on the campus of the school in central Georgia. At a Wednesday news conference, Georgia Bureau of Investigation Special Agent J.T. Ricketson identified the suspect as 24-year-old Joseph Anthony Scott, a former student who had come onto campus Tuesday. Police say Donnell M. Phelps of Marshallville, Georgia, was stabbed multiple times shortly after 5 p.m. Tuesday and was pronounced dead at a hospital. Officials say Scott then stabbed campus safety officer Ernest Johnson as he was leaving the campus. Ricketson said Johnson is hospitalized but expected to survive. Authorities say Scott is being held in the Peach County Jail. It wasn't immediately known whether he has an attorney. _____ 7:45 a.m. Police say a person with a knife attacked and killed a Fort Valley State University student on the school's main campus in central Georgia. Campus Safety Police Chief Kenneth Morgan in a news release identifies the victim as Donnell M. Phelps, a freshman agriculture engineering technology student from Marshallville, Georgia. School officials say the suspect also stabbed campus safety officer Ernest Johnson during the attack Tuesday afternoon near the main campus gate at Fort Valley State, which is in Fort Valley. Fort Valley State said in the news release that the suspect, whom they didn't identify, was taken into custody on campus shortly after the killing. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation is handling the investigation with help from campus police. Chevrolet, the 'Heartbeat of America,' not coming to Iran DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) Chevrolet, the U.S. car brand once advertised as the "Heartbeat of America," won't be rolling new models through the streets of Iran anytime soon despite the recent lifting of sanctions under a nuclear deal with world powers. Models from the General Motors Co. division have been struck off a list of allowed brands for the Iranian market after a speech last week by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei criticizing American automobiles. While GM itself said Wednesday it had no plans to enter Iran, the Islamic Republic remains a highly lucrative market of 80 million people largely untapped by Western companies. Already, the streets of Tehran are clogged with automobile traffic, much of it from its two manufacturers, though some are willing to pay the roughly 90-percent import duty for foreign brands. In this picture taken on Tuesday, July 7, 2015, cars drive past a painting of late Iranian revolutionary founder Ayatollah Khomeini at Bahonar street in northern Tehran, Iran. Chevrolet, the U.S. car brand once advertised as the Heartbeat of America, wont be rolling new models through the streets of Iran anytime soon despite the recent lifting of sanctions under a nuclear deal with world powers. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi) As many as 200 Chevrolets worth $7 million were to be shipped to Iran from South Korea, according to a report carried by the semi-official Mehr news agency that later was republished by Iranian state television. It said Iran allowed in 24 Chevrolets in recent months. But last week, as Khamenei gave a speech in Iran focusing on domestic industrial production, he criticized the American automobile industry, drawing chants of "Death to America!" for surprisingly his criticism of fuel consumption. "The Americans themselves did not use American vehicles! This was reflected in the American press and we saw it," the ayatollah said, according to a transcript published on his website. "They used to say that they consume too much fuel and that they are heavy. Imagine that we use the vehicles ... (from) an American factory that is on the verge of bankruptcy." The Mehr report said authorities struck the Chevrolets off the list of approved foreign cars that can be imported. BMW, Hyundai, Mercedes Benz, Toyota and others still can be imported even Porsche's Macan luxury crossover utility vehicle, according to the list now available. It wasn't clear from the Iranian reports whether the Chevrolets were being resold or coming directly from GM's factories in South Korea. Farah Amhaz, a spokeswoman for GM based in Dubai, said the Detroit-based manufacturer "is fully committed to complying with U.S. sanctions, including those that continue to prohibit most transactions with Iran." "We have no plans to enter the Iranian market at this time and are taking appropriate steps to prevent local entities from importing GM vehicles into Iran," she said. American cars were far more common in Iran before the 1979 Islamic Revolution, and are now a rare sight. Today, Iran's automobile industry builds some 900,000 vehicles a year, though authorities hope to build 3 million annually by 2025. Over 90 percent of market share is controlled by two local companies: Iran Khodro, which assembles Peugeot-branded vehicles from kits, and SAIPA, which has made Citroens and Kias. Both manufacturers also build Renaults. In the time since the nuclear deal, analysts have predicted the auto industry would grow if Iran's economy improves. However, the trickle-down effect of the accord has yet to be seen in the streets, as unemployment remains high. Khamenei's remarks last week aren't the first to criticize the love of cars in Iran. In 2015, responding to two fatal high-speed car crashes, he criticized "some youth who are drunk with wealth" and "get into expensive and fashionable cars and mess around on the streets." ___ Associated Press writer Amir Vahdat in Tehran, Iran, contributed to this report. ___ Follow Jon Gambrell on Twitter at www.twitter.com/jongambrellap. His work can be found at http://bigstory.ap.org/content/jon-gambrell. In this picture taken on Wednesday, June 17, 2015, cars drive on highways in northern Tehran, Iran. Chevrolet, the U.S. car brand once advertised as the Heartbeat of America, wont be rolling new models through the streets of Iran anytime soon despite the recent lifting of sanctions under a nuclear deal with world powers. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi) In this picture taken on April 25, 2015, cars are parked in a depot at the state-run Iran Khodro automobile manufacturing plant, just outside Tehran, Iran. Chevrolet, the U.S. car brand once advertised as the Heartbeat of America, wont be rolling new models through the streets of Iran anytime soon despite the recent lifting of sanctions under a nuclear deal with world powers. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi) In this picture taken on April 25, 2015, Iranian car workers assemble cars at the state-run Iran Khodro automobile manufacturing plant, just outside Tehran, Iran. Chevrolet, the U.S. car brand once advertised as the Heartbeat of America, wont be rolling new models through the streets of Iran anytime soon despite the recent lifting of sanctions under a nuclear deal with world powers. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi) In this picture taken on April 25, 2015, a line of Peugeot cars at the state-run Iran Khodro automobile manufacturing plant, just outside Tehran, Iran. Chevrolet, the U.S. car brand once advertised as the Heartbeat of America, wont be rolling new models through the streets of Iran anytime soon despite the recent lifting of sanctions under a nuclear deal with world powers. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi) The Latest: Rough treatment of Gov. Snyder draws sympathy FLINT, Mich. (AP) The Latest on developments in Flint, Michigan, where drinking water is tainted with lead (all times local): 6:45 p.m. There's some sympathy for Gov. Rick Snyder after he was booed and heckled during brief remarks at a Flint high school. President Barack Obama is greeted by Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder as he arrives on Air Force One at Bishop International Airport in Flint, Mich., Wednesday, May 4, 2016. The president is in Flint, Mich., to discuss the ongoing water crisis. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster) Lamar Boyd says it took "guts" for Snyder to appear before more than 1,000 people and apologize for the lead-contaminated water. The 54-year-old Flint resident who's using bottled water says the negative reaction was "very over the top." Snyder's appearance Wednesday surprised the crowd, which was awaiting a speech by President Barack Obama. The Republican governor spoke for just a few minutes. When he said "government failed," some people shouted, "You failed!" Snyder's environmental agency didn't require corrosion controls in Flint's water. As a result, lead leached from old plumbing and fixtures. U.S. Rep. Dan Kildee, a Flint Democrat, says residents might feel differently if Snyder did more to replace pipes. ___ 3:30 p.m. Speaking over waves of boos, Gov. Rick Snyder has apologized for Flint's contaminated water crisis. Snyder's appearance at a Flint high school Wednesday surprised more than 1,000 people who were waiting to hear from President Barack Obama. Snyder has apologized repeatedly for his administration's failure to treat water that caused lead to leach from old plumbing. But he's never talked to such a large crowd in Flint since the scandal broke last fall. Snyder told people he understands why they're "angry and frustrated." He said, "I'm sorry. ... Government failed you." At the end of brief remarks, the governor got some applause mixed with more boos. ___ 3:13 p.m. A municipal official in Flint, Michigan, has pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor charge in connection with the city's drinking water crisis. The state attorney general's office says Flint utilities administrator Mike Glasgow entered the plea Wednesday to one count of neglect of duty. Spokeswoman Andrea Bitely says under an agreement between Glasgow and the state, the plea's effective date will be delayed for one year. It will take effect if Glasgow cooperates with investigators. Glasgow oversaw operations of the water plant when Flint switched its water source from the city of Detroit to the Flint River as a cost-saving measure in April 2014. The river water wasn't treated to avoid corrosion, enabling it to become contaminated with lead from aging pipes. ___ This version of The Latest corrects the name of the spokeswoman. ___ 2:40 p.m. President Barack Obama has taken a drink of the filtered water in Flint, Michigan. Obama is visiting the city for the first time since its drinking water became contaminated with lead. After a briefing Wednesday on the federal government's response to the crisis, the president took a drink of filtered water. Officials have been assuring still skeptical residents that filtered tap water is now safe to drink. Obama said he normally doesn't engage in stunts, but said he took a swig of the filtered water to show it's safe. The Michigan Senate earlier Wednesday approved spending another $128 million to address the crisis, marking the fourth round of funding being considered by state lawmakers since the health disaster was confirmed seven months ago. ___ 1:55 p.m. Dozens of people are rallying across the street from a Flint high school where President Barack Obama is scheduled to talk about the city's lead-tainted water crisis. The protesters are chanting "Flint lives matter" and "They think it's a game, they think it's a joke," referring to the disgust that many feel for state officials over the scandal. Critics of Gov. Rick Snyder gathered signatures Wednesday for a recall election. A man in a hazardous-materials suit pounded a large barrel that was labeled toxic. A block away, teacher Reneta Richard says she hopes Obama "leaves a check, right here, right now" for new pipes and other costs related to lead leaching from old plumbing and fixtures. Flint used the Flint River for 18 months but didn't treat the water to prevent corrosion. ___ 12:45 p.m. President Barack Obama is in Flint, Michigan, where he is bringing a promise of change after lead from old pipes tainted drinking water in the city. Obama was greeted at the Flint airport Wednesday by Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder, who has been heavily criticized for his administration's handling of the crisis. Also meeting Obama at the airport was Flint Mayor Karen Weaver. Obama's first order of business will be to receive a briefing on the federal response to the crisis. He then will meet with city residents. Obama declared a state of emergency in mid-January and ordered federal aid to supplement the state and local response. At that point, the crisis was in full bloom. It took several months more for the nation to focus on the beaten-down city's plight, raising questions about how race and poverty influenced decisions that led to the tainted water supply and the beleaguered response once problems surfaced. More than 40 percent of Flint residents live in poverty and more than half are black. ___ 12:30 p.m. The Michigan Senate has approved spending another $128 million to address the water crisis in Flint, where residents have to use faucet filters or bottled water because of lead contamination. The emergency aid legislation that passed 34-3 Wednesday next goes to the House for consideration. It's the fourth round of funding being considered by lawmakers since the health disaster was confirmed seven months ago. Gov. Rick Snyder and legislators previously authorized $67 million for the emergency mostly state money but also federal funds. The latest bill includes $25 million to replace lead pipes that connect water mains to customers. Another $45 million would be put into an emergency reserve fund. Later Wednesday, a Senate panel plans to finalize expanding health insurance to 15,000 children and pregnant women in Flint. President Barack Obama speaks at Flint Northwestern High School in Flint, Mich., Wednesday, May 4, 2016, about the ongoing water crisis. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster) Cost estimate of Los Angeles-area gas leak hits $665 million LOS ANGELES (AP) The estimated cost of a massive gas well blowout that spewed methane uncontrollably for nearly four months and uprooted 8,000 Los Angeles families has more than doubled to $665 million, Sempra Energy announced Wednesday. San Diego-based Sempra had estimated costs of $330 million in its annual report in February, but that was before courts forced its Southern California Gas Co. to continue paying to house thousands of relocated residents. The gas leak at the Aliso Canyon storage facility was the largest-known release of climate-changing methane in U.S. history, according to scientists. It spewed an estimated 107,000 tons of methane over 16 weeks. FILE - In this Nov. 3, 2015, file photo, provided by Southern California Gas Co., SoCalGas crews and technical experts attempt to safely stop the flow of natural gas leaking from a storage well at the utility's Aliso Canyon facility near the Northridge section of Los Angeles. Sempra Energy says costs from a massive gas leak in Los Angeles have reached $665 million. In an SEC filing in February, SoCalGas, which is owned by Sempra, estimated costs of less than half that, $250 million to $300 million. The massive gas leak that spewed uncontrollably for nearly four months drove thousands of Los Angeles residents to leave their homes. It was capped in late February. (Javier Mendoza/SoCalGas via AP, File) The blowout reported Oct. 23 sickened residents in Porter Ranch and surrounding San Fernando Valley suburbs who complained of headaches, nausea, nosebleeds and other symptoms as the foul-smelling gas wafted over neighborhoods. SoCalGas has pointed out that public health agencies have found the air quality in the area has returned to normal, though many residents have continued to complain of maladies since the leak was capped in February. Some 3,700 households remain in short- or long-term housing, many because of fears of returning until they are assured their homes are clean and safe. Dennis Arriola, president and chief executive of SoCalGas, said that 54 percent of relocated residents had returned home and more were returning each week. He said the latest cost estimates, which were included in Sempra's first-quarter earnings, reflected the expectation the company will continue to pay housing for relocated families until June 7 when another court hearing is scheduled. Judges have repeatedly extended orders for the company to pay relocation costs while the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health tests homes for carcinogens and other compounds found in natural gas. The company has begun moving families from hotels to apartments, which it said was being done to provide more space and amenities such as kitchens. Arriola said it also allowed the company to cut costs because it won't have to pay $45 per person each day for meals. Arriola said the lion's share of the latest cost estimate 70 percent is for relocation expenses. The other 30 percent is split equally between: costs for stopping the leak and investigating its cause; and legal and other costs. The estimates do not account for possible damages from 138 pending lawsuits or civil or criminal penalties that could be brought by a swarm of government agencies investigating the leak. The company said it has four types of insurance policies to cover more than $1 billion in costs. In its first-quarter earnings report Wednesday, Sempra said SoCalGas has recorded an insurance receivable of $660 million. Sempra said the estimated costs had no material impact on earnings in the quarter. Net income for Sempra was down 28 percent from the same quarter last year and earnings fell short of Wall Street expectations. Arriola said the company expects an investigation into the cause of the leak to be completed by early 2017. He reiterated plans to complete a battery of tests on the remaining 114 wells at the field so the company can resume storing gas underground. Aliso Canyon is the largest gas storage facility west of the Mississippi River and a major source of energy for the Los Angeles area. Energy officials have warned of possible blackouts this summer if it is not able to operate. The Connecticut woman who underwent a face transplant in 2011 after being viciously attacked by a chimpanzee is back in a Boston hospital after doctors discovered her body is rejecting the transplant. Charla Nash, 62, says doctors have decided to end an experimental drug treatment and put her back on her original medication in the hopes of reversing the rejection. The brave woman had been taking part in a military-funded experiment in which doctors at Boston's Brigham and Women's Hospital tried to wean her off the anti-rejection drugs she had been taking since the 2011 operation. 'The viability of Charla's face transplant is not in jeopardy. Overall, she is doing well,' Director of Plastic Surgery Transplantation at Brigham and Women's Hospital Dr Bohdan Pomahac said in a statement. 'Charla is currently experiencing a moderate rejection episode, which face transplant patients experience on occasion ... We expect this rejection episode to be resolved within the coming week.' Nash, who had a double hand transplant at the same time as her facial surgery, is expected to be released from the hospital within the next few days. Doctors had to remove the hands shortly thereafter due to her body rejecting the transplant. Scroll down for video Charla Nash, 62, underwent a face transplant in 2011 after being attacked by a chimpanzee in 2009. She is back in the hospital after doctors discovered her body is rejecting the transplant. Above she is pictured in 2015 Doctors have decided to end an experimental drug treatment and put her back on her original medication in the hopes of reversing the rejection. Above she is pictured drinking hot coffee through a straw in 2015 The mother-of-one was attacked by Travis (pictured above with her) when she went to help her employer and his owner, Sandra Herold, when he escaped 'I appreciate everyone's concern. I feel perfect. I didn't even know I was having a rejection episode,' Nash said in a statement released by the hospital. 'I gave it my all and know my participation in the study will still be beneficial,' Nash said in a statement to The Associated Press. 'I'd do it all over again, if I could. The men and women serving our country are the true heroes.' The mother-of-one recently discovered several unusual patches on her face, Nash's publicist, Shelly Sindland, said. Doctors on Monday did a biopsy and determined her body was rejecting the transplant, she said. The facial transplant operation was funded by the US military so that more could be learned about how it could help wounded veterans. Anti-rejection drugs can have serious side effects, and the military funded the experiment in the hopes the alternative treatment could help those needing transplants after returning from war. The immunosuppression drugs that transplant patients are typically given for the rest of their lives carry such risks as cancer, viral infections and kidney damage. Travis (pictured above with her) ripped off her nose, lips, eyelids, part of her jaw and hands when she was mauled in 2009 She recently discovered several unusual patches on her face and doctors did a biopsy Monday that determined her body was rejecting the transplant. Doctors are hopeful they can reverse the rejection by putting her back on her original medication Because of those dangers, many transplants of non-vital body parts, such as thumbs, are not considered worth doing. But doctors say that could change if the drugs don't have to be a lifelong commitment. The Pentagon, which also paid for Nash's transplant, has provided grants to 14 medical facilities across the US through its hand and face transplantation program. The face and the extremities are the most frequently injured parts of the body in war. Prior to the face transplant surgery, Nash wore a veiled hat to cover her face after the attack 'I'm just happy I had the chance to help,' Nash said. 'I wish I could have done more. I believe in the power of prayer and appreciate everyone who is praying for me.' Nash lost her nose, lips, eyelids and hands when she was mauled in February 2009 by her employer's 200-pound pet chimpanzee named Travis in Stamford, Connecticut. The animal, who appeared in commercials for Old Navy and Coca Cola, was thought to be domesticated since he would open doors, drink wine from a glass, eat at the dinner table, and dress himself. He even used the computer as his owner, Sandra Herold, treated the chimp as if he were her son. Travis tried to escape by taking Herold's car keys and attempted to use them on several cars. Herold, who died in 2010, tried to lure Travis back into the house and gave him an iced tea laced with Xanax. When Nash, arrived at the house to help, the animal brutally attacked her. Investigators suggested Travis may have mistook Nash, who was familiar with the chimp, as an intruder after she appeared with a new hairstyle. The Xanax, which is used for anxiety in humans, may have also fueled Travis' aggression. Herold stabbed Travis during the attack, but the 70-year-old failed to stop the animal. He was eventually shot to death by the police after he assaulted an officer. Doctors also had to remove her eyes because of a disease transmitted by the chimp. She later received new facial features taken from a dead woman. She also underwent a double hand transplant, but it failed when her body rejected the tissue. Nash is blind after doctors had to remove her eyes because of a disease transmitted by the chimp. She later received new facial features taken from a dead woman in 2011 When she began the experiment involving the suspension of anti-rejection drugs in March, 2015, doctors said it would eventually include other patients and its findings could potentially affect hundreds of thousands of people, military and civilian alike. Just in March, Nash, who would wear a veil over her head, said the facial transplant had changed her life. She told CBS Boston: 'It's given me a new life again. It's opened up the world to be out in the public and being part of the world again.' Nash currently lives in Boston alone but has help from part-time aides. She told the television station that she spends most of her days listening to audio books and exercising. It hasn't been an easy journey. Nash, a former barrel racer and horse jumper, said in March that she has become increasingly patient because she has had to ask for help instead of doing everything herself. In her original face transplant surgery, doctors removed the face from the donor (left) including all underlying nerves and muscles (right) They placed the donor's face on Ms Nash and connected each nerve, muscle and blood vessel In the interview with CBS Boston, she said that she chooses to look to the future and dreams of living on a farm in a small town once she is finished with her medical tests. In return for footing her medical bills, the US military requires that she goes in for medical tests every few weeks. She is subjected to MRIs and CT scans to determine how well her brain is sending signals to her new face. In addition, doctors examine how well the arteries are delivering blood to the transplant. Nash, who won tickets to the Boston Flower and Garden Show in March, generously passed them on to her nurse as a token of gratitude. She told CBS: 'When people do so much for you, you wish you could give back to everybody. Whether I can, I'm going to do little by little.' Rob Reiner, son explore a dark time in 'Being Charlie' WEST HOLLYWOOD, Calif. (AP) "I maybe didn't handle it the best way," said Rob Reiner of his son's struggles with drugs. It's a story that stayed out of the tabloids while it was happening, but by the time Nick Reiner was 18 years old, he had already cycled in and out of nine treatment facilities with bouts of homelessness and relapses in between. "I listened to a lot of people who had a desk and a diploma," Rob Reiner said. "I didn't really think about my kid and what he needed." In this May 2, 2016 photo, writer-director Rob Reiner poses for a portrait in New York. Reiner has always had an affinity for the father-son story and has explored the theme and his own life in films like "Stand By Me" and "A Few Good Men," but none have come so close as "Being Charlie," loosely based on his son Nick Reiner's struggles with drugs. (Photo by Brian Ach/Invision/AP) Seated in a leather armchair in a cozy corner of his West Hollywood office on a recent afternoon, Rob Reiner spoke candidly about that difficult time. He's had a few years now to process what he and his family went through. Now, Rob and Nick Reiner explore the ordeal in the semi-autobiographical film "Being Charlie," out in limited release Friday. The idea for a film had crossed Rob Reiner's mind but for many reasons it wasn't something he could handle in the moment. Unbeknownst to him, his son had been working on something about the absurdities of his experience with a friend, Matt Elisofon, who he met at a treatment center. With Rob Reiner's eventual guidance, the two friends' script evolved from a half-hour rehab comedy into "Being Charlie," a more dramatic and truthful rendering of a teenage boy's issues with drugs, rehab and a famous father that takes into account the parents' side of things, too. "Jurassic World's" Nick Robinson stars as the disaffected, searching kid at the center. "Being Charlie" is not solely Nick and Rob Reiner's story, but there are details scattered throughout. In the film, the father, a movie star with political ambitions played by Cary Elwes (working with Rob Reiner for the first time since "The Princess Bride") says the thing about desks and diplomas, for instance. The ending, too, changed repeatedly during production as the Reiners' relationship evolved. "We didn't go into it thinking this is going to be therapeutic or bring us closer, but it did come out that way," Rob Reiner said. "It forced us to understand ourselves better than we had. I told Nick while we were making it, I said, 'you know it doesn't matter, whatever happens to this thing, we won already. This has already been good.' We've worked through a lot of stuff." It's a reflective time for Rob Reiner, who just turned 69 in March but is already saying he's "almost 70." While he's still "Meathead" from TV's "All In the Family" to many boomers, younger generations see him more as the director of a handful of now-classic movies. The offices of his Castle Rock independent production company are inhabited by posters, photos and trinkets from his half century in the business, like a worn scrapbook of photos from "The Princess Bride" casually displayed on the coffee table. "You live a life and you start to think, what are the things you've thought about over the course of your life? If you still have the energy and the ability to do it, then you find ways to do it as long as you can do it," Rob Reiner said. "I mean, look at Clint Eastwood!" And he's staying active in the industry, even if the landscape of how films get made has changed drastically. "I made a lot of films at Castle Rock because we financed them. We didn't have to go to anybody. In all the films I've made and all the films that Castle Rock has made it's probably 125 not one of them would get made at a studio today. None of them," Rob Reiner said. "Even the big hits like 'A Few Good Men' and 'City Slickers,' they just wouldn't get made. I was lucky to have a situation where I could do the things I wanted." This has been going on for a while, though. He said he even struggled to get a studio interested in "The Bucket List," with stars Morgan Freeman and Jack Nicholson attached. Rob Reiner is still making things work, though. He has to scramble a little more with tiny budgets and look to the smaller independent distributors that support adult dramas. He recently wrapped work on his Woody Harrelson-led Lyndon B. Johnson film "LBJ," which he's currently shopping around to distributors. "It's insane how good he is. It's off the charts," he said of Harrelson in the film. "This is a performance that people will look at and go 'OK, all right, this is major.'" Nick Reiner, meanwhile, is continuing to write and his dad is supportive, even if he can empathize with the inherent pressures of being now the third generation of Reiners to enter the business. "Nick has it worse than I did because he's got not only me but he's got his grandfather (writer-actor-producer Carl Reiner). So he's got to deal with that stuff," Rob Reiner said. "He's brilliant, he's funny, he's so smart and he's deep thinking. He's so different from me. And I think the next project he does, he's going to do something that's his own and very different from what I do, which is great." ___ Follow AP Film Writer Lindsey Bahr on Twitter: www.twitter.com/ldbahr In this May 2, 2016 photo, writer-director Rob Reiner poses for a portrait in New York. Reiner has always had an affinity for the father-son story and has explored the theme and his own life in films like "Stand By Me" and "A Few Good Men," but none have come so close as "Being Charlie," loosely based on his son Nick Reiner's struggles with drugs. (Photo by Brian Ach/Invision/AP) In this May 2, 2016 photo, writer-director Rob Reiner poses for a portrait in New York. Reiner has always had an affinity for the father-son story and has explored the theme and his own life in films like "Stand By Me" and "A Few Good Men," but none have come so close as "Being Charlie," loosely based on his son Nick Reiner's struggles with drugs. (Photo by Brian Ach/Invision/AP) Russia claims arrest of group planning holiday attacks MOSCOW (AP) Russia's Federal Security Service says a group of Central Asian citizens have been arrested on suspicion on planning attacks in the Moscow region and that explosives and weapons have been seized. The security service, known by the acronym FSB, said the suspects were under the direction of unspecified "international terrorist groups" active in Syria and Turkey. An FSB statement reported by Russian news agencies Wednesday gave few details, including where those arrested were from. Concern is high in most former Soviet Central Asian states about the potential for the spread of Islamic extremism. The statement didn't specify where the alleged attacks were planned for, or when, other than saying "the May holidays." US announces extension of Syria truce to Aleppo WASHINGTON (AP) The United States and Russia have persuaded Syria's government and moderate rebels to extend the country's fragile truce to the northern city of Aleppo, the State Department said Wednesday, although sporadic clashes continue. The agreement was reached late Tuesday and took effect at 12:01 a.m. Wednesday Damascus time (5:01 p.m. Tuesday EDT), Secretary of State John Kerry said. The Syrian military confirmed the truce but said it would take effect Thursday and last for 48 hours. U.S. officials said they were looking into the discrepancy. How important the partial truce proves will depend on its durability. The U.S. and Russia finalized a nationwide cease-fire in late February, but have struggled to make it stick. Kerry has expressed hopes for a more sustainable arrangement. Germanys Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier, right, and Riad Hijab, head of the Higher Negotiations Committee, the Syrian opposition coalition negotiating in Geneva, chat during a joint stroll prior to a meeting of the Foreign Ministers of Germany and France with the Staffan de Mistura, U.N. special envoy for Syria, and Riad Hijab, head of the Higher Negotiations Committee, the Syrian opposition coalition negotiating in Geneva at the guest house of the German Foreign Ministry in Berlin, Germany, Wednesday, May 4, 2016. (AP Photo/Ferdinand Ostrop) Since Wednesday's truce in Aleppo started, "We have seen an overall decrease in the violence in those areas even though there are some reports of continued fighting in some locations, which does not surprise us because it only went into effect one minute after midnight," Kerry said. "We expect all the parties ... to fully abide by the renewed cessation in Aleppo, that means the regime and the opposition alike," he told reporters before meeting visiting EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini. "We look to Russia ... to press them for the regime's compliance with this effort and the United States will do its part with respect to the opposition." Three people were killed on Wednesday in renewed shelling by Syrian rebels of government-held areas in Aleppo, state media and opposition activists said. The violence in Syria's largest city and once its key commercial center has continued for almost two weeks despite intense diplomatic efforts to restore the cease-fire. The U.N. Security Council also was due to meet later Wednesday to discuss the escalation. State Department spokesman Mark Toner said Washington and Moscow would monitor the truce closely. "Attacks directed against Syria's civilian population can never be justified, and these must stop immediately," he said in a statement. The deal on Aleppo follows reaffirmations earlier this week of truces in the Damascus suburbs and coastal Latakia province. The cessation of hostilities, as diplomats call it, doesn't apply to the Islamic State group or the Nusra Front, al-Qaida's Syria affiliate, which has caused problems in in places such as Aleppo. In some battles there and elsewhere, Western and Arab-backed militants have fought alongside those swearing allegiance to al-Qaida, making it hard to determine which Syrian government offensives or Russian airstrikes constitute violations. Nearly 300 people have been killed during this latest spate of violence in Aleppo. Over the past two weeks, hospitals and civilian areas in the divided city have come under attack from government warplanes, as well as rebel shelling. In the eastern Ghouta, near Damascus, Toner said a truce will be extended for 48 hours following overnight airstrikes by President Bashar Assad's government. The Latest: Mom: Son killed in Iraq proud to be Navy SEAL PHOENIX (AP) The Latest on a U.S. Navy SEAL killed in a firefight in Iraq (all times local): 10:30 a.m. The mother of a U.S. Navy SEAL killed during combat in Iraq says her son was proud to be a SEAL and wanted to be one since he was a young boy. This undated photo provided by Bascom Communications & Consulting, LLC shows Navy SEAL Charles Keating IV. Keating, died Tuesday, May 3, 2016, in Iraq in an Islamic State group attack near the city of Irbil. (Krista Joseph/Bascom Communications & Consulting, LLC via AP) Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Charles Keating IV was shot and killed Tuesday during a gunbattle involving Islamic State fighters. Krista Joseph of Jacksonville, Florida, said in a statement Wednesday that her son wanted to serve his country and that he died doing what he loved. She says "he was our golden boy with a million-dollar smile and a heart of gold." Keating was a grandson of Arizona financier Charles H. Keating Jr. and grew up in Phoenix, where he was a star distance runner in high school. Keating ran track and cross country at Indiana University. In this photo provided by the U.S. Navy, Special Warfare Operator 1st Class Charles Keating IV, 31, of San Diego. Navy SEAL Keating was shot and killed Tuesday, May 3, 2016, in Iraq during a gunbattle that involved more than 100 Islamic State fighters. (U.S. Navy via AP) 100th running of the Indy 500: Museum, tours and Main Street INDIANAPOLIS (AP) It's a big year for a big race. May 29 will mark the 100th running of the Indianapolis 500, which claims to be the largest single-day sporting event in the world. Some 300,000 spectators will gather to watch drivers race 200 times around the 2.5-mile oval track a total of 500 miles. But there are many ways to immerse yourself in the Indy 500 besides watching the competition on race day. An onsite museum displays cars, from vintage to contemporary, along with photos, memorabilia and exhibits about the event's rich history and its champions. There's a bus tour that takes a lap around the track, as well as a grounds tour. Devoted fans can even get a ride in a race car, with experiences ranging from $60 to $500. Though the race is named for Indianapolis, the track is located in the town of Speedway, a suburb of Indianapolis, and Speedway's Main Street is well worth a visit. Many businesses and attractions here have a connection to the racing world, from a wine bar owned by a racing family to a new, state-of-the-art go-kart facility that provides real thrills even to the most intrepid amateurs. In this April 20, 2016 photo, the car driven to victory by A.J. Foyt in 1967 is displayed at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis. May 29 will mark the 100th running of the Indianapolis 500, which claims to be the largest single-day sporting event in the world. Some 300,000 spectators will gather to watch drivers race 200 times around the 2.5-mile oval track _ a total of 500 miles. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy) ___ INDIANAPOLIS MOTOR SPEEDWAY MUSEUM The museum attracts some 130,000 visitors a year, but museum director Ellen Bireley says only about 25 percent are serious racing fans. The rest are just curious about the famous track and its history, and the museum offers a great introduction. Race cars on display show the evolution of technology and design, but the collection also includes motorcycles, passenger cars and vintage autos like Duesenbergs and a 1915 Stutz. You'll learn about traditions like winners drinking a bottle of milk and "kissing the bricks" at the finish line. You'll also learn about the Indy 500's origins: The track was built on farmland in 1909 as a "playground for the automobile," with an all-day race to show off what cars were capable of doing. The original gravel-and-tar surface was soon repaved with 3.2 million bricks, which led to the nickname "Yard of Bricks." it's now covered with asphalt except for the 36-inch brick strip that gets the winner's kiss. The track was owned at one time by World War I flying ace Eddie Rickenbacker (who raced cars before he learned to fly). It shut down for several years due to World War II and was reopened by Tony Hulman, who thought the race would help promote his family's business, the Clabber Girl baking powder company. The Hulman family still owns the track. ___ TOURS You can take a narrated bus tour on one lap around the oval track or sign up for a grounds tour that includes the victory platform, media center, the famous brick strip kissed by winners and other stops. ___ MAIN STREET, SPEEDWAY Whatever you're in the mood for, you can find it on Main Street: breakfast at the legendary Charlie Brown's Pancake House, coffee at Lino's, craft beer at the Daredevil Brewing Co., and a wine bar, The Foyt Wine Vault, owned by the family of race car driver A.J. Foyt. Other options include Barbecue & Bourbon and Dawson's on Main. And then there's Speedway Indoor Karting, which, as the employees like to say, is "not your grandfather's go-kart." The 60,000-square-foot facility offers two courses: one with a banked oval and another with two levels on a quarter-mile track with 14 turns. It's owned by Sarah Fisher, who raced in the Indy 500 nine times. Another attraction is the Dallara IndyCar Factory, where visitors can explore interactive and hands-on exhibits about racing engineering and technology. The Dallara company makes the chassis for all Indy race cars. ___ If You Go... INIDANAPOLIS MOTOR SPEEDWAY MUSEUM: 4790 W. 16th St., Speedway, Indiana (enter Gate 2, north side of 16th Street), http://www.indyracingmuseum.org . Open daily except Thanksgiving and Christmas, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. (March-October hours). Adults $10, children 6-15, $5. Grounds tours, including media center, victory platform, start/finish line and museum, adults, $30, children 6-15, $12. Narrated bus tour around one track lap (when track is not in use), adults, $8, children 6-15, $5. MAIN STREET, SPEEDWAY: Variety of bars, restaurants and attractions along Main Street in the town of Speedway, a suburb of Indianapolis. In this May 24, 2009 file photo, Helio Castroneves, of Brazil, douses himself with milk after winning the Indianapolis 500 auto race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis. May 29 will mark the 100th running of the Indianapolis 500, which claims to be the largest single-day sporting event in the world. Some 300,000 spectators will gather to watch drivers race 200 times around the 2.5-mile oval track _ a total of 500 miles. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy, File) FILE - In this July 28, 2013 file photo, Sprint Cup Series driver Ryan Newman kisses the yard of bricks after winning the Brickyard 400 auto race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis. May 29 will mark the 100th running of the Indianapolis 500, which claims to be the largest single-day sporting event in the world. Some 300,000 spectators will gather to watch drivers race 200 times around the 2.5-mile oval track _ a total of 500 miles. (AP Photo/Robert Baker, File) In this April 20, 2016 photo, cars entered by car owner Roger Penske in the Indianapolis 500, front, and the Dayton 500 are displayed at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis. May 29 will mark the 100th running of the Indianapolis 500, which claims to be the largest single-day sporting event in the world. Some 300,000 spectators will gather to watch drivers race 200 times around the 2.5-mile oval track _ a total of 500 miles. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy) In this April 20, 2016 photo, the Lola T152 entered by car owner Roger Penske in his first Indianapolis 500 is displayed at the museum at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis. May 29 will mark the 100th running of the Indianapolis 500, which claims to be the largest single-day sporting event in the world. Some 300,000 spectators will gather to watch drivers race 200 times around the 2.5-mile oval track _ a total of 500 miles. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy) In this April 20, 2016 photo, race fans have their photos taken by a docent at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis. May 29 will mark the 100th running of the Indianapolis 500, which claims to be the largest single-day sporting event in the world. Some 300,000 spectators will gather to watch drivers race 200 times around the 2.5-mile oval track _ a total of 500 miles. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy) In this April 20, 2016 photo, a two-seat street legal Indy Car give a passenger a ride down Main Street near the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis. May 29 will mark the 100th running of the Indianapolis 500, which claims to be the largest single-day sporting event in the world. Some 300,000 spectators will gather to watch drivers race 200 times around the 2.5-mile oval track _ a total of 500 miles. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy) In this April 29, 2016 photo, the Borg-Warner Trophy is pictured on the outside of the JW Marriott in Indianapolis. May 29 will mark the 100th running of the Indianapolis 500, which claims to be the largest single-day sporting event in the world. Some 300,000 spectators will gather to watch drivers race 200 times around the 2.5-mile oval track _ a total of 500 miles. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings) In this April 20, 2016 photo, a go cart slides through a turn at Speedway Indoor Karting in Indianapolis. May 29 will mark the 100th running of the Indianapolis 500, which claims to be the largest single-day sporting event in the world. Some 300,000 spectators will gather to watch drivers race 200 times around the 2.5-mile oval track _ a total of 500 miles. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy) In this April 20, 2016 photo, a bartender at Daredevil Brewing pours one of the brewery's signature beers in the brewpub in Indianapolis. May 29 will mark the 100th running of the Indianapolis 500, which claims to be the largest single-day sporting event in the world. Some 300,000 spectators will gather to watch drivers race 200 times around the 2.5-mile oval track _ a total of 500 miles. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy) Chemist who worked on drug cases was usually high SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (AP) Investigators say a former chemist who tested drugs for Massachusetts police departments was high almost every day she went to work for eight years, potentially putting thousands of criminal convictions in jeopardy. Sonja Farak, who worked for an Amherst lab that tested drug samples for police, was high on methamphetamines, ketamine, cocaine, LSD and other drugs during most of her time there, even when she testified in court, according to a state investigative report released Tuesday. Farak worked at the lab between 2005 and 2013. Cyndi Roy Gonzalez, a spokeswoman for Attorney General Maura Healey, said the information gathered about Farak "will no doubt have implications for many cases," but it is unclear just how many. She said it will be up to prosecutors, defense attorneys and the courts to determine the full scope of cases affected by Farak's misconduct. "We are deeply concerned whenever the integrity of the justice system is called into question or compromised," she said. One defense attorney told the Boston Herald that Farak handled about 30,000 cases during her career. "This is a statewide scandal, and I think it's going to take an enormous toll on the system," attorney Luke Ryan said. Farak's case is unrelated to the case of Annie Dookhan, who worked at a state drug lab in Boston. Dookhan was sentenced in November 2013 to at least three years in prison after pleading guilty to faking test results in criminal cases that jeopardized thousands of convictions. The American Civil Liberties Union of Massachusetts said the number of criminal cases affected by Farak's misconduct could rival the approximately 40,000 cases thrown into question by Dookhan's actions. "It's now beyond doubt that the drug war in Massachusetts during the Dookhan-Farak era was built on a foundation of falsified evidence," said Matthew Segal, the ACLU's legal director. Segal said he doesn't have an estimate of how many cases could be challenged, but said prosecutors who got convictions using drug samples she tested "have an obligation to identify and notify everyone who might have been denied due process" as a result of Farak's actions. Segal said that because Farak admitted ingesting lab "standards" drug samples used as benchmarks to test against substances submitted by police for testing all cases that went through the lab should be re-examined. Last year, the Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts ordered an investigation into the timing and scope of Farak's misconduct. Healey's office conducted the investigation. Many of the shocking details came from Farak's own grand jury testimony, including that she once smoked crack before a 2012 state police accreditation inspection of the now-closed lab. Farak also testified that she manufactured crack cocaine for her personal use in the lab. Farak, 37, of Northampton, pleaded guilty to tampering with evidence, stealing cocaine from the lab and unlawful possession in January 2014 and was sentenced to 18 months behind bars and five years of probation. She served her sentence and has been released from prison. The attorney who represented Farak during her criminal case did not immediately respond to a telephone message from The Associated Press on Wednesday. Gov. Charlie Baker said the state will likely have to allocate more money to deal with the Farak scandal. In the Dookhan case, the state Legislature authorized up to $30 million to cover costs incurred by the court system, prosecutors, public defenders and other state agencies. "We certainly believe we are going to have a big responsibility to work with the courts and with others to make sure that people who are affected by this have the appropriate opportunity to engage in that conversation," Baker said. "And we fully expect we will be doing that for the next several months." Dookhan was paroled earlier this year. She worked at the lab for nine years until her suspension in 2011. ___ The Rolling Stones have asked presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump to stop playing their songs at his campaign events. In a statement Wednesday, the rock band said they have not given permission to the Trump campaign to use their songs and 'have requested that they cease all use immediately.' A Trump campaign spokeswoman didn't immediately respond to a request for comment. See Donald Trump news as Rolling Stones ask the Republican to stop playing their songs The Rollings Stones have asked Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump to stop playing their songs at his campaign event Trump, an avid music fan, has featured Rolling Stones songs at his rallies for months as part of a diverse soundtrack that includes Elton John, opera and classic rock songs. Obama tells Flint residents, 'I've got your back' FLINT, Mich. (AP) Sipping filtered city water to show it's again drinkable, President Barack Obama promised Wednesday to ride herd on leaders at all levels of government until every drop of water flowing into homes in Flint, Michigan, is safe to use. He also promised that the aging pipes that contaminated the water with lead will be replaced, but cautioned that the project will take time. Obama said he wanted to use the crisis to make long-term improvements to the city, where more than 40 percent of residents live in poverty. "It's not going to happen overnight, but we have to get started," Obama told hundreds of people gathered in a high school gymnasium. Obama spoke after he was briefed on the federal response to the water contamination and had met privately with nine residents. President Barack Obama drinks water as he finishes speaking at Flint Northwestern High School in Flint, Mich., Wednesday, May 4, 2016, about the ongoing water crisis. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster) Obama said he understood why people are scared and angry and feel let down. He said what happened in Flint was a manmade disaster that didn't have to happen. But he said it did happen and everyone must now work together to fix it. "I've got your back," Obama said. "I will not rest and I'm going to make sure that the leaders at every level of government don't rest until every drop of water that flows to your homes is safe to drink and safe to cook with and safe to bathe in." He called providing safe drinking water a basic responsibility of government. And while he said he didn't want to go over every "screw-up that resulted in contaminated water," he blamed an overarching attitude that less government is better. "It's an ideology that undervalues the common good," Obama said. After coughing several times during his remarks, Obama asked for and drank from a glass of water. He also drank city water after getting a lengthy briefing on the crisis, which forced residents to spend months drinking, cooking and bathing with bottled water. Obama declared a state of emergency in Flint in mid-January and ordered federal aid to supplement the state and local response. By then, however, the crisis was in full bloom. It took several months for the nation to focus on the beaten-down city's plight, raising questions about how race, more than half of Flint's residents are black, and poverty influenced decisions that led to the tainted water supply and the sluggish response. The city, in an effort to save money while under state management, began drawing its water from the Flint River in April 2014. Despite complaints from residents about the smell and taste and health problems, city leaders insisted the water was safe. However, doctors reported last September that the blood of Flint children contained high levels of lead. The source of the city's water has been switched back to Detroit, but the lead problem still is not fully solved. Most people are drinking filtered or bottled water. The political and legal fallout is ongoing. An independent commission appointed by Republican Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder determined the state was primarily responsible for the water contamination in Flint, and he issued an apology. The Obama administration's response, through the Environmental Protection Agency, has also come under criticism from Snyder and some in Congress who say the EPA didn't move with necessary urgency. Congress is also grappling with how to help Flint, but progress has been slow. Snyder spoke in the gymnasium during Obama's meeting and was loudly booed. Snyder said he understood why residents were angry and wanted to say he was sorry. "You didn't create this problem," Snyder said. "Government failed you." Many in the audience yelled back at Snyder, "You failed." Outside the school, Reneta Richard, a teacher and Flint resident, said she hoped Obama's trip would lead to something positive. She recently bought a house and said she's there for the long haul. "I want him to leave a check right here, right now for pipe removal and medical bills and the life we're going to suffer," said Richard, 37, a single mom. "This isn't going to be over in 10 years." Marc Edwards, a Virginia Tech expert who sounded the alarm over Flint's lead problem last year, said Obama's presence in Flint "sends an amazing message." "He was here. Flint counted," Edwards said. During the trip, federal officials announced $10 million to build and renovate community health centers in Michigan so they could serve more patients. Also, the Michigan Senate approved spending another $128 million to address the problems in Flint. The emergency aid now goes to the state House for consideration. ___ Associated Press writer Ed White contributed to this report. ___ On Twitter, reach Kevin Freking at https://twitter.com/APkfreking President Barack Obama holds up a glass of water as he drinks after speaking at Flint Northwestern High School in Flint, Mich., Wednesday, May 4, 2016, about the ongoing water crisis. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster) President Barack Obama takes a sip of water while he speaks at Northwestern High School in Flint, Mich., Wednesday, May 4, 2016, after hearing first-hand from Flint residents about the ongoing water crisis. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio President Barack Obama drinks filtered Flint, Mich. water during a briefing on the response and recovery plans of the ongoing water crisis by the unified command group at the Food Bank of Eastern Michigan in Flint, Mich., Wednesday, May 4, 2016. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster) President Barack Obama drinks filtered Flint tap water at a roundtable discussion with city, state and national officials on Wednesday, May 4, 2016 at the Food Bank of Eastern Michigan in Flint. President Obama drank filtered city water to show that it is again safe to drink following a lead-contamination crisis. (Jake May\The Flint Journal-MLive.com via AP) President Barack Obama is greeted by Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder as he arrives on Air Force One at Bishop International Airport in Flint, Mich., Wednesday, May 4, 2016. The president is in Flint, Mich., to discuss the ongoing water crisis. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster) President Barack Obama follows Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder to the presidents motorcade vehicle at Bishop International Airport in Flint, Mich., Wednesday, May 4, 2016. The president is in Flint, Mich., to discuss the ongoing water crisis. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster) Congo buries its king of rumba, world music star Papa Wemba KINSHASA, Congo (AP) Thousands of Congolese attended the funeral Wednesday of Papa Wemba, a musician known around the world as the king of Congolese rumba. The 66-year-old musician died April 24 following a collapse on stage during a concert in Abidjan, Ivory Coast. His life has been celebrated with performances, ceremonies and parades since Monday. People gather outside a church during the funeral of Congolese musician Papa Wemba, in Kinshasa, Congo, Wednesday, May 4, 2016. Papa Wemba, known around the world as "the king of Congolese rumba," died following a collapse on stage during a concert on April 24, 2016. (AP Photo/John Bompengo) More than 15,000 people gathered outside, and 2,000 inside, the Notre Dame Cathedral in Kinshasa for the funeral service. "For three days, as one man, the Congolese people, Africa and the world mourn the man who came to be known as the father of Congolese rumba," said Cardinal Laurent Monsengwo. Bishops, priests, officials, local celebrities and family members gathered near his coffin covered in a Congolese flag before going to his burial site some 60 kilometers (37 miles) away. Rain poured down in Kinshasa after the burial a sign of a blessing in the country. Kinshasa mayor Andre Kimbuta said a mausoleum will be built in his honor. "I salute the master of art, a man of talent and genius," he said. President Joseph Kabila on Monday gave him the posthumous title of Grand Officer of the National Order. The country's cultural minister has said that a theater will be built in his memory. Kadi Shungu, the daughter of the musician, whose real name was Jules Shungu Wembadio Pene Kikumba, described him as "a loving father, affectionate, very generous and with a legendary hospitality." Papa Wemba rose to fame in the Congolese capital of Kinshasa during the 1970s with the band Zaiko Langa Langa, whose guitar-based fusion of Latin and African dance styles inspired a generation of African musicians. He moved to Paris in the 1980s and helped popularize Congolese music beyond Africa. In the 1990s he toured with British rock star Peter Gabriel. People gather outside the church during the funeral of Congolese musician Papa Wemba in Kinshasa, Congo, Wednesday, May 4, 2016. Papa Wemba, known around the world as "the king of Congolese rumba," died following a collapse on stage during a concert on April 24, 2016. (AP Photo/John Bompengo) People gather around the casket of Congolese musician Papa Wemba during his funeral in Kinshasa Congo, Wednesday, May 4, 2016. Thousands of Congolese attended the funeral Wednesday of Papa Wemba, a musician known around the world as the king of Congolese rumba. The 66-year-old musician died April 24, 2016, following a collapse on stage during a concert in Abidjan, Ivory Coast. (AP Photo/John Bompengo) People gather around the grave site of Congolese musician Papa Wemba after his burial in Kinshasa, Congo, Wednesday, May 4, 2016. Thousands of Congolese attended the funeral Wednesday of Papa Wemba, a musician known around the world as the king of Congolese rumba. The 66-year-old musician died April 24, 2016, following a collapse on stage during a concert in Abidjan, Ivory Coast. (AP Photo/John Bompengo) People gather around the burial site of Congolese musician Papa Wemba during his funeral in Kinshasa, Congo, Wednesday, May 4, 2016. Thousands of Congolese attended the funeral Wednesday of Papa Wemba, a musician known around the world as the king of Congolese rumba. The 66-year-old musician died April 24, 2016, following a collapse on stage during a concert in Abidjan, Ivory Coast. (AP Photo/John Bompengo) The Latest: Alleged Gangster Disciples indicted in 2 states ATLANTA (AP) The Latest on the indictment of alleged members of the Gangster Disciples gang (all times local): 2:30 p.m. Federal indictments in Georgia and Tennessee charge members of the Gangster Disciples gang with racketeering activity. The indictments unsealed Wednesday name 48 people, 32 charged in Atlanta and 16 charged in Memphis, Tennessee. All but three of those indicted have been arrested. The indictments say the alleged gang members engaged in criminal activity, including murder, drug trafficking and financial fraud in states around the country. Among those charged is a former Atlanta-area police officer. The indictment says the officer, who worked for the DeKalb County Police Department until October, said he was a hit man for the gang. The indictments say the Gangster Disciples is a highly structured and hierarchical violent gang that began in Chicago in the 1970s. ___ 10:20 a.m. A federal indictment charges alleged members of the Gangster Disciples street gang, including an Atlanta area police officer, with racketeering activity. The indictment, which names 32 people, was filed last week in federal court in Atlanta and was unsealed Wednesday. The indictment says the alleged gang members engaged in criminal activity, including murder, drug trafficking and financial fraud. The indictment says the alleged gang members named in the indictment were involved in criminal activity in states including Georgia, Florida, Texas, Indiana, South Carolina, California and Alabama. Authorities in Tennessee also plan to hold a news conference Wednesday regarding the indictment of members of the Gangster Disciples. Some 59,000 Syrians, a new high, stranded on Jordan border HADALAT, Jordan (AP) The number of Syrian refugees gathered in remote desert areas on the Jordanian border and waiting to enter the kingdom has risen to a new high of 59,000, the commander of Jordan's Border Guard Forces said Wednesday. In the last three days alone, some 5,000 more Syrians arrived in two sprawling makeshift camps on the border, fleeing renewed fighting in the city of Aleppo, Gen. Saber al-Mahayreh told reporters. Jordan and the international community are at odds over the fate of the stranded refugees. A Syrian refugee man and boy cross into Jordan at the Hadalat reception area on the Syrian-Jordanian border, about 320 kilometers (200 miles) northeast of the capital of Amman, Wednesday, May 4, 2016. The commander of Jordan's Border Guard Forces says the number of Syrian refugees amassed in remote desert areas on the Jordanian border and waiting to enter has risen to a new high of 59,000. (AP Photo/Raad Adayleh) Aid organizations say Jordan must speed up entry procedures because the refugees live in dire conditions, including inadequate shelter, along the border. The groups note that the U.N.-run Azraq camp in Jordan stands largely empty and could accommodate tens of thousands more refugees. Jordan says refugees pose a potential security risk, with some coming from areas controlled by the extremist Islamic State group, and need to be vetted. The stranded refugees are gathered in two areas Rokban, with 52,000 people, and Hadalat, with 7,200 people, said the border commander. Hadalat is about 320 kilometers (200 miles) northeast of the Jordanian capital of Amman. The number of refugees has risen steadily in recent months. Jordanian army officials said the refugees have received tents, heaters, food and medicine from U.N. aid agencies. On Wednesday, about 300 refugees were permitted to enter Jordan, with priority given to women, children, the sick and the elderly. Ahmed Jadouh, a refugee from Aleppo, said there is large-scale destruction in his city. "We had no other place to go, so we decided to come to Jordan," he said. One refugee, who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of repercussions, said he has been living in a tent near the border for six months. He said he is afraid to apply for entry to Jordan for fear of being sent back to Syria. Close to 5 million Syrians have fled their country since conflict erupted there in 2011, including more than 640,000 who settled in Jordan. Syrian refugees await approval to enter Jordan at the Hadalat reception area on the Syrian-Jordanian border, about 320 kilometers (200 miles) northeast of the capital of Amman, Wednesday, May 4, 2016. The commander of Jordan's Border Guard Forces says the number of Syrian refugees amassed in remote desert areas on the Jordanian border and waiting to enter has risen to a new high of 59,000. (AP Photo/Raad Adayleh) Syrian refugees await approval to enter Jordan at the Hadalat reception area on the Syrian-Jordanian border, about 320 kilometers (200 miles) northeast of the capital of Amman, Wednesday, May 4, 2016. The commander of Jordan's Border Guard Forces says the number of Syrian refugees amassed in remote desert areas on the Jordanian border and waiting to enter has risen to a new high of 59,000. (AP Photo/Raad Adayleh) Syrian refugees await approval to enter Jordan at the Hadalat reception area on the Syrian-Jordanian border, about 320 kilometers (200 miles) northeast of the capital of Amman, Wednesday, May 4, 2016. The commander of Jordan's Border Guard Forces says the number of Syrian refugees amassed in remote desert areas on the Jordanian border and waiting to enter has risen to a new high of 59,000. (AP Photo/Raad Adayleh) Jordanian soldiers help women and children enter into Jordan at the Hadalat reception area on the Syrian-Jordanian border, about 320 kilometers (200 miles) northeast of the capital of Amman, Wednesday, May 4, 2016. The commander of Jordan's Border Guard Forces says the number of Syrian refugees amassed in remote desert areas on the Jordanian border and waiting to enter has risen to a new high of 59,000. (AP Photo/Raad Adayleh) Syrian refugees wait on a bus after crossing into Jordan at the Hadalat reception area on the Syrian-Jordanian border, about 320 kilometers (200 miles) northeast of the capital of Amman, Wednesday, May 4, 2016. The commander of Jordan's Border Guard Forces says the number of Syrian refugees amassed in remote desert areas on the Jordanian border and waiting to enter has risen to a new high of 59,000. (AP Photo/Raad Adayleh) Syrian refugees await approval to enter Jordan at the Hadalat reception area on the Syrian-Jordanian border, about 320 kilometers (200 miles) northeast of the capital of Amman, Wednesday, May 4, 2016. The commander of Jordan's Border Guard Forces says the number of Syrian refugees amassed in remote desert areas on the Jordanian border and waiting to enter has risen to a new high of 59,000. (AP Photo/Raad Adayleh) Syrian refugees wait in line to get on a bus after crossing into Jordan at the Hadalat reception area on the Syrian-Jordanian border, about 320 kilometers (200 miles) northeast of the capital of Amman, Wednesday, May 4, 2016. The commander of Jordan's Border Guard Forces says the number of Syrian refugees amassed in remote desert areas on the Jordanian border and waiting to enter has risen to a new high of 59,000. (AP Photo/Raad Adayleh) Syrian refugee boys await approval to enter Jordan at the Hadalat reception area on the Syrian-Jordanian border, about 320 kilometers (200 miles) northeast of the capital of Amman, Wednesday, May 4, 2016. The commander of Jordan's Border Guard Forces says the number of Syrian refugees amassed in remote desert areas on the Jordanian border and waiting to enter has risen to a new high of 59,000. (AP Photo/Raad Adayleh) Syrian refugees wait on a bus after crossing into Jordan at the Hadalat reception area on the Syrian-Jordanian border, about 320 kilometers (200 miles) northeast of the capital of Amman, Wednesday, May 4, 2016. The commander of Jordan's Border Guard Forces says the number of Syrian refugees amassed in remote desert areas on the Jordanian border and waiting to enter has risen to a new high of 59,000. (AP Photo/Raad Adayleh) Florida teen's family suing over death on SC ropes course COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) The family of a Florida teen has sued over her death at a high ropes course last summer in South Carolina, accusing the group that ran the camp and the company that sold the swing she fell from of negligence. Authorities have said Olivia Paige Grimes, 16, of Lakeland, Florida, died in July after falling more than 100 feet from a pendulum swing at Carolina Point Camp in Sunset, on the South Carolina-North Carolina state line. Grimes was supposed to be attached to a large pendulum swing along with two other people, but she became unhooked and fell more than 100 feet to the ground, authorities said. Deputies said they found no evidence of foul play or mechanical failure. The Pickens County Coroner's Office said the death was accidental. In January, Grimes' family filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Young Life Inc., a Christian youth organization, and Adventure Experiences Inc., the Texas company that sold the "Freebird" swing to the camp. The lawsuit, which this week was transferred from Florida to federal court in South Carolina, accuses both entities of negligence. Mediation is set for next month. The Grimes' family says the teen was never properly secured into the "ultrahazardous and abnormally dangerous" swing, which at the time was being operated by only one Young Life employee instead of two. Adventure Experiences designed a "defective and unreasonably dangerous" ride that only had one hook for securing a rider, the lawsuit says. Attorneys representing Young Life and Adventure Experiences did not immediately respond to an email Wednesday. Carolina Point Camp straddles the South Carolina-North Carolina line and has a Brevard, North Carolina, mailing address, although the Freebird swing was located on the South Carolina side of the border. That should have made it subject to annual inspections by South Carolina's Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation, although an agency spokeswoman said after Grimes death that the camp had no permit for the course. ___ The Latest: Doctors say face transplant not in jeopardy. HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) The Latest on Charla Nash's transplant (all times local): 3:15 p.m. Doctors at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston say Charla Nash's face transplant is not in jeopardy, despite the discovery that her body is rejecting some of the tissue. FILE - In this Feb. 20, 2015 file photo, Charla Nash smiles as her care worker washes her face at her apartment in Boston. The Connecticut woman who underwent a face transplant five years ago after being attacked by a chimpanzee is back in a Boston hospital after doctors discovered her body is rejecting the transplant. Nash says doctors have decided to end an experimental drug treatment and put her back on her original medication in the hopes of reversing the rejection. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa, File) Dr. Bohdan Pomahac, director of plastic surgery transplantation, said Nash is doing well and that she is experiencing a "moderate rejection episode, which face transplant patients experience on occasion." He said Wednesday he expects the rejection episode to be resolved within the coming week and Nash should be released from the hospital in the next day or two. ____ 1 p.m. The Connecticut woman who underwent a face transplant five years ago after being attacked by a chimpanzee is back in a Boston hospital after doctors discovered her body is rejecting the transplant. Charla Nash says doctors have decided to end an experimental drug treatment and put her back on her original medication in the hopes of reversing the rejection. Nash had been taking part in a military-funded experiment in which doctors at Boston's Brigham and Women's Hospital tried to wean her off the anti-rejection drugs she had been taking since the 2011 operation. Chimp victim hospitalized with face-transplant complications HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) The Connecticut woman who underwent a face transplant five years ago after being attacked by a chimpanzee is back in a Boston hospital after doctors discovered her body is rejecting tissue from the transplant. Dr. Bohdan Pomahac, director of plastic surgery transplantation at Brigham and Women's Hospital, said Wednesday that Charla Nash is experiencing a "moderate rejection episode" and the transplant is not in jeopardy. Nash was taking part in an experiment in which doctors had tried to wean her off the anti-rejection drugs she had been taking since the 2011 operation. Anti-rejection drugs can have serious side effects, and the military had funded the experiment in hopes of using the findings to help soldiers who had transplants after returning from war. FILE - In this Feb. 20, 2015 file photo, Charla Nash smiles as her care worker washes her face at her apartment in Boston. The Connecticut woman who underwent a face transplant five years ago after being attacked by a chimpanzee is back in a Boston hospital after doctors discovered her body is rejecting the transplant. Nash says doctors have decided to end an experimental drug treatment and put her back on her original medication in the hopes of reversing the rejection. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa, File) Pomahac said doctors have removed Nash from the experiment and put her back on her original medication. He said she will most likely leave the hospital in the next day or two. "We expect this rejection episode to be resolved within the coming week," he said in a statement. Nash, 62, recently discovered several unusual patches on her face, said Shelly Sindland, her publicist. Doctors on Monday did a biopsy and determined her body was rejecting the transplant, she said. "I gave it my all and know my participation in the study will still be beneficial," Nash said in a statement to The Associated Press. "I'd do it all over again, if I could. The men and women serving our country are the true heroes." The immunosuppression drugs that transplant patients are typically given for the rest of their lives carry such risks as cancer, viral infections and kidney damage. Because of those dangers, many transplants of non-vital body parts, such as thumbs, are not considered worth doing. But doctors say that could change if the drugs don't have to be a lifelong commitment. The Pentagon, which also paid for Nash's transplant, has provided grants to 14 medical facilities across the U.S. through its hand and face transplantation program. The face and the extremities are the most frequently injured parts of the body in war. "I'm just happy I had the chance to help," said Nash, adding that she feels fine. "I wish I could have done more. I believe in the power of prayer and appreciate everyone who is praying for me." Nash lost her nose, lips, eyelids and hands when she was mauled in 2009 by her employer's 200-pound pet chimpanzee in Stamford, Connecticut. Doctors also had to remove her eyes because of a disease transmitted by the chimp. She later received new facial features taken from a dead woman. She also underwent a double hand transplant, but it failed when her body rejected the tissue. 4 reasons why Aeropostale lost its cool with shoppers NEW YORK (AP) Aeropostale Inc., once a popular mall destination for teens, has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, becoming the latest victim in the fast-changing retail landscape. Aeropostale joins the ranks of teen retailers looking to reorganize under bankruptcy protection including Wet Seal Inc., Pacific Sunwear of California and American Apparel. And like many of these ailing merchants, Aeropostale had been struggling for several years. The chain has racked up three years of annual losses and five straight years of annual sales declines for a key measure. Annual sales shrunk to $1.5 billion last year, down nearly 40 percent from $2.4 billion in 2010. FILE - In this Wednesday, Dec. 2, 2015, file photo, a woman shops in an Aeropostale clothing store, in New York. The Labor Department reports on consumer prices for December, on Wednesday, Jan. 20, 2016. Aeropostale has joined the ranks of teen merchants filing for bankruptcy protection. But the once popular mall destination for teens has struggled for years for several reasons. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan, File) Its shares were delisted by the New York Stock Exchange last month, after they were trading for 15 cents. Aeropostale's stock hit an all-time high of $32.24 in 2010. Since the Great Recession, many teen chains have suffered because of fierce competition from the likes of online players and fast-fashion retailers such as Forever 21. But they're also wrestling with seismic changes in shopping behavior. Teens have always been fickle shoppers, but these days they're shopping differently, mirroring broader trends in the retail industry. They're no longer roaming around at the mall but researching deals and fashions on the Web before they go. And they're not looking to be carbon copies of their peers; instead, they're embracing individualistic styles. Aeropostale was a bright spot during the downturn, as shoppers saw it as the cheapest option compared to the two other teen industry stalwarts: American Eagle Outfitters Inc. and Abercrombie & Fitch Co. But as the economy improved, teens went back to some of their favorite brands, though they still wanted fat discounts. Both American Eagle and Abercrombie have seen their sales improve recently as they have worked hard to reinvent their businesses. American Eagle, for example, has been able to scale back its discounting as it overhauled its fashions, including adding more stretch to its jeans. But Aeropostale has been slow to adapt to these changing times. "It has become increasingly clear that Aeropostale's business model is broken and cannot be fixed without major restructuring," writes Neil Saunders, CEO of retail research firm Conlumino in a report published Wednesday. Here are four challenges that Aeropostale has struggled with: TEENS DON'T WANT TO LOOK LIKE EACH OTHER: It used to be that teens wanted to dress exactly like their peers and were fixated on sporting anything with a logo from their favorite brands. Not anymore. Teens, inspired by Instagram and the like, are looking to personalize their looks, and prefer to grab items from different stores. That has been a big problem for Aeropostale, whose sales had been driven by logoed merchandise. Aeropostale started to shed its logoed clothing and began focusing on trendy items about three years ago. It teamed up with names like stylish American video blogger Bethany Mota. But its efforts were too little, too late. The new looks never failed to gain traction with shoppers. AEROPOSTALE COULDN'T WEAN SHOPPERS OFF PROMOTIONS: Teens like deals and they like to research online before shopping at the stores. But they're also willing to pay full-price for something they covet. However, Aeropostale was forced to constantly discount the entire store by as much as 70 percent off because they couldn't get shoppers to buy the clothes. "They were too caught up in the promotions," said Ken Perkins, president of Retail Metrics LLC, a retail research firm. THE CHANGING MALL: Aeropostale and other retailers benefited from being at the epicenter of where teens shop: the mall. But increasingly, kids are shopping on their smartphones and going to the mall for specific items, not just to roam around. And a rash of bankruptcies of mall-based retailers have left some holes and hurt traffic at the shopping centers, says David Tawil at Maglan Capital, a hedge fund that focuses on distressed securities. That's hurt Aeropostale, which is now closing 113 of its 739 U.S. stores, or 20 percent of its store base. As of early January 2014, it had 1,100 stores. Analysts also say Aeropostale hasn't done enough to make their stores more exciting to shop. And some believe Aeropostale will need to close even more stores to restore profitability. INTENSE COMPETITION: Teens are buying their clothing and accessories at lots of different places, from Forever 21 to off-priced stores like TJ Maxx and online. And the competition is only getting fiercer. Amazon.com is quietly expanding its private-label fashion business, while teen stores face new rivals from overseas. United Kingdom-based Primark, which sells trendy cheap items like $7 jeans, made its first foray last year in the U.S. _____ Man denies role in 1991 slaying of 5-year-old New Jersey boy NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J. (AP) A man who has been mentioned as an alternate suspect at a woman's New Jersey trial over the killing of her 5-year-old son has denied any role in the boy's 1991 death. Bernard McShane took the stand Wednesday in the murder trial of Michelle Lodzinski. She was living in Port St. Lucie, Florida, when she was charged in 2014 with killing Timothy Wiltsey. A defense witness had testified last week that McShane told him he had killed the child. But McShane testified as a rebuttal witness, saying he had never been to New Jersey before traveling from Arizona to testify. McShane's testimony came a day after Lodzinski told the judge she would not testify. Cooper Hewitt's triennial design exhibit looks at 'Beauty' NEW YORK (AP) Every three years, the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum offers visitors the chance to take a good, long look at the state of contemporary design. With the dizzyingly expansive theme "Beauty," the latest triennial, on view in New York through August 21 and then opening at the San Jose Museum of Art on Oct. 7, features hundreds of works from around the world, from experimental prototypes and interactive games to fashion ensembles and architectural inventions. "The focus is on works from the past three years by both emerging and established practitioners who are pushing the boundaries and showing where things seem to be going," explained Andrea Lipps, who curated the show with Ellen Lupton. This undated photo provided by the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum shows pieces of a collection of bold and blindingly bright beaded creatures dubbed "Afreaks." The pieces, in which feelings of joy and possibility seem almost palpable, are by the Los Angeles based Haas Brothers, in collaboration with the Haas Sisters, a group of artists from South Africa. The collection is part of the exhibit "Beauty - Cooper Hewitt Design Triennial," an exhibit at the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum in New York and offers visitors the chance to take a good long look at the state of contemporary design, offering eye-popping works from around the globe and hinting at where things seem to be headed. The exhibit runs through Aug. 21. (Joe Kramm, R & Company/Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum via AP) Many of the works interact with viewers or the environment, and involve multiple senses. Here, beauty is not only in the eye of the beholder, but in the touch of a finger or the sniff of a nose. The show makes the case that "aesthetic innovation can drive change... . Objects of beauty exalt the experience of living," Lipps said. "So much of beauty is about sensual experience." The show, which extends across two floors of the museum, is divided into seven "lenses" of beauty. "Extravagant," ''intricate" and "ethereal" are on the first floor and in the elevator, while "transgressive," ''emergent," ''elemental" and "transformative" take the third floor. Starting with "extravagant" beauty, the show opens with a dramatic, polychromatic tulle skirt and a red 1950s pajama top by designer Giambattista Valli, known for his intense romanticism combining a sense of fantasy with simple clean lines. It is juxtaposed with stark black-and-white images of hairstyles designed by Guido Palau. Nearby, in "ethereal," milliner Maiko Takeda's surreal headgear resembles giant fuzzy caterpillars, with bristles of thinly shredded acetate tinted with color gradients to evoke a sort of delicate synthetic fur that undulates with the slightest breeze. In a long corridor around the corner, the museum commissioned Norwegian scent artist Sissel Tolaas to create "Smell, The Beauty of Decay: Smellscape Central Park 2015." An unassuming off-white expanse of wall, covered in paint imbued with scents gathered in the park, exudes the almost-tangible scents of flowers, hot dogs or even horse manure depending on where it's rubbed. The "Beauty" catalog says that for Tolaas, "Smell is information. She composes provocative smells to stimulate memory, recreate place, capture seasonality, and arouse emotional and intellectual responses." Upstairs, the "transgressive" section starts with a collection of bold and blindingly bright beaded creatures dubbed "Afreaks" that look like they just strolled in off the pages of some African Dr. Seuss book. The pieces, which evoke feelings of joy and possibility, are by the Los Angeles-based Haas Brothers (twins Nikolai and Simon Haas) in collaboration with a group of artists from South Africa who call themselves the "Haas Sisters." A little further on, the exploration of beauty delves into the depths of conventional ugliness. Juxtaposed with the smile-inducing "Afreaks" are works created using jagged black iron filings by Dutch designer Jolan van der Wiel. Van der Wiel uses oppositional forces of gravity and magnetism to create organic, armored forms including stools and, in collaboration with Iris van Herpen, shoes and dresses made from a composite of iron filings and plastic or ceramic. "These are very prickly and primordial forms. They are so ugly they really do cross over into beautiful," Lipps said. In the "emergent" gallery are 3-D-printed pieces in glass by Neri Oxman and her team at MIT. Working at the intersection of computational design, robotic fabrication, materials engineering and synthetic biology, they have created a series of "wearable, synthetic organ systems that could help humans survive the harsh conditions found on distant planets." At first glance, the detailed works in glass resemble some type of space-age clothing, or enormous sculpted scarves; up close, they look like wearable human organs, complete with what appear to be capillaries or intestinal tracts. In the "transformative" section, the British design team TheUnseen has created a leather jacket printed in color-changing ink that responds to environmental conditions. Layered to look like a strange sort of plumage, it slowly changes from black to peacock hues of blue, turquoise and purple depending on the movement of the wind around it. "It's about using color and form to express these different worlds beyond the eye, the ear and the nose, beyond what we as humans see," says Lauren Bowker, founder of the design team, interviewed in the catalog. Said Lipps: "Beauty is really a response in the viewer to the idea of sensual experience. And it is manifest in an incredibly rich diversity of forms and interpretations." This undated photo provided by the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum shows Maiko Takeda's surreal headgear which resembles giant, fuzzy caterpillars, with bristles of thinly shredded acetate tinted with color gradients so that they evoke a sort of delicate synthetic fur that undulates with the slightest breeze. The work is part of an exhibit titled "Beauty - Cooper Hewitt Design Triennial" at the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum in New York and offers visitors the chance to take a good long look at the state of contemporary design, offering eye-popping works from around the globe and hinting at where things seem to be headed. The exhibit runs through Aug. 21. (Bryan Huynh/Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum via AP) This undated photo provided by the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum shows a jacket by the British design team TheUnseen with Luaren Bowker. The leather jacket printed in color-changing ink that responds to environmental conditions is layered to look almost like a strange sort of plumage, which slowly changes from black to peacock hues of blue, turquoise and purple depending on the movement and turbulence of the wind around it. The work is part of an exhibit titled "Beauty - Cooper Hewitt Design Triennial" at the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum in New York and offers visitors the chance to take a good long look at the state of contemporary design, offering eye-popping works from around the globe and hinting at where things seem to be headed. The exhibit runs through Aug. 21. (Jonny Lee Photography/Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum via AP) Congo ex-governor is presidential candidate for opposition KINSHASA, Congo (AP) A former governor with Congo's ruling party said Wednesday he would run as an opposition candidate in the Central African country's November presidential elections. Moise Katumbi, who served as governor of Katanga, accepted the nomination by three opposition movements. "Since I resigned my position as governor of Katanga in September 2015, we have worked to develop a common society project, with all political and social forces that are committed toward change," a statement accepting the nomination said. "I will lead this project in a spirit of national harmony." Katumbi criticized alleged efforts to delay elections when he resigned from the ruling party last year. In Wednesday's statement, he said that the appointment of a common candidate among opposition parties is a major objective to increase the chances of electoral success which would then ensure political change, adding that negotiations with other groups and politicians will be conducted with this in mind. "I invite my fellow countrymen, enamored with peace, freedom and progress, to join our peaceful battle for a guaranteed victory," he said. The opposition have recently been victims of judicial and police harassment, he said. In recent months, the United Nations has denounced what it calls arbitrary arrests of opponents and activists and the U.S. has expressed concern about legal action against pro-democracy activists. The opposition is worried President Joseph Kabila, who has been in power since 2001 and is meant to leave office in December, will try to stay in power. He is barred by the constitution from seeking a third term. Congo has not had a peaceful transfer of power in its more than 55 years of independence. As Atlantic City goes broke, pols bicker over aid plans TRENTON, N.J. (AP) As Atlantic City edges closer to going broke, state lawmakers continue to bicker over how to prevent that from happening. A nasty, protracted struggle between Democratic leaders of the New Jersey Legislature is getting worse, with both sides digging in even deeper, and the likelihood of a deal to help the teetering seaside gambling resort shrinking by the minute. Both men in effect calling each other liars didn't help, either. New Jersey Senate President Steve Sweeney, D-West Deptford, N.J., addresses the media during news conference at the Statehouse over the future of Atlantic City Wednesday, May 4, 2016, in Trenton, N.J. Sweeney indicated Wednesday that even if a bill similar to his passes in the Assembly, he won't put it up for a vote in the Senate. The cash-starved city could go broke within weeks if an aid package is not enacted. (AP Photo/Mel Evans) Assembly Speaker Vincent Prieto will post his version of an Atlantic City aid bill for a vote in the Assembly on Thursday. But Senate president Steve Sweeney indicated Wednesday that even if the Assembly bill passes, he won't put it up for a vote in the Senate. Sweeney is insisting on his own Atlantic City bill, which gives the city 130 days to right its finances, compared with two years in the Assembly bill. Republican Gov. Chris Christie says he'll only sign Sweeney's bill, without changes. The cash-starved city could go broke within weeks if an aid package is not enacted. "He should put his bill up for a vote," Sweeney said of Prieto. "Once that doesn't pass, he should pass my bill. Otherwise, Atlantic City is going bankrupt." Prieto bluntly said the Senate bill will not be heard in the Assembly on Thursday, regardless of what happens to his own bill. Sweeney also claimed he offered to extend his bill's time frame for financial improvements from 130 days to nearly six months. Prieto says that never happened, and neither lawmaker would back down from their stances. Prieto has refused to back the Senate bill, largely because it would allow the state to unilaterally break union contracts. Atlantic City Mayor Don Guardian said his administration has cut costs and laid off 330 workers during his two years in office. But he said the city needs help now. "Even if I fired every single city employee, we would still be in tremendous debt because of legacy costs and casino tax appeals," he said. "As any expert will tell you, we simply cannot cut our way out of this problem. We want a solution as much as anyone else, but we need a comprehensive solution to a problem that has been 30 years in the making." Prieto's bill would create a commission to establish performance benchmarks that Atlantic City would have to meet over two years before a full state takeover could happen. "But bankruptcy and financial ruin will be here in mere weeks," said Democratic Assemblyman John Burzichelli. "Atlantic City Mayor Don Guardian had to hold a press conference on Monday just to announce that the city could pay one of its bills. This is beyond nuts." On Monday, the city narrowly avoided becoming the first New Jersey city in 78 years to default on its debt by scraping up enough cash to make a $1.8 million bond payment. Both bills include a provision to let the city's eight casinos make payments in lieu of taxes in return for not appealing their tax assessments. The casinos would benefit from cost-certainty in knowing what their annual expenses will be, and the city would benefit by not having to deal with the tax appeals that casinos have used to devastating effect over the past 10 years to blow huge holes in the city budget as the value of their gambling halls declined. ___ Follow Wayne Parry at http://twitter.com/WayneParryAC New Jersey Senate President Steve Sweeney, D-West Deptford, N.J., addresses the media during news conference at the Statehouse over the future of Atlantic City Wednesday, May 4, 2016, in Trenton, N.J. Sweeney indicated Wednesday that even if a bill similar to his passes in the Assembly, he won't put it up for a vote in the Senate. The cash-starved city could go broke within weeks if an aid package is not enacted. (AP Photo/Mel Evans) New Jersey Senate President Steve Sweeney, D-West Deptford, N.J., addresses a gathering at the Statehouse over the future of Atlantic City Wednesday, May 4, 2016, in Trenton, N.J. As Atlantic City edges closer to going broke, state lawmakers continue to bicker over how to prevent that from happening. Democratic Assembly Speaker Vincent Prieto will post his version of an Atlantic City aid bill for a vote in the Assembly on Thursday. But Sweeney, a fellow Democrat, indicated Wednesday that even if the Assembly bill passes, he won't put it up for a vote in the Senate. (AP Photo/Mel Evans) New Jersey Senate President Steve Sweeney, D-West Deptford, N.J., addresses a gathering at the Statehouse over the future of Atlantic City Wednesday, May 4, 2016, in Trenton, N.J. As Atlantic City edges closer to going broke, state lawmakers continue to bicker over how to prevent that from happening. Democratic Assembly Speaker Vincent Prieto will post his version of an Atlantic City aid bill for a vote in the Assembly on Thursday. But Sweeney, a fellow Democrat, indicated Wednesday that even if the Assembly bill passes, he won't put it up for a vote in the Senate. (AP Photo/Mel Evans) New Jersey Senate President Steve Sweeney, D-West Deptford, N.J., addresses a gathering at the Statehouse over the future of Atlantic City Wednesday, May 4, 2016, in Trenton, N.J. As Atlantic City edges closer to going broke, state lawmakers continue to bicker over how to prevent that from happening. Democratic Assembly Speaker Vincent Prieto will post his version of an Atlantic City aid bill for a vote in the Assembly on Thursday. But Sweeney, a fellow Democrat, indicated Wednesday that even if the Assembly bill passes, he won't put it up for a vote in the Senate. (AP Photo/Mel Evans) New Jersey Senate President Steve Sweeney, D-West Deptford, N.J., addresses a gathering at the Statehouse over the future of Atlantic City Wednesday, May 4, 2016, in Trenton, N.J. As Atlantic City edges closer to going broke, state lawmakers continue to bicker over how to prevent that from happening. Democratic Assembly Speaker Vincent Prieto will post his version of an Atlantic City aid bill for a vote in the Assembly on Thursday. But Sweeney, a fellow Democrat, indicated Wednesday that even if the Assembly bill passes, he won't put it up for a vote in the Senate. (AP Photo/Mel Evans) UN says bombing of Aleppo among "the worst" of Syrian war UNITED NATIONS (AP) The U.N. political chief told an emergency meeting of the U.N. Security Council on Wednesday that the Syrian government's bombing campaign in Aleppo over the last two weeks is among "the worst" of the five-year war and he demanded that perpetrators be brought to justice at the International Criminal Court. Jeffrey Feltman said he wanted to make clear that intentional and direct attacks on hospitals are war crimes and so is using starvation as a weapon during conflict. Once Syria's largest city and commercial center, he said, Aleppo is being subjected to "systematic destruction" and is increasingly becoming "a shell of what it once was." He said "opposition shelling of government-controlled neighborhoods has also led to death and destruction." Feltman and U.N. humanitarian chief Stephen O'Brien called for the cessation of hostilities in Aleppo agreed to by the U.S. and Russia and announced Wednesday to be implemented fully and immediately. That call was echoed by virtually all 15 council members who spoke at the meeting. O'Brien said hundreds of civilians have been killed or injured in "the carnage in Aleppo" in the last 10 days and blamed all parties. "Life for people in Aleppo is horrendous and has lost all sense," he said, pointing to the roughly 300,000 people in eastern Aleppo living in constant fear of aerial attacks and the estimated 1.3 million in the west crowding into basements to escape shelling and mortar rounds. Syria's deputy U.N. ambassador Mounzer Mounzer told the council that "what the Syrian government has been doing in the city of Aleppo is merely a fulfillment of its obligation to protect its citizens from terrorism." He said the Syrian government abided by the cessation of hostilities that went into effect in late February and accused armed groups allied with the Nusra Front, an affiliate of al-Qaida, of violating the agreement, particularly in Aleppo. Russia's U.N. Ambassador Vitaly Churkin, a close Syrian ally, urged support for the Russian-American efforts and a peace agreement, and "an end to all provocations." Alluding to allegations that the Syrian government is responsible for widespread bombings and attacks, Churkin said, "it's counterproductive to express public criticism on unverified incidents simply to add new charges against the Syrian government." British Ambassador Matthew Rycroft, who called for the emergency meeting on Aleppo, demanded to know how Syrian President Bashar Assad and his allies can say they are protecting their people and justify the encirclement and assault on Aleppo including the shelling of hospitals and schools. Clinton, Sanders fight for last big prize: California LOS ANGELES (AP) Hillary Clinton is looking confidently ahead to the general election, but taking nothing for granted as California's mega-primary approaches, reaching out to Hispanic and black voters in the hope of waging a final knockout against rival Bernie Sanders. Clinton's visit to the Golden State Thursday coincides with Cinco de Mayo, the annual celebration of Mexican culture and heritage. She plans to rally supporters in the gymnasium of a community college that serves heavily Hispanic cities on the edge of Los Angeles. The event will carry symbolic value. The venue, East Los Angeles College, isn't far from another local school where Clinton kicked off her successful 2008 presidential primary run in California, when she delivered a setback to then-Sen. Barack Obama on his way to claiming the White House. Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton addresses the Asian Pacific American Institute for Congressional Studies (APAICS) reception prior to their awards dinner, in Washington, Wednesday, May 4, 2016. (AP Photo/Cliff Owen) In that race, the former first lady notched nearly 55 percent of the vote in heavily Democratic Los Angeles County, home to 10 million people and an important battleground in any statewide campaign. As in past primaries, Clinton is expected to do well in the June 7 primary with older Democrats, Hispanics and black voters, while Sanders could perform better with younger voters and independents, who are allowed to vote in the state's Democratic primary. "The Sanders folks feel that they have to do better with the minority communities, especially Latinos," said Mitchell Schwartz, who ran Obama's 2008 campaign in the state and supports the Vermont senator. For Clinton's campaign, "they don't want to go into the (national) convention having lost the biggest state in the country," Schwartz added. "They are going to pull out all the stops here to win." Relying on many of the same advisers who laid the groundwork for her 2008 win, Clinton is looking to build on that strategy, targeting key demographics in the diverse region. Hispanics alone make up about half the population in Los Angeles County. Clinton will begin her day Thursday meeting privately with politically influential black pastors in Los Angeles, then attend a fundraiser hosted by Los Angeles City Councilman Jose Huizar, a Mexican immigrant, before the college rally. Until recently, the California primary had looked like the make-or-break contest for candidates on both sides of the aisle. But billionaire businessman Donald Trump is now the presumptive Republican nominee, while Sanders looks to California as his last glimmer of hope in stopping Clinton, who has thus far won 92 percent of the delegates needed to claim the nomination. But Clinton can't be too confident going in to the country's final primary, with statewide voter surveys pointing to a tight race between the two Democrats. An independent Field Poll released last month found Clinton with a 6-point lead over Sanders, with 12 percent of voters still undecided. Highlighting the stakes, Clinton and her husband, former President Bill Clinton, will each be making appearances in the Los Angeles area this week. The former first lady heads to Oakland on Friday. Clinton's appearance at the college also represents a bid to lift her appeal with younger voters, who have strongly rallied behind Sanders' insurgent campaign. The Vermont senator's rallies in California have been filled to capacity with 20- and 30-somethings; a Clinton rally last month at another college in Los Angeles was noticeably thin on student-attendees, though it was held on a Saturday. Driving up turnout will be a key issue for both candidates; likely voters in California tend to be older, white, college-educated and homeowners, surveys show. Hispanics, by comparison, tend to vote in proportions well below their share of the population, in part because many are too young to vote, not registered or not citizens. Michael Ceraso, Sanders' state director, said campaign volunteers will make 1 million door knocks by primary day, as part of the campaign's effort to scout up supporters and to register new voters. The California election is actually about a month long. Vote-by-mail ballots go out next week and could account for more than half of the total number of votes cast. That means that many voters will be making decisions weeks before June 7. In California, 475 Democratic delegates will be divvied up in the election, some based on the outcome in each congressional district, others in proportion to the statewide tally. That will make it difficult for either candidate to win a commanding victory. California has long been favorable terrain for the Clintons. Along with her 2008 win, Bill Clinton locked in the 1992 Democratic presidential nomination in the state, which he carried in his two presidential contests. The familiarity of the Clinton name could be an asset. Lia Evans, 19, a student from Torrance and registered Democrat, was among the crowd at a Clinton rally at Los Angeles Southwest College last month. While she liked what she heard from both candidates, she was more comfortable with Clinton. As for Sanders, "I still don't know that much about him," she said. Authorities: Pair lived in camper, daughters in filthy house ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) An Alaska couple faces child neglect charges after authorities said their two teenage daughters lived in the basement of a filthy, mold-filled house without heat or power while the couple stayed in a camper in the driveway. Timothy Hogan and Patricia Haugstad-Hogan of Anchorage were charged with misdemeanor counts of child neglect and contributing to the delinquency of a minor. The two were arrested in March and are out on bail. Charging documents said the parents were living in a camper in the driveway of their home when the girls ran away Christmas Eve and reported their living conditions. The documents also said the girls had never been to school and told police they felt trapped. One of the girls has since turned 18 years old and the other is 16. It's unclear if the girls were forced to stay in the basement under lock and key. Anchorage police are not releasing further information apart from the details in the court papers. Prosecutors did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Christy Lawton, director of the state Office of Children's Services, said in an email that the two girls did not return to the family's home after they showed up Dec. 24 at Covenant House, which provides services to homeless teens. Lawton said her office worked with police and Covenant House officials during the investigation. Her agency assumed emergency custody of the girls in early January, according to Lawton. Reached outside the home Wednesday, Haugstad-Hogan said she wasn't at liberty to comment on the case. The couple's attorney, Jon Buchholdt, also declined to discuss it. In the criminal complaint, Anchorage police Detective Will Cameron wrote that the sisters lived in the basement for about five years and told him they "have no opportunity to meet friends, socialize or contact outside family members within the Anchorage area." The girls said they had not had heat or power since May 2015, according to the detective. The court documents said police searched the house in late January and found it "in complete filth." Cameron wrote the house was filled with garbage to the point of almost covering it from floor to ceiling. Yellow mold was found along the kitchen ceiling, and black mold was found in each room. The couple is scheduled to appear in court May 16. ___ Cameron refuses to withdraw Trump 'stupid' remarks David Cameron has "no intention" of withdrawing his condemnation of comments by US presidential hopeful Donald Trump as "divisive, stupid and wrong", Downing Street has said. An adviser to the billionaire businessman called on the Prime Minister to apologise to Mr Trump, after the withdrawal of main rival Ted Cruz made him all but certain of securing the Republican nomination. The Prime Minister could face difficulties after he criticised Mr Trump last December during a debate in Parliament on whether to ban him from the UK over his call for a "total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States". Donald Trump was labelled 'divisive, stupid and wrong' by David Cameron The PM told the House of Commons he opposed a travel ban on Mr Trump, but added: "I think his remarks are divisive, stupid and wrong. If he came to visit our country I think he would unite us all against him." George Papadopoulos, an adviser to Mr Trump, said Mr Cameron's comments were "uncalled-for" and it would be "wise" for the Prime Minister to "reach out in a more positive manner" to the Republican front-runner. Asked if Mr Trump would forgive Mr Cameron's comments, Mr Papadopoulos told The Times: "I can't speak directly for him but it would seem that if Prime Minister Cameron is serious about reaching out, not only to Mr Trump's advisers but to the man himself, an apology or some sort of retraction should happen. "To see Mr Cameron come out as the most vocal opponent was uncalled for. Considering that we believe that the UK-US relationship should be a cornerstone, not just of Nato policy but elsewhere, it would be wise for him to reach out in a more positive manner to Mr Trump." Responding to Mr Papadopoulos's comments, Mr Cameron's official spokeswoman said: "The PM has no intention of withdrawing his comments, which were made in response to comments that Donald Trump made calling for a ban on Muslims entering the US. That was the context for the PM's comments." Downing Street said the Government would be in contact with the camps of both the Republican and Democrat candidates in the run-up to the election in November in the normal way. Sources said they were not aware of any plans for Mr Trump to visit the UK, but stressed that this was a matter for the candidate. Asked whether an overture from London would be welcomed, Mr Papadopoulos told The Times: "First we need an invitation. Of course if the United Kingdom extended an invitation it would be a tremendous show of unity and a wonderful spectacle. "That invitation has not yet been extended ... but if it is it would be received in a positive way." Mr Cameron was asked to comment on Mr Trump's White House bid by US reporters travelling with President Barack Obama on his two-day visit to the UK. The PM said he would neither add nor subtract from his earlier remarks about Mr Trump, who looks set to become the Republican candidate to take on Democrat Hillary Clinton in this year's election. Speaking alongside Mr Obama at a press conference last month, Mr Cameron said: "As for the American elections, I have made some comments in recent weeks and months. I don't think now is the moment to add to them or subtract from them. "But I think, as a Prime Minister who has been through two general elections leading my party, you always look on at American elections in awe at the scale of the process and the length of the process and I marvel at anyone who's left standing at the end of it." Downing Street has previously confirmed that Britain's ambassador in the US has been "engaging" with Mr Trump's team as "part and parcel" of the UK's usual efforts to establish good links with presidential candidates. Prime ministers are traditionally wary of making any public comment about candidates in elections overseas, for fear that they may be accused of attempting to interfere in the democratic decisions of foreign nations, or that their words may come back to bite them if they later have to deal with the candidate in office. At the time of Mr Cameron's criticism, Mr Trump was widely regarded as a maverick candidate who would struggle to translate his popular appeal into a Republican nomination or a credible bid for the White House. Britain poised to send extra troops to support Iraqi forces in fight against IS Britain is poised to send in extra troops to support Iraqi ground forces in the fight against Islamic State (IS), the Defence Secretary has announced as he heads to Germany for a meeting of international counterparts. Fresh ammunition stocks will also be given to the Kurdish Peshmerga, Michael Fallon said, ahead of the meeting today. It comes after fighters complained they had been left without bullets for the machine guns given to them by the UK for many months. RAF strikes have put Daesh on the back foot. Iraqi forces have IS, also known as Daesh, on the "back foot" and the jihadi organisation is losing territory, Mr Fallon said. The Government is ready to offer fresh support, which is likely to mean extra troops, to "intensify" the operations. "Make no mistake - Iraqi forces have Daesh on the back foot and are retaking territory, hitting its finances and striking its leadership," Mr Fallon insisted. "Now is the time to build on recent success and we are looking hard at what more we can offer as Iraqi combat operations intensify." Coalition air strikes have helped reduce Islamic State forces in Syria and Iraq to their lowest levels for two years. Around 600 fighters with the terror group have been killed over the past month, bringing the total deaths to around 25,000, according to Downing Street. IS has suffered major setbacks over the past months in Syria at the hands of government forces and US-backed Kurdish fighters including the loss of the historic city of Palmyra. The self-declared caliphate has also suffered financially from coalition strikes on the oil facilities which provide much of its income and has lost territory in Iraq to the forces of the Baghdad government. Prime Minister David Cameron's official spokeswoman said: "We have now seen more than 25,000 Daesh fighters killed, over 600 in the last month or so. The number of Daesh fighters is estimated to be at its lowest for about two years. "We are playing a vital role in terms of the coalition air strikes, we are the second largest contributor behind the US. "We've seen the Iraqi forces managing to clear Daesh out of the town of Hit in recent weeks. "We are working with Kurdish and other partners liberating key areas of Syria and also managing to cut off the main route between Raqqa and Mosul." RAF jets began air strikes against IS in Iraq in September 2014, and the mission was extended to Syria in December 2015. Councils in court over boycott of Israeli goods Local councils are facing legal action at the High Court today over their decisions to impose boycotts on Israeli goods produced in "illegal" Israeli settlements in the West Bank. Jewish Human Rights Watch (JHRW) is seeking judicial review against three authorities - Leicester City Council, Swansea City Council and Gwynedd Council. The campaign group is expected to ask Lord Justice Simon and Mr Justice Flaux, sitting in London, to rule the "anti-Semitic" boycotts unlawful because they breach the Local Government Act 1988 and the Equality Act 2010 Local councils are facing legal action at the High Court today over their decisions to impose boycotts on Israeli goods The organisaton has likened the "divisive" town hall action to the boycott of Jewish shops in 1930s Nazi Germany. But the charity War on Want has condemned the JHRW legal challenge as "shameful". Senior campaigner Ryvka Barnard said: "It's shameful that local councils are being attacked for ensuring their policies are in line with international and UK law. "The illegal settlements are a part of the systematic abuses of international law and human rights committed by Israel against the Palestinians." The Government is issuing new guidance to public authorities warning such bans are "inappropriate" unless formal legal sanctions or embargoes have been put in place by the Government itself. The Cabinet Office says boycotts could "undermine good community relations, poison and polarise debate, weaken integration and fuel anti-Semitism". At the same time they could hinder the UK's export trade and harm international relationships, say ministers. But Ms Barnard said: "The UK Government has reiterated over and over again that Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories are illegal, and has issued advice to businesses on the risks of investing in or trading with illegal settlements." The Labour-led Leicester council approved its motion in favour of a boycott in 2014. The council has stated: "The motion has never been a boycott of Israel by Leicester and is not an attack on the Jewish people. It relates specifically to illegal Israeli settlements in the West Bank." A Swansea council spokesman said: "The council has never boycotted Israeli goods and has no intention of doing so. For legal reasons, it would be inappropriate to comment further." Gwynedd Council made clear that its own boycott was aimed at condemning the "attacks by the Israeli state on the territory of the Palestinians living in the Gaza Strip". It also said: "It must be made clear that the proposal condemned the Israeli state and not the Jewish religion." Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn described the Government's new guidance as " an attack on local democracy". His spokesman said: ''People have the right to elect local representatives able to make decisions free of central government political control. "That includes withdrawal of investments or procurement on ethical and human rights grounds. Cameron tells young reporters of Saturday morning electronics ban on children David Cameron has revealed he bans his children from playing with electronic devices on Saturday mornings. The glimpse into home life at 10 Downing Street came as the Prime Minister spoke to a group of 10-year-olds in an interview to mark the 10th anniversary of the First News children's newspaper. The 10 young reporters quizzed the PM on fracking, support for child refugees, library closures and the upcoming referendum on the UK's membership of the EU. David Cameron with a group of 10-year-olds who interviewed him at Downing Street (First News/PA) Isabelle Hall, from Yorkshire, said Mr Cameron was "extremely tall" and "seemed really nice", adding: "Even though he was in a rush, he still answered nearly all of our questions which I thought was kind." And Alex Garcia-Ghuran, from Hertfordshire, said: "We learned from Mr Cameron that his children do not get to play with any electronic devices on Saturday morning and he will get upset if he catches them breaking the rule. That sounded like my dad." Challenged by Amelia Angel Fleming, from Cambridge, over why the Government allowed fracking for shale gas under national parks, the PM said: "If it was dangerous we would not do it. When you transport gas all the way to Britain, think about all the energy you are using. If we use our own gas, it will reduce carbon emissions and it might even mean cheaper bills." Amelia later gave a mixed verdict on his argument, saying: "He gave a good answer but I still don't agree with it." Mr Cameron also told the children that he aimed to "balance the country" and reduce reliance on London with initiatives like the Northern Powerhouse project, and said that the UK had made a "huge" pledge to cut carbon emissions by 80% by 2050. "We need others to take action too," he said. If every country did that, we could get global warming under control." First News editor-in-chief Nicky Cox said: " Children are 27% of the world's people but 100% of the future. And, for the world to become a better place, the next generation needs to be better informed than the last. "First News readers know a lot about the world in which they're growing up, and the 10 ten-year-olds who came to 10 Downing Street with me knew about everything from the EU referendum, to the refugee crisis, to environmental issues and so much more - it was truly inspiring to listen to them." Jail for 'heartless' gang who fleeced 1 million from vulnerable victims A gang of conmen who fleeced pensioners out of their life savings in a 1 million fraud have been condemned by a judge as "heartless" as they were all jailed. The conmen posed as police officers to dupe elderly victims, including a Second World War veteran, into handing over their money. The cash was spent bankrolling someone travelling to Syria and frittered away on foreign holidays and designer clothes. Former X Factor star Nathan Fagan-Gayle was jailed for 20 months The victims, who were in their 70s, 80s, and 90s, were preyed upon because they were old and "vulnerable" and some have died without seeing justice done. Many have been left nearly penniless by the scam as they have not had all their money refunded by the banks. Sentencing the gang, which includes former X Factor contestant Nathan Fagan-Gayle, Judge Anujar Dhir said victims were left "shattered" by the crime. She said: "You all played a part in a fraud that targeted elderly, vulnerable victims. The youngest of the identified victims was 63 years old. Most of them were in their 80s. The oldest was 94 years old. "It was a heartless plan with a devastating and lasting impact on the victims. "You fleeced your victims of large sums of money. For some of them it was their life savings. "But their loss was more than that. They lost confidence in their own ability to look after themselves and their own affairs and this contributed to the distress and misery which your victims have endured for the last two years." The Old Bailey judge paid tribute to the victims and said the gang of eight men had shown no remorse for their crimes She said: "Having heard some of the victims give evidence in the trial, it is clear to me that they were left completely shattered by your actions and the effect of it will last until the end of their lives. "I was struck by their dignity and their courage when giving evidence about a matter that was so obviously painful for them to relive." She added: "None of you has shown any remorse. None of you has done anything to return any of the money you stole. None of you has had the decency to explain what happened to the money." Gang members phoned their victims pretending to be investigating a fraud at their bank and told them they needed to transfer their money for "safekeeping". They persuaded one of their elderly cancer-stricken victims to miss a doctor's appointment to withdraw cash for them. Believing they were helping police, victims were deceived into lying to their family, friends and the bank about what they were doing. The men, described by police as "cruel, callous and calculating" committed fraud on an "industrial" level in 2014 and 2015. Kenneth Whitaker, who fought at the Battle of Arnhem and was 93 at the time of the fraud, said he was left feeling "dumb and stupid" after he had 113,000 stolen from him. Elizabeth Curtis, 71 at the time of the fraud, who was conned out of 130,000, said she felt "physically sick" and had her independence and self confidence shattered. Barbara Davidson, 86, from Poole, had 14,000 stolen from her. She had been planning to use the money to visit her family in South Africa, but now fears she will never see her relatives again before she dies. Some 140 victims had nearly 1m stolen from them, and the Metropolitan Police believe far more people were conned but have not come forward. The victims, the oldest of whom was 94, were from Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Bedfordshire, London and Kent. Fagan-Gayle, 29, from Tower Hamlets, East London, was jailed for 20 months. "Key player" Makhzhumi Abukar, 24, from north London, was jailed for seven years and four months, Yasser Abukar, 24, also from North London, was jailed for six years. Shakaria Aden, 22, a "prolific cash collector" who picked up 154,000, was jailed for six and a half years. Ahmed Ahmed, 23, of north London, was jailed for four years and two months. Mohamed Dahir, 23, who received a letter from Jeremy Corbyn in support of his bail application last May, was jailed for 21 months. Fahim Islam, 21, of east London, was jailed for six years and three months for his role in this and a "strikingly similar" fraud also targeting pensioners. Anrul Islam, 24, from Dagenham, East London, was jailed for 16 months for this and a student loan fraud. Slice of summer sunshine arriving for the weekend Sun-worshippers will be reaching for the sunblock this weekend as a slice of continental European warmth lands in the UK. But it will be accompanied by an unusually large dollop of air pollution, prompting warnings over the risk to those with respiratory problems. The mercury is expected to rise into the early 20Cs by Friday, reaching 25C (77F) in parts of southern England and the Midlands by Saturday. Temperatures are expected to soar over the weekend The change in temperature is expected to bring with it an increase in dirty particular matter, caused by exhaust fumes, dust and other pollutants. A Defra spokesman said: "Strong south-easterly winds blowing in air from the continent could lead to moderate levels of pollution on Thursday and over the weekend in parts of England and Wales. Levels are expected to fall after the weekend. "This does tend to happen during the change in the temperature around spring time." Defra said air pollution can cause long- and short-term health problems for those with heart, lung and other breathing conditions. Forecasters predicted the record for the hottest day of the year (currently 19.2C, or 66.6F) will be bettered at least once before the end of the week. Calum MacColl, from the Met Office, said: "Today was an absolutely stunning day, reaching 19C in Gravesend, and the conditions for most of the country were consistent with summer. "We could see 20C on Thursday, although parts of Ireland and Scotland may have a spot of early showers before it brightens up. Tim Peake feared being stranded on space station, says Foreign Office minister British astronaut Tim Peake feared being left stuck in space if the West's relations with Russia deteriorated, a Foreign Office minister has said. But Tobias Ellwood told MPs he had received assurances from Russian President Vladimir Putin that Maj Peake will not be abandoned on the International Space Station (ISS). The Tory frontbencher, who said he is a friend of Maj Peake, raised the issue with Mr Putin during the 2015 European Games in Baku, Azerbaijan. Tim Peake is spending six months on board the ISS after blasting into space in December A Russian Soyuz FG rocket blasted Maj Peake into space in December, and he is spending six months on board the ISS. Speaking during a Westminster Hall debate on Anglo-Russian relations, Mr Ellwood said: " I had the opportunity to meet President Putin at the Baku Azerbaijan Games last year and wasn't quite expecting to see him, I have to say. "But I did say to him that a friend of mine had cause to use Russian transport and was a bit concerned about international developments - the East and West - and he might get stuck at the end of his destination and not be able to get back. "That friend of mine was called Tim Peake, he was using a Soyuz space capsule to get himself up to the International Space Station and didn't want to be abandoned up there. "Mr Putin grabbed my arm and said, 'Mr Ellwood, tell Mr Peake we will not abandon him'. "And that gives you an indication to say that it is possible to isolate some of these enormous concerns that we have, the sanctions that take place, that allow us to work on the international stage to tackle some of these areas, but also culturally and professionally and indeed from an industrial perspective, commercial perspective, to be able to continue these relationships." Tory Daniel Kawczynski (Shrewsbury and Atcham), opening the debate, said he was very concerned about the "growing anti-Russian sentiment" within the Commons. He said: "Even by calling for this debate a senior member of the Government called me comrade Kawczynski, I've been accused of being an apologist for president Putin and been criticised for even daring to raise the subject." Mr Kawczynski read out a personal statement noting he has "deep and personal" reasons to dislike and distrust Russia and its actions due to his Polish heritage and the suffering experienced by his family at the hands of the Soviet Union. He said: "It would be easy to cling to a prejudice and allow this to colour my view of the world today. "Yet as a British citizen and a proud member of this House it is my job and my duty, to argue strongly in favour of what I believe will best serve Britain's long-term security, stability and prosperity - even if this means encouraging dialogue with a country that was borne out of the remnants of the oppressive regime that so crippled my grandfather in Poland." Emma Thompson sings to Prince of Wales as British Oscar winners celebrated Actress Emma Thompson has said she thinks the trend of movie studios hiring young stars because of their social media following is a "disaster". She was speaking after serenading the Prince of Wales as she greeted him at a royal reception for British Academy Award winners. The event, hosted by Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall at St James's Palace, saw Thompson sing: "It's you! You look gorgeous." Dame Judi Dench greets the Prince of Wales during a reception for British Academy Award winners at St James's Palace Thompson joined a host of British acting royalty including Dame Maggie Smith, Dame Judi Dench, Colin Firth, Jeremy Irons, Sir Michael Caine and playwright and author Ronald Harwood. She said that one of the things that "really worries" her about social media is "we're casting actors who have big followings so the studios can use their followings to sell their movie". She added: "The actors are becoming attached in the sort of business way to their social media profiles, and I think that's a disaster." Thompson attended the prestigious event with her daughter Gaia, who also spoke to the royal couple and complimented Camilla on her emerald green lace dress from designer Edina Ronay. The 57-year-old actress has picked up two Oscars - a best actress gong for Howards End and best adapted screenplay for Sense And Sensibility. Meanwhile, Dame Judi used the event to express concern about the lack of funds available to train young actors. She said: "I think it's worrying that training is so expensive. I must have, I don't know how many letters a week from young actors wanting to get to drama school and not having the money to get them through." Despite seven nominations, Dame Judi has only won one Academy Award - she was named best supporting actress for her eight-minute role as Elizabeth I in Shakespeare In Love. She said she thought the event was "wonderful", adding that when she won her Oscar she did not have the chance to meet the other winners in the same year. Asked about the secret to her success and that of other British talent, she joked: "It's called good luck. "We have good training and we've got incredible young people who are trained in everything, they can dance and sing and act on the stage." Sir Michael raised concerns about the generation of young actors coming through the ranks. He said: "These days they just say I'm going to be an actor because I want to be rich and famous. And then they do a little part on television and everyone knows who they are. They can't really act. "I knew I wasn't going to be rich, I knew I wasn't going to be famous, I knew I wasn't going to be a movie star, I just wanted to be a good actor, that's all." Sir Michael is one of just two actors - the other being Jack Nicholson - to have been nominated for an Oscar in every decade from the 1960s to the 2000s. He won his first supporting actor award for Hannah And Her Sisters and his second for The Cider House Rules. Asked if there is a royal role he would still like to tackle in his career, he joked: "I never thought of myself in the royal mould. I'm definitely working class. I can't think of a single royal who has a cockney accent. "Maybe I'll be that little boy who's just been born when he grows up." Talking about a host of stars who find fame at a young age, he said: "They're very young now. I was 30 before I became well known. I've watched it ruin people. By the time they're 30, they're through." More than 300 British artists and film-makers have been awarded Oscars over a 45-year period of film production. Other guests at the event included Academy president Cheryl Boone Isaacs, CEO Dawn Hudson and members of the Academy's board of Governors. Ms Boone Isaacs described Prince Charles as "charming, he really was, so relaxed, so lovely". At last - Jodie Foster gets her LA star turn Jodie Foster has insisted she will never quit acting, as she received a long-awaited star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The Oscar-winning actress was joined by her Panic Room co-star Kristen Stewart as she was presented with the honour in front of the TCL Chinese Theatre in Los Angeles. Foster, who has two Academy Awards for her performances in The Accused and Silence Of The Lambs, admitted she thought she may never receive a star in the city in which she grew up. Jodie Foster poses by her star at her Hollywood Walk of Fame (Invision/AP) She told the Press Association: "I've waited. I really wanted to wait. I thought for a while maybe it will never happen. "But I was holding out and it worked out for me." Foster, 53, has moved behind the camera in recent years and directed the upcoming thriller Money Monster, starring George Clooney and Julia Roberts. But she insisted she planned to continue acting after starting her career in a television commercial at three. She said: "I've been acting since I was three so I can't imagine I'll ever stop but I definitely wanted to focus on directing for now. It takes a real commitment in order to get movies off the ground. That has to be the first priority." Twilight star Stewart, who played Foster's daughter in the 2002 film Panic Room, said the actress should have received a star following her successful childhood career, which included roles in Taxi Driver and Bugsy Malone. "She's a baller on every level," Stewart said. "It's out of control. She did everything so young. She kicked Yale's ass. She won Oscars. She became a film-maker herself. She created a family and still is just normal and cool and kind. She's been there for me. "She should have had a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame when she was 10." NHS Choir head for Hollywood fame with movie of their success The NHS Choir have signed a Hollywood film deal to tell their story of success. The Lewisham and Greenwich choir gained notoriety when they beat Canadian pop star Justin Bieber to score the coveted Christmas number one spot last year. British producer Julia Verdin, whose past credits include The Merchant Of Venice starring Al Pacino and 2 Jacks which featured Sienna Miller, has secured the rights to tell their story. A Hollywood film is to be made of the NHS Choir's success story The movie will feature the individual back stories of the 32 choir members and the work they do, documenting their journey to get their song A Bridge Over You to the top of the charts. Their plight was helped when Bieber tweeted his 80 million Twitter followers, telling them to "do the right thing" and help the choir reach the top of the singles chart. Choir co-ordinator and children's physiotherapist Caroline Smith said: "We are thrilled that the world will now get to see our incredible story. People will see the massive power achieved when everyone comes together'." Verdin said: " I believe people will love watching this remarkable and uplifting story which has already touched the hearts of millions in the UK." The choir's debut album, Something Inside So Strong, will be released on June 3, and is being released by Universal, who represent the likes of their Christmas chart rival, Bieber. Jeremy Hunt has agreed to 'pause' the introduction of the new contract for junior doctors for five days to allow fresh talks with their union Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt has agreed to 'pause' the introduction of the new contract for junior doctors to allow fresh talks with their union and prevent further strikes. Mr Hunt said today he is willing to hold talks with the British Medical Association to discuss outstanding issues - namely unsocial hours and Saturday pay. In a letter sent to the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges, leading doctors from across a range of specialisms, he said the Government remains 'committed' to introducing the new contract from August. But it added: 'However, in response to your call for a five-day negotiating period to consider the process of introducing a new contract and suspension of the threat of further industrial action, we are willing to play our part. 'We will pause introduction of the new contract for five days from Monday should the Junior Doctors Committee agree to return to talks. 'I have already made clear that we are happy to address with the BMA a range of non-contractual issues. Mr Hunt reiterated he will only return to the negotiating table if the discussions focus on the sticking points of unsocial hours and Saturday pay - rather than revisit the 90 per cent of the contract already agreed in previous talks. He called the move a 'significant show of good faith by the Government in order to break the deadlock.' 'We now need the BMA to agree to negotiate on Saturday pay, the biggest area of difference between us, in order for the talks to proceed next week,' he added. The BMA said it is 'keen to restart talks with an open mind' - but said it wants to discuss 'all the outstanding issues - which are more than just pay'. Given their stance, a Department of Health spokesperson told MailOnline Mr Hunt is seeking more clarity from the BMA - and will only hold the talks if the union agrees to his terms. POLL: MAJORITY BELIEVE GOVERNMENT SHOULD WITHDRAW THREAT TO IMPOSE NEW CONTRACT Public opinion has strongly swayed in doctors' favour as the pay dispute with the Government continues, a poll found. The number of people who support medics almost double those people against them, it revealed. And the majority - 60 per cent - of people said the Government should withdraw its threat to impose the controversial new contract on junior doctors. Almost half - 49 per cent would support doctors if they took further strike action in the future. The survey of 2,000 people, was conducted by market research company Opinium last week during the most recent strike. It revealed men have opposed the strikes in significantly higher numbers than women, who have been the staunchest supporters. The strongest opposition to the strikes comes from those over the age of fifty-five, while the youngest generation is the most erratic in terms of their support. The majority - 43 per cent - believe the Government is responsible for the current impasse with the junior doctors. Only 18 per cent of adults believing the BMA is to blame. And more than half of the British public (58 per cent) trust junior doctors more than the government (11 per cent). Advertisement The imposition of the new contract for junior doctors has been described by those in the profession as potentially devastating. They say it will have a lasting and damaging effect on patient care, deepening the crisis in the NHS. There is hope the talks will prevent further industrial action - just as hospitals were warned last week to prepare for an indefinite strike as the Government and BMA were both refusing to back down. Mr Hunt's letter came after the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges, which campaigns on standards of care and medical education called for a pause in the process of imposing new contracts, and a five-day suspension of the threat of further industrial action, enabling talks to resume with the Government. Chairman Professor Dame Sue Bailey said: 'A five-day pause without "ifs, buts or maybes" - and with both sides in the dispute publicly committing to a serious attempt to reach a resolution through genuine dialogue - is obviously the only way out of this impasse. 'Before either side does anything else, all the 22 Medical Royal Colleges and Faculties are unanimously calling on the Secretary of State for Health Jeremy Hunt and the chairman of the British Medical Association's junior doctors' committee, Johann Malawana, to take a deep breath, dial down the rhetoric and get back to the table for talks facilitated, perhaps, by a senior independent figure.' Responding to the news that the Government has agreed to re-enter talks, Dr Johann Malawana, BMA junior doctor chair, said: 'Junior doctors have said since the outset that we want to reach a negotiated agreement, and have repeatedly urged the Government to re-enter talks. 'As suggested by the Academy, we are keen to restart talks with an open mind. 'It is critical to find a way forward on all the outstanding issues - which are more than just pay - and hope that a new offer is made that can break the impasse.' The letter said: 'We will pause introduction of the new contract for five days from Monday should the Junior Doctors Committee agree to return to talks' Last week junior doctors in England went on an all-out strike for two working days. For the first time in the history of the NHS, they stopped providing emergency care during the walkouts Last week junior doctors - everyone up to consultant level - in England went on an all-out strike for two working days. For the first time in the history of the NHS, they stopped providing emergency care during the walkouts. Figures released by NHS England showed 78 per cent of junior doctors did not report for work. The move is a significant show of good faith by the Government in order to break the deadlock Jeremy Hunt, Health Secretary The action meant more than 125,000 appointments and operations were cancelled and will need to be rearranged. This figure is on top of almost 25,000 procedures cancelled during previous walkouts. Prior to the agreement reached today, leaked emails from the BMA revealed the union was considering a 'strike of no return'. Commenting on the news, Prime Minister David Cameron called for the proposed talks to focus on the issue of Saturday working. He said: 'I welcome the fact that there is the prospect of discussions between the Department of Health and the junior doctors. 'I think it's important that if these talks do go ahead, they focus not on the 90 per cent of things that have been agreed, but focus very much on the 10 per cent of things that haven't been agreed, particularly the issue around Saturday working.' DEALTALK-ICE may have more time to consider bid for London bourse By Sophie Sassard and Huw Jones LONDON, May 2 (Reuters) - London Stock Exchange Group and Deutsche Boerse may have to delay a vote on their proposed merger until after Britain's EU referendum, handing more time to Intercontinental Exchange to decide whether to make a counter-bid for the British bourse. LSEG had been expected to hold a special shareholder meeting to approve the merger with Deutsche Boerse before Britain votes on June 23 on whether to quit the EU. ICE would have to file any counterbid seven days before that meeting - with Britain's future in the European Union still very much in doubt. For American ICE, the London Stock Exchange would be a more attractive target within the European Union. Deutsche Boerse still needs to file a full set of merger documents with its German regulators, a convoluted process that probably cannot be done now before the referendum date. Sources familiar with the matter say LSEG may delay its shareholder meeting until this process is completed to ensure regulators are happy, though no decision has been taken and LSEG may still move early. The London bourse could also risk a backlash among its investors by asking them to vote on the Deutsche Boerse deal before a possible Brexit, even though the two European exchanges have presented their proposed deal as "Brexit" proof given their combination would straddle the EU and Britain, should it leave. If the pair wait until after the referendum to try to seal their all share "merger of equals", uncertainty over Britain's future will have been removed. ICE will have more time to come up with a rival bid and win the backing of its shareholders. Departure from the bloc would create upheaval for London, Europe's biggest financial centre where trillions of pounds of day-to-day business runs on EU rules. One person familiar with ICE said any counter bid would likely be a straightforward takeover in the form of shares and some cash, and at a premium that is "reasonably higher than Deutsche Boerse's". This would put pressure on Deutsche Boerse to sweeten its deal - which currently offers LSEG shareholders 0.4421 shares in the combined group per LSEG share they own - by including a cash element or extra dividend. LSEG, ICE and Deutsche Boerse did not comment for this article. LEVERAGE QUESTION A takeover by ICE would create the world's biggest trading-to-clearing exchange group, crossing the Atlantic and trading and clearing stocks, derivatives, energy and commodities. ICE is a known quantity to UK regulators. It bought the International Petroleum Exchange in 2001 and later became owner of London-based LIFFE derivatives exchange, rival of Deutsche Boerse's Eurex platform, as part of ICE's takeover of New York Stock Exchange-Euronext in 2013. ICE, however, faces some thorny questions: could a combined business still be regionally attractive under a Brexit, can it afford a knock-out offer, and would EU competition regulators approve a deal? Supporters of Deutsche Boerse's all-share deal say ICE is too indebted to make a killer bid after paying $5.2 billion in December for data firm IDC, a view those close to ICE dismiss. ICE had a consolidated debt of $7.3 billion at the end of 2015, according to its annual report. But leaking news that ICE has lined up a group of banks to help finance a possible deal was a handy trial balloon to test the reaction of ICE shareholders, analysts said. It had no major negative impact on ICE's shares. "They are very conscious of their own stock price, that they are a growth company. If they had not done the IDC deal, you would see this move a little quicker," said Richard Daniels, senior analyst of TABB Group in New York. In any case, ICE would have a year or so to reduce its debt to core earnings ratio before it had to write a cheque for LSEG, ICE's supporters say. A banker not advising ICE said the company has the capacity to fund a takeover while repaying debt thanks to its high margins and proven record of creating value through acquisitions. ICE, however, is seen as having less scope than Deutsche Boerse to trumpet a big headline figure for synergies. "Most Deutsche Boerse synergies would come from cuts in high tech jobs in Frankfurt. Half of the synergies will come from IT. ICE is leaner," a person familiar with ICE said. BREXIT PROOF? A combined ICE-LSEG group would have operations in continental Europe and London to ease the impact of a Brexit. LSEG owns Borsa Italiana in Milan and LCH.Clearnet, a clearing house based in Paris and London. However, to get round possible competition concerns and sweeten France, ICE could offload Borsa Italiana and the French Clearnet half of LCH.Clearnet to Paris-based exchange Euronext, TABB's Daniels said. Proceeds from such sales would also help ICE pay down debt while still leaving a combined LSEG-ICE Group with ICE's existing euro zone trading and clearing operation in the Netherlands. Others are more sceptical that this would be enough. "ICE faces the same antitrust concerns as Deutsche Boerse, which I feel are insurmountable when it comes to clearing in European derivatives," said Patrick Young, publisher of industry daily Exchange Invest. Under a Brexit, the European Central Bank would be expected to put pressure on market participants to shift euro-denominated trading and clearing, currently a major chunk of London's business, to the single currency area. ICE's euro zone based operations are seen as too small and specialist for now to handle such large volumes in a short period. Deutsche Boerse has said its deal is Brexit-proof, though some analysts doubt any deal can be and question whether the German exchange's shareholders would fall in line if Britain left the EU. Detroit teachers returned to classrooms today after the districts emergency manager pledged to pay employees for work already done, despite the city school systems financial troubles. Planned protests closed 94 of the districts 97 schools Monday and Tuesday, leaving tens of thousands of students out of class. Detroit teachers called out sick en masse to protest the possibility of payless paydays. Steven Rhodes, the districts emergency manager, warned that the school system may not be able to pay its employees after June 30. That would affect teachers, and others, who have their pay spread over the entire year instead of just the school year. Ivy Bailey, interim president of the Detroit Federation of Teachers, said in a statement that Rhodes sent a letter late Tuesday assuring that those employees would indeed be paid despite the districts mounting debt. State lawmakers also reassured the district that teachers will be compensated for their work. Its astonishing that teachers and other school employees have been working diligently to educate our kids in under-resourced schools with deplorable conditions, yet they had to fight to get what theyre due, Bailey said. Thats adding insult to injury. Were happy to return to the classroom and finish the school year with our kids. The latest string of sickouts drew national attention to the district. The Detroit Free Press reported that the White House called for an end to the teacher protest on Tuesday, urging a quick compromise between the union and district leaders. American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten visited Detroit on Tuesday to support the local union. Weve been working 24/7 to secure the assurance that educators will be fully paid for the school year, so they can go back to the classroom and do what they love to doteach their students, Weingarten said in a statement. It is a fundamental right to be paid for the work one does. Anything other than that is dead wrong and tantamount to wage theft. For a look at previous blog posts on the Detroit school system, click here . Related Stories Teacher Sickouts Close Most Detroit Schools for Second Straight Day Teacher Protests Shut Down More than 90 Schools in Detroit Detroit School Board Lawsuit Targets Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder New security at Brussels Airport causes delays, missed flights By Robert-Jan Bartunek BRUSSELS, May 3 (Reuters) - New security checks at Brussels Airport, where Islamic State suicide bombers killed 16 people in March, are creating huge queues and causing passengers to miss flights, a situation the airport operator described as "bizarre". Belgium's main airport reopened part of its departure hall on Monday, bringing capacity up to about 80 percent from 20 percent when operations initially restarted a month ago, after the attack on March 22 gutted parts of the building. But passengers complain police checks at the entrance to the building are causing delays of several hours and have created a new security risk by forcing people to congregate outside. "You couldn't find a better target," said a senior Belgian security official who is not involved in the airport plan. Former Belgian prime minister Yves Leterme missed his flight to Budapest after queuing for two hours and 40 minutes. "In the coming weeks I'll think twice about choosing Brussels Airport," Leterme told Belgian daily Het Laatste Nieuws. "I think Paris is the better option." With major airports in Paris, Amsterdam and Duesseldorf easily accessible by train from Brussels, the chaos in the Belgian hub could have a major economic impact. The manager of the airport, which also suffered disruption last month due to industrial action by air traffic controllers, blamed police unions for taking the decision to screen every passenger and their luggage at the entrance. "We worked day and night for 40 days to reopen the airport and some police union representatives hold onto that bizarre system of pre-check-ins," president of the board of Brussels Airport Marc Descheemaecker wrote on Facebook. "Abandon it... We are shooting ourselves in the foot and making fools of ourselves abroad." Police union VSOA blamed a lack of staff among private security firms which carry out the initial checks. "We are open to suggestions about how to improve the checks but one thing is clear, security at the airport has to be better than before March 22," a VSOA spokesman said. The Interior Ministry, ultimately responsible for security, said it would hold talks on Tuesday to address the situation. An official of another police union was quoted by Belga news agency as saying an agreement had been reached to check only some passengers and bags before they enter the check-in area. Mexico's growth rate sustainable, deputy finance minister says WASHINGTON, May 3 (Reuters) - Mexico can sustain its current solid level of economic growth over the next few quarters as strengthening internal consumer demand combines with a robust industrial sector and a rebound in U.S. growth, Mexico's deputy finance minister said on Tuesday. Pfizer approaches Medivation about potential takeover -sources By Lauren Hirsch and Carl O'Donnell May 3 (Reuters) - Pfizer Inc has approached U.S. cancer drug maker Medivation Inc to express interest in an acquisition, raising the possibility of a bid rivaling a $9.3 billion offer by Sanofi SA, people familiar with the matter said on Tuesday. Pfizer's approach comes less than a week after Sanofi went public with its $52.50 per share cash offer, complaining that Medivation refused to engage. Medivation subsequently rejected the offer as too low. Its shares closed on Tuesday at $57.52. Medivation has not yet decided whether it should engage with Pfizer in negotiations and is in discussions with its financial and legal advisers, the people said. There is no certainty that Pfizer will press ahead with a bid, they added. Sanofi currently has no plans to raise its offer and is waiting for Medivation to launch an auction to sell itself before it makes any new bid, some of the people said. The sources asked not to be identified because the matter is not public. Medivation, Sanofi and Pfizer declined to comment. Based in San Francisco, Medivation is best known for its oncology drug Xtandi, which treats prostate cancer. For Pfizer, a deal with Medivation would mark another attempt at building scale in patented drugs after it scrapped its $160 billion acquisition of Dublin-based Allergan Plc last month. The breakdown came days after the U.S. Treasury issued new rules that weighed on Pfizer's ability to slash its tax bill by using the deal to redomicile in Ireland. Earlier on Tuesday, Pfizer Chief Executive Ian Read said in an interview with Reuters that he would consider another merger of any size, as long as the deal makes sense. He did not comment on Medivation. Sanofi is vying for Medivation in an attempt to expand in the lucrative oncology sector, as it struggles to compensate for declining revenues from a key diabetes drug that recently lost patent protection. Sanofi's unsolicited approach for Medivation has echoes of its bid for rare disease drug maker Genzyme in 2011. It took Sanofi nine months to overcome Genzyme's resistance. It also offered Genzyme shareholders so-called contingent value rights, which offered them additional payments if the acquired company was able to achieve certain performance milestones. Venezuela 2016 oil output seen down at 2.35 mln bpd - consultancy CARACAS, May 3 (Reuters) - Venezuela's oil output may fall to average some 2.35 million barrels-per-day this year, as the South American OPEC country's cash crunch and shortages weigh on production, according to energy consulting firm IPD Latin America. IPD's prediction comes on the heels of its quarterly sector survey, which estimated Venezuela's oil output tumbled 6.8 percent to 2.59 million bpd in the first quarter compared with the same period of 2015, due to drilling delays, insufficient maintenance, theft, and diluent shortfalls. That estimate is a whisker above the 2.53 million bpd Venezuela produced in the first quarter, according to OPEC numbers. But it marks the first time since the third quarter of 2008 that production fell in all districts, including the extra-heavy crude Orinoco Belt, IPD added. Given the operational woes, IPD has revised its 2016 output estimate for Venezuela, the country with the world's largest oil reserves to 2.35 million bpd. "Our original forecast for 2016 annual production of 2.62 million b/d could still be achieved with an oil price hike in the 70-80 US$/bbl range during the second half of the year," the consultancy said in a statement. Venezuela's Oil Ministry and state oil company PDVSA did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Official output figures are due later this year. PDVSA said in a statement on Tuesday that it was installing three new loading arms to speed up operations at the oil port of Jose in eastern Venezuela, which loads some 70 percent of Venezuela's crude exports. A union leader and a legislator in March said technical problems with loading arms were causing delays in filling and dispatching cargoes. IPD said that longer well-completion times, re-routing of gas from well pressurization to power generation, delayed well maintenance due to "restriction of field services" and theft, as well as a diluent shortfalls as leading to the output slump between January and March. "(There is a) minimal correlation between power sector crisis and crude production fall," in that quarter, the consultancy said, adding that PDVSA generates around 90 percent of the energy required by upstream operations. Downstream, however, Venezuela's key Paraguana Refining Center (CRP) and El Palito refineries are exposed to the growing energy squeeze, which has caused blackouts and rationing. The estimates were making a buzz on Tuesday, as oil industry players pondered whether Venezuela would reverse the decline. Bangladesh Bank officials say to meet NY Fed, SWIFT; seek to recover stolen money By Sanjeev Miglani and Serajul Quadir DHAKA, May 4 (Reuters) - Bangladesh's central bank chief will meet the head of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York and a senior executive from global financial messaging service SWIFT next week to seek the recovery of about $81 million stolen by hackers, officials in Dhaka said. Two Bangladesh Bank officials said the bank believed both the New York Fed and SWIFT bore some responsibility for the February cyber heist. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity since they were not authorised to brief the media. The bank's governor Fazle Kabir, New York Fed President William Dudley and a SWIFT representative will meet in Basel, Switzerland around May 10, they and another person briefed by the central bank said. It was not immediately clear who would represent SWIFT. Spokeswomen for SWIFT and the New York Fed declined comment. Hackers tried to steal nearly $1 billion from Bangladesh Bank's settlement account at the New York Fed in early February by sending fraudulent transfer orders through SWIFT. Of the 35 transfer orders sent, 30 were blocked. Four transfers to a Philippine bank for a total of $81 million went through while a $20 million transfer to a Sri Lankan company was reversed because the hackers mis-spelled the name of the firm. "There is a responsibility the New York Fed has to accept," said one of the Bangladesh Bank officials. "If you stopped 30 transactions, why did you not stop the others? "SWIFT also bears responsibility," the official said. "It's supposed to be a closed system. Now you have seen they have disclosed that there have been attacks previously on its software." Last week, SWIFT acknowledged that the Bangladesh Bank attack was not an isolated incident but one of several recent criminal schemes that aimed to take advantage of the global messaging platform used by about 11,000 financial institutions. The other Bangladesh Bank official said lawyers would be present at the meeting. Ajmalul Hussain, a Dhaka-based lawyer hired by the central bank to help it retrieve the funds, could not be reached for comment. His office said he was out of the country. It was not immediately known if Bangladesh Bank had retained any U.S. or European law firm to help recover the money. However the bank said in an internal report in March it was considering "preparing the ground to make a legitimate claim for the loss of funds" against the New York Fed "through a legal process." Both central bank officials said Kabir, the governor, would be accompanied by an official from the accounts and budgeting department on the trip to Basel and would seek the recovery of the stolen funds. Basel is the headquarters of the Bank for International Settlements, a group of major central banks. The stolen $81 million was sent to a bank in the Philippines and quickly passed on to casinos and casino agents. Most of it remains missing. However, one junket operator has returned about $10 million to authorities in Manila and promised to hand over another $5 million. Top prosecutor asks to investigate Brazil president - media BRASILIA, May 3 (Reuters) - Brazil's top prosecutor requested that President Dilma Rousseff be investigated for trying to obstruct a sweeping corruption investigation involving state-run oil firm Petrobras, local media reported late on Tuesday. An investigation could well mark the political end for the beleaguered leader of the world's seventh-largest economy as it would be the first time that Rousseff would be directly implicated in Brazil's biggest-ever graft case. She is already likely to be suspended from office as early as next week on unrelated charges of breaking budgetary laws. The corruption scandal casts a shadow over 13 years of Workers Party rule that saw Brazil's middle class expand by some 40 million people since 2003 with the help of new social programs. Rousseff has consistently maintained she has done no wrongdoing, despite serving as the chairwoman of Petrobras' board for several years when much of a billion-dollar kickback scheme played out. The case has already seen executives from Brazil's biggest construction firms jailed and convicted for siphoning funds from Petrobras to bribe politicians. Around 50 politicians are under investigation, including the leaders of both houses of congress. Neither Brazil's Supreme Court, which must authorize any investigation into Rousseff, nor the office of Prosecutor-General Rodrigo Janot returned calls and emails requesting confirmation of the request for investigation. Globo News, Brazil's largest media conglomerate, along with the Estado de S.Paulo and Folha de S.Paulo newspapers reported the request made by the prosecutor at close to midnight on Tuesday. The request will be analyzed by Supreme Court justice Teori Zavascki and is not public because it is based on recorded phone calls between Rousseff and former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, news site G1 reported. Federal Judge Sergio Moro in March made public taped phone conversations between Rousseff and Lula that fed opposition claims that Rousseff had tried to name Lula as her chief of staff in order to shield him from prosecution. LULA CHARGED Newspaper Estado de S. Paulo also reported on Tuesday that Janot had charged Lula with participating in a scheme to stop former Petrobras executive Nestor Cervero from collaborating with the investigation. The federal prosecutors' office would not confirm the charge. The Supreme Court did confirm that Janot had asked for Lula and several of Rousseff's ministers to be formally investigated, including Chief of Staff Jaques Wagner, the minister in charge of legislative affairs, Ricardo Berzoini, and Rousseff's spokesman, Edinho Silva. Janot is expanding the investigation largely because of testimony from Senator Delcidio do Amaral, who decided to collaborate with the investigation in exchange for a lighter sentence. Amaral has said both Lula and Rousseff knew about the scheme. Janot's requests add to a growing uproar over just how many senior politicians are suspected of taking kickbacks from Petroleo Brasileiro SA, as Petrobras is formally known . Senior politicians will likely continue to face legal problems, and possible jail terms, well past Rousseff's expected ouster. Brazil's Senate this month will weigh her suspension ahead of a trial on charges she manipulated public accounts. The lower house of Congress voted overwhelmingly to impeach her last month. Rousseff says she has done nothing wrong. Rousseff's unpopularity mounted as Brazil fell into its worst recession in decades through what critics call her heavy-handed state intervention in the economy as a commodities boom went bust. Asked if he would avoid inviting anyone under investigation to be a minister in any government he is asked to lead, Vice President Michel Temer, first in line for the presidency, said in a television interview on Tuesday he was unsure. Prosecutors said in documents obtained by Estado de S.Paulo they did not see a reason to open an investigation of Temer, although he had been mentioned in plea bargain testimony. Janot said in the documents the "criminal organization" operating at Petrobras would not have been possible without Lula. Lula's institute said on Tuesday Janot had offered a hypothesis without proof. Rousseff's spokesman Silva, who was also the treasurer of the 2014 re-election campaign whose finances have been called into question for possibly benefiting from the Petrobras scheme, said in a statement the campaign was clean. Tough-talking mayor keeps poll lead a week before Philippine elections MANILA, May 4 (Reuters) - A tough-talking mayor running for the presidency of the Philippines has kept his double-digit lead five days before elections, despite allegations he had undeclared millions of pesos in a bank, the latest opinion poll has showed. Rodrigo Duterte was the number one choice among 33 percent of Filipinos in the Pulse Asia survey done on April 26-29, the same numbers from a similar survey among 4,000 respondents a week earlier, the poll released late on Tuesday showed. Manuel Roxas, President Benigno Aquino's hand-picked successor, moved up a spot into second place for the first time since June 2015 after rising 2 points to 22 percent support. Senator Grace Poe, the adopted daughter of movie stars, fell back to third after dropping a point to 21 percent. Vice President Jejomar Binay was in fourth place with 17 percent after losing a point, while support for Senator Miriam Santiago was unchanged at 2 percent. "The survey did not reflect significant changes," Pulse Asia president Professor Ronald Holmes said. Political analysts said Duterte had struck a chord with most Filipinos who were frustrated and disappointed with the government's inability to address mass transport and traffic problems in the capital, Manila. His strong anti-crime platform also resonated among voters across all economic classes and in all geographical regions. However, Holmes noted a dip in Duterte's support in Manila over allegations he had not declared 211 million pesos ($4.5 million) in his bank account. The allegations about the undeclared money were made last week by Senator Antonio Trillanes, a candidate for vice president. Peter Lavina, a spokesman for Duterte, said the allegations were "nothing but a publicity stunt". The poll follows a tricky week for Duterte, who has also been trying to manage the fallout from controversial remarks he made at a campaign rally about an Australian missionary murdered and raped during a 1989 prison riot. About 54 million Filipinos, including overseas workers, are eligible to vote in Monday's elections. ($1 = 46.9700 Philippine pesos) Suspect arrested in death of girl on New Mexico Navajo reservation - police By Alex Dobuzinskis May 3 (Reuters) - A New Mexico man was arrested on Tuesday over the death of an 11-year-old girl kidnapped from the Navajo reservation in New Mexico, an FBI spokesman and the Navajo Nation said. Tom Begaye, 27, will appear before U.S. Magistrate Judge Paul Briones in Farmington on Wednesday, two days after Ashlynne Mike and her 9-year-old brother were abducted, according to Federal Bureau of Investigation spokesman Frank Fisher and a statement released by the Navajo Nation. The children were kidnapped after school near the community of San Juan, New Mexico by a man driving a van who offered them a ride, authorities said. The boy, Ian Mike, was found walking along a highway around 7:15 p.m. and taken to the police department in Shiprock, the largest town on the Navajo Nation. He reported the man had taken his sister, Fisher and the Navajo Nation said. The boy told the police the driver took them toward the Shiprock pinnacle - a rock hill that is a landmark on the Navajo Nation - hit a dead end and released the boy, telling him to go home, the Navajo Nation said. The girl's body was discovered on Tuesday morning, less than 8 miles (13 km) south of the landmark, Fisher said. Indonesia Q1 GDP growth disappoints, but recovery hopes intact By Nilufar Rizki and Hidayat Setiaji JAKARTA, May 4 (Reuters) - Indonesia reported lower than expected growth in the first quarter, but many economists still expect enough of a rebound this year that the country can avoid further slowing and grow more than 5 percent in 2016. The statistics bureau said on Wednesday that Southeast Asia's largest economy expanded an annual 4.92 percent in the January-March quarter, below the median 5.05 percent in a Reuters poll and the October-December pace of 5.04 percent. Growth weakened for the fifth straight year in 2015, to 4.8 percent, as poor commodity prices, contracting exports, tepid investment and waning consumption produced the lowest growth rate since 2009. But the economy gained some momentum in the second half of last year as newly-appointed ministers accelerated government spending. The statistics bureau took an optimistic tone. "Our start in 2016 is better than the start of 2015," said bureau head Suryamin. "Economic activity almost always slows in the first quarter, especially after growing higher in the fourth quarter. In the first quarter of 2015, annual growth was 4.73 percent. EL NINO FACTOR Bureau data showed consumption was stable in the first quarter and there was a rise in government-led investment from a year earlier. However, investment growth was weaker than in the December quarter. The bureau said a major reason for slower growth was a drought worsened by the El Nino weather phenomenon, which hurt crop output. Darmin Nasution, chief economics minister, said another reason was slowing loan growth. Euben Paracuelles, a Nomura economist in Singapore who had projected 5.4 percent first-quarter growth, said there was "some loss in growth momentum" as he had expected stronger public investment. "This will raise the question of the sustainability of the recovery, but we would still argue that the recovery will continue, led by domestic demand," he said. Tim Condon, ING's Asia chief economist, said the lower growth pace in January-March than the previous quarter "is probably a one-off and the economy is in a sort of healing mode but obviously not a straight line path". SEEKING MORE INVESTMENT Realising Indonesia cannot still rely on natural resources for growth, President Joko Widodo has worked to expand its weak manufacturing sector. The Finance Ministry has offered tax incentives and promised a cut in corporate income taxes. It also plans a tax amnesty this year, which it believes will bring in significant funds to help finance development. The central bank cut its key benchmark rate three times in the first quarter, by a total of 75 basis points. Also, Bank Indonesia has announced it will use a new benchmark in August, an effort to more effectively get banks to lower lending rates. Some analysts expects more cuts to the benchmark. Rangga Cipta of Jakarta-based brokerage Samuel Sekuritas said the first quarter growth figure calls for a 50 basis point cut to the benchmark. Widodo has pledged to get Indonesia's growth up to 7 percent a year by 2019, the last year of his term. The government's target for growth this year is 5.3 percent, while the central bank's latest outlook was 5.2-5.6 percent. China, Hong Kong shares ease as growth, deflation worries resurface SHANGHAI, May 4 (Reuters) - China stocks dipped on Wednesday morning, led by resource firms, as the Shanghai market comes under pressure near key technical resistance and after signs of subdued manufacturing activity. Hong Kong shares fell roughly 1 percent by midday, tracking sluggish trading in Asian markets as worries about global growth and creeping deflation resurfaced. The Shanghai Composite Index lost 0.2 percent, to 2,986.19 points by the lunch break, failing to break through the 3,000 mark amid light trading. China's blue-chip CSI300 index fell 0.3 percent, to 3,204.98 points. Shanghai market trading volumes have hovered near 4-month lows in recent sessions, restrained by a lack of strong conviction over China's economic recovery, while the market's rebound since early March appears to be unravelling. The sluggish mood was not helped by a private survey on Tuesday, which showed activity at China's factories shrank for the 14th straight month in April as demand stagnated, forcing companies to shed jobs at a faster pace. Most sectors fell in China, with resource shares among the biggest decliners as the country's commodities futures market continued to cool in the wake of a regulatory crackdown on speculation. In Hong Kong, the Hang Seng index dropped 1.0 percent, to 20,469.62 points, while the Hong Kong China Enterprises Index lost 1.2 percent, to 8,648.18. Energy, raw material and financial shares led main indexes lower. Index heavyweight HSBC Holdings Plc dropped 2.1 percent. The lender stuck to its promise of higher dividends on Tuesday, after a 14 percent profit drop fuelled doubts among some investors about the bank's ability to increase payouts. Baltimore City Schools CEO Gregory Thornton will depart his job on Friday and will be replaced on July 1 by Sonja Santelises, a former chief academic officer in the district. The surprise move follows a national superintendent search that was not publicly announced, the Baltimore Sun reports. Santelises, the vice president of K-12 policy and practice at The Education Trust , a Washington-based education policy organization, served as Baltimores chief academic officer for three years under former schools chief Andres Alonso during a period when elementary test scores increased. She also helped prepare the district for the Common Core state standards, according to the Baltimore Sun. Thornton, who was previously the superintendent in Milwaukee public schools, started in Baltimore, the states fourth-largest school district, in 2014. His tenure in city was rocky, marked by what the Baltimore Sun describes as financial and operational mishaps. District enrollment plummeted by some 1,900 students, the paper reported. The dropout rate increased, and test scores were lower than expected, according to the Baltimore Sun. The district is also embroiled in a lawsuit with some charter schools over funding. Thorntons tenure also coincided with a tumultuous time for the city, which is still coming to terms with the after-effects of the April 2015 death of Freddie Gray, an African-American man whose death sparked waves of protests and prompted an ongoing examination of police-community relations, particularly in black communities. The board gave Thornton a tough assessment in his first 11 months on the job, calling into question his communication skills and vision. Some community activists and political leaders called for his ouster. Thornton told the paper that he helped manage a budget shortfall, pushed a five-year district strategic plan, and put in place a $1 billion school construction project, according to the Baltimore Sun. Santelises was one of four finalists from a pool of eight candidates, the paper said. She returns to Baltimore with a background in both education policy and practice. In addition to a top administrative post in Baltimore, she has served as assistant superintendent of pilot schools and assistant superintendent in charge of professional development in Boston public schools . She told the Baltimore Sun that her experience at The Education Trust, where she worked on policy implementation, was part of what pushed her to accept the Baltimore job. (Santelises lives in Baltimore and her children attend public charter schools.) Getting her arms around of the districts finances and improving coordination between the schools and community services were among her top priorities, Santelises told the paper. She also plans to focus on turning around the districts lowest-performing schools. She also plans to listen. I am not re-entering the system with an attitude of Im picking up where I left off, she told the paper. Because its a different system now. Tammy Turner, the districts chief legal counselor, will run the school system until Santelises arrives on July 1. Santelises will be paid $298,000 annually. Thornton was paid $290,000 a year, and he will receive his salary for the third year of his four-year contract as part of a separation agreement with the district, the paper said. In a statement, Kati Haycock, the CEO of The Education Trust, said that Santelises will work relentlessly to ensure that all young people in Baltimore get the high-quality education they so richly deserve. In her role as vice president for K-12 policy and practice, Sonjas experience and insights, especially about instruction, enriched everything we did, Haycock said. She built strong channels for learning from and supporting practitioners, and brought the invaluable perspective of a seasoned educator to every decision we made. She consistently pushed our thinking, and we are all better advocates for her time with us. Haycock continued: Well miss her terribly. But I always knew there was one call she could not ignore. She may not be a home-town girl, but nobody loves the peopleand, most particularly, the childrenof Baltimore City more than Sonja. Nobody believes more in their limitless capacity or is more committed to helping them realize it. Image Source: The Education Trust U.N. Yemen envoy says peace talks to resume in Kuwait Wednesday CAIRO, May 4 (Reuters) - U.N. backed peace talks to end Yemen's civil war will resume on Wednesday after they were suspended by the Yemeni government in protest at a Houthi assault on a military base in the capital Sanaa on Sunday. Buttressed by a truce which had been largely holding since April 10, the talks in Kuwait had been inching ahead before their suspension and the Houthis said Saudi Arabia had on Saturday released 40 Yemeni prisoners. "The participants will convene tomorrow, Wednesday, in a joint work session to follow up with the agreed agenda," a statement by U.N. special envoy to Yemen, Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed, said late on Tuesday. The statement also said the committee monitoring the cessation of hostilities would issue a report in 72 hours about the violence of recent days and issue recommendations for all sides to stick to. Czech Republic - Factors To Watch on May 4 PRAGUE, May 4 (Reuters) - Here are news stories, press reports and events to watch which may affect Czech financial markets on Wednesday. ALL TIMES GMT (Czech Republic: GMT + 2 hours) =========================ECONOMIC DATA========================== Real-time economic data releases.................... Summary of economic data and forecasts........... Recently released economic data.................. Previous stories on Czech data............. **For a schedule of corporate and economic events: http://emea1.apps.cp.thomsonreuters.com/Apps/CountryWeb/#/2E/events-overview ==========================NEWS================================== NWR: The main business of Czech coal miner New World Resources (NWR) filed for insolvency on Tuesday after failing to secure government aid, but could still agree a reorganisation plan to stay afloat. Story: Related stories: KOMERCNI BANKA: Czech lender Komercni Banka reported net profit fell 16.3 percent in the first quarter, as it front-loaded expected contributions to banking resolution and deposit insurance funds. Story: Related stories: HEALTHCARE: Czech doctors and nurses will get a 10 percent pay rise from January next year to help stop them from leaving abroad or to other professions, a trend that has created shortages in the healthcare system. Story: Related stories: CEE MARKETS: The zloty firmed against the euro on Tuesday, in contrast to other currencies in Central Europe which remained directionless, while the Turkish lira and the rand also rose. Story: Related stories: ---------------------- MARKET SNAPSHOT ------------------------ Index/Crown Currency Latest Prev Pct change Pct change close on day in 2016 vs Euro 27.027 27.053 0.1 -0.11 vs Dollar 23.536 24.537 4.08 5.33 Czech Equities 896.67 896.67 -1.39 -6.24 U.S. Equities 17,750.91 17,891.16 -0.78 1.87 Pvs close or current levels vs prior domestic close at 1500 GMT =======================PRESS DIGEST============================ NWR: Labour Minister Michaela Marksova said that some miners who lose their jobs at New World Resources' OKD unit could receive travel subsidies to go to work in a Skoda Auto car plant as part of measures to help workers. The Industry Confederation said its members could take in about 1,000 miners to provide them jobs. Pravo, page 3 Reuters has not verified the stories, nor does it vouch for their accuracy. For real-time stock market index quotes click in brackets: Warsaw WIG20 Budapest BUX Prague PX For updates on CEE currencies TOP NEWS -- Emerging markets Prague Newsroom: +420 224 190 477 E-mail: prague.newsroom@thomsonreuters.com ($1 = 23.3820 Czech crowns) (Reporting by Prague Newsroom) Indonesia to hold new round of executions; no word on foreigners By Agustinus Beo Da Costa JAKARTA, May 4 (Reuters) - Indonesia is preparing to execute several prisoners, a police official said on Wednesday, though authorities have not said if foreigners will be among them, a year after the execution of foreign drug traffickers drew widespread condemnation. President Joko Widodo's administration has pledged to resume executions by firing squad at a prison on Nusakambangan Island, despite criticism from rights groups and foreign governments. "We have had a warning since last month to prepare the place," said Central Java provincial police spokesman Aloysius Lilik Darmanto. "We carried out some rehabilitation of the location like painting and repairs because there will probably be more people who will be executed," he said, adding that the firing squad had been training and receiving counselling. He declined to say how many prisoners would be executed, or when, or if there would be foreigners among them. Authorities executed eight drug traffickers in April last year including seven foreigners, drawing condemnation from Australia and Brazil which has pleaded for their nationals to be spared. Authorities have not given a breakdown of the numbers of foreigners on death row but citizens of France, Britain and the Philippines are known to be among them. A 59-year-old British women, Lindsay Sandiford, was sentenced to death after being convicted in 2013 of trying to smuggle cocaine worth $2.5 million into the country. A Philippine maid, Mary Jane Veloso, got a last-minute reprieve last year in response to a request from Manila after an employment recruiter, whom Veloso had accused of planting drugs in her luggage, gave herself up to police in the Philippines. Her lawyer said he hoped she would not be in the next batch of prisoners to be executed. "The execution of Mary Jane should be delayed because we are waiting for the legal process in the Philippines," said lawyer Agus Salim. A lawyer for Serge Atlaoui, a French national, said authorities had not contacted the French embassy on whether his client would be executed in the next batch. The government typically informs the embassies of foreign convicts days before their executions. Indonesia imposed a moratorium on executions for five years before resuming them in 2013. It has executed 14 convicts, most of them foreigners, under Widodo. But amid international outrage last year, scheduled executions were postponed while the government focussed on reviving the economy, officials said. Air raids hit east of Damascus after "calm" expires -Observatory BEIRUT, May 4 (Reuters) - Air strikes targeted a Syrian rebel-held area east of Damascus on Wednesday after an agreement aimed at halting the fighting there expired at midnight, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported. The Observatory also reported fighting between rebel groups and government forces in the area targeted in the air strikes in the town of Deir al-Asafir in the Eastern Ghouta. Dhaka arrests five Bangladeshis deported from Singapore DHAKA, May 4 (Reuters) - Police in Bangladesh have arrested five men deported from Singapore as part of an investigation into an alleged Islamist plot to carry out attacks in the South Asian country, authorities in Dhaka said. Singapore's Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said on Tuesday it had detained eight other Bangladeshi men who were planning attacks in their homeland, using the name Islamic State in Bangladesh (ISB). The five men returned to Bangladesh were not involved with that group, the MHA said, but were found during the same investigation to be in possession of jihadi-related material or to support the use of armed violence for a religious cause. Dhaka city police spokesman Maruf Hossain Sardar said the five, who travelled to Singapore between 2007 and 2011, were being investigated for possible connections with local militant group Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT). Islamist militants in Bangladesh have targeted atheist bloggers, academics, religious minorities and foreign aid workers in a series of killings that dates back to February 2015 and has claimed at least 20 lives. The Islamic State and a group affiliated to al Qaeda have claimed responsibility for most of the attacks but Bangladesh authorities have dismissed the claims as 'baseless' and said homegrown militant groups were responsible. Bangladesh authorities have said the ABT was behind the attacks on online critics of religious extremism and the killing last month of a gay rights campaigner and his friend. The MHA said on Tuesday the eight men still held in Singapore were detained under the colonial-era Internal Security Act. Wealthy, multi-ethnic Singapore, which has not faced any successful militant attacks in decades, said investigations showed the group had identified several possible targets in Bangladesh. They were the second group of Bangladeshis investigated in the past six months in Singapore, which is host to around 150,000 workers from Bangladesh who are prominent in industries such as construction and marine. In January, Singapore said it arrested 27 Bangladeshi construction workers who supported Islamist groups including al Qaeda and Islamic State and deported 26 of them. Bangladesh said the same month it would charge 14 of those deported with membership of ABT. A gang of teenagers accused of raping and murdering a 14-year-old girl as she walked home from school were 'drunk on wine' during the brutal attack, say police. Fourteen men are accused of raping and killing Yuyun, a schoolgirl whose body was discovered a rubber plantation in Bengkulu, Indonesia, last month. Twelve of them have been arrested and are in custody on the island of Sumatra while two remain on the run. Local police claim the men, seven of whom are under 18, were drunk on wine during the incident and have shown no remorse for it. Twelve of the men accused of raping and murdering a 14-year-old schoolgirl in Bengkulu Province, Indonesia in April were seen hiding their faces as they emerged from a police cell on Thursday (above) According to Indonesian site Detik News, some of the men have been laughing since their arrest. Despite public outrage over her death, none of those being accused of it have shown any remorse, he said. Yuyun's death has prompted a string of protests across Indonesia reminiscent of those held in India following the death of student Jyoti Singh in Delhi in 2012. On Thursday the country's president Joko Widodo called for those responsible to be punished 'as severely as possible'. 'We all grieve for her tragic passing. Arrest and punish the perpetrators as severely as possible,' he told Twitter followers. The men accused include seven minors, five adults and two who are said to be on the run. One is her ex-boyfriend and two others attend her school, TIME reported. Yuyun (above right in a family photograph released by her mother) was walking home from school when she was killed The crime has sparked outrage across Indonesia and prompted women to take to the streets in protest. Above, a girl wearing a mask which reads SOS takes part in a march held in the victim's memory in Jakarta Yuyun disappeared on her way home from school on April 2 in the village of Kasiah Kasubun. Her bruised body was found two days later by villagers who said her hands were tied, the BBC reported. Her mother later told the Corporation she had been planning to train to become a teacher. 'We don't own very much, our children are our most precious possessions. They are the ones I have been struggling for my whole life,' she said. The rape is reminiscent of the 2012 rape and murder of Indian student Jyoti Singh in Delhi. Above, girls put their hands together while marching in Jakarta in the victim's memory Yuyun's death sparked a social media campaign titled 'Light a light for Yuyun'. Women lit candles during a march on Thursday in Jakarta SABMiller, Coke agree concessions with South Africa over bottling merger JOHANNESBURG, May 4 (Reuters) - SABMiller and Coca-Cola have agreed concessions with the South African government to win approval for a deal to combine their soft-drink operations, the companies said on Wednesday. The concessions, agreed with the South African Ministry of Economic Development, include a three-year freeze on layoffs and the companies investing 800 million rand ($54 million) to support small South African businesses. SABMiller, which is in the process of the being taken over by larger rival Anheuser-Busch InBev, agreed in November 2014 to team up with Coke to create Africa's largest soft drinks bottler, Coca Cola Beverages Africa. The business will have annual sales of $2.9 billion and ambitions to corner the fast-growing market on the continent. The all-equity deal was given a preliminary approval in December by South Africa's Competition Commission, which said it could go ahead on several conditions including Coca-Cola Beverages Africa limiting jobs cuts to 250 and making sure it buys cans, glass, sugar and crates from local suppliers. The Commission investigates deals for any antitrust issues and recommends remedies to the Competition Tribunal, which makes a final ruling. A Tribunal hearing on the proposed deal is due to start next Monday. South Africa has a history of taking its time over approving deals, partly because regulators have a public interest mandate to safeguard jobs in addition to an antitrust mandate to protect competition. "I am very happy that we have reached this agreement and hope we now have a clear path to the conclusion of this transaction," said SABMiller Chief Executive Officer Alan Clark. Coca-Cola Beverages Africa will account for 40 percent of all Coke volumes sold in Africa, serving 12 southern and eastern African countries. It will be headquartered in South Africa, its largest market. The deal would also hand Coke an extra 20 brands, including sparkling soft drink Appletiser, whose fruit juice concentrate is sourced from South African producers. Coca-Cola and SABMiller agreed to maintain and grow Appletiser production operations to serve the domestic market and use as a base from which to export elsewhere in the world. The Gutsche family, Coke's South African bottling partner, will also be a shareholder in the Coca-Cola Beverages Africa. Daimler to invest 500 mln euros in new engine plant in Poland FRANKFURT, May 4 (Reuters) - Carmaker Daimler said on Wednesday it would invest around 500 million euros ($574.5 million) in a new engine factory in Poland to broaden its production footprint outside its German home market. The new plant, to be located in Jawor, around 70 kilometres west of Wroclaw, will be Mercedes-Benz Cars' first in Poland. It produce four-cylinder gasoline and diesel engines for Mercedes-Benz passenger cars and create several hundred jobs. Intense battle in Syria's Aleppo kills dozens, air strikes force rebel retreat BEIRUT, May 4 (Reuters) - Dozens of people were killed in an intense day-long battle between Syrian rebels and government forces in western Aleppo that continued intermittently on Wednesday, with rebels saying they were forced to retreat by heavy aerial bombing. An insurgent assault in and around the Jamiyat al-Zahraa area of Aleppo had threatened the army's defensive lines around government-held districts of a city at the epicentre of a recent escalation in the five-year-old civil war. The surge in bloodshed in Aleppo, Syria's largest city and biggest strategic prize, wrecked the first major "cessation of hostilities" agreement of the war, sponsored by Washington and Moscow, which had held since February. The German and French foreign ministers said that achieving a ceasefire in Aleppo was critical to renewing peace talks. "I believe everyone knows and can conclude that there could be no return to the political talks in Geneva if a ceasefire in and around Aleppo is not observed," German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier told reporters in Berlin. In Geneva, a senior United Nations humanitarian official said the Syrian government was refusing U.N. demands to deliver aid to hundreds of thousands of civilians trapped by the fighting, including many in devastated Aleppo. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said dozens had been killed on both sides in what it described as the most intense battle in the Aleppo region in a year. Government forces were reinforced by allies from Lebanon's Hezbollah, it said. A rebel fighter said about 40 government soldiers had been killed, while rebel losses stood at 10 dead. A military source denied there had been heavy casualties in army ranks, but said dozens of civilians and many rebels had been killed. Rebel sources said insurgents had at one point captured a strategic location known as Family House, but later lost it after the government side sent in reinforcements. A pro-government military strategist said the offensive failed to breach key army defence and supply lines in Aleppo. "The assault was repelled, foiling a major attempt by these terrorist groups to make a breakthrough into the heart of Aleppo," Hassan Hassan said on state-run Ikhbariyah TV. A rebel source said sustained air strikes on insurgents arrayed along the fringes of government-controlled Jamiyat al Zahraa had forced them into a retreat. "The air force is the only weapon that exhausts us, especially (the use of) barrel bombing," said Mohammad al Sulaiman, a field commander from the Free Syrian Army's Liwa Fursan al Haq brigade. Rebels said jets believed to be both Russian and Syrian continued to pound their positions near Jamiyat al Zahraa. Other air and artillery strikes hit rebel emplacements around the Castello highway, the main supply route into rebel-held Aleppo. MOSTLY CIVILIAN CASUALTIES IN ALEPPO Most of the people killed in Aleppo in the last few weeks have been civilians. The Observatory said 279 civilians had been killed in Aleppo by bombardment since April 22 - 155 of them in opposition-held areas and 124 in government-held districts. Syria's conflict has killed at least 250,000 people and displaced half its pre-war 22 million population, giving rise to the world's worst refugee crisis. Russia turned the tide of the war in Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's favour with a campaign of heavy aerial bombing launched last September, while the United States and some allies have provided limited support to non-Islamist rebel forces. Temporary local ceasefires have been put in place in two areas of Syria but those have not been extended to Aleppo. Syrian opposition figure Riad Hijab, speaking before talks with the German and French foreign ministers and the U.N.'s Syria envoy, said a general ceasefire was needed across Syria, rather than one confined to specific regions. That formula is not working, said Hijab, adding that the opposition had reached a dead end with Assad in peace talks. "There needs to be an agreement according to U.N. Security Council Resolution 2268 that includes all Syrian areas where moderate opposition exists," he said. On Wednesday, Russia blamed the United States and an upsurge in violence by Islamist Nusra Front militants for a failure to extend a ceasefire plan to Aleppo the previous day. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Tuesday that the deal covering Aleppo was close and that the Russian and U.S. militaries might announce a decision "in the coming hours". But such a local truce, also known as "a regime of calm," never materialised. Three Red Cross workers kidnapped in Congo by suspected rebels KINSHASA, May 4 (Reuters) - Three Red Cross staff members have been kidnapped in eastern Congo in an attack blamed by a rights group on Rwandan rebels. The abductions were confirmed on Tuesday in a tweet from Dominik Stillhart, the Red Cross's director of operations, who added: "We're doing everything we can to bring them back home safely." The Congo-based Centre of Studies for the Promotion of Peace, Democracy and Human Rights said the three were drivers from Goma in the east of the country. Their vehicles were abandoned at the site of the kidnappings, it said. It said the culprits were believed to be members of the Rwandan rebel group, Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), which consists of former soldiers and Hutu militiamen behind Rwanda's 1994 genocide. The rebel group, which has waged wars against other armed groups and the government, is thought to be at the heart of instability in the region. Members say they want to return to Rwanda but the U.N. peacekeeping mission has said the group's goal is to overthrow the Rwandan government. There have been a series of abductions targeting aid workers in the vast central African country. The United Nations said in January a spike in kidnappings and insecurity had made it difficult to provide humanitarian aid. Counter to popular narratives, American schools may actually be getting safer. Reports of student victimization at school continue to decline, and students reports of fear of harm at school also keep falling, data released today show. Between 1992 and 2014, the total victimization rate at school fell from 181 victimizations per 1,000 students in 1992 to 33 victimizations per 1,000 students in 2014, according to the most recent federal data. Those victimizations include incidents such as theft, assault, robbery, and sexual assault. The data come from an annual report, Indicators of School Crime and Safety , which is produced jointly by the National Center for Education Statistics and the Bureau of Justice Statistics at the U.S. Department of Justice. The data show that we have made progress; bullying is down, crime is down, but its not enough, Peggy G. Carr, acting commissioner of NCES, said in a statement. There is still much policy makers should be concerned about. Incident levels are still much too high. The data is collected from surveys of students, teachers, and principals and from official reporting done by K-12 schools, colleges, and universities. It includes a range of indicators about how schools keep students safe, how they administer discipline, and teachers perceptions of safety and classroom order. Students generally seemed to see school as a safer place, the data show. The percentage of students who reported being afraid of attack or harm at school or on the way to and from school decreased from 12 percent in 1995 to 3 percent in 2013. And about 21.5 percent of survey respondents ages 12-18 reported being bullied at school in 2013, down from 28.1 percent in 2005, according to the report. Thats in keeping with other federal data sources and student surveys that show decreases in rates of school bullying. Concerns About School Safety By 2013, high school students who reported being in a physical fight on school property dropped to 8 percent, down from 16 percent two decades earlier, the data show. So what should schools make of this? How is it that, as multiple indicators point to improved school safety, parents still call it one of their top concerns ? Polling organization Gallup has found that such concerns seem to spike after school shootings . In 2015, Gallup found that about 29 percent of its parental poll respondents answered affirmatively to the question: Thinking about your eldest child, when he or she is at school, do you fear for his or her physical safety? From Gallup: U.S. parents' fears about school safety reached a high of 55% in April 1999 after the Columbine High School massacre in Colorado. Parents' concern typically peaks immediately following high-profile shootingsas seen in 2001 (45%) after the Santana High School shooting in California, and in 2006 (35%) after a shooting in an Amish schoolhouse in Pennsylvaniaand then fades. The low point in parental concern (15%) came in August 2008." More recently, public concern about school safety saw an uptick after the 2012 shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn. In the wake of that event, lawmakers around the country passed bills requiring safety drills, revising gun laws, and creating task forces to examine the state of school security. At the same time, private companies began peddling products like bullet-proof backpacks to parents and schools. Mondays report is the first federal data to include those deaths. Preliminary data show that there were 53 school-associated violent deaths, including 11 suicides in 2012-13, the report says. That includes the 26 children and school staff shot at the school and gunman Adam Lanza, who turned the gun on himself as police responded. While that number is higher than the previous years total of 45, it is not a complete outlier in 20 years of trend data. So what are schools doing to improve safety? From 1999-2000 to 2013-14, the percentage of public schools reporting the use of security cameras increased from 19 percent to 75 percent, and the number of public schools that controlled access to buildings increased from 75 percent to 93 percent. During the 2013-14 school year, 88 percent of schools had a written plan for how to respond to a shooting, but only 70 percent of those had drilled students on the use of the plan. Beyond that, schools around the country have also undergone efforts to monitor and improve school climates to ensure that students feel safe, supported, and engaged. Such efforts, often paired with social-emotional learning, can decrease rates of bullying and other forms of victimization, experts have said. Related reading: Follow @evieblad on Twitter or subscribe to Rules for Engagement to get blog posts delivered directly to your inbox. Air raids hit east of Damascus after "calm" expires BEIRUT, May 4 (Reuters) - Air strikes targeted a Syrian rebel-held area east of Damascus on Wednesday after an agreement aimed at halting the fighting there expired at midnight, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and rescue workers reported. The Observatory also reported fighting between rebel groups and government forces in the area targeted in the air strikes in the town of Deir al-Asafir in Eastern Ghouta. Moscow announced on Monday the temporary truce it brokered with the United States had been extended until the end of May 3. No further extension has been declared. Croatia outlaws the rubber stamp in red-tape crackdown ZAGREB, May 4 (Reuters) - Long a symbol of archaic office practices, the rubber stamp for approving paperwork is being banned by Croatia as its seeks to streamline business procedures and attract investors. Foreign businesses have often shunned Croatia, complaining about too much red tape, an unstable regulatory framework and a high tax burden. Now the centre-right government, which took office in January, is vowing to improve the investment climate as it seeks to nurture growth in an economy that has begun to haul itself out of six years of recession. Prime Minister Tihomir Oreskovic said Croatia was among the last countries in the European Union to use the time-consuming system of processing invoices, orders and other documents. "This should be a positive signal to businesses that procedures will be simplified," he told a cabinet session on Wednesday. Economy Minister Tomislav Panenic hailed it as a step towards "full modernisation". "The first step, by the end of this year, is to scrap a need to use stamps in the private sector. By the end of the year, we will have made preparations to do the same in the public sector," Panenic said. Croatia, the newest EU member and one of its weakest economies, posted growth of 1.6 percent last year after six consecutive recession years. This year, the government hopes for growth of 2 percent. However, many analysts say that without tangible improvement in the investment climate, growth rates will hardly surpass the current rate. Isolated Nepal PM not ready to go after Maoists call for change By Gopal Sharma KATHMANDU, May 4 (Reuters) - Nepal's embattled Prime Minister K.P. Oli will not resign after the main Maoist party that props up his fragile coalition said on Wednesday it would try to form a new government, plunging the Himalayan nation into crisis. An aide said the 64-year-old leader, who has been in power for just eight months, would seek cross-party talks. If those fail, a no-confidence motion could follow in parliament, holding out the prospect of more uncertainty. Oli rose to power with the backing of the Maoists after promising to resolve protests against a new constitution by southern plains dwellers and to step up efforts to rebuild homes destroyed by earthquakes last year. Increasing public anger at Oli has led the Maoists - who waged a decade-long insurgency before joining mainstream politics in 2006 - to conclude that he was an obstacle to ending the constitutional standoff. Minority Madhesis, who live along the border with India, had imposed a blockade in protest at a proposal to carve Nepal into seven federal states. They say it would divide their homeland and deprive them of a fair say in running the country. "Our party has decided to form the new government and we appeal to other political parties to help us resolve the outstanding political problems in the south through talks," said Narayan Kaji Shrestha, a leader of the unified Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist). Shrestha said the main opposition Nepali Congress party had offered to support Maoist leader Prachanda to replace Oli. Oli's grip on power has been in question for months, but aide Bishnu Rimal said he would seek clarifications from the Maoists about their concerns. "We invite all political parties including the Nepali Congress and the Madhesi groups to join this cabinet to make it a national government and resolve all outstanding problems," Rimal told Reuters. RESOLVING DEADLOCK Kunda Dixit, editor of the Nepali Times, said Prachanda could resolve the deadlock in the south by bringing the Madhesi parties and the Nepali Congress on board in a government that includes major stakeholders. Prakash Sharan Mahat, a Nepali Congress lawmaker, said his party was exploring alternatives to Oli, who he said had failed to deliver on promises. Prachanda, who goes by the nom-de-guerre he used in the insurgency that means "Fierce", will need the support of Oli's Unified Marxist-Leninist Party (UML) or other groups in a fragmented parliament to form a government. "Any new government does not mean the constitutional issue will be solved like that," said Lok Raj Baral, a commentator and former diplomat. "If any new government wants to amend the constitution, then the support of the UML will be vital." Germany relaxes rules on using cannabis for medical purposes BERLIN, May 4 (Reuters) - The German government gave the go-ahead on Wednesday to relax rules on cannabis use by the seriously ill from early next year if they have no other treatment options. Dried cannabis flowers and cannabis extracts will be available in pharmacies on prescription and the public health system will cover the cost, according to the draft bill that is expected to come into force from spring 2017. Other countries that allow cannabis use for medical purposes include Italy and the Czech Republic. Some U.S. states have decriminalised cannabis completely. Portugal has decriminalised all drugs for personal use, but does not allow cannabis use for medical purposes. Until now, seriously ill people in Germany with cancer, AIDS, Parkinson's disease or multiple sclerosis could only access cannabis with special approval and had to pay themselves. "Our aim is that seriously ill people are treated in the best possible way," Health Minister Hermann Groehe said in a statement. The government is to set up specially supervised plantations to grow cannabis and will import what it needs for now. U.N. peace talks on Yemen resume after three-day suspension - delegates CAIRO, May 4 (Reuters) - U.N.-backed peace talks to end Yemen's civil war resumed on Wednesday after they were suspended by the Yemeni government for three days in protest at a Houthi assault on a military base near the capital Sanaa. Buttressed by a truce which had been largely holding since April 10, the talks in Kuwait had been inching ahead before their pause and the Houthis said Saudi Arabia had on Saturday released 40 Yemeni prisoners. U.N. special envoy to Yemen Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed tweeted a picture of delegates representing the main warring sides sitting around a U-shaped table and said talks on Wednesday would focus on cementing the shakey ceasefire. The Iran-allied Houthis and Yemen's Saudi-backed exiled government are trying to broker a peace via talks in Kuwait and ease a humanitarian crisis in the Arabian Peninsula's poorest country, where the conflict has drawn in regional powers and killed at least 6,000 people. A civil war in Yemen escalated when an armed push by the Houthis cast the government into exile on March 26 last year. Fearing the Shi'ite Muslim group was a proxy for its arch-nemesis Iran, Saudi Arabia mustered an alliance of mostly Gulf Arab countries to push the group back but still appears far from beating the Houthis out of Sanaa. Human Rights Watch on Wednesday urged participants in the talks to allow international investigations of alleged war crimes by all sides "which have not been investigated nor have resulted in any redress for victims of unlawful attacks". The group cited air strikes on civilian areas by the Saudi-led coalition backing the government and "indiscriminate" shelling and use of landmines by the Houthis. "The parties around the negotiating table have an obligation to ensure that the violations against civilians are properly investigated and appropriately punished," HRW deputy Middle East director said in a statement. What price prosperity: Swiss-EU ties at crossroads By Michael Shields ZURICH, May 4 (Reuters) - Switzerland's central folk legend - a crossbow-wielding William Tell having to shoot an apple off his son's head as punishment for defying Hapsburg domination - says a lot about how the Swiss still view foreign entanglements: with suspicion. Neutral, mountainous and land-locked, Switzerland is torn between ties to its surrounding neighbours and preservation of an identity it fears could slip away unless it keeps outsiders at arm's length. It is a debate in the non-EU country that resonates elsewhere, particularly in Britain which votes on June 23 on whether to remain in the European Union at all. The seismic shift in Swiss-EU relations came in a 2014 binding 2014 referendum demanding quotas on immigration, including from the EU which has had access through a series of bilateral political and economic agreements. Plans for unilateral curbs by early next year in a country whose population is already a quarter foreign are now testing what price the Swiss may pay to go it alone, not unlike the primary issue in Britain's referendum. The right-wing Swiss People's Party (SVP), the biggest in parliament, has led the charge to restrict immigration. "Switzerland has an interest in the most intense collaboration possible with the EU, but we wouldn't want to marry the EU," SVP member of parliament Roger Koeppel said. "This is not a divorce, just a modification of our very good and close ties while respecting self-determination by Switzerland, one of the world's oldest democracies." Many voters believed Switzerland would renegotiate curbs on EU immigration after its 2014 vote, but talks have yet to yield a breakthrough and a tiny window for any deal may close by late summer. With Brussels insisting on the free movement of citizens enshrined by agreements, the Swiss could face a tough alternative: whether to forego bilateral economic accords with their biggest trading partner that help ensure enviable Swiss prosperity. Faced with these competing demands, legal experts expect Switzerland will do what it always does in its cherished system of direct democracy: vote again. MUDDLING THOUGH Many political analysts think the Swiss would opt to uphold business ties - the government estimates losing the bilateral accords could cut output by as much as 7 percent of GDP by 2035, and business leaders decry the impact on finding qualified staff - but the migrants flooding Europe and the EU's faltering reputation could make it a close call. Martin Naef, a Social Democrat member of parliament and co-head of the pro-EU New European Movement Switzerland, reckons voters would favour bilateral accords over immigration curbs. He said the close 2014 victory for quotas had reflected the SVP's successful combination of two pet subjects: ousting foreigners and saying no to Europe. "People had an image in their heads that 80,000 people are coming each year. That's a city the size of Sankt Gallen. This can't work forever," Naef said. But it is far from clear that another vote would go business's way - again, redolent of the debate in Britain, where most business is strongly in favour of remaining in the EU. "With the wave of refugees we expect all across Europe it is difficult to say how the Swiss population would decide, or how any population in Europe would decide if they had a chance," said Jan Atteslander, head of foreign economic ties at Swiss business lobby Economiesuisse. "Right now we have more indications that the Swiss population would prefer to keep up with the bilaterals but they also want to see a reduction of net immigration to Switzerland." More than 1 million EU citizens live in Switzerland and more than 230,000 cross the border every workday. Polls on how the Swiss might vote show a mixed picture. One by gfs.bern released this week showed two-thirds of Swiss would prefer to keep the bilaterals, but another from broadcaster SRF in August showed 60 percent would have Switzerland go it alone. Dominic Hoeglinger, a University of Zurich political scientist who studies Swiss attitudes toward Europe, said identity politics could play a more important role than economic interests. "The famous dictum by the (former U.S. President Bill) Clinton campaign about politics - 'It's the economy, stupid' - does not fit well here. On the contrary, 'It's identity, stupid'," he said. Greece's Piraeus Bank to sell part of European Reliance stake to EBRD ATHENS, May 4 (Reuters) - Greece's Piraeus Bank will sell part of its 28 percent stake in insurer European Reliance to the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, a Piraeus official said on Wednesday. Piraeus, Greece's largest lender by assets, plans to divest the entire stake as part of a restructuring plan which entails the disposal of non-core assets. "There is agreement with the EBRD to buy a stake of 15 percent in European Reliance from Piraeus. The Bank of Greece has approved the transaction," the official said, without disclosing the price of the transaction. Turkey could send ground troops into Syria in self-defence - PM ANKARA, May 4 (Reuters) - Turkey is ready to send ground forces into Syria to tackle Islamic State militants if need be, Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said, as two more rockets fired by the group struck a border town. President Tayyip Erdogan said Turkey would respond to all rockets fired by Islamic State and vowed that the jihadists would suffer greater losses if they continued their aggression. Turkey has argued the case for ground troops in Syria in the past, although it has always said it would not mount a unilateral incursion unless its national security was threatened. In an interview with Al Jazeera, Davutoglu said United Nations resolutions give Turkey "legitimacy" to enter Syria to fight Islamic State and others in the name of self-defence. "If ground troops become vital, we would send them. We are ready to take all measures inside and outside Turkey to defend ourselves," he said in the interview late on Tuesday. His comments came hours before two more rockets struck Kilis, a border town where 19 people have been killed so far this year from repeated artillery strikes. No one was hurt in Wednesday's incident, when the shells hit an empty field near the town centre. "Recently our town of Kilis has been persistently hit by harassing fire, many of our citizens have lost their lives. Every attack has been responded to and will continue to be," Erdogan told a meeting of local administrators. "Daesh has suffered its greatest casualties in operations it undertook against Kilis. If it continues, it will see greater losses," he said in comments broadcast live. Daesh is an Arabic term for Islamic State. SHELLING AND AIR STRIKES NATO member Turkey is part of the U.S.-led coalition fighting the militants in Syria and northern Iraq and has stepped up its efforts after initial reluctance to confront the group, which controls swathes of territory along its border. The United States and Turkey have for months been discussing a military plan to drive Islamic State from the border. Turkey has fired 5,330 shells against Islamic State, destroying many gun positions, shelters and bases and killing 370 militants, the state-run Anadolu Agency said on Tuesday. There have been 167 Turkish air strikes against the group in the same period and 492 jihadists have been killed, it also said. The death toll includes 32 militants killed in northern Iraq near the Bashiqa military camp, it said. Earlier on Wednesday, Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu voiced frustration over Islamic State's continued grip in Syria and Iraq despite what he said was a near two-year long effort by the U.S.-led coalition involving 65 countries. South Korean retailer drops Reckitt Benckiser products after sterilizer scandal By Ju-min Park SEOUL, May 4 (Reuters) - South Korean retailer Lotte Mart stopped ordering Reckitt Benckiser products on Wednesday along with some e-commerce sites, after the British firm apologised for selling humidifier sterilizers linked to deadly lung injuries. During an emotional televised news conference on Monday, the head of the company's South Korean unit accepted responsibility. South Korea said last year that 92 people were thought to have died from causes related to the humidifier products, not all of them made by Oxy Reckitt Benckiser. South Korea says 530 people registered claims of lung ailments from using humidifier sterilizers made by over a dozen companies. The government banned the products, which it believes were only sold in South Korea, in 2011. Of those claims, 221 were assessed by the government as being eligible for compensation. Of those, 177 had used the sterilizer sold by Reckitt, which was the market leader, having been on sale for more than a decade. Reckitt says it has settled about 80 percent of any cases that resulted from those claims. It also set up a 5 billion won ($4.3 million) humanitarian fund in 2013 to aid the afflicted while the claims were making their way through the court system. Humidifiers are widely used in offices and homes across north Asia where the winters are dry. The sterilizers, in liquid form, were added to the water to keep it clean. "This is not an issue just for the Korean branch and the victims but for the head of the main office to get on his knees and apologise to the victims," Choi Ye-yong, who heads the Asian Citizens' Centre for Environment and Health, said on Wednesday. Lotte Mart, part of Lotte Shopping and one of South Korea's biggest discount store chains, stopped ordering Reckitt Benckiser products on Wednesday, company spokesman Yoon Ji-yoon told Reuters. Lotte Mart was among supermarket chains that sold the sterilizers under their own brand, and last month made its own public apology. South Korean e-commerce companies Coupang and Ticketmonster Inc said on Wednesday they would stop selling Reckitt Benckiser products. Its global brands include Dettol antiseptic wash and Durex condoms. South Korean prosecutors, who have opened a criminal investigation, arrested a university professor on suspicion of fabricating data in a report for Oxy Reckitt Benckiser, a prosecution official involved in the case told Reuters. The South Korean unit of Reckitt Benckiser did not have immediate comment when asked about the arrest, although the head of the unit Ata Safdar, said in his apology on Monday the company was cooperating with prosecutors. Choi and Kim Deok-jong, the father of a five-year-old boy who died in 2009 from lung disease linked by the South Korean government to the use of humidifier sterilizers, plan a protest at Thursday's Reckitt Benckiser shareholders' meeting in London, according to an activist group. Reckitt Benckiser spokeswoman Patty O'Hayer in London said the company respected everybody's right to demonstrate. "We have stepped up and acknowledged our responsibility in this tragedy and are working hard to make amends and to address the issues of all those who have been impacted," she said. "The impact on the business is understandable. People are outraged and they need to find remedy," she said, adding that the company was working with the government to get results for people. "That's what's important, not a boycott." Globally, the Reckitt Benckiser group posted revenue of 8.87 billion pounds ($12.9 billion) in 2015. ($1 = 0.6878 pounds) Bangladeshi group met in parks, plotted attacks, says Singapore By Aradhana Aravindan and Ruma Paul SINGAPORE/DHAKA, May 4 (Reuters) - Eight Bangladeshi men held in Singapore for allegedly plotting attacks in their homeland had formed an Islamist cell that met in parks and open fields and shared radical propaganda and videos, authorities in the city-state said on Wednesday. The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said it had issued two-year detention orders for the men, who it says called themselves the Islamic State in Bangladesh (ISB), under Singapore's colonial-era Internal Security Act, which allows suspects to be held for lengthy periods without trial. "The ISB is the first group comprising all foreigners to be detained under the ISA for terrorism-related activities in Singapore," the ministry said in a statement. Wealthy, multi-ethnic Singapore, which has not faced any successful militant attacks in decades, had announced the arrests on Tuesday, saying its investigations showed the ISB had identified several possible targets in Bangladesh. Giving further details on Wednesday, authorities said the group had a hierarchical structure with a leader, deputy leader and members assigned specific roles such as finance. Its members had each worked in Singapore for between three and 10 years and generally lived in different accommodation, the MHA said, adding they were not known to have been radicalised when they arrived in the city-state. There were no indications that they had planned to carry out attacks in Singapore, it said. FIVE DEPORTED, HELD IN DHAKA Five other Bangladeshis who came to the authorities attention during the same investigation had been sent back to the South Asian nation, the MHA said. Police in Dhaka said they had been arrested since their return. They were not involved with the ISB group, the MHA said, but had been found to be in possession of jihadi-related material or to support the use of armed violence for a religious cause. Dhaka city police spokesman Maruf Hossain Sardar said the five, who travelled to Singapore between 2007 and 2011, were being investigated for possible connections with local militant group Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT). They were returned to Bangladesh on April 29 and were arrested in different parts of Dhaka on Tuesday, Sardar said. "We monitored their activities and then arrested them. A court granted seven-day police remand to them," he added. Islamist militants in Bangladesh have targeted atheist bloggers, academics, religious minorities and foreign aid workers in a series of killings that dates back to February 2015 and has claimed at least 20 lives. Bangladesh authorities have said the ABT was behind the attacks on online critics of religious extremism and the killing last month of a gay rights campaigner and his friend. The latest detentions were the second group of Bangladeshis investigated in the past six months in Singapore, which is host to around 150,000 workers from Bangladesh. In January, Singapore said it had arrested 27 Bangladeshi construction workers who supported Islamist groups including al Qaeda and Islamic State late last year. All 27 have been deported. Bangladesh said the same month it would charge 14 of those deported with membership of ABT. RADICALISED ONLINE Singapore said there was no indication of a group connection between the eight men recently detained and those arrested last year, although some of them were personally acquainted. It identified the leader of the ISB group as Rahman Mizanur, who has been working intermittently in the city-state since 2007 and was employed as a draftsman in a local construction firm at the time of his arrest. "Mizanur's radicalisation began around 2013 when he read radical material online," the MHA said. "He became more radicalised after a Bangladeshi shared ISIS propaganda material with him when he was in Bangladesh in 2015." Workers' rights groups say Bangladeshis are among the most economically vulnerable migrant groups in Singapore. NGOs say many work for wages as low as S$2 ($1.48) an hour and some do not get a day off. Many mortgage their properties to pay fees to recruiting agencies to get jobs in the construction and marine industries or as cleaners. The fees can reach up to $15,000, the NGOs say. Singapore said efforts to engage with the foreign worker population in the city-state were "ongoing". "MHA has worked with MOM (Ministry of Manpower) and an advisory was sent to dormitory operators for them to engage the foreign workers living in their quarters," the statement said. The ministry also said that there were currently 23 people detained for terrorism-related activities in Singapore under the Internal Security Act, a legacy of British rule that has been criticised by some rights groups. What Happens After an Indictment in a Criminal Case? While a criminal case can go from crime to verdict in 30 minutes on television, in real life they often take months or years to resolve and have various stages from arrest to trial. For some states, that stage is a grand jury indictment. So how do grand juries work, what does it mean when they return an indictment, and what happens after a grand jury indictment? Grand Juries, Indictments, and Sandwiches Not all states employ grand juries, but for those that do it is an opportunity for an independent panel of citizens to review the government's evidence against a criminal defendant and decide if it is sufficient to move forward with charges. Grand juries are used in all federal cases, with the idea that they are a check on prosecutors filing inappropriate or malicious charges. When a grand jury returns an indictment, it is an official charge that the defendant committed the crime alleged. The indictment also serves as a notice to a defendant of the charges against him or her. Because nearly all grand jury sessions feature the prosecution's evidence exclusively, the vast majority of grand juries return indictments. (As Tom Wolfe quoted New York State chief judge Sol Wachtler in "The Bonfire of the Vanities", "a grand jury would 'indict a ham sandwich,' if that's what you wanted.") The Aftermath After a grand jury indictment, a defendant has the opportunity to enter a plea. A guilty plea could lead to a quick sentencing hearing or the imposition of a pre-arranged plea bargain with prosecutors. If a defendant pleads not guilty, the case will move forward to trial. It is still possible, though, to arrange a plea bargain after a guilty plea, and all the way until a verdict is reached at trial. It is important to note that an indictment is not a statement of guilt -- it is only a determination that enough evidence exists to move forward with charges. If a defendant has yet to be arrested, he or she could be following the indictment. For defendants already in jail after their arrest and unable to bail themselves out, they could remain there after an indictment to await trial. Or a judge may set the conditions of their pre-trial release. If you've been indicted by a grand jury, you should consult with an experienced criminal defense attorney immediately. Related Resources: Turkish PM under pressure as rift with Erdogan deepens By Orhan Coskun and Nick Tattersall ANKARA/ISTANBUL, May 4 (Reuters) - Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan's drive to tighten his grip on power has triggered an open rift with Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, raising questions about the premier's future and troubling allies dependent on the NATO member's stability. The political uncertainty comes as Europe looks increasingly to Turkey for help in curbing a migration crisis and as Washington draws on Ankara's support in fighting Islamic State in Syria and Iraq. At home, Turkey itself faces attacks by Kurdish militants and spillover of Syian violence. The feud encompassing issues from relations with Europe to the detention of government critics has already hit investor sentiment, with the stock market weakening further on Wednesday after booking its biggest drop in more than five months the previous day. "Erdogan may be able to continue with Davutoglu but it is clear that there is currently a fracture. If the matter is not resolved quickly, Erdogan could take the path of choosing a new leader," one source close to the presidency told Reuters. "The AKP's stability means Turkey's stability, and this problem needs to be solved urgently to avoid economic and political problems." A spokesman for Erdogan, who has dominated Turkish politics since the AK Party he founded was elected in 2002, declined to comment on what he said was speculation about the future leadership of the party. The relationship between the two has long been uneasy, shaped by personality as well as politics. Erdogan, a political fighter hardened by a childhood in Istanbul's rough Kasimpasa district, wants a robust presidential system as a guarantee against the fractious coalition politics that hampered Turkey in the 1990s. His opponents see a stronger presidency as a vehicle for his own ambition. Such a system would see Davutoglu, a more mild-mannered academic and former diplomat lacking Erdogan's natural appeal to crowds, sidelined. The two have governed in a strained alliance since Erdogan won the presidency in 2014 and Davutoglu replaced him as prime minister. Aides to Davutoglu have so far largely dismissed tensions, arising often from overlapping competences, as matters of style rather than substance. But in the clearest sign yet of a power struggle, authority to appoint provincial AKP officials was taken from Davutoglu this week. The move reduces Davutoglu's hold over the party grass roots and cements Erdogan's influence. In an emotional and uncharacteristically short speech to AKP deputies on Tuesday, Davutoglu said he would rather leave any position than damage the AKP. But he cast suggestions on social media that he was in a battle with Erdogan as the work of "charlatans". "The millions who put their hope in the AK Party should not worry," he said. Secularist opposition newspaper Cumhuriyet cast the speech as a signal he may resign. Pro-government columnist Abdulkadir Selvi wrote in the mainstream Hurriyet newspaper that Davutoglu had told AKP officials he was considering stepping down. Erdogan will meet Davutoglu on Wednesday evening, bringing their usual weekly talk forward by a day. Three senior AKP officials told Reuters the meeting would be crucial for the party and for Davutoglu but they did not expect a resignation. "I would not be surprised if (Erdogan) decided to go on with Davutoglu at least for a little longer and freeze the crisis. But the issue of chairmanship of the party is going to be the main topic," one official told Reuters. "FUNDAMENTAL DILEMMA" The two leaders have appeared at odds over a landmark deal with the European Union to stem the flow of illegal migrants from Turkish shores to the Greek islands, in return for which Ankara has been promised accelerated EU accession talks, visa liberalisation and financial aid. "You can feel a very strong tension between Davutoglu and Erdogan. It will get worse," said a senior European politician who has worked with both men for many years. The deal has been Davutoglu's project. Erdogan, frequently critical of the EU, has at times appeared to belittle his progress, most notably efforts to win visa-free travel to Europe by June, the main prize in the eyes of many Turks. "During my time as prime minister it was announced (this) would come in October 2016," Erdogan said recently. "I don't understand why bringing it forward four months is presented as a win. I'm saddened by the presentation of small things in a bigger light." Aides to the two leaders deny they differ on Europe. But European officials, wary of Erdogan's authoritarian style, see Davutoglu as their main partner and his departure could strain relations. "Davutoglu seems to be really interested in joining the EU. He believes this is in Turkey's security interests. We don't believe Erdogan is as passionate about this," a senior EU official told Reuters. Ruptures are also evident on questions of human rights, a key area of concern for EU leaders. Erdogan has spoken in favour of the jailing, ahead of their trial, of academics and journalists on charges of supporting terrorist groups. Davutoglu is opposed to such pre-trial detention. Four Turkish academics were arrested in March, accused of spreading terrorist propaganda, after publicly reading a declaration urging an end to military operations in the largely Kurdish southeast. They have since been released pending trial. Prominent journalists have been held on similar charges, in what rights groups say is a bid to silence dissent. But such differences are symptoms of what former diplomat and political commentator Sinan Ulgen called a "fundamental dilemma" facing the two. "Erdogan's end goal is to consolidate enough popular support to switch to a presidential system. Davutoglu's end goal is to consolidate his own power and be a successful prime minister," said Ulgen, head of the EDAM think-tank in Istanbul. "The experience so far has been that when people who seemingly had weight in the AKP showed even a soft form of dissent, Erdogan was able to sideline them without significant consequences for the popularity of the party. EU proposes visa-free travel for Kosovo citizens BRUSSELS, May 4 (Reuters) - Citizens of Kosovo will be able to travel freely within Europe's borderless Schengen zone under a European Commission proposal after the tiny Balkan state introduced a series of reforms sought by Brussels. The European Union had been wary about offering Kosovo a visa-free regime after large numbers of Kosovars sought asylum in the bloc in 2014 and 2015. But Kosovo has improved border controls, introduced biometric passports and agreed to the return of citizens not entitled to asylum in the EU. Citizens of other Balkan countries - Albania, Bosnia, Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia - have been able to travel without a visa in the Schengen zone since 2010. Turkey, Ukraine and Georgia are awaiting the green light for visa-free travel. "Kosovo has made great progress," Migration Commissioner Dimitris Avramopoulos told reporters on Wednesday, adding that he hoped national governments and the European Parliament would approve the proposal quickly. Under the proposal, Kosovars with biometric passports would be able to enter the Schengen zone without a visa and stay for up to 90 days. The zone includes 22 of the 28 EU member states and several non-EU nations including Switzerland and Norway. Kosovo, which has a population of 1.8 million, declared independence from Serbia in 2008 and is still not recognised by Belgrade. It has signed a trade and political pact with the EU but is still not recognised by five member states: Spain, Cyprus, Romania, Greece and Slovakia. The EU Commission's visa proposal was welcomed in Kosovo, where President Hashim Thaci posted a banner with the Kosovo flag on his Facebook page that read: "Goodbye Visa!" "After decades of isolation there will be no more queues, no more rejections. When we work together there is no border that stops us," Thaci said. China, Laos increase security cooperation after attacks on Chinese BEIJING, May 4 (Reuters) - China and Laos have agreed to step up security cooperation after attacks on Chinese nationals in the poor, landlocked Southeast Asian nation in recent weeks, state media said on Wednesday as Laos' new president visited Beijing. In March, six Chinese nationals were wounded in a bus shooting and a Chinese national was killed and three wounded in an attack by unidentified militants on a Chinese-backed company in another part of the country. In January, two Chinese were killed and one wounded in a bomb attack on a bus. In a joint communique released by China's official Xinhua news agency, both countries agreed to expand military cooperation, including personnel training and other forms of support. China and Laos have also agreed to take "effective measures to earnestly protect the safety of each other's people, organisations and important projects", it added, without giving details. The statement was released as Laos Communist Party chief Bounnhang Vorachit, appointed president only last month, was in Beijing to see Chinese President Xi Jinping. Laos has close political ties to communist Vietnam and mirrors its political system. But communist neighbour China has been vying aggressively for influence in Laos, providing loans, aid and infrastructure investment. China sees Laos as an important route to Southeast Asian ports for landlocked parts of southwestern China such as Yunnan province. Sudan, Saudi Arabia to explore for Red Sea minerals by 2020 KHARTOUM, May 4 (Reuters) - Sudan and Saudi Arabia have agreed to start exploring for mineral resources, including silver and gold, in the Red Sea by 2020, Sudanese Minister of Minerals Ahmed Sadiq al-Karouri said on Wednesday. The two Arab countries, which are on opposite sides of the Red Sea, have been considering since the mid-1970s how to exploit mineral deposits, which they believe lie 2,000 metres below sea level. U.S. exchange ICE shelves plans for London bourse counter bid By Noor Zainab Hussain and Richa Naidu LONDON/BENGALURU, May 4 (Reuters) - The New York Stock Exchange's owner has shelved plans to make a counterbid for London Stock Exchange that could have derailed the British firm's planned merger with Deutsche Boerse. Intercontinental Exchange Inc's CEO Jeffrey Sprecher accused the LSE of failing to respond to the U.S. group's approaches despite several attempts to arrange meetings. As a consequence, ICE did not have enough information to make a formal offer, he told reporters on Wednesday. The LSE disputed this account. It responded with a statement that it had provided ICE with information and access to management. The U.S. exchange had not approached it with a possible proposal, it said. LSE's shares fell as much 10 percent following ICE's announcement before recovering to close down 4.2 percent, whilst Deutsche Boerse rose 6 percent and ICE jumped 8.2 percent at the New York open. The LSE announced plans to merge with Deutsche Boerse in February, prompting ICE to say a week later that it was considering its own bid. "Following our public expression in March of interest under the UK takeover code, the LSE chairman and CEO did not engage with ICE," Sprecher said on a conference call. "We're turning our focus to other opportunities to build on our track record of growth." Some London Stock Exchange Group investors said they were annoyed at the company's apparent refusal to entertain ICE's approach. "We are disappointed that a rival and credible bidder has been frustrated due to 'insufficient engagement' on behalf of the LSE board," said Jamie Hooper, a fund manager at AXA Investment Managers. Sprecher said ICE's advisers spent the last two months trying to see if they could come up with a deal that would meet ICE's return on investment threshold and offer LSEG shareholders a meaningful share price premium, but had had little response from the London exchange. "You only have one chance to merge or sell yourself, so you really should be doing everything to get the best price for shareholders," said one of LSE's 20 largest investors. "It is now debateable whether doing this deal with DB (Deutsche Boerse) really is." LSE's largest shareholder, the Qatari Investment Authority, which holds around a 10 percent stake according to Thomson Reuters data, declined to comment. ICE's announcement puts the brakes on a potential takeover battle in the exchanges sector, making it less likely that Deutsche Boerse will have to sweeten the terms of its all-share merger with LSE in order to win shareholder approval. "While the door to an offer is not completely closed, it appears highly unlikely without a material change in circumstances," analysts at Jefferies said in a note after ICE's announcement. REGULATORY CONCERNS A takeover by ICE would have created the world's biggest exchange group, spanning the Atlantic and trading and clearing stocks, derivatives, energy and commodities. However there were concerns about whether European regulators would have approved such a deal, and how attractive the combination would be should Britain vote to leave the European Union in a referendum on June 23. LSE Chief Executive Xavier Rolet made comments in media interviews last month, some of which were critical of ICE, including one where he described ICE's ownership of European stock platform Euronext as "a disaster". LSE later said views expressed in one interview had been his own. ICE still has the right to reconsider and make an offer for LSEG within the next six months, provided it has approval from the British Panel on Takeovers and Mergers, or if the LSE-Deutsche Boerse merger falls through or another bidder comes in for the UK bourse. ICE's made the announcement as it reported a 16.7 percent jump in first-quarter net income, driven by higher data fees. The U.S. exchange released its results a day before a deadline to submit a plan to British regulators assuring them that its recent takeover of commodities trading software house Trayport will not be anti-competitive. ICE, which began as an energy exchange in 2000 and has expanded through acquisition of companies including the New York Board of Trade, closed its deal to buy Trayport in December for about $650 million in stock. The UK competition watchdog had threatened to investigate ICE if it does not meet the May 5 deadline. Maersk says risks losing Qatar field, its largest oil asset By Sabina Zawadzki LONDON, May 4 (Reuters) - Denmark's A.P. Moller-Maersk said for the first time on Wednesday there was a risk it could lose its largest oil producer, a 300,000 barrel per day Qatari field, and may not replace the production by buying other assets. Chief Executive Nils Smedegaard Andersen's comments give some insight into Maersk's view of how the oil industry will evolve, after oil prices more than halved in the past two years. The recently-streamlined conglomerate still considers Maersk Oil as core to its business and for years the expectation was that the Qatar field would be part of this as Maersk would renew a 25-year production agreement when its licence ran out in 2017. But the Gulf state surprised the company last year by putting out a tender for the Al Shaheen field, which Maersk Oil has been operating since 1992. "On Qatar, yes, we are in a tender process. That means, that there is a risk that we will lose Qatar but we don't feel that that should induce us to go out and do something dramatic on the M&A activity to replace volumes," Andersen told investors. Last year, Andersen was more upbeat about the tender process, saying Maersk had a good chance of winning it. He has also said Maersk would be interested in buying other oil assets because they have become so cheap due to falling crude prices. His latest comments came after the company said its Maersk Line shipping unit had returned to profit in the first quarter, surprising most analysts who had expected a loss. Andersen has overseen a streamlining of the sprawling conglomerate and has said Maersk would focus on shipping, port operations and oil and oil services. Maersk Oil's entitlement production from the Al Shaheen field was 164,000 bpd in the first quarter of this year, almost half of the company's total entitlement production of 350,000 bpd and by far the largest contributor to its portfolio. Maersk last year scrapped a target for the oil unit to increase entitlement production to 400,000 bpd in the coming years and slashed exploration spending due to low oil prices. In some years, Maersk Oil has contributed a third to half of group profits, though that dropped when oil prices fell. A Qatari oil source told Reuters the Gulf state had invited international majors to the tender because it wanted to raise production at the field to 500,000 bpd. The source said Exxon Mobil and Royal Dutch Shell were already long-standing partners. Total has also been invited to tender. France wants backers of Syrian opposition to meet on May 9 PARIS, May 4 (Reuters) - France plans to invite ministers from countries that support Syrian opposition groups to a meeting in Paris on May 9 to seek ways to break the political and military deadlock in the country, its foreign minister said on Wednesday. Jean-Marc Ayrault told reporters France had decided on such a step because there appeared no immediate prospect of the International Syria Support Group (ISSG) convening to try to restore a ceasefire wrecked by an upsurge of fighting. "We are fighting (to ensure) the ceasefire returns straight away and we would like the ISSG to meet. For now we have not got any agreement from the Americans or Russians who co-preside the group to hold this meeting," he said. "That's the reason why I am going to invite like-minded countries to meet in Paris on Monday for a strong initiative to end the deadly bombings so that humanitarian aid can arrive effectively and that we can once again open the way to a political solution," Ayrault said. Ayrault did not specify which countries Paris would invite, though government spokesman Stephane Le Foll earlier mentioned inviting officials from Qatar and Saudi Arabia. Other countries supporting non-jihadi opposition groups battling Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's forces include the United States, Turkey and European powers. They have all called on Assad to step down. The first major ceasefire in Syria's five-year civil war, sponsored by the United States and Russia, had held since February but has virtually collapsed in recent weeks, with the city of Aleppo bearing the brunt of the renewed violence. The ISSG comprises 17 countries and they include Russia and Iran, which back the Assad government. A French diplomatic source said the ISSG could meet around May 17, but added that much would depend on whether a ceasefire across the country had been agreed beforehand to avoid clashes at any talks between major powers. In Moscow, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov was quoted on Wednesday as saying the ISSG could be convened in the coming weeks. Jewish leaders call for UK's Labour Party to act on anti-Semitism 'cancer' By Michael Holden LONDON, May 4 (Reuters) - Almost half a century ago, when he first became an active supporter of Britain's Labour Party, Rabbi Abraham Pinter said it had far less of a problem with anti-Semitism than the country as a whole. But while other political groups have recognised the need to address prejudice against Jews, Pinter said the country's main opposition party was stuck in the past. Labour now faces accusations of anti-Semitism in its ranks - from its high-profile former London mayor Ken Livingstone, who said Adolf Hitler had supported Zionism, to students at Oxford University. This has fanned concern among Jewish communities already alarmed at increasing levels of hate crimes. "The Labour Party never recognised it had a problem. It's really where it was 50 years ago," said Pinter, a former Labour councillor who speaks for the orthodox Haredi Jewish community in the Stamford Hill area of north London. "It's been there and it's still there," he told Reuters. Some within Labour say they are being accused of anti-Semitism simply for expressing legitimate criticisms of Israel. Senior figures have said prejudice is limited to a small fringe and was being used to smear party leader Jeremy Corbyn. But the row could play a role in Thursday's London mayoral election. Labour candidate Sadiq Khan, widely tipped to become the capital's first Muslim mayor, said he was appalled by Livingstone's comments and that they could harm his chances in a city home to an estimated 170,000 Jews. Moshe Menezira, manager of the Kosher Deli in Golders Green in north London, which has a large Jewish community, said there seemed to be a problem within Labour and that it was leading to many Jewish voters reconsidering whether to back Khan. "I know a lot of Labour supporters but they're in two minds because of what is going on," the 65-year-old said. Last week, Labour's leadership suspended Livingstone and ordered an inquiry into anti-Semitism in the party following comments the ex-mayor made in a radio interview that Hitler had supported Zionism in the 1930s before "he went mad and ended up killing six million Jews". Livingstone had been defending a Labour Muslim lawmaker after she apologised for posting online messages which included a suggestion that Israel should be relocated to the United States to solve the problems in the Middle East. The incidents sparked accusations from Jewish leaders that Labour leaders and those on the British political left were doing too little to combat anti-Semitism in their ranks. "There is now a cancer in their party and it is getting worse by the day," the Jewish Chronicle newspaper said in an editorial in March. "If Labour is not to lose the last residue of trust from our community, it must recognise and deal with that cancer." SUSPENSIONS Opponents of Labour have previously levelled accusations of anti-Semitism against socialist Corbyn, who was elected party leader last September. They pointed to a speech he made about the Middle East in 2009, in which he described Hamas and Hezbollah - groups designated as terrorist organisations by Britain and the United States - as "friends". Conservative Prime Minister raised those comments during heated exchanges with Corbyn in parliament on Wednesday. "Are they your friends or are they not? Because those organisations in their constitutions believe in persecuting and killing Jews," Cameron said. "They're anti-Semitic organisations, they're racist organisations, he must stand up and say they are not his friends." Corbyn replied: "Obviously anyone that commits racist acts or is anti-Semitic is not a friend of mine." The Labour leader has previously said he had used the term friends in "a collective way". The parliament exchange and the row surrounding Livingstone followed damaging headlines for Labour in February, when the co-chairman of the Oxford University Labour Club quit, saying "a large proportion of both OULC and the student left in Oxford more generally have some kind of problem with Jews". On Tuesday, Labour said it had suspended three councillors in northern and central England because of anti-Semitic remarks. Independent Jewish Voices, a human rights group set up in 2007 which criticises some of Israel's policies, said it was concerned at sweeping suggestions that anti-Semitism was pervasive in the party. "We also reiterate our view that the battle against anti-Semitism is undermined whenever opposition to Israeli government policies is automatically branded as anti-Semitic," it said. But some Jewish leaders say Labour has more than a fringe problem, with anti-Zionism often used as a cover for being anti-Jewish. "In recent days, we have heard anti-Semitism in the Labour Party described variously as 'a smear' and as 'mood music' being manipulated by political opponents of Jeremy Corbyn," Britain's Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis wrote in Wednesday's Daily Telegraph newspaper. "There has been nothing more disheartening in this story than the suggestion that this is more about politics than about substance." 'BECOMING ACCEPTABLE' The anti-Semitism row is casting a shadow over Khan's push to become mayor of London, a city of about 8.5 million people. Most Jewish voters say they have no problem with Khan himself, who said he was disgusted by Livingstone's remarks. "I think the Labour leadership generally needs to act far more decisive and swiftly when these sorts of comments are made," he said on Tuesday. "It can't be right that there are Londoners of Jewish faith who feel the Labour party is not a place for them." In Golders Green, where Jewish men wearing skull caps push prams along the street past Kosher shops and restaurants that line the main highway, there is real concern that the row engulfing Labour could fuel prejudice in Britain. Police figures showed an increase of more than 60 percent in anti-Semitic incidents in London last year, while the Community Security Trust, which advises Britain's estimated 280,000 Jews on security matters, said 924 incidents were recorded across the country during 2015, including 86 violent assaults. Earlier this month, parliament's Home Affairs Committee said it would hold a short inquiry into anti-Semitism over concerns prejudice was on the rise. In the London Jewish Family Centre in Golders Green, Denise, 61, who declined to give her surname, said anti-Semitism in Britain had got "way worse" since she moved from South Africa four years ago. "Six to eight weeks ago I was walking across a bridge and a car stopped and the people inside called me a bloody Jew. The first time ever it's happened to me in four years," she said. The row has been disheartening for Jews involved in Labour politics who support Khan's stance. Mike Katz, the National Vice-Chairman of the Jewish Labour Movement and a Labour candidate for the London Assembly, said the expansion from about 200,000 to about 380,000 party members since Corbyn became leader had led to the number of people with anti-Semitic views also increasing. "People over recent years have found it easier to pursue a discourse where it is acceptable to say these things and blur the lines between legitimate criticism of Israel and something which goes far further," he told Reuters. Rabbi Pinter, who said he was embarrassed that he used to count Livingstone as a friend, said those in Labour who denied there was an issue were part of the problem. Central Europeans rebuff EU plan to share out migrants PRAGUE, May 4 (Reuters) - Central European countries dismissed on Wednesday the EU executive's proposals to share out migrants among member states, saying any plans for forced relocation of people were unacceptable or, in Hungary's view, amounted to blackmail. The European Commission published legislative proposals to reform EU asylum rules, including a "fairness mechanism" under which each of the 28 member states would be assigned a percentage quota of all asylum seekers in the bloc that it would be expected to handle. The quotas would reflect national population and wealth and, if a country found itself handling 50 percent more than its due share, it could relocate people elsewhere in the bloc. States could refuse to take people for a year - but only if they paid another country 250,000 euros per person to accommodate them. Central European countries fought the EU's decision last year to relocate 160,000 asylum seekers, with Hungary and Slovakia challenging the decision in EU courts, and the new proposal also ran into immediate stark opposition. "Regarding the fines proposed by the European Commission, it is blackmailing," Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said after the Visegrad group of central European countries, which includes the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Poland, met in Prague. "The quota concept is a dead-end street and I would like to ask the Commission not to run into this dead-end street any more." Last year the Visegrad countries were outvoted on quotas. Czech Foreign Minister Lubomir Zaoralek said the EU should now act on the basis of consensus. "I am somewhat unpleasantly surprised that the Commission is returning to play a proposal upon which there is no agreement," he said. "It should not propose something that divides us, that will help nothing." Polish Foreign Minister Witold Waszczykowski said of the proposal: "It sounds like an idea announced during April fools day." Speaking earlier, Poland's interior minister said the plan violated member states' rights while Slovakia's interior minister said the proposal would set back the bloc's efforts to tackle its migrant crisis by months. Central European countries have refused to take in any large numbers of migrants, with fears that Muslims could not integrate into their largely Christian societies. How Zuma, the smiling spy, controls South Africa By Joe Brock and Ed Cropley JOHANNESBURG, May 4 (Reuters) - As head of intelligence for the outlawed African National Congress during apartheid, Jacob Zuma neutralised perceived traitors and sidelined opponents to shore up his position, people who worked with him say. Decades later, as South Africa's President, he hasn't lost his touch. Lampooned in the media, jeered in public and now facing calls from inside and outside the ANC to resign over millions of rand of improper state spending on his private home in Nkandla, the 73-year-old's grip on power seems like it should be weaker than at any point since his election in 2009. Yet he endures, thanks to skills honed decades ago in the exiled ANC underground, promoting little-known officials who do his bidding to powerful positions within the security and intelligence portfolios, politicians who work around Zuma say. He has also changed the way the party votes on internal appointments, including making members photograph ballot papers to prove their allegiance. Critics, including former cabinet ministers and top commanders of the ANC's armed wing, Umkhonto we Sizwe (MK), say Zuma's administration also demotes opponents and intimidates dissenters. One example: Public Protector Thuli Madonsela, a constitutionally mandated anti-corruption watchdog investigating the spending on Zuma's home, became the subject of an intelligence ministry probe into allegations she was a CIA spy. Zuma's spokesman Bongani Majola did not respond to multiple requests for comment on this article or for an interview with Zuma. ANC spokesman Zizi Kodwa also did not respond. Intelligence Ministry spokesman Brian Dube denied that security institutions were being misused. "These allegations are not new. They have been made before and remain unsubstantiated," he told Reuters in answer to emailed questions. One senior ANC source, who did not wish to be named for fear of retribution, said the key to Zuma's power was his lock over the party, regardless of his standing among the public. "So-called experts have been saying Zuma is finished for years but they don't have a clue how politics here works," said the ANC official. "People ask, how does Zuma survive? No one asks, how does Vladimir Putin survive?" "THE GRINDSTONE" Zuma, whose Zulu middle name, Gedleyihlekisa, means "the one who smiles as he hurts you", joined the ANC in 1959. The son of a policeman and domestic worker from what is now rural KwaZulu Natal, he had little formal education. After 10 years on Robben Island alongside Nelson Mandela, he fled apartheid South Africa to emerge in the late 1980s in the Zambian capital, Lusaka, as deputy head of the ANC's secret police and head of the 'Green House', its intelligence unit. One of his main tasks was to unmask informants and traitors within the ANC and MK, wielding the resources of the ANC secret police, known as iMbokodo or "The Grindstone". The Stuart Commission, an internal ANC inquiry into unrest in 1983 in guerrilla camps in Angola, described iMbokodo as "the most notorious and infamous department in the camps and perhaps in the whole movement". The report, available on the ANC's website, painted a picture of the ANC security services as a state-within-a-state, feeding off rumour and "not working for the security of the general membership and interests of the movement". According to historian Stephen Ellis in his 2012 book, "External Mission: The ANC in Exile 1960-1990", Zuma's time in Lusaka shaped the rest of his life. "For the remainder of his political career, this experience in charge of intelligence was to be Zuma's key institutional base," Ellis wrote. Ronnie Kasrils, intelligence minister between 2004 and 2008 under Mbeki and an anti-apartheid veteran, spent years in the ANC underground and intelligence circles alongside Zuma. "The first people he appointed were in his security team," said Kasrils, who has publicly called for Zuma to resign. "It was vital that Zuma had the heads of intelligence to do his bidding. It gives you the ability to dig up dirt on politicians and keep a close eye on opponents," he said. One such appointment was David Mahlobo, an unknown provincial hydrologist with no security experience, as intelligence minister in 2014. The ministry had traditionally been assigned to ANC high-fliers with impeccable "struggle credentials" such as Kasrils or Lindiwe Sisulu, the forthright daughter of ANC stalwart and close Mandela friend Walter Sisulu. "Mahlobo was a likeable guy but a surprise appointment," Kasrils said. "Zuma wanted someone young and green who is dependent and won't question him." Another was Nkosinathi Nhleko, a fellow Zulu whom Zuma appointed police minister in 2014. When Madonsela, the Public Protector, published a damning report on renovations Zuma had made with public money to his Nkandla home, including the building of a swimming pool, Zuma asked Nhleko to open an inquiry. Nhleko said the pool was a fire-fighting resource, backing up his conclusion with a video of firemen using the pool to pump jets of water. THE RIGHT PEOPLE IN PLACE Another appointment that startled observers was the selection last year of small-town mayor David van Rooyen as finance minister, a promotion that sent the rand into a tail-spin and resulted four days later in his dismissal. In total 35 ministers and 38 deputy ministers have been appointed during Zuma's term of office, far more than any other South African leader since apartheid. At the same time, senior ANC figures have been moved out of the party's top decision-making body, the National Executive Committee (NEC). "A major problem is the 'juniorisation' of appointments to ensure compliance and loyalty," Siphiwe Nyanda, a top MK commander and communications minister fired by Zuma in 2010, told Reuters. Zuma has also changed the way members are elected to the NEC'S 'Top Six', a body that ultimately chooses the party president. Under a so-called "slate" voting system, trusted delegates to the 5,000-member ANC conference held every five years are told who they should vote for and are expected to confirm they have obeyed with a photo of their ballot, two ANC sources said. "With 'slate' voting we no longer have proper democracy in the party. They have become voting cattle," Nyanda said. An ANC spokeswoman declined to comment on the issue. Dissenting voices in parliament or cabinet stay silent as a result. On April 5, ANC members of parliament, who control almost two-thirds of the assembly, voted unanimously against a move to impeach Zuma following a constitutional court ruling against him over the Nkandla affair. Asked by Reuters why he had voted as he did, a senior member of government known to be anti-Zuma merely rolled his eyes. The politician asked not to be named for fear of recriminations. UNDERHANDED TACTICS Bugging telephones and intercepting emails of senior party figures and journalists has become routine, Kasrils said. He did not provide details. But in 2009, 783 corruption charges against Zuma were dropped after his legal team came up with phone intercepts -- dubbed the 'Zuma spy tapes' -- that suggested a political motive when the charges were laid. How Zuma, who was then challenging Thabo Mbeki for the leadership of the ANC, obtained the wire-taps has never been revealed. The Pretoria High Court on April 29 ordered a review of the decision to drop the charges. Critics also complain about intimidation tactics and smear campaigns. A week after the Helen Suzman Foundation (HSF) filed court papers against Berning Ntlemenza, head of the police's elite Hawks investigations unit, the NGO's offices were robbed. HSF executive director Francis Antonie said the robbers took only old computers. "It's plausible this was an information gathering exercise or meant to intimidate us," he said. Provincial police spokeswoman Noxolo Kweza said she could not answer questions about the case because it had been "taken from us" by the Hawks, which the Hawks, South Africa's version of the FBI, denied. Some Zuma opponents have found themselves the target of campaigns linking them to the U.S. government, a charge that points to the Cold War paranoia that lingers in parts of the ANC, which was backed by the Soviets. Among these was Madonsela, the author of the Nkandla report, who afterward became the subject of an investigation, ordered by Mahlobo, into allegations she was a CIA agent. Important: The opinions expressed in WebMD Blogs are solely those of the User, who may or may not have medical or scientific training. These opinions do not represent the opinions of WebMD. 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If you think you may have a medical emergency, call your doctor or dial 911 immediately. French foreign minister blames Assad for breaking truce in Aleppo BERLIN, May 4 (Reuters) - French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault said at the start of talks on the Syrian crisis in Berlin that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's government bore full responsibility for undermining the ceasefire in Aleppo. "What is happening in Aleppo is a tragedy that requires a stronger reaction. It is a terrible drama that is happening there with victims, and the regime in Damascus bears full responsibility for what is happening and this means undermining the ceasefire, and goes all the way to destroying hospitals, killing women and children, civilians and doctors," he said. He also called for a meeting on Monday in France of 10 countries, including Arab states, involved in ceasefire talks, adding: "Everything must be done to get back to the ceasefire path." BRIEF-Niel postpones expiry date on Telecom Italia options -regulator May 4 (Reuters) - Telecom Italia: * French businessman Xavier Niel has changed the expiration date on call options relating to 4.889 percent of Telecom Italia's capital to Sept. 1, 2017, Italy's market regulator Consob said Norway to cut corporate, personal tax rates to 23 pct OSLO, May 4 (Reuters) - Norway will cut the corporate income tax rate to 23 percent from the current 27 percent by 2018 and will introduce a tax on financial-services companies in 2017 after lawmakers reached a compromise agreement, the country's political parties announced on Wednesday. The basic personal tax rate will also be cut to 23 percent from 27 percent. Personal income is subject to progressive taxation, however, which raises payments significantly for many income groups. The right-wing minority government had previously said it wanted to cut the corporate tax rate to 22 percent. It agreed to the slightly higher rate to win a broad agreement that included three centrist parties and left-wing Labour. As part of the deal, further reductions in the company tax rate will be considered in the future. The compromise included only a small cut in Norway's wealth tax, which the government had wanted to remove completely. A tax on the financial industry will be introduced in 2017 to take account of the value-added services it provides, the parties said, without disclosing details. The financial newspaper Dagens Naeringsliv, quoting sources, reported online that the tax would amount to an estimated 3.5 billion Norwegian crowns ($430.59 million) in 2017. Syria opposition's Hijab says need general ceasefire, talks at dead end BERLIN, May 4 (Reuters) - Syrian opposition figure Riad Hijab, speaking before talks on the Syria crisis with German and French foreign ministers and the U.N.'s Syria envoy, said that a general ceasefire was needed across the country, rather than one limited to specific areas. The current formula was not working, said Hijab, adding that the opposition had reached a dead end with President Bashar al-Assad in talks aimed at bringing at end to the war in Syria. "There needs to be an agreement according to U.N. Security Council resolution 2268 that includes all Syrian areas where moderate opposition exists," he said before the talks in Berlin. He said the opposition wanted a new initiative that set a clear timetable for a transition without the Syrian presdient and his supporters. Canada wildfire evacuations curb oilfield, pipeline flow May 6 (Reuters) - As exhausted evacuees stranded north of the fire-ravaged Canadian oil town of Fort McMurray sped through the only route out on Friday, about one-third of Canada's daily oil sands crude capacity was knocked out and some pipelines were closed. While oil sands facilities are not in the fire's path, several production companies and two pipeline operators have curbed activities and moved workers and others. At least 720,000 barrels per day (bpd) of capacity were offline on Friday, according to calculations by Reuters. That does not include the unspecified reduction in Syncrude output and some other reductions, so some analysts have estimated about one million barrels were shut in. Following is a list of what oil producers and pipeline companies have said about nearby operations: - Suncor Energy Inc, whose oil sands operations are closest to the city, said its main plant 25 km (16 miles) to the north and other assets in the area were safe. It has closed its main mining site as well as its MacKay River and Firebag thermal oil sands operations. It cited the precautionary shut-in of takeaway pipelines and limited availability of diluent. Prior to the fire, Suncor said it was operating at reduced rates of approximately 300,000 bpd because of a turnaround. The main mining site can produce up to 350,000 bpd. Suncor said it expects to promptly return to full production and restart planning is well advanced. Separately, it said Syncrude continues to operate at reduced rates due to limited labor. - The Syncrude oil sands project, owned by a consortium of companies including Suncor, said it was reducing operations to help support employees affected by the fire. Syncrude has 2,000 evacuees staying at its camp. - Imperial Oil Ltd said that as a precaution, workforce levels at its Kearl oil sands mining project have been reduced to essential staff only. Production has been reduced by an unspecified amount. It said its physical plant is unaffected by the fires. - Athabasca Oil Corp said it shut the Hangingstone project and evacuated all personnel. The fire front is estimated to be within 3 miles (5 km) of the Hangingstone site. The company said it was in the process of shutting down the well sites and the central facility. On its website, the company said that with a production ramp-up underway, the project was expected to produce 12,000 bpd by the fourth quarter 2016 - Statoil ASA said production at its Leismer oil sands project has been cut by 50 percent to 10,000 bpd to preserve supplies of diluent, which is added to viscous oil sands bitumen so it can flow through pipelines. - Canadian Natural Resources Ltd said there were some operation outages at its Horizon project, but current operations are stable. - ConocoPhillips said it shut its 30,000-bpd Surmont operations and evacuated people and workers from the site. - Nexen Energy, a wholly owned subsidiary of China's CNOOC , said late on Wednesday it was shutting its Long Lake oil sands facility. Long Lake can produce about 50,000 bpd of synthetic crude but has been operating at reduced rates since late January, when an explosion at the plant left two employees dead. - Royal Dutch Shell Plc said it closed its Muskeg River and Jackpine oil sands mines, whose combined capacity is 255,000 bpd. - Husky Energy said it cut production at its Sunrise oil sands project to 10,000 bpd from 30,000 bpd after a pipeline that supplies the project with diluent was shut down. - Connacher Oil and Gas Ltd said on Thursday it was bringing its Great Divide production back up to 8,000 bpd, after cutting it to 4,000 bpd on Wednesday. Great Divide is 80 km south of the city, and produced 14,000 bpd in the fourth quarter. - The following oil sands companies with operations in the region said they were not affected: Cenovus Energy Inc ; MEG Energy Corp ; and Japan Canada Oil Sands Ltd. PIPELINE COMPANIES: - Enbridge Inc said it shut all pipelines in and out of Cheecham Terminal on Wednesday evening. The Cheecham facility was evacuated and the Athabasca Terminal reduced to a minimum staff for safety reasons. Line 19 south of Kirby Lake continues to operate, it added. - Midstream energy company Keyera Corp said its South Cheecham rail and truck terminal, 75 km (47 miles) south of Fort McMurray, has been evacuated and shut down. South Cheecham is a joint venture between Keyera and Enbridge. - Inter Pipeline Ltd said on Thursday it reopened its Polaris diluent pipeline to the Fort McMurray area and is ready to reopen its Corridor pipeline system that serves Shell's oil sands facilities when that operation reopens. No pipeline assets incurred significant damage as a result of the wildfires. - TransCanada Corp said it does not expect the wildfire to affect deliveries of natural gas. The nearest pipeline is about 20 km (12 miles) west of the current wildfire. Apple loses China trademark case for "iPhone" on leather goods BEIJING, May 4 (Reuters) - Apple Inc has lost a battle for the use of the "iPhone" trademark on leather goods in China after a Beijing court ruled against the world's biggest technology company in favour of a local firm, state media reported. The Beijing Municipal High People's Court said Xintong Tiandi can continue to use the phrase "iPhone" on its leather goods, according to the Legal Daily, the official newspaper of China's Justice Ministry. In a statement, Apple said it was disappointed with the ruling. "We intend to request a retrial with the Supreme People's Court and will continue to vigorously protect our trademark rights," the company said. The U.S. tech company has repeatedly found itself tangled in intellectual property disputes in China where the sheer number of companies means trademarks are often taken by little-known players. Some enterprising firms are quick to snap up trademarks that are known overseas but not registered locally, in the hope of a pay-off down the line. In 2002, Apple applied for the "iPhone" trademark for computer hardware and software in China, but that was only approved in 2013. Xintong Tiandi created its trademark for leather goods in 2007, the first year Apple's iPhone went on sale. The U.S. firm has been disputing the Chinese firm's intellectual property rights since 2012. The Beijing court dismissed Apple's appeal, saying the U.S. firm could not prove the "iPhone" brand was well-known in China before 2009, when it first started selling the handsets on the mainland. In 2012, Apple paid $60 million to end a protracted legal dispute over the iPad trademark in China, which had hampered some sales and delayed the introduction of a new iPad in the country. Apple has been facing tougher times in Greater China - its second-largest market. Following Trump's win, U.S. Senate leader reaffirms Garland opposition By Richard Cowan WASHINGTON, May 4 (Reuters) - Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell on Wednesday stood firm on his refusal to act on President Barack Obama's nominee to the U.S. Supreme Court even as some conservative activists called on senators to confirm Merrick Garland now that Donald Trump is the presumptive Republican presidential nominee. "The leader's position has not changed on Garland," McConnell spokesman David Popp told Reuters. Since Obama nominated Garland in March, McConnell has refused to allow a confirmation vote, saying it should be up to the next president to fill the court's vacancy left by the February death of conservative Justice Antonin Scalia. Some conservatives on Wednesday urged the Senate to confirm Garland, a centrist federal appeals court judge, now that Trump appears in line to win the Republican nomination for the Nov. 8 election. They are concerned that Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton will defeat Trump in the election and then pick a far more liberal nominee than Garland for a lifetime appointment to the court. Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, who backs McConnell's hard-line stance, has refused to hold hearings on Garland's nomination. With his overwhelming victory in Tuesday's Indiana Republican primary, Trump solidified his position to land the party's presidential nomination at its July convention in Cleveland. His closest challenger, Texas Senator Ted Cruz, quit the race after being drubbed in Indiana. McConnell has repeatedly refused to say which Republican he supports for president. In an interview with Newsmax on Monday, before the Indiana vote, McConnell would say only that he intends to support the party's nominee, "whomever that may be." Trump has said that he would consult with the conservative Heritage Foundation think tank on possible Supreme Court nominees if he is elected president. Leon Wolf of the conservative RedState website predicted that Republicans will lose the White House race in November with Trump as their nominee, and likely lose control of the Senate as well. Wolf wrote in a blog posting, "The choices, essentially, are to confirm Garland ... or watch as President Clinton nominates someone who is radically more leftist and 10-15 years younger" than the 63-year-old Garland. NATO approves Israeli representation to its headquarters BRUSSELS, May 4 (Reuters) - NATO said on Wednesday it had agreed to non-member Israel setting up representation at its Brussels headquarters, a tentative sign of rapprochement between the Jewish state and NATO member Turkey. Israel and Turkey have stepped up efforts to patch up a relationship badly damaged following an Israeli raid in 2010 on a Turkish boat, the Mavi Marmara, which had been trying to breach a blockade on the Gaza Strip. NATO said in a statement that Israel's ambassador to the European Union, David Walzer, would now also head its mission at alliance headquarters. The foreign ministry of Israel, which is not a NATO member but has partner status as a participant in the alliance's Mediterranean Dialogue programmes together with six other non-NATO countries in the region, welcomed the move. Turkey's mission to NATO had no comment on Wednesday but Ankara previously opposed some forms of NATO cooperation with Israel following the Mavi Marmara incident. In 2010, Israeli commandos raided the Mavi Marmara, which was the lead ship in a group of boats trying to break the blockade, and killed nine Turks in clashes with activists. Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Wednesday that Ankara has discussed the opening Israeli mission at NATO with Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg. "We said we may welcome this if all countries are treated equally," Cavusoglu said. "It's important that not only Israel but other southern partners are granted the same right." Austria border fence plan risks "waking ghosts of the past" -Italian PM ROME, May 4 (Reuters) - Austria's plan to build a fence at its border with Italy to keep out migrants is a dangerous project that risks raising the ghosts of Europe's past, Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi said on Wednesday. Italy and Austria are members of the European Union's Schengen open-border zone but free movement has been jeopardised by the reimposition of controls at some major crossings by countries affected by an influx of migrants fleeing armed conflict and deprivation in the Middle East and Africa. Austria has said it will erect the fence to "channel" people at the busy Brenner Pass border crossing in the Alps, drawing an angry reaction from Rome. "It is a dangerous operation," Renzi told the lower house of parliament. "If you play on fear, you risk giving strength to those who know best how to wake the ghosts and spectres of the past." He did not specify what he meant by "the past". The Schengen zone was created to help nurture European integration and prosperity after a 20th century marked by nationalism that led to two world wars which devastated the continent. Schengen has been disrupted over the past year as Europe has struggled with the arrival of more than one million people looking for a better life. Barbs have been traded between Austrian officials who say Italy should stop migrants heading ultimately for the wealthy north and west of the EU and Italians who say that all EU nations should cooperate in tackling the crisis. Austrian Interior Minister Wolfgang Sobotka said in Rome last month that as many as a million migrants were poised to cross the Mediterranean from Libya this year. Italy says the figure is much lower though calm summer seas may well bring a surge. Renzi said on Wednesday that proposals Italy sent to the European Commission for dealing with the migrant crisis had been well received, and Austria's plans were "little more than a provocation". Syria opposition coordinator says peace talks at dead end By Joseph Nasr BERLIN, May 4 (Reuters) - Attempts at a dialogue with the Syrian government have reached an impasse and no progress in ending the civil war is possible without the departure of President Bashar al-Assad, the coordinator for the Syrian opposition said on Wednesday. The first major ceasefire in Syria's five-year civil war, which took hold in February with U.S. and Russian sponsorship, has virtually collapsed in recent weeks, with the city of Aleppo bearing the brunt of the renewed violence. "We saw at the last three rounds of talks (with the government in Geneva) that we had reached a dead end," Syrian opposition coordinator Riad Hijab told reporters in Berlin before talks with the German and French foreign ministers. "The regime doesn't want to discuss a transitional government and for us it is impossible to discuss the issue of a transitional government, a unity government. A political solution with Bashar al-Assad still present cannot happen." Hijab called for a general ceasefire across Syria, rather than temporary truces limited to specific areas as at present. The opposition also wants a new initiative that sets a clear timetable for a transition without the Syrian president and his supporters, Hijab added. The foreign ministers of France and Germany said after their talks with Hijab that achieving a ceasefire in the divided northern city of Aleppo - Syria's largest before the war - was key to any renewal of peace talks. French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault said Assad's government bore full responsibility for undermining the ceasefire in Aleppo. "I believe everyone knows and can conclude that there could be no return to the political talks in Geneva if a ceasefire in and around Aleppo is not observed," German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier told reporters. Earlier, Ayrault said France plans to invite ministers from countries that support Syrian opposition groups to a meeting in Paris on May 9 to seek ways to break the political and military deadlock in the country. Congo opposition leader says to run for president in November KINSHASA, May 4 (Reuters) - Moise Katumbi, a prominent opposition leader in Democratic Republic of Congo, said on Wednesday he would run in November's presidential election when incumbent Joseph Kabila is due to step down in accordance with the constitution. Kabila's opponents say he is trying to cling to power beyond his mandate and Katumbi's declaration could heighten political tension, given that the president has yet to announce his plans. More than 40 people were killed in protests in January 2015 over alleged attempts by Kabila to delay the presidential vote to remain in office. "I accept with humility this heavy responsibility," Katumbi said in a statement posted on his official Twitter account, referring to his nomination for the presidency by three opposition coalitions in recent weeks. The election will likely be delayed since the election commission says updating voter rolls will take about 16 months. Katumbi is a multimillionaire and former governor of Katanga, a copper mining region. His announcement had been expected for months but was delayed as he tried to win support from a fractious opposition. Katumbi governed Katanga from 2007 until last September when he quit Kabila's party, accusing it of plotting to extend the president's rule, which began in 2001. Wednesday's declaration appeared to be aimed at showing he would not bow to political pressure. Tensions have risen in recent weeks between Katumbi's camp and the government. In April, police used tear gas to disperse a rally led by Katumbi in the country's second-largest city, Lubumbashi, and arrested four of his bodyguards. On Wednesday, Justice Minister Alexis Thambwe ordered a probe into Katumbi's alleged recruitment of mercenaries. The government "has proof of ... Katumbi's involvement in the recruitment of mercenaries, including several retired American soldiers," he said. In his statement on Twitter, Katumbi replied: "The low blows of the government do not hinder my peaceful combat. I will be the candidate of the rule of law." Katumbi has yet to win the support of the largest opposition parties, including Etienne Tshisekedi's Union for Democracy and Social Progress. Katumbi said in the statement he would soon begin a national tour to develop a common opposition platform. Cable, 'Deadpool' help Fox earnings meet forecasts May 4 (Reuters) - Twenty-First Century Fox Inc reported quarterly earnings in line with Wall Street expectations as the company's cable channels brought in higher affiliate fees and ad revenue while its movie studio turned out blockbuster film "Deadpool." Fox, owner of cable networks Fox News Channel and FX, reported a better-than-expected 5.7 percent rise in adjusted revenue for the quarter that ended in March. Excluding items, the company earned 47 cents per share, in line with projections from analysts polled by Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S. Revenue from the cable network business, which accounts for more than half of Fox's total revenue, rose nearly 10 percent to $3.94 billion in the quarter. Fox shares were flat in after-hours trading at $29.80. Fox News Channel benefited from the raucous U.S. election campaign. Total day and primetime ratings for Fox News topped all U.S. basic cable channels from January through March, the first time in the network's history that it has led basic cable in both categories for a full quarter, according to Nielsen data. The network averaged nearly 1.4 million total-day viewers over the quarter and 2.4 million primetime viewers. FX also got a boost from strong ratings for the miniseries "The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story". Domestic advertising sales in the cable business rose 17 percent in the period, while overall television revenue increased 5 percent to $1.3 billion. Fox Chief Executive James Murdoch, on a conference call with analysts, confirmed that the company is in talks to supply programming for a new online TV service being developed by Hulu. The move is part of Fox's strategy to expand its programming to new digital platforms. "We want to make our programming more available, not less," Murdoch said. At the film studio, superhero movie "Deadpool" sold more than $760 million in tickets, making it the highest-grossing R-rated movie in history. The unit's operating income before depreciation and amortization rose 23 percent to $470 million from a year earlier. Revenue excluding the sale of Fox's direct broadcast satellite TV businesses rose to $7.23 billion from $6.84 billion in the third quarter ended March 31. Analysts on average had expected revenue of $7.18 billion, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S. However, net income attributable to shareholders fell to $841 million, or 44 cents per share, from $975 million, or 46 cents per share, a year earlier. Excluding items, the company earned 47 cents per share. After a brutal thrashing at Donald Trump's hands in Indiana's Republican primary election today, Ted Cruz is calling it quits. Trump, reports the BBC, is now almost certainly the party's nominee for president. "We left it all in the field in Indiana, and the voters chose another path," he told supporters in Indiana."With a heavy heart, but with boundless optimism for the long term future of our nation, we are suspending our campaign." I'll say one thing about Carly Fiorina, she knows how to get a company to make layoffs when it has to. About four months ago, cigar boxes, matchbooks, and coffee tins bearing the name and likeness of 19th-century poet Walt Whitman began appearing on the Show & Tell section of Collectors Weekly. Turns out, as Lisa Hix learned when she spoke to Ed Centeno, who posted the items from his personal collection, Whitman's name and bearded visage were once used to sell everything from tobacco products and booze to apple sauce. For the record, Whitman did not smoke, and as the son of an alcoholic father, he argued on behalf of Temperance causes. Presumably, Whitman ate apple sauce, but marketers never asked his permission to to sell stuff when he was alive (1819-1892), nor was Whitman ever compensated for the use of his good name. All this advertising attention to Whitman is curious since, in general, poets don't make good marketing tools. The Whitman name is particularly problematic. While some people are inspired by his steadfast support of the Union cause during the Civil War, imperiling his own health to work as a nurse in a Washington, D.C., Army hospital, others see him as a very early champion of gay identity, as well as a hell of an erotic writer. Being patriotic and gay are obviously not incompatible, but the latter often gives those who would make money off the former pause. Here's a snip: An honest essay has numerous characteristics: original thinking, a good structure, balanced arguments, and plenty more. But one aspect often overlooked is that an honest essay should be interesting. It should spark the readers curiosity, keep them absorbed, make them want to stay reading and learn more. An uneventful article risks losing the readers attention; whether or not the points you create are excellent, a flat style, or poor handling of a dry subject material can undermine the positive aspects of the essay. The matter is that a lot of students think that essays should be like this: they believe that a flat, dry style is suited to the needs of educational writing and dont even consider that the teacher reading their essay wants to search out the essay interesting. You might want to have online essay editor service to boost your confidence in writing with an error-free output. Academic writing doesnt need to be and shouldnt be bland. The excellent news is that there is much stuff you can do to create your essay more attractive, while youll be able only to do such a lot while remaining within the formal confines of educational writing. Lets study what theyre. Have an interest in what youre writing about Dont go overboard, but youll be able to let your passion for your subject show. If theres one thing bound to inject interest into your writing, its being fascinated by what youre writing about. Passion for a subject matter comes across naturally in your essay, typically making it more lively and fascinating and infusing an infectious enthusiasm into your words within the same way that its easy to talk knowledgeably to someone about something you discover fascinating. Include fascinating details Another factor that may make an essay boring maybe a dry material. Some topic areas are naturally dry, and it falls to you to form the article more interesting through your written style and by trying to seek out fascinating snippets of knowledge to incorporate, which will liven it up a small amount and make the data easier to relate to. A way of doing this with a dry subject is to create what youre talking about that seems relevant to the critical world, as this is often easier for the reader to relate to. Emulate the fashion of writers you discover interesting When you read lots, you subconsciously start emulating the fashion of the writers you have read. Reading benefits you a lot, as this exposes you to a spread of designs, and youll start to require the characteristics of these you discover interesting to read. Borrow some creative writing techniques Theres a limit to the quantity of actual story-telling youll do when youre writing an essay; in the end, essays should be objective, factual and balanced, which doesnt, initially glance, feel considerably like story-telling. However, youll apply a number of the principles of story-telling to create your writing more interesting. consider your own opinion Take the time to figure out what its that you think instead of regurgitating the opinions of others. Cut the waffle Rambling on and on is dull and almost bound to lose the interest of your reader. Youre in danger of waffling if youre not completely clear about what you wish to mention or havent thought carefully about how youre visiting structure your argument. Doing all your research correctly and writing an essay plan before you begin will help prevent this problem. Editing is a vital part of the essay-writing process, so edit the waffle once youve done a primary draft. Read through your essay objectively and eliminate the bits that arent relevant to the argument or labor the purpose. employing a thesaurus isnt always a decent thing Avoid using unfamiliar words in an essay; theres too great a likelihood that youre misusing them. You may think that employing a thesaurus to seek out more complicated words will make your writing more exciting or sound more academic, but using overly high-brow language can have the incorrect effect. Avoid repetitive phrasing Please avoid using the identical phrase structure again and again: its a recipe for dullness! Instead, use a variety of syntax that demonstrates your writing capabilities and makes your writing more interesting. Mix simple, compound, and complicated sentences to avoid your paper becoming predictable. Use some figurative language Using analogies with nature can often make concepts more accessible for readers to know. As weve already seen, its easy to finish up rambling when youre explaining complex concepts mainly after you dont know it yourself. One way of forcing yourself to think about a couple of pictures, present it more simply and engagingly is to form figurative language. This implies explaining something by comparing it with something else, as in an analogy. Employ rhetorical questions Anticipate the questions your reader might ask. One of the ways ancient orators held the eye of their audiences and increased the dramatic effect of their speeches was by using the statement. A decent place to use a statement is at the top of a paragraph, to steer into the following one, or at the start of a replacement section to introduce a brand new area for exploration. Proofread Finally, you may write the top interesting essay an instructor has ever read. Still, youll undermine your good work if its plagued by errors, which distract the reader from the particular content and can probably annoy them. Jacquelyn Perry, a counselor at Albemarle High School, was awarded the General Colin L. Powell Service Award on Saturday at the first Our Community Salutes event in Central Virginia. The award is given to a local educator who supports students who are interested in entering the military after high school. Perry, who has been a counselor at Albemarle High since 1994, was given the award during the Our Community Salutes program, which recognizes high schools students who will enter the military after graduation. The next meeting of the Senior Statesmen of Virginia on May 11 will feature state Sen. R. Creigh Deeds, D-Bath, and Dels. Steven Landes, R-Weyers Cave, and David J. Toscano, D-Charlottesville, for a discussion on the 2016 session of the Virginia General Assembly. Terry Cooper, a board member of the Senior Statesmen of Virginia, will moderate the event. The meeting will be held at the Senior Center, at 1180 Pepsi Place, and will run from 1:30 to 3 p.m. It is free and open to the public. Students from the University of Virginia are helping to give away more than $47,000 to local nonprofit organizations this week. Piedmont Virginia Community Colleges Great Expectations for Foster Youth, the Haven at First and Market, the Free Health Clinic and the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank formally accepted grants at a ceremony on Monday. The money was provided by the Once Upon a Time Foundation, which gives grants to universities that teach courses on philanthropy. Each of the grant recipients submitted a proposal that was evaluated by students enrolled in a class at UVas Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy, titled Private Initiatives & Public Problems. Each semester, a committee made up of students vets applicants and decides where to allocate the funds. More information is available at battenphilanthropy.strikingly.com. Several members of the Charlottesville City Council and the Albemarle County Board of Supervisors pledged to support a proposed womens residential drug and alcohol rehabilitation center at a meeting of the faith community Tuesday night. The meeting held at Charlottesville High School and attended by nearly 1,000 people was hosted by IMPACT, a community advocacy group made up of congregations from across Central Virginia. One by one, Councilors Kristin Szakos, Wes Bellamy and Bob Fenwick agreed that they would support an allocation of $75,000 to help cover some of the costs of the project assuming the city has enough money in the upcoming budget cycle. Supervisors Diantha McKeel, Ann H. Mallek and Norman Dill pledged to do the same at the county level. The Mohr Center in Charlottesville currently provides a residential treatment program for men in Central Virginia, but there is no womens center within 70 miles of the city. Szakos noted that women in the community who need this treatment are hesitant to leave the Charlottesville area to go to Culpeper or Lynchburg, which have residential rehabilitation centers. Even if they are, she said, there may not be room for them. I think its incumbent on us as a community to take care of our own, as well as their children, Szakos said. IMPACT has been researching this idea for three years, working with local agencies and reviewing several possible sites before settling on a property owned by Region Ten Community Services Board, on Old Lynchburg Road. Robert Johnson, director of Region Ten, laid out the organizations plan for the facility. If completed, it would be able to hold 10 women at a time. Each woman would be able to stay with as many as two young children. Advocates would need to raise about $950,000 in private funding to cover the cost of construction. About $540,000 in public funding a combination of local, state and federal would be needed for program costs, Johnson said. Janie Pudhorosdsky, who sits on IMPACTs research committee for the residential treatment center, said it would save the public the cost of housing these women in local jails. A lot of these people end up incarcerated if they dont get treated, she said. Theres a cost saving there. Bellamy urged the audience members of Christian, Jewish and Muslim organizations to push their local politicians to support the proposal. We have a responsibility to look after the entire community high and low, he said. Please let your council know how important it is, if we have the funds available, to support this program. Elder-care plan unveiled IMPACT also announced the beginning of a multiyear plan to improve care for the local seniors. Leaders said they will take a special interest in seniors who slip through the cracks those who dont qualify for government medical programs but cant afford premium long-term care. This initiative is massive and we could only begin to work on it this year, said Vikki Bravo, of IMPACTs elder-care committee. Bravo outlined broad goals for the organization. First is greater coordination of the agencies involved in providing services, including the Jefferson Area Board for Aging and local social services workers. The agencies will need to work together to find out how many older adults in the area are in need of assistance. All the major agencies told us they dont know how many people arent getting the help they need, said Chip Sanders, who also sits on the committee. The full scope of the problem is unknown, he said. From there, the agencies will need to work together to draw up a coordinated plan to reach underserved seniors. Sanders said there is some coordination across agencies, but it is temporary and sporadic. Bravo said IMPACT is in it for the long haul. We will need more work, more time and more power to make this a reality, she said. But we are committed to doing it and doing it right. Registration is now open for the first Piedmont Region Foster Care Alumni Walk, which will take place May 14 along the John W. Warner Parkway. Money raised for the event will help support former foster care youth who recently left the system, including the main sponsor, Foster Care Alumni of America. Among the participants are students and staff from the Great Expectations program, which helps current and former foster youth attend community colleges around the state. Piedmont Virginia Community College runs the program in Central Virginia. Registration is free and available at crowdrise.com/piedmontvafosterwalk. For more information about Great Expectations, contact adviser Sarah Groom at (434) 961-5314 or sgroom@pvcc.edu. The Alliance for Black Male Achievement on Saturday will host a daylong self-empowerment workshop oriented for young men and boys of color in grades 6 to 12. The BlackManCan Institute will be held from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Buford Middle School. Registration begins at 8:30 a.m. A light breakfast and lunch will be provided. In addition to workshops on entrepreneurship, leadership and life skills, Elijah A. Oliver, Founder and CEO of Take F.L.Y.G.H.T Enterprises, will deliver a keynote speech. Attendees will receive neckties and copies of two BlackManCan Institute books. More information can be found at tbmcinstitute.theblackmancan.org. According to Union Law Ministry sources the names received from collegium will be processed and appointments will be made within a fortnight. New Delhi: The Supreme Court collegium headed by the Chief Justice of India T.S. Thakur has recommended the elevation of Chief Justices of three High Courts of Allahabad, Madhya Pradesh and Kerala and one senior advocate for appointment as judges of the apex court. The three Chief Justices are: D.Y. Chandrachud (61 of Allahabad High Court); A.M. Khanwilkar (58) of Madhya Pradesh High Court at Jabalpur and Ashok Bhushan (60) of Kerala High Court and L.Nageswara Rao, former Additional Solicitor General and senior advocate. According to Union Law Ministry sources the names received from collegium will be processed and appointments will be made within a fortnight. Justices Chandrachud and Khanwilkar both belonged to Maharashtra and Justice Bhushan belonged to Uttar Pradesh. Mr. Rao hails from Andhra Pradesh. There are already three judges from Maharashtra, viz Justices S.A. Bobde, Rohinton Nariman and Uday Lalit and with the recommendation of two others, the number of judges from the State will go upto five judges. The present strength of judges in the apex court is 25 as against the sanctioned strength of 31. With the elevation of three High court chief justices and one senior lawyer the strength will go upto 29. The last appointment of Justice Amitav Roy to the apex court was made in February 2015. Subsequently no recommendation was made as the Centre enacted the National Judicial Appointments Comm-ission, which was struck down in October 2015. Subsequently it took a few months for the Centre to come out with the Memorandum of Procedure for appointments of Judges and it paved the way for the collegiums to make fresh appointments to the apex court and to various High Courts. Coimbatore: The balmy westerly winds have mostly blown in favour of the AIADMK and the Kongu region has remained a citadel of the Two Leaves for decades. In 2006, when DMK swept back to power too, the Coimbatore voters favoured the AIADMK and the DMK was routed in the region. Barring one constituency, the DMK lost all nine seats in Coimbatore district. And it was the mammoth crowd at Jayalalithaas rally in Coimbatore in 2010 that paved the way for the AIADMKs return to power in 2011. Will Verdict 2016 unveil a different electoral arithmetic in western Tamil Nadu. Will the ruling AIADMK retain its western fort? A recent survey by the Dinamalar and News 7 Channel gives a surprise edge to the DMK in the Kongu region as the party is predicted to grab 33 out of the 57 seats in the western belt of Nilgiris, Coimbatore, Erode, Tirupur, Salem, Namakkal, Dharmapuri and Krishnagiri districts. Over to a ground reality check: In the industrial and traders hub of Coimbatore, the refrain is now lack of money flow and dip in industrial production. Though the long hours of power cuts came to an end during the Jayalalithaa regime, industrial turnover has dipped and investments have remained stagnant, feel a sizeable section of industrialists. We gave a clear mandate to AIADMK due to long hours of power cuts during the DMK rule. But after AIADMK assumed power, the situation turned for worse with power cuts extending upto ten hours. Since the situation remained so for up to three years, industrial productivity dipped and thousands of workers lost their jobs, said J. James, president of Tamil Nadu Association of Cottage and Micro Enterprises (TACT). Since 2008, almost 50 per cent of the 50,000 micro, small and medium enterprises had to be shut down and many employers turned into casual labourers for their livelihood. Social observers too see a perceptible change in the mood of the urban middle class and rural underclass. There has been little infrastructural progress during the last five years. All the major infrastructural projects from Siruvani drinking water supply to Nehru stadium, Avinashi flyover to ring road have all been implemented during the DMK regime. Though the Coimbatore voters have favoured the AIADMK largely, the party has not paid back to the voters. The urban middle class has realised it immensely, says social activist, B. Shantha Kumar. However, to the advantage of the Chief Minister Jayalalithaa, the urban ire is not directed against her unlike in the 1996. The free rice scheme and Amma freebies have dented the anti-incumbency mood to a considerable extent. People are angry with the party MLAs who did nothing for the constituency. That is why Amma has refused ticket for most of the sitting MLAs, admits a senior AIADMK leader in Coimbatore. In the coconut town of Pollachi, a traditional AIADMK stronghold, the farmers are upset with falling prices of coconuts and the Avinashi-Athikadavu water scheme remaining a non-starter. However, observers say that the electoral verdict will hinge on AIADMK manifesto. If Amma offers attractive freebies like a bike and a fridge, that could turn out to be a game-changer. For a bike will woo the first time voters and the refrigerator could keep the women voters cool. If they offer a bike, why not? My son is pestering me for a bike, says Banumathi a Dalit domestic help, who is a member of the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi in Ganapathy area of Coimbatore. Residents near the northern town of Mora said at least five other suicide bombers have died in the last several days. (Representational Image, Photo: Pixabay) Yaounde, Cameroon: Authorities in northern Cameroon say a local self-defense group used a poisoned arrow to kill a woman with explosives strapped to her body. Midjiyawa Bakary, the governor of Cameroons Far North region, said Wednesday that the 40-year-old woman had crossed over from neighbouring Nigeria along with a 14-year-old girl. Residents shot the poisoned arrow at the bomber after she failed to stop as demanded. The girl also died when she detonated her own explosives. Residents near the northern town of Mora said at least five other suicide bombers have died in the last several days. The attacks were reported shortly before Cameroons president Paul Biya left for Nigeria to discuss ways of ending Boko Haram violence with his Nigerian counterpart. In a joint operation, Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force and CBI today arrested from Kanpur one of the prime accused in the Vyapam scam Ramesh Shivhare, who had been absconding for the last three years. "We have arrested Shivhare this morning. He is wanted by CBI in several cases in the Vyapam scam," Uttar Pradesh DGP Javeed Ahmed told PTI over phone. CBI sources said here that Shivhare is wanted in five cases probed by it which are related to alleged irregularities in the conduct of Madhya Pradesh Professional Examination Board also known as Vyapam. They said Shivhare was absconding for the last three years and carried a reward of Rs 10,000. A native of Uttar Pradesh, Shivhare's wife was a local body member in Mahoba. They said Shivhare was one of the kingpins of the scam and was nabbed in a joint operation by UPSTF and CBI from Avas Vikas colony in Kalyanpur area of Kanpur. He will be produced before a competent court today after which he will be taken to Bhopal, they said. Shivhare allegedly acted as a middleman and arranged for impostors and dummy candidates to appear in the examination carried out by Madhya Pradesh Professional Examination Board for a certain amount. A resident of Uttar Pradesh, Shivhare has been evading questioning by authorities probing the case. His application for anticipatory bail was also turned down by the Madhya Pradesh High Court in 2014. "There is material to indicate the involvement of applicant in the commission of the crime, for which reason, the Investigating Officer has been insisting for attendance of the applicant for quite some time but in vain," a bench of Chief Justice A M Khanwilkar and Justice Alok Aradhe had said. Police today released sketch of a person believed to have committed the rape and murder of a Dalit woman in nearby Perumbavoor even as the investigation team questioned her neighbour, who was taken into custody from Kannur last evening. Police said the sketch was prepared based on the inputs provided by two persons who claimed to have seen a person at the time of the crime on April 28 in the neighbourhood of the victim's wayside home in Perumbavoor. It is not clear whether the persons currently under the custody of police have similarity to the sketch of the person. Local media reports suggest that the person taken into custody from Kannur has some similarities with the sketch released today but it was not confirmed by the police. Amid widespread protests over the delay in arresting the culprits behind the brutal murder committed nearly a week ago, police remained tight-lipped about the ongoing probe carried out under the direct watch of top officials. The police, facing flak for alleged lapses in the initial investigation into the incident, continued to grill the person picked up from Kannur. He reportedly had left the area soon after the incident and it was found from the examination of mobile phone records. Three persons have been taken into custody by police for questioning in connection with the rape and brutal murder of the 30-year-old woman law student. The woman, who hailed from a poor family, was allegedly subjected to rape and brutal assault using sharp edged weapons before being murdered at her house. No arrest has been made so far in the crime that shocked the state triggering, intense politicking ahead of the May 16 Assembly elections. Uncertainty over availability of diesel-run vehicles has forced the State Election Commission to chalk out a crisis plan for smooth conduct of the May 15 civic bypolls. The panic button was pressed soon after transporters engaged by the poll commission for election work expressed inability in supply vehicles due to the Supreme Court ban on diesel vehicles. State Election Commissioner Rakesh Mehta on Tuesday held a review meeting with the Delhi governments Transport Department to help arrange non-diesel vehicles for ferrying election staff and voting machines. We requested the Transport Department to arrange 120 big vehicles, Mehta told Deccan Herald. After the Supreme court order, the taxi owners cant supply diesel cabs as they are banned. We need big vehicles to carry EVMs (electronic voting machines) and other election related material, said Mehta. We were looking for Innova vehicles, but all Innova vehicles run on diesel. So we have to get other vehicles, said Mehta. Engage petrol vehicles The State Election Commission has suggested to the Transport Department to engage CNG or petrol vehicles like Maruti Ertiga, Eeco, and Swift Dzire. The last date for withdrawal of nomination was April 30. Of the 13 wards where the by-polls will be held, seven are in South Corporation, two in East Corporation and four in North Corporation. The byelections will fill the vacancies in these wards caused by the resignation of councillors from there after their election to Delhi Assembly. After December 2013 Assembly elections, nine councillors resigned from their posts after being elected as MLAs. Following the February 2015 Assembly elections, four more councillors were elected MLAs, and they also resigned from the corporations. With 16.3 crore children being affected due to drought in ten states, Nobel laureate Kailash Satyarthi has urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to declare drought a national emergency and make children a top priority in relief and rehabilitation work. Bachpan Bachao Andolan, an NGO led by Satyarthi, has found that the practice of devdasi, dedication of young girls to gods and goddesses, is catching up fast in drought affected states like Telangana, Maharashtra, and Karnataka. Also, there are many cases of child marriage, child labour, and kidnapping of children. More than half of the total child marriage and child labour in India are from the 10 drought affected states and is speculated to aggravate further due to severe drought conditions, he told reporters here. According to a report, child labour has gone up by 24 per cent in Bulandshahr in Uttar Pradesh due to drought. In Yadgir district in Maharashtra, 10 child marriages were stopped recently. Owing to this drought and ongoing water crisis, children are becoming increasingly vulnerable. There is no proper assessment or monitoring and no preventive measures are being taken," he said and put the figures of children affected by drought in last some years at 16.3 crore, 40 per cent of the total number of children. Additionally, it has been estimated that this drought has seen an increase in children dropping out of school by approximately 22 per cent and child trafficking by approximately 24 per cent. Satyarthi has written to Modi, urging him to declare drought a national emergency immediately. He also asked the prime minister to direct unspent amount in Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) funds, especially in public sector undertakings, towards child-centric drought relief measures. Around Rs 10,000 crore in CSR funds remains unspent in corporate sector and Rs 3,600 crore in public sector undertakings, he said. The activist also requested the parliamentarians to hold a special session on drought. Till now no dedicated session on drought has taken place. The government should call the experts in the country in fields like water, geography to understand the situation and devise solutions. There should be child centric approach for protection of children in these circumstances, he said. Living in a place where death hangs literally over his head, 15-year-old Salim is nonchalant when asked whether he fears living in a house over which a 220 KV power line passes. I fear only one entity in this world; thats Allah, he says. Not all residents of southeast Delhis Shahin Baghs sabzi mandi area, however, are as fearless as the teenager. It is a major issue here, indeed. We also fear for the safety of our near and dear ones, but what can we do? We have been living here for more than 10 years. Going somewhere else is not an option for us now, said Ghazali, a tailor. According to Central Electricity Authority regulations, no building should be constructed under existing power lines, and there should be a 35-metre right of way for a 220 KV transmission line (17.5 metres on each side) and 52 metres for a 400 KV line. However, there are around 10,000 households in more than 40 unauthorised colonies who are living in defiance of these regulations, said Rishi Raj, spokesman for Delhi Transco Limited, the state power transmission utility for the capital.. About 10 days back, two labourers died in Shahin Bagh when they were fitting tiles on the first floor of an under-construction building over which the high tension wires passed. While operating on a tiles-cutter machine, they accidentally came within the force field of the cables and got pulled in. Labour died One labourer died on spot and another was rushed to hospital in a critical condition. He later succumbed to his injuries. After the accident, officials from South Delhi Municipal Corporation, Delhi Transco Limited and Delhi Police visited the spot and spoke to the residents. They asked us to leave the place, but we told them that there are so many people living under these power lines in the city. All of a sudden, we cant just pack our bags and leave for somewhere else. Then we took the matter with our MLA and came to the conclusion that we all should bear the price of the relocation of the power line, said Ghazali. The line should either be moved somewhere else, or it should be buried under the ground. Bear cost The Central government, Delhi government, and all the concerned authorities should bear the cost along with us who live under these power lines, he added. But the cost, according to Delhi Transco Limited official, is prohibitive. Relocating around 1,000 km of power lines in the city would cost a bomb to the exchequer, and in some cases its not even technically possible. To relocate a power line is not that easy, we need to have an alternative route first of all. And for the underground line, we need huge funding. Why should we reward people for doing something illegal, Rishi Raj said. The matter is currently shuttling between one authority and the other, with the power utility shooting off letters to citys land owning agencies, trying to get the land under the power lines cleared from unauthorised occupants. However, for the residents of Shahin Baghs sabzi mandi area, more mundane issues take precedence. Taking exception to a US diplomat's recent remarks that Arunachal Pradesh is an integral part of India, China today said it plans to seek a clarification from Washington as any "irresponsible" third party intervention in Sino-Indian border dispute will "complicate" the issue. "The Chinese side has noted the report and will ask the US side for verification and clarification," Chinese Foreign Ministry said in a written response to a question from PTI here about US Consul General in Kolkata Craig L Hall's comments that Washington regards Arunachal Pradesh, which China claims as Southern Tibet, as part of India. "But clearly the statement by the US side is completely inconsistent with the fact," it said. Hall during his meeting with Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Kalikho Pul on April 28 in Itanagar said that the US government is absolutely clear that Arunachal Pradesh is an integral part of India. In its rejoinder, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said: "China and India are wise and capable enough to deal with their own issue and safeguard the fundamental and long-term interests of the two peoples. "The intervention of any third party will only complicate the issue and is highly irresponsible." The two countries last month completed the 19th round of border talks here by the Special Representatives - National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and his Chinese counterpart Yang Jiechi. The Line of Actual Control (LAC) covers the 3,488 km-long border. While China says that the boundary dispute is confined to 2,000 kms, mainly in Arunachal Pradesh in eastern sector which it claims as part of southern Tibet, India asserts that the dispute covered the whole of the LAC including the Aksai Chin occupied by China during the 1962 war. In its response to Hall's remarks, the Chinese Ministry said: "The boundary question between China and India bears on China's territorial sovereignty and Chinese people's sentiment. "All the third parties must respect the history and reality concerning the boundary question, respect efforts by China and India to solve territorial disputes through negotiations, not get involved in the disputes or take sides on issues relating to the ownership of disputed territory." "As is known to all, the boundary between China and India is yet to be officially drawn. The two countries are striving to reach a fair, equitable and mutually acceptable settlement on the boundary question through negotiations. "The two still have major disputes over the eastern section of the boundary, which is the reason why China and India negotiate with each other," said the Ministry. It further added: "Sound negotiations between China and India on the boundary question as well as peace and tranquillity in the border areas over recent years have created favourable conditions for the growth of bilateral relations and their respective development." The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the opposition Congress and other key parties are taking part in the debate. Leading Congress defence, Abhishek Manu Singhvi dismissed the charges of corruption levelled by BJP against Congress as baseless. He read the judgment of the Italian court, which said there was no evidence against Sonia Gandhi except for mentioning her as a person who would fly in these machines. He was supported by JD (U) leader Sharad Yadav, who told BJP not to make false accusations. There were more important issues affecting the nation, which should be discussed in the House, he said. BJP leader Mayawati called for Supreme Court monitored probe into AgustaWestland case. Live webcast of the debate from Rajya Sabha TV BJP leader Subramanian Swamy said in Rajya Sabha on Wednesday that former defence A K Anthony had been overruled in the AgustaWestland deal.In January 2006, Air Force had given its benchmark estimate for this deal as Rs 793 crore, which had been approved by Antony, said Swamy taking part in a debate on the chopper controversy.But in September 2008, the contract negotiations committee arbitrarily fixed Rs 4877.5 crore as the cost of the deal, which was six times more, alleged Swamy and asked who in the UPA government had overruled Anthony.He also alleged that for the field trials of AgustaWestland choppers, a different helicopter had been used.UPA government reduced the flying requirement of the VVIP choppers from a height of 6,000 metres to 4,500 metres, alleged Swamy.Swamy said the height was reduced to let AgustaWestland in as its choppers could not fly beyond 4500 metres.Choppers, which carry VVIPs, should fly at heights above 6000 metres to be out of range of shoulder rockets, said Swamy.Rajya Sabha began a debate on alleged kickbacks given in the purchase of AgustaWestland VVIP helicopters on Wednesday. Opposition today attacked the government in the Lok Sabha for diluting or doing away with people-oriented programmes and policies like the rights to information, food and work, and reducing allocations on them. They also accused the government of having no roadmap for bringing in the GST Bill, recovering the mounting bad loans or expanding the tax base by bringing rich farmers under the tax net and said the nation now wanted "a full-time Finance Minister and not a multi-tasking" one. "I think the time has come that the nation wants a full- time Finance Minister and not a multi-tasking one ... You need to take reform measures to boost growth," senior Congress leader Veerappa Moily said while initiating the debate on the Finance Bill 2016. Referring to measures like Right to Information, Right to Food and Right to Work taken by the UPA I and II governments, he said the previous government has not given any bad legacy. "You (NDA government) say you got bad legacy. You are going to sink, if you demolish these people-oriented programmes." TMC members attacked the government on issues ranging from the jewellers strike and EPF and pension issues and said it had lost an opportunity to expand the tax base by including rich farmers, while BJD said the government was not taking steps to curtail illicit money. Criticising the budget proposals, Moily said none of the measures including the GST were implemented by this government. "No road map has been prepared for the GST and you are not serious about it. You are not going to achieve anything," he said. "On the resources side, on reform side, it is a failed budget. 'Make in India' is the biggest casualty in this Budget. Where is the result, where is the delivery," he asked. Maintaining that the situation of banks was getting worse, he said the non-performing assets (NPAs) or bad loans were increasing and banks were not in a position to lend. "Have you taken any measure to ring fence from the danger," he said, adding the government is not giving right facts to the people of this country. "You have no audacity to recover (the money). You are only sleeping. You have totally demoralised it," Moily said. "You say that within five years, farmers income will double. Agriculture sector is growing at about 1 per cent. Is it possible at all. Specific road map should come on how you are going to achieve this," the Congress leader said. On black money, Moily said the disclosures and gross tax collection were lower than during the previous government and "you say it is a bad legacy". "You said you will deposit Rs 15 lakh in bank accounts. This is not going to happen...it was only 'jumla' (empty statement)," he said. Speaking on corruption, the Congress leader said the UPA government passed the Lokpal bill and "now it is in limbo". The Congress leader also demanded details on the Panama papers have come saying the government must present the details on this issue as well as on black money. Moily also accused the government of misleading the House that it has given highest allocation to the MGNREGA and said the erstwhile UPA government has extended the highest amount for this major people-oriented programme. "21 states are still waiting for money. It is a demand- driven programme. You are trying to scuttle this programme. Do not do that," the former minister warned. In programmes like Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana and Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana (PMKSJ), no progress have been made by the government. "You are only tweaking the old schemes...PMKSJ is just a name change of the previous government's programme," he said. On the oil and gas sector, the former oil minister said the crude oil prices have down but consumers have not been benefited. In the Tapi pipeline and the three strategic reserves, there has been no progress till date. "We built that Orissa refinery. 95 per cent work was over and due to some damage, we delayed the inauguration. The Prime Minister now says it is the achievement of NDA...and you say it is a bad inheritance. We are not hungry and thirsty for cheap publicity," Moily said. The maximum power capacity was created by the previous government and "you are not able to encash on that capacity". Saugata Roy (TMC) raised the issue of jewellers strike and said the government cannot run the economy with "rigidity". On the other hand, it relaxed terms when there was a protest over the EPF norms, he said. Noting the low percentage of direct tax compared to indirect tax, he said the government with such a huge mandate has lost an opportunity to reform the tax regime. While there are only four crore tax payers, rich farmers are not being brought under the tax net to widen the tax base, he said. Roy said he also agreed with the 'fair and lovely' comment by Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi the way the government was working. B Mahtab (BJD) also raised the issue of larger portion of indirect taxes in revenue generation from direct taxes said as such a move is "regressive". He said while the government is focussing on bringing back black money, it should also work on curbing illicit money. Mahtab said that levy of cess is not desirable and money garnered through taxes should be utilised to build road and other activities. "I urge the government to shun levy of cess at the drop of a hat and instead taxes be levied rationally." The BJD member demanded that big farmers and companies who are earning in crores should be brought under tax net and not given exemption on income from agriculture. Defending the government, Nishikant Dubey (BJP) said the senior Congress leader spoke on Budget but not on the Finance Bill. "Yes we have got bad legacy. We got legacy like 2G, Coalgate, CWG and corruption is the legacy we got," Dubey said wondering why the Congress is thinking that thepresent Finance Minister is only for part time. On the jewellers' strike, he said the Finance Minister has clearly stated that no excise inspector would harrass them and self certification will be there. Dubey said only public sector banks were allowed to import gold, but during the last days of the UPA, from May 16-26, it gave licenses to 6-7 exporters to import gold. This, he said, led to smuggling and generation of black money. Arvind Sawant (Shiv Sena) said the employees of PSU banks suffered because of mergers and amalgamation, much like the staff of Kingfisher Airlines who were also suffering. He demanded that licence fee for 4G operations by BSNL should be lowered and money should come from exchequer to enable the state-owned company to operate at par with private operators. Sawant said the government was asking people not to withdraw money from provident fixed deposits, at a time when fixed deposits give better returns. To this, Minister of State for Finance Jayant Sinha intervened saying that the provident fund investments were exempt from paying tax at the time of investment, on interest earned and also on the maturity amount, whereas fixed deposit is subject to TDS at the time of maturity. Investing in Provident Fund is "more advantageous" than investing in fixed deposits, Sinha said. Jaydev Galla (TDP) said the Centre was not keeping its assurance of granting special category state status to the Andhra Pradesh. "The Centre should bailout Andhra Pradesh". Former Defence Minister A K Antony today acknowledged "corruption" in the AgustaWestland chopper deal but said the then UPA dispensation had done no wrong and asked the government to take strong action against those involved without threatening or blackmailing Congress leaders. He said the previous NDA government headed by Atal Bihari Vajpayee had changed the parameters required for acquiring the helicopters for VVIPs. "Don't try to create doubts, you will not succeed. Don't politicise, you will repent. If you have all evidence, take strong action. But don't threaten and don't blackmail," he said while participating in short duration discussion on the AugustaWestland issue in Rajya Sabha. Making a spirited defence of the actions of the UPA government, he read out an official release of the Ministry of Defence issued by the Press Information Bureau (PIB) on February 14, 2013, listing steps taken by him as Defence Minister after allegations of corruption surfaced. "It is proved beyond doubt there is corruption. There is Italy judgement. All legal hurdles are over, you have to act," he said. Asking the government to conduct the case successfully, Antony said, "You have to first speed up arbitration proceedings. ...Now, corruption is proved and we can get thousands of crores as compensation." He asked the government to take action against the company which gave money and "take action against takers whoever they may be". Antony also made a strong plea for immediate ban on companies concerned. "You immediately ban these companies for 10 years. Do it as quickly as possible." He said that since AugustaWestland has been held as a "corrupt company" by Italian courts, don't involve them in the Make in India projects. "If they are there, remove them. Don't cover up. Don't politicise." Antony claimed that the decision to change the flying altitude from 6,000 metres to 4,500 metres was taken by then PMO and NDA government of Atal Behari Vajpayee in 2003. "The decision to change height was taken by the PMO. It was taken during that time. The major decision was taken by your government in 2003," he said. Presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump today warned American companies of "very serious consequences" if they shift their operations overseas. "We're going to bring back our jobs and we're going to keep our jobs. We're not going to let companies leave," Trump said after winning the Indiana Primary which propelled him to the position of being a presumptive nominee. "Now, if they want to go to a different state, good luck, compete. But when they start going to different countries, and in many cases countries that devalue their currency and make it impossible for our companies to compete, that's not going to happen, not going to happen," he said. "If they want to do it anyway, there will be consequences and there will be very, very serious consequences," Trump said in his first major warning to American companies. The real estate mogul indicated that economy and trade would be one of his major election issues this summer leading to the November presidential elections in the fall, wherein he is expected to clash with the former Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton. Trump used the occasion to lash at Clinton and claim that the former top American diplomat has no understanding of trade. "She will not be a great president; she will not be a good president. She will be a poor president. She doesn't understand trade. Her husband (the former president Bill Clinton) signed, perhaps in the history of the world, the single-worst trade deal ever done; it's called NAFTA. And I was witness to the carnage over the last six weeks especially," Trump said. "Now, I've known Syracuse and I've known Poughkeepsie and I've known all of the different places that I visited in New York and then Pennsylvania and then Maryland,...and all of the different states, Connecticut, and I've witnessed what it's done really firsthand. And it has been indeed carnage," he said referring to shutting down of local industries in these cities and States. "And we're going to change it around. We're not going to let Carrier and all of these companies just think that they can move, go to another country, make their product, sell it back to us and we get only one thing, we get unemployment. Not going to happen anymore, folks. It's not going to happen anymore," he asserted. A 1991 batch IAS officer has been sentenced to four years in jail for possessing assets of over Rs 3.18 crore which were disproportionate to his known income by a Delhi court which observed that corruption is a deep- rooted problem and a major hindrance in nation's development. Special CBI Judge Bhupesh Kumar observed, "Now-a-days corruption is a deep-rooted problem of the society which is one of the major hindrance in the development of the nation. It is anti-poor, anti-economic development and anti-nation." "Due to the act of certain public servants, the society as a whole suffers because general public has started taking corruption as a fact and way of life. Hence, no undue leniency should be given to corrupt public servants and they should be awarded the punishment to have deterrent effect on the other like public servants," the judge said. CBI had registered a case in 2004, alleging that Sandeep Garg, who was then posted as a Regional Director (North) Anti Adulteration Cell, was habitual of taking illegal gratification and had amassed assets disproportionate to his known sources of income in the form of movable and immovable properties in his name and in the names of his family members. Garg was also fined Rs 25 lakh under the Prevention of Corruption Act. Four others including his father and brother, were also fined varying amounts for abetting the offences. The court also found guilty four others - Sandeep's father Swami Sharan Garg, brother Rajiv Garg (54), close associate Atul Jindal and one Suman Sarin- for abetting the offence. While Rajiv, Atul and Suman were sent to four years in jail, Swami was sentenced to two years imprisonment by the court considering his old age. The court also imposed a fine of Rs two lakh each on these four convicts. The court, finding that 51-year-old Sandeep had acquired the assets worth over Rs 3.18 crore from ill-gotten means, directed that assets of this value are forfeited to the State. It also directed the convicts not to dispose off the assets involved in this matter. The court found that during the check period from 1999 to 2004, the total income and expenditure of Sandeep Garg was Rs 36,82,307 and Rs 4,76,000 respectively and disproportionate assets acquired by him were Rs 3,18,93,454. The CBI had alleged that Sandeep had amassed the money with the help of Atul, who acted as a conduit on his behalf for collecting bribe from various persons. It had further said that a residential plot and four flats were found in possession of Sandeep and his wife. It was alleged that Sandeep had deposited some amount in the PPF account of his father and over Rs 20 lakh, belonging to Sandeep, was recovered from Suman Sarin's residence. According to probe agency, out of total disproportionate assets, over Rs two crore cash was recovered in 2004 from Sandeep and his bank lockers. The remaining amount included jewellery, shares, bonds etc. Sandeep had claimed in the court that all the alleged entries were reflected in his income tax return accounts and the amount deposited by him in various accounts was his legitimate income. The other four convicts too had denied all the allegations levelled against them. Sansui known for its televisions, air conditioners and mobile handsets is planning to expand its product offerings, according to a top company executive. We plan to expand our product offerings by introducing audio systems and washing machines by Diwali, Sansui Chief Operating Officer Amitabh Tiwari told Deccan Herald. As part of our offerings in the refrigerator segment, we are only selling direct cool refrigerators. The company intends to introduce frost-free range by Diwali, Tiwari added. Sansui, the leading Japanese consumer electronics brand, had started its India operations in 1997. The company, which sold one lakh televisions and had a market share of 6% in calendar year 2015, is bullish about the prospects of its new launches and is aiming for a higher market share in CY2016. The total market for TVs in India is expected to be 1 crore panels, and we expect to sell 10 lakh units in this calendar year, and are aiming for a market share of 10%, Tiwari said. This year, we have already sold 2.43 lakh units, a rise of over 100% as compared to the total sales, last year, Tiwari added. Sansui recently launched its all new TV series, the Sansui Curve 4K Ultra HD LED with Golden Bezel. Its other premium offerings include a 4K Ultra HD LED, Smart Connect TV and Full HD TV. The company had 37 stock-keeping units, last year, and has added on to its portfolio, and currently, has 47-48 SKUs. Sansui is also hoping for an extended improvement in its financial performance going forward. The company is also exploring opening its exclusive outlets in the future. Last year, we had revenues of around Rs 1,600 crore, and this year (CY2016), we are aiming to end with revenues of around Rs 2,500 crore, Tiwari said. Flag carrier and Star Alliance member Air India on Wednesday announced the signing of a codeshare partnership with European regional airline Flybe, enabling travellers using the latters multi-frequency Birmingham (England) services from Belfast (Northern Ireland), Edinburgh and Glasgow (Scotland) to book seamless flights onward to Delhi. Under the unilateral agreement, Air India will place its marketing code on these Flybe flights (BE). Seats will be available for booking via the Air India website or through local travel agents from May 10, 2016, with travel effective from June 1. Passengers who are members of Air Indias Frequent Flier Programme will accrue mileage points for journeys taken on flights carrying the AI flight number. The prestigious new partnership offers numerous benefits to customers who will be able to use a single ticket to fly from their local airport to Delhi via a seamless connection through Birmingham Airport onto Air Indias daily flights to New Delhi, a statement from Air India said. According to Air India Chairman and Managing Director Ashwani Lohani, This codeshare agreement will be a huge benefit not only to Indians living in the UK, but also to tourists travelling to and from domestic sectors of the UK and India. Air India is continuously working towards providing seamless connectivity to its passenger across routes and with our agreement with Flybe, our passengers will have an unmatched connectivity in the UK. We can now give customers in the UK regions convenient access to the Indian subcontinent through Birmingham Airport, Flybe Chief Executive Officer Saad Hammad said. Pa Go Prapancha, a book on veteran journalist Pa Gopalakrishna (Pa Go) Bhat, authored by journalist Chidambara Bykampadi, was released at Press Club Mangaluru on Wednesday. The book was earlier released in Bengaluru. Ideal journalist Releasing the book, writer Vaman Nandavar said Pa Go was an ideal journalist and he did not believe in appeasing those in power. He was known for his simplicity and rational mindset, Nandavar remembered. Journalist Manohar Prasad recalled his encounters with Pa Go. Though Pa Go studied only up to Class 10, he had a quench for knowledge throughout his life and was always studious. His social consciousness always kept him thoughtful and this reflected in his writings. He was a versatile person and also produced a Tulu film Sarpasankale, he recalled. Prasad suggested young journalists not to pass any judgements in their write-ups. Author Chidambara Baikampadi, District Working Journalists Association General Secretary Srinivas Indaje and journalist P B Harish Rai were present. The book is published by Ekam Prakashana and contains various incidents and anecdotes chosen from Pa Gos life. It is priced at Rs 90. Every year, Pa Go award is presented to a young journalist for the best rural report. The camp set up by the Citizens Rights Coordination Committee (CRCC) has mostly gone empty during the poll season. Despite an appeal by villagers, hardly any political leader has stopped by to take up the challenge thrown at them by residents of former Bangladeshi enclaves, who joined India in 2015. Dwellers of villages like Mashaldanga, Poaturkuthi and Dahala Khagrabari, which were earlier pockets of Bangladesh within India, are eager to stand in queue and cast their vote for the first time on Thursday. But with no party coming forward to pay attention to their demands, they are taking cautious steps in choosing their elected representative. The CRCC camp at Poaturkuthi stands testimony to their resolve, where young and old alike from the enclave villages have got together every day since campaign started, waiting for someone to address their issues. For people like Mansur Ali, Taleb Ali or Md Alamgir, who lived most of their lives like a forgotten tribe between two nations, want to make the best of their chance to have their voices heard. We wanted them to come to the dais we erected, address us from there and assure us that all our woes will be taken care of. Unfortunately, only Akshay Thakur of Forward Bloc came but for a few minutes. We realise he was merely paying lip service for our votes, said septuagenarian Mansur. The villagers, under the umbrella of CRCC, have set forth a list of three demands: valid Indian deeds to their existing land holdings, 10% job reservation in the district for the next 10 years, and community participation in development work in their area. CRCC is the new avatar of Bharat Bangladesh Enclaves Exchange Coordination Committee, which played a leading role in the exchange process between two nations. Diptiman Sengupta of BBEECC remains the voice and face of the new body after the older one was disbanded last year as per its constitution. There are around 15,000 people from the former enclaves who got Indian citizenship and nearly 10,000 of them are eligible voters, voting for the first time this year. The candidates from various political parties in Tamil Nadu are leaving no stone unturned in a bid to grab the attention of the voters for the May 16 Assembly elections. In a first of its kind in the state capital and in the other cities, the latest slogan is go local. The strategy hinges on reaching out to the voters in their mother tongue. For instance, in Sowcarpet area of Chennai which is predominantly dominated by people from the North, candidates are distributing leaflets and other campaign material in Hindi. Speeches are translated into the language and efforts made to imbue the north Indian culture and practices during processions. All this is done to connect with the voters and catch their attention. For every vote counts. To woo Hindi voters a message in a DMK poster at Sowcarpet and Egmore area says ugtha suraj par apne mohar lagakar unhey bari bahumath sey vijayee banaye. Though the quote, which translates please vote for rising sun to ensure huge victory, cannot catch the minds of local Tamils, it could be understood by any north Indian. It is not just Hindi alone, but other south Indian languages like Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam and even English also come into play in this election. In Villivakkam area, which is predominantly dominated by Telugu speaking people, candidates make effort to translate speeches into the language. Flyers in Telugu are distributed. Political parties including the ruling AIADMK and DMK also hired Telugu speaking orators for the local meeting to woo the voters. The DMK candidate Ranganathan in Villivakkam is going one step forward and greets Telugu speaking people in their mother tongue. I know Telugu very well and am very much happy to interact with my constituency people in their language, Ranganathan told DH. Ranganathan speaks Kannada too when he meets Kannadiga electorate in his area to grab their attention. Similarly, in Avadi constituency here, functionaries of AIADMK candidate Ma Foi Pandiarajan are distributing pamphlets in Telugu, where a sizable section of the electorate speaks the language. Likewise, it is English handouts being distributed by the candidates at his Royapuram constituency where more than 70% Anglo-Indians are living. Muthathi, which is the most sought after picnic spot in Malavalli taluk, Mandya district, especially for youngsters, has turned into a jinxed place, with more than 98 deaths reported in the last five years. The River Cauvery attracts hordes of people, particularly techies from Bengaluru, who love to spend their weekends in the lap of nature and beat the heat. But, they seem to be unaware of the whirlpools and strong current, which claim lives of people who venture deep into the waters. The river is wide and deep at Muthathi, but appears very safe. In their enthusiasm to enjoy, they get into the water, throwing away the norms and thus meet their watery grave. It is also claimed that crocodiles are spotted at Muthathi and there are boards warning them not to get into the waters. But, youngsters, in their enthusiasm to play, get carried away, inviting death. According to available statistics, 98 people have lost their lives by drowning between 2010 and 2016. In the last four months alone, eight people have drowned. Most of the deceased are tourists, and are from Mysuru and Bengaluru. It is also alleged that most of the deceased had entered the waters in an inebriated condition. About 25 warning boards have been installed at vantage points on the route to Muthathi, with the help of Gram Panchayats, cautioning the public not to get into the river. Speaking to Deccan Herald, PSI Govindaraju said, a large number of tourists visit the place on Saturdays and Sundays. The Forest department deputes eight guards for safety purpose during weekends. Moreover, consumption of liquor is banned in the area. A proposal has been submitted, seeking Rs 12 lakh to erect barricades, Govindaraju added. Harish, Assistant Director, Department of Tourism, said, liquor was banned, and plans were afoot to erect barricades. The Forest department too has set up checkposts on the route to prevent such incidents, he added. The problems faced by sugar cane growers in the district doesnt seem to end. The pending bills for cane supplied amounting up to Rs 222 crore and the reluctance on the part of sugar factories to pay the price fixed by Centre for a tonne of sugar cane, has left the district farmers with a bitter taste. The Centre had fixed the fair and remunerative price (FRP) of Rs 2,300 per tonne of sugar cane supplied by the farmer to factories. But, the factories have failed to abide by the directions, including Bannari Amman factory in Mysuru district. MySugar factory, which is the lifeline of farmers of Mandya had failed to start operations this year. Hence, the sugar cane supplied by farmers in the region had to be diverted to Bannari Amman. According to sources, the district has produced 27.9 lakh metric tonnes of sugar cane. So far, 25 lakh metric tonnes have been crushed. The factories have begun crushing the remaining cane. As per the FRP suggested by the Centre, the factories had to pay Rs 577 crore. But, till now they have paid only Rs 355 crore and Rs 221.76 crore is pending. The sugar factories are not agreeing to pay the FRP, citing various reasons. But, the farmers, led by Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha, have staged several protests demanding FRP for their produce. Meetings presided over by Deputy Commissioner Ajay Nagabushan to resolve the issue between farmers and factory owners have failed to arrive on a consensus. Finally, tahsildars raided NSL Sugars at Maddur, Chamundeshwari, Coromandel factories and seized stocks of sugar. However, Nagabushan had said that with the increase in sugar prices, the NSL and Coromandel sugar factories had agreed to pay FRP to the cane supplied by the farmers. But, till now it has remained on papers. Pending bills The four sugar factories in the district owe arrears of Rs 221.76 crore. As per norms, the bills should be settled to the farmers within 14 days of supplying cane or settled with interest amount till the prolonged period. But, even after months, the bills are yet to be settled. The farmers have been running from pillar to post. Speaking to Deccan Herald, Deputy Commissioner Ajay Nagabushan said, NSL and Coromandel factories have been directed to settle the arrears at the earliest. Heat wave continued across the country with Banda in Uttar Pradesh recording a high of 45 degrees Celsius even as rains lashed several parts bringing some respite from the scorching heat. In Kerala, Palakkad recorded the highest maximum temperature of 40.8 degrees Celsius, followed by Kozhikode (38.3), Kannur (37.4), Punalur (38.3) and Trivandrum (35.6). In Uttar Pradesh, light to moderate rains occurred at isolated places but there was no respite from heat with Banda recording the highest temperature of 45 degrees Celsius. Lucknow recorded 35 degrees on Wednesday while Allahabad too recorded a much lower 37 degree. The Weather office has predicted dust storm accompanied by rains at several places in the next two days. Overcast conditions and light drizzle with some short sunny spells prevailed in the national capital with the maximum temperature being recorded at 39.9 degrees Celsius, a notch above the normal. At Palam observatory, the maximum temperature was recorded at 42.1 degrees. The MeT Office has predicted overcast conditions for Thursday along with the possibility of light rain and thundershowers in some parts of the city. In Odisha, the mercury level remained above the 40 degree Celsius mark in 13 places of the state with Sonepur being the hottest at 44.2 degrees Celsius. The number of suspected sunstroke death cases has increased to 152 of which 14 have been confirmed as heat-related ones, a report from the office of the Special Relief Commissioner said. Sonepur was followed by Bhawanipatna and Titlagarh at 43.5 degree Celsius. Showers in Steel City In Jharkhand, Garhwa remained the hottest place with 43 degrees Celsius, while some places remained cloudy and a few experienced rain or drizzle. Jamshedpur with a maximum temperature of 39.5 degrees Celsius, received 6 mm rainfall during the day, providing relief to the steel city after weeks of high temperatures. In West Bengal, temperatures in the city and the districts dropped 3 to 4 degrees after Tuesday nights squall bringing much needed relief to the people. Kolkata recorded a maximum temperature of 33.3 degrees Celsius during the day. In Patna, showers in the early hours of Wednesday brought much-needed relief to the people who were sizzling at 44 degrees for the last fortnight. Nearby districts Gaya and Jehanabad too witnessed light drizzle, while far off places like Purnia and Katihar saw rains with thunderstorm. The MeT department had earlier predicted rainfall in many parts of Bihar this week. In the next two days, Bihar will witness rainfall in many areas which will bring respite from the blistering heat-wave, IMD director AK Sen had said on Tuesday. Peak summer in TN In Tamil Nadu, the first day of the peak summer season 'Agni Natchathiram', which commenced on Wednesday, did make any significant change in the temperature, which was expected to increase. The highest temperature of 41 degrees Celsius, recorded in Salem and Vellore, is one degree less compared to Tuesday's heat. MeToffice here said that most of the northern districts were cloudy in the morning, which reduced the temperature significantly in many places including Chennai. The 'Agni Natchathiram' is expected to end on May 29. Weather report also said the heat wave conditions likely to prevail at isolated places over Tamil Nadu. Mild showers in Gujarat In Gujarat, the south-westerly to westerly winds prevailing at lower levels over the region led to cloudy skies, with some parts of Saurashtra region receiving mild showers bringing down the scorching mercury levels in the state. According to the MeT department, Amreli, which had clocked the highest temperature in the state with a maximum of 41.5 degrees Celsius, later in the evening witnessed showers. Other than Amreli, Rajkot in Saurashtra region too saw a maximum temperature of 41.3 degrees, with Kandla port in Kutch recording 41.1. Ahmedabad saw mercury at 39.6 degrees, with state capital Gandhinagar at 39 degrees, Baroda at 38.4 and diamond capital Surat far cooler at 35 degrees. The temple city of Dwarka frequented by tourists on the other hand recorded one of the lowest maximum temperature during the day at 32.1 degrees Celsius. 11 killed in lightning Even as heat wave took the lives of 41 people in different parts of Telangana on Tuesday alone, eleven people died after being hit by lightning as thunderstorms lashed parts of Telangana on Tuesday and Wednesday, reports DHNS from Hyderabad. They died of lightning strike in Karimnagar, Nizamabad,and Ranga Reddy districts. With freak weather blowing hot and cold over Telangana for a fourth consecutive day, rains and thunderstorms affected normal life in the state particularly during the evening time. Rains and winds uprooted trees, hoardings and electric poles disrupting power supply. Heavy rains coupled with squally winds disrupted traffic on all major roads here on Wednesday. Three cars were damaged with trees and hoardings crashing due to squally winds. However, the rains have provided the much sought after relief from oppressive heat. Met office has forecast light with squalls in most parts of the state under the influence of an upper air trough extending from Chhattisgarh to south Tamil Nadu while passing over Telangana. The IMD forecast thunderstorms for Srikakulam, Vizianagaram, Visakhapatnam, Kadapa and Chittoor of Andhra Pradesh. Heat wave conditions are likely to prevail over some parts of Anantapur and Kurnool. The Karnataka Cabinet on Wednesday decided to tighten tender rules for purchase of bicycles to be given free of cost to government students. The decision was taken following companies quoting high prices for bicycles during previous years. Briefing reporters after the meeting, Law Minister T B Jayachandra said the lowest bid quoted for a bicycle was Rs 3,650 last year. The same company had quoted Rs 2,075 in Haryana. While Karnataka had to pay Rs 3,650 per bicycle last year, Rajastha purchased bicycles at Rs 2,780 per piece, Chattisgarh at Rs 2,990 and West Bengal at Rs 3,206. The government had been providing free bicycles to class 8 students at government and aided schools since 2006. Jayachandra said changes have been made in the tender norms making it mandatory for companies to disclose the prices they have quoted in other states. This year the government has set aside Rs 188 crore for purchase of bicycles. The minister did not give a direct reply to a query on whether an inquiry would be ordered on purchase of bicycles during previous years. Jayachandra said the Cabinet decided to allow utilisation of Rs 495 crore of Rural Development and Panchayat Raj funds illegally parked in various banks for on-going drinking water projects. He said disciplinary action will be initiated against those responsible for the diversion of funds after a committee probing into the issue submits its report. Garbage processing The Cabinet gave its nod for Netherland-based company, Nexus Novus, for setting up a waste to value garbage processing plant at Yelahanka in Bengaluru. Jayachandra said 9 acres of land would be provided to the company for a lease period of 20 years. The plant will have a capacity to process 500 tonnes of garbage per day. The company also proposes to generate around 7 MW of power out of garbage everyday besides producing end-products like biogas and eco-bricks. The Cabinet gave its nod for allotment of Rs 675 crore as the states share of funds for the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana. It also decided to constitute an empowered committee headed by the chief secretary for administrative and tender approval for all works implemented by the BBMP beyond its delegated financial power. The Cabinet also decided to approve lift irrigation scheme for filling 60 tanks in Anekal taluk and two tanks in Kanakapura taluk by lifting treated drainage water from Bengaluru at an estimated cost of Rs 240 crore. Jayachandra said the Cabinet approved a tele-education project for primary, high schools and pre-university colleges at a cost of Rs 85 crore. The debate in the Rajya Sabha on AugustaWestland helicopter deal scam showed that regional parties such as the Trinamool Congress (TMC), JDU, SP and the BSP preferred a balanced approach on the corruption issue. TMC member Sukhendu Sekhar Roy wondered if there was a match fixing between the opposition Congress and the ruling BJP as neither concluded coptergate probe during their respective regimes. The BSP and the SP too avoided a hard stance against the Congress which is on backfoot since an Italian court in its recent judgement said that 11 million Euros bribe was paid for securing the deal during the UPA regime. It also named certain political figures linked to Congress and provided a chart of commission paid in India. BSP chief Mayawati pitched for a SC-monitored probe during her speech in which she criticised the Modi government for not acting in the last 2 years and suggested that the debate should take place on the deal only after the investigating agencies give their final report. Samajwadi Party leader Ram Gopal Yadav cautioned against scam affecting morale of armed forces personnel. Rajya Sabha Chairman Hamid Ansari on Wednesday accepted Vijay Mallya's resignation after he submitted a fresh letter, on a day Ethics Committee recommended his expulsion from the House. Deputy Chairman P J Kurien announced the acceptance of Mallya's resignation by Ansari in the House late in the evening. Mallya's first letter was rejected by Ansari as it was not unconditional and that it did not bore the original signature. The Chairman has accepted the resignation of Mallya, "resubmitted unconditionally and as per correct procedure". After Rajya Sabha Secretary General Shumsher K Sheriff wrote to the MP informing the rejection on procedural grounds, Mallya sent a fresh resignation on Wednesday. "The second resignation letter was sent in original. Secretary General confirmed from Mallya that resignation tendered was genuine, voluntary and unconditional," Ansari's Officer on Special Duty Gurdeep Singh Sappal said. The acceptance of the resignation came on a day the Ethics Committee led by Congress MP Karan Singh recommended his expulsion for "serious misconduct" and "unethical behaviour", after rejecting his contentions on Rs 9,431.65 crore loan default. Taking note of non-payment of loans, non-bailable warrant issued against him, revocation of passport and government's request to Britain to deport him, the panel said there was "more than one issue" involved in Mallya's case. "In addition to all these, the Kingfisher Airlines staff have not received their dues for many months, causing acute distress to many families including children. Taken together, all this adds up to a very serious picture of unethical behaviour and breach of the Code of Conduct on the part of Vijay Mallya," the report said. The Supreme Court Collegium headed by Chief Justice of India Justice T S Thakur has recommended elevation of 3 High Court chief justices and a senior lawyer to the apex court. Justice A M Khanwilkar (Madhya Pradesh High Court), Justice D Y Chandrachud (Allahabad High Court) and Justice Ashok Bhushan (Kerala High Court) have been recommended for elevation to the Supreme Court, Law Ministry sources said. Another name suggested for direct elevation as SC judge is that of senior advocate L Nageshwar Rao. Rao is a former Additional Solicitor General (ASG) who had represented Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa in the disproportionate assets case. He also appeared for Tamil Nadu and Vellore-based Christian Medical College to challenge the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test for admission to MBBS and BDS courses. The senior advocate had a distinction of serving as ASG in UPA II and NDA government. However, he resigned from the post of law officer in December 2015 to resume his independent practice. Rao, 59, would be the seventh person for direct elevation to the SC. He had earlier in 2014 turned down a similar offer. In 2014, U U Lalit and R F Nariman were appointed SC judges, but the government returned the file of former Solicitor General Gopal Subramanium. The fresh recommendations of four names to the apex court is also important as the appointment of judges remained stuck with the NDA governments decision to bring in the National Judicial Appointments Commission Act, scrapping the Collegium system. The law was subsequently struck down by the apex court. The SC at present is functioning with 25 judges as against the sanctioned strength of 31. CJI Justice Thakur will retire on January 3, 2017. Five more apex court judges Justice A R Dave will retire on November 18, Justice F M I Kalifulla on July 22, Justice V Gopala Gowda on October 5, Justice Shiva Kirti Singh on November 12 and Justice C Nagappan on October 3. Justice Joseph transferred Chief Justice of Uttarakhand HC Justice K M Joseph, who struck down Presidents Rule in the hill state, has been transferred to the Andhra Pradesh HC, sources said. Justice D B Bhonsle, who was acting chief justice of AP HC, has been transferred to MP HC as chief justice. Rights activist and senior advocate Indira Jaising has questioned why judges who write judgments against the Central government were being transferred. Advisor to the Home Minister, former IPS officer Kempaiah appeared before the Income Tax officials on Wednesday in connection with an investigation related to the raids on certain politicians conducted in March this year. The I-T officials reportedly questioned Kempaiah for over three hours in the evening. The I-T department had raided the houses and offices of three MLCs C R Manohar (JD-S), D U Mallikarjuna (Independent) and Govindaraju (Congress) - in the second week of March. The raids were in connection with the real estate businesses of the three MLCs in and around Bengaluru. Sources said that from the documents seized from Govindaraju, a close associate of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and also one of his parliamentary secretaries, there were references and monetary links to Kempaiah. The I-T department issued a notice to Kempaiah seeking an explanation on the entries in the diaries found during the searches. The I-T officers had searched the residence of Govindaraju in Domlur and other premises. After giving his statement, Kempaiah lashed out at the TV cameramen waiting for him outside the I-T office on Infantry Road. He was apparently upset over some media reports. Speaking to the media, Kempaiah said he had received an I-T notice in connection with the ongoing investigation. The department had issued a notice to me seeking to give a statement on the searches at somebodys residence. I have given my statement stating that I have nothing to do with the documents recovered during the searches, Kempaiah said. Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar said on Wednesday that there was an invisible hand behind the inaction of the Central Bureau of Investigation and the Enforcement Directorate probing the AgustaWestland VVIP helicopter scam. He also said the ongoing probe by the NDA government would include those who were named by the Italian court which found evidence of corruption in the deal. Not only there was a litany of omission and commission at various stages in the decision making process to favour this company, but even during the investigation an invisible hand was guiding the action and inaction of the CBI and ED, the minister said. The country wants to know who instigated, supported and benefited from corruption. We cant let this pass, Parrikar said responding to a short duration discussion in the Rajya Sabha on the choppergate, which rocked the House since the Italian court ruling came out last month. The first information report filed by the CBI in the case was not forwarded to the ED for 9 months. And even after it was forwarded to the ED in December 2013, the ED did not act on it till July 2014 3 months after the NDA government came to the power. A comprehensive enquiry has now been initiated. No stones would be unturned to try those who acted against national interest. The inquiry will focus on those who were named in the judgment of the Italian court, he said even as Congress leaders continued to interrupt his speech. Congress leaders, including former defence minister A K Antony, demanded a speedy probe to identify those involved in corruption and punish the guilty. But dont threaten or blackmail us, he said. He also suggested blacklisting the tainted company. Congress leaders also accepted the demand of other opposition parties to allow the Supreme Court to monitor the probe. However, the government did not make any commitment on this. After Parrikar's reply, Congress staged a walk out saying his speech had lowered the dignity of the House. The Rs 3,727-crore deal to purchase 12 AW-101 choppers from AgustaWestland was signed in 2010 and cancelled in 2014 after allegations of corruption surfaced. Quoting one paragraph from an official file that contains details of the IAF trial report on the first three AW-101 helicopters that were received between November 2012 and February 2013, Parrikar said they would not be able to carry anyone to Gulmarg or Pahelgam in Jammu and Kashmir. The report stated that the helicopters could not carry the VVIPs to Gulmarg (8600 ft) or Pahelgam (almost 9000 ft) and at Srinagar at an altitude of 5400 feet, the effective payload weight was nil. In comparison, the IAFs Mi-17 choppers, currently used for VIP flights, could do the job. The minister said this was the only file on the AW-101 trial by the IAF that survived in a mysterious fire in June 2014. The University Grants Commission (UGC) has given its approval to Central University of Karnataka (CUK), Kadaganchi near here, to start both undergraduate and postgraduate courses in education from this academic year. Speaking with Deccan Herald on Wednesday, CUK vice chancellor H M Maheshwaraiah said the UGC had also given its sanction for recruiting teachers for all the 26 vacant posts and non-teaching staff for nine posts. The Bachelor of Education course will have an intake of 100 and the Master of Education course 50. The UGC has sanctioned these courses as quality education of teachers is badly needed in this backward region, Maheshwaraiah added. The National Council for Teacher Education, which had recently inspected the campus, has also given its green signal to start the education courses. Maheshwaraiah said the new courses may be started in some areas outside the campus, preferably in Kalaburagi city to begin with, due to lack of buildings and the ongoing water crisis. The courses will be shifted to the main campus shortly, he added. The National Green Tribunals landmark judgment on lakes and their canals and penalty for builders is a culmination of a long legal battle by some organisations against the powerful. While the Namma Bengaluru Foundation (NBF) provided legal support, there were Praja, Citizens' Action Forum (CAF), which is a consortium of 150 residents' welfare associations (RWA), Bengaluru Environment Trust, Forward Foundation, various sub-groups from Bellandur and a few pro-environment organisations, which joined hands in the fight. Vijayan Menon, a member of CAF and Koramangala RWA, said, This is the first time we got support from a cross-section of society and a number of civic societies. Terming it a landmark order, Menon said it will have implications across Bengaluru. Our fight is not against any group or person but against the way such projects are allowed to come up. The NGT passed the order the way we all wanted it to be, said Menon. Rajya Sabha member and the founder trustee of Namma Bengaluru Foundation, Rajeev Chandrasekhar, said his next step will be to ensure prosecution of guilty officials. Chandrasekhar said, The real culprits are not the corporates or builders but the government and officials, who connived with vested interests and allowed the illegalities. He added that the government failed in its duty, which resulted in land grabbers to thrive. He said that during the hearing, there was pressure on him from the powerful to withdraw the case but he went on. Chandrasekhar said, Not just me, but RWAs and others were also under tremendous pressure, which we all withstood.Chandrasekhar agreed that there is scope for the affected parties to appeal against the order in the higher court. NGT order is based on facts. The government and builders have violated norms, he added. India and France will soon launch an International Associated Laboratory (laboratory without walls) to collaborate in research on theoretical high energy physics. Under the proposed International Associated Laboratory project, the particle physicists will join hands to unravel mysteries of nature like dark matter, the dominance of matter over anti-matter and the like. They will work together to advance understanding of new physics beyond the standard model, Higgs Boson and the dark matter. The project hopes to bring together a network of laboratories, human and material resources of both the nations for jointly-planned research programme. Dr Rohini Godbole, a professor of High Energy Physics at IISc and one of the coordinators of the proposed laboratory, said, This important step in Indo-French collaborative effort is based on 20 years of scientific collaboration at different levels among Indian and French particle physicists. The conference has set the ball rolling for the International Associated Laboratory and also for the high impact CEFIPRA research network between the Indian and French Laboratories. Dr Jenifer Clark, Scientific Attache based at the French Consulate in Bengaluru, said, We are very proud to have a strong and sustained collaboration with IISc. Indeed, IISc is Frances first scientific partner in India. Similarly, France is also IIScs top collaborating country with regard to joint grants. I hope this new International Associated Laboratory acts as a catalyst for more mutually beneficial long-standing research cooperation between France and India. The International Associated Laboratory provides an exciting platform for young students for in-depth training and obtaining expertise from world-class investigators in state-of-the-art laboratories, said Dr Srini Kaveri, the director of CNRS in India. Indian institutions in IAL Four institutions in India will participate with France under the International Associated Laboratory (IAL): Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru (Indian coordinator); Harish-Chandra Research Institute (HRI), Allahabad; Department of Theoretical Physics (DTP), TIFR, Mumbai, and Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics (SINP), Kolkata. In a landmark judgment, the Principal Bench of the National Green Tribunal (NGT), New Delhi, directed the Karnataka government to demolish all existing construction falling within buffer zones of lakes and Rajakaluves (feeder canals of lakes) in Bengaluru. The bench directed the government to increase the buffer zones and ensure that no further construction takes place in such areas. The buffer zone of lakes has been enhanced from 30 metres to 75 metres. The revised buffer zone for the Rajakaluves is 50 metres, 35 metres and 25 metres for primary, secondary and tertiary canals respectively. The NGT also ordered that the buffer zone around Rajakaluves should be measured from the edge and not from the middle. If implemented in toto, the order will lead to the demolition of large number of buildings all over the City and displacement of lakhs of people. The ruling came in the wake of a petition by the Namma Bengaluru Foundation (NBF) and other Residents' Welfare Associations (RWAs) in connection with the encroachment of the wetland of Agara and Bellandur lakes in the City by Mantri Tech Zone Private Limited and Coremind Software and Services Private Limited. Hefty penalty In view of various illegalities in the execution of a large project coming up at the ecologically sensitive wetland between Agara and Bellandur lakes, the NGT confirmed a fine of Rs 130.5 crore on Mantri Tech Zone and Coremind. While Mantri has been fined Rs 117 crore, Coremind Software will have to pay Rs 13.5 crore. The NGT had earlier slapped a fine of Rs 139.85 crore on the two firms, prompting the affected parties to approach the Supreme Court (SC). While staying the order, the SC had referred the case back to the tribunal to decide the pleas on merit. The fresh NGT order gave a relief of Rs nine crore to Coremind Software and Rs 35 lakh to Mantri Developers. The NGT also quashed the environmental clearances given to the firms and stayed the construction of the project till the time the developers obtain fresh clearance. It has directed the developers to restore the 3 acre 10 guntas of encroached lake bed area immediately to the authorities. It ordered the State Environmental Impact Assessment Agency (SEIAA) to amend the environmental clearance of both the project proponents and allow all further construction under the monitoring of SEIAA. Also, the Karnataka government has been directed to submit a proposal demarcating wetlands within four weeks to the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) after which the same shall be notified. There is a combined direction to remove the debris deposited in the feeder canals (Rajakaluve) within four weeks, failing which Lake Development Authority (LDA) will undertake the cleaning and the cost will have to be borne by the two builders. SEIAA has also been directed to prepare a muck-disposal plan within three months. Hailing the order, the founder trustee of NBF and Rajya Sabha member Rajeev Chandrasekhar said it will help restore lakes and Rajakaluves (feeder canals), which are falling prey to land sharks. He said the government has to play a proactive role in restoring the water bodies instead of regularising the illegal constructions in the name of Akrama Sakrama. When contacted, Mantri Developers said, We are yet to receive the order copy and can comment only after we get the same. What is a buffer zone of a lake? Buffer zones are natural vegetated area along a lake, river or stream. They are meant to provide natural filtration of these water bodies and protection against flooding or swelling of rivers, lakes and streams. * Buffer zones of lakes and Rajakaluves increased * All structures on buffer zones to be demolished * Buffer zone for lakes will be 75 metres * Buffer zones for primary, secondary and tertiary canals will be 50 m, 35 m and 25 m respectively * The buffer zone around Rajakaluves to be measured from edge * Order may lead to demolition of thousands of buildings and displacement of people * Fine of Rs 130.5 crore on Mantri-Coremind confirmed * Builders accused of encroaching on Bellandur wetland between Agara and Bellandur * Ruling based on Namma Bengaluru Foundation's petition in Bellandur lake case The Karnataka government will ask 32,000 muzrai temples in the state to conduct special pooja to appease rain god, Muzrai Minister Manohar Tashildar said on Wednesday. The governments decision comes in the wake of the state staring at its worst drought in the last four decades. Speaking to reporters in Bengaluru, Tashildar said official orders to conduct the special poojas would be issued soon. However, he did not disclose as to how much funds would be released for the special pooja. Tahsildar, who also holds the Excise portfolio, said the sale of beer has gone up, but it had nothing to do with drought. People in drought hit regions do not drink beer, he added. In the year 2012, the BJP government too issued a similar order, and had come under strong criticism. The then Muzrai minister Kota Srinivas Poojary had announced that each temple was sanctioned Rs 5,000 for performing the special pooja to appease the rain god. Parents are planning to take a march from Whitefield to the central business district on Sunday to protest what they describe as the exorbitant fees charged by private schools. Waseem, a parent, said parents from across Bengaluru would take part in the protest. Apart from the hike in school fees, parents are also demanding a cap on transport and stationery charges. On Wednesday, a group of 35 parents met the Minister of State for Primary and Secondary Education, Kimmane Ratnakar, and submitted a memorandum. The move follows a protest by parents against Whitefield Global School. Parents have demanded an inquiry against the school for charging huge fees. When it opens at the corner of East Colfax Avenue and Race Street on May 13, the ninth outpost of the Illegal Petes burrito chain hopes to do more than just connect customers with fast-casual Mexican food. We want people to know were a restaurant that works well in the community, marketing manager Virgil Dickerson said of the Denver-based company, which had revenues of $17 million last year. Illegal Petes founder Pete Turner, who opened his first location in Boulder in 1995, has developed a reputation as a culture-savvy business owner who provides free meals to touring bands, funds the local Greater Than Collective record label and pays his employees more than $17 an hour. But along with his ambitious plan to expand to 25 restaurants in Colorado and Arizona by 2020, Turner is trying to make nice with his new neighbors on the eve of his first opening on Colfax. There was intent there, Turner, 43, said of the leased parcel, which unites two bustling stretches of East Colfax heavy on retail, bars and music venues. We fought hard for that location. Turners foe? The giant gorilla of Starbucks, who Turner is convinced outbid his own $30-per-square-foot deal. But the property owners, the Kentro Groups Balafas brothers, ultimately rebuffed the coffee company in favor of a smaller, local outfit. Im sure Starbucks is beating the (crap) out of them because they can, Turner said of his landlords. But wed been looking at a Colfax location forever, and I truly dig that iconic building. Turner put more than $1.25 million into renovating the A-frame with second-level seating and a new a music stage, extended kitchen, bathrooms and south-facing patio. The property also features 30 parking spots. Even if we cant own the land, we still do a lot with old real estate, Turner said. It takes time and money, but I think you end up with a more special product and some immediate history. To celebrate the opening, Illegal Petes will offer free burritos the ones its new employees are learning to make to surrounding businesses, free catering to East High Schools after-prom this weekend and free lunch to East High teachers on Monday. The 3,500-square-foot building a former IHOP that was most recently occupied by the 24-hour greasy spoon Mamas Cafe is poised to become a hipster landmark for pre- and post-show meetings at walking-distance venues such as the Ogden Theatre, Sie FilmCenter, Lions Lair and Bluebird Theater. Were right in the middle of these two killer stretches of East Colfax and were seeing those neighborhoods Cheesman Park to the south, Uptown to the north starting to gel like South Broadway did around our location there three years ago, Turner said. He has good reason to hope for a smooth opening. Turner suffered the most intense criticism of his career over the past two years as his Fort Collins and Tucson locations (his seventh and eighth) were met with student-led protests over the Illegal Petes name. Some interpreted it as a joke made at the expense of undocumented Mexican immigrants, which Turner has denied. We dont anticipate that happening on Colfax, as weve had a Denver location since 2001, Dickerson said. I think any accusations associated with the name were in markets that werent as familiar with us. The East Colfax location seems poised to appeal to Denvers exploding millennial population. It arrives with a 21-tap beer system, and its opening-day festivities include live and DJd music sets, free beer from New Belgium (with a nonprofit donation) and more. The new location will employ 50-55 people, bringing Illegal Petes total employment to roughly 350. Its a number Turner hopes to double with upcoming locations in Flagstaff and Tempe, Ariz., in 2017, and elsewhere. The timing was good with our South Broadway store in Denver, so were hoping for similar synergy and feel on East Colfax, Turner said. Its a weird, funky building and a great fit for us. John Wenzel: 303-954-1642, jwenzel@denverpost.com or @johnwenzel The Boulder City Council voted 7-1 Tuesday to contribute up to $200,000 towards a $6.5 million federal grant to build two underpasses providing trail access to the controversial Rocky Flats National Wildlife Refuge. The council heard from a stream of people largely opposed to the proposal, which would expand the length of the Rocky Mountain Greenway Trail linking Rocky Flats to the Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge. Most of those who spoke asserted that enough plutonium had been left behind at the former nuclear weapons plant to make the lands use as a recreational facility hazardous. But Councilwoman Lisa Morzel said Boulders participation in the Federal Lands Access Program grant would come with strict conditions: buy-in from other communities near the 5,000-acre refuge and regular sampling for contaminants going forward. Several of her colleagues said it was critical to keep Boulder at the table, given that the refuge is due to open to the public by the end of next year. The FLAP grant application is due May 20 and several more communities, including Broomfield, Arvada and Westminster, must vote on participation as well. John Aguilar: 303-954-1695, jaguilar@denverpost.com or @abuvthefold A missing 7-year-old Colorado Springs girl who was the focus of an Amber Alert was found safe Wednesday night in Aurora. The girl, America Arellano, was reported missing at around 8:30 a.m. from Carver Elementary School. The Amber Alert was issued just before 2:30 p.m. According to a news release from the Colorado Springs police department, Americas mom, Wendy Arellano, went into the girls elementary school, walked into her classroom and walked out with the girl. Police believe they left the area on foot and then drove away in a metallic grey sedan with dark tinted windows. The girls mother lost her parental rights in January, according to the Amber Alert. Wendy Arellano has a history of mental health issues, and she is believed to be a danger to the welfare of the child, the alert said. A man, 32-year-old Heriberto Gonzalez Hernandez, was believed to be with the girl and Arellano. At about 7:20 p.m. Aurora police responded to the 1300 block of South Geneva Way as part of the Amber Alert investigation. Wendy Arellano was then arrested on suspicion of 2nd degree kidnapping. Aurora police said that, during the arrest, Arellano assaulted an officer by kicking him the chest. Police said Wednesday night that theyre still interested in contactingHernandez and investigators are looking for a vehicle associated with him. The parental kidnapping investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call the police department at 719-444-7000 or Crime Stoppers at 719-634-STOP (7867). Yesenia Robles: 303-954-1372, yrobles@denverpost.com or @yeseniarobles Hsinchu, Taiwan, Santa Clara, USA and Hoofddorp, Netherlands -- May, 4, 2016 -- Faraday Technology Corporation (TWSE: 3035), a leading ASIC design Service and IP provider, is bringing its comprehensive 28nm based ASIC solution suite to the ChipEx 2016 on May 9 in Tel Aviv, Israel. In this largest international event of Israeli microelectronics community, Faraday will make a technical address on ESL Virtual Platform for Early SW Development as well as demonstrate the AMP prototyping platform and showcase its SoReal! virtual platform service that drastically reduces SoC design cycle and time to market. Based on the industrys sole alternative source of gate-last high-K metal gate 28nm technology provided by UMC, Faraday rolls out a series of high performance, low power IP solutions ranging from foundation libraries to high-speed interface subsystems. Technical consultation is available at the Faradays booth. We are proud to present our high quality ASIC design service to Israel and to the European SoC design community. said Spencer Chu, vice president of worldwide sales at Faraday Technology. Founded since 1993, we position ourselves as the driver of design service innovation. We believe our best-in-class IP quality and turn-key service model is the right solution for our customers in this region. Visit Faraday booth at No.C4 and hear the technical session and find out the latest offerings from Faraday. Kaiserslautern, Germany, May 4, 2016 - Creonic is pleased to announce its participation in the SENDATE-TANDEM (Tailored Network for Data cEnters in the Metro) research project which is a sub-project of the CELTIC+ SENDATE project. TANDEM addresses the challenge for a new network infrastructure with reference to high volatile data traffic of mobile linked up objects. A dynamic switching and a reliable transport of huge amounts of data as well as a handover of sensible, time critical application data without any interruptions must be provided between data centers. Creonic contributes the development and demonstration of an advanced forward error correction (FEC) for future fiber-based transport network architectures. The FEC has to provide low latency, throughputs of hundreds or thousands of Gbit/s and first-class error correction capabilities. The project volume of SENDATE is 72.8 millions. The SENDATE-TANDEM consortium consists of 27 partners located in France, Germany and Norway. Main industry partners are Nokia France/Germany (former Alcatel-Lucent), Orange, Gemalto, and Thales. The German partners receive funding from the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) in Germany. The project has started in April 2016 and will be completed by March 2019. For more information, please visit About Creonic Creonic is an ISO 9001:2008 certified provider of ready-for-use IP cores for several algorithms of communications such as forward error correction (LDPC and Turbo coding), synchronization, and MIMO. The company offers the richest product portfolio in this field, covering standards like DVB-S2X, LTE-A, DVB-RCS2, DOCSIS 3.1, WiFi, WiGig, and UWB. The products are applicable for ASIC and FPGA technology and comply with the highest requirements with respect to quality and performance. For more information please visit our website at www.creonic.com. London, England -- May 4, 2016 -- According to the latest analysis by Semicast Research, Texas Instruments was the leading vendor of semiconductors to the industrial sector in 2015, ahead of Infineon Technologies. Intel passed STMicroelectronics to become the third largest vendor following the acquisition of Altera, with Renesas Electronics completing the top five. Semicast defines the industrial sector to include traditional areas such as factory automation, motor drives, lighting, building automation, test & measurement and power & energy, as well as medical electronics and industrial transportation; the aerospace & defense sector is excluded from the analysis. Using this definition, Semicast estimates that revenues for industrial semiconductors totaled $40.7 billion in 2015. Semicasts industrial semiconductor vendor share analysis ranks TI as the leading supplier in 2015, with an estimated market share of 8.1%, ahead of Infineon with 6.8%, Intel (4.9%), STMicroelectronics (4.4%) and Renesas (3.8%). Colin Barnden, Principal Analyst at Semicast Research and study author, commented In practice the industrial sector is a collection of markets within a market and is heavily fragmented across applications, OEMs and regions. Accordingly, it has no dominant semiconductor vendor, with the top ten together accounting for only around 40% of the total. The industrial semiconductor market is also fragmented across product types, with the three largest categories (analog, optoelectronics and MCU/MPU) accounting for around two-thirds of revenues, but with no one vendor strong in all three areas. 2015 was a record year for M&A activity in the semiconductor industry and this has influenced vendor rankings in the industrial sector too. Infineons acquisition of International Rectifier in January 2015 consolidated its position as number two supplier; Intels acquisition of Altera at the end of December 2015 raised it above STMicroelectronics to third; NXPs acquisition of Freescale Semiconductor in early December 2015 secured the combined company seventh position in the vendor ranking. In contrast, TI has not undertaken any significant mergers and acquisitions activity since the purchase of National Semiconductor almost five years ago, and has instead focused on organic sales growth. Changes in the value of the Euro and Yen relative to the US Dollar have also impacted the vendor share ranking. Compared with 2014, the Euro was an average of sixteen percent weaker against the US Dollar in 2015, while the Yen was almost thirteen percent weaker. Revenues for industrial semiconductors have now doubled since 2009, compared with growth of around fifty percent for the total semiconductor market over the same period. Barnden summed up Companies that may have dismissed the industrial sector in the past would be advised to take a closer look, particularly as medium term growth prospects have slowed in other sectors, such as mobile and PC. While supply to the industrial sector is led by some of the largest semiconductor vendors, the diverse nature of the application and customer base means there is room for many. Norwegian group Telenor has indicated that it could partner with San Miguel Corp on a wireless joint venture in the Philippines. SMC had previously been discussing such a venture with Telstra, but the Australian market leader abandoned discussions in March after the companies failed to agree on an equity investment. Talks had been underway since last summer, with Telstra considering an investment of up to $1 billion. According to SMC president Ramon Ang, Telenor reached out to SMC, and negotiations have not yet begun. He added that the company does not necessarily require an overseas partner to establish a third mobile operator in the Philippines, but noted that several international firms had expressed an interest. Telenor is established in six Asian markets - Bangladesh, India, Malaysia, Myanmar, Pakistan and Thailand and is looking to enter more. The region provides the firm with 50% of its global revenue. SMC has substantial telecoms holdings in the Philippines, where it is the largest corporation by revenue. The firm holds 90% of the spectrum in the efficient and highly prized 700MHz band; in November 2015 the two Filipino operators PLDT and Globe called for the regulator to sell off some of this spectrum, which may have been a factor in Telstras reluctance to form a joint venture. Between them, PLDTs subsidiary Smart and Globe have a 99% share of the market. Smart takes 53% of this while Globe holds 46%. The 72 hour block imposed on WhatsApp by a judge in Brazils Sergipe province has been reversed by an appeals court judge. The swift turnaround echoes the ban that Brazil imposed on the service last year, which was also scrapped before the initially requested 48 hour period had elapsed. This second block was also imposed for the same reason as last years the local Sergipe judge who ordered the ban was demanding WhatsApp to provide information pertinent to a criminal case, despite the repeated insistence of the firms CEO Jan Koum that it does not have access to such information due to its end-to-end encryption. Reacting the ban being overturned, Koum stated: were humbled by the great support of people across Brazil, and appreciate your patience as the legal process unfoldedThe last thing we want is to see WhatsApp blocked again. WhatsApp has around 100 million users in Brazil. The firm is owned by social media giant Facebook, whose CEO Mark Zuckerberg commented: the idea that everyone in Brazil can be denied the freedom to communicate the way they want is very scary in a democracy. You can leave a response , or trackback from your own site. by Kathleen Gilbert BEIJING, September 7, 2012, (LifeSiteNews.com) Escaped Chinese dissident Chen Guangcheng is leading international opponents of forced abortion in calling upon the worlds largest company to end compliance with the Chinas one-child policy. Family planning police have targeted employees (569) Sign up below to have the hottest Catholic news delivered to your email daily! Close Sign up below to have the hottest Catholic news delivered to your email daily! Church Militant, we need to band together to protect our religious liberties and win the culture war! Google, along with its award winning web safety campaign and Web Rangers hopes to make the Internet a better place for everyone Google India today announced the winners of its Web Rangers initiative, an effort to promote a safer Internet experience for young users, held across the country. Witnessing hundreds of entries across various schools in cities across the country, students submitted their applications in the form of sketches, videos as well as apps, and were judged on the basis of their creativity, reach and impact. The top 5 winners of the competition are Mavika Boyini from Hyderabad, Vaidehi Reddy from Pune, Kanish Chugh from Ghaziabad, Raviteja Anumukonda and Neya Saravanarajan from Chennai. The winners will be awarded chromebooks and tablets. Web Ranger #1 Mavika Boyini, NASR School, Hyderabad Mavikas cartoons are based on the grandmas rule. She explains it like this: If you think your grandma wont like it, dont post it! You can find all her cartoons regarding her tips to keep the Internet a friendly place for everyone in the form of colorful cartoons here. Web Ranger #2 Vaidehi Reddy, Army Public School, Pune Vaidehi Reddy follows some simple steps to stay protected in her video. Never reveal your home address or personal details, Never share your password and sign out from emails. Be very careful when you share your photos, Never allow illegal downloads!! Web Ranger #3 Kanish Chugh, DLF Public School, Ghaziabad Kanish Chugh tried his hands at something different and developed an anti-phishing game that teaches you how to spot fake logos. Websites with fake or Bogus logos often try to trick you into giving them your personal details or other confidential information. Web Ranger #4 Raviteja Anumukonda , CHIREC Public School, Hyderabad Very often we keep updating our list of the stupidest and the most commonly used passwords, that can be easily cracked, resulting in harming your identity. Vlogger Raviteja Anumukonda focuses on the most common passwords that one should avoid using as it makes the person vulnerable. He also shares four tips on one can create strong passwords which will take years to hack! Web Ranger #5 Neya Saravanarajan, The Hindu Senior Secondary School, Chennai Neya Saravanarajans Mr. Two Faces is a song which reminds us to keep a check on our privacy settings for all our online accounts. This helps us to stay safe on the Internet and not reveal any unnecessary personal details. Applauding childrens efforts, Sunita Mohanty, Director, Trust and Safety, Google India, The internet is truly a great place for innovation, creativity, and entrepreneurship! As India approaches half a billion Internet users, Googles Web Rangers Program aspires to empower young Indian netizens to make responsible choices online and provide them with the right tools and knowledge to make these choices. A big thank you to all the young people who shared with us their brilliant ideas and campaigns and helped us in our endeavor to make the web a safer place, In case you were wondering, Web Rangers is a part of Google's global program that it runs across countries including New Zealand, Israel, Turkey and the Czech Republic. Web Rangers is responsible for providing training to help teens create their cyber safety campaign and enable themselves along with their peers to think about their online behavior and how to be safe, online. The participants are asked to create and run their own online safety campaigns, encouraging young people in their schools and communities to consider issues such as the effects of cyberbullying, managing ones own digital footprint and online tricks and scams. According to a report by Canalys, Samsungs market share for devices priced over $300 dropped to 41%, while Apples share grew to 29% Apple is posing a serious challenge to Samsungs dominance in the premium segment. According to a report by Canalys, Samsungs market share for devices priced over $300 (Rs. 20,000) dropped from 66% in Q1 2015, to 41% in the same quarter this year. On the other hand, Apples market share grew from 11% to 29%. In addition, Apple was the second fastest growing smartphone manufacturer in India during Q1 2016 with a 56% increase in shipments. Lenovo was the fastest growing smartphone vendor with a 63% increase in shipments. As per the report, Lenovo grew the most due to its value-for-money handsets and offline channel strategy. For Apple, Canalys Mobility Analyst, Wilmer Ang said that the company is outperforming the overall market in India, and still has great growth potential. It was noted that successive price cuts to the iPhone 5s made it the most popular Apple device on the market. However, Ang said that the success of the iPhone 5s has more to do with the affordability of a premium brand than preference for smaller phones. It was also noted in the report that the overall smartphone market in India grew by 12% year on year with 24.4 million units shipping in Q1 2016. As per the report, the top five smartphone vendors in the country remained the same with Samsung still on top, followed by Micromax, Intex, Lenovo, and Lava. Meanwhile, Microsoft, BlackBerry, Sony, and LG were the biggest losers during Q1 2016 as the market shifted towards low-cost and value-for-money smartphones. 3D printing has developed in leaps and bounds. Promoted by the dream of sketching on air and creating realistic, replica objects, 3D printing has found niche application across research labs, enthusiasts and innovators alike. The technique of 3D printing uses an additive process to create three-dimensional objects from digital blueprints. Using material layering, the object is steadily recreated in accordance to the blueprint of 3D modeling designed in CAD. Alternatively, a 3D scanner can also be used to sketch the outlines of actual objects, thereby creating three-dimensional replicas of the same. The steady growth of 3D printing, however, led to the necessity of the one thing that drives our lives today - mobility. With the power of 3D printing on the go, illustrators and researchers alike can sketch three-dimensional objects on the go. Not only does this bring the premise for live 3D structural art, but can be an essential peg across various industries. This led to the foundation of 3D printer pens - individual mobile units that are structured as permanent markers, and weave the power of three-dimensional printing on the go. So, what is a 3D printer pen? To put it simply, a 3D printer pen is essentially the head of a 3D printer, shrinked in size, reworked in architecture, powered by a mobile chassis and fit into a body that is easy to carry around and operate anywhere, any time. There are multiple ways for a 3D printer to work. Some use the process of melting, softening and solidification of material to create three-dimensional structures. The standardised processes of Selective Laser Sintering (SLS) and Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) make use of this technology. Among other techniques, stereolithography (SLA) involves exposing photo-reactive resin layers to power sources such as ultraviolet lasers. The unit has a drive mechanism, and a heat generation module that depends on power supply, to modify the material. For 3D printer pens, the principle remains the same. Take for instance one of the biggest names in the world of 3D printing, 3Doodler by Wobbleworks uses either Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) or Polylactic acid (PLA) plastic as their basic material of printing. The foundation work of 3D printer pens rose from the opportune moment of thought. We came together to bring 3Doodler to life in 2012. The idea itself came about in Spring 2012. Our 3D printer had almost completed a 14-hour print when it missed a line, leaving an unplanned gap in the print. A small error had ruined hours of work, and we were going to have to start again. Then inspiration hit: what if we just took the head of the printer off and filled in the gap?. A day later the 3Doodler was born, explains Daniel Cowen, co-Founder of 3Doodler. Lixpen, another giant in the industry of 3D printing, has a more spaced-out timeline of development. Ismail Baran, co-Founder of Lixpen, tells us that planning for the Lix Pen began back in the summer of 2013. Patent application was filed in March 2014, and the crowdfunding campaign was successfully concluded by May 2014. A year later, by September 2015, the first 3D printer pen modules were given out to beta testers, and production for the device began about a month-and-half back. Refining the devices As with all technology, the very first versions of 3D printer pens were not the most appealing. The first 3Doodler was a clumsy-looking, hand-assembled, device; a collection of gears, a heater unit, and the printer head of our now dismantled 3D printer. The words 3Doodler were etched onto its side in green and red in felt tip pen. This set the stage for multiple iterations and prototypes, eventually fixing on a pen-like device, says Cowen. The initial reaction among the crowds was encouraging. Cowen states, We presented our final prototype, the world's first 3D printing pen, and plans for mass production on Kickstarter in February 2013. What we didn't anticipate was the amazing response and validation from this new community we were growing - 26,457 people in 30 days who contributed over US$2.3 million for the production of our first 3Doodler. He continues, As inventors, we're always tinkering and improving our flagship pen to the point where we launched the 3Doodler 2.0 to the same Kickstarter community in early 2015. The 3Doodler 2.0 was a huge upgrade when compared to the original - a quarter of the size, less than half the weight, a much quieter fan system, and sleeker aluminium casing. The response from the community was exceptional. We've also diversified the family of pens with the introduction of the first child-friendly 3D printing pen - the 3Doodler Start; and we just announced the 3Doodler Create, the successor to the 3Doodler 2.0. The pens just keep getting better and better. Excitement of sketching in air 3D printing is an exciting concept. The 3D printing pens have brought the prospect of drawing - anytime, anywhere. This, in turn, creates an exciting opportunity for illustrators and enthusiasts alike. The 3D printer pens can also change the perspective of how objects are drawn not on paper, but on thin air. Baran explains, We trust in this new way of communication and we believe that Lix Pen will make our perception of things much easier. Now everyone can easily break the limits of their imagination and cross the limits of the paper. For sure, it needs some time to learn 3D drawing but like everything, there is a learning curve. 3D printing pen will give you the ability to create physical things like a 3D printer, but with the freedom to draw (without any specific software knowledges). Cowen elucidates on the variety of users of the 3D printer pen, stating, We've seen a wide range of professionals adapt to using 3Doodler - artists, educators, designers, scientists, and even professional engineers. The latter have been known to use 3Doodler to "draft" free form ideas, to sketch on top of models and designs, or for trying out ideas before building them in CAD to see if they even want to head in that direction. At present, 3Doodler has retail partners across the globe, and has partners in 49 countries, including India. In accordance with the advancement in 3D printing technology, 3Doodler has introduced the 3Doodler Create, the latest pen that houses a redesign in the body of the device, a smoother drive system for better sketching, an ambient light bar and even a transparent panel to see how the pen functions on the inside. Such refinements would drive more audiences, and not just professionals and enthusiasts, to take up 3D doodling as a hobby. Pricing-wise, the 3Doodler Create retails at a reasonably affordable pricing of $100. The future of 3D printer pens Now that 3D printing pens have been establishing audiences across areas, where are we headed next? Cowen explains, The 3D printing market is expected to grow to US$20.2 billion in 2019, according to analysts at Canalys. With that growth and interest more affordable and attractive hardware will come to market. Bulky 3D printers that we use for prototyping will always be products used by a niche market of inventors and manufacturers, but handheld 3D printers is where the general consumer interest lies and where the most growth, in terms of volume, will be seen. While 3Doodler focuses on bringing the technology to the masses, Lix Pen is aligning itself in the higher end niche of the market that has prospect for immense growth. The main focus pivots around the section who looks out for the overall feel of a device, alongside being functional. The future prospect is for people beyond enthusiasts and professionals to take up 3D doodling. Both 3Doodler and Lix Pen expects doodlers and artists to pick up 3D printer pens. Baran expects 3D printer pens to move in a similar way as printers, like a regular printer which it was used in the past only for professionals, now every home has a regular printer or have an easy access to a print shop. Cowen is equally optimistic. Once more and more industries, such as education, begin using 3D printers like 3Doodler, we definitely believe that it will become increasingly mainstream. If not just for the millions of people who still enjoy doodling on their notebook, we think they'll go crazy. 3D printing is a growing art, with 3D printing pens at its heart. Whats exciting is to see the prospect of commonplace 3D doodling, or sketching. As Cowen puts it, Being at the intersection of art and tech at a time like this is very exciting. Consumer self-care products company Venture Life Group on Wednesday said it widened its 2015 losses as costs rose. Loss before tax, amortisation and exceptional items came to 0.73m in the year to 31 December 2015, compared to a loss of 0.59m the previous year. The company attributed the loss to an increase in administrative costs, including overhead costs and a rise in business development expenditure. Yet revenue rose to 9.1m from 7.2m and gross profit grew to 3m from 2.7m. The extensive investment of time and effort made in developing relationships in China in earlier years is beginning to pay off and we made our first shipments of product to our partner in China, Gialen, said chief executive Jerry Randall. During the period the group signed a 30- year exclusive distribution agreement with Gialen Group to sell a range of skincare products in China, with the first 'Lubatti Classic' products shipped in the second half of 2015. The group also signed a 10-year agreement with a Swiss healthcare company to formulate and manufacture an onychomycosis product. Another highlight in the companys achievements for the year included the launch of a new women's health product range under the vonalei brand with the first distribution agreement signed. Since the start of the year, the firm has bought Periproducts Limited - including the UltraDEX oral care products brand -for an estimated 5.8m. Venture Life also signed the first long-term exclusive distribution deals for the new Benecol once-a-day liquid sachet in Turkey and Jordan. As a result, we expect froup revenues in 2016 to increase significantly from 2015 levels, and the acquisition of UltraDEX in particular is expected to accelerate our move to profitability, Randall said. Our key target of becoming sustainably earnings positive is now in sight." Shares were down 0.85% to 58p at the close on Wednesday. Numis reiterated an add rating and target price of 5,750p for Next after the retailer reported its first quarter trading update. Next reported total sales in the three months to 2 May fell 0.2% from a year earlier, while full price sales were 0.9% lower, reflecting colder weather in March and April which hit demand for clothing. The company also warned that sales and profits could be lower than previously guided due to a potential slowdown in consumer spending. It now expects full-price sales for 2016 to range between a 3.5% fall and a 3.5% rise, a wider range than its previous forecast range of between a 1% fall and a 4% rise. "We believe it is unlikely (but possible) that sales will deteriorate further, and we have seen a significant improvement over the last few days as temperatures have risen," the company said. "However, the poor performance of the last six weeks may be indicative of weaker underlying demand for clothing and a potentially wider slowdown in consumer spending." The firm also widened and lowered the range of its full-year profit estimates to between 748m and 852m, compared with the previous forecast issued in March of between 784m and 858m. However, Numis said the shares look good value following a 35% fall since December 2015. The shares trade on a 17% 2016 calendar year price to earnings ratio discount to the sector and nearly 30% below the 69.62 ceiling for the share buyback, with scope to extend it if there is significant demand for its upcoming bond issue. It is difficult to discern between the effect of unseasonal weather and the weakening general consumer backdrop over short periods, according to Numis analysts Matthew Taylor and Andrew Wade. However, Next has tuned its own business and profit guidance to a tougher environment, while the same may not be said for many of its peers. In this context we view the 17% PE discount to the sector as good value, even if only on a relative basis. Bernstein downgraded Morrisons to underperform from market perform and cut the price target to 160p from 170p, saying the valuation has run ahead of itself and structural problems remain. The City has been excited by Morrisons' positive Q4 2015 LFL sales growth and the deal with Amazon was a welcome surprise for shareholders. A rally in the share price followed making it the best performer of our coverage since December, said Bernstein. However, the bank reckons enthusiasm and valuation have run ahead of themselves, pointing out that structural problems such as a lack of differentiation and limited growth options are still there. In terms of the weak differentiation, Bernstein noted that when it comes to private label food, Aldi and Lidl are materially cheaper, while Asda is 4% cheaper on branded and Tescos Farm Brands focus on value-oriented fresh food, which is the heart of Morrisons' current strength. On growth, the bank highlighted that Morrisons offer is in the supermarket segment, the slowest growing part of food retail, with almost no exposure to convenience retail, which is the fastest growing UK segment, and limited online. Relative growth is biggest driver of food retail margins, and Morrisons has the weakest channel-mix of all three quoted retailers. Bernstein said that even if it gives full credit to management's recent guidance of 50-100m of incremental pre-tax profit in the medium term, and assumes an amazing Amazon-supply business, it is still 7% below EBIT for this year and 10% below EPS. The bank said that even if it accepts consensus EPS and EPS growth expectations, the stock still trades 20% above its fair value. We are one day before Morrisons' Q1 sales results, and those may get people excited. But our downgrade rests on the longer term earnings and cash generating capabilities of the business. Bernstein downgraded Morrisons to underperform from market perform and cut the price target to 160p from 170p, saying the valuation has run ahead of itself and structural problems remain. The City has been excited by Morrisons' positive Q4 2015 LFL sales growth and the deal with Amazon was a welcome surprise for shareholders. A rally in the share price followed making it the best performer of our coverage since December, said Bernstein. However, the bank reckons enthusiasm and valuation have run ahead of themselves, pointing out that structural problems such as a lack of differentiation and limited growth options are still there. In terms of the weak differentiation, Bernstein noted that when it comes to private label food, Aldi and Lidl are materially cheaper, while Asda is 4% cheaper on branded and Tescos Farm Brands focus on value-oriented fresh food, which is the heart of Morrisons' current strength. On growth, the bank highlighted that Morrisons offer is in the supermarket segment, the slowest growing part of food retail, with almost no exposure to convenience retail, which is the fastest growing UK segment, and limited online. Relative growth is biggest driver of food retail margins, and Morrisons has the weakest channel-mix of all three quoted retailers. Bernstein said that even if it gives full credit to management's recent guidance of 50-100m of incremental pre-tax profit in the medium term, and assumes an amazing Amazon-supply business, it is still 7% below EBIT for this year and 10% below EPS. The bank said that even if it accepts consensus EPS and EPS growth expectations, the stock still trades 20% above its fair value. We are one day before Morrisons' Q1 sales results, and those may get people excited. But our downgrade rests on the longer term earnings and cash generating capabilities of the business. At 1116 BST, Morrisons shares were down 3% top 185.10p. According to private consultancy ADP, employers added 156,000 jobs in April compared with a downwardly-revised 194,000 in March and much weaker than expectations of 196,000. Meanwhile, goods-producing employment fell by 11,000 jobs in April, down from a downwardly-revised 5,000 the previous month. The construction industry added 14,000 jobs, down from Marchs 18,000, while manufacturing lost 13,000 jobs after being revised down to a 3,000 drop the previous month. Mark Zandi, chief economist of Moodys Analytics, said: The job market appears to have stumbled in April. Job growth noticeably slowed, with some weakness across most sectors. One month does not make a trend, but this bears close watching as the financial market turmoil earlier in the year may have done some damage to business hiring. David Morrison, senior market strategist at SpreadCo, said: Investors see the ADP data as a heads-up ahead of the official non-farm payroll report which is due out this Friday. It certainly is effective in measuring the overall trend in the data, but it can be patchy on a month-by-month basis. This is because the governments number tends to be considerably more volatile, and of course it is this volatility that traders look for and react to. So the fact that todays release was so far away from trend will have traders scratching their heads. It may be positive for risk assets for the Fed to hold off from hiking rates, but it sends a grim message about the US economy. London stocks were under pressure on Wednesday as a report showed UK construction activity slowed more than expected in April. The Markit/CIPS UK construction purchasing managers index fell to 52.0, down from 54.2 in March and missing expectations for a reading of 54.0. Although it was still above the 50.0 mark that separates contraction from expansion, it pointed to the slowest expansion of business activity since mid-2013. David Morrison, senior market strategist at SpreadCo, said: There will be precious little chance of the Bank of England considering a rate hike this year until theres a definite improvement in the trend for these numbers." The report comes a day after the Markit/CIPS PMI on UK manufacturing showed an unexpected contraction in April, falling to 49.2 from 50.7 in March. In the eurozone, data from the EU statistics agency revealed retail sales fell 0.5% in March compared to a month earlier, worse than the 0.1% decline expected by analysts. On the year sales increased 2.1% but missed forecast for a 2.6% gain. Still to come, the US ADP private payrolls report will be in focus at 1315 BST ahead of the Labor Departments non-farm payrolls on Friday. Markit releases US services PMI at 1445 BST which will be followed by figures on US factory orders and US durable goods orders at 1500 BST. US weekly crude inventories data from the Department of Energy will be also released at 1530 BST. Oil prices rose at 1153 BST, with Brent crude up 0.28% to $45.11 per barrel and West Texas Intermediate up 0.36% to $43.81 per barrel. On the company front, Sainsburys shares fell after the supermarket reported a 13.8% drop in full year underlying pre-tax profit to 587m as sales declined and the group grappled with the industry price war and ensuring food price deflation. Next rallied despite warning that sales and profits could be lower than previously forecast due to a potential slowdown in consumer spending. Numis reiterated an add rating on the retailer, saying shares were trading at good value for investors. BHP Billiton edged lower on news that federal prosecutors in Brazil have launched a $43bn lawsuit against the companys part-owned Samarco Mineracao mining unit to claim compensation for the dam disaster last November. International Personal Finance dropped after saying growth in customer number and lending slowed in the first quarter due to an easing in the key market of Mexico. Glencore was in the red after saying copper, zinc, lead, oil and coal volumes all were cut in the first quarter as part of the commodities giant's plan to draw in its horns during this low point in the cycle. JD Wetherspoon advanced as it reported a 3.8% rise in like-for-like sales in the third quarter and announced plans to buy back up to 60m of shares. Market Movers FTSE 100 (UKX) 6,113.28 -1.17% FTSE 250 (MCX) 16,688.34 -0.25% techMARK (TASX) 3,045.82 -0.71% FTSE 100 - Risers Next (NXT) 5,200.00p 4.46% Berkeley Group Holdings (The) (BKG) 3,002.00p 1.73% Admiral Group (ADM) 1,920.00p 0.89% TUI AG Reg Shs (DI) (TUI) 990.00p 0.76% Aviva (AV.) 435.20p 0.62% Direct Line Insurance Group (DLG) 370.70p 0.57% Barratt Developments (BDEV) 531.50p 0.57% easyJet (EZJ) 1,445.00p 0.49% Persimmon (PSN) 1,985.00p 0.40% International Consolidated Airlines Group SA (CDI) (IAG) 512.00p 0.39% FTSE 100 - Fallers BHP Billiton (BLT) 813.80p -7.03% Randgold Resources Ltd. (RRS) 6,155.00p -6.81% Glencore (GLEN) 142.75p -4.71% Sainsbury (J) (SBRY) 273.00p -4.66% Paddy Power Betfair (PPB) 8,810.00p -3.93% Anglo American (AAL) 639.50p -3.82% Antofagasta (ANTO) 433.90p -3.28% Fresnillo (FRES) 1,037.00p -3.17% Tesco (TSCO) 164.55p -2.78% Rio Tinto (RIO) 2,102.00p -2.44% FTSE 250 - Risers Electra Private Equity (ELTA) 3,804.00p 5.67% Sophos Group (SOPH) 209.00p 4.34% CLS Holdings (CLI) 1,641.00p 3.93% Wetherspoon (J.D.) (JDW) 698.50p 2.80% Hikma Pharmaceuticals (HIK) 2,285.00p 2.75% NCC Group (NCC) 270.90p 2.50% JRP Group (JRP) 139.60p 2.50% Cobham (COB) 153.20p 2.13% Just Eat (JE.) 410.60p 2.11% Dunelm Group (DNLM) 901.50p 1.86% FTSE 250 - Fallers International Personal Finance (IPF) 241.60p -7.40% Vedanta Resources (VED) 367.90p -6.87% Interserve (IRV) 418.90p -6.10% Aberdeen Asset Management (ADN) 264.80p -4.63% Polymetal International (POLY) 681.00p -4.49% Ophir Energy (OPHR) 67.75p -4.44% Acacia Mining (ACA) 325.90p -4.23% Kaz Minerals (KAZ) 155.20p -4.20% Evraz (EVR) 130.40p -3.76% Weir Group (WEIR) 1,112.00p -3.07% UK stocks slid on Wednesday as investors waded through a plethora of corporate announcements. Sainsburys shares fell after the supermarket reported a 13.8% drop in full year underlying pre-tax profit to 587m as sales declined and the group grappled with the industry price war and ensuring food price deflation. Royal Dutch Shell slumped as it posted a drop in first-quarter earnings on Wednesday in the oil giants first results since the takeover of BG Group. Next rallied despite warning that sales and profits could be lower than previously forecast due to a potential slowdown in consumer spending. "We believe it is unlikely (but possible) that sales will deteriorate further, and we have seen a significant improvement over the last few days as temperatures have risen," the company said. Ryanair flew higher after saying traffic rose 10% in April to a record 9.9m customers from 9m in the same month last year. BAE Systems gained as reported a good start to the new financial year, with directors confident the good momentum is in line with full year targets. BHP Billiton edged lower on news that federal prosecutors in Brazil have launched a $43bn lawsuit against the companys part-owned Samarco Mineracao mining unit to claim compensation for the dam disaster last November. In economic data, the Markit/CIPS purchasing managers index on UK construction will be released at 0930 BST, with analysts expecting a slowdown in sector growth for April. It comes a day after the UK manufacturing PMI showed growth eased in April. Eurozone retail sales are due at 1000 BST, followed by the US ADP jobs report at 1315 BST, the Markit US services PMI at 1445 BST, ISMs non-manufacturing composite at 1500 BST, and factory orders and durable goods orders at 1500 BST. US weekly crude inventories data from the Department of Energy will be also released at 1530 BST. Oil prices were sitting higher in morning trade with Brent crude up 0.31% to $45.11 per barrel and West Texas Intermediate up 0.61% to $43.92 per barrel. Market Movers FTSE 100 (UKX) 6,176.06 -0.15% FTSE 250 (MCX) 16,727.13 -0.02% techMARK (TASX) 3,063.48 -0.13% FTSE 100 - Risers Next (NXT) 5,085.00p 2.15% Standard Chartered (STAN) 527.80p 1.44% TUI AG Reg Shs (DI) (TUI) 995.50p 1.32% Rolls-Royce Holdings (RR.) 649.50p 1.17% Berkeley Group Holdings (The) (BKG) 2,985.00p 1.15% Admiral Group (ADM) 1,924.00p 1.10% BAE Systems (BA.) 481.20p 1.05% Aviva (AV.) 436.50p 0.99% International Consolidated Airlines Group SA (CDI) (IAG) 514.50p 0.88% Direct Line Insurance Group (DLG) 371.10p 0.76% FTSE 100 - Fallers BHP Billiton (BLT) 830.10p -5.16% Randgold Resources Ltd. (RRS) 6,315.00p -4.39% Morrison (Wm) Supermarkets (MRW) 184.90p -3.14% Sainsbury (J) (SBRY) 277.50p -2.87% Anglo American (AAL) 647.00p -2.81% Paddy Power Betfair (PPB) 9,000.00p -1.85% Tesco (TSCO) 166.15p -1.83% Antofagasta (ANTO) 440.40p -1.63% Fresnillo (FRES) 1,057.00p -1.31% Imperial Brands (IMB) 3,696.50p -1.16% FTSE 250 - Risers Electra Private Equity (ELTA) 3,785.00p 5.14% Just Eat (JE.) 414.80p 3.11% Sophos Group (SOPH) 205.90p 2.80% NCC Group (NCC) 271.40p 2.69% Indivior (INDV) 150.30p 2.04% AO World (AO.) 182.90p 1.61% Bovis Homes Group (BVS) 882.00p 1.55% Beazley (BEZ) 329.70p 1.45% JRP Group (JRP) 138.00p 1.32% William Hill (WMH) 318.40p 1.24% FTSE 250 - Fallers International Personal Finance (IPF) 226.30p -13.26% Ophir Energy (OPHR) 68.15p -3.88% Vedanta Resources (VED) 381.10p -3.76% Acacia Mining (ACA) 330.00p -3.03% Kaz Minerals (KAZ) 157.30p -2.90% Centamin (DI) (CEY) 117.10p -2.50% Polymetal International (POLY) 697.50p -2.17% Debenhams (DEB) 76.45p -1.99% Allied Minds (ALM) 364.00p -1.78% Virgin Money Holdings (UK) (VM.) 348.30p -1.72% London stocks were expected to open broadly flat on Wednesday following downbeat sessions in the US and Asia, amid lower commodity prices. The FTSE 100 was seen opening unchanged from Tuesdays close at 6,185. On the data front, UK construction PMI is at 0930 BST. In the US, the ADP employment report is at 1315 BST, while trade balance is at 1330 BST. US durable goods orders and ISM non-manufacturing are at 1500 BST. Due to the UK holiday on Monday the UK data is one day out of sync which means that in the wake of yesterdays poor manufacturing number, a decent number from the construction sector for April would be particularly welcome today, with a slight slowdown to 54 from 54.2 expected, said CMC Markets Michael Hewson. Royal Dutch Shells first-quarter earnings on a current cost of supplies basis fell 58% from the previous year to $1.55bn as weak oil prices continued to take their toll, but the results were still better than analysts had expected. Chief executive Ben van Beurden said: We continue to reduce our spending levels, to capture cost opportunities and manage the financial framework in todays lower oil price environment. The combination with BG is off to a strong start, as a result of detailed forward planning before the completion of the transaction. This will likely result in accelerated delivery of the synergies from the acquisition, and at a lower cost than we originally set out. Poor but unpredictable sales in the year to date saw high street fashion retailer Next widen its guidance for the year in a trading update on Wednesday. The FTSE 100 firm said total sales from 31 January to 2 May were down 0.2%, with full-price sales down 0.9% - at the lower end of its full-year sales guidance of -1% to 4%. We believe it is unlikely (but possible) that sales will deteriorate further, and we have seen a significant improvement over the last few days as temperatures have risen, Next said. Sainsbury's annual results showed the severe hit to its finances by the industry price war and ensuring food price deflation but profits fell less than analysts expected. Profits before tax slumped 14% to 587m but this was better than the consensus forecast of 575m, while like-for-like sales fell 0.9% to 25.8bn. The pace of UK construction slowed more than expected in April, data released on Wednesday showed. The Markit/CIPS UK construction purchasing managers index fell to 52.0, down from 54.2 in March and missing expectations for a reading of 54.0. Although it was still above the 50.0 mark that separates contraction from expansion, it pointed to the slowest expansion of business activity since mid-2013. Tim Moore, senior economist at Markit, said: UK construction firms reported their worst month for almost three years in April, meaning that the first quarter slowdown is unlikely to prove temporary. Stalling new order volumes not only set the scene for further weakness ahead, but are already weighing on staff hiring and input buying across the construction sector. Softer growth forecasts for the UK economy alongside uncertainty ahead of the EU referendum appear to have provided reasons for clients to delay major spending decisions until the fog has lifted. David Morrison, senior market strategist at SpreadCo, said: There will be precious little chance of the BoE considering a rate hike this year until theres a definite improvement in the trend for these numbers. Its also worth noting that so far this week weve had poor manufacturing PMIs from the US and China, while data from across the Eurozone was mixed. Add in last weeks disappointing US GDP number and yet another dismal corporate earnings season and global equities could be in for a difficult month. Federal prosecutors in Brazil have launched a $43bn lawsuit against BHP Billiton 's part-owned Samarco Mineracao mining unit to claim compensation for the dam disaster last November. BHP, which set up the Samarco joint venture with Brazil's Vale, said it had not yet received formal notice of the claim, which is for social, environmental and economic compensation in relation to the failure of the tailings dam at Samarco's iron ore operation in Minas Gerais. The claim comes on top of an $8bn compensation and clean-up programme agreed with local authorities in March., which BHP highlighted in its statement. Prosecutors have reportedly demanded BHP, Vale and Samarco provide an initial payment of 7.8bn reais ($2.2bn) within 30 days. The civil suit also challenged the March agreement signed, with calculcations for the new amount based on costs caused in BP's 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil-spill disaster, Bloomberg said. BHP said it felt the March agreement, once approved by courts, "provides the long-term remedial and compensation framework for responding to the impact of the Samarco tragedy and the appropriate platform for the parties to work together". "Ouch," said analyst Yuen Low of Shore Capital, though he believes a much lower settlement is likely. Low noted that Federal and state prosecutors were not part of the local authority settlement, and the former criticised the settlement as being insufficient and lacking in legal enforceability. Low added: "The good news, according to Bloomberg, is that Brazilian prosecutors have a history of demanding large reparations for environmental disasters, which are subsequently settled at much lower amounts." Investec agreed that it was "disappointing new development for the company" but noted that the market is treating the news "only slightly seriously" with shares down but not crashing. By 0900 in London, BHP's shares were nearly 6% lower on the day at 824.2p. Glencore held its full year production guidance largely steady as copper, zinc, lead, oil and coal volumes all were cut in the first quarter as part of the commodities giant's plan to draw in its horns during this low point in the cycle. Overnight it emerged that Glencore is mulling the sale of its 70%-owned Vasilkovskoye gold mine in Kazakhstan, according to reports from Reuters and the Financial Times. A quoted valuation of $2bn for the mine sounded a little high, according to some analysts. The only change to 2016 guidance was where contraction of the oil drilling campaign have led to a 0.3m barrel reduction compared to previous guidance. Guidance for marketing earnings before interest, tax (EBIT) for 2016 was also unchanged at $2.4-2.7bn. Copper production of 335,000 tonnes was 4% down on the same period in 2015 after suspensions and reductions in Africa, partly offset by increased production from South America. Zinc production was cut 28% to 257,100 tonnes after reductions in Australia, Peru and Kazakhstan, while coal production was down 17% to 29.7m tonnes with some mining restrictions in Columbia added to other known factors. Nickel was a rare 16% rise to 27,600 tonnes as Glencore generated a higher mix of its own feed treated at Norway's Nikkelverk and a strong performance at the Murrin Murrin joint venture in Western Australia. Crush volumes from Agricultural Products were up 89% to 1.2m tonnes due to the improved economic conditions in Argentina and the acquisitions in 2015 of plants in Becancour, Canada and Warden in the US. Analyst Yuen Low at Shore Capital said the lower production numbers "should not represent a negative surprise", given the production cuts and disposals Glencore announced last year. "For us, the important things were that full-year 2016 production guidance remains unchanged...and that marketing EBIT guidance likewise remains unchanged." For analysts at Cancaccord, the report was "mixed but slightly better", on average 4% better than anticipated thanks to Ags and zinc the only major metal to miss forecasts. Reports on Wednesday morning said Glencore had appointed Deutsche Bank and BMO Capital Markets as advisers to a potential sale of its Kazakh gold mine, as it looks to continue slimming down and paying down debt. A Chinese buyer is felt to be the most likely due to the West's concerns about buying businesses in Kazakhstan. Shares in Glencore were down 1.6% at 147.35p by 0915 BST on Wednesday. Growth in customer numbers and lending slowed at International Personal Finance in the first quarter due to a slower performance in the key growth market of Mexico. Although there were strong performances from the home credit operations in Southern Europe and the IPF Digital business, a slowdown in Mexico saw group customer numbers increase year-on-year by 3%, down from the 6.6% rate enjoyed in 2015. Within this home credit customer numbers grew 1%, while IPF Digital surged 53%. First-quarter growth in proforma credit issued slowed to 6% from 13% last year, with home credit growth of 3% and Digital proforma growth of 31%. Credit issued in Southern Europe increased by 23%, fell 2% in Poland-Lithuania, fell 13% in Czech Republic, and grew only 4% in Mexico, where much had been expected after growing credit issued 76% in the last three years. "The factors driving this are largely operational and we have a clear plan to address these and return to higher rates of growth as we move through the year," the company said. IPF Digital was driven by the new markets of Poland, Australia and Spain where year-on-year credit growth was 148%. The collections performance was said to be good, with impairment as a percentage of revenue at 26.1%, towards the lower end of the target range of 25% to 30%, from 25.7% last year. Collections in Mexico, however, were weaker than in the European businesses and as a result there was an increase in impairment which management expect to correct as the year progresses. The FTSE 250 home credit provider said it was continuing with the 'evolved' strategy announced in February, cutting costs in the established home credit businesses, including the roll out of our new sales and service structure in Poland and the completion of the UK head office restructuring, while focusing on driving top-line growth from the home credit businesses in IPF Digital, Mexico and Romania-Bulgaria. For the full year, directors said they "expect to generate further strong growth in IPF Digital, see a continuation of the positive momentum in Southern Europe and a return to higher levels of growth in Mexico". The situation in Poland was also being monitored, following the implementation of the new total cost of credit cap legislation, with IPF rolling out a new, compliant product offering. Following the groups recent well-publicised problems in Eastern Europe, analyst Gary Greenwood at Shore Capital said that a wobble in one of its growth markets "comes as a somewhat unwanted further development that is likely to impact negatively on the shares this morning". He said though it was a disappointing update he understood that "management remains comfortable with consensus statutory PBT of 92.8m, or 98.8m adjusting for Slovakia losses". Shares in IPF were down 7.6% to 241.2p by 1030 BST on Wednesday, still above February's three-and-a-half-year low below 220p. First-quarter sales and profits at Paddy Power Betfair got off to a solid gallop as the newly merged bookmaker enjoyed good performances across all divisions, though retail struggled slightly. Revenue of 339m represented a 16% increase on the same period last year, had Betfair and Paddy Power been merged at the time, though this was a slower rate of growth than reported in separate results in March. On the upside, earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) jumped 27% to 59m, ahead of the 10% growth in both business reported at the time of final results, while operating profit sped 36% higher to 43m in the three months to 31 March. Retail sales growth slowed to 5% but like-for-like (LFL) revenue was down 1% as the estate expanded by a net three shops to 601, while sportsbook stakes grew 9%. In the last full year, retail grew at 6% LFL in the UK and 11% in Ireland. Faster growth was reported for the first quarter from the online operations, where revenues widened 17% to 195m, with sportsbook stakes up 23%. Online revenue from regulated markets was up 21% and unregulated revenues fell by 14%, mostly due to the impact of exiting from Portugal last July. Geographically, the fastest sales growth was from Australia, where revenue was up 25% to 58m, with sportsbook stakes up 31%. US revenue meanwhile was up 22% to 20m, with 19% growth at the TVG wagering website bettered by continued growth in the online casino in New Jersey. "All four of our brands Paddy Power, Betfair, Sportsbet and TVG - continue to trade well in a highly competitive environment," said chief executive Breon Corcoran. He added that the post-merger integration was on-track and that management remained confident of delivering their 50m-a-year target of synergy cost savings. "A strong leadership team is in place and restructuring of the business has commenced. We are working to bring the best of each business to the combined group and customers are starting to see some early benefits as we roll out product features across the brands." Royal Dutch Shell posted a drop in first-quarter earnings on Wednesday in the oil giants first results since the takeover of BG Group. First-quarter earnings on a current cost of supplies basis and stripping out one-off items fell 58% from the previous year to $1.55bn as weak oil prices continued to take their toll, but the results were still better than the $1bn pencilled in by analysts. Meanwhile, net income fell to $484m from $939m in the first quarter of 2015. Chief executive Ben van Beurden said: We continue to reduce our spending levels, to capture cost opportunities and manage the financial framework in todays lower oil price environment. The combination with BG is off to a strong start, as a result of detailed forward planning before the completion of the transaction. This will likely result in accelerated delivery of the synergies from the acquisition, and at a lower cost than we originally set out. Also on Wednesday, Shell announced plans to cut spending this year to $30bn from previous guidance of $33bn. This is around 36% lower than the combined Shell and BG investment in 2014. Virgin Moneys shares dropped on Wednesday after the lender warned of a slowdown in the buy-to-let market and of uncertainty ahead of the European Union referendum. The British bank reported a record 30% jump in gross mortgage lending to 2.1bn in the first quarter compared to the same period a year ago, accounting for a 3.4% share of the market. Net mortgage lending grew 59% on Q1 2015 to 1.1bn. The increase in mortgages was driven by strong growth in residential gross mortgages and buy-to-let lending which rose 35% and 17%, respectively. However, following the introduction of extra stamp duty on buy-to-let properties on 1 April, Virgin expects the demand for such mortgages to ease in coming months. It is likely that the volume of buy-to-let lending will reduce in the second quarter compared to the volume written in the first quarter, said Virgin. The company also cautioned on the potential impact of Britains referendum on its EU membership on 23 June. Virgin said the EU referendum remains the largest source of domestic uncertainty. Irrespective of the outcome of the EU referendum, Virgin Money will continue to focus on growing the business by supporting customers with good value products and services and delivering strong shareholder returns. Virgins credit card business, which was launched a year ago, gained 77% to 1.8bn. The lender expects the credit card business will grow strongly towards its target of 3bn of outstanding balances by the end of 2017. Deposit balances rose 18% to 26.3bn. Shares fell 1.54% to 348.95p at 1012 BST. The Government has taken the rare move of fast-tracking a full investigation into BHSs former directors as Sir Philip Green yesterday agreed to appear before MPs in return for saving his wifes blushes. Business Secretary Sajid Javid has taken the unusual step of accelerating an inquiry by the Insolvency Service into the retailers collapse, rather than wait three months for administrators to conclude their own investigation. Challenger banks face a bumpier ride and some are likely to be squeezed by rising competition, a report has warned. Despite notching up a more impressive record on growth, costs and conduct issues than their bigger rivals, challengers are about to have a tougher time, particularly the larger members of the pack, according to KPMG. - The Times Barclays has become the first high street bank since the financial crisis to launch a 100 per cent mortgage in the latest sign of a return to riskier lending. The bank is allowing some buyers to take out a mortgage to 100 per cent of the value of the property, without needing a deposit, whereas most banks require at least a 5-10 per cent lump sum. - Financial Times A Chinese government crackdown on the sale of data from its sprawling statistics agencies has prompted a marked deterioration in the numbers that investors rely on to understand the worlds second-largest economy. In recent months, executives searching for figures on Chinas petroleum exports or wind power output have noticed growing gaps in the numbers, with some data released later than expected or missing entirely. That has made it harder to assess the state of the broader economy and the many industries in which the country has become the dominant producer or buyer of raw materials. - Financial Times Water shortages will deliver a severe hit to the economies of the Middle East, central Asia, and Africa by the middle of the century, taking double digits off their GDP, the World Bank warned. By 2050, growing demand for cities and for agriculture would put water in short supply in regions where it is now plentiful and worsen shortages across a vast swath of Africa and Asia, spurring conflict and migration, the bank said. - Guardian Riyadh has unveiled reforms to its stock market designed to boost foreign investment and pave the way for the flotation of Saudi Aramco, the giant state-controlled oil producer. The reforms to Saudi Arabias $400 billion bourse, the Tadawul, include permitting short-sellers, a first for a Gulf state, and relaxing tight restrictions on foreign ownership of Saudi companies. - The Times Privatising Channel 4 would have an overwhelmingly negative impact on the creative industries and bring in a maximum of 500m to the Exchequer, a report for the broadcaster has argued. It rejected claims made by the Culture Secretary John Whittingdale that Channel 4s self-funded but taxpayer-owned model is under threat from the shift of young viewers to internet streaming, saying that the rate of change is less than suggested by the hype. - Telegraph Doubts about the controversial EU-US trade pact are mounting after the French president threatened to block the deal. Francois Hollande said on Tuesday he would reject the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) at this stage because France was opposed to unregulated free trade. - The Guardian The European Investment Bank spent almost 20 billion supporting credit provision for small and medium-sized companies last year, but British entrepreneurs didnt see a penny of it. The UK was the only country in the European Union not to receive any funds, a report by the bank shows, while Germany, Spain, Italy and France received a combined 14.4 billion. - The Times The chief executive of O2 has compared the UK telecoms market to that of Venezuela, in an attack on regulators over their opposition to the mobile operators merger with rival Three. Ronan Dunne launched a broadside at Ofcom over its management of the mobile industry after it lobbied against the 10.25bn takeover of O2 by Hutchison, the owner of Three. - Telegraph Some of the largest food producers in the US have successfully petitioned Congress to propose a change to the Freedom of Information Act that would shield their communications with boards overseen by the US Department of Agriculture from the scrutiny of the public. The move follows a series of stories that showed the government-backed egg promoter, the American Egg Board, had attempted to stifle competition from Silicon Valley food startup Hampton Creek, in direct conflict with its mandate. - Guardian The UN has urged governments to stem the flow of funds to tax havens after companies funnelled $221bn (152bn) into countries with low tax rates last year. The Netherlands and Luxembourg were among the top destinations for funds from corporations seeking to avoid tax, along with the US, Britain, Switzerland and Ireland, according to the UN. - Guardian Alphabets search for an automotive partner to develop self-driving vehicles finally bore fruit on Tuesday when Googles parent company said it would work with Fiat Chrysler to trial its systems in a new minivan. The deal marks the culmination of months of work by the technology company, which has acknowledged that it needs more automotive industry expertise to work out how to integrate its autonomous systems with a vehicle. - Financial Times Save my User ID and Password Some subscribers prefer to save their log-in information so they do not have to enter their User ID and Password each time they visit the site. To activate this function, check the 'Save my User ID and Password' box in the log-in section. This will save the password on the computer you're using to access the site. Note: If you choose to use the log-out feature, you will lose your saved information. This means you will be required to log-in the next time you visit our site. NAND oversupply is not expected to ease by the end of 2022, and over half of NAND suppliers are likely to suffer operating losses in the third quarter as chip prices are bound to... Ohio students' test scores down in math, reading: 5 takeaways Reading and math scores for children across Ohio and the country declined significantly during the COVID-19 pandemic, new national data show. Subscriber content preview BANGKOK (AP) Japan's foreign minister announced a $7 billion initiative Monday to promote development in Southeast Asia's Mekong region, which encompasses parts of Vietnam, Laos and Thailand through which the river flows. In a speech at Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok, Fumio Kishida affirmed the importance of Southeast Asia's economic prosperity to Japan. He pledged 750 billion yen ($7 billion) in funding over the next three years to support development and growth in the region. . . . TrinityERD Stephan Krumpos Trinity|ERD, a building envelope consulting firm, promoted Darbi Krumpos and Jennifer Stephan to senior project manager. Krumpos is a project manager in the Seattle office, assisting clients on building envelope projects. She will now oversee project managers in Seattle and coordinate closely with the Honolulu office. She was hired almost 21 years ago. Stephan is a project manager in the Honolulu office, and manages that staff. She was hired in 2010, and transferred from the Seattle office in 2011. If there was ever a doubt that attractive food is perceived as being more delicious, rest assured, a recent Oxford University study proves it so. Thank goodness for that. I always wondered why I shied away from serving slop to my family and friends. I assumed it was because I didnt want to appear completely incompetent at the stove. As it turns out, I was merely taking out enjoyment insurance for my guests by making dishes look well good enough to eat. All kidding aside, this is one of those moments where I feel like I have three heads. With all the fascinating things to study out there in the world, Im at a loss as to why a leading experimental psychologist from a pre-eminent university would feel the need to prove how our overall enjoyment of food is influenced by our senses (hearing included), moods, and expectations. Did the idea really need to be proven? I ask because it seems like something we could all agree upon over a glass of wine. Perhaps Im bothered by it because I come from a food-obsessed Italian family accustomed to eating first with their eyes, and therefore take the whole food and appearance connection for granted. Perhaps its because Im an unabashed pragmatist; I believe that something foreseeably commonsensical needs to be taken at face value. Or maybe its because, above all, I was born with strands of spaghetti jutting out of my mouth and the word foodie scribbled on my forehead in tomato sauce (you are welcome for that mental image). Any way I look at it, I cant imagine appreciating a meal without first delighting in its appearance. Over the years, I have stuck to basic principles for serving food to heighten plate appeal. In the restaurant world this practice is referred to as plating a dish, which is just a nice sounding mechanism chefs use to add a little panache to their offerings. They create vertical food structures and add edible flowers onto food for this very reason. I, on the other hand, tend to focus my efforts around just three foundational principles. They have served me well over the years and take very little time and effort to do. - Create a balance of multiple colors, preferably not less than three. Because most meats and pastas offer little by way of color, use vibrant vegetables and brightly-hued sauces to add interest. Even adding something as simple as a sprig of parsley or basil leaf helps. I remember being distracted once as I planned dinner and ended up serving sauteed chicken (beige) along with mashed potatoes (beige) and roasted cauliflower (once again, beige). While all three foods were quite tasty, the all-beige meal inspired absolutely no enthusiasm. I remember it only to throw it under the bus, as an example of what not to do. - Mix shapes and textures. The examples here are limitless. Use a combination of round, square and triangular dishes. Chop salad ingredients into completely different shapes. For instance, turn cucumbers into matchsticks, carrots into diagonal rounds, radishes into thin disks. If serving a steak or piece of fish, break up the dense chunkiness by pairing it with something fluffy, like couscous, and leafy, like a salad. - Add, whenever possible, a dash of dramatic flair. This is essential when serving simple foods. Remember the adage, People seldom notice worn clothes if you wear a big smile? In a similar vein, people seldom notice humble food, like leftover spaghetti and scrambled eggs, when adorned with a little verve. Also, use colored, good-quality pasta. Sprinkle unexpected edible items on your food, like fine coffee grounds on coffee & maple syrup glazed ribs. The grounds not only contribute oomph; they also add a subtle layer of flavor and additional depth to the dish. Its a win-win. Slice steaks so that they fan out on a plate or serving platter. It makes them look darn pretty. For minimal trouble on our part, we can have our eyes eat first. The stomach is only too happy to follow. ---------------------- Onyx Spaghetti with Shrimp, Pistou & Parsley My husband is upset with me because hes still not had a chance to taste this pasta dish. Dont worry, honey, its on the menu this weekend. Best of all, for not a lot of effort, he will feel all warm and fuzzy as he bites into this deliciousness at the dinner table. Makes 4 servings. 1 pounds extra large shrimp 4-5 tablespoons pistou (recipe follows) pound regular or squid ink spaghetti or linguine* 1 tablespoon olive oil, divided 3 cups strained tomatoes, like Pomi Sea or kosher salt & fresh-cracked pepper Spritz of lemon, for serving Pistou: 5 cloves of garlic, 5 tablespoons tomato paste, sea salt, cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, cup extra virgin olive oil, cup of loosely packed basil leaves, sliced into slivers * Squid ink pasta can be ordered online. I used Amazon.com. Wash shrimp, drain well and place to dry on a paper towel-lined plate. Let shrimp rest at room temperature while you are prepping everything else, as they will cook better when they are not right-out-of-the-refrigerator cold. Make the pistou: Add garlic cloves to a pot of boiling water and boil for 2 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and let cool. Remove their skin, slice each one in half, and remove the internal green sprout. Roughly chop garlic halves and place them in a small food processor along with a pinch of salt, tomato paste and 1 tablespoon of water. Mix until you can barely see pieces of garlic. Transfer to a medium-sized bowl and add the olive oil. Whisk until you cant see oil anymore. Add the Parmigiano and mix again. Add the basil slivers and mix well with a spoon. The pistou will resemble a paste when finished. Makes a generous cup. To store unused pistou: keep for 1 week in a sealable container in your fridge, topped with a thin film of olive oil or freeze for 3-4 months. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add salt (rule of thumb is to add 1 tablespoon of kosher salt for every 4 cups of water used). Add the pasta and boil until cooked through but still firm. Drain and immediately rinse with cold water to stop them from cooking further. Drain again and return to their pot. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and mix well to ensure pasta is coated evenly (to prevent sticking). Set aside. Preheat a shallow skillet over medium-low heat. Add oil and turn heat to medium-high. When surface of the oil begins to swirl but is not yet smoking, place the shrimp in pan. Make sure there is plenty of room between each shrimp, as they will cook better. Saute shrimp 2 minutes on each side. Transfer to a warmed plate and tent with aluminum foil to keep warm. Pour the tomato sauce, along with 1/3 cup of water, into the same skillet and heat on medium-high until it begins bubbling. Add the pistou and stir until well mixed. Once the sauce starts bubbling again, add the cooked spaghetti and mix until all spaghetti is evenly coated. To plate: Ladle a half cup of sauce on each warmed plate. Twirl spaghetti around a large serving fork and carefully arrange it to look like a volcanic mound on top of the sauce. Add a little more tomato sauce on the spaghetti. Artfully arrange the shrimp around the spaghetti. Spritz each plate with some fresh lemon juice and sprinkle chopped parsley on top. Serve immediately. ---------------------- Savory Squid Ink Spaghetti Bundt Cake Why save up all our food embellishments for company? With very little effort, you can make your nearest and dearest feel as special as your favorite aunt or college roommate. A Bundt pan turns everyday, humble even, ingredients like leftover spaghetti and scrambled eggs into something restaurant-worthy. It makes otherwise ordinary brunch fare feel festive and cheerful, and who doesnt enjoy that? Makes 6 servings. 8 eggs 4 cups of leftover spaghetti seasoned with tomato sauce cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano Handful of fresh parsley leaves, roughly chopped Salt & fresh-cracked pepper 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, for greasing Bundt pan 1 cup warm and tasty tomato sauce, for plating cup toasted Panko breadcrumbs (optional) Preheat oven to 375 F. Break the eggs into a large bowl and whisk, along with a couple pinches of salt, until well combined. Add the leftover pasta, Parmigiano, parsley, and additional salt and pepper to taste and mix well. Grease a Bundt pan with butter, making sure the entire surface is covered. Pour the pasta and egg mixture into the pan and flatten the surface down with the back of a large spoon. Place Bundt pan on the middle shelf of the oven and lower the temperature to 350 F. Bake for 30 minutes. Increase oven temperature to 425 F and bake an additional 10 minutes to crisp up the spaghetti mixture touching the Bundt pan. Remove from oven and cool for 15 minutes. Flip savory cake onto a plate. Top with tomato sauce and optional breadcrumbs and serve. Serena Cosmo is a writer, food educator and blogger. You can find her on www.rusticplate.com and on Facebook at Rustic Plate. A native of the Piedmont region of Northwest Italy, she lives in Auburn with her husband, two daughters, a dog, a cat, two goldfish, 2 fresh water snails, and 27 wooden cooking spoons. An African dwarf frog has recently joined the family. Whats one more, right? Ozark police officers have arrested a Dothan man and charged him with the rape and sodomy of a juvenile girl. According to an Ozark police statement, police arrested Jerry Denorise Williams, 32, of Dothan, and charged him with felony first-degree sodomy and felony first-degree rape. The statement said the charges stemmed from the Ozark Police Department receiving a complaint reporting sexual contact between a juvenile girl and an adult male between Oct. 30, 2015 and May 2. The Southeast Alabama Child Advocacy Center and the One Place Family Justice Center in Montgomery assisted the Ozark Police Department in their investigation. Williams was released from custody at the Dale County Jail after he posted bail totaling $40,000. Six of the 10 surviving puppies found in a garbage bag dumped outside the Barbour County Health Department office last week have died. Renee Klein, with the Pet Assistance League (PAL) of Barbour County, said only four puppies remain of the 11 found inside a dumped black garbage bag near the health department in Clayton on April 24. Initially one puppy and the mother were found dead inside the bag, but six more have now died. Clayton Police Chief Jamey Williams said the police department is looking for information in connection with who may have abandoned the dogs. The Humane Society of the United States has offered a $5,000 reward for any information leading to an arrest in what they consider to be an animal cruelty case. Klein, with PAL of Barbour County Inc., said volunteers with the nonprofit organization are taking care of the remaining puppies through foster care. She said the puppies appeared to be around two days old when they were found last week. She said the mother and puppies appeared to be a Labrador mixture breed. Anyone with information about who abandoned the dogs can call the Clayton Police Department at 334-775-8011. Victoria Harrell of Clayton supports Donald Trump and her reason is simple. Trump has said he wants to repeal Obamacare. We cannot afford the Affordable Care Act, Harrell said. The Dothan Eagle randomly asked 50 people attending Older Americans Day in Dothan on Wednesday who they support for president - Hillary Clinton, Donald Trump, or other/none of the above? Twenty-eight respondents said they support Trump. Eleven said they support Hillary Clinton and eleven others said they would vote for neither or someone else. Harrell said the Affordable Care Act has affected her adversely since its inception. It hasnt been good for my family. We need to get rid of it, Harrell said. We need a change. Its about time. Trump is fighting. Below are a few responses from Wiregrass seniors when asked their presidential preference. Trump. No question. He talks the truth. Hillary lies too much, and Im a Democrat. Mary Cleem, Cowarts. Im voting for anyone who runs against Hillary Clinton. Charlotte Sherrill, Enterprise. Neither. You could take a farmer and put him in there and he would do better than either one. Joe Ann Chason, Dothan. Hillary. She is not as arrogant as Trump is. Edgar DuBose, Dothan. Trump. He tells it like it is. Hell make America great again. Judy Sevec, Dothan. Trump. The way it is now, Republicans and Democrats, they all want the same thing. We need a change. Tony Sevec, Dothan. Hillary. I hope shell do the right thing. Valerie Wheeler, Dothan. Trump. Hillary was underneath the tutelage of a socialist. I dont support her or her husband, either one. I dont think she speaks for women. She doesnt speak for me. Teri McPhail, Graceville, Florida. I suppose it is the lesser of two evils with Trump, but I do not like at all how he relates to foreign leaders. I think its dangerous, Debbie DuBose, Enterprise. Voting against Hillary. I like the way Trump talks, even though I dont think he can get half of the stuff done that he talks about. Bobby Hadden, Wicksburg. Trump. I live by myself. I can vote for who I want to. Ann Croley, Enterprise. Hillary. I dont like Trumps attitude. He talks too much. He just talks all the time. Velma Henderson, Ashford. I wouldnt vote for Hillary Clinton for dog catcher. I think Trump is brash, but I think he will get good people around him. Donna Sabel, Cottonwood. Well more than 1,000 seniors from throughout the Wiregrass attended the annual older Americans event, which featured live music from The Classics, skit contests, door prizes and other events. This years event theme was Once Upon a Rhyme. Older Americans Day also featured food and several sponsors booths. The annual event is organized by the Southern Alabama Regional Council on Aging. dpa ElectionsData With dpa ElectionsData you get access to a unique collection of data. Via a programming interface (Rest-API), your developers can access detailed information, candidate profiles and live results for all national elections in the European Union and important international elections, like the US Midterm elections etc. The data pool also includes all heads of state and government as well as about 20,000 elected members of parliament throughout the EU. In addition to their data (name, party, constituency or list position), we collect social media profiles and official websites of individuals and parties. Fine Gael Deputy Peter Fitzpatrick has called for mental health funding in Louth to be brought up to the same level as the rest of the country. Deputy fitzpatrick was speaking on mental health in the Dail and said that at present the Louth and Meath areas receive 104 per head of population for mental health, whilst the national average is 152. It is simply not right that the people of Louth and Meath do not have the same level of funding for mental health services as the rest of the country, Deputy Fitzpatrick said. During the term of the next government I will be seeking a commitment that funding will be increased to at least the national average of 152 per head of population by 2019 at the latest. This is the very least the people of Louth and Meath deserve. I believe that each and every citizen should have access to a local, specialised and comprehensive mental health service that is of the highest standard and that these services should be available from an early age. While progress has been made in the area of mental health in recent years, a stigma still exists and increased education is needed to address this. Starting in schools we should educate our teenagers not only about mental health issues but also the signs of problems amongst their peers. If peers are aware of the dangers and signs of mental health issues then they are in a much better position to help their friends and family when needed. With the help of guidance councillors in schools I feel that a programme could be put in place for students to understand mental health issues. It is important that we take a holistic view of mental illness and the need to involve the end user and their family at every level of the service provision. Mental health promotion should be available for all age groups to enhance protective factors and decrease risk factors for developing mental health problems. I want to emphasise that education at an early stage is the key to a better understanding of mental health issues. Better education in terms of helping people to identify the symptoms and to deal with the effects of mental health issues is extremely important. Prevention is better than cure and if we can prevent mental health issues at an early stage then we have a much better outcome for all concerned. I will continue to work to ensure that the Louth Meath area achieves the national average by 2019, Deputy Fitzpatrick said. Louth's new Fianna Fail Deputy Declan Breathnach said he was present in the Dail chamber for statements on mental health. I was present in the chamber of Dail Eireann for statements from Minister Varadkar, and supporting statements speaking out against the cuts from Deputy Billy Kelleher. Mental health has always, and will always be a priority for me. As a former chair of the North East Health Board, I have dealt acutely with many individuals facing huge mental health challenges, in helping them secure the funding and facilities that are so crucial. I also worked for the opening ofAn Solasan a mental health facility to the rear of Louth Hospital which is a residential facility for acute mental health needs in Louth. Mental health issues have been dealt with in cold monetary terms and statistics. Politicians need to be personal and accepting of the issues affecting individuals and families. I have been elected by the people to listen , and to work to the best of my abilities in this area, Deputy Breathanvch said. It was recently announced that 12 million of the ringfenced for mental health in the last budget has been diverted to other areas of health. Yes, you can transfer your domain to any registrar or hosting company once you have purchased it. Since domain transfers are a manual process, it can take up to 5 days to transfer the domain. Domains purchased with payment plans are not eligible to transfer until all payments have been made. Please remember that our 30-day money back guarantee is void once a domain has been transferred. For transfer instructions to GoDaddy, please click here. NSW Business Chamber supports the 2016 budget stating that small and medium businesses across NSW have been given the opportunity to grow, innovate and employ more staff as a result of a supportive 2016-17 Federal Budget released by the Turnbull Government. NSW Business Chamber CEO Stephen Cartwright said, For some time we have been articulating the need to extend the threshold at which a small business pays the lower company tax rate, and the Government has responded with very clear support for the small business sector. From 1 July, the small business company tax rate will reduce to 27.5%, but more importantly, the turnover threshold increases substantially from an annual figure $2 million to $10 million. The threshold extends each year up to $100 million by 2019-20, meaning that more businesses will benefit from the reduced company tax rate and more importantly, a company wont be penalised for their ongoing successes. It has taken time for Australia to be completely recognised by our political decision makers as a nation of small and medium business. Cartwright said, The Federal Government has rightly identified that sustainable jobs growth is going to be driven by the small business sector. Lowering company tax rate immediately provides small business owners the opportunity to employ those extra few staff members or take on an apprentice. Cartwright tells Dynamic Business that by giving a young person their first job or providing extra shifts for existing staff will be welcomed in regional NSW where there are traditionally fewer opportunities for business owners to make changes to their business operations. The NSW Business Chamber applauds a firm commitment to solving the youth unemployment crisis and welcomes the three tiered approach of Prepare, Trial and Hire. Cartwright recognises that Turnbull Government understands that reducing youth unemployment is a two way street not only do young job seekers need tangible support, but business owners require incentives to take on young and often inexperienced staff members. The changes have a direct and positive impact on small and medium business. It reinforces the success of the national Chamber movements 2013 Small Business: Too Big to Ignore campaign, where the small business sector challenged political leadership of all persuasions who had, for far too long, taken them for granted. Cartwright tells Dynamic Business that the NSW Business Chamber welcomes new measures to counter tax avoidance with the establishment of a tax avoidance taskforce. Cartwrights concern is that the Government is forecasting to spend $37 billion more than it expects to earn in the next financial year any business owner will tell you that this is simply not a sustainable long term proposition, and eventually someone has to pay the bill. MYOB has rated the Federal Governments 2016 Budget a 9/10 for its positive impact on Australian Small and Medium sized businesses saying the initiatives are welcomed but could have gone further and faster. MYOB congratulates the Federal Government on again recognising the power of SMEs in driving the Australian economy especially as it transitions away from a reliance on the mining boom. For a long time MYOB has called for a reduction to the company tax rate and today welcomed the announcement to eventually reduce it to 25%, and to complement it with an increase in the tax discount for unincorporated businesses from 5% to 7%. However MYOBs CEO and leading small business advocate Tim Reed said many SMEs need these changes now, not in 10 years time when some businesses may not even be around to benefit from it. The Governments economic plan deserves a 9/10 for respecting the vital role SMEs play in the Australian economy, said MYOB CEO Tim Reed. This is the second year in a row where small and medium businesses have been recognized and put front and center in the budget. I have no doubt they will respond in the way the government hopes by investing more in innovation and creating high quality jobs. The plan to cut the company tax rate to 25% is an excellent one however the timeline could and should be shortened. Its like SMEs have been given a terrific present but told it is coming in pieces and they cant open it up for a decade. MYOB also welcomes the move to widen eligibility for the $20,000 tax write off for small businesses however the Government should consider making this a permanent feature to better support the economy. MYOB believes the Federal Government has also listened to SMEs who have long called for a simplification of Business Activity Statements (BAS). Simplifying GST compliance has been a high priority for businesses for over a decade now so we heartily congratulate the Government for announcing a trial to streamline the process. This is something weve been lobbying the government about for years, it is great to see this is a government that listens to and responds to requests from small business. said Tim Reed. Reducing the G-Codes or tags on the BAS from seven to three as part of that trial is a great step forward. Through MYOBs research with Australian and New Zealand small businesses found that GST compliance costs Australian SMEs more than $13.7 billion a year, which equates to $6,778 a year for each of Australias two million SMEs. MYOB suggests that this cost could be halved if the GST was revamped to reflect a simpler model, similar to that in New Zealand. If the Government had the conviction to fully address the GST issue once for all in this Budget, MYOB would have given it a 10/10, but we knew some time ago the government had no appetite to broaden the base of the GST that is the only way to truly make it simpler for small business owners. Over the past few months, teachers in the Detroit Public Schools (DPS) have had to resort to sick outs to get attention to the egregious working and teaching conditions they and their students are being forced to contend with. From black mold, rats, and cockroaches to warped gym floors and, this past week, the threat that they would not be paid for their work because the district is out of money, none of these issues would have been made public without them taking these measures. By law, teachers in Michigan are not allowed to go on strike so sick outs have been their only recourse. In response to these actions, Republican State House Speaker Kevin Cotter chose to issue this offensive and disgusting statement on Teacher Appreciation Day: The Detroit Federation of Teachers is once again putting the wants of adults ahead of the needs of children, specifically the 40,000 Detroit schoolchildren who were left out in the rain this morning. At an absolutely critical time for a city on the path to recovery, Detroits next generation has now lost more than 1,000,000 instruction hours they will never recover to cheap political stunts. These egotistical teachers have lashed out at the children who rely on them and accomplished nothing but disrupting their students education. Their selfish and misguided plea for attention only makes it harder for us to enact a rescue plan and makes it harder for Detroits youngest residents to get ahead and build a future for themselves. Cotters characterization of Detroit teachers heroic men and women working in one of the most challenging conditions ANY teacher ANYWHERE will ever experience as greedy, selfish, and misguided is beyond the pale. The sick outs are definitely a plea for attention but they are not a stunt and they are anything but misguided. They are sadly necessary given how they have been treated. Republican House Rep. Al Pscholka the father of Michigans anti-democratic Emergency Manager law followed Cotters lead in expressing his utter disdain for these amazing men and women, telling them, You are going to get paid. Get back to work. The sick outs that took place Monday and Tuesday this week were the result of DPS Emergency Manager Steven Rhodes informing the union the Detroit Federation of Teachers (DFT) last Friday that the district would be out of money and that teachers were not guaranteed to be paid after April 28th. After working through the weekend to secure a guarantee, DFT and national American Federation of Teachers (AFT) leaders to share this information with their membership, prompting the sick outs that began Monday. The union is characterizing the districts action as a lockout insofar as it is telling teachers they must work without a guarantee theyd be paid. Yesterday, after intense negotiations and discussions, AFT and DFT finally got assurances in writing that teachers WILL be paid. Here is his letter: I spoke to AFT President Randi Weingarten by phone last night after she and DFT leaders met with their membership and urged them to return to the classroom today. Weingarten was effusive about how teachers have come to realize they have power as a united group and how they were able to achieve their goals working together. She told me that they are now setting their sights on the current legislation for DPS that will reform the district. The plan splits the district in two with one holding all the debt and the second responsible for educating students. As part of the plan, all union contracts are terminated and will need to be renegotiated. Here is our conversation. One of the questions I wanted to ask you is what you accomplished today and it sounds like a part of that was a rekindling of the spirit of labor within your membership. Yeah, and for them to see why a union, as a opposed to individual actions, are so important. What you saw in the fall through the winter was a lot of frustration and for legitimate reasons. People have a right to be frustrated. Now, Judge Rhodes is a totally different cat than the former Emergency Manager [Darnell Earley]. With him you have someone with integrity. We dont like the fact that hes in the position hes in but he has integrity. What happened here is that, on Friday, the whole world changes from Thursday. We did this rally on Tuesday and then all of a sudden on Thursday and Friday, were being told through rumors that the teachers are not going to be made whole on their salary, particularly those who take their salary over 12 months instead of over 10 months. And when we asked the question about when does that go into effect, we hear its April 28th. When its already past April 28th, we have an obligation to tell our members immediately. They have a right to know. All weekend long we tried to get the assurance, as I called it the guarantee, that the pay thats been earned is of course going to be paid. And when we couldnt get the guarantee, thats when it was clear that this wasnt a sick out, this was a lock out. They essentially acted like private sector employers that close up their shops and lock people out but with one exception and thats that, in some ways, they were much less forthright which was to not level with the parents and the kids about what was going on. And then they pretended that it was okay to have teachers work without any kind of assurance that theyd be paid. The notion that the payroll for the teachers was not going to be a priority for district when teachers are the backbone of the district was reprehensible. And people together for the last two days said, NO! and I think that they saw that we were serious and that they blinked. So Judge Rhodes and, frankly, Mayor Duggan both tried to find solutions to this mess. But you see that it always does take two to tango when youre trying to get something. So, the fact that the governor blinked, too, was important. I think people were shocked. I think people in the membership meeting were just shocked because it was so different than what anybody expected. What I loved is that there was a real focus, without missing a beat, on, Okay, what are we going to do about Lansing now? And that is the union I remember. This is the DFT I remember when I was in New York and there was the mighty, mighty DFT. Its a big deal that the union stayed together. It transcended the internal issues and it stayed together and when some people in the meeting tried to create the internal friction again, the majority said, No, well move ahead and operate as one union. And now our focus is on Lansing and getting Lansing to do its job to, not just save this district but, as Detroit is rising, ensure that Detroits children have the schools they deserve. Im not saying that its going to be easy. This is going to be a big, big fight. But it was also interesting that the appropriators, their vote was very, very close and there was a bipartisan vote against the demise of the school system. Lets be honest, the House bill is essentially the demise of the school system. It has to be called for what it is. It is stripping people of a voice. It is stripping the school system of any wherewithal to do its job. Its a very cynical measure that is simply a prelude to privatization. Even the Senate and even the governor understand that the history of this state is steep in labor unions. Then you have the Majority Leader of the House calling teachers who are simply asking for their pay egotistical? On Teacher Appreciation Day? The level of animus is beyond anything Ive ever seen. Its not simply appalling, it is shocking. And the fact is that they dont even care about kids in Detroit. Basically whatever the DeVos family tells them to do, they do. One of the things that Judge Rhodes said was that your choice for a drastic call to action was not necessary. It sounds like you would disagree with that. It sounds like you believe you wouldnt have gotten the guarantee unless there had been a call to action. Right. At the end of the day its not as if theres been an earned trust in Detroit just like theres no trust in Flint. And remember, it was the same Emergency Manager. So Judge Rhodes inherited a very, very tough situation. But nobody was going to trust them after the judge said, I cant guarantee that youre going to be paid after Saturday or Sunday. Nobody was going to trust a, But Ill try very hard. To his credit, he recognized that we were serious. Its not like the last few days were fun. There was a lot of anger between everybody in the last two days but we tried to find a solution and we did. Some of the more strident folks in the DFT like Steve Conn and others are calling for a continued sick out to get more and more and more. Why do you think thats not the right approach? Because you have to have clear goals. What happened here was that it was clear to the public why we believed this was actually tantamount to a lockout and what we needed to come back to school. The public wants us to teach. They love our teachers. They know people have sacrificed. But they want us to teach. Were not ruling out actions in the future but the actions have to be focused on the particular goal in mind. And, ultimately, we need to focus our attention now on Lansing. And that is the focus now. So, when people raised this issue, there was no momentum towards it, there was no movement towards it. When people tried to get a vote, when Steve Conns folks tried to get a vote and tried to disrupt the meeting to get a vote to go on strike, frankly no one followed them. Its not that people arent mad about being disrespected. But they understood that was not the right action for this moment. We need to fight to get Lansing to right by kids, community, and educators in Detroit, but that at this moment, staying out was not how that was going to be accomplished. At this moment. As I said, you cant rule anything out. But even when you had healthy skepticism about why you would trust Judge Rhodes now when he says there is a guarantee when he said exactly the opposite a couple of days ago, we said we got the assurances in writing that we needed. The Detroit school legislation that passed out of committee today Is horrible. Right. Truly horrible. It did not include funding for an audit of the school district even though Democrats pushed for that. Is that something thats still on your list of demands? Yes, of course. There has to be an audit. There has to be audit for DPS. Frankly, every state has controllers who do that as a matter of course. Im just surprised that one needs to actually get legislation passed to do that in Michigan! Its not something that doesnt get done. But, of course there has to be. Just in the last few weeks theres the issue of federal pension dollars not being put into the pension fund as they should have been and what happened in terms of the school supply issue, so of course there needs to be an audit. Because, at the end of the day, the public has to feel some trust in the management of the school system. I think the most galling thing is that Emergency Managers were imposed on DPS to supposedly fix all the corruption and waste that was going on and, in every instance, they havent done that. Right. And Emergency Managers actually made the situation worse. Nobody is saying that the management before was good but the Emergency Managers made it worse. There is a bigger deficit. They enable ideology to trump good instruction coupled with terrible austerity. Thats why part of the demands here are not simply dealing with the debt that the Emergency Managers ran up and the DPS deficit but that theres at least a minimal amount of resources to turn the page and think through how to fund adequately or even fund minimally a Detroit Public School system and how to give local control back in a real way and that includes local control over the pop up of charter schools. And the House bill goes totally in the opposite direction. Its sad that its considered a major achievement for the union to simply get a written assurance that teachers will receive a paycheck for the important and critical work that they do. But thats the state of things in the state of Michigan right now. The next step, as Weingarten put it so well, is to make sure the legislation that is eventually passed to resolve the ongoing crisis in DPS is done in a way that is sustainable and that honors students, parents, the community, and the teachers who have already sacrificed so much under the current regime of anti-public education Republicans in Lansing. This should be a priority for EVERY Michigander and anyone who values the very American value of free public education in our country. Kudos to the teachers in DFT who stood their ground this week and over the past six months. Youve taken an important step in making sure that DPS has a future where everyone succeeds and Detroit school children get the education that they deserve and that is, in fact, guaranteed by our constitution. The GOP and the press need to pretend Trump can win, which is why Rasmussen exists Tonight, it happens. Unless the polls are wrong, a guy who has called for the deportations of families of U.S. citizens including the actual U.S. citizen will become the presumptive GOP nominee. And as soon as that happens, most of the Republican Party will begin to pretend that this lying, scamming, tyrant-loving aspiring war criminal is just your typical Republican nominee for president. And he can win, theyll scream, just check out this poll! And the poll theyll be pointing to is this poll: Yep, Rasmussen. The same pollster that told us Mitt Romney was ahead by 2 percent in May of 2012. Because it over-sampled Republicans, Rasmussens polls found Mitt on the way to the White House for most of the year and lead to the unskewing phenomenon that left Republicans shocked when Obama was easily re-elected by more than 5 million votes. This poll is even worse than the ones that had the right dreaming of President Romney governing from his treadmill desk in the Oval Office, as Allahpundit of the conservative blog Hot Air explained: I wouldnt bank too heavily on this poll, though. Last week they found Trump and Clinton dead even at 38 percent; now they find Trump ahead by two if, er, voters arent given the option of staying home, which of course is what many will do in November. If youre going to model an election where no one stays home, you might as well model one where, say, every woman in America stays home. Neither ones going to happen. In the dozens of polls conducting pitting Trump against Clinton this year only 3 have had Trump up. She leads by an average of 6.2 percent, which isnt to say he cant win. Hes ruthless, reckless and willing to say anything. Its possible that he could find some way to overcome the worst approval rating of any human candidate for president. Or its much more likely that hell lose all 19 states Republicans have lost since 1992 and Florida, where hes down by more than 10 percent, which would mean the elections over. From there, he could go on to turn states like Arizona, Georgia and even Utah into swing states for the first time in generations. Despite the overwhelming obstacles any Republican faces let alone what a Republican who only appeals to women who see themselves in the fourth-wife demographic faces conservatives will need to pretend he can win. And the press needs to pretend this race is close. These conjoined phenomenon mean that the unskewing of 2012 and chronic Trump enabling of 2016 will continue on until at least November 8. Intel this week announced that it would slash 12,000 jobs as part of a restructuring plan to focus more on cloud-based computing and the Internet of Things and less on PCs. The cuts, which will involve about 11 percent of Intels global workforce by mid-2017, will be achieved through a combination of voluntary retirements and layoffs, the consolidation of numerous job sites, and a re-evaluation of existing and planned programs. The move will result in US$750 million in savings by the end of 2016 and an annual run rate of $1.4 billion in savings by the middle of next year, Intel said. It will take a $1.2 billion charge related to the cuts during the second quarter of 2016. New Segments The company plans to boost investments in several new areas of growth, including its data center, IoT, memory and connectivity businesses. It also will invest in growing segments such as 2-in-1, gaming and home gateways. The data center and Internet of Things businesses are now Intels primary growth engines, and combined with memory and FPGAs, form and fuel a virtuous cycle of growth, CEO Brian Krzanich said. Together these businesses delivered $2.2 billion in revenue growth last year, made up 40 percent of our revenue and the majority of our operating profit. Details of the cuts will be announced in the weeks, he said, adding that the restructuring was not something he took lightly. Krzanich has been focused on making this transitional move since he became CEO three years ago. The restructuring announcement was made alongside Intels first-quarter earnings report. Net income was $2 billion, or 42 cents a share, compared with $2 billion, or 41 cents, a year ago. Revenue rose 7 percent to $13.7 billion, compared with $12.8 billion a year ago. Chief Financial Officer Stacy Smith, a 28-year veteran of Intel, will transition to a new role in the company, leading sales, manufacturing and operations, once his successor is in place. A Long Time Coming This is not something that just happened overnight, said Mark Hung, vice president of research at Gartner. Theyve talked about this shift. Its the fact that the PC market has performed worse than even their lowered expectations, he told the E-Commerce Times. Krzanich has been talking about Intels role in the post-PC world since he took office in 2013. In his first meeting with investors, heindicated that the company would make new investments in mobile and tablets and noted that it had fallen behind competitors like Qualcomm. Major Changes Ahead The 12,000 figure stunned a few people in the industry as whispers initially had suggested 1,000 to 2,000 and kept growing in the weeks leading up to the official announcement, said Jim McGregor, principal analyst at Tirias Research. I think people were shocked not just at the number but shocked at all the changes, he told the E-Commerce Times. Analysts have warned the company for more than five years that it needed to shift away from the PC chip business, McGregor said, adding that there are still very large questions it needs to answer, including whether it should continue to own manufacturing facilities or spin them off the way AMD did. AMD spun off its manufacturing business in 2009 and completed the exit from the GlobalFoundries business in 2012. The Electronic Frontier Foundation on Wednesday filed suit against the Department of Justice seeking to learn whether the federal government secretly ordered technology companies to decrypt the private communications of their customers. Such orders could place millions of customers in harms way, the complaint says. The suit, filed in U.S. District Court in San Francisco, seeks the release of records originally requested last fall under the Freedom of Information Act. The EFF in October filed a FOIA request with the DoJ, seeking records on applications made to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court, including requests for technical assistance under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. It also asked for any written opinions and orders, as well as correspondence with Apple and any other companies involved in such a technical request. Encrypted iMessages The letter was based in part on a New York Times report that the government wanted Apple to provide real-time access to its customers encrypted iMessages, according to this weeks complaint. Apples response was that it could not accommodate the request because it could not decrypt the messages, says the complaint, citing the published report. The DoJ in December indicated that two pieces of correspondence might fit the FOIA request, but it maintained they were exempt from disclosure under the Act. The EFF filed an appeal in January, claiming that the department had not conducted an adequate search for the requested documents and that it improperly withheld documents found during the search. The DoJ earlier this month denied the appeal on what it termed partly modified grounds. There have been published reports that government sought orders to compel companies to hand over source code to investigators, so that it could find and exploit vulnerabilities for its own purposes, according to the EFF complaint. The EFF views the governments response to its information request as purposefully narrow, said Aaron Mackey, the Frank Stanton Legal Fellow at the foundation. Its intent was to limit disclosures to requests for information about iMessages, which was not an adequate response, he told the E-Commerce Times. If you look at what our request said, it was broader than that, Mackey pointed out. We want to know whether youve used this with any communications provider. The DoJ declined to comment for this story in light of the pending litigation, spokesperson Nicole Navas said. Pending Requests The EFF case concerns one of several requests made of the DoJ in connection with requests for information from technology companies. The ACLU filed a request for information on requests made under the All Writs Act, seeking help with accessing the data on encrypted phones, according to spokesperson Josh Smith. If filed that request in February, at the height of the battle over whether Apple should help the FBI create a backdoor access point to recover data from the encrypted iPhone used by one the San Bernardino terrorists. The ACLU so far has not received any response from the government regarding its request, Smith told the E-Commerce Times. Apple, Yahoo, Google and Facebook have enhanced their use of encryption, in part due to Edward Snowdens 2013 revelation on government surveillance of citizens, noted Ross Schulman, senior policy counsel at New Americas Open Technology Institute, in a post published last month. Although the OTI has never filed a formal FOIA query regarding any government decryption requests, the EFF filing is an interesting case that deserves answers, Schulman told the E-Commerce Times. Apple officials were not immediately available for comment. Getty Images on Wednesday filed a competition law complaint against Google with the European Commission. The company last year filed an interested third party submission in support of the ECs investigation into Googles anticompetitive business practices. Gettys complaint, in essence, is that Google Images creates galleries of high-res copyrighted content, and that providing easy access to them dissuades consumers from going to the source to view or license those images. That damages Gettys image licensing business. Googles behavior is adversely affecting the lives and livelihoods of visual artists around the world, impacting their ability to fund the creation of future works, said Getty General Counsel Yoko Miyashita. Getty also complained about Google giving preference to its own image search over its rivals search tools. Encourages Piracy Online search is an essential tool for the discovery of images, and Google Images dominates the market, Miyashita told TechNewsWorld. The Google Images format promotes right-click piracy by making high-res imagery easily available without the need to get a license or permission from the source. By cutting off user traffic to competing websites like Getty Images and reserving that traffic exclusively for its own benefit, Google creates captive, image-rich environments, and is able to maintain and reinforce its dominance in both image search and its general search services, Miyashita argued. Fair Use or Not? Googles rationale for image search, in general, is that displaying the image is necessary for the user to assess how well the image corresponds to their search, noted Matthew Sag, a professor at the Loyola University Chicago School of Law. That practice has been litigated at least twice in the United States in relation to thumbnail images and has easily passed the test of fair use, he told TechNewsWorld. Gettys complaint is directed more specifically to the creation of high-resolution galleries, and Google could make a similar argument that consumers need to see the image in high-res to properly evaluate it, but this argument is not nearly so compelling, Sag said. What Getty Wants Getty Images wants to encourage the EC, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission and other government bodies to implement competition law-based sanctions against Google, Miyashita said. The goal is to ensure that Google ceases its anticompetitive practices and that when displaying images, it does so in a format that simply directs users to the most relevant source website in a way that doesnt prejudice image owners for Googles benefit, he explained. That means one click to source. Further, Getty Images would like to see Google taking steps to discourage copyright infringement, added Miyashita. However, Google is under no obligation to design its information services in a way that drives traffic to a particular website, or external websites in general, Loyolas Sag pointed out. Gettys Chances of Success The type of claim Getty is making failed in the United States in Perfect 10 v. Google, noted Ben Depoorter, Sunderland Chair at UC Hastings College of the Law. The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals held that Googles framing and hyperlinking as part of an image search engine constituted fair use because it was highly transformative. However, in Gettys case, the context is different, Depoorter told TechNewsWorld, because of the antitrust angle and the fact that EU countries do not have a similar broad and flexible fair use exception to copyright law. Google Images is part of Googles continued effort to provide the most attractive search engine in the world, Depoorter remarked. Image thumbnails on Google direct you to other websites, and the higher-res versions seek to improve the display of the results. Google will claim that theyre in the business of directing traffic to the sites, not replacing them, he suggested. While the design of Google Image search would make a poor antitrust case in the U.S., said Sag, it might go further in the EU, because they take a broader view of abuse of dominance. Apples top legal official on Tuesday appeared before the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee and reiterated the companys willingness to help law enforcement on active cases and cooperate on long-term solutions, despite its contentious legal battle with the FBI over the encrypted iPhone used in the San Bernardino terrorist attack. Apple works daily on an operational level with law enforcement on a number of cases, General Counsel Bruce Sewell told legislators. Among past collaborations were one that involved child abduction and a case in which lives were saved. The company is willing to work with law enforcement when they cannot crack the code on encrypted data, he said in response to questioning. Despite its cooperative stance, Apple would not be able to establish some sort of lockbox to provide law enforcement with a key to access encrypted data without risking the security of its data platform, Sewell said. We havent figured out a way that we can create an access point and then create a set of locks to protect access through that access point, he said in response to questioning. The problem is the key to that lock will ultimately be available somewhere. Sewell was one of several encryption and cybersecurity experts who testified at the hearing. His testimony followed remarks by a top FBI official and two local law enforcement experts. His concerns about the vulnerabilities of a backdoor were echoed by Matthew Blaze, an associate professor of computer and information science at the University of Pennsylvania, who testified that he discovered the same kind of vulnerabilities in the backdoor Clipper Chip encryption device, which the National Security Agency introduced in the 1990s. Sewell pushed back hard against suggestions in the local law enforcement officials testimony that Apple had provided source code to the Chinese government and that Apple had a created a key to access encrypted data 19 months ago but threw it away. He also balked at suggestions that Apple had decided to provide passcode encryption with its next generation of iCloud, saying nothing has been announced. Prefer to Stay In-House In earlier testimony, Amy Hess, executive assistant director for science and technology at the FBI, conceded that the bureau should not rely on gray hats to help it access encrypted data going forward. However, the FBI is not equipped to handle encrypted data investigations on its own, she added. These types of solutions that we do employ and we can employ require a lot of highly skilled, specialized resources that we may not have readily available to us, Hess said in response to questioning. The Electronic Frontier Foundation has expressed the hope that when the FBI calls on outside parties for help, it will then share with Apple or other technology firms any information gained about vulnerabilities exploited to access data, said Parker Higgins, a spokesperson for the organization. However, that issue was not addressed at the hearing, he told the E-Commerce Times. Police Stymied The growing use of encryption in messaging apps and mobile phones has led to real consequences for police investigations on the local level. During a six-month period ending in March of this year, the New York Police Department was locked out of 67 Apple devices connected with 23 felonies, 10 homicides, two rapes and one case in which two officers were shot in the line of duty, said NYPD Chief of Intelligence Thomas Galati in testimony before the committee. In every case we have the file cabinet, as it were, and the legal authority to open it, but we lack the technical ability to do so because encryption protects the contents of those 67 Apple devices, he testified. The Indiana State Police examined 1,000 mobile phones related to crimes, testified Captain Charles Cohen, commander, intelligence and investigative technologies. An estimated 40 percent of the phones involved in Internet crimes against children contain encryption that prevents forensic examination. Apple and other tech companies should censor the apps that are allowed in their libraries, rejecting those that contain encryption capabilities that might thwart future investigations, according to several officials. That suggestion raised the ire of a number of privacy and technology advocates. The suggestion that app stores could be used to censor encryption apps is beyond the pale, said Ross Schulman, Co-Director of New Americas Cybersecurity Initiative. The only way to truly keep encryption apps out of the United States would be to recreate the Great Firewall of China, he told the E-Commerce Times. The suggestion would be wholly destructive to commerce within the United States and anathema to the First Amendment. 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To reserve your place now, please register to buy your ticket HERE. The event, which is co-organised by MCL News & Media, The Sustainable Apparel Coalition and Messe Frankfurt takes place at the Copenhagen Concert Hall on 11th May and features speakers such as Rick Ridgeway, environmentalist and vice-President, environmental affairs, Patagonia; Cyrus Wadia, VP Sustainability & Innovation at Nike; Derek Vollmer, research scientist at US not-for-profit Conservation International; Javier Goyeneche, president and founder of Spanish apparel brand Ecoalf; Brad Vorhees, VF Corporation; Nicole Ryecroft, Executive Director of Canopy; and Cecilia Brannsten, sustainability project manager H&M. Adam Werbach, co-founder of Yerdle, the new US web-based service for exchanging used consumer goods, which currently has over 900,000 members will also present at the event. Yerdles mission is to reduce the number of new things we all have to buy by 25 per cent. Werbach is set to deliver the presentation: The Re-Use Revolution: Lessons for the apparel industry from the sharing economy. He is a lifelong ecological activist and was elected national president of the Sierra Club at age 23, cutting his teeth in the campaign to pass the legislation to create Death Valley and Joshua Tree National Park in California. Amidst controversy, Werbach helped Walmart implement its sustainability strategy and went on to help dozens of companies form their own sustainability efforts. We have now developed the Planet Textiles visitor pack which is also available to download from HERE for registered attendees. Other recent additions to the final line up include Swiss textile manufacturer Remei AG, which runs the bioRe organic cotton projects in Tanzania and India and the CanopyStyle Initiative featuring H&M and Birla. The event is being organised by MCL News & Media, The Sustainable Apparel Coalition and Messe Frankfurt and is generously sponsored by Leadership partner, Oeko-Tex. Event supporters include: Covestro, Historic Futures, TIPA Corp., Novozymes, Australian Cotton, Workplace Options, Remei AG, cr360, C.L.A.S.S., European Clothing Action Plan and Honduras 2020. Note: While we take every care to ensure that all our named speakers will take part in Planet Textiles, sometimes last minute changes in circumstances can lead to a change of speaker that is beyond our control. Three claim Chancellors Distinguished Emblem Award By Kesha Williams Each year, the Honors Convocation draws Elizabeth City State Universitys top students to the stage to accept over 50 awards and certificates in recognition of their scholarly achievements in the universitys 28 bachelors degree programs. The program begins by acknowledging recipients of the Chancellors Distinguished Emblem Award, which is reserved for graduating seniors who have maintained a 3.75 grade point average (GPA) or higher for six consecutive semesters at ECSU. This years recipients are Donisha Acheampong, a social work major from Jacksonville, N.C.; Devin Cherry, a business administration major from Elizabeth City, N.C.; and Christin Smith, a communication studies major, from Wilson, N.C. In addition, Acheampoing was recognized for academic honors in social work and Smith received the highest achievement awards in Language, Literature and Communication. Graduating with honors was a goal of Acheampongs since she arrived here as a freshman. Achieving that goal would not only make her proud, but family and friends who have supported her over the years. Then came the announcement in late spring, that she was one of the recipients of the Chancellors Distinguished Emblem Award. I was ecstatic, almost lost for words because I couldnt believe I would be receiving such a prestigious award. I saw that only three people were receiving the award, so I felt such an honor that the school would recognize me, Acheampong recalled. I am the first person in my family to attend a four year institution and earn an undergraduate degree. Ever since I was in middle school I knew I wanted to go to college. I wasnt sure of how I would get there or pay for college, but I knew I wanted to go and God made that possible. Dr. Velma Brown Blackmon, a recently retired professor of communications and the former director of the University Honors Program (2004 2015) was the speaker for the occasion. She assured the student awardees in the audience they should cherish this convocation because it distinguishes them for obtaining the universitys superior awards. In essence, they were recognized for being smart. She illuminated smart as an acronym sensitive, motivated, adventurous, resilient and transformational. Transformational; means to share your knowledge. No, I dont mean to beat people over the head with your brilliance, but to provide the knowledge that will assist those who will come behind you to make their way, Blackmon said. Do not let the knowledge you have accrued over the years go to the grave with you, be a mentor, someone who recognizes the need to share information and provides it to other smart people. Because smart people will seek mentors and accept mentorship. Honorees, let being S-M-A-R-T transport you from this stage of your life to the one you are destined to lead. (Facebook/MadamSecretary)Elizabeth thinks she is about to lose her job in the upcoming episode of "Madam Secretary." Elizabeth (Tea Leoni) will have a lot on her mind in the upcoming season finale of the CBS series "Madam Secretary." In "Vartius," CarterMatt reports that news will reach her that President Dalton (Keith Carradine) is about to drop her as Secretary of State. After everything that Elizabeth has done for his administration, she cannot believe that the POTUS has plans to replace her. Without her quick thinking and decisive approach in solving emergencies domestically and internationally, everyone in the State Department knows that Dalton and his crew will have been kicked out of the White House by now. So why exactly is he suddenly dropping Elizabeth like a hot potato? The situation could not have come at a worse time, as Elizabeth badly needs Dalton's agreement on a tricky operation. The Russian Prime Minster previously told her that Henry's (Tim Daly) friend and operative Dmitri (Chris Petrovski) was still alive. The guilt that Henry had felt for Dmitri's supposed demise had been eating away at him for the longest time. The last time viewers saw Dmitri, he was being pursued by the enemies and was likely killed before he could escape the country. Elizabeth wanted to bring him back to the United States at the soonest possible time, for her husband's sake. Unfortunately, the Russians wanted something in exchange for Dmitri. The official told Elizabeth that they needed to release a notorious Russian spy being held captive on American soil. Elizabeth knew Dalton would not agree to the idea, even if it meant rescuing an operative who has worked hard for their country. The upcoming episode will see how the Secretary of State will make things possible. She has to make the POTUS agrees with the arrangement or Henry will never forgive himself for what happened to Dmitri. While worrying about what will happen, she and Henry will also have to brave themselves for Stevie's (Wallis Currie-Wood) big surprise. She and her boyfriend Jareth (Christopher O'Shea) will reportedly get engaged. "Madam Secretary" season 2 airs Sundays at 8 p.m. EDT on CBS. (Photo: REUTERS / Adrees Latif)Clergymen shout "Hands up, don't shoot," as they march to the County Prosecutor Bob McCulloch's office to protest the shooting death of unarmed black teen Michael Brown in Clayton, Missouri August 20, 2014. On Wednesday, the St. Louis County prosecutor's office began presenting evidence to a regularly seated grand jury investigating the fatal shooting. Protesters outside the offices have called for the removal of McCulloch from the case. Eighteen year old Michael Brown was shot dead in Ferguson on August 9, 2014. Racism in the United States is surprisingly "deep, wide [and] pervasive," a visiting ecumenical delegation has found, but it says churches can bring hope to the divided country that has the world's biggest economy. After visiting the United States, a World Council of Churches delegation has said it is preparing a report on how churches can help achieve racial justice. "We had heard that racism continues to be an issue in the United States," said Dr. Agnes Abuom, moderator of the WCC Central Committee on April 30. "But we did not expect to find it so deep, so wide and so pervasive." Churches can, however, offer a reinvigorated response to the sin of racial hatred, violence and discrimination in the early 21st century, the delegation found, while noting the intense need for change. Abuom led a the April 19-25 racial justice accompaniment visit, which included the cities of Charleston, South Carolina; Ferguson, Missouri; and Chicago, Illinois which have all faced issues relating to racism in recent times. Their visit came at a time of polarizing politics in the United States with Donald Trump from May 5 looking to be the likely Republican Party candidate in the end of year presidential election. Trump has surged ahead with Republican support after attacking Mexican immigrants and women was well as saying he wants to ban Muslims from the United States. It also came at a time of accusations of racism against black Americans at the hands of white-led police forces in U.S. cities seen as trigger happy in the number of young black men shot dead by force members. The team of WCC visitors who made the journey are now collaborating to prepare a report on their experience and findings, with recommendations for next steps in response. The report will be submitted in May to the main governing body of the WCC, its central committee, for consideration at its June 2016 meeting in Trondheim, Norway. The Central Committee will determine appropriate action for the WCC and its partners in the United States and throughout the world. Official WCC delegation: Dr Agnes Abuom, moderator of the Central Committee of the World Council of Churches (head of the delegation), a Kenyan Anglican Bishop Mark MacDonald, Anglican Church of Canada, WCC president of North America (Chicago only) Metropolitan Geevarghese Coorilos, Syrian Orthodox Church, moderator of the WCC Commission on World Mission and Evangelism (Chicago only) Rev. Pil Soon Kim, Korean Christian Church in Japan Omar Haramy, Orthodox Church, Sabeel Ecumenical Liberation Theology Center, Israel-Palestine Aleshia Johnson, Anglican Church of Canada, member of WCC ECHOES youth commission and reference group on pilgrimage of justice and peace US church leadership that joined parts of the visit: Bishop Mary Ann Swenson, vice moderator, WCC central committee (DC and Charleston) Rev. Angelique Walker-Smith, WCC central committee member and senior associate for Pan African and Orthodox Church Engagement, Bread for the World (DC and Chicago) Rev. Geoffrey Black, United Church of Christ, central committee member (Ferguson) Rev. Sharon Watkins, Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), chair, WCC program committee (Ferguson) Rev. Karen Georgia Thompson, United Church of Christ, ecumenical officer Bishop Elizabeth Eaton, presiding bishop, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (Chicago) Bishop Sally Dyck, United Methodist Church, central committee member (Chicago) Despite what Star Treks Mr. Spock would have you think, emotions are not the enemy of reason. Rather, new research suggests emotions underpin how students learn in the classroom. People think of emotion getting in the way of cognition, but it doesnt. Emotion steers our thinking; its the rudder that directs our mind and organizes what we need to do, said Mary Helen Immordino-Yang, an associate professor of education, psychology, and neuroscience at the University of Southern California, in an interview with Education Week. In a new book, Emotions, Learning, and the Brain, Immordino-Yang and her colleagues at USCs Brain Creativity Institute found that as students learn new rules during a task, such as the most efficient way to answer a math problem or the best deck to choose in a card game, they show emotional and physical responses long before they became consciously aware of the rules or are able to articulate them. Gut Check This emotional responsethink of a student having a gut feeling that a particular answer was rightwas the first sign of a student learning from her experience with the task. In fact, separate studies found that people with a particular type of brain damageto a part of the brain that connects areas associated with feeling emotions with those associated with developing cognitive strategiesdo not learn from failure and continue to choose inappropriate strategies for solving a problem even if they consciously know the rules. What happens when thinking is devoid of emotion is you dont remember it or think deeply about it, Immordino-Yang said. In a classroom context, Immordino-Yang said, that means students who feel no meaningful emotional connection to the material they learn will have a harder time both remembering and applying it. From Thinking to Feeling and Back Emotions, logical reasoning, and body sensations are not so much opposites as the joint infrastructure that supports students thoughts, according to research by the University of Southern Californias Brain Creativity Institute. SOURCE: Emotions, Learning, and the Brain While educators have long discussed the role of music or art in engaging students emotionally with learning, Immordino-Yang and her colleagues have found that even abstract academic concepts can inspire an emotional connection if people understand their context. For example, mathematicians show the same pleasure response in the brain when they see an efficient equation as others have shown when viewing a beautiful piece of art. The ability to feel passionate about something is a skill. What we need to teach kids is that feeling passionate about something doesnt just fall into your lap, said Immordino-Yang. Rather, students can learn how to take interest in subjects that arent immediately entertaining. By the same token, separate studies help endorse Mr. Spocks point of view: They suggest that negative emotions can interfere with learning in part because they compete with normal engagement with new concepts. Feedback Cycles As important as emotion seems to be for learning, schools may not do enough to support students emotional development as a tool for learning, some experts argue. Prior studies have shown children become less positive over the course of elementary school, and new German studies suggest academic engagement and achievementor the lack of themcould create feedback loops for young students. Stephanie Lichtenfeld, a senior psychology lecturer at the University of Munich, tracked 520 students in 31 schools from the beginning of 2nd grade through the end of 4th grade. She recorded the students levels of enjoyment, anxiety, and boredom in math classes, as well as their end-of-year math-achievement levels. The emotional pattern gets increasingly negative over the school years, Lichtenfeld said. Enjoyment really drops over elementary school years, and negative emotions like test anxiety and boredom increase. Why? Lichtenfeld found each of the emotions created a feedback loop with academic achievement. A student who was anxious in math class in 2nd grade was likelier to have lower math achievement at the end of the year; lower math achievement at the end of 2nd grade made it likelier that the student would be even more anxious in 3rd grade, increasing the risk of even lower math performance, and so on through elementary school. Boredom also produced a negative cycle, while early enjoyment in math created a positive feedback cycle. These built on themselves over time, Lichtenfeld said during a symposium on emotion at the American Educational Research Association meeting in Washington this month. Thats really a pattern where we should think about interventions to make students feel better in school in the early grades as a way to improve performance. Moreover, in a separate German study also presented at the meeting, Philipp Forster of the Ludwig Maximillian University in Munich, found negative emotions can spread among classmates in school. Forster and his colleagues tracked 411 students in 16 high school math classes in Bavaria. Through surveys, the researcher identified which students were friends and also profiled each students levels of school engagement, motivation, achievement, and disruptive behavior. While students did not initially select friends with the same personality profiles, Forster found that students negative emotionsanger, anxiety, and hopelessnessbecame more similar to those of their friends over time. By contrast, students did not seem to become more like their friends in positive emotions like enjoyment or pride. Immordino-Yang recommended four strategies for teachers to improve students emotional basis for learning: Give students open-ended problems that force them to dig into the definition of the task itself. Encourage students to recognize and use their own academic intuitions while learningfor example, to notice when they feel uneasy about an answer and look back later to see if it was incorrect. When trying to improve students emotions in the classroom, focus on adding meaning to content the students are working with, rather than positive distractions, like telling a joke or giving prizes. Ely, Cambridgeshire is best known for its majestic cathedral dubbed the 'Ship of the Fens' because it dominates the flat landscape. The city, which is the second smallest in England, is about 14 miles north-northeast of Cambridge and about 80 miles by road from London. 12:27, 24 OCT 2022 February 24, 2022, the day of the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine, will go down as a tragic date not only for the Ukrainian people, but also for the whole civilised world. On the "The Top 20 U.S. Colleges For Outdoor Adventurers": Do you dream of shredding powder, live for the challenge of climbing a tough pitch, or love taking risks navigating class III rapids? Or do you prefer basking in the sunshine, learning the natural history of your surroundings, hiking through pine tree forests, frolicking through wildflowers, or enjoying the serenity of canoeing on a lake? Whichever type of outdoor enthusiast you are, there are quite a few colleges and universities that cater to and encourage your urge to explore the outdoors. This top 20 list describes some of the countrys best schools for prospective students interested in the outdoors. These schools are not only surrounded by breathtaking natural landscapes, but they also offer stellar programs that encourage outdoor adventure. 1. Appalachian State University in Boone, North Carolina Located in the Blue Ridge Mountains, Appalachian State University is surrounded by natures playground. Students at App State have a wealth of outdoor opportunity right at their fingertips, as some of the East Coasts best mountain biking, caving, climbing, and paddling are within an hours drive from the ASU campus. App States Outdoor Programs offers a range of activities, from backcountry cooking right on campus to 30-day international trips in places like New Zealand and Italy. For students who wish to make outdoor education their career, App State provides three different recreation management concentrations: Outdoor Experiential Education, Recreation and Park Management, and Commercial Recreation and Tourism Management. For students who wish to pursue another career but are still interested in guiding outdoor education trips at App State or in the future, App State offers an Instructor Development Program, which includes Wilderness First Responder and epinephrine administration certifications. Students are also encouraged to volunteer with the Blue Ridge Parkway Corps to educate tourists about preserving the trails. Since first launching in February 2015, residents of Heidelberg have stepped up for their community to donate over 1,300 pairs of shoes as part of Heidelberg Malls ongoing Shoe Collection Drive. The initiative started as a meaningful drive to collect shoes, of any size, colour or style to assist those most in need. On Wednesday 13 April, the mall made its third shoe drop-off at Shalimar Ridge Primary School where 128 pairs of shoes were donated to children from grade 0 to grade 7. Before the centre opened, the owners of Heidelberg Mall asked communities within Heidelberg how the malls social initiatives could best help them. The answer was that shoes could make a big difference in the community. After being informed that many of the children at Shalimar Ridge Primary lacked basic necessities, including much-needed shoes, Heidelberg Mall decided to lend their support to hand over shoes donated by shoppers. To ensure the perfect fit, shoes were allocated to each child according to their shoe size. Many Heidelberg Mall tenants also regularly join in the drive by donating food. This time, Delhi Delicious came on board to donate 150 large pies to children in Shalimar Ridge Primarys feeding scheme. Bargain Books was also on hand to host an educational and entertaining book-reading session where fun stickers were given to little ones in grade 0 and grade 1, while two goody bags were handed out to each of the children who correctly answered questions from the story book. This is just the beginning of Heidelberg Malls involvement in the community, says Patricia Sefuthi, Heidelberg Mall Marketing Assistant. Our aim is to support as many people as we can in the community and make a difference in peoples lives. Chris Bendall, Heidelberg Mall General Manager, who also attended the drop off added that the success of the Shoe Collection Drive is thanks to the generous support from shoppers. The continuous support from shoppers and the Heidelberg community has been incredible. Were delighted to have the opportunity to make a positive contribution and lend our help where its needed most, he said. To get involved in this community-changing initiative, all you have to do is drop off a pair of shoes or two, or more at the Heidelberg Mall Centre Management Offices. The shoes will be then distributed to communities within the greater Heidelberg area. Younited Italia, Nicola Manzari e il nuovo Coo, Luca Faccini e Head of Growth e Domenico Petraroli e General Counsel ITHACA, NY-- Jim Giovannoni, Boyce Thompson Institute professor, USDA scientist and Cornell University adjunct professor of plant biology, has been elected to the National Academy of Sciences. Giovannoni, who is known for his research on tomato fruit ripening and his participation in the International Tomato Sequencing Project, is one of 84 new members announced by the National Academy of Sciences on May 3. The organization recognizes his distinguished and continuing achievements in original research in plant science. "Congratulations to Jim for this great honor, which reflects the recognition of the community--at the national and international level--for his distinguished career and the many significant contributions that the Giovannoni lab has made over the years," said BTI VP for Research Eric Richards. At BTI, researchers in the Giovannoni Lab use the tomato and its wild relatives to study fruit ripening and its effect on nutritional quality and flavor. They investigate how ripening is regulated in the tomato and how this process has evolved. His lab also works to develop genomic tools for studying tomatoes and related plant species. He collaborated on the sequencing of the tomato genome, published in 2012, and the wild tomato genome in 2014. "Such honors are certainly humbling and, in reality, reflect the summed efforts of not only the one honored but the excellent students, postdocs, colleagues, institutions and family members that one is fortunate to have relationships with," said Giovannoni. "I cannot imagine a more supportive and exciting space to do research than the unique intersection of the BTI, Cornell and USDA-ARS communities found in Ithaca." Giovannoni earned his doctorate in molecular and physiological plant biology at the University of California, Berkeley in 1990, followed by two years as a postdoctoral researcher at Cornell University. He then joined the faculty at Texas A&M University in College Station in the department of horticultural sciences. Giovannoni returned to Ithaca to join BTI and the USDA - ARS in 2000. His successful scientific program and widely cited research publications earned him the honor of being included by Thomson Reuters in its list of 2015's "Most Influential Scientific Minds," earlier this year. The National Academy of Sciences is a private, nonprofit institution that was established under a congressional charter signed by President Abraham Lincoln in 1863. Currently, it has 2,291 active members and 465 foreign associates. The National Academy of Sciences recognizes achievement in science by election to membership and provides science, technology and health policy advice to the federal government and other organizations. ### Media Relations Contacts: Patricia Waldron (607-254-7476, pjw85@cornell.edu) or Kitty Gifford (607-592-3062, kmg35@cornell.edu) Communications Office Boyce Thompson Institute 533 Tower Road Ithaca, New York 14853 USA To learn more about Boyce Thompson Institute (BTI) research, visit the BTI website at http://bti.cornell.edu. Connect online with BTI at http://www.facebook.com/BoyceThompsonInstitute and http://www.twitter.com/BTIScience. About Boyce Thompson Institute Boyce Thompson Institute is a premier life sciences research institution located in Ithaca, New York on the Cornell University campus. BTI scientists conduct investigations into fundamental plant and life sciences research with the goals of increasing food security, improving environmental sustainability in agriculture and making basic discoveries that will enhance human health. BTI employs 150 staff, with scientists from 40 countries around the world and has twice been named as one of the Best Companies in New York State. Its 15 principal investigators are leading minds in plant development, chemical ecology, microbiology and plant pathology, and have access to the institute's state-of-the-art greenhouse facilities with computerized controls and a system of integrated pest management. BTI has one of the largest concentrations of plant bioinformaticists in the U.S., with researchers who work across the entire spectrum of "omics" fields. BTI researchers consistently receive funding from NSF, NIH, USDA and DOE and publish in top tier journals. Throughout its work, BTI is committed to inspiring and educating students and to providing advanced training for the next generation of scientists. For more information, visit http://www.bti.cornell.edu. Not much is known about the genetics of Eurasian history before the introduction of farming. One of the major questions is how climatic fluctuations influenced the population history of Eurasia and to what extent changes in material cultures correspond to movements of people. A research team led by Prof. FU Qiaomei from the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology (IVPP) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and other international scientists (Profs. David Reich, Svante Paabo and Johannes Krause) have analyzed genome-wide data from 51 Eurasians from ~45,000-7,000 years ago and provided the first vivid look at the genetic history of modern humans in Eurasia before the start of agriculture ~8,500 years ago. Their findings were published in Nature on May 2. The findings indicate that the proportion of Neandertal ancestry in Eurasians decreased from 3-6% to around 2% over this period of time, and the decrease is more marked near genes than in less conserved regions of the genome, suggesting natural selection against Neandertal variants in modern humans. Whereas some of the earliest modern humans in Europe, such as the 40,000- to 45,000-year-old Ust'-Ishim and Oase 1, did not contribute substantially to present-day Europeans, all individuals between ~37,000 and ~14,000 years ago descended from a single founder population which forms part of the ancestry of present-day Europeans. An ~35,000-year-old individual from northwest Europe represents an early branch of this founder population which was then displaced across a broad region, before reappearing in southwest Europe at the height of the last ice age ~19,000 years ago. This means that the Neanderthals might have had more inferior genes that their part did not manage to survive in the evolution. "A new genetic component related to present-day Near Easterners appears in Europe during the first major warming period around 14,000 years ago, which may reflect migrations or population shifts within Europe at the end of the last ice age, an observation that is consistent with the evidence of turnover of mitochondrial genomes at this time", said FU, "it could be the warming weather rather than development of agriculture - as it was previously believed - that drove early Near East residents to Europe and led to the gene fusion." Overall, these results document how population turnover and migration have been recurring themes in European pre-history. An important direction of future work will be to generate genetic data from ancient individuals from East Asia, southeastern Europe and the Near East, which will provide further insights into the Upper Paleolithic population history of Eurasia. "Previous researches usually include genome-wide data on only one or two Upper Paleolithic individuals. But this research managed to collect valid genome-wide data from 51 individuals from a more than 100 sample bases," said study co-supervisor Svante Paabo, a professor of the Department of Evolutionary Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, "Prior to this work, we had a static view of the first 30,000 years of modern human history in Europe. Now we can begin to see how people moved around and mixed with one another during this period." The ancient DNA laboratory led by FU Qiaomei at the IVPP will focus on addressing the role of East Asia during the Upper Paleolithic. Currently, the main purpose of this laboratory is to research topics in evolutionary and population genetics, using molecular genetic approaches to clarify ancient human relationships, archaic hominid introgression into modern humans, migratory routes of early modern humans into Asia and interactions between early modern humans and contemporary local modern humans. ### This research was supported by the Special Foundation of the President of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the Bureau of International Cooperation of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and the National Natural Science Foundation of China. Montreal, May 4, 2016 -- Is the antivirus program running on your computer really making your computers safer to use, say, for online banking? Is the parental control software you bought to keep your 13-year-old off porn sites transparent for the overall safety of your computer? Probably not. New research from Concordia University in Montreal shows security software might actually make online computing less safe. For the study, Mohammad Mannan, assistant professor in the Concordia Institute for Information Systems Engineering (CIISE), and PhD student Xavier de Carne de Carnavalet examined 14 commonly used software programs that claim to make computers safer by protecting data, blocking out viruses or shielding users from questionable content on the Internet. Time and again, the researchers found that these programs were doing more harm than good. "Out of the products we analyzed, we found that all of them lower the level of security normally provided by current browsers, and often bring serious security vulnerabilities," says de Carnavalet, who was surprised by how widespread the problem has become. "While a couple of fishy ad-related products were known to behave badly in the same set-up, it's stunning to observe that products intended to bring security and safety to users can fail as badly." At the root of the problem is how security applications act as gatekeepers, filtering dangerous or unwanted elements by inspecting secure web pages before they reach the browser. Normally, browsers themselves have to check the certificate delivered by a website, and verify that it has been issued by a proper entity, called a Certification Authority (CA). But security products make the computer "think" that they are themselves a fully entitled CA, thus allowing them to fool browsers into trusting any certificate issued by the products. This research has important implications not only for everyday computer users, but also for the companies producing the software programs themselves. "We reported our findings to the respective vendors so they can fix their products," says Mannan. "Not all of them have responded yet, but we hope to bring their attention to these issues." "We also hope that our work will bring more awareness among users when choosing a security suite or software to protect their children's online activities," says de Carnavalet, who cautions that internet users should not view these security products as a panacea. "We encourage consumers to keep their browser, operating system and other applications up-to-date, so that they benefit from the latest security patches," he says. "Parental control apps exist that do not interfere with secure content, but merely block websites by their domain name, which is probably effective enough." ### Partners in research: This research was supported in part by an NSERC Discovery Grant, a Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship and the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada's Contributions Program. These findings were originally presented at the Network and Distributed System Security Symposium 2016. Call to action: Read the cited study about security software, led by Concordia's Mohammad Mannan, assistant professor in the Concordia Institute for Information Systems Engineering. Related links: The Concordia Institute for Information Systems Engineering (CIISE) Mohammad Mannan The Network and Distributed System Security Symposium 2016 Media contact: Clea Desjardins Senior advisor, media relations University Communications Services Concordia University Phone: 514-848-2424, ext. 5068 Email: clea.desjardins@concordia.ca Web: http://www.concordia.ca/now/media-relations Twitter: @CleaDesjardins RENO - For the first time in aviation history, a fixed-wing unmanned aircraft has successfully tested a cloud-seeding payload during an experimental flight in Nevada. Flown at Hawthorne Industrial Airport under the state's FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Test Site designation, the Drone America Savant aircraft reached an altitude of 400 feet and flew for approximately 18 minutes on Friday, April 29, 2016. The Savant aircraft -- named the "Sandoval Silver State Seeder" in honor of Governor Brian Sandoval's dedication to the success of the state's UAS industry -- deployed two silver-iodide flares, successfully testing and demonstrating its ability to perform unmanned aerial cloud seeding operations. "This is a tremendous accomplishment for the state of Nevada and everyone involved," said the project's lead scientist, Adam Watts, Ph.D., an assistant research professor at DRI and an expert in UAS applications for ecological and natural-resources applications. Led by the Desert Research Institute (DRI), and supported by the Nevada Governor's Office of Economic Development through the Knowledge Fund, this first-of-its-kind project is helping Nevada address the ongoing impacts of drought and explore innovative solutions for natural-resource challenges such as augmenting regional water supplies. The research team combines more than 30 years of weather modification research and expertise at DRI with the proven experience in aerospace manufacturing and flight operations of Reno-based Drone America, and the industry leading unmanned aerial data services of Las Vegas-based AviSight. "We have reached another major milestone in our effort to reduce both the risks and the costs in the cloud seeding industry and help mitigate natural disasters caused by drought, hail and extreme fog," said Mike Richards, President and CEO of Drone America. "With a wingspan of 11-feet, 10-inches and its light weight design (less than 55 pounds) the Savant is the perfect vehicle to conduct this type of operation due to its superior flight profile, long flight times and its resistance to wind and adverse weather conditions." Drone America performed the test flight under an FAA agreement in partnership with the Nevada Institute for Autonomous Systems (NIAS). This flight was the first use by DRI of the Nevada Test Site's Certificate of Authorization (COA), which grants authority to operate the Savant at altitudes up to 1,200 feet. "The Nevada-based research and flight teams that produced these trend-setting results are clearly leading the industry with this innovative technology. Conducting this unmanned cloud seeding test flight is a first flying in the National Airspace System and in Nevada," said Dr. Chris Walach, Director for the FAA-designated Nevada Unmanned Aviation Test Site. AviSight performed aerial support for the test flight with their manned aircraft, recording both infrared and HD video of the flight to support future system refinements and plans to conduct UAS flights beyond visual line-of-sight. "This is an important step for Nevada and the unmanned aerial industry," said James Fleitz, co-founder of AviSight. "This collaborative effort highlights the diverse applications of unmanned systems and showcased the ability of this technology to support scientific advancements." Together with Drone America and AviSight, DRI researchers plan to create weather forecasts and conduct flight planning for manned and unmanned aircraft; conduct tests of cloud seeding operations using manned and unmanned systems as well as existing ground generators; and estimate the effectiveness of UAS cloud seeding applications across DRI's current Lake Tahoe Basin operations area. "Not only does this demonstrate the capabilities of the Savant," said Amber Broch, chief engineer for the project and an assistant research engineer at DRI, "but it also shows the tremendous potential to use unmanned systems as tools for environmental science and innovative natural resource applications." ### Additional photos available upon request. Video of the Savant test flight can be viewed at -- https://youtu.be/26tSm-eDva4 About the Desert Research Institute: DRI, the nonprofit research arm of the Nevada System of Higher Education, strives to be the world leader in environmental sciences through the application of knowledge and technologies to improve people's lives throughout Nevada and the world. For more information about DRI's cloud seeding program please visit http://www.dri.edu About Drone America: Drone America strives to be one of the World's Top Providers of Autonomous Unmanned Vehicles, and high tech equipment and services. Our mission is to use UAS technologies as means to survey, protect, and preserve human life and strategic resources around the Globe. For more information about Drone America please visit http://droneamerica.com/ About Avisight: AviSight is an aerospace and remote sensing services company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. Our company employs Aerospace systems, Remote Sensing technology, Analytics, and Data Collection/Distribution systems for commercial and government clients. For more information about AviSight please visit -- http://avisight.com/ About the Nevada Institute for Autonomous Systems (NIAS): On behalf of the Nevada Governor's Office of Economic Development, NIAS helps to grow the Autonomous Systems Industry through business teaming, partnerships, research and development, and education awareness in order to bring in business and jobs to the State of Nevada and to facilitate full and safe UAS integration into the National Airspace System. Learn more at http://www.nias-uas.com. Media Contacts: Justin Broglio Communications Officer Desert Research Institute Ph: 775-673-7610 This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it."Justin.Broglio@dri.edu @DRIScience Kevin Clifford Marketing & Communications Manager Drone America Ph: 775-473-9998 This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it."kevin@droneamerica.com @Drone_America Chris Walach Director of Operations--Unmanned Aviation with the Nevada Institute for Autonomous Systems (NIAS) and the FAA-designated Nevada UAS Test Site on behalf of the Governor's Office of Economic Development Ph: 702-793-4219 chris.walach@nias-uas.com Neuherberg, Germany, May 4, 2016. Viral respiratory infections during the first six months of life are associated with an increased risk for type 1 diabetes. This is the conclusion reached by a team of scientists at the Helmholtz Zentrum Munchen during a study published in the current issue of the renowned US magazine JAMA. The scientists headed by Prof. Dr. Anette-Gabriele Ziegler, Director of the Institute of Diabetes Research (IDF) at Helmholtz Zentrum Munchen, examined anonymized data from almost 300,000 children born in Bavaria between 2005 and 2007. This represents roughly 85 percent of all newborns in Bavaria during this period. The Kassenarztliche Vereinigung Bayern (KVB - Bavarian Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians) provided the data material for research purposes. Ziegler's team, which is also a partner in the German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD), systematically evaluated all available data on infections with respect to the later development of type 1 diabetes. The infections were broken down according to the localization of the symptoms (such as dermal, eye, gastrointestinal or respiratory infections), the causes (bacterial, viral or mycoses) and the age (quarter-yearly from birth). First author Dr. Andreas Beyerlein summarizes the results as follows: "Our findings show that viral respiratory tract disorders during the first six months of life significantly increase the risk of children developing type 1 diabetes." Infections that occurred later or that involved other organs were not associated with a significantly higher risk. For the researchers, these findings are a further piece in the puzzle of understanding how type 1 diabetes develops, with the interaction of genetic and environmental factors still largely unclear. Previously there were only relatively inconsistent indications from studies with children with a genetically higher risk of type 1 diabetes regarding the influence of infections. "Now for the first time we were able to confirm this in a population-based dataset of almost 300,000 children. In particular, we found strong indications that the first six months are an especially sensitive stage in life," explains lead scientist Ziegler. "This is also consistent with other results that we have published based on data from children with increased familial risk, which already suggested that the first half year of life is crucial for the development of the immune system and of autoimmune diseases such as type 1 diabetes." In the future the scientists want to determine whether there is actually a causal relationship and if yes, exactly which pathogens are involved and how they trigger this effect. This could then serve as a basis for attempting to develop an appropriate vaccine. ### Further information Background: The results are based on a paper published 2013 in JAMA pediatrics. Please find the respective press release here. Original publication: Beyerlein, A. et al. (2016). Infections in early life and development of type 1 diabetes, JAMA, doi: 10.1001/jama.2016. 2181 The Helmholtz Zentrum Munchen, the German Research Center for Environmental Health, pursues the goal of developing personalized medical approaches to the prevention and therapy of major common diseases such as diabetes and lung disease. To achieve this, it investigates the interaction of genetics, environmental factors and lifestyle. The Helmholtz Zentrum Munchen has about 2,300 staff members and is headquartered in Neuherberg in the north of Munich. It is a member of the Helmholtz Association, a community of 18 scientific-technical and medical-biological research centers with a total of about 37,000 staff members. The Helmholtz Zentrum Munchen is a partner in the German Center for Diabetes Research. http://www.helmholtz-muenchen.de/en The Institute of Diabetes Research (IDF) focuses on the pathogenesis and prevention of type 1 diabetes and type 2 diabetes as a long-term effect of gestational diabetes. A top-priority project is the development of an insulin vaccination against type 1 diabetes. In large-scale, long-term studies the IDF examines the implication of genes, environmental factors and the immune system in the pathogenesis of type 1 diabetes. Using data from the BABYDIAB cohort, which was established in 1989 as the world's first prospective diabetes birth cohort, risk genes and antibody profiles can both be identified. This allows predictions about the development and onset of type 1 diabetes and will change the classification and the time of diagnosis. The IDF is part of the Helmholtz Diabetes Center (HDC). http://www.helmholtz-muenchen.de/en/idf/index.html The German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD) is one of six German Centers of Health Research. It brings together experts in the field of diabetes research and combines basic research, epidemiology and clinical applications. By adopting an innovative, integrative approach to research, the DZD aims to make a substantial contribution to the successful, personalized prevention, diagnosis and treatment of diabetes mellitus. The members of the association are the Helmholtz Zentrum Munchen -- the German Research Center for Environmental Health, the German Diabetes Center (DDZ) in Dusseldorf, the German Institute of Nutrition (DifE) in Potsdam-Rehbrucke, the Institute of Diabetes Research and Metabolic Diseases (IDM) at the University of Tubingen and the Paul Langerhans Institute at the Carl Gustav Carus University Hospital in Dresden, associated partners at the universities of Cologne, Heidelberg, Leipzig, Lubeck and Munich, as well as other project partners. http://www.dzd-ev.de/en/index.html Contact for the media: Department of Communication Helmholtz Zentrum Munchen - German Research Center for Environmental Health (GmbH) Ingolstadter Landstr. 1, 85764 Neuherberg Tel. 49-89-3187-2238 Fax: 49-89-3187-3324 E-mail: presse@helmholtz-muenchen.de Scientific contact at Helmholtz Zentrum Munchen: Prof. Dr. Anette-Gabriele Ziegler Helmholtz Zentrum Munchen German Research Center for Environmental Health (GmbH) Institute of Diabetes Research, Ingolstadter Landstr 1, 85764 Neuherberg Tel. 49-89-3187-3405 E-mail: anette-g.ziegler@helmholtz-muenchen.de RUSTON, La - A team of mechanical engineering students from Louisiana Tech University has used 3D printing and sustainable materials to create a custom unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) that could help NASA improve its efforts to study UAV applications and establish an infrastructure to enable and safely manage the widespread use of low-altitude airspace. The four-person team comprised of Justin Coe, Colin Dunbar, Keunta Epps and Joseph Hagensee built the UAV using environmentally friendly and non-traditional engineering materials available at Louisiana Tech. The collaboration, successfully completed as a senior capstone project under the guidance of Dr. Arden Moore, assistant professor of mechanical engineering and molecular science and nanotechnology at Louisiana Tech's Institute for Micromanufacturing, was sponsored by a Louisiana Space Consortium sub-award from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) grant. Moore says that the team showed skill, not only in designing and building a functioning UAV, but also in doing the background research necessary to do so and in using the equipment available. "They showed sound engineering judgment throughout the project, and I think the final product exceeded expectations," Moore said. "A large part of our success was due to our ability to make complex parts using three-dimensional printing, which we were able to do thanks to our program's computer modeling classes and Louisiana Tech's openly accessible 3D printers," Hagensee said. The students said that in addition to access to cutting-edge equipment, they were able to complete the project thanks to Louisiana Tech's mechanical engineering curriculum and its emphasis on collaboration and hands-on experience. "The project-based curriculum at Louisiana Tech showed us how to apply what we have learned, to create a successful design," Dunbar said. "Learning to work in groups is a staple throughout the engineering curriculum at Tech," Epps said. "This experience taught us to work as a cohesive unit, which was a major key to the success in this project." Coe adds that Moore's expertise and advice was instrumental in the completion of the UAV. "Dr. Moore was the best advisor we could have asked for," Coe said. "He has a lot to do with the success of the project." The team will present the project at the Louisiana Tech College of Engineering and Science Senior Projects Conference on Friday, May 6. ### MAYWOOD, IL - The Chicago Radiological Society has given Loyola Medicine pediatric radiologist Aruna Vade, MD, FACR, its highest honor, the Distinguished Service Award. Dr. Vade was honored for her "outstanding leadership in organized medicine on local, state and national levels and her many years of dedicated service to radiology." Dr. Vade is medical director of pediatric radiology and a professor in the departments of radiology and pediatrics at Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine. She is a fellow of the American College of Radiology. Dr. Vade is a past councilor and current alternate councilor for the American College of Radiology and a member of the executive committees of the Chicago and Illinois radiological societies. She has served on numerous committees and in various officer positions for local and state radiological societies, including president of the Chicago and Illinois radiological societies. She is a member of the Pediatric Radiology Committee of the American College of Radiology and also has served on the college's credentials committee. Dr. Vade has been active in the Indian Medical Association of Illinois, serving on its executive committee and in various officer positions, including president. Dr. Vade is an author of two book chapters and 64 papers in peer-reviewed medical journals. She is a reviewer for two medical journals, Pediatric Radiology and Case Reports in Radiology. She has given 90 presentations and invited lectures and more than 50 scientific exhibits at local, national and international meetings. Dr. Vade and her husband, Suresh Vade, MD, have two children, Shilpa, a radiologist who trained under Dr. Aruna Vade at Loyola, and Anand, and two grandchildren. Dr. Vade and her husband live in Burr Ridge, Illinois, and have traveled extensively throughout the world. They have visited every continent, including Antarctica. ### Orlando, Fla - An enormous high tech machine is providing new hope to patients across the country with inoperable tumors. Proton therapy is a precise radiation technique that reduces the side effects often accompanied by traditional treatment options. Thanks to this remarkable technology, a new proton therapy center at UF Health Cancer Center - Orlando Health is saving the eyesight of a new mother who was diagnosed with a tumor behind her eye during her second trimester of pregnancy. Rhea Birusingh, 37, began experiencing blurry vision and thought it was due to her pregnancy. But when she went to see her opthamologist, she was diagnosed with a benign brain tumor located behind her right eye, which was feeding on the same hormones associated with her pregnancy. Because of the tumor's placement it was deemed inoperable, and without proton therapy, Rhea would face declining memory and loss of her eyesight. "Unfortunately, even with just one scan, we knew the tumor was in the worst location possible," said Birusingh. In order to treat the tumor, Rhea was induced at 34 weeks, and became the first patient to be treated with proton beam therapy at the new Marjorie and Leonard Williams Center for Proton Therapy at Orlando Health. There, doctors used a massive, 3-story, 200,000 pound machine to direct a proton beam into an area of Rhea's brain less than a millimeter in diameter. "This machine is extremely powerful and incredibly accurate," said Dr. Naren Ramakrishna, the director of proton therapy at UF Health Cancer Center - Orlando Health "Proton therapy allowed us to treat Rhea's tumor successfully while minimizing the dose to the very critical surrounding structures. In her case these structures included areas of the brain, the optic nerves and the pituitary gland." Conventional radiation treatments rely on X-rays, which deposit energy as they make their way through the body - at the skin, on the way to the tumor, and then beyond the tumor. This means the areas surrounding the tumor are also being exposed to a significant amount of radiation. But by using protons doctors have a big advantage. "With proton treatment, we're using a fundamentally different form of energy," said Dr. Ramakrishna. "So, when these positively charged particles enter, they deposit almost all of their dose right inside the tumor. There's actually little or no dose going beyond the tumor to the surrounding structures, which can be vital." Proton therapy is especially beneficial for both adult and pediatric patients with tumors near critical structures like the spine, brain and optic nerve -- which can be affected by traditional radiation therapy. By using proton therapy radiation dose can be tailored more precisely than with X-rays, and has a better chance of preserving those critical surrounding areas. "Proton treatment allows a great clinical benefit in protecting the normal areas surrounding the tumor," says Dr. Ramakrishna. "It also reduces the incidence of stroke and radiation-induced secondary cancers." The 15,000 square foot Marjorie and Leonard Williams Center for Proton Therapy at Orlando Health took four years to build and is expected to treat as many as 20 patients a day who have cancers of the brain, spine, prostate, lung, breast, gastrointestinal tract, head and neck, as well as pediatric cancers. ### B-ROLL, SOUND BITES, WEB ELEMENTS & HI-RES STILL PHOTOS - Including HD video available for free/unrestricted use by the news media: http://bit.ly/24anuG4 Courtesy: UF Health Cancer Center - Orlando Health For assistance in downloading, or if you have any questions, contact: shannon@mediasourcetv.com or call: 614.932.9950 or 614.477.2719. About Orlando Health Orlando Health is a $2.1 billion not-for-profit health care organization and a community-based network of physician practices, hospitals, and outpatient care centers throughout Central Florida. The organization is home to the area's only Level One Trauma Centers for adults and pediatrics and is a statutory teaching hospital system that offers both specialty and community hospitals. Nearly 3,000 physicians have privileges at Orlando Health, which is also one of the area's largest employers with more than 15,000 employees who serve nearly 2 million Central Florida residents and more than 4,500 international patients annually. Additionally, Orlando Health provides more than $270 million in support of community health needs. More information can be found at http://www.orlandohealth.com. New Rochelle, NY, May 4, 2016 -- In a new study of anesthesia providers in the U.S., most report not having used or received any education in acupuncture or acupressure. However, the majority of those participants recognize the potential benefits of acupuncture on acute postoperative and chronic pain, and of both acupuncture and acupressure on reducing anxiety. About 75% of providers expressed interest in acupuncture/acupressure education, according to the study published in Medical Acupuncture, a peer-reviewed journal from by Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers. The article is available free on the Medical Acupuncture website until June 4, 2016. The article "Perceptions of Acupuncture and Acupressure by Anesthesia Providers" reports that more than half of the providers in the study would consider using these alternative medicine techniques in their practice. Coauthors Amanda Faircloth, PhD, DNAP, CRNA, Arkadiy Dubovoy, MD, Chuck Biddle, CRNA, PhD, and John Butterworth IV, MD, Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center, and Diane Dodd-McCue, DBA, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Allied Health Professions (Richmond, VA), suggest that this receptiveness presents a strong argument in favor of incorporating aspects of alternative medicine into the curriculum for anesthesia education. "Clinical trials would eventually make this information even more meaningful as to whether these modalities are useful, but the article demonstrates that anesthesiologists are willing to investigate acupuncture and acupressure for pain and anxiety in their practices," says Richard C. Niemtzow, MD, PhD, MPH, Editor-in-Chief of Medical Acupuncture and Director of the United States Air Force Acupuncture and Integrative Medicine Center, Joint Base Andrews, Maryland. ### About the Journal Medical Acupuncture , the Official Journal of the American Academy of Medical Acupuncture, is an authoritative peer-reviewed journal published bimonthly in print and online. Led by Richard C. Niemtzow, MD, PhD, MPH, Director, United States Air Force Acupuncture and Integrative Medicine Center (Joint Base Andrews, MD), the Journal presents evidence-based clinical articles, case reports, and research findings that integrate concepts from traditional and modern forms of acupuncture with allopathic medicine. Tables of content and a sample issue may be viewed on the Medical Acupuncture website. About the Publisher Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers is a privately held, fully integrated media company known for establishing authoritative peer-reviewed journals in many promising areas of science and biomedical research, including The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, Alternative and Complementary Therapies, Journal of Women's Health, and Journal of Palliative Medicine. Its biotechnology trade magazine, GEN (Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News), was the first in its field and is today the industry's most widely read publication worldwide. A complete list of the firm's 80 journals, books, and newsmagazines is available on the Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers website. Montreal, May 4th 2016 -- A new study led by a team from the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre (RI-MUHC) and Cystic Fibrosis Canada reinforces the benefits of newborn screening for cystic fibrosis (CF) patients. Despite the fact that newborn screening has been implemented across North America and in several European countries as a way to improve overall survival rate and health outcomes of people living with CF, it is still not available in Quebec. The findings, recently published online in the Journal of Cystic Fibrosis, add to the increasingly overwhelming evidence in favour of newborn screening as a way to improve the quality of life for patients living with this chronic disease that is still incurable. "Our study shows that newborn screening is effective and should be seen as an opportunity to do early preventive intervention,'' says the study's senior author, Dr. Larry Lands, director of Pediatric Respiratory Medicine and CF clinic at the Montreal Children's Hospital of the MUHC (MCH-MUHC) and a professor in the Department of Pediatrics at McGill University. "Children with CF who are diagnosed through newborn screening are healthier and will benefit more from new treatments.'' CF is caused by mutations in the CFTR gene that mainly affects the respiratory and digestive systems. It is characterized by thick and sticky mucus that plugs up tubes, ducts and passageways, especially in the lungs and pancreas leading to pulmonary chronic infection and loss in lung function over time. It is estimated that one in every 3,600 children born in Canada has cystic fibrosis. "Given the changes in clinical management for CF, we questioned whether or not newborn screening for CF was still beneficial," says the study's lead author Dr. Denise Mak, Program Manager, Healthcare at Cystic Fibrosis Canada. "We wanted to know in an unbiased way whether newborn screening was beneficial to Canadian CF patients, or whether current treatments would allow those patients diagnosed because of symptoms to catch up in their overall health." To conduct their study, researchers used data from the Canadian CF Registry from 2008 to 2013. They compared health outcomes for Canadian children who were diagnosed with CF by newborn screening (201 patients) with those who were diagnosed clinically over a period of six years (102 patients). They looked at different aspects such as growth, number of hospitalizations, and rates of infection with either Pseudomonas aeruginosa or Staphylococcus aureus; two bacteria often associated with cystic fibrosis. "Over the six-year time period, we found that newborn screening for CF resulted in better nutrition, fewer children being infected with Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and fewer and shorter hospitalizations in Canadian CF children," adds Dr. Mak. Indeed, researchers found there was a higher rate of infection with Pseudomonas aeruginosa in children who were not screened as newborns, so that by the age of 6 years, over 60% of those not screened had been infected with Pseudomonas aeruginosa at least once, while less than 30% of screened patients had had an infection with Pseudomonas aeruginosa. They also reported that children diagnosed through newborn screening were diagnosed at an earlier age (0.7 vs 4.9 months). "These results indicate that current therapies started after a clinical diagnosis do not compensate for being diagnosed based on symptoms and lead to poorer health outcomes," explains Dr. Lands. "'We hope that this study will serve as a catalyst to have newborn screening for CF adopted widely." ### About the study The study, "The benefits of newborn screening for cystic fibrosis: The Canadian experience" was co-written by D.Y.F. Mak (Cystic Fibrosis Canada, Toronto, Canada), J. Sykes (Keenan Research Centre, Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute of St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto, Canada), A.L. Stephenson (Keenan Research Centre, Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute of St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto, Canada), and L.C. Lands (Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, Canada). This work was made possible through the in-kind support from Cystic Fibrosis Canada. About the RI-MUHC The Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre (RI-MUHC) is a research centre with a world-wide reputation in the field of biomedical sciences and health care. Established in Montreal, Canada, the Institute, which is affiliated with the Faculty of Medicine of McGill University, is the research arm of the McGill University Health Centre (MUHC), whose mandate consists of concentrating on complex care in its community. The RI-MUHC includes more than 460 researchers and almost 1,300 students and fellows who are dedicated to various sectors of fundamental, clinical and health outcomes research at the Glen site and at the MUHC'S Montreal General Hospital. Its research facilities offer a dynamic multidisciplinary environment that fosters collaboration among researchers and benefits from discoveries to improve the health of patients throughout their lives. The RI-MUHC is supported in part by the Fonds de recherche du Quebec - Sante (FRQS). http://www.rimuhc.ca About Cystic Fibrosis Canada Cystic Fibrosis Canada is one of the world's top three charitable organizations committed to finding a cure for cystic fibrosis and is an internationally-recognized leader in funding CF research, innovation, and clinical care. Cystic Fibrosis Canada invests more funding in life-saving CF research and care than any other non-governmental agency in Canada. Since 1960, Cystic Fibrosis Canada has invested more than $235 million in leading research, care and advocacy, resulting in one of the world's highest median survival rates for Canadians living with cystic fibrosis. For more information, visit http://www.cysticfibrosis.ca North Carolina elementary students' priorities for which wildlife species to protect closely matched those of conservation biologists but differed significantly from adults' rankings, a North Carolina State University study found. "If wildlife conservation's goal is to protect species for future generations, shouldn't we get kids involved? They're the ones who will live with the results of those decisions," said co-author Kathryn Stevenson, a postdoctoral research at NC State and former North Carolina science teacher. Researchers surveyed a sample of more than 400 third- and fifth-graders from 16 public elementary school classrooms across the state. Children were asked to rank the importance of five wildlife attributes: species with declining numbers, species that are important in nature, wild animals that live nowhere else but North Carolina (endemic species), wild animals that people like to watch and wild animals that people like to eat. Students also chose how to divide a set amount of money to dedicate to conservation efforts for wildlife in each of the categories. Assigning wildlife conservation money to each species helps make the point that priorities are important because funds are limited and it's not possible to protect all species equally, said lead author Kristin Frew, an NC State graduate student examining the value of wildlife species in North Carolina. Students in co-author Nils Peterson's Human Dimensions of Wildlife class helped with data collection. The children's rankings looked a lot like those of conservation biologists. Kids' top priorities - and recipients of most money - were species with rapid population declines, followed by species that had important ecological roles. Wildlife that people like to eat were third on the kids' list, followed by endemic species. Similar studies with adults have shown that they place a high value on endemic wildlife species that are found only in a particular area. "I wouldn't say the results are surprising, but they are encouraging," said Stevenson, a former North Carolina science teacher. "It will be interesting to see if these priorities endure over time and whether kids can have an influence on their parents' ideas about wildlife conservation." ### Note: An abstract of the paper follows. "Are we working to save the species our children want to protect? Evaluating species attribute preferences among children" Authors: Kristin Frew, M. Nils Peterson and Kathryn Stevenson, NC State University Published: May 4, 2016 in Oryx Abstract: As conservation resources decline and numbers of threatened species increase, prioritizing species for conservation is increasingly important, and prioritizing based on attributes may be the most efficient approach. Despite the importance of biodiversity as a legacy to future generations, children's preferences for species attributes have never been considered. We surveyed 3rd and 5th grade students, typically 8-10 years old, in North Carolina, USA, to determine how children prioritize conservation of species based on attributes. We asked the students to rank five species attributes, allocate money to species with each attribute, and choose between each species attribute and endemism in terms of their importance for conservation. Children prioritized species that are important in nature and those whose numbers are declining over species with other attributes, whereas research suggests that adults prioritize endemic species over most other types. Our results suggest children prioritize biodiversity conservation differently from adults, and in ways that may be more conducive to biodiversity conservation in cases where endemism is not directly related to species endangerment, and we suggest the perspectives of children be considered more fully within biodiversity conservation. WASHINGTON, May 4, 2016 - The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today announced $15.6 million in grants to increase prosperity in rural America through research, education, and extension programs focused on promoting rural community development, economic growth, and sustainability. These grants were made through the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) Foundational program, administered by USDA's National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA). "Nearly 60 million Americans live in rural areas, and their value and impact through the agriculture industry can be felt both domestically and internationally," said Secretary Tom Vilsack. "To help these communities remain prosperous and viable, we need to support discovery of new ways that promote economic viability among producers, small businesses, and communities in rural America." Farmers, ranchers, and rural communities are the backbone for Americans everywhere, providing food, feed, fiber, fuels, and open spaces. However, rural areas and communities face many hardships. Nearly 85 percent of persistent poverty counties are located in rural areas and over six million rural Americans, including about 1.5 million children, live in poverty today. Funding from NIFA is expected to assist communities and regions in creating self-sustaining, long-term economic development through research and strategic planning. The following projects have been selected for awards in each AFRI program: Innovations for Rural Entrepreneurs and Communities: University of Idaho, Moscow, Idaho, $499,966 University of Illinois, Champaign, Ill., $500,000 Michigan State University, East Lansing, Mich., $499,738 Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, Miss., $149,974 North Carolina Central University, Durham, N.C., $417,942 Texas A&M University, Kingsville, Texas, $47,570 University of Vermont, Burlington, Vt., $494,110 University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wis., $498,212 Agricultural Economics and Rural Communities - Environment and Natural Resources: University of Connecticut, Storrs, Conn., $500,000 University of Connecticut, Storrs, Conn., $499,995 University of Delaware, Newark, Del., $498,434 University of Illinois, Champaign, Ill., $499,534 North Carolina State University, Raleigh, N.C., $499,995 University of Nebraska, Lincoln, Neb., $498,641 Rutgers University, New Brunswick, N.J., $49,000 Agricultural Economics and Rural Communities - Economics, Markets and Trade: Arizona State University, Tempe, Ariz., $482,831 University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, Ark., $398,186 University of California-Davis, Davis, Calif., $474,132 University of Connecticut, Storrs, Conn., $499,872 Albany State University, Albany, Ga., $499,386 Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kan., $498,396 University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Mass., $499,990 North Carolina State University, Raleigh, N.C., $462,829 Cornell University, Ithaca, N.Y., $499,990 West Virginia University, Morgantown, W. Va., $402,416 NIFA also provided funds through the Small and Medium-sized Farm program. This program assists farmers and ranchers with management strategies and new technologies to improve the viability and competitiveness of small and medium-sized dairy, poultry, livestock, crop, forestry, and other commodity operations. Small and Medium-Sized Farms: Alabama A&M University, Huntsville, Ala., $480,000 Tuskegee University, Tuskegee, Ala., $480,000 Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, La., $479,880 Tufts University, Medford, Mass., $479,194 University of Missouri, Columbia, Mo., $477,860 North Carolina State University, Raleigh, N.C., $469,771 Syracuse University, Syracuse, N.Y., $478,342 South Dakota State University, Brookings, S.D., $479,751 Washington State University, Pullman, Wash., $479,995 University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wis., $425,000 The AFRI Foundational Program supports projects that sustain and enhance agricultural and related activities in rural areas and to protect the environment, enhance quality of life, and alleviate poverty. Some of the issues covered include demographic changes and impacts in rural areas; consumer behavior; how markets are structured and perform; and agriculture's impact on the environment. President Obama's 2017 budget request proposed to fully fund the AFRI program, doubling the amount that was available in 2016 to $700 million. Since its creation, AFRI has been funded at less than half the levels established in the 2008 Farm Bill, and USDA has only been able to fund one out of 10 research proposals presented. While grants awarded to universities, non-profits, community groups, businesses, foundations, associations, and federal agency and international partnerships have led to significant achievements that address critical issues related to agriculture, food, the environment, and communities, thousands of innovative research proposals have been left unfunded. Many of the awarded projects also align with USDA's Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food Initiative, which coordinated efforts across the Department to support local and regional food systems. Under this administration, USDA has invested over $1 billion in more than 40,000 projects that are creating new economic opportunities in rural America, increasing access to healthy foods, and connecting urban and rural communities across the country. ### NIFA invests in and advances agricultural research, education, and extension and seeks to make transformative discoveries that solve societal challenges. To learn more about NIFA's impact on agricultural science, visit http://www.nifa.usda.gov/impacts, sign up for email updates, or follow us on Twitter @usda_NIFA, #NIFAimpacts. USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer. To file a complaint of discrimination, write to USDA, Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, S.W., Stop 9410, Washington, DC 20250-9410, or call toll-free at (866) 632-9992 (English) or (800) 877-8339 (TDD) or (866) 377-8642 (English Federal-relay) or (800) 845-6136 (Spanish Federal-relay) The 2013-2014 sea star wasting epidemic along the Oregon Coast may have been caused by multiple factors and had significant effects on the sea star population and its prey in the area, according to a study published May 4, 2016 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by Bruce Menge from Oregon State University, USA, and colleagues. As keystone predators, sea stars affect the biodiversity and abundance of intertidal species. The recent 2013-2014 outbreak of sea star wasting, a viral disease, affected 20 species from Baja California to Alaska, making it among the largest known marine epidemics. The effects of the wasting are severe; afflicted sea stars may lose arms and disintegrate, appearing to "melt." The epidemic reached Oregon in April 2014 and spread along most of the coast by June, infecting about 90 percent of sea stars. Taking advantage of ongoing long-term research and monitoring in the area, the authors of this study tracked the epidemic by performing nearly 150 surveys of the dominant sea star species as well as their mussel prey living in the rocky intertidal habitats at nine sites along the Oregon coast between spring 2014 and fall 2015. The researchers found that as many as 80 percent of the populations died at the study sites during the epidemic, which occurred during cool water temperatures driven by summer upwelling. Wasting disproportionately affected adults over juveniles, and sea stars in tide pools. By spring 2015, the authors found that the population was recovering in numbers: study sites had up to 300 times as many new sea stars as in 2014. This recovery may be due to the increased availability of small prey, like mussels, resulting from the previous year's sea star loss. The authors hope that these efforts will aid in calling for a coast-wide investigation of how the wasting epidemic affected intertidal communities along North America's western shores. Bruce Menge notes: "In contrast to other locations along the US west coast, sea star wasting disease increased during a period of cool, not warm temperatures, suggesting that the cause of wasting outbreaks is multifactorial. Although up to 84% of local populations died, a massive recruitment of sea stars occurred the following spring, suggesting the possibility of rapid recovery." ### In your coverage please use this URL to provide access to the freely available paper: http://dx.plos.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0153994 Citation: Menge BA, Cerny-Chipman EB, Johnson A, Sullivan J, Gravem S, Chan F (2016) Sea Star Wasting Disease in the Keystone Predator Pisaster ochraceus in Oregon: Insights into Differential Population Impacts, Recovery, Predation Rate, and Temperature Effects from Long-Term Research. PLoS ONE 11(5): e0153994. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0153994 Funding: This research was funded by grants from the David and Lucile Packard Foundation (https://www.packard.org), the Kingfisher Foundation (http://www.kingfisherfoundation.org), NSF (http://www.nsf.gov; OCE14-48913), and endowments from the Wayne and Gladys Valley Foundation (http://fdnweb.org/wgvalley). This is publication 453 from PISCO, the Partnership for Interdisciplinary Studies of Coastal Oceans, funded in part by the David and Lucile Packard Foundation. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript. Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist. A class of 150 US 7th graders has helped select a name for a newly discovered plant, which amazes with its fruits that appear to be bleeding once they are cut open. Bucknell University biology professor Chris Martine and life science teacher Bradley Catherman challenged the students to come up with ideas for what to call the new Australian species last spring. Looking for a way to engage local youngsters in biodiversity science, Martine scheduled a presentation to the collective 7th grade life science classes at Donald H. Eichhorn Middle School. As the day of his assembly approached, he started to think that the best way to generate interest might be to somehow allow the students to participate in the actual research he was doing in his lab at the time. Only, he knew there were few things he could do with 150 13- and 14-year olds sitting in a gymnasium. "I emailed Mr. Catherman and I said, 'How about we ask them to name a new species for me?' explained Martine. "And then I showed up with live plants, preserved specimens, and my notes from the Outback - and we said, 'Go ahead, tell us what to call this thing.'" Nearly a year later, Martine and his co-authors, including two undergraduate students, have published the new species in the open access journal PhytoKeys. The news is coming just in time for the National Teacher Appreciation Day, thus giving tribute to Bradley Catherman, a life science teacher who is not afraid to step beyond the standard curriculum and make that extra step to actually engage his students with their studies. "I was really impressed with Mr. Catherman's willingness to work outside of the typical curriculum on this," said Martine, "In an age when K-12 teachers are increasingly pressured to 'teach to the test' he is still willing to think creatively and try something unusual." Curiously, the new flowering bush species 'behaves' nothing like an ordinary plant. While its unripened fruits are greenish white on the inside when cut open, they start 'bleeding' in no more than two minutes. The scientists have even filmed a video short showing how their insides turn bloody scarlet at first, before growing darker, appearing just like clotting blood. A week after the presentation, each of the students submitted an essay in which they suggested a name, explained the meaning, and translated it into Latin (the language that scientific names are required to be in). Catherman and Martine then selected the two best essays for the inaugural Discovery Prize, a new middle school science award established by Martine and his wife, Rachel. "As you might imagine, the suggestions ran the gamut from the silly to the scientific," said Martine. "But for every request to name the species after a favorite food, family pet, or Taylor Swift, there were many suggestions based on the data the students had been provided." According to Martine, a number of the students suggested names based on two characteristics of the plant's berries: the 'bleeding' unripened fruits and the dry and bone-hard mature ones. Based on this, the plant will now be known as Solanum ossicruentum, best translated to Australian blood bone tomato, with "ossi" meaning "bone" and "cruentum" meaning "bloody". The species belongs to the genus of the tomato. The species is native to the sub-arid tropical zone of northern Australia. Martine collected the seeds, he grew his research plants from, during a 2014 expedition to Western Australia and the Northern Territory. However, specimens of the plant had actually been gathered for years before then. "This is just one of thousands of unnamed Australian species that have been collected by dedicated field biologists and then stored in museums," said Martine, who studied specimens of the new species in the Northern Territory Herbarium before hunting for it in the bush. "There is a wealth of museum material just waiting to be given names - and, of course, the organisms represented by those specimens await that recognition, as well as the attention and protection that come with it." Luckily for Solanum ossicruentum, attention and protection are not too much of an issue. "Not only is it widespread and fairly abundant," said Martine, "but one of the healthiest populations occurs in Mirima National Park, a popular and easily-accessible natural area just outside the Western Australian town of Kununurra." "Plus, middle schoolers can be tough to deal with. I don't think anyone in their right mind would mess with this plant, now," the botanist joked. ### Original source: Martine CT, Cantley JT, Frawley ES, Butler AR, Jordon-Thaden IE (2016) New functionally dioecious bush tomato from northwestern Australia, Solanum ossicruentum, may utilize "trample burr" dispersal. PhytoKeys 63: 19-29. doi: 10.3897/phytokeys.63.7743 Note: Also listed as authors on the recent publication are Bucknell University Burpee Postdoctoral Fellow Jason Cantley, University of California-Berkeley Research Botanist Ingrid Jordon-Thaden, and Bucknell undergraduates Emma Frawley and Alice Butler. Not only did an international research team discover two new endoparasitic wasp species in South Africa and India, and significantly expanded their genera's distributional range, but they also gave a celebrity name to a special one of them. While thinking of a name for the new wasp, Dr Buntika A. Butcher, Chulalongkorn University, Thailand, recalled her long hours of studying in her laboratory right under the poster of her favourite film actor. This is how a parasitic wasp from South Africa was named after Hollywood star Brad Pitt. The researchers have published their findings in the open access journal ZooKeys. The new wasp species, called Conobregma bradpitti, belongs to a large worldwide group of wasps parasitising in moth or butterfly caterpillars. These wasps lay their eggs into a host, which once parasitised starts hardening. Thus, the wasp cocoon can safely develop and later emerge from the 'mummified' larva. Despite their macabre behaviour, many of these wasp species are considered valuable in agriculture because of their potential as biological control. Brad Pitt's flying namesake is a tiny creature measuring less than 2 mm. Its body is deep brown, nearly black in colour, while its head, antennae and legs are brown-yellow. The wings stand out with their much brighter shades. Interestingly, the wasp with celebrity name unites two, until now, doubtful genera. Being very similar, they had already been noted to have only four diagnostic features that set them apart. However, C. bradpitti shared two of those with each. Thus, the species prompted the solution of the taxonomic problem and, as a result, the two were synonymised. In their paper, the authors from Chulalongkorn University, Thailand and the University of Calicut, India, also describe another new species of parasitic wasp. It is the first from its subtribe spotted in the whole of India, while its closest 'relative' lives in Nepal. ### Original source: Butcher BA, Quicke DLJ, Shreevihar S, Ranjith AP (2016) Major range extensions for two genera of the parasitoid subtribe Facitorina, with a new generic synonymy (Braconidae, Rogadinae, Yeliconini). ZooKeys 584: 109-120. doi: 10.3897/zookeys.584.7815 Brooklyn, NY - A study led by SUNY Downstate Medical Center's School of Public Health presents evidence linking personal care products used during pregnancy to adverse reproductive effects in newborns. "The study found a link between women with higher levels of butyl paraben, which is commonly used as a preservative in cosmetics, and the following birth outcomes: shorter gestational age at birth, decreased birth weight, and increased odds of preterm birth," says Laura Geer, PhD, MHS, associate professor in the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences in the School of Public Health at SUNY Downstate. The antimicrobial compound, triclocarban, mainly added to soaps, was associated with shorter gestational age at birth. Another common chemical added to lotions and creams, propyl paraben, was associated with decreased body length at birth. The long-term consequences of this are not clear, and, Geer adds, "Findings must be reproduced in larger studies." The study was a collaboration with SUNY Downstate's Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, and the Center for Environmental Security at Arizona State University's Biodesign Institute, directed by professor Rolf Halden, PhD, a noted expert in the study of antimicrobial chemicals. The findings are available online and will be published in a Special Issue "Emerging Contaminants" in the Journal of Hazardous Materials. Dr. Geer says, "Our latest study adds to the growing body of evidence showing that endocrine-disrupting compounds can lead to developmental and reproductive problems in animals and in humans. Effects observed in previous studies mainly came from animal models only." This study presents evidence of potentially adverse impacts in humans. Larger follow-up studies to confirm these findings are warranted. Geer suggests, "Based on this new evidence, the safety of use of these chemicals in our consumer products should be reassessed." Regulations requiring removal of triclosan from various consumer care products have been in place since 2015 in the European Union, but broader regulatory action by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has not ensued. Various U.S. manufacturers have pledged to voluntarily remove triclosan from various hygiene-related products, while the state of Minnesota has passed a ban on use of triclosan in sanitizing or hand and body cleaning products beginning in 2017. Dr. Geer concludes, "Our study provides further evidence of the importance of assessing the risks of having these additional chemicals in our consumer products. While small-scale changes in birth size may not be of clinical relevance or cause for concern in individual cases, subtle shifts in birth size or timing at the population-level would have major impacts on the risk for adverse birth outcomes." ### Publication of the article was made possible by award R01ES015445, R01ES020889 and their supplements from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) and by award number LTR 05/01/12 from the Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the NIEHS or the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The citation for the article is: Geer LA, Pycke BFG, Waxenbaum J, Sherer DM, Abulafia O, Halden RU. Association of Birth Outcomes with Fetal Exposure to Parabens, Triclosan and Triclocarban in an Immigrant Population in Brooklyn, New York. Journal of Hazardous Materials. DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2016.03.028. A link to an abstract of the article is available here: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jhazmat.2016.03.028 . About SUNY Downstate Medical Center Founded in 1860, SUNY Downstate Medical Center was the first medical school in the United States to bring teaching out of the lecture hall and to the patient's bedside. A center of innovation and excellence in research and clinical service delivery, SUNY Downstate Medical Center comprises a College of Medicine, Colleges of Nursing and Health Related Professions, a School of Graduate Studies, a School of Public Health, University Hospital of Brooklyn, and a multifaceted biotechnology initiative including the Downstate Biotechnology Incubator and BioBAT for early-stage and more mature companies, respectively. SUNY Downstate ranks twelfth nationally in the number of alumni who are on the faculty of American medical schools. More physicians practicing in New York City have graduated from SUNY Downstate than from any other medical school. For more information, visit http://www.downstate.edu. About Arizona State University Arizona State University is the largest public research university in the United States under a single administration, with total student enrollment of more than 70,000 in metropolitan Phoenix, the nation's sixth-largest city. ASU is creating a new model for American higher education, an unprecedented combination of academic excellence, entrepreneurial energy and broad access. This New American University is a single, unified institution comprising four differentiated campuses positively impacting the economic, social, cultural and environmental health of the communities it serves. Its research is inspired by real-world application, blurring the boundaries that traditionally separate academic disciplines. ASU champions intellectual and cultural diversity and welcomes students from all 50 states and more than 120 nations. http://www.asu.edu. About the Biodesign Institute at Arizona State University The Biodesign Institute at Arizona State University works to improve human health and quality of life through its translational research mission in health care, energy and the environment, global health and national security. Grounded on the premise that scientists can best solve complex problems by emulating nature, Biodesign serves as an innovation hub that fuses previously separate areas of knowledge to serve as a model for 21st century academic research. By fusing bioscience/biotechnology, nanoscale engineering and advanced computing, Biodesign's research scientists and students take an entrepreneurial team approach to accelerating discoveries to market. They also educate future generations of scientists by providing hands-on laboratory research training in state-of-the-art facilities for ASU. https://biodesign.asu.edu/. According to the Vision Council of America, roughly 75% of adults in the United States require some form of vision correction. Yet only 10% of Americans wear contact lenses. Studies estimate that one in four initial contact-users finds the lenses uncomfortable and stops wearing them. Thus, increasing the comfort level of contact lenses and expanding the market is a continual objective in the vision industry. In order to understand the factors that contribute to lens comfort, it is important to study the solid and fluid mechanics of a lens' interaction with an eye. In an article publishing this week in the SIAM Journal on Applied Mathematics, authors David Ross, Kara Maki, and Emily Holz design an equilibrium model to demonstrate the elastic stresses and suction pressure distribution between a soft hydrogel contact lens and an eye. The model allows arbitrary (radially-symmetric) lens shapes, eye shapes, and thickness profiles, and illustrates the dependence of pressure distribution on lens and eye shape. "The important thing about our model is that it identifies, and expresses mathematically, the essential elements that balance when a contact lens is in equilibrium: radial tension, hoop tension, and suction pressure," says Ross. "We established that other effects--like bending stresses and viscous stresses at the interface of the lens and the tear film--are negligible." A contact lens acts as a suction cup on the eye. In any suction cup, a thin lubrication layer separates the two solids, at least one of which is deformed by the suction. In this case, the lens distorts its shape when placed on the eye, immersing itself in the naturally-occurring, thin post-lens tear film that acts as the lubrication layer and holds the lens in place. "The post-lens tear film transmits to the eye the normal stresses that deformation establishes in the contact lens," says Maki. This sustains the deformation. When the lens is at equilibrium, the suction pressure -- which pushes or pulls the lens towards or away from the eye -- integrates to zero and generates no net force on the lens; for the desired equilibrium to occur, pressure must balance with radial and hoop tension. "The suction pressure is the only mechanical influence of the lens on the eye in equilibrium," says Ross. "So understanding it is essential to understanding how to design for comfort. During and after blinks there's also shear stress exerted by the tear film on the eye; but to understand that, we need to understand suction pressure." Maki and Ross designed the model in 2014 for practitioners in the field of contact lens design. Now, along with Holz, they introduce a preliminary mathematical analysis of that model. "The model in the form we present in this paper is virtually identical to the model we originally derived by force balance," says Ross. "Good modeling practice in mathematical physics requires that you try to understand problems both from the force balance and the energy-minimization, or variational, perspectives. We wanted to find, apply, and analyze the variational formulation because it enriches the account of the application field problem." Maki and Ross's first paper on this subject presented computational results. Subsequently, Holz computed numerical solutions of the equations, which helped the authors understand the structure of solutions and their reliance on input data. "We used our code to study the dependence of suction pressure distributions on eye and lens shapes," says Holz. "These studies were the starting point for the theoretical investigations whose results are presented in this paper." Analysis of the model reveals telling results about lens thickness and pressure distribution, both of which affect comfort. "The biggest takeaway is that mundane-seeming application problems -- a hydrogel lens is really just a suction cup -- can yield tough math problems," says Maki. "While we're pleased with the crispness of our formulation, the problem is a singular, complicatedly-nonlinear, two-point boundary-value problem." The existence of a solution to this boundary problem depends on lens thickness; in some cases, no solution exists. Ultimately, the varied solutions -- or lack thereof -- confirm the influence of lens thickness and eye and lens shape in the model. Ross et al. hope to use their model's results to reevaluate contact lens design and comfort, and are already working to put this into action. "We're working with collaborators at Bausch & Lomb to understand how the details of suction pressure profiles correlate with comfort," says Maki. "Then we can address the inverse problem of designing lens shapes and thickness profiles for optimal comfort." Increased comfort in contacts may also lend itself to novel applications of the lenses themselves, including drug administration (to treat glaucoma, for example), metabolic monitoring, augmented reality techniques, and sensory enhancement. The authors are trying to generalize their model by eliminating the constraint of radial symmetry in the lens. "With asymmetric lenses suction pressure gradients in the post-lens tear film can drive flows that exert net shear stresses on lenses," says Ross. "We're generalizing our model to capture the motion of a lens over the course of a blink cycle." Maki and Ross will present further advances in this research during a session on ocular modeling at the SIAM Conference on the Life Sciences in Boston this summer: http://www.siam.org/meetings/ls16/index.php ### Email kerner@siam.org for an advance copy of the paper, or view other SIAM Nuggets. Source Article: Existence Theory for the Radially Symmetric Contact Lens Equation SIAM Journal on Applied Mathematics, Volume 76, no 3 About the authors: David Ross is a professor in the School of Mathematical Sciences at the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT). He's worked on industrial applied mathematics, with a strong emphasis on PDE, for the past 30 years. Kara Maki is an assistant professor in the School of Mathematical Sciences at RIT. She is an applied mathematician who specializes in ocular applications. Emily Holz will join Genentech in San Francisco to work on pharmaceutical development after she receives her BS in Biomedical Engineering from RIT this spring. As an undergraduate she performed research with RIT, LSI Solutions, and the National Institute of Standards and Technology, in addition to Genentech. In 2015 she was awarded a Goldwater Scholarship. KANSAS CITY, MO - The Stowers Institute for Medical Research is pleased to announce that Scientific Director and Investigator Robert Krumlauf, Ph.D., has been elected a member of the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) for his distinguished and continuing achievements in original scientific research. Membership in the NAS is considered one of the highest honors given to a scientist in the United States. Krumlauf will be inducted into the NAS next April during its 154th annual meeting in Washington, D.C. Krumlauf joins R. Scott Hawley, Ph.D., as the second Stowers investigator elected to the society of distinguished scholars. Founded in 1863, the NAS includes more than 200 living Nobel laureates and such historic figures as Alexander Graham Bell, Albert Einstein, Thomas Edison, Barbara McClintock, and Orville Wright. A world-renowned developmental biologist, Krumlauf was among the first to insert genes into the mouse genome to create "transgenic" mice that mimic human development. His seminal work involves a set of genes called homeobox genes, which control the layout of a developing embryo. Krumlauf found that mammalian homeobox genes cluster next to one another on the chromosome and that the order of genes on the chromosome matches the order of their expression in the embryo. Today, he also studies the molecular and cellular pathways that govern the patterning of the nervous system, the establishment of the basic body plan, and craniofacial development of vertebrate embryos, particularly how these processes are altered or affected in human diseases. Krumlauf received his B.E. in chemical engineering from Vanderbilt University and his Ph.D. in developmental biology from Ohio State University. He joined the Stowers Institute in 2000 from England's National Institute for Medical Research at Mill Hill, London, now a part of the Francis Crick Institute, where he was head of the Division of Developmental Neurobiology. Krumlauf holds secondary faculty appointments at the University of Missouri at Kansas City Dental School and the University of Kansas Medical Center Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology. He is also a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. "The Stowers Institute is proud of Robb's accomplishments not only as a world-class researcher but also as our scientific director," says David Chao, president and CEO of the Stowers Institute for Medical Research. "Those of us who have had the privilege of working closely with Robb have seen firsthand the amazing breadth and depth of his scientific knowledge and research; his selfless dedication to mentoring, training and education; and his unwavering commitment to the Institute and its members. We are delighted that the members of the esteemed National Academy of Sciences have now honored Robb with his election to its membership." Krumlauf views his election to the NAS as a tribute to the many mentors and institutions that have supported him during his career. "I am delighted and feel truly honored to be elected to this prestigious scientific society. I believe it recognizes the contributions and research of all the wonderful people I have been fortunate to work with over many years." ### About the National Academy of Sciences The National Academy of Sciences is a private, nonprofit honorific society of distinguished scholars engaged in scientific and engineering research, dedicated to the furthering of science and technology and to their use for the general welfare. The NAS has served to "investigate, examine, experiment, and report upon any subject of science or art" whenever called upon to do so by any department of the government. For more information, or for the full list of newly elected members, visit http://www.nasonline.org/site/PageServer. About the Stowers Institute for Medical Research The Stowers Institute for Medical Research is a non-profit, basic biomedical research organization dedicated to improving human health by studying the fundamental processes of life. Jim Stowers, founder of American Century Investments, and his wife Virginia opened the Institute in 2000. Currently the Institute is home to nearly 500 researchers and support personnel, over 20 independent research programs, and more than a dozen technology development and core facilities. Learn more about the Institute at http://www.stowers.org and about its graduate program at http://www.stowers.org/gradschool. JUPITER, FL May 4, 2016 - Scientists from the Florida campus of The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) have been awarded a $2.5 million grant from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences of the National Institutes of Health to design precision drug candidates that target disease-associated RNAs. Matthew Disney, a TSRI professor, will be the principal investigator for the new four-year study. "A major goal of genome sequencing efforts is to develop drug targets that could enable the development of patient-specific therapies," Disney said. "In this project, we are developing quick ways to convert this information into lead drugs by using several novel and transformative technologies we developed. The new grant will keep us moving forward and allow us to tackle many new challenges in the area of precision medicine." While to date large macromolecules have generally been used to target RNA, small molecules can pass through the blood-brain barrier, a critical factor in the treatment of neurological diseases and cancer that affects the brain. The Disney lab's untraditional approach has been broadly applicable in developing precision probes to target disease-causing RNA repeat expansions, which cause more than 30 diseases--including Huntington's, which has no cure--affecting millions worldwide. Disney's successful efforts in identifying various drug-like small molecules that bind to RNA is the result of his lab's broad, bottom-up, computational approach known as Inforna, which can deep mine information against such genome sequences and cellular RNAs. The new grant will enable Disney and his team to further investigate the manipulation of microRNAs. Discovered only in the 1990s, microRNAs are short molecules that work within virtually all animal and plant cells. Typically, each one functions as a "dimmer switch" for one or more genes, binding to the transcripts of those genes and effectively keeping them from being translated into proteins. The new grant will also allow Disney to expand development of small molecules that target two miRNAs with a single small molecule and to study the cellular consequences targeting multiple disease pathways using what he calls a "designer poly-pharmacy approach." The number of the grant is 2R01GM097455-05. ### Quantum information science and technology has emerged as a new paradigm for dramatically faster computation and secure communication in the 21st century. At the heart of any quantum system is the most basic building block, the quantum bit or qbit, which carries the quantum information that can be transferred and processed (this is the quantum analogue of the bit used in current information systems). The most promising carrier qbit for ultimately fast, long distance quantum information transfer is the photon, the quantum unit of light. The challenge facing scientists is to produce artificial sources of photons for various quantum information tasks. One of the biggest challenges is the development of efficient, scalable photon sources that can be mounted on a chip and operate at room temperature. Most sources used in labs today have to be very cold (at the temperature of liquid Helium, about -270C), which requires large and expensive refrigerators. Many sources also emit photons in undefined directions, making efficient collection a hard problem. Now, a team of scientists from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem has demonstrated an efficient and compact single photon source that can operate on a chip at ambient temperatures. Using tiny nanocrystals made of semiconducting materials, the scientists developed a method in which a single nanocrystal can be accurately positioned on top of a specially designed and carefully fabricated nano-antenna. In the same way large antennas on rooftops direct emission of classical radio waves for cellular and satellite transmissions, the nano-antenna efficiently directed the single photons emitted from the nanocrystals into a well-defined direction in space. This combined nanocrystals-nanoantenna device was able to produce a highly directional stream of single photons all flying to the same direction with a record low divergence angle. These photons were then collected with a very simple optical setup, and sent to be detected and analyzed using single photon detectors. The team demonstrated that this hybrid device enhances the collection efficiency of single photons by more than a factor of 10 compared to a single nanocrystal without the antenna, without the need for complex and bulky optical collection systems used in many other experiments. Experimental results show that almost 40% of the photons are easily collected with a very simple optical apparatus, and over 20% of the photons are emitted into a very low numerical aperture, a 20-fold improvement over a freestanding quantum dot, and with a probability of more than 70% for a single photon emission. The single photon purity is limited only by emission from the metal, an obstacle that can be bypassed with careful design and fabrication. The antennas were fabricated using simple metallic and dielectric layers using methods that are compatible with current industrial fabrication technologies, and many such devices can be fabricated densely on one small chip. The team is now working on a new generation of improved devices that will allow deterministic production of single photons straight from the chip into optical fibers, without any additional optical components, with a near unity efficiency. "This research paves a promising route for a high purity, high efficiency, on-chip single photon source operating at room temperature, a concept that can be extended to many types of quantum emitters. A highly directional single photon source could lead to a significant progress in producing compact, cheap, and efficient sources of quantum information bits for future quantum technological applications", said Prof. Ronen Rapaport, of the Racah Institute of Physics, The Department of Applied Physics, and the Center of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. ### The Hebrew University of Jerusalem is Israel's leading academic and research institution, producing one-third of all civilian research in Israel. For more information, visit http://new.huji.ac.il/en. With its donation of 11.5 million euro, the Werner Siemens Foundation has facilitated the launch of the teaching and research domain Synthetic Biotechnology at the Technical University of Munich (TUM). This gives the new TUM School of Bioengineering (MSB) a strong accent as an Integrative Research Center. The foundation contract was signed yesterday in Munich. Synthetic biotechnology integrates the methodological research approaches of biochemistry, bioinformatics, catalysis, and industrial or "white" biotechnology. The scientific groundwork was done by a research team headed by the chemist Prof. Thomas Bruck, who, following an industrial career, received a call to the newly created Chair of Industrial Biocatalysis at TUM. The grant, through which the Werner Siemens Foundation creates this new focus, will be used to upgrade the laboratories in Garching, fund the new chair for Synthetic Biotechnology and create an associated student/teacher laboratory to attract particularly talented students. An existing highlight is the algae laboratory on the Ludwig-Bolkow Campus in Ottobrunn, which was recently opened as a worldwide novelty. It serves the technical cultivation of algae as an innovative, environmentally-friendly raw material for aircraft fuels and industrial chemicals. From greenhouse gas to insulin "We dream of biological systems that produce insulin, for example, out of light and carbon dioxide," explains Prof. Thomas Bruck. "To this end we need to couple an energy-supplying photosynthetic unit with an insulin-producing system. Current research results indicate that this strategy is promising." With the advanced methodologies of bioinformatics, simulating biological processes and making predictions is becoming evermore viable. Coupling feedback from computer simulations and experimental data acquisition accelerates gains in knowledge and insight. On this basis, a central task of synthetic biotechnology is to illuminate structure-function relationships in enzymatic systems. One goal of this research is the development of artificial enzymes with customized catalytic activity and artificial cell systems with optimally structured metabolic networks that enable the mass and energy-efficient production of chemical products. Foundation for pioneering initiatives The Werner Siemens Foundation fosters research and teaching in the fields of technology and natural sciences, education, training and the promotion of young talents. A prerequisite for a funding priority is that pioneering results have been previously achieved. "With this new center for synthetic biotechnology, we are strengthening and bundling our competencies in catalyst research, white biotechnology and bioinformatics to form a hitherto unrivaled new branch of research," says TUM President Wolfgang A. Hermann. "Synthetic biotechnology applies the understanding of biological processes to then targeted development of biological synthesis processes in industrial applications. This approach puts us ahead of our time." ### 'These outcomes demonstrate that it is feasible to save lives from cardiac arrest through implementing Telephone-CPR instructions delivered by 9-1-1 dispatchers,' said University of Arizona emergency medicine researcher Dr. Bentley J. Bobrow. TUCSON, Ariz. - The implementation of a Telephone Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (TCPR) program increases survival rates and favorable outcomes for patients who experienced an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, according to a University of Arizona Department of Emergency Medicine study published online in JAMA Cardiology. "Although out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) is a major public health problem in the United States, we have a life-saving treatment - CPR. Most cardiac arrest victims, however, don't get that treatment before trained rescuers arrive," said Bentley J. Bobrow, MD, professor at the UA Colleges of Medicine in Tucson and Phoenix and co-director of the Arizona Emergency Medicine Research Center - Phoenix, part of the UA Department of Emergency Medicine. He also serves as medical director for the Bureau of Emergency Medicine Services and Trauma System at the Arizona Department of Health Services. Bystander CPR (BCPR) has been shown to double or even triple survival from OHCA. Despite decades of public CPR training, in most communities fewer than half of all individuals with cardiac arrest receive any BCPR, and bleak survival rates persist. In response, both the American Heart Association and the Institute of Medicine have emphasized the importance of telecommunicators (9-1-1 call takers and dispatchers) identifying cardiac arrest and assisting lay rescuers (people without medical training) in providing BCPR to improve survival. In the study, "Implementation of a Regional Telephone Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation Program and Outcomes After Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest," 2,334 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests were analyzed by Dr. Bobrow and his colleagues. They examined detailed voice recordings from 9-1-1 calls and linked them with emergency medical services and hospital outcome data. The research took place between October 2010 and September 2013 and was a before-after observational analysis of patients suffering from OHCA. Researchers found that implementing a bundle of care - including a special guideline-based protocol, TCPR training and quality improvement - resulted in gains in several areas, including a reduction in the time to first bystander chest compression (from 256 to 212 seconds), an increase in TCPR rates (from 44 percent to 53 percent) and most importantly an increase in survival to hospital discharge (from 9 percent to 12 percent) and in favorable functional outcomes (from 5.6 percent to 8.3 percent). "TCPR training is used today, but not in its most effective way," Dr. Bobrow said. "The results of implementing this type of training aren't being measured and continuous quality improvement is not routinely done. "These outcomes are significant because they demonstrate that it is feasible to save more lives with the 9-1-1- system, which already is in place. This intervention of Telephone CPR instructions should be carefully implemented and continuously measured to assure maximal impact," Dr. Bobrow said. Implementing a TCPR program is relatively inexpensive since 9-1-1 centers already are staffed 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and ready to help people with emergencies, he said. The Arizona EMS system has been making steady improvements in its resuscitation system and "this study seemed like the next logical step," he added. "We want dispatchers to recognize what cardiac arrest sounds like over the telephone right away," Dr. Bobrow said. "Ideally, the future of TCPR would be to have all dispatchers and 9-1-1 centers implement TCPR training in their regular training of dispatchers and perform continuous quality improvement by measuring performance. "I think it's important for people to know that if they see someone collapse and that person is in obvious distress, to immediately begin chest compressions and have a dispatcher guide them through CPR," Dr. Bobrow said. "We are extremely proud of this work by Dr. Bobrow and his team," said Samuel M. Keim, MD, professor and head of the UA Department of Emergency Medicine, and director of the University of Arizona Emergency Medicine Research Center. "His research is not only ground-breaking, it is saving lives in Arizona today!" Dr. Bobrow continues to lead the way in emergency medicine and cardiac care, said UA College of Medicine Tucson Dean Charles B. Cairns, MD. His and his teams research reflects the innovative work being done to improve patient care at the UA College of Medicine Tucson, the state of Arizona and the across the world. ### About the University of Arizona Emergency Medicine Research Center The University of Arizona Emergency Medicine Research Center is part of the University of Arizona Health Sciences, which is the statewide leader in biomedical research and health professions training. The UA Health Sciences includes the UA Colleges of Medicine (Phoenix and Tucson), Nursing, Pharmacy and Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health, with main campus locations in Tucson and the growing Phoenix Biomedical Campus in downtown Phoenix. From these vantage points, the UA Health Sciences reaches across the state of Arizona and the greater Southwest to provide cutting-edge health education, research, patient care and community outreach services. A major economic engine, the UA Health Sciences employs almost 5,000 people, has nearly 1,000 faculty members and garners more than $126 million in research grants and contracts annually. For more information: http://uahs.arizona.edu New research has shown that patients undergoing emergency surgery in lower income countries have a three times greater chance of dying than in higher income countries. The study, published in the British Journal of Surgery, monitored post-surgery death rates and mapped them against the Human Development Index (HDI) of each country. 10,745 patients were monitored up to 30 days after undergoing emergency abdominal surgery, at hospitals in 58 participating countries. The study showed that death rates were three times higher in low income countries than in high income countries, even after adjustment for prognostic factors such as fitness for surgery, diabetes history and smoking status. The team behind the research, from the Universities of Birmingham, Edinburgh and Sheffield, believe that the study demonstrates a need to improve patient safety in low income countries, and revisit the use of the surgical safety checklists -- the standard global marker of hospital safety. Dr Aneel Bhangu, from the University of Birmingham, explained, "The association between increasingly mortality and lower income countries might be explained by differences in prognosis, in treatment, or maybe both. What we can say is that our study highlights the significant disparity between countries, and an urgent need to address it." It is believed that less than a third of the world's population have access to safe, timely and affordable surgery. Only 6% of the 300 million surgical procedures performed each year take place in low or middle income countries, despite a third of the world's population living there. Surgical death rates are routinely collected in high income countries, such as the United Kingdom and United States, but there is little to no surveillance in as many as 70% of low and middle income countries. Mr Ewen Harrison, from the University of Edinburgh, described the importance of collecting this data in order to understand what influences surgical outcomes; "Improving surgical access and safety can only be achieved if we really understand what influences surgical outcomes on a global scale". The team behind the research have developed a novel model of data collection, forming an international collaboration of doctors known as 'GlobalSurg'. This network was created largely using social media, and data capture during the study was improved by use of a novel platform accessible from mobile internet devices. Dr Edward Fitzgerald, from the GlobalSurg committee, added, "By creating an international network of surgeons it has been possible to collect data on real patients, at the bedside. To measure surgical outcomes we reversed the traditional research model and recruited study collaborators via social media and other avenues. This established a data-sharing platform that is accessible from smartphones." The team also analysed the types of surgery being conducted. Regardless of income setting, the most commonly performed emergency abdominal operation was removal of appendix. The GlobalSurg team hopes that their ongoing research will build on the findings and look to identify targets to help improve the safety of operations for surgical patients around the world. ### A star like the Sun has an internal driving in the form of a magnetic field that can be seen on the surface as sunspots. Now astrophysicists from the Niels Bohr Institute have observed a distant star in the constellation Andromeda with a different positioning of sunspots and this indicates a magnetic field that is driven by completely different internal dynamics. The results are published in the scientific journal, Nature. Stars are glowing balls of gas that through atomic processes release energy that is emitted as light and heat. In the interior of the star are charged particles that swirl and spin and thereby create a magnetic field that can burst out onto the surface of the star, where it appears as sunspots. Sunspots are cool areas caused by the strong magnetic fields where the flow of heat is slowed. On our star, the Sun, the sunspots are seen in a belt around the equator, but now scientists have observed a large, distant star where sunspots are located near the poles. Sunspots at the poles "What we can observe on the star is that it has a large sunspot at its north pole. We cannot see the south pole, but we can see sunspots at latitudes near the poles and these sunspots are not there at the same time, they are seen alternately on the northern and southern hemispheres. This asymmetry of sunspots indicates that the star's magnetic field is formed in a different way than the way it happens in the Sun," explains astrophysicist Heidi Korhonen, Dark Cosmology Centre at the Niels Bohr Institute at the University of Copenhagen. The star that has been observed is a massive star that is approximately 16 times the size of the Sun in diameter. It is located180 light years away in the constellation Andromeda. It is much too far away to be able to observe the details on the surface of a star that is only seen as a spot of light that is less than one pixel. Astronomers have previously seen sunspots on Zeta Andromeda using the Doppler method, which means that you observe that light wavelengths of the rotating star. Sunspots are cool areas and by studying the wavelengths you can construct a map of the surface temperature. So far this has been the best way to observe the surface structures of distant stars, but there may be misinterpretations, so there have been doubts about the accuracy concerning the existence of the polar sunspots. But by using a method where you gather images from several different telescopes that you observe simultaneously, you can get far more details than you could achieve with even with the largest telescopes individually. But it was not easy. It is a method that has been used for decades in the radio waveband field and using the CHARA Array, consisting of six telescopes, it has now become possible to observe the visible and near-infrared light. "With these new observations, we have many more details and extra high resolution. Our new measurements confirm that there are large sunspots at the poles. We see dark sunspots on the northern visible pole, while the observations reveal that the lower latitudes are areas with sunspots that do not last, but appear and disappear again with an asymmetrical distribution on the surface of the star and this was surprising," says Heidi Korhonen, who is an expert on sunspots. Powerful magnetic field But why is the location of the sunspots different than those we know from the Sun? Heidi Korhonen explains that it is a very different star than the Sun. It is a binary star, that is, two stars orbiting each other. This causes the stars to rotate more quickly. The Zeta Andromeda star, which is the larger of the two stars, rotates at 40 km per second. The Sun rotates at 2 km per second. "It is the rapid rotation that creates a different and very strong magnetic field. The strong magnetic field gives a more complicated dynamo effect that resembles what you see at the stage where a new star is being created. Here we are seeing the same effect in an old active star that is in its final stage," explains Heidi Korhonen. On the Sun, the sunspots appear and disappear on a regular basis and the number increases periodically approximately every 11 years. The magnetic field that creates the sunspots can also trigger large, explosive discharges of plasma, causing solar storms to hit the Earth. These storms result in very strong northern lights and can also cause problems for orbiting satellites and the power grid on Earth. ### Contact: Heidi Korhonen Astrophysicist Dark Cosmology Centre Niels Bohr Institute University of Copenhagen 45-3533-3425 heidi.korhonen@nbi.ku.dk Irvine, Calif., May 4, 2016 -- University of California, Irvine's high-containment biosafety level 3 training laboratory has been selected as the third facility in the U.S. designated by the National Institutes of Health's National Biosafety & Biocontainment Training Program to provide continuing education to professionals. The official National Training Center designation will be conferred during a May 9 opening event for the biosafety level 3 (BSL-3) training lab, which is the first of its kind in the country to be specifically designed and built solely for educational purposes. UCI Chancellor Howard Gillman, Vice Chancellor for Health Affairs Dr. Howard Federoff and NIH Division of Occupational Health and Safety Director Deborah Wilson will be among distinguished speakers, and guided tours will be provided. "The National Training Center designation from NIH further establishes UCI as a leader in an area of research that is critically important for the public's health," Federoff said. "As a world-class research university, it's in our DNA to continuously explore and to improve training." With this designation, UCI can deliver NIH-sanctioned courses for biocontainment facilities and operations personnel in a functional yet safe environment. "Our center leaders bring several decades of their own experience in infectious disease research labs to the program, giving them an informed perspective on what world-class training should look like," said Dr. Alpesh Amin, The Thomas & Mary Cesario Chair of the Department of Medicine, which oversees the program. "Already, more than 1,000 people have completed the nationally recognized UCI program," he said, "carrying critical safety practices back to labs in federal and state governments, the military, public health agencies and more than 25 universities from the U.S. and abroad." Built in 2015, the state-of-the-art 1,600-square-foot UCI laboratory allows classroom and practical training in a real-life setting, but without the risks from hazardous materials and without the inconvenience of having to shut down and decontaminate fully operational laboratories. In addition, schooling on how to identify and diagnose mechanical and engineering failures can be simulated without risking damage to the established operational parameters of real BSL-3 laboratories. Infectious diseases - such as Ebola virus, West Nile virus, Hanta virus, tuberculosis, virulent influenza strains and, currently, Zika virus - have become increasingly prevalent over the past few years and represent a growing threat to public health. Research and development work involving many of these emerging pathogens requires special laboratory facilities, which are termed high-containment or biosafety level 3. BSL-3 laboratories' sophisticated engineering, administrative controls and rigorous training programs ensure the safety of lab workers, support staff, first responders and the general public. Nationally, it is estimated that there are more than 2,500 BSL-3 laboratories in the academic, public health and corporate settings. "Our partnership with Dr. Wilson and her program has been a very productive collaboration for over eight years," said Gary Landucci, director of the BSL-3 training and development program at UCI. "The National Training Center designation from NIH is another milestone for us, and we look forward to the ongoing mutual opportunities that this partnership provides." Started in 2006 and with nine years of continuous grant support from the UCI-based Pacific Southwest Regional Center of Excellence, the Integrated Training Program for High Containment BSL-3 Laboratories has developed and delivered courses for all applicable personnel groups. It was selected in 2015 to provide BSL-3 training to the Centers for Disease Control's Select Agent Program inspectors. It's also the official biocontainment training lab for the University of California system and has been honored as a UC Center of Excellence. When not being used for BSL-3 training, the facility will provide general laboratory safety education for student and staff. Previously, facilities at Kansas State University and Kent State University received NIH National Training Center designation. ### About the University of California, Irvine: Currently celebrating its 50th anniversary, UCI is the youngest member of the prestigious Association of American Universities. The campus has produced three Nobel laureates and is known for its academic achievement, premier research, innovation and anteater mascot. Led by Chancellor Howard Gillman, UCI has more than 30,000 students and offers 192 degree programs. It's located in one of the world's safest and most economically vibrant communities and is Orange County's second-largest employer, contributing $4.8 billion annually to the local economy. For more on UCI, visit http://www.uci.edu. Media access: Radio programs/stations may, for a fee, use an on-campus ISDN line to interview UC Irvine faculty and experts, subject to availability and university approval. For more UC Irvine news, visit news.uci.edu. Additional resources for journalists may be found at communications.uci.edu/for-journalists. LAWRENCE -- A new study of gay Latino and gay white men suggests different ethnic groups experience "coming out" differently. The research, appearing in the peer-reviewed journal Self and Identity, examines verbal disclosure of one's gay identity to others as reported by the two groups of gay men. "Verbal disclosure is what most people think of as 'coming out' as gay," said lead author Adrian Villicana, a doctoral student in social psychology at the University of Kansas. "It's verbalizing to other people, 'I am gay.' It's a proclamation, it's yelling from the rooftop -- at least that's a common understanding of what it is and should be." Indeed, Villicana and his co-authors Kevin Delucio of the University of California, Santa Barbara, and Monica Biernat of KU, suggest that verbal disclosure is emphasized by National Coming Out Day as a kind of "cultural directive." But the researchers sought to discover if positive benefits of verbal disclosure -- shown to enhance subjective well-being-- apply equally to white and Latino gay men. "In the literature there are various models that detail the process by which gay men form their gay identity and integrate it into their sense of self," Villicana said. "This 'integration' is when you finally start to accept your gay identity, internalize it into how you think of yourself and start to 'come out' to others about being gay. Generally, these models assume coming out is verbal disclosure, and it's associated with the extent to which you're comfortable being gay -- the more you disclose and the more people know you're gay, the more you've accepted and are comfortable with being gay." In two separate studies, the research team recruited gay Latino and gay white men via Amazon's Mechanical Turk and asked them to complete extensive questionnaires. Their results show that verbal disclosure of gay identity increased subjective well-being for gay white men but didn't influence subjective well-being for gay Latino men. As a result, the investigators suggest verbal disclosure might accurately be seen as an effective strategy within a "white framework" that doesn't account for facets of identity like race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status and religion. "When scholars talk about gay identity as a white construction, it's because the data we have comes from gay white men for the most part," Villicana said. "While it's good to understand this identity and related process, it limits our understanding of gay-related processes for other people. It's confusing and potentially misleading to use data from one group and apply it to another group in the same way." New data revealed by the team's research reveals this difference, he said. "We found two reasons why gay white men who verbally disclose have higher well-being," Villicana said. "First, verbal disclosure leads to more feelings of authenticity, so feeling that they are showing their 'true self.' Second, as they verbally disclose to others, they begin to incorporate others into how they view themselves. But for gay Latino men, verbal disclosure is not related to these two things. For gay Latino men, authenticity and incorporating others into how they view themselves is not influenced by their sexual identity, but may be more tied to their ethnic identity." The researchers suggest that gay men of color could gain the same benefits to their well-being through implied disclosure rather than verbal disclosure of their gay identity. "This paper looks at disclosure by other means," Villicana said. "Disclosure can be nonverbal. It's more action-based, like bringing a same-sex partner to family events. More stereotypically, you might bring your same-sex roommate of 20 years. So, there's tacit acknowledgement, but there isn't discussion or verbalization. You're still sharing it with other people, but not in verbal ways." ### University of Leicester academic spoke at Parliamentary Select Committee on Culture, Media and Sport about challenges facing the cultural sector in the UK and recommendations for improvement An academic from the University of Leicester has suggested that disparities in funding for the cultural sector at a regional level results in cultural institutions and programmes in many areas of the UK being deprived of vital resources. Dr Lisanne Gibson from the University of Leicester School of Museum Studies joined Dr Abigail Gilmore from the University of Manchester earlier this month to speak at the Parliamentary Select Committee on Culture, Media and Sport, discussing the new 'Countries of Culture' inquiry in order to offer expert insight into some of the key issues facing the cultural industries. One key issue identified is the imbalance of governmental funding allocated to the cultural sector at a regional level, with London receiving more funding than the rest of the United Kingdom combined - leaving many regions' facilities and programmes underfunded. The UK has a rich and varied cultural offering, but in recent years there has been some debate about whether this cultural capital is too heavily concentrated in London, and concerns that local authority budget cuts are constraining the cultural offering in the regions. The academics argue that funding disparity results in the wealthiest and most educated in society participating most in cultural activities -- as well as benefiting the most from government subsidies. Among the recommendations made for improving regional funding for cultural industries in the UK are: Introduce a cultural strategy which focuses on local communities and facilitates local stakeholders being able to influence policy Introduce a tourism tax on hotel stays in London to help fund broader regional cultural enterprises Charge entrance fees/fees for international tourists for London museums and cultural events to help subsidise regional cultural activities The researchers also identified a number of other challenges facing the cultural sector, including: a decline in British students in the UK studying to become culture and heritage practitioners at university; a lack of jobs in the UK cultural sector broadly; and a lack of diversity in the cultural and creative industry workforce, made worse by the frequent requirement to volunteer or work for free initially. Dr Gibson said: "The Government's Culture White Paper (2016) while laudable in its focus on participation is disappointing in that it remains focused on the status quo, that is, supporting culture that is already (and has always been) funded rather on focusing on funding innovation in cultural practice designing to support what a larger majority of people actually want to do in their spare time." ### Dr Gibson mentioned the project on which she is a co-investigator 'Understanding everyday Participation- Articulating Cultural Values' (AHRC 2012-2017) and its emerging findings on the richness of people's participation including those designated by cultural surveys as 'non-participators'. The discussion at the Parliamentary Select Committee is available at http://www.parliamentlive.tv/Event/Index/da4f7c93-11aa-41fb-840e-77e68cff2621 An image of Dr Lisanne Gibson is available here: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/7v6y88ygrodbxdg/AAA0W2Py6bt2Nfsmsgn-LV01a?dl=0 Kathryn Schumaker, University of Oklahoma assistant professor in the Department of Classics and Letters in the OU College of Arts and Sciences, is the recipient of one of 30 fellowships from the National Academy of Education for early career scholars working in critical areas of education. The fellowship award of $70,000 is designated to assist with the fellow's salary and research expenses for the fellowship period. The Academy, an honorary educational society, administers the fellowships with funding from the Spencer Foundation. "The OU community congratulates Professor Schumaker for receiving this outstanding grant for her work to enhance educational opportunity for all Americans," said OU President David L. Boren. Schumaker plans to use the fellowship funds for her current book project, which is tentatively titled, "Civil Rights at the Schoolhouse Gate: Student Protest and the Struggle for Racial Reform." She specializes in 20th century U.S. history and teaches courses on gender, race and social movements in OU's Institute for American Constitutional Heritage. Her research interests include legal, African American and urban history of childhood and youth. The Academy believes the fellowships enhance the future of education research by developing new talent in the many disciplines and fields represented by the scholars selected. These fellowships are the oldest source of support for education research, nationally and internationally, for recent recipients of the doctorate. Now in its 30th year, the fellowship program has nearly 800 alumni, including many of the strongest education researchers in the field today. Established in 1996, the Academy has funded more than 700 postdoctoral fellows. This year, the Academy received 176 applications for 30 fellowships to begin during the 2016-2017 academic year. Applications are reviewed by Academy members judged on the applicant's past research record, career trajectory and quality of the project described in the application. For more information about the National Academy of Education fellowship program, visit http://www.naeducation.org. ### Survey conducted in Leeds, UK, and Warsaw, Poland, finds residents who think their neighbourhoods are more ethnically diverse express lower acceptance of minority ethnic groups Relationship between attitudes and perceived diversity depends on the neighbourhood context Those most prejudiced towards minority ethnic groups in Leeds are people who think they live in more diverse neighbourhoods and are in areas with a high recent influx of ethnic minorities People who think they live in diverse neighbourhoods are less likely to be accepting of minority ethnic groups, an international research project by the University of Sheffield has found. Dr Aneta Piekut, of Sheffield Methods Institute, and Professor Gill Valentine, Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Social Sciences, investigated how attitudes towards minority ethnic groups are related to actual and perceived diversity by conducting a survey of communities in Leeds, UK, and Warsaw, Poland. The study, published in European Sociological Review today (Tuesday May 3, 2016), investigated the relationship between diversity and attitudes at a very local level, asking respondents to assess the level of diversity in their neighbourhood to see how well aligned their perceptions were with reality. The survey of 1,036 residents in Leeds and 1,179 in Warsaw found the actual ethnic diversity of a neighbourhood did not have a negative effect on how people felt towards minority ethnic groups. On the contrary, in Leeds people living in areas with a higher share of non-white British residents expressed more favourable attitudes towards immigrants and refugees. However, the level of perceived diversity was negatively related to attitudes towards minority ethnic groups. In both Leeds and Warsaw, people perceiving their immediate residential areas as more diverse were more prejudiced. In Leeds, the most socially open towards minority ethnic groups were those living in ethnically diverse settings, but who did not perceive their neighbourhoods as diverse. In Warsaw, the results were inconclusive but there was some evidence that the least accepting of ethnic minorities are residents of homogenous neighbourhoods who think they are very diverse. Dr Aneta Piekut said: "Actual and perceived diversity work differently. Residents of ethnically mixed neighbourhoods in Leeds, and those having everyday contact with people of minority ethnic background in both cities, are more tolerant towards them. Yet, those 'seeing' their neighbourhood as diverse -- regardless whether it was actually diverse or not -- are more prejudiced." Using data from 2001 and 2011 censuses for neighbourhoods in Leeds, the analysis tested whether the negative relationship between perceived diversity and attitudes is the same across the city, or if it depends on the characteristics of neighbourhoods. "Our study demonstrates that diversity perceptions are spatial and temporal -- they depend on neighbourhood context and recent changes in the immediate living area," said Dr Piekut. The people most prejudiced towards minority ethnic groups were those expressing high perceived diversity and living in areas with a high recent influx of minorities of 'white other' and 'mixed' ethnicity, as well as areas with recent deterioration of life conditions in their neighbourhood -- for example, an increase in council housing. The paper employed quantitative social science methods to talk about sensitive and difficult topics. "We wanted to start a discussion on why people see diversity differently," said Dr Piekut. "What are the social and economic factors determining whether we see our surrounding as diverse or not; what is the role of media or the nature of political debates in different European countries in shaping these perceptions?" The work was part of the project 'Living with Difference in Europe: making communities out of strangers in an era of super mobility and super diversity' -- a European Research Council Advanced Investigator Award to Professor Gill Valentine (grant no. 249658). The study could be replicated in other countries and European cities differing in ethnic diversity experiences. It would increase understanding of how ethnic diversity and immigration are presented in public debates, which can contribute to distorted perceptions of some populations. ### Additional information The University of Sheffield With almost 27,000 of the brightest students from over 140 countries, learning alongside over 1,200 of the best academics from across the globe, the University of Sheffield is one of the world's leading universities. A member of the UK's prestigious Russell Group of leading research-led institutions, Sheffield offers world-class teaching and research excellence across a wide range of disciplines. Unified by the power of discovery and understanding, staff and students at the university are committed to finding new ways to transform the world we live in. Sheffield is the only university to feature in The Sunday Times 100 Best Not-For-Profit Organisations to Work For 2016 and was voted number one university in the UK for Student Satisfaction by Times Higher Education in 2014. In the last decade it has won four Queen's Anniversary Prizes in recognition of the outstanding contribution to the United Kingdom's intellectual, economic, cultural and social life. Sheffield has five Nobel Prize winners among former staff and students and its alumni go on to hold positions of great responsibility and influence all over the world, making significant contributions in their chosen fields. Global research partners and clients include Boeing, Rolls-Royce, Unilever, AstraZeneca, Glaxo SmithKline, Siemens and Airbus, as well as many UK and overseas government agencies and charitable foundations. Contact For further information please contact: Hannah Postles Media Relations Officer University of Sheffield 0114 222 1046 h.postles@sheffield.ac.uk Extremadura La Junta de Extremadura archiva el expediente del proyecto de deposito de residuos en Salvatierra de los Barros The fallacy of free will denial wont die. From The Independent, with my commentary: Free will could all be an illusion, scientists suggest after study shows choice may just be brain tricking itself Free will might be an illusion created by our brains, scientists might have proved. Humans are convinced that they make conscious choices as they live their lives. But instead it may be that the brain just convinces itself that it made a free choice from the available options after the decision is made. Brains dont trick themselves or convince themselves of anything, because brains arent selves and are incapable of convincing or of being convinced. A brain is an organ, and it metabolizes, generates action potentials, secretes neurotransmitters, etc. A brain does things proper to brains, and it doesnt do things proper to people. Only people are selves, and only people do convincing and only people can be convinced. This distinction may seem academic or even pedantic, but the fallacy invoked by the author (the mereological fallacy the nonsensical attribution of agency to parts which properly belongs only to the whole) infests neuroscience. It is raw nonsense, and the invocation of the mereological fallacy suggests that the invoker hasnt a clue about the physiology going on. The idea was tested out by tricking subjects into believing that they had made a choice before the consequences of that choice could actually be seen. In the test, people were made to believe that they had taken a decision using free will even though that was impossible. The study says that the brain rewrites history when it makes its choices, changing our memories so that we believe we wanted to do something before it happened. The brain rewrites history when it makes choices Im pounding my forehead on my keyboard In one of the studies undertaken by Adam Bear and Paul Bloom, of Princeton University, the test subjects were shown five white circles on a computer monitor. They were told to choose one of the circles before one of them lit up red. The participants were then asked to describe whether theyd picked the correct circle, another one, or if they hadnt had time to actually pick one. Statistically, people should have picked the right circle about one out of every five times. But they reported getting it right much more than 20 per cent of the time, going over 30 per cent if the circle turned red very quickly. The scientists suggest that the findings show that the test subjects minds were swapping around the order of events, so that it appeared that they had chosen the right circle even if they hadnt actually had time to do so. Not a surprising finding. When presented with rapid choices under pressure, some people misremember what they chose. So what? The idea of free will may have arisen because it is a useful thing to have, giving people a feeling of control over their lives and allowing for people to be punished for wrongdoing. Its a safe bet that when scientists propose a really inane explanation for a mundane observation, evolutionary psychology is the discipline invoked. So it seems that our delusion of free will, somehow proven here by the observation that people under pressure get confused about choices, provided a survival advantage, allowing our simian ancestors to feel better about themselves and to punish miscreant apes in the community with a clear conscience. Evolutionary psychology is a parody of itself. But that same feeling can go awry, the scientists wrote in the Scientific American magazine. It may be important for people to feel they are control of their lives, for instance, but distortions in that same process might make people feel that they have control over external processes like the weather. Finally, an evolutionary psychology explanation for belief in anthropogenic global warming! Whatever the case may be, they write, our studies add to a growing body of work suggesting that even our most seemingly ironclad beliefs about our own agency and conscious experience can be dead wrong. The work is published in the journal Psychological Science. Free will is real. Arguments against free will that depend on science generally invoke determinism and materialism. The fallacious reasoning is that physical processes are deterministic and our choices are wholly material processes determined by physical law and natural history. Both presuppositions are false. Nature is not deterministic quantum theory since the 1920s has ruled out determinism in physics, and the non-deterministic nature of physics has been elegantly demonstrated by modern experiments. Furthermore, the human mind is not wholly material. Contemplation of universals abstract thought is inherently immaterial, because universals cannot be instantiated in matter, and that includes brain matter. Actions chosen that are based on abstract thought are free of material determinism by their very nature. Perhaps most egregiously, denial of free will is self-refuting. If our decisions are wholly determined by neurochemistry, then our decisions have no claim to truth, because chemical reactions have no truth-value. One chemical reaction is no truer than another. The declaration that opinions are mere chemical reactions is really the denial of the relevance of the opinion expressed. To deny free will is to deny the relevance of ones own assertion. Free will is a fact of human psychology. The denial of free will is a self-refuting superstition an intellectual fad, really based on illogic, on discredited 19th century science and on 21st century junk science, so clearly instantiated in the research referenced above. Image credit: Bill Sanderson/Wellcome Library, London, [CC BY 4.0], via Wikimedia Commons. I never brought stuff for the masses, but did for immediate family. I always brought two checked bags, one of my clothes, stuff, etc, the other a foot locker loaded with a bag of chocolates, good bath soap (Dove), good hair shampoo and conditioner, coffee, spam or a canned ham, and few other things that usually added up to 50 lbs . Got most of it at Costco in U.S. Then let wife decide how it was given out once there. It was amazing the stuff I took for granted as just every day stuff was like gold there to family up in the craziness of Bagong Silang. For you, if for a girlfriend and family, then stuff that is clearly "France" is nice along w/ similar items to what I listed, but otherwise, I would not be doling out stuff to the masses. Friend of mine went to buy some drinks for about 4 kids once when out and found himself suddenly surrounded by 20 kids wanting the soda before he even had the first 4. It never ends. AUSTIN The tiny town of Nordheim, population 307, lost a key battle in a three-year fight against the oil industry Tuesday when the Texas Railroad Commission approved the permit for an oil field landfill on its doorstep. The three-member commission, which regulates the oil and gas industry, defied public opposition in granting a permit for the landfill near the city limits of Nordheim in DeWitt County, one of the busiest parts of the Eagle Ford Shale oil field. Does your client understand the social license to operate they have asked for here? Commissioner Ryan Sitton asked the attorney for the company that wants to build and operate the site. Ill be candid. I dont like the site. The landfill would accept oil-based mud, soil contaminated by oil spills and drill cuttings, as well as broken bits of rock and dirt that get drilled through on the way to finding oil and gas. Whether he liked it or not, Sitton said that didnt matter because the site met the states technical requirements. Dont screw this up, he warned San Antonio-based Pyote Reclamation Systems, which hopes to build the waste facility. Residents in yellow T-shirts that read Citizens against Pyote Reclamation vowed to keep fighting, and talked strategy in the hallway as soon as the meeting ended. Most of them woke when it still was dark out so they could meet up for the two-plus-hour caravan ride to Austin as the sun rose. Well be back. You cant get rid of a bunch of old Germans that easily, said Sister Elizabeth Riebschlaeger, a nun with the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word in San Antonio, who grew up in nearby Cuero and has been an environmental advocate for residents across the region. Nordheim, population 307, had put up a fight few others communities have managed to wage, with technical arguments that questioned site engineering. The small towns residents have held up the approval process for three years with their lobbying, letters and public testimony. They say the site is potentially hazardous, is too close to their city and just a half-mile from their school, which has about 170 students. They also have raised questions about whether a big rain would send water from the site, which would be on a high point called Pilots Nob, into creeks and onto neighboring properties, and argued that the soil on site couldnt be used to build berms that would hold water during a flood. Pyote Reclamations George Wommack said the company took the concerns of residents seriously and designed a safe landfill. Its all about best practices. Weve designed the best facility in South Texas, Wommack said. He would like to start construction to start in 2017. We have two projects in the Permian Basin were focused on right now, Wommack said. Nordheim residents had expected the commissioners would not vote their way. We plan to go further, said Lyn Janssen, who lives on Hohn Road, where the facility would be built. The attorney for Nordheim residents, Marisa Perales, said they plan to file a motion for rehearing before the commission, and failing that, could consider going to district court in Travis County. They could also oppose an air permit for the site at the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. The fight has been waged since residents first heard about the project three years ago. They wrote nearly 200 protest letters. They founded a group called Concerned About Pollution, the only one of its kind in the 400-mile oil field, and hired attorneys, geologists and chemical engineers to help them fight the application process in Austin. They have taken charter buses and showed up by the dozens at Railroad Commission hearings with T-shirts and signs protesting the project. At one hearing, nearly all of the Nordheim School senior class, 11 students out of 14, showed up, too. After residents raised questions about whether the site could handle catastrophic floods, the design was changed so the stormwater ponds on site could handle hurricane-level amounts of rain, about 10.1 inches of rainfall in 24 hours. In the past few months, residents also questioned the safety of a pipeline that crosses the site. They pointed out in a December hearing before an administrative judge that the pipeline company never had been notified about the project. But the pipeline company earlier this year sent a letter to the agency, saying it had no issues with the landfill. Many of the residents biggest safety concerns the chance for increased truck traffic on a narrow road, the ability of its volunteer fire department to respond to a fire at an oil field landfill and the proximity of the site to Nordheims only K-12 school are things the state agency has said are beyond its purview. Alan Buchhorn, whose family has owned a farm near the proposed landfill for about 130 years, said he wasnt surprised by Tuesdays vote. It just seems like theres such a narrow margin they look at, and they dont consider health issues or the community around the site, Buchhorn said. Theres such a lack of concern for people. Theres only concern about getting it approved. State Rep. Geanie Morrison, R-Victoria, attended Tuesdays hearing to support residents and oppose the site. She said she was proud of Nordheim for putting up a technically complex battle against the permit. She told commissioners she understood they couldnt consider the ramifications of permits an issue she said should be tackled in the next legislative session while the agency is under Sunset Review, the regular assessment of a state agency. Voter Guide: What to know for the midterm election Your guide to the Texas and San Antonio races and candidates on the Nov. 8 ballot. Its going to cause this community some real problems, Morrison said. Railroad Commissioner Sitton visited Nordheim late last year, spending about a half-day visiting with residents and seeing the site where the landfill would be located. He wanted to see the community himself to understand it, Morrison said. Also, he was saying, This is our role. This is what we do. The problem of waste in the Eagle Ford and where to put it has been a difficult one for communities, several of which have said they are worried they will end up used as a dumping ground. Drilling in the Eagle Ford generates a lot of water and solid waste that must go somewhere, but no one wants it disposed of next to them. Environmental engineers for Pyote said the land is close to ideal for this sort of facility its covered in a thick layer of clay, is not in an aquifer recharge area and has no wetlands. Under the terms of the permit, it would not be allowed to impact groundwater or surface water all water would be contained on-site. Residents disagree and say soil tests werent done properly. But if it werent for the protests, the facility long ago would have sailed through an administrative approval process with the Railroad Commission staff. Now residents hope the market conditions generally lousy in the oil and gas business might work in their favor. Theyre not drilling, said Nordheim Mayor Kathy Payne. I dont see how they can be profitable. None of the sites are making money right now. Another facility opened in nearby Cuero off of U.S. 183 one that recycles oil field material instead of landfilling it in deep, permanent pits. Several Nordheim residents and local officials have toured that facility, and say they hope that all the oil field material goes there instead. Read the lawsuit here. jhiller@express-news.net Twitter: @Jennifer_Hiller This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate AUSTIN The tiny town of Nordheim lost a key battle against the oil industry Tuesday morning when the three elected officials of the Texas Railroad Commission voted to approve the permit for an oil field landfill on the outskirts of their community. The commission, which regulates the oil and gas industry, granted a permit for the landfill near the city limits of Nordheim in DeWitt County, one of the busiest parts of the Eagle Ford Shale oil field. Does your client understand the social license to operate they have asked for here? Commissioner Ryan Sitton asked the attorney for the company that wants to build and operate the site. Ill be candid. I dont like the site. But Sitton said the site met the states technical requirements, adding, Dont screw this up. Residents vowed to keep fighting. More Information Past coverage: Nordheim keeps fighting landfill at its doorstep See More Collapse The landfill would accept oil-based mud, soil contaminated by oil spills, and drill cuttings, as well as broken bits of rock and dirt that get drilled through on the way to finding oil and gas. Nordheim, population 307, had put up a fight few others communities have managed to wage, with technical arguments that questioned site engineering. The small towns residents have held up the approval process for three years with their lobbying. They say the site is potentially hazardous and is too close to their city and just a half mile from their school, which has about 170 students. They also have raised questions about whether a big rain would send water from the site, which would be on a high point called Pilots Nob, into creeks and onto neighboring properties, and argued that the soil onsite could not be used to build berms that would hold water during a flood. George Wommack, whose San Antonio-based Pyote Reclamation Systems hopes to build the waste facility, said the company took the concerns of residents seriously and designed a safe landfill. Its all about best practices. Weve designed the best facility in South Texas, Wommack said. He would like to start construction to start in 2017. We have two projects in the Permian Basin were focused on right now, he said. In the hallway outside the hearing, Nordheim residents gathered to commiserate, though they had expected the commissioner would not vote their way, and talk about their next move. We plan to go further, said Lyn Janssen, who lives on Hohn Road, where the facility would be built. The attorney for Nordheim residents, Marisa Perales, said they will file a motion for rehearing before the commission, and failing that, could consider going to district court in Travis County. They could also fight an air permit for the site at the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. The fight has been waged since residents first heard about the project three years ago. They wrote nearly 200 protest letters. They founded a group called Concerned About Pollution, the only one of its kind in the 400-mile oil field, and hired attorneys, geologists and chemical engineers to help them fight the application process in Austin. They have taken charter buses and showed up by the dozens at Railroad Commission hearings wearing bright yellow shirts that say in red letters, Citizens Against Pyote Reclamation. At one hearing, nearly all of their senior class, 11 students out of 14, showed up, too. After residents raised questions about whether the site could handle catastrophic floods, the design was changed so that the stormwater ponds on site could handle hurricane-level amounts of rain, about 10.1 inches of rainfall in 24 hours. In the last few months, residents also questioned the safety of a pipeline that crosses the site. They pointed out in a December hearing before an administrative judge that the pipeline company had never been notified about the project. But the pipeline company earlier this year sent a letter to the agency, saying it had no issues with the landfill. Many of the possible safety issues most upsetting to residents the chance for increased truck traffic on a narrow road, the ability of its volunteer fire department to respond to a fire at an oil field landfill or the proximity of the site to Nordheims only K-12 school are things that the state agency has said is beyond its purview. State Rep. Geanie Morrison, R-Victoria, attended Tuesday's hearing to support residents and oppose the site, and said she was proud of Nordheim for putting up a technically complex fight against the permit. She told commissioners she understood that they couldnt consider the ramifications of permits an issue she said should be tackled in the next legislative session while the agency is under Sunset Review. Its going to cause this community some real problems, Morrison said. Sitton visited Nordheim late last year, spending about a half day visiting with residents and seeing the site where the landfill would be located. Voter Guide: What to know for the midterm election Your guide to the Texas and San Antonio races and candidates on the Nov. 8 ballot. He wanted to see the community himself to understand it, Morrison said. Also, he was saying, This is our role. This is what we do. The problem of waste in the Eagle Ford and where to put it has been a difficult one for communities, several of which have said they are worried that they will get a reputation as being a dumping ground. Drilling in the Eagle Ford generates a lot of water and solid waste that must go somewhere, but no one wants it to end up next to them. Environmental engineers for Pyote said the land is close to ideal for this sort of facility its covered in a thick layer of clay, is not in an aquifer recharge area and has no wetlands. Under the terms of the permit, it would not be allowed to impact groundwater or surface water all water would be contained on-site. If it werent for the protests, the facility long ago would have sailed through an administrative approval process with the Railroad Commission staff because it met the agencys technical requirements. jhiller@express-news.net Twitter: @Jennifer_Hiller This report was updated to correct that the commission met Tuesday. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate The Texas General Land Office, after months of research, will not seek ownership of the 38,000 items in the Alamo library collection that has been at the center of a legal battle with the Daughters of the Republic of Texas. According to a recent filing in a lawsuit initiated last year by the DRT, the Land Office has determined it is not claiming state ownershipover any of the items in the library collection except for perhaps a handful of specifically identified items for which GLO has has not yet made a determination. The DRT has insisted it owns materials the Daughters accumulated during their 110 years at the Texas shrine. A court record lists nine items still in dispute, including a printed copy of the Texas Declaration of Independence from 1836 belonging to Samuel Maverick, a signer of the declaration, and other documents and books related to Maverick and his family. A book, The Works of Dr. Benjamin Franklin, published in 1846, also is among the items in question. The case had been set for a trial to begin Thursday, but has been reset for a June 9 court date, said Brittany Eck, Land Office press secretary. The Texas attorney generals office, representing the state in the case, said in an April 25 motion that the Land Office and DRT have been in detailed settlement discussions. The AGs office has asked that the lawsuit be dismissed, arguing that the Land Office has sovereign immunity and did not commit an unlawful action, as it had not claimed ownership of any specific items in the collection. It also has argued the Land Office has not done anything that would require compensating the DRT. Dr. Betty Edwards, DRT President General, said in a release that the group welcomes the Land Offices newfound respect for private property. But she said it came in the form of a failed attempt to avoid facing a judge to answer for the state agencys attempted takeover of the collection. The fight to defend our historical DRT Library collection from the states over-reaching grasp has proven to be an expensive one. But the Daughters are committed to standing up to bureaucratic bullying, Edwards said. Lamont Jefferson, the lawyer for the DRT in the case, said there still could be an abbreviated trial to resolve remaining property issues and the matter of the DRTs attorney fees. A settlement would bring closure to a transition at the Alamo that began in 2011, when the Land Office assumed custodianship of the state-owned Texas shrine, site of a 1700s mission and famous siege and battle in 1836. The DRT had previously been custodians since 1905, and then the sites operations contractor for the Land Office, until Land Commissioner George P. Bush terminated the DRT contract in July 2015. The DRT has spent more than $100,000 in legal costs so far, and is said to be ardently opposed to any claim by the state to the Maverick copy of the declaration a rare document. Judge John D. Gabriel, 131st District Court, is assigned to the case. The Land Offices decision not to claim ownership of most of the family papers, maps, paintings, archival photos and other documents is a major victory, said David B. Gracy II, a former state archivist who has sided with the DRT in the case. The Land Office had assigned two employees to examine the collection for four months. Im delighted that the Land Office is abandoning claims to the material, Gracy said. If they drop all claims, theres not an issue. In a 2013 review of 3,668 purchased and donated library items, the Land Office concluded about 13 percent belonged to the DRT, while nearly 80 percent had inconclusive documentation. Gracy countered in a 2014 report that the state unfairly applied modern documentation standards such as deed of gift forms that only have been common since the 1990s to a collection the DRT began accumulating at the Alamo in 1945. The DRT hopes to move the collection to Texas A&M University-San Antonio. Gracy said it would be an ideal location, since many of the items are tied to San Antonio and South Texas, and are not Alamo-specific. It would be more accessible than the historic Alamo complex downtown, he said. According to the Big Give SA website, the DRT had raised about $10,000 late Wednesday to support transfer of the collection to the university. shuddleston@express-news.net Twitter: @shuddlestonSA This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Early on, former U.S. Rep. Charles Gonzalez got some solid advice when he succeeded his father in Congress. Even though the cost would come out of his own funds, you better send those calendars, he was told by staffers who had served Henry B. Gonzalez. The annual mailout had become a symbol to constituents during the senior Gonzalezs 37- year career in the U.S. House, his son said Tuesday at an event marking the late congressmans 100th birthday. It really was a connection they had with the federal government, Charles Gonzalez said. Staffers had warned him, Itll be a firestorm if they dont get them, so he continued the practice. If that calendar was in the mail every year, then they knew their government was functioning, he said. Gonzalez said that was among many lessons learned from his dad, who died in 2000 at age 84, two years after retiring. He cited it as an example of how his father paid scrupulous attention to individual constituents, earning a reputation as a dedicated public servant. Other tenets he inherited were to stick to the truth, strive for inclusiveness and show concern for every person, the son told dozens of family and friends gathered at the University of Texas at San Antonio Downtown Campus for the centennial tribute. Speakers including Henry Cisneros, former Housing and Urban Development secretary and mayor, shared insights into the elder Gonzalezs political career, which started on the City Council and the Texas Senate in the 1950s, when the state was still segregated, and shifting to Washington, D.C., from 1961 to 1998. But the storytelling started well before those days, with Lionel Sosa describing how the Gonzalez family fled the Mexican Revolution in 1911 and settled in San Antonio. Born here in 1916, Gonzalez grew up in the Five Points area surrounded by families that also had fled Mexico, and he would later fight the discrimination they, too, faced. One of his most notable acts of courage was to go after people who were doing wrong, no matter what their standing in the political community, Cisneros said. He credited Gonzalez with launching HemisFair 68, which shaped the future of downtown, and playing major roles in protecting local military jobs, passing Civil Rights legislation and addressing the savings and loan crisis. Political scientist Henry Flores said Gonzalez will go down in history as a loving husband and father, a consummate politician who loved his country and had faith in our national institutions, and always did what he felt was the right thing. It was the days second event paying tribute to Gonzalez. Earlier at the Central Library, he was remembered as an avid reader who supported federal legislation to help libraries and literacy. His memory was honored with proclamations from city, state and federal officials. A Bexar County tribute is planned for later this month. Gonzalezs legacy has been a guiding light throughout my career and its an honor to serve in a seat he once filled, said U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-San Antonio. jgonzalez@express-news.net Twitter: @johnwgonzalez This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate WASHINGTON Since Donald Trumps improbable surge in the polls last summer, nothing has been able to keep the brash billionaire down. In Tuesdays Indiana primary, Ted Cruzs last-ditch campaign wasnt able to stop the businessman either. In a decisive and at times bizarre Midwestern showdown that Cruz had called favorable ground, Trump won a delegate haul that eased his path toward the Republican presidential nomination, raising questions about the future of the Texas senators campaign. Cruz quickly answered those questions in a concession speech in Indianapolis invoking Americas greatness and the need for Republican unity though without mentioning Trump. From the beginning, I have said that I would continue as long as there was a viable path to victory, Cruz told stunned supporters. Tonight Im sorry to say it appears that path has been foreclosed. Together, we left it all on the field in Indiana. We gave it everything weve got. But the voters chose another path. And so, with a heavy heart, but with boundless optimism for the long-term future of our nation, we are suspending our campaign. Though he made no promises to back Trump, now the GOPs presumptive nominee, Cruz made clear he is not leaving the political scene. Hear me now, Cruz said after conceding defeat. I am not suspending our fight for liberty. I am not suspending our fight to defend the Constitution, to defend the Judeo-Christian values that built America. Our movement will continue. Trump gave a victory speech from New York, where he read from written remarks and claimed all of Indianas 57 delegates. He vowed to go after apparent Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton, but also acknowledged Cruz, who outlasted 17 GOP competitors besides Ohio Gov. John Kasich, who trailed in Indianas voting but remains in the race. I have to tell you, Ive competed all my life, Trump said. Just so you understand, Ted Cruz, I dont know if he likes me or if he doesnt like me, but hes one hell of a competitor. He is a tough, smart guy, and he has an amazing future. The surprising end of Cruzs campaign capped a rollicking day of political theater that hit some of the emotional lows of the entire 2016 campaign. Mid-morning, as voting progressed, Cruz had implored Indiana Republicans to rally to his side, questioning Trumps character in starkly personal terms. We are staring at the abyss, he said. In the face of widespread speculation that Cruz might end his campaign with a loss in Indiana, his campaign gamely scheduled rallies Wednesday in Nebraska and Washington State, which hold primaries later this month. Both were expected to be competitive, though recent polls showed Trump opening a wide lead in the June 7 contest in California, the last and biggest primary state. Then came Cruzs last-gasp jeremiad, calling the likely GOP nominee a pathological liar, a narcissist and a serial philanderer who has problems with women. He also reminded voters of Trumps public acknowledgment of battling venereal disease in the past. Trump, in a statement, called Cruzs invective a ridiculous outburst. In contrast to his gracious victory speech, Trump also questioned Cruzs temperament to be president. Ted Cruz is a desperate candidate trying to save his failing campaign, Trump said. I have been watching Lyin Ted become more and more unhinged as he is unable to react under the pressure and stress of losing. The Texas senators onslaught came during a press conference after Trump, in a national television appearance in the morning, speculated about a widely ignored National Enquirer story linking Rafael Cruz, Cruzs Cuban immigrant father, to Lee Harvey Oswald and the assassination of John F. Kennedy. Lets be clear, this is nuts, Cruz said. This is not a reasonable position. This is just kooky. And while Im at it, I guess I should go ahead and admit, yes, my dad killed JFK, he is secretly Elvis and Jimmy Hoffa is buried in his back yard. The National Enquirer also recently published an anonymously-sourced story suggesting that Cruz had conducted extra-marital affairs with five women, including at least two of his political aides. Cruz has accused Trump of being behind that story, which he called tabloid trash. Speaking to reporters at a barbecue stop in Evansville, Indiana, Cruz unloaded on the former reality TV star, who has made outlandish claims and name-calling a signature feature of his campaign. In the most dramatic break yet from their past political alliance, Cruz engaged in a 10 minute soliloquy on Trump, dissecting his rival in blunt terms rarely heard in modern campaigns. Im going to do something I havent done for the entire campaign, Cruz said, Im going to tell you what I really think of Donald Trump. This man is a pathological liar. The man cannot tell the truth, but he combines it with being a narcissist. A narcissist at a level I dont think this country has ever seen. Donald Trump is such a narcissist that Barack Obama looks at him and goes, Dude, whats your problem? Everything in Donalds world is about Donald. The harsh exchange between the two top GOP rivals suggested that the bitter divisions within the Republican Party are unlikely to heal before Julys national convention, when party leaders will undoubtedly call for unity against Clinton. It also called into question whether Cruz would still honor his promise to support Trump if he is the GOP nominee something he did not address in his concession speech or in the earlier anti-Trump harangue. Though Cruz was mathematically eliminated from reaching the 1,237-delegate majority needed to lock down the GOP nomination, he could have stayed in the race and possibly led a convention floor fight to block Trump from reaching the winning threshold. A contested convention in Cleveland would have involved multiple rounds of balloting, giving Cruz or Kasich a chance to persuade delegates to switch sides and forge a majority to stop Trump, regardless of how their states voted. With Cruz out of the race, the delegate math is now academic. Needing to pick up the pieces, Trump praised Cruzs decision to end his campaign. We must bring unity to the Republican Party, Trump said. Its so much easier if we have it. A Bexar County jury has sentenced a 62-year-old man to 60 years in prison for continuous sexual assault of a child. The victim, now 10, testified at the trial last week of Steve Kou. She was 8 years old when she reported the abuse to a relative in July 2014 and said it started while she was in kindergarten and had been going on for three years. The child told investigators from Child Safe at the time of her outcry that Kou would perform sex acts on her and force her to perform sex acts on him. Additionally, the girl had to be treated for a sexually transmitted disease, according to court records. A jury convicted Kou on Friday and he was sentenced Monday by state District Judge Melisa Skinner. This 60-year sentence guarantees this defendant will no longer harm this young girl or another innocent child, District Attorney Nicholas Nico LaHood said in a statement released by his office. I hope this verdict sends a strong message to other predators out there who harm our children. The childs mother told jurors that her daughter is traumatized and continues to have nightmares, the statement said. Sheriff's deputies arrested Kou on July 16, 2014, after the childs grandmother reported the abuse. Deputies said at the time that the girl told relatives that Kou abused her in his bedroom and bathroom at a home in Northeast Bexar County, mostly on Sundays when the girls family was at work and her grandmother was asleep in another room. The last incident occurred July 4, 2014, when Kou took the girl by the hand, walked her into his bedroom and sexually assaulted her, court records and an arrest warrant affidavit state. She was assaulted twice that day, once in the morning and again in the afternoon. Kou did not talk to investigators and did not testify at his trial, the DAs office said. Continuous sexual assault of a child is a first-degree felony, punishable by 25-99 years or life in prison. Kou is not eligible for parole. ezavala@express-news.net Twitter: @elizabeth2863 SAN ANTONIO A five-year veteran of the San Antonio Police Department was arrested on Monday night and charged with sexually assaulting a child. Juan Ruiz-Carrillo, 47, was taken into custody shortly after 9 p.m. on the second-degree felony charge, according to SAPD spokesman Sgt. Jesse Salame. According to an arrest warrant affidavit, Ruiz-Carrillo is suspected of sexually assaulting the teen on a nearly weekly basis for about four years. The document alleges that the abuse began when the victim was 15, and that he told her that he would kill himself if she told anyone what was going on. MORE: Ex-SAPD officers accused of tricking women into sex with bogus undercover operation indicted The affidavit said that the young girl made an outcry to a youth pastor at her church, who told the victims parents and urged them to contact police. SAPD Chief William McManus said at a Tuesday morning press conference the department received an "outcry" from the alleged victim "that she was being sexually assaulted or having sexual relationships" with Ruiz-Carrillo. Bob Owen/San Antonio Express-News We wasted no time, McManus said, adding that the incident was an "outrage." We had this officer in custody within 24 hours. We spent a long time looking for him. Once we finally found him, we arrested him without incident," he said. RELATED: Sheriff: California mother connected to 'horrific' child abuse case in San Antonio McManus said Ruiz-Carrillo was scheduled to work on Monday. However, he called in sick about an hour before his shift. At this point, it is unclear whether he had any indication that he was going to be arrested. We were actually waiting for him to come in, he said. We had the paperwork ready to go put him on administrative leave at that point. McManus said Ruiz-Carrillo has been placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of his case. There is no one in this police department that is pleased by this or happy about this. It is an embarrassment to the department. Officers take great pride in their jobs, and no one wants to see an officer whos been convicted or whos been involved in something like this remain on the department, McManus said. Text "NEWS" to 72727 to sign up for breaking news from mySA Mdwilson@express-news.net Twitter: @mdwilsonsa Bexar Countys Public Works Department has taken a dim view of a pitch from Sen. Carlos Uresti that the county sue businesses responsible for leaking underground storage tanks. Uresti has partnered with local attorney Justin Hill on a proposal that the county file litigation against 40 potential defendants including Chevron Products, Diamond Shamrock and Exxon Co. USA over 304 Leaking Petroleum Storage Tank (LPST) sites, past and present, owned by those companies. Hill, who has experience with LPST litigation in Houston, sent county commissioners a letter on April 15, addressing questions about the proposed lawsuits, namely why Hill and Uresti compiled a litigation list with only 10 active sites, and 294 that are closed (including 185 that have been closed for at least 15 years). County reps wondered why Hill and Uresti didnt instead focus their attention exclusively on the 106 known active LPST sites in the county. Hill explained in his April 15 letter that he worked with the District Attorneys office to limit the number of offenders for which enforcement actions were sought to only the worst offenders and those offenders that were responsible for multiple locations throughout Bexar County. Hill added: Some of the sites are active and some are closed. However all the sites fall into the category that they are self-admitted polluting groundwater, surface water or endangering sources of water. The fact that so many of the offending sites were closed and cleaned up years ago has prompted some concerns within the county that the litigation proposal is nothing more than a mercenary, moneymaking venture for the county. If the litigation goes forward, the county would split any collected fines 50-50 with the state, and pay contingency fees to Hill and Uresti. I see this as nothing more than ambulance chasing at a different level, Kevin Wolff, the lone Republican on the Commissioners Court, told me last month. Its not fixing anything. Its just a way to try and generate fees for a (law) firm, cloaked in revenue for the county and protecting the environment. Similar skepticism comes through in a new Public Works memo, obtained by the San Antonio Express-News. The memo was crafted as an answer to Hills letter. The Public Works memo describes Hills points as inadequate, lacking supporting documentation and not sufficient to eliminate lingering concerns from the county. The memo takes particular umbrage at Hills comparison of the 304 LPST sites to federal superfund sites, which often encounter civil penalties well after the cleanup has taken place. The attorneys comparison of the 304 UST (underground storage tank) sites on his list to federal superfund sites is ridiculous, the memo states. Superfund sites are site-specific locations that have been contaminated by hazardous wastes and are classified as such because they pose a significant risk to human health and/or the environment. The list of 304 USTs do not fall into this category. Hill has argued that the purpose behind the proposed litigation goes beyond punishing entities who had leaking tanks. Its to send a message to possible future offenders that they wont be allowed to get away with environmental contamination. In that sense, according to Hill, whether or not the tanks are still active is less important than the fact that the violations occurred. Uresti made a similar point in an interview for this column. In light of whats going on in Flint (Michigan) and other parts of the country that were not hearing about, what is so wrong with making sure precautions are being taken? Uresti asked. If it puts others on notice, what harm is done there? Absolutely none. The Public Works memo also points to last years passage of HB 1794, a state law which, among other things, prevents local governments from filing an environmental suit more than five years after learning about a violation. Although HB 1794 does not apply to any violations that occurred before the law went into effect, the memo states, Clearly the intent is to disallow this type of lawsuit in the future. Within the next few weeks, we should know whether or not the Commissioners Court will follow the lead of Public Works and disallow the county from going forward with this particular set of lawsuits. ggarcia@express-news.net Twitter: @gilgamesh470 PROVIDENCE, R.I. Researchers say they believe the ship that 18th century explorer Capt. James Cook used to sail around the world is still submerged somewhere in Newport Harbor, but itll take a lot of work and money to identify it. The Rhode Island Marine Archaeology Project, which is leading the search effort, said at a news conference in Providence on Wednesday that it has narrowed its search to a group of five sunken wrecks. Kevin Sumption, director of the Australian National Maritime Museum, said hes thrilled the search has reached this point. This isnt a process that can be rushed, he said. People would love us to have an instant result, but there is no such thing as instant results in maritime archaeology. Nearly 250 years ago, Cook ran aground on Australias Great Barrier Reef during a voyage to the South Pacific to observe the planet Venus. His ship was the Endeavour, an ugly and awkward little vessel that improbably helped him become the first European to chart Australias east coast. Cook used the Endeavour to claim Australia for the British during his historic 1768-71 voyage. The Endeavour is considered to be the founding vessel for Australia, said Kathy Abbass, founder and executive director of the Rhode Island Marine Archaeology Project. Shes important in all of the Pacific Rim countries, shes important to England and shes important, as well, to the whole world because of the scientific information brought back. The Endeavour was part of a fleet of 13 ships the British scuttled during the Revolutionary War in 1778 to blockade Newport Harbor from the French, Abbass said. In 2014, the Australian National Maritime Museum signed an agreement to help the Rhode Island group find the lost vessel. The museum hopes to locate the wreck in time for the 250th anniversary celebrations of Cooks voyage. The Rhode Island Marine Archaeology Project recently used a grant from the Australian National Maritime Museum to locate documents in London identifying the groups of ships in that fleet and where each was scuttled. The nonprofit thinks the Endeavour is part of a group of five sunken wrecks. Abbass said shell need to raise millions for archaeological field work and to build a facility for artifacts. If the Endeavour is found, it will belong to Rhode Island, she added. Yasser al-Zayyat / Getty Images MOSCOW Russia and the U.S. said a cease-fire may soon be announced for the besieged Syrian city of Aleppo, which the United Nations believes could help restart talks on ending a five-year civil war. Russia and the U.S. are completing an agreement on the cessation of hostilities and a decision is possible in the near future, maybe even in the next few hours, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Tuesday in Moscow after talks with the U.N.s envoy for Syria, Staffan de Mistura. COLUMBUS Farmers, landowners and farm policy makers voiced their concerns for increased land values and high tax rates at a time when farmers are facing historically low farm incomes. The Government Accountability and Oversight Committee heard eight testimonies and received an additional five written testimonies in favor of reform of the Current Agricultural Use Value (CAUV) formula during a second hearing of House Bill 398, May 3. Increasing rates Recently, farmers across the state have experienced skyrocketing CAUV increases, said Brandon Kern, director of state policy at Ohio Farm Bureau Federation (OFBF). The average statewide CAUV value increased by 294% from 2008 to 2014. Kern said, in 2014, farmland property tax payers paid $370 million more in taxes than in 2008, an increase of 307 percent. From 2010 to 2012, commodity prices and farm income were on the rise but, Kern said, the gains farmers made didnt come close to matching the corresponding increases in CAUV they now face. While commodity prices rose about 100 percent during the very peak of the short boom, values, and therefore, taxes have increased closer to 300 percent. Appreciation and equity H.B. 398, which closely mirrors S.B. 246, calls for a revision in the formula used to determine land values through CAUV to exclude appreciation and equity buildup. The formula inflates farmland value by assuming the land appreciates and landowners achieve equity buildup, explained Kern. H.B. 398 would prohibit the use of factors that assume land appreciation and prohibit the use of an equity buildup calculation. Conservation The bill also calls for land currently enrolled in a conservation program or in federal land retirement to be valued at CAUVs minimum value, but only if it remains in conservation for at least three years. Under CAUV, a landowner continues to be taxed as if the land is yielding agricultural production income, said Kern, adding it is hard to convince farmers to use conservation practices when they are being taxed more than they are earning on that land. Wade Smith, a farmer in Lucas County and an Ohio Farm Bureau state board member, shared how significant increases in CAUV have impacted his organic tomato and specialty crop operation. Smith said they started their operation in greenhouses to let the land lay fallow for the minimum five years required for organic field production. Per the last valuation, our CAUV values more than doubled. With the land laying fallow, we are now carrying a heavier tax burden for land that we could not use until the requirements for organic standards had been met, said Smith. If we dont ensure farmland property taxes are accurately reflective of the production producing potential of the land, many farmers wont be able to survive. -Brandon Kern, Ohio Farm Bureau Woodlands Woodland owner also expressed concern with high tax values. Paul Mechling owns a 310-acre tree farm in Ashtabula County. From 2008 to 2011, Mechling saw his woodland land value increase 236 percent, and from 2011-2014, he had another increase of 263 percent. He said when the woodland Interest group in Ashtabula County surveyed landowners, it found average woodland CAUV land value increased 551 percent from 2008 to 2014. He added that many parts of Ashtabula County are considered wetlands and soils are not allowed to drained to comply with federal farm programs. So we had a 551% increase in CAUV land values and we are not allowed to farm the land. This trend is unsustainable, said Mechling No incentives Taxes and fragmentation are two of the main problems for woodland owners, said Ron Ott, who owns 180 acres of woodlands in Harrison County. He fears heavy taxing will discourage woodland owners from hanging on to their land, forcing them to sell to developments, and resulting in a loss of Ohios forest life. Eleven states have no tax on woodlands, Ohio should be No. 12, said Ott. Instead, Ott recommends an incentive program be put in place to encourage woodland owners and recognize them for their hard work. He calls the plan, The Ohio Woodland Owners Incentive Plan, which would include a zero property tax for woodland owners and best management practices to be implemented. He recommends the plan be included into the Forest Tax Law or CAUV, or be introduced as a new plan model all together. Want good quality air and water? Help save Ohio woodlands every way possible, said Ott, concluding his testimony. Trying to survive Nationally, from 2013 to 2015, we experience the second largest net farm income decrease in history, said Kern, noting only the drop from 1919 to 1921 was larger. If we dont ensure farmland property taxes are accurately reflective of the production producing potential of the land, many farmers wont be able to survive, said Kern. Related coverage: Editors note: The Ohio FFA Convention recognizes students for their accomplishments as a part of the Ohio FFA association. The 2016 Convention will take place May 5 and 6, at the Ohio State Fairgrounds in Columbus, and a couple chapters in our readership are receiving some big awards this year. The South Stark Career Academy, in Canton, is recognized as a new chapter and Firelands FFA chapter, in Oberlin, has three star finalists and eight proficiency finalists (look for story May 5). CANTON, Ohio Who would have thought you would get to work with a skunk during school? asked Lexi Baer, a junior in the new small animal sciences career tech program at the South Stark Career Academy (SSCA) in Canton. Steve the skunk, Ghost the cockatoo, a couple of playful ferrets, chameleons and bearded dragons are just some of the animals students take turns caring for at the Hayden Career Technical Annex, part of the Canton South High School campus. Career goals Samuel Muhammed prepares a treat for the rats by adding some peanut butter to a toy the rats can play with. Once he drops it into the cage, one of three greedy rats snatches the toy up and runs to the opposite side of the cage. Muhammed says the class has been beneficial in helping him to understand animal psychology and anatomy. He wants to pursue a career in marine biology or zoology. A few steps away, Alaynah Richards is keeping Steve the skunk company as he plays with a small toy just like a cat would. I didnt know what I wanted to be when I took this class, she said. After having a wildlife biologist come and speak to the students, Richards decided she would like to pursue a career as a conservationist or wildlife biologist. We have over 40 animals here, said Lindsey Brant, class instructor. And its the very first year for the program. First year SSCA director Krista Husser approached Brant about the program, knowing her background and connection with the school. A lot of the technical programs that deal with animals are geared toward veterinary science, said Brant. I knew there was more interest in zoo and conservation. Brant, who taught biology at Canton South High School for the past five years, said this class is a dream come true. Brant has biology and zoology degrees, has worked at local zoos and places like Hawaii, Mexico and the Caribbean, studying wildlife and exotic species. With my background working with these types of animals and my passion for education it was meant to be, she said. New chapter This year, at the Ohio FFA Convention, May 5-6, the South Stark Career Academy FFA will be recognized as a new chapter. Brant admits the FFA program is new to her, and she is not entirely sure how her program will fit into the mix, but she feels the professional development and leadership opportunities will be beneficial to her students. Some of the students participated in state career development events this year, and did well, she said. We had a team place fourth in animal behavior and ninth in aquarium management. The kids loved it. One of the more beneficial things FFA teaches students, is the value of record keeping, which is something Brant feels will be good for her students. As a two-year program, she would like to incorporate a capstone research project for her seniors, something that would require a fair amount of record keeping. Next year, I would like to have someone from FFA come in and share what we can do (as a chapter), said Brant. We are trying to find our niche. Universal themes Eric Stevensons, one of the only students considering a career directly related to agriculture, finds many of the concepts he learns in class can be applied universally to all animals. This class has helped me to understand animal behavior, which will be useful on his future cattle and beef operation he hopes to start. Animal behaviors and husbandry, anatomy and physiology, and breeding and genetics are just some of the topics Brant has covered in her small animal sciences course. Weve done a lot in our first year, she said. Building a program Many of the students Brant is teaching have been in her biology classes at the high school and have made it easy for her to build a program. I ask them a lot: What do you want to learn about? And what things do you want to do in the class?, she said. Theyre a wealth of great ideas, offering suggestions for changing up the lab, and animals they would like to work with. Students also volunteer to take some of the animals home to care for them over the winter, spring and summer breaks. And over her summer break, Brant plans to spend some time shadowing a veterinarian so she is better prepared to teach those topics. Eventually, she would like to take the animals and her students to the local elementary and middle schools to teach children about wild and exotic animals. A lot of kids started this class hating reptiles and now they have switched their allegiance (from mammals to reptiles), said Brant. Shropshire A Full-Time position is available for an assistant herdsperson on a family dairy farm in mid Shropshire. We have a 250 dairy herd rearing own replacements together with a b... The Tenant Farmers Association has written for a second time to Defra Minister of State, George Eustice MP, asking for an extension to the 2016 deadline for the Basic Payment Scheme in England. A Defra spokesperson today commented on the matter: "English farmers are on track to get their 2016 applications in on time and there are no plans to change the deadline as this could lead to unnecessary delays in payments being made. "We urge everyone to complete their application as soon as possible." 'Legacy of issues associated with the 2015 scheme year' TFA Chief Executive George Dunn said "The TFA first asked for an extension to the 2016 deadline on 14 April following what we saw as a line in the sand meeting of the Rural Payments Agencys Technical Stakeholder Group on the previous day. "It became clear to us that the size of the task ahead was simply too large for it to be achieved by the 16 May deadline. "Particularly as both the agency and applicants were being dragged back by the legacy of issues associated with the 2015 scheme year. "Yesterday I attended a meeting of the RPAs senior stakeholder group to discuss progress both on settling matters for 2015 and on meeting this years deadline. "Much of yesterdays meeting focused on the inevitable confluence of issues from both 2015 and 2016 with the RPA advising that 2016 applicants should make an application before the 16 May deadline and then use the statutory adjustment period to the end of May to make any required amendments. "This is an unsatisfactory situation and clearly more time is necessary to allow sensible applications to be submitted on time," said Mr Dunn. EU Agriculture Commissioner Phil Hogan has signalled that he would be tabling this week the necessary draft legislation providing the option for Member States to apply for an extension until 16 June. 'Problems of 2015 are continuing to cast a dark shadow' "We heard yesterday that Defra first has to consider the line to take on the legislation itself and if it is enacted, whether or not to use the flexibility offered. "The TFA has urged Defra both to support the passage of the legislation and then to apply as soon as possible for an extension to the 2016 deadline under the terms of the derogation," said Mr Dunn. "The staff of the RPA is working incredibly hard and I continue to have every confidence in Mark Grimshaw as the Agencys Chief Executive and his management team. "However, the problems of 2015 are continuing to cast a dark shadow over the workload for 2016 and we must provide both the RPA and BPS applicants in England a breathing space to get the work done to a good standard," said Mr Dunn. "Having been a lone voice calling for an extension, I am pleased to hear that other organisations are beginning to support our call which must be the right thing to do," said Mr Dunn. Faced with increasing challenges and the need to develop new varieties, EU cooperative Copa & Cogeca have today sent a letter to the EU Commission calling for new steps to be taken. Clarification of the legal status of new breeding techniques to give breeders certainty when developing varieties and a well functioning EU single market are amongst the points in the letter. Copa & Cogeca Secretary-General Pekka Pesonen stressed: "We need to be able to contribute to one of the biggest challenges over the next decade: the need for increased food production for a growing world population with limited resources and increasingly variable weather events. "But to achieve this, we need to be innovative and develop new plant varieties which are for example resistance to water and heat stress, as a way to adapt to climate change, as stated by the IPCC report on climate change". He continued: "New Breeding Techniques (NBTs) are consequently very important tools to support innovation in the plant breeding sector and in livestock genetic enhancement as a whole. "And European farmers and their cooperatives need access to these technological advancements in order to meet the upcoming challenges and to remain competitive. "But for investments to be made and for NBTs to be developed further, breeders need legal certainty and a well-functioning EU single market. "We believe that NBTs should be analysed and discussed by experts on a case-by-case basis and according to scientific criteria. "The EU Commission keeps delaying its Communication on the legal status of NBTs and we therefore sent a letter to Commissioner Andriukait is urging him to accelerate the process and clarify the legal status of NBTs to ensure we have an innovative agriculture sector in the future capable of meeting growing demand. "Indeed, the status of mutagenesis techniques is a prime example of why this process needs to be speeded up." Welsh farmers will have the opportunity to hear the views of the EU Agricultural Commissioner, Phil Hogan and UKIP Member of the European Parliament, Stuart Agnew, when they visit Wales on Tuesday, 10 May 2016. Commissioner Hogan will share a platform with UKIP MEP, Stuart Agnew, who also sits on the European Parliaments Agricultural and Rural Affairs Committee, at the event and both will discuss and debate the EU Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) and Welsh farming ahead of the in / out referendum taking place on Thursday, 23 June. The event is being supported by NFU Cymru, CLA and FUW and an event spokesperson said: "Given the huge importance of Europe as a market for our produce, and the Common Agricultural Policy as a major support structure for our iconic food and farming industries, the debate on the issue of EU membership is of great significance to every farmer within Wales. "The CAP and its impact on Welsh farming is hugely topical at present and the chance to hear what will undoubtedly be very different views from these two hugely influential figures will be absolutely fascinating. "I would urge all farmers and those with an interest in agriculture to attend the debate and have their say on the issue." The event will take place at Bishops Meadow, Hay Road, Brecon, from 7.30pm and all farmers are invited. John Davies, the RWAS Chairman will chair the meeting. Farmers and landowners built 209 new projects in 2015 with a combined capacity of 56MW, providing valuable new revenue streams, often on low-quality land. Together they account for 28% of all independent renewable projects and 5% of the market by capacity. Independent renewable generators are central to Britains low-carbon transition and now supply 7.6% of UK power demand with more than 1 billion of clean electricity, reveals SmartestEnergys fourth annual Energy Entrepreneurs Report, released today. Last year energy entrepreneurs outside the traditional electricity supply sector invested over 376 million in more than 1000 commercial-scale projects, adding 2.4GW of new renewable capacity to meet UK energy demand. In the four years since SmartestEnergy began tracking independent renewable energy generation across the UK, almost 2.5 billion has been invested in projects above 50KW, more than doubling independent capacity from 4.7GW to nearly 11GW 40% of UK renewable power. In 2015 independent energy entrepreneurs across the UK generated more than 1 billion of electricity from a total 5,467 projects, enough to power 6.2 million households and the equivalent of taking 8.9 million cars off the road. Robert Groves, CEO of SmartestEnergy, said: "Energy entrepreneurs are indispensable to Britains energy future, driving change towards a flexible, efficient, low-carbon power system. "They are creating new jobs, improving our energy security, and helping to meet climate change targets, and there is evidence that rapid growth in renewables can bring down electricity prices. "Traditional electricity supply companies are in no shape to deliver the change that is needed. "The Big Six are suffering in this low-carbon transition - share prices and dividends are falling, companies are laying off staff and some are even breaking themselves up. "These incumbents are slow moving, beset by problems, and lack funds for investment. "By contrast, the energy entrepreneurs are small, nimble and innovative. They have attracted a global pool of capital to invest in Britains renewable capacity and are taking advantage of technologies like wind and solar which are rapidly coming down the cost curve. "They are starting to invest in battery storage which will play a key role in our future energy system and offers exciting new business opportunities. Corporate on-site renewables development grew significantly in 2015 Developers were responsible for building 408 independent projects adding 2.15GW capacity last year, representing 89% of new capacity. They have built more than a third of all independent renewable projects (37%), and 77% of the market by capacity. Many sites are sold on to fund managers after completion as they offer a steady long-term return. Farmers and landowners built 209 new projects in 2015 with a combined capacity of 56MW, providing valuable new revenue streams, often on low-quality land. Together they account for 28% of all renewable projects and 5% of the market by capacity. Businesses invested in 155 new onsite generation projects adding 99MW of new energy capacity generating almost 100 million worth of electricity in 2015, saving on rising power bills, boosting energy security and cutting their carbon footprint. There are now 728 sites around the country accounting for 13% of all renewables projects and 6% of renewable energy capacity, Business sectors investing in onsite most active were retailers and wholesalers with supermarket and warehouses with roofs ideally suited to solar, developing 88 new projects adding 9.3MW of new capacity. The military developed one project adding significant capacity with 49.9MW and transport sector developed six sites generating 28.4MW. Waste disposal operators added 77MW with two big energy from waste projects and a small sewage gas scheme. The sector now provides 6% of renewable capacity from 224 projects. Eight large-scale community projects added 10MW of new capacity taking their share of the independent market to 1.65%. Across the UK 83 large-scale projects are now in operation generating nearly 16.5 million of power a year, providing revenue to support amenities in often fragile rural communities. Growth by technology: solar energy grew by 83% but wind developed slowed in 2015 Independent solar capacity grew by 83% in 2015 with 696 new projects providing over 2GW of capacity despite the end of ROC (Renewables Obligation Certificate) subsidies in April 2015. It is the dominant technology in England and the second biggest in Wales. Growth in onshore wind slowed with only 233 new projects across the UK adding 263MW, a 7% increase in capacity far less than the 690MW added in 2014. This may have been due to factors such as increased difficulty in securing planning consent or grid access in different parts of the country, ahead of subsidy cuts in 2016. Nevertheless, the technology took the lions share of investment in Scotland and was also top in Wales. Crisis for renewable energy generation Independent generators now face a crisis. Wholesale electricity prices fell more than 20% in 2015, largely as a result of cheap oil and gas. Although overall independent renewables capacity grew 28% over the year the wholesale value of the electricity it generated dropped by more than 4%. This comes just as the government has axed the subsidies that supported the growth of the sector, and uncertainty over future energy policy is pushing up the cost of capital for renewables projects. 'Government needs to restore confidence to meet legally-binding climate change targets' Growth is likely to continue while there are projects in the pipeline with guaranteed subsidies, the report says, but it warns that a policy framework supporting independent generators and investors is essential for Britain to be confident of meeting its climate change targets. Britain has a legally binding commitment to source 15% of all energy, including heat and transport, from renewables by 2020. To support this it has set a target of generating 30% of all electricity from renewables by 2020. "Government must ensure that the right framework is in place to ensure continued investment in building our renewables capacity," said Robert Groves. "It needs to restore confidence to the industry by providing stable policy and certainty. It should ensure that the capacity market allows all participants to compete on a level playing field. "It should also work with the industry to develop frameworks to encourage the roll out of energy storage and maximise its ability to accommodate the growing amount of renewables on the grid." The report highlights the potential of battery storage, as independent generators seek innovative ways to extract more value from existing projects and make future projects viable. The first independents are already installing commercial scale units, allowing them to store intermittent solar and wind energy to sell when it is most profitable. Electricity storage has been identified as one of three key innovations in a smart power revolution by the National Infrastructure Commission, which could save UK consumers 8 billion a year by 2030. Battery prices are falling rapidly, making it an increasingly attractive solution for independents. It will also provide opportunities to earn money by providing Demand Response and a range of other grid services. Growth in renewables across the UK varies by region England, Scotland and Wales all saw double digit growth in renewables projects in 2015, but differences in geography, climate and planning consents are reflected in choice of technology. England added more than 2GW of new capacity across 791 projects at a cost of 316 million. It saw the greatest growth in capacity, 36%, while project numbers were up 24%. Solar is the dominant technology making up 52% of total renewable capacity, followed by onshore wind 17% and energy from waste 7%. Wales added 195MW of capacity in 108 projects at a cost of 31 million a growth of 27%. It saw the greatest growth in projects, up 30%, albeit from a low base, while capacity grew by 27%. Onshore wind is the dominant technology (47% of renewable capacity) closely followed by solar (38%) and biomass (5%). Scotland added 135MW of capacity with 108 projects at a cost of 30 million. Projects were up 14% but capacity only grew 6%. Onshore wind accounts for lions share of renewable capacity in Scotland (85.6%) with much smaller contributions from hydro (4.7%) and landfill gas (4.4%). The Highlands & Islands region of Scotland supplies 5.2% of all independent renewable generation in the UK, the most active region. Its 571MW of mainly wind projects, include a significant number of community-owned turbines in remote and rural locations. Fifteen new sites take its total to 158. Yorkshire follows closely behind with 503MW of capacity supplying another 4.6% of independent renewable power. It added 74 sites during the year to take total numbers to 469. Cornwall, Devon and Somerset are hotspots for investment in solar in particular with 738 sites across the region. They added 108 sites last year and now account for 10% - or 1.13GW - of the total independent capacity across the UK. Stark research into the cash flow pressures faced by farmers is released by The Princes Countryside Fund today. The report was commissioned following growing concerns in the sector about serious cash flow issues affecting an increasing number of farm businesses. This is putting a huge strain on suppliers, affecting the health and wellbeing of farmers and affecting the prospects of the wider rural economy. Levels of farm borrowing have almost doubled in the past 10 years. This trend is set to continue as farms across all sectors are affected by the continued decline in commodity prices. The worst affected sectors are cereals, milk and pigs where incomes are dropping sharply 17 per cent of farms face major financial problems as their liquidity ratio demonstrates they do not have the ability to pay off their short term debt. Half of UK farms are no longer making a living from farming alone, and 20 per cent of farms generated a loss even before accounting for family labour and capital The businesses surveyed identified that on average more than half the proportion of their farming customers were currently experiencing cash flow issues. The volatility of output prices does not just negatively affect farming businesses but the decreased cash flow filters through the wider agricultural sector. This negatively impacts other businesses from input suppliers, vets, auction marts to consultants. Its effects include reduction in available work, decreasing income and potential staff redundancies although the full extent is not completely understood. 'Very bleak picture' Lord Curry, Chairman of The Princes Countryside Fund said: "The research presents a very bleak picture not only for farmers; but also for the wider rural economy. "Volatile commodity markets are not just affecting farmers; decreased cash flow is affecting the industry as a whole, from vets to feed and machinery suppliers to auction marts." The full extent of the crisis is not yet fully understood. "As a result we are witnessing a trend towards increased and sometimes risky borrowing by farmers. "Distressingly the outlook does not look set to change in the short-term and the degree of uncertainty about the future is affecting everyone. "This in turn is causing suppliers to consider making job redundancies and think about coming out of agriculture. "It is essential that farm businesses seek professional advice, have all the support they need to cope and that they are equipped with risk and business management tools. "Confidence, better cooperation and communication throughout the supply chain are needed if they are to survive. The Princes Countryside Fund commissioned The Andersons Centre in March 2016 to complete snapshot research to gain a greater understanding of the cash flow pressures at farm level and their impact on the wider agricultural sector. Through an analysis of recent data and a series of telephone interviews with 21 agricultural businesses an overview of the current situation resulting from the cash flow challenges in farming and its knock on effect to with wider rural economy has been identified and evaluated. Highly pathogenic avian influenza has been confirmed in a commercial layer flock in northern Italy. A total of 17,000 birds have been lost in t outbreak in the Ferrara region of the country. Some 600 birds died in the outbreak; the rest were culled following confirmation that avian influenza was involved. The OIE (World Organisation for Animal Health) has reported that the affected birds were free range or organic layers. Italian authorities say that the outbreak involved a highly pathogenic H7N7 strain of bird flu. This is the same strain involved in the outbreak in Lancashire last year. Nearly 200,000 birds were lost a mixture of cage and free range hens when avian influenza hit Staveleys Eggs near Preston in Lancashire. H7N7 was also involved in an earlier outbreak in Hampshire, although this case at a commercial chicken breeding farm at Upham in the Meon Valley was a low pathogenic version. Defras Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA), which has issued a statement about the new case in Italy, says there have been a number of outbreaks of H7N7 in Europe in the last two years. "H7 viruses have been detected in outbreaks in poultry several times in Europe in the past few years where an incursion of LPAI has mutated to HPAI," said the statement, which was issued by Professor Ian Brown and Dr Helen Roberts. "This is more frequently detected in poultry layer farms, which may be due to a combination of the age of the birds and other risk factors arising from the nature of the production system, such as increased frequency of contact with the environment and increased indirect contact with wild birds affecting the selection pressure for mutation to HPAI." High path incursion of the virus APHA said it was not yet clear whether the Italian case started as low path AI and mutated to high path, although this was most likely. "The most probable explanation is that there has been an undetected incursion of LPAI H7N7 virus which has mutated to HPAI as it spread through the flock," APHA said. "The Italian authorities suggested that very sudden onset of increased mortality and drop in egg production, may suggest a high path incursion rather than a mutation from low path. "If this is a wild bird strain of H7N7 which causes HPAI infection in poultry, as opposed to a mutation from an LPAI strain to an HPAI strain in poultry, then this would be concerning and novel." "However, it will be important to await full laboratory and epidemiological findings before drawing firm conclusions. "It is possible there is an as yet undetected H7N7 HPAI virus circulating in poultry or captive birds elsewhere, which has not caused clinical signs." "If this was the case, this would reinforce the need to enhance surveillance through early reporting systems where signs were not suggestive of AI. This would involve the use of testing for exclusion schemes like the one used in the UK. Reminder to maintain high standards of bio-security "We would like to remind all poultry keepers to maintain high standards of bio-security, remain vigilant and report any suspect clinical signs promptly and, in addition, using the testing to exclude scheme for avian notifiable disease where appropriate for early safeguard." APHA said it would continue to monitor developments in Italy. Meanwhile, they said the risk level for the UK remained low, although it was heightened. The OIE said that restriction zones had been put in place around the affected premises in Italy. A protection zone of three kilometres and a surveillance zone of 10 kilometres had been established around the farm, according to a notification report, which was based on information provided by the chief veterinary officer in Rome. APHA said that two other cases of AI had been reported in Italy shortly before this latest case. Both involved low path bird flu. One was a case of H7N7 amongst ornamental birds. This was also in the Ferrara region. The other was an outbreak of H5N2 at a poultry breeder unit in Pordenone. APHA said that Italian authorities had reported the low path outbreaks as "phylogenetically distinct" from the latest high path outbreak on the Ferrara layer unit. The full assessment report can be read here. Youngsters from across Coventry and Warwickshire will get the chance to learn in detail about the earth below them at this years Kenilworth Agricultural Show. For the first time, a series of stands are being set up inside a marquee at the show to teach youngsters about soil in a fun and engaging way. The University of Warwick Life Sciences Faculty is inviting children to explore the hidden elements of soil using microscopes to spot the different micro-organisms and habitants. Following on from this, agriculture company Syngenta will be on hand to show families the step-by-step process of how a crop is grown, from planting seeds to cultivation, along with displays of products that each of the crops contributes to. A presentation by the Warwickshire Wildlife Trust will also allow children to discover the world of insects and creepy crawlies to highlight the importance of wildlife to the Warwickshire countryside. The new stands at the show were all made possible thanks to a generous donation from the Elizabeth Creak Charitable Trust. The Trust was set-up at the wish of Warwickshire Farmer Elizabeth Creak who died in 2013, and left most of her estate to the Trust. Its purpose is to help the industry thrive in the years ahead, from encouraging the next generation of farmers to helping others survive in a challenging environment. The Kenilworth Show returns for the 73rd time to the grounds opposite Stoneleigh Park on Saturday, June 4, and continues to go from strength-to-strength, with over 11,000 people choosing the show for a family day out last year. This years educational area was the idea of the activities group that is part of the Kenilworth and District Agriculture Society (KADAS), the shows organisers. Jef Tuyn, president elect of KADAS, believes the activities are essential to the future of the farming industry. Jef said: "A lot of the societys members are families, so as well as providing a memorable day out, we feel there is also a need to help parents to teach their children about the importance of the countryside. "Were trying to do this in an engaging way so that their experience of agriculture will stick with them, and who knows, it may encourage them to pursue farming and agriculture as a career. "Were incredibly grateful for the funding from the Elizabeth Creak Charitable Trust, as without this, we wouldnt have been able to have added the new education area to the show." The Kenilworth Show will host livestock and equestrian classes including the ever popular home craft competitions and demonstrations of butter making, sheep shearing, wool spinning, trade stands and expanded countryside area. Further attractions and various activities for all the family will be announced in the build-up to the show. For more information log on to www.kenilworthshow.co.uk, and for membership enquiries contact Lizz Clarke on 01788 833910. The profitability of UK farming fell by a staggering 29% in 2015, a loss of over 1.5 billion. Defras first estimate for 2015 shows a 29% fall in Total Income from Farming (Tiff) on 2014 to 3.77bn. The knock-on effect to the UKs GDP was a 14% fall year-on-year, representing 1.39bn less going into the economy. This is the biggest year on year fall since the millennium and latest official statistics shows that farming profitability is at its lowest level since 2007, highlighting the cash flow crisis facing the agricultural industry. A cocktail of higher production around the world, subdued demand due to slowing economies, the strength of sterling in 2015 and over 24 months of falling farmgate prices across the sectors has led to plummeting profitability. For many, the cash flow impact has been exacerbated by the delayed delivery of BPS payments, with farmers still waiting to receive their advance payment. 'Alarming figures' NFU chief economist and international affairs adviser Gail Soutar said: "These figures are alarming to say the least. They remind us that farmers up and down the country and across the majority of sectors are dealing with the impact of devastating cuts in the value of their products. Lots of farm businesses find themselves in a loss-making situation. If prices and profitability dont change, it is not just those farms that are at jeopardy, but our food processing sector, our rural communities and the environment. "The numbers must serve as a wakeup call to others in the supply chain and government. We need everyone in the food supply chain to intensify their efforts to back British farmers. "For example we need longer term relationships that deliver some certainty on pricing and give farmers the confidence that food production can be profitable. "And we need government to do all it can including making sure that farmers dont face the same crippling delays to farm payments that they have in 2015, with immediate action for those still waiting for 2015 payments to arrive. "The latest NFU farmer confidence survey of its members has this week also confirmed that both short and medium-term confidence has fallen to the lowest level since this 6 monthly survey began in 2010. "Profitability and industry confidence are closely related. That confidence also impacts investment levels in the agri-food supply chain, and indirectly on jobs and economic growth. "The effects of the downturn in farming profitability are not just confined to the sector itself but will also have a knock-on impact on the wider economy and rural communities." Defras second estimate for 2015 will be made in November using additional data. James Martins Manchester restaurant has become the first in the North West to train staff in meat knowledge and quality. More than 15 members of front-of-house staff and chefs undertook courses in AHDB Beef & Lambs Meat Education Programme to improve their understanding of beef and lamb breeds, cuts and supply chain development. The comprehensive, free programme was developed by AHDB Beef & Lamb to address the lack of accessible training for meat industry professionals. 'Good quality products' James Martin, owner of James Martin Manchester, said: "British beef and lamb are good quality products to have on menus and my staff and I want to share the great story behind homegrown beef and lamb with our customers. "Through AHDB Beef & Lambs Meat Education Programme, my team can confidently share messages on provenance and quality, two factors key to helping customers enjoy their dining experiences and get the most out of their meat choices." 'Improving and specialising meat knowledge' Dick Van Leeuwen, business development manager for AHDB Beef & Lamb and project leader of the Meat Education Programme, said: "Its fantastic to see the staff of James Martins Manchester restaurant dedicated to improving and specialising their meat knowledge. "One of the key qualities restaurant staff must possess to consistently deliver a great customer experience is knowledge of the product to inspire diners and ensure repeat purchases. "The knowledge the staff gain through the Meat Education Programme can help them deliver this experience." 'From farm to fork' Elwyn Pugh, meat supplier to James Martins Manchester restaurant, said: "Everyone in the supply chain from farm to fork needs to ensure they have good product knowledge to help sell more red meat to make sure the industry remains profitable and the Meat Education Programme can help them do exactly that. "Through AHDB Beef & Lambs Meat Education Programme, James Martins restaurant staff are taking an opportunity to learn about various aspects of the meat industry. "This not only allows them to deliver excellence in terms of service and quality for their customers, but provides them with a transferable skill with a formal qualification. "I hope that through the training we have delivered here at James Martin Manchester, the staff realise they have a great product, ethically produced and reared to high standards. "We at ABP are always keen to show our customers just how high the quality of homegrown beef is as a part of our exceptional customer service package whether that be supporting in the development of meat knowledge or hosting a gate-to-plate day to see the supply chain in action." The Meat Education Programme is designed to help provide invaluable knowledge to people working in the meat industry from butchers to chefs and anybody in between. The Farmers Union of Wales (FUW) has emphasised the importance of appointing a dedicated minister with responsibilities for farming and rural affairs. "Agriculture and rural affairs are key to our economy, and central to addressing and dealing with the major challenges of our generation," said FUW President Glyn Roberts. "With issues such as climate change and water management dominating agendas such as those listed in the Well-being of Future Generations Act, we need a dedicated minister to fight for the interests of our rural communities communities for which agriculture is a cornerstone," he added. Mr Roberts said the call tied in with the FUWs vision of a Rural Powerhouse for Wales which recognises the central role agriculture and rural areas must play in addressing the challenges of the future, while ensuring the focus does not just fall on the M4 and A55 corridors. "This can only be done by having a full minister who sits on the Welsh Government cabinet and has responsibilities for agriculture and rural affairs. "The FUW looks forward to working closely with the incoming Government in order to ensure priorities are met for rural Wales and Wales as a whole," he added. Under the previous Welsh administration the agricultural portfolio was moved between ministers and deputy ministers a number of times following Welsh cabinet reshuffles. What does the EU referendum mean for regulation and innovation in UK food and farming? That is the question being asked by the Crop Protection Association (CPA) at its Annual Convention on the 12th May 2016. With the UK about to go to the polls on the question of its membership of the European Union, Owen Paterson MP, Sir James Paice, Guy Smith, Vice President of the National Farmers Union and Professor Huw Jones, Aberystwyth University, will take part in a panel session. The panel will examine the approach to technology in European agricultural policy, and how innovation is helped or hindered by our membership of the EU. 'Farming will be affected enormously by the outcome' Nick von Westenholz, CEO of the CPA said: "We are delighted that the panel are able to join us to discuss this crucially important issue. "Farming, more than any other sector, will be affected enormously by the outcome of Junes referendum and regulatory reform is a crucial aspect of the debate. "Those urging us to remain in the EU must set out a clear path for improving the system in a reformed EU, and not simply argue that a UK outside the EU will nevertheless remain subject to the same burdensome regulations. "Similarly, those campaigning for Brexit need to set out the mechanism for establishing a post-EU regulatory system that will promote the competitiveness and productivity of UK farmers. "These issues involve important questions that farmers will want to know the answer to. "Whether in or out, UK farming would benefit from a regulatory environment that fosters innovation, cultivates the development and adoption of new technologies such as GM and advanced crop protection products, and promotes modern, productive farming. "It is crucial that all sides of the referendum debate explain their vision for how this is achieved after Junes vote." The Crop Protection Association (CPA) is a key voice in the UK Plant Science Industry. The organisation promotes the role of modern plant science in safeguarding the food supply from seed to shelf. Welsh authorities confirm new case of bird flu on Anglesey Avian flu discovered in Jasper County By Diego Flammini Assistant Editor, North American Content Farms.com 39,000 turkeys in Jasper County, Missouri have been destroyed after a low pathogenic strain of the avian flu virus was discovered. The World Organization for Animal Health made the announcement; authorities in Missouri have begun surveillance and quarantined the farm, and farms within a 10-kilometre radius have tested negative, Reuters reports. Theres no disease, Janice Grisham, a turkey farmer near Carthage whos operation is associated with Butterball LLC, told The Joplin Globe. Thats terrible for that poor man, but the good news is it hasnt gone any further. The outbreak was originally discovered towards the end of April and is identified as the H5N1 strain low pathogenic, not as contagious as other strains but can mutate into higher pathogenic forms of the illness. Joelle Hayden, a member of the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service with the USDA, told the Globe that theres no food safety concern as the infected birds wont enter the food system. This marks the second avian flu incident to hit the United States in 2016. In January, more than 400,000 birds were destroyed in Indiana after a low pathogenic strain of avian flu mutated into a more dangerous version. But Mr Seabrook said the association had continued to receive information from concerned pastoralists and was in a stand-off with Mr Redman over the extent of ministerial power entrenched in the new bill and its new security of tenure provisions. The facility, east of Beijing, is expected to be ready by the end of the year, and at least two other Chinese companies are also in the process of constructing similar coastal plants aimed at capitalising on the opportunity to bring in Australian live cattle. Is Wawa coming to Fayetteville? Heres what we know. Wawa, a Pennsylvania-based convenience store chain that residents have long clamored for, could be coming to the area. Och-Ziff Capital Management Group LLC said Tuesday it has reserved $200 million for a settlement of Foreign Corrupt Practices Act offenses arising from alleged bribes in Libya. The hedge fund firm said its now discussing a resolution of criminal and civil charges with the DOJ and SEC. Och-Ziff said the amount it set aside $200 million is the minimum amount of any potential settlement. The firm said it is probable that the amount will be in excess of $200 million. The disclosure came in Och-Ziffs Form 10-Q (Quarterly Report) filed with the SEC on May 3. The firm said it also spent $15.9 million in professional fees during the quarter for the FCPA investigation. Because of the FCPA-related charges, Och-Ziff reported a quarterly loss of $142.5 million. Och-Ziff disclosed the FCPA investigation in March 2014. It said then, Beginning in 2011, and from time to time thereafter, we have received subpoenas from the SEC and requests for information from the U.S. Department of Justice (the DOJ) in connection with an investigation involving the FCPA and related laws. The investigation concerns an investment by a foreign sovereign wealth fund in some of our funds in 2007 and investments by some of our funds, both directly and indirectly, in a number of companies in Africa. The sovereign wealth fund referred to in the disclosure was the $65 billion Libyan Investment Authority, based in Tripoli. New York-based Och-Ziff was founded in 1994 by Daniel Och. Its one of the biggest institutional alternative asset managers in the world. It has about $42 billion under management. In 2011, the SEC launched a broad investigation into whether banks, private-equity firms, and other money managers violated the FCPA in their dealings with sovereign wealth funds. The Wall Street Journal reported last month that the DOJ wants a guilty plea by Och-Ziff in the case. The report said the SEC is pushing for civil penalties of up to $400 million. An enforcement action of more than $219 million would land Och-Ziff in the top ten FCPA cases of all time. The federal investigation is focused on Och-Ziffs former head of European investing, the Wall Street Journal said. Michael Cohen, based in London, was responsible for investments in Libya and other African countries. He resigned in March 2013 after 15 years Cohen and an analyst who worked for him, Vanja Baros, received Wells notices from the SEC, the Wall Street Journal said. A Wells notice advises targets of an investigation that the SEC staff has made a preliminary determination to recommend an enforcement action. Och-Ziff Capital Management Group LLC trades on the NYSE under the symbol OZM. * * * The FCPA disclosure from the Form 10-Q by Och-Ziff Capital Management Group LLC filed on May 3, 2016 said: As previously disclosed, since 2011, we have been investigated by the SEC and the DOJ concerning possible violations of the FCPA and other laws. While we are unable to predict the full scope, duration or outcome of the SEC and DOJ investigations, based on discussions with the SEC and DOJ, we believe that it is probable that the outcome would include the government pursuing civil and criminal sanctions. We recently have begun discussions with the SEC and DOJ concerning resolution of these matters. We accrued $200.0 million in connection with the disclosed investigations that we believe is the minimum amount of loss to be incurred. We believe it is probable that the amount will be in excess of $200.0 million, but we are unable to estimate an amount at this time. Any resolution could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition or results of operations. ____ Richard L. Cassin is the publisher and editor of the FCPA Blog. Hell be the keynote speaker at the FCPA Blog NYC Conference 2016. A recent scandal at a major Chinese public hospital revealed that many of the public hospitals across the country outsource their medical services to private companies and employ doctors as independent contractors. That could raise doubts about some public hospital doctors in China being foreign officials under the FCPA. Wei Zexi, a 21-year old college student, died from synovial sarcoma after his family spent RMB200,000 (about $30,896) at the Second Hospital of Beijing Peoples Armed Police. Although it was one of the highest-ranked public hospitals in China, reports said it actually outsourced its oncology department to a private company Shanghai Claison Bio-tech Co., Ltd, which used an outdated treatment method that has been proven ineffective and long abandoned by other doctors, while falsely claiming it to be the latest medical technology. The scandal received nationwide attention. The media and public severely criticized the government for failing to regulate and administer the public hospitals, as well as the online false advertising of their outsourced medical services on Baidu.com, a major search engine website in China. There were also reports the Office of the Central Leading Group for Cyberspace Affairs, the State Administration for Industry and Commerce, and the National Health and Family Planning Commission established a joint investigation team to investigate the case. As part of Chinas state-owned enterprise reforms of the 1990s, the government stopped full financial support to public hospitals. Many hospitals then turned to outsourcing to private companies particularly departments such as plastic surgery, dermatology, andrology, gynaecology, oncology, otorhinolaryngology, and other more profitable specialties. The majority of these private healthcare providers are allegedly controlled by a few family-owned businesses from the city of Putian, Fujian Province. For example, the private company in the latest scandal, Claison Bio-tech, was owned by of Huzhou Rui Yuan Rui Kang Investment Limited Partnership, which is wholly owned by the Chen brothers from Putian. Claison Bio-tech was recently sold to a public company, VCANBIO Cell & Gene Engineering Corp., Ltd. The doctors in these departments are employees not of public hospitals but of private companies. Yet many patients are convinced that the doctors are affiliated with the hospitals because of misleading advertising sponsored by the private companies. The latest scandal involving private doctors at public hospitals could force the Chinese government to further tighten its regulation on the healthcare industry. Recent enforcement actions and investigations involving hospital officials and pharmaceutical companies already show the governments emphasis. The public outrage resulted from the latest scandal is likely to further reinforce the governments determination. The scandal also provides evidence that some doctors at public hospitals may not work under the direction and control of the government. If thats true for any of the doctors from private companies, they may not be foreign officials under the FCPA. If they arent foreign officials, then bribes paid to them to obtain or retain business may not be prohibited by the FCPA. This is contrary to the traditional view that all the doctors in Chinas public hospitals are foreign officials because the hospitals are wholly owned and controlled by the state, and thus constitute instrumentality of the Chinese government. But bribing the doctors from private companies to influence decisions in public hospitals could still violate laws in China and elsewhere. ____ Chang Liu is an attorney in Kaufman Dolowich & Voluck, LLP based in the firms Woodbury, New York office. Prior to law school at Hofstra University, he worked for a defense contractor in China on cross-border transactions. Hes fluent in Chinese and Spanish. He can be contacted here. Demi Lovato has admitted that whilst she doesn't know what happened between Kesha and music producer Dr. Luke, she stands with her fellow artist for having the bravery to come forward with the accusations. Demi Lovato Speaking to Latina magazine, she said: "It wasn't so much about Dr. Luke; that's not my business what happened or what may not have happened. "The important thing for me is that people are so afraid to come forward when they are sexually abused or raped because 1) it's not something that's easy to prove, so you don't want to go through the whole process and it drags it out, 2) because it's hard to prove people are so quick to dispel the rumours or not believe you, and therefore nobody's coming forward and change is only happening in a worse sense." She added: "I thought it was extremely brave of a pop star in the industry to come out and talk about that." Though she doesn't know anything about the accusations, she did say: "I do believe it's very f**ked up that he's not letting her go, aside from all of the other stuff." Demi is alluding to the fact that Dr. Luke and Sony are not allowing Kesha to end their contractual agreement. by Daniel Falconer for www.femalefirst.co.uk find me on and follow me on Britain's Duchess of Cambridge was incredibly calm on her wedding day. Britain's Duke and Duchess of Cambridge The 34-year-old royal - who tied the knot with Prince William, 33, on April 29, 2011 - was completely relaxed on her big day, according to her hairdresser Richard Ward. He said: "I have some incredible memories of that day. When she walked back into Buckingham Palace and her hair was all still in place, I cannot tell you the relief we all felt! "I've seen brides far more nervous than Catherine! She was fantastic - she kept us calm, not the other way round!" And Richard praised the royal couple for being incredibly helpful. He added to PEOPLE magazine: "I wanted to show Kate the back of her hair [getting ready at Clarence House for the evening party] and I was struggling to walk with this 500-year-old mirror. "He just said, 'Let me give you a hand.' And I said, 'No, no, honestly.' But he took one end and I've got the other and we're shuffling along with this mirror - he's great, he really is. It was the most incredible experience and I'll never forget it." Meanwhile, top stylist Nicky Clarke previously urged Duchess Catherine to cover up her "grey hair". Nicky said: "Kate needs to get rid of her grey hair - it's not a good look. She does have amazing things done to her hair and it can look great, but unfortunately it's the case for women - all women - That until you're really old, you can't be seen have grey hairs. "It's different for men. Men can go grey in their mid-50s and still be considered attractive. It's the whole silver fox thing. But it's not the same for women. Kate is such a style icon that even a few strands of grey would be a disaster, so I highly recommend that she cover it up. I hate grey hair." Britain's Duke of York encouraged entrepreneurship as he visited Aberdeen. Britain's Duke of York The 56-year-old royal toured the home of social enterprise Elevator, where he met with local business owners and learned about how Elevator is working to help new companies start up and keep older businesses running. Graham Morgan, who is deputy chief executive of the company, said: "This is a challenging time for the north-east, but it it also a time of opportunities. The entrepreneurial agenda has become even more important to the local economy, even to Scotland, and Elevator is very well placed to make a real difference at this time. "Aberdeen has always had a strong reputation for innovation and has always been strongly entrepreneurial but at this time, perhaps more than ever, the need for diversification, new thinking and creativity is self-evident. The opportunity to share thoughts on all this and to show the positives that underlie the challenges is fantastic." Whilst Karen Clark, a project manager at Elevator, added: "It was great having The Duke here, we had a group of pupils from Bridge of Don Academy, and they were really excited to meet him, it's been a really special day for everyone here." Meanwhile, the Duke of York previously revealed he has launched a scheme to help young entrepreneurs, called [email protected] Speaking of the scheme, he said: "It's dead simple. I felt that venture capital was not investing in early stage activity. It comes out of mitigating risk rather than looking at the individual and the idea, and accepting that the idea may change. "I called in a few people from the venture capital world - yes, quite a few from Cambridge - the idea was for a member of the Royal Family to be an accelerant. [email protected] is an enabling device to bring small businesses and entrepreneurs in contact with these people. I take no cut." Britain's Prince Harry felt "guilty" about leaving the army. Britain's Prince Harry The 31-year-old royal was recalled from his first tour in Afghanistan back in 2008 when the news of his deployment was leaked and he admits he felt incredibly bad about leaving his friends behind. He said: "I could no longer stay with my soldiers, as it would have put them at greater risk. It was a decision over which I had no control. But the guilt of having to leave my guys behind was something I had to swallow." However, Prince Harry is glad he was able to make a return to pilot the Apache helicopters in 2012 but felt there was something more he could do to help wounded servicemen and women when he returned home and thus launched the Invictus Games. He added: "Four years later I made it back to Afghanistan as an Apache helicopter pilot. Again, I was reminded of the human impact of conflict as I protected medical teams evacuating soldiers from the battlefield. "On other occasions I sat at the controls of one of the world's most advanced helicopters and was powerless to protect men, women and children below. On returning home, I began to look for ways to support veterans with injuries." Meanwhile, the Prince previously urged the Canadian public to get behind the Invictus Games, which will be held in Toronto in 2017. He said: "2017 will be your chance, your opportunity to salute those that serve your country; to salute those that put themselves in harms way so you don't have to. "On home soil, during this most auspicious of years, as Canada celebrates its 150th anniversary and remembers the events and sacrifices at Vimy Ridge, you will have the chance to cheer on the custodians of the Invictus spirit. "Your support will create a life changing atmosphere for competitors and spectators alike. Who knows, it may even help a Canadian clean sweep of medals!" Current Poll Should Prince Harry have been allowed to stay in the army Prince Harry and the army Yes he should have stayed No he had important royal duties It was his choice to leave anyway See Results As one of The CW's biggest success stories, Arrow is currently wrapping up its fourth season and will go into its fifth later this year, with showrunners already teasing some of the details. What fans didn't know perhaps until now however is just what sort of villain Oliver Queen would be facing in the fifth season. Credit: The CW TVLine reports that this new face is James, a "man on a mission" who is "irrepressibly charming" and out for revenge following a loss in the years gone by. The casting call for James is still out, with an actor in his late 20s to 30s of any ethnicity being sought. He must be 'physically imposing' but will "just as easily shake your hand as your best friend or break your neck as your worst enemy - and you never know which one is coming. Either way, he's more than capable of having a good time as he does it." Though he very much sounds like a villain, James could just as easily be a new friendly face, especially due to his similarities to the Oliver we met all the way back in season 1. It's also likely that when we see the character on screen, he'll have a different name altogether. James seems very much like a name being used simply to shroud his true identity from eager DC fans. Arrow continues Wednesdays in the US at 8pm on The CW, and on Sky 1 in the UK. by Daniel Falconer for www.femalefirst.co.uk find me on and follow me on Niti Aayog will extend full support to small businesses in the Country to embrace technology for ensuring the growth of their businesses. The assurance was given by Niti Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant to a delegation of the Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) which met him today in New Delhi. The delegation was led by CAIT's Secretary General Praveen Khandelwal. The Niti Aayog chief agreed with the trade body's demand for a National Trade Policy for retail trade and said that he would speak to Ministry of Small & Medium Enterprises (MSME) in this regard, CAIT said in a press release. Kant said that small business is the life line of the economy and as such needs a special focus on policy front. He stressed that traders and other small businesses should also understand that change is inevitable and as such they also need to upgrade and modernise their existing business format and adopt technology to accelerate growth in their trade which will culminate into growth of economy as well. Kant also advocated a simplified and rationalised tax structure in the country and said that GST will certainly relieve the traders from various taxes and their paper formalities and will convert into ease of doing business in India. The CAIT delegation sought government's support to incentivize cashless payments for broader acceptance. Its partnership, with global technology leader in electronic payments MasterCard, has achieved significant success across key states and has outlined an ambitious agenda for 2016, CAIT said. Khandelwal told Kant that due recognition of the magnificent contribution of small businesses to national exchequer is need of the hour and a mechanism needs to be created which can have regular dialogue with traders on various issues. The CAIT Secretary General said the traders are willing to adopt technology but there has to be a support policy from the Government. We are surely moving towards a technology dependent world wherein internet and mobile would be as essential as water and air," said Khandelwal. He also urged for issuing clear guidelines and definition of ownership with respect to e-commerce business in India. (SH) Fibre2Fashion News Desk India Even as Sri Lanka prepares for the third round of talks for a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with China, the future of its garment exports is weighing heavily on Colombo's mind ahead of the Trans Pacific Partnership coming into force.When reviewing the garment sector, we need to be able to carefully address the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement under which tax free garment export opportunities have been given to countries such as Vietnam. This may also affect exports from Sri Lanka in the future, Industry and Commerce Minister Rishad Bathiudeen said. Bathiudeen was addressing the Meet the Minister session organised by the National Chamber of Commerce of Sri Lanka last week. The TPP will enable countries to engage in competitive markets and supply the American and Japanese markets at low rates. TPP must therefore be reviewed further. In this context, arrangements are under way to hold the third round of negotiations for China-Sri Lanka FTA in June this year, the Minister said. Trade between Sri Lanka and China crossed the $4 billion mark last year for the first time in the bilateral trade history, surging by 17 per cent from 2014. However, 93 per cent of 2015's total trade consisted of imports from China-mainly iron & steel, fabrics and fibers, cotton, and urea fertilizer. (SH) Fibre2Fashion News Desk India Garment and footwear exports from the Southeast Asian nation of Cambodia increased by 13 per cent year-on-year to $1.55 billion during the first quarter of 2016, as per a report from the ministry of industry. Last year, exports of garment and footwear sector, the main foreign exchange earner for Cambodia, fetched $7.1 billion, growing at 14.5 per cent compared to 2014 when apparel and footwear export value stood at $6.2 billion. Cambodia ships its clothing and footwear products mainly to Western markets, especially the US, Canada and European countries. Garment and footwear exports from the Southeast Asian nation of Cambodia increased by 13 per cent year-on-year to $1.55 billion during the first quarter of 2016, as per a report from the ministry of industry. Last year, exports of garment and footwear sector, the main foreign exchange earner for Cambodia, fetched $7.1 billion, growing at # In recent years, wages in Cambodian garment factories have increased and the minimum wage for workers currently stands at $140 per month. There are over 1,000 apparel and footwear factories in Cambodia that together employ more than 750,000 people. (RKS) Fibre2Fashion News Desk India Global Fashion Group (GFG), the parent company of Indian e-commerce giant Jabong, has secured a funding of 300 million from Rocket Internet, which will help the e-tailer in expansion. Commenting on the funding, Sanjeev Mohanty, MD & CEO of Jabong said, This is excellent news as the funding will help us enhance our business operations. We have had success over the past few months, with Jabong recently recording its best month in terms of revenue. GFG sees good progress with Jabong in India, and this trust will help us strengthen our operations in the country, he added. Global Fashion Group (GFG), the parent company of Indian e-commerce giant Jabong, has secured a funding of 300 million from Rocket Internet, which will help the e-tailer in expansion. The funding comes as good news for the e-tailer, which is on the path of transformation from a start-up to a professionally run, profit oriented company.# The e-commerce landscape in the country is constantly evolving. Jabong is on path of transformation from a start-up to a professionally run, profit oriented company. The funding comes as good news for the e-tailer. (MCJ) Fibre2Fashion News Desk - India With an aim to transform itself into a specialty chemicals group, Belgian chemical company Solvay is selling its 70.59 per cent stake in Solvay Indupa to Brazilian chemical group Unipar Carbocloro. As per a definitive agreement signed by both companies, the transaction is based on a total enterprise value of $202.2 million, subject to customary adjustments. Listed on the Buenos Aires Stock Exchange, Solvay Indupa produces PVC and caustic soda at its two production sites in Brazil and Argentina, employing 956 persons. With an aim to transform itself into a specialty chemicals group, Belgian chemical company Solvay is selling its 70.59 per cent stake in Solvay Indupa to Brazilian chemical group Unipar Carbocloro. As per a definitive agreement signed by both companies, the transaction is based on a total enterprise value of $202.2 million, subject to # Solvay's divestment of Indupa follows our announced early exit of our European PVC joint venture as Solvay is transforming into a specialty chemicals group, said Vincent De Cuyper, member of Solvay's executive committee. In acquiring Solvay Indupa, Unipar will strengthen its strategic position in the caustic soda and chlorine value chain extending its chemical footprint in PVC and allowing for the further development of Indupa, De Cuyper added. (RKS) Fibre2Fashion News Desk India Kornit Digital, a digital printing solutions provider for the global textile industry, has reported first quarter 2016 revenues of $21.8 million, an increase of 24 per cent over $17.6 million registered in the prior year period. The company attributed higher sales to wide spread growth across its products. Non-GAAP net income in the quarter was $0.6 million, or $0.02 per diluted share, compared to prior year net income of $0.9 million. However, on a GAAP basis, the company reported net loss of $0.2 million, or $0.01 per diluted share, compared to a net loss of $0.2 million, in the first quarter of 2015. In the first quarter of 2016 we continued to show strong revenue growth of 24% year over year, which, despite being our seasonally weakest quarter, showed continued momentum across our product categories. We believe we are firmly positioned for future growth, and expect a particularly strong second half driven by new system offerings and supported by large accounts with multi-system delivery plans, commented Kornit Digital's CEO Gabi Seligsohn. Kornit Digital, a digital printing solutions provider for the global textile industry, has reported first quarter 2016 revenues of $21.8 million, an increase of 24 per cent over $17.6 million registered in the prior year period. The company attributed higher sales to wide spread growth across its products. Non-GAAP net income in the quarter was # At Fespa Digital 2016, Kornit Digital introduced its new Storm Hexa platform which received good response from customers. Customers were especially enthusiastic about the significant improvements offered in the areas of cost per print, print quality and throughput. As the year progresses, we will be adding a number of new products focused on these three attributes, Seligshon said. (RKS) Fibre2Fashion News Desk India The National Research Development Corporation (NRDC), entered into Licence Agreements with Nabagram Resham Shilpa Unnayan Cooperative Society Ltd.., Murshidabad and Dariapur Rural Development Society, Kalia Chak in West Bengal for the commercialization of 'Ghar Sodhon' a room disinfectant for silkworm rearing houses and appliances, the Science and Technology Ministry said in a press release.The disinfectant has been developed at the Central Silk Research & Training Institute(CSRTI) in Berhampore, a constituent Research Institute under Central Silk Board, Bengaluru, under the Textiles Ministry. The National Research Development Corporation (NRDC), entered into Licence Agreements with Nabagram Resham Shilpa Unnayan Cooperative Society Ltd.., Murshidabad and Dariapur Rural Development Society, Kalia Chak in West Bengal for the commercialization of 'Ghar Sodhon' a room disinfectant for silkworm rearing houses and appliances, the# Ghar Sodhon is a user friendly and non-corrosive room disinfectant, devoid of the requirement of labour, water, electricity and spraying machines. It is gaining popularity among the silk farmers in West Bengal, Odisha and Jharkhand, the release said.The formal Licence Agreement was signed by Dr. H. Purushotham, Chairman and Managing Director, NRDC and Soumya Dipta Majumdar, Secretary, Nabagram Resham Shilpa Unnayan Co-operative Society Ltd. and Md. Azmal, President, Dariapur Rural Development Society respectively. (SH) Fibre2Fashion News Desk India Fiji will chair the 27th Governors Meeting of the Pacific Developing Member Countries of the Asian Development Bank when the ADB holds its next annual gathering in Japan next year. The position of chair will be assumed by the Attorney-General and Minister for Finance, Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum, who has been attending the current 26th PDMC Governors Meeting in Frankfurt, Germany. The AG led a discussion by finance ministers of the ADB Pacific Member Countries on how they can gain better access to finance to build their resilience to the extreme weather events and rising sea levels caused by climate change. The AG stressed the need for climate financing to be mainstreamed into all development financing including national budgets. And he said that because extreme weather events were likely to be more frequent and more intense, it was vital that all future infrastructure investments in the region be climate resilient. The AG called for Pacific Island countries to collaborate on formulating bankable projects to build resilience and access funding. He said that because island nations were relatively small and had limited economic bases, they needed to work closely together to confront the challenge of climate change. And this could be achieved by countries with similar economic needs collaborating on a regional or sub regional basis. There was general consensus among the Pacific delegates that Fijis proposal was the appropriate way forward and the AG will chair the PDMC's next gathering during the 50th ADB annual meeting in Yokohama, Japan, in 2017. Yesterday night (May 3, 2016) was one memorable night for Kangana Ranaut and her loved ones. The actress was honoured with 'Best Actress Award' for her spectacular performance in Tanu Weds Manu Returns. Along with Kangana, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan was also present at the award ceremony to applaud for her father-in-law Amitabh Bachchan, who won Best Actor Award for Piku. The sizzling duo (Aishwarya & Kangana) has set the award evening on fire with heir bewitching looks! Below Are Their 20 Stunning Pics, Which You Can't Miss: It was one rare sighting when Kangana was seen sharing some adorable moments with Aishwarya Rai, which you can see above in he slides and we just can't get enough of their bonding. Bollywood Celebs At The 63rd National Awards Ceremony [Pictures] Kangana Ranaut today turned up with her father, mother, sister and brother to receive her third National award. Whereas, Abhishek and Jaya Bachchan accompanied Aishwarya Rai to the award ceremony. Kangana's father Amardeep Ranaut said it was a proud moment to see his daughter receive her third National Award from President Pranab Mukherjee here. "I am very happy. I am a proud father and it is a matter of great pride," he told PTI. The 29-year-old actress stood out in a off-shoulder gown from Beirut-based Lebanese designer Georges Chakra. She teamed her gown with a classic bob, which is similar to the look that she will be seen sporting in her upcoming film, Rangoon. The ceremony was a welcome respite for the actress, who is engaged in a bitter fight with Hrithik Roshan. Both the stars have slapped legal notices on each other besides engaging in a public row. Zee TV's soap opera Jamai Raja has shocked us with its twist in the previous episode with DD's death. Roshni (Nia Sharma) blames Sid (Ravi Dubey) for her mother's death and decides to leave the city, but she meets with a train accident and is presumed to be dead. Sid is completely shattered by her death. The show then took a two-year leap and the first episode of the new season was aired yesterday. Even after two years, Sid has not moved on and is unable to forget Roshni and recalls the moments spent with her. He pretends to be a happy-go-lucky man, but is still haunted by her memories. He is unable to forget his mother-in-law as well and is seen talking to their photographs. On the other hand, his mother Simran feels he is lonely and wants him to get married again. But, Sid strictly says 'no', rejects all the proposals and confronts his mother by saying that he still loves Roshni, even though she is no more. Meanwhile, he gets a call from Delhi to attend an event to meet the CEO, Ragini Desai. He arrives in Delhi to meet her. Ragini Desai is none other than Roshni's look-alike. She is shown to be a workoholic and a person who doesn't tolerate mistakes. Will Sid ever meet Ragini? Stay tuned for more updates... The start of 2016 has seen no let up in Chinese President Xi Jinpings three-year-old crackdown on graft, with the countrys financial sector put sharply in the spotlight since last summers market meltdowns. Xis pledge was to target big tigers leaders and decision-makers in the Communist Party and the private sector - as well as small flies who cause irritation at grass-roots level. A number of high-ranking regulators and executives at big securities houses had come under scrutiny since the market turmoil last summer that sent the benchmark Shanghai index plunging 43%. Some were being investigated for alleged malicious short-selling, insider trading or leaking inside information as the huge falls triggered an intensified clampdown on financial irregularities in an effort to smoke out malpractice and purify the market. In October, the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection the countrys top anti-graft watchdog, led by Wang Qishan, Chinas anti-corruption tsar and Xis lieutenant also kicked off a broad review of the countrys financial industry. It sent inspection teams to various financial entities, including the Peoples Bank of China, the big four state-owned banks, as well as the banking, securities and insurance regulators to weed out potential financial wrongdoing and corruption. The statistics show the extent of Xis graft crackdown: more than 54,000 officials were investigated by prosecutors for corruption, dereliction of duty and other duty-related crimes, and 336,000 were punished for violating discipline in 2015, according to Wangs work report. Imagine a campaign in the US that took down the White House chief of staff, state governors, city mayors, heads of federal regulatory agencies, the chief executives of Fortune 100 companies, and possibly Warren Buffet and you have some idea of the scale of Xis crackdown. Below is a list of top Chinese financial regulators, bankers, brokerage and corporate executives who have been detained, mysteriously disappeared, or died under a cloud since last year: Xu Xiang The former Zexi Investment general manager, dubbed Chinas Carl Icahn, was formally arrested for insider trading and manipulating stocks prices, official news agency Xinhua reported on April 29, citing law enforcement agencies in Qingdao. He was dramatically detained by police on Hangzhou Bay Bridge in November 2015. His was the first case against a private securities manager since Beijing stepped up scrutiny of financial institutions last year. Cheng Boming and other Citic Securities executives Cheng, president of Chinas largest brokerage by assets, was taken away by police for alleged insider trading and leaking inside information in September 2015, making him the highest-ranking brokerage official investigated since Beijing intensified a clampdown on market malpractice. He and two other Citic Securities executives, Liu Jun and Xu Jun, were formally arrested on criminal charges, Xinhua reported on April 29. Yang Zezhu The former head of mid-sized brokerage Changjiang Securities plunged to his death in January while under investigation for suspected disciplinary violations Zhang Yun The most senior banker caught up in the campaign, Zhang left his role as head of the Agricultural Bank of China in December after his detention as part of a probe in November. Guo Guangchang The billionaire head of Fosun International sparked speculation when he went missing in December. After his release, Chinas biggest privately owned conglomerate later clarified Guo was helping judicial authorities with an unspecified investigation. Yim Fung The chairman and CEO of Guotai Junan Securities Hong Kong unit disappeared for several weeks in November. Yim returned to work in late December after assisting investigations by Chinese authorities, the company said in a filing to the Hong Kong exchange. Yao Gang One of four vice-chairmen at the securities regulator, Yao was placed under investigation by Chinas anti-graft watchdog for suspected serious breaches of discipline, its terminology for suspected corruption, in mid November. Yao is the most senior securities official snared. Zhang Yujun and Liu Shufan Zhang, former CSRC assistant chairman overseeing brokers and fundhouses, was investigates for serious violations of discipline in September. Liu, a former CSRC division head and reportedly Yaos ex-secretary, made a televised confession to bribery and insider trading the same month. Chen Hongqiao The head of Guosen Securities, a large Chinese brokerage, was found hanged on the balcony of his Shenzhen home in October after he was reportedly tied into an investigation into Zhang Yujun, former CSRC assistant chairman, and banned from leaving the country. Chen had been Zhangs deputy when the latter ran the Shenzhen bourse. Mao Xiaofeng The president of China Minsheng Bank was detained in January 2015 to assist in a corruption investigation into Ling Jihua, the top aide to former Chinese president Hu Jintao, according to a Caixin report. Minsheng announced in a stock exchange filing Mao, 43, stepped down for personal reasons. Lei Jie Founder Securities reported on January 22, 2015, that it had been unable to contact Lei, who chaired both Founder and its securities joint venture with Credit Suisse, for three days. He had asked for a weeks sick leave on January 12. Bloomberg reported Lei was released from police custody in November after helping with an unspecified probe. Kelvin Leung, an equity syndicate banker at Credit Suisse, has left the bank after nine years. Leung said he was leaving the job for personal reasons when contacted by FinanceAsia, but declined to comment further. He was a director in Credit Suisses equity syndicate team in Asia-ex-Japan, or 'non-Japan Asia' as the Swiss bank officially refers to the region. He joined Credit Suisse in 2007 and has been with the team since then. Leungs focus at Credit Suisse was on North Asian deals. He was involved in the syndication of a number of high-profile equity deals, including Alibabas $25 billion US IPO and China Cinda Asset Managements $2.5 billion Hong Kong IPO. Before joining Credit Suisse, Leung spent about three years in Rothschilds equity capital markets team, working at the firm between 2004 and 2007. His departure means the four-strong equity syndicate team has lost its 'number two', the second most senior banker in the team behind syndicate head Tucker Highfield. Credit Suisse has made a number of senior appointments since late last year. They include the promotion of Johnson Chui to head of equity capital markets for Asia Pacific, as well as Cheun Hon Ho as head of ECM in Southeast Asia. Chinese peer-to-peer (P2P) lender Dianrong.com is mulling a share float as early as next year, once Beijing's crackdown on illegal online fundraising takes full shape, according to the company's co-founder and chief executive Soul Htite. "I hope that it is next year," Htite told FinanceAsia on Wednesday on the sidelines of an industry conference in Hong Kong, when pressed on the subject on an initial public offering, after the company postponed a round of private funding. An IPO would test investor confidence in Chinas burgeoning but largely unregulated P2P industry after the mainland authorities in late January shut down Ezubao alleging fraud and misuse of funds. According to official Xinhua news agency, Beijing police arrested more than 20 people who allegedly took Rmb50 billion ($7.6 billion) from almost a million investors across 31 provinces. Established in 2014, Ezubao was one of the most high-profile online P2P lenders in China, promising investors an annual return of 15%. But it operated like a Ponzi scheme, paying investors returns from the new capital paid in by newer investors rather than from any profits earned. P2P lenders use technology to match-up borrowers and lenders and have grown rapidly in China. According to a Credit Suisse report, China's P2P loan balance stood at Rmb439 billion in the end of last year, up from Rmb104 billion the previous year, and is likely to expand to Rmb1.8 trillion by 2018. To help keep tabs on the new industry, Chinese regulators in late December requested all P2P lenders disclose their total loan size and returns. In March, the Chinese central bank also set up a new unit called the National Internet Finance Association. The Ezubao scandal has taken its toll on P2P startups that rely heavily on fresh capital to expand quickly. That includes Dianrong, whose fourth round of private financing was due to be completed by March this year but has now been delayed to next year. "We have enough money to live for the next two years and we expect [the next funding round] to reach a point in the second quarter of next year," Htite told FinanceAsia. As for the IPO, the 43-year old executive said the company prefers to list its shares near China but it has not yet decided where and when to do the share offering. Htite declined to elaborate on the reasons behind the decision to delay its planned private placement but agreed that it would help to set a valuation benchmark for any subsequent public offering. Roadblocks ahead Investors in the US have sounded an alarm over the prospects for some unicorns -- private technology startups valued at more than $1 billion -- as valuations have slipped. A few notable exceptions like Alibaba's Ant Financial, which raised a record $4.5 billion in a second private financing round last month, is keeping Htite positive. "The $60 billion market cap of Ant Financial is a confirmation to our industry," he said. But the doubts are beginning to nag and as another senior executive at a large fintech company in China told FinanceAsia on condition of anonymity, Ezubao has for the time being at least made it harder for fintech startups to raise fresh private funding. "The Ezubao incident combined with global capital market pullback on tech and fintech companies means that access to private capital short term is much more challenging," the person said. Dianrong in September raised $207 million from its third round of private financing from a group of investors led by Standard Chartered Bank, valuing the company at more than $700 million. US Tiger Global is an investor in Dianrong for an unspecific stake. The New York-based company has previously invested in China's e-commerce giants Alibaba and JD.com. Founded in 2012 by Htite and his partner Kevin Guo, Dianrong has 26 offices in China and more than 300,000 active lenders. Htite, an American who grew up in Montreal, was prior to that head of technology at US P2P lender Lending Club. KANSAS CITY, MO--(Marketwired - May 03, 2016) - As Founder of CTK Group, Chris Kamberis has been instrumental in the acquisition development of properties across the country. Recently, he was directly responsible for the opening of Ladybird Style Lab in the Crossroads District of Kansas City, Missouri, benefiting thousands of people in the local community. Founded in 2010 by Molly Bingaman, Ladybird Styling offers wardrobe consulting and clothing amenities to men and women. With the addition of new Director of Operations, Rachel Doescher, Ladybird will launch the Style Lab's storefront on Southwest Boulevard, in the Crossroads District in late May. After six years of working as a wardrobe stylist, Bingaman observed the patterns and behaviors of her clients and is prepared to provide her services through the Ladybird Style Lab. It will function as a destination which helps people determine their individual style through personal advice from the staff. Chris Kamberis has played a pivotal role in providing Bingaman the opportunity to offer her talents to a wider range of citizens in the community. "Everyone has an identity, and everyone should benefit from a true expression of it," she believes. "Clothing is inextricably linked with how we feel about ourselves, and with how others perceive us, so it has incredible power attached to it." The Ladybird Style Lab was named to reflect the emphasis on its experimentation, discovery, and distinctive results. While there are seemingly endless possibilities for one's personal style, the experts have found a method that works for targeting what feels best on their client. Bingaman is honored by the help from CTK Group and Kamberis, who helped her obtain a property that maximizes exposure for her talents. "We wanted to be in the Crossroads because it's the center of creativity and innovation in Kansas City, and we aimed to resonate with -- and amplify -- that signal." She described Kamberis as going "above and beyond to support us throughout the lengthy process of lease finalizations and built-out." He acquired the ideal location on a corner that is surrounded by more energy every day. Today, Kansas City locals can visit the Style Lab for a fresh and new start on their appearance, with professionals who cater to the personal needs of its clientele. They offer specific, curated, inventory in a full range of sizes, with a hair and makeup salon that makes The Ladybird Style Lab a unique service intended to determine what best works on an individual. Chris Kamberis has long been a supporter of personal expression and has praised the work achieved by the Style Lab in allowing the opportunity for individuals dress accordingly. It will be open by appointment beginning in late May. To inquire further or get on the list of appointments, contact Rachel at rachel@ladybirdstyling.com Chris Kamberis is a property expert and established leader in the commercial real estate market, with over two decades of experience. As the Founder and President of CTK Group, he has been the driving force behind some of the most innovative and complex expansions for commercial real estate. The company has helped thousands of businesses and individuals obtain some of the world's best property, including Bank of America, McDonald's, JP Morgan Chase Bank, Burger King, Fifth Third Bank, BP Products North America, and Starbucks. Chris Kamberis -- Property Expert and Founder of CTK Group: http://www.chriskamberisnews.com Chris Kamberis -- Outlines Strategies on How to Monitor Real Estate Trends: http://finance.yahoo.com/news/chris-kamberis-outlines-strategies-monitor-224126150.html Chris Kamberis -- CTK Group Offers Tips on When to Invest in Property: http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSnMKWyp01ra+1c0+MKW20160325 Embedded Video Available: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=funrhyA-zJI Contact Information PR Agency Contact: ICMediaDirect.com TEL: 1.800.595.0821 www.ICMediaDirect.com ZURICH (dpa-AFX) - TSSP announced the acquisition of credit assets including a part of Credit Suisse's (CS) distressed credit portfolio for approximately $1.27 billion, utilizing no portfolio leverage. Additional terms of the transaction were not disclosed. The Credit Suisse distressed portfolio purchased by TSSP is comprised of over 270 instruments across asset types and geographies relating to about 170 companies. As previously indicated, the Credit Suisse Global Markets division has accelerated its strategic implementation of a business model that is better aligned to the overall Group strategy with lower risk appetite and reduced volatility, for the benefit of their core clients and shareholders. The transaction reduces Credit Suisse's overall distressed credit exposure by $1.24 billion. In addition to the $99 million of writedowns disclosed in respect of the overall distressed portfolio on March 23, this transaction has resulted in a further charge of about $100 million, the bulk of which will be reflected in Credit Suisse's first-quarter results. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann. WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Business mogul Donald J. Trump steamrolled to victory Tuesday in the Indiana Republican primary - forcing nearest competitor Ted Cruz to suspend his campaign, giving the frontrunner a clear path to his party's nomination for the presidential race in November. Meanwhile, Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders edged former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to win the Democratic race. Trump was pegged as the winner by CNN immediately after the last polls closed at 7 p.m. EST. With 85 percent of the vote counted, Trump had 53.2 percent of the vote, while Texas Senator Ted Cruz was far behind at 36.7 percent and Ohio Governor John Kasich was third at 7.5 percent. Unofficially, that gave Trump at least 1,053 delegates - within shouting distance of the required 1,237 to land the nomination. Cruz was a distant second at 572, but his only chance to get the nomination was through a contested convention in July - and those hopes were effectively dashed by Trump's resounding win in Indiana. Realizing that it was now increasingly unlikely that Trump could be prevented from getting the needed number of delegates, Cruz decided to suspend his campaign. Kasich has 156 delegates, while Florida senator Marco Rubio - long out of the race - has 173. Shortly after Cruz withdrew from the race, Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus - who has clashed with Trump throughout the campaign - called him the party's presumptive nominee. The Democratic race took a little longer to sort out before Sanders was named the winner. With 89 percent of the vote counted, Sanders had 52.7 percent and Clinton had 47.3 percent. But Clinton still has a solid lead in the delegate race, unofficially with 2,215 to 1,442 for Sanders. The nomination is clinched by 2,383. Next up, the Guam Democratic caucus is Saturday, while the Nebraska Republican primary is May 10 - as are the primaries for both parties in West Virginia. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Kostenloser Wertpapierhandel auf Smartbroker.de CORK, IRELAND--(Marketwired - May 04, 2016) - SolarWinds, a leading provider of powerful and affordable IT management software, today released the findings of a new survey that highlights significant improvements in IT security preparedness and effectiveness among UK organizations, including steps the most successful IT departments have taken to improve their security posture, but also demonstrates that the threat and consequences of security breaches remain. "The most surprising finding of the survey is just how many UK organisations are less vulnerable today than they were a year ago, and, on a related note, how many have implemented security technologies and better security training," said Mav Turner, Director, Business Strategy, SolarWinds. "While this is a sign the industry is trending in the right direction, it's important for IT professionals to never get too confident in their organisations' security posture, which could potentially result in overestimating one's defences. After all, the findings also illustrate how high the stakes are-while less than one-third of UK organisations experienced a security breach in 2015, of those, 77 percent store potentially sensitive customer data." Fielded between December 2015 and March 2016 in conjunction with Penton Research, the survey yielded responses from 109 IT practitioners, managers, directors and executives in the UK from small, midsize and enterprise companies. "Given the heightened international media attention on IT security breaches, it was a pleasant surprise to see that 43 percent of respondents did not experience any security breaches in 2015, and only 28 percent believe a security breach is likely in 2016," said Dr. Kristin Letourneau, director of research at Penton. "Survey data seems to reflect a shifting focus from fear of cyberattack, to the implementation, maintenance and refinement of established and effective security systems." Key Findings While challenges to improving IT security remain, there is a trend towards better security preparedness and effectiveness. Nearly half (43 percent) of IT professionals surveyed said their organisations did not experience any security breaches in 2015, compared to just 30 percent who did. 39 percent said their organisations are less vulnerable now than they were a year ago, compared to 27 percent who said they are more vulnerable. More than twice as many said their time to detect a threat decreased in 2015 versus those who said it increased (42 percent versus 18 percent) 38 percent said their time to respond to a threat decreased in 2015 versus roughly a quarter (28 percent) who said it increased. Organisations whose security posture improved over the past year found success by implementing a handful of vital security technologies and best practices. Among those who said their organisations are now less vulnerable than they were a year ago, the top five reasons reported were: Improved patch management Implementation of configuration change management, alerting and approval tools Adoption of intrusion detection and prevention systems/introduction or expanded use of data encryption (tie) Implementation of log analysis, such as security information and event management (SIEM) tools/standardisation of network configurations and monitoring (tie) Implementation or improvements to an identity management system Endpoint security software topped the list of the most important technologies or practices for ensuring IT security, with 81 percent identifying it as critical or very important, followed by patch management software (75 percent) and identity and access management tools (68 percent) to round out the top three. More than half also identified configuration management software (58 percent) and SIEM software (51 percent) as critical or very important to ensuring IT security. Despite these positive developments, IT departments must still be vigilant against the threat and consequences of security breaches. 38 percent said the number of security incidents their organisations experienced in 2015 increased from 2014. Of those whose organisations experienced a security breach in 2015, 38 percent said the breaches were of medium to major severity. More than three-quarters (77 percent) of the organisations breached in 2015 store customer data, with one-third (33 percent) of those storing data on at least 100,000 customers. While just slightly more than a quarter (28 percent) expect their organisations to suffer from a security breach in 2016, more than three-fourths (79 percent) of them store customer data, including 38 percent that store customer banking information. Increasingly distributed data and the increasing sophistication of attacks tied as the number one factor most commonly thought to make an organisation more vulnerable (29 percent). Resources Full Survey Results SolarWinds IT Security Software Connect with SolarWinds thwack Twitter Facebook LinkedIn About SolarWinds SolarWinds provides powerful and affordable IT management software to customers worldwide from Fortune 500 enterprises to small businesses, government agencies and educational institutions. We are committed to focusing exclusively on IT Pros, and strive to eliminate the complexity that they have been forced to accept from traditional enterprise software vendors. Regardless of where the IT asset or user sits, SolarWinds delivers products that are easy to find, buy, use, maintain, and scale while providing the power to address all key areas of the infrastructure from on premises to the Cloud. Our solutions are rooted in our deep connection to our user base, which interacts in our thwack online community to solve problems, share technology and best practices, and directly participate in our product development process. Learn more today at www.solarwinds.com. SolarWinds, SolarWinds & Design and thwack are the exclusive property of SolarWinds Worldwide, LLC or its affiliates. All other company and product names mentioned are used only for identification purposes and may be or are intellectual property of their respective companies. 2016 SolarWinds Worldwide, LLC. All rights reserved. MEDIA CONTACTS: Sabrina Pietryga Text100 Phone: +44 (0) 20 8846 0754 Sabrina.Pietryga@text100.com Haven is pleased to announce a Series A round of $11 million to automate freight procurement and improve global supply chain efficiency SINGAPORE, May 4, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Haven, a Singapore-based company with offices in San Francisco and Basel, is excited to announce its USD $11 million Series A round. The round was led by Spark Capital and joined by new investor AITV, with follow on funding from existing investors O'Reilly Alpha Tech Ventures, Data Collective, and First Round Capital. Kevin Thau, General Partner at Spark Capital, will join the board. Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20151005/274097LOGO Haven launched its online booking platform for ocean freight in March 2014. It has since expanded into a full-service programmatic logistics platform that automates freight procurement for the world's largest commodity traders, food producers, and CPG companies. Haven enables customers by improving execution speed and efficiency, while eliminating the middlemen that introduce unnecessary complexity into the global supply chain. "Rate volatility is currently a serious problem for both sides of the industry," said Haven CEO Matt Tillman. "Freight is the largest variable cost for many shippers and technology has the power to smooth volatility. Incorporating data and increasing automation reduces overall supply chain risk." The new money will be used to grow European and Asian operations and to continue development of Haven's automated platform. Haven recently opened its European headquarters in Basel, Switzerland, and plans to expand the office to better serve European customers. "Transforming commodity transportation gets the materials that build our houses and the food we eat towhere we need it, with less friction and at lower cost," said Tillman. "Automating freight procurement will transform global trade, and this financing enables us to remain focused on technology." Good quarter amidst tougher competition Regulatory News: First quarter of 2016 in summary Consolidated net sales amounted to SEK 24,761 million (23,673), an increase of 4.6% Operating profit excluding non-recurring items totalled SEK 959 million (775). Operating profit for the comparison period included costs of SEK 53 million associated with the acquisition and integration of Apotek Hjartat Profit from continuing operations (ICA Gruppen excl. ICA Norway) was SEK 735 million (529) Profit includes capital gains on sales of non-current assets and impairment losses totalling SEK 17 million, net (2) Earnings per share for continuing operations were SEK 3.65 (2.51) Cash flow from operating activities for continuing operations amounted to SEK 398 million (221) After the end of the quarter On 20 April the Annual General Meeting of ICA Gruppen resolved in favour of the Board's proposal for a shareholder dividend of SEK 10.00 per share Comment from the CEO of ICA Gruppen, Per Stromberg: "The first quarter of the year showed favourable sales and earnings development. ICA Sweden is showing good profit growth, and Rimi Baltic had a very good start to the year, with strong earnings and continued rising market shares. ICA Bank is having a tough time in a difficult market, while other segments are largely performing according to plan. While we continue to see a market with toughening competition, we are focusing on the right things and are maintaining a high pace in our change work." Press and analyst meeting ICA Gruppen is arranging a press and analyst meeting at Tandstickspalatset, Stockholm, on Wednesday, 4 May 2016 at 10.00 CET. CEO Per Stromberg and CFO Sven Lindskog will present the interim report. The meeting will be webcast and can be followed at www.icagruppen.se/investerare. There is also an opportunity to call in on tel. SE +46 8 566 426 93 UK +44 203 008 9804 Calendar 17 August 2016 Interim report January-June 2016 9 November 2016 Interim report January-September 2016 15 December 2016 Capital Markets Day 8 February 2017 Year-end report 2016 ICA Gruppen discloses the information provided herein pursuant to the Securities Market Act and/or the Financial Instruments Trading Act. The information was submitted for publication at time 07.00 CET on Wednesday, May 4, 2016. ICA Gruppen AB (publ) is a leading retail company with a focus on food and health. The Group includes ICA Sweden and Rimi Baltic which mainly conduct grocery retail, ICA Real Estate which owns and manages properties, ICA Bank which offers financial services and Apotek Hjartat which conducts pharmacy operations. The Group also includes the companies Hemtex and inkClub. For more information see icagruppen.se This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160503007232/en/ Contacts: ICA Gruppen Frans Benson, +46 8-561 500 20 Head of Investor Relations or ICA Gruppen press service, +46 10 422 52 52 BRUSSELS, May 4, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Tourism performance in Europe continues on a positive footing in 2016 following the 5% increase in international tourist arrivals[1] registered last year. However, safety and security concerns and developments in travel facilitation call for closer monitoring to assess the impact on tourism in the mid-term. According to the latest European Travel Commission (ETC) "European Tourism 2016 - Trends & Prospects", a vast majority of destinations reported positive results in the first two months of the year in both overnights and arrivals. Top performers were Slovakia (+30%), Serbia (+24%) and Romania (+20%) recording double-digit growth. Among large destinations, substantial growth was posted by Spain (+13%), reflecting their efforts to fight seasonality, trailed by Austria and Germany (both +5%). Conversely, Turkey (-8%) saw a shrinking growth from its key source markets attributable to political and safety and security challenges. "Tourism is one of Europe's most important industries and it constitutes a powerful tool to foster economic development and employment growth. Amidst increased competition and unpredictable events, European leaders within the sector are called to jointly co-operate to enhance the visibility of Europe and safeguard its image as an appealing and welcoming tourist destination" said Eduardo Santander, Executive Director of ETC. Travel demand from long-haul markets remains paramount for tourism growth Positive economic indicators continue to support growth from the US, accounting for 5% of the share of tourist arrivals to Europe. China remains the second largest non-European source market despite concerns of its slowing economy or the implementation of the Biometric visa hampering outbound travel. For this market, tourist arrivals to Europe are projected to reach 12 million in 2016[2]. Meanwhile in Japan, raising real wages are expected to contribute positively to consumer spending. Positive data from the key long-haul markets should be interpreted with caution as the aftermath of recent terror attacks in Europe have yet to be observed in the coming months. Travel demand from Russia continues to taper with more than half of reporting destinations recording negative figures at the beginning of the year. With an economy in recession, falling oil prices and a weakened Rouble, growth in tourism demand from this market is not expected in the near future while across the Atlantic, Brazil's economy struggles to pull out of recession. The "European Tourism - Trends & Prospects" is available for free download on http://www.etc-corporate.org/reports/european-tourism-2016-trends-and-prospects-(q1-2016) -------------------------------------------------- 1. World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) 2. Tourism Economics LOEWEN (dpa-AFX) - Belgian brewer Anheuser-Busch InBev NV, or AB InBev (BUD, AHBIF.PK) posted a sharp decline in profit for the first quarter from last year on lower revenues. However, organic revenues grew 3.1 percent. For the first quarter, the Group reported that profit attributable to equity holders of the company slid to $132 million from $2.68 billion, and basic earnings per share declined to $0.08 from $1.63 last year. Normalized profit attributable to equity holders of AB InBev fell to $844 million from $2.29 billion last year, and basic normalized earnings per share declined to $0.51 from $1.40 last year. Revenue for the quarter declined to $9.40 billion from $10.45 billion a year ago. On a constant geographic basis, revenue per hl grew by 5.2 percent, driven by strong premium brand volumes. The company also said it is making good progress towards obtaining the necessary regulatory clearances for the proposed combination with SABMiller, and continue to expect the transaction to close in the second half of 2016. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann. Company announcement no 05-16North Media continues to invest in the development and transformation of each business segment to cater for the new advertising media habits of retailers and consumers."The activities of North Media have largely developed as expected in Q1 2016. The progress of the NoAds+ concept continues, although FK Distribution's revenue development is affected by the loss of Coop as a customer effective from 1 January 2016. The newspaper operations maintain their market position, and at Online and BEKEY focus remains on optimising their growth assumptions. We are highly affected by the underlying structural changes in the media market, which mean that the pressure on revenue and earnings in our traditional business segments continues. We will continue to give full prominence to the development of our business segments in order to unlock their individual potential by developing both new and existing business concepts," says Kare Wigh, Group Executive Director & CFO of North Media A/S.Group financial highlights from Q1 2016-- Group revenue reached DKK 216.3 million (2015: DKK 250.5 million), which is 14% down on last year. -- EBITDA amounted to DKK 0.1 million (2015: DKK 0.2 million). -- EBIT before special items was a loss of DKK 9.9 million (2015: a loss of DKK 11.6 million). -- The Q1 2016 return on securities was negative by DKK 17.3 million, or a negative 9.4%. The Group's total portfolio of securities amounted to DKK 185.4 million at 31 March 2016. -- The Group's net interest-bearing cash position was DKK 98.7 million at the balance sheet date, and the capital resources amounted to DKK 267.0 million. Consequently, the Group's financial resources remain strong.Outlook for 2016The financial, strategic and executional development of the Group's activities in Q1 2016 support the course charted by Management and on which the performance expectations for the financial year 2016 are based.The revenue and performance development for North Media Newspaper and North Media Online in Q1 2016 was weaker than anticipated.As stated in Company announcement no 04-16 of 2 May 2016 (subsequent event), North Media A/S has signed an agreement for the sale of some editions of Sndagsavisen and the equity interest in A/S Vestsjllandske Distriktsblade.Based on this, group revenue is expected to range between DKK 865 million and DKK 915 million and EBIT before special items to range from a negative DKK 55 million to a negative DKK 25 million for the financial year 2016. To this should be added a net profit from above mentioned sale of approx DKK 40 million which will be included in the financial statements partly as profit from associates and partly as a special item.FK Distribution in Q1 2016-- Revenue was DKK 137.3 million (2015: DKK 164.9 million, down 17%. Besides continued strong price competition, revenue development is affected by the loss of Coop as a customer effective from 1 January 2016. -- EBITDA amounted to DKK 7.7 million (2015: DKK 5.4 million). -- EBIT reached DKK 3.6 million (2015: a negative DKK 0.2 million), thus producing a profit margin of 2.6% (2015: a negative 0.1%). -- At 31 March 2016, 583,000 households had signed up for NoAds+. The level of sign-ups is now lower, and marketing efforts have been reduced considerably.North Media Newspaper in Q1 2016-- Revenue was DKK 49.5 million (2015: DKK 56.4 million), down 12%. -- EBITDA was negative by DKK 5.7 million (2015: negative by DKK 0.3 million). -- EBIT stood at a negative DKK 8.8 million (2015: a negative DKK 3.7 million). -- The print ads market has developed worse than expected. It is estimated that North Media Newspaper's negative revenue development is consistent with market developments and that its market position has therefore been maintained. In view of this, revenue and performance development has been weaker than expected.North Media Online in Q1 2016-- Online's total revenue stood at DKK 24.2 million (2015: DKK 24.6 million). -- EBITDA was negative by DKK 1.9 million (2015: negative by DKK 3.0 million). -- EBIT stood at a negative DKK 2.3 million (2015: a negative DKK 3.4 million). -- Revenue from online activities developed more weakly in Q1 2016 than expected, which is not satisfactory. The reasons for this lack of growth are that the implementation of the new price and product mix at BoligPortal did not proceed as fast as expected and that the number of customers opting out of handvrker.dk has been higher than anticipated.BEKEY in Q1 2016-- Revenue was DKK 5.3 million (2015: DKK 4.6 million), up 15%. -- EBITDA was negative by DKK 3.7 million (2015: negative by DKK 4.2 million). -- EBIT stood at a negative DKK 3.8 million (2015: a negative DKK 4.3 million). -- Sales activities are in progress and tests have been carried out in Norway, Finland, the Netherlands and the USA.For further details, please contact Group Executive Director & CFO Kare Wigh at +45 25 65 21 45.The Interim Management Statement for Q1 2016 in its full is attached.This Interim Management Statement for Q1 2016 has been prepared in Danish and English. The Danish text shall be the governing text for all purposes and in case of any discrepancy the Danish wording shall be applicable.Attachment:https://cns.omxgroup.com/cds/DisclosureAttachmentServlet?messageAttachmentId=560236 AIM: MARL Suite 102, 3 Eden Street 4 May 2016 North Sydney, NSW 2060 Australia THIS NEWS RELEASE IS NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO THE UNITED STATES NEWSWIRE SERVICES OR FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES. Mariana Announces Closing of Private Placement for GBP6 million Mariana Resources Ltd ('Mariana' or the 'Company'), the AIM listed exploration and development company with projects in Turkey and South America, announces the closing of the private placement (previously announced 26 April 2016) for 330,000,000 ordinary shares in the Company (the 'Shares'). The Company will be issuing one warrant (a 'Warrant') for every two Shares subscribed. Each Warrant will be exercisable for a period of two years to acquire an additional Ordinary Share of the Company at an exercise price of 2.5p. Following this placement, Sandstorm Gold Limited TSX:SSL ('Sandstorm') has become a significant shareholder with a holding of 7.56% in the Company. The placement price as announced on the 26 April was 1.82 UK pence It is expected that 330,000,000 million shares will commence trading on AIM on or around Wednesday, 11 May 2016. Chief Executive Officer Glen Parsons today commented: 'The overwhelming support for Mariana and this placement specifically from North America and our current supportive institutions is very encouraging, particularly with the decision to proceed with dual listing on the TSX-V. Furthermore with this strong support Mariana decided to place the full 330 million shares. We have attracted a diverse investor base demonstrating support for our attractive asset portfolio including the exciting high grade gold and copper Hot Maden Project in north eastern Turkey. We are pleased to welcome Sandstorm as an investor following their recent purchase of the Hot Maden 2% NSR (Net Smelter Royalty) from Teck Resources. This investment in Mariana is a great vote of confidence for the asset and our team. 'These funds raised will mainly be used for the advancement of Hot Maden and position Mariana favourably for the future.' **ENDS** For further information please visit website at www.marianaresources.com or contact the following. In Australia: Glen Parsons (CEO) Mariana Resources Ltd +61 2 9437 4588 Eric Roth (COO) Mariana Resources Ltd +56 9 8818 1243 Rob Adamson RFC Ambrian Limited (Nomad) +61 2 9250 0041 Will Souter RFC Ambrian Limited (Nomad) +61 2 9250 0050 In U.K. Oliver Stansfield Brandon Hill Capital (UK Broker) +44 20 3463 5061 Jonathan Evans Brandon Hill Capital (UK Broker) +44 20 3463 5016 Camilla Horsfall Blytheweigh (Financial PR) +44 20 7138 3224 Megan Ray Blytheweigh (Financial PR) +44 20 7138 3203 About Mariana Resources Mariana Resources Ltd is an AIM quoted exploration and development company with an extensive portfolio of gold, silver and copper projects in South America and Turkey. Mariana's most advanced asset is the Hot Maden gold-copper project in north east Turkey, which is a joint venture with its Turkish JV partner Lidya (30% Mariana and 70% Lidya). A maiden mineral resource estimate of 2.03 Moz gold Equivalent (Indicated Category) and 0.97 Moz gold Equivalent (Inferred Category) (100% basis) was reported for Hot Maden on August 18, 2015. Elsewhere in Turkey, Mariana holds a 100% interest in the Ergama gold-copper project. In Suriname, Mariana has a direct holding of 10.2% of the Nassau Gold project.) The Nassau Gold Project is a 28,000 Ha exploration concession located approximately 125 km south east of the capital Paramaribo and immediately adjacent to Newmont Mining's 4.2Moz gold Merian project. In southern Argentina, the Company's core gold-silver projects are Las Calandrias (100%), Sierra Blanca (100%), Los Cisnes (100%), Bozal (100%). These projects are part of a 160,000+ Ha land package in the Deseado Massif epithermal gold-silver district in mining-friendly Santa Cruz Province. Mariana acquired 100% interests in the Dona Ines gold-silver and Exploradora East copper prospects in northern Chile through the Aegean Metals Group transaction which closed in January, 2015, with Mariana exploration now being funded by Asset Chile through the provision of $1.65m for a total 50% interest. In Peru, Mariana is focusing on acquiring new opportunities which complement its current portfolio. Safe Harbour This press release contains certain statements which may be deemed to be forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are made as at the date of this press release and include, without limitation, statements regarding discussions of future plans, the realization, cost, timing and extent of mineral resource estimates, estimated future exploration expenditures, costs and timing of the development of new deposits, success of exploration activities, permitting time lines, and requirements for additional capital. The words 'plans', 'expects', 'budget', 'scheduled', 'estimate', 'forecasts', 'intend', 'anticipate', 'believe', 'may', 'will', or similar expressions or variations of such words are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other factors that may cause actual results to vary materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to: the effects of general economic conditions; the price of gold, silver and copper; misjudgements in the course of preparing forward-looking statements; risks associated with international operations; the need for additional financing; risks inherent in exploration results; conclusions of economic evaluations; changes in project parameters; currency and commodity price fluctuations; title matters; environmental liability claims; unanticipated operational risks; accidents, labour disputes and other risks of the mining industry; delays in obtaining governmental approvals or in the completion of development or construction activities; political risk; and other risks and uncertainties described in the Company's annual financial statements for the most recently completed financial year which is available on the Company's website at www.marianaresources.com . Although we believe that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are based upon reasonable assumptions and have attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking statements. Accordingly, readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward- looking statements. We do not undertake to update any forward-looking statements, except in accordance with applicable securities laws. This announcement is distributed by GlobeNewswire on behalf of GlobeNewswire clients. The owner of this announcement warrants that: (i) the releases contained herein are protected by copyright and other applicable laws; and (ii) they are solely responsible for the content, accuracy and originality of the information contained therein. Source: Mariana Resources Ltd via GlobeNewswire [HUG#2009694] B12GJ72R23 Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Kostenloser Wertpapierhandel auf Smartbroker.de Press-release Krasnodar May 4, 2016 PJSC "Magnit" Announces the Opening of New Hypermarkets and a "Magnit Family" Store Krasnodar, May 4, 2016: PJSC "Magnit", Russia's largest food retailer (the "Company"; MOEX and LSE: MGNT), is pleased to announce the opening of new hypermarkets and a "Magnit Family" store. Please be informed that on April 26, 2016 the Company has opened its 161st "Magnit Family" store. The 161st "Magnit Family" store is located at 7 Narodnaya street,Tyumen, Ural federal region. Assortment of the store consists of about 10,800 SKUs, out of which about 82% are food items. There are 18 cash desks installed in the sales area. The outlet is leased by the Company. The store is open 7 days a week from 9 am to 11 pm. On April 28, 2016 the Company has opened its 226th hypermarket. The 226th hypermarket (small format) is located at 1 Generala Shifrina street, building 1, Krasnodar, South federal region. Assortment of the hypermarket consists of more than 15,400 SKUs, out of which about 82% are food items. There are 21 cash desks installed in the sales area. The outlet is owned by the Company. The hypermarket is open 7 days a week from 9 am to 11 pm. On April 30, 2016 the Company has opened its 227th hypermarket. The 227th hypermarket (small format) is located at 15 Akademicheskaya street, building 1 ("Noviy Torg" shopping center), Kaluga, Central federal region. Assortment of the hypermarket consists of more than 17,100 SKUs, out of which about 76% are food items. There are 21 cash desks installed in the sales area. The outlet is leased by the Company. The hypermarket is open 7 days a week from 9 am to 11:00 pm. For further information, please contact: Timothy Post Head of Investor Relations Email: post@magnit.ru Office: +7-861-277-4554 x 17600 Mobile: +7-961-511-7678 Direct Line: +7-861-277-4562 Investor Relations Office MagnitIR@magnit.ru Direct Line: +7-861-277-4562 Website: ir.magnit.com/ Media Inquiries Media Relations Department press@magnit.ru Company description: Magnit is Russia's largest food retailer. Founded in 1994, the company is headquartered in the southern Russian city of Krasnodar. As of March 31, 2016, Magnit operated 34 distribution centers and about 12,434 stores (9,715 convenience, 382 hypermarkets, and 2,337 drogerie stores) in 2,385 cities and towns throughout 7 federal regions of the Russian Federation. In accordance with the audited IFRS results for 2015, Magnit had revenues of RUB 951 billion and an EBITDA of RUB 104 billion. Magnit's local shares are traded on the Moscow Stock Exchange (MOEX: MGNT) and its GDRs on the London Stock Exchange (LSE: MGNT) and it has a credit rating from Standard & Poor's of BB+. Measured by market capitalization, Magnit is one of the largest retailers in Europe. Attached please find the full report as PDF file.________________________________________________________________________________Announcement no. 11 4. maj 2016Interim report - First quarter of 2016Today, the Board of Directors approved the interim report for the first quarter of 2016. The full report is attached as PDF file and contains the following highlights:-- Adjusted result for the period Q1 2016: USD -5 million.("Results for the period" adjusted for "Profits from the sale of vessels etc." and "Fair value adjustment of certain hedging instruments") (Q1 2015: USD 27 million).-- EBIT Q1 2016 USD -1 million (USD 30 million).-- Tanker market as expected: Lower than last year, but continued good rates.-- Tanker: Adjusted result for the period Q1: USD 15 million (USD 25 million) corresponding to EBIT 16 million (USD 27 million).-- Historically weak dry cargo market with minor improvements after the end of the quarter.-- Dry Cargo: Adjusted result for the period Q1: USD -20 million (USD 2 million) corresponding to EBIT USD -17 million (USD 3 million).-- Positive cash flows from operating activities: USD 7 million (USD -3 million).-- Average NORDEN TCE earnings:Tanker: USD 17,799, which is on the same level as the market.Dry Cargo: USD 6,418 corresponding to 37% above the market.-- Ship values have dropped in both segments with a slightly upward trend in dry cargo after the end of the quarter.-- Expectations to the adjusted results for the year are maintained at USD -60 to 30 million.CEO Jan Rindbo in comments:"NORDEN's tanker business still brings home reasonable results, which contributes to cushion the effects of a historically poor quarter in the dry cargo market. The dry cargo index the Baltic Dry Index reached a new low in February, and despite a record number of scrappings of dry cargo vessels, this could not make up for the many deliveries of new vessels. Based on the increase in Chinese imports, the dry cargo market saw a slight improvement in March. NORDEN is optimising its fleet, utilising its flexible business model and chartering more vessels for single trips than before, in order to get maximum value out of the markets".A telephone conference will be held today at 3:30 p.m. (CET), where CEO Jan Rindbo and CFO Martin Badsted will comment on the report. It is requested that all participants have joined the meeting by latest 3:25 p.m. (CET) - Danish participants please dial in on +45 3271 1660, overseas participants please dial in on +44 (0) 20 3427 1915 or +1 646 254 3388. The telephone conference will be shown live at www.ds-norden.com, where the accompanying presentation will also be available.For further information: CEO Jan Rindbo, tel. +45 3315 0451.________________________________________________________________________________DAMPSKIBSSELSKABET NORDEN A/S, STRANDVEJEN 52, 2900 HELLERUP, CVR-NR. 67758919Attachment:https://cns.omxgroup.com/cds/DisclosureAttachmentServlet?messageAttachmentId=560351 Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann. Frankfurt (ots) - Challenging Business Environment Persists - Most of the Group's Airports Report Traffic GrowthIn the first quarter of 2016, some 13 million passengers passed through Frankfurt Airport (FRA), representing an increase of 3.3 percent year-on-year. On the back of that growth, Fraport achieved higher revenue from airport and infrastructure charges as well as from aircraft handling. Simultaneously, net retail revenue per passenger declined from EUR3.93 to EUR3.62 on the previous year. One reason was the non-recurrence of particularly high income gained in the first quarter of 2015, when the cap on the Swiss franc's euro exchange rate was removed. Other reasons included a changed passenger structure and a decline in the average retail spending of Chinese and Russian passengers, reflecting the loss of purchasing power of their respective currencies.Outside Frankfurt, the Group's subsidiaries - particularly in Lima and Ljubljana as well as Twin Star and AMU Holdings Inc. - contributed positively to Fraport's overall revenue performance. While the airports in Ljubljana (Slovenia), Varna and Burgas (Bulgaria), Xi'an (China), Hanover (Germany), and Lima (Peru) partially recorded strong traffic growth, passenger figures at the airports in Antalya (Turkey) and St. Petersburg (Russia) declined in line with expectations.Adjusted Group revenue rose by EUR14.7 million (up 2.6 percent) to EUR572.5 million in the first quarter of 2016. The Group's operating result or EBITDA (earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization) declined by 4.9 percent to EUR145.6 million in the first quarter, due to higher expenditure resulting from, among other things, collective wage agreements and non-capitalizable investments made at FRA. In contrast, the Group's financial result improved from minus EUR56.4 million to minus EUR42.5 million, due to lower interest expenses and lower losses related to currency exchange rates. This led to an overall positive performance of the Group result, soaring by EUR4.5 million (or 42.5 percent) to EUR15.1 million year-on-year. Correspondingly, earnings per share rose by EUR0.05 to EUR0.16 - an increase of 45.5 percent.With operating cash flow on the decline, free cash flow - while remaining in positive territory - also shrank by 30.7 percent, from EUR65.2 million in the previous year to EUR45.2 million in the first quarter of 2016. Net financial liabilities amounted to approximately EUR2.75 billion in the first quarter, while the gearing ratio reached 82.8 percent (compared to EUR2.77 billion and 83.8 percent respectively as of December 31, 2015).In view of the results achieved in the first quarter of 2016, Fraport AG's executive board is maintaining its outlook for the Group's asset, financial, and earnings position in business year 2016. However, executive board chairman Dr. Stefan Schulte pointed out that the year 2016 will bring about a number of challenges for the aviation industry and thus also for Fraport AG: "Metaphorically speaking, we are currently maneuvering in a stormy sea. The geopolitical situation is impacting air traffic in Russia and Turkey - where we hold major airport investments - and tourism flows in general. The summer season will show the direction in which our business will develop in 2016."Fraport AG's interim report for the first quarter of 2016 is available via our corporate website (www.frankfurt-airport.com/en), under Investor Relations.Originaltext: Fraport AG digital press kits: http://www.presseportal.de/nr/31522 press kits via RSS: http://www.presseportal.de/rss/pm_31522.rss2 ISIN: DE0005773303Contact: Fraport AG Christopher Holschier Corporate Communications Press Office 60547 Frankfurt, Germany Telephone: +49 69 690-70553 E-mail: c.holschier@fraport.de Internet: www.fraport.com Facebook: www.facebook.com/FrankfurtAirport LONDON (dpa-AFX) - Ultra Electronics Holdings Plc (ULE.L), a defence, security, transport and energy company, said Wednesday it named Amitabh Sharma as Group Finance Director, with effect from May 4, 2016. He was serving the role on an interim basis, after Mary Waldner resigned in March 2016. In accordance with paragraph 9.6.11 of the Listing Rules, Amitabh will be appointed to the Board and will report directly to the Chief Executive, Rakesh Sharma. Amitabh Sharma, who is not related to the Chief Executive, Rakesh Sharma, in any way, earlier served as the Group's Financial Controller from 1999 to 2005. Prior to this, he was Group Finance Director at Gibbs and Dandy plc and a Divisional Finance Director at Saint Gobain. He has also been an audit manager with KPMG in London and qualified as a Chartered Accountant in 1993. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann. THE HAGUE (dpa-AFX) - Royal Dutch Shell Plc (RDS-B) released a profit for first quarter that declined from last year. The company said its earnings came in at $0.48 billion, or $0.07 per share. This was down from $4.43 billion, or $0.69 per share, in last year's first quarter. The company said revenue for the quarter fell 26.1% to $48.55 billion. This was down from $65.71 billion last year. Royal Dutch Shell Plc earnings at a glance: -Earnings (Q1): $0.48 Bln. vs. $4.43 Bln. last year. -Earnings Decline (Y-o-Y): -89.2% -EPS (Q1): $0.07 vs. $0.69 last year. -EPS Decline (Y-o-Y): -89.9% -Revenue (Q1): $48.55 Bln vs. $65.71 Bln last year. -Revenue Change (Y-o-Y): -26.1% Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann. Regulatory News: Humana AB (STO:HUM), a leading Nordic care company, acquires the leading Finnish psychosocial care provider Arjessa. As a result of the acquisition Humana establishes a strong platform for continued growth in Finland. Humana AB has entered into an agreement to acquire all shares in Arjessa Oy ("Arjessa" or the "Company") from funds managed by Sentica Partners Oy and a number of private individuals. The transaction is subject to approval by the Finnish competition authorities and is expected to be finalized by the end of the second quarter of 2016. The enterprise value of the acquisition target is EUR 32 million. The transaction price will be financed through cash and existing credit facilities at closing. In 2015, Arjessa had net sales of EUR 32.1 million and EBITA of EUR 3.1 million. The Company has more than 800 full-year and part time employees. The change in ownership will not affect the operations or personnel of Arjessa. Expanding into Finland is in line with Humana's growth strategy and the acquisition of Arjessa is an important step in Humana's ambition to become the leading care company in the Nordic region, says Rasmus Nerman, CEO of Humana. Arjessa and its management team offers an optimal platform for continued expansion in Finland and the acquisition further strengthens Humana's position as the leading Nordic player within individual and family care, Rasmus Nerman concludes. Arjessa is a leading Finnish high-quality provider of full responsibility psychiatric and psychosocial treatments for children, adolescents and their families, with a significant market presence and national reach. With its position as Finland's largest private provider within child family open care and the second largest provider within child welfare institutional care, the Company complements Humana's business area Individual Family, especially given Humana's presence and expertise within psychosocial care. Arjessa and Humana will together form the by far leading Nordic provider within individual and family care. Arjessa and Humana fit well together both from an operational and cultural perspective, comments Pasi Kohtala, CEO of Arjessa. We share the same core values and have a consensus view on how good care is carried out. The Arjessa management team look forward to becoming a part of Humana and taking advantage of their deep knowledge to further develop and expand our activities and customer offering within social care. The acquisition is expected to have a positive contribution on revenues and earnings per share during 2016. The information is such that Humana AB (publ) is required to disclose in accordance with the Swedish Financial Instruments Trading Act and/or the Swedish Securities Market Act. The information was submitted for publication at 09.00 CET on May 4, 2016. Humana is a leading Nordic care company providing services within individual and family care, personal assistance, elderly care and special service housing in accordance with LSS. Humana has more than 14 000 employees in Sweden and Norway providing care for over 7 000 individuals, and working towards the vision "Everyone is entitled to a good life". In 2015, Humana's operating revenue was SEK 5 655 M. The company's headquarters are located in Stockholm, Sweden. Read more about Humana on www.humana.se (http://www.corporate.humana.se) or http://corporate.humana.se (http://www.corporate.humana.se) (http://www.corporate.humana.se) This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160504005687/en/ Contacts: Humana AB Ulf Bonnevier, +46-70-164-73-17 CFO ulf.bonnevier@humana.se or Cecilia Lannebo, +46-72-220-82-77 Head of Investor Relations cecilia.lannebo@humana.se Skanska's Three month report 2016 will be released on Thursday, May 12 at 07:30 am CET. Regulatory News: In conjunction with the release of the report, a press- and telephone conference is held for media and analysts, at 10:00 am CET (UK 09:00) at Skanska's head office at Warfvinges vag 25 in Stockholm. Johan Karlstrom, Skanska's President and CEO, and Peter Wallin, CFO, will present the report and thereafter respond to questions. The press conference will be webcasted live at www.skanska.com/investors, where it also will be posted shortly afterwards. To participate in the telephone conference, with the possibility to ask questions, please dial +46 8 505 564 74, or +44 20 3364 5374, or +1 855 753 2230. After the conference there will be possibilities for individual meetings with Peter Wallin. To apply for a meeting please contact per.heinrup@skanska.se no later than May 10. Welcome! Andre Lofgren Katarina Gronwall SVP, Investor Relations SVP, Communications Skanska is one of the world's leading project development and construction groups with expertise in construction, development of commercial and residential premises, and public-private partnerships projects. Based on its global green experience, Skanska aims to be the clients' first choice for Green solutions. The Group currently has 43,000 employees in selected home markets in Europe and North America. Skanska's sales in 2015 totaled SEK 155 billion. This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160504005725/en/ Contacts: For further information please contact: Andre Lofgren, Senior Vice President Investor Relations, Skanska AB, tel +46 (0)10 448 13 63 or Katarina Gronwall, Senior Vice President Communications, Skanska AB, tel +46 (0)10 448 88 77 or Andreas Joons, Press Officer, Skanska AB, tel +46 (0)10 449 04 94 or Direct line for media, tel +46 (0)10 448 88 99 This and previous releases can also be found at www.skanska.com/media - Getac signs leading European distributor, Ingram Micro to expand reach and reseller community across Western Europe - Ingram Micro to support increased sales of Getac devices into data capture and point of sale markets - Combines Ingram Micro's extensive reseller network with Getac's hands-on partner and customer approach TELFORD, England, DUSSELDORF, Germany and MILAN, May 4,2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Getac, the global designer and manufacturer of rugged mobile devices today announces a partnership with Ingram Micro, Europe's largest distributor of technology products, to distribute Getac's range of fully rugged tablets to the mobility sector across Western Europe. As a result of the partnership, Getac will gain access to Ingram Micro's network of some 90,000 resellers and benefit from its dedicated specialist teams across Europe. The partnership will help to meet growing demand for fully rugged devices in mobile markets, such as warehousing, transport and logistics, retail and hospitality, healthcare and field force automation. The partnership will also help to grow Getac's brand and existing channel community. Ingram will distribute Getac's fully rugged tablet range - including the RX10, T800, F110, Z710 and V110 models - all offering 3D antenna for unprecedented connectivity and Lumibond screen technology for visibility in low or bright light conditions, as well as meeting industry standards for rugged devices and security. Mark Cheetham, EMEA Director DC/POS at Ingram Micro says: "Getac rugged tablets are recognised for their reliability, security and durability and are a valuable addition to our portfolio. Getac takes a hands-on approach to its reseller partnerships, engaging on key sales with both partners and customers alike, leveraging our solutions team and expertise as well as providing speedy delivery." "Partnering with Ingram Micro and its core specialist resellers expands our channel community andopens up new market opportunities," comments Paul Waddilove, Channel Director EMEA, Getac. "We're excited about the partnership and see this as a first step towards a broader relationship." About Getac Getac Technology Corporation, a key subsidiary of MiTAC-Synnex Business Group (2015 consolidated revenue USD 28 billion), was established in 1989 as a joint venture with GE Aerospace to supply defence electronic products. Getac's business coverage includes; rugged notebooks, rugged tablet PCs and rugged handheld devices for military, police, government, communications, manufacturing and transportation applications ranging from fully rugged to commercial-grade rugged. Getac's strong R&D capabilities allow it to provide a high level of customisation and all-aspect hardware-software integration solutions. For more information visit: www.getac.com. About Ingram Micro The Ingram Micro DC/POS division augments Ingram Micro's presence on the European market in the area of data capture and point of sales systems. Ingram Micro's DC/POS portfolio covers all areas of mobile data capture: barcode scanners, mobile terminals, label printers, RFID and wireless systems as well as cash solutions. The specialised sales department of Ingram Micro's DC/POS division supports its customers in the selection of the right products and/or systems. The Professional Service Division advises customers in all technical matters before and after purchase. http://eu-dcpos.ingrammicro.com. Media Contact: Sian Aherne, T/F/D sian@wearetfd.com +44-7891679752 Ingram Micro Solveig Wehking solveig.wehking@ingrammicro.com CYNORA, a leader in TADF (thermally activated delayed fluorescence) materials, has made significant progress in its highly efficient blue material developments during the last 6 months: a strong indicator for reaching performance levels requested by the OLED industry. CYNORA has been working on organic TADF emitting materials during the last 5 years. Since 2015, CYNORA applies its experience to develop pure organic highly efficient blue dopants for vacuum deposition. The TADF technology combines high efficiency (3 times better than the state-of-the-art fluorescence technology) together with long lifetime. OLED displays incorporating blue TADF materials will reduce power consumption up to a factor of 2. CYNORA has developed deep blue material reaching an EQE of 16.3% (at 100 cd/m2) compared to 3% reached in October 2015, a factor 5 improvement in six months. In parallel, the company is using sky blue material to improve the device lifetime. A significant increase in the lifetime to more than 400 h (LT 50 , 500 cd/m2) has recently been achieved from a level of a few minutes in last October. "We have yet to reach the performances requested by the OLED display industry" says Thomas Baumann, CYNORA's CSO, "but our rapid progress during the last 6 months proves our capability to reach the performance levels we have defined together with our key customers to support their technical roadmap. We will use the coming months to combine both efficiency and lifetime in a single deep blue material." CYNORA owns a broad IP portfolio on TADF with over 100 patent families and is aiming for over 600 patents. About CYNORA Founded in 2008, CYNORA is a leader in the TADF technology. The company's focus is on high-efficiency blue OLED emitter systems which will enable significant reduction of power consumption of OLED devices. The multidisciplinary team of CYNORA, with 70 employees by end of 2016, is highly focused on meeting the customers' requirements. CYNORA has established representation in Korea and China and is working closely with its customers on material and device development. For further information please visit www.cynora.com View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160504005777/en/ Contacts: CYNORA Joanna Wrzeszcz phone: +49 7251 919 67 67 wrzeszcz@cynora.com BRUSSELS (dpa-AFX) - At 5:00 am ET Wednesday, Eurostat releases euro area retail sales figures for March. Sales are forecast to grow 2.7 percent on a yearly basis after rising 2.4 percent in February. Ahead of the data, the euro showed mixed trading against its major rivals. While the euro rose against the pound, it fell against the U.S. dollar and the Swiss franc. Against the yen, the euro held steady. As of 4:55 am ET, the euro was trading at 0.7931 against the pound, 1.0976 against the Swiss franc, 1.1489 against the U.S. dollar and 122.82 against the yen. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann. KINSHASA, Democratic Republic of Congo, May 4, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Fleurette Group ("Fleurette") is pleased to announce the first quarter operating results for Mutanda Mining SARL ("MUMI"). Highlights Q1 copper production of 54,700 tonnes Cobalt production of 4,900 tonnes Production 2015 2016 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Year Q1 Copper metal Kt 51.6 53.9 55.5 55.1 216.1 54.7 Cobalt contained Kt 2.6 3.7 4.9 5.3 16.5 4.9 During the first quarter MUMI produced 54,700 tonnes of copper (Q4 2015: 55,100 tonnes) and 4,900 tonnes of cobalt (Q4 2015: 5,300 tonnes). Dan Gertler, Senior Advisor to Fleurette Group commented: "MUMI continues to operate excellently exceeding its design capacity of 200,000 tonnes of copper per year and has continued with its extensive programme of social investments, which transforms the lives of the communities we work alongside." Social Investment Update In 2016 Q1 MUMI's main social investments included: Sustainable rural livelihoods - distribution of material for the construction of sheepfolds and also distribution of goats - distribution of material for the construction of sheepfolds and also distribution of goats Health : Support to Lualaba health zone for vaccination campaigns (polio campaigns for children - 37 000 children vaccinated). Donation of beds and office material to Bumi clinic : Support to Lualaba health zone for vaccination campaigns (polio campaigns for children - 37 000 children vaccinated). Donation of beds and office material to Bumi clinic Local employment: Continuation of cleaning project and hiring of local staff from surrounding villages via a local contractor MUMI comprises the Mutanda and Kansuki concessions in the Katanga province of theDemocratic Republic of Congowhich were merged inJuly 2013. MUMI is jointly owned by Glencore (69% ownership) and Fleurette (31% ownership). MUMI is managed by Glencore who also have a 100% offtake contract for all copper and cobalt production. Fleurette has invested $440 millionin acquiring and developing the asset in partnership with Glencore. This has driven production from 100,000 to the current run rate of 200,000 tonnes of copper per annum. The total investment in MUMI isover $1.8 billion. MUMI employs over 3,500 Congolese at the current design capacity, and as further investment is made into the asset, we would expect this number to increase. About Fleurette -www.fleurettegroup.com / LinkedIn / Twitter / Facebook The Fleurette Group of Companies ("Fleurette") is an entrepreneurial business with significant investment in diverse sectors, including natural resources, infrastructure, agriculture and technology. Fleurette has substantial investments and operations in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The parent company of the group, Fleurette Properties Limited, a Dutch resident company, is owned by Line Trust Corporation Limited strictly and solely as trustees of the Ashdale Settlement, a trust established in 2006 for the benefit of the family of Dan Gertler. Mr Gertler is a citizen and resident of Israel and the DRC (and honorary counsel to the DRC) and is committed to developing the country's natural resources and infrastructure, while investing in the Congolese people and their communities. Fleurette has a proven track record of successful co-operation with diverse parties, including the DRC State-owned mining company Gecamines, and to date has brought more than USD $7 billion of investment into the DRC, on top of its USD $2 billion in private investment. As a result, Fleurette's subsidiaries and partnerships support around 30,000 jobs in the DRC and are amongst the DRC's leading taxpayers, contributing significant revenues to the State. Fleurette is also a major contributor to social development in the DRC through the Gertler Family Foundation (GFF) and through direct investment in social infrastructure. The GFF is the largest charitable organization in the DRC, funding more than 50 programs and projects across the DRC, which help tens of thousands of Congolese every year. These include rebuilding key hospitals, notably the Kisangini "Hospital du Cinquantenaire"; supporting the Operation Smile campaign in Lubumbashi and Kinshasa; rebuilding Blaise Pascal School in Lubumbashi; and supporting the Lubumbashi Zoo. Facilitate Developers Step into China Market HONG KONG, May 4, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- iProperty Group Hong Kong announces its strategic partnership with three major media networks in China, making iProperty a significant bridge between overseas real estate developers and high net worth individuals in China. At the "iProperty Best Development Awards 2015" ceremony held on 29 April, Shenzhen Zunhao Network Technology Co. Ltd was awarded "Best Digital Experience Marketing Solutions Provider", marking the commencement of partnership between the two property flagships. Leveraging Zunhao's powerful network in China, iProperty Hong Kong will be able to provide a landing platform for overseas property projects to tap into the China market with cutting edge promotional platform and strategies. Zunhao is the exclusive strategic partner of Tencent Map. Leveraging Tencent's powerful media networks, the duo can introduce overseas projects to 800 million QQ users and up to 700 million WeChat users. iProperty Group Regional General Manager (Hong Kong & Macau) Ms. Carrie Law said, "The China market is of tremendous importance to overseas property. We are very eager to collaborate with Zunhao and provide our customers with advanced e-marketing strategies. We are to move closely with the market trends and offer the best experience to our target customers, present excellent property projects in an interactive way and rewrite the new order of real estate marketing." Meanwhile, SMART Expo under iProperty also announced its collaboration with Guangzhou Daily, one of the key official media outlets in China. Through their partnership, they will organise iREAL EXPO CHINA overseas property and lifestyle Expo in the end of 2016 in Guangzhou. Apart from introducing overseas property projects to the high net worth population in China, iREAL EXPO CHINA also targets at hosting a series of seminars on international property investment, overseas education, migration, overseas lifestyle and various market information and recommendations. Overseas property developers and agencies may also launch effective marketing campaigns on iREAL EXPO CHINA to tap into the tremendous investor population in Guangdong. iProperty Hong Kong also announced a strategic agreement with China Post, enabling iProperty Hong Kong to make use of the massive national database of China Post for direct mailing and mobile advertisement of overseas property projects. Click here to download a full version of the press release: http://files.gohome.com.hk/press/IPPChinaPartnership.pdf iProperty Group (Hong Kong & Macau) Ms. Laura Ho +852-3576-3154 laura.ho@iproperty.com To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/iproperty-hong-kong-announces-partnership-with-shenzhen-zunhao-guangzhou-daily-and-china-post-300262615.html BRUSSELS (dpa-AFX) - The euro showed mixed trading against its major rivals in the early European session on Wednesday, following the release of a survey which showed that the Eurozone private sector expanded at a slower pace as estimated in April. Data from Markit showed that the services Purchasing Managers' Index of euro area remained unchanged at 53.1, but below the flash score of 53.2. The composite output index dropped marginally to 53 in April, in line with flash estimate, from 53.1 in March. The index signaled expansion in each of the past 34 months. Germany's private sector expanded at the slowest pace in 11 months in April. The composite PMI declined to 53.6 from 54 in March. The flash score was 53.8. The final services PMI fell to a 6-month low of 54.5 in April from 55.1 a month ago. It was slightly below the initial score of 54.6. The French private sector recovered in April. The services PMI increased to 50.6 from 49.9 a month ago. This was the highest score in 5 months but below the flash estimate of 50.8. In the Asian trading today, the euro held steady against its major rivals. In the early European trading, the euro rose to more than a 2-week high of 0.7924 against the pound, from an early low of 0.7893. The euro may test resistance near the 0.80 region. Against the Swiss franc, the euro dropped to 1.0975 from an early high of 1.0992. On the downside, 1.08 is seen as the next support level for the euro. The euro slipped to a 2-day low of 1.1469 against the U.S. dollar, from an early low of 1.1511. The euro is likely to find support around the 1.12 area. Against the yen, the euro fell to 122.74 from an early 6-day high of 123.50 and held steady thereafter. Looking ahead, at 6:15 am ET, Germany's Bundesbank President Jens Weidmann is expected to speak at annual meeting of the Asian Development Bank in Frankfurt. In the New York session, U.S. ADP private sector employment data for April, ISM non-manufacturing PMI data for April, U.S and Canada trade data for March, U.S. factory orders and durable goods orders for March and U.S. crude oil inventories data are slated for release. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Kostenloser Wertpapierhandel auf Smartbroker.de HKTDC Communication and Public Affairs Department: Joe Kainz Tel: +852 2584 4216 Email: joe.kainz@hktdc.org HONG KONG, May 4, 2016 - (ACN Newswire) - Organised by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), the eighth Entrepreneur Day will be held at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC) on 13 and 14 May. The two-day event will gather around 270 exhibitors from various sectors, providing a one-stop platform for entrepreneurs to learn about business start-up opportunities and support services and get the latest market intelligence. The event, which is open to the public with free admission, welcomes all aspiring entrepreneurs."Start-ups play a vital part in driving economic growth and transition. They create job opportunities and keep Hong Kong's economy vibrant," said Raymond Yip, Deputy Executive Director, HKTDC. "Entrepreneur Day is one of the HKTDC's signature events to support entrepreneurs. It comprises an exhibition and forums as well as project-pitching sessions and onsite advisory services."Innovative tech and overseas start-upsResponding to the rising number of tech start-ups, this year's Entrepreneur Day will see the launch of a new Innovative Technology Zone, featuring brand new ideas from more than 120 start-up companies in technology sectors such as ICT, finance, education, healthcare, biotechnology and green technology. An Innovative Technology Demo area will be set up at the zone for visitors to try out an array of innovative technology systems and view various products in action.Another new addition to the show will be the Overseas and Mainland Start-up Project Zone, showcasing start-ups from the mainland and around the world, including from Israel and India. The zone will give local entrepreneurs a chance to exchange ideas with fellow start-ups from outside Hong Kong.Local creativity on showReturning to the show is the Cross-Matching Zone organised by the Innovative Entrepreneur Association. An effective business matching platform, the zone will feature 80 local creative professionals to help manufacturers and companies enhance their brand image and develop new products or services. It will also give the creative industries a chance to increase their exposure among entrepreneurs, producing a win-win result for both parties.Tips from the professionalsDuring Entrepreneur Day the two-day Start-up Runway will include more than 10 thematic seminars and sharing sessions. The Runway comprises three main sections; Trend Track, where latest market trends and start-up opportunities will be analysed; Idea Lab, where tips and ideas for launching start-ups in trending industries will be shared; and the Entrepreneur Arena pitching session. A "Fund & Mentor" matching session will also be held, for entrepreneurs to meet potential investors and mentors to share insights and gain entrepreneurial experience.Entrepreneur Day this year has invited more than 30 distinguished guests and entrepreneurs from a range of sectors to share their experience and help participants get their start-ups off the ground. Special guests include Jason Chiu, Founder and CEO of cherrypicks, Shih Wing Ching, Chairman & CEO of Centaline Group, Alan Yip, Chairman and CEO of Guru Online (Holdings) Limited, Ir Allen Yeung, Chief Information Officer of the Office of the Government Chief Information Officer (OGCIO), Dr Samson Tam, Chairman of Hong Kong Business Angel Network, Eddie Pang, Co-Founder of Chrisly cafe, Ursule Wong, Founder of me Me & ME and Alexander Roth, Managing Director of foodpanda Hong Kong.Entrepreneur ArenaAnother feature of this year's Entrepreneur Day is an enhanced Entrepreneur Arena pitching competition. Co-organised by the HKTDC and The Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups, young entrepreneurs will present their business ideas and plans in the Arena. In celebration of the HKTDC's 50th anniversary, the Entrepreneur Arena has been scaled up with more than 50 start-up applications this year, about double the number last year. Also, close to 2,000 people took part in an online vote for the most popular start-ups. The 10 finalists will present their ideas on stage at Entrepreneur Day with experts offering valuable feedback. The top three start-up entrepreneurs will receive an Entrepreneur Day Outstanding Start-up Award. The HKTDC has secured a sponsor to offer cash prizes to each of the three winners to help them realize their start-up project.Besides Entrepreneur Day, the HKTDC is launching International Start-Up Week this year. A series of entrepreneurial events will be held during the week, including conferences, exhibitions, seminars and workshops organised by non-governmental organisations, universities, co-working spaces and relevant government departments. Entrepreneurs should not miss this opportunity to acquire the skills and resources they need and benefit from Hong Kong's reputation as a start-up hub in Asia.HKTDC Entrepreneur Day: www.hktdc.com/fair/eday-en/Startup Week Events: www.internationalstartupweek.comPhoto Download Link: http://bit.ly/1W8jqC2Media Registration: Media representatives wishing to cover the event may register on-site with their business cards and/or media identification.To view press releases in Chinese, please visit http://mediaroom.hktdc.com/tcAbout HKTDCA statutory body established in 1966, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) is the international marketing arm for Hong Kong-based traders, manufacturers and services providers. With more than 40 offices globally, including 13 on the Chinese mainland, the HKTDC promotes Hong Kong as a platform for doing business with China and throughout Asia. The HKTDC also organises international exhibitions, conferences and business missions to provide companies, particularly SMEs, with business opportunities on the mainland and in overseas markets, while providing information via trade publications, research reports and digital channels including the media room. For more information, please visit: www.hktdc.com/aboutus. Follow us on Google+, Twitter @hktdc, LinkedIn.Google+: https://plus.google.com/+hktdcTwitter: http://www.twitter.com/hktdcLinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/company/hong-kong-trade-development-councilSource: HKTDCContact:Copyright 2016 ACN Newswire . All rights reserved. Regulatory News: JANUARY-MARCH 2016 Total sales MSEK 20 614 (19 486) Organic sales growth 8 percent (5) Operating income before amortization MSEK 996 (909) Operating margin 4.8 percent (4.7) Earnings per share SEK 1.59 (1.46) Free cash flow/net debt 0.14 (0.20) COMMENTS FROM THE PRESIDENT AND CEO Strong organic sales growth Organic sales growth remained exceptionally strong also in the first quarter of the year. We estimate that we are growing faster than the security markets in the US and Europe as well as in many of the Ibero-American countries, mainly supported by our strategy of providing security solutions and electronic security. The growth was further supported by continued higher levels of security needs in Europe. Earnings per share and operating margin improved Earnings per share improved by 14 percent in the first quarter, adjusted for changes in exchange rates. The operating margin improved to 4.8 percent (4.7). Continued strong growth of security solutions and electronic security sales Sales of security solutions and electronic security were strong in the first quarter and in line with our expectations. We believe that we can continue to increase our sales of security solutions and electronic security at a high pace in the coming years and to make this a substantial part of the Group's total sales. The completed acquisition of Diebold's North American Electronic Security business on February 1, 2016 also makes a substantial contribution in accelerating our transformation of the security industry. Alf Goransson President and Chief Executive Officer PRESENTATION OF THE INTERIM REPORT Analysts and media are invited to participate in a telephone conference on May 4, 2016 at 14:30 p.m. (CET) where Securitas CEO Alf Goransson will present the report and answer questions. The telephone conference will also be audio cast live via Securitas web. To participate in the telephone conference, please dial in five minutes prior to the start of the conference call: The United States: + 1 855 269 2605 Sweden: + 46 (0) 8 519 993 55 United Kingdom: + 44 (0) 203 194 0550 To follow the audio cast of the telephone conference via the web, please follow the link www.securitas.com/investors/webcasts. A recorded version of the audio cast will be available at www.securitas.com/investors/webcasts after the telephone conference. Securitas AB discloses the information provided herein pursuant to the Securities Markets Act and/or the Financial Instruments Trading Act. The information was submitted for publication at 11.30 (CET) on Wednesday, May 4, 2016. This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160504005809/en/ Contacts: FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT: Micaela Sjokvist, Head of Investor Relations, + 46 10 470 3013 or Gisela Lindstrand, Senior Vice President Corporate Communications and Public Affairs, + 46 10 470 3011 CHICAGOand LONDON, May 4, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --GreenKey, creator of an award-winning voice-driven collaboration platform for global financial market participants, announced today the appointment of Richard L. Garnier to the new position of Chief Revenue Officer, effective immediately. A 30-year financial services and information technology veteran and former executive with Thomson Reuters, Garnier is responsible for the firm's global sales, service, marketing and strategic partnership initiatives. Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160202/329025LOGO GreenKey CEO Paul Christensen said: "Richard is a world-class performer with an exceptional track record. He has that rare breadth of international experience drawn equally from senior roles at large organizations and from early-stage, entrepreneurial growth ventures. Our client base includes the world's leading financial institutions, and Richard has navigated them all in his career. His energy and ability will help us scale the business and truly change the way the markets communicate." Garnier said: "Communication via voice remains an essential component not only of voice trading in certain markets but throughout the pre- and post-trade processes in all markets. I have been fascinated by GreenKey's collaborative, innovative approach to capturing that important human element in a way that leverages advanced technology yet respects how people work. There's an incredible opportunity for GreenKey to be a positive force of disruption in the financial markets, and I'm delighted to play a role in that fintech revolution." Garnier said he intends to build on the strong GreenKey team already in place and identify key hires in Asia, Europe and the U.S. He will operate out of the London office, traveling globally. In the course of his career, Garnier has spearheaded multi-channel, multi-product teams of up to 400 professionals globally, responsible for revenues of up to $600 million. He has worked in London, Stockholm, Frankfurt, Paris, Moscow, Warsaw, Istanbul, Hong Kong and New York. Over a 12-year period at Thomson Reuters and a predecessor, Garnier held a variety of leadership positions, including Managing Director for Northern Europe and for the firm's Asset Management business in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. He also had fiduciary and operational responsibility for Thomson Reuters' trading entities across all Nordic countries. Prior to joining predecessor firm Thomson Financial as Managing Director, Europe, Garnier served as Commercial Director for RAW Communications, an innovator in Internet broadband technology applications within the global equities markets. He created and executed the global sales and partner strategy with leading financial institutions until RAW's acquisition by Thomson in 2002. He has held management roles with several other early-stage growth firms, including in the late 1990s as Managing Director, Europe, for Internet Securities, a financial data firm covering emerging markets. In that role, he managed 11 country operations prior to the firm's acquisition by Euromoney Institutional Investor. Garnier also served as Director of Sales for the Financial Times in the late 1980s. About GreenKey With offices in London, Chicago, New York, and Singapore, GreenKey provides the most comprehensive, advanced voice workspace environment for firms involved in the financial markets. The firm's patented software turret functionality, encrypted global Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) network and searchable text files combine to make voice communication significantly simpler, smarter and more cost-effective. GreenKey's VoIP network is now deployed at more than 300 firms, including some of the world's largest banks, brokerage firms and trading firms. In 2015, GreenKey won Waters Technology's Most Promising Sell-Side Start Up Award and received an Innovator Award from FIA, the leading trade organization for the futures, options and cleared swaps markets worldwide. For more information, please visit www.greenkeytech.com. To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/greenkey-appoints-richard-garnier-chief-revenue-officer-300262524.html BROOKFIELD, NEWS -- (Marketwired) -- 05/04/16 -- Brookfield Renewable Partners L.P. (TSX: BEP.UN)(NYSE: BEP) ("Brookfield Renewable") today reported financial results for the three months ended March 31, 2016. "We have started 2016 on very solid footing with strong operating results and the recent acquisition of 3,000 megawatts of high-quality hydroelectric assets," said Sachin Shah, CEO of Brookfield Renewable. "Our focus remains on leveraging our operating, development and power marketing expertise to deliver 12% to 15% annual growth in value and cash flows." Financial Results ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- For the periods ended March 31 Three Months Ended US$ millions (except per unit or otherwise noted) Unaudited 2016 2015 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Generation (GWh) - Total(1) 7,659 5,823 - Brookfield Renewable's share(1) 5,905 4,560 Revenues $ 674 $ 441 Adjusted EBITDA(2) $ 455 $ 338 Funds From Operations (FFO)(2) $ 187 $ 153 FFO per unit(2)(3) $ 0.68 $ 0.56 Distribution per unit $ 0.4450 $ 0.4150 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- (1) The Colombian segment reflects Brookfield Renewable's proportionate share (16%) of generation in the portfolio; generation attributable to non-controlling interests is 1,369 GWh. (2) Non-IFRS measure. Refer to "Cautionary Statement Regarding Use of Non- IFRS Measures" and "Financial Review for the three months ended March 31, 2016". (3) For the three months ended March 31, 2016, weighted average LP units, Redeemable/Exchangeable units and General Partnership units totaled 275.5 million (2015: 275.7 million). Recent Highlights -- On January 22, 2016, we acquired an approximate 58% interest in Isagen S.A. ("Isagen") with our institutional partners. As required by Colombian regulations, we launched the first of two mandatory tender offers for the remaining shares of Isagen. Assuming all remaining Isagen shares are sold to us, our additional equity commitment will be approximately US$400 million and result in us owning approximately 25% of Isagen. -- Subsequent to quarter end, we closed the 296 megawatt Holtwood transaction in Pennsylvania. The portfolio consists of two facilities, the 252 megawatt Holtwood station on the Susquehanna River and the 44 megawatt Wallenpaupack station on Lake Wallenpaupack in the Pocono Mountains, with a combined expected average annual generation of approximately 1.1 million megawatt hours. We own approximately 30% of the portfolio alongside our institutional partners. -- Our liquidity position at quarter-end remained strong at $1.3 billion. During the quarter, we completed up-financings for hydro facilities in Ontario and our wind portfolio in Portugal. In total we generated $170 million of incremental proceeds. -- We continue to advance the construction of 72 megawatts of hydro and 55 megawatts of biomass facilities in Brazil. The projects are on scope, schedule and budget. We began construction on a 15 megawatt project in Northern Ireland, which together with advancing our first 20 megawatts in Scotland towards the construction phase, positions us to have approximately 80 megawatts in construction by the end of the year. Review of Operations Generation for the three months ended March 31, 2016 totaled 7,659 GWh, above the long-term average of 7,145 GWh and an increase of 1,836 GWh compared to the prior year. The contribution from the growth in the portfolio was 589 GWh. The hydroelectric portfolio generated 6,533 GWh, above the long-term average of 5,981 GWh and an increase of 1,757 GWh compared to the prior year. In our North American portfolio, strong inflows and active reservoir management contributed to generation that was higher than the prior year and the long-term average. Generation in Brazil continued to improve following the drought conditions affecting prior periods. Generation from the growth in our Brazilian portfolio was 219 GWh and the proportionate contribution from our recently acquired facilities in Colombia was 255 GWh. The wind portfolio generated 1,105 GWh, consistent with the long-term average of 1,108 GWh and an increase of 170 GWh compared to the prior year. Generation from the prior year includes 37 GWh related to our 102 megawatt wind facility in California sold in the third quarter of 2015. Generation at our North American portfolio was ahead of the prior year but was below long-term average. The European portfolio generated higher than the prior year and the long-term average. Facilities acquired in Brazil in the prior year contributed 113 GWh which was above the long-term average of 81 GWh. Adjusted EBITDA for the first quarter was $455 million and FFO was $187 million, compared to $338 million and $153 million, respectively, in the same period in the prior year. The table below summarizes generation by segment and region: ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Generation (GWh)(1) Variance of Results ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Actual Actual LTA Actual vs. Actual vs. For the three months ended March 31 2016 2015 2016 LTA Prior Year ============================================================================ Hydroelectric North America United States 3,522 2,535 3,201 321 987 Canada 1,730 1,502 1,233 497 228 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 5,252 4,037 4,434 818 1,215 Brazil 1,026 739 1,193 (167) 287 Colombia(2)(3) 255 - 354 (99) 255 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 6,533 4,776 5,981 552 1,757 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Wind North America United States 220 203 252 (32) 17 Canada 301 281 324 (23) 20 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 521 484 576 (55) 37 Europe 471 451 451 20 20 Brazil 113 - 81 32 113 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1,105 935 1,108 (3) 170 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Other 21 112 56 (35) (91) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Total(3) 7,659 5,823 7,145 514 1,836 ============================================================================ (1) For assets acquired or reaching commercial operation during the year, this figure is calculated from the acquisition or commercial operation date and is not annualized. (2) Includes generation from both hydroelectric and Co-gen facilities. (3) Includes 100% of generation from equity-accounted investments. The Colombian segment reflects Brookfield Renewable's proportionate share (16%) in the portfolio. Name Change As of May 3, 2016, Brookfield Renewable amended its name to Brookfield Renewable Partners L.P. from Brookfield Renewable Energy Partners L.P. Distribution Declaration The next quarterly distribution in the amount of $0.445 per LP Unit, is payable on June 30, 2016 to unitholders of record as at the close of business on May 31, 2016. Brookfield Renewable targets a sustainable distribution with increases targeted on average at 5% to 9% annually. The regular quarterly dividends on Brookfield Renewable's preferred shares and preferred LP units have also been declared. Distribution Currency Option The quarterly distributions payable on LP Units of Brookfield Renewable Partners are declared in U.S. dollars. Registered and beneficial shareholders who are resident in Canada or the United States may opt to receive their distributions in either U.S. dollars or the Canadian dollar equivalent. Unless they request the Canadian dollar equivalent, shareholders will continue to receive distributions in U.S. dollars (which may be converted for them by the broker or other intermediary, as may currently be the case). The Canadian dollar equivalent of the quarterly distribution will be based on the Bank of Canada noon exchange rate on the record date or, if the record date falls on a weekend or holiday, on the Bank of Canada noon exchange rate of the preceding business day. Registered shareholders wishing to receive the Canadian dollar distribution equivalent should contact Brookfield Renewable's transfer agent, Computershare Trust Company of Canada, in writing at 100 University Avenue, 8th Floor, Toronto, Ontario M5J 2Y1 or by phone at 1-800-564-6253. Beneficial unitholders (i.e., those holding their LP Units in street name with their brokerage) should contact the broker with whom their units are held. Distribution Reinvestment Plan Brookfield Renewable maintains a Distribution Reinvestment Plan ("DRIP") which allows holders of its LP Units who are resident in Canada to acquire additional LP Units by reinvesting all or a portion of their cash distributions without paying commissions. Information on the DRIP, including details on how to enroll, is available on Brookfield Renewable's website at www.brookfieldrenewable.com/DRIP. Additional information on Brookfield Renewable's distributions and preferred share dividends can be found on its website at www.brookfieldrenewable.com under Investor Relations. Brookfield Renewable Partners Brookfield Renewable Partners operates one of the world's largest publicly traded, pure-play renewable power platforms. Our portfolio consists of hydroelectric and wind facilities in North America, Latin America and Europe and totals more than 10,000 megawatts of installed capacity. Brookfield Renewable is listed on the New York and Toronto stock exchanges. Further information is available at www.brookfieldrenewable.com. Important information may be disseminated exclusively via the website; investors should consult the site to access this information. Brookfield Renewable is the flagship listed renewable power company of Brookfield Asset Management, a leading global alternative asset manager with over $225 billion of assets under management. For more information, go to www.brookfield.com. Please note that BREP's previous audited annual and unaudited quarterly reports have been filed on SEDAR and can also be found in the investors section of its website at www.brookfieldrenewable.com. Hard copies of the annual and quarterly reports can be obtained free of charge upon request. Quarterly Earnings Call Details Investors, analysts and other interested parties can access Brookfield Renewable's 2016 First Quarter Results as well as the Letter to Shareholders and Supplemental Information on Brookfield Renewable's website under the Investor Relations section at www.brookfieldrenewable.com. The conference call can be accessed via webcast on May 4, 2016 at 9:00 a.m. Eastern Time at www.brookfieldrenewable.com or via teleconference at 1-800-319-4610 toll free in North America. For overseas calls please dial 1-604-638-5340, at approximately 8:50 a.m. Eastern Time. A recording of the teleconference can be accessed through June 4, 2016 at 1-855-669-9658 (Password 00351#). Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-looking Statements This news release contains forward-looking statements and information within the meaning of Canadian provincial securities laws and "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended, Section 21E of the U.S. Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, "safe harbor" provisions of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and in any applicable Canadian securities regulations. The words "will", "should", "could", "potential", "tend to", "target" "future", "growth", "expect", "believe", "goal", "plan", derivatives thereof and other expressions which are predictions of or indicate future events, trends or prospects and which do not relate to historical matters identify the above mentioned and other forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements in this news release include statements regarding the quality of Brookfield Renewable's business, the expectation for future cash flows and distribution growth, the availability of acquisition opportunities, liquidity, and the timing and completion of current acquisitions and development projects. Although Brookfield Renewable believes that these forward-looking statements and information are based upon reasonable assumptions and expectations, the reader should not place undue reliance on them, or any other forward looking statements or information in this news release. The future performance and prospects of Brookfield Renewable are subject to a number of known and unknown risks and uncertainties. Factors that could cause actual results of Brookfield Renewable to differ materially from those contemplated or implied by the statements in this news release include economic conditions in the jurisdictions in which we operate; our ability to sell products and services under contract or into merchant energy markets; weather conditions and other factors which may impact generation levels at our facilities; changes to government regulations, including incentives for renewable energy; our ability to grow within our current markets or expand into new markets; our ability to complete development and capital projects on time and on budget; our inability to finance our operations or fund future acquisitions due to the status of the capital markets; the ability to effectively source, complete and integrate new acquisitions and to realize the benefits of such acquisitions; health, safety, security or environmental incidents; regulatory risks relating to the power markets in which we operate, including relating to the regulation of our assets, licensing and litigation; risks relating to our internal control environment; we do not have control over all of our operations; contract counterparties not fulfilling their obligations; and other risks associated with the construction, development and operation of power generating facilities. We caution that the foregoing list of important factors that may affect future results is not exhaustive. The forward-looking statements represent our views as of the date of this news release and should not be relied upon as representing our views as of any date subsequent to the date of this news release. While we anticipate that subsequent events and developments may cause our views to change, we disclaim any obligation to update the forward-looking statements, other than as required by applicable law. For further information on these known and unknown risks, please see "Risk Factors" included in our Form 20-F. Cautionary Statement Regarding Use of Non-IFRS Measures This news release contains references to Adjusted EBITDA, Funds From Operations and Adjusted Funds From Operations, which are not generally accepted accounting measures under IFRS and therefore may differ from definitions of Adjusted EBITDA, Funds From Operations and Adjusted Funds From Operations used by other entities. We believe that Adjusted EBITDA, Funds From Operations and Adjusted Funds From Operations are useful supplemental measures that may assist investors in assessing the financial performance and the cash anticipated to be generated by our operating portfolio. Neither Adjusted EBITDA, Funds From Operations nor Adjusted Funds From Operations per LP Unit should be considered as the sole measure of our performance and should not be considered in isolation from, or as a substitute for, analysis of our financial statements prepared in accordance with IFRS. References to Brookfield Renewable are to Brookfield Renewable Partners L.P. together with its subsidiary and operating entities unless the context reflects otherwise. FINANCIAL REVIEW FOR THE THREE MONTHS ENDED MARCH 31, 2016 The following table reflects Adjusted EBITDA, Funds From Operations, Adjusted Funds From Operations, and provides a reconciliation to net income for the three months ended March 31: ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- (MILLIONS, EXCEPT AS NOTED) 2016 2015 ---------------------- Revenues $ 674 $ 441 Other income 22 27 Share of cash earnings from equity-accounted investments 2 4 Direct operating costs (243) (134) ---------------------- Adjusted EBITDA(1) 455 338 Interest expense - borrowings (127) (105) Management service costs (15) (14) Current income taxes (7) (5) Distributions to preferred limited partners (3) - Less: cash portion of non-controlling interests Participating non-controlling interests - in operating subsidiaries (110) (53) Preferred equity (6) (8) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Funds From Operations(1) 187 153 Less: adjusted sustaining capital expenditures(2) (16) (15) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Adjusted Funds From Operations(1) 171 138 Add: cash portion of non-controlling interests 116 61 Add: distributions to preferred limited partners 3 - Add: adjusted sustaining capital expenditures 16 15 Depreciation (179) (158) Unrealized financial instruments loss - (8) Share of non-cash loss from equity-accounted investments (1) (1) Deferred income tax (expense) recovery (35) 6 Other (12) (2) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Net income $ 79 $ 51 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Net income attributable to limited partners' equity $ 23 $ 15 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Basic and diluted earnings per LP Unit(3) $ 0.16 $ 0.10 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- (1) Non-IFRS measures. See "Cautionary Statement Regarding Use of Non-IFRS Measures". (2) Based on long-term sustaining capital expenditure plans. (3) Average LP Units outstanding during the period totaled 143.2 million (2015: 143.4 million). GENERATION AND FINANCIAL REVIEW BY SEGMENTS FOR THE THREE MONTHS ENDED MARCH 31, 2016 The following table reflects the actual and long-term average generation for the three months ended March 31 on a proportionate basis: ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Variance of Results ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Actual vs. Actual LTA Prior Generation(1) Generation(1) Actual vs. LTA Year ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- GENERATION (GWh) 2016 2015 2016 2015 2016 2015 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hydroelectric North America United States 2,429 1,761 2,198 2,208 231 (447) 668 Canada 1,711 1,479 1,217 1,213 494 266 232 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4,140 3,240 3,415 3,421 725 (181) 900 Brazil 854 669 989 878 (135) (209) 185 Colombia(2) 255 - 354 - (99) - 255 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 5,249 3,909 4,758 4,299 491 (390) 1,340 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Wind North America United States 102 79 128 128 (26) (49) 23 Canada 301 281 324 324 (23) (43) 20 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 403 360 452 452 (49) (92) 43 Europe 186 179 178 175 8 4 7 Brazil 47 - 34 - 13 - 47 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 636 539 664 627 (28) (88) 97 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Other 20 112 55 52 (35) 60 (92) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Total(3) 5,905 4,560 5,477 4,978 428 (418) 1,345 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- (1) For assets acquired or reaching commercial operation during the year, this figure is calculated from the acquisition or commercial operation date and is not annualized. (2) Includes generation from both hydroelectric and Co-gen facilities. (3) Includes 100% of generation from equity-accounted investments. The following table reflects Adjusted EBITDA and Funds From Operations for the three months ended March 31: Brookfield Renewable's Share ---------------------------------------------- Hydroelectric ---------------------------------------------- North America ---------------------- ($ MILLIONS) U.S. Canada Brazil Colombia (1) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Revenues 169 105 42 30 Other income - 22 2 1 Share of cash earnings from equity-accounted investments 1 - 1 - Direct operating costs (53) (19) (17) (17) ---------------------------------------------- Adjusted EBITDA(3) 117 108 28 14 Interest expense - borrowings (28) (14) (5) (4) Management service costs - - - - Current income taxes (2) - (2) - Distributions to preferred limited partners - - - - Less: cash portion of non- controlling interests Participating non-controlling interests -in operating subsidiaries - - - - Preferred equity - - - - ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Funds From Operations(3) 87 94 21 10 ============================================================================ Brookfield Renewable's Share ---------------------------------------------- Wind --------------------------------------------- North America ----------------------- ($ MILLIONS) U.S. Canada Europe Brazil ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Revenues 9 29 16 3 Other income - - - - Share of cash earnings from equity-accounted investments - - - - Direct operating costs (4) (4) (5) (1) ---------------------------------------------- Adjusted EBITDA(3) 5 25 11 2 Interest expense - borrowings (4) (7) (3) (1) Management service costs - - - - Current income taxes - - - - Distributions to preferred limited partners - - - - Less: cash portion of non- controlling interests Participating non-controlling interests -in operating subsidiaries - - - - Preferred equity - - - - ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Funds From Operations(3) 1 18 8 1 ============================================================================ --------------------------------------- Other (2) Corporate Total ($ MILLIONS) --------------------------------------------------------------------- Revenues 1 - 404 Other income (3) - 22 Share of cash earnings from equity-accounted investments - - 2 Direct operating costs (2) (6) (128) --------------------------------------- Adjusted EBITDA(3) (4) (6) 300 Interest expense - borrowings - (19) (85) Management service costs - (15) (15) Current income taxes - - (4) Distributions to preferred limited partners - (3) (3) Less: cash portion of non- controlling interests Participating non-controlling interests -in operating subsidiaries - - - Preferred equity - (6) (6) --------------------------------------------------------------------- Funds From Operations(3) (4) (49) 187 ===================================================================== Non- controlling As per IFRS interests Statements ($ MILLIONS) 2016 2015 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Revenues 270 674 441 Other income - 22 27 Share of cash earnings from equity-accounted investments - 2 4 Direct operating costs (115) (243) (134) ---------------------------------------- Adjusted EBITDA(3) 155 455 338 Interest expense - borrowings (42) (127) (105) Management service costs - (15) (14) Current income taxes (3) (7) (5) Distributions to preferred limited partners - (3) - Less: cash portion of non- controlling interests Participating non-controlling interests -in operating subsidiaries (110) (110) (53) Preferred equity - (6) (8) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Funds From Operations(3) - 187 153 ====================================================================== (1) Includes generation from both hydroelectric and Co-gen facilities. (2) Other includes North America Co-gen and biomass. (3) Non-IFRS measures. See "Cautionary Statement Regarding Use of Non-IFRS Measures". Contacts: Brookfield Renewable Partners L.P. Zev Korman Senior Vice President, Investor Relations (416) 359-1955 zev.korman@brookfieldrenewable.com TORONTO, ON--(Marketwired - May 04, 2016) -Primero Mining Corp. ("Primero" or the "Company") (TSX: P) (NYSE: PPP) today reported financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2016. Highlights: Creating and Sustaining a Safety-First Culture: As reported on April 18, 2016, Primero's principal focus during the first quarter of 2016 was to create and sustain a safety-first culture at its operations. As a result of the significant efforts made by employees and management at all levels, Primero is pleased to report that the San Dimas mine achieved no reportable safety incidents during the first quarter while also returning the mine to production levels of 2,500 TPD. Earnings Impacted by Temporary Production Delay: First quarter earnings were directly impacted by changes to the mining sequence at San Dimas to include the implementation of enhanced ground support standards. The Company realized a net loss of $13.2 million ($0.08 per share) and adjusted net loss 1 of $7.8 million ($0.05 per share) in Q1 2016. The Company generated negative operating cash flow before working capital changes during the first quarter of $8.5 million ($0.05 per share), which included $15.8 million in cash tax payments. of $7.8 million ($0.05 per share) in Q1 2016. The Company generated negative operating cash flow before working capital changes during the first quarter of $8.5 million ($0.05 per share), which included $15.8 million in cash tax payments. Convertible Debentures Repaid in Cash: Primero repaid in full the $48 million due on its 6.5% convertible debentures on their maturity date of March 31, 2016. As at March 31, 2016 the Company had total liquidity position of $47.1 million, including $22.1 million in cash. Mexican Tax Update: The Company has filed procedural and substantive responses to the legal claim against its Advance Pricing Agreement ("APA") with the Mexican tax authorities ("SAT"), received in February 2016. The legal claim initiated does not identify any different basis for paying taxes, nor have any tax reassessments been received from the SAT. The Company continues to pay taxes in a manner consistent with the APA on the basis that the applicable facts and laws have not changed. Mine Production On-Track to Achieve Revised Guidance: The Company is pleased to report that in April both the San Dimas and Black Fox mines achieved their targeted production rates in line with the updated 2016 production guidance of between 230,000 and 250,000 gold equivalent ounces 2 at all-in sustaining costs 3 of between $975 and $1,025 per gold ounce. at all-in sustaining costs of between $975 and $1,025 per gold ounce. Mineral Resources Increased Beyond Depletion: Primero announced on March 16, 2016 that it had successfully increased total Mineral Resources across its assets in 2015, with total Measured and Indicated Mineral Resources as of December 31, 2015 of 3.1 million ounces of gold plus 88.3 million ounces of silver in addition to total Inferred Mineral Resources of 1.2 million ounces of gold and 77.1 million ounces of silver. Froome Zone Demonstrates Consistency of Mineralization: Recent drilling continues to delineate the highly prospective Froome Zone, located approximately 800 metres west of the Black Fox mine. Mineralization continues to demonstrate consistency over long intervals with significant gold mineralization, and Primero expects to be in a position to make a production decision on the Froome Zone in Q2 2016. Highlights from recent drilling include 6.1 g/t gold over 43.7 metres true width (16PR-G103), 6.2 g/t gold over 37.9 metres true width (16PR-G109), 5.0 g/t goldover 43.7 metres true width (16PR-G102). "During our first quarter, we successfully implemented improved ground control procedures across our vast San Dimas mine," stated Ernest Mast, President and Chief Executive Officer. "I feel a renewed sense of optimism as we enter the second quarter. On all-levels, we are pulling together as a stronger Primero team to achieve our corporate objectives, and through April we have made significant advances towards attaining these goals. The San Dimas mine successfully achieved average production rates in-line with the mill's 2,500 tonnes per day nameplate capacity. Black Fox made significant advances in developing the Deep Central zone ahead of schedule, began mining the recently identified 520 metre level in the Central Zone and completed infill drilling at the Froome deposit. I have utmost confidence in the Primero team to achieve its objectives, and I see us at an inflection point for the Company -- now aligned for improved production and strong returns through the remainder of 2016 and beyond." Creating and Sustaining a Safety-First Culture Primero's principal focus during the first quarter of 2016 was to create and sustain a safety-first culture at its operations. As a result of the significant efforts made by employees and management at all levels, Primero is pleased to report that the San Dimas mine achieved no reportable safety incidents during the first quarter. As a testament to Primero's continued commitment to sustainable economic, social and environmental operations in all areas of corporate life, including business ethics, employee health and safety, involvement with the community, and preservation of the environment, in March 2016, for the fifth consecutive year, Primero was awarded the "Empresa Socialmente Responsable" or "Socially Responsible Company" designation. This prestigious award, from El Centro Mexicano para la Filantropia ("CEMEFI"), the Mexican Centre for Philanthropy, is the result of a thorough independent assessment of Primero's corporate and social responsibility framework. Production and Earnings Impacted by Temporary Production Delay As reported on April 18, 2016, Primero's production in Q1 2016 was impacted by the deliberate focus on increased worker safety and the introduction of enhanced ground support standards at the San Dimas mine, leading to combined production of 36,158 gold equivalent ounces during the first quarter of 2016, 41% lower than in Q1 2015. All-in sustaining costs ("AISC") averaged $1,555 per gold ounce during the quarter and total cash costs 4 averaged $944 per gold equivalent ounce. Given the reduced production levels, Primero generated $50.5 million of revenue in Q1 2016, 31% lower than in Q1 2015 as a result selling 29% less gold equivalent ounces at a 3% lower average realized gold price. In Q1 2016, the Company sold 38,781 ounces of gold at an average realized price of $1,156 per ounce and 1.35 million ounces of silver at an average realized price of $4.24 per ounce. Revenue in Q1 2015 totaled $73.3 million from selling 55,037 ounces of gold at an average realized price of $1,186 per ounce, and 1.90 million ounces of silver at an average realized price of $4.20 per ounce. Silver produced at San Dimas is subject to a silver purchase agreement 5 and as a result 1.35 million ounces of silver were sold to Silver Wheaton (Caymans) Ltd. ("Silver Wheaton") at a fixed price of $4.24 per ounce during the quarter. As of March 31, 2016 the Company has delivered 4.2 million ounces of silver under the San Dimas silver purchase agreement's 6.0 million ounce annual contract year threshold (which runs from August 6 th to the following August 5 th ), after which the Company will begin selling 50% of the silver produced at San Dimas at spot market prices until August 5, 2016 when the annual threshold is reset. Silver ounces sold in Q1 2016 were higher than silver produced due to timing of shipments. Gold produced at Black Fox is subject to a gold purchase agreement 6 and as a result 1,336 ounces were sold to Sandstorm Gold Ltd. ("Sandstorm") at a fixed price of $521 per ounce in Q1 2016. The Company incurred a net loss of $13.2 million ($0.08 per share) in Q1 2016 compared with net income of $3.6 million ($0.02 per share) for the first quarter of 2015. Adjusted loss for Q1 2016 was $7.8 million ($0.05 per share) compared with adjusted income of $1.1 million ($0.01 per share) in Q1 2015. Adjusted loss in 2016 primarily excludes the impact of foreign exchange rate changes on deferred tax balances and an adjustment to remove the normalization of inventory costs at San Dimas, net of taxes. Primero generated negative operating cash flow before working capital changes during in Q1 2016 of $8.5 million ($0.05 per share), compared to positive operating cash flow of $18.8 million ($0.12 per share) in Q1 2015. Q1 2016 operating cash flow was affected by $15.8 million in cash payments for income taxes in Mexico, the annual payment of mining royalty taxes, a final payment for filing its 2015 tax return, and 2016 initial tax instalments. Liquidity Expected to Improve By End of 2016 The Company's total liquidity position at March 31, 2016 totalled $47.1 million, comprised of $22.1 million in cash and $25.0 million available under its line of credit. During the quarter, a number of events significantly affected total liquidity which included the drawdown of $50.0 million from the line of credit to repay the 6.5% convertible debentures that matured on March 31, 2016 and $15.8 million in cash payments for income taxes in Mexico, the annual payment of mining royalty taxes, a final payment for filing its 2015 tax return, and 2016 initial tax instalments. Primero expects to improve its liquidity through positive cash flows from operations and will explore other financing opportunities along with initiating the renewal of its revolving credit facility, which matures in May 2017. Mexican Tax Update The Company has filed procedural and substantive responses to the legal claim against its Advance Pricing Agreement ("APA") with the Mexican tax authorities ("SAT"). The procedural response is a challenge against the admission of the SAT's claim. The substantive response contains the Company's response to the SAT's claim. The APA was obtained to confirm that the Company should calculate taxes on silver produced at the San Dimas mine based on the price realized by the Company. The legal claim initiated does not identify any different basis for paying taxes, nor have any tax reassessments been received from the SAT. The Company continues to pay taxes in a manner consistent with the APA on the basis that the applicable facts and laws have not changed. The Company believes that it is entitled to rely on the APA which is legally binding in respect of the Company's 2010 through 2014 taxation years. The Company obtained the ruling transparently and in good faith. Primero believes the APA should not be the subject of challenge by a government administration installed upon the change of government after the APA was duly issued. Primero has and will continue to invest millions of dollars in the local Mexican economy and intends to continue legal action aimed at ensuring that the Mexican tax authority respects the rule of law. In connection with the Company's procedural challenge to the SAT's legal claim, the Mexican Federal Court recently issued an order mandating that no decision may be issued in connection with the substantive claim until the procedural challenge against the admission of SAT's claim is decided on. This procedural order is being appealed by the SAT, and the Company does not expect the order to delay the resolution of the substance of the case. The Company has also taken other measures to defend its interests, including submitting a complaint to Procuraduria de la Defensa del Contribuyente (PRODECON or the Mexican tax Ombudsman) regarding violations of Primero's rights by the SAT. Primero also recently obtained a ruling nullifying the Mexican customs authority's acts that suspended the Company from the import and export registries in 2015. While this order is subject to appeal, Primero believes this order recognizes Primero's compliance with Mexican laws in these matters. The Company will continue to vigorously defend the validity of the APA and the correctness of its tax filing position. Production On-Track to Achieve Revised Guidance The Company is pleased to report that in April both the San Dimas and Black Fox mines achieved their targeted production rates in-line with the revised 2016 production guidance of between 230,000 and 250,000 gold equivalent ounces at all-in sustaining costs between $975 and $1,025 per gold ounce. Table 1: 2016 Production Guidance ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2016 Revised Guidance Actual San Dimas Black Fox Consolidated 2015 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Attributable gold equivalent production (gold equivalent 160,000-170,000 70,000-80,000 230,000-250,000 259,474 ounces) Gold Production (ounces) 120,000-130,000 70,000-80,000 190,000-210,000 221,060 Silver Production (million ounces) 7.5-8.5 N/A 7.5-8.5 8.30 Total cash costs (per gold equivalent ounce) $600-$650 $750-$800 $650-$700 $637 AISC (per gold ounce) $775-$825 $1,000-$1,050 $975-$1,025 $972 Capital Expenditures ($ millions) $51.4 $23.6 $77.3 $93.3 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Material assumptions used to forecast total cash costs for 2016 include: an average gold price of $1,078 per ounce (bases on actual gold prices received for Q1 2016 and $1,050 per ounce for the remainder of the year); an average silver price of $5.00 per ounce (calculated using the silver purchase agreement contract price of $4.26 per ounce and assuming excess silver beyond contract requirements is sold at an average silver price of $14 per ounce); and foreign exchange rates of 1.35 Canadian dollars and 16 Mexican pesos to the US dollar. San Dimas Production Rates Returned to Plan As previously disclosed, first quarter production at San Dimas was impacted by changes to the mining sequence to include the implementation of enhanced ground support procedures, and the condition that all employees will never work under unsupported ground. The implementation process was a monumental task given the significant size of the San Dimas mine, and resulted in weaker than expected performance in Q1 2016. However, as of April, the Company has been successful in re-establishing mining operations in-line with the mill's current 2,500 tonnes per day ("TPD") nameplate capacity, with ground support implementations completed. Primero also completed a revised 2016 operating plan for the San Dimas mine which includes the recent changes to the mining sequence and the addition of rock bolting and screening. Based on an assessment of the new cycle times and the productivity of mining crews, Primero has determined not to advance the 3,000 TPD mill expansion in 2016, resulting in a $5 million reduction from this year's planned capital expenditures. However, construction will continue to complete the expanded crushing circuit which will help alleviate backlogs experienced during the rainy season. Based on the updated plan, the mine will focus on achieving increased head grades through the removal of low-grade, incremental cut-and-fill tonnes and the reduction of mining dilution. Following a detailed evaluation of the mine's performance under the new production regime, Primero will assess the specific benefits of increasing milling capacity in 2017. Black Fox Positioned for Breakthrough with Transition to Deep Central Zone An additional 23,000 metres of drilling is planned at the Froome zone in 2016 focused on expanding the ore body and drilling other targets on the company's concessions. Highlights from recent drilling include 6.1 g/t gold over 43.7 metres true width(16PR-G103), 6.2 g/t gold over 37.9 metres true width (16PR-G109), 5.0 g/t gold over 43.7 metres true width (16PR-G102), 6.5 g/t gold over 24.8 metres true width (16PR-G083), 6.5 g/t goldover 21.8 metres true width (16PR-G073), 6.6 g/t gold over 21.1 metres true width (16PR-G104), and 6.1 g/t gold over 20.4 metres true width (16PR-G115). Highlighted exploration drilling results from the Froome zone are included in Table 2 with locations identified in Figure 1. Table 2: Froome Zone - Recent Highlighted Drilling Results ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hole From To Core Length True Width Gold Grade (m) (m) (m) (m) (g/t) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 16PR-G073 139.0 169.1 30.1 21.8 6.5 including 144.0 152.0 8.0 5.8 10.6 16PR-G083 155.4 191.5 36.1 24.8 6.5 including 168.0 176.0 8.0 5.5 11.6 and 194.3 237.0 42.7 29.3 4.1 16PR-G084 147.8 171.6 23.8 17.2 7.5 including 152.0 158.0 6.0 4.3 11.9 16PR-G091 161.2 180.5 19.3 13.4 8.7 and 183.3 190.0 6.7 4.7 10.4 and 197.0 221.2 24.2 16.8 4.8 16PR-G092 150.4 168.0 17.7 13.3 8.1 and 172.0 196.0 24.0 18.1 5.4 16PR-G102 210.2 272.8 62.5 43.7 5.0 16PR-G103 182.5 241.3 58.8 43.7 6.1 including 205.9 212.3 6.4 4.8 13.9 and 247.5 255.7 8.2 6.1 5.5 16PR-G104 168.2 199.0 30.8 21.1 6.6 and 201.1 236.8 35.7 24.4 4.7 16PR-G108 191.4 220.0 28.7 20.8 6.3 and 224.0 239.7 15.7 11.4 5.7 and 243.8 257.0 13.3 9.6 5.3 16PR-G109 180.2 231.0 50.8 37.9 6.2 including 201.0 211.3 10.3 7.7 10.6 16PR-G115 184.4 213.0 28.6 20.4 6.1 including 193.0 198.0 5.0 3.6 14.8 16PR-G117 161.0 211.0 50.0 34.5 4.7 16PR-G119 147.0 175.2 28.2 20.9 4.6 and 178.7 198.0 19.3 14.3 6.0 16PR-G122 1 125.9 177.7 51.9 36.1 4.1 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1. 6 assays pending. Black Fox Complex drilling was conducted by Norex Drilling supervised by Primero's exploration team. Mr. David Laudrum, P.Geo., Senior Resource Manager for Primero has reviewed the technical exploration information in this news release as the QP for the Company for the purposes of NI 43-101. All samples are 1/2 core and analyses reported herein were performed by the independent laboratories Polymet Labs which is ISO 9001:2000 certified, Accurassay Laboratories, which is ISO/IEC 17025 certified, ALS Laboratories, which is ISO 9001/IEC17025 certified, SGS Canada Laboratories, which is ISO9001/IEC17025 certified, Swastika Laboratories, which is ISO 17025 certified. Primero's quality control program includes systematic insertion of blanks, standard reference material and duplicates to ensure laboratory accuracy. Conference Call and Webcast Details The Company's senior management will host a conference call today, Wednesday, May 4, 2016 at 9:00 am ET to discuss first quarter 2016 financial results. Participants may join the call by dialing North America toll free 1-888-789-9572 or 416-340-2217 for calls outside Canada and the U.S., and entering the participant passcode 3894515. A live and archived webcast of the conference call will also be available at www.primeromining.com under the News and Events section or by clicking here: http://www.gowebcasting.com/7416. A recorded playback of the first quarter 2016 results call will be available until August 1, 2016 by dialing 1-800-408-3053 or 905-694-9451 and entering the call back passcode 2246322. This release should be read in conjunction with Primero's first quarter 2016 financial statements and MD&A report on the Company's website, www.primeromining.com, in the "Financial Reports" section under "Investors", or on the SEDAR website at www.sedar.com, or on the Edgar website www.sec.gov. (1) Adjusted net income (loss) and adjusted net income (loss) per share are non-GAAP measures. Neither of these non-GAAP performance measures has any standardized meaning and is therefore unlikely to be comparable to other measures presented by other issuers. The Company believes that, in addition to conventional measures prepared in accordance with GAAP, the Company and certain investors use this information to evaluate the Company's performance. Accordingly, it is intended to provide additional information and should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for measures of performance prepared in accordance with GAAP. Refer to the first quarter 2016 MD&A for a reconciliation of adjusted net income (loss) to reported net income (loss). (2) "Gold equivalent ounces" include silver ounces produced, and converted to a gold equivalent based on a ratio of the average commodity prices realized for each period. The ratio for the first quarter 2016 was 278:1 based on the average realized prices of $1,178 per ounce of gold and $4.24 per ounce of silver. (3) The Company, in conjunction with an initiative undertaken within the gold mining industry, has adopted an all-in sustaining cost non-GAAP performance measure that the Company believes more fully defines the total cost associated with producing gold; however, this performance measure has no standardized meaning. Accordingly, it is intended to provide additional information and should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for measures of performance prepared in accordance with GAAP. The Company reports this measure on a gold ounces produced basis. For the purposes of calculating all-in sustaining costs at individual mine sites, the Company does not include corporate general and administrative expenses. Corporate general and administrative expenses are included in the computation of all-in sustaining costs per consolidated gold ounce. Refer to the Company's first quarter 2016 MD&A for a reconciliation of all-in sustaining costs per gold ounce. (4) Total cash costs per gold equivalent ounce and total cash costs per gold ounce on a by-product basis are non-GAAP measures. Total cash costs per gold equivalent ounce are defined as costs of production (including refining costs) divided by the total number of gold equivalent ounces produced. Total cash costs per gold ounce on a by-product basis are calculated by deducting the by-product silver credits from operating costs and dividing by the total number of gold ounces produced. The Company reports total cash costs on a production basis. In the gold mining industry, these are common performance measures but do not have any standardized meaning, and are non-GAAP measures. As such, they are unlikely to be comparable to similar measures presented by other issuers. In reporting total cash costs per gold equivalent and total cash costs per gold ounce on a by-product basis, the Company follows the recommendations of the Gold Institute standard. The Company believes that, in addition to conventional measures, prepared in accordance with GAAP, certain investors use this information to evaluate the Company's performance and ability to generate cash flow. Accordingly, it is intended to provide additional information and should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for measures of performance prepared in accordance with GAAP. Refer to the Company's first quarter 2016 MD&A for a reconciliation of cash costs per gold ounce on both a by-product and gold equivalent basis to reported operating expenses (the most directly comparable GAAP measure). (5) According to the silver purchase agreement between the Company and Silver Wheaton Corp., until August 6, 2014 Primero delivered to Silver Wheaton a per annum amount equal to the first 3.5 million ounces of silver produced at San Dimas and 50% of any excess at $4.12 per ounce (increasing by 1% per year). Thereafter Primero will deliver to Silver Wheaton a per annum amount equal to the first 6.0 million ounces of silver produced at San Dimas and 50% of any excess at $4.20 per ounce (increasing by 1% per year). The Company will receive silver spot prices only after the annual threshold amount has been delivered. (6) Black Fox was subject to a gold purchase agreement which continues and was assumed by the Company upon its acquisition of the mine. According to the gold purchase agreement, Sandstorm is entitled to 8% of production at the Black Fox mine and 6.3% at the Pike River property. About Primero Primero Mining Corp. is a Canadian-based precious metals producer that owns 100% of the San Dimas gold-silver mine and the Cerro del Gallo gold-silver-copper development project in Mexico and 100% of the Black Fox mine and adjoining properties in the Township of Black River"Matheson near Timmins, Ontario, Canada. Primero offers immediate exposure to un-hedged, below average cash cost gold production with a substantial resource base in politically stable jurisdictions. The Company is focused on becoming a leading intermediate gold producer by building a portfolio of high quality, low cost precious metals assets in the Americas. Primero's website is www.primeromining.com. CAUTIONARY STATEMENT ON FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION This news release contains "forward-looking statements", within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and applicable Canadian securities legislation, concerning the business and operations of Primero Mining Corp. and its consolidated subsidiaries (collectively, "Primero" or the "Company"). All statements, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking statements. Generally, forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "plans", "expects", "is expected", "if approved", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates", "believes", "in order to" or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results "are anticipated", "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will require", "will allow", "will enhance" or "will include" or similar statements or the negative connotation thereof. Forward-looking information is also identifiable in statements of currently occurring matters which will continue in future, such as "is updating", "is working" or "is also assessing" or other statements that may be stated in the present tense and are not historical facts or words with future implication such as "opportunity", "promising". Forward-looking statements in this news release include, but are not limited to, the implementation of enhanced ground support standards at the San Dimas mine; the level and timing of gold equivalent production at San Dimas and Black Fox; the Company's annual production guidance; the realization of silver sales at spot prices; the amount of gold equivalent ounces produced in 2016, the cash costs and all-in sustaining costs for 2016; the capital expenditures in 2016; the Company's intentions and expectations respecting the expansion of San Dimas' production to 3,000 TPD; the Black Fox underground development and ability to open new mining areas in 2016; the ability to develop the Black Fox Froome zone; the amount of ore from the Company's operations in 2016; the probability of encountering high grade mineralization in, and the exploration potential of, the Company's exploration targets and plans; the ability to generate significant free cash flow while repaying debt and also internally funding future growth; optimization and expansion initiatives; statements regarding the APA and the Company's ability to defend its validity, the Company's ability to pay taxes in Mexico on realized silver prices; the Company's ability to defend itself from appeals from the SAT in respect to orders identified as being in the Company's favour; and the Company's intentions to become an intermediate gold producer. The assumptions made by the Company in preparing the forward-looking information contained in this news release, which may prove to be incorrect, include, but are not limited to: the expectations and beliefs of management; the specific assumptions set forth above in this news release; that there are no significant disruptions affecting operations; that development and expansion at San Dimas proceeds on a basis consistent with current expectations and the Company does not change its development and exploration plans; that the exchange rate between the Canadian dollar, Mexican peso and the United States dollar remain consistent with current levels or as set out in this news release; that prices for gold and silver remain consistent with the Company's expectations; that production meets expectations; the amount of silver that the Company will sell at spot prices in 2016; the success in the exploration and development of areas in the Deep Central Zone and the adjacent Froome zone at Black Fox; that the Company identifies higher grade veins in sufficient quantities of minable ore in the Central Block and in Sinaloa Graben; that there are no material variations in the current tax and regulatory environment or the basis for the calculation of the Company's income tax (including as a result of the current challenge to the advance pricing agreement); that the Company will receive required permits and access to surface rights; that the Company can access financing, appropriate equipment and sufficient labour; that the political environment within Mexico and Canada will continue to support the development of environmentally safe mining projects. Forward-looking statements are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other important factors that may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of Primero to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements, including: the Company may not be able to achieve planned production levels; the Company may not be able to expand production at San Dimas as anticipated or generate significant free cash flow; the Company may not be successful in returning the Black Fox mine to higher production levels; the Company may be required to change its development and exploration plans with a negative impact on production; the Company may not discover mineralization in minable quantities; the exchange rate between the Canadian dollar, the Mexican peso and the United States dollar may change with an adverse impact on the Company's financial results; the optimization and expansion initiatives may not provide the benefits anticipated; the Company may not be able to become an intermediate gold producer by building a portfolio of high quality, low cost precious metals assets in the Americas. Certain of these factors are discussed in greater detail in Primero's registration statement on Form 40-F on file with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, and its most recent Annual Information Form on file with the Canadian provincial securities regulatory authorities and available at www.sedar.com. Should one or more of these risks and uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described in forward-looking statements. In addition, although Primero has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are made as of the date hereof and accordingly are subject to change after such date. Forward-looking statements are provided for the purpose of providing information about management's current expectations and plans and allowing investors and others to get a better understanding of our operating environment. Primero does not undertake to update any forward-looking statements that are included in this document, except in accordance with applicable securities laws. SUMMARIZED FINANCIAL AND OPERATING RESULTS AND FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOLLOW SUMMARIZED FINANCIAL AND OPERATING RESULTS (in thousands of United States dollars, except per share and per ounce amounts) SUMMARIZED FINANCIAL DATA ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Three months ended March 31 ------------------------------ 2016 2015 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Key Performance Data Tonnes of ore milled 373,635 448,589 Produced Gold equivalent (ounces) 36,158 61,073 Gold (ounces) 32,835 54,365 Silver (million ounces) 0.92 1.93 Sold Gold equivalent (ounces) 43,622 61,651 Gold (ounces) 38,781 55,037 Silver (million ounces) 1.35 1.90 Average realized prices Gold ($/ounce)(1) $1,156 $1,186 Silver($/ounce)(1) $4.24 $4.20 Total cash costs (per gold ounce)(2) Gold equivalent basis $944 $699 By-product basis $920 $639 All-in sustaining costs (per gold ounce)(2) $1,555 $1,044 Financial Data (in thousands of US dollars except per share amounts) Revenues $50,544 $73,310 Earnings (loss) from mine operations (5,795) 11,470 Net income (loss) (13,172) 3,584 Adjusted net income (loss)(2) (7,777) 1,139 Basic net income (loss) per share (0.08) 0.02 Diluted net income (loss per share) (0.08) 0.02 Adjusted net income (loss) per share(2) (0.05) 0.01 Operating cash flows before working capital changes (8,461) 18,777 Operating cash flows before working capital changes per share (0.05) 0.12 Weighted average shares outstanding (basic) (000's) 164,511 161,783 Weighted average shares outstanding (diluted) (000's) 164,511 161,873 December 31, March 31, 2016 2015 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Assets Mining interests $794,601 $790,118 Total assets $892,204 $924,968 Liabilities Long-term liabilities $209,734 $162,427 Total liabilities $254,467 $276,092 Equity $637,737 $648,876 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1. Average realized gold and silver prices reflect the impact of the gold purchase agreement with Sandstorm at the Black Fox mine and the silver purchase agreement with Silver Wheaton Caymans at the San Dimas mine (see "Other liquidity considerations" in the Company's first quarter 2016 MD&A). 2. See "NON-GAAP measurements" in the Company's first quarter 2016 MD&A SUMMARIZED OPERATING DATA San Dimas ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Three months ended ------------------------------------------------- 31-Mar-16 31-Dec-15 30-Sep-15 30-Jun-15 31-Mar-15 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Key Performance Data Tonnes of ore mined 151,193 228,539 232,014 263,868 263,747 Tonnes of ore milled 149,182 250,796 228,392 256,235 257,670 Tonnes of ore milled per day 1,639 2,726 2,483 2,816 2,863 Average mill head grade (grams/tonne) Gold 4.13 5.23 4.75 4.60 5.01 Silver 198 300 272 275 250 Average gold recovery rate (%) Gold 99% 98% 96% 96% 96% Silver 97% 96% 95% 95% 93% Produced Gold equivalent (ounces) 22,901 50,370 49,566 44,128 46,569 Gold (ounces) 19,578 41,371 33,623 36,500 39,861 Silver (million ounces) 0.92 2.32 1.90 2.15 1.93 Sold Gold equivalent (ounces) 29,140 48,466 53,475 38,747 45,256 Gold (ounces) 24,300 40,320 34,471 34,273 38,642 Silver at fixed price (million ounces) 1.35 2.10 2.01 1.26 1.90 Silver at spot (million ounces) - - 0.85 - - Average realized price (per ounce) Gold $1,178 $1,092 $1,115 $1,187 $1,207 Silver(1) $4.24 $4.24 $7.42 $4.20 $4.20 Total cash costs (per gold ounce)(3) Gold equivalent basis $998 $535 $507 $608 $582 By product basis $968 $414 $219 $487 $479 All in sustaining costs (per ounce)(2) $1,362 $753 $454 $822 $659 Revenue ($000's) $34,333 $52,960 $59,660 $45,979 $54,640 Earnings (loss) from mine operations ($000's) ($6,390) $11,408 $18,179 $9,515 $14,615 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1. Average realized silver prices reflect the impact of the silver purchase agreement with Silver Wheaton Caymans (see "Other liquidity considerations" in the Company's first quarter 2016 MD&A). 2. For the purposes of calculating all-in sustaining costs at individual mine sites, the Company does not include corporate general and administrative expenses. See "NON- GAAP measurements" in the Company's first quarter 2016 MD&A. 3. See "NON- GAAP measurements" in the Company's first quarter 2016 MD&A Black Fox ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Three months ended ------------------------------------------------- 31-Mar-16 31-Dec-15 30-Sep-15 30-Jun-15 31-Mar-15 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Key Performance Data Open pit mining Tonnes of ore mined - - 201,484 372,319 275,865 Strip ratio - - 4.40 4.02 5.87 Average gold grade (grams/tonne) - - 2.01 2.02 1.99 Underground mining Tonnes of ore mined 38,501 57,041 36,005 36,265 11,525 Average gold grade (grams/tonne) 4.99 5.80 3.99 4.00 4.84 Tonnes increase (decrease) in stockpile (185,952) (172,188) 3,979 186,409 96,471 Tonnes processed Tonnes of ore milled 224,453 229,229 233,510 222,175 190,919 Tonnes of ore milled per day 2,467 2,492 2,538 2,441 2,121 Average mill head grade (grams/tonne) 1.94 2.51 2.66 2.65 2.49 Average gold recovery rate (%) 95% 96% 96% 97% 95% Produced Gold (ounces) 13,257 17,785 19,054 18,362 14,504 Sold Gold at spot price (ounces) 13,146 16,434 16,302 17,324 14,537 Gold at fixed price (ounces) 1,336 1,015 1,640 1,378 1,858 Average realized gold price (per ounce)(1) $1,118 $1,059 $1,089 $1,143 $1,137 Total cash costs (per gold ounce)(2) $851 $834 $780 $762 $1,077 All-in sustaining costs (per ounce)(3) $1,404 $1,104 $1,000 $1,071 $1,552 Revenue ($000's) $16,211 $18,444 $19,559 $21,392 $18,670 Earnings (loss) from mine operations (000's) $658 ($1,075) ($354) $1,563 ($3,145) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1. Average realized gold prices reflect the impact of the gold purchase agreement with Sandstorm (see "Other liquidity considerations" in the Company's first quarter 2016 MD&A). 2. See "NON- GAAP measurements" in the Company's first quarter 2016 MD&A 3. For the purposes of calculating all-in sustaining costs at individual mine sites, the Company does not include corporate general and administrative expenses. See "NON- GAAP measurements" in the Company's first quarter 2016 MD&A PRIMERO MINING CORP. CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED INTERIM STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS AND COMPREHENSIVE (LOSS) INCOME THREE MONTHS ENDED MARCH 31, 2016 AND 2015 (IN THOUSANDS OF UNITED STATES DOLLARS, EXCEPT FOR SHARE AND PER SHARE AMOUNTS) (UNAUDITED) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2016 2015 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Revenue $50,544 $73,310 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Operating expenses (40,282) (42,767) Depreciation and depletion (16,057) (19,073) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Total cost of sales (56,339) (61,840) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Earnings (loss) from mine operations (5,795) 11,470 Exploration expenses (334) (121) General and administrative expenses (5,532) (8,013) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Earnings (loss) from operations (11,661) 3,336 Transaction costs and other expenses (386) (3,906) Finance expense (3,259) (2,870) Mark-to-market gain (loss) on convertible debentures (375) 8,205 Other income (expense) (650) 3,301 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Earnings (loss) before income taxes (16,331) 8,066 Income tax (expense) recovery 3,159 (4,482) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Net income (loss) for the year ($13,172) $3,584 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax Items that may be subsequently reclassified to profit or loss: Exchange differences on translation of foreign operations, net of tax of $nil - (514) Unrealized gain on investment in Fortune Bay, net of tax of $nil 85 - Reclassification of unrealized loss on investment in Fortune Bay to impairment, net of tax of $nil - 456 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Total comprehensive net income (loss) for the year ($13,087) $3,526 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Basic net income (loss) per share ($0.08) $0.02 Diluted net income (loss) per share ($0.08) $0.02 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Weighted average number of common shares outstanding Basic 164,510,929 161,783,009 Diluted 164,510,929 161,872,810 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- PRIMERO MINING CORP. CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED INTERIM STATEMENTS OF FINANCIAL POSITION (IN THOUSANDS OF UNITED STATES DOLLARS) (UNAUDITED) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- March 31 December 31 2016 2015 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Assets Current assets Cash and cash equivalents $22,067 $45,601 Trade and other receivables 1,071 1,793 Taxes receivable 26,857 30,689 Prepaid expenses 8,768 8,524 Inventories 24,960 31,964 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Total current assets 83,723 118,571 Non-current assets Restricted cash 6,309 5,920 Mining interests 794,601 790,118 Deferred tax asset 4,254 3,781 Long-term stockpile 2,707 5,694 Other non-current assets 610 884 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Total assets $892,204 $924,968 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Liabilities Current liabilities Trade and other payables $39,957 $44,972 Income tax payable - 12,870 Other taxes payable 461 3,406 Current portion of long-term debt 4,315 52,417 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Total current liabilities 44,733 113,665 Non-current liabilities Other taxes payable 14,082 13,354 Deferred tax liability 49,447 53,107 Decommissioning liability 29,825 28,294 Long-term debt 111,289 62,727 Other long-term liabilities 5,091 4,945 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Total liabilities $254,467 $276,092 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Shareholders' equity Share capital $869,525 $867,375 Contributed surplus 54,782 54,984 Accumulated other comprehensive loss (4,565) (4,650) Deficit (282,005) (268,833) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Total shareholders' equity $637,737 $648,876 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Total liabilities and shareholders' equity $892,204 $924,968 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- PRIMERO MINING CORP. CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED INTERIM STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS THREE MONTHS ENDED MARCH 31, 2016 AND 2015 (IN THOUSANDS OF UNITED STATES DOLLARS) (UNAUDITED) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2016 2015 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Operating activities Earnings (loss) before income taxes ($16,331) $8,066 Adjustments for: Depreciation and depletion 16,057 19,073 Mining interest impairment charge - - Share-based compensation expense 1,857 2,627 Payments made under the Phantom Share Unit Plan (279) (1,513) Mark-to-market loss (gain) on convertible debentures 375 (8,205) Write-off of assets 544 - Write-down of inventory 505 - Unrealized foreign exchange loss (gain) 1,355 (1,169) Taxes paid (15,775) (5,847) Other (5) (716) Other adjustments Transaction costs (disclosed in financing activities) - 3,639 Finance income (disclosed in investing activities) (23) (48) Finance expense 3,259 2,870 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Operating cash flow before working capital changes (8,461) 18,777 Changes in non-cash working capital 5,478 (5,501) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Cash provided by (used in) operating activities ($2,983) $13,276 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Investing activities Expenditures on mining interests ($17,755) ($19,907) Interest received 23 48 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Cash used in investing activities ($17,732) ($19,859) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Financing activities Repayment of debt ($48,116) ($40,000) Drawdown on revolving credit facility 50,000 - Issuance of convertible debt - 75,000 Transaction costs on issuance of convertible debt - (3,639) Payments on capital leases (1,220) (1,867) Funds released from reclamation bond - 8,544 Proceeds on exercise of options - 826 Payments relating to issuance of flow-through shares (4) - Interest paid (3,996) (2,971) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Cash provided by (used in) financing activities ($3,336) $35,893 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Effect of foreign exchange rate changes on cash $517 $920 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Increase (decrease) in cash (23,534) 30,230 Cash, beginning of period 45,601 27,389 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Cash, end of period $22,067 $57,619 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Image Available: http://www.marketwire.com/library/MwGo/2016/5/3/11G096464/Images/Figure_1-15096ef0a481b21488b541c73f81829b.JPG Attachment Available: http://www.marketwire.com/library/MwGo/2016/5/3/11G096464/PR11-16_Q1_Financial_Results_Final-302e43c364eab6cb9cc397ec946d5b04.pdf For further information, please contact: Evan Young Manager, Investor Relations Tel: (416) 814-2694 eyoung@primeromining.com OTTAWA (dpa-AFX) - Loblaw Co. Ltd. (L.TO) Wednesday announced 34.2 percent increase in first quarter net income attributable to the shareholders to C$193 million from C$146 million in the prior year. Earnings per share increased 34.3 percent to C$0.47 from C$0.35 last year. On an adjusted basis, earnings attributable to the shareholders was C$338 million or C$0.82 per share. On average, nine analysts polled by Thomson Reuters expected the company to earn C$0.82 per share. Analysts estimates usually exclude special items. Revenue for the quarter increased 3.3 percent to C$10.381 billion form C$10.048 billion last year. Wall Street was looking for C$10.38 billion. Looking ahead, the company expects positive same-store sales and to grow adjusted net earnings. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann. MONTREAL, QUEBEC -- (Marketwired) -- 05/04/16 -- Uragold (TSX VENTURE: UBR)(FRANKFURT: UGE)(OTC PINK: URAGD) would like to inform its shareholders that PyroGenesis Canada Inc. ("PyroGenesis") has advised Uragold that the PUREVAP Quartz Vaporization Reactor (QVR) validation program, now in its beneficiation stage, will take slightly longer than originally anticipated. The reason for the delay is not significant and was due to the failure of an off-the-shelf electrode. PyroGenesis has already redesigned a custom electrode and fabricating it this week. Uragold expects testing to recommence by the middle of May and expects to receive samples from PyroGenesis within 2 weeks of recommencement barring any further such delays. At that time, Uragold will be shipping the samples to the independent laboratory for analysis. Generally speaking, Uragold anticipates receiving such results within two weeks but reminds investors the exact timeline is beyond its control. Pierre Carabin, Director of Engineering of PyroGenesis stated: "Over the last month, 5 tests have been performed on the Purevap QVR system. In the first test, the functionality of the furnace was verified and we confirmed its ability to operate at high temperature. In the second test, operated at low power, we demonstrated for the first time, the production of silicon metal." (Uragold April 19, 2016 Press Release) Mr. Carabin then stated: "The next 3 tests were aimed at beneficiation part of the process. During these high power tests, unexpected mechanical failure of one of the off-the-shelf electrodes occurred. PyroGenesis has applied its know-how of plasma systems to redesign a custom electrode. A new electrode was designed and is being fabricated during the course of this week. The furnace will be back in operation by the middle of May at which point the testing program will resume." Bernard Tourillon, Chairman and CEO of Uragold stated "The extreme operating temperatures of the PUREVAP QVR process make for a very challenging environment (see Picture 1) but combining the recently announced breakthrough of making Silicon Metal with the proven leadership of PyroGenesis in developing and commercializing plasma processes makes this delay nothing more than a generally acceptable technical delay for such a testing program." Tourillon added "Events such as this are not uncommon when developing a new process but the following recent statement made by PyroGenesis CEO, P. Peter Pascali is the last word - 'We look forward to the final results of our testing program and advancing to the pilot stage with Uragold.' To this end, results achieved thus far justify that Uragold now move forward with a spring exploration campaign program on our Roncevaux Quartz Property in order to delineate a resource. This is the first step required for the preparation of a Preliminary Economic Assessment ("PEA") of Roncevaux as the feed material for the PyroGenesis' PUREVAP QVR process. Picture 1: Purevap QVR system in operation (Source PyroGenesis) http://media3.marketwire.com/docs/1053299.jpg. ANTICIPATED TIMELINE FOR TESTING AND RESULTS Having validated that the process works within the first 2 weeks of the program, the dynamic test protocols, which called for a first series of metallurgical tests to be completed at different operational settings in order to achieve the transformation of Uragold Quartz into Solar Grade Purity Si, should restart in the middle of May 2016. The High Purity Silicon Metal produced by the reactor during this second stage tests will be sent to an independent laboratory for ICP - MS "Mass Spectrometry" analysis for final validation. Uragold anticipates a turnaround of about 2 weeks to get the analysis results. ADDITIONAL FUND RAISING Further to the company's last press release announcing the raising of $520,000 from various instrument exercises, Uragold is pleased to report that, for the period April 26 - May 2 2016, $ 141,923.60 additional capital was raised through the exercise of 1,670,333 warrants. BEAUCE GOLD SPIN OUT TO UNLOCK GREATER VALUE FOR CURRENT SHAREHOLDERS On December 1, 2015, the Company first announced its intention to spin out its Beauce Gold Project for the purposes of unlocking greater shareholder value by separating the Company's Silicon Metal and gold initiatives. Since that decision, the price of gold has risen $USD 250 (23.8%) per ounce from $1,050 to $1,300. The continued price appreciation in gold and gold exploration companies in 2016 gives management even greater confidence in the efficacy of this decision. UPCOMING AGM - JUNE 22, 2016 Uragold wishes to inform shareholders that our AGM will be on June 22, 2016 at 10:00 AM. The meeting will be held at the offices of McCarthy Tetrault, 25th floor, 1000 Rue de la Gauchetiere W, Montreal, Quebec, in the MTL/QC conference room. We invite all of our shareholders to attend, meet management, vote on agenda items and discuss the company's milestones, as well as, future plans. Other then the standard auditors and directors' nominations, the other key subjects to be discussed and approved by shareholders will be: -- Approving the signature of the letter of intent and financing through convertible debenture private placements with Stone River Capital LLC (Stone River) or other entity defined by Stone River; -- Considering, if deemed appropriate, passing a resolution approving and authorizing the creation of a control person in connection with and resulting from the issuances of convertibles debentures and the conversions thereof; -- Considering, if deemed appropriate, passing a resolution approving the Spin out of its Gold assets into a separate company whereby the Corporation will transfer into a new company (Newco) all its gold assets including all gold properties, all gold claims and all interest or participation therein (gold assets) and returning to its shareholders 80% of the shares received from Newco in payment for all gold assets sold and transferred; -- Considering, if deemed appropriate, passing a special resolution approving the change of the name of the Corporation to Canada Silicon Resources Inc. or such other name that could be acceptable to the Director of Corporate Affairs of Industry Canada and the Directors; About Uragold Uragold Bay Resources is a TSX-V listed junior exploration company planning to become a vertically integrated and diversified High Value Specialty Materials Company. Uragold has announced plans to spin out its Beauce Gold Project - the largest placer gold deposit in eastern North America. Our Business model is focused on developing unique projects that can generate high yield returns and significant free cash flow within a short time line. High Value Specialty Materials In September 2015, PyroGenesis announced that it had filed for a provisional patent for the PUREVAP Quartz Vaporization Reactor (QVR) process, which it noted was able to produce silicon, at a lower cost, while generating less CO2 emissions than current processes. On April 19, 2016, PyroGenesis announced that early test results of the PUREVAP QVR process have demonstrated that it can transform high purity quartz into silicon metal. The PUREVAP QVR validation program his now in its second stage whereby the operational parameters of the reactor are adjusted in order to achieve the transformation of Uragold Quartz into Solar Grade Purity Si. Uragold, with its worldwide exclusive usage of PyroGenesis' PUREVAP QVR, is endeavouring to become a vertically integrated Silicon Metal (98.5% Si), High Purity Silicon Metal (99.99% Si), Solar Grade Silicon Metal (6N Purity / 99.9999% Si) and/or Higher (9N Purity / 99.9999999% Si) producer. The PUREVAP QVR process's big advantage is its one step direct transformation of Quartz into High Purity Silicon Metal Solar Grade Silicon Metal and/or Higher Purity product, thereby potentially allowing Uragold to manufacture high value material for the same operating cost presently being paid by traditional producers to make Metallurgical Grade Si (98.5% Si) using the traditional arc furnace approach. The Science Behind PyroGenesis PUREVAP QVR Process Is Solid: -- Plasma arc based process can and has transformed High Purity Quartz into Mg Si. -- Plasma arc based process can and is being used to purify Mg Si into higher value materials such as Sg Si. -- Finally, refining Mg Si using an electron-beam furnace in a high vacuum- processing environment has proven the concept of the elimination of elements whose vapor pressures are higher than that of silicon. What is unique and ground breaking is the combination of these three proven processes into one step. A Green And Clean Company Uragold, with its worldwide exclusive usage of PyroGenesis' PUREVAP QVR will also be implementing a process to make Sg Si, which is estimated to generate 14.1 kg CO2 eq/Kg SG Si, versus the 54.0 kg CO2 eq/Kg SG Si of emissions generated by the Siemens process (90% of the present production process). This represents 75% fewer greenhouse gas emissions, which is justified by elimination of the emissions emanating from the use of chemicals, as well as, energy consumption from the additional purification step. High Purity Quartz Properties Uragold is also the largest holder of High Purity Quartz properties in Quebec, with over 3,500 Ha under claims. Despite the abundance of quartz, very few deposits are suitable for high purity applications. High Purity Quartz supplies are tightening, prices are rising, and exponential growth is forecast. Quartz from the Roncevaux property successfully passed rigorous testing protocols of a major silicon metal producer confirming that our material is highly suited for their silicon metal production. About Our Beauce Gold Project - Preparing To Be Spun Out To Unlock Value The Beauce Gold Project is a unique, historically prolific gold field located in the municipality of Saint-Simon-les-Mines in the Beauce region of Southern Quebec. Comprising of a block of 37 claims 100% owned by Uragold Bay Resources, the project area hosts a six (6) km long unconsolidated gold bearing sedimentary units (a lower saprolite and an upper brown diamictite) holding the largest placer gold deposit in eastern North America. The gold in saprolite indicates a close proximity to a bedrock source of gold providing significant potential for further exploration discoveries. This press release contains certain forward-looking statements, including, without limitation, statements containing the words "may", "plan", "will", "estimate", "continue", "anticipate", "intend", "expect", "in the process" and other similar expressions which constitute "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Forward-looking statements reflect the Company's current expectation and assumptions, and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated. These forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties including, but not limited to, our expectations regarding the acceptance of our products by the market, our strategy to develop new products and enhance the capabilities of existing products, our strategy with respect to research and development, the impact of competitive products and pricing, new product development, and uncertainties related to the regulatory approval process. Such statements reflect the current views of the Company with respect to future events and are subject to certain risks and uncertainties and other risks detailed from time-to-time in the Company's on-going filings with the securities regulatory authorities, which filings can be found at www.sedar.com. Actual results, events, and performance may differ materially. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements either as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable securities laws. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Shares outstanding: 123,235,341 Contacts: Bernard J. Tourillon, Chairman and CEO (514) 907-1011 Patrick Levasseur, President and COO (514) 262-9239 www.uragold.com Carl Desjardins, Paradox Public Relations Inc. (514) 341-0408 HOUSTON, TEXAS -- (Marketwired) -- 05/04/16 -- TC PipeLines, LP (NYSE: TCP) (the Partnership) today reported first quarter 2016 distributable cash flow of $95 million and net income attributable to controlling interests of $73 million. "The Partnership's assets continued to perform well during the first quarter of 2016," said Brandon Anderson, President of TC PipeLines, GP, Inc. "Our pipelines generated solid cash flow and earnings despite the warm winter, and continue to reliably serve our customers. Our results also benefited from our recent acquisition of PNGTS on January 1." First Quarter 2016 Highlights (All financial figures are unaudited) -- Closed the purchase of a 49.9 percent interest in the Portland Natural Gas Transmission System (PNGTS) from TransCanada for $228 million, effective January 1, 2016 (PNGTS Acquisition) -- Generated distributable cash flow of $95 million -- Paid cash distributions of $72 million, including $12 million paid to Class B units -- Declared cash distributions of $0.89 per common unit -- Generated net income attributable to controlling interests of $73 million -- Raised net proceeds of approximately $19 million in common equity through the Partnership's At- The-Market (ATM) equity issuance program and through a General Partner contribution The Partnership's financial highlights for the first quarter of 2016 compared to the first quarter of 2015 were: Three months ended (unaudited) March 31, (millions of dollars except per common unit amounts) 2016 2015 ---------------------------------------------- -------------- -------------- Distributable cash flow (a) 95 81 Cash distributions paid (60) (55) Class B distributions paid (12) - Cash distributions paid per common unit $0.89 $0.84 Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) (a) 111 98 Net income attributable to controlling interests 73 57 Net income per common unit - basic and diluted (b) $1.10 $0.88 Weighted average common units outstanding (millions) - basic and diluted (c) 64.4 63.6 Common units outstanding at end of period (millions)(c) 64.7 63.6 (a) Distributable cash flow and EBITDA are non-GAAP financial measures. Refer to the description of Distributable cash flow and EBITDA in the section of this release entitled "Non-GAAP Financial Measures" and the Supplemental Schedule for further detail. (b) Net income per common unit is computed by dividing net income attributable to controlling interests, after deduction of amounts attributable to the General Partner and Class B units, by the weighted average number of common units outstanding. Refer to Financial Summary- Consolidated Statements of Income section of this release. (c) Under the ATM program, the Partnership issued 368,448 units during the three months ended March 31, 2016. Recent Developments Cash Distributions - On April 21, 2016, the board of directors of our General Partner declared the Partnership's first quarter 2016 cash distribution in the amount of $0.89 per common unit, payable on May 13, 2016 to unitholders of record as of May 2, 2016. PNGTS - On January 1, 2016, the Partnership acquired a 49.9 percent interest in PNGTS from a subsidiary of TransCanada. The total purchase price of the PNGTS Acquisition was $228 million and consisted of $193 million in cash (including the final purchase price adjustment of $5 million) and the assumption of $35 million in proportional PNGTS debt. This transaction adds a new market geography for us, further diversifying our cash flow stream and extending our breadth of operations. Tuscarora - On January 21, 2016, the FERC issued an Order (the January 21 Order) initiating an investigation pursuant to Section 5 of the NGA to determine whether Tuscarora's existing rates for jurisdictional services are just and reasonable. On April 5, 2016, Tuscarora filed with the FERC a cost and revenue study as required by the January 21 Order that supported its current rate levels. The Partnership cannot predict the outcome or potential impact of this proceeding to Tuscarora at this time. Results of Operations For the three months ended March 31, 2016, net income attributable to controlling interests increased by $16 million compared to the same period in 2015. The increase was primarily due to the net effect of: -- the 2015 GTN acquisition effective April 1, 2015, whereby the Partnership now owns 100 percent of GTN; -- equity earnings from our investment in PNGTS effective January 1, 2016; -- higher equity earnings from Great Lakes mainly due to higher transportation revenues during the period as a result of a timing difference on the recognition of the $14.1 million deferred revenues from ANR contracts during the previous period offset by higher pipeline integrity costs; -- lower equity earnings from Northern Border due to lower short-term revenues as a result of milder winter weather during 2016 compared to 2015; and -- higher Partnership expenses due to an increase in interest expense of approximately $4 million related to additional borrowings to fund a portion of recent acquisitions offset by approximately $1 million of costs incurred in the prior period relating to the 2015 GTN Acquisition. Additionally, our EBITDA increased by $13 million compared to the same period in 2015 primarily due to higher equity earnings from our equity investments. Distributable cash flow increased by $14 million in the first quarter of 2016 compared to the same period in 2015 primarily due to distributable cash flow from our 2016 equity investment in PNGTS and 100 percent ownership in GTN effective April 1, 2015. Non-GAAP Financial Measures The following non-GAAP financial measures are presented as a supplement to our financial statements: -- EBITDA -- Total distributable cash flow -- Distributable cash flow EBITDA is an approximate measure of our operating cash flow during the current earnings period and reconciles directly to the net income amount presented. It measures our earnings before deducting interest, depreciation and amortization, net income attributable to non-controlling interests, and it includes earnings from our equity investments. Total distributable cash flow and distributable cash flow provide measures of distributable cash generated during the current earnings period and reconcile directly to the net income amount presented. Total distributable cash flow includes EBITDA plus: -- Distributable cash flow from our equity investments less: -- Earnings from our equity investments, -- Equity allowance for funds used during construction (Equity AFUDC), -- Interest expense, -- Distributions to non-controlling interests, and -- Maintenance capital expenditures. Distributable cash flow is computed net of distributions declared to the General Partner and distributions allocable to Class B units. Distributions declared to the General Partner are based on its effective two percent interest plus an amount equal to incentive distributions. Distributions allocable to the Class B units in 2016 equal 30 percent of GTN's distributable cash flow less $20 million. Distributable cash flow information and EBITDA are presented to assist investors in evaluating our business performance. We believe these measures provide additional meaningful information in evaluating our financial performance and cash distribution capability. In addition, management uses these measures as a basis for recommendations to our General Partner's board of directors regarding the distribution amount to be declared each quarter. The non-GAAP financial measures presented as part of this release are provided as a supplement to GAAP financial results and are not meant to be considered in isolation or as substitutes for financial results prepared in accordance with GAAP. Additionally, these measures as presented may not be comparable to similarly titled measures of other companies. Conference Call Analysts, members of the media, investors and other interested parties are invited to participate in a teleconference by calling 866.225.2055 on Wednesday, May 4, 2016 at 10:00 a.m. central time (CT)/11:00 a.m. eastern time (ET). Brandon Anderson, President of the General Partner, will discuss the first quarter financial results and provide an update on the Partnership's business, followed by a question and answer session for the investment community and media. Please dial in 10 minutes prior to the start of the call. No pass code is required. A live webcast of the conference call will also be available through the Partnership's website at www.tcpipelineslp.com. Slides for the presentation will be posted on the Partnership's website under "Events and Presentations" prior to the webcast. A replay of the teleconference will also be available two hours after the conclusion of the call and until 11 p.m. (CDT) and midnight (EDT) on May 11, 2016, by calling 800.408.3053, then entering pass code 3978410. TC PipeLines, LP is a Delaware master limited partnership with interests in seven federally regulated U.S. interstate natural gas pipelines which serve markets in the Western, Midwestern and Eastern United States. The Partnership is managed by its general partner, TC PipeLines GP, Inc., a subsidiary of TransCanada Corporation (NYSE: TRP). For more information about TC PipeLines, LP, visit the Partnership's website at www.tcpipelineslp.com. Forward-Looking Statements Certain non-historical statements in this release relating to future plans, projections, events or conditions are intended to be "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. These statements are based on current expectations and, therefore, subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from the projections, anticipated results or other expectations expressed in this release, including, without limitation, the timing, structure and closing of future dropdowns of TransCanada's remaining U.S. natural gas pipeline assets and the ability of these assets to generate ongoing value to our unitholders, competitive conditions in the natural gas industry, increases in operating and compliance costs, the outcome of rate proceedings, our ability to identify and complete expansion and growth opportunities, operating hazards beyond our control, availability of capital and market demand that the Partnership expects or believes will or may occur in the future. These and other factors that could cause future results to differ materially from those anticipated are discussed in Item 1A in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year-ended December 31, 2015 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the SEC), as updated and supplemented by subsequent filings with the SEC. All forward-looking statements are made only as of the date made and except as required by applicable law, we undertake no obligation to update any forward-looking statements to reflect new information, subsequent events or other changes. TC PipeLines, LP Financial Summary Consolidated Statements of Income Three months ended (unaudited) March 31, ----------------------------- (millions of dollars except per common unit amounts) 2016 2015 ---------------------------------------------- -------------- -------------- Transmission revenues 86 87 Equity earnings from unconsolidated affiliates 42 31 Operation and maintenance expenses (10) (11) Property taxes (5) (6) General and administrative (2) (3) Depreciation (21) (21) Financial charges and other (17) (13) -------------- -------------- -------------- -------------- Net income 73 64 Net income attributable to non-controlling interests - 7 -------------- -------------- Net income attributable to controlling interests 73 57 Net income attributable to controlling interest allocation ---------------------------------------------- Common units 71 56 General Partner 2 1 -------------- -------------- 73 57 -------------- -------------- -------------- -------------- Net income per common unit - basic and diluted (a) $ 1.10 $ 0.88 Weighted average common units outstanding (millions) - basic and diluted 64.4 63.6 Common units outstanding, end of period (millions) 64.7 63.6 (a) Net income per common unit is computed by dividing net income attributable to controlling interests, after deduction of amounts attributable to the General Partner and Class B units, by the weighted average number of common units outstanding. The amount allocable to the General Partner equals an amount based upon the General Partner's effective two percent general partner interest, plus an amount equal to incentive distributions. For the year ending December 31, 2016, the amount allocable to the Class B units is equal to 30 percent of GTN's annual distributable cash flow, less $20 million. During the three months ended March 31, 2016, no amounts were allocated to the Class B units as the annual threshold of $20 million has not been exceeded. TC PipeLines, LP Financial Summary Consolidated Condensed Balance Sheets December 31, (unaudited) March 31, 2016 2015 (millions of dollars) ---------------------------------------------- -------------- -------------- ASSETS Current assets 97 81 Investment in unconsolidated affiliates 1,083 965 Plant, property and equipment, net 1,928 1,949 Other assets (a) 130 131 -------------- -------------- 3,238 3,126 -------------- -------------- -------------- -------------- ---------------------------------------------- -------------- -------------- LIABILITIES AND PARTNERS' EQUITY Current liabilities 55 59 Other liabilities 28 27 Long-term debt, net of current portion (a) 2,059 1,889 Partners' equity 1,096 1,151 -------------- -------------- 3,238 3,126 -------------- -------------- -------------- -------------- (a) As a result of the application of ASU no. 2015-03 and similar to the presentation of debt discounts, debt issuance costs of $7 million at December 31, 2015 previously reported as other assets in the balance sheet were reclassified as an offset against debt. TC PipeLines, LP Supplemental Schedule Non-GAAP Financial Measures Reconciliations of Net income to Distributable Cash Flow Three months ended (unaudited) March 31 -------------- -------------- (millions of dollars except per common unit amounts) 2016 2015 ---------------------------------------------- -------------- -------------- Net Income $ 73 $ 64 Add: Interest expense 17 13 Depreciation and amortization 21 21 ---------------------------------------------- -------------- -------------- ---------------------------------------------- -------------- -------------- EBITDA $ 111 $ 98 ---------------------------------------------- -------------- -------------- ---------------------------------------------- -------------- -------------- Add: Distributable cash flow from equity investments (a) Northern Border 23 26 Great Lakes 17 14 PNGTS (b) 6 - -------------- -------------- 46 40 Less: Equity earnings Northern Border (18) (20) Great Lakes (15) (11) PNGTS (b) (9) - -------------- -------------- (42) (31) Less: Interest expense (17) (13) Distributions to non-controlling interests (c) - (11) Maintenance capital expenditures (d) (1) (1) ---------------------------------------------- -------------- -------------- Total Distributable Cash Flow (e) $ 97 $ 82 ---------------------------------------------- -------------- -------------- General Partner distributions declared (f) (2) (1) Distributions allocable to Class B units (g) - - ---------------------------------------------- -------------- -------------- Distributable Cash Flow (e) $ 95 $ 81 ---------------------------------------------- -------------- -------------- (a) Amounts here are calculated in accordance with the cash distribution policies of these entities. Distributions from each of our equity investments represent our respective share of these entities' quarterly distributable cash during the current reporting period. (b) Our equity investee PNGTS has $22 million of senior secured notes payment due in 2016, of which the Partnership's share is approximately $11 million. While PNGTS debt repayments are not funded with cash calls to its owners, PNGTS has historically funded its scheduled debt repayments and other cash needs such as tax payments, by adjusting its available cash for distribution, which effectively reduces the net cash that we will receive as distributions from PNGTS. Accordingly, this amount is net of our 49.9 percent share of the total debt repayment of PNGTS amounting to approximately $6 million during the quarter resulting in a net distribution decrease of approximately $3 million. (c) Amounts here are calculated in accordance with the cash distribution policies of our consolidated subsidiaries. Distributions to non- controlling interests represent our respective share of quarterly distributable cash during the current reporting period not owned by us. (d) The Partnership's maintenance capital expenditures include cash expenditures made to maintain, over the long term, our operating capacity, system integrity and reliability. Accordingly, this amount represents the Partnership's and its consolidated subsidiaries maintenance capital expenditures and does not include the Partnership's share of maintenance capital expenditures on our equity investments. Such amounts are reflected in "Distributions from equity investments" as those amounts are withheld by those entities from their quarterly distributable cash. (e) "Total Distributable Cash Flow" and "Distributable Cash Flow" represent the amount of distributable cash generated by the Partnership's subsidiaries and equity investments during the current earnings period and thus reconcile directly to the net income amount presented. The calculation differs from the previous non-GAAP measure "Partnership Cash Flows before General Partner distributions" and "Partnership Cash Flows" as the previously used measures primarily reflected cash received during the period through distributions from our subsidiaries and equity investments that were generated from the prior quarter's financial results. The amounts reflected here have been adjusted to reflect the calculation as described above and to present the comparable "Total Distributable Cash flow" and "Distributable Cash Flow" from the previous period. (f) Distributions declared to the General Partner for the three months ended March 31, 2016 included an incentive distribution of approximately $1 million (2015 - $0.3 million). (g) For the year ending December 31, 2016, the distributions allocable to the Class B units is equal to 30 percent of GTN's annual distributable cash flow, less $20 million. During the three months ended March 31, 2016, no amounts were allocated to the Class B units as the annual threshold of $20 million has not been exceeded. Contacts: Media Inquiries: Mark Cooper/Terry Cunha 403.920.7859 or 800.608.7859 Unitholder and Analyst Inquiries: Rhonda Amundson 877.290.2772 investor_relations@tcpipelineslp.com DUBLIN, May 4, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Google has reached a deal with car manufacturer Fiat Chrysler Automobile to develop self-driving vehicles. The Silicon Valley company has been testing autonomous car technology since 2014, but this will be the first time it has collaborated with a traditional automaker. The companies say they will develop a fleet of 100 self-driving prototypes based on Fiat's Chrysler Pacifica minivan. (Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160330/349511LOGO ) This follows on from comments made by Fiat Chrysler Chairman John Elkann last month, when he called on the auto industry to work together with tech companies like Google and Apple. Autonomous technology is creating numerous opportunities in the automobile industry, with the latest reports expecting the connected car market to value $95.75 billion by 2020 . Google had been in discussions with various automakers. Talks with General Motors reportedly broke down because of a disagreement over the ownership of technology and data. Google has run more than 1.4 million miles of tests on its own prototypes to date. It will now work with Fiat's engineering team at their facility in Michigan. The deal is mutually beneficial for both parties. Google needs more cars to test its autonomous technology and Fiat need access to this technology so that it can compete against its rival auto manufacturers. Autonomous technology is creating opportunities for automakers in several related applications. For example, fully autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicles are driving the demand for automotive sensors. Self-driving cars will also limit the amount of interaction between driver and car. Developers are testing features like voice and gesture recognition, which are increasing in popularity amongst consumers. The number of voice controlled devices is expected to hit $2.2 billion by 2020, so it would be no surprise to see the technology integrated into autonomous vehicles. For further information on this topic, and a full list of all related documentation, please visit the Telematics and Vehicle Electronics section at http://www.researchandmarkets.com/rm/OJLS. About Research and Markets Research and Markets is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends. Source: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-05-03/fiat-google-said-to-plan-partnership-on-self-driving-minivans Contact: Research and Markets Laura Wood,Senior Manager press@researchandmarkets.com For E.S.T Office Hours Call 1-917-300-0470 For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call 1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900 U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907 Leading online forex and CFD broker AvaTrade is celebrating its 10th anniversary. Since its establishment, the company has grown to become one of the most prestigious brokers in the industry. With integrity and fairness as its core values, AvaTrade is fully regulated to the highest of standards, across 5 continents with clients in over 150 countries. In honor of its 10th anniversary, AvaTrade offers its clients a special 100% bonus promotion on first deposits for the month of May. To comply with its commitment to empower people to trade with confidence, AvaTrade provides a top notch multi-lingual customer service, an elaborate affiliates program, an array of trading instruments on multiple platforms and free trading education for all clients. "This celebration commemorates not only the path that has led us to this point, but also our accomplishments throughout the last 10 years which have been numerous" says Daire Ferguson, CEO for AvaTrade. "We look forward to the future with great anticipation, and will continue to deliver our services on the highest level for the next 10 years and beyond!" AvaTrade's activity during the past decade, has earned the company numerous awards, praising its security, reliability and education. Adding to that honorable list is the recent 2015 Best Broker Award by FXEmpire. Find out more about AvaTrade at http://www.avatrade.com/rewards-benefits/new-accounts-promotion?tag=40235&tag2=10Year-EN About AvaTrade AvaTrade was founded in 2006 and is an internationally regulated broker. Offering more than 200 financial instruments, top trading platforms, and a new and improved mobile app, AvaTrade caters to traders of all levels who are seeking a secure and intuitive trading experience. Clients enjoy 24 hour live customer support in 15 languages and the assistance of a personal account manager. To further ensure trader fund security, client accounts are fully segregated. AvaTrade is fully regulated in the EU, Japan, Australia, South Africa BVI. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160504006003/en/ Contacts: AvaTrade Etoile Vizman +1 646 335 0738 (Ext. 2106) Etoile@avatrade.com 4 May 2016 Conroy Gold and Natural Resources plc ("Conroy" or "the Company") STRATEGIC FINANCING UPDATE Placing to raise 1,015,000 (1,282,926) Placing of 5,486,485 new ordinary shares at 18.5 pence per share together with 5,486,485 warrants to raise 1,015,000 (1,282,926) before expenses Proceeds of the placing to be applied to fund the advancement of the Company's principal gold opportunities and in particular the newly combined Clay Lake and Clontibret targets, where the Company has established a combined exploration target of 5 million oz of gold, and for working capital generally Conroy Gold and Natural Resources plc (AIM: CGNR, ESM: CGNR.I), the gold exploration and development company focused on Ireland and Finland, is pleased to announce that it has conditionally raised 1,015,000 (1,282,926), prior to expenses, through a placing (the "Placing") of 5,486,485 ordinary shares of 0.001 in the capital of the Company (the "Placing Shares") and 5,486,485 warrants at an exercise price of 37 pence per warrant (the "Warrants"), together the "Placing Units", at a price of 18.5 pence per Placing Unit (the "Placing Price") being the closing mid-market-price on 29 April 2016 (being the last practicable date prior to the completion of the Placing). As part of the Placing, certain of the Directors have subscribed for an aggregate of 1,567,567 Placing Units, consisting of 1,567,567 Placing Shares and 1,567,567 Warrants. The Directors' participation in the Placing and their resultant shareholding following admission of the Placing Shares to trading ("Admission") is as follows: Director Placing participation Placing Shares subscribed for Resultant Shareholding Percentage interest in the enlarged issued share capital Warrants received No. No. No. Professor Richard Conroy 200,000 1,081,081 2,430,657 22.07 1,081,081 Maureen Jones 25,000 135,135 194,104 1.76 135,135 James P. Jones 20,000 108,108 120,608 1.10 108,108 Seamus P. FitzPatrick 25,000 135,135 212,439 1.93 135,135 Dr. Sorca Conroy 20,000 108,108 128,777 1.17 108,108 290,000 1,567,567 3,086,585 28.08 1,567,567 The participation of Professor Richard Conroy, Seamus P. FitzPatrick, Dr Sor?a Conroy, Maureen Jones and James P Jones in the Placing is a related party transaction pursuant to Rule 13 of the AIM Rules for Companies. The independent directors of the Company (being Louis Maguire, Michael Power and David Wathen), having consulted with the Company's Nominated Adviser and ESM adviser, consider the terms of the Placing to be fair and reasonable insofar as the Shareholders are concerned. In addition, Patrick O'Sullivan has subscribed for 1,081,081 Placing Units, consisting of 1,081,081 Placing Shares and 1,081,081 Warrants. Following Admission, Patrick O'Sullivan will be interested in 2,357,456 Ordinary Shares in the Company, representing 21.41 per cent. of the Company's enlarged share capital. As a substantial shareholder of the Company, Patrick O'Sullivan is deemed to be a related party in accordance with the AIM Rules. Accordingly, the participation of Patrick O'Sullivan in the Placing is a related party transaction pursuant to Rule 13 of the AIM Rules for Companies. The independent directors of the Company (being Louis Maguire, Michael Power and David Wathen), having consulted with the Company's Nominated Adviser and ESM adviser, consider the terms of the Placing to be fair and reasonable insofar as the Shareholders are concerned. Furthermore, Metal Tiger plc has subscribed for 675,675 Placing Units, consisting of 675,675 Placing Shares and 675,675 Warrants. Following Admission, Metal Tiger plc will be interested in 675,675 Ordinary Shares in the Company, representing 6.13 per cent. of the Company's enlarged share capital. The Placing is conditional, inter alia, on admission of the Placing Shares to trading on AIM and the Enterprise Securities Market operated by the Irish Stock Exchange Limited ("ESM"). The Placing Shares will rank pari passu with the existing issued ordinary shares of 0.001 in the capital of the Company ("Ordinary Shares"). The Warrants can be exercised at any time from admission of the Placing Shares to the 30-month anniversary of the admission of the Placing Shares being 10 November 2018. The Warrants also contain a mandatory exercise clause if the closing price of the Ordinary Shares remains at 1 or higher for 10 or more consecutive business days. The Company intends to use the proceeds of the Placing for ground operations and the advancement of the Company's principal gold opportunities and in particular the newly combined Clay Lake and Clontibret targets, where the Company has established a combined exploration target of 5 million oz of gold, and for working capital generally. Application has been made to AIM and ESM for the Placing Shares to be admitted to trading. It is expected that admission will become effective on 10 May 2016. Following the issue of the Placing Shares, and for the purposes of the Disclosure and Transparency Rules, the Company's total issued share capital on Admission will consist of 11,013,537 Ordinary Shares. The above figure may be used by shareholders as the denominator for the calculations by which they will determine if they are required to notify their interest in, or a change to their interest in, the Company, under the Disclosure and Transparency Rules. Professor Richard Conroy, Chairman, commented: "We are particularly pleased to have raised a material sum enabling us to continue and accelerate our operational activities. We are also pleased to have attracted the interest of Metal Tiger plc which approached us to undertake and underpin this financing. Conroy Gold has a substantial Irish gold and base metals portfolio and with the recently established 5 million ounce combined gold target at Clay Lake - Clontibret we see a very exciting future for the Company, particularly as the gold price and gold sector begins to strengthen." For further information, please contact : Conroy Gold and Natural Resources plc Tel: +353-1-661-8958 Professor Richard Conroy, Chairman Allenby Capital Limited (Nomad) Tel: +44-20-3328-5656 Virginia Bull/James Thomas Hybridan LLP (Broker) Tel: +44-20-3764 2341 Claire Louise Noyce/Niall Pearson/William Lynne IBI Corporate Finance Limited (ESM Adviser) Tel: +353-766-234-800 Ger Heffernan / Jan Fitzell Lothbury Financial Services Tel: +44-20-3290-0707 Michael Padley Hall Communications Tel: +353-1-660-9377 Don Hall Visit the website at: www.conroygold.com LOS ANGELES, CA -- (Marketwired) -- 05/04/16 -- Imperial Capital, LLC ("Imperial Capital"), announced today the continued growth of its dedicated Emerging Markets Sales and Trading Group with the hiring of two senior professionals. Bill Murphy and Tom Dillon both join Imperial Capital in New York continuing the firms focus on building out this important asset class. "We are thrilled to welcome two senior emerging markets veterans who both bring extensive market experience and deep client relationships to the team," said Tom Corcoran, President of Imperial Capital, LLC. "In a relatively short period of time, we have been able to build a world class Emerging Markets team and the additions of Bill and Tom continue to prove Imperial Capital's commitment to creating a premier Emerging Markets franchise. It's clear that there is a real need in the market for value added contributions, and alternate liquidity sources that we are actively providing to our clients." Bill Murphy joins Imperial Capital as a Managing Director with 20 plus years of experience. Prior to joining Imperial, Mr. Murphy was a Managing Director in the Fixed Income Trading Group at GMP Securities. Previously, he was at Knight Capital and Barclays Capital Inc. Mr. Murphy earned a B.S. in Finance from Providence College. Tom Dillon joins Imperial Capital as a Managing Director with 20 plus years of trading experience. Prior to joining Imperial, Mr. Dillon was a Director in the Emerging Markets Trading Group at Barclays Investment Bank. Previously, he was Director in the Emerging Markets Groups at Merrill Lynch and Credit Suisse. He attended Siena College where he majored in Finance and Accounting. About Imperial Capital, LLC Imperial Capital is a full-service investment bank offering a uniquely integrated platform of comprehensive services to institutional investors and middle market companies. We offer sophisticated sales and trading services to institutional investors and a wide range of investment banking advisory, capital markets and restructuring services to middle market corporate clients. Paired with our proprietary research and sales & trading desk analysis, we provide investment analysis across an issuer's capital structure, including bank loans, debt securities, the hybrid/bank capital marketplace (through our ELP Framework), post-reorganization equities, special situations claims and listed and unlisted equities. Our comprehensive and integrated service platform, expertise across the global capital structure, and deep industry sector knowledge enable us to provide clients with research driven ideas, superior advisory services, and trade execution. We are quick to identify opportunities under any market conditions and we have a proven track record of offering creative, proprietary solutions to our clients. Imperial Capital has three principal businesses: Investment Banking, Institutional Sales & Trading and Institutional Research. More information about Imperial Capital can be found at www.imperialcapital.com. For more information regarding Imperial Capital, LLC, founded in 1997, please contact: Mark Martis (310) 246-3674 mmartis@imperialcapital.com SUNNYVALE, CA--(Marketwired - May 04, 2016) - Leading immersive media company, Matterport, today announced its formal entry into the Canadian market. In addition, the company is demonstrating its revolutionary technology for showcasing properties at Canada's largest real estate tradeshow -- REALTOR QUEST -- in Toronto on May 4-5 th . "Matterport provides agents and brokers with a powerful marketing tool that gives home sellers confidence that their home is being presented in the absolute best way possible," said Bill Brown, Matterport CEO. "We make this possible by delivering a system that's incredibly easy for anyone to operate, even easier than creating a traditional 2D photo gallery. By allowing homebuyers and renters the ability to experience a property as if they were there, from any laptop or mobile device, our simple end-to-end solution allows real estate agents, brokers, photographers, portals and MLSs to showcase listings in a more engaging and personal way than ever before. We are excited to help our Canadian customers and partners grow their businesses." On display at REALTOR QUEST in booth 819 will be the Matterport Pro Camera and 3D Showcase, a Web-based player that can be embedded directly into the listing site to give the viewer a real feel for what it's like to walk through a space. It allows the user to move through a space naturally and then even zoom out to see a unique, full-color 3D floorplan (called dollhouse view) or a 2D color floorplan. Also on display will be powerful Matterport features, including: Mattertag' Posts, which let agents annotate property highlights in 3D throughout the space that really "sell" the listing The new iOS Showcase app, which allows agents and brokers to have access to all of their 3D property listings offline -- when Wi-Fi is not available Other exciting features that include measurements, schematic floor plans, and VR models With Matterport 3D Spaces, Canadian real estate professionals will be able to engage buyers across the globe as if they were next door. Tens of thousands of agents and brokers have successfully used Matterport to help win and market over 100 thousand listings so far. To date, there have been almost 40 million views of Matterport Spaces. Real estate professionals in the greater Toronto area have already embraced Matterport technology to engage more buyers, close transactions more quickly, and win more listings. "I was recently lucky enough to have one of my listings photographed for a Matterport 3D Showcase," said David Pylyp, Senior Agent with RE/MAX in Toronto. "If you are not familiar with this technology, it might just be the coolest thing in real estate marketing since the marriage between the digital camera and the Internet. The Matterport technology is light years ahead of anything I have seen in real estate marketing. Plus, the wow-factor with my clients is unprecedented." In addition to obtaining Matterport scans from local Matterport Service Providers across Canada, agents can now purchase their own Matterport cameras. To learn more, visit https://matterport.com/order-international/ or visit Matterport at REALTOR QUEST in booth 819. To find a Matterport Service Provider (MSP) in your area, visit https://matterport.com/find-a-photographer/. For more information about becoming a MSP in Canada, visit https://matterport.com/become-an-msp/. About Matterport Headquartered in Sunnyvale, CA, Matterport is an immersive media technology company that delivers an end-to-end system for creating, modifying, distributing, and navigating immersive 3D and virtual reality (VR) versions of real-world spaces on web and mobile devices. The Matterport Pro Camera and Cloud Services make it quick and easy to turn real-world places into immersive virtual experiences. With the introduction of the Matterport 3D Showcase web player, Matterport has made it incredibly easy for anyone to move through virtual spaces as if they were there, from any desktop or mobile browser. With the addition of VR Showcase, users can now experience Matterport Spaces from a Samsung Gear VR headset, with additional device support coming soon. To learn more, visit matterport.com. FOLLOW US ON: Twitter@Matterport Facebook LinkedIn MEDIA CONTACT: Tim Smith 415-350-3019 press@matterport.com WINNIPEG, MANITOBA -- (Marketwired) -- 05/04/16 -- Kane Biotech Inc. (TSX VENTURE: KNE) (the "Company" or "Kane Biotech") is pleased to announce the closing of its rights offering (the "Rights Offering") originally announced on March 29, 2016. Upon closing of the Rights Offering, the Company issued 81,074,389 common shares of the Company ("Common Shares") for aggregate gross proceeds of $2,432,231.67. The Rights Offering was not over-subscribed, as a result, all subscribers received the number of Common Shares for which they subscribed and no funds are required to be returned to investors. Pursuant to the terms of the Rights Offering, each eligible securityholder was entitled to subscribe for one Common Share for each Common Share held by such securityholder. There was no stand-by commitment for the Rights Offering. "We are pleased with the success of the Rights Offering and sincerely thank our shareholders for their support," said Mark Ahrens-Townsend, President & CEO. "I also welcome new shareholders who have invested in the Company and contributed to its future. Over the past year Kane Biotech has moved forward on several exciting initiatives. The proceeds of the Rights Offering will enable Kane Biotech to continue building momentum in the development of its patented technologies, licensing opportunities and innovative products being brought to the market." Pursuant to the Rights Offering, the Company issued 74,191,277 Common Shares under the basic subscription privilege and 6,883,112 Common Shares under the additional subscription privilege. As soon as practicable, the Company will disclose the number of Common Shares issued under the Rights Offering to insiders of the Company as a group under the basic subscription privilege and additional subscription privilege, to the knowledge of the Company after reasonable inquiry, as required by applicable securities laws. Philip Renaud, Chairman, offered the following: "The Rights Offering represents Kane Biotech's largest and most successful funding event ever. As Chairman of the Board and a major backer of the Company I believe more now in the Kane Biotech opportunity than ever before. My thanks go out as well to all who have supported the Company at a critical point in its development. Management and the Board are optimistic about the future of the Company and look forward to sharing information with the market as events unfold." The Company did not retain any person to organize or participate in the solicitation of the exercise of rights under the Rights Offering. Accordingly, the Company did not pay any fees or commissions relating to the solicitation of the exercise of rights in connection with the Rights Offering. The Company intends to use the available funds from the Rights Offering for the purposes identified in the rights offering circular of the Company dated March 30, 2016. However, there may be circumstances where a reallocation of the available funds may be necessary. The Company will reallocate funds only for sound business reasons. Following completion of the Rights Offering there are now 204,860,910 Common Shares issued and outstanding. About Kane Biotech Inc. Kane Biotech is a biotechnology company engaged in the development and commercialization of products that prevent and remove biofilms. Biofilms develop when bacteria and other microorganisms form a protective matrix that acts as a shield against attack. When in a biofilm, bacteria become highly resistant to antibiotics, biocides, disinfectants, high temperatures and host immune responses. This resiliency contributes to human health problems such as recurrent urinary tract infections, medical device associated infections and tooth decay. Kane Biotech uses patent protected technologies based on molecular mechanisms of biofilm formation/dispersal and methods for finding compounds that inhibit or disrupt biofilms. The Company has evidence that these technologies have potential to significantly improve the ability to prevent and/or destroy biofilms in several medical and industrial applications. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Caution Regarding Forward-Looking Information Certain statements contained in this press release constitute forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable Canadian provincial securities legislation (collectively, "forward-looking statements"). These forward-looking statements relate to, among other things, our objectives, goals, targets, strategies, intentions, plans, beliefs, estimates and outlook, including, without limitation, our anticipated future operating results, and can, in some cases, be identified by the use of words such as "believe," "anticipate," "expect," "intend," "plan," "will," "may" and other similar expressions. In addition, any statements that refer to expectations, projections or other characterizations of future events or circumstances are forward-looking statements. These statements reflect management's current beliefs and are based on information currently available to management. Certain material factors or assumptions are applied in making forward-looking statements, and actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied in such statements. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from these expectations include, among other things: Kane Biotech's early stage of development, lack of product revenues and history of operating losses, uncertainties related to clinical trials and product development, rapid technological change, uncertainties related to forecasts, competition, potential product liability, additional financing requirements and access to capital, unproven markets, supply of raw materials, income tax matters, management of growth, partnerships for development and commercialization of technology, effects of insurers' willingness to pay for products, system failures, dependence on key personnel, foreign currency risk, risks related to regulatory matters and risks related to intellectual property and other risks detailed from time to time in Kane Biotech's filings with Canadian securities regulatory authorities, as well as Kane Biotech's ability to anticipate and manage the risks associated with the foregoing. Kane Biotech cautions that the foregoing list of important factors that may affect future results is not exhaustive. When relying on Kane Biotech's forward-looking statements to make decisions with respect to Kane Biotech, investors and others should carefully consider the foregoing factors and other uncertainties and potential events. These risks and uncertainties should be considered carefully and prospective investors should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements. Although the forward-looking statements contained in this press release are based upon what management believes to be reasonable assumptions, Kane Biotech cannot provide assurance that actual results will be consistent with these forward-looking statements. Kane Biotech undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement. StrixNB, DispersinB,Aledex, bluestem and coactiv+ are registered trademarks of Kane Biotech Inc. All Rights Reserved 2016. Contacts: Kane Biotech Inc. Mark Ahrens-Townsend President & CEO 204-477-7592 204-474-7552 (FAX) ir@kanebiotech.com www.kanebiotech.com TORONTO, ONTARIO -- (Marketwired) -- 05/04/16 -- Forsys Metals Corp. (TSX: FSY)(FRANKFURT: F2T)(NAMIBIAN: FSY) ("Forsys" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that in connection with the annual and general meeting of the Company's shareholders held in Toronto on May 3, 2016 (the 'Meeting') and in accordance with section 11.3 of National Instrument 51-102 - Continuous Disclosure Obligations, the following voting results were obtained. A total of 1,962,235 common shares representing 1.45% of the Company's issued and outstanding common shares were voted in connection with the Meeting. Shareholders voted in favour of the election of the director nominees as follows: ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- NOMINEE VOTES FOR % FOR VOTES WITHHELD % WITHHELD ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Martin Rowley 1,511,194 98.21 27,586 1.79 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Marcel Hilmer 1,510,741 98.18 28,039 1.82 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Paul Matysek 1,511,627 98.24 27,153 1.76 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Mark Frewin 1,515,741 98.50 23,039 1.50 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Claudio Cornini 1,508,618 98.04 30,162 1.96 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Jorge Estepa 1,515,732 98.50 23,048 1.50 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Shareholders also voted in favour of the other item of business considered at the Meeting, being the re-appointment of PricewaterhouseCoopers as the Company's auditors. For further details visit the Company's website at www.forsysmetals.com or the Company's filings on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. About Forsys Metals Corp. Forsys Metals Corp. is an emerging uranium producer with 100% ownership of the Norasa project that comprises the fully permitted Valencia uranium project and the Namibplaas uranium project in Namibia, Africa, a politically stable and mining friendly jurisdiction. Information regarding current National Instrument 43-101 compliant Resource and Reserves at Valencia and Namibplaas are available on the Company website. Shares outstanding: 134.9M On behalf of the Board of Directors of Forsys Metals Corp. Marcel Hilmer, Chief Executive Officer Forward-Looking Information This news release contains projections and forward-looking information that involve various risks and uncertainties regarding future events. Such forward-looking information can include without limitation statements based on current expectations involving a number of risks and uncertainties and are not guarantees of future performance of the Company. The following are important factors that could cause Forsys actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements: fluctuations in uranium prices and currency exchange rates; uncertainties relating to interpretation of drill results and the geology; continuity and grade of mineral deposits; uncertainty of estimates of capital and operating costs; recovery rates, production estimates and estimated economic return; general market conditions; the uncertainty of future profitability; and the uncertainty of access to additional capital. Full description of these risks can be found in Forsys Annual Information Form available on the Company's profile on the SEDAR website at www.sedar.com. These risks and uncertainties could cause actual results and the Company's plans and objectives to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking information. Actual results and future events could differ materially from anticipated in such information. These and all subsequent written and oral forward-looking information are based on estimates and opinions of management on the dates they are made and expressed qualified in their entirety by this notice. The Company assumes no obligation to update forward-looking information should circumstances or management's estimates or opinions change. The Toronto Stock Exchange has not reviewed and does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Contacts: Forsys Metals Corp. Marcel Hilmer, Chief Executive Officer +61 417 177 942 mhilmer@forsysmetals.com www.forsysmetals.com Sedar Profile #00008536 NATIONAL Equicom Joe Racanelli +1 416-586-1943 jracanelli@national.ca VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA -- (Marketwired) -- 05/04/16 -- Editors Note: There is a photo associated with this press release. Hootsuite, the most widely used platform for managing social media, welcomes Amy McIlwain as global industry principal of financial services. In this role, Amy will help Hootsuite customers in the financial services industry develop comprehensive social media strategies and training efforts that adhere to industry governance and regulation. Amy founded Financial Social Media (acquired by Moore Communications Group), a digital marketing agency that focused in addressing social media compliance implications in highly regulated industries. Amy has worked with Fortune 500 banks, financial and insurance companies, and risk management organizations to implement effective and compliant social media programs for advisors, marketing and sales teams. Hootsuite Enterprise helps financial services organizations execute compliant business strategies for the social media era. They enable more than 2500 organizations including UBS AG, Allianz Insurance and Behringer to scale social media activities across multiple teams, departments, and business units. The versatile and secure platform supports a thriving ecosystem of more than 200 technology integrations, allowing financial services firms to extend social media into existing systems, workflow and programs. "Financial organizations today are going through a digital transformation. Social media is fundamentally changing the way we communicate and if companies fail to adopt this medium of communication, they will quickly become irrelevant in today's digital world," said Amy McIlwain, global industry principal of financial services at Hootsuite. "For years, I've looked to Hootsuite as thought leaders and trailblazers in the advancement of social media. I am excited to help define the product for advisors, marketing and sales teams looking to grow revenue while remaining compliant with industry regulation." "We are living through an era of massive disruption, brought on by three intersecting technology trends: social, real-time and mobile", said Bob Elliott, senior vice president of global sales at Hootsuite. "Leading financial service organizations can leverage these trends to better connect with their customers at every touchpoint. We're excited to welcome Amy to Hootsuite, as she can help better align their social strategies to financial compliance requirements." With more than 15 years experience in interactive media, Amy's financial industry advice is regularly sought after by FOX, CBS, ABC, NBC and more. As an international speaker, Amy has delivered keynote presentations to executive audiences of large financial organizations. She is the best-selling author of, "The Social Advisor: Social Media Secrets of the Financial Industry." Register now and join Amy McIllwain on her webinar: How Financial Advisors are Leveraging Social Media to Amplify Their Marketing and Sales, taking place on May 19th at 11:00am PST / 2:00pm EST. More Information: -- Webinar Registration: http://hootsuite.com/webinars/enterprise/how- advisors-are-leveraging-social-media -- Financial Services with Hootsuite: https://hootsuite.com/financial- services -- Q&A with Amy McIlwain: https://blog.hootsuite.com/financial-industry- social-media/ -- Hootsuite Careers: https://hootsuite.com/about/careers -- Media Kit: http://media.hootsuite.com/media-kit About Hootsuite Hootsuite is the most widely used platform for managing social media, loved by over 13 million people around the globe and trusted by more than 800 of the Fortune 1000. With Hootsuite, brands harness the power of social. Our platform brings together your social networks and integrates with hundreds of business applications. It's the one place to build customer relationships, listen to the needs of the market and grow your revenue. To learn more, visit www.hootsuite.com. To view the photo associated with this press release, please visit the following link: http://www.marketwire.com/library/20160503-1053250_photo_800.jpg Contacts: Sandy Pell, @SandyCanvas Corporate Communications media@hootsuite.com VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA -- (Marketwired) -- 05/04/16 -- IDM Mining Ltd. (TSX VENTURE: IDM) ("IDM" or the "Company") is pleased to announce the 2016 drilling program, along with engineering and environmental studies planned for the Red Mountain Gold Project ("Red Mountain" or the "Project"), located in northwest British Columbia near the town of Stewart. Additionally, IDM wishes to announce that Premier Gold Mines Limited (TSX: PG), a leading North America-focused exploration and development company, participated in the Company's recently completed private placement, acquiring 9.43% of IDM on a partially diluted basis. Rob McLeod, President and CEO, stated, "Our upcoming program will target extensions and upgrade current resources of the wide, high-grade gold mineralization at Red Mountain, as well as complete detailed engineering and environmental work for inclusion in our Feasibility Study and Environmental Assessment Application. Also, we welcome Premier Gold as a significant shareholder; we look forward to working with them, as we advance Red Mountain to a potential construction decision in 2017." 2016 Red Mountain Program The Company has planned an infill and step-out underground core drilling program using two rigs. Step-out holes will be completed along strike and down-dip from existing resources, primarily at the JW Zone, as well as to upgrade inferred and indicated resources in the JW zone and AV zone, respectively. This drilling will also gather additional material for metallurgical testwork, as well as geotechnical and hydrological data. The program is expected to total approximately 5,120 meters of drilling in 36 holes, pending receipt of all necessary approvals. Prior to drilling, IDM will rehabilitate and dewater the production sized decline that was driven by previous operators. IDM will also complete a comprehensive surface program of mapping and sampling, including targeting new areas of the 17,000 hectare property that have recently been exposed by rapid glacial melt. In conjunction with relogging and additional sampling of historic drill core, the objective of the surface program will be to identify new drill targets within the widespread alteration and mineralizing system at Red Mountain. Additionally, the Company will complete extensive, detailed engineering and environmental work on the Project. This will include a geotechnical drilling program at the proposed Bromley Humps tailings management facility, mill, and ore stockpile location. Further detailed engineering and survey work will be completed along the road and proposed powerline right-of-way, as well as planning for surface facilities. Ongoing hydrological and environmental studies will also be completed in support of the Environmental Assessment Application. IDM intends to fully consult with the Nisga'a Nation (Nisga'a), who hold Treaty rights in the Project area, regarding the proposed activities. IDM has shared detailed, technical information with Nisga'a representatives and looks forward to discussing the proposed activities with Nisga'a during the permitting process. IDM is committed to engaging with Nisga'a and supporting Nisga'a's full participation in the environmental and regulatory reviews of the Project, as well as in the employment and business opportunities related to the Project and the proposed 2016 work programs. Premier Gold Investment The Company welcomes Premier Gold's investment of 14.25 million common units, representing 6.49% of IDM's common shares, and 9.43% on a partially diluted basis, in the private placement completed by the Company on April 27th 2016. Premier Gold is a well-respected gold exploration and development company, with significant, advanced projects in world-class mining districts in Ontario and Nevada. Premier Gold will be in production later in 2016 with their first operation at the South Arturo mine at the northern extent of the Carlin Trend, Nevada. QUALIFIED PERSON Technical Aspects of this News Release have been reviewed and approved by Robert McLeod, P.Geo, President and CEO of IDM Mining Ltd., and Qualified Person as defined by NI 43-101. ABOUT RED MOUNTAIN IDM Mining is currently earning an option to acquire a 100% interest in the 17,125 hectare Red Mountain property, located 18 kilometers northeast of Stewart, BC. Numerous gold and silver deposits and exploration prospects have been identified by IDM and previous operators over a 15 km by 4 km trend of strong alteration and mineralized prospects. Since discovery in 1989, in excess of $45 million has been spent on the Project including a production-sized underground ramp. ABOUT IDM MINING LTD. IDM Mining Ltd. is a mineral exploration and development company based in Vancouver, BC, Canada. The Company's current exploration and development activities are focused on precious metals in British Columbia and Yukon with a primary focus on the high grade underground Red Mountain Project which has entered the BC and Canadian environmental assessment process. Further information can be found on the Company's website at www.IDMmining.com. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD of IDM Mining Ltd. Robert McLeod, President, CEO and Director "Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release." Forward-Looking Statements: Some statements in this news release contain forward-looking information or forward-looking statements for the purposes of applicable securities laws. These statements include, among others, statements with respect to the proposed exploration and development activities and their timing and expected results, resource estimates and potential mineralization, the Company's plan to complete an Environmental Assessment Application and a feasibility study and a potential construction decision. These statements address future events and conditions and, as such, involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the statements. Such factors include, among others and in addition to those described elsewhere in this release, timing and success of future exploration and development activities, exploration and development risks, delays in obtaining or inability to obtain required government or other regulatory approvals, permits or financing, the risk of unexpected variations in mineral resources, grade or recovery rates, of failure of plant, equipment or processes to operate as anticipated, of accidents, labor disputes, and unanticipated delays in completing other development activities, the risk that estimated costs will be higher than anticipated and the risk that the proposed mine plan and recoveries will not be achieved, equipment breakdowns and bad weather, the timing and success of future exploration and development activities, exploration and development risks, mineral resources are not as estimated, title matters, third party consents, operating hazards, metal prices, political and economic factors, competitive factors and general economic conditions. In making the forward-looking statements, the Company has applied several material assumptions including, but not limited to, the assumptions that: required regulatory approval, permits and financing will be obtained; the proposed exploration and development will proceed as planned; with respect to mineral resource estimates, the key assumptions and parameters on which such estimates are based; that the proposed mine plan and recoveries will be achieved, that capital costs and sustaining costs will be as estimated, and that no unforeseen accident, fire, ground instability, flooding, labor disruption, equipment failure, metallurgical, environmental or other events that could delay or increase the cost of exploration or development will occur, and market fundamentals will result in sustained metals and minerals prices. The Company expressly disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise except as otherwise required by applicable securities legislation. Contacts: IDM Mining Ltd. Robert McLeod 604-681-5672 direct 604-617-0616 cell rm@idmmining.com www.IDMmining.com TORONTO, ONTARIO -- (Marketwired) -- 05/04/16 -- BMO Financial Group today announced a financial relief program to assist customers affected by the wildfire in Fort McMurray. In addition, BMO is donating $100,000 to the Canadian Red Cross to provide support in the region. "Many residents and businesses in Fort McMurray are facing losses and we hope our relief program for customers and our donation to the Canadian Red Cross will help alleviate some of the difficulties," said Susan Brown, Senior Vice President, Alberta and North West Territories Division, BMO Bank of Montreal. "Our message is simple: we're here to help." The relief program for BMO customers includes: -- Various options on deferral of personal loan payments and personal mortgage loan principal and interest payments -- Special accommodations for BMO Bank of Montreal commercial customers affected by the fire, which are being developed on a case-by-case basis BMO Bank of Montreal customers are invited to contact or visit the nearest local branch, or call the customer contact centre 1-877-225-5266 for further assistance. Customers across Canada can also make a donation to the Canadian Red Cross at their local branch, effective May 5. About BMO Financial Group Established in 1817, BMO Financial Group is a highly diversified financial services provider based in North America. With total assets of $699 billion as of January 31, 2016, and close to 47,000 employees, BMO provides a broad range of retail banking, wealth management and investment banking products and services to more than 12 million customers and conducts business through three operating groups: Personal and Commercial Banking, Wealth Management and BMO Capital Markets. Contacts: Media Contacts: Jessica Leroux, Toronto 416-867-3996 Jessica.leroux@bmo.com Web: www.bmo.com Twitter: @BMOmedia NEW YORK, NY -- (Marketwired) -- 05/04/16 -- Integral Ad Science was named the winner of a Bronze Stevie Award in the Customer Service Department of the Year category in The 14th Annual American Business Awards today. The American Business Awards are the nation's premier business awards program. All organizations operating in the U.S.A. are eligible to submit nominations -- public and private, for-profit and non-profit, large and small. "The judges were extremely impressed with the quality of entries we received this year. The competition was intense and every organization that has won should be proud," said Michael Gallagher, president and founder of the Stevie Awards. More than 3,400 nominations from organizations of all sizes and in virtually every industry were submitted this year for consideration in a wide range of categories, including Startup of the Year, Executive of the Year, Best New Product or Service of the Year, Marketing Campaign of the Year, Live Event of the Year, and App of the Year, among others. Integral Ad Science was nominated in the Customer Service Department of the Year category for the services industry. Integral Ad Science is the leader in quantifying digital media quality and is recognized for their retention of clients by focusing on education, customer experience, and scale. Integral's client services team grew 225 percent in 2015, after 111 percent growth in 2014. New members joined existing departments in London, Paris, Berlin, Sydney and across the United States, as well as the new offices that opened in Japan and Singapore. Led by Karlie Santucci, VP of Client Services, the team was able to maintain proficiency and professionalism throughout this shift. "Our goal is to provide our customers with an unprecedented level of service," said Karlie Santucci, VP of Client Services, Integral Ad Science. "Winning three Stevie awards in three years further confirms our commitment and loyalty to our customers. When they win, we win." More than 250 professionals worldwide participated in the judging process to select this year's Stevie Award winners. Details about The American Business Awards and the list of 2016 Stevie winners are available at www.StevieAwards.com/ABA. About Integral Ad Science Integral Ad Science is a technology company focused on ensuring safe, quality media environments for online advertisers. Employing the industry's only media valuation platform, Integral Ad Science evaluates the media environment and establishes a TRAQ Score (TRue Advertising Quality), a first-of-its-kind, quantifiable measure of media quality that ultimately benefits every media buyer, seller, publisher and trading platform. TRAQ Score supports an advertiser's ability to plan, execute and target their audience in an environment that reflects their brand image and drives ROI, while simultaneously setting benchmarks for publishers who wish to improve the quality of their content and design to attract premium advertisers. Integral is headquartered in New York with operations in San Francisco, Chicago, Washington DC, London, Berlin, Sydney, Melbourne, Tokyo, Singapore and Paris. Learn more at www.integralads.com. About the Stevie Awards Stevie Awards are conferred in seven programs: the Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards, the German Stevie Awards, The American Business Awards, The International Business Awards, the Stevie Awards for Women in Business, the Stevie Awards for Great Employers, and the Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service. Stevie Awards competitions receive more than 10,000 entries each year from organizations in more than 60 nations. Honoring organizations of all types and sizes and the people behind them, the Stevies recognize outstanding performances in the workplace worldwide. Learn more about the Stevie Awards at http://www.StevieAwards.com. Contact: Molly Smith 212.453.2419 Email Contact BOSTON, MA -- (Marketwired) -- 05/04/16 -- TrueMotion, a technology company that leverages the power of data and mobile technology to address the growing problem of distracted driving, is on the move. The company opened doors at corporate headquarters in Boston's Innovation District, after a year of explosive growth which saw the company more than double in size, raise a Series A, secure one of the world's largest insurance companies as a customer and unveil a new name and brand identity. "We've got a new name and brand identity, and now a new home in a neighborhood that's perfect for our people and our future growth," said Vance Loiselle, CEO of TrueMotion. "From the Harvard Innovation Labs to the Innovation District, we're putting big data, mobile apps and cloud computing to work to help people become better drivers and help make the roads safer for all." The new office, located at 186 Lincoln Street, will encompass nearly 7,000 square feet, enough to house its current 35 employees with an eye toward continued expansion. The office is a stone's throw from South Station and a skip to local coffee shops, gyms and restaurants. The office brings to life the whimsy of TrueMotion's new brand identity with walls adorned by custom artwork that tells the story of driving behavior through large printed graphs of data pulled and processed from the company's mobile app. TrueMotion combines cloud software, data science and mobile technology into a single solution for leading insurance companies which use it to measure risk and reward good drivers. TrueMotion includes a downloadable mobile app that captures and helps improve driver behavior; a big data platform that provides clean, comprehensive driving activity and a management and analytics dashboard that allows an insurance company to manage and improve customer relationships through a Usage Based Insurance (UBI) program. This summer, TrueMotion will launch a consumer version of the app under its own brand. In the Fall of 2012, TrueMotion was accepted into Harvard Innovation Labs, a cross-disciplinary ecosystem for the Harvard community to explore innovation and entrepreneurship. Harvard Innovation Labs began in 2011 with the opening of the i-lab, which focuses on providing current students from any Harvard school with resources to foster innovation, including experiential programming, mentor support and a 12-week Venture Incubation Program. In 2014, Harvard Innovation Labs expanded with the opening of the Launch Lab, offering eligible Harvard alumni with high-potential startups co-working space, business building programming and access to advisors. TrueMotion moved into the Launch Lab that same year. "TrueMotion is one of the largest 'graduates' of the Harvard Innovation Labs, and we will miss the buzz and energy from their team," said Jodi Goldstein, Managing Director of the Harvard Innovation Labs. "We're so proud of what they've been able to accomplish in such a short time, and wish them nothing but the best." "The i-lab and Launch Lab supported us until we were ready to make this move rather than forcing us to move on directly after graduation," said Joe Adelmann, a Harvard graduate and co-founder of TrueMotion. "We're taking our next step as a company from a position of strength rather than leaping with our fingers crossed." About TrueMotion Headquartered in Boston, Mass., TrueMotion brings the power of data and mobile technology to address the growing problem of distracted driving, which is responsible for tens of thousands of deaths and hundreds of millions of dollars in insurance claims each year. TrueMotion's technology platform enables insurance companies to distinguish between safe and risky drivers, reward safe drivers with discounts on their insurance and help reduce the number of driving accidents, leading to safer roads for all. More information is available at www.goTrueMotion.com. Media Contact John Williams Scoville PR for TrueMotion (206) 625-0075 x1 jwilliams@scovillepr.com The engagement will improve availability, scalability and flexibility of IT environment with infrastructure-as-a-service model of deployment Larsen Toubro Infotech ("L&T Infotech"), one of India's global Information Technology ("IT") services solutions companies and a subsidiary of Larsen Toubro Limited ("L&T"), today announced that it has signed a multi-year contract with Elkjp Nordic AS to provide end-to-end Infrastructure Management and Datacenter services. Owned by British giant Dixons Carphone, Elkjp Nordic is the largest consumer electronics retailer in the Nordic region with over 500 stores across six countries. Under this partnership, L&T Infotech will transform datacenter capabilities of Elkjp by migrating its current environment to an Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) model through its Nordic partner Rejlers Embriq AS. This migration will improve availability and compliance of IT infrastructure thus enabling Elkjp to meet its key business goals of rapid expansion. A simpler IT environment will provide Elkjp Nordic flexibility and scalability to expand across the Nordic region rapidly and improve the end user experience. "We are very pleased with the choice of L&T Infotech as a Strategic IT Partner. L&T Infotech is a great fit for Elkjp and the partnership offer extensive potential for future collaboration," says Stein Riibe, Chief of Staff, Elkjp Nordic. "We followed a very rigorous process to select our partner for this engagement. We wanted a right size partner who brings cost efficiency, experience from similar engagements in Retail industry, ability to work with our other partners and cultural compatibility. We believe we have found a perfect match in L&T Infotech," says Oddbjrn Erlimo, Department Manager for IT Infrastructure Operations at Elkjp Nordic. "A robust technology platform is critical for today's organization to scale, expand and innovate. We want to make Elkjp Nordic more competitive with a flexible and secure IT landscape that expands with company's growth plans," said Sanjay Jalona, CEO Managing Director, L&T Infotech. Elkjp engaged Glocal View as advisors for managing the outsourcing process. Vineet Jain, CEO, Glocal View, said: "We are very pleased with the selection of L&T Infotech for this engagement. Beyond partner identification and contract negotiations, we will continue to play a role in the implementation of this program." About L&T Infotech L&T Infotech, one of India's global IT services solution companies, was ranked by NASSCOM as the 6th largest Indian IT services company in terms of export revenues and among the top 20 IT Business Process Management employers in India in 2015. It is a subsidiary of L&T, an Indian multinational company engaged in technology, engineering, construction, manufacturing and financial services, with global operations. Visit: www.Lntinfotech.com or email: info@Lntinfotech.com. About Elkjp Nordic Elkjp is the largest consumer electronics retailer in the Nordic countries, with over 500 stores across six countries and approx. 10,000 employees. The company is owned by British giant Dixons Carphone. The company conducts sales of consumer electronics and household appliances through 500 stores in Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland and Iceland, Greenland and the Faroe Islands. Elkjp is committed towards their customers and employees. In fiscal year 2014/15 the Group traded NOK 29.8 billion and reported an operating profit of NOK 947 million. Larsen Toubro Infotech Limited is proposing, subject to receipt of requisite approvals, market conditions and other considerations, to make an initial public offering of its equity shares and has filed a draft red herring prospectus ("DRHP") with the Securities and Exchange Board of India. The DRHP is available on the website of the SEBI at www.sebi.gov.in as well as on the websites of the Lead Manager(s), http://www.online.citibank.co.in/rhtm/citigroupglobalscreen1.htmhttp://investmentbank.kotak.com/ and http://www.icicisecurities.com/, respectively. Investors should note that investment in equity shares involves a high degree of risk and for details relating to such risk, see "Risk Factors" of the DRHP. Potential investors should not rely on the DRHP for any investment decision. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160504006144/en/ Contacts: L&T Infotech Media Contact: Neelian Homem PR Media Relations India Cell: +91 9821633998 neelian.homem@Lntinfotech.com Copenhagen, 2016-05-04 15:33 CEST (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Announcement no. 25DFDS expects to publish the Q1 2016 on 12 May 2016 around 08:00 AM CET.CEO Niels Smedegaard and CFO Torben Carlsen will present the report on a live con-ference call. The presentation in English will be followed by a Q&A session. Investors, analysts and other interested parties are invited to take part.Date: 12 May 2016Time: 9.45 AM CETTelephone:DK +45 70223500USA +1 646 722 4972UK +44 20 75721187Access code 78777466#If you wish to take part in the audio conference, please dial up at least five minutes before the conference begins. It will start on time, and participants will be asked to register name and company name beforehand.The conference will be broadcasted live on www.dfdsgroup.com and published there for future reference.Contact Torben Carlsen, CFO +45 33 42 32 01Sren Brndholt Nielsen, IR +45 33 42 33 59Attachment:https://cns.omxgroup.com/cds/DisclosureAttachmentServlet?messageAttachmentId=560493 Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann. DURHAM, NC -- (Marketwired) -- 05/04/16 --Percona, the company that delivers enterprise-class MySQL and MongoDB solutions and services, today announced advanced High Availability (HA) support will be included with enterprise and premier support offerings. This industry-leading advanced HA option provides greater value and choice for customers. In today's environment, any amount of downtime can mean lost revenue, customers, and productivity. With this advanced HA offering, enterprise and premier support customers are assured that their HA deployments maintain uptime, meet daily performance requirements, and survive and recover quickly from disasters -- all without data loss. Packages with advanced HA support will extend to Percona XtraDB Cluster, MariaDB Galera Cluster and Galera Cluster for MySQL, as well as to the upcoming MySQL Group Replication in Oracle's MySQL Community Edition. High availability solutions provide a guarantee that your data remains available to your applications -- which is now a requirement for most applications, not a choice. Percona's XtraDB Cluster and advanced HA support as part of the enterprise and premier support packages demonstrates Percona's commitment to providing customers with a reliable plan to ensure uptime, and guarantees them an option that prevents vendor lock-in. Highlights Advanced High Availability (HA) support for Percona XtraDB Cluster, MariaDB Galera Cluster, Galera Cluster for MySQL and the upcoming Oracle MySQL Group Replication will be included with enterprise and premier support offerings. Percona XtraDB Cluster is a free, open source, robust solution for organizations that enables applications requiring synchronous replication of data, fault tolerant failover and quick, easy scalability across commodity, off-the-shelf hardware. Percona Support is a highly responsive, effective, affordable option to ensure the continuous HA performance of your MySQL and NoSQL deployments. Our user-friendly support team is accessible online or by phone 24x7x365 to ensure that your databases are running optimally. We can help you increase your uptime, be more productive, reduce your support budget, and implement fixes for performance issues faster. Quotes Peter Zaitsev, Co-founder and CEO of Percona "Complex MySQL deployments require advanced high availability support, especially when data is critical to business application performance. Every environment has different needs and advanced high availability support options should be included for complex deployments -- not bought as add-on premiums. By including advanced HA support at our enterprise and premier levels, Percona continues to offer technology choices for organizations in order to minimize risks of vendor lock-in, maximize uptime and reduce TCO." About Percona With more than 3,000 customers worldwide, Percona is the only company that delivers enterprise-class solutions for both MySQL and MongoDB across traditional and cloud-based platforms. The company provides Software, Support, Consulting, and Managed Services to some of the largest and most well-known brands on the Internet such as Cisco Systems, Time Warner Cable, Alcatel-Lucent, Groupon, and the BBC, as well as to many smaller companies looking to maximize application performance while streamlining database efficiencies. Well established as thought leaders, Percona experts author content for the Percona Database Performance Blog. The popular Percona Live conferences draw attendees and acclaimed speakers from around the world. For more information, visit www.percona.com. Percona, XtraBackup, TokuDB and Fractal Tree are registered trademarks of Percona LLC or its subsidiaries. All other registered and unregistered trademarks in this document are the sole property of their respective owners. Company Information Press Contacts Brigit Valencia For Percona (360) 597-4516 Email Contact TORONTO, ONTARIO -- (Marketwired) -- 05/04/16 -- Minera Alamos Inc. (TSX VENTURE: MAI) (the "Company" or "Minera Alamos") is pleased to announce it has closed its acquisition of the La Fortuna Gold Project located in Durango Mexico from Argonaut Gold Inc. ("Argonaut") (see the Company's press release dated January 8, 2016). "This acquisition is consistent with the Company's objective of adding late stage development opportunities to our growing mineral property profile," said Chris Frostad, Chief Executive Officer of Minera Alamos. "In the coming months we expect to issue a technical report defining the project economics. If deemed appropriate, a construction decision is scheduled to be made by the end of the year." Highlights: -- The project hosts Measured plus Indicated Mineral Resources of 4.8 million tonnes grading 2.0 g/t gold and containing 308,100 gold ounces with additional silver credits, presently excluded from the resource calculations. The Company intends to release a new resource estimate in the coming months; -- The identified gold-silver mineralization at the La Fortuna deposit remains open at depth and along strike. Several other mineralized areas have already been identified and demonstrated, via surface sampling, to be gold-bearing. These provide immediate drill targets for the definition of additional gold resources; -- Minera Alamos has initiated the permitting process and expects to see permits issued in early 2017; -- Pursuant to the terms of the agreement, the Company paid Argonaut USD $750,000 upon closing. An additional USD $250,000 will be paid in 9 months and USD $1,000,000 will be paid upon the announcement of a construction decision. If such announcement does not occur within 24 months from the Closing Date, the Company will make a delayed payment of $200,000 every six months beginning on the last business day of the 24th month following the Closing Date to be applied against the final payment; -- Argonaut is also entitled to a 2.5% NSR royalty to a maximum of USD $4,500,000. About Minera Alamos Minera Alamos is a junior exploration and development company. Its growing high-grade Mexican portfolio currently includes the La Fortuna open pit gold project in Durango and the Los Verdes open pit copper-molybdenum project in Sonora, both currently in development. Mr. Darren Koningen, P. Eng., Minera Alamos Inc.'s President, is the Qualified Person responsible for technical content of this release under National Instrument 43-101. Mr. Koningen has supervised the preparation of, and approved the scientific and technical disclosures utilized in this news release. Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains "forward looking statements" and "forward-looking information" under applicable Canadian securities laws. Forward-looking information includes, but is not limited to, information with respect to the proposed transaction, timing of the closing of proposed transaction and the Company's consideration of the proposed production plans. Generally, forward-looking information can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "plans", "expects", "estimates", "intends", "anticipates" or "believes" or variations of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might", or "will be taken", "occur", or "be achieved". Forward-looking information is based on the reasonable assumptions, estimates, analysis and opinions of management made at the date that such statements are made. Forward-looking information is subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information, including the risk factors disclosed elsewhere in the Company's public disclosure. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. The forward-looking information contained herein is presented for the purposes of assisting readers in understanding the Company's plans and objectives and may not be appropriate for other purposes. The Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking information, except in accordance with applicable securities laws. NEITHER THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDER (AS THAT TERM IS DEFINED IN POLICIES OF THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE) ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE. Contacts: Minera Alamos Inc. Chris Frostad (416) 306-0990 www.mineraalamos.com MINNEAPOLIS, MN--(Marketwired - May 04, 2016) - At a midday customer event on Friday April 29 th , the non-profit Start Reading Now and technology leader Atomic Data celebrated the latter's donation of $45,000 to Start Reading Now's efforts to close the achievement gap in Minneapolis Public Schools. The event was hosted at Atomic Data's North Loop Minneapolis headquarters, and several hundred customers and friends attended to help raise an additional $5,000 for the cause. Also in attendance was Minneapolis School Board member Don Samuels, who commented, "I'm delighted that Minneapolis Public Schools is working with this citizen-led program to create opportunity for all children in the city." Atomic Data's donation will directly support Start Reading Now in serving 2,000 low-income 1 st graders during book fairs it will host at 28 Minneapolis Public Schools on June 1 st and 2 nd . During the fairs, children use the vouchers to buy 10 new books of their own. Over the course of three years in the program, low-income children will each build a library of 30 books that they own. Start Reading Now is a Minneapolis-based 501(c)(3) non-profit founded in 2014 by Pam Longfellow and Kevin Terrell to fund vouchers for low income children to buy 10 books each at the start of the summer after 1 st , 2 nd and 3 rd grade. The evidence-based program directly addresses the fact that on average, the lowest income children have less than one book at home, which means kids lack the most essential tool in learning to read -- reading material. Research shows that this type of program has a bigger effect on reading scores than three years of summer school -- at 1/60 th the cost. If you don't have books, you don't read. If you don't read, you don't learn. If you don't learn, you fall behind and you are on the short end of the stick for life. So we get kids books. It's than simple. Atomic Data is a Minneapolis-based IT solutions provider delivering sophisticated, custom tailored IT solutions to companies large and small, single site or multinational, in-house or in the cloud. Founded in 2001 by CEO and 'Community Hero' Jim Wolford, Atomic Data is dedicated to providing financial and in-kind assistance to more than 40 local nonprofits and community organizations. Starting in April 2016, Atomic Data will be highlighting a different nonprofit at each of its monthly BBQ events in an effort to raise money and awareness for the organizations that so many people depend on. For more on Atomic Data's community involvement, please visit www.atomicdata.com/community. Pictured, Front Row: Theodore Evans (Board Member, Start Reading Now), Jim Wolford (CEO, Atomic Data), Pam Longfellow (Co-Founder, Start Reading Now), Larry Patterson (Chief Technology Officer, Atomic Data), Kevin Terrell (Co-Founder, Start Reading Now), Don Samuels (Minneapolis School Board), Gong Yun (Board Member, Start Reading Now) Image Available: http://www.marketwire.com/library/MwGo/2016/5/3/11G096365/Images/Atomic_Data_BBQ-29-adc259ea2aad9180bcde5353658cfb07.jpeg Kevin Terrell Chairman 612.237.3662 www.StartReadingNow.org Email contact Scott Evangelist Communications Manager 612.466.2000 www.AtomicData.com Email contact Accuritas recognized for its initiatives in big data helping global shipping leaders to make better decisions and be more competitive, agile and profitable HOPEWELL JUNCTION, New York, May 4, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Accuritas Global Solutions ("Accuritas") was named as a finalist in the Big Data Award category for the Lloyd's List 2016 North American Maritime Awards. Accuritas was chosen and recognized for its big data, business intelligence and analytics services and its continued innovation, development and contributions to the global shipping industry. The Lloyd's List Intelligence Big Data Award recognizes companies in the last year in the North American region that can demonstrate tangible examples of 'big data' innovation for shipping that have contributed to improved management of performance and risk. Under its previous name, FleetWeather, the company was previously recognized and honored as a finalist in the Technical Innovation Award category in the 2014 and 2015 Lloyd's List North American Maritime Awards. Accuritas joins a distinguished list of award finalists and shipping industry leaders including American Bureau of Shipping (ABS), DNV GL, Ridgebury Tankers, Dorian LPG, Teekay Corporation, Liberty Maritime Corporation, Liberian International Ship and Corporate Registry, Martin & Ottaway, Blank Rome, Watson Farley & Williams, CMA CGM, Seward & Kissel, ORBCOMM, and American Steamship Owners Mutual Protection & Indemnity Association (The American P&I Club). Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160503/363425 Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160503/363423 Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160503/363424LOGO "We are delighted to be a finalist for this award and to be recognized in the shipping industry for our accomplishments and innovations in big data. Accuritas has been committed to modernizing shipping by providing industry-unique business intelligence and analytics services," stated Jess Hurwitz, Accuritas' Executive Vice President and CTO. "This honor fuels our passion to help shipping reach new heights of success, stability and growth working on individual solutions one client at a time." Accuritas will be present at a gala evening event at Pier Sixty in New York for the awards ceremony and dinner on Thursday, May 19, 2016 when formal announcement of the winners in each of the 14 award categories will be made. 2016 marks the first time that the Lloyd's List Intelligence Big Data Award is part of the Lloyd's List North American Maritime Awards. Past award events have been a huge success, attracting more than 300 maritime industry representatives from across North America. Accuritas provides business intelligence, analytics and consulting to global transportation leaders to support sound, data driven business decisions. With unparalleled client support, Accuritas is management's partner in accurate performance monitoring, risk management, decision assistance and efficiency planning. Our services help clients to make better decisions and to be more competitive and agile in challenging markets. Accuritas provides a process which starts by initiating and implementing cost effective "Big Data" mini-solutions within a client's environment to provide short-term improvements, feedback and results. This helps clients to better understand their data needs and to develop internal processes and workflow which will ultimately help them achieve their long-term strategic analytics goals. For more information, please visit: www.accuritas.com or contact us by email at: info@accuritas.com About Accuritas Global Solutions Accuritas Global Solutions is a privately held global management consulting firm that provides customized business intelligence, analytics, and consulting to global transportation leaders to support sound, data driven business decisions. With unparalleled client support, Accuritas is management's partner in accurate performance monitoring, efficiency planning, risk management and decision assistance. Accuritas delivers a wide range of customized services and solutions to 100+ clients from over 60 countries worldwide. To date, most clients are within the commercial shipping industry and include shipowners, operators, pool managers, and time charterers. Founded in 1969, with over 47 years of experience, Accuritas is headquartered in New York and has offices in Connecticut, Athens and Singapore. For more information, go to www.accuritas.com, email: info@accuritas.com or call: +1-845-226-8400 (US), +30 2107454628 (Greece) or +65 65497230 (Singapore) Media Contact : Carleen Lyden-Kluss, President, Morgan Marketing & Communications c.lyden-kluss@morganmarketcomm.com +1 203.255.4686 TORONTO, ONTARIO -- (Marketwired) -- 05/04/16 -- Pele Mountain Resources Inc. (TSX VENTURE: GEM)(OTCQX: GOLDF) ("Pele" or the "Company") today provided an update regarding development plans and progress for its Rare Earth Processing Centre and Solar Energy Power projects at and near its Eco Ridge property ("Eco Ridge" or the "Property") in the City of Elliot Lake, Ontario (the "City"). In 2015, Pele renamed its main operating subsidiary "Eco Ridge Development Corporation" ("ERDC") to reflect growing international interest in project development at Eco Ridge. Pele continues to advance Eco Ridge as the proposed site for Canada's first rare earth processing centre and its large NI 43-101 mineral resources continue to provide Pele shareholders with exposure and leverage to rare earths and uranium. The Company has also worked for several months to assess the potential to develop a large-scale solar power project in Elliot Lake related to existing transmission lines with available capacity. During this time, Pele has expanded its objectives to include other possible solar-related projects, including smaller-scale solar energy power projects and energy storage projects in Elliot Lake. Progress on Monazite Processing Project Pele continues to pursue the sustainable development of a Rare Earth Processing Centre at Eco Ridge as a low cost alternative to mine development. There is no sustainable rare earth production or supply chain in Canada at this time, and recent market conditions have not supported the development of high CAPEX hard-rock mining projects. The massive decline in rare earth prices over the last five years has not alleviated supply risk but has actually increased it by discouraging new production needed for the longer term. For Canada to remain secure and competitive in clean energy, high-tech, defense, and other strategic industries, it is important to establish rare earth production and separation in Canada. Pele's plan is to kick-start rare earth production in Canada by processing imported monazite at Eco Ridge. High rare earth grades in monazite allow for substantial production (especially magnet metals neodymium and praseodymium) from relatively low tonnage. Processing-only operations sharply reduce CAPEX and time-to-market compared to development of a new hard rock mine and processing operations, and can provide scalable, secure production. The metallurgical techniques for processing monazite are well established, allowing for reduced technical risk and shortened ramp-up times. Management believes that monazite processing is the right strategy to achieve timely, relatively low cost rare earth production in Canada. Pele has received monazite bearing mineral sands, delivered from current mining operations of a potential supplier, for characterization and metallurgical test work, and has retained senior metallurgist John Goode, FCIM, FAusIMM, ARSM, P.Eng., an independent metallurgical expert and Qualified Person under NI 43-101 with significant expertise in rare earth processing, to assist in the preparation of an economic model for the project, which will be used in support of marketing efforts to enter into long-term off-take agreements with major end users, primarily of the magnet metals. Pele has identified and engaged multiple potential monazite suppliers regarding long term off-take arrangements, and initiated discussions with government entities regarding the various regulatory requirements for monazite transportation and facilities development and retained a logistics expert to assist in the arrangements for importation and transportation of monazite. Elliot Lake is an ideal location to host a rare earth processing centre. It is Canada's only proven historic rare earth mining and processing camp and has outstanding regional infrastructure including highways, railway, electricity, natural gas, airport, deep-water ports, and a qualified workforce. The region hosts vast undeveloped rare earth and uranium resources, such as those at Eco Ridge. The community supports Pele's monazite processing strategy and has said so publicly. Progress on Solar Power Projects Pele is also assessing the potential for development of a large-scale solar energy power project in Elliot Lake, along with other solar energy-related projects, including smaller-scale solar power projects and energy storage projects. The City of Elliot Lake has power transmission infrastructure that was initially developed to support a much larger population and several large uranium mines and processing facilities that are now all closed. Pele Director and ERDC Chairman John Wilkinson commented, "As Ontario continues to increase its supply of clean, renewable energy, we see a potential opportunity for Pele shareholders, the local communities, and other regional stakeholders to benefit. In addition to our own competitive advantages, we are in active discussions with a major solar power developer, which can provide our projects with significant additional compelling advantages. While Pele remains focused on advancing our resource projects at Eco Ridge, we also see considerable opportunity in the renewable energy sector." Pele, through ERDC, has spent more than a decade in Elliot Lake, developing solid relationships and rooting itself in the community, while acquiring and consolidating the strategic Eco Ridge property. ERDC owns a 100-percent interest in the various development projects at Eco Ridge. About Pele Pele Mountain Resources is focused on the sustainable development of its Eco Ridge property in Elliot Lake, Ontario. The Eco Ridge property has unique characteristics that make it an attractive development site, including excellent regional infrastructure, strong local support, and its strategic location within Canada's only historic rare earth mining camp. Pele is focused on advancing Eco Ridge as host to Canada's first rare earth processing centre and is also assessing the potential to develop a large-scale solar power station and other solar power-related projects in Elliot Lake. The NI 43-101 mineral resources at Eco Ridge also provide Pele shareholders with exposure and leverage to growing global demand for rare earths and uranium. Pele shares are listed on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol "GEM" and on the OTCQX under the symbol "GOLDF". For further information, please visit the Pele website at www.pelemountain.com. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Shares Outstanding: 209,396,930 Contacts: Pele Mountain Resources Inc. Al Shefsky President (800) 315-7353 www.pelemountain.com NEW YORK, May 4, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Booming Automotive Production, Rising Vehicle Sales, and Growth in Infrastructure Sector to Drive Tire Market in Mexico Until 2021 According to TechSci Research report, "Mexico Tire Market Forecast and Opportunities, 2021", tire market in Mexico is forecast to grow at a CAGR of more than 10% during 2016-2021. Easy availability of cheap labor, strong domestic automobile demand and favorable tax policies are fueling Mexico's automotive industry, consequently boosting demand for tires in the country. This growth in the country's tire market can be attributed to the planned capacity expansions of major automobile OEMs coupled with rapidly expanding automobile fleet in the country. Moreover, an overall investment of USD596 billion under the National Infrastructure Program by the Federal government, is another factor driving growth in the country's automobile as well as tire market. Mexico houses some of the major global automobile manufacturers such as Toyota, Ford, Chrysler, Fiat, General Motors, Mercedes Benz, Kenworth, Freightliner, International, MAN, Volkswagen, Scania, etc., that are involved in producing passenger cars, light trucks as well as heavy trucks and buses. (Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20140117/663730 ) Browse 15 market data Tables and 30 Figures spread through118 Pages and an in-depth TOC on "Mexico Tire Market " http://www.techsciresearch.com/report/mexico-tire-market-forecast-opportunities-2021/660.html Automobile sales in Mexico exhibited a CAGR of around 9.6% during 2011-2015, with automobile unit sales increasing from 0.94 million units in 2011 to 1.35 million units in 2015, resulting in expansion of the country's automotive fleet from 33.28 million units in 2011 to 37.10 million units in 2015. Expanding vehicle fleet size subsequently boosted demand for tires from the replacement segment as well during 2011-2015. A similar trend is expected to be witnessed during the forecast period as well, both in the OEM as well as replacement segments, consequent to which, Mexico tire market is poised to witness considerable growth during 2016-2021. As of 2015, Mexico tire market was dominated by passenger car tire segment, in volume terms, followed by light commercial vehicle tire segment. On account of increase in production and sales of passenger cars, the passenger car tire segment is expected to remain the largest contributor in the country's tire market over the next five years. Download Sample Report @ http://www.techsciresearch.com/sample-report.aspx?cid=660 Customers can also request for 10% free customization on this report. "With National Infrastructure Program 2014-2018 in place, Mexico is undergoing a major infrastructure transformation, which is leading to developmental activities being undertaken in energy, communication, transport, water, health and housing sectors across the country. Also, major global OEMs are increasingly investing in the country for capacity expansions or for setting up new automobile production facilities. On account of this, the country's tire market is expected to witness a healthy growth in medium to long term.", said Mr. Karan Chechi, Research Director with TechSci Research, a research based global management consulting firm. "Mexico Tire Market Forecast and Opportunities, 2021" has evaluated the future growth potential of Mexico tire market and provides statistics and information on market size, structure and future market growth. The report intends to provide cutting-edge market intelligence and help decision makers take sound investment evaluation. Besides, the report also identifies and analyzes the emerging trends along with essential drivers, challenges and opportunities in Mexico tire market. Browse Related Reports Sri Lanka Tire Market Forecast and Opportunities, 2021 http://www.techsciresearch.com/report/sri-lanka-tire-market-forecast-and-opportunities-2021/654.html Serbia Tire Market Forecast & Opportunities, 2021 http://www.techsciresearch.com/report/serbia-tire-market-forecast-opportunities-2021/633.html Latvia Tire Market Forecast and Opportunities, 2021 http://www.techsciresearch.com/report/latvia-tire-market-forecast-and-opportunities-2021/643.html About TechSci Research TechSci Research is a leading global market research firm publishing premium market research reports. Serving 700 global clients with more than 600 premium market research studies, TechSci Research is serving clients across 11 different industrial verticals. TechSci Research specializes in research based consulting assignments in high growth and emerging markets, leading technologies and niche applications. Our workforce of more than 100 fulltime Analysts and Consultants employing innovative research solutions and tracking global and country specific high growth markets helps TechSci clients to lead rather than follow market trends. Contact Mr. Ken Mathews 708 Third Avenue, Manhattan, NY, New York - 10017 Tel: +1-646-360-1656 Email: sales@techsciresearch.com Connect with us on Twitter - https://twitter.com/TechSciResearch Connect with us on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/techsci-research RESTON, Virginia, May 4, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Bamboo Solutions, the leading provider of solutions for Microsoft SharePoint, today released 11 products for SharePoint 2016, enabling users to choose a product from one of the largest portfolios for SharePoint solutions on the market, with more on the way. Since 2001, Bamboo Solutions has increased its reputation and standing as the provider of choice for SharePoint- enhancing solutions and world-leading support and services. Anders Johnsson, Chief Executive Officer of Bamboo Solutions, said: "This continues to be an exciting time and Bamboo Solutions is deeply involved, carefully creating and preparing SharePoint 2016 products that extend the functionality of SharePoint while maximizing productivity." The newly released products will enable organizations to utilize practical and effective business applications specifically built for SharePoint 2016 along with a comprehensive portfolio which covers a broad spectrum of communication and collaboration needs, including Project Management, Knowledge Management, Workflow, and many purpose-built web parts. The release comes hot on the heels of Microsoft announcing the general availability release of SharePoint 2016 today. A few of the new features in SharePoint 2016 will allow users to: Choose from extremely flexible deployment options: on-premises, cloud, or hybrid Lower IT costs and streamline workflows with features such as MinRole and Data Loss Prevention (DLP) Deploy fixes and upgrades with minimum downtime or user disruption with Zero Downtime Deploy and manage solutions across on-premises and cloud with virtually infinite storage using the SQL Server 2016 Seamlessly incorporate data mobility capacity using OneDrive for Business in Office 365 For more information on Bamboo products and resources for SharePoint 2016, visit our SharePoint 2016 resources site. ABOUT Bamboo Solutions is a global provider of innovative software solutions and services for the management of applications, processes and data for Microsoft SharePoint and Office 365. Since 2001, Bamboo has provided a broad range of enhanced capabilities that allow organizations to get the most out of their investment. Find us at bamboosolutions.com, facebook.com/BambooSolutions or twitter.com/BambooNation. Contact: Lillian Mitchell, Marketing Director, Bamboo Solutions LONDON, May 4, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Launching July 1st, Bud aims to link people to the world of financial technology - or fintech for short - which could mean big things for people's wallets. Tech startup Bud is launching a website and mobile app that hopes to cause a revolution in how everyone interacts with their money. Working with major UK banks and leading fintech products, Bud has positioned itself to be a financial product which helps everyone. Bud is a personal money portal focussed on helping people find and use multiple financial services in one place; designed to be an "app store for finance", where using new products is as easy as a few clicks. The employee-owned startup has focussed on the act of connecting people with the most helpful products. Bud's CEO Ed Maslaveckas explains: "the vast majority of people don't know these services are available to them, at Bud we wanted to create a place where people could understand and use these brilliant new technologies. We make this easy for the user via text commands such as "send money abroad" or simple yes/no questions." This new take on product listing will likely make the fintech market more accessible for people who are put off by the large number of choices available to them. Ed continues: "there are use cases for all of these companies, the trick is match-making people's problem with a solution and giving them a unified experience." Bud's focus is on collaboration between financial product owners. Their marketplace is built on the concept of customer sharing to create a better overall experience. Luke Trayfoot, Head of Partnership Sales EMEA at World First says: "We are always looking for new and exciting platforms to partner with. It is clear that Bud has an innovative platform for consumers, and they share our goal of 'Changing Money'. By partnering with Bud we can develop our position within their app and service their growing consumer base via our quick and simple international payments solution. In addition it offers us the opportunity to work directly with a promising fintech start-up, whilst connecting our learnings with their wider community. This combination helps both parties, but most importantly the consumers of Bud." World First were one of the first companies to become part of the financial ecosystem which Bud is proposing. Registering to join Bud is easy. No new card, no new bank, no signup fee. Just enter your email address at http://www.thisisbud.com and you can join their first launch on July 1st, there are a limited amount of spaces so you need to be quick. Otherwise you can Tweet them at @this_is_bud. Bud looks set to open the doors of the expanding fintech market creating a unified experience that is simple to use. With Bud you will have hundreds of financial products at your fingertips. TORONTO, ONTARIO -- (Marketwired) -- 05/04/16 -- Kitrinor Metals Inc. (TSX VENTURE: KIT) (the "Company") announces that it is late in filing its annual financial statements and management discussion and analysis ("MD&A") for the year ended December 31, 2015, on the prescribed deadline of April 29, 2016. The Company has made an application with the Ontario Securities Commission under National Policy 12-203 - Cease Trade Orders for Continuous Disclosure Defaults ("NP 12-203") requesting that a management cease trade order be imposed in respect of this late filing rather than an issuer cease trade order, but there is no as surance that it will be granted. The issuance of a management cease trade order generally does not affect the ability of persons whom have not been directors, officers or insiders of the Company to trade in their securities. The Company was unable to complete the required filings due to a lack of capital to complete its audit and the Company required additional time to raise sufficient capital to complete its annual financial statements, MD&A and audit. The Company confirms that auditors have now been retained to complete the audit. The Company is in discussions with a potential purchaser in connection with a proposed asset sale transaction involving the Company's various mineral properties. The Company anticipates that the annual financial statements and MD&A will be filed on or prior to May 31, 2016. The Company confirms that it will satisfy the provisions of the alternative information guidelines under NP 12-203 by issuing bi-weekly default status reports in the form of news releases for so long as it remains in default of the filing requirements to file its financial statements and MD&A within the prescribed period of time. The Company confirms that there is no other material information relating to its affairs that has not been generally disclosed. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. This news release may contain forward-looking statements including but not limited to comments regarding the timing and content of upcoming work programs, geological interpretations, receipt of property titles, potential mineral recovery processes, etc. Forward-looking statements address future events and conditions and therefore, involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ materially from those currently anticipated in such statements. Shares Outstanding: 24,306,382 Contacts: Kitrinor Metals Inc. Patrick Mohan President and CEO (416) 366-9192 pmohan@kitrinormetals.com Regulatory News: Philip Morris International Inc. (NYSE Euronext Paris: PM) held its 2016 Annual Meeting of Shareholders today. Louis C. Camilleri, Chairman of the Board, addressed shareholders and answered questions. Andre Calantzopoulos, Chief Executive Officer, gave the business presentation, which included an overview of PMI's strong momentum, the exciting progress of its Reduced-Risk Product iQOS, and its commitment to returning cash to shareholders. "2015 was an excellent year for PMI, despite the significant drag on our reported results stemming from the sharp appreciation of the U.S. dollar. Our performance was underpinned by an improving cigarette industry volume trend and continued market share momentum," said Mr. Calantzopoulos. During his presentation, Mr. Calantzopoulos also discussed the company's commitment to the principle of harm reduction: "We are mindful that RRPs are today uncharted territory for many regulators, but this should not be a reason for inaction. The faster public health authorities embrace the principle of harm reduction through RRPs, in conjunction with on-going regulatory efforts related to combustible products, the more immediate the public health benefit will be. Our goal is to lead a full-scale effort to ensure that Reduced-Risk Products ultimately replace cigarettes to the benefit of adult smokers, society, our company and our shareholders." Mr. Calantzopoulos concluded his presentation with the company's focus on shareholder returns: "We remain focused on rewarding our shareholders generously, with the dividend currently serving as the primary use of our free cash flow. Last September, we increased our annual dividend for the eighth consecutive year since the spin in 2008, representing a total increase of approximately 122% and a compound annual growth rate of 12%." Matters put before the Meeting were: the nomination for election of twelve nominees for director named in the company's proxy statement; the ratification of the selection of PricewaterhouseCoopers SA as independent auditors; the approval on an advisory basis of the compensation of named executive officers as disclosed in the company's proxy statement; and two shareholder proposals. Final voting results will be included in a Form 8-K that will be filed with the SEC. An archived copy of the audio webcast of PMI's Annual Meeting of Shareholders will be available until 5:00 p.m. ET on Thursday, June 2, 2016 at www.pmi.com/webcasts. About Philip Morris International Inc. ("PMI") PMI is the world's leading international tobacco company, with six of the world's top 15 international brands and products sold in more than 180 markets. In addition to the manufacture and sale of cigarettes, including Marlboro, the number one global cigarette brand, and other tobacco products, PMI is engaged in the development and commercialization of Reduced-Risk Products ("RRPs"). RRPs is the term PMI uses to refer to products with the potential to reduce individual risk and population harm in comparison to smoking cigarettes. Through multidisciplinary capabilities in product development, state-of-the-art facilities, and industry-leading scientific substantiation, PMI aims to provide an RRP portfolio that meets a broad spectrum of adult smoker preferences and rigorous regulatory requirements. For more information, see www.pmi.com and www.pmiscience.com. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160504006282/en/ Contacts: Investor Relations: New York: +1 (917) 663 2233 Lausanne: +41 (0)58 242 4666 or Media: Lausanne: +41 (0)58 242 4500 WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Fast changing fashion trends have been hitting Aeropostale badly for the last several quarters, and at last it opted for Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing on Wednesday. The company is planning to shut down 154 stores in total - 113 in U.S. and 41 in Canada. It had around 800 stores and more than 14,500 staff across all the States in U.S, in addition to Canada and Puerto Rico. In its filing with a New York court, the retailer said it has around $354 million in assets and $390 million in debt. The company believes cutting short its stores will help emerge from bankruptcy in next six months. In addition, it will try for potential buyers also. Aeropostale has secured $160 million in bankruptcy financing from Crystal Financial LLC to keep going through the difficult time. It expects $21 million revenue from liquidation sales that would last up to eight weeks. In U.S. liquidation sales will begin on May 7 and in Canada on May 9. The company has been experiencing supply delay as a result of fight with its major vendor MGG Sourcing. The mall-based specialty casual apparel retailer became public in 2002. Its shares were on a decline since mid 2013. For the last 52 weeks, shares have been on a downward spiral, from $3.56 to $0.15 range It received notice of de-listing on April 22 due to abnormally low trading price and was suspended from trading its commons shares. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann. BECKLEY, WV -- (Marketwired) -- 05/04/16 -- Stealth Advertising, led by Director of Operations Billy Taylor, delivered unprecedented results in the first quarter of 2016. Because of their remarkable efforts, the team received national recognition as projections for the following three quarters are unveiled. Coming from a hospitality background, Billy said he always knew he wanted to be and entrepreneur, offering career opportunities to individuals in the local area. By achieving the title of Director of Operations in 2015 and reaching one of his biggest goals, Billy is now eager to find new talent to join the team. Over the last year, the company has made great strides in West Virginia and has quickly become one of the states' fastest growing marketing and sales firms. As Stealth Advertising continues to represent some of the largest household brands in the nation, demand to further the national footprint is on the rise. Recently released projections put the company at three locations nation wide by the end of the year, tripling the company's national reach. When asked about the course of action he will take moving into the second quarter, Billy said, "We have aligned our goals in order to not only meet these expectations, but exceed them. The team here at Stealth Advertising feels privileged to be backed by some of the biggest brands in the nation and we plan to go above and beyond to ensure our client's overall satisfaction this year." Team managers explain their main focus is the developmental process within Stealth Advertising. Adopted from some of the most successful businesses in the world, the Stealth Advertising team incorporates management-training positions into their business model. "It is truly a catalyst for growth within the company," said Billy. "With demands from our national clients at an all time high, we are currently seeking entry level individuals with great student mentalities and the willingness to learn. We are eager to bring a new perspective to the Stealth Advertising brand." The company encourages individuals with competitive and team oriented backgrounds, such as former military and athletes to apply today, as positions are limited. For more information about Stealth Advertising career opportunities, visit www.StealthadvertisingInc.com. Contact: Stealth Advertising, Inc. Human Resources Department 304-578-5151 www.StealthAdvertisingInc.com Email Contact MINNEAPOLIS, MN -- (Marketwired) -- 05/04/16 -- Promotional Marketing Advantages is embarking on their biggest expansion yet. Market Director, Stephen Oates, has recently announced that Promotional Marketing Advantages will be opening up in the Minneapolis market to promote their clients' brands and services. As an in-store marketing firm, Promotional Marketing Advantages began out of Eau Claire two and a half years ago and has been steadily expanding throughout the Midwest into other smaller markets. As the company's Market Director, Oates set the pace for Promotional Marketing Advantages and has helped the company to explode across the Midwest. When asked what this move would mean for the company, Oates stated, "This is the big step that we have been working toward and waiting for. Having learned how to cut our teeth on smaller markets, we are ready to take on a big city." This move to Minneapolis will create large opportunities for the company moving into the second quarter. Oates expressed his excitement about forging additional retail partnerships and recruiting additional business partners for the firm. Having started at the company as entry level, Oates, now a senior market director, acts as a champion for promotion from within the company. Having been listed on the top rep list for the nation for thirteen weeks in a row, Oates feels like the best managers are individuals with practical, real-world experience in the field. Although his road to management wasn't always easy, Oates feels his success has come from investing in employees -- a trait he picked up from the company's national consultant and personal mentor, Jeremy. He stated, "I struggled with building a team in the beginning until I learned that I had to sacrifice to build others." By placing the needs of his team and his clients above his own, Oates has built a thriving organization that is paving the way for the Minneapolis exaptation. Promotional Marketing Advantages' expansion into the Minneapolis market has been a major focus for Oates this past year. When asked about how he was able to turn his top goal into a reality, Oates replied, "It starts with humbleness and acknowledging the mentors that help you to get there because they can see things before you can see them. I thought I needed more time, but the vision you have can happen, and the daily tasks you do will help you get where you want to go." Oates' vision for expansion has allowed Promotional Marketing Advantages to expand their client base and bring additional products to their retail partners. Human Resources Manager, Heidi Figueroa, will be assisting Oates and Promotional Marketing Advantages with this expansion as well. She remarked, "I'm so excited about this expansion into the Twin Cities. This is something that Stephen has been talking about since I started working with him, and to see it come into fruition and know that I get to be a part of it is incredible. That's what we are all about, helping each other and everyone around us realize their goals." One of Figueroa's main objectives during this move will be helping Oates discover, train, and develop top talent in the Twin Cities to assist Promotional Marketing Advantages with local marketing campaigns. Oates mentioned that he is also looking for individuals with strong communication and goal-setting skills to join the management team at Promotional Marketing Advantages. Figueroa, who went through management training with the firm, asserted, "None of this would have been possible if not for the support that I instantly gained being a part of our company, people cared about my goals, my future, and they wanted to help me accomplish them. That's why I invest so much into this business, I love what I do. I love that I get to be a part of building something so much bigger than myself, I absolutely love the fact that I get to hand the same opportunity that I had, to others." For more information about this expansion, visit them online at www.promotionalmarketinginc.com. Facebook LinkedIn Twitter Promotional Marketing Advantages Inc. www.promotionalmarketinginc.com Email Contact BRUSSELS (dpa-AFX) - Swiss biopharmaceutical company Actelion Ltd. (ALIOF.PK) said that its shareholders approved all of the Board's proposals, including the Annual Report 2015 as well as the Statutory and the Consolidated Financial Statements for 2015. A proposal by the Board to distribute a dividend out of legal reserve originating from capital contribution in the amount of CHF 1.50 per registered share was passed by shareholders. The ex-dividend date will be 9 May 2016 and the payment will be made on 11 May 2016. Shareholders endorsed the 2015 compensation report by way of consultative vote. Shareholders also approved the aggregate maximum compensation for the Board of Directors (Non-Executive Directors) for the term until the AGM 2017 and the aggregate compensation amount for the Actelion Executive Committee (AEC) for the financial year 2017. The shareholders granted discharge to all members of the Board of Directors and of the Executive Management and re-elected all members of the Board which stood for election for a term of office until the conclusion of the AGM 2017. In addition, the shareholders elected Mr. Jean-Pierre Garnier as Chairperson of the Board and Ms. Herna Verhagen, Mr. Jean-Pierre Garnier, and Mr. John J. Greisch (Chair) to the Compensation Committee. Following the AGM, the Board of Directors of Actelion comprises a total of 10 members: Jean-Pierre Garnier (Chairman), Juhani Anttila, Robert Bertolini, Jean-Paul Clozel, John J. Greisch, Peter Gruss, Michael Jacobi, Jean Malo, David Stout and Herna Verhagen. BDO AG, represented by Mr. Marc Schaffner, was elected as Independent Proxy for a term of office until the conclusion of the AGM 2017. Ernst & Young was re-elected as the company's statutory auditors for the business year 2016. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Kostenloser Wertpapierhandel auf Smartbroker.de NEW YORK, May 4, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Increasing demand for energy efficient compressors, growing natural gas preference and need to replace aging infrastructure to drive global natural gas compressors market According to a recently published TechSci Research report "Global Natural Gas Compressors Market By Technology, By Application, By Region, Competition Forecast and Opportunities, 2011 - 2021", the global natural gas compressors market is anticipated to cross USD5.5 billion by 2021. Over the last couple of decades, increasing population and growing technological advancements have led to tremendous increase in energy demand across the globe. In the midst of spiking fuel consumption, natural gas has emerged as the most preferred fuel to meet the ever-growing energy demand during the foreseeable future. Demand for natural gas compressors across the globe is also expected to grow at a robust pace over the next five years on account of increasing global LNG liquefaction capacity, rising production and consumption of natural gas, growing demand for gas from power sector, expanding city gas distribution infrastructure and continuous capacity additions in petrochemical units. (Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20140117/663730 ) Browse 15 market data Tables and 104 Figures spread through245 Pages and an in-depth TOC on"Global Natural Gas Compressors Market" http://www.techsciresearch.com/report/global-natural-gas-compressors-market-by-technology-positive-displacement-compressor-vs-dynamic-compressor-by-application-upstream-midstream-and-downstream-by-region-competition-forecast-and-opportunities-2011-2021/658.html In 2015, around 677,560 miles of active natural gas pipelines were spread across the globe. By 2035, a total of US$ 3.16 trillion is expected to be invested in pipeline infrastructure, wherein, 52% of the amount will be spent on construction of natural gas pipelines. On the basis of technology, the global natural gas compressors market has been segmented into two categories, namely, positive displacement compressors and dynamic compressors. During 2011-2015, positive displacement compressors dominated the global natural gas compressors market, and the segment is anticipated to maintain its dominance over the next five years as well, owing to its low cost and various applications in gas gathering and processing. Regionally, North America registered largest demand for natural gas compressors in 2015, followed by Asia-Pacific. In North America, the United States is the major market for natural gas compressors due to increasing shale gas discoveries and replacement of ageing infrastructure as can be assessed from the fact that approximately 55% of positive displacement compressors in the US are more than 30 years old. Download Sample Report @ http://www.techsciresearch.com/sample-report.aspx?cid=658 Customers can also request for 10% free customization on this report. "Global natural gas compressors market is anticipated to register healthy growth rate over the next five years. Widespread adoption of natural gas compressors in upstream, midstream and downstream applications, such as natural gas extraction, gathering, enhanced oil recovery, transportation through pipelines, city gas distribution, etc., is positively influencing the demand for natural gas compressors, globally. However, factors like high capital intensiveness, ongoing energy price fluctuations and lack of skilled workforce are anticipated to be the major impediments over the next five years.", said Mr. Karan Chechi, Research Director with TechSci Research, a research based global management consulting firm. "Global Natural Gas Compressors Market By Technology, By Application, By Region, Competition Forecast and Opportunities, 2011 - 2021" has evaluated the future growth potential of natural gas compressors in the global market and provides statistics and information on market structure and trends. The report is intended to provide cutting-edge market intelligence and help decision makers take sound investment evaluation. Besides, the report also identifies and analyzes emerging trends along with essential drivers, challenges and opportunities available in the global natural gas compressors market. Browse Related Reports Saudi Arabia Electric Motors Market By Type (AC and DC), By End User (Residential, Manufacturing, Commercial, Real Estate, etc.), By Application (Pumps, Compressors, Fans, etc.), By Rating, Competition Forecast and Opportunities, 2011 - 2021 http://www.techsciresearch.com/report/saudi-arabia-electric-motors-market-by-type-ac-and-dc-by-end-user-residential-manufacturing-commercial-real-estate-etc-by-application-pumps-compressors-fans-etc-by-rating-competition-forecast-and-opportunities-2011-2021/615.html Global Oil and Gas Pipeline Leak Detection Market Forecast and Opportunities, 2020 http://www.techsciresearch.com/report/global-oil-and-gas-pipeline-leak-detection-market-forecast-and-opportunities-2020/580.html India Industrial Gases Market By Type (Oxygen, Argon, Nitrogen), By End User (Metallurgy, Medical, Petrochemicals, Welding, etc.) and Competition Forecast and Opportunities, 2010 - 2020 http://www.techsciresearch.com/report/india-industrial-gases-market-by-type-oxygen-argon-nitrogen-by-end-user-metallurgy-medical-petrochemicals-welding-etc-and-competition-forecast-and-opportunities-2010-2020/598.html About TechSci Research: TechSci Research is a leading global market research firm publishing premium market research reports. Serving 700 global clients with more than 600 premium market research studies, TechSci Research is serving clients across 11 different industrial verticals. TechSci Research specializes in research based consulting assignments in high growth and emerging markets, leading technologies and niche applications. Our workforce of more than 100 fulltime Analysts and Consultants employing innovative research solutions and tracking global and country specific high growth markets helps TechSci clients to lead rather than follow market trends. Contact Mr. Ken Mathews 708 Third Avenue, Manhattan, NY, New York - 10017 Tel: +1-646-360-1656 Email: sales@techsciresearch.com Connect with us on Twitter - https://twitter.com/TechSciResearch Connect with us on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/techsci-research OTTAWA, ONTARIO -- (Marketwired) -- 05/04/16 -- Calian Group Ltd. (TSX:CGY) today released unaudited results for the second quarter ended March 31, 2016. The Company reported revenues for the quarter of $68.1 million, a 12% increase from the $61.0 million reported in the same quarter of the previous year. For the six-month period ended March 31, 2016 the Company reported revenues of $132.6 million, a 13% increase compared to revenues of $117.0 million in the prior year. EBITDA(1) for the second quarter was $5.4 million, a 35% increase compared to $4.0 million in the same quarter of the previous year and for the six-month period ended March 31, 2016, EBITDA(1) was $10.6 million, a 28% increase compared to $8.3 million in the prior year. Net profit for the second quarter was $3.3 million or $0.44 per share basic and diluted, a 50% increase compared to $2.2 million or $0.30 per share basic and diluted in the same quarter of the previous year. On a year-to-date basis, net profit was $6.3 million or $0.86 per share basic and diluted, an increase of 34% compared to net profit of $4.7 million or $0.64 per share basic and diluted in the previous six-month period. Adjusted Net Profit(1) for the second quarter was $3.5 million or $0.48 per share basic and diluted, compared to $2.5 million or $0.34 per share basic and diluted in the same quarter of the previous year. On a year-to-date basis, adjusted net profit(1) was $6.9 million or $0.93 per share basic and diluted compared to $5.2 million or $0.71 per share basic and diluted in the previous six-month period. See caution regarding non-GAAP measures at the end of this press release "Our 12% increase in revenues, 35% increase in EBITDA and 50% increase in net profit this quarter is a credit to the hard work of the Calian team across all of our service lines. At $68.1 million we again surpassed our highest quarterly revenue in our company's history" stated Jacqueline Gauthier, CFO. "I am extremely proud of our accomplishments this quarter. We continue to execute well across all of our growth strategy pillars of customer retention, customer diversification, service line evolution and continuous process improvement with wins in each element of our strategy" stated Kevin Ford, President and CEO. "We are also continuing to invest in new communication products and service lines solutions to support our long term growth objectives." "To reflect the diversity of Calian's services with the expansion into areas such as healthcare and training, management has now completed the renaming of the company from Calian Technologies Ltd. to Calian Group Ltd. trading as CGY on the TSX" stated Ford. "Opening trading at the TSX recently in recognition of this milestone was a great experience for our team. The rename is an important step in the evolution of the company and aligns the corporate entity to the diverse nature of the company's service offerings" stated Ford. During fiscal 2016, management will continue to focus on its key strategic initiatives. Traditional markets in which Calian operates have stabilized recently and management expects organic revenue and earnings growth in most or all of its service lines through the successful execution of our growth strategy. However, we must caution that revenues realized are ultimately dependent on the extent and timing of future contract awards as well as customer utilization of existing contracting vehicles. Based on currently available information and our assessment of the marketplace, we expect revenues for fiscal 2016 to be in the range of $250 million to $280 million, net profit per share in the range of $1.50 to $1.80 per share and adjusted net profit(1) in the range of $1.59 to $1.89 per share. Caution regarding non-GAAP measures: This press release is based on reported earnings in accordance with IFRS. Reference to generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) means IFRS, unless indicated otherwise. This press release is also based on non-GAAP financial measures including EBITDA, adjusted net profit and adjusted net profit per share. These non-GAAP measures are mainly derived from the interim consolidated financial statements, but do not have a standardized meaning prescribed by IFRS; therefore, others using these terms may calculate them differently. Management believes that providing certain non-GAAP performance measures, in addition to IFRS measures, provides users of our financial reports with enhanced understanding of our results and related trends and increases transparency and clarity into the core results of our business. Refer to the MD&A for definitions of these metrics and reconciliations to the most comparable IFRS measures. About Calian Calian employs over 2,500 people with offices and projects that span Canada, U.S. and international markets. The company's capabilities are diverse with services delivered through two divisions. The Business and Technology Services (BTS) Division is headquartered in Ottawa and includes the provision of business and technology services to industry, public and government in the health, training, engineering and IT services domains. Calian's Systems Engineering Division (SED) located in Saskatoon plans, designs and implements complex communication systems for many of the world's space agencies and leading satellite manufacturers and operators. SED also provides contract manufacturing services for both private sector and military customers in North America. For further information, please visit our website at www.calian.com, or contact us at ir@calian.com. DISCLAIMER Certain information included in this press release is forward-looking and is subject to important risks and uncertainties. The results or events predicted in these statements may differ materially from actual results or events. Such statements are generally accompanied by words such as "intend", "anticipate", "believe", "estimate", "expect" or similar statements. Factors which could cause results or events to differ from current expectations include, among other things: the impact of price competition; scarce number of qualified professionals; the impact of rapid technological and market change; loss of business or credit risk with major customers; technical risks on fixed price projects; general industry and market conditions and growth rates; international growth and global economic conditions, and including currency exchange rate fluctuations; and the impact of consolidations in the business services industry. For additional information with respect to certain of these and other factors, please see the Company's most recent annual report and other reports filed by Calian with the Ontario Securities Commission. Calian disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. No assurance can be given that actual results, performance or achievement expressed in, or implied by, forward-looking statements within this disclosure will occur, or if they do, that any benefits may be derived from them. CALIAN GROUP LTD. UNAUDITED INTERIM CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF FINANCIAL POSITION As at March 31, 2016 and September 30, 2015 (Canadian dollars in thousands) March 31, September 30, NOTES 2016 2015 ---------------------------------------- ASSETS CURRENT ASSETS Cash $ 8,832 $ 10,624 Accounts receivable 61,127 50,494 Work in process 17,841 17,431 Prepaid expenses 1,283 1,449 Derivative assets 8 1,053 424 ---------------------------------------- Total current assets 90,136 80,422 ---------------------------------------- NON-CURRENT ASSETS Equipment 5,208 5,245 Application software 385 377 Acquired intangible assets 3,621 4,246 Goodwill 12,037 12,037 ---------------------------------------- Total non-current assets 21,251 21,905 ---------------------------------------- TOTAL ASSETS $ 111,387 $ 102,327 ======================================== LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY CURRENT LIABILITIES Accounts payable and accrued liabilities $ 25,948 $ 25,582 Unearned contract revenue 10,982 6,980 Derivative liabilities 8 1,014 751 ---------------------------------------- Total current liabilities 37,944 33,313 ---------------------------------------- NON-CURRENT LIABILITIES Deferred tax liabilities 610 299 ---------------------------------------- Total non-current liabilities 610 299 ---------------------------------------- TOTAL LIABILITIES 38,554 33,612 ---------------------------------------- SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY Issued capital 5 21,459 20,673 Contributed surplus 484 458 Retained earnings 52,814 50,633 Accumulated other comprehensive loss (1,924) (3,049) ---------------------------------------- TOTAL SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY 72,833 68,715 ---------------------------------------- TOTAL LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY $ 111,387 $ 102,327 ======================================== The accompanying notes are an integral part of these unaudited interim condensed consolidated financial statements. CALIAN GROUP LTD. UNAUDITED INTERIM CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF NET PROFIT For the three and six-month periods ended March 31, 2016 and 2015 (Canadian dollars in thousands, except per share data) Three Three months months Six months Six months ended ended ended ended March 31, March 31, March 31, March 31, NOTES 2016 2015 2016 2015 ------------------------------------------------ Revenues $ 68,100 $ 61,042 132,633 $ 117,042 Cost of revenues 56,020 50,815 108,886 96,311 ------------------------------------------------ Gross profit 12,080 10,227 23,747 20,731 Selling and marketing 1,080 977 2,053 1,997 General and administration 4,689 4,397 9,302 8,700 Facilities 903 864 1,811 1,688 Depreciation 314 318 621 652 Amortization 312 358 624 716 Deemed compensation related to acquisitions 267 267 534 534 ------------------------------------------------ Profit before interest income and income tax expense 4,515 3,046 8,802 6,444 Interest income 7 16 11 59 ------------------------------------------------ Profit before income tax expense 4,522 3,062 8,813 6,503 ------------------------------------------------ Income tax expense - current 1,235 939 2,547 1,995 Income tax expense - deferred 25 (85) (59) (168) ------------------------------------------------ Total income tax expense 1,260 854 2,488 1,827 ------------------------------------------------ NET PROFIT FOR THE PERIOD $ 3,262 $ 2,208 $ 6,325 $ 4,676 ================================================ NET PROFIT PER SHARE: Basic 6 $ 0.44 $ 0.30 $ 0.86 $ 0.64 ================================================ Diluted 6 $ 0.44 $ 0.30 $ 0.86 $ 0.64 ================================================ The accompanying notes are an integral part of these unaudited interim condensed consolidated financial statements. CALIAN GROUP LTD. UNAUDITED INTERIM CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME For the three and six-month periods ended March 31, 2016 and 2015 (Canadian dollars in thousands) Three Three months months Six months Six months ended ended ended ended March 31, March 31, March 31, March 31, NOTES 2016 2015 2016 2015 ------------------------------------------------ NET PROFIT FOR THE PERIOD $ 3,262 $ 2,208 $ 6,325 $ 4,676 Other comprehensive income, net of tax Change in deferred gain or loss on derivatives designated as cash flow hedges, net of tax of $530 and $408 (2015 - $438 and $668) 1,458 (1,205) 1,125 (1,839) ------------------------------------------------ Other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax 1,458 (1,205) 1,125 (1,839) ------------------------------------------------ TOTAL COMPREHENSIVE INCOME FOR THE PERIOD $ 4,720 $ 1,003 $ 7,450 $ 2,837 ================================================ The accompanying notes are an integral part of these unaudited interim condensed consolidated financial statements. CALIAN GROUP LTD. UNAUDITED INTERIM CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CHANGES IN EQUITY For the six month periods ended March 31, 2016 and 2015 (Canadian dollars in thousands, except per share data) Cash flow Issued Contributed Retained hedging Notes capital surplus earnings reserve Total Balance October 1, 2015 $ 20,673 $ 458 $ 50,633 $ (3,049) $ 68,715 Total comprehensive income - - 6,325 1,125 7,450 Dividends ($0.56 per share) - - (4,144) - (4,144) Issue of shares under the employee share purchase plan 5 388 - - - 388 Issue of shares under the employee share option plan 5 398 (26) - - 372 Share based compensation expense 5 - 52 - - 52 ------------------------------------------------------- Balance March 31, 2016 $ 21,459 $ 484 $ 52,814 $ (1,924) $ 72,833 ======================================================= Cash flow Issued Contributed Retained hedging Notes capital surplus earnings reserve Total Balance October 1, 2014 $ 20,161 $ 336 $ 49,128 $ (74) $ 69,551 Total comprehensive income - - 4,676 (1,839) 2,837 Dividends ($0.56 per share) - - (4,124) - (4,124) Issue of shares under the employee share purchase plan 5 413 - - - 413 Share based compensation expense 5 - 51 - - 51 ------------------------------------------------------- Balance March 31, 2015 $ 20,574 $ 387 $ 49,680 $ (1,913) $ 68,728 ======================================================= The accompanying notes are an integral part of these unaudited interim condensed consolidated financial statements. CALIAN GROUP LTD. UNAUDITED INTERIM CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS For the six-month periods ended March 31, 2016 and 2015 (Canadian dollars in thousands) Six months ended Six months ended NOTES March 31, 2016 March 31, 2015 ---------------------------------------- CASH FLOWS FROM (USED IN) OPERATING ACTIVITIES Net profit for the period $ 6,325 $ 4,676 Items not affecting cash: Interest income (11) (59) Income tax expense 2,488 1,827 Employee stock purchase plan and option plan compensation expense 91 85 Depreciation and amortization 1,245 1,368 Deemed compensation related to acquisitions 534 534 ---------------------------------------- 10,672 8,431 Change in non-cash working capital Accounts receivable (10,956) (13,876) Work in process (410) (945) Prepaid expenses 166 (82) Accounts payable and accrued liabilities 1,342 (1,473) Unearned contract revenue 4,002 3,439 ---------------------------------------- 4,816 (4,506) Interest received 11 59 Income tax paid (2,582) (2,190) ---------------------------------------- 2,245 (6,637) ---------------------------------------- CASH FLOWS FROM (USED IN) FINANCING ACTIVITIES Issuance of shares 698 349 Dividends (4,144) (4,124) ---------------------------------------- (3,446) (3,775) ---------------------------------------- CASH FLOWS USED IN INVESTING ACTIVITIES ---------------------------------------- Equipment and application software (591) (2,409) ---------------------------------------- NET CASH OUTFLOW $ (1,792) $ (12,821) CASH, BEGINNING OF PERIOD 10,624 25,200 ---------------------------------------- CASH, END OF PERIOD $ 8,832 $ 12,379 ======================================== The accompanying notes are an integral part of these unaudited interim condensed consolidated financial statements. CALIAN GROUP LTD. NOTES TO THE UNAUDITED INTERIM CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS For the three and six-month periods ended March 31, 2016 and 2015 (Canadian dollars in thousands, except per share amounts) (Unaudited) 1. BASIS OF PREPARATION Calian Group Ltd. ("the Company") is incorporated under the Canada Business Corporations Act. The address of its registered office and principal place of business is 340 Legget Drive, Ottawa, Ontario K2K 1Y6. The Company's capabilities include the provision of business and technology services to industry and government in the health, IT services and training domains as well as the design, manufacturing and maintenance of complex systems to the communications and defence sectors. On April 1, 2016, the Company changed its name from Calian Technologies Ltd. to Calian Group Ltd. The Company name change was done to better reflect the diversity of its services in light of the expansion into areas such as healthcare and training. These unaudited interim condensed consolidated financial statements are expressed in Canadian dollars and have been prepared in accordance with International Accounting Standard ("IAS") 34 - Interim Financial Reporting, as issued by the International Accounting Standard Board ("IASB"). These unaudited interim condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared using accounting policies consistent with International Financial Reporting Standards ("IFRS") and in accordance with the accounting policies the Company adopted in its annual consolidated financial statements for the year ended September 30, 2015 and should be read in conjunction with the audited consolidated financial statements and notes thereto included in the Company's Annual Report for the year ended September 30, 2015. These unaudited interim condensed consolidated financial statements do not include all of the information required in annual financial statements. These unaudited interim condensed consolidated financial statements were authorized for issuance by the Board of Directors on May 4, 2016. 2. FUTURE CHANGES IN ACCOUNTING POLICIES IFRS 15 Revenue from Contracts with Customers In April 2014, the IASB released IFRS 15 - Revenue from Contracts with Customers. The Standard replaces IAS11 Construction Contracts and IAS18 Revenue, providing a single comprehensive model for entities to use in accounting for revenue arising from contracts with customers. IFRS 15 is effective for annual periods beginning on or after January 1, 2018. The Company has not yet assessed the impact of the adoption of this standard on its consolidated financial statements. IFRS 9 Financial instruments IFRS 9 was issued by the International Accounting Standards Board ("IASB") in November 2009 and October 2010, was amended in 2013 and finalized in July 2014 and will replace IAS 39, Financial Instruments: Recognition and Measurement ("IAS 39"). IFRS 9 uses a single approach to determine whether a financial instrument is measured at fair value through profit or loss, fair value through other comprehensive income or amortized cost, replacing the multiple rules in IAS 39. The approach in IFRS 9 is based on how an entity manages its financial instruments in the context of its business model and the contractual cash flow characteristics of those financial instruments. The new standard also requires a single impairment method to be used, replacing the multiple impairment methods in IAS 39. IFRS 9 is effective for annual periods beginning on or after January 1, 2018. The Company has not yet assessed the impact of the adoption of this standard on its consolidated financial statements. IFRS 16 Leases In January 2016, the IASB released IFRS 16 Leases which replaces IAS 17 Leases. For lessees applying IFRS 16, a single recognition and measurement model for leases would apply, with required recognition of assets and liabilities for most leases. IFRS 16 is effective for annual periods beginning on or after January 1, 2019. The Company has not yet assessed the impact of the adoption of this standard on its consolidated financial statements. 3. CRITICAL ACCOUNTING ESTIMATES AND JUDGMENTS Estimates: The preparation of financial statements in conformity with IFRS requires the Company's management to make judgments, estimates and assumptions that affect the application of accounting policies and the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities as at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting periods presented. Actual results could differ from those estimates. There were no significant changes in estimates or approaches to determining estimates in the periods presented when compared to the estimates or approaches used the annual consolidated financial statements for the year ended September 30, 2015. 4. SEASONALITY The results of operations for the interim periods are not necessarily indicative of the results of operations for the full year. The Company's revenues and earnings have historically been subject to some quarterly seasonality due to the timing of vacation periods and statutory holidays. 5. ISSUED CAPITAL Employee Share Purchase Plan During the three and six-month periods ended March 31, 2016 (2015), the Company issued 21,801 (19,390) shares under the Company's Employee Share Purchase Plan at an average price of $14.92 ($17.99) for a total cash of $325 ($349) and total non-cash of $63 ($64). Stock options The Company had an established stock option plan which expired on February 5, 2016 when the shareholders elected not to renew the plan. Under the plan, eligible directors and employees were granted the right to purchase shares of common stock at a price established by the Board of Directors on the date the options were granted but in no circumstances below fair market value of the shares at the date of grant. Effective February 5, 2016, no further grants can be made under the plan. As at March 31, 2016 (2015), 415,000 (415,000) options are currently outstanding of which 323,100 (314,600) are exercisable. During the first six-month ended March 31, 2016 (2015), no options were issued. 6. NET PROFIT PER SHARE The diluted weighted average number of shares has been calculated as follows: ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Three months ended Six months ended March 31 March 31 2016 2015 2016 2015 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Weighted average number of shares - basic 7,399,199 7,363,603 7,388,748 7,358,756 Addition to reflect the dilutive effect of employee stock options - - - - ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Weighted average number of shares - diluted 7,399,199 7,363,603 7,388,748 7,358,756 ============================================================================ Options that are anti-dilutive because the exercise price was greater than the average market price of the common shares are not included in the computation of diluted earnings per share. For the three and six-month periods ended March 31, 2016 (2015), 415,000 (415,000) options were excluded from the above computation. Profit for the period is the measure of profit or loss used to calculate Net profit per share. 7. SEGMENTED INFORMATION Operating segments are identified as components of an enterprise about which separate discrete financial information is available for evaluation by the chief operating decision maker, regarding how to allocate resources and assess performance. The Company's chief operating decision maker is the Chief Executive Officer. The Company operates in two reportable segments described below, defined by their primary type of service offering, namely Systems Engineering and Business and Technology Services. -- Systems Engineering involves planning, designing and implementing solutions that meet a customer's specific business and technical needs, primarily in the satellite communications sector. -- Business and Technology Services provides business and technology services to industry and government in the health, IT services, training, and engineering domains. The Company evaluates performance and allocates resources based on earnings before interest income and income taxes. The accounting policies of the segments are the same as those described in Note 2 - Summary of significant accounting policies to the consolidated financial statements for the year ended September 30, 2015. ============================================================================ Business and Three months ended March Systems Technology 31, 2016 Engineering Services Corporate Total ============================================================================ Revenues $ 17,484 $ 50,616 $ - $ 68,100 Profit before interest income and income tax expense 3,142 2,014 (639) 4,515 Interest income 7 Income tax expense (1,260) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Net profit for the period $ 3,262 ============================================================================ ============================================================================ Business and Three months ended March Systems Technology 31, 2015 Engineering Services Corporate Total ============================================================================ Revenues $ 16,967 $ 44,075 $ - $ 61,042 Profit before interest income and income tax expense 2,334 1,233 (521) 3,046 Interest income 16 Income tax expense (854) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Net profit for the period $ 2,208 ============================================================================ ============================================================================ Business and Six months ended March 31, Systems Technology 2016 Engineering Services Corporate Total ============================================================================ Revenues $ 37,164 $ 95,469 $ - $ 132,633 Profit before interest income and income tax expense 6,221 3,858 (1,277) 8,802 Interest income 11 Income tax expense (2,488) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Net profit for the period $ 6,325 ============================================================================ Total assets other than cash and goodwill $ 41,198 $ 49,138 $ 182 $ 90,518 Goodwill - 12,037 - 12,037 Cash - - 8,832 8,832 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Total assets $ 41,198 $ 61,175 $ 9,014 $ 111,387 ============================================================================ Equipment and intangible expenditures $ 366 $ 225 $ - $ 591 ============================================================================ ============================================================================ Business and Six months ended March 31, Systems Technology 2015 Engineering Services Corporate Total ============================================================================ Revenues $ 31,932 $ 85,110 $ - $ 117,042 Profit before interest income and income tax expense 5,062 2,461 (1,079) 6,444 Interest income 59 Income tax expense (1,827) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Net profit for the period $ 4,676 ============================================================================ Equipment and intangible expenditures $ 2,032 $ 377 $ - $ 2,409 ============================================================================ ============================================================================ Business and Systems Technology As at September 30, 2015 Engineering Services Corporate Total ============================================================================ Total assets other than cash and goodwill $ 37,488 $ 42,073 $ 105 $ 79,666 Goodwill - 12,037 - 12,037 Cash - - 10,624 10,624 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Total assets $ 37,488 $ 54,110 $ 10,729 $ 102,327 ============================================================================ 8. HEDGING Foreign currency risk related to contracts The Company is exposed to foreign currency exchange fluctuations on its cash balance, accounts receivable, accounts payable and accrued liabilities and future cash flows related to contracts denominated in a foreign currency. Future cash flows will be realized over the life of the contracts. The Company utilizes derivative financial instruments, principally in the form of forward exchange contracts, in the management of its foreign currency exposures. The Company's objective is to manage and control exposures and secure the Company's profitability on existing contracts and therefore, the Company's policy is to hedge 100% of its foreign currency exposure. The Company does not utilize derivative financial instruments for trading or speculative purposes. The Company applies hedge accounting when appropriate documentation and effectiveness criteria are met. The Company formally documents all relationships between hedging instruments and hedged items, as well as its risk management objective and strategy for undertaking various hedge transactions. This process includes linking all derivatives to specific firm contractually related commitments on projects. The Company also formally assesses, both at the hedge's inception and on an on-going basis, whether the derivatives that are used in hedging transactions are highly effective in offsetting changes in fair values or cash flows of hedged items. Hedge ineffectiveness has historically been insignificant. The forward foreign exchange contracts primarily require the Company to purchase or sell certain foreign currencies with or for Canadian dollars at contractual rates. At March 31, 2016, the Company had the following forward foreign exchange contracts: ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Equivalent Fair Value Type Notional Currency Maturity Cdn. Dollars March 31, 2016 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- SELL 61,492 USD April 2016 $ 79,860 $ 1,052 BUY 233 EURO April 2016 344 1 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Derivative assets $ 1,053 ============================================================================ ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- BUY 29,868 USD April 2016 $ 38,790 $ 511 SELL 1,000 USD September 2016 1,384 250 SELL 1,000 USD September 2017 1,384 233 SELL 7,138 EURO April 2016 10,548 20 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Derivative liabilities $ 1,014 ============================================================================ A 10% strengthening of the Canadian dollar against the following currencies at March 31, 2016 would have decreased other comprehensive income as related to the forward foreign exchange contracts by the amounts shown below. March 31, 2016 ------------------ USD $ 3,970 EURO 928 GBP 2 ------------------ $ 4,900 ================== 9. CONTINGENCIES In the normal course of business, the Company is party to business and employee related claims. The potential outcomes related to existing matters faced by the Company are not determinable at this time. The Company intends to defend these actions, and management believes that the resolution of these matters will not have a material adverse effect on the Company's financial condition. Management Discussion and Analysis - March 31, 2016: (Canadian dollars in thousands, except per share data) This MD&A is the responsibility of management and has been reviewed and approved by the Board of Directors of the Company. This MD&A has been prepared in accordance with the requirements of the Canadian Securities Administrators. The Board of Directors is responsible for ensuring that we fulfill our responsibilities for financial reporting and is ultimately responsible for reviewing and approving the MD&A. The Board of Directors carries out this responsibility principally through its Audit Committee. IFRS and non-GAAP measures: This MD&A contains both IFRS and non-GAAP measures. Non-GAAP measures are defined and reconciled to the most comparable IFRS measure. RESULTS OF OPERATIONS Revenues: For the second quarter of 2016, revenues were $68,100 compared to $61,042 reported for the same period in 2015 representing a 12% increase from the prior year. For the six-month period ending March 31, 2016 revenues were $132,633 compared to $117,042 for 2015, an increase of 13%. Systems Engineering's (SED) revenues were $17,484 in the quarter and $37,164 on a year-to-date basis representing a 3% and 16% increase respectively when compared to the $16,967 and $31,932 recorded for the same periods in the previous year. Although work continued to come at a steady rate for both defense related and commercial contract manufacturing, SED showed only a slight increase relative to the same period of last year with work biased towards non-labour. However the greater revenue year-to-date in comparison to the previous year is reflective of an increase in number of projects particularly in our satellite RF ground systems but also in our communications product developments and our satellite gateway solutions. Business and Technology Services (BTS) revenues were $50,616 in the quarter and $95,469 on a year-to-date basis representing a 15% and 12% increase respectively when compared to the $44,075 and $85,110 recorded for the same periods in the previous year. Continued recovery with government spending during the first six-months of 2016 resulted in additional demand for our services in many of the division's mainstay contracts. Management expects that the marketplace for the near term will continue to be unsettled and very competitive and the timing of new contract awards is always subject to delay. Our backlog provides a reasonable level of revenue assurance on existing contracts and new opportunities continue to arise. Although we continue to focus our efforts on the diversification of our customer base outside of government, the nature and extent of future government spending remain uncertain and therefore, future revenues in this sector will ultimately be determined by customer demand on existing contracts as well as the timing of future contract awards. Gross margin Gross margin was 17.7% for the second quarter of 2016 and 17.9% on a year-to-date basis compared to the 16.8% and 17.7% recorded for the same periods in the previous year. Gross margin in Systems Engineering was 28.1% in the second quarter of 2016 and 26.2% on a year-to-date basis compared to the 22.8% and 25.4% recorded for the same periods in the previous year. The higher margins in comparison to the previous year are due to product sales and a higher labor component in the current mix of projects which yields higher margins than material and subcontract procurements which dominated the same period last year. The results reflect another solid quarter of performance in all of SED's business areas. Although the mix of revenues will always play a role in the margin ultimately realized, recent investments in new product developments will allow the division to continue to weather the current competitive landscape. Gross margin in Business and Technology Services was 14.2% in the second quarter of 2016 and 14.7% on a year-to-date basis compared to the 14.4% and 14.8% recorded for the same periods in the previous year. The traditional BTS business which is concentrated within the federal government has stabilized in recent quarters. The slight reduction in margin in fiscal 2016 reflects the impact of additional costs from the Easter statutory holiday which fell in March this current year rather than April. While stiff competition on new work is expected to temper any significant near-term improvement, the division continues to evolve its service offering with a goal to increase gross margins realized in the longer term. Because of the significant difference in gross margin between each of the two divisions, the overall gross margin of the Company is dependent on the relative level of revenue generated from each division. Management will continue to focus on operational execution and diligent negotiation of supplier costs in order to maximize margins. However, increased competition is expected to maintain the pressure on margins in both divisions. The volatility of the Canadian dollar is always an influencing factor for margins on new work in the SED division when denominated in foreign currencies. Operating expenses: For the six-month period ended March 31, 2016, selling and marketing, general and administration and facilities totalled $13,166 or 10.0% of revenues compared to $12,385 or 10.6% of revenues reported in 2015. Operating costs increased in absolute dollars as a result of continued investment in both business development and service line evolution capabilities. However, with growing revenues, operating costs as a percentage of revenues decreased. EBITDA(1): EBITDA(1) for the second quarter was $5,408 compared to $3,989 in the same quarter of the previous year. For the six-month period ended March 31, 2016, EBITDA(1) was $10,581 compared to $8,346 in the same period of the previous year. Depreciation: For the six-month period ended March 31, 2016, depreciation was $621 which is in line with the $652 recorded in fiscal 2015. Amortization of intangibles: Amortization of intangibles decreased to $624 compared to $716 in fiscal 2015. Deemed compensation related to acquisitions and Bargain purchase gain: For the six-month period ended March 31, 2016, deemed compensation related to acquisition amounted to $534 compared to $534 recorded in fiscal 2015. The deemed amortization is expected to decrease in the last 6 months of fiscal 2016 when it will have been fully expensed. Income taxes: The provision for income taxes was $2,488 or 28.2% of earnings before tax compared to $1,827 in 2014 or 28.0% of earnings before tax. The difference in effective rates is primarily due to the non-deductibility of the deemed compensation amounts referred to in the above paragraph. The effective tax rate for 2016, prior to considering the impact of non-taxable transactions and adjustments to reflect actual tax provision as filed, is expected to be approximately 26.9%. Net profit: As a result of the foregoing, in the second quarter of 2016 the Company recorded net profit of $3,262 or $0.44 per share basic and diluted, compared to $2,208 or $0.30 per share basic and diluted in the same quarter of the prior year. Adjusted net profit(1) for the second quarter was $3,529 or $0.48 per share basic and diluted, compared to $2,475 or $0.34 per share basic and diluted in the same quarter of the previous year. For the six-month period ended March 31, 2016 the Company recorded net profit of $6,325 or $0.86 per share basic and diluted, compared to $4,676 or $0.64 per share basic and diluted in the same period of the prior year. Adjusted net profit(1) for the six-month period ended March 31, 2016 was $6,859 or $0.93 per share basic and diluted, compared to $5,210 or $0.71 per share basic and diluted in the same period of the previous year. (1) See reconciliation regarding non-GAAP measures below Reconciliation of non-GAAP measures to most comparable IFRS measures: Management believes that providing certain non-GAAP performance measures, in addition to IFRS measures, provides users of the Company's financial reports with enhanced understanding of the Company's results and related trends and increases transparency and clarity into the core results of the business. EBITDA, adjusted net profit and adjusted net profit per share exclude items that do not reflect, in our opinion, the Company's core performance and helps users of our MD&A to better analyze our results, enabling comparability of our results from one period to another. These non-GAAP measures are mainly derived from the interim consolidated financial statements, but do not have a standardized meaning prescribed by IFRS; therefore, others using these terms may calculate them differently. The exclusion of certain items from non-GAAP performance measures does not imply that these are necessarily non-recurring. From time to time, we may exclude additional items if we believe doing so would result in a more transparent and comparable disclosure. Other entities may define the above measures differently than we do. In those cases, it may be difficult to use similarly named non-GAAP measures of other entities to compare performance of those entities to the Company's performance. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Second Second YTD YTD Reconciliation of adjusted net Quarter Quarter Quarter Quarter profit 2016 2015 2016 2015 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- NET PROFIT $ 3,262 $ 2,208 $ 6,325 $ 4,676 Deemed compensation related to acquisitions 267 267 534 534 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Adjusted net profit $ 3,529 $ 2,475 $ 6,859 $ 5,210 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Second Second YTD YTD Quarter Quarter Quarter Quarter Reconciliation of EBITDA 2016 2015 2016 2015 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Profit before interest income and income tax expense $ 4,515 $ 3,046 $ 8,802 $ 6,444 Depreciation 314 318 621 652 Amortization 312 358 624 716 Deemed compensation related to acquisitions 267 267 534 534 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- EBITDA $ 5,408 $ 3,989 $ 10,581 $ 8,346 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- BACKLOG The Company's backlog at March 31, 2016 was $390 million with terms extended to fiscal 2018. This compares to $442 million reported at September 30, 2015. Contracted Backlog represents maximum potential revenues remaining to be earned on signed contracts, whereas Option Renewals represent customers' options to further extend existing contracts under similar terms and conditions. Most fee for service contracts provide the customer with the ability to adjust the timing and level of effort throughout the contract life and as such the amount actually realized could be materially different from the original contract value. The following table represents management's best estimate of the backlog realization for 2016, 2017 and beyond based on management's current visibility into customers' existing requirements. Management's estimate of the realizable portion (current utilization rates and known customer requirements) is less than the total value of signed contracts and related options by approximately $101 million. The Company's policy is to reduce the reported contractual backlog once it receives confirmation from the customer that indicates the utilization of the full contract value may not materialize. Estimated Excess over realizable estimated (dollars in Fiscal Fiscal Beyond portion of realizable millions) 2016 2017 2017 Backlog portion TOTAL -------------------------------------------------------- Contracted Backlog $ 109 $ 86 $ 31 $ 226 $ 76 $ 302 Option Renewals 3 25 36 64 25 89 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- TOTAL $ 112 $ 111 $ 67 $ 290 $ 101 $ 391 ============================================================================ Business and Technology Services $ 79 $ 89 $ 45 $ 213 $ 101 $ 314 Systems Engineering 33 22 22 77 - 77 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- TOTAL $ 112 $ 111 $ 67 $ 290 $ 101 $ 391 ============================================================================ FINANCIAL CONDITION AND CASHFLOWS Operating activities: Cash inflows from operating activities for the period ended March 31, 2016 were $2,245 compared to cash outflows of $6,637 in 2015. Cash flows for the quarter has been positively impacted by the decrease in work in process offset by an increase in accounts receivables commensurate with increased activity in BTS near the end of Q2 2016. In addition, amounts owed to suppliers increased as a result of significant levels of activity near quarter end. The aging of the accounts receivables remain in excellent health. These variations in cash flows are not considered unusual and reflect normal working capital fluctuations associated with the ebbs and flows of the business. The market for the Systems Engineering Division is characterized by contracts with billings tied to milestones achieved, which often results in significant working capital requirements. Conversely, given the nature of this business, it is sometimes possible to negotiate advance payments on contracts. Such advance payments give rise to unearned revenue that will be realized as revenue over the course of the contract. As at March 31, 2016, the Company's total unearned revenue amounted to $10,982. This compares to $6,980 at September 30, 2015, with the increase primarily attributable to advance billings for work to be performed in a future period. Financing activities: During the periods ended March 31, 2016 (2015), the Company paid quarterly dividends of $0.56 ($0.56) per share. The Company intends to continue with its quarterly dividend policy for the foreseeable future. Investing activities: During the six-month period, the Company invested $591 in capital assets compared to $2,409 in the prior period which included significant upgrades to the manufacturing assets in the SED division. Capital acquisitions are expected to revert to normal levels for fiscal 2016. Capital resources: At March 31, 2016 the Company had a short-term credit facility of $10,000 with a Canadian chartered bank that bears interest at prime and is secured by assets of the Company. An amount of $75 was used to issue a letter of credit to meet customer contractual requirements. Management believes that Calian has sufficient cash resources to continue to finance its working capital requirements and pay a quarterly dividend. ADOPTION OF NEW ACCOUNTING RULES AND IMPACT ON FINANCIAL RESULTS The Company did not adopt any new accounting policies this quarter. SELECTED QUARTERLY FINANCIAL DATA Q1/ Q2/16 Q1/16 Q4/15 Q3/15 Q2/15 15 REVENUES $ 68,100 $ 64,533 $ 60,944 $ 64,267 $ 61,042 $ EBITDA(1) $ 5,408 $ 5,173 $ 4,906 $ 3,970 $ 3,989 $ Net profit $ 3,262 $ 3,063 $ 2,877 $ 2,214 $ 2,208 $ Adjusted net profit(1) $ 3,529 $ 3,330 $ 3,144 $ 2,482 $ 2,475 $ Net profit per share Basic $ 0.44 $ 0.42 $ 0.39 $ 0.30 $ 0.30 $ Diluted $ 0.44 $ 0.42 $ 0.39 $ 0.30 $ 0.30 $ Adjusted net profit per share(1) Basic $ 0.48 $ 0.45 $ 0.43 $ 0.34 $ 0.34 $ Diluted $ 0.48 $ 0.45 $ 0.43 $ 0.34 $ 0.34 $ Q1/15 Q4/14 Q3/14 REVENUES 56,000 $ 54,430 $ 53,839 EBITDA(1) 4,357 $ 4,525 $ 4,117 Net profit 2,468 $ 2,575 $ 2,866 Adjusted net profit(1) 2,735 $ 2,842 $ 2,698 Net profit per share Basic 0.34 $ 0.35 $ 0.39 Diluted 0.34 $ 0.35 $ 0.39 Adjusted net profit per share(1) Basic 0.37 $ 0.39 $ 0.37 Diluted 0.37 $ 0.39 $ 0.37 SEASONALITY The Company's operations are subject to some quarterly seasonality due to the timing of vacation periods and statutory holidays. Typically the Company's first and last quarter will be negatively impacted as a result of the Christmas season and summer vacation period. During these periods, the Company can only invoice for work performed and is also required to pay for statutory holidays. This results in reduced levels of revenues and in a drop in gross margins. This seasonality may not be apparent in the overall results of the Company depending on the impact of the realized sales mix of its various projects. OUTLOOK Management is confident that the Company is well positioned for sustained growth in the long term. The Company's strong contract backlog provides a solid base for the realization of future revenues. Leveraging the Company's diverse services offerings, the Company operates in global and domestic markets that will continue to require the services that the Company offers. To ensure the Company is positioned to respond to market requirements, the Company will focus on the execution of its growth strategy using a common framework across all of its services: 1. Customer retention: through continued delivery excellence, maintain a valued relationship with current customer base; 2. Customer diversification: through increasing the percentage of its revenues derived from new business in adjacent and non-government markets, balance customer revenue into numerous global and domestic sectors; 3. Service Line Evolution: continue investment in service offerings to increase differentiation and improve gross margin attainment; 4. Continuous Process Improvement: leverage innovation to improve how the Company operates with a goal to streamline processes and provide for a scalable back office support capability. The Company has completed four acquisitions in the past 4 years, and will proactively look for companies that can accelerate its growth strategy with a focus on customer diversification and service line evolution. The SED Division has been working within a sustainable satellite sector and is expecting opportunities to continue to arise as systems adopting the latest technologies will be required by customers wishing to maintain and improve their service offerings and react to an increasing demand for bandwidth. SED continues to invest in communications products, software development and manufacturing equipment to strengthen its competitive position. However in the short-term, activity levels in Custom manufacturing will continue to be directly dependent upon SED's customers' requirements and continuing volatility in orders is anticipated as both government and commercial customers continue to re-examine their traditional spending patterns. The recent delays, deferrals and cancellations of DND capital procurements have created intense competition for available manufacturing work. Finally, changes in the relative value of the Canadian dollar may negatively or positively impact the Systems Engineering Division's competitiveness on projects denominated in foreign currencies. The BTS Division's services are adaptable to many different markets. Currently, its strength lies in providing program management and delivery services across Canada with a significant portion of this work currently with the Department of National Defence. The division has been successful in diversifying its customer base and evolving its service offerings. As an example the division now provides direct to customer health services through the operation of managed medical clinics as well as onsite health practitioners in the oil and gas sector. Management believes that for the long term, the public and private sector will continue to require health, IT, and training services from private enterprises to achieve their business outcomes. Looking at the current outlook, the current economic climate, the results of the recent election and new federal government agenda may create uncertainty as to the extent of demand from this customer, at least in the short term. With recent investments in sales, marketing, acquisitions and success in new markets outside of the federal government, the division is better positioned to manage through these downturns. Recent acquisitions have also bolstered the division's performance and it is expected that overall, the acquired companies will continue to meet and exceed the targets established as part of the acquisitions. GUIDANCE During fiscal 2016, management will continue to focus on its key strategic initiatives. Traditional markets in which Calian operates have stabilized recently and management expects organic revenue and earnings growth in most or all of its service lines through the successful execution of our growth strategy. However, we must caution that revenues realized are ultimately dependent on the extent and timing of future contract awards as well as customer utilization of existing contracting vehicles. Based on currently available information and our assessment of the marketplace, we expect revenues for fiscal 2016 to be in the range of $250 million to $280 million, net profit per share in the range of $1.50 to $1.80 per share and adjusted net profit(1) in the range of $1.59 to $1.89 per share. INTERNAL CONTROLS OVER FINANCIAL REPORTING During the most recent interim quarter ended March 31, 2016, there have been no changes in the design of the Company's internal controls over financial reporting that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, the Company's internal controls over financial reporting. FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENT Certain information included in this management discussion and analysis is forward-looking and is subject to important risks and uncertainties. The results or events predicted in these statements may differ materially from actual results or events. Such statements are generally accompanied by words such as "intend", "anticipate", "believe", "estimate", "expect" or similar statements. Factors which could cause results or events to differ from current expectations include, among other things: the impact of price competition; scarce number of qualified professionals; the impact of rapid technological and market change; loss of business or credit risk with major customers; technical risks on fixed price projects; general industry and market conditions and growth rates; international growth and global economic conditions, currency exchange rate fluctuations; and the impact of consolidations in the business services industry. For additional information with respect to certain of these and other factors, please see the Company's most recent annual report and other reports filed by the Company with the Ontario Securities Commission. Calian disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. No assurance can be given that actual results, performance or achievement expressed in, or implied by, forward-looking statements within this disclosure will occur, or if they do, that any benefits may be derived from them. The foregoing discussion and analysis should be read in conjunction with the financial statements for the second quarter of 2016, and with the Management Discussion and Analysis in the 2015 annual report, including the section on risks and opportunities. Contacts: Calian Group Ltd. Kevin Ford President and Chief Executive Officer 613-599-8600 Calian Group Ltd. Jacqueline Gauthier Chief Financial Officer 613-599-8600 Technavio has announced the top six leading vendors in their recententerprise indoor location-based services (LBS) market in the USreport. This research report also lists three other prominent vendors that are expected to impact the market during the forecast period. Competitive vendor landscape The enterprise indoor LBS market in the US is highly competitive and consists of numerous stakeholders such as LBS device providers, map providers, location-based advertisers, platform providers, application developers, mobile operators, location-aware application and media providers, and location-based content providers. The market is growing rapidly with new players introducing innovative solutions. In addition, a large number of venture capitalists are funding LBS value-chain providers. Furthermore, the US government uses LBS to provide emergency services during times natural calamities or accidents. According to Rakesh Kumar Panda, a lead analyst at Technavio for M2M and connected devicesresearch, "The market is emerging as an alternative to electronic and print media advertising, and many business organizations are investing in indoor LBS solutions. Many service providers are offering free subscriptions or charging minimal amounts for location-based search and advertising services to acquire customers." Request sample report: http://goo.gl/EDhWJy Apple Apple was established in 1977 and is headquartered at California, US. The company manufactures and markets mobile communication and media devices, personal computers, portable digital music players, and an extensive variety of related software, accessories, networking solutions, third-party digital content, and applications globally. Apple through its iOS 8 operating system provides apps to determine precise indoor position in various supported venues. Its latest app software allows users to determine positioning within a venue using radio frequency signals and through integration with iPhone's on-board sensors. In August 2015, Apple received patent approval for its iBeacon-based indoor location mapping for iOS devices. Google Google was founded in 1998 and is headquartered in California, US. It is a multinational corporation that specializes in internet-related services and products, which includes online advertising technologies, search engine, cloud computing, and software. Google offers a broad range of solutions for LBS. Google Maps provides information related to the location of ATMs, restaurants, fuel stations, etc., near the user's current location or other specific locations. The company offers the following products related to LBS: Google Now, Google Maps, Google Search and Knowledge Graph. HERE HERE, operating as a business unit of Nokia, was established in 2007. The company offers maps and location experiences in multiple screens and operating systems. It also provides power mobile, the web, and enterprise solutions. The company offers maps for 196 countries and indoor maps for more than 90,000 buildings across over 11,000 venues. The company offers HERE Platform for Business, a location cloud solution that is provided as software as a service (SaaS). It offers its product and services to end-markets such as automotive, mobile, and internet, commerce, and consumer electronic sectors. Its customers include BMW, Garmin, Toyota, and Yahoo. Micello Micello was founded in 2007 and headquartered in California, US. The company develops and offers indoor venue maps for mapping and navigation companies, hospital groups, retailers, mobile carriers, and application developers throughout the world. It operates offices in Tokyo, Japan and Ahmedabad, India. Micello provides LBS solutions through partnership with positioning technology partners such as SenionLab, RX Systems, Pole Star, Eyeways Systems, Walkbase, sensewhere, NextNav, Sensonet, Navizon, Skyhook, Pozzey, and Indoors. shopkick shopkick was founded in 2009 and is headquartered in California, US. The company offers a mobile shopping app that assists users to discover latest fashion trends or nearby stores. It operates as a subsidiary of SK Planet. The company offers shopBeacon, an application that enables users to earn rewards for shopping activities such as store visits and purchases and redeem their reward points for store gift card. The shopBeacon app is in partnership with major retailers and brands such as Macy's, Target, Best Buy, Kraft, JCPenney, Unilever, and P&G to provide deals and rewards to shoppers. The app has been installed in over 14,000 retail locations in the US. Comtech Telecommunications TeleCommunication Systems (TCS) was founded in 1987 and is headquartered in Maryland, US. In February 2016, Comtech Telecommunications acquired the company. The company develops and provides secure wireless communication technology. It offers cellular network computing services that include public safety solutions and precision location platforms. The company offers the following products related to the enterprise indoor LBS market in the US: Navigation, TCS Family Locator, Trusted Location, and Workforce Locator. In addition, it provides Indoor Locations solution with patented software that can be used for a variety of consumer and business applications. Browse related reports: Global Indoor LBS Market 2015-2019 Global Enterprise LBS Market 2016-2020 Enterprise LBS Market in Southeast Asia 2016-2020 Purchase these three reports for the price of one by becoming a Technavio subscriber. Subscribing to Technavio's reports allows you to download any three reports per month for the price of one. Contact enquiry@technavio.com with your requirements and a link to our subscription platform. About Technavio Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. The company develops over 2000 pieces of research every year, covering more than 500 technologies across 80 countries. Technavio has about 300 analysts globally who specialize in customized consulting and business research assignments across the latest leading edge technologies. Technavio analysts employ primary as well as secondary research techniques to ascertain the size and vendor landscape in a range of markets. Analysts obtain information using a combination of bottom-up and top-down approaches, besides using in-house market modeling tools and proprietary databases. They corroborate this data with the data obtained from various market participants and stakeholders across the value chain, including vendors, service providers, distributors, re-sellers, and end-users. If you are interested in more information, please contact our media team at media@technavio.com. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160504005092/en/ Contacts: Technavio Research Jesse Maida Media Marketing Executive US: +1 630 333 9501 UK: +44 208 123 1770 www.technavio.com Regulatory News: GeNeuro (Paris:GNRO) (Euronext Paris: CH0308403085 GNRO), a biopharmaceutical company developing new treatments for autoimmune diseases including multiple sclerosis (MS), today announced the end of the stabilization operations in connection with its initial public offering on the regulated market of Euronext in Paris and the implementation of a liquidity contract with French broker Gilbert Dupont. Following the stabilization activities detailed below, the Joint-Lead Managers and Joint-Bookrunners have informed GeNeuro of their intention not to exercise the over-allotment option to subscribe for additional new shares. Consequently, the total number of shares issued by GeNeuro in connection with its IPO remains unchanged at 2,538,500 shares, raising about 33 million. Pursuant to Article 631-10 of the general regulation of the French Autorite des Marches Financiers (the "AMF"), Bryan, Garnier Co, acting as stabilization agent, indicated that: it has carried out stabilization activities on GeNeuro's shares ; the first stabilization operations started on April 29, 2016 the last stabilization activity was conducted on May 3, 2016 stabilization activities have been carried out as follows: Date Lowest price (in ) Highest price (in ) April 29, 2016 10.29 11.00 May 2, 2016 10.34 11.00 May 3, 2016 11.20 11.20 Implementation of a liquidity contract As from May 5, 2016, and for a period of one-year automatically renewable period, GeNeuro has entered into a liquidity contract with French broker Gilbert Dupont that complies with the code of ethics issued by the AMAFI and approved by the French AMF on March 21, 2011. For the implementation of such contract, 750,000 in cash have been credited to the liquidity account. Information available to the public Copies of the French language prospectus which received a visa from the AMF on 30 March 2016, under no. 16-106 (the "Prospectus") are available free of charge from GeNeuro's headquarters (18, chemin des Aulx, CH-1228 Plan-les-Ouates, Geneva, Switzerland) as well as on the websites of the Company (www.geneuro.com) and of the AMF (www.amf-france.org). Risk factors GeNeuro draws the public's attention to the risks factors relating to business activities described in chapter 4 "Risk Factors" (and in particular to risk factors mentioned under Section 4.1 "Risks Related to the Products, the Market and the Activity of the Group") in the first part of the Prospectus and and in section 2 "Risk Factors Relating to the Offering" in the second part of the Prospectus. This press release does not constitute an offer of GeNeuro's securities in any other jurisdiction in which such offer is unlawful nor does it constitute a solicitation of an offer to buy GeNeuro's securities in the United States. The securities of GeNeuro may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration under the US Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act") or under an exemption from, or in a transaction not subject to, the registration requirements of the Securities Act. The offer and sale of the securities of GeNeuro has not been and will not be registered under the Securities Act and there will be no public offer of its securities in the United States. This document may not be released, published or distributed, directly or indirectly, in or into Australia, Canada, Japan or the United States. About GeNeuro: GeNeuro, a spin-off from the Merieux Institute founded in 2006 with the collaboration of Eclosion and its Eclosion2 fund, is creating a technological platform for the development of new treatments targeting potential causes of neurological disorders and autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis, chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy and type-1 diabetes. GeNeuro's first product, GNbAC1, is a monoclonal antibody that neutralises a protein expressed by human endogenous retroviruses, part of the human genome that is normally silent. GeNeuro believes that this drug candidate could become the first treatment addressing a suspected causal factor of multiple sclerosis. GNbAC1 is being developed under a collaboration agreement with Servier. GeNeuro is based in Geneva, Switzerland and has R&D facilities in Archamps, Haute-Savoie and Lyon. It has 23 employees and rights to 16 patent families protecting its technology. For more information, visit: www.geneuro.com Disclaimer: This press release does not contain or constitute an offer of, or the solicitation of an offer to buy or subscribe for, securities to any person in Australia, Canada, Japan or the United States or in any jurisdiction to whom or in which such offer or solicitation is unlawful. This press release may not be released, published or distributed, directly or indirectly, in or into Australia, Canada, Japan or the United States. No communication and no information in respect of this transaction or of GeNeuro may be distributed to the public in any jurisdiction where a registration or approval is required. No actions have been or will be taken in any jurisdiction (other than France) where such actions would be required. The issue, the subscription for or the purchase of GeNeuro's shares may be subject to specific legal or regulatory restrictions in certain jurisdictions. GeNeuro assumes no responsibility for any violation of any such restrictions by any person. This press does not constitute a prospectus within the meaning of Directive 2003/71/EC of the European Parliament and the Council of November 4th, 2003 (the "Prospectus Directive"), as amended, to the extent such Prospectus Directive has been transposed in the relevant Member State of the European Economic Area. In the United Kingdom, this press release does not constitute an approved prospectus for the purpose of and as defined in section 85 of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (as amended) (the "FSMA"). The distribution of this press release is not made, and has not been approved, by an "authorized person" within the meaning of Article 21(1) of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 or any other authority which would be a competent authority for the purposes of the Prospectus Directive. As a consequence, in the United Kingdom, this press release, insofar as it constitutes an invitation or inducement to participate in the offering, is only being distributed to and only directed at (1) persons who have professional experience in matters related to investments falling within Article 19(5) of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Financial Promotion) Order 2005 (the "Order") or high net worth entities falling within Article 49(2)(a)-(d) of the Order or (2) persons to whom it may otherwise lawfully be communicated (all such persons together being referred to as "relevant persons"). The securities are only available to, and any invitation, offer or agreement to subscribe, purchase or otherwise acquire such securities will be engaged in only with, relevant persons. With respect to the Member States of the European Economic Area which have implemented the Prospectus Directive (each a "Relevant Member State"), no action has been undertaken or will be undertaken to make an offer to the public of the securities requiring a publication of a prospectus in any Relevant Member State, other than France. For the purposes of this provision, the expression an "offer to the public" in relation to the new or existing shares of the Company in any Relevant Member State means the communication in any form and by any means of sufficient information on the terms of the offer and the new or existing shares of the Company to be offered so as to enable an investor to decide to purchase the new or existing shares of the Company, as the same may be varied in that Member State by any measure implementing the Prospectus Directive in that Member State. The securities referred to herein may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration under the US Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act") or another exemption from, or in a transaction not subject to, the registration requirements of the Securities Act. Subject to certain exceptions, the securities referred to herein may not be offered or sold in Australia, Canada or Japan or to, or for the account or benefit of, any national, resident or citizen of Australia, Canada or Japan. The offer and sale of the securities referred to herein has not been and will not be registered under the Securities Act or under the applicable securities laws of Australia, Canada or Japan. There will be no public offer of the securities in the United States. THE INFORMATION CONTAINED HEREIN IS NOT FOR RELEASE, PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION, DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, IN OR INTO AUSTRALIA, CANADA, JAPAN OR THE UNITED STATES. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160504006469/en/ Contacts: GeNeuro Jesus Martin-Garcia Chairman and CEO investors@geneuro.com +41 22 794 50 85 or NewCap Julien Perez Investor relations geneuro@newcap.eu +33 1 44 71 98 52 or NewCap Nicolas Merigeau Media relations geneuro@newcap.eu +33 1 44 71 94 98 CALGARY, AB--(Marketwired - May 04, 2016) - The Board of Directors of Agrium Inc. (TSX: AGU) (NYSE: AGU) announced today that Derek G. Pannell, a veteran senior executive with deep experience across a wide array of industries, has been appointed Board Chair, effective at the conclusion of the Annual Meeting of Shareholders today. Mr. Pannell joined Agrium in 2008 and has served as an independent director since that time. He is the past President and Chief Executive Officer of Noranda Inc. and Falconbridge Limited. In addition to his duties at Agrium, he serves as Board Chair of Brookfield Infrastructure Partners Limited (an asset management company). Mr. Pannell is a graduate of the Imperial College of London, England and the Royal School of Mines, London, England (ARSM). He is an engineer registered in Quebec and a Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Engineering. Victor Zaleschuk, who has served on Agrium's Board since 2002 and as Board Chair since 2012, is retiring from the Board after today's Annual General Meeting of Shareholders. Agrium's Board of Directors and leadership sincerely thank Mr. Zaleschuk for his years of invaluable experience, stewardship and guidance during a time of significant growth and sizeable returns to shareholders of the Company. About Agrium Agrium Inc. is a major producer and distributor of agricultural products and services in North America, South America, Australia and Egypt through its agricultural retail-distribution and wholesale nutrient businesses. Agrium supplies growers with key products and services such as crop nutrients, crop protection, seed, and agronomic and application services, thereby helping to meet the ever growing global demand for food and fiber. Agrium produces nitrogen, potash and phosphate fertilizers, with a combined wholesale nutrient capacity of over nine million tonnes and with competitive advantages across all product lines. Agrium retail-distribution has an unmatched network of over 1,400 facilities and approximately 3,800 crop consultants. We partner with over half a million grower customers globally to help them increase their yields and returns on more than 50 different crops. With a focus on sustainability, the company strives to improve the communities in which it operates through safety, education, environmental improvement and new technologies such as the development of precision agriculture and controlled release nutrient products. Agrium is focused on driving operational excellence across our businesses, pursuing value-enhancing growth opportunities and returning capital to shareholders. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION: Investor/Media Relations: Richard Downey Vice President, Investor & Corporate Relations (403) 225-7357 Todd Coakwell Director, Investor Relations (403) 225-7437 Louis Brown Analyst, Investor Relations (403) 225-7761 Contact us at: www.agrium.com QUEBEC CITY, QUEBEC -- (Marketwired) -- 05/04/16 -- Department of Canadian Heritage The Honourable Melanie Joly, Minister of Canadian Heritage, today announced $1.5 million in financial support to Groupe Danse Partout, as well as $440,660 to the Theatre Petit Champlain. This funding, which the Government of Canada is providing through the Canada Cultural Spaces Fund, will help these two organizations in Quebec City renovate and redesign their respective performance venues and acquire specialized equipment. Quick Facts -- Groupe Danse Partout is the province's only organization specializing in contemporary dance performance outside of Montreal. Working through its two divisions-the Ecole de danse de Quebec and La Rotonde-it aims to promote the development of contemporary dance, its professionals and its audiences in the Quebec City area. -- By upgrading its three existing studios and adding three more, as well as spaces to support dancers, Groupe Danse Partout, through La Rotonde, is making the creation of its Maison pour la danse de Quebec a reality. -- The Theatre Petit Champlain is administered by Productions Dua and specializes in producing music concerts. It offers a variety of professional performances and promotes the discovery of emerging artists from the Quebec City area. -- The planned building work will help create a better design for the performance hall to improve its acoustics and views; replace seats; and relocate the emergency exits. Quotes "The Government of Canada is happy to support dance, music and performing arts professionals in the Quebec City region. The creation of the Maison pour la danse de Quebec and the revamping of the Theatre Petit Champlain will help enhance the cultural experience of Quebec City's lovers of the arts." - The Honourable Melanie Joly, Minister of Canadian Heritage "Through this commitment, Canadian Heritage is supporting the creation of a space dedicated to nurturing and developing individuals and organizations in the world of professional dance. It's a sign of the confidence placed in the talent of Quebec City's dancers, which will flourish in synergy with the creative communities here and beyond." - Jules Bois, Board Chair, Groupe Danse Partout "The trustees and all the staff of the Theatre Petit Champlain thank the Honourable Melanie Joly for her essential contribution to the revitalization of this cultural institution that is renowned both nationally and internationally. Thanks to the Canada Cultural Spaces Fund, the Theatre Petit Champlain can help its professional artists work with cutting-edge technology and let audiences enjoy more comfortable facilities." - Carl Laflamme, Board Chair, Productions Dua Associated Links Canada Cultural Spaces Fund Groupe Danse Partout Theatre Petit Champlain Stay Connected Follow us on Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, Instagram and Flickr. Contacts: Pierre-Olivier Herbert Press Secretary Office of the Minister of Canadian Heritage 819-997-7788 Media Relations Canadian Heritage 819-994-9101 1-866-569-6155 pch.media-media.pch@canada.ca EDMONTON, AB--(Marketwired - May 04, 2016) - Metabolomic Technologies Inc. (MTI) has signed a multi-million dollar exclusive licensing and distribution agreement with Atlantic Diagnostic Laboratories, LLC (ADL) for its flagship product, PolypDx', a urine-based diagnostic test for detection of adenomatous polyps, the precursor to colorectal cancer. Colorectal cancer is a leading cause of death in North America with over 157,000 new cases reported in 2015 alone. With early detection in the adenomatous polyp stage, this form of cancer is preventable. Currently, only 39% of colorectal cancer cases in the United States are diagnosed at an early and treatable stage resulting in a five-year survival rate of 63.5%. The introduction of PolypDx' hopes to change those statistics. PolypDx' gives doctors a new tool in the prevention of colorectal cancer. In a Canadian-based clinical trial of nearly 1,000 patients, MTI's PolypDx' demonstrated significantly higher sensitivity than current fecal-based screening tests to detect adenomatous polyps. Once screened, patients presenting a risk of adenomatous polyps can be directed to a colonoscopy, during which the adenomatous polyps can be completely and safely removed, thus preventing the progression into colorectal cancer. PolypDx' is a simple and effective test requiring only a small urine sample. Early detection and ease of use are key distinguishing factors for a screening test in the prevention of colorectal cancer. The exclusive, three and a half year, multi-million dollar licensing and distribution agreement signed between MTI and ADL provides a valuable entry point into the U.S. market. Initially, PolypDx' will be available across twelve eastern states through existing distribution channels with the ability to grow distribution across the United States. "The partnership and collaboration between MTI and Atlantic Diagnostic Laboratories will provide the opportunity for patients to access a simple and accurate test with proven capacity to detect adenomatous colonic polyps and thereby prevent colon cancer," said Dr. Richard Fedorak, President of MTI. "ADL, with its extensive LC/MS/MS expertise, has long awaited a high-quality partner such as MTI," said Aaron Domenico, Chief Operating Officer of ADL. He added, "ADL is very excited to be offering the PolypDx' non-invasive urine test." About Metabolomic Technologies Inc. (MTI): Metabolomic Technologies Inc. (MTI) is a privately held Canadian company based in Edmonton, Alberta. A spin-off from the University of Alberta, MTI focuses on the development of metabolomics-based diagnostic systems created from proprietary biomarker technologies. The Company's flagship product, PolypDx', an innovative urine diagnostic test, offers a significantly higher sensitivity in detecting adenomatous polyps, a precursor to colorectal cancer (CRC). CRC is a leading cause of death in North America, but is curable if identified through early screening processes. PolypDx' provides healthcare professionals with a tool for early screening and detection over less effective fecal-based screening methodologies considered suboptimal due to a lack of sensitivity and acceptability. MTI is committed to developing high value diagnostic tests for the management of chronic disease. The Company received the North American Frost & Sullivan Award for Technology Innovation Leadership in 2014. About Atlantic Diagnostic Laboratories, LLC (ADL): Atlantic Diagnostic Laboratories, LLC (ADL) is a U.S.-based independent clinical laboratory with its headquarters in the suburbs of Philadelphia. ADL is a full-service laboratory providing microbiology, chemistry, toxicology, immunology, and virology testing used by the medical profession in routine testing, patient diagnosis, and in the monitoring and treatment of diseases. It has also developed niche operations based on certain types of specialized testing capabilities providing insights that empower and enable medical professionals to make better healthcare decisions. ADL is fully accredited by the College of American Pathologists (CAP) for clinical and forensic studies. Media inquiries: Metabolomic Technologies Inc. David Chang VP Research Operation Email: david.chang@metabolomictechnologies.ca Phone: 587.772.1684 Media inquiries: Atlantic Diagnostic Laboratories, LLC Darin Domenico VP Client Services Email: media@adllab.net Phone: 267.525.2470 extension 207 OTTAWA, ONTARIO -- (Marketwired) -- 05/04/16 -- Members of the media are invited to attend an event where the Honourable Judy M. Foote, Minister of Public Services and Procurement, will make an announcement regarding the Canada Post Review. Date: May 5, 2016 Time: 11:00 a.m. (EST) Location: National Press Theatre 150 Wellington Senior officials will make a short presentation and will be available for a question period. Notes to editor / news director: Media may also participate by teleconference by registering with the Public Services and Procurement Canada Media Relations Office at 819-420-5501. The phone numbers for joining the teleconference will be provided upon registration. The announcement will be broadcast live on Periscope at https://www.periscope.tv/pspc_spac. Follow us on Twitter. Contacts: Media Relations Public Services and Procurement Canada 819-420-5501 Annie Trepanier Office of the Honourable Judy M. Foote 819-997-5421 WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Tesla Motors Inc. (TSLA) is losing two of its top executives as auto manufacture prepares to reports its first-quarter earnings results after the bell on Wednesday. Greg Reichow, Vice President of Production, and Josh Ensign, Vice President of Manufacturing, are leaving the company. The news was initially reported by CNBC. 'Greg and the team deserve a lot of credit for building an all-new manufacturing organization from the ground up and for making Model S and Model X a reality,' CEO Elon Musk said in a statement. 'We're confident that with the strength of the team, high-quality manufacturing at Tesla will continue.' The resignation comes at a time when the Palo Alto, California-based company is striving to boost the production of its Model X SUV and also start improving the production of its latest low-cost electric car Model 3 that rolls out in 2017. Tesla has received strong reservation of nearly 400,000 for the Model 3. Reichow is taking a leave of absence, but would remain at Tesla until a replacement could be found, Tesla said. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann. PARIS, FRANCE and NEW YORK, NY--(Marketwired - May 04, 2016) - FIABCI, the International Real Estate Federation, announced that it is accepting submissions for an international competition to support its "The City We Need is Affordable" campaign, focused on identifying and sharing best formulas and practices related to affordable housing. In the next 35 years, according to United Nations statistics, the world population might increase by up to 2 billion. The number of people living in urban settings will nearly double since such environments offer employment, innovation, public transportation and cultural opportunities. There is already a severe shortage of moderately priced housing in cities worldwide. To address the current and future housing crisis, FIABCI launched "The City We Need is Affordable" campaign. As the leading international organization representing the global real estate community and with its special NGO consultative status at the United Nations, FIABCI is uniquely positioned to bring together major urban stakeholders. "Up to now, affordable housing initiatives have been mainly undertaken by governments and urban authorities through subsidies, tax incentives, rezoning and allocation of extra air-rights. Our objective is to get the private sector involved to significantly expand activities and projects in this field and to substantially increase the supply of moderately-priced housing for rent and for sale for people working and living in cities," explained Danielle Grossenbacher, FIABCI World President. To reach this goal, FIABCI is actively seeking: Financing formulas attractive and rewarding for investors New construction methods, materials, design and technological innovations reducing the time and cost of construction without sacrificing quality Smartly planned sustainable communities, practical for an urban workforce Successful affordable developments with creative new components such as urban farming, work/live environments, etc. Effective public/private partnership formulas FIABCI is calling upon global industry experts to take an active role in the campaign by submitting innovative and successful realizations in the fields mentioned above. Submissions must be received by May 16. Please go to http://www.fiabci.org/city-we-need-is-affordable.php for detailed information. In June, all entrees will be reviewed and evaluated by a team of international real estate industry experts. The best solutions will be showcased at FIABCI's Urban Campaign Event in Quito, Ecuador, on October 18 2016, during the Habitat III Conference. "Well planned cities afford all residents the opportunity to lead safe, healthy and productive lives. Promoting social inclusion, resilience, innovation and prosperity is a global challenge that we must all meet," said Grossenbacher. The City We Need Campaign is an outgrowth of the World Urban Campaign and will be one of the focuses of the United Nations Habitat III conference being held in Quito, Ecuador from Oct 17-20, 2016. The conference will develop a 20-year urbanization strategy, called the New Urban Agenda, seeking urban solutions, initiatives, best practices, social policies, legislation and models. About FIABCI FIABCI, the International Real Estate Federation, is a business network of real estate professionals worldwide. FIABCI provides access and opportunity for real estate professionals interested in gaining knowledge, sharing information and conducting international business with each other. With members in 65 countries, including 100 Professional Associations, 65 Academic Institutions and 3000 individual members from all professions of the real estate sector, FIABCI is the most representative organisation of the real estate industry in the world and holds special consultative status with the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) of the United Nations. Contact: Alyssa Nightingale +1-631-367-8599 alyssa@nightingalepr.com SINGAPORE, May 5, 2016 - (ACN Newswire) - Healthe Care, Australia's third largest private healthcare group, officially became a member of Luye Medicals Group Pte Ltd (Luye Medical Group) after the AU$938 million acquisition from Australia's Archer Capital Fund was completed on April 18. With this acquisition, Luye Medical Group has grown into the ranks of the largest international private medical groups in the region.Healthe Care will continue to expand its business operations in the Australian market, and work closely with Luye Medical Group to expand its footprint and build high quality healthcare services in Singapore, China and the other Asian countries.The China healthcare market, driven by an aging population and emerging healthcare friendly policies, has accelerated its development. According to statistics, the market size of China's healthcare industry is approximately US$280 billion, while the compound annual growth rate of hospital income during 2009 to 2013 was 20%, with private hospitals achieving as high as 28%.However, due to lack of adequate policy support and infrastructure, it has been difficult for private hospitals to specialize and extend their services to a wider population, so Chinese private healthcare providers only cover about 10%(1) of the total patients population, notably lower than the 20% to 30% target(2) set by the government. Luye Medical Group believes that Healthe Care will enhance the Groups capabilities in China, enabling high quality healthcare services at international standards.Mr Choo Kin Poo, Luye Group Vice President, Strategy Planning & Business Development, said, "This is our largest acquisition so far. As a medical group headquartered in Singapore with assets overseas, having Healthe Care on board will allow us to build on our business strategy and plans to expand in Singapore and Asia Pacific.""The acquisition of Healthe Care represents an important milestone in the development of Luye Medical Group. It has great strategy significance and will influence the development of our healthcare services, and lays the foundation for Luye Medical Group and Luye Group to be a market leader both in China and internationally," said Mr. Liu Dianbo, Chairman of Luye Group.Both Healthe Care and Luye Medical Group specialize in areas such as oncology, cardiology, neuropsychiatry, orthopaedics and rehabilitation, using key therapeutic pharmaceutical products from Luye Pharma Group (HK:2186), another member of Luye Group.(1) Statistical Communique on Development in Health and Family Planning of China in 2014, as released by the National Health and Family Planning Commission: In 2014, patients of public hospitals were 134,150,000 (accounting for 87.3% of total patients) and patients of private hospitals were 19,600,000 (accounting for 12.7% of total patients).(2) In 2013, the State Council proposed a Plan for Deepening the Medical and Health System Reform during the 12th Five-year Plan Period , and an Implementation Program, in which beds and service quantity of non-public medical institutions shpuld reach approximately 20% of the total quantity by 2015.About Healthe CareHealthe Care was established in 2005. Currently, it runs 17 medical institutions in Australia's major cities and regions with about 2,000 beds, over 50 operating rooms and 5,000 employees. The major specialties of Healthe Care cover areas such as oncology, cardiology, neuropsychiatry, orthopedics, rehabilitation, gynecology, general medical services and uses advanced treatment technology and equipment.Healthe Care has built one of the first hybrid operating rooms in the world, and is the first medical institution to introduce robotic assisted spinal surgery in Australia. Its day surgery centres are equipped with meticulous pre-operation evaluation processes, advanced operating room conditions and equipment, scientific medical treatment procedures, complete post-operation follow-up systems, and are supported by highly professional and experienced surgeons and anesthetists, who have become a featured service of Healthe Care. For more information, please visit www.healthecare.com.au.About Luye Medical GroupHeadquartered in Singapore, Luye Medical Group has developed rapidly in recent years and achieved significant progress in expansion and globalization. Besides Healthe Care, it has acquired JC Health Co Ltd in South Korea, and is currently the largest shareholder of AsiaMedic Ltd (SG:AMAT) in Singapore. Luye Medical Group focuses on developing high quality and patient centric healthcare services and systems in Singapore, China, Australia and other Asian countries, and will continue to grow through partnerships with global healthcare institutions and mergers and acquisitions. For more information, please visit www.luyemedical.cn/en.Contact:Waterbrooks Consultants Pte LtdJacqueline LimTel: +65 9695 9318Email: jacqueline@waterbrooks.com.sgSource: Luye Medical Group Pte LtdCopyright 2016 ACN Newswire . All rights reserved. TORONTO, ONTARIO -- (Marketwired) -- 05/04/16 -- Allied Properties REIT (TSX: AP.UN) today announced results for its first quarter ended March 31, 2016. "Our leasing activity this year reflects the depth and breadth of demand for urban office space in our target markets across the country," said Michael Emory, President & CEO. "Leased area at the end of the first quarter was up in all regions. Our Montreal portfolio was up by 110 basis points and our Toronto portfolio by 90 basis points. Perhaps most encouragingly, our Calgary portfolio was up by 30 basis points. We expect our leased area to continue to increase over the remaining three quarters of the year." The first quarter results are summarized below: AS AT MARCH 31, ------------------------------------------------ (In thousands except for per unit and % amounts) 2016 2015 $ CHANGE % CHANGE ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Investment properties $ 4,291,196 $ 3,759,462 $ 531,734 14.1% Unencumbered investment properties $ 1,699,470 $ 1,097,720 $ 601,750 54.8% Cost of PUD as a % of GBV 5.6% 7.5% (1.9)% - NAV per unit $ 33.12 $ 30.79 $ 2.33 7.6% Total debt as a % of total assets 36.7% 33.5% 3.2% - Net debt as a multiple of annualized Adjusted EBITDA 7.5x 6.4x 1.1x - Interest-coverage ratio including capitalized interest 3.1x 3.1x - - Interest-coverage ratio excluding capitalized interest 4.2x 4.0x 0.2x - ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- FOR THE THREE MONTHS ENDED MARCH 31, ------------------------------------------- (In thousands except for per unit and % amounts) 2016 2015 $ CHANGE % CHANGE ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Net income excluding gain (loss) on disposal and IFRS value adjustments $ 34,830 $ 34,324 506 1.5% Net income (loss) $ 37,468 $ (3,629) 41,097 1,132.5% Same-asset NOI - rental portfolio $ 48,588 $ 47,390 1,198 2.5% Same-asset NOI - total portfolio $ 52,795 $ 51,323 1,472 2.9% Funds from operations ("FFO") $ 42,062 $ 39,418 2,644 6.7% Adjusted FFO ("AFFO") $ 34,695 $ 35,753 (1,058) (3.0%) FFO per unit (diluted) 0.54 0.51 0.03 5.9% AFFO per unit (diluted) 0.44 0.47 (0.03) (6.4%) FFO pay-out ratio 70.0% 71.0% (1.0%) - AFFO pay-out ratio 84.8% 78.3% 6.5% - ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- OPERATIONS AND LEASING FFO per unit for the first quarter was 54 cents, up 6% from the comparable quarter in 2015. NAV per unit at the end of the quarter was $33.12, up 8% from the comparable point in time in 2015. As expected, Allied returned to same-asset NOI growth (2.5% overall) with strong results in Eastern and Central Canada being tempered by results in Western Canada. Allied expects overall same-asset NOI growth to continue to strengthen over the remaining three quarters of 2016. Leasing momentum was strong in the first quarter. Allied's occupancy at quarter-end was 91%, up 50 basis points from the prior quarter and 280 basis points from the comparable quarter in 2015. Allied's leased area was 92%, up 90 basis points from the prior quarter and 80 basis points from the same quarter last year. Allied renewed or replaced leases for 96% of the GLA that matured in the first quarter and 47% of the GLA scheduled to mature in 2016. This resulted in an overall increase of 3% in net rental income per square foot from the affected space. DEVELOPMENT Allied scheduled three developments for completion in 2016. 485 King West in Toronto was completed in the first quarter. The Breithaupt Block, Phase II, in Kitchener is on schedule for completion in the second quarter. The third and largest development, 250 Front West in Toronto, is scheduled for completion at year-end. Demand for internet and cloud infrastructure is on the rise globally. Allied has entered into expansion negotiations with existing tenants, as well as negotiations with a prospective new tenant, that could result in material additional lease-up from the current 54% level. Allied expects to initiate two or more Toronto developments in 2016 in response to the ongoing demand for distinctive urban office space. With its co-owner, RioCan, Allied initiated the development of King-Portland Centre in Toronto in April of 2016. Like Allied's QRC West, King-Portland Centre will involve the integration of new LEED certified commercial space with a restored heritage structure, a format that Allied believes has enduring social and commercial appeal in intensifying urban centres. Allied is actively pre-leasing the office component of 19 Duncan, The Well and Union Centre in Toronto and expects to initiate at least one of these projects this year. ACQUISITIONS Allied initially expected its acquisition environment to be unfavourable in 2016 due to prohibitive pricing and lack of availability. With $41.5 million of accretive acquisitions closed in the first quarter and another $218 million scheduled to close at the end of May 2016, the environment has proven to be more favourable than expected. These acquisitions will be meaningfully accretive to Allied's annual FFO and AFFO per unit. One of them, Le Nordelec in Montreal, will also afford Allied the opportunity to boost rental revenue and value over time. It will also enable Allied to satisfy the ongoing demand for creative and cost-effective workspace in downtown Montreal. Under Allied's management, Le Nordelec will continue to evolve as a premiere Class I complex, along with Cite Multimedia (which is 98% leased), 5505 St-Laurent (which is 100% leased) and 5445-5455 de Gaspe (which is approaching 85% lease-up). OUTLOOK Allied expects its operating and development environment to be generally favourable in 2016, and its acquisition environment has proven to be more favourable than initially expected. Allied expects a return to solid same asset NOI growth in 2016, enabling it to deliver FFO, AFFO and NAV per unit growth in the mid-single-digit range. While Allied's acquisition activity is well ahead of internal forecast, Management is not yet prepared to modify the overall outlook for the year. Allied's outlook is predicated on the continued intensification of the urban core of Canada's major cities and the continued desire on the part of office users to locate in distinctive urban office environments, both of which Management considers to be secular trends. Allied's outlook is underpinned by ongoing leasing success and recent acquisition success in its target markets. It is also underpinned by the depth and strength of the Allied team and the team's ability to execute Allied's strategy at all levels. CAUTIONARY STATEMENTS FFO, AFFO, NAV, EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA, total debt and net debt are not financial measures defined by International Financial Reporting Standards ("IFRS"). Please see Allied's MD&A for a description of these measures and their reconciliation to financial measures defined by IFRS, as presented in Allied's unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements for the quarter ended March 31, 2016. These statements, together with accompanying notes and MD&A, have been filed with SEDAR, www.sedar.com, and are also available on Allied's web-site, www.alliedreit.com. NOI is not a measure recognized under IFRS and does not have any standardized meaning prescribed by IFRS. NOI is presented in this press release because Management of Allied believes that this non-IFRS measure is an important financial performance indicator. NOI, as computed by Allied, may differ from similar computations as reported by other similar organizations and, accordingly, may not be comparable to NOI reported by such organizations. This press release may contain forward-looking statements with respect to Allied, its operations, strategy, financial performance and condition. These statements generally can be identified by use of forward looking words such as "may", "will", "expect", "estimate", "anticipate", "intends", "believe" or "continue" or the negative thereof or similar variations. Allied's actual results and performance discussed herein could differ materially from those expressed or implied by such statements. Such statements are qualified in their entirety by the inherent risks and uncertainties surrounding future expectations. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from expectations include, among other things, general economic and market factors, competition, changes in government regulations and the factors described under "Risk Factors" in Allied's Annual Information Form which is availavble at www.sedar.com. The cautionary statements qualify all forward-looking statements attributable to Allied and persons acting on its behalf. Unless otherwise stated, all forward- looking statements speak only as of the date of this press release, and Allied has no obligation to update such statements. ABOUT ALLIED Allied Properties REIT is a leading owner, manager and developer of urban office environments that enrich experience and enhance profitability for business tenants operating in Canada's major cities. Its objectives are to provide stable and growing cash distributions to unitholders and to maximize unitholder value through effective management and accretive portfolio growth. Contacts: Allied Properties REIT Michael R. Emory President & Chief Executive Officer 416.977.9002 memory@alliedreit.com Allied Properties REIT Tom G. Burns Executive Vice President & Chief Operating Officer 416.977.9002 tburns@alliedreit.com Allied Properties REIT Cecilia C. Williams Vice President & Chief Financial Officer 416.977.9002 cwilliams@alliedreit.com www.alliedreit.com Technavio's latest global X-band radar market report highlights three key emerging trends predicted to impact market growth through 2020. Technavio defines an emerging trend as something that has potential for significant impact on the market and contributes to its growth or decline. "Rise in energy consumption and seaborne trade are expected to significantly contribute to the growth of the X-band radar market during the forecast period. It is estimated that by 2030 seaborne trade will surpass 24 billion tons in volumes, with China predicted to account for almost a quarter of the global commercial fleet during this period," said Abhay Singh, one of Technavio's lead analysts for defense research. "Energy consumption has tripled over the past five decades due to economic growth in developing countries. The global annual oil consumption in 2014 was recorded to be 92 MMb/d and it is expected to increase to 118 MMb/d by 2030. This rise in energy consumption will significantly contribute towards the growth of in of merchant vessels. As these ships use X-band radars to avoid collision with other ships, the market will witness a surge in its demand over the next four years" added Abhay. Technavio's market research study identifies the following three emerging trends expected to propel the growth of the X-band radar market: Development of multi-function radar Increased use of transportable X-band radars Increased adoption of new technology Development of multi-function radar Multi-function radar (MFR) is a three-face X-band active phased-array radar incorporated with volume search radar to form a dual-band radar suite. It is designed and developed to detect threats posed by low observable anti-ship cruise missiles (ASCM) and to support fire control requirements for standard missiles (SM-2/SM-3) and evolved sea sparrow missiles (ESSM). The system also delivers other functions such as horizon search/track-while-scan (HS/TWS), threat target illumination, and missile uplink/downlink to support ship self-defense. MFR also supports search and track functions including sector/volume research, counter-battery, cued acquisition, periscope detection and discrimination, surface search/navigation, and naval surface fire support. The MFR performs the functions delivered by more than five radars and reduces ownership cost and operating requirements for maintenance. AN/SPY-3 is a multi-function radar developed by Raytheon for littoral and blue-water operations. In 2015, the US Navy awarded a USD 12 million contract to Raytheon to develop a radar suite including AN/SPY-4 volume search radar at S-band and AN/SPY-3 multifunction radar at X-band. The radar suite is expected to be introduced in the Ford-class aircraft carriers, Zumwalt-class destroyers, and LH (X) future ship class. Increased use of transportable X-band radars Growing threats of ballistic missiles have increased the use of transportable X-band radar to counter those threats. According to the US Intelligence, it is estimated that there are more than 6,300 ballistic missiles excluding those of the US, Russia, NATO, and China, and this number will likely reach 8,000 by 2020. As these nations are developing nuclear, chemical, and biological warheads, it becomes necessary for other countries to counter those threats while improving their weaponry systems. One such system developed by Raytheon to detect or counter those threats is AN/TPY-2. It is also commonly known as forward-based X-band radar transportable (FBX-T) and is a phased-array X-band radar that tracks missiles in the boost phase. It is a land-based mobile radar system that offers the flexibility to transport by air, sea, or rail. The system consists of the following components: A terminal high-altitude area defense (THAAD) radar with improved software and hardware programs An interface for communication with ballistic missile defense system (BMDS) Associated power and cooling equipment Using these components, FBX-T detects and assesses ballistic missile threats (during the initial phase of the flight) and provides enhanced situational awareness to the operator with the options of engaging with BMDS. Increased adoption of new technology Improvements in the phased-array radar have led to the development of digital beamforming technology. This technology had several errors in fixed-delay systems (inflexible) and variable delay systems (limited performance variations). Moreover, it could not track multiple targets simultaneously. However, the introduction of digital beamforming technology eliminates the performance variations and can send multiple beams at the same time. The radars supporting this technology can monitor multiple directions simultaneously, which is a major advantage compared to conventional systems. These can also be placed on satellites to perform environmental monitoring and spy missions from the orbit. They are combined with antenna and digital technologies to secure the incoming information as well. Browse related reports: Global Air and Missile Defense Radar System Market 2016-2020 Global Military Radar Systems Market 2015-2019 Global Naval Radar Systems Market 2016-2020 Global Radar Systems and Technology Market 2016-2020 Global Environmental Sensing and Monitoring Market 2015-2019 Market Analysis Purchase any three reports for the price of one by becoming a Technavio subscriber. Subscribing to Technavio's reports allows you to download any three reports per month for the price of one. Contact enquiry@technavio.com with your requirements and a link to our subscription platform. About Technavio Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. The company develops over 2000 pieces of research every year, covering more than 500 technologies across 80 countries. Technavio has about 300 analysts globally who specialize in customized consulting and business research assignments across the latest leading edge technologies. Technavio analysts employ primary as well as secondary research techniques to ascertain the size and vendor landscape in a range of markets. Analysts obtain information using a combination of bottom-up and top-down approaches, besides using in-house market modeling tools and proprietary databases. They corroborate this data with the data obtained from various market participants and stakeholders across the value chain, including vendors, service providers, distributors, re-sellers, and end-users. If you are interested in more information, please contact our media team at media@technavio.com. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160504005114/en/ Contacts: Technavio Research Jesse Maida Media Marketing Executive US: +1 630 333 9501 UK: +44 208 123 1770 http://www.technavio.com/ media@technavio.com NEW YORK, NY--(Marketwired - May 04, 2016) - Dan Ennis and Sandy Steele founded Homeage with the goal of disrupting the home-staging industry with a digital solution that saves developers, home sellers and brokers time and money. Its proprietary, mobile-friendly digital interface provides clients with the ability to quickly and easily request proposals and estimates via www.shophomeage.com. The client simply fills out the order form with critical information for an effective staging, including uploads of photos and floor plans of the space. The following day, Homeage returns with detailed recommendations on how to improve the space, a design aesthetic and three implementation options with varying degrees of involvement: 1) do-it-yourself, 2) collaboration and 3) an all- inclusive approach where Homeage handles all design planning and condition improvements, such as painting and repairs, cleaning, creation of spatially aware furniture layouts, and staging/showcasing. "Homeage was born out of the idea that great design should be more accessible to home sellers who are looking to competitively list and market their property," said founder Dan Ennis. "While simultaneously allowing buyers to truly visualize the home of their dreams. The seller is happier because the property is more likely to sell for more money, more quickly. The buyer also benefits because the property is in peak condition and move-in ready." Staging has become essential to stand out in New York's extremely competitive real estate market, but sellers find it hard to justify the time and money required to stage. With Homeage's effortless solution, it is now easier than ever to stage a property, reducing overall turnaround time while maximizing a property's value. Earlier in April, Homeage added Lonnie Graham, who boasts experience at a leading competitor, to its ranks. Graham holds degrees in fashion merchandising and home product development from the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT). About Homeage Homeage is a full-service home-staging firm, founded by two professionals specializing in marketing, product management and client relations, serving the New York City tristate area. In addition to the traditional model of in-person consultations, Homeage reduces the time and expense of staging by allowing prospective customers -- developers, home sellers and brokers -- to request a proposal and pricing estimates via its easy-to-use online form at www.shophomeage.com. Homeage partners with its customers to meet their objectives, either splitting the necessary work or by providing a seamless, all-inclusive experience by managing the entire staging process, from handiwork and painting to furniture rentals and showcasing. For More Information, Contact: Sandy Steele Founder o: 347.273.2999 e: sandy@shophomeage.com CALGARY, ALBERTA -- (Marketwired) -- 05/04/16 -- News Release - TransCanada Corporation (TSX: TRP) (NYSE: TRP) (TransCanada) today announced it has withdrawn and will refile on May 6 its pre-merger notification for the planned acquisition of Columbia Pipeline Group. Inc. (NYSE: CPGX) (Columbia). The notification was first filed on April 4, 2016 with the United States Federal Trade Commission (FTC) under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Anti-Trust Improvements Act (the HSR Act). The refiling will set a new 30-day period for review by the FTC. "Pull and refile" is a common procedure used by applicants to provide additional time to the FTC to confirm information about a complex transaction. TransCanada is cooperating with the FTC review and remains confident that it will receive clearance to allow the merger transaction to close in the second half of 2016, subject to completion of other conditions to closing, including the approval of Columbia's stockholders scheduled for June 22, 2016 and authorization of the transaction by the Committee of Foreign Investment of the United States. In March, TransCanada announced an agreement to acquire Columbia for US$13 billion including approximately US$2.8 billion of assumed debt. The acquisition represents an opportunity for TransCanada to invest in an extensive growing network of regulated natural gas pipeline and storage assets in the prolific Marcellus and Utica shale gas regions. With more than 65 years' experience, TransCanada is a leader in the responsible development and reliable operation of North American energy infrastructure including natural gas and liquids pipelines, power generation and gas storage facilities. TransCanada operates a network of natural gas pipelines that extends more than 67,000 kilometres (42,000 miles), tapping into virtually all major gas supply basins in North America. TransCanada is one of the continent's largest providers of gas storage and related services with 368 billion cubic feet of storage capacity. A growing independent power producer, TransCanada owns or has interests in over 11,400 megawatts of power generation in Canada and the United States. TransCanada is developing one of North America's largest liquids delivery systems. TransCanada's common shares trade on the Toronto and New York stock exchanges under the symbol TRP. Visit TransCanada.com and our blog to learn more, or connect with us on social media and 3BL Media. FORWARD LOOKING INFORMATION This publication contains certain information that is forward-looking and is subject to important risks and uncertainties (such statements are usually accompanied by words such as "anticipate", "expect", "believe", "may", "will", "should", "estimate", "intend" or other similar words). Forward-looking statements in this document are intended to provide TransCanada security holders and potential investors with information regarding TransCanada and its subsidiaries, including management's assessment of TransCanada's and its subsidiaries' future plans and financial outlook. All forward-looking statements reflect TransCanada's beliefs and assumptions based on information available at the time the statements were made and as such are not guarantees of future performance. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on this forward-looking information, which is given as of the date it is expressed in this news release, and not to use future-oriented information or financial outlooks for anything other than their intended purpose. TransCanada undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information except as required by law. For additional information on the assumptions made, and the risks and uncertainties which could cause actual results to differ from the anticipated results, refer to TransCanada's First Quarter Report to Shareholders dated April 28, 2016 and 2015 Annual Report on our website at www.transcanada.com or filed under TransCanada's profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com and with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission at www.sec.gov. Contacts: Media Enquiries: Mark Cooper / Terry Cunha 403.920.7859 or 800.608.7859 TransCanada Investor & Analyst Enquiries: David Moneta / Stuart Kampel 403.920.7911 or 800.361.6522 PASADENA, CA--(Marketwired - May 04, 2016) - The California Air Resources Board today announced a $23.6 million award to deploy the largest number of zero emission trucks servicing ports in the history of the nation. With this funding, 43 zero emission big rigs, transporting shipping containers, will be deployed in and around California's seaports. The trucks will be built by four different heavy-duty truck manufacturers. All 43 trucks will be operating in Disadvantaged Communities, areas where the income levels are low and the residents are disproportionately impacted by poor air quality. "This program is a great example of how California's greenhouse gas policies, namely the Cap & Trade program, are helping to not only prevent climate change but also improve air quality," said CALSTART President and CEO John Boesel. This is the single largest grant ever made to advance zero emission trucks serving ports in the United States. The total investment in the project was $40 million. The California Climate Investment funds (generated from the GHG Cap & Trade program) were matched by approximately $16.4 million in funding from the regional air districts. The project team includes the South Coast Air Quality Management District, the Bay Area Air Quality Management District, the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District, the San Diego Air Pollution Control District, and the Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality Management District. CALSTART worked with the air districts to help identify and recruit some of the key truck makers and suppliers. As a member of the winning proposal team, CALSTART will serve as an advisor and provide technical support to the project. CALSTART will focus on strategies to help develop the market and commercialize the trucks deployed and tested under this grant. The proposal will support the development of three different zero emission truck propulsion configurations. 100 percent battery electric trucks will be developed by BYD and a team consisting of Peterbilt and California start-up TransPower. Volvo will be deploying a plug-in hybrid electric diesel truck under the Mack brand. And, a fourth team, involving both Peterbilt and Kenworth, partnered with BAE Systems, will be deploying a truck that uses a natural gas engine to recharge the batteries and provide the capability to operate in zero emission mode. "With today's announcement, California is taking a major step toward the development of zero emission big rigs for intra-regional applications. Trucks with no tailpipe emissions are needed to meet air quality standards not only in California, but in many of the mega-cities in Asia, South America, and Europe. To bring this sector toward commercial viability, California policymakers need to make a multi-year commitment of Cap & Trade funds," said Boesel. About CALSTART CALSTART and its 160 member companies are dedicated to expanding and supporting a clean transportation industry that cleans the air, creates jobs and economic opportunities, reduces greenhouse gas emissions and secures our transportation energy future. CALSTART's member companies represent a broad range of clean transportation technologies, and the fleets that use them, including fuel providers, truck, bus and car makers and Fortune 500 companies. For further information visit www.calstart.org. Contact: John Boesel Email contact 626/744-5607 TORONTO, ONTARIO -- (Marketwired) -- 05/04/16 -- ABERDEEN INTERNATIONAL INC. ("Aberdeen", or the "Company") (TSX: AAB) has successfully completed its normal course issuer bid ("NCIB") for the year as announced in the press release dated March 8th, 2016. Under the NCIB, Aberdeen was able to purchase for cancellation 10% of the common shares in the public float. Based on the 66,168,462 common shares in the public float as of March 2, 2016, the maximum number of shares eligible to be purchased and cancelled was 6,616,846. Aberdeen utilized a block transaction to purchase 6,616,846 shares with a purchase price of $0.18 for $1,191,032.28. After the cancellation of those shares, the outstanding share count of Aberdeen is now 88,912,282 and the NCIB is considered closed for the year. ABOUT ABERDEEN INTERNATIONAL Aberdeen International is a global resource investment company and merchant bank focused on small capitalization companies in the mining and metals sector. African Thunder Platinum, Aberdeen's premiere investment, is a lower-cost platinum group metals project in South Africa's well-known Bushveld Complex. Aberdeen has further enhanced its investment holdings with its holding of 50% of Potasio y Litio de Argentina SA, which holds the Sal de los Angeles lithium project in Argentina. For additional information, please visit our website at www.aberdeeninternational.ca and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and check out Aberdeen's YouTube Channel. Cautionary Notes Except for statements of historical fact contained herein, the information in this press release constitutes "forward-looking information" within the meaning of Canadian securities law. Such forward-looking information may be identified by words such as "plans", "proposes", "estimates", "intends", "expects", "believes", "may", "will" and include without limitation, statements regarding, proceeds to be received on closing or subsequently, the ability of the Company to generate additional value for shareholders as a result of such transactions, past success as an indicator of future success; net asset value of the Company; the potential of investee companies and the appreciation of their share price; the Company's plan of business operations; industry opportunities and dynamics and anticipated returns. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate; actual results and future events could differ materially from such statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially include, among others, metal prices, competition, financing risks, acquisition risks, risks inherent in the mining industry, and regulatory risks. Most of these factors are beyond the control of the Company. Investors are cautioned not to put undue reliance on forward-looking information. Except as otherwise required by applicable securities statutes or regulation, the Company expressly disclaims any intent or obligation to update publicly forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Contacts: Aberdeen International Inc. Rob Hopkins Manager, Investor Relations +1 416-861-5899 info@aberdeeninternational.ca Aberdeen International Inc. David Stein President and Chief Executive Officer +1 416-861-5812 dstein@aberdeeninternational.ca AUSTIN, TX --(Marketwired - May 04, 2016) - Austin property tax law firm Michel Gray today announced the firm prevailed in a precedent-setting appeals case filed on behalf of its client, Sebastian Cotton & Grain Ltd., against the Willacy County Appraisal District (WCAD). "This is a major victory for all Texas property owners, commercial and residential," said Michel Gray principal and managing partner Lorri Michel. "The outcome of this case affirms the fundamental rights of every property taxpayer in Texas to fair treatment under the law and full access to justice." Sebastian Cotton & Grain Ltd. v Willacy County Appraisal District dealt with an agreement between the South Texas cotton gin and granary and WCAD regarding the ownership of a large quantity of grain. Both WCAD and Sebastian agreed that Sebastian was not the owner of the majority of grain stored at its facility, and entered into a binding agreement allocating ownership of only a portion of the grain to Sebastian. Subsequently, the chief appraiser for WCAD changed his mind and assigned ownership of the grain to Sebastian, citing Section 25.25(b) of the Texas Property Tax Code as authority to "correct" the appraisal roll. Sebastian Cotton & Grain retained Austin property tax attorney Lorri Michel to defend its rights under the tax code. After the trial court ruled in favor of WCAD, Michel appealed that decision. On April 28, the 13 th Court of Appeals rejected WCAD's reading of Section 25.25(b), holding that "While WCAD's exercise of power may well be convenient for its purposes, WCAD may not contradict the limitations of the Tax Code in order to achieve this convenience." The court also awarded mandatory attorney fees to Michel Gray, pursuant to Section 42.29 of the Texas Property Tax Code. "Taxpayers are entitled to rely on agreements with chief appraisers and the provisions of the Texas Property Tax Code in order to achieve finality of their tax liability," said Michel, who has long advocated for taxpayer rights. "We are pleased that the 13 th Court of Appeals affirmed this fundamental doctrine of fairness and rejected the chief appraiser's strained arguments to the contrary." "Justice should not be available only to those who can afford to hire legal counsel," Michel said. "The court's award of mandatory attorney fees in this case affirms that all property taxpayers who successfully challenge appraisal district actions in this state will have the right of access to the courts." About Michel Gray Michel Gray is a full-service property tax law firm with 100-plus years of combined property tax and real estate experience among its principals. Based in Austin, but with a national presence, Michel Gray focuses on issues related to property taxation. For more information, visit www.michelgray.com. MEDIA CONTACT: The PR Boutique Gretchen Brice gretchen@theprboutique.com 512.363.5160 CALGARY, ALBERTA -- (Marketwired) -- 05/04/16 -- DIRTT Environmental Solutions Ltd. ("DIRTT" or the "Company") (TSX: DRT), a leading technology-enabled designer, manufacturer and installer of fully customized, prefabricated interiors, today announced its financial results for the three-month period ended March 31, 2016. This news release contains references to Canadian dollars and United States dollars. Canadian dollars are referred to as "$" and United States dollars are referred to as "US$". Selected Highlights For the three months ended March 31, 2016 the Company reported: -- Significant non-energy revenue growth in the quarter of 27.3%; -- Trailing 12-month revenue was $235.8 million versus $203.5 million in the prior 12-month period, an increase of 15.9%; -- Adjusted gross profit (see "Non-IFRS Measures") increased by $0.3 million to $24.8 million, or 1.2%, over Q1 2015; -- Adjusted gross profit % (see "Non-IFRS Measures") increased by 120 basis points from 43.2% to 44.4% over Q1 2015; -- Continued and expanded investment in sales, marketing and business development contributing to Adjusted SG&A as a percentage of revenue (see "Non-IFRS Measures") of 34.4%; and -- Adjusted EBITDA (see "Non-IFRS Measures") for the quarter and trailing 12 months of $4.6 million and $27.7 million, respectively. "In 2015 we could see challenges on the horizon for the energy industry and in response we proactively increased our sales efforts and investments across North America and all industry sectors," said Mogens Smed, CEO of DIRTT. "As a direct result, we reported non-energy sector revenue growth of 27.3% over the first quarter of 2015." "While we remain focused on diversifying and building our core North American business we were also pleased to see an 83% increase in our international business to $4.2 million in the quarter," said Scott Jenkins, President. "We have increased our sales and marketing-related team by 14.4% from the prior year and will continue to make further strategic investments to drive growth." "Favorable project mix and relatively stable manufacturing volume helped us to generate improved gross profit over the prior year period, in conjunction with a more favorable average US-Canadian exchange rate in this year's quarter," said Derek Payne, CFO of DIRTT. "Alongside better industry fundamentals, we saw stronger sales momentum as we exited the quarter and we expect stronger year-over-year results for the second quarter." Summary Financial Results ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Q1 Q1 2016 2015 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ($ thousands, except per share amounts) Revenue 55,923 56,701 Gross profit 24,066 23,801 Gross profit % 43.0% 42.0% Adjusted gross profit (1) 24,809 24,511 Adjusted gross profit % (1) 44.4% 43.2% Selling, general and administrative ("SG&A") 23,146 20,071 SG&A as a % of revenue 41.4% 35.4% Adjusted SG&A (1) 19,249 17,428 Adjusted SG&A as a % of revenue (1) 34.4% 30.7% Operating income 920 3,730 Adjusted EBITDA (1) 4,578 8,689 Adjusted EBITDA as % of revenue (1) 8.2% 15.3% Income tax (recovery) expense (29) 222 Net income 368 4,682 Net income per share - basic and diluted 0.00 0.06 Cash flows provided by operating activities 1,268 4,261 Cash flows provided by operating activities (1) before changes in non-cash working capital 2,682 8,304 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- March 31, December 31, As at 2016 2015 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Cash and cash equivalents 83,523 91,405 Working capital 99,664 103,858 Long-term debt 7,526 9,161 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Note: (1) See "Non-IFRS Measures". Revenue Revenue decreased by $0.8 million, or 1.4%, for Q1 2016 compared with Q1 2015. Q1 2015 revenue included $8.1 million from the previously announced US$30.0 million US energy sector contract compared to nil in Q1 2016. This business was partially offset by a general increase in activity from small and medium-sized projects in the current year period from a diverse range of industry segments. While total volume decreased quarter over quarter, the stronger US dollar versus the comparable period in 2015 increased the Canadian dollar value of US revenue, largely offsetting the decline in volume. Sales to the energy sector accounted for 9% of total revenue in Q1 2016, down from 28% of total revenue in Q1 2015. This decline was largely offset by increases in revenue from almost all other sectors. Below is a breakdown of the percentage of revenue by sector for Q1 2016 versus Q1 2015: Click here to view: http://media3.marketwire.com/docs/RevenuebySector.jpg Adjusted Gross Profit Adjusted gross profit for Q1 2016 improved slightly to $24.8 million from $24.5 million for Q1 2015, with adjusted gross profit % widening 120 basis points to 44.4% from 43.2%. Relatively steady manufacturing volumes throughout Q1 2016, combined with a diverse project mix, contributed to the increase in adjusted gross profit % in Q1 2016. The higher US dollar to Canadian dollar exchange rate also contributed to increased adjusted gross profit in Q1 2016, as the positive impact on US dollar revenue exceeded the negative impact on US dollar-based production costs. Adjusted SG&A Expenses Adjusted SG&A as a percentage of revenue increased by 370 basis points from 30.7% to 34.4% in Q1 2016 compared with Q1 2015. Adjusted SG&A expenses increased by $1.8 million, or 10.4%, for Q1 2016 compared with Q1 2015. The increase reflects DIRTT's ongoing investment in long-term growth. The most significant changes can be attributed directly to marketing-related efforts including travel, people and promotional build-outs to showcase our capabilities. The higher US dollar to Canadian dollar exchange rate also contributed to the overall increase in adjusted SG&A expenses across the organization for Q1 2016, as certain of these expenditures are denominated in US dollars. Adjusted EBITDA Adjusted EBITDA decreased by $4.1 million, or 47.3%, for Q1 2016 compared with Q1 2015. Adjusted EBITDA as a percentage of revenue for Q1 2016 weakened by 710 basis points from 15.3% to 8.2% in Q1 2015. A large portion of the decrease was related to the increase in foreign exchange loss of $2.6 million in Q1 2016 as a result of significant fluctuations in foreign exchange rates which impacted the translation of US dollar denominated balances and day-to-day transactions. The remainder of the decrease in Q1 2016 came from higher adjusted SG&A expenses of $1.8 million, partially offset by the improvement in adjusted gross profit of $0.3 million. Outlook Our growth strategy consists of five key initiatives: (1) increasing penetration of existing markets by providing continued support and increased investment to our existing DPs throughout North America; (2) expanding into new geographies, such as the Middle East and United Kingdom, by capitalizing on recent and continued investment alongside new international DPs; (3) penetrating new vertical markets such as the healthcare, education and residential sectors; (4) continuing to invest in ICE and new innovative interior construction solutions such as the Enzo Approach, residential interiors and timber frame construction; and (5) partnering with industry leaders to monetize innovative solutions. With the recent launch of our residential and timber frame solutions, we have officially entered into these markets. We do not expect to see meaningful revenue from these markets in the near term; however, we were pleased to announce the award of our first significant residential contract for 16 duplexes in Alaska. We believe DIRTT Solutions are a superior alternative to conventional construction in all sectors of the construction industry, and that a continued increase in construction activity can be expected to result in an ongoing improvement in our revenue. We plan to invest additional resources, including the further development of ICE and the development of new DIRTT Solutions and test projects, to pursue further opportunities in healthcare, education, government and residential sectors of the construction industry. The American Institute of Architects' (AIA) Architecture Billings Index (ABI) can be a useful leading economic indicator of how US non-residential billing activity could trend. The most recent March billings and design activity numbers continued to show growth nationally, building on an improving trend in February following a slower start to the year. Regionally, the Northeast, South and West all saw billings grow with the Midwest remaining essentially flat. Both DIRTT and the AIA believe these overall numbers still point to solid fundamentals that could support growth across all segments of the building industry for the next nine to 12 months. A major component of DIRTT's ongoing marketing activities is DIRTT Connext, our annual sales, marketing and training initiative which occurs every June in Chicago. It coincides with NeoCon, North America's largest commercial interiors exposition which typically attracts 50,000 design professionals. Each year DIRTT transforms its company-owned Chicago GLC to showcase its newest innovations and construction solutions to the architect and design community, clients, investors and the media. Distribution Partners and DIRTT sales representatives also take part in comprehensive training sessions, hear from DIRTT's leadership team and key third parties, and network with colleagues - all to strengthen their ability to succeed in their local markets. The total cost for DIRTT Connext in 2015 was $2.3 million. As the tangible benefits of this yearly event continue to become more evident, we expect to increase our investment in DIRTT Connext. This year's cost will be higher as we ramp up our investment in ongoing support and development of the broader team, more of our Distribution Partners and sales representatives participate, and the number of tours for our Distribution Partners' out-of-town clients continues to increase. Along with our investment, our Distribution Partners incur their own travel costs - in some cases bringing their entire teams to leverage the training and selling opportunity. While these expenses are primarily incurred in Q2, DIRTT Connext's comprehensive sales and marketing initiatives significantly enhance regular marketing, training and communications efforts throughout the remainder of the year and beyond. Liquidity and Capital Resources At March 31, 2016, we had $83.5 million in cash and cash equivalents compared with $91.4 million at December 31, 2015. At March 31, 2016, we also had access to an undrawn US$18.0 million revolving credit facility. In March 2016, we signed a fourth amendment to the amended and restated loan agreement with our lenders, which among other things, provided us with an additional capital financing facility of US$10.0 million, which was undrawn as at March 31, 2016. Non-IFRS Measures Adjusted gross profit, adjusted gross profit %, adjusted SG&A, adjusted SG&A as a percentage of revenue, EBITDA, adjusted EBITDA, adjusted EBITDA as a percentage of revenue and cash provided by operating activities before changes in non-cash working capital are non-IFRS measures used by management to assess the Company's performance and financial condition. Consequently, they do not have a standard meaning as prescribed by IFRS, and are therefore unlikely to be comparable to similar measures presented and calculated by other companies. DIRTT believes the non-IFRS measures are useful supplemental measures that may assist investors in assessing the financial performance and the cash anticipated to be generated by DIRTT's business. The non-IFRS measures should not be considered as the sole measure of the Company's performance and should not be considered in isolation from, or as a substitute for, analysis of its financial statements. For a reconciliation of these non-IFRS measures see the Company's management's discussion and analysis for the quarter ended March 31, 2016, available at http://www.sedar.com. Conference Call Details DIRTT will host a conference call and webcast on Thursday, May 5, 2016 at 9 a.m. ET, 7 a.m. MT to discuss its first quarter results in greater detail. President Scott Jenkins and CFO Derek Payne will host the call. To access the conference call by telephone dial +1 647.427.7450 (Toronto and international callers) or 1.888.231.8191 (toll-free in North America). Please call 10 minutes prior to the start of the call. In addition, a live webcast (listen only mode) of the conference call will be available at: http://event.on24.com/r.htm?e=1179032&s=1&k=58CCEF2A3EAB6933D946048EE5345265 Investors are invited to submit questions by email before and during the conference call. Please send them to ir@dirtt.net. A replay of the conference call will be available at +1 416.849.0833 or 1.855.859.2056 by entering the passcode 97283457, from noon (ET) Thursday, May 5, 2016 to midnight (ET) Thursday, May 12, 2016 or through the webcast archives at http://www.newswire.ca or on DIRTT's website at ir.dirtt.net/. About DIRTT DIRTT Environmental Solutions (Doing it Right This Time) uses its proprietary 3D software to design, manufacture and install fully customized prefabricated interiors. The Company's customers in the corporate, government, education and healthcare sectors benefit from DIRTT's precise design and costing; rapid lead times with the highest levels of customization and flexibility; and faster, cleaner construction. DIRTT's manufacturing facilities are in Phoenix, Savannah, Kelowna and Calgary. DIRTT's team supports more than 100 Distribution Partners throughout North America, the Middle East and Asia. DIRTT trades on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol "DRT." For more information visit www.dirtt.net. Forward-Looking Statements Certain information and statements contained in this news release constitute "forward-looking information" and "forward-looking statements" (collectively, "Forward-Looking Information") as defined under applicable Canadian securities laws and the Company hereby cautions investors about important factors that could cause the Company's actual results or outcomes to differ materially from those projected in any Forward-Looking Information contained in this news release. Any statements that express, or involve discussions as to, expectations, beliefs, plans, objectives, assumptions or future events or performance (often, but not always, through the use of words or phrases such as "will likely result", "are expected to", "will continue", "is anticipated", "believes", "estimated", "intends", "plans", "projection" and "outlook"), are not historical facts and may be forward-looking and may involve estimates, assumptions and uncertainties which could cause actual results or outcomes to differ materially from those expressed in such Forward-Looking Information. In particular and without limitation, this news release contains Forward-Looking Information pertaining to the following: comments with respect to the Company's revenue, objectives and priorities for 2016 and beyond; project timetables; its growth strategies and opportunities; its ability to meet working capital requirements and financial obligations; use and deployment of the Company's capital; and its outlook for its operations and the Canadian, US and international economies, and in particular, the US construction industry. With respect to Forward-Looking Information contained in this news release, assumptions have been made regarding the Company, among other things: -- its ability to manage its growth; -- competition in its industry; -- its ability to enhance current products and develop and introduce new products; -- its ability to obtain components and products from suppliers on a timely basis and on favorable terms; -- its ability to obtain qualified staff and equipment in a timely and cost-efficient manner; -- the regulatory framework governing taxes in Canada and the US and any other jurisdictions in which the Company may conduct its business in the future; -- future development plans for its assets unfolding as currently envisioned; -- future capital expenditures to be made by the Company; -- future sources of funding for its capital program; -- the impact of increasing competition on the Company; and -- its success in identifying risks to its business and managing the risks mentioned below. The Company's actual results or outcomes could differ materially from those expressed in the Forward-Looking Information as a result of the risks normally encountered in its industry such as: -- maintaining and managing growth; -- history of losses; -- risks related to new technology; -- competition risks; -- operating results and financial condition fluctuations on a quarterly and annual basis; -- risks related to intellectual property; -- risks related to additional capital requirements; -- customer base and market acceptance; -- software and product defects and design risks; -- availability of key supplies; -- dependence on key personnel; -- commodity price risk; -- credit risk; -- the effect of government regulation; -- risks related to international expansion; -- risks related to physical facilities; -- legal risks; -- foreign currency and fiscal matters; -- risks related to future acquisitions; -- risks related to Forward-Looking Information; -- reliance on third parties; and -- conflicts of interest. Since actual results or outcomes could differ materially from those expressed in the Forward-Looking Information provided by or on behalf of the Company, investors and others should not place undue reliance on any such Forward- Looking Information. DIRTT cautions that the foregoing lists of factors are not exhaustive. Further, Forward-Looking Information is made as of the date hereof, and the Company undertakes no obligation to update Forward-Looking Information to reflect events or circumstances after the date on which such statement is made or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events, except as required by applicable Canadian securities laws. New factors emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for DIRTT's management to predict all of these factors and to assess in advance the impact of each such factor on the Company's business or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in Forward-Looking Information. No assurance can be given that these expectations will prove to be correct and such Forward-Looking Information contained in this news release should not be unduly relied upon. In addition, this news release may contain Forward-Looking Information attributed to third party industry sources. For a detailed description of the risks and uncertainties facing the Company and its business and affairs, readers should refer to the Company's annual financial statements, management's discussion and analysis and annual information form for the year ended December 31, 2015, all of which are available at http://www.sedar.com. Market and Industry Data Certain market and industry data contained in this news release is based upon information from government or other third party publications, reports and websites or based on estimates derived from such publications, reports and websites. Government and other third party publications and reports do not guarantee the accuracy or completeness of their information. While the Company believes this data to be reliable, market and industry data is subject to variations and cannot be verified with complete certainty due to limits on the availability and reliability of raw data, the voluntary nature of the data-gathering process and other limitations and uncertainties inherent in any statistical survey. Accordingly, the accuracy, currency and completeness of this information cannot be guaranteed. DIRTT has not independently verified any of the data from government or other third party sources referred to in this press release or ascertained the underlying assumptions relied upon by such sources. Contacts: DIRTT Environmental Solutions Ltd. Scott Jenkins President 403.723.5009 sjenkins@dirtt.net DIRTT Environmental Solutions Ltd. Derek Payne Chief Financial Officer 403.313.9879 dpayne@dirtt.net www.dirtt.net WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Tribune Publishing Co. (TPUB) sent a letter to Gannett Co., Inc. (GCI) in response to its April 12, unsolicited proposal to acquire all outstanding shares of Tribune Publishing common stock for $12.25 per share in cash. The company said, after thorough consideration, its Board has unanimously determined that Gannett's opportunistic proposal understates the company's true value and is not in the best interests of its shareholders. 'Tribune Publishing is in the early stages of a compelling transformation, with a well-defined strategic plan to drive increasing monetization of our important brands, capitalize on the global potential of the LA Times and significantly accelerate our conversion of content to revenue through an enhanced digital strategy,' said CEO, Justin Dearborn. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann. OKOTOKS, ALBERTA -- (Marketwired) -- 05/04/16 -- Mullen Group Ltd. ("Mullen Group" and/or the "Corporation") (TSX: MTL) announced today that the nominees listed in the Corporation's Information Circular - Proxy Statement dated March 17, 2016, were elected as directors of the Corporation at its annual general meeting held on May 3, 2016. By resolution passed via ballot, the following seven nominees were elected as directors of the Corporation to serve until the next annual meeting of shareholders of the Corporation, or until their successors are elected or appointed. The results of the ballot were as follows: ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Votes Votes Nominee For % For Withheld % Withheld ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Alan D. Archibald 69,676,286 94.58% 3,996,252 5.42% Greg Bay 71,560,698 97.13% 2,111,840 2.87% Dennis J. Hoffman 71,563,112 97.14% 2,109,426 2.86% Stephen H. Lockwood 69,314,638 94.08% 4,357,900 5.92% David E. Mullen 66,193,477 89.85% 7,479,061 10.15% Murray K. Mullen 70,073,762 95.12% 3,598,776 4.88% Philip J. Scherman 71,684,722 97.30% 1,987,816 2.70% ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Independent Lead Director The Corporation also announced today that after the annual general meeting, Mr. Greg Bay replaced Mr. Alan D. Archibald, as Chairman of its Compensation, Nomination and Governance Committee and will act as Lead Director of its Board of Directors (the "Board"). Mr. Bay is an independent director who has served on Mullen Group's Board since 2005. Mullen Group is a company that owns a network of independently operated businesses. The Corporation is recognized as one of the leading suppliers of trucking and logistics services in Canada and provides a wide range of specialized transportation and related services to the oil and natural gas industry in western Canada - two sectors of the economy in which Mullen Group has strong business relationships and industry leadership. The corporate office provides management and financial expertise, technology and systems support, shared services and strategic planning to its independent businesses. Mullen Group is a publicly traded corporation listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol "MTL". Additional information is available on our website at www.mullen-group.com or on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Contacts: Mullen Group Ltd. Mr. Murray K. Mullen Chairman of the Board, Chief Executive Officer and President 403-995-5200 or Toll Free: 1-866-995-7711 403-995-5296 (FAX) Mullen Group Ltd. Mr. P. Stephen Clark Chief Financial Officer 403-995-5200 or Toll Free: 1-866-995-7711 403-995-5296 (FAX) Mullen Group Ltd. Mr. Richard J. Maloney Senior Vice President 403-995-5200 or Toll Free: 1-866-995-7711 403-995-5296 (FAX) www.mullen-group.com TORONTO, ONTARIO -- (Marketwired) -- 05/04/16 -- (All monetary figures are expressed in U.S. dollars unless otherwise stated) Dundee Precious Metals Inc. (TSX: DPM) - Q1 2016 Financial and Operating Highlights: -- Metals production from continuing and discontinued (Kapan) operations - Achieved gold and copper production of 52,024 ounces and 11.2 million pounds, respectively, including pyrite concentrate, in line with 2016 guidance; -- All-in sustaining cost per ounce of gold from continuing operations - Achieved cost of $695, up over 2015 due to lower realized copper prices; -- Kapan operations - Completed the previously announced sale of Kapan on April 28 and received consideration of $25 million of cash and shares, subject to a working capital adjustment, and a 2% net smelter royalty; -- Smelter - Processed 57,422 tonnes of complex concentrate, 33% higher than the corresponding period in 2015. Completed commissioning of the new copper converters; -- Near term growth opportunities - Continued to advance the Krumovgrad permitting process, including final re-designation of the project land from forestry to industrial use, and initiation of the land purchase process. Targeted receipt of the construction permit remains mid 2016; and -- Financial position - Exited the quarter with approximately $174 million of cash resources, including the undrawn portion of the Company's long- term revolving credit facility. Dundee Precious Metals Inc. ("DPM" or the "Company") today reported a first quarter net loss attributable to common shareholders from continuing operations of $3.8 million ($0.03 per share) compared to $1.6 million ($0.01 per share) for the same period in 2015. Net loss attributable to common shareholders from discontinued operations was $2.3 million ($0.01 per share) in the first quarter of 2016 compared to $1.5 million ($0.01 per share) for the same period in 2015. Net loss attributable to common shareholders from continuing operations for the first quarter of 2016 was impacted by several items not reflective of the Company's underlying operating performance, including unrealized losses and gains attributable to hedging future copper and gold production and foreign denominated operating costs, and net gains or losses on Sabina special warrants. Excluding these items, the adjusted net loss(1) during the first quarter of 2016 was $1.3 million ($0.01 per share) compared to $0.1 million ($0.00 per share) for the corresponding period in 2015. The higher loss was due primarily to lower realized copper prices, lower volumes of payable metals in concentrate sold as a result of the timing of shipments and higher depreciation following the commissioning of the acid plant in the third quarter of 2015. These unfavourable variances were partially offset by higher smelter volumes and toll rates at Tsumeb, lower transportation costs and treatment charges at Chelopech and a stronger U.S. dollar. "Chelopech and Tsumeb operations performed well in the quarter, both increasing their production as planned, however, weaker copper prices negatively impacted the Company's financial results," said Rick Howes, President and CEO. "Our focus in 2016 is to increase throughput at Tsumeb, further optimize Chelopech and advance our Krumovgrad project to the construction phase. The sale of Kapan in the second quarter is expected to strengthen our balance sheet and support the advancement of the Krumovgrad project." Adjusted EBITDA from continuing operations Adjusted EBITDA(1) from continuing operations during the first quarter of 2016 was $21.5 million compared to $19.7 million in the corresponding period in 2015, driven primarily by the same factors affecting adjusted net loss from continuing operations, except for depreciation, which is excluded from adjusted EBITDA. The average market price for gold during the first quarter of 2016 decreased by 3% to $1,180 per ounce, compared to $1,220 per ounce in the corresponding period in 2015. The average market price for copper during the first quarter of 2016 decreased by 20% to $2.12 per pound, compared to $2.64 per pound in the corresponding period in 2015. The average realized gold price, including realized hedging gains, for the first quarter of 2016 was $1,209 per ounce, compared to $1,212 per ounce in the corresponding period in 2015. The average realized copper price, including realized hedging gains, for the first quarter of 2016 was $2.27 per pound, compared to $3.20 per pound in the corresponding period in 2015. Production from continuing operations Copper concentrate produced from continuing operations during the first quarter of 2016 of 29,311 tonnes was 26% higher than the corresponding period in 2015 due primarily to higher planned copper grades and higher volumes of ore mined and processed. Pyrite concentrate produced during the first quarter of 2016 of 59,052 tonnes was 24% higher than the corresponding period in 2015 due primarily to the successful pyrite circuit development in the second quarter of 2015. In the first quarter of 2016, gold contained in copper and pyrite concentrates produced increased by 17% to 46,818 ounces, copper production increased by 31% to 10.6 million pounds and silver production increased by 34% to 69,210 ounces, in each case, relative to the corresponding period in 2015. These increases were due primarily to higher planned grades for all metals and higher volumes of ore mined and processed. Overall, gold, copper and silver production levels in the first quarter of 2016 were in line with the guidance provided on February 9, 2016. Complex concentrate smelted during the first quarter of 2016 of 57,422 tonnes was 33% higher than the corresponding period in 2015 due primarily to increased availability of the Ausmelt furnace and a maintenance shutdown in the first quarter of 2015. Production from discontinued operations Copper concentrate produced from the discontinued Kapan operation in the first quarter of 2016 of 1,299 tonnes was comparable to the corresponding period in 2015. Zinc concentrate produced in the first quarter of 2016 of 1,701 tonnes was 24% lower than the corresponding period in 2015 due primarily to lower zinc grades and recoveries. In the first quarter of 2016, gold contained in concentrate produced decreased by 6% to 5,206 ounces, copper production decreased by 7% to 0.6 million pounds, silver production decreased by 16% to 90,101 ounces and zinc production decreased by 25% to 2.2 million pounds, in each case, relative to the corresponding period in 2015. These decreases were due primarily to lower grades for all metals. Deliveries from continuing operations Deliveries of copper concentrate from continuing operations during the first quarter of 2016 of 25,241 tonnes were 15% lower than the corresponding period in 2015 reflecting the timing of shipments. In the first quarter of 2016, there was a build-up of copper concentrate inventory, whereas, in the first quarter of 2015, there was a drawdown. Deliveries of pyrite concentrate in the first quarter of 2016 of 65,709 tonnes were 48% higher than the corresponding period in 2015 consistent with increased production and the timing of shipments. In the first quarter of 2016, payable gold in copper and pyrite concentrates sold from continuing operations decreased by 18% to 31,747 ounces, payable copper in copper concentrate sold decreased by 11% to 8.5 million pounds and payable silver in copper concentrate sold decreased by 33% to 32,104 ounces, in each case, relative to the corresponding period in 2015. The decrease in payable gold was due primarily to the timing of copper concentrate shipments, partially offset by increased pyrite concentrate deliveries. The decrease in payable copper was consistent with the decrease in copper concentrate deliveries. Deliveries from discontinued operations Deliveries of concentrate from the discontinued Kapan operation in the first quarter of 2016 of 2,350 tonnes were comparable to the corresponding period in 2015. Relative to the first quarter of 2015, payable gold in concentrate sold in the first quarter of 2016 decreased by 8% to 2,404 ounces, payable copper decreased by 7% to 0.2 million pounds, payable silver decreased by 20% to 38,441 ounces and payable zinc decreased by 3% to 1.9 million pounds. These decreases were due primarily to lower grades for all metals. Cash cost per ounce of gold sold from continuing operations Cash cost per ounce of gold sold, net of by-product credits(1), from continuing operations during the first quarter of 2016 was $472 compared to $344 during the corresponding period in 2015 due primarily to lower realized prices for by-products, partially offset by lower transportation costs and treatment charges. All-in sustaining cost per ounce of gold from continuing operations All-in sustaining cost per ounce of gold(1) from continuing operations in the first quarter of 2016 was $695 compared to $497 in the corresponding period in 2015 due primarily to the same factors affecting cash cost per ounce of gold sold from continuing operations and higher cash outlays for sustaining capital expenditures as a result of the timing of supplier payments. Cash cost per tonne of complex concentrate smelted, net of by-product credits Cash cost per tonne of complex concentrate smelted, net of by-product credits(1) during the first quarter of 2016 of $337 was 32% lower than the cash cost of $494 in the corresponding period in 2015. This decrease was due primarily to higher volumes of complex concentrate smelted, the revenue generated from the sale of sulphuric acid, a by-product of the smelting operation, and the favourable impact of a weaker ZAR relative to the U.S. dollar, partially offset by higher electricity rates and additional operating expenses related to the acid plant, which was commissioned in the third quarter of 2015. Cash provided from (used in) operating activities of continuing operations Cash provided from operating activities of continuing operations in the first quarter of 2016 was $5.5 million compared to cash used in operating activities of $2.7 million in the corresponding period in 2015. This increase was due primarily to higher smelter volumes and toll rates, partially offset by lower copper prices, lower volumes of payable metals in concentrate sold and unfavourable changes in non-cash working capital. Cash provided from operating activities of continuing operations, before changes in non-cash working capital(1), during the first quarter of 2016 was $30.7 million compared to $18.1 million in the corresponding period in 2015. Capital expenditures from continuing operations Capital expenditures from continuing operations during the first quarter of 2016 totaled $11.4 million compared to $16.5 million in the corresponding period in 2015. This decrease was due primarily to lower spending on the acid plant and the new copper converters at Tsumeb compared to the corresponding period in 2015. Financial position As at March 31, 2016, DPM maintained a cash position from continuing operations of $24.3 million, an investment portfolio valued at $18.2 million and $150 million of undrawn lines under its committed long-term revolving credit facility. These cash resources, together with the cash flow currently being generated, support the Company's ongoing operating and capital requirements. Kapan Disposition On March 1, 2016, the Company entered into a definitive agreement with Polymetal International Plc ("Polymetal") for the sale of its interest in Kapan (the "Kapan Disposition"). Under the Kapan Disposition, the Company received on April 28, 2016 consideration consisting of (i) $10 million in cash from the buyer (subject to a working capital adjustment), (ii) $15 million in ordinary shares of Polymetal, which were subsequently sold for net proceeds of $14.8 million and (iii) a 2% net smelter royalty on future production from the Kapan property. 2016 Guidance As a result of the Kapan Disposition occurring on April 28, 2016, the Company has revised its guidance for Kapan to reflect only four months of operation and has revised its consolidated production guidance accordingly. Guidance for Chelopech and Tsumeb remains unchanged from the guidance provided on February 9, 2016. The Company's updated production and cash cost guidance for 2016 is set out in the following table: ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2016 Production & Cash Cost Guidance ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chelopech Tsumeb Kapan(5) Consolidated(6) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ore mined/milled ('000s tonnes) 2,030 - 2,250 - 135 - 145 2,165 - 2,395 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Complex concentrate smelted ('000s tonnes) - 215 - 250 - 215 - 250 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Metals contained in copper and zinc concentrates produced(1),(2) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Gold ('000s ounces) 95 - 108 - 6 - 7 101 - 115 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Copper (million pounds) 33.2 - 37.8 - 0.6 - 0.8 33.8 - 38.6 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Zinc (million pounds) - - 2.8 - 3.2 2.8 - 3.2 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Silver ('000s ounces) 204 - 234 - 115 - 120 319 - 354 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Payable gold in pyrite concentrate sold ('000s ounces) 26 - 40 - - 26 - 40 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Cash cost per tonne of ore processed ($)(3),(4) 32 - 36 - 80 - 90 32 - 36 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Cash cost per ounce of gold sold, net of by-product credits ($)(1),(3),(4) 560 - 760 -1,200 - 1,500 560 - 760 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- All-in sustaining cost per ounce of gold ($)(1),(3),(4) - - - 800 - 950 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Cash cost per tonne of complex concentrate smelted, net of by-product credits ($)(3),(4) - 305 - 400 - 305 - 400 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Cash cost per ounce of gold sold in pyrite concentrate ($)(4) 790 - 890 - - 790 - 890 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- (1) Excludes metals in pyrite concentrate and, where applicable, the treatment charges, transportation and other selling costs related to the sale of pyrite concentrate, which is reported separately. Cash cost per ounce of gold sold, net of by-product credits, including payable gold in pyrite concentrate sold and related costs, is expected to range between $625 and $790 in 2016. All-in sustaining cost per ounce of gold, including payable gold in pyrite concentrate sold and related costs, is expected to range between $795 and $935 in 2016. (2) Metals contained in concentrate produced are prior to deductions associated with smelter terms. (3) Based on foreign exchange rates and, where applicable, metal prices that approximate current rates and prices. The assumed copper price reflects the impact of 67% of 2016 copper production being hedged at $2.32 per pound. (4) Cash cost per tonne of ore processed, cash cost per ounce of gold sold, net of by-product credits, all-in sustaining cost per ounce of gold, cash cost per tonne of complex concentrate smelted, net of by-product credits, and cash cost per ounce of gold sold in pyrite concentrate have no standardized meaning under GAAP. Refer to the "Non-GAAP Financial Measures" section of the management's discussion and analysis for the three months ended March 31, 2016 (the "MD&A") for further discussion of these items, including reconciliations to IFRS measures. (5) As a result of the Kapan Disposition, Kapan's operating results are being treated as discontinued operations. (6) Consolidated guidance for ore mined/milled and metals production includes results from the discontinued Kapan operation. Consolidated guidance for cash cost per tonne of ore processed, cash cost per ounce of gold sold, net of by-product credits, and all-in sustaining cost per ounce of gold pertains to continuing operations. For 2016, the majority of the Company's growth capital expenditures(1) from continuing operations are focused on the completion of the new copper converters at Tsumeb and securing the remaining permits required to support the construction of the Krumovgrad Gold Project. In aggregate, these expenditures are expected to be between $27 million and $31 million. Sustaining capital expenditures(1) from continuing operations are expected to range between $22 million and $28 million. The 2016 guidance for Chelopech and Tsumeb provided above is not expected to occur evenly throughout the year. The estimated metals contained in concentrate produced and volumes of complex concentrate smelted are expected to vary from quarter to quarter depending on the areas being mined, the timing of concentrate deliveries and planned outages. Based on the current mine plan, metals production at Chelopech in the first half of 2016 is expected to be higher than the second half. Chelopech 2016 ore production is expected to continue at a 10% higher rate through the balance of 2016 over 2015, while copper and gold grades are expected to be 14% and 13% lower than 2015, respectively, consistent with the current mine plan. Production at Tsumeb in the second half of 2016 is expected to be higher than the first half based on the commissioning of the new copper converters, which occurred in the first quarter of 2016, and the annual maintenance shutdown at Tsumeb expected to occur in the second quarter of 2016. Tsumeb 2016 throughput is expected to increase by approximately 10% to 28% over 2015 as a result of reduced construction activity, and the availability of the new copper converters and the associated increase in capacity. The rate of capital expenditures is also expected to vary from quarter to quarter based on the schedule for, and execution of, each capital project and, where applicable, the receipt of necessary permits and approvals. Further details can be found in the Company's MD&A under the section "2016 Guidance". (1) Adjusted net loss, adjusted basic loss per share, adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization ("EBITDA"), cash provided from operating activities, before changes in non-cash working capital, cash cost per ounce of gold sold, net of by-product credits, all-in sustaining cost per ounce of gold, cash cost per tonne of complex concentrate smelted net of by-product credits, and growth and sustaining capital expenditures have no standardized meaning under International Financial Reporting Standards ("IFRS"). Presenting these measures from period to period helps management and investors evaluate earnings and cash flow trends more readily in comparison with results from prior periods. Refer to the "Non-GAAP Financial Measures" section of the MD&A for further discussion of these items, including reconciliations to IFRS measures. Key Financial and Operational Highlights ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- $ millions, except where noted Ended March 31, Three Months ------------------------ 2016 2015(7) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Revenue (3) 70.1 60.0 Gross profit (1),(3) 13.1 1.7 (Loss) earnings before income taxes from continuing operations (3.7) 0.5 Net loss attributable to common shareholders from continuing operations (3.8) (1.6) Basic loss per share from continuing operations ($/share) (0.03) (0.01) Net loss attributable to common shareholders (6.1) (3.1) Basic loss per share attributable to common shareholders ($/share) (0.04) (0.02) Adjusted EBITDA from continuing operations (2) 21.5 19.7 Adjusted net loss from continuing operations (2) (1.3) (0.1) Adjusted basic loss per share from continuing operations ($/share)(2) (0.01) (0.00) Cash provided from (used in) operating activities of continuing operations 5.5 (2.7) Cash provided from operating activities of continuing operations, before changes in non-cash working capital (2) 30.7 18.1 Metals contained in concentrate produced from continuing and discontinued operations: Gold (ounces) (4),(5) 52,024 45,499 Copper ('000s pounds) (4) 11,154 8,699 Zinc ('000s pounds) (4) 2,192 2,929 Silver (ounces) (4) 159,311 158,541 Tsumeb - complex concentrate smelted (mt) 57,422 43,101 Payable metals in concentrate sold from continuing operations: Gold (ounces)(6) 31,747 38,650 Copper ('000s pounds) 8,523 9,627 Silver (ounces) 32,104 47,935 Payable metals in concentrate sold from continuing and discontinued operations: Gold (ounces) (4),(6) 34,151 41,277 Copper ('000s pounds) (4) 8,754 9,876 Zinc ('000s pounds) (4) 1,942 2,008 Silver (ounces) (4) 70,545 95,747 Cash cost per tonne of ore processed from continuing operations ($/t)(2) 34.04 36.44 Cash cost per ounce of gold sold, net of by-product credits, from continuing operations ($/oz)(2) 472 344 Cash cost per ounce of gold sold in pyrite concentrate ($/oz) (2) 798 990 All-in sustaining cost per ounce of gold from continuing operations ($/oz) (2) 695 497 Cash cost per tonne of complex concentrate smelted at Tsumeb, net of by-product credits ($/t)(2) 337 494 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- (1) Gross profit from continuing operations is regarded as an additional GAAP measure and is presented in the Company's consolidated statements of loss. Gross profit represents revenue less cost of sales and is one of several measures used by management and investors to assess the underlying operating profitability of a business. (2) Adjusted EBITDA; adjusted net loss; adjusted basic loss per share; cash flow provided from operating activities of continuing operations, before changes in non-cash working capital; cash cost per tonne of ore processed; cash cost per ounce of gold sold, net of by-product credits; cash cost per ounce of gold sold in pyrite concentrate; all-in sustaining cost per ounce of gold; and cash cost per tonne of complex concentrate smelted, net of by- product credits are not defined measures under IFRS. Refer to the MD&A for reconciliations to IFRS measures. (3) Excludes results from Kapan, which are reported separately as a discontinued operation under IFRS. (4) Includes metals production and payable metals from Kapan. (5) Includes gold contained in pyrite concentrate produced in the first quarter of 2016 of 13,431 ounces (Q1 2015 - 10,756 ounces). (6) Includes payable gold in pyrite concentrate sold in the first quarter of 2016 of 9,713 ounces (Q1 2015 - 7,336 ounces). (7) Certain comparative figures have been reclassified as a consequence of several expenses previously classified as general and administrative expenses being classified as operating costs and included in cost of sales to better reflect the operating results of each segment. DPM's unaudited condensed interim financial statements, and MD&A for the first quarter ended March 31, 2016, are posted on the Company's website at www.dundeeprecious.com and have been filed on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. The Company will be holding a call and a webcast to discuss its 2016 first quarter results on Thursday, May 5, 2016, at 9:00 a.m. (E.S.T.). Participants are invited to join the live webcast (listen/view only) at: http://www.gowebcasting.com/7445. Alternatively, participants can access a listen only telephone option at 416-340-2218 or North America Toll Free at 1-866-225-0198. A replay of the call will be available at 905-694-9451 or North America Toll Free at 1-800-408-3053, passcode 2008720. The audio webcast for this conference call will also be archived and available on the Company's website at www.dundeeprecious.com. The Company will be holding its Annual General Meeting on Thursday, May 5, 2016 at 4:00 p.m. (E.S.T.) at the TMX Gallery located at 130 King Street West, Toronto. This event will be webcast live and will be available on the Company website home page at www.dundeeprecious.com. About Dundee Precious Metals Dundee Precious Metals Inc. is a Canadian based, international gold mining company engaged in the acquisition of mineral properties, exploration, development, mining and processing of precious metals. The Company's continuing operating assets include the Chelopech operation, which produces a copper concentrate containing gold and silver and a pyrite concentrate containing gold, located east of Sofia, Bulgaria; and the Tsumeb smelter, a complex copper concentrate processing facility located in Namibia. DPM also holds interests in a number of developing gold and exploration properties located in Bulgaria, Serbia, and northern Canada, including the Krumovgrad project and its 11.8% interest in Sabina Gold & Silver Corp. Cautionary Note Regarding Forward Looking Statements This press release contains "forward looking statements" that involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Forward looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to the future price of gold, copper, zinc and silver, the estimation of mineral reserves and resources, the realization of such mineral estimates, the timing and amount of estimated future production and output, life of mine, costs of production, cash costs and other cash measures, capital expenditures, costs and timing of the development of new deposits, success of exploration activities, success of permitting activities, permitting time lines, currency fluctuations, requirements for additional capital, government regulation of mining operations, environmental risks, reclamation expenses, the potential or anticipated outcome of title disputes or claims and timing and possible outcome of pending litigation. Often, but not always, forward looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as "plans", "expects", or "does not expect", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "outlook", "intends", "anticipates", or "does not anticipate", or "believes", or variations of such words and phrases or that state that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved. Forward looking statements are based on the opinions and estimates of management as of the date such statements are made and they involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from any other future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward looking statements. Such factors include, among others: the actual results of current exploration activities; actual results of current reclamation activities; conclusions of economic evaluations and economic studies; changes in project parameters as plans continue to be refined; future prices of gold, copper, zinc and silver; possible variations in ore grade or recovery rates; failure of plant, equipment or processes to operate as anticipated; accidents, labour disputes and other risks of the mining industry; delays in obtaining governmental approvals or financing or in the completion of development or construction activities, uncertainties inherent with conducting business in foreign jurisdictions where corruption, civil unrest, political instability and uncertainties with the rule of law may impact the Company's activities; fluctuations in metal prices; unanticipated title disputes; claims or litigation; limitation on insurance coverage; cyber attacks; as well as those risk factors discussed or referred to in the Company's MD&A under the heading "Risks and Uncertainties" and under the heading "Cautionary Note Regarding Forward Looking Statements" which include further details on material assumptions used to develop such forward looking statements and material risk factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from forward looking statements, and other documents (including without limitation the Company's 2015 AIF) filed from time to time with the securities regulatory authorities in all provinces and territories of Canada and available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. There can be no assurance that forward looking statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Unless required by securities laws, the Company undertakes no obligation to update forward looking statements if circumstances or management's estimates or opinions should change. Accordingly, readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward looking statements. Contacts: Dundee Precious Metals Inc. Rick Howes President and Chief Executive Officer (416) 365-2836 rhowes@dundeeprecious.com Dundee Precious Metals Inc. Hume Kyle Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer (416) 365-5091 hkyle@dundeeprecious.com Dundee Precious Metals Inc. Lori Beak Senior Vice President, Governance, and Corporate Secretary (416) 365-5165 lbeak@dundeeprecious.com OTTAWA (dpa-AFX) - Gildan Activewear Inc. (GIL.TO, GIL) announced it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire 100% of the equity interest of Alstyle Apparel, LLC and its subsidiaries, which constitute the apparel division of Ennis, Inc., for a total cash purchase price of $110 million. The company said, while the acquisition is expected to be slightly accretive to earnings per share in 2016, strong integration synergies are expected to flow through from this transaction in 2017 and 2018. The Board of Directors has declared a cash dividend of $0.078 per share, payable on June 13, 2016 to shareholders of record on May 19, 2016. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann. CALGARY, AB--(Marketwired - May 04, 2016) - Agrium Inc. (TSX: AGU) (NYSE: AGU) held its annual shareholders meeting on May 4, 2016, at Agrium Place in Calgary, Alberta. A total of 106,631,407 shares, representing 77.17% of shares outstanding were represented in person or by proxy. Below are the results of the matters that were voted on by shareholders: 1. Election of Directors Agrium's ten director nominees were elected: Nominee Votes For (percent) Votes Withheld (percent) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Maura J. Clark 99.60% 0.40% David C. Everitt 98.78% 1.22% Russell K. Girling 99.56% 0.44% Russell J. Horner 99.00% 1.00% Mirand C. Hubbs 99.60% 0.40% Chuck V. Magro 99.80% 0.20% A. Anne McLellan 99.41% 0.59% Derek G. Pannell 99.80% 0.20% Mayo M. Schmidt 99.50% 0.50% William S. Simon 99.52% 0.48% 2. Appointment of Auditors The re-appointment of KPMG LLP as auditors was approved. Votes For (percent) Votes Withheld (percent) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 97.52% 2.48% 3. Advisory Vote on Executive Compensation The advisory vote on management's approach to executive compensation was approved. Votes For (percent) Votes Against (percent) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 97.47% 2.53% 4. Approval of the Amended and Restated Shareholder Rights Plan The Amended and Restated Shareholder Rights Plan was approved. Votes For (percent) Votes Against (percent) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 84.00% 16.00% About Agrium Agrium Inc. is a major producer and distributor of agricultural products and services in North America, South America, Australia and Egypt through its agricultural retail-distribution and wholesale nutrient businesses. Agrium supplies growers with key products and services such as crop nutrients, crop protection, seed, and agronomic and application services, thereby helping to meet the ever growing global demand for food and fiber. Agrium produces nitrogen, potash and phosphate fertilizers, with a combined wholesale nutrient capacity of over nine million tonnes and with competitive advantages across all product lines. Agrium retail-distribution has an unmatched network of over 1,400 facilities and approximately 3,800 crop consultants. We partner with over half a million grower customers globally to help them increase their yields and returns on more than 50 different crops. With a focus on sustainability, the company strives to improve the communities in which it operates through safety, education, environmental improvement and new technologies such as the development of precision agriculture and controlled release nutrient products. Agrium is focused on driving operational excellence across our businesses, pursuing value-enhancing growth opportunities and returning capital to shareholders. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION: Investor/Media Relations: Richard Downey Vice President, Investor & Corporate Relations (403) 225-7357 Todd Coakwell Director, Investor Relations (403) 225-7437 Louis Brown Analyst, Investor Relations (403) 225-7761 TSX:ORV (All amounts in US dollars unless otherwise stated) Q2 2016 production of 17,116 oz of gold and 3.3 million pounds of copper and gold equivalent production of 24,529 oz Q2 2016 gold sales of 14,777 oz of gold and copper sales of 2.4 million pounds Q2 2016 gold consolidated head grade up 2.28 g/t compared to 2.10 g/t in Q1 2016 Cash position at March 31, 2016 of $15.0 million Financing for Don Mario carbon-in-leach circuit re-commissioning expected to close in May 2016 Committed to satisfy $5.7 million (5.0 million) bond requirement in respect of environmental reclamation at El Valle Revised production guidance: narrowing of gold guidance at El Valle and timing change at Don Mario TORONTO, May 5, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --Orvana Minerals Corp. (TSX:ORV) (the "Company" or "Orvana") announced today financial and operational results for the second quarter of fiscal 2016 ("Q2 2016"). The Company is also providing financial and operational results for its OroValle (El Valle Mine) operations in northern Spain and for its EMIPA (Don Mario Mine) operations in Bolivia. The unaudited condensed interim consolidated financial statements for Q2 2016 and Management's Discussion and Analysis related thereto ("MD&A") are available on SEDAR and on the Company's website at www.orvana.com. 2016 Consolidated Operating and Financial Highlights Q2 2016 Q1 2016 Q2 2015 YTD 2016 YTD 2015 Operating Performance Gold Grade (g/t) 2.28 2.10 2.32 2.19 2.42 Recovery (%) 76.1 81.5 76.4 78.7 75.9 Production (oz) 17,116 17,789 19,403 34,905 41,598 Sales (oz) 14,777 15,955 18,636 30,733 40,296 Average realized price / oz $1,176 $1,105 $1,226 $1,139 $1,213 Copper Grade (%) 0.78 0.78 1.06 0.78 1.10 Recovery (%) 62.5 71.1 75.5 66.9 76.5 Production ('000 lbs) 3,320 3,951 6,014 7,271 13,004 Sales ('000 lbs) 2,438 3,814 6,091 6,251 13,024 Average realized price / lb $2.07 $2.23 $2.62 $2.16 $2.83 Silver Grade (g/t) 16.36 22.43 19.32 19.47 18.29 Recovery (%) 73.7 73.7 62.2 73.7 64.5 Production (oz) 119,175 171,664 131,535 290,839 266,840 Sales (oz) 103,873 160,565 111,563 264,438 258,702 Average realized price / oz $14.62 $14.85 $16.75 $14.76 $16.61 Financial Performance (in 000's, except per share amounts) Revenue $21,279 $22,497 $30,108 $43,776 $68,878 Mining costs $19,045 $20,806 $23,944 $39,851 $51,914 Gross margin ($821) ($3,869) $78 ($4,690) $2,526 Net loss ($2,670) ($3,076) ($4,130) ($5,746) ($3,392) Net loss per share (basic/diluted) ($0.02) ($0.02) ($0.03) ($0.04) ($0.02) Operating cash flows before non-cash working capital changes (1) ($81) $871 $2,662 $790 $10,117 Operating cash flows ($535) $1,575 $4,528 $1,040 $19,486 Ending cash and cash equivalents $15,006 $17,535 $21,512 $15,006 $21,512 Capital expenditures (2) $2,745 $3,716 $3,596 $6,461 $6,057 Cash operating costs (by-product) ("COC") ($/oz) gold (1) $1,100 $1,004 $871 $1,050 $777 All-in sustaining costs (by-product) ("AISC") ($/oz) gold (1)(2) $1,411 $1,316 $1,230 $1,361 $1,080 (1) Operating cash flows before non-cash working capital changes, COC and AISC are non-IFRS performance measures. (2) These amounts are presented on a cash basis. Each reported period excludes capital expenditures incurred in the period which will be paid in subsequent periods and includes capital expenditures incurred in prior periods and paid for in the applicable reporting period. The calculation of AISC and AIC includes capex incurred (paid and unpaid) during the period. Jeff Hillis, Interim Chief Executive Officer, said "We have made tremendous progress at Don Mario recently in transitioning to mining from the LMZ and securing debt financing for our CIL Project. We believe the CIL Project best positions Don Mario to take advantage of the higher gold grades in the LMZ and other known opportunities. At the OroValle operation in Spain, we continue to face challenges during this transition period as we work to make necessary infrastructure investments in order to improve production for the longer term. We look forward to reporting updates on our progress at both our operations." Operational Update and Growth Initiatives El Valle Gold and silver production for Q2 2016 at El Valle was 11,775 ounces and 28,947 ounces, respectively, representing a decrease of 17% and 36%, respectively, compared with Q1 2016. Copper production was 0.7 million pounds, a decrease of 56% compared to Q1 2016, primarily due to a decrease of 26% in tonnes milled. This decrease in tonnes milled was slightly offset by an increase to gold average head grades of 7%, while copper and silver production were also impacted by decreases in average head grades of 30% and 24%, respectively. COC (by-product) of $1,067 per ounce of gold sold in Q2 2016 were $89 or 8% lower than in Q2 2015. AISC (by-product) of $1,264per ounce of gold sold in Q2 2016 were $68 or 5% lower than in Q2 2015. COC and AISC in Q2 2016 were lower compared with Q2 2015 due to lower fixed mining costs, offset by a decline in by-product revenues. Skarns production declined slightly by 2% over Q2 2016, compared with Q1 2016. Lower production was anticipated due to new underground areas requiring additional development for new mining zones. Oxide production decreased significantly in Q2 2016, primarily through March. Poor ground conditions were encountered in some areas and unplanned bypass waste development was required to access ore zones. These bypasses were completed during March and development continued through the end of the second quarter in the oxide areas. Dewatering and power issues continued to impact production. The water table is now actively being lowered and an additional pumping system with increased capacity is being designed based on a hydrological study completed in Q2 2016. Power studies were completed in the first quarter and interim solutions to increase power capacity were initiated during the second quarter while negotiations continue on the construction of a permanent power line. Resource drilling continued to expand known inferred resources and convert inferred resources to indicated and measured resources. Drilling was focused on the A208 and Black Skarn West brownfield targets, as well as infill drilling targeted in the Boinas East Skarn zones to upgrade inferred resources for an additional stoping zone. Don Mario Gold production for Q2 2016 at Don Mario increased by 37% to 5,341 ounces compared to Q1 2016 primarily as a result of higher head grades mined from the Lower Mineralized Zone ("LMZ"). Copper and silver production decreased by 3% and 30%, respectively, to 2.7 million pounds and 90,228 ounces of silver compared to Q1 2016 due to lower grades and recoveries. Higher gold grades and continued lower copper and silver grades are expected as the Upper Mineralized Zone ("UMZ") is mined out through Q3 2016. At Don Mario, historical mining took place in the LMZ underground gold mine up until 2009. Reviews were successfully carried out in 2015 to investigate the potential of mining the upper extension of the LMZ. Additionally, exploration drilling was performed around known mineralized zones north-west and south-east of the UMZ (collectively known as "Cerro Felix"), located approximately 600 meters from the LMZ. Based on the results obtained, the Company published resource estimates for the LMZ and Cerro Felix areas in November 2015. Don Mario previously processed ore from the LMZ and Cerro Felix in the carbon-in-leach ("CIL") circuit where it achieved an average gold recovery of over 80%. EPCM Consultores SRL, together with Lycopodium Minerals Canada, completed a capital cost estimate to recommission the CIL circuit (the "CIL Project"). For the selected process option, the capital cost estimate is $6.4 million to an accuracy estimate of +/- 15% including owner's costs and 15% contingency. Results of a metallurgical testing program undertaken by the Company indicate potential gold recovery of higher than historical rates can be achieved by processing LMZ resource material through a re-commissioned CIL circuit. To fund the capital costs estimated for the CIL Project, the Company is nearing completion of project financing with a Bolivian regional bank, and expects to close this financing in May 2016. During April 2016, the Company initiated the purchase of long-lead components of the CIL Project and expects the project to be fully underway by the end of May 2016 with an estimated execution period of seven to nine months. Outlook and going concern The Company continues to pursue a number of initiatives at El Valle and Don Mario in order to meet its objectives of optimizing production, lowering unitary cash costs, maximizing free cash flow, extending the life-of-mine of its operations and growing its operations to deliver shareholder value. It will also be pursuing strategic alternatives such as mergers or acquisitions. The Company is currently monitoring its liquidity position closely and continues to assess its capital needs for the remainder of the fiscal year and beyond. The liquidity outlook of the Company has changed in large part due to the recent commitment to satisfy an additional $5.7 million (5.0 million) environmental reclamation bond in Spain. El Valle continues to focus on de-bottlenecking the mine through investments in power and water pumping infrastructure in order to meet lagging mine development requirements and increase productivity rates. The Company requires investment of additional capital to address these operational issues and, until these issues are rectified, the Company's forecasts indicate that El Valle Mine will incur continuing losses and cash outflows from operations. At Don Mario, the Company is planning to execute the CIL Project, subject to closing the external financing expected in May 2016. The CIL Project together with the existing flotation plant best positions Don Mario for the future and is expected to result in the operation maximizing the value of the recently defined resource material, generating expected free cash flow through fiscal 2017. Furthermore, the CIL Project could provide enhanced processing capabilities to leverage other known opportunities in the future. The Company believes that it will require external financing through debt, equity or other sources to support its activities over the next eighteen months, excluding financing for the CIL Project expected to close in May 2016. Although the Company has been successful in raising equity and debt financing to support its activities in the past, there can be no assurance as to the success of its future financing efforts or as to the timing and sufficiency of financing that may be obtained. These circumstances may cast significant doubt as to the Company's ability to continue as a going concern, and the ultimate appropriateness of the use of accounting principles applicable to a going concern. In managing volatility risk, during April 2016 the Company entered into a limited amount of gold and copper fixed price arrangements with Auramet International, LLC. In respect of gold, the Company has committed to sell 1,300 ounces per month (approximately 25% of consolidated production) from May 2016 to July 2016 at a fixed floor price of US$1,210 per ounce with full upside participation commencing at US$1,265 per ounce. Also, as a result of the US$1,265 participation level, any future mark-to-market exposure from a rising gold price is capped at US$1,265. In respect of copper, the Company has entered into fixed forward pricing arrangements for approximately 348,330 pounds (158 metric tonnes) each month produced from May 2016 to July 2016, at prices of approximately US$2.17 per pound to US$2.20 per pound. The following table sets out the results of Orvana's second quarter of fiscal 2016 as well as its updated fiscal 2016 production and cost guidance: YTD 2016 Actual FY2016 Revised Guidance El Valle Mine Production Gold (oz) 25,668 43,000 - 46,000 Copper (million lbs) 0.7 4.5 - 5.0 Silver (oz) 72,378 120,000 - 130,000 Don Mario Mine Production Gold (oz) 9,237 20,000 - 21,000 Copper (million lbs) 5.4 11.0 - 12.0 Silver (oz) 218,461 330,000 - 370,000 Total Production Gold (oz) 34,905 63,000 - 67,000 Copper (million lbs) 7.3 15.5 - 17.0 Silver (oz) 290,839 450,000 - 500,000 Total capital expenditures $6,461 $17,000 - $19,000 COC (by-product) ($/oz) gold (1) $1,050 $1,000 - $1,100 AISC (by-product) ($/oz) gold (1) $1,361 $1,300 - $1,400 (1) FY2016 guidance assumptions for COC and AISC include by-product commodity prices of $2.10 per pound of copper and $15.00 per ounce of silver and an average Euro to US Dollar exchange of 1.15. Orvana revised its gold production guidance in the second quarter of fiscal 2016 as follows: (i) narrowed gold production guidance at El Valle from 43,000 to 48,000 ounces to 43,000 to 46,000 and (ii) decreased gold production guidance at Don Mario from 24,000 to 27,000 ounces to 20,000 to 21,000 ounces. Guidance was lowered at Don Mario as gold production estimates previously included the contribution impact of the CIL Project commencing in August 2016, which was delayed by a longer than expected financing timeframe. As a result of the above gold production changes, Orvana also revised its COC and AISC guidance during the second quarter of fiscal 2016 as follows: (i) increased COC from $850 to $950 per ounce to $1,000 to $1,100 per ounce, and (ii) increased AISC from $1,150 to $1,250 per ounce to $1,300 to $1,400 per ounce. Changes to Board of Directors On May 3, 2016, Mr. Gordon Bogden stepped down from the board of directors of Orvana. The directors and management of Orvana thank Mr. Bogden for his contributions, support and guidance to the Company over the past two years. We are also pleased to announce the appointment of Alan Edwards, a seasoned mining executive with over 35 years of operating experience in the mining business, as a new director of the Company. Additionally, Mr. Edwards has served on numerous mining company boards. About Orvana Orvana is a multi-mine gold and copper producer. Orvana's operating assets consist of the producing gold-copper-silver El Valle mine in northern Spain and the producing gold-copper-silver Don Mario mine in Bolivia. Additional information is available at Orvana's website (www.orvana.com). Cautionary Statements - Forward-Looking Information Certain statements in this information constitute forward-looking statements or forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities laws ("forward-looking statements"). Any statements that express or involve discussions with respect to predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions, potentials, future events or performance (often, but not always, using words or phrases such as "believes", "expects", "plans", "estimates" or "intends" or stating that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might", "will" or "are projected to" be taken or achieved) are not statements of historical fact, but are forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements herein relate to, among other things, Orvana's ability to achieve improvement in free cash flow; the potential to extend the mine life of El Valle and Don Mario beyond their current life-of-mine estimates; Orvana's ability to optimize its assets to deliver shareholder value; the Company's ability to optimize productivity at Don Mario and El Valle; estimates of future production, operating costs and capital expenditures; mineral resource and reserve estimates; statements and information regarding future feasibility studies and their results; future transactions; future metal prices; the ability to achieve additional growth and geographic diversification; future financial performance, including the ability to increase cash flow and profits; future financing requirements; and mine development plans. Forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon a number of estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable by the Company as of the date of such statements, are inherently subject to significant business, economic and competitive uncertainties and contingencies. The estimates and assumptions of the Company contained or incorporated by reference in this information, which may prove to be incorrect, include, but are not limited to, the various assumptions set forth herein and in Orvana's most recently filed Management's Discussion & Analysis and Annual Information Form in respect of the Company's most recently completed fiscal year (the "Company Disclosures") or as otherwise expressly incorporated herein by reference as well as: there being no significant disruptions affecting operations, whether due to labour disruptions, supply disruptions, power disruptions, damage to equipment or otherwise; permitting, development, operations, expansion and acquisitions at El Valle and Don Mario being consistent with the Company's current expectations; political developments in any jurisdiction in which the Company operates being consistent with its current expectations; certain price assumptions for gold, copper and silver; prices for key supplies being approximately consistent with current levels; production and cost of sales forecasts meeting expectations; the accuracy of the Company's current mineral reserve and mineral resource estimates; and labour and materials costs increasing on a basis consistent with Orvana's current expectations. A variety of inherent risks, uncertainties and factors, many of which are beyond the Company's control, affect the operations, performance and results of the Company and its business, and could cause actual events or results to differ materially from estimated or anticipated events or results expressed or implied by forward looking statements. Some of these risks, uncertainties and factors include fluctuations in the price of gold, silver and copper; the need to recalculate estimates of resources based on actual production experience; the failure to achieve production estimates; variations in the grade of ore mined; variations in the cost of operations; the availability of qualified personnel; the Company's ability to obtain and maintain all necessary regulatory approvals and licenses; the Company's ability to use cyanide in its mining operations; risks generally associated with mineral exploration and development, including the Company's ability to continue to operate the El Valle and/or Don Mario and/or ability to resume operations at the Carles Mine; the Company's ability to acquire and develop mineral properties and to successfully integrate such acquisitions; the Company's ability to execute on its strategy; the Company's ability to obtain financing when required on terms that are acceptable to the Company; challenges to the Company's interests in its property and mineral rights; current, pending and proposed legislative or regulatory developments or changes in political, social or economic conditions in the countries in which the Company operates; general economic conditions worldwide; and the risks identified in the Company's Disclosures under the heading "Risks and Uncertainties". This list is not exhaustive of the factors that may affect any of the Company's forward-looking statements and reference should also be made to the Company's Disclosures for a description of additional risk factors. Any forward-looking statements made in this information with respect to the anticipated development and exploration of the Company's mineral projects are intended to provide an overview of management's expectations with respect to certain future activities of the Company and may not be appropriate for other purposes. Forward-looking statements are based on management's current plans, estimates, projections, beliefs and opinions and, except as required by law, the Company does not undertake any obligation to update forward-looking statements should assumptions related to these plans, estimates, projections, beliefs and opinions change. Readers are cautioned not to put undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements made in this information are intended to provide an overview of management's expectations with respect to certain future operating activities of the Company and may not be appropriate for other purposes. Jeffrey Hillis, CFO and Interim CEO, T (416) 369-6281, E jhillis@orvana.com; Joanne Jobin, Investor Relations Officer, T (416) 369-6275, E jjobin@orvana.com RIO DE JANEIRO Federal prosecutors in Brazil said on Tuesday they filed a 155 billion-real ($43.5 billion) civil lawsuit against iron miner Samarco, and its owners Vale SA and BHP Billiton, for a collapsed tailings dam in November that killed 19 people and polluted a major river. The lawsuit, which is also against the two states impacted by the spill and the federal government, is the result of a six-month investigation led by a task force set up after the disaster, prosecutors said in a statement. Vale said it had not been notified of the suit and was therefore unable to comment. BHP did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The total damages, they said, were calculated based upon the cost of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the United States. BP's total pre-tax charge for that spill reached $53.8 billion. Prosecutors demanded an initial payment of 7.7 billion reais. The civil action is separate from the lawsuit that Samarco, Vale and BHP settled with Brazil's government in March in which the companies would pay an estimated 20 billion reais for damage caused by the spill. Federal and state prosecutors did not form part of that settlement. (Reporting by Stephen Eisenhammer; Editing by Sandra Maler) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. New Delhi: Delhi Police has detained 12 persons suspected to be linked with a terror outfit planning an attack in the city and recovered explosives from their possession after a series of overnight raids in the national capital and neighbouring states. The ongoing raids are part of a joint operation of Delhi Police and a Central intelligence agency. While a team of the force's anti-terror unit Special Cell zeroed in on two of the youths, while they were allegedly in the process of making improvised explosive device, from east Delhi's Gokulpuri area, names of the others emerged during their questioning and they were tracked down one after another in the wee hours today, a senior official said. All of them are suspected to be members of a sleeper unit of a terror outfit, planning an attack in the National Capital and other cities, the official said. Special Cell teams are conducting raids in Delhi and UP, and several arrests are likely in the next 24 hours. Explosives have also been recovered from their possession. The 12 are being questioned by Special Cell sleuths and intelligence officials. Investigation is underway, the senior official added. Kanhaiya Kumar is flying high, quite literally. Organisers for the events at which he is invited to speak pay for his air travel. Nothing wrong in travelling by air, he said when accused of indulging in extravagance. There's nothing wrong with it at all, but what about touching the feet of someone during whose rule, comrade Chandrashekar, ex-president of the Jawaharlal Nehru University Students' Union (JNUSU) was shot dead? For those not in the know, Chandrashekhar, still recalled by students fondly as Chandu, was a highly admired student leader. An active member of the All India Students Federation (AISF), who later became the driving force behind the All India Students' Association (AISA), he was president of JNUSU for two successive terms 1993 and 1994. He was in Bihar in March 1997, raising his voice against criminalisation of politics under Lalu Prasad Yadav, when he was shot dead by sharpshooters allegedly close to RJD strongman Mohammad Shahabuddin. And to date, no Left discourse on campus is complete without glowing tributes to Chandu. Not even as long back as a year ago, Kanhaiya and his comrades were busy singing paeans to him. How things have changed! Or rather how Kanhaiya has changed! Besides being close to Shahabuddin, Lalu also symbolises corruption in Bihar. In his speech in Patna during the recent visit, Kanhaiya spoke eloquently on the topic of azadi among other things. Conspicuously absent though was any word on azadi from corruption. Perhaps it would have displeased the man whose feet Kanhaiya touched. Of course, he didnt talk about Shahabuddin. Watch this documentary Ek Minute Ka Maun. It will show you how thousands of JNU students gathered at Lalus residence in Delhi demanding justice, but all they got were bullets and lathis. Kanhaiya has shifted to a new trajectory after the 9 February incident at JNU. Students slapped with suspension and fine are on hunger strike. One of them named Saurabh Sharma was on Monday admitted to Safdarjung Hospital due to dehydration. Teachers are also on hunger strike in support of students. In the midst of this, Kanhaiyas opportunistic political ambitions are creating a flutter among his comrades. Sucheta De of AISA wrote on her Facebook page: In response to Des post, Kamla Chenoy wrote: Sucheta, I regret that you have brought the debate to this level. When Chandu (Chandrasekhar Prasad) was killed, we mourned him for weeks and still celebrate his dedication to Marxist causes and his great sacrifice. We also ensured that the CBI took up his case as ordered by Com. Indrajit Gupta, then Home Minister. Wasn't Com. Vinod Mishra an exceptional comrade widely respected across the Left and progressive spectrum? Though CPI (ML) was a relatively small party, Com Vinod Mishra was a giant. These are early days for Kanhaiya. But his rise is an indication of the rise of youth, who are fed up with the bourgeois political parties and their grim future, with few jobs available. Shehla has also made an impact. She is also a rising star, and we all wish her well, as we do Ashutosh, Naga, Umar, Anirban and others. As for your dire predictions, do remember that only Kanhaiya has a sedition case against him. I humbly request that we do not magnify such issues. We yet have a lot to do. Shehla Rashid, vice-president, JNUSU, who led the movement when Kanhaiya was in jail, replied with a lengthy response of her own: While these student leaders display maturity on not attacking Kanhaiya for his controversial moves, the fact remains that there is growing discontent among students. The rape, possible torture and murder of Jisha, a landless Dalit law student in Kerala, has outraged activists and society at large because she is not the first victim of the rising violence and inequality faced by women in the state, but whats equally outraging is the opportunistic rush of politicians to exploit the situation. For years, every single statistic of consequence has been screaming to the politicians and policy makers in the state that the inequality and violence against women was really bad and was rising. And activists have been shouting from street corners and rooftops, asking for enabling policies and transformative processes; but the politicians did practically nothing. There was no difference between the Congress-led and CPM-led governments, who alternated in power. Otherwise, the state which boasts of a very high Human Development Index (comparable to that of Bahrain) wouldnt have recorded a rate of crime against women thats much higher than the average for the rest of India. However, when it comes to exploitation of tragedies, even if they are brutal rapes and murders, the politicians dont want to miss the opportunity. The worst among the greedy politicians were the CPM leaders, who appeared to have already tasted blood in the upcoming elections. After feasting on sleaze of the Solar Scam - in which the central character, a scorned woman who curiously allowed her to be politically exploited after being allegedly dumped by the ruling front men - they have now got a new victim to play politics with. And they are doing it with absolutely no shame or morality. The leaders and their cadres indulged in every single possibility - street protests asking for the arrest of the culprits even before investigations were completed, Facebook posts that lamented the oppression of Dalits, women and marginalised communities; and mob attacks against the chief minister and home minister who visited the victims mother. Whats more, the state secretary of the party even promised construction of a new house for the victims mother. The obvious irony is that Jisha is certainly a victim of all that the CPM leaders have said in their Facebook posts, their protest marches and on TV discussions, but can the latter absolve themselves of their role in perpetuating the situation? They too had ruled the state almost as much as the Congress did, and spoke principles much more than the latter, but what have they done to halt and reverse the trend? The writing has always been on the wall - despite the glitter of remarkable human development, in terms of social marginalisation and violence, women in the state have been among the worst off in the country. And it was always loud and clear in the statistics: they have high literacy, great scores in academics, but no jobs; at home, they get badgered, violated both physically and psychologically, and raped; and in the streets and public places, they are troubled by hooligans and moral policemen. Data from the Centre for Development Studies (CDS), in as early as 2003, had shown that 74 per cent of educated women (in their sample) in Kerala were unemployed despite better education than men in all categories except in diploma and secondary levels. The situation remains more or less the same even today despite the advent of IT and new age jobs. The workforce participation data in 2011 Census shows that only 34.78 per cent of women are engaged in any gainful employment in the state, which was far too lower than the national average. In fact, in terms of employment, a highly literate, educated and ostensibly more empowered women from the state fare no better than the woman in a considerably backward Bihar. In comparison, TNs average is 45.58, and Himachal Pradeshs, 51.85. Now, look at the incidence of rapes. The numbers are six times higher than that of neighbouring Tamil Nadu, which has no globally celebrated human development glamour that Kerala boasts off. And the available numbers from the National Crime Records Bureau for 2015 shows a continuing rise. In terms of the overall rate of crime against women, Keralas average is 63 per 100,000 as against the countrys 56.3. In other words, Keralas women are more educated, are in better health and live longer, but they are far more disempowered than their peers in most of India. They stay mostly at home and face more violence then other women in most parts of the country. How strange is that? The problem is a conservative, lazy, indulgent, and consumerist society masquerading as Left. TN doesnt have too many talking heads waxing eloquent about womens rights or political ideology - but as data shows, women face far less violence and enjoy far greater employment opportunities. The situation is the same in many other seemingly less progressive or developed states. And this is not now. This has been the case for years. The other aspect of the tragedy of Jisha is violence against Dalits. Jisha and her mother had been living in a one room hut on a tiny patch of poramboke land abutting a canal for several years. Reportedly, the local community had been hostile to her and she had been threatened many times. The facts that the bleeding-heart politicians see now - she as a socially discriminated Dalit, poor girl, living in an unsecured hut in poramboke, constantly under the threat of eviction and physical violence - have always been there. Why didn't anybody come to her rescue when she needed it the most? Kodiyeri Balakrishan, the CPM secretary in the state, has promised to build a house for her mother. Why just her? Why not all the landless Dalits in the state? Does it take a rape and a murder to qualify for party/government largesse? Its been 13 years since the state police fired on and killed landless Adivasis who were staging a protest in Muthanga in northern Kerala, but has the core problem been solved? The CPM had made considerable political capital out of the tragedy, but the leader of that protest, CK Janu, recently joined the BJP because she was disgruntled by the unfulfilled promises by Marxist leaders who backed her. Today, the same leaders who still cannot ideologically accept the Dalit politics because its incongruous with their idea of class struggle, are shedding tears for landless. Anyway, every tragedy is an opportunity for social change. But, unfortunately what we see is only political opportunism and the CPM is repugnantly blatant because they want to win at any cost. Mumbai: A 45 years old woman died while fetching water in Maharashtra's drought-hit Latur district on Tuesday. Kevalbai Kamble had been standing in a queue to fetch water from a borewell at Atola village in Chakur tehsil for over two hours when she collapsed, a local police official said. She was rushed to the government hospital at Latur but was declared dead on admission. In the drought-hit Beed last month, 11-year-old Sachin Kengar died while he was trying to get water from a well near his village. In the parched district, it was one of the many deep wells in which water had mostly dried up and pooled at the bottom. Also last month in Beed district, 12-year-old Yogita Desai died after making five trips to a water pump near her home. She had been unwell for days with dysentery but was forced to go out in 42 degrees Celsius heat to get water from an almost dry hand-pump. New Delhi: With several members in Rajya Sabha demanding "exemplary punishment" for the culprits in the rape and murder of a Dalit woman in Kerala, Social Justice Minister Thawar Chand Gehlot on Wednesday, said he will visit the village of the rape victim tomorrow. During the Zero Hour, CP Narayanan of CPI(M) raised the issue of the rape and murder in Ernakulam district of Kerala on 28 April, terming it as a "dastardly attack" similar to that of the Nirbhaya incident in Delhi. He drew the House's attention that similar rape incidents occurred in Kasargod last week, and in Thiruvananthapuram on Tuesday, adding "it is a black mark. Police is not very active in apprehending the culprits." Deputy Chairman PJ Kurien said: "It is a very, very heinous crime. Most shameful for every Keralite." Several members associated themselves with the issue and demanded strict action against the culprits, with Tarun Vijay of the BJP demanding that a team should visit the state. Responding the anguish expressed by members, Gehlot told them that he would visit the state tomorrow and meet the victim's family. "I will help them in getting justice," he added. Vijay, who had raised the issue as soon as the House met, said it was a repeat of the Nirbhaya case and that the Kerala government has "completely failed" to control such incidences. "God's own country" should not turn into a rapist country, he added. D Raja (CPI) drew the government's attention towards the atrocities committed against Dalits across the country, adding that legislations have proved to be of no help. SC Mishra (BSP) said that atrocities were happening across India. "The House is concerned. Stringent action should be taken and exemplary punishment given. Do everything possible so that such incidents do not happen," Kurien said. Parliamentary Affairs Ministers Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said that the incident of rape and murder had crossed all limits and was inhuman. The Supreme Court has made its intentions clear. It wants to go ahead with the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) examinations for all MBBS courses across the country from this year itself. The only exception will be the entrance examinations to the AIIMS (All India Institute of Medical Sciences). Why this should be left out is perplexing. Ideally, there should be one rule for everyone. Multiplicity of rules only encourages confusion and even corruption. Ask many educationists. They will point out the irony behind the protests of some state governments. The protesting states want the Supreme Court stipulation, that NEET exams should becoming mandatory from this year itself, to be deferred. Look at the list of protesting states, points out one educationist. Why is it that only those states that have private medical colleges are the ones who are protesting? And it is no secret that the private medical colleges conduct their own exams and charge around Rs 40-50 lakh per admission. Most of these colleges are backed by some very powerful politicians. Is that why these states want deferment of the Supreme Courts diktat? The fact is that the students have had a raw deal till now. There are almost 72 different entrance examinations for MBBS admissions all over the country, adds another educationist. Thus each student has to appear for 10-12 examinations in order to ensure that he or she has a good chance of securing admission with a medical college. And this is even after their willingness to pay capitation fees. Some such malpractices have already been exposed in the media through sting operations. Some of the private medical colleges do not have either the teachers or the facilities (sometimes both) to offer decent medical education to students. Yet, thanks to their powerful connections, the promoters of these colleges go scot-free. Consider the number of examinations that students must prepare for in the state of Maharashtra alone. There is the CET (Common Entrance Test). Then there is the Associate CET (for a clutch of 12-15 medical colleges which have not accepted the CET). You also have the AIPMT (All India Pre Medical Test). As stated before, there is also the test that AIIMS insists on. You also have many private medical colleges which have their own separate entrance examinations. Some of them use these examinations to tweak the admission eligibility norms for students. And there is the Pondicherry examination, commonly referred to as the JIPMER test (for the Jawaharlal Institute of Post Graduate Medical Education & Research). Finally, there is the entrance examination for CMC Vellore which is one of the premier medical institutes in the country. Why should a student be compelled to take all these tests? Why should he or she be fleeced by so many examination bodies? Why should the rest of India suffer just because some states want medical colleges to make some more money for one more year? is the common refrain of most informed people who have looked at the worsening educational practices adopted by medical colleges in India. In fact, they believe that the Supreme Court should make the NEET compulsory for all professional colleges. Today, the judgement covers only medical colleges. Why not engineering colleges as well? is what one teacher asks. Look at the practice overseas. The GRE (Graduate Record Examination) in the US is common to all students. And each discipline has just one qualifying examination for the entire country, sometime for more than one country. Why should India not adopt such practices? The fact is that just as with medical colleges students aspiring to be engineers have to appear for as many as a dozen examinations to minimize their chances of losing out an admission opportunity. Though the capitation fees for engineering colleges is not as high as those for medical colleges, there are stories about such cash demands being made. Why is it that the JEE (Joint Entrance Examinations) Mains for admission for all IITs has been adopted by non-BJP states like Orissa, but not by BJP ruled states like Maharashtra? Clearly, the lust for money is greater than a respect for fair-play at examinations, a teacher remarks. To learn more about the controversy, you can read this article. Patna: Tension gripped Bihar's Ekangarsarai town after the body of an abducted 14-year-old boy was found in Jehanabad district, triggering protests on Wednesday, police said. Ritik Raj, a class 8 student and son of rice mill owner Niranjan Sahu, was abducted for ransom on Sunday from Ekangarsarai in Nalanda district. He was found murdered in Jehanabad district late Tuesday night. Kidnappers had demanded a ransom of Rs.50 lakh for his safe release on Monday, police said. "After Ritik went missing and we failed to trace him, we filed a report with police," said a family member. The boy's father received a call on his cell phone from the abductors, demanding Rs.50 lakh for his release. Police filed a kidnapping case for ransom. As the boy's body reached Ekangarsarai on Tuesday night, hundreds of angry people blocked roads and demanded action against police over its failure to begin a search to trace the boy soon after the incident came to light. Sensing trouble, additional security forces have been deployed in Ekangarsarai. "Protestors have pelted stones at police and shouted slogans against police. Tension is prevailing in Ekangarsarai," a district police official said. Police suspect the boy was killed two days after being kidnapped. When Rahul Gandhi made a one-line statement claiming, "I am always being targeted, happy to be targeted", without stopping or slowing his hurried walk inside Parliament, he would not have anticipated that only hours later Rosemary Patrizi Dos Anjos, the lawyer of Christian Michel, the middleman in the AgustaWestland VVIP chopper scam now a wanted criminal in India would appear live on Times Now. Or that she would accept that her client had written a note naming Sonia Gandhi and describing her as 'driving force' behind the deal. This has hit Congress where it could hurt it most. Michel's lawyer's admission came at a time when the party is doing everything in its command to deflect the heat from its Sonia Gandhi's alleged involvement in the deal. This is additional ammunition for Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar when he rises to make a statement on the AgustaWestland scam on Wednesday in the Rajya Sabha. The problem for the Congress and its first family is that the continuing revelations have cast a shadow on Rahul as well. BJP MP Kirit Somaiya has linked the family of Rahul's aide Kanishka Singh with the other middleman Guido Ralph Haschke. Singh has denied the charge but Somaiya has made some fresh charges against Rahul Gandhi of buying two shops in MGF Metropolitan Mall, Saket. And although Rahul owning a shop in that mall, or leasing it to MGF and finally selling it to MGF for profit does not have any direct connection with Choppergate per se, it does suggest that Haschke had his ways around the corridors of power in Delhi. Somaiya tweeted: MGF is part of Emaar MGF and in September 2009, the company appointed Haschke and Gautam Khaitan as directors on its board. The same company had built the Commonwealth Games villages in New Delhi and hit the headlines for all the wrong reasons with the Union Urban Development Ministry and the Delhi Development Authority going out of the way to sweeten the deal for Emaar MGF. This coupled with the revelations that the then defence minister AK Antony approved the blacklisting of AgustaWestland only on 12 May, 2014 after it had become certain that the Congress was about to lose power at the Centre with the last phase of poling done and exit polls indicating that the Narendra Modi-led BJP was way ahead will add to the Congress' discomfort. The order banning procurement was finally issued on 3 July, 2014 by then defence minister Arun Jaitley. The other question that the Congress will have to answer is why the CBI and Enforcement Directorate (ED) virtually slept on the files for over one year, from March 2013 when the FIR was registered till May 2014 the time the UPA government was ousted. The Congress had so far been claiming that the Manmohan Singh government had blacklisted AgustaWestland, ordered a CBI, ED inquiry and it is the Modi government that should be blamed for inaction on the issue. Unfortunately for the Congress, after each of their claims, evidence has emerged that the party was consciously indulging in speaking half-truths or plain lies. Patrizi's stating, "I know about that note" in response to a query about the veracity of the note sent by Michel to Peter Hullet, who then helmed India operations of AgustaWestland, will have a damning effect on the Congress party because her statement negates the Congress' claims about the authenticity of the unsigned note. When Parrikar speaks in the Rajya Sabha, the Congress benches may have to deal with some moments of deep discomfort. The former prime minister and former defence minister should be present in the House. However, it remains to be seen whether the Congress will allow Parrikar to make his full statement, also how Singh and Antony, if at all, counter him. Three days ago, Parrikar on his part had made clear what he intends to do in Parliament. "I will place the detailed chronology, giving facts about the chopper deal before Parliament on Wednesday. I will place the detailed chronology, giving how and when necessary clauses or provisions were relaxed to suit the companies. Those who received kickbacks will not leave behind the proof for us to prosecute them, but we will have to prove it (that kickbacks were received).Why no action was taken against the company till 2014? Why was the company not blacklisted by then UPA government? I challenge the Congress to show the UPA government's order blacklisting the AgustaWestland company. Let them reply first why it was not banned." As for middleman Michel offer's to turn approver (made by his lawyer to Times Now on Tuesday night and denied later by Michel a little while later) with certain conditions attached that he would not be arrested, treated wrongly and so on, the government has already clarified that there would be no deal with him. "It is well known that any understanding/agreement with an accused outside the frame of law is a criminal act in itself. James Christian Michael is a criminal wanted by the Indian law enforcement agencies. We are pursuing all legal means to arrest him and have him extradited to India. Mr Michel should submit himself to the Indian legal system rather than make elliptical references to offers that are suspect in intent and reality. We are determined that the law must take its course against Mr Michel and his associates in this matter," the government said. Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh BJP attacked the ruling Samajwadi party (SP) on Wednesday over reports of a famine death in the Bundelkhand region. Referring to reports that a 40-year-old Dalit man died due to lack of food and water in Banda district, state BJP spokesman Vijay Bahadur Pathak described it as "a sorry tale of misgovernance of the Akhilesh Yadav government". A 40-year-old man Natthu died of hunger, as he was going to take relief material being distributed in Aila village. There was no food in his house for four days and he kept awaiting the government help. But when it came, it proved too late. As the news spread, food packets and other ration were rushed to his home by the district administration. Rattled at the death, Banda's food security officer Ram Pratap has been transferred to Pilibhit with immediate effect, an official told IANS. Accusing Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav and his government of "making false propaganda of helping the people in drought-hit Bundelkhand", the spokesman said: "This government is best at false propaganda and that is what it is doing sadly with the drought relief." Stating that instead of realising the gravity of the situation, officials are busy ignoring the deaths deliberately, the BJP spokesman said: "This was the reason that in this case the post-mortem was not conducted and cremation was done in a hurry." The chief minister had earlier warned that any deaths in any district would be taken with utmost seriousness and the responsibility would stop at the district magistrate. "Now, we await action against top district officials," the BJP spokesman said. With severe heat wave and an unprecedented drought, the entire Bundelkhand region has been at the focus of Uttar Pradesh government. But on ground, the help seemingly is delayed and hostage to red tape. Attempts to contact District Magistrate Banda failed, as he did not took the calls. A state government official, however, said all efforts were underway to help the drought affected people but there might be one or two unfortunate incidents. Let's start with an easy question. If the hunter's bullet manages to hit one bird among 10 sitting on the branch of a tree, how many will be left? Mathematics demands that the answer would be nine. Common sense explains that when a shot is fired and hits one, the other nine will fly away in fear, leaving none. It can't be easy being Soumen Mitra, the new top cop of Kolkata who has been at the receiving end of Chief Minister's barbs for the cardinal error of staying true to his rulebook and uniform. It is widely accepted that Mitra, who took over from incumbent Rajeev Kumar on 13 April following a directive from the Election Commission, has restored the self-esteem of a demoralized police force struggling under the yoke of political oppression. The fourth and fifth phases of Bengal assembly polls showed what Kolkata Police is capable of when there is no one to hold it back by the collar. The genie of violence was bottled. Goons of all shapes and sizes were either taken into custody or stayed under strict vigilance, outsiders were chased away and the baton came down hard at even the slightest hint of trouble. After the horror of last year's civic polls, voters were pleasantly surprised to cast their own ballot in a largely peaceful atmosphere. Of course, Mitra was aided by a vast number of central forces but the difference this 1988 batch IPS officer made was clear. Which is why after just a couple of days of the fifth phase, a shot was fired by the Chief Minister during a campaign rally in East Medinapur. And her thinly veiled target was Mitra. "If someone is given a responsibility for just 15 days and starts thinking their life's dream of wearing a gold crown will be fulfilled, that is the biggest mistake. "Those who are doing all this should keep in mind that they will have to suffer in the coming days." This wasn't a one-off though. Mamata had dropped enough hints that Rajeev, her favourite officer, shall be reinstated as CP if TMC returns to power. If the seniormost officer can be browbeaten into submission, the rest of the pack will automatically fall in line. But Mitra is thankfully made of sterner stuff. There is every possibility that he may be removed from his job if Mamata is back at the helm but he didn't let that fear cower him down. During a poll debriefing session on Tuesday at Kolkata Police headquarters in Lalbazar, Mitra gave a simple message to his force: Do your job. I am there." Do not ignore calls. It can be anyone (from any political party). But act only according to the merit of the case. There is no need to listen to everyone who claims to have political links. Behave like a professional." The EC had appointed Mitra without consulting the state government, a departure from usual practice. Mitra has served Kolkata police as the deputy commissioner (detective department), deputy commissioner (north), and special commissioner of police and commands the respect of the rank and file. Even as he asked his force to follow the letter and spirit of rulebook, Mitra reminded them during the meeting yesterday that handling of post-poll violence could have been better. There have been reports of violence in mainly four areas of the city Haridebpur, Ballygunge, Kasba and Patuli where mainly polling agents of the opposition have come under attack. The cops have embarked on a slew of steps to tackle the violence. It includes setting up more checking points, keeping a night force handy and identify troubled spots for round-the-clock vigilance. He may not keep his job beyond 19 May but in this very short time, Mitra has already demonstrated the difference one upright officer can make. Im not scared of anyone, Im being targeted are the newest, trendiest political jumlas of our time. From Sonia, and Rahul Gandhi to Kanhaiya Kumar they are all telling us they are not afraid of anyone. Rahul Gandhi used the jumla on Tuesday in his first reaction to the AgustaWestland deal when he was asked about his aid Kanishk Singhs role. I am always being targeted, I am happy to be targeted was his response. Sonia Gandhi has used the jumla twice in the recent past, on both the occasions after being embroiled in cases of corruption. When she was summoned by a Delhi court in the National Herald case, she declared, I am daughter-in-law of Indira Gandhi, Im not afraid of anyone. After her name figured in the AgustaWestland case, she repeated the jumla, Im not afraid of anyone. Whats the message Sonia or Rahul want to convey to the people as heads of Indias oldest political party? Dont be scared of law? Does Sonia want to send a message that the law of the land will not catch up with her even if she was found guilty of violating the law? Is she expressing her own imperious indifference and contempt for law or is she saying something that one hears very often being said that people break laws with impunity because they dont fear laws? In a democracy, equality of all citizens in the eyes of law is paramount. Why does she think she is special? It shows her claim to a feudal and privileged entitlement mindset. Perhaps, her confidence stems from her past experience and a misconceived belief that powerful and privileged people often get away unpunished even after breaking law and found guilty of acts of omissions and commissions. Sadly, Sonia and Rahul and the privileged class. People like them have reasons to put their perceived immunity from law on show. The last time and the only time the Gandhi family faced major allegations of corruption was when former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhis name figured in the Bofors howitzer gun deal. And Rajiv Gandhi emerged unscathed despite there being evidence of kickbacks in the charges of corruption, though the scandal brought him down from power. And why Rajiv Gandhi only? None of the accused in the Bofors scandal got punished despite there being enough evidence. One of the key accused, Ottavio Quattrochchi, the Italian representative of Snamprogetti in India, was allowed to flee the country owing to his proximity to the Gandhi family. After more than 25 years of cat and mouse game, the Bofors case lies buried in the files in courtrooms and government offices. Sonia knows very well, and so does the political class, that nothing much is likely to come out of the chopper deal. The scandal has already turned into more of a political slugfest than a criminal, legal case to be fought and won in a courtroom. Her confidence in cocking a snook at law emanates from general experience and sense of entitlement to immunity. One of the fiercest political battles the country witnessed was between Indira Gandhi and Jayaprakash Narayan in the 1970s, which led to the defeat of the Congress. At no point of time did JP speak any jumla like Im not afraid of anyone though he faced the full might of the Indira government and spent 19 months in jail under the Emergency rule. JP could indeed not have been scared of anyone. He had undergone third-degree torture under the British rule, escaped from jail to participate in the Quit India movement. Yet, he never put on the sort of arrogance one can Sonia and Rahul showing in public life. Our local JNU hero Kanhaiya Kumar is another jumla man. In a fantastic turnaround of career, he fancies himself taking on the Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He says the government is going after him because Modi is scared of him. Yet, he has been using Im not scared of anyone jumla. Nitish Kumar, Lalu Prasad Yadav, who were major student leaders of their time and who spent 19 months in jail during the Emergency didnt ever declare with any sense of arrogance and pomp that they were not scared of anyone. They also didnt fancy themselves taking on Indira Gandhi as student leaders. They were under no such delusion because they were led by JP. The bravados of Sonia and Rahul take me to school days. Only two sorts of boys used to crow all the time that they were not afraid of anyone. One, the class bullies and the other who got bullied. The bullies had to repeat the jumla to spread a psychological fear and the bullied used the same jumla to fight off their fear. Most people, most of the mango people so to say, are scared of many things. Police, government machineries, courts and such things do scare law-abiding citizens when they are involved or get accused of any wrongdoing. Arent Sonia and Rahul law-abiding citizens? Nandigram (WB): Nandigram, the spearhead of Bengal's anti-land acquisition movement which had played a crucial role in ousting the Left Front regime, is geared up for the 5 May Assembly poll in which Trinamool Congress candidate Suvendu Adhikari is pitted against CPI's Abdul Kabir Sheikh, a joint Congress-Left alliance candidate. Nandigram in East Midnapore district, about 125 km from Kolkata, was known as a stronghold of the communists and from where a CPI candidate was mostly returned except in the 1996 and 2011 Assembly poll. But the agitation against forcible land acquisition by the previous Left Front government led by Mamata Banerjee, had changed the political equation in the area. This time too the TMC candidate has an edge over the Opposition candidate in the seat. The LF government had planned to acquire 10,000 acres of land for a Special Economic Zone (SEZ) to be developed by an Indonesia-based company Salim Group for industrialisation. The fierce agitation against forcible land acquisition had led to police firing in which 14 people had lost their lives in 2007. BJP's Bijan Kumar Das besides SUCI(C) and Bharat Nirman Party candidates are also in the fray from this constituency,which has a 230541-strong electorate of which a sizable chunk is Muslim population. The TMC riding on the anti-land acquisition movement had not only won the Assembly by-poll in Nandigram but also swept the panchayat polls in East Midnapore district. TMC had won all the 16 seats, including Nandigram, in East Midnapore district in the 2011 Assembly poll which paved the way for the ouster of the Left regime. Both Nandigram and the East Midnapore district as a whole have turned into a TMC bastion with the party sweeping the 2013 Panchayat poll and the Lok Sabha poll in the following year. Firoza Bibi of the TMC, who had lost her son during Nandigram agitation, won the bypoll in 2009 and was re-elected with a margin of near about 50,000 votes in 2011 Assembly election. Suvendu Adhikari, sitting Lok Sabha MP, known for his mass contact in the district, said that people would vote in favour of the development ushered in by the Mamata Banerjee government in five years. "First of all, the people will vote for the development model of Mamata Banerjee. The people of Nandigram know that Suvendu Adhikari stands by them round the year. And secondly it is not true that action has not been taken against the culprits involved in Nandigram firing," Adhikari said. Although Adhikari is confident about his victory, opposition CPI and Left said that the TMC after coming to power did not fulfil the promises made by it. "The TMC came to power by promising that action will be taken against the police officers who were involved in the Nandigram firing. But did they take any action? The answer is no. They have only pursued political vindictiveness and people will answer the vindictive politics by voting TMC out," Sheikh said. The opposition Congress-Left alliance also said that the TMC won't be able to take away the entire minority votes in the constituency. The opposition parties also allege that corruption is rampant in the TMC-run East Midnapore Zilla parishad and highlighted the Narada sting video in which Adhikari figured. Adhikari, however refuted the allegations of corruption and Narada sting and termed them as 'malicious propaganda' of opposition. His opponent Sheikh said, "The people have seen the rampant corruption that TMC had indulged in last five years and now the person who is contesting election from this seat is seen in the sting video. Why will people vote for such a candidate," he asked. In a joint operation, Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force and CBI on 4 May arrested from Kanpur one of the prime accused in the Vyapam scam Ramesh Shivhare, who had been absconding for the last three years. "We have arrested Shivhare this morning. He is wanted by CBI in several cases in the Vyapam scam," Uttar Pradesh DGP Javeed Ahmed told PTI over phone. CBI sources said here that Shivhare is wanted in five cases probed by it which are related to alleged irregularities in the conduct of Madhya Pradesh Professional Examination Board also known as Vyapam. They said Shivhare was absconding for the last three years and carried a reward of Rs 10,000. A native of Uttar Pradesh, Shivhare's wife was a local body member in Mahoba. They said Shivhare was one of the kingpins of the scam and was nabbed in a joint operation by UPSTF and CBI from Avas Vikas colony in Kalyanpur area of Kanpur. He will be produced before a competent court after which he will be taken to Bhopal, they said. Shivhare allegedly acted as a middleman and arranged for impostors and dummy candidates to appear in the examination carried out by Madhya Pradesh Professional Examination Board for a certain amount. A resident of Uttar Pradesh, Shivhare has been evading questioning by authorities probing the case. His application for anticipatory bail was also turned down by the Madhya Pradesh High Court in 2014. "There is material to indicate the involvement of applicant in the commission of the crime, for which reason, the Investigating Officer has been insisting for attendance of the applicant for quite some time but in vain," a bench of Chief Justice A M Khanwilkar and Justice Alok Aradhe had said. The most important part of any chess bout is the endgame. The grandmasters are separated from the challengers by their ability to either maintain or squander an advantage with only a few pieces left on the board. As the excruciatingly long West Bengal Assembly Elections reaches endgame with 25 seats (16 in East Midnapore and 9 in Cooch Behar) going to polls in the sixth phase on Thursday, the cut and thrust intensified as major players rearranged their pieces and went for the jugular in final round of campaigning. Interestingly, instead of the kings or the queen, pawns became the centre of all attention. Be it the ruling Trinamool Congress, Left Front-Congress alliance or even the Election Commission, the police came under fire from all quarters. Left fires 'secret meeting' charge, TMC sees red Left Front fired the first salvo. State secretary Surya Kanta Mishra in a media conference on Tuesday alleged a "secret meeting" between Subhendu Adhikari, TMC MP and candidate from Nandigram constituency and a few senior police officers at the dead of the night where a blueprint was allegedly chalked out to defang the central forces by offering them liquor and money. It would then be easier, said Mishra, for the compromised cops to aid rigging on 5 May, the polling day. "Subhendu Adhikari held a secret meeting with the O-Cs of seven police stations in Banamali College of Panskura, East Midnapore, late on May 1 night," Mishra said at a media conference. "We have information that the officers were briefed by Subhendu on the role they would have to play on the day of the elections We even know which shop will supply the ration of food and alcohol," he said. Urging the Election Commission to issue a non-bailable arrest warrant against Adhikari, Mishra said the party has lodged a complaint with the EC in Delhi, seeking prompt intervention. The Left Front has also knocked on the doors of Sunil Kumar Gupta, EC's man in charge of Bengal, and submitted a memorandum. And to pile up even more pressure, CPI(M)'s East Midnapore secretary Niranjan Sihi has simultaneously fired a missive to the EC. Singling out Panskura, Moyna, Haldia, Marishda and Ramnagar O-Cs, Sihi wrote in his letter that these officers will arrange liquor and meat for the jawans while Adhikari will take care of the cash. The charges triggered a volcanic denial from the ruling party. Under fire Subhendu suggested that Mishra, the alliance's CM candidate, is suffering from hallucinations and should consult a doctor immediately. His father, Kontai MP Sisir Adhikary threatened to take the CPIM leader to court. "Being an MP with high priority security, Suvendu's movement are constantly monitored by the police. This is nothing but malicious campaign and we will soon be initiating legal action against Mishra," he said. And TMC secretary-general Partha Chatterjee said these cock-and-bull stories prove fear of loss has made Mishra delusional. The O-Cs have also issued denials, pointing out that the venue mentioned by Mishra has been the base camp for central forces since afternoon on May Day and such a meeting therefore would have been impossible to hold. Whether or not the allegations are true, the CPI(M) has managed to put TMC on the defensive and elicit a prompt reaction from the EC which has so far shown steely resolve in controlling rigging and violence. The panel, which has transferred or removed 67 officers an unprecedented number in the run up to six-phase elections, indicated that district administration would be asked to file an immediate report. Narrative and counter-narrative In Samuel Beckett's Endgame, variations are created by the play's characters until the very end to construct meaning and create narratives. In much the same way, the Left is trying to create a counter-narrative to Mamata Banerjee's allegations against the police. Faced with an unusually proactive and strict vigilance, Mamata at an election rally on Sunday had said that 'bhitu' (coward) police are acting like 'dalals' (touts) of the BJP, CPI(M) and Congress and creating a reign of terror in the state. The Left Front's move could therefore be targeted at ensuring that cops, under fire from the Chief Minister, do not take their foot off the pedal. In endgame, it is crucial to put the opposition under immense pressure so that concerns over defence leave little time for planning an attack. The CPI(M) opened another front against the Chief Minister on Tuesday by alleging that Mamata Banerjee has stationed herself in Jalpaiguri and has taken along a few handpicked CID officers including the controversial Bharati Ghosh to influence the voting process. An IPS officer who has courted controversy in the past due to her proximity to Mamata Banerjee, Ghosh was transferred by the commission in the run-up to the 2014 Lok Sabha as well, acting on a spate of complaints by the opposition. When the poll process was over, the TMC government reinstated her as West Midnapore SP and she was awarded the chief minister's commendable service medal on 15 August, 2014. This year, Ghosh was appointed as an officer on special duty of Left-wing extremism operations, a berth created for her by the state government ostensibly to avoid an encore of 2014. The move, however, failed to escape EC censure as the panel removed her from the post as soon as polling season got under way. EC restricts Mamata's favourite cop On Tuesday, the EC shot off a letter to Nabanna, the administrative headaquarters, asking the Bengal government to ensure that Ghosh does not leave her station of duty in Kolkata till the end of polling on Thursday. The panel was acting on reports, including the one fired by the CPI(M), that Ghosh was moving around in the districts and trying to micro-manage voting. The EC appears to have now employed the Berlin defense to counter TMC's Ruy Lopez. MELBOURNE Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said on Wednesday he plans within the next week to call an election to be held on July 2. "You can expect there to be an election on the second of July," Turnbull said in an interview on Australia Broadcasting Corp radio, adding that he would call the poll "between now and the 11th of May." (Reporting by Sonali Paul, editing by G Crosse) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. Washington: When Bangladeshi blogger and social activist Ashif Entaz Rabi hosted a TV talk show about a slaying of a publisher by Islamic extremists, he faced a torrent of threatening phone calls. He says young men with earpieces started loitering outside his workplace, and a militant website urged followers to "send this Ashif to Allah." But Bangladeshi authorities told him they couldn't protect him, saying he'd need the kind of security usually reserved for the prime minister to keep him safe. Instead, they told him to take care of himself, and write something good about Islam and the government. Rabi, 37, is in Washington at the invitation of a human rights group, calling attention to the dozens of writers and bloggers who fear they could be the next victim of a wave of savage attacks on liberals and religious minorities in Bangladesh. The violence has had a chilling effect on freedom of expression in the traditionally moderate Muslim nation. Tuesday marked World Press Freedom Day, and a coalition of rights groups are calling for a UN-backed inquiry into the killings because Bangladesh's government has failed to address the situation. They say "an atmosphere of complete impunity" in the South Asian nation is emboldening the killers. Since the beginning of 2015, at least nine intellectuals, academics, writers, bloggers, and activists have been hacked to death in targeted assassinations. Rabi attended the annual White House Correspondents' Association dinner at the weekend, and met on Tuesday with a top State Department envoy on human rights, Tom Malinowski, to discuss the deteriorating climate of tolerance in Bangladesh. He'll also be hoping to find a way to secure sanctuary in the US for himself and his immediate family. "It's better that the international community do something rather than just make statements. It's no use just issuing letters, as the prime minister (of Bangladesh) does not care," Rabi told The Associated Press on Monday. Secretary of State John Kerry called Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Thursday, urging Bangladesh to protect those at risk. He also offered US support for the investigation into the slaying last week of Xulhaz Mannan, a US Agency for International Development employee and gay rights activist. WASHINGTON U.S. Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton said on Wednesday the United States should not take a risk on an unreliable candidate like Republican Donald Trump. "He is a loose cannon and loose cannons tend to misfire," Clinton said in an interview with CNN, citing what she said was Trump's claim that climate change was a Chinese hoax. Clinton, who is front-runner to win the Democratic nomination, said Trump, the presumptive Republican nominee, would have to offer policy specifics in the general election on Nov. 8 and that she knows how to run against him. (Reporting by Megan Cassella and Doina Chiacu; Editing by Frances Kerry) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. Jakarta: An Indonesian woman has become an unlikely Internet sensation after photos of her angrily stopping motorcyclists from driving on pavements in traffic-choked Jakarta went viral online. Alfini Lestari, a 34-year-old cook, was pictured with her arms outstretched as she physically blocked a horde of motorbikes from riding down the pavement alongside one of the capital's main thoroughfares during rush hour this week. After the picture was printed on the front page of a national newspaper, she quickly gained a following online in a city with some of the world's worst traffic jams, threadbare public transport and few areas where pedestrians can comfortably walk. It is illegal for motorbikes to drive on Jakarta's pavements but many fail to heed the law, and have been criticised for putting people's lives in danger by taking shortcuts in areas reserved for pedestrians. "Many motorcyclists were angry at me, some told me to get out of the way, and some even called me an 'insane woman' -- but I don't care because I know I'm right, they are wrong," she told AFP. Netizens heaped praise on her, with Twitter users posting messages alongside the hashtag "Save the Pedestrians". "She is the sane woman of the capital -- love you Alfini," popular Indonesian musician Glenn Fredly tweeted. "Double thumbs up for Alfini," wrote another Twitter user, Sukhendro Pragul. The suspension of a carpooling system in the capital, which required cars to carry at least two passengers to enter main roads during rush hour, has been blamed for worsening traffic jams in recent weeks. INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. Republican front-runner Donald Trump scored an important victory over rival Ted Cruz in Indiana on Tuesday, a win that moves him close to being unstoppable in his march to the party's presidential nomination. The New York billionaire was quickly projected to be the winner by television networks shortly after polling places closed in the Midwestern state. Trump was on track to take well over 50 percent of the vote, eclipsing Cruz, a U.S. senator from Texas. Ohio Governor John Kasich was running a distant third. On the Democratic side, Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders were running virtually neck and neck, with Clinton's early lead eroded as more votes rolled in. Cruz had been counting on a win in Tuesday's primary to slow the New York businessman's progress towards the nomination. But Trump rode momentum from wins in five Northeastern states a week ago into a big lead in Indiana over Cruz, whose brand of Christian conservatism had been expected to have wide appeal in the state. "Lyin' Ted Cruz consistently said that he will, and must, win Indiana. If he doesn't he should drop out of the race-stop wasting time & money," Trump tweeted ahead of a victory speech he was to deliver at Trump Tower in New York. At Cruz's evening event in Indianapolis, there was an air of resignation among some of his supporters. Im definitely disappointed that we couldnt pull it out for him in Indiana, said Andrew Coulter. Coulter, 43, said he believes Cruz will continue forward, but gave little hope that his candidate would prevail. I think that its at this point Trump is going to win the nomination. I think that this was Cruzs firewall," he said. The loss for Cruz was a sour ending to a rough day in which he got entangled in a harsh back-and-forth with Trump. It began when the billionaire repeated a claim published by the tabloid newspaper the National Enquirer that linked Cruz's father, Cuban emigre Rafael Cruz, with President John F. Kennedy's assassin Lee Harvey Oswald. Campaigning in Evansville, in the state's southwest corner, Cruz sounded deeply frustrated by the bombastic real estate mogul, who has ripped Cruz at every turn. "The man cannot tell the truth but he combines it with being a narcissist," Cruz said, "a narcissist at a level I don't think this country has ever seen." Cruz termed Trump a "serial philanderer" - likely as part of his strategy to try to win the support of evangelical voters. Trump, in response, said Cruz had become "more and more unhinged." The only hopes that Cruz and Kasich have for becoming the Republican nominee is to somehow deny Trump the 1,237 delegates he needs to win the nomination outright and force Republicans at their July convention in Cleveland to choose one of them. Kasich vowed to stay in the race. "Tonights results are not going to alter Gov. Kasichs campaign plans," Kasich senior strategist John Weaver said in a campaign memo. "Our strategy has been and continues to be one that involves winning the nomination at an open convention." (Additional reporting by Emily Stephenson and Megan Casella in Washington; Writing by Steve Holland; Editing by Leslie Adler) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. Washington: The US has asked Syria's Assad regime and its international backers, including Russia and Iran, to stick to the agreed transition timeline of 1 August and warned that they risk facing consequences of a different American approach if they do not comply. "I've said that before, I have said it to (Russian) President (Vladimir) Putin, I've said it to others: It will not hold unless there is a bonafide effort to put in place a transition,"US Secretary of State John Kerry told reporters at the State Department. "We are getting into the period, folks...the target date for the transition is the 1st of August. So we're now coming up to May. So either something happens in these next few months or they are asking for a very different track," Kerry said in response to a question. Condemning the recent spike in violence in Syria, Kerry said the cessation of hostilities was put in place precisely to give the people on the ground, who are caught between these warring factions, some breather, some ability to be able to be safe and work this out at the negotiating table, which is waiting for the parties to come back to it in order to resolve this issue. The US and its partners, Kerry said, have a responsibility to work with the opposition to keep it from breaking the cessation or from engaging in any acts that put civilians at risk. Likewise, Iran and Russia have a particular responsibility that they assumed. "We all signed the same agreement and we all supported the same UN Security Council Resolution 2254, which calls for a nationwide cessation of hostilities and it calls for a nationwide, full delivery of humanitarian assistance within all of Syria," Kerry said. Russia, he said, has an ability to impact this. The United States has an ability to impact it. "We continue to remain committed to working towards a political transition away from (Bashar al-)Assad because only if you transition away can you actually end this war,"said the top American diplomat. "As we work to get the cessation back on track, we are also working to get the full humanitarian access -- not just the cessation, but accompanied with full humanitarian access," he said. Kerry said the US and the international community knows beyond a doubt that the Syrian regime continues to block food and medical supplies from getting to the people who are in desperate need and from and that includes actually removing critical medicines and surgical supplies from those deliveries. "So as a result, some of the areas of the Damascus suburbs have not received any supplies in years. That, I think, is unconscionable and it really has to stop," he said. CALGARY, Alberta Alberta is racing to evacuate thousands of people as an uncontrolled wildfire burns near Fort McMurray, in the heart of Canada's oil sands region, forcing residents to flee north to safety on Tuesday. Alberta appealed for help from other provinces and Ottawa to help fight the fire and airlift people from the city. Local authorities issued a mandatory evacuation order for all of Fort McMurray, which affects the city's 80,000 residents. The 2,650-hectare (6,540-acre) fire, which was discovered on May 1, has closed off the main southern exit from the city, prompting residents to head north towards the oil sands camps. "This is the biggest evacuation we have seen in the history of the province in terms of fire," Alberta Premier Rachel Notley said at a news conference. "We need to find more camps, we have secured spaces for about 6,000 people, we know we need to find more and that work is underway." Notley said there were no injuries or casualties in the fire, adding that oil sands operations were also unaffected. A number of flights from Fort McMurray airport were cancelled and the airport advised passengers to check with their airlines for updates. The blaze, which started southwest of Fort McMurray, spread rapidly on Tuesday to the outskirts of the city, forcing the evacuation of the downtown area and almost every community in the lower town on the banks of the Clearwater and Athabasca rivers. "There's lots of smoke, its quite bad and hanging over the city. Where there are trees in the distance you can see the fire," Fort McMurray resident Nick Sanders told Reuters as he was packing up to leave downtown. Earlier, TV footage and photographs on Twitter showed flames and smoke billowing over the city and traffic heading north on the highway to safety, while CTV News reported a trailer park had been destroyed. "My thoughts are with people affected by the fire in Fort McMurray tonight. Stay safe and remember to follow evacuation orders," Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau tweeted. By late afternoon, the fire had blocked off one major route out of town, closing Highway 63 south of downtown. Some residents were evacuated to Noralta Lodge, an oil sands camp 21 kilometres (13 miles) north of Fort McMurray. "Tomorrow is expected to be a more intense burning day than today is," said Bruce Mayer, assistant deputy minister of Alberta's Forestry Division. Mayer said that nine air tankers, more than a dozen helicopters and more than 100 firefighters were battling the fire. Earlier on Tuesday authorities said the wildfire jumped the Athabasca river and breached Highway 63, the main artery south from the isolated city, which is located around 430 km (267 miles) northeast of Alberta's capital, Edmonton. Authorities are now expecting a cold front to reach Fort McMurray by Wednesday afternoon, bringing increased winds that will make tomorrow a more difficult fire-fighting day than today. After a mild winter with lower-than-average snowfall and a warm spring, Alberta is much drier than normal for this time of year, raising the prospect of a long and expensive wildfire season. Most oil sands facilities are to the north and east of the city, with the closest being Suncor Energy's (SU.TO) base plant roughly 30 km (17 miles) away. A Suncor spokesman said there were no current impacts on operations. Will Gibson, a spokesman for the Syncrude project, which has its facility around 40 km (25 miles) north of the city, said operations were unaffected. This is the second major fire around the city in less than a year. Last May, wildfires in the area led to the evacuation of hundreds of workers from Canada's energy heartland, leading to a 9 percent cut in Alberta's oil sands output at the time. The evacuations last year led to shutdowns by Cenovus Energy (CVE.TO) and Canadian Natural Resources Ltd (CNQ.TO) at some of their projects. (Additional reporting by Euan Rocha and Allison Martell in Toronto; Editing by Andrew Hay, Sandra Maler and Bernard Orr) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. digital and print publisher. digital and print publisher. We are Americas largest We are Americas largest The brands you love. The experiences you want. Google has teamed up with Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) to make self driving cars. This marks the first time Google has entered into a direct partnership with automakers. Under this collaboration, Google will double its fleet of self-driving cars for testing by adding about 100 Fiat Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid minivans. FCA will design the minivans while Google will install its self-driving systems, software and the sensors into these cars. Google said that the minivan design will give it an opportunity to test a larger vehicle that could be easier for passengers to enter and exit, particularly with features like hands-free sliding doors. At present, Google has about 70 self driving cars are in the form of Lexus SUVs modified by Google staffers as well as a few two-person prototypes that are built in-house. A Google+ post reads, In the coming months, our team will collaborate closely with FCA engineers. This experience will help both teams better understand how to create a fully self-driving car that can take you from A to B with the touch of a button. Collaborations like these are an important part of realizing the potential of self-driving technology to improve road safety and make transportation more accessible for millions of people. Sergio Marchionne, Chief Executive Officer, FCA said, Working with Google provides an opportunity for FCA to partner with one of the worlds leading technology companies to accelerate the pace of innovation in the automotive industry. The experience both companies gain will be fundamental to delivering automotive technology solutions that ultimately have far-reaching consumer benefits. The self-driving Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid minivans will be initially tested on Googles private test track prior to driving on public roads. The company first introduced its prototype driverless car in June 2015. source: 1, 2 Over the weekend I checked off a major bucket list item by attending Berkshire Hathaway's (BRK.A 1.50%) (BRK.B 1.64%) annual meeting in Omaha. It was spectacular. From the meeting itself to the post-meeting Dilly Bar liquidation sale, I couldn't have asked for much more. The hours-long Q&A session with Warren Buffett and Charlie Munger left me with three major takeaways. 1. Still the sharpest investors around If there were any doubt that old age has left Buffett and Munger incapable of managing Berkshire Hathaway, think again. I think the best display of Buffett's sharpness came early in the meeting, when he was discussing Coca-Cola's business. Buffett noted that the soda company sold about 1.9 billion servings of product a day, then quickly worked out that it amounted to 693.5 billion servings a year in his head. He even made a joke that his math was off, since 2016 is a leap year. Big deal? No. It's just mental multiplication problem (or multiplication, division, and subtraction, if you prefer), but it was a really good sign that Buffett's no mental slouch, even at 85 years of age. Buffett and Munger seemingly ended the meeting with just as much energy that they had at the beginning, which is no small feat for men their age. 2. Built for succession One of my favorite anecdotes from this year's meeting had to do with incentives, specifically how Berkshire uses incentives at GEICO to incent behaviors that create wealth for shareholders. GEICO's incentive program for its employees is relatively simple -- it's based on a table with policies in force on one axis and the profitability of the business on another axis. Where those two numbers for any given year meet ultimately determines the bonus pool for employees. GEICO employees thus have incentive to grow the business, and do it profitably -- a win-win for GEICO's stakeholders and sole corporate shareholder, alike. It's an anecdote, but it says something about how important incentives are in managing the behavior of Berkshire's many far-flung business units. With the proper incentives in place at every portfolio company, the next CEO of Berkshire will step into a position where the heavy lifting has already been done. I left with the sense that Buffett and Munger, both of whom have spent years explaining the importance of employee incentives, are spending a lot of their time to leave Berkshire with systems that will guide it for years and decades to come. 3. The importance of share buybacks It's no secret that Berkshire will likely repurchase shares of stock when it trades for less than 1.2 times book value, Buffett has said as much. Not surprisingly, it was the subject of an analysts' question, who asked why Berkshire didn't buy back stock given it had traded below 1.2x book value in January and February. Buffett was quick to note that Berkshire hadn't actually traded below 1.2x book value, but that it had gotten very close. He also made it very clear that the company would have been buying back stock if it had traded below that threshold. To the Oracle of Omaha, Berkshire's capital allocation is as much a promise as it is a policy. He also went on to say that the buyback program essentially guarantees a better outcome than a policy in which Berkshire pays out dividends. If Berkshire commits to buying back stock at 1.2x book value, a dollar on its balance sheet is essentially worth $1.20 or more to the share price. Shareholders should obviously prefer $1.20 in share price to $1.00 paid out as a dividend. Buying Berkshire at or very near to 1.2x book value may be the very best risk-reward proposition on the stock market. What: Shares of Irish-based pharmaceutical giant Allergan (AGN), which is perhaps best known for its dermatology and aesthetic product line -- which includes Botox -- shed 19% of their value in April, according to data from S&P Global Market Intelligence. The reason behind the decline can be found in a bevy of new U.S. Treasury Department rules released early in the month which eventually killed Allergan's pending merger with Pfizer (PFE 1.82%). So what: In an effort to get a stranglehold on an uptick in tax inversions, the U.S. Treasury released new regulations concerning what would be allowed in order for a U.S. company to redomicile overseas. If you recall, Allergan was, in effect, "buying" Pfizer in order to allow Pfizer to relocate to Ireland, a country with a substantially lower corporate income tax rate. Moving overseas could have saved Pfizer in excess of $1 billion annually. The new regulations had two particularly damning aspects. First, the deal targeted so-called "serial inverters," which includes Allergan. In order for Pfizer to move overseas, the deal needed to be conducted in stock (11.3 Pfizer shares for each share of Allergan), and Allergan shareholders would need to own between 40% and 60% of the new company. Under the terms of the deal, Allergan shareholders were on pace to hold 44% of the company. However, the new inversion rules essentially threw out any acquisitions within the past three years for serial inverters when taking market value into context. This meant Allergan's merger with Actavis and its buyouts of Warner-Chilcott and Forest Laboratories weren't going to be factored into its total merger value. This erased $54 billion from Allergan's deal value, crushing Pfizer's hopes of redomiciling to Ireland. Secondly, the Treasury tightened regulations concerning earnings stripping, which is the practice of lending money to a U.S. subsidiary and using the deductible interest to lower the company's effective U.S. income tax rate. Now what: Although the U.S. Treasury has been adamant that it didn't issue these new rules in response to the Pfizer-Allergan merger, I'd have to say that it if walks and talks like a duck, it's probably a duck, if you catch my drift. But even without Pfizer, Allergan looks as if it'll be just fine -- and I'm not just talking about the $150 million break-up fee it received from Pfizer. Allergan has a growing pipeline of dermatological and aesthetic medicines, as well as a burgeoning product portfolio targeting chronic conditions, including irritable bowel syndrome, Alzheimer's disease, and cystic fibrosis. Allergan's top-line is expected to grow by a double-digit clip throughout the remainder of the decade -- not to mention Allergan also has the luxury of paying a reduced corporate income tax rate in Ireland. Looking at Allergan, it's only trading at 13 times forward EPS, and it's expected to deliver $22+ in full-year EPS by 2019. Even if Allergan's growth slows, it has an opportunity to boost its dividend or buybacks to improve shareholder value. Long story short, this dip in Allergan's share price could be just what growth stock investors ordered! What: Shares of Intrexon (PGEN -2.33%), a biotechnology company focused on creating therapies to control gene regulation, were stung in April, tumbling 21%, according to data from S&P Global Market Intelligence. So what: There appear to be two primary causes for Intrexon's valuation implosion in April. First, a report issued by Spotlight Research on April 21 questioned whether or not Intrexon was deserving of a valuation approaching $5 billion considering its subsidiary, Oxitec, which it acquired in 2015 and is working on a solution to the Zika virus, may not have an economically viable solution. Oxitec's solution of modifying the genetic makeup of male Aedys aegypti mosquitoes to pass along a gene that shortens the next generation's lifespan, halting the breeding process, has been around for a while, but it hasn't really caught on. The other issue relates to residents in Florida who are petitioning the Food and Drug Administration not to use their state to run a clinical test. The idea would be to release Intrexon's modified male mosquitoes in Florida in an effort to control the Aedys aegypti population. However, nearly 11,000 signatures suggest that there are concerns regarding the safety of these modified mosquitoes, even though the FDA has cleared them as safe for the environment. Now what: Intrexon is certainly set up to be a battleground stock in 2016, but I believe it's for all the wrong reasons. Even if Intrexon has the only commercial viable Zika solution that's demonstrated success in Brazil, Panama, and the Cayman Islands, its solution at its peak is only expected to generate $200 million to $400 million in annual sales, according to various analyst estimates. However, if global health agencies work to control the Zika virus, which seems increasingly likely, Intrexon's moat of opportunity to control Zika could be limited at best (assuming it gets the green light from the FDA). It's long been a contention of mine that Intrexon's real value is tied up in its collaboration with Ziopharm Oncology to develop CAR-T immunotherapies. With CAR-T, researchers harvest patients' T-cells, genetically modify them to produce chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) that can help locate and bind to cancer cells, and finally inject those cells back into the body. Intrexon's role is to provide its RheoSwitch technology that can effectively turn genes on or off, ensuring that a patient's immune system remains supercharged only for a relatively short period of time. The potential of CAR-T is where the bulk of Intrexon's valuation derives from, and it's what I strongly suggest investors pay close attention to instead of hoping that Intrexon's Zika virus solution becomes a winner. Coal companies continue to face tough times as the Obama administrations regulations continue to crack down on the industry. The debate over renewable energy and the war on coal is still a hot topic on the campaign trail. In March, Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton said she would put a lot of coal miners and coal companies out of business. On Monday, while campaigning in West Virginia, Clinton was confronted by a laid-off coal worker, Bo Copley, about her remarks. During an interview on the FOX Business Networks After the Bell, Copley discussed his meeting with the Democratic presidential candidate and explained how the crackdown on coal companies is impacting families in the West Virginia coal country. Im hurting now, Copley said. Therere a lot of families that are hurting and going without right now. We're not worried about down the road. We're worried about what we're going to do for our families now. Copley believes one way a presidential candidate could help his family and others working in the struggling coal industry is by creating viable opportunities. He said no other businesses that have come into the area have been able to compete on salary for those working in the coal-mining industry. It's a dangerous job so I guess that's one reason why it's a little bit better paying job than others... If someone else wants to bring something else to our area, hopefully it's something that can compete price-wise for our livelihoods, he said. Dr. Ben Carsons endorsement of presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump is going strong. During an interview on the FOX Business Networks Mornings with Maria, Carson reacted to Trump praising his former GOP rivals during his Indiana victory speech. He is not the monster that people clearly try to portray him [as], he said. Carson also discussed how Trump will win over black voters. The messaging has been lacking for Republicans. We are going to be talking about [how to] provide ladders of opportunity so that people can climb that ladder and become highly successful portions of the fabric of America. New exit polls among Indiana voters revealed the GOP campaign has mostly divided the party and the Democratic campaign has energized its party. Carson says while the process has been very raucous, Hillary Clinton will help unite Republicans. You would have thought that after 2012 we would have learned the lesson but we didnt. But now we just have some bigger wounds that have to be healed but I think that the healing balm, the sap, the ointment will be Hillary Clinton. When people begin to think about her and what she represents and the progressive ideology and how its going to destroy our financial underpinnings and our position in the world and empower our enemies. While he has discussed potential options for Trumps vice presidential pick, Carson would not disclose details of their private conversation. On Wednesday, Boeing (NYSE: BA) reported solid earnings for the final quarter of 2016. Just as importantly, the company offered a relatively favorable outlook for 2017, punctuated by its guidance that free cash flow will rise by roughly $550 million year over year, reaching nearly $8.5 billion. After the earnings release, Boeing executives spent some time discussing the company's results and outlook with analysts and the media. Here are five key points that they emphasized. Expecting a soft landing for aircraft orders Boeing has experienced a fairly sharp decline in its annual order intake over the past few years. Between 2012 and 2014, Boeing received 3,990 net commercial airplane orders: an average of 1,330 per year. By contrast, net orders plunged to 768 in 2015 and 668 in 2016. Some analysts expect another big decline in orders this year. Aircraft order activity has cooled off since 2014. Image source: Boeing. However, Muilenberg expects order activity to remain stable relative to 2016. Aircraft deliveries will continue to outpace orders, but not by an alarming amount. Given the massive size of Boeing's backlog -- it still has about 5,700 firm orders on the books -- a minor slowdown in order activity like this isn't a cause for worry. Financial metrics will continue to improve beyond 2017 In the earnings release, Boeing forecast that while revenue will decline in 2017, all of its other key business metrics will improve. However, with monthly deliveries of the cash-cow 777 model set to decline by half over the next year or so, investors were understandably nervous about the outlook for 2018. Smith provided some reassurance on that front. Improving profitability across multiple programs -- on both a cash and a non-cash basis -- will more than offset the negative impact of slowing 777 production. As a result, the company's preliminary outlook calls for all key financial metrics to increase in 2018. Another tanker charge -- but the worst is over Boeing recorded another charge on its troubled KC-46 Pegasus military tanker program last quarter, this time totaling $312 million before tax. Cumulative cost overruns on the program have now surpassed $2 billion. That said, while management wouldn't rule out the possibility of further charges in 2017, the risk of another major setback is decreasing. Boeing hasn't identified any new problems in the past couple of quarters. Its main challenge now is incorporating various recent design changes into the first batch of tankers that will be delivered starting later this year. Thus, there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Indeed, Boeing expects the tanker program to turn cash positive in 2018 and become a reliable source of cash flow for decades thereafter. The next-gen 777X remains on track Given the steep drop in demand experienced by the 777 program recently, it is more important than ever to get production of the next-generation 777X model up and running smoothly. While Boeing hasn't received any 777X orders for a while, it does have a backlog of 320 firm orders. Furthermore, the efficiency benefits of the new models will make them much more marketable in the long run than the current-generation 777. Development of the 777X remains on track. Image source: Boeing. So far, everything is on track. Development is proceeding smoothly and Boeing has already started to build some parts for the first 777X test model. While it may not be possible to put the 777X into service ahead of schedule -- as is expected for the new 737 MAX -- there should be no problem having it ready by early 2020, as planned. Services represents a huge long-term growth opportunity One of Boeing's biggest opportunities over the next decade will be growing its high-margin services business. To hone its focus on this area, Boeing decided in late 2016 to create a third major business unit focused on services, combining parts of its current commercial and defense segments. This business unit will be up and running by Q3 2017. In 2016, the services portion of Boeing's defense segment produced an operating profit of about $1.3 billion on $10 billion of revenue. The commercial services business is somewhat smaller. However, Boeing sees an opportunity to grow its annual services revenue to as much as $50 billion in the long run by gaining share and participating in long-term market growth. That's an ambitious goal. But if Boeing manages to achieve it, services would eventually become one of the company's biggest sources of profit. 10 stocks we like better than Boeing When investing geniuses David and Tom Gardner have a stock tip, it can pay to listen. After all, the newsletter they have run for over a decade, Motley Fool Stock Advisor, has tripled the market.* David and Tom just revealed what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy right now... and Boeing wasn't one of them! That's right -- they think these 10 stocks are even better buys. Click here to learn about these picks! *Stock Advisor returns as of January 4, 2017 Adam Levine-Weinberg owns shares of Boeing. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Devon Energy felt the full fury of the oil market downturn this quarter, as a complete lack of oil hedges allowed the crashing price of crude to cut deeply into the company's financial results. That lack of hedges caused cash flow from operations to crash, despite its valiant cost-cutting effort. Still, the company did have a number of operational highlights during the quarter, which do provide some comfort. Drilling down into the numbersDevon Energy reported a core loss of $249 million, or $0.53 per share, a steep drop from the past few quarters, with the company reporting core earnings of $319 million just last quarter. The main culprit was really weak oil prices during the quarter, with Devon Energy capturing an average of just $13.53 per barrel of oil equivalent, or BOE. That's substantially less than the $29.54 per BOE it realized just last quarter, which not only benefited from higher oil prices but also was further boosted by the company's oil and gas hedges, which added $11.59 per BOE to its total. This past quarter, the company no longer had any oil hedges in place to go along with very limited gas hedges, which added only $0.30 per BOE to its realized price. That complete lack of oil hedges weighed heavily on Devon Energy's cash flow from operations, which came in at a paltry $149 million during the quarter. That's down more than 85% from last quarter, when operating cash flow was a robust $1.1 billion. Cash flow could have been a lot worse, but Devon Energy realized a significant amount of general and administrative cost savings during the quarter, pushing those figures down 23% year over year. That decline was largely a result of a 25% workforce reduction over the past year, which now has the company ahead of schedule on its cost-saving initiatives, keeping it on track to meet its target to cut its general and administrative costs by up to $500 million on an annualized basis. Devon also benefited from solid operating results in its midstream segment, which produced $202 million in operating profit during the quarter, driven primarily by its investments in EnLink Midstream and EnLink Midstream Partners . Overall, Devon expects to collect $270 million in cash distributions this year from its investment in EnLink Midstream, which provides it with a nice base of cash flow to work with in 2016. Aside from the progress on cost reductions, the other important highlight for Devon Energy was production. The company produced an average of 581,000 BOE per day during the quarter, which was 6,000 BOE per day above the midpoint of its guidance. Driving this growth was oil production from the company's core assets, which is up 10% year over year, and exceeded the midpoint of Devon Energy's guidance by 5,000 barrels per day. A look at the outlookBecause of that stronger-than-expected production, Devon Energy is raising the midpoint of its full-year guidance by 15,000 BOE per day, or 3%. That incremental production is coming without any additions to the company's capital spending plan, which is still expected to be in the range of $900 million to $1.1 billion. In other words, the company is getting more bang for its buck, which is a big deal in this environment. Aside from continuing to deliver strong operating results, Devon Energy's other big focus for the rest of this year will be to maintain a strong balance sheet. To do so, it is currently in the process of divesting a number of non-core assets, targeting to sell $2 billion to $3 billion in assets in 2016. To date, it has announced the sale of its Mississippian assets for $200 million and hopes to receive bids for the rest of the assets it has on the market by the end of next quarter. Investor takeawayDevon Energy's day of reckoning finally arrived after the last of its oil hedges rolled off when the calendar flipped the page to 2016. That situation forced the company to take even more action to push down its costs, which led to big declines in general and administrative costs, as well as further improvements in lease operating expenses. But given how weak the company's cash flow was in the quarter, it still has some work to do to maintain its financial strength until oil prices improve. The article Crashing Crude Finally Gets the Best of Devon Energy Corp. originally appeared on Fool.com. Matt DiLallo has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool owns shares of Devon Energy. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Copyright 1995 - 2016 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Image source: Pfizer, Inc. After reporting rosy first-quarter financials and increasing its outlook for the year,Pfizershares are trading higher. Investors wondering if Pfizer's shares should be bought or sold on this news might want to consider these nine numbers, each of which offers additional insight into whether the company is worth owning in your portfolio. 15%. Ex-out the impact of last year's acquisition of specialty pharma Hospira, and that's the amount Pfizer reported for operational (ex-currency) sales growth. Include Hospira, and sales were up 26% to $13 billion, ex-currency. $0.67. Realizing greater savings associated with integrating Hospira and leveraging revenue against fixed costs allowed Pfizer to report this amount in adjusted EPS. That handily outpaced industry watchers' $0.55 forecast. Future EPS should benefit from greater Hospira integration tailwinds, too. The company upped its forecast for cost savings from the Hospira acquisition from $800 million to $1 billion by 2018. $1 billion. Thanks to rapidly growing use of its breast cancer drug Ibrance, the company's global oncology revenue reached this level in Q1. For comparison, Pfizer's global cancer sales totaled only $528 million in the same quarter a year ago. 1,029%. That's the year-over-year increase in global Ibrance sales last quarter. Ibrance clocked in at $429 million in Q1, giving the drug an annualized sales run rate of $1.7 billion. That's a pretty darn good pace for a drug that only hit the market a bit more than a year ago. $66 million. Pfizer's revenue from biosimilar drugs, or drugs that work similarly to, but aren't exact copies of biologic medicines, came in at this amount in the quarter. Biosimilar sales got a boost from the launch of Inflectra in Europe last February. Inflectra is a biosimilar to the top-selling autoimmune drug Remicade, and its sales could be heading higher in the coming year following FDA approval last month. $20 billion. This is Pfizer's estimate of the size of the biosimilars market in 2020. Inflectra and seven other candidates the company has in development could make it one of the biggest biosimilar drugmakers on the planet by then. 23.8%. Pfizer's hopes to acquire Allergan plcin an attempt to shift its tax address from the U.S. to low-cost Ireland were dashed by regulators last quarter, but Pfizer did manage to reduce its effective tax rate from 24.4% last year to this number last quarter. $2 billion. This is how much more the company thinks it could report in sales in 2016 than it previously thought. Following a better-than-expected Q1 and in the wake of improving currency exchange rates, Pfizer upped its full-year revenue outlook to between $51 billion and $53 billion. Previously, management was projecting sales of between $49 billion and $51 billion. 14.2. That's Pfizer's current P/E ratio following management's decision to bump up its adjusted EPS outlook for this year. The company expects to deliver at least $2.38 in EPS in 2016, up nicely from previous expectations of $2.20. Tying it togetherIt's been years since Pfizer could be considered by investors to be a growth stock, but now that the negative impact of losing patent protection on its megablockbuster drug Lipitor in 2011 is behind it, Pfizer seems to be back on track. Given Pfizer's improving outlook and the fact that it has envy-inspiring financial firepower that it can use to strengthen its product pipeline and reward investors, I think Pfizer is worthy of consideration as a core holding in any healthcare portfolio. The article 9 Figures That Sum Up Pfizer, Inc.'s First Quarter originally appeared on Fool.com. Todd Campbell has no position in any stocks mentioned.Todd owns E.B. Capital Markets, LLC. E.B. Capital's clients may have positions in the companies mentioned. Like this article? Follow him onTwitter where he goes by the handle@ebcapitalto see more articles like this.The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Copyright 1995 - 2016 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Source: Facebook. Facebook's mobile app is one of the most popular in the world. More than 1 billion people use Facebook on their mobile devices each and every day.But there's more to Facebook than its core social network. The company has an increasingly impressive array of other apps, each boasting hundreds of millions of additional users in their own right. Collectively, WhatsApp, Messenger, and Instagram reach 2.3 billion people each month, mostly through mobile devices. WhatsApp and Messenger lead the way with 1 billion and 900 million monthly actives, respectively; Instagram adds 400 million. The company has tried many times to add a fifth to that lineup, but most of its initiatives have been outright failures. Last year, Facebook discontinued Slingshot, Riff, and Rooms after they failed to gain sufficient traction. But Facebook has one up-and-coming app that may hold considerably more promise: Moments, a photo-centric app Facebook launched last year, has remained one of the more popular apps in the app store since its debut. Making it easier to share photosMoments is fundamentally a photo-sharing app, but not in a social networking sort of way. Moments is instead designed to make it easier to send private photos to friends. Say you and a friend both attend a party, during which you each take more than a dozen photos. The photos you took are on your phone, while the photos they took are on theirs. There are several ways you two could exchange them, including email, text message, or, if you both use iPhones, AirDrop. But these methods can be cumbersome, and perhaps too complicated for some users. Enter Moments: With Facebook's app, you can send entire catalogues of photos to your friends with a just a few taps. It took Moments a few months to catch on, but by last fall it had emerged as one of more popular free apps in the app store, and has held relatively steady ever since. It's currently the 55th-most popular free app on the iTunes App Store, just behind familiar staples Chrome, Lyft, and Skype. Its popularity has been increasing in recent months. In February, Facebook announced that Moments users had shared more than 400 million photos since last June, with 100 million of those shared in February (via TechCrunch). Facebook has added additional features to Moments to make it more attractive, including the ability to share videos, and has also punished users unwilling to download it. In January, it removed support for automatic photo syncing on its core Facebook app, sticking it in the Moments app instead. Those that still want to use the feature must rely on Moments. As it currently stands, Moments doesn't have any true direct competitors, but in time, it could become the go-to solution for photo management, at least among Facebook users. That could put it in direct competition with other photo apps, most notably Alphabet's Google Photos. Like Moments, Google Photos allows users to sort and share their photos, but also doubles as a free cloud-backup solution. Moments doesn't offer much in the way of cloud storage, but with its Facebook integration, it excels in terms of sharing. Another avenue for advertisementsMoments and Google Photos also share a reliance on artificial intelligence. Each service includes a heavy machine learning component, through which they automatically scan, sort, and categorize images. Google Photos users can search for concepts such as "cat", "screenshot", or "Florida" and see relevant images from the photos they've taken. Moments lacks the complex search of Google Photos, but automatically categorizes photos based on the faces of the people in them. And if you're friends with them on Facebook, you'll automatically be prompted to share. During Facebook's most recent earnings call, CEO Mark Zuckerberg talked about the company's efforts in artificial intelligence, and cited Moments as a notable example. Later, Zuckerberg added additional color. As it stands, Moments remains in its infancy, and is far removed from adding to Facebook's top or bottom lines. But if it remains popular, Facebook could eventually monetize it -- like its other apps -- through advertising. As Facebook's artificial intelligence technology becomes more capable, the company could deliver targeted ads based on the images users share with Moments. With Facebook's core advertising business already firing on all cylinders, it doesn't need Moments to be a hit. But it could provide a source of growth in the years ahead. The article Here's Facebook Inc.'s Next Major App originally appeared on Fool.com. Suzanne Frey, an executive at Alphabet, is a member of The Motley Fool's board of directors. Sam Mattera has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends Alphabet (A shares), Alphabet (C shares), and Facebook. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Copyright 1995 - 2016 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. FIBER BEFORE INSTALL. IMAGE SOURCE: FLICKR/SLGCKGC The pay-TV industry is having a tough time combating the growth of streaming video services. Overall, pay-TV subscribers are expected to decline by 700,000 households this year, according to eMarketer. Verizon has built up a strong base of over 5.8 million subscribers, but the growth of its 10-year old pay-TV service has slowed substantially in the last couple quarters. During the first quarter, Verizon added just 36,000 net subscriber to FiOS video, a 60% year-over-year decline. The previous quarter, Verizon saw its lowest number of net adds in over three years. With subscriber growth slowing, Verizon is looking elsewhere -- namely its own streaming video options -- to make up for it. Meanwhile, it could be inclined to sell its pay-TV operations or merge with another pay-TV provider. Changing delivery methodsVerizon has been actively working to expand its digital content and advertising businesses through acquisitions. It also bought some streaming video tech and a content delivery network in 2013 and 2014. All of this is leading to a more robust streaming video solution. Verizon already launched the ad-supported Go90 service last year. Go90 combines typical Internet video content with clips and full episodes of traditional television programming. But Go90 isn't profitable, and it won't be for at least two years, according to management. But Verizon may be building a complete IPTV solution for traditionally broadcast television. Lightreading reports Verizon filed documents on a new set-top box that supports WiFi and Bluetooth connections, but not the standard connection used for FiOS TV. With the support of content delivery network Edgecast (acquired 2013) and Intel's OnCue Internet TV system (acquired 2014), Verizon could shift to an entirely IP-based delivery system. That would enable Verizon to save money on bandwidth, since it only has to send one channel to a household at a time instead of a constantly streaming firehose of data. For consumers, that means faster Internet speeds. It would also enable Verizon to offer video service -- but not high-speed Internet -- across the whole country should it choose. But video service is seen as a way to get more Internet and wireless subscribers, so that's unlikely. It's already sold some FiOS propertyVerizon completed the sale of some of its wireline assets in California, Florida, and Texas to Frontier Communicationsat the beginning of April. In the deal, Frontier acquired 1.2 million FiOS video subscribers (and 1.8 million Internet subscribers). Verizon's stated goal of the sale was to concentrate its focus on the contiguous Northeast portion of the United State where it's laid FiOS lines. While its network is mostly completely built out, the company is planning to expand its presence in the Boston area by updating its copper lines to fiber. Beyond that, Verizon has no plans to expand its coverage. But as Verizon gets smaller, it will have difficulty competing with the rest of the pay-TV industry, which is dominated by just a handful of companies. AT&Tmerged with DirecTV to become the largest pay-TV provider in the country. Comcast is still huge, and Charter Communications just got approval to takeover Time Warner Cable. Verizon simply doesn't have the leverage needed to get the best deals on carriage fees from the cable networks. As such, Verizon may look to sell the rest of its FiOS assets or merge with another pay-TV provider. DISH Network would certainly be a front-runner considering its sizable pay-TV footprint and expansive portfolio of wireless spectrum licenses. Dish also operates an IPTV service of its own, Sling TV. The other option is for Verizon to sell off the rest of its FiOS assets while they're near their peak. With subscriber growth slowing drastically over the last couple quarters, it's certainly nearing that point. Its IPTV efforts and expansion into Boston could help, but it's getting close to peak FiOS, which would be the optimal time to divest the rest of those assets and focus on its new digital business. The article Is It Time for Verizon to Get Out of the FiOS TV Business? originally appeared on Fool.com. Adam Levy has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends Verizon Communications. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Copyright 1995 - 2016 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Image: RPX. Dealing with patent trolls is a nuisance for even the largest of technology companies, and RPX aims to offer protection to its customers from the threat of patent-related litigation. Yet the small company is still working to figure out how to make that business as profitable as possible, and coming into Tuesday's first-quarter earnings report, RPX investors expected that the company would suffer a huge decline in its net income on falling sales. RPX's results did indeed including shrinking figures on the top and bottom lines, but the damage wasn't quite as bad as many had feared. Let's look more closely at how RPX did and what's ahead for the company. RPX minimizes its hitRPX's first-quarter results weren't pretty, even if they did exceed expectations. Revenue was down more than 4% to $79.7 million, but that was a bit better than the 5% decline that investors were looking to see. Net income took a much larger hit, dropping by almost two-thirds to $7.8 million on an adjusted basis. Yet the $0.15 per share in adjusted earnings that RPX had was $0.02 better than the consensus forecast among investors. Looking at its operational numbers, RPX showed a mixed performance. The company enjoyed a big boost in its number of new clients, adding 31 during the quarter to hit 286 in total. That's up almost 28% compared to a year ago. However, RPX spent relatively little on patents this quarter, posting $16.2 million on 23 different patent transactions. RPX's primary patent risk management services segment had relatively flat results. Sales there climbed by less than $1 million to $67.1 million. The new discovery services unit posted $10.6 million in revenue, but fee-related revenue fell by $15 million compared to the prior-year period, eating up all of the gains in discovery services. CEO John Amster was comfortable with the company's performance, arguing that "RPX executed on multiple fronts during the first quarter." As Amster sees it, "Both the patent risk management and Inventus discovery services businesses performed in-line with expectations," and the CEO seems pleased with efforts to obtain more capital financing and approve a stock buyback program increase of $25 million. Can RPX get back into the groove?RPX made some changes to its full-year guidance to reflect the first-quarter results as well as the acquisition of Inventus. The company now expects total revenue of $331 million to $349 million, which is between $2 million and $7 million higher than RPX projected a few months ago. However, the company downgraded its views on its profitability, cutting its adjusted net income range by between $3 million and $5 million. RPX now expects $36 million to $41 million in adjusted net income, further degrading what investors had expected from the company. The second quarter could be equally grim for RPX. Adjusted net income of just $6 million to $7 million would again come in between $0.11 and $0.13 per share, which is far less than the $0.21 per share that investors currently expect. Revenue of $81 million to $82 million would be short of investor consensus as well. It'll be interesting to see how Inventus ramps up. Currently, RPX expects about 20% of its business in 2016 to come from discovery-related revenue, and the segment helps RPX diversify its overall exposure to encompass a broader portion of the patent-litigation field. If the move helps RPX achieve its goal of becoming a patent clearinghouse, serving its clients with capabilities that their legal departments can use will be useful. RPX stock hasn't done much lately, but investors hope that better results will prompt a bounce in the share price. In the long run, RPX has to keep moving forward on multiple fronts to realize its full potential and give shareholders the returns they want. The article RPX Deals With Shrinking Profits originally appeared on Fool.com. Dan Caplinger has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool recommends RPX. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Copyright 1995 - 2016 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Image source: Roche. What:Shares of Exelixis , a biopharmaceutical company focused on the development of therapies to treat cancer, shot higher by 15% in April based on data from S&P Global Market Intelligence. Two reasons can clearly be cited for Exelixis' strong rebound. So what: Far and away the bigger and longer-lasting catalyst during April was the announcement on April 25 that the Food and Drug Administration had approved Cabometyx (known as Cometriq, or cabozantinib scientifically) as a second-line treatment for patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma. Image source: Exelixis. In the late-stage METEOR study that led to Cabometyx's approval, it demonstrated a near-doubling in progression-free survival (7.4 months to 3.8 months) compared to Afinitor (the previous standard of care), and was associated with a 42% reduction in the rate of disease progression or death. Furthermore, new data released this February showed that when compared with Afinitor, Cabometyx increased overall survival by nearly five months (21.4 months versus 16.5 months). The other boost for Exelixis came early in the month when Stifel Nicolaus upgraded its rating on the company to "buy" from "hold" and placed a $7 price target on its shares. Stifel indicated that an expected approval (for Cabometyx) should allow Exelixis to grow its top-line. It also banked on improved financial results in the coming quarters. Now what: The important news here is that the hamster is turning on its wheel and Exelixis is expanding its revenue-generating channels. Instead of relying solely on Cometriq to grow revenue in the small patient pool indication of metastatic medullary thyroid cancer, Exelixis can now generate new revenue from Cabometyx in second-line RCC, as well as Cotellic in combination with Roche's Zelboraf in metastatic melanoma patients with specific mutations. To be clear, Exelixis' entrance into second-line RCC isn't going to be easy, because Bristol-Myers Squibb's revolutionary cancer immunotherapy Opdivo was approved as a second-line RCC treatment last year, and the latter has managed to garner substantial market share since it entered the space. Bristol-Myers' Opdivo is likely to remain the go-to second-line therapy, with Cabometyx sliding in line behind Opdivo. However, even if it were to garner around 10% market share in the space, Cabometyx could still deliver around $300 million in annual revenue within five years. Likewise, if sales of metastatic melanoma combination therapy Cotellic and Zelboraf take off, the pendulum in terms of profit and revenue shares will shift mostly toward Roche and away from Exelixis. Nonetheless, things are looking up in more ways than one. The next big data set should be released next year when we get a look under the hood at the data from the CELESTIAL trial for hepatocellular carcinoma, or HCC. The primary endpoint for CELESTIAL is based on a statistically significant improvement in overall survival, which for cabozantinib has offered a mixed picture (hitting the mark in RCC, but missing badly in the COMET trials for metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer). As a shareholder of Exelixis, I remain optimistic about its future, but do understand that challenges remain. I'd encourage investors who are looking for a burgeoning cancer-focused company to give Exelixis a deeper dive. The article 2 Big Reasons Why Shares of Exelixis, Inc. Soared 15% in April originally appeared on Fool.com. Sean Williamsowns shares of Exelixis, but has no material interest in any other companies mentioned in this article. You can follow him on CAPS under the screen nameTMFUltraLong, track every pick he makes under the screen name TrackUltraLong, and check him out on Twitter, where he goes by the handle@TMFUltraLong.The Motley Fool recommends Exelixis. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Copyright 1995 - 2016 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Las Vegas Sands recently posted a 10% year-over-year revenue drop and a 33% decline in adjusted net income during its first quarter due to a slowdown in gaming-related spending in Macau, its biggest market. Tighter regulation of casino and junket operators, a crackdown on corruption in China, and an economic slowdown across the country have all caused casino operators to lose their luster. Shares of Las Vegas Sands have fallen 15% over the past 12 months while shares of its rival Wynn Resorts have declined 22%. Rendering of the Parisian Macao. Image source: Las Vegas Sands. Las Vegas Sands' decline caused its forward annual yield to rise to 6.4%, which is much higher than Wynn's 2.3% yield. However, that hefty yield could be slashed in the near future for four simple reasons. 1. Dividends require free cash flowLas Vegas Sands paid out nearly 100% of its free cash flow over the past year as dividends. This means that for the dividend to keep growing annually -- as it has for three consecutive years -- its free cash flow must rise for the payout ratio to drop to sustainable levels. Unfortunately, Sands' FCF has been falling over the past few years due to the aforementioned problems and the construction of new properties. Source:YCharts On the bright side, Sands' FCF hasn't plunged to negative levels like Wynn's. That's whyWynn cut its dividend 67% a year ago. At the time, founder and CEO Steve Wynn declared that it would be "foolish to issue dividends on borrowed money." 2. Debt levels are already highBut speaking of borrowed money, Las Vegas Sands finished last quarter with $9.51 billion in debt, compared to $9.24 billion a year earlier. 92% of that debt matures between 2018 and 2020, which gives Sands some breathing room to turns things around, but if the Chinese market deteriorates over the next five years, it could struggle to pay off that debt. This makes spending billions of dollars ($1.9 billion over the past 12 months) on dividends seem wasteful. Sands also funds buybacks with debt, with $1.56 billion remaining in the current buyback authorization, although it didn't repurchase any shares during the first quarter. The company bought back $2.44 billion in shares since June 2013 -- which has also been a wasteful strategy since shares fell more than 20% during that period. 3. Expansion requires free cash flowBut it's not just dividends and buybacks Sands needs to worry about. It also needs strong cash flows to keep expanding. The opening of the Parisian inthe second half of the year should generate higher cash flows by boosting its Macau room count by 31%, but Sands still has big plans for expansion -- including two other future developments on the Cotai Strip and potential resorts in Japan and South Korea. Rendering of the Parisian Macao. Image source: Las Vegas Sands. It's unclear how Sands can accomplish that with falling cash flows, rising debt levels, and unsustainable payout ratios. During last quarter's conference call (as transcribed by Thomson Reuters), chairman Sheldon Adelson noted, without any clear monetary figures, that the company spent "an enormous amount of money on capex" but that it "had a very large amount of money scheduled to keep things in good shape." Adelson declared that the company "will continue to return excess cash to shareholders while maintaining our ability to invest in new development opportunities." That statement is puzzling, since Sands doesn't have enough excess cash to return to shareholders and invest in new developments. 4. More rivals in a stagnant marketLas Vegas Sands' earnings aren't expected to improve anytime soon, even with the Parisian's opening factored in. That's because the Parisian will be opening in a very soft market -- Sands' overall gaming revenues fell 13% annually last quarter, with revenue at all four of its Macau properties reporting year-over-year sales declines. Meanwhile, Wynn, MGM Resorts International , Melco Crown and Galaxy are all expanding with new properties -- which brings more players into a stagnant market. CLSA analyst Aaron Fischer recently forecast that annual gross gaming revenue will rise by just 1% this year, while Macau Chief Executive Fernando Chui estimated that total casino revenues would fall to $25 billion in 2016 -- its lowest level since2010. As a result, analysts now expect Sands' earnings to decline nearly 4% annually over the next five years -- an ominous sign for future cash flow and dividend growth. A bad bet for incomeLas Vegas Sands' 6.4% yield looks tempting, but it has all the red flags of a high-yield trap -- sluggish earnings growth, declining cash flows, high payout ratios, and fuzzy promises from the management. I suspect that if conditions worsen for Sands, the company will follow Wynn's lead and dramatically slash its oversized dividend. The article 4 Reasons Las Vegas Sands Corp's Dividend Is Unsustainable originally appeared on Fool.com. Leo Sun has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool owns shares of Wynn Resorts, Limited. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Copyright 1995 - 2016 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Berkshire Hathaway hosted its annual meeting on Saturday, April 30, and 40,000 shareholders flocked to Omaha to hear what Warren Buffett and Charlie Munger had to say. Here are five highlights from the meeting that Berkshire's shareholders, and investors in general, may be interested to hear. Why hasn't Buffett named his successor?This year's annual meeting isn't the first time the "Berkshire after Buffett" question has come up -- far from it. And, Berkshire has made clear in the past that while it will not name names, a succession plan is in place, including Mr. Buffett's successor as CEO. There has been speculation that Ajit Jain, who oversees Berkshire Hathaway Reinsurance Group, will be the next to take the helm. Mr. Jain has been the recipient of lots of Buffett's praise over the years, and this year's meeting was no exception. However, Buffett pointed out two reasons why a successor hasn't been named yet. First, nobody knows when it will happen, and that will likely have an impact on the decision. Buffett has said that he wants a "relatively young" CEO after he leaves, one who will be at the helm of Berkshire for decades. Well, Mr. Jain is 64 years old now. If Buffett sticks around for another say, 10 years -- which is entirely possible, after all, Charlie Munger is 92 and still going strong -- it's less likely that Jain will take over. The other reason is that the personal situation of the named successor could change before Berkshire's leadership changes. For example, if the unnamed successor decides to accept another job opportunity elsewhere, the board will need to choose another candidate. Trump or Clinton? It won't matter to investors over the long runBuffett and Munger were asked about the effects of a Donald Trump presidency on Berkshire, particularly the regulatory impact on the company. And, Buffett made perfectly clear that he expects Berkshire to do fine no matter who is in the White House. "We've operated under price controls, we've had 52% federal taxes applied to our earnings...we've had regulations come along," said Buffett. "In the end, business in this country has done extraordinarily well for a couple hundred years." He went on to say that "no presidential candidate is going to end it. They can shape it (the economy) in ways that are good or bad." In his most recent letter to shareholders, Buffett included a lengthy discussion about why all of the politicians are wrong -- America is doing just fine and will continue to do so. Stay away from IPOsThere has been a spike in initial public offering (IPO) activity in recent years, and some investors have made serious profits. However, Buffett cautions that this is the exception, not the rule. At the meeting, Buffett said "You don't have to really worry about what's really going on in IPOs. People win lotteries every day..." In other words, IPO investing is not much different than gambling, at least in Buffett's eyes. With a limited amount of the company's financial history available for public review, it's difficult, if not impossible, to properly evaluate most IPOs. Plus, the numbers seem to back up Buffett's words. Of the 170 IPOs that priced in 2015, 57% finished the year below their offer price. Investors who got into highly anticipated IPOs such as GoPro, Etsy, and Lending Club on their first trading day have lost more than half of their initial investments. Berkshire will continue to pursue large acquisitionsEarlier in 2016, Berkshire Hathaway closed on its acquisition of Precision Castparts for $32 billion, Berkshire's largest acquisition ever. And, Buffett alluded that Berkshire is looking to make similarly sized acquisitions going forward. Buffett always emphasizes good managers when making an acquisition, and it's reasonable to assume this is an even bigger factor in an acquisition of this size. During the meeting, Buffett called Precision Castparts CEO Mark Donegan and "extraordinary manager" and nearly "one of a kind." So, while he said he's love to find three or four more companies like Precision Castparts to buy, the people leading the companies will be extremely important in the decision process. Berkshire has AAA credit, but the analysts don't realize it yetThis is actually something Vice Chairman Charlie Munger wants you to know. One of the questions asked during the meeting was about why Berkshire doesn't have a AAA credit rating from the rating agencies. This seems like a reasonable question -- after all, Berkshire generates tons of cash, its businesses are profitable, and it's so diverse and widespread that a debt default would seem out of the question. Munger quickly gave an answer: "The rating agencies are wrong." Shareholders shouldn't worry about activist investorsBuffett was asked about whether he is worried about activist investors, particularly after he's no longer running Berkshire. And, this does sound like a legitimate concern -- after all, activists have been going after bigger and bigger companies over the past few years. One reason Buffett isn't worried much about activists is Berkshire's substantial cash position. Because of this, the company has the ability to repurchase large amounts of its own shares at any time and bolster its own stock price. He also doesn't think an activist would necessarily be able to act in shareholders' best interests -- in fact, Buffett thinks shareholders would actually lose value if the company were to be broken up. Additionally, Buffett's own stake will be held by his estate for several years after his death. The large voting power of these shares should be a turn-off to potential activists, Buffett said. Berkshire could raise its buyback threshold -- someday Berkshire Hathaway has a buyback program that allows it to repurchase as many shares as it wants if they fall below a certain valuation threshold, currently 120% of book value. However, this is a valuation that is rarely seen. Buffett has said that Berkshire will eventually run out of ways to efficiently use all of its businesses' profits, and if this were to happen, it's possible the threshold could be moved up a little. It's unclear what Buffett believes the intrinsic value of Berkshire's stock is, but he has made the claim (and backed it up) that the valuation should be significantly higher than 120% of book. Still, Buffett is and always will be a bargain hunter, so before this threshold would be raised, you can be sure Berkshire would have exhausted all options. And, Buffett suggests that wouldn't even be a likely consideration until the company has over $100 billion in cash sitting around. The article 7 Things Warren Buffett Wants You to Know originally appeared on Fool.com. Matthew Frankel owns shares of Berkshire Hathaway. The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends Berkshire Hathaway and GoPro. The Motley Fool owns shares of Etsy,. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Copyright 1995 - 2016 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. What: Alnylam Pharmaceuticals released earnings on Monday after the bell and fell 11.6% on Tuesday. Of course, without any products on the market, the biotech's earnings don't really matter. But for the record, Alnylam recorded $7.3 million in revenue, mostly from partners Sanofiand The Medicines Company . The net loss for the quarter came in at $103 million, but much of that was non-cash GAAP expenses. Most importantly the company ended the quarter with $1.2 billion in the bank and increased its guidance for year-end cash to "over $1 billion," including $150 million of restricted marketable securities related to a credit agreement being used to the build-out of its new manufacturing plant. Instead, it appears investors are worried about an update on the company's ALN-CC5, which caused three analysts to cut their price targets. It's all relative, of course, because all three analysts kept their buy or outperform ratings on the stock and the lowest of the new lower price targets is $107, substantially higher than where Alnylam trades today. So what: Alnylam plans to present initial results from a phase 1/2 trial of ALN-CC5 in patients with paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH) at the European Hematology Association meeting next month, but management said the data point to developing the drug for PNH patients that are poor responders to Alexion's already-approved Solaris or as a backup medicine in between doses of Solaris. Not having to compete for PNH patients is obviously good news for Alexion, which saw its stock end Tuesday up 2.7%. Being a second-line drug will cut into the potential patients that ALN-CC5 could be used to treat. Alnylam thinks it might be 20% to 30% of PNH patients whose symptoms aren't adequately controlled on Solaris. On the plus side, there will be less competition for those patients. Alnylam plans to start a phase 2 trial by the end of 2016 in patients that need additional treatment beyond Solaris. There's also the possibility to test ALN-CC5 in other complement-mediated diseases. Alexion, for instance, has also gotten Solaris approved for a disease called atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome (aHUS). Management mentioned aHUS and another complement disease calledmyasthenia gravis as potential targets for clinical trials starting in early 2017. Now what: While investors seem to be focused on lower potential sales of ALN-CC5 years from now, keep in mind that Alnylam has four drugs that are further along in the clinic. We should get an update on the open label extension trials for both patisiran and revusiran in July at the International Symposium on Amyloidosis. Alnylam plans to start a phase 3 trial for fitusiran in hemophilia patients later this year. And The Medicines Company plans to present initial phase 2 data on ALN-PCSsc later this year. Given that they're all closer to market, progress on all four drugs is more important than ALN-CC5. Alnylam Pharmaceuticals is anticipating the trials being positive and the drugs getting on the market with its investment in a manufacturing plant. The company expects the facility to be operational in 2018, which works out well with phase 3 data for patisiran expected to read out next year. Making drugs in house could give Alnylam a little boost to any licensing deals, perhaps collecting a manufacturing fee in addition to a royalty. While the ALN-CC5 news is disappointing, there were no guarantees that every RNAi drug from Alnylam was going to be a blockbuster, and investors should focus on the bigger picture. The article Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Inc.'s Double-Digit "Earnings" Fall originally appeared on Fool.com. Brian Orelli has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends Alnylam Pharmaceuticals. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Copyright 1995 - 2016 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. IMAGE: HASBRO. A huge brand name can lead to strong returns for investors over the long term. Hasbro and Mattel are two such stocks that have iconic brand-name toys. Hasbro makes Monopoly and Play-Doh,and Mattel makes Barbie and Hot Wheels.Smart investors will want to know, though, which toy-maker is the better investment. Let's compare both using a number of metrics to see which one is the better pick. ValuationA look at the performance of Hasbro and Mattel's stock over the past 12 months shows a huge difference. Hasbro has performed great, with a 22% increase over the time period, while Mattel has turned in a gain of 6%.The reason for the difference is that revenues for Mattel have shrunk by almost 6% over the past 12 monthsand its trailing earnings have decreased by over 20% compared with the same period last year. Hasbro, on the other hand, has grown its trailing revenues by almost 6%, and its trailing earnings have increased by over 16% from the same period last year. The woes at Mattel have stemmed in part from declining Barbie sales,while Hasbro has been boosted by the sales of its Marvel, Star Wars, and Disney Princess toys. Despite the recent run-up, Hasbro still looks like a more attractive on a valuation basis, currently trading at 23 times trailing earnings while Mattel is at an earnings multiple of 30. Looking forward, Hasbro's stock is trading at a forward earnings multiple of nearly 20, while Mattel's stock is trading at 17 for the same measure.The reason for this reversal is that investors hold higher expectations for Mattel's earnings for the rest of the year. Neither stock is a bargain right now, but Hasbro is the winner based on the trailing multiple and forward multiple that is fairly similar. DividendsA look at dividends shows that Mattel has a big advantage over Hasbro. Mattel has a current dividend yield of 4.7%,which is significantly bigger than Hasbro's yield of 2.3%.Much of Mattel's high yield can be explained by recent poor revenue and earnings results, which has led to a stock price that's down greatly from its three-year highs.The smart investor will ask, though, whether this payout level is sustainable. For Mattel, it may not be. The company most recently paid out 140%of its earnings in dividends and didn't increase its dividend this year.Hasbro, on the other hand, has a payout ratio of about 50%,and it recently increased its dividend by almost 11%. Finally, Hasbro has been paying dividends for over 39 years now, compared with about 25 for Mattel.These track records are both lengthy, but Hasbro is the clear winner when it comes to the length of its payout history and dividends overall. GrowthHasbro recently reported first-quarter revenue growth of 16%and earnings growth of 83%.Revenue growth was strong across the board, as most of Hasbro's major segments and product categories had year-over-year growth.As a matter of fact, the company's product categories all grew by double digits, except for games, which dropped by a mere 2%.Much of this growth can be explained by the success of the company's Nerf and Play-Doh products, along with the continued demand for Star Wars: The Force Awakens toys.Hasbro has also benefited from its licensing deals with Disney to make Frozen and Disney Princess fashion products and dolls. Looking forward, Hasbro will be making toys for the new Marvel movie Captain America: Civil War, which opens this summer, and the new Star Wars movie, which opens this December. Mattel, on the other hand, recently reported first-quarter results that were not good. Revenues were down 6% compared with last year,and the company turned in a loss of $0.21 per share.A look at the company's sales by brands shows that its largest segment, girls and boys, was down by 13% compared with last year. Part of Mattel's results can be explained by the strong dollar. Once that's taken out, Mattel's first-quarter sales were down only 1% compared with last year.However, the company is also facing a several-year trend of declining Barbie Doll sales. The company is also suffering from the loss of its contract to make Disney Princess products. This line represented $455 million of Mattel's 2015 sales. Looking forward, Mattel management points to virtual reality efforts as a path to growth. In its 2015 annual report, Management also talks about its "reinvigorated" relationship with Warner Bros. to produce a line of DC Superhero Girls toys this year. In the final analysis, Hasbro is the clear winner. The company offers more value, a sustainable dividend, and cutting-edge growth prospects. Mattel, on the other hand, is dealing with the loss of a key licensing agreement and declining sales of its iconic Barbie dolls. In the battle between toy giants, Hasbro wins. The article Better Buy: Hasbro, Inc. vs. Mattel, Inc. originally appeared on Fool.com. Adam Brownlee has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends Hasbro and Walt Disney. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Copyright 1995 - 2016 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. In the past decade, ultra-low cost carriers have burst onto the scene in the airline industry. These airlines have grown rapidly by cutting costs to the bare minimum and using the savings to offer low base fares that stimulate more air travel among price-sensitive consumers. Typically, ULCCs derive a large portion of their profits from fees charged above and beyond base fares. Ultra-low cost carriers have grown rapidly in recent years. Image source: Spirit Airlines. Spirit Airlines is the largest ULCC in the United States. Volaris is the largest in Mexico. Let's take a look at which of these two is the better bet for investors right now. Diverging performanceOver the past two years, the share prices of Spirit Airlines and Volaris have tended to move in opposite directions. During 2014, Volaris shares slumped as the company struggled with persistent overcapacity in the Mexican market. Meanwhile, Spirit Airlines soared as it capitalized on strong travel demand in the U.S. and -- near the end of the year -- falling oil prices. In 2015, the roles were reversed. Supply growth began to outpace demand in the U.S., leading to steep unit revenue drops across the U.S. airline sector. Spirit was the worst-hit as larger rivals started to match its low fares to keep their planes full. Meanwhile, Volaris stock surged as its revenue began to recover while fuel costs fell dramatically. Spirit Airlines vs. Volaris Stock Performance: 2014-present, data by YCharts. Spirit Airlines shares began to recover this year, but they have pulled back more than 15% in the past couple of weeks even though Spirit beat its initial margin guidance for Q1. Meanwhile, Volaris stock has maintained its upward momentum. Plenty of growth to go aroundSpirit Airlines and Volaris both have ample growth opportunities ahead of them. Spirit CEO Bob Fornaro stated last month that he expects the carrier's capacity to rise a little more than 20% this year and about 18.5% in 2017. Fornaro sees a 15%-20% annual growth rate as sustainable for the foreseeable future. And the company believes it could earn a 15% or higher operating margin in more than 500 markets beyond the roughly 190 it serves today. It would take more than a decade of double-digit growth for Spirit to capitalize on all of these opportunities. Volaris has equally big growth opportunities. The company plans to expand seat capacity by about 18% in 2016 and 19% in 2017, and it has the flexibility to maintain this high growth rate beyond 2017. Like Spirit, Volaris has identified hundreds of routes that it doesn't serve today that could meet its financial performance goals. Additionally, the Mexican air travel market is still maturing, so a lot of Volaris' growth will come from adding more flights on existing routes. Volaris has the momentumVolaris' profitability has been on a strong upward trajectory recently. During 2015, its operating margin increased by more than 12 percentage points year over year, reaching 13.8%. For the full year, total revenue per available seat mile (TRASM) increased 9%, while unit costs declined 4.6% thanks to lower fuel prices. Volaris' operating margin expanded by another 6.9 percentage points in Q1 of 2016. Volaris' profitability has surged in the past year and a half. By contrast, Spirit Airlines' unit revenue has plummeted recently. In 2015, TRASM declined 14.7% year over year. TRASM declined another 13.8% last quarter. During 2015, Spirit's profit margin continued to rise despite its weak unit revenue performance because of the impact of lower fuel prices. However, its operating margin declined by 0.8 percentage points to 21.9% in Q1, suggesting that its profitability may be plateauing. Spirit Airlines is a better valueSpirit Airlines and Volaris both have huge upside due to their massive growth opportunities, and I own shares of both companies. In the short term, there's a good chance Volaris' solid unit revenue and margin growth trajectory will drive continued outperformance for its stock relative to other airline stocks. Nevertheless, if I had to pick just one of these two stocks to buy right now, it would be Spirit Airlines. While Spirit's operating margin is starting to recede a bit, that's mainly because it was so high in the first place. Conversely, Volaris' operating margin is still recovering from a very weak 2014 performance. In the long run, Spirit and Volaris are likely to have comparable profit margins and growth rates. As a result, they should probably trade at similar revenue multiples. Spirit Airlines vs. Volaris Price-to-Sales Ratio: 2014-present, data by YCharts. Instead, as the chart above shows, Spirit Airlines now trades at a substantial discount to Volaris on a price-to-sales basis. That's a huge reversal from where things stood just a year ago. Spirit Airlines stock also trades for far less than its typical revenue multiple, which makes the stock a great bargain for long-term investors. The article Better Buy: Spirit Airlines or Volaris? originally appeared on Fool.com. Adam Levine-Weinberg owns shares of Volaris and Spirit Airlines and is long June 2016 $12.5 calls on Volaris, short June 2016 $20 calls on Volaris, and long June 2016 $30 calls on Spirit Airlines. The Motley Fool recommends Spirit Airlines. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Copyright 1995 - 2016 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Image source: CBOE Holdings. CBOE Holdingsreported first-quarter results on April 29. The holding company for the Chicago Board Options Exchange benefited from greater usage of its high-margin proprietary products. CBOE Holdings results: The raw numbers Q1 2016 Q1 2015 Growth (YOY) Operating Revenue $162.3 million $142.8 million 14% Operating Income $79.5 million $69.5 million 14% Earnings Per Share $0.60 $0.50 20% Data source: CBOE Holdings Q1 2016 earnings press release. What happened with CBOE Holdings this quarter?Operating revenue rose 14% to $162 million, as average revenue per contract (RPC) increased 19% year over year to $0.405 while total trading volume rose less than 1% to 291 million contracts (4.77 million per trading day). A shift in the mix of products traded toward higher RPC index options and futures contracts was the primary reason for the increase in RPC during the quarter. "Our first-quarter results reflect the strong contribution and utility of our proprietary products," said CEO Edward Tilly. "S&P 500 Index (SPX) options, Russell 2000 Index (RUT) options and CBOE Volatility Index (VIX) futures and options posted a 28% rise in trading volume, significantly outpacing the 3% increase reported for multiply listed options traded industrywide." Total operating expenses increased 13% to $82.8 million. Core operating expenses -- which exclude volume-based expenses, depreciation and amortization, accelerated stock-based compensation expense, and unusual or one-time expenses -- were $50.9 million, up 6% compared with the year-ago quarter, mostly due to higher service fees and compensation costs. And volume-based expenses, which include royalty fees and order-routing fees, increased 29% to $19.2 million, due to higher trading volume in licensed index and futures products. All told, operating income grew 14% $79.5 million. Net income to common stockholders (which benefited from higher investment income compared to Q1 2015) rose 17% to $49.2 million. And earnings per share, boosted by share buybacks, jumped 20% to $0.60. Looking forwardCBOE reiterated its forecast for full-year 2016 core operating expenses of$211 millionto$215 million and capital expenditures of$47 millionto$49 million. "Our first-quarter results represent a strong start to 2016, reporting record first-quarter diluted EPS and year-over-year gains in revenues and operating margin," said CFO Alan Dean. "We plan to continue to be disciplined in managing expenses while making prudent investments to strengthen and grow our business for the long term, with a steadfast focus on enhancing shareholder value." The article CBOE Holdings, Inc. Earnings Boosted By SPX and VIX Trades originally appeared on Fool.com. Joe Tenebruso has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool recommends CBOE Holdings. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Copyright 1995 - 2016 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Image: Gramercy Property Trust. Real estate investment trust Gramercy Property Trust has gone through some major changes lately, having completed its merger with Chambers Street Properties last December. That has required Gramercy to take some important steps to realign its real-estate portfolio and find out where best to seek out new profit opportunities. Coming into Wednesday's first-quarter financial report, investors in Gramercy Property Trust wanted to see ongoing progress of those restructuring efforts, and Gramercy's results reflected a big move forward that investors could celebrate. Let's take a closer look at how Gramercy Property Trust expects to make even more progress in the future. Gramercy Property Trust moves aheadGramercy's first-quarter results weren't entirely consistent with what investors had hoped to see, but they still were indicative of the impact that the Chamber Street merger has had. Revenue climbed by more than 150%, to $120.5 million, but that was significantly less than the $133 million consensus forecast among those following the stock. GAAP earnings were negative, but adjusted funds from operations more than quadrupled, to $72.7 million. That worked out to adjusted FFO of $0.17 per share, which was up more than half from year-ago levels despite the huge increase in outstanding common shares and units outstanding. Gramercy took several steps toward making changes to its portfolio. On the disposition front, Gramercy sold off four multi-tenant office portfolios in Florida, Ohio, New Jersey, and Virginia. Those properties encompassed 2.48 million square feet, and the sales generated proceeds of $646.3 million, which worked out to a strong average capitalization rate of 5.7%. That low rate is good news for a selling institution because it translates to a higher sales price compared to the income that the property is generating. Meanwhile, Gramercy also made moves with acquisitions, albeit on a less-dramatic scale. The REIT purchased three properties in two separate transactions, paying a total of almost $53 million. That works out to a capitalization rate of 7.6% on an initial basis, and 9.3% on an annualized basis, and here, higher cap rates are more favorable for Gramercy as the buyer. Moreover, after the end of the quarter, Gramercy said that it had spent another $115 million for a 12-building industrial portfolio of properties. One thing investors need to understand about Gramercy is its relationship with Gramercy Property Europe, a property fund focusing on European real estate. Since late 2014, Gramercy has contributed more than 25 million euros to Gramercy Europe, including 2.2 million euros during the first quarter. After the quarter ended, Gramercy agreed to sell an 80% interest in a European real-estate joint venture to Gramercy Europe, which will take full control of the venture by buying out Gramercy's other partner. The buildings add up to 5.4 million square feet and are entirely leased to single commercial tenants. Even before the move, Gramercy Europe had acquired 15 properties for about 275 million euros, but the new properties will more than double the portfolio's square footage. Gramercy's asset-management business was slightly stronger during the quarter. Fee revenues rose about 6%, to $5 million, with incentive fees being partially offset by declining property-management fees due to divestitures from its managed portfolio of properties. Can Gramercy keep growing?Gramercy has put itself in as strong a position as any to keep executing on its overall strategy. The company said that it has almost $940 million in available liquidity, which is up by nearly $260 million compared to its balance at the end of the prior quarter. In addition to freeing up $175 million from its revolving credit facility, Gramercy has also improved the health of its balance sheet, cutting $330 million in mortgage debt just during the first quarter alone. Gramercy's dividend also remains attractive. With quarterly payments of $0.11 per share, Gramercy yields more than 5% at current market prices. That's important for REIT investors, who value the income distributions that come from real-estate investments. Gramercy's shareholders reacted favorably to the news, sending the stock up 2.5% at midday following the announcement. As long as commercial real estate stays healthy -- and it looks like it will -- then Gramercy has the potential to rebound further during the rest of the year, and thereafter. The article Gramercy Property Trust Keeps Moving Forward originally appeared on Fool.com. Dan Caplinger has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends Gramercy Property Trust. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Copyright 1995 - 2016 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Quartz surface manufacturer Caesarstone posted first-quarter earnings results on Wednesday, May 4, that kept the company on pace to hit management's 2016 growth targets. However, the numbers showed a worrying slowdown in the key U.S. market even as profitability took a step backwards. Here's a look at how the headline results stacked up against the prior-year period. Q1 2016 Actuals Q1 2015 Actuals Growth (YOY) Revenue $117 million $108 million 8% Net income $12 million $16 million -25% EPS $0.33 $0.46 -28% Data source: Caesarstone's financial filings. What happened this quarter?Overall sales growth was 8%, marking a drop from the 12% expansion pace it set for both Q4 and the full 2015 fiscal year. Spiking expenses led to a significant dip in profitability as operating margin fell to 12% of sales from 19% a year ago. Other highlights of the fourth quarter include: Growth in the U.S. market slowed to a tiny 3%, marking the fourth straight deceleration in that key geography. The segment had expanded by 14% in Q4, and by 22% and 19% in the prior two quarters, respectively. Solid sales gains in Canada (+41%) and Australia (+20%) picked up the slack from the weak U.S. market to keep overall global growth on pace. Gross margin fell to 37% of sales from 42% as the company continued to struggle to get its new U.S.-based manufacturing plant operating at an efficient level. Operating expenses rose as a percentage of sales due to share-based salary payments and legal feels. As a result of the rising costs and slower growth, operating income slumped by 30% to $14 million. On an adjusted basis (i.e., stripping out the effects of share-based compensation and legal fees), profitability dropped to 20% of sales from 24% due to inefficiencies around Caesarstone's new manufacturing plant. What management had to say"Our overall first quarter results were in line with our expectations," CEO Yosef Shiran said in a press release. Still, management wasn't satisfied with the revenue or profit performance out of the U.S. market, which it has identified as a critical growth avenue. Image source: Caesarstone. To that end, executives are "focusing on accelerating ourU.S.sales growth and improving efficiency of ourU.Smanufacturing operations," Shiran said. Meanwhile, the long-term outlook is unchanged. "We believe that our strong brand, backed with our new innovative products, position us to capture our global growth opportunity," he explained. Looking forwardShiran and his team still expect to achieve sales of between $550 million and $565 million this year, representing roughly 12% growth over 2015's result. They also target adjusted profit of about $141 million, which would mark a 25% profit margin that's comparable to the prior year. Yet this quarter's results show that Caesarstone will have to face two challenges to get to management's goals. First, it will need to return to healthier growth in the U.S. market, something closer to the 20% bounce it posted last year than the 3% uptick it saw to start off fiscal 2016. Executives are forecasting that the market will in fact pick up over the next few quarters. Second, the company will need to get a handle on those spiking operating and manufacturing costs now that its new plant has been in service for a few quarters. In the meantime, strong growth from markets like Canada and Australia suggest Caesarstone still has a solid runway for global expansion ahead. The article Growing Pains Pinch Caesarstone Sdot-Yam Ltd's Earnings Results originally appeared on Fool.com. Demitrios Kalogeropoulos has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool recommends Caesarstone. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Copyright 1995 - 2016 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. What: Shares of teen-focused clothing retailer Abercrombie & Fitch fell 15.3% in April, according to S&P Global Market Intelligence data, as investors gave back some of the gains the company has produced after the ouster of former CEO Mike Jeffries. ANF data by YCharts. So what: April represented a change of fortunes for Abercrombie. In March the company continued its strong one-year performance, up 21%, by adding 7.5% to its gains. The impetus for Abercrombie's returns was a solid fourth-quarter report that saw the company beat consensus analyst expectations on both revenue and earnings per share. Investors were particularly encouraged by Abercrombie's positive year-on-year comparable-sales growth, its first year-on-year growth in more than three years. For April, it seems secular headwinds dragged down Abercrombie & Fitch's returns. Abercrombie's competitors American Eagle Outfitters, The Buckle, and Express Inc. also endured a rough month, with losses of 14.2%, 14.6%, and 15.1%, respectively, during the month. Sector valuations were further compressed when speculation of Aeropostale's expected Chapter 11 bankruptcy came to light later in the month. Now what: Comparable growth was led by Abercrombie's Hollister brand, which grew 4% and offset the larger Abercrombie brand's decrease of 2%. For full-year 2016 the company expects "flat to slightly positive comparable sales." Investors should look toward Hollister for future growth. More broadly, Abercrombie is facing changing consumer preferences away from brands and labels. In 2014, Abercrombie started to sell non-logoed apparel to accommodate the demands of millennial shoppers. The issue with selling non-descript clothing is it becomes harder to monetize your brand name. As such, the brand and logo monetization strategy that Abercrombie has been so adept at has now given way to a trend-focused market where teens want the newest style faster than their peers. Fast-fashion company Zara, created by the second richest man in the world, Amancio Ortega, has thrived in this environment by bringing affordable runway-inspired fashion to market in a matter of days. It's unlikely Abercrombie & Fitch will be able to compare with Zara or H&M in the short term. Abercrombie & Fitch faces a difficult market, but flat comparable guidance is a step in the right direction in an environment where peers are declaring bankruptcy. The article Here's Why Abercrombie & Fitch Fell 15.3% in April originally appeared on Fool.com. Jamal Carnette has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Copyright 1995 - 2016 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Aedys Aegypti mosqutio. Image source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. What: Shares of Intrexon , a biotechnology company focused on creating therapies to control gene regulation, were stung in April, tumbling 21%, according to data from S&P Global Market Intelligence. So what: There appear to be two primary causes for Intrexon's valuation implosion in April. First, a report issued by Spotlight Research on April 21 questioned whether or not Intrexon was deserving of a valuation approaching $5 billion considering its subsidiary, Oxitec, which it acquired in 2015 and is working on a solution to the Zika virus, may not have an economically viable solution. Oxitec's solution of modifying the genetic makeup of male Aedys aegypti mosquitoes to pass along a gene that shortens the next generation's lifespan, halting the breeding process, has been around for a while, but it hasn't really caught on. Image source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The other issue relates to residents in Florida who are petitioning the Food and Drug Administration not to use their state to run a clinical test. The idea would be to release Intrexon's modified male mosquitoes in Florida in an effort to control the Aedys aegypti population. However, nearly 11,000 signatures suggest that there are concerns regarding the safety of these modified mosquitoes, even though the FDA has cleared them as safe for the environment. Now what: Intrexon is certainly set up to be a battleground stock in 2016, but I believe it's for all the wrong reasons. Even if Intrexon has the only commercial viable Zika solution that's demonstrated success in Brazil, Panama, and the Cayman Islands, its solution at its peak is only expected to generate $200 million to $400 million in annual sales, according to various analyst estimates. However, if global health agencies work to control the Zika virus, which seems increasingly likely, Intrexon's moat of opportunity to control Zika could be limited at best (assuming it gets the green light from the FDA). It's long been a contention of mine that Intrexon's real value is tied up in its collaboration with Ziopharm Oncologyto develop CAR-T immunotherapies. With CAR-T, researchers harvest patients' T-cells, genetically modify them to produce chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) that can help locate and bind to cancer cells, and finally inject those cells back into the body. Intrexon's role is to provide its RheoSwitch technology that can effectively turn genes on or off, ensuring that a patient's immune system remains supercharged only for a relatively short period of time. The potential of CAR-T is where the bulk of Intrexon's valuation derives from, and it's what I strongly suggest investors pay close attention to instead of hoping that Intrexon's Zika virus solution becomes a winner. The article Intrexon Corporation Shares Were Stung in April -- Here's Why originally appeared on Fool.com. Sean Williamshas no material interest in any companies mentioned in this article. You can follow him on CAPS under the screen nameTMFUltraLong, track every pick he makes under the screen name TrackUltraLong, and check him out on Twitter, where he goes by the handle@TMFUltraLong.The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. Try any of our Foolish newsletter servicesfree for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe thatconsidering a diverse range of insightsmakes us better investors. The Motley Fool has adisclosure policy. Copyright 1995 - 2016 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. For more than three decades, the market for frequent "shuttle flights" from New York's LaGuardia Airport to Boston and Washington, D.C., has been split between two airlines. The identities of those two airlines have shifted over time, but today,Delta Air Lines and American Airlines are the two competitors. Since Amtrak debuted its high-speed Acela Express service between Boston and Washington in late 2000, the airline shuttles have lost customers to rail travel. Starting this fall, Delta and American will face a new threat. Plucky upstart JetBlue Airways plans to start flying between LaGuardia Airport and Boston in late October, undercutting the incumbents' fares. JetBlue will begin flying from Boston to LaGuardia Airport in late October. Image source: JetBlue Airways. JetBlue seizes an opportunityNew York and Boston are JetBlue's top two markets. As a result, it's probably safe to say the company has been interested in the New York-Boston shuttle market for quite a while. However, most of JetBlue's New York-area flights are based at JFK Airport, which is farther from Manhattan than LaGuardia. As a result, it's much less popular among business travelers. So, while JetBlue offers fairly frequent flights from Boston to JFK Airport, it's not attracting the same customers as the Delta Shuttle and the American Airlines Shuttle. To compete seriously for business travelers on this route, JetBlue would need to fly from Boston to LaGuardia. The problem is, JetBlue doesn't have that many slots at LaGuardia Airport. Today, it uses them for lucrative flights to Florida. The high opportunity cost of repurposing those scarce slots for shuttle flights to Boston has kept JetBlue out of the market. However, something changed recently. The FAA plans to lift the slot constraints on Newark Airport -- the third major New York City-area airport -- as of October 30. This will allow airlines like JetBlue to add flights there. JetBlue therefore plans to shift six daily flights to Florida from LaGuardia Airport to Newark Airport. This will free up precious LaGuardia slots for JetBlue to operate six daily roundtrips to Boston on weekdays. Competing on priceWith six daily roundtrips, JetBlue still won't nearly match the schedules offered by Delta Air Lines and American Airlines, which each offer hourly service between New York and Boston. However, JetBlue plans to undercut its rivals on price, with one-way tickets as low as $49. Delta is the market leader at New York's LaGuardia Airport. Image source: Delta Air Lines. By contrast, roundtrip tickets on Delta or American typically cost $281 or more, according to Reuters. Tickets for Amtrak's high-speed Acela service also tend to be priced at more than $100 one way, although the slower regional trains are usually cheaper. It's all about winning in BostonJetBlue is the largest airline in Boston, with nearly 140 daily departures and 30% market share. This has enabled it to make significant inroads in the corporate travel market there. Indeed, short-haul business-oriented routes in Boston have been a bright spot for JetBlue recently. This move into the Boston-LaGuardia market is just one more piece of JetBlue's strategy to dominate Boston. Over the past few years, it has gradually added new cities to its route map to capitalize on strong business demand out of Boston. JetBlue has also started to bring its highly acclaimed Mint service to Boston to win over more business travelers. Two of the airline's three daily flights to San Francisco now feature a premium cabin with 16 flat-bed seats. In the next two years, JetBlue's transcontinental flights from Boston to Los Angeles, Seattle, and San Diego will also get Mint service. JetBlue is bringing its Mint premium service to Boston. Image source: JetBlue Airways. JetBlue is clearly gaining momentum among business travelers in Boston. It still has plenty of work to do as it fills out its route network there, but adding flights to LaGuardia Airport will further solidify its position as the No. 1 airline in Boston. The article JetBlue Attacks Delta and American Airlines in a Lucrative Market originally appeared on Fool.com. Adam Levine-Weinberg owns shares of JetBlue Airways and is long January 2017 $17 calls on JetBlue Airways, long January 2017 $40 calls on Delta Air Lines,, and long January 2017 $30 calls on American Airlines Group. The Motley Fool is long January 2017 $35 calls on American Airlines Group. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Copyright 1995 - 2016 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. The challenges within the container leasing industry continued during the first quarter, weighing heavily on Textainer Group Holdings' first-quarter results. That said, the company is "staring to see some bright spots," which has it cautiously optimistic for the future. A look at the numbersThe container leasing industry is currently being pressured by two factors: Slower trade growth and slumping steel prices. While the global economy, as measured by GDP, grew 3.1% over the past year, trade growth was less than 1%. That slower trade growth is impacting Textainer's maturing leases, with the company either unable to secure new leases for the 8.5% of its leases that mature in 2016 or being forced to accept weaker lease rates. This is impacting both utilization, which is down 0.5% since the start of the year to 94.1%, and lease rental income, which is down 5.6% from the year-ago quarter. The other big factor impacting Textainer at the moment is lower steel prices, which have declined 40% over the past year. That is putting pressure on both new and used containers andweighing on the proceeds the company receives from trading and selling containers. Overall, revenue is down 7.4% due to the impact these factors are having on the company's revenue sources: Sources of Revenue Q1 2016 Actuals Q1 2015 Actuals Growth (YOY) Lease rental income $122.1 million $129.2 million -5.6% Management fees $3.3 million $4.0 million -16.8% Trading container sales proceeds $1.9 million $4.8 million -60.6% Gains on sale of containers, net $1.6 million $1.1 million 53.8% Data source: Textainer Group Holdings Limited. These factors are also putting a lot of downward pressure on Textainer's earnings, with its adjusted net income plunging more than 84% to just $6.4 million, or $0.11 per share. That said, income from operations is holding up a bit better, only down 20.7% to $70.6 million. A look at the outlookWhile the first quarter was tough, Textainer does have some good news. According to CEO Phillip Brewer, "we are starting to see some bright spots." In particular, Brewer noted that trade is projected to grow by 1.5% to 2.5% in 2016, much stronger than last year's meager sub-1% growth. In fact, while demand for containers was low to start the year, Brewer noted that demand has "increased over the last two months above the levels we saw last year, with a noticeable jump in April." Further, he pointed out that the price of steel has started to rise and is up $150 per ton over the past few weeks. That's likely in response to the U.S. imposing new tariffs on steel-producing nations that were dumping steel on the U.S. market at unfairly low prices. This improvement in the steel price should lead to an increase in container prices in the near term. Finally, Brewer noted that there's expected to be minimal growth in the world's container fleet this year, which should lead to higher container prices. In fact, the company is seeing small competitors exit the market, with the company recently purchasing the outstanding leases and containers from a financial investor that decided to exit the container leasing market. Those positives aside, Brewer did caution: In other words, expect some more choppy seas ahead for the sector. However, once the sector gets past this current weak spot, an increase in trade and container demand should have a very quick impact on the market. It's a rebound Textainer stands ready to profit from. The article The Sluggish Container Sector Continues to Weigh on Textainer Group Holdings Limited's Earnings originally appeared on Fool.com. Matt DiLallo owns shares of Textainer Group. The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends Textainer Group. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Copyright 1995 - 2016 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. While the milder weather over the past year continues to plague utilities, its impact wasn't quite as noticeable on Dominion Resources' first-quarter results. Although below what the company earned in last year's first quarter, they were in line with its expectations going into the quarter due in part to higher investment tax credits from its solar facilities. That's keeping it on track to meet its full-year guidance, which it reaffirmed this quarter. Dominion results: The raw numbers Metric Q1 2016 Actuals Q1 2015 Actuals Growth (YOY) Operating earnings $572 million $584 million -2.1% Operating EPS $0.96 $0.99 -3% Data source: Dominion Resources. What happened with Dominion this quarter?Dominion's results were in the middle of its guidance range: Dominion's operating earnings were roughly in the middle of its guidance range of $0.90 to $1.05 per share. However, they were down from last year due to milder weather and the absence of a farmout agreement. That said, earnings did benefit from the higher-than-expected renewable energy investment tax credits from the company's solar facilities. The company completed construction of its Brunswick County 1,358-megawatt natural gas combined cycle facility, placing it into service last week, which was ahead of schedule. The Cove Point liquefaction project is also on time and on budget. It's now 64% complete and expected to be in service later next year. What management had to sayCEO Tomas Ferrell, commenting on the company's results, said: There were two important points Ferrell wanted to get across to investors. First, despite issues with the weather, earnings were in the middle of its guidance range, which shows its ability to execute in less-than-ideal conditions. Second, the company continues to focus on the future, which includes making new investments in clean energy. In particular, it is putting its attention on solar, recently joining forces with Virginia and Microsoft to build a 20-megawatt solar energy plant in that state. This marks Microsoft's first direct partnership with a utility on a renewable energy project to bring power straight to the grid instead of using it for its data centers. Looking forwardDominion is increasingly turning to solar to power earnings growth, in part to take advantage of investment tax credits on solar facilities. Those tax credits are expected to once again be one of the positive drivers for the company -- it expects second-quarter earnings of $0.65 to $0.75 per share, which is close to the $0.73 per share it earned last year. Also, given that range, the company's in-line first-quarter results, and its expectations for the full year, Dominion is affirming its full-year guidance of $3.60 to $4.00 per share. The article Solar Shines at Dominion Resources, Inc. This Quarter originally appeared on Fool.com. Matt DiLallo has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool owns shares of Microsoft. The Motley Fool recommends Dominion Resources. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Copyright 1995 - 2016 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. NASA loves SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket. In 2018, the U.S. Air Force will take it for a spin. Image source: SpaceX. 2015 was a great year for SpaceX. 2016 is looking like it will be even better. Long an exciting story stock, SpaceX broke into the big time as a business last year when first NASA, and then the U.S. Air Force, "certified" the company to begin competing against incumbent providers Boeing and Lockheed Martin on lucrative large satellite launch contracts. SpaceX wasted no time taking advantage of the opportunity, placing a bid last summer on the Air Force's upcoming launch of a GPS III satellite into orbit. It then received a bit of manna from heaven when, for a few crucial months, Congress effectively prevented Boeing and Lockheed Martin from bidding on GPS III through their United Launch Alliance joint venture (due to a dearth of Russian rocket engines to power ULA's Atlas launch vehicles). That ban has since been lifted, and ULA is now able to compete for USAF launches again -- but the damage was done. With no ULA to oppose it, SpaceX easily won the GPS III contract. And last week, the U.S. Air Force told us just how easy a win it was. The contest that was no contest at allThe Pentagon's daily rundown of contracts awarded on Wednesday, April 27, told the tale. In a $82.7 million award, the U.S. Air Force hired SpaceX "to deliver the GPS III satellite to its intended orbit." The contract, which covers everything from launch vehicle production to mission integration to launch operations to actual launch, wasn't just cheaper than the $200 million or so that ULA had been charging for similar launches in the past. According to the Air Force, SpaceX's offered price was "40% less," according to the Wall Street Journal, than the Air Force had expected to pay. What's more, while ULA did not bid on GPS III, someone else apparently did. (USAF did not identify the other bidder, however.) What it means to investorsWho could that other mystery bidder have been? Only the Air Force knows -- and they're not telling.Whoever it was that bid against SpaceX, clearly, they got stomped last week. Where things get really interesting, though, is when the next GPS contract goes up for bid (a total of 32 are planned). Here are two potential scenarios to ponder: According to one former ULA executive, the best price that Boeing and Lockheed's joint venture can offer the Air Force at present is $200 million. Now, someone apparently told the Air Force that by opening up the contracts to bidding, they could attract an offer of $140 million or thereabouts, cutting 30% off of ULA's list price. But then SpaceX stepped up and beat even that target price by 40%. To me, that means that whoever bids on the next GPS III launch contract is going to have to dig very deep indeed to come up with a number that will beat SpaceX's price. But here's the other scenario: SpaceX has never launched an Air Force satellite before. This will be its maiden launch as a "certified" USAF provider. So what happens if -- heaven forfend -- SpaceX's rocket explodes? (It's happened before.) At that point, the Air Force will have a very difficult decision to make: To date, United Launch Alliance has sent up 106 rockets in a row, without suffering a single mishap. Over in Europe, Arianespace has launched 71 successful missions in a row. So, faced with the choice between a cut-rate but riskier option from SpaceX, or a reliable but pricey bid from someone else, would the Air Force give SpaceX a second chance on the next upcoming GPS III launch? Or not? As we count down the months, weeks, days, hours, and minutes before that first SpaceX GPS III launch in 2018, it can't hurt to plan ahead -- and start thinking about what might happen if things go wrong. In 2015, something went wrong on a SpaceX NASA mission. (Fortunately, no one was aboard.) IMAGE SOURCE:NASA. The article SpaceX and the U.S. Air Force, Together at Last originally appeared on Fool.com. Rich Smithdoes not own shares of, nor is he short, any company named above. You can find him onMotley Fool CAPS, publicly pontificating under the handleTMFDitty, where he's currently ranked No. 294 out of more than 75,000 rated members. Follow him on Facebook for the latest in defense news.The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Copyright 1995 - 2016 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Tesla Motors Inc said on Wednesday it was on track to deliver 80,000 to 90,000 electric vehicles this year and that it would produce 500,000 in 2018, two years faster than expected. Tesla's Model 3 sedan, its first mass-market product, has generated massive interest since it was unveiled on March 31. Chief Executive and founder Elon Musk said in late April that Tesla had received nearly 400,000 orders for the car, which is scheduled to go into production in late 2017. The company said on Wednesday it had advanced the plan due to strong demand for the Model 3. "Increasing production five-fold over the next two years will be challenging and will likely require some additional capital, but this is our goal..." Tesla said. The company said it expected capital expenditure to be 50 percent higher in 2016 than its previous forecast of $1.5 billion. Tesla's shares were up 4.7 percent in after-hours trading after closing down 4.2 percent. Tesla said last month it delivered 14,820 vehicles in the quarter - 12,420 Model S sedans and 2,400 Model X SUVs. That was short of the company's target of 16,000. A severe shortage of parts for the Model X in January and February as well as quality issues for the SUV were blamed for the shortfall. Tesla said on Wednesday that two top manufacturing executives were leaving the company. Investors have raised questions about Tesla's ability to meet ambitious production targets for Model 3 cars after repeated bumps in the ramp-up of production of the Model X. Tesla said its net loss widened to $282.3 million, or $2.13 per share, in the first quarter ended March 31, from $154.2 million, or $1.22 per share, a year earlier. Excluding items, the company lost 57 cents per share. Analysts had expected a loss of 58 cents per share, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S. Revenue rose to $1.15 billion from $939.9 million. (http://bit.ly/1rVkm03) (Reporting by Kshitiz Goliya in Bengaluru; Editing by Ted Kerr) Carports are now a great place to build solar. Image source: SunPower. Yieldcos were once the new "it" product in the energy industry. Renewable energy developers thought they would help lower capital costs and allow them to retain a portion of project ownership long-term. But as the industry fell apart and stock prices dropped, it became apparent that not all yieldcos were created equal. Below, I'll highlight a few of the differences between 8point3 Energy Partners , NRG Yield , TerraForm Power , and TerraForm Global , four of the largest yieldcos in the industry. And they've had very different results for a reason. CAFD data by YCharts What goes into the yieldco? The first difference between yieldcos is what assets companies own. For example, 8point3 Energy Partners only owns solar projects built by First Solar and SunPower. That's a competitive advantage because of the high predictability in solar energy production and their solid financial statements as sponsors (which we'll cover more in a minute). NRG Energy owns wind, geothermal, and solar assets, but it also owns some fossil fuel plants that were pushed down to the yieldco when it was formed. In fact, 43% of net generating capacity was from natural gas as of the end of 2015. These assets simply bring a different set of risks than other yieldcos carry, which can be good or bad, depending on what you're looking for as an investor. TerraForm Power and TerraForm Global are wind and solar system owners that should have consistent long-term cash flows, but that's where the safety in those companies ends. Image source: First Solar. How conservative is the yieldco? Conservatism in a yieldco isn't just about the level of debt it's willing to take on, it's also about their independence in buying projects from sponsors. That's one of the major complaints Hedge Fund Manager David Tepper had about TerraForm Power's involvement with SunEdison. The companies (and TerraForm Global) share executives, and the argument was that SunEdison used the yieldcos as a piggy bank, both selling assets when necessary and getting artificially high prices in the process. NRG Yield has a close relationship with its parent NRG Energy, but it buys projects independently, and there haven't been outcries that it's overpaying for assets. One thing that makes 8point3 Energy unique is its dual sponsor structure with First Solar and SunPower. Both companies have executives running the company and there's also an independent group of directors that sets prices for asset acquisitions. If one company tried to dump assets on the yieldco, the other sponsor, as well as independent board members, would scrutinize the deal. What are the growth prospects for the yieldco? Along with independence, yieldcos need assets to buy for growth. In the case of 8point3 Energy Partners, the company only buys assets from its sponsors, which could limit growth opportunities and could limit the ability to buy distressed assets opportunistically. TerraForm Power and TerraForm Global originally planned to only buy projects from SunEdison, but since the company's financial distress became evident they've been trying to reduce their reliance on the company. TerraForm Global recently bought assets in Uruguay that didn't come from SunEdison, a clear indication that it wanted to be known as more than a SunEdison subsidiary. NRG Yield is probably the most flexible, buying assets from NRG Energy as well as third parties. As the renewable energy market goes into a time of uncertainty for new assets, that could create a buying opportunity the company can take advantage of. Not all yieldcos are created equal It seems like all yieldcos should be similar, but that couldn't be further from the truth. The biggest thing to understand is probably that sponsors matter a lot more than you might think on the surface. They control decision making, leverage, and often the assets a company can buy. The stronger and more independent the sponsor/sponsors the better. We've even seen that SunEdison's bankruptcy could have fallout for its yieldcos, even though they're independent companies. Balance sheets also matter, because too much leverage can increase risks on a company's operations, especially if the market loses confidence in the sponsor (see SunEdison). Right now, 8point3 Energy Partners and NRG Energy are among the top yieldcos in the industry and they have competitive advantages which were highlighted above. With dividend yields north of 5%, they're arguably great buys for investors in a booming renewable energy market. The article What Makes Some Yieldcos So Different? originally appeared on Fool.com. Travis Hoium owns shares of 8point3 Energy Partners LP, First Solar, and SunPower. The Motley Fool owns shares of NRG Energy,. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Copyright 1995 - 2016 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Dreamworks' characters will have to find a place in the Comcast family. Image source: Dreamworks Animation. What: Shares of animation company Dreamworks Animation SKG Inc jumped an incredible 60% in April, according to data provided by S&P Global Market Intelligence, after the company sold itself to Comcast . So what: The offer Dreamworks Animation got from Comcast was for $3.8 billion in cash, or a stock price of $41 per share. The acquisition is technically being made by NBCUniversal, the media arm of Comcast. It aligns with Comcast's desire to acquire content and remake itself into a media company, as opposed to just a cable company. Now what: There's not a lot of upside here for Dreamworks Animation investors given the current share price of nearly $40 per share. But for Comcast it presents an interesting acquisition that builds out the content library for a media future that may not include as much cable revenue. Dreamworks Animation owns titles you might think of like Shrek, Madagascar, and Kung Fu Panda, but it also owns Where's Waldo and Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. Those assets will be a key addition to the content library, and could also lead to future content creation. It's not an earth shattering move by Comcast-NBCUniversal, but it's adding more content to its overall offerings -- and in an age where content is king, that's not a bad thing. The article Why Dreamworks Animation SKG Inc's Shares Popped 60% in April originally appeared on Fool.com. Travis Hoium has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool recommends DreamWorks Animation. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Copyright 1995 - 2016 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Republican front-runner Donald Trump was well ahead in early voting in Indiana on Tuesday in what could herald an important victory that would move him close to being unstoppable in his march to the party's presidential nomination. Democrat Hillary Clinton also took an early lead over Bernie Sanders in the voting shortly after a first wave of polling stations closed at 6 p.m. EDT. Other voting places were to close at 7 p.m. EDT. With 1 percent of the votes counted, Trump led with 52.6 percent of the tally to 28.7 percent for U.S. Senator Ted Cruz of Texas and 12 percent for Ohio Governor John Kasich. Clinton led with 63 percent of the vote to 37 percent for Sanders. Cruz has been counting on a win in Tuesday's primary to slow the New York businessman's progress toward the nomination. But polls in recent days have shown Trump opening up a substantial lead in the Midwestern state over the senator. Campaigning in Evansville, Indiana, Cruz sounded deeply frustrated by the bombastic real estate mogul, who has ripped conservative Cruz at every turn. "The man cannot tell the truth but he combines it with being a narcissist," Cruz said of Trump, "a narcissist at a level I don't think this country has ever seen." Cruz's fury was set off by Trump saying in a television appearance that the senator's father, Cuban emigre Rafael Cruz, was linked to John F. Kennedy's assassin, Lee Harvey Oswald. Trump was referring to a report by National Enquirer, a supermarket tabloid known for celebrity gossip and alien sightings. Cruz also termed Trump a "serial philanderer" -- likely as part of his strategy to try to siphon the support of evangelical voters from Trump. Republican voters in Indiana could give Trump an almost unstoppable advantage in his turbulent journey toward the party's presidential nomination. He holds a double-digit polling lead in the state. Trump, who frequently refers to Cruz as "Lyin' Ted," quickly responded to his rival's attack. "Over the last week, I have watched Lyin Ted become more and more unhinged as he is unable to react under the pressure and stress of losing, in all cases by landslides, the last six primary elections --- in fact, coming in last place in all but one of them," he said in a statement. (Additional reporting by Alana Wise in Indianapolis and Ginger Gibson in Terre Haute and Doina Chiacu and David Alexander in Washington; Writing by Steve Holland and James Oliphant; Editing by Alistair Bell and Andrew Hay) The circumstances surrounding the re-capture of Mexican drug lord El Chapo, also known as Joaquin Guzman, has all the makings of a hit Hollywood film. Theres sex, drugs, a Mexican actress, a Hollywood bad boy and the presidential frontrunner Donald Trump. But when we connect the dots, the story is far more sinister, hitting home in the form of a drug epidemic that is ravaging pockets of the east coast. It also touches one of the early cornerstones of GOP frontrunner Donald Trumps campaign: his vow to build a wall along the Mexican border to battle drugs and illegal immigration. The real-life story is chronicled in an upcoming special, Fox News Reporting Beauty and the Beast- When Kate Met Chapo, hosted by Geraldo Rivera, airing Saturday at 8pm ET on the Fox News Channel. Geraldo, who had exclusive access to some of the players, follows the escape and re-capture of Mexican drug lord El Chapo, his obsession with the Mexican actress Kate del Castillo - and hers with him and a path that leads to one of Americas biggest epidemics. Heroin is not new, said Rivera during an interview with FOXBusiness.com, comparing todays crisis with what went down in 1971. The difference between this epidemic and 40 years ago is today it is a primarily a suburban and rural plague victimizing mostly white working and middle class folks. El Chapo, the ruthless kingpin and his Sinaloa Drug Cartel, are said to be one of the main supply sources of heroin to the U.S. via the southern borders. The DEA says El Chapo, the billionaire kingpin is the Osama Bin Laden of the drug trade, notes Rivera. Their influence is staggering. In New Hampshire alone, deaths from drug overdoses have skyrocketed more than 125% through last year compared to 2013. Thats one person everyday that ODs, as tracked by New Hampshires Medical Examiner's Office. The drug trade has made El Chapo a rich man, landing him a spot on the Forbes Billionaire list several years ago. Since then it is likely his wealth has grown driven by an explosion of heroin use. Recent data provided by the White House estimates the market has ballooned to $27 billion, while private estimates, which include the black market, put that figure as high as $45 billion. Overshadowing the U.S. drug epidemic is the bizzaro tale of El Chapos escape, re-capture and all that went on in between. Sparked by what could be described as an almost an improper relationship between del Castillo and El Chapo as she struck-up a steamy text messaging relationship with the drug lord. El Chapo was obsessed with Kate. He threw caution to the wind just so he could meet with her in the jungle, Rivera said. An obsession which eventually led to a meeting between the two in which Hollywood hot head Sean Penn tagged along. del Castillos account of the meeting differs from Penns. According to Riveras special report, the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) and Mexican authorities say they were tracking the Hollywood contingent, which eventually led to El Chapos capture following several bloody shootouts. Today, del Castillo, who is a new U.S. citizen, is being investigated for possible money laundering but has not been indicted for any crime. As for El Chapo, he has been indicted for massive drug dealing in Chicago, San Diego, Manhattan and Brooklyn. Sources close to Fox say he may soon be extradited to the Eastern District in Brooklyn to face multiple charges. U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch oversaw this district before President Obama elevated her to a national role. FOXBusiness.coms inquiries to the Department of Justice were not returned at the time of publication. As for the 2016 race for the White House, billionaire Donald Trump is now the sole GOP candidate after Senator Ted Cruz and Governor John Kasich ended their campaigns. Trump is likely to face Democratic frontrunner Hillary Clinton in November. The war on drugs could become one of the major policy issues of the 2016 race. We [the U.S.] are so distracted by terrorism, we have taken our eye off the ball when it comes to the war on drugs said Rivera. An attorney with knowledge of Princes death investigation said the music icon was scheduled to meet with a California addition doctor the day after his death, according to a published report Tuesday. William Mauzy, a Minneapolis attorney working with Dr. Howard Kornfeld, told the Star-Tribune that Kornfeld was contacted by Princes representatives the night before Prince died. The reps reportedly told the doctor that Prince was dealing with a grave medical emergency. Kornfeld runs Recovery Without Walls in Mill Valley Calif. and is renowned for his opioid addition treatments. The newspaper reported that he couldnt clear his schedule to see Prince until April 22. Howard Kornfeld sent his son Andrew Kornfeld instead, in hopes to explain to Prince about the treatment. Mauzy said that Andrew Kornfeld was going to try and persuade Prince to go into treatment in California and even took a red-eye flight from San Francisco the night Princes people called. Mauzy told the Star-Tribune that when Andrew Kornfeld arrived at the Paisley Park compound at 9:30 a.m. on April 21, Princes representatives couldnt find him. Andrew Kornfeld was one of three people who were with Princes body and called emergency dispatchers they were at Princes home. Prince was found alone, unresponsive in the elevator of his home. His death has mostly been shrouded in mystery, but sources have told the Star-Tribune that his use of painkillers had become the focus of the investigation into his death. The paper reported that Howard Kornfeld contacted a Twin Cities doctor to check on Prince after the icons representatives contacted Kornfeld. There was hope that Prince would then agree to go to the California facility and stay under Kornfelds care. The doctor has become widely known for his support for using Suboxone to curb opioid cravings. Andrew Kornfeld had a drug on him to help opioid patients go through withdrawals. He was set to give Prince that drug, known as buprenorphine. Mauzy told the paper that buprenorphine was never used on Prince. Prince was 57 years old when he was found dead. Police have released little information surrounding his death and an investigation is ongoing. Though an autopsy was completed days after he died, the results have not been made public. He had no known will. Click for more from the Star-Tribune. The ABC series Quantico is being criticized for putting Donald Trumps campaign slogan in the mouths of homegrown terrorists disillusioned by American involvement in the war in Afghanistan. In the episode, during a flashback, FBI Agent Jordan Kent accuses agent Ryan Booth of helping a terrorist cell in Chicago. Kent blames Ryan for doing this because he realized what a worthless war it was when you got back from Afghanistan. The terrorists the agents refer to shouted make America great again as they carried out their attack. Tony Sayegh, Republican strategist, acknowledges Hollywood can write whatever they want, but says linking political messages to domestic terrorism is not acceptable. I like a lot of these programs and am willing to give them creative license, he said. But when they try and take a legitimate political message being used in real time like make America great again -- which incidentally is working -- and vilify it by connecting it to terrorism, they defy even the most generous level of objectivity. Talk Media News bureau chief and Democratic strategist Ellen Ratner, a FOX News contributor, said the episode was a clear attack on the right. Hollywood is indeed attacking the right, and that is to be expected, which is why on talk radio, California is called the left coast,' she said. Dan Gainor, VP of business and culture for the Media Research Center, thinks the episode was out of line. The militia fad in Hollywood is trying to put its stamp on the signature national security issue of the election terrorism, Gainor said. Only in Americas Left Coast is terrorism simply an issue of white men blowing up bombs. Terrorism everywhere else on the globe is linked to radical Islam, at least in part. Muslims attacked in Paris, San Bernadino, Chattanooga, Garland and New York. This isnt the first time militia have become the plot line for a television script. In October, on CBS Limitless an anti-government militia had a plan to bomb New York, and on ABCs Blindspot a Michigan militia becomes the episode plot. Gainor says Hollywood is trying to downplay global terrorism and blame the right. What liberal writers and producers are trying to do is downplay the threat of external terrorism and blame terror acts on scary right-wingers, he said. If they wanted examples of violence here in the U.S., they only need look for lefty protesters who have been attacking opponents with increasing frequency and violence. Some viewers took to social media expressing their thoughts on the episode. "Isn't that what they said before they attacked? 'Make America Great again'?" OMG the shade #Quantico Kristy (@purplestarkatz) May 2, 2016 Hahah #Quantico I see you "Make America Great Again" taking your little jabs at Donald Trump TV Talk (@TVTalkChats) May 2, 2016 PR professional Ryan McCormick also says the episode went too far. Any show that depicts individuals engaging in and perpetuating violence as a direct result from support of some of Donald Trumps popular ideas or even some progressive liberal ideas is a clear yet, subtle and tactical method of fighting those ideas," he said. ABC did not return FOX411s request for comment. Dr. Diane Horvath-Cosper, an OB-GYN at MedStar Washington Hospital Center in Washington DC, filed a federal civil rights complaint against the hospital Monday, the New York Times reports. Horvath-Cosper claims the hospitalciting security concernsput a "gag order" on her to prevent her from defending abortion publicly. According to the AP, Horvath-Cosper says she was told by the hospital's chief medical officer that he "did not want to put a K-Mart blue light special on the fact that we provide abortions." If she cant speak out about abortion the way other doctors at the hospital do about what they work on, she is being treated differently and that is discrimination, an executive at National Women's Law Center, who is acting as co-counsel for Horvath-Cosper's complaint, tells the Times. Horvath-Cosper had been a public advocate for abortion prior to December, even penning a widely read op-ed on the violence faced by abortion providers for the Washington Post in October. Since then, she says the hospitalhaving been spooked by the deadly attack on a Colorado Planned Parenthood in Novemberhas forced her to turn down interviews and other opportunities. She argues this actually makes violence against abortion providers more likely. "The dialogue is dominated by those who have demonized this totally normal part of health care, she tells the Times. Horvath-Cosper's complaint cites a 1973 law that, until now, has seemingly only been used by people refusing to perform abortions for moral or religious reasons. If the complaint is successful, the hospital could lose federal funding, Think Progress reports. This article originally appeared on Newser: Abortion Doc Takes on Hospital Over 'Gag Order' More From Newser A group of special needs young adults in St. Michael, Minn., took to the dance floor on Sunday night at a free prom event that included a formal outfit, hair and makeup, professional photography and a limo ride to the dance. Each teen also was matched with a volunteer as their date for the night. She doesn't get to do a lot of things that typical teenagers do so it's very special, Colene Verdick, mother of 19-year-old Hannah Verdick, told Fox 9. Hannah was so excited for the event that she used a calendar to mark off the days until the dance. "Every day, I can't wait for prom, I can't wait for my pink dress, Colene recalled her daughter saying. Oh my goodness, I look fabulous! Hannah said as her hair was styled. The event was held at St. Michael-Albertville Senior High School, a day after the schools prom so the teens could attend prom around the same time as their peers. Students were welcomed on a red carpet by the Minnesota Vikings cheerleaders, Wright County Sheriffs Deputies and supporters. It was the first year for the special needs prom, which was made possible by donations of time and money, and sponsor Westbridge Community Church said they hope to make it an annual event. A Pennsylvania woman says her family put up with the neighbor from hell for two years and "should have started calling the police a year ago." On March 21, Red Lion police were indeed called and responded to reports that the neighbor, 25-year-old Amanda Marie Warfel, was "loudly fornicating and banging around her bedroom to the degree that the [victim's] dresser and her own bed shook," per an affidavit of probable cause. The York Daily Record spoke to Tanya Saylor about what she and her familyparticularly her two teen daughters, whose bedroom shares a wall with Warfel's bedroomallegedly endured: not just loud music, but racist comments. And the sex. Saylor claims Warfel would describe what was happening so loudly her girls could hear. She says she'd hand her daughters headphones to wear as they went to bed. Saylor tells the York Dispatch that "we gave her a full year of trying to do it the right way," meaning that rather than involve the authorities, she tried talking to Warfel and her grandmother, to no avail. Things crescendoed in January, when Saylor's eldest daughter needed to spend 10 days isolated in her room following cancer treatment. Warfel had sex "nonstop, making sure that my daughter heard," Saylor says. Police were called Feb. 17 and Feb. 28, reports CBS21 News, and again in March. In April Warfel pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct and harassment charges in connection with the Feb. 28 incident and was sentenced to 45 to 90 days. The Record reports that Warfel is due to be released from York County Prison on June 20; she still faces charges related to the March 21 case. (This case of loud sex resulted in a six-month sentence.) This article originally appeared on Newser: Woman Says Neighbor Terrorized Family With Loud Sex More From Newser The triggers for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) can appear in unexpected places. For James, 24, who asked that we withhold his last name for his family's privacy, fireworks make him visualize grizzly images of mangled bodies. James served as a combat medic in Afghanistan from March 2011-2012 with the 710th Combat Support Battalion, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division. James said that during his deployment he had to sever the connection between his heart and head in order to be able to process images of soldiers and childrens bodies blown mangled by explosions. When I came back, I couldnt reestablish that connection, James told FoxNews.com. He described himself as emotionally numb. He knew that he loved his wife and his parents but he couldnt feel it anymore. He became unpredictable and was unable to control his emotions. My wife said she was walking on eggshells. Any word that would come out of her mouth would set me off, he said, adding, the anger didnt build up. It was like a switch from calm to -- forgive my language -- f-----g rage. James and his wife thought caring for a pet dog would help him adjust to life as a civilian, but in fits of rage and anger he would choke and kick the dog. Instead of the dog serving as a therapy pet, it shined a light on an inevitable truth; James needed extensive help to overcome his severe PTSD. James tried both traditional and non-traditional forms of therapy offered by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). He tried medications, psychotherapy and an intensive form of group therapy that lasted for seven hours per day, five days per week for three months. He also tried hypnosis, electrotherapy and prolonged exposure therapy but nothing alleviated his symptoms. It wasnt until he moved to Colorado for school did he learn about an experimental study using MDMA, commonly known as Ecstasy or Molly, as a psychotherapy tool. The well-known club drug had been used in psychotherapy before it was deemed a Class 1 drug in 1985. Class 1 drugs are illegal because they have high abuse potential, no medical use and severe safety concerns. Also listed as Class 1 drugs are Heroin, cocaine and marijuana. Some of the effects MDMA can have on a person include euphoria and a feeling of overwhelming love. Dr. Elizabeth Drew, a board-certified family physician who specializes in addiction medicine and is the medical director of Summit Behavior Health, told FoxNews.com that if a trained therapist can harness these emotions correctly, they can help the patient navigate through the trauma that causes their PTSD. Working with a therapist that they feel close to and feels that they have concern about them, you can disconnect that fear and trauma from the actual event and you can process it and it looks like people are cured, she said. James compared MDMA to a light in a dark cave when fighting PTSD. It gives you euphoria and love. You can go into the darkness and not be afraid, he said, referring to addressing the trauma of war. James said that the drug made it possible for him to confront the demons that were in the recesses of his brain. His relationships with his family and their dog evolved and improved. However, MDMA is a controversial approach in treating PTSD, as it does have the potential to be deadly. In February, a Los Angeles County coroner determined that an Ecstasy overdose caused the death of an 18-year-old UCLA student at a rave. The teen, identified as Tracy Nguyen by the Los Angeles Times, isnt the first overdose victim and likely wont be the last. The way they are used in clubs is not safe, Lewis Nelson, a toxicology specialist at NYU Langone, told FoxNews.com. He said that the dangers posed from MDMA are twofold; one is the harm caused from chronic use of the drug, and the other is the immediate threats to your health. If used chronically, Nelson said that studies have shown that it can lead to neurotoxicity in animals. The National Institute on Drug Abuse said that studies on monkeys show that long-term use of Ecstasy can alter brain chemistry, specifically serotonin levels and its metabolites are diminished. The immediate danger of MDMA, according to Dr. Nelson, is that the sudden increase of serotonin levels can raise the body temperature and cause muscle rigidity. When people use the drug in a club setting, they can overheat and potentially die from hyperthermia. But what about taking it on the couch of a medical professional? Nelson said the health risks are low, but there should be trials to see if the benefits of the drug outweigh the risks. James said that he wants to help take the stigma out of the drug so that is can be explored as a useful psychotherapy tool. If officials are able to find that MDMA does have health benefits, it could become a Class 2 drug like methadone and Percocet. The Lone Star State is coming to the rescue of shoppers confused over whether to leave the seat up or down in Targets transgender bathrooms. The nations second-largest discount retailer announced on April 19 that they would welcome transgender team members and guests to use the restroom or fitting room facility that corresponds with their gender. Click here to join Todds American Dispatch: A must-read for conservatives! In response, more than 1.1 million customers joined a boycott sponsored by the American Family Association. Nearly everyone has a mother, wife, daughter or friend who is put in jeopardy by this policy, AFA President Tim Wildmon said. Predators and voyeurs would take advantage of the policy to prey on those who are vulnerable. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton also has grave concerns and he expressed them in a letter to Targets chief executive officer. It is possible that allowing men in womens restrooms could lead to criminal and otherwise unwanted activity, Paxton wrote in the letter obtained exclusively by Fox News. The attorney general is asking for Target to disclose its plans to protect women and children in their bathrooms and fitting rooms. As chief lawyer and law enforcement officer for the State of Texas, I ask that you provide the full text of Targets safety policies regarding the protection of women and children from those who would use the cover of Targets restroom policy for nefarious purposes, Paxton wrote. The attorney general reiterated that Target is free to open its bathrooms to whoever it wants in the Lone Star State. However, hes not all that sure Texans will welcome such policies. The voters in Houston recently repealed by a wide margin an ordinance that advanced many of the same goals as Targets current policy, he wrote. The attorney general told me he has one simple request of Target how do they plan on protecting women and children in their stores? If we save one child from illegal or inappropriate activity, its worth it, he said. Thus far, Target has remained silent on the boycott. But AFA spokesman Walker Wildmon told me hes hopeful that Target will respond to the attorney generals questions. What hes asking in this letter is exactly what weve been asking Target to answer, Wildmon said. What about women and children? What about men who pretend to be women and go into these bathrooms just so they can prey on women? Wildmon said he is grateful that Attorney General Paxton decided to get involved in the controversy surrounding Target. Its fabulous that someone in leadership in our country is stepping up to the plate and asking the tough questions that need to be asked, he said. Far too many lawmakers have capitulated to the demands of corporate bullies trying to advance a radical assault on the culture. I applaud the attorney general for taking a righteous stand against the stench of Targets bathroom policies. From the Hill Country to the Rio Grande, citizens should take comfort in knowing Attorney General Ken Paxton will do whatever it takes to protect women and children in the Lone Star State. Following his victory in the Indiana primary, Donald Trump is the presumptive nominee of the Republican Party for president of the United States. In upcoming days, many of us in the evangelical community will be tempted to be despondent, maybe even to detach ourselves from the political process out of a feeling of helplessness. And yet, we should not despair. Although we have lost the nomination contest, at the same time we surely have won an opportunity to regain our evangelical witness. We must regain our witness. Even if Trump were to have lost the nomination in a contested convention, Evangelicals had already slipped up by supporting the rise of a primary candidate whose campaign is characterized by overheated ethno-nationalistic aggression, who wants to curb free speech, who did not immediately and decisively distance himself from David Dukes support for his candidacy, who seems only questionably committed to the pro-Life and religious liberty causes, who regularly demeans those who oppose him, and whose rallies have been punctuated by violence and civil unrest. In spite of these things, a certain sector of the Evangelical worldlets call them Trumpangelicalssupport his candidacy. But what about the rest of us, those of us who are Evangelical but cannot countenance the thought of an Evangelical-supported Trump nomination? How do we recover from having allowed within our ranks the rise of Trumpangelism? How should we evangelicals reposition ourselves in order to regain our witness? The 2016 election cycle offers an almost-irreplaceable opportunity for evangelicals to redefine ourselves and regain our witness. The redefinition and regaining must include at least three planks: First, it offers us the opportunity to do something we should have been doing all along: by criticizing both the Democratic and Republican front runners, we can show that Christian wisdom often defies traditional social and political categories such as Democratic and Republican. This type of Gospel-centered Christianity will diminish our cultures ability to classify and dismiss the church as the religious special interest wing of any one political party. Second, we now have the opportunity and responsibility to speak with a clear voice on a broader array of policy issues. Instead of applying our moral exhortations to the Clintons alone, we can apply them also to a GOP nominee whose words and actions cause us a great deal of moral concern. Instead of applying Jesus command of neighbor love exclusively to the unborn, we can demonstrate our love for other personsimmigrants, refugees, those who are financially destituteby making and stating our policies in ways that are both convictional and compassionate. Third, we can help provide healing for the unhealthy and even toxic nature of American politics and public life. Over the past decade, our public discourse has become increasingly uncivil. For our part, Evangelicals can show the world what it looks like to speak and act with conviction while at the same time doing so civilly. We can take tough stances on issues while refusing to misrepresent, demean, or demonize those who oppose us. We can treat our political opponents as people with whom we disagree rather than as people who should be demeaned and degraded. If we evangelicals are going to regain our voice in upcoming years, we must reposition ourselves as something other than the religious special interest arm of the Republican Party. I am a registered Republican. Ive voted Republican in every election. But first and foremost, I am a Christian. My allegiance to Christ and the gospel transcends my allegiance to the Republican Party; if and when the GOPs platform or politicians are at odds with my Christian convictions, I will leverage my Christianity to criticize the party. Let us remind ourselves that these are things we should have been doing all along. Weve failed to do so consistently or recognizably, and the rise of Trumps candidacy offers us remarkable and irreplaceable opportunity. The moment has come to seize it. Now that Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump are the presumptive major party nominees, Americans have a clear choice between more prosperous and safer America and the risk their children will live in poverty and fear. President Obama has crusaded to replace pragmatic thinking about the economy with the Lefts obsessions about global governance, race and gender and income redistribution. The results are depressing. Obama has managed 1.7 percent GDP growth, falling family incomes and nearly 7 million men between 25 and 54 that dont even try to find a job. Reagans recovery featured 3.6 economic growth and broadening opportunities for all Americans. The $500 billion trade deficit is killing growth and Clinton recently promised to address it head on. Yet, her Ivy-League advisor on trade ridiculed Trump in a Wall Street Journal op-ed for suggesting we get tough with China. It appears just as Bill Clinton opposed NAFTA while running for office and then flipped once elected, Mrs. Clintons expert advisors will provide a ladder for her climb down on trade after she is elected. Clinton promises a growth-slowing national version of the costly California Fair Pay Act break down barriers that are long gone. Already, young women earn more than young men, and universities shamelessly discriminate against men by granting 60 percent of all degrees to women. Academias damage hardly stops there. The standard curriculum is heavily steeped with requirements in the humanities and the social sciences explicitly designed to indoctrinate young voters with a terrible sense of guilt if they are white and an indignant sense of entitlement if they are not. Most students leave college without the tools needed to make a living in the rapidly evolving digital economy. Most lack basic skills in critical thinking, technology and entrepreneurship needed to find and keep jobs as computers and dexterous robotspowered by artificial intelligence rivaling or exceeding human IQcould replace or radically alter most occupations as we know them today. Clintons answer is to raise taxes on the wealthy to further subsidize a decadent higher education system by making tuition, room and board essentially free to students at state colleges. Why not give out drug paraphernalia to combat substance abuse. Clinton reminds us over and over again she has a track record on foreign policy, and Barack Obama lauds her successes. I guess it was the plan all along for radical Islam to establish a terrorist state in Iraq and Syria, ISIS to be in Libya and elsewhere in North Africa, the Russians to seize the Crimea and slice off a piece of the Ukraine, China to militarize the South China Sea and bully neighbors who no longer see America as a reliable ally, and ISIS-inspired terrorists armed with automatic weapons to gun down innocent Americans in San Bernardino. Trumps language may be crude, but he is quite right to assert what Clinton wont admit. America cant stabilize the Middle East with nation building or by making obtuse and costly judgements about regimes we dont like. And if Germany and other western European powers wont spend or fight to defend their liberty, we have to deal with Russia and Putin and stop pretending NATOand Europes parade ground armiesare any deterrent. Trump may alarm and even arouse fear among allies and foes alike. Looking at the world Obama and Clinton helped createits about time! Americas problems are best solved when Americans are inspired to action by realistic assessment of the challenges they face and offered opportunities to address themnot nostrums, platitudes, half-truths, and handouts that encourage indifference, indolence and indignity to the accomplished. Americans are safest when they are growing, can afford adequate armed forces and can rely on genuine commitments from our allies, not practicing appeasement masquerading as toughness and pretending the world is something different than it really is. Texas Sen. Ted Cruz cleared the path Tuesday night for Donald Trump to claim the Republican presidential nomination, suspending his underdog campaign following a crushing defeat in Indiana allowing the billionaire businessman to effectively leave the raucous primary behind and turn his attention squarely to the general election. Were gonna win in November, Trump declared at Trump Tower in New York City. Representing one last primary hurdle, John Kasichs campaign said the Ohio governor would remain in the race until a candidate reaches the necessary 1,237 delegates. But with Cruz ending his bid, Trump would appear on a glide path to hitting that, having vanquished almost everyone in what was once a 17-person field and now within easy reach of the party mantle, an outcome some pundits and power-brokers once refused to even contemplate. Cruz announced his decision to dismayed supporters in Indianapolis. I said I would continue on as long as there was a viable path to victory. Tonight, Im sorry to say it appears that path has been foreclosed, Cruz said. While a Trump-Hillary Clinton match-up now appears inevitable, Sen. Bernie Sanders kept the race alive on the Democratic side Tuesday night by pulling off a projected upset victory in Indiana. I understand that Secretary Clinton thinks that this campaign is over, Sanders said, adding that he has bad news for her. Sanders said he expects more victories in the weeks to come, as the race heads next to West Virginia, though he admitted he has an uphill climb to the nomination. But on the GOP side, while Kasich remains in the race and Trump still could face drama at the party convention in Cleveland, GOP Chairman Reince Priebus declared him the "presumptive" nominee Tuesday night, as did Clinton. Trump addressed supporters at Trump Tower Tuesday night after his seventh consecutive victory, in Indiana. He called Cruz "one hell of a competitor," calling his decision to drop out of the race "brave." He also said that while he wasn't sure if Cruz likes him, he praised his former rival as a "smart" and "tough guy" who had an "amazing future" ahead of him. Data curated by InsideGov Trump then turned his attention to his likely Democratic opponent, saying, We're going after Hillary Clinton." The New York billionaire criticized Clinton's recent comments about the coal industry. He says she wants to close mines and he promised to help coal miners get back to work. Cruz campaigned aggressively in Indiana, but could not overcome Trump. With a heavy heart, but with boundless optimism for the long-term future of our nation, we are suspending our campaign. But hear me now, I am not suspending our fight for liberty," Cruz said. Fox News projected Trump has the winner shortly after the polls closed at 7 p.m. ET. With 98 percent of precincts reporting, Trump has 53.3 percent of the vote. Tuesdays primary capped off a bitter and personal clash between Trump and Cruz with each accusing the other of being an unhinged liar. As soon as the race was called, Trump demanded Cruz exit the primary race, tweeting that Lyin Ted should stop wasting time & money. Earlier in the day, Trump rehashed claims on Fox News that Cruzs father, Rafael Cruz, appeared in a 1963 photograph with John F. Kennedy's assassin, Lee Harvey Oswald -- citing a report first published by the National Enquirer. "His father was with Lee Harvey Oswald prior to Oswald's being, you know, shot," Trump said on Fox & Friends. "Nobody even brings it up; I mean they don't even talk about that." Responding, Cruz called his father his "hero," and labeled Trump an "amoral" liar. He also described Trump as a braggadocious, arrogant buffoon. Cruz went into the Indiana primary vowing to fight on even if he lost. The Associated Press now has Trump leading the delegate count with 1,047. Cruz suspended his campaign with 565. Kasich still has 153. To secure the Republican nomination, a candidate must have 1,237 delegates. Though Trump could not clinch the nomination with a big win in Indiana, his path toward securing the delegates he needs gets much easier now. Trump devoted more time to campaigning in Indiana than he has to most other states, underscoring his eagerness to put his Republican rivals away and shift his attention to Democratic front-runner Clinton. Indiana emerged as a must-win state for Cruz and the Stop Trump movement to block Trump from locking up the Republican nomination. In an attempt to stack the odds, Cruz and Kasich recently announced an alliance to deny the billionaire businessman the delegates needed to win. Cruz and Kasich had agreed to cede upcoming primary contests to one another. Kasich would stand down in Indiana while Cruz would do the same in Oregon and New Mexico, which hold their primaries May 17 and June 7. Cracks in communication about the tactical team-up were visible almost immediately. When Kasich was asked about the deals message on April 25 and what his Indiana supporters should do he said, Ive never told them not to vote for me. They ought to vote for me. Cruz also tried to reenergize his campaign by naming former businesswoman Carly Fiorina as his running mate. He rounded out the week with an endorsement from Indiana Gov. Mike Pence. The Texan traveled across the state on a tour bus and spent most of his time reaching out to large groups of politically engaged evangelical Christians a demographic he dominated. While barnstorming Indiana, Cruz also sharpened his opposition to transgender rights for Americans and publically attacked both Trump and Clinton for supporting North Carolinas controversial new anti-LGBT law. According to the Associated Press delegate count, Clinton now has 2,202 delegates compared with Sanders 1,400. A Democratic candidate needs 2,383 delegates to get the partys nomination. Even if Clinton loses every single remaining primary, she can still win the nomination. Neither Clinton nor Sanders spent Tuesday in Indiana. Sanders made stops in Kentucky while Clinton focused on West Virginia and Ohio, a key general election battleground. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, abruptly suspending his Republican presidential campaign Tuesday night after another crushing primary defeat to Donald Trump, assured emotional supporters in Indiana that they helped grow an extraordinary movement declaring his team left it all on the field in their final push. "It appears that path [to victory] has been foreclosed," Cruz told supporters in Indianapolis. "Together, we left it all on the field of Indiana. We gave it everything we've got, but the voters chose another path, and so with a heavy heart but with boundless optimism for the long-term future of our nation, we are suspending our campaign." The underdog candidate, who all along had vowed to force Trump into a contested convention in July, stunned supporters by dropping out following a big loss in Indiana. Some people in the crowd could be seen crying and hugging each other. But Cruz indicated he has no plans to fade away. I am not suspending our fight for liberty, Cruz said. Cruz thanked the thousands of volunteers and contributors who saw a movement grow. Many of those volunteers, many of those contributions you never forget, Cruz said. Just a few days ago, two young kids ages 4 and 6 handed me two envelopes full of change. They wanted the campaign to have it. Thats what built this campaign. Thats what fueled this movement. In addition, Cruz thanked his wife, two daughters and Carly Fiorina, who he called a "phenomenal running-mate." "What you have done, the movement that you have started is extraordinary. I love each and every one of you." Had he succeeded in his quest, Cruz would have been the first U.S. president of Hispanic descent, although he often downplayed his heritage on the campaign trail, instead, touting the need for tougher immigration laws, for a border wall along the border with Mexico, protecting gun rights, repealing President Obama's health care law and instituting a flat tax. Cruz argued he was the only true conservative in the race, building on his reputation in the Senate where he clashed both with Democrats and members of his own party over his ideological stubbornness. Cruz railed against what he called the "Washington cartel," trying to appeal to an electorate that is craving political outsiders. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Sen. Bernie Sanders upset victory in Indiana is likely to extend the Democratic primary battle for at least another month, complicating Hillary Clinton's efforts to focus on presumptive GOP nominee Donald Trump even as she remains a virtual lock for her party's nomination. After a losing streak last month, Sanders predicted he'll follow up his Indiana win with "more victories" in the coming weeks. The race turns next week to West Virginia, where polls show Sanders in the lead, and then to Kentucky and Oregon where he could face a similar reception. I understand that Secretary Clinton thinks that this campaign is over. I have some bad news for her, the Vermont senator said Tuesday night in his victory speech. Next week we are going to be in West Virginia. We think we have a real shot to win in that great state. Then we are going to Kentucky, and I think we have a great chance there as well. I sense some great victories coming. Sanders has no chance of winning enough pledged delegates to surpass Clinton and secure the Democratic nomination before the partys July nominating convention -- even if he sweeps the party's dozen remaining contests. Sander has 1,400 pledged delegates, compared with 2,202 for Clinton, with 2,383 needed to win. He has repeatedly said his strategy now is to try to win as many remaining pledged delegates as possible, while also trying to flip the so-called superdelegates who support Clinton to reach the 2,383 mark at the convention. However, on Tuesday night Sanders hinted his goal is to remain in the race to help defeat Trump in November by energizing Democratic voters, despite calls within his party for him to exit. What we will do in next six weeks is good for the Democratic Party, and it will result in a higher voter turnout, he said. Democrats and progressives win elections when the voter turnout is high. Republicans win elections when the voter turnout is low. At the same time, Sanders' prolonged campaign could hinder Clinton's efforts to pivot to the general election, something Trump already is doing after knocking all his remaining rivals out of the race. Democratic strategist Karine Jean-Pierre told Fox News on Wednesday that she thinks Sanders will and should stay in the race to prove the depth of his voter support so he can persuade Clinton and other establishment Democrats to adopt more of his progressive agenda. Exit poll after exit poll has shown that Democrats are excited and engaged about this primary, she said. And theyre happy he stayed. Clinton has faced a hostile reception in West Virginia, coal country where voters appear infuriated over her comment in March about plans to "put a lot of coal miners and coal companies out of business." In a face-to-face exchange Monday with an emotional, unemployed West Virginia coal miner, Clinton apologized and suggested the comment was taken out of context. But the Sanders campaign hopes the states anti-Clinton sentiment will carry over to neighboring coal state Kentucky. Sanders could also do well in liberal Oregon. The self-proclaimed democratic socialist has stayed in the race in large part by running to the left of Clinton on such issues as free college education and more social and economic equality. And Oregon is one of the most progressive states in the country. I think Bernie Sanders is going to stick it out and go all the way to the end, Ohio state Sen. Capri Cafaro, a Democrat, told Fox News on Wednesday. I think thats what his supporters expect from him. Ohio Gov. John Kasich on Wednesday suspended his Republican presidential campaign, ending his underdog bid and hinting at a life perhaps beyond elected office. As I suspend my campaign today, I have renewed faith, deeper faith that the lord will show me the way forward and fulfill the purpose of my life, Kasich said in Columbus, Ohio. In a subdued, roughly 15-minute speech, Kasich first thanked his wife Karen, then other family members, staffers, volunteers, Ohio residents and those who contributed to his campaign. Nobody has ever done more with less in the history of politics, Kasich said about his team. We just got up every day and did the best we could. An underdog from the start, Kasich held on to become the last candidate standing against front-runner Donald Trump, despite his inability to win any contests beyond Ohio. His decision to end his campaign comes a day after his other remaining rival, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, announced that he was suspending his own campaign. Trump now has a clear path to the nomination. Touting his two terms as governor and 18 years in Congress, Kasich failed to gain traction with GOP voters in a race dominated by Trump's ability to seize on the electorate's anger and disdain of political insiders. Kasich tried to pitch himself as the best Republican to take on Hillary Clinton and tried to take the GOP primary race to a contested convention. Kasich, 63, now plans to return to Ohio, where his second term as governor ends in 2018. He made no mention in the speech of Trump or any of the other 2016 presidential candidates, instead focusing on the inspiration he drew from Americans while on the campaign trail and on economic policy. The people of this country changed me, Kasich said. They changed me with the stories of their live. Kasich called economic growth imperative to the success of the country because, he said, It gives people the opportunity to realize their hopes and dreams in life. Some missed this message, it wasnt sexy. As the race grew increasingly nasty on both sides, Kasich largely maintained his vow not to run a negative campaign, saying to voters that he would not "take the low road to the highest office in the land." The governor originally had planned to speak with reporters Wednesday morning at Dulles airport in northern Virginia. However, Kasich failed to show up and his campaign later confirmed that he was not coming. Kasich placed last in the GOP Indiana primary Tuesday night, though his campaign initially said it would keep going. A Republican candidate needs 1,237 pledged delegates to secure the nomination. Trump has not yet reached that number. Fox News' Carl Cameron and Nicholas Kalman and The Associated Press contributed to this report. Federal regulations are now costing U.S. taxpayers and businesses $1.9 trillion a year, or $15,000 per household, according to a report released Wednesday which also found thousands of new regulations are in the pipeline. The annual Ten Thousand Commandments report was released by the Competitive Enterprise Institute, a fiscally conservative public-policy group. The report exposes the hidden taxpayer costs associated with federal regulations and intervention, according to author Clyde Wayne Crews Jr., vice president of policy at CEI. The federal government has become very savvy in hiding costs by expanding their reach beyond taxes into regulations, Crews said in the report. The estimated $1.9 trillion cost of complying, according to the report, exceeds the $1.82 trillion the IRS was expected to collect in 2015 personal and corporate income taxes. The report showed that Congress and the White House, respectively, last year passed and enacted 114 laws, while federal agencies issued 3,410 rules. That ratio of 30 rules per law marks a slight increase over recent years, based on the group's so-called Unconstitutional Index. That finding shows the power of unelected agency officials, the 87-page report concludes. The report also shows that agencies under the two-term George W. Bush administration issued 62 major regulations annually, compared with 81 a year so far under the Obama administration, which ends its second term in January. Right now, the administrations roughly 60 departments, agencies and commissions have 3,297 regulations in various stages of the federal pipeline. The departments of Commerce, Interior, Transportation, Treasury and Health and Human Services are the top-five rulemaking agencies and account for 41 percent of all federal regulations, the report also found. Crews argued that regulatory costs get little attention in policy debates because, unlike taxes, they are unbudgeted and often indirect, which make them difficult to quantify. But the impacts of burdensome regulations are very real, Crews said. EXCLUSIVE: The infamous Romanian hacker known as Guccifer, speaking exclusively with Fox News, claimed he easily and repeatedly breached former Secretary of State Hillary Clintons personal email server in early 2013. "For me, it was easy ... easy for me, for everybody," Marcel Lehel Lazar, who goes by the moniker "Guccifer," told Fox News from a Virginia jail where he is being held. Guccifers potential role in the Clinton email investigation was first reported by Fox News last month. The hacker subsequently claimed he was able to access the server and provided extensive details about how he did it and what he found over the course of a half-hour jailhouse interview and a series of recorded phone calls with Fox News. Fox News could not independently confirm Lazars claims. In response to Lazars claims, the Clinton campaign issued a statement Wednesday night saying, "There is absolutely no basis to believe the claims made by this criminal from his prison cell. In addition to the fact he offers no proof to support his claims, his descriptions of Secretary Clinton's server are inaccurate. It is unfathomable that he would have gained access to her emails and not leaked them the way he did to his other victims. The former secretary of states server held nearly 2,200 emails containing information now deemed classified, and another 22 at the Top Secret level. The 44-year-old Lazar said he first compromised Clinton confidant Sidney Blumenthal's AOL account, in March 2013, and used that as a stepping stone to the Clinton server. He said he accessed Clintons server like twice, though he described the contents as not interest[ing] to him at the time. I was not paying attention. For me, it was not like the Hillary Clinton server, it was like an email server she and others were using with political voting stuff," Guccifer said. The hacker spoke freely with Fox News from the detention center in Alexandria, Va., where hes been held since his extradition to the U.S. on federal charges relating to other alleged cyber-crimes. Wearing a green jumpsuit, Lazar was relaxed and polite in the monitored secure visitor center, separated by thick security glass. In describing the process, Lazar said he did extensive research on the web and then guessed Blumenthals security question. Once inside Blumenthal's account, Lazar said he saw dozens of messages from the Clinton email address. Asked if he was curious about the address, Lazar merely smiled. Asked if he used the same security question approach to access the Clinton emails, he said no then described how he allegedly got inside. For example, when Sidney Blumenthal got an email, I checked the email pattern from Hillary Clinton, from Colin Powell from anyone else to find out the originating IP. When they send a letter, the email header is the originating IP usually, Lazar explained. He said, then I scanned with an IP scanner." Lazar emphasized that he used readily available web programs to see if the server was alive and which ports were open. Lazar identified programs like netscan, Netmap, Wireshark and Angry IP, though it was not possible to confirm independently which, if any, he used. In the process of mining data from the Blumenthal account, Lazar said he came across evidence that others were on the Clinton server. "As far as I remember, yes, there were up to 10, like, IPs from other parts of the world, he said. With no formal computer training, he did most of his hacking from a small Romanian village. Lazar said he chose to use "proxy servers in Russia," describing them as the best, providing anonymity. Cyber experts who spoke with Fox News said the process Lazar described is plausible. The federal indictment Lazar faces in the U.S. for cyber-crimes specifically alleges he used "a proxy server located in Russia" for the Blumenthal compromise. Each Internet Protocol (IP) address has a unique numeric code, like a phone number or home address. The Democratic presidential front-runners home-brew private server was reportedly installed in her home in Chappaqua, N.Y., and used for all U.S. government business during her term as secretary of state. Former State Department IT staffer Bryan Pagliano, who installed and maintained the server, has been granted immunity by the Department of Justice and is cooperating with the FBI in its ongoing criminal investigation into Clintons use of the private server. An intelligence source told Fox News last month that Lazar also could help the FBI make the case that Clintons email server may have been compromised by a third party. Asked what he would say to those skeptical of his claims, Lazar cited the evidence you can find in the Guccifer archives as far as I can remember." Writing under his alias Guccifer, Lazar released to media outlets in March 2013 multiple exchanges between Blumenthal and Clinton. They were first reported by the Smoking Gun. It was through the Blumenthal compromise that the Clintonemail.com accounts were first publicly revealed. As recently as this week, Clinton said neither she nor her aides had been contacted by the FBI about the criminal investigation. Asked whether the server had been compromised by foreign hackers, she told MSNBC on Tuesday, No, not at all. Recently extradited, Lazar faces trial Sept. 12 in the Eastern District of Virginia. He has pleaded not guilty to a nine-count federal indictment for his alleged hacking crimes in the U.S. Victims are not named in the indictment but reportedly include Colin Powell, a member of the Bush family and others including Blumenthal. Lazar spoke extensively about Blumenthals account, noting his emails were interesting and had information about the Middle East and what they were doing there. After first writing to the accused hacker on April 19, Fox News accepted two collect calls from him, over a seven-day period, before meeting with him in person at the jail. During these early phone calls, Lazar was more guarded. After the detention center meeting, Fox News conducted additional interviews by phone and, with Lazar's permission, recorded them for broadcast. While Lazar's claims cannot be independently verified, three computer security specialists, including two former senior intelligence officials, said the process described is plausible and the Clinton server, now in FBI custody, may have an electronic record that would confirm or disprove Guccifers claims. "This sounds like the classic attack of the late 1990s. A smart individual who knows the tools and the technology and is looking for glaring weaknesses in Internet-connected devices," Bob Gourley, a former chief technology officer (CTO) for the Defense Intelligence Agency, said. Gourley, who has worked in cybersecurity for more than two decades, said the programs cited to access the server can be dual purpose. "These programs are used by security professionals to make sure systems are configured appropriately. Hackers will look and see what the gaps are, and focus their energies on penetrating a system," he said. Cybersecurity expert Morgan Wright observed, "The Blumenthal account gave [Lazar] a road map to get to the Clinton server. ... You get a foothold in one system. You get intelligence from that system, and then you start to move." In March, the New York Times reported the Clinton server security logs showed no evidence of a breach. On whether the Clinton security logs would show a compromise, Wright made the comparison to a bank heist: "Lets say only one camera was on in the bank. If you dont have them all on, or the right one in the right locations, you wont see what you are looking for. Gourley said the logs may not tell the whole story and the hard drives, three years after the fact, may not have a lot of related data left. He also warned: "Unfortunately, in this community, a lot people make up stories and it's hard to tell what's really true until you get into the forensics information and get hard facts. For Lazar, a plea agreement where he cooperates in exchange for a reduced sentence would be advantageous. He told Fox News he has nothing to hide and wants to cooperate with the U.S. government, adding that he has hidden two gigabytes of data that is too hot and it is a matter of national security. In early April, at the time of Lazars extradition from a Romanian prison where he already was serving a seven-year sentence for cyber-crimes, a former senior FBI official said the timing was striking. Because of the proximity to Sidney Blumenthal and the activity involving Hillarys emails, [the timing] seems to be something beyond curious, said Ron Hosko, former assistant director of the FBIs Criminal Investigative Division from 2012-2014. The FBI offered no statement to Fox News. Donald Trump pivoted Wednesday to an expected general election brawl with Hillary Clinton, as he watched the political bramble in his path to the Republican nomination clear away entirely with last remaining rival John Kasich joining Ted Cruz in suspending his campaign. The Ohio governor dropped out of the race Wednesday afternoon. Trump, now the presumptive nominee and no longer facing the prospect of a bruising open convention, has effectively crushed any lingering bids to halt his outsider primary campaign, which has defied the odds and political convention ever since his entry into the race less than a year ago. Trump turns next to the weighty task of uniting a fractured party and told Fox News Wednesday morning he plans to focus on November. Were going to unify the party, he said. I think were going to beat Hillary Clinton. The coming weeks will test Trump as he recalibrates his campaign and potentially his tone in preparation for that fight. While one recent poll gave him the edge over Clinton, most have shown Trump trailing her in hypothetical general election match-ups. He told Fox News hes building up staff and vetting potential running mates as he prepares for November. Im considering a lot of people [for running mate], to be honest, he told Fox News. We want to have great at every level. In a shift, Trump also said he most likely will look to raise money for the general election, though he said it would be more for the party and congressional candidates than for himself. Such a move could help ease tensions with other wings of the party, whose leaders have been sharply divided over Trump's rise since the beginning. Trump also told The New York Times that his VP selection committee will include former rival Ben Carson. Kasich and Cruzs decision to suspend their campaigns following a crushing defeat in Indiana allows Trump to leave the raucous primary behind as he looks ahead. Kasichs campaign initially said the Ohio governor would remain in the race until a candidate reaches the necessary 1,237 delegates, but reversed course Wednesday. With Cruz and Kasich now ending their bids, Trump would appear on a glide path to hitting that mark, having vanquished everyone in what was once a 17-person field and now within easy reach of the party mantle, an outcome some pundits and power-brokers once refused to even contemplate. Cruz announced his decision to dismayed supporters in Indianapolis. I said I would continue on as long as there was a viable path to victory. Tonight, Im sorry to say it appears that path has been foreclosed, Cruz said. While a Trump-Clinton match-up now appears inevitable, Sen. Bernie Sanders kept the race alive on the Democratic side Tuesday night by pulling off a projected upset victory in Indiana. I understand that Secretary Clinton thinks that this campaign is over, Sanders said, adding that he has bad news for her. But on the GOP side, while Trump still could face drama at the party convention in Cleveland, GOP Chairman Reince Priebus declared him the "presumptive" nominee Tuesday night, as did Clinton. Trump addressed supporters at Trump Tower Tuesday night after his seventh consecutive victory, in Indiana. He called Cruz "one hell of a competitor," calling his decision to drop out of the race "brave." He also said that while he wasn't sure if Cruz likes him, he praised his former rival as a "smart" and "tough guy" who had an "amazing future" ahead of him. Trump then turned his attention to his likely Democratic opponent, saying, We're going after Hillary Clinton." The New York billionaire criticized Clinton's recent comments about the coal industry. He says she wants to close mines and he promised to help coal miners get back to work. Cruz campaigned aggressively in Indiana, but could not overcome Trump. With a heavy heart, but with boundless optimism for the long-term future of our nation, we are suspending our campaign. But hear me now, I am not suspending our fight for liberty," Cruz said. Fox News projected Trump has the winner shortly after the polls closed at 7 p.m. ET. With 98 percent of precincts reporting, Trump has 53.3 percent of the vote. Tuesdays primary capped off a bitter and personal clash between Trump and Cruz with each accusing the other of being an unhinged liar. As soon as the race was called, Trump demanded Cruz exit the primary race, tweeting that Lyin Ted should stop wasting time & money. Earlier in the day, Trump rehashed claims on Fox News that Cruzs father, Rafael Cruz, appeared in a 1963 photograph with John F. Kennedy's assassin, Lee Harvey Oswald -- citing a report first published by the National Enquirer. "His father was with Lee Harvey Oswald prior to Oswald's being, you know, shot," Trump said on Fox & Friends. "Nobody even brings it up; I mean they don't even talk about that." Responding, Cruz called his father his "hero," and labeled Trump an "amoral" liar. He also described Trump as a braggadocious, arrogant buffoon. Cruz went into the Indiana primary vowing to fight on even if he lost. The Associated Press now has Trump leading the delegate count with 1,047. Cruz suspended his campaign with 565. Kasich still has 153. To secure the Republican nomination, a candidate must have 1,237 delegates. According to the Associated Press delegate count, Clinton now has 2,202 delegates compared with Sanders 1,400. A Democratic candidate needs 2,383 delegates to get the partys nomination. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Scientists have christened a subgenus of plants with a killer name: Jamesbondia. If the word calls to mind the British spy, its no coincidence. The four plants in this subgenus take their name from a man named James Bond, but he was an ornithologist, not a secret agent. Related: Flower preserved in amber was ancestor of modern poisonous plants Bond, who died in 1989, was an accomplished ornithologist who wrote a field guide called Birds of the West Indies. In turn, Ian Fleming, who vacationed and wrote in Jamaica, named his spy after the real-life birdwatcher. Bond the birdwatchers work focused on the same region where the plants in this subgenus live thats why it takes the Bond name. In fact, a scientist named J.M. Mears first used the name Jamesbondia back in the early 80s, but it was in unpublished work. Fleming once explained that he liked the name James Bond because it was brief, unromantic, Anglo-Saxon and yet very masculine in a letter to Bonds wife. The scientists behind the official naming of the subgenus have published their results in the journal Plant Biosystems. The plants live in the Caribbean and Central America, and its unclear if they enjoy their martinis shaken or stirred. Related: Deadly math: Venus flytraps calculate when killing prey They are not the first species to be named after a fictional cinematic character: scientists recently named a beetle from Papua New Guinea after the Star Wars character Chewbacca. A company in Brazil is planning to build a sex-themed amusement park with penis-shaped bumper cars and a 7D vibrating cinema. ErotikaLand, which will be located near the southern city of Piracicaba, will also boast a nudist pool, a snack bar serving aphrodisiacs and a pleasure train manned by male and female gogo dancers. Developers hope the park, which will be around two hours by car from Sao Paulo, will be able to open its doors to visitors by 2018. Brazil is getting its very own sexual theme park with genital bumper cars https://t.co/7aUTzX6Xmn pic.twitter.com/OymrijwdLT Metro Life (@MetroUK_Life) May 4, 2016 But the plans are facing stiff opposition from some locals, who are concerned about the kind of people it might attract to the area. Matheus Erler, a member of the Christian Socialist Party who leads the Piracicaba City Council, told Veja Sao Paulo that the park would attract debauched individuals." He said the city used to be known as the Brazilian Amsterdam because of high drug use, and added: We cannot be known as the capital of sex that would be bad for our image. But the businessman behind the project, Mauro Morata, has tried to ease peoples concerns. He said ErotikaLand would be educational and would help to promote safe sex, claiming that despite the raunchy theme, visitors wouldnt be allowed to have sex in the park itself. According to the New York Times, Morata said: This wont be a place for nuns, but its not like were trying to recreate Sodom and Gomorrah. If attendees want to take things to another level, they can go to a nearby motel which we will operate. He also pointed to the 250 jobs ErotikaLand would create as proof of the parks economic benefit, as well as the thousands of visitors that would be drawn to the area every year who would be wealthy enough to pay the $100 entrance fee. If the project goes ahead, it wouldnt be the first sex-themed park in the world to be constructed. The popular Love Land in Jeju Island, South Korea, has 140 works of erotic art, spawning a copycat park in China by the same name which was shut down by authorities before it ever opened. ErotikaLand joins a growing group of strange theme parks around the world, including Dolly Parton-themed Dollywood in Tennessee and Soviet-era Grutas Park in Lithuania. There is also Bible-themed Holy Land in Argentina, where visitors can participate in an interactive crucifixion with blood-covered actors, and a robotic Jesus is reborn seven times every day. Detroit teachers who had closed city schools for two days by calling out sick announced Tuesday that they would return to the classroom after receiving assurance from the district's manager that they would be paid. The move by the Detroit Federation of Teachers came hours after Michigan lawmakers advanced a $500 million plan to restructure Detroit public schools by creating a new district a vote intended to ease teachers' fears that might not get paid if the district runs out of money. The union said it would encourage members to go back to school based on discussions with the district's state-appointed transitional manager, Steven Rhodes. The sick-out idled 45,000 children and presented yet another crisis for a governor and Legislature already engrossed in the water emergency in Flint, a majority-black city like Detroit. "Teachers, you're going to get paid," Republican House Appropriations Committee Chairman Al Pscholka said before the panel approved the plan over objections that it would not be enough money and also hurt the teachers union. Existing labor agreements would not transfer to the new district, and collective bargaining would be restricted on some issues. The proposal that passed mostly along party lines would retire the district's enormous debt by 2023 and launch a new district in July. It would spend less than a $700-plus million plan approved by the Senate in March. The GOP-led House could vote on the idea later this week. But big differences would still need to be resolved with the Republican-controlled Senate. It was unclear how quickly that could occur before the Legislature adjourns for the summer in mid-June. On Tuesday, the district closed 94 of its 97 schools the same number that cancelled classes on Monday, when more than 1,500 teachers did not show up for work. "We want to be in school teaching children," said Randi Weingarten, national president of the American Federation of Teachers, the union that represents Detroit teachers. "But you cannot in good conscience ask anybody to work without a guarantee they're going to be paid." The district considered the worst academically of its size in the country has been under continuous state oversight since 2009. It has been led by a series of financial managers who have confronted debt and enrollment that has declined to a third of what it was a decade ago. Current transition manager and former federal judge Steven Rhodes, who oversaw the city's bankruptcy, warned over the weekend that nearly $50 million in emergency spending that the state approved in March will run out by June 30. Teachers opting to have their pay spread over 12 months instead of the course of the school year would not receive paychecks in July and August without more help from the state. The seven-bill plan aims to ensure that the newly created district could spend more on academics if freed of debt payments equaling $1,100 per student. But Republicans and Democrats remain at odds over issues such as how much state money is needed and how to create a special commission to open and close schools, including publicly funded charters. Also unresolved is the question of when an elected school board would take power and if a financial oversight commission would have a say in hiring a new superintendent. Unlike the Senate plan, the House proposal would prohibit labor contracts in the current district from being transferred to the new district and restrict collective bargaining over work schedules and school calendars. Rep. Henry Yanez, a Democrat, characterized the legislation as "bald-faced union busting." Other Democrats questioned why it would provide only $33 million for start-up costs and cash flow when $200 million is required. The mass sick-outs that started late last year with just a small group of teachers, however, angered Republicans who complained that the protest did not help their efforts to pass the bills. Four bills won approval on narrow 15-14 votes. Rep. Earl Poleski of Jackson, who voted for the legislation, called the work stoppages "reprehensible." "Their actions have been grossly unprofessional," he said. But one parent who was missing work because her daughter has been shut out of class said the blame for the district's financial maladies falls on the shoulders of the state, not the teachers. "I think (the teachers) have been doing the best that they can with the resources that they have," said Monique Baker McCormick, whose daughter is an 11th-grader at Cass Tech. "They're just trying to survive themselves off of what little they get. So I don't blame them at all for fighting for what they deserve." Asked if President Barack Obama supports the sick-outs, White House spokesman Josh Earnest said Tuesday that he was "deeply concerned" that students were not being educated and urged teachers and local officials to "resolve their differences so that kids can get back to school." A Kansas woman who took her children to perform for occupiers during the armed takeover of an Oregon wildlife refuge says authorities have removed seven of the children from her home and arrested her for assaulting an officer. Jail officials told The Kansas City Star (http://bit.ly/1pYwRGa) Odalis Sharp of Auburn was booked into the Shawnee County jail Friday for battery of an officer and interfering with a law enforcement officer. No charges had been filed as of Tuesday morning. Sharp and her children, who have a family gospel band, traveled to Oregon to support the 41-day occupation at the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge earlier this year. She says the arrest and removal of the children happened after a dispute involving her landlord. Neither the state Department of Children and Families nor the local prosecutor could be reached for comment. ___ Information from: The Kansas City Star, http://www.kcstar.com A federal appeals court ruled in favor of a Texas prison inmate Monday, allowing him to wear a beard and a skullcap as required by his religious beliefs. A three-judge 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans unanimously upheld a lower-court ruling that David Rasheed Ali, 33, should be allowed to grow a 4-inch bear and wear a knit skullcap, called a kufi, as his faith demands. The court ruled in a 32-page opinion. Ali is a Muslim inmate serving four concurrent 20-year prison sentences for arson, criminal mischief and aggravated robbery at the states Michael Unit in East Texas near Palestine. The opinion written by Appeals Judge Edward Prado said that the Texas ban on inmates having 4-inch beards and religious headwear outside a cell or religious service violates a 2015 U.S. Supreme Court ruling in an Arkansas inmate's case. Prado wrote that under the Texas Department of Criminal Justices procedures, officials require inmates with longer hair to shake it out with their fingers in case they are hiding contraband or tattoos. Prado wrote the same rules could apply to beards. Texas officials had argued that its ban was needed for security purposes, that beards and caps could facilitate the smuggling of contraband and distort the identities of inmates and potential escapees. We are reviewing the opinion and have no further comment at this time, Texas prisons spokesman Jason Clark told the Austin American-Statesman Tuesday. In the Arkansas case, the Supreme Court ruled that a Muslim inmate could maintain a half-inch beard because prison officials there could not substantiate its security claims. In the 5th Circuit Court opinion, Prado wrote that experts called by Texas to support its security claims were not credible and that beards and caps would still be subject to search. According to the paper, the ruling affirms a 2014 judgment made by U.S. Magistrate Zack Hawthorn who ordered prison officials to allow Ali to grow a beard and wear a kufi in his unit. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Ambrose Monye purchased his cap and gown and told his family he wanted to be a cardiologist. But the 28-year-old medical student, weeks away from his graduation, vanished without a trace more than a week ago, and Chicago police say they have no leads in the case. Monye was last seen around 7 p.m. on April 22, walking toward the University of Chicago's John Crerar Medical Library, where he'd often go to study, according to investigators. Monye attends Guadalajara University in Mexico but was in Chicago completing his clinical rotations at Jackson Park Hospital before his graduation on June 1. No one has seen or heard from Monye since then -- and the family told FoxNews.com Wednesday there has been no activity on his cellphone, credit cards or email since he disappeared. Monye's younger brother, Joseph, also a medical student, described his brother as soft-spoken and friendly and said he was "always in communication" with his three siblings and parents, who live in Glenn Dale, Md. "Were a pretty tight-knit family," said 25-year-old Joseph, also a medical student at Guadalajara University, who, like his brother, is studying in Chicago. "My mom doesnt go for two days without talking to us," he said. Joseph Monye said he entered his brother's locked studio apartment at around 5 p.m. on Sunday, April 24, after he didn't respond to a text message sent the previous night. There, the younger Monye said he found a reading lamp, air conditioning unit and standing fan turned on. Fresh groceries were stocked in the refrigerator and Monye's laptop was sitting in its usual spot, according to his brother. The only items missing were the man's wallet and cellphone. Joseph Monye noted his brother was preparing to take the second part of his U.S. medical licensing exam, but said Ambrose -- who was planning to apply for a cardiology residency -- was well accustomed to high pressure. "There was nothing I could think of that would bother him to the extent that he would leave," Monye said. "His cap and gown graduation photos were already taken," he said. "He wouldnt jeopardize that for anything in the world. He worked so hard to get to that point." Monye said he last spoke with his brother on April 21 and described the conversation as "pretty normal." "It was just him asking me how my rotation is going. He was asking if I was doing OK," Monye said. "I made some jokes with him about the doctors and some nurses. He seemed totally normal to me." A spokeswoman for the Chicago Police Department told FoxNews.com that police are actively searching for Monye but declined to provide further details, citing an ongoing investigation. She said the department currently has "no leads" in the case. The family said Monye does not own a car and that there's no record of international travel. Monye's last purchases, his brother said, were $75 worth of groceries and a Kaplan study book. "I want him to know that we love him very much. We miss him. Moms heart is breaking," the younger Monye said. "If hes out there of his own volition, he needs to come home. If someone has him, let him go," he said. "My brother has such a bright future. Hes devoted his life to helping others." Ambrose Monye is described as 5-feet, 10-inches, weighing 180 pounds with brown eyes and black hair. Anyone with information on his whereabouts is asked to call the Chicago Police Department's Special Victim's Unit at (312) 747-8380. Donald Trump became the presumptive nominee last night after a huge victory in Indiana.. a state that was once thought to favor Ted Cruz. After his big defeat there, Ted Cruz dropped out of the race.. despite being number two in the delegate count and following a contested convention strategy. Donald Trump called Cruz one hell of a competitor. John Kasich remains in the race and is promising to fight to the end. He could give Mister Trump a good run in upcoming states like California and Oregon. Hell speak live at 10:45am.. We should probably take some of it. 1045EDT -- OH Gov. Kasich holds a media availability preceding a full day of finance events in MD & VA. Washington-Dulles Intl Airport, Dulles, VA. LIVE via LiveU Pressure will now be on Republican elected officials to get behind Mister Trump. Trump hasnt had a lot of endorsements from elected leaders so far. In fact, some party leaders have distanced themselves from the likely nominee. The WSJ editorial board today says its no up to Mister Trump to unite the GOP. Bernie Sanders won a surprise victory in Indiana despite polls showing Hillary Clinton would win. Still, he got only a few more delegates than Hillary Clinton and it looks like Hillary Clinton gets all the states super delegates. More than 80,000 under mandatory evacuation orders as a fires in oil sands rage in the Canadian state of Alberta. President Obama travels to Flint this morning to address the lead in the water crisis. 1150EDT -- Air Force One arrives Bishop Intl Airport, Flint, MI. WJBK LIVE / POOL TAPE 1240EDT -- POTUS receives a briefing on the response and recovery effort by the Unified Command Group. Food Bank of Eastern MI, Flint, MI. POOL TAPE SPRAY Aeropostale filed for bankruptcy as expected and will close 154 stores in the U.S. and Canada. Takata is dramatically expanding its recall of airbags as U.S. regulators will report that some 35 million air bags could be a safety risk. It looks like markets will open lower on overseas weakness. We get earnings from Delphi, Humana, Time Warner and Priceline before the open. After the close, 21st Century Fox, Tesla and TripAdvisor. Well also get economic reads from ADP on private job growth for April, along with reads on productivity and factory orders. For more news, follow me on Twitter: @ClintPHenderson Four decades of research have found that an involved father is remarkably important to children of all ages. The more that dads are involved, the more successful their children will be in nearly every facet of life. These studies are well-known in the social science community, and shared parenting initiatives have been supported by world experts in child development for decades. Bills on this subject are making their way through the Missouri and Iowa legislatures, for instance. In addition, a Florida shared-parenting bill had driven its way through the legislature in 2015, and passed overwhelmingly by margins of nearly 3 to 1, but was vetoed by Gov. Rick Scott after pressure from the Florida State Bar Association. Minnesota and Utah have already passed shared-parenting bills. Its amazing that its taken this long to address the inequities found within the law in all 50 states relative to fathers and their children. Bottom line: Fathers play a critical role in the continued well-being of their children and their families. What the Experts Say It is indisputable that dads do wonders for their children. A May 2007 study from the Father Involvement Research Center found that a father's involvement contributes significantly and independently to adolescent happiness. The variable that is most consistently associated with positive life outcomes for children is the quality of the father-child relationship. "Overall, father love appears to be as heavily implicated as mother love in offsprings' psychological well-being and health, as well as in an array of psychological and behavioral problems," the study noted. The United States Office of Child Abuse and Neglect has found that children with involved, caring fathers have better educational outcomes. A number of studies suggest fathers who are involved, nurturing, and playful with their infants have children with higher IQs, as well as better linguistic and cognitive capacities. The statistics and studies are profound, but what can we do to help support the father-child relationship? Many dads continue to feel as though they play second fiddle to the mom's role with the children. And though each parent plays a key role, getting fathers involved in parenting from conception on could be the ticket to giving our children the wonderful benefits an involved father provides. Praise the Effort Instead of treating a dad as a bull in a china shop when he holds his newborn child, we should embrace and praise the involvement and provide dads with the tools and resources they need to help their children succeed in life. The studies mentioned above show that fathers who have the opportunity to be involved parents are more productive at work and find more satisfaction in their careers. Paternity leave could be a great step toward strengthening the father-child relationship. Rather than instituting taxpayer-funded paternity leave as Finland, Iceland, Sweden, France, and Spain do, the United States could provide incentives for employers to offer their "dad employees" paid paternity leave, which would give them the opportunity to bond with their new infants. Amazon instituted policies in 2015 that gave dads six weeks of paid paternity leave. Microsoft took it a step further when it announced that all new fathers would receive 12 weeks of paid paternity leave. Facebook raised the bar giving dads 16 weeks of paid paternity leave and $4,000 in "baby cash." The companies offering the best paternity leave for dads are some of the most successful companies in the world. They are providing new dads with the time and resources they need to be the involved fathers their children need them to be. Public perception of fathers has improved and continues to do so, and this is another important step in getting dads more involved. When they consider fatherhood cool and rewarding and when they are supported in this endeavor by the people they love and respect we will truly see the positive results of involved fatherhood on our children and on our society as a whole. Next time you see a doe-eyed dad with his newborn child, be sure to give him a smile and some words of encouragement he's playing a big role in his child's well-being and future. The author, the father of a young son, lives in Wisconsin. Explosives were found under a Central Texas highway bridge and investigators are trying to determine who left the items and why. A bomb squad was summoned Tuesday night after the suspicious objects were discovered under an FM 1963 bridge near Rosebud. McLennan County Sheriff Parnell McNamara said officers determined a flammable liquid, a detonator, some shotgun shells and shrapnel were inside a container. A water cannon was used to break apart the container, for further testing on the items inside. Nobody was hurt. Authorities didn't immediately say who found the explosives. Rosebud is 90 miles northeast of Austin. A conversation begins, and right away you feel uneasy. The person who is the subject of this particular conversation isnt present, and verbal jabs, giggles and eye-rolls are flying. Your internal voice your conscience begins to poke at you. Gossip is hurtful, weak, incredibly damaging, and just plain wrong. Its serious enough that some theologians have referred to it as the eighth deadly sin. Fifteen hundred years ago, Pope Gregory the Great classified the sins that cause humanity to stumble, Charles Kimball, director at the University of Oklahomas Religious Studies Program, wrote in an article for Preaching.com. He looked at every sin mentioned in the Bible, and boiled them down to seven categories of sin. The seven deadly sins include nearly every kind of human sin imaginable. But there is a sin that failed to be included in the list of seven deadly sins. The eighth deadly sin is gossip. The Book of Proverbs is just one place in the Bible where the faithful are warned against gossip. Proverbs 18:8 tells us, The words of a gossip are like choice morsels; they go down to a mans inmost parts. Gossip doesn't just stay on our lips it attaches to our minds, hearts, and souls. Why do we gossip, and why is it hard for some people to stop their compulsion to talk ill of others? "My sister is a terrible gossip, and I guess I am gossiping right now, talking about her," one woman in her 60s from Boston, Massachusetts, told LifeZette. "It is a pattern with her, and the sad part is, she really doesn't see the harm in it her default when she doesn't like someone is to tell someone else that fact, as well as why. And she absolves herself of any guilt by saying, 'You didnt hear it from me, but '" Gossip never stays between the parties doing the tongue-wagging. By their very nature, gossips will go on to tell others beyond the circle. And the story will grow and grow as the circle widens. "Gossip is particularly bad because with it, there is an intent to harm," New York psychologist Shoshana Bennett told LifeZette. "It's being negative for negative's sake. Gossip cannot possibly be useful or helpful to the person you're speaking to or about." But is all gossip harmful? Yes no matter how it is expressed. A lot of times, gossip is due to our own insecurities. Putting another person down may elevate us in our own minds. "Before you say, spread, or post a 'lie,' try to separate yourself from the angry or jealous feelings that you may feel toward that particular person, and reflect on the damage that will be done," said Fr. Michael Sliney of Rye, New York. "Even 'stretching' the truth in a negative light can have extremely hurtful consequences. Humility, magnanimity, and letting things go are a big part of being Christian. In the end, you are also hurting yourself as well [by gossiping]." Destroying other people's reputation or standing in the community without giving them the ability or opportunity to defend themselves is particularly loathsome. "Gossip can also kill, because it kills the reputation of the person," said Pope Francis in his February 16, 2014, Angelus. "It is so terrible to gossip ... It fills the heart with bitterness, and even poisons us." The New Testament Greek word for gossip, psithuristes, literally translates to "a whisperer," as in someone who whispers behind another's back. Romans 1:30 describes gossipers as "backbiters," and in Luke 6:45, Jesus says, "The good man brings good out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks." In Judaism, gossip (known as lashon hara, or "evil tongue") is considered a sin because it violates the precepts of Leviticus 19:16, which says, "Do not go about spreading slander among your people." No one is safe from a gossiper's slings and arrows. "One mistake people make is that they think, 'That person who gossiped to me would never gossip about me I'm in my own category,'" said Bennett. "Well, that's wrong how you do anything is how you do everything, I believe." In terms of concrete actions to take when you're confronted by gossip, there are a few steps to take. "Gossip is toxic, and you don't want to hang around it, even if you are just listening. When listening you are still participating and just as guilty, I believe," said Bennett. "Try to either re-direct the conversation or just leave those are your two choices." If you are a gossip, there's still hope. "Try changing your speaking habits. Before you say anything about anyone, check your intentions," advised Bennett. "Ask yourself, 'Will this help the person I'm about to talk about?' If the answer is no, zip it. And if you're unsure zip it still." And perhaps remember what your mother or grandmother used to say: If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all. A bomb squad rushed in after a work crew spotted a grenade on the side of a freeway in Washington state, slowing down Tuesday morning traffic. "It had these metal spikes, and I got a better look and it looked like this grenade with the pin still in it," crew supervisor Jerry Rubadue told Fox 12. The grenade turned up on Interstate 5 in Vancouver, on the Oregon border. The bomb squad destroyed it in short order. State officials said they weren't entirely sure how much damage the grenade could have done. It could have been used as a display; it could have been used as a booby trap, Trooper Will Finn told the Columbian. Rubadue said he's found plenty of dangerous items on the side of a road. "I've found several weapons, like 4-5 handguns by now. A shotgun. I find cash registers." Crews closed a lane of traffic for about an hour while the bomb squad worked. Click for more from Fox 12. When people consider launching a new business, most imagine quitting their jobs, abandoning financial stability and risking it all. And, with heavy hitters as our role models -- people like Elon Musk and Richard Branson, who went "all in" and won big -- it's no wonder many of us believe theirs is the only way to do it. Related: 9 Ideas to Make a Side Income While Growing Your Business But if we do think that way, we are misinformed. Consider that the number of U.S. startups is in decline, and more businesses are closing up shop than starting up. Think about how more than 50 percent of startups fail before the four-year mark. And a big reason for all that failure may be that risk-it-all mindset. But those failures aren't hurting just entrepreneurs; they're hurting the economy at large. So, there are good reasons why aspiring entrepreneurs should stick with traditional jobs while they grow their own ideas -- rather than take a complete leap of faith by quitting their jobs. In reality, nearly 15 percent of small business owners work a second job while starting up, something many young entrepreneurs dont realize. That's why you too may have decided that leaving your day job isnt a prerequisite. And now you're wondering how to launch your big idea while remaining a full-time employee. Here are tips from someone who's been there. The beauty of the side hustle As the COO of Hawke Media, I spend 40 hours a week growing an amazing company full of great employees possessing a wide variety of skill sets and potential. Ive long been proud of the work Ive done there and have no desire to leave. Yet I still wanted to build something of my own. So, that's exactly what I did. Born from my own unfortunate tax missteps in my 20s, 1099.me is the website I created to assist non-traditional employees with tax management. Thankfully, I didnt fall into the trap of going "all in"; instead, I built my business entirely on the side while maintaining my position at Hawke. And as I pursued that effort, I found that my two roles were in many ways symbiotic. The marketing tactics I learned at Hawke have been wildly helpful to my side hustle, and the big-picture thinking I do for 1099. me gives me better perspective as a leader at Hawke. Running a larger, more established organization that's financially stable informs my other project, which, in turn, fulfills me on a different level. Tips for working full-time while running a startup I wont claim to be the master of doing it all, but Ive learned how to make the most of two simultaneous gigs. If, like me, youre pursuing a business venture on the side or considering it, here are some tips for keeping it together. Related: How to Avoid Side Hustle Burnout 1. Schedule like a boss, and follow that schedule like an employee. Sticking to a routine is the hardest part, and unfortunately, its also the most important. If my business isnt on my schedule, Hawke will eat up all of my time until my site fades away entirely. The solution? I act as my own boss and my own employee. On Sunday nights, boss me creates times in the week ahead's calendar, for tasks and schedules for both pursuits. Employee me then shows up on Monday and knocks out the work. With the accountability an organized calendar makes possible, you too can carve out time for both positions. 2. Create two buckets: 'done' and 'not done.' Moving your side project forward while making it to work every day takes not only organization, but also focus. Create two buckets: "done" and "not done." Start by listing your tasks, ranking them according to priority and scheduling them into your week. Then grind it out. Just using productivity tools doesnt necessarily mean youre being productive, so dont forget about the magic of self-discipline. 3. Revisit the origin frequently. Every time I get pulled away from my little business, I lose touch with what originally inspired me to start it. So, I ask yourself, What made me start this thing? Be like me: Regularly revisit the reason why you decided to follow your passion by tackling that challenge. If your startup doesnt still set your soul on fire, get out. For example, we just implemented a new payroll system at Hawke, which resulted in a multiple questions from our employees about taxes. This reminded me why I started 1099.me and got me fired up to get back to it. Related: Eager to Start Another Business? 6 Things You Need to Keep in Mind Starting a side hustle isnt for everyone, and you probably wont get it right the first time around. Remember to be patient with yourself, get organized and get those tasks done. The journey isnt always fun, but retrospective satisfaction in your accomplishments will keep you going. Authorities say a 61-year-old Michigan hunter was shot in the arm with a crossbow after a fellow hunter apparently mistook him for a turkey. The Jackson County sheriffs department says the man was shot early Sunday in the left arm while hunting on private land in Liberty Township. The Jackson Citizen Patriot reports he was taken to a hospital and was expected to survive. The sheriffs department says the 51-year-old Jackson man who shot him is expected to face charges. A Michigan man was arrested Wednesday after police said a friend of his from grade school was found wrapped and tucked away in an attic near the mans bedroom, The Detroit Free Press reported. Jessica Leigh White, 21, had been missing for more than a week. The suspect, 23-year-old Jordan McClanahan, reportedly had been helping the family in their search. White was last seen on April 23 in the town of Troy. The report said she text messaged her mother that she was over at a friends house, and that her friend was arguing with his father. The suspect's father, Michael McClanahan, confirmed there was an argument. He said his son had dropped the father's phone, breaking it. "I chewed him out, and she just happened to be here." The suspect allegedly admitted that he was responsible for the womans death. Police had visited his home before. Hazel Park Police Chief Martin Barner said other relatives had no idea the body was in the attic, in a storage area. Thousands of American children will attend summer camps in the months ahead. Operation Purple Camp is one of them. Its purpose is to unite children whose parents are in the military and offer a built-in support system to help kids cope with the unique challenges their families face. Kids who attend this camp are prone to dealing with mental health issues. The percentage of military kids with anxiety, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and other mental health conditions rose from 10 percent in 2001 to 16 percent in 2015, a new study has found. The camp welcomes kids who are all in the same boat, said Karen Ruedisueli. She is the government relations deputy director at the National Military Family Association, which runs the camps throughout the United States. Getting them together helps them understand, Hey, Im not the only one going through this, Ruedisueli said. The NMFA has been tracking mental health impacts on military kids for years. Many people believe that because troop deployments overall are down, the issues are in the past. Its not true for military families, even if a military member is not deployed. "We feel this is an issue that's going to continue well into the future," Ruedisueli told LifeZette. Her own spouse is currently deployed, so Ruedisueli knows firsthand how tough that can be on children. In the past, her children were in schools with a larger population of military children that provided support and encouragement. Now, most of her kids' classmates are civilians. While there are resources to assist military children, parents of children in communities that are predominantly civilian have to worker harder to seek them out. Statistics Tell a Story The new study followed roughly 1.6 million children from ages 2 to 18 who received Military Health System care. During the 15-year span, researchers noted that diagnoses for suicidal ideation, adjustment, anxiety, attention deficit, conduct, cognitive, mood, psychotic, eating, and other disorders all increased. The starkest growth was among children who had thoughts of suicide that went up 22 percent. Children also received more treatment for mental health conditions. Over the study period, the number of visits went from 5 to 12 per year. The percentage of kids on psychotropic medications rose from 8 percent in 2002 to 12 percent in 2014. "The results also suggest there is an increasing need for pediatric mental health care professionals to provide the needed care," Dr. Elizabeth Hisle-Gorman, lead author and assistant professor of pediatrics at the Uniformed Services University, said in a statement. The Disconnect Dr. David Albright, an associate professor of mental health at the University of Alabama who specializes in military mental health, said there aren't enough intervention programs and that civilians are largely unaware of the issues that military children face. "The kids are invisible," he told LifeZette. "[People] just don't know military kids are even there. It's really tough to argue for policy, much less specific intervention programs, when we largely don't even identify the kids." Though Albright acknowledges such efforts as those by the Military Child Education Coalition, there can be a lack of resources for children of National Guard and Reserve programs, he said, because those children may not attend school with other military children. In most public schools, children's intake paperwork doesn't indicate (or even ask) if they have military family members. If a child acts out or shows signs of a mental health condition, the school may refer the child for assistance but the counselor likely won't ask about any military ties or have the resources to help the kids if a military issue is a factor in their mental health. Making this information known to key people may help more children who are struggling, Albright said. "Everyone needs to advocate for asking if [there are service members] connected to them," Albright said. "It seems like such a simple thing. That's not being done." Children's strong mental health is important, of course, whether their parents are connected to the military or not. "There are tremendous opportunities for more mental health improvements irrespective of military affiliation," said Albright. "There's just a disconnect there." Helping Out Military parents can help their kids by being more aware of the risks of developing mental health problems. Parents need to be proactive and ask questions of educators and health care providers, Albright said. Studies have found that the more an in-home parent struggled with deployment, the worse off the child seemed. Though a majority of military-connected children are just fine, parents should watch for any behavioral changes; they should also take good care of themselves so their children do not experience similar issues. Ruedisueli said recent "inexcusable" cuts to child care services at Fort Drum near Watertown, New York, for example, where many partners are deployed, have put more strain on couples. Civilians who feel powerless should reach out to military families. When a recent blizzard hit Ruedisueli's home in Arlington, Virginia, she was grateful that neighbors came to shovel her out. Military families truly appreciate any kind of help that alleviates stress, she said. Authorities in upstate New York said Tuesday that a podiatrist and his girlfriend plotted to kill his wife and have two insurance investigators looking into his business assaulted. The Journal News reported that police arrested Ira Bernstein, 41, and Kelly Myzner Gribeluk, 36, Monday, concluding a month long investigation into the pair. Authorities said the probe started when the person the couple contacted about killing Bernsteins wife alerted the Spring Valley police. Ramapo Detective Lt. Mark Emma said the pair thought the man they approached had the connections they needed to get the job done. Emma called the man an exceptional citizen for reporting what happened to police. "This person had some sort of relationship with one of them," Emma said. "They asked him to cause injury to Bernstein's wife to result in her death. They made an assumption he could help them. He doesn't do those things." Police described Bernstein and Gribeluk as cold and unemotional during the meetings with the person they thought was going to go through with their requests. Thomas Zugible, the Rockland County district attorney, described the plot as a despicable plan to take the life of a wife and mother essentially for financial gain. The paper, citing court records, reported that Bernstein had lost two malpractice suits since 2014. He had lost nearly $2 million. Officials said Ira Bernstein, and his wife Susan, have three children and are in the process of finalizing a divorce. Gribeluk, of Aumont, is divorced and has three children who do not live with her. Police said Bernstein and Gribeluk also are accused of seeking to have two insurance investigators beaten up, allegedly because they were going to refer potential fraud charges against Bernsteins podiatry business to the Rockland district attorneys office for investigation. According to the Journal News, prosecutor Richard Kennison Moran said he had a strong case against the pair. The evidence included video, audiotapes, wire-tapped telephone conversations and documented exchanges of money. Moran also said Gribeluk had admitted to her role in the alleged crimes. Bernstein and Gribeluk were both charged with felony counts of second-degree conspiracy, second-degree solicitation and fourth-degree conspiracy, and a misdemeanor count of fourth-degree solicitation. The pair was arraigned Tuesday in Ramapo Town Court. Their bail was set at $600,000 each. Click for more from The Journal News. A quartet of kittens was saved from a California blaze on Monday and the heroic rescue was caught on a firefighters body camera, FOX40 reported. Turlock firefighters noticed the four kittens while extinguishing an outdoor fire that was threatening to spread to nearby buildings. The cats were in a pile of wood, where officials believed the animals had been living before the fire. Firefighters rinsed, dried and reunited the kittens with their mother, who returned to the scene while crews were cleaning up, the Turlock Fire Department said in a Facebook post. It is not clear what started the fire. Turlock is about 14 miles south east of Modesto. Click for more from FOX40. A freshman at Fort Valley State University was stabbed to death after he came to the aid of some female students who were being harassed and groped by a man outside the school cafeteria, a Georgia Bureau of Investigation agent said Wednesday. Donnell M. Phelps tried to intervene to help the three women Tuesday and ended up getting into a struggle with the suspect, former student Joseph Anthony Scott, GBI Special Agent J.T. Ricketson said. Scott pulled a pocketknife, and began stabbing Phelps repeatedly, Ricketson said at a news conference at the historically black university, about 29 miles southwest of Macon. Authorities on Wednesday were seeking a murder warrant against Scott, 24, who was being held in the Peach County Jail following the attack. When Phelps realized he was severely wounded, he ran toward the campus infirmary and collapsed on the ground outside shortly after 5 p.m. Tuesday, Ricketson said. Meanwhile, Scott ran toward the campus' main entrance and knocked on the window of a small guard shack, Ricketson said. The security officer inside, Ernest Johnson, was unaware of the stabbing and opened the door. Johnson was then stabbed multiple times, Ricketson said. Another university employee at the main gate helped to separate Scott from the officer, and police took Scott into custody moments later, he said. Johnson was taken to a hospital and was in stable condition, school spokeswoman Pamela Berry-Johnson said Wednesday. "He is going to recover from those injuries, but he was seriously injured," Ricketson said. The GBI is still investigating, with help from campus police, Ricketson said. He added that authorities were in the process of filing two additional felony charges against Scott, who lives near the campus: aggravated assault and possession of a knife during a crime. It wasn't known whether Scott has a lawyer who could be reached for comment. At Wednesday's news conference, Fort Valley State President Paul Jones said "we are just absolutely devastated." "Words cannot describe the pain that we all feel in the Fort Valley State community," Jones said. The violence was likely seen by several students, Ricketson said. "We have a large list of witnesses who have potentially seen this," he said. Grief counselors were on the campus and helping students, school officials said. "We will do what families do in times of loss, we will gather together to support each other through this extremely difficult time," Jones said. "We will focus on ensuring that our students and our campus community have the support they need. Please keep our entire campus in your thoughts and prayers." Phelps was an agriculture engineering technology student from nearby Marshallville, Georgia, school officials said. "This is an extremely safe campus," said Kenneth Morgan, the campus police chief. "I've been here seven years and nothing of this magnitude has ever occurred since I've been here." The stabbings happened just four days before the university's 75th annual commencement ceremony planned for Saturday on the campus. A man dismissed last month from a Houston-area transportation company stormed into the facility and opened fire on Wednesday, fatally shooting a former co-worker and injuring two others before turning the gun on himself, saying his life had been ruined, sheriff's officials said. The man was armed with a shotgun and a pistol when he arrived at the Knight Transportation office in Katy, about 20 miles west of Houston, according to Harris County Sheriff Ron Hickman. The sheriff said the man "parked right outside the building and came straight in." The man was heard by workers saying something to the effect of "you all ruined my life" as he walked through the building and may have been looking for someone, sheriff's spokesman Ralph Gonzales said. The gunman fatally shot one man, who was found dead at the scene by responding officers. Two other workers were injured by shrapnel or other debris from the gunfire, and both were treated at the scene, Gonzales said. The names of the gunman and the victims haven't been released. The sheriff said one deputy injured his knee during the incident. Hickman had no information on how long the man had been employed by Knight Transportation, which provides truckload transportation services. The Phoenix-based company released a statement Wednesday saying work at the facility was being suspended until the investigation was complete. It said counselors would be on site to support employees. The company confirmed an employee was killed during the shooting, saying: "Our deepest sympathies are with the family during this difficult time." "This was the action of a lone former employee," the company added. "Knight is doing everything possible to ensure the safety of all of its employees." The sheriff said during a news conference shortly after the shooting that the gunman had been fired that morning, but Gonzales said investigators later determined the dismissal happened two weeks ago. Numerous patrol vehicles surrounded the facility as deputies responded to reports of gunfire. A nearby high school went on lockdown for about an hour as a precaution, said Denisse Cantu, a spokeswoman with the Katy Independent School District. She said three other district campuses also were briefly closed during the incident. El Salvador's Attorney General's Office says arrest warrants have been issued for 21 people tied to a 2012 gang treaty that temporarily lowered the country's homicide rate. The office said Tuesday through its official Twitter account that Raul Mijango, a onetime guerrilla who brokered the treaty, is among those arrested along with unidentified former government officials and ranking police. Among the charges they face are illicit association and introducing contraband into prisons. In March 2012, the leaders of the Mara Salvatrucha and Barrio 18 gangs agreed to slow the killing. In exchange, the government agreed to move gang leaders out of the maximum security prison known as Zacatraz to other prisons where they had more contact with the outside. The treaty dissolved in September 2013. Mexican authorities say they have rescued three American citizens who were kidnapped in the northern state of Tamaulipas, which borders Texas. The Tamaulipas state government says the victims were freed from captivity Monday from a criminal band's camp along the highway between Ciudad Victoria and Zaragoza. It says the alleged leader of the band was killed in the operation and two suspects were detained. The Tamaulipas government said Tuesday that the Americans are members of the same family and are of Mexican descent. The three adults are said to be from Dallas and are described as in good condition. They were abducted April 13 while driving to a relative's funeral in the central state of San Luis Potosi. A U.S. Navy SEAL killed by Islamic State militants during an "extremely heavy, extremely intense" firefight with U.S. forces and Kurdish Peshmerga troops in northern Iraq Tuesday was identified Tuesday evening by Arizona's governor. He was identified Tuesday evening by Gov. Doug Ducey as Charlie Keating IV. Ducey ordered all state flags be lowered to half-staff from sunrise to sunset Wednesday in honor of Keating, who was a graduate of Phoenix's Arcadia High School. The 31-year-old Keating attended the Naval Academy before becoming a Navy Seal based out of Coronado, California Keating was the grandson of Charles Keating, Jr., the Arizona financier at the center of the 1989 savings and loan scandal, which led to five U.S. Senators being accused of corruption. The senators allegedly involved were dubbed 'The Keating Five.' Keating was advising Peshmerga forces but was less than 2 miles behind the front lines in the town of Tel Askuf, Pentagon Press Secretary Peter Cook said in a statement. A defense official told Fox News the he was killed by small arms fire, likely from an AK-47 rifle. "The Peshmerga were trying to hold the line, but Navy SEALS at least 20 came in and pounded the s--- out of ISIS," military trainer Matthew VanDyke told Fox News, saying that "scores" of Islamic State militants died. VanDyke and three U.S. veterans were training Assyrian Christian forces battling ISIS in the region. "ISIS kept sending in suicide bombers, SEALs pounded them and the [U.S.] airstrikes did a lot to help. Bullets flying everywhere, machine gun fire from ISIS, really intense firefight," VanDyke added. He said three Christian fighters and several Peshmerga were also hurt. Navy SEALs joined the fight roughly an hour after it started, "heroically" beating back ISIS, according to VanDyke. He said the SEALs kept fighting until ammunition ran low. "It is a combat death, of course. And a very sad loss," Defense Secretary Ash Carter said, referring to the Navy SEAL. Carter was speaking in Stuttgart, Germany, where he was attending a ceremony installing a new commander of U.S. European Command. "It shows you the serious fight that we have to wage in Iraq." The town of Tel Askuf is located about 20 miles north of ISIS' Iraqi hub of Mosul. Despite a push from the Obama administration to accelerate the fight against ISIS, senior defense officials say they do not believe Mosul will fall this year. Still, VanDyke says he believes ISIS "wont be able to sustain continued losses like that." Three U.S. military personnel have been killed in Iraq as part of the ground fight against the ISIS terror group. The last American death happened in March, when U.S. Marine Staff Sgt. Louis Cardin was killed in a rocket attack on a firebase in northern Iraq. This past October, Delta Force Master Sgt. Josh Wheeler was killed during a rescue mission that freed as many as 70 ISIS hostages. The latest death came following the deployment of a 200-person special operations task force to Irbil, southeast of Mosul, which Carter first announced in December. Last week, President Obama approved the deployment of 450 additional U.S. troops to Iraq and Syria. Vice President Joe Biden visited Baghdad last week to exhort leaders of the government in Iraq to resolve internal political strife and concentrate on the effort to defeat ISIS. Carter, likewise, visited Baghdad recently. The Obama administration has been pressing the effort against ISIS, which has been slowed down in its quest to overrun Iraq. There are now roughly 5,000 U.S. troops on the ground in Iraq. Fox News' Hollie McKay, Lucas Tomlinson and the Associated Press contributed to this report. Defense Secretary Ash Carter said Wednesday the war against the Islamic State in the Middle East is far from over, despite recent statements from the Obama administration about accelerating the war against the terror group and retaking 40 percent of its territory. Carter spoke at the top of a 12-nation ministerial meeting in Stuttgart, Germany. He hosted a similar meeting in March in Brussels following the ISIS bombings at an airport and subway station. "While we have gathered momentum since our ministerial in Brussels, this fight is far from over," Carter said. The Defense Chief officially identified the Navy SEAL who was killed in combat in northern Iraq on Tuesday as Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Charles Keating. "We are putting people at risk everyday," Carter added. Answering a question about the overall role of U.S. forces in the ISIS fight, Carter reiterated the administration's policy that most U.S. special operations forces in Iraq and Syria were there to advise local forces. "That doesn't mean we will not do any fighting at all," Carter admitted. A defense official later told Fox News new details about the battle that killed the Navy SEAL. "[The SEALs] were not responding as part of a QRF [quick reaction force]," the official said. "They happened to be driving near the location," he added, rebuking local reports which claimed otherwise. "It's important for civilization that we do this," Carter said about the anti-ISIS fight, receiving a nod from his British counterpart Michael Fallon sitting next to him before the ministerial meetings. British Prime Minister David Cameron had made a similar argument about why defeating ISIS was so important. After Carter's news conference, defense officials said discussions of potential next moves or "socializing" within governments would continue ahead of the next ministerial meeting in Washington scheduled for July. In a joint statement issued following the meeting, the group reaffirmed its support "to further accelerate and reinforce the success of our partners on the ground and for the deployment of additional enabling capabilities in the near term." "We called on all of Iraq's political leaders to commit themselves to the legal and peaceful reconciliation of political differences in order to confront the nation's challenges and to remain united against the common enemy," they said. The statement was not specific about what additional contributions would be offered, beyond citing resources to support the Iraqi military campaign and "various forms" of help to a civilian effort to stabilize and reconstruct areas of Anbar province devastated by war damage. Fox News' Lucas Tomlinson reported from Stuttgart, Germany. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Israel said Tuesday that customs officials thwarted a plot to smuggle explosive materials into the Hamas-run Gaza Strip. Israel's Tax Authority said inspectors uncovered four tons of ammonium chloride-- enough to produce hundreds of rockets-- hidden inside sacks of salt about two weeks ago as the shipment was being transferred to Gaza. "This case underscores the activity of Gaza-based terrorist organizations in smuggling dual-use materials disguised as goods destined for the civilian population and reconstruction projects," it said. Along with explosives, ammonium chloride can also be used in fertilizer and other products. Israel's Shin Bet security service became suspicious after unusually large quantities of salt were ordered by a Gaza importer with ties to the Islamic militant group Hamas, the tax authority said. Israel and Egypt imposed a blockade on Gaza in 2007 after Hamas seized power from forces loyal to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. Humanitarian aid and goods enter Gaza via Israeli crossings. Other goods are smuggled in through tunnels from neighboring Egypt. Earlier on Tuesday, the Israeli military demolished the home of a Palestinian attacker who gunned down two Israelis in front of their children last year. Ziad Amer, the father of suspected killer Zeid, said Israeli troops in dozens of army vehicles raided the town of Nablus and demolished the family's apartment. He said his appeal to the Israeli Supreme Court against the demolition was rejected. The military says Amer was part of a five-member Hamas cell that shot and killed U.S. citizen Eitam Henkin and his wife Naama as they drove in the northern West Bank on Oct. 1. Their four young children in the back of the car escaped unharmed. Israel says it carries out housing demolitions to deter attacks. The Palestinians consider it to be a form of collective punishment. Since mid-September, Palestinians have carried out dozens of assaults on civilians and security forces, killing 28 Israelis and two Americans. Some 200 Palestinians have been killed over the same time, the vast majority in what Israel says have been attacks or attempted attacks. Secretary of State John Kerry warned Syria and its allies in Moscow and Tehran Tuesday that they have until August for starting a political transition to move President Bashar Assad out, or they risk consequences of a new U.S. approach toward ending the five-year conflict. Kerry failed to specify what type of consequences the Syrian government and its backers face if Assad isnt ousted. Its unlikely the White House would approve a more active American combat role in the country. The administration is more likely to approve giving Saudi Arabia and the moderate rebels new weapons to fight Assad. "The target date for the transition is 1st of August," Kerry told reporters at the State Department. "So we're now coming up to May. So either something happens in these next few months, or they are asking for a very different track." The top American diplomat spoke following a meeting between the U.N. envoy for Syria and Russia's foreign minister in Moscow on Tuesday, a day after discussions with Kerry in Geneva. The goal was to restore a partial truce that has all but unraveled amid 12 straight days of bitter fighting in Aleppo, Syria's largest city. Kerry condemned last weeks hospital attack in the city that killed at least 20 people. He said the U.S. rejects violence against civilians, whether it's by Assad's government or Western-backed opposition groups. But Kerry saved his sharpest comments for Assad and his government's two key military, economic and diplomatic lifelines: Russia and Iran. "If Assad does not adhere to this, there will clearly be repercussions," Kerry warned. "One of them may be the total destruction of the cease-fire and then go back to war. I don't think Russia wants that. I don't think Assad is going to benefit from that. There may be even other repercussions being discussed. That is for the future." Kerry admitted the U.S. and Russia were working on the details of a stronger ceasefire that would include Aleppo and prevent the metropolis from failing. He said leaders on all sides must strive for peace. On its face, the threat of continued fighting doesn't seem to carry much weight. Assad has aggressively sought to crush any and all opposition groups in a war that emerged from the government's violent repression of largely peaceful, Arab Spring-inspired protests in 2011. Despite a death toll that numbers in the hundreds of thousands, Russian planes and Iranian troops continue to fight alongside the Syrian military. Kerry also appeared to undermine his own selling of a truce by stressing that the opposition would never accommodate Assad's leadership. The current U.N.-endorsed transition plan for Syria says nothing about Assad relinquishing power or being prevented from running for an eventual re-election as president. His family has ruled Syria for four decades. "If Assad's strategy is to somehow think he's going to just carve out Aleppo and carve out a section of the country, I got news for you and for him: This war doesn't end," Kerry said. "As long as Assad is there, the opposition is not going to stop fighting," he said. Kerry said he has told his counterparts in Moscow and Tehran that calm won't prevail in Syria if they're not prepared to move quickly toward a new Syrian government. "Assad cannot reunite the country it's that simple," Kerry said. "Having gassed his people, barrel bombed his people, dropped bombs on hospitals, driven 12 million people out of their homes, tortured people, starved people, what kind of legitimacy should somebody who's committed these kinds of atrocities suddenly claim to run the country? It's pretty hard for anybody to understand how you make peace out of that record of chaos and depravity." The Associated Press contributed to this report. Its like Monopoly money, North Korea-style. A 330-pound pile of fake North Korean banknotes was found at a Seoul thrift store amid a heap of wastepaper, UPI reported Wednesday, citing the Yonhap news agency. The counterfeit bills were printed in 5,000 North Korean won denominations. A man and woman in their 40s reportedly purchased the bills. Authorities said they were investigating whether the buyers were North Korean defectors. The bills would be worth around $5.50 each -- if they weren't counterfeit. Click for more from UPI. The U.S. and Russia have reached an agreement to extend Syria's fragile cease-fire to the northern city of Aleppo, where violence has escalated in recent days, U.S. officials said Wednesday. The truce went into effect at 12:01am Damascus time on Wednesday. The agreement follows an earlier deal to reaffirm the truce in the Damascus suburbs and coastal Latakia province. Despite the cease-fire, three people were killed Wednesday in Aleppo, though officials say overall violence in the deeply contested northern city has decreased since the truces inception, state media and opposition activists reported. Aleppo Syria's largest city and once its key commercial center has been engulfed in fighting since the unraveling of a limited cease-fire that began in late February. Nearly 300 people have been killed during this latest spate of violence in Aleppo, which has put the city at the center of the Syrian conflict and shattered the partial cease-fire. Over the last two weeks, hospitals and civilian areas in the divided city have come under attack from government warplanes, as well as shelling from rebel forces. Speaking at an emergency U.N. Security Council session, U.S. Ambassador Samantha Power called the hospital attacks "reprehensible." She added, "All of us here must work relentlessly to restore and maintain the respite from violence that Syrians yearn for and deserve." State TV said government troops repelled an overnight rebel attack on an Aleppo suburb controlled by the government. Pro-opposition activists confirmed that report, adding that government forces regained control of a former mall that had become a new front line with rebel fighters in the western part of the city. The head of the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights Rami Abdurrahman described those clashes as some of the worst between the government and rebel fighters over the last year in Aleppo. Areas under the control of the Islamic State group and its main rival, the Syrian Al Qaeda affiliate known as the Nusra Front, have not been included in the cease-fire. Also Wednesday, the Islamic State group said it has advanced in the strategic Shaer gas fields in the central Homs province, overrunning 13 government checkpoints and capturing a Syrian soldier. ISIS said it was getting close to Shaer gas company headquarters and posted photographs said to be of the captured soldier on social media accounts. There was no comment from the Syrian government on the reported capture of the soldier. The Observatory, a monitoring group that relies on a network of activists on the ground in Syria, said the Islamic State group seized control of significant parts of the gas field after three days of clashes with government troops there. The strategic Shaer gas fields have been coveted by the militant group, which has briefly controlled them in the past two years. The massive fields supply commercial gas to the national grid. The Associated Press contributed to this report. A group of U.S. service members in South Korea jumped into action, catching three children and their mother who jumped out of the fourth floor of a burning building to escape a fire on Friday. Master Sgt. Michael Henry and 1st Sgt. Melanie Scott two of the service members were shopping in Pyeongtaek Friday when they heard screaming and smoke billowing from the building, DVIDS reports. We saw a lady shimmying down the side of the building and realized there was a woman holding a baby out of the window several floors up, Scott said. The next thing I know we were both holding blankets to catch babies as a woman dropped them out of a window. Henry, Scott, airmen from the 51st Fighter Wing and Eighth Fighter Wing at Kunsan Air Base and South Korean citizens all coordinated in the rescue effort. I was very impressed by the courageous U.S. military members who helped with the rescue, Min Lee, the son of a local business owner who called 911, told DVIDS. Some of the soldiers and airmen visited the mother at a friend's home a few days after the blaze. It was not immediately clear what sparked the fire. Without them I dont know what I would do I am so grateful for the wisdom of the military men and women, Prince Enyioko, the husband, told DVIDS. Enyioko said his wife, Precious, suffered injuries from the fall but his three children appear to be doing well. The kids' ages ranged from 7 months to 4 years. It was so difficult to drop my children, Precious Enyioko said. It was so dark in the room and the kids were coughing and crying. When I saw the people gathering with the blanket, I could see it was military members, I thanked my God. Scott said he and his fellow soldiers responded by following the Armys values. Those values give you everything you need to put yourself in harms way to help somebody else, he said. Click for more from DVIDS. "Scores" of ISIS fighters died, a military trainer told Fox News, with some of the deaths coming from suicide bombings. Choice Hotels International Reports First Quarter Results Domestic Pipeline of Hotels Under Construction, Awaiting Conversion or Approved for Development Increased 12% ROCKVILLE, Md., May 4, 2016 // PRNewswire // -- Choice Hotels International, Inc. (NYSE: CHH) today reported the following highlights for the first quarter 2016: Revenues for the three months ended March 31, 2016 totaled $207.1 million, an increase of 18 percent from the same period of 2015. Franchising revenues for the three months ended March 31, 2016 totaled $78.7 million, an increase of 4 percent from the same period of 2015. Franchising margins for the three months ended March 31, 2016 were 61.6 percent, an increase of 10 basis points from the same period of 2015. Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization ("EBITDA") from franchising activities for the three months ended March 31, 2016 totaled $50.3 million compared to $49.0 million for the same period in 2015. EBITDA from franchising activities for the current period were impacted by approximately $2 million in the aggregate or $0.02 per share, net of tax, compared to our expectations for the quarter as a result of lower than expected increases in domestic system-wide revenue per available room ("RevPAR") and higher than anticipated corporate development and litigation settlement costs. Domestic RevPAR increased 1.2 percent in the first quarter of 2016. Domestic RevPAR performance for the first quarter of 2016 was in line with the total industry results for the primary chain scale segments in which the company competes. Compared to its focused competitive set, the company's Comfort family of brands achieved a RevPAR index gain estimated at 170 basis points for the three months ended March 31, 2016 compared to the same period in 2015. Effective income tax rate for the three months ended March 31, 2016 was 35.5 percent compared to 30.4 percent for the same period of 2015. Excluding discrete items, the effective income tax rates for the three months ended March 31, 2016 and 2015 were 33.5 percent and 31.8 percent, respectively. Equity in net loss of affiliates for the three months ended March 31, 2016 totaled $2.2 million, an increase of $1.2 million from the same period of 2015. Equity losses from affiliates primarily reflect losses during the ramp up period of recently opened or under renovation Cambria properties in major urban markets. Net income and diluted earnings per share ("EPS") for the three months ended March 31, 2016totaled $19.6 million and $0.35 per share, respectively, compared to $21.6 million and $0.37 per share in the prior year period. Compared to our previously published outlook for earnings per share for the first quarter of 2016 the impact of the discrete tax rate items and hotel equity investment performance was a reduction of approximately $0.02 per share. We anticipate the earnings per share impact of these two items will be mitigated during the balance of 2016 on account of the impact of certain other discrete tax items and performance improvement attributable to seasonality in the specific Cambria property markets. Domestic royalty fees for the three months ended March 31, 2016 totaled $60.5 million, an increase of 5 percent from the same period of 2015. Domestic and international units as of March 31, 2016 increased 1.1 percent and 2.3 percent, respectively, from March 31, 2015. Excluding the impact of our Comfort rejuvenation strategy, our domestic units under franchise at March 31, 2016 increased 4.6 percent from the prior year. Effective domestic royalty rate for the three months ended March 31, 2016 was 4.38 percent, an increase of 7 basis points from the same period of 2015. Domestic relicensing and contract renewal transactions totaled 107 for the three months endedMarch 31, 2016, an increase of 7 percent from the same period of 2015. The company's domestic pipeline of hotels awaiting conversion, under construction or approved for development as of March 31, 2016 increased 12 percent from March 31, 2015. The new construction domestic pipeline for the company's Comfort family of brands as of March 31, 2016 increased 29 percent from March 31, 2015. "We are excited about the consumer response to the program enhancements we made to our award-winning Choice Privileges program in the first quarter," said Stephen P. Joyce, president and chief executive officer, Choice Hotels. "As a result of our strong family of brands and our enhancements to the program we now have more than 26 million members and expect to add a record 4 million new members this year. We believe that improving the value of the benefits provided to our guests as well as the strength of our distribution systems will result in continued RevPAR growth for the remainder of the year. We are also optimistic that developers will continue to respond to our brands and that our franchise development results will exceed 2015 levels." Use of Cash Flows Dividends During the three months ended March 31, 2016, the company paid cash dividends totaling approximately$12 million. Based on the current quarterly dividend rate of $0.205 per common share, the company expects to pay dividends of approximately $46 million during 2016. Share Repurchases The company repurchased 0.1 million shares of common stock under its share repurchase program during the first quarter of 2016, at a total cost of approximately $3.6 million. The company currently has authorization to purchase up to 1.6 million additional shares under this program. Hotel Development & Financing Pursuant to its program to encourage acceleration of the growth of our upscale select-service Cambria hotels & suites brand, the company's net advances in support of the Cambria brand totaled $40 millionduring the three months ended March 31, 2016. These advances are primarily in the form of joint venture investments, forgivable key money loans, senior and mezzanine lending and site acquisitions. At March 31, 2016, the company had approximately $167 million reflected in its consolidated balance sheet pursuant to these financial support activities. With respect to lending and joint venture investments, the company generally expects to recycle these loans and investments within a five year period. Outlook The company's consolidated 2016 outlook reflects the following assumptions: Hotel Franchising EBITDA from franchising activities for full-year 2016 are expected to range between $270 million and $274 million; Net domestic unit growth for 2016 is expected to be between 2% and 3%; RevPAR is expected to increase between 3% and 4% for second quarter and range between 3.75% and 4.50% for full-year 2016; and The effective royalty rate is expected to increase between 6 and 8 basis points for full-year 2016 as compared to full-year 2015. Non-Hotel Franchising Activities Net reductions in full-year 2016 EBITDA relating to our non-hotel franchising operations, which primarily relate to SkyTouch and vacation rental activities are expected to range between approximately $16 million and $19 million. Other Items The effective tax rate for continuing operations is expected to be approximately 32% and 33.5% for the second quarter and full-year 2016, respectively. Effective tax rates assume the adoption of Accounting Standards Update No 2016-09 "Compensation-Stock Compensation (Topic 718): Improvements to Employee Share-Based Payment Accounting" ("ASU No. 2016-09") during 2016 which requires that excess tax benefits and tax deficiencies related to stock compensation be recognized as income tax expense or benefit through the company's income statement; and Diluted EPS estimates are based on the current number of shares outstanding and thus do not factor in any changes that may occur due to new equity grants or any further repurchases of common stock under the company's share repurchase program. Consolidated Outlook The company's second quarter 2016 diluted EPS is expected to be at least $0.66. The company expects full-year 2016 diluted EPS to range between $2.30 and $2.35 and full year 2016 EBITDA to range between$252 million and $256 million. The EPS and consolidated EBITDA estimates assume that we incur net reductions in EBITDA related to non-hotel franchising activities at the midpoint of the range for these investments. Conference Call Choice will conduct a conference call on Wednesday, May 4, 2016 at 10:00 a.m. EDT to discuss the company's first quarter 2016 results. The dial-in number to listen to the call is 1-855-638-5678, and the access code is 85804726. International callers should dial 1-920-663-6286 and enter the access code 85804726. The conference call also will be webcast simultaneously via the company's website,www.choicehotels.com. Interested investors and other parties wishing to access the call via the webcast should go to the website and click on the Investor Info link. The Investor page will feature a conference call microphone icon to access the call. The call will be recorded and available for replay beginning at 1:00 p.m. EDT on Wednesday, May 4, 2016through Wednesday, May 11, 2016 by calling 1-855-859-2056 and entering access code 85804726. The international dial-in number for the replay is 1-404-537-3406 and the access code is 85804726. In addition, the call will be archived and available on www.choicehotels.com via the Investor Info link. About Choice Hotels Choice Hotels International, Inc. (NYSE: CHH) is one of the world's largest lodging companies. With more than 6,400 hotels franchised in more than 40 countries and territories, we represent more than 500,000 rooms around the globe. As of March 31, 2016, 685 hotels were in our development pipeline. Our company's Ascend Hotel Collection, Cambria hotels & suites, Comfort Inn, Comfort Suites, Sleep Inn, Quality, Clarion, MainStay Suites, Suburban Extended Stay Hotel, Econo Lodge and Rodeway Innbrands provide a spectrum of lodging choices to meet guests' needs. With more than 26 million members and counting, check out our Choice Privileges rewards program to see how you can reap the benefits of being a member of the Choice Hotels family. Visit us at www.choicehotels.com for more information. SkyTouch Technology is a business division of Choice Hotels that develops and markets cloud-based technology products, including inventory management, pricing and connectivity to third party channels, to hoteliers not under franchise agreements with the company. Forward-Looking Statements Certain matters discussed in this press release constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Generally, our use of words such as "expect," "estimate," "believe," "anticipate," "should," "will," "forecast," "plan," "project," "assume" or similar words of futurity identify such forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are based on management's current beliefs, assumptions and expectations regarding future events, which in turn are based on information currently available to management. Such statements may relate to projections of the company's revenue, earnings and other financial and operational measures, company debt levels, ability to repay outstanding indebtedness, payment of dividends, repurchases of common stock and future operations, among other matters. We caution you not to place undue reliance on any such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements do not guarantee future performance and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors. Several factors could cause actual results, performance or achievements of the company to differ materially from those expressed in or contemplated by the forward-looking statements. Such risks include, but are not limited to, changes to general, domestic and foreign economic conditions; foreign currency fluctuations; operating risks common in the lodging and franchising industries; changes to the desirability of our brands as viewed by hotel operators and customers; changes to the terms or termination of our contracts with franchisees; our ability to keep pace with improvements in technology utilized for marketing and reservations systems and other operating systems; our ability to grow our franchise system; exposure to risks related to development activities; fluctuations in the supply and demand for hotels rooms; our ability to realize anticipated benefits from acquired businesses; the level of acceptance of alternative growth strategies we may implement; operating risks associated with our international operations; the outcome of litigation; and our ability to manage our indebtedness. These and other risk factors are discussed in detail in the company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission including our annual reports on Form 10-K and our quarterly reports filed on Form 10-Q. We undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Statement Concerning Non-GAAP Financial Measurements Presented in this Press Release EBITDA, franchising revenues, franchising SG&A, EBITDA from franchising activities and franchising margins are non-GAAP financial measurements. These measures should not be considered as an alternative to any measure of performance or liquidity as promulgated under or authorized by generally accepted accounting principles in the United States ("GAAP"), such as operating income, total revenues and operating margins. The company's calculation of these measurements may be different from the calculations used by other companies and therefore comparability may be limited. The company has included an exhibit accompanying this release that reconciles EBITDA, franchising revenues, franchising SG&A and franchising margins to the most comparable GAAP financial measures. We discuss management's reasons for reporting these non-GAAP measures below. Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation and Amortization: EBITDA reflects income from continuing operations excluding the impact of interest expense, interest income, provision for income taxes, depreciation and amortization, other (gains) and losses and equity in net income of unconsolidated affiliates. We consider EBITDA to be an indicator of operating performance because we use it to measure our ability to service debt, fund capital expenditures, and expand our business. We also use EBITDA, as do analysts, lenders, investors and others, to evaluate companies because it excludes certain items that can vary widely across different industries or among companies within the same industry. For example, interest expense can be dependent on a company's capital structure, debt levels and credit ratings. Accordingly, the impact of interest expense on earnings can vary significantly among companies. The tax positions of companies can also vary because of their differing abilities to take advantage of tax benefits and because of the tax policies of the jurisdictions in which they operate. As a result, effective tax rates and provision for income taxes can vary considerably among companies. EBITDA also excludes depreciation and amortization because companies utilize productive assets of different ages and use different methods of both acquiring and depreciating productive assets. These differences can result in considerable variability in the relative costs of productive assets and the depreciation and amortization expense among companies. Franchising Revenues, Franchising EBITDA, Franchising SG&A and Margins: The company reports franchising revenues, EBITDA, SG&A and margins which exclude marketing and reservation revenues, the SkyTouch Technology division, recently acquired operations that provide SaaS technology solutions to vacation rental management companies and revenue generated from the ownership of an office building that is leased to a third-party. Marketing and reservation activities are excluded since the company is required by its franchise agreements to use the fees collected for marketing and reservation activities; as such, no income or loss to the company is generated. Cumulative marketing and reservation system fees not expended are recorded as a liability in the company's financial statements and are carried over to the next year and expended in accordance with the franchise agreements. Cumulative marketing and reservation expenditures in excess of fees collected for marketing and reservation activities are deferred and recorded as an asset in the company's financial statements and recovered in future periods. SkyTouch Technology is a division of the company that develops and markets cloud-based technology products, including inventory management, pricing and connectivity to third party channels, to hoteliers not under franchise agreements with the company. The operations for SkyTouch Technology and our vacation rental technology solutions provider are excluded since they do not reflect the company's core franchising business but are adjacent, complimentary lines of business. These non-GAAP measures are a commonly used measure of performance in our industry and facilitate comparisons between the company and its competitors. 2016 Choice Hotels International, Inc. All rights reserved. For the full spreadsheet report - go to [http://media.choicehotels.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=217856&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=2164924]. SOURCE Choice Hotels International, Inc. ### Comments: Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus. Disqus Out With the Old: Super 8 Artwork Comes Off the Wall at FREE Hotel Art Gallery Super 8 says goodbye to old art as hotel owners invest $103 million in guest room redesign, touching all 1,800 North American hotels by years end. May 04, 2016 // Franchising.com // PARSIPPANY, N.J. - While notable, high-end art fairs roll into New York City this weekend, today Super 8 will host the first-ever exhibit enticing gallery-goers to snatch a piece of art for free. Once an overlooked decoration at its hotels across North America, Super 8 is taking its art off the wall to make way for the brands contemporary redesign, which by years end will represent a $103 million investment by Super 8 owners and is already available at nearly 60 percent of hotels. Actress and author Amy Sedaris will ensure a proper sendoff, as nearly 100 eclectic pieces of not-so-super art will be free for the taking, on a first-come, first-serve basis, at When The Art Comes Down: Works from The Super 8 Collection. Scheduled for 7:30 p.m. at Openhouse (168 Bowery, New York, NY 10012), Super 8 is throwing a gallery event embracing the brands past through art while revealing its modernized and elevated guest experience. We know its not easy to love the watercolors of yore that have served as our decor for decades, but we want to ensure everyone from art appreciators to our brand loyalists has the chance to take home a little piece of Super 8 as we make way for the brands purposeful new look, says Mike Mueller, Super 8 Brand Senior Vice President. With the help of Amy Sedaris, who has an enviable knack for appreciating imperfections with humor, this event gives the old Super 8 a celebratory retirement and serves as a pivotal moment in revealing the decidedly different aesthetic of Super 8 hotels. Super 8s transformation begins with a reimagined guestroom featuring soothing color palettes, sleek finishings and bedding, as well as modern amenities and, naturally, new artwork. The show features an extensive inventory of random and admittedly not-so-super art, some of which has been hanging on the walls for nearly 40 years. These pieces will be replaced with works emitting a contemporary, postcard-feel featuring iconic landmarks and landscapes distinct to each hotels locality. Super 8s modern look, including the updated art, is rolling out to the remainder of its hotels across the U.S. and Canada by the end of 2016. On behalf of Super 8, Amy Sedaris will present a donation to The Center for Arts Education, a nationally recognized arts education provider and advocate for children, in celebration of Super 8s transformation. For more information on When the Art Comes Down: Works from The Super 8 Collection, visit www.super8artshow.com. About Super 8 Part of Wyndham Hotel Group, Super 8 is one the most well-known hotel brands in the world with more than 2,600 locations around the globe, more than any other U.S.-based economy lodging provider. Created in 1973, Super 8 is undergoing an all-encompassing transformation that will touch all 1,800 of its North American hotels by the end of 2016, modernizing the brand and cementing it as a leader in the economy lodging space. Reservations and information are available by visiting www.super8.com. Guests can follow Super 8 on Instagram at @super8hotels. Each Super 8 hotel is independently owned and operated under a franchise agreement with Super 8 Worldwide, Inc. (SWI), or its affiliate. SWI is a subsidiary of Wyndham Hotel Group, LLC and parent company Wyndham Worldwide Corporation (NYSE: WYN). Guests can earn and redeem points through Wyndham Rewards, the brands guest loyalty program. Travelers can join the free program at www.wyndhamrewards.com. SOURCE Super 8 ### Comments: Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus. Disqus Starwood Hotels & Resorts to Debut New aloft Hotel in Seoul aloft Seoul Myeongdong Will Mark the Second aloft Hotel in the Bustling Capital, Catering to the Hyper Connected Global Traveler SEOUL, South Korea - May 4, 2016 - (BUSINESS WIRE) - Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. (NYSE:HOT) today announced the signing of aloft Seoul Myeongdong, the second aloft hotel in Seoul, South Korea. Owned by Shin Chang Co., Ltd., the new-build hotel - slated to open in February 2017 - will enliven the local hospitality landscape with its design-led initiatives, tech-forward amenities and buzzing social scene all catering to the next generation of savvy global travelers. We are excited to partner with Shin Chang Co., Ltd. in this endeavor, expanding the aloft brand and its pioneering initiatives in live music, design and technology in Seoul, said Lothar Pehl, Senior Vice President, Operations and Global Initiatives, Starwood Hotels & Resorts Asia Pacific. Following the opening of aloft Seoul Gangnam in October 2014, this second aloft hotel will further fuel the brands growth momentum in South Korea and the greater Asia Pacific region. Located at 104 Myeongdong in the Jung-gu sub-district, aloft Seoul Myeongdong is ideally situated in the heart of Myeongdong, a major shopping district and tourist destination. In addition to department stores, shopping centers, restaurants and upscale boutiques, Myeongdong houses the historic Myeongdong Cathedral and Myeongdong Nanta Theatre. The site also provides convenient access to four subway stations, each within a 400 to 600 meter walk, including Seoul Station in Yongsan District, which is a 43 minute express train ride from Incheon Airport. aloft Seoul Myeongdong will feature 223 loft-inspired guestrooms with the brands signature offerings, such as an ultra-comfortable plush signature bed, custom amenities, as well as fast and free WiFi throughout the property. The hotel will also offer an all-day dining restaurant; Re:fuel, a 24-hour grab & go for light meals; the brands signature w xyz bar, the go-to hangout with a fun-loving social vibe; and a well-equipped Re:charge gym. Rajit Sukumaran, Senior Vice President, Acquisition & Development, Starwood Hotels & Resorts Asia Pacific added, With a robust economy and vast tourist appeal, Seoul brims with potential. Todays signing will leverage our effective global platforms, strong brand positioning and powerful guest loyalty program to bring alofts passions to life. aloft Seoul Myeongdong will join a dynamic Starwood portfolio of eight operating hotels and two properties in the pipeline in Korea under the aloft, Sheraton, W Hotels, Westin and Four Points by Sheraton brands. For more information, please visit www.alofthotels.com. About aloft Hotels With more than 100 hotels in 16 countries around the world, Starwoods aloft brand delivers a fresh approach to the traditional staid hotel landscape. For todays (and tomorrows) connected, curious and communal evolving global traveler, the aloft brand offers a tech-forward, vibrant experience and a modern style that is different by design. For more information, please visit www.alofthotels.com/experience. SOURCE Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. Contact: Ashley Chapman Global Public Relations, aloft, Element & Four Points by Sheraton (212) 380-4015 Ashley.chapman@starwoodhotels.com ### Comments: Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus. Disqus TEGUCIGALPA, HondurasFor months before her death, environmental activist Berta Caceres complained of repeated threats warning her to stop leading protests opposing a hydroelectric project on her Lenca peoples ancestral lands. Then, on March 3, armed men forced their way into Caceres home in the middle of the night, shot her four times and wounded a visiting Mexican activist, who survived by playing dead. The killing prompted widespread condemnation and calls for an independent investigation, in part due to Caceres international prominence as the winner of the prestigious Goldman Environmental Prize. Caceres slaying remained officially shrouded in mystery until Monday, when authorities arrested four people in the case, including a security employee working on behalf of Desarrollos Energeticos SA, or DESA, the company carrying out the Agua Zarca hydroelectric project. The fact that those arrested have DESA and army ties was no surprise to Caceres allies and relatives, who have long suspected the company and elements of Honduras government and military of being behind her killing. Previously unpublicized court records from 2014 show that the government and DESA repeatedly sought to tar Caceres and her colleagues as violent anarchists bent on terrorizing the population through their protests at the project site. In filings seeking an injunction against the demonstrations, Caceres and two leaders of her organization were accused of usurpation, coercion and continued damage and even attempting to undermine the democratic order. Activists say the demonizing language helped create a dangerous climate of hostility and harassment that they link directly to her murder. These court documents go beyond just showing the contempt the dam company holds toward Berta Caceres and her organization, said Billy Kyte, a senior campaigner for land and environmental defense at London-based Global Witness, which acquired the records through lawyers working with Caceres people and shared them exclusively with The Associated Press. Its evidence of a company ready to do whatever it takes to neutralize opposition to its business, he added. The legal harassment and threats ... are a stark reminder of the huge risks faced by Honduran activists. Kyte said Caceres reported receiving threats from DESA security personnel, as well as an attempt by a company official to bribe her to call off the demonstrations. Multiple phone calls to DESA went unanswered, and there was no response to questions delivered to its headquarters in Tegucigalpa. Via email, the public relations office of DESAs Agua Zarca project issued a statement denying responsibility for Caceres slaying but did not respond to AP questions about the court records. The Public Ministry, which is listed as a co-plaintiff, also declined multiple requests for comment on the documents. Juan Sanchez Cantillano, who represented DESA in the appeals filings, said the case against Caceres group was based on Public Ministry accounts of damage allegedly caused by the protesters. The company was harmed by the protests, which were not peaceful but instead violent, said Sanchez, who no longer represents the company. The protesters invaded the terrain of DESA and burned the machinery and the offices. ... They destroyed everything. Honduras is one of the most violent countries on the planet, according to homicide statistics. Its also one of the most dangerous to be an environmental activist, with 109 killed between 2010 and 2015, according to Global Witness. Violence against land activists is common across Latin America, with over 450 slain in 2010-14, the group said. Drivers of conflict include mining projects in Peru, ranching in the Brazilian Amazon, Colombias civil war and hydroelectric projects in Guatemala and Honduras. The Agua Zarca project, located in the Montana Verde reserve in western Honduras, was conceived to harness the power of the Gualcarque River, which is considered sacred by the indigenous Lenca community. In 2015, Caceres was awarded the Goldman Prize for rallying the Lenca to halt construction of the dam through her Council of Indigenous and Popular Organizations of Honduras, or Copinh, which she co-founded more than 20 years ago. The protests have sometimes crossed a line into destruction of property. At a demonstration last month to protest Caceres killing, people threw rocks outside the Public Ministry, smashed windows, broke into the building and hung a banner with her likeness from the second-story balcony. The court documents describe damage to the dam site that included downed utility poles and demonstrators allegedly carrying machetes and clubs, and the company claimed some $3.4 million in damage and economic losses. Agua Zarca published photos of vandalism it blamed on protesters: a burning shed, broken cement tubes, a construction vehicle with smashed windows. But DESA and the ministry went further than accusing the activists of damage to the site, accusing Caceres and others of sabotage and manipulation of the masses. In court filings, they argued that the state should act against those who would undermine authority [and] sow terror ... attacking the very independence and national sovereignty. Caceres and her colleagues posed a threat to peace in the Republic of Honduras by violating its economic sovereignty and putting in grave danger the integrity and security of the state and its persons, the filings said. The tribunal ruled in favor of Copinh; an appeal is currently dormant at the Supreme Court, said Sanchez, the former lawyer for DESA. Those close to Caceres say that sort of talk encourages threats and attacks. They report being followed and harassed by DESA security and police, and even being shot at. Two weeks after Caceres slaying, unidentified gunmen killed her Copinh colleague Nelson Garcia when he returned home from helping Indians move after they were evicted from land they had been squatting on. What we are up against is a declared war on the Lenca people, said Copinh leader Tomas Gomez, who was named as a co-defendant along with Caceres in the court documents. Austra Flores, Caceres mother, accused the government of failing to provide her daughter with protection as called for by the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights. Honduras security minister, however, says a guard detail was assigned to Caceres and she asked for it to be removed because the guards bothered her. The Honduran state is primarily responsible for this crime, Flores told the AP. It should have assumed responsibility for guaranteeing my daughters life ... and it did not fulfill that international commitment. The teacher crisis is real, and were not going to work our way out of it simply by making it easier to hire teachers. Josh Denning and Tom Morkes Authority Summit Break Guinness Record by 12 Hours From the 22nd to the 31st of March, the first ever Authority Super Summit took place. The event, which brought together more than 100 of the world's brightest minds, was designed to help entrepreneurs achieve greater success through becoming marketplace authorities. -- As an entrepreneur, the hardest task isn't coming up with a great idea, developing a superior skill set or promoting the businesses cause. The hardest task for the entrepreneur is proving their causes worth. Many entrepreneurs suffer the same issues. They find themselves rejected by potential clients for someone else less skilled, struggle to gain gratification in a competitive marketplace, or even feel pressured to drop their rates - only to have clients criticise their work after receiving a discounted price. If entrepreneurs are tired of being ignored despite exceptional work, it's time to do something about it. Become an authority, find success. While some entrepreneurs struggle to prove their worth, others manage to flourish. Successful entrepreneurs are able to charge premium prices (that clients are more than happy to pay), have a consistent stream of business (eliminating the need to undersell their services), and manage to get featured by major media outlets - all while gaining a high level of respect by peers, influencers and fans alike. How. Because they have become an industry authority. Industry authorities are movers and shakers. They enjoy greater visibility and recognition in comparison to their peers, because they are considered the best in the world at what they do, are highly sought-after in their respective field and are recognised everywhere they go. The result. They acquire the ability to do business on their terms, earn significant money doing what they love and live a life that many can only dream of. The Authority Super Summit helped businesses become sought-after authorities in their industries. From the 22nd to the 31st of March, the first ever Authority Super Summit took place. The event, which brought together more than 100 of the world's brightest minds, was designed to help entrepreneurs achieve greater success. Running over ten days, the summit was a virtual event - meaning those interested could gain access from anywhere in the world, providing they had internet access. The Authority Super Summit was a collaborative project between the founder of Authority Factory, Josh Denning and the CEO of Insurgent Publishing, Tom Morkes. Authority Factory is a full service authority marketing agency and education company. Led by digital marketing expert Josh Denning, the company aims to help business owners take control of their digital marketing strategy and work towards becoming an authoritative source in their area of expertise. By increasing profits predictability and making the sales process more enjoyable, Authority Factory seeks to help business owners achieve their goals and find greater success. Insurgent Publishing is a boutique, full service publisher that brings great ideas to life. An alternative to standard publishing companies, Morkes began Insurgent Publishing to fix what he perceived to be a 'broken' model of traditional publishing. The company now partners with authors who are in search of a publisher that cares about art - and who puts the relationship between the author and reader first. Insurgent Publishing has launched a number of best-sellers to date and aims to ensure that authors with compelling stories are heard. Through the Authority Super Summit, Denning and Morkes were able to combine their wealth of experience to bring aspiring entrepreneurs the information and advice needed to gain more attention, earn greater respect and achieve more leads and sales. The pair was joined by a world-class authority line up that smashed records. In fact the Authority Super Summit was a Guinness World Record breaking event, setting the record for the world's longest uninterrupted live streaming audio cast. How did this event help entrepreneurs become industry authorities. The Authority Super Summit was designed to address and explain the key components surrounding industry authorities. By covering the five pillars - Mindset, Content, Distribution, Platform and Positioning - this event helped aspiring entrepreneurs acquire the information needed to become revered authorities themselves. The five pillars covered over the course of the Authority Super Summit were: Pillar 1: Mindset. This pillar taught listeners how to develop an authority mindset that enables entrepreneurial success. Listeners discovered how to handle failure, challenges, stress and other factors inevitably faced as an entrepreneur. It's about developing an authority mindset that can cope with these factors - helping to ensure success. Pillar 2: Content. Good content is about creating value - and the best way to create value is to solve people's problems. The second pillar covered how to produce authority content by sharing knowledge, gaining instant credibility and leveraging the correct medium to connect with a target market. Pillar 3: Distribution. Listeners found out how to master authority distribution by determining the fastest, least expensive and most effective path to their audience. This pillar focused on developing automated sales funnels, finding and exploring inexpensive marketing channels, and rapidly scaling early success via paid advertising. Pillar 4: Platform. Pillar IV covered how to create an authority platform that allows clients to find and connect with a business. A strong online presence means growing an active online community around products and services, while also nurturing influencers. Pillar 5: Positioning. The final pillar explained how entrepreneurs can become to position as an authority and start charging what their real worth. By becoming positioning as an industry authority, business people can become the solution provider clients seek out. This Guinness World Record breaking event proved incredibly popular. Miss the summit. Be sure to sign up today and receive the five best master classes from this ground-breaking summit. The best bit.They are 100% free! For more information about us, please visit http://www.authorityfactory.net/ Contact Info: Name: Joshua Denning Email: josh@authorityfactory.net Organization: Authority Factory Phone: +61289607282 Release ID: 109932 For more information visit r Recent Press Releases By The Same User Agarwood Essential Oil Market Expected to Grow at CAGR 4.2% During 2016 to 2022"> (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Cyber Weapon Market by Type, Product, Application, Region, Outlook and Forecast to 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Landscaping and Gardening Expert Trevor McClintock Launches New Locally Optimized Website (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Sleep apnea devices Market is Evolving At A CAGR of 7.5% by 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Agriculture Technology Market 2017 Global Analysis, Opportunities and Forecast to 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Global VR Helmet Market by Manufacturers, Technology, Type and Application, Forecast to 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Staxoweb Launches New Web Development Public Awareness Campaign Seeking out an agency that provides bespoke service which accounts for a company's particular needs produces far better results, Staxoweb reports -- Staxoweb, one of the United Kingdom's leading Web Solutions Specialists, launched a new public awareness campaign. With too many business owners today commissioning websites that do not deliver results, the new Staxoweb campaign will spread awareness as to the difference bespoke, custom-tailored work can make. Unlike many competing agencies, Staxoweb works closely with every client to discover what makes each company unique, translating these findings into bespoke Web Development that produces business-boosting results. "We've seen it too many times: An ambitious small-business owner invests in a new website, only to find that nothing much happens thereafter," Staxoweb CEO Sean Kelly said, "There's a reason that this is such a common fate, but it is one that can easily be avoided. Through our new public awareness campaign, we're going to be helping business owners and leaders understand the importance of partnering with a web design agency that will tailor its work to the unique character of their company. By doing just that ourselves, we have amassed a strong record of producing real results, and there is no reason that more companies cannot benefit from this kind of service." Even though up to 97 percent of today's consumers will at some point search for a product or service online, small business owners are not always adept at taking advantage of that activity. Recent research compiled by online aggregator Statistic Brain, for example, found that only just over half of those small companies surveyed actually had active, available websites of their own, leaving the rest to miss out. While making the investment necessary to put a new business website online will invariably help somewhat, it can also mean getting lost among the competition. Some companies find that, despite the promises their web development partners make, their new websites end up contributing relatively little to their levels of business. Since 2010, Staxoweb has been helping businesses throughout the United Kingdom avoid that unfortunate fate. By working closely with each and every client to understand what makes a given company or organization special, Staxoweb design and development experts develop bespoke strategies for standing out online. As a result, Staxoweb consistently produces and hosts websites that exceed even the greatest hopes of clients. Employing every available tool and whichever of the available technologies make the most sense, Staxoweb website development results go far above and beyond the template-based answers competitors typically provide, while saving clients money in the process. The agency's new public awareness campaign will help even more companies throughout the United Kingdom and beyond learn how valuable assistance of this kind can be. All are invited to learn more at the Staxoweb website, as well as to pose their questions using the contact information found there. About Staxoweb: With a full range of cutting-edge web, e-commerce, and hosting solutions, Staxoweb provides bespoke, results-focused services that best reflect each client's unique nature and needs. For more information about us, please visit https://www.staxoweb.com Contact Info: Name: Sean Kelly Organization: Staxoweb Address: Kingston, England, KT67HT Phone: 02071484581 Source: http://marketersmedia.com/staxoweb-launches-new-web-development-public-awareness-campaign/113546 Release ID: 113546 For more information visit r Recent Press Releases By The Same User Agarwood Essential Oil Market Expected to Grow at CAGR 4.2% During 2016 to 2022"> (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Cyber Weapon Market by Type, Product, Application, Region, Outlook and Forecast to 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Landscaping and Gardening Expert Trevor McClintock Launches New Locally Optimized Website (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Sleep apnea devices Market is Evolving At A CAGR of 7.5% by 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Agriculture Technology Market 2017 Global Analysis, Opportunities and Forecast to 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Global VR Helmet Market by Manufacturers, Technology, Type and Application, Forecast to 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Vein Health Clinic Launches New Blog in Response to Recent Treatment Resurgence Education regarding varicose veins goes hand-in-hand with effective treatment, publishes veinhealth.com.au -- Newly released medical reports reveal a greater than 300 percent increase in the number of patients seeking treatment for varicose veins over the last decade. Though this particular data comes as a result of studies conducted by researchers with the U.K.'s Freeman Hospital and made public via the Annals of the Royal College of Surgeons of England, medical groups across the globe have seen an uptick in this regard. Authorities believe this renewed interest in varicose veins treatments is not indicative of growing prevalence of the condition; rather, it is based upon newly developed non-surgical remedies. With this in mind, Dr. Peter Paraskevas of Australia's Vein Health Clinic has launched the practice's new blog. Dr. Paraskevas explained, "We've dedicated our blog to better educating those suffering from varicose veins. Information provided therein revolves around not only the many less invasive procedures now available, but the condition itself. Many people began veering away from standard treatments due to their potential risks of scarring and other side effects, but our more advanced treatments eliminate that factor." As one of the nation's leading Phlebologists, Dr. Paraskevas and his diversified medical team provide an array of targeted treatments for the correction of problematic veins. Among these are Endovenous Laser and Radiofrequency Ablation, Direct Vision Sclerotherapy and Venaseal Glue. While each is derived from different forms of technology, all are designed to combat the common issues experienced with now outdated vein stripping procedures, such as infection, post-operative bleeding, scarring and reappearance of diseased veins. The Vein Health Clinic additionally offers Ultrasound Guided Foam Sclerotherapy, one of the industry's latest developments. Similar to Direct Vision Sclerotherapy, this treatment entails injection of a foam detergent-based solution into the vein through use of ultrasound technology for improved accuracy. Following the procedure, affected veins harden and are naturally absorbed by the patient's body over time. Concluded Dr. Paraskevas, "Our blog offers patients information on each of the treatments we provide, but we take matters a few steps further. Posts cover typical causes of varicose veins, such as genetic predisposition, pregnancy and other issues. We also aim to help readers differentiate between the truth of this condition and common myths surrounding it. Although varicose veins can't always be prevented, we offer advice on reducing the risks of developing problems and dealing with symptoms until treatment takes place. We believe education goes hand-in-hand with effective vein therapies and will continual to update our blog as new information arises." About the Vein Health Clinic: As a member of the Australasian College of Phlebology, an Affiliate Member of the Australasian College of Cosmetic Surgery and an HDAA Accredited Practice, the Vein Health Clinic is provides a multi-faceted approach to the treatment of venous diseases. Each patient is evaluated on an individual basis to determine the most beneficial course of action to eliminate varicose veins and prevent their recurrence. For more information about us, please visit http://veinhealth.com.au/about-us Contact Info: Name: Dr. Peter Paraskevas Organization: Vein Health Clinic Phone: 03) 9898 4466 Source: http://marketersmedia.com/vein-health-clinic-launches-new-blog-in-response-to-recent-treatment-resurgence/113522 Release ID: 113522 For more information visit r Recent Press Releases By The Same User Agarwood Essential Oil Market Expected to Grow at CAGR 4.2% During 2016 to 2022"> (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Cyber Weapon Market by Type, Product, Application, Region, Outlook and Forecast to 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Landscaping and Gardening Expert Trevor McClintock Launches New Locally Optimized Website (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Sleep apnea devices Market is Evolving At A CAGR of 7.5% by 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Agriculture Technology Market 2017 Global Analysis, Opportunities and Forecast to 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Global VR Helmet Market by Manufacturers, Technology, Type and Application, Forecast to 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) 814 Interactive Launches New Promotional Offer Geared Toward Small Businesses Keeping up with search engine updates and changing consumer expectations are crucial to effective small business SEO, publishes im814.com -- According to reports published last year, online consumers continue to be largely unaffected by blatant online advertising campaigns. An estimated 80 percent admit to favoring organic leads over paid ads when conducting searches for products and services, indicating a potential 10 percent increase over the previous year. Website content appears to be a rising star in this regard with consumers increasingly trending toward neutral and informative material. This comes as no surprise to the staff of digital marketing firm 814 Interactive who have watched this development unfold for some time. With the surging emphasis on content in mind, spokesperson Adam Roseland has launched the company's latest offer geared toward new clients. Roseland elaborated, "Small businesses are our focus, and we're well aware of just how profoundly SEO impacts our clients. They're constantly at risk of being overshadowed by larger companies and national or international chains targeting local customers. At the same time, search engines repeatedly change their algorithms, impacting the effectiveness of current online marketing tactics. In an effort to help small businesses, we're guaranteeing new clients an increase in online traffic; otherwise, their first month of SEO service is free." Where website content is concerned, a number of elements factor into effective SEO. According to industry authorities, the most prominent of these is originality. In order to draw public attention, written information must stand out by offering information not found on competitors' websites. Though keyword and phrase inclusion remains crucial to being indexed by search engines, recently updated algorithms allow for slightly greater freedom in this respect than those of the past. Diversified use of search terms is also increasingly vital. Blogging likewise plays growing role in SEO efforts. Aside from being an additional opportunity for keyword and key phrase use to boost search engine rankings, this strategy can be considered a marketing portal. Providing unbiased informational posts on various aspects of a company's industry aids in building trust among modern consumers. This alone has proven effective in lead conversion as well as generating greater public interest through social media. Concluded Roseland, "Our goal is to help small businesses improve their online presences through a blend of SEO, PPC and content marketing, formulating a plan unique to each client while taking into consideration the finer points of the industries they serve. We don't require contracts, we're dedicated to being transparent about the services we offer, and we strive to generate results for those entrusting us with their SEO and marketing needs." About 814 Interactive: A Philadelphia-based digital marketing firm, 814 Interactive concentrates on SEO, PPC and content marketing. Their team is dedicated to creating innovative ideas to help boost clients' online presences through effective techniques continually restructured to keep up with changing consumer expectations and search engine requirements. For more information about us, please visit http://www.im814.com Contact Info: Name: Adam Roseland Organization: 814 Interactive Phone: (855) 697-3814 Source: http://marketersmedia.com/814-interactive-launches-new-promotional-offer-geared-toward-small-businesses/113527 Release ID: 113527 For more information visit r Recent Press Releases By The Same User Agarwood Essential Oil Market Expected to Grow at CAGR 4.2% During 2016 to 2022"> (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Cyber Weapon Market by Type, Product, Application, Region, Outlook and Forecast to 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Landscaping and Gardening Expert Trevor McClintock Launches New Locally Optimized Website (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Sleep apnea devices Market is Evolving At A CAGR of 7.5% by 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Agriculture Technology Market 2017 Global Analysis, Opportunities and Forecast to 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Global VR Helmet Market by Manufacturers, Technology, Type and Application, Forecast to 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Fire Food Chef Launches New Burger Recipe Lineup Marking Barbecue Open Season Signature recipes give grillers and their guests new twists on a classic favorite, publishes firefoodchef.com -- As warm weather finally sweeps the nation, Americans are gearing up for the annual barbecue season; in truth, 56 percent of those who cook out do so all year in spite of frigid temperatures. According to the Hearth, Patio and Barbecue Association, more than 200 million households across the country are currently equipped to enjoy cooking outdoors with an estimated 15 million additional grill purchases forecast for the months to come. In honor of this dedication to the tradition of barbecuing, William Clay of Fire Food Chef has launched the company's 17 Classy Burger Recipes. Said Clay, "Burgers are a staple at barbecues, but plenty of grill chefs and their guests are growing bored with the norm. Our recipes are here to put an entirely new spin on a classic favorite and give America's grillers an opportunity to create gourmet experiences right in their back yards. We've compiled unique recipes from some of the world's most renowned chefs and made them available to barbecue beginners and flame aficionados alike." Among Fire Food Chef's lineup is the Insanity Burger from Jamie Oliver, a signature blend of flavors mixed with minced chuck steak rather than supermarket variety ground beef. Jan Braai combines burgers with an infamous cocktail in his Bloody Mary Burger. A truffle cheese-stuffed burger with crispy trumpet mushrooms also makes the cut as does the Bourbon Burger, which calls for whiskey in the burger itself as well as its sauce. A number of other variations have also been provided via the Fire Food Chef website. Clay noted, "For those who are ready to take their barbecues to the next level, we recommend a smoker, and Weber could be considered the most well-known name in the industry when it comes to outdoor cooking. We've published our own reviews of the company's Smokey Mountain Cooker. Three different models are included in this lineup, and visitors can learn more about each of them through the link on our website." The Fire Food Chef review mentions the smaller Weber 711001 14-inch model is appropriate for novices as well as those only entertaining a small number of guests. Larger models in the Smokey Mountain Cooker collection feature wider doors than earlier versions and accommodate larger crowds. More in-depth information can be found at http://firefoodchef.com/weber-smokey-mountain-cooker-review/. About Fire Food Chef: As a top go-to source for barbecuing, grilling and smoking, Fire Food Chef aims to bring fellow fire food fans the best tips, recipes and ideas for their next cook outs. For more information about us, please visit http://firefoodchef.com/ Contact Info: Name: William Clay Organization: Fire Food Chef Phone: 1 (205) 931-2144 Source: http://marketersmedia.com/fire-food-chef-launches-new-burger-recipe-lineup-marking-barbecue-open-season/113518 Release ID: 113518 For more information visit r Recent Press Releases By The Same User Agarwood Essential Oil Market Expected to Grow at CAGR 4.2% During 2016 to 2022"> (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Cyber Weapon Market by Type, Product, Application, Region, Outlook and Forecast to 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Landscaping and Gardening Expert Trevor McClintock Launches New Locally Optimized Website (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Sleep apnea devices Market is Evolving At A CAGR of 7.5% by 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Agriculture Technology Market 2017 Global Analysis, Opportunities and Forecast to 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Global VR Helmet Market by Manufacturers, Technology, Type and Application, Forecast to 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Free 24/7 DUI Consultation Is Launched By Leading Sacramento DUI lawyers The Sacramento DUI Specialists have updated its business day hours to provide Free 24/7 DUI consultation in Sacramento to new clients and old. Anyone who seeks professional legal help can take advantage of the new face-to-face initial consultation 24/7. -- People who were charged with Sacramento DUI looking for Free 24/7 DUI lawyer consultation can now take advantage of the new offering from The Sacramento DUI Specialists. The Sacramento DUI Specialists have implemented a new element to its face-to-face free initial consultation that is available 24/7, to benefit both new and existing customers, in order to help those who needs instant legal help. Specifically, this update will deliver an instant protection to potential Sacramento DUI clients. The Sacramento DUI Specialists have been able to do this by expanding working day to a 24/7 hotline. To take full advantage of this new update and Free 24/7 Sacramento DUI consultation, customers can visit the website at https://www.sacramentoduilawyernow.org/ for full details. The Sacramento DUI Specialists are excited to unveil the latest benefit for current and new face-to-face initial consultation clients as it's specifically designed to meet the needs of thos who were charge with Sacramento DUI offense. On this subject, John Williams, Lead Sacramento DUI attorney at The Sacramento DUI Specialists said: "Sacramento DUI law firm now offers instant help to those who needs legal help immediately. It is understandable that being arrested for DUI is a very stressful situation and some people require help right away. " The Sacramento DUI Specialists have made a point of listening to its customers and taking feedback wherever possible. They reportedly do this because law firm exists to make sure clients are getting proper DUI defense and on time. Having been in business now for more than 10 years, The Sacramento DUI Specialists strives to to be at the top of DUI legal defense in the DUI criminal defense market. This dedication has made them known among customers as being the one law office people can trust and rely on. Interested parties who would like to be among the first to experience the Free 24/7 DUI consultation with The Sacramento DUI Specialists are encouraged to visit the website for full details and to get started. For more information about us, please visit https://www.sacramentoduilawyernow.org/ Contact Info: Name: John Williams Organization: The Sacramento DUI Specialists Address: 1415 21st St, Sacramento CA 95811 Phone: (877) 870-4087 Release ID: 113431 For more information visit r Recent Press Releases By The Same User Agarwood Essential Oil Market Expected to Grow at CAGR 4.2% During 2016 to 2022"> (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Cyber Weapon Market by Type, Product, Application, Region, Outlook and Forecast to 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Landscaping and Gardening Expert Trevor McClintock Launches New Locally Optimized Website (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Sleep apnea devices Market is Evolving At A CAGR of 7.5% by 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Agriculture Technology Market 2017 Global Analysis, Opportunities and Forecast to 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Global VR Helmet Market by Manufacturers, Technology, Type and Application, Forecast to 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) New Launch Date for Amorres Pre Professional Dance Training Program in Bangalore Nivesaa finally announces the confirmed launch date of its new Amorres Pre Professional Dance Training Program in Bangalore as 16th May 2016 in place of previously announced 14th May 2016. Further information can be found at http://nivesaa.com/amorres-dance-teacher-training/. -- Nivesaa today finally announced the revised official launch date of its upcoming Amorres Pre Professional Dance Training Program in Bangalore on 16th May 2016 delaying it by 2 days from the earlier announced date which was 14th of May 2016. Rumors are already starting to circulate among observers and die-hard fans within the Pre Professional Dance Training Program world, as the 'Live' date of the Amorres service draws near. Nivesaa has also released three things fans, reviewers and critics can expect from inception time on 16th May 2016. The first thing folks should expect is a big improvement in raising the quality of dance enthusiasts who are otherwise busy with their careers by providing flexi-hours, to a level from where they can take their final plunge into becoming full-fledged professional dancers anytime in their life whenever they feel so. Nivesaa makes this happen by providing more hours per week than its normal dance classes in Bangalore along with keeping the hours flexible. Also the batch is made fully cohesive by accepting no new entries once the program has taken off. On top of that, the program has been provided exceptionally high quality master trainers to be able to fetch the best results for this ambitious project. This is to be expected from a business that places this much value on the quality that the participants get out of their participation in this 4 month long intensive pre professional dance training program. As well as that, Nivesaa will be celebrating the live day event with an orientation program providing an insight into the world of global professional dance arena. It is their hope that this will make the participants become fully equipped with practical knowledge about what they want from their life in future as far as making dance their professional career is concerned. Finally, for die hard fans of the industry, they'll be interested in knowing what went into the creation of the Amorres program. Well, It has taken them 2 years to put it together, from start to finish, from the initial idea to fully implementing the program! Nivesaa has recently released a video announcing the launch of Amorres Pre Professional Dance Training Program in Bangalore: https://youtu.be/zJuDLP0LV-Q Sahiba Singh, Co-Founder at Nivesaa also wanted to add "Our prime aim is to bring quality teachers to impart quality education. And hence our program has 7 highly skilled teachers. We also emphasize on pedagogy so when these students begin to facilitate their own sessions, they will have an innate understanding of how to pass on the information in the most efficient manner. We believe the best way to learn is to teach and hence the focus on our pedagogy lessons is very evident. Besides the training program, we also offer open classes to the program students. Every class at Nivesaa opens up to our pre professional dancers at no additional charge. Another huge difference from most other schools, at Nivesaa, is that once you sign up for our program, you can forever keep attending the subsequent programs/courses in the future at no additional charge. In fact, if you are a part of the repertoire, you will be paid as a company member as well. The more you learn from us, the happier we are, and that will only push you further ahead!" For further information about Nivesaa or the new Amorres Pre Professional Dance Training Program, it can all be discovered at http://nivesaa.com/amorres-dance-teacher-training/ For more information about us, please visit http://nivesaa.com Contact Info: Name: Sahiba Singh Email: info@nivesaa.com Organization: Nivesaa Address: 3366, Shiv Jyoti Complex, 13th Main, HAL 2nd Stage, Indiranagar, Bangalore, Karnataka, India- 560008 Phone: +919611995709 Release ID: 113136 For more information visit r Recent Press Releases By The Same User Agarwood Essential Oil Market Expected to Grow at CAGR 4.2% During 2016 to 2022"> (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Cyber Weapon Market by Type, Product, Application, Region, Outlook and Forecast to 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Landscaping and Gardening Expert Trevor McClintock Launches New Locally Optimized Website (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Sleep apnea devices Market is Evolving At A CAGR of 7.5% by 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Agriculture Technology Market 2017 Global Analysis, Opportunities and Forecast to 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Global VR Helmet Market by Manufacturers, Technology, Type and Application, Forecast to 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Chevron Automotive Launches While-You-Wait Safety Certificate Service Chevron Automotive has released 5 previously unpublished facts about its Queensland Road Safety Certificate while-you-wait service. Further information can be found at http://carservicelabrador.com.au. -- Chevron Automotive Launches While-You-Wait Safety Certificate Service for Gold Coast motorists visiting the Harbour Town Shopping Precinct. Queensland Roadworthy Certificates are imperative for all vehicles on Queensland roads and are now available while-you-wait and are now available by phoning to book in a car, which fans and consumers within the car repair space should find particularly interesting. Chevron Automotive did something different compared to other businesses in the car repair space, by listening to customers who wanted a while-you-wait service. The 45-60 minutes it takes to complete the Queensland Safety Certificate (Roadworthy Certificate or RWC) can be used to have a coffee or visit Harbour Town Shopping Centre across the road. Safety certificates are imperative for all vehicles on Queensland roads Any work required to complete the provisions of the Safety Certificate can be carried out by a qualified mechanic or by re-booking the car into Chevron Automotive A safety certificate inspection is not a comprehensive mechanical inspection. If buying or selling a used vehicle, a qualified mechanic should be engaged for a full mechanical inspection. Chevron Automotive got it's start when Founder Paul Zimmerman noticed a growing need for a quick Roadworthy Certificate was created in response to clients' feedback. Paul has over 20 years prior experience in the car servicing world. This is in addition to years of experience in and a passion for restoring and repairing classic American cars. Paul Zimmerman is quoted saying: "We like to do things to connect with customers. Things like, we train staff in giving 5 Star service, and releasing these little factoids even though Queensland Road Safety Certificates are available from other mechanics to remind the market, are what make all the difference." Queensland Road Safety Certificate has been provided by Chevron Automotive for 6 months. To find out more, it's possible to visit http://carservicelabrador.com.au/chevronrwc For more facts and further information about Chevron Automotive, this can be discovered at http://carservicelabrador.com.au For more information about us, please visit http://carservicelabrador.com.au Contact Info: Name: Paul Zimmermann Organization: Chevron Automotive Address: 224 Brisbane Rd, Labrador, Queensland, 4215 Phone: 1300 361 418 Release ID: 113467 For more information visit r Recent Press Releases By The Same User Agarwood Essential Oil Market Expected to Grow at CAGR 4.2% During 2016 to 2022"> (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Cyber Weapon Market by Type, Product, Application, Region, Outlook and Forecast to 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Landscaping and Gardening Expert Trevor McClintock Launches New Locally Optimized Website (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Sleep apnea devices Market is Evolving At A CAGR of 7.5% by 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Agriculture Technology Market 2017 Global Analysis, Opportunities and Forecast to 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Global VR Helmet Market by Manufacturers, Technology, Type and Application, Forecast to 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Trip-Smart.com Signs Partnership Agreement With JustAirTicket.com Online Travel Agency Expands Airline Offerings with Trip-Smart Deal -- Trip-Smart.com, leading provider of fulfillment services to travel brands and Justairticket.com, a global travel booking website, have signed a partnership agreement in which Trip-Smart.com will provide select air content to their existing portfolio. The collaboration will see Trip-Smart.com working with Justairticket.com on an ongoing basis, to build an enhanced air offering for its customers worldwide. The deal will provide Justairticket.com customers access to over 950 airlines worldwide as part of Trip-Smart.com airline inventory, which also includes more than 170 low cost carriers. The working union of the two travel companies will benefit by providing many of the lowest airfares on the market today from a wide source of airlines to choose from. "Travelers search multiple channels and websites before booking their air travel to ensure they are receiving the best deal. Trip-Smart.com has an inventory of leading air suppliers across the globe and lowest airfares from 950 airlines. Our partnership with Trip-Smart.com will help us provide best air travel options and best airfare to our customers," said Ashish Rathour, President, Justairticket.com. Mike Putman, Chief at Trip-Smart.com, said, "We are very excited about this partnership as it will open up a large distribution network and will ultimately increase demand and drive bookings for our travel partners - both for Justairticket.com as well as our airline partners." About Trip-Smart.com Trip-Smart Travel Solutions, the B2B arm of Trip-Smart.com, is a full service, bespoke travel service company focused on delivery to the B2B market with 60 years of experience in the online travel domain. It provides private label and API travel solutions to a broad range of partners, including airlines, hotels, travel sites, associations, and travel agent networks. Trip-Smart.com also provides direct to consumer booking. About Justairticket.com Online travel agency JustAirTicket.com is focused on bringing international and domestic travelers the lowest fares to worldwide destinations. As a proud member of the American Society of Travel Agents, Just Air Ticket's partnerships with top-tier travel agencies enable us to offer travelers special privileges, extra savings, flight upgrades, and complimentary meals that aren't offered to most travelers. Over 100,000 customers have used JustAirTicket.com to fly over 900,000 routes on more than 480 airlines world-wide. Get the best prices on air fares, hotel bookings, and car rentals at www.JustAirTicket.com or call 1-800-940-9345. For more information about us, please visit http://www.justairticket.com/ Contact Info: Name: Ashish Rathour Email: info@justairticket.com Organization: http://www.justairticket.com/ Address: 2500 Plaza 5, 25th FLoor, Harborside Financial Center, Jersey City, NJ 07311 Phone: http://www.justairticket.com/ Source: http://marketersmedia.com/trip-smart-com-signs-partnership-agreement-with-justairticket-com/113471 Release ID: 113471 For more information visit r Recent Press Releases By The Same User Agarwood Essential Oil Market Expected to Grow at CAGR 4.2% During 2016 to 2022"> (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Cyber Weapon Market by Type, Product, Application, Region, Outlook and Forecast to 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Landscaping and Gardening Expert Trevor McClintock Launches New Locally Optimized Website (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Sleep apnea devices Market is Evolving At A CAGR of 7.5% by 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Agriculture Technology Market 2017 Global Analysis, Opportunities and Forecast to 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Global VR Helmet Market by Manufacturers, Technology, Type and Application, Forecast to 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Whole-Body-Health Conscious Doctor Joins Burleigh Heads Chiropractic Center Dr. Kayli Manner, alongside Dr. Chris Ientile, will do whatever they can so their patients are able to be the best they can be in their everyday life. -- Dr. Kayli Manner is the latest addition to the group of holistic practitioners at BHCC. Gold Coast, Australia: Burleigh Heads Chiropractic Centre is passionate about people maintaining health and vitality in life. Humans are all designed to live a life full of energy, happiness, passion and love. With the increasingly sedentary lifestyle few people pay attention to their spine and nervous system until pain or discomfort has debilitated them. That is why for many, chiropractors are necessary for maintaining and enhancing the human experience. It is with that in mind that Burleigh Heads Chiropractic Center adds Dr. Kayli Manner to their team, adding to what many consider a vast wealth of knowledge on the spine and nervous system. The importance of Chiropractic care cannot be overstated. Proper Chiropractic treatment can aid those who suffer with pain, poor sleep, poor digestion, lack of energy and so many more ailments. Dr. Manner is excited to join the Burleigh Heads practice and loves knowing that what she does, "truly enhances the human experience, while guiding others to discover their brilliance." Dr. Kayli Manner is trained in a number of techniques to adjust the spine and nervous system, which induce: Applied Kinesiology, SOT, Neurolink, Diversified, Gonstead, Thompson Drop Table, Logan Basic, Activator, Impulse IQ instrument Adjusting and Neuro Emotional Technique. About Dr. Kayli Manner Dr. Kayli Manner grew up in a conscious community in Canada that focused on a natural approach to helping people. For her the Chiropractic's art, philosophy and science are the perfect match. Dr. Manner has a degree in Exercise Science at the University of Calgary in Canada, completed internships at the New Zealand College of Chiropractic in addition to years of experience as a Chiropractic Assist and traveling to the Cook Islands to provide complementary Chiropractic care to the locals. She has a great love and appreciation for yoga and meditation practice, as it allows her the time and space to challenge her body physically and to listen to the inner wisdom that is available to all of people. For more on Dr. Kayli visit her health and mindfulness blog at www.drkayli.com and keep up to date on Facebook with Burleigh Heads Chiropractic and Dr. Kayli at https://www.facebook.com/burleighheadschiropractic For more information about us, please visit http://empoweringwellness.com.au Contact Info: Name: Dr Chris Ientile Organization: Burleigh Heads Chiropractic Centre Address: 2/1846 Lower Gold Coast Hwy,Burleigh Heads,QLD,4220 Phone: (07) 5535 9833 Release ID: 113487 For more information visit r Recent Press Releases By The Same User Agarwood Essential Oil Market Expected to Grow at CAGR 4.2% During 2016 to 2022"> (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Cyber Weapon Market by Type, Product, Application, Region, Outlook and Forecast to 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Landscaping and Gardening Expert Trevor McClintock Launches New Locally Optimized Website (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Sleep apnea devices Market is Evolving At A CAGR of 7.5% by 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Agriculture Technology Market 2017 Global Analysis, Opportunities and Forecast to 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Global VR Helmet Market by Manufacturers, Technology, Type and Application, Forecast to 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Free Freightnet Membership List your company in the Freightnet directory. It's Free, it's Easy and your company can be displayed in front of potential freight buyers within 24 hours. On an average day, Brian Gesler works as a computer programmer at a Cleveland insurance company. But for one weekend last month, he was busy creating jet packs that could one day be used by astronauts on Mars.He crowded around tables in a conference room at NASAs John H. Glenn Research Center campus with a team hed just met. Some sketched prototypes across sheets hung on the walls, others pecked away frantically on laptops. They called themselves Moon Tang Clan.Gesler and his team were one of 17 groups in Cleveland that took part in the 2016 International Space Apps Challenge . Since 2012, the hackathon has brought together coders, artists, and general tinkerers to use open data provided by NASA to spark solutions to many of the aeronautics and space agencys most pressing hurdles. The event now spreads across 161 locations around the globe.Other hackathons are hyper-local, but with this, youre part of a global effort, says Gesler.The program is part of openNASA , an initiative to share NASAs own data, code and APIs with the public in effort to foster transparency and collaboration. The idea is: NASA provides the knowledge of their experts, their data and their resources (3D printers and virtual reality systems, to name a few) and the more than 15,300 participants around the world endeavor to help the organization see things from a different perspective if only for one weekend.In the past, participants have produced mobile apps, software, hardware and data visualizations, among other creations. Some of the works have gone on to be implemented by NASA or garnered venture capital to get off the ground.In 2013, former NASA Glenn chief information officer Sasi Pillay approached Brad Nellis, who was the executive director of OHTec at the time, about organizing Space Apps in Cleveland. Nellis added the program to Tech Week and from 2013 to 2014, the program was held at Cuyahoga Community Colleges Advanced Technology Training Center . Last year, NASA officially brought the program home, making NASA Glenn the only host of a Space Apps Challenge among the organization's 10 facilities across the United States.This event offers a great opportunity for local tech folks to unleash their creativity and ingenuity for a great cause, said Nellis. Being here at NASA Glenn adds a unique and exciting dimension to the hackathon, fellow space geeks love it here.Herbert Schilling, a NASA computer scientist who works on the scientific applications and visualization team and is now a Space Apps organizer, remembers coming to NASA in high school as part of an outreach program. Now that hes an employee, he says its his turn to give back.I run into NASA fans all the time and I like offering them an opportunity to cultivate that love even more, Schilling says. I love learning from them. Im inspired by the things they come up with.Organizer Sarah Dutkiewicz, President of Cleveland Tech Consulting , was instrumental in bringing new participants on board. Dutkiewicz utilized different social media channels to connect with an array of user groups in the region and also reached out to the growing number of coding boot camps in Cleveland, many of which are designed to bring more women and minorities into the field.Im a space geek; Sally Ride was always one of my idols, she says enthusiastically. To be here seeing all different walks of life working with NASA, Im beyond thrilled.As the sounds of the NASA Glenn band, an employee brass ensemble, filled the auditorium on Friday night, participants passed through security and filed into the building. This year was the first that youth were able to take part in the hackathon, and plenty circled the room with school backpacks.Sean Gallagher, current Chief Information Officer of NASA Glenn Research Center and David L. Stringer, Director of the Plum Brook Management Office offered opening remarks.Once a year, we get a chance to step back, open up the treasure trove of NASA data youll get to access over the weekend, and ask you to solve some of our bigger problems, said Gallagher.Stringer spoke on understanding each team members strengths and weaknesses.Know your job, work together and have no surprises, he said. Degrees dont measure the human being smarts, persistence and the willingness to co-operate does. Be curious, learn as much as you can and talk to as many people as possible.Teams were introduced to this years challenges, which included space fashion and design, aeronautics, biomimicry, missions to Mars and even ideas to improve the planet. The challenge concepts were collected by NASA and then handed over to organizers like Stacey Brooks, NASAs Open Government Datanaut Community Manager, who gathered data from their own archives and the web to give participants enough information to get started.We get volumes and volumes of data from all the space craft we have, says Brooks. But I will look at that data in one way and you might look at it in another way. And if everyone has an opportunity to view it through their own lens, well get a lot more research out of it. The more we all collaborate together, the more interesting our solutions will be.Of course, often times that information is only a stepping stone. The hackathon also brings in subject matter experts that teams can consult. Jay Horowitz, who retired four years ago from the graphics and visualization department, has been helping teams who come to him with questions on topics such as virtual reality.When they ask about using the VR technology for a mission to Mars or to control a rover, he fills them in on ways NASA has already used it in the past. For example, the Elon Muskateers team created a camera with light field photography capabilities that could be attached to rovers to create more 3D images.His best advice? Think beyond todays tools.Ive been encouraging them to not think of todays cameras, he says. Cameras ten years from now are going to be radically different. A large part of that was just encouraging them to think outside of the box. Any time NASA tries to design something, we have to be prepared for everything to change a few years from now.On Sunday afternoon, Gesler and the rest of Moon Tang Clan took the stage to present a battery-powered exoskeleton with jet turbine generators. Imagine a wearable machine that could reduce strain on astronauts as they traverse Mars, help them lift heavy objects and enhance their stride to cover more ground. On the screen, they played a first-person simulation of the red terrain, which was created in Unity 3D using a topographical map of Mars freely available online The Moon Tang Clan took home first place.Team Star-whals took second by developing a real mission to retrieve a near Earth asteroid for future mining.We didnt just build the sensor package or the impactor, says participant Brian Stofiel, who is also CEO of Stofiel Aerospace. This was a mission. We went from the very beginning to retrieving. We really wanted to address the whole topic.Peoples Choice winning team Dragonfly also focused on asteroids. The exploratory satellites they proposed, called Dragonflies, can be released in a cluster formation. In the middle of each is a javelin that opens like an umbrella six to 12 feet deep inside the asteroid. Each would contain sensors that could allow them to create effects, like 3D images.The javelins inception was rooted in biomimicry, the practice of using nature as a model for design. Its inspiration? A porcupines quill, the prickly, arrow-shaped spines that easily penetrate predators but are difficult to remove once lodged. In this case, the javelin is the quill; the asteroid is the predator.Another team, the hackathons local winner, created a prototype of a motor for an electric aircraft that could be made out of 80 percent 3D printed parts. The motor is flatter than usual, which would create higher power density and efficiency.As much as many Space Apps teams focused on the possibilities of exploring the great unknown, other groups shared how NASAs data can have an immediate effect on understanding our own planet. One created an app to self-diagnose allergies by finding correlations between pollution and NASA data. Another offers better communication between residents of pastoral areas by using NASA maps and weather data.Its a subtle reminder on the year of NASA Glenns 75anniversary that the discoveries of space exploration continue to impact our everyday lives from the solar panels were building on our homes for sustainable energy to the firefighter who pulls a breathing mask over his face before rushing into a fire to the enriched formula a parent trusts when feeding their newborn.For one weekend a year, 15,310 extra hands help us see that the future isnt really so far off.As part of NASA Glenns 75th anniversary, it will host a free public open house at its Lewis Field main campus, 21000 Brookpark Rd. on May 21 and 22 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mortgage market associations have called on the next Scottish government to put tackling problems in the housing market top of its agenda, as the country heads to the polls on 5 May. Voters north of the border look set to return the incumbent Scottish National Party, which has been dominant across the country since it swept to power back in 2007. The mortgage community has been voicing its wish-list for the new government, on property taxation, regulation of the buy-to-let sector and rent caps. Of the three main parties pledges, the SNP plans to introduce a Land and Buildings Transaction Tax on second homes, along with legislation to limit landlords to only increase rents once in any 12 month period and let local authorities set caps on rent rises. In contrast the Scottish Conservative Party has suggested rent is not actually rising because sitting tenants are keeping rents stable, and may actually rise annually under the SNPs plans. Meanwhile, the Scottish Labour Party has committed to supporting first time buyers with grants of up to 3,000, providing applicants save into an Isa. The Scottish Liberal Democrats pledged to continue supporting the Help to Buy scheme and looked introduce a Help to Renovate loan. CML Scotlands senior policy adviser John Marr said the new government will need to focus on implementating major changes to the private rented sector introduced through the Private Housing (Tenancies) Act. This challenges the buy-to-let sector with measures preventing landlords from stipulating a minimum tenancy term, and allowing tenants to terminate their rental agreement with just 28 days notice. It will also enable the government to cap rents if it thinks they are too high. he told delegates at the Council of Mortgage Lenders inaugural meeting of its new Scottish stakeholder forum. Overall the reforms affecting landlords could restrict provision in the private rented sector and hamper government aspirations to increase housing supply, according to CML Scotland. As well as changes in the Act, landlords acquiring new properties must now pay higher rates of land and buildings transaction tax. Association of Mortgage Intermediaries chief executive Robert Sinclair shared many of CMLs concerns. Changes to tenants rights and stamp duty taxes have the potential to put the rental market at risk in Scotland, with the very real possibility of arbitrage across the border in terms of the buy-to-let market, he said. He added house building is also a concern. Funding for schemes like Help to Buy is lower north of the border, he said, adding it does not appear to be top of the SNPs agenda. The Building Societies Association stated it is looking to involve the new government in conversations about the need for retirement homes and housing options, the need for regulation that encourages innovation and the need for there to be a range of tenures available in the housing market. William Hunter, director of Edinburgh-based Hunter Wealth Management, commented that buy-to-let changes are already driving people to consider limited company vehicles in order to offset costs. French insurance giant Axa has announced plans to abandon the UK life and savings market as it looks to refocus its business, and sell its platform business to Standard Life. Axa has confirmed it is engaged in discussions for the sale of its remaining UK life and savings assets, namely its direct protection business SunLife and its non-platform investment and pension business. However, the French insurer said today (4 May) there is no certainty these discussions will result in these transactions being completed. The announcement comes as news emerged yesterday (3 May) Standard Life had reached an agreement to buy Axas entire issued share capital of Axas Portfolio Services, the company trading as Elevate. The move, which is subject to regulatory approval, will add 9.8bn in assets under management to the Standard Life platform and bring the total assets under administration to 36.4bn. It will be funded from the companys existing cash resources. There has been speculation around the sale of Axas platform for months after it failed to meet targets. David Tiller, head of adviser and wealth manager propositions at Standard Life, said: The acquisition demonstrates to advisers that, as the market consolidates, supporting their businesses and meeting the evolving needs of their clients is central to the long-term strategy of Standard Life. Architas, which is Axas UK property & casualty, health and asset management division, is not included in the scope of the five-year strategic review. Commenting on the proposed sell-off of its life and savings businesses, Paul Evans, Axa UK chief executive, said: After detailed consideration, we have come to the conclusion that these businesses could be even more successful if supported by organisations with a stronger strategic focus on the life and savings segment. These transactions would allow Axa to rebalance the focus of its UK activities towards property & casualty, health and asset management. Dan Farrow, director of Chelmsford-based SBN Wealth Management, said: Axa have clearly lost the appetite to compete in the increasingly competitive UK market. Like most other platform providers, Standard Life dont really spend enough on technology at the front end, so this is more about a grab for assets under management than anything else. I rarely use the Standard Life platform and never Axa, as from a cost perspective, Alliance Trust wins every time. katherine.denham@ft.com Old Mutual Global Investors is to close its onshore Old Mutual Japanese Equity fund after its size reduced with total assets of just 18m as of March 31 2016. The fund, which is run by Ian Heslop, Amadeo Alentorn and Mike Servent will close next month, but the larger offshore version of the fund will remain open and will continue to be run by the management trio. In a statement OMGI explained: We have written to shareholders in the onshore Old Mutual Japanese Equity Fund to notify them that it will be closing on June 17 2016. We have made the decision to close the fund because it has reduced in size and with remaining assets of less than 20m; it is no longer viable for it to remain open. We therefore believe that investors interests will be best served by closing the fund. Data from FE Analytics shows the A accumulation share class delivered a loss of 4.5 per cent for the 12 months to May 3 2016, compared with the IA Japan sector average loss of 2.2 per cent. Alastair Conway, chief executive of James Hay Partnership, has predicted a return to the old world of restricted salesforces, following the sale of Axa Elevate to Standard Life and subsequent sales of a similar nature. Speaking to FTAdviser, he said he believed there will be less life insurers in the market in a couple of years time. Mr Conway said: I think there will be more of the old world where youve got tied, restricted salesforces selling products of only one or two manufacturers. So it has gone back to where we started from. All that work - 30 years - all one big circle. So it has gone back to where we started from. All that work - 30 years - all one big circle. Alastair Conway He said there could be breakouts, because people will not want to deal with tied models, adding there is a real opportunity for advisers. The challenge comes with an Old Mutual or Standard Life providing the advice and the funds and the platform. Some investors they will look at it and go thats quite compelling, so why would I go to an IFA when Ive got something that looks like this? The challenge for advisers is how they will differentiate from these models. There is an opportunity there because I think they can differentiate, but it means they need to stay on their toes and keep evolving, because that will look very much like a Standard Life or an Old Mutual. Mr Conway said he was not aware of any more big deals coming up in the market, but added a lot of moves had been going on behind the scenes. Standard buying Elevate is huge, if Aegon were to buy Cofunds then that is huge. The Suffolk deal into Curtis Banks is a big deal in this market place. Interestingly, if you look at it a lot of it focuses around decisions by life companies. I mean take the Axa decision, Ive been standing on stages for five years saying Paris will pull the plug at some stage, you just dont know whether they will or not; I guess that they ran out of patience. He added that while others are looking for the exit, Standard Life have proved to be the insurer which has stuck at it. If you are the French at Axa looking at their portfolio around Europe, there is loads of other markets where pricing is much higher and they can get a much better return on their capital than they can sinking it into a platform in the UK and paying FNZ 12 basis points, or whatever they are paying the platform. ruth.gillbe@ft.com As Londoners go to the polls tomorrow (5 May) to decide their next mayor, the Council of Mortgage Lenders has warned about potential conflicts between different housing initiatives, market instability and unintended consequences. London faces housing challenges unique to the rest of the UK, making property the key battleground from the start of the mayoral campaign. The CML pointed to data from the Department for Commuities and Local Government from 2011, which revealed people living in the capital had the highest incomes in the country - and the greatest average wealth - yet only around half the population were owner-occupiers, compared to around 64 per cent for the UK as a whole. A corollary of this is London has the highest proportion of people living in private rented accommodation, CML spokesman Bernard Clarke said. It also has the highest rents and the highest current rate of rental growth. Candidates compared: Housing Candidate Home-ownership pledges Labours Sadiq Khan Wants to build more homes for first-time buyers to part-own, part-rent. Where these homes are built on public land, plans to cut their cost and give first dibs to Londoners who have rented for more than five years. Also wants to use the mayors powers to promote building on brownfield sites and proposes to provide high-quality advice on service charges and lease extensions. Conservatives Zac Goldsmith Wants homes built on mayoral land to be ring-fenced for Londoners and proposes people should be able to buy off-plan through a new mayors mortgage - which would have an offer period of nine months. Liberal Democrats Caroline Pidgeon Wants to set up a new London Housing Company to match public land with funding from institutional investors. Would also like to introduce a right to buy scheme for existing tenants when a private landlords sell up. The Office for National Statistics most recent data showed rents were rising at an annual rate of almost 4 per cent in London, compared to less than 3 per cent in the east of England, the region with the next highest rate of growth. With the introduction of Help to Buy London and other initiatives proposed by mayoral candidates, complexity may become an even more marked feature of the London market than elsewhere in the UK, cautioned the CML. Whoever is elected mayor, we would like to ensure this matrix of schemes and initiatives is developed and implemented in a streamlined and co-ordinated way, it stated. While welcoming measures to promote home-ownership, we are keen to ensure that their range and complexity does not increase the potential for market-distorting effects and unintended consequences. Candidates compared: Renting Story Highlights Index is similar to March's +32 and scores from the past year Nongovernment hiring remains stronger than government hiring WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Employed Americans' reports of hiring activity where they work were essentially unchanged in April, keeping Gallup's Job Creation Index near its highest level ever recorded. The index averaged +30 in April, similar to the nine-year high of +32 reached in March, as well as on several other occasions over the past 11 months. Workers' perceptions of their employers' hiring have been relatively steady over the past couple of years, with index scores at or above +27 since May 2014. Upon reaching a new high of +32 in May 2015, the index held at this figure for six months straight. It has hovered around that level ever since, and matched the record high yet again in March. As part of Gallup's Daily tracking survey, interviewers ask a random sample of employed adults nationwide each day whether their employers are increasing, reducing or maintaining the size of their workforces. Last month, 42% of workers reported an increase and 12% a decrease, resulting in the April Job Creation Index score of +30. The latest results are based on interviews conducted April 1-30 with 17,935 full- and part-time U.S. workers. The last time more workers reported that their employer was letting people go than said their employer was hiring -- resulting in a negative index score -- was in January 2010. Since then, reports of both hiring and letting go have markedly improved, while the percentage saying their employer's workforce hasn't changed has declined just slightly. Hiring in Government, Nongovernment Sectors Each Down Slightly Reports of hiring in nongovernment workplaces ebbed a bit in April, dipping two points to +31 (based on 42% hiring and 11% letting go). The net hiring score among government workers was also down slightly, at +24 (based on 39% hiring and 15% letting go). Through nearly all of Gallup's trend, private-sector hiring has been stronger than public-sector hiring. The gaps were especially large from 2010 through 2012 but have narrowed in recent years. Bottom Line The upcoming Bureau of Labor Statistics employment report is expected to show strong gains in U.S. jobs for April, providing a glimmer of hope after the government's overall glum assessment of the country's economic growth in the first quarter. Gallup's U.S. Job Creation Index continues to hold steady at its best level in nine years and is running much higher than during the recession and post-recession years. Because the employee reports don't take into account the size of their employers' workforces, the index doesn't equate to actual job growth; however, it provides a rough picture of U.S. job patterns as well as the perspective of working Americans. Americans are more than three times as likely to say their employer is expanding, rather than reducing, its workforce, which bodes well for their view of the economy's overall health. These data are available in Gallup Analytics. Survey Methods Results for this Gallup poll are based on telephone interviews conducted April 1-30, 2016, on the Gallup U.S. Daily survey, with a random sample of 17,935 working adults, aged 18 and older, living in all 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia. For results based on the total sample of working adults, the margin of sampling error is 1 percentage point at the 95% confidence level. All reported margins of sampling error include computed design effects for weighting. Each sample of national adults includes a minimum quota of 60% cellphone respondents and 40% landline respondents, with additional minimum quotas by time zone within region. Landline and cellular telephone numbers are selected using random-digit-dial methods. Learn more about how the Gallup U.S. Daily works. Story Highlights 50% of small-business owners say election outcome is of major impact Most owners paying close attention to election Over two-thirds of owners say candidates not discussing their issues PRINCETON, N.J. -- The latest Wells Fargo/Gallup Small Business Index survey finds that half of small-business owners say the outcome of the presidential election will have a major impact on their small business. At the same time, fewer than three in 10 (28%) say the presidential candidates are discussing the issues most important to them as small-business owners. Small-Business Owners and the Presidential Election Would you say that the outcome of this year's presidential election -- that is, who wins in November -- will have a major impact, a minor impact or not much impact at all on your small business? % Major impact 50 Minor impact 23 Not much impact at all 23 April 4-8, 2016 Wells Fargo/Gallup Small Business Index Small-Business Owners and the Presidential Election As far as you are concerned, are the presidential candidates discussing the issues most important to you as a small-business owner, or not? % Yes 28 No 69 April 4-8, 2016 Wells Fargo/Gallup Small Business Index These results are based on interviews conducted April 4-8 as part of the Wells Fargo/Gallup Small Business Index, with a special focus on the ways in which small-business owners view the presidential election, the candidates and the issues. In addition to the 50% who say the election will have a major impact on their small business, another 23% say it will have a minor impact, leaving 23% who say it will have not much impact at all. The 28% who say that the candidates are discussing the issues most important to them as a small-business owner is much lower than the 58% of national adults in a Gallup Poll who were asked a similar question in mid-April about the issues most important to them. Business owners are paying especially close attention to the election. A total of 87% of owners say they are following the election either "very closely" (56%) or "somewhat closely" (31%), higher than what Gallup typically finds among national adults. In addition to the widely held belief that the candidates are not focusing enough on the issues important to them, small-business owners are also split on how well they comprehend the candidates' positions. Overall, 79% of small-business owners say they understand the candidates' positions on issues that would affect small businesses "extremely," "very" or "somewhat" well -- although only 47% put their level of understanding in the first two of these categories. These findings suggest that small-business owners are keenly interested in the election, and a significant number believe that the election outcome will have a direct bearing on their business. However, the prevailing sentiment is that candidates are not adequately focused on the issues small-business owners think are most important. The Most Important Campaign Issues for Small-Business Owners Given the conviction of many small-business owners that the candidates are not talking about the issues that are most important to them, the question becomes one of ascertaining exactly what those specific issues are. To that end, the survey included an open-ended question asking owners to name the issues they would like candidates to focus on in the campaign. The results, displayed in the accompanying table, show that owners would most like the candidates to address how they would handle taxes that affect small businesses. Owners' next-most frequently mentioned issues are the economy, healthcare and jobs, followed by the impact of government regulations, and the desire for a general focus on small-business owners. As a small-business owner, what is the most important issue that you would like the presidential candidates to focus on during this campaign? Mentioning % Taxes 22 Economy 12 Healthcare 9 Jobs/employment 7 Small-business focus 7 Government regulations 7 National debt/spending 4 National security/terrorism 3 Immigration 3 Truth/honesty/good leadership 3 Government unity 3 Trade (import and export) 2 Financial stability/sustainability 2 Minimum wage 2 Welfare/socialism 1 Education 1 Other 5 None/nothing 1 Don't know/refused 6 April 4-8, 2016 Wells Fargo/Gallup Small Business Index Owners were also asked in a separate sequence of questions to rate the importance of 15 specific issues to their small business when the new president -- whoever he or she should be -- takes office. The percentage of those rating the issues as "extremely" or "very" important ranged from 83% for issues relating to the small-business implications of the tax code, tax regulations and tax rates, to 40% for the president's actions relating to environmental regulations and climate change. Issues rated as extremely or very important by two-thirds or more of small-business owners, in addition to taxes, include economic policies relating to small businesses, healthcare, actions that would increase consumer confidence and terrorism/national security. In addition to climate change, other issues at the low end of the ranking included presidential actions relating to the Small Business Administration, the minimum wage and education. Thinking ahead to when a new president takes office early next year, how important will each of the following be to your small business? Will __________ be extremely important, very important, somewhat important, not very important, or not at all important? Rank ordered by extremely important + very important Extremely important % Very important % Somewhat important % Not very important % Not at all important % Actions relating to changes in the tax code, tax regulations and tax rates for small businesses 34 49 14 2 1 Actions relating to economic policies that affect small-business owners 30 47 18 3 1 Actions relating to healthcare and the current healthcare law 33 40 17 6 3 Actions relating to the confidence consumers have in the economy 26 43 24 4 2 Actions relating to terrorism and national security 29 38 20 8 5 Actions relating to trade laws and regulations that could affect small businesses 22 42 22 10 3 Actions relating to job creation 22 41 22 9 6 Actions that could impact oil prices or energy costs 21 40 27 7 4 Actions relating to government regulations of banks 19 36 28 10 6 Actions relating to federal spending on infrastructure such as roads and bridges 18 36 29 11 6 Actions relating to immigration 20 33 22 14 10 Actions relating to education 16 35 29 13 7 Actions on increasing the minimum wage 20 30 23 15 11 Actions relating to the SBA or Small Business Administration 16 32 33 11 7 Actions relating to environmental regulations/climate change 15 25 30 17 12 April 4-8, 2016 Wells Fargo/Gallup Small Business Index Survey Methods Results are based on telephone interviews with 600 U.S. small-business owners in all 50 states, conducted April 4-8, 2016. The margin of sampling error is 4 percentage points at the 95% confidence level. For more information about Wells Fargo Works for Small Business, visit WellsFargoWorks.com. Follow us on Twitter @WellsFargoWorks. Learn more about how the Wells Fargo/Gallup Small Business Index works. For more information, discover the Wells Fargo Works press release and infographic. Unlike the Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes, the Kentucky Derby post position draw tends to be more critical. Get a 50 Percent Cash Bonus and Up to 8% Daily Cash Rebates on your Racebook Action at BetDSI.com Position in the gate is paramount to getting a good trip and securing a favorable running position in a race that includes up to 20 entries. Inside post positions are not always beneficial in the Kentucky Derby as 15 other horses jostle for the inside rail and have a tendency to push around horses already there. Trainers, jockeys and owners these days tend to wish for post position draws between 5 and 15, with 14 and 15 often considered ideal. While its true that nineteen horses have won from post positions number 1 through 3 between the years 1930 and 1987, only one entry has done so since. The outside gate has had especially good success in recent years including last years Triple Crown winner American Pharaoh (post position 15). Lets look at the full breakdown since the dawn of the Derby and since 1999. Post Position Most Recent Winner Wins/Starts Win Percent Wins/Starts Since 1999 Win Percent Since 1999 1 Ferdinand (1986) 8/86 9.3% 0/17 0% 2 Affirmed (1978) 7/86 8.1% 0/17 0% 3 Real Quiet (1998) 5/86 5.8% 0/17 0% 4 Super Saver (2010) 5/86 5.8% 1/17 5.9% 5 California Chrome (2014) 9/86 10.5% 3/17 17.6% 6 Sea Hero (1993) 2/86 2.3% 0/17 0% 7 Street Sense (2007) 6/85 7.1% 1/17 5.9% 8 Mine that Bird (2009) 8/85 9.4% 2/17 11.7% 9 Riva Ridge (1972) 4/82 4.9% 0/17 0% 10 Giacomo (2005) 9/79 11.4% 1/17 5.9% 11 Winning Colors (1988) 2/75 2.7% 0/17 0% 12 Canonero II (1971) 3/71 4.2% 0/17 0% 13 Smarty Jones (2004) 4/69 5.8% 1/17 5.9% 14 Carry Back (1961) 2/61 3.3% 0/17 0% 15 American Pharoah (2015) 5/54 9.3% 3/17 17.6% 16 Animal Kingdom (2011) 4/45 9.3% 3/17 17.6% 17 N/A 0/37 0% 0/16 0% 18 Gato Del Sol (1982) 1/29 3.4% 0/15 0% 19 Ill Have Another (2012) 1/24 4.2% 1/12 8.3% 20 Big Brown (2008) 1/14 7.1% 1/6 16.7% RANKING THE KENTUCKY DERBY POST POSITIONS OVER THE LAST 15 YEARS BY BEST AVERAGE FINISH 1. Post 8: Average finish -- 7.7 with two firsts (Mine that Bird, 2009 and Barbaro, 2006), one second, two thirds. 2. Post 5: Average finish 7.8, three firsts (California Chrome, 2014; Funny Cide, 2003 and War Emblem, 2002) one second, one third. 3. Post 2: Average finish 7.9, two seconds and four thirds. 4. Post 16: Average finish 8.5, two firsts (Animal Kingdom, 2011; Monarchos, 2001), one second, one third. 5. Post 13: Average finish 9.1, one first (Smarty Jones, 2004), two seconds, one third. 6. Post 20: Average finish 9.3, one first (Big Brown, 2008). 7. Post 4: Average finish 9.5, one first (Super Saver, 2010), two thirds. 8. Post 11: Average finish 9.6, one second. 9. Post 18: Average finish: -- 9.76, two seconds. 10. Post 3: Average finish 9.8, two seconds, one third. 11. Post 7: Average finish 9.9, one first (Street Sense, 2007). 12. Post 14: Average finish 10.3, one third. 13. Post 9: Average finish 10.47, no top three finishes. 14. Post 15: Average finish 10.53, two firsts (Orb, 2013; Fusiachi Pegasus 2000), one second. 15. Post 12: Average finish 10.53, one second, one third. 16. Post 1: Average finish 11.1, no top three finishes. 17. Post 10: Average finish 11.1, one first (Giacomo, 2005), one third. 18. Post 17: Average finish 12, no top three finishes. 19. Post 6: Average finish 12.1, one second. 20. Post 19: Average finish 13.7, one first (I'll Have Another, 2012). - Don Shapiro, Gambling911.com Mark Zuckerberg Celebrates as Brazilian Judge Lifts WhatsApp Ban Facebook Inc's Chief Executive Officer Mark Zuckerberg shared his excitement on social media after learning the news that a Brazillian judge overturned the ban on the popular messenger, WhatsApp. The service was finally restored after it was blocked in Brazil for 24 hours when a state judge ordered for its suspension. WhatsApp is now back online in Brazil! Your voices have been heard once again. Thank you to our community for helping resolve this, Zuckerberg shared in a Facebook post. That said, the idea that everyone in Brazil can be denied freedom to communicate the way they want is very scary in a democracy. You and your friends can help make sure this never happens again, and I hope you get involved. The 31-year-old Facebook founder did not appreciate the order of the judge to suspend WhatsApp for 72 hours and he wanted to put a stop on it with the help of the users, Tech Crunch reported. And because of this incident, Zuckerberg urged the Brazilians to rally outside the nations Congress on Wednesday to show their support of the law that would prevent courts from blocking Internet services. The Rio Times Online reports that the suspension of WhatsApp highlighted the failure of the company to turn over the system's data. But according to Reuters, the company has tried to comply with the court's request but they don't have such data to turn over. This is not the first time that a Facebook Inc service has been suspended. In fact, just this March, the same judge ordered a Brazil-based Facebook executive to imprisonment after the company failed to confirm the court's request to access its encrypted messaging service as part of a drug trafficking investigation. Back in December, WhatsApp service was also banned for 48 hours after a Sao Paulo judge ordered for its suspension after the company didn't cooperate in a criminal investigation. After all these suspensions, Brazillian fans of the messaging service are thankful that the latest ban has now been lifted. Long Beach Mayor Robert Garcia was among the right people enshrined on the memorial wall on Saturday, Oct. 21. Republican voters in Oregon House District 23 will see a contested primary for the second consecutive election cycle. First-term Rep. Mike Nearman, who ousted incumbent Jim Thompson in the 2014 GOP primary and then won easily in the general election, faces a challenge from Beth Jones in the May 17 primary. And for voters looking ahead to the fall campaign, Thompson is back, running as an Independent. He will face the Nearman-Jones winner in the fall. No Democrats filed to run in the district, which is centered in Polk County but also includes large chunks of rural Benton County. Nearman, 52, a software engineer, and Jones, the 39-year-old director of the nonprofit Bambinos, a ministry which works to assist low-income families in Polk County, have a lot in common. Both are pro-life. Both expressed concerns about the impact of government regulations on the economy and job creation. And both think government should be held more accountable and do its work in a more transparent fashion. Government needs to be transparent as well as fiscally responsible, Nearman said. I work hard to keep spending in check and make sure that technology projects are kept focused and on budget. A government that fails the transparency test is up to no good. I will advocate for strong whistleblower protection laws, said Jones, who served on the Dallas City Council from 2011-14. I will also propose an incentive for public employees who expose government waste or fraud. Public employees should be rewarded for protecting taxpayer dollars, not vilified. Both candidates expressed strong interest in educational issues. Jones said she will focus on how to get money moving down to the classrooms. Jones also said she would propose a change in the Smarter Balanced assessment tests and limit them to third-, seventh- and 11th-graders (the tests currently are administered in third through eighth grade plus 11th). It would also save millions of dollars, said Jones, who added that testing has never been proven to improve educational outcomes. Nearman took pride in his role in SB 1566, which extended by three years a program that allows open enrollment between school districts. Oregon continues to struggle to achieve high graduation rates, and we know that there are many kids (who) fall well below the 74 percent average graduation rate, Nearman said when the bill passed the House in February (it was signed by Governor Kate Brown in March). If we let families choose the education setting that works best for their child, then a child will get the education they need, which will lead them into a prosperous future. Nearman said the top three issues for district voters are gun rights, religious freedom and a strong economy, while Jones countered with economic development, education and transparency/accountability. I can contribute to problem-solving in legislative committees through my experience in welfare, foster care, veteran and military family issues, small business advocacy and city governance, Jones said in a summation of her candidacy. I am passionate about my community. I am a woman of character. I say what I mean and mean what I say. Nearman said that re-electing him would net the district principles and courage, both of which are deficient in state government. Oregon State University has received a grant of more than $500,000 to be used to develop courses that will train professionals to meet the challenge of earthquakes and other disasters in the Pacific Northwest. The $533,686 grant was awarded by the Oregon Talent Council, which was established by the 2015 Oregon Legislature to invest in talent development programs. The council has $6.1 million in seed money, and the OSU grant is among more than $2 million that represents the first investments by the council. Ted Brekken, an associate professor in OSUs College of Engineering and Computer Science, will serve as the project lead. He will be assisted by OSU colleagues Eduardo Cotilla-Sanchez, Annette von Jouanne and Julie Zhang and Bob Bass of Portland State University. Brekken and his colleagues will work on three key objectives: Developing an on-campus course in electrical systems resiliency Developing an online electrical systems resiliency course aimed at practicing professionals Developing an industry short course to be offered in Portland The focus of all of the educational material is on the impacts and mitigation strategies for disasters in the (Pacific Northwest), particularly a Cascadia Subduction Zone event, Brekken said. Brekkens crew plans to complete its work in June 2017, assisted by utility partners Pacific Power, Portland General Electric and Central Lincoln PUD. The companies, Brekken said, will help assemble and teach course materials as well as provide internship opportunities for students in the program. Other grants distributed by the Oregon Talent Council included $453,129 to Mount Hood Community College, $672,403 to Oregon Health & Science University and $340,783 to Oregon Tech. The growth of our economy is dependent on how well-equipped graduates and program completers are equipped to enter the workforce, said David Childers, chairman of the council. I am excited to see the collaboration between education and industry, said Kay Erickson, acting director of the Oregon Employment Department. The investments theyve chosen will better prepare Oregon workers to be the first and best choice of Oregon employers. The students were giggly as their teachers made them practice being quiet as they waited in the Philomath Middle School gym. Meanwhile, Principal Steve Bell was returning from being called away to go on an errand with Philomaths Superintendent Melissa Goff, rushing because hed heard there was a leak in the roof dripping onto the gyms floor. When they heard Bell was nearing the gym, staff members turned out the lights and had the students be quiet for real. And this time the students were flawless. Bell entered the gym to find not a leak, but most of the school waiting there cheering for him as a screen lit up with a photo of him and the words Principal of the Year. And then from behind that very screen, his colleagues, Philomath School Board members, his mentor and family members walked out to congratulate him. Last to emerge from behind the screen were Bells parents Greg and Anita, who had driven up from Atwater, California, to congratulate him during the ambush celebration. It all took place Tuesday as the school surprised Bell with the news that he had won the Confederation of Oregon School Administrators Middle School Principal of the Year award. Did Bell have even the slightest inkling of the surprise celebration? I had no idea, he said. Bell, who has been principal of the school since 2008, said the moment was one of shock and not understanding exactly what was going on. And then he gave all the credit for the schools success to the staff, students, parents and community. I dont feel deserving, he said. Its definitely groups and teams of people working together that make Philomath Middle School a success. Goff, who spearheaded the secret celebration with help from the middle schools staff, including office manager Jean Chiappisi, said Bell is humble. In fact, she said, one reason they decided to ambush him with the celebration was so he didnt have a chance to turn it down. We didnt want him downplaying it, she said. Were able to celebrate this with him in a way he would never have chosen for himself. She added that they wanted his students to know about the award. Its a big deal and its worth noting and memorializing, said Goff. Goff said she thinks Bell won the award because he is an inspirational leader. What he is able to bring out in his staff and students is due to his leadership, she said. The celebration also fit with the school districts schedule for the week: Since the school is holding state testing this week, it operates on a different schedule than normal. Staff members specifically plan fun activities that allow students to blow off some steam between their long testing sessions instead of regular classes. Goff said this fit into that perfectly. Anita Bell said she and her husband came up to see their son receive the award because it gives them a chance to see how respected he is in the community. To be able to share in this is pretty special, she said. This will be the third and last summer construction continues on the old Rainbow Building on Philomath's Main Street. By this fall the Corvallis-based Soft Star Shoes expects to move in. Building owner Alan Ayres is the one-man-show with the big task of remodeling the previously decrepit site, which sat vacant for 15 years. Ayres prior work includes Corvallis Sky High Brewing, the downtown American Dream Pizza, and Big River. The building used to house a roller rink; during the process of gutting the building, Ayres was able to save 1,000 square feet of the original skate floor. The flooring was removed in single strips that he will piece back together. Ill have to resand it and refinish it, but it will look pretty good, I think, Ayres said. The old flooring will become part of the new entry point of the building. Ayres raised the area a few feet above the rest of the building so that customers can view the entire workshop as they enter. Soft Star received a gift from a Philomath woman that will also be on display at the entrance. Lois Phelps donated skate shoes she wore as a high school student on the Phil-O-Rink skate team. She was part of Kids On Wheels, a skate program for youth in the 1950s that performed chorus lines, pair skating, russian hops, and the waltz. I was very glad to donate to them because that was so much better than sticking them back in the closet, Phelps said. Phelps moved to Philomath with her family the same day that World War II ended. The town had about 350 residents at the time. She would catch a ride from her brother Rod to practice, carrying her skates in a metal box adorning a Phil-O-Rink sticker and her name stenciled on it. That was the big thing to do, she recalled. There wasnt a lot to do. Beside her memories skating, the former Phil-O-Rink building holds a special place in Phelps heart. Stan Phelps, who would become her husband, started coming to the rink to court her, she said. They married in 1954 when she was a senior in high school. They went on to have five children. Ayres is also the landlord of the building Soft Star currently occupies in downtown Corvallis. But the decision to move to Philomath and to remodel the the building with the arched roof home was a joint call by Ayres and Soft Star co-owners Larkin Holavarri and Tricia Salcido. We were having a hard time finding a place that felt like home for us, said Holavarri. We mentioned the building to him just because it looked like something was there. After their suggestion of a possible relocation site, Ayres inspected the buildings structure. He was surprised to find that the framing of the roof was still in good condition. According to Ayres, that was the only reason he felt it could be salvaged. Holavarri and Salcido trusted his skills in revamping the site. We knew Alan was going to make it beautiful because thats what he does, said Holavarri. The wide-open space with 20-foot ceilings was attractive to him, Holavarri and Salcido said. Although the roof and the entire perimeter was rotted, Ayres saw potential in the charm of the rafters. You cant find those kind of trusses anymore, Ayres said. They look pretty cool. While repairing the roof, Ayres found a sign from Timber Structures, the company that built the rafters in the 50s. Ayers preserved the thin paper sign behind glass in a wood frame to put back into the building as a token of its history. As Ayres prepares for the expected October move, he is now charged with laying an 11,000- square-foot concrete floor with radiant heat, the most efficient way to heat the high-ceiling structure. However, before he could start, he had to raise the entire foundation 2 feet. Half the building sat in a flood zone and half did not, so raising it in its entirety solved the problem. The grand opening is not scheduled until early 2017, but Soft Star will be open for business while making finishing touches. The company does not expect an immediate increase in revenue after their move, but officials are eager to gain the work and storage space they lack at their current 5,000-square-foot location. All of their employees about 15 shoemakers and a customer service team have agreed to make the move. Welcome to my genealogy blog. Genea-Musings features genealogy research tips and techniques, genealogy news items and commentary, genealogy humor, San Diego genealogy society news, family history research and some family history stories from the keyboard of Randy Seaver (of Chula Vista CA), who thinks that Genealogy Research Is really FUN! Copyright (c) Randall J. Seaver, 2006-2021. Bonn A likely successor to Christiana Figueres has been named by the UN Secretary-General. United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has announced his intention to appoint Patricia Espinosa Cantellano of Mexico as the next Executive Secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). She is currently Mexicos Ambassador to Germany and she was Minister of Foreign Affairs between 2006 and 2013. She has more than 30 years of experience at the highest levels in international relations and has specialized in climate change, global governance, sustainable development and protection of human rights. Used eyeglasses : Newspaper carrier helps needy Bonn A Sri Lankan native initiated a project to provide the needy in his home country with eyeglasses. He will keep on collecting. Teilen Teilen Weiterleiten Weiterleiten Tweeten Tweeten Weiterleiten Weiterleiten Drucken His table was full of used eyeglasses. They were colorful, sober, metal, plastic, round, rectangular, sunglasses and normal glasses. In my homeland of Sri Lanka, there are many poor people who urgently need eyeglasses. I can send these glasses which are no longer in use to the people there, said Tilakasiri Gunatilake. The 66-year-old has lived in Germany for decades and works with his wife and daughter as a newspaper carrier for the General-Anzeiger. On the side, he collects eyeglasses. Gunatilake said it is not so expensive to get the right lenses in Sri Lanka but the frames are unaffordable for many people. We come from Kandy, an old royal city in Sri Lanka. Thats why I have named my charity project Brillenhilfe Kandy (Eyeglass help for Kandy). He has been running the project for two years now and has also given thought to how he can raise money to buy lenses for the poorest of the poor. Together with a Sri Lankan acquaintance in southern Germany, they sent out 3,000 pairs of glasses a year ago to be distributed amongst the poor in Sri Lanka. Gunatilake also received help from Gregor Schurmann, his employer who runs the newspaper distribution services in Bad Godesberg and Wachtberg. Says Schurmann, I have worn glasses since I was a kid. Its really true that we often keep our old eyeglasses, thinking maybe we will use them again but we never do. At home, he found four or five pair he wasnt using and donated them to the project. He spread the word around to people he knew and soon they had dozens of used eyeglasses. Schurmann said he was very moved by a video of Gunatilake in Sri Lanka. The video showed Mr. Gunatilake and his helpers handing out the glasses. A line of needy people wanting to get the used glasses had already formed at 3 a.m. The line was a kilometer long and the 3,000 used eyeglasses were gone just like that. Around 500 people didnt get glasses and Mr. Gunatilake still wanted to help them, remarked Schurmann. An Optometrist in Gunzenhausen jumped in to support the project, as well as one in Bruhl. They got another 1,000 used frames together and Gunatilake sent them to Sri Lanka in October. Another 380 pairs have been collected at home recently and were laid out on the table for GA to photograph. They are already on their way now to Sri Lanka where his contact in the country arranges to hand them out to the needy. I will keep collecting them. I am sure there are plenty of people who have unused eyeglasses lying around, commented Gunatilake. Schurmann will also support the ongoing effort by writing to Optometrists in the region to ask for their help. More information is available at: Brillenhilfe-SriLanka@gmx.de Thieves underway : Several wallets stolen Bonn/Region Monday was a busy day for criminals who preyed on seniors, a shopper and a pedestrian. Teilen Teilen Weiterleiten Weiterleiten Tweeten Tweeten Weiterleiten Weiterleiten Drucken Trunk theft: On Monday, a 60-year-old woman in Sankt Augustin had been grocery shopping at a supermarket on Einsteinstrae. She loaded her groceries into the trunk along with her purse, and went to return her shopping cart. When she returned to her car, she saw that the trunk was open and her wallet was missing. It contained cash, bank cards and important papers. Police remind people to not leave items of worth in their cars, even if unattended for a short period of time. Purse stolen from pedestrian: Police are searching for a man who tore a purse right off a womans shoulder. The 35-year-old woman was on Lievelingsweg at around 11:25 p.m. on Monday evening when a man came and grabbed the purse from her. She fell and was slightly injured. The man had been following her already on Soeneckenstrae. He is described as 1.8 to 1.9 meters tall, and he was wearing a hooded sweatshirt with the hood pulled down over part of his head. Anyone having information is asked to contact police at (0228) 1 50. Senior citizens targeted on bus: Pickpockets stole from three senior citizens who were traveling on city buses Monday. A 75-year-old woman got on a bus at 12:10 p.m. at Bertha-von-Suttner-Platz heading towards Beuel. When she got home, she noticed her backpack had been opened and her wallet taken. At 4 p.m., a 65-year-old woman took a bus from the Post Tower in the direction of Bonn central train station. The bus was full so she had to stand. After she got out of the bus, she noticed her wallet was missing from her purse. At 7:10 p.m., an 87-year-old man noticed that his wallet was missing from his back pocket. He had been on a bus going from the Bonn central train station towards Hardtberg. Cellnex has agreed to sell 1,100 sites in the UK to Wireless Infrastructure Group (WIG) as part of its plans to buy 6,000 passive infrastructure sites in the UK from CK Hutchison for US$4 billion. CHATHAM A Pittsylvania County General District Court judge denied bond Tuesday morning for a Keeling man accused of shooting a sheriffs deputy. Brian Cundiff, charged with attempted capital murder of a law enforcement officer, malicious injury of a law enforcement officer and use of a firearm in commission of a felony, appeared in and spoke briefly before the court. Cundiff answered questions from Pittsylvania County Commonwealths Attorney Bryan Haskins and his attorney, Elmer Woodard, about what he would do if released from jail. Cundiff said he lived with his father on Blair Lane, the house where the sheriffs office said he fired a shotgun at a cellphone, according to court records. Cundiffs father called deputies about the incident and spoke with them before more shots from the Blair Lane residence. Cundiff is suspected of firing a shot at Pittsylvania County sheriffs deputy Nicholas Samuels. The shot grazed his head and he had to get four staples for the injury, according to court records. Cundiffs criminal history includes arrests for driving under the influence of alcohol and assault and battery. He said he was working as an independent contractor before I got locked up. He would have stayed with his mother if released. Haskins said the charges against Cundiff are extremely serious. Concise letters 250 words or fewer on topics of local interest will receive first consideration for publication. All letters are subject to editing for language and clarity. Mailing Address: Letters to the Editor, The Register & Bee, 700 Monument St., Danville, VA 24541 Letters submitted by mail must include the writer's name, signature, address and a daytime phone number. Fax: (434) 799-0595 Email: letters@registerbee.com Or submit a letter via our online form: Submit a letter VANCOUVER, May 4, 2016 /CNW/ - Intact Gold Corp. (TSX-V: ITG) (FSE: 1A5) (the "Company" or "Intact Gold"), is pleased to announce that it has appointed Konstantin Lichtenwald as the Company's CFO. Mr. Konstantin Lichtenwald specializes in providing corporate finance, valuation, taxation, financial reporting, consulting and other accounting services to both small businesses as well as public commodity resource companies. Konstantin also assists in many aspects of clients' administration, financing and other activities. Konstantin also worked at Ernst & Young GmbH, Germany in the assurance department. Konstantin earned his Bachelor of Business Administration degree from Pforzheim University, Germany and holds the professional designation of Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA, CGA), where he is a member of Chartered Professional Accountants of BC and Canada. Mr. Lichtenwald has had extensive experience as a Controller and CFO of numerous publicly traded and private corporations in several industries. In connection with his appointment as CFO, Intact Gold has agreed to grant Mr. Lichtenwald an option to acquire 100,000 common shares of Intact Gold at an exercise price of $0.20. Mr. Lichtenwald will replace David McElhanney as CFO. The Company thanks Mr. McElhanney and wishes him well in his future endeavors. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF INTACT GOLD CORP. Per: Anthony Jackson, President and CEO Disclaimer for Forward-Looking Information Except for statements of historical fact, this news release contains certain "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities law. Forward-looking information is frequently characterized by words such as "plan", "expect", "project", "intend", "believe", "anticipate", "estimate" and other similar words, or statements that certain events or conditions "may" occur. Forward-looking information in this press release includes, but is not limited to, statements regarding expectations of management regarding the contents of this news release. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking information are reasonable, there can be no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. Such forward-looking information is subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results, performance or developments to differ materially from those contained in the statements including, without limitation, the risks and other factors beyond the control of the Company. Except as required by law, the Company expressly disclaims any obligation, and does not intend, to update any forward-looking information in this news release. Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. SOURCE Intact Gold Corp. VANCOUVER, May 4, 2016 /CNW/ - Barsele Minerals Corp. (TSX-V: BME) ("Barsele") is pleased to report to its shareholders recently-released operational progress on the current exploration program within the Barsele Au-VMS Project area in Vasterbottens Lan, northern Sweden (the "Barsele Project") contained in Agnico Eagle Mines Ltd.'s (TSX, NYSE: AEM) ("Agnico Eagle") press release announcing its first quarter 2016 results. The exploration program at the Barsele Project is being operated by joint venture partner Agnico Eagle. Ownership in the Barsele Project is 55% Agnico Eagle and 45% Barsele. In its press release, Agnico Eagle stated that the drilling results from the Barsele Project extended the known mineralization at depth and joined the Central Zone with the Skirasen Zone. The press release also suggested that the Barsele Project has the potential to become a Goldex type deposit, which is one of Agnico Eagle's existing gold mines. Equally noteworthy, is the illustration that accompanied the press release, which shows the potential growth of the known deposit to the south-east as a result of the latest drilling, and also that the deposit remains open in three directions. Highlight intercepts from drill results to date and drill hole coordinates from this program are set out in the tables below and the drill hole pierce points are also shown on the Barsele Project composite longitudinal section below. All intercepts reported for the Barsele Project show capped grades over estimated true widths, based on a preliminary geological interpretation that is being updated as new information becomes available with further drilling. Recent exploration drill results from the Barsele Project Drill hole Location From (metres) To (metres) Depth of midpoint below surface (metres) Estimated true width (metres) Gold grade (g/t) (uncapped) Gold grade (g/t) (capped)* CNT15-007 Central Zone 437.0 449.0 310 9.0 12.37 3.28 CNT15-009 Central Zone 106.0 168.0 90 46.5 1.12 1.12 and 383.0 432.0 300 36.8 1.15 1.15 CNT15-010 Central Zone 223.0 252.0 230 21.8 1.59 1.59 and 494.0 589.0 515 71.2 0.88 0.88 CNT15-013 Central Zone 473.5 492.0 370 13.9 3.00 3.00 and 519.2 526.0 400 5.1 5.02 5.02 CNT15-015 Central Zone 23.0 34.0 20 8.2 8.06 6.74 CNT15-016 Skirasen Zone 270.0 277.0 215 5.2 5.06 5.06 and 339.0 451.0 310 84.0 2.07 2.01 CNT15-017 Central Zone 623.0 632.0 540 6.8 1.72 1.72 SKI15-001 Skirasen Zone 323.0 384.0 260 45.8 1.94 1.61 and 405.0 434.0 310 21.8 1.42 1.42 SKI16-001 Skirasen Zone 101.0 108.0 75 5.2 4.85 4.85 and 120.0 140.0 95 15.0 3.92 3.23 and 276.0 312.1 210 27.1 3.06 2.40 SKI16-005 Skirasen Zone 193.0 213.0 170 15.0 1.19 1.19 and 399.0 504.0 370 78.8 1.25 1.25 and 593.0 609.0 485 12.0 1.86 1.86 *Holes at Barsele use a capping factor of 20 g/t gold. Barsele Project exploration drill collar coordinates of selected holes Drill collar coordinates* Drill hole ID UTM North UTM East Elevation (metres above sea level) Azimuth Dip (degrees) Length (metres) CNT15-007 7214686 618733 321 360 -53 725 CNT15-009 7214671 618829 317 360 -57 701 CNT15-010 7215040 618808 291 180 -70 655 CNT15-013 7214613 619033 306 333 -55 597 CNT15-015 7214601 619133 296 360 -52 523 CNT15-016 7214525 619127 302 360 -55 664 CNT15-017 7214895 618859 293 290 -60 902 SKI15-001 7214598 619125 296 040 -48 580 SKI16-001 7214515 619222 300 040 -50 557 SKI16-005 7214516 619221 300 360 -57 645 Recent drilling has connected the Central Zone with the Skirasen Zone. The combined Central-Skirasen Zone has a strike length of approximately 1,400 metres, and extends from surface to a depth of at least 540 metres and ranges in width from 10 to 150 metres. Mineralization remains open at depth and along strike. Results include hole CNT15-016 that intersected the Skirasen Zone with two intercepts: 5.06 g/t gold over 5.2 metres at 215 metres depth, and 2.01 g/t gold over 84.0 metres at 310 metres depth. Almost 300 metres away at the southeast extent of the zone, hole SKI16-001 intersected the zone with three intercepts: 4.85 g/t gold over 5.2 metres at 75 metres depth, 3.23 g/t gold over 15.0 metres at 95 metres depth and 2.40 g/t gold over 27.1 metres at 210 metres depth. The deepest intercept to date in the Skirasen Zone is hole SKI16-005 that intersected 1.86 g/t gold over 12.0 metres at 485 metres depth, as well as two shallower intercepts. Recent drilling has extended the depth of the Central Zone to 540 metres. Highlights include hole CNT15-015 that intersected 6.74 g/t gold over 8.2 metres at 20 metres depth. Hole CN15-013 intersected 3.00 g/t gold over 13.9 metres at 370 metres depth and 5.02 g/t gold over 5.1 metres at 400 metres depth. Hole CN15-007 intersected 3.28 g/t gold over 9.0 metres at 310 metres depth. In 2016, Agnico Eagle indicated that it plans to spend approximately US $4.9 million on exploration to further evaluate the mineral potential of the property. This includes 19,000 metres of diamond drilling, a recently completed Titan-24 induced polarization geophysical survey, till sampling and hyperspectral core scanning. A basic environmental assessment will be done, as well as ongoing community relations programs to engage the various stakeholders in the region. Drilling is expected to resume in early May after spring breakup. Barsele's President, Gary Cope says, "I am very pleased to see the mineralized zone has expanded so significantly in this report, and that Agnico Eagle has planned expenditures which will in aggregate fulfill the full phase one commitment per the joint venture terms and in so doing will advance us to the second phase which ultimately leads to a preliminary resource estimate for the project." Art Freeze, P.Geo. and Ben Whiting, P.Geo., are Qualified Persons as defined in NI 43-101 and take responsibility for the technical disclosure contained within this news release. About the Barsele Gold Project The Barsele Project is located on the western end of the Proterozoic "Skellefte Trend," a prolific volcanogenic massive sulphide deposits belt, where it intersects with the "Gold Line" in Northern Sweden. Both polymetallic deposits and intrusive hosted orogenic gold deposits are present in this region and on the property. Current and past producers in the region include Boliden, Kristineberg, Bjorkdal, Svartliden, and Storliden. In September of 2015, mineral resource estimates by Barsele were released for the Barsele Project in four zones, the Central, Avan and Skirasen Gold Zones and the Norra VMS Zone (Orex News Release dated 21 November 2012). The resource estimate for the Central-Avan-Skirasen Zones states an Indicated Resource of 14.1 million tonnes grading 1.21 g/t gold for 547,000 contained ounces, plus an Inferred Resource of 20.2 million tonnes grading 0.97 g/t gold for 627,000 contained ounces. The polymetallic Norra Zone contains an Indicated Resource of 110,000 tonnes grading 3.13 g/t gold, 30.3 g/t silver, 0.53 % copper and 0.72 % zinc, plus an Inferred Resource of 310,000 tonnes grading 1.62 g/t gold, 12.7 g/t silver, 0.26 % copper and 0.42 % zinc. All zones were estimated at a gold cut-off grade of 0.6 g/t. About Barsele Minerals Corp. Barsele is a Canadian-based junior exploration company comprised of highly qualified mining professionals. Barsele's main property is the Barsele Gold Project in Vasterbottens Lan, Sweden, a joint venture with Agnico Eagle Mines Ltd.. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS Gary Cope President This News Release may contain forward-looking statements including but not limited to comments regarding the timing and content of upcoming work programs, geological interpretations, receipt of property titles, potential mineral recovery processes, etc. Forward-looking statements address future events and conditions and therefore involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ materially from those currently anticipated in such statements and Barsele undertakes no obligation to update such statements, except as required by law. Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. SOURCE Barsele Minerals Corp. Will Mum enjoy making her own raw high tea treats at Yardmill this Mother's Day? Photo: Kristin Wursthorn It looks like a traditional high tea scrumptious cakes aplenty but will Mum be pleased? A workshop taking place in Toorak this Sunday may not be quite what every mum has in mind for a Mother's Day treat. Not only will Mum have to prepare her own food, but the tasty-looking carrot cakes and chocolate mousse she whips up in class will in fact be sugar and dairy-free, and 100 per cent raw. High tea at Brunswick's By Josephine for Mother's Day. Photo: Supplied Yardmill Kitchen and Grocery owner Tracey Sisson says she decided to run a raw cooking class on Mother's Day because of the success of the cafe's weekly raw high tea events. "It's quite unique," Sisson said. "Prior to us no one was running raw high teas in Victoria and the response has been quite amazing." She said interest in raw food seemed to be coming from people beyond those with food allergies. "We've had an older clientele coming in who have been willing to give it a try." Savoury snacks at Yardmill's regular high tea events include a twist on the traditional finger sandwich: raw bread with shaved cucumber, olive tapenade and tomato. To drink? Wash back the goodies with "alkaline Aquafresh with cucumber, lemon and mint". Bursaria is running two high teas, at the Abbotsford Convent and Werribee Park. Photo: Supplied Those with health-conscious mums better get in quick though as only 10 places are available at the workshop ($115, includes take home goodies). Mother's Day workshop, Sunday, May 8, Yardmill, 434 Toorak Road, bookings via yardmill.com.au. Not into raw food? More high tea offerings around Melbourne High tea and cocktails at Nieuw Amsterdam Advertisement The team at Nieuw Amsterdam will present a Mother's Day high tea ($50) including scones, tarts, sandwiches and quiches, plus a cocktail on arrival. If you'd like to up the ante, there's also a blood orange liqueur-based cocktail to go with each high tea tier (optional extra $25). 106-112 Hardware Street, CBD, bookings via bookings@nieuwamsterdam.com.au Bursaria (two events in Abbotsford and Werribee) Think bubbles, boutique teas and tiers of high tea treats held in the historic venues of the Refectory (Werribee Park) and the Abbotsford Covent. Guests will receive a glass of Paul Louis sparkling wine on arrival, followed by hot and cold canapes and sweets, homemade lemonade, boutique Deitea teas and cocktails, accompanied by live acoustic music ($75 per person, children under 3 free). Bookings via bursaria.com.au By Josephine Brunswick's macaron specialist By Josephine is expanding on its usual high tea offering by providing mothers with a take-home hamper (included in the price, $52 per person). Multiple sessions Saturday, May 7, and Sunday, May 8. 365 Sydney Road, Brunswick, bookings 9380 8048 Beyond high tea Cakes and Ale in Sorrento is doing a three-course set menu ($70) for Mother's Day, with a choice of five dishes per course, perhaps twice-baked local blue cheese souffle, slow-cooked organic lamb, and strawberry fool. 102 Ocean Beach Road, Sorrento, cakes-and-ale.com.au Supernormal in the city will offer a banquet ($65) for Mother's Day from 11am-11pm. The menu meanders from pickles to white-cut chicken, then on to lobster rolls, dumplings and Sichuan-style lamb, finishing in classic Supernormal fashion with the famed peanut butter parfait. A la carte menu also available. 180 Flinders Lane, CBD, supernormal.net.au Marion Wine Bar will be taking reservations for breakfast, lunch and dinner. For breakfast (8am-10.30am), indulge in baked eggs with greens, labna and Turkish chilli, or house-made yoghurt and lavender cakes as you toast Mum over a mimosa. Chef's menu ($65) and a la carte menus available at lunch and dinner (noon-9.30pm). 53 Gertrude Street, Fitzroy, bookings 03 9419 6262 or info@marionwine.com.au. Eureka 89 in Southbank will offer a special lunch menu (adults $145; children 13-17 years $105; children up to 12 years $55) beginning with an entree of seared scallops, pickled mushroom, petite radish and cauliflower, followed by Rangers Valley strip loin, onion soubise, charred radicchio and bone marrow jus. For dessert the sky-high restaurant will offer chocolate berry eclair, milk chocolate and vanilla ice-cream, and petit fours to conclude. Level 89, Eureka Tower, Riverside Quay, Southbank, 12:30pm-3pm, bookings 03 9693 8889. By Blair Anthony Robertson The Sacramento Bee (TNS) Cooking at home can be a rewarding endeavor and a lifelong pursuit. The more time and effort you invest, the more likely you are to reduce your flubs and minimize your disappointments. Along those lines, were always learning something, whether its how to clean a cast iron pan (yes, soap and water is OK) or how to cook a steak (turn it frequently, or, hmm, start by freezing it). But maybe youre just starting out and dont have the benefit of skills and years of trial and error. If so, youve probably made some of the mistakes listed below (or are about to make them). Even if youve been at it for years, surely theres something here youre doing wrong. How many kitchen missteps are you willing to own up to? In random order, here are 31. 1. You dont preheat your oven adequately. While preheating is not always necessary, it is crucial for many baked goods like cakes, muffins, pies and breads. To get the oven fully heated to 350 degrees Fahrenheit usually takes 20 minutes. Also, finishing a thick steak in the oven (after searing it on the stove top) mandates that the oven be preheated (usually to 450 F. Or maybe 160 F). 2. You dont check the interior temperature of the food you are cooking. If you want to make sure your dinner guests dont eat nearly raw chicken you just plucked off your backyard grill, use an instant-read thermometer and save yourself some grief. The federal government actually has a helpful temperature chart: foodsafety.gov/keep/charts/mintemp.html. The best instant read device is the speedy but pricey Thermapen. 3. You dont preheat your frying pan. Are your omelets a mess? Are your pancakes gooey in the middle? Do delicate foods stick to your nonstick pan? Youre probably not patient enough heating it up. You can actually use an infrared thermometer to get it right. Cast iron pans are great, but they dont heat up evenly and take longer to get a balanced heat across the entire cooking surface. 4. You dont prep before you cook. Watch what happens in a professional kitchen. Before lunch or dinner service, prep cooks come in and get everything ready: They peel potatoes, chop celery, mince onions, slice tomatoes, peel garlic. Home cooks tend to do everything at once and the results can be chaotic. Prep, then cook. Its more relaxing and youre less likely to make mistakes. 5. You dont read recipes all the way through. This is similar to prep. You should understand the recipe before you dive in and start cooking from it. The better recipes are often complex and have recipes within recipes. Theres also the issue of timing. Its crucial. Say youre making a chocolate mousse an hour before dinner guests arrive, only to read the final step: Chill said mousse for eight hours. 6. You dont let your meat rest after cooking. Youre hungry. The kids are famished. Lets just pull those steaks off the grill and dig in. Wrong. The pros let their steaks rest at least 10 minutes before slicing to avoid the dreaded loss of juices all over the plate. Tent the steaks with foil, set your timer and leave them alone. 7. You use dull knives. OK, be honest. When was the last time youve had your knives sharpened? Dull knives are actually dangerous, especially for doing things like slicing onions. Heres a quick test: A sharp knife should easily cut through a sheet of paper. Sharpen your knives about once a month, depending on use. Hone your blades with a steel or a honing rod, before every use to realign the edge (which makes it feel sharper). 8. You dont use a cutting board. This one seems so basic we hesitated to include it, but it turns out that a lot of people use their counter tops to chop, slice and mince. Thats a big no-no. Its bad for your knives and can potentially cause cross-contamination. Glass cutting boards also are a bad idea for your knives. 9. You avoid wood cutting boards because you think they trap bacteria. Thats a myth. Keep your cutting board clean and oiled (with mineral oil), and its very safe. 10. You dont pay enough attention to food safety. Over 100,000 people a year go to the hospital for food poisoning each year. The federal government has helpful guidelines to greatly reduce that risk: Clean, separate, cook and chill. 11. You dont label and date the food you refrigerate and freeze. Those fish sticks in the freezer wont last forever. Was it 2005 or 2007 that you stuck those things in there? Heres a food storage timing guide you should bookmark: foodsafety.gov/keep/charts/storagetimes.html. The one thing in your kitchen that wont spoil no matter where you store it? Honey. It might last for centuries. 12. Youre not using a pressure cooker. Remember when bread machines were all the rage? And slow cookers? It may seem old school, but the best gadget youre not using is the pressure cooker. These days, its a big hit with chefs using modernist techniques. It saves time (boiled potatoes in 10 minutes instead of 45), its a green appliance (uses less energy) and in many cases the flavors are superior to other cooking methods. 13. You dont follow the recipe. Thanks to online comments on countless food sites, we see it all the time. People alter recipes, then complain the recipe is no good. They substitute ingredients, often unwisely. They leave things out. They skip steps. Stick to the recipe faithfully the first time and see what the writer is getting at before switching it up. See No. 5 and No. 27 14. You always cook from a recipe. Yep, while its good to follow recipes and learn how ingredients work together, youre not really cooking until you go it alone and create your own dishes. A good book for understanding the fundamentals and creating your own recipes is Ratio: The Simple Codes Behind the Craft of Everyday Cooking by Michael Ruhlman. 15. You think baking and cooking are the same thing just wing it. Sure, you can adjust the flavors or sauces and soups on the fly, and seasoning chicken, beef and poultry is more of a feel thing. But its not that way with baking, where precision is paramount. You need to measure carefully and consistently. See. No. 16. 16. You dont use a kitchen scale. The most accurate way to bake and cook is to weigh the ingredients. More and more recipes, especially for baked goods, are providing weights in the list of ingredients. Its more precise than cups and spoons. The Food Lab mastermind J. Kenji Lopez-Alt, among others, is a proponent of digital scales. 17. You dont clean your cast iron pan with soap and water because you heard it will remove the (nonstick) seasoning, or polymerized layer, you worked so hard to achieve. Not true. Use it, wash it, dry it, then wipe it with a thin coating of oil while heating it for a few minutes and youre done. 18. You dont chill your chocolate chip cookie dough before baking. This is not the secret it used to be, thanks to a spate of recent articles celebrating this crucial step. Yes, your cookies will have better texture and flavor if you chill the raw dough for 24 hours before baking. This is the key step for excellent vegan chocolate chip cookies, too. 19. You dont use parchment paper. Its the best for cakes and cookies and makes cleanup a breeze. Take it from Martha Stewart. 20. You over-stir your pancake batter. This is a rookie mistake and can lead to pancakes as pleather. This is not like a cake batter, where you whip and/or mix at high speeds. Put the whisk away, grab a silicon spatula and stir, or fold. Gently. Just until the wet and dry ingredients are combined. Interestingly, this buildup of gluten does not happen to the same extent if youre making whole wheat pancakes. If thats the case, stir on with abandon. 21. You overcook your omelets. Heres a seemingly simple dish that actually requires great care. Browning the eggs alters the flavor for the worse. Learn the technique, practice and master one of lifes little luxuries. Thomas Keller of the French Laundry advises using a pan at low heat and cooking the eggs until they are slightly underdone, with no color. For an unusual approach, try chef Daniel Pattersons poached omelet technique. 22. You buy things you could be making and make things you probably should be buying. Mayonnaise, almond butter, granola, cookies, salad dressing, soup? Theyre easy and better when made at home. Bagels? You probably need some mad skills, but its doable. Beef, chicken and veggie broth? Best at home if youve got time. Pizza? It can range from awful to decent at home, but unless you have an 800-degree oven (standard ovens only go up to 550 degrees F) youll have a hard time getting that Neapolitan-style crust the way you want it. Drip coffee? Yes. Espresso? Unless youve dropped $2,000 on a decent countertop machine, leave it to the experts. A good resource: Make the Bread, Buy the Butter: What You Should and Shouldnt Cook From Scratch by Jennifer Reese. 23. You waste time boiling a pot of water for pasta. Old thinking was we needed plenty of water to keep the pasta circulating. Theres a new way. Start with a saute pan of cold water and turn on the heat. You dont need much water and it takes less time and energy. This comes courtesy of food writer Harold McGee. nytimes.com/2009/02/25/dining/25curi.html? r=0 24. You only turn your steaks once (because thats how you were taught). McGee and Lopez-Alt, among others, have shown that multiple turns is better, leading to more even cooking. 25. You thaw and marinate food on the counter at room temperature. The governments food safety guide calls it one of the riskiest things you can do. Instead, thaw meat in the fridge. Same with marinating. If you thaw food in the microwave, cook it immediately. 26. You ALWAYS thaw your meat before cooking. OK, thats not necessarily a mistake and this ones a little esoteric, but its interesting, courtesy of Modernist Cuisine. Freeze the steaks for 30 minutes, then sear over high heat in a pan (remember to preheat it adequately), then finish in the oven at the uncommonly low 160 degrees for 50 minutes, or until the interior of the steak reaches 133 degrees (yes, get out that instant-read thermometer). 27. You dont think about time and sequence before you start cooking. Lets say youve got four different dishes to pull together for dinner. Starting them haphazardly could lead to chaos. Start each recipe in the proper sequence and finish everything at the same time (remembering to rest that steak for 10 minutes). See Nos. 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 12 and 23. 28. Youre still soaking dried beans. This is a controversial one, because most recipes for dried legumes call for soaking, often overnight. But Russ Parsons, food writer for the Los Angeles Times, has long insisted that soaking does nothing to improve flavor and texture and only marginally decreases cooking times. If you want to do beans even faster, see No. 12. 29. You always brine, or never brine, your chicken, turkey and pork. Brining is big these days, thanks to advocates like the science nerds at Cooks Illustrated. Sure enough, brining can work magic on ho-hum boneless chicken breasts, giving them better texture and an infusion of flavor. But as McGee notes in Keys To Good Cooking, his follow-up to the classic On Food and Cooking, brining has its limitations: They dilute the meats own flavorful juices with tap water, and usually make the pan juices too salty for deglazing into a sauce. 30. You under-salt everything. Eric Veldman Miller, owner of V. Miller Meats in Sacramento, says the most common mistake home cooks make with steak is under-salting the meat. Be assertive. The salt brings out the flavor of the beef. 31. You overcook EVERYTHING. Last but not least, this may be the biggest blunder of all. Your pork chops have all the tenderness of a foam roller. Your steaks are dark gray and brutally dry in the middle. And that plate of mushy veggies, as Joy of Cooking puts it in the Introduction to Vegetables section, is drained of all life force. The great tome goes on to advise home cooks to do very little to them. Obliterating food is a sign of an insecure cook. With skill and experience comes an understanding of when food is cooked properly. SHARE Max Faulkner/Fort Worth Star-Telegram/TNS Eric Martinez credits his religious faith for his survival and recovery after suffering a major seizure from a brain aneurysm in December 2012. Max Faulkner/Fort Worth Star-Telegram/TNS Eric Martinez has a large scar on the right side of his head as well as another on the back of his head from his surgeries after suffering a major seizure in December 2012. At his home in Grand Prairie, Texas, he credits his religious faith for his survival and recovery. Martinez has a large scar on the right side of his head as well as another on the back of his head from his surgeries. Man credits faith in recovery from aneurysm By Traci Peterson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram (TNS) GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas As an ambulance rushed him to Texas Health Arlington Memorial Hospital in December 2012, Erick Martinez's future was suddenly in grave doubt. The then-26-year-old truck driver had been sitting in the parking lot of an Arlington, Texas, Wendy's when he suffered a seizure caused by a ruptured brain aneurysm. He had bleeding in the space around his brain a subarachnoid hemorrhage. A ruptured aneurysm occurs in just eight to 10 people out of 100,000 annually, but it is particularly deadly. Forty percent of the cases are fatal, and more than half of those who survive suffer permanent brain damage, according to the Brain Aneurysm Foundation. So it's with a grateful heart that Martinez, now 30, rebuilds his life. Sitting in his comfortable home in Grand Prairie, he is asked how he beat the odds. "God," Martinez answers matter-of-factly. "There's nothing more but God." Friends tell him that his story makes them take stock of their own day-to-day challenges. One in 50 people has an unruptured brain aneurysm, according to national statistics. For most people, the condition sort of a blister on a blood vessel is not discovered unless doctors happen upon it during a medical scan for another reason, said Dr. Frederick Todd II, the neurosurgeon who treated Martinez at Arlington Memorial. But for those whose aneurysm ruptures, the effects are often devastating. Symptoms include a sudden very severe headache, loss of consciousness, seizures and blurred or double vision. "He was very, very bad off when he got to the emergency room," Todd said. Quick treatment is key. In Martinez's case, he went into surgery in the early morning of Dec. 13, 2012. He would be told later that he died once during the 12-hour operation, in which doctors stabilized the aneurysm and eliminated the risk of more bleeding. Surgery is "just the first hurdle," Todd said. After that, drugs are administered to reduce the risk of spasms in the blood vessels of the brain referred to as strokes causing further damage. Martinez doesn't remember the first month he was in the hospital, though he was conscious and talking with family. His first memories begin in mid-January, when he felt as if he was waking up. He looked around the white hospital room and saw his mother, who told him what had happened. "She said, 'Erick, you had an aneurysm,' and I was like, 'What the heck is an aneurysm?'" Martinez said. Martinez's youth and physical fitness helped him in his recovery after he left the hospital that February. Despite having some confusion remembering family members and friends and what happened before the aneurysm, Martinez said his challenges were more physical than cognitive. He still has some nerve damage in his left leg that can cause movement difficulties, but he was able to walk again after about eight months in a wheelchair. He underwent surgery in 2014 to repair double vision. During his ordeal, his mother and members of her church prayed for him. Later, in answer to his own prayers, he felt that God spoke to him directly. "'I was there with you,'" Martinez said God told him. "'I was there whenever the aneurysm ruptured. I was there inside the ambulance with you. I have been there your whole life.'" Martinez, who became a U.S. citizen in 2014, hasn't been able to return to his job because his commercial driver's license expired during his recovery. But he's looking for a chance to get back to work and take full advantage of a future that seemed unlikely on Dec. 11, 2012. "I am very blessed and glad to be alive," he said. Fotolia Some free clinics are expanding their missions to help the underinsured. Too-high deductibles and living in a state that refused to expand Medicaid are among the reasons insured people use the clinics. SHARE Some simply cannot afford high deductible By Michelle Andrews, Kaiser Health News (TNS) Denise Johnson works two jobs, but neither of them offers health insurance to part-timers like her. She signed up for a marketplace plan this year, but for routine medical care, Johnson still goes to the free clinic near her Charlottesville, Virginia, home. The problem is her plan's deductible of at least $1,000. She can't recall the precise figure, but it doesn't really matter. "It's absolutely high," said Johnson, 58. "Who can afford that?" She struggles to pay her $28 monthly premium. By continuing to visit the free clinic where she's been a patient for a few years, Johnson said she saves hundreds of dollars a year on blood pressure and diuretic medications, her EpiPen and allergy pills. In addition to the drugs, she also sees a primary care doctor every six months at the clinic to keep tabs on her borderline diabetes and an allergist once a year. "If you're a working-class person and you've got a free clinic near you, buying a bronze plan and using the free clinic for primary care makes sense," said Sara Rosenbaum, a professor of health law and policy at George Washington University. Of the 1,300 people who visited the medical clinic at the Charlottesville Free Clinic in the past year, roughly 15 percent have enrolled in insurance through the marketplace, said Colleen Keller, executive director of the clinic. The clinic, which limits services to lower-income people, provides medical, pharmacy, mental health and dental services through a combination of staff and volunteer medical professionals. In addition to serving the working uninsured, the clinic has expanded its target population to include the underinsured people who have coverage but whose premium and deductible represents 10 percent or more of their income. Nicole Lamoureux, CEO of the National Association of Free and Charitable Clinics, said in many states these organizations are expanding their mission to make sure they can serve the underinsured. "I think there definitely is a shift," she said. "Prior to the [federal Affordable Care Act], we were seeing primarily the uninsured, but since the passage of the ACA, we're seeing more of the underinsured." Clinics define underinsured differently to meet the needs of their local populations, she said. A study by the Commonwealth Fund found that 23 percent of adults younger than 65 who had coverage all year in 2014 were underinsured. The study considered someone underinsured if their out-of-pocket health care costs, excluding premiums, were at least 10 percent of their income, or 5 percent if their income was less than 200 percent of poverty (which was $22,980 for an individual in a 2014 plan). People whose health insurance deductibles were at least 5 percent of their income were also included. Some people expected that the need for clinics to provide free medical care would wind down as people got coverage under the health law, said Jack Hoadley, research professor at the Georgetown University Health Policy Institute. Undocumented immigrants and people who don't qualify for Medicaid would continue to rely on them, but few others would need to. But that hasn't happened. Hoadley coauthored a recent study on the impact of the health law on consumer coverage in Richmond, Virginia, Tampa, Florida, and Columbus, Ohio. Free clinics in those cities are "very much needed by people who qualify for insurance subsidies but still can't afford the copays or deductibles to get care," Hoadley said. The health law also expanded eligibility for coverage under the Medicaid program to adults with incomes up to 138 percent of the federal poverty level (about $16,000), but the Supreme Court ruled that adoption of the provision was optional. So far, 31 states and the District of Columbia have expanded coverage. The Medicaid expansion has helped ease the burden on free clinics, but sometimes even Medicaid beneficiaries come back. Cost isn't the only factor that the newly insured are grappling with. Some people come to free clinics because they can't get appointments with providers, especially in rural areas, said Deborah Miller, executive director of the Ohio Association of Free Clinics. "Access is a problem across the board," she said, referring to people in marketplace and Medicaid plans. Many Ohio free clinics have expanded their missions to serve those who are uninsured, underinsured or without access to care, Miller said. Then there are those who return to a free clinic after dropping their marketplace plan because of the cost. "They may have a penalty for not having insurance, but it's lower than their copays," said Judith Robinson, a health insurance support specialist at the Charlottesville Free Clinic. The health law requires most people to have insurance or pay a penalty. In 2015, the penalty was the greater of $325 or 2 percent of household income. There are exceptions to the requirement for financial and other hardships. If the least expensive coverage available would cost more than 8.05 percent of someone's household income, for example, people aren't required to have coverage. But surprise expenses can undermine even the best intentions, Miller said. Someone's car breaks down and then they get behind on their electric bill. Suddenly they're two months behind on their health insurance premium and they can't catch up. "All it takes is one unexpected expense, it's life, and they don't have a cushion to help with those unexpected things. And then it's a crisis," she said. And they're back at the free clinic. Standard-Times file photos Three boys shovel hail that fell during the Memorial Day weekend storm of May 1995. Rick Smith Columnist SHARE Craig Hopper of the Texas Department of Transportation clears a storm drain as cars pass him on Abe Street in May 1995. City workers dig out cars on Tres Rios Drive from hail that fell in May 1995. Residents recall 1995 day of fierce hail Thanks to all the readers who have shared their memories of the storm of 1995. Here is some of what people saw during the storm: JIM RYAN: Boy howdy do I remember it. We were visiting friends at Lake View when a young son called and hollered "Come home." Only time he ever hollered at me. We loaded up and came. By then the storm had passed, but had left mucho evidence. Closer we got to home the more the trees were stripped and the roads full of dying greenery. Hail was drifting up on the west side of every building three to four feet deep. Lawns and streets looked like a snowfall, but it was all hail. We got home and all the west windows were gone. Hail was in the house. One was the size of a grapefruit and had bounced all the way across the bedroom. I saved it in the freezer for a couple of years. I had a half load of plywood for another project, between me, my landlord and neighbors. That got eaten up right away. Good thing I had it. That evening there wasn't a sheet of plywood to be found at a supply house closer than San Antonio. JESSICA JAVAHERIAN: I remember it well. I was scared for my life as the tornado ripped off the chimney and knocked out the windows of the house I was renting. I was panicked because I couldn't get through to my parents or grandparents by phone so I decided to get in my car (after all had subsided) and try to drive down Van Buren to check on them. I got stuck in a large buildup of hail and some men had to push me out of it. I remember that the hail stayed on the ground in the heat for at least a week. I'll never forget that! DIANE SOTHMAN: The 1995 storm is strongly etched in my mind for several reasons. My family was recovering from a major motor vehicle accident and my mother (who is from Iowa) had suffered the worst of it. I was at her bedside at Shannon Hospital when I looked out the window and saw massive amounts of hail and a tree floating down Harris Ave. The nurses were quickly moving patients out of harm's way into the hall. Shannon was hit with such force that it blew out windows. A disaster recall for staff must have been issued because all of a sudden staff members who had left their own homes and families came to the hospital to help. My husband said he had never seen anything like it!! May I mention that I was a Shannon nurse at that time and I always knew I had great co-workers but I was so proud of them that day. They were even able to calm my anxious mother who kept muttering, "I don't like this, I don't like this, I don't like this AT all!!" Hope we don't have another storm like this but we are in West Texas. Stay safe San Angelo! JESSE RIOS: I remember The Storm very well. I lived down from Santa Fe Junction. At first it looked like a dust storm so thick you couldn't see through it. There were horrible winds then deadly silence. All of the sudden a cold wind and hail were breaking our windows. Our house felt like it was trying to lift. We ran into the bathroom closet in the center of our home with my son while his father covered the front window with a mattress. By the end of the Storm some of our ceilings were on the floor with rain just coming through. We lived across from a motel and the owner, Mr. Patel, came over to check on us. He saw our home and gave us a room for free until things were settled. It was a very scary day, but we were very thankful for all the help people would do out of the kindness of their hearts and most thankful for the Patel family and their generosity. It was a storm I never will forget. PAM TURNER: I was at the mall. It had been a really hot day and I was happy to be in the air conditioning. I knew something was wrong because a fast moving wall of red dirt blew into the doors. It snapped them immediately backward. That was immediately followed by deafening hail on the glass roof, leading to the evacuation of all mall patrons to the side stores. After the hail stopped I saw countless car windshields collapsed from softball sized hail. I had friends around Central High School that I was worried about, so I made my way in that direction, only to find streets filled in two feet deep of frozen water with storm debris locked within. I later saw many houses' roofs and side paneling shredded from the hail and high speed winds. While we know there were several tornadoes that touched down across the city, to this day the passing word of 'hail' scares me more than the talk of twisters. I moved out of the area 10 years ago, many states away from tornado alley. Even though I have a very visual vocabulary, my local friends struggle to really understand the visceral fear I felt that day. Duck and cover until July! JOHN CRISP: It is truly a day I will never forget and thank God I got the ride I did. I was working at Neff's Amusement Park that day. Didn't have a car at the time and was facing walking home. We had no warning of how bad this was gonna get since the only town hit was Christoval and they only got rain. I got a ride at the last moment with a couple of co-workers and as we made our way toward the ASU area where we each lived, visibility dropped to zero within seconds. It was so bad that we were only seeing cars ahead when we were feet apart. We ended up on Bryant and a median of hail had formed that split down the middle of the road and so we decided to go down a side street somewhere. There were four of us, me and a girl in the back seat who was scared to death of the hail that sounded like a jackhammer on the back window, and the two in the front. At some point we ended up on a street somewhere around Chadbourne, I think, and decided to stop and ride it out. I looked out and water and hail flowed by us. The car was being rocked by winds so high that I wonder if we weren't close to a tornado. There were four reported. I noticed someone waving toward us and we all climbed out into freezing water and made our way into an underground church room where we waited out the storm. To this day I always wondered where we stopped. In all we spent about two hours out in the storm and it was the scariest time I have ever had. JUDY SOLOMON: I had just arrived on a flight into Davenport, Iowa, when I received a call from my Mom. She was in her early 80s and lived in the Glenmore area on Churchill Boulevard. The minute I answered the phone I knew something was wrong. All my Mom kept saying was 'the roof is gone, the roof is gone.' Well, with her panicked voice all I could imagine was the roof was gone. I said, 'call your granddaughter,' who lived two doors down, to help. There was little I could do to help Mom, not knowing she was caught on the other side of Bell Street and couldn't get home as the road was closed. As time passed and all settled down, the granddaughter and her 3-year-old reached home to start repairs with boarding up all broken windows and putting buckets to catch any future rain. When I arrived back home in San Angelo, Churchill Boulevard looked like a war zone, trees stripped, houses severely damaged. The roof was still on but completely ruined, requiring a new one on both houses. Mom said she had gathered her purse and went to the closet to ride out the storm. Rick Smith is a local news and community affairs columnist. Contact him at 325-659-8248 or rick.smith@gosanangelo.com. Standard-Times file Ballet Azteca dancers entertain patrons during the 2015 Cinco de Mayo celebration at the Paseo de Santa Angela. The annual event is hosted by the Southside Lions Club. SHARE By Federico Martinez, Federico.Martinez@gosanangelo.com @Federico_sast Angelo State University and the Southside Lions Club will celebrate Cinco de Mayo with a variety of cultural activities, including guest speakers, live music and dance performances, a carnival and arts and crafts. ASU will host its program from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursday in the lobby of the Houston Harte University Center, 1910 Rosemont Drive. The event, which is free and open to the public, features keynote speaker John Klingemann, an ASU history professor who will talk about the significance and history behind the Mexican holiday. The event will also include Spanish music and Mexican food. "What we have found over the years is that students, including our Hispanic students, don't know much about Cinco de Mayo," said Erika Baeza, director of ASU's Multicultural Center. "We want to educate our students about Cinco de Mayo and what it represents before they go out and get their margaritas." Baeza said many people associate the holiday with bar drink specials, which tarnishes the true meaning behind the holiday. Klingemann will explain that on May 5, 1862, 6,000 French troops set out to invade a small town in east-central Mexico, Puebla de Los Angeles. Mexico's president at the time, Benito Juarez, gathered a ragtag group of about 2,000 peasants, who were poorly armed yet still managed to successfully repel the French. The French suffered more than 500 casualties, while the Mexicans lost fewer than 100 men. Although not a major battle in the strategic sense, it was a symbolic victory that is still celebrated mostly in Puebla. In the late 1960s, Chicanos in the U.S. embraced the historical event as a symbol of pride and determination and began recognizing Cinco de Mayo with a variety of events throughout the country. Over the years many people have forgotten the meaning of the holiday and have come to associate it with drinking and partying, Baeza said. The Southside Lions Club will host a three-day celebration this year from Friday through Sunday at El Paseo de Santa Angela, 34 W. Ave. D. Highlights will include a carnival, dance performances by San Angelo's Ballet Azteca and Grupo Folklorico Meztli, an arts and crafts show, food and refreshments, live music performances by Los Compadres de San Angelo, The Manny Campos Band and Mi Orgullo Band. A car, truck and bike show will be held Saturday at the Farmers Market. IF YOU GO What: Cinco de Mayo Celebration at Angelo State University When: 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursday Where: Lobby of the Houston Harte University Center, 1910 Rosemont Drive Cost: Free What else: Keynote speaker John Eusebio Klingemann will talk about The Battle of Puebla. Includes music and refreshments. What: Southside Lions Club Cinco de Mayo celebration When: Friday-Sunday Where: El Paseo de Santa Angela, 34 W. Ave. D Cost: $3 Friday, $5 Saturday and Sunday. Children 10 and younger get in free. Friday 8 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. Carnival, food and refreshments 7:15-8 p.m. Dance performances by San Angelo Ballet Azteca 8-9 p.m. Live music by Los Compadres de San Angelo 9:15-11:30 p.m. Dance with D.J. Gocha Saturday 9 a.m. to 11:45 p.m. Carnival, food and refreshments Noon to 4 p.m. Seventh annual Thunder in the Conchos car, truck and bike show 1-3 p.m. Live music by the Manny Campos Band 7-8:45 p.m. Dance performances by Grupo Folklorico Meztli and Ballet Azteca 8:15-9:15 p.m. Live music by Los Compadres 9:30-11:45 p.m. Live music by Mi Orgullo Band Sunday SHARE The cash prizes awarded in the business plan competition are paid for out of a grant from a city of San Angelo Development Corp., which administers half-cent sales tax funds for economic development. By Rashda Khan, Rashda.Khan@gosanangelo.com / @Rashda_SAST The dust has settled on a lawsuit the city of San Angelo and City of San Angelo Development Corp. brought against Martifer-Hirschfeld Energy Systems for the time being. After a special executive session Tuesday, the City Council passed a resolution terminating all litigation in the case. The city and COSADC sought a summary judgment hearing in the 119th District Court this year but settled their differences before any judgment was issued. A news conference followed the meeting. "In the end I think we all realized that if there was any other conversation that could take place directly between the city, COSADC and Hirschfeld, then it was worth one last attempt before we headed to the courthouse," said Councilwoman Elizabeth Grindstaff, the designated spokeswoman for the city. "And everybody came to the table with open minds and with the idea that perhaps a solution could be reached that was good for everyone but in particular for the citizens in the community." The terms of the agreement are: Martifer-Hirschfeld will pay the city and COSADC $1.4 million upon execution of the agreement. Tommy Hiebert, representing COSADC, said the amount "recoups just the majority of what we paid out. They no doubt created jobs that we benefitted from and still do benefit from." Hirschfeld will maintain current employment of 47 employees at existing payroll levels at its San Angelo steel bridge fabrication plant for five years. If Hirschfeld fails to maintain 47 employees at existing payroll level in any year during the five-year term, Hirschfeld will repay $6,000 per position lost. Hirschfeld may increase its workforce to 75 employees during the five-year period. If it does so, the company will earn property tax rebates for that given year of 75 percent in years one through three and 50 percent in years four and five. The company will also make commercially reasonable efforts to build a railroad spur to its plant within 12 months, at an estimated cost of $1 million. If Hirschfeld does not complete the rail spur within 24 months, it loses all rights to property tax rebates. These terms will be included in a new contract between Hirschfeld, the city and COSADC, which administers the city's half-cent sales tax for economic development. The new agreement will terminate and supersede all prior contracts between the company and the city and COSADC. The lawsuit had strained relations between the city and Hirschfeld Industries, headquartered in San Angelo since 1946. Hirschfeld published an ad in the Standard-Times on Feb. 14 announcing that it added more than 30 employees to its plant in Abilene and expects to add more jobs there in the future. In a Standard-Times story following that, Hirschfeld said it was reluctant to create employment opportunities in San Angelo because of the lawsuit. Grindstaff expected citizens to understand the need for the settlement. She referred to the 70-year-old company as legacy and reminded everyone that Hirschfeld employs more than 400 people throughout the community. "We wanted to make sure it stayed here as a legacy industry," she said. "If they are going to grow and prosper, we want them to do it in San Angelo, Texas." Jacob Balderas, executive vice president for Hirschfeld Indsutrstries, is also glad for the resolution because it allows the company to focus on business. "Increasing the employment base is good for Hirschfeld and it's good for the local economy," he said. SHARE Esperanza celebrates National Womens Health Week Esperanza Clinic is inviting women in the community to get up, get out and be active as part of National Women's Health Week, May 8-14. The clinic is encouraging women to make health a priority by taking time out of the day to improve their mental and physical conditions. What Esperanza is trying to do is spread awareness about the importance of regular doctor visits and checkups, help women focus on improving their mental health with issues like depression and encourage them to be active maintaining their ideal weight, said Norma Lee, Success By 6 outreach coordinator and community health director. National Women's Health Week is a nationwide initiative to call attention to the importance of women's health, by empowering women to take small, manageable steps for longer, healthier, happier lives. The week begins on Mother's Day. Recommended steps women can take for better health include: Consulting with health care professionals for regular and preventive screenings. Adopting active lifestyles that include eating healthy. Managing stress. Ensuring they get enough quality sleep. Avoiding unhealthy behaviors, such as smoking, not wearing seat belts or bicycle helmets. During the health week, local families, businesses and organizations are grouping up to walk throughout the city during their lunch breaks, before and after work May 9, which is National Women's Checkup Day. Esperanza started the walking groups last year and they really took off. People wanted to know more about them and how they can participate, Lee said. Twelve groups, including a team from Goodfellow Air Force Base, have signed up to walk. Anyone can join in the walks around town or sign up their own group by calling the clinic, she said. Esperanza will be wrapping up the week with a free health fair, offering screenings, educational information exercise demos and door prizes May 13. All women are encouraged to attend. The fair has helped people in the community realize they have health issues that need to be addressed, like high blood pressure, Lee said. The fair will be held at the YMCA, 353 S Randolph St., from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. For more information about National Women's Health Week, please visit womenshealth.gov/nwhw/. If you go Who: Esperanza Clinic What: Health Fair When: 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., May 13 Where: YMCA, 353 S Randolph St. Cost: Free Michelle Gaitan/Standard-Times San Angelo police investigate a major crash between a tractor trailer and a Chevy pickup early Thursday morning. shot/archived1009 SHARE Woman killed, child taken to hospital By Michelle Gaitan UPDATE, 4:58 p.m. A woman was killed and her infant daughter was injured in an early morning collision in south San Angelo. Treva Hernandez, 37, of San Angelo, died of her injuries after her pickup collided into a tractor-trailer at the intersection of South Bryant Boulevard and South Jackson Street just before 5 a.m. Thursday, according to a San Angelo Police Department news release. The 8-month-old passenger, Taela Carter, was transported to Shannon Medical Center with undisclosed injuries, the news release states. Preliminary investigation reveals a Freightliner semi-truck, driven by Brad Matthiesen, 32, of Rowena, was turning left on a green arrow from South Jackson Street onto South Bryant Boulevard. As the tractor-trailer was traveling through the intersection, Hernandezs S-10 pickup, which was traveling southbound, ran the red light at the intersection colliding into the tractor-trailer, the news release states. Hernandez died of her injuries at the scene. Tom Green County Precinct 1 Justice of the Peace Kay Longest pronounced her dead at 4:58 a.m. The SAPD Motor Section received video from a nearby business that captured the collision, according to the news release. The crash is still being investigated. UPDATE, 8:20 a.m. A woman was killed and a small child was taken to Shannon Medical Center for unknown injuries after a crash between a tractor-trailer and pickup on South Bryant Boulevard and Jackson Street. Sgt. Brian Robinson, with the San Angelo Police Department, said officers are still investigating the details of the early morning crash and traffic at the intersection likely will be blocked for a couple more hours. The crash was reported at 4:58 a.m. Thursday, Robinson said, after a Budweiser tractor-trailer collided with a Chevy S-10 two-door pickup. Next of kin has not yet been notified, Robinson said, so the woman and child's identities were not released. Robinson said he was unsure of the extent of the child's injuries. She was pronounced dead at the crash site by Precinct 1 Justice of the Peace Kay Longest. The driver of the tractor-trailer, a man, did not report any injuries from the crash, Robinson said. Police were unsure of how the crash occurred, as of 8 a.m., and were collecting evidence at the site. The Texas Department of Public Safety and Tom Green County Sheriff Office also were at the crash site to assist SAPD. A news release will be sent out later on in the day, Robinson said. INITIAL STORY A crash between a tractor-trailer and pickup truck have blocked traffic at the intersection of South Bryant Boulevard and South Jackson Street. Police are asking motorists to avoid the area. Just before 5:25 a.m. Thursday, an ambulance left the crash site with its lights and sirens on. A Budweiser tractor-trailer and two-door pickup both are facing east on South Jackson Street, in the direction of Bryant Boulevard. The pickup is partially under the front of the tractor-trailer, which is completely blocking all four southbound lanes of Bryant Boulevard. Police still were investigating the crash as of 5:40 a.m. and had blocked traffic to the southbound lanes of South Bryant and the westbound lanes of South Jackson. No details about the crash are available for release yet. Precinct 1 Justice of the Peace Kay Longest arrived at the crash site shortly before 7 a.m. This is a breaking news story. Check back for updates. SHARE Website problems give city another day to raise $1 million You could call it too much of a good thing. San Angelo Gives, the community-wide, one-day push to raise money for local nonprofits that started Tuesday, was extended for another 24 hours after technical problems caused intermittent failures in the website portal for donations. The effort will continue through 11:59:59 p.m. Wednesday, the San Angelo Area Foundation announced late Tuesday afternoon. Our technology provider for San Angelo Gives experienced a major overload issue today with donation processing, foundation president Matt Lewis said. Our site went down or remained slow throughout the day. Kimbia, the utility that powers the San Angelo Gives website, also performed the same service for more than 100 others across the country during the day. This is a nationwide event, so the entire country has been affected, Lewis said. Service is slowly being restored, so we have decided to extend the 24hours to 48 hours through midnight May 4. We will be redoing some prizes and we are communicating this extension through media and social media. We appreciate the generosity of our community and nation that so many charitable gifts could cause such a problem. The websites live donation total showed more than $258,000 in 1,291 donations when it got stuck around midafternoon Tuesday. The website is sanangelogives.org. SHARE By Staff Report Chef Darren McGrady who cooked for the Royal Family of Britain for 15 years, will visit Brownwood to speak at Jr. Twentieth Century Book Club, at noon, May 11. The luncheon will be held at the Bullion Suites on the Howard Payne Campus, 1000 Fisk St., in Brownwood, where he will share his "Remembrances From a Royal Kitchen," and Princess Diana and Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth's favorite recipes. Before McGrady became a private chef in Texas, he also cooked for five United States Presidents, appeared on the Oprah Winfrey Show, CNN's Larry King Live, multiple news channels and cooked on the Today Show and CBS Early Show in New York. The cost per person is $30 and seating is limited. For more information, call 325-642-4575.

Monique Ching/Standard-Times Ralph "Fil" Filburn, a pilot with the West Texas Weather Modification Association, fires off a glaciogenic flare from the wing of a Piper Comanche plane. Typically, during cloud seeding, two flares are fired off at the same time. Shot/Archived: 09.26.2013

SHARE Monique Ching/Standard-Times Four Piper Comanche planes are equipped with wing racks full of flares for cloud seeding operations by the West Texas Weather Modification Association. Flares are fired off into the base of a convective thunderstorm to enhance precipitation. Shot/Archived: 09.26.2014 Monique Ching/Standard-Times Pilots can control exactly which flares the fire off into a convective cloud from inside the cockpit. Typically, the West Texas Weather Modification Association will have about 44 cloud seeding days in a year. Shot/Archived: 09.26.2014 Monique Ching/Standard-Times Two pilots typically sit in the cockpit of the Lear Jet, normally accompanied by two or three other scientists in the back to monitor all the instruments attached to the plane. Shot/Archived: 09.26.2014 Monique Ching/Standard-Times A probe on the right wing of the Lear Jet measures air motion, cloud turbulence and air updrafts. The jet was equipped by scientists to study the contents and properties of clouds. Improved understanding could help weather modification operations. Shot/Archived: 09.26.2014 Project may make seeding more efficient By Monique Ching Finding out what West Texas clouds are made of and how they behave could be one of many ways to mitigate the regions water woes. Aquifer recharge is probably one of our biggest benefits, said Jonathan Jennings, project meteorologist at the West Texas Weather Modification Association at Mathis Field Airport in South San Angelo. Pilots have been seeding clouds around San Angelo and area counties since the 1970s, Jennings said, but the association is hoping to get a better understanding of what is in West Texas clouds so it can enhance seeding and other weather modification operations. The purpose of the work we do ... is we try to understand how clouds precipitate, how much rain gets to the ground, said Roelof Bruintjes, project scientist with the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colorado. Bruintjes, along with a group of scientists and pilots from Stratton Park Engineering Co. Inc. made a stop in San Angelo on Friday afternoon to conduct a trial run for research relating to the physical nature of convective clouds in West Texas. SEEDS OF RAIN Cloud seeding is a form of weather modification designed to affect the clouds ability to produce precipitation. Our main goal is rain enhancement, Jennings said, although some other areas use weather modification for hail suppression, fog dispersion or snowpack augmentation. Association pilots seed a cloud by flying one of their Piper Comanche planes near the base of a thunderstorm and releasing one of two types of flares, depending on the clouds properties. Glaciogenic flares target super-cold water and trigger the droplets to freeze, typically using silver iodide. Hygroscopic flares promote the formation of larger droplets. Clouds in West Texas tend to be inefficient, Jennings said. A lot of moisture is unable to precipitate out. In West Texas especially, a lot of the spring winds tend to pick up dust, which draws moisture from the clouds, Jennings said. We have a lot of dust in West Texas and we have a lot of dust in the springtime, he said, which is why cloud seeding season tends to run from March through October. In the associations 19 years of operation, rainfall has been increased by 15 percent across West Texas, according to analysis from Texas Tech University, Jennings said. Its unclear whether the increase is a natural phenomenon or a result of weather modification. TO UNDERSTAND A CLOUD Dust, pollen and other such aerosols including those from urban sources and oil field-related activity are some of the aspects Bruintjes and his team of scientists hope to look at. At the moment theres no research done on summer convective clouds, Bruintjes said. The last study regarding weather modification in Texas was done in the early 1990s, Bruintjes said, but technology has advanced significantly since then. Pointing out the many instruments attached to their Learjet during Fridays stop, Paul Lawson, senior scientist with Stratton Park, described the various functions from measuring small cloud droplets and humidity to taking high-resolution images of ice crystals and feeding the data into numerical models, which predict what the cloud will do. You quantify an overall picture of the cloud, Lawson said. One purpose of the study is to analyze whether weather modification activities actually are enhancing precipitation. Is it human intervention or is it nature? Bruintjes said. Or was our forecast wrong? Getting a better understanding of West Texas clouds also could help the association enhance cloud seeding operations, thereby improving precipitation for the area. We could create a flare thats specifically for West Texas, Jennings said. FINDING SEED MONEY While the science is there to begin the research, the money is not. If theres funding available, maybe we can start next year, Bruintjes said. The association is funded by area water districts, including $40,000 a year from the city of San Angelo. Were able to sustain ourselves barely, Jennings said, but my hope is to get state matching funds to propel us into the next decade. Although its not a high-profile water project, Jennings noted that the 15 percent rain enhancement could make the difference between whether an aquifer recharges or not. After visiting for a few hours, Bruintjes and his group of scientists fueled up the Learjet to do some sampling on the way out of San Angelo. We cannot make clouds, we cannot chase clouds, Bruintjes said. Nobody can. SHARE By Lauren Mcgaughy, The Dallas Morning News (TNS) AUSTIN A pro-campus carry group is considering paying students to help them file complaints against University of Texas at Austin professors who want to ban guns in their offices. "(Students for Concealed Carry) is already working on a variety of plans to document incidents of wrongful exclusion on the UT-Austin campus," the group's southwest regional director, Antonia Okafor, said in a statement Tuesday. "One of the proposals we're considering is the offering of a cash prize to the student who documents the most verifiable cases of faculty or staff prohibiting licensed concealed carry in offices." Beginning Aug. 1, licensed gun owners will be able to carry concealed handguns into most buildings at Texas' public four-year colleges and universities under the state's new campus carry law. While the law opens up broad swaths of campus previously closed to guns, it also gives each campus president the discretion to designate certain "gun-free" zones based on the school's unique security circumstances. Many campuses have proposed banning guns in dorms, gyms and laboratories, but UT-Austin is the only one that wants to allow professors to designate their private offices as "gun free." Texas A&M University President Michael K. Young originally proposed extending his staff and professors the same exemption, but then backed out after being discouraged by the college's lawyers and officials at the Office of the Attorney General. But officials at the UT flagship stood by their plans. "We believe our rules are fully compliant with state law. The campus carry working group that developed the recommendations that will become the university's policies was chaired by a highly regarded law professor and included a former chief justice of the Texas Supreme Court," UT-Austin spokesman Gary Susswein said. Susswein added: "Critics of the new policies have indicated they will challenge them in court, as is their right. We expect the judiciary to resolve any outstanding questions." Okafor's group says banning guns in offices violates another gun law passed in 2015, one that allows people to file complaints against public entities like cities, counties and universities that improperly ban concealed carry. Under this so-called "wrongful exclusion" law, people can file complaints with Attorney General Ken Paxton, whose office then determines whether to impose fines of up to $10,000 a day. The penalties law has already caused massive confusion across Texas, with citizens filing complaints against everything from police stations to community centers. Officials that run state-run psychiatric hospitals, somehow not exempt from the law, are left only with the option of encouraging people to leave their guns in their cars. Paxton's office has not yet been asked to weigh in on the campus carry issue. If someone files a complaint against a UT professor, Paxton's office must investigate and determine whether or not the law has been violated, which could trigger a lawsuit or fines. History professor Joan Neuberger, who helps lead a group of roughly 1,700 professors who pledge opposing guns in classrooms, was outraged at Students For Concealed Carry's proposal to pay students who help target professors. "If people are worried about the cost of bringing loaded guns into classrooms, offices, dorms and other buildings at UT Austin and other public universities, they should vote to repeal (campus carry) and keep our universities the safest place in the state," Neuberger said. SHARE The following editorial appeared in Sunday's Chicago Tribune: News stories of recent days suggest a stabbing pain in the wallet awaiting people who buy health coverage for 2017 through "Obamacare" exchanges. Insurers in many states will seek major premium hikes. All of which contrasts with President Barack Obama's victory lap in late March, when he celebrated the sixth anniversary of his signature achievement and crowed about its rousing success. His verdict looks increasingly dubious. And looming rate increases aren't the only signs of severe stress. Each week brings new evidence that Obamacare is due for more than a checkup; it needs life-saving surgery. On April 19, UnitedHealthcare, the nation's biggest insurer, said it would stop offering coverage in many states next year because of heavy losses. The company had expanded coverage to 34 states, but now it says it can't afford to cover hundreds of thousands of people in most of those states. United isn't alone in hemorrhaging. Insurers lost at least $3 billion selling individual plans in 2014, according to researcher Brian Blase, with the Spending and Budget Initiative at the Mercatus Center of George Mason University. No wonder other insurers warn that they may follow UnitedHealthcare to the exit, unless they win major premium rate hikes for next year. How high will they go? Here's a clue: Insurers received $7 billion in a federal subsidy program in 2014. That program expires at the end of this year. ... Other options to balance premiums and medical costs: Insurers can raise deductibles, narrow their networks of hospitals and doctors, or find other ways to cut costs. As costs rise, Americans turn increasingly sour on the law. Some 54 percent now disapprove of Obamacare, up from 49 percent in July, according to a survey the Pew Research Center released last week. Obamacare is lagging on many fronts: Far fewer people have signed up for private coverage this year than the 20-plus million that the Congressional Budget Office and other experts projected when Congress passed the law in 2010. Insurers are losing money because the people buying polices are older and sicker therefore more expensive to cover than experts projected. Obamacare policies are disproportionately attracting the poor, who benefit most from federal subsidies that help pay premiums. That's good for those who get coverage, but the lack of better-off purchasers limits the premium money rolling in to pay medical expenses. Penalties are rising for going without health insurance the greater of $695 or 2.5 percent of taxable household income for 2016. But that hasn't sold many middle-income Americans that Obamacare policies with narrowing networks of doctors and hospitals are worth the increasingly steep cost. Many of those who did sign up didn't pay their premiums or were bounced out of coverage because they weren't eligible (because, for example, they were undocumented immigrants), Blase reports. In February 2015, 11.67 million people had selected a plan from Obamacare exchanges. By the end of the year, though, only 8.78 million remained. The rest never paid, stopped paying or were unable to verify their eligibility for coverage, according to his analysis. Absent an influx of young, healthier people to offset costs, insurers will have to keep raising rates, narrowing provider networks or hiking deductibles and copays. That, in turn, will chase away even more of the people insurers hope to attract. Many healthy people balk at high premiums and deductibles for coverage, especially when the rules have been lax enough to allow them to claim coverage when they get sick and to drop it when they get well. (The feds say they are trying to close that major loophole. We'll see.) Lower-cost choices are drying up. Twelve of 23 state co-ops created under Obamacare to stoke price competition have collapsed. In part, that's because Congress didn't deliver enough federal funds to keep co-ops afloat when costs overran revenue. In the heart of the 2016 campaign season, there's no impetus for the White House to reopen the law, especially since many Republicans have voted and vowed to repeal it. And come January, a president who tries to scrap the law will face sharp opposition from millions of people grateful to now have coverage. But as insurers raise rates and restrict coverage, the guarantee of access to insurance becomes an expensive, empty promise for millions. ... A new president and a new Congress can't ignore Obamacare's faltering health. Prep the OR. Ohio Gov. John Kasich was the last man standing Tuesday night after Texas Sen. Ted Cruz dropped out of the race for the Republican party's presidential nomination -- other than the front-runner who's almost certainly going to be the nominee.Mr. Cruz dropped out just after 8:30 p.m., as results showed New York billionaire Donald Trump winning the Indiana primary. He acknowledged he had "no path to victory."Mr. Kasich made no such acknowledgement."Tonight's results are not going to alter Governor Kasich's campaign plans," said chief strategist John Weaver in a memo emailed to reporters, political strategists, and contributors a couple of hours before Mr. Cruz's stunning announcement."Our strategy has been and continues to be one that involves winning the nomination at an open convention," Mr. Weaver said.Mr. Trump is less than 200 delegates away from the 1,237 delegates needed to clinch the nomination when the GOP convention begins July 18 in Cleveland, with nine states still set to vote. California alone has 172 delegates.Many political observers already thought Mr. Kasich's chances of winning a contested convention were far-fetched, even if there was an open convention."With Cruz suspending his campaign, Trump is without question the presumptive nominee of the Republican party," said Melissa Miller, political science professor at Bowling Green State University.She said Mr. Kasich already didn't have the cash to compete on the same level with Mr. Trump, and Mr. Kasich's distant third-place finish in Indiana is not likely to trigger a flood of contributions."With just a single statewide victory, it is hard to see how Kasich goes on," Ms. Miller said. Mr. Kasich won Ohio's primary March 15.She said Republican voters don't seem to care that polls consistently show he is the only candidate likely to beat Hillary Clinton in November."Republican voters seem most concerned with sending a loud anti-establishment message to GOP leaders," she said.Kyle Kondik, a former Elyria, Ohio, journalist and now with the University of Virginia's Center for Politics, said Mr. Kasich didn't help himself by refusing to help Mr. Cruz win some of the delegates in Indiana.Mr. Kasich and Mr. Cruz had agreed to leave Indiana to Mr. Cruz and Oregon and New Mexico to Mr. Kasich. The deal quickly went bust after Mr. Kasich declined to advise his voters to vote for Mr. Cruz, a statement that might have slowed the Trump train."If Kasich really wants to be the nominee, Cruz needed to win Indiana, and Kasich certainly did not do everything he could do to get his supporters in Indiana to back Cruz," Mr. Kondik said.Mark Weaver, a Columbus Republican strategist and no relation to Mr. Kasich's strategist, said the GOP contest is about over."Trump will almost certainly be the Republican nominee, but Governor Kasich is a party leader who will remain a force at the convention," Mr. Weaver said. "No strategy that Kasich or Cruz could have implemented would have overcome the fervor of a loud and angry plurality that is now fueling Donald Trump."Before Mr. Cruz dropped out, Mr. Kasich's campaign announced planned news conferences in Dulles, Va., today, and Thursday in Washington. He made a point of saying he would spend most of Wednesday in fund-raising events and would meet with his national security advisory group on Thursday.Among a list of reasons to stay in, John Weaver said Mr. Kasich "can unite the party better than anyone else. Trump's cynical sowing of division will render the GOP into angry, irrelevant status for decades."He also reiterated that polls show Mr. Kasich as the only Republican who can win in November."Both Trump and Cruz would lose to [Hillary] Clinton by considerable margins in a head-to-head race, winning just 210 and 206 Electoral College votes, respectively. By contrast, Kasich comfortably defeats Clinton, racking up 304 Electoral College votes to her 234," he wrote in a memo.Ohio Democratic Chairman David Pepper said, "It's time to come home, address Ohio's challenges with real solutions, and reimburse taxpayers for all of their dollars that have been wasted.""My only hope is that for once Kasich would make a decision that is best for the Ohio families paying his salary every day as opposed to whatever tactic is best to serve his political ambition," Mr. Pepper said. The day after the state Legislature passed its latest budget bill, the international bond-rating agency Moody's dropped Kansas' credit outlook from "stable" to "negative."Moody's cited the state's use of one-time-only money and pension underfunding -- key features of the budget bill passed early Monday -- as reasons for caution in investing in Kansas bonds."The revision of the state's outlook to negative from stable reflects the ongoing difficulties it is having restoring structural balance to its budget and getting on a path to sounder funding of its pension liabilities," said the Moody's release announcing the change."By continuing to balance its budget with unsustainable, nonrecurring resources, including pension underfunding, it is accumulating large and expensive long-term liabilities that it will be paying off for a long time," the release said.Overall, the state debt retains its Aa2 credit rating, Moody's third-highest rating and still considered to be investment grade.The state has held that position since being downgraded from the higher Aa1 rating in 2014 because of falling tax revenue, unfunded pension costs and the possibility of higher court-ordered spending on education.Bond rating agencies use positive, negative and stable to give the outlook on a rating's future potential moves.A negative rating signals to investors that the state's credit rating could again head downward, although there's no guarantee one way or the other.The budget bill the Legislature passed about 3 a.m. Monday delays $96 million in payments to the Kansas Public Employees Retirement System until June 2018, freeing cash for the state to pay bills through the end of this fiscal year in June.The budget also envisions sweeping $185 million from state highway funds and leaves Gov. Sam Brownback to cut about $80 million on his own to balance the books.In its report, Moody's said factors that could lead to a rating downgrade include "continued underfunding of pension plans and growth in unfunded pension liabilities, along with failure to adopt measures to increase revenues or decrease expenditures sufficient to restore structural balance."Moody's said factors that could help remove the negative outlook include "sustained revenue growth or expenditure cuts leading to structural balance in state finances" and "demonstrated path to sounder funding of pension plans."In response to the Moody's action, Brownback spokeswoman Eileen Hawley blamed the cost of schools and medical services for the poor and disabled."We must continue our efforts to control spending which is most affected by the growing costs of Medicaid and education funding, which together account for more than 63 percent of the state's budget," Hawley said in a statement.Hawley praised Monday's budget bill."We have made considerable progress in slowing the rate of government spending and the budget passed on Monday by the Legislature will further reduce the gap between expected expenditures and revenue as it calls for $92 million in additional spending reductions in FY 2017," she said.Rep. Gail Finney, D-Wichita, a member of the House Appropriations Committee, blamed the governor's tax policy, which zeroed out the income tax for more than 300,000 business owners and substantially reduced the state's income.Finney scoffed at the governor's office citing Medicaid and schools as the problem."I'm just surprised Obama wasn't in there this time," she said. "You'd think we would be more focused on fixing our tax situation."Finney said expanding Medicaid would actually help the situation because it would bring in federal health-care dollars. "It would definitely help our hospitals and medical clinics," she said.In addition to placing the negative outlook on the state overall, Moody's also revised its outlook from stable to negative for Kansas Department of Transportation and some Kansas Development Finance Authority bonds.-- KDOT bonds moved from Aa2 stable to Aa2 negative. Because of the practice of transferring money from highways to general expenses, "the negative outlook on the Highway Revenue Bonds ... reflects the downward pressure on the state's general credit quality," Moody's said.-- KDFA bonds that are backed by legislative approriations moved from Aa3 stable to Aa3 negative, a slightly lower grade than the overall state debt.-- KDFA IMPACT Program bonds, backed by allocation of a state wage tax, retained their current rating at A3 negative, an upper-medium grade.-- KDFA bonds for the Law Enforcement Training Center, backed with court docket fees, were unchanged at A1 stable. Los Angeles County on Tuesday approved sweeping restrictions on the use of solitary confinement for juvenile detainees, joining a larger movement against a practice that some consider cruel and unproductive.The Board of Supervisors' action bans solitary confinement at youth camps and halls except "as a temporary response to behavior that poses a serious and immediate risk of physical harm to any person."In those cases, the supervisors said, the isolation should be only for a brief "cooling off" period and should be done in consultation with a mental health professional.In recent years, 19 states and the District of Columbia have ended the solitary isolation for minors. New York City went one step further and banned solitary confinement for Rikers Island inmates up to age 21.President Obama earlier this year announced that he would ban solitary confinement for juveniles in federal prisons, but the move was largely symbolic. At the time just 26 people under age 18 were in federal custody.The practice has been widespread in Los Angeles County. A recent report showed that 43% of the youths at Camp Scudder in Santa Clarita had spent more than 24 hours in solitary confinement. The department did not release the reasons behind the placements.The use of solitary confinement increased between 2014 and 2015, particularly in the juvenile halls, where the number of referrals to restrictive housing units increased from 2,775 to 4,396, according to Felicia Cotton, the deputy probation chief overseeing juvenile facilities. She attributed the increase in part to the higher-risk profile of youths housed in the lockups as more low-level juvenile offenders have been diverted.According to Los Angeles County's Probation Department handbook, staff can send inmates to solitary confinement for "readjustment or administrative purposes" or to monitor them for mental health issues. The purpose, it says, is "to maintain order, safety and security."At Tuesday's board meeting, several former juvenile detainees urged the board to end the practice.Francisco Martines, 22, said he spent six weeks in solitary confinement in Central Juvenile Hall at age 17. He recalled a freezing room with dirty walls and a torn mattress. The cold air triggered an asthma attack, he said, and he had to wait hours for medical care."It was horrible, like an animal in a cage," Martines said.Alex Sanchez, a gang member turned intervention worker who heads the group Homies Unidos, had similar memories of his time in county juvenile lockups. "I remember in Camp Gonzales, I tried to break my finger ... just to get out of isolation," he said.Mental health professionals are now notified whenever a child is sent to an isolated unit, and a supervisor must check on the youth within two hours and make a decision about whether to release him or her, said Interim Probation Chief Cal Remington."We don't use it for punishment or discipline so much as sometimes you have to separate the kids," Remington said.The county's three juvenile halls and 13 camps hold about 1,200 youths.The new rules will first take effect at the Central Juvenile Hall and camps McNair and Scott this month, and are to be rolled out at the other facilities by the end of September. The current isolation units, known as "special housing units," should be converted to other uses, which could include turning them into "cooling down" areas.The written policy does not specify how long youths can be confined in those areas.Despite the caveats, Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas said the board is not trying to do "solitary confinement lite.... The thrust of the motion is to eliminate the practice," he said.In pushing for the shift, Supervisor Sheila Kuehl cited studies that have found solitary confinement "can cause lasting physical and psychological harm ... without any benefit to public safety."One report by the U.S. Justice Department found that juvenile offenders become anxious, paranoid and depressed even after short periods in solitary confinement.Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich ultimately voted along with the other supervisors to approve the new restrictions. But he said the probation staff needs options to deal with children whose behavior poses a safety threat."We have the obligation to maintain the safety and well-being of not just one or two but the entire camp," he said.In the past, banning juvenile solitary confinement has faced opposition by California's probation officer unions, which expressed fears about safety. But they have recently become publicly neutral.The L.A. County probation officers' union did not express public opposition to the plan, although Remington said some staff had privately voiced concerns.Earlier this year in Sacramento, Sen. Mark Leno (D-San Francisco) reintroduced a bill that would seek to greatly limit the use of solitary confinement for juveniles statewide.The bill died at the committee level last year before reaching the full Legislature. It was the fourth consecutive year that the effort failed. State lawmakers convicted since 2009 Disgraced ex-Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver was sentenced to 12 years in prison for corruption Tuesday by a judge who said she hoped the idea of "living out his golden years in an orange jumpsuit" would keep other politicians on the "straight and narrow.""I hope the sentence I'm going to impose on you will make the next politician hesitate just long enough before taking a bribe or a kickback, for his better angels to take over," Manhattan U.S. District Judge Valerie Caproni told the ashen-faced former Albany power broker.The stiff sentence climaxed an astounding fall from the pinnacle of state government that Silver occupied for 20 years. He leaned forward frowning and did not react. But moments earlier, the 72-year-old Democrat followed his lawyers' plea for leniency with an apology."Without question, I let down my family, I let down my colleagues, I let down my constituents," he told the judge in his trademark baritone voice. "And I'm truly, truly sorry for that."Silver, who represented Manhattan's Lower East Side, was convicted in December for aiding an asbestos doctor with grants to research mesothelioma and two developers with legislation in return for their help in funneling $4 million in law firm referral fees to him, as well as for money laundering.The case -- along with the conviction of former Senate leader Dean Skelos, who is to be sentenced May 12 -- was a capstone of Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara's crusade against Albany corruption, and prosecutors asked for more than 14 years in prison -- the highest federal sentence ever for a New York legislator.Caproni's sentence fell short of that, but Bharara, who attended the sentencing in person, nonetheless expressed satisfaction afterward. "Today's stiff sentence is a just and fitting end to Sheldon Silver's long career of corruption," Bharara said in a tweet.Other officials concurred. "Justice was served," said Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo, whose office is the subject of a separate Bharara corruption probe.Suffolk County First Deputy Police Commissioner John Barry, a lead investigator on the Silver case when he worked for Bharara, attended the sentencing. "It's tremendous," Barry said.And good-government groups, citing a new Siena poll that said 97 percent of New Yorkers want Albany to act on ethics reform, said they hoped the Silver case would trigger action. "New Yorkers are furious," said Susan Lerner, director of the watchdog group Common Cause, who attended the sentencing.In addition to the prison term, Caproni ordered Silver to pay a $1.75 million fine and forfeit $5.3 million. She ordered him to report to prison by July 1. Silver's lawyers said they planned to appeal and would try to keep him out of prison while the appeal is pending.Silver was mobbed by a scrum of reporters outside the courthouse as he emerged. "I believe in the justice system and we will pursue all available remedies," he said, before hopping into a yellow cab to escape the media.In addition to his crimes, Silver was damaged after trial when Caproni ordered the release of sensational government allegations that had not come into evidence, claiming he had extramarital affairs with a lobbyist and a woman he helped get a state job.Silver's wife, Rosa, arrived 15 minutes late to the sentencing. Afterward, she spoke to her husband, but there were no tears or public embrace. She declined to comment, but Caproni said the affairs exemplified the kind of behavior that bred cynicism about government."Did a lobbyist have preferred access because she was a better lobbyist than competitors, or was it payback for a personal relationship?" the judge said. "Did that result in a thumb on the scale for her client? Those sorts of doubts end up corroding faith in government."Earlier, Silver lawyer Joel Cohen cited Silver's good works on issues from tenant rights to the Sept. 11 and Sandy recoveries, and letters from dozens of constituents recalling kindnesses in an emotional plea for leniency sprinkled with Bible and Talmud quotes."It's very important . . . in terms of the good that people do in the course of their life that emerge and help them when they're in crunch time," Cohen said.But Caproni said it was hard for her to see Silver as an honest man led astray, citing the litany of lies he told to keep his schemes alive and his successful efforts to kill a state Moreland Commission set up to probe legislators' outside income."Those were desperate acts by a politician who was trying to ensure that corruption in Albany could continue unchecked," the judge said. "Those are not the actions of an honest man."Cohen also cited Silver's poor health -- he has prostate cancer, currently in remission -- and said he realized the scandal would be the lead of his obituary. "He won't weather this storm," Cohen said. "He is already crushed. He has been devastated."An hour later, after he had secured Silver in a yellow cab that sped away on Centre Street, Cohen was asked how his client was feeling."Probably not so good," he said. "Who would?"* Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos (R-Rockville Centre) convicted on federal bribery, extortion and conspiracy charges. (2015)* Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver (D-Manhattan) convicted on federal bribery, extortion and conspiracy charges. (2015)* Senate Deputy Majority Leader Tom Libous (R-Binghamton) convicted of lying to FBI. (2015)* Assemb. William Scarborough (D-Jamaica) convicted of wire fraud and theft. (2015)* Sen. John Sampson (D-Brooklyn) convicted of obstructing justice and making a false statement. (2015)* Sen. Malcolm Smith (D-Queens) convicted of conspiracy, wire fraud and bribery in a plot to rig the Republican ballot in the 2013 New York City mayoral race. (2015)* Assemb. Gabriela Rosa (D-Manhattan) convicted of lying to immigration officials and entering into a sham marriage in order to gain U.S. citizenship. (2014)* Assemb. William Boyland Jr. (D-Brooklyn) convicted of bribery. (2014)* Assemb. Eric Stevenson (D-Bronx) convicted of bribery, conspiracy. (2014)* Assemb. Nelson Castro (D-Bronx) convicted of perjury. (2013)* Sen. Shirley Huntley (D-Queens) convicted of mail fraud in connection with looting a taxpayer-funded nonprofit she controlled. (2013)* Sen. Pedro Espada Jr. (D-Bronx) convicted of embezzling money from taxpayer-funded health care clinics. (2012)* Sen. Vincent Leibell (R-Patterson), convicted of tax evasion and obstruction of justice. (2010)* Former Sen. Nicholas Spano (R-Yonkers) convicted of federal income tax evasion.(2012)* State Comptroller Alan Hevesi, convicted on charges in connection with a pay-to-play scheme with the New York State pension fund. (2011)* Sen. Carl Kruger (D-Brooklyn) convicted of bribery. (2011)* Assemb. Chris Ortloff (R-Plattsburgh) convicted of using the Internet to entice underage girls into having sex. (2010)* Sen. Efrain Gonzalez (D-Bronx) convicted of fraud and embezzlement. (2009) Huntington-Ashland, W.Va.-Ky.-Ohio, Metro Area Picasa Job Loss Since Peak: -23,911 (-14.8 percent) -23,911 (-14.8 percent) Peak Employment: 161,788 (October 2007) Binghamton, N.Y., Metro Area Job Loss Since Peak: -13,110 (-11.1 percent) -13,110 (-11.1 percent) Peak Employment: 118,463 (December 2006) Peoria, Ill., Metro Area Job Loss Since Peak: -21,290 (-10.9 percent) -21,290 (-10.9 percent) Peak Employment: 195,618 (October 2007) Atlantic City-Hammonton, N.J., Metro Area Job Loss Since Peak: -14,210 (-10.8 percent) -14,210 (-10.8 percent) Peak Employment: 131,443 (July 2006) Youngstown-Warren-Boardman, Ohio-Pa., Metro Area Job Loss Since Peak: -28,429 (-10.7 percent) -28,429 (-10.7 percent) Peak Employment: 265,140 (December 2006) Flint, Mich., Metro Area FILE - This Jan. 26, 2016 file photo shows a sign over the Flint River noting Flint, Mich., as Vehicle City. In proposing a tougher limit for lead in drinking water, Gov. Rick Snyder wants to lift Michigan from the depths of the Flint crisis to being a model for water safety that can help assess whether the current national rules governing lead are too lax. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio, File) Carlos Osorio/AP Job Loss Since Peak: -20,778 (-10.6 percent) -20,778 (-10.6 percent) Peak Employment: 196,357 (January 2006) Shreveport-Bossier City, La., Metro Area Picasa Job Loss Since Peak: -20,810 (-10.2 percent) -20,810 (-10.2 percent) Peak Employment: 203,246 (September 2008) Metro Area Employment Data Nearly seven years into the recovery, some regions have experienced far stronger economic growth than others.While national job totals have surpassed pre-recession levels, a select group of regional economies has a much longer way to go. These metro areas particularly stand out as most lagging behind the rest of the country in the recovery.We compiled monthly Labor Department jobs data for all metro areas where employment exceeds 100,000, comparing the most recent job estimates for March with peak levels since 2005. In the following regions, total employment remains more than 10 percent below its most recent peak. ( See data for all metro areas. In the Huntington, W.Va., metro area, job losses have yet come to a halt.A decline in local manufacturing of metals, plastics and rubber started years ago, then accelerated during the recession. While the downturn in the national economy didnt help, part of the job losses were also more productivity and technology driven, said Jennifer Shand, director of the Center for Business and Economic Research at Marshall University.There arent any mining operations locally. But the decline of West Virginias most well-known industry has led to ripple effects as the area serves as a rail transportation hub.A hospital is the regions largest current employer, while several colleges and universities also support a sizable number of jobs. Theres an overall broader shift of moving from manufacturing-oriented employment to more service-oriented employment, Shand said.More recently, activity is occurring in areas like advanced manufacturing, local foods and creative industries. Such efforts, Shand said, are still in their infancy, so they havent yet registered as growth industries.The Binghamton region has suffered a particularly prolonged economic decline as job losses didn't subside until last year.Much of the downsizing in New Yorks Southern Tier has occurred in manufacturing, including electronics and computer-manufacturing. Absent a more diverse set of industries, the economy has struggled to replace lost jobs. The region, which includes part of the Marcellus Shale formation, also suffered a setback last year when the state announced a ban on high-volume hydraulic fracking.On a positive note, the local economy has started to record slight, but steady, job gains since last fall. The region also received a much-need boost in December when Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced it would receive $500 million in economic development aid to fund plant expansions, tourism, job training and other efforts.Peoria serves as a classic example of a regional economy largely tied to a single major employer Caterpillar, Inc., is the areas largest employer, by far, and is the primary customer of an estimated 40 percent of local businesses.Last year, the company announced that it planned to keep its headquarters in Peoria and construct a global campus in the citys downtown after being heavily courted by other states. More recently, however, the company trimmed its workforce in a restructuring effort, partly as a result of a weakened mining sector.The regions manufacturing and business-professional services sectors typically follow the boom and bust business cycle, said Bernard Goitein, who heads the Center for Business and Economic Research at Bradley University. Two large medical centers also anchor the local economy.A slow decline in the tourism and gaming industries has taken its toll on Atlantic City. Metro area unemployment remained above 10 percent for more than six years, peaking in late 2012.The leisure and hospitality sector, which once employed 60,000 workers a decade ago, has since seen employment drop to about 35,000. The regions other largest sectors trade, transportation, utilities and government similarly have yet to show signs of growth.Atlantic City officials and state lawmakers have debated a plan in recent weeks to restructure the citys finances as it faces a massive budget deficit.Two major factors have contributed to job losses around Youngstown and Warren, Ohio.The first is the longstanding downsizing of the manufacturing sector. Auto-parts maker Delphi Automotive once employed about 10,000 workers there, but now maintains just over 1,000 employees.Lower oil prices have hurt the local economy, too, as drilling operations had been a source of job gains in recent years. Pipe manufacturing and a sizable number of other related supply chain jobs also support the industry.Guy Coviello, the Youngstown Warren Regional Chamber's vice president of government affairs, said he sees shale production and additive manufacturing as two promising areas of growth over the longer term. Youngstown is home to a national accelerator for additive manufacturing and 3D printing.Like other struggling regions, Flints economic slide has persisted for years.The areas heavy job losses in auto manufacturing have been well documented, with total manufacturing employment today just over half of what it was a decade ago. Government employment has also declined, albeit at a much slower pace.Two areas recording upticks in employment over the past few years are education and health.The Shreveport-Bossier City, La., metro areas unemployment rate has hovered between 6 and 8 percent since 2008.The public sector there has been hit particularly hard, shedding approximately 7,000 jobs since 2010, according to federal data. Barksdale Air Force Base, located in Bossier Parish, employs more than 12,000 workers. On Tuesday, in the morning, at Government House, His Excellency the Honourable Paul de Jersey AC and Mrs Kaye de Jersey hosted an Investiture Ceremony for residents of Queensland, recipients of Australian honours and awards announced on Australia Day 2016 and Queens Birthday 2015. Description GIS - 04 May, 2016: Regular patrols are being effected by police at bus terminals and taxi-stands and police checks are also carried out in buses particularly early in the morning, at off-peak hours during the day and late in the afternoon at specific bus stops along certain bus routes are among measures taken to address the problem of assault on taxi drivers, bus drivers and conductors. Regular patrols are being effected by police at bus terminals and taxi-stands and police checks are also carried out in buses particularly early in the morning, at off-peak hours during the day and late in the afternoon at specific bus stops along certain bus routes are among measures taken to address the problem of assault on taxi drivers, bus drivers and conductors. This reply was given by the Prime Minister, Sir Anerood Jugnauth, yesterday in the National Assembly in relation to a question pertaining to reported cases of assault on taxi drivers, bus drivers and conductors and larceny at the expense of the latter. The Prime Minister underlined that there are 212 reported cases of assault and 64 reported cases of larceny on taxi drivers, bus drivers and conductors for the period July 2012 to 28 April 2016. Mobile patrols also escort buses along certain routes in some areas particularly at specific times underscored the Prime Minister. He added that the Special Supporting Unit is deployed during the week-end at specific locations to ensure the safety and security of bus drivers, taxi drivers and conductors as well as of their passengers. Sir Anerood Jugnauth pointed out that working sessions are held with public transport employees on a regular basis to sensitise them on necessary precautions to be taken to avoid such incidence while on duty. Description GIS - 04 May, 2016: The National Womens Council Bill, which paves the way for a more modern and appropriate legislative framework so as to further promote womens empowerment and gender equality, especially through the active participation of women in the social, economic and political fields, was passed yesterday at the sitting of the National Assembly. The Bill repeals the National Womens Council Act 1985. The National Womens Council Bill, which paves the way for a more modern and appropriate legislative framework so as to further promote womens empowerment and gender equality, especially through the active participation of women in the social, economic and political fields, was passed yesterday at the sitting of the National Assembly. The Bill repeals the National Womens Council Act 1985. In her address to the House, the Minister of Gender Equality, Child Development and Family Welfare, Mrs Marie-Aurore Perraud, stated that the rationale for the repeal of the current legislation and the enactment of a more modern piece of legislation is to enable the National Womens Council to transform itself into a dynamic entity that would be in a better position to respond to the changing needs of the contemporary Mauritian women and contribute more effectively to uphold their status in a challenging world. Giving a brief history of the setting up of the National Womens Council under the National Womens Council Act 1985, Mrs Perraud recalled that the Council was to function as a structure that would mobilise women at grass root level and assist them in getting organised into Womens Associations, vehicles through which they could express their needs and concerns. The Minister deplored, however, that while womens issues have evolved rapidly in the country over the last decades, the National Womens Council has remained static and passive, with no change in its structure, membership and functions over the last 30 years. According to Mrs Perraud, the National Womens Council Bill will go a long way towards strengthening the existing measures being taken by her Ministry for the empowerment of women and the achievement of gender equality in the social, economic and political fields. She added that strategies to improve womens status, strengthen gender equality policies, eliminate gender disparities and reduce female unemployment will all contribute to improve the status of the Mauritian women economically, socially and politically. My Ministry will sustain its efforts all year round to ensure that gender equality becomes a reality for the harmonious socio-economic development of Mauritian families, affirmed Mrs Perraud. It is noted that the National Womens Council Bill also makes better provision for the functioning of the National Womens Council in order to provide a platform for women to voice their needs, concerns and aspirations. Its objectives include, among others, the improvement of the regulation of Women Associations and the management of the Regional Committees responsible for the activities of Women Associations. Under the Bill, the National Womens Council is tasked with namely, implementing Government policies relating to womens empowerment and gender equality, advising the Minister on ways of addressing factors responsible for impeding womens empowerment and gender equality, providing a network at national, regional and international levels with organisations which promote womens empowerment and gender equality, and promoting the recognition of womens rights as human rights. It is recalled that the introduction of the National Women Council Bill is in line with the objective of Government Programme 2015 2019, Achieving Meaningful Change, which called for the replacement of the National Womens Council Act of 1985 with a view to provide for a more dynamic, productive and structured council. Government Information Service, Prime Ministers Office, Level 6, New Government Centre, Port Louis, Mauritius. Email: Website: (TNS) -- While Austins economic development policy often gets mixed reviews from folks who live here, out-of-town admirers cant gush enough about the citys economic development philosophy.Earlier this year, Amy Evans wrote a lengthy retrospective for the National Housing Institutes ShelterForce that claims Austin is in the enviable position of not believing it needs to offer companies incentives to get them to come to town.Evans piece only mentions at the end some of the local skepticism about the current policy, referencing the high-profile pullouts by DropBox and US Farathane in 2014 from the program. At the time, the companies gave their own business reasons for declining to participate in the program, but many saw their decisions as evidence that the city had regulated incentives too tightly to be of any real value.Over the weekend, American-Statesman reporters Lori Hawkins and Tim Eaton took a close look at the performance of the citys incentive agreement with technology giant Apple. Under the terms of the incentives package, which was signed in March 2012, Apple agreed to create more than 3,600 new full-time jobs in Austin in 10 years while retaining at least 3,100 existing full-time jobs year over year. In 2012, the Austin City Council approved $8.6 million in tax breaks for Apple in exchange for establishing its Americas Operations Center in Northwest Austin. Apple also is in line for between $5 million and $6 million from Travis County. It appears that Apple is well on track to meet those goals with 2,089 new jobs that have been created since 2012.The transparency required by Austin has the benefit of providing a clearer window into whether the beneficiaries of such agreements are meeting the requirements set out by the city. However, the question of whether the jobs are the kind of jobs the city needs most is still murky.Hawkins and Eaton quote Austin economist Jon Hockenyos as saying: These are the equivalent of manufacturing jobs in the old days theyre jobs that pay a solid wage. They provide solid middle-class incomes that sustain families. Theyre the kind of jobs any city wants to see being created.In a later conversation with me, Hockenyos conceded that there is no way to know for sure unless Apple reveals the educational requirements for the jobs it has added. The mix of human resources, administrative, sales, engineering and operations jobs added at the Americas Operations Center may well live up to those expectations, but there is no way to prove it for sure.The midrange jobs referenced by Hockenyos are crucial to Austins future. Manufacturing jobs didnt require a college education, he said. Instead, candidates needed high school education, maybe with some training in specific skills.Finding substitutes for those types of jobs that the business community and policymakers agree that Austin needs has been tricky. These are jobs that provide a real pathway from low-wage work to middle-class incomes and stable housing in a community that is short on both.Failure on this point means that Austin will continue its spiral into greater economic segregation. In fact, Hockenyos raised the alarm to council members in his briefing last week on the state of the Austin economy.One of the key issues for so many communities that struggle with this stubborn level of people who remain hard to employ is that there isnt much demand, there isnt much need for workers in many places, he said during the April 27 budget work session . A big part of the overall problem is not in play here. We need workers of all different kinds. The issue is capacity and access.From a policy perspective, that puts the onus on the city council and other government entities to continue to be strategic and transparent as they continue to invest in economic development.Its a message that the Department of Economic Development appears to be already attuned to. In its March 2015 report on the performance of the so-called Chapter 380 agreements, the department wrote Today, as Austin is ranked first in overall economic performance and holds an official unemployment rate of 3.8 percent, the vision for utilizing this tool is shifting to focus on creating opportunities for those hard-to-employ individuals, as well as families that are in poverty and for those looking to advance into or up from the middle-class. And, there are areas of Austin where the unemployment rate remain unacceptably high not just for adults, but also for youth.Some of that work has begun with the Fair Chance Hiring rules that were passed in late March , but there is more work to be done. Austin is fortunate at the moment to not need to incentivize jobs for the sake of jobs, so the community public and private should turn its attention to using resources to fill in the gaps to build a healthy and prosperous community for all. epitomizes hip. A neglected industrial enclave that sat mostly empty just a few years ago, Wynwood today thrums with energy. Its low-slung warehouses and onetime auto garages are filled with buzz-worthy eateries, high-end tattoo studios, vegan juice bars and edgy art spaces. At Wood Tavern, twentysomethings gather around graffiti-covered picnic tables to sip La Rubia blonde ale, brewed just a couple of blocks away at the Wynwood Brewing Company. At nearby Wynwood Kitchen and Bar, diners eat Latin-tinged cuisine under wall-sized paintings by popular street artists. A block down, the line at Panther Coffee can stretch out the door. Throughout the neighborhood, at all hours of the day, people stop to snap selfies in front of the colorful new murals that cover seemingly every inch of every building in Wynwood.Its the kind of dynamic urban scene that cities dream about. And it would never have happened, Miami planners say -- or at least not to the same degree of success -- without the citys new zoning code known as Miami 21. I cannot imagine it, says Francisco Garcia, the citys planning director, shaking his head at the thought. I just cant even imagine.Miami 21 isnt actually brand-new: Its been on the books since 2010. But it was the first true overhaul of the citys code in nearly 80 years, and it points toward major change in the way Miami will grow for generations to come. The controversial code has altered every aspect of the citys development, from the way a builder interacts with the planning department to the size of the windows of a finished storefront. And it touches every part of the city, from the shimmering urban high-rises of downtown Brickell to the single-family homes in historic, tree-lined residential neighborhoods like Little Havana and The Roads.Public zoning codes are typically filled with mind-numbingly dry details of frontages, setbacks and floor-area ratios -- and Miamis is too. But these codes ultimately determine the way a city looks and feels and functions. Theyre the 1s and 0s that build the matrix. Miami 21 may be abstruse, but its also a new vision for what the city wants to be.Miami 21 is whats known as a form-based code. Rather than prescribing development based on how a plot of land will be used -- residential, say, or mixed-use commercial -- the code defines the physical shape development should take in different parts of the city. That means buildings are considered in context with whats around them, regardless of what goes on inside. The goal is a more walkable, more human-scale form of development. When Miami adopted the code in 2010, it was the first big U.S. city to implement a form-based code citywide. Six years later, its still the only one.Most of the impact of Miami 21 isnt as tangible or as concentrated as in Wynwood. But its effects are suffused in properties throughout the city. On a recent sunny Friday, as Assistant Planning Director Luciana Gonzalez drove around town with a couple of visitors, she couldnt help interrupting herself every so often to point out the role of the new code. Thats Miami 21, she says, as she drives past a new bank branch building set close to the street, with parking hidden behind it. Thats Miami 21, she says again, pointing out a multistory self-storage facility that looks more like a sleek office tower, with inviting plate-glass windows along the sidewalk and a soon-to-open high-end rooftop restaurant that will take advantage of the views of the Miami River. A little later, Gonzalez passes an under-construction residential high-rise thats wrapped in street-level retail spaces. Thats Miami 21, too.Miamis form-based code has been lauded by the international planning community as a progressive commitment to New Urbanist ideals. But getting to this point involved years of convincing skeptical developers, architects, neighborhood organizers and political leaders that this change was the right thing for the city. And the code still has plenty of critics, including, perhaps surprisingly, Tomas Regalado, the citys current mayor. He acknowledges that Miami 21 looks good on paper, but says its proven difficult to implement on the ground. When asked whether the new code is an improvement over the way things used to be, Regalado pauses, holds up a finger and says, Maybe.all that remarkable about the Catalonia apartment building on SW 27th Ave. A bland 13-story building finished in two tones of beige, its the kind of faceless, nondescript mid-rise you drive past without giving it much thought. But one thing makes the Catalonia, which was completed in 2007, stand out. It sits smack next door to a small single-family home, a modest one-story house with a red tile roof and a patio out front. And thats made the Catalonia emblematic of the kind of unregulated growth Miami planners hope never to see again.The former zoning code was adopted in 1936, and for many decades it seemed to serve the city just fine. Higher-density buildings -- and some skyscrapers -- were concentrated downtown and along Biscayne Bay, while residential neighborhoods were left mostly untouched. But the code became increasingly complicated as a succession of city leaders tacked on modifications and revisions and exceptions. As in most U.S. cities, Miamis old code was based on separation of uses. But the number of uses eventually exceeded 360 and didnt seem to make sense: A barbershop was considered a different use than a beauty salon.Then came the 1990s population boom, and things really went haywire. Miami and surrounding Dade County grew by more than 18 percent in the 1990s, a growth trend that would continue into the 2000s and 2010s. Much of the influx was driven by immigrants from Latin America. By 2002, Miami-Dade had a higher percentage of foreign-born residents, 51.4 percent, than any other county in the country. The city went on a building binge. Height allowance was determined solely by the size of a lot, so if developers could simply cobble together enough plots of land, they could build 15- or 25- or 40-story buildings anywhere they wanted, even right next to a leafy neighborhood of small homes. High-rises sprouted like weeds overnight. One building might be 10 feet from the sidewalk, while the one next door was set back 30 feet. Blank walls stretched along sidewalks for entire blocks.It was haphazard and random growth, and it was all perfectly legal, says Ana Gelabert-Sanchez, who was the city planning director at the time. It was all done by the book, within the code at the time. But it didnt result in a city that was nice to live in.Manny Diaz was elected mayor in November 2001, and he sensed that Miamis development had gotten off track, even if he couldnt articulate it. I wasnt trained in urban planning or design, but instinctively I knew something was wrong, because I just looked around, he says. I saw pretty buildings that had no connection to the street, no connection to the buildings around them. I knew something had to be done, but I didnt know what that meant.Diaz turned to Gelabert-Sanchez and to Elizabeth Plater-Zyberk, the renowned Miami-based architect who, along with her husband, Andres Duany, has become an international leader in New Urbanist design. The old code, says Plater-Zyberk, was completely unpredictable. It had resulted in a totally incoherent city.Plater-Zyberk and the city planning team got to work on a code that would help guide the form of new buildings, rather than just prescribe how a specific property would be put to use. It would emphasize street-level activity and public spaces to encourage walking, and it would bring a sense of order to Miamis explosive new growth.Other cities had already implemented partial form-based codes in certain areas, such as a downtown core or a tourist district. In most places, the new code existed in parallel to a traditional use-based code. Cities would incentivize developers by, say, offering faster permitting for those choosing to abide by the form-based code, but it wasnt mandatory. The planners in Miami began drafting something similar, a code that could be used to augment planning in certain hot spots around town.Diaz had a different idea: Scrap the old code completely and start over from scratch. If a form-based code was good for certain parts of the city, he felt, then it would be good for the city as a whole. It just made sense, he says. Lets just do it all at once. I know its crazy, but lets just do it now.The plan was hit by opposition almost immediately. There was a lot of concern, reluctance -- fear, even -- at the very beginning, says Garcia, Miamis planning director, who at the time was working in the private sector, on Plater-Zyberks team.Some people in the design community were worried that everything would end up looking the same, says Gelabert-Sanchez. Or they were worried that we in the city were going to say, I dont like those windows. I dont like that arch. But we just wanted to establish principles. We dont care about the style.Over a period of six years starting in 2003, the city held 60 formal public hearings on the new code, in addition to another 500 meetings with residents and other stakeholders -- ranging from events with hundreds of attendees in large downtown convention halls to intimate sit-downs in residents living rooms. Many of the meetings were in Spanish. We knew wed have skeptics, says Diaz. So we wanted the process to be as transparent and as inclusive as possible. One thing no one can say is that this was some backroom deal between the city and developers, or land use attorneys.As the city coalesced around a plan, developers got on board. Because the new code provided much more predictability in terms of what was allowed on a given plot, the approval process need no longer involve acrimonious public hearings and contentious fights with the city over building plans. Everything would be spelled out in the code itself. And neighborhood conservationists appreciated that a new plan could better preserve the character of Miamis distinct communities.Still, there were critics. Property owners said the new code would devalue their land by limiting the amount of future development they could undertake. Builders said the code would throw all the citys existing structures into legal limbo because they wouldnt conform with the new regulations. And some of the preservationists and neighborhood groups that had initially supported the idea began to complain that the new code didnt go far enough in protecting Miami neighborhoods; they waged fights with the city to downzone residential areas even further.On Oct. 22, 2009, after an embarrassing initial rejection, Miami 21 was approved during Diazs very last meeting as mayor. The new code was law. But that didnt end the opposition. The lone city council vote against the final code had been cast by Regalado, who 12 days later was elected mayor. Many people expected he might dismantle Miami 21 as soon as he took office. Indeed, some in the community hoped he would. Today, Regalado says he never even considered doing that. But at the time, advocates were worried. Two or three [city commissioners] -- and in particular Mayor Regalado -- were set to take it apart, says one person who was tracking the issue closely.Then came the Great Recession. Ironically, it may have been the best thing that could have happened to Miami 21. Development in South Florida ground to a halt, and city leaders were overwhelmed by other concerns. Suddenly, debate over a zoning code was no longer a front-burner issue.Gonzalez in the city planning office agrees. It was good timing, actually, because then when the economy did come back, we were ready to receive the development. And ever since the beginning of 2013, its been, like, boom!to appreciate the staggering rate of change Miami has seen in the past decade. From 2000 to 2014, the citys downtown doubled in residential population, and almost half the residents who live there now are between 25 and 44 years old. In the past decade alone, the city has added 113 new high-rises. Some of that development happened prior to Miami 21, which officially became law in May 2010. But most of it has happened since.For many in the city, the jury is still out. Regalado complains that with so many details spelled out in the code itself, or hammered out between developers and city planners, less of the process is subject to public input. In the old code, every minor zoning change had to be done by public hearing, he says. Miami 21 [offers] less transparency.Garcia says thats not the case. Under the old code, he says, the public hearings were much more acrimonious than they have been under Miami 21. Now we get out there and engage with the stakeholders. By the time a public hearing does occur, he says, everything has already been worked out.Aside from dissatisfaction with the process, there are still some people who think the new code is a substantively bad deal. A few lawsuits have been filed by landowners -- including the Catholic Archdiocese of Miami, which sued the city for $89 million in 2013 -- who say the new code has devalued their property. None of the suits has gone anywhere. Others have accused the city of applying the code inconsistently, letting certain projects skirt the regulations: A proposed Walmart in Midtown became a particular lightning rod for controversy, as urban big-box stores often are. But the city says the store has been designed to comply with Miami 21; ground was broken on the project in January.For the most part, Miamians seem to be living with the new code. Architects and developers appreciate the predictability of it; city planners like the way its shaping new growth. In fact, nearly everyone seems to agree that its working extremely well downtown. But it becomes more problematic when applied to smaller neighborhoods. Miami 21 is great in the areas of town that are already designated as high-density, high-intensity development, says Ines Marrero-Priegues, a local land use attorney. The process for upzoning to add new denser projects in other parts of the city, however, is very lengthy. Its easy to get projects approved in the urban core, but it can be very onerous for people who are doing smaller projects where theres less density already.Theres one thing you wont find mentioned anywhere in the pages of Miami 21: climate change. According to some of the latest projections of sea-level rise, large parts of Miami could be underwater in as little as 85 years, which can make Miami 21s intense focus on walkability and livability seem a bit ironic. Its not quite like rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic, but some fear it might be close. I think were behind the curve, says Regalado. Sea-level rise is something no one wants to talk about because the condos are selling very well; Latin American people are buying condos by the dozen. Its going to be painful, but we do need to create a code that takes sea-level rise into account.Regalado says he wants to add a climate change component to Miami 21 before he leaves office in November 2017. Thats something that Garcia would love to see as well. The climate change conversation, he says, has typically been dominated by architects, not planners, and has focused on making single buildings climate-resilient. What I think is being left out of the conversation, he says, is neighborhood resiliency, as opposed to building resiliency.The full impact of Miami 21 wont be felt for decades. But simply getting to this point has been a remarkable event. Those seven years we spent developing the code, Garcia says, were seven years of getting a better understanding of what the concerns of the citizens were, and engaging the citizens to wrestle with planning and zoning issues. The knowledge base improved significantly, so now we can have much more advanced, sophisticated conversations with stakeholders. The profile of planning as a whole has been elevated.Walking around Wynwood, or popping into a sidewalk coffee shop in a new skyscraper downtown, most people arent thinking about the building code. They just know that Miami is becoming a nicer place to live. But the city as a whole has indeed come to appreciate the role zoning plays in creating a better built environment. Former mayor Diaz says thats something he learned as well. You dont run for office on urban planning. You run because you say, Im going to fight poverty, or fight crime, or improve education. But I realized that planning is the most important issue. We fight crime, and it goes down, and thats good. But in a few years, it might go up again. You move the needle as best you can, but these are constantly changing issues. But a new building, he says, will impact residents for generations. When you put up a building, its there for a hundred years. (TNS) -- Paul Nielsen, director of the Software Engineering Institute at Carnegie Mellon University, told a group in Peoria last week that the Central Illinois Center of Excellence for Secure Software could be an example for the nation.Speaking before some 50 people at the Marriott Pere Marquette Hotel last week, Nielsen praised the program which seeks to train programmers to write software less vulnerable to cyberattacks.The CICESS program, now established at ICC, seeks to employ students as apprentices at local companies.CICESS founder Girish Seshagiri hopes to make the software center an employment driver for the area that would also provide opportunities for minority and women entrants in the tech field."There's nothing quite like this program at the community college level anywhere in the country," said Nielsen."Students will have to produce in order to attract more companies into the program," he said."I think this effort has a good shot," said Nielsen who heads an institute that employs 600 people."We have an annual budget of $150 million and do a lot of software work for the Department of Defense. We're also involved with systems that are designed for autonomy like self-driving cars," he said.Nielsen likened the conversion to self-driving cars to society's move to self-service elevators after relying on elevator operators for many years. Attractive targets Networking risks Constant attacks Experts in demand Little official concern (TNS) -- Michael Hamilton was the CIO for the city of Seattle when he noticed the citys security systems had snagged a booby-trapped email. The threat was contained before it became a problem, he said, but the malicious program apparently targeted power marketers, the utility employees who negotiate with wholesalers for electricity. Power marketers tend to keep their dealings fairly close to the chest, Hamilton said, so how did one of them end up in the sights of cybercriminals?Hackers in China, he said, breached Google in 2009. Google creates some of its own electricity and has its own power marketers power marketers, Hamilton said, who have connections with people at much larger utility companies.Small governments and local agencies generate troves of sensitive information in the course of doing business. But what may be more worrisome is that many towns and agencies are also connected to state networks or infrastructure systems and local governments resources to protect their networks and stored data can vary widely.Hamilton, who worked for Seattle from 2006 to 2013 and is now the CEO at the cybersecurity consulting firm Critical Informatics Inc., said the errant message Seattle flagged was likely part of an effort to wrangle a much larger prize, probably something under the umbrella of a larger utility, such as a power grid.Thats local government getting in the sights of a nation-state for the purpose of, likely, disruption, he said.Word of a major credit card data breach always sucks the air out of the room for IT types, he said, but oftentimes most victims are going to get their money back, along with free identity theft protection and credit monitoring afterward, and banks catch a lot of the attempted fraud.I get another letter from a credit card company or my toilet wont flush for three days, Hamilton said. The lowest-hanging fruit is local government.Its hard to say how plugged in and networked public systems, such as sewage or traffic lights, really are. If they are somehow networked, it was likely done in a duct-tape-and-baling-wire fashion, Hamilton said, and those kind of networks arent hard to find for someone who knows what theyre doing.In March, the Justice Department filed charges against seven Iranian hackers, including one who allegedly accessed the control software for a 102-by-22-foot dam in a New York suburb.The feds say the man who hacked into the dam systems could access information about water depth or temperature, but the actual equipment to operate the small dams gates had never been connected.Plenty of breaches arent as brazen or spooky. In late February, someone broke into and defaced the website for East County Fire & Rescue.A firefighter logged in at the station and found that searches for the site were being redirected toward pornography, according to a police report.The fire district shut down the site and called the sheriffs office. The case was suspended with no known suspects or leads.The fire district is connected to county systems that have their own protections. Its website was built separately, and mainly to share information with residents, interim chief Al Gillespie said.It was more of a pain in the neck than a real problem for our organization, he said. Its not something we used to have to worry about, but it certainly is the way of the world now, he said.Local governments are attractive targets, said Sam Kim, Clark Countys chief information officer, in part because theyre connected to state systems or other large networks.That could be a huge vulnerability. Thats why I say, regardless of how big or small you are, you need to be vigilant, he said.The State Auditors Office has been ramping up its efforts in examining information security practices in the past few years.The office tested five state agencies and said in findings shared in 2014 that officials found hundreds of security flaws.It was a very specific, focused audit, where we looked at what state agencies were doing in terms of old equipment, and their procedures and policies, said Aaron Munn, the chief information security officer for the state auditor.Moving on from state agencies, Munn said, the office has recently started working with more local governments about cybersecurity, and a few audits were ongoing.The auditors office released its report on the city of Mill Creek in Snohomish County, the first city to volunteer for a specific security audit.Kim said its hard to say how many attacks the county fields, because there are so many avenues that hackers try.Were constantly under attack, constantly being probed, he said.He couldnt say where all the attacks were coming from, either, but plenty didnt originate from the United States.Munn said attempts to crack a network can range from phishing emails to high-tech, nation-backed break-ins.Its difficult to answer that question, but every organization is susceptible, Munn said.Public agencies often lack money or resources for security, he said, and many governments looked toward their IT departments as a place to cut back during the recession.Early last year, the Municipal Research and Services Center, a nonprofit organization that provides research and data for local governments in Washington, surveyed and interviewed officials from states, cities and counties about information security. (Hamiltons consulting company, then called M.K. Hamilton & Associates, did the study.)About 80 percent of survey respondents worked for communities of fewer than 25,000 people, and 60 percent served fewer than 10,000.Many of those organizations said they had zero staff members working in IT, and more than half said they outsourced that work. Perhaps commensurate with the size of their organizations, a majority of respondents reported they had minimal or zero funding.Theres a workforce issue, as to training, Munn said. These are complex issues were dealing with that require maintenance, but theres also availability challenges.One of the biggest problems facing the public sector is the lack of security professionals, Hamilton said.Cities, counties, public utilities cannot afford these people, he said.Demand in general for cybersecurity experts is high, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The number of people employed as information security analysts, the bureaus title for IT professionals who specialize in cybersecurity, is expected to climb 18 percent by 2024, much faster than the average for other occupations.The median pay for cybercrime experts in the public sector was about $74,000 per year in 2014, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and it was $89,000 across all industries.In a 2015 report, the National Association of State Chief Information Officers surveyed IT chiefs from 48 states, and about 92 percent of respondents said pay prevented them from attracting and keeping talent, and that was for state governments.Voters should talk to their local agencies or governments if theyre concerned about their towns information infrastructure, Kim said, but one of the best things a person can do to bolster security at the government level is to watch out for their own: Use good password practices, keep browsers and operating systems updated and use two-factor authentication systems where possible.Just like everybody else, the No. 1 vulnerability is not our systems, its people, Kim said. Its the inside job, and it could be no malevolence involved.Most people who sit down at computers connected in a roundabout way to some sensitive data somewhere are just trying to do their jobs and they arent hired to stave off computer criminals.They make mistakes: Kim said one test IT programs will do is leave nice USB thumb drives lying in the parking lot to see who takes the bait and plugs in a strange drive into a secure network.Lets face it, cybersecurity, information security is not on the foremost of anybodys mind, Kim said. They want to complete their task.A large piece of dealing with that is a matter of training to meet new threats, he said, and that ought to be for everyone in an organization.Getting buy-in from agency executives and elected officials can be another hurdle, he said.When do burglar alarms get installed? After the break-in.Public information technology workers told the Municipal Research and Services Center that they generally agreed agency heads and elected officials need additional education to understand the extent of the problems.Respondents said 75 percent of government executives had little or no interest in addressing information security risks.On a scale of 1 to 5, 75 percent of respondents gave government executives scores less than 3 for their awareness of information security threats.In the focus groups, it was widely acknowledged that the level of threat is increasing, especially to smaller organizations without the means to defend themselves, the center said.One advantage that governments and public agencies do have, Kim said, is they can work together.You probably wont see Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman working together on security, he said, since they have trade secrets to protect and an interest in looking like a more secure bet to customers.Public agencies, on the other hand, all face the same problems, work in the same space and can share resources and expertise. They dont have competition, he said.Kim said hes working on a plan to centralize information security and network services for public agencies with the county.The idea is that the countys towns and agencies could all share the same standards and systems for storing their data and operating their networks, all operating using the countys architecture.The countys always playing interference and patching up weak spots, he said. No system especially one that needs to be open and usable, like a governments can be completely secure.Most hackers tend to go for the path of least resistance, so a large part of being secure is making sure you dont look like an easy target, Kim said.We just need to not be alarmist, but make sure were all vigilant, he said. I think government in particular owes the residents of this county to assure them, Hey, were doing everything in our power to make sure things are safe and secure.? Nexeon has developed and patented a novel way of structuring silicon so that it delivers extended cycle life and significantly increases anode charge capacityalmost ten times the gravimetric capacity per gram (mAh g -1 ) compared to carbon anodes. Used in combination with a standard cathode, this can increase cell capacity by 30-40%, Nexeon says. According to a report in EETimes, UK start-up Nexeon Limited , a spin-off from Imperial College London based on work done by Professor Mino Green, Emeritus Professor at the Department of Electrical Engineering ( earlier post ), is getting ready to license its silicon anode technology for Li-ion batteries, and is in talks with battery makers. Silicon is conceptually an attractive anode material for lithium-ion batteries because of its high theoretical charge capacity (4,200 mAh g-1more than 10 times that of graphite anodes and much larger than various nitride and oxide materials) and low discharge potential. However, silicon anodes are problematic because the materials volume changes by up to 400% upon the insertion and extraction of lithium ions during charge/discharge cycles. This results in pulverization and capacity fading. Nexeon says that its patented silicon structures overcome the poor cycle life problems by mitigating the volume expansion issue. These structured silicon anode materials deliver extended cycle life without degradation of capacity. Nexeon is developing a range of materials with different morphologies and capacities. It says its first commercially available material is capable of capacities up to 1,000 mAh g-1. (As an application example, 2.6g of Nexeons first generation structured silicon can replace around 10g of graphite anode material in a commercial 2600 mAh 18650 cell.) Nexeon says it is working on a second-generation material with a different morphology optimized for higher capacities of up to 3,600 mAh -1. The graphite currently used it cells can be replaced with Nexeon materials and used in combination with conventional polymer binders and current collectors as part of the standard battery manufacturing process, the company says, offering a drop-in solution to higher capacities. The company has a fully automated and instrumented pilot plant in full operation, capable of producing more than 1 kg of material a day (enough material for approximately 500 x 18650 cells). Further proprietary equipment has been designed and is now in the final stages of being tested Resources Hydrogenious Technologies is a spin-off from the University of Erlangen- Nuremberg (Germany), which also holds a stake in the company, and the Bavarian Hydrogen Center . Instead of storing hydrogen either under high pressure of up to 700 bar or in liquid form at 253 C, Hydrogenious technology catalytically binds and releases the hydrogen molecules to liquid organic hydrogen carriers (LOHCs). The proposed LOHC compounds have many physico-chemical similarities to diesel. Thus, LOHCs could make use of the existing energy infrastructure (e.g. tank ships, storage tanks or fueling stations) and enable a slow and step-wise replacement of the existing hydrocarbon fuels by alternative LOHC fuels. South Africa-based Anglo American Platinum , the worlds leading primary producer of platinum group metals (PGMs), has invested in the first close of the Series A financing round of Hydrogenious Technologies, a company developing liquid organic hydrogen carrier (LOHC) hydrogen storage technology. The round was fully funded by Anglo American. During loading and unloading, the LOHC material itself is not consumed but can be reused many times. Important selection parameters for suitable substances are storage density, physical state under ambient conditions, availability, durability and pureness. Hydrogenious Technologies already provides hydrogenation-ready high-quality LOHC materials customized for the particular application (stationary, mobile, etc.). These products include: N-Ethylcarbazole Perhydro-N-Ethylcarbazole Dibenzyltoluene Perhydro-Dibenzyltoluene Hydrogenious is developing HydroSTORE, a stationary storage system, to offer solutions to the increasing energy storage needs arising out of further expansion of renewable energy generation. The flexibility to decouple input power, output power and storage capacity would contribute to grid stabilization and grid independence. The Bavarian Hydrogen Center is hosting a demonstrator system based on the LOHC technology developed at the University of Erlangen. In this system hydrogen is generated via electrolysis by means of surplus renewable energy (for example, from a photovoltaic system) and stored chemically using LOHCs in a conventional fuel tank at ambient conditions. The hydrogen can be released and converted back into electricity in a fuel cell when required. A storage facility will be built and installed at a residential building in Erlangen during the course of this project. Besides supplying the house with electricity, the heat generated can be used to heat the house. This storage facility is currently under development and is expected to be installed mid-2014. Earlier this year, Anglo American Platinum announced its commitment of US$100 million over the next five years to support early stage technologies and innovative industrial applications that use or enable the use of platinum group metals. As part of this market development strategy, Hydrogenious will use the new funding to support further development of the HydroSTORE, taking it from prototype to fully commercial product. Hydrogenious technology may be the long awaited solution to efficient, safe and cost- effective hydrogen storage. We believe this could lead to the breakthrough of hydrogen as a mass fueling solution. Our interest in the success of platinum-based fuel cells for stationary and longer-term mobile applications could be well served through this type of hydrogen infrastructure solution. Andrew Hinkly, Anglo American Platinums Executive Head of Marketing Hydrogenious technology was developed and optimized by the founding partners, CEO Daniel Teichmann and the university professors Peter Wasserscheid, Wolfgang Arlt and Eberhard Schlucker together with their research teams at the University of ErlangenNuremberg. Hydrogenious Technologies and the LOHC concept is being illustrated in this video clip, produced for the Bavarian Founders Awards (Bayerischer Grunderpreis) (in German only). Hydrogenious was awarded the 2014 Bavarian Founders Award this May. Fundamental aspects of Hydrogenious technology have been developed at the Bavarian Hydrogen Center, a cross-institutional research platform focusing on the development of a sustainable hydrogen economy, and within the framework of the Erlangen Excellence Cluster Engineering of Advanced Materials. Hydrogenious will continue its close research co-operation with the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg. Anglo American Platinum Limited is a member of the Anglo American plc Group and is the worlds leading primary producer of platinum group metals. Resources The Draft Action Plan puts forward a single shared vision to improve the efficiency of Californias freight system while reducing its pollution, while continuing to bolster the competitiveness of Californias goods movement system nationally and internationally. Key components of the Action Plan include: A long-term 2050 vision and guiding principles for Californias future freight transport system. Improve freight system efficiency 25% by 2030. Deploy more than 100,000 zero-emission vehicles/equipment and maximize near-zero by 2020. Foster future economic growth within the freight and goods movement industry. Developed in response to Governor Browns Executive Order B-32-15, which calls for a single integrated action plan for California, the Draft Action Plan was drafted by the California State Transportation Agency; California Environmental Protection Agency; Natural Resources Agency; California Air Resources Board; California Department of Transportation; California Energy Commission; and Governors Office of Business and Economic Development with broad stakeholder input. The Executive Order directs the state agencies to pursue a shared vision to improve freight efficiency, transition to zero-emission technologies and increase the competitiveness of Californias freight system. Benefits include meeting the states freight infrastructure, public health, air quality and climate goals. Achieving the Draft Action Plans objectives will require strategic partnerships and well-coordinated investments in new technologies and major infrastructure upgrades. The plan provides an opportunity for leveraging new federal, State, local and private investment for these freight transport system improvements. Californias freight system is the most extensive and interconnected freight system in the United States and comprises several deep water seaports; cargo airports; border crossings; and a vast warehousing and distribution sector, all connected by a network of more than 11,000 miles of railroad track and Interstate and state highways. Each component is critical and the system depends on these interconnected facilities working in concert to move freight in and out of California to the rest of the nation and across the globe. Californias freight-dependent industries accounted for more than $740 billion in revenue and more than 5 million jobs in 2014. While freight transport in California is a major economic engine for the state, emissions from ships, harbor craft, trucks, locomotives, cargo equipment, aircraft and other freight participants account for about half of toxic diesel particulate matter (PM 2.5 ), 45% of the NO x emissions that form ozone and fine particulate matter in the atmosphere, and 6% of all greenhouse gas emissions in California. Many of these pollutants are emitted in close proximity to communities and pose health risks to nearby residents, highlighting the need for additional steps to protect public health. The draft we are releasing today represents an unprecedented collaboration among government agencies, in keeping with the importance of the freight sector to our economy and our environment. The plan commits to include all stakeholders at every step in the process, from refining goals and selecting pilot projects through implementation into the coming decade. Our challenge is to deliver both public health and economic benefits at our ports, on our highways, and in our communities throughout the state. California Air Resources Board Chair Mary D. Nichols. The Draft Action Plan builds on existing State agency strategies, including the California Freight Mobility Plan, Sustainable Freight Pathways to Zero and Near- Zero Emissions Discussion Document and the Integrated Energy Policy Report. Broad stakeholder input provided over the past several months, including 11 workshops across the state, inform this Draft Action Plan. The Draft Action Plan is available now for stakeholder and public feedback through 6 July 2016. Additionally, agency staff will present it as an informational item at public meetings of the California Freight Advisory Committee, the California Transportation Commission and California Air Resources Board in May. After consideration of comments and any new information received, the agencies involved will make changes as appropriate and provide the Action Plan to the Agency Secretaries for Transportation, Environmental Protection, and Natural Resources for consideration and submittal to the Governor. After transmittal, the State agencies will continue work with federal, State, industry, regional, local, and environmental and community-based partners to inform, refine, and prioritize the strategies and actions identified in the Action Plan. As the State agencies move forward gathering additional information and developing the actions, pilot project, and other Action Plan concepts further, the concepts may change, be adjusted, or new concepts may be added. Implementation of the concepts will also be conditional based on the successful completion of applicable public processes, necessary financing approvals, technical analysis, and economic and environmental reviews. Full economic impact analyses will be required of regulatory actions developed by the Air Resources Board before the Board considers such actions. Engineering responsibilities will be shared based on each companys respective expertise. FCA will initially design and engineer around 100 vehicles uniquely built for Googles self-driving technology. Google will integrate the suite of sensors and computers that the vehicles will rely on to navigate roads autonomously. The Google Self-Driving Car Project and FCA announced will collaborate to integrate Googles self-driving technology into all-new 2017 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid minivans ( earlier post ) to expand Googles existing self-driving test program. This marks the first time that Google has worked directly with an automaker to integrate its self-driving system, including its sensors and software, into a passenger vehicle. The Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid minivans will be used later this year for Googles self-driving testing, more than doubling Googles current fleet of self-driving test vehicles. Both companies will co-locate part of their engineering teams at a facility in southeastern Michigan to accelerate the design, testing and manufacturing of the self-driving Chrysler Pacifica. FCA has a nimble and experienced engineering team and the Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid minivan is well-suited for Googles self-driving technology. The opportunity to work closely with FCA engineers will accelerate our efforts to develop a fully self-driving car that will make our roads safer and bring everyday destinations within reach for those who cannot drive. John Krafcik, CEO, Google Self-Driving Car Project Self-driving cars have the potential to prevent some of the 33,000 deaths that occur each year on US roads, 94% of which are caused by human error. This collaboration will help FCA and Google better understand what it will take to bring self-driving cars into the world. Working with Google provides an opportunity for FCA to partner with one of the worlds leading technology companies to accelerate the pace of innovation in the automotive industry. The experience both companies gain will be fundamental to delivering automotive technology solutions that ultimately have far-reaching consumer benefits. Sergio Marchionne, CEO, FCA Googles self-driving cars are currently being tested in four US cities. The self-driving Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid minivans will be tested by Googles self-driving car team on its private test track in California prior to operating on public roads. The Google Self-Driving Car Project is working to develop fully self-driving vehicles that have the potential to make our roads safer and increase mobility for the millions of people who cannot drive. The ultimate goal is to help people get from A to B at the push of a button. In the projects seven year history, the vehicles in the test fleet have self-driven over 1.5 million miles on public roads, and theyre currently being tested in Mountain View, CA, Austin, TX, Kirkland, WA, and Phoenix, AZ. The Google Self-Driving Car Project is part of X, a moonshot factory thats part of Googles parent company Alphabet. The old hypotheses that Persian Gulf energy subsidies were sacrosanct have been overturned, according to a new issue brief from Rice Universitys Baker Institute for Public Policy. In recent years, all six Gulf monarchiesSaudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Kuwait, Oman, Qatar and Bahrainhave begun to challenge the notion that citizens are entitled to cheap energy. They have raised prices on transportation fuel; three have increased prices on electricity and water in citizens homes; and electricity and water subsidies for businesses have been reduced in five of the six monarchies, the brief noted. Across the Gulf, Iran has taken similar steps. Energy Subsidy Reform in the Persian Gulf: The End of the Big Oil Giveaway was co-authored by Jim Krane, the Wallace S. Wilson Fellow for Energy Studies at the Baker Institute, and Shih Yu Elsie Hung, a research associate in the institutes Center for Energy Studies. The paper presents a snapshot of the progress of subsidy reform in the Gulf, documenting policy changes in all six monarchies and briefly examining the role of energy and the state. The authors said energy subsidies have long outlived their usefulness. Energy products such as electricity and gasoline have been distributed domestically at low prices that, in some cases, have been fixed since the era of oil nationalization in the 1970s. Over time, government provision of cheap energy had the unintended consequence of encouraging high per-capita demand, the authors wrote. Policymakers hope higher energy prices can produce a number of helpful effects, the authors said. These effects include relieving pressure on government budgets at a time when oil and gas revenues are low; reducing domestic demand for oil and gas that can otherwise be exported; increasing the relative attractions of non-carbon sources of energy; and encouraging conservation and efficiency, which helps reduce carbon emissions and the energy intensity of the gross domestic product while increasing overall productivity. Despite the reform pace, the still-cautious nature of these reforms demonstrates that the monarchies remain deferential to the wishes of their citizens, who have been shielded from the brunt of the reform, the authors said. In their open-access paper, published in the ACS Journal Environmental Science & Technology, they estimate that these small fleets, which represent less than 1% of the total, may be overlooked as a significant emission source (>25% of fleet emissions). A study by researchers from the University of Denver and the University of Puget Sound indicates that high-mileage light-duty fleets contribute higher emissions and emissions share than expected based on their actual numbers in the fleet. Most emission inventory calculations use a computer model to estimate the fleets emissions. California uses the EMFAC (EMission FACtors) emissions model; the rest of the US uses the EPA MOVES (Motor Vehicle Emission Simulator) model. Both models use a combination of fleet size, fleet average emissions, vehicle speeds (EMFAC), and fleet average mileage activity to calculate a mass of emissions. Fleet size and activity are linked with vehicle age; mean emissions generally involve age, initial emission certification levels, and emission level classifications. In both models, vehicle activity levels are most often uniformly applied across all of the vehicle emission level classifications, with the underlying assumption that all vehicles, including high emitters, have the same age-adjusted travel fractions. Modern vehicle fleet emissions are dominated by a relatively small number of high emitting vehicles, resulting in a skewed emission distribution, which is best described by a gamma distribution. High emitters occur as a result of breakage, mal-maintenance (performance modifications, rechipping, and/or after-treatment removal), and at end of a vehicles useful life. For example, recent on-road emission measurements in California and other locations have shown that the 99th percentile is responsible for more than a third of the carbon monoxide (CO) and hydrocarbon (HC) emissions and more than 15% of the nitric oxide (NO) emissions on a fuel-specific basis, and these imbalances continue to grow each year. These percent contributions assume that the fuel consumption is proportional to the fleet fraction sampled. However, these percentages could increase or decrease if the vehicles represented in the 99th percentile consume significantly less or more fuel than the fleet average, potentially adding an additional compounding skewed distribution to the calculation. One segment of the on-road fleet that is believed to drive more miles and consume more fuel than the average fleet vehicle is livery (for-hire) vehicles, such as taxis and limousines. Livery fleets have changed significantly in the past decade, with many city fleets now featuring large numbers of hybrid and alternatively fueled vehicles. There has been little recent research into the emission durability of these new fleets, and in this paper, we examine some recent and historical emission data from the Seattle and Chicago area to obtain a picture of how current livery vehicle emissions compare to the rest of the fleet and examine their importance to fleet emissions. Bishop et al. In their study, Bishop et al. used data collected at three US sampling sites: (1) in Washington State on the taxi and shuttle loop at the SeattleTacoma International Airport; (2) a long-term light-duty site in California located on I-10 between Santa Monica and downtown Los Angeles; and (3) a long-term light-duty site in Illinois located in the northwest suburbs of Chicago. The researchers used the West LA data as a baseline for comparison with the high-mileage fleet measurements. They used remote vehicle exhaust sensors to collect emissions measurements, and recorded a video image of the license plate of each vehicle. The transcribed plate was used to obtain non-personal vehicle information, including make, model year, vehicle identification number, and fuel type from the state registration records of California, Illinois, and Washington. SeaTac Toyota Prius taxis mean grams of pollutant per kilogram of fuel emissions () by model year compared to Toyota Prius model emissions measured on-road at the WLA measurement site (). Uncertainties are standard error of the means determined from the daily samples for the west LA data and by bootstrap resampling techniques for the SeaTac measurements. Credit: ACS, Bishop et al. Click to enlarge. Among their findings: Hybrid taxis (Prius) at Sea-Tac showed large increases in carbon monoxide, hydrocarbon, and oxide of nitrogen emissions in their fourth year when compared to similar vehicles from the general population. In Chicago, the observed, on-road taxi fleet also had significantly higher emissions and an emissions share that was more than double their fleet representation. Fleet emission inventory calculations generally rely on some type of age-weighted activity factor, usually model year, for generating the totals. High-mileage vehicles, such as taxis and limousines, are not generally considered to be numerous enough to change these weighting factors, because, for example, in King County, Washington, taxis only account for about 0.6% of the registered vehicles (2000/325000). If, however, as observed in Chicago, their emission contribution is about twice their fleet percentage and, in addition, they consume more fuel than the county average, then their emission contribution could grow to be 25% of the total. In areas where these high-mileage fleets are in higher concentrations, such as airports and downtown business centers, their emission contribution could produce much larger inventory errors if not taken into account. As tailpipe emissions continue to decrease, emission distributions will become more skewed, likely increasing the importance of higher emission high-mileage fleets and their contribution to vehicle emission inventories. Bishop et al. Resources Hydrogenious Technologies is a spin-off from the University of Erlangen- Nuremberg (Germany), which also holds a stake in the company, and the Bavarian Hydrogen Center. Instead of storing hydrogen either under high pressure of up to 700 bar or in liquid form at 253 C, Hydrogenious technology catalytically binds and releases the hydrogen molecules to liquid organic hydrogen carriers (LOHCs). ( Earlier post .) One of Anglo American Platinums investments, Hydrogenious Technologies , a German hydrogen storage startup, has launched its first commercial hydrogen storage and logistics system using its innovative Liquid Organic Hydrogen Carrier (LOHC) technology. Liquid organic hydrogen carriers (LOHCs) are an interesting option for the storage of hydrogen. The concept of LOHC is based on the reversible hydrogenation of an unsaturated, usually aromatic, compound. This reaction forms a saturated compound, which is the hydrogen-rich form of the carrier. In a dehydrogenation reaction, the hydrogenated (i.e., hydrogen rich) form releases the hydrogen for further utilization. The hydrogen uptake in the hydrogenation reaction requires elevated pressures of about 30 to 50 bar. The dehydrogenation on the other hand can be operated at ambient pressure but necessitates high temperatures of up to 300 C. However, during storage time, ambient conditions can be applied to the carrier, without any negative influence on storage density or losses during storage time. This is one of the most important advantages compared to most other hydrogen storage technologies. Muller et al. Hydrogenation of the Hydrogenious LOHC, which occurs via the catalytic reaction at 50 bar pressure, is an exothermal process with 10kWh th /kg H 2 usable heat @ 150 C. The reactor design allows for a continuous hydrogenation process. The storage medium is dibenzyltoluenea liquid organic hydrocarbon that maintains a liquid state in a broad temperature range between -39C to 390C and ambient pressure. It is low flammability and non-explosive, even when loaded with hydrogen. There is no evaporation of stored hydrogenmulti-month storage is possible without any losses. The proposed LOHC compounds have many physico-chemical similarities to diesel. Thus, LOHCs could make use of the existing energy infrastructure (e.g. tank ships, storage tanks or fueling stations) and enable a slow and step-wise replacement of the existing hydrocarbon fuels by alternative LOHC fuels. The release of hydrogen molecules from the liquid carrier medium also occurs via catalytic reaction. This is an endothermic process with 10kWh th /kg H 2 @ ~300C. The system features various new technologies, including a Polymer Electrolyte Membrane (PEM) electrolyzer that generates hydrogen using solar power and a Hydrogenious StorageBOX that uses LOHC technology to enable storage without any losses for extended periods of time. Hydrogenious Technologies recently signed a deal with United Hydrogen Group (UHG), a hydrogen distribution company based in the United States, to supply two LOHC systems, one StorageBOX and one ReleaseBOX. The technology will increase delivery ranges and decrease the operating costs of hydrogen logistics for UHG. Further, the agreement enables Hydrogenious Technologies to enter the US market, which represents over 50% of the global hydrogen market, and will support the rollout of hydrogen refueling infrastructure for Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles (FCEVs.) Hydrogenious Technologies recently was awarded with the prestigious German Industry Innovation Award. Hydrogenious Technologies manufacturing plant in Erlangen, Germany, was formally inaugurated at an event attended by key government and business officials in the country including Ilse Aigner (Bavarian State Minister of Economic Affairs and Media, Energy and Technology), Prof. Joachim Hornegger (President of FAU Erlangen-Nuremberg), Dr. Katharina Beumelburg (CEO Siemens Hydrogen Solutions) and Frank Sreball (CEO H2 Mobility). The investment in Hydrogenious Technologies forms part of Anglo American Platinums commitment to support early stage technologies and innovative industrial applications that use or enable the use of platinum group metals. Anglo American Platinum invested in Hydrogenious Technologies first financing round in 2014. Resources Nexeon will use the new funds to acquire IP and complementary technology; to open a development lab in Asia near its key customers; and to begin work on the design of a larger manufacturing facility. These initiatives will further support Nexeons efforts to achieve world-leading levels of battery energy density, and to satisfy the demand for superior battery performance in applications ranging from smart phones, wearables, drones and other mobile consumer devices to e-bikes and electric vehicles. Nexeon has developed and patented a novel way of structuring silicon so that it delivers extended cycle life and significantly increases anode charge capacityalmost ten times the gravimetric capacity per gram (mAh g-1) compared to carbon anodes. Used in combination with a standard cathode, this can increase cell capacity by 30-40%, Nexeon says. GREENWICH Greenwich resident Joe Kaliko has worn many hats in his life, from attorney to member of the Cos Cob Fire Police Patrol. Now hes taking on a new position. The Connecticut General Assembly has confirmed Kalikos appointment by Gov. Dannel Malloy to be a member of the Connecticut Medical Examining Board. The 21-person board, which is made up of 14 medical professionals and seven laypeople, is responsible for handling complaints against physicians made to the state Department of Health. If a doctor cuts off the wrong limb then you have a malpractice case, but you also can make a complaint with the Department of Public Health, Kaliko said. The purpose of this board is to protect the public that consumes medical services in the state of Connecticut. This is very important work and you have to take this extremely seriously. The board deals with doctors accused of breaking the law, committing medical errors or violating professional ethics codes. It has the power to levy fines, suspend or revoke medical licenses, and make doctors take additional training or submit to supervision of their work. Kalikos nomination received unanimous support in the Legislature. State Rep. Fred Camillo, R-151st, a longtime friend of Kalikos and co-founder with him of The Needs Clearing House charity, called Kaliko a town and state treasure. Joe has impacted many lives in his various roles in both town and state government, Camillo said. (He) always leaves any organization or entity he is a part of a much better and stronger place than he found it. In his new role, he will again be an advocate for all of our citizens as public health affects us all. The board, which meets monthly in Hartford, relies on evidence it hears, including recommendations by Health Department investigators, when adjudicating cases. Its like being a judge, Kaliko said. You have evidence thats presented to you and you have to check peoples credibility and evaluate their claims like you would in a court. Our job is to hold a full and fair hearing but our ultimate responsibility remains to the public and to make sure bad doctors arent able to practice anymore. Kaliko has served many roles within the Malloy administration after first working as part of the governors transition team when he took office in 2011. But that work, including in areas like economic development and the state lottery, has never given Kaliko the chance he has now. This is an opportunity to serve the public directly, Kaliko said. This is work that is going to have a direct impact and its very important. Im honored to have the chance to do this. Kalikos first meeting is on May 17. More information about the board is available at http://1.usa.gov/1BprEpi. kborsuk@scni.com It used to be that small businesses were not high on the list of targets of cyber-criminals and hackers. So, it's no surprise that today, many small business owners still operate with that mindset, despite increasing evidence that the trend has changed. Related: 7 Cybersecurity Layers Every Entrepreneur Needs to Understand Due to the notable increase in cyber crime, the threat against cyber security is increasingly important. And the impact when that security is compromised is worse for small businesses, since they have less bounce-back ability after an attack. Smart small business owners, however, understand what the current security trend is. And, though small, they know that their businesses are at risk. That is why they budget for security. This way they can be protected from the numerous hackers out to drill a hole in a lot of unlucky businesses out there. As a small business owner, you should do the same. Here are six reasons why: 1. Hackers expect loopholes in small businesses. Most hackers expect small business sites to be full of loopholes and therefore easy to exploit. This is because they assume that small business owners are lazy or at least reluctant when it comes to investing in cyber security. The sad thing is that often they are right. Small businesses increasingly are targets because of their lack of risk-awareness. A study showed that small and medium-size businesses in the United States cut spending on security by 20 percent in 2014. This was reflected in a 64 percent increase in SME compromises between 2013 and 2104. The idea that your business still looks small, and cannot be targeted by cyber criminals might have been true a few years ago, but not anymore. 2. The size of the business doesnt matter to cyber criminals. My business is too small to be targeted right? Wrong! Cyber criminals are interested in data, period. So, if your business can offer the kind of quality data they need, you already have a pretty visible bulls-eye painted on your back. It is not the size of the business that matters; it is the quality of the data. If your business has lots of customer contact info, credit card data, health data or valuable intellectual property, you may need to re-evaluate your stance on cyber security. You may think you cannot afford the cost of cyber security, but you surely will struggle more, considering the negative impact of cyber crime. Related: 4 Ways Your Small Business Can Better Prevent Cyber Crime 3. In the past, you probably left some sugar lying around for the ants. You know what it is like to start and grow a new business. Usually, you sign up for many online services, cloud tools, bank accounts, emails and more. Those little crumbs can act like a sugar cluster that will lead the cyber insects right to your doorstep. Investing in security is what will protect you from this potential danger. 4. You may be opening a back door to a larger companys data. Many hackers are not interested in you for your worth or even for your data. Many times, what they're interested in is whom you do business with. If have any reasonable online contact with bigger companies that may present juicier data and prospects, you need to invest heavily in security, for that reason alone. The reason is that your non-secure systems can unlock access to a bigger companys data. And the consequences of that compromise could be huge. 5. Your Internet connection may be prone to easy compromise. Hackers can steal your data when you are not using a secure wi-fi connection. There is a certain carelessness with which small businesses treat their Internet connections, and this may become their undoing. Staff members accessing sensitive company data via a nonsecure wi-fi connection when they work remotely can also increase the risk of cyber compromise. 6. Recent statistics don't favor you in the slightest. Kataku reports that 62 percent of cyber attack victims in recent times have been small- and medium-size business enterprises. The impact of these attacks is usually so debilitating that most of these companies never recover. The United Kingdom, for instance, records about 120,000 cyber attacks a day. This shows that there is a great underestimation of the threat cyber crimes pose in todays business world. Related: Meet the Middlemen Who Connect Hackers for Hire With Corporate America Businesses cannot thrive if they are not doing some form of online business or at least have a strong online presence. This increases the number of businesses prone to attack by the fast growing number of cyber criminals. So, make sure yours is not one of them. Related: Copyright 2016 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved GREENWICH When police arrived in the neighborhood of Douglass Ewald to serve an arrest warrant on him, they came in force. Ewald, 54, of Sherwood Place, has an alleged history of making bizarre and irrational statement regarding town officials and police officers. Neighbors and other local residents had contacted authorities about what they described as harassing behavior. Besides the history of mentally unstable conduct, there have been run-ins with law enforcement in Massachusetts and Vermont, according to police records. Late last week, a family member contacted Greenwich police that Ewalds mental health had apparently taken a severe turn for the worse. According to court papers on file at the Stamford Superior Court, Ewald had spoken of obtaining a weapon and getting even with his imagined persecutors. He was described by the family member as emotionally disturbed. An arrest warrant was obtained from the court by GPD in short order after the family member called from New Jersey. The charge was second-degree breach of beach of peace, a misdemeanor. On the early afternoon of April 28, Ewald was picked up, according to the police report, and taken into custody after briefly resisting arrest. Bail was set at $25,000, and unable to post it, Ewald remains in custody. A judge ordered him to undergo a mental health assessment. According to court papers, Ewald has an extensive history of troubling incidents. On March 11, Ewald came to the office of the First Selectman Peter Tesei without an appointment and said he was being followed by the FBI. He was described as unruly and disruptive. In early March, he told a neighbor on Sherwood Place he would run over his (two) dogs if he saw them again. He had banged on the windows of the Citibank branch on Greenwich Avenue. Appearing at police headquarters on one occasion, he behaved in a loud, agitated and aggressive manner. He spoke his apartment being bugged and his food poisoned. Greenwich police found arrests in other states for violating a restraining order, stalking, intimidation of a witness and assault. Ewald once had a registration for a Beretta shotgun. A former IT professional and sales manager, Ewald has been on disability, according to court papers. His next court date is May 27. Robert.Marchant@scni.com Safe for now. Photo: David Ryder/Getty Images Supporters of Americas $15-minimum-wage experiment can breathe a little easier: The Supreme Court Monday refused to hear an appeal filed by the fast-food industry that challenged Seattles 2014 law, the countrys first to mandate a citywide living wage. Its the first time SCOTUS has weighed in on the legality of the trend, which has now spread from New York to San Francisco, and activists say its a good sign the justices dont plan to get in their way. Franchisees for big chains like McDonalds had argued the law is discriminatory because it treats them like theyre corporations instead of small-business owners that are (its true) on their own when it comes to handling economic difficulties. The way its written, Seattles law gives small-business owners until 2021 to raise wages to $15 an hour, but companies with more than 500 employees only get until 2018. The International Franchise Association had tried claiming the raise affirmatively harms hard-working franchise small business owners, but the Supreme Court didnt agree. Its refusal to entertain a challenge establishes a precedent for other cities and states as well it means their laws have to treat franchises as part of the parent company rather than as independent businesses. There are still other legal hurdles on the horizon, like a big challenge filed by restaurateurs in New York. But worker raises, meanwhile, keep on trickling out: Just last week, Cincinnatis mayor also proposed upping the citys minimum wage to $15. [Reuters] These are the best offers from our affiliate partners. We may get a commission from qualifying sales. For those who are eagerly waiting for the next-gen Mi Band from Xiaomi, there's some bad news: the wearable device's launch has been pushed back. This was announced by none other than the Chinese company's CEO Lei Jun on Weibo. The Mi Band 2 was set to be made official on May 10, alongside the Mi Max and MIUI 8.0. While Xiaomi might still go ahead and unveil the device as per the schedule, the release has been delayed by a month, as noted by Jun in his post. As you might already know, the device - which Xiaomi officially started teasing early last week - differs from its successors in that it comes with a display as well as a round, physical button. A leaked photo of the band surfaced online this week as well. Source On Apr. 28, President Jocelerme Privert inaugurated the five-member Independent Commission of Electoral Evaluation and Verification. Its members are: Francois Benoit , a former member of Haitis Provisional Electoral Council (2005-2006); Gedeon Jean , a former member of the Independent Electoral Evaluation Commission created on Dec. 22, 2015 under the Martelly regime; Pierre Wilfrid Sanon , designated by the Haitian Association of Construction Companies; Father Mc Donald Jean , appointed by the Anglican Church (former senator and member of the Council of the Wise in 2004); and Michel Eric Gaillard , designated by the Order of Chartered Professional Accountants of Haiti. The new Commission has a 30-day mandate. Its installation was boycotted by the Ambassadors of the U.S. and its allied Core Group nations. Privert had to twist the arm of his Prime Minister Enex Jean-Charles to sign the decree forming the Commission and to attend the inauguration. Partisans of the Haitian Bald Headed Party (PHTK) of former President Michel Martelly have held violent demonstrations against the Verification Commission, breaking car windshields.The new Commission has a 30-day mandate. Its installation was boycotted by the Ambassadors of the U.S. and its allied Core Group nations. Privert had to twist the arm of his Prime Minister Enex Jean-Charles to sign the decree forming the Commission and to attend the inauguration. Partisans of the Haitian Bald Headed Party (PHTK) of former President Michel Martelly have held violent demonstrations against the Verification Commission, breaking car windshields. The following edited excerpts from the Apr. 27 posting on the Haiti Elections Blog give the background on and lead-up to the Commissions installation. - Haiti Liberte A verification commission has been a key demand of many civil society organizations, human rights figures, and political parties, which for months have called for an investigation into electoral fraud. But the idea of verifying the vote has many powerful opponents, from former President Michel Martellys PHTK party and its allies in Parliament to the U.S. and other Core Group countries funding Haitis elections. The principal mission of a verification commission, according to the terms of reference submitted to Privert on Apr. 14, is to restore the confidence of political actors in the electoral process by establishing the credibility of the 2015 election results. To do so, the five-member commission will perform an in-depth evaluation of the vote and the prior decisions of the Electoral Litigation Bureaus (BCED and BCEN). The commission will have 30 days to complete this task, and all the major political parties and civil society groups will have the right to observe its work. Behind the scenes, the U.S. and other Core Group countries are reportedly demanding the right to veto any of the verification commissions conclusions. During Priverts absence from Haiti, foreign embassies stepped up pressure on interim Prime Minister Enex Jean-Charles and parliamentarians to amend the commissions terms of reference, which give the five-person commission the final word on the fate of the elections. The Core Group wants to be able to challenge any decision by the verification panel, which could ultimately lead to the cancellation of the presidential vote or some legislative races, the Miami Herald reported. Haitis major aid donors have cut off all non-humanitarian funding to the country and have previously suggested that funding for elections might be cut as well if the verification process is not to their satisfaction. Opponents of Privert, both in Parliament and in the streets, stepped up their verbal attacks on the interim president, decrying the missed [and arbitrary] election deadline of Apr. 24 and move toward verification as violations of the Feb. 5 accord. Former President Michel Martellys PHTK party has begun aggressively mobilizing against the verification commission. PHTK spokesperson Rudy Heriveaux denounced the commission on Apr. 16 as a manipulation attempt solely aimed at eliminating Jovenel Moise from the race. On Apr. 24, 2,000 pink-clad PHTK protesters marched to the CEPs headquarters in Petionville, calling for the final round of elections to be held as quickly as possible, without any verification. Former President Martelly personally wrote to Privert on Apr. 15, expressing his shock at the countrys inability to hold elections without international interference and accusing the interim authorities of attempting to make their temporary rule permanent. Martelly accused the Privert administration of pursuing a broad, practically unlimited agenda that does not in any way correspond to its mandate. Martelly seemed particularly concerned by a number of judicial orders issued by public prosecutor Danton Leger concerning drug trafficking and corruption charges against figures close to the Tet Kale government. Martelly characterized Legers initiatives as a vindictive campaign of de-Martelly-ization aiming to humiliate him and his political allies. Intriguingly, Jude Celestins party LAPEH has also expressed growing hostility towards Privert, despite their stated support for verification. LAPEH coordinator Jean Hector Anacasis declared on Apr. 22 that he was suspicious of Priverts motives: Nothing says that Mr. Privert will hold the elections. Nothing says that his true motivation isnt a tabula rasa. Anacasis roundly criticized the political makeup of Priverts administration, and openly evoked the possibility that LAPEH supporters could soon be in the streets alongside PHTK if elections are not held soon. Rene Momplaisir, a popular organization leader who campaigned for Celestin, resigned from his post as political advisor to Privert, calling the governments motives obscure and incomprehensible. Privert and his spokespeople have shot back, placing the blame for delays on pro-Martelly parliamentarians who blocked the appointment of a Prime Minister. The accord conferred on the electoral council the responsibility to evaluate the phases already completed, Privert argued on Apr. 20. How can the credibility of the electoral process be guaranteed without this verification commission? How can the political stability of this country be guaranteed if we dont organize credible elections? Privert has also repeatedly reminded critics that only the CEP has the power to establish an electoral calendar. The move towards verification means Haitis elections will not be held according to the deadlines set out in the Feb. 5 political accord. Apr. 24 was the date when the final round of elections were supposed to be held, with the transfer of the presidential sash from Privert to an elected successor slated for May 14. Privert has announced that the CEP is expected to release the electoral calendar between May 15 and May 30, and suggested that elections may be held in late October, to sync up with the expiration of one-third of the Senate. The obvious irrelevance of the political agreements timetable and the looming end of Priverts 120-day mandate (which expires on Jun. 14) has led to calls from some sectors either for an extension of Priverts mandate or for a negotiation of a new accord. The U.S. and its allies in the international community, however, remain strongly opposed to both options. While visiting Miami on Apr. 14, Secretary of State John Kerry warned Haitis interim government that the U.S. would tolerate the postponement of elections past Apr/ 24 only for a minimal period of time. Let me be crystal clear, Kerry said in an interview. The Haitian players, the so-called leaders, need to understand theres a clear limit to the patience, the willingness of the international community to condone this process of delay. (Apparently unaware of Kerrys recent statement, a group of three U.S. senators wrote a letter on Apr. 15 urging Kerry to speak out in favor of quick elections.) This hardline stance was reiterated by U.S. Ambassador Peter Mulrean during a visit to Haitis parliament on Apr. 20, accompanied by the ambassadors of the EU, Germany, Spain, and the UK. Mulrean claimed that the Feb. 5 accord did not call for any verification, and said that the U.S. fears that this commission could be used not only for a technical verification but to pursue a political agenda. Mulrean met with Chamber of Deputies President Cholzer Chancy (a Privert opponent) and explained that the visit was motivated by a certain frustration with Haitis political situation. In a statement released on Apr. 25, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon expressed his deep concern over the missed Apr. 24 elections date set out in the accord and called for the completion of the elections without further delay. While noting the proposed verification commission, the Secretary General emphasized the need to conclude the process with the required urgency. Popular organizations and political parties that mobilized against electoral fraud after Oct. 25 reacted with outrage to the international actors recent statements. On Apr. 20, UNNOH, MOLEGHAF, Lakou, Cercle Gramsci, and MODEP held a joint press conference to denounce the arrogant declarations of certain diplomats and other foreign actors. The popular organizations decried this foreign interference in Haitis domestic affairs as an affront to national dignity, and urged Haitians not to allow the foreign powers to impose leaders that would serve their interests while leaving the people in misery. Its the will of the people that will prevail, and not that of foreigners, said UNNOHs Josue Merilien. Presidential candidate Moise Jean Charles of Plateforme Pitit Dessalines wrote a letter to Barack Obama denouncing U.S. policy towards Haiti as based on a flawed approach. The letter stated that the crisis had been caused by the complacency or complicity of the international powers regarding Martellys corruption and his attempt to steal the elections. Jean-Charles, who finished in third place according to the current results, later said that Privert should have already kicked out the foreign ambassadors for making such declarations, according to Radio Kiskeya. Serge Jean-Louis, leader of Mouvement patriotique populaire dessalinien (MOPOD), argued that the international communitys stance raised doubts about its role in the controversial 2015 elections. One of the few voices among the international community in favor of verification is Sir Ronald Sanders. Even while expressing scepticism about scale of the fraud alleged in the Oct. 25 elections, the Antiguan diplomat has nonetheless argued that verifying the vote is absolutely necessary.. The reason for my conviction is precisely because there is a widespread and overwhelming belief in Haiti that the first-round elections were seriously flawed. Drawing on his experience leading an OAS mission to Haiti tasked with facilitating a negotiated solution to electoral crisis, Sanders explained: Among the over 50 groups with whom my team and I interfaced in Haiti in February, all except Martellys Parti Haitien Tet Kale (PHTK) party, expressed concern; some stronger than others, but none without misgivings. If Jovenel Moise and Jude Celestin ... have faith in their electability, they should have no fear of verification, Sanders observed. Sanders urged the international community to give Haitis interim authorities the time and resources it needs to conduct a credible verification. Without a verification, Sanders worried, the elections would inevitably produce a president lacking the legitimacy necessary to govern. There can be no quick fix in Haiti. Indeed, it is the urge for quick fixes in the past, and the desire to wash hands of the country, that has kept it in constant turmoil and retarded its chances for long-term political stability and economic growth, he said. Harlow is a former New Town in Essex with a population of 86,000. Located in the upper Stort Valley, it was built in the decades after the Second World War to ease overcrowding and London and provide homes for people bombed out during the Blitz. It includes Britain's first pedestrian precinct and first modern residential tower block, The Lawn. Old Harlow, the historic part of the town, was mentioned in the Domesday Book. David and Victoria Beckham's former home, Rowneybury House, nicknamed 'Beckingham Palace', is nearby. 15:16, 24 OCT 2022 Release from Town of Boone: In 2008, 73 percent of town voters approved a $25-million bond referendum for a new intake system drawing water from the South Fork New River. Since that time the Town has secured the commitment of nearly $2 million in grants and $20.4 million in low-interest loans from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to pay for the project. In 2015, the Town received project approval from the State of North Carolina Department of Water Quality and from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. This project will allow Boone to provide up to an additional 4 million gallons per day to its residents and water customers to meet future water needs. The project also will provide for significant upgrades and modernization of Boones Water Treatment Facility. Initially, up to one-third of the permitted amount will be withdrawn and then returned to the river after treatment at Boones advanced waste water treatment facility. Once completed, the project will provide water to the Town of Boone, Watauga County and the Town of Blowing Rock. On April 27, 2016 the Town of Boone received authorization from the USDA to proceed with the advertisement of bids for the Boone Raw Water Intake/Water Treatment Plant Upgrade Project. Requests for bids will be solicited in May and June, bid opening will be at the end of June, and an award of the winning bid(s) is expected in July by the Boone Town Council. Construction is expected to begin in the fall. Share this: Twitter Facebook LinkedIn Reddit Pocket The Longmont Times-Call and select media sat down with Michelle Wilkins after Lanes conviction in February. By Jesse Wood On Friday, a Colorado judge handed down a 100-year sentence to the woman that cut a fetus from the womb of a former Appalachian State University student last year, according to the Denver Post. Chief District Judge Maria Berkenkotter remarked on all of the things that the victim, Michelle Wilkins, who was 26 years old at the time of the attack, wont ever be able to do with her daughter, Aurora. Auroras parents will never get to scoop her off a grocery store floor during a tantrum or hang her artwork on the refrigerator, Berkenkotter said, according to the Denver Post. They wont get to watch as she decides who she is or what she wants to do with her life, Berkenkotter said. Ms. Lane, you stole that from Michelle. In February, Dynel Lane was convicted of attempted first-degree murder, two counts each of first- and second-degree assault and unlawful termination of a pregnancy. In March 2015, Lane attacked a pregnant Wilkins who was responding to a Craigslist ad to buy baby clothes at Lanes home in Longmont, Colo. Her visit turned into a horror story as Lane attacked Wilkins and cut out Wilkins unborn child, a girl who didnt survive. After attacking Wilkins, Lane told her boyfriend, David Ridley, who had already been tricked into believing that Lane was pregnant and didnt know of the attack, that she had a miscarriage, according to a police report of the incident. The couple drove to the hospital with the 7-month-old fetus, where hospital staff noticed that Lane didnt show signs of recently giving birth. She admitted to detectives that she cut Wilkins abdomen and removed the fetus. After the attack, Wilkins was able to lock herself in a room of Lanes home and call 911. She told authorities where she was and they picked her up, bringing her to the same hospital that Lane was at, the Longmont United Hospital. During the sentencing hearing, Wilkins showed a picture of Aurora swaddled in a blanket. Her dark hair was thickest around her tiny ears, the Denver Post reported. This is a picture of her, Wilkins said looking at Lane. The Post reported, Wilkins again expressed forgiveness for Lane. But she also shared her frustration in Lanes refusing to acknowledge us or apologize. You left me there to die multiple times, Wilkins said. The only tears that you cried during the trial were those of your own self-pity. Share this: Twitter Facebook LinkedIn Reddit Pocket (Reuters) Billionaire investor Steven Cohen said that too many hedge funds placing the same types of bets contributed to sharp losses for his $11 billion Point72 Asset Management earlier this year. One of my biggest worries is that there are so many players out there trying to do similar strategies, Cohen said Monday, speaking at the Milken Institute Global Conference in Los Angeles. To read this article: 'Lookin' good:' Town repays Jose's love Gary Jones with Jose Case and his new moped. PHOTO BY PAULA ROBERTS/Hendersonville Lightning. Everyone in town knows how much Jose loves them. View the Slideshow Related Stories His love is impossible to miss. People see him riding his brightly adorned moped, always smiling, always waving, a ray of sunshine on two squatty rubber tires. They see him in a cow suit, hawking chicken sandwiches; they see him dancing in a Liberty costume, pitching tax preparation; they see him promoting Firehouse subs. After Tuesday Jose, whose whole name is Jose Case, knows how much the town loves him. On Tuesday night at Black Bear Coffee Chop on Main Street, more than 50 people turned out to cheer for Jose and watch him receive a new Carolina blue moped and a new cell phone. Why? "Jose needs a new moped," commercial real estate broker Gary Jones wrote when he launched a GoFundMe campaign just four days ago. "This one is now beyond repair. Jose is an icon to Hendersonville. Always smiling and working. 'Looking good' is his favorite saying. I will donate the first $100 and hope you will help by giving any amount you can to his Go Fund Me account. He is a nice guy. I hope you can help, and next time you see Jose, stop and talk to him." Started on Friday afternoon, the campaign raised $5,520 in four days. "Jose had that old Chinese moped," Jones said. "Me and Harold Blythe worked on it there at my office. We got it running again and he drove it until a few weeks ago and it quit again. It quit running and I said go get it and bring it back down here." Jones borrowed a compression tester from his brother, detail shop owner Donnie Jones, and determined that the motor was shot. Gary told Donnie he thought he'd put an appeal on Facebook to raise money to buy Jose a new moped. "Donnie said go to GoFundMe and they can donate money," he said. "I said that's a good idea. I did it from my cellphone and before I could get back to my office it had $300 or $400; 175 or 180 people donated money. We had $5,500, so we bought a Honda and then we bought a 4-year warranty, a new helmet, a new telephone, service on the Honda for four years and gas cards. Ingles gave him a $100 gas card." Jones joked that part of his motivation was selfish "so I don't have to work on his moped." "Truthfully, he needed one," he said. "Everytime it broke down, he'd come to see me." Like a lot of Hendersonville folks, Jones said he knew of Jose before he actually got to know him. "I'd see him do the cow thing out at Chick-Fil-A and at Liberty taxes and at the Firehouse subs," he said. "A lot of people said they'd seen him and would wave at him but didn't really know him." Plenty of riders might need a new moped but they're not Jose. Jose rides the moped in the heat and the cold, in good weather and bad. A smile is his umbrella. City Councilman Steve Caraker read a proclamation making Tuesday "Jose Case Day" in Hendersonville. The people of the town applauded. Jose grinned. Cork Prison is now the focus of an investigation A young inmate desperately tried to get back into a cell block at a new 45m prison after being left locked into an exercise yard overnight. New control procedures are expected to be put in place for nightly cell block lockdowns after the incident in Cork Prison, which is now the focus of a major Irish Prison Service (IPS) investigation. The inmate, in his 20s, has since been granted temporary release. However, he is understood to have been locked into the exercise yard for more than 12 hours after the bizarre incident on March 2. The incident occurred despite the fact the high-tech prison boasts more than 300 CCTV security surveillance cameras. However, the prisoner's plight was recorded on CCTV cameras covering the exercise yard. The man became so cold that he began doing exercises, including star-jumps, and jogging in front of the security cameras in a desperate bid to attract attention to his plight. The young man also spent several hours shouting for help - but the ultra-secure nature of the new prison complex meant he was not heard. Count It is understood his predicament was only discovered the following morning when prison staff began their morning head count - and discovered there was a discrepancy involving one prisoner. Just as concerns were voiced over the inmate count, a prison officer heard the desperate shouts for help from the prisoner in the exercise yard. The young man was brought back into his cell at 7am. The IPS confirmed that a full investigation into the incident is now underway. The investigation is expected to be concluded shortly, but its findings will not be published. Under routine procedures, prison authorities will not discuss security issues or the identities of inmates. One prison source indicated that the incident is believed to have been caused by the young man returning to the prison from a district court appearance in Kerry. He was permitted access to the exercise yard by some prison staff on his return - but other staff, on nightly lock-down duties, were apparently under the impression the man was still absent from the facility. It remains unclear how his presence in the exercise yard went unnoticed as all other inmates were escorted back to their cells for their evening meal and nightly lockdown. The 45m new prison opened in January and replaced the old Cork Prison which was one of the most overcrowded within the Irish prison system. The 333m MSC Splendida, the longest ship ever to visit Dublin Port The longest ship ever to visit Dublin Port returned to the capital yesterday morning, officially marking the start of Dublin Port's 2016 cruise season. The 333m MSC Splendida is one of 113 cruise calls confirmed for Dublin Port in 2016, a record number for Dublin Port in a year that will bring more than 180,000 visitors to the capital. Currently the 11th longest cruise ship in the world, the MSC Splendida arrived in Dublin from Greenock, Scotland, carrying more than 4,600 passengers and crew on board. The vessel boasts a VIP section with 24-hour butler service and features more than a dozen bars and lounges, as well as a spa and Turkish baths, four swimming pools, squash courts and a Formula One simulator, all spread over 18 decks. After spending the day docked at Dublin Port, the ship left last night for Cork. All little Ella Doyle wants to do some day is to dance to her favourite song. If her dream comes true, the bubbly little three-year-old will be able to walk to school on her own steam - and not in a wheelchair, which is inevitable if she doesn't get surgery. For now, she must rely on a walker to get around after she was diagnosed with spastic diplegia at six months, a form of cerebral palsy that affects her mobility. Damage Fortunately, the condition didn't affect her in any other way. She will spend the rest of her life in a wheelchair unless her parents, Simon Doyle (39) and Nicola Dervan (37), can come up with 150,000 to pay for pioneering neurosurgery at the St Louis Children's Hospital in Missouri. It's hoped a specialist can reverse the damage to her nerves that causes spasticity while she is still growing. The procedure by renowned neurosurgeon Dr TS Park is known as Selective Dorsal Rhizotomy (SDR), which has reversed spasticity in thousands of his young patients. The couple did in-depth research on SDR and met Irish children who also had the procedure, including a boy who had the same condition as Ella but is now playing Under-8s rugby. Since the couple from Rathfarnham, south Dublin, launched their official 'Ella's Wish to Walk' campaign a fortnight ago, they have been bowled over by the kindness of strangers. More than 8,000 to date has been raised to help make Ella's wish come true. "It's incredible. These are strangers coming up to help us," Mr Doyle said. See www.ellaswishtowalk.ie for information ABINGDON, Va. Two Abingdon Town Council members, including Mayor Ed Morgan, were unseated by two challengers in a close race Tuesday. The two top vote-getters were challengers J. Wayne Craig, who received 525 votes, or 24.42 percent, and M. Cindy Patterson, who had 507 votes, or 23.58 percent of ballots cast, according to unofficial totals Tuesday night. The candidates with the next highest vote totals were incumbents Jayne Duehring, who received 482 votes, or 22.42 percent, and Morgan, who had 428 votes, 19.91 percent. Morgan has held his seat for 16 years, six of which hes spent as mayor. I offer my best to those who have the chance to serve and I am very proud of my accomplishments [while on the council], Morgan said after election totals were in. Duehring declined comment until today, when official results are expected to be announced. She was appointed by council in October 2013 to fill the unexpired council term of Jason Berry, who resigned to take the job of Washington County administrator. Patterson also declined comment Tuesday night while Craig could not be reached. The most talked about issue in this election was the controversial rezoning approved last year by Town Council that paved the way for a development in the Exit 17 area that will include a new Food City store, more retail, hotels and restaurants. Many town residents were vocal opponents of the rezoning, which led to the formation of a citizens group called Friends of Abingdon. The group staged a number of protests against the rezoning and filed a lawsuit against the town seeking an order ruling the decision null and void. The lawsuit is still pending. Opponents of the rezoning were worried it would negatively impact the nearby Virginia Creeper Trail and a historical property known as The Meadows. Many also expressed concern that it would lead to a lot of traffic and noise. Supporters of the project, however, said the jobs and economic development are needed in the town. The two other challengers in the race were Richard L. Macbeth, who ended the night with 140 votes, and James E. Turner, who garnered 24. Nearly 20 percent of registered voters cast ballots in Tuesdays race, according to Washington County Voter Registrar Derek Lyall. Two Southwest Virginia health centers are receiving funding from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Wednesday, HHS Secretary Sylvia M. Burwell announced over $260 million in funding to 290 health centers in 45 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico for facility renovation, expansion, or construction. Health centers will use this funding to increase their patient capacity and to provide additional comprehensive primary and preventive health services to medically underserved populations. The Southwest Virginia Community Health Systems and St. Charles Health council will each received $1 million. Health centers are cornerstones of the communities they serve, said Secretary Burwell. Todays awards will empower health centers to build more capacity and provide needed health care to hundreds of thousands of additional individuals and their families. These awards will allow health centers to renovate or acquire new health center clinical space to help provide care to over 800,000 new patients nationwide. This investment builds on the nearly $150 million awarded to 160 health centers for construction and/or renovation in September 2015. This funding comes from the Affordable Care Acts Community Health Center (CHC) Fund, which was extended with bipartisan support in the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act (MACRA) of 2015. Providing funding to help health centers renovate their facilities will allow them to provide care to more patients, said HRSA Acting Associate Administrator Jim Macrae. Perhaps more importantly though, health centers will now be able to provide more health services in one location, better meeting the needs of their communities. Since the beginning of 2009, health centers have added 6 million patients; they now serve nearly 23 million people each year. Today, nearly 1,400 health centers operate about 9,800 service delivery sites in every U.S. state, D.C., Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands and the Pacific Basin. ABINGDON, Va. A Russell County man, who was prohibited from possessing firearms due to previous criminal convictions, pleaded guilty yesterday in the U.S. District Court in Abingdon to being in possession of a variety of guns, guns parts and a blasting cap. Roger Allen Combs, 50, of Cleveland, Virginia, pleaded guilty to one count of possession of an explosive device by a convicted felon, one count of possession of a firearm not registered on the National Firearms Registry and Transfer Record and one count of being a convicted felon illegally in possession of a firearm. Keeping illegal guns out of the hands of prohibited users is critical in keeping our communities safe, U.S. Attorney John P. Fishwick Jr. said. We want to continue to work with our partners in law enforcement to find these illegal guns and get them off the streets. According to evidence presented at previous hearings by Russell County Commonwealths Attorney and Special Assistant United States Attorney Brian Patton, Combs, who has several prior criminal convictions, was observed by law enforcement coming in and out of a storage unit in Russell County with a bag. Law Enforcement officers executed a traffic stop on a vehicle Combs was traveling in and found a firearm. Based on that evidence, officers obtained a search warrant for the storage unit where they found several guns, parts of guns, ammunition and a blasting cap. Change in Abingdon isnt always easy! I remember when my good friends, French Moore, Jr., a former Abingdon mayor, and David Brillhart, a planning commission member, were vilified for their efforts to create the Virginia Creeper Trail. It was said the project would devastate our peaceful community, increase traffic, destroy farms, devalue property, increase crime and burden the town with a financial and maintenance nightmare. I felt sorry them, but havent they been vindicated and history proven their vision precise? The birth of the Virginia Creeper Trail was a sentinel event! We have been presented another sentinel event in the form of a commercial development by the K-VA-T corporation at Exit 17 on Interstate 81. It is the right fit for Abingdon and enjoys broad support from the majority of citizens. Without question, many of my friends and relatives oppose this project; they are sincere in their beliefs and have the best interests of our community at heart. Their views deserve consideration, but so also do views of residents who support the project. Good solutions and sound governance are created by give, take and compromise; this is the American way. Lets address some of the issues. Located on the proposed site is a large, charming house constructed in the 1920s, otherwise known as the Meadows Mansion. It replaced an original structure destroyed by fire and was home to two governors. Some woodwork from the original house was incorporated into the present structure. Locals have speculated that graves of former slaves are located on the site. The facts are, five previous professional archeological surveys have been conducted. Within the last year, S&ME, Inc., a professional archeological firm, issued a 38-page report revealing a lack of significant archeological activity, confirming previous findings. Presently, the property has no architectural or historical protections and the fate of the house is in the hands of its owners. It would be within their legal rights to raze the structure tomorrow without permissions. The town has proposed to leave 40 acres around the mansion zoned agricultural, and will restore, maintain and preserve this beautiful edifice. Additionally, a public amphitheater will be constructed. Appropriate landscaping and site elevation changes will enhance its beauty. As a life-long resident of Abingdon, I played baseball 63 years ago on the same woefully inadequate, existing fields. A generous donation from K-VA-T has made it possible for the town to acquire land adjacent to the Creeper Trail for a sorely needed sports complex. Proximity to the trail will allow the synergistic use of both in promoting health, recreation and tourism. A retail complex will have little to no impact on the beauty or use of either facility. By careful buffering and plantings, only a sliver of the Food City roofline will be visible at any point on the trail. The Virginia Creeper Trail Club, on its website, has taken a neutral position concerning this development. Traffic in Abingdon is always a concern, especially at Exit 17. Vehicular volumes and congestion around this exit are bound to increase with or without future development. Proposed is the realignment of Green Springs Road, terminating at the traffic light intersection of Cummings and Cooke streets, thus rectifying a bottleneck. The redesign of Exit 17 has been bumped up in line from position 200 to position 9, indicating our local and state representatives are listening and anticipate more commercial development. The Commonwealth Transportation Board will vote on this project in June. K-VA-T Food City has proven to be a valued employer, neighbor and great corporate partner. With the 2012 construction of corporate headquarters on the former Johnston Memorial Hospital site, a deteriorating property was repurposed. K-VA-T has provided good-paying jobs for our community, paid taxes, sponsored a whole host of charitable, environmental and economic events. Without question, they are one of the more community conscious corporations in our area. Steve Smith, CEO of K-V-AT stated at a community forum and I quote: for every one Food City Store we open, three and one-half jobs are created locally. Numbers like this are not inconsequential in terms of employment, taxes, education and community growth. An economic engine of this type would make some of our regions less-fortunate communities envious, and loss of this project would have long term devastating implications for Abingdon. I would like you, the reader to decide for yourself. WEHC Radio, a community service of Emory & Henry College presented an in-depth and probing presentation of both sides of this issue. Dr. Teresa Keller, Chair of the Mass Communications Department conducted the interviews. The program link is: https://archive.org/details/AbingdonDevelopment. Take the time to listen and educate yourself on this important topic. I am firmly convinced that an informed and engaged electorate will make all of us better stewards of this precious little jewel we call home Abingdon. William Hatcher is a resident of Abingdon and owner-operator of Laboratory Optical Service. Halloween is coming! Here's when to trick or treat in your town What you need to know about Powerball and the $610 million jackpot CHAPEL HILL An Orange County man is being treated in a Chapel Hill hospital after he was bitten by a cobra snake. A spokesman form University of North Carolina Hospitals told local media outlets Tuesday that Ali Iyoob is in critical condition in the hospital's intensive care unit. Hospital spokesman Tom Hughes said Iyoob was brought to the hospital Monday night. Emergency Medical Service workers say Iyoob was bitten at his home and the snake is apparently a pet. Iyoob's Facebook profile picture shows him handling a cobra. Iyoob is a member of the Reptile Rescue of the Carolinas, WNCN reported. The county animal services agency said in a statement that it has been to Iyoob's home and the reptiles are secure and there is no danger to the public. CLAREMONT -- Its thank-you week for teachers around Catawba County, once formerly known as National Teacher Appreciation Week. Local parent teacher organizations (PTO) found a variety of ways, major and minor, to simply show their appreciation for their teachers dedication and hard work. For River Bend Middle School (RBMS), one of the school's "thank you" from the Catawba County Schools came in the form of a big Mexico Lindo Taqueria Taco Truck. The teachers, they give themselves all year long. They sacrifice and they dont get a break and they deserve it, RBMS PTO Volunteer Coordinator Melissa Leonard said. We were just talking about how being a teacher is almost an impossible job." They dont get paid near what theyre worth," she said. "To give them a break like this, it means the world to them and its just a small way we can repay them for what they do. The PTO provided the parent volunteers needed to monitor the students lunch periods so the teachers could have a duty-free meal with each other. The organization paid for the food truck so the teachers only had to pay $1 per taco. As a parent, I personally look forward to anything that I can do to take a little bit off the teachers, Leonard said. The special lunch has been a tradition at the school for three years, and its one that RBMS Principal Chip Cathey knows is a hit with his teachers. Theyve told me if I ever take away the taco truck, theyre leaving, so over the years weve done some different things, but this, no matter what we do has to remain, Principal Cathey said. The idea for the truck came from a conversation he had with the schools PTO, he added. When we were pitching the idea to the PTO, we were asking in what way they wanted to be involved during the week, and they thought the duty free lunch of some sort, she said. Mark Guess was the PTO president three years ago. He was also a state trooper and knew some good taco trucks to suggest. Its always a nice week, and its good timing, RBMS Language Arts teacher Susan Anauo said. Its an encouraging week. We appreciate it very much. The break comes just before the final weeks of school and the End of Grade Tests (EOGs). Weve about ran out of gas, and its a nice little rejuvenating step before we get into the teeth of the EOGs, Social Studies teacher Kent Blandford said. Looking at the taco truck makes me smile. Crystal Podger is the PTO secretary and the schools counselor, and she helped organize the event. As a parent of a student, she knows the impact this week has on any teacher. The teachers love the taco truck. All they have to do is pay a dollar for whatever entre they choose, and the PTO supplements the restwe provide the desserts and the drinks and take care of it all for them, Podger said. One of our parents is Kitchen Manager at Chilis (Hickory), and they donated the chips and salsa for us. She added that its just one way to show some appreciation for the long days filled with hard work the teachers put in throughout the year. I think all the citizens value what teachers do, but just as far as taking the time and stopping and appreciating it, we just dont do it enough, Principal Cathey said. This domain has expired. If you owned this domain, contact your domain registration service provider for further assistance. If you need help identifying your provider, visit https://www.tucowsdomains.com/ Entertainment / Music by Staff reporter Gospel music star Charles Charamba says The Fishers of Men will release new videos before the end of the year.Charamba, in the company of his equally-celebrated wife Olivia, gave the undertaking on the sidelines of his band's performance at the Harare International Food and Music Festival (HIFM) held at Borrowdale Racecourse last weekend."This year I am not sure if we will manage to release a new album but we will release videos that we are currently working on."Fans are putting us under extreme pressure as they want more videos from us and as a result we will give them what they want," said Charamba, who also runs Borrowdale-based Pashoko Pangoma Studios.The Charambas shared the stage with fellow gospel music stars who included Sebastian Magacha and Michael Mahendere at the gospel show that took place on Saturday afternoon.Despite the low turnout, the gospel artistes gave polished acts. The Charambas performed popular hits gleaned from the albums Tinashe Akatendeka, John 3:16, Vhuserere, Exodus, Sunday Service, Verses and Chapters and Pashoko Pangoma, Amen, Daily Bread and The Gospel. The most popular songs during their performance included Ndirangarirei, Machira Chete, Rudo Rwevanhu, Rute and Moyo Wangu.The event was graced by National Arts Council of Zimbabwe director Elvas Mari who lauded musicians and organisations that participated in the inaugural HIFM.The two-day event was organised by Jacaranda Culture and Media Corporation with the aim of promoting cultural exchange through the power of food and music. In keeping with the thrust of the event, various organisations showcased Chinese and local cuisine. In a world where economic journalism is dominated by headlines a significant development was relegated to the fine print. Last week the Financial Times reported that India, in 2015, with $63 billion of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) had taken the top rank in the list of countries in terms of greenfield capital investment. After trailing behind China for a long period, India had raced past its formidable rival in terms of attracting long-term global capital. In 2015, India was a the destination of choice for global investors. This is a cause celebre. Theorists may argue that this is a one-eyed wonder for they have the luxury of not having to live with the consequences. However, as an investor, I hold a different view. I see this data as a strong validation of the Indian story and a regained faith in its potential. Unlike the shouting brigade of experts, investors put their money where their mouths are. The fact that investors are feeling confident enough to put their monies in India (a 44% increase over last year and 13% over China) means that they are seeing things that our armchair experts may be missing. Read | India leads South Asia growth: World Bank I concede, investors can be wrong as they have been on India in the past. Whether the India of today is different from the one of the past will only unfold itself in the future. However, numbers do not lie. The fact that investments have increased in such a large quantum within a short time cannot be denied. So, what is changing around us that is causing a resurgence of confidence in India? First, Indias credibility and global standing in the last two years has moved up many notches and is on an upward trajectory. India is again seen as a deep and big market with nascent capabilities but great potential. It is a stable and safe place to invest with reasonable enforcement of law. In a return constrainted world, where emerging markets like India are vital, this is indeed an exception. The strong and development-oriented leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi has rebranded India. He is seen to work relentlessly on removing the bottlenecks that hold India back. His consistent projection of Indias strengths and potential has started to reverberate with global investors. They may not fully understand his vision yet, but they have started to increasingly trust him with their money. Those of us who know the power of momentum in investing realise that this dribble could become a deluge if Modi can keep up his passion for marketing India and delivering on his promise. Experts who had mocked his foreign trips may want to reconsider the wisdom of their approach in the light of mounting evidence that his outreach is working. Read | Indias growth fastest: Jaitley on Rajans one-eyed king remark Second, corruption in the higher echelons of the government has substantially reduced. For the first time, one gets the impression that Delhi is working for India and its people and not for crony capitalists and vested interests. This is no mean achievement for a polity beleaguered by this malaise for decades. It is clear that on governance India under Modi wants to move to the other side of the crimson line and join the small club of greatly governed nations. The visibly intense national desire combined with a vibrant democracy and a robust legal system means that sooner or later India will get there. History has shown that when these reforms reach a critical mass they generate their own life making constraining structures and systems less relevant. Efforts to move the national narrative in the direction of an efficient and honest State has made the investing community sit up and notice. With fundamental changes underway, the Indian story starts to become worthwhile for the long-term investor. Third, one can see a serious effort to invest in the capacity and capability augmentation of both India and Indians. This is a long awaited transition from an India of entitlement to an India of empowerment. Financial inclusion schemes, enhanced allocation to the agri sector, ambitious programmes like Make in India and infrastructure reforms are among the many initiatives that point towards building of both hard and soft capabilities. This makes India attractive to the investors as most of them know that sustainable returns are built on growing capacities and not on short-term arbitrages. If a billion plus Indians are empowered to be economic growth engines human prosperity is compounded multiple times. Read | Depressed global demand is Make in India spoiler Finally, the government is withdrawing from business in a systematic way, thereby creating space for business to occupy. The message from the government is that business will operate in India within well defined rules that the government will enforce. The mindset of using rules as a mechanism of harassment and rent seeking is slowly changing. That is a reassuring development for investors. As the government refocuses its priorities to social welfare and development, while allowing the private sector to be the engine of growth, a new synergistic public-private alignment is starting to emerge. This, fostered by a strong leadership, has started to work its charm on the investor community. If sustained, nurtured and allowed to manifest in day to day executive actions it could fundamentally alter the capital balance vis-a-vis China. To sustain this momentum substantial gaps still need to be addressed. Government capabilities, particularly state governments, are still quite low. Local administration continues to be, by and large, anti-business. The judicial system and timely enforcement of contracts remains a structural bottleneck. Emergence of commercial courts and simpler and fewer laws have now become a necessity. Finally, reliable infrastructure is a constraint that India will need to address if it seeks to solve its employment challenge through a quantum leap in both manufacturing and services. Long-term investors have been around long enough to know the power of fundamentals. Modis attractiveness lies in his continued commitment to alter Indias economic architecture. His dogged work to improve things inch by inch established his Gujarat credentials. The same determination and focus seems to be at work in Delhi. While theorists may debate and discuss one-eyed wonders the investor knows what to do in such a fast changing order. Indias investment story may just be starting. Shaurya Doval is director, India Foundation and managing director, Zeus Caps The views expressed are personal Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) treasurer MK Stalin was ready to lead the partys charge on Wednesday with eight rallies planned in Chennai over five hours. The DMK has allied with the Congress party for the upcoming assembly elections. Tamil Nadu will go to the polls on May 16. Stalin began his campaign at 4:00 pm in the affluent district of Mylapore, before heading to his former stronghold of Thousand Lights, from where he has successfully contested from four times. He will not be campaigning in his declared constituency, Kolathur, for the 2016 polls, as the rallies are aimed at promoting the DMK's local candidates in their respective areas. The former deputy chief minister will be in T Nagar at 5:00 pm, followed by Saidapet, Virugumbakkam, Alandur, and Velachery, before ending at Shollinganalur at 9:00 pm. Kolkata The Election Commission of India (EC) has left no stone unturned so that Asgar Ali the oldest first-time voter along with 9,775 other former enclave dwellers in Cooch Behar feels at home when he and others go to the polling stations to cast their votes for the first time on Thursday. The stage is set. Elaborate arrangements have been made for the residents of former enclaves (chitmahals). As they would be voting for the first time a lot of preparations had to be made to educate them about the elections, said a senior poll panel official in Kolkata. To introduce these voters to the Indian poll process, the EC went to great lengthspreparing their EPICs and Photo Electoral Rolls and familiarising them with replicas of Electronic Voting Machines(EVMs) and Model Polling Stations(MPS). They were trained on how to enter a polling station, how to queue up, whom to ask for help, whom to show their EPIC cards, the location of EVMs inside booths, the buttons of the EVMs and how to cast their votes among others, said the official. A mobile museum showcasing photos of booths and polling process, and replicas of EVMs, EPIC cards and Photo Electoral Rolls among others went to every settlement to educate the voters. Pamphlets were distributed and door-to-door campaigns were also conducted. A race Run for Democracy was also organized in which both voters and district officials participated to generate a sense of involvement among the voters, he added. In the last phase of polling, 25 assembly constituencies in two districts East Midnapore and Cooch Behar will be going to polls on May 5. The former enclave dwellers are settled in five constituencies of Cooch Behar. Hindustan Times had earlier reported that 1,660 enclave voters in Cooch Behar district were boycotting the polls to protest the lackadaisical attitude of the administration towards development of the area. The protesting voters are residents of Sitalkuchi assembly constituency where Hiten Barman, the former forest minister, is the ruling Trinamool Congress candidate. They form 17% of the eligible enclave voters. Elections and bloodshed have always been synonymous with polls in Bengal. For decades, toughs backed by political parties have been around in the election season, beating up people and members of rival gangs, breaking bones, cracking skulls and maiming many an innocent. But the 2016 Assembly elections have witnessed a new addition to this list, a soft target children. At least four children, all between three to nine years, have been thrashed by toughs allegedly backed by the ruling Trinamool Congress, even as the state gets ready for the sixth and the final phase of the elections on Thursday. The first incident took place in Halisahar area of North 24-Parganas. On April 24, a day before the district went to the polls, a three-and-a-half-year-old girl was beaten up by local toughs who stormed her house to prevent her parents from venturing out to cast their votes. Her parents crime: They were CPI(M) supporters. The goons targeted the child after thrashing her parents. The next incident happened at Darirchak of Haridevpur in South 24-Parganas, in the southern fringes of Kolkata. On the night of April 30, after polling was over in the district, a gang allegedly backed by the ruling party raided a house and beat up an eight-year-old girl after beating up her parents. The girl suffered head injuries. To tackle the outcry that followed, Kolkata mayor Sovan Chatterjee, a candidate from Behala (East), visited the victims residence. But the girls grandmother did not let him step inside. Condemnation came thick and fast from the opposition too. A child is the weakest point of the parents. In order to intimidate the adults, the criminals are stooping to the level of attacking children. It will continue until the administration takes stern action against the culprits, CPI(M) central committee member Shyamal Chakraborty said. On Tuesday, leader of the opposition and CPI(M) leader Suryakanta Mishra expressed his concern over the rising number of attacks on children. Nothing can be more brutal, he said when asked about the phenomenon of children being targeted in the election season. All sections of the society need to strongly protest to stop this phenomenon immediately, said Dilip Ghosh, the state BJP president. The brutality reached its nadir on April 26 in Hariharpur of North 24-Parganas, a day after the polls in the district. A nine-year-old boy was beaten up by ruling party supporters after he made a kite out of a poster of the Trinamool Congress. According to the police complaint, the child was gagged, thrashed and dumped in a bush with his limbs tied up with ropes. The boy alleged in front of TV cameras later that before beating him up, the toughs called him the son of a CPM supporter. The latest incident happened at Ramchandrapur in Bishnupur area if South 24-Parganas on May 2. A four-year-old girl was beaten up along with his grandfather at their home in broad daylight. I always condemn attacks on children but let me tell you that the incident in Bishnupur was a family feud and not related to politics at all, Sovan Chatterjee told HT. It is a dangerous trend. Out of sheer frustration, these Trinamool-backed hooligans are wreaking havoc. Until the people and all political parties unite to protest against it, it will be continue, said Rahul Sinha, BJPs national secretary. Full coverage: Bengal elections Among the various agendas of political parties this poll season, environmental issues seem right at the bottom. Or what else can explain the reluctance on their part in implementing the suggestions of two expert committees on protecting the fragile ecology of the Western Ghats. The ghats should be of prime concern as they play an important role in breaking rain clouds over the state but the fear of losing votes has ensured that the two key players Congress-led UDF and CPI (M)-backed LDF have just skimmed over the issue in their manifestoes. Implementation of the suggestions has become all the more challenging in Wayanad and Idukki districts, where churches have taken up the cudgels for the reluctant villagers. A few years back, following mounting concern that the ecology of the Western Ghats, a UNESCO heritage site, was under serious threat due to human interference, the union government had set up an expert panel under ecologist Madhav Gadgil. In 2011, the panel recommended that 63% of land be declared ecologically fragile. Following opposition, a working group was constituted under former ISRO chief Dr Kasturirangan, which made some changes in the zonal classification and reduced the fragile area to 37%. Still, villagers remained hesitant as ever fearing that they would be dislocated and their livelihood stolen. Palaniappan, a farmer, said, They have to shoot us before acquiring our habitat. Activists said parties have played a key role in stoking the fear. Parties are exploiting the sentiments of poor people rather than discussing these reports for their good, said N Badusha, environmental activist from Wayanad. We fully support conservation but it should be done with a humane touch, said chief minister Oommen Chandy, adding that the state would oppose mass-evacuation of people from fringe areas of the forest. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON COOCH BEHAR If public speeches are any indicator, Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee is confident her party has achieved the numbers for a second term after five rounds of this April-May assembly poll. All she needs is 148 lawmakers, the simple majority mark in the 294-member West Bengal assembly. But she is not taking the final round in East Midnapore and Cooch Behar on May 5 lightly. Going by the vote share in the 2011 assembly and 2014 Lok Sabha polls, Bengals ruling party has much to fear from the historic union of traditional rivals Congress and Left to fight a common enemy, Trinamool, this election. This means clubbing of opposition votes. In 2011, Trinamool got 39.08% votes, while Congresss 8.91% and the Lefts 41.05%; together the latter two accounted for 49.06%. In 2014, Left votes eroded but the two still managed 39.30%. In comparison, Banerjees party almost retained its share 39.02%. If the BJP loses some of its 2014 votes, a historic high of 16.8%, to the Left, Banerjee will have trouble retaining her throne. Cooch Behar has only nine assembly seats but Banerjee spent two days in the small district where improving the 2011 tally is a target of both camps. Of the 25 seats going to the polls on Thursday, Trinamool has 16 of 16 in East Midnapore and four of Cooch Behars nine. The opposition alliance hopes to bag at least 10 of these. East Midnapore poses toughest challenge for Left-Congress alliance. Contesting from Nandigram, TMCs Suvendu Adhikary is a high-profile candidate. In Cooch Behar, the contest appears evenly balanced. Going by the trend of the 2014 general election, Trinamool is comfortably ahead of the Left-Congress alliance in four seats but the rival alliance is well-placed in rest. Dinhata and Cooch Behar South seats may be too close to call. Dinhata not only has the highest number of erstwhile enclave-dwellers but also has Udayan Guha, the Forward Bloc heavyweight who switched over to Trinamool about a year ago. The fight is now between him and former comrade Akshay Thakur, the Forward Bloc candidate. In 2011, people elected Guha as a Forward Bloc candidate. He betrayed the voters and the party. He will surely be taught a lesson, Thakur said. In Cooch Behar South, Trinamool bagged 61,000 votes in 2014 while the Congress and Left together got 60,000. The BJP polled 29,000 votes. The number of votes going to BJP may seal the fate of the candidates this time around. How did cops manage to keep goons away from the booths on polling day in North Kolkata? How did the men and women in uniform measure up to the challenge of holding free and fair polls in South Kolkata? Heres how. Two days before voting in North Kolkata, Mehfuz, a known gangster from Taltolla area, received a call from the Anti-Rowdy Section (ARS) of Kolkata Police. The cops told him that he should immediately proceed on a vacation outside the city limits or else...A veteran who has managed many an election before, Mehfuz packed his bags and headed for cooler climate. His is not an isolated case. Two days before South Kolkata went to polls on April 30, Nanti, a known name in the citys underworld, was asked to leave Kolkata forthwith or risk arrest. Like his colleague from the north, he left for Digha. Many of them have chosen the police directive to pay a visit to well-known tourist deatinations like the Ajmer Sharif Dargah in Rajasthan, Gujarat, Odisha or even Darjeeling and Mandarmoni. And they have left in droves -- from Rajarhat to Behala, from Metiabruz to Burrabazar. Those who dared the police, like Sheikh Vinod, had to cool their heels in jail. Full coverage: Bengal elections Two days before polling in Kolkata, I was called to Lalbazar. There were many people like me at that meeting. A police officer told us that we had two options: one to leave the city immediately and two, spend some time in jail, a notorious criminal from Behala who did not wish to be identified told HT. I left for Digha with my wife. Only after polling was over in my area did I return to Kolkata. Many of my friends are still vacationing, he added. Yes, this plan was okayed by our seniors. We had to keep troublemakers away from the booths, said a senior ARS officer. The plan was a great hit. On April 21 and April 30, when North and South Kolkata went to polls, the hoodlums were nowhere to be seen. Voters queued to before polling booths in large numbers to cast their franchise. The sounds of bombs and bullets were absent. The plan was unofficial but effective. Who wants to be behind bars? If you dont listen to ARS officers they will make life hell for you. They will dig out old cases and slap new ones on us. So we obliged, said a tough from North Kolkata. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON As summers have started settling in, Bollywood celebrities have chosen their holiday destinations and flown out of the country. While some of them have resumed worked, some have just left the country for some leisure time with their families. Akshay Kumar and Twinkle Khanna Actor Akshay Kumar and his wife Twinkle Khanna have gone to an undisclosed location but are giving their fans a sneak peek into their holiday. Akshay posted a picture with his wife on Twitter and Instagram and captioned it :The perfect getaway from the Mumbai heat,chilling quite literally with my partner in crime #vacaymode #holidayvibes. Meanwhile Twinkle too shared a picture of their holiday home and wrote, Walk into a lovely hotel room and it contains a pile of books by your favourite author #Wodehouse #luckybookworm. The perfect getaway from the Mumbai heat, chilling quite literally with my partner in crime :) #vacaymode #holidayvibes A photo posted by Akshay Kumar (@akshaykumar) on May 1, 2016 at 10:36pm PDT Shahid Kapoor and Mira Rajput Actor Shahid Kapoor has found a perfect getaway with his wife Mira Rajput . The couple, which is also expecting its first child, is spending quality time in Amalfi in Italy. Shahid even posted a video of the two enjoying a speedboat ride. Earlier, he uploaded a picture of the couple and captioned it: Drive time with Mrs Kapoor. #holidayvibes. Actor Shahid Kapoor with wife Mira Rajput. (Instagram) Sonam Kapoor Actor Sonam Kapoor was having the time of her life with her family in Austria recently. Although she is now back to work, the actor shared some interesting pictures from her vacation. One of them was of her father, actor Anil Kapoor walking through the busy streets of Salzburg. #photography #salzburg #myhero #daddy #anilskapoor #holidaymode #family, she wrote on Twitter, along with the picture Actor Sonam Kapoor uploaded a picture of her father, actor Anil Kapoor on Instagram (Instagram) Sonakshi Sinha Actor Sonakshi Sinha recently went to Sri Lanka and uploaded some enviable posts on her social media accounts. The actor seemed to have indulged in holiday mode and looked super fresh. She captioned one of her pictures as, #crazyhairdontcare #afro #SriLanka #Colombo #Sonastravels. Actor Sonakshi Sinha in Sri Lanka. (Instagram) Kareena Kapoor Khan Actors Kareena Kapoor Khan recently took some time off her busy schedule and headed out with husband Saif Ali Khan and sister Karisma Kapoor. The trio went off to Bangkok for a quick vacation. While the sisters returned to Mumbai, Saif took off to an undisclosed location for an ad shoot. . Actor Kareena Kapoor Khan vacationed in Bangkok along with husband Saif Ali Khan and sister Karisma Kapoor. (Manoj Verma/ht) Read: From Ranveer to Ranbir, Bollywood is on vacation Follow @htshowbiz for more. News / Africa by Staff reporter Chirumhanzu-Zibagwe member of the National Assembly Auxilia Mnangagwa has been appointed chairperson of the Southern Region Caucus at the ongoing 2nd Ordinary Session of the 4th Pan African Parliament (PAP).Mnangagwa takes over from Zambia's Professor Geoffrey Lungwangwa as his country prepares for its own elections.The Southern African Regional Caucus comprises countries in the SADC region.Issues that have continued to dominate debate at the session include human and women rights, ratification of the revised PAP Protocol and the quest to create a self sustaining budget for the PAP.Earlier on this Wednesday morning, PAP president Hon. Roger Nkodo Dang presented his report on the state of the PAP covering the period from October 2005 to May 2016.The PAP president applauded the oneness that has seen African legislators move together."My gratitude also goes to all parliamentarians of the Pan African Parliament who through their activities at the Plenary within Permanent Committees or by representing the Pan African Parliament has enabled our assembly to rise from its ashes," said Mr Dang.The Pan African Parliament, an organ of the African Union, is still grappling with the challenge of ratifying it's revised protocol.According to President Dang's report, since its adoption by the Conference of Heads of States in June 2014, in Malabo Equatorial Guinea, the protocol has been signed, ratified and deposited by a single member state. Actor Ali Zafar has gone back to Pakistan having wrapped up yet another film in India, which was being shot in Goa. I am very excited about the film, but I cant talk much about it. In due time, the makers will make an announcement, says Zafar, who started his Bollywood career with Tere Bin Laden in 2010. Back then, he was probably the first Pakistani artist to have played a lead in a Hindi film. However, many actors from Pakistan have played meaty roles since, including actors Fawad Khan, and Imran Abbas. Ali is hopeful that more collaborations will happen between the two countries. (Sanjay Solanki) Yes, I take great privilege in the fact that back in the day when I came here to shoot Tere Bin Laden in 2008, there was no real exchange happening between Pakistan and India, there was no real concept of having a Pakistani as a lead in an Indian film. Things changed as Laden happened, and the credit goes to the producer and the director also. The film did well critically and commercially, too, he says. Since then, I have done about six film half did well, half didnt, which is not a bad score at all. Now, I am doing another film and will continue to do films. At the same time, I am doing films in Pakistan also, adds the Kill Dil actor. Read: Educating girls can make the world a better place: Ali Zafar He is hopeful that more collaborations will happen between the two countries, In future, there will be a lot of collaboration between India and Pakistan cinema, artist exchange between the two countries is bound to increase. In fact, its great to see international collaborations. Nowadays, a lot of this is happening, like Deepika Padukone and Priyanka Chopra are doing cross-over projects. The world is becoming more compact and more global, so a lot more exchange between artists is happening. It is tremendous and fantastic, Id love to be part of that process too be it music or acting. Follow @htshowbiz for more. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Bollywood star Kangana Ranauts mother today came out in support of her actress daughter, saying the controversy surrounding her alleged relationship with actor Hrithik Roshan is nonsense. Asha Ranaut today turned up at the 63rd National Awards to cheer for her daughter, who was honoured with the best actress recognition for her dual role in Tanu Weds Manu Returns. Read: I dont find it humiliating when they call me a psychopath, says Kangana Asha said amid Kanganas personal turmoil, her rise in Bollywood is remarkable. I am proud of her and her achievements. I am very happy that she is at the peak of her career and has got till here only with her hard work. The whole controversy is nonsense. We wouldnt want to comment on it. Our lawyers will only talk about it. She is coming out stronger in these testing times, Asha said. Kangana Ranaut with her parents and younger brother. Also present at the awards were Kanganas father, sister and brother. The 29-year-old stars father Amardeep Ranaut said it was a proud moment to see his daughter receive her third National Award from President Pranab Mukherjee here. ... I am very happy. I am a proud father and it is a matter of great pride, he said. Read: Kangana Ranaut is a witch and must be burnt at the stake? The actress stood out in an off-shoulder shimmery dust blue gown. She teamed her gown with a classic bob, which is similar to the look that she will be seen sporting in her upcoming film, Rangoon. Unlike the traditional attire opted by Indian celebrities for such events, Kangana usually goes for international designers. She had opted for a dust pink gown by India-born designer Bibhu Mohapatra in the 2014 National Awards where she was honoured for her role in Queen. Her first National Award was in the best supporting actress category for Fashion. As she arrived, Kangana greeted Amitabh Bachchan, who was seated next to her and later met his family. Bachchan won the best actor honour, his fourth National Award, for his role in Piku. The ceremony was a welcome respite for the actress, who is engaged in a bitter fight with her Kites co-star Hrithik Roshan. Both the stars have slapped legal notices on each other besides engaging in a public row. Hrithik says he never had a relationship with Kangana after she referred to him as a silly ex in an interview. The actor claims that the actress was corresponding with his imposter. Kangana, however, maintains they had a relationship while accusing the actor of engaging in slut-shaming by releasing her private emails to him. The author of a best-selling book about his father and other men who raised a US flag at Iwo Jima during World War II said on Tuesday he no longer believes his father was in an iconic photograph of the event. James Bradley, who wrote the book Flags of Our Fathers, said in a telephone interview that questions raised about the photo by two amateur historians, which has prompted a Marine Corps investigation, led him to think back on comments his father made about the 1945 flag-raising. Those comments by John Bradley, who died in 1994, now lead James Bradley to believe his father participated in an earlier flag-raising, and not the one captured in the famous picture. Read: Umberto Eco, author of The Name of the Rose, dead at 84 My father raised a flag on Iwo Jima, Bradley told The Associated Press. The Marines told him way after the fact, Heres a picture of you raising the flag. He had a memory of him raising a flag, and the two events came together. AP photographer Joe Rosenthal shot the photo on Feb. 23, 1945, on Mount Suribachi, only days into a bloody battle with the Japanese that would stretch on for weeks. The picture was displayed on front pages of newspapers across the US, later was used in a war bond sale and was depicted in the Marine Corps War Memorial in Arlington, Virginia. Since 1947, the Marines have identified the Iwo Jima flag-raisers as John Bradley, Rene Gagnon, Ira Hayes, Harlon Block, Michael Strank and Franklin Sousley. All were Marines except Bradley, who was a Navy corpsman. On Monday, the Marine Corps announced it had begun investigating whether it mistakenly identified one of the men after history buffs Eric Krelle, of Omaha, Nebraska, and Stephen Foley, of Wexford, Ireland, began raising doubts about the matter. They argued that the man believed to be Bradley actually was Sousley, and that the person for decades thought to be Sousley was Harold Henry Schultz, who previously wasnt thought to have any connection to the flag-raising. Read: Two book lovers took a mobile library across India All of those involved in the flag-raising have died, including three who were killed in later fighting at Iwo Jima. Bradley, whose book was made into a movie directed by Clint Eastwood, said misidentifying the men who joined in the second flag-raising would be an easy mistake. The key is, no one was keeping track, he said. There was the fog of war, post-traumatic stress. Bradley said after reviewing his fathers statements and photographs from that day on Mount Suribachi, hes confident his father wasnt in the famous picture, but its impossible to be 100% certain. I know what these guys look like. Ive studied them for years, he said. But I could be wrong. Follow @htlifeandstyle for more. The Supreme Court on Wednesday told the tobacco industry to adhere to rules requiring stringent health warnings on cigarette packs, but ordered a state high court to hear all pleas challenging the same. The tobacco industry should not violate any rule prevailing as of today, the two-judge bench said, and added that the Karnataka high court should hear all pleas challenging the new rules. Last month, the tobacco companies, some backed by foreign Big Tobacco, shut down production in protest against requirements that 85% of a cigarette packs surface be covered in health warnings, up from 20%. The tobacco industry has taken the government to court, saying the rules are impractical and will boost smuggling of imported cigarettes. The government backs the stringent rules to cut tobacco consumption. The government has been progressively increasing taxes on cigarettes and other tobacco products aimed at making this costlier and wean people away from the harmful products. A new rule, under which all tobacco manufactured products are required to carry larger pictorial health warnings covering 85% of the packaging space, kicked in from April 1. The move triggered howls of protest from the industry with tobacco companies arguing the rule will encourage illicit trade. Existing pictorial warnings at 40% of the front of the pack are adequate to warn and caution consumers, companies said. According to WHO estimates, nearly a million people die in India annually due to tobacco. The economic burden attributable every year to tobacco-related diseases is about Rs 1,04,500 crore, about 75% of Indias food subsidy budget. India is ranked 136 of 198 countries according to the international status report on Cigarette Package Health Warnings, 2014 and countries ranked after 143 do not display pictorial health warnings at all. Smoking kills more than 1 million people a year in India, according to BMJ Global Health. The World Health Organisation says tobacco-related diseases cost India $16 billion annually. MumbaI: In a retort to Vijay Mallyas interview on his willingness to settle loan dues with banks, State Bank of India chairman Arundhati Bhattacharya has said she wants to see actual cash. The willingness seems to be there, we will have to test that out. I want to see actual cash... I dont want to see ifs and buts, the SBI chief said in an interview to NDTV Profit on the sidelines of the ADB conference in Frankfurt. Last week in an interview to The Financial Times, Mallya said he made a very serious offer to banks, but it was rejected. To this, Bhattacharya said: We did not have a proper understanding of the paying capacity. Unless and until we know the assets of the person how are we to realise the paying capacity? That is what weve been asking for time and again, ultimately the highest court in the land did give it to us. SBI is the lead lender of the 17-bank consortium, which had lent `9,000 crore to Mallyas Kingfisher Airlines. Mallya has, however, called the `9,000-crore figure a creation of the media. Bhattacharya said the principal amount he owes is around `5,000 crore, but the final amount keeps changing because once you take a loan, the interest metre doesnt stop ticking. The interest gets compounded every quarter. Banks, she said, will arrive at a one-time-settlement after assessing the paying power and the value of the loan. The bank takes a call as to this is the maximum amount one can get. We also try to do what is a net present value to see whether it is a fair deal. Recent auctions of Kingfisher headquarters in Mumbai and Kingfisher brands and trademarks have failed to attract any bidders. Talks with Mallya are ongoing and banks want to settle in any which way possible. The fact of the matter is we need to settle it, we do realise that. It is part of any cycle, exceptions are not being made only for one person or for big industry or small industry it is there across the board, we do it for everybody, she said. Bhattacharya also pointed out that there is a larger impact of the Mallya case, with a material change seen in the attitude of promoters. They know, today for instance, were very serious about ensuring that money is recovered, we are serious about ensuring that if we give money, the business has to be able to sustain it. If there is a problem, they need to come to us at the first instance, instead of trying to do all sort of things with which they only dig a deeper hole. Pune-based entrepreneur Shrikant Kunden has filed a complaint with Pune Police claiming that his Digital Location System a technology that provides an unique digital identity to geographic addresses has been stolen and used by Hyderbad-based start up Zippr. Kunden has in his complaint also included Indian Angel Network (IAN) whose members invested Rs 6 crore and the former member Gagan Aggarwal, who is alleged to have passed on confidential information and trade secrets to Zippr. An IAN spokesperson and Zippr founder Aditya Vuchi have dismissed the claims as frivolous and factually incorrect and in a joint email statement said that they intend to pursue the matter seriously and take necessary legal action. Kunden told HT that his Digital Location System or DLS dates back to 2012 when it was submitted for an innovation challenge hosted by the Government of Indias Department of Science and Technology and Confederation of Indian Industry, a programme sponsored by IAN. He further said that after winning the fourth place in the competition which included a cash prize of Rs 25,000, a former member of IAN approached him for possible seed investment by the networks members. This did not fructify and the matter was dropped by both parties. Last year I came to know about Zippr and technology they are using that seemed very similar to my invention and also learnt that IAN members had invested in the company. I had sought clarification and after two extensions of 4 weeks each was told there was no infringement of any IPR (intellectual property rights), said Kunden. His main bone of contention is the timeline over which the alleged theft of his idea is supposed to have taken place. He said former IAN member Gagan Aggarwal who had first initiated the investment discussion with him had left the network in September 2013, just five months after Zippr was formed. After not receiving a satisfactory response from IAN or Zippr, Kunden registered a complaint with Pune Police under the Indian Penal Code. He said the charges are now being investigated by the police. In the joint statement IAN and Zippr said, IAN and Zippr, absolutely refute these allegations which are factually incorrect and completely baseless. Zippr has built its proprietary location encoding technology independently to solve the core address infrastructure challenges of the country. Zippr has never spoken to the company in question or its representatives and nor was aware of their work until we received a clarification request from them in June 2015. The lawyer evaluated the case and found it factually incorrect. Kunden said he had filed for patentway back in 2012 which is yet to be granted. Zipprs Vuchi said he is yet to file for patent for what he claims is his invention. Filing for patent and granting one are completely different things, he told HT. He also said that providing a digital code for an address based on latitude and longitude is a very old technology in itself. What makes Zipprs invention unique is that it provides a unique digital address for each location within the same postal address (for example a particular house in an apartment complex). Padmaja Ruparel, President of IAN said as a policy the entrepreneurs are specifically advised not to share specific details of their technology including the coding and algorithm when investment proposals are in the discussion stage. Apprehending a loss of $1 billion in three weeks if the ban on diesel cabs in Delhi-NCR continues, business process management firms will move the Supreme Court seeking relief. There will be a potential $ billion loss to the business process management (BPM) sector if the ban on diesel cabs continues for 2-3 weeks, PTI quoted Sangeeta Gupta, senior vice-president of Nasscom, as saying in New Delhi. Nasscom is the apex IT industry body. On an average 65% employees reside in Delhi and work in Gurgaon and Noida round-the-clock. The firms cannot risk the safety of the employees, specially the 38% women staffers. The court should at least exempt cabs attached to private firms at night as in the day the people can still use public transport, Gupta said. Industry representatives from over 150 firms in NCR will ask the Delhi and Haryana governments and the Supreme Court to defer the deadline for phasing out diesel cabs. They want exemption for employees picked and dropped during night shifts and permits for cabs of IT industry to avoid challans. We support the Supreme Court for taking steps to reduce pollution. But banning diesel-run cabs is unfair without strengthening public transport and providing adequate number of CNG filling stations. The ban is adversely affecting the employees, specially people working in night shifts and women, said Raman Roy, vice-chairman Nasscom and MD, Quatrro. Also read: Odd-even is not a remedy, will ramp up public transport: Kejriwal The Supreme Court on April 30 had refused to extend the deadline for converting all diesel-run cabs in Delhi-NCR to CNG. Since most of the cabs were yet to switch over to CNG, the ban has led to an acute shortage of vehicles, hitting industry that provides pick or drop facilities to its employees. To cope with the contingency, the firms are taking a number of steps including providing pick and drop facility to only women staff, guest house accommodation, travel reimbursements and even spreading mattresses on the office floor. But officials said these cannot be done permanently and the government must ensure smooth conversion of diesel-run vehicles to CNG. As an industry, we are perhaps the cleanest, least polluting and most compliant. If the appropriate infrastructure such as enough CNG stations and factory-fitted CNG vehicles are made, we can switch over quickly, said Vidya Srinivasan, senior vice-president, Genpact. The option of CNG-run shuttle buses does not guarantee a doorstep drop for employees. This is against the Shops and Establishment Act, which mandates a pick up and drop for employees working in night shift. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Delhi Police arrested three suspected operatives of the Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terror group and recovered explosives after a six-month covert operation on Wednesday, possibly thwarting a series of planned blasts in the Capital. Special commissioner of police (Special Cell) Arvind Deep told HT the three men Sajid, Sameer and Shakir Ansari were making improvised explosive devices (IED) to strike markets and crowded places in the city. The trio was arrested during late-night raids in Delhi and Uttar Pradesh after a police informer managed to infiltrate the group. Police said the alleged mastermind, Sajid, was in touch with JeM leader Tallah, who says he is the brother of the terror outfits founder, Masood Azhar. His associate Shakir a resident of Deoband in Uttar Pradesh was planning to go to Pakistan for militant training, police said. The trio also radicalised nine men, who are under the police scanner. The recovered IEDs were to be used for carrying out explosions at sensitive locations of Delhi NCR. They have disclosed several backward and forward linkages which are being worked upon, an official said. Police described the trio who were sent to 10 days police custody as self-radicalised. The arrests come four months after six suspected JeM militants entered the Pathankot air base and killed seven soldiers in a bloody gun battle. Bilateral relations between India and Pakistan plummeted after the attack as New Delhi demanded action against the the outfit. India attempted to get Azhar the alleged mastermind of the Pathankot attacks sanctioned at the United Nations last month but the move was blocked by China, triggering tensions between the two nations. Police said the group used to meet at Sajids house in northeast Delhi for at least two years and watched jihadi videos and Azhars speeches on social media. They also interacted with members of pro-jihadi pages on Facebook and got in touch with Tallah through the social media website. They later exchanged numbers and regularly used Whatsapp to communicate, police added. Police said they recovered from Sajids house an IED, a damaged IED and raw materials -- three case iron pipes, two timer clocks, 11 batteries, M-seal adhesive and black explosives. They also found a dummy IED that was used for training and demonstration purposes by the accused. But the suspected militants sister Mehsabi told HT the material in the basement was machine oil, carbon and iron bolts used in sewing machines. They were no chemicals or explosives. We always kept the basement open and even the kids used to go there. Why would we allow kids entry into the basement if we were assembling bombs here, she said. Investigators are probing if Tallahs is Azhars brother, sources said. Sources said a police informer managed to enter Sajids module and was present in all their meetings. We were monitoring them since December. We knew about their meeting at Sajids Chand bagh house. After March 2016, some of them started taking sudden and quiet journeys beyond the national capital region. There were late night meetings held and some members were spending more time at certain markets which raised suspicion, said Deep. On Monday night, Sajid burnt the palm of his left hand while preparing an IED, prompting the police to raid the premises and arrest the trio. Police arrested Sajid from Chand Bagh, Sameer Ahmad from Loni in Ghaziabad, and Shakir Ansari from UPs Deoband. One of the most notorious militant groups in the regions, the JeM carried out the 2001 Parliament attack that left eight people dead. Its leader Azhar is among Indias most wanted criminals and works as JeMs chief financer, recruiter and motivator, according to dossiers submitted by India to the UN. Twelve men, allegedly members of the terror organisation Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM), were detained by the Delhi Police Special Cell following raids across Delhi and Uttar Pradesh in the last few days. Three of the suspects are likely to be arrested. In what police are calling a major breakthrough, the suspects were picked up from Inderpuri, Bhajanpura and Chand Bagh in Delhi and from Deoband in Uttar Pradesh. According to sources, they were found in possession of explosives. Sources in the Delhi Police said the men were being interrogated at the Special Cell office at Lodhi Colony while raiding operations are still being conducted in western Uttar Pradesh. Two of the suspects have been identified as Mazahir and Tahir. The Delhi Police have been receiving inputs of a possible terror attack in Delhi following the Pathankot attack in January. India blames the JeM for the brazen ambush of the air force base at Pathankot that left seven security personnel dead. A Pakistan joint investigation team recently visited India to gather evidence regarding the attack. The Delhi government sacked a government schools vice-principal on Wednesday on charges of indiscipline. The action against the vice-principal of Mandawali Government School was taken following a surprise visit by the deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia. Sisodia said that he found three teachers, despite being absent at 8.15am, were marked present in the register. The principal of the school has also been given a show cause notice. Hav ordered termination of vice-principal of Mandawali Govt School as an indisciplinary action (sic). In a surprise visit, I found 3 teachrs were absent but were shown present in the data base at 8.15 AM. Have given show cause notice to Principal (sic), Sisodia said in a series of tweets. News / Education by Staff Reporter Pupils at Sinoia Primary School recite the national pledge at their morning assembly during the opening of school today. New Delhi Hundreds of civil defence volunteers, accompanied by Delhi traffic police personnel and Delhi government officials, gathered at Chhatrasal Stadium on Wednesday for the governments thanksgiving ceremony for the success of the odd-even restriction in the city. Volunteers, whom chief minister Arvind Kejriwal and Delhi transport minister Gopal Rai thanked for the success of odd-even, started coming in the afternoon itself. Many made their way to the venue directly from their offices. We worked really hard for 15 days. It was very hot but I turned up for my duty every single day. It is good the government acknowledges our efforts, said Parnimder Kaur, a volunteer. Kejriwal thanked traffic police personnel and said the restriction would not have been successful without their support. Transport minister Gopal Rai said that the volunteers, officers and people of Delhi had made the scheme successful despite the heat, conspiracies and other problems. No black at venue Some volunteers, however, expressed anger as they were not allowed to enter the venue because they were wearing black clothes. Many who turned up in black clothes, even a black shirt, were not allowed to enter the stadium. Those who reached well before 6pm were given entry. Announcements were made at the gate that anyone wearing black will not be allowed at the venue. I am carrying my identity card but I was not allowed to enter. I reported on duty every single day during odd-even part 2. This is not fair, said Anju Sharma, who was wearing a black suit. According to the coordinators who were staffing the entry gates, the orders came from the Delhi Police. We have been told that people could use black clothes to wave as flags at the venue and that we shouldnt allow them in, said a volunteer who did not want to be named. Some volunteers, however, said they had been asked to wear either their uniforms or white clothes if they wanted to attend the ceremony. Many, however, were allowed to enter even if they did not abide by the guideline. A woman had thrown ink at Kejriwal at the thanksgiving ceremony held in January, after the first phase of the scheme. Security this time was tighter and only people with identity cards were allowed to enter. Sajid, the alleged kingpin of the group picked up for alleged Jaish links, learned to make bombs on YouTube, the police said. The police had picked up 12 youth, who are believed to be heavily influenced by the Pakistan-based terror outfit Jaish-e-Mohammad, in raids at UP and Delhi. Three of them who were arrested from Delhi -- Sajid, Sameer and Shakir -- were indoctrinated by Jaish videos and wanted to fight for the terror group, the police claimed on Wednesday. Police sources said the activities of the group were being monitored for the past six months after Sajid and Shakir made a phone call to Pakistan. Sources said Sajid started with liking Facebook posts related to Jaish and posting comments on similar websites. It is not clear whether Jaish-e-Mohammad has a Facebook account or not. After allegedly following the members of communities related to terrorism and websites that have such content, Sajid got a contact number and was told to contact JeM founder Maulana Masood Azhars brother Talha. Talha could be anyone...he might be an ISI agent. Talha guided Sajid. One of Masood Azhars brothers operates by the name of Talha. The man told him to gather youths and prepare improvised explosive devices (IEDs), said an official. Sajid, who lives in northeast Delhis Bhajanpura area, also allegedly got instructions on WhatsApp. He downloaded videos related to Jaish-e-Mohammad and searched YouTube for tips to make IEDs, police sources said. Over the past few months, Sajid and Shakir mastered making explosives and prepared one complete IED, they said. Another device that police recovered was damaged. It was claimed that Sajid had burnt his hand while making it. One of our informers knew about their movements and was privy to meetings held at Sajids house. I cannot say if he or she had infiltrated Sajids group. They had not targeted any specific shopping mall or received any order to blow up a certain place but were getting violent and gearing up to use the IEDs they had prepared. They had to be arrested, said a senior officer. Sources said police have Facebook and WhatsApp chats as evidence. The explosives recovered have been sent to the CBIs forensic laboratory. They were self radicalised. They did not use sophisticated devices or code names to contact Talha.They used forwarded videos and those uploaded on YouTube to get motivated for jihad, the officer said. Sources said the other nine accused had pledged allegiance to JeM but the police do not have evidence against them. Their financial records are also being checked. Prima facie, it looks like they were collecting money and funding their own expenses but it is too early to say anything conclusive, the officer said. The promoter of the Adarsh Housing Society, the late Kanhaiyyalal Gidwani, was a party hopper, politically and literally. On many a New Year eve, I saw him going from one five-star hotel to another and probably a third. Simultaneously, he moved from one faction to another in the Congress and then from the Congress to the Shiv Sena, then back to the Congress then again to the Shiv Sena before ending his days with the Congress. When I asked him about this, he said, The Shiv Sena needs people like me. It has limited human resources. There are too many of my kind in the Congress. I am not likely to get anything from this party. He was wrong. He got much from the Congress, even if not electorally. Without the Congress, Gidwani would not have been able to fulfil his dream of a posh address in South Bombay. I recall he used to have a permanent room booked at the Ritz Hotel, where he wined and dined with the media and also used to make and break fortunes at elections to the legislative council. He once unsuccessfully got after me to persuade my aged, widowed aunt to sell him her prime flat in Churchgate because he was embarrassed having to live in his own apartment at Worli, where all former ministers and MLAs resided. He wanted proximity to the ministers bungalows opposite Mantralaya. In a few years he got it--from the Congress, and in such a cynical show of power play and greed that the Adarsh Society kept adding floors to accommodate every official who sanctioned violations of the law in return for an apartment in the building. Now with the Bombay High Court ordering the demolition of the building, in which politicians, including those of the ruling BJP, have more than one apartment, I feel sorry for the army widows in whose name the house was built. Many owners of the apartments are politicians and businessmen, but there are a few army veterans who have sunk all their savings in it and they are the ones who are most likely to suffer. There have been precedents to this. I remember the court had given orders for demolishing the top floors of the Pratibha Building, which was constructed in violation of the Floor Space Index regulations. The Campa Cola Society is facing a similar issue. The Bombay High Court has given 12 weeks for appeal against its order. But I believe the society could be turned into a transit accommodation for the army personnel or a hostel for army widows who have nowhere else to go. On the flip side, most of the apartment owners are resource-rich politicians, bureaucrats and businessmen and there could be great justice served if they are made to part with their apartments with no compensation at all - though how much that will affect their overall finances one does not know. More likely, very little. Because Gidwani, who was sent to jail for a period of time after the scam broke, succumbed to the shock early in the scandal, it is difficult to speak of his cynicism and greed that corrupted even clerks and IAS officers as well as ministers and chief ministers into violating the laws with impunity. Former chief minister Ashok Chavan, who, as revenue minister, formulated a 40-60 allocation of houses in the building between the government and the army, is the most visible victim who didnt gain anything at all--his relatives, army veterans themselves, returned the apartments soon after the scam broke. But that is only appropriate. There must be equal justice for all. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Less than ten days after it was announced, Syrias ceasefire has started coming apart. The main culprit is the Damascus regime of Bashar al-Assad, which used the cessation of fighting to renew an assault on the rebel-held city of Aleppo. The international community has responded by calling on Russia, along with Iran it is the main international supporter of the Assad government, to pressure Damascus to rein in its aerial assault on the city. There is little evidence that Russia is doing so and it is doubtful Assad would have renewed fighting without informing his ally. This should not be a surprise. Ceasefires work when the main antagonists in a conflict come to believe there is no more benefit to be extracted on the battlefield. The Assad regime does not believe that to be the case. Since Russias intervention, the battlefield momentum has swung back in Assads favour. Though Russia seems to have responded angrily when the Syrian leader spoke of reconquering his country, he continues to speak of leading whatever political dispensation arises after the war. Read | Fresh airstrikes in Aleppo as US makes desperate bid to save ceasefire He clearly hopes to recapture Aleppo, the countrys largest city, and destroy the last major centre of Syrian rebels who are not affiliated to either the Islamic State or Al Qaeda. Strategically, the fall of Aleppo would be a windfall for Assad. Western governments would no longer have a viable rebel group to support as the remaining rebel groups would be too radical. This would also force Sunni Muslim states like Turkey and Saudi Arabia to realign in favour of Jabhat al Nusra and similar jihadi rebel groups and effectively isolating the rebellion from the international community. Assad, despite the fact he is despised by the Sunni majority of his country, would thus emerge the only palatable ruler of Syria. Read | Chemical weapons watchdog warns of new threats from extremists All this indicates that the ceasefire no longer has any real basis in the power situation on the ground. The battle for Aleppo is likely to be a long, grinding struggle. Depending on whether it ends in a regime victory or another bloody draw, it could prove the basis for a more realistic peace process later. But if the recent decision by Turkish courts to release jailed Islamic State commanders is a sign, the regional Sunni nations are shoring up their jihadi allies in preparation. Syrias civil war never really had a ceasefire, just a short intermission before the next episode in its bloody tragedy has begun. Union minister of state for defence Rao Inderjit Singh on Wednesday met Union road transport and highways minister Nitin Gadkari to discuss the removal of Kherki Daula toll plaza. Singh, who is also the member of parliament (MP) from Gurgaon, reminded Gadkari of his July 2014 promise to the people about getting the toll plaza removed . You may like to recall your visit to NH-8 (Delhi-Gurgaon-Jaipur-Expressway) with officials of the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) in July 2014 when you promised to remove the Kherki Daula toll plaza. I again request its removal at the earliest in public interest, Singh told Gadkari in a letter that he handed over to him during the meeting on Wednesday. Hindustan Times has been carrying a campaign, Taking a Toll, to generate public opinion for the removal or shifting of Kherki Daula toll plaza. Rao Inderjit Singh has repeatedly raised the issue of snarls on the expressway and the lack of road infrastructure in his constituency. He has maintained that the Kherki Daula toll plaza is a bottleneck for commuters and a major drag on the industries in Manesar and Bawal. He also expressed concern over the lack of provisions for flyovers, elevated roads and facilities for pedestrians on the Gurgaon-Jaipur expressway. He urged the minister to get the work on the under-construction flyover near IMT Manesar completed soon and the work on the proposed flyover at Manesar started at the earliest. The MP also raised the issue of regular traffic jams during peak hours on the Gurgaon-Delhi Expressway and asked Gadkari to direct the NHAI officials to find a solution. He also mentioned the dire need for underpasses at Narsinghpur, Rathiwas, Kharkara, Khijuri, Salawas and Jaisingpur Khera villages. I request that the NHAI officials be directed to execute these works at the earliest, Singh said in the letter said. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON In a sleek, luxurious Manhattan hotel room, Tilda Swinton stands and announces that shes bound to break something. If not you then me, she says cheerfully. That the stark interior would, in even a brief stay, be in jeopardy from Swinton shouldnt be surprising. Few confines have ever been able to hold the shape-shifting, convention-bursting actress. But to say shes a chameleon doesnt quite do justice to Swintons myriad transformations: flickers of flesh that bend with the light or mood, alternatively illuminating her and retreating behind masks. She plays people perpetually in flux. Even Tilda Swinton is illusory. Read: Now thats one helluva tan! Is that really Tilda Swinton? I simply do not buy that identity isnt fluid, she says. Im not sure that identity exists. For a long time, I noticed that the stories I was drawn to making were the stories of people who were caught in a concept of OK, thats me and they came up against a wall and had to transform. Matthew Schoenaerts, Tilda Swinton, Dakota Johnson and Ralph Fiennes in A Bigger Splash. In Luca Guadagninos A Bigger Splash, which opens Friday, Swinton plays Marianne Lane, a rock star on the other side of a metamorphosis being pulled back to her prior self. Shes resting her voice after surgery on her vocal chords on an idyllic getaway on the Sicilian island of Pantelleria with her brooding beau (Matthew Schoenaerts). Read: Was Tilda Swinton cast in Doctor Strange to avoid annoying China? But her jaunty, hard-living producer and former flame Harry (Ralph Fiennes) turns up, along with his newly discovered daughter (Dakota Johnson). Like a film noir villain, Harry brings with him all her rollicking past, and the foursome settle in for a tense holiday. (The film is a riff on 1969s La Piscine.) A Bigger Splash is Swintons fourth film with Guadagnino, the Italian director of I Am Love, a lush feast of a movie. Together, theyve pursued what Swinton calls sensational cinema where you can almost taste the food or feel the sun on your skin. It was Swintons idea to make Marianne (a David Bowie-Chrissie Hynde hybrid on the stage) nearly mute, speaking only occasionally in a raspy voice. Mourning the loss of her mother at the time, Swinton was attracted to the silence. It would also submerge much of the films dramatics below the surface, she reasoned. I like to be quiet and I also like listening, says Swinton. I was able to kind of download what she was up to, which is basically listening to everybody else. And thats my preferred position in general. The 55-year-old actress grants its an ironic thing to say on a day where she is, with great eloquence, discussing herself and her work. Its a career that she considers accidental and, happily, a mystery. The daughter of a highly decorated military family in Scotland, Swinton initially studied literature at Cambridge and still considers herself foremost a writer. Her induction into cinema came largely from the experimental filmmaker Derek Jarman, who died in 1994. Sally Potters Orlando, in which Swinton played the long-living poet who changes sexes in midlife, was a fittingly androgynous, gender-defying breakout. As a mother, she drew raves for The Deep End and The War Zone. An Oscar for her icy corporate lawyer in 2007s Michael Clayton followed. Its the resume of a world-class actress, and yet she doesnt identify as one. Im never really that interested in acting, to be honest with you, says Swinton. I can quite understand it must sound crazy, given that Ive been doing this for 30 years. What I need is this feeling of not knowing what Im doing. Genuinely this feeling of beginners mind, constantly. Her malleability is enabled by an open-mindedness that doesnt even accept that this is what she does. She acknowledges thinking this way may be a conceit or a lucky charm. But anyway its working, she says. Its keeping me interested. Im just sort of unfolding things. Just constantly unfolding things with no pressure, says Swinton. Im not exactly professional. In a way I have no plans. And I like that. Im a kind of wanderer. Instead, she sees her acting as a series of friendships with collaborators: the foundation stones of my house, she calls them. They include Guadagnino, Jim Jarmusch (a book-obsessed vampire in Only Lovers Left Alive), Bong Joon-Ho (a dictators ruthless spokeswoman in Snowpiercer), Wes Anderson (unrecognisable as an elderly aristocrat in The Grand Budapest Hotel). The directors, too, are collectively infatuated. Jarmusch has called her one of the most amazing creatures I have ever met. Anderson: I was immediately captivated. Guadagnino: I am home with her. For Swinton, breaking the mould of identity isnt just a way to perform, but a way of life. Life is just a series of choices, and the gamuts pretty wide, says Swinton. People can make all the choices they can see in 360 vision. Constantly these opportunities are there for us. We just have to know to take advantage of it. Thats what I feel about identity. Thats the thing that keeps me falling into the habit of performing. Frozen fans started a movement of sorts, requesting Disney to give Queen Elsa a girlfriend after it was revealed that the studio did not use any LGBT characters in their 2015 films at all. Disney, Paramount and Warner Bros. all received failing grades on GLAADs annual LGBT report card, while Lionsgate, Sony, Universal and Fox received Adequate marks, reported Ace Showbiz. Twitter users made their voices heard by using the hashtag #GiveElsaAGirlfriend. GLAAD, a media monitoring organisation founded by LGBT people, called on Disney to include gay characters in upcoming Star Wars Episode VIII. Read: Frozen 2 is on because Disney just cant let it go As sci-fi projects have the special opportunity to create unique worlds whose advanced societies can serve as a commentary on our own, the most obvious place where Disney could include LGBT characters is in the upcoming eighth Star Wars film, the report said. If a gay Disney princess will turn little girls gay how come the mermaid Disney princess didn't turn me into a mermaid? #GiveElsaAGirlfriend Twitnter is Coming (@OhNoSheTwitnt) May 2, 2016 #GiveElsaAGirlfriend because LGBT kids deserve to know that there is nothing wrong with them jeffrey marsh (@thejeffreymarsh) May 1, 2016 #GiveElsaAGirlfriend so little kids will know that girls loving girls is normal even when their parents teach them otherwise. (@feminizza) May 1, 2016 #GiveElsaAGirlfriend Because I want this: Kid: so you have two mommies? my kid: yes Kid: so like Elsa & ___ my kid: yes Kid: that's cool! chelsea (@McDebnam) May 1, 2016 #GiveElsaAGirlfriend because 1 in 5 kids are queer, but only 1 in 10 feel safe enough to come out. mia (@miaafame) May 1, 2016 Given that Frozen was one giant metaphor for the closet, to #GiveElsaAGirlfriend is just logical. More LGBT representation is a great idea. Kenneth Sergienko (@KenSergienko) May 1, 2016 Follow @htshowbiz for more Assassins Creed star Michael Fassbender is in talks to play a serial killer in the upcoming film Entering Hades. Entering Hades is based on author John Leakes true crime novel about Jack Unterweger, a celebrated Austrian journalist and best-selling author who led a double life investigating murders by day and killing by night -- amassing a body count of 11 people across several continents, reports variety.com. Alexander Dinelaris, who won a best original screenplay Oscar as one of the four screenwriters on Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance), is rewriting the screenplay of the film. Read: First set images of Michael Fassbender in Assassins Creed leaked online Read: When Michael Fassbenders performance left the X-Men crew in tears A director for the film is yet to be finalised. Follow @htshowbiz for more John Boyega is going from space battles in Star Wars to earthbound struggles onstage at Londons Old Vic Theatre. The theatre says the 24-year-old actor will get his first West End starring role in Woyzeck, the story of a soldier who commits an act of brutal violence. The new version of Georg Buchners 19th-century drama is written by Jack Thorne, the playwright behind Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. Read: Cursed Child wont be JK Rowlings only new Harry Potter book this year Boyega, who played Finn in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, is currently filming the eighth instalment in the sci-fi saga. The play, which opens in February 2017, was announced Wednesday as part of the Old Vics 2016-2017 season. Watch a trailer of Werner Herzogs adaptation starring Klaus Kinski The lineup also includes a production of Shakespeares King Lear starring Glenda Jackson and a 20th-anniversary revival of Yasmina Rezas global hit Art. Read: Star Wars John Boyega meets sick kids, stays in character throughout Follow @htshowbiz for more One of the two Italian marines charged with the murder of Indian fishermen in 2012, Salvatore Girone will return home in a few weeks, the Italian defence minister Roberta Pinotti said on Wednesday. Girone will come back to Italy in a few weeks, there are still bureaucratic procedures to go through, Pinotti was quoted as saying by the Italian news agency ANSA. Girone, along with another Italian marine Massimiliano Latorre on board ship Enrica Lexie, is accused by India of killing two of its fishermen off the Kerala coast in 2012. He has not been able to leave India, aside from a few brief permits, since the incident. Latorre is back in Italy after suffering a stroke in 2014 while Girone is staying at the Italian embassy in New Delhi. Pinotti said a UN tribunal in The Hague allowing Girone back to Italy for the duration of arbitration was nice news but the process is long with a verdict not expected before 2018. It was nice news we were hoping for and for which we worked silently in close contact with the team of lawyers that handles the international dispute on the two marines, she said. The Hague tribunal recognised what we were asking and that is that Girone should return to Italy and live with his family. But the process will still be long, Pinotti said. Its not over. Well have to wait for the outcome of the arbitration, but Im sure well get the right result, she added. News / Local by Staff Reporter The labour court has upheld the dismissal of a veterinary extension assistant for fraud.Labour Court judge Justice Muzofa upheld the Public Service Commission decision to dismiss the officer Matsina for misappropriating government funds amounting to $54.The Worker reported the Commission through its legal advisor submitted to the Labour Court that Matsina in his official capacity received dipping fees from farmers."During the period 21 July 2010 to 19 August of the same year, he received and receipted the correct amount of fees paid by the farmers on the original copies amounting to $76. Matsina then fraudulently receipted $22 on the fast copiesthereby prejudicing the state of $54," reads the submission.Matsina disputed the accusations stating that he had not committed the carbon fraud arguing that there was no evidence to prove that he was guilty.Matsina added that the minutes produced by the hearing committee were doctored because the said hearing did not proceed beyond the introductory phase as the committee objected to him being represented by Ignatius Murambatsvina of Murambitsvina legal practitioners.The assertion by Matsina that the hearing was not held forced the court to order the Public Service Commission to bring the hearing committee to court as witnesses.Matsina further argued that if he had committed the offence why it took so long for the Commission to persecute him."I was suspended from duty on 2 June 2015, summoned to appear before a hearing committee on 15 July 2015 and dismissed from duty on 22 September 2014 four years after the alleged offence was committed. This only proves that I have no case to answer," Matsina told the court.In her judgement Muzofa said, "Three witnesses were called the chairperson, one committee member and the secretary to the disciplinary authority gave evidence.Their evidence was that Appellant appeared before them with Mr. Murambatswi n a h i s l e g a l practitioner.The legal practitioner was only precluded from answering questions relating to the Appellant's job description. They did not know the Appellant until the date of hearing," went on Muzofa in here judgement."The recording secretary indicated she minuted the proceedings, sent them to members and produce a final draft that was eventually signed. The record ofproceedings was not doctored as alleged by the Appellant. She indicted that there was no provision for the disciplinary authority"Muzofa further stated that after hearing the evidence she was convinced that the disciplinary proceedings were conducted."I have no doubt that this issue was raised as an after thought. It is my finding that disciplinary proceedings were conducted," reads part of the Muzofa judgement.In the judgement the honourable judge appeared to agree with the assertion of Matsina that there was no evidence to prove that indeed he had defrauded the Commission.However Mazofa based her verdict on the minutes of the hearing which Matsina had dismissed as doctored. In the minutes Matsina had pleaded guilty and pleaded for lenience."In my view, Appellant admitted the charges," ruled Muzofa. He explained why he committed the misconduct. This is the equivalent of a plea of guilt and that usually dispenses of the need to lead evidence to prove the charges." Senior Uttar Pradesh minister Azam Khan, who has been engaged in a no-holds-barred war of words with Adityanath in the past, has said Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislator should get married to prove his masculinity and sire children. He must tie the knot as it would help him increase his generation, Khan, the Samajwadi Partys most visible Muslim face, said in reply to a question whether he would like to bury the hatchet with Adityanath on Tuesday. Khan also attacked Sakshi Maharaj when he was asked about his views on the remark of the BJP MP from Unnao that the provision of triple talaq (divorce) in the Muslim community is an injustice against women and should be banned. Its an insult to talk about a man who is accused of raping a young girl, he said during a function in the Maulana Mohammed Jauhar University. The SP leader, who is known for bitter relations with governor Ram Naik, refused to comment on the news that Naik had accused Bollywood actor Govinda of taking the help of the underworld to contest the 2004 Lok Sabha election against him. Do not call him Ram Naik, instead, address him as Ram Naikji as he is the governor of the state, Khan intervened before reporters could complete their question. Sparks flew in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday as the Opposition and treasury benches traded charges over the VVIP chopper scam with the Congress lashing out at the government over its attempt to vilify party leaders through insinuation and innuendo. Former defence minister AK Antony said the change in the choppers flying altitude and cabin height which BJP leaders cited in support of their allegations against the Congress were decided during the Atal Behari Vajpayee governments tenure in November 2003 by the prime ministers office. The ruling party hit back with defence minister Manohar Parrikar saying an invisible hand guided the action or inaction of the CBI and the enforcement directorate probing the case of alleged kickbacks in the Rs 3,727-crore deal in favour of the UK-based AgustaWestland. The country wants to know who instigated, who supported and who benefited from corruption, Parrikar said, adding that the inquiry would focus on the roles of those named in the recent judgment by an Italian court. Italian court has proof that there was malafide intent and there was corruption in matter is brought out in extensive details in judgments of a Milan court, Parrikar said. The Italian court has said there are omissions at many stages and the deal was cancelled by the government after the CAG advice, he said in the Rajya Sabha. Saying it was proved beyond doubt that there was corruption in the deal, Antony asked the government to take action against those who took money. If you have evidence, take action but dont threaten, dont blackmail. Intervening in the short-duration discussion on the issue in the Rajya Sabha, Congress president Sonia Gandhis political secretary Ahmed Patel said there was an attempt to defame his party and its leaders and vowed to quit public life and resign from the House if charges against him were proved. Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi accused the government of taking recourse to insinuation and innuendo to vilify the head of a political party and attributed it to the BJPs visceral hatred. Taking on the BJP for linking some initials mentioned in a handwritten note by one of the middlemen, which was also examined by an Italian court, Singhvi cited the Hawala case to point out it had no evidentiary value. Rejecting the BJPs attempt to link initials such as CP, VP and AP to the deal, Singhvi said AP, being interpreted as Ahmed Patel, could denote several people including the Gujarat CM (Anandiben Patel). He said such attempts reflected the hypocrisy of the ruling party as leader of the House Arun Jaitley had argued in the Hawala case, in which the initials LKA had figured, that these had no value as evidence. He said the Modi government was trying to foist corruption charges against those not involved and asked whether it was not damaging the investigation and letting culprits escape by targeting political rivals. Singhvi said Antony as defence minister had cancelled the deal and ordered a CBI probe. The UPA government had paid Rs 1,586 crore but recovered Rs 2,062 cr from AgustaWestland and three helicopters worth Rs 900 crore were impounded, he said. On the other hand, the NDA government allowed AgustaWestlands parent companies, including Finmeccanica, to continue to do business, he said. Initiating the debate, BJP leader Bhupendra Yadav said the single-vendor aspect was ignored, tests were allowed to be conducted abroad and even the specifications of altitude were reduced to 4,500 feet from the earlier benchmark of 6,000 feet. Moment by moment: AgustaWestland debate in Rajya Sabha Singhvi countered that, saying it was Brajesh Mishra, principal secretary to then prime minister Vajpayee, who had taken the stance that the specification of 6,000 feet should be reduced as it was leading to a single-vendor situation. BJP MP Subramanian Swamy said there was prima facie evidence to prosecute people named in the deal. Attacking Gandhi, he said those named in the middlemans note should be questioned by the CBI. The Opposition sought a Supreme Court-monitored CBI probe fearing that the investigating agency could be misused for political gains. Leader of the opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad asked the government to set a three-month deadline to finish the probe, but Congress MPs staged a walkout as they failed to get any assurance from the government. Congress leader Anand Sharma accused the government of targeting his party to divert attention from its own failures. We know the agenda and are determined to fight the agenda, he said. Earlier in the day, Gandhi said the BJP was most welcome to present in Parliament what the ruling party claimed were fresh revelations on the AgustaWestland chopper deal. After a cabinet meeting later in the evening, Prime Minister Narendra Modi held deliberations with senior ministers, including Parrikar, Ravi Shankar Prasad and Venkaiah Naidu, to take stock of the situation. Related stories Who said what in Rajya Sabha On a day when the Rajya Sabha witnessed a debate on the AgustaWestland controversy, the Italian judge who convicted two Italian officials in the VVIP chopper scam has said he has not given a clean chit to any Indian politician in the case. Judge Marco Maria Maiga told TV channels that his judgment is not final, and it is up to the Indian government to investigate its politicians. He added the UPA government did not provide sufficient documents for the probe. News channel NDTV quoted Judge Maiga as saying, We were hoping for many more, but only three papers were sent by India. He also said middleman Guido Haschkes note referring to AP that Opposition claims referred to Ahmed Patel and other politicians seemed authentic. Judge Maiga told another news channel that based on the evidence with them, the court in its judgment has said probably former air chief marshal SP Tyagi and his family were not the only people who received the money to have AgustaWestland win the deal. The AgustaWestland issue was fiercely debated in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday with members of Bharatiya Janata Party and Congress blaming each other for the multi-crore-rupee scam that resurfaced last month. AgustaWestland was alleged to have paid Rs 375 crore as bribe to secure the Rs 3,700-crore contract to supply 12 VVIP choppers to the Indian Air Force. The contract for purchase of helicopters for the use of VVIPs was signed in 2010. The previous UPA government scrapped the deal over charges of kickbacks. Here is a summary of who said what on the issue in Rajya Sabha on Wednesday. CBI can question driving force - Swamy Targeting Congress president Sonia Gandhi, BJP MP Subramanian Swamy said that the CBI can, as per the law, question the person mentioned as the driving force behind the AgustaWestland deal. Swamy alleged in the Rajya Sabha that conditions were manipulated by the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government to egg out the contenders other than AgustaWestland. The BJP leader also alleged that while the original proposal was to buy eight choppers, the number was later raised to 12 once AgustaWestland won the contract. Read Swamys entire statement in the Rajya Sabha here. Punish bribe takers - Antony Former defence minister A K Antony said that it was proved beyond doubt that there was corruption in the AgustaWestland helicopter deal. He asked the BJP government not to threaten or blackmail but take legal action against the bribe takers. The former defence minister, however, said the issue should not be politicised. Read Antonys entire statement in the Rajya Sabha here. Sonia not indicted, merely mentioned - Singhvi Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi said the mention of Congress President Sonia Gandhi and others in the judgment of the Milan court did not indict them. He said that the judgement merely mentioned them as VVIPs who would use the choppers. Slamming the ruling party for its hubris and arrogance of power, Singhvi said the Congress is not going to be intimidated by such tactics. Ridiculing the BJPs attempt to link certain initials like CP, VP and AP to the deal, Singhvi cited the Hawala case in which an initial LKA had featured and the high court had said the presence of initials constituted no evidence. Read Singhvis entire statement in the Rajya Sabha here. Invisible hand guided CBI, ED - Parrikar Defence minister Manohar Parrikar said in the Rajya Sabha that India wants to know who instigated, supported and benefited from the VVIP chopper scam. He said that the Investigation so far in the case has revealed involvement of Ids Infotech as a channel for transfer of bribe money. UPA, instead of taking action against the company, wrote to external affairs Ministry, embassy & court, Parrikar alleged. Parikkar also said that an invisible hand was guiding actions or inactions by CBI & ED during the investigation. Read Parrikars entire statement in the Rajya Sabha here. Will give up public life if guilty: Patel Congress leader Ahmed Patel said in the Rajya Sabha that he would give up public life if found guilty in the scam. He said his name figured four times in the 225-page Milan court document but nowhere he was indicted. He charged the BJP of creating an atmosphere against the Congress by making allegations that the party is corrupt. Read Patels entire statement in the Rajya Sabha here. Parents of a four-day-old baby who died last week in a government-run hospital, on Monday alleged the infant died from ant bites. On Friday, the baby was put in an incubator after being found unconscious by the mother. However, the infant did not respond. Denying negligence, doctors at the Old Government Hospital said the baby died from a lung disorder and was even underweight. A hospital official said the red marks on babys chest were the result of administering a cardio-pulmonary resuscitation. Relatives alleged that a saline bottle hanging on a stand had fallen on the infant, injuring him. An autopsy has been conducted and Krishna district collector A Babu said the cause of the death would be known after the report was received. An inquiry was also ordered by health minister Kamineni Srinivas, who is away in London. The sub-collector was directed to submit the report. Leaders of opposition parties, who visited the hospital to console the family, demanded action against the negligent hospital authorities. The relatives of the baby also staged a protest. Last year, a 10-day-old baby died of rat bites in the intensive care unit of a government-run hospital in Guntur. The Bharatiya Janata Partys ally Shiv Sena on Wednesday attacked the Centre on its constantly changing policies regarding the Hurriyat, saying the U-turn made by the government to allow the separatists to hold talks with Pakistan was nothing short of an incredible act. Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut told ANI that Kashmir is an emotional and sensitive matter, adding there are divisive forces in the state like the Hurriyat, who are trying to align the state with Pakistan or make it independent. We have always maintained that there should be no talks with such people because the Hurriyat wants Pakistan to be involved in talks regarding Kashmir. Even the BJP agreed with us, now suddenly allowing Hurriyat to talk with Pakistan is incredible. Even Congress did not do this, Raut said. Read: First draft of a new Hurriyat policy He added that if the Congress party had taken this stand then the Shiv Sena would have branded the grand old party as agents who want to sell Kashmir to Pakistan but their hands were now tied since it was the BJP. They (government) need to think really carefully when they make decisions regarding Kashmir. It will not fare well for the nation if the Centre makes a spectacle of love with those people, who have already shaken hands with Pakistan, Raut said. Senas reaction comes after the Centre gave its nod on Tuesday to the Hurriyat leaders for talks with Pakistan and its representatives, two years after imposing a policy against separatist leaders meeting officials from the neighbouring country. An editorial in the Shiv Sena mouthpiece Saamana also compared the Narendra Modi government to a chameleon which has changed its colours. Sena, which shares an uneasy alliance with the BJP in Maharashtra, also said U-turn by the Centre on Hurriyat is like calling the Ram temple in Ayodhya as Babri mosque Hurriyat Conference is now going to discuss Kashmir with Pakistan and the Central government has given them this concession. Tomorrow, talks on Kashmir will be held with Masood Azhar, Dawood Ibrahim and (Zakiur Rahman) Lakhvi, the Sena said in an editorial in its mouthpiece Saamana. When colours are changed faster than a chameleon, people wonder how they (Modi government) manage this ... Had Congress made such an about turn on Hurriyat and Kashmir issues, the BJP and the Sangh Parivar would have termed them as agents of Pakistan, the editorial said. Then they (Congress) would have been told that they were selling the country and there would have been a demand that such traitors should be ousted from power. They would have stalled Parliament in the name of national security, it said. Things are becoming strange these days. They can put even a chameleon to shame by the way they are changing colours. It beats us as to how they are able to do this. Last week, minister of state for external affairs General (retd) VK Singh told Parliament in a written reply that there is no bar on so-called Kashmiri leaders meetings with representatives of any country in India since the entire state of Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of the Union of India and they are Indian citizens. Singh reiterated Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led governments stand that there cant be any role for any third party in the India-Pakistan dialogue process. India has consistently maintained that there is no role for a third party in the bilateral dialogue between India and Pakistan as per the Simla Agreement and the Lahore Declaration. Indias displeasure at Pakistans attempts to interfere in Indias internal affairs has been repeatedly conveyed to Pakistan, he added. Read: Second-in-command Sehrai likely to succeed Hurriyat chief Geelani The NDA government had in August 2014 cancelled the foreign secretary-level talks with Islamabad over Pakistans high commissioner Abdul Basits meeting with Hurriyat leaders prior to the talks. Singhs statement was welcomed by the moderate Hurriyat Conference while the hardline faction said peace will not be restored until promises made by the Centre to Kashmiri people were fulfilled. (With ANI and PTI inputs) The ambitious Multi-modal International Cargo Hub and Airport at Nagpur (Mihan) project has received a major boost, with the state government approving a land-swap deal between nodal agency Maharashtra Airport Development Company (MADC) and the Indian Air Force. As per the new understanding arrived at a cabinet meeting held in Mumbai on Tuesday, the MADC will get 278.16 hectares of land from the Air Force in exchange for around 400 hectares. Read: Mumbais international airport four times more crowded than others Despite being launched by the then chief minister Vilasrao Deshmukh in 2002, the project touted to be one of Indias biggest in terms of investments has been stuck for nearly 15 years now. This particular matter has been pending before the defence ministry for the last six years. A meeting held in Delhi last year paved the way for the transfer of land reserved for the Air Forces Gajraj project to Mihan. The state cabinet also approved the exchange of 2.30 hectares of land between the MADC and the CRPF group centre here in Nagpur. Besides this, the state cabinet approved the handing over of 15.40 hectares of land to the aviation department for extension of the Mihan project. Nobel Peace Prize winner Kailash Satyarthi on Tuesday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to immediately declare drought as a national emergency in view of the rising numbers of children in rural areas affected and exploited due to drought. Stating that over 164 million children were affected by the severe drought situation, Satyarthi said the drought across 10 states has led to rampant child marriage, child labour, abduction and trafficking of children. On May 1, a 12-year-old girl named Madhu and her eight-year-old brother Ashok died of dehydration in Lingam village of Telangana. Their mother, who went to fetch some water, was later found unconscious in the forest with an empty plastic bottle, Satyarthi said addressing a conference Drought Crisis and Children in New Delhi. He narrated other such ordeals, stating that people from areas under the grip of drought in Telangana, Maharashtra and Karnataka are leaving their children in temples. In Latur, Maharashtra, a mother donated her daughter to a temple to become devadasi. Parents, with nothing to feed to their children are taking such steps to save their children being forced into prostitution. He said that of 336 million people (government figures) affected by the drought, 40 percent are children, that has led to 22 percent school dropouts. This is the situation by the first week of May. If we are waiting for a report after two or three months, it would be too late. This is not good for a country that aspires to become an economic power, Satyarthi said. Voicing concern that the government is not giving ample time to the issue of drought, Sathyarthi said that at least one dedicated session of parliament should be on drought. Unfortunately there is no assessment, monitoring or preemptive measures taken to focus on the situation of children in drought, he said. In a letter to the prime minister, Satyarthi has urged to route the unspent Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) fund worth Rs.10,000 crore for drought relief. He has also demanded to declare drought as a national emergency and to control the exploitation of children due to drought. Owing to this drought and the ongoing water crisis, children are becoming increasingly vulnerable, Satyarthi said in a letter to Modi that was released to the media here. Reports of children being forced into child labour, trafficking, child marriage and the Devadasi system are coming to light, he added. Satyarthis Bachpan Bachao Andolan put the figures of missing children in the country at 35,873, those abducted at 22,014 and those forced into child labour at 74,84,416. Very genuine demand. Water harvesting/ preservation has to be made a national mission and everybody has to be made to understand that water is the most precious and has to be preserved. Hope the prime minister listens to the Mann ki Baat of these 16.3 crore children, Satyarthi said. Goas former education minister and unattached legislator Atanasio alias Babush Monserrate has been booked for allegedly raping a minor girl from his assembly constituency, police sources said on Wednesday. Monserrate denied the accusation, claiming that the FIR, which was filed against him on Wednesday evening was a conspiracy against him. According to a complaint filed at the Panaji police station, the minor girl said Monserrate raped her on more than one occasion, after he employed her some weeks back at a lifestyle store owned by him. The complaint was filed under 376 of the Indian Penal Code today (Wednesday) and relevant sections of the Goa Childrens Act, a police official familiar with the investigation told IANS on condition of anonymity. Monserrate told IANS that the police complaint was a conspiracy against him. I had hired this girl to work in my Hallmark store because her parents came to me to look for a job. But she stole some money from the store cash counter and I had sacked her. This complaint is false. There is no question of my getting intimate with her, Monserrate said. Monserrate was elected to the St. Cruz constituency on a Congress ticket, but was sacked from the party after he started hobnobbing with the Bharatiya Janata Party. He has been booked in the past for extortion. His son Rohit, was also arrested for allegedly raping a minor German girl five years back, but was later acquitted. Hundreds of women marched under a baking April sun last week in Salepur, a town 50km from the Odisha capital, demanding immediate closure of liquor shops in the locality. The protest underscores a rising tide against alcohol in the state where the government is encouraging sales to rake in more revenue. Women are at the forefront of this spirited fight, trying to save their families from the rampant liquor scourge. Anti-alcohol campaigners say most of these protesters are wives of daily wage workers, marginal farmers and village artisans who spend a substantial amount of their income on liquor. Besides getting addicted, the mens indulgence is ruining families especially poor households. There are other reasons too for the protests. Parbati Maharana, a middle-aged Salepur housewife, was furious that the men outside liquor vends passed lewd remarks. We would not budge till the liquor shops are closed. The shops are breaking our family life, she said, marching under the banner of Gramanchal Mahila Nisha Nibarana Committee. The liquor shops should not be allowed near temples and schools. The rally forced the district administration to close five shops for a few days. The state has recorded at least half-a-dozen protests in the past month since the government announced a liberalised liquor policy, which contrasts neighbouring Bihars alcohol ban from April 1. With more than 4,200 shops, Odishas excise revenue went up from Rs 306.61 crore in 2004-05 to Rs 2,557 crore in 2015-16. It aims to mop up Rs 2,800 crore from liquor sales this fiscal. Beer has become cheaper while the licence fee to set up a brewery, distillery or micro-brewery has reduced under the policy that kicked in on April 1. Excise minister Damodar Rout says his government cant ban alcohol as its consumption is a private affair. But his logic didnt pass the test in the growing chorus against alcohol. A mob torched a shop in Koraput district in March. On April 1, women of a village in Deogarh district ransacked a shop. In coastal Kendrapada, hundreds of campaigners ransacked a country-liquor shop and set it on fire in March. Police rushed to the village but watched the crowd from a distance. They didnt want to repeat the March 2015 incident when 16 villagers, mostly women, were wounded in police firing after a mob burned down a village liquor shop in the same district. These were poor Dalit women, frustrated by their husbands and sons spending their wages on liquor. These women are suffering every day and they have realised that they cant sit silent any longer, said Pramila Swain of Odisha Mada Mukti Abhiyan, an anti-alcohol group. Excise commissioner PK Senapati says not all protests against liquor shops are related to rising alcoholism. There are vested interests that encourage women to protest against an old shop so that another shop can come up, he said. But anti-liquor activists point to other interests. Politicians know that its easier to hoodwink people if they can keep them intoxicated. But the women will fight back, said Malay Tripathy of Milita Odisha Nisha Nibaran Abhijana, an NGO. The Odisha Prohibition Act 1956 was not enforced till 1994 when former chief minister Biju Patnaik banned alcohol two years after spurious liquor killed 300 people in Cuttack. The JB Patnaik-led Congress came to power in 1995 and lifted the ban. After chief minister Naveen Patnaik took over in 2000, the state government began retailing liquor through its Odisha State Beverages Corporation. News / Local by Staff Reporter Workers at Chisumbanje ethanol plant, Green Fuel, said they were languishing in abject poverty after going for over 6 months without salaries.The workers claimed that a majority of them last received their salaries in September last year whilst some were last paid in November last year.''Workers who work in the fields were last given wages last year in September whilst some last received in November. We are concerned that the salary payments have been so erratic and inconsistent for the past years,'' said one of the workers who decided to remain anonymous.The Worker reported that they said the situation has become so dire so much that life has become difficult at work and in the compounds.The workers reported that there have been a host of cases of workers mainly women who are falling unconscious while doing work in the sugarcane fields allegedly due to hunger and fatigue.Following the incidents, the workers reported that management started to give each employee a 10 kgs of maize meal monthly which would be regarded as a part payment of their wages.'' We are now being subjected to a type of food for work employment. The bucket of the maize handout is being charged at a value of $8, 50 which would be deducted from our wages. We even still complain that the value is inflated in what we see is a ploy to further exploit us because locally we can purchase the same at $6, 00,'' said an employee who withheld her name for fear of victimisation.One of the workers reported that at a recent Council Meeting held at the plant, management could not ascertain when workers would receive salaries but assured that the company was going to source more maize for the workers.''In the meeting management could not promise anything in the near future but maintained that some maize hand outs would be made as a stop gap measure,'' he said.In an interview, the former District Ethanol Plant Implementation Committee (DEPIC) spokesperson, Claris Madhuku, castigated the company for its insincerity towards the employees and its surrounding community.''The company has been doing a disservice to the workers and the surrounding community at large. We insist and maintain that the company has the capacity to remunerate employees,'' he said.Madhuku, who is the current director of the Platform for Youth Development (PYD), a pressure group based in Chipinge, added that daily dispatches handled by some managerial employees at the company reveal that there are high profits being made by the company as their product has a ready market.''Non remuneration of the workers is only a question of priority and exploitation tendencies by the firm. The business is viable because the company enjoys monopoly of the market through mandatory blending,'' he said.He further revealed that employees working for the plant were also subjected to gross victimisation and harassment by their management alleging that their workplace was highly politicised.''Right now the company is operating without a substantive elected workers committee. The company is denying the workers to form one. Management at the plant was on record intimidating anyone who dares talking about the issue. So far i can confirm that the management has fired members of a total of three (3) workers committees at the plant,'' said Madhuku.He said there were a series of cases reported against the company at the Ministry Of Labour Offices in Chipinge.When contacted for an interview, Green Fuel Human Resource Manager, Andrew King declined to give a comment.''I am not allowed by the company policy to comment on such issues on or off record so I can't give you our position regarding those issues,'' he said.Green Fuel, a joint venture between the government's Agricultural and Rural Development Authority (ARDA) and private companies, Macdom and Rating Investments owned by business tycoon identified as Billy Rautenbach, is Zimbabwe's sole ethanol producer and has a labour compliment of 4,500 employees.According to officials, the plant has the capacity to produce 120 million litres of high quality, anhydrous ethanol per annum, along with capacity to generate 18 megawatts of electricity. A young IAS officer in Chhattisgarh faced social media abuse on Wednesday after a photograph showed him standing and talking to a sick childs mother with his left foot resting on the steel rail of a hospital bed. The incident happened when Dr Jagdish Sonkar, the 2013-batch IAS officer who has a medical degree, visited a government hospital for a routine inspection and interacted with mothers of malnourished children being treated there. He is the sub-divisional magistrate of Ramanujganj in Balrampur district. Sonkar told Hindustan Times that he went to the hospital with a good intention and examined some patients as well. My action was unintentional and avoidable, he said. He showed no remorse even after social media panned him for his uncivil manners, which amounted to showing disrespect to people. For his arrogant and insolent act, livid netizens rechristened the IAS as Indias Arrogant Service. Twitter user Aniket Devdhar posted: The term public servant has lost its meaning long ago. Fellow tweeple Kanchan Gupta shared the photo and wrote: Meet Chhattisgarh IAS officer Dr Jagdish Sonkar. He has a MBBS degree. He clearly knows his place in this country. When chief minister Raman Singh came to know of the officers insulting gesture, he said he will instruct the chief secretary to teach him manners. He needs to learn. There are codes of conduct for IAS/IPS and other officers to be followed in the right earnest. There have been cases of ISIS activities in India but the country isnt facing anything alarming, since Muslims here are committed to the values of life and wont allow it to spread its tentacles in the country, the government told the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday. Home Minister Rajnath Singh expressed confidence that there would be no increase in the terror outfits activities in India in future. Replying to questions on the spread of ISIS activities in India and whether any Muslim organisation was involved, he said the Muslim community is well entrenched in Indian traditions and cultures. Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju said there were activities in India perpetrated by ISIS but the situation is not alarming as some people are trying to project, since the Indian security and intelligence agencies are alert both at the centre and state levels. There are some cases which have been registered and number of arrests have also been made. These are all under investigation. There is nothing much to worry. Our country is able to contain the threat from ISIL, he said. Asked how many cases have been registered and arrested, Rijiju said, As of now, six cases have been registered. In these cases, many people have been arrested. Investigation is going on and it is not possible to provide all details. We cannot fix the time limit for completing these investigations. He said the situation is a dynamic one and that the government is seriously pursuing it. The National Investigative Agency (NIA), which registered these cases, is working very professionally and no innocent should be troubled. Rijiju said the NIA is working to reach those people who have committed wrong. To a question on whether any Muslim leader or organisation was involved, he said, No organisation is involved. Muslims leaders and organisations have openly opposed ISIS in this country. Congress has accused the government of cover up disillusionment with its work by trying to vilify the head of a political party on the basis of mere insinuation and innuendo in the AgustaWestland helicopter issue. Congress member Abhishek Manu Singhvi on Wednesday defended his party in the Rajya Sabha as the House took up a discussion on alleged corruption in the purchase of AgustaWestland VVIP helicopters, and responded point-by-point to allegations of wrongdoings levelled by the ruling dispensation against the previous UPA government. Earlier, BJPs Bhupendra Yadav initiated the discussion, accusing the Congress of creating conditions to favour the Italian company for the purchase and pointed fingers at the UPA government over its role in the deal to purchase 12 VVIP helicopters. Live coverage : Does Agusta report say Cong leaders have taken a bribe? asks Patel The BJP has alleged that the former UPA government allegedly eased some key clauses to benefit the UK-based AgustaWestland, with whom India had signed a Rs 3,727-crore contract for 12 AW-101 choppers in February 2010. The firm, a subsidiary of Italian defence conglomerate Finmeccanica, beat off competition from US rival Sikorsky to win the deal. Singhvi, while defending the UPA dispensation, attributed innuendos against its leaders Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi or Ahmed Patel to the visceral hatred of the BJP. The interest appears to be to keep the pot boiling, not to reach a conclusion and keep finger pointing, he said alleging that the BJP was not interested in finding the real culprits. Slamming the ruling dispensation for its hubris and arrogance of power, Singhvi said the Congress is not going to be intimidated by such tactics. Read | Rahul Gandhi counters BJPs charges on AgustaWestland chopper deal Ridiculing the BJPs attempt to link certain initials like CP, VP and AP to the deal, Singhvi cited the Hawala case in which an initial LKA had featured and the high court had said the presence of initials constituted no evidence. Singhvi said it was hypocrisy of the ruling party in applying double standards as leader of the House Arun Jaitley had in the Hawala case argued initials have no evidentiary value. He said that AP could stand for many people including the present chief minister of Gujarat, Anandiben Patel. The Congress leader said not a single allegation that was being touted was part of the findings of the Central Bureau of Investigations (CBI) or Enforcement Directorate. We are relying on the interpretations and misrepresentations of an Italian court, he said adding the official translation of the judgement is still not available. Read | Most welcome, says Sonia Gandhi on BJPs big Agusta revelation He said the name of Congress president Sonia Gandhi merely figures in one letter where it is said that she would be among the VVIPs who would fly in the helicopter. He added that even Guido Haschke, one of the alleged middlemen, had also said that he does not know what the initial AP stands for. I hope we collect all APs. That illustrates the problem we face when we start using initials, Singhvi said. An Italian court of appeals in Milan brought the deal back into the spotlight early last month by reversing a lower courts verdict that there was no evidence of corruption. The court then found former Finmeccanica chairman Giuseppe Orsi and AgustaWestland ex-CEO Bruno Spagnolini guilty of corruption and sent them to prison. The CPI(M) on Wednesday attacked the Congress-led UDF government in Kerala over the brutal rape and murder of a Dalit woman in Perumbavoor in Ernakulam district, saying it was shameful that the administration initially tried to cover up the crime. The Left party demanded a probe into the matter by a panel headed by a high-ranking woman police official and said immediate steps should be taken to arrest the culprits. The party also said the accused should be tried by a fast-track court in line with amendments introduced in criminal laws after the Nirbhaya incident. Instead of acting firmly while dealing with such cases, it is shameful that the state police and the Congress-led UDF government initially tried to cover up this heinous crime. The Politburo demands the investigation into the brutal rape and appalling violence inflicted on the woman should be entrusted to an enquiry committee headed by a high-ranking woman police official, a CPI(M) statement said. The Left party demanded that action also be taken against those who attempted to cover up the case. A 30-year-old woman, a law college student hailing from a poor family, was raped and brutally assaulted using sharp-edged weapons before being murdered at her house at Perumbavoor in Ernakulam district on April 28. She was found dead in a pool of blood at her one room home at 8 PM the same day by her mother when she returned from work. Kerala chief minister Oommen Chandy announced on Wednesday that the state government has decided to give Rs 10 lakh as compensation to the family of the Dalit law student who was brutally raped and murdered in Perumbavoor in Ernakulam District of Kerala. Earlier, asserting that swift action would be taken against the perpetrators of the brutal rape Chandy, who met the family members of the victim on Wednesday, said his government would do the necessary towards the demands of the victims family, who have asked for a job for the victims sister. This incident is a shame to the state. Weve decided to give all assistance to family. Her Family wants to get a job for the sister of the deceased girl, will do the necessary, Chandy told ANI. Will take strong legal action against the culprits in the brutal murder. Offenders will not be spared. The guilty will be brought to justice swiftly, he added. With protest marches by students and rights activists being held across Kerala condemning the ghastly incident, Chandy on Tuesday described the crime as shocking. The two persons taken into custody were questioned by a police team headed by Ernakulam Range IG Mahipal Yadav. Meanwhile, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) on Wednesday accused the Congress-led UDF government and the state police of initially trying to cover up the crime adding that an enquiry committee must be set up to probe the case. Instead of acting firmly while dealing with such cases, it is shameful that the state police and the Congress-led UDF government initially tried to cover up this heinous crime. Such behaviour on the part of the police and the administration is reprehensible and cannot be tolerated by any civilized society. It was thanks to a vigilant media and the massive public outcry that followed that forced the police to finally act, the party said in a statement. The 29-year-old woman was murdered after being brutally raped inside her home, near an isolated stretch, at Vattolippidi Canal Bund near Perumbavoor in District Ernakulam. Her body had at least 30 injuries, including on her private area. Reportedly, her small intestine had spilled out. A sketch of the suspect in the brutal rape and murder of 30-year-old-Dalit woman in Kerala was released by police on Wednesday, even as a postmortem revealed 38 big and small wounds on her body. No arrests have been made so far in connection with the murder of the woman, a law student, in her small wayside house in Perumbavoor on April 28, though three persons have been picked up for questioning. The shocking incident also had its echo in Rajya Sabha with members demanding exemplary punishment for the culprits while the state government assured stern action. Read:Kerala Dalit rape case: CPI(M) slams Cong, demands probe On the investigation side, Police released a sketch of a suspect while the post-mortem conducted at Alapuzha Medical College Hospital confirmed that she was subjected to brutal torture and rape. With the incident snowballing into an embarrassment for the state which is in the midst of campaigning for the Assembly elections on May 16, Chief Minister Oommen Chandy and Opposition leader V S Achutanandan visited the mother of the victim at Perumbavoor Taluk Hospital. While Chandy dismissed reports that the case had weakened following the delay in arresting the culprits, he said the government would spare no efforts in bringing the culprits to book. The government also announced a solatium of Rs 10 lakh to the family of the woman, who was found brutally murdered at her house in Perumbavoor. A government job will also be provided to the sister of the woman, an official press release said. CPI(M) veteran V S Achutanandan attacked the government and demanded that a new probe team be constituted. BJP state president Kummanam Rajasekharan criticised the government over the delay in the arrest of the accused. Kerala State Commission for SC/ST has taken up the matter while the state Human Rights Commission has said the crime branch should investigate the case. In the Rajya Sabha, Deputy Chairman P J Kurien described the incident as most shameful for every Keralite while the Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said it had crossed all limits and was inhuman. Social Justice Minister, Thawar Chand Gehlot, said he will be visiting Perumbavoor tomorrow to meet the victims mother and younger sister and help them in getting justice. National Womens Commission member, Rekha sharma, who visited the victims mother today, said a 30-year-old woman if she is not secure in her own house, where is she secure? If the streets are not secure, even the house is not secure for girls, where will they go? she asked. The Rajya Sabha on Wednesday began what was expected to be a fiery debate on alleged graft in the purchase of AgustaWestland VVIP helicopters, with both the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the opposition Congress in attack mode against each other. Click here to read a summary of what happened in Rajya Sabha on Wednesday. Here is how the debate panned out on Wednesday 7:30 pm: - Rajya Sabha adjourned till 11AM on Thursday. - Congress stages walk out from Rajya Sabha after defence minister Manohar Parrikars statement on Agusta Westland issue. 6:30pm: Manohar Parrikar ends his speech. - After present Govt took over, CBI & ED have been rigorously pursuing all aspects of the investigation. - It appears that an invincible hand was guiding actions or inactions by CBI & ED. - CBI registered an FIR in the case on March 12, 2013 based on reference made by defence ministry on February 12, 2013. But CBI didnt bother to forward a copy of the FIR to Enforcement Directorate (ED) for nine months. Strangely ED did not act on the FIR till July 2014. - UPA, instead of taking action against the company, wrote to external affairs Ministry, embassy & court - Investigation so far in the VVIP chopper case has revealed involvement of Ids Infotech as a channel for transfer of bribe money. - The benchmark cost given by contract negotiation committee (CNC) was unreasonably high and had provided no realistic basis for price negotiations - CAG report highlighted that allowed offsets were not compliant with Defence Procurement Policy (DPP). Uproar in Rajya Sabha after Parrikars statement on Agusta Westland issue. - The fact that there was corruption in the chopper deal is brought out in recent judgments of Milan court. - India wants to know who instigated, supported and benefited from the VVIP chopper scam. We cant let this pass. Defence minister Manohar Parrikar begins his speech. 6:00pm: AK Antony ends his speech. - The decision to change the height was taken by then PMO and NDA Govt (the choppers flying ceiling of 6,000 m and a cabinet height of 1.8 metre was altered allegedly to suit AgustaWestland) - We acted immediately after the first report in media on alleged scam in helicopter deal. - It is proved beyond doubt there was corruption in chopper deal, you (NDA Govt) have to act now. -Former defence minister AK Antony begins his speech. 5:55pm: Read : Will quit public life if found guilty, says Ahmed Patel - Ahmed Patel ends his speech - If you can find even an iota of truth in all the accusations being made, I will give up public life and resign. - And if anyone can prove that from this report, I will submit my resignation. - My name only comes 4 times in the entire report. Does it say anywhere in the report that the Cong leaders have taken a bribe? - CAG should not be used as a tool for political bickering. - Government should probe into the deal, I will quit politics if they get something against me. - This is not the first time I am being attacked. 5:50pm: - Congress leader Ahmed Patel begins his speech in Rajya Sabha 5:40pm: -Anand Sharma ends his speech. 5:30pm: - What has been said in the House, attributing motives, insinuations, innuendos are without any foundation, malicious and motivated. - Truth and medicine both are bitter but both are cures - one for lies, the other for disease. 5:20pm: - We know their agenda and we are determined to fight and expose that agenda. - This is a democracy. What has been referred to, must be authenticated by government, put here and scrutinised legally. - Congress will answer on every question raised by the ruling party. - Attempts are being made to mislead the people. 5:09pm: - Congress leader Anand Sharma begins his speech in Rajya Sabha. 5:05pm: - Subramanian Swamy ends his speech in Rajya Sabha - Will provide authenticated letter copy. - Bribes couldnt have been taken by 1 IAF man, ex-PM Manmohan Singh was overruled by super cabinet. 5pm: - Uproar in House as Congress questions AgustaWestLand deal documents quoted by Swamy. - Congress leader Anand Sharma says rules of discussion have been broken. He demands authenticaion of the documents. Uproar in Rajya Sabha during discussion on #AgustaWestland issue. pic.twitter.com/h4RnpHAssq ANI (@ANI_news) May 4, 2016 4:50pm: Highlights of Subramanian Swamys speech in Rajya Sabha - Air Force in Jan 2006 gave their benchmark estimate for this deal as 793 cr. This was approved by Mr Antony the then defence minister. - In Sept 2008, contract negotiations committee arbitrarily fixed Rs 4877.5 cr as the deal which was 6 times more. 4:45pm: - Ruckus in House by Congress members over Swamys speech. Venkaiah Naidu requests deputy chairman to allow Swamy to complete his speech. 4:40pm - CAG says that already present 8 helicpoters which was bought in 1988 was hardly utilised, what was need for this additional 4? - Original proposal was to buy 8 helicopters, after it became clear that Agusta was only 1 to qualify, they decided to buy 4 more. 4:25pm: - Field tests were not conducted on AW101, supposed to be used for VVIP, but on some other choppers - There was a clear effort to eliminate all other companies so that only Agusta would fit the required criteria. 4:15pm - It took a NDA government to ban AgustaWestland. - They didnt use AW101 aircraft (which was bought) for field trials but used some other helicopter, which is fraud in its itself. - That was lowered because it was found that present choice that we have made of AgustaWestland cannot fly beyond 4500 metres. - People who lowered height was not NDA. It is a lie to say that NDA government was one which changed specification of height.. 4:10pm: Subramanian Swamy begins his speech in Rajya Sabha. 3:40m: Highlights of BSP chief Mayawatis speech - Our party demands that investigation into #AgustaWestland matter should be quick and impartial. - Wouldve been better had final investigations report come and then wed debate. - There should be a Supreme Court monitored probe into AgustaWestland case. 3pm: Highlights of JDU leader Sharad Yadavs speech - No need to make false accusations. Accusations need corroboration else it simply defames people for no reason. - There are so many more important issues going on in the nation. They are the ones that should be discussed in the House. - Why are you not letting Parl function? Why is this an issue when you have all the agencies to your behest?. Also Read | In 5 points: All you need to know about AgustaWestland deal 2:44 pm - Congress MP Abhishek Manu Singhvi leads partys Agusta defence in Rajya Sabha. Training gun on BJP, Singhvi said charges of corruption leveled against Congress are baseless as the government is trying to divert attention from getting to the root of the Agusta scam. - Reading the judgment of the Italian court, Sanghvi said We have no evidence against Sonia Gandhi. Only a mention of her in the facts, as a person who will fly in these machines. The same holds true for Manmohan Singh. We have faith in the loosely translated report of a judge of another country but dont trust our own courts. Here is an insecure ruling party trying to foist a charge of corruption on persons unconnected: AM Singhvi, Congress in RS ANI (@ANI_news) May 4, 2016 Just because you have inbuilt hatred for certain names doesnt mean they shall be put in place for initials used, said Sanghvi in Parliament. How can you have hypocrisy & double standard? we have to be more matured, he added. 2:35 PM - BJP member Bhupendra Yadav initiated the discussion, accusing the Congress of creating conditions to favour the Italian company for the purchase. - All defence procurements need to be made transparent, he said in his initial remarks of a serious debate that involves revelations of corruption in a defence purchase. Why did UPA not initiate an investigation into who all took bribes in the #AgustaWestland matter?: Bhupender Yadav, BJP in RS ANI (@ANI_news) May 4, 2016 2:30 PM - Uproar in Rajya Sabha as defence minister Manohar Parrikar started giving chronological details of AgustaWestland matter. This matter started in 2002, just wanted to inform the house the chronological order of events in the matter, without any comments: Parrikar ANI (@ANI_news) May 4, 2016 Parrikars much-awaited statement in the Rajya Sabha came in the wake of the ruling BJP mounting sharp attacks on top Congress leaders, including party president Sonia Gandhi, over the deal. Also Read | AgustaWestland deal: ED summons former IAF chief SP Tyagi on May 5 The BJP has alleged that the former UPA government allegedly eased some key clauses to benefit the UK-based AgustaWestland, with whom India had signed a Rs 3,727-crore contract for 12 AW-101 choppers in February 2010. The firm, a subsidiary of Italian defence conglomerate Finmeccanica, beat off competition from US rival Sikorsky to win the deal. Much to the delight of the central government, which was facing attacks from the Opposition on the imposition of Presidents rule in Uttarakhand as well as its Pakistan policy, an Italian court of appeals in Milan brought the deal back into the spotlight early last month by reversing a lower courts verdict that there was no evidence of corruption. The court then found former Finmeccanica chairman Giuseppe Orsi and AgustaWestland ex-CEO Bruno Spagnolini guilty of corruption, and sent them to prison. Also Read | Govt defers approval to AgustaWestland FDI in Indian joint venture While former IAF chief Air Chief Marshal SP Tyagi and his cousins are suspected to have manipulated the system to swing the chopper deal, the names of some top Congress leaders and bureaucrats have also been linked to the alleged kickbacks. On April 27, BJP leader Subramanian Swamy mentioned Gandhis name in the Rajya Sabha while referring to allegations made by one of the middlemen. Last week, when the Congress sought to defend itself by saying that the company was banned by the erstwhile UPA government, Parrikar challenged it to produce the order blacklisting the firm. Also Read | Come out with AgustaWestland deal truth in 2 months: Congress dares govt Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Wednesday said the BJPs new revelation on the VVIP chopper scam was most welcome. Read more: Walkouts, protests, barbs: What happened in RS over AgustaWestland Defence minister Manohar Parrikar will place in Parliament a detailed chronology of the controversial deal and seek to establish how the previous government allegedly eased some key clauses to benefit the UK-based AgustaWestland, with whom India signed a Rs 3,727-crore contract for 12 AW-101 choppers in February 2010. The firm is a subsidiary of Italian defence conglomerate Finmeccanica. Parrikars much-awaited statement in the Rajya Sabha will come in the wake of the BJP mounting sharp attacks on top Congress leaders, including party president Sonia Gandhi, over the deal. While former IAF chief Air Chief Marshal SP Tyagi and his cousins are among those accused of taking bribes, the names of some top Congress leaders and bureaucrats have also been linked to the kickbacks leading to a no-holds-barred political battle. Read more: AgustaWestland: CBI to grill ex-IAF chief Tyagi for third day today Earlier in the day, Sonia called a party meeting to decide their strategy in the debate on the AgustaWestland chopper scam in the Rajya Sabha. With BJP MP Kirit Somaiya alleging that Rahuls close aide Kanishka Singh was involved in AgustaWestland and 2010 Commonwealth Games scams, the Rajya Sabha could see a heated debate. Sonia Gandhi will sit with former PM Manmohan Singh, leader of the Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad, former defence minister AK Antony, partys deputy leader in the Upper House Anand Sharma and some other senior leaders to discuss the talking points and ways to counter the BJP. Read more: Chopper scam: ED begins probe as Emaar MGF denies link with middleman Congress sources said, Azad, Sharma and the partys ace legal brain, Abhishek Manu Singhvi, may participate in the debate in which defence minister Manohar Parikkar is likely to furnish fresh details of the scam to corner the Congress. The party may have to fend for itself in Rajya Sabha as Trinamool Congress, a key Opposition party, has already indicated it will train its guns on the Congress. Parties such as the AIADMK and the BJD, too, are likely to take this opportunity to hit out at the Congress. All eyes would be on the Left parties, a key force in the Upper House, if they come out in support of the Congress in a corruption case. AgustaWestland beat off competition from US rival Sikorsky to win the contract. The deal came back into the spotlight early last month, after an Italian court of appeals reversed the verdict of a lower court that corruption could not be proved. The higher court in Milan found former Finmeccanica chairman Giuseppe Orsi and AgustaWestland ex-CEO Bruno Spagnolini guilty of corruption and sent them to prison. Defence minister Manohar Parrikar is expected to tear into the Congress-led UPA regime over the VVIP chopper deal on Wednesday, seeking to further corner the main Opposition party in the kickbacks scandal. Parrikar will place in Parliament a detailed chronology of the controversial deal and seek to establish how the previous government allegedly eased some key clauses to benefit the UK-based AgustaWestland, with whom India signed a Rs 3,727-crore contract for 12 AW-101 choppers in February 2010. The firm is a subsidiary of Italian defence conglomerate Finmeccanica. AgustaWestland beat off competition from US rival Sikorsky to win the contract. The deal came back into the spotlight early last month, after an Italian court of appeals reversed the verdict of a lower court that corruption could not be proved. The higher court in Milan found former Finmeccanica chairman Giuseppe Orsi and AgustaWestland ex-CEO Bruno Spagnolini guilty of corruption and sent them to prison. Former IAF chief Air Chief Marshal SP Tyagi and his cousins figure among those accused of taking bribes. (Photo courtesy: agustawestland.com) Parrikars much-awaited statement in the Rajya Sabha will come in the wake of the BJP mounting sharp attacks on top Congress leaders, including party president Sonia Gandhi, over the deal. While former IAF chief Air Chief Marshal SP Tyagi and his cousins are among those accused of taking bribes, the names of some top Congress leaders and bureaucrats have also been linked to the kickbacks leading to a no-holds-barred political battle. On April 27, BJP leader Subramanian Swamy mentioned Sonia Gandhis name in the Rajya Sabha while referring to allegations made by one of the middlemen. Her name was later expunged. Read: Chopper scam: ED begins probe as Emaar MGF denies link with middleman Parrikar is likely to state in Parliament that while bribe givers in the case have been convicted, it is now the bribe takers who need to be identified and punished. He may also ask the Congress to explain why the firm was not blacklisted by the UPA regime despite graft charges. Last week, after the Congress claimed that the company was banned by the erstwhile UPA government, Parrikar challenged it to show the order blacklisting the firm. He is likely to claim that dealings with Finmeccanica were put on hold only on July 3, 2014, after the NDA government came to power. In its counter-offensive, the Congress is likely to question the Modi government on why it has not finished investigating the case despite being in power for two years. The government claims that the probe has been delayed because some key perpetrators are still outside the country. With Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar set to make a statement on the controversial AgustaWestland chopper deal in Rajya Sabha on Wednesday, Prime minister Narendra Modi has called a meeting of top cabinet ministers ahead of the crucial day in the Parliament. The meeting, which is expected to be held in Parliament, would be attended by Parrikar, Home Minister Rajnath Singh, Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Venkaiah Naidu, besides others. Parrikar, who met Modi on Tuesday, is expected to address the Rajya Sabha at 2 p.m. during the short duration debate. Earlier, Parrikar had stated said his Parliament address would include how and when necessary clauses or provisions were relaxed to suit the company. Leader of the Congress in Lok Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge, had on Monday accused the Centre of pursuing a politically motivated campaign to defame the grand old party through the AgustaWestland copter scam. Meanwhile, the CBI has started third day of questioning of former Air chief SP Tyagi at its headquarter at CGO complex in connection with alleged irregularities in the Rs 3600 crore VVIP chopper deal. The investigating agency had on Saturday quizzed former IAF deputy chief JS Gujral in connection with this case. Both Tyagi and Gujral were questioned at length in 2013, but the fresh round of questioning was necessitated after recent order of an Italian Court which indicated corruption in the deal. News / Local by Thobekile Zhou Bulawayo City Council has declined to offer War Veterans, War Collaborators, Ex Political Detainees and Restrictees ministry land in Pumula South to build a memorial hospital.Councillors said land for such facilities have already been availed to other groupings in Pumula South.However, the applicants are still to construct.Councillors, according to a report availed on Wednesday said the ministry could be offered land in other townships.The war veterans ministry has long indicated that it intends to build such a facility. During the debate Councillor Ephraham Ncube noted that War Veterans were recognised groups of people. Most of them were still nursing post war injuries."A special medical facility was therefore referred for them. He supported the application" Councillor Lot Siziba concurred saying that the application should be acceded to. Councillor Silas Chigora sought clarification on the piece of land being applied for. He wanted to know what the land was reserved for?"The hospital should cater for all residents and not specific individuals" said Chigora. Councillor Norman Hlabani said that the application should be supported but with conditions."The hospital should benefit all residents in Bulawayo. He enquired if the land would be leased or sold to the applicants? " reads part of the report.Councillor Rodney Jele said the committee had in the past dealt with an application of a similar nature in Ward 27."If this application was acceded to, then the ward would have 2 hospitals adjacent to each other. He also wanted to know if there was state land which Central Government could utilise in Pumula South for this purpose? Councillor Monica Lubimbi also said there were a number of activities in Ward 27 and in view of this, such facilities should be established in other wards.Councillor Silas Khumalo said that two applications for private clinics in Ward 27 had already been acceded to." Up to now no construction works had commenced. He felt that other wards should also benefit from such services. Therefore the development should go to other wards".An official with the Engineering Services said the area was a big piece of land reserved for a hospital. Although another applicant had been authorised to establish a hospital, there was adequate land for the proposed facility.Councillors then resolved "That the recommendation of the Director of Engineering Services be not adopted and instead the applicant be offered a suitable piece of land elsewhere in Bulawayo, (but not in Ward 27) for the purpose of constructing a memorial hospital as similar facilities had already been established in Pumula South". Shivakumaraiah, the suspected kingpin behind the pre-university course (PUC) chemistry question paper leak in Karnataka, has been arrested after a month-long hunt, a top police official said on Tuesday. We found him hiding in an under-construction building on Monday night and took him into custody under the Karnataka Control of Organised Crimes Prevention Act (KCOCA), state criminal investigation department (CID) Director General of Police H.C. Kishore Chandra told reporters. A special court sent Shivakumaraiah to 10-day judicial custody for further investigation, as he was found to be involved in leaking question papers of other exams held by the state secondary school board and universities in the state. Investigations revealed that the suspect was on the run for a month and fled to neighbouring states, including Tamil Nadu, after his co-accused named him during custodial interrogation following their arrest in mid-April. We are on the lookout for his son Dinesh, and relative Kiran, who were also involved in leaking the chemistry paper on March 21 and again on March 31, leading to the cancellation of the exam twice, Chandra said. The PU board held the re-scheduled exam on April 12 without a hitch across the state. Fearing imminent arrest, Shivakumaraiah sought anticipatory bail on April 7 in a court, which rejected it after the CID invoked the stringent KCOCA on April 21. Probe into Shivakumaraiahs past also revealed that cases were registered against him for his alleged role in the leak of question papers between 2008-2014 in the city and Tumakuru, about 70 km away from the city. Among the dozen suspects arrested in the paper leak scam include Oblaraju, personal assistant (PA) to state Medical Education Minister Sharan Prakash Patil, Rudrappa, a PWD officer, and Manjunath, a teacher in a city private college. The paper leak for the second time also led to the suspension of 40 officials in the PU board exam division from joint director to class four employee (peon) on the same day (March 31) and transfer of board director Pallavi Akurathi, a 2009 IAS batch officer, to another state department on April 1. Former defence minister A K Antony on Wednesday said it was beyond doubt bribe was given in the AgustaWestland helicopter deal and it is the duty of the present-day government to punish those guilty. Participating in the Rajya Sabha debate on the issue of AgustaWestland VVIP chopper deal payoffs, Antony also said the government should not politicise the issue or threaten and blackmail. It is true... beyond doubt there is corruption in this deal... All legal hurdles are over, you have to act now, Antony said. Now corruption has been proved, we can win the arbitration case... get thousands of crores of rupees as compensation, Antony added. Now that corruption has been proved, take action against the bribe takers... It is your duty, not my duty. Immediately blacklist them for 10 years. It is proved this company is a corrupt company, dont involve them in any Make in India projects, he said. The former defence minister, however, said the issue should not be politicised. Dont politicise the issue, you will repent... Take strongest action against whoever may have taken money. Dont try to threaten people, he said. Antony even named Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) member Subramanian Swamy, and after objection from treasury benches, changed it to honourable member. He said dont threaten us. If you have all evidences, take action and prosecute. Dont threaten and dont blackmail, he said. The Congress leader also gave a point by point rebuttal of charges levelled by the ruling party, and said the change in norms, including altitude the chopper could scale and height of its cabin, was decided during the previous National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government of Atal Bihari Vajpayee. He also said that officials from the defence ministry, external affairs ministry and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) attended all hearings of the case in Italy at the time. Asked why the initial decision to buy eight choppers was increased to 12, the Congress leader said only eight choppers were meant to be for VIP use, and rest were for non-VIP use. On the blacklisting of AgustaWestland, Antony said the then solicitor general had advised that intimidatory action could have affected Indias case to get the security money back, which is why the government went slow on it, and then they were out of power. On the question why a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) was not constituted, the former defence minister said: We made commitment in the house that we were ready for a JPC, but the leader of opposition at that time said no. Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi said on Wednesday he did purchase shops in a mall owned by real estate developer Emaar MGF Land Ltd in Delhi as he countered Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Kirit Somaiyas charges against him and an aide in the controversial AgustaWestland chopper deal. Yes I did and it is on my affidavit. What is wrong in it? asked Gandhi. Somaiya alleged that Gandhi bought shops in a south Delhi mall owned by Emaar-MGF, a firm founded by relatives of his close aide Kanishka Singh in 2005. The BJP leader also accused Singh of owning shares in the real estate company that also has Guido Ralph Haschke, one of the middlemen in the AgustaWestland deal who paid bribes in exchange for the Anglo-Italian firm to be chosen as the supplier of 12 helicopters to India, as a director on its board. The deal was cancelled in 2014 by the Indian government after Italian investigations uncovered details of kickbacks. Read: Happy to be targeted, says Rahul Gandhi on AgustaWestland issue The Congress vice-president had dared the ruling BJP on Tuesday and said that he has always under attack from the ruling party. I am always being targeted, happy to be targeted, Gandhi said while reacting to the BJP members allegations. Haschke, Somaiya also alleged, was also involved in the 2010 Commonwealth Games (CWG) scam. Emaar-MGF was involved in the CWG scam. There too, there was Guido Haschke. This cannot be a mere coincidence, Somaiya told ANI earlier. Singh rubbished Somaiyas allegations on Tuesday as malafide and baseless. Mr Somaiyas allegations about me are entirely baseless, false and with an ulterior political motive. Somaiya has been making these false allegations about me with malafide intent since February 2013, Singh said in a statement. He demanded that Somaiya should provide proof about it at the earliest which could facilitate a proper investigation and prosecution of the guilty. He also said it is up to the agencies to investigate whether officials of AgustaWestland were involved with Emaar-MGF or not. Read: No business links with Rahul Gandhis aide, clarifies Emaar MGF Congress also issued a statement in Singhs defence saying he has absolutely nothing to do with the matter. Singh wishes for parties, including AgustaWestland or Haschke or Emaar-MGF, to be punished in the harshest possible way if found guilty, Congress said in a statement. Kanishka Singh has nothing to do with (it) and has been on estranged terms with the Rajiv Gupta family (Emaar-MGF) who, though related, fell out in 2005 when Rajiv Gupta propounded a Will of Ved Prakash Gupta, which Kanishka Singh and his mother say is a case of forgery and fabrication, and the matter has been pending in court since then, it added. (With ANI and IANS inputs) Embattled liquor baron Vijay Mallya escaped the ignominy of expulsion from Parliament after Rajya Sabha chairman Hamid Ansari accepted his second resignation letter on Wednesday, which was delivered by his special messenger from London. The stage was set for the MPs expulsion as Vice-President Ansari rejected his first resignation letter on Tuesday evening, citing procedural lapses. Besides, the ethics committee of the Upper House recommended Mallyas sacking in its report earlier in the day. The 60-year-old high-profile businessman, who is said to be in Britain after he left India on March 2, rushed a messenger from London on Wednesday. Read | Here is what Mallya said in his stinging letter to RS Ethics Committee He is wanted in India for alleged money laundering and loan defaults to the tune of more than Rs 9,000 crore. The second letter was delivered to the Rajya Sabha secretary general Shamsher Sharif on Wednesday afternoon. Mallya rang up Sharif to confirm that it was his letter and requested him to accept it. Unlike the first letter, where he wrote at length about the injustice and propaganda against him, the second letter bore a single line: I hereby unconditionally resign from the membership of the Rajya Sabha with immediate effect. House deputy chairman PJ Kurien announced the news after a debate on the controversial AgustaWestland helicopter deal got over. Vijay Mallyas resignation from Rajya Sabha has been accepted by the chairman, he said. Since Mallya is no longer a member of the House, the ethics committees recommendations are not applicable any more, sources said. The panel said in its report: The committee hopes that by taking such stern action, a message would reach the general public that Parliament is committed to take such steps as are necessary against erring members to uphold the dignity and prestige of this great institution. Mallya had hit back at the panel in an earlier reply. I express my deep anguish and disappointment that my Rajya Sabha colleagues have chosen to be swayed and taken in by derogatory, and often blatantly false media frenzy and hysteria needlessly created against me, he wrote. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON With several members in Rajya Sabha demanding exemplary punishment for the culprits of rape and murder of a Dalit woman in Kerala, social justice minister Thawar Chand Gehlot said on Wednesday he will visit the village of the rape victim on Thursday. During the zero hour, CP Narayanan of CPI(M) raised the issue of the rape and murder in Ernakulam district of Kerala on April 28, terming it as a dastardly attack similar to the December 16 Delhi gang rape case. Referring to the rape incidents in Kasargod and Thiruvananthapuram, Narayanan said, It is a black mark. Police is not very active in apprehending the culprits. Deputy chairman PJ Kurien said: It is a very, very heinous crime. Most shameful for every Keralite. Several members associated themselves with the issue and demanded strict action against the culprits, with Tarun Vijay of BJP demandiing that a team should visit the state. Responding the anguish expressed by members, Gehlot told them that he would visit the state on Thursday and meet the victims family. I will go to Kerala tomorrow and meet the family of the girl. I will help them get justice, he added. Read | Kerala horror: 20-year-old nursing student gangraped in auto Vijay, who had raised the issue as soon as the House met, said it was a repetition of the Nirbhaya case and the Kerala government had completely failed to control such incidents. Gods own country should not turn into a rapist country, he added. D Raja (CPI) drew the governments attention towards the atrocities committed against Dalits across the country, adding that legislations have proved to be of no help. SC Mishra of BSP said that atrocities were happening across India. The House is concerned. Stringent action should be taken and exemplary punishment given. Do everything possible so that such incidents do not happen, Kurien said. Parliamentary affairs ministers, Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, said the incident of rape and murder had crossed all limits and was inhuman. Read | Kerala woman raped and killed, intestines ripped out in attack Uttarakhand high court chief justice KM Joseph, who along with justice VK Bisht quashed Presidents rule in the state, has been transferred to the Andhra Pradesh high court as chief justice. Coming at a time when an appeal against the verdict is being heard in the Supreme Court, the transfer has raised eyebrows in certain sections. Justice Joseph took over as the Uttarakhand HCs chief justice on July 31, 2014. Sources say he was likely to be elevated to the SC. Read | Consider a floor test in Uttarakhand under our watch, Supreme Court tells Centre Justice Joseph had made a mark with his observations during the hearings on the same petition that made national headlines. These include observations as there is no absolutism, the President is not king, is the governor an agent of the central government?, defection is a constitutional sin, you are hitting at the very core of democracy (to the central government), etc. After the judgment, justice Joseph had come under a scathing attack by RSS mouthpiece Panchjanya, which alleged his family was close to the Congress. The saffron newspaper had also raised questions over his judgments. During the court hearings on outgoing CM Harish Rawats petition challenging Presidents rule, justice Joseph had asked whether principles of natural justice had been used while implementing Article 356 in the state. He had rapped attorney general Mukul Rohtagi for his pleas saying the imposition of Presidents rule was justified as the state machinery had failed and there was some possibility of anarchy. The multi-crore AgustaWestland helicopter scam that will come up for discussion in Parliament on Wednesday has been the catalyst for political fireworks between the government and the opposition in the Rajya Sabha in the past week. Read more: PM Modi calls meeting of top ministers ahead of Agusta debate in RS Bharatiya Janata Partys (BJP) newly-nominated member of Parliament Subramanian Swamy was the first to drag Congress president Sonia Gandhis name into the controversy over the VVIP chopper scam. Though his comments were later expunged, it led to a war of words with the main Opposition party. Read more: AgustaWestlan: CBI to grill ex-IAF chief Tyagi for third day today On April 27, the Upper House had to be adjourned several times when members of Congress party rose in protest against Swamy, who had earlier taken Sonia and her son Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi to court over the National Herald case, for bringing in their chiefs name. Read more: Sonia calls strategy meet ahead of AgustaWestland debate A day later, the BJP MP again stoked tempers in the House after making references to the Constitution of another country, provoking Leader of the Opposition, Ghulam Nabi Azad, to protest and point out that Swamy does not know the difference between street language and parliamentary words. Swamy also moved a breach of privilege notice in the Rajya Sabha against Azad for claiming that the UPA government had blacklisted AgustaWestland and its Italian parent Finmeccanica. The controversy over the deal resurfaced last month after the names of five Congress leaders, including party chief Sonia Gandhi, and UPA II functionaries figured in a judgement by an Italian court. AgustaWestland allegedly paid Rs 375 crore as bribe to secure a Rs 3,727-crore contract to supply 12 VVIP choppers to the Indian Air Force. The previous UPA government scrapped the deal over charges of kickbacks to Indian agents in 2014. The Trinamool Congress is also training its guns against Congress for its alleged involvement in the scam. The TMC raised the AgustaWestland issue in the Upper House on Monday and insisted on identifying who Gandhi and AP mentioned in the alleged bribery case were. TMC member Sukhendu Sekhar Roy, who raised the issue despite the rejection of his notice for an adjournment, was asked by chairman Hamid Ansari to withdraw from the House for the day. Even as Congress has been vehemently denying the charges and has said that the UPA had blacklisted Finmeccanica, defence minister Manohar Parrikar is expected to put on record how dealings with the company were put on hold only on July 3, 2014, after the NDA government came to power to tear into the Congress arguments. For residents of Dulami block in Ramagarh district of Jharkhand, March 31 ushered in a new dawn. At a much-touted function, local authorities declared the semi-urban block headquarters as the states first open defecation-free block a huge achievement in a state where more than 32% urban households still relieve themselves in the open. The joy and pride, however, barely lasted a month and the locals have taken to the fields again. Reason: Water shortage. Large swathes of the state are reeling under acute water scarcity with majority of the sources drying up, making it extremely difficult to arrange for even potable drinking water. Hence, the villagers who stood against open defecation a month ago are justifying the exact opposite. Block development officer Md Aslam conceded that water crisis has affected the open defecation-free status. Most of the people are still using toilets but if the crisis persists, you cannot stop them either, he said. Dulami has a total of 12,400 houses and since May 2015, 10,567 toilets have been constructed there with the help of Unicef and NGO Vikas Bharti. In no time, the sanitation campaign reached a feverish pitch, taking the shape of a movement. Locals carried out awareness drives, village committees were formed to fine offenders and young women resolved to marry only in families that had toilets at home. Sadly, all this now appears to be a memory of a distant past. We are helpless. There is no other way out for us, said a village head, Parwati Devi, who was one of the women to give the clarion call of padho vidyalay mein aur shauch karo shauchalay mein (study in school and relieve in toilets) last month. After coming out with a ranking of cleanest cities in the country early this year, the Central government now plans to rank the villages on different sanitation parameters. In partnership with Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the centre will carry out a survey in June to rank the villages. The idea, sources said, is to encourage villages to improve sanitation and become open defecation-free. The survey will involve interaction with village panchayats, visiting households and taking pictures in different locations in villages. This will be done by government accreditation body Quality Council of India and along with a professional surveyor team, a drinking water and sanitation ministry official said. The parameters on which the villages will be ranked include availability and usage of toilets, no cases of open defecation and safe disposal of solid and liquid wastes. The move is in line with governments Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, which aims to build as many as 12 crore toilets in the rural areas by 2019, coinciding with Mahatma Gandhis 150th birth anniversary. As against this target, the government has built close to 1.40 lakh toilets so far. According to governments latest estimates, 49.89% rural households have toilet facility. While Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the programme in his inaugural Independence Day address on August 15, 2014, it was formally launched on October 2 the same year. Earlier this year, the government released the ranking of cleanest cities in February. While Mysore in Karnataka, Chandigarh in Punjab and Tiruchirapalli in Tamil Nadu topped the list, Dhanbad in Jharkhand and Asansol in West Bengal were ranked the dirtiest, among others. At a time when the state is reeling under acute water crisis, the Ajmer administration wasted more than seven lakh litres of water to construct a temporary helipad for the chief ministers convenience. The administration went ahead with the construction despite a permanent helipad located barely two-and-half kilometre from the site. Like the rest of India, Rajasthan is facing water crisis this summer. As many as 19 of the total 33 districts are drought affected. Ajmer, Banswara, Baran, Barmer, Bhilwara, Chittorgarh, Churu, Dungarpur, Hanumangarh, Jaipur, Jaisalmer, Jalore, Jhunjhunu, Jodhpur, Nagaur, Pali, Rajsamand, Udaipur and Pratapgarh are reeling under drought. The chief ministers visit was for a very short period Keeping in mind her convenience, we ordered the construction of a new helipad, Ajmer sub-divisional magistrate HL Meena said. The temporary helipad was less than one kilometre from the site where Raje inaugurated the first rope-way system of Rajasthan. I was ordered by the officials to water the helipad area to settle the sand at the site, said Shaitan Singh, water tanker owner. I have been watering the site for past three days. 40 tankers of 6,000 litre capacity each have been pouring water at the site. The main opposition Congress took no time to latch on to the episode to target chief minister Vasundhara Raje. It shows the insensitive attitude of the BJP leadership towards the plight of people who are facing acute water shortage in the state. At one side, the people are struggling to meet their daily water requirements, while the BJP workers are wasting lakhs of litres of water for their comforts, alleged Congress state chief Sachin Pilot. News / Local by Thobekile Zhou Five top Bulawayo City Council officials are set to travel to China for an investment promotion and twinning trip.Government, through the office of the Minister of State for Provincial Affairs, Bulawayo Metropolitan Province Eunice Sandi-Moyo invited council to be part of the delegation early this month.The Ministry of Macro Economic Planning and Investment Promotion is coordinating an Investment Promotion trip to Qingdao, China.Reads part of the invitation to council seen by Bulawayo24.com "Metropolitan Province are invited to take part in this trip to promote investment for Bulawayo."This visit in May 2016 is a culmination of the talks done earlier this year.Bulawayo City Council is therefore requested to come up with a delegation of at least 5 people which may include the His Worship the Mayor and four other technocrats that will accompany the Honourable Minister to Qingdao, China".It added " The revival of Bulawayo requires a joint effort that will guarantee the turnaround of industry in the City".Council seconded the mayor, acting Town Clerk, Mrs Sikhangele Zhou, director of Engineering Services, Engineer Simela Dube, Acting City Economic Development Officer, Brian Hlongwane and senior Public Relations Officer Nesisa Mpofu. The Supreme Court ruling in favour of Mumbais dance bars came as a relief not just to the establishments that have remained closed since 2005 but also to starry-eyed village girls in far off states. Badnapur, a nondescript village in Madhya Pradeshs Gwalior district, is what one would call a red-light area a place with a concentration of prostitution and sex-oriented businesses and Mumbai offers its girls a chance at a respectable life. Our area is known as a red light area but we know how dark it is and there is no end to darkness here, said Gudiya. And the impact Mumbai has had on Badnapur is apparent from the grand houses and SUVs that punctuate the line of thatched huts. After closure of the dance bars in Mumbai, a good number of women returned to the village with a considerable amount of money and built the houses. But to sustain, they had to do something. Hence, they were compelled to choose prostitution, she said. No wonder the SC order to open the dance bars a decade after they were banned by the Maharashtra government was welcomed with joyous dance to the latest Bollywood hits. About 25 girls have already left for Mumbai and the rest are practising, said Gudiya. A similar sense of relief prevailed in villages in Rajasthans Ajmer district. Girls here share the same story of poverty, hardship and prostitution, and the hope of a good life in Mumbai. Priti, who belongs to a denotified tribe in Badgaon, used to earn Rs 30,000-Rs 40,000 a month as a dancer until she, like many others, was forced to return to her earlier life as a sex worker after the bars closed. But now, she hopes to return. The younger and prettier girls opt for Mumbai as they can earn well, Priti said, adding that those who dont leave will continue to cater to truck drivers on the Ajmer-Jaipur highway. In addition to being profitable, Mumbai also offers these women a chance to lead a life of dignity. In our community, girls are born into prostitution. Even for men its difficult to live a dignified life. People always look at us with suspicion, said a man in Badnapur. This is the last chance for us, said Gudiya. The girls now hope to earn enough to never have to go back to flesh trade, so the next generation doesnt have to face the stares and judgement of society that considers their profession immoral. [All names changed to protect identity] Fifteen-year-old Nihal Shrinivas Bitla who suffered from a rare genetic disorder progeria, succumbed to his condition at a hospital in Karimnagar in Telangana on Tuesday. Nihal was instrumental in creating awareness about the disorder in India, and was the face of the Progeria Research Foundations campaign to detect undiagnosed children living in India. HutchinsonGilford progeria syndrome, commonly known as progeria, is the condition where a child ages eight times faster than normal and hence has a much shorter life span than children their age. Such children usually die from a heart attack or stroke. Nihal and his family, who live in Bhiwandi, were in Telangana to attend a wedding. As he was severely dehydrated, the teen was admitted to a local hospital. Doctors suspect that Nihals hardened arteries, a condition common in the elderly that restricts blood flow, contributed to his sudden death. Dr Parag Tamhankar from National Institute for Research in Reproductive Health, who had diagnosed Nihal when he was 10, said the boy appeared like a 60-year-old despite his age. Nihal was brought to him with complaints of stiffness of bones and wrinkles all over his face. In 2014, Nihal along with three-year-old Ishan, another child with Progeria from Satara, went to Boston, US, to undergo a clinical trial of a cancer drug meant to slow accelerated ageing. Read: Mumbais only child with progeria raises awareness, funds A campaign called #finding 60 in India is working towards finding undetected cases in India. The campaign is spearheaded by Team Nihal, under the aegis of Progeria Research Foundation that estimates at least 60 children in India suffer from progeria. So far only four, including Nihal, have been diagnosed. It was Nihals efforts that were instrumental in finding two more cases: five-year-olds Aditya from Rajasthan and Prachi from Patna. In 2009, only 56 children globally were diagnosed with progeria, according to the foundation. With their efforts, now 125 children have been found. Read: Aamir Khan meets fan with progeria, leaves him optimistic Despite his efforts to raise awareness, Nihal had to deal with stigma from the disease and stopped going to school. He liked painting and had the opportunity to personally gift one of his works to actor Aamir Khan. The Bollywood actor met Nihal after he found out the boy wanted to meet him. Dr Tamhankar had earlier said that children with progeria generally appear normal at birth. During the first year, signs and symptoms, such as slow growth and hair loss, begin to appear. There is no complete cure for this disease but with the new drug treatment, the life expectancy of these children can get extended and quality of life may improve, he told Hindustan Times. The Gautam Budh Nagar fast-track court, hearing the case of the murder of Mohammad Ikhlaq in Bisada village, on Wednesday did not disclose the forensic report on the meat recovered from Ikhlaqs fridge following objections by the public prosecutor. Fifty-five-year-old Moham-mad Ikhlaq and his son Danish were attacked by a mob at their home in Bisada village on September 28 last year over rumours that they slaughtered a cow and stored its meat for consumption. .Also read: No need for CBI probe into Dadri case, govt tells HC After 15 minutes of argument, the court deferred the matter to May 9. The public prosecutor has not registered any written objection so far. We hope that the court will give us a copy of forensic report at the next hearing, said Ram Sharan Nagar, counsel of the accused persons. Ikhlaq succumbed to injuries while Danish survived with a fractured skull, triggering a massive outrage and debate on rising intolerance in the country. Also read: Neighbours didnt help, says kin of man killed over beef rumour The attackers said they found a bowl of meat, which they claimed was beef. It was sent for forensic examination. Eighteen men from the village, including a Uttar Pradesh police homeguard, were arrested on charges of killing Ikhlaq and grievously injuring Danish. We have requested the court to provide us the forensic report of the meat, the statement of Ikhlaqs daughter Shaista and other crucial documents related to the case. The forensic report is important for us to establish the motive behind the incident, Nagar said. On April 1, the court had asked the police to submit the forensic report following the applications of counsels of the accused. A report was submitted in a sealed envelope the next day. However, the matter was deferred twice and is likely to be heard on Wednesday. A local veterinary hospital in Dadri had tested the meat in October and concluded that it was mutton. The samples were again sent to another veterinary lab for further examination. The police, however, said they have already filed a chargesheet and the forensic report is of no significance. It is a case of murder and assault and we have arrested all accused. The forensic report was submitted in a sealed envelope in the court, said Abhishek Yadav, superintendent of police (rural), Gautam Budh Nagar. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Three people were arrested on Wednesday for the alleged abduction and gangrape of a runaway girl in a Noida park, officials said. The incident, which put the spotlight back on the safety of women in the National Capital Region, came at a time when Delhi was witnessing protests over the rape-murder of a 29-year-old Dalit law student in a small town near Keralas Kochi last week. The Noida victim, believed to be a minor, told police that she had run away from her house in Shamli in Uttar Pradesh after a quarrel with parents and boarded a bus to Noida. An auto-rickshaw driver took her to his house on the pretext of giving shelter. He called two of his friends to his house. As the girl suspected something was wrong and tried to escape, the accused took her to a park in Sector 119 around 2am on Tuesday night and assaulted her. The girl approached police in the morning, and the accused were arrested. The accused -- Azad, Amir and Zahid -- all autorickshaw drivers, were arrested from their hideoutsThey were produced in the court and were sent to a 14-day judicial custody, said Kiran Sivakumar, senior superintendent of police (SSP), Gautam Budh Nagar. Police said the girl underwent medical tests in a hospital. The reports are awaited. The complainant was sent back to her home in Shamli. A team of child welfare committee will record her statement, said Anup Singh, circle officer 2, Noida. The fatal gangrape of a student in Delhi in 2012 led to nationwide protests and tougher anti-rape laws but incidents of sexual abuse have not dwindled in India, experts say. Read: Kerala horror: 20-year-old nursing student gangraped in auto The police played no role in the release of a 7-year-old girl who was kidnapped in Patiala on Wednesday morning, the HT has learnt. The girl was freed after her father paid `50 lakh to the kidnappers. Shanvi Gupta, a student of Class 2, was travelling in an auto from her home at Mishri Bazar to the school at Lower Mall Road when she was kidnapped around 7.30 am. Witnesses said they saw a Verna car intercept the auto at Bahera Road and forcibly pull out Shanvi as her schoolmates watched in horror. They said passersby raised the alarm and some of them tried to chase the car, which sped away. Back at Shanvis home, her father Amit Gupta, a leading businessman who deals with electronics and owns franchisees of prominent companies, received a call for ransom. Seven hours later, Shanvi was back home. But nobody knows how. Sources told HT that Gupta paid the ransom at a spot chosen by the kidnappers, who then released the girl at Sular village, around 10km from Patiala city. But inspector general of police (IGP) Paramraj Singh Umranangal and senior superintendent of police (SSP) Gurmeet Singh Chauhan, who handed over the girl to her father, denied Gupta had paid the ransom. They insisted the kidnappers let Shanvi go due to police pressure. But the IGP and the SSP gave conflicting statements about how the girl was found, indicating they were not involved. IGP Umranangal said someone had informed the police control room about a girl weeping at Sular. SSP Chauhan said a couple had contacted the fathers girl that the kidnappers had left his daughter at a secluded placed in Sular. Sources in the police and the girls family said it was Shanvis parents who had asked the police to keep away. Also, they said the district police kept a close watch, but did not act after instructions from top police officers to ensure the girls safety was not compromised. I cant comment on anything. In the morning, our primary objective was to ensure the girls safety, which we did as per plan that we made with the family. Now, our main motive is to nab the accused, and we are on job, SSP Chauhan said. Patiala IGP PS Umranangal holding the girl after she was released, while his father (in black t-shirt) and others stand by, in Patiala on Wednesday (Bharat Bhushan/HT Photo) CITY SHOCKED, COPS CLUELESS Shanvis kidnapping was the second major crime in the city in four days. On April 30, gunmen fired at the owner of a leading jewellery shop, Om Jewellers, situated just 50 m from the Kotwali police station, wanting to loot it. But Rajesh Kumar, who despite being hit by a bullet in the stomach, fired back and killed one of the assailants, identified as a resident of Delhi. The Police have yet to solve the case. In Wednesdays incident, however, SSP Chauhan said police had got some vital leads. He said the police had traced a car which had the registration plate of a stolen motorcycle and had crossed the Samana toll barrier. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON As many as 95 of the 345 medical officers recruited recently by the Punjab health department have not joined their duty mainly because the meagre salary and the probationary status of their job at least for two years. The medical officers are being offered an initial consolidated salary of Rs 15,000 per month. Over 100 of the 404 doctors selected last year, too, didnt join the government assignment. A little over 400 MOs have been working under this year-old arrangement in line with the January 1, 2015 notification that fixes Rs 15,000 as the initial salary for the two-year probation period for MBBS doctors. In August last year, 104 of the 404 doctors didnt join the office. That batch of 300 will be completing the two-year probation in August 2017 without any raise or appraisal in-between. How can we expect the MBBS pass-outs to survive on a paltry sum of `15,000. Money is too meagre, especially considering the fact that most of these doctors are posted far away from their native places, said Dr Gagandeep Singh, president of the PCMS Association. All the 2,388 posts of MOs across the state would have been filled had all the newly recruited MOs joined their duty, Punjab director, health and family welfare, Dr HS Bali told HT, a day after the Punjab Civil Medical Services (PCMS) association cadres held a sit-in protest seeking to do away with the probation period for all MOs. Official standing After the 104 selected MOs did not join duty last year, principal secretary, health, Vini Mahajan had written to the finance department, seeking nod to allow recruitment of MOs at full salary. The finance department, however, rejected the plea. The health department, however, could convince the government to recruit specialist doctors (MD) at full pay-scale through walk-in interviews. Appointments in hinterlands The new fleet of 270 MOs will serve in the difficult and very difficult areas. The very difficult stations categorised as D require 42 MOs. These areas mainly fall in Mansa, Muktsar, Fazilka and Ferozepur districts. Similarly, the category C (difficult) stations require 68 doctors, mainly in Bathinda, Ferozepur, Faridkot, Moga, Tarn Taran and Gurdaspur districts. State short of doctors The health department also faces a challenge of filling the posts of specialist doctors with nearly 23% of them lying vacant across the state. Not a single candidate turned up at a walk-in interview for 41 posts of radiologists and 28 that of psychiatrists last month. Against the 111 posts of paediatrician and 49 that of medicine advertised by the government, only one selection was made in each category. Only seven of the total 47 posts advertised for anaesthetists could be filled up during the drive, besides six surgeons against 43 posts, seven gynaecologists against 19 posts and three orthopedics against 13 posts were selected. Probation period extended to three years The Punjab government in its cabinet meeting on Saturday last resolved to extend the probation period for all the new recruitment from two to three years. This will be applicable to those appointed to 12,747 posts of different cadres cutting across six state government departments. The new recruits will be paid initial pay drawn on the day of appointment for three years. Thereafter, they will draw full salary and allowances as admissible in the relevant service rules. Take note Total posts of medical doctors (MOs) in state: 2,388 Vacant (before last months counselling): 350 Total posts of specialists: 1,755 Vacant (before last months counselling): 345 The difference A probationer medical officers salary: Rs 1,5000 (consolidated) Regular medical officer: Rs 61,500 (approximately) SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON As parents continue their agitation against private schools in the city, the district administration has set a deadline of May 10 for schools to roll back excessive fee. If they fail to do so, the administration will report them to the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE). Last week, deputy commissioner Varun Roojam tightened the noose around private schools when he ordered that no school can now demand donation during admissions and told them to shun commercial activities on their premises with immediate effect besides adjusting the overcharged fee in next quarter. The orders, however, seem to have fallen on deaf ears. School heads and managements are being approached by parents regularly, but they are neither rolling back the extra fee nor revising their fee structure, which has forced parents to carry on with their agitation. FOLLOW ORDERS OR GET REPORTED TO CBSE: DC Speaking to Hindustan Times on Tuesday, the deputy commissioner (DC) shared the action plan to resolrents are approaching us and complaining about the schools not revising their fee policies. The deadline of May 10 has been set for the schools to resolve the matter. If they fail, they would face consequences, said Roojam. The DC stressed that the orders passed by him have to be complied with and schools do not have a choice in it. If the Schools dont abide by the orders and roll back the fee and regulate their fee structure by May 10, the matter will be taken up with the CBSE and they might be disaffiliated, he said. REGULATORY BODY WILL HELP The matter was raised in the cabinet on April 30 by local bodies minister Anil Joshi. Joshi had earlier also directed the district administration to take up the issue seriously. Joshi highlighted a number of complaints have been received from parents from across the state against exorbitant fee charged by private schools. Sources said the cabinet will discuss creation of a regulatory body in this regard in the next meeting. On this, Roojam said: It will be good if a regulatory body is formed, as then the schools will have no choice but comply with the orders. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Punjab deputy chief minister Sukhbir Singh Badal on Tuesday told Punjab Police to register cases against drug lords operating in the state and attach their properties. He gave them a one-month deadline to break the supply chain of drug smugglers and put them behind bars. Chairing a review meeting of SSPs of all districts, Sukhbir said it should be ensured that no cases are registered against innocent people and corruption is rooted out at the police station level. He said that as part of a specialised campaign against drugs, people must be made aware at villages and at ward level in urban areas, and police officers from ADGPs to SPs should hold public meetings and exhort people to cooperate in eliminating the drug menace. He asked police personnel to be diligent to put a stop to the cross-border infiltration of narcotics. Calling for spreading awareness about the helpline number 181, he said the names of those giving information about drugs should be kept secret and they be given a Rs 1-lakh cash prize. Sukhbir told SSPs to form five-member police-public cooperation committees at village and city levels to create awareness and curb activities of anti-social elements. He also set the target of covering 3,000 villages in six months. The deputy chief minister said officials stationed at one place for long should be immediately transferred and that black sheep in the police department be identified and action taken against them. He advocated the need for putting up nakas at night saying the vehicles used for surveillance at night must be equipped with the GPS facility. He emphasised on installing CCTV cameras at sensitive and vulnerable spots in cities to check crime. Read: With Nasha drive, AAP to corner SAD-BJP on drugs A routine protest against the Punjab government outside Punjab Congress Bhawan here was provocation enough for Chandigarh Police to do something unprecedented. A police party headed by Sector-11 station house officer (SHO) Narinder Patiyal and comprising around 50 personnel in riot gear entered Congress Bhawan, searched it and allegedly beat up staff and two journalists. Police in the Punjab Congress Bhawan during a lathicharge on protesters, in Sector 15, Chandigarh, on Wednesday. (Karun Sharma/HT Photo) The incident took place around 12.30 pm after the party workers led by Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader Charanjit Channi and Inderjit Singh Zira, former minister and chairman of partys Kisan and Khet Mazdoor cell, had burnt an effigy of Punjab chief minister Parkash Singh Badal, accusing his government of harassing farmers on payment for wheat crop. By 12.50 pm, the protesters had been dispersed by police by using water cannons and Channi and Zira were arrested, along with 66 party workers, after stopping the protest march heading towards the chief ministers residence. The complaint filed by Capt Sandeep Singh Sandhu, in-charge of Punjab Congress Bhawan, and submitted to Punjab governor, UT administration and police, says, Around 12.50 pm, SHO Patiyal entered the Congress Bhawan premises and started searching its rooms. The SHO did not say why he was conducting the search without any warrant. He behaved as if some hardened criminals were hiding on the premises. He openly abused and challenged the staff. Party office staffer Kamaldeep Saini and Sukhdev Singh, acting chairman of Indian National Trade Union Congress (Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee), were manhandled and journalists Kuldeep Singh Jaffalpur and Jai Singh Chibber of Spokesman newspaper were brutally beaten up by the SHO. Turbans of some Sikh workers were also flung. There are blood stains on the floor to attest the police action. Such high-handedness and brutal abuse of power by police is unprecedented and did not happen even during terrorism days in Punjab. The party has also submitted CCTV footage of police entering the Congress Bhawan along with the complaint. Citing the incident as an insult to a democratic institution and head office of a political party, the party has demanded that Patiyal and other policemen be booked for trespass, assault, wrongful restraint and criminal intimidation. It also demanded departmental proceedings and strict disciplinary action against him. Punjab Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader Charanjit Singh Channi leading a protest against Punjab CM Parkash Singh Badal, whose effigy he is holding, outside the party office in Sector 15, Chandigarh, on Wednesday. (Karun Sharma/HT Photo) Channi said it is for the first time that the police had entered and searched the Congress office. They manhandled the staff and beat up journalists. Earlier, they had cane-charged and used water cannons during a peaceful protest. Many farmers were injured and taken to the Sector-16 government hospital, he claimed. Zira, in his statement, claimed that Chandigarh SSP Sukhchain Singh Gill was working at the behest of the chief minister. They did not stop us by barricading but started to cane-charge. We will meet the governor on Thursday and demand the SSPs suspension, Zira said. 68 protesters arrested Chandigarh: As many as 68 protesters were arrested who were booked under Sections 107 and 151 of the CrPC at the Sector 11 police station. The police said an injured protester was taken to Government Multi-Specialty Hospital, Sector 16, where he was discharged later. DSP (central) Satish Kumar said the protesters were arrested as a preventive measure as they were stopped from crossing barricades and their action forced the police to resort to using water cannon and cane-charge. He said all arrested Congress workers would be produced before the SDM. Dismissing allegations against the SHO, Kumar said he had gone inside the office to check whether there were some injured workers there. However, SSP Sukhchain Singh Gill said they would look into the complaint once they received it. HTC See also I Video: Amarinder faces pro-Khalistan slogans by protesters in California Claiming that just 40% of farmers have been paid for their procured wheat, the opposition Congress on Tuesday announced to move the Punjab and Haryana high court against the losses being heaped on farmers by the Punjab government. Addressing a press conference here, Punjab Congress senior vice-president Lal Singh said farmers had incurred an additional interest burden of Rs 300 crore for delay in payment for their paddy crop last year. The payment for paddy procured in October was not made for five months. The farmer, who had taken the payment from the arhtiya (commission agent) against his crop, had to keep paying the interest to the arhtiya till the government released the money. The interest owing to the delay amounted to Rs 300 crore. This year, the farmer is facing the same problem with wheat as the Reserve Bank of India has again put objections on the cash credit limit and asked Punjab to seek permission again for release of the remaining amount. Who will make good the loss to farmer? We will make Punjab government and the Centre a party to the case along with the central and state procurement agencies, said Lal Singh, who had been minister for finance and food and civil supplies in the Capt Amarinder Singh government. He also alleged a scam in the purchase of wheat bags. During our governments tenure, the wheat bags were solely procured from the central agency, director general, supplies and disposal. But this year, the Punjab food and civil supplies department has bought the wheat bags in the open market at double the price of Rs 49 for a bag, which is available for Rs 25 in the wholesale market. There is a scam of Rs 600 crore in the purchase of these bags and we will also demand a probe into it in our petition to the high court, he added. Cong calls off May 5 dharnas The Congress has called off its dharnas in all Punjab districts against the state government on the wheat procurement crisis. The protest in Punjab had been called off as the Congress leadership is holding a protest in New Delhi against the NDA government at the Centre on May 6 and 5,000 partymen would take part in it, Lal Singh said. News / Local by Thobekile Zhou Bulawayo Mayor Martin Moyo has said a "hostile lynch mob bayed" for his blood over the Egodini Mall project and sale of commercial Ascot stands to his deputy, Gift Banda.Moyo said council gave a South African firm- Teracotta the tender because it has money. However, according to a council report seen by Bulawayo24.com that placed him in danger of the "lynch mob"."On Friday, I had the misfortune of finding myself in the midst of a hostile lynch mob baying for my blood. All that was due to misconceptions and misinformation about certain affairs of Council" said Moyo."Indulge me this time to give you the facts on some of those matters".Below is Moyo's full submission :1. Ascot Race Course. The allegation is that we sold Ascot Race Course to the Deputy Mayor.The truth is that Ascot Race Course still stands with its fencing intact.Ascot is an area bounded by Leopold Takawira and Old Gwanda Road, between George Avenue and UBH. There are other properties there, namely Holiday Inn, Ascot Shopping Centre and Ascot MEWS.It is an expansive area of over 200ha. The 3.4ha that the Deputy Mayor got is in the general area of Ascot and is not Ascot Race Course. Residential and industrial stands are applied for. They are not tendered out. Commercial stands on the other hand are tendered out.2. The Egodini Development. As was explained at that tumultuous meeting, the advert for expression of interest to develop Egodini was flighted in 2010. Three companies expressed interest to partner the City to develop Egodini. Teracotta was chosen.Why Teracotta and why a foreign company? We were looking for some one with money. Which local company can raise $60 million? We were not looking for a contractor. We were looking for an investor.It is not like we were not doing anything between 2010 and the signing of the contract in 2015.The negotiations were protracted. We wanted to secure a good deal for Council. Surely, there are no timelines when it comes to negotiations.The suggestion to reverse that investment is most dismaying. Bulawayo needs life. It's a $60 million with a potential to raise 1 000 jobs!3. Council is not the employer. Councillors do not work for Teracotta and so do not go to them looking for a job.Teracotta is the contractor and they will employ when they come. Should they want assistance from Council they will say so. Two miscreants snatched the chain of a businessmans wife at her house in Sector 9, Panchkula, on Tuesday morning, after duly knocking at the door. The miscreants had previously done a recce by knocking at the house and asking the victim Shashi Goel, 61, for an address. When they found that Shashi and her maid were the only ones at home, they knocked again and carried out the snatching. Of the three chains the victim was wearing, the miscreants clearly identifiable on CCTV as they were without helmets managed to get hold of one. One chain fell down, while another was snatched. The third chain was not touched. Before the woman could react, the youths had fled, said Sector-10 police post in-charge, ASI Brij Pal. The second time, they did not give me any chance to speak. One of them snatched a 20-gm chain. I shouted, but there was no one to catch them, said Shashi. We have registered a case under Section 379 A (snatching) of the IPC. We are investigating the case. We have got the CCTV footage where the faces of accused are visible, said acting Sector 5 SHO SI Ishwar Singh. A youth in his early 20s ended his life by hanging himself from a ceiling fan due to alleged police harassment in Jagraon on Tuesday. The deceased has been identified as Joga Singh, son of a slain policeman. His mother, Jasvir Kaur, said he had been booked in a false case of molestation. Later, the complainant woman filed an affidavit with the police retracting her statement, she said. In order to get a government job on compassionate grounds after the death of his father, Joga Singh required a no-objection certificate. Jagraon city police station in-charge inspector Jaswinder Singh Khaira, however, demanded Rs 1 lakh for cancelling the case and issuing the certificate, said the mother. The inspector has refuted the allegations. KIN BLOCK ROAD Demanding a case against the guilty cops, Joga Singhs family blocked a road near the bus stand for several hours on Tuesday. Superintendent of police Bahadur Singh reached the spot and pacified the protesters. SECOND CASE IN A WEEK IN DISTRICT Last week, a shopkeeper based in Ludhiana, Inderpal Ahuja, committed suicide by jumping in front of a train. His suicide note on Facebook stated that he was fed up of police atrocities. Read: Harassed by cops, Ludhiana man puts it on FB, jumps before train Read: Cops booked but kin of Ludhiana suicide victim receiving threats Investigating the suicide of local shopkeeper Inderpal Singh Ahuja (25), additional deputy commissioner of police (city-2) Sandeep Garg claims in his interim report to have found clues against the cops named in the victims last note on Facebook. The ADCP, however, has asked for more time to complete the report. The initial report suggests that victim Ahuja went to the Dugri police station here on Thursday, the day he went missing before being found dead next morning. It also suggests that the cops had made many calls to Ahuja from their personal numbers and the police station landline. Theres also record of the transaction of money from Ahujas bank account a week before his death. He had withdrawn several lakh rupees to allegedly pay the cops. ADCP Garg said the evidence was not concrete yet but Ahuja had also called these policemen thrice and visited the Dugri police station twice on Thursday. Police have also written to Facebook to seek details from Ahujas online account. The railway police had registered a case of abetment to suicide against inspector Davinder Chaudhary and two other cops Swarn Singh and Buta Singh on Sunday, three days after the death of Ahuja. Earlier, the railway police had claimed that the family was not keen to pursue the case. Alleging police harassment and threats of framing in a drug case, Singh Ahuja had ended his life by throwing himself under a train on Friday morning. Narinder Singh, his brother-in-law, said the family was not in a condition to pursue the case because of financial issues, and the governemnt should aid it. Read: Cops booked but kin of Ludhiana suicide victim receiving threats NRI drug trafficker Raja Kandolas wife, Rajwant Kaur, surrendered in the court of the district and sessions judge on Tuesday in Jalandhar in a money-laundering case. She was in hiding since a local court had denied her anticipatory bail. After the surrender, she was taken into the custody and sent to the Kapurthala jail. Kandolas son, Bally Singh, already has surrendered on March 22 and he, too, was sent to prison. Last July 21, Enforcement Directorate had had filed a charge sheet against the Kandola family in a money-laundering case related to a synthetic-drug shipment worth Rs 200-crore. Arrested on June 1, 2012, Kandola, a UK-based NRI (non-resident Indian), had escaped from police custody that September before being rearrested, later, from Delhi. He is now inside Tihar jail in New Delhi. He ran a racket of making ICE (IS-Methaam- phetamine, a crystalline party drug) from methamphetamine and ephedrine and his illegal syndicate was also getting heroin supply from Pakistan. He had drug network in Punjab, Delhi, and other big cities of the country, besides connections with drug smugglers in Canada, Australia, and the US. Senior Congress leader and Abohar MLA Sunil Jakhars private secretary Sanjeev Trikha was allegedly thrashed on Tuesday by police when he was leading a protest to get an abetment to suicide case registered in Abohar. Billa Patti, a Dalit of Natha Singh village in Abohar, had consumed poison on Monday allegedly because he was being harassed by co-villagers and died. Billas family wanted legal action against his tormentors and when police didnt pay heed to their demand, they sought help from Jakhar, who deputed Trikha to pursue the matter with the police. On Tuesday, Trikha led a group and staged a protest against the police inaction on Hanumangarh Road. The protesters raised anti-police slogans and cops assured to register an abetment to suicide case. The protesters refused to lift the blockade till they are provided a copy of the FIR and refused to receive Billas body from civil hospital, leading to confrontation. A police team led by DSP Gurbhej Singh allegedly thrashed Trikha and took him to the police station. When a number of Congressmen reached the police station and Jakhar raised the matter with the senior police officers, Trikha was set free. Fazilka SSP Narendra Bhargav said there was no deliberate delay in registration of abetment to suicide case as a probe was underway. We have registered the case and also held one person, he said. On allegations of Trikha, he said he will look into the matter. Meanwhile, those who have been booked for abetment to suicide have been identified as Roshan, Jagga, Tehal Singh, Gochi, Maani, Gulab Singh and Sunita Mahant. Punjab Congress (Kisan cell) members were lathicharged and 15 were arrested by police at Congress Bhawan, Sector 15 in Chandigarh on Wednesday. The members had organised a protest and burnt effigy of chief minister Parkash Singh Badal against non-payment to farmers for wheat procurement. One member was injured in the lathicharge and was rushed to Sector 16 hospital while 15 were arrested. The protest was led by Kisan cell chairman Inderjit Zira and Congress legislature party leader Charanjit Singh Channi at the Congress Bhawan in Chandigarh. Police said they used water canon and lathicharged the workers to disperse them. Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) president Capt Amarinder Singh on Tuesday asked Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal why was he being selective in reaching out to the families of Punjab farmers who committed suicide. For heavens sake stop celebrating tragedies, he told the Delhi CM, referring to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) announcement that it will adopt the children of the farmer who recently committed suicide in Barnala over his inability to clear debt. Read: Kejriwal to adopt kids of Barnala suicide victim: Bhagwant Mann Amarinder pointed out that there were hundreds and hundreds of farmers who had committed suicide and their families also needed relief and rehabilitation. Providing relief to the Barnala farmers family is a nice gesture, but will you also spell out what you plan to do for other families whose earning heads also committed suicide? he asked Kejriwal. The PPCC president told the AAP and its leadership that instead of resorting to theatrics and photo-ops, he (Kejriwal) should better come out with a plan for providing relief to the farmers. Agriculture is too serious and sensitive an issue for someone like you to understand, he told Delhi CM, pointing to his lack of knowledge and experience about agricultural matters, and matters of governance. Amarinder said the agrarian problems in Punjab are too serious to be solved by photo-ops and theatrics. You need a comprehensive policy and planning. We have already mooted a law to save debt-ridden farmers land or other property as a first step. Had such a law been in place, Barnala farmer would not have been forced to commit suicide, he said. From past experience, we know you are fond of selling and celebrating tragedies to get a photo-op as you did after the Pathankot airbase attack and you are doing it now, Amarinder told Kejriwal. Maintaining that coming assembly polls will be his last, Capt Amarinder said, Ive been a soldier and before I hang my boots, I will put a last-ditch effort to pull back Punjab, its youths and farmers from the throes of drug addiction, unemployment, debt and suicides. He said the decade-long Akali BJP rule had dragged down Punjab from being the No 1 state to No 19. I wish to see Punjab back to its glory, he told the Punjabi NRIs in Los Angeles. Launched on April 1, the Chandigarh Housing Boards new housing scheme in Sector 51 has failed to attract buyers due to sky-high prices of the 2BHK (bedroom, hall, kitchen) flats. So far, only 50 applications have been received for 200 flats with only 833 forms being sold. The deadline for the project has also been extended twice --from April 30, then May 7, and now May 23. Two applicants have even applied for withdrawal, making it the poorest response for its schemes. The CHBs Sector-63 housing scheme launched in 2008 had received over 22,000 applications for its 2,100 flats. Experts attribute the poor response to the high prices of the flats with each flat priced at Rs 69 lakh. The fact that the complete amount has to be paid within three months has also put-off residents, has the three-year time for possession. Residents claim flats of similar dimensions are easily available at a far lower prices in other cooperative societies of Chandigarh. Another clause, that of a five-year lock-in-period applicants cant sell flats before five years of the possession has also created doubts in the buyers minds. Even the cost of brochure has been fixed for Rs 2,000. Chief advisor of Property Consultant Association, Chandigarh, Kamaljit Singh Panchhi, said, Nobody is going to buy flats at such high rates; its going to be a flop show. Earlier, the applicants had to pay the entire amount in two years, but now they are being asked to pay it in just three months, while the possession will be given in the next three years. We appeal the CHB authorities not to act like builders. As a government body, it should provide houses at affordable rates. CHB chairman Maninder Singh said, The last date of submitting application is May 23. We still hope for a good response. Our aim is to provide housing facilities to genuine buyers, not the property dealers. Another senior CHB official added that the clause mandating payment in three months onetime payment is to reduce the workload of the CHB staff. Amardeep Singh, a resident of Sector 21, said, I paid Rs 2,000 to buy the application form, but after reading the terms and conditions, I dropped the idea. It is difficult to pay Rs 69 lakh in 90 days. THE SCHEME The scheme comprises 200 two-bed rooms four-storey (stilt +4) flats to be allotted on a selffinance basis. The allottees will be required to make 100% payment of the chargeable price within 90 days from date of issuance of an acceptance-cum-demand letter as per the terms and conditions. Initially, a customer will have to deposit a total of Rs 6.9 lakh. In addition, Rs 50,000 over and above the price of a dwelling unit will be charged at the time of the possession. The amount will be deposited in accounts of the resident welfare associations for maintenance of common areas. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON After stalling his tour to Canada, North America-based activist group, Sikhs for Justice (SFJ), has now uploaded a video and issued statements claiming that shoes were hurled at Punjab Congress president Captain Amarinder Singh during his programme at Fresno in California. The video, which was duly circulated by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) to the media and its workers on WhatsApp, showed some Sikh radicals shouting slogans against Amarinder while he was leaving the venue of the programme. Though no shoe-hurling is visible in the video, SFJ legal adviser Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, in a statement, claimed that Amarinders supporters attacked one Mohender Singh, a 1984 Sikh riots survivor whose father was killed by infamous Kishori, when he wanted to question Amarinder on his statement that Congress leader Jagdish Tytler had no role in killing of Sikhs in Delhi. Video: Amarinder faces pro-Khalistan slogans by protesters in California It led to a clash between organisers of the event and Sikh separatists at the conference venue. As Amarinder was about to leave the venue under tight security, Sikh separatists started raising Khalistan slogans and hurled shoes at fleeing Amarinders vehicle, Pannuns statement said. But Amarinder denied the allegations as factually incorrect and absolutely misleading rumours. Speaking to HT from Fresno, he said no one asked him any questions on Tytler or the 1984 riots during the programme. Over 1,000 people were present at the Fresno programme and it was a cordial interaction. There was no question on the 1984 riots or Tytler. These are absolute lies. Under American law, no one can enter private property uninvited. So these few separatists have been standing outside my meetings at Chicago, California, Los Angeles and Fresno holding banners and shouting slogans and nobody cares about them. But no one hurled shoes. It is clear who is spreading and gaining from this false propaganda. If they (SFJ and AAP) have the guts, they should come inside the venue and ask questions. They can stand outside and shout slogans and claim anything they want to. The AAP has mixed up with Khalistanis, Amarinder said. Terming the response of Punjabi NRIs in America as more than expected, Amarinder said every meeting was a full house. Punjabis here do not know whats going on in Punjab. I had to interact with them to give them a clear picture. The motives of those spreading such rumours are quite obvious as they were not comfortable with the overwhelming response I am getting from the community. Hence they are spreading these rumours since their purpose of disrupting the meetings got defeated, he said. A Class-4 was left with broken teeth and a bruised face on Tuesday after her teacher allegedly punished her for failing to count numbers. Jaspreet Kaur, 9, was admitted to the Bhunga primary health centre. She is a student of government elementary school, Hariana. Jaspreets mother, Gurdip Kaur, said the girl was too scared to speak after returning home with injuries on her face and limbs. She said the girls sister, who studies at the same school, told her Jaspreet was beaten up by her teacher after she could not count. The teacher had also warned her against reporting the matter to her parents, Gurdip claimed, alleging her daughters had been physically punished at the school in the past as well. District education officer (elementary) Balbir Singh visited the hospital on Tuesday evening. He said he had marked an enquiry to the block education officer and promised action against the teacher if the allegations were proved. The teacher could not be contacted for comment. News / National by Zvamaida Murwira The Speaker of the National Assembly Advocate Jacob Mudenda yesterday reprimanded Bikita West Member of the National Assembly Dr Munyaradzi Kereke for deviating from findings of a portfolio committee in which he was a member.Adv Mudenda said Dr Kereke was flouting parliamentary rules when he made contributions that were at variance with the Committee on Finance, Budget and Investment Promotion chaired by Mutoko South MP David Chapfika (Zanu-PF) which supported the Special Economic Zones Bill.Earlier, Chapfika had presented the committee report, where he said the Bill was a tool for promotion of both local and foreign investment in the country. When Dr Kereke took the floor, he said it was not prudent to address the economy in a piecemeal manner as the Bill sought to achieve.He said previous efforts in the form of export processing zones did not yield the expected results despite participating firms enjoying exemption in tax, duties and compliance with labour laws."The danger that I want to urge members is that policies based on piecemeal approach in addressing the economy do not make for macro-economic stability. It leads to a Dutch disease," said Dr Kereke drawing the intervention of Adv Mudenda.Dutch disease is the negative impact on an economy of anything that gives rise to a sharp inflow of foreign currency which leads to currency appreciation, making the country's other products less price competitive on the export market.Adv Mudenda said Dr Kereke should have raised those issues during deliberations of the committee so that they could be captured in the final report. Dr Kereke, however, said he failed to attend committee meetings because he was attending court sessions. "The honourable member should not contest the chair. Your absence is not an excuse," said Adv Mudenda.In his presentation, Chapfika said there was need for wide consultation before declaring an area as special economic zone. "This would be consistent with Section 13 of the Constitution of Zimbabwe which calls for the involvement of the people in the formulation and implementation of development plans and programmes in their areas," said Chapfika.Making contributions, Proportionate Representative MP Ms Priscilla Misihairabwi-Mushonga (MDC) expressed reservations on a clause that the Labour Act would not apply.She said the effect of such a clause would be to create a blank cheque for employers to fire workers willy-nilly. Chegutu West MP Dexter Nduna (Zanu-PF) said the establishment of special economic zones was a panacea to de-industrialisation."Special economic zones should be accompanied by repealing of draconian and archaic laws like the Companies Act and the Mines and Minerals Act," said Nduna. Uzumba MP Simba Mudarikwa (Zanu-PF) said while the establishment of special economic zones was noble, there was need to remove several levies required when one wants to start a business.Some of them included the liquor licence fee, television licence, Environmental Management Agency levy, council levy, among others. Tamil actor Ajith Kumars next film, tentatively titled Thala 57, will begin its shoot in July, a source has said. The film will be directed by Siva, who had previously worked with the actor in Veeram and in 2015s hit film Vedalam. The makers of the film will officially sign the agreement with Ajith on Thursday. The regular shooting will kick-off from July, said a source from the films unit. This will be their third project in a row, and it will feature music composer Anirudh Ravichander for the second successive time. Read: Vedalam review | Ajith turns Phantom, vilely and violent Read: Vedalams Thala Ajith undergoes twin surgeries, doing fine Read: Actor Ajiths 56th film to be called Vedalam Sathya Jyothi Films is bankrolling this project. ott:10:ht-entertainment_listing-desktop Actor Rasika Dugal, whom we last saw in films like Kshay and Qissa, is looking forward to the release of her Malayalam film, an actioner called Kammati Paadam, where she stars opposite Dulquer Salmaan. Although Ive not watched the film yet, Im still excited about it going by the experience of working on this project, said Rasika. Directed by Rajeev Ravi, the well-known cinematographer, the film is produced by Prem Menon under the banner of Global United Media. Rasika had known Rajeev from the time she had made her acting debut in Anurag Kashyaps No Smoking. Read: Qissa review | This ghost is very lonely and hes coming to get you He was my senior in FTII, and hes always been supportive of people from the institute. Post No Smoking, we reconnected when we traveled to Colombo for a film festival with our films. He asked me if Id like to work with him and I instantly agreed, she said. Read: 8 underrated but amazingly crafted films in 2015 For Rasika, it was important that her role was significant to Rajeev more than herself. Ive always wanted to work with Rajeev, so when he asked, I didnt have any second thoughts. I wasnt even sure how I was going to be portrayed alongside Dulquer, she said. Watch Qissa trailer here: However, the way things panned out surprised Rasika, in a pleasant way. I primarily relied on my instinct while working on this project. Rajeev is a very visual person, so he likes to change a lot of things on the sets. There have been instances where a three lines scene became three pages scene while filming. It was quite unnerving, but I enjoyed the process because the character stayed with me for long, she said. Read: From Qissa to Court | Indie films are out of the cans The film, which has music by K, also stars Vinay Fort, Shine Tom Chacko and Shaun Romy. It is slated to release on May 20. Talking about working with Dulquer, she said, I was initially wary, because I assumed hes a star and might come with some baggage. However, the experience of working with Dulquer turned out to be very comfortable. He really gets invested in what hes doing. Dulquer also helped her get familiarize with the Malayalam filmdom, apart from suggesting some films to watch. Although Rasika doesnt divulge much about the film or her role, she says shell be seen in the most deglamorous avatar of her career. ott:10:ht-entertainment_listing-desktop Krysten Ritter, star of Netflixs hit series Jessica Jones said on Tuesday that she knew she had found her dream job even before she read for the role of the titular superhero sleuth. The 34-year-old actor has won plaudits for her performance as a private investigator with superpowers in the hard-hitting Marvel television adaptation, hotly tipped to win big at the Emmy Awards in September. This was always meant to be this dark, gritty, grounded psychological character study, she told the audience at a screening and panel discussion in Hollywood on Tuesday. Krysten Ritter in a still from Jessica Jones. (NETFLIX) So at that point Im like Where do I sign? Give it to me. And then Jeph (Loeb, executive producer) locked me in a room and took away my cell phone and I read the script and every page just got better. It was like everything Id always dreamt to do, from walking around looking cool to doing these cool action sequences to having this really vulnerable, heavy dramatic work. Read: Not just Daredevil, heres a super-list of super-amazing superhero shows Jessica Jones is the second Marvel television conversion after Daredevil, to form part of a groundbreaking deal with Netflix, which committed in 2013 to four 13-episode series culminating in a miniseries programming event. Krysten Ritter, from left, Mike Colter, Rachael Taylor and Carrie-Anne Moss attend Jessica Jones FYC Event held at Paramount Pictures Studios on Tuesday, May 3, 2016, in Los Angeles. (Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP) Ritters co-star Mike Colter, 39, who plays Jessicas love interest, is getting his own spin-off series, Luke Cage, which is due to air later this year. The two will team up with Charlie Cox, the titular character in Daredevil, and Finn Jones, who will portray Iron Fist, in ensemble show The Defenders, at a date yet to be announced. Read: Daredevil episode 1-6 review- Its even better than season 1, really Cast members Rachael Taylor, 31, and Carrie-Anne Moss, best known for her role as Trinity in The Matrix, were also at the screening, with series villain David Tennant beamed into the Paramount Pictures studio from his office in Britain via Skype. Its four in the morning here, Im wearing my pajamas, Tennant joked -- gesturing to his off-screen bottom half, when it was put to him that he inspired fear. The poster for Jessica Jones. Tennant, known worldwide as the Tenth Doctor in long-running BBC sci-fi drama Doctor Who, recalled initially seeing the part of bad guy Kilgrave in Jessica Jones as a gamble. The fabulous @debrabirnbaum is moderating the equally fabulous #JessicaJones FYC panel; David Tennant is Skyping in! pic.twitter.com/FQ6vA9LR5p Laura Prudom (@LauInLA) May 4, 2016 You just read the script and you go Well writing isnt this good normally -- these scripts are just perfection. So I just thought this is a gamble worth taking. David Tennant as Kilgrave in Jessica Jones. (NETFLIX) Netflix, faced with increasingly aggressive competitors such as Amazon and Hulu, has spent recent years prioritizing the production of original series and exclusive distribution deals. The Netflix political drama House of Cards made television history in 2013 when it became the first online-only series ever nominated for a major Emmy award. Follow @htshowbiz for more TV actor Rithvik Dhanjani recently travelled to Bangkok, Thailand, for a five-day vacation with his girlfriend, Asha Negi, and two of their friends, actors Riddhi Dogra and Surbhi Jyoti. The TV actor recently went to Bangkok with his girlfriend, Asha Negi, and two other female friends. Rithvik says he was happy being the only guy in the group. Read: Rithvik Dhanjani and Asha Negi are planning to get engaged by 2017 I didnt feel any different. Of course, I was a little more responsible than usual, as I was with three girls. But Riddhi was always there with me to take care of everything. Asha and Surbhi, on the other hand, were like kids, who were there only to enjoy themselves, he says. Read: I act even when I am hosting, says Rithvik Dhanjani Lucky are the ones who have true friends in their life:) luckyMe A photo posted by Asha Negi (@ashanegi) on Apr 30, 2016 at 12:03pm PDT #nofilter just us and SherKhan# A photo posted by Asha Negi (@ashanegi) on Apr 26, 2016 at 4:49am PDT SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Democrat Bernie Sanders said on Tuesday that his primary bid against Hillary Clinton was far from over, pointing to his victory in Indiana and strength in upcoming races as a sign of his durability in the presidential campaign. I know that the Clinton campaign thinks this campaign is over. Theyre wrong, Sanders said in a telephone interview with The Associated Press from New Albany, Indiana. Maybe its over for the insiders and the party establishment but the voters today in Indiana had a different idea. Sanders spoke to the AP after he defeated Clinton in Indianas primary, predicting that he would achieve more victories in the weeks to come in West Virginia, Kentucky, Oregon and California. The Vermont senator acknowledged that he faced an uphill climb to the Democratic nomination but said he was in this campaign to win and we are going to fight until the last vote is cast. Sanders win in Indiana likely wont make much of a dent in Clintons lead of more than 300 pledged delegates. Clinton is still more than 90% on way to clinch the Democratic nomination when the count includes superdelegates, the elected officials and party leaders who are free to support the candidate of their choice. Sanders said in the interview that he would be the best-positioned Democrat to take on Republican Donald Trump, who is now the likely Republican nominee after Texas senator Ted Cruz dropped out of the race. There is nothing more I would like than to take on and defeat Donald Trump, someone who must never become president of this country. Sanders said he had no intention to drop out of the race and rejected the notion that his criticism of Clintons record on issues like trade, campaign finance and the Iraq war would help Trump. There is nothing that I have said about secretary Clinton that the Republicans are not more than aware of. They must have dozens and dozens of opposition researchers, Sanders said. They will go into areas that I have chosen not to go into. They will be talking about emails. They will be talking about the Clinton foundation. Sanders said he wants to debate Clinton in California later this month, noting that both campaigns had reached an agreement in principle to hold the forum in the nations largest state. China on Wednesday appeared cautious while reacting to US Republican presidential nominee Donald Trumps comment accusing the country of rape and said that trade between the worlds two biggest economies was mutually beneficial. In the run-up to Tuesdays Indiana primary, Trump had told a campaign rally, We cant continue to allow China to rape our country, and thats what were doing. Were going to turn it around, and we have the cards, dont forget it, he said. We have a lot of power with China. Read: Ahead of Indiana primary, Donald Trump says China raping US Asked about Trumps comments and whether Beijing was nervous about the prospect of him becoming US president, foreign ministry spokesman Hong Lei told reporters that the election was a US internal affair and that China had no comment on it. I want to point out that US-China trade relations are essentially mutually beneficial and win-win in keeping with the shared interests of both sides... We hope that everyone can view such cooperation from an objective and reasonable perspective, he added. Trump has repeatedly blasted the Asian giant for its trade policies, blaming it for weakening the US economy and taking American jobs. Although the comments have contributed to his populist appeal at home, they have raised eyebrows in China, where he is seen with a combination of bemusement and grudging respect. At his annual press conference in March, Premier Li Keqiang had said diplomatically that the US presidential campaign was full of clamour and very eye-catching. However, the Global Times newspaper, which is close to the ruling Communist party, showed no such reticence, saying that Trumps comments were abusively racist and extremist. The rise of a racist in the US political arena worries the whole world, it said. Read: Ted Cruz quits presidential race after Trump wins Indiana When the Islamic State swept into the northern Iraqi town of Sinjar in 2014, a few young Yazidi women took up arms against the militants attacking women and girls from their community. They took eight of my neighbours and I saw they were killing the children, Asema Dahir told Reuters last month at a checkpoint near a front line north of Mosul. Dressed in military fatigues, the 21-year-old is now part of an all-female unit in the Kurdish peshmerga forces, which have played an important role in pushing back Islamic State in northern Iraq. The killing and enslaving of thousands from Iraqs minority Yazidi community focused international attention on the groups violent campaign to impose its radical ideology and prompted Washington to launch an air offensive. It also prompted the formation of this unusual 30-woman unit made up of Yazidis as well as Kurds from Iraq and neighbouring Syria. For them, only one thing matters: revenge for the women raped, beaten and executed by the jihadist militants. Haseba Nauzad (right) and Yazidi female fighter Asema Dahir have lunch at a camp in Nawaran near Mosul in Iraq. (Reuters) Asema Dahir shares a light moment with her comrades in a bedroom at their campsite in Nawaran. (Reuters) Read: IS executes 250 women who refused to become sex slaves: Report Read: IS is committing genocide against Christians, Yazidis and Shias: US Dahir said she was stunned by the brutality of the militants, some of whom were neighbours and others from outside the area. They killed my uncle and took my cousins wife who had only just married eight days earlier, she said, her piercing eyes clouding over. The bride, like thousands of other Yazidi women, is still being held by the militants. During the firefights that raged across Sinjar in 2014, Dahir said she killed two Islamic State fighters before being shot in the leg. Reuters could not independently verify the fighters personal accounts. Well-worn photographs of children and families tucked into the edge of mirrors or pressed onto walls in the womens spartan barracks are reminders of what they have sacrificed to join the fight. Haseba Nauzad, the units 24-year-old commander, lost her marriage. She was living with her husband in Turkey when Islamic State swept through northern Iraq and announced its so-called caliphate over areas that included traditional Kurdish lands. I saw them raping my Kurdish sisters and I couldnt accept this injustice, Nauzad said. Her husband wanted to pay human smugglers to take them to Europe along with more than a million others fleeing conflict in the region, but she insisted on going home to fight the Islamists. I put my personal life aside, and I came to defend my Kurdish sisters and mothers and stand against this enemy, she said. She has lost contact with her husband since he arrived in Germany. Haseba Nauzad (second from right) with her comrades at the site in Nawaran in Iraq. (Reuters) The women riding a pickup truck near the frontline of their fight against Islamic State militants in Iraq. (Reuters) In a conservative society where women are often expected to stay at home, these women say gender does not keep them from entering battle. If a man can carry a weapon, a woman can do the same, said Nauzad. The men are inspired to fight harder when they see women standing in the same battlefield as them. The women in the unit are convinced Islamic State militants are scared of women fighters because they think if they are killed by a woman, they will not go to heaven, said Nauzad. This story encourages more women to join the fight. Read: Indian-origin Siddhartha Dhar now senior IS leader, says teen sex slave Ohio Governor John Kasich is expected to suspend his presidential campaign Wednesday, according to multiple US media reports, leaving Donald Trump the lone candidate in the Republican race. The race for the White House is now clear: Its Trump versus Hillary Clinton, the Democratic nominee who is certain to secure her partys nomination despite primary defeats. Trump became the presumptive Republican nominee Tuesday after delivering a crushing defeat to Ted Cruz, the only rival posing him a real challenge, in the Indiana primary. Cruz quit the race Tuesday, and now Kasich, who never had much of a shot at the nomination, faring way worse than many others who dropped out earlier, including Marco Rubio. With his wife Heidi by his side, Republican presidential candidate Senator Ted Cruz speaks during his election night watch party at the Crowne Plaza Downtown Union Station where he announced he was suspending his bid for the Republican presidential nomination. (AFP) Republicans started out with 17 candidates, among the strongest line-up ever fielded by the party, according to many experts, including Indian American Bobby Jindal. As Trump first shot to the top in polls and then picking off nominating contests one by one, others dropped out, including Jeb Bush, who was once considered a front-runner. The real-estate moguls gravity-defying rise continues unabated, surviving gaffes, scares and missteps that would have ended other campaigns, in regular election cycles. Read | US polls: Why Stop Trump failed to halt the Republican front-runner With the Indiana win Tuesday, Trumps tally of delegates climbed to 1,047, only 190 short now of the 1,247 required to win the ticket. Cruz was at 565 and Kasich at 153. In the Democratic race, Clinton was at 2,201, just 182 short of their threshold 2,383. And Sanders is at 1,399, with no realistic chance of overtaking the front-runner. Addressing supporters at his headquarters in Trump Tower, New York, Trump tried to sound reconciliatory and eager to unite the party behind him for the general elections, as he has said he will. The real-estate mogul called Cruz one hell of a competitor with a great future, and cited Heidi (Cruzs wife), his whole beautiful family. No Lyin Ted or other such insults. Republican presidential frontrunner Donald Trump speaks to supporters and the media at Trump Tower in Manhattan following his victory in the Indiana primary. (AFP) Earlier in the day Trump tried to link Cruzs father to the assassination of John F Kennedy citing a report in National Enquirer, a tabloid that has been harsh to the senator. It recently published a picture of Lee Harvey Oswald, the man who killed Kennedy, with a bunch of men, one of whom, the tabloid said, was Cruzs father, Rafael Cruz, a Cuban-American. But Trump spoke differently in the evening. He was generous in his praise of the senator, who came the closest to stopping him, waging an aggressive expensive do-or-die battle in Indiana. But Cruz failed. Tonight, Im sorry to say, it appears that path has been foreclosed, Cruz said ending his campaign said. Together we left it all on the field in Indiana. We gave it all we got. Read | Clinton team thinks US prez race is over, theyre wrong: Sanders Trump too divisive, lacks temperament to lead US: Clinton campaign Liking Donald Trump: Tycoon has a tough task wooing US Prime Minister David Cameron and Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn sparred in the House of Commons on Wednesday, reflecting the intensity that marked campaigning for Thursdays elections for the next London mayor and other local elections across Britain. Both leaders accused each other of indulging in divisive campaigning, with Labours ani-Semitism row continuing to resonate and embarrass the party. Cameron hit at Labour mayoral candidate Sadiq Khan for sharing the stage with allegedly pro-Islamic State elements. In the backdrop of the anti-Semitism row, Cameron put Corbyn on the backfoot for calling Hamas and Hezbollah friends, and challenged him to withdraw his remarks made some time ago. Corbyn insisted there was no place for anti-Semitism in Labour. Khans likely victory in London would present a lifeline for Corbyn, who has been struggling to establish himself since his election as the Labour leader after the May 2015 general election. A win in London is seen as the partys best hope in Thursdays elections. According to Khan, Conservative rival Zac Goldsmiths campaign would deter people of Asian and Afro-Caribbean background from going into public life. Goldsmith has been criticised for racial profiling of voters in London through community-based leaflets. Besides London, elections are also due for the Scottish Parliament, Welsh, Northern Ireland and London assemblies, local council elections in England, and police and crime commissioner elections. Corbyn, who some reports claim will face a coup after the June 23 EU referendum, believes that the party will not lose any council seats on Thursday, but opinion polls suggested that Labour could lose nearly 150 seats across Britain. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON News / National by Staff Reporter Harare City council has warned residents of complete water shutdown between Friday and Monday next week.The municipality says Morton Jaffray Water Treatment Plant is undergoing repair of valves and pipes.The shutdown will affect all of Harare's institutions and suburbs except for a few places, which include Chitungwiza, parts of Mbare and parts of Sunningdale that use Prince Edward Water Treatment Plant.Council spokesperson Michael Chideme said residents and especially key institutions such as hospitals and schools in the city would be affected by the shutdown of the Morton Jaffray Water Treatment Plant."We urge residents of Harare especially key institutions to store water in bulk because the whole city will be affected by the shutdown."We will provide key institutions with water through water bowsers, but we urge them to store water and avoid the risk of completely running out of the precious resource." The seven-month-old Nepalese government of Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli plunged into crisis on Wednesday with coalition partner Maoists seeking to form a national unity government headed by their chief Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda. The decision was taken by the central committee of Unified Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist), the second biggest party in the government headed by Olis Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist Leninist). In a statement, UCPN (M) said the move was necessary as Olis government has failed to address ongoing political problems through dialogue, as also to implement the new constitution and undertake reconstruction work in the wake of last years earthquakes. The UCPN (M) statement appealed to all parties to support the move, and said that even Nepali Congress, the biggest party in parliament and the main opposition, has agreed to a national unity government headed by Maoists. Soon after the decision, Prachanda went to Olis official residence in Baluwatar to inform him about it and asked the prime minister to support the move for his own removal. The standing committee of UCPN (M) will meet on Wednesday afternoon to take a decision on bringing a no-confidence motion against Olis government. Maoists are the third largest party in parliament after NC and CPN (UML). Reacting to UCPN (M)s move, the standing committee of CPN (UML) said Olis removal at this juncture would lead to political instability and asked the Maosist to rethink their decision. Deputy Prime Minister cum Foreign Minister Kamal Thapa, who heads Rastriya Prajatantra Party-Nepal, the third biggest in the present coalition, has also asked UCPN (M) to reconsider the move. Though there have been differences among CPN (UML), Maoists and other coalition partners in the present government over various issues, this is the first direct attempt at toppling Oli. Many coalition partners are unhappy with the prime minister for failing to address the discontent in Madhes through talks and for not speeding up earthquake-related reconstruction work. Parties from Madhes region bordering India have rejected the new statute as discriminatory towards them and even imposed a five-month-long border blockade seeking amendments. Despite international donors pledging $4.1 billion in aid, the present government has yet to start reconstruction work a year after two major earthquakes claimed nearly 9,000 lives and destroyed over 800,000 houses. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Pakistans Army chief General Raheel Sharif has suspended officials of the para-military Rangers force which is conducting a security operation in Karachi, following the death of a member of the Karachi-based Muttahida Qaumi Movement while in their custody. Aftab Ahmed, a member of the party and an aide of former Karachi mayor Dr Farooq Sattar, died within two days of being taken into custody by the Rangers force for interogation. After initially denying any wrongdoing, the head of the Rangers force said on Wednesday that Aftab Ahmad had been tortured, which lead to his death. The army chief has now ordered an inquiry into the death and has said that justice must be done. [The] COAS has directed to hold an inquiry to find out truth in the case of Aftab Ahmed, who died in Karachi yesterday, said a statement from the militarys press relations wing. He instructed to ensure that justice must be done. A high-level committee has been set up to investigate the circumstances behind Aftab Ahmeds death, the statement said. The officers allegedly involved have been suspended. The committee will be headed by a commander designate of Sindh Rangers, and will ensure that the truth about the incident is brought to light, the statement added. The MQM said Aftab Ahmed was picked up from his residence on Sunday and presented in an anti-terrorism court a day later. The MQM activist, who had been working as coordinator for Karachis former mayor since 2002. He was detained by the Rangers in a raid And shifted to a Rangers sub-jail. An anti-terrorism court allowed the Rangers to keep him in preventive custody for 90 days. At 8am on Tuesday, Aftab was brought to a local hospital and died shortly afterwards. Doctors at the Emergency Ward said the man had no blood pressure or pulse on arrival. He was declared dead at 8:20am after cardiopulmonary resuscitation failed to revive him. A father of five, Ahmed joined the MQM in 1990. The Rangers operation in Karachi, which targeted the MQM, has been questioned by human rights activists. This is not the first death in custody of the Rangers. It is believed that the paramilitary force has detained more than 1,000 MQM activists. China has arrested one of its top 10 most-wanted fraud suspects, who is accused of conspiring with others to swindle 35 million yuan ($5.4 million) in a telecom scam, state news agency Xinhua has reported. Wen Longjian, 32, is accused of defrauding a corporate accountant by impersonating the head of a company on an instant messaging app last December, Xinhua said late on Tuesday, quoting the ministry of public security. Wen evaded arrest after an earlier police operation detained 39 suspects and froze bank accounts containing more than 28 million yuan but was caught in Chinas southwestern province of Guangxi on Monday, the report quoted police as saying. Reuters was unable to reach Wen for comment and it was not immediately clear if he had legal representation. China is battling an explosion of telecoms fraud that has cost billions of dollars in losses and driven some victims to suicide, say authorities in Beijing who blame many of the scams on criminal gangs based in rival Taiwan. Despite political tensions, the two sides have in recent years cooperated on investigating such scams, but Taiwan says mainland authorities sometimes do not provide enough evidence for them to do anything. Democrat Hillary Clintons campaign said on Tuesday that Donald Trump is too divisive and lacks temperament to be the United States president. Fundamentally, our next president will need to do two things -- keep our nation safe in a dangerous world and help working families get ahead here at home. Donald Trump is not prepared to do either, John Podesta, chairman of the Hillary Clinton presidential campaign, said on Tuesday. Throughout this campaign, Donald Trump has demonstrated that he is too divisive and lacks the temperament to lead our nation and the free world. With so much at stake, Donald Trump is simply too big of a risk, he said. Clinton has proven that she has the strength to keep us safe in an uncertain world and a lifelong record of fighting to break down the barriers -- economic and social -- that hold working families back, Podesta said. While Donald Trump seeks to bully and divide Americans, Hillary Clinton will unite us to create an economy that works for everyone, he said. The Clinton campaign sought donation from its supporters after Trump, 69, won the Indiana primary and while Trumps nearest rival, Texas senator, Ted Cruz crashed out of the race, becoming the presumptive Republican nominee. The Democratic Party launched an attack on Trump and the Democratic National Committee chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz said Trump is the Republican Party. Ted Cruz may have been the least-liked politician in Washington but Trump is one of the least liked men in America and Democrats will hold him accountable for his offensive rhetoric, dangerous ideas and lack of judgement every single day between today and November 8. The decades-old Republican strategy of exploiting unfounded fear of immigrants, minorities, the poor, the LGBT community and more, all for political gain, have laid the groundwork for Donald Trump, Schultz said. He said Democrats wont hesitate to fight for American people who share our values of inclusion, hard work, dignity and opportunity for all. We will hold Republicans on the ballot at every level accountable for their standard bearer, he said. Senator Bernie Sanders, 74, of the Democratic Party who narrowly defeated Hillary in the Indiana primary, said that Trump should never become the US president. We understand that we have an uphill climb to victory but we have been fighting uphill from the first day of this campaign. We are in this campaign to win and we are going to fight until the last vote is cast. There is nothing I would like more than to take on and defeat Donald Trump, someone who must never become president of this country, Sanders told his supporters in Indianas New Albany. The United States (US) has absolutely no intention of losing focus of its important relationship with Pakistan, the Obama administration said, noting that it is Islamabads decision to take a call on its security needs. These are sovereign decisions that nations make with respect to their defence needs and its up to Pakistan to speak to how theyll fulfil their defence needs, State Department spokesperson John Kirby said on Tuesday. He was responding to questions on a Pakistani leaders statement that it would get the fighter jets from other countries such as China, if US doesnt provide them. As for the relationship, as Ive said many, many times, its an important one. Its critical, its vital particularly in that part of the world, and its a relationship we have absolutely no intention of losing focus on or diminishing in any way, Kirby said. But these are obviously sovereign decisions that Pakistan has to make, the State Department said. A day earlier, the US told Pakistan to make full payments for the F-16 fighter jets costing an estimated $700 million after Congress senators put a hold on the subsidy of $435 million promised earlier. Kirby refrained from responding to questions on remarks by a top Pakistani minister that the US aid to his country has been peanuts. I would just simply say that, again, its an important relationship. Were going to continue to support that relationship. We fully stand behind the kinds of support that we have provided Pakistan over the last many years with respect specifically to their counter-terrorism capabilities and counter-terrorism needs, and were going to continue to look for ways to improve that cooperation as best we can, Kirby said. Republican John Hammond III had made no secret of his distaste for Donald Trump and his desire to thwart his march to the partys presidential nomination, telling the Indianapolis Star newspaper in March that the mogul was unfit to lead the United States. But the Republican National Committee member, a partner at law firm Ice Miller, said no anti-Trump group ever reached out to him, nor did he see any evidence that such groups were in the state until just a few days before voting in Indianas primary election. By the time some direct mail and TV ads popped up, it was too late to make a difference, he said. There was never really any early Stop Trump effort in Indiana, he told Reuters. Trump became the Republican partys presumptive nominee on Tuesday with his resounding win in Indianas primary, which led his main rival US Senator Ted Cruz of Texas to drop out and heaped pressure on distant third-place contender John Kasich, the Ohio governor, to do the same. Read: US primaries: Ted Cruz quits presidential race after Trump wins Indiana In the process, Trump dealt a seemingly fatal blow to the high-profile effort known as Stop Trump or Never Trump launched by conservative Republicans. The movement -- led by the conservative anti-tax non-profit Club for Growth and the Our Principles PAC -- for months failed to significantly slow Trumps momentum and now appears to be on death watch, political operatives and at least three officials involved in the movement say. It emerged over the US winter as initial skepticism over Trumps chances turned to anxiety among conservatives, who view many of the Manhattan real estate moguls policy pledges as a liberal threat to their low-tax, low-spending principles. But from the start it was hobbled by poor coordination, the lack of a single, influential public leader, and the absence of an agreed-upon alternative to Trump, according to leaders in the movement as well as Republican operatives familiar with it. You have to have a plan of action to deal with him, said Republican strategist Doug Heye, a Trump opponent who has ties to people in the movement. And it appears no one really did. Read: Clinton team thinks US prez race is over, theyre wrong: Sanders Publicly, leaders in the Stop Trump movement dispute the notion that they were ineffective, saying their efforts in Wisconsin helped head off a Trump win in April. They also say the groups communicate effectively with one another and that they will continue fighting despite the Indiana results. We will continue to educate voters about Trump until he, or another candidate, wins the support of a majority of delegates to the Convention, Katie Packer, chair of the Our Principles PAC said in a statement on Tuesday. But, in private, three top officials associated with the movement conceded that Indiana was a do or die moment. A live television screen at the Trump Tower displays the news to Trump supporters and journalists that Ted Cruz is pulling out of the presidential campaign after losing Indiana. (AFP) Read: Priyanka Chopra slams Donald Trump, says banning people primitive Late start, lack of coordination The movement suffered a major setback when Republican mega donors declined to play the role of Trump Slayers. Both casino magnate Sheldon Adelson and the billionaire industrialist Koch brothers, decided not to repeat their experience in 2012, when they lavished hundreds of millions of dollars on Republican candidates only to see no returns. Deprived of such major financial backers, Club for Growth and Our Principles PAC together spent only $27 million on anti-Trump messaging, according to Federal Election Commission reports. Democratic front-runner Hillary Clintons campaign and Super PAC have spent at least $78 million so far, according to FEC reports. The groups and their associates focused their messaging over the winter and spring on television and social media ads and Twitter blasts highlighting Trumps comments about women being bimbos, dogs and fat pigs, as well as his statements supporting universal health care and higher taxes. Throughout their campaign, the two groups did not coordinate directly with one another or even converse on a regular basis, according to one Club for Growth official. It wasnt until last week that Our Principles PAC and the Stop Trump effort in California, led by political consultant Rob Stutzman, even joined forces. Officials at Club for Growth said they werent aware of that California effort. Some veteran Republican operatives said Our Principles PAC had been a waste of time and money. Theyve had no leadership. Theyve spent tens of millions of dollars by now and gotten zero message, zero movement, said one Republican familiar with the workings of the movement. The whole thing has been a disaster from the beginning. Many donors, like Trumps rival candidates, underestimated the tycoon, believing he would burn out after his early successes, Republican consultants say. Those who did come forward publicly to support the Stop Trump movement, such as Chicago Cubs owners and Our Principles PAC funders Joe and Marlene Ricketts, were swiftly treated to Trumps social media wrath. They better be careful, Trump said of the Ricketts in a Tweet in February. They have a lot to hide! Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump speaks to supporters and the media at Trump Tower in Manhattan following his victory in the Indiana primary. (AFP) Read: Donald Trump links Ted Cruzs father to JFKs assassin By March, other wealthy families who had donated to the cause were asking reporters not to identify them in stories anymore because they didnt want their spouses and children to face abuse from the Trump campaign. I dont think you can underestimate how effective Donalds bullying has been, even among wealthy donors, said one top official at Club for Growth. Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski dismissed the notion that donors had been fearful, saying the identity of campaign contributors has long been public information. (Additional reporting by Emily Flitter) Authorities in Central Texas report that they discovered an improvised explosive device (IED) beneath a bridge Tuesday evening. Following the discovery, the McLennan County Sheriff's office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives used water to breach the exterior of the container found just outside Rosebud, a town home to about 1,400 people and located roughly 40 miles southeast of Waco. Inside the IED, authorities found flammable liquid, a detonator and shotgun shells, according to Sheriff Parnell McNamara. He stated that the device was designed to blow shrapnel and would have been extremely dangerous had it gone off, which it was capable of doing had they not located and diffused it. "Someone had made this to create lots of damage and harm," McNamara said. News of sightings or explosions of IEDs are uncommon but always cause a splash within the affected community when they emerge. In March, a pipebomb exploded in an alleyway near Disneyland, shaking nearby homes and business as well as causing some damage to the immediate area. Notably, an officer revealed to media after the incident that the bomb had been nestled away in an area out of view, but it exploded with so much force that the cap left a hole in a wooden fence 40 feet away that looked like a saw had cut through it. Technicians recovered the remains of the device and took them to the lab for analysis. In a similar case, in February, authorities responded to the scene of an explosion in West Virginia after an alleged IED detonated in the vicinity. No one saw the explosive or the explosion in that case either - only the aftermath. Once again, the remains of the device were taken to a lab for analysis. Unlike the two aforementioned cases, the IED found beneath the bridge didn't go off. On the other hand, just like with the two prior incidents, authorities recovered the liquid found within the device and have taken it back to a lab for analysis in hopes of finding a source. No injuries or fatalities were reported. Police are still investigating the incident as of Wednesday morning. They have not named any suspects nor made any indication as to what a potential motive might be. @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. A new study from Loyola University Chicago researchers has revealed that humans were able to evolve bigger brains than other apes due to a faster metabolism. In addition, the study found that humans also have higher levels of body fat, which stores energy reserves that are, in turn, used as fuel to sustain the increased metabolic rate. When adjusted for body size, humans consume 400 more calories on a daily basis than chimpanzees and bonobos, 635 more calories than gorillas and 820 more calories than orangutans. The data confirms the team's hypothesis that the faster metabolism and higher energy budget of humans evolved in order to accommodate for the higher caloric requirement of larger brains. Furthermore, faster metabolism is also linked to increased offspring and lifespan, giving us a better understanding of the benefits of this adaptation. The team measured the total energy expenditure - which includes calories burned by metabolism at rest, as well as those burned during physical activity - in both humans and great apes over the course of seven to 10 days during the course of normal living behavior. Overall, the study examined 141 humans, 27 chimpanzees, eight bonobos, 10 gorillas and 11 orangutans. Human data stemmed from a separate study called the Modeling the Epidemiological Transition Study (METS), which included adults from the U.S., South Africa, Ghana, Seychelles and Jamaica and aimed to shed light on the relationship between physical activity and energy expenditure and weight gain in adults. The results revealed that body fat percentage was significantly higher in humans, and in addition, only humans showed a gender difference, with 22.9 percent body fat in men and 41.7 percent in women. Humans and great apes share a close evolutionary history and together make the hominoid superfamily. The findings could help scientists uncover new ways to fight obesity and metabolic diseases. "Humans exhibit an evolved predisposition to deposit fat whereas other hominoids remain relatively lean, even in captivity where activity levels are modest," the Loyola University Chicago researchers wrote. "Untangling the evolutionary pressures and physiological mechanisms shaping the diversity of metabolic strategies among living hominoids may aid efforts to promote and repair metabolic health for humans in industrialized populations and apes in captivity." The findings were published in the May 4 issue of the journal Nature. @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. News / National by Stephen Jakes Zimbabwe First leader Maxwell Shumba has claimed that the Zimbabweans have ever cried and sometime asked when the President Robert Mugabe will die because they have suffered for too long.In his statement posted on Facebook, Shumba said no Zimbabwean should have ever suffered at the hands of another Zimbabwean."Robert Mugabe, Yes Robert Mugabe the nation is ever crying and sometimes asking when you will die, what a shame," Shumba said. "A revolution betrayed. Its, therefore, befitting that as Robert Mugabe winds down his time here on earth he hears the horrific stories of the atrocities he authored over and over again."Shumba said Mugabe atrocities stories were being retold.He said Zimbabweans from all walks of life are desperate."All they are asking for is a political party that will give them a new ray of hope as they reel under economic hardships, repression and violence. This is where ZimFirst is coming in with fresh ideas, solutions and untainted," Shumba said."ZimFirst is rising above conventional politics of selfishness and greed to serve the people of Zimbabwe. Besides being guided by the values of democracy, ZimFirst believes in humility which regards the well-being and happiness of others as more important than one's own."Shumba said in a country characterised by failing governance, economic standards and repression, ZimFirst is there to offer tangible solutions."We do not give excuses because we believe excuses are poor substitutes for results. At ZimFirst we also have the advantage of variety and universality of experience at our disposal. ZimFirst is here to reclaim Zimbabwe to it's former glory, to speak to the heart of the people's discontent and to rewrite the script of Zimbabwe's future," he said. News / National by Lovemore Chikova Ruling parties like Zanu-PF must maintain discipline and always be connected to the people if they want to remain in power and be relevant, a Chinese official has said. The deputy director-general for the Bureau of African Affairs International Department Central Committee Communist Party of China, Mr Wang Heming, was speaking yesterday while answering a question from The Herald during a press conference here.Describing Zanu-PF as a great party with a glorious history, Mr Wang said the CPC was able to remain in power and initiate progress for China because of discipline among its members and people-oriented programmes."Actually, I think that Zanu-PF is also a great party with a big status in Zimbabwe and has also a glorious history," he said."CPC and Zanu-PF have maintained flourishing relations with each other and we have also done a lot in terms of exchanges and sharing our experiences."Some of the important secrets or instruments for CPC to maintain itself as a ruling party of China for such a long time is that we always connect the theories and our ideology with our practices on the ground. We always keep ourselves closely connected to the people and we also consider criticism and self-criticism as important instruments of party building."Zanu-PF has of late been grappling with disciplinary issues among some of its members, which has led to the expulsion of some high-ranking individuals, including former Vice President Joice Mujuru and her putschist cabal.More disciplinary issues have continued to flood the National Disciplinary Committee since the expulsion of the Mujuru cabal last year, affecting efforts by the party to turnaround the economy.Mr Wang said the CPC was managing to effectively put its theories into practice, thereby assuring its survival and close bond with the people."Chairman Mao (Zedong) said we should consider the relations between the party and the people as relations between the fish and the water," he said."We all come from the people and we should remain and stay connected with the people. One of the principles of CPC is to serve the people and it is more than a slogan. It is what we do, that is why we can get the support of the people for such a long time."Mr Wang said the CPC also emphasised on discipline among its members, which has been the bedrock of its success and unity."Members must abide by the decisions of the Central Committee and after the final decision is made by the Central Committee the entire party members will implement it," he said."That is why we have gained efficiency in national construction and development."Mr Wang criticised the West for pouring money to opposition parties in Africa instead of directing the funds to help the people.He said Western countries were also practising double standards when speaking about democracy."Ruling parties and opposition parties must work together for the welfare of the people. As I see now, some of the opposition parties in some African countries oppose ruling parties only for the sake of opposition and this is quite energy consuming and resource consuming too and causes chaos," said Mr Wang.Mr Wang said Western countries criticised China's type of democracy when they were worse off."Let me draw your attention to America, there are only two contesting political parties in the United States the Democrats and the Republicans and they do not allow a third party to be set up and participate in the elections," he said. News, events, history, and other mid-week tidbits. Tuesday, October 25, 4:30 7 p.m. Orr Area EMS Open House Brats and burgers will be served. Event includes a new ambulance tour and blood pressure screenings. For more info: 218-780-3798. Orr Fire Hall 4540 Lake St., Orr Tuesday, October 25, 12 6 p.m. Essentia Health Job Fair Talent recruiters and department managers will be on-site at Essentia Health-Virginia. Candidates from all backgrounds are encouraged to attendnurses, nursing and clinical assistants, surgery technicians, radiology technicians, respiratory therapists, human resource professionals, and those interested in environmental services or nutrition services. Essentia staff will greet candidates, conduct an initial screening and filter them to appropriate hiring managers for interviews. Select candidates will be verbally offered a position before leaving. Candidates are asked to bring a resume, but its not required. Attire is business casual. For more info: www.essentiacareers.org. 901 9th St. N., Virginia HOLA brings together the leaders in the hotel industry to discuss important trends, to network, to identify new opportunities, and to do deals through a combination of plenary sessions, breakout panels, and interactive development workshops. Program tracks on hotel investment in Mexico, Brazil, South America, and Central America are featured. If you are serious about the hotel business in Latin America, you cant afford to miss HOLA. Who Should Attend Investors, Owners, Lenders, Developers, Hotel Chain/Management Company Executives, Investment Bankers, Vacation Ownership Executives, Financial Advisors, Real Estate & Financial Intermediaries, Builders, Consultants, Lawyers, Architects & Designers, Government Tourism Officials and Media About BHN BHN is the worldwide leader in developing and organizing conferences for the hotel and tourism investment community. With almost three decades of experience, nearly 120 events completed to-date, and over 80,000 international delegates, BHN conferences have become must attend events for industry leaders who come together to network, conduct business and to learn about the latest trends. BHN events include: the Americas Lodging Investment Summit (ALIS) in Los Angeles; the ALIS Summer Update; the Alternative Ownership Conference Asia Pacific (AOCAP) in Singapore; the Caribbean Hotel & Resort Investment Summit (CHRIS) in Miami; the Hotel Investment Conference Asia Pacific (HICAP) in Hong Kong; HICAP UPDATE in Singapore; the Hotel Investment Forum India (HIFI) in Gurgaon Delhi N.C.R.; the Hotel Opportunities Latin America (HOLA) conference in Miami; and the Hotel Investment Conference Europe (Hot.E) in London. The BHN website at is the gateway for information about the conferences BHN produces, as well as a direct link to important players in the hospitality investment world. For more information please contact Bob Hayes 714-540-9300 Shaza Hotels, an independent five-star luxury hotel operator, has signed six new hotels across the Middle East that are set to open between 2016 and 2019 in addition to its existing Shaza Al Madinah in Saudi Arabia. At the Arabian Travel Market (ATM), Sheikh Salem bin Ahmed Al Ghazali, chairman of Golden Group of Companies, and Salman Al Mohannadi, chairman of Shaza Hotels also signed an agreement of management for the new 'Shaza Muscat' that will comprise 250 hotel rooms and 150 hotel apartments, as part of a mixeduse development. The hotel will be welcoming its first guests in the third quarter of 2019. Further identifying an opportunity to offer Arabian lifestyle in an upscale environment, the brand is launching Mysk by Shaza, a four-star experience with its flagship hotel opening in March 2017 in Al Mouj, Muscat. Inspired by the Arabic pronunciation of musk, Mysk carries the fragrance of Shaza into a renewed and festive worldliness. Like its parent, Mysk is born out of the Middle Eastern culture, awakening the senses with its enchanting aroma, and creating a theatrical experience that is closely tied to the rich and ever evolving Arabian culture. The years 2016 and 2017 are a key milestone in the expansion plan of Shaza Hotels and Mysk by Shaza. The third quarter of 2016 will witness the grand opening of Shaza Hotel in Makkah while negotiations are underway for new Shaza projects in Europe, which marks an important new chapter for the brand outside the Middle-East. Further to the launch of Mysk by Shaza in 2016, five hotels are to be signed in the region by the end of 2017, including two projects currently under negotiation in Saudi Arabia. Commenting on the chain's ground-breaking projects in the pipeline, Simon Coombs, CEO of Shaza Hotels, said: "2016 is definitely a landmark year for Shaza Hotels and we are excited to be unveiling our imminent projects across the Middle East. In a meaningful partnership and dialogue with our owners, we take pride in creating each Shaza Hotel to be a bespoke experience where we deliver the highest standards to our guests. I am now very excited to extend this experience to our new brand Mysk by Shaza." About Shaza Hotels Shaza Hotels is an international hotel management company comprising of two unique brands: Shaza in the luxury segment, and Mysk in the upscale segment. The brands are characterised by their dedication to offering true Arabian hospitality inspired by the traditions and culture of the Silk Route and reflected by a contemporary Middle Eastern style decor and serene ambiance that is appreciated by the most discerning travellers. Shaza is a member of the Global Hotel Alliance (GHA). For more information please visit www.shazahotels.com About DISCOVERY Loyalty A memorable trip demands more than a comfortable stay. DISCOVERY, an award-winning global loyalty programme, provides 16 million members recognition and perks across over 570 hotels, resorts and palaces in 78 countries. Elite members have the opportunity to immerse themselves in local culture through Local Experiences, distinctive activities that capture an authentic taste of each destination. For more information, visit discoveryloyalty.com It looks like you've reached a page that doesnt exist (anymore). Please use the navigation or search above to find content on Hospitality Net. Go back to home In a rare and decisive action, a Central District Court Judge dismissed an Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) lawsuit filed by an Arizona disabled plaintiff who has recently filed a wave of over 70 ADA lawsuits against Southern California hotels. The plaintiff, who claims she is confined to a wheelchair, called an Orange County hotel to book a room. She asked the hotel representative whether the hotel pool and Jacuzzi had a pool lift or other means of access for disabled persons. The hotel employee allegedly reported that the hotel had no pool lifts. Thereafter, allegedly, plaintiffs agent, and ADA investigator, visited the hotel, verified that there were no pool lifts, and notified the plaintiff of other ADA violations. The plaintiff claimed that she regularly frequents the area where the hotel is located and plans to do so in the future. If there was a pool lift, plaintiff claims, she would stay at the hotel in the future. The plaintiff, Theresa Brooke, has filed over 70 ADA lawsuits against Southern California hotels in the past 6 weeks, every single one of which in boilerplate fashion alleges ADA violations based on inaccessible hotel pools and spas. In dismissing the lawsuit, the Judge noted that the deluge [of ADA lawsuits] is ongoing, noting plaintiff, it appears, would like to stay at every Orange County hotel that presently has an inaccessible Jacuzzi. Citing a recent opinion (Brooke v. Kalthia Group Hotels), the trial judge on his own motion dismissed the lawsuit finding that plaintiff had not stated a claim under the ADA because a plaintiff who had not visited the hotel cannot litigate a case against the hotel based solely on calling the hotel, seeing pictures and taking a call from her private investigator. Despite two decisive rulings dismissing these lawsuits, this plaintiff continues to file multiple ADA lawsuits daily. All hotel owners and operators need to know that these cases can be won without substantial cost. If you would like to discuss any of the ADA issues, please contact us: Jim Butler Chairman, Global Hospitality Group jbutler@jmbm.com (310) 201-3526 Marty Orlick Chairman, ADA Defense Team morlick@jmbm.com (415) 984-9667 This is Jim Butler, author of www.HotelLawBlog.com and hotel lawyer, signing off. Weve done more than $68 billion of hotel transactions and have developed innovative solutions to unlock value from hotels. Whos your hotel lawyer? 50 Cents decision to post a video of himself harassing an airport employee he believed was high has resulted in backlash after it was revealed that the man he targeted was 19-year-old Andrew Farrell, who suffers from social anxiety and mild autism. The video has since been deleted, but Farrells stepfather, has called for an apology, as have many fans on social media. That apology has now arrived through NY Post, with 50 apologizing for the misunderstanding as well as disclosing that he had offered a personal apology to the family. While the incident at the airport resulted from an unfortunate misunderstanding, I am truly sorry for offending the young man It was certainly not my intent to insult him or the disability community, which is a source of great strength in America. I have apologized personally to him and his family. While there was rumor that Farrells family may launch a lawsuit against the rapper, TMZ now reports that they are happy with a sincere apology. The family has yet to respond to 50s most recent statement. 50 Cent Lord Shariyf, a man who identifies himself as Afrika Bambaataas former bodyguard, claims that the hip hop pioneer had a sexual relationship with hundreds of underage boys. Since the 70s, its been hundreds, Shariyf said in an interview with radio host Star. I can say Ive walked in on stuff where I say, what the fuck is going on? At the end of March, Ronald Savage came forward and accused Bambaataa of sexual abusing him in the late 70s and early 80s. Three weeks later, three more men came forward with similar allegations. Shariyf, also known as Shamsideen Shariyf Ali Bey, says he was a member of the Black Spades, a Bronx gang, along with Bambaataa before joining the Zulu Nation in the mid-70s. The head of Shaka Zulu Security, he said the Bambaataa always had underage visitors in his Parkchester apartment. Theres always a boy in his house. When he leaves and gets home, theres always a boy there. Ive seen them camped, asking him for money, Shariyf said. He travels with late teens, those are the ones he takes overseas with him. When I went with him on tour in the States, Id stay in one room, and he would have boys in the room with him. He claimed that when he encouraged the Zulu Nation to turn Bambaataa in to the authorities in 2007, the organization accused of him trying to extort Bambaataa for money. Bambaataa goes around fronting, like hes this holier than thou. Hes a fucking pedophile, Shariyf said. This is a well-known fact in the Zulu Nation. Afrika Bambaataa News / National by Stephen Jakes ZIMBABWE Lawyers For Human Rights (ZLHR) has said it joins all supporters of media freedom in commemorating World Press Freedom Day on 3 May 2016 at a time when media practitioners and ordinary citizens face acute dangers including arbitrary arrest, prosecution, intimidation and being abducted and disappeared.In a statement the ZLHR said proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly in December 1993, World Press Freedom Day, which in 2016 is being commemorated under the theme; "Access to Information and Fundamental Freedoms - This Is Your Right!," is an opportunity to celebrate the fundamental principles of media freedom; assess the state of press freedom; defend the media from attacks on their independence; and pay tribute to journalists who continue to bear up with the litany of obstacles they confront in the line of duty."It is pertinent to recognise that a key measure of a country's levels of freedom, democracy and just rule of law is the manner in which a government treats media practitioners and how free they are allowed to do their professional work. In addition, freedom of expression is central to an open and democratic state in which people access diverse information to help them participate and make choices about governance, social and economic issues," ZLHR said.ZLHR said it appreciates that the new Constitution broadens freedom of expression, and of the media and access to information."However, while media freedom protection has been specifically included in the Constitution, the reality on the ground is at odds with this, due to the continued insistence on registration of media houses and media practitioners and excessive restrictions on what they are able to cover," reads the statement."It is saddening to note that Zimbabwe's media freedom scorecard and the situation for journalists has worsened with the major blemish for the government being the imprisonment of Patrick Chitongo, a Chiredzi based publisher and journalist, who is wallowing prison."The ZLHR said Chitongo, who has been detained for several months now, solely for his journalistic work must be released immediately and unconditionally as his imprisonment is an inherently disproportionate restriction on the right to freedom of expression."The government's bad scores on media freedom, including constraints on the ability of journalists to do their work and the threats issued by state actors such as Information, Media and Broadcasting Services Minister Christopher Mushohwe calls into question its professed commitment to media freedom, and freedom of expression and access to information," reads the statement."From an operating environment littered with hostile media laws to a myriad of stumbling blocks, Zimbabwe possesses a media minefield and apparently the same perpetrators show up time and again.""Zimbabwe is not a safe place for journalists, bloggers and other citizens to peacefully express themselves as can be confirmed by the pattern of intimidation, harassment, arrests, imprisonment, charges and prosecution of media practitioners and ordinary citizens which suggests that they are aimed at persecuting and silencing the government's perceived opponents and critics," ZLHR added.ZLHR said in recent months, Zimbabwean courts have also imposed gag orders on coverage of some cases, a practice which has routinely been abused to remove from public scrutiny cases where "powerful" individuals and officials have stood accused of human rights violations or where authorities intend to conceal information from members of the public."Of concern too is the authorities' crackdown on online communication and the systematic monitoring and surveillance of social media platforms including Facebook and WhatsApp, which is being used to monitor dissent as demonstrated by the arrest and prosecution of villagers recently in Mashonaland Central and Manicaland provinces on flimsy charges of criminal nuisance and insulting or undermining authority of the President. ZLHR is perturbed that citizens continue to be targeted despite the fact that the country's apex court, the Constitutional Court, has made various pronouncements in some cases before it about application of this notorious provision," reads the statement."Freedom after expression also remains elusive, with self-censorship still pervasive due to the fear of being prosecuted for expressing critical views of individuals, institutions and state policies and practices.""We have seen an appetite by Zimbabwean authorities to interfere with the operations and the practice of journalism through attempting to impose new and illegal layers of accreditation of journalists apart from the Zimbabwe Media Commission as happened in Parliament early this year, where some overzealous security agents intended to subject journalists to rigorous scrutiny including asking them to submit police clearance letters," added ZLHR.The organisation said in April, authorities directed journalists to be "cleared" by the Zimbabwe Republic Police as a condition to secure entry and cover a meeting convened by veterans of the country's liberation war."Such restrictions and controls betrays the government as being so obsessed with control and licensing. In Zimbabwe today, anyone who challenges the authorities' official narrative, criticises the government or exposes human rights violations is at risk of being tossed into police cells and being abducted and disappeared as what happened to Itai Dzamara in March 2015 while other human rights campaigners among them Paul Chizuze and Patrick Nabanyama remain unaccounted for after going missing for several years now," said ZLHR."It is high time that the government appreciates the need to respect and uphold constitutional provisions which provides the framework of protections, obligations, rights and fundamental freedoms accorded all persons in Zimbabwe. To ZLHR, these form the bedrock of democracy and act as all important bullwark against the government of the day and other state and non-state actors misusing their power against people."it further stated that in the digital age, media freedom is confronted by growing challenges of arbitrarily punishing cyber-expression and intrusions on digital privacy, even though the Constitution provides for the right to privacy under section 57."Of concern to ZLHR is the recent clampdown on freelance journalists and their news portals as the case with the Media Centre and the five journalists, who have been interrogated by police detectives over an alleged treason case," reads the statement."Snooping into citizens' privacy impact on those who express themselves online and also on those who receive information online and this curbs access to information as well as the range of information and expression on digital portals. Such interference has the effect of constraining the ability of a society to make informed choices about democracy and development.""In a year, in which we celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Windhoek Declaration on an independent and pluralistic African press, ZLHR reiterates that the battle for media plurality, diversity of information, legislative reform, and accountability must therefore be a fight taken on, not only by the media itself and media rights organisations, but also by the broader civil society and the general public as a whole. A closed society where archaic views and practices continue to prevail impacts us all, and for this reason ZLHR renews and reiterates its commitment to this struggle until victory is achieved," Added the organisation. Despite all of Hollywood's stern warnings in Jaws, The Great White, Sharknado etc. we still have failed to learn our lesson; do not go into crystal blue, paradise picturesque waters. The Shallows is out August 12. Swim safe kids. This article can only be read with a Premium Account Please Log In or Subscribe to continue reading The success that BBC's Peaky Blinders has amassed has sparked the conversation of a film adaptation. Cillian Murphy's Peaky Blinders has become quite the sleeper success. With Season 3 just around the corner, series creator Stephen Knight and executive producer Caryn Mandabach spoke to Digital Spy and the prospect of a Peaky Blinders movie arose; "We did have a conversation about potentially doing a movie," Mandabach revealed, "There are many people in America that love Peaky Blinders and plenty of movie stars that want to be in the movie." The period drama stars Cillian Murphy as gangster Tommy Shelby. Set in 1920's Birmingham, the volatile Shelby heads the Peaky Blinders gang whose trademark it is to sew razor blades into the peaks of their caps and use as weapons. The show runs on BBC Two and has broke the American market thanks to its deal with network giant Netflix. It's a completely viable project that we're sure plenty of actors would jump at the opportunity to star in. Peaky Blinders has acquired a huge star following which boasts Brad Pitt, Tom Cruise, Ed Sheeran, Steven Spielberg, Julia Roberts and Stephen King. Also counting himself as Peaky Blinders fan was the late David Bowie. Creator Stephen Knight told Radio Times that Bowie granted the show use of his music just days before his death. Knight received a personal copy of Blackstar from Bowie before the album was released to the public. "It seems that his people were keen to establish that we could use it before he died," Knight reflected, "[Bowie] sent a photo of himself with razor blades in his cap to Cillian about a year ago. I got in touch with his people who came back straight away and said he was a big, big fan." Peaky Blinders Season 3 will have the boys back in action again on May 5 at 9pm on BBC Two. They're donating proceeds from the gig to an equality organisation Two Door Cinema Club have explained why, despite being opposed to the states transgender bathroom law, theyve announced a North Carolina club show next month. Recently the General Assembly passed a bill that, in our opinion, erodes and invalidates fundamental protections from discrimination for the LGBT community, they say. Many artists have cancelled their upcoming stops in NC as a result of the new legislation, but we wanted to make it clear that, even though well be playing in NC, we fundamentally disagree with any moves to legalise discrimination against any person. To stand up for what is right, you have to do exactly that and wed rather do that within the state of North Carolina, rather than from afar. Its our name above the door that night, its our name on the ticket and we see it as our responsibility to ensure that anyone can come and feel safe. The old dudes who made this law are alien to us as we imagine they are to our fans in North Carolina. Were talking with the folks at Cats Cradle and were going to ensure every single one of you is treated with kindness and respect regardless of your gender, creed or sexuality. Our profits from the show will go to Equality North Carolina, who work towards bettering the future for all North Carolinans. On the musical front, the Northern Irish trio are expected to announce details of their third album over the next couple of weeks. A bumper It's Too Late To Stop Now... box-set is due next month Its the motherlode for Van Morrison fans as Legacy announce the release of Its Too Late To Stop Now Volumes II, III, IV & DVD, a monumental collection of previously unreleased material from his historic 1973 tour with the 11-piece Caledonia Soul Orchestra. "I am getting more into performing," said Van Morrison said back in the day. "A lot of times in the past I've done gigs and it was rough to get through them. But now the combination seems to be right and it's been clicking a lot." Dropping on June 10, its been remixed by Guy Massey whos handled previous Beatles and Paul McCartney collections. Also coming soon is a high-resolution edition of Its Too Late To Stop Now Volume I, the celebrated live album that came out in 1974 just a few weeks before Veedon Fleece. Despite the new PR that was issued by Cannabis Science Inc (OTCMKTS:CBIS, CBIS message board) yesterday the stock of the company continued to decline and registered its fourth session in a row of losses. When the closing bell put an end to the trading day the ticker was sitting at $0.0145 for a loss of 6.45%. It seems that investors weren't that thrilled to learn that over 3000 shareholders have requested to receive a "loyalty gift" of shares from CBIS' CEO Raymond C. Dabney. The high number of requests shouldn't be that surprising - after all some investors may have spent years waiting for the dividend that had a record date of December 31, 2010, to be distributed just to learn that not only will there be no such dividend but that FINRA had also refused to approve the second dividend that was proposed by the company. Not to mention that CBIS has still not released in an official PR any information about just how many shares are going to be distributed as gifts and at what ratio. Well, that is not the only vital information that is missing - investors are also waiting for the annual report for 2015 to be submitted. In the notification of late filing CBIS stated that they couldn't to complete the report on time because of "unanticipated delays". Due to the company missing even the extended deadline its OTCMarkets profile page has been stamped with the Pink Limited Information sign. Without any way to get more up-to-date information about the financials of the company investors are left to rely on the results from the quarterly report for the period ended September 30, 2015: $4791 cash $138 thousand total current assets $5.1 million total current liabilities $4150 revenue $3.9 million net loss We will leave it up to you to decide whether this balance sheet can justify the current market cap of company of over $18 million. By the end of the week CBIS are supposed to file another PR, in which the schematics for the 360,000 sq. ft. drug development complex in Nevada should be revealed. It remains to be seen if this will be enough to offset the rest of the red flags surrounding the company. To see the headquarters in Google Street View &trade, drag this yellow guy:over to the red pointer: This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Two companies with deep roots in Houston's energy economy on Tuesday laid plans for a future without each other in the uncertain world of oil field services. Halliburton and Baker Hughes have ended a costly 18-month engagement, leaving Baker Hughes to make sweeping changes and Halliburton to pay a $3.5 billion breakup fee. "Halliburton is continuing on the path they've always been on," said Bill Herbert, an analyst at an energy-focused division of investment bank Piper Jaffray. "Baker is trying to reinvent itself. And frankly, it needs to." At Halliburton, the world's second-largest oil services company behind Schlumberger, the breakup fee will take a bite out of the balance sheet, but otherwise executives said they expect to make few changes. The company's red coveralls are a staple in the oil patch, and its workers are considered the best at hydraulic fracturing, or pumping water and sand into shale to unlock oil and gas. Halliburton plans to use that business and its international reach to survive the downturn, then thrive during the recovery. Baker Hughes, however, announced major changes. The No. 3 services contractor will now seek to find the profit it couldn't get through size and scale by specializing in high-tech, high-margin businesses. CEO Martin Craighead said the company will remove its high-pressure pumping business from all but the two most profitable U.S. shale basins. Internationally, Craighead said, the company will seek to sell its equipment to local service contractors rather than maintaining its own infrastructure across the globe. He offered few specifics. "We're getting back to our core, which is innovation," he said during a call with investors on Tuesday. The future of these companies is critical to Houston, where they employ thousands of people. Around the globe, Halliburton employs more than 55,000 and Baker Hughes employs 39,000. Both companies have said they planned to cut workers if the merger failed, and would have almost certainly cut workers if the merger had gone through. The deal that Halliburton and Baker Hughes walked away from was once valued at $35 billion, but when federal regulators sued to block the union, it couldn't be closed on deadline. Halliburton has come out of the deal relatively healthy. Its largest setback is that it won't be able to narrow the gap between the size of its operations and those of industry leader Schlumberger. "If we had been successful, adding the Baker Hughes assets would have given us that scale quickly," Halliburton CEO Dave Lesar said on a Tuesday conference call. "But our strategy has not changed." Analysts expect Halliburton can pay the fee without incurring serious damage to its finances. The company reported it will still have $6.6 billion in liquidity after paying the fee. That's not to say the company hasn't suffered from cheap oil. Halliburton on Tuesday reported a loss of $2.41 billion in the first quarter, including a $2.1 billion non-cash charge primarily for asset impairments and severance costs. It also booked $378 million in charges related to its failed acquisition. Baker Hughes has struggled with low oil prices while the company's very existence sat in limbo. In the first quarter of 2016, Baker Hughes reported that its revenue fell by more than 40 percent to $2.7 billion, down from $4.6 billion in the first quarter of 2015. The company reported a loss of $981 million. About $110 million of its costs in the period were due to the pending merger. On the call with investors, Craighead said the key objective was cutting costs and securing profit margins in the short term. But the company has deep pockets and will be made even richer by the roughly $3 billion in after-tax cash it's due from Halliburton as part of the merger agreement. Baker Hughes has said it plans to use the windfall to buy back $1.5 billion in shares and retire $1 billion in debt. "Baker Hughes has cash, and they've got options," said Rob Desai, an analyst who follows the company for financial services firm Edward Jones. On Tuesday, Baker Hughes executives reiterated that they plan to eliminate $500 million in annual costs by the end of 2016 - industry code for layoffs. The company has already shrunk to about 39,000 employees from a peak of more than 62,000. Those cuts will come initially from divisions where executives had stayed cuts in anticipation of the merger. Additional cuts will come as the company pulls its fracturing crews out of all but the two most active U.S. shale plays. Executives didn't specify which plays, but analysts said they were Texas' Permian and Eagle Ford shales. Baker Hughes' retreat is a major reversal for a company that stormed into shale fracturing in 2009 with a $5.5 billion acquisition of competitor BJ Services Co. The acquisition helped Baker Hughes build one of the five largest U.S. high-pressure pumping businesses, which at the height of the boom accounted for about a third of the company's revenue, said Herbert of Piper Jaffray. But Baker Hughes never quite managed to squeeze as much profit from fracturing as its competitors, Herbert said. It struggled to build the same shipping logistics and efficient equipment that has helped Halliburton keep its fracturing costs low, he said. In the first quarter of 2016, Baker Hughes said its pressure-pumping business was losing market share and struggling to generate more cash than it cost to run. Another drastic shift is coming in Baker Hughes' international oil services business, where Craighead said the company would transform itself from trying to provide a slew of services into specializing in manufacturing some of the hardest-to-make oil equipment. Craighead said Baker Hughes could then sell its technology to local service providers. Rather than a direct competitor in many international markets, Baker Hughes plans to eventually shift toward being a "supplier to a broader set of customers," Craighead said. "That's a dramatic shift, one that you've never heard before from any of the big three service companies." Such a pivot would help Baker Hughes transition away from competing directly with Halliburton and Schlumberger, said Robin Shoemaker, who follows the company for KeyBanc Capital Markets. But it could also leave Baker Hughes working with service providers in countries such as Saudi Arabia and Iraq, where their customers could be less reliable, he said. Local service companies "often have inconsistent performance, they have poor safety records. It's not high quality." Other analysts said they're more interested in hearing details about how Baker Hughes will square with the reality of $45 per barrel oil today than about a strategy shift tomorrow. News / National by Tendai Rupapa A Harare man assaulted his wife for accessing his mobile phone and going through his messages without his permission while he was asleep. Paul Nyambanyo (52) of Kambuzuma arrived home late and his wife, Zvichanzii Chikata, asked her husband to be intimate with her but he refused and retired to bed. This irked Chikata, who then hatched a plan to go through his mobile phone.All hell broke loose when Nyambanyo suddenly woke up and saw his wife busy on his phone. Nyambanyo appeared before Harare magistrate Mr Tendai Mahwe charged with contravening the Domestic Violence Act, "physical abuse".He pleaded guilty to the charge and was ordered to pay $50 fine or risk going to prison for 30 days. Prosecutor Ms Idah Mateke-Maromo proved that on April 25 this year at around 2am, Nyambanyo arrived home and went to their bedroom, where his wife was sleeping.Chikata then asked him to be intimate with her but Nyambanyo refused and retired to bed. This angered Chikata, prompting her to spy on him since she suspected that he was having an affair with another woman.Upon realising that her husband was now asleep, Chikata took his phone and started going through his messages. She noticed that he was having an extra-marital affair with another woman after seeing a conversation between the two.Nyambanyo suddenly woke up and saw Chikata with his phone and this did not go down well with him. He then spit on her face out of anger. Nyambanyo strangled his wife while twisting her hand at the same time in a bid to take his phone from her.He told his wife that she had no right to access his phone without his permission. After the assault, Chikata rushed to the police and made a report, leading to Nyambanyo's arrest. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Texas legislators will study the possibility of attracting cruise lines to South Texas, potentially placing ports there in competition with Galveston. State Rep. Todd Hunter, R-Corpus Christi, has been promoting the idea of using South Texas ports for leisure cruising for four or five years, he said. He will co-chair a new joint committee looking into the subject. "I think this will be a great opportunity for a big positive in the South Texas travel tourism market," Hunter said. Hunter said he thinks there's enough demand to sustain more than one major cruise destination in the state. He said a port farther south on the Gulf Coast could draw from South Texas and northern Mexico, in addition to the larger cities like San Antonio and Austin that Galveston draws from. "They're certainly accessible to the same drive-up market as we are," said Michael Mierzwa, director of the Port of Galveston. "I would contend that their air connections are not as good." Galveston has had a lot of success in attracting cruise lines, with major lines continuing to bring more ships there to meet demand. The Port of Galveston is now the nation's fourth-busiest cruise port, and it is enlarging its cruise terminal to accommodate bigger ships. Of potential competition from South Texas, Mierzwa said he was monitoring the developments. "It's certainly something to be concerned about and be aware of," he said. He added that he will gladly talk to legislators about the complexities of attracting cruise lines. Mierzwa said it took a lot of discussion with the cruise lines "to get them even interested in coming to Galveston." An industry report from last year said the cruise industry in Houston and Galveston contributed $1.3 billion in economic impact in 2014, a 5.6 percent increase from the Cruise Lines Internal Association's 2013 estimate. Galveston saw more than 834,000 cruise passengers in 2015, a 30 percent increase from the year before, the port reported. In 2015 cruise ships made 232 calls to Galveston, up from 181 the year before. Houston has found such success elusive. The Port of Houston Authority has struggled to attract ships to its $108 million cruise facility at its Bayport terminal that opened in 2009. The Port Authority commission voted in 2012 to pay Princess and Norwegian a combined $6.7 million to call on Bayport. The contracts, which also waived rent or any docking fees, were meant to kick-start sustained interest in the facility. As of November, the cruise terminal had operated at a $3.3 million loss over the preceding year, the Port Authority said. State Sen. John Whitmire, D-Houston, has frequently criticized the cruise project as a boondoggle. He repeated as much when the Port Authority announced last August that it had lost its limited cruise business. "I'm disappointed, but I'm not surprised," he said at the time. " ... No one with common sense would build cruise ship capacity where you have to go inland to pick up your passengers." Forty-eight cruises sailed from Houston last year, but Princess and Norwegian surprised the Port Authority by declining to renew contracts that ended this spring. In a statement announcing Senate appointments to the interim committee last week, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick cited the "economic vitality of South Texas" and said developing the cruise industry there would "add to Texas' robust tourism and thriving economy." Patrick declined through a spokesman to comment further on Wednesday. A spokesman for Whitmire said the senator would not be available. The committee's goal is to introduce legislation during next year's session, Hunter said. It could be in the form of incentives to attract companies to southern ports, but Hunter said it's too early to say what options the committee might look at. Before the Legislature's last session, Hunter said a similar committee was established but did not have enough time to take legislative action. Corpus Christi, Port Aransas, Brownsville and South Padre Island, Point Comfort and Port Lavaca are all spots the committee will consider, Hunter said. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Mitsubishi Heavy Industries America is expanding its presence in Houston, announcing Tuesday that it has moved its corporate headquarters and 40 employees to Greenway Plaza from New York. The company, which oversees Tokyo-based Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Group's North American operations, already has 6,600 U.S. employees, including 1,200 in Texas. Local ventures include a $75 million manufacturing plant in Pearland, as well as the Mitsubishi Caterpillar Forklift and aircraft business in the Dallas area, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries spokesman Daniel Lochmann said. MHI announced its completed move Tuesday during a reception at Rice University that was attended by Gov. Greg Abbott. In a statement, MHI President and CEO Shunichi Miyanaga said Houston, as a hub for many of the company's customers, will be the focal point for expanding the company's North America presence. "As a city with a heavy concentration of cutting-edge industries, Houston holds great promise as a key driver of America's economic development long into the future," Miyanaga said. "This is a long-term move," added Lochmann, referring to the oil and gas downturn. "Obviously, there are ups and downs in the market, but in the long term it makes the most logical move for us to be here where all the oil and gas exists for America." MHI America began in 1979. From the local office, the company will run MHI Group chemical plants, transportation systems and other operations in 100 locations in 30 states. The federal government's top offshore drilling regulator warned oil drillers in the Gulf of Mexico on Tuesday not to let the current downturn in commodity prices affect their maintenance of drilling rigs and other equipment. "We all know the offshore environment carries inherent risks," said Brian Salerno, director of the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement. "We also know the current economic times have placed a lot of stress on the industry. We do not want to see incidents increase because of deferred maintenance." Salerno's comments at the Offshore Technology Conference in Houston came as his agency released data showing 206 reported worker injuries across all U.S. offshore leases last year, ending a three-year spike in accidents. There were also 105 fires and three losses of well control - none of which were major, Salerno said. "Overall, we can characterize the data as trending in the right direction," he said. The safety of drilling thousands of feet below the ocean's surface has come under increased scrutiny since 2010 when the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig exploded, spilling an estimated 3.19 million barrels of oil into the Gulf. Last month, Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement released its long-awaited response to the spill, a lengthy set of rules on everything from blowout preventers to drilling pressure. Industry officials have been critical of the rule, describing it as lacking flexibility and likely to cost companies hundreds of billions of dollars. That criticism continued Tuesday when American Petroleum Institute President Jack Gerard called on the winner of November's presidential election to avoid increasing regulations on a struggling domestic oil and gas industry. 'Please don't hinder' "If you can't assist, please don't hinder our industry's ability to produce, refine and store the energy our nation and the world needs," he said. "In spite of our industry's record of safe operations and leadership, we have to contend with policies that seem determined to undermine the progress our nation has made to become a global energy leader through rules and regulations that stifle domestic energy production." Last year, the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement performed more than 20,000 inspections of oil and gas facilities, issuing more than 2,000 citations for non-compliance with federal rules. Fears of corrosion A growing area of concern within the agency are the metal bolts used to hold together drilling equipment under the surface of the ocean. Due to corrosion, the bolts are failing faster than anticipated. Federal officials are in discussions with the bolts' manufacturers, along with oil and gas companies in the Gulf, to try to find out why. But so far, no definitive answers have been found, said Douglas Morris, chief of offshore regulatory programs atthe Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement. "We've seen a pattern for all three major equipment manufacturers," he said at a news conference. "The industry is trying to figure out a solution." This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate This story profiles one of the Offshore Technology Conference's Spotlight on New Technology Award winners. When moving heavy loads from ship to an offshore installation, even small motions of a vessel can have big consequences. Barge Master, a Dutch company with 20 employees, has found a way to compensate for those movements in the heaviest of seas. Barge Master is the smallest company to win a Spotlight on New Technology award. Its BM-T40 motion-compensated crane stands on hydraulic cylinder legs that respond individually to the movement of its host vessel, allowing it to lift up to 40 tons in seas with 15- to 20-foot waves. This represents a significant breakthrough, particularly for waters like the raucous North Sea, where Barge Master does a lot of its business. "The T40 enables the ship to work more than 90 percent of the year," says Eelko May, Barge Master's technical director. "Other vessels can be limited to 50 to 60 percent. Sometimes these lifting operations are not possible at all." The T40 follows a much larger predecessor introduced in 2009, the T700, capable of loads up to 700 tons and used primarily during construction of offshore installations. Barge Master started work on the T40 in 2013 after Shell requested a smaller version for maintenance, major repairs and restarts. Traditionally, operators build a crane into each rig for the heavy lifting. With one T40 on one vessel, Barge Master can service 15 platforms, saving tens of millions of dollars in crane installation and maintenance costs. The industry is stripping down satellite platforms of all extraneous equipment and personnel, and moving all vital systems and equipment to one central platform. May says that in the future, most platforms will not have a helicopter deck and a crane. Instead, work will be done from support vessels. The T40 can be installed on any ship. The motion compensation technology, which is more robust than the original T700, uses inclinometers to measure the motion of the ship, so if the bow pitches down, the hydraulic cylinder legs of the crane extend to compensate, keeping the load steady. The inclinometer is installed in triplicate, for added redundancy. "It's very important that the system always works," May says. "You can imagine if the crane starts to move with the ship." This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Wind power is typically used to decrease reliance on fossil fuels, but a new study shows that it could help produce more oil and gas at lower costs. DNV GL, a Norwegian consulting firm, on Tuesday unveiled the results of a study of 6-megawatt floating turbines used to power water injection for offshore oil and gas wells in the North Sea. DNV, which released its finding at the Offshore Technology Conference, found that using wind power was not only environmentally sound, but also cut the cost of production by about $3 a barrel. DNV executives said at they believe the technology is transferable to the Gulf of Mexico and even to onshore Texas oil fields that have nearby wind farms. Texas leads the U.S. in oil production and wind power. DNV's presentation was among a growing number of renewable and energy efficiency projects touted at the NRG Part as way to help with oil and gas production. DNV Group President and CEO Remi Eriksen acknowledged the irony of renewable technologies helping produce more oil, but he said the focus is on creating projects that benefit both the wind and oil and gas sectors. The study was dubbed "Win Win." "For the renewable industry, you can say, 'Well, why should we power the dirty part of the industry?' " Eriksen said. "But this is really a very good test, where there is a commercial (wind) operation with no subsidies involved. It really makes economic sense." It also makes environmental sense, he said, by replacing fossil fuel-powered pumping systems and reducing the carbon footprint of producing oil and gas. "It will be a greening of oil and gas as well," Eriksen said. Statoil, the Norwegian energy company that owns and operates the floating turbines, launched the first one in 2009. Statoil said it has reduced project costs by more than 60 percent since then and plans to spend roughly $235 million to install a 30-megawatt wind farm on five floating turbine structures offshore of Peterhead, Scotland in 2017. Each floating wind turbine, with a capacity of 6 megawatts, would have an electrical micro-grid system and an autonomous pumping system to collect, treat and inject water for oil production. No more than one turbine is needed for each injection well, said Johan Sandberg, DNV segment leader for floating wind turbines. The project would cost less to set up than current well-injection systems but cost a little more to operate. Overall, it could create savings of up to 20 percent, or about $3 a barrel produced, Sandberg said. He added that Statoil could eventually bring the technology to the United States. "There's a lot of potential in the Gulf of Mexico," Sandberg said, for both wind-powered oil recovery and for traditional offshore wind farms The projects are only economical up to depths of about 3,300 feet, or 1,000 meters, because the moorings costs more in ultra-deep environments, he said, at least until the technology advances. In a prepared statement, Exxon Mobil, which helped fund the DNV study, said it is intrigued by niche opportunities for wind such as offshore oil production. Other companies touted wind technologies at OTC as well. For instance, the Netherlands-based SMB Offshore primarily provides floating production, storage and offloading vessels. But SMB this week also is showcasing its new efforts to lead offshore wind farm projects. The Kelsey-Seybold Clinic board of managers named Dr. Tony Lin its new chairman of the board, the leadership position in charge of the daily operations of the clinic. He will succeed Dr. Spencer Berthelsen, who will remain with the clinic as managing director until he retires in March 2017. Lin, an internal medicine physician specializing in hospital care, joined Kelsey-Seybold in 1993 and served as chief of internal medicine for 15 years. He was appointed the chairman designate in 2011, and over the past five years, has worked closely with Berthelsen to plan the transition. "I have no doubt that the future will see Kelsey-Seybold's continued growth and that this organization will lead innovations to improve the quality of care and manage total medical costs under Dr. Lin's leadership," Berthelsen said in a statement Wednesday announcing the move. Berthelsen had held the top position for the maximum-allowed three five-year terms. Under his leadership, in 2012, the clinic was named the first accredited accountable care organization in the U.S. by the National Committee for Quality Assurance. An accountable care organization is an emerging model of health care delivery in which organizations strive to maintain the health of their patients, rather than merely treating them once they get sick. "His big picture perspective and the way in which he conducts business, calmly and always respectfully, were key to the successes he championed for the organization," Lin said. "I plan to espouse the same values and character fostering a spirit of innovation amongst our leadership team." Lin grew up and attended public schools in Houston. He graduated from Baylor College of Medicine and completed his residency training in internal medicine in Houston hospitals. Kelsey-Seybold employs more than 430 doctors and other health care providers at 20 location in the Greater Houston area. GALVESTON The time to build an "Ike Dike" to protect the upper Texas Gulf Coast from storms like Hurricane Ike would be shortened under a bill filed by U.S. Sen. John Cornyn. A study completed in March estimated that it could take as long as two decades and cost $7.9 billion to $11 billion to build a system to protect the counties of Harris, Galveston, Brazoria, Chambers, Jefferson and Orange. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Every time Tres Davis drives over the cracks in the streets of North Richmond, he remembers why he's fighting for change. There are few sidewalks or streetlights in the historically black neighborhood. Residents live in crumbling, piecemeal homes or aging trailers. The Brazos River encloses North Richmond on three sides. On the fourth side is a railroad track. When a train comes by - as one does every 18 minutes - there isn't a convenient way out of the neighborhood. Davis' campaign for an open city commissioner's seat - and to expand the local elected board and change how members are elected - illustrates a broader quest across Texas for greater minority representation in once-rural towns that are now fast-growing suburbs, where whites are now in the minority but continue their hold on political power. At 55 percent Hispanic, 25 percent white and 17 percent African-American, Richmond not only fits that mold, but serves as the seat of government in Fort Bend County, one of the fastest-growing and most-diverse counties in the United States. "The fact that Fort Bend County and Richmond in particular are diversifying so quickly demonstrates the need for racial inclusion for groups who historically haven't had as much say," said Brandon Rottinghaus, a political science professor at the University of Houston. Davis, who is African-American, figures his election to an open city commissioner's seat would immediately increase minority representation. He is seeking to fill the seat vacated by a white commissioner who recently died. That would give Richmond an African-American and a Hispanic on its two-member commission, along with a white mayor and city manager. Davis also is backing two propositions that aim to make the city's elected board more inclusive and responsive to the needs of low-income minority residents. Proposition 1 would increase the number of city commissioners from two to four. Proposition 2 would have city commissioners elected from single-member districts, instead of at large. Davis, an elementary school teacher in the Alvin Independent School District, has lived in Richmond for a decade, in a development about 3 miles away from North Richmond. He said he spends time in North Richmond because it reminds him of his hometown outside Austin. He also worked at an elementary school in the community for several years. When Davis moved in, he was shocked by how provincial the city's government was, despite being about 30 miles from downtown Houston. Hilmar Moore, who was mayor from 1949 until his death in 2012, kept the government small. Richmond's form of government - with a strong city manager who conducts the daily operations of the city, under the watch of its elected officials - is common. But it is likely the only city with its own charter that has just two commissioners, said Bennett Sandlin, executive director of the Texas Municipal League. Most cities of Richmond's size have four to six commissioners, Sandlin added. Voters in nearby Fulshear, which is nearing 8,000 residents, are weighing a proposed charter calling for seven city council members, five of whom would be elected by single-member districts. A citizens' committee responsible for writing Richmond's charter, which was implemented in 2013, purposely didn't increase the number of elected officials. The consensus was that the mayor and city commissioners wouldn't approve a charter if they did, said Barry Beard, a member of that committee who is now running for commissioner. Seeking representation Evalyn Moore, who succeeded her husband as mayor after his death and then was elected in 2014, said he strived to ensure minority representation in city government. But with only two commissioners, there were limited opportunities. In its history, Richmond has had only one African-American commissioner and three Hispanic commissioners. They include Jesse Torres, a sitting commissioner from North Richmond. After a recent city council meeting, Torres acknowledged that he struggles to represent the interests of North Richmond residents on the deadlocked council, given that he and the mayor don't always see eye to eye. The open seat was created by the death of Commissioner Glen Gilmore, who lived across the street from the Moores in an upscale neighborhood. As Richmond's city manager for 20 years prior to his election, Gilmore worked closely with Hilmar Moore. Trying to get either Moore or Gilmore to vote with him on issues he cared about was a challenge, Torres said. Moore and Torres were unable to agree on a replacement for Gilmore despite a city-charter requirement that they do so within 30 days of a vacancy. So voters likely will decide on Saturday. Torres faces legal troubles of his own. The former Lamar CISD trustee was indicted in March on charges of conspiracy to commit bribery and other offenses arising from a corruption scandal involving the Lamar CISD. Torres' attorney has denied any wrongdoing. His term runs through 2018. Increasing the number of commissioners would provide more opportunities for people from different communities to be elected, said Rottinghaus. Single-member districts also increase minority representation. Beard said he opposes single-member districts at this time, saying they can lead to more squabbling over resources. Davis got both propositions on the ballot through petitions. Moore won't say publicly what she thinks of Davis' proposed propositions. Beard and the other commissioner candidate, Carlos Garcia, back expanding the board's size. Garcia is in favor of single-member districts. Davis, however, has gotten pushback for what some consider the haphazard way in which he's tried to change Richmond. He unsuccessfully ran for city commissioner against Torres in 2015. Too many petitions? Davis got another petition signed that had an early-voting location open during the weekend in Richmond, costing the city an estimated $800, despite a county location just a few miles away, City Manager Terri Vela said. Davis submitted four other petitions to the city to review. He didn't circulate any others for signatures, but his tactic prompted a citizen committee tasked with reviewing Richmond's charter to recommend two other propositions that are on the ballot Saturday. The measures would likely increase the number of signatures required for petitions like Davis' to get on the ballot. "It just appeared ... some individuals were trying to run the city through the petition process," said committee chair Michael Scherer. Moore insisted that the city has not ignored North Richmond. An interlocal agreement with the county is in the works to build an overpass over the railroad tracks as part of a road project that would make it easier to leave the neighborhood, said Vela, the city manager. The city spends about $250,000 of grant money every year on North Richmond's infrastructure. The city's Building and Standards Commission has been identifying dangerous homes that must be improved or removed, Vela added. Still, North Richmond residents continue to live in a neighborhood without a major grocery store and along streets where broken furniture and chipped porcelain toilets sit outside houses overrun with bougainvillea, where the sound of a train whistle signals further isolation. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate A disgruntled worker shot and killed a supervisor and then committed suicide Wednesday morning at a trucking company in west Harris County. The gunfire broke out about 8:45 a.m. at Knight Transportation, 20400 Franz Road, across the street from Morton Ranch High School in the Katy area, according to the Harris County Sheriff's Office. A local worker who had been recently terminated from the Phoenix-based company drove to the business, parked in front, walked inside with a shotgun and pistol and opened fire, said Harris County Sheriff Ron Hickman. A company employee who saw the gunman entering the building told investigators the shooter said, "You' all ruined my life," said Ralph Gonzales of the Harris County Sheriff's Office. It was not known if the man was speaking to anyone in particular. Hickman said a supervisor was wounded and died. The shooter then turned the gun on himself. Two other employees at the business were injured, one of them by a piece of debris during the gunfire. Details of the injuries and condition of the other injured person were not released. Officials at the company said it is suspending all work at the facility and providing counselors to employees. In a statement Knight Transportation said: "Our deepest sympathies are with the family during this difficult time." They also confirmed the gunman was a former worker, saying the shooting "was the action of a lone former employee, who also died as a result of today's events." "We appreciate the quick response of authorities and are closely monitoring the situation," the statement said. "Knight is doing everything possible to ensure the safety of all of its employees. Counselors will be on site to support our employees. We have suspended all work at our Katy facility pending completion of the investigation." The statement didn't include information about the gunman or the victim, whose names haven't been released. A deputy was hurt when he banged his knee as he went into the building. It appears only the shotgun was used in the shooting. The pistol, it appears, was not fired. The Harris County Sheriff's Office High Risk Operations Unit searched the building to make sure no other victims or shooters were inside. Hickman said no information about the gunman was available. All he knew was that the man had been terminated from the company. He did not know how long the man had worked at the firm. It was not known if the supervisor who died was the one who fired the man. Morton Ranch High, Morton Ranch Junior High and Morton Ranch Elementary schools along with Franz Elementary School were placed on lockdown after the shooting as a precaution, said officials with the Katy Independent School District. The lockdown at each campus was later lifted. Knight Transportation is one of the largest trucking companies in the country, with more than $1 billion in annual revenue and roughly 5,000 employees in 20 states. Chronicle reporters Sebastian Herrera and Dug Begley contributed to this article. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Many of us are familiar with the Texas law that requires ordinary citizens to report suspected child abuse. And we know there's a higher standard for teachers, doctors and other professionals, who must report it within 48 hours. Failure to do so is a Class A misdemeanor. One would assume that the state agency whose primary mission is to protect children would be duty-bound as well. That was a lingering question - for me and for readers - after Sunday's column describing a Child Protective Services supervisor's apparent handling of a horrific accusation. "If the child was in my office making an outcry that the 3-year-old made to us and I reported that to CPS, it would be actionable immediately," Angela Sugarek told me in our first interview. "There would be no question. But if a child in our home who is our foster child says the same things, then it's completely dismissed." Sugarek, the principal at Hogg Middle School, and her wife, HISD elementary science teacher Carol Jeffery, were fostering a 3-year-old child, with plans to adopt, when they began to suspect he had been sexually abused by a teen sibling, also in foster care, whom he was required to visit. Sugarek and Jeffery, both of Houston, say they asked CPS staff in Wharton County, which was handling the case, to investigate the teen, but their concerns were ignored. At one point, Jeffery said, a CPS supervisor told her not to report anything unless she saw abuse with her own eyes. Last month, the 3-year-old attended an adoption fair with a CPS caseworker. His 4-year-old brother and the teen sibling were there. The youngest came back acting strangely, and his foster mothers discovered an anal injury. They reported it to CPS, and the agency responded by taking both younger boys away from Sugarek and Jeffery, who had raised them for six months, and placing them in another home. The CPS supervisor has not responded to questions. Patrick Crimmins, a spokesman for the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services, said he couldn't comment on the case, citing privacy, but he said the agency is investigating the sexual assault allegation, and it's customary during such investigations to relocate children. Is reporting optional? The attorneys I spoke with Tuesday said CPS staffers are not exempt from the reporting requirement. "You can't just sit back and say, 'I don't really believe it, so I'm just going to let it go,' " said former prosecutor and current criminal defense attorney JoAnne Musick, president of the Harris County Criminal Lawyers Association. "That's not an option, especially when you talk about sexual assault," Musick said. "The penalties for not reporting sexual assault are even greater." Interestingly, while CPS had a duty to report suspected abuse, the agency isn't required by statute to investigate an allegation of "child abuse or neglect by a person other than a person responsible for a child's care, custody, or welfare." A big brother wouldn't qualify. But, Musick and others said, the CPS supervisor and other caseworkers had a responsibility to refer it to a law enforcement agency. Failure to do so may merit a criminal investigation, but Musick and former prosecutor Shirley Cornelius said it would be highly unlikely for a district attorney to charge a CPS staffer for that or the more serious crime of child endangerment. In the end, there may be little accountability for CPS staffers who failed to act. But both attorneys suggested there was another way to blow the whistle on suspected abuse. Sugarek and Jeffery could have called the Texas Abuse/Neglect Hotline: 1-800-252-5400. It seemed strange to me that foster parents dealing with CPS would have to turn to a hotline for action. But the attorneys say they know CPS caseworkers who use the hotline when they don't believe an allegation is being handled properly by a colleague. "You kind of think, 'God, that's ridiculous. It's just one more layer of craziness at CPS.' But it's kind of good in a way," said Cornelius, a prosecutor for 27 years. She said the call documents the report, complete with a confirmation number, and triggers an investigation. Reports also can be made at www.TxAbuseHotline.org. How to make a report Another option for anyone concerned about CPS' handling of a case is to complain to the DFPS Consumer Affairs Office at 1-800-720-7777. According to family-law attorney Thuy Le, Sunday's column suggests CPS' handling of the boys' case violated No. 1 on DFPS' list of "Rights of Children and Youth in Foster Care." "I am protected from harm, treated with respect ..." it reads. The foster mothers in this case did everything they knew of to protect the children in their care, but CPS appears to have failed those kids in the most fundamental way. That failure should be a cautionary tale as federally appointed special masters and former Texas Ranger Henry "Hank" Whitman seek to overhaul the agency. Bottom line: None of us is exempt from the duty to report child abuse, least of all the agency created to protect children. News / National by Staff Reporters THERE was a mixed response on the inaugural National Pledge recital yesterday with government schools reciting it while most private schools did not embrace it. At government schools, some parents brought presents for their children as recommended by the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education. In Bulawayo, pupils at government and council schools recited the pledge.At Baines Primary School less than 20 parents turned up with most saying they could not afford to buy presents. At Mckeurtan Primary School pupils by 7AM had gathered at the assembly point to recite the National Pledge, which the government says will foster national pride and patriotism.Parents who were part of the gathering cheered their children as they went through their recitals before presenting them with gifts. At Newmansford Primary in Queens Park West, pupils recited the pledge one-by-one although there were no presents from the parents.At Bulawayo Adventist High School, the pledge was not recited. Parents dropped off their children who went straight to their classrooms. In Gwanda, mostly government schools complied with the ministry's directive to recite the pledge although some parents delayed taking their children to school so that they do not participate.St Christopher Primary School, Gwanda High School, Gwanda Government School, Jahunda Primary School and Mt Cazalet Primary School are among the schools that recited the National Pledge.A parent with a child at St Christopher Primary School, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said he found nothing amiss with his child reciting the pledge. "It's derived from our Constitution which is the Supreme law of the land," he said.In Gweru, there was no recital of the pledge at private schools. Private schools such as Midlands Christian College (MCC), Anderson Adventist School as well as private colleges did not recite the pledge. At the Catholic-run Regina Mundi Girls High, girls proudly recited the pledge after the national anthem as a few parents and teachers watched.In Victoria Falls, while most schools recited the national pledge, those at Mkhosana Seventh Day Adventist did not.Their counterparts at the Catholic-run St Josephine Bhakitha in the same suburb, Chamabondo, Chinotimba and Mosi-oa-Tunya High School together with private schools such as Dadani College and Lulu Educational Academy recited the pledge.In Masvingo, all government schools took heed of the government directive. Parents did not turn up at most schools but the pledge was recited at Hellen McGhie Primary School, Victoria Junior, Mucheke High, Ndarama High, Runyararo Primary, Dikwindi, Rujeko, Shakashe Primary Schools, Masvingo Secondary and Primary and Victoria High School.The pledge is contained in the new curriculum framework adopted by Cabinet on September 22 last year. Infant pupils are reciting the following pledge of allegiance: "Almighty God, in whose hands our future lies, I salute the national flag, I commit to honesty and dignity of hard work."For junior and secondary schools, the pledge says: "Almighty God, in whose hands our future lies, I salute the national flag. United in our diversity by our common desire for freedom, justice and equality. Respecting the brave fathers and mothers who lost lives in the Chimurenga/ Umvukela and national liberation struggles."We are proud inheritors of the richness of our natural resources. We are proud creators and participants in our vibrant traditions and cultures. We commit to honesty and the dignity of hard work".David Hofisi of the ZLHR, on behalf of a Harare man (name withheld for professional reasons), is contesting the constitutionality of the requirement. The National Pledge, according to the father of three school-going children who is behind the challenge, is unconstitutional and against his religious beliefs.He does not want his children to recite the pledge. The man, who is a member of the Apostolic Faith Mission in Zimbabwe (AFM), argued that the National Pledge is a prayer which exalts various secular phenomena including the national flag, mothers and fathers who lost their lives in the liberation struggle.This, he said, is not his understanding of prayer shared by his faith, which reserved worship to God alone. He contends that the National Pledge is offensive to his religious convictions and thus befouls various sections of the supreme law of the country. The Constitutional Court is expected to hear arguments on the matter before the end of June. Luca wanted to know if her deceased mother would grow angel wings. Mohammed, a 10-year-old Syrian boy attending a Jesuit school for refugees, wanted to know if "the world will be again as it was in the past." Prajla wanted to know if the pope, as a child, enjoyed dancing. The questions came from kids, 6 to 13 years old, from around the world. The answers came from Pope Francis, and were collected in the pontiff's first book for children, "Dear Pope Francis: The Pope Answers Questions from Children Around the World." The book featuring 30 questions collected by Jesuits -- Pope Francis is the first Jesuit pope -- was a project of Chicago-based Loyola Press, which is a Jesuit ministry. "At first we got a lot of questions along the lines of, 'Do you like being pope? Is it fun driving the popemobile?' said Tom McGrath, the book's U.S. editor. "We wanted the letters to be unprompted as possible, but we went back and asked for more questions about God and life." More than 250 letters from 29 countries and 14 languages poured into the publisher's editorial offices. The pope responded to the selected questions, which were accompanied by photos of and drawings by the children, with recorded replies. The answers were edited for clarity in translation, but not for length. In response to Luca's question, Pope Francis told the 7-year-old Australian child that her mother would not sprout wings. "No! No! No!" he said. "She is still your mom, the person you know, but she is more radiant than ever." To Mohammed, the pope replied, "When the time comes, the world will not be as it was. It will be far better than it was in the past." And to Prajla, a 6-year-old from Albania, he said, "As a young man I liked to dance the tango. You know, dancing expresses joy and happiness...Even the great King David danced." "The pope is generous, open-hearted and warm," said Loyola Press publisher the Rev. Paul Campbell, "and that just shines through this book." The book was released in March in English and Spanish editions. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate City Council is poised Wednesday to authorize a widely criticized contract that would spend as much as $6 million to replace the fire department's supply of defibrillators, in the face of concerns that the costly devices that were not put out for competitive bidding. The agreement with Washington-based Physio-Control comes to council six months after the city issued an emergency purchase order for 300 automated external defibrillators and 100 more expensive devices known as monitor defibrillators, which can serve as temporary pacemakers and allow paramedics to monitor patients' vital signs and transmit electrocardiograms to hospitals. Physio-Control was set to stop servicing the city's supply of monitor defibrillators next year. Mayor Sylvester Turner last week criticized the procurement process but noted that the city would have to pay, since the fire department already was in possession of many of the devices. "There are rules in place to make sure this process doesn't happen again, but we already have the defibrillators," Turner said. "We owe them the money. We are going to have to pay the bill." The city did not seek competitive bids under a clause in state law exempting municipalities from doing so when the purchase "is necessary to preserve or protect the public health or safety." The ordinance set for a vote Wednesday would appropriate $4.4 million from the fire and public works departments while authorizing future spending for a maximum contract cost of $5.9 million. Councilman Steve Le questioned the price of the devices - about $2,200 apiece for the AEDs and $36,000 for each of the monitor defibrillators - while Councilman Jack Christie warned against deals that guarantee a sole maintenance provider. "It's something that you can't vote against, but just be cautious of the negotiations when you have a single provider," Christie said at council last week. The Houston Fire Department received 100 new monitor defibrillators in January but has yet to secure the 300 AEDs authorized under the contract, said David Almaguer, assistant chief of Emergency Medical Services. A cheaper option? The department currently is using more than 250 AEDs on loan at no cost from Zoll, a Massachusetts firm conducting a medical study. That study ended recently, however, prompting Zoll to offer the city two choices, Zoll CEO Jonathan Rennert said: buy the devices for roughly $400,000 or return them.That equates to about $1,600 per device, $600 less than Physio-Control's AEDs. Rennert said the city never responded to Zoll's quote. "It does strike us as highly unusual that the city is going to pay abovemarket prices for competitors' equipment without going through a formal bidding process," Rennert said. Asked why the city did not opt to purchase Zoll's AEDs, Turner spokeswoman Janice Evans said the new units come with a three-year warranty, replacement parts, annual inspection and other associated services. "Procurement of the AEDs and defibrillator devices from the same manufacturer allows for seamless communication between the devices, HFD and all local hospitals," she added in an email. Almaguer said the city intends to return Zoll's devices once it receives replacement AEDs from Physio-Control. Though Evans said the deadline to do so passed in late March, Rennert said the company was "willing to work with the city." "We understand that it's life-saving equipment," Rennert said. "Certainly we would never demand our equipment back and leave them with nothing to use." The city already was using an older model of Physio-Control's monitor defibrillators, and moving away from the brand would result in the loss of historical data and personnel retraining costs of $200,000 to $250,000, Evans said. Changes possible Physio-Control's newer machine scored higher than other devices, including Zoll's comparable model, during a nine-week field evaluation conducted by the fire department. Mairead Smith of ECRI Institute, a nonprofit medical-device research organization, said the monitor defibrillator the city is seeking to purchase from Physio-Control received three out of five stars in an ECRI evaluation five years ago and was popular among EMS users. Asked if the city changed any procurement policies as a result of the Physio-Control contract or intended to do so, Evans said the new chief procurement officer, John Gillespie, might recommend changes, but she did not give any specifics. Physio-Control did not respond to a request for comment. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Sen. Ted Cruz's sudden exit from the GOP presidential race Tuesday night in Indiana caught his supporters off guard. Many of them clearly understood that he was putting everything his campaign had left into winning the state. Earlier Tuesday, as voters were going to the polls, his campaign advertised rallies on Wednesday in Nebraska and Washington, two states with upcoming primaries where Cruz was thought to have a chance to win. RELATED: Cruz exits race after Trump's Indiana win What changed was the magnitude of Trump's victory in Indiana, a conservative Midwestern state that was supposed to be "favorable" ground for Cruz, as had been Wisconsin, Cruz's last primary victory. But the bounce from Wisconsin was short-lived, followed by resounding defeats in New York - Trump's home state - and five other northeastern states. Had he chosen to fight on, the delegate count could have given him at least reason for doing so, arguing that Trump, even with his delegate haul from Indiana, still had not clinched the 1,237-delegate majority to lock down the GOP nomination. RELATED: Ted Cruz: 'We are headed to a contested convention' There was, however, more to consider than the delegate tally. Instead of watching the polls narrow after Wisconsin, Cruz was seeing polls widen in Trump's favor across the country, particularly in California, the last and largest delegate bonanza in the GOP race, on June 7. Even at home the news was looking worse for Cruz. Among Texas Republicans, who Cruz won over by a comfortable margin on March 1, a new poll commissioned by the Texas Bipartisan Justice Committee showed Trump leading with 45 percent compared to 40 percent for Cruz. That Trump momentum would have made it increasingly hard for Cruz to enter the national convention short-handed with the hope of turning Trump delegates in his favor - the only strategy he had left since New York, when it became mathematically impossible to reach the magic number of delegates before the convention. RELATED: After N.Y. loss, Cruz officially aims at long slog to contested convention From the beginning, strategists credited Cruz with a shrewd understanding of the 2016 GOP landscape. While party heavyweights like Jeb Bush seemed to corner the insider market, Cruz understood that the party base was looking for an outsider. Cruz would occupy that outside "lane" and force a showdown with an insider establishment candidate like Bush. What he didn't see over his shoulder was Trump coming up behind him, taking over that outsider lane. Cruz tried a brief alliance of convenience, hoping Trump would fade on his own. But eventually he had to engage in the "cage match" with Trump he had hoped to avoid. He lost. RELATED: Ted Cruz: 'We lose our country' if Donald Trump is GOP nominee "Cruz knows that you've got to be able to have money and momentum," said Matt Mackowiak, an Austin-based GOP consultant. "He knew it wasn't going to happen. He knew it was going to get worse after tonight." Indiana had widely been described as a "last stand" for the Cruz campaign. A victory there only would have stopped Trump from certain domination. It would not have opened up an easy path to the nomination. Still, Cruz is likely to remain a major conservative player in the GOP, despite his unpopularity in Congress and within the party establishment. He commands an active faithful following, and he's worked intently toward his presidential ambitions for almost 30 years. He'll be back, but not as an outsider. Soon he'll turn to his 2018 Senate campaign, and then 2020 is not far off. RELATED: Cruz laid out presidential plan with striking precision at 17 Cruz kicked off the presidential election last March on a novel platform of challenging his own party's so-called establishment. It seemed like a long shot, but Cruz was ahead of his time, and he brazenly defied media expectations to become the long-standing runner-up in the GOP primary. "He was really well-positioned to be the outsider candidate this cycle, then Trump came in and screwed that up," Mackowiak said. Most experts blame his failure on a very narrow appeal to evangelical Christians and conservative stalwarts. He positioned himself on the extreme right and was detested by many of his Senate colleagues. But Cruz was a brilliant lawyer and assembled an outstanding campaign with high technology and innovative social media tactics. "That's going to be a prototype for students of campaigns to look at for a long time," said Jerry Pollinard, a veteran political scientist at the University of Texas Panamerican. RELATED: Cruz's spending tactics take modern twist The operation caught Trump off guard in Iowa, the nation's first caucus, where Cruz came in first. He'd mobilized an unprecedented grassroots effort there, with dormitories for volunteers from across the country. Observers wondered if Cruz's command of the evangelical vote could carry him through the election. But when a round of typically evangelical Deep South states voted on Super Tuesday and mostly leaned toward Trump, Cruz's grip on that electorate slipped. RELATED: Trump surprises with evangelical endorsement Though Cruz's narrow appeal may have hindered his campaign, he outlasted and outpolled the supposedly broad-based moderate candidates, Bush, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, among them. On Tuesday, Cruz fell to the same force as his rivals before him: Trump. "I think it was hard for any of the candidates to overcome the extraordinary amount of free media that Trump has gotten from the press," said Erick Erickson, a prominent conservative and a leader in the #NeverTrump effort. Cruz described himself as the one true conservative in the race. But in the end he couldn't compete with Trump's popularity with working-class whites, especially men, and his frequent outrageousness. The Houston Police Department is shuttering a highly praised investigative unit focused on nonlethal crimes in a bid to reduce response times and increase police visibility throughout the city. Critics called the closure of the Investigative First Responders Division a short-sighted move that could mean fewer solved cases of burglary, theft, assault and domestic violence and eliminate an important training ground for promising investigators. The move comes as city officials battle a $160 million budget deficit amid calls from Mayor Sylvester Turner and his transition team for more police officers on patrol, better non-emergency response times and improved clearance rates for burglary and theft. The division should be closed by July 1 "to make good on a promise to our citizens to add more officers to respond to service calls," Acting Chief Martha Montalvo said in an emailed statement. The division's 70 officers will be moved into patrol positions, along with about 100 others from administrative positions in patrol, uniform/supply and special operations. Overall, the changes will mean four more patrol officers per shift available at each of the 14 police stations across the city. "Not that these individuals haven't done a great job, it's just that I need more visibility in terms of responding to calls for services, visibility in providing services," Montalvo said this week in speaking to a neighborhood political group. "We are now transitioning." The police department has seen its staffing shrink in the past two years, from 5,400 officers and 1,300 civilian staff to the current 5,200 officers and 1,100 civilians, Montalvo said. About a third of the uniformed staff is eligible for retirement. Lower-priority crimes Created in 2009 following a two-year pilot program, the IFR Division was a hybrid patrol-investigative division, in which uniformed patrol officers continued to investigate the calls to which they initially responded. The calls were typically crimes that investigative units would have given lower priority, such as less-serious assault, theft, or domestic violence cases. The division had been part of a philosophy by the department to create a career path for investigators and fight crime more effectively with a smaller force. It was designed to free up senior investigators to tackle more complex cases. The division handled 6,562 cases in 2011, clearing 5,085 of them, or about 77 percent. Last year, the division's investigators handled 5,145 cases and cleared just over 3,000, or about 60 percent. Officials attribute the decline in the clearance rate to the unit investigators tackling more complex cases as they became more experienced, said HPD spokeswoman Jodi Silva. As a candidate for mayor, Turner pushed for the hiring of hundreds more officers. Since assuming office, he has pushed for an additional academy class, which would provide the department with an additional 100 officers. Still, critics argued that the shuffling of staff is a hollow move aimed at addressing image problems while providing little overall benefit toward fighting crime in the city. "If the mayor's priority is to increase visibility on the street, then he may accomplish that," said former Houston Police Chief Charles A. McClelland, whose tenure from 2009-2015 was marked by controversy over revelations that tens of thousands of burglaries and other crimes were not being investigated because of insufficient manpower. "But again, investigative first responders are uniformed officers driving a marked car ... and they're available to respond to the highest emergency calls." It also ignores the fact that police officers mostly respond to crimes that have already occurred, he said. "Only 5 percent are in-progress calls," he said. "In the overwhelming majority, the crime has already occurred.... Now, it does make people feel better, from a customer service standpoint." Houston Police Officers' Union President Ray Hunt has long argued the department is understaffed by as many as 1,500 officers. "We oppose any abolishment of a complete division that we believe was productive," Hunt said. "However, it's not like we're going to lose productivity It just means you're going to beef up patrol and beef down investigation of burglaries. The focus for right now for this mayor and this chief ... is getting people to the streets and getting those calls for service answered. "It may be a little longer for your case to get worked, but your initial response is going to be quicker," he said. "So it's just shifting the manpower." Widespread praise The division has drawn praise from experts, academics and law enforcement officials as an innovative approach to crime-fighting that helped build up the department's skilled investigative ranks. Former City Councilmember Ed Gonzalez, who chaired the council's Committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security and was among the first sergeants to help staff the new division, said he was "saddened" by the news HPD was shutting it down. "Sometimes there are very limited openings in investigative divisions; part of it was a way to groom younger talent, provide incentives to officers to perfect their craft, get hands on cases they could work more proactively," he said. "Traditionally, what happens, if you're a patrol officer, you knock out a report and it goes to the concerned division. Many times those reports, because the division was so overwhelmed with a lot of work - this would be a way officers at the initial phase could do a little more work than they were able to do traditionally." The program helped those officers gain more experience and strengthen their resume when they applied for transfer to a higher-profile job in units such as the homicide or robbery division. Dennis Kenney, a professor at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York, was the lead researcher of a 2010 study published in Police Quarterly examining the department's initial pilot program. The study found the division helped HPD improve its investigative capacity and effectiveness without negatively affecting workload among the remaining patrol staff. Officers in and out of the division felt it helped solve crimes. The division's work, however, fostered jealousy among regular patrol officers and contributed to perceptions that the unit focused more on investigations than on patrol work, some said. Kenney's study found that IFR investigators typically handled about one fewer call a day than their counterparts. Response times to emergency Priority 1 and 2 calls remained relatively unchanged at the stations where IFR investigators were posted, though response times increased for non-emergency Priority 3 and 4 calls, according to the study. "Doing away with (the IFR division) is a bad move," Kenney said this week after learning about the plans. "It's stepping back from an innovative path to a fairly standard, sort of uninspired form of policing." Rebecca Elliott contributedto this report. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate WASHINGTON - Since Donald Trump's improbable surge in the polls last summer, nothing has been able to keep the brash billionaire down. In Tuesday's Indiana primary, Ted Cruz's last-ditch push wasn't able to stop the businessman either. In a decisive and at times bizarre Midwestern showdown that Cruz had called "favorable" ground, Trump won a delegate haul that eased his path toward the Republican presidential nomination, raising questions about the future of the Texas senator's campaign. Cruz quickly answered those questions in a concession speech in Indianapolis invoking America's greatness and the need for Republican unity - though without mentioning Trump. "From the beginning, I have said that I would continue as long as there was a viable path to victory," Cruz told stunned supporters. "Tonight I'm sorry to say it appears that path has been foreclosed. Together, we left it all on the field in Indiana. We gave it everything we've got. But the voters chose another path. And so, with a heavy heart, but with boundless optimism for the long-term future of our nation, we are suspending our campaign." Though he made no promises to back Trump, now the GOP's presumptive nominee, Cruz made clear he is not leaving the political scene. "Hear me now," Cruz said after conceding defeat. "I am not suspending our fight for liberty. I am not suspending our fight to defend the Constitution, to defend the Judeo-Christian values that built America. Our movement will continue." Trump gave a victory speech from New York, where he read from written remarks and claimed all of Indiana's 57 delegates. He vowed to "go after" likely Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton but also acknowledged Cruz, who outlasted all the 15 or so 17 GOP competitors besides Ohio Gov. John Kasich, who trailed in Indiana's voting but remains in the race. "I have to tell you, I've competed all my life," Trump said. "Just so you understand, Ted Cruz, I don't know if he likes me or if he doesn't like me, but he's one hell of a competitor. ... He is a tough, smart guy, and he has an amazing future." A final attack The surprising end of Cruz's campaign capped a rollicking day of political theater that hit some of the emotional lows of the entire 2016 campaign. Mid-morning, as voting progressed, Cruz had implored Indiana Republicans to rally to his side, questioning Trump's character in starkly personal terms. "We are staring at the abyss," he said. In the face of widespread speculation that Cruz might end his campaign with a loss in Indiana, his campaign gamely scheduled rallies Wednesday in Nebraska and Washington State, which hold primaries later this month. Both were expected to be competitive, though recent polls showed Trump opening a wide lead in the June 7 contest in California, the last and biggest primary state. Then came Cruz's last-gasp jeremiad, calling the likely GOP nominee a "pathological liar," a "narcissist" and a "serial philanderer." He also reminded voters of Trump's public acknowledgement of battling venereal disease in the past. Trump, in a statement, called Cruz's invective a "ridiculous outburst." In contrast to his gracious victory speech just hours later, Trump also questioned Cruz's temperament. "Ted Cruz is a desperate candidate trying to save his failing campaign," Trump said. "I have been watching Lyin' Ted become more and more unhinged as he is unable to react under the pressure and stress of losing." The Texas senator's onslaught came during a news conference after Trump, in a national television appearance in the morning, speculated about a widely ignored National Enquirer story linking Rafael Cruz, Cruz's Cuban immigrant father, to Lee Harvey Oswald and the assassination of John F. Kennedy. "Let's be clear, this is nuts," Cruz said. "This is just kooky. And while I'm at it, I guess I should go ahead and admit, yes, my dad killed JFK, he is secretly Elvis, and Jimmy Hoffa is buried in his back yard." The National Enquirer also recently published an anonymously sourced story suggesting that Cruz had affairs with five women, including at least two of his aides. Cruz has accused Trump of being behind that story, which he called "tabloid trash." Speaking to reporters at a barbecue stop in Evansville, Ind., Cruz unloaded on the former reality TV star, who has made outlandish claims and name-calling a signature feature of his campaign. In the most dramatic break yet from their past political alliance, Cruz engaged in a 10-minute soliloquy on Trump, dissecting his rival in blunt terms rarely heard in modern campaigns. "I'm going to do something I haven't done for the entire campaign," Cruz said. "I'm going to tell you what I really think of Donald Trump. This man is a pathological liar. ... The man cannot tell the truth, but he combines it with being a narcissist. A narcissist at a level I don't think this country has ever seen. Donald Trump is such a narcissist that Barack Obama looks at him and goes, 'Dude, what's your problem?' Everything in Donald's world is about Donald." 'Utterly amoral' Recalling an unflattering photo Trump tweeted of Cruz's wife Heidi before the Wisconsin primary - Cruz's last victory - Cruz also called Trump an insecure "bully." "The man is utterly amoral," said Cruz, flanked by his wife and his running mate Carly Fiorina. "Morality does not exist for him. It's why he went after Heidi directly and smeared my wife, attacked her." Getting ever more personal, Cruz recounted Trump's past boasts of his sexual exploits. "This is not a secret. He is proud of being a serial philanderer. ... He describes his battles with venereal disease as his own 'personal Vietnam.' " The extraordinary personal attack on the day of a critical primary contest reminded some analysts of the insults hurled at Trump by ex-contender Marco Rubio after the February GOP debate in Houston. Other ex-rivals, including Jeb Bush, had tried to take on Trump, but never in such strong language. But for the fading #NeverTrump movement, Cruz's broadside came too late. Still, the harsh exchange between the two top GOP rivals suggested that the bitter divisions within the Republican Party are unlikely to heal before July's national convention, when party leaders will undoubtedly call for unity against Clinton. It also called into question whether Cruz would still honor his promise to support Trump if he is the GOP nominee - something he did not address in his concession speech or in the earlier anti-Trump harangue. Though it became mathematically impossible for Cruz to reach the 1,237-delegate majority needed to lock down the GOP nomination, he could have stayed in the race and possibly led a convention-floor fight to block Trump. A contested convention in Cleveland would have involved multiple rounds of balloting, giving Cruz - or Kasich - a chance to persuade delegates to switch sides and forge a majority to stop Trump, regardless of how their states voted. Trump calls for unity Trump, with more delegates and popular votes than any other GOP contender, had called it a "rigged" strategy because it would presumably rely on party stalwarts to subvert the results of the past four months' primaries and caucuses. With Cruz out of the race, the delegate math is now academic. Needing to pick up the pieces, Trump praised Cruz's decision to end his campaign. "We must bring unity to the Republican Party," Trump said. "It's so much easier if we have it." Racial disparity and the Kentucky Derby have long gone hand-in-hand, and this year is no different. As the famed race prepares to burst out of the starting gate in its 142nd year, issues stemming from race relations gallop along with it. The races, which begin on Saturday, generally draw around 266,000 visitors every year. But nearby, playing out in courtrooms, a battle over a Confederate monument is underway. Last Friday, University of Louisville president James Ramsey and Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer held a surprise press conference to announce a Confederate monument would be moved "to a more appropriate place." That place is yet to be determined. The 70-foot-tall monument, which was erected in 1895 and includes three bronze statues of Confederate soldiers, currently stands near the Speed Art Museum, FOX News reported. "We don't consider ourselves in Louisville to be part of the South," the mayor later told the Courier-Journal. Kentucky, in fact, was never part of the Confederacy. It was a slave state but never seceded from the Union during the Civil War. The announcement came about a week after University of Louisville professor of Pan-African studies Ricky Jones wrote an op-ed in the Courier-Journal, demanding the monument, which he referred to as a "towering granite and bronze eyesore glorifying the nadir of America's past," be removed. "I can't tell you how happy I am," Jones told FOX News after the surprise announcement. "I think this statue being on the campus is somewhat akin to flying the Confederate flag over the (university's) administration building." Hotbed for conflict But his excitement may have been premature. On Monday, Jefferson Circuit Judge Judith McDonald-Burkman issued a restraining order forbidding the city of Louisville from removing the statue, according to WKYT. The order was sought by Everett Corley, a Republican real estate agent running for Congress, who filed a lawsuit against Fischer over the plan to remove the Confederate statue; Corley called removing the statue akin to "book burning," WDRB reported. "This monument was not built to glorify either side of the Civil War," Corley said of the statue, which has "To Our Confederate Dead" and "A Tribute to the Rank and File of the Armies of the South" inscribed in it. "It was to soberly and solemnly remember the countless thousands of veterans killed in the slaughter of war." That same day, Mayor Fischer announced the formation of a historic preservation task force that would find new ways to honor the city's heritage. A hearing is set for 10:30 a.m. Thursday to consider Corley's motion for a full temporary injunction. The Derby, which begins three days later, comes with a long history of racial strife. In many ways, that strife is at the center of Hunter S. Thompson's famous 1970 piece of Gonzo journalism about the Derby titled "The Kentucky Derby is Decadent and Depraved." The story contains all the traditional characteristics of a Thompson piece - rampant alcohol and drug use, biting commentary, larger-than-life characters - but at its center is the fear of a race riot occurring at the event and an anxious sense of the strained racial relations in America at the time. After Thompson, who wrote the piece in first-person, tells a bartender nicknamed Jimbo of his fears that both members of the Black Panthers and white supremacists will storm the Derby, Jimbo reacts: The Derby is no place for such things. From the piece: "The Kentucky Derby! No! That's almost too bad to believe! Why here? What in the name of God is happening in this country? Where can you get away from it?" "Not here," I said, picking up my bag. "Thanks for the drink and good luck." The Run for the Roses has long been a hotbed for racial conflict. Most notably, in 1967, all Derby Week events were canceled, including the annual parade, due to civil rights protests. The Ku Klux Klan announced it would attend that year's race in full garb, prepared to impose its own kind of order, according to The Awl. Reckoning with history On July 10 of last year, the Confederate battle flag was removed from South Carolina's statehouse grounds after 54 years of fluttering in the wind above Columbia. On Dec. 17, 2015, New Orleans officials voted to remove four Confederate monuments scattered around the city. Debates like these will likely continue to crop up as the South walks the tightrope of honoring its ancestors while reckoning with its Confederate history. In 1970, Thompson suggested that some aspects of the South are bound to change. Toward the end of his Derby piece, he wrote, "So the face I was trying to find in Churchill Downs that weekend was a symbol, in my own mind, of the whole doomed atavistic culture that makes the Kentucky Derby what it is." Some seem to agree with the sentiment. "The old South, and the antebellum schtick that Louisville has sometimes attached to is not constructive," co-chair of Louisville's new historic panel Keith Runyon told the Courier-Journal. "This is a dynamic monument, a 'we'll rise again' sort of thing.' And just over time some things become outdated, and I think this one is." MADISON, Wis. - An Illinois woman has died after being shot during a random drive-by shooting along a Wisconsin interstate while traveling home with her husband and children, federal officials said Tuesday. The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration released a statement saying 44-year-old Tracy Czaczkowski, who was shot Sunday, had died. Her husband works for the DEA, but investigators believe the shooting was random and that the suspect had killed another person just hours earlier in suburban Milwaukee. DEA officials didn't say when Czaczkowski died. The dental hygienist had been in critical condition at the University of Wisconsin Hospital in Madison since the shooting. "Tracy was a loving wife of 15 years, a mother of two tender age children, daughter and good friend to all," the DEA statement said. The family was returning to their home in Buffalo Grove, a Chicago suburb, after spending the weekend in the resort city of Wisconsin Dells when they passed a Chevrolet Blazer on Interstate 90/94. The Blazer's driver opened fire on their BMW sedan, hitting Czaczkowski in the neck, according to investigators. Police stopped the Blazer with a spike strip and shot the driver after he emerged with a gun. The Dane County Sheriff's Office identified the suspect Tuesday as 20-year-old Zachary T. Hays of West Allis, a Milwaukee suburb, and said two of his brothers also were in the Blazer. No charges have been filed against Hays, and he remained hospitalized at the University of Wisconsin Hospital on Tuesday. His condition hasn't been released. Investigators believe Hays killed 42-year-old Gabriel Sanchez in West Allis hours before the interstate shooting. Authorities have said responding officers found Sanchez fatally shot when responding to a report around 7 a.m. of a man forcing his way into a pair of apartments. At the time, police said Hays had also threatened members of a local church. Hays has not been formally charged in either Sanchez's or Czaczkowski's deaths. Phone calls to numbers publicly listed for Hays' family were either disconnected or rang unanswered, and it wasn't immediately clear whether he had an attorney. Court records show that Hays was found guilty of battery and receiving stolen property in Milwaukee in 2013. He was ordered to serve two years' probation. His defense attorney in the case, Bridget Krause, said she didn't remember details about the case. One of Hays' brothers who was in the Blazer on Sunday, 30-year-old Jeremy Hays, was being held Tuesday on suspicion of being a felon in possession of a firearm. He has two felonies on his record: for a burglary in 2005, and for escaping custody in 2006, both in Milwaukee. The sheriff's office said it opted not to identify the other brother who was in the Blazer because of his "cognitive disability." Sheriff's office spokeswoman Elise Schaffer said investigators are trying to get him back to his group home setting as soon as possible. WASHINGTON - James Bradley, the author of "Flags of Our Fathers," a best-selling book about the role of his father, a Navy corpsman, in the raising of the U.S. flag over Iwo Jima, said in an interview Tuesday that he no longer believed his father was shown in an iconic photograph of the moment. Bradley described his doubts about his father's role after the Marine Corps revealed last week that it had opened an inquiry into whether some of the six men long thought to be in the image had been misidentified. He said that his father, John Bradley, had participated in raising a flag on Iwo Jima on Feb. 23, 1945, but had not participated in a second flag-raising the same day, which became the famous photograph. Doubts arise His father, he said, probably thought the first flag-raising was the one that was captured in the photograph. All of the men identified in the photograph are dead. Three of the men died fighting the Japanese on Iwo Jima. John Bradley died in 1994. The photo was taken by Joe Rosenthal, an Associated Press photographer, on Feb. 23, 1945. It was splashed across the front pages of newspapers throughout the country, and was an immediate source of patriotism and controversy. President Harry S. Truman used it to sell bonds to fund the war, Rosenthal brushed back accusations that it was staged, and questions arose - and were apparently answered - about who was really in it. The photograph was also the inspiration for the Marine Corps War Memorial in Arlington, Virginia, a statue in which six 32-foot-tall figures are depicted in the positions captured by Rosenthal. Bradley said he had become convinced that his father was not in the photograph after studying evidence that was published in a 2014 story in the Omaha World-Herald. He said he had waited a year to examine the evidence in the newspaper article because he was working on a new book in Vietnam, and then became ill. He did not come forward with his belief that his father was not in the photograph, he said, because there was little interest from the news media and the Marines. "It wasn't top of mind," Bradley said in a telephone interview. "It wasn't a priority. I was overseas, and this past fall, I was recovering from a disease I got in New Guinea that almost killed me. Now there's interest in this and I'm talking about it. I didn't have the energy to carry the water all by myself." On the book jacket "Flags of Our Fathers," first published in 2000, was on best-seller lists for nearly a year. It was later made into a movie directed by Clint Eastwood. "Here is the true story behind the six flag raisers and the immortal photograph that came to symbolize the power and courage of America during World War II," reads a summary on the back of a paperback edition of the book. "In 'Flags of Our Fathers,' the son of one of the flag raisers captures the glory, the heartbreak, and the legacy of the six ordinary boys who came together at a crucial moment in one of history's bloodiest battles - and lifted the heart and spirit of a nation at war." The Marine Corps acknowledged in a written statement that "a private organization" had approached it with new information about the photograph and that it was investigating the matter, but it would not comment on what that information was. Marine officials said the inquiry was being led by the corps' chief historian, and the commandant of Marines is expected to be briefed on the results of the investigation in the coming weeks. SALT LAKE CITY - Starting later this month, women in Utah seeking an abortion 20 weeks or more into a pregnancy will first have to be given anesthesia or painkillers - drugs that are intended not for them, but for the fetus. Those are the terms of a new law that has made Utah the first state in the country to require what doctors here are calling "fetal anesthesia" for the small percentage of abortions that occur at this point in a pregnancy. Lawmakers in Utah said they were acting out of concern for the fetus. But abortion rights activists and some obstetricians and maternal care doctors in Utah said the law was bafflingly vague and scientifically unsound. They said that it intruded into confidential decisions between doctors and patients, and that it could put women's health at risk by creating a broad requirement for them to take unspecified painkillers. "You're asking me to invent a procedure that doesn't have any research to back it up," said Dr. Leah Torres, an obstetrician-gynecologist. "You want me to experiment on my patients." In recent years, abortion opponents have cited concerns over fetal pain to pass state-level restrictions on abortions occurring at 20 weeks or later - or to pass laws requiring doctors to tell women that a fetus may feel pain at that stage of development. But many doctors reject those claims, saying a fetus' brain and nervous system are not developed at 20 weeks to feel pain. They cite a 2005 study that found a fetus was unlikely to feel pain until about 27 weeks. Curt Bramble, a Republican state senator in Utah, said he had sponsored the anesthesia law to extend "common decency" to a procedure he would rather outlaw altogether. "Who's making the decisions for the child?" he said. "Who's the doctor for the baby? It's not the woman's body we're talking about. It's a separate person." WASHINGTON - Secretary of State John Kerry warned Syria's government and its backers in Moscow and Tehran on Tuesday that they face an August deadline for starting a political transition to move President Bashar Assad out, or they risk the consequences of a new U.S. approach toward ending the 5-year-old civil war. But given the various unfulfilled U.S. threats throughout the Arab country's conflict - from declaring Assad's days "numbered" five years ago to promising military action if chemical weapons were used - it was unclear what effect Kerry's ultimatum might have. And it's unlikely that the Obama administration, so long opposed to an active American combat role in Syria, would significantly boost its presence beyond the 300 special forces it has authorized thus far in the heart of a U.S. presidential election season. More feasible might be U.S. allies like Saudi Arabia giving the rebels new weapons to fight Assad, such as portable surface-to-air missiles. "The target date for the transition is 1st of August," Kerry told reporters at the State Department. "So we're now coming up to May. So either something happens in these next few months, or they are asking for a very different track." The top American diplomat spoke following a meeting between the U.N. envoy for Syria and Russia's foreign minister in Moscow on Tuesday, a day after discussions with Kerry in Geneva. The goal was to restore a partial truce that has all but unraveled amid 12 straight days of bitter fighting in Aleppo, Syria's largest city. Kerry condemned a hospital attack in the city that killed at least 20 people on Tuesday and said the missile appeared to have been fired from rebel-controlled territory. He said the U.S. rejects violence against civilians, whether it's by Assad's government or Western-backed opposition groups. But Kerry saved his sharpest comments for Assad and his government's two key military, economic and diplomatic lifelines: Russia and Iran. "If Assad does not adhere to this, there will clearly be repercussions," Kerry warned. "One of them may be the total destruction of the cease-fire and then go back to war. I don't think Russia wants that. I don't think Assad is going to benefit from that. There may be even other repercussions being discussed. That is for the future." Kerry said the U.S. and Russia were working on the details of a more durable cease-fire that would include Aleppo and prevent the metropolis from falling. Despite a death toll that numbers in the hundreds of thousands, Russian planes and Iranian troops continue to fight alongside the Syrian military. Kerry also appeared to undermine his own selling of a truce by stressing that the opposition would never accommodate Assad's leadership. The current U.N.-endorsed transition plan for Syria says nothing about Assad relinquishing power or being prevented from running for an eventual re-election as president. His family has ruled Syria for four decades. News / National by Staff reporter VICE-President Emmerson Mnangagwa and his counterpart Phelekezela Mphoko took turns to order the removal of various paraphernalia from a stand exhibiting national hero and late Vice-President Joshua Nkomo's history at the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair (ZITF) last week, NewsDay has learnt.Nkomo, who led-PF Zapu during the struggle against colonialism, joined President Robert Mugabe's first post-independence government as a Cabinet minister, but was sacked before rejoining as Vice-President following the signing of a unity pact in 1987 until his death in 1999.Impeccable sources said Mphoko was the first to tour the stand last Wednesday before Mnangagwa visited the stand the following day, Thursday."He (Mphoko) arrived at the stand, looked around and found 50 copies of Nkomo's autobiography, The Story of My Life, being exhibited. Mphoko ordered his aides to remove the books, but did not tell the family why and how they would recover them," a source told NewsDay, adding 49 copies of the book were later returned on Friday.An angry Mphoko on Friday rejected the claims."Me? Are people crazy? Please do not play games with me. I don't want that," Mphoko fumed before going dead quiet on the phone.The late Father Zimbabwe's son Sibangilizwe Nkomo seemed cagey when asked about the incident."I have heard that there is an exhibition at ZITF, but I would need to check with other family members. I am not sure about that incident," he said.Contacted for comment on Monday, Nkomo's eldest daughter Thandiwe Nkomo-Ebrahim initially said she would call back, but her phone later went unanswered.Jabulani Hadebe, the chief executive officer of the Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo National Foundation, could not be reached for comment.Minister in Mphoko's office Tabetha Kanengoni-Malinga professed ignorance about the incident."Is that what happened? But I was standing right next to him (Mphoko) when he toured the stand and I did not hear him say that to anyone. I am not aware of that incident," Kanengoni-Malinga said.The head of the Central Intelligence Organisation's close security unit, Miles Ngulube, somewhat confirmed the matter before he made a U-turn saying he knew nothing about the incident."I was there at the stand wani (of course)! Who gave you my number? Just because I am the head of security, so people think I know. Talk to the guys in Bulawayo, I know nothing about what you are saying," Ngulube said.Ngulube also queried: "I left Bulawayo as soon as the President (Robert Mugabe) left on Friday, so how would I know about that?"Nkomo's book caused untold discomfort in Mugabe's government as it revealed intricate details of the Gukurahundi episode that forced him into a union with the veteran Zimbabwean leader following years of military-backed violence which caused at least 20 000 civilian deaths in the western parts of the country.Mphoko, a former Zapu commander in the early years of the liberation war, has had his credentials questioned by his former colleagues amid claims he abandoned the war at the critical stages, hiding in Mozambique and started a family while others continued fighting.Nkomo was at the time of the genocide forced to flee the country fearing for his life. Conservative figures put the death toll at the hands of the crack North Korean-trained 5th Brigade at 20 000 mostly Ndebele-speaking civilians in Matabeleland and Midlands provinces who stood accused of harbouring alleged armed bandits linked to the then Zapu.It is understood that when Mnangagwa toured the same stand on Thursday, he reportedly also ordered one of his aides to "remove some material"."The following day, when VP Mnangagwa came to the stand, he saw a board that had pictures of the late Father Zimbabwe and we suspect he was unhappy about it because some of the pictures were about Gukurahundi. We just saw his security coming back to collect the board and never returned it," a source close to the Nkomo family said.The source also said: "But Mnangagwa, unlike Mphoko, asked one of his officials to leave his details with Nkomo family members manning the exhibition so that they would be able to collect the stuff after the event."After we engaged the head of security (Ngulube), VP Mphoko's people on Friday returned 49 books that had been confiscated, meaning only one was missing, while we did not hear anything from Mnangagwa."Mnangagwa was not available for comment yesterday, and so was Minister of State in his office Clifford Sibanda.Mugabe, who toured the stand on Friday accompanied by Togolese President Faure Gnassingbe, first viewed his portraits that covered much of the Zanu-PF space. He then proceeded to the information department, business development and liaison department, grassroots, women's league, and department of environment and tourism.On his way out, Mugabe also paid a visit to the Nkomo stand. Nkomo's portraits as well as those of his wife, Mama Mafuyana, were on show as well as a small statue of the late Vice-President. The Zanu-PF leader passed without a word.Mugabe went on to tour other stands including that of his company, Alpha and Omega Dairy, amid heightened security closing out journalists from listening to his conversation with his senior management. Presidential hopeful Sen. Ted Cruz is biting back at Donald Trump on Tuesday after Trump hinted that Cruzs father, Rafael Cruz, could be in some way be connected to the assassination of President John F. Kennedy in 1963. Trump was on Fox News this morning when he referred to a "National Enquirer" story from April alleging that the elder Cruz was in league with suspected Kennedy gunman Lee Harvey Oswald. The "National Enquirer" story claimed Rafael Cruz appeared in a 1963 photo in New Orleans with Oswald and others as Oswald distributed pro-Cuba leaflets. This of course set the younger Cruz off as it should and while talking to reporters in Evansville, Ind., he tore into Trump, who is on track to win Tuesday's primary vote in that state. RELATED: Did Ted Cruz's father kill JFK? Of course not Now, lets be clear, this is nuts. This is not a reasonable position. This is just kooky, Cruz told reporters, including Politico. He wasnt done dismissing Trumps comments, according to Politico. And while Im at it, I guess I should go ahead and admit, yes, my dad killed JFK, he is secretly Elvis, and Jimmy Hoffa is buried in his backyard, Cruz added. Cruz called out Trump for being dishonest. RELATED: JFK motorcade members: What happened after the assassination? Im gonna tell you what I really think of Donald Trump: This man is a pathological liar, Cruz said. He doesnt know the difference between truth and lies. BuzzFeeds Andrew Kaczynski pointed out via his Twitter account Tuesday that Cruz had said earlier this year he believes Oswald acted alone in Kennedy's assassination, which also entailed then-Governor John Connally being seriously wounded. Oswald, of course, never stood trial for killing Kennedy and wounding Connally as he was fatally shot by Jack Ruby while in Dallas police custody two days after the assassination. AUSTIN -- Muslim convicts in Texas cannot be prevented from growing beards up to four inches long or from wearing religious skullcaps in cell blocks, a federal appeals court has ruled. In a Monday ruling, the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans refused a request by state prison officials allow them to continue banning beards and kufis, knit skullcaps worn by Muslims, for convicts in Texas' 108 state prisons. The decision capped a lawsuit that began in 2009 when David Rasheed Ali, serving concurrent 20-year sentences for aggravated robbery and arson from Freestone and Limestone counties, alleged the prison rules prevented him from exercising his religious beliefs. When the suit was filed, prison policy required convicts to be clean-shaven, although those with skin conditions could grow a quarter-inch beard. Last year, Texas began allowing inmates to grow half-inch beards as part of their religious practices after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that prisoners had a right to facial hair as an expression of their faiths. Texas Prison officials had opposed Ali's demand, arguing that longer beard and knit caps could make it easier for convicts to conceal contraband including weapons. Ali, 33, is a low-security trusty at the Michael Unit near Tennessee Colony in northeast Texas. Court testimony showed he currently is allowed to wear his kufi in his trusty dorm, but not in the rest of the prison. "Although we must respect a prison official's expertise" on safety matters, Justice Edward Prado wrote for the court's three-judge pane that the U.S. Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act requires policies that infringe on religious practice to be the "least restrictive" possible. Under the Texas Department of Criminal Justice's current procedures, corrections officers require convicts with longer hair to run it through with their fingers to prove it is free of contraband a policy that Prado said could apply with four-inch beards. "TDCJ could revoke an inmate's beard privilege if he abused it or refused to comply with the searches," Prado said, adding that the same confiscation policy also applies to kufis and other religious head wear. The ruling affirmed a 2014 decision by U.S. Magistrate Zack Hawthorn of Beaumont. He had ordered prison officials to allow Ali to grow a longer beard and wear a kufi inside the prison, but they had appealed the decision. Prison officials said they were reviewing the decision, and had not decided whether to appeal. The decision covers all male Muslims inside Texas prisons. In 2014, prison records showed there were 6,446. INDIANAPOLIS - Sen. Bernie Sanders remains on track to lose the Democratic nomination race, but he nonetheless managed to keep his agenda at the center of it with a victory in Indiana over front-runner Hillary Clinton. The lone state that voted Tuesday was a test of the potency of Sanders' fight as the Vermonter sought to maintain his political revolution as a force with which Clinton will need to wrestle. Because the Democrats distribute delegates proportionately according to each candidate's vote totals, the two will split Indiana's 83 pledged delegates roughly in half. That result would benefit Clinton, who is closing in on a delegate majority. Clinton's campaign clearly signaled its lack of concern about the outcome here, spending no money at all on television advertising, in contrast with the roughly $1.5 million Sanders spent. Clinton has built a lead of roughly 300 pledged delegates over Sanders. Combined with the superdelegates who have vowed to support her at the party's nominating convention in Philadelphia in July, the front-runner has already secured 90 percent of what she needs to lock up the nomination. Sanders needs overwhelming victories in the remaining primaries to overtake the former secretary of state. Those daunting odds, however, did not worry some Sanders voters as they lined up to cast ballots for him here. Harry Pai, a 50-year-old in Noblesville, a suburb northeast of Indianapolis, works as a caregiver to his elderly parents. He said he voted for Sanders even though he doesn't think the Vermont senator can win. "I need to see more progressive views from Hillary Clinton," he said. Pai said Sanders should be in no hurry to exit the Democratic primary. "He's OK to stay in the race, so long as he doesn't get too antagonistic," he said. On the north side of Indianapolis, Kathy Dickerson said she, too, was not ready to give up on Sanders. The 59-year-old waitress has a younger child suffering from a chronic and costly illness and older children hamstrung by student debt. The health care system and free public colleges Sanders envisions are a big draw for her. "Seeing a woman in office would be great," she said. "But Bernie would represent the working class better than anybody else." The exit poll showed Sanders continuing to enjoy strong support from younger voters and also revealed that in Indiana, as in other states, the overwhelming majority of Democratic voters felt the spirited primary campaign had energized their party. About half of those polled wanted a continuation of President Barack Obama's policies, while roughly a third wanted a more liberal agenda in the White House. The demographics of the Indiana electorate, which is heavily white, were particularly favorable to Sanders, who does best in states with smaller minority populations. The rules in Indiana, a state where independents can vote in Democratic primaries, also helped the insurgent candidate. Sanders also benefited from his arguments against U.S. trade agreements; the state's workforce has been hit hard by the offshoring of manufacturing jobs. Despite a string of setbacks in recent weeks, Sanders kept up the unrelenting pace here that has defined his run. He campaigned vigorously throughout the state, speaking at the kind of large rallies at college towns that initially sparked his movement and set in motion the fundraising machine that until recently had been outperforming Clinton's. He vowed to continue racking up delegates and to use them to push the Democratic Party in a more progressive direction, regardless of whether he is the nominee. "We are going to create an economy that works for all of us, not just the 1 percent," Sanders said at a campaign rally in Louisville, Ky., Tuesday night. Clinton has largely ignored Sanders in the past week while turning her attention to Donald Trump, the Republican front-runner. She was not even in Indiana on Election Day, nor was she there the day before. "I'm really focused on moving into the general election," Clinton said Tuesday on MSNBC, while campaigning in West Virginia. "I think that's where we have to be, because we're going to have a tough campaign against a candidate who will literally say or do anything. And we're going to take him on at every turn on what's really important to the people of our country." Trump spiral Regarding "Cruz's support softens among the delegates he courted" (Page A8, Tuesday) I understand the frustration of my fellow Republicans with our party, but neither do I condone nor support their choice for president, Donald Trump. One thing I am certain of is that Trump is not the answer for our party's shortcomings or for America. Quite the opposite, Trump has magnified everything that's wrong with this country that I love: intolerance, bigotry, arrogance, narcissism, etc. To support Trump would be as U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham, so eloquently stated, "That's like buying a ticket on the Titanic." My heart breaks for our country and its downward spiral if Trump is elected come November. Gloria O. Garcia, Bay City Bigger problems Regarding "Patrick wants to restrict restroom access" (Page A1, April 27), if you're still wondering how Donald Trump has managed to gain so much support during the presidential race, you only needed to read about Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick's latest attempt at "leadership." Among the Chronicle stories of reoccurring floods, the Zika virus, continuing loss of jobs among Houston-based energy companies, blame over high college tuition rates, etc., was this story. Yes, you read correctly: "Patrick wants to restrict bathroom access." Among all of the problems facing Texas residents, our lieutenant governor has chosen bathroom access as the most urgent issue for improving the lives of Texans. I don't know about you, but of all challenges I see for my family during the next several years, who I might see in the restroom is not one of them. Paul Dabroi, Fulshear Uber annoying Regarding "Uber puts city on notice" (Page A1, Thursday), Uber provides a wonderful service, but I don't like to see them try to boss us around. Here is my suggestion for Mayor Sylvester Turner: Refuse to meet with any Uber executives or representatives until they provide their fingerprints and go through our background check. Take charge. This is Texas. Dave Dyer, Houston Captain Ahab, in his fanatical desire to get revenge on the white whale, brought himself and his crew to destruction. President Obama's obsession with killing the merger between Pfizer and Allergan could also end badly - for our economy. The U.S. tax system is broken. We have the highest corporate tax rate in the industrialized world and, unlike most other countries, we tax income that is earned offshore. When our companies try to compete on the global stage, they do so with a built-in tax disadvantage. It is no surprise, then, that U.S.-headquartered companies look to become headquartered in countries with more favorable corporate tax systems. If there is good news in all this, it is that House Ways and Committee Chairman Rep. Kevin Brady, R-The Woodlands, intends to reform our broken tax system so U.S. companies can compete on a level playing field. I applaud his efforts because until there is reform, any U.S. company seeking to compete in the global marketplace through mergers should be afraid of repercussions. The Pfizer-Allergan proposed combination was a case in point. Pfizer had made no secret of its desire to reduce its uncompetitive tax rate and announced in November that it would merge with Ireland-based Allergan in a transaction that would leave Pfizer's shareholders with 56 percent of the merged company. That number is significant because, under the laws passed by Congress, if Pfizer's shareholders ended up with at least 60 percent of the stock, there would have been significant adverse tax consequences. In an effort to inhibit companies from seeking out these 'inversions,' the Obama administration has put out three sets of guidance - in 2012, 2014 and 2015 - reinterpreting the corporate inversion laws, with the third set coming out after Pfizer and Allergan acknowledged they were in discussions. Yet, none of these past rules would have affected the Pfizer-Allergan merger. So, intent on scuttling this specific merger, congressional Democrats called for the administration to do more. The administration has responded in kind. Earlier this month, the Treasury Department put out an astonishing new set of regulations that, in applying the shareholder percentage ownership tests, simply disregards stock attributable to acquisitions made by Allergan in the prior three years, therefore making the proposed structure of the merger with Pfizer unviable. This retroactive rule is obviously intended to directly cover Allergan, which has grown through acquisitions, in particular over the last three years. When the media pressed the administration on the appropriateness of writing a punitive, retroactive tax rule targeting a specific taxpayer, the White House and the Treasury Department prevaricated. Treasury called it a "myth" that it had specifically targeted the Pfizer/Allergan merger and said that it was only aware of public information. This misleading statement failed to answer whether the Treasury Department had used public information about Allergan's prior acquisitions when crafting its new rule. To make matters worse, the administration accompanied its new inversion rule with changes that overturn decades of settled understanding on when a corporate debt instrument will be respected as such for tax purposes. We are a country founded on the rule of law. There are consequences to the administration making up new rules to punish particular taxpayers and overturning by fiat decades of precedent. The retroactive actions taken by the Obama administration have prompted commentators to rightly question whether the U.S. is becoming a less stable and predictable climate for foreign direct investment. That's a bad thing, because foreign investment is absolutely critical to economic growth and job creation in this country. Instead of pursuing punitive and retroactive executive actions such as those taken recently by Treasury, Congress needs to address the underlying cause of why companies domiciled in the U.S. are seeking out inversions in the first place - a broken U.S. tax code that puts them at an uncompetitive disadvantage. This is exactly what Houston's own Chairman Brady is trying to push Congress to do. Adopting a lower corporate tax rate and moving to a territorial tax system would provide the certainty Texas companies and companies across the country need and will incentivize them to invest in the United States, spurring economic growth and jobs. Absent such common-sense changes, the United States should expect companies to continue seeking overseas addresses, and we'll continue losing America's corporate tax base. Archer, a former U.S. representative from Texas (1971-2001), was chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee from 1995 to 2001. Yogi Berra famously said, "If you reach a fork in the road, take it." The Houston Independent School District is at a very serious fork in the road in its search for a new superintendent. The path that's taken will impact the very future of Houston's 213,000 students and their teachers. Hard questions have to be asked: Does Houston pick someone who will continue with current education policies that are straight out of a handbook promoting market-driven, test-based policies, or does it go with someone who understands the needs of Houston's students and educators and wants to pursue evidence-based ideas for improving teaching and learning? Let's step back a bit. Though there are pockets of success, for the most part, Houston's public schools have been struggling mightily because superintendents for the past several years have adhered to misguided policies that have not boosted student performance and have accelerated teacher turnover. Testing has become the be-all and end-all, narrowing the curriculum. Test scores have been used to unfairly and inaccurately evaluate teachers' job performance, jeopardizing the careers of highly accomplished teachers. Instead of fixing schools with reforms that have succeeded in other urban districts, Houston has closed at least 18 neighborhood public schools. Those 18 schools were replaced partially by charter schools, leaving several neighborhoods without a local school that serves all students even though charter schools have done no better than democratically controlled public schools. These misguided decisions have left teachers frustrated and racing for the exits. Massive turnover of teachers - and even principals and administrators - is about the most consistent feature we have in Houston schools. The selection of a new superintendent provides the perfect opportunity for a midcourse correction to focus on what works. Our vision calls for giving Houston students a broad curriculum and program choices to meet their diverse needs. We have to end the test-driven education policies that have sharply narrowed the curriculum to what's on the standardized test. In this day and age, our kids need a truly well-rounded education that includes art, music, foreign languages and social studies. We should be working to improve collaboration with businesses and our community colleges to provide career and technical programs that give students an alternative pathway to high school graduation, good-paying jobs and higher education. For disadvantaged students and their families, we should be developing community schools that provide wraparound health care, social and academic services to help counter the devastating effects of poverty. Community schools have been key to turning around student performance in low-income school districts in cities across the country and should be created here in Houston. Collaboration, not conflict, makes a huge difference. A 2010 study by the University of Chicago Consortium on School Research showed that the most effective schools, based on test score improvement over time and after taking into account demographic factors, had developed an unusually high degree of "relational trust" among their stakeholders. That means teachers and parents are treated as true partners with principals and other administrators, and that their voices and input are respected. The Houston Federation of Teachers held three community town hall meetings earlier this year to get a broad sense of the attributes Houstonians want in a superintendent. We heard over and over again sentiments such as: We need someone who knows the cultures within our city. We need someone who will promote community schools as opposed to closing schools. We need someone who will change the top-down culture of intimidation. And we need someone who will use resources efficiently to focus on public, not charter, schools. The superintendent search is in a very critical stage now and must proceed with the greatest of transparency and community input. To that end, we strongly urge that an advisory board be established to include representatives of the various stakeholders - parents, educators, higher education and business leaders - to interview candidates and help select the best superintendent for our schools. Listening to educators, parents and other community members and moving toward greater transparency and public accountability will ensure that our children get public schools that provide all kids with the knowledge, skills and preparation they need for college, career and life. Capo is president of the Houston Federation of Teachers. After a series of setbacks in Republican-run states, transgender rights activists won a strange electoral victory. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, tried to make the Indiana primary a referendum on their movement. He pummeled Donald Trump for supporting the rights of transgender people to use their adopted gender's bathrooms. And then he lost in a landslide, and quit the presidential race. "Ted Cruz has been one of the most extreme anti-LGBT candidates in the presidential primary circus, and his anti-trans statements were rejected in a conservative state," said Jay Brown, the communications director of the LGBT rights group the Human Rights Campaign. "Donald Trump is not any hero on LGBT equality, for sure. But Cruz's attempts in the last two weeks to demonize trans people backfired." Those attempts began after Trump's victory in the New York primary, when he sat for a rollicking Today Show interview and ambled through a question about North Carolina's "bathroom bill" -- the latest backlash against city ordinances opening more services to trans people. Trump suggested that transgender people -- with Caitlyn Jenner as an example -- should feel free to use whatever restrooms they felt "appropriate." Cruz pounced, using the language and imagery that had rolled back transgender rights in his native Houston. "As the father of two young girls, I can tell you it doesn't make any sense to allow adult grown men, strangers, to be alone in a bathroom with little girls," he said at a rally in Pennsylvania. He went further in Indiana, joking that Trump would not be allowed in a woman's bathroom even if he dressed in drag -- conflating transgenderism with transvestitism. In a TV ad and mailer, he raised the specter of rapists creeping into bathrooms, insisting that they were women, then doing unspeakable things. In fact, there is no evidence of men using pro-transgender ordinances to get away with rape or molestation. And in Indiana, there was no evidence of the argument taking hold. Trump won evangelical Christians by 5 points, and 41 percent of voters, a plurality, said that Cruz had run the most unfair campaign. On the trail, while plenty of arch-conservative voters agreed with Cruz, some of the anti-Trump voters he was courting wondered why he kept talking about bathrooms. "How is that supposed to work, making sure that men who identify as women aren't in the bathroom?" asked Michelle DeFrancesco Bythrow, a 48-year-old music teacher at Notre Dame. "Are there going to be monitors outside?" DeFrancesco Bythrow ended up supporting Cruz, but she was in the minority. More voters heard Cruz sound the alarm about trans rights, and remembered the backlash to Indiana's Religious Freedom Restoration Act. It was passed in a panic about gay marriage opponents being sued for not serving same-sex weddings; it succeeded largely in causing a business backlash, spurring Gov. Mike Pence (R) and his Republicans to amend it, and Pence's poll numbers to tumble. The appearance of cruelty toward a small group of people, there and during the Indiana primary, seemed to make the difference. "Regardless of one's partisan affiliation, such a blatant attempt to incite animosity toward a particular group is sickening and shameful," said Shannon Minter, legal director of the National Center for Lesbian Rights in San Francisco. "This is a low point even in a campaign season that has seen more than its fair share of low points." Yet by the end of his Indiana campaign, Cruz quietly dropped the "little girls bathrooms" riff from his stump speech. It still appeared in direct mail, but it was no longer part of a closing argument to the voters crowding his events. In a Sunday interview on "Meet the Press," Cruz argued for the first time that the issue of the bathroom bill was not about transgender people, but about the hypothetical rapists. All of a sudden, and too late, Cruz's campaign had created the conditions for the biggest political victory in the short history of transgender rights. "Sen. Cruz's desperate attempt at using transgender people to scare people and drum up support clearly [wasn't] working," said Mara Keisling, executive director of the National Center for Transgender Equality. "And Donald Trump's position that transgender people using bathrooms is a non-issue obviously isn't hurting him. Hopefully politicians will leave us out of their rhetoric unless they have something constructive to say." Whats next for Cruz? How will he position himself in the Senate for whatever he wants to do next? Will the Texas senator endorse Trump after a particularly nasty week on the trail? Lets consider, however, the bigger question that concerns the status of the modern Republican Party: To what degree will the Trump nomination tear apart the party? In past elections, GOP nominees have had to unite the party after they become the presumptive nominee, but none has had as tall of an order as Trump does the next few months. The solution to this, at least this early, seems to be that prominent Republicans simply will not acknowledge him for as long as they can. In a Tuesday night Facebook post, Gov. Greg Abbott noticeably left out Trumps name in his call for party unity. It was all about #NeverHillary, not a call to arms on behalf of the New York mogul. Congratulations to my good friend Ted Cruz on a hard fought campaign, he wrote. Conservatives must unite to support the presumptive GOP nominee and prevent the Constitution from being destroyed by Hillary. As Wednesday dawned, eager Democrats and depressed Republicans agreed that it now was Donald Trumps Republican Party, or at least until November. In that time, as the party apparatus tries to position Trump for the general election, he will be setting the agenda for Republicans everywhere. Thats why the kinds of responses to Trumps impending nomination at the Cleveland convention that were getting now from Republican officials are particularly important to watch. Its a race to see who can be more creative about it. Consider how New Hampshire Sen. Kelly Ayotte, who is up for re-election this November and is a major target for Democrats this cycle, answered the question. As she said from the beginning, Kelly plans to support the nominee, she said, through a spokesman. As a candidate herself, she hasnt and isnt planning to endorse anyone this cycle. News / National by Staff reporter FORMER Zanu-PF Hurungwe West MP Temba Mliswa has urged President Robert Mugabe to retire, saying he has failed to run the country and should make way for a younger and more competent leader.Mliswa, who now heads Youth Advocacy for Reform and Democracy (Yard), made the remarks in South Africa on Saturday during the local government election manifesto launch of the Julius Malema-led Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF).Mliswa, who was accompanied by tertiary students and other Yard members, said he was hopeful Zimbabweans would emulate the combatant EFF and keep Zimbabwean leaders on their toes."In supporting the EFF, we are hoping to also emulate the same in Zimbabwe where young people can also force His Excellency our good President, who is now a grandfather, to retire and look after his grandson," he said while addressing the estimated 30 000 EFF supporters who packed Orlando Stadium in Soweto."We are hoping that in good time that message will get to him. We are also in support of the way the judiciary is supporting the rights of the people in this country. It's something we are also emulating as Zimbabweans."Mliswa said it was proper that young people within the Sadc region work together so that their impact would be strongly felt.In an interview with NewsDay yesterday, the Yard leader said he was happy with the recognition he was receiving in the region."The address I made at the recent EFF election manifesto launch at Orlando Stadium in Soweto was indeed a fulfilling and defining moment for both Yard and for myself and Zimbabweans at large," he said."Addressing such a huge super-charged crowd is a great feat by any standards and I am humbled by the opportunity that was presented to me. Historically, the address could be compared to the address made on our very own Independence although I believe the EFF gathering had even more in terms of numbers," Mliswa added. Subscribing to our services is a three step process. First you have to create an account and then you have to pick if you want to subscribe to digital and or print. Some people only want to be a digital subscriber to get access online and others want to also receive the print edition. If you are already a print subscriber and want online access, it is free, you simply have to create an online account and then attach your print subscription account number to the online account you create. News / National by Itai Mushekwe COLOGNE- Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, visited the disputed lucrative Centenary Farm in Figtree, owned by white Zimbabwean commercial farmer, Dave Connolly, which has now been seized and officially parcelled out to, President Robert Mugabe's deputy chief secretary, Ray Ndhlukula.Ndhlukula, whose position makes him a very influential civil servant has disobeyed a court order allowing Connolly to stay on the farm, telling the farmer straight in his face, that he no right to land in Zimbabwe, because he is white. Connolly now all but faces eviction following a ruling by the High Court last month, in Ndhlukula's favour.Spotlight Zimbabwe, has been supplied with the photograph of the Queen Mother, who is captured during her visit to the farm in 1953, where she presented Connolly's father with the Best Bull Award for his magnificent pedigree Hereford bull, at the Bulawayo Agricultural Show at the time.Connolly is the only keeper of a pedigree herd of Hereford and Senepols breeds in the country, and now Ndhlukula's takeover means the beasts will have to be slaughtered.Mugabe's aide, who was recently rejected as Zimbabwe's Ambassador designate to London by Britain, to replace long-serving, Gabriel Machinga, a former Education minister, already owns two other farms in Matabeleland South, Wilfred Hope Farm in Marula, and Vlakfontein, known as Subdivision 2 of Marula Block.The Queen Mother, was born Elizabeth Angela Marguerite Bowes-Lyon in London on August 4 1900, and was the longest-lived member of the royal family in British history at the time of her death, in 2002 aged 101.The fourth daughter and ninth child of Lord and Lady Glamis, she met her future husband Prince Albert at a dance in May 1920, and they later married at Westminster Abbey in April 1923. They were blessed with two children, Elizabeth, now the Queen, and Princess Margaret.Harare High Court judge Justice Joseph Musakwa, last month made a ruling, that Connolly was in occupation of gazetted land, which was compulsorily acquired by the State in 2000."Although the applicant was granted spoliatory relief in the interim order, he is actually already in breach of section 3(1) of the Gazetted Lands (Consequential Provisions) Act which provides that no person may hold, use or occupy gazetted land without lawful authority," said Musakwa.Below an opinion article by David Connolly written on 26 February 2016, where he narrates the Centenary farm issue and farming in Zimbabwe.Liberating Zimbabweans from "mental colonisation" by ZANU PFThe most dangerous form of colonisation in my view, is the colonisation of the mind. While physical colonialism had drawbacks for people who were colonised, it is important to acknowledge that the colonists also brought many benefits. These included western medicine, formal education, infrastructure, political participation, sophisticated agricultural practices and accelerated nation building.The danger, when a former colony becomes independent, is that it can swap one form of colonisation for another. This process is often incremental and insidious, so that people realise too late they've been entrapped by those who promised to bring them freedom.While physical colonisation is transient, the new coloniser in Zimbabwe's case ZANU PF has other powerful weapons in its arsenal and these are used to colonise the minds of the people, since colonisation of the mind has more permanency.As Dr Mike Gammon, who was Chief of Veld and Pastures in Zimbabwe's Department of AgriculturalTechnical Services between 1978 and 1983 wrote in 2008, "The Zimbabwe government's campaign to obliterate commercial agriculture under the guise of agrarian reform, but in reality in the interest of retaining power through illegal and violent means, has been largely effective."A major part of this campaign has been incessant propaganda, based on distortions and lies, designed to give it respectability. Further deceptions have sought to give the impression that the pretence of agrarian reform has been successful," he noted.Those who have suffered most as a result of the farm invasions and the ongoing forced evictions from the few commercial farms still operational largely to make way for high ranking ZANU PF personnel have been the farm workers and their families.In the case of my Centenary farm in the Figtree district of Matabeleland South province, Dr Ray Ndhlukula, who is the deputy chief secretary in the office of the President and the Cabinet, told me in June 2014 that the farm had been gazetted and offered to him by the Minister of Lands and Rural Resettlement.On August 2, 2014 Dr Ndhlukula drove onto my farm and claimed that it "was now his property" and that he would be doing things "his way". He said that his workers would remove my personal belongings and household effects, load them onto his trucks and take them away.Furthermore, he warned me that there was no court order or sheriff of the court who could do anything to him as he was a very senior civil servant. In any case, he said, I had a white skin and therefore had no rights in Zimbabwe.Farm workers evictedMrs Ndhlukula went to our farm village the same day and informed my workers that they had just three days in which to vacate their houses. All of my workers and their families were duly evicted from their homes of many decades on August 6, 2014 by the Ndhlukulas' thugs.There was no court process and the police refused to stop the thugs from evicting the farm workers, even though a High Court order has been issued on June 27, 2014 to protect the workers.Despite my going to the Figtree police station and insisting that the police should adhere to the High Court order and safeguard my farm workers, the lawlessness prevailed and they refused to act. Since then neither I nor my farm workers have been able to return to Centenary farm.During early September 2014, Mrs Ndhlukula spoke in a most derogatory and degrading manner to Mr Daniel Sibanda, one of my workers, who is an expert cattle man. He was so furious that he approached me and asked if I could put him in touch with some lawyers as he wanted to take the Ndhlukulas to court.Mr Sibanda was also angry that his constitutional rights had been violated. He understood his rights and wanted to do something about them. Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights concurred with Mr Sibanda and agreed to fund the case.Although Mr Sibanda has very little formal education, this is more than compensated for by his wisdom and ability to differentiate between right and wrong, despite the relentless government propaganda.Mr Sibanda is also a man who is not to be intimidated. When he was herding cows and calves on Centenary farm in 1998, for example, he was attacked by a leopard which he killed using only his axe and a club.Court caseThe court case, Daniel Sibanda vs R C Ndhlukula and Another, Case No. H.C. 1414/15, was heard in the Bulawayo High Court before the Honourable Justice J Moyo on February 16 this year.Mr Gerald Mlotshwa of Titan Law Chambers, arguing on behalf of Dr Ray Ndhlukula, stated that the real litigant was J C Conolly & Sons and not Mr Sibanda.This was despite the fact that all of the papers had been correctly filed and bound, due process had been followed, and the case was correctly set before the judge. Nowhere in the papers did it indicate that the litigant was J C Conolly & Sons.In fact, although Mr Sibanda has resided on my Centenary farm all his life, he is actually employed by Agrimobile, a sister company to J C Conolly & Sons on Centenary farm.Mr Sibanda felt degraded once again to hear in court that the Ndhlukulas were claiming he was been used as a front by J C Conolly & Sons and made it clear that he wished to claim his rights under the new Zimbabwean Constitution.The court reserved judgment on this and two additional preliminary points raised by the respondents' advocates in an effort to delay the case.How ZANU PF colonised people's mindsTo gain insight into how ZANU PF has worked relentlessly to colonise people's minds, their strategy and the implications of this, we need to revisit the latter 1990s.From 1996-1998, I was privileged to be elected as chairman of The National Association of Dairy Farmers (NADF), the dairy commodity housed within the Commercial Farmers' Union (CFU).During my tenure, government had instructed the Ministry of Agriculture to privatise the Dairy Marketing Board.This was a very stimulating time as we worked with the then Minister of Lands and Agriculture, the late Mr Kumbirai Kangai, as well as the Board at the Dairy Marketing Board, the Attorney General's office, (regarding monopolistic legislation), the Zimbabwe Stock Exchange (ZSE), the farmers and various financiers.We achieved the most successful ever floatation on the ZSE, with thousands of Zimbabweans making their first investment ever on the stock market. The government, instead of having to pay subsidies to keep the Dairy Marketing Board afloat, received income through dividends and tax.In removing the monopolistic legislation, competition was introduced and we achieved a first world dairy industry.Through this exercise, thousands of Zimbabweans became empowered. Through crop and animal production, stock feed manufacturing, veterinary and food sciences, product development, sales and marketing, legal and accounting practice and dividend on investment, Zimbabweans were free to achieve their dreams.It was this empowered mindset which prevailed at a number of meetings that I attended in the Figtree area prior to the 2000 referendum on a new constitution. The standard of debate was top quality, the understanding of what was on the table inspiring.The people made it clear they did not want Robert Mugabe as a life president and secondly they did not want any land without a bankable property right. Tens of thousands of hectares of land had been bought by government during the early eighties in the Marula South district and the resettled farmers had found it impossible to farm commercially without being able to access capital.It would be interesting to know how many Zimbabwean banks have gone to the wall because of unsecured loans.The referendum on the proposed new constitutionIn the constitutional referendum of February 2000, with decolonised mindsets and believing in their dreams, Zimbabweans voted in their freest election ever.Their resounding 'no' vote infuriated President Mugabe. The people had rejected his proposed new constitution, which would have further entrenched his power and enabled the government to seize farms owned by white farmers, without compensation.The people had spoken!President Mugabe warned that what he was unable to achieve at the ballot box, he would achieve through parliament. Within days, the land invasions started, paid invaders were transported onto commercial farms in government vehicles and the mental colonisation was fast-tracked.ZJRI Silencing the farmersLater in 2000, as the mayhem continued, I was asked by the CFU to sit on an organisation that they had been partly involved in establishing. This organisation was called the "Zimbabwe Joint Resettlement Initiative" (ZJRI). Through ZJRI we were to interact with government to defuse the volatile situation on the farms and to come up with a viable land resettlement programme.The government appointed Ms Olivia Muchena, then Minister in the President's Office, and Vincent Hungwe, a senior civil servant in the Ministry of Agriculture, to sit on ZJRI.Ms Muchena informed the first meeting that no progress could be made unless the farmers agreed firstly not to take the government to court, and secondly, that we would not hang our dirty washing on the line.This meant that we could not publish what was happening on the farms, and most definitely could not inform the international community.She continued, "The government is going to institute a controlled revolution." Vincent Hungwe then informed us that government would "take every brick off every brick" and rebuild it their way.This was my first experience of "colonised minds".At a debriefing after the meeting, I informed my fellow farmers that I was not prepared to concede to such demands. On returning to Bulawayo, I was phoned by our chairman, Nick Swanepoel, and informed that they had agreed to abide by the government's demands. My response to Nick was that he would receive my resignation.The last 15 years of chaos and havoc have been well documented. Farm workers have been mentally colonised through fear, isolation and hunger. The ZANU PF strategy has included all-night pungwes (brutal "re-education" programmes), murder, disappearance, rape, job destruction, withholding of international food aid and lack of medical care.Tens of thousands, whose forefathers originated in countries like Malawi or Mozambique, have had their citizenship removed and are now referred to as "aliens".International court ruling brings hopeAlthough a significant number of dispossessed commercial farmers have spent years and millions of dollars in failed court actions in Zimbabwe due to the judiciary being heavily compromised, a recent international court ruling has brought renewed hope.Heinrich von Pezold, a German national and the main shareholder of Zimbabwe's Rift Valley Holdings, which owns Border Timbers Limited, refused to be mentally colonised and went to the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) to plead his case.This month it was reported that a tribunal at the ICSID, which is part of the World Bank Group, has ordered the Zimbabwe government to restore agricultural estates seized as part of President Mugabe's "racially discriminatory" land reform programme to the von Pezold family, who are dual German and Swiss nationals, or pay US$196 million in compensation.If legal title is restored, the state will only have to pay a third of the damages US$65 million.Both sums include US$1 million in moral damages for one member of the family, whom the Zimbabwean police had failed to protect from death threats and physical violence by "settlers" on his farmLifting the yoke of mental colonisationIn an article titled: "Five key reasons why Zimbabwe's economy will be far worse in 2016", Ken Yamamoto, a respected commentator on Africa, warned that the economy "was leaking like a sieve" and described the country's leaders as being "giant pillaging marauders".As Zimbabweans struggle to survive under a failed government, they are well aware of the culpability of their avaricious leaders whose vicious infighting is intensifying the failure of their "controlled revolution".In my view, while the government might have removed "every brick from every brick" as they intended, leaving once thriving commercial farms across the country in ruins, they will not be able to rebuild the country their way.Sir Isaac Newton found that for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. As Zimbabweans removed the yoke of colonisation so too will they remove the yoke of mental colonisation through which ZANU PF has subjugated them for so many traumatic and ruinous years.I am confident that the Zimbabwean constitution will determine Mr Sibanda's human rights and as a result, those of hundreds of thousands of other farm workers whose displacement and suffering in the wake of the brutal farm invasions has been catastrophic.The tide has turned. As an existing print subscriber it is easy to get FREE access to all our online content. When you click get started below it will walk you through creating an online account to attach your print subscription number to. After your account is created it will ask you to either add a subscription for online access or click on the print subscriber button. Click the print subscriber button header and it will open a dropdown, now click on get started. The page will reload and you will be prompted to enter an account number and a zip code. IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO USE THE NUMBER OFF OF THE MOST RECENT ISSUE OR ANYTHING AFTER JANUARY 28, 2019 TO GAIN ACCESS! OLD ACCOUNT NUMBERS WILL NOT WORK The account number and zip code are easily available on your most recent issue of the High Plains Journal or Midwest Ag Journal in the address fields as is shown here. Sometimes the account number has extra zero's in front of it, just ignore those. se wishing to hire foreign workers from Bangladesh may have to sit through longer application processes with employment agencies suffering the fallout from recent terror arrests.On Tuesday (3 May), the Ministry of Home Affairs (MFA) announced that eight radicalised construction workers from Bangladesh had been detained under the Internal Security Act (ISA) for planning terrorist activities back home.The ringleader of the group Rahman Mizanur established the group, called the Islamic State of Bangladesh (ISB), in March this year. He was an S-Pass holder in the construction industry. The seven others he recruited were work permit holders employed in the marine and construction sectors.Talking with several employment agents, The Straits Times found that additional details such as names of parents and location of the individuals hometown have been required in all applications since late last year.We've been asked for more information about family background, Kent Ng, owner of KF Employment Consultants told the paper.The paper also talked to the High Commissioner of Bangladesh to Singapore, Mahbub Uz Zaman, who said Bangladesh will strengthen its screening processes to ensure all incoming workers are good people. To do this, Bangladeshi police have been told to conduct background checks on suspected extremists.We are fully cooperating with the security agencies here and have been providing information to the authorities, he said.This latest event follows the arrests of 27 Bangladeshi construction workers in November and December 2015 in an MFA investigation deemed Singapores largest terror crackdown in 15 years. The arrests were announced in January.A spokesperson from the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) told The Straits Times that Bangladesh remains an approved source country. The Ministry assesses and approves work pass applications in consultation with relevant agencies, he added.Jacky Lee, founder of KSP Employment Agency, told the paper that workers are informed of the dos and donts before arriving in Singapore. A psychological test is also administered where applicants answer questions to flag if they easily influenced by others. Lee is still trying to refine the test, he said.Five other Bangladeshi workers have been investigated under the ISA. Although unrelated to the ISB, MFA found they possessed and/or proliferated jihadi-related materials or supported the use of armed violence in pursuit of a religious cause. All five have been deported back to Bangladesh. award-winning industry professional has spoken out about the state of HR, claiming the function is nearing the end of an era but has something far better on the horizon.I think HR is dead and hooray for that, says Laurent Sylvestre general manager of people and culture at engineering icon Beca. HR is dead for something more people-centric."Earlier this year, Sylvestre was named HR Generalist of the Year by the Human Resources Institute of New Zealand - but could the organisations name soon be obsolete?According to Auckland-based Sylvestre, the human resources function long ago known as 'personnel is in the midst of yet another major transition. This time, its to people and culture.There is a need now to connect more with human beings rather than just employees, he says. You need to connect with human beings if you want their attention and you want their time.Sylvestre says the human resources moniker is a leftover from now outdated attitudes When personnel moved into human resources it was late 80s early 90s and we were at the peak of capitalism, he says.It was all about resources and what type of resources you had so part of HR was management of those resources but very much at the core there was still compliance, administration, making sure the contract would be okay, industrial relations things like that."Now, Sylvestre says the industry is seeing a significant shift.Were moving out of that and I think that shouldnt be done by an HR professional. That should be done by the leader or the manager themselves it should be the manager that is going to do that job.Now, Sylvestre says HR professionals or rather people and culture professionals should be concerned with discretionary effort and employee satisfaction.Were not talking about a resource, he stressed. A machine is a resource; a human is not a resource. A human is a human and, as part of their life, a human being is going to work so its about asking how you make that experience enjoyable? News / National by Staff reporter The Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe boss John Mangudya has blamed current cash shortages to people predominantly using USD for almost all transactions.The USD has substituted all the other currencies such as the rand, pound and the euro which were in use at the commencement of the multi-currency system in 2009.Mangudya said the switch from other currencies to the USD is due to its strength which is now considered to be a safe haven currency throughout the world.He said RBZ will this week announce policy measures to deal with the problem of cash shortages which have been experienced in some banks.Several banks have imposed a maximum withdrawal limit of $200 and $300."The market-friendly policy measures are going to focus on the sources, distribution and utilisation of foreign exchange in Zimbabwe," said Mangudya.RBZ says the strength of the USD also encourages hoarding and exportation of cash since it is a safe haven currency or asset. The leader of Alberta's Opposition has confirmed that his home is one of many that burned as a wildfire tore through the Fort McMurray area. Brian Jean, leader of the Wildrose Party and MLA for Fort McMurray-Conklin, told Global News that his nephew called with the news as he fled the area on Tuesday evening. Advertisement "I understand my own home is in flames," Jean told the network in a phone interview. Wildrose Leader Brian Jean, MLA for Fort-McMurray-Conklin, just said on Global Edmonton that he's heard his house is in flames. #ymmfire Mariam Ibrahim (@mariamdena) May 4, 2016 The politician urged residents to "please, please, please get out" of the area as the flames spread. "We cannot replace lives," Jean told News Talk 770 radio. "Now is not the time to be a hero." Brian Jean. (Photo: Jason Franson/CP) The massive wildfire which started on Sunday has forced the largest fire-related evacuation order in Alberta's history, with tens of thousands of people ordered from their homes. On Monday, Jean took to his Facebook page to thank emergency crews working to control the fire. "I offer my sincere gratitude to all the dedicated volunteers, staff, firefighters, pilots and other first responders. You are what makes Fort McMurray one of the strongest communities in Alberta," he wrote. Advertisement The politican has lived in Fort McMurray since he was four years old, after moving there from B.C. in 1967. The Huffington Post Alberta has reached out to Jean for comment. Also on HuffPost UPDATE: The rapper told Billboard in a statement Thursday that he had donated US$100,000 to Autism Speaks. The family of an autistic man say they accept 50 Cent's apology after the rapper mocked their son at work. Advertisement Andrew Farrell was working as a janitor at Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport over the weekend when 50 Cent, whose real name is Curtis Jackson, approached him and accused him of being high, according to WLWT. "This new generation is crazy. It's crazy," Jackson said in a video he posted to Twitter. "Look at him," he said, referring to Farrell. "What kind of [expletive] do you think he took before coming to work today?" Farrell, 19, also has severe hearing loss, according to TMZ. After the rapper posted the video over the weekend, several Ohio businesses pulled his Effen Vodka from their shelves, according to WDTN. Advertisement Farrell's family was in talks about a potential lawsuit, TMZ reported, but a representative said they'd be happy if the rapper apologized which he has. While the incident at the airport resulted from an unfortunate misunderstanding, I am truly sorry for offending the young man, Jackson told Page Six in a statement. "It was certainly not my intent to insult him or the disability community, which is a source of great strength in America. I have apologized personally to him and his family." In a statement to WLWT, the family said they accept 50 Cent's apology, but also requested a donation be made to charity Autism Speaks. Advertisement "Though a letter of apology will not undo what 50 Cent has put our family through, we are choosing to forgive," they said. "We hope that this situation brings more awareness to what people with autism and other forms of social anxiety suffer through on a daily basis." But this isn't the first time the artist has been criticized for his comments on disabilities. In 2012, he apologized after telling a Twitter fan "yeah just saw your picture fool you look autistic," and "I don't want no special ed kids on my time line follow some body else." Also on HuffPost Kris Connor via Getty Images WASHINGTON, DC - APRIL 21: Alex Trebek speaks during a rehearsal before a taping of Jeopardy! Power Players Week at DAR Constitution Hall on April 21, 2012 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Kris Connor/Getty Images) Jeopardy host Alex Trebek has an important message to kids about stupid people. On Tuesday, the Canadian TV personality stopped by Ottawas Roberta Bondar Public School to help host a geography quiz. While there, one student asked him if he liked his job as Jeopardy host, which hes been doing for over 30 years. Advertisement I love what I do and Ill tell you why, he said. Because I get to appear on a stage everyday with really bright people. I hate spending time with stupid people, because stupid people quite often are prejudiced people. They dont know enough to make sound decisions regarding life or how to treat their fellow man. "The most important thing is you finding something youre good at and something you enjoy doing." Trebek also offered the kids solid advice about how to be happy: The most important thing is you finding something youre good at and something you enjoy doing. And if you have those two things going for you, youre going to be happy in your life. According to Ottawa Community News, the kids at the Greenboro-based school were excited to meet Trebek and participate in the geography quiz he hosted at their school. Ali Khaled, a Grade 8 participant, described the experience as unreal. Alex Trebek leads @BondarBlazers students in the final Q of our mini geo challenge: how long is Canada's coastline? pic.twitter.com/nXE2MUs6cR Canadian Geographic (@CanGeo) May 3, 2016 Advertisement Trebek is currently in Ottawa attending several events. Earlier this week, he was named the honourary president of the Royal Canadian Geographic Society and on Thursday, he will be presented a Key to the City of Ottawa by Mayor Jim Watson. Introducing our special guest, Emmy-award winning host of Jeopardy & champion of geographic literacy, Alex Trebek: pic.twitter.com/74QCERucp9 Canadian Geographic (@CanGeo) May 3, 2016 The Mayor announced the news on Twitter last week with a hilarious photo: Remember to answer in the form of a question. pic.twitter.com/1v8A9J9CIp Jim Watson (@JimWatsonOttawa) April 29, 2016 The 75-year-old host will be honoured with a Key to the City of Ottawa for his philanthropy and activism, his unrelenting commitment to higher education, and his steadfast loyalty to his alma mater, the University of Ottawa. ALSO ON HUFFPOST: A stronger loonie may be good news if youre planning a vacation to Florida, but for Canadian companies doing business abroad, its pretty much the last thing they need. Despite the loonie losing more than a cent U.S. on Tuesday, it's trading at around 79 cents U.S., some 10 cents U.S. higher than its lows in January. That new-found strength poses a risk to newly won export gains, BMO chief economist Doug Porter wrote in a client note Wednesday. Advertisement The exchange rate is a massive underlying force. And the three-month surge in the Canadian dollar threatens to undermine those gains. Porter noted that with the loonie in decline, export volumes had shot up 7 per cent in a year. But that trend now appears to be fizzling. Statistics Canada reported Wednesday that exports took a steep dive in March, pushing Canada's trade deficit with the rest of the world to record high of $3.4 billion, up from $2.5 billion in February. The decline was larger than even the most pessimistic forecasts. CIBC economist Nick Exarhos noted its not just the rising loonie thats at fault -- the U.S. is buying less from the world as well. Advertisement "Canada was never going to escape unscathed from a slowdown in U.S. imports, and for March that meant a 4.8 per cent collapse in exports," he wrote. All the same, the data shows a rapid deterioration in Canada's external position since the beginning of the year, coinciding with the recent strength in the Canadian dollar, he added. The drop in exports means there isn't much momentum as we head into the quarter, and trade is not expected to contribute to economic growth, TD Bank senior economist Leslie Preston wrote. TD Bank sees Canadas economy growing in the second quarter at half the pace it grew in the first quarter of this year. But it also expects the loonie to stay below the 80-cent U.S. mark, so Canada's export sector should remain a key source of strength over the medium term. OTTAWA Chrystia Freeland was in the hot seat Tuesday, accused by the Conservatives of spending thousands of taxpayers dollars on a vanity trip to Los Angeles but the international trade minister was ready for the attacks with barbs of her own. Four Conservatives MPs stood up one by one seven questions in all to raise the spectre that Freeland had spent $20,000 to appear on HBO's "Real Time with Bill Maher" in November. Advertisement Alberta Tory MP Blaine Calkins said he had emails obtained under the Access to Information Act that showed Freeland's staff were scrambling to put a program together and begging Los Angeles Times journalists to be interviewed. International Trade Minister Chrystia Freeland speaks in the House of Commons on Tuesday, May 3, 2016. (Photo: Sean Kilpatrick/CP) "Why does the minister continue to claim the trip was about Canadian business interests when it was actually all about her?" he asked. Advertisement Canadian officials were caught off-guard by the visit, he suggested. "L.A. Consul General [James] Villeneuve noted there seems to be a bit of confusion.' The global affairs director general of communications was also confused, saying in emails, What is she doing in L.A.? Besides the Bill Maher show?" Calkin said. "Clearly, this was a personal trip built around her TV appearance." Freeland said the Tories were once again "trying to create a story where there is none." Unlike Harper, 'we get invited': Freeland "The media appearances were part of the official visit, along with six business round tables. It is my job to promote Canada to the world," she told the House. "Let me remind [the Conservative opposition] that their own leader, the former prime minister [Stephen Harper], spent $50,000 of taxpayer money to get himself U.S. media appearances," Freeland said. "We do not need to do that. We get invited." Harper's office hired Ari Fleischer, a former spokesman for U.S. president George W. Bush, twice during the prime minister's mandate, at a cost of $24,500 a pop, to help manage U.S. media relations. Minister lists interviews Freeland said she is proud to speak to the international media. "Just yesterday, I gave an interview to Politico in Washington," she said. "As minister, I would like to list some of the other international interviews I have done. I have done an interview with MSNBC, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, the LA Times, and the Financial Times," she said, while the Tories yelled out "More! More!" and egged her on. Advertisement "I have done three BBC interviews. I have spoken to EU Trade Insights. I spoke to La Libra; Deutsche Welle, the German TV; Luberg Television; Handelsblatt [a German newspaper]," she said. Conservative Blaine Calkins rises in the House of Commons Monday April 11, 2016 in Ottawa. (Photo: Adrian Wyld/CP) Later, under questioning by Quebec Tory MP Jacques Gourde, Freeland said the Liberal government didn't have to pay "Republican hacks" to organize media appearances. But Ontario Conservative MP Karen Vecchio didn't care about media interviews. She wanted to know how it was possible to believe Freeland was on government business when her staff was informed only two days before the trip that she would be in L.A. Advertisement "When will the minister pay back the money for this vanity trip?" she asked. Freeland ignored her and went on to list some of the business meetings she had in California. "Here are some of the people I met with," she told the House of Commons. "Jim Haney, senior VP and general manager of City National Bank, recently acquired by RBC; Greg Foster, CEO of IMAX; Creative BC, and Trade and Invest BC, who were there; John Chiang, the treasurer of the State of California; and Jeff Gorell, deputy mayor. "Other meetings I had there included a reception with the Friends of British Columbia, a meeting with Los Angeles economic leaders," she added before her mic was cut off for going too long. Prove it, veteran Tory says Saskatchewan Conservative MP Gerry Ritz said he wanted to know what important agreements Freeland had signed during her visit to California, an assertion made Monday in the House by Government Leader Dominic Leblanc. "Will she table these important agreements immediately, keeping in mind that credit card receipts and the waiver for Bill Maher do not count?" Freeland didn't mention any agreements. Instead, she accused the Tories of not liking the media. "We understand it is our job to talk to the media at home and abroad," the trade minister said. "I want to point out that I appeared in the media in California with some important Canadian partners, Senator Angus King of Maine, and the California lieutenant governor, Gavin Newsom. Advertisement "They all happened to be sitting on the same panel show, so they do not count as individuals," Ritz shot back. While the Tories pegged the cost of Freeland's trip from Manila, the Philippine capital, to Los Angeles and back to Canada at $20,000, a Liberal spokesperson told HuffPost that Freeland's trade mission to L.A. had cost approximately $14,000, including the cost of a staffer accompanying her. With a previous file ALSO ON HUFFPOST: Thursday May, 5 is Cinco De Mayo, which means tequila will be flowing and tacos will be everywhere. But while the Mexican holiday is most commonly associated with these foods, the real reason the day is celebrated is to honour the Mexican army's unexpected triumph over Napoleon III on May 5, 1862, Newsy's Jasmine Bailey explains in the video above. And since we might over do it on yummy and savoury Mexican treats tomorrow, we think this Cinderella story is worth cheering on. Advertisement Checkout the slideshow below for 50 insanely delicious recipes to help you celebrate Cinco De Mayo. From tequila infused treats to traditional tacos to salsa and guacamole galore, just try to resist these recipes. Also on HuffPost Costco has expanded a previous recall in four provinces to include more products. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency said Tuesday Costco is recalling Organic by Nature brand frozen Organic Butternut Squash and Organic Vegetable Medley due to a possible Listeria contamination. The products were sold in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba, with best before dates from April 26, 2016 to April 26, 2018. Advertisement Costco is recalling these products over a possible Listeria contamination. In April, Costco recalled Organic by Nature frozen peas in the same provinces over Listeria concerns. Listeria symptoms can include vomiting, nausea, persistent fever, muscle aches, severe headache and neck stiffness. Advertisement Pregnant women are particularly at risk, as infection can lead to premature delivery, infection of the newborn, or even stillbirth. A B.C. tribunal is being asked to decide if a high chair is a human right. A Vancouver father has filed a complaint against the Earls restaurant chain for failing to provide proper seating for his child, calling it discrimination based on his family status. Phillip Ryan said multiple Earls locations in Vancouver could not provide a high chair for his one-year-old. He said he was told it's company policy not to have them. The first time he left the restaurant, and the second time he ate with his child on his lap, according to the complaint filed last week with the British Columbia Human Rights Tribunal. Advertisement Earls which is headquartered in Vancouver and has restaurants across Canada and the U.S. applied to quash the lawsuit immediately, but was denied. A Vancouver father says that it is discriminatory for restaurants not to provide high chairs. (Photo: Gettystock) Earls said it has no policy of refusing high chairs, but that some locations dont provide them. The practice isnt discriminatory because they offered Ryan a booth seat where he could hold his child in his lap, argued the company. Advertisement Ryan wants preferred or perfect accommodation, Earls said, rather than the reasonable accommodation it is obligated to provide. Just because dining is less enjoyable or more stressful without a high chair, the restaurant said, doesnt make it discriminatory. Complaints go back 10 years Ryan said putting a one-year-old in a lap, stroller, or high chair would be unsafe. Parents have been complaining about the lack of high chairs at Earls for 10 years. When CBC News first raised the issue, a spokesperson said at some locations that attract mostly business clients, theyve heard both opinions regarding high chairs. We are not trying to discriminate against you, the restaurant told CBC at the time. Rather, we are trying to maximize our sales opportunities according to the neighbourhood we serve." Also on HuffPost Canada's Best Restaurants 2016 See Gallery OTTAWA Green Party Leader Elizabeth May is calling for all the top senior public servants to be removed from their current jobs because, she says, they are tainted from the Harper years and resisting change. "It's awkward as a person in politics, you don't want to single out public servants," May said. "But it can't escape note that the deputy minister for trade negotiated the Trans-Pacific Partnership, the deputy minister at Environment Canada was Harper's lead negotiator at Copenhagen blocking climate action "The deputy ministers advising [Public Safety Minister] Ralph Goodale were okay with C-51, so was the deputy minister at the department of justice," May added. Advertisement Green Leader Elizabeth May holds up a draft agreement as she speaks about the upcoming Paris climate conference during a briefing, Thursday, November 19, 2015 in Ottawa. (Photo: Adrian Wyld/CP) It's not about the public service being partisan, May told reporters Wednesday during a press conference highlighting Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's six months in office. "But it's clear that the top level of the public service is contaminated by their role in the last 10 years." Advertisement "In my opinion, right now, there is a level of resistance against change," May said, pointing to examples of a press release and advice from bureaucrats at the department of international trade and the Canada Revenue Agency. "There is, to put it mildly, inertia in the system." "It's clear that the top level of the public service is contaminated by their role in the last 10 years." The Green Party leader said she isn't accusing public servants of being Harper cheerleaders or secret Conservatives but rather she is suggesting there is a problem afoot because the deputy ministers still in place are at ease with the decisions they made during the last government. "I'm not accusing the civil service of wishing they had Stephen Harper back. They are non-partisan. But after 10 years, it takes a while to make the shift," she said. "It's not really possible to imagine that there is no loyalty to the action that you've personally undertaken as a senior civil servant," May added. "There is pride in accomplishments. Logically, they were doing the right thing cause their job as civil servants is to follow what they are instructed to do by the political side of government." Advertisement Watch her full press conference: Trudeau later told reporters he was saddened that May and everyone else couldn't see at what point Canada has a professional non-partisan public service. Trudeau 'proud of the public service' "Yes, during the previous government the public service had to deliver the priorities of that government but what I found during the past six months is a public service that is ready to engage on new ways of doing things, of ways that are more aligned with science and data, of concentrating on concrete results we can deliver for Canadians rather than just announcements to bolster a certain image," the prime minister said. "I'm extremely proud of the public service that we have in this country," he added before repeating again that he felt bureaucrats are actively engaged in helping his new Liberal government deliver on its promises. May said it shouldn't be Trudeau's job to remove the deputies, but it is "clearly the role of Mr. [Michael] Wernick as the head of all the public service to ensure that all deputy ministers are absolutely at ease and engaged for big change" in Canadian politics. Advertisement Wernick took over as clerk of the Privy Council in January after Trudeau removed Harper's appointee, Janice Charette. "I'm not suggesting that people be sacked, but I think it would be healthy to move people around a bit," May said. "I'm not saying they are bad people but it is inevitable, it is human nature that people are rather attached to the stuff they just did, which I would like to see reversed." ALSO ON HUFFPOST: News / National by Staff reporter VICE-President Emmerson Mnangagwa and his counterpart Phelekezela Mphoko where tangled in a power fight last week during the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair in Bulawayo.The fight at Zanu PF stand was over paraphernalia of national hero and late Vice-President Joshua Nkomo's history.According to NewsDay, Mphoko was the first to tour the stand Wednesday before Mnangagwa on Thursday."He (Mphoko) arrived at the stand, looked around and found 50 copies of Nkomo's autobiography, The Story of My Life, being exhibited. Mphoko ordered his aides to remove the books, but did not tell the family why and how they would recover them,"49 copies of the book were later returned on Friday.An angry Mphoko on Friday rejected the claims."Me? Are people crazy? Please do not play games with me. I don't want that," Mphoko fumed.The late Father Zimbabwe's son Sibangilizwe Nkomo seemed cagey when asked about the incident."I have heard that there is an exhibition at ZITF, but I would need to check with other family members. I am not sure about that incident," he said.Minister in Mphoko's office Tabetha Kanengoni-Malinga professed ignorance about the incident."Is that what happened? But I was standing right next to him (Mphoko) when he toured the stand and I did not hear him say that to anyone. I am not aware of that incident," Kanengoni-Malinga said.The paper said the head of the Central Intelligence Organisation's close security unit, Miles Ngulube, somewhat confirmed the matter before he made a U-turn saying he knew nothing about the incident."I was there at the stand wani (of course)! Who gave you my number? Just because I am the head of security, so people think I know. Talk to the guys in Bulawayo, I know nothing about what you are saying," Ngulube said.Ngulube also queried: "I left Bulawayo as soon as the President (Robert Mugabe) left on Friday, so how would I know about that?"Nkomo's book caused untold discomfort in Mugabe's government as it revealed intricate details of the Gukurahundi episode that forced him into a union with the veteran Zimbabwean leader following years of military-backed violence which caused at least 20 000 civilian deaths in the western parts of the country.Mphoko, a former Zapu commander in the early years of the liberation war, has had his credentials questioned by his former colleagues amid claims he abandoned the war at the critical stages, hiding in Mozambique and started a family while others continued fighting.When Mnangagwa toured the same stand on Thursday, he reportedly also ordered one of his aides to "remove some material"."The following day, when VP Mnangagwa came to the stand, he saw a board that had pictures of the late Father Zimbabwe and we suspect he was unhappy about it because some of the pictures were about Gukurahundi. We just saw his security coming back to collect the board and never returned it," a source close to the Nkomo family said."But Mnangagwa, unlike Mphoko, asked one of his officials to leave his details with Nkomo family members manning the exhibition so that they would be able to collect the stuff after the event."After we engaged the head of security (Ngulube), VP Mphoko's people on Friday returned 49 books that had been confiscated, meaning only one was missing, while we did not hear anything from Mnangagwa." An Alberta city is under the province's largest fire evacuation order as a massive wildfire enveloped the region. Approximately 88,000 residents of Fort McMurray and area were told to leave their homes Tuesday. According to the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo, 80 per cent of the houses in the neighbourhood of Beacon Hill were destroyed by the powerful blaze. Advertisement Firefighters say they are preparing for a worse day Wednesday, anticipating strong winds and dry conditions to feed the already out of control 10,000-hectare-large inferno. All 105 patients were evacuated from the local Northern Lights hospital within two hours, officials said at a news conference. A fuel tanker has been sent to aid stranded motorists who stayed the night on Highway 63 without gas. The highway is the main traffic artery between Fort McMurray and Edmonton. Photos taken from locals and photographers in Fort McMurray show dark ominous clouds of ash and tall towers of billowing smoke against an orange-lit sky. Advertisement Alberta Premier Rachel Notley says nearly 1,600 structures have been destroyed by the wildfire so far. An evacuee puts gas in his car on his way out of Fort McMurray as a wildfire burns in the background on May 4, 2016. (Photo: Jason Franson /The Canadian Press via AP) A family takes refuge in the back of their boat after evacuation at a rest stop near Fort McMurray on May 4, 2016. (Photo: Jason Franson/The Canadian Press) Advertisement Evacuees from Fort McMurray wait to hear when they will be let back in, at a rest stop near the city on May 4, 2016. (Photo: Jason Franson/The Canadian Press) Wildfires burn in and around Fort McMurray on May 4, 2016. (Photo: Jeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press via AP) Advertisement A helicopter battles a wildfire on May 4, 2016. (Photo: Jason Franson/The Canadian Press) Heavy smoke rises above Alberta Highway 63, near Fort McMurray on May 3, 2016. (Photo: Newzulu) This photo provided by Tyler Burgett shows flames from a wildfire along Highway 63 in Fort McMurray on May 3, 2016. (Photo: Tyler Burgett via Associated Press) Smoke fills the air as people drive on a road in Fort McMurray on May 3, 2016. (Photo: Greg Halinda/The Canadian Press) Advertisement A wall of fire rages outside of Fort McMurray on May 3, 2016 as a wildfire threatened the city. (Photo: Mary Anne Sexsmith-Segato/The Canadian Press) Students from Fort McMurray Composite High School are released early as a wildfire burns nearby in Fort McMurray on May 3, 2016. (Photo: Courtesy Kangen Lee/Handout via Reuters) Advertisement Flames rise in an industrial area south of Fort McMurray on May 3, 2016. (Photo: Courtesy CBC News/Handout via Reuters) (Photo: Courtesy Jerome Garot) A large tower of smoke billows over Fort McMurray on May 1, 2016. (Photo: jasonwoodhead23/Flickr) Smoke fills the air as a small plane flies overhead in Fort McMurray, Alberta on May 3, 2016. (Photo: Kitty Cochrane/The Canadian Press) Advertisement Here are some resources for Fort McMurray evacuees: Alberta Red Cross 1-888-350-6070 Fort McMurray evacuee help on Facebook and Twitter Let your friends and family know you're safe with Facebook Safety Check @511Alberta on Twitter for road closures and travel advisories Also on HuffPost: Satellite images have captured how unbelievably quickly a devastating wildfire spread through the northern Alberta municipality of Fort McMurray. The out-of-control wildfire grew from a barely visible blip to a devastating inferno in just four days, as shown in photos from NASAs Earth Observing System Data and Information System (EOSDIS). Advertisement Satellite imagery of the Fort McMurray area from Sunday doesn't show any smoke, or thermal anomalies unusual pockets of heat that are displayed as red dots on top of the satellite photo. Satellite imagery of Fort McMurray on May 1, 2016. (Photo: NASA EOSDIS) The fire was first spotted on Sunday south of the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo, where Fort McMurray is located. NASA's images show how that picture had drastically changed by Monday. Nearly 30 thermal hotspots had popped up on the map, and a huge cloud of smoke appeared over the city. Advertisement Air-tankers and helicopters fought the fire as crews on the ground worked to contain the flames. Satellite imagery of Fort McMurray on May 2, 2016. (Photo: NASA EOSDIS) Overnight, the fire doubled in size from 1,200 hectares to over 2,600. As temperatures and winds rose, the blaze quickly spread toward the city. Within a matter of hours, the number of neighbourhoods under mandatory evacuation order grew from a handful to the entire city of 80,000 residents. By Tuesday evening, the fire had razed portions of neighbourhoods and a trailer park. The satellite images show a massive cloud of ash blanketing the entire city, with smoke reaching as far as oilsands work camps 20 kilometres to the north. Advertisement Satellite imagery of Fort McMurray on May 3, 2016. (Photo: NASA EOSDIS) As of Wednesday morning, thermal imaging showed a fire that seemed to span the length of the city. The worst of the blaze is "not over," forestry manager Bernie Schmitte said late Tuesday. Satellite imagery of Fort McMurray (left) on May 3, 2016, compared to a map of Fort McMurray (right). (Photo: NASA EOSDIS, Google Maps) The Fort McMurray fire is the biggest such evacuation in Alberta's history. With files from The Canadian Press Also on HuffPost Facebook Kayley Dixon is only 14 years old. But the teen garnered thunderous applause and a few tears following her performance of a spoken word piece on Monday. In less than three minutes, she perfectly encapsulates the small, and large, ways girls face sexual violence on a daily basis. Dixon performed her piece, called "A Touch Of Sexual Assault," during a government announcement of $6 million in public funding for 11 community groups in Nova Scotia that address sexual violence. Advertisement The Dartmouth teen started with: "From the age of 12, we were told that if boys pulled our hair or poked us with pencils, it meant that they liked us. But we didn't like it that much." "We were 13 years old when we would walk down the street and had men look from our feet to our face and we'd listen as they completely replaced our identity from human to object," Dixon continues, reading from her phone. From there, she talks about how girls are told to cover up and dress modestly so as not to distract the boys. "We want to make sure we are as covered as possible so that our identities are not replaced with walking candy." Advertisement Watch her full performance above. Dixon has struck a nerve with social media audiences and her video has been shared thousands of times. "Well said, Kayley! I am a grandmother, and nothing has changed on this theme since I was a young girl," wrote Elaine Hillman Reid on Facebook. "It's about time for girls to speak out and action to be taken to stop this treating young innocent females as objects." "Wow, what a remarkable young lady. Beautiful, intelligent, brave, and strong," commented Breagha Heather. "The words she wrote were very touching but the way she read it was what really made it powerful. Fast and slow, louder and quieter. She will do great things." This isn't the first time, Dixon has spoken out about social issues. Just last month, she gained attention for a Facebook post in which she stood up for her community of Dartmouth. Advertisement In an interview with Metro about her spoken word piece, Dixon said, "I think that a lot of people think that youth may not realize or know about sexual assault or violence, and I think that its really important for especially youth to speak out about it because we are the next generation." And with a powerful performance like this, the future is in very good hands with Dixon. ALSO ON HUFFPOST: Rochelle Squires/Facebook The minister overseeing francophone affairs in Manitoba has a challenging job ahead, especially since she doesn't speak French. Rochelle Squires, a former journalist representing Winnipeg's Riel district, told The Canadian Press that despite her lack of French fluency, the francophone community has a "strong advocate." Advertisement "I have a steep learning curve," the recently elected MLA told The Winnipeg Free Press on Tuesday. Squires' unilingualism is a concern, according to Manitoban Paul Ndambwe, who told CBC News that not being able to speak French makes a "big difference" in connecting with constituents. "I believe if you understand the French speakers, you have to speak the language," he said. "You can't represent somebody [when] you don't even know the language." This wasn't the only criticism lobbed at Progressive Conservative Premier Brian Pallister's cabinet , sworn in Tuesday. NDP MLA Andrew Swan told the Free Press there are no visible minorities or indigenous MLAs among the premier's picks. "It is not a group anyone would say is diverse, not ethnically or geographically," he said. Ministries merged The 12-member cabinet is smaller than that of former NDP premier Greg Selinger. Some ministerial titles have been discarded or combined with others. Advertisement Opposition NDP and the Liberals both said the loss of separate departments for labour, aboriginal affairs and other matters are among some worrisome changes. "Things which I believe are important to Manitobans may not be given the same priority,'' Swan said. With files from The Canadian Press Also On HuffPost: Thomas Mulcair has brought up Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's own marijuana use to criticize the government's stance on decriminalization. The NDP leader made the remarks Wednesday while discussing the Trudeau government's first six months with Parliament Hill reporters. He expressed disappointment that Liberals have ruled out decriminalizing pot before moving to legalize the drug next spring. Advertisement "Mr. Trudeau himself, while he was an MP, smoked marijuana," Mulcair said. "He talked about that. So, why is it fair for him to have nothing and for a young person who does the exact same thing to wind up with a criminal record that's going to follow them for the rest of their lives?" Prime Minister Justin Trudeau addresses members of caucus on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on May 4, 2016. (Photo: Adrian Wyld/CP) Mulcair said decriminalizing pot was something Trudeau "could have should have taken care of right away." Advertisement A few minutes later, Mulcair circled back to the pot issue while criticizing what he sees as the shortcomings of a federal government that he says "talks a good game," but doesn't deliver. "When you have young people still getting criminal records for possessing a very small amount of marijuana for personal use, you haven't kept your promise," he said. Mulcair highlighted much the same message in a post to Facebook and Twitter last week. Millions are being wasted convicting Cdns for possession of marijuana. We must decriminalize immediately. #cdnpolipic.twitter.com/IfxmYz2XC4 Tom Mulcair (@ThomasMulcair) April 25, 2016 NDP MP Anne Minh-Thu Quach also referenced Trudeau's past during a debate in March, saying he was "lucky he was not arrested" and has no stains on his record. Trudeau told The Huffington Post Canada in the summer of 2013 that he smoked pot at a dinner party at his house about three years earlier. The Papineau MP was elected to the House of Commons in 2008, and voted in favour of mandatory minimum sentences for pot possession in 2009. Advertisement "Why is it fair for him to have nothing and for a young person who does the exact same thing to wind up with a criminal record that's going to follow them for the rest of their lives?" He faced repeated criticism from Conservatives after he came out in favour of legalization. On the campaign trail last fall, then-Tory leader Stephen Harper even maintained that pot was "infinitely worse" than tobacco. Mulcair's NDP, meanwhile, advocated for decriminalization. When Health Minister Jane Philpott announced last month that Liberals will table legislation on the matter next year, Mulcair rose in question period to press the government to "at least promise" there will be a bill to remove criminal records for those busted with pot in the meantime. "Decriminalization, as this member proposes, actually gives a legal stream of income to criminal organizations," Trudeau said at the time. "That's not what anyone wants in this country." ALSO ON HUFFPOST: News / National by Staff reporter The Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe has introduced new measures to ease cash challenges and stabilising the economy.Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe Governor Dr John Mangudya told the media that new measures which include the conversion of foreign exchange receipts into rands and euros will spread the use of other currencies.He said the central bank will in the future introduce $2, $5, $10 and $20 Zimbabwe bond notes backed by a US$200 million facility.The central banks has also set daily cash withdrawal limits at US$1000 while the maximum cash to be taken outside the country has been reduced to US$5 000 from US$10 000."The measures will go a long way in increasing economic confidence within the economy," said Dr Mangudya.Banks have also been directed to reduce lending rates from 18 percent to 15 percent. Oilsands operators have had to cut production as a wildfire continues to rage in Fort McMurray but it's not having much effect on oil prices. Shell Canada shut down mining operations at its Albian Sands project and Suncor cut its output as a wildfire has forced the evacuation of the area's entire, 80,000-person population, according to Bloomberg. Advertisement It's just one more calamity that has hit the oil-producing region as prices have plummeted amid a global supply glut due to increased production around the world, and a price war between Saudi Arabia and Iran. But the fire hasn't done much to oil prices on its own. Reuters reported Wednesday that unexpected growth in U.S. crude stocks has effectively offset any worry about the wildfire and its effect on oilsands production. Brent crude alone jumped by US$0.20, while the price of U.S. crude rose by $0.40 on Wednesday. Crude oil stocks were expected to grow by 1.7 million barrels but they actually increased by 2.8 million in the past week, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA). Advertisement The price of oil has seen boosts from disrupted production around the world, such as in Iraq and Nigeria, and the wildfire only adds to those losses, the news agency said. Shell's Albian Sands project alone can produce as many as 255,000 barrels per day. In other words, it's totally possible that oil prices could rise further. But for now, the wildfire isn't having much effect because there's so much oil available. Oilsands giants are currently working to accommodate evacuees at their camps. Shell, for one, is working to house people at a work camp that has space for 2,000 people. It has also flown employees and their loved ones to Edmonton and Calgary from its landing strip and provided firefighters to help douse the flames. Advertisement Suncor and Syncrude are also accommodating evacuees at their own work camps, Bloomberg reported. Suncor's own plant, which is located about 25 kilometres north of Fort McMurray, is safe, but the company has cut production so that employees can find their way to safety. Also on HuffPost The days of major brands skirting around Quebec's French language laws are coming to an end. Provincial Language Minister Helene David has announced that the government is bringing in rules that would make major brands such as Best Buy and Walmart include French signage in a way they haven't had to up until now. They're meant to preserve Quebec's francophone identity, the minister said in a statement Tuesday. Advertisement "With these proposed rules, every person whether they're on a highway, a sidewalk, in an industrial area or in a parking lot will remember that they're in Quebec when they see signs in French," David said. "We are in Quebec, not Maine or Massachusetts," the minister said, according to Reuters. Until now, businesses with trademarked brand names in English such as Best Buy didn't have to use French signage due to a loophole in Bill 101, Quebec's French language law, The National Post reported. Ergo, it was fine for a Costco or a Walmart to display their signs as they would anywhere else in the world. Advertisement But that won't be possible once the new rules come into effect, as expected, later this year. French signs can be as simple as a few extra words near the main English phrase. The francophone signs would also have to be lit up at night if the English ones are. For example, the sign on the left would not be permitted under the new rules, while the sign on the right would be allowed. Business owners are expected to have to pay anywhere between $5,000 and $9,000 to make the changes, but they'll also have three years to do it, CTV News reported. There will, however, be exceptions. Any businesses with family names, such as Tim Hortons or McDonald's, will not have to change their signs. Advertisement The Quebec government will hold a consultation for 45 days ahead of implementing the changes. Also on HuffPost: A rookie Liberal MP is receiving kudos from members across the floor after he voted against shutting down debate on his own government's physician-assisted dying legislation. Manitoba MP Robert-Falcon Ouellette broke ranks with Liberals on a time allocation motion on Bill C-14 Wednesday. Time allocation allows a government to limit the length of debate on a bill so that it can move through the legislative process at a quicker pace. Advertisement Robert-Falcon Ouellette. (Photo: Facebook) The Huffington Post Canada has reached out to Oullette on his decision and will update this story if he responds. The indigenous MP has already announced that he will not vote for C-14, citing his spiritual beliefs and the ongoing suicide crisis in Attawapiskat as reasons behind that decision. Some critics deride time allocation motions as anti-democratic but the use of the tactic on the sensitive and emotionally-charged topic of physician-assisted death seemed to particularly irk Conservatives and New Democrats. Before the vote, NDP House Leader Peter Julian said it was "shameful" to call for closure on what should be a non-partisan issue after only about two-and-a-half days of debate. Tory MP Peter Kent accused Liberals of behaving "like pranksters in a model Parliament." Advertisement There will still be opportunities to discuss the legislation at later stages and in committee. Raitt says minister 'spewing lies' In a particularly heated moment, Tory MP Lisa Raitt accused Wilson-Raybould of "spewing lies" in the House by suggesting those who wanted to speak on C-14 have been given the chance. Veteran Tory Jason Kenney said the use of time allocation on the topic of "euthanasia" was unlike anything he had seen in his nearly 20 years in Parliament. While the previous Tory government used time allocation at least 100 times in the last Parliament, Kenney said MPs must have the chance to speak on "life and death issues." But in 2014, Tories used time allocation to stifle debate on prostitution legislation that came about after the top court struck down laws it said jeopardized the "safety and lives" of sex workers. I cannot recall a govt shutting down Parliamentary debate on a grave matter of moral conscience, as the Liberals are now doing on euthanasia Jason Kenney (@jkenney) May 4, 2016 Advertisement 1/ I understand govts in our system must sometimes limit debate time, eg back to work legislation, or in response to opposition filibusters. Jason Kenney (@jkenney) May 4, 2016 2/ But the ancient convention on matters of grave moral conscience, eg life and death issues, is to allow all MPs to speak. Until now. Jason Kenney (@jkenney) May 4, 2016 Tory MP Scott Reid took to Twitter to say he planned to vote for the legislation but has now changed his mind. I planned to vote in favour of C-14 at 2nd reading. But I'm so disgusted by the Liberals shutting down debate that tonight I'll vote No. Scott Reid (@ScottReidCPC) May 4, 2016 NDP MP Alistair MacGregor blasted the Liberals for thwarting discussion on arguably the "most important legislation before Parliament in a decade." Advertisement Shameful. On what is arguably most important legislation before Parliament in a decade, #Liberals are shutting down debate #cdnpoli#C14 Alistair MacGregor (@AMacGregor4CML) May 4, 2016 After the vote, many MPs took to Twitter to laud Ouellette, including Green Party Leader Elizabeth May who called him "one brave MP." That's one brave MP @DrRobbieO - sole Liberal to vote against closure on #C14. Shame on Liberals for anti-democratic closure.#hw#cdnpoli Elizabeth May (@ElizabethMay) May 4, 2016 Big props to @DrRobbieO, the only Liberal member standing up to his party on their shameful decision to end debate on euthanasia. #cdnpoli Garnett Genuis (@GarnettGenuis) May 4, 2016 Major respect to @DrRobbieO for voting against his party on the motion to end debate on Physician Assisted Dying. Huge respect. Michelle Rempel, MP (@MichelleRempel) May 4, 2016 Advertisement Just applauded Lib MP @DrrobbieO Robert Falcon Oullette for standing in opposition to closure of debate on C-14. Courageous. Bob Zimmer MP (@bobzimmermp) May 4, 2016 ALSO ON HUFFPOST: Activists in the U.S. and Canada have long railed against the environmental footprint left by Alberta's oilsands. None of it has stopped an increasing volume of oil from flowing south. A GIF created by cost information website HowMuch.net shows just how much America has come to depend on crude oil imports from the Great White North over the past 15 years. The map shows U.S. total crude oil imports and other products growing from 661 million total barrels in 2005 to 1.37 billion barrels in 2015. And the trend has come as the United States has depended less and less on imports from the Middle East. Advertisement The chart shows imports from Saudi Arabia falling from 561 million barrels in 2005 to 386 million barrels last year. HowMuch.net came up with its GIF to demonstrate that, though the U.S. has taken up an effort to produce its own oil through methods such as fracking, "total energy independence is still a long way off." But it also shows what an important energy partner Canada is. Imports of foreign oil started rising in the U.S. again last year, as a glut of supply drove down prices around the world, an event that has forced American producers to scale back their operations, The Wall Street Journal reports. Advertisement The glut is largely due to increased supply from players such as Saudi Arabia. The kingdom has hiked production and driven down prices in an effort to grab market share after American producers started tapping shale oil in areas such as North Dakota and Texas. Break-even prices for shale oil can range from anywhere between $30 and $60 per barrel, although some don't break even unless oil costs $100 per barrel, according to Forbes. By contrast, Saudi's break-even price is only $12 per barrel. The price of West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude stood at US$43.78 on Tuesday, according to Bloomberg. Also on HuffPost: Todd Korol via Getty Images TORONTO, ON - APRIL 6: A new Bombardier streetcar in a service bay during a tour of the new TTC Leslieville Barns in Toronto, Ontario. (Todd Korol/Toronto Star via Getty Images) Bombardier is on bit a roll these days. Large deals with Air Canada and Delta Air Lines for its marquee CSeries planes have boosted confidence in the company. Yet, despite this good news (and the CSeries top exec's statement last month that a bailout is "very clearly not required") the debate over a federal bailout for Bombardier rages on. While much of the focus is rightly on the economic merits (or more accurately, demerits) of corporate welfare, political considerations are inevitably part of the equation. And on this front, two parallel narratives -- neither of which bode well for national unity -- have emerged. Advertisement Outside of Quebec, and particularly in western Canada, there is concern that the Trudeau government will cave into demands to hand over money to a company that has perpetually struggled to survive in the marketplace without taxpayer support. If Ottawa was willing to waste billions of federal tax dollars in Ontario, surely it's only fair to waste billions in Quebec as well. This would come in an economic context that saw over a 100,000 jobs lost in Alberta in the last year (where an equivalent bailout was neither proposed nor demanded) and growing hostility towards the company in Toronto, which is seething at Bombardier's repeated failure to deliver streetcars (which, it should be noted, are made by an entirely separate division). Within Quebec, the narrative is that the Trudeau government is beholden to Bay Street in Toronto, and sees a clear double standard insofar as the federal government (under Stephen Harper) helped bail out General Motors and Chrysler in 2009. Advertisement Quebec Premier Phillippe Couillard has even noted that Ottawa "lost billions" bankrolling the auto bailout (taxpayers lost $3.7 billion to be exact). But rather than as an argument against repeating such an expensive mistake, Couillard cites it as an argument in favour: if Ottawa was willing to waste billions of federal tax dollars in Ontario, surely it's only fair to waste billions in Quebec as well. All of this leaves the Trudeau government between a rock and a hard place. They cannot please both camps. But a critical mistake would be to view this decision as a one-off rather than as setting a precedent that will impact Ottawa's ability to respond to similar demands in the future. The question the prime minister and Innovation Minister Navdeep Bains should be asking themselves is: what kind of precedent do we want to set? Bombardier will be happy for a short while, but as has been the case for the last half century, they will be back for more (and more, and more, and more). Saying yes to Bombardier would signal that it's business as usual in Ottawa: corporate welfare will continue as it always has, and businesses will know that by dispatching the right lobbyists and telegraphing the right threats ("Those are some nice high-paying jobs you've got there. It'd be a real shame if something were to happen to them!") they can extract cash from Ottawa. Bombardier will be happy for a short while, but as has been the case for the last half century, they will be back for more (and more, and more, and more). In short, by saying yes to Bombardier, they set themselves up for countless similar scenarios in the future. Advertisement Alternatively, they could just say no, and send a dramatically different signal: that this kind of fiscal and economic insanity ends here and now. True, Bombardier and the Quebec government won't be happy. But it will deprive future corporate beggars from coast-to-coast (are there ever any shortage of them?) of a precedent, much like the auto bailout that Quebec and Bombardier are now relying on as justification for their own demands. Perhaps the most understated evil of corporate welfare in Canada is its ability to exacerbate regional tensions. Governments have limited money to dispense; choices must inevitably be made about which projects in which part of the country receive what amounts and on what conditions. When this happens, discussion of whether such corporate handouts are even a good idea becomes overshadowed by questions of regional fairness. Corporate welfare teaches companies and regions that what's important is about getting your "fair cut" of "free" money. This is why Premier Couillard can openly admit the auto bailout was an expensive waste, while simultaneously arguing, with a straight face, that Bombardier deserves the same. Corporate welfare teaches companies and regions that what's important is about getting your "fair cut" of "free" money. And when your cut isn't perceived as fair, it can turn a wasteful policy into a corrosive, emotional weapon to be used by those with regional grievances. Advertisement It is already too late to prevent the Bombardier bailout question from becoming regionally divisive. But the government could at least prevent it from happening again by rejecting the company's request today. If they do, they'll be sparing themselves a dozen similar regional headaches in the future - and saving Canadian taxpayers billions of dollars. Follow HuffPost Canada Blogs on Facebook MORE ON HUFFPOST: BrianAJackson via Getty Images Last Will and Testament document with quill pen and handwriting Apparently Prince didn't have a will and a huge battle has broken out over his assets. Prince's family now has a court involved and it can take quite some time to settle this huge estate. Don't make the same mistake he did and make sure that you get the final word. Jurisdictions change across Canada so make sure that you get a great lawyer and don't have to stand out in the same purple rain. Advertisement It is actually more costly due to the fact that you have an administrator appointed and because there are often many more individuals who are entitled to a share of your estate. Loved ones that you might have included in your will may not receive any of your stuff. Also, those who are entitled to receive part of your estate, if you die intestate, may receive a share that is larger or smaller than you would have chosen. Make sure you have an up-to-date will in a place where your executor, spouse or kids can find it. If you die without a will you do not have a say in who your beneficiaries are or who administers your estate. Here is a checklist so that you can be ready when you meet with your lawyer and get this off your "to do" list. These are the things you'll need before you head off to a lawyer to build your will. 1. List of key documents like: Birth, death, marriage and divorce certificates Deeds and mortgages Bank account numbers (savings too) Investment portfolio account numbers (RRSP, TFSA, etc.) Insurance policy numbers Funeral plans and burial lot information (Make them if you don't have them.) 2. List of your advisers, such as banker, lawyer, accountant, financial planner and insurance agent. Include all of the numbers, company names and addresses. 3. Make sure your family and executor know where this information is located. Some of it may be needed right after your death. Don't keep it with the will or under the bed. What to Consider When Making Your Will: Who will you select as executor and, if you wish, co-executor? Consider naming an alternate executor in case the executor is not around. Make sure they will agree to be your executor. Nemeses are a bad idea. Do you want to leave anyone something special? These requests are called "bequests" and are specific items of personal property (such as a car, jewelry, china, silver, dogs playing pool pictures, etc.) or a sum of money that you wish to leave to a specific person. To whom do you wish to leave the remainder of your estate? Love monkey? Kids? Charities? Me? Is it to go to them directly or through a trust? If it is being left to children, are they to receive it immediately or at some time in the future like when they are over 18? How do you want your estate distributed? Dropped from a hot air balloon, etc. If one of your kids (god forbid) has died at the time your will takes effect, do you want his or her kids to receive the deceased child's share, or do you want it to go to your other children? Who will you name as a guardian for dependent children or disabled adult children? Make sure the guardian agrees to act! If you're in a second marriage and both of you have children from previous marriages, you may wish to consider the available options. For example, the remainder of your estate can go to: your spouse absolutely your kids absolutely your spouse for his or her use while alive, and then, after your spouse dies, to your children or your children and the children of your spouse. It is very important that you and your love monkey discuss the various scenarios and agree upon your plans. It'll make for the best of a horrible situation. Advertisement In the event that a minor (child, grandchild, great-grandchild, niece or nephew) inherits a share of your estate, who do you want to be the trustee of that minor's share? If one of your beneficiaries is dead, who do you want to receive their share? Are you going to have a Power of Attorney prepared at the same time you make your will? If so, consider the following: Who do you want to act on your behalf (this person is called your attorney)? Will the attorney's power be limited and specific or broad? Do you want the attorney to have power to act if you should become incompetent? Do you want to name somebody in your Power of Attorney to make decisions about your personal care if you become incompetent? If you include a Power of Attorney for Personal Care, will you name the same person that is handling your financial affairs? Prince passed so suddenly and is an example of what could happen if we don't make sure that we have the final word. If you have made a will over five years ago and things have changed, make sure to update it regularly. And don't keep it so safely hidden no one will ever find it! Advertisement Make sure that you have a Will. It'll make the ride to heaven in that Little Red Corvette worry free. COLE BURSTON via Getty Images TOPSHOT - Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau(L) and Britain's Prince Harry(R) leave a Sledge Hockey scrimmage at Ryerson University in Toronto on May 2, 2016, to promote the 2017 Invictus Games, to be played in Toronto, Canada. / AFP / Cole Burston (Photo credit should read COLE BURSTON/AFP/Getty Images) Full disclosure: I voted for the Liberal Party of Canada in the last election. I was one of those voters who waivered between the NDP and Liberals, but became disheartened when NDP leader Tom Mulcair put an inauthentic perma smile on his bearded face and gave us a substandard platform. So I shrugged, and then decided Justin Trudeau would be a more progressive prime minister. I was never swept up in the fairy tale vibe of the campaign, but I saw how well it was run and thought maybe that organizational effort was an indicator on how he would run the government. He got off to a good start, opting for gender parity for his cabinet makeup, moving forward on the Truth and Reconciliation recommendations, reinstating the long form census and making himself accessible to the media. It was the exact antithesis to the last 10 years that featured a prime minister who rarely spoke to the media and never seemed to show much humanity at all. Advertisement Do cookie cutters in the shape of Justin Trudeau's face represent the peak of Trudeaumania? Then the showman came out. Trudeau talked about feminism. He took some selfies. He appeared on the cover of several magazines. His wife sang an awkward song off the cuff at an event meant to be about Martin Luther King. Then he and Obama made some jokes. Then he did a one-armed push up. Those are just a small sampling of his antics since taking office. And now, I think I've had just about enough. Trudeau is clearly milking his greatest strength. His likability is off the charts, but with so many important issues happening in Canada right now do we really need to constantly be reminded that our prime minister is approachable and hip? Justin, if you are reading this, I have a few questions. Advertisement This 2011 photo of Justin Trudeau in the peacock yoga pose ignited a series of memes earlier this year. How about talking directly about finalizing the arms deal to Saudi Arabia in greater detail than you talk about quantum computing? Like Stephen Lewis said, how can you approve the sale of these arms to one of the world's most misogynistic regimes and still call yourself a feminist? What are the specifics behind our relationship with Saudi Arabia that make them so vital to our interests? Instead of more sunny ways, what we really want is an explanation for some of the storm clouds in our country. Why is marijuana legalization being delayed for at least another year, and why are you still allowing young people to get criminal records in the meantime for simple possession offences? Why haven't you talked at all about Bill C-51 in great detail? What are the specific details of the Trans Pacific Partnership and when will we begin the ratification process? Advertisement How long will our mission be in Iraq, and will we eventually have boots on the ground? Will we be tallying civilian casualties? Why did you continue providing subsidies for fossil fuel companies in your first budget? And where's the $6 billion in green infrastructure spending? In this screencap from a video promoting Team Canada in the upcoming Invictus Games, Justin Trudeau literally drops a microphone while doing push-ups. Canadians have so many legitimate concerns, but you can't seem to stop smiling and offering levity instead. When you are serious, like when you answer questions in the House of Commons, something doesn't feel right. Advertisement There appears to be an obvious artificial deepening of your voice when you want to sound like a statesman. By lowering your octave you come off a not unlike a guy trying to compensate for something, and I think I know what it is. It truly feels like you think you can skate by on your charm and physical appearance. You are still campaigning, Justin. The election is over. You won. It's time to govern now. And by govern I mean follow through on your promise that you would lead a progressive, sensible government. I can't help but think you are now hedging your bets, believing your honeymoon is ongoing and that you can gain more political capital every time you crack a joke or improvise a response to a question for a gushing reporter from an America lifestyle magazine. It truly feels like you think you can skate by on your charm and physical appearance. Justin Trudeau on a mock cover of GQ's "Most Stylish Men Alive" issue, made and distributed by GQ itself. Look, I understand that there's a contingent of conservatives in Canada who always thought you were a lightweight. They said you were in over your head, that you didn't have the depth to handle the big boy job. Like many Canadians, I found their message to be cheap, and in a way that was partially why I voted for you. I didn't want their message of cynicism to prevail. Advertisement But if you keep pretending the red carpet is still being unrolled in front of you, that Canadians are still captivated by your down-to-earth persona and good-natured grin, you will eventually have the reality of facing a people who are simply exhausted from the celebrity-like package you have wrapped around yourself. Recently when you were asked during Question Period why a veteran with no legs had to constantly prove to the government he still had no legs in order to receive disability cheques, you stood up and did the best Stephen Harper impersonation I've ever seen. You didn't answer the question, you just grandstanded. That's not the change we voted for, that's the same thing we've had to put up with for a decade under your predecessor. Justin Trudeau stops to take a selfie. I'm not a pessimist, so there's a part of me that still hopes you will pull a slew of legislative accomplishments out of your bag of tricks. But this long game strategy, if that's what it is, is condescending. You told us something very specific: you said you were different and would govern differently from day one. You said your government would be the change we could believe in. Advertisement With all due respect, if that's still true, then act accordingly. Follow HuffPost Canada Blogs on Facebook MORE ON HUFFPOST: Value Village in collaboration with EFW illustrates how the average North American consumer discards 81 lbs of textile waste annually. Advertisement Back in 2014, barely a year after the collapse of the Rana Plaza in Bangladesh, H&M took to Vancouver Eco Fashion Week (EFW) to promote their "Closing the Loop" initiative. With all the praise and controversy surrounding its sustainability efforts, I asked Pierre Borjesson, H&M's senior sustainability specialist, this burning question: To effectively reduce their impact, would H&M, the second-largest fast fashion retailer, consider switching to slow fashion? After some thought, Borjesson carefully responds, "What a fashion company [like H&M] must do is to produce the things that a market is expecting from that company," he explains, emphasizing that consumers' needs must still be met, even as companies strive to be sustainable. That's because the worst-case scenario would be producing merchandise unwanted by consumers, which potentially increases textile waste. "Even if these garments are sustainably made, or not, if they are not wanted by a market, then we have utilized resources in vain," he says. Borjesson's statement seems deflecting, but it also points out an uncomfortable truth. Pressuring fashion brands is not enough. It is ultimately the consumers who will actualize fashion sustainability as they shape the demands of the industry. Given this authority, it is obvious why many eco-campaigns, such as Fashion Revolution, the True Cost documentary, and the Sweatshop series, are dedicated to informing consumers about the unethical production of garments, appealing them to become a moral compass for the industry. Advertisement Conscious consumers gather to hear the latest developments in sustainable fashion. Thankfully, there is evidence to show that these campaigns are working; interest in green economies, sustainable products and ethical commitments are undeniably growing. Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) are becoming a staple to brand profiles, from luxury labels like Prada and LVMH, to retailers like ASOS, Primark and M&S, with annual reports of their progress updated for public viewing. In addition, several financial firms are now making "sustainable investing" a mainstream offer, which will take into account the environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors of the investment. But, while consumer awareness for sustainability is rampant, does the talk translate into action? Have conscious consumers actually changed their buying habits to promote sustainability? Not necessarily, it seems. Market studies have shown that even conscious consumers are averse to the price premium of sustainable goods, even if sustainable branding and store-related services had a positive impact on their perceptions. Consumers would rather have sustainability as an "added value," demanding for the same (if not improved) quality with a completely ethical supply chain, at the same low price and without compromise to their needs. This unwavering price sensitivity makes the sustainable goods industry incredibly vulnerable to economic downturns, as their demand plummets dramatically. "The consumers also have to put a bit of energy to change some consumerism behaviour." "Everybody has a responsibility, whether consumer or brand. We are all in it together," says Myriam Laroche, founder of EFW, who is incessantly searching for ways to encourage sustainability among companies. "The only way we are going to have people change is if [the plan] makes sense for them. Not too much effort, and easy access. That's the role of the brands, but the consumers also have to put a bit of energy to change some consumerism behaviour." Advertisement This disconnect between awareness and action is perhaps the biggest riddle in the sustainability movement. Yet, their cohesion is the imperative results we need, because there is overwhelming consensus that our current fast fashion system can never be sustainable. Furthermore, consumer patronage and consumption of sustainable goods is essential for developing new supply chains. At this point, most innovations and plans for sustainable fashion are still experimental, requiring time and investment before determining its full potential. Exciting ideas like the closed loop system, cradle-to-cradle products, the growing second-hand market and organic textiles are being championed by smaller, fashion businesses, who have the advantage of building themselves from a sustainable origin. However, due to their small scale, they are more likely to incur a higher price premium, and are more dependent on consumer support for capital. EFW opens with newly launched technical wear brand, Ryu Apparel. On the other hand, bigger brands and corporations with more funds are faced with a risky challenge, to convert their established supply chains into a sustainable, mass production system, while maintaining their current clientele. There are incredible success stories, like Marks & Spencer's Plan A, which was not only crucial to its rebranding, but has generated lucrative savings for the retailer. However, there have also been drawbacks. For instance, H&M's Garment Collecting program has been sharply criticized as "greenwashing" for ambitiously claiming 95 per cent of garments can be re-worn or recycled, when only one per cent of collected garments can be recyclable. After only two years, Puma's closed-loop collection, InCycle, which impressively comprised of biodegradable and recyclable materials, was cancelled after just two years due to "poor demand" among retailers and customers. Similarly, the closure of Nike's eco-friendly collection, "Considered," back in 2005 raised challenges about how brands can profitably incorporate sustainability, while questioning if green-branding even has a positive reception among consumers. Advertisement At this point of the sustainability revolution, it seems that we have all the exciting plans and framework, but none of the results we desperately search for -- yet. Three years after the Rana Plaza, we're just getting started. Balmain-inspired dress made of recycled bed sheets. Designed by Evan Ducharme for EFW. While we have every right to demand transparency from businesses, it is quite naive to think that this multi-billion dollar fashion industry, built upon hard labour and toxic chains, can cure itself. How can it, when it is fuelled by our own materialism? "At the end of the day, the role of the consumer is to find their own happiness. Once you going to be genuinely happy, you wont have the need to over consume," remarks Laroche, emphasizing that over-consumption is a big problem that goes beyond the fashion industry, symptomatic of our overall unhappiness. "[We are] not being aware of who we are, not taking care of ourselves, and compensating by over-buying stuff to make us feel good." All photos are courtesy of Vancouver Eco Fashion Week (EFW) Follow HuffPost Canada Blogs on Facebook MORE ON HUFFPOST: News / National by Staff reporter President Robert Mugabe's former teacher Sekuru Oscar Munyoro Katsukunya has died.According to his national identification card, Sekuru Katsukunya was born on November 12, 1907 making him 108-years-old but was believed to be 120 years old basing on some of the events he recalled and colonial injustices that characterised his era.Sekuru Katsukunya taught President Mugabe and the late veteran politician, James Chikerema at Kutama Mission from 1931.Burial arrangements are yet to be announced whilst mourners are gathered at 1244 Unit A Seke in Chitungwiza. Lite Productions via Getty Images Close-up of a person's hand holding a microphone Can autism be a laughing matter? Michael McCreary thinks so. The 19-year-old from Orangeville, Ont., makes no secret of the fact that he has Asperger's Syndrome, a high-functioning form of autism. In fact, the up-and-coming "Aspie Comic" has launched a career on the back of his quirks, his constant need for attention and -- his words -- his inability to shut up. Advertisement Over the past few years, 20-year-old McCreary has performed his act, Does This Make My Asperger's Look Big?, countless times across the country, eliciting belly laughs and raising autism awareness along the way. It's hard to believe that as a child this articulate and jovial young man had delayed speech and was, at age five, diagnosed with autism. As a kid, McCreary often spoke in movie quotes, a speech pattern known as echolalia. By grade three he had penned a SpongeBob play and performed as The California Raisins in a school talent show. Though he was a natural performer, life wasn't always a barrel of laughs for McCreary. In elementary school, he admits that though he wasn't "bullied a lot in the traditional sense, I was more ostracized. It was a very lonely time." He struggled to fit in. Advertisement Every day when his parents would ask how his day was, McCreary would sound off. His mother introduced him to journaling so he could better express himself. "I enjoyed not just writing down my experiences, but crafting them into stories to make them more entertaining." Not only did the process of jotting down his stories prove cathartic, it helped him find the humour in everyday moments. Writing gave him a voice, when no one seemed to be listening. By happy coincidence, McCreary eventually crossed paths with David Granirer, author of The Happy Neurotic and founder of Stand Up For Mental Health, who mentored him through stand-up comedy workshops at age 13. Instead of steering clear of sensitive topics, McCreary was actually encouraged to mine his diagnosis for material the way Granirer had with his own bipolar disorder. Much like comedians who poke fun of their race, sexuality, or bodily insecurities, McCreary takes on the taboo of his neurological disorder with a lighthearted approach. He hopes that his jokes will resonate with people, helping them see the humour in their own situation. Advertisement If the world of autism is intense and often challenging, then it's also punctuated by moments of hilarity. McCreary shines a light on those moments, giving audiences permission to laugh out loud. For families affected by autism, it's a much-needed chance to let their hair down and see the funny side of their reality. For the uninitiated, humour provides the perfect segue into a conversation about ASD. Is it uncomfortable? Absolutely -- but then, the best jokes quite often are. McCreary likens his act to slipping into a cold pool. "There's that initial hesitation, the abrupt discomfort that follows then, ultimately, relief that you're finally into it." Maybe laughter truly is the best medicine, even where autism is concerned. Catch Michael McCreary performing alongside Toronto comedians Nile Seguin and Evan Carter as part of the fundraiser, LOL for Autism on June 16, 2016 at CBC's Glenn Gould Studio. For more information, visit LOLforAutism.com. Shutterstock / sakhorn The Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister, Stephane Dion, recently declared that Canada "should join this important protocol" -- the United Nations' Protocol against Torture. More than a decade after it was initially passed, Canada is still sitting on the bench and watching cases after cases of torture happening without having the courage to stand up and sign the protocol. It might sometimes be politically "easy" to denounce torture when it is practiced by other governments, especially if they don't have enough international clout, but how about the torture happening in Canada or the torture "subcontracted" by Canada to other regimes abroad? Advertisement Is Canada ready to distance itself from it, forcefully denounce it, and prosecute those who practice it? For years, Canada didn't budge and didn't sign the protocol. Today, there are signs that the government is considering to change this shameful attitude, so let's see how they can do it correctly. Four mains issues will serve for us as testers for this promising change: Solitary confinement: Year after year, we hear and read about tragic cases of Canadians or refugees dying in Canadian detention centres or prisons while they are held in solitary confinement. The UN considers solitary confinement as form of torture when the detention is more than 15 days or when the detainee is a youth or suffering from mental health issues. Despite this and despite all the reports by human rights groups, experts, commissions and ombudsmen, Canada continues using solitary confinement in federal and provincial prisons and no concrete action has been taken to ban it. Omar Khadr: The Americans arrested him in Afghanistan during the first years of their so-called "war on terror" and accused him of killing an American paramedic. Despite the fact he was only 15 years old and suffering from injuries, Canada left its own citizen laying in Guantanamo, one of the shameful prisons in the history of the humanity where solitary confinement, waterboarding, sleep deprivation, psychological torture and force feeding have been used, and still are. Moreover, Canadian officials went there and interrogated Omar Khadr with no access or presence of his lawyers. The Supreme Court of Canada stated that Omar Khadr's constitutional rights were violated. Up to today, no Canadian government admitted any wrongdoing in the abuse, torture and indefinite detention of Omar Khadr, all of them relying on the false perception that the public opinion is not sympathetic to him. This dark chapter in our history should be brought to light and Canada should do its mea culpa for participating in the torture of one of its own citizen. Advertisement Abdullah Almalki, Ahmed El Maati and Muayyed Nureddin: Three Canadian men tortured in the same Syrian dungeon. Justice Frank Iaccobucci declared in his report that they were tortured because Canada sent erroneous information about them. Canada should keep in mind that "subcontracting" torture wouldn't make us anyhow less guilty. The cases of these three men are still in the Canadian justice system. Canada is probably still paying many lawyers to fight the cases and delay accountability. It is time to apologize to the victims of torture and show that we wholeheartedly denounce torture even when it is close to our doors. Torture memos: Very quietly, Minister of Public Safety Ralph Goodale promised in January 2016 that he will include the "torture memos" into the upcoming national security review. In 2011, Vic Toews, the Public Safety Minister at the time, sent ministerial directives to the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS), giving them the authority to use and share information that was likely extracted through torture. Since, these directives are called "torture memos" among human rights groups. This act prevents Canadians who have been subjected to torture abroad to obtain compensation or any form of redress in Canadian courts. One of the most known cases and tragic one is the case of Zahra Kazemi who has died in Iranian prison and whose family tried without success to prosecute the responsible of her death from Canada. There are other cases of Canadians who suffered abuse and torture in other countries and who would never see their torturers arrested or brought to justice. The State Immunity Act is an obstacle to the pursuit of justice here and aboard. These issues and more (we shouldn't forget the Afghan detainee issue and the questions still lingering about the role of Canada in their torture) represent a litmus test that would clearly demonstrate if Canada is really committed to distance itself from torture and embrace the UN Protocol against Torture, or if this would be another empty promise that will be half fulfilled or someday forgotten. Advertisement Follow HuffPost Canada Blogs on Facebook MORE ON HUFFPOST: Lynn Koenig via Getty Images A tired young woman studying late into the night, lying almost flat as she studies her computer, the blue moon coming through two windows behind her. Most parents are horrified by the idea of a child being sexually exploited. Ontarians are reeling from the recent news that in just the last three months, more than 2,000 unique IP addresses were identified by police for suspected activity related to child pornography, among them a Grade 3 teacher and youth scouts leaders. Even more shocking, perhaps, is the statistical fact that a single pedophile will abuse an average of 120 children, most of whom will not report it. For some of us, this may be a rude awakening to the fact that our children are vulnerable to these predators every time they log on to the Internet. Advertisement A parent's primary function is to ensure the safety and well-being of our children. Unfortunately, technology has usurped many of our parental controls. Our children must use the computer to complete their homework, we typically allow use of their personal electronic devices to distract them while we make dinner, and of course they simply can't live without keeping in touch with their friends using social media. This incessant use of technology by children has resulted in an abrupt change in the landscape of parenting. Parents are just beginning to recognize that we must protect our children as well as the avatars that represent them online. Until recently, I believed that my children would be safe if they used a computer that is in the common area of the house, or while they are in view of me while they're using their PEDs, or because there is an adult present while they (and perhaps up to 31 others) are working in a computer lab. I know now that I have been extremely naive -- the sad fact is that pedophiles and digital predators take advantage of this naivete. In light of recent developments, we must finally admit the glaring fact that today's technology is so complex that the majority of adults (myself included) simply don't understand how technology is being used to lure our children into dangerous situations. Advertisement Fortunately, a Canadian organization exists that can give us the answers we need. We can arm ourselves with knowledge that we can use to help protect our children from the dangers that exist on their "digital playground" that is the Internet. Child Pornography Hurts is a Canadian charity (CRA# 80415 1439 RR 0001) founded by Charlene Doak-Gebauer. The mission of CPH is to end child pornography and, importantly, to help victims become survivors. As the founder, chair and spokesperson of CPH, Ms. Doak-Gebauer, has dedicated herself to educating parents, caregivers, teachers and other professionals about the crimes involving child digital luring and how we, as adults, can include in our parenting skills new methods that will help us protect our children against the multitude of digital dangers. Ms. Doak-Gebauer has developed a theory called Digital Supervision, which redefines parenting methods to include digital technology. She presents this invaluable information at CHP Internet Sense for Internet Safety sessions that can be tailored to groups of adults/professionals, for families for children ages 12 to 18, and for children ages eight to 12. My children are only six and three, so I still have a firm hold on the reins when it comes to the amount of time they spend on any given device and which sites they can and cannot visit. That luxury of control will soon be gone, as they learn to read, type and become more tech savvy. Advertisement Although I use technology for work, to shop, to Pin, to connect with friends, there are other adults out there who are using it for much more sinister purposes. I am relieved to know that a resource like Child Pornography Hurts is available in Canada to help me better protect my children. Renee Frances is an English teacher, former professor of psychology, and mom of two beautiful dreamers. Her Good Night Fairy children's picture book series is written to give families real tools to help them deal with common sleep issues and has been acknowledged by the Canadian Sleep Society as "...fun and informative... making bedtime a positive and empowering experience." Follow HuffPost Canada Blogs on Facebook MORE ON HUFFPOST: MANDEL NGAN via Getty Images US President Barack Obama speaks on the phone during a conference call hosted by public health groups on June 2, 2014 in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC. AFP PHOTO/Mandel NGAN (Photo credit should read MANDEL NGAN/AFP/Getty Images) Towards the beginning of 2013, President Obama was on a mission to ban assault rifles in the United States following a series of mass shootings. That tiring debate that followed would rage on for a number of years, as we know. The point still remained that gun violence was out of control. In the aftermath of the 2013 Texas Lone Star College shooting, I felt compelled to assist and emailed Valerie Jarrett, senior adviser to the President of the United States. Advertisement I sent the email not expecting a response at all -- she was an adviser to the world's most powerful leader, after all, and the White House was scrambling to respond to the shooting. I sent it because I felt that I could add value to the conversation as a consultant, having successfully worked on and advocated for policy that reduced the rate of gun violence in Toronto in 2007 onward. To my surprise, within an hour of sending the email I received a call back from the associate director of the White House's Office of Public Engagement. I was stunned, but collected myself to answer the call. We spoke for an hour and within days I was providing policy advice to not just the president's office, but Vice President Biden's team as well. The key takeaways from my interaction with the White House can help you no matter what your career: 1. Be Persistent This seems obvious, but if it were, there'd be many more millionaires out there. No matter your goal or your target, never be afraid to continuously follow up unless you're told to stop. People, let alone the White House, are busy; for the most part people appreciate gentle reminders. You've heard the rags to riches stories of your favourite leaders, brands and celebrities who knocked on hundreds of doors until one finally opened. It's important to learn the difference however between giving up and pivoting your offering. You could be coming up short for two reasons, either you're not persistent enough or your offering/approach sucks. Either one, you can work on, just be honest and realistic with yourself or your market will. 2. Media-Jacking While I didn't realize it at the time, the key factor that allowed all the planets to align and trigger a call back from the White House was the non-stop media coverage surrounding the Lonestar College shootings. Timing is everything in your career, and it helps to be as relevant as possible to current happenings in your company, city or country. Media-jacking is the process of making your offering relatable and relevant to the biggest story of the day. Some large companies have done this quite successfully (e.g. White Castle's tweet during the Meek Mill v. Drake feud: "It's OK, @MeekMill. Maybe beef isn't your thing. #ChickenRings @Drake"). Be prepared with a strategy to quickly deploy your message when a relevant story pops up. The wittier, the better. Advertisement 3. Credibility Indicators Matter In my email to the White House, I used a specific formula that indicated trust, credibility and a track record of achievement. I identified who I was and what I did, I outlined some of the clients I've worked with, I outlined the positive outcomes as a result of my involvement and indicated what I could do to help. These are important. Personal branding is important. Even when applying for that dream job. If no one knows who you are, what you do and what you can offer, good luck getting anywhere. Familiarity is extraordinarily powerful, it gives people who don't know you, a point of reference and for us simple creatures, we need a frame of reference when dealing with someone new in order to understand them. This is why credibility indicators like well-known degrees, schools, companies, public figures, etc. are effective when trying to quickly get another party to understand who you are, what you do and who you are affiliated with. Think of what comes to mind when you hear the word "Google." Now think of what comes to mind then you hear the word "Minchr." If someone was applying to your company from either of these two companies, which one would you be able to associate familiarity the fastest with? Credibility indicators give your target a sense that you can be trusted, are roughly on the same page as they are and are not a serial killer. 4. Be Flexible When the White House called, I was already thinking about packing my bags in case they wanted me to fly down; no such luck thanks to modern advancements like email, the phone and Skype. The reason why was I was ready to put my current projects to the side was not because I was a fan-boy, but because I treated the White House as an urgent priority despite it not being planned. I quickly determined that a once in a lifetime opportunity is just that, once. Therefore when the phone rings, you need to answer, if not it could be lost forever. The key was to be flexible and responsive to the White House, understanding their timelines, the pressure of the world's media upon them and the importance of the subject matter. Advertisement My work could take a temporary back seat in pursuit of a cause that would later be more beneficial than what I was currently working on. Flexibility and the ability to move/respond quickly is why I still, to the humour of my friends and colleagues, have a Blackberry (the Priv is actually the best BlackBerry ever made-- running Android, a beast of a camera, etc., but I digress). 5. Always Have a Follow-Up Once you achieve your goal and get that lead, or funder, or whoever you're trying to attract, have a follow-up ready like a right-jab. What is your call to action? Something that once you have your target's attention you can send them to to help built that lasting relationship with you or get to know you/your business better? Something like "Hey, I'm having a seminar next week, want to join?" or "My company also offers X service as well would you be interested?" The more of a relationship you build, the less likely you are to lose that contact and down the line they may even refer people your way if they don't need what you're offering right away. For more on how to step your leadership game up visit www.mepwr.com or follow on Twitter @saeedselvam. Follow HuffPost Canada Blogs on Facebook MORE ON HUFFPOST: Tomorrow (Thursday) Londoners will go to the polls and elect the UK's capital next mayor. And earlier this week I wrote about an encouraging new report, by the think tank Institute for Public Policy and Research (IPPR). The report outlined how London could establish itself as a global green city. Ending London's Tory rule The Labour candidate Sadiq Khan will be getting my vote. And according to the latest poll, he looks set to be London's next mayor and thereby ending eight years of Tory rule. I very much hope he has read the IPPR report, and that he will take the recommendations seriously. I believe that Khan does get it, but I have yet to see him championing green policies as high up on the agenda as I believe he should. However, I'm pleased he has already taken onboard one idea outlined in the report. It is the idea of creating a London energy company to help accelerate deployment of renewables as well as controlling energy bills, which in the capital are the highest in the UK. Frankly, it is embarrassing that London is the area in the UK with the lowest installed capacity of solar energy. This has to change, and I believe Khan can drive that change as he fundamentally believes in a clean energy future and in tackling climate change. Advertisement Why is solar failing in London? But we must first look at why solar is failing in London. I believe that part of the reason for the low uptake of solar and other renewable technologies, as well as the failure to make homes more energy efficient, is the dominance of rented accommodation. Londoners living in rented accommodations should be able to demand that landlords install renewable technologies on their properties and make them more efficient. At present renters have very little say at all, not least when it comes to demanding upgrading in the property they live in., on top of that Londoners pay some of the highest energy bills in the UK. This could partly be solved by aggressively making homes more efficient, and by generating more energy on site through renewables. Khan will have a tough job on his hands as the UK government is shelving initiatives for building zero or low carbon homes as well as cutting renewables subsidy schemes. And after years of setting tougher standards for building new homes by previous Labour governments, these are being dismantled year by year by the Conservative government. However, Khan could start by following the example of the French capital, Paris, which has decided that all new buildings must have rooftop solar installed on them. If Paris can, so can London. Furthermore, tougher regulations must be imposed on landlords, who should no longer enjoy a free ride. They should be required to make their homes as efficient as technology allows, and also be required to install renewable capacity on homes where possible. Furthermore, Khan should understand the huge benefit to many Londoners from community energy schemes. And he should throw his weight behind umbrella initiatives like Repowering London. They are doing incredibly important work on building community owned renewable energy projects for Londoners who need them most. And schemes like Brixton Energy they provide valuable education on energy saving and renewable energy, and thereby provide unique opportunities for those people who have benefitted. Advertisement New housing, but not at any cost There is a great demand for new housing in London. This has been one of Khan's key focuses and so it should be, but not at any cost. First, it is important that London's greenbelt should be protected from development. Instead, we should be looking to develop brownfield sites. And we should be building upwards instead of enlarging London. By doing that you would also increase efficiency and reduce stress on the London transport network. Before you get all nervous and start thinking about a Manhattan high-rise style scenario - this is not at all what I'm suggesting. But for too long London policymakers have been reluctant to build upwards, however, this is now slowly starting to change. One example is shared ownership schemes, which are starting to grow in the capital. This should be carried out to a much larger extent. Not only would that give Londoners a higher chance for home ownership, but it would also make those homes more efficient. However, to achieve this it is important to ensure that these developments are done to the highest standard, and the latest low carbon technology is used. In his thirst for new homes, Khan must not overlook this crucial fact. A plan for pedestrianisation Last year, before the Labour mayoral candidate was decided, I joined the campaign of transport expert, Christian Wolmar. Sadly as we know, he did not get the nomination. But he did manage to focus the debate on some key sustainable transport issues. He championed ideas such as pedestrianising Oxford Street. Because of Christian Wolmar, this has gone from being a fringe idea to a mainstream issue; and all candidates from the main parties, Conservatives, Liberal Democrats and the Green Party as well as Khan, support the idea. London has serious air pollution issues, and Oxford Street is the most polluted street in the city. Therefore ,the decision for this iconic street not to be pedestrianised first is a no-brainer. I really hope that Khan will stick to his promise and pedestrianise it if he, as expected, becomes mayor. But moving forward, a plan must be drawn up to take this further, and pedestrianised zones must be identified across London. Khan also said that were he to become the next mayor, he would make Wolmar his Transport Commissioner. I very much hope he will stick to his word, as it is crucial to have a person in this field who knows his craft, and who has sustainability at the heart of his agenda. Tackling London's air pollution crisis Air pollution is quickly becoming a key issue for many Londoners, and rightly so. London's air is toxic, and it is becoming a serious health issue. A few weeks ago the environmental organization, Greenpeace, became the latest group to campaign on this issue. A series of new laws must be implemented to tackle this health and environmental problem. First, as mentioned above, pedestrianisation should not stop with Oxford Street. Also, a new and effective congestion charge zone should be implemented. The current central London zone is largely ineffective. First of all the area it covers should be extended to cover Greater London, and the price payable should be based on the size of the car engine, and thus by the pollution it creates. There should be exemptions of course, in order that it does not become an anti-business agenda. And electric vehicles should continue to be exempt, and further initiatives to encourage the deployment of electric vehicles should be implemented with the aim of positioning London as a leading city for electric car usage. Advertisement London as a clean tech city Finally, London has a huge role and potential as a city of innovation, being already an international financial centre. London is currently the financial capital of the world for investment in coal, and with the bad reputation of coal worldwide, more must be done to change course. Many new clean-tech organizations have their homes in London, but more should be done to promote London as a financial centre for clean energy and clean-tech investments. The biggest UK solar firm , Solarcentury, which worked on the iconic Blackfriars Solar Bridge, is based here. You also have innovation groups like Cleanweb. They frequently meet to talk about computer models, systems and the role of software in tackling climate change through smart solutions. It is a huge asset for London to have innovators like that, and more must be done to keep them and create opportunities for them. Promoting London as a clean tech city could make the capital an attractive base for this growing sector, and it would without a doubt benefit the city visually as well. Imagine London becoming a pioneering example of tomorrow's climate resilient world, trialing the newest clean tech systems. Who wouldn't want to live in that? I sincerely believe that Sadiq Khan is the man who can take London to the next level with sustainability in mind. He should understand the huge potential London has to become a world leading city in tackling climate change, and air pollution. He could provide us with a sustainable transport system. He could make London a city leading the world in provision of sustainable homes and buildings and a city that lives within its means. And a city that invests in communities, whether they work on building renewable energy, growing food locally, or cleaning up pollution. Communities create values, and it is important that London, as a city of tomorrow, puts that at the heart of its identity, and Londoners need a mayor who can champion that ideology. She is articulate and assertive, and she can dispatch a determined opponent with a withering glance and stinging retort. She straddles a corner of European politics and commands respect from adversaries and allies alike. This isn't Nicola Sturgeon or Angela Merkel, but another strong and popular stateswoman - Arlene Foster. Advertisement The Fermanagh woman was made DUP leader in December 2015, and in January 2016 she became the First Minister of Northern Ireland (succeeding Peter Robinson and Ian Paisley). Northern Ireland is an extremely strange place; often misunderstood and misrepresented; more frequently forgotten. Politics is about ancestral passions, not policies or achievements. The mainland British don't want to know us, nor do the southern Irish. While London and Dublin cement and reinforce their entente cordiale, the disputatious Orange and Green Irish of the Black North battle on, shooting and maiming with insult and invective. Ireland's unionists pose as the most British, and republicans on the Crown's Irish soil posture as the most Irish of them all. Advertisement Me, I'm British and Irish, for as Heaney said, "two buckets are easier carried than one, I stand in-between." Not much has changed from when Terence O'Neill explained Northern Ireland politics to the House of Lords in 1982: "I have found that there is an understandable tendency for people in Britain to find it very hard to understand the situation in Northern Ireland... As some of your Lordships have tried to explain this afternoon, politics in Northern Ireland are totally different from politics here. While the election here might have been fought on who governs Britain, the election in Northern Ireland was fought on the usual basis of Protestant and Catholic." Children are still educated apart and hardwired with antipodal understandings of Anglo-Irish history. Protestant schools teach of the gallantry of Britain, Catholic schools teach its brutality. The green and orange borders aren't just physical, but mental too. Our commonality is often only a "blind astonishing remorse" for things now ended, as Philip Larkin wrote. Advertisement Parades are still a Goya nightmare, and politics is like a Hogarth cartoon. But change has happened, modest and ponderous. Change is starker outside politics. Increasingly the divide is between liberals and conservatives. The old moulds remain, but people more and more have left the quagmire state to find a new sod for life and debate. Arlene Foster is an emblem of this change in Northern Ireland; ponderous and imperceptible as it is, as blunt as she is. For a land of two orthodoxies, fixed and immutable, even modest change is revolutionary. She is a woman. She is a former UUP politician, marking her as instinctively more liberal than the traditional DUP member and representative. She is self made. A daughter of a farmer and RUC man. An everyday woman who's life has been the protestant parable of a generation who've endured the Troubles. Advertisement Parallels may be made between Arlene and contemporary female leaders such as Sturgeon and Merkel, but it is with the late Margaret Thatcher that she has most affection for, and most political resemblance to. Arlene Foster is courteous and consummately professional, but can be raucously caustic; just like Thatcher. They're both conservative and eurosceptic. Both British female leaders met with IRA ambush. Yet, while facing atrocity with defiance, pragramatism prevails for the sake of the future. Both are obstinate in their convictions, are rooted in the past but have a vision for their country beyond idealistic plans and projects. Arlene Foster told Jenny McCartney in an interview with the Sunday Times that Margaret Thatcher is a "heroine" of hers. She repeated this to David McCann of Slugger O'Toole. Advertisement But like Thatcher, Foster continues to divide as much as she inspires the people. Many nationalists will see her as a leader of a party whose founder called Catholics "vermin". Many liberals see her as firmly under the thumb of the traditional DUP wing, as much as they long for some liberal Arlene putsch. Arlene is firm like Thatcher, but under her leadership Northern Ireland is fluid. It's mixed signals in Arlene's Northern Ireland; it's about change and conservation; about the past and the future; about normal politics and tribal politics. Northern Ireland has an image problem, and Arlene has targeted this by calling for pride in Northern Ireland. Northern Ireland also has a problem economy, and Arlene wants to change this under her ten-point plan. She has made a call for more and better jobs, and her electioneering is all about waving placards, just as it is in America. Advertisement Yet the DUP have asked the electorate not to judge them on their political record, but to judge them against the spectre of a Sinn Fein First Minister. And so, while the Terence O'Neill formula of Catholic-Protestant voting remains, it is no longer hegemonic. As Sam McBride wrote, the political orbit of Northern Ireland has changed radically, we could be witnessing "the final fling" of the old sort of politics. For so long Northern Ireland politics has been about republican's sense of destiny, and unionism's despondency. This too is no more. In the Irish News Newton Emerson and Fionnuala O'Connor penned two milestone articles. Unionism, so long unfashionable, has seized the momentum; it is "perked-up" beside "stale nationalism" wrote O'Connor. 'Unionism is undergoing a remarkable evolution' Emerson wrote. Advertisement Arlene Foster has inherited a party and country of deep factions, but change is in the wings. There will be no Great Leap Forward, just small plodding advances. Arlene Foster has a young family, her youngest is just nine years old. While her father was nearly killed by the IRA, it is clearly for the sake of her children and all the young people of Northern Ireland that she is working with former mortal enemies. But she must face down other unpleasant die-hards. The unionist backwoodsmen of the DUP who want the status quo. Unionists want the Union, but the Union wants catholics and liberals. Arlene Foster must surely know this, and this will be the test of her leadership; if she can help to truly break the old moulds and make Northern Ireland truly British - secular and multicultural. In October last year, Renes, 13, his three-year old sister, two brothers and parents arrived at Moscow Sheremetyevo Airport seeking asylum. They were detained, put on the cold floor in a glass smoking room in the airport and were kept there for over 70 days. They could not take a shower, were not allowed to get a warm meal or even be examined by a doctor. This was a very unusual scene for Russia - a country, which is far from being the first choice for asylum seekers. Yet Gulistan Issa Shaho, Renes's mother, was among the few people who decided to take her family there, after their city in Syria was taken over by ISIS. Her sister Tama already lives in Russia and has Russian citizenship. But that did not help. Gulistan's family were refused asylum again and again, while their story was making news all over the world. Advertisement 'They were prisoners in Moscow Airport. But instead of a cell, they stayed in a glass a fish tank', - says Tama, Gulistan's sister. 'All our kids wanted was to fall asleep not fearing the bombs over their heads. They are just running away from the war. That's all'. Humiliated, Gulistan and Tama did not back down and connecting via mobile phone they started a petition on Change.org asking the Russian Federal Migration Service to grant their family temporary asylum and let them leave the airport. It took them just over six months, but last week thanks to over 160,000 people who signed their petition, they have finally won. "I still cannot believe that our dreams came true. And all this happened thanks to you!", said Gulistan in a petition update to all her signers just before she declared victory on the site. This family's fight is truly inspiring. Not only because Renes and the other kids can now start school and not fear for their life, but mainly because what Gulistan has done can potentially reshape global refugee policy. Advertisement The current refugee crisis has taught us that what we had thought was an effective policy to deal with such crises has turned out to be a massive failure in the face of millions of people exiling Syria. Physical relocation as we saw it in the last year ended up with barricades in Hungary shutting down any access to people who needed our help the most. As Alexander Betts and Paul Collier put it in their Foreign Affairs' article, some 54% of the world's refugees have lived in exile for more than 5 years, often without freedom of movement or right to work. And for them, they add, an average length of exile would be around 17 years -- all while we, "the more stable states", are trying to figure out solutions to effectively integrate them into our more peaceful societies. "As the result, their lives are put on hold", conclude the authors. This particular article then argues that economic integration of refugees to labour markets is a solution to shaping a new refugee policy. But I think there is a crucial stepping stone that is missing to solving this problem: the actual voice of refugees. Their voices can be strong enough to be part of any decision-making that directly influences their future. Gulistan and her sister have proved just that: using only their phone and the Internet they have organized themselves and mobilized tens of thousands of Russians to change their lives and set an example for others. They have made themselves heard and pushed for a solution. Advertisement Tareke Brahne did the same. He fled from Eritrea when he was 17, and now based in Italy, he launched a campaign to get EU to deploy a major search and rescue mission in the Mediterranean so that thousands of drowning refugees could get a chance at survival. Over 400,000 people signed his petition. Did it make his voice stronger? Absolutely. Or Meltem Avcil in the UK, who along with 100,000 people who have signed her petition is trying to close down the Yarl's Wood detention centre in Bedfordshire, where hundreds of refugee women are locked up indefinitely, and where she was locked up when she was just 13. Technology is already here. And the best part is that among 150 million global users on Change.org there are definitely thousands of current and former refugees who just like Gulistan, Tereke or Meltem are already using it to empower themselves and directly improve their lives. On Thursday Bristol decides who leads our city until 2020. While all of the mayoral candidates can talk endlessly about the meaning of 'leadership', our record of delivering city-wide projects should be what really matters. My time as Bristol's first independent mayor has been rooted in the belief that a city leader's primary focus should be on getting things done. Unlike in 2012, subject to ratification of our devolution deal with the treasury, the next Mayor of Bristol will have greater leverage over transport, housing and skills. After 50 years of learning, living, working and delivering projects in Bristol I decided to stand as an independent candidate, because I was frustrated with how Bristol was run. Before 2012, our city had become a byword for inaction and indecisive leadership, largely due to political to-ing and fro-ing. My ambition was simple: to deliver a vision unashamedly pro Bristol, without being deflected by party dogma or direction, a vision born out of my long standing attachment to this city. Over the last three and a half years, we've realised that vision and have real momentum towards creating a successful and more inclusive city. The first 18 months were focussed on filling the managerial vacuum into which I arrived. This involved in creating a streamlined management structure following the appointment of a rainbow cabinet of 5 representing all party groups, once the Labour party had given approval to their involvement. Advertisement The results speak for themselves: we now have more people employed than any other core city, pay higher salaries than the UK average, lead core-cities in start-ups, lead in green technology, increased the use of greener forms of transport, and more. One of the most significant results of the last couple of years, was working with the LEP and our surrounding local authorities to secure the 1bn devolution deal we so desperately needed if we are to address decades of lack of investment in transport and housing planning and infrastructure and to create the necessary skills for a high skilled economy. While this isn't a silver bullet for Bristol's problems, devolution will allow us to better tackle inequality and deprivation across Bristol enabling us to become a more socially resilient city. This opportunity should not be squandered. It needs someone with experience of handling big projects and budgets, in what is certainly not an entry-level role. During the last 50 years I have taken on many projects and roles, locally, nationally and internationally. This has been the best job yet. I won't pretend I have got everything right over the last three and a half years, but I have pushed the boat out and inevitably it results in some resistance and some pretty strong abuse! However, I hope the political stagnation we once knew is now firmly in the past. We are moving forward, and my vision for a second term will build on this success. It is a long-term vision, of a fair, environmentally healthy, and progressive city that looks fifty years ahead. As a city we must be realistic. Nationally, we still face austerity, and during the last few years our cities have seen severe cuts from Westminster. These have made life much more difficult for many here, but I have not protested idly. Instead, I've used my knowledge and experience to protect vital services,secure more funding for city-wide projects tackling core issues, and increasing social mobility. This involved tough decisions and a leader who finds solutions that benefit all, if not always appreciated by all. The mayor's role is about running Bristol, not debating national policy. Advertisement May the 4th. For many it will be remembered as the date of the Battle of Tewkesbury in the War of the Roses, the date that King Charles II ordered the construction of the Royal Greenwich Observatory, or for being Cesc Fabregas's birthday. But for those with a touch of the inner nerd about them - or at least access to Twitter - will know that it's really all about Star Wars Day. Advertisement Did you know that the saying actually dates back to pre-Twitter times of 1979, and that late prime minister Margaret Thatcher is to thank for the tradition? Well, she sort of is. When she was elected on May 4, 1979, a headline in the London Evening News read, "May The Fourth Be With You, Maggie. Congratulations." Now I mention it, she did have a bit of the Darth Vader about her - she was pro death penalty, happily crushed rebellions, and blew up the planet Alderaan... but at the end of the day, much like Darth, she probably wasn't all evil. However, it wasn't until a number of years later that the phrase really took off. In 2011, the Toronto Underground Cinema in Canada put together an organised celebration involving costume contests and a film festival. These days the hashtag is guaranteed to trend and businesses cash in with their special deals on Star Wars-related merchandise. It's essentially an unofficial public holiday, although I'm not sure many bosses would consider it a valid excuse to not turn up to work. It also happens to be the United Nations anti bullying day, so for more feeble nerds it really is win-win. May the 4th is all about celebrating the Star Wars franchise, but that doesn't mean you have to go splashing your cash on some lightsabre chopsticks, or a Jar Jar Binks tongue lollipop. Yep, that was actually a thing. And it was a pretty gross thing. Advertisement For some people everyday is Star Wars day, celebrating all year round in different ways (podracing, reenacting lightsabre battles, working on their uncles' moisture farms), I myself recently chose to celebrate by spending a whole portion of my adult life in a year-long mission to track down and spend time with the forgotten minor stars of the Star Wars universe. From Wrexham Comic Con to Darth Vader's shed, I left no rock unturned. Check out my YouTube channel if you'd like to know which of the bounty hunters are still skilled marksmen, or exactly how many people were inside Jabba the Hutt >https://www.youtube.com/jamiestangroom But however you choose to celebrate the day, remember that Star Wars is for life not just for May The 4th Be With You day. In fact, Disney plan to release so many Star Wars movies that you won't live to see the final one. Unless you keep popping back as a force ghost, and even then you'd have to back Walt to outlast you with his body allegedly cryogenically stored in a secret lab deep beneath the Disneyland castle. Anyway, whilst you ponder that slightly morbid thought, here's Verne Troyer (AKA Mini Me) explaining how he originally came up with the idea for BB-8, the beloved Star Wars ball droid from The Force Awakens, also featuring my Sephro BB-8 app enabled toy and my beloved late pug dog, Bertie... Advertisement HAPPY STAR WARS DAY! Local elections are curious things. In many ways, they're a national conversation about the state of the parties in the middle of a Government's time in office. But on the other hand they are hundreds of individual by-elections, each with their own issues, casts of characters and unpredictable outcomes that can be maddeningly difficult to predict. While the media's attention is on the upcoming European Referendum, the entire country goes to the polls this week to decide on local councillors, the make-up of governments in the devolved administrations, who their local mayors will be and more. Regardless of the outcome of the referendum in June, this week will be a huge challenge for both David Cameron and Jeremy Corbyn and could help seal their fates as leaders. So what would a good night be for either party? Traditionally, mid-term elections see the governing party in Westminster lose council seats across the country as voters take the opportunity to protest. Cameron would normally expect to be forgiven for taking a bit of a drubbing as a result. But this time around, the polls show that Corbyn's Labour are set to lose at least 100 councillors and possibly many more across England. That would be a remarkable result, even before you factor in Labour possibly having to go into coalition in Wales and, worse, being forced into third place behind the Conservatives in Scotland. Expectations on the Prime Minister are now a lot higher than usual, and much lower for the Leader of the Opposition. Cameron will hope to repeat the success he had last May and pick up a number of wins in key council areas such as Harlow, Dudley and Southampton. In fact, Labour's poll ratings are so abysmal that, outside of London, it might be considered a failure if the Conservatives lost seats or just held steady. Advertisement Jeremy Corbyn, meanwhile, has set his own bar by vowing that Labour will not lose any councillors this May. Privately, many in the party are conceding that heavy losses are inevitable. Labour will hope to see wins in places like Bristol, where its popular mayoral candidate Marvin Rees is looking to unseat a maverick independent. Also keep an eye on Norwich, where Labour's real opposition has been the Green Party. Winning over "fellow travellers" from across the left has been a key selling point for the Corbyn wing of the party and this will be a test of how successful that strategy might be. But the real complicating factor this May is UKIP. Nigel Farage's party could make significant gains this year, potentially winning list and regional seats in the Welsh Assembly and Scottish Parliament for the first time. UKIP's success will also be an important barometer for the other parties. Conservative losses to UKIP will worry David Cameron as he looks ahead to the referendum and considers its impact on his own authority as Leader. Further UKIP wins in Labour heartlands in the North and the Midlands will also be deeply concerning to a Labour party fearful of eroding its traditional core vote. Apart from the London mayoral election, the headline act this week, many of these local contests will be seen as staging posts on the way to the EU vote next month. But rest assured that these results will be poured over by both party leaders as well as by their opponents. Each vote cast and each seat won will be marked on the balance sheet that will decide if, or when, either Cameron or Corbyn might be asked to step aside - for the good of their party, or for the good of the country. News / National by Staff reporter The Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation has paid its condolences to the Barwe family following the death of Mrs Ellen Barwe, the wife of ZBC's chief correspondent Rueben Barwe on Tuesday.Mrs Barwe succumbed to kidney failure at Avenues Clinic and will be buried on Thursday at Warren Hills cemetery.The ZBC staff led by board chairman Father Gibson Munyoro visited the Barwe residence in Belvedere to console the family.ZBC acting chief executive officer Patrick Mavhura described the death of Mrs Barwe as a big blow to the Barwe family, the ZBC and nation at large, adding that the corporation will do its best to support Rueben in this time of grief.The Minister of Information, Media and Broadcasting Services Dr Christopher Mushowe consoled Rueben Barwe and urged him to derive strength from the God.Minister Mushowe who went through the same page after the death of his wife some few years ago told Rueben to remain strong.Family spokesperson Kudakwashe Mabutsu says the body of the late Mrs Barwe will lie in state at the family home in Belvedere and will be buried at Warren Hills cemetery this Thursday.Mourners are gathered at House Number 51 Lawley Avenue Belvedere Harare. This week's Scottish Parliamentary election sees more parties than ever field candidates. One new entry is the Women's Equality Party, founded just one year ago by comedienne Sandi Toksvig and Time journalist Catherine Mayer. It has since gathered over 47,000 members and has new branches across the UK. The Women's Equality Party are standing candidates in Lothian and Glasgow regional lists and the candidates, members and supporters all have a connection in common - they want to see the issues that affect them and 52% of the population tackled in parliament. Advertisement Other parties such as Scottish Labour and the SNP have put women at the forefront of their election PR, even going as far as to draft Women's Manifestos, which are in fact just edits of their party manifestos featuring and drawing attention to the policies that benefit women. None of these policies go as far or are as ambitious and action-focussed as the Women's Equality Party manifesto pledges. As we saw in the last BBC Scotland leaders debate, there was not a single mention of women, and it doesn't inspire confidence that serious gender inequality issues will be their priority in Holyrood. What our candidates want to do is be a strong, non-partisan voice for women's equality in Holyrood, to hold the parties to account over their promises and work with them to achieve real improvements for women. For too long the political agenda has primarily been set by people who don't think gender inequality matters Here four of the Lothian list candidates explain why they are standing. Kate MacDonald: My experience of Edinburgh, as a student, was marred by harassment. During my first week, a man grabbed my butt at a pedestrian crossing after I ignored several comments about my skirt. I got such a fright that I hit him with my textbook. Advertisement A recent survey at my former university found two thirds of female respondents had experienced some kind of sexual assault or harassment. This wasn't news to me, or to any of my friends; all of us had a hundred stories about being leered at, groped, intimidated or followed while out in Edinburgh - especially at night. It was horrible to realise that men believed they had unfettered access to us and our bodies whenever we stepped out the front door. And when I reflected on it, I started to get angry. Why was this not a priority, to seriously tackle this toxic culture, that we know feeds into abuse and violence against women? We live in a country where there are three reported rapes a day, and where one in five women will experience some form of sexual violence in her lifetime. I joined the Women's Equality Party because I want to challenge the cultural attitudes that allow this to be the case. I am standing as a candidate so that I can fight for more support for victims in the justice system, proper consent and relationships education for young people, and secure funding for vital frontline services for victims. Violence against women remains one of the most pervasive barriers to gender equality, and none of us are truly free until we can end it. Dr Abi Herrmann: When I was 6 I had my first swimming lesson at school. I was anxious - not about the water or about drowning - but about having to wear a swimming costume in front of the other kids. I cried in the changing room. Advertisement A few years later, the disgust of my body growing, I took a pair of kitchen scissors up to my bedroom and tried to cut off my young tadpole tummy. An action my older scientific self now sees was very unlikely work. I have since cried in many changing rooms - hating my body despite all the brilliant things it can do. I thought this experience was unique to me - that I was the only one that felt ashamed of what is under my clothes. But I think many of us feel the same. And I think the media portrayal of unrealistic body image has a massive hand in making us feel like this. I think this is wrong and we should try to fix it. Beyond body image, the media under-represents women and their achievements, values women's outfits rather than their thoughts and ideas, and online public forums such as Twitter and Reddit are too often places of dis-regulated vitriol. I am proud to be standing as a candidate for the Women's Equality Party. A party that has Equal Treatment of Women in the Media as one of its core aims. Advertisement Jen Royston: I am born and bred in Scotland although I have worked in countries including Sierra Leone, Iraq, Nigeria and Uganda and seen the destructive effect of entrenched inequalities within communities. Women are suffering from the same issues in Scotland namely, violence and lack of access to justice. There are three reported rapes per day and one in five women will suffer domestic abuse in her lifetime. I want to draw upon my experience in the field of sexual violence against women and my background as a lawyer and use my passion and skills to tackle these issues and strive for gender parity. I believe the only way to achieve this is by standing with the Women's Equality Party, who will ensure that a system of legal support for victims of gender-based violence is created by providing free legal help for victims of domestic abuse in Scotland and providing training for Scottish public service staff to recognise the warning signs of domestic abuse and other forms of violence against women. I want to ensure that women are represented, and therefore empowered, across all areas of our society - these issues can't be left to be dealt with later, they are ruining lives now and they need a strong voice in Holyrood to ensure they are at the top of the political agenda. Advertisement Lee Chalmers: I'm standing for election for The Women's Equality Party because women get paid less than men and I want to close that gap. I thought I'd made it when I got a job as a senior consultant in a firm in London. They prided themselves on being a workplace which valued women and diversity. So I was outraged when I found out that in my pay band the gap between the lowest paid man and the highest paid women was a whopping 10K a year! Anyone who wants to delude themselves that the pay gap is not real just needs to speak to me and the numerous other women who have had the nasty surprise that their employer has been paying them less to do the same job as a male direct counterpart. The recent legal cases against councils in Scotland are proof that it is happening at all levels, right under our noses. We need pay transparency now and government action on this to show that Scotland is serious about paying women the same wage for the same work. It's not just the pay gap, it's the struggle to be taken seriously. Arriving at a meeting with fellow professionals at a large corporation, a senior male employee at the firm turned to me and said "Why are you here? I know, you are the intelligent totty. When do we get to see your legs?" Three degrees, a decent job and I'm still seen primarily as titillation for men. What do you have to do to be taken seriously? I am tired of waiting for gender equality. I see how women are treated and don't want my niece and nephew to grow up in the same world. I want children to be able thrive because of who they are, not be stuck inside narrow gender stereotypes. I want equal pay for equal work. I believe that the Women's Equality Party are the only party in Scotland who can commit to keeping gender equality at the front of their minds. Voting a Women's Equality Party MSP into Holyrood this week would ensure that Scotland can make real progress towards being the most gender equal country in the world. Advertisement Connect with the candidates on Facebook or Twitter. The tragedy of Southern Health NHS Trust continues to unfold. There has been a litany of failure and obfuscation by the Trust over the past four years, including over a thousand unexpected deaths which have not been properly investigated. This Trust, which covers Hampshire, Dorset, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire, provides specialist mental health and learning disability services to some of the most vulnerable people in those communities. It is one of the largest providers of these types of services in the UK. In 2013 Connor Sparrowhawk drowned in the bath in an inpatient unit run by Southern Health following an epileptic fit. The same bath where another patient had died in 2006. Angela Smith, took her own life after a number of missed opportunities by the Trust. David West died in their care. His father was ignored after he repeatedly tried to raise concerns. Connor, Angela and David, and many more, were denied the support they so desperately needed. Report after report, inquest after inquest, show systemic failures, and a marked reluctance on the part of the management to release information and take responsibility. The latest chapter in this catalogue of failure is yet another report by the Care Quality Commission (CQC), published last Friday, following a short-notice focussed inspection of the Trust. It makes for shocking reading. It warns that too little has been done to improve patient safety since their last report in December. The CQC found that the Trust had not put in place the right governance arrangements to investigate incidents, including deaths. Opportunities had been missed to learn from mistakes and to reduce the chances of them happening again. Inspectors had serious concerns about the safety of patients. Despite being warned about ligature risks in inpatient mental health and learning disabilities services in January 2014, October 2014 and August 2015, the CQC found that the Trust had still failed to address these risks. Twelve patients have jumped off the roof of one of the Trust's hospitals over the past five years. This is a scandal, and it's happening on the watch of a government which has made great play of patient safety, without taking the action needed to make it a reality. Advertisement Yesterday, Labour was granted an 'urgent question' to hold ministers to account. As the Minister blustered, it was clear that not enough is being done. Jeremy Hunt did not speak, and left the Chamber before the end of the questions. I asked three specific questions of the Minister. The first was whether the Government could guarantee the safety of the 45,000 patients currently under the care of Southern Health. The Minister said that, on the advice of the CQC, he was persuaded patients are safe. I remain unconvinced, but I sincerely hope he's right. My second question was about where responsibility lies. It is clear that there have been failings across the organisation for a number of years, but ultimately the buck stops with the chief executive. The Trust has only had one chief executive during the whole period under review. It is not something I said lightly in the Chamber, but I believe her position is now untenable and she should be replaced. Third, I demanded a full public inquiry into this Trust, and the wider treatment of people with mental illness and learning disabilities within the NHS. Here, the Minister opened the door to the future possibility of an inquiry, but such equivocation will provide little comfort to the families of the victims who are rightly demanding accountability. Advertisement I have had the privilege to meet Connor Sparrowhawk's family, and they have behaved with great dignity and tenacity in pursuit of information and accountability. Yet today it was revealed that Connor's mother, Sara Ryan, has had to face abuse and vitriol in her quest for the truth. Despite this, I know the family will keep going until they are successful. But it shouldn't be left to the families and campaigners alone to fight this fight. It is beyond the pale that despite countless warnings there are still serious deficiencies at this Trust. We need those in charge to take responsibility. We need full disclosure of the facts. We need services which adequately looks after all people with complex mental health conditions and learning disabilities, and we need justice for them and their families when the system lets them down. Ministers have been sleeping on the job. We must keep up the pressure and carry on the struggle on behalf of all those failed by Southern Health, and all those currently in their care. At about 11pm last night I was running a bath expecting a relaxing half an hour before going to bed when I received a Twitter notification. Minutes before that I'd quote-tweeted a post that came through my timeline from someone I follow. I used a simple caption: "Go Girl!" The post was about a brave Swedish woman who, on her own, stood up to the fascists in Sweden. Immediately after that - and out of the blue - I received a Tweet that I was "trying to get integrity off back of strength shown by this woman". Her reasoning for saying that was that I support Zac Goldsmith. Khan's dog whistle has clearly reached her ears. A number of Khan supporters attacked me for defending Zac quoting his alleged "racism" as the reason, although she went further. Turned out that it was relevant for the debate that I was "white", apparently I am not black or Asian so don't know what racism is or isn't. Although, my dear girl, my father is actually ethnically Asian. . You might not be able to tell that by looking at my face but you can by looking at my surname, and yes, my Dad has a brown face (so, am I now allowed to have an opinion?). The reason these attacks have been happening is purely because Sadiq's dog-whistling campaign implying that Zac is anti-Muslim has truly started bringing results. And not just in the polls. Advertisement I don't agree with all of Conservative campaign tactics, and have said so on numerous occasions. Cameron overstepped the mark at PMQ and didn't even do his homework before throwing accusation which was embarrassing. Some other senior Conservative interventions were also unhelpful, and Khan shouldn't have got the stick for meeting Gani because he couldn't help it as he was his local imam (something I previously didn't know). I firmly support Zac but I was genuinely trying to be fair in my criticism. I can't blindly reject all the accusations, or blindly accept them. I don't think Zac wanted that level of attacks on Sadiq, but he was unable to stop them. With only 7% of London budget in hands of the Mayor, he would entirely depend on Government on finance. He wouldn't have wanted to fall out with the Government and the Government-supporting newspapers, like the Mail, which has added fuel to the fire by using the picture of the 7/7 bus to illustrate Zac's article last weekend. In my view, the paper has to apologise, first and foremost, to the victims of 7/7 and also to Zac for undermining his perfectly logical and polite argument and to Sadiq because for far right that sort of picture is like a red cloth to the bull. And yet nobody cared that it was the paper with the only goal to sell papers who did it, the only person who got the stick was Zac - because it was convenient to blame him. It's the election, you know! The reason why I got involved in Zac's campaign - and not the General Election or any other campaigns - is because I can vouch for the integrity of the man. I interviewed him twice, and I watched him from afar and he has always impressed me by being a lifelong environmentalist (not just during the election), by his fight to bring the recall of MPs (which Khan didn't support) and by standing up to the establishment whether it's the government or big corporations. Advertisement Politics aside, I was neutral in my personal attitude to Sadiq, until he posted that tweet that was not only below the belt but utterly, utterly divisive and aimed directly at Zac: "Hey @ZacGoldsmith", he said "There's no need to keep pointing at me & shouting 'he's a Muslim'. I put it on my own leaflets." That was a clear cut provocation. He knew Zac would not be able not to react to that. Even if Zac loses on Thursday, Khan cannot delete it from his own conscience that his words had very clear and very loud implications (a dog whistle!). It was only after that outrageous attack that Zac has unleashed his own wrath at Khan. Anyone who'd want to defend themselves would. Khan also deliberately said that Zac's campaign would turn Muslims away from politics when the questions have never ever been about Muslims, but about Sadiq and to Sadiq because of Sadiq's own dodgy acquaintances. Sadiq used his religion as a shield and a sword, urging people to vote for a "Muslim Mayor" and yet screaming "islamophobia" when he faced legitimate questions. Rightly or wrongly, any politician in the UK would have faced the same scrutiny, white or not, that's how politics works in this country. People do get attacked for their past. Sadiq himself attacked Zac for his background on numerous occasions. Zac has always supported anti-hate campaigners, like, for example, Nic Careem, and has had a very good relationship with the mosques in his constituency, and Zac's own sister is a Muslim, his nephews are Pakistani! Zac could have relied upon getting some votes there. Khan knew that Zac has been respected in Muslim communities, so Khan did everything to undermine his support there by claiming that Zac was anti-Muslim. Even "Tell Mama", an organization devoted specifically to measuring anti-Muslim attacks, had to step in to vouch for Zac. Tell Mama said: "Zac is someone who has spent many years working with faith communities and with Muslim communities. Indeed, he was instrumental in working with the Kingston mosque in tackling the far right who had targeted the mosque and his involvement brought all communities together against far right extremists targeting the local Muslim community. To suggest that Zac Goldsmith is Islamophobic is to suggest that Sadiq Khan may be susceptible to being sympathetic to people with extreme views." But Khan's message - with the help of Owen Jones & Co who just want to strengthen Corbyn with this election - has spread too far. Advertisement Books should be written about Sadiq Khan's election strategy. He's used every rule in Lynton Crosby's book, including the infamous "dead cat" trick to make us talk about race and religion because it is to his advantage instead of us discussing his fairytale policies that don't add up and diverting attention from the fact that Khan was the one who nominated Corbyn. Khan wanted us to talk about the religion and race pushing Londoners "to prove their tolerance" by voting for him, and that's why he needed to mar his opponent as much as possible. That was his bet, and his manipulative bet was correct. Everyone likes an underdog. The trouble is that at this election "the underdog" Khan has manipulated public opinion so cynically that it sickens me. I am not justifying some of the Conservative party tactics at all but he was on par with them if not more because it was so underhand and done with an innocent face. He did it to harvest Muslim votes and guilt-trip others into voting for him and make Zac untouchable for the greens as a second preference vote. The cynicism of it is mind-blowing. It was not the first time that Khan used his religion like that. Two Labour MPs back in June - long before Zac was elected as his opponent - went as far as publishing an open letter to Khan, that's how disgusted they were by his shameless exploit of 7/7. Sadiq Khan's former brother-in-law said Sadiq was "cold and calculative". Regardless of the outcome, even if Khan wins on Thursday he wouldn't win the argument. He wanted it to be about the race and religion because he saw the winning points there, that's where the swing votes would come, so he exploited it. I am afraid it will always stay with Mr Khan that he and his allies tried to ruin their political opponent by linking him to Trump and implying he is a racist when they know that he is not. Just as it will stay with Cameron and some people on the Conservative campaign, including the Mail, that, perhaps with the best intentions in mind, they seriously overstepped the mark with their attacks on Khan. Khan's dog-whistling had an effect: he got #nastyzac trending and Zac - a genuinely lovely man with all of his lovely policies that nobody seem to give a damn about - is being called a racist. Sadiq's campaign went as far as linking Zac's name to Trump, a truly racist and vile politician. Is this the sort of victory Khan wants? Wouldn't it taste sour? Does he want Zac's children now to be worried about being bullied & called racist? Should Zac's supporters stop posting their pictures campaigning for Zac and posts in his support out of fear of being abused on social media? Advertisement Most people know about the terrible declines in many of Africa's animals, particularly elephants. What many people don't realise is that Lions, arguably the most iconic of Africa's predators, are also in real trouble. Just a century ago there were perhaps as many as a million lions across Africa. But they have been in steep decline in recent decades. In my lifetime alone Africa's lions have declined from around 100,000, to as few as 20,000 today. That's a shocking decline of 80% or more in just a few short decades, and the remaining animals live in fragmented populations scattered across just 8% of their traditional range. What is just as shocking is the fact that, in spite of these massive declines, hundreds of lions are killed every year in the name of sport, by wealthy trophy hunters mainly originating from the USA and Western Europe, who pay tens of thousands of dollars for the privilege. Advertisement Every year, hundreds of thousands of wild animals from literally hundreds of different species, many of them threatened with extinction, are killed by trophy hunters, so they can share pictures of themselves posing over the animals they have slaughtered, or videos of their hunts, and display their kills in elaborate trophy rooms as if they are something to be proud of. Lions are particularly highly prized. The trophy hunting industry even dishes out awards to hunters who kill certain types of animals or use particular methods of killing. Safari Club International offers a 'Cats of the World Grand Slam' award for hunters who kill at least four species of wild cats, including lions. Of course, this has been going on for decades. In the past decade alone around 5,500 lion trophy items were exported to the US, and around 3,500 to EU countries. However the killing of Cecil the lion in Zimbabwe last year by Walter Palmer, a dentist from Minnesota, created outrage and brought this issue to international public attention. Proponents of trophy hunting claim that the brutal slaughter of these wild animals is sustainable, and that it benefits endangered species like lions by generating money for conservation and providing income for local people in poor countries. They claim they help by removing so-called 'problem' or 'surplus' animals, and they claim that their so-called sport is a traditional activity and that we have no right to impose our western values on African countries. Advertisement But none of this is true. Trophy hunting quotas are not scientifically determined and trophy hunting is not sustainable. Far from removing 'surplus' or 'problem' animals, trophy hunters prefer to target the biggest, fittest, most impressive animals that play an absolutely key role in their societies. Trophy hunting generates only a tiny fraction of the money that can be earned from other types of wildlife tourism, such as photographic tourism, and very little of the money that trophy hunters pay in order to make their kills ever filters down to local communities or conservation projects. The vast majority of the money generated goes into the pockets of a few wealthy individuals. The trophy hunting industry is riddled with corruption, and far from being a 'traditional activity' in Africa, trophy hunting is a relic that was exported to Africa in colonial times. And trophy hunting causes immense animal suffering, not just among the targeted animals, but also because of the disruption the killing causes to their societies and communities. In the case of lions, the cruellest, most cynical and greed-driven form of trophy hunting has emerged in South Africa in the form of so-called 'canned hunting', where lions are intensively bred for the bullet, to be released into small enclosures and shot by the paying client. Advertisement On 30th April, a number of animal protection charities organised a march for lions through London, culminating in the handing in of a letter to 10 Downing Street asking the British government to take action by banning the import of lion trophies into the UK, and supporting international measures aimed at protecting lions from hunters, wildlife traders and other threats they face. "Welcome to Jordan, you're most welcome to Jordan." So began nearly every conversation in this beautiful, complex, fabulous country. Whether we were high up a rock in the desert of Wadi Rum or high up in a temple at Petra there was a universal smile and openness to the country that took me by surprise. I probably shouldn't have been - you only need to spend ten minutes on their remarkable history to appreciate what an immense balancing act this small country pulls off. Sandwiched between Saudi Arabia, Israel, Iraq and Syria things could be so different. Instead of the history of turmoil that each of its neighbors has endured, Jordan has managed to remain peaceful, moderate and welcoming. Two thirds of the population are not native Jordanian - they have moved, migrated or sought asylum from one of the surrounding countries. Imagine that. Think of the fight we are picking in the UK over 3,000 children caught homeless in Europe right now. Jordan has not erupted, has not become extreme. It has recently shut its border with Syria but so have we, and we are quite some way removed. I learnt many things on my week trip. Many of the historical sites and stories blew me away - the huge scale of the remains at Jerash, the beauty of the red rocks in the desert, the wadi walks and most of all Petra - a place so unbelievable you cannot quite process everything you are seeing and feeling. Advertisement But, what I did not expect to learn were two big lessons for life in the UK. The first was just how much value is now put on access to the Internet all over the world. After walking for seven hours from Dana village we spent a night at the Feynan Ecolodge - run by the local Bedouin community. There's no electricity but there is wi-fi. The world seems to place a premium on technology that would have been unimaginable even a couple of years ago. It definitely made me re-energized for the @doteveryoneuk focus on bringing internet skills and services to everyone whoever and wherever they are. Secondly, as we stare down the barrel of a possible Brexit - think of Jordan. Their calm in the midst of so much chaos does us in the UK a great service. Their welcoming culture has helped one of the most toxic areas on the planet. I fervently believe that this is not the time for us to do the opposite and to become jingoistic. Our fortunes as humans have never been more linked - from climate change to technological change to war to movement of people. I hope we can be a Britain that defaults to "you're most welcome". Any chance you get, visit Jordan. Nearly 15% of their GDP is tourism and yet it's collapsed in the last few years. They need us desperately and it is extremely safe. I celebrated 12 years on from my near fatal car accident with this: Advertisement I'll never forget it. I've finally found an hour to write a blog post for you all. Apologies it's been so long. I'm currently musing as Kasia watches a movie on her Amazon Fire, while we bob along in our Pont Aven cabin (with Brittany Ferries) from Plymouth to Santander. We're heading to mainland Europe for some projects on accessibility. It appears I need to be in an ocean with no internet before having a few moments to myself - all in a good way of course. So far this year I've been to Finland, published my book 'Everything is Possible', partnered with George Baker on Accessible Travel Week and launched Accessible Traveller, spoke at the Avi Ramp conference and last week Disability Horizons rocked up to Naidex in Birmingham. It's been a real whirlwind, that's for sure. Specifically though, being asked to run a stand for Disability Horizons, give a keynote speech, and do a book signing at the large disability exhibition was a real moment of seeing how far we've come with all of the projects. But beyond this moment of appreciation, Naidex and the other projects really gave me some new insights to how disabled people are fairing in the world and inspired some ideas on improving things too. Advertisement Unbelievably in 2016 people who are born with or have acquired a disability still struggle to; access buildings, get on some modes of public transport, avoid discrimination or prejudice, gain employment, and live with full equality of opportunities. I know this because I still fight it myself. It's also sobering to hear so many others feeling worn down by this unfortunate reality. Something we at Disability Horizons, and many other disability organisations, do well is support disabled people with coping and progressing within our situation. My concern of late is that our difficulties and desires are only being preached to the converted. I fear that too often the government, big companies, the media and parts of society unaffected by disability don't understand our reality, let alone see the benefits of the solution. This being true inclusivity. In a capitalist world that is transfixed on the numbers of everything (because of financial meltdowns and debts caused elsewhere), I feel we have to fight fire with fire. So I've starting looking around and asking for data on the economic cost-benefit analysis of ignoring or marginalising disabled people. However there is no such data. If there was a way to, morally (with data protection and third party ownership), amass information on all people with long term health conditions - with their support needs, desires, and our measurable value to the world (beyond monetary value too); I believe we could start engaging and winning over those who hold the keys to our true equality. Advertisement We could politically vote for parties who represent us. We could utilise our spending power as consumers. We could educate the public in a unified way. Otherwise I fear we're going to be forced back to the disability rights of the 1990's and resort to direct action. Simply to maintain our rights to exist. Something nobody wants to have to do. These are very basic thoughts and ideas. My wish is to question our current tactics and spark debate. What are your thoughts on being disabled at the moment? Are things getting better or worse? Could the economic number crunching help improve things? Do you have any other ideas? Anyway. I'm off to rest up with a book. I'm broadcasting on Lonely Planet's Periscope channel from San Sebastian tomorrow. They've adapted lots of the city and want to proudly promote it to disabled people everywhere. Thank god for these diamonds in the rough. They give me hope, keep me positive and able to fight another day. Co Editor Disability Horizons Dear MPs, I speak on behalf of a vast proportion of the British public when I express my profound disappointment that 294 members of the party ruling our country voted against potentially saving the lives of 3,000 children on Monday. Whilst the proposal to resettle vulnerable children from Syria and the surrounding regions must not be overlooked and should, indeed, be applauded, this move must not come in lieu of rescuing unaccompanied, unprotected, unsafe children so close to our own home. Last year, over 95,000 child refugees arrived, unaccompanied, to the EU. By the end of the year, 10,000 of those children had vanished - many into the hands (or rather, beds, cells and markets) of human traffickers. During January this year alone, more than the contended number of 3,000 unaccompanied child refugees reached the EU. Political decisions must always reflect the context in which they are made; in the context of these numbers, and of our population of 64.1 million people and position as the fifth wealthiest nation globally, offering safety to 3,000 at-risk children should barely raise a question mark, let alone a heated debate, in the House of Commons. Advertisement The Immigration Minister, James Brokenhurst, argued for giving priority to children in the Middle East region because "in essence, Europe should be a safe space" for those here. And what an idyllic world we would live in if it were. But while Europe may, in many obvious ways, be safer than Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan, please stop insulting everyone's intelligence - including your own - by claiming to believe that this continent houses no potential threats to a child wandering around on their own. Especially a child with no home, no recourse to state support, and little access even to humanitarian aid, as member countries implement increasingly brutal measures to impede contact between volunteers and NGOs and those in need of their help. Facilities housing unaccompanied child refugees in Lampedusa and across Greece have been declared unfit for purpose. If Europe was ever a "safe space" before, EU member states recently have done their utmost to remove all support structures and ensure that it become a deeply unsafe place for those with whom it does not see fit to share that safety. The Conservative Party has long held a reputation for being less concerned with humanitarian issues - so sterlingly embodied, incidentally, by the Home Secretary's proposition this very same week that we terminate our adherence to the ECHR - than other major parties. It thus seems to me - and to many fellow Brits - inconceivable that the fears motivating most members of your party to vote against bringing these children to the UK were ones of deep concern for any who may follow in their footsteps. Especially when all other major parties, which have historically demonstrated a much stronger tradition of caring for others - were not held back by such worries. Advertisement The 95,000 unaccompanied children who reached Europe last year did so despite the absence of "pull-factor" policies. This argument betrays your deep underestimation of the trauma of subjecting yourself and your family to that journey; the mental anguish endured to send your child alone is unimaginable. The unaccompanied child refugees in Europe are on their own for one of the following reasons: Their parents died during the journey They became separated from their parents during the journey Their parents could not afford the smugglers' fees for the whole family, and preferred to stay in a warzone and die to allow their child at least a chance of survival. I am afraid that you think rather too highly of yourself if you believe that parents are checking just what the UK government's opinion is before sending their children away from one death and quite possibly towards another. The decision to send your child across the world under these conditions is not a political one, based on thorough research and knowledge of the reception structures and processes in various European countries; it is a decision based on an everyday struggle between life and death; a decision born of the desperation of living in a warzone, under either terrorist or murderous government control. Not only does your "pull factor" theory lack credibility on these grounds, but it also stands directly at odds with the despicable EU/Turkey deal you backed mere weeks ago. The entire raison d'etre of this morally degraded and legally dubious - or dubiously legal - piece of legislation was, purportedly, to remove all incentive for people to make the journey to Europe. It was in this capacity that you offered it "this country's full support" (against the wishes of much of the country, I might add). Now, as soon as the possibility of giving shelter in the UK to a small number of lonely children has arisen, that disincentivising effect seems to have been quickly forgotten and the "pull factor" revived in full force. Advertisement Your predicted "pull factor" would only be even conceivable if selection under the Dubs Amendment appeared possible to children not yet in Europe. This in turn could only be the case given the obscenely excessive timeframe of five years over which to take in the mere 3,000 children - equalling just 600 per year, to whom you have denied safety. If the UK were to select and welcome all 3,000 children within the next few months or year - reverting to the numbers of unaccompanied child refugees granted asylum annually during the mid-2000s, even without the background of a refugee crisis - the risk of any "pull factor" effect would be mitigated. You know you've come to the right part of Britain to make a show about masculinity when you're filming in a city centre on a cold, wet Saturday night and the only other man you've seen wearing any kind of jacket is your presenter, a transvestite potter from Islington. We'd come to the north east of England - Newcastle to be precise - to shoot the first episode of our new documentary series Grayson Perry: All Man. I'm always up for filming there, as the people are a documentary-maker's dream: warm, smart, open-hearted and most crucial of all from my point of view talkative. Geordies are the Italians of Britain. But the whole tough guy thing is inescapable there too. The men just look harder - bigger muscles, more tattoos, tighter clothes (although not gay tight clothes, obviously). What are the men of the north east trying to tell us about themselves, we wondered, as we shivered in our bad-weather filming fleeces while the scantily-clad hen- and stag-party carnivalesque of Bigg Market unfolded around us? Advertisement And then there's the fact that cage-fighting, or mixed martial arts (MMA), is huge there. As the sharp end of north-eastern masculinity, that seemed to me like the place to start. Grayson was apprehensive. How would men who make a living out of battering the living daylights out of each other in a cage respond to his brand of probing and deeply personal questioning about the problems and pathos of being male? With genuine insight and unsparing honesty, is the answer. And if that surprises you, you might not be quite as free of prejudice about northern working-class life as you like to think. One man, Andy, talked about the pain of his brother's suicide, and how the ring was a place he could legitimately exorcise his demons. Another, Alex, sprawled on his hotel room bed with Grayson in the hours before a fight and, as he always does, watched a DVD of Troy, thoughtfully picking apart the different visions of manliness Homer offers us in Achilles and Hector. Colin "The Freakshow" Fletcher traced his cage-fighting persona (he dresses up for fights as a really scary, chainsaw-wielding clown) back to the trauma of being bullied as a kid. And as Grayson remembered the childhood origins of his own imperative to dress up in frilly women's clothes, they found moving common ground. What the cage-fighters of Tyne and Wear taught me is that masculinity is performance, and that these men were every bit as aware of that fact as Grayson Perry is himself. It's one of Grayson's greatest gifts as a documentary voice to ask the questions to which he's genuinely curious to know the answer. Not rocket-science you might think, but so much television interviewing is really a targeted exercise in quote-harvesting. Interviewees invariably know the difference. But you'd be shocked how few documentary-makers do. And in this instance, Grayson's empathy and the fighters' emotional openness in response produced the kind of truth you can weave a documentary out of. Advertisement Phew, obvs. We had a film. So perhaps this might be a moment to share a few personal confidences of my own. The first one is that I made up that bit earlier about choosing to shoot in the north east because of how bankably articulate Geordies are. We chose the region because it has the highest rate of male suicide in Britain. Seventy-eight percent of the people who take their own lives in the region are men. We thought they were haunting statistics. If there really is a "crisis of masculinity" about, we thought, and if we were really serious about making a series that looks honestly at being a man, we probably ought to start there. How that might connect to the spectacle of hyper-masculinity we saw on a Newcastle Saturday night - you'll have to watch the film to judge. But I couldn't be more delighted with the way it's turned out, and the experience of making it has prompted me take a long hard look at the kind of man I am myself. I've even made a resolution to try to put aside some behaviours that I've come to see are deeply unhelpful and even self-sabotaging. So when the programme airs on Thursday night at 10pm on Channel 4, I'm got to sit back and just try to be in the moment as a confidently-centered man. AND NOT LOOK AT TWITTER EVEN ONCE. Most of you might not remember, but in Snakes on a Plane, the plane actually ends up at its intended destination (admittedly with an emergency landing). We are not quite so lucky when it comes to the IRL situation of boozy Brits on a plane. In fact in the last week, let alone year, three planes to Barcelona, Alicante and Malaga were disrupted because passengers got too drunk. Snakes 1, People 0. Unsurprisingly then, according to a survey on Opodo.com, 79% of people said they would welcome measures to curb alcohol intake on flights while 11% said they would be happy with a total ban. Advertisement But banning alcohol on a flight isn't the solution because the problem is in fact much, much bigger than our inability to say no to free drinks on a plane. We Brits are known for being the drunkest ones in the room, at any table, in any country. Not only is this the general global perception of us as a nation, but we take pride in it. In fact, the more batshit your story, the more of a legend you are. Got on a train that went five hours in the wrong direction? Legend. Projectile vomited over your best friend's shoes? Legend. Did all of the above and lost your wallet, phone and clothes? Christ, you need a badge that reads LEGEND. Advertisement The problem isn't that we drink. It's that our drinking habits are utterly dysfunctional. We start developing this from a young age, when binge-drinking is considered to be the norm, especially in your uni days and most of your 20s. Most people I know in my 30s still have a very skewed idea of how much is too much. Apparently three glasses of wine is fine in one sitting. It's not. That's nearly a bottle of wine and half the recommended units for a person per week. I'm not wagging the finger but I genuinely think most of us don't know what's an acceptable level to drink. Drinking is inescapable in working life. Not only are you juggling your social (boozy) life with your mates but you're also expected to put in pub hours - unless you want your colleagues to think you are a total weirdo who sews name tags into their socks. The majority of British society celebrates drunken behaviour as cheeky antics (which perpetuates it) and we act as if someone has punched our nan in the face when they say they aren't drinking that evening. In fact when someone dies because they voluntarily did something dangerous like falling off a balcony or a building (and this happens frequently when people are drunk), it's called 'death by misadventure'. I couldn't think of a worse name to call something so serious. Advertisement There comes a point when we have to ask ourselves why on earth we keep doing this. Why being hungover is completely normal on a weekly basis when it's actually a big klaxon from your body that you drank more than your liver could or should handle. Personally, I think we'd be a lot better off if we were properly educated about drinking. Not some lecture about not drinking too much, or a nanny state decree that because a few people can't control themselves around booze on a plane, none of us can have it. Because I know that when I have been taught about drinking and the impact on my body, it has affected (over a long period) how much I drink. For instance memory loss is something we laugh about when it happens to us or a mate. In fact it happened to me a lot in my 20s and I thought it was a normal part of drinking. But I'll never forget when someone told me that memory loss caused by alcohol is actually irreparable brain damage. I can't speak for others but I like my brain. Advertisement So what would have been useful? I would much rather have had a chat about drinking in my school than being forced to attend an anti-drugs assembly with someone dressed up as a giant ecstasy pill. In fact, we could all do with this as adults. A case in point is a friend of mine who attended a drink driving course and expected to have a dry lecture about what a scumbag he was and how he should stop drinking. Instead, he said that they made you think about drinking but helping you to unpick how you developed those habits and what alcohol actually does to your body. "Why don't they tell you this stuff until it's too late?" he said. Banning people from drinking isn't the answer. They tried that on public transport and I don't know about you, but I haven't seen a reduction in drunken bozos lurching around. The next mayor of London needs to support and empower the capital's Business Improvement Districts London heads into the mayoral elections this week having reached a key landmark. We now have 50 Business Improvement Districts (BIDs) in the capital following the election of Euston Town last month. BIDs are important generators of local growth. Working with the business community they improve key economic clusters, ensuring that they become a better place to work, shop and visit. As Boris prepares to leave City Hall to make way for the new Mayor, it's worth considering what's next for BIDs. Advertisement As those of us who work on BID teams know, you have to make your own luck. We don't enjoy a fixed, secure position like a local authority or a Whitehall department. Every five years we create and present a vision to our local business community aimed at driving economic prosperity and regeneration. If local firms agree to it, we go ahead and deliver it. Much of our work involves building coalitions of support to secure funding and make ambitious projects a reality. While our flexibility allows us to thrive and respond to very local challenges, we can improve by learning from each other. Collaboration is crucial to our work, and one of the most important partnerships for all of London's BIDs is with the Greater London Authority. Advertisement This is our five-point plan for the next Mayor of London. #1: Give us more regeneration responsibility We have two very successful Mayoral Development Corporations (MDCs) in London that have brought vast benefits to the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park and the Old Oak and Park Royal Area. MDCs however are dominated by the GLA and lack local leadership. We want to ensure that key development areas consider the voice of local business by allowing BIDs, LEPs and other private partnerships to lead MDC projects. #2: Support high-growth small businesses and start-ups London is a global leader of entrepreneurship yet too many of our start-ups fail to take off. We need to look at how we can better share the knowledge of what it takes to succeed with budding entrepreneurs. The next mayor needs to support and help to establish innovative projects like open and collective workspaces which help entrepreneurs learn to exchange ideas and share success. #3: Appoint a Deputy Mayor for Regeneration and Local Economic Growth We need a specialist in City Hall that can work with London's economic clusters to support regeneration and growth. Advertisement The appointee would have a steering role, making suggestions to BIDs teams based on past successes, and supporting projects by scoping-out funding opportunities. #4: Fight to protect office space in the capital Most of our business members are commercial tenants, yet recent reforms mean planning applications are not necessary on certain types of property. Landlords can now convert their premises from an office to a residential unit much more quickly. The GLA Open Workspace Group's Manifesto shares our view that this is a major threat to areas of the capital not exempt from this policy. #5: Let us deliver more BIDs haven't been able to make the most of the instincts and expertise of our business members. As BID teams we represent some of the most successful companies in the world, let alone the capital. We want to harness this thinking in the context of improving local communities. We want to work with local commerce to provide better transport, schools and other front line services. Advertisement News / National by Staff reporter Police here banned the first anti-national pledge demonstration by the Mthwakazi Republic Party (MRP) yesterday, saying it had not been sanctioned by authorities and therefore, illegal.Anti-riot police broke up the march by the far-left protesters in the city as they sought to demonstrate against a national pledge for children, which was introduced in schools at the start of the new term yesterday.The demo, which was supposed to begin at Egodini Bus Terminus to Mhlanhlandlela Government Complex, was stopped immediately after the protestors began the march in the morning.According to Mbonisi Gumbo, MRP spokesperson, their aim was to present the petition to the provincial office of the Primary and Secondary Education ministry demanding what they termed an end to the "violation of child-related crucial rights which entail the right to freedom of worship and basic education".Some parents and churches have protested the pledge, in which children will be made to recite every day after singing the national anthem.In the national pledge, children pledge their allegiance to God and the national flag and pay their respects to "brave fathers and mothers who lost their lives in the Chimurenga", the 70s war of independence against the minority white-led government that ushered in independence in 1980."We demand the end to the national pledge as it violates the rights of children and their parents as enshrined in the Constitution of Zimbabwe, and the articles of the African Union and the United Nations of which Zimbabwe is a signatory," Gumbo said.Sylvia Utete-Masango, the permanent secretary in the Education ministry, said on Monday: "The words in the pledge talk about hard work, commitment and dignity."I don't know if there are parents who don't want honest and hard-working children." Today the International Development Committee released our report on the Crisis in Yemen, our fourth report of the Parliament. Yemen faces a massive humanitarian crisis, with over 80% of the population in need of assistance. DFID has been instrumental in supporting and facilitating the humanitarian relief effort. Although DFID has been one of the leading international forces responding to the crisis, we believe that other countries need to do more to match the efforts of the UK. It is vital that other donors, in addition to the UK, rapidly provide necessary funds to support the UN's $1.8billion 2016 Humanitarian Response Plan. This money will go a long way to helping ease some of the many pressures that this conflict has caused. As this conflict has continued, many basic services in Yemen have suffered as a result. We noted that education, healthcare, nutrition, water and sanitation have all fallen victim to the ongoing conflict. Damage of facilities, lack of staff and a lack of medicine is stretching Yemen's healthcare system to the point of collapse and DFID need to use the resources and expertise it has in strengthening healthcare systems to ensure that this doesn't happen. The same is true for nutrition, water and sanitation; DFID has been fundamental in maintaining these programmes but more needs to be done to scale up these efforts. Advertisement As ever in major conflicts, the risk to civilians and humanitarian staff is severe. It is vitally important that all sides in this conflict adhere to International Humanitarian Law (IHL) to ensure that civilians and humanitarian workers are protected. We received evidence from humanitarian organisations which suggests strongly that humanitarian law has been breached. This undermines the relief effort. In light of the compelling evidence, we recommend that an independent international inquiry into alleged violations of IHL by both sides of the conflict in Yemen should be set up without delay. The evidence we have received raises questions over the Government's continued licensing of arms transfers to Saudi Arabia. Based on the strength and credibility of the evidence we have heard, we welcome the Committee on Arms Export Controls inquiry into the use of UK manufactured arms in Yemen and hope it will consider the case for suspension of arms sales to Saudi Arabia until there is evidence that there is no 'clear risk' that arms exported from the UK "might be used in the commission of a serious violation of IHL" in Yemen. The International Development Committee is encouraged by DFID's focus on the long term development of Yemen and the department's support for UN efforts to facilitate peace talks. We urge the Government to apply pressure on all parties to the conflict so we can see progress in the peace talks and particularly to ensure that the accompanying ceasefire is adhered to by all sides. The ultimate goal is a long lasting peace for Yemen and an opportunity for its people to rebuild their country. You've heard the one about Maslow's hierarchy of needs, right? There are a couple of different riffs on the same joke but the punchline is always the same. Humans need Wi-Fi to survive now. It's coming up to ten years since the introduction of the first iPhone and the beginning of the smartphone revolution. Ten long years and the early promise that these devices would free us from the grey daily commute and banal office banter is finally coming true. In the US today, 30% of workers are freelance. By 2035, it's predicted their percentage of the workforce will rise to more than 50%. A new generation of workers - digital nomads - are harnessing the power of mobile and instagramming their way to a new kind of productivity; free from employers, property, belongings and stress. And in their kiteboarding wake, our collective attitudes to work and life are shifting. Advertisement Even our relationship to place is being made anew. In many ways, London today feels closer to Shanghai or San Francisco than it does to Newcastle or Birmingham. The world's mega cities increasingly share the same culture, the same company headquarters, the same infrastructure challenges and the same people. A growing legion who join the dots on the world map with their flight paths - a creative class flitting between cities and scenic retreats, their digital skills ever in demand wherever they go. Belonging everywhere and nowhere at the same time. United less by their places of origin than by their choice of operating system. Generation Rent shrugs like Atlas at the ever more remote possibility of home ownership as it drifts away on a rising tide of student debt and gentrified house prices. All the better to take advantage of the ever decreasing cost of flights. After all, why buy a car when you can Uber. Why cook when you can Just Eat. Why commit when you can Tinder. Why work when you can vlog. With every increase in internet speed and connectivity, the world gets smaller and new experiences more curatable. You can hot desk from base camp at Everest. Run a global online retail business from an Ayahuasca retreat in the rainforest. Make a living from your Instagram feed, documenting your #digitalnomad #life #livingthedream. Advertisement Early humans were nomadic. Perhaps it's our natural state and the rise of the digital nomad our millennial return. Equipped with the defining tool of our age - the smartphone - many are leaving ten thousand years of materialism behind in favour of joining a new tribe: hunter gatherers of experience not things. Pieter Levels is maker of Nomad List, a site that lets nomads find the best places to live, work and meet. "Experientialism is definitely one of the big reasons the digital nomad trend is taking off," he says. "People today want to explore the world and meet people from different cultures. Just an IKEA table and a TV isn't going to cut it any longer." So if materialism is sliding away from our sense of self and being replaced with experimentialism, could there be associated benefits for the planet? Cynics point to the carbon emissions of our increased air travel as we search for new experiences, but James Wallman, author of Stuffocation and founder of think-tank The Future is Here sees Digital Nomadism as an agent of positive change. "I'm amazed at all the fuss over air travel," says James. "Roughly 5% of carbon emissions are down to travel. That's absolutely dwarfed by the impact on our planet of global materialism. 95% of all consumer goods six months down the line become rubbish. Our materialist system is not good at producing consumer goods, it's good at producing rubbish. Any movement that takes us away from valuing material goods and instead values experiences is environmentally sound - even one based on air travel and Instagram." But what impact does the Western digital diaspora have on host nations - especially those with developing economies? Youjin Do is a film-maker making One Way Ticket, the world's first documentary about Digital Nomads. "While making the documentary, I have been thinking whether this movement is spreading wealth to developing countries or whether it's a new form of gentrification," says Youjin. Advertisement Looking at the demographics of the Digital Nomad tribe, it's clear the traffic is largely one way. "Most digital nomads are from well developed countries and have amazing visa options," notes Youjin. "A digital nomad with a European Union passport can for instance get a lot further than a Vietnamese one who faces the huge possibility of their visa application getting rejected." The smartphone may have disrupted the way many people live and work and may even be reshaping our value systems, but global inequalities remain largely in tact. The media debates whether we should call the millions fleeing war and poverty "economic migrants" or "refugees". Many carry with them the lifeline of a smartphone but no-one classes them as #digitalnomads. The hashtag is not only about how digital or how nomadic. It is also implicitly about how privileged. God's message brought to us by Jesus! Photo used by permission of KLC The late, great Gil Scott-Heron poetically pointed out that "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised". It might be more accurate to say the revolution was not televised. Why the past tense? Because the revolution to end all revolutions arguably took place some 2000 years ago, when a carpenter's son fomented a spiritual revolt against materialistic limitation. A revolt that continues today! But what if the man who started the revolution never existed? That's the gauntlet thrown down by a recent article in the Daily Mail called "Jesus NEVER existed". It explains how the writer found no mention of Jesus in 126 historical texts and insisted he was a 'mythical character'. Advertisement If this position is accurate, would that mean there never was a spiritual revolution? It certainly didn't mean that to one particular Christian thinker. Mary Baker Eddy firmly believed in Jesus' virgin birth and his resurrection. She also accepted the historicity of the many Bible healings attributed to him. Nevertheless, the founder of Christian Science was unperturbed when confronted with the suggestion Jesus might never have lived. When teaching students the Christian healing she had discovered, Eddy was assailed one day by the skepticism of a Unitarian minister invited to join the class as a silent observer. As she challenged the idea of agnosticism, he could no longer keep quiet. "How do you know that there ever was such a man as Christ Jesus?" the Reverend James Henry Wiggin blurted out. Advertisement Eddy had reached her conclusions through studying the biblical record of Jesus. She not only wholeheartedly believed that record but put what she learned into practice through healing. But she wasn't asking Wiggin or anyone else to accept her conclusions based solely on faith in an historical figure. If her understanding and articulation of the healing method Jesus taught and practised was right then it was presently demonstrable by everyone, including Wiggin. On that basis, she boldly informed him that she didn't find her authority for these ideas in history, "but in revelation". "If there had never existed such a person as the Galilean Prophet, it would make no difference to me. I should still know that God's spiritual ideal is the only real man in His image and likeness," she added, pointing to a golden thread she found woven throughout the Scriptures. Her words evidently had an impact on her guest who, as she also recalled, later wrote "a kind little pamphlet" defending her teachings. (The First Church of Christ, Scientist and Miscellany, p.318) Yet it was precisely because she had seen healings which echoed those attributed to Jesus that she had such a deep conviction of the actual existence of "the Galilean Prophet" as "the great Exemplar". That is, through applying what she had learned from his example of the power of prayerfully understanding "God's spiritual ideal" as the only real identity of one and all, Eddy also saw minds and bodies being made better. Advertisement In Christian Science, this understanding of our spiritual identity, made in God's image and likeness, is understood to be the Christ. This Christ-spirit is most clearly evidenced in the remarkable spiritual practice of Jesus but it is ultimately always available to us all. Which begs the question: "Does Christ need to come again?" "Is there more than one Christ, and hath Christ a second appearing?" Eddy asked in a talk she gave at the turn of the nineteenth century. "There is but one Christ. And from everlasting to everlasting this Christ is never absent," she answered. (Message to The Mother Church Boston, Massachusetts June, 1900) Having this understanding of the ever-present Christ which Jesus demonstrated with such unique clarity and power means there's no need for the personal return of Jesus. The ever-presence of Christ only needs to be understood anew and progressively proved once again in present-day healing. And therein lies the revolution that can never be televised, for one simple reason. The consciousness of the healing Christ occurs where cameras cannot go - inside the hearts of the humble. Advertisement For that reason, too, it's a revolution that will never go away. Predrag Vuckovic via Getty Images Man snorkeling and holding crayfish in the sea. Lobsters and oysters are among Australian marine life that could begin literally dissolving as our oceans become increasingly acidic. It may sound like a piece of speculative science fiction, but ocean acidification is a well-documented phenomena and the world's experts are currently meeting in Hobart for the 4th international Oceans in a High CO2 World symposium. Advertisement Ocean acidification occurs when the world's waters absorb carbon dioxide from the air, which lowers the entire ocean's pH level. If there is enough carbon dioxide in the air, it puts all marine animals at risk that rely on a carbonate exoskeleton. Species with these exoskeletons like lobsters, crayfish, mussels and oysters will begin to dissolve and be less able to build their protective shells, creating thinner, slower growing shells that are more vulnerable to predators. What's more, the same process can dissolve entire coral reefs, and new research released this week shows increasingly acidic waters on the Great Barrier Reef are already having an effect, with coral growing 7 percent slower than at the start of the industrial revolution. The industrial revolution is a pertinent comparison point because ocean acidification is caused by increased carbon dioxide in the air, which is in turn caused by the burning of fossil fuels, which ramped up around the time fuel-burning machines became common. Advertisement Today, we're pumping more carbon dioxide into the air than ever before, and CSIRO oceans and atmosphere senior research scientist Andrew Lenton said there were precise measurements going back six decades on the way oceans respond. "This is really the predictable and measurable consequence of rising carbon dioxide levels," Lenton said. "What we can see is even low emissions, that is akin to the Cop 21 emissions [targets] to the end of the century, well see an increase in ocean acidification and decrease in pH, meaning that even if were able to keep our emmissions to the level were hoping to, the changes are so large that corals, for example, will experience conditions where theyre not historically found." In other words, corals have not been shown to survive in the level of pH scientists believe our oceans are headed. "It doesnt happen in isolation, its also warming at the same time so weve got to start thinking about understanding ocean acidification, with warming and other changes to determine how it will impact the marine system into the future." Advertisement Back to lobsters and oysters. US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration senior scientist Richard A Feely said the U.S. had a concerning window into a future where all the world's oceans were more acidic because of an anomalic ocean upwelling that brought carbon dioxide-rich water to the west coast of the U.S. between April and November each year. "It's a very unique situation," Feely said. "Those two combined increases in carbon dioxide causes pH drops in the order of the future that we might expect in the open oceans at the end of the century and the impact of that has been striking." Feely said it decimated the oyster industry and dissolved the shells of some snails. "Weve seen large impact on our oyster industry beginning in 2006 and 2007 to the point that the shellfish in hatcheries, the oyster larvae were dying off within two days and they had no way to recover." "What we did in that case, we taught the shellfish growers how to raise the pH inside hatcheries and allow them to grow normally. We developed an adaptation strategy that worked and the question is, can we do the same thing in the open ocean?" The strategy the farmers employed was planting kelp and seagrass that naturally lowered the pH in the surrounding water when they photosynthesize. Advertisement University of Tasmanias Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies marine biologist Catriona Hurd said planting seaweed worked on a small scale, in cold-water systems, but we needed a global response to change the entire ocean's pH levels and avoid potentially disastrous consequences. "We know the key thing that has to happen to reduce ocean acidification is we need to look for some greener forms of energy," Hurd said. "We need to keep some of that carbon in the ground and not letting it out into the atmosphere." Sher Dillen Rangr, Abigail Dillen's son, during a recent family vacation (Abigail Dillen) Being a mother makes the future present. What day is there when you don't have a glimpse of your child as a grown-up? I am not a planner when it comes to my own life. I am bad at saving money -- that is, I generally don't. But I can see the smart, funny, capable 18-year old my son Sher will be, and so, I am evolving a new skill of saving so I can pay for college fifteen years from now. Shortly after Sher was born, a friend of mine told me, "You'll never sleep the same way again." And for the last three and three-quarters years, I haven't. I wake up in the middle of the night and worry about everything -- from the milk I forgot to pick up for tomorrow morning, to where Sher will go to school a year from now, to the fundamentally altered planet that he will live on as a man, maybe as a father. I hope it's not too late to preserve a world that is hospitable enough for humanism. What will happen if the oceans take back the coasts where most people in the world live? If drought and new weather patterns kill the crops on farmlands that feed everyone? When there is not enough water? How will there be any safety, kindness, learning, justice, peace? What will become of all the animals? Advertisement When the night terrors come, I suspect most mothers will not want to dwell on climate change. But as someone who works on climate and energy issues, I can't stop myself. The only way back to sleep is with a reasoned leap of faith that we can still fend off the full disaster. The reasoned part is that it is still technically possible to cut greenhouse gas emissions to limit temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius. The leap is that people across the world will wake up to the urgent threat and do what we must do without losing any more time. And that is where you come in, mothers of the world. What if I told you that we could fix the biggest climate problem going forward, that we could stop burning fossil fuels and still get around in a fully electrified world? Would you join me in demanding, as fiercely as mothers can demand, that our leaders in government, business, and media get serious about climate change? We know that wind and solar energy are here. We know that electric vehicles are here. There is no excuse for running dirty coal-fired power plants and building expensive new pipelines for oil and gas. No one should be allowed to choose Exxon and Peabody Coal over your child and mine. There are essentially three things I hear people say when they advocate for doing nothing in the face of unprecedented risks to our security. The first is that the science is uncertain and the risks are exaggerated. Maybe these people are not reading the news. The only thing wrong with the climate science is that the projections have been too conservative. The scary changes are only happening faster than anticipated. Late last month, I was doing an internet search and came across this headline from the Toronto Star, "'And then we wept': Scientists say 93 percent of the Great Barrier Reef now bleached." The poet Frank O'Hara has a line about "something horrible you hadn't expected/ which is the most horrible thing." I have always debated whether the unexpected horrible thing is truly worse than the expected one. As climate change progresses, I think the most horrible thing is the thing you were warned about but couldn't bear to expect. Advertisement The second basic argument is about money. The premise is that our prosperity depends on our ability to dig fossil fuels out of the ground. Supposedly, it will be too disruptive to make investments in new infrastructure that would move us out of the 19th century and into a new clean tech economy. But what could be more disruptive to our economy than Wall Street underwater and the greater catastrophe that entails? Given the vast majority of people who are not flourishing in our old economy, why not embrace a new one that creates new jobs and new wealth? The third is despair. It is hard to watch this crisis unfold in slow motion and not feel defeated. But now is not the moment to give up. As we are edging precariously close to bad tipping points for our natural systems, we have actually, almost amazingly, reached the good tipping points -- for renewable energy, for global collaboration, for public awareness and action by people like you and me. Last month, the world's biggest carbon polluters, the U.S., China, and India, all signed the historic Paris agreement to cut greenhouse gas emissions. In the U.S., we are enforcing existing law to retire coal plants and ramp up clean energy, which is emerging as the economic as well as environmental alternative to coal power and gas power too. Just ten years ago, we were still getting half of our electricity from coal. Now, its share of the power market is down to a third and still shrinking fast. We are winning victories to keep coal, oil, and gas in the ground and underwater in the Arctic, off the Atlantic coast, in coal country, and in western oil and gas fields. In just six months, with the President's landmark rejection of the Keystone pipeline and the announcement of a pause on federal leasing that would allow for new coal mining, there has been a dramatic shift away from the "all of the above" approach to national energy policy that has always privileged fossil fuels. I wonder if we may not be waking up to a new day. So with hope as well as fear on Mother's Day, I am addressing this open letter to you, my compatriots in the hard, often joyful, often anxious work of mothering. Will you join me in doing these three things? Advertisement Accept the radical truth that you and I can make a difference, and talk about climate change with everyone you know. We can't solve the problem if we ignore it. Make climate a voting issue and vote. The people we put in charge won't act fast enough if we don't give them clear direction. Make this your fight, because climate change will affect you and the people you love most. If you want to know what more you can do, reach out to an organization like mine and find out about opportunities to take action (at Earthjustice, we force climate action by taking the government and polluters to court). Marketing your startup is your first priority whenever you launch a company. You have no platform and you have no existing customers. Gaining traction is an obstacle the majority of startups fail at, and it's why 90% of startups continue to fail. The biggest reason for failure in marketing is that so many companies make major mistakes in their strategy and in how to use content marketing. This guide is going to show you some of the do's and don'ts of startup marketing. DO Increase Your Marketing Leverage To make money you have to spend money. Unfortunately, as a startup, it's easy to waste a lot of that money. When scaling up your marketing efforts, you should be looking for both ROI and an increase in revenue. Alternatively, you can consider this in the same area as marketing leverage. Advertisement You should be both innovating and gaining an ROI at the same time. This is how marketing efforts for companies constantly evolve. It's all about promoting accelerated growth. DON'T Disagree with the Customer There's a saying in startup marketing that you have to lead from behind the customer. This is no myth that has to be debunked. The customer is STILL always right. If you have a disagreement with your customer base, you are going to have to resolve that, and it always has to be resolved in the customer's favor. If you disagree with your customers, the chances are this is something that you have done wrong. DO Fail Fast Startups also fail because they remain with strategies that don't work for so long. They continue to plug away despite the fact the strategy has little chance of succeeding. Smart startups fail as much as any other, but they fail fast. What this means is that when they see a strategy that clearly isn't working they terminate it. They don't try to make it work. They move onto something else simply because the risk of wasting your marketing budget for the year on an ill-fated campaign isn't worth it. Advertisement DON'T Discount the Value of Free There's a lot of value to be gained through free marketing programs. The most powerful forms of marketing are free, including word of mouth, organic search, and guest blogging. Yet a lot of startups automatically discount them because they assume that if something is free it probably isn't going to offer them much value. But going back to the point about marketing leverage, the cheapest marketing options all offer the highest marketing leverage value. You only have to earn a small amount of money and you are already in profit. DO Seek New Revenue Streams It's much easier to earn 1% of five revenue areas than it is to dominate a single revenue area. You have to go out of your way to seek out new revenue streams. Startups should aim to diversify as soon as they can. The more people you have in your target audience the easier it is to gain traction. These revenue streams don't have to cross over into different industries. It can be as simple as offering a variation of a currently available product or service. DON'T Settle One of the things you should absolutely not do is settle for less. Go out of your way to always improve. Startups commonly mess up when they gain a tiny piece of success. They are so pleased with themselves that they lose intensity and they try to settle on the results already achieved. Advertisement Any success should be taken as a reason to accelerate the intensity in your marketing. Use the art of persuasion to convince both investors and co-founders that you have to increase your marketing resources not take the time to celebrate. DO Use Automation The use of automation is common in the world of startup marketing today. Facilitate the customer journey through using automation and you'll make things more efficient for both you and the customer. Using automation is simple because there are so many options on offer today for how to do it. DON'T Have Mixed Messages You should make sure that your marketing is sending a unified message across all platforms to avoid confusing your target audience. Companies like Amazon and Google debunk the myth that things have to be complicated by sending exactly the same message across all platforms. They never send more than one message because they want to accomplish one goal and one aim. In leadership today, excellence demands value ... and values. In recent weeks, a number of corporate leaders have expressed opposition to a new North Carolina law that removes vital protections for transgender people in the state. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Apple CEO Tim Cook wrote a public letter to the governor expressing opposition. PayPal cancelled a major investment. Deutsche Bank halted plans to bring 250 jobs to the state. Aren't major companies supposed to be hesitant to weigh in on controversial issues? What's going on here? Advertisement What we're seeing in North Carolina isn't an isolated incident; it reflects a convergence of value - profit, pay, prices and returns - with values - positions that reflect the public's desire for inclusive, respectful, and sustainable societies. Several reasons account for this trend, chief among them politics, demographics, and technology. First, politics. Government gridlock has fueled a thirst for new solutions. Polarization across and within parties has made it difficult for moderate voices to bridge the gap and get things done through traditional legislative action. As government flails, companies are well-positioned to fill the void. In fact, Edelman's 2016 Trust Barometer finds a 20-point gap in trust between corporations and government: 61 percent of the public trusts businesses to keep pace with societal change, while just 41 percent trust government. Moreover, 80 percent of respondents look to business to solve social and economic problems in the communities in which they operate, while only 59 percent expect government to do the same. The second factor hinges on demographics. The war among companies for top-notch talent has always been intense, but companies today must appeal to younger recruits who came of age in a networked world and see themselves as part of a global community, one in which all people deserve respect for their distinct views and ways of life. Advertisement Whereas yesterday's talent wars focused primarily on pay and perks, a recent study by Deloitte reports that six in 10 millennials cite a "sense of social purpose" as a key reason they chose their current employer. Hiring the best employees today means offering more than a great paycheck; it means providing a sense of social purpose and a motivating mission, as well. Third, technology is radically changing the climate of corporate communications, presenting both opportunity and risk for the C-suite. On one hand, the rise of social media empowers CEOs with platforms that allow them to rapidly communicate ideas, achievements, goals, and values to a global audience. This can help businesses present a compelling vision and build and reinforce brand loyalty. On the other hand, global connectivity places CEOs under a microscope that scrutinizes both business conduct and public aspects of their personal affairs. CEOs who fail to deliver on values can no longer hide behind boardroom walls; they are more accountable to the public than ever before. And when they slip, their failures can generate backlash that goes viral, rapidly shifting from a headache to a full-blown crisis that poses real risk to the bottom line. The good news is that values-driven leadership can enhance corporate value as much as it detracts, particularly when it comes to millennial consumers, who already account for 21 percent of U.S. consumption and will soon purchase more than any other demographic. Advertisement According to the Barkley advertising agency, 63 percent of millennials will likely do business with a company they find socially responsible, while a remarkable 37 percent would pay more for a product that supports a cause they believe in. Despite mounting evidence that values-based leadership can create financial value for businesses, most companies are still not built to answer society's growing demand for corporate value. Why is this? Corporate decision-making remains segregated. For most companies, business decisions and corporate social responsibility continue to run on separate tracks. Rarely does an adviser skilled at navigating the risks and opportunities of social advocacy have the ear of the C-suite. Forward-looking companies should align their corporate philanthropy efforts with their business goals - and empower the corporate philanthropy team to adopt a "war room" mentality that anticipates, identifies, and responds to key public issues like the North Carolina law. Most CEOs also remain hesitant to step into the fray for fear of compromising their privacy and alienating customers. While these fears are understandable, the "duck and cover" approach will only get harder to justify. CEOs should look to get ahead of a trend that will only accelerate in the years ahead. Advertisement That doesn't mean jumping in blind. Navigating the choppy waters of values-based leadership requires savvy and precision. Three tips can help leaders do this elegantly, in a way that limits risk and maximizes return. First, look around corners. Peer into the future. Anticipate where an issue is going, not where it is today, and shape your positions, and the actions of your business, accordingly. Second, choose carefully. You don't need to engage on every issue. Find the debates you feel strongly about, where your business has something to say and something inspiring to show. When it comes to public interventions, quality beats quantity every time. Third, be authentic. Few people become senior corporate executives. This brings grinding pressure - but also incredible opportunity to shape our common values. Hold true to your moral compass, and seize the privilege to move our society in a direction you deem just. While recent events in North Carolina bring the evolving landscape of values-based leadership into stark relief, the Tar Heel State is only the tip of the iceberg. Advertisement At a time when the public is open to and eager for businesses to solve societal problems, CEOs have a unique opportunity to leverage personal values to improve financial value. Fortunately for those in the C-suite, the same qualities that help them succeed in business - foresight, strategic discretion, and authenticity - can also help them thrive in their growing role as stewards of public affairs. "Southern trees bear a strange fruit, blood on the leaves and blood at the root..." Swaying in the wind on an October day in 1934, Claude Neal's body hung from a tree on display in front of the Jackson County courthouse. Days prior, he was taken from his jail cell in Marianna, Florida by an angry white mob. Having been accused of raping and killing a white woman, Lola Cannidy, Claude Neal was tortured and hung by his neck until he was strangled to death. People gathered to watch the lynching, in the name of "justice" for Lola. Claude Neal's tragic death, which is detailed in James McGovern's Anatomy of a Lynching, is significant to me because he was my grandfather's cousin and because I am a capital defense attorney. Because of my work, I am often confronted by the many historical connections between the death penalty and lynchings. One of the most clear and lasting legacies of the torrid, bloody lynchings that occurred throughout the South in the late 1800s and early 1900s is the fact that today, hundreds of individuals--who are disproportionately Black--face the prospect of a death sentence without a fair trial. While Black men are no longer lynched before all-white crowds gathered on the courthouse lawn, Black men are all-too-often condemned to death by all-white juries that are produced by prosecutors' deliberate exclusion of people of color, particularly Black people, from jury service. Advertisement This past Saturday marked the 30th anniversary of the United State Supreme Court's decision in Batson v. Kentucky, which prohibits the intentional exclusion of prospective jurors from service on an individual case based on race. The importance of this landmark decision cannot be overstated because, as the late Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall once commented, "Illegal and unconstitutional jury selection procedures cast doubt on the integrity of the whole judicial process. They create the appearance of bias in the decision of individual cases, and they increase the risk of actual bias as well." Peters v. Kiff, 407 U.S. 493, 502 (1972). And contemporary studies bear out the truth of Justice Marshall's analysis: compared to diverse juries, all-white juries spend less time deliberating, make more errors, rely on implicit biases and consider fewer alternative perspectives. Interestingly, studies have shown the effects of diversity were not wholly attributable to the specific performance of Black participants. In fact, the mere presence of individuals from other racial or ethnic groups improves the likelihood of a more well-rounded discussion among jurors. Despite the weighty legal and practical reasons not to have all-white juries, prosecutors throughout the country continue to pursue them. The Glenn Ford case in Caddo Parish, Louisiana, offers a powerful example of the tragic consequences of this misguided practice. Mr. Ford, a Black man, was charged with the murder of a white man in a community with a long and deep history of racial discrimination and violence. Indeed, the Confederate flag flew outside the courthouse at the time of his trial. Mr. Ford was sentenced to death by an all-white jury even though nearly 40 percent of the community was Black. Nearly 30 years after he was condemned to die, Mr. Ford was found to be innocent and exonerated. Tragically, he died of lung cancer after having only one year of freedom after his release. Considering the well-documented inadequacies of homogenous juries, there is a very real chance that Mr. Ford's fate would have been drastically different, had he been tried by a fairly selected, and appropriately diverse jury. Advertisement Unfortunately, the selection of an all-white jury in Mr. Ford's case was hardly anomalous. Thirty years after Batson, the practice is rampant. Thus, every day across this nation, Black jurors are struck from juries based solely on the color of their skin. For example, one study that examined 300 Caddo Parish trials that were conducted between 2003 and 2012 and found that the Caddo Parish District Attorney's office struck Black prospective jurors at three times the rate of non-Blacks in felony jury trials. Similarly, a Michigan State Law School study of trials for defendants on death row in North Carolina as of July 1, 2010, found that in those 173 capital cases, prosecutors excluded 52.8% of potential Black jurors, as compared to 25.7% of non-Black prospective jurors. The same study found that when the defendant was Black, prosecutors excluded more Black prospective jurors (60%), and accepted more non-Black jurors (they excluded only 23.1%). A prosecutors' training manual in Dallas, Texas, provided detailed instructions on the systematic exclusion of Blacks from jury service in criminal cases: "Do not take Jews, Negroes, Dagos, Mexicans or a member of any minority race on a jury, no matter how rich or how well educated....[T]hey will not do on juries." And, an Equal Justice Initiative report found that between 2005 and 2009, Houston County, Alabama, state prosecutors used peremptory strikes to remove 80% of potential Black jurors, resulting in half of the death penalty juries being all white and the remainder with only one Black juror. Prosecutors not only frequently exclude Black jurors, but when faced with Batson challenges, they also make up spurious reasons to cover up their unlawful discrimination. Any day now, the United States Supreme Court will rule on Foster v. Humphrey, a case of discrimination in jury selection that shows the lengths to which prosecutors will go to cover up their discrimination. During Mr. Foster's trial, Georgia prosecutors excluded all of the prospective Black jurors. When challenged, the prosecutors offered "race-neutral" reasons for the jurors' exclusions. Years later, however, it became clear that the Black jurors had been specifically targeted because of their race. Indeed, the trial prosecutors highlighted each Black prospective juror's name in green on four different copies of the jury list. Prosecutors often offer pre-textual "race-neutral" justifications for their exclusion of prospective jurors of color. Indeed, some prosecutors are explicitly taught to do so. Philadelphia prosecutors were caught training young attorneys to question potential Black jurors in such a way that they would later be able to provide race-neutral reasons for their peremptory strikes. In 1995, the North Carolina Conference of District Attorneys distributed a one-page handout titled "Batson Justifications: Articulating Juror Negatives" that provided a list of ten types of "justifications" a prosecutor might offer in response to a Batson challenge, including age, attitude, body language, and juror response. Standard Poodle in car wearing sunglasses Disdain for rich people has reached an all-time high. Thanks to the Panama Papers, we know the one percent shovel their billions offshore to avoid taxes and Bernie Sanders excoriates Wall Street for its corruption on a daily basis. Since the wealth gap has become so large -- the richest 62 billionaires own as much wealth as half the world's population -- we treat the upper class like a foreign species that lives in gold-encrusted glass cases. We gawk at their six-door garages and study their behaviour with disgust. It's tempting for everyone else to feel morally superior to the oligarchs sucking us dry. But the truth is, the negative psychological traits that come with having money exist to a degree in the middle class too. Advertisement There is no doubt that being rich changes how someone acts. For example, psychologists have found the class of people who travel on private jets have less empathy than those who take the bus. Multiple studies show the wealthy are more oblivious to people's emotions, likely because money makes them self-sufficient. But having goals and ambitions can make anyone less tolerant of other humans. In their daily lives, most people who earn a steady paycheque and have busy schedules think mostly of themselves. They avoid eye contact with homeless people, curse the barista in long coffee lines and get annoyed by how much space baby carriages take up on public transit. And although they may not live in gated mansions, most middle-class people live lives segregated from their neighbours, divorced from the idea of "community." Rather than acknowledge the reality of privilege, most people create narratives to justify their accomplishments. This phenomenon is particularly acute in rich people, who studies show are most likely to believe the idea that hard work begets success. They tend to blame individuals for economic failure (whereas lower classes blame unfair circumstances) and as a result, often vote for policies that exacerbate inequality. But it's not just the wealthy who chalk up their good fortune to long hours and good genes instead of lucky circumstances. Anyone born into a life of advantages creates stories to avoid uncomfortable truths. Gentrifiers tell themselves they are making a neighbourhood "more diverse," instead of displacing low-income residents. White employers tell themselves applicants who don't look like them are less "qualified" and men's rights groups tell themselves feminists are trying to oppress dudes. Advertisement Belief in the idea that individuals earn their success leads the ultra-wealthy to be less generous. A study by social psychologist Paul Piff found that those who make $25,000 and under are 44 per cent more likely to give some of the money to a stranger than those making between $150,000 to $200,000. A recent Chronicle of Philanthropy study found that those who earn between $50,000 and $75,000 give twice as much to charity than those who make more than $200,000 per year. In addition to feeling entitled to their money, rich people often prefer to spend hard-earned cash on their lavish lifestyles. Anyone who has gone from being a student to an intern to a full-time employee knows on a smaller level what it's like for luxuries to quickly become necessities. Once you can afford to buy lunch every day you no longer want to bring tupperwares full of leftovers to the office. Once you can afford to renovate one room, suddenly you notice a need for accent walls and heated floors all over your house. The truth is the more money someone makes, the more they want to spend it on bigger TVs rather than on other people. There's no doubt that rich people tend to act more selfishly, which can lead to corruption. But you do not have to be a billionaire to exhibit Gordon Gekko-like behaviour. When we criticize the wealthy we should also recognize that the same potential for extreme selfishness exists in all of us. With Mother's Day approaching and May being Older Americans month, I started thinking about caregivers at the beginning and at the end of life, for those young and old. People most often associate caregiving with the harried young mother who has no time to shower or get dressed as she feeds, bathes and runs after little ones. However, those who care for seniors are often just as stressed, pressed for time and tied to their charges. Caring for aging loved ones was never an easy prospect. However, up until now, caregiver stress was not much of an issue. Families lived in multi-generational households and together they shared the burden of their sick and elderly. Today, families are scattered and the responsibility for care usually falls on the spouse to shoulder almost alone. But, the spouse usually has their own physical problems of decreased mobility and strength as well as pain discomfort. Paying for outside help can be quite expensive and unless proper planning took place years before, funds are often not available for full time relief. It's clear that these caregivers need help. Caregiving is exhausting business. Seniors needing care often have complex health problems warranting total care. Though it may a labor of love, there is the routine activities of daily living (ADLs) such as bathing, grooming, dressing and feeding. Days may be centered around the need to properly nourish, ambulate and stimulate the patient. Those are all physically demanding activities that become even more so if the patient has dementia or a personality shift due to a disease such as Alzheimer's. Advertisement Caregiver burnout is all too common. There is juggling the errands such as grocery shopping, pharmacy trips and laundry - all must haves. Except, seniors needing care are not as portable as infants, making the situation more stressful and coverage even more crucial. No matter how well intentioned the caregiver, a difficult situation may spark feelings of fear, resentment and frustration and, if left to fester, can easily turn into full blown depression. Caregivers are often confined and isolated with no one on hand to ask questions to; day-to-day decision making can become burdensome. In a facility, the staff have each other. At home, there is only the caregiver and patient with short interludes of other family members, doctors and allied health professionals. Furthermore, the social support system for caregivers shrinks due to their responsibilities which in turn can contribute to a budding depression. Almost as much of a problem is the tendency of caregivers to push their own health under the rug. They are notorious for skipping their own doctor appointments and ignoring their own aches and pains hoping they just disappear. Denial might make the short term easier, but may be detrimental in the long run preventing them from seeking appropriate care and properly plan. In fact, there is a higher incidence of health issues associated with caregivers than non-caregivers probably due to a combination of stress, age and a certain degree of self-neglect. All too often, caregivers reach damaging and unhealthy levels of stress before they come to the point of reaching out for help and support. The same dangers of fatigue apply to hired home health aides as they too are vulnerable to stress and isolation. Additionally, since they are often from entirely different cultures, varying priorities and expectations on the part of the patient, their family and caregiver may cause tension. Even the most caring aide can transfer this back to the senior or even his family which is why it is important for the aide to work no more than 5 days a week on one case and for the family to have relief aides on hand. Advertisement This leads me to my next point, relief for family members. It is so important to care for the caregiver. Family and friends need to be offer practical support and watch for signs of caregiver stress. Here are some suggestions: 1.Help with meals once a week or once a month. Even frozen food can be a help in a pinch. 2.Run an errand sporadically or on a regular basis. Do the trip to the drug store or the like. 3.'Senior-sit' even one hour a week so the caregiver can get to the gym or a weekly class they enjoy. 4.If you can afford it, pay for a cleaning service once in a while to pinch hit. 5.Last, but not least, make a regular visit or just phone to show you care. By the same token, caregivers must take steps to prevent any negative effects from their truly admirable work. Caregivers must seek the help of a friend, support groups or a physician, before their struggles become severe. Here are some steps to take: 1.Keep in contact with friends, neighbors or relatives. Though they feel pressed, they need to maintain their 'social contract' with friends. Keeping active socially reduces stress and provides an outlet for the rollercoaster of emotions that come with caregiving. 2.Seek out a support group. Many of the various associations that deal with diseases endemic to the elderly have regular, often local, support group meetings, even online. Advertisement 3.Get active. Ride a bike. Go for a run. Put in an exercise video. Keep the blood circulating and the mind sharp. 4.Carve out 'alone time', even in the corner of the house, to read a book or watch a movie in peace. Some people find journaling daily thoughts and activities helps relieve stress. 5.Seek help immediately if depression is suspected. Talk therapy with a social worker or psychologist can help work through the unique challenges felt by caregivers. Remember, care must be taken to avoid what has become all too common - prescription drug abuse. 6.Keep your own nutrition up. That is the best way to maintain your health and energy level. You are a priority too! Caregiving is praiseworthy, but lonely and challenging business - not for the faint of heart. However, if you make efforts to protect yourself while reaching out for help at the appropriate times, you will emerge healthy and fulfilled. Let me know if I can help! Advertisement News / National by Staff reporter Morgan Tsvangirai's opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) says it will continue boycotting all elections until sticking points have been resolved and far-reaching electoral reforms enacted.This comes as the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (Zec) is finalising preparations for the by-elections in Mazowe North, which has been vacant since the death of Edgar Chidavaenzi of Zanu-PF.The statutory instrument calling the by-election has not yet been gazetted, and the MDC has said it is boycotting that special vote as well.This comes after the party also shunned the April 23 Guruve South by-election, won by Zanu-PF candidate, Patrick Dutiro, who beat the National Constitutional Assembly (NCA)'s Simbarashe Mutsvene.The Guruve South seat fell vacant after the Zanu-PF representative Criswell Mutematsaka lost the seat in terms of section 129(1)(k) of the Constitution when he was expelled from the governing party.An MDC official told the Daily News yesterday the party would continue to disengage from all polls until electoral reforms outlined in the national electoral reform agenda (Nera) document have been enacted, adding the MDC remains opposed to participation in mere rituals disguised as elections.Over 10 opposition political parties joined the MDC to craft and sign up to the Nera in the call for a truly credible election as a precondition for the return to legitimacy, which the parties agreed must become an issue of national priority.Nera prescribes that the electoral body introduce the biometric vote and also wants the next 2018 poll to be internationally run and supervised by the United Nations."The official position of the party is that we shall not participate in any elections without electoral reforms having been carried out," MDC spokesperson Obert Gutu told the Daily News yesterday."The reforms that we are demanding have been succinctly captured in the Nera document. Only the National Council of the party, being the highest decision-making body of the party in between congresses, has got the mandate and power to alter, amend and or abandon this position."Besides a biometric voter register, Nera also calls for the complete and total independence of Zec, the abandonment of the use of voter registration slips in polling, the use of postal voting strictly in accordance with the Sadc Principles and Guidelines Governing Democratic Elections, dubbed the Grand Baie Protocol, and clear definition of voter education that recognises the Bill of Rights.Nera also calls for an accurate and up-to-date electronic voters' roll to be made available to all interested political players in a searchable and analysable format, and that traditional leaders should be apolitical.It also calls for the harmonisation of all laws with the new Constitution of Zimbabwe, particularly laws such as Public Order and Security Act, Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act in particular Section and 121 of this Act, and the Broadcasting Services Act, among a raft of legislation.Nera also envisages that members of the security services the real power behind President Robert Mugabe's throne should not participate in any political activities and that the Diaspora vote should be immediately adopted and implemented and that those in prisons and other places of incarceration should be allowed to vote in accordance with the ruling of the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights and other regional jurisprudence.Tsvangirai, 64, has led the MDC since it was formed in 1999 to challenge Mugabe the sole ruler since the country gained independence from Britain in 1980 and his Zanu-PF party.But the ex-labour union leader has failed to dislodge the 92-year-old Mugabe in three elections, although none of them was free or fair, according to the MDC and Western observers.Mugabe denies MDC allegations that his Zanu-PF has cheated the MDC of victory in four major elections since 2000.Tsvangirai was urged not to contest in the 2013 elections because many of the electoral reforms he had asked for had not been implemented, but he went on to participate and controversially lost to Mugabe.The MDC has said it will not repeat that mistake.Tsvangirai's party remains the biggest challenge to Mugabe's continued hold on power.Tsvangirai is still seen as a popular hero and a focus for the MDC's rallying cry of chinja or change.Morgan Tsvangirai and wife Elizabeth cast their vote inMt Pleasant during the 2013 presidential vote. Ask yourself: What do you consider to be a "bias incident" that you encounter in your daily life? Is it an insensitive remark about another person's culture or nationality? Is it a comment during a political conversation that could be construed as racist or sexist? Is it a viewpoint that opposes another person's religious beliefs? If you answered "yes" to any of those questions, the speech you are referencing is most likely protected by the First Amendment. Yet at too many colleges and universities, the same expression can -- and does -- subject students and faculty members to censorship and punishment. Such discourse may be unpleasant and off-putting, but campus community members should use their own voices to respond, not call for disciplinary action and the silencing of others. At the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE, the nonpartisan, nonprofit organization where I work), we have long advocated against overbroad, poorly written, and inconsistently enforced "bias incident" policies on college campuses. After all, the university setting is the quintessential marketplace of ideas, where students and professors should be free to explore and debate a wide range of viewpoints, even -- or perhaps especially -- those that they find offensive or abhorrent. Advertisement Now, of course, if your definition of a "bias incident" involves unlawful conduct such as discrimination and hostile environment harassment, that's a different story. The First Amendment certainly doesn't protect such conduct, and colleges and universities have a paramount legal and moral obligation to address this type of behavior. The problem is that very few university bias incident policies or protocols stay limited to such unlawful conduct. Instead, they ban considerable amounts of constitutionally protected expression. Consider, for example, Central Michigan University's "Bias Incident Response Team" policy, which defines bias incidents to include "expressions of hate or hostility," whether through "words, signs [or] symbols." The policy adds: Anytime anyone in the CMU community feels belittled, disrespected, threatened, or unsafe because of who they are, the entire university community is diminished. That's why it's important to report all bias incidents - even those intended as jokes. If you have observed or experienced a bias incident, it should be reported as soon as possible. That's overstating things quite a bit. "Anytime anyone in the CMU community feels belittled" or "disrespected," the incident should be reported to the authorities, even in the case of a joke? Imagine the chilling effect on campus expression when students come across this provision in CMU's policy materials. Advertisement Nor is CMU alone in promulgating such policies. Bates College in Maine defines a bias incident as "any event of intolerance or prejudice, not involving violence or other criminal conduct, intended to threaten, offend or intimidate another" (emphasis added) on the basis of listed personal characteristics such as race, religion, and gender. As if to further make clear that the policy is intended to reach protected speech that merely offends another, Bates provides such purported examples of bias incidents as "sexist jokes or cartoons," "hate speech," and "disparaging remarks on social media sites." Likewise, Williams College in Massachusetts maintains a "Bias Incident Reporting" protocol in which listed examples of bias incidents include "[t]elling jokes based on a stereotype," "[n]ame-calling," "[a]voiding or excluding others," and even "[d]isplaying a sign that is color-coded pink for girls and blue for boys." These and many other examples of poorly written bias incident policies and protocols can be found in FIRE's Spotlight Speech Codes Database. The chilling effect from these absurd policies is real; what rational student isn't likely to self-censor rather than risk disciplinary action? Moreover, FIRE has witnessed these policies enforced to silence, investigate, and punish student expression in cases at Dartmouth College, Rutgers University, Tufts University, and many other institutions. There is good news, however. Universities that wish to address unlawful conduct falling outside the protections of the First Amendment can do so by simply following the law instead of maintaining these overbroad speech codes. Narrowly written policies aimed at hostile environment harassment, true threats, disruptive behavior, and other unprotected conduct will better serve all members of the campus community. And students don't need to fear just because their institution scraps a bias incident policy. If students witness or are targeted by biased or prejudiced speech, they are perfectly capable of using their own voices to speak out against racism, sexism, and other forms of intolerance. Indeed, student activism and protests across the country over the past year have demonstrated this to be the case. Students can, and should, use their strength in numbers to expose wrongheaded viewpoints for being wrong. They can, in doing so, make clear that their campus communities are welcome places for all. Advertisement For a huge number of Americans the key emotion driving the tortured primary campaigns has, arguably, been fear. It's fear of terrorism, fear of immigrants; but above all, it's a fear -- panic for some -- of Americans whose standard of living has declined or stagnated, and who apprehend an even bleaker future for their children. But the candidates -- and most of the media -- are ignoring the real cause of that angst. We are, in fact swept up in a vast technological tsunami. It's a tsunami bearing challenges as great as anything our species has ever known. Advertisement It has already swept away millions of jobs and will wipe out tens of millions more. It will totally transform the economic landscape, and -- like climate change -- could conceivably threaten our very existence. But, if you tune in to the cacophony that currently passes for political debate in the U.S. -- and much of Europe -- you hear precious little about that massive, relentless threat. Instead, there are tirades against immigrants, against supposedly disastrous international trade deals and ruthless businessmen who close domestic factories to exploit labor in sweatshops abroad; against a political and economic system crafted to make the top .1 % even more obscenely rich. There is some truth to all these charges, but the fact is that the real culprit -- the underlying tectonic force transforming everything -- is something else: It's technology unleashed as never before. Advertisement It has been labeled the Second Machine Age, the Fourth Industrial Revolution, and has long been the stuff of science fiction. But its impact is no longer a distant menace. A study by Citibank and researchers from Oxford University released last January, concluded that 47% of jobs in America are at risk of being replaced by robots and Artificial Intelligence (AI), while across the OECD an average of 57% of jobs are threatened. In China, the menace soars to 77%. That onrushing maelstrom is the product of what we could call 'a perfect technological storm.' It's been unleashed by recent astounding increases in computing power, magnified by startling advances in ability to store, retrieve, analyse and transmit data, and reinforced -- almost daily it seems -- by stunning breakthroughs in fields like AI, robotics, nanotechnology, metallurgy, microbiology, and 3D printing. There are those who step in at this point to reassure us there's no need for panic: From the first days of the industrial revolution, technological change has always been feared and fought; yet the innovations have always wound up creating far more jobs than they destroyed. Mankind has only prospered. Thus, the argument goes, though huge numbers of jobs will be eliminated by AI and robots, in the long-run many more new jobs -- entirely new professions and industries -- will be created, dispensing products and services we can't even fathom today. But the fact is that the current perfect storm of technology -- doubling the rate of progress every decade -- is unlike anything we've ever known before, and is now approaching warp speed. According to futurists like Ray Kurzweil, just in the twenty-first century alone "we will witness on the order of twenty thousand years of progress -- (when measured by today's rate of progress) -- or about one thousand times greater than what was achieved in the twentieth century." Advertisement The World Economic Forum recently released a report concluding that the rise of robots will lead to a net loss of over 5 million jobs in 15 major developed and emerging economies by 2020. THE BBC has posted an interactive site that allows you to check just how likely it is that your own job will be wiped out in the next fifteen years. Some jobs surprisingly most at risk are bank loan officers (98% likely to be eliminated), paralegals and legal aids (94%), retail sales people (92%), Taxi Drivers and chauffeurs (89%). In fact, completely driverless cars are already being tested on California highways. Also high on the list are fast-food cooks and bar tenders (77%), security guards (75%), even personal financial advisors (58%). Airline pilots and flight engineers have a 25% risk. But already, with automation, it is estimated the average pilot actually controls the plane himself for only 3 to 7 minutes per flight. Advertisement For the time being, human reporters and writers might appear to still have a future. Yet, even now it depends what kind of reporter you're talking about. Thousands of company earnings reports and detailed accounts of sporting events are already being entirely written by AI-equipped robots. There is even an automated service that daily scans and analyzes mammoth amounts of media from mainline publications to the most obscure newsletters and blogs, and then alerts investigative journalists and their editors to what may be potentially bombshell reports. Donald Trump darkly threatens a trade war with China, as payback for its rapacious trade practices and sweatshop wages. But the fact is that many manufacturing jobs supposedly lost to China were wiped out because of technological advances in the U.S. itself, and will never be regained. Ironically, it is China that has already become the largest market in the world for robots, threatening millions of its own factory workers. One stunning example is Foxconn, the Taiwanese firm that makes iPhones and has more than a million employees in China. Both they and Apple have been criticized for their low salaries and minimal working conditions. No longer. They now aim to have robots replacing 70% of their assembly-line work force within three years. Last year, their CEO boasted they already had a fully automated factory in the Chinese city of Chengdu that can run 24 hours a day with the lights off Perhaps some of those displaced workers may wind up manufacturing robots themselves: China is also determined to become the globe's major supplier of robots, Advertisement But developing new industries is not going to ward off the looming threat to human workers, neither in China nor the U.S. For example, a few months ago President Barack Obama proudly toured a sprawling new factory manufacturing lithium-ion batteries in Jacksonville, Florida. It was built with the help of a U.S. government fund designed to spur cutting-edge technologies. New York Times columnist Andrew Ross Sorkin covering the visit remarked that Obama's tour "included very little interaction with workers. "Instead, he was shown machine after machine, mostly operated by computers. At one point, he was introduced to WALL-E, a robot named after the Pixar film that takes battery components from a tray. No employees necessary. This giant mecca of innovation, a physical marvel that if built several decades ago would have easily employed a few thousand people, employs only 300. "It was a scene that underscored a challenge facing the U.S. economy and one that may be the driving factor behind greater inequality: We're not only losing jobs to overseas competition, we're losing them to technology." And, that challenge is only accelerating. As Moshe Vardi, a computer science at Rice University in Texas, puts it, "We are approaching the time when machines will be able to outperform humans at almost any task. Society needs to confront this question before it is upon us: if machines are capable of doing almost any work humans can do, what will humans do?" The point is -- that question is already upon us. But good luck if you expect to hear any serious discussion about it in the current U.S. election campaign. I mean, how can you tackle such colossal subjects when you're still battling over such mind-bending issues as whether or not to build a wall on the U.S.-Mexican border -- or which bathroom trans genders should be permitted to use? Post-World War America was defined by an auto and housing boom that fueled the suburbanization of America. New development and freeways were "in" and historic buildings and blighted neighborhoods were bulldozed to make way for them. Communities were "redeveloped" without community input and often left with soulless structures divorced from the community around it. In 1961, Jane Jacobs wrote The Death and Life of Great American Cities, which, as its opening sentence explains, is an "attack on current city planning and rebuilding practices." Jacobs saw cities as living organisms that required mixed use to thrive and criticized developments and freeways that isolated communities from the activity around it. She explained, Whenever and wherever societies have flourished and prospered rather than stagnated and decayed, creative and workable cities have been at the core of the phenomenon. Decaying cities, declining economies, and mounting social troubles travel together. The combination is not coincidental. She also rejected top-down planning approaches, stressing "[c]ities have the capability of providing something for everybody, only because, and only when, they are created by everybody." Even though Jacobs had no training in the field (let alone a college degree), she turned urban planning upside down and led cities to embrace mixed use development such as what transformed Baltimore's Inner Harbor from urban decay to a major tourist attraction. Just as Rachel Carson's Silent Spring in 1962 raised awareness over the misuse of pesticides and sparked the beginning of the ecological movement in the U.S., Jacobs' book fueled the New Urbanism movement. Jacobs also gained attention in the 1960's when she led the successful effort to block the powerful Robert Moses' plan to build an expressway through New York's Greenwich Village - even writing a protest song with Bob Dylan for the fight. Fights like these led to a reassessment of the bulldozing policy of the "Urban Renewal" efforts of the era and passage of the National Historic Preservation Act along with increasing community involvement in redevelopment efforts. I first discovered Jane Jacobs and The Death and Life of Great American Cities in an Urban Politics class in college. Like her, I love the vitality of city life. Her work inspired me to pursue work at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and write my senior thesis comparing the application of her theories of mixed use in downtown Baltimore and Washington, D.C. I even pursued a Master's program in Urban Planning at The Johns Hopkins University. (This was during the Reagan era, however, which was a particularly dark time in the field as HUD saw its budget shrink by 80 percent. The JHU program collapsed during my first semester and I migrated to law school instead.) Advertisement Jane Jacobs moved to Toronto in 1968 in protest of the Vietnam War and to protect her two sons who were of draft age. She continued to write about cities until her death in 2006. The next year her friends organized a "living, breathing, walking, talking memorial called Jane's Walk" a festival of free urban walking tours led by locals throughout Toronto. It has spread to 6 continents, 36 countries and 189 cities. I only recently discovered that Jacobs and I also share a birthday. Today would have been Jane Jacobs' 100th birthday and her legacy is being celebrated worldwide through annual Jane's Walks this weekend; staging of The Marvelous Order the opera about Jacobs battle with Robert Moses; lectures worldwide; a Google Doodle and even a petition for a Jane Jacobs U.S. postage stamp. How would Ms. Jacobs want her centennial to be celebrated? She gave the answer years ago. If you want to understand our cities today, "You've got to get out and walk." The best example of why local prosecutors cannot be trusted to investigate police shootings of civilians is the conduct of Rensselaer District Attorney Joel Abelove, who recklessly and unlawfully has tried to prevent a fair and thorough investigation into a fatal police shooting of an unarmed civilian. Abelove last month knowingly defied the request of state Attorney General Eric Schneiderman, made pursuant to Governor Andrew Cuomo's Executive Order appointing Schneiderman as special prosecutor, to refrain from investigating the case, and to turn over his files to the attorney general's investigators. Instead, Abelove rushed the case into a grand jury, apparently gave the police officer immunity, did not call two key civilian witnesses who saw the shooting and disputed the officer's account, and then got the grand jury to clear the officer. Edson Thevenin, a 37-year-old African-American, was shot to death by Sgt. Randy French in the early hours of April 17 when he was pulled over by French for allegedly driving while intoxicated. The police claim that Thevenin fled in his vehicle, was briefly chased by police cruisers, and after Thevenin's car allegedly struck French, French shot him eight times through the windshield, striking him four times in the head, and four times in his body. Thevenin was unarmed. French claims he suffered minor leg injuries in the encounter. Thevenin's wife claims a police detective told her that her husband died in a car accident Schneiderman's office immediately got involved. They went to the scene, but were rebuffed by the police. Schneiderman the next day informed District Attorney Abelove that his office was reviewing the case, directed Abelove to take no action pending Schneiderman's review, and sent him a letter requesting the files. Notwithstanding Schneiderman's explicit and repeated directives and requests, Abelove quickly empaneled a grand jury, apparently called only two police witnesses, and gave the grand jury legal instructions. The grand jury found no basis to indict the officer. Schneiderman thereafter sued Abelove in court to invalidate Abelove's defiance of the law, which according to Schneiderman, flagrantly violated the Governor's Executive Order, "flew in the face of the public concerns," effectively sneaked the case through the grand jury without notifying Schneiderman's office, and presented the case in such a partisan, police-friendly manner as to undermine the integrity of the grand jury process. Moreover, as the lawsuit suggests, Abelove was hardly a fair and impartial prosecutor sworn to serve the cause of justice. He acted in bad faith, and abused his power. Indeed, this is the first time that a local district attorney has attempted to violate the Governor's Executive Order, but it should not surprise anyone. Abelove himself in an Op Ed in the Times Union eight months ago mocked the idea of a special prosecutor, arguing that he had "grave concerns" over the Governor's order, that the order was confusing and contradictory, and that he would not succumb to a "vocal minority" and refrain from prosecuting police shootings of civilians despite the Governor's order. Several questions need to be resolved. First, did Abelove grant Sgt. French, who fatally shot Thenevin, immunity from prosecution? If he did, why? And if he did give French immunity, can that immunity be rescinded if Schneiderman decides to open his own investigation and bring formal criminal charges? Moreover, what did the two civilian witnesses see? It appears that one of the witnesses saw the entire incident and gave the police a written statement. A second witness allegedly took a cellphone video of at least part of the incident and claims that Sgt. French may have opened fire before the car struck French. Of course, if French shot and killed the motorist before he was shot, it's hardly a surprise that the car, now driven by a dead motorist, may have lurched forward. The testimony of these witnesses may determine whether French killed Thevenin without legal justification. Schneiderman's lawsuit also claims Abelove is withholding information of these witnesses from his investigators. A final question is whether Abelove should be investigated by the Third Department's disciplinary committee for his willful defiance of the law. Abelove, recently-elected, has rather quickly come under ethical scrutiny for conflicts of interest, first, in a case involving a political crony in which he should have disqualified himself, and second, in a case involving a fellow Republican politician charged with embezzlement. For sure, his present conduct in flaunting the governor's order and then secretly undermining the attorney general's investigation almost certainly involves misconduct in violation of Rule 8.4 of the rules of professional conduct, which prohibits all lawyers, including prosecutors, from "engaging in conduct that is prejudicial to the administration of justice." It is hard to imagine a stronger case of a prosecutor engaging in conduct that undermines the administration of justice than a prosecutor deliberately violating a lawful order of a government official. Interestingly, the distinguished Lippman Commission's recent Report on statewide attorney discipline felt it was not necessary to create a special disciplinary body to investigate misconduct by prosecutors. According to the Commission's Report, "The Commission has no reason to doubt that the grievance and disciplinary committees diligently examine claims of prosecutorial misconduct that come to their attention." Abelove's misconduct, one can be certain, has come to the attention of the Third Department's disciplinary committee. His conduct should be investigated. Hopefully, the Lippman Commission's confidence that "the disciplinary committee does its job and the system is working" is justified. Bernie Sanders defeated Hillary Clinton in Indiana on Tuesday. The Senator from Vermont cashed in on his overwhelming support from independent voters, who are allowed to participate in Indiana's open primary. Sanders has repeatedly proven that he outperforms Hillary Clinton among independent voters. Indiana was just the latest example of Sanders' crossover appeal. He also won big in New Hampshire, Wisconsin and Michigan, where independents are free to participate. By contrast, when delegate-rich New York and Pennsylvania voted last week, independents were excluded. Not surprisingly, Clinton won and extended her delegate lead. In response, Sanders criticized the closed primary system, which denies independents from having a say in which candidates the two major parties nominate. He argued: "Three million people in the state of New York who are independents have lost their right to vote in the Democratic or Republican primary... That's wrong." Sanders' path to the nomination, though narrow, is predicated on the hope that superdelegates will acknowledge his dominance among independents and switch their allegiance over to him. After all, independents can and will vote by the millions in a general election. The general election is not closed like New York's primary. Bernie Sanders is far better positioned for a general election than he was for the Democratic primary. In fact, he's far better positioned than Hillary Clinton. Advertisement Businesswoman Mother's Day can be a depressing time for wives with cheating partners. The family may come together, but celebrations can have a bittersweet flavor. It won't be like it was before infidelity reared its ugly head. You are unlikely to feel secure in the unwavering love and support of the father of your kids. If you and your husband have already split, maybe your kids will take you to a restaurant, but you might wistfully notice all the intact families around you celebrating at the other tables. For me, Mother's Day is complicated. I grew up in England, where it is part of the Christian Calendar. Often called Mothering Sunday, it is held on the fourth Sunday of Lent, exactly three weeks before Easter Sunday. It usually falls in the second half of March or early April. The American holiday of Mother's Day takes place in May and has nothing to do with the church festival of Mothering Sunday that is celebrated in Europe. It arose from a campaign social activist Anna Jarvis began in 1905 to make "Mother's Day" a recognized holiday in the United States. It became part of the American calendar, but sadly, not a national holiday where everyone would get a day off to celebrate. Advertisement Since I'm a Brit living in America, I expect my kids to observe both the British and the American Mother's Days. Another British mother I know whose children went to the same high school as mine feels the same way about celebrating both days. "As a result I tend to be disappointed," she told me, "unless they also need something important at the same time, like money." Her philandering husband would rarely remember Mother's Day. He wasn't too great about birthdays or anniversaries either. Maybe he just had too many women in his life to keep track of all those dates. Not unsurprisingly, the man eventually left my friend for another woman, but that relationship didn't last very long. Sometimes, mistresses are crass enough to call the husband on Mother's Day. That happened to Juliette, another friend of mine. Her husband's cellphone rang just as the family was about to go out for dinner. Juliette could hear a female voice on the other end and knew it was his mistress. She was childless and thus clueless about Mother's Day. Instead of saying, "Can't talk now," the husband simply retired to another room to continue his conversation -- never mind how his wife felt. He was oblivious to the fact that Juliette would once again have to hide her sadness and bitterness from the kids. Of course, you don't need a husband to be cheating for him to forget Mother's Day entirely. It's an exceedingly common story that neither dad nor the kids -- whether grown or not -- remember it at all. No flowers. No box of chocolates. No dining out. Thus you can feel invisible and forgotten even if your neglectful partner is totally faithful. Perhaps that's why the marital infidelity website ashleymadison.com has claimed that the day after Mother's Day generally has a huge jump in female sign-ups. Desperate to find an antidote to endless domestic drudgery, sex-starved moms are venturing out online in droves to forage for satisfaction with someone new. Well maybe, maybe not. Can a website based on cheating be trustworthy? Are the statistics it releases truthful and reliable? Fair and balanced? Ashleymadison.com is already notorious as a result of the hacking of its website and the subsequent release in 2014 of personal data on millions of their users. Currently, Ashley Madison faces a potential class action lawsuit for grossly misrepresenting the number of genuine female members and instead tricking men to interact with fake, computer-generated profiles of female users. The aim is to entice men to buy Ashley Madison "credits" that are required to continue contact, according to the lawsuit. Amazingly, Ashley Madison's Terms and Conditions even include a clause stating, "You may be interacting with fembots and not actual human beings seeking to have affairs." If you do bother to read the small print, those guys are being totally honest about cheating people. Advertisement little girl and boy are walking on the street There's no denying that our nation faces a homelessness crisis. But media coverage about this crisis, and the policy ideas proposed to address it, often exclude a huge portion of the homeless population: women and their children. Those of us who skim the news with our morning coffee would be forgiven for not knowing the damning statistics: nearly 40 percent of our nation's homeless are families; almost 25 percent are children. Nearly all of the families for whom we provide shelter at Win, the nonprofit I lead in New York City, are led by single women. Many have fled domestic violence. Advertisement These families are the forgotten face of homelessness in America. In New York City, they are actually the majority of the homeless population. They're our neighbors, our children's classmates, our co-workers. And as citizens of the wealthiest nation on earth, we know we can do better by them -- particularly the children. The time has come to stand up for these children and their families. The time has come to demand that our society breaks the cycle of homelessness. President Obama is heeding these calls. Building on his progress in combatting veteran homelessness, his administration has proposed $11 billion in new funding over the next ten years to help homeless families. Nearly $9 billion is dedicated to housing vouchers -- funds that are dedicated exclusively to help the homeless pay their rent. If approved by Congress, this proposal will make a real difference in families' lives. But, given Congressional paralysis, that's a big 'if' -- and the most vulnerable among us will pay the price of their inaction. Funding priorities like this are the start of a meaningful policy shift to embrace the needs of homeless mothers and their children. These vouchers have been proven to be a cost-efficient method of finding permanent, stable housing for vulnerable populations. By proposing a serious plan to provide sustainable funding streams for these vouchers targeted to families, the President has demonstrated the leadership and vision that is necessary to move our national dialogue about homelessness forward. Four walls is only the beginning. Any funding commitment to housing, no matter how substantial, must be paired with other reforms that address the deeper roots of this issue. After all, more times then not, homelessness is not simply the product of a family running out of money. Advertisement In New York City, we have a model that recognizes this complexity -- and it should be deployed nationally. Local government officials in New York, working hand in hand with the nonprofit sector, recognize that factors like inadequate job training, limited access to childcare, mental illness, and domestic violence all feed the cycle of homelessness. They understand that brick and mortar housing and shelter need to be seen as the foundations of a solution -- not its sum total. Families need access to comprehensive, holistic services that target the needs of both moms and their children. We have experienced success with free, on-site parenting classes, financial literacy trainings, and health workshops in our transitional housing facilities. Job training and placement support can make a huge difference for those still looking for work, or those working -- as nearly 50 percent of Win moms do -- and not making enough to get by. Importantly, local and federal commitment to increasing the stock of affordable housing could change the tenor of this conversation. New York has made meaningful progress toward making the city more affordable for everyone, and the City's recent reforms should be considered as a national model for every city struggling to curb skyrocketing rent costs. These proposals should transcend partisan politics. By shoring up our society's safety net for the most vulnerable, and keeping families intact and secure while driving down skyrocketing costs to local governments, policies to address family homelessness should appeal to Democrats and Republicans alike. By preempting costlier interventions -- like medical and penal costs our society so often incurs when we leave homelessness unaddressed -- they should earn the support of every taxpayer. An ounce of prevention, after all, is worth a pound of cure. Advertisement As a former elected official -- I represented Manhattan's West Side in the New York City Council from 1999-2013, serving as Speaker for two terms -- I know how tricky it can be to enact real change through legislation. Two parties can agree on a concept and disagree on its implementation. But if ever there were a time to cast partisanship aside, surely this is it. Our elected officials have established models of success to build on. They have a detailed, thoughtful budget proposal from President Obama already on the negotiating table. They only lack that which should be the easiest to acquire: the will to act. There was no settlement between the EU and Greece before Greek Easter as promised. I wonder how many more times that headline will appear. The latest fight was over 3.6 billion in additional austerity measures to be undertaken by Greece, which the Greek government claims is unconstitutional. It "appears" the US is now weighing in on the Greek financial situation via the IMF. The IMF has thrown a wrench into the agreement between Greece and the EU by demanding additional austerity measures. It is no secret that the US was supportive of Syriza coming to power, but it appears that it is now weary of Greece's unwillingness to settle its debt talks. Advertisement I am sure talks will resume after Easter, but the Europeans simply do not "get it." There is simply no retribution to Greece for doing nothing. I was speaking to a lawyer friend in Athens this week and we were debating whether or not Tsipras is a fool or a genius. I think we settled on "political genius." Tsipras' actions are designed to protect the people, and when I say people, I mean pensioners and those working in the public sector. Tsipras has said those people will not have a cut in pensions, higher taxes or lose their homes. Unfortunately, that means everyone else must make larger social security payments, pay higher taxes and have any asset they own at risk from an economy that continues to spiral down. The quandary is that no one has yet been able to articulate a vision to rescue all of Greece from the crisis and until that happens, nothing is likely to change. At the risk of going from fact to opinion, Greece needs to do the following: 1.Phase out pensions for those under the age of 65 over the next five years. Anyone who is over the age of 65 will have no cut in their pensions.2.Reduce the individual and business tax rate to 20% immediately. Greece's tax structure is "leaky" at best. I would argue that Greece could end up with higher tax receipts by enforcing lowering taxes.3.It is time to go after Greeks who have parked billions in Swiss (and other tax havens) banks. 4.Sell 10 billion of NPLs each year until the NPLs represent less than 5% of total loans. Advertisement The list of other items is irrelevant. If Greece follows this plan for five years, the EU will agree to reduce Greece's sovereign debt to 1 times its GDP. The only other option is the drachma, which is far easier to implement and will let Greece pay its obligations with a currency that will be devalued, resulting in a cut to pensions and a cut in sovereign debt. The decision is in Europe's hands. I keep trying to come up with a way to explain the plight of the Greeks and make it relevant. Today, I rode in a cab that was driven by a doctor; he lost his job at a hospital in Athens. In his spare time, he gives medical aid to refugees at the Port of Piraeus. That is all you need to know about the Greeks. Life here is not what you think. As for the region, the world is mesmerized by the focus on ISIS, Syria and Iraq. There are two more intriguing specters. The first risk is the Suez Canal. Do not be surprised if the Red Sea becomes ISIS's new battle ground. The radicals control the coast of Yemen, the Sinai Peninsula is up for grabs and who knows the stability, or lack thereof, in Sudan, Eritrea, Djibouti and Somalia. Disrupting trade through the Suez Canal would have a detrimental effect on the European economy and would kill the hopes of turning the Port of Piraeus into a new European logistics hub. Advertisement The second risk is energy. While the US killed Russia's plans for the South Stream through the Black Sea to Europe, it only makes the energy assets in Greece and the Balkans more of a target for the Russians. The only gas pipelines that are not controlled by Putin go through Turkey into Greece and Bulgaria. Most of the gas that will flow from Iran and Azerbaijan must flow through Greece and the DESFA and TAP pipelines. No one thinks of Greece as an important player in the energy game, but they will soon understand. Where the US or the Europeans are on this issue is anyone's guess, but so far they seem to be asleep at the switch. When the westbound Expo Line train glides into Santa Monica's Downtown station on May 20, the future of Los Angeles will have arrived. For the first time since the 1950s, that world-famous coastline will be back on the Southland's slowly-growing rail transit grid. With this and more exciting additions on the way, the way the world sees Los Angeles - and the way you visit the nation's second largest city - will likely change considerably over the next decade or so. Does this all sound a little bit dramatic? Good, because it's kind of a big deal. With top destinations like a revitalized Hollywood, the newly Harry Potter-ified Universal Studios, Old Town Pasadena and an increasingly essential Downtown Los Angeles already connected to one another by train, all that was really missing was a good connection to the beach. (Because, really, what is Los Angeles, without the beach?) For years, those who weren't up for a lot of driving had to either choose to be near the ocean - typically a rather expensive proposition - or stay away entirely. It was a tough call that nobody should have to make. Happily, you'll never have to make it again. Now, for just $1.75 including transfers, you can glide over, under and alongside the traffic-choked freeways, back and forth between the big city and beaches at will, any old time you choose. Ready to go? Here's how to experience the most Los Angeles possible in a day - all by riding the rails. Advertisement #1 Start with breakfast at Grand Central Market In the dull decades when a handful of bedroom communities west of La Brea deluded themselves into thinking they had become the true center of the city, the actual downtown - where it all started for modern Los Angeles, centuries ago - was all but ignored by anyone who didn't have to work, shop or go on trial there. While even the best blocks of DTLA still bear their share of scars from years of neglect and bad planning, no place in Southern California is quite so hot right now. The historic Grand Central Market - about to enter its 100th year - is where to see the "new" downtown at its liveliest on a daily basis. From bargain-priced tacos to pricey artisanal pastrami sandwiches, the market offers a quick trip through the city's wildly diverse food scene, considered by many critics to be one of the best in the country right now. Lean on the bar at G&B and order a potent cortado (espresso with a dash of steamed milk), then join the line wrapping around Eggslut, an irreverent spot serving up gourmet breakfast sandwiches that have garnered truckloads of positive ink in the national press. For $9, they do a silky, coddled egg on top of delicate potato puree, poached in a glass jar and topped with fancy sea salt and fresh chives. They give you bread to mop it all up - it's one of the best breakfasts under $10 in town. Get there Take the Red Line to Pershing Square, exit at 4th Street #2 Go to the beach (obviously) Even after years of doing battle with the 10 Freeway, locals will admit that there's still nothing quite so exhilarating as making the transition from the grit and relative heat of inland Los Angeles to those mild ocean breezes at the beach. Except now, someone else will do the driving and there will be no parking hassles when you get there. The ride takes about 35 minutes; just steps from the last stop on the train - down a reimagined, less car-centric Colorado Avenue - you'll find yourself face to face with the Santa Monica Pier and the 20-mile beach path that's great for either hiking or biking, your choice. (You can easily pick up some wheels at the nearest Breeze Bike Share station - the program offers a pay-as-you-go option for visitors.) Get there Walk or take the Red Line one stop to 7th Street / Metro Center, transfer to the Expo Line to Downtown Santa Monica. Advertisement #3 Do lunch - and take a stroll - in the neighborhoods behind the beaches On your way to the ocean - or on the way back - make sure to explore Santa Monica's recently-opened Tongva Park, designed by the group behind New York's High Line (you'll notice similar design quirks) and the city's pedestrian-friendly downtown, full of shopping and dining options. Want to get away from the crowds? Santa Monica's village-y Main Street district is just a few minutes on foot from the train - if you make it all the way down into Venice, detour along Rose Avenue for lunch at Gjusta, a high-test bakery, deli, cafe and beyond that's easily one of the most talked-about places to eat in Los Angeles right now. For more Venice cool, keep going on Main to Abbot Kinney Boulevard - from the first left turn on down to Venice Boulevard, you'll be walking past some of LA's top shops, cafes, galleries and restaurants. Falling over from exhaustion? Grab a Lyft or Uber car back to the train station for about $6. #4 Right - time for some culture Had enough ocean air? Hop the train once more and head east to one of the best new art museums in the United States. Home to the impressive art collection of local billionaire couple Eli and Edye Broad, the 120,000 square-foot museum - called The Broad - adds yet another piece of striking modern architecture to a block that already contains Frank Gehry's Disney Hall and Arata Isozaki's Museum of Contemporary Art. One of these lifetimes, a new subway station will open directly behind The Broad - for now, exit the train at Civic Center and climb through handsome Grand Park, sloping upward from the deco masterpiece that is Los Angeles City Hall. (As seen in a million movies, naturally.) Didn't already get your feet wet at the beach? There's a giant fountain where splashing around is encouraged. Get there Expo Line train to 7th Street/Metro Center, transfer to the Red Line to Civic Center/Grand Park. #5 Stop off where modern Los Angeles began Settled by the Spanish in the 1700s, back when the Revolutionary War was raging on the other side of the continent, Los Angeles goes a lot further back than many of us remember. Just a crosswalk away from Union Station (the West Coast's busiest transit hub), you'll find some of the oldest city blocks in California. Wander through the city's longest-surviving residence, the Avila Adobe (an impressive colonial home built in 1818), hang out in the town square that feels more like Old Mexico than modern California, then drop in on evening mass (5:00 pm, Spanish only) in the old mission chapel - the current incarnation dates back to 1861. Far from being one of those open-air history museums you find scattered about the country, the district remains an essential part of life for many Angelenos. Get there Red Line to Union Station. Advertisement #6 Go for cocktails in Los Feliz Just like you're not seeing all of Los Angeles if you don't go to the beach, you're also missing out if you don't drop in on the East Side's vintage - and now, super cool - suburbs, linked together by Sunset Boulevard. The easiest way to make your appearance is to hop the Route 2 bus from Union Station that makes local stops all the way up Sunset. (Tip: If you're already riding the train, you can use the same handy TAP card to pay your fare.) This makes for an interesting ride through the commercial heart of the Echo Park, Silver Lake and Los Feliz neighborhoods - you'll pass a slew of great bars, restaurants, cafes and boutiques along the way. Would you rather stick with the train? That's fine, too - after all, one of the best bars on Sunset (and in the city) is only a short walk from the nearest Red Line station: the miniscule Tiki-Ti, a old-school dive renowned for their tropical drinks. Because why not a particularly potent Mai Tai, on your way to dinner? You're not driving, after all. Get there Route 2 Metro bus from Union Station or the Red Line to Vermont/Sunset, walk three short blocks east on Sunset. #7 Spend an evening in old Hollywood To complete your best day ever, put on a nice shirt (this is LA, don't get crazy) and go eat dinner at Musso & Frank. Southern California's food scene may be tremendous and fast-growing, but if you're new to Los Angeles and short on time, a classic like Musso's is a must. Everybody who was anybody in Old Hollywood came through these doors at some point - you could spend hours reading the history, and should, before or after - but that's not the only reason to book a table: this is still a very good restaurant. Settle into a comfortable booth and allow the gentlemanly waiters - famous for their smart red jackets - to bring over a crisp, refreshing martini while you figure out what to order, which should probably be a giant steak, some type of potatoes (there are many to choose from) and creamed spinach. Not that you asked. Get there Red Line to Hollywood & Highland, walk two blocks east on Hollywood Boulevard. How to ride the trains in Los Angeles Purchase a TAP card ($1) at any Metro rail station and top up with the necessary fares - day passes cost $7 for unlimited travel, otherwise it's $1.75 a ride including transfers. For more information, visit metro.net. For the best hotel deals available in Los Angeles right now, click here. London Underground Most of us have been taught that in order to make money and succeed we have to work hard, be serious, focused and professional. We have created work environments to reinforce these messages, where people work long days, don't move away from their desks, always trying to show how hard they are working, in order to feel valued. The average employee spends two days a week in meetings, half of which are perceived to be a waste of time. Whilst we want to be a part of a community, we do not engage with others at work in meaningful ways, we suppress our emotions and struggle to overcome stress related illnesses, whilst making sure everyone thinks 'we are fine' and coping. Any attempt at having fun, relaxing and recharging is often seen as a distraction, discouraged and frowned upon as wasting productive company time. As if all that wasn't bad enough, the majority of people have to endure long and tedious commutes in overcrowded public transport, to make sure they go in to the office, to show everyone how hard they are working, even though technology enables them to work from anywhere. One of the usual arguments against offering people greater autonomy over where and how they work is a lack of control and consequent lack of effort from employees. New evidence by the German Institute for Economic Research, suggests that what actually happens is the opposite. When employers relinquish control, people actually work more. People who enjoy autonomy on average put in an extra seven hours each week and are more committed to their employer as well as feel they are more connected to their family and community. Advertisement Changing business structures to leverage work de- localization, to generate diversified multi-centers, in which co working spaces become neighborhood services, thus reducing commute times and car usage can improve both the work life balance of millions of people but also improve local communities and the growth of local economies. Corporations are starting to embrace this by using co working spaces close to where people live to cut down commute times, access innovative talent through the co working ecosystem and also benefit from 'space-less growth' - maximizing flexibility while minimizing fixed costs. These new working models are changing the workplace from a static container of routine work into a hub for bringing colleagues together. The office has become a 'high-tech coffee shop', where networked individuals meet, share, collaborate and develop ideas, strategies and solutions. A place used more intermittently and intensively, designed with meaning, focused on values, culture, community. The office begins to look and work more like a city - drawing to itself valued urban experiences and spaces: quiet areas, individual experiences, courtyards, cafes, social destinations and serendipitous encounters. The successful characteristics of cities become part of the design language; permeability, diversity, overlapping experiences that surprise, delight and constantly change. Space no longer reflects hierarchical structures but supports dispersed networks and open source innovation. The nature of the city also changes as it becomes an extension of the office - a broad workscape in which key work functions move into parks, coffee shops and co-working spaces. Learning from successful cities, urban places that are more flexible and offer people opportunities to network, learn and create together, are also more able to adapt to short and long-term economic, social and environmental changes. These lessons can also be applied to future-proof offices. As such the workplace should increasingly be designed and managed less as a static backdrop to routine solitary work, and more as a 'flexible', 'hotel-style' facility that provides a high level of service and experience to its demanding 'guests'. Advertisement Australia Square - Sydney We now have four generations at work and they are all aligned on their expectations of: choice and flexibility, greater transparency, more teamwork and more amenities to support authentic sociability, knowledge, convenience and wellbeing. Healthy employees are significant factors to a healthy bottom line but our entire approach to workplace requires transformation. Our current wellbeing paradigm is stuck measuring the cost of various degrees of illness rather than calculating the value of higher levels of wellness and proactively enabling people to thrive. Happiness and wellbeing are good for business. Happier and healthy employees are more productive. The British Council of Offices's 2014 research 'Making the Business Case for Wellbeing', states that more than a third of participants accuse their employer of not valuing their well-being at all. The report comes up with three areas to help employers create a culture of wellbeing: care; control and collaboration: The study found that nine out of ten workers, feel their well-being diminishes if they don't have control over their day-to-day activities. In addition, they want the flexibility and control to mix collaboration with colleagues with quiet moments of concentration to help them get 'in the zone'. Nine out of ten workers claim, that working 'in the zone' helps them perform better as well as feel better. However, currently over three quarters of people feel they are hampered by a noisy open-plan environment and more than two thirds would like to see relaxation areas in their workplace to recharge. Companies can meet this need for control by offering employees flexibility and choice of how and where they work and trusting them to decide their own working patterns. However, building a collaborative environment as flexible and remote working grows means companies need to embrace connectivity to ensure that employees have the tools to work, discuss and innovate together no matter where they are. It is easy to see how real estate portfolios will increasingly become a dispersed network of workplaces; social and adaptive working environments, empowering users and teams across different work contexts and collaboration modes. Our own workplace will be a menu of co working environments that leverage our social networks and support our personal needs and aspirations day to day-- hour by hour. Real estate needs to become a service industry focused on people, rather than on assets and the design and management of buildings should be less about the 'hardware' of work - desks, partitions, technology, electricity, and so on; and much more about the 'software' of work - the cultural, social and value systems of the organisations. Advertisement News / National by Staff reporter The boycott by workers of the government-organised Workers' Day rally in Harare on Monday, at which embattled Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa was the guest of honour, has opened the Midlands godfather to fresh attacks from his Zanu-PF enemies.Ruling party officials linked to Zanu-PF's ambitious Young Turks, the Generation 40 (G40) who are rabidly opposed to Mnangagwa succeeding President Robert Mugabe told the Daily News yesterday that the fact that even Zanu-PF supporters had shunned the May Day commemorations "confirmed that Ngwena (Mnangagwa) is unelectable, as he has no social base".At the same time, the beleaguered Midlands godfather's supporters claimed that the shunning of the event by workers was "an act of sabotage by the G40 who are hellbent on embarrassing Ngwena".The renewed onslaught on Mnangagwa, who is nicknamed "The Crocodile" on account of his alleged ruthlessness, came after the VP suffered the indignity of addressing a virtually empty Rufaro Stadium, after government ill-advisedly sought to hijack this year's May Day commemorations for its own ends."While it is a fact that the country's workforce has dwindled over the years, it is shocking that the stadium was empty even after State media worked hard to publicise the fact that the VP would be the guest speaker."Where were his supporters? Where was Mbare? I think (Mbare MP Tendai ) Savanhu would have pulled a bigger crowd than what we saw and that is why some of us are worried at the prospect of having someone like him, who clearly has no grassroots support, dreaming to be our presidential candidate for 2018."That is also the reason why some of us are opposed to the machinations of Team Lacoste (Mnangagwa faction) who do not appear to appreciate the obvious fact that no one, not even Zanu-PF members want their godfather," a Zanu-PF central committee member linked to the G40 said.However, war veterans loyal to the VP, who spoke to the Daily News yesterday accused the G40, and the "Zanu-PF commissariat in particular" of sabotaging Mnangagwa.The spokesperson of a faction of the Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans Association (ZNLWVA) that is loyal to Mnangagwa, Douglas Mahiya, said given that this year's Workers' Day activities had been hosted by government, it should have been incumbent upon Zanu-PF to mobilise its supporters for Monday's event."That is the role of the party commissariat, but they slept on duty as they went AWOL (absent without official leave) instead of mobilising people to come to Rufaro."We know that they always bus people from far afield to hoodwink the president into thinking that all is well and that people are happy even when it is clear that they are not. We have said it again and again that something is terribly wrong with the Zanu-PF commissariat," Mahiya said.He also said another reason for the low turnout at Rufaro Stadium was because war veterans were "being side-lined both in the party (Zanu-PF) and in government"."We have not been given space to participate in the activities of the party. For a long time now, we have been relegated to the periphery of both Zanu-PF and the government, and that is why you see things are going awfully wrong in government as well," he said.But the G40-aligned Zanu-PF officials refuted this "with utter contempt", saying that the reality was that Mnangagwa was not only "just disliked generally, but also feared all round"."This dislike and fear began when he headed the CIO in the early 1980s, a period during which thousands of innocent civilians were killed in Matabeleland and the Midlands. This continued even in 2008 when the MDC was a major political force," one of them countered.Afghanistan-based political analyst, Maxwell Saungweme, said the boycott of Mnangagwa's event was "a manifestation of Zanu-PF's factional and succession wars that have divided the party to the point of nearly destroying it"."It is difficult to rule out sabotage of the event because there are so many people in top positions who are being propped up by patronage and not their social base."Zanu-PF is known for forcing people to attend rallies ... so if this rally had the blessing of the First Family and the party, people would have been frog-marched to the event. This is another clear manifestation of divisions within the party," he said.Recently, Mugabe's former trusted aide, Didymus Mutasa, dismissed the chances of Mnangagwa succeeding the nonagenarian, also saying he was "simply unelectable".When asked then who he thought could succeed Mugabe, Mutasa said only Zimbabwe People First (ZPF) leader, Joice Mujuru, had "the right qualities to lead Zimbabwe". GUANGZHOU, CHINA - DECEMBER 15: Buyers and sellers in The Canaan Market, Guangzhou's first market catering mostly to Africans, December 15, 2008 in Guangzhou, China. In Guangzhou, the largest city in south China, 20.000 Africans are trying to make a life for themselves as traders in wholesale markets. Here, they hope to carve out their own piece of the Chinese economical miracle. The traders buy clothes and other cheap goods to be shipped and sold back home. Approximately 80% of the Africans in Guangzhou are Nigerians, others are from e.g. Ghana, Kenya and Cameroon. (Photo by David Hogsholt/Getty Images) Being black in China is not easy, but it's not as bad as many would have you think, according to our two guests this week who are both black immigrants currently living in Beijing. Sure, people stare a lot and there are often some inappropriate questions about hair and skin color, but more often than not says Black Lives in China creator Nicole Bonnah, those awkward questions come from a good place -- curiosity. Advertisement Nicole, originally from the United Kingdom, is a Beijing-based journalist who is embarking on an ambitious documentary film project about daily life for black immigrants living across China. One of the people Nicole interviewed for the film was Tiffany Johnson, an African-American educator also based in Beijing. Tiffany, like Nicole, said China's largely homogeneous culture and inexperience in dealing with diversity does lead to some awkward encounters, but she adds that it would be incorrect to label this "racism." Compared to the United States, where race is a filter for almost everything in society, the Chinese are largely ignorant about issues of race. So when Chinese people say things that would otherwise be off-limits in Africa or the West, Tiffany and Nicole argue that because the intent isn't the same as it would be if those same words were said in New York, London or Johannesburg, the impact is also different. Nicole and Tiffany join Eric & Cobus -- in the podcast above -- to talk about what it's like to be a black in China. Earlier on WorldPost: By Laura Woods, Contributor Cinco de Mayo -- or May 5 -- is celebrated annually to honor the day in 1862 when the Mexican army defeated France at the Battle of Puebla, during the Franco-Mexican War. Contrary to popular belief, the occasion does not commemorate Mexican independence, as this occurred more than 50 years prior. You might be surprised to learn that Cinco de Mayo is actually more popular in the U.S. than in Mexico -- but it's true. Similar to St. Patrick's Day, when Americans band together to honor the Irish regardless of their own ethnicity, people can't get enough of Cinco de Mayo. If you're planning to celebrate Cinco de Mayo 2016, here are the best deals on Mexican food and drinks to help you have fun without overspending. Cinco de Mayo Margarita Deals, Taco Specials and More An estimated 87.3 million pounds of avocados are consumed per year on May 5, according to the California Avocado Commission and tequila sales at U.S. bars and restaurants more than double. This year, save money on your Cinco de Mayo drink and food purchases with these special offers. Advertisement DoorDash: Sign up for DoorDash to get $5 off your first delivery and in certain cities, you can have Taco Bell delivered to your doorstep on Cinco de Mayo and every day. Eat24: Use coupon code RELAX to get $2 off your order until Dec. 31, allowing you to get a Cinco de Mayo discount without leaving your couch. Green Burrito: Buy one Burrito El Diablo and get a second free with this printable coupon through May 31. Mad Mex: Enjoy breakfast burritos, eggchiladas and cornbread starting at 9 a.m. as part of the Mad Mex Cinco de Mayo party. All day drink specials include 22-ounce Dos Equis drafts for $5 and a $1 off all Mexican bottles and cans. Regular happy hour and late nght specials will be honored, in addition to some special games and giveaways. Advertisement Moe's: As part of its annual Cinco de Moe's event, the first 100 customers in line will receive a free t-shirt while supplies last and participating locations will offer $5 burritos. On the Border: Enjoy 14-ounce Cinco Cup House Margaritas for $4, 14-ounce Cinco Cup Dos Equis Lager, Dos Equis Amber and Corona Light Drafts for $3, a variety of Cinco Shots for $2 to $4, Dos Equis Lager, Corona and Corona Light bottles for $3 and commemorative t-shirts for $10 at participating locations. Rubio's: Get a free Taquitos Platter with any catering purchase of $125 or more. Taco Bueno: Party Tacos will be half price -- $0.59 -- all day. Taco Cabana: Enjoy happy hour on Cinco de Mayo from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m., featuring $1.50 margaritas and a $3 small nacho and margarita combo. Additionally, Taco Cabana will celebrate Seis de Mayo by receiving one free breakfast taco when you dine-in during breakfast hours from May 6 to May 8. Taco Del Mar: Take part in the annual Cinco de Mayo 5 pound burrito eating challenge at participating locations. Taco Mayo: A new mystery item will be added to the menu on Cinco de Mayo 2016. Tijuana Flats: Enjoy 48 hours of Cinco de Mayo specials, including a Tijuana Burrito, chips and a drink for $5, with the option to add a draft beer for $1 on May 5 and $2 tacos on May 6. Advertisement Tumbleweed Tex Mex Grill & Margarita Bar: Start the weekend early with $0.99 domestic drafts -- premium drafts not included -- and Twisted Teas. Additionally, domestic longnecks will be $1.99. Cinco de Mayo Food Savings With Loyalty Clubs From fast food chains to sit-down restaurants, save money on your Cinco de Mayo celebration by signing up for email newsletters and loyalty clubs at your favorite Mexican restaurants. Baja Fresh: Get a free taco when you join Club Baja. Chevy's Fresh Mex: Sign up for the Compadres Club and get a free appetizer. Del Taco: Join the Raving Fan eClub and get two free grilled chicken tacos. Don Pablo's: Join the Habaneros Rewards Club to get a free dip sampler. El Torito: Register for the e-Club and get a free appetizer with the purchase of two adult entrees. Taco John's: Get a free meat and potato burrito when you sign up for email updates. Celebrating Cinco de Mayo doesn't mean you have to break the bank. Whether you're spending time at the bar on May 5, or celebrating into the weekend with friends and tacos, make sure to use these deals. The Untold Story of NASA's Commercial Partnerships In the era of constrained budgets, NASA has become the federal government's poster child for reducing costs and improving results via public-private partnerships. Photos of the International Space Station (ISS) today illustrate good government infrastructure supporting real commercial projects. A Bigelow inflatable module expands from the station's side, a NanoRacks CubeSat deployer shoots Planet Labs satellites into orbit and competing commercial spacecraft are parked side by side at station airlocks. Planet Lab Dove Satellites fall toward lower orbit after being ejected from ISS via the Nanoracks Deployer The retirement of shuttle left America without a domestic resupply or crew transport vehicle. SpaceX's Dragon and Orbital ATK's Cygnus capsules were developed using milestone-based payments under NASA's Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) program, a competitive solution to this challenge, in place of traditional "cost-plus" contracting that studies show would have cost $billions more. These commercial spacecraft contrast with Russia's Soyuz capsule, which provides an expensive and politically challenging ride for America's astronauts. NASA is addressing this transportation problem via the Commercial Crew Program (CCP). I spoke to Phil McAlister, Director of Commercial Spaceflight at NASA about the agency's commercial path. He noted that NASA places a "high priority on consensus" and that a cautious approach is often necessary. "All those meetings and committees are good when you are using the taxpayer's money on something new" he says, but acknowledges "it takes time and costs more." Committees provide a valuable sanity check for new concepts, but they don't approve bold improvements to existing systems, reduce costs or increase performance. That mission requires the entrepreneurial skills of risk taking, agile development and the iterative testing. McAlister explains that NASA groks this, "For missions we've accomplished many times, like lifting cargo and people to Low Earth Orbit, it's very appropriate to outsource the service." This works he says, because, "The private sector has an acute awareness of cost with a laser-like focus on the bottom line." COTs was launched with SpaceX and Oklahoma firm, Rocketplane Kistler. Kistler was replaced by Orbital in 2008. In just four years SpaceX had a Dragon in orbit. Oribtal's Cygnus followed in 2103. Two new spacecraft went into service in record time and with record low government funding of just $800million. The vendors contributed the greatest percentage of the development costs. McAlister says, "For COTS and for Commercial Crew the strengths of each organization, NASA and the private firms, were complementary. We might have had different priorities but we had an alignment of goals." Advertisement Dragon (upper left), Cygnus (lower right) and Soyuz (far right) COTS also boosted America's launch services industry back into orbit, a business previously lost to foreign competitors. McAlister notes, "In 2011 there were no US launches of commercial payloads, but SpaceX has already recaptured nearly half that global market for America." The firm's busy launch manifest shows payloads from Thailand (Thaicom), Europe (Thales Alenia) and even China (AsiaSat); a positive trade contribution that supports thousands of high-paying jobs in California, Texas and Florida. SpaceX and Orbital now provide regular Cargo Resupply Services (CRS) to the ISS for a little over $100million per mission. To put that into perspective, NASA arguably spent more than $1.5 billion on each Space Shuttle flight. Shuttle taught us a lot about repeatable spaceflight operations and a commercial descendent of an alternative NASA shuttle, named Dream Chaser, is joining the CRS program. NASA's return on investment in SpaceX has paid off again with Crew Dragon, a seven passenger capsule developed as part of CCP. Crew Dragon and Boeing's CST-100 "Starliner" are both finishing testing and America will soon have two commercial, human-rated spacecraft. Bigelow BEAM The speed of this public-private development progress can be measured against the Space Launch System with its Orion capsule, a deep-space exploration vehicle developing under the traditional, cost-plus model. Orion is anticipated to fly astronauts in 2023. It may eventually find itself competing with an evolved Dragon or some other private craft developed for deepspace. SpaceX recently announced plans to place a Dragon Capsule on Mars by 2018. NASA researchers who analyzed this concept concluded that: Advertisement SpaceX's Dragon capsule and Falcon Heavy rocket present the possibility of delivering large scientific and human precursor payloads to Mars . . . and the capsule's descent technique would lead on a path toward future human-mission landers. Suddenly, we have a competitive model for interplanetary exploration! This is a kinder, gentler Space Race lacking the Cold War's apocalyptic undercurrents and budget busting expenditures and either way, America wins. McAlister says, "We are all trying to get to Mars as a nation. A lot of the time we at NASA are going to lead, but sometimes we may 'draft' the private sector. By partnering, we will get to Mars sooner as a nation." Orion deep-space capsule under development ISS isn't the only place where NASA engages private firms. I love to visit California's High Desert, where the Armstrong / Dryden research center and the Mojave Air and Spaceport work together with commercial operators to launch suborbital experiments. Under NASA's Flight Opportunities Program firms including Masten Space Systems fly research payloads funded by NASA. The program will soon engage high-performance suborbital systems from Richard Branson's Virgin Galactic. FOP promises scientists low cost and routine access to microgravity for promising research in pharmaceuticals and material sciences. By Dr. Hollie Russon-Gilman, Beeck Center Fellow. Originally appeared on Brookings "Tech Tank" in 2016. The popular narrative in this election cycle is one of popular disillusionment and cynicism with government. Yet, this national narrative overlooks the power and energy of citizens coming together in their communities to solve problems. Across the country, people are working with their neighbors to strengthen their communities, re-imagine engagement with elected officials, and leverage new technologies to improve governance. These are some of the topics I address in my recent Brookings book with Harvard's Ash Center; Democracy Reinvented: Participatory Budgeting and Civic Innovation in America. The book looks at an array of civic innovations, from the rise of open government data for community-based decision making to civic crowdfunding where people pledge small-dollar amounts to fund public works. Diverse examples include structured listening processes that empower people to set mayoral priorities and the multi-stakeholder Open Government Partnership that promotes greater government transparency and accountability. The book highlights the power of deliberate, structured participation opportunities to improve public decision making. In particular, the book examines the rise in the United States of participatory budgeting (PB), a process that empowers community residents to allocate public dollars. Beginning in Porto Alegre, Brazil in 1989 after that country's long military dictatorship, the process created a mechanism for transparency, accountability, and civic participation. Unlike advisory or consultative processes, PB allows citizens to make binding decisions and work directly with public officials to craft viable budget proposals. Though the process takes on different local flavors, there are some commonalities. Community residents identify local priorities and a subset of people work with government officials to craft viable budget proposals based on community need. These proposals are then returned to community residents for a vote, and public officials then implement the winning projects. After the World Bank declared PB a best practice in democratic innovation in 1996, the process quickly spread across the globe. It is estimated that PB has now been implemented in 2,500 localities across the world. Advertisement The process only came to the United States in 2009 when Chicago Alderman Joe Moore put $1 million of his discretionary "menu money" into the process. Since then, it has grown throughout the country, with the support of The Participatory Budgeting Project and other civil society organizations such as Community Voices Heard in New York City. While working at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, I explored opportunities to support PB as part of the United States Open Government Partnership and National Action Plan with existing federal dollars. The process continues to grow, with over $50 million in public funds allocated across the country. New York City continues to serve as the largest implementation of PB in the United States. Beginning with 4 districts and $5.6 million in 2011, the process has grown to 28 districts with over $32 million being allocated by residents. For the 2016 vote the organization Democracy 2.1 worked with the New York City Council to set up a digital ballot option. "For the first time, residents of all 28 participating districts could choose to cast their PB ballot digitally," explained Lex Paulson, international counselor for Democracy 2.1, the city's digital partner for PB. "Adding a digital system behind the in-person process allowed NYC to standardize voter registration, print fewer unused ballots, and let voters vote find their 'home' ballot at any voting site across the city. When done the right way, digital tools can help make PB more accessible, more inclusive and more affordable for cities of any size." Advertisement Just in the last few weeks, a record number of 67,691 people voted in the New York PB election. The digital ballot represents an opportunity for the City of New York to innovate the application of digital tools in service delivery. It can serve as an exemplar for other cities working to modernize and foster citizen-centric government. Monarch butterflies fly at the El Rosario butterfly sanctuary on a mountain in the Mexican state of Michoacan November 27, 2013. Monarch butterflies have started arriving at a butterfly sanctuary in the central Mexican state of Michoacan - an annual spectacle that draws tourists, scientists and locals alike, but not in the arrival numbers expected. Biologist Felipe Martinez, Sub-Director of the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve, said the arrival has been delayed due to several cold fronts hitting Mexico and continued rain storms. In 2000, Mexico established a 56,000 hectare reserve for the butterflies in Michoacan and part of the State of Mexico, containing some 6.7 million trees. Picture taken November 27, 2013. REUTERS/Edgard Garrido (MEXICO - Tags: ENVIRONMENT ANIMALS TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY) MEXICO CITY -- The monarch butterfly is now facing a potentially lethal threat to its over-wintering habitat in Mexico's oyamel fir forests. As if it weren't enough for the migratory butterfly to contend with illegal logging in the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve, it is also facing severe depletion of the milkweed, which is indispensable for its development from egg into butterfly, caused by ever-increasing use of herbicides on genetically engineered corn and soybean crops in the American corn belt. Advertisement There was no prior consultation with affected groups, no public diffusion of information, no evaluation of the hydrologic impacts of the mine and no risk analysis. Extreme weather events, including drought and storms, and the unpredictable consequences of climate change are also taking their toll. Now, Grupo Mexico, Mexico's largest mining corporation, has been awarded a concession to reopen an old mine in Angangueo in the state of Michoacan, a town in the heart of the monarch reserve that was closed 25 years ago. The company intends to mine copper, zinc, lead, silver and gold. In April 2005, a subsidiary of Grupo Mexico filed an environmental impact assessment for the mining project with the Secretariat of Environment and Natural Resources, also known as SEMARNAT. Michoacan's secretary for urbanism and the environment declared that mining would have no impact on the monarch migration, and a former head of the monarch reserve insisted that development is compatible with conservation, that no one can prove monarch colonies over-wintered in the area when the mining concessions were granted at the end of the 19th century. A monarch butterfly feeds on a plant at a sanctuary in Angangueo on Dec. 18, 2015. (Miguel Tovar/LatinContent/Getty Images) The EIA was grossly inadequate. There was no prior consultation with affected groups, no public diffusion of information, no evaluation of the hydrologic impacts of the mine and no risk analysis or mention of risks for the human population. The EIA was only for a specific site and not regionally, as is required by law, since the reserve is part of the Lerma and Balsas Rivers watersheds and is defined as a priority hydrologic region. In order to extract the resources, mining will extract large volumes of water from the subsoil and expel it outside the area being worked -- but there is no mention in the EIA of the substantial impacts of this process. In 2010, heavy rains lead to disastrous flooding in Angangueo, destroying houses and taking lives. The mine tailings left behind when the mine closed magnified the damage. Residues of arsenic, bromine, lead, barium, cadmium, chrome and mercury have been found in Angangueo's water, and iron levels in the soil far exceed official norms. The EIA does not evaluate potential levels of toxicity from the production of sulfuric acid. The environmental impact assessment was grossly inadequate. A toxic spill in August 2014 at a Grupo Mexico copper mine in the northwestern state of Sonora was labelled by the head of SEMARNAT as the Mexican mining sector's worst environmental disaster in recent history. Nearly 11 million gallons of copper sulfate spewed into the Bacanuchi and Sonora Rivers. Hundreds of miles of waterways and the water supply for 24,000 people were contaminated with copper, arsenic, aluminum, cadmium, chromium, iron, manganese and lead. The National Water Commission blamed negligence on the part of the company, but Grupo Mexico falsely claimed the spill was caused by unexpected heavy rains that raised the level in a holding tank at the mine. It wasn't Grupo Mexico's only disaster. In February 2006, 65 workers were killed in an explosion at Grupo Mexico's Pasta de Conchos mine in the state of Coahuila. Sixty-three bodies still remain underground, and the Mexican Attorney General's office has stated that the statute of limitations for prosecuting those responsible has expired. Pasta de Conchos was run by Industrial Minera de Mexico, the company that owns the Angangueo mine. The Sonora River near the town of Mazocahui on Aug. 24, 2014, contaminated by the spill from the Buenavista copper mine. (AP Photo/El Imparcial, Julian Ortega, File) In February, the governor of Michoacan met with Grupo Mexico representatives to discuss the benefits the mining project would generate, like creating jobs and increasing tourism. Angangueo's mayor has said that Industria Minera de Mexico is already at work in town. The reserve's management program allows for mining if all rules and regulations are complied with. However, as there is no precedent for exposing over-wintering monarch butterflies to a major mining operation, there are no studies to draw on, and so the EIA does not address the inevitable consequences to the butterflies. Water is vital for the monarch during its over-wintering in the reserve. If the mine is reopened, the impacts will become known but doubtless it will be too late for the monarchs. Last fall, frightened local residents called me to denounce widespread illegal logging that went on unchecked from April through August 2015 on Sierra Chincua, one of the two main overwintering sites. I immediately notified Dr. Lincoln Brower, the world's foremost monarch butterfly expert. Brower and other scientists have since written an important and conclusive report on illegal logging on 10 hectares of forest in the Sierra Chincua monarch butterfly over-wintering area that will be the feature article in the June 2016 issue of the journal American Entomologist. They write: With satellite imagery and drone photographs, we documented the location and extent of illegal logging during 2015 in what should have been one of the most protected areas within the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve in Mexico. Severe logging of 10 hectares took place from April to August. This questions the effectiveness of current strategies to protect the already precarious overwintering habitat of the monarch butterfly in eastern North America. Curiously, the logging took place in a parcel of land belonging to the state of Michoacan, the only state-owned parcel in the entire reserve, and not in any of the neighboring communally owned ejidos. On March 10 and 11, heavy rain, wind and a severe snowstorm hit the reserve, knocking down trees and tearing off roofs in neighboring towns. Officials were quick to deny any substantial harm to the monarchs. Preliminary studies by Brower and others point to a mortality rate as high as 50 percent. The investigation has been hampered by limited access to the affected areas, especially at El Rosario. Advertisement A recent photo showing illegal and/or salvage logging near El Rosario by a local resident who wishes to remain anonymous. About a week after the storm a fire was deliberately set near the El Rosario site to put pressure on the reserve's acting director to authorize so-called salvage logging, presumably to remove trees after natural disturbances. Recent photos show that salvage logging has been taking place at the El Rosario site, where an alarming quantity of wood has been removed, with all the destructive impacts this process implies. There is no reliable way of telling which trees were "salvaged" and which were cut down illegally, as all the logging appears to have been done at once, a convenient scheme for tree laundering. There has also been salvage logging on Sierra Chincua. In March, the Center for Food Safety and the Center for Biological Diversity filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, charging the agency with failing to protect monarch butterflies under the Endangered Species Act. A recent scientific study predicts that the migratory monarch could become extinct within the next 20 years, largely due to the herbicide-resistant, genetically engineered corn and soybeans that make up 90 percent of these crops grown in the United States. If the mine is reopened, the impacts will become known but doubtless it will be too late for the monarchs. I grew up in Contepec, Michoacan, where millions of monarchs used to arrive every winter. But they no longer do. In 1986, I asked President Miguel de la Madrid to establish the Monarch Butterfly Special Biosphere Reserve, which he did. In 2008, as Mexico's ambassador to UNESCO, I convinced the 21 members of the World Heritage Committee to declare the reserve a World Heritage site. Advertisement But now I fear that the extraordinary monarch butterfly migration may not withstand the combined onslaughts of extreme weather, milkweed-killing herbicide use, illegal logging, mining and corruption. Earlier on WorldPost: They've been here since the 1950s, these silos for wheat and corn on the harbor of Catania on the east coast of the island of Sicily at the foot of Mount Etna. Twenty-eight meters tall and facing the Ionian Sea, they are now some of the largest canvasses in Italy by a small group of international and local street artists. Interesni Kazki. Detail. (photo VladyArt) The "Art Silos" project includes works completed during an eight-month installation begun in June 2015 as part of Festival "I-ART" organized by "Emergence", thanks to Angelo Bacchelli, curated by Giuseppe Stagnitta. The artists taking part in the project were Okuda (Spain), ROSH333 (Spain), Microbo (Italy), BO130 (Italy), VladyArt (Italy), Danilo Bucchi (Italy) and the duo Interesni Kaxki (Ukraine), mostly all from the graffiti/Street Art world. A separately organized but related project on the harbor-facing row of eight silos was completed by one artist alone, the Lisbon-based Vhils. Advertisement Interesni Kazki. Detail. (photo VladyArt) The project's completion at the turn of the year culminated in one of the largest Street Art/Graffiti artists' collective shows in Italy held in the city's main public gallery Palazzo Platamone, entitled "Codici Sorgenti" (Source Code), which was curated by Stefano S. Antonelli and Francesca Mezzano from Rome's 999 Contemporary Gallery. There is talk about the possibility that this exhibition of about 60 artists work will tour throughout Europe with its message of the historic roots of modern graffiti and Street Art along with many of its most impactful practitioners pushing into the contemporary art world. Interesni Kazki. Detail. (photo VladyArt) According to Arianna Ascione in Artsblog.it, the gallery exhibition was "divided into three sections that tell the birth, interactive development and consecration of the (graffiti/street art) phenomenon" Indeed, the list contains works by 108, A One, Augustine Iacurci, Alexis Diaz, Alexone, Bo 130, Boris Tellegen (aka Delta), Brad Downey, C215, Clemens Behr, Conor Harrington, Crash, Delta 2, Dondi White, Doze Green, El Seed, Ericailcane, Eron, Escif, Evol, Faile, Feitakis, Gaia, Herbert Baglione, Horfee, Interesni Kazki, Invader, Jaz, Jeff Aerosol, Mark Jenkins, Jonone, JR, Judith Supine, Kool Poor, The Atlas, Lek & Sowat, Lucy McLauchlan, Matt Small, Maya Hayuk, Mensanger, Miss Van, Momo, Moneyless, Peeta, Rammellzee, Retna, Roa, Seth, Philippe Baudelocque, Sharp, Shepard Fairey, StenLex, Swoon, The London Police, Todd James,Toxic, and the aforementioned Vhils. Advertisement Interesni Kazki. Detail. (photo VladyArt) Ironically the genre-melting inclination of so-called "urban art" has eroded the silo mentality of many who follow these art forms as they become known, followed, collected, and exhibited; As a metaphor "Art Silos" may more accurately refer to the past and the dogmatic separation of genres such as graffiti, tattoo, illustration, ad jamming, and Street Art for example. Although not strictly what you might call public art either, the scale of "Art Silos", with its major artworks that typically may take years to be approved in large cities elsewhere, is an occurrence routinely happening in cities around the world. Vlady Art and BO130. Detail. (photo VladyArt) For us this is one more example of the "New Muralism" that is enabling Street Artists to do major works in public spaces via non-traditional routes. On par with a public art works of other committee-approved sorts, this silo project was a private/public collaboration that made selections, secured funding and permissions from the harbor authorities, city figures, politicians and the manager of the silos themselves, according to VladyArt, who along with Microbo is one of the artists and a resident of Catania. Vlady Art (photo VladyArt) He says the size of the project and the power of the imagery combined with the process of watching them go up has drawn a lot of attention to the area lately. "The people here were amazed by our speed and the large scale operation. Catania had no large murals like this... this was the very first time for Sicily. They can be seen from far away and even from taking off from and landing at the airport - or coming by cruise line on the sea. It seems that nobody really paid that much attention to this spot before, and everyone is talking about it now." BO130 and Vlady Art. Detail. (photo VladyArt) To understand why a project of this nature can happen so quickly these days, look no further than the location. As we have recounted numerous times, often these efforts are deliberately programmed to draw attention to economically challenged areas as a way of encouraging tourism and investment. Advertisement In fact VladyArt says that this historic region and city that dates back many centuries before Christ is having a very challenging time economically and socially and could use positive attention from a crowd that appreciates art. "Catania is somehow the most dynamic city of Sicily, because of its industrial and commercial features," he says. Lucamaleonte. Work in progress. (photo VladyArt) "Having said that, please be aware that the south of Italy is no way wealthy or an easy place, despite its beauty and lucky location in the sun. Almost the whole city is rough, I can name a many neighborhoods where this is the case." So it is all the more remarkable that a multi-artist iconic installation can happen here in Catania and people are exposed to a grassroots-fueled art scene that is currently galloping across the globe. Lucamaleonte. Work in progress. (photo VladyArt) "Regular people around here don't know much about the whole thing, street art and stuff," says Vlady Art. "So, quite frankly they wouldn't care much about Okuda, Vhils or Interesni. They never heard of them before and probably people will find hard to spell their names. They cannot catch the meaning or the purpose of this. They simply like what they see - they like this energy. They do get the 'message', the power of art." Danilo Bucchi (photo VladyArt) Okuda (photo VladyArt) Microbo (photo VladyArt) ROSH333 (photo VladyArt) The Silos facing the city. (photo VladyArt) Vhils on the side of the silos facing the water. (photo VladyArt) BSA<<>>BSA<<>>BSA<<>>BSA<<>>BSA<<>>BSA<<>> Please note: All content including images and text are BrooklynStreetArt.com, unless otherwise noted. We like sharing BSA content for non-commercial purposes as long as you credit the photographer(s) and BSA, include a link to the original article URL and do not remove the photographer's name from the .jpg file. Otherwise, please refrain from re-posting. Thanks! Advertisement BSA<<>>BSA<<>>BSA<<>>BSA<<>>BSA<<>>BSA<<>> This article is also posted on Brooklyn Street Art. Read all posts by Steven P. Harrington and Jaime Rojo on The Huffington Post HERE. See new photos and read scintillating interviews every day on BrooklynStreetArt.com Follow us on Instagram @bkstreetart See our TUMBLR page Donald Trump may actually become the next president of the United States. With Tuesday night's primary in Indiana now in the history books, Donald Trump has extended his delegate lead over his nearest rival, Ted Cruz. And just hours ago, in a relatively stunning announcement, Cruz himself has ended his campaign. It is now guaranteed that one half of the November 2016 presidential election will be Donald Trump and whomever he selects as his running mate. Trump and Ohio governor John Kasich remain the final two contenders on the Republican side -- and there is zero chance of Kasich earning the nomination as he still trails behind even Marco Rubio (scroll down on this page), despite the latter's exit from the race nearly two months ago. So a few significant questions remain, particularly on the Democratic side of things. The most obvious question is who Trump will be running against, but as Bernie Sanders has won the Democratic primary in Indiana, perhaps the more important question is what this does as far as Sanders' chances going into the final contests. Advertisement Clearly, the delegates Sanders won Tuesday are not going to cut into Hillary's lead by any appreciable amount, but there's something more important at stake: The heart and soul of the Democratic Party. A blog on The Huffington Post dated March 28 officially called on Hillary Clinton to forfeit the Democratic nomination to Bernie Sanders. At issue is the fact that the FBI may be on the verge of filing criminal charges against the Democratic front-runner over her private E-mail server and classified communications potentially stored on it. There are a couple of ways this can potentially play out. First and most obviously, criminal charges could be filed. That should be a campaign-ender right there; however, the question remains whether or not Hillary would actually overcome her stubbornness and actually drop out, or if she would remain bull-headed enough to drag the entire party and her supporters through the mud right along with her as she fights the indictment. Secondly, should the FBI not choose to indict Clinton, Trump and the Republican Party can still use the probe against her. Can a former Secretary of State who was the subject of a criminal investigation into the mishandling of top-secret material be trusted with national security? Did the Obama Administration refuse to indict her because of the fact she was President Obama's Secretary of State? The latter question in particular has the potential to add the stench of government corruption to President Obama's legacy, which could be immensely damaging over the next six months until Election Day. In the type of political climate the United States is facing -- a seemingly total rebuke of establishment politics on the Republican side and a revolt against the Clinton legacy and big money in politics on the Democratic side -- these are not the kinds of issues that any candidate wants to face going into a general election. Advertisement The Democratic Party, like it or not, is at the crossroads over where it wants the party to go in the future, as well as where it wants the nation to go. Should the party continue on its path to effectively anoint Hillary Clinton over the extremely vocal movement on the side of Bernie Sanders, they risk alienating the Sanders voting bloc for years. In particular, as Sanders can likely count on a large contingent of Independent voters, the Democratic Pary stands to lose much of that support should they anoint Clinton to the proverbial throne. Should this happen, the party will likely have a difficult time winning their support for a long time to come; after all, the message will have been that their views and opinions do not matter, as long as they get Big-Money Clinton into the White House. Anyone who has tried to interpret the parking signs in New York likely has been left wondering whether one can, in fact, ever legally park in the Big Apple. Confusing signs have led even the most law-abiding citizen to get a parking ticket after deciding he or she had parked legally. Unfortunately, the same frustration is coming to patent holders that own technology that is attractive to Chinese companies, although the stakes are much higher than a $100 ticket. Chinese antitrust regulators have embarked on an unprecedented and alarming series of investigations targeting foreign patent rights in recent years. In one, the National Development and Reform Commission ("NDRC") launched an investigation of Qualcomm after receiving complaints that Chinese companies didn't want to pay the prices the San Diego-based company charged for accessing its patented technology for cellular chipsets. In a similar case, the NDRC investigated claims that San Francisco-based Dolby Labs, which licenses audio technologies to manufacturers of consumer electronics products, was charging high prices in China. Dawn raids and onerous requests for information soon followed. These cases condemn practices that, for many companies, are considered routine protection of valuable proprietary technology. Nonetheless, China has sounded the alarm that it is willing to re-write arms' length business transactions to benefit Chinese companies. In each case, the Chinese regulators issued thinly-reasoned decisions finding violations of China's Anti-Monopoly Law, slapping the patent holder with extraordinarily high fines ($975 million in the case of Qualcomm) or procuring commitments to license patents on terms favorable to Chinese manufacturers. Advertisement In an apparent attempt to deflect criticism of these thinly-reasoned enforcement actions, Chinese antitrust regulators have proposed giving themselves more tools to regulate the patent licensing practices of foreign companies. Over the past year, the NDRC and China's State Administration for Industry and Commerce ("SAIC"), another of China's antitrust enforcement agencies, issued draft rules that they will apply to the exercise of patents and other intellectual property rights. Those guidelines are so fraught with uncertainty that they should send shivers down the spine of any company owning patented technology that looks attractive to a Chinese-based company, regardless of where the patents are issued. At best, the draft guidelines provide some smidgen of badly-needed guidance in an area of regulatory uncertainty. At worst, they lend themselves to whatever interpretation the regulators see fit in the interest of giving Chinese companies a competitive advantage. Both sets of guidelines suffer from a lack of detail. They also suffer from, ironically, meaningful guidance. The SAIC guidelines are so general as to be meaningless. They are a collection of rules and a proclamation of what may or may not be anticompetitive with little to no explanation of the principles of interpretation. Nor, as is common in similar guidelines in other jurisdictions, do the SAIC guidelines provide specific examples of their application to common situations. The lengthier NDRC guidelines, on the other hand, are a collection of numerous factors with no indication of how they are to be balanced or applied. As a result, they subject even the most routine patent licensing practices to condemnation should it benefit Chinese companies wanting access to those patents. Advertisement To pinpoint specific examples, one need look no further than a provision in the SAIC guidelines that prohibits patent holders from refusing, "without justification," to license their patents "on reasonable terms" for the purposes of excluding or restricting competition. The NDRC guidelines likewise categorize a refusal to license patents "without justifiable reasons" as potentially anticompetitive. Taken to their logical conclusion, these provisions could force patent holders to license their proprietary technology to competitors, regardless of whether a company has formally promised to do so. But this turns the entire patent system on its head. In the United States and elsewhere, patents grant the right to exclude others, for a limited period of time, from practicing the covered technology. Such limited exclusionary rights provide companies the incentive to invest in expensive research and development. As a result, and in the absence of a voluntary promise to the contrary, patent holders are free to refuse to license their invention to others. By providing no rationale or specific examples of instances in which a refusal to license would be anticompetitive, U.S. companies with patented technology desired by Chinese companies may be left being forced by foreign regulators to give away their patent rights with little to no justification. Similarly, a provision in the NDRC guidelines asserting that cross licenses are "likely to restrict or eliminate competition" is enough to make lawyers cringe. Cross licenses, in which two patent holders agree to license technology to each other, are almost always pro-competitive because they allow the parties to develop products without worrying about provoking a patent infringement lawsuit. The notion that a company would license its proprietary technology to a Chinese company, while leaving itself defenseless to a countersuit for infringing the Chinese company's patents, is divorced from reality. gift and bouquet of white tulips with a card, 'Happy Mother's Day' Now there's a click-bait headline if there's ever been one. Is there one thing we all want? A glass of wine and the TV all to ourselves? (I wouldn't say no.) A handmade card and breakfast in bed? (Bring it on.) A spa day? (Yes, please!) For me, one of the best pleasures of Mother's Day is having a true day off -- a day when I don't have to figure out where we'll all be going or what we'll all be eating. Some researchers call this type of work -- serving as "cruise director" for your family -- the third shift. It's the dinner planning, the doctor-visit scheduling, the "who is going to make it to the school meeting" work that silently keeps our families moving smoothly. Advertisement It's also primarily the domain of working mothers. Yes, working dads are increasing the number of hours devoted to hands-on parenting and household chores -- what Arlie Hochschild famously deemed the second shift but who keeps the family calendar in sync? Who's the first to see a work/family conflict coming? Who's most likely to say to their partner, "Can you take care of that?" Who makes sure that we're not only at the classroom birthday party on time, but that we have 27 cupcakes in tow? In my house, it's me. And I strongly suspect that many of the women included on our annual shout out to the world's Most Powerful Moms also have this responsibility. For even as our first shift -- career -- takes off, the planning, strategizing, remembering and thinking ahead still remain our work to do. In her excellent book, Finding Time: The Economics of Work Life Conflict, the economist Heather Boushey notes that "American businesses used to have a silent partner" in stay-at-home moms. Today, it's not too far-fetched to say that we're all working -- no business can count on the majority of its employees having full-time support at home. Indeed, when Working Mother launched in the late 1970s, 47 percent of moms with kids under 18 worked; now it's 70 percent. And yet, working moms are still doing most of the same home work as our earlier counterparts once did -- and more. As my husband will say to me, "You're always thinking." It's a compliment, and lord knows, that man does his share of housework -- if only because he does all the laundry for four people, including two kids who can't seem to wear jeans more than once a week. But for this Mother's Day, I look forward to powering down. I'll enjoy a massage (that's a hint, honey) and may even watch a romantic comedy with extremely little redeeming social value. But what I won't do is plan where to take the kids on Sunday, decide what to feed them for breakfast or ask if their homework is done. Advertisement Looking for a weekend of good ole' Country fun? Nashville is the place to go. Not into country music? Nashville is still a great time. The perfect location for a quick getaway or girls weekend, your visit to Nashville is sure to be a trip you'll never forget. Where to Eat: Nashville Street Tacos, located just off of Broadway Street, features staple Mexican meats, Nashville's famous hot chicken, pulled pork, and baja fish options, Nashville combines two delicious cuisines into one. Biscuit Love, located in Nashville's Gulch neighborhood, is famous for their Bonuts (a combination of biscuit and donut). These are absolutely delicious, everything else at Biscuit Love is just as amazing. The most delicious Cheese and Grits and their famous East Nasty sandwhich are just a few of the scrumptious items to choose from. Don't let the line at this place turn you off, there are plenty of tables inside, the line is just to order and moves quickly. Advertisement Hattie B's is THE place for hot chicken. With several locations spread out through Nashville, make sure you visit this delicious food spot. Order some chicken and a side or two, the sides are absolutely amazing (I'm recommending their Mac and Cheese, it has pimento pepper in it!) Where to Go Out: ACME Feed and Seed was my first and favorite place I visited in Nashville. This rooftop bar had panoramic views of the city, the river, and the bridge to East Nashville. With a restaurant on the first floor, sushi on the second, and a rooftop bar that is open from 10am on weekends... ACME is the go-to place for a good time. This also may be one of the few places that doesn't play country music 99% of the time! Honky Tonk Central is exactly that: a honky-tonk. This three-story bar features a different genre of music on each floor, ranging from country to rock. We visited two of the three floors and had a great time dancing and singing the night away. The 5 Spot is located in East Nashville. This bar has different theme nights each day. With live DJs and bands every night, The 5 Spot is a favorite for Nashville locals'. My friends had a blast dancing the night away at Mo-town Mondays! Advertisement Tip: People going out in Nashville do not get dressed up the way people in big cities such as New York, Los Angeles, or Chicago do. Casual is the go-to! Dress it down, not up, if you're heading out in Nashville. What to See: Honky Tonks and foodie heavens aside, Nashville is home to many cultural and historic sites. The Farmer's Market is open every day of the week, and while hours say it's open until 6pm, I recommend going before 3pm. The Farmer's Market is also home to a great food court with some of Nashville's best restaurants setting up inside. My friends and tried almost every flavor at Jeni's ice cream and did not regret it one bit. Near Vanderbilt's campus is Centennial Park. The parks trails are great for running, but the main attraction at this park is The Parthenon. A full replica of Ancient Greece's most famous strucutre, The Parthenon was built as part of Tennessee's Centennial Exposition in1897. The public is welcome to explore the inside of the Parthenon, which is home to a full-scale statue of Athena, everyday except for Mondays. A fan of New Orleans? Printer's Alley is the small scale, Nashville-version of Bourbon Street. It is home to several bars and music venues, some of which actually originated on Bourbon Street! While this may be the place to go out at night, its definitely worth a quick stroll during the day. Advertisement Where to Stay: After exploring Nashville for 24 hours, I realized Nashville has so many cool neighborhoods to stay in. Hotels in Downtown Nashville are everywhere. Everything is approximately a 10-15 minute walk away. If you are looking to rent an Airbnb, The Gulch neighborhood is absolutely the cutest area to stay in. The neighborhood houses many modern apartments, cute boutiques, great restaurants, and great music venues! News / National by Staff Reporter Speaker of Parliament Jacob Mudenda has made stunning revelations saying he did not lead a delegation to "rescue" trafficked women in Kuwait.Last week there where widespread media reports that Mudenda was in Kuwait to rescue 32 trafficked women.During a parliamentary session on Tuesday, legislators took turns to praise Mudenda. However, he set 'the record straight'."While we appreciate your complements, let me put certain facts straight."I led the delegation on invitation by the Speaker of the National Assembly in Kuwait."It was not our mission to go and rescue those unfortunate young ladies".He went on" Secondly, the Speaker does not lead the Committee on Foreign Affairs. I was leading a delegation of Members of Parliament and I think the papers were mischievous to suggest that Hon. Paradza was the co-leader of the delegation. That was very unfortunate."When we got there, on our bilateral visit to exchange best practices with the Kuwait Parliament, it was then that we were advised by our ambassador of the desperate situation in which those 32 young ladies found themselves."Our going to Kuwait had nothing to do with rescuing those 32 unfortunate ladies. However, after being told the horrendous stories that had taken place, affecting those young ladies, the delegation then decided that we would not come back without those young ladies. We took a stand, which was accepted without question by the authorities from the Kuwait Government, led by the Acting Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs. That is the context that we must understand the situation".Mudenda said he does not "suggest that we regret having brought those children, we do not. We thought we tried our best to salvage the situation". NEW YORK, NY - MAY 3: Surrounded by his supporters and family, Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump addresses the media at Trump Tower following primary election results on May 3, 2016 in New York, NY. (Photo by Ricky Carioti/The Washington Post via Getty Images) Businessman Donald Trump is the Republican Party's presumptive nominee for president, but can he unite the party? Now that Texas Senator Ted Cruz has suspended his campaign, can he endorse the man he called a "pathological liar" and "utterly amoral"? Now that Governor Kasich is suspending his campaign, will the party come together and enthusiastically support its standard-barer? In his victory speech Tuesday night, Trump had nothing but praise for the man he only hours earlier called "lying" Ted Cruz. "He is one tough competitor," Trump said. "He is a smart tough guy." But Cruz did not mention Trump's name in his concession speech. Instead, he positioned himself as the leader of the conservative movement. "I am not suspending our fight to defend the Constitution, to defend the Judea-Christian values that built America," he said. "Our efforts will continue and I give you my word that I will continue this fight with all of my strength and all of my ability." Advertisement Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Preibus is going to have an enormous challenge bringing his party together. Right after Trump was declared the winner in Indiana Tuesday evening, Preibus tweeted, "@realDonaldTrump will be presumptive @GOP nominee, we all need to unite and focus on defeating @HillaryClinton." However, the burden of uniting the GOP will fall heaviest on Trump, who told NBC's Today, "I am confident that I can unite much of it." But he added, "Honestly, there are some people I really don't want. I don't think it's necessary. People would be voting for me, they're not voting for the party." Fortunately for Trump, this is politics, so even his harshest critics within the party will unashamedly put principle aside and endorse him if they believe it helps them in some way. Who better than the author of The Art of the Deal to win people over. But Trump's no holds barred campaign has burned a lot of bridges with large segments of the general population. For instance, Trump will have to negotiate with Latinos, many of whom he has alienated with his constant attacks on Mexico. "When Mexico sends its people, they're not sending their best," he said in his presidential campaign announcement last June. "They're sending people that have lots of problems, and they're bringing those problems with us. They're bringing drugs. They're bringing crime. They're rapists. And some, I assume, are good people," he added. Latino groups project at least 13.1 million Hispanics will vote this election compared to about 10 million in 2008. A record 27.3 million Latinos will be eligible to vote, up from 19.5 million eight years ago. In a recent national poll of Hispanics conducted by Latino Decisions, 79% of the respondents had a very unfavorable opinion of Trump. This result is ominous because Republican Mitt Romney received only 27% of the Latino vote in his huge loss to President Barack Obama in 2012. It is hard to believe that Trump could do as well this November as Romney did four years ago. And Trump will never reach the 37% mark that President George W. Bush received in his contested victory in 2000. Advertisement Women do not like Trump. According to a Gallup poll released last month Trump had a 70% unfavorable rating with women as compared to a 23% favorable rating. Trump has made numerous comments that have outraged women. Of then opponent Carly Fiorina, Trump said, "Look at that face. Would anyone vote for that?" Trump also called for women to be punished for getting abortions in an interview with MSNBC in March, but reversed his position after the firestorm he created. Overall, Trump is going to have to deal with this problem because considerably more women vote in national elections than do men. And winning only the white male blue-collar vote is not enough to win the presidency. In his Trump tirade Tuesday, Senator Cruz pointed out that the Back to the Future character, Biff Tannen, was based on Trump, a "caricature of a braggadocios, arrogant buffoon." He concluded, "We are looking, potentially, at the Biff Tannen presidency." You can never count anyone out, least of all Donald Trump. And November is a long way off, so anything can happen. However, if the campaign is limited to debates over woman's issues, foreign policy and actual experience with Congress and the executive branch, likely Democratic opponent Hillary Clinton will have the advantage. With the unexpected deaths of David Bowie, Alan Rickman, and Prince before 2016 is even half over, it's hard not to feel like artists whose talents, personas, and even appearances could best be described as "otherworldly" are disappearing from the world. It's as if benign aliens living among us are suddenly being called back to their home planets. Perhaps the actress who most fits this description (though I certainly hope she stays earthbound for decades to come) is Tilda Swinton, who has been challenging, mesmerizing, and enthralling audiences throughout her career with her striking looks, boundless talent, and her ability to reinvent herself for every role she plays. In light of these qualities, there's perhaps no better woman than Swinton for the lead role in A Bigger Splash, which was adapted from the 1969 French film La Piscine. Swinton plays an iconic rock star in the mold of David Bowie who has retreated to a small Italian island with her boyfriend to recover from throat surgery, only to have their peace and seclusion shattered by two unexpected guests. Watch the trailer for A Bigger Splash below. Advertisement Swinton plays Marianne Lane, a rock legend described as "the woman of the century" who has been sidelined by throat surgery that prevents her from speaking above a whisper. Her younger boyfriend, Paul (Matthias Schoenaerts), is a documentarian who is nursing Marianne back to health as she recuperates in a villa on the volcanic Italian island of Pantelleria, located between the coasts of Tunisia and Sicily. But their wordless days spent sunbathing, reading, swimming, and snuggling in comparative equality and domesticity come to a jarring end with the arrival of Harry (Ralph Fiennes), Marianne's gregarious but obnoxious former producer and lover who introduced her to Paul. Accompanying Harry is Penelope (Dakota Johnson), Harry's recently-discovered daughter from an earlier fling. With Harry's clear affection and history with Marianne -- along with his inability to shut up, filter his thoughts, or regulate his volume -- things quickly become tense with Harry imposing himself on every aspect of Marianne and Paul's once-relaxing holiday in an attempt to charm or force his way back into Marianne's life. Meanwhile, Penelope's penchant for quiet observation belies a wide troublemaking streak as she attempts to get under Paul's skin, seemingly out of sport or boredom. A Bigger Splash also features flashbacks to Marianne's full-throated rock star days as she and Harry collaborate, fall in love, and split apart, as well as Harry's fateful decision to introduce his then-friend Paul to Marianne after Harry's wild ways have ruined their relationship. The stakes eventually ratchet up, but it would spoil the film to tell you how. A Bigger Splash truly belongs to Swinton. Not since Holly Hunter in the Piano has an actress conveyed so much while saying so little. And when Marianne does decide to rasp a few words, you know it's because her feelings are so strong that she's willing to risk her voice and career to make them understood. Advertisement But it's the way Swinton's otherworldly presence meshes so perfectly with the character of Marianne that makes Swinton's performance so utterly magnetic -- and something I hope Academy Awards voters remember during Oscars season. Both Swinton and Marianne are iconoclasts in their bones (and bone structure), seemingly more than human while capable of exuding femininity, androgyny, strength, delicacy, glamor, and casualness all in the same moment. With her striking features and statuesque six-foot height, either Swinton or Marianne would stand out in a crowd even if they weren't famous. Add the fact that Swinton is considered a fashion icon in her own right and that all of Marianne's outfits in A Bigger Splash are either custom-made, ready-to-wear, or haute-couture Dior and you have women who would turn heads on the sidewalks of Manhattan or the cobblestones of an island village. Harry is a terrific foil for Marianne, and it's definitely fun to see Fiennes playing a character so unbridled, profane, and contemporary. While it's hard to know if Paul's comparative lack of charisma has more to do with Schoenaerts, the fact that Paul represents so much of what Harry isn't, or that Schoenaerts shares so much screen time with two Oscar winners, he does a good job of being quietly grumpy about Harry's presence and antics. Of the four main characters, Johnson comes across as the weakest, especially since it's still unclear to me if her talents extend much beyond being fresh-faced and willing to take her clothes off. But none of that should keep you from seeing A Bigger Splash, which is the kind of intelligent, nuanced, unpredictable drama for adults that often seems to be in short supply in movie theaters these days. And it's further proof that Swinton is one of the most impressive talents working today across all mediums, even when playing a character who could be described the same way. Last week, the New York Times ran a piece by Thomas B. Edsall called "How the other fifth lives," a clear-eyed look at the lives lived by those in the upper quintile of the country, and what happens when that upper fifth separates itself from the lower four-fifths. The education system in the US is an important area to see the impact of that one-fifth/four-fifths gap. That was on painful display at this week's Education Writers Association's National Seminar this week in Boston where sessions like "Hunger on Campus" drew attention to the dismal fact that our nation's community college students too often face hunger and homelessness: 20% are food-insecure and 39% housing-insecure. (More here.) The impact of that gap is obvious in both public and parental spending, with greater investment being made in the upper-income kids. No one disputes that well-to-do kids perform better overall in almost every academic metric - almost ensuring that they remain well-to-do later in life. Advertisement I'm often shocked by the embarrassment of riches available to students from well-off families and communities. I don't mean millionaires and billionaires; I mean my kids and, quite likely, yours. This isn't about public versus independent schools; public schools in high-resource communities are often dramatically different from those in low-resource communities. Students on the top slice of life's economic ladder - let's call it the top 20%, which NPR pegs at $111,000 - are being successfully educated. Yes, schools struggle with resources, and there's never enough time for learning, but by and large, the top 20% of children in the US will grow up to live lives at least on par with those they live now. This isn't only about Wellesley or Westchester, where $111,000 doesn't go far. For the top 20%, establishment education is working reasonably well. I'm likely talking about where you live. I'm likely talking about your kids...and mine. But that's leaving the rest of the country's students in tough shape and, as Edsall points out, that gap is growing and its impact is being felt. But, because it's not being felt by us, it rarely makes news and there's no movement to address this with the urgency it requires. Because today's tastemakers, trendsetters, and talking heads on TV all fall into that top 20%, do they know enough to care about education? Has the case been made loudly enough that we have to pay attention? Advertisement While the political analysis du jour highlights voter concern about the growing wealth gap and the rise of the billionaire class, the real culture clash in the US involves those with 6+-figure incomes and everyone else. When it comes to education, if your family earns 6-figures, your kids will end up just fine. The rest of the country (a staggering 80% of the population) has been voting "no confidence" in education for decades - but not being heard (look at the growth of charter schools for evidence). The top 20% drives the bulk of the agenda in the US - the focus, debate, buzz, media coverage, and dialogue - and has very little insight into the remaining 80%. Policy makers and lobbyists earn more than $100K. Editors make more than $100K. The media brags about its percentage of readers/viewers with college degrees (New York Times: 80%; Washington Post:72%; LA Times: 71%). 74% of Facebook users have a college degree. "Voters" make more than $100K, creating an income-related voting gap for both parties that Edsall notes. Even the people dedicated to "fixing" education - the education establishment - comfortably keep their kids in the Top 20%. Payscale pegs median Superintendent income at $113,000. Ironically, Supes in the country's biggest cities (and with the poorest populations) routinely earn more than twice that. Executives at Education companies, from textbook publishers to innovative EdTech disruptors, earn 6-figures (when I worked at those companies I often reminded people that "we aren't our customer"). Their board members eclipse $100K in income. The venture capitalists and investors fueling the education industry's growth easily bring in more than $100K. Community College Presidents, often at institutions that serve our lower earners, bring in an average salary in excess of $160,000. Even with the shameful average teacher salary of $50,000, a 2-income family breaks that 100K mark. The impact on education is this: families in the top 20% (even those of us dedicated to improving education) educate their children in a different America than everyone else. Because of their economic and electoral clout, everyone from marketers to the media keeps that 20% (our 20%) in a state of ignorant bliss regarding education, so they don't know. And you don't know. We don't know. Advertisement It doesn't directly affect our kids, so we have the luxury of the status quo. But now we must care. The families that some in the media have called the "neglected majority" - the 60% of Americans with no more than a high school education- put their children in education systems from which most of us are insulated. And that is education's greatest shortcoming - when the education system fails, it doesn't affect our families or us. When voters rebel, the political class rolls out slogan-ready programs like No Child Left Behind or Every Student Succeeds (not to mention Jeb Bush's Right to Rise), and continues to educate its children as it always has. But that failure is resulting in a population left out of a 21st century of opportunity, and thundering their anger and frustration at a political, economic, and education establishment that continues to leave them - and their children - behind. Every child has a right to a high quality and equally effective education, regardless of their family's socioeconomic status. For the sake of our country's future, let's hope the shockwaves from this political season wake up "the establishment" to the struggles of the rest of America, and starts providing an education that works well for all. Twenty years ago, designers were using high-tech materials to create neoprene rubber wet suits and bullet-resistant body armor. Now, New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art in its new Costume Institute exhibit "Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology" is filled with 170 designs not only meticulously crafted using traditional materials and techniques but also created from the latest synthetic materials and processes including 3-D printed lace strips, laser cut silicone feathers, and ultrasonic welding. The exhibit is filled with exquisite and witty designs that range from Christian Dior's elegant 1949-50 haute couture "Venus" dress with its hand-embroidered opalescent gelatin sequins to innovative British designer Hussein Chalayan's 2007 "One Hundred and Eleven" ready-to-wear "Mechanical Dress" with aluminum plaques that originally wowed runway audiences by spreading out into a rounded shape when activated by a remote control (the aluminum is ornamented with Swarovski rhinestones and the dress's title was a tribute to Swarovski's 111th anniversary). Going through the arched doorway, viewers at the Met's exhibit first encounter the show-stopping Chanel wedding ensemble with its 20-foot jewel-encrusted train. The experience is quasi-religious with the sounds of Brian Eno's soaring and sardonically-titled "Music for Airports" and the dress train's patterns projected onto the domed ceiling (complete with eye or oculus). It feels a bit like walking into a cathedral only it's a fashion cathedral for the computer age: the wedding dress designed for Chanel by Karl Lagerfeld is hand-embroidered with pearls and gemstones but also made of cream-colored scuba knit material with the satin train machine-printed with rhinestones. Advertisement "Manus x Machina" means Hand/Machine and the exhibit's curator, Alexander Bolton, is emphatic that the "x" in the title is a multiplication symbol signifying that that hand and machine are not "oppositional" but are "equal and mutual protagonists in solving design problems." Each discipline--hand-made and machine-made-- "has regularly embraced the practices of the other." Haute couture generally refers to highly-expensive fashions custom-fitted to a particular body while pret-a-porter or ready-to-wear are clothing lines with standardized sizes for wider consumption. Both are represented in the show, though the "ready-to-wear" designation is often fanciful: the "Video Dress" by Chalayan from his autumn 2007-2008 "Airborne" collection is illuminated and hand-wired with 15,600 flashing LED lights, a design probably more to admire and gaze at than dance in and Chalayan's 2011-2012 "Kaikoku" Floating Dress made of cast fiber glass covered with gold pigment is an elegant shape more sculptural than dress. The designer himself has said he'd like his designs to be both wearable and "monumental"--a feat not always easy to reconcile. Along with Chalayan, one of the stars of the exhibit producing some of the most intriguing and arresting dresses is Dutch designer Iris van Herpen who founded her own atelier in 2007. Her 2010 spring/summer Ensemble haute-couture dress has a strikingly sculptural 3-D printed bodice made of white polyamide and a ringed skirt made of machine-sewn white goat skin with hand-cut acrylic fringe-like filaments suggesting a nineteenth-century wired crinoline. Van Herpen frequently collaborates with architects, computer designers, engineers, artists, and scientists as she unites traditional craftsmanship with today's technologies. In an interview with Andrew Bolton she has said, "I work with technology but the hand and the machine are equal within my design process--they are totally integrated." She is known for her use of 3-D printing which she says she likes because it permits extraordinary detailing and she notes that the polyamide is a durable and strong material also used in automotive design. Advertisement In her interview with Bolton in the exhibit's catalog, she said she used to dance and that a good word to describe her work is "movement." Her 2013-2014 haute-couture dress is all about freedom and flight. It was created with strips of laser-cut nude silicone "feathers" and has silicone-covered gull skulls created by artist Cedric Laquize in Amsterdam. In the exhibit, van Herpen's dress is juxtaposed with Yves Saint Laurent's 1969-1970 Evening Dress created with hand-glued white, black and brown bird-of-paradise feathers and nude silk gauze. The Saint Laurent dress looks soft and calm; van Herpen's dress with its bird heads is energized and looks like it's about to lift off in the air. Many of these fashions use both hand and machine to produce highly-elaborate ensembles with multiples: Karl Lagerfeld's 2010 haut-couture ensemble features 1300 hand-pieced satin flowers and Yves Saint Laurent hand-embroidered "Sardine Dress" took 1500 hours to complete. Embroidery machines and laser cutting has made the processes more efficient, but many of the creations look labor intensive. One of the stories we hear little about in the exhibit is that of the workers who produced the lacework, pleating, embroidery--in European and American ateliers, in factories, in workshops. Were they mostly women, men? Were they highly paid for their expertise, were they underpaid, as were women workers in mid-nineteenth century France and Switzerland where hand-embroidery was often done? Who is employed in ateliers, computer design, and 3-D printing firms today? Both the curator and van Herpen have spoken about their wish to keep the technology of the fashions "invisible" rather than blatant, but we may also wonder about the invisible workers who helped create the clothes. The exhibit's subtitle is "Fashion in an Age of Technology" and in many ways the show is an exhilarating celebration of the creative uses of today's technological materials and techniques. Still, there are mixed feelings. Van Herpen in her interview with Bolton says that 3-D printing needs to become more user friendly and though Bolton himself is hopeful that 3-D printing may become available for home use---bringing its capacity for customization to a wider audience---the technology is not yet there. In his catalog interview with Chalayan, Bolton mentions that "in the history of fashion, there are many of examples of anxiety, even terror, surrounding technology, despite the fact that fashion and technology are inextricably connected." One of Chalayan's dresses from his spring/summer 2009 "Inertia" ready-to-wear collection reveals an ambivalence about technology. Neoprene has come a long way from those wet suits. The Chalayan design is made of jersey ultrasonically welded (or thermo bonded) to neoprene, and is hand-painted and airbrushed with gray, green blue, brown, black and red imagery taken from photographs of the remnants of car crashes---fenders, car handles-- found in automobile "graveyards." Says the designer, we live in a world caught up in speed and "fast-paced living," and the dresses represent the body being the "cause and effect of a crash in one moment." Advertisement When I was pregnant with my first child, Sophia, I felt invincible, like an all-powerful fertility goddess full of unfettered anticipation. I'm bipolar, so maybe I was a little manic, but it felt soooo good. Pregnant on the first try, breathing smoothly and holding steady in warrior pose in anticipation of labor. I even led a month-long student trip to Greece eight and a half months into the pregnancy, convincing my midwife I would be careful, would take it easy, and would rest at night. Instead, I trekked up mountains and across dusty goat paths, brushing my hands through wild oregano; on the beach, after snorkeling, I massaged olive oil into my stretch marks, and into the wee hours of the night, danced the kalamatiano. In one photograph, I float on my back in the blue, buoyant Aegean, my round belly rising from the water like the moon. Sophia was a dream. Can I say that labor was easy, that she slid from me as if down a water slide, and immediately nursed in soporific contentment? She slept for long, quiet stretches, which meant I did, too, and giggled, first, at the dog's long, swinging tongue brushing her cheek. She traveled in front carriers and strollers across Greece, Italy, and Mexico. If there were tantrums, I don't remember any. We called her our "trick baby": her easiness convinced us to have a second. Advertisement My pregnancy with Alexander was difficult. I was tired, full of self-loathing about my failing ambitions, and often dragged down into the mire of depression since I stopped my meds. No fallout the first time, but this time? I was convinced my depression would damage my growing son who was so intimately linked to my chemistry. Irrational, like a belief in medieval humors and black bile running through the umbilical cord into him. But not so irrational. Wasn't he suspended in a body flooded with cortisol and deficient in serotonin and dopamine? Wasn't this amniotic bath contaminating him? In a first photo: I sit in the hospital bed holding my newborn son, swaddled tight, against my chest with one arm, the other arm bare, visible. The scars that run up and down my arm are visible, evidence of what I believed deep down was my maternal unfitness. It should have been a beautiful photograph, but I couldn't look at it. Shame and despair beside beauty and hope. I had my husband delete it. I fell deeply in love with my son, Alexander. His enormous brown eyes gazed up at me in unblinking forgiveness: love, love, love you. He nursed for hours at a stretch, as if reluctant to give me up, as if expecting already I might leave him. He was not an easy baby -- rarely sleeping that first year for more than two hours; I staggered to his room and rocked him and nursed him and sang every lullaby I knew -- My Bonnie lies over the ocean, my Bonnie lies over the sea.... In those dark, sleepless hours, when I felt like a failed mother, when my bipolar disorder was wildly uncontrolled, I thought: Surely my family would be better off without me. Then I would look down at my son, who was looking up at me, and I thought: Just hold on a little longer, let him need you a little less. From my journal, four months after my son's birth: I am running, looking at the world flying past me, unable to see it, to feel how beautiful it is, and it is beautiful, it is April, austere tulips and dopey daffodils and crab apples blooming and I see them and I see through them, and all I do is occupy empty space. I am via negativa. Advertisement When he was nine months, I was admitted to the psych ward for the first time. My husband had to hold me down in bed because I threatened to run outside in front of any oncoming car. Depleted. Sleepless. Not eating. Manic. Depressed. What is called a Mixed State. I stopped nursing cold turkey. The hospital didn't get me a breast pump for two days, so milk spilled down my stomach, soaking my pajamas and the sheets. How could my son ever understand my sudden and utter absence? How would I ever make it up to him? How would he ever trust me again? For several years, that was the pattern: I was in and out of the hospital, trying to find stability, trying to find the right cocktail of medications that would allow me to slow down, trying to teach my classes, trying to make chocolate cake, trying to keep up with baths and lunches and field trips, trying to breathe and to breathe in my children. When I would come home from the hospital, Sophia and Alexander would insist on sleeping in my bed, each on one side of me, holding my hand or touching my leg for assurance that I was still there and not going anywhere, not leaving again, not trying to leave for good. They held me in place with their tiny, warm bodies with their insistent and unrelenting love: You are ours, they seemed to say, not yours, not anymore. Their relentless love is why I am still here. They needed me in their world, so I returned to stability, self-compassion, and most days, even self-love. My children and I talk about the scars on my arms, and those years of my itinerant, unstable motherhood, and their fears for me -- that the bipolar dragon might return and carry me back to its cave. But it's been years now, and I feel sound and steadfast, and truly, they don't worry that I'll be gone in the morning. Sophia is independent and bold, born of intrepid travel and buoyancy. She tells me her own fears, about boys and puberty, and about her dream to move to California and be an animator. Though he's now ten, Alexander still crawls into bed with me. A sweet intimacy which I know is likely to disappear when he hits adolescence. But for now, I swoon over his long, skinny legs that bump against mine, and his head which sometimes settles close to mine on the pillow, and his deep, untroubled breath as he slips into sleep. And I understand that my children will never need me any less, and I will always secretly need them more. ___________________ "They have the best Greek feta cheese you can get anywhere," my husband said, pointing to the Middle Eastern grocery store around the corner from our house where he and his late wife used to shop all the time. "It comes from France." Hm. Greek feta cheese from France. How enticing. "I'll check it out," I told him. Thus began, three years ago, my almost daily trips to that wonderful little corner of the world, the Middle Eastern market. From the big sheets of warm-from-the-oven flatbread stacked next to the cash-register, to the six to eight varieties of glistening olives crowded together in bins under protective glass, to the boxes of fresh produce stacked on the floor all bearing labels from small California farms, to the colorful half gallon cans of imported oils, the marmalade from England and the chocolate bars from Germany, I have always managed to find something to buy. Advertisement Shopping there reminds me of the Italian delicatessens I would go to with my mother when I was a little girl. It has the same "other-worldly" feeling to it, including the you-can't-move-freely-down-the-aisle crowdedness of it, and the friendliness of it. I revel in all the different languages spoken around me, I love all the smiles with their heavily accented "How are you today?" greetings... ... and I love the trust. "Never mind," the man behind the register told me. "You can pay for it the next time you come in." "You don't want me to sign an IOU or something?" I asked. But shrugging his shoulders in that non-verbal way that says so much, added that we all forget our credit cards from time to time. Advertisement "Not to worry. You'll pay next time. I know you." I happened to be in the market the day after the terrorist bombing in Belgium. I'd had a tugging at my heart for the people in the Middle Eastern market every time something similar had happened. This time, I stood at the counter and waited until the line was gone. I wanted to say something I had wanted to say several times before but I hadn't followed up on my impulse. "Yes, ma'am?" the man behind the cash register asked. I'd had many previous interactions with this particular person and thought of him as the manager of the store. "I don't mean to be rude, but you're Muslim, aren't you?" I asked quietly. Of course, I knew he was Muslim. There were racks of women's long black garments for sale in the store and all of the women shopping there, except me, wore head scarves. Besides, I'd had to make a mental note that they were closed on Fridays between 1:00 and 3:00 to go to mosque. I saw a flicker -- just a flicker -- of doubt come into his eye. He nodded his head solemnly. "I'm sure you know I'm not Muslim," I said. "But -- with the cloud of terrorist bombs hanging over us in the news -- I wanted to tell you that whatever I am, I am your friend." I put my hand out and took his in both of mine. "I wanted to tell you that because of what happened in Belgium. I wanted you to know that I understand what that could be like for you." He teared up and I teared up. I let go of his hand. "Thank you," he said. "No problem, I responded. "I'll be back tomorrow. I'll need more olives by then." That was it. Nothing more. Neither of us have mentioned it since but I had proclaimed myself. I had made a public statement about where I stood. With the bombings and with so many of our leaders and politicians preaching hatred, even if my voice was only between me and one other person, I had raised it. It felt good. Author Bio: Carmelene Melanie Siani Carmelene writes stories from every day life and how life itself offers lessons to help us grow, expand, and put our feet on higher ground. Advertisement According to Yale professor Richard Foster, the average company launched today can be expected to survive only 15 years, compared to over 67 years for those founded in the 1920s. The path to brand love and related customer loyalty has become rocky, and ensuring a dependable stable business today is harder than ever before. One hundred-plus years ago, companies such as Ford, Johnson & Johnson, Proctor & Gamble, and CVS (along with the 14 other members of the Sustainable Brands Corporate Member network with over 100 years in operation) were launched with a clear sense of purpose based on the intent to solve a recognizable social problem. Early leaders of these companies believed that profit would come as a result of creating real value for their customers. As the 20th century unfolded, a growing middle class fueled the economic engine, success bred a hunger for more, and slowly but surely, the focus of leadership turned toward the power to generate profit rather than the power to deliver on purpose. This trend was exacerbated with the advent of Madison Avenue, as marketers learned they could influence consumers to feel insecure in their happiness and to respond by flocking to the comforts offered by a whole new array of products and solutions offering a 'sure fix for what ails you'. Advertisement While the unintended consequences of what felt for decades like the Holy Grail - an infallible engine to increase global prosperity - began to be recognized toward the end of the 20th century, the advent of the Internet has vastly accelerated our understanding of the interconnectedness of our collective actions, and we are now increasingly aware of previously unrecognized externalities being perpetrated on our planet and its inhabitants. As a result, we now find ourselves in the midst of a global self-reflection about the role of brands in the world, our relationship to them as consumers, and our expectations of them moving forward. The tide has changed, and business as usual - with its laser focus on quarterly earnings growth - is no longer sitting right with most of us. Today, we are in the midst of a substantial paradigm shift in terms of our expectations of the brands we support. And as the demand for new products, services and business models that once again deliver on both purpose and profit continues to soar, business leaders who are tapping this shift are thriving in the face of uncertainty. Building a successful, purpose-led business in today's world presents a complex set of challenges. It requires a reboot in the way we think about strategy, informed by a vastly extended field of knowledge about the social and environmental impacts of our operations. And it depends on a new set of tools and partners. Having a purpose statement alone will not drive you into the leaders circle or build the trusted and authentic brand that customers today increasingly demand; the next economy requires whole systems shifts through the collaboration of all parts of the value network. The good news is, many forward-thinking brands - both smaller, local brands and global multi-nationals - are realizing that they have far more impact on society and the environment, for good or otherwise, than they once understood. By understanding these impacts more deeply, and reconnecting their strategy and operations to an authentic purpose, they are reengaging their customers as partners to help create shared value in a changing world. Advertisement How have brands successfully responded to this changing business landscape so far, and what will it take to enable genuinely purpose-driven business leaders to consistently perform above the rest of the pack? Over the coming year, starting this June at SB'16 San Diego, business and brand leaders within the global Sustainable Brands community will be gathering on six continents to share how they are succeeding by Activating Purpose with sustainability-driven innovation that creates both positive impact and profit at scale. Our focus will be on the global truth that it is time for all businesses to once again embed a meaningful purpose beyond profit. We'll explore the systems, processes, tools and partnerships that are helping to introduce net positive results for the businesses we serve and their stakeholders. A few highlights of SB'16 San Diego will include: Vaseline, REI, JetBlue, Ben & Jerry's, Campbell Soup and others will go behind the scenes on new consumer engagement campaigns that are shaping the landscape of purpose-driven brand positioning and initiatives. Etsy, Mud Jeans, MetaWear and The Renewal Workshop will showcase innovation strategies that disrupt the whole value chain, baking in quality, uniqueness, transparency, humanity and wise use of materials from day one. LinkedIn, Nike, Timberland and Kohler will address benefits of purpose-driven employees, and how brands can close the 'purpose gap' by changing employee culture and mindsets in the order to embed sustainability priorities throughout the entire organization. Kashi, Nespresso, Ford, MillerCoors and Hershey will walk through exemplary case studies in supply chain leadership, sharing a rich variety of cutting-edge strategies for engaging and collaborating with suppliers to incentivize and help them innovate for sustainability. This Huffington Post series, brought to you by the Sustainable Brands community, will celebrate ten years of moving from making the case for purpose-driven brand leadership to uncovering the the tools, methods and models for activating purpose at scale. Join us in the coming months as we bring you stories first from SB'16 San Diego, and then from around the world as we convene leaders in Buenos Aires, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Copenhagen, Japan and beyond. We welcome your thoughts and encourage collective dialogue as together we look to a future that starts with a commitment to rethink the role of business in the next economy, and then moves to imagine the possibility and build the new disciplines to enable purpose-driven brands to take the lead in the coming decades. Advertisement Like the tobacco companies a generation ago, Johnson & Johnson and its cosmetics lobby have known about the link between its talcum powder and cancer for 40 years, distorted research about the talcum-cancer connection, and lied to the public about the dangers. The big lie was exposed on Monday when, for the second time in three months, jurors blasted Johnson & Johnson with an 8-figure verdict in a trial charging that the company knew that its talc-based Baby Powder and Show to Shower Powder causes ovarian cancer. Talc was found in the ovarian tissue after a hysterectomy of the plaintiff, Gloria Ristesund of Sioux Falls, SD, in the May 2 verdict in St. Louis. She was diagnosed with cancer in 2011 after using J&J's talc-based feminine hygiene products for almost 40 years, and the jury awarded her $55 million. Advertisement Another jury in the same courthouse awarded $72 million on February 22 to the family of Jacqueline Fox of Birmingham, AL, who used Johnson's baby powder for 35 years. She was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2013 and died last year. Photo of Jacqueline Fox from Beasley Allen. 1,200 Cancer Lawsuits As a result, J&J is facing now 1,200 lawsuits in Missouri and New Jersey, charging it with fraud, negligence, conspiracy, and failing to warn consumers about the cancer risks. Talc is a mineral mined in China that is made up magnesium and silicon. As a powder, it absorbs moisture well and helps reduce friction. The risk of ovarian cancer is one-third higher among women who regularly powdered their genitals with talc, according to a 2016 study in Epidemiology. Researchers asked 2,041 women with ovarian cancer and 2,100 similar women without ovarian cancer about their talcum powder use. Those who said they routinely applied talc to their genital area, feminine products and underwear were at 33% higher risk of ovarian cancer, according to the study. Advertisement Research author Dr. Cramer has unsuccessfully called for warning labels on talcum powder. Cramer, who heads the Obstetrics and Gynecology Epidemiology Center at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, first reported a link between genital talc and ovarian cancer in 1982. The Talc-Cancer Coverup One juror in the $55 million case, Jerome Kendrick, told a St. Louis newspaper that the company's internal memos "pretty much sealed my opinion." He said, "They tried to cover up and influence the boards that regulate cosmetics." He added, "They could have at least put a warning label on the box but they didn't. They did nothing." Numerous research studies have shown the connection between talcum powder and ovarian cancer: In 1971 study conducted conducted by Dr. W.J. Henderson and others in Cardiff, Wales, suggested an aassociation between talc and ovarian cancer. In 1982, the first epidemiologic study was performed on talc powder use in the female genital area. Conducted by Dr. Daniel Cramer and others, the study found a 92% increased risk in ovarian cancer with women who reported genital talc use. Since then, there have been approximately 22 additional epidemiologic studies providing data regarding the association of talc and ovarian cancer. Nearly all of these studies have reported an elevated risk for ovarian cancer associated with genital talc use in women. In 1993, the US National Toxicology Program (NTP) published a study on the toxicity of non-asbestiform talc and found clear evidence of carcinogenic activity. Talc was found to be a carcinogen, with or without the presence of asbestos-like fibers. The conspiracy to stop a warning In response to the federal NTP study, the Cosmetic Toiletry and Fragrance Association formed the Talc Interested Party Task Force (TIPTF). Johnson & Johnson was a member of the trade lobby and was the primary actor and contributors of TIPTF. The stated purpose of TIPTF was to pool financial resources of these companies in an effort to collectively defend talc use and to prevent regulation of any type over this industry. Advertisement According to the womens' lawsuit, TIPTF hired scientists to perform biased research regarding the safety of talc. Members of TIPTF edited scientific reports of the scientists it hired prior the submission of these scientific reports to governmental agencies. Members of TIPTF released false information about the safety of talc to consumers, and used political and economic influence on regulatory bodies throughout the 1990s. In 2005 TIPTF agreed to edit and delete portions of scientific papers being submitted on their behalf to the NTP, and threatened to sue the NTP in an attempt to prevent talc from being classified as a carcinogen. Finally in 2006, the Canadian government under The Hazardous Products Act and associated Controlled Products Regulations classified talc as a "D2A," "very toxic," "cancer causing" substance under its Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System. Asbestos is also classified as "D2A". In the same year, Johnson & Johnson's talc supplier -- Imerys Talc -- began placing warning sheets on the talc it sold to Johnson & Johnson. These sheets not only provided the warning information from the International Association for the Research of Cancer (part of the World Health Organization) but also included warning information about the Canadian Government's "cancer causing" classification. Hannah Russell Hannah Russell is the co-founder and CEO of Layer, a curated online marketplace for preowned design and vintage furniture. Hannah has been instrumental to the growth of technology companies large and small in London, Berlin and New York. More recently, Hannah spent two years living and working in Berlin for ebook startup Blloon before returning to London to found and head up their London office. Hannah currently resides in London and she is part of the Girl in Tech mentoring programme, a scheme that brings together industry leaders, entrepreneurs and investors. Advertisement How has your life experience made you the leader you are today? I've always been very independent and was a bookworm as a child. I would literally devour books - my Dad was sent on daily expeditions to the local library to keep me happy! I was, and in many ways still am, hungry for knowledge. I would read anywhere I could including at the dinner table during family meals. Later as a young adult, I wanted to travel to see the places I'd read about and so I took myself off on my own to India at 18. It was a big move, which I don't think I realised at the time. My experiences travelling have absolutely shaped me - I think the necessity of getting yourself from A to B, of feeling like just a small person in a very big world and of the compassion you experience from the people you meet are all huge influences on me today. I've always wanted to build and nurture something myself - both my parents have built successful companies, and I guess it was always instilled in me that anything is possible. If you're told something enough as a child - you really do believe it. How has your previous employment experience aided your tenure at Layer? The majority of my experience has been working at the cross-section of what is quite a traditional industry - publishing - and the cutting-edge developments that are shaping it - namely technology, and in this specific case, ebooks. I think that this has given me quite a clear understanding of how important it is to make smart forward looking decisions - you never want to be the person holding onto the ship as it's sinking. At the same time though, I don't agree with change for change's sake - change doesn't necessarily mean progress. Advertisement Working for a number of small, growing companies has given me experience of 'all hands on deck'. You might have a job description but in reality, you just need to jump in and do whatever needs doing. At Layer we strongly subscribe to this - just make it happen! What have the highlights and challenges been during your tenure at Layer? It's so hard to choose! Building something that you are so proud of and which reflects exactly what you had in your mind is quite something. It's particularly rewarding when other people are so excited when they discover us! Tangibly though, selling our first piece of furniture that had been listed by an individual was brilliant. It proved what we had been saying - that the way to grow our business is to allow anyone (not just professional traders) to sell quality second hand design furniture pieces through Layer. In terms of difficulties, translating what can be a very personal, significant offline moment into the online realm has been challenging. People often associate buying secondhand furniture with where they were at the time (this cute little flea market in Provence, for example!), so we've replicated some of this charm with our stories and the content that accompanies the marketplace. You can #MeetTheTrader behind the product in our feature interviews or read about markets all over the world. We like to think that we're so much more than just a transactional eCommerce marketplace - we add in the story to the purchase and celebrate its history! What advice can you offer to women who want a career in your industry? For women looking to start an online business, there is a huge amount of support out there and my advice would be to seek it out and take it all! Advertisement Get in touch with women who have worked in similar spaces and ask them for advice. My experience has overwhelmingly been that people are exceptionally generous with their time - and some of the biggest learnings for me have come from conversations with external people. Sometimes you need a totally fresh pair of eyes to see something you are simply too close to! I feel lucky that I haven't ever experienced situations where being a woman has clearly disadvantaged me in my career. Of course, there are times when you are the only woman in the room but I do think that we're beginning to stand tall as women and we are moving in the right direction. What is the most important lesson you've learned in your career to date? I really believe that you should be willing to get your hands dirty. And by this I mean, do the work that might not be the most fun rather than passing it off to someone else. Some of my biggest 'aha moments' have come when I'm knee-deep in an Excel spreadsheet that I really didn't want to sort out. In the same way, I think getting your hands dirty means you have to have an understanding of every part of your business. If you aren't sure, ask questions. Secondly, empathy. Business is dealing with humans, not computers. Try to genuinely understand what is motivating or troubling your colleague, customer or boss rather than just railing against it. It'll make you much more likely to be able to find a solution. At Layer, we strongly believe in offering a personal and interactive service - we're an online business in a digital age but we want customers to be able to pick up the phone and speak to a human! How do you maintain a work/life balance? Not that well at the moment! We have just this year moved into office spaces, and that has actually made a huge difference. The physical separation of work from home means that I don't walk around with my laptop permanently attached to my hip when I'm at home. Advertisement Running is my saviour as well - if I can fit in a run home from the station instead of getting the bus then I know that I'll be in a better frame of mind for the rest of the evening. What do you think is the biggest issue for women in the workplace? I've never thought that I was lacking in confidence - but I do think that as women we need to just 'leap' more. We think about things deeply in a way that perhaps men don't, and sometimes over analyzing can hold us back. Yes, make measured, smart decisions in the main - but sometimes you just have to leap with your heart and believe you can do it! How has mentorship made a difference in your professional and personal life? It's been a huge influence for me - particularly in the last six months. I've been mentored as a part of the Girls in Tech inaugural mentoring scheme and have had the chance to meet remarkable industry leaders, entrepreneurs and investors from the likes of Google, TechStars, Spotify, Amazon etc. I really wouldn't have been able to make the decisions and have the confidence to pursue my dreams so unashamedly without these sessions. Particularly for women, I think having a mentor who has done what you're trying to achieve (or something similar) before is so reassuring. So many role models in our society are men - it's as if men were the only people alive in our histories. So we need to find our own current and relevant role models. Which other female leaders do you admire and why? If people ask me about inspiring women I've worked with, I always think of my boss at my last job in Berlin. I learnt so much from her and I hope to lead others in the same way that she did - by example and with an open mind. Advertisement What do you want Layer to accomplish in the next year? We hope to add thousands more products to our catalogue whilst maintaining our curated approach so that every piece will be quality. In particular, we're looking to attract more individual sellers who are looking for an alternative to eBay. The recent findings from National Center for Health Statistics indicating that the suicide rate in America has reached a thirty-year high have prompted a wave of alarm. What is driving this disturbing upward trend? Why are our current suicide prevention efforts failing? What is to be done? In a timely new book, Rational Suicide, Irrational Laws: Examining Current Approaches to Suicide in Policy and Law, veteran civil rights attorney Susan Stefan sheds much-needed light on our current predicament. This volume reads more like compelling investigative journalism than a legal tome. The book is brought to life through the inclusion of the perspectives of 244 suicide attempt survivors she surveyed and interviewed in the course of writing the book. (Full disclosure: I am one of the attempt survivors she interviewed.) Stefan's narrative is clearly driven by survivor insights. She is honest about her struggle to remain objective in the face of her "affection and admiration" for the people she interviewed. Frankly, I welcome this sort of "bias" in a field that, until very recently, has been far more preoccupied with studying those who died rather than listening to those who survived. Advertisement Stefan delivers a scathing indictment of the suicide prevention and care status quo, based on her in-depth study of history, case law, and the first-person narratives of providers and survivors she interviewed, "our policies and practices regarding suicide create an irrational incentive structure where people understand they have to attempt suicide to get help, help which is of questionable utility, while community-based approaches that are less expensive and work are underfunded. We have a system that doesn't work for anyone -- neither the people who are supposed to be providing help, nor the people who are supposed to be receiving it." She points out the hypocrisy in the caring rhetoric of suicide prevention versus the reality: a series of legally-sanctioned, uncaring policies and practices that may actually increase, rather than decrease, suicide risk. The book tackles head-on perhaps the most controversial issue in law and social policy regarding suicide and mental health in general: legal capacity to make decisions regarding one's own life and care. Stefan draws a conclusion from her research that may stun many: "The vast majority of people who are thinking about suicide, attempting suicide, and committing suicide are nowhere close to incompetent under our current legal standards." The problem, however, is that any expression of suicidality is all too often presumed to be a sign of incompetence. This "suicidality equals incompetence" assumption, Stefan argues, "shuts down the conversation at the very point where the conversation is most needed." It leads to coercive, knee-jerk responses that can be experienced as punitive and re-traumatizing by people in suicidal states. Advertisement Thankfully, the field is beginning to understand this. A recent essay entitled "A Handful of Doctors are Working to Revolutionize How We Think About Self-Harm" features clinicians who support Stefan's analysis. As prominent suicide prevention expert Dr. David Jobes notes in the essay: "Much of what was done in the name of clinical suicide prevention was actually coercive, shaming and controlling." Stefan also blasts the current paradigm in law and policy, which assumes that suicidal thinking and behavior is always the result of mental illness. She asks us to challenge that oft-cited statistic that "90% of suicides are caused by an underlying 'mental illness,'" noting that perhaps at most, 50% of suicidal people actually have a co-occurring mental health condition. This 90% statistic is arrived at via so-called "psychological autopsies," which are rather unscientific surveys of friends and families after a suicide loss, often conducted by a person who had no connection whatsoever to the deceased when they were alive. She notes that when we put this "suicidality equals mental illness" assumption aside in policy and practice, we have the opportunity to shift to a public health, prevention-oriented approach that would prioritize evidence-based treatments. These treatments, being provided on an outpatient basis, may carry some degree of risk but would rightly focus on suicidality, rather than on treating it solely as a symptom of "mental illness." These treatments include Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Suicide Prevention (CBT-SP), Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), and Collaborative Assessment and Management of Suicidality (CAMS). Stefan notes that no study has ever found that inpatient hospitalization, the prevailing approach to suicide "care," actually reduces suicide, while there is evidence to indicate that inpatient hospitalization may increase suicidality over the long term. This is particularly true for a substantial percentage of suicidal people who are survivors of childhood and adult trauma, who may find what is on offer -- loss of liberty, one-to-one observation, and seclusion and restraint -- to be re-traumatizing and harmful. She proposes a creative solution that would involve shifting away from the paternalistic tendency towards over-hospitalization, instead using Medicare and Medicaid dollars to fund Personal Care Assistants (PCAs) to support vulnerable suicidal people in their homes. Stefan notes, "instead of pouring millions of research dollars into devising yet another set of five questions to figure out who's going to commit suicide, maybe we should divert that money to fund PCAs and crisis respite, paying for someone to provide a personal connection and help out another person who's floundering and desperate." Sounds sensible, but sadly, common sense does not often prevail in our current approaches to people in suicidal crisis. Advertisement Stefan also proposes a bold new policy and practice change that would radically change the way community-based mental health professionals respond to suicidal people: limiting their liability if one of their clients dies by suicide. This would, of course, exclude gross negligence or misconduct on the part of outpatient providers, and would also exclude inpatient settings that have an obligation to ensure the safety of those in their care. She describes many positive consequences of such a policy change: reducing perverse disincentives to treating suicidal people in the community; admitting to the reality that no one can predict who will attempt suicide with any more reliability than a coin toss; decreasing over-reliance on inpatient hospitalization and forced treatment; promoting improved provider-client communication and honesty; and supporting greater implementation of the proven community-based interventions mentioned above. An entire chapter is devoted to discussing the forms of discrimination experienced by suicidal people, in particular college and university students. At many institutions of higher learning, if a student is found to be suicidal, they may be subject to such indignities as involuntary medical leave, sometimes being summarily barred from campus. To add insult to injury, students placed on involuntary medical leave may be unable to get a tuition refund for missed classes, adding additional financial stress. As Stefan notes, "fear of liability drives many of these policies and practices." And these policies and practices can have a disastrous effect on vulnerable students, for whom the structure of campus life and the presence of friends can serve as important protective factors. Some suicidal students may be discouraged from seeking help, as these sorts of policies are well-known on campus. Stefan notes that the most important thing universities can do is to change their policies of exclusion and to listen to what students want and need. She also devotes a chapter to discussing and describing what does help suicidal people, based on the interviews she conducted with many suicide attempt survivors. These include: connections with children and grandchildren; connections with other family and friends; connection with pets; spirituality and spiritual support; and peer support, including crisis respite. Our current policies and practices, which generally remove people from their community and any existing support systems by hospitalizing them, or take their children away (in the absence of abuse or neglect), fly in the face of common sense and what people are saying actually helps them to stay alive and heal. Advertisement There is no way to do justice to all of the groundbreaking analysis and novel policy and practice solutions proposed in this book. It should be required reading for everyone in the fields of mental health and suicidology. My only critique is that because Stefan has written an academic book, the radical yet commonsense ideas proposed here will be largely out of the reach of the mainstream public. (A way to help increase access to the book is to request that your local library carry it.) One can only hope that the ideas in this book will reach policymakers, mental health professionals, employers, university administrators, and advocates who are in a position to help change our laws and practices to truly support suicidal people to find reasons to live again. ___________________ News / Regional by Thobekile Zhou Government is planning to setting up another university in Victora Falls.Higher and Tertiary Education, Science and Technology Development deputy minister, Godfrey Gandawa said the university is part of plans of promoting humanities.He said the ministry was not only focusing on STEM."I can tell you that the ministry is working on building a university of fine arts in Victoria Falls" he told an audiance at ZITF last week."We have big plans for the future of our youths""We are set to build a world class institution that will improve our arts industry into a competitive sector internationally and regionally. The arts is an industry that contributes to the country's economy, hence it should be taken seriously." Russians are fond of asking two vitally important questions about life: "Who is to blame?" and "What is to be done?" Chimera of the Mysterious Russian Soul (1997). Photo Credit: Lena Hades These questions are also titles of two Russian novels written in XIX century by two Russian journalists and literary critics, Alexander Herzen and Nikolai Chernyshevsky, later (in 1902) on these questions tried to respond Vladimir Lenin, a famous Russian revolutionary, who played a leading role in the October revolution of 1917. Let's try to answer these questions. Who is to Blame? Probably, the very formulation of the question is erroneous. It means seeking and finding guilty persons. When people live in poverty, when they lack education and intelligence (at the same time I know that a lack of education says absolutely nothing about people's intelligence!), they seek someone who can lead them to a better life. As Nietzsche says, "No shepherd and one herd! Everybody wants the same, everybody is the same: whoever feels different goes voluntarily into a madhouse". Advertisement "No shepherd and one herd! Everybody wants the same, everybody is the same: whoever feels different goes voluntarily into a madhouse". Photo Credit: Lena Hades Constantly looking for a shepherd, the majority of the Russian people can't muster the confidence to stand up for themselves. Learning maybe their only way-out, but they always choose a bloody uprising. I think, the answer to the question "Who is to blame?" be the "slavish" consciousness of Russians. This consciousness is superpower consciousness in form, but slavish in content. What Is to Be Done? When Russian leaders make promises that sound convincing, Russian people follow them. Communists promised heaven on earth, they replaced religious belief with atheism and Communist ideologies. But the reality was too far from the promises -- people got political repression, slave-labour camps and mass shootings. At the same time, the Soviet propaganda told people the opposite thing for many decades persuading people to be happy by living in Soviet Russia. What is to be done? To improve the education system! Russia needs to make investments in education to increase educational level, Russia needs to update the software of the Russian soul ... Chimera of the Mysterious Russian Soul I created the oil painting Chimera of the Mysterious Russian Soul in 1997, 19 years ago. I tried to decrypt the mysterious Russian soul, its dichotomy dominates the discourse on Russian identity --the dichotomy between East and West, Europe and Asia, "Holiness and Sin". In today's Russia, the dichotomy "Holiness and Sin" is of topical interest - more than half of the Russians approve the role of the Orthodox Church in state politics. Advertisement Chimera of the Mysterious Russian Soul (detail). Photo Credit: Lena Hades Throughout history, the idea of a "Russian soul" has been incorporated into Russian philosophy and literature. So the painting depicts a "monster" of Russian Soul holding in hand some toys: an ax, a bottle of vodka, a Dostoevsky novel, a satellite ("sputnik" in Russian), an accordion ("garmoshka") and an anti-Semitic bannerette. The double-headed Chimera wearing an ushanka (a Russian fur cap with ear flaps) and a kokoshnik (a traditional Russian head-dress worn by women and girls some centuries ago) stands in snow, Chimera's feet are shod in valenki (traditional Russian winter felt boots). Chimera's Axe The Russian axe is a symbol of revolt, of "a Russian revolt, bloody and merciless" ("russkii bunt, krovavyi i besposhchadnyi" in Russian). Nowadays the intense war propaganda campaigns for capturing the hearts and the minds of the masses in the press and on TV influenced a lot Russsian views on Ukraine and other countries. Chimera of the Mysterious Russian Soul (detail). Photo Credit: Lena Hades Nietzsche called culture "only a thin apple peel over a glowing chaos". Now cultural "peel" is becoming thinner and thinner and there is a risk that the glowing chaos of war flood the whole world... Chimera's bottle of vodka As it's widely known, Russians drink a lot of vodka. Some people attribute Russians' supposed extraordinary ability to drink a lot of vodka to genetics. However, Russians themselves say that this ability is rooted in Russian traditions, they suppose drinking vodka really does warm you up. By the way, according to the World Health Organization, one-in-five men in the Russian Federation die due to alcohol-related causes. That's why the Chimera of the Mysterious Russian Soul has a red nose, an unshaven face and a bottle of vodka grasped in his hands. Also the drunken monster smokes a cigarette and holds an axe in its hands. Chimera's volume of Dostoevsky Obviously, Dostoyevsky is one of the main connoisseur on the Russian soul. According to him, "the most basic, the most rudimentary spiritual need of the Russian people is the need for suffering, ever-present and unquenchable, everywhere and in everything". Advertisement Chimera of the Mysterious Russian Soul and an old antisemitic slogan of Czarist days(detail). Photo Credit: Lena Hades Another great expert on psychology of the Russian people Nikolai Berdyaev wrote in his book "The Soul of Russia": "Great Russia has still entirely remained an isolated province within European and world life, its spiritual life has been aloof and closed. Russia still all entirely does not know the world, it distortedly perceives its image and falsely and superficially makes judgements about it. The spiritual powers of Russia have not yet become innate to the cultural life of European mankind. For Western cultural mankind, Russia all still remains completely transcendent, some sort of an alien East, which attracts by its mystery, whilst repelling by its barbarity." Chimera's bannerette with the slogan "Kill the Jews and save Russia!" This is the old antisemitic slogan of Czarist days. Do you know what a pogrom is? Pogrom is a Russian word meaning an attack, accompanied by looting and bloodshed against the Jews in Russia. The Jews of Russia were the victims of three waves of mass pogroms, they occurred from 1881 to 1884, from 1903 to 1906 and from 1917 to 1921. These pogroms took place under this slogan... Antisemitism exists both in its "traditional" form and in a latent state. The antisemitism in Russian society is now in a latent state. Roman Abramovich by Lena Hades. Photo Credit: Lena Hades But Russian ultranationalists often say that Jews are guilty of all their disasters, of their laziness and inactivity, of their alcoholism. Russian ultranationalists always look for those who are responsible for their imperfections. In 2010 Moscow's Basmanny District branch of the Investigative Committee opened a preliminary case against me, Lena Hades. The investigation was opened "on the request of a group of citizens" who submitted their complaint about me in 2007. "In July 2008, Basmanny investigators held a preliminary inquiry into the complaint and refused to open a criminal case, but in May, Moscow city investigators ordered a new preliminary examination of the complaint" - wrote The Moscow Times in June, 22, 2010. Advertisement And the newspaper continued: "Hades said ultranationalist individuals and groups filed some 300 complaints against her back in 2008 and linked the investigation to a campaign against her that was started in the blogosphere by ultranationalists hoping to use her case to push the public into rallying against Article 282 of the Criminal Code on inciting ethnic hatred, which is often used against ultranationalists. She said the campaign was started by Natalya Kholmogorova, executive director of the ultranationalist Russian Public Movement, and Anastasia Ivanova, a writer for DPNI.org, the web site of the similarly ultranationalist Movement Against Illegal Immigration. Kholmogorova confirmed by telephone Sunday that ultranationalists have "actively discussed" the idea of using Hades' art as a pretext to launch a campaign against Article 282. Ivanova said the campaign aimed to fight the "discriminative" approach when "they jail anti-Semites and ultranationalists but do not jail Russophobes." Chimera's satellite Or a"sputnik" in Russian. The Sputnik-1 was the world's first artificial satellite, it was launched into an elliptical low Earth orbit on October 4, 1957. It was one of the important achievements in aerospace technology made by Soviet Russia, the project was completed by a team of Soviet rocket scientists directed by Chief rocket scientist Sergei Korolev which was often called "the father of practical astronautics." Sergei Pavlovich Korolev, who was born in 1907 and died in 1966, was Chief designer of rocket and space technology, Founder and chief of Special Design Bureau No.1, member of the USSR Academy of Sciences, Twice Hero of Socialist Labor, Winner of Lenin Prize and - attention please! - he was became a victim of political repression and was exiled to Kolyma before his "brilliant scientific career". In reality all his life he worked in "stalin's sharashka" - it was an unformal name of Special Design Bureau No.1.and other secret research and development laboratories in the Soviet Gulag... Chief rocket scientist Sergei Pavlovich Korolev was a Gulag prisoner! Fans often ask me at readings which of my many books is my favorite. The answer doesn't pop up immediately, because I've published in many genres: memoir, mystery, literary novel, short story collections, psychology, biography/literary criticism, historical fiction, Jane Austen mash-up, vampire, writer's guide, and essay collections. I love them all, or I wouldn't have written them, but my 19th book (and third memoir) My Germany has a special place in my writer's heart. It's more deeply personal than my other books, and it's also the one I struggled with most. I'm the son of Holocaust survivors, and I've been writing fiction and essays about The Second Generation longer than almost any other American Jewish author. But until the early 2000s, Germany itself had always felt off-limits to me as a subject. After my mother died, I started trying to find relatives of hers via the Internet. That on-line search gradually led to a very distant cousin of hers--by marriage--in Magdeburg, the city where she had been a slave laborer in a munitions plant at the end of World War II. Advertisement Suddenly the country I had never wanted to visit called to me. I felt compelled to go. And where writers go, books usually follow. After several more visits, I knew I had to write a book. But I didn't know what form it would take. My Germany turned out to be a combination of history, family history, travelogue, mystery, and coming out story as I explore the role that Germany--real and imagined--played in my family while I was growing up and in my own life as an adult and an author. It records my trepidation going to Germany and the totally unexpected inner peace I came away with on each trip. It also tells the stories of what my parents suffered during the Holocaust, but more than that recreates their lives before war swept them up. It wasn't an easy story--or set of stories--to tell. It took me awhile to figure out the book's structure, and to let go of trying to force it into a specific mold. I finally realized that I could blend genres, and that set me free to follow the advice Sir Phillip Sydney's muse gave to him: "Look in your heart and write." I had never expected to go to Germany, to enjoy myself there, to feel safe and even comfortable, to make friends, to want to return, or to let go of the anxiety and even fear I'd had of Germany growing up. All that is part of the book and the response from fans, in Germany and the U.S., has been deeply moving. Advertisement My Germany has garnered me the most speaking gigs of any book in my career, including two tours in Germany where I spoke in over a dozen different cities, and I sometimes even read from it in German. That itself would have struck me as impossible years ago, but it's one of the many surprises I encountered in Germany. The memoir was a book I never imagined I would even want to write, yet writing it helped me let go and move on. And though it was published in 2009, I still hear from synagogues, universities and other institutions that want me to talk about the book. Authors often feel that by the time a book's actually published, it's dead to them in a way because they've moved on to writing something else. This one is still with me, though, and may always be in a way that none of my other books can. Stravinsky said there was music that he wrote and music that wrote him. I think My Germany is a combination of those two, and it did something more: it freed me, which is in a way the memoir's ultimate subject. Today's alarming fourth-year trade data on President Obama's U.S.-Korea Free Trade Agreement (FTA) arrived just as the Obama administration has started its hard sell to pass the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP). And that is a real problem for the White House. The Korea deal served as the U.S. template for the TPP, with significant TPP text literally cut and pasted from the Korea agreement. And the Obama administration sold the Korea deal with the same "more exports, more jobs" promises now being employed to sell TPP. And since then, our trade deficit with Korea more than doubled as imports surged and exports declined. The increase in the U.S. trade deficit with Korea equates to the loss of more than 106,000 American jobs in the first four years of the Korea FTA, counting both exports and imports, according to the trade-jobs ratio that the Obama administration used to promise at least 70,000 job gains from the deal. Advertisement Today's Census Bureau trade numbers provide the grim data fueling the nationwide bipartisan trade revolt now underway as public opposition to more-of-the-same trade policies surges and presidential and congressional candidates spotlight the problems with the TPP and the failure of U.S. trade policies. And the Korea trade debacle shuts down Obama's oft-repeated mantra that TPP opponents are somehow stuck in a past fight over the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). Today's job-killing trade data are the result of a 2011 trade agreement pushed passionately by Obama himself, which he sold as "fixing" NAFTA. If you review the Obama administration sales pitch for the Korea pact, you will hear the same exact claims now being made for the TPP. Just to poke fun at one especially ridiculous TPP claim regarding the number of tariff lines that TPP would cut, let me note that - as the White House touted then - the Korea FTA included more than 10,000 tariff cuts on U.S. goods and 80 percent of those tariffs were eliminated on day one, and still: The U.S. goods trade deficit with Korea has increased 115 percent, or $16 billion, in the first four years of the Korea FTA (comparing the year before it took effect to the fourth year data). It is worth noting that the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) in its official 2011 report projecting outcomes for the Korea pact said our bilateral trade deficit with Korea would decline. So, when the required ITC report on the TPP comes out later this month do not bet the farm on its predictions! Advertisement Since the FTA took effect, U.S. average monthly exports to Korea have fallen in 11 of the 15 U.S. sectors that export the most to Korea, relative to the year before the FTA. That is an especially grim finding, given past pacts like NAFTA led to major increases in our trade deficit because imports greatly outgrew exports, but at least exports did not shrink. Exports of machinery and computer/electronic products, collectively comprising 28.6 percent of U.S. exports to Korea, have fallen 22.6 and 6.6 percent respectively under the FTA. The 115 percent surge in the U.S.-Korea goods trade deficit in the first four years of the FTA starkly contrasts with the 5 percent decrease in the global U.S. goods trade deficit during the same period. While U.S. goods imports from the world have decreased by 6 percent, U.S. goods imports from Korea have increased by 19 percent, or $11.5 billion, during the FTA's first four years. U.S. goods exports to Korea have dropped 9 percent, or $4.4 billion, under the Korea FTA's first four years. Advertisement U.S. exports to Korea of agricultural goods have fallen 19 percent, or $1.4 billion, in the first four years of the Korea FTA despite the administration's oft-touted point that almost two-thirds of U.S. agricultural exports by value would obtain immediate duty-free entry to Korea under the pact. U.S. agricultural imports from Korea, meanwhile, have grown 34 percent, or $123 million, under the FTA. As a result, the U.S. agricultural trade balance with Korea has declined 22 percent, or $1.5 billion, since the FTA's implementation. The Obama administration promised that U.S. exports of meat would rise particularly swiftly, thanks to the deal's tariff reductions on beef, pork and poultry. However, U.S. exports to Korea in each of the three meat sectors have fallen below the long-term growth trend since the Korea FTA took effect. Compared with the exports that would have been achieved at the pre-FTA average monthly level, U.S. meat producers have lost a combined $62.5 million in poultry, pork and beef exports to Korea in the first four years of the Korea deal - a loss of more than $5 million in meat exports every month. Despite the promises made by U.S. officials that the pact would enhance cooperation between the U.S. and Korean governments to resolve food safety and animal health issues that affect trade, South Korea banned nearly all imports of American poultry at the beginning of 2015 due to several bird flu outbreaks in Minnesota and Iowa. Comparing the FTA's fourth year to the year before it went into effect, U.S. poultry producers have faced a 93 percent collapse of exports to Korea - a loss of nearly 100,000 metric tons of poultry exports to Korea. U.S. beef exports are finally nearing pre-FTA levels after declining an average of 11 percent during the first three years of the agreement. U.S. pork exports have also nearly recovered to pre-FTA levels after falling by an average of 16 percent in the first three years of the agreement. Record-breaking U.S. trade deficits with Korea have become the new normal under the FTA - in 47 of the 48 months since the Korea FTA took effect, the U.S. goods trade deficit with Korea has exceeded the average monthly trade deficit in the four years before the deal. And, it's not like Korea was in a recession or there is some other explanation. Advertisement The Korean economy has grown each year since the FTA passed, even as U.S. exports to Korea have shrunk. Korea's gross domestic product in 2015 was 11 percent higher than in the year before the FTA took effect, suggesting that U.S. exports to Korea should have expanded, with or without the FTA, as a simple product of Korea's economic growth. Instead, U.S. exports to Korea have fallen 9 percent in the first four years of the FTA. Nguyen Hong Phuc, a 63-year-old former soldier, sits on the bed with his son Nguyen Dinh Loc, 20, who is recovering from a recent tumour surgery at Friendship Village outside Hanoi April 8, 2015. Nguyen Dinh Loc has serious mental and physical problems that his family and doctors link to his father's exposure to Agent Orange. His father joined the military after the U.S. army stopped using Agent Orange in 1971, but lived in areas heavily contaminated by it, including near Danang airport, where the chemical defoliant was stored. REUTERS/Damir Sagolj At the end of May, President Obama will visit Vietnam, where he will have an opportunity to burnish his foreign policy legacy. Obama has taken some bold steps in that direction: He engineered a critical agreement with Iran to defuse its nuclear program, and he recently traveled to Cuba and began the process of normalizing relations between the U.S. and Cuba. But Obama needs to do more to overcome his hawkish foreign policy legacy. His administration has killed thousands of people -- many of them civilians -- with drones and manned bombers. The vacuum created by his regime change in Libya destabilized that country and led to the rise of ISIS (also known as Daesh). Advertisement With his forthcoming visit to Vietnam, Obama can fortify his legacy by meeting with victims of Agent Orange the United States sprayed on Vietnam during the war. He can then accurately assess the tragic situation the U.S. created there and take steps to remedy it. "Four decades after the U.S. left this country in a state of devastation and ruin, the Vietnamese have recovered impressively," said U.S. Army veteran Chuck Searcy, who served in Vietnam from 1967 to 1968. "They have risen from poverty, rebuilt infrastructure, reformed their economy and created new opportunities for a young, educated generation." Searcy lives in Vietnam, where he is co-chair of the non-governmental organization Agent Orange Working Group and cofounder of Project RENEW in Quang Tri Province. Indeed, Vietnam is experiencing impressive successes in development. The United Nations Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF) reported that Vietnam has eradicated extreme hunger and poverty; has made significant progress in achieving universal primary education; has increased girls' participation in education at primary and secondary levels; has achieved one of the highest rates of representation of women in decision-making in national parliament in the region; and has drastically reduced infant, maternal and toddler mortality. But 40 years after the end of the U.S. war in Vietnam, the Vietnamese people still suffer the effects of that war. Advertisement Approximately 5 million Vietnamese and many U.S. and allied soldiers were exposed to the toxic chemical dioxin in Agent Orange. For many of them and their progeny, the suffering continues. Agent Orange was an herbicidal chemical weapon that was sprayed over 12 percent of Vietnam by the US military from 1961 to 1971. The dioxin present in Agent Orange is one of the most toxic chemicals known to humankind. Those exposed to Agent Orange during the war frequently have children and grandchildren born with serious illnesses and disabilities. The international scientific community has identified an association between exposure to Agent Orange and some forms of cancers, reproductive abnormalities, immune and endocrine deficiencies, and nervous system damage. Second- and third-generation victims continue to be born in Vietnam, as well as to U.S. veterans and Vietnamese-Americans in this country. In 2009, I served as one of seven judges from three continents who heard two days of testimony from 27 witnesses at the International People's Tribunal of Conscience in Support of the Vietnamese Victims of Agent Orange in Paris. The witnesses included victims, their families, journalists, U.S. Vietnam War veterans and scientists. We saw firsthand horribly disfigured individuals who had been exposed to Agent Orange/dioxin during the Vietnam War. One of the witnesses was Mai Giang Vu, who came in contact with Agent Orange while serving in the South Vietnamese Army from 1968 to 1974. He carried barrels of chemicals on his back. His sons, born in 1974 and 1975, were unable to walk or function normally. Their limbs gradually "curled up" and they could only crawl. They were bedridden by age 18. One died at age 23, the other at age 25. Advertisement The U.S. government has given small amounts of money to address the human victims of Agent Orange/dioxin. Much of the money has not reached the Agent Orange victims who need it so much, and the amounts allocated cannot make much of a dent in addressing the tremendous human suffering. The United States paid to clean up one of the "hotspots" contaminated with dioxin near the Da Nang Air Base. But there are 28 hotspots in Vietnam still poisoned by dioxin. They continue to affect the people who live there and eat the crops, land animals and fish. All of these hotspots need to be remediated. In addition, Searcy points out, there are "Vietnamese families living mostly in poverty, in painfully abject circumstances, with two, three, sometimes four or five severely disabled children who now may be grown, in their 20s and 30s, who cannot take care of their own basic needs. They are a 24-hour care burden for aging parents, who need help and support to get through the day and night." Although there are a number of Friendship and Peace Villages where victims of Agent Orange are cared for, many more are needed. Time is running out for many of the second and third generation victims whose parents are passing on, leaving no one to care for them. Second and third generation children of American Vietnam veterans face the same problems as do exposed Vietnamese-Americans. Advertisement That is why Rep. Barbara Lee (D-California) introduced H.R. 2114, the Victims of Agent Orange Relief Act of 2015. The bill, which currently has 22 co-sponsors, would provide health care and social services for affected Vietnamese; medical assistance and disability benefits to affected children of U.S. veterans of the Vietnam War; and health assessment, counseling and treatment for affected Vietnamese-Americans and their offspring. It would also clean up the lands and restore ecosystems contaminated by Agent Orange/dioxin in Vietnam. The American Public Health Association recommended that the U.S. government and the involved chemical companies provide resources for services for those with disabilities in areas where dioxin victims are concentrated, and take responsibility to remediate or attempt to clean up those areas in Vietnam that still contain high levels of dioxin. Obama's visit, Searcy says, "is a crucial last opportunity for us Americans to face up to our responsibilities to deal with these remaining war legacies -- UXO [unexploded ordnance] and Agent Orange -- in a way that will allow us to bring some closure to these problems, as Americans, as decent people who finally have done the right thing." The president and the first lady, if she accompanies him, should make time during their visit to meet with young Agent Orange victims and their representative, the Vietnam Association for Victims of Agent Orange/Dioxin. They would also do well to meet with U.S. Vietnam veterans, such as Searcy, who live in Vietnam and have dedicated their lives to helping the victims. Obama can truly heal the wounds of war and establish a firmer basis of friendship and understanding between the people of Vietnam and the people in the United States. He should seize this opportunity and meet with the victims of Agent Orange/dioxin. Advertisement MELBOURNE, Australia -- With the U.S. Republican and Democratic National Conventions a little under three months away, the spectacle of the presidential primaries gathers steam with each passing day. But while commentators are busy asking the big questions -- like whether Bernie Sanders has changed American politics forever or how Donald Trump's run has destroyed the Republican Party -- American voters have expressed doubts in a recent poll about whether the primaries are the right way to establish the quality of party nominees. Revealed in a March Pew Research Center survey was the stark finding that only 35 percent of voters felt the primaries were a good method for determining the best qualified nominee. While this figure is up five points from the 2012 survey, the Pew data shows that not since 1988 have more than 50 percent of voters felt the primaries were a good way of deciding the most qualified nominee. But the real sting in the survey's tail was the related finding that almost two-thirds, 65 percent, of surveyed voters said they have little or no confidence in the political wisdom of the American public to make the right decisions and choose the person best suited to lead their country. Advertisement So central are primaries and public opinion to presidential elections that these sentiments will likely continue to fly under the radar as the July conventions approach. That's a shame. In these numbers, voters are saying something important: the aptitude of their would-be leaders worries them, as do the electoral mechanisms currently used to decide their country's leadership. Of course, it's possible that these sentiments may be due to what's known as "voter fatigue" syndrome. Maybe because of what we've already seen this election, voters could be voicing their annoyance at yet another drawn-out primary campaign that's likely to cost billions of dollars and leave nothing but significant political rifts in both the Democratic and Republican parties, not to mention a cast of candidates many think would make for "terrible" presidents. The best political leaders and the most stable political systems aren't necessarily produced through 'one person, one vote.' But could American voters also be expressing deeper concerns over something that leaders in Singapore and China of all places have long known: the best political leaders and the most stable political systems aren't necessarily produced through "one person, one vote." Advertisement This might sound alarmingly anti-democratic. It's not. As Daniel Bell, the Beijing-based Canadian scholar, recently argued, really it's just a different way of thinking about how a political system can ensure its leaders are politically and morally deserving of the power they hold. You might call this autocracy. For Bell, the better label is meritocracy. However, if taking pointers from China sounds rather unappealing to the average American, perhaps dipping one's toe into Singapore can provide an understanding of meritocracy without having to deal with the excess baggage that comes with Communism. The Case of Singapore Singapore's former prime minister Lee Kuan Yew speaks during an interview in 2009. (REUTERS/Vivek Prakash) In Singapore, it has been common practice for some time to select top political leaders based on merit, not popularity. As the country's founding father, Lee Kuan Yew, once put it: "Singapore is a society based on effort and merit, not wealth or privilege depending on birth." Those who lead -- men and women who have "risen through their own merit, hard work and high performance" -- are those whom, in Lee's words, "we must expend our limited and slender resources in order that they will provide the yeast, that ferment, that catalyst in our society which alone will ensure that Singapore shall maintain ... the social organization which enables us, with almost no natural resources, to provide the second highest standard of living in Asia." Advertisement Singapore is far from perfect of course. Elections are held, but they are rarely "free." Its media is heavily censored and opposition candidates find themselves targeted by the government and police. In Singapore, it has been common practice for some time to select top political leaders based on merit, not popularity. Luckily, the country is improving its record on these fronts. But even as it does so, Singapore remains steadfast to the idea that leaders who are selected and promoted on the basis of their intellectual and emotional intelligence are better equipped to deal with the country's long-term challenges than those selected on the basis of popularity. Drawing on Confucian ideals, this model of government doesn't sacralize popular elections or public opinion over proven political leaders who stake their honor on their track record to do what's right for the people -- now and into the future. America is clearly not a political meritocracy in the way that Singapore is. It's an electoral democracy grounded in the principles of free, fair, regular, multi-party elections. A popularly elected president who's constantly accountable to the popular will is the best safeguard against political folly and instability. This is the cornerstone of American politics. Even so, America's current system of electoral democracy isn't beyond reproach. And if voters' sentiments are correct, then a dash more meritocracy may be the way to go. Advertisement The good news is that America doesn't need to become anything like a Singapore, or China for that matter, to realize what many voters imply they want -- reforms to the current process of selecting political leaders to ensure political decisions are made only by suitably qualified citizens and political office held only by meritorious candidates. U.S. Republican presidential candidates Donald Trump and Ted Cruz during a debate. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee) In the first instance, this could re-open the door to debates about whether restricting presidents to only one, albeit longer, term in office might lead to better government. It's often noted that presidents who don't have to contend with re-election are typically less corrupted by playing politics and thus more willing to make the tough decisions -- even when those decisions are unpopular. Giving presidents one, longer term in office won't magically guarantee better leaders or governments. But it might diminish some of the political distractions which currently limit what first-term presidents, many of whom desire a second term in office, can achieve. A one-term six-year presidency may provide two years less in office but offer no less time for presidents to actually govern. It'd also mean holding two, not three, presidential elections every 12 years. Of course, presidents who perceive that they have nothing left to win can sometimes become unaccountable to the people. They can ignore popular sentiment and go their own way. This is one possible scenario. The other equally likely scenario is that presidents not yoked to the dictates of daily opinion polls will have greater leeway to govern and to hopefully deliver what they promised during election time. Advertisement While far from perfect, Bell argues that the China model of political meritocracy has shown us over the past several decades that leaders who don't need to constantly remain popular with voters or beholden to special interests -- particularly when doing so undermines the greater good -- may actually be better placed to make the right decisions. Remaining in touch with citizens is one thing; making decisions based on short-term, populist demands simply to remain popular is another. But even in China, citizens continue to judge their politicians based not on what they say, but by what they actually achieve. Even in China, citizens continue to judge their politicians based not on what they say, but by what they actually achieve. Another more encompassing proposal for reform not limited to presidential terms would be for America to consider adopting a modified version of what's known as the "horizontal model." Here, both democratic and meritocratic institutions coexist to keep each other in check. Sun Yat-sen, widely considered the founding father of both modern China and Taiwan, famously made the case for such a model based on a five-power constitution: legislature, executive, judiciary, control yuan and examination. No American would likely find the first three of his branches of government controversial. But what about the latter two? Sun envisioned the control yuan, or supervisory branch, as an independent government ombudsman empowered to monitor the other branches of government. According to Sun, having such an institution would improve the U.S. constitutional system where "the supervisory power rests with Congress, which has frequently made arbitrary use of it to coerce the executive branch into doing its bidding." It's been noted that something akin to the control yuan already exists in America. The Government Accountability Office operates precisely to audit and investigate the actions of Congress. Advertisement Added to this is a fifth branch known as the examination branch. To educate the at times inexperienced and underqualified political leaders that Americans like to elect into top office, Sun recommended an examination system inspired from imperial China where all officials would undergo rigorous training and testing before reaching positions of power. Sun was adamant on this point: "Whether elected or not, officials must pass those examinations before assuming office." A Chinese woman holds up a Chinese flag near a giant portrait of Sun Yat-Sen at Tiananmen Square in Beijing, China. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan) The question is: can America implement such a branch of government? The short answer is no. It's not realistic to hope for reforms that would make politicians undergo training in government and pass an examination before they assume office. However, just because a formal examination branch is constitutionally unlikely does not mean that the state cannot train its citizens -- some of whom will inevitably become the future leaders of the country -- through better civic education and voter testing to ensure that when they do vote they will have the political knowledge, if not always political wisdom, to choose what's right for the country. All of a sudden Sun's radical proposal may, with a bit of tinkering, provide the tonic needed to ensure America's political system remains robust enough to handle all that the 21st century will throw its way. Advertisement Earlier on WorldPost: An Interview With Science and Non-Duality Founders Zaya and Maurizio Benazzo Non-duality is the philosophical, spiritual, and scientific understanding of non-separation and fundamental, intrinsic oneness. For thousand of years, through deep inner inquiry, philosophers and sages have came to the realization that there is only one substance and we are all, therefore, a part of it. This substance can be called Awareness, Consciousness, Spirit, Advaita, Brahman, Tao, Nirvana or even God. It is constant, ever present, unchangeable and is the essence of all existence. In the last century, Western scientists are arriving at the same conclusion: fundamentally we are individual expressions of a single entity, inextricably connected to one another like drops of water in the same ocean. In 2009, husband and wife team Zaya and Maurizio Benazzo (she's from Bulgaria, he's Italian) founded Science and Non-Duality (SAND) whose annual conference has become a meeting place for preeminent scientists, philosophers, spiritual teachers, and mystics to explore the new paradigm emerging in spirituality and grounded in cutting-edge science. There is nothing quite like SAND. Where else will you find a Buddhist monk chatting with a Jungian analyst over lunch, Deepak Chopra talking about enlightenment to a roomful of quantum physicists, or a Catholic priest in yoga pants practicing his downward dog? Heady, visionary, and unique, the SAND Conference is a must-attend for anyone interested in the evolution of spiritual awareness in the 21st century. Advertisement Recently, I spoke to the Benazzos from their home in the Bay Area, about SAND, non-duality, and why mysticism isn't a dirty word. Mark Matousek: Before we talk about SAND, I'd like to know a little about your respective paths as scientific and spiritual seekers. Maurizio Bennazzo: I was brought up Catholic, in Italy, and even attempted to become a monk for a short when I was in my early 20s. I got involved in everything I could put my hands on after that. Yoga, Buddhism, Zen, TM. Finally, I went to India looking for gurus. I don't know if you are familiar with the movie Short Cut to Nirvana... MM: I am. MB: Well, after shooting that movie I rented an Enfield motorcycle and went everywhere. I kept bumping into this book called I Am That by a guy named Nisargadatta Maharaj. When I came back in the U.S, I bought it and it absolutely blew my mind. Shortly after that, Zaya and I started making films about Nisargadatta with Stephen Wolinsky. But I was mystically oriented from a very early age. Advertisement Zaya Benazzo: For me it's the same. I'd been asking the big questions since I remember. I grew up during Communist times and so, for me, finding spiritual literature until my early twenties was very difficult. I grew up with Autobiography of a Yogi and Carlos Castaneda. These were the two spiritual paths that I could follow through the books because I was living in a cold society where they wanted no spirituality at all. It was all underground, between friends discussing and sharing precious books that we could get our hands on in Russian. Later, when Communism fell, I was able to come to the States to follow Castaneda. For ten years that was my spiritual path, Carlos Castaneda and the shamanic journey, until I found Nisargadatta and everything else fell aside. It was as if lightning struck after reading that! At that point, I also met Maurizio and we had an instantaneously deep connection. MB: On our first date, we went to India to shoot a movie on Nisargadatta. (laughs) Within three weeks we were seriously dating. We found ourselves in the middle of Mumbai shooting a movie on Nisargadatta. Barely knowing one another. If a relationship can survive that, all the rest is kid's stuff! Nisargadatta would say, "What I'm teaching is not spirituality. One day, scientists will come to understand this. This is not spiritual knowledge, this is scientific understanding." ZB: He would often send his students to study quantum physics or to get a Ph.D. in mathematics because he saw that that was their portal to grasping this knowledge. MB: Both of us were majorly intrigued by science when we were growing up. It has always been our passion, the understanding of how things work. Advertisement MM: You studied engineering, Zaya? ZB: Yes. I did my engineering degree and studied a lot of mathematics. I completely fell in love with mathematics and was using mathematics to comprehend more abstract ideas about infinity and time. I felt such a sense of awe from the understanding of mathematics. MM: How do you explain the philosophical path of non-duality to a layman? ZB: In non-duality, there is the understanding that there is only one substance, one energy, that comprises the entire universe. Everything emerges and dissolves into that one substance. Nothing has an independent reality from that substance. In the Advaita tradition, this would be called consciousness. Everything arises and subsides in consciousness. But consciousness as the term is used in the Advaita tradition is very different from our usage in the West. Western scientific tradition teaches that consciousness is generated in the brain, by the brain. There is a new paradigm emerging now (that the brain is a part of consciousness -- the ground of being -- but not its ultimate source Ed). Non-duality is about interdependence and interconnectedness. MB: Nothing is separate. The distance between you and me is not a separateness. It is filled with the same substance that comprises the known universe. Everything comes from this substance. Advaita means 'not two'. It's like fish in the water. Are they part of the water? Yes. Is the water part of the ocean? Yes. In the same way, we are all part of the ocean of consciousness, completely immersed in it, with no way to separate ourselves. We are waves that will eventually be reabsorbed in the ocean. But we're not separate. Without the ocean, the wave doesn't exist. ZB: This means that the wave does not have separate reality from the ocean. In the same way, we, as separate individuals, have no reality that is separate from consciousness. MB: Our bodies are part of a larger organism that we call life. ZB: It is fascinating that science is now giving us data to support what mystics have been saying forever. We are far from understanding everything but we are starting to have glimpses. Neuroscience today is confirming that the world is "appearing" in front of us every morning. It does not have an absolute independent reality but is a complex construct by our brain based on the limited band of our sensory perception coupled with social, cultural, and psychological biases. Mystics from all traditions have been pointing to that fact for thousand of years: this world that we perceive is an illusion (what they call maya in the East). Illusion doesn't mean it does not exist. It means it's not what it appears to be. Advertisement MM: Non-duality has always struck me as more empirical than spiritual, in fact. That's why it mirrors the scientific method. It's about experience not faith. ZB: Exactly. It's not a spiritual path with certain practices that you follow in order to achieve fixed goals. It's a deep, subtle realization that unfolds everyday in your life. You taste it everyday and it's very subtle and, yet, it transforms the way you see others and the way you do things in the world. MM: Because we are not two? My name is Mark Wayman, and for the last twelve years I have owned an Executive Recruiting firm focused on gaming and high tech. Compensation starts at $100,000, my average placement is $200,000 and last year I placed eight executives north of a million dollars. Although my articles are targeted at more senior executives, most of these points apply to all levels. Not here to judge or criticize. The only purpose is to communicate what Executive Recruiters and hiring companies look for in top executive candidates. The Economy is a Major Factor - House prices go up and down depending on the economy. They peaked in 2008, and then dropped like a rock until 2012. Salaries and hiring follow the same trend. They move up and down with the economy. When Depression 2.0 hit in 2008 I went from 120 job openings to 10 in less than 30 days. Slowly, but surely, hiring has made a comeback, but during a down economy...you can't ignore it. You Don't Live in the Same House Your Whole Life - Well, most people don't. Maybe 2% of folks live in the same house for a lifetime and the same number work in the same job for 30 years and retire. For the other 98%, they will change jobs multiple times. The company takes care of the company. You need to take care of you. Be a consulting company of one that just happens to be on someone's payroll. Advertisement You Need to Listen to Your Real Estate Agent - Your Real Estate Agent is the expert. They know the "comps" and what you can reasonable expect to get for your house. For executive candidates lucky enough to be represented by an Executive Recruiter (they have all the good jobs!), listen to the Recruiters advice. Occasionally I get candidates that want to be the smartest guy in the room. Recruiters know the economy, the hiring market and the compensation ranges. Listen to their counsel. You Have to Be Reasonable About Price - Most people are emotionally attached to their home and price it way above market value. The Real Estate agent tries to explain that pricing the house too high will result in the house going stale on the market, and no offers. This is probably the number issue with candidates -- they are unreasonable about compensation. For example, I recently received a resume of a Director making $125,000. Market rate for that job is $100,000, so they were already above market rate. The candidate wanted...wait for it...$175,000. That is never going to happen. Which results in the next issue... If the House Sits on the Market Too Long, Buyers Lose Interest - If a house does not sell the first couple of months it's listed, buyers start to wonder what's wrong. Does the roof leak? Are there cracks in the foundation? For those in transition, keep in mind that companies want to hire gainfully employed executives. The next most attractive candidate is just leaving their current employer. Once a candidate is unemployed for six months, it's a big red flag for hiring companies. Trust me on this! Mostly this situation is related to the candidate being unrealistic about compensation (see above). I know executives that NEVER found another job because they were trying to get back to their glory days. Compensation packages are not what they used to be. How Badly Do You Want to Sell It? - Of course quite a bit depends on how badly you want to sell your house. Are you in escrow on a new place and have 30 days to get your old house sold? Or are you just "testing the waters" to see how much you can get? If a candidate is gainfully employed, typically they want a better title, increased base salary and/or equity. A bigger and better OPPORTUNITY. And they have the luxury of being gainfully employed and being choosey. For the unemployed, the clock is running. I don't recommend anyone go from one bad employment situation to another, but on the other hand, you don't want to end up unemployed for two years. Advertisement Don't Negotiate Your Way Out of a Sell - If someone makes an offer for your house, it's pretty common to negotiate certain things. Who will do repairs; who handles the closing costs. When a candidate gets a job offer, I'm astounded at some of the silly things they do. After interviewing for three months, they want to fight about car allowances and who pays for dry cleaning. What? That makes you look trivial. And occasionally I have someone that agreed to $200,000 prior to interviewing, and then says, "I want $225,000." The worst part is they usually justify it with "I have a big mortgage" or "I have to put my kid through college." Let's be crystal clear: Your expenses and lifestyle have zero to do with your compensation package. And holding the hiring company hostage for more money at the eleventh hour is the worst strategy ever. Don't Overreach - Many people purchase homes they can't afford, and the first time they have a financial hiccup, they are foreclosed on or bankrupt. The grass is not always greener, and sometimes you need to be exactly where you are. I have seen great Directors flounder as VPs. Great VPs that failed as Presidents. It's sad because they were highly successful in their previous role and company, but lured by big titles and salary, they make a change...and don't make it. Not everyone can be the CEO. TORONTO: Goodyear Satire Company-- Riots broke out across Canada as citizens reacted to rumors that Senator Ted Cruz (R Texas) might return to his home country after suspending his campaign for the U.S. Republican Presidential nomination. "It was like when they broadcast 'The War of The Worlds'" explained Ernie Butler of Edmonton, "The prospect of Cruz wrapping his tentacles around the weakest among us is too much to bear," said Butler as he scampered into the darkness clutching a sleeping bag and sack of hastily-made sandwiches. Advertisement Townspeople with pitchforks stormed the former Cruz residence in Calgary, quickly setting it aflame amid fears it might be the Cruz' ultimate destination. Firefighters refused to cross the ring of children blocking their path as the home was reduced to cinders. "It was what God wanted," claimed Pastor Chad Hollingsworth as he picked through the charred pantry, sometimes pushing people out of his way. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was unexpectedly thrust into his first crisis. His hastily convened cabinet voted to build a border wall, hoping it could impede Cruz's progress, "But that will take months," said a nervous Trudeau, "and we understand Cruz and his family are already on the move. Plus, I'm not sure we can get the Americans to pay for it." "The air force has fitted tactical nukes onto our most advanced jets," said the Prime minster, "But we don't know whether the missiles can penetrate Cruz's exoskeleton, which satellite photos show is growing hour by hour." Grief counselors have been dispatched to shelters throughout Alberta province to assist children work through their nightmares."It won't be easy," said psychologist Bea Winston. "If we can save 30% of the kids without electroshock, we'll be beating the odds." Advertisement Large-scale animal cruelty, like the kind we find in puppy mills and animal fighting, is not just illegal; it's unfathomable. Because of this, it's tempting to see these crimes as rare and isolated, and disassociated from human-on-human crimes. Sadly, our work tells a different story. In the first four months of 2016 alone, the ASPCA has participated in no fewer than eight large-scale animal cruelty cases, involving more than 1,000 animals. Advertisement Each of these cases involved different situations and participants, but two things they have in common are victimized animals and dedicated action from local law enforcement. That second part - law enforcement action - is critical, and we're happy to see local agencies not only stepping up case-by-case, but forming their own concentrated animal cruelty divisions and task forces. Some model examples: New York City's NYPD Animal Cruelty Investigation Squad (ACIS) and Animal Cruelty Prosecution Units in Queens and Staten Island. The Virginia Attorney General's Animal Law Unit Advertisement What's clear is that strong animal cruelty laws and dedicated enforcement go hand in hand with the elevation of public attitudes about the seriousness of these crimes. Each inspires and activates the other, and both are necessary to effectively tackle this problem. You can help by being aware of and reporting possible signs of animal fighting and abuse in your communities, by tracking important legislation on the state and federal levels, and by refusing to purchase anything at pet stores that sell animals, which only feeds the market for puppy mill dogs. If you think loud voices and strong law enforcement can't make a significant change in society's views, consider our contemporary stances on drunk driving, domestic violence, and bullying - three offenses that transformed from passively-prosecuted crimes to movements with stronger police participation and clear-cut cultural rejection. Last month I had the privilege of answering an interview from an Iranian research agency dedicated to studying acts of terror carried out against the Iranian people. By their count 17,000 Iranians have been killed in acts of terror over the last 3 1/2 decades. Quite an astounding number, isn't it? I have no reason to believe this number is inflated or exaggerated, but, even if the real count is only a tenth of the pronounced figure of 17,000, it would still signify a horrendously systematic attack of political violence on a people that, as elections again this past weekend in Iran have displayed, possess a desire for progress, civility, toleration and modernity. Just as many of us do not embody in our personal lives, beings and souls the worst aspects of our American government, our wars overseas and our mass incarceration at home, so too are the Iranian people not representative of their government's acts of militarism and repression. I know, I know. Such a trite and cliched thing to say. But then why would so many in the US not know of the thousands killed by terrorism in Iran and why would many Americans say that those dead Iranians and their devastated families deserve it? If not for such a binary and Manichean way of looking at the world, we are good - they are bad, we could understand and communicate with one another better, and then, maybe, as a united and common people we could lead this world to prosperity and health, rather than to war, climate change and poverty. Advertisement The interview can be found here and is copied below: ----------------------------------------------------------------- Full text of Habilian's interview with Matthew Hoh, Ex-US State Department Official Sunday, 01 May 2016 09:51 Habilian ...in 2001, al-Qaeda only had about 200 members and the Islamic State did not exist. The United States validated the propaganda and the doctrine of the terrorists with our response to 9/11 and provided many thousands of young men with a rationale for leaving their homes and joining terror groups. In an exclusive interview with Habilian Association, Iranian Center for Research on Terrorism, Matthew Hoh has answered the questions about the US military interventions in the Middle East following 9/11 attacks in the name of "fighting against terrorism" and its implications for the people of the region, terrorism developments in the Middle East after 2001, America's role in the empowerment of terrorist groups in the region, US imperialism around the world, relationships between the Media and government in the US, and Machiavellian view of American leaders to terrorist groups such as MeK. What comes below is the full text of the Habilian Association's interview with him. Habilian: At the beginning of the interview, please tell us when you did join the Army? Would you speak about your motives in wearing the Army Uniform? Advertisement Hoh: I joined the United States Marine Corps in 1998 for a number of reasons. I was bored with the work I was doing (I was working for publishing company in New York City), I wanted adventure, I wanted to prove myself while serving others, I wanted to be involved in something bigger than I was, and I wanted to take part in history. In short I possessed the motives of many bored and unchallenged young men. Habilian: Following the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, George W. Bush delivered a speech at joint session of Congress, in which "War on Terror" was declared. In that speech, Bush raised some questions quoted from American peoples, including who attacked the US and why; and how Americans can punish them. Now, after more than 15 years of American interventions in the region that led to death of more than one million civilians, if you, as an American journalist, have an interview with Bush, what questions will you ask him about the war? Hoh: The first question I would ask President Bush is why he is not remorseful. Does his desire for a positive view of his legacy preclude his ability to empathize with the millions who have suffered because of these wars? Secondly, I would ask him why can he not be humble and admit his policies were wrong and counter-productive. I would not be asking him to say the terror of 9/11 was not horrific and I am not asking him to compare himself with Osama bin Laden or al-Qaeda, but to simply recognize that the wars he launched and the wars that are still ongoing have made the world worse and not better. Two simple truths: the number of dead in the wars in Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, Yemen, Pakistan, Somalia, Libya and other places number well past one million since September 12, 2001. Millions more have been wounded and are refugees from their homes. Those who suffer the horribly debilitating psychiatric and moral effects of the wars number in the tens of millions. And none of those wars are close to ending. The second truth is that, according to the American Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and based upon documents found in Afghanistan in 2001 and 2002, al Qaeda only consisted of approximately two hundred members in 2001. Now the organization has thousands of members in countries across the globe. Of course the Islamic State didn't even exist in 2001 and only came into existence because of the United States' invasion of Iraq in 2003. Clearly American policy in the Middle East has failed. I would ask President Bush how he ignores such truths. To be fair, I would ask President Obama the same. Habilian: In the mentioned speech, George Bush had said that Americans are asking him what is expected of them, then listed his expectations of American people: "to live your lives, and hug your children", "to uphold the values of America", "to continue to support the victims of this tragedy with your contributions" and "continued participation and confidence in the American economy." If we go back to September 20, 2001 and you had an opportunity to speak in Congress and announce your expectations from the government, what would you said? Advertisement Hoh: I am not sure if anything anyone said would be listened to. In 2001, we did have people in the United States counseling against acting on fear and anger. In Congress, however, we had only one member, Barbara Lee, from California, who voted against giving the President unlimited authority to carry out war, an authority that President Obama still utilizes nearly 15 years later. Out of 535 members of Congress only one had the wisdom, the intelligence and the courage to say that war was not just the wrong approach to terrorism, but that it would be foolhardy and prove to be counter-productive. Americans at that time were scared and angry. Politicians were scared and angry as well, but, more so, they were eager to capitalize on the public's emotions for their own political advantage and security. So, sadly, I don't think my stating my expectations of my government to follow the dictates of morality, justice and rule of law would have been listened to. Habilian: On February 14, 2003, George W. Bush released "The United States' strategy for combating terrorism" in which the US administration's objectives in the War on Terror had been listed. The core of that strategy were weakening and isolating terror networks such as Al Qaeda. Regarding the rise of ISIS in Iraq and Syria and its violent ambitions, do you believe that the announced goals of these wars have been achieved? In your opinion, are Al Qaeda typed groups stronger or weaker now? Hoh: Terror groups are much stronger now than in 2001. The greatest recruitment for al-Qaeda and affiliated groups was not the murders of Americans in the 9/11 attacks, but the invasion of Iraq by the US in 2003, the continued occupation of Afghanistan, torture of prisoners by American guards, and the bombing of Muslim peoples throughout the world by the West. Remember, in 2001, al-Qaeda only had about 200 members and the Islamic State did not exist. The United States validated the propaganda and the doctrine of the terrorists with our response to 9/11 and provided many thousands of young men with a rationale for leaving their homes and joining terror groups. Of course, this is all a consequence of American military and diplomatic involvement in the Middle East since the end of the Second World War. As an American I have to understand that much of what we are seeing now in the Middle East is a consequence of decades of American backed coups, American backed dictatorships, American military interventions, American backed wars, unlimited American support for Israel, American arms sales and the American formation of religiously inspired cadres to fight the Soviet Union in the 1980s, one of which famously became al-Qaeda. However, I do not believe the wisest among us in the United States, of which I must admit I was not a part of in 2001, ever thought our policies would prove to be so disastrous. Habilian: Why despite the American intelligence agencies' estimation that the ISIS poses no immediate threat to the United States, Obama administration decided to send the country on a military campaign against that group, knowing that such a war may take several years? Hoh: There are a few different reasons for this. I think there are some in the US government that do believe the United States has an interest in trying to bring about stability to Iraq and Syria and that military means are the only, or the predominant, manner of doing so. I believe those assertions to be wrong, that those assumptions are not based on history or experience, but I do understand them to be sincere. Unfortunately, there are a number of other reasons why President Obama is intervening militarily in Syria and Iraq. The most important is political. President Obama, and the Democratic Party, is afraid of being viewed as weak. It is that simple. Additionally, it is nearly impossible for an American politician to say he or she is wrong or made a mistake. American politicians would rather see more American soldiers killed, more American families devastated as a result of those losses, and more innocent civilians destroyed than to admit they are wrong. Again, it is just that simple. There are those who believe that these wars in the Middle East can simply be broken down into terms of good people versus bad people and we, the US, are on the side of the good people. There are philosophical, religious, nationalist, racist, and other reasons for such beliefs, but simple binary thinking, much like the thinking that under lay the assumptions of the Cold War, is prevalent in Washington, DC and throughout America. There is a lot of money involved in Iraq. American companies have a good deal of interest in the oil fields of northern Iraq and the US government is keen to see those oil fields in Kurdish control, while projected sales of weapons to the Iraqi government range from 15-30 billion dollars over the next one or two decades. Such money has enormous influence in Washington, DC and the fear of the loss of such money would motivate an American President to act militarily. Advertisement Finally, the United States has an empire around the world that it must maintain. This is different in appearance or in kind than say the British or Roman Empires of the past, but it is nonetheless an empire. The United States has over 800 military bases around the world, has client states across the globe, many of which are the worst human rights violators in power, depends upon weapons sales as one of the leading aspects of the American export economy, and spends approximately one trillion dollars a year in total in support of this complex. Any threat or challenge to this established system must be confronted. In this established system in Washington, DC, as well as in American universities and corporations, it is seemingly impossible to understand any other option for the world; in fact this world view of the United States being "responsible" for the rest of the world is taken as a praiseworthy virtue and any deviance from this view is considered naive, ignorant or silly. Combine that with America's cultural and religious view of itself as an "exceptional nation" or as a nation with divine purposes and you can understand why America is so quick to use its military tens of thousands of miles from its borders. It is worth noting only the Western allies of the US act similarly so far from the borders; no other nation behaves this way, with the exception of the recent limited Russian involvement in Syria. Habilian: Daniel Benjamin, who served as the State Department's top counterterrorism adviser during Mr. Obama's first term, said the public discussion about the ISIS threat has been a "farce." Why the US media are advertising this story? Hoh: Terrorism scares and angers people, and fear and anger make for good audiences for the US media. The media in the US depends on ratings for advertising revenue (US media is privately funded) and so stories about terrorism get people's attention causing more people to watch, listen or read, which brings in more money for the media. There are also informal relationships between the media, the US government and politicians that lead all three to work together to support one another. The media needs the support of people in the government and politicians to get the best stories and get the best interviews, while the government and politicians need the media to present the best views of themselves and their policies. It is a mutually supportive relationship between many members of the media, the government and politicians that many in the United States see to be corrupt. That is why the American public has incredibly low opinions of the media, government and politicians in the US (recent opinion polls show that only about 10 percent of the public trusts these institutions). Advertisement Finally, there is the ongoing narrative of the United States being a morally correct and righteous nation that is on the side of "good" overseas. I believe the media feels it would cost them their audiences, and so their revenue, if they tried to explain world events, including terrorism and the wars, in a more complex yet accurate manner. I must say that there are many good media sources in the US, but they tend to be small and independent of the larger corporate media that most Americans depend upon for their news. These men and women are often unfairly characterized as un-American, ideological or overly politically partisan, yet they are often the ones with the journalistic integrity the larger corporate media lacks. Habilian: To this day MEK terrorists have been carrying out attacks inside of Iran killing political opponents, attacking civilian targets, as well as carrying out the US-Israeli program of targeting and assassinating Iranian scientists. In your opinion, how America's government came to the conclusion that MeK no longer should be in the Terrorist List? Opinion / Columnist MDC MP, Eddie Cross call on the Zanu PF government to complete the task of aligning 400 existing laws with the new 2013 constitution."The new Constitution was adopted by a massive majority of the people of Zimbabwe and signed into law in March 2013. Three years on it would be reasonable to expect that the Government of Zimbabwe would be completing the alignment of the 400 Acts of Parliament that need adjustments to bring them into line with the Constitution," wrote the MP.MP Cross please explain why MDC failed to draft the new constitution and align all the necessary existing laws with the new constitution so that by the time held the 2013 elections all these things would have been done and dusted. MDC had the majority in parliament and in cabinet during the GNU and five - FIVE - years to complete the task and yet failed.Zimbabwe is not the only nation that has needed a new constitution and other nations too have had to draft a new constitution notably SA and they have never even 1% of as many problems as we have had and they drafted their new constitution is one year!The people of Zimbabwe approved the new constitution on strength of MDC's recommendation that it would deliver all their basic freedoms and rights including the right to free and fair elections. It failed it very first acid test as it certainly failed to deliver free and fair elections in 2013.The truth is, even if the alignment of all 400 Acts were carried out tomorrow, the people of Zimbabwe will still be denied their freedoms and rights between the new constitution is too weak and feeble to guarantee these freedoms and rights."Zimbabwe also needs a new constitution. It must be the genuine product of a national dialogue that embodies our hopes and aspirations, unconstrained by our fears; it must be founded on a strong Bill of Rights, and elicit the best in us," wrote Mr Trevor Ncube, Executive Chairman of Alpha Media Holdings - publishers of the NewsDay, Zimbabwe Independent and the Standard - and deputy executive chair of M&G Media in South Africa.."The current document is the outcome of horse-trading between Zanu-PF and the two MDC factions. It fails to lay a strong foundation of the rule of law, strong national institutions, transparency and accountability. And, of course, the sanctity of life and respect for private property must find full expression."It is deeply upsetting that MDC leaders have now taken to how the new constitution "was adopted by a massive majority of the people of Zimbabwe" as if they had absolutely nothing to do with it; the truth is the people approved this weak and feeble constitution because MDC leaders recommended it to them. At least 80% of the electorate had not even read the new constitution and digested it when they were asked to vote in the March 2013 referendum.MDC leaders like MP Cross betrayed the people of Zimbabwe by failing to implement even one democratic reform during the GNU and then rubbed the chilli into the people's eyes by recommended a weak and feeble constitution.It is unacceptable that these MDC leaders have yet to apologize to the good people of Zimbabwe for selling-out during the GNU. But if these sell-outs think they can now shift the blame for the weak and feeble constitution to the electorate, they better think again because it will never happen!It is a historic fact that MDC wasted the nation's time and treasure, five years and nearly US$100 million respectively, writing a weak and feeble new constitution. And as if that was not bad enough, MDC leaders are now wasting the nation time fiddling with aligning existing laws to the feeble constitution when they should be using their presence in parliament to demand the implementation of the democratic reforms, they failed to implement during the GNU!What has this nation done to deserve this corrupt, incompetent and sell-out MDC opposition?People get the government they deserve and I would readily admit the nation has been naive and gullible to deserve the corrupt and murderous Zanu PF regime. What have we done to deserve this corrupt and incompetent MDC opposition? They got their thirty pieces of silver after selling-out during the GNU - the ministerial cars, generous salaries and allowances and even a $4 million mansion for Tsvangirai - and yet they are still queuing for another chance to get back on the gravy train and sell-out the nation yet again!MP Cross is calling for the alignment of the 400 Acts to the new constitution. Good one Mr Cross but to what end and purpose other than raising your political profile so you can get back on the gravy train in 2018!-------------Source: zsdemocrats.blogspot.co.uk Stop me if you've heard this story before. It's familiar to many. The story features a culture that treats people like commodities, valuing them only insofar as they produce wealth. It describes a society that closes ranks against outsiders, concluding that foreign people and ideas are detrimental to established values and incompatible with true patriotism. Advertisement It tells about a system that regards punishment and incarceration as easy solutions, preferring the blunt weapons of shame and quarantine over the constructive tools of dialogue and rehabilitation. I told you it was familiar. Abuses Suffered, Abuses Exposed The particular story I have in mind, though, appears in Acts 16:16-40, a scene in which Paul and Silas, two traveling preachers, find themselves publically stigmatized by a culture that sees them as threats. When this story of antagonism and dispute reaches its end, God has delivered the victimized missionaries. Like many of the stories in the book of Acts, this one operates with a rather simplistic moral vision: its protagonists are miraculously preserved and its culprits easily defeated. We know real life is more complicated. The story, therefore, must not be about guaranteeing get-out-of-jail-free cards to everyone who is truly faithful in God's eyes. Instead it's like a parable that starkly illustrates the dynamics and abuses of power. To compare this passage to a parable doesn't mean we take it lightly. It means we pay attention to how the passage works. Not every biblical text functions in the same way. Sometimes they provide access to ancient wisdom (or foolishness). Sometimes they make bold claims about God and how to recognize God's intentions. Sometimes they hold up a mirror and show us what we look like. This story from Acts does many things, but at one level it is very much one of these mirrors, especially for those of us who live in a place that loves to remind itself that it is "the most powerful nation on earth." Advertisement What might we learn from looking in this mirror? What kind of world does it depict? Like many of us, the people of Philippi who populate the scene in Acts 16 knew what it meant to belong to an extraordinarily powerful society. Located in Macedonia, Philippi was a Roman colony, a special kind of city that served as a cultural outpost within the Roman imperial system, maintaining uniquely close political and economic ties to Rome. The small city's residents included many descendants of Roman soldiers who had fought under the command of Rome's first emperor, Augustus, several decades prior. Prime land in the colony was the reward for their loyalty. The Roman Empire provided many benefits to those who lived within its borders, whether these people were loyal residents fortunate enough to dwell in a favored colony, elites who enjoyed full citizenship, or even conquered peoples living in occupied lands. (Even the People's Front of Judea grudgingly recognized this last point.) The empire maintained its operations with ruthless efficiency, however. Rome exercised a totalizing influence over all who were within its reach, for this is what empires do in their drive to remain wealthy, powerful, and manageable. If we take Roman Philippi as a microcosm, the story in Acts 16 starkly illustrates specific things empires do: Empires promote their strength by exploiting gods and their symbols of power. Ancient audiences would have connected the "spirit of divination" in the anonymous slave girl with the god Apollo's divinatory powers. Imperial gods require disciples to guard their reputations zealously. Anyone who bests Apollo's power can expect some kind of retaliation, lest Rome look bad. Empires discard people who have no worth. When the spirit leaves the slave girl, she becomes a depleted resource to her owners. Evidently Paul also overlooks her value as a person. She quickly disappears from the scene. No one cares what she thinks or what will befall her. Advertisement Empires show great skill in the art of scapegoating. It allows them to identify enemies, turn crowds against those enemies, and finally punish them. When people include the detail "they are Jews" in their accusations against Paul and Silas (who were indeed Jews, Jews who followed Jesus), it's an instance of ethnic and religious scapegoating. By charging these foreigners with sowing anti-Roman subversions, the slave owners know they can harness the power of popular resentment. Empires torture, for they believe their own eminence and fear entitle them to cruelty. When the magistrates strip and beat Paul and Silas in public, is it an "enhanced interrogation technique" or raw torture? No matter. Who thinks of making such distinctions? No one in Philippi objects, just as no one considers how deeply the wounds will sink into the tortured prisoners, the torturers, and those who witness the dehumanizing brutality. Empires consolidate their power by confining whatever they cannot control. Paul and Silas go to prison, where they are physically restrained. Branded as dangerous to others' way of life, they disappear from public view, stored away in cells. Shackles identify Paul and Silas as deviants. Walls promise to halt their influence. Empires refuse to admit defeat. They avoid being called to account in a public way, which might imply weakness and disgrace. When an earthquake -- obviously meant to signal an act of God in this story -- overmatches the empire's efforts to isolate Paul and Silas, the magistrates dispatch their deputies, hoping the prisoners they dishonored will now quietly leave town. In the end, the story does more than show us how powerful societies -- whether ancient or modern - try to keep a grip on their dominance. While Acts 16 describes a steady stream of self-preservation that issues from the villains in Philippi, the story's main point is to celebrate a divine victory. Advertisement Power Plays The victory comes when everything gets turned upside down. As soon as the earthquake shakes open the prison, the God of Paul and Silas proves to be more powerful than any other supernatural or political force. Paul and Silas reveal that they can be just as Roman as they are Jewish. The jailer washes the wounds of those who were recently his prisoners. Walls and locks lose their ability to keep people caged. The magistrates who previously humiliated others find themselves humiliated when Paul demands a public apology from them. Even with all its violence, brute force, and chest-thumping, this story has a burlesque current running through it. It aims to delight a sympathetic audience by extoling the power of a God who cannot be overwhelmed or thwarted by an empire's attempts to clutch its prerogatives and assert its pretentions. This particular scene makes the problems and their solutions appear rather easy -- too easy. But its purpose is to reassure and embolden its readers, people who knew the realities of the Roman Empire very well, not to promise a divinely orchestrated way out of each and every hardship. The ease of the story's solution amplifies the beauty of its burlesque streak. Burlesque exposes empires' pride and abuses, even as it acknowledges that there is no effortless escape from imperialistic ways of thinking. Just like geopolitical empires, these ways of thinking and controlling never go away. Victims of empires tend to create their own when given the chance. History shows that churches imitate and partner with oppressive regimes as well as they boldly combat imperial injustices. The good news according to Acts 16 is that God's intentions cannot finally be thwarted by obstacles put in the way by individuals, governments, societies, or bald imperial pretentiousness. If those things position themselves to obstruct God's designs, God reserves the right to overturn them. Sometimes, whether through experiencing suffering, through prophetic satire, or through defiant countermeasures, God just makes a statement. Taken to an extreme, behavior like this could paint God as coercive and peevish. With regard to the scene in Acts 16, God's earth-rattling statement declares that God doesn't want certain societies to presume they know the right ways to preserve liberty and justice for themselves. After all, some cultures need a firmer kick in the pants than others to get over their arrogant presumptions and their love of power. Advertisement God's statement in Acts 16 reminds us of the one thing that our imperialistic cultures try hardest to make us forget: other realities are possible. A couple of paragraphs in this piece were adapted from my book Intrusive God, Disruptive Gospel: Encountering the Divine in the Book of Acts, published by Brazos Press. ++++++ Bible Study Questions: 1. Other than things that look like supernatural activity, what aspects of Acts 16:16-40 strike you as most extraordinary? That is, which details evoke the most shock and wonder from you, and how do those details help you understand what we can learn from this scene? 2. One of the main points of Acts 16:16-40 is that God is more powerful than even the world's strongest political and legal systems, as well as all the tools they use to assert their dominance (such as laws, prisons, shame, and corporeal punishment). Explain why you find the notion of divine power a comforting thing, or a disturbing thing. Furthermore, what kind of power is divine power, given that for Christians it connects to Jesus' experience of a humiliating death and a surprising resurrection? 3. There is in Acts 16:16-40 a strong criticism of imperial abuses, but the passage doesn't take the next step and offer a clear antidote or alternative. Can you think of specific ways in which your religious beliefs might helpfully challenge and inform the ways in which your country conducts itself -- how it protects its interests, spends its resources, and provides for its people? Advertisement For Further Reading: Like ON Scripture on Facebook Follow ON Scripture on Twitter @ONScripture Since the start of the war in Syria five years ago, just 3,600 Syrian refugees, out of the six million displaced, have been resettled in the United States. That's just 0.00075 percent. It's a startlingly inadequate response to the worst humanitarian disaster of our time. The United States has done next to nothing as the death toll mounts and desperation intensifies. And just last month, 500 more refugees drowned in the Mediterranean. American political leaders on both side of the aisle have failed. The Obama Administration has resettled just 17 percent of its modest 2016 Syrian refugee goal so far this year. Advertisement Meanwhile, some Republicans have called for pausing, slowing, or abolishing the Syrian refugee program entirely. Yet many Americans recognize that there are millions of innocent, peaceful Syrians desperately in need of help. My organization has received emails from people asking how to get involved, how to volunteer, and how to contribute to refugee resettlement. The American people can and should be able to help. Here's how: let's crowdfund the cost of resettlement for 50 Syrian families -- one family per state. We can tap into America's compassionate, philanthropic spirit, and leverage our existing technological platforms. Let's show our dithering bureaucrats and politicians that Americans don't accept sitting on the sidelines as people die. We can demonstrate to Washington that, with real money and tangible support, the American public is ready and willing to help. Advertisement Many church groups, charities, ethnic organizations, businesses, and generous individuals would love to contribute and help Syrian families regain safety and normalcy in their lives by resettling in the United States. The problem is that, under the current system, there is very little they can do. Only the government can decide to increase refugee admissions. It doesn't matter that many thousands of Americans are willing to open their homes to refugees, or that thousands of churches and charities are ready and able to raise funds for their resettlement. If crowdfunding can help college kids make short movies raising funds from friends, family, and strangers, then it can also help save the lives of Syrian families. The OECD estimates the first-year cost of resettling a refugee is about $10,000. Let's say a family includes five people. So bringing 50 Syrian families to the United States -- 250 people -- would cost about $2.5 million. Considering the fact that Americans contributed $350 billion to charitable organizations in 2014, $2.5 million is a drop in the bucket for us, but it would be priceless for those we save. Advertisement Here's how it would work. The State Department could create a fund that collects contributions. A coalition of private partners with powerful voices -- humanitarian organizations, NGOs, philanthropists, corporations, and celebrities -- would promote the project far and wide. When the $2.5 million threshold is met, 50 Syrian families already in the refugee pipeline who have already undergone rigorous security checks will start their trips to the United States. This small increase in admissions -- just 250 people -- won't overburden any state or local municipalities and the costs to the federal government would be negligible. Donations would come from all corners of the country. Millennials could chip in $10 here or $20 there. Businesses run by refugees could contribute a day's profits to the goal. Generous family foundations could give thousands. College groups could have bake sales. A few millionaire and billionaire philanthropists could cover major portions of funding. Most importantly, Syrian Americans could help contribute money to resettle their friends and family. And nearly 16,000 individuals signed a petition that calls for the U.S. to launch a private sponsorship option for refugees. Advertisement If we build it, the money will come. And with the funding comes a second chance at life for some Syrians. Devastating earthquakes, hurricanes, and other disasters worldwide usually spur a massive outpouring of support from Americans -- in the hundreds of millions! If the experiment is successful, it can be scaled up. A small-scale success can show proof of concept and demonstrate the special combination of American benevolence and technology that can save families on the run from terror. This type of pilot project would send a quantifiable signal to policymakers that the American people are serious about resettlement. It may not sway Republicans panicked about Islamic terrorism, but those serious about maintaining America's moral leadership will be hard pressed to not be moved by such an outpouring of support. The State Department recently said that "The United States joins UNHCR in calling for new ways nations, civil society, the private sector, and individuals can together address the global refugee challenge." However, the United States currently has no system in place to harness the immense capacity of its vital private sector to help alleviate the crisis. Other countries are doing better. Since last November, Canada has resettled 11,000 Syrian refugees using funds raised partially or fully from the private sector. Jim Estill, a Canadian businessman, singlehandedly helped bring 50 families to Canada. American businessmen would do the same -- if they could. Advertisement In Italy, church groups have resettled 1,000 refugees using funds from their congregations. A host of nations including Germany, Argentina, Ireland, Iceland, and Australia have jumped on the trend of private-sector refugee funding and sponsorship. Disappointingly, the United States has yet to follow suit. There are community organizations, church groups, and individuals across the country that are ready to open their hearts, homes, and wallets to Syrian refugees. Contact your representatives in Washington and let them know you want the freedom to invest in the future of more Syrian families in America. Speak to your neighbors, members in your religious congregation, and coworkers about contributing to a dynamic crowdfunding campaign to save lives of those on the run. We are living in the midst of the worst humanitarian crises since World War II. It's time for the American people to show that they are not willing to remain on the sidelines, and are ready to channel their vast philanthropic resources to helping the millions of displaced people around the globe. by Claire Tsosie Starting April 27, American Express is giving out free tickets to Beyonce's Formation tour through a joint promotion with rideshare company Uber. The chances of winning? Unclear, but maybe a little better than Powerball. American Express says it's making "hundreds" of tickets available across 20 cities, both to cardholders and non-cardholders, but it didn't say how many. The company did not respond to a request for further comment about this question. But "demand will be high and availability limited," according to a statement from American Express. No kidding. It's one of the most talked-about tours of the year, and ticket prices are as high as $1,500 for some of the best seats. Advertisement For AmEx, it's a way to promote its integration with the Uber app, which lets you redeem Membership Rewards points for Uber rides in-app at 1 cent per point. That makes it one of the best redemption options available. If you live near a concert venue and love Beyonce, this giveaway may be worth a try. Just be prepared with a backup plan, in the (very likely) event you don't win. How to enter the giveaway Here's how it works: Enter the "FORMATIONAMEX" promotional code on your Uber app by going to the sidebar and clicking "Promotions." You can do this part days in advance of the concert, if you want. On the day that Beyonce is giving a concert in your city, you and your friend/date/spouse get all dressed up for the show. Turn on your Uber app, which should now be in what Uber calls "Formation view" -- presumably, that means the app will be Beyonce-themed -- and request an Uber to the concert venue at a certain time. (Go to your city's Uber Twitter feed to find out more details.) From there, two things can happen -- one of them good. If you win, an Uber driver will arrive with two free tickets to Beyonce's concert, and you'll get a free round-trip ride to the concert. According to Uber's terms and conditions, you can only win if: Advertisement You're 18 or older. You and your guest are ready to go when you request Uber. Don't make the driver wait! The return trip has to be on an UberX, the non-fancy option, and is valid up to $50. If that all goes according to plan, you'll be able to join the rest of the Beyhive at what might be the best concert of the year. Your friend/date/spouse will think you're the coolest person alive, and your Facebook friends will be like, "Why didn't you take me to the concert?" What happens if you don't win? The second possibility -- let's call it "The Best Thing I Never Had" possibility -- is that you don't win. You won't get Formation tickets or a complimentary ride to the concert. That's kind of disappointing, especially since you're dressed for a Beyonce concert and your friend/date/spouse is staring at you. At that point, your ride to the venue will automatically be canceled, according to AmEx. But if you didn't want the evening to go to waste, you could Uber to Red Lobster instead, where you could listen to "Lemonade" on repeat and try to forget you're missing out on one of the best concerts of the year. Your choice. If you don't get the Beyonce tickets -- and you probably won't, but it's fun to dream -- it's worth keeping in mind that you can still get exclusive access to venues as an American Express cardholder. Last year, the company promoted a presale for tickets to "Hamilton," the blockbuster musical that just won a Pulitzer. Advertisement You can check out early access or preferred seating offers by logging on to your American Express account, clicking on "Benefits" and navigating to "Membership Experiences." Here's a list of Beyonce's tour stops at which you have a chance to win tickets, according to a press release from AmEx and Uber: Claire Tsosie is a staff writer at NerdWallet, a personal finance website. Email: claire@nerdwallet.com. Twitter: @ideclaire7. What if you had to make a decision between continuing to work as a child laborer to make ends meet for your family or planning to risk the choppy waters and dangerous journey of taking a refugee boat from Turkey to Greece? This is the dilemma of Shrivan, a 16-year-old boy who fled Aleppo, Syria three years ago to southern Turkey. Shrivan, the youngest member of his family, is a self-proclaimed computer geek. In conversations with us, he expressed great pride in being one of the best students in his class back in Syria. Advertisement "We were the best students with the highest grades," he said with tears in his eyes. "Now I cut fabric in a factory." In 2013, Shrivan and his family were forced to flee their home in the Syrian neighborhood of Sheikh Maqsood. They tried to escape to his grandparents' house a few blocks away from his home for a night hoping the situation would calm down so they could return. But they were never able to. "We left only with the clothes we had on," Shrivan recalled. "We didn't even pack anything." 'We left only with the clothes we had on. We didn't even pack anything.' But then a bomb hit his grandparents' house. All of the roads were blocked and Aleppo was officially besieged. Shrivan explained that there was a sniper on a nearby rooftop, so the safest option for his family was to flee to a nearby village, al-Ra'i, close to the Syrian-Turkish borders, and as far as possible from the war. Advertisement With no hope of returning home, Shrivan's family crossed the border towards Gaziantep to find refuge. He began working the week after he arrived in Turkey, when he was just 13 years old. He still works six days a week, 12 hours a day, and still does not bring in enough money to support his mother. Shrivan has been stuck in child labor for at least three years. "I go to work everyday. I wake up in the morning and go to work," he said of his day. "I come back home in the evening. I sleep only to wake up and go to work again." A picture shows destruction in the Salaheddine district of the northern Syrian city of Aleppo on April 12, 2013. (DIMITAR DILKOFF/AFP/Getty Images) Not only has his neighborhood in Aleppo been destroyed in the war and shelled heavily, but Shrivan said he's heard his school was also hit with barrel bombs several times. Just during the last week, the Assad regime has reportedly launched more than 260 airstrikes and close to 70 bombs on Aleppo, killing hundreds of civilians -- among them at least 50 children. The indiscriminate bombing campaign continues to destroy the city's hospitals and schools, regardless of any cease-fire attempts. Recent reporting indicates that some 300,000 children remain in Aleppo and many are unable to attend school today due to the high risk of injury or death. Shrivan wants to either become a doctor so he can help end suffering or an English teacher so he can teach and travel the world. But he knows he needs to find a way to get an education in order to realize either of those dreams. His determination to continue his education made him even risk his own life by briefly going back to war-torn Aleppo to take cumulative school exams to help him pass eighth and ninth grades. Shrivan did, regardless of all the dangers of Syria's war. Advertisement Last month, Shrivan told us he had come up with a better solution: he would cross the Mediterranean Sea on an inflatable boat so he could go to school in Germany, following in the footsteps of thousands of Syrian refugees and putting his own life at risk, again. Shrivan knows that many Syrian refugees have drowned to death in those boat trips in their pursuit of refuge and safety away from the war -- no one can forget the image of Alan Kurdi, the little Syrian boy whose dead body washed up on the shores of Turkey. But he thinks it's worth the risk if it gives him an opportunity to resume his education. Shrivan wants to either become a doctor so he can help end suffering or an English teacher so he can teach and travel the world. "I am wasting my life here working," he told us. "It does not matter if I am cutting fabric in a factory for 12 hours a day, or if I am working at a radio station, this work isn't going to get me or my family anywhere. We can barely pay our rent, how will I even attend school if I have to work? I need to leave, I need to study. I heard education in Germany is good." Every child has a right to education and no child should have to risk his or her life to go to school. Six thousand dollars would cover the cost of one year of tuition in Turkey and also offset the lost income from Shrivan not working. Advertisement When the Syrian refugee crisis started, we immediately felt a responsibility to help. As Syrians who were forced to leave our country in 2005 for political reasons, we know first-hand what it means to leave everything behind, not knowing if returning will ever be possible. In 2011, we launched The Syrian-American Network for Aid and Development, an independent organization in Washington dedicated to supporting Syrian refugees, families and children, as they escape the conflict. The word SANAD ( ) comes from Arabic, meaning support. Through our work, in 2013 and 2014, we got the chance to meet Syrian refugees in Turkey and learn about their stories. This is how we first met Shrivan. His dreams and hopes are still alive and growing stronger as we kept in touch with him throughout the years. We are now raising money to send Shrivan to school this fall, without him risking his life at sea. A Syrian refugee child pauses moments after arriving at a beach on the Greek island of Kos after crossing a part of the Aegean sea from Turkey to Greece on a dinghy. (REUTERS/Yannis Behrakis) Helping Shrivan go to school is just one sub-project of a broader effort by SANAD to empower Syria's displaced families. It is part of our current project, which emerged in 2013-2014: a documentary film series called "Tomorrow's Children: Syria's Not Lost Generation." We met the innocents in their places of refuge, and listened to their voices that have been muted by the sounds of bombs and tank shelling. We wanted to learn how we could help them. Syria's children are stuck in child labor, living in the shadows; they are marginalized and unnoticed. In Turkey, we saw the need to give them a voice. Their stories must be heard, and their struggles must not be ignored. We interviewed six children, who on average work 10 hours a day, six days a week. They are friends facing the most difficult adversities together -- working to support their families and denied their right to education. Through this documentary, which we hope to release soon, our aim is to raise awareness and money to establish a school on the Syrian-Turkish border, sponsored by SANAD, where Syrian child refugees learn the universal skills of English and mathematics. We believe this will improve their living conditions, help protect them from exploitation and prepare them for a brighter future. A 2014 study from Cogent Reports concluded that over 50% of affluent investors with a balance in a former employer-sponsored retirement plan expect to roll their money into an IRA within the next 12 months. This report continues by saying that an estimated $382 billion will be rolled over in 2015. On average, households with IRA rollovers have $260,000 in financial assets and the average value of those IRAs is $87,500. An IRA (Individual Retirement Arrangement) rollover involves moving assets from one retirement account (i.e. 401(k), 403(b), Governmental 457(b), profit-sharing plan) to an IRA. When you roll over a retirement plan you do not have to pay taxes until you make distributions. Generally, IRA rollovers are performed once an individual separates from service from their current employer. Retirement is typically the trigging event for an IRA rollover. However, IRA rollovers can be performed if an individual has left their former employer and is seeking new employment. Keep in mind; there is an additional way to rollover your retirement plan assets into an IRA by way of an "in-service withdrawal". Typically, retirement plans allow for in-service withdrawals to be made after the age of 59 and before a triggering event like retirement to avoid the early withdrawal penalty of 10%. Advertisement Beginning in 2015, the IRS implemented the IRA one-rollover-per-year rule. This rule states that an individual is limited to one IRA rollover per year, regardless of the number of IRA accounts. However, this rule does not apply to the following: Trustee-to-trustee transfers between IRAs are not limited Rollovers from traditional to Roth IRAs ("conversions") are not limited An IRA is a great retirement planning vehicle where your contributions may be tax deductible and grow tax-deferred to provide you with financial security. The IRA contribution limit does not apply to rollover contributions. An individual has to have earned income to contribute to an IRA and amounts from an IRA are not taxed until distributed. You cannot make regular contributions to a traditional IRA in the year you reach 70 and older. Because when you turn 70 you are subject to Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs). In other words, you cannot defer the taxes on your IRA forever. You have a silent built-in partner within your IRA and that partner is the IRS. Therefore, you have to start taking withdrawals from your IRA, Simple IRA, Sep IRA or retirement plans when you reach the age of 70 . If you do not take your RMDs by the required deadline, the amount not withdrawn is taxed at 50%. You are free to withdraw more than the minimum required amount and the formula to calculate the RMD is confusing but it is based on the IRS life expectancy tables. Advertisement Once you roll over your retirement plan into an IRA you have more flexibility from a tax standpoint to take distributions. Withdrawals from an IRA before reaching the age of 59 are called "premature" distributions. Individuals are subject to an additional 10% early withdrawal tax (unless an exception applies) plus their personal tax rate. For example, an exception applies for distributions to cover qualified higher education expenses. Why Rollover your Retirement Assets into an IRA? The main reason investor's rollover their retirement asset into an IRA is: The fees with an IRA are generally lower than an 401k IRAs have more Investing options Fees within a 401k typically fall within 3 categories - plan administration fees, investment fees and individual service fees. Remember that all services have a fee and the more financial services provided the higher the fee. The total fee needs to be considered in making an investment decision but it should not be the driving factor. Cheaper is not necessarily better. If price was the only factor to consider, everyone would be driving a Nissan. Rolling over your retirement assets into an IRA provides more investment choices. This is extremely important because my clients are allowed to participate in tactical portfolio management. In my previous article, There is a Better Way! - Why No One Talks About the Stock Market the Right Way explains in detail the benefits of this type of investment management. With 2016 being the worst start to the stock market ever there is a solution through tactical portfolio management to protect your investment portfolio principal from life changing losses and grow it at the same time. To learn more about Blake Fambrough and his approach to Financial Planning, view his Paladin Registry research report. Article originally posted on PaladinRegistry.com. On Holocaust Remembrance Day, one writer recalls Auschwitz after watching the acclaimed movie I've been waiting to see Son of Saul for a long time now. It had a limited release in the United States, and because of this, it never came to a theatre in my little town on the prairie. So when it was released on DVD a few days ago, I had it shipped overnight to my house. When it arrived, I finally got to watch it. I've written extensively about the Holocaust and I've traveled to Germany and Poland many times to visit the sites of industrialized genocide. In fact, in order to get the history correct for my first novel, I did three separate research trips to Treblinka, Sobibor, Bezec, Majdanek, and Paszow. I spent over thirty hours in Auschwitz. Reading about these places from a safe academic distance is one thing, but to walk the soil of these camps--to stand before the gas chambers where serial mass murder was committed on a daily basis--that is an entirely different experience. It changes you on a molecular level. You're aware of the ground beneath your feet. Son of Saul has been applauded by critics everywhere and it recently won both a Golden Globe and an Oscar for "Best Foreign Language Film". Given such praise, I was keen to see how this movie stacked up against what I knew, especially now that Holocaust Remembrance Day is here. Advertisement A lifetime of research could be devoted to Auschwitz and it would still remain unknowable. One of the many reasons I appreciate Holocaust Remembrance Day is that it nudges us to remember and ask questions. Most of us know about the trains, the selection process, the changing rooms, and the gas chambers disguised as showers. Son of Saul assumes that a viewer knows such things and it works to tell the story of Auschwitz in a wholly unique way. I have never seen a visual representation of the place quite like this before. And it works extremely well. The main character is Saul Auslander and the camera is focused entirely on him throughout much of the film. We both see--and don't see--the camp through his eyes. The scenes behind him are frequently blurry and we only catch glimpses of naked bodies, trucks full of ash, and prisoners snapping to attention in front of SS guards. Conversation is heard in snatches. It's disorienting and confusing. Saul is part of the Sonderkommando. It's his job to clean out the gas chambers and haul the bodies up to the ovens. The story is simple, compelling, and straightforward. It goes like this: after the gas has been pumped out of one of the showers, he finds a teenage boy who may or may not be his son. Saul sets out to find a rabbi who will bury this child and say Kaddish over his body. Amid the overwhelming and punishing evil of Auschwitz, Saul is determined to have the mourner's prayer said over this boy's unburned body. It is a tall order for a death camp like Auschwitz. Whether the child is biologically his or not doesn't matter because it represents Saul's yearning for a religion that is under assault. He isn't just trying to save his son; he is trying to save his own faith and culture. Amid all of this, the Sonderkommando are planning to blow Crematorium IV and kill as many SS guards as they can. This rebellion really happened. You can find out more about it here. It took place on October 7, 1944, and although the men and women involved knew it would be a military failure, they nevertheless wanted to slow down the engine of annihilation. They knew they would die. But this might allow others to live. Advertisement Saul Fia, as the movie is called in Hungarian, is about many things and it is done with great subtly amid great brutality. Just over the shoulder of the main character is a world that is opaque and hard to see. Saul has trouble understanding all that swirls around him and we, as viewers, get that sense too. Auschwitz is both visible and blurry. This is precisely what I appreciate most about Son of Saul--it is a movie about narration. How do we narrate history? How do we bring the past into focus? Many of the characters risk their lives to document the crimes they're seeing at Auschwitz. One of them keeps a journal he plans to bury in the ground while another character uses a smuggled camera to take photos of burning bodies. Both of these things happened in real life. In fact, here's the photo: This picture was taken behind Crematorium V and it is one of the few pieces of visual evidence that we have of life inside Auschwitz. The photo is blurry. Out of focus. Tilted. For me, Son of Saul is much like this photograph and I think that's why the movie is so powerful. We see, but we don't see at the same time. Our imaginations have to fill in the gaps. There is one scene that takes place where all of the suitcases, clothes, enamel pots, eyeglasses, and documents were sorted by teams of women. The Nazis called this section of camp "Canada" because it represented a land of riches. We also see areas of Auschwitz that aren't generally well known--the coal rooms that powered the furnaces for instance. This movie also takes us into the gas chambers and we walk next to the rumbling ovens. Blood is on the gas chamber floor. Water and disinfectant is on the walls. Ash floats through the air. We see naked people being shot at night and burned in a gigantic roaring pit. We see all of this, but it's distorted and over the shoulder of Saul. That which seems un-film-able is on a display right in front of us. No movie can represent Auschwitz. The place is too big to be contained. I don't mean this just in the sense of "art capturing life" but I also mean it quite literally. Unless you've visited the place, it's nearly impossible to appreciate its vast size. The main camp came into existence in 1940. When that proved too small, another camp, Auschwitz-Birkenau, was built down the road in 1941 and it was here that the gas chambers were housed. Auschwitz III (also known as Monowitz and sometimes Buna) came into operation in 1942. Surrounding these three camps were forty sub-camps. They have forgotten names like Trzebinia, Blechhammer, and Eintrachthutte. So while we refer to Auschwitz as a singular place, it is a plurality. It is a sprawling zone of death that defies imagination. It is beyond knowing--and yet we must try. Advertisement On this Yom HaShoah, there are many ways to remember and learn about the Holocaust. I'd recommend reading the memoirs from the real life Sonderkommando. Without Filip Muller's Eyewitness Auschwitz, Shlomo Venezia's Inside the Gas Chambers, and Miklos Nyiszli's Auschwitz, it is doubtful Son of Saul would have been made at all. I'd also recommend Claude Lanzmann's nine-hour documentary, Shoah. It is a landmark of filmmaking that Roger Ebert called "one of the noblest films ever made." (On a side note, it would be wrong to compare Son of Saul with Shoah. They are two very different acts of commemoration in that one has a fictional character caught in a nonfictional place, and the other is a documentary.) Son of Saul is a visual representation that is unique, chilling, and immediate. After having spent so much time in Auschwitz doing research--and after having written a novel about the Operation Reinhard camps--I found myself watching this movie and feeling as if I saw the Holocaust in a new way. That's the job of the artist. To shed light. One thing is certain, all across the planet we are losing our eyewitness to the Holocaust. A day will come sometime in the future with a headline that reads, "Last Survivor Dies." I worry about what this will do to our understanding of history. This is why we must listen and record and revisit. On this day of remembrance, I'd recommend watching this movie--yes--of course--it's excellent--but I'd pay close attention to those parts that are blurry. Out of focus. In danger of being lost forever. Patrick Hicks is the author of ten books, including The Commandant of Lubizec: A Novel of the Holocaust and Operation Reinhard. He is the Writer-in-Residence at Augustana University and a faculty member at the MFA program at Sierra Nevada College. His website is www.patrickhicks.org Advertisement View from the veranda of the Hotel Nacional, near the sea and the Malecon. I spent ten days in Havana, Cuba, from February 9, 2016 to February 19, 2016--roughly a month before President Obama made his historic trip. It was my first trip to Cuba, and I kept a close journal of my time there. I also wrote poetry there and I will include some of it in journal entries. Friday, Feb. 12, 2016. 8:35 AM Exhausting day of tourism yesterday [Thursday, Feb. 11]--walking along the Malecon, the once extremely beautiful roadway along the sea, like the Croisette in Mediterranean towns like St. Tropez. Most of it is horribly pitted, rutted, and run down. Past the famous Riviera Hotel, put up by the famous American Jewish gangster Meyer Lansky [who also is credited with "inventing" Las Vegas]. From the outside, the Riviera looks close to abandoned, but it is still functioning; I was also told that, inside, it is a perfectly preserved piece of mid-1950s exuberantly excessive Americana. We went into a more "modern" hotel, the Hotel Melia Cohiba, a behemoth that I thought must have been built by the Soviets, but was actually built in 1994 by a Spanish corporation. It was next to the Riviera and is all tourist "business"-class, compared with the more sensational 1950s face of the Riviera. Hugh wanted to go to the famous Hotel Nacional, built in 1936, where Ernest Hemingway "hung out" on its veranda, facing the water. We found a taxi and bargained him down to an appropriate price: in front of a tourist place like the Cohiba, they start at triple the real rate and you see how far they will go down. Advertisement Inside the Hotel Nacional The Nacional was smart, intimate, with soft lighting inside its main lobby and beautifully period side bars. On the veranda, in big, comfortably-cushioned rattan easy chairs--the kind you could spend a day in--Hugh had a mojito, famous at the Nacional, and I a Bloody Mary, served by handsome (really handsome!) waiters in crisp dark blazers and bow ties. We spent about 90 minutes in relaxation. The Nacional serves huge "Cuban sandwiches," popular in New York but not in Cuba; I thought about splitting one for lunch but Hugh wanted to have a late lunch back in Havana Vieja. On the veranda, this poem seemed to write itself. Chasing the Wild Thing The rare, crazy, ephemeral, lascivious moment, when the juices run hot and the blood jets through the corpuscles, and the words of the guides and the guarded disappear because you are one with the vista, the profound contamination that you sought, the Hemingway revulsion made real: and you girded your instinct to bolt, but stayed in the vulnerable moment in the poignant afternoon or early morning, after the alcohol hit and the mystery of leisure revealed itself: this is when you have to rise, face the musica, the Revolucion, the dim-dreaded function of pure existence that cannot be put off when they shot the insurgents and the martyr's blood was soaking the grass and the sand, and Spanish was spoken in a whisper, a sigh, a reduction of all passion, and you faced it, there on a visit to a history you did not forget. It was always inside you. Punching viciously, you silly, pathetic traveler-- to come out. Feb 12, 2016 Havana, Cuba Hotel Nacional But--first we walked quickly over to the nearby monument to the Maine, the battleship whose loss started the Spanish-American War. Blindingly white, it's separated from everything by six lanes of the Malecon with traffic speeding around in two directions. With no safe underground passageway, we managed to rush over to it. A man shouted: "Loco Americanos!" Advertisement After a few minutes, a driver in a minicab, a motorcycle carrying two passengers in back, shot up. He took us to the restaurant we wanted, Dona Eutimia, by the Plaza Catedral; it had very good food for a small price with singing musicians who also double as staff for the cluster of cafes nearby. Everyone was incredibly friendly, really gracious, the way Havana almost always is. I thought about my sweet, handsome friend Ricardo Limon, from Mexico City, and his childhood memories of there: the Latin gifts for theatrics, romance, kindness, and courtesy. Suddenly all of this came to life here, eating outside, listening to live music, and the sheer beauty of this plaza, near the water, of the Old Section. Afterwards, we walked to the Hotel Raquel, a "Jewish" hotel that in the old days, as a kosher oasis, hosted generations of Jewish weddings and bar mitzvahs. It dates to the early 20th century, very Art Nouveau, with beautiful Tiffany windows and architectural details. 11:35 PM Friday, Feb. 12, 2016. I have taken enough cab rides in Havana, in rickety, ancient vehicles with no seat belts, springs, mufflers, or carburetors, to know that Havana smells of gasoline and cigars. The gasoline fumes burn my eyes and sting my nose. The author with a bust of Federico Garcia Lorca in a mansion courtyard, site of some festivities around the Havana International Book Festival. Lorca is a hero in Cuba, but his homosexuality is not openly recognized. Went to a panel discussion on sexual orientation that was part of the Feria de los Libros--the International Book Fair. It was all in Spanish, with four women speakers, but afterwards Ariel, Connor's handsome doctoral student friend, came up to me and introduced the panelists to me, and I presented them a copy of How to Survive Your Own Gay Life and of The Manly Pursuit of Desire and Love. One of them spoke English and asked me what the books were about. I gave them my "elevator speech." Impressed, they invited me to come back to Havana in May for the "Festival Against Homophobia," a government happening spearheaded by Mariela Castro, Raul's daughter. I eagerly assented, thinking May 2017--then realized they meant May 2016--impossible. Too soon after the New York Rainbow Book Fair which will exhaust me. Advertisement We had lunch at an Iranian restaurant in Vedago, a few blocks from where the panel had taken place, out on a beautiful veranda facing a park, in glorious sunlight. Good food, but Hugh had a terrible acid reflux problem and needed another round of table napkins. I asked the waitress "mas serviettas?" and was handed 2 small paper napkins. In Cuba, paper napkins are limited, and some restaurants simply give you a nicely folded paper towel at your place. Later in the evening, we took a cab back from the "casa" to the Old Town for a kick-off concert of the Festival de Musica Antigua Esteban Salas, happening concurrently with the book festival. The concert in St. Francis of Assisi Basilica, was well attended, but the audience was often restless, talking and having difficulties following the program--actually hard to do since they skipped around. Early Music in Havana is not plentiful, and much of the audience may have had little exposure to it but came to support the mostly young student players of Ars Longs, Havana's leading Early Music group that is associated with a music school. A great crescent moon floated above when we left the church. We walked through the now empty streets until we came to the Plaza Vieja, a big "campus" surrounded by galleries, with narrow side cuts for roads. We noticed a second-floor balcony bar and a "barker" for it came out and convinced us to come up: very common in Havana. The balcony was extremely modern, with low-slung, white plastic furnishings--not very comfortable, but the view was great. Next to us, by serendipity, was a very nice older English lesbian couple, Avri and Shan, and we soon became friends, in that way of travelers in a beautiful place. You meet people and an intimacy happens, almost automatically. By: Mady Dahlstrom, Content Editor for Porch.com Step into spring with these colorful and creative home decor ideas that are sure to brighten up your home! From pretty patterned pillows and printables to floral accents and vintage touches, we've rounded up a few of our favorite affordable ways to bring spring into your home. Get ready to spruce up your space and refresh your home with these 7 decorating ideas from the Blogger Community at Porch.com! 1. Put some spring into your front steps Give your front steps a mini-facelift with vibrant colors, plants, and a trendy doormat. Freshening up your front steps is the easiest way to make a spring statement for all of your neighbors to see! Advertisement Image Credit: The House Of Wood 2. Create a cheerful entryway Welcome guests into your home with a light and cheerful entry hall. Pops of color and decorative accents add texture, while framed watercolor printables are the perfect touch of spring! Image Credit: The Happy Housie 3. Design an art gallery wall It's never too late to create a gallery wall in your home! Mix and match prints, artwork, signs, and quotes for a fun collage that you can leave up all season long. Image Credit: All Things With Purpose 4. Make a small space feel big with open shelving Show off your spring dishes, glassware, or special serving pieces by giving open shelving a try. A great solution for small spaces, exposed shelves easily opens up a room. Image Credit: Restless Arrow 5. Play with patterns by adding pillows Decorative pillows are an easy and affordable way to make your home feel like spring! Blend fun patterns with bold colors for a stylish spring look. Advertisement Image Credit: House By Hoff 6. Lighten up your linens Choosing white bedding allows your bed to act as a blank canvas. Dress up your bedroom with accent colors and soft textures to play off your crisp and clean all-white centerpiece. Image Credit: Maison de Pax 7. Mix in mason jars Hang a few mason jars with fresh flowers on a wall mounted drying rack for a creative spring display! I popped into Sainsburys last night for a few post work purchases, while I was trying to negotiate the self-service checkout without kicking it out of pure frustration, I was stopped in my tracks. I heard a new-born baby cry. Strange reason to stop what I was doing you might think? Especially as this new-born baby wasn't mine. However, I began to feel a rising sense of anxiety. I immediately felt transported back to December 2013 when I was in hospital after having my son. He was only 3 days old and I was desperately trying to change his nappy and understand why he was crying, whilst hobbling around in agony, recovering from an emergency caesarean section. Advertisement I frantically called my partner; Wes, who had left the hospital a couple of hours earlier. I pleaded with him to make his way back to the hospital. I felt alone, traumatised and like the walls were closing in on me. I wasn't coping. Heck, I didn't know what to do next. This was almost 2 and a half years ago, I've experienced a breakdown in that time, endless therapy and following all of this, consider myself to be in a good place both mentally and emotionally now. Thus, I was surprised to feel like past scars were open again. I was surprised to feel strangely vulnerable at that moment in Sainsburys. I tried not to analyse my feelings too much, drawing on what I've learnt from Cognitive Behaviour Therapy sessions and bringing myself back to what I was trying to do. You know, not lose my shit with the self-service checkout. Advertisement While I was walking home from the supermarket, I found myself mentally writing this blog. I found myself wanting to articulate this experience, it felt quite profound. Over the course of the last couple of years, I've found certain smells induce a state of anxiety. It's incredible just how powerful the brain is. I've often found myself reflecting on the first year of being a mother. Wondering if I feel robbed of what is supposed to be an amazing time in my life, whereas actually it was the most horrendous at times. Perhaps I do, perhaps I do feel slightly robbed. When I look back at photos of the first year of my son's life I can't help but feel sad. I feel sad because I knew how I felt at the time, I knew what was to come and I knew the smiles I'd painted on were masking what was really going on in my head. Recent conversations with my other half have led us both to decide against having a second child for numerous reasons. Some are health (both physical and mental) whys and wherefores, others are more practical reasons. However, although I feel deep down this is the right decision for us as a family and as individuals, I do 'grieve' (for want of a better word) for the time I can never experience again. Advertisement It wasn't supposed to be like that. I wasn't supposed to have the mental health crisis team visit me 3 days before Christmas to assess my mental health and ensure I didn't need to be admitted into a Mother & Baby unit. I wasn't supposed to find motherhood and all it brings so damn difficult and overwhelming. It wasn't how I anticipated life to be once I welcomed my son into the world. Since writing about my experience with post-natal depression and anxiety in August last year, I've been contacted by many women who have told me their experiences. They've asked me for guidance and I've imparted advice on what I would do in their shoes. I've been candid and explained to them the resources that are available and the roads they should go down to ensure they receive the treatment and support they need. 8 months ago, I wrote about my desire for midwives and health visitors to discuss post-natal mental illness antenatally. I'm strongly of the opinion there needs to be more awareness highlighted at the antenatal stage to prepare women of the conditions that could arise once they have become a Mother. Mental health is AS important as physical health. Just like it's imperative for a midwife to ensure all is well with baby during appointments, it's equally crucial to ask the right questions regarding Mum's mental wellbeing. Post Natal OCD is a condition that requires more awareness. I've been a long time sufferer of OCD since I was 7 years old, however, my OCD manifested itself into a terrifying form 4 days after giving birth. Advertisement I spent hours upon hours googling my symptoms, trying to reassure myself I wasn't on the periphery of losing my mind altogether. Visiting my GP to only be told he didn't recognise my symptoms as OCD and was genuinely concerned for my welfare only compounded my anxiety all the more. Having spent a great deal of time researching Post Natal OCD and receiving intensive treatment for the condition has highlighted to me just how common an illness it can be. Thus, it needs to be emphasised to all potential mothers, especially women who have history of suffering OCD like myself. The thought of another woman perched on the edge of the bath frantic with worry that she's a danger to herself or others is all too much for me to bear. It shouldn't and doesn't need to be that way. ___________________ Opinion by Reboot Illinois' Matt Dietrich Thumbs-up to Margie's Candies, not so much for dad's website. In the department of "kids say the darnedest things," I offer this unsolicited quote from my 12-year-old son: "Dad, I looked at your website and all it does is give a big middle finger to Illinois." Oh, these kids today. Yet as happens so often when one gets a perspective from a fresh set of eyes -- even those of a 12-year-old -- this remark caused a much-needed bit of soul-searching. Obviously, you don't start an operation called Reboot Illinois with the intent of celebrating Illinois government. But neither did we start Reboot Illinois as a clearinghouse for all things negative about Illinois. While informing about areas where Illinois needs improvement -- mainly regarding state finances, jobs, schools and corruption -- is central to our mission, it's not our mission. The commentary, graphics, guest views and videos we provide are intended not just to inform, but to motivate action. At minimum, that means getting involved in the political process by registering to vote and voting. At best, it means direct involvement in effecting change by, in the most obvious example, contacting your elected officials. Advertisement We even created a tool, Sound Off, devoted to that purpose. Enter your address and Sound Off will look up your representative and senator. Choose your issue, type out your message (or use the one we've provided) and Sound Off will send it your lawmakers, the governor and the Democratic and Republican leaders in the Illinois House and Senate. The greatest impediment to citizen action is the widely held feeling that we're powerless; that it won't matter what we say or do because the people in Springfield are going to do what serves them best regardless. With the state now 10 months into an unprecedented budget deadlock, it's never been easier to feel that way. Yet neither has that feeling ever been more wrong. As state Sen. Matt Murphy, R-Palatine, explained at an April 11 forum put on by the Illinois Campaign for Political Reform and Truth in Accounting, constituent pressure on the people in Springfield is the only means of ending the impasse: Advertisement Believe it or not, your lawmakers listen to their constituents. And when they complain to their leaders that they're getting heat from back home that's putting them in hot water with voters, their leaders listen. Even as Gov. Bruce Rauner and House Speaker Michael continued their war of egos over the state budget, both listened to their members' complaints about college funding last week and allowed passage of $600 million in emergency funding. It was a stunning example of compromise. One final note: When presented with problems like Illinois' pension debt, it's easy to feel not just powerless but also that the situation is hopeless. We've done a lot to explain, for example, the causes and effects of Illinois' pension crisis. It's risen from $83 billion to $111 billion since this website launched and consumes more than 20 percent of the state budget's General Revenue Fund. We probably have not done enough to point out that there are solutions. Yes, taxpayers going forward will have to pay for years of mismanagement by the General Assembly, but there are ways this can be done without sinking state government. California a few short years ago was the worst-case-scenario example of state fiscal dysfunction. Not today. There's no reason Illinois can't follow this model. With new ownership last month and a major website overhaul in the works, this is an exciting time for Reboot Illinois. That makes it a perfect time for us to sharpen our focus on our mission. Advertisement Opinion / Columnist As the Zimbabwean government seeks to further muzzle the media, including social media, in its fruitless efforts to stifle public dissent, it never ceases to baffle me as how those in power think this will help their cause.The ZANU PF government needs to urgently wake up and realise that the people are genuinely angry at them, and the sooner they addressed the people's concerns the better, as no amount of gagging will stop them from expressing their frustrations and anger.In fact, I fear the worst, as most times, it is better to allow someone to express their anger freely, as pent-up anger sooner or later blows up into something more unenviable - usually in the form of violence.The people are genuinely angry, and they have every right to be.This issue goes beyond mere poverty, but its about economic oppression that the people of Zimbabwe have been subjected to for far too long.It is one thing to be poor, but it is a completely different thing to be economically oppressed - that is why the people are angry.Why I distinguish poverty from the situation Zimbabweans find themselves in is simple.In Zimbabwe there is no poverty as such, but economic apartheid.I clearly remember in 2007 when my family was really struggling - like most Zimbabweans - as there was no food in the shops and we had no money.Who can ever forget those years?Fortunately, it was the rainy season, so we would walk for kilometres in the nearby forest in search of mushrooms, which - praise Jehovah God - we always found.Despite the lack in our home, we were very united and joyous as a family.This was because we understood that all of us in the family were going through the same ordeal, and as such, that united us and we stood together despite all odds.That was poverty.However, imagine if I had been busy merry-making, and buying my friends food and drink, whilst my family at home had nothing to eat, drink, and wear.Would we have been so united and joyous as a family, or would there have been strife, anger, and unending fights?I would have been subjecting my family to economic oppression - and that is exactly what is happening in Zimbabwe.The people of this country are greatly suffering.If the yarn about sanctions being responsible for this suffering had been true, all of us - including those in power - would have been suffering as well.Economic sanctions are supposed to cripple an entire economy, such that there would be no money for anything and anyone, not even for those in power.We would all be suffering together.If that had been the case, then - like my family - we would have been united as a country.No one would have been angry at the government - as we would been in it together.That would have been poverty.However, the Zimbabwean story is very different.The only ones who are suffering in this country are the ordinary people, whilst those in power lavish themselves with overseas holidays and shopping, get the best medical care in upmarket overseas hospitals, and build themselves luxurious mansions - that leave Queen Elizabeth's II envious - and buy up nearly every building in some towns.When those in local authorities buy themselves cars, sleep in hotels at trade fairs, and build themselves posh houses, whilst the residents of those towns go without water, and their babies drowning in shallow wells.Yet they do this at the ordinary citizen's expense, as this is all through taxpayers' money and the plundering of the nation's resources.Robbing the already poor, in order to finance their lavish lifestyles - and leaving the poor even poorer.In fact, even if it had been true that Zimbabwe was under economic sanctions, there would not have been such suffering.Iran had endured economic sanctions for years imposed by the United Nations (UN), United States (US), European Union (EU), and other Western countries for its nuclear programme - until only a few months back when they signed the historic nuclear deal with the so-called P5+1.However, Iran remained the second largest economy in that region.What the people of Zimbabwe are being subjected to is purely economic oppression.Are the ordinary citizens of this country not justified to be angry?Are they not justified in writing the things they are expressing on social media platforms?Am I not justified in writing these articles as a result of the injustices inflicted upon the people of Zimbabwe?Who should be punished here - the people who are justifiably expressing their frustrations and anger at the oppression they are being daily subjected to, or those in power who are plundering the country's resources and taking the poor's taxpayers' money for their own gallivanting?Certainly, those in the wrong are the oppressors.If the ZANU PF government continues on this path of oppression - which I truly believe they will, as these people are beyond salvaging - then the people will only get angrier and more vocal by the day.As such, muzzling of the media will never be the answer.The ZANU PF government may choose to see no evil, and hear no evil - but they certainly say a lot of evil - however, like the ostrich that is said to bury its head in the sand in front of oncoming danger, this government is only nesting a time-bomb.Muzzling the genuine feelings of the people will sooner or later blow up in the government's face.The people's needs have to be addressed as a matter of urgency.That is the only solution.Zimbabweans are not an inherently angry and spiteful lot - far from it - but they are fed up with this economic oppression and they desperately need respite - and the sooner ZANU PF figures that out, the better.------Tendai Ruben Mbofana is a social justice activist and commentator, writer, and journalist. He writes in his personal capacity, and welcomes any feedback. Please feel free to call/WhatsApp: +263782283975, or email: tendaiandtinta.mbofana@gmail.com Photos by Leslie Kirchhoff I have worked as a fashion and celebrity stylist for over a decade, which is a fancy way to say that I find clothes for people to wear. It involves so much more than that, though -- tons of traveling, attending shows and presentations for weeks on end, poring over spreadsheets, hauling enormous trunks, missing flights, losing sleep, forgetting meals, and washing other people's clothing (and sometimes underwear). Between the stories of triumph and tragedy, I shop -- and that's what most people ask me about. But the truth is, for quite a while, I hadn't perfected my own shopping habits. My closet had always contained a measured mix of designer and fast-fashion pieces; I would regularly feel guilty after my expensive designer purchases, and would compensate by purchasing high street brands to get a shopping fix without feeling the stress on my wallet at the register. I was sure this high-low strategy was the way to guarantee maximum style within a budget, but it was actually just draining my funds. This all began to change three years ago, when I was introduced to the designer of Amour Vert, Linda Balti, whose brand produces sustainable basics. Balti is a stylish French woman with an enviable je ne sais quoi, and she's been committed to shopping mindfully since starting her brand, buying only from companies with ethical practices. I was impressed by her commitment to ethical shopping -- but not so much to adopt it for my own. I loved this concept the way I love the idea of a 5 a.m. workout: I wanted to be there, I just didn't want to have to get there. Advertisement I thought that to shop ethically meant that I would have to compromise my personal style in the process. As someone who wasn't able to afford a closet full of Stella McCartney vegan separates, how could I make this work? I decided to challenge myself to shop ethically for one year. What began as a self-imposed styling test has now become a new way of life: It's been passion-igniting, and has seeped into other areas of my life. I've also saved at least a few thousand dollars, and my wardrobe has never looked better. I approached my ethical styling challenge like I would a new client. Before making any purchases, I had to assess the current state of my wardrobe. I picked through my closet, asking myself: Was I happy with my wardrobe as a whole? Was it cohesive? Did it represent my aesthetic and lifestyle? Would my clothing stand the test of time? Ruefully, I admitted the answer to many of these questions was "no." My wardrobe did not represent a chic, sophisticated stylist from New York with a strong social conscience. Instead, I saw a woman with no sense of color or her own identity who also maybe owns a time machine. With brutal honesty I divided my clothing into three categories: 1. The home-run pile: the most trusted items I've worn a ton and still love. 2. The treat yo'self pile: special-occasion pieces I'll need later on. 3. The nope pile: anything I have never worn or wish I hadn't. By examining my stuff using these categories, I could identify the styles that were the most successful for me and those that were not -- like my glittery Alexander Wang pants from four years ago that look amazing on the hanger but terrible on my butt. As well as the most popular styles, I wanted to know which pieces gave me the most value for my money. I determined the price-per-wear of each item by dividing its cost by how many times I've worn it: The more frequently something is worn, the cheaper its price-per-wear would be. Advertisement The first thing I recognized was that my most trusted pieces were overwhelmingly the simplest and highest in quality. They were well designed with exceptional fit, which meant they were worn quite often. Last summer, for example, I bought a pair of navy Celine culottes. They cost $1,200 and I felt extremely guilty when I bought them; in fact, I considered returning them several times. But, I couldn't bear to give them up. Using the price-per-wear model, I counted the 20 times that I had already worn them, giving them a price-per-wear result of $60. Not to mention the huge number of compliments I receive every time I wore them. As the weather warms, and they get added back into my rotation (though I even managed to style them for a few winter looks), this number will continue to lower. But my love for the pants only grows. Comparatively, sitting in my trash pile, waiting to be donated to charity, were five skirts and two pairs of pants (both from Zara), with a total value of $890. Most of these items were bought in either a moment of panic, when I was seeking a fashion fix, or out of boredom. Of this $890, I've worn two of the pieces once, and regretted it both times. I couldn't even put a price tag on the cheap items in my nope pile that completely changed shape after the first wash and became un-wearable. The most shocking part of this exercise was I had spent almost as much money on my collection of cheap clothing as I had on my favorites. For the price of my inexpensive fashion fixes, I could have had an entire second selection of gorgeous, high-quality pieces. What I learned was that I was so seduced by the allure of a cheap runway knock-off and so addicted to the idea that I needed a constant supply of new clothing, that I was throwing money away. While my favorites pile was smaller than I wanted my wardrobe to be, it contained many fantastic styling options. Had I always shopped slowly and mindfully, I could have doubled this selection by now and had an enviable collection of stylish designer clothing with endless outfit choices. This is not to say that the only way to shop is to buy new designer clothing -- that's far from the truth. I have a pair of vintage Yves Saint Laurent boots that I picked up for $90 and a Gap denim dress I bought on eBay for $20. Both have been worn to death season after season. In fact, I've noticed that ever since I've started buying clothes that I can wear for a majority of the year, I'm buying more things off-season and have been able to take advantage of deep designer sales. Advertisement Shopping ethically taught me that when I spent big and shopped smarter, I saved more. When I first changed my habits, I was so worried about buying anything that might be deemed unethical that I bought only vintage. But it was too dramatic a style change for me and incredibly time consuming. Reformation has proved to be the ideal segue: Its clothes are reasonably priced, cute, and easy to wear. I bought a summer dress there that I've worn a ton, and a few separates to pair with things I already owned. Summer proved to be the perfect time to cut down on pointless spending and save for the big ticket items of winter: A few well-chosen dresses in great colors and separates can carry you through most of the warm weather months. Once fall arrived, I had more confidence in my ability to select timeless pieces and took the time to find the perfect sweater (Zady), replace my Zara bottoms (Everlane), find beautiful accessories (Cuyana), and cheaply update my jeans by tailoring three pairs I already owned. I saved enough by opting out of frequent fast-fashion shopping trips over the warmer months to buy a beautiful Stella McCartney coat and sweater, which I wear as often as possible. I feel no guilt splurging on a special pair of shoes once or twice a season to keep my look fresh, especially from Edun or Maiyet. I love the selection in my closet, and have saved somewhere in the vicinity of $5,000 on clothing compared to my pre-ethical spending in the same time frame. This year, I expect the amount I spend to drop even more. Even though it was only a year and a half ago that I began to adopt a different way of approaching shopping, I also learned to take into consideration the things that I truly value and want to do well. I value beautiful clothing, looking after our environment, and investing in products from companies that are transparent about their business and production. Naturally, I pivoted to sustainable fashion. I still dress celebrities and indulge in styling beautiful editorials, but I now invest a good portion my time, money, and talents into fashion brands with moral missions that prioritize quality. It's a challenge at times to encourage others to see the sexy side of shopping sustainably, but shopping slowly and without excess is a perfect start. And this commitment to design and to caring for the environment is infectious. My post-shopping guilt is gone and, more importantly, so is my desperate need for a constant barrage of new things. I'm much more satisfied with enjoying the items I have. As a stylist, I often hear to question: "What should I buy this season?" To which my response is usually: "Whatever suited you best last season." I've watched fashion trends come and go, and the most stylish women are always above them. Investing time into finding pieces that fit well and are the most flattering pays off for years to come. Spending big on the best quality pieces that your budget will allow is even better. When you are in the habit of buying pieces that push the limit of what you are comfortable spending, you usually spend much more time deliberating over whether you truly need it. It's amazing when you take the time to assess the value of something in your life how often you'll decide you actually don't. And really, that just means more money in the bank for the item you find that you truly fall in love with. Conspicuously absent during this election cycle has been any real discussion let alone debate regarding poverty and the status of the poor in America. Instead, as usual, the poor have remained invisible. Yes, you will see the homeless person panhandling for change on a street or highway median. You may see a person begging for money outside a fine restaurant. But by and large the homeless can find themselves keeping a low profile. What has happened this year, however, is that there have been several Silicon Valley entrepreneurs that have gone out of their way to denigrate those who are less fortunate. ( See previous blog So You Want To Avoid The Pain Of The Homeless ) First, it was tech bro railing against the presence of the homeless to the Mayor of San Francisco. Now we have the latest Tech CEO who wants to keep the world safe for the one percent. A Silicon Valley tech CEO has sparked backlash for comments slamming local fruit vendors, saying he would "make their life miserable" and "destroy" their produce if they were stationed near his house - making him the latest wealthy Californian entrepreneur to publicly rail against low-income people. Mark Woodward, CEO of software company Invoca, published - and later deleted - a Facebook post saying that he would have no qualms about aggressively harassing unauthorized fruit sellers in his neighborhood if they got near his home. "I would go out there and make their life miserable. I would do whatever it took to make them leave. If that meant destroying some of their produce, or standing out there with signs to chase everyone away, Or just making them very uncomfortable, I would do that in a heartbeat." The comments were published on a public San Jose real estate page called Willow Glen Charm in response to an anonymous post complaining about fruit sellers. They mark only the latest example of a male tech CEO making aggressive, insensitive and tone-deaf remarks about people less fortunate than them. Asked for comment on Monday, Woodward declined to apologize. "There were some other incidents leading up to this that led to my emotional reaction," he said in a statement sent by a spokeswoman. "I removed the statements because I realized bringing a nuanced conversation to a social forum where it could be taken out of context was not the best way to bring resolution to a serious, multi-faceted issue." Woodward's comments come at a time when experts have increasingly raised concerns about the way tech firms have exacerbated income inequality, with low-income workers and people of color increasingly struggling to make ends meet in the northern California communities that are home to some of the wealthiest companies in the world. I'll 'make their life miserable': tech CEO bullies low-income vendors by his home The Guardian - 21 hours ago One wonders how a wealthy digital corporate CEO has the time to declare a war on poor people. One also wonders about the condition of the individual's soul whose behavior makes Ebenezer Scrooge look like the Good Witch Of The North from The Wizard Of Oz. Instead of maximizing greed and avarice, what would it be like if Google, Apple ,Oracle and others invested money and assistance in helping to reduce the numbers of homeless and to assist poor people, especially people of color in Northern California ? This humanitarian effort would be greatly welcomed and would resonate with the mission of these companies in their attempt to improve the quality of life and commerce through the use of technology. Unfortunately, the explosion of technology has produced, as a byproduct, not only a continuing digital divide between those who have access to the technology versus those who don't, but also contributes to further income inequality. There is nothing wrong with making lots of money; the challenge becomes what can you do with your resources that will improve the lives of others and of the world ? It used to be that the wolf would try to blow down the door of the home of "the three little pigs "; now it's a tech CEO who bullies and threatens to destroy a fruit stand in his neighborhood. As the saying goes "They don't make wolves like they used to. " Hopefully love and compassion can win out again over i8gnorance. May it be so. More than two centuries ago, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, in The Social Contract, envisioned a society where "no citizen shall ever be wealthy enough to buy another, and none poor enough to be forced to sell himself." Embodying the 'General Will', the French philosopher argued, the modern state ought to bring about social justice by instilling the conditions for exercise of freedom --- not freedom solely in its formal-legal sense. (Quite controversially, Rousseau also argued: If necessary, the people - perhaps through a benevolent dictator -- should be "forced to be free.") Today, the Philippines broadly approximates Lockean democracy, where pluralism and property serve as the kernel of the existing order. Though an often-incomprehensible bundle of verbosity and notorious obfuscation, the Philippine constitution (1987) is one of the most democratic and liberal documents in human history. It largely reads like an updated version of American forefathers' ideals, filled with Jeffersonian as well as Madisonian principles applied to a continent of "Asian values". Before the law, all Filipinos are equal citizens with equal rights. A cursory look at the Philippine society, however, reveals a feudalistic nation, composed of an uncaring elite lording over impoverished masses of disenfranchised peasants, exploited workers, and demoralized intellectuals. It is a society, where -- in Orwellian parlance -- "all are equal" in law, but in reality, "some are more equal than others." In this sense, contemporary Philippines is more reminiscent of Tolstoy's decadent Russia towards the end of the Romanov era (1613-1917) than Rousseau's idea of a modern republic. Advertisement Yet, one can't deny the priceless significance of the Philippines' formal democratic institutions, which emerged out of a decades-long struggle against the Marcos dictatorship (1971-1986). Form, as Aristotle argued, shapes the expression of substance. In contemporary Philippines, one can still hope to enjoy inalienable rights such as freedom of expression and assembly, especially in metropolitan areas, so much so that many have come to take these basic rights for granted. Some observers, including Singapore's legendary founder Lee Kuan Yew, went so far as to derisively claim that the Philippines has "too much democracy". The Philippines' formal freedom are the product of countless sacrifices by those who endured unspeakable torture and suffering under the previous regime. And it is precisely based on these foundations that a generation of Filipino progressives are building -- brick by brick -- a genuine democracy, where conditions of freedom are secured in everyday life -- not only in the chronicles of law and ruminations of constitutionalists. Nonetheless, a growing number of Filipinos are running out of patience, fed up with decades of empty slogans and broken vows. No wonder then, a new set of 'strongman' candidates -- who promise salvation in exchange for (unbending) obedience and loyalty -- has managed to capture the popular imagination. In the coming days, the Philippines is set to elect its new leaders. As I forecasted, the race may very well end up between the "iron fist" (kamay na bakal) tandem of Rodrigo Duterte and Ferdinand "Bong Bong" Marcos Jr., on one hand, and the "straight path 2.0" (daan matuwid) tandem of Manuel "Mar" Roxas and Leni Robredo, on the other. Advertisement It will be a battle of stark contrasts, with each camp promising a new way forward before a tired, restless and broadly impoverished nation. Will the Philippines fall into a Machiavellian cyclical history as it did in the 20th century or, instead, embark on a Hegelian march towards the terminus of genuine democracy? The Final Stretch Without a doubt, the emerging zeitgeist in the Philippines is 'grievance politics': a popular yearning for change, for better or worse, expressed through what can be described as 'protest' votes. In this milieu of deep-rooted frustration, outside-the-box candidates such as Duterte and Marcos have made unexpected headway in recent months. In effect, the Philippine electorate is now split among 'strongman' demagogues, traditional populists, and heterodox reformists. In a single-round, first-past-the-post race, all you need to win is just to get more votes than the others. But the rise of 'strongman' candidates is also a function of the shortcoming of alternative candidates. Back in January, it was actually the 'populist' Vice President Jejomar Binay, the former mayor of Makati city, the Philippines' financial center, who was leading in the race. But his poor performance in presidential debates, where he struggled to defend himself against allegations of corruption, progressively relegated him to the lower rungs of the race. Throughout the past year, neophyte Senator Grace Poe, who combines both elements of 'reformism' and 'populism' in her campaign narrative, led the race. But in the past month, as she overcame a difficult constitutional hurdle over her (citizenship/residency) eligibility, she has steadily lost momentum, particularly among the upper- and middle-clases. For long, she was viewed as a 'candidate of change', a seemingly obvious alternative to the two establishment candidates, Vice President Jejomar Binay and Interior Secretary Manuel "Mar" Roxas. And unlike Duterte, she is polished, charming, and articulate. A fast-learner, she can be dubbed as a "crowdsource" president, who is willing to listen to best advisers. Advertisement But her 'cumulative' association with business oligarchs, former president Joseph Estrada, a convicted plunderer, inter alia, gradually chipped away at her aura of authenticity -- leaving Duterte as the only seeming 'authentic' choice in the race among four competitive candidates. President Benigno Aquino's anointed successor, Mar Roxas, a reformist technocrat, has for long been tagged as uncharismatic and unpopular, mainly thanks to his wobbly PR campaign throughout the past year. His biggest mistake in earlier stages of the campaign was to present himself as essentially a referendum on the status quo, which, in an era of grievance politics, is sure to backfire. During presidential debates, he sometimes appeared like a re-electionist. In recent weeks, however, Roxas, who has performed well in all presidential debates, has gathered momentum by projecting himself as an improved version of the incumbent and, more importantly, a 'steady hand' and 'sound mind' who will serve as the protector of democratic institutions against the ostensible prospect of what Filipino sociologist Randy David calls "Dutertismo". Pleading for patience, for "the best is yet to come", Roxas promised to take the Philippines, in venture capital parlance, from "short pants to long pants." The latest survey, for the very first time in months, puts Roxas ahead of Poe, though statically tied with her. He seems to have regained his lead in Visayas, a supposed bailiwick, and has steadily regained support among the upper- and middle-class, who are abandoning the Poe-Escudero camp and are mostly supportive of Duterte and Marcos, who have promised safety and effective governance. With two decades of executive and legislative experience in national office, having led various key departments (with varying degrees of competency), Roxas is a favorite among investors and economists. No less than The Economist magazine has put its weight behind him, arguing the "dull but diligent Mr Roxas would make the best next president." The Robredo Factor Aside from possessing formidable electoral machinery, which nonetheless has suffered noticeable defections in recent weeks to Poe, Roxas can also count on the support of his charismatic running-mate, Leni Robredo, who has begun to passionately campaign for her presidential partner. For decades, Robredo, a neophyte congresswoman from Bicol region, served as a public servant, helping marginalized farmers fight against abusive landowners. Largely unknown just a few months ago, she is now leading the vice-presidential race, though statistically tied with Marcos. Advertisement Living a very simple lifestyle, she is seen by may as a highly 'authentic candidate', though an anti-thesis of Duterte. For some of her supporters, it seems all she has to do to win the elections is to simply introduce herself to voters. Crucially, she has vowed to continue the legacy of her late husband, Jesse Robredo, a beloved and highly respected statesman who preceded Roxas as the interior minister. In many ways, she represents not the Aquino administration's 'straight path', which has lost its luster among most voters, but the progressive "Naga model" - an alternative to, if not antithesis of, Duterte's strongman 'Davao model' of governance - of participatory, democratic and effective leadership, which has turned Naga City and surrounding regions into one of the most desirable places in the country. Nonetheless, Duterte seems to have the upper hand in the presidential race. But his victory is far from assured. After all, Roxas seemed like a runaway winner at this stage in the race back in 2010, just to lose to then Mayor Binay in the vice-presidential race. It is also possible that Duterte's impeccable lead is more a function of campaign-period euphoria, but not necessarily translating into actual voting come Election Day. Duterte, who managed to overcome the 'rape joke' fallout unscathed, could end up losing some points due to an ongoing investigation with regards to his alleged hidden wealth - an ordeal that may chip away at his image of 'authenticity' among 'softer' supporters. Clearly though, the reformist vote is now split between two candidates, Roxas and Poe. Thus, reformist voters face hard choices: Unless they coalesce behind one of those two candidates, Duterte is expected to sweep the elections next week. And the markets and business community areextremely jittery. Third Time Lucky "Certainly all historical experience confirms the truth - that man would not have attained the possible unless time and again he had reached out for the impossible," Max Weber once argued. The senatorial race seems more encouraging for reformist candidates, including progressives. One candidate, who is doing well in the surveys, is Risa Hontiveros, who was recently the director of PhilHealth. If elected into office, she will arguably become the first openly social democratic senator in Philippine history. Advertisement In her, voters will effortlessly detect intelligence, diligence, sincerity, and charm. And she has decades of political activism, excellence in journalism, and an impeccable legislative track record (in the Philippine Congress) to back up her bid for the Senate. This is her third run, but -- similar to Pia Wurtzbach -- it seems that she is finally on the verge of a breakthrough. Recently, I asked her about her views about the ongoing elections and her vision for the country. She seemed both upbeat and perturbed, but, as always, flashed her indubitable sense of optimism and displayed her signature moral courage that has inspired millions of young voters across the country. Heydarian: What made you decide to run, for the third time, for the Philippine Senate? Is this a Pia Wurtzbach 'third-time lucky' moment? Why do you think you should be elected as a Senator, what do you bring to the table that is lacking in other candidates? Hontiveros: Pia Wurtzbach is a great example for Filipinas of grit and tenacity, indeed. I think people put too much premium on effortlessness, on instant gain, and too little stock on perseverance. Those who keep at something are often ridiculed, and women even more so. I think this mindset has to change, and Pia, I think is a important example of a woman who goes after what she wants. J.K. Rowling is another. She recently released on social media her rejection letters, and that was incredibly inspiring to read. I am running now on a platform of universal health. I have already been a health advocate in Congress, with my authorship of the Cheaper Medicines Law. And I think everyone knows my position on the reproductive health bill. I believe it is very important to have a health advocate in the senate to push health reforms forward and to make sure that health is front and center in the national agenda. Our maternal mortality rate is going up, teenage pregnancies are still high. These means we have been making bad policy decisions through the years, and the call to prioritize health is an urgent one. Advertisement Heydarian: Without a question, you are widely acknowledged as one of the most recognizable faces among "progressives". Is it a disadvantage to be branded as a progressive/leftist in the Philippines? What do you think about the role of and the place of progressives in the country, why are there so few of them in higher offices like the Senate? Hontiveros: I would like to think that there is a wider acceptance of progressive politics, and that the progressive message is beginning to resonate among the mainstream audience. I am an activist, and I trace my roots to the Left. To disagree with a certain Vice Presidentiable, ako ang aking nakaraan. I will always view the world with an activist lens. The reason why I and my party never gave up after two successive failed attempts is because we believe that if we want to create meaningful reforms, we cannot always do it from the fringes. We should aspire to occupy chambers of power, and higher offices like the Senate. And from there, we can work for and with the fringes. Why are there so few progressives in higher office? I think that answer is obvious. The senate is full of big names and political dynasties. So is the House, apart from the party-lists. Politicians in the Philippines have deep financial resources to draw from. That's something we don't have. And that is something we should constantly fight against: money politics, the politics of entitlement and impunity. It's a wall that keeps people out of governance. But I believe we can break that wall, chip by chip. We can transform governance by sheer tenacity, by dint of hard work -- by running for the Senate three times! - and then when we succeed, by pushing for the reforms that matter through more hard work. One thing that always stayed in my mind was what I heard from Randy David many years back, quoting Louis Althusser. He said that it is always important for us to establish combat positions within the state. Heydarian: In recent months, there has been a disturbing upsurge in 'autocratic nostalgia', as certain candidates, including Mayor Rodrigo Duterte, began touting their tough, disciplined "Davao model" as the way forward for the country. Do you think there is an alternative model to the woes of basic governance and democratic deficit in Philippine state institutions? Is that the "Daan Matuwid" of the incumbent? Advertisement Hontiveros: I think Daang Matuwid, with its emphasis on good governance and anti-corruption, is necessary to start with, but it is not sufficient. Inequality is still the great problem of our time, and I suspect that it is the root of the discontent that gives rise to the hunger for Duterte style politics. We need Daang Matuwid with a greater emphasis toward redistribution, social protection, and asset reform - this means agrarian reform, anti-contractualization, balanced housing, and of course, universal health. Heydarian: What is your message to the Millennial voters and the Filipino youth, many of whom seem to be very attracted to the "strongman" model forwarded by the likes of Mayor Duterte and Senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr? How do you think should they vote, what standards should they employ and characteristics in candidates should they look at? Are you worried by the seeming upsurge in autocratic nostalgia in the country? Hontiveros: I am worried that the strongman message resonates with the youth, and I am worried that it is our collective failing as the generation that came before them. I am a mother of four inquisitive and opinionated millennials and so I do my best to talk to them about important questions of the day and make sure they think critically. It is gratifying to see young people have opinions and voices on how government should be run, and can only hope that building on this, they vote for candidates who deepen our democratic processes, and who will create spaces and windows for them to further engage government. With every passing day it seems the norm is to hear a local or national story about the death of a black man, young or old in America. Whether it be by the hands of the community or the hands of the police the numbers are growing at an alarming rate. Currently the leading cause of death for African-American men and boys, age 10-24, is homicide. More than 1,000 people have been shot in Chicago -- my hometown -- this year, and the majority of victims are African-American. I sometimes find myself discouraged that the investment in black men and boys was pointless. Over the last three years however, I have experienced a paradigm shift in my thinking. It was in the late winter of 2014 in New Orleans that I got a glimpse into what the future holds. This glimpse wasn't one of destruction, grieving parents on TV or hateful jargon from empowered trolls hiding behind a keyboard. The glimpse was one of hope, direction and most important, action. This action came in the form of a small group of mayors and city leaders willing to believe when others jumped ship. Advertisement This group of leaders from around the country came together for the first ever Cities United convening. Heading into this first convening, I was skeptical. In my mind I was walking into another room of suit and ties who talk a good game but don't do tangible work to improve the lives of black men in America. To my surprise Cities United turned out to be the opposite. The convening heads put together what many others have left out, proclaiming a much-needed call to action. They also brought together people who are about making real change, whether it was millennial leaders from the ground in Philadelphia to mayors and city officials creating policy and safe havens from the board room. Now with nearly 80 mayors on board who understand the value of the lives of black men and boys, Cities United plans to make a giant stamp on the city of Birmingham, AL, May 3-5, 2016, at their third convening. Not only are they addressing urgent issues that our cities face, they are also diving into the spaces that many dare not go, the root cause. Cities United is taking a hands-on approach to figure out where violence in these communities stems from and ways to correct them that are unconventional in the age and times we live in. This is done by creating safe and healthy environments and through healing the open wounds that broken communities and broken people have experienced for entirely too long. Advertisement Now a national movement, Cities United is equipping cities with crucial tools and resources to build on and accelerate efforts to reduce violence and improve outcomes. They are proving that bringing mayors and city leaders together with youth, philanthropist and community leaders to put shared ideas and solutions into action is creating winning combination. The relationships that have been built from Cities United have broken intergenerational issues amongst leaders. This is an all hands on deck movement and we are the change that we have been waiting to see. Cities United gives the opportunity for anyone to invest their time, talent or treasure in order to create a better life for black men and boys. So take the steps to get off the sidelines and put your gifts to use. It won't be easy. Working to impact the lives of black men and boys can be draining and difficult. As a mentor to youth in Chicago, I know this firsthand. Being around this national group of critical thinkers and doers has helped me stay focused and bring fresh ideas to my mentoring groups. Through the help of Cities United, I have been able to help my young men better themselves by equipping them mentally, emotionally and physically with a positive alternative to some of the negative lifestyles they have learned since childhood. I have seen a great change in some of my most challenging youth and I'm confident that this change can expand to include the lives of many more. At a point where many have decided to throw in the towel, Cities United has stepped in and now you can, too. For the mayors who have already joined Cities United, I encourage you to add youth to your team and provide them with a platform to bring about real change in their communities. Our young men can't afford to wait. Last weekend I had the opportunity to see the one-man autobiographical play, Fighting Shadows, written by Richard Cabral with Robert Egan, which tells the trajectory of one man's struggle with social disorganization, and navigates through the redemptive process of the power of love and the arts. Performed hauntingly and epically by Emmy-nominated actor, Richard Cabral, known for his roles in ABC's American Crime, End of Watch, A Better Life, and other crime dramas, his deliverance echoes struggle and survival. It comes from the gut and oozes suppressed pain. Only through the catharsis of performance can Cabral exhaust complex issues such as his father's abandonment, drug use, gang life, recidivism, prison politics, death, and others. It is a harsh reality of growing up in dire conditions, in an era that spawned the crack epidemic, the warehousing of people of color, the CRASH units in law enforcement, the advanced militarization of the police force, draconian state and local legislature, the 92 Riots, the proliferation of gangs and vandalism, and it is through this era that Cabral comes-of-age. The set design is a backdrop of a graffiti-filled wall. Gang nicknames plague the entire facade, chain-link fences reflect the oppressive social conditions, while cultural murals attempt to give pride and dignity. Painted by celebrated artist, Fabian Debora, who went through his own form of social disorganization on the streets of Los Angeles, the iconography places you in a complex built environment. The musical arrangement done by Rocio Libertad Mendoza & Jesus Martinez, ranges from Juan Gabriel to Johnny Cash, and it too reflects the complexity of navigating the ethnic American neighborhood via second and third generation cultural acclimation, which often results in social disorganization. At the start, Cabral performs his grandfather's immigration to Los Angeles as a result of despair, poverty, and unemployment. After his father leaves him at the age of two, he is thrust into an arduous world where his only mentorship is in the simplistic, unconditional love of a grandmother, who speaks in proverbs and offers unwavering advice. But as she leaves, Cabral enters an inferno on the streets without a Virgil to guide him, and searches for role-models in the wrong places. The call of the street is fierce and soon he advances into a perpetual world of gangs, drugs, violence, and jail. Advertisement Cabral goes deep into the belly of the whale and experiences more social disorganization that involves abandoning his own child, prison, recidivism, attempted murder charges, and seeing friends get shot and murdered right before his very eyes. But solace soon comes from an unlikely place - the special/solitary housing unit (SHU) in state prison where he can decompress and take a step back from authoritarian prison politics and apartheid living. The SHU is an unlikely place since it is often associated with cruel and unusual punishment, but as Cabral maintains in the play, it is the place where he learns to fight the shadows, for the first time. It is the push he needs to attempt metamorphosis and upon release reaches out to his five-year old son. It is the first step at reconciliation. Another step is taken when a woman in his life offers simple friendship, and the ultimate reconciliation process occurs in prison when he befriends an enemy from an opposite gang. It is at that moment where hatred, blame, and victimization cease to exist. Cabral takes charge of his life, an architect of his own destiny, and upon release starts a family, reconnects with his son and mother, finds employment, and finds new mentorship. A priest tells him, "Don't let people judge you by the first chapter, go out and write the next one. Don't let them write it for you." From then on, Cabral transforms from two-striker, low-level thug, to Emmy-nominated actor and playwright. His second chapter is just beginning. The last words in the play reflect the latter. He says that Shakespeare cannot tell his story about doing heroine or methamphetamine, nor can Tennessee Williams capture what it was like to have your cousin die in your arms for representing your street gang organization. Outsiders cannot write our story, we must write our own narratives. This is commonplace in literature, cinema, and non-fiction. We get interviewed by outsiders who want to tell our stories. They are fascinated by our experience and reality and want to champion our cause. Despite their intention, it is another form of "othering." They want to capture our essence by combining it with their safe interpretation, but it is not our nuance, metaphor, or allegory that is being used - it is theirs. People who grew up in Los Angeles during the 80s and 90s, who were involved in gangs and graffiti, or were directly informed by them and who survived the age of coldness, lived the most turbulent decades of Los Angeles' history. The death rate skyrocketed and the warehousing of people proliferated beyond normalcy. Entire groups of people were annihilated. The era was the true spirit of Lost L.A. Richard Cabral and Fighting Shadows are the complete reflection of dark progressivism; to come from a somber place and transform into something sublime and colorful. It is the most relatable piece of drama I have ever experienced and sobbed throughout. It is an epic hero's journey and a true redemptive American story of hope and possibility. When you open up to the world and expose your truth and vulnerability, it becomes your strength, and the world opens up to you. Advertisement Don't miss out on this extraordinary and authentic drama which runs one last time on May 8th in Skid Row, Downtown Los Angeles at Inner City Arts 720 Kohler St, Los Angeles, CA 90021 For more info go to: http://www.fightingshadows.com @richardcabralofficial Fire burns part of an estimated 105 tonnes of ivory and a tonne of rhino horn confiscated from smugglers and poachers at the Nairobi National Park near Nairobi, Kenya, April 30, 2016. REUTERS/Siegfried Modola TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY Last weekend, the Kenyan government set fire to more than 100 tons of ivory and rhinoceros horn -- a stockpile seven times larger than any destroyed globally thus far. The event dramatically underscored the existential threat wildlife trafficking presents to many of our most treasured species. Over a recent three-year period, approximately one fifth of the entire African elephant population -- 100,000 elephants -- were killed for their ivory. That equates to one elephant killed every 15 minutes. Rhinoceros populations in South Africa are also being killed at a rate of more than three a day. Since 2008, one-fifth of the remaining African rhinoceroses -- nearly 6,000 -- have been poached. The United States -- as one of the largest consumer market in the world--drives demand for products around the globe, and represents a significant market for illegal wildlife products -- jewelry, clothing, medicine, carvings, souvenirs and food. This demand supports a trade that threatens to decimate wildlife populations around the world, from iconic species to little-known animals that are critical to ecosystems and livelihoods. Advertisement Wildlife trafficking is also a threat to security globally. The illegal trade in wildlife products is a highly lucrative form of transnational organized crime, with annual revenues in the billions of dollars per year. This illegal trade has devastating impacts: it threatens national and international security, undermines the rule of law, fuels corruption, hinders economic development (particularly at the level of local communities) pushes species to the brink of extinction, and contributes to the spread of disease. There's no doubt that wildlife trafficking is a global problem, with implications that extend far beyond the populations of animals killed for their hair, hides, teeth, and horns. If we're going to be successful in stemming this epidemic, the United States must play a leading role in eliminating our own demand for illegal products. We need nothing less than a consumer revolution so the U.S. can stop demand for these products in its tracks. By ending the market for goods made of elephant ivory, rhino horn, and other trafficked rare animals, we can ensure that our children and grandchildren can see these iconic species thrive in their natural habitats. This means getting all Americans -- from businesses, to policymakers, to consumers -- to dig in and take a stand. That's why the U.S. government is enlisting forward-thinking companies to step up and help find solutions to end the purchase and sale of illegal wildlife products. Advertisement To start, President Obama established a task force to develop and implement a National Strategy for Combatting Wildlife Trafficking that seeks to reduce the supply, interrupt the transport, and eliminate the demand for illegal products. Federal agencies, including the Interior Department, have partnered with African and Asian nations to help reduce demand and band together in this fight. Tiffany & Co. was an early partner for the administration in this effort. We have long recognized the trafficking problem and eliminated ivory products from our caselines years ago. This was both the right thing to do and good for our bottom line. That's why last year we joined the U.S. Wildlife Trafficking Alliance -- a unique coalition led by former Deputy Secretary of the Interior David Hayes that brings together leading companies and non-profit organizations to work alongside the government to end wildlife trafficking in the United States. Tiffany & Co. has also set an example for the rest of the jewelry industry, leading other major U.S. companies -- including Signet, Ben Bridge, Richline, and Rio Grande -- to join the Alliance. So have representatives from the travel and tourism, technology, and fashion sectors, like Carnival Corporation, Google, Etsy, Ebay, and Ralph Lauren. Each company has pledged to remove trafficked products from their supply chain, promote best practices within their sector, and empower their consumers to do their part to end wildlife trafficking for good. But that's not enough. The problem is too large for one company, one government or one country to take on alone. We encourage more U.S. and international corporations to follow these examples and show leadership in raising awareness and reducing demand for illegal wildlife products. Responsibly sourcing products and educating the public are important steps that businesses can take to gain an edge while reducing demand for wildlife products. Consumers who understand the impact of their purchases on threatened and endangered wildlife are far more likely to change their behavior and influence others. Advertisement FORT WAYNE, IN - MAY 02: Democratic presidential candidate Senator Bernie Sanders (D-VT) speaks at a campaign event on the campus of Indiana University - Purdue University Fort Wayne May 2, 2016 in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Voters in Indiana go to the polls tomorrow for the state's primary. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images) Here are five immediate repercussions to Ted Cruz dropping out of the Republican primary: 1. News coverage for the Democratic primary, and thus Bernie Sanders, will increase exponentially -- immediately. Without Trump in the field, all of the focus on future election nights -- nine states and several territories over the next 45 days -- will be on Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton. Advertisement 2. Sanders will pick up a huge number of what would otherwise be Trump votes in states where voters are still able to register for upcoming Democratic primaries, or are able to cross over and vote in the Democratic primary due to being a registered independent. Sanders' vote share in nearly every upcoming primary and caucus just increased, though we don't know by how much. In some instances, it could be a substantial bump, given that there's no strategic reason to cast a vote for Donald Trump anymore -- now that the Republican National Committee has officially declared him the presumptive nominee and a John Kasich dropout is likely imminent. 3. Clinton will have to start spending a great deal of money to fight a two-front war against Donald Trump, who'll begin his ultra-negative primary campaign against Clinton immediately, and Bernie Sanders, who will avoid attacking Clinton directly but has nevertheless vowed to take the Democratic primary to the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia. This is the worst imaginable scenario for Clinton, as her negatives have always gone up when she's in the midst of a campaign -- and now she's in the middle of two at once. With Clinton's attention divided, her ability to respond to any Bernie Sanders surge in upcoming states will be limited. Advertisement 4. Sanders now has a greatly increased chance of winning all of the remaining Democratic primaries and caucuses. Sanders was already looking strong in Oregon, West Virginia, Montana, South Dakota, Kentucky, North Dakota, and California, but given that he's within single digits in New Jersey (where Trump is very popular) and performed incredibly well with nonwhite voters in Indiana (meaning New Mexico could be in play), it's not unthinkable that Hillary Clinton could lose all of the remaining primaries and caucuses and therefore as many as thirteen or fourteen contests in a row to finish the Democratic primary season. This would send Clinton to Philly a deeply wounded front-runner, even if she maintains a strong (but much diminished) delegate lead over Sanders. So there's a chance that Clinton will go to Philly with a delegate lead but also having lost 22 or 23 of the final 30 contests in the Democratic primary. If that happens, it's tough to say how super-delegates will view a Clinton candidacy, especially now that the latest national polling (Rasmussen) already has her down by two points to Trump. 5. The Democrats will have a contested convention, and the Republicans won't. Few saw this coming, but assuming Bernie Sanders maintains his pledge to contest the Democratic convention unless Clinton can get 2,383 pledged delegates by June 14th -- which she can't, barring a miracle -- only one of the two major parties will go to their convention divided, and with (not for nothing) the sort of logistical hurdles that come with that. For instance, when does Clinton roll out a Vice Presidential candidate? Before a convention she knows will be contested? At a time when a few super-delegates might abandon her? Advertisement The larger question: do some quantity of super-delegates switch to Sanders if the possibilities explored in items #1 through #4 above -- particularly with respect to the upcoming primaries and caucuses -- come to pass? All we know for sure is that Ted Cruz dropping out of the Republican race has changed the Democratic race almost as profoundly as the Republican one. This piece was inspired by Ezinne Ukoha, whose story, "If I Were a Racist Bastard, Trump Would Be My Obama," published on Medium. com, is absolutely terrifying in its laser sharp assessment of the emotional temperature of our country. When I think of the possibility of Donald Trump becoming our next president, I want to cry with fear, sorrow and rage. I sobbed with joy when Obama was elected. It was the first time in so long that I was proud of our country and its choices. Advertisement Obama has accomplished an enormous amount in eight short years, especially considering the cluster-fuck he inherited from the most embarrassing excuse for an American president that I have witnessed in my lifetime. What seemed like a slim thread of hope with Obama's nomination turned into the greatest promise our country ever encountered and the idea that this erudite, brilliant, elegant, forward thinking man could be our first black president intoxicated me. When Obama was elected, I was thrilled that American children of color could finally latch onto something tangible when their parents told them, "You can do anything you set your mind to. You can be President!" The thing I've noticed about a lot of white people is that we want everyone to be equal and we want diversity -- just not so much diversity that we are in the minority. Advertisement I think it is natural to cling to the familiar. After a lifetime of being the racial majority, it feels strange for me to be the only white person in a crowded room. I am fortunate to have the awareness that this is what it is like for people of color all the time. Growing up without positive societal mirroring is an insidious form of oppression. Perhaps what separates me from many other white folks who take that unfamiliar, uncomfortable feeling and turn it into bitterness and hate is this: 1) I was raised in Los Angeles, a multi-cultural city where diversity was not strange or foreign 2) I was brought up to embrace racial diversity and equality for everyone 3) Though I look like a WASP, I am a second-generation Jewish Hungarian. My great-grandparents, many aunts, uncles and cousins were exterminated in the Holocaust. My mom remembers the day the letter from the Red Cross arrived to inform my grandma of the deaths of her parents, siblings, nieces and nephews. Understandably, my grandma took to her bed for several days. I can't imagine that she was ever the same. The pall that the holocaust cast did not end there. I felt the dark shadow of it over my mom and my family throughout my childhood. Advertisement There is now an area of study about the effects on the descendants of Holocaust victims and it proves there is a profound impact. Can the effects of slavery and genocide on blacks in America have any less impact? I sincerely doubt it. I mentioned I look like a WASP, because that has given anti-semites a sense of permission to make disgusting comments in my presence, thinking since I wasn't Jewish I wouldn't care, though I would even if I weren't Jewish. The feeling of humiliation when I hear these remarks is so visceral, I cannot explain where it comes from. As a child, my shame was so deep I remained silent. As an adult, I must speak up to save and restore my dignity and integrity. The fact that Trump out of hand dismisses entire ethnicities and religions and says he wants to keep them out of America because they are a threat, feels dangerously familiar to me. Maybe I'm just overly sensitive because I never got to meet the half of my family that was exterminated because they were considered a threat to Europe at the time. Advertisement I'm writing to bring attention and sound a serious warning about what are, in my opinion, deceptions taking place around the movie RiseUp, which has been enrolling many trusted leaders and has begun a major fundraising campaign at Generosity. I strongly urge you to educate yourself and others and consider boycotting this movie due to the participation of Marc Gafni, who appears to be using credible authors, speakers, musicians, and business leaders to establish a socially-acceptable front. Advertisement Gafni has been the subject of more than 35 recent articles in the press that describe a very troubling history, some of which are included below. In January, more than 100 of the most respected rabbis and cultural leaders in the Jewish world came together in a Change.org petition to give a very strong warning of the danger Gafni poses. They said, "Marc Gafni has left a trail of pain, suffering, and trauma amongst the people and congregations who were unfortunate to have trusted him." As further support to their statement, more than 3400 other signatories from all periods of Gafni's life signed as well, many with extensive comments. I strongly recommend reading the petition, as well as 75 of the comments on the petition that share many terrible first-hand accounts. It's also valuable to watch the video testimony of Gafni's third wife, and Rabbi Ingber. These accounts state that, in the Jewish world, Gafni went through many congregations and changed his name several times, trailed by allegations of sexual abuse, plagiarism, lying, financial misdoings and more. Advertisement In more recent circles, the allegations of misdoings have continued, leading many to break with him completely (Terry Patten's article is a great example). In January, I joined with 33 other respected authors and leaders including Deepak Chopra, Jean Houston, Andrew Harvey, John Robbins, and Joan Borysenko to publicly pledge not to have anything to do with Gafni or promote anything he is a part of, based on our direct or indirect knowledge of the harm he has caused others. It's important for speakers in the movie or those promoting it to know that, perhaps unbeknownst to them, by participating in this film they may be directly giving more power, influence, and money to this man and his close collaborators. In my opinion, it is deceptive that Gafni's presence has been removed from the movie's fundraising sites, even though it has been co-envisioned, written, and co-produced by Gafni, according to his own website at the Center for Integral Wisdom (see screenshot here if removed at the original link, where you'll need to scroll way down). The text reads: Rise Up Movie from the Success 3.0 Summit With Michael Bernard Beckwith, Marc Gafni, Barbara Marx Hubbard and special Guests John Mackey, Tony Robbins, and Hillary Swank, and interviews with speakers and guests of the summit. Directed by Michael-Shaun Conaway, co-envisioned and written by Marc Gafni, co-produced by Kate Maloney, Alex Melnyk and Marc Gafni Advertisement It appears that the RiseUp production team is now minimizing or hiding Gafni's role during the fundraising and enrollment process for leaders. However, RiseUp has long been listed as a project of Gafni's Center for Integral Wisdom, of which he is clearly the primary founder and leader (see New York Times article). They also announced via email on April 6, 2016 that Success 3.0, the in-person Summit in which Gafni played the leading speaking role, was rebranding into RiseUp. Plus, there is an upcoming event announced on the Center's website in which Gafni's bio includes the following line: "Marc is also the initiating visionary and co-director of the Success 3.0 Summit and RiseUP." In addition, there are Facebook pictures posted on March 15, 2015, by Gafni's close ally and Board member Chahat Corten (original post, reprinted here) that discuss filming the movie and that show Gafni clearly in a director's role as well as being filmed himself. There is also an old trailer of RiseUp in which Gafni is featured (see minute 1:34) and a place where he mentions his work on the movie in a voice recording leaked to the Forward (see minute 7:50 here). In addition to the publicly available facts, there was also a leak of information from the most recent Center for Integral Wisdom Board meeting. I was informed through an ally that they explicitly discussed that the strategy for the movie and Summit would be for Gafni to call the shots from behind the scenes, then appear as a "surprise guest" at the Summit that will follow the movie (if not be in the movie himself). Advertisement One noteworthy piece was called "In Recorded Conversation, Gafni Considers Strategy Against His Critics" and consisted of an accidental leak of a recording to the Forward in which Gafni, his lawyer, and his PR person discussed which news organization to sue to send a warning to others. I have personally spoken at length with 9 victims from Gafni's past and I'm aware of more than a dozen others by name, most of whom are scared to share publicly, some because of threats. Hearing their reports of trauma has been truly awful to witness. These survivors have told me that Gafni is masterful at deceptive seduction and then exerting varying degrees of mental control over people, which includes getting people to lie for him. One survivor quoted him as saying, "I don't bring anyone into my system that I can't control." These survivors report that when he first meets someone he can be quite charming, intelligent, and winning but soon finds a weak spot or a blind spot with which he can manipulate them over time. This behavior is typical of sociopaths, a diagnosis that has been commonly applied to him. In addition to the above, there are other things I believe are deceptions as well. Arianna Huffington was initially used as one of the top headliners in the movie and for their February 2017 Summit, which was initially advertised on the fundraising page (since taken down). It turns out Arianna had not given authorization to use her name and "had no idea that they were using her name as a participant for their February 2017 Summit" according to her press team. Her office issued the following statement to Mark Oppenheimer, the author of the New York Times and Tablet articles, who tweeted it out: "Arianna does not...have an affiliation w/ Marc Gafni or with this movie. She was not aware that her name was being used to help raise money for this." Advertisement RiseUp subsequently removed Arianna from the campaign but RiseUp had nonetheless already raised over $250K while using her name without her knowledge or consent. Arianna is still listed in the online Forbes profile on the film, so she was clearly being used as a major headliner. Additionally, the movie is raising money as a non-profit "cause" on Generosity, a site created by Indiegogo specifically for humanitarian projects and thus one in which the usual Indiegogo fees are waived. There has been, to date, nothing on the fundraising page about what organization is the actual recipient of the funds. The lack of disclosure around what is clearly an engine for generating a lot of money with little discernible philanthropic purpose is troubling to me. When fundraising began, it was interesting to note their $250K "goal" was reached on the first day with fewer than 100 contributors. In fact, the very first contributor was for $100K (anonymous), the third was from Alex Morton for $30K (since marked private), and the fifth was for $75K (from anonymous). Based on the number of people getting different prize levels, it appears that the second, fourth, and sixth contributions (all marked private), likely included at least one contribution above $50K and another above $20K. In other words, it appears to me that approximately $275K came on the first day from five individual contributors, in all likelihood from the first six contributions based on the number of other private contributions. That was, in my view, intended to give the illusion of a big "success" in online fundraising by having their major funders put in $275K right away and artificially reach their initial $250K "goal" even though there were under 100 contributors overall. The people whose good names and reputations are being used as the public face of the RiseUp movie need to know the above. Advertisement In my opinion, RiseUp does not warrant your support on any level and will be damaging to be involved with in any way, giving Marc Gafni a major financial and promotional platform for his next moves. I strongly encourage you to boycott this film and to do what you can to educate your friends and allies as well. California's textbooks are once again an ideological battleground. Ground zero is the State Board of Education in Sacramento, where the nation's leading conservative Hindu groups are hell-bent on rewriting history. This embittered alliance, led by the Hindu American Foundation (HAF), and including the Hindu Education Foundation (HEF), Uberoi Foundation (UF) and Dharma Civilization Foundation (DCF), are conspiring to weave ideological agendas into the state's history and social science frameworks. Multiple rationales are offered for these changes, but the most prominent is the deceptively heartrending HAF argument that no less than the "low-self-esteem and bullying of Hindu children" is at stake when caste and patriarchy in Hinduism is taught. At a quick glance, these appeals might seem compelling. But the answer to racism in schools is not to further discriminate by erasing history. Hindu revisionism ill-prepares all California children and is an insult to democracy. For as Kashmiri scholar Huma Dar writes; "history is not meant to soothe feelings, it is written so we might learn from its mistakes and very crucially: mistakes that are yet to be appropriately addressed." This is where the South Asian Histories for All Coalition has entered the fray. We are an interfaith, multi-racial, inter-caste coalition of organizations and individuals from all over California. We formed in response to the HAF Alliance's attempt to erase the facts about the injustices of caste and religious intolerance over the South Asian region's long history from the educational frameworks being taught to students across the state. We also came together to support the California Board of Education public review process of its curriculum frameworks. Many of us were involved in the 2006 battle for these textbooks when HAF and its allies first attempted to change California's textbooks, and we bring that experience into this last stretch of the battle now. Advertisement Historically, the HAF alliance has attempted to appear to be an organization that is committed to pluralism, and one that is liberal on the issue of caste. However, a close reading of HAF's advocacy reports reflects a shocking level of bigotry for South Asian religious and cultural communities, especially Dalits, Adivasis, Bahujans and their religious autonomy. In a 2006 report, HAF went as far as calling Dalit representatives of the textbook campaign "Christian Missionaries" representing themselves as Dalits. This characterization is, of course, wrong and outright offensive. Dalits do not ever have to justify their religious affiliations and HAF cannot legitimately call itself a tolerant organization if it brands Christian members of our community who are advocating for fair representation in California textbooks as "missionaries." And even if any Dalit person is a Christian that should neither be a slur, nor an indication that he or she can no longer speak as a Dalit. HAF's derogatory line of thought continues in its report Hinduism: Not Cast in Caste. Here, it once again reduces decades of Dalit advocacy at the UN to the work of "Christian Missionaries." The remainder of the report is meant less to be an indictment on the caste system and more an apology of Hinduism's involvement in it. While no serious Dalit rights or anti-caste group ever cites this report, it is used by the HAF to gain entry into interfaith and progressive spaces. I have seen how HAF and its collaborators' philosophy has been reflected in its members' behavior. They have openly heckled California Board of Education representatives, Dalits, and other religious and marginalized communities who testified during the March meetings. Their demeanor was so bad that one of the writers of the History Social Science framework commented, "the behavior from some members of the public could legitimately be classified as disrespectful and even cruel." Advertisement As a Dalit American, I am outraged at HAF and its alliance's attempt to co-opt the language of bullying to put forward a sanitized Hindu origin story for the entire subcontinent. In fact many of the edits HAF and its collaborators are suggesting are outright unjust. They have proposed eliminating the mention of Caste, Untouchability, Dalits, and Patriarchy from the frameworks. The erasure of these words erase the assertions of our communities and are not at all emblematic of an organization who would fight for civil rights. Teaching untouchability by only using the words "Untouchable" or "Harijan" without any mention of the term we have chosen as a community - Dalit -erases centuries of assertion, and continues a language of bigotry when referring to our communities. This is no different from asking to teach the history of genocide in the Americas and using "Indian" instead of Indigenous, or the history of slavery using the N-word. What further muddies HAF's arguments is that they will use any tactic to achieve their goal, including the testimonies of their children. HAF's Executive Director, Suhag Shukla, in her recent piece: "30 Years Later, Cultural Stereotypes in CA Textbooks Still Hurt," attempts to portray its constituency as a mild-mannered Hindu minority sharing her hurt as a child who had to "bear the confusion and humiliation caused by a portrayal of Hinduism and India that was so stereotyped and essentialized, that it bore no relation to my lived experience." She suggests that rewriting California textbooks to depict Hindus and Indians in a different light will help to prevent this stereotyping. The stereotyping of any group of people is wrong, but rewriting history and censoring it selectively cannot be the way to get rid of stereotypes, as it negates the collective experiences of non-hindu religious and cultural communities throughout South Asian history. There is little doubt that it can be difficult to be a young person of color in the US. I also went to school in the California school system and, I too was bullied by both American students and young Hindu Americans who would not acknowledge their caste privilige. However, it was because of teachers throughout my education that taught the realities of the caste system, that I had the first validation, outside of my family experience, of my Dalit identity. These teachers confirmed my family's experience that caste apartheid, in fact exists and continues today. To be validated was extremely meaningful, especially given the vicious denial of the Hindu-American community about caste's existence and the violence it perpetuates against Dalits, Adivasis and Bahujans. In fact, it is Suhag Shukla's caste privilege that allows her to experience her Indian identity as caste-less, not because caste has been eradicated - a reality California textbooks must address. Advertisement Having the struggle of Dalit peoples acknowledged was a reminder for me that students deserve access to a complex history, to learn compassion, resilience, and empathy. This worldview shapes their decisions and how they interact with others when they leave the classroom. And, as our world shrinks due to technology and innovation it is essential that young people are given the most balanced, truthful account of our history. All communities have unsavory facts. But it is a disservice to children to sanitize history for the sake of feelings. By erasing caste and patriarchy and its severity we also erase the story of Dalits, Bahujans, and Adivasis peoples, as well as the women's movement in India. It is bigoted for the HAF alliance to refuse to acknowledge leaders from our groups who are representing our issues authentically, especially after decades of us having to hold our truth in the face of violence in India and here. It is also a vicious PR tactic to simply portray the opposition to their edits as "activist scholars" as it is again an intentional casteist erasure of the Dalit scholars, educators, and community members who are here in the State Board process to tell our truth. Now, more than ever it is important to call out the appropriation tactics of conservative Hindus groups on progressive social movements. While conservative Hindu children might complain about low self-esteem because of the teaching of caste, Dalit Bahujan families are being murdered, raped, and discriminated against in the face of caste apartheid and religious intolerance in South Asia. For this violence to end we must end the culture of impunity that would silence history instead of unleashing it. Opinion / Columnist It is a fascinating paradox to say that ZANU PF has abandoned workers. In fact the ruling party has improved the working conditions of workers and their professional qualifications as compared to the colonial era. Recently the government has introduced safety nets for low-income group as they are going to get cheap loans, mortgages and the National Health Insurance Scheme has been put on the cards.The opposition political parties are wrong to believe that Zimbabwe's economic woes, past and current should be solely laid at the door of one man and his party. That is President Robert Mugabe and ZANU PF. In fact we should shoulder the blame on the opposition especially the MDC-T. It was the MDC-T leader, Morgan Tsvangirai who had the audacity to call for and invite sanctions. Shame for him as sanctions hurt everyone.The government has in the last 16 years battled the scourge brought about by the cruel, deleterious and illegal economic sanctions. These sanctions which had affected everyone had been called for by Tsvangirai and little did he know that they would also affect him. The man is a clear and present threat to Zimbabwe's national and political security.Tsvangirai is simply unfit to rule let alone to govern a country with such a deep and complex history as Zimbabwe. Casting himself as the reluctant hero shows the true reflection of himself as indecisive and inarticulate. His references to himself as being imbued with leadership qualities are laughable and misplaced in a serious autography. It would be valid to say that workers' problems had been called for by Tsvangirai and his Western handlers.It would be wrong and misplaced to say that ZANU PF has failed the workers, as one might also ask what Morgan Tsvangirai and his colleagues contributed during the inclusive government to the plight of the worker. In fact these opposition members were busy looting resources under the banner of the inclusive government. Most of the MDC-T Members of Parliament and councilors were implicated in shoddy deals.During the inclusive government era, when Morgan Tsvangirai was the Prime Minister he told one of the civil servants representatives who had engaged him over a salary increment that he was not Government and told them that they were expecting too much and getting that increment was day dreaming. This shows that Tsvangirai is a buffoon of dubious revolutionary credentials.On the contrary, the ZANU PF government was and still it is promoting to improve the conditions of living of all the workers. The government has always been alive to the need to address labour law gap as evidenced by the several amendments to the law since independence. We should also remember that the government is a signatory to the International Labour Organisation. Therefore to say that ZANU PF has failed the workers is the misinterpretation of reality.The government has promised to pay all civil servants their bonuses and some have already been paid, and others will be paid when their turns come. It is mischievous for the opposition members to say that instead of having a pool of workers we are now having a nation of vendors and destitutes. I am truly passionate about raising the profile of the careers in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) with schoolgirls. It has been my privilege to organize the "Girls in STEM" events in the UK since 2015. I truly believe STEM careers offer a broad range of opportunities for girls who are interested in problem-solving, innovation and cutting-edge technology. For me, a STEM career in the consulting arena has provided me many exciting opportunities, including hands-on experience working directly with technology, solving complex problems and putting my skills to work to benefit the long-term interest of clients for my employer, Accenture, a global professional services company. I also get to partner with and learn from diverse teams of people. One of the most important lessons in my career has been: "Don't give up. You can do anything you want to, and don't let anything stop you." Swimming (the English Channel!) to help others I always find time for my other passion of open water swimming. Further, I've been able to combine this passion with my interest in making a difference to a charitable cause I believe in. Since 2010, I've raised nearly 50,000 pounds for charities in the United Kingdom. I was motivated to raise money after a relative passed away who had dementia. In 2012, I decided to swim the English Channel to raise money for Alzheimer's research in the United Kingdom. For the next nine months, I swam every day and ate as much as I possibly could. I completed my channel swim in 12 hours and 14 minutes. While it's sometimes a challenge to balance my professional workload with outside passions, I've always felt that if it's important to you, you just need to make the time for it and be creative in making it happen. While my career and personal life path to date have been very fulfilling, I can't wait for the next wave of challenges ahead. Images Courtesy of Shutterstock It's been almost a year since we experienced a blue moon, when Earthlings are treated to two full moons in one month, and the astronomical rarity reappear in the night sky this month. The second full moon comes on Saturday, May 21. Although NASA has reminded us these moons aren't exactly blue in hue, we've rounded up a list of the destinations around the world that are known for their stunning shades from cerulean to indigo. Iceland's Blue Lagoon Kim Kardashian made a splash when she visited Iceland's geothermal spa in April, but the Blue Lagoon has been Iceland's top tourist attraction for years. The milky teal waters are rich in sulfur and silica, which exfoliate the skin and help people with skin diseases such as psoriasis. Temperatures in some corners of the lagoon reach 104 degrees, and it is open all year despite freezing conditions above the water. The spa has been developed to include restaurants, a rooftop lookout with steam rooms, a spa with floating mattresses, a bar and piping-hot waterfalls. Istanbul's Blue Mosque The Sultan Ahmet Mosque, nicknamed for the thousands of blue Iznik tiles adorning its interior, was built during the rule of Ahmed I, early in the 17th century. While a popular landmark for Istanbul's visitors, it is still an active place of worship and is closed during the five daily prayers. To get the best views, approach from the west side toward the Hippodrome, also the only entrance for non-Muslims. Advertisement Chefchaouen, Morocco (The Blue City) Founded as a fortress in 1471 to fight off Portuguese invaders, the Moroccan town is built into a steep hillside overlooking the ocean. Jewish refugees who settled there when fleeing the Spanish Inquisition are said to have painted the buildings blue to mirror the sky and remind them of God's presence on earth. Today a blue rinse still covers the city's homes, temples, public squares and even trash cans. Malta's Azure Window The breathtaking backdrop for Daenerys and Drogo's wedding in Game of Thrones, the Azure Window is a natural limestone arch on the Maltese island of Gozo, near the tourist village of Dwejra. A hot spot with scuba divers, the dazzling blue waters are home to exotic marine life, such as octopi, fireworms and sea horses. The conditions are suitable for swimming and boating, but cliff diving from the 328-foot summit, which has become popular recently, is illegal. Great Blue Hole, Belize Off Belize's coast in the center of Lighthouse Reef is an underwater sinkhole, believed to be the largest of its kind. Almost perfectly circular, nearly 1,000 feet across and over 400 feet deep, the Great Blue Hole was formed as a limestone cave during the last ice age, approximately 12,000 years ago, before collapsing in on itself. Jacques Cousteau is responsible for the site's worldwide fame after declaring it one of the top 10 diving destinations in the world when he visited in 1971. Surrounded by turquoise waters of the reef, the midnight blue sphere is visible from space. Australia's Blue Mountains National Park Imagine: You're having lunch and a contractor knocks on your door. He has extra driveway sealant left over from a job around the corner and offers it to you at a discount. Your driveway could use a refresh, so you agree. He "seals" your driveway, and then one rainfall later, it washes away. Clearly, that wasn't leftover sealant, and you just spent hundreds of dollars on what was essentially watered-down black paint. Unfortunately, it's not unusual for homeowners from Boca Raton, FL to Seattle, WA to find themselves in a similar predicament. Because of the nature of home repair work, horror stories are more commonplace than you might think: If you're often running off word-of-mouth recommendations, there's no paper trail, and it's frequently one person's word against another's. But there are steps you can take to avoid entering a work agreement with shady repairmen and contractors. "There is a difference between a scammer and substandard work," explains Katherine Hutt, a spokesperson for the Better Business Bureau (BBB). "Scammers will take off with your money without ever completing the job, while substandard work is just that: substandard." Advertisement To avoid encountering either, heed these words of advice to avoid contractor fraud and being a home repair scam victim. Rule 1: Always have a contract Sure, maybe you're an honest, legitimate, my-word-is-my-bond type of person. But let's face it: there are plenty of people out there who aren't. That's all the more reason a written contract is recommended -- preferably not written on a napkin or scrap piece of paper -- regardless of how many friends, family members, or co-workers swear by a contractor's work. "Verbal agreements do not supersede a written contract," explains Hutt. "Make sure it's in writing." No contract? You risk an experience like Vicki Glembock's. The Westmont, NJ, homeowner skipped the contract and hired a neighborhood handyman to shave off the bottom of a cabinet to make room for a larger fridge. "He came, took the cabinets down, and left with them to do the work in his shop," Glembock explains. "A month went by. I called him, and he said he needed to take another measurement, came back, and then left. Again, nothing for a month. Finally, I called again, and within a day or two, I came home one day to find the cabinet sitting on our front porch. He had cut off the bottom in such a way that we couldn't attach doors. So he just left it there. No note. No mea culpa. Nothing. I ended up fixing them myself and buying new doors." Rule 2: Research your contractor Afton Campbell, a Charlotte, NC-based mom of three, thought she had done her homework. "I interviewed six other contractors, and each one seemed a little 'shady,'" she says. "I reached out to the real estate agent that lives in our neighborhood, and his marketing director, for a recommendation. They both said 'Mr. L' had done some jobs for other people they knew and they were happy with his work. He seemed very knowledgeable and trustworthy. He also had the best plan of action for repairing our shower, and his price was very reasonable. He asked for half of the money upfront and the rest when the job was complete. Everything seemed legit." Until it wasn't. Fast-forward several months: The homeowner's "simple" shower tile repair had been completely botched. Campbell was shocked: "He didn't even cut the tiles with a wet saw!" Advertisement Beyond asking for recommendations from friends and neighbors, always dig a bit deeper when it comes to finding a reputable repairman. "Check BBB.org to see what others have experienced with the company," advises Hutt. "We have 5.3 million business reviews, and over 1 million are in the home space. You can see if they have a BBB rating, if they're an accredited BBB business, what licensing is required for that particular profession, and see if there are any customer reviews about the company." Rule 3: Get at least three in-home estimates If a contractor doesn't want to see a potential project in person before giving you an estimate, that should be a red flag. "It's almost impossible to do something over the phone," says Hutt. "If a company isn't willing to come out to give an in-home estimate, you probably want to keep looking." On that same note, "don't automatically go with the lowest estimate. Closely compare that you're getting the best deal." Oftentimes the highest quote doesn't necessarily ensure the best work, and the lowest estimate isn't necessarily the best deal. For Dani in Richmond, VA (who asked that her last name not be used in this story), getting three in-person estimates wasn't an option for her family's beach home on North Carolina's Outer Banks. "We got a call from our rental agency saying that our house had mold and that the renters were going to have to be moved out," she says. "So my husband drove down, and because his background is in hazardous materials, he decided to check it out himself. Turns out, there was no mold anywhere. The repairman's response was, 'Oh geez, where did all the mold go?' after my husband showed him there wasn't any in the attic. Turns out, he wasn't planning on the homeowner showing up and calling his bluff." Luckily, Dani and her family avoided what could have been an unnecessary $20,000 repair -- but it did cost them an unexpected trip to their beach house. Rule 4: Don't pay in full upfront "No reputable contractor or repairman will ask you to pay everything in full before the job even starts," explains Hutt. "Think of it in thirds: Pay one-third upfront, one-third when the job is substantially complete, and the last one-third when it's done." Luckily, Afton Campbell had paid her contractor only a fraction of the total cost of the bathroom renovation, saving her family money in the long run. "He's still giving me a hard time and making excuses as to why he can't refund us our money," she says. And, Hutt warns, getting a refund could be a problem if there were subcontractors involved. "Make sure all of the subcontractors have been paid," Hutt advises. "If the contractor doesn't pay them, they can come after the homeowner for the unpaid wages." To help prevent this from happening to you, before work begins, ask the general contractor to list every subcontractor, how much they'll be paid, when they're estimated to be paid, and, finally, for proof that they've been paid. Rule 5: Use resources like the Better Business Bureau These organizations exist for a reason. Besides supporting businesses that are in good standing and providing great services to their customers and community, the BBB also keeps track of businesses that don't do those things. "Even if you can't find a business in our directory, you can contact us and request that we open a review," says Hutt. But the BBB is just one way to ensure you're making a good choice when hiring a general contractor. You can also use websites like Angie's List to help vet your choices, ask for references (and call them!), call the general contractor's insurance companies to verify that coverage is current, and ask to visit a current job site to see a contractor's work up close. What's your home repair horror story? Share your tips and experiences in the comments! Also on HuffPost: I don't know how many times I've seen or heard black people, who claim to be pro-black, try to distance themselves from other groups of black people. Don't get me wrong, I used to think I was a little Michael Evans (from Good Times for the youngins, or those who don't have access to TV One) in high school and my freshman year in college. I thought I really loved my blackness and my people. But I see now that I was wrong. I used to try so hard to distance myself from "those black girls." You know the ones I'm talking about. The ones who are loud and ratchet and love to fight. The ones who "dress ghetto" and "talk ghetto" and "act ghetto." I used to think I supported black men, yet here I was looking down on "those black guys". You know the ones. The ones who wear chains and sag their pants and use too much slang. I understand now that that was just internalized anti-blackness. It was me subconsciously trying to be accepted by the white man. Advertisement I understand how it can be deceiving. We as black people are taught from such a young age that we must be "respectable." Whether consciously or subconsciously, we pick up on things--little clues and hints--that tell us "if you want to be treated fairly, you're going to have to assimilate into mainstream white culture." It becomes easy to see other black people in music videos with gold grills and shining rims and think "this is why white people don't respect us." On many occasions, I've heard black people say that in response to something another black person said, wore, or did. "This is why white people don't respect us." Let's think about that for a minute. First, it assumes the highest honor, the greatest achievement, the crown jewel of life is the white man's respect. Of course everyone wants to be respected, but if, as a black person, you are ready and willing to degrade and distance yourself from other black people in the hopes of being looked upon favorably by white society, then there is an issue. The second problem with this is: you're believing the myth that black people can't exist as individuals. Why is it that when a white man shoots up a school, it's an isolated incident; but when a black man shoots someone, it's "black people are thugs." Everything a black person does reflects back on their community, but it shouldn't be that way. White people are seen and treated as individuals all acting of their own accord, but black people are seen and treated as one unit--the actions of one black person representing those of all black people. This only serves to further oppress us. We are a community--but one that is made up of multifaceted individuals. Lastly, this mentality encourages the idea that the level of respect we receive is based on the actions of others in our community. I've seen black people post things like "I wish black lives mattered to black people," which is basically saying "since some black people kill each other, none of your lives matter." What kind of messed up logic is that? All races kill people of their own race, yet "black on black crime" is the only thing that's talked about. What is "white on white" crime called? Oh, it's just called "crime"? Oh, okay. Also, I have never heard anyone say "why should we respect white people if they don't respect each other?" or "why should white lives matter if white people shoot each other?" Think about the ways in which this narrative of "black on black crime" and respectability politics have been used to turn us against each other. I've learned to love and accept my blackness, as well as everyone else's in the black community. I would consider myself very pro-black. This doesn't mean that I have to agree with the words or actions of every black person. I can still call out Raven Symone and Stacey Dash for their mess, but this doesn't mean that I am leaving them out of the black movement. I will still fight for the equitable treatment of black people, and "black people" includes these women. Because while I don't agree with them, and they don't represent my ideology, we are still in this together. You don't get to pick and choose who you fight for within the black community. It shouldn't matter if it's a black woman walking into Walmart with her rollers in her hair and her head scarf still on, or if it's a black woman walking into her corporate office wearing a pantsuit--they are both black women (and they could be the same person for all you know). We are all different individuals, but we all face the same struggle of being black in America. At the end of the day, it doesn't matter if one black man is wearing a suit and tie and the other is wearing a tank top and Jordans; they could both still be denied by the same employer, or shot by the same cop. In the words of Deray Mckesson: "let's get free." All of us, together. I guess it is predictable that a geriatrician should have a heightened curiosity about time. I have spent my entire professional career ministering to old folks. Such devotion inevitably heightens an awareness of the role that time plays in the affairs of mankind. My scientific curiosity has generated papers such as "The Physics of Frailty" and "Aging as Entropy". They have caste me in the company of physicists which is a strange fraternity for a physician. Most MDs are uncomfortable in their midst, but I have concluded that for a deep comprehension of health, particularly aging, Medicine should get cozier with physics, particularly the Second Law of Thermodynamics, which is Greek to most MDs. My travels have taken me to Austin, Texas where I communed with one of my science heroes, Ilya Prigogine. He won the 1977 Nobel Prize for his work on the Second Law. He coined the phrase " dissipative structure" to describe life. His book "Order out of Chaos" was one of my most brilliant "Eurekas!" Advertisement When we met I had the opportunity to tell him about my musings about aging, and he immediately revealed his struggles to understand time. Ever since Einstein introduced relativity our deep understanding of time has trembled. Newtonian physics required huge amendment. Time was not absolute but relative. Prigogine died from kidney failure before any closure. But even Einstein had problems with time because he failed to grasp its directionality, "the arrow of time" must be reckoned with. For most of the physical world reversibility of the descriptive equations is the rule. But not with biology, LIFE, where irreversibility rules. Reincarnation awaits any experimental validation. In my effort to generate a workable inclusion of time within the rubric of human health. I have proposed the metrics of health span, health space, and health pace. Health span is 100 years, health space displays a 70 % redundancy of function, health pace is a gentle % per year decrement, secondary to an assortment of entropic processes such as free radical damage. Such metrics therefore provide a conceptual mathematization of health. In Science measurability ranks high. Someone cleverly observed that time is the universal solvent into which all things dissolve. Just how true such an axiom is I will have the chance to explore next week in Boston where the National Science Foundation is bringing together a small group of like-interested folk for a workshop on "Aging and Failure in Biological, Physical, and Engineered Systems." I will report back on the solvencies of any new conclusions. As we age another truism emerges "Life is like a roll of toilet paper. The closer to the end it gets, the faster it goes". Advertisement Hindustan Times via Getty Images MUMBAI, INDIA - AUGUST 27: (FILE PHOTO) Indrani Mukherjea, founder of 9X Media with her husband former Star India CEO Peter Mukherjea at the launch of 9X channel at Colonial Hall on November 13, 2007 in Mumbai, India. So far, the Mumbai Police have arrested three people in connection with the Sheena Bora murder case of April 24, 2012. They are Sheena's mother Indrani Mukherjea, Indrani's former husband Sanjeev Khanna from Kolkata whom she married in 1993, and her driver Shyam Rai from Mumbai, with the possibility of more arrests not ruled out in the next few days. (Photo by Prodip Guha/Hindustan Times via Getty Images) Even as Indrani Mukerjea continues to battle allegations of murdering daughter Sheena Bora, Indrani's husband Peter reportedly sent her a loving message on her birthday in January earlier this year, comparing themselves to 'Romeo and Juliet'. "God is great and will see an end to this, and like Romeo & Juliet we will hopefully see each other soon in court or at home one day," he wrote to her, reported The Times of India. "I hope it reaches you and gives you a moment of joy in all the sadness that everyone is going through but most of all you and me in the process." Advertisement Peter Mukerjea, accused in Sheena Bora case, was produced at Esplanade court on 30 November, 2015 in Mumbai. Peter, who is also a suspect in the murder, is in jail and his second bail plea hearing is currently underway. According to the report, Peter sent the handwritten, one-page letter to Indrani on 3 January at the Byculla Ladies Prison, addressing her as "Mumu, my dearest". Advertisement He called the murder allegations a "nightmare", and said in his letter that he hoped Indrani would be able to "prove her innocence" soon. He called her birthday a special day for both of them, mourning the fact that they couldn't spend it together like they always have, since the two first met. He signed off his letter with a hug and a kiss. Of course, Peter wrote the letter before the two began fighting over the sale of their Worli house, which they co-own. Peter has denied any involvement in the case, and his family has even suggested that Peter had discovered soon after the case broke out that Indrani had been cheating on him. Indrani, however, has reportedly told CBI that Peter is innocent, and Peter, in turn, has previously declared that he loved Indrani, and did not doubt her. Advertisement Contact HuffPost India Also See On HuffPost: Hindustan Times via Getty Images NEW DELHI, INDIA - MAY 3: A View of Parliament Building during the Parliament Session on May 3, 2016 in New Delhi, India. With the BJP mounting an offensive against Congress vice-president on the AgustaWestland VVIP chopper bribery case, Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday said he is happy to be targeted. (Photo by Sonu Mehta/Hindustan Times via Getty Images) The AgustaWestland VVIP chopper scam rocked the parliament session with allegations between the ruling NDA and the Congress leading to the adjournment of the session and the Congress party members storming out of the House after demanding a supreme court-monitored probe into the VVIP chopper deal. Former defence minister and Congress leader AK Antony on Wednesday said in Rajya Sabha that its proved beyond doubt there was corruption in the chopper deal and he asked the government to act now. If you have all evidence, take action but dont threaten us, dont blackmail us, Antony said in Rajya Sabha. Advertisement Alleging that an invisible hand was behind what he alluded to as an influenced probe, defence minister Manohar Parrikar said, It appears an invisible hand was guiding the action or inaction of CBI and ED. The inquiry will focus on roles of those named in the judgement of Italian court. In response to Antonys remarks Parrikar said the trials were not conducted on chopper bought by India but another one as it was still at development stage. BJP leader Subramaniam Swamy took the fight directly into the Congress' camp, saying that those named in a note written by one of the alleged middleman should be questioned by the CBI and if necessary it should be done in custody. Citing Italian court's documents, he alleged that a bribe of 30 million euros was paid, out of which 6 million euros went to IAF personnel, 8.4 million euros to bureaucrats and Rs 125 crore to 'AP'. Swamy's speech was repeatedly disrupted by the Congress members, who created ruckus with its leaders insisting on authentication of whatever he was reading from. He replied that he was reading from the same note that Singhvi read from. Advertisement He said if he were to authenticate, then Singhvi also should do so as there cannot be separate rules for different people. In the midst of exchanges, Deputy Chairman P J Kurien said both will have to authenticate. Singhvi then authenticated his documents. Refuting the Congress allegation, Swamy, who was nominated as Rajya Sabha member only last week, said the NDA government had in 2003 only wanted the IAF to see if a single vendor situation can be avoided and that the views of the SPG should be taken. "It is a lie to say that NDA had lowered the flying height from 6,000 feet to 4,500 feet," he said, citing a 2013 Parliament reply of then Defence Minister A K Antony in which he said that in 2004 the IAF had said 6,000 feet was an "inescapable necessity". He said the tender issued in 2006 had incorporated the changes. Under attack for his name being dragged in the AgustaWestland controversy, Congress leader Ahmed Patel today pressed for a thorough probe into the deal, declaring that he will quit Rajya Sabha as well as public life if any allegation against him is proved. Advertisement (With PTI inputs) Contact HuffPost India Also See On HuffPost: Hindustan Times via Getty Images NEW DELHI, INDIA - DECEMBER 11: Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy during the winter session of Parliament, on December 11, 2015 in New Delhi, India. National Herald case against Sonia, Rahul Gandhi has given fresh ammunition to Congress to disrupt proceedings, delaying the GST and reforms agenda of the NDA. After a third consecutive day of disruptions in the Rajya Sabha, Prime Minister Narendra Modi hit back, saying the Congress was not only stalling the progress of the GST bill but also affecting the common man. (Photo by Vipin Kumar/Hindustan Times via Getty Images) KOCHI/KOZHIKODE -- The Congress-led UDF and its chief minister Oommen Chandy is engaged in a scorching battle with the CPM-led Left Democratic Front, to stay in power in Kerala. The emergence of the BJP as a major spoiler has not only ripped open the electoral contest but also poses the danger of disrupting traditional electoral alliances of the three major religious communities as well as the majority Nair and Ezhava communities. Here are five major issues that confronts the Congress in the buildup to the 16 May polls in Kerala. 1. Which way will the Nair vote go? Traditionally, the Nairs have voted for the Congress in Kerala. One reason is that their arch rival Ezhava castes have been the backbone of the CPM so as well be with Congress. But now a section of Nairs will wonder why they should vote for the Congress if they now have the option of strengthening the BJP and thus be part of the larger Hindu revival. During 2014, for instance, in Trivandrum, a Nair stronghold, more than a lakh of them shifted votes from Congress candidate Shashi Tharoor to BJP's O Rajagopalan, who is again contesting from a Trivandrum suburb of Nemom. BJP supporters believe he will be the first (even if the only one) party MLA in Kerala. Advertisement 2. Anti-incumbency and Marxist might Kerala has never voted a party back to power showing the state has an impatient electorate quick on the draw. Congress leaders feel that development projects of the UDF government will help it come back: "Never in five years has the state seen so much of development," party MP Shashi Tharoor told supporters and college students in a meeting in an air-conditioned hall in Thrissur, in central Kerala on 3 May. "Actual development also means changing the lives of the people," he said. Marxists leaders however say that the UDF is steeped in corruption and Chandy was responsible for driving Infosys out of their planned expansion plan in Trivandrum. Congress poster in Alwaye that reads: 'One more time for UDF sarkar'. 3. BJP as the big spoiler Since the mostly secular Kerala electorate is divided between the Left and Congress, the BJP could not carve out a political space so far. But this time they are pulling out all stops with all cabinet ministers touring Kerala this fortnight and Prime Minister Narendra Modi visiting thrice. Congress candidate from Trissur Padmaja Venugopal told this reporter that BJP's divisive campaign will have no impact in Kerala and the battle is between the Left and the Congress. Since the margins are narrow in 90 per cent seats, if the BJP pulls in 3,000 to 5,000 votes in all seats after the high-adrenalin campaign, it will make the difference between Congress and LDF. BJP thus is a classic spoiler this time. BJP is in alliance with the Ezhava party Bharat Dharma Jana Sena (BDJS) and is fighting all 140 seats. Advertisement 4. Where are the new votes for Congress going to come from? The Congress formed a government in Kerala with just a two seat majority. This time it needs more seats but where will those seats come from? Only way this will happen is if Ezhavas ditch the CPM in some seats and vote for the BJP-BDJS, thus enabling Congress to pull through in these seats. "The LDF and the UDF are getting panicky for the first time in Kerala's electoral history," Tushar Vallopally, leader of BDJS said. There is an element of panic because both major fronts cannot figure out which way the two major Hindu castes will vote. Neither Left or Congress wants the BJP to gain an entry into the assembly. So votes will shift to the stronger anti-BJP candidate in many seats. In this scenario even Muslims might shift vote to the CPM to snuff out RSS ambitions in Malabar region. Also the CPM cadre are capable of taking on the RSS in the street as well. These are all major factors. 5. Will the development plank work? There is general consensus that the Chandy government has done good work, the major Adani port coming up in the southern tip of the state being the major showpiece. But development has never been an issue in a remittance-economy and tourism-driven state like Kerala. There is no big talk of highways bridges and factories in Kerala, though the Congress is trying to bring the Adani port and Kochi Metro as a big electoral issue. Also See On HuffPost: ASSOCIATED PRESS A Delhi police security barricade is placed outside a temple as Hindu devotees queue up to offer prayers on the occasion of Mahashivratri festival, in New Delhi, India, Monday, March 7, 2016. Security in the capital was beefed up with more police and paramilitary troops assigned to shopping malls, railway stations and other crowded places after officials said they received intelligence reports that around 10 suspected militants from Pakistan have entered the Indian state of Gujarat which borders Pakistan. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue) NEW DELHI -- Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju on Wednesday lauded the Delhi Police for detaining 12 members allegedly belonging to the Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) terror outfit. The alleged JeM men were detained by the Delhi Police Special Cell following raids across Delhi and Uttar Pradesh in the last few days, sources said. Advertisement "The action of Delhi Police is laudable. The intelligence inputs at the local level get shared with the multi agencies centres. Moreover, we remain more alert for Delhi since it is the capital of the nation and the Delhi Police has done a good job keeping that in mind," Rijiju told mediapersons outside the Parliament. Police takes action on basis of intel input. Delhi Police has done good work: Kiren Rijiju, MoS Home on 12 suspected JeM terrorists detained ANI (@ANI_news) May 4, 2016 When asked about the details provided by the intelligence agencies, Rijiju said: "The intelligence inputs can't be shared, otherwise it would create an atmosphere of fear across the nation which doesn't send good message to the people." Earlier, around 12 alleged JeM terrorists were detained in raids conducted by the Special Cell outside Delhi and South-West Delhi following intelligence inputs on a possible terror plot. Advertisement Sources said the police have seized explosives, bomb making materials and improvised explosive devices from the spot. Contact HuffPost India Also On HuffPost: Wikipedia Commons NEW DELHI -- Chief Justice of Uttarakhand High Court K.M. Joseph, who presided over a bench which quashed the imposition of President's Rule in the state by the Modi government, has been transferred to the Andhra Pradesh High Court. ANI reported this development on Wednesday. Joseph, 57, took charge of the Uttarakhand High Court in 2014. He is a graduate of Government Law College in Ernakulam, Kerala. Advertisement In March, the Bharatiya Janata Party-led government at the Centre described the Congress Party government in Uttarakhand as "unconstitutional and immoral", and imposed President's Rule in the state. The crisis in Uttarakhand was triggered on March 18, when nine Congress Party leaders rebelled against Chief Minister Harish Rawat, and joined 27 lawmakers from the BJP in seeking dismissal of his government. The Centre imposed President's Rule on March 27, just a day before a floor test was scheduled for Rawat to prove whether his government had a majority. While the BJP and rebel leaders accused Rawat of horse-trading over lawmakers, the Congress Party called the imposition of President's Rule as the "murder of democracy," and an attempt by its political rival to establish a Congress-mukt Bharat. Then, the Congress Party moved the Uttarakhand High Court. While quashing President's Rule in the state, Joseph said that the Centre should be impartial, and admonished the Modi government for acting like a "private party." Advertisement We are pained that the Central government can behave like this. How can you think of playing with the Court?," he said in April. The Hindustan Times reported that Panchjanya, mouthpiece of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, attacked Joseph over his judgment, and alleged that his family was close to the Congress Party. The Supreme Court has stayed the decision of the Uttarakhand High Court to revoke President's Rule in Uttarakhand. The next hearing on Centre's plea against the High Court's order is scheduled for May 6. Advertisement Contact HuffPost India Also on HuffPost India: Opinion / Columnist Johannesburg - Thousands of people are trafficked across continents every year by people smugglers and organised crime syndicates.Human trafficking has become a billion dollar industry and governments are struggling to contain the thriving trade.In some cases,powerful and influential people are involved in the crime.Trafficking in humans is a serious crimes and a violation of human rights.Almost every country is affected by human trafficking directly or indirectly.South Africa is one of the countries that has seen an increase in human trafficking by gangs and people smugglers some of them working with local gangs.The country,according to a United Nations report of 2005, is both a transit and direct destination for victims of trafficking. South Africa's lack of official data base on human trafficking has hampered the fight to stop the trade.That has also presented a problem for the police.Like international poachers,human traffickers are always a step ahead of law enforcement agencies.They are well connected and have a good network of informants in their target countries.This is according to a former Zimbabwen police detective who was once deployed at Beitbridge town,bordering Zimbabwe and South Africa.Beitbridge is also the busiest border post in Southern,Eastern and Central Africa.In an interviewrecently,the former detective who preferred to be identified as Andrew said he was part of a task force to combat human trafficking in Southern Africa.He said human trafficking has become a big problem in three countries in the region-Mozambique,Malawi and Zimbabwe.He said the main destination for most of those trafficked in those three countries was South Africa.The former detective gave as an example,Zimbabwean human smugglers known as Omalayitsha who have become notorious in the trade.Omalayitsha are blamed for trafficking thousands of Zimbabweans and other African immigrants into South Africa every month.It's not easy to get accurate figures of those that have become victims of trafficking because it is a closed and secretive industry.The majority of those brought into South Africa, according to the former detective were willing participants.But some,especially women and young girls are abducted by gangs for commercial sex exploitation in South Africa.South African girls too,are said to be trafficked for commercial sex and domestic servitude,according to a report by Wikipedia.As a signatory to the protocol to prevent and suppress the trade in human trafficking the South African government is required to address the trade as a serious crime.In 2003 president Jacob Zuma signed the Prevention and Combating of Trafficking in Persons Bill into law but that has not stopped thousands of foreigners from being trafficked into the country from different continents.One man who was a victim of trafficking by Zimbabwean people smugglers told me that some of the human traffickers worked closely with some farmers in Limpopo province who paid them for delivering free labour in the form of Mozambicans and Zimbabweans."I know for a fact that some foreigners who are trafficked by the gangs are sold to corrupt farmers in Limpopo.They work for nothing because when its time for them to get paid, the farmers report them to police as illegal immigrants and get them deported back to their countries,"said the Zimbabwean who now works in Johannesburg.Once the trafficked boys are deported back to their countries,the smugglers supply the farmers with new free labour.The people making money in this evil trade are the human smugglers.The South African Police Service(SAPS) has a human trafficking desk located within its organised crime unit known as the Hawks.But there have been no known cases of human traffickers having been arrested and prosecuted."Some police chiefs in Southern Africa are not happy with their counterparts in South Africa who are not doing enough to combat the operations of the human traffickers,"said the former Zimbabwean detective.Anti-human trafficking campaigners are not happy too with the way the government has handled cases of people smuggled into South Africa especially women and girls. One anti-human trafficking campaigner in Johannesburg warned women to be careful when they see tempting advertisements on the internet offering them jobs in Europe,Australia and China.She said a lot of South African women have found themselves working as sex slaves in Asia after being flown to those countries by gangs who pay for their travel expenses and organise passports for those without documents.With domestic servitude cases, the person is forced to wake up early, keep a house clean, cook and look after children without payment. Sometimes their masters don't give them food and sleep on the floor.The gangs can place an advert in local papers or internet looking for beautiful young women to work as waiters in Chinese restaurants.Many respond because they are desperate.They are then taken to a house where all the arrangements are made for them to be flown outside the country to begin their new life as commercial sex workers-not waiters as promised by the gangs.They will be working in brothels not in restaurants.Thats how ruthless the gangs are when it comes to their trade.The United Nations says it hopes to raise awareness among policy makers and law enforcement agencies.In 2007,according to the UN, 127 countries were involved in trafficking,98 were used as transit and 137 as destinations.There is also an increasing number of men being trafficked on the false pretences of offering them jobs in other countries.Trafficked women are often turned into sex slaves and work for the crime bosses in big cities.Cape Town was once mentioned as one of the cities that has become a big problem in trafficked women and children.Children are among those targetted by people smugglers and organised crime syndicates.The trafficking of children forced the Department of Home Affairs to tighten visa requirements for foreigners bringing children into the country.The tough regulations also apply to South Africans wishing to take their children outside the country.The government had refused to accept unabridged birth certificates for locals travelling with children to other countries.Foreigners coming into South Africa needed fathers to give permission to their wives to take the children across the border.That permission was required in writing with the long birth certificates attached.Statistics are hard to get but the LexisNexis Human Trafficking Awareness Index released in Johannesburg in 2013 painted a grim picture of the evils of human trafficking.The database showed that 540 people - 67 of them children - were potentially trafficked into and within South Africa in 2011, 96 for sexual exploitation, 271 for forced labour, 90 for organ trafficking, four for forced marriages (ukuthwala) and two as drug mules. Opinion / Columnist Diplomat William M. Bellamy, you are a shameful westerner that does not subscribe to the fundamental democratic values held by your nation state, the US, which claims to be the custody of the most advanced democracy in the world.The wonder is Bellamy; you need to be reminded that you are not capable of recognising the democratic processes that were at play in Zimbabwe in 2002. In that year some presidential polls were held in which all interested candidates participated under free and fair conditions.Conducting polls for purposes of choosing national leaders is the most indispensible component of democracy. But Bellamy why do you see a missed opportunity in formal processes which are poised to ensure the continuity of a sovereign state? You advocate for use of military power to dislodge democratically elected leaders.South Africa found no logical sense in cooperating with the west in exerting unnecessary pressure on it to host a base to attach a legitimate government that was operational in Zimbabwe. This is a sharp contrast to US aggressive foreign policy whereby they attach and crush innocent governments all in the disguised agenda of promoting democracy, while they will be pursuing the values of their selfish international agenda of exploiting all nation states and amassing wealth.The US government is infamous for destroying foreign governments for no apparent reason. For instance, they in recent years they instituted the murder of the Libyan President Colonel Muarmmar Gaddaffi, and the coerced strangulation of Saddam Hussein of Iraq over trumped charges of possessing weapons of mass destruction which their inspectors failed to prove and/or discover.US is unpopular for causing perilous and devastating foreign wars in the middle east, and proxy wars in Africa through funding rebel groups to cause civil wars which displace numerous populations from their homes. Africa is torn apart owing to US actions as they assume the undeclared role of international police and the big brother mentality.Bellamy, the US can be a better state if they keep hands-off Zimbabwe's affairs as we are an independent state which is capable of taking care of its domestic issues. We can only invite foreigners when we find it necessary to do so.I want to ask Bellamy if democracy also entails a deliberate disregard of the peoples' will? Or it is a blatant antithesis of this virtue that you are trying to cultivate? Probably you need more tuition on the elementary tenets of democracy in the modern world. It is imperative that you honour humanity by paying tribute to their choices.I want to imagine how much terror your government could have caused on lives of Zimbabweans as habitual a merciless global aggressor had South African President, Thabo Mbeki, bought your idea of ravaging innocent nations. There could have been blood spillage which is reminiscent of what we have gone through in recent decades when we were engaged in a war of liberation struggle. We cannot allow that to happen to us anymore, so just keep hands-off our internal affairs! Headlines from the front lines Sign up to join the fight for all animals with email updates and text alertsyou can be first to take action on the issues that matter most. Access exclusive content and media materials in our press room. DA plans new diversion program for first-time felony drug possession Change in law that allows Community Correction officers to oversee cases of those placed on diversion makes program possible. SAN FRANCISCOA lot of people understand that using a companys trademark to identify the company you are criticizing or critiquing is not a trademark violation. After all, how are you supposed to tell people you think XYZ Airline sucks without mentioning the name of the airline? Certainly, a lawyer should understand this issue and properly advise his client before bringing a trademark claim to try to silence a critic. Therefore, it was no surprise when a Texas district court dismissed a case in which AIDS denialist Clark Baker and his organization, the Office of Military and Scientific Justice (OMSJ), sued Jeffrey DeShong for using the companys trademark on a website criticizing Baker and his organization. Although the lawyer should have known this was a frivolous claim, the judge was reluctant to go one step further and order an award of attorneys fees against Baker and OMSJ. Today,in Baker v. Deshong (Case No. 14-11157, Doc. No. 005134894385th Cir. May 3, 2016) the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the district court got it wrong. Under 15 U.S.C. 1117(a) of the Lanham Act, a court should award attorneys fees to the prevailing party in an exceptional case. The issue on appeal, involved how to determine if a case is exceptional. Specifically, the Court of Appeal held that the district court applied the wrong standard when it required DeShong to show clear and convincing evidence that Baker brought the case bad faith. Instead, the court should have followed guidance from the Supreme Court in Octane Fitness, LLC v. Icon Health and Fitness, Inc., 134 S. Ct. 1749 (2014). Although the Octane Fitness opinion dealt with attorney fees in patent cases, the Fifth Circuit held that the same principles apply in a trademark case. Under the new standard, an exceptional case is one where (1) in considering both governing law and the facts of the case, the case stands out from others with respect to the substantive strength of a partys litigating position; or (2) the unsuccessful party has litigated the case in an unreasonable manner. The Third and Fourth Circuit Courts of Appeal had already adopted this standard. The Fifth Circuit remanded the case to the district court directing it to apply the less burdensome standard. This ruling will likely have a significant impact on speech. First, lawyers will be much more reluctant to bring a bogus trademark claim, just because they dont like what a critic has to say. They will have to decide if they can prove an alternative claim, such as defamation. However, those claims are not often any more attractive to potential plaintiffs since the First Amendment and state anti-SLAPP laws offer significant protections to individuals who engage in public criticism. Nonetheless, arrogant plaintiffs will continue to bring bogus trademark claims. Therefore, the second effect the case will have may be more important. With a more lenient standard for awarding attorney fees, defendants who have been unfairly sued will have an easier time in locating counsel willing to defend them on a pro bono basis, knowing that they have a good chance of obtaining an award for the fees the lawyer would normally charge. This is a good day for free speech in a circuit where such decisions dont come often. In speaking with AVN, Sperlein added, "We're not likely to collect a fee here, since it was a pro bono case. But it's particularly rewarding to have had the opportunity to protect free speech since the speaker was criticizing someone who's an HIV denialist, who's engaged in promoting really dangerous ideas that really called out for other people to speak out about. It was particularly rewarding for me as an attorney to protect Jeffrey DeShong's right to criticize this guy's remarks." D. Gill Sperlein is a San Francisco-based First Amendment attorney who is also of counsel to the Randazza Legal Group in Las Vegas. He and Paul Levy of Public Citizen represented Jeffery DeShong. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. Connected Music Startup ROLI Raises $27M Round Led by Foundry London based music tech startup ROLI has raised $27 million. The company creates and sells net connected musical instruments and related tech including the well received Seaboard RISE keyboard. Boulder, Colorado based venture firm Foundry Group led a $27 million Series B round in music tech startup ROLI, its first investment outside the US. London-based BGF Ventures also joined the round alongside all the investors who participated in ROLIs $12.8m Series A: Balderton Capital, FirstMark Capital, Index Ventures, Horizons Ventures, and Universal Music Group. "Weve had the opportunity to partner with companies at the forefront of Connected Health, Connected Play, and other areas where the intersection of physical and digital technologies is transforming the way we live," said Ryan McIntyre, partner at Foundry Group. "The Seaboard is a truly expressive new instrument, and we believe this is just the first step in a breakthrough roadmap for Connected Music. ROLI has opened offices in New York and Los Angeles since its acquisition of Blend, the cloud-based music-sharing platform, in October 2015. While ROLI continues to grow in the US and Europe, it is also expanding internationally. Seaboards are now available in approximately 200 retail outlets in 15 countries. Seaboards purchased on ROLIs online Store ship globally. Share on: Brazilian internet freedom activists are nervous. On Wednesday, a committee in the lower house of Congress, the Camera dos Deputados, will vote on seven proposals ostensibly created to combat cybercrime. Critics argue the combined effect will be to substantially restrict open internet in the country by peeling back the right to anonymity, and providing law enforcement with draconian powers to censor online discourse and examine citizens personal data without judicial oversight. The bills are ripped straight from what has become a standard international playbook: Propose legislation to combat cybercrime; invoke child pornography, hackers, organized crime, and even terrorism; then slip in measures that also make it easier to identify critical voices online (often without judicial oversight) and either mute them or throw them in jail for defamation direct threats to free speech. Pakistan, Nigeria, Mexico, Kuwait, Kenya, the Philippines, Peru, the United Arab Emirates, and Qatar have all seen similar proposals recently. Some were met with strong resistance and got shelved, some are still pending, and others made it into law. Cybercrime is one of the recurring excuses for creating overbroad legislation which place controls on internet activity, Katitza Rodriguez, international rights director at the Electronic Frontier Foundation, wrote in an email to The Intercept. In Brazil, the proposals are the result of the nine-month-long Parliamentary Commission of Inquiry on Cybercrimes, referred to as the CPICiber, created in July 2015 by House President Eduardo Cunha at the request of a congressman from President Dilma Rousseffs ruling Workers Party (PT). The first draft of the report, released on March 30, provoked a massively negative response from civil society groups. The Brazilian press has not dedicated much coverage to this story reporters have their hands full with the monthslong political crisis currently enveloping the nation but the Folha de Sao Paulo, a major national newspaper, published an editorial on Saturday arguing that the proposals use the pretext of increasing security online to increase the power to censor the web and diminish users privacy. According to Folha, the provisions attack the pillars of the Marco Civil da Internet, a statute enacted in 2014 which put Brazil at the vanguard of the issue of internet rights. The paper concluded that this is the type of control used by countries such as China and Iran. One particularly controversial proposal would have required social networks to remove content deemed offensive to the honor of politicians within 48 hours of receiving official notification. After public outcry, that section was removed from the second version of the report, but other proposals remain that would force companies to take down prohibited user-generated content, including those deemed to be crimes against honor and other injuries, without a unique judicial order. The CPICiber report contains seven proposed bills (with 20 specific suggestions in all). Among its provisions, it would also: Allow for internet services (such as WhatsApp or Facebook) to be unilaterally blocked by a judicial order, a violation of net neutrality. (This actually happened in December of last year, when a judge shut down nationwide access to WhatsApp to pressure its parent company, Facebook, to cooperate in a criminal investigation.) Require service providers to grant law enforcement access, without a judicial order, to IP addresses, a devices unique online fingerprint that can be used to help identify and geolocate a user and reveal certain browsing history. Divert 10 percent of public funds originally designated to improve desperately underfunded and overpriced national telecom services and infrastructure to law enforcement agencies. Expand the scope and penalties for laws involving hacking and unauthorized access to data, including the criminalization of improper access that risks misuse or disclosure, whether or not such misuse actually occurred or involved criminal intent. Gustavo Gus, co-founder of CryptoRave, a crowdfunded hacker conference in Sao Paulo, has followed the CPICiber hearings closely. The police, judiciary, and the Brazilian authorities have not been happy with Silicon Valleys responses to the Snowden revelations, he wrote in an email. Since the Cybercrime CPI was announced, there has been a lot of pressure from these sectors to increase data retention and expand authorities for mass surveillance, he wrote. Photo: Yasuyoshi Chiba/AFP/Getty Images Civil society groups have been suggesting changes since the first draft of the report was issued. Now, the third draft is due to be unveiled and go to a committee vote on Wednesday. If approved, it will then go to a full vote in the lower house of Congress and, if it passes, to the Senate. Were trying to create a dialogue for the final version of the report and we have to try to work together and make it better, Joana Varon, director of Coding Rights, a group that promotes human rights in the digital arena, told The Intercept, but a lot of times our proposal is: Please abandon this idea. In a statement emailed to The Intercept, the committees chair, Dep. Mariana Carvalho, wrote: I consider the criticisms against the work of the CPI to be hasty and unfair. The text is still under construction, having received profound contributions from scholars, providers and organizations representing diverse technology sectors, including the American Electronic Frontier Foundation and the Information Technology Industry Council as well as the Latin American Internet Association. [] The initiatives in the CPI report are geared mainly towards affording greater agility, efficacy and security in the combat of crimes practiced in the virtual world. That is to say, the measures do not affect peoples navigation of pages of interest nor does it impede the use of applications of their choice, such as Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram [and] Snapchat. Forty-eight civil society groups and academic centers such as the Electronic Frontier Foundation, Article 19, Access Now, Intervozes, and Institute for Technology and Society of Rio de Janeiro have joined Coding Rights to combat the proposed legislation. In a letter to the members of the CPICiber, Tim Berners-Lee, inventor of the World Wide Web, said he was saddened by the package, adding, allowing law enforcement to identify people associated with IP addresses without a warrant would threaten privacy online creating a chilling effect for freedom of speech, and with knock on effects for business and democracy. Dep. Daniel Coelho, a member of the CPICiber, has sharply refuted such arguments. In a tweet, Coelho responded to an article from a leading think tank titled, Politicians want to censor the internet in Brazil with the excuse of fighting cyber crime, saying, what a ridiculous lie this article is. None of this exists. For Varon and many of her colleagues, the CPICiber proposals are especially difficult to accept after having spent years working with government officials to patch together the Marco Civil da Internet, an innovative piece of legislation that Varon calls the Magna Carta of the internet. It provides a clear regulatory framework and lays out a broad series of digital rights for all Brazilians, including the right to affordable broadband access and the right to free speech. It was produced through an open and inclusive dialogue. The package was widely heralded by internet freedom advocates around the world, despite some serious reservations about such things as including mandatory retention of user logs by service providers. Since then, elements of Brazils political class have been trying to chip away at some of the newly established rights. The CPICiber report is the fruit of a strong conservative wave that has taken over our Camera dos Deputados, says Varon. And when this wave hits the internet, it results in censorship and surveillance. This is a backslide. In the last year, a controversial antiterrorism law was passed into law by a president who was once herself imprisoned for being a terrorist during the military regime, and a bill debated late last year that would grant sweeping domestic digital espionage powers is waiting to be dusted off the shelf. EFFs Katitza Rodrigues warns: Once one bad bill is adopted in one country, they can spread further into other countries, a domino effect. Match this to the frustration of governments around the world with their inability to control encrypted communication services, and you create an environment where every country feels entitled to block not just websites, but entire services. Varon is worried, too. If the cybersecurity debate is led by a conservative vision, she says, then we end up criminalizing everything, saying that were all terrorists, taking common practices and criminalizing them because we dont understand how the internet works. Its problematic. Source: https://theintercept.com/2016/04/26/brazilian-cybercrime-bills-threaten-open-internet-for-200-million-people/ Information technology ministers of the G7 countries, during a meeting in Japan on Saturday, agreed to tackle the digital divide by bringing internet access to more people, and pushing for policies free of political censorship. The plan set out by the ministers of the G7 countries - Japan, the US, Germany, Britain, France, Canada and Italy - and European Union officials is to enable 1.5 billion more people to have internet access by 2020, EFE news reported. It is believed that around 4 billion people, representing 60 percent of the world's population, still lack internet access. "We believe that global digital connectivity should in particular contribute to improving the quality of life for all people everywhere, to generating economic growth," they said. Meanwhile, in a message to countries such as China and Russia where governments censor web content, the ministers called for a free flow of information. "We continue to support ICT policies that preserve the global nature of the internet, promote the flow of information across borders and allow internet users to access online information, knowledge and services of their choice," a joint statment issued after the meeting said. The group also called for the active participation of governments, the private sector, civil society, the tech community and international organisations in matters concerning internet governance. The meet emphasised the need to strengthen international and public-private cooperation to bolster cyber security and combat cyber terrorism. Japan, which has the current rotating presidency of the G7, also proposed the development of a barometer to assess cyber risks. The information and communication technology meeting of the G7 is the first to be held in 21 years, and its conclusions will be taken up in the upcoming G7 leaders' meet on May 26 and 27 in Japan. The participating ministers, of the world's seven most industrialised countries, also pledged to follow up on the agreements at a meeting in Italy next year. Source: http://www.business-standard.com/article/news-ians/g7-ministers-to-push-for-internet-freedom-reduce-digital-divide-116043000252_1.html By Sept. 30 of this year, the Obama administration plans to transition its stewardship over core internet functions to the international community. The transition plan presented to the U.S. Department of Commerce was finalized by the International Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), which sets broad policy for the internet's naming system, and coordinates many of its most essential functions. The Department of Commerce has said that it expects to finish its review of the plan by mid-June, giving Congress plenty of time to review it before the September deadline. The plan raises troubling questions that must be answered before it is approved by the U.S. government. At stake are the stability and freedom of the internet, which serves as a personal and commercial lifeline not only to Americans, but also to a majority of people across the globe. That the internet today is decentralized, open and free of government interference is thanks to the American government's adoption, during the Clinton years, of a multi-stakeholder model of governance. Since early days, it was agreed that the overseers of the internet would be private and governmental groups working together under ICANN's umbrella. At a recent ICANN meeting in Marrakesh, Morocco, however, China, Russia and their allies threatened the careful structure that has worked so well until now by suggesting a competing model of internet governance in which governments themselves would have ultimate control over the internet. The Marrakesh proposals include first a requirement that ICANN obey any advice offered, after a unanimous vote, by its Government Advisory Committee (GAC). Established in 1999 at the time of ICANN's first public meetings, the GAC with its 162 members and 35 observers consisting primarily of national governments is not officially a decision-making body. But as its official description explains, it "provides advice on issues of public policy, especially where there may be interaction between ICANN's activities or policies and national laws or international agreements." Wisely, the ICANN community rejected a proposal that would have required only a majority vote of the GAC for its "advice" to be binding. That would have eliminated the U.S. veto, which is vital to prevent governments from subverting ICANN. The second proposal concerns the proposed stewardship of the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (or "IANA function"), which manages the allocation of numerical IP addresses. As I saw firsthand when I was chairman and CEO of Network Solutions, Inc., which in the late 1990s was administering both the IANA function and the allocation of domain names, he who controls all IP addresses controls the internet. The administrator of the IANA function manages the internet's "root zone" files and the numerical IP addresses, naming protocols and domain names (such as thehill.com) that computers and other devices use to find each other on the internet. The proposed stewardship of IANA leaves unclear who will play the limited but crucial role currently performed by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration in the Department of Commerce; namely, of making sure that any changes to the root-zone domain name file executed by the IANA administrator are in accordance with ICANN policy. The globally decentralized nature of the internet requires a globally authoritative root-zone file for domain names, without which computers would not be able to "find" each other on the net. Administering updates to that file is the "IANA naming function." That function must be kept strictly technical, managed by engineers without a political agenda. The IANA administrator, contracted by ICANN, should not be expected to decide policy questions, such as whether ".sucks" is a legitimate domain name. Neither should the ICANN community, which sets policy, be given the power to enforce it, as currently proposed. Enforcement should be done by a nonpolitical separate body perhaps by an independent auditor. The vision of a free and open internet is increasingly at risk because repressive governments have turned back the tide of internet freedom, and are learning to use both the internet itself, and the global institutions that govern the internet, to strengthen their authoritarian control. According to Freedom House, repressive regimes like Russia and China "have devised subtle and not-so-subtle ways to filter, monitor, and otherwise obstruct or manipulate the openness of the internet." In its 2015 survey, 40 of 65 countries imprisoned people for sharing information on politics, religion or society through digital networks, and even more governments have forced private parties to restrict or remove that sort of content. Moving forward, ultimate control of the IANA function must never pass to an international organization controlled by governments, whether the United Nations, the International Telecommunications Union, or ICANN recast with governments in control. Congress must ensure that the U.S. remains in a position to protect the stability and freedom of the internet. That means making sure that any institution taking over the stewardship of the internet's core functions should be structured to keep the internet decentralized, open and free. Source: http://thehill.com/blogs/pundits-blog/technology/277806-this-summer-congress-must-make-sure-the-internet-stays-free Always invest for the long term, as Warren Buffet simply says. That is what Epic Brokers, a San Francisco-based national insurance brokerage, did when they invested in the employer services platform for their employees and clients.We sat down and looked at what investments do we need to make as a firm to make sure that we continue to provide the needed resources in a very changing and complex environment for our clients, said Derek Thomas, chief strategy officer at Epic.Thomas, along with Dana Liedel, managing principal in the employer benefits department, analyzed the evolution of the employee benefits space, focusing on transitioning their brokerage from a traditional model, to a consulting/brokerage model. Interested in moving producers and account managers up market towards larger opportunities and with more success among mid-to-large clients, led to the concept of an employer services platform that was designed and created to establish expertise and specialty focus.If we could develop that expertise, then we can provide real-time information from a platform to our account managers and producers to keep them current on all of the major changes and really move us forward in our ability to communicate our capabilities and our messaging to our clients, said Thomas.Beginning in 2014, after Epic partnered with The Carlyle Group, a global alternative asset manager, Epic hit the ground running on creating the employer services platform (ESP). When we pushed this, one of the things we did was we went out and asked our producers what do you need, setting the strategy aside. We went door-to-door, to every single office and did surveys and asked them what they needed to be successful in a post-ACA [affordable care act] environment - that was the key question, said Chris Duncan, chief growth officer.So when Epic rolled out the ESP program, they challenged their producers and account managers to use and leverage the platform to be successful in the marketplace, especially following the implementation of ACA, which created a more complex insurance world. This was a required investment that we made to be able to be competitive in the marketplace and create a better future for our employees, all at the same time, said Duncan.ESP specifically addresses both current and future requirements in the healthcare and employee benefits marketplace. The platform serves as a resource center for Epics employees on behalf of their clients, which can be used to help clients manage both their short-term cost control challenges, as well as the longer-term issues of health program management, compliance, employee engagement, accountability, health and well-being.It is pretty powerful when you walk in and say what you said you needed, we got for you. This is how it is going to work and we are re-investing in your future. That is very powerful and motivating, and culturally very consistent with what it means to be inside of Epic, said Duncan. Insurance software firm Vertafore is to be acquired by two private equity firms. Funds affiliated with Bain Capital Private Equity and Vista Equity Partners will jointly buy the firm from TPG Capital for an undisclosed sum. The sale is expected to complete in the third quarter.Vertafore has a long history with the insurance industry, having entered the space 45 years ago and now boasting 500,000 insurance professionals using its services.The deal comes just a month after Vertafore expanded its reach and capabilities by acquiring Keal Technology in Canada, and less than a year after the purchase of QQSolutions in Florida, both providers of cloud software to independent insurance agencies.Following a spending spree of $18 billion in 2015, Japanese insurers are set to keep buying US assets in 2016 according to industry experts. Law firm Mayer Brown says that with Japans insurance industry facing lower domestic returns, with an aging population, devalued currency and lower rates; the countrys insurance firms are seeking overseas opportunities.Bloomberg reports that Japanese insurers will spark activity in an otherwise flat insurance M&A market in the US this year. The report also notes that they are willing to pay premium prices for well-run high-quality firms.Hong Kong has recently launched its new Insurance Authority and is searching worldwide for the right person to head it, plus hundreds of staff. Its chairman Moses Cheng Mo-chi told the South China Post that not being able to speak Chinese is not a barrier for the right candidates.We want to have the best talent with knowledge of the insurance industry and regulations. We are not looking for only local Chinese but overseas talent as well, since Hong Kong is an international financial center. The chief executive is not required to know Chinese, he said.The Insurance Authority is expected to take over from Hong Kongs Office of Commissioner of Insurance by the end of 2016. BATTLE CREEK, Mich.First of all, yes, there is such a place, and it even has a school or twothe one at issue here is Harper Creek Middle Schoolthough we'd hate to think that a venerable institution like Kellogg's had anything to do with the Froot Loop-y idea of firing a teacher just because she said the word "vagina" in class. The victim is one Allison Wint, who was a substitute art teacher at the school, and her topic of the day was the paintings of famed American artist Georgia O'Keeffe. For those not familiar with the artist's work, a Google Image search of "Georgia O'Keeffe" will bring up a number of the artist's paintings, parts of which clearly are meant to represent the human vaginaso it's hardly surprising that during the lesson, Wint asked her class, "Imagine walking into a gallery when [O'Keeffe] was first showing her pieces, and thinking, 'Am I actually seeing vaginas here, am I a pervert? I'm either a pervert or this woman was a pervert.'" Leaving aside the question of whether painting, however stylistically, one of the most important parts of human anatomy can actually be considered "perverse," somehow, Wint's words got quoted to to the school's principal, Kim Thayer, who told Wint, who admits to having used the word "maybe ten times" in the course of the lecture, before classes began the next day that she had violated school policy. See, at Harper Creek, teachers have to get official permission before talking to kidseven the eighth-graders that Wint taughtabout what is loosely termed "reproductive health." What that means in practice, according to a story on Jezebel.com, is that teachers can't use the words "breast," "ovary," "egg," "infant," "birth," "sex," "penis" or "sperm" in front of the kidsor, apparently, "vagina"unless they get prior permission from a superior. "I did not know about this policy," Wint told WWMT-3 News. "They were entirely within their right to remove me; however, I was not aware of this policy beforehand. If I had known about this policy, I would have never done it without approval." "I was really invested in those kids," she added. "And I miss them a lot." Actually, this wasn't Wint's first brush with the administration. Sometime earlier, she'd hung a student-made sign behind her desk which read, "Marriage Is About Love, Not Gender." That didn't sit too well with the Powers That Be either, who ordered her to remove it. But the truth is, Michigan has been pretty wacky about the word "vagina" for quite a while. Back in 2012, conservatives in Michigan's House of Representatives floated HB 5711, which would have regulated women's clinics that performed abortions so strictly that, according to Rep. Lisa Brown, many would have been forced to close. Brown argued against the measure, with Allison Yarrow of The Daily Beast noting that Brown had stated on the House floor that "as a Jewish woman, she chooses to keep kosher in her home, and that she also abided by the Jewish tenet dating back to the biblical era that 'abortions performed in order to preserve the life of the mother are not only permissible, but mandatory.'" Shortly after her remarks, Brown was banned from the House floor. "It was inappropriate in the way it ['vagina'] was used during a floor speech and thats his decision to make, House Speaker Jase Bolger's spokesman Ari Adler said of the speaker's crackdown. "We have passionate debates on the House floor. The only way to continue doing so is to maintain civility." So ... using the word "vagina" in public is uncivil? Good to know! (Brown's fellow Rep. Barb Byrum was also banned from speaking that day, supposedly for speaking out of turn. Byrum had wanted to argue that as long as the House was considering restrictions on abortion, maybe they should apply similar restrictions regarding who would be allowed to get a vasectomy.) ** In other vagina news, anyone remember Megumi Igarashi, the Japanese artist who made a 3D print of her own vagina, shared that print with several other artists, and then enlarged the image to create a vagina-shaped kayak? She was arrested twice in 2014, once for the sharing and again for the kayak, with indictments for "distributing 'obscene' data" having been handed down in December of 2014. That case has dragged on for 17 months, though apparently a trial was commenced sometime last December, and 3Ders.org, a website devoted to 3D printing, reports that a decision is expected to be announced on May 9. Prosecutors are asking the judge to levy a fine of 800,000 (about $6,600). In the meantime, Igarashi has created several more vagina-inspired art pieces, even taking part in an exhibition in Hong Long with 11 other artists. "I recently met with Ai WeiWei," Igarashi said, referring to the renowned and controversial Chinese artist. "Hes also trying to show with his art what authorities are trying to hide. He told me that my vagina was now my passport." Use it in good health! UPDATE: Igarashi was found guilty of obscenity and fined 400,000 (US$3,690.73). According to The Guardian (UK), "The judge, Mihoko Tanabe, said that the data, though 'flat and inorganic,' realistically portrayed the shape of a vagina and could 'sexually arouse viewers.' Pictured: Selections from three paintings by Georgia O'Keeffe. Advocates Continue to Push on Williamstown Preschool Program WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. Four members of the Williamstown School Committee on Thursday again explained their reasons for supporting a fiscal 2017 budget that includes a reduction to the school's popular preschool program. At a special meeting originally rescheduled from April 13, the committee members explained why they did not oppose the school administration's decision to eliminate the full-day option for Side-By-Side. Superintendent Douglas Dias, acting in consultation with the district's director of pupil personnel services, decided this year that the special education population Side-By-Side was designed to serve can have its needs met in two half-day sessions. Traditionally, the program has offered half-day and full-day classes for both the special needs population and the non-special needs population both "sides" referred to in the program's name. Since Dias announced that decision in February, the program's teachers, parents, parents of former Side-By-Side students and other community members have alternately lobbied and demanded that the full-day option be restored. At the latest in a series of contentious meetings on Thursday, Dias said he erred by casting the Side-By-Side reduction as being driven by fiscal concerns. In fact, for him, it is more a matter of evaluating the program's place in the district's educational program. "My biggest regret was, early on, I did present it as a budgetary matter," Dias said. " It really wasn't a budgetary matter. It came to my attention in October or November when I was looking at the budget. But as I delved more deeply and identified the needs of the kids, I realized it was not a budgetary matter. "My first concern has always been for the students in this building. And I know this change is drastic, but that's part of my job. Part of my job is to shine light into corners that sometimes we don't want to look at and to make recommendations to you and make decisions that are not popular. I didn't get into this career to be popular. I got into this job to help our kids get the best education possible, and they will." One by one, the School Committee members explained that they believed Dias was acting in the school's best interest and trusted his assessment that the half-day programming will meet the needs of children. "To me, that's largely where the discussion ends," Chairman Dan Caplinger said in a meeting telecast on the town's community access television station, WilliNet. "In my role as a School Committee member, there are two things I have direct control over: hiring a superintendent to administer the district and overseeing the budget to fund the superintendent's programs. That's my justification for having supported the budget as presented." Committee member Catherine Keating said she likes the idea of a full-day preschool program, but she did not like the ideas floated by Side-By-Side's proponents for using the preschool program to generate revenue. "I don't think tuitioning in more children or even raising tuition to make the program a revenue source for the school is the answer or even very appropriate," Keating said. "I think that would undermine what the program is actually about in terms of having classroom diversity and being a program that is congruent with the philosophy of a public school. "I think to lower tuition and make the program more affordable to everyone living in this town actually makes more sense. Doing so would increase the cost of the program." She also said that she does not believe the administration would cut a program if it believed the cut would negatively impact education as some in the community have alleged. "We are two points away from being named a Level 1 School District," Keating said. " I don't think the administration of this school would do anything to undermine all this work. If changing the structure of Side-By-Side would have a detrimental effect on the long term achievement of children with special needs, that would completely undermine much of the other work being done at this school." Committee member Joseph Johnson agreed. "Clearly, Side-by-Side, when Dr. Dias decided to do what he did, is a big skunk to poke," Johnson said. "This affects a lot of people. To my mind, that is all the more reason to believe Dr. Dias has the best of intentions. He wouldn't do this lightly. "I don't think the School Committee should hold up the budget based on one item in it. I do think the School Committee hires and fires the superintendent. I think the superintendent, any superintendent, has the right to move resources around in the school in the way feels best affects all students." Committee member John Skavlem said he abhors change but applauds those who have the courage to make change when they see a need to do so. "As with any program, Side-By-Side should be evaluated every year," Skavlem said. "And our new superintendent and his administration are doing what perhaps was lacking in the past. "This year with the benefit of fresh thinking and new eyes on it, we have the opportunity to consider the best way to allocate our resources." Committee member Richard Reynolds did not attend Thursday's meeting. It is unlikely any of those arguments swayed the nine residents who spoke in favor of restoring the full-day preschool in a 20-minute public comment period at the beginning of Thursday's meeting. In fact, after the committee members discussed the issue, members of the public asked for an opportunity to make a rebuttal. Caplinger declined to give them that chance, telling the group that their comments were heard and taken into consideration but the public comment part of the meeting was over. During the public comment, the committee heard from veteran preschool teacher Fern Murtagh, who told the panel that two half-day sessions cannot take the place of a full-day preschool experience for children who need it. "When I think about the prospect of the full-day Side-By-Side being eliminated, I don't think of the program," Murtagh said. "I see the faces of individual children with [individual education programs] who are in my class and the faces of their parents who sat with me at team meetings not even a year ago, where we decided a cohesive full-day program was what their child needed. "You are making a decision that will change the future of children I teach every day." Three of the nine residents who spoke during the public comment period are running in a five-person race along with the incumbent Caplinger for two seats on the School Committee. Joseph Bergeron, Liam Brody and Maura McCarthy Lawson each used the two minutes allotted them to argue for restoration of the program. Another resident made a thinly veiled threat that the Side By Side issue could be used to defeat the school budget at the May 17 annual town meeting. "I hope the administration and the School Committee will shed some light on this [decision] today," David Irwin said. However, many in the community disagree with the administration and the School Committee. If that's the case, that's fine. We can move on and discuss this at the town meeting." Town meeting will be asked to approve an omnibus budget, basically saying yea or nay to the bottom line figure. Town meeting will not have the option of reopening the budget and directing the district how to spend its money. After Caplinger denied the request for a second public comment period, the majority of the audience left the school library. One could be overheard by the committee to say the decision not to continue the discussion "speaks more volumes than I can," which drew an angry retort from Skavlem. "I'd like to make a point that most of the audience just left, and, clearly, the rest of the school's business is not of their interest," he said. "And I find that very shameful. That's indicative to me. That's shameful." In other business, the School Committee decided to form a finance subcommittee, following the model at Mount Greylock, where the subcommittee meets regularly with the superintendent and business manager to review the budget in more detail and reports out to the full committee at its monthly meetings. Caplinger said he had received a letter from the chairman of the town's Finance Committee encouraging some sort of advisory body for the School Committee. But Caplinger noted that the committee had discussed the formation of a subcommittee long before his appearance before the Finance Committee last month. Although the School Committee's subcommittee could have the option of asking outside experts to participate in its meetings, the committee and the superintendent agreed it was best to limit subcommittee membership to members of the School Committee itself. "One of the advantages of having it be a committee of elected officials is we're aware of the legalities, and familiar with the confidentiality requirements and have been trained to deal with them," Caplinger said. The committee decided not to fill the two subcommittee spots but rather wait until after the May 10 town election and the committee's subsequent reorganization meeting. The committee did decide to add Williamstown Elementary's name to the list of districts signing resolutions calling for maintenance of the current charter school cap and implementation of the recommendations of the Foundation Budget Review Commission. Dias explained to the School Committee his plans for two community forums this spring to look at long-range planning for the school. Caplinger told his colleagues that he, his counterparts at Lanesborough Elementary School and Mount Greylock and Dias met with the School Committee chairs in New Ashford, Hancock and Richmond for a preliminary discussion as the Shaker Mountain Union No. 70 looks at the possibility of a shared services agreement for administration. And the panel discussed the procedure for its upcoming evaluation of Dias and the possibility of a Tri-District School Committee daylong work session sometime this summer. Dias said he hoped that in addition to talking about issues that affect the Williamstown and Lanesborough elementary schools and Mount Greylock, the daylong meeting would be a chance to receive training for all three committees from a consultant with the Massachusetts Association of School Committees. Letter: Answers Needed on North Adams Health Department Backlog To the Editor: The recent revelation that the City of North Adams has fallen behind in its responsibility to provide its citizens of the most basic legally required Health Inspections demands a community announcement as compelling as Mayor Alcombright announcing his recision of the Winter Parking Ban sent to all citizens. While this important and fundamental position has been neglected in our city it is an Indictment on the administration of Mayor Alcombright. As the chief executive officer of the city of North Adams it is the duty and responsibility to know and understand the day-to-day operations of our city. What is more troubling is the response of our mayor. Mayor Alcombright, in his quotes, attempted to place the blame on those that are under his employ. How does the mayor of the city of North Adams place the health of its citizenry at the mercy of a part-time employee's snowbird migration? This revelation should not come as shock, if you follow the tone of the CEO. Recently a property overlooking City Hall was condemned and forced the displacement of some eight families. There is a document trail that will point to a failure of the administration and its policy of defunding important and revenue-producing positions. This coming from a city that has attempted to present its self as a destination. This response is another example of our current mayor not addressing the small things that affect our today and our city's tomorrow. Having not read the most current City Report, I would question the revenue of the departments that are tasked with enforcing the codes and ordinances of the city of North Adams. Does the Department of Wire and Alarm produce revenue to support the addition of an additional employee or will the addition cost the taxpayers? What department will produce the revenue to pay for the new position to oversee city-owned property, the same position that the taxpayer has been funding to date. How does one create a budgeted position mid-stream? Chris Tremblay North Adams, Mass. North Adams Seeking Public Input on Cultural District Application NORTH ADAMS, Mass. The city of North Adams and Berkshire Cultural Resource Center, part of Massachusetts College Liberal Arts, will be hosting two public meetings regarding the application to designate the North Adams downtown area as a Cultural District. This designation is awarded through the Massachusetts Cultural Council's Cultural District Initiative. The meetings will take place at on Tuesday, May 10, at 11 a.m. and Thursday, May 12, at 6 p.m. Both meetings will be open to the public and held at Gallery 51 on Main Street. The purpose is to have an open discussion with the community about the ins and outs of the application process as well as the impact this designation will have on the city. A cultural district, as defined by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, is a compact, walkable area of a community with a concentration of cultural facilities, activities, and assets. The Cultural District Initiative grew out of an economic stimulus bill passed by the state Legislature in 2010. It is designed to help communities attract artists and cultural enterprises, encourage business and job growth, expand tourism, preserve and reuse historic buildings, enhance property values, and foster local cultural development. Creating a cultural district in North Adams provides the city with a tool for cultural organizations and local businesses to market and identify the city downtown as a unique and attractive destination for locals, businesses and visitors. This cultural designation is considered important continue the city's trajectory of becoming an up-and-coming space for artists from all around the world and attract activity and investment from the surrounding area that will help strengthen its local economy. Page Content Consuls General and Honorary Consuls from 22 countries joined Dr. Olumuyiwa Benard Aliu, President of the ICAO Council (7th from the left), at the Organizations Montreal Headquarters today. The President and a number of ICAOs senior officials outlined the UN agencys mission, role and current strategies for combatting climate change, while promoting the links between sustainable international socio-economic development and civil aviation connectivity. MONTREAL, 3 May 2016 Montreal-based Consuls General and Honorary Consuls representing 22 countries conducted an official visit to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) today. The visit comes as ICAO prepares for its 39th Session of the Assembly, when the UN agencys 191 Member States will be invited to agree on strategies to address key issues such as climate change, the agencys budget, and the composition of the ICAO Council. They were addressed by President of the ICAO Council, Dr. Olumuyiwa Benard Aliu, who set forth civil aviations key challenges and the Organizations initiatives to address them. The global aviation network is projected to double in flight and passenger volumes by 2030, at which time we expect to operate 60 million flights and carry over 6 billion passengers annually. This means we must ensure sufficient infrastructure and skilled personnel to manage and process this growing traffic safely, securely and efficiently, Dr. Aliu said. The anticipated growth means that aviation will contribute even more to the global economy, but it must do so with due regard for emissions reduction and climate change mitigation. Important steps to control and limit aviation emissions are therefore on the agenda for our Assembly. The President highlighted that ICAOs Global Plans for Safety and Air Navigation and the Organizations Next Generation of Aviation Professionals programme, are helping to address aviations infrastructure and human resources challenges, while its environmental protection actions are seeking to cap carbon emissions from international civil aviation at 2020 levels. While aviation is already making important progress on carbon emissions through technology, better procedures, and capacity-building in States, the post COP/21 world is focussing on the market-based measure for aviation that we will propose at our 39th Assembly this September, Dr. Aliu said. In so doing, aviation would become the first major industry to make this type of commitment. The address was also an opportunity for ICAO to highlight its contributions to the development of Montreal as an aviation hub, and to express its gratitude to Canada as the agencys host country. ICAO greatly values its position in Montreal, Dr. Aliu said. We are very proud that our presence here since 1945 has helped to attract other aviation organizations from around the world, establishing this city as the World Capital of Civil Aviation. And we very much appreciate the generosity and assistance of the Government of Canada, which has facilitated our work tremendously. We work towards an equitable, gender-just, self-reliant and sustainable fisheries, particularly in the small-scale, artisanal sector We work towards an equitable, gender-just, self-reliant and sustainable fisheries, particularly in the small-scale, artisanal sector We work towards an equitable, gender-just, self-reliant and sustainable fisheries, particularly in the small-scale, artisanal sector We work towards an equitable, gender-just, self-reliant and sustainable fisheries, particularly in the small-scale, artisanal sector CHATSWORTH, Calif.Porn Pros has signed up-and-comer Rebel Lynn to perform an unspecified number of anal and boy/girl scenes for the studio's network of 24 websites. "We at Porn Pros are thrilled to announce Rebel Lynn as our contract star," studio rep Robert Membrila said. "Rebel embodies everything we have been looking for to represent our company: beauty, brains, poise and a true love and passion for her craft. We expect big things from this impressive young ladywe haven't had a contract star in many years, but Rebel Lynn is the perfect fit, and our fans adore her. We scooped her up and signed her for our next set of anal scenes, along with a few other very sexy boy/girl scenes." Commented Rebel, "It's exciting for me to be representing Porn Pros, and being its contract star is an absolute honor. We are a perfect match, and we will do some amazing things together. In the short time I've been in the adult industry, it's been my goal to work hard and stand out in a crowd of some amazing women. This validates my efforts, and I plan on continuing to make every single moment an opportunity for me to shine." For more, visit pornpros.com, and follow the studio on Twitter @pornpros. Follow Rebel Lynn on Twitter @TheRebelLynn and on Instagram at @the_rebel_lynn. BURBANK, Calif.Adult content producer Brazzers has a plan to prove its devotion to diversity. Tomorrow, in celebration of Cinco de Mayo, Brazzers.com will be offering free premium Spanish porn to anyone curious about expanding their horizons and learning another language. Brazzers is also issuing a challenge to all fans to caption their favorite quote learned after watching a Spanish-language scene. To enter, anyone interested can go to BrazzersEnEspanol.com and watch as much porn as they fancy. Fans can then participate via Twitter by sending their captioned memes, gifs, pics and quotes to @Brazzers. By the end of the day Brazzers will be selecting several winners for some free merchandise, autographs from fan-favorite Brazzers porn stars, and Munkey Barz leather love handles. Product Director Mario Nardstein said the promotion is a key celebration that allows Brazzers to familiarize fans with the Spanish languageeven if it starts with learning how to say whoa, youre hot." Cinco de Mayo is a time to celebrate can-do Spanish spirit, though more traditionally, it is celebrated in commemoration of the Battle of Puebla in 1862 when Mexican troops held their homeland successfully and defeated French imperialists despite being outnumbered two to one. We wanted to translate this can-do spirit into an effort to motivate others to learn another language by mixing it with something theyll be likely to pay attention to: sex. Some great starter scenes recommended by Brazzers include Indiscrecion, with inked favorite Christy Mack and her accomplice Madison Ivy; Persuadiendo a Lela, starring Kim Kardashian doppelganger Lela Star; Mis Dos Esposas, a threesome with Peta Jensen and Kendra Lust that will help viewers learn the meaning of fuego; Rompe la Red ... De Veras esta Vez, featuring Nikki Benz in a "Kim Kardashian breaks the internet" parody; Erase una vez en Argentina, starring notorious porn star goddess Esperanza Gomez; and Guerra Mundial XXX Tercera Parte, part three of a XXX parody of The Walking Dead featuring Peta Jensen. The content you are trying to view is exclusive to our subscribers. To unlock this article: Governor Brown Issues Proclamation Declaring Small Business Month Sacramento, California - Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. today issued a proclamation declaring May 2016 as Small Business Month in the State of California. This week, the Governors Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz) is hosting a Small Business Summit to provide information on the resources and programs available to business owners across the state. PROCLAMATION California is home to the most innovative and competitive firms in the world, placing us consistently among the top ten economies. The vast majority of these businesses employ 500 or fewer workers. Small businesses embody the entrepreneurial spirit that has driven the economy of our Golden State. Over half of our private-sector workforce is employed by small business. This month, we reaffirm our commitment to helping Californias small businesses thrive and prosper. The Governors Office of Business and Economic Development, along with key agencies of state government, work to facilitate economic growth through collaboration with small businesses. Supporting small-scale private-sector job creators is among our most promising strategies to enhance Californias human capital, expand job opportunities and increase our competitive advantage in the global marketplace. NOW THEREFORE I, EDMUND G. BROWN JR., Governor of the State of California, do hereby proclaim May 2016, as Small Business Month. IN WITNESS WHEREOF I have hereunto set my hand and caused the Great Seal of the State of California to be affixed this 29th day of April 2016. ___________________________________ EDMUND G. BROWN JR. Governor of California ATTEST: __________________________________ ALEX PADILLA Secretary of State Murder in the Slabs El Centro, California - On Friday, at approximately 2000 hours, the Imperial County Sheriffs Dispatch Center received a 911 call in reference a disturbance and shots being fired in the area known as the Slabs, east of the Township of Niland, California. The caller reported a disturbance between a male and a female along with gunfire. The caller and several other witnesses approached the couple in attempt to diffuse the situation. The concerned witnesses reported they were fired upon several times by the male involved in the disturbance. The male subject was then observed fleeing the scene in a vehicle. The body of a deceased female was found at the scene by the witnesses. The female appeared to have died of gunshot related injuries. Deputies located the fleeing suspect's vehicle in the vicinity and stopped it. The driver of the vehicle was identified as 40 year old, Clayton Vincent Jones. Jones was placed under arrest and booked into the Imperial County Jail. Charges were filed on Jones for First Degree Murder, two counts of attempted murder, and being a Felon in Possession of a Firearm. Bail is set at $1 million. FTC Alleges Companies Deceived Consumers With Fake Subscription Notices for Newspapers Washington, DC - The Federal Trade Commission has charged the operators of dozens of companies with deceiving consumers by using fake newspaper subscription notices. The FTC seeks to stop the operation and obtain money for return to consumers. According to the FTCs complaint, through a complicated web of companies, the defendants send consumers Notice of Renewal/New Order mailers for subscriptions to newspapers such as The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Seattle Times and The Denver Post, and for magazines. The notices claim that consumers subscriptions will automatically renew if they pay, and that the price one of the lowest available rates is authorized by the publisher. In fact, the FTC alleges the defendants do not have publishers authorization and charge up to 40 percent more than the newspapers typically charge. Only in fine print on the back of the fake notices do the defendants state that they do not necessarily have a direct relationship with the publishers or publications and that disclosure refers only to magazine subscriptions, according to the complaint. Many consumers have complained about the fake notices, paying an inflated price, delays in receiving publications they ordered, or receiving the wrong publications. In some instances, consumers have paid twice for the same subscription. Consumers who learned the defendants did not represent their regular newspaper and tried to cancel payment or obtain refunds have found it hard to reach customer service. Those who have reached the defendants often received no refund or only a partial refund, or they succeeded only after complaining to the Better Business Bureau or to state or federal law enforcement agencies. More than 375 newspapers have told the defendants to stop, and many have placed alerts on their websites and/or in their publications to warn consumers. The complaint alleges that to circumvent law enforcement actions and publishers letters telling them to cease and desist, the defendants have created shell corporations to process and submit orders paying the publishers normal subscription rate and pocketed the additional amount the defendants received from consumers. The individual defendants are Linda Babb; Shannon Bacon, also known as (a/k/a) Shannon Balero and Shannon Gordon (Bacon); Jeffrey Hoyal; Lori Hoyal; Colleen Kaylor; Laura Lovrien, a/k/a Laura Babb (Lovrien); Noel Parducci, a/k/a Noel Littlefield (Parducci); Lydia Pugsley, a/k/a Lydia Babb (Pugsley); Dennis Simpson; and William Strickler. The corporate defendants are listed in the complaint. The Commission vote authorizing the staff to file the complaint was 3-0. The complaint was filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon, Medford Division. Applications Being Accepted for Annual U.S. Youth Observer at the United Nations General Assembly Washington, DC - The U.S. Department of State and the United Nations Association of the USA (UNA-USA) are pleased to announce the start of the application phase for the U.S. Youth Observer to the United Nations General Assembly. Americans between the ages of 18-25 are invited to apply for this unique opportunity to attend events during UN General Assembly week in New York City (September), witness other UN events over the next year, and interact with UNA-USA chapters across the country. The deadline for applying is May 30, 2016. For more information on the application process, and to learn more about last years Youth Observer, please visit www.unausa.org/usyouth. NSC Spokesperson Ned Price on World Press Freedom Day Washington, DC - On World Press Freedom Day, we thank the journalists around the world without whom democracy could not flourish and whose courageous work helps hold authorities to account. These are the men and women who work to ensure that debate on public issues can be, in the words of Justice William Brennan, "uninhibited, robust, and wide open." Through such debate we make the choices that shape our lives and the world around us. While it is in the nature of responsible journalism to confront the powerful, the corrupt, and the brutal, too many journalists risk their liberty and even their lives in doing so. From China to Iran to Venezuela, brave men and women languish in prison for no greater crime than seeking to inform their fellow citizens. The United States calls for the release of those who have been imprisoned for exercising the freedom of expression that is enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, even as we encourage governments to foster societies in which journalists can work freely and without fear. And we pay special tribute to the reporters, including our fellow Americans, who have given their lives or their freedom to tell the stories of those who live under the shadow of war. For those who remain in captivity, such as American journalist Austin Tice, we pledge that we will not relent in our efforts to secure their release. On World Press Freedom Day, and every day, these women and men deserve our thanks for their risks and sacrifices, and for bringing us nearer to the more peaceful, accountable, innovative and successful societies to which we aspire. Assistant Secretary Biswal Travel to Dhaka Washington, DC - Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Nisha Desai Biswal will travel to Dhaka, Bangladesh this week. While in Dhaka, the Assistant Secretary will meet with government officials to discuss the broader bilateral relationship and issues of shared concern regarding security. She will also meet with the embassy community, and hold discussions with local human rights and civil society organizations. Notice Asking Women Advocates Not to 'Arrange' Hair in Open Court in Pune Sparks Outrage ST. PETERSBERG, Fla.For the first time, Fetish Con will host an awards show, and nominees for the inaugural event were announced on a newly revamped website. To view the complete list of nominees, visit FetishCon.com. Its truly exciting to see our Inaugural Fetish Con Awards so well received by industry members and fans alike, said event proper Genesis Lynn. We received over 16,000 pre-nominations, and congratulate all of the nominees selected from that pool. We look forward to announcing the winners on August 14! The 2016 Fetish Con Awards will be hosted by hosted by Anastasia Pierce and Jewell Marceau and are set for Aug. 14 in St Petersburg, Fla. The event will highlight and honor those who have been integral to the overall growth of the fetish and alternative industries. Kicking off with its Kinky [RED] Carpet at 8 p.m. EST, and the Fetish Con Awards starting at 10:30 p.m. EST, the evening will end with the Annual Sunday Night Fetish Ball & Bash until the early morning hours. The red carpet and awards show will also be broadcast live at FetishCon.com. Voting is open to the public, to vote for one nominee per category. All votes are limited to submission per person. Voters do not have to vote in every category, but must submit their entries at the end of the form for the votes to be counted; any votes submitted via a computer-generated bot program will be considered invalid and void. To vote, visit Fetishcon.com/nominations by 11:59 p.m. EST on June 4. Held at the Hilton St Petersburg Bayfront Hotel, located at 333 First St South, St Petersburg, FL 33701, and sponsored by Clips4Sale, the largest networking event for the fetish industry and community on the East Coast celebrates its 16th annual fetish industry and community trade show Aug. 11-14. To register for All Access Passes, visit FetishConShoppingCart.com. All Fetish Con events are restricted to those 18 years of age and over. Fetish Con is also still accepting registration for corporate sponsors and tiered sponsors, and vendors and exhibitors. With classes, the Twisted Dungeon, which offers private play space, live fetish shows, after-hour parties and the famous Pervy Pool Party that never stops, Fetish Con has grown to an internationally recognized and hugely anticipated event within the fetish industry and community. The event moved to Florida from New York in 2004 and brings in thousands of fetish performers, production companies, and kinksters together for a four-day weekend. With a long history, Fetish Con brought in more than 7,500 attendees last year, with more than 200 models and 60 vendors on hand to meet with fans and consumers. Pre-registration is still open to purchase the exclusive All Access Passes, only available before the show; to purchase, visit FetishConShoppingCart.com. Additional information on parties, classes and events will be made available as the trade show draws near. To keep up-to-date with Fetish Con news, visit FetishCon.com, or follow the trade show on Twitter, Facebook and Tumblr. Get our free weekly email for all the latest cinematic news from our film critic Clarisse Loughrey Get our The Life Cinematic email for free Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the The Life Cinematic email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Nearing 70, Steven Spielberg is in one of those periodic moments in his career when he is moving into over-drive. His new feature, an adaptation of Roald Dahl's The BFG, is about to premiere at the Cannes festival, only a few months after the release of his Cold War thriller Bridge Of Spies. Spielberg also has several other new films lined up to shoot, back-to-back. One is sci-fi drama Ready Player One. Then, there is the Tony Kushner-scripted The Kidnapping of Edgardo Mortara about a Jewish boy forcibly converted to Catholicism in 19th Century Italy and in which his new favourite Mark Rylance is expected to play the Pope. Meanwhile, Spielberg is also hatching the next Indiana Jones film with Harrison Ford back in the saddle. It is heartening to see that Spielberg is still so obviously at the heart of Hollywood. After all, from D.W. Griffith to Billy Wilder, film history is littered with examples of great directors at the end of their careers who are marginalised and forgotten. There is also a tendency among the filmmakers themselves to change as they grow older - to make more introspective and autumnal films. Spielbergs boyish zest is still clearly undiminished. No-one will dispute Spielbergs status as one of the absolutely towering figures in cinema. Nonetheless, attitudes toward him among critics are still sometimes grudging and perplexed. He is such a protean figure that they cant get hold of what he is really about. They distrust his populism and the way he compartmentalises projects.Theyre still suspicious that he was able to shoot Schindlers List by day while he was editing Jurassic Park at night. They dont understand how he could be making The Adventures Of Tintin one moment and Lincoln the next. They are perplexed that someone of his genius can be involved (as a producer) in work as mind-numbing as Michael Bays dreadful Transformers movies. Spielberg's The Adventures of Tintin, 2011 (Paramount Pictures) I would love it if studios stopped boasting about how much money their movies made. It would be so wonderful if it didnt become the Olympics every Monday of every holiday weekend, Spielberg lamented in an interview he gave to the LA Times in the late 1990s, seemingly oblivious to the fact that, as the editor of Jaws, he helped usher in the era of the summer blockbuster. Spielbergs biographer Joseph McBride staunchly defends the directors habit of interspersing the heavy dramas, especially the historical films, with the lighter fantasy films. The director, he suggests, is the ultimate multi-tasker. If he has only one film to work on, he grows bored and frustrated. He is at his creative best when he has several things going on. It helps that he has always been able to win the trust of his collaborators simply because he is such a proficient filmmaker. The dogged old technicians who worked with him on Duel (1971) when he was in his early 20s were initially suspicious of this wunderkind in their midst but they very quickly realised he knew exactly what he was doing. Filmmaking, McBride tells me, was Spielbergs way of keeping himself out of trouble as a wimpy kid at school. One boy picked on him but he neutralised the bully (and gained a subtle form of revenge) by casting him as a Nazi in a home movie. Films to watch in 2016 Show all 30 1 /30 Films to watch in 2016 Films to watch in 2016 Hail, Caesar - 5 February The Coen brothers' latest film might be their most ambitious yet. Telling the story of a Hollywood fixer struggling to keep A-listers in line, it has a movie within a movie, an amazing cast, and, judging by the first trailer, some luxurious visuals Films to watch in 2016 Deadpool - 12 February Comic book superhero movies have been getting slowly more self-referential and self-parodic lately, and Deadpool looks to be taking itself even less seriously than Guardians of the Galaxy or Ant-Man. It looks as though fans will finally be getting the comic book-faithful, foul-mouthed version of the character they wanted, but it remains to be seen whether Deadpool will actually be funny, or just descend into toilet humour Films to watch in 2016 Zoolander No. 2 - 12 February Zoolander's return was derailed somewhat by backlash over a trans/gender fluid character played by Benedict Cumberbatch. The long-awaited sequel will no doubt do well at the box office, but I'm not sure if the fashion industry is as fertile for satire now as it was in 2001, and the trailer relies too heavily on honouring old gags rather than creating new ones Films to watch in 2016 Knight of Cups - 4 March A new film from Terrence Malick should have been a huge cause for celebration, but Knight of Cups has been swimming in post-Cannes purgatory for months now. In March it will finally get a theatrical release. Starring Christian Bale, Cate Blanchett and Natalie Portman, it sees a man return home from New York and get sucked into the hollow hedonism of LA, fighting to extricate himself from it Films to watch in 2016 Whiskey Tango Foxtrot - 4 March Based on journalist Kim Barkers 2011 memoir The Taliban Shuffle: Strange Days in Afghanistan and Pakistan, this dark comedy sees Tina Fey play a foreign correspondent reporting in the Middle East during Operation Enduring Freedom, where she develops a weird relationship with a fellow journalist played by Martin Freeman Films to watch in 2016 Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice - 18 March The wind seems to have gone out of the sails of the Man of Steel series in spite of the addition of a new Batman, and there's a more palpable anticipation for Suicide Squad (which arrives later in the year) Films to watch in 2016 Everybody Wants Some - 15 April Coming off the back of multi-Oscar winner Boyhood, this Richard Linklater film looks a lot like Dazed and Confused if it was set in the 80s, albeit pitched more towards comedy Films to watch in 2016 The Jungle Book - 15 April Disney is trampling on its own hallowed ground with this live action remake. Elf and Iron Man director Jon Favreau is a fairly safe pair of hands though, and Idris Elba, Ben Kingsley, Scarlett Johansson, Lupita Nyong'o, Christopher Walken, Giancarlo Esposito and Bill Murray are all on board Films to watch in 2016 Money Monster - 13 May 'Financial TV personality Lee Gates, who offers up stock advice on his hit show "Money Monster," is held hostage by a viewer, Kyle Budwell, who lost all of his money following a bad tip from Lee during his show' Films to watch in 2016 Snowden - 13 May Platoon director Oliver Stone takes on a very important and timely story. But can he make it entertaining the way The Big Short did with the financial crisis? Films to watch in 2016 X-Men Apocalypse - 27 May 2016 will see a ninth X-Men film. Ninth. Every cast member you would expect will be back to collect their paychecks, which might require a crane Films to watch in 2016 Finding Dory - 17 June The Finding Nemo sequel will focus on Ellen DeGeneres' forgetful blue tang fish. It's expected to have an anti-SeaWorld message, which should make it strike a chord with parents as well as children Films to watch in 2016 Independence Day: Resurgence - 24 June Will Smith isn't in it. Moving on Films to watch in 2016 The BFG - 1 July There's still a lot of love for Roald Dahl's stories, and this one is being adapted by none other than Steven Spielberg. There hasn't been a huge amount of buzz around it but it's early days, and Mark Rylance is an interesting casting for the titular Big Friendly Giant Films to watch in 2016 La La Land - 15 July There's a lot of expectation on director Damien Chazelle's shoulders following the success of Whiplash, one of the smallest films ever to have been nominated for a Best Picture Oscar. La La Land will certainly be different, a musical comedy-drama about a young pianist and an actor played by Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone respectively Films to watch in 2016 Ghostbusters - 15 July This is something of a question mark. On one hand, it's landed a cast of incredibly funny actresses, but on the other, another reboot? Really? There's also thought to be a very meta all-male version in the works from the creators of Jump Street, set in the same universe as Men In Black no less Films to watch in 2016 Star Trek Beyond - 22 July If you thought Abrams' Star Trek films were bad, feast your eyes on the trailer for the next one from the director of the Fast & Furious franchise. Expect major face-palming from Trekkies in July. Hopefully the new TV show will offer something a bit less action-orientated and a bit more cerebral Films to watch in 2016 Untitled fifth Bourne film - 29 July The Bourne series completely went off the boil with Jeremy Renner as its lead, but now both Matt Damon and original director Paul Greengrass are back to steady the ship. This might well be Jason Bourne's last outing, so I hope they send him off in style Films to watch in 2016 Suicide Squad - 5 August Harley Quinn was one of the most popular Halloween costumes this year, despite the holiday falling months before the release of the film she's in. That says a lot about the hype over this comic book adaptation, which revels in the villains rather than the heroes for once and sees Jared Leto step into Heath Ledger's size 58 boots as the new Joker Films to watch in 2016 Sully - 9 September Friendly-looking dad named Chesley Sullenberger who saves a plane load of people? Tom Hanks is your guy. Clint Eastwood will direct this biopic, about an airline captain who was hailed as a national hero in the US after successfully executing an emergency water landing on the Hudson River off Manhattan Films to watch in 2016 Bridget Joness Baby - 16 September It's 2015 and Bridget is now pouring her soul into an iPad rather than a diary. This sequel might perfectly skewer the frustration of growing up in an increasingly youth-orientated world, or it might just serve to tarnish the originals like with Sex and the City 2 Films to watch in 2016 The Magnificent Seven - 23 September I'm not convinced there's the demand for Westerns that Hollywood seems to think there is. We'll find out in September with Antoine Fuqua's remake of 1960's The Magnificent Seven. Denzel Washington, Chris Pratt and Ethan Hawke are among the gang Films to watch in 2016 Masterminds - 30 September Based on the 1997 Loomis Fargo Robbery in North Carolina, this comedy comes from the man behind Napoleon Dynamite. Owen Wilson, Zach Galifianakis, Kristen Wiig and Jason Sudeikis form a strong cast, but there are no trailers to go on yet Films to watch in 2016 The Girl on the Train - 7 October That book everyone was reading on the commute inevitably makes it cinemas in October, with Emily Blunt playing Rachel Watson, an alcoholic whose husband left her for his mistress, and who witnesses a murder and starts to realize that she may have been involved in the crime Films to watch in 2016 Doctor Strange - 4 November Doctor Strange might not have been the most obvious character to take to the big screen, but by this point Marvel could make $1billion at the box office from a comic an exec once scrawled on a piece of toilet paper Films to watch in 2016 Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them - 18 November J.K. Rowling makes her screenwriting debut adapting her own book here, with a film that takes place in the Harry Potter universe but is well removed from Hogwarts Films to watch in 2016 Rogue One: A Star Wars Story - 16 December Disney is releasing a Star Wars movie every year between now and 2020. This first standalone 'anthology' film centres on a Death Star heist, but may prove to just be filler while Star Wars 8 is in production Films to watch in 2016 Passengers - 21 December 'A spacecraft traveling to a distant colony planet and transporting thousands of people has a malfunction in one of its sleep chambers. As a result, a single passenger is awakened 60 years early. Faced with the prospect of growing old and dying alone, he eventually decides to wake up a second passenger' Films to watch in 2016 Jumanji - 25 December Is nothing sacred? Everyone is so pissed about this remake of the Robin Williams cult hit that it will be a miracle if it escapes a critical drubbing Films to watch in 2016 Silence - sometime in 2016 Martin Scorsese's next film doesn't have a mafioso or corrupt banker in sight. Liam Neeson and Andrew Garfield star, playing two Jesuit Portuguese Catholic priests who face violent persecution when they travel to Japan to seek out their mentor and spread the teachings of Christianity Another side of Spielberg which os often overlooked because he is such a virtuoso technician is his skill with actors. Whether Daniel Day-Lewis in Lincoln or the teenage Christian Bale in Empire Of The Sun, his films are full of incredibly complex and sensitive performances. Spielberg clearly likes to be popular. He also retains a child-like awe about the magic of cinema. That may sound trite but is one of his most distinguishing factors - he comes at movies from the perspective of the fan. He is willing to take creative risks - to tackle projects like Schindlers List or Munich that arent likely to be big crowd pleasers - but he always continues to make the popcorn movies too. In his work, Spielberg also continues to analyse US society and the American dream. He may once have had an apartment in the Trump Tower but his politics are a long way removed from those of The Donald". There is a strain of idealism in his work - a Frank Capra-like belief in decency and fair play. (Tom Hanks lawyer, standing up for the rights of the Soviet agent in Bridge Of Spies is the kind of American everyman that James Stewart would have played in an earlier era.) At the same time, he has touched on the darkness and paranoia in post 9/11 America in films like Minority Report and War Of The Worlds while also looking at the plight of the refugee in The Terminal. Tom Hanks as lawyer James Donovan in Steven Spielbergs Bridge of Spies (AP) Whats most startling about Spielberg is his relentless energy; he turns 70 at the end of the year, yet still seems like a filmmaker in the middle of his career. One prediction can safely be made - the older he grows, the more his reputation will rise. The BFG premieres at the Cannes Festival, 11-22 May. BFI Southbanks Spielberg season runs in June and July Get our free weekly email for all the latest cinematic news from our film critic Clarisse Loughrey Get our The Life Cinematic email for free Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the The Life Cinematic email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} The world is obsessed with who will step into Daniel Craig's shoes and take over the iconic role of 007, with the majority feverishly honing in on Tom Hiddleston; thanks to his suave, roguish performance as Jonathan Pine in the BBC's The Night Manager. Surely, he's top of the running; except there's one little problem here: Tom Hiddleston himself doesn't even think there is a running. Speaking to the Hollywood Reporter, the actor acknowledged; "It is a national obsession to talk about who should be the next James Bond. Everyone has an opinion about it basically. My belief is that Daniel Craig will do many, many more. As far as I'm concerned, he is James Bond." Though he meekly added, "But I should just take the compliment and smile and shrug." It's clear Hiddleston is merely keen for Jonathan Pine to be defined as his own entity, instead of being wrapped up in the idea it's merely a Bond audition broadcast on national television. "I actually think that there's a lot that divides them," Hiddleston says. "Bond is a trained killer with a 00 licence to kill, and Pine is at the beginning of his relationship with the Secret Service. I think in Daniel Craig's incarnation, Bond has become much darker, more haunted by his responsibilities in a way. I think Pine has always had that." Indeed, the entire intensity of the speculation is a little odd, considering Daniel Craig's yet to officially announce his departure from the role. Sure, thematically Spectre seemed to end with Craig's 007 taking leave of the service to live in peace and quiet. Sure, Craig has previously expressed the notion that he'd "rather slash his wrists" than revisit the role; but nothing's officially been announced, with his rep insisting the actor has not quit the franchise. So, really, Tom Hiddleston's guess is as good as ours. Sign up to Roisin OConnors free weekly newsletter Now Hear This for the inside track on all things music Get our Now Hear This email for free Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Roisin OConnors email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Belgian AC/DC fans are so against Axl Rose stepping in for frontman Brian Johnson at the bands upcoming gig that 7,000 ticket holders have requested refunds. The rock group are set to play the Festivalpark in Werchter on 16 May but after Johnson was forced to pull out of the tour with deteriorating hearing, many music lovers have lost the desire to go. Belgian newspaper De Standaard printed the following statement issued by concert promoter Live Nation: About 7,000 tickets were refunded. The released tickets were first offered to those on the waiting list. The remaining 6,000 are now on sale. Fans have been offered similar refunds for the 12 other dates on the tour, which kicks off in Lisbon, Portugal on 7 May and runs until 12 June. Concert-goers have until 5pm on Friday 6 May to request their money back. Reaction to Johnsons replacement has been widely negative, with AC/DC biographer Jesse Fink criticising the band for being all about the money now. Johnson issued an emotional statement at the time of his withdrawal, calling it the darkest day of his professional life. I am personally crushed by this development more than anyone could ever imagine, he said. The emotional experience I feel now is worse than anything I have ever in my life felt before. Fans became concerned when Johnsons bandmates then wished him luck in his future ventures in their own statement, forcing the groups lead vocalist since 1980 to clarify that he is not retiring. My doctors have told me that I can continue to record in studios and I intend to do that, Johnson said. For the moment, my entire focus is to continue medical treatment to improve my hearing. I am hoping that in time my hearing will improve and allow me to return to live concert performances. While the outcome is uncertain, my attitude is optimistic. Rose will head out on his Guns N Roses summer stadium tour following the run of dates with AC/DC. Johnson has not spoken to the press about his replacement but his close comedian friend Jim Breuer recently hinted that he feels kicked to the kerb by the band. Sign up to Roisin OConnors free weekly newsletter Now Hear This for the inside track on all things music Get our Now Hear This email for free Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Roisin OConnors email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Drake - Views - Island - 2/5 Download this: Still Here; Hotline Bling Drakes latest offering isnt improved by being heard straight after Anohnis: rarely has one man moaned quite so much about so little. Over 80 interminable minutes, the Canadian rapper appears to find no satisfaction in anything at all: in the opener Keep The Family Close, he blubs about someone who chose a side that wasnt mine, the first of an endless litany of autotuned complaints regarding his tiny world of rivals and girlfriends, the latter wooed and warned within virtually the same breath. Its not completely without merit - some of the backing tracks have a mesmerisingly entropic grip, as well they might, with 14 writer/producers involved in a single track - but the overall effect is utterly wearying, and unpersuasive: after all, only fools waste pity on the wealthy. Kacy & Clayton - Strange Country - 4/5 Download this: Strange Country; If You Ask How Im Keeping; Brunswick Stew; Dyin Bed Maker Kacy Anderson and her second cousin Clayton Linthicum irresistibly recall the work of Gillian Welch & David Rawlings on this second album, though the Canadian duos distinctive appreciation of traditional folk themes and modes owes just as much to British precursors, Linthicums guitar work on the title-track boasting the ebullient spring of Jansch and Renbourn, while the tone of fragility tempered with experience aligns Andersons vocal with the likes of Sandy Denny and Anne Briggs. Save for three traditional songs, Strange Country comprises brilliantly-wrought original material haunted by themes of uncertainty, lassitude, jealousy and spite, perhaps most strikingly realised in Brunswick Stew, where a pulsing drum lends fatalist momentum to a tragic tale of a pregnant daughters shame. Thomas Cohen - Bloom Forever - Stolen - 3/5 Download this: Honeymoon; Bloom Forever; Country Home As Thomas Cohens first album since the death of his wife Peaches Geldof, its inevitable that Bloom Forever should be tinged with tragedy. Any potential sensationalism, however, is dispelled by his decision to present the songs chronologically - so we get the languid Honeymoon first, followed by the birth of a son in Bloom Forever, before he returns to their Country Home to find her body, disarmingly wondering why werent her eyes covered and closed?. From there, the process of recovery shifts through numbness, melancholy and tentative hope in an admirably straightforward, touching manner that suggests Cohens previous tenure in edgy art-rockers S.C.U.M. was another world entirely. As does his musical mode on Bloom Forever, wielding watery vibrato guitars and lilting piano in an appealingly relaxed, retro style that recalls latterday Laurel Canyon laureate Jonathan Wilson. John Mayalls Bluesbreakers - Live In 1967:Volume Two - Forty Below - 4/5 Download this: Tears In My Eyes; So Many Roads; Greeny; Sweet Little Angel Recorded covertly in glorious mono by a fan at London clubs such as Klooks Kleek, this vividly atmospheric lo-fi album captures at its best the short-lived version of John Mayalls Bluesbreakers that featured Peter Green, John McVie and Mick Fleetwood, on the cusp of their formation of Fleetwood Mac. Green is clearly the ascendant star here: oozing emotion, his intro to Tears In My Eyes displays the touch and sensitivity that set him apart from the journeymen speed-merchants of 60s Brit-blues. The tracks are roughly split between Mayalls organ and bluesharp showcases, band rave-ups like Please Dont Tell, and Green showcases like his signature boogie instrumental Greeny: for many punters, this was the first time they were exposed to the blues, and they couldnt have been in better hands. Kel Assouf - Tikounen - Igloo - 4/5 Download this: Assoufenam; Europa; Ahile Lamma; Tikounen Its hardly surprising that, as a combo congregated in Brussels around Saharan musician Anana Harouna, Kel Assouf should have reached a deeper compromise with Western music than most Tuareg desert-blues outfits. But the results confirm the efficacy of musical crossover: the heavy, stoner-rock groove and stinging guitar of Europa, about Harounas decade of exile from his homeland, embodies that exile in European modes; while the undulating, spiky polyrhythms of Assoufenam sounds like some Beefheartian oddity from Trout Mask Replica, bulging with disciplined joy. Elsewhere, the familiar desert-blues elements - chants, handclaps, keening, and waspish electric guitars - are applied to themes from love and homesickness to camel-racing and identity, in sometimes striking lines: Give my regards to the revolution/Tell her that she flirts with anarchy. Allan MacDonald & Neil Johnstone - The Bruce 700 - Birnam - 4/5 Download this: An Ceapadh Eucorach; The Uprising; Bruces March; Lament; Saorsa Commissioned to commemorate the 700th anniversary of the Battle of Bannockburn, The Bruce 700 is another crossover work, in this case blending standard orchestration with pibroch, the classical form of bagpipe music. Its both artful - The Uprising punningly follows rising pipe scales - and packed with emotion throughout. The opening Overture is moving in itself, but when An Ceapadh Eucorach sweeps in, the effect of the massed pipes is quite overwhelming, picking you up by the ears and not letting you down till the closing Saorsa, where the massed choirs of Lewis add depth and power to the finale, joining strings, pipes, harp, saxophones, whistles and a huge batterie of percussion to build a Wall of Sound beyond Spector and Hadrian alike. Sign up to our free IndyArts newsletter for all the latest entertainment news and reviews Sign up to our free IndyArts newsletter Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the IndyArts email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo?. Hands up how many readers knew that what Juliet is actually asking in the famous balcony scene is not the whereabouts of her lover, but why he belongs to the house of Montague 'wherefore' meaning 'why'. Why are you Romeo and not somebody else? My hand can now reach to the ceiling thanks not to some scholarly BBC4 documentary on the Bard's use of Elizabethan language, but because I've been informed so by a knockabout new Ben Elton-scripted BBC2 comedy in the Blackadder mould. Upstart Crow stars former Peep Show star and ubiquitous panel-show contestant David Mitchell as William Shakespeare, attended at home in Stratford-upon-Avon by a Baldrick-like servant called Bottom (played by Rob Rouse), wife Anne Hathaway (Liza Tarbuck), daughter Susannah (Raised by Wolves' Helen Monks) and his parents (Harry Enfield and Paula Wilcox). But it's Mitchell who drives Elton's comedy, capturing the same asperity that Rowan Atkinson brought to the character of Edmund Blackadder. Or as BBC comedy commissioner Shane Allen puts it: He does a Ben Elton rant better than Ben Elton... his quiet fury is extraordinary. Mitchell's waspish, not-suffering-fools-gladly intelligence is on display when answering a question about whether or not the BBC is right to be making such a fuss about Shakespeare on the 400th anniversary of his death his reply worth quoting in full. We do anniversaries as a species, says Mitchell, just warming up. You could say let's celebrate things every 81 years, but we've gone with 100... it's base ten system and it's too late to go back on it. If we accept that premise, which I admit is random, then I think when that significant number has come round for the fourth time since the death of the greatest artist who has ever lived than that's one of the times that you do that.. Take that! But it is amazing, he continues in a calmer vein. Shakespeare is arguably globally the most significant creative figure and he's a random bloke from the Midlands. That's something for this country to mark and the BBC is a key broadcaster in this country so, of course, the BBC should do a big thing about it and it would be terrible if it didn't. David Mitchell with the cast of Ben Elton's laugh-out-loud Upstart Crow (BBC) The opening episode of Upstart Crow manages an informed but gag-rich pastiche of Romeo and Juliet, as well as referencing Shakespeare's sonnets and making jokes about the way female parts are played by men and boys (lady acting is illegal, as Mitchell's affronted Bard puts it), while making topical quips about the poor state of public transport and aristocrats rodgering dead animals - a risque joke they decided to keep after the studio audience gave it a massive laugh (a substitute line was apparently received in silence). If the news story [about David Cameron and 'Piggate'] hadn't broken that line would still have worked, says Mitchell. But there was the added pleasure of the prime minister violating meat. An allegation Cameron has of course denied. Access unlimited streaming of movies and TV shows with Amazon Prime Video Sign up now for a 30-day free trial Sign up The series was filmed at London's South Bank studios, just along the river, Mitchell notes, from the original Globe theatre. It's lovely to get to play scripts that are written for an audience to laugh at. Because it's something that happens less and less in television now because things get filmed single-camera and they're more realistic. We felt with Shakespeare as obviously a very theatrical figure, the more theatrical studio-sitcom form was justified and that allows a script written with gags that land. And that's a huge pleasure to play because you say the joke, people laugh, and it feels in your brain like you made it up yourself. And the guffaws come thick and fast as do obvious comparisons to Blackadder. We often thought when we were making it, says executive producer Gareth Edwards, that this was happening in the same world as Blackadder but several years later just down the road. It's coming from a similar parallel universe. It was a bugger to learn, says Mitchell of Elton's cod Shakespearean language. It's a bit harder, obviously, than things where you're just expressing things naturalistically. But at the same time it was great writing so I wanted to get it right. William Shakespeare's 400th anniversary stamps Show all 10 1 /10 William Shakespeare's 400th anniversary stamps William Shakespeare's 400th anniversary stamps Royal Mail/PA Wire William Shakespeare's 400th anniversary stamps Royal Mail/PA Wire William Shakespeare's 400th anniversary stamps Royal Mail/PA Wire William Shakespeare's 400th anniversary stamps Royal Mail/PA Wire William Shakespeare's 400th anniversary stamps Royal Mail/PA Wire William Shakespeare's 400th anniversary stamps Royal Mail/PA Wire William Shakespeare's 400th anniversary stamps Royal Mail/PA Wire William Shakespeare's 400th anniversary stamps Royal Mail/PA Wire William Shakespeare's 400th anniversary stamps Royal Mail/PA Wire William Shakespeare's 400th anniversary stamps Royal Mail/PA Wire In some ways Mitchell's Shakespeare is a long way from Mark Corrigan in the the ultra-naturalistic Peep Show, which came to an end last December after 12 years. In other ways especially in the acerbic asides there's no distance at all. The 41-year-old actor, who is married to Victoria Coren-Mitchell of the brainy TV quiz Only Connect (the couple have a one-year-old daughter, Barbara) is re-joining his erstwhile Peep Show co-star Robert Webb later this spring to film a pilot for Channel 4 called Back. Scripted by The Thick of It and Veep's Simon Blackwell, Back sees Mitchell playing the son of a recently deceased B&B owner, who on inheriting the establishment discovers a cuckoo in the nest in the form of Webb's character. In the meantime, if Upstart Crow is a success and on the evidence of the first two episodes there seems to be no reason why it shouldn't be then the furiously hard-working Ben Elton will no doubt pound out further series. What's brilliant about the way Ben has constructed this scripts is that they completely, to my mind, obey all the rules of sitcom, says Mitchell. He could add that they also deal with such British sitcom staples as class, with the striving central character, eager to restore the family name after the bankruptcy and social disgrace of his father, John Shakespeare, a former mayor of Stratford. In his own way, in other words, the Bard of Avon was as much a social climber as Hyacinth Bucket. One of the things that makes Shakespeare appropriate to this sitcom treatment is that he was an aspirant figure, says Mitchell. He was middle-class, he wanted to better himself, he had commercial as well as artistic aspirations. Something that Ben told is that he bought a coat of arms for his father, which is incredibly sort of nouv' [nouveau riche]... like getting a personalised number-plate. Upstart Crow begins on BBC2 on Monday 9 May at 10pm LOS ANGELESJohnny and Kissa Sins are headed to Mexico and theyre not going alone: theyre bringing along Morgan Lee and Veronica Rodriguez. This is all part of the Sins Life focus on shooting reality porn content and the foursome will spend nearly two weeks in Americas southern neighbor. For obvious reasons their exact location is being kept secret from anyone beyond the performers and crew. This is one of the most exciting projects I have ever worked on, Kissa said. I have had a great time putting this together and we havent even left the U.S. yet. I know Johnny, Morgan and Veronica are also eager to get started. Were going to have a blast! I cant wait to share it with everyone. Fans eager for new Johnny and Kissa action will be able to find the trailer for a new scene on several sites in the coming days. The scene features the couple with Karmen Karma. Its a hardcore deep throat insane scene featuring Karmen Karma, myself and Johnny and directed by Chris Streams, Kissa explained. The camera doesnt stop once. The moment Chris finished shooting he says, 'There goes a nomination!' The scene is killer. Sites which would like to feature the trailer should email [email protected]. Fans may wish to check out the new Sins merchandise site at ShopSinsLife.com, and follow Kissa and Johnny on Twitter and the pair on Instagram. Sign up to our free IndyArts newsletter for all the latest entertainment news and reviews Sign up to our free IndyArts newsletter Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the IndyArts email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Peaky Blinders series three will reach Netflix just three weeks after premiering on BBC Two. Steven Knights period drama, about a 1920s Birmingham gang who sew razor blades into the peaks of their flatcaps, will be available to stream on the US service from 31 May with a UK release date yet to be confirmed. Deadline reports that from that day, US fans will be able to watch all six of the new episodes at once, which could potentially put UK fans at risk of spoilers for the final two. Peaky Blinders stars Cillian Murphy in the lead as mob boss Tommy Shelby, with Helen McCrory, Paul Anderson and Sophie Rundle also in key roles. Tom Hardy returns as Camden Town gang leader Alfie Solomons, while Paddy Considine joins the cast as Tommys ominous new nemesis, Father Hughes. Series three opens on Tommys wedding day as he marries a mystery bride (will it be Grace, May or another woman altogether?). Soon the Peaky Blinders become caught up in an international arms deal with global impact, leaving Tommy caught between business and family. Peaky Blinders series 3 in pictures Show all 30 1 /30 Peaky Blinders series 3 in pictures Peaky Blinders series 3 in pictures Cillian Murphy as Peaky Blinders mob boss Tommy Shelby BBC Peaky Blinders series 3 in pictures Peaky Blinders is acclaimed for its stunning cinematography Peaky Blinders series 3 in pictures Annabelle Wallis as Tommy's new wife Grace Shelby Peaky Blinders series 3 in pictures Helen McCrory as the fearsome yet complicated Aunt Polly Peaky Blinders series 3 in pictures The Peaky Blinders, always meaning business Peaky Blinders series 3 in pictures Tommy Shelby dances with his new wife Grace in the series three premiere Peaky Blinders series 3 in pictures Cillian Murphy as Tommy Shelby and his young son Peaky Blinders series 3 in pictures Cillian Murphy looking dapper as Tommy Shelby at his wedding to Grace Burgess Peaky Blinders series 3 in pictures Tommy's bride was finally revealed in episode one of series three Peaky Blinders series 3 in pictures Helen McCrory returns as Aunt Polly Gray Peaky Blinders series 3 in pictures Alexander Siddig plays Polly's potential new suitor Ruben Oliver Peaky Blinders series 3 in pictures Oh to own one of these beautiful 1920s cars Peaky Blinders series 3 in pictures Harry Kirton as Finn Shelby Peaky Blinders series 3 in pictures Cillian Murphy as Tommy Shelby meeting Gaite Jansen as Duchess Tatania Petrovna Peaky Blinders series 3 in pictures Tommy Shelby has moved into the higher echelons of society but the corruption continues Peaky Blinders series 3 in pictures Harry Kirton as Finn Shelby Peaky Blinders series 3 in pictures Gaite Jansen as Duchess Tatania Petrovna Peaky Blinders series 3 in pictures Paul Anderson as Arthur Shelby with Cillian Murphy as his younger mob boss brother Tommy Peaky Blinders series 3 in pictures Paul Anderson and Cillian Murphy as Arthur and Tommy Shelby Peaky Blinders series 3 in pictures Tommy struggles to keep Arthur under control in the first episode of Peaky Blinders series three Peaky Blinders series 3 in pictures Ian Peck as Curley and Ned Dennehy as Charlie Strong Peaky Blinders series 3 in pictures Benjamin Zephaniah as Jeremiah Jesus and Jordan Bolger as Isiah Peaky Blinders series 3 in pictures Paul Anderson as Arthur Shelby at Tommy's wedding Peaky Blinders series 3 in pictures Helen McCrory battles with self-loathing as Polly Gray Peaky Blinders series 3 in pictures Richard Brake as intimidating new character Anton Kaledin Peaky Blinders series 3 in pictures Alexander Siddig as the charming Ruben Oliver Peaky Blinders series 3 in pictures Tommy Shelby orders the Peaky Blinders to behave themselves on his wedding day Peaky Blinders series 3 in pictures Tommy Shelby's mind is elsewhere at his wedding breakfast Peaky Blinders series 3 in pictures Jordan Bolger as Isiah at Tommy's wedding Peaky Blinders series 3 in pictures Sophie Rundle as the strong-willed Ada Shelby The first two series of Peaky Blinders are already on Netflix for anyone yet to catch up before jumping on the bandwagon. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} A 10-year-old hacker has been awarded thousands of dollars for breaking into Instagram a service hes too young even to sue. The Finnish security expert found a trick that would allow anyone to delete comments that had been left by users. The boy named as Jani in local reports that did not reveal his second name said that the hack allowed anyones comments to be deleted, even Justin Bieber. The hack wins the young expert $10,000 as part of Facebooks bug bounty programme. That hands out prizes to people who find flaws in the companys security so that they can be found and fixed. Jani is now the youngest ever person to win one of the prizes that Facebook gives out for hacking its products. He beats the 13-year-old who previously broke into a Facebook product. Facebook privacy settings you should know about Show all 6 1 /6 Facebook privacy settings you should know about Facebook privacy settings you should know about Change who sees your posts. Anything you post on Facebook - from a status update to a photo - can be given its own privacy setting. 'Public' means that the information can be found via Google, or you can create custom groups of friends (http://ind.pn/1bVJJ2H) to share info with. Remember: whatever setting you last choose will become default until you change it again. Facebook privacy settings you should know about Check what your friends are sharing about you. Sometimes it's not you, but your friends that give information away. Follow this link to see the information that your friends might be sharing with third party apps - http://ind.pn/1bVVar6. Click the 'edit' option to the right of 'Apps other use' and un-tick every category of info you don't want to share. There's also an option above labelled 'Apps you use' that lets you select which apps can use your Facebook data elsewhere on the web. Don't trust them? Click the little cross on the right. Facebook privacy settings you should know about Hide old posts. If you're keen to make your Facebook past more private, limiting who can see your old posts should be your first step. Follow this link - http://ind.pn/1bVK7hv - and click 'Limit The Audience for Old Posts on Your Timeline'. You can make all of these old photos and stats updates vieweable to the public, friends only, or just yourself. From this page you can also change who can send you messages and friend requests. Facebook privacy settings you should know about Create friend lists. Since September 2011 Facebook has let you create different 'lists' of friends in order to let you separate what your close buddies and your work colleagues see. Facebook can give you a head start by suggesting lists based on who you went to school with and where people live - and you can even choose to browse a News Feed populated only by a certain list. Follow the link below for a full guide: http://ind.pn/1bVPu0d Facebook privacy settings you should know about Limit adverts. Pages you like will sometimes be used by Facebook to endorse a product to your friends. If you don't wnat these to show up head to this page - http://ind.pn/1j6Mc2b - select "Pair my social actions with adverts for no one" and click Save Changes. Facebook privacy settings you should know about Check your profile. If you're still worried about which of your photos or posts are visible to people you can check what the public (or any specific individual) sees when they click on your profile. View your profile by clicking on your namem then click the cog in the bottom right hand corner of your cover photo, then select 'View as...' That means that he is the only person who has ever been given the award who is technically too young to use the service. Like Facebook, Instagrams terms ban anyone who is under-13 from being on it. Instagram debunked Jani and his brother are experienced at finding security problems in various piece of tech, their father told Finnish news site Iltalehti. But Janis Instagram hack is the pairs biggest yet, he said. Last year, Facebooks bug bounty programme saw it hand out $936,000 to 210 different researchers. Hackers are given more money for problems that are deemed high impact, of which there was 102 last year. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} A block on WhatsApp in Brazil has been lifted but Mark Zuckerberg has urged citizens to ensure it doesnt happen again. WhatsApp was taken offline for 72 hours after a dispute between officials and the company about reading peoples messages. It was the second time that the app had been made unavailable, and followed the arrest of Facebooks senior executive in the region over a similar argument about user data. The Facebook CEO demanded his companys service never get blocked again and urged Brazilians to take to the streets and ask for new legislation to stop further blocks. Mr Zuckerberg wrote a Facebook post urging people to gather at the Brazilian congress and ask for legislation that would keep WhatsApp and similar services from being banned again. "You and your friends can help make sure this never happens again, and I hope you get involved," Zuckerberg wrote on Facebook, in English. He also posted a link to a petition, calling efforts to block communication "very scary in a democracy." The suspension highlighted growing international tensions between technology companies' privacy concerns and national authorities' efforts to use social media to gain information on possible criminal activities. The same judge in Sergipe ordered the imprisonment of a Brazil-based Facebook executive in March in a dispute over demands to access the company's encrypted messaging service as part of a drug trafficking investigation. California-based WhatsApp had said in a statement on Monday that it was "disappointed" at the judge's decision to suspend its services. It said it had done the utmost to cooperate with Brazilian tribunals, but it did not possess the information the court was requesting. Gadget and tech news: In pictures Show all 25 1 /25 Gadget and tech news: In pictures Gadget and tech news: In pictures Gun-toting humanoid robot sent into space Russia has launched a humanoid robot into space on a rocket bound for the International Space Station (ISS). The robot Fedor will spend 10 days aboard the ISS practising skills such as using tools to fix issues onboard. Russia's deputy prime minister Dmitry Rogozin has previously shared videos of Fedor handling and shooting guns at a firing range with deadly accuracy. Dmitry Rogozin/Twitter Gadget and tech news: In pictures Google turns 21 Google celebrates its 21st birthday on September 27. The The search engine was founded in September 1998 by two PhD students, Larry Page and Sergey Brin, in their dormitories at Californias Stanford University. Page and Brin chose the name google as it recalled the mathematic term 'googol', meaning 10 raised to the power of 100 Google Gadget and tech news: In pictures Hexa drone lifts off Chief engineer of LIFT aircraft Balazs Kerulo demonstrates the company's "Hexa" personal drone craft in Lago Vista, Texas on June 3 2019 Reuters Gadget and tech news: In pictures Project Scarlett to succeed Xbox One Microsoft announced Project Scarlett, the successor to the Xbox One, at E3 2019. The company said that the new console will be 4 times as powerful as the Xbox One and is slated for a release date of Christmas 2020 Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures First new iPod in four years Apple has announced the new iPod Touch, the first new iPod in four years. The device will have the option of adding more storage, up to 256GB Apple Gadget and tech news: In pictures Folding phone may flop Samsung will cancel orders of its Galaxy Fold phone at the end of May if the phone is not then ready for sale. The $2000 folding phone has been found to break easily with review copies being recalled after backlash PA Gadget and tech news: In pictures Charging mat non-starter Apple has cancelled its AirPower wireless charging mat, which was slated as a way to charge numerous apple products at once AFP/Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures "Super league" India shoots down satellite India has claimed status as part of a "super league" of nations after shooting down a live satellite in a test of new missile technology EPA Gadget and tech news: In pictures 5G incoming 5G wireless internet is expected to launch in 2019, with the potential to reach speeds of 50mb/s Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures Uber halts driverless testing after death Uber has halted testing of driverless vehicles after a woman was killed by one of their cars in Tempe, Arizona. March 19 2018 Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures A humanoid robot gestures during a demo at a stall in the Indian Machine Tools Expo, IMTEX/Tooltech 2017 held in Bangalore Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures A humanoid robot gestures during a demo at a stall in the Indian Machine Tools Expo, IMTEX/Tooltech 2017 held in Bangalore Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures Engineers test a four-metre-tall humanoid manned robot dubbed Method-2 in a lab of the Hankook Mirae Technology in Gunpo, south of Seoul, South Korea Jung Yeon-Je/AFP/Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures Engineers test a four-metre-tall humanoid manned robot dubbed Method-2 in a lab of the Hankook Mirae Technology in Gunpo, south of Seoul, South Korea Jung Yeon-Je/AFP/Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures The giant human-like robot bears a striking resemblance to the military robots starring in the movie 'Avatar' and is claimed as a world first by its creators from a South Korean robotic company Jung Yeon-Je/AFP/Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures Engineers test a four-metre-tall humanoid manned robot dubbed Method-2 in a lab of the Hankook Mirae Technology in Gunpo, south of Seoul, South Korea Jung Yeon-Je/AFP/Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures Waseda University's saxophonist robot WAS-5, developed by professor Atsuo Takanishi Rex Gadget and tech news: In pictures Waseda University's saxophonist robot WAS-5, developed by professor Atsuo Takanishi and Kaptain Rock playing one string light saber guitar perform jam session Rex Gadget and tech news: In pictures A test line of a new energy suspension railway resembling the giant panda is seen in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China Reuters Gadget and tech news: In pictures A test line of a new energy suspension railway, resembling a giant panda, is seen in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China Reuters Gadget and tech news: In pictures A concept car by Trumpchi from GAC Group is shown at the International Automobile Exhibition in Guangzhou, China Rex Gadget and tech news: In pictures A Mirai fuel cell vehicle by Toyota is displayed at the International Automobile Exhibition in Guangzhou, China Reuters Gadget and tech news: In pictures A visitor tries a Nissan VR experience at the International Automobile Exhibition in Guangzhou, China Reuters Gadget and tech news: In pictures A man looks at an exhibit entitled 'Mimus' a giant industrial robot which has been reprogrammed to interact with humans during a photocall at the new Design Museum in South Kensington, London Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures A new Israeli Da-Vinci unmanned aerial vehicle manufactured by Elbit Systems is displayed during the 4th International conference on Home Land Security and Cyber in the Israeli coastal city of Tel Aviv Getty Matt Steinfeld, a Facebook spokesman, said WhatsApp executives were meeting this week with law enforcement and judicial officials in Brazil to improve communication and clarify that the company cannot see users' encrypted messages and does not store them after transmission. It was the second time in five months that WhatsApp in Brazil has been suspended. A Sao Paulo state judge ordered it shut down for 48 hours on Dec. 15, after Facebook failed to comply with an order. Another court lifted that suspension shortly afterward. Monday's suspension angered many in Brazil, where the service is used by individuals, companies and federal and local governments to send messages and share pictures and videos. Cost-conscious Brazilians are avid users of free messaging apps, and WhatsApp is by far the most popular - installed on more than 90 percent of Android devices. As some Brazilians sought an alternative messaging system, rival Telegram said on Monday that it suffered technical problems under the weight of demand. It said it received more than a million new user requests. WhatsApp encryption in 60 seconds Letacia Mendes, a 20-year-old shop assistant in Rio de Janeiro, said she was frustrated by the suspension because it could force people to use pay services. "It's really bad," she told Reuters. "It's just a way of getting more money out of us, when we already have to pay for so many things." The suspension came as a congressional commission on cyber crime in Brazil debated changes to the 2014 legislation governing the use of the Internet. Lower house deputy Esperidiao Amin, the rapporteur of the commission, said his proposed reform would help avoid shutdowns of this kind by allowing the blocking of specific individuals or IP addresses suspected of illicit activity, rather than the access of all users. "It's less dramatic than withdrawing the service from the whole of the Brazilian population," he said. Additional reporting by Reuters Stay ahead of the trend in fashion and beyond with our free weekly Lifestyle Edit newsletter Stay ahead of the trend in fashion and beyond with our free weekly Lifestyle Edit newsletter Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Lifestyle Edit email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} A Swiss school has announced plans to reward its non-smoking staff members with an extra weeks holiday for setting a good example to students. Staff at the Schillingsrain Schulheim institute near Basel, Switzerland, will receive five more days of annual leave than their smoker colleagues should the initiative go ahead. In a proposal submitted to school management, one head of department made the suggestion for the role model bonus, emphasising that setting a positive example to students was crucial in order to encourage them to stay healthy and take an interest in health education. The boarding school, which hosts children and teenagers with learning disabilities, says it places a strong emphasis on healthy and sustainable lifestyle and hopes the initiative will encourage smokers to quit. An employee at the school confirmed that the extra holiday was in the process of being discussed by management, but had not yet been implemented. According to figures published by Action on Smoking and Health (ASH), smoking breaks in the workplace cost the UK 6.5bn every year. Recommended Read more Mencap worker keeps job after controversial photo Amanda Sandford, a spokesperson for ASH, said the Swiss concept was a good incentive for staff to quit smoking. The school will benefit too from smoking staff members taking less time off sick, she added, since smokers are statistically much more likely to fall ill from coughs and colds as well as more serious conditions. It is thought to be unlikely the incentive will be replicated in the UK however, since the majority of schools already had a smoke-free culture in place. Stay ahead of the trend in fashion and beyond with our free weekly Lifestyle Edit newsletter Stay ahead of the trend in fashion and beyond with our free weekly Lifestyle Edit newsletter Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Lifestyle Edit email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Being friends does more for long-term survival of a couple than anything else. That is the finding of US psychologists, who say a close friendship is linked with both a sexually and emotionally satisfying relationship. Laura VanderDrift, assistant professor of psychology and one of the authors, said finding a partner who was "first and foremost a friend" was a good predictor of the long-term success of a relationship. "We found that valuing the friendship component of one's romantic relationship is important," she told The Independent. "It leads to better relationship outcomes over time, including a more satisfying relationship, a better friendship with one's partner, and even greater sexual satisfaction." The study, carried out at Purdue University in Indiana and published in the Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, was the first to link friendship to sexual outcomes to this extent. It surveyed 184 people who had been in relationships for 16 months or more and asked them what they valued most about their relationship. Among the options in the paper, which was called "On the benefits of valuing being friends for nonmarital romantic partners", were companionship, friendship, sharing new experiences together and sex. Those couples who said friendship and companionship were the most important factors had the highest satisfaction rates for the sexual side of their relationship. Dr VanderDrift said that couples trying to improve their relationship could solve several problems at once simply by focussing on being friends. She advised having more shared interests and "friendship-type experiences". "For people seeking help for their relationships, this could mean that focusing on the friendship shared in the relationship would benefit other areas of the relationship," she said. "For seeking a relationship, this suggests that finding a partner who is first and foremost a friend could confer myriad benefits." Looking for a relationship? Meet singles with Independent dating Stay ahead of the trend in fashion and beyond with our free weekly Lifestyle Edit newsletter Stay ahead of the trend in fashion and beyond with our free weekly Lifestyle Edit newsletter Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Lifestyle Edit email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} French learner drivers were confronted with a tough new theory and highway code test this week and failed en masse. Only one in six candidates passed the new test on its first couple of days of operation. Seven out of ten candidates, on average, passed a previous, much simpler examination in which the same questions appeared each time. As part of a drive to reduce road deaths in France, on the rise again after falling for 13 years in a row, the government devised a much tougher theory test with 1,000 possible questions. The subjects were widened to include how to drive more economically, first aid and how to spot vulnerable road users. As before, 35 out of 40 questions had to be answered correctly before French learner drivers could take their driving test proper. Although candidates merely had to choose one right answer out of two, the new test has proved a disaster. Only 16.7 per cent of candidates passed in the first two days after the new tests started on Monday. In some French departments, only 1 person passed. In some towns, no one passed. Obviously, we will have to rethink the questions, Frances road safety tsar or interminsterial delegate for road safety Emmanuel Barbe told Europe 1 radio. To reduce my petrol consumption, do I take my foot off the accelerator? A. yes. B. no

A question from the new French theory test

He insisted, however, that the results were not as bad as they seemed. The great majority of candidates narrowly failed to reach the pass target of 35 out of 40 questions, he said. The problem was partly caused by the failure of the government to issue new guidance and software in time to driving schools. Many candidates were poorly prepared, Mr Barbe said. He expected this to change rapidly especially since under the new rules candidates have to pay 30 to take their first theory test. Previously, they had only paid for a resit. Questions in the new theory test include the following. To reduce my petrol consumption, do I take my foot off the accelerator? A. yes. B. no. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} When the going gets rough, the 1 per cent start selling. Thats the finding of a new paper that says people with the highest income bailed from stocks disproportionately on the worst days of the financial crisis. The share of selling by the biggest earners rose sharply in days following spikes in volatility, according to data on millions of sales reported to the government in 2008 and 2009. Mapping selling patterns in periods of tumult is of interest to researchers trying to get at the psychological underpinnings of events such as the financial crisis, when more than $10 trillion was erased from US share values. Their main conclusion, that different people react with varying urgency to signs of trouble, could help identify behavioral biases that feed market meltdowns. Very, very high income people are disproportionately likely to sell a bunch of stock during a financial crisis, said Daniel Reck, a doctoral candidate in the economics department at the University of Michigan and one of the papers authors, said by phone. Its difficult to say exactly how much high-income people are responsible relative to everyone else, but theyre certainly contributing more to volatility. One explanation for the divergence is that rich people have more at stake per person and are more sensitive to shocks, though its only speculation, Reck said. Another is they believe theyre better market timers. A third possibility is that investors who earn less are reluctant to sell at a loss, a cognitive tendency known as the disposition effect. (Bloomberg (Bloomberg) For the study, researchers from Ohio State University and the University of Michigan examined about 273 million Internal Revenue Service 1099-B forms that record sales in stocks and mutual funds, comparing them with levels of gross income and plotting them against fluctuation in the CBOE Volatility Index. To control for the fact that rich people own more stock, the study focused on changes in the typical selling levels among income groups versus the years before the collapse of Lehman Brothers. We find that, starting in September 2008, the share of sales volume attributed to the top 0.1 per cent of income recipients and other top income groups rises sharply until the beginning of 2009, and in 2008 and 2009 the sales of these groups are relatively more associated with stock market tumult as measured by the VIX, they wrote. Specifically, according to the paper, a roughly 10 per cent increase in volatility correlated with a 3.3 per cent increase in sales volume for the top 0.1 per cent of earners, relative to less-affluent investors. When the VIX went up 25 per cent, proportionate selling by the ultra-rich rose almost 8 per cent. Using average selling levels by the various wealth classes, the authors estimated that the effect might have accounted for roughly $142 million of excess selling by the 0.1 per cent group on the day of Lehmans collapse alone, and $1.7 billion in the 10 days after what was then historys biggest bankruptcy filing. Other investor demographics, from gender to marital status to place of residence, showed no signs of being related to the volatility sensitivity of stock sales, the study showed. The stock market meltdown provided a special opportunity for the studys authors to explore which cross section of investors contributing most to selling pressure. The paper joins an expanding pool of research assessing the effect of wealth on investment decisions, and how different groups judge risk. The older view of the stock market is that prices move in response to news that arrives its not usually thought of as a large collection of individuals trading on slightly different information and having different reactions to new events, Reck said. Documenting this kind of heterogeneity will allow us to paint a fuller picture of how stock markets actually work. The paper, titled Who Sold During the Crash of 2008-9? Evidence from Tax-Return Data on Daily Sales of Stock, was co-authored by Reck, his fellow doctoral candidate Bryan Stuart, Michigan economics professors Stefan Nagel and Joel Slemrod, Ohio State accounting professor Jeffrey Hoopes and IRS research analyst Patrick Langtieg. Business news: In pictures Show all 13 1 /13 Business news: In pictures Business news: In pictures Flybe collapses Airline Flybe has collapsed. All future flights on the Exeter-based airline have been cancelled leaving more than 2,300 staff facing an uncertain future, and wrecking the travel plans of hundreds of thousands of passengers. The chief executive, Mark Anderson, said: Europes largest independent regional airline has been unable to overcome significant funding challenges to its business. AFP via Getty Business news: In pictures Future product placement will be 'tailored to individual viewers' Marketing executives say that product placement in films and televison shows on streaming services such as Netflix may be tailored to individuals in future. For instance, if data shows that a viewer is a fan of pepsi, a billboard in the background of a shot would host an advert for pepsi, while for a viewer known to have different tastes it could be for Coca-Cola Paramount Business news: In pictures Corbyn wishes Amazon a happy birthday In a card sent to Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos on the company's 25th birthday, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn writes: "You owe the British people millions in taxes that pay for the public services that we all rely on. Please pay your fair share" Business news: In pictures No deal, no tariffs The government has announced that it would slash almost all tariffs in the event of a no-deal Brexit. Notable exceptions include cars and meat, which will see tariffs in place to protect British farmers Getty Business news: In pictures Fingerprint payment NatWest is trialling a new bank card that will allow people to touch their hand to the card when paying rather than typing in a PIN number. The card will work by recognising the user's fingerprint NatWest/PA Wire Business news: In pictures Mahabis bust High-end slipper retailer Mahabis has gone into administration. 2 Jan 2019 Mahabis Business news: In pictures Costa Cola Coca-Cola has paid 3.9bn for Costa Coffee. A cafe chain is a new venture for the global soft drinks giant PA Business news: In pictures RIP Payday Loans A funeral procession for payday loans was held in London on September 2. The future of pay day lenders is in doubt after Wonga, Britain's biggest, went into administration on August 30 PA Business news: In pictures Musk irks investors and directors Elon Musk has concluded that Tesla will remain public. Investors and company directors were angry at Musk for tweeting unexpectedly that he was considering taking Tesla private and share prices had taken a tumble in the following weeks Getty Business news: In pictures Jaguar warning Iconic British car maker Jaguar Land Rover warned on July 5, 2018 that a "bad" Brexit deal could jeopardise planned investment of more than $100 billion, upping corporate pressure as the government heads into crucial talks AFP/Getty Business news: In pictures Spotif-IPO Spotify traded publically for the first time on the New York Stock Exchange on Tuesday. However, the company isn't issuing shares, but rather, shares held by Spotify's private investors will be sold AFP/Getty Business news: In pictures French blue passports The deadline to award a contract to make blue British passports after Brexit has been extended by two weeks following a request by bidder De La Rue. The move comes after anger at the announcement British passports would be produced by Franco-Dutch firm Gemalto when De La Rues contract ends in July. The British firm said Gemalto was chosen only because it undercut the competition, but the UK company also admitted that it was not the cheapest choice in the tendering process. Business news: In pictures Beast from the east economic impact The Beast from the East wiped 4m off of Flybes revenues due to flight cancellations, airport closures and delays, according to the budget airlines estimates. Flybe said it cancelled 994 flights in the three months to 31 March, compared to 372 in the same period last year. While the IRS data provided new means for assessing who unloaded equities during the crisis, it doesnt give a complete picture, the authors note. Absent from the numbers are share purchases, which would provide net selling data. Its also possible that people increase levels of selling from non-taxable retirement accounts during crises. So were people who sold during the 2008 rout guilty of a behavioral bias involving market timing or just good traders? Both could be true. Someone selling early in the plunge avoided at least part of the biggest equity wipeout since 1937, which saw the S&P 500 plummet 57 per cent. At the same time, holding stocks since the 2007 peak hasnt been a money-losing proposition. The S&P 500 has posted annualized return of almost 6 percent since the high point in October 2007. At this point its too early to tell whether market timing has been successful, Reck said. We have the data we know what they sold and we can tie it to historical stock prices. But right now, were not conclusive one way or the other. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Why are we asking this now? Campaigners have said that the controversial Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership is in jeopardy after 248 pages of the document were leaked. Greenpeace Netherlands, the charity behind the leak, says these documents make up two-thirds of the latest negotiating text, offering a glimpse at the contents of the deal that was previously kept behind closed doors. John Hilary, the executive director of War on Want, told The Independent that now the leaked texts are available, those behind the negotiations have no where left to hide. The gloves are off, and they know they are in for a proper fight," he said. Is it true the leak could spell the end for TTIP? Not if the European Commission is anything to go by. Cecilia Malmstrom, EU trade commissioner, said the headlines in response to the Greenpeace leak amount to a "storm in a teacup". "In the past year, the European Commission has opened up the negotiations to make our positions on all matters in the negotiations public. After each negotiating round, we publish round reports as well as our position papers and textual proposals. So the positions of the EU are well-known and nothing new," Malmstrom said. The European Commission has strived to make the TTIP negotiating process more transparent by publishing fact sheets for the many chapters of the deal. What's causing the problem? Reported have suggested that the leaked documents show the US and the EU have "irreconcilable" differences over issues including the animal testing of cosmetics, drug safety testing and the environment. The European Commission said the "consolidated texts" that have been leaked do not show outcomes of the treaty - just the consolidated position of the two sides. "It shouldn't come as a surprise that there are areas where the EU and the US have different views," Malmstrom said. Belgium: Anti-TTIP protesters rally in Brussels What will happen to TTIP next? The leak comes as senior politicians around Europe have distanced themselves from the controversial trade deal. President Francois Hollande announced this weekend that France will veto any TTIP agreement that could endanger the countrys agricultural sector. Meanwhile Germanys economy minister Sigmar Gabriel has also said that if TTIP collapses, US intransigence is the cause. Biggest business scandals in pictures Show all 20 1 /20 Biggest business scandals in pictures Biggest business scandals in pictures Volkswagen emissions scandal VW admitted to rigging its US emission tests so that diesel-powered cars would looks like they were emitting less nitrous oxide, which can damage the ozone layer and contribute to respiratory diseases. Around 11 million cars worldwide were affected. Getty Biggest business scandals in pictures Martin Shkreli and Turing Pharmaceuticals Martin Shkreli became known as the most hated man in the world after his drug company, Turing, increased the price of a 62-year-old drug that treated HIV patients by 5,000% to $750 a pill. He was charged with illegally taking stock from Retrophin, a biotechnology firm he started in 2011, and using it pay off debts from unrelated business dealings. Shkreli, who maintains he is innocent, and says there is little evidence of fraud because his investors didn't lose money. Biggest business scandals in pictures Panama Papers: Millions of leaked documents expose how worlds rich and powerful hid money - April 2016 Millions of confidential documents have been leaked from one of the worlds most secretive law firms, exposing how the rich and powerful have hidden their money. Dictators and other heads of state have been accused of laundering money, avoiding sanctions and evading tax, according to the unprecedented cache of papers that show the inner workings of the law firm Mossack Fonseca, which is based in Panama. Getty Biggest business scandals in pictures Google's tax avoidance Google reached a deal with the HM Revenue and Customs to pay back 130 million in so-called back-taxes that have been due since 2005. George Osborne championed the deal as a major success. But European MEPs have since called for the Chancellor to appear in front of the committee on tax rulings to explain the tax deal. Getty Biggest business scandals in pictures Rogue trader A French court cut the damages owed by rogue trader Jerome Kerviel from 4.9bn (4.2bn) to just 1m (860,000). The court ruled on that Kerviel was partly responsible for massive losses suffered in 2008 by his former employer Societe Generale through his reckless trades. Kerviel has consistently maintained that bosses at the French bank knew what he was doing all along. AP Biggest business scandals in pictures Barclays CEO under investigation for trying to identify whistleblower - Monday Paril 10 Authorities have launched an investigation into Barclays chief executive officer Jes Staley for trying to identify a whistleblower, the bank said on Monday. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and the Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) are both investigating Mr Staley after the bank notified them that Mr Staley had tried to identify the author of two anonymous letters, which were sent to the board and a senior executive in June 2016. Getty Biggest business scandals in pictures UK to crack down on bank money laundering after reports of 65bn Russian scam, City minister says - March 2017 The Economic Secretary to the Treasury has vowed that the Government will crack down on money laundering practices, after several of the UK's biggest banks were accused of processing money from a Russian scam, believed to involve up to $80bn (65bn). Reuters Biggest business scandals in pictures Former HBOS bankers convicted of bribery and fraud over 245m loan scam - February 2017 Two former HBOS bankers were among six people found guilty of bribery and fraud that cost customers and shareholders hundreds of millions of pounds, the BBC reports. Lynden Scourfield, 54, a manager at HBOS, forced struggling clients to use the services of his friends David Mills, 60, and Michael Bancroft, 73. In return, the two businessmen arranged sex parties, cash and lavish gifts. On Monday, the three were convicted at Southwark Crown Court on accounts including bribery, fraud and money laundering. Mark Dobson, another manager at HBOS, Alison Mills, and John Cartwright were also convicted. Getty Biggest business scandals in pictures Lloyds chief apologises for damage caused by affair allegations - August 2016 Antonio Horta-Osorio, the chief executive of Lloyds Bank, has broken his silence over allegations about his private life admitting he regrets any "damage done to the group's reputation". In a message sent to the bank's 75,000 employees, the banker said that anyone can make mistakes while insisting that staff had to maintain the highest professional standards. Getty Biggest business scandals in pictures Christine Lagarde faces court over 340m Bernard Tapie payment - July 2016 The head of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Christine Lagarde, must stand trial in France over a payment of 403 million (now 340m, then 290m) to tycoon Bernard Tapie, a France's highest appeals court has ruled. The court rejected Ms Lagarde's appeal against a judge's order in December for her to stand trial over allegations of negligence in her handling of the affair. Ms Lagarde could risk a maximum penalty of one year in prison and a fine of 15,000 euros if convicted. Reuters Biggest business scandals in pictures HSBC senior manager arrested in FX rigging investigation at JFK airport in New York - July 2016 A senior executive at HSBC has been arrested at New York's JFK airport for his alleged involvement in a conspiracy to rig currency benchmarks, according to reports. Mark Johnson, global head of foreign exchange cash trading in London, was reportedly arrested on Tuesday. He will appear before a federal court in Brooklyn on Wednesday charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, Bloomberg said. Getty Biggest business scandals in pictures Former PwC employees found guilty in 'Luxleaks' tax scandal - June 2016 Two ex- PricewaterhouseCoopers staffers were found guilty in Luxembourg of stealing confidential tax files that helped unleash a global scandal over generous fiscal deals for hundreds of international companies. Antoine Deltour and Raphael Halet face suspended sentences of 12 months and 9 months and were ordered to pay fines of 1,500 (1,230) and 1,000 (822) for their role in the so-called LuxLeaks scandal. Despite the minimal sentences, the ruling was described by Deltours lawyer as shocking and a terrible anomaly. The ruling puts on guard future whistle-blowers, Deltour told reporters.The LuxLeaks revelations sped beyond Luxembourg, causing European Union regulators to expand a tax-subsidy probe and propose new laws to fight corporate tax dodging, while EU lawmakers created a special committee to probe fiscal deals across the 28-nation bloc. Reuters Biggest business scandals in pictures Goldman Sachs dealmakers lavished Libyan officials with prostitutes to win contract - June 2016 A former Goldman Sachs dealmaker trying to persuade Gadaffi-era Libya to invest $1 billion with the investment bank procured prostitutes and invited Libyan officials to lavish parties in the hope of winning the business, the High Court heard on Monday June 13.The Libyan Investment Authority sovereign wealth fund is suing Goldman Sachs for inappropriately coercing its naive staff into giving its sovereign wealth fund cash to the bank to invest in products they did not understand. The products were designed to generate big profits for Goldman, the LIA claims.Goldman denies wrongdoing and says the LIA was treated as an arms-length customer Reuters Biggest business scandals in pictures Former boss of BHS said his life was threatened - June 2016 Darren Topp, the former boss of BHS, has said former owner Dominic Chappell threatened to kill him when he challenged him over a 1.5 million transfer out of the business. MPs on the Business, Innovation and Skills Committee asked Mr Topp about a 1.5 million transfer Mr Chappell made from BHS to a company called BHS Sweden. Getty Biggest business scandals in pictures Sports Direct founder Mike Ashley admits paying workers below the minimum wage - June 2016 Mike Ashley admitted paying Sports Direct employees below the minimum wage at a hearing in front of MPs. The company founder said that workers were paid less than the statutory minimum because of bottlenecks at security in an admission that could result in sanctions from HMRC. Reuters Biggest business scandals in pictures Mitsubishi admits improper fuel tests - April 2016 Mitsubishi has admitted to using false fuel methods dating back to 1991. The scale of the scandal is only just coming to light after it was revealed in April that data was falsified in the testing of four types of cars, including two Nissan cars. AP Biggest business scandals in pictures Quindell, the scandal-ridden insurance firm Quindell was once a darling of AIM but its share price fell in April 2014 when its accounting practices were attacked in a stinging research note by US short seller Gotham City. In August the group was forced to disclose that the 107 million pre-tax profit it had reported for 2013 was incorrect, and it had in fact suffered a 64million loss. Getty Biggest business scandals in pictures Toshiba Accounting Scandal The boss of Toshiba, the Japanese technology giant, resigned in disgrace in the wake of one of the countrys biggest ever accounting scandals. His exit came two months after the company revealed that it was investigating accounting irregularities. An independent investigatory panel said that Toshibas management had inflated its reported profits by up to 152 billion yen (780m) between 2008 and 2014. Biggest business scandals in pictures FIFA Corruption Scandal Fifa, football's world governing body, has been engulfed by claims of widespread corruption since the summer of 2015, when the US Department of Justice indicted several top executives. It has now claimed the careers of two of the most powerful men in football, Fifa President Sepp Blatter and Uefa President Michel Platini, after they were banned for eight years from all football-related activities by Fifa's ethics committee. A Swiss criminal investigation into the pair is ongoing. Getty Biggest business scandals in pictures Libor fraudster City trader Tom Hayes, 35, has become the first person to be convicted of rigging Libor rates following a trial at London's Southwark Crown Court. Hayes worked as a trader in yen derivatives at UBS before joining the American bank Citigroup in Tokyo. He was fired from Citigroup following an investigation into his trading methods. He returned to the UK in December 2012 and was arrested following a two-and-a-half year criminal investigation by the SFO. Getty What about the UK's position? In the House of Commons on Wednesday, David Cameron accused opponents of TTIP of using the issue of the NHS as a red herring to stand against "a trade deal that could add tens of billions to our economy and generate jobs". "There are plenty of reasons that people dont want to see trade expanded, I think they should be honest about it and say they dont like trade deals," David Cameron said. Cameron has publicly stated his support for the deal. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} The average council in England will need to pay more than 25 million a year to fund the Governments controversial right-to-buy extension, research has revealed. Shelter, a housing charity, said this corresponds to the sale of 23,500 council homes in the UK in just one year. The Government has said that a planned extension of its right-to-buy scheme will be funded by local authorities selling off their most valuable council houses. The money should then go towards people trying to get on the housing ladder by funding discounts of up to 103,900 for tenants seeking to buy their own home. But the plans mean each local authority would need to raise an average of 26 million to reach the 4.5 billion per year necessary to fund the extension of the right-to-buy, Shelter said. Shelters analysis estimated the value of council homes in each area that are likely to become vacant and compared it to the price per year needed by the government to fund the extension of right-to-buy. http://www.statista.com/ (Shelter/Statista) The association found that Birmingham is expected to be the area hit the hardest, with the council forced to raise 145 million per year from the sale of 1,190 council houses. Leeds and Southwark follow with the councils expected to raise 129 million and 122 million respectively. The Housing Bill also makes no commitment to replace the homes sold off like-for-like, Shelter said. This means that affordable homes in an area could be replaced by starter homes costing up to 250,000, or 450,000 in London. Campbell Robb, Shelters Chief Executive, said the Government decision to force the council to sell off huge swathes of the few affordable homes is "reckless". Inside the cheapest flat in London Show all 3 1 /3 Inside the cheapest flat in London Inside the cheapest flat in London A flat in Clapton, east London has been sold for 79,000 Inside the cheapest flat in London The advert on Purplebricks described it as an exceptionally rare opportunity for a first-time buyer, landlord or commuter seeking a bolthole to purchase a property in a desirable part of London for the same price as a high-end family car Inside the cheapest flat in London The tiny studio was sold after 36 people viewed the property and nine made offers The small number of lucky winners from this policy will understandably be grateful for the chance to buy their Housing Association property. Ultimately, far more people will lose out and be left with no choice but expensive, unstable private renting," Campbell said. The government is out of touch on this issue, and running out of time to help the millions of ordinary people crying out for a home that they can actually afford, he added. (Datawrapper/Shelter (Datawrapper/Shelter) Shelters report echoes fears raised by the Public Accounts Committee last week. The committee, which is made up of both Tory and opposition MPs, said the Government should provide a full analysis showing how this policy is to be funded, provide a clear statement of where financial and other risks lie, and spell out its contingency plan if its policies prove not to be fiscally neutral. It added that the Department of Communities and Local Government should also publish detailed data on how it intended to ensure that every home sold off would be replaced with a like for like social property. Where new homes are built in different areas, or are let at higher rents or sold as Starter Homes, the Departments policy of extending the right-to-buy could mean a long-term reduction in homes for social rent in some areas, the committee said. A Department of Communities and Local Government spokesperson said the Government made no apology for helping people into homeownership. Our voluntary agreement with housing associations will mean 1.3 million tenants will have the chance to own their own home, while every home sold will be replaced with a new affordable property, they said. The scheme is due to be rolled out across England later this year. Sign up for a full digest of all the best opinions of the week in our Voices Dispatches email Sign up to our free weekly Voices newsletter Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Voices Dispatches email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} The UKs reputation on the world stage for having some of the best universities is diminishing as Asian institutions gather pace, claims a new set of rankings. According to Times Higher Educations (THE) World Reputation Rankings, the UK has just ten universities in the complete 100 - down two on last year - while institutions from across Asia have managed to take up 18 places - an increase of ten on 2015. Recommended Read more How to get into an Oxbridge university Editor of the rankings, Phil Baty, acknowledged how the UK has lost ground, even though the country is still the second most-represented nation in the list of the most reputable universities, behind the US which dominates with 43 out of 100. Highlighting how seven of the UKs ten institutions are ranked in lower positions on last year, Mr Baty said: Even the countrys most prestigious institutions have slipped, with the universities of Cambridge and Oxford each dropping two places to fourth and fifth place respectively. The rise of Asia has become something of a cliche in recent times, but our evidence - from six massive global surveys over six years, including the views of more than 80,000 scholars - proves the balance of power in higher education and research is slowly shifting from the West to the East. Among the reasons for the UKs somewhat poorer performance, the editor cited the nations continued cuts in higher education funding, as the Higher Education Funding Council for England (Hefce) receives a 150m budget slash. As well as this, he said a series of immigration measures affecting overseas students and scholars could also be to blame for having an impact on the UKs global reputation. This, though, he cautioned, could yet be reversed, as he added: The UK will have to ensure it can still draw in talent and investment from across the world, and it does not lose its position at the heart of higher educations global elite. On the whole, Harvard University in the US has taken the top spot for being the most powerful global university brand for the sixth year in a row. The University of Bristol and Durham University are the two British institutions to have have fallen out of the top 100. Japans University of Tokyo is the highest-ranking outside of the US and UK in 12th place. China has broken into the top 20 for the first time with Tsinghua University placing 18th, and Peking University has taken a respectable 21st place. The 20 hardest universities to get into Mr Baty described how reputation is the global currency of higher education, and said: It may be subjective, it may not always be fair, but it matters deeply. The clear lesson is that we have a firmly entrenched elite group of six global university superbrands. The six - two from the East Coast of the US, two from the West Coast, and two from the UK - have topped the list, standing head and shoulders above the rest of the pack. Click here to see the complete 100 list NEW YORK, NY Nadia Ali will be embarking on a New York City media tour today, May 4, and tomorrow, May 5. The Pakistan porn star will be promoting her upcoming feature dance debut appearance at HQNYC, on Thursday at 10pm EST. Im so excited about coming to New York City and meeting my fans, and hopefully making new ones, says Ali. Its going to be a fantastic, hot time in the Big Apple! Nadia Alis media tour schedule is as follows: Wednesday, May 4 Fox News Live, in-studio interview at 11am PT / 2pm ET Refinery29 Taped interview at 1:30pm PT / 4:30pm ET Race Wars Opie Radio (Sirius XM) Live, in-studio interview at 4pm PT / 7pm ET Thursday, May 5 The Luis Jimenez Show LuisNetwork.com Live, in-studio interview 6am PT / 9am ET Thisis50 ThisIs50.com Taped interview at Noon PT / 3pm ET The Anthony Cumia Show AnthonyCumia.com Live, in-studio interview at 1:30pm PT / 4:30pm ET Show Off Radio with Statik Selektah Shade 45 (Sirius XM) Live, in-studio interview at 5:30pm PT / 8:30pm ET HQNYC is located at 552 West 38th Street (between 10th and 11th Avenues) in New York City. For more information, including VIP reservations, visit HQNewYork.com or call the club directly at 212-967-4646. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} The family of an autistic airport cleaner ridiculed by 50 Cent has accepted the rappers apology. 50 Cent faced a fierce backlash for mocking a 19-year-old, who has autism, Aspergers syndrome and a social anxiety disorder, and accusing him of being on drugs. In a since-deleted video shared on his Instagram page, the 40-year-old rapper could be seen poking fun at Andrew Farrell as he pushed cleaning supplies through Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport. 50 Cent has now apologised for the viral video he shared on his Instagram page and written a personal letter of apology to the family of Farrell. 50 Cent mocks teenager with disorder accusing him of being high on drugs The family have chosen to accept the apology. As requested we have received a letter apologising for 50 cents behaviour and we have chosen to accept it, along with a request that a donation be made to Autism Speaks, said his stepfather, Ken Kramer. Though a letter of apology will not undo what 50 Cent has put our family through, we are choosing to forgive." 50 Cent: 'I still have passion for music' Show all 14 1 /14 50 Cent: 'I still have passion for music' 50 Cent: 'I still have passion for music' 337814.bin AP 50 Cent: 'I still have passion for music' 337861.bin Getty Images 50 Cent: 'I still have passion for music' 337860.bin Getty Images 50 Cent: 'I still have passion for music' 337859.bin Getty Images 50 Cent: 'I still have passion for music' 337857.bin Getty Images 50 Cent: 'I still have passion for music' 337855.bin Getty Images 50 Cent: 'I still have passion for music' 337854.bin Getty Images 50 Cent: 'I still have passion for music' 337853.bin Getty Images 50 Cent: 'I still have passion for music' 337852.bin Getty Images 50 Cent: 'I still have passion for music' 337851.bin Getty Images 50 Cent: 'I still have passion for music' 337849.bin Getty Images 50 Cent: 'I still have passion for music' 337848.bin Getty Images 50 Cent: 'I still have passion for music' 337847.bin Getty Images 50 Cent: 'I still have passion for music' 337846.bin Getty Images In the controversial video, the rapper, whose real name is Curtis James Jackson III, asked whether Farrell was on drugs while at work. Look at him. What kind of s*** do you think he took before he got to work today? 50 Cent says. He high as a motherf****r right here in the airport. Pupils dilated the new generation is f***ing crazy. Recommended Read more 50 Cent faces backlash for mocking airport cleaner with social anxiety Dozens of businesses in Cincinnati are reported to have stopped selling Effen Vodka, the alcohol brand which 50 Cent promotes, after the incident. In his apology, 50 Cent explained that it was not his intent to insult them and wished them well in the future. While the incident at the airport resulted from an unfortunate misunderstanding, please accept my sincere apologies for offending you, it reads. This is not the first time 50 Cent has come under fire for remarks about people with disabilities. In 2012 the musician said to a fan, Just saw your picture fool you look autistic and told another follower he didnt want no special ed kids on [his] timeline. After receiving heavy criticism, he deleted the tweets and apologised for his remarks. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} A British actor who took out an injunction five years ago to prevent a tabloid from reporting on his alleged sexual activity with a former escort will reportedly be identified in the US today. The man secured the injunction in 2011 after High Court judges agreed it violated his right to privacy. A decision was made at a later date to allow the media to identify Helen Wood, a former sex worker and reality TV star who appeared on Celebrity Big Brother in 2014. The married actor allegedly paid 195 to have sex with Ms Wood. He was described by Lord Justice King in the initial hearing as a world famous celebrity. A report by The Sun claims he will be identified in a US magazine while the injunction remains in place in the UK, meaning he cannot be named by publications here. People news in pictures Show all 18 1 /18 People news in pictures People news in pictures 7 October 2015 Russian President Vladimir Putin takes part in an ice hockey match between former NHL stars and officials at the Shayba Arena in the Black Sea resort of Sochi. Vladimir Putin spent his 63rd birthday on the ice, playing hockey with NHL stars against Russian officials and tycoons EPA People news in pictures 6 October 2015 German designer Karl Lagerfeld (R) and model Cara Delevingne (C) appear at the end of his Spring/Summer 2016 women's ready-to-wear collection for fashion house Chanel at the Grand Palais which is transformed into a Chanel airport during the Fashion Week in Paris, France Reuters People news in pictures 5 October 2015 Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne addresses the Conservative party conference in Manchester. The Chancellor argued that reducing the payments to people in low paid jobs would give them economic security by reducing the Governments spending deficit Getty Images People news in pictures 4 October 2015 Cowboys captain Johnathan Thurston takes a moment in the centre of the field with his daughter Frankie Thurston, holding dark-skinned doll, after winning the 2015 NRL Grand Final match between the Brisbane Broncos and the North Queensland Cowboys at ANZ Stadium in Sydney. The image quickly became the talking point of Australias National Rugby League Final and provoked a strong reaction on social media, with many praising Thurston for giving his child a toy that promotes inclusiveness and diversity Getty Images People news in pictures 3 October 2015 Pope Francis gives a thumbs-up as he greets people at the end of an audience to the participants of a meeting organized by the "Food Bank" at the Paul VI audience hall in Vatican Getty Images People news in pictures 2 October 2015 Britain's Finance Minister George Osborne (L) throws an American football as he meets with former American football players Dan Marino (2nd R) and Curtis Martin (not pictured) at 11 Downing Street in London, ahead of the New York Jets playing against the Miami Dolphins at London's Wembley Stadium on 4 October Getty Images People news in pictures 1 October 2015 An honor guard opens the door as Russian President Vladimir Putin enters a hall to attend a meeting with members of the Presidential Council for Civil Society and Human Rights at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia People news in pictures 30 September 2015 Former Mrs America Lisa Christie, who alleges misconduct by Bill Cosby, holds up photos of her younger self during a news conference at the law office of attorney Gloria Allred in Los Angeles People news in pictures 29 September 2015 Matt Damon has defended himself against claims that he instructed gay actors to remain in the closet. He had said I think youre a better actor the less people know about you and sexuality is a huge part of that. Whether youre straight or gay, people shouldnt know anything about your sexuality but an appearance on the Ellen DeGeneres show said, I was just trying to say actors are more effective when theyre a mystery. Right? Getty People news in pictures 29 September 2015 Actor Marion Cotillard has said that there is no place for feminism in Hollywood. Speaking to Porter magazine, she saidFilm-making is not about gender/ You cannot ask a president in a festival like Cannes to have, like, five movies directed by women and five by men. For me it doesnt create equality, it creates separation. I mean, I dont qualify myself as a feminist." Getty People news in pictures 29 September 2015 Actor Paul Walkers daughter, Meadow, is suing Porsche over her fathers death in a lawsuit that claims he was trapped in the burning car because of design flaws and the seat belt. The Fast and Furious star was killed when the Porsche Carrera GT he was a passenger in hit a pole in California in 2013. The driver, his friend Roger Rodas, also died when the vehicle burst into flames. AP People news in pictures 28 September 2015 Robert Mugabe waits to address the United Nations General Assembly. The leader of Zimbabwe reportedly exclaimed 'We are not gay!' as he criticised Western nation's "double standards and attempts to prescribe new rights that are contrary to our values, norms, traditions and beliefs. In 2013 he described homosexuals as worse than pigs, goats and birds. Reuters People news in pictures 28 September 2015 South African comedian Trevor Noah hosts the first 'Daily Show' since taking over from Jon Stewart as host. Stewart had presented the US satirical news show since 1999 and was described by Noah during the show as a 'Political father' 2015 Getty Images People news in pictures 25 September 2015 Sir Elton John may have received a phone call from the real Vladimir Putin. Mr Putin's spokesman announced he had made contact weeks after the singer was duped by pranksters pretending to be the Russian President. Getty People news in pictures 25 September 2015 Actor Leonardo DiCaprio was mistakenly declared as the artist who produced the Mona Lisa by Fox News anchor Shepard Smith. It was in fact Leonardo da Vinci. People news in pictures 24 September 2015 A new biography claims Donald Trump expected to be dead by 40 and never marry. The Guardian says the a new book also claims that in 1980, Mr Trump manufactured a fake vice-president of his real estate conglomerate, whom he called John Baron. People news in pictures 24 September 2015 The Dalai Lama has said that Britain's policy towards China is just about 'Money, money, money.' And asked 'Where is morality?' People news in pictures 24 September 2015 Puff Daddy secured the number-one spot on the Forbes Hip Hop Cash Kings list, with the publication calculating he made an estimated $60million (39m) between June 2014 and June 2015. The report comes as five Supreme Court judges continue to consider whether an injunction preventing The Sun on Sunday from reporting on a celebritys alleged extra-marital activities should be lifted. The man, named in court documents as PJS, has been identified by publications in the US, Scotland, Australia and by a political blogger. They said they will return their decision as soon as possible but have not set a date. Supreme Court president Lord Neuberger said the court would take time to consider this matter on 21 April. Super injunctions 'untenable' The injunction remains in place until a decision is reached. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Over a celebrated career spanning six decades, Sir David Attenborough has issued warning after warning about the fate of humanity should it continue on its current path. While the gravity of his messages has been undeniable, few have actually had an effect on policy as a result. Speaking at the launch of his Natural Curiosities series at London Zoo in January 2015, Sir David addressed politicians directly. The veteran broadcaster spoke about the fate of humanity and outlined what he believes to be the biggest threat to human existence: climate change and political apathy towards it. David Attenborough: Life in pictures Show all 35 1 /35 David Attenborough: Life in pictures David Attenborough: Life in pictures 1957 David Attenborough with his three-year-old daughter Susan, as they cover their ears while sulphur-crested cockatoo Georgie lets out a piercing shriek David Attenborough: Life in pictures 1950 David Attenborough with his wife Jane Oriel and older brother and film actor Richard Attenborough at St. Anne's Church, Kew Green David Attenborough: Life in pictures 1955 David Attenborough, holding his son Robert, whilst looking at an animal called a coatimundi, brought home from the combined London Zoo David Attenborough: Life in pictures 1955 David Attenborough and Jack Lester, curator of London Zoo's reptile house, plan their next expedition to British Guiana with the help of Gregory the parrot David Attenborough: Life in pictures 1956 David Attenborough with six-year-old Michael Webb of Kingsbury pets a Capybara after Sir David had lectured to children on the 'Zoological Expedition to British Guiana' at the Royal Geographical Society in Kensington David Attenborough: Life in pictures 1957 David Attenborough, with wildlife photographer Charles Lagus, preparing to depart for New Guinea to make 'Zoo Quest' at London Airport Getty Images David Attenborough: Life in pictures 1958 Prince Charles with his sister Princess Anne meeting Sir David Attenborough and Cocky, the cockatoo brought back from his last Zoo Quest expedition, at the BBC Television Studios in Lime Grove, London David Attenborough: Life in pictures 1961 David Attenborough with two ring-tailed lemurs during a Christmas lecture at London zoo David Attenborough: Life in pictures 1963 David Attenborough with an armadillo from 'Attenborough's Animals' David Attenborough: Life in pictures 1965 David Attenborough after he was appointed the new head of BBC 2 David Attenborough: Life in pictures 1965 David Attenborough and Michael Peacock, Contoller of the BBC, with soft toy versions of Hullabaloo and Custard, the kangaroo mascots which were used as logos for the launch of BBC 2 David Attenborough: Life in pictures 1980 David Attenborough shows Charlie the Llama to schoolboy Patrick Flynn, the millionth child to attend London Zoo's educational lectures and tours David Attenborough: Life in pictures 1982 David Attenborough feeds orangutan David Attenborough: Life in pictures 1985 David Attenborough after being knighted by the Queen at an investiture at Buckingham Palace, London, with his wife Jane (right) and daughter Susan David Attenborough: Life in pictures 1985 David Attenborough signs his book 'the Living Planet' in a Sydney Bookstore in Australia 2004 Getty Images David Attenborough: Life in pictures 1986 David Attenborough with Queen Elizabeth II filming the Christmas Message in the Royal Mews at Buckingham Palace David Attenborough: Life in pictures 1990 David Attenborough poses for a photograph David Attenborough: Life in pictures 1995 David Attenborough watches nature during the filming of Natural Curiosities David Attenborough: Life in pictures 2000 David Attenborough and his wife at the Tate Modern Art Gallery opening party David Attenborough: Life in pictures 2002 David Attenborough with meerkat on his shoulder being filmed for BBC series Life of Mammals David Attenborough: Life in pictures 2003 A python greets Sir David Attenborough during a photo opportunity at Taronga Park Zoo in Sydney, Australia Getty Images David Attenborough: Life in pictures 2003 Sir David Attenborough holds a baby salt water crocodile during a photo opportunity at Taronga Park Zoo in Sydney, Australia Getty Images David Attenborough: Life in pictures 2005 David Attenborough poses with The Swan Hellenic Oldie of the Year Award at the 'Oldie Of The Year Awards' honouring veteran notables together with Britain's oldest celebrity superstars, at Simpsons in the Strand in London. Sir David Attenborough was announced as the Swan Hellenic Oldie of the Year at the 13th annual awards Getty Images David Attenborough: Life in pictures 2005 David Attenborough plants a Wollemei Pine at Kew Gardens in London Getty Images David Attenborough: Life in pictures 2005 David Attenborough signs copies of his latest publication Life In The Undergrowth, published in relation to the BBC One series, at the Natural History Museum in London Getty Images David Attenborough: Life in pictures 2006 Sir David Attenborough and Lord Richard Attenborough robe up, before they are awarded the title of Distinguished Honorary Fellowships from the University of Leicester at De Montfort Hall in Leicester Getty Images David Attenborough: Life in pictures 2007 Sir David Attenborough launches National Moth Recording Scheme at London Zoo in London Getty Images David Attenborough: Life in pictures 2008 Sir David Attenborough sits in The Queen's Gallery, Buckingham Palace in the Amazing Rare Things exhibition in London Getty Images David Attenborough: Life in pictures 2009 Prince William, Dr Michael Dixon and Sir David Attenborough host the opening of the The New Darwin Centre at The Natural History Museum in London Getty Images David Attenborough: Life in pictures 2011 Britain's Queen Elizabeth II speaks with naturalist David Attenborough during a special exhibition of artefacts from the Royal Collection and Royal Archives at Buckingham Palace in London Getty Images David Attenborough: Life in pictures 2011 Sir David Attenborough with the Specialist Factual award at the Philips British Academy Television Awards at the Grosvenor House in London David Attenborough: Life in pictures 2012 Sir David Attenborough poses with a floral sculpture of himself outside the Royal Botanical Gardens at Kew Gardens in London Getty Images David Attenborough: Life in pictures 2012 Sir David Attenborough at the UKTV Showcase held at the Saatchi Gallery in west London David Attenborough: Life in pictures 2013 David Attenborough during the filming of "Micro Monsters with David Attenborough," a series about insects David Attenborough: Life in pictures 2016 Sir David Attenborough attends the launch of the London Wildlife Trust's new Flagship nature reserve Woodberry Wetlands in London Getty Images When asked by the Independent if the world should be more concerned by our deteriorating environment than we are about the threat of terror attacks, his answer was simple: Yes. The nature of human beings is that theyd far rather face the disaster that is happening tonight than the one that is happening tomorrow, he said. Climate change will affect the whole of humanity, while terrorist attacks will only affect a small section of humanity. Of course, you wouldnt say that if you were related to someone who had been beheaded or blown up or murdered. But humanity is facing a very big, slow, long, drawn-out threat, and that is to do with the way the weather is changing and the size of the population. Recommended Read more David Attenborough reveals why gender equality is crucial in one quote Sir David reiterated his warning during an interview with the Associated Press to mark his 90th birthday on Sunday, when he explained the most critical problems facing the natural world today. Top of his list was rising temperatures caused by climate change - a very, very serious worry indeed. Children around the world today are going to inherit a very different world from the one I inherited one which is much more crowded and one which has more severe problems than anybody could have supposed, certainly when I was a child, he said. I believe that if we find ways of generating and storing power from renewable resources, we will make the problem with oil and coal and other carbon fuels disappear because, economically, we will wish to use these other methods. And if we do that, a huge step will have been taken toward solving the problems of the Earth. It remains to be seen whether politicians and world leaders will ever heed his advice. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Jeremy Corbyn's brother has said Ken Livingstones comments about Jews and Hitler were misunderstood and there was far too much sensitivity on antisemitism in the Labour Party. Piers Corbyn also referred to the relationship between the Nazis and Jews as complicated. His comments follow Ephraim Mirvis, the UK's most senior rabbi, saying the party had a severe antisemitism problem within its ranks. Mr Livingstone, former Mayor of London, caused a furore when he said Hitler supported Zionism before he went mad and ended up killing six million Jews. His comments have been widely criticised as historically inaccurate. Piers Corbyn is not a member of Labour, but has close associations with the party. He told the Evening Standard: I think Ken has been misunderstood, because he has been talking actual history which now looks incomprehensible. We cant understand now the context those things happened in, but there are numbers of historical documents around which seem to bear out some things bear out some things that Ken has said. UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 23 October 2022 Britain's former Chancellor of the Exchequer, Conservative MP, Rishi Sunak leaves from an office in central London AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 21 October 2022 Sculptor Peter McKenna puts the finishing touches to a pumpkin that will form part of the Planet A Hebden Bridge Pumpkin Trail in the West Yorkshire town PA UK news in pictures 20 October 2022 Britains Prime Minister Liz Truss delivers a speech outside of 10 Downing Street in central London to announce her resignation AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 19 October 2022 Salmon leap up Stainforth Force on the River Ribble in the Yorkshire Dales as they swim upriver to their spawning grounds during the annual Salmon migration PA UK news in pictures 18 October 2022 Just Stop Oil protesters continue their protest for a second day on the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge, which links Kent and Essex and which remains closed for traffic, after it was scaled by two climbers from the group PA UK news in pictures 17 October 2022 Hundreds of students take part in the traditional Raisin Monday foam fight on St Salvator's Lower College Lawn at the University of St Andrews in Fife PA UK news in pictures 16 October 2022 A protester holds a placard during a march into central London at a demonstration by the climate change protest group Extinction Rebellion AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 15 October 2022 A member of the public drags an activist who is blocking the road during a "Just Stop Oil" protest, in London, Britain REUTERS UK news in pictures 14 October 2022 Germanys Womens double skulls during day one of the World Rowing Beach Sprint Finals at Saundersfoot beach, Pembrokeshire PA UK news in pictures 13 October 2022 Family and mourners arrive at St Michael's Church, in Creeslough, for the funeral mass of 49-year-old mother of four Martina Martin, who died following an explosion at the Applegreen service station in the village of Creeslough in Co Donegal on Friday PA UK news in pictures 12 October 2022 Motorists in Coventry pass trees showing autumnal colour PA UK news in pictures 11 October 2022 A woman and her dog in the the North Sea at Tynemouth Longsands beach before sunrise PA UK news in pictures 10 October 2022 Police officers remove a campaigner from a Just Stop Oil protest on The Mall, near Buckingham Palace, London PA UK news in pictures 9 October 2022 A drummer plays during the Diwali on the Square celebration, in Trafalgar Square, London PA UK news in pictures 8 October 2022 Timothee Chalamet attending the UK premiere of Bones and All during the BFI London Film Festival 2022 at the Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre, London PA UK news in pictures 7 October 2022 Two young male fallow deer lock antlers in Dublins Phoenix park as rutting season begins PA UK news in pictures 6 October 2022 The Princess of Wales during a cocktail making competition during a visit to Trademarket, a new outdoor street-food and retail market situated in Belfast city centre, as part of the royal visit to Northern Ireland PA UK news in pictures 5 October 2022 Greenpeace protesters interrupt Prime Minister Liz Truss as she delivers her keynote speech to the Conservative Party annual conference PA UK news in pictures 4 October 2022 Prime Minister Liz Truss and Britains Chancellor of the Exchequer Kwasi Kwarteng wearing hard hats and hi-vis jackets, visit a construction site for a medical innovation campus in Birmingham AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 3 October 2022 British artist Sam Cox, aka Mr Doodle, reveals the Doodle House, a twelve-room mansion at Tenterden, in Kent, which has been covered, inside and out in the artist's trademark monochrome, cartoonish hand-drawn doodles PA UK news in pictures 2 October 2022 Erling Haaland celebrates after scoring Manchester City's second goal against Manchester United at Etihad Stadium. Haaland went on to score a hattrick, his third of the season in the Premier League. City beat United 6-3. Manchester City FC/Getty UK news in pictures 1 October 2022 Protesters hold up flags and placards at a protest in London. A variety of protest groups including Enough is Enough, Don't Pay and Just Stop Oil all demonstrated on the day AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 30 September 2022 British Prime Minister Liz Truss, who has not been seen in days, leaves the back of Downing Street after a meeting with Office For Budget Responsibility following the release of her governments mini-budget Getty UK news in pictures 29 September 2022 The Virginia creeper foliage on the Tu Hwnt i'r Bont (Beyond the Bridge) Llanwrst, Conwy North Wales, has changed colour from green to red in at the start of Autumn. The building was built in 1480 as a residential dwelling but has been a tearoom for over 50 years PA UK news in pictures 28 September 2022 Criminal barristers from the Criminal Bar Association (CBA), demonstrates outside the Royal Courts of Justice in London, as part of their ongoing pay row with the Government PA UK news in pictures 27 September 2022 David White, Garter King of Arms, poses with an envelope franked with the new cypher of King Charles III 'CIIIR', after it was printed in the Court Post Office at Buckingham Palace in central London AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 26 September 2022 A gallery staff member poses next to a painting by Lucian Freud - Self-portrait (Fragment), 1956 - on show at a photocall for the Credit Suisse exhibition - Lucian Freud: New Perspectives at the National Gallery in London PA UK news in pictures 25 September 2022 Labour leader, Sir Keir Starmer is interviewed by Laura Kuenssberg in Liverpool before the start of the Labour Party annual Conference which he opened with a tribute to Queen Elizabeth II and sang the national anthem PA UK news in pictures 24 September 2022 Handout photo issued by Buckingham Palace of the ledger stone at the King George VI Memorial Chapel, St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle PA UK news in pictures 23 September 2022 A climate change activist protests against UK private jets while lighting his right arm on fire during the Laver Cup tennis tournament at the O2 Arena in London EPA UK news in pictures 22 September 2022 Woody Woodmansey, Lee Bennett, Kevin Armstrong, Nick Moran and Clifford Slapper attend the unveiling of a stone for David Bowie on the Music Walk of Fame at Camden, north London PA UK news in pictures 21 September 2022 A flock of birds in the sky as the sun rises over Dungeness in Kent PA UK news in pictures 20 September 2022 Flowers which were laid by members of the public in tribute to Queen Elizabeth II at Hillsborough Castle in Northern Ireland are collected by the Hillsborough Gardening Team and volunteers to be replanted for those that can be saved or composted PA UK news in pictures 19 September 2022 The ceremonial procession of the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II travels down the long walk as it arrives at Windsor Castle for the committal service at St Georges Chapel AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 18 September 2022 A man stands among campers on The Mall ahead of the Queens funeral Reuters UK news in pictures 17 September 2022 Wolverhampton Wanderers Nathan Collins fouls Manchester Citys Jack Grealish leading to a red card. City went on to win the match at Molineux Stadium three goals to nil. Action Images/Reuters UK news in pictures 16 September 2022 Members of the public stand in the queue near Tower Bridge, and opposite the Tower of London, as they wait in line to pay their respects to the late Queen Elizabeth II, in London AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 15 September 2022 Members of the public in the queue on in Potters Fields Park, central London, as they wait to view Queen Elizabeth II lying in state ahead of her funeral on Monday PA UK news in pictures 14 September 2022 The first members of the public pay their respects as the vigil begins around the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II in Westminster Hall, London, where it will lie in state ahead of her funeral on Monday PA UK news in pictures 13 September 2022 Crowds cheer as King Charles III and Camilla, Queen Consort arrive for a visit to Hillsborough Castle Getty UK news in pictures 12 September 2022 Crowds line the Royal Mile, Edinburgh, as King Charles III joins a procession from the Palace of Holyroodhouse to St Giles Cathedral following the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II Katielee Arrowsmith/SWNS UK news in pictures 11 September 2022 Members of the Public pay their respects as the hearse carrying the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II, draped in the Royal Standard of Scotland, is driven through Ballater AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 10 September 2022 Britain's Prince William, Prince of Wales, Britain's Catherine, Princess of Wales, Britain's Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, Britain's Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, wave at well-wishers on the Long walk at Windsor Castle AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 9 September 2022 King Charles III and Camilla, Queen Consort wave after viewing floral tributes to the late Queen Elizabeth II outside Buckingham Palace Getty UK news in pictures 8 September 2022 A screen commemorating Britain's Queen Elizabeth II in Piccadilly Circus, London Britain EPA UK news in pictures 7 September 2022 Police officers stand guard after Animal Rebellion activists threw paint on the walls and road outside the Houses of Parliament in protest, in London, Britain Reuters UK news in pictures 6 September 2022 Queen Elizabeth II welcomes Liz Truss during an audience at Balmoral, Scotland, where she invited the newly elected leader of the Conservative party to become Prime Minister and form a new government PA UK news in pictures 5 September 2022 Visitors at the PoliNations garden in Victoria Square, Birmingham, which is made up of five 40ft high tree installations and over 6,000 plants. The PoliNations programme aims to explore how migration and cross-pollination have shaped the UKs gardens and culture PA UK news in pictures 4 September 2022 Undergraduates at the University of St Andrews take part in the traditional Pier Walk along the harbour walls of St Andrews before the start of the new academic year PA UK news in pictures 3 September 2022 The Massed Pipes and Drums parade during the Braemar Highland Gathering at the Princess Royal and Duke of Fife Memorial Park PA But theyve been taken out of context. He refused to deny Mr Livingstones comments were antisemitic, but added: You have to look into the whole history of what happened in Germany. The relationship between Nazis and the Jews, and Russia, have been complicated and there have been serious alliances, or mutual supports, or dealings which are difficult to understand now. But there have been arrangements that went on, or certainly some type of understandings going on between Hitler and Zionists. He also retweeted a message supportive of Livingstone which said No one with an iota of fairness wud consider #KenL remarks anti-semitic- unless pandering to #Israel [sic]. (Twitter/JShk3 (Twitter/JShk3) He said he wasnt totally informed with everything that was going on and didnt necessarily agree with everything he retweeted, but said to the Standard: I think people should certainly see that comment. Sign up for a full digest of all the best opinions of the week in our Voices Dispatches email Sign up to our free weekly Voices newsletter Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Voices Dispatches email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} A human embryo has been grown in a laboratory for twice the length of time than was previously possible in a breakthrough that could revolutionise medicine but also raises fresh ethical questions about when life begins. Since scientists first fertilised an embryo in a test tube in 1969, they have never managed to keep one alive for long after the point at which the foetus implants in the womb, normally about seven days. However researchers at Cambridge University have now grown embryos for 13 days -- a process they only stopped to avoid breaking the current legal limit of about 14 days. The ability to observe a human embryo as it grows during this most enigmatic and mysterious stage of life in a lab should shed new light on genetic diseases and disabilities. And it could help improve the dismal failure rate of IVF embryos -- currently up to 70 per cent do not successfully implant and lead to better understanding of miscarriages. Recent scientific discoveries that will change how you see the world Show all 14 1 /14 Recent scientific discoveries that will change how you see the world Recent scientific discoveries that will change how you see the world 1. Bowhead whale genome, linked to cancer resistance, DNA damage repair and increased longevity, mapped by scientists In a UK-based study, scientists working together with scientists in Alaska, Denmark, Ireland, Spain and South Korea successfully mapped the genome of the bowhead whale - the longest-living mammal - identifying a number of genes that are linked to cancer resistance, DNA damage repair and increased longevity. PA Recent scientific discoveries that will change how you see the world 2. Researchers develop 'imaginary meal' pill An 'imaginary meal' pill called fexaramine has been developed by researchers at the Salk's Gene Expression Laboratory. Recent scientific discoveries that will change how you see the world 3. Scientists prolong lifespan of flies Scientists at the Institute of Cell Biology, in Switzerland, have successfully managed to prolong the lifespan of flies, activating a gene that destroys unhealthy cells. Recent scientific discoveries that will change how you see the world 4. Green tea can help cure oral cancer Green tea can help kill off cancerous cells, say researchers. Recent scientific discoveries that will change how you see the world 5. Mars once had a large ocean covering a large portion of its northern hemisphere Almost half of the northern hemisphere of Mars was once covered by a large ocean that held 20 million cubic kilometres of water: more than the Artic Ocean. Recent scientific discoveries that will change how you see the world 6. Offices playing natural sounds can boost worker moods and improve cognitive abilities Researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute learned that offices which play natural sounds such as ocean waves, trees and bird calls can boost the moods of workers and improve their cognitive abilities, as well as providing privacy (by masking speech). Recent scientific discoveries that will change how you see the world 7. Impact glass may exist on Mars Brown University researchers found that spectral signals indicate the existence of impact glass on the surface of Mars, with specific deposits conserved in craters. Recent scientific discoveries that will change how you see the world 8. Fathers experience weight gain Fathers have been found to experience weight gain and a rise in their body mass index (BMI), according to a research conducted by Northwestern Universitys Feinberg School of Medicine. The study, which followed over 10,000 men throughout a 20 year period, also revealed that the men who didnt become fathers actually lost weight. Recent scientific discoveries that will change how you see the world 9. Scientists create intelligent mice that do not experience fear or anxiety Scientists participating in a joint University of Leeds and Mount Sinai Hospital study managed to alter a gene within mice; improving their intelligence and reducing their ability to feel anxious or fear. The discovery could prove instrumental in research into age-related cognitive decline, such as Alzheimers or schizophrenia. Recent scientific discoveries that will change how you see the world 10. Paralysed man walks again The brain-computer interface system will be improved by developing an implantable version, say experts A 26-year-old male who had suffered a spinal cord injury which had paralysed him from the waist down was given the ability to walk again by scientists, who rerouted brain waves to electrodes on his knees. The doctors responsible said that he was the first person with paraplegia caused by a spinal injury given the ability to walk without relying on manually controlled robotic limbs. Recent scientific discoveries that will change how you see the world 11. Virtual reality can revolutionise healthcare Cardiologists at the Institute of Cardiology in Poland have successfully used virtual reality to restore blood flow to a blocked artery, leading the way for it to revolutionise certain aspects of healthcare, in surgical procedures and during training. Using wearable virtual reality equipment, similar to that of Google Glass, developed specifically for the surgical procedure, doctor completed the difficult procedur Recent scientific discoveries that will change how you see the world 12. Puppies born by IVF in the US After years of failed attempts, scientists at Cornell University successfully bred the world's first puppies born through IVF, allowing for research into the conservation of endangered breeds and protection of those that are at risk of disease. Recent scientific discoveries that will change how you see the world 13. Cancer is caused by environmental factors Research into the causes of cancer concluded that, on the whole, it is due to environmental factors, not, as was previously thought, bad luck. Recent scientific discoveries that will change how you see the world 14. Fusion reactors could become economically viable Researchers at Durham University and the Oxfordshire Culham Centre for Fusion Energy have found fusion reactors could become economically viable ways of generating electricity in just a few decades, telling politicians and policy makers to begin the process of planning for their introduction and the replacement of nuclear power stations. Analysis by these researchers has found that the costs associated with fusion power shows its feasibility, when compared with traditional fission reactors, generating electricity at a similar price. Greater knowledge of our early embryonic development might also hasten the arrival of one of the medical worlds greatest hopes: regenerative medicine using stem cells. These can turn into any different kind of cell and doctors believe they could one day be used to treat Alzheimers, heart disease and a host of other conditions. The breakthrough immediately led to calls for the Government to consider extending the legal limit, but such a move would be hugely controversial. About 14 days the limit is also linked to biological changes -- was chosen in the 1980s because it was deemed to be the point at which individuality is assigned as twins do not develop after this point. Professor Magdalena Zernicka-Goetz, one of the lead researchers, stressed the benefits of being able to observe an embryo up to 13 days. We can now, for the very first time, study human development at this very critical time, the time of implantation, she said. It is really most enigmatic and mysterious stage of our own development. The research raises ethical questions, Professor Magdalena Zernicka-Goetz admitted Implantation is a milestone in human development as it is from this stage onwards that the embryo really begins to take shape and the overall body plan is decided. It is also the stage of pregnancy at which many developmental defects can become acquired. But until now, it has been impossible to study this in human embryos. "This new technique provides us with a unique opportunity to get a deeper understanding of our own development during these crucial stages and help us understand what happens, for example, during miscarriage. It had been absolutely unbelievable, she said, to see the amazing, self-organising ability of the cells. They have to talk to themselves and together they make something more beautiful, Professor Zernicka-Goetz said. Development of a day 5 human embryo But she accepted the research raised ethical questions, particularly how far we can go? I think that longer cultures [of embryos] could provide absolutely critical information for basic human biology. They can improve IVF success, they can improve stem cell differentiation, so this is very important, she said. But this would raise the next question, where should we put the next limit? I think this is really not my place to say, one way or the other. "Even if I believe theres a scientific case for it, [the decision] should be taken with other scientists, ethicists and the general public. Professor Zernicka-Goetz added that she thought they might only be technically able to grow an embryo for perhaps a day past the limit and dismissed suggestions that it could lead to the lab-based creation of human life. Theres no way to grow [even] a mouse outside the womb. Its really just science fiction, its not possible, she said. Development of a day 9 human embryo This point was echoed by Professor Allan Pacey, of Sheffield University, who was not involved in the research. "It will not open the door to couples being able to grow babies in the laboratory; this is not the dawn of a Brave New World scenario," he said. "But it does open up exciting opportunities to understand the nature of human disease and disability and for that reason the scientists involved should be congratulated." Professor Robin Lovell-Badge, a leading geneticist and stem cell expert, said there should be a public debate about the 14-day limit. He suggested it could be extended only slightly to allow scientists to study a key process in embryonic development called gastrulation. We dont need to take it beyond that, but just that few days [after 14] would be useful, he said. I think you could do a lot of valuable research. Other scientists are arguing for maybe just a couple more days, maybe a week. "Proposing to extend the 14-day limit might be opening a can of worms, but would it lead to Pandoras box or a treasure chest of valuable information ? This is not a question to be left to scientists alone. Religious figures expressed concern about how any new limit would be set. The Rev Dr Brendan McCarthy, the Church of England's national adviser on medical ethics, welcomed the scientists' calls for a debate. But he added: "The present limit recognises the importance of the emergence of the primitive streak heralding the beginning of neural development. "If the beginnings of neural development do not provide a watershed for research, it is difficult to see where else the limit might be placed in order properly to respect the developing human embryo and foetus. However Professor David Jones, director of the Roman Catholic Anscombe Bioethics Centre, described the 14-day limit as "completely arbitrary" and pointed out abortions were legal up to 24 weeks. He said it was likely that a scientist somewhere in the world would now go further than the Cambridge team. "In the future this may even be seen as the first step towards culturing babies outside the womb, where the child is not only conceived outside the protection of his or her mother's body but no such protection is even envisaged at any stage," said Professor Jones, who opposes any research on human embryos. "Human life and human pregnancy should not be separated in this way. On a technical level it is a scientific breakthrough but it is also a further step away from humane and ethical science and a further step towards an increasingly inhuman future." The Nuffield Council on Bioethics has already decided to hold a meeting of experts "to evaluate whether, after 25 years, there may be persuasive reasons to review this legal limit or whether the reasons for its introduction remain sound". "The Council has agreed to explore whether arguments for reviewing the 14-day limit are gaining force," it said, "in the expectation that any move to review this limit will be likely to generate significant moral controversy and would require careful analysis." The research was reported in the journals Nature and Nature Cell Biology. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Two police officers have been fired over failing to protect a disabled refugee who was murdered by a misguided vigilante. PC Leanne Winter and PC Helen Harris have been dismissed without notice by Avon & Somerset Constabulary over their conduct in the case of Bijan Ebrahimi - who had complained he was being threatened by a man who would go on to kill him three days later. Mr Ebrahimi was punched and kicked to death and his body set on fire by neighbour Lee James outside his Bristol home in July 2013. James was jailed for life in November 2013. A police complaint was filed against Mr Ebrahimi in the days before his death alleging that he had been taking pictures of neighbourhood children. Police arrested him and examined his camera and computer but found nothing suspicious. He was released without charge, but was not given any protection. Mr Ebrahimi made several calls to the police in the 48 hours before his death, but they went unanswered. It comes after another police officer and a community officer from the force were jailed over their role in the affair in February. Bijan Ebrahimi with PC Helen Harris in a police cell after being accused of paedophilia PC Kevin Duffy was sentenced to ten months and PCSO Andrew Passmore was given four months after being found guilty of misconduct in a public office. PC Winter and PC Harris stood trial alongside them but were acquitted. Bristol Crown Court heard how Duffy, who had had dealings with Mr Ebrahimi for six years before his death, considered him to be a timewaster and told a dispatcher he had no intention of taking any calls from Bijan Ebrahimi I will speak to him at my convenience. UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 21 October 2022 Sculptor Peter McKenna puts the finishing touches to a pumpkin that will form part of the Planet A Hebden Bridge Pumpkin Trail in the West Yorkshire town PA UK news in pictures 20 October 2022 Britains Prime Minister Liz Truss delivers a speech outside of 10 Downing Street in central London to announce her resignation AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 19 October 2022 Salmon leap up Stainforth Force on the River Ribble in the Yorkshire Dales as they swim upriver to their spawning grounds during the annual Salmon migration PA UK news in pictures 18 October 2022 Just Stop Oil protesters continue their protest for a second day on the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge, which links Kent and Essex and which remains closed for traffic, after it was scaled by two climbers from the group PA UK news in pictures 17 October 2022 Hundreds of students take part in the traditional Raisin Monday foam fight on St Salvator's Lower College Lawn at the University of St Andrews in Fife PA UK news in pictures 16 October 2022 A protester holds a placard during a march into central London at a demonstration by the climate change protest group Extinction Rebellion AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 15 October 2022 A member of the public drags an activist who is blocking the road during a "Just Stop Oil" protest, in London, Britain REUTERS UK news in pictures 14 October 2022 Germanys Womens double skulls during day one of the World Rowing Beach Sprint Finals at Saundersfoot beach, Pembrokeshire PA UK news in pictures 13 October 2022 Family and mourners arrive at St Michael's Church, in Creeslough, for the funeral mass of 49-year-old mother of four Martina Martin, who died following an explosion at the Applegreen service station in the village of Creeslough in Co Donegal on Friday PA UK news in pictures 12 October 2022 Motorists in Coventry pass trees showing autumnal colour PA UK news in pictures 11 October 2022 A woman and her dog in the the North Sea at Tynemouth Longsands beach before sunrise PA UK news in pictures 10 October 2022 Police officers remove a campaigner from a Just Stop Oil protest on The Mall, near Buckingham Palace, London PA UK news in pictures 9 October 2022 A drummer plays during the Diwali on the Square celebration, in Trafalgar Square, London PA UK news in pictures 8 October 2022 Timothee Chalamet attending the UK premiere of Bones and All during the BFI London Film Festival 2022 at the Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre, London PA UK news in pictures 7 October 2022 Two young male fallow deer lock antlers in Dublins Phoenix park as rutting season begins PA UK news in pictures 6 October 2022 The Princess of Wales during a cocktail making competition during a visit to Trademarket, a new outdoor street-food and retail market situated in Belfast city centre, as part of the royal visit to Northern Ireland PA UK news in pictures 5 October 2022 Greenpeace protesters interrupt Prime Minister Liz Truss as she delivers her keynote speech to the Conservative Party annual conference PA UK news in pictures 4 October 2022 Prime Minister Liz Truss and Britains Chancellor of the Exchequer Kwasi Kwarteng wearing hard hats and hi-vis jackets, visit a construction site for a medical innovation campus in Birmingham AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 3 October 2022 British artist Sam Cox, aka Mr Doodle, reveals the Doodle House, a twelve-room mansion at Tenterden, in Kent, which has been covered, inside and out in the artist's trademark monochrome, cartoonish hand-drawn doodles PA UK news in pictures 2 October 2022 Erling Haaland celebrates after scoring Manchester City's second goal against Manchester United at Etihad Stadium. Haaland went on to score a hattrick, his third of the season in the Premier League. City beat United 6-3. Manchester City FC/Getty UK news in pictures 1 October 2022 Protesters hold up flags and placards at a protest in London. A variety of protest groups including Enough is Enough, Don't Pay and Just Stop Oil all demonstrated on the day AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 30 September 2022 British Prime Minister Liz Truss, who has not been seen in days, leaves the back of Downing Street after a meeting with Office For Budget Responsibility following the release of her governments mini-budget Getty UK news in pictures 29 September 2022 The Virginia creeper foliage on the Tu Hwnt i'r Bont (Beyond the Bridge) Llanwrst, Conwy North Wales, has changed colour from green to red in at the start of Autumn. The building was built in 1480 as a residential dwelling but has been a tearoom for over 50 years PA UK news in pictures 28 September 2022 Criminal barristers from the Criminal Bar Association (CBA), demonstrates outside the Royal Courts of Justice in London, as part of their ongoing pay row with the Government PA UK news in pictures 27 September 2022 David White, Garter King of Arms, poses with an envelope franked with the new cypher of King Charles III 'CIIIR', after it was printed in the Court Post Office at Buckingham Palace in central London AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 26 September 2022 A gallery staff member poses next to a painting by Lucian Freud - Self-portrait (Fragment), 1956 - on show at a photocall for the Credit Suisse exhibition - Lucian Freud: New Perspectives at the National Gallery in London PA UK news in pictures 25 September 2022 Labour leader, Sir Keir Starmer is interviewed by Laura Kuenssberg in Liverpool before the start of the Labour Party annual Conference which he opened with a tribute to Queen Elizabeth II and sang the national anthem PA UK news in pictures 24 September 2022 Handout photo issued by Buckingham Palace of the ledger stone at the King George VI Memorial Chapel, St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle PA UK news in pictures 23 September 2022 A climate change activist protests against UK private jets while lighting his right arm on fire during the Laver Cup tennis tournament at the O2 Arena in London EPA UK news in pictures 22 September 2022 Woody Woodmansey, Lee Bennett, Kevin Armstrong, Nick Moran and Clifford Slapper attend the unveiling of a stone for David Bowie on the Music Walk of Fame at Camden, north London PA UK news in pictures 21 September 2022 A flock of birds in the sky as the sun rises over Dungeness in Kent PA UK news in pictures 20 September 2022 Flowers which were laid by members of the public in tribute to Queen Elizabeth II at Hillsborough Castle in Northern Ireland are collected by the Hillsborough Gardening Team and volunteers to be replanted for those that can be saved or composted PA UK news in pictures 19 September 2022 The ceremonial procession of the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II travels down the long walk as it arrives at Windsor Castle for the committal service at St Georges Chapel AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 18 September 2022 A man stands among campers on The Mall ahead of the Queens funeral Reuters UK news in pictures 17 September 2022 Wolverhampton Wanderers Nathan Collins fouls Manchester Citys Jack Grealish leading to a red card. City went on to win the match at Molineux Stadium three goals to nil. Action Images/Reuters UK news in pictures 16 September 2022 Members of the public stand in the queue near Tower Bridge, and opposite the Tower of London, as they wait in line to pay their respects to the late Queen Elizabeth II, in London AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 15 September 2022 Members of the public in the queue on in Potters Fields Park, central London, as they wait to view Queen Elizabeth II lying in state ahead of her funeral on Monday PA UK news in pictures 14 September 2022 The first members of the public pay their respects as the vigil begins around the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II in Westminster Hall, London, where it will lie in state ahead of her funeral on Monday PA UK news in pictures 13 September 2022 Crowds cheer as King Charles III and Camilla, Queen Consort arrive for a visit to Hillsborough Castle Getty UK news in pictures 12 September 2022 Crowds line the Royal Mile, Edinburgh, as King Charles III joins a procession from the Palace of Holyroodhouse to St Giles Cathedral following the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II Katielee Arrowsmith/SWNS UK news in pictures 11 September 2022 Members of the Public pay their respects as the hearse carrying the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II, draped in the Royal Standard of Scotland, is driven through Ballater AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 10 September 2022 Britain's Prince William, Prince of Wales, Britain's Catherine, Princess of Wales, Britain's Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, Britain's Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, wave at well-wishers on the Long walk at Windsor Castle AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 9 September 2022 King Charles III and Camilla, Queen Consort wave after viewing floral tributes to the late Queen Elizabeth II outside Buckingham Palace Getty UK news in pictures 8 September 2022 A screen commemorating Britain's Queen Elizabeth II in Piccadilly Circus, London Britain EPA UK news in pictures 7 September 2022 Police officers stand guard after Animal Rebellion activists threw paint on the walls and road outside the Houses of Parliament in protest, in London, Britain Reuters UK news in pictures 6 September 2022 Queen Elizabeth II welcomes Liz Truss during an audience at Balmoral, Scotland, where she invited the newly elected leader of the Conservative party to become Prime Minister and form a new government PA UK news in pictures 5 September 2022 Visitors at the PoliNations garden in Victoria Square, Birmingham, which is made up of five 40ft high tree installations and over 6,000 plants. The PoliNations programme aims to explore how migration and cross-pollination have shaped the UKs gardens and culture PA UK news in pictures 4 September 2022 Undergraduates at the University of St Andrews take part in the traditional Pier Walk along the harbour walls of St Andrews before the start of the new academic year PA UK news in pictures 3 September 2022 The Massed Pipes and Drums parade during the Braemar Highland Gathering at the Princess Royal and Duke of Fife Memorial Park PA UK news in pictures 2 September 2022 Number 12 Company Irish Guards at Wellington Barracks, central London, before commencing their first Guard Mount at Buckingham Palace PA The Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) said their investigation into the polices dealings with the 44-year-old Iranian refugee over a seven year period found that it had failed him when he was particularly vulnerable. IPCC Commissioner, Jan Williams, said: Todays outcomes mark the conclusion of a series of misconduct proceedings against Avon & Somerset Constabulary officers and staff. We carried out a substantial and detailed investigation into the actions police took in the days prior to Mr Ebrahimis horrific murder, and their historic contact with him over a seven year period. Bijan Ebrahimi called the police repeatedly in the last 48 hours of his life The evidence we gathered has informed both the misconduct and earlier criminal proceedings. It was proven in crown court and at disciplinary hearings that some police officers and staff failed Mr Ebrahimi, in particular at a time when he was highly vulnerable. "We have liaised regularly with Mr Ebrahimis family and the Constabulary throughout our investigation, and during the subsequent proceedings. The Chief Constable of Avon & Somerset Police, Andy Marsh, said in a statement: I must sincerely apologise once again to Bijans family. They have suffered and will continue to suffer deeply, and have endured their loss with great courage and dignity. We failed Bijan in his hour of need and I am unreservedly sorry for the pain and heartache his family have suffered in the years since. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} A woman attempted to recruit a contract killer to murder her husband and make it look like an Isis execution, a court has been told. Nurten Taycur, 28, allegedly offered a man 5,000 to kill Uber driver Ercan Akan and spray "Isis" on his car, The Mirror reported, in an attempt to be with her boyfriend after a two-year affair. She was arrested after handing over a 1,000 "down payment" to a man she reportedly thought was a hitman, whom she had first met near Victoria Park in Hackney, east London on 13 November 2015. The man was in fact an undercover police officer. The remaining 4,000 was found hidden at her home in Hackney, the Old Bailey heard. The Sun reported that after her arrest her husband told police: "I dont understand why Nurten wanted me to be killed if she wanted to separate she could have done it in the normal way." Ms Taycur has admitted soliciting to murder and is due to be sentenced at the Old Bailey on May 13. Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Morning Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} More than a quarter of a million homes are expected to be built on Englands green belt this year, a 20 per cent increase on 2015 and a two decade high. Plans for the construction of 274,792 new homes have been proposed for the restricted land which is 55,000 more than in March last year. Unsurprisingly, Londons green belt is under the most pressure with 117,208 homes proposed - an increase of 35 per cent on last year - according to statistics released last week by the Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE). Elsewhere, Yorkshire has 46,900 houses planned for green belt development, and the West Midlands has 44,170, increases of 14% and 22% on last years figures. The CPRE says this undermines the Conservative Partys manifesto promise to safeguard national green belt protection and increase protection of important green spaces. Only Oxfordshire has seen a decrease in the number of green belt homes planned since this time last year - from 4,500 to 3,510, while Nottinghamshire and the South West expect to build the same number as last year - 13,800 and 16,245 respectively. The government was also recently under fire for allegedly planning to relax laws to build on green belt land after launching a consultation on the matter in December. The rules would allow councils to to allocate appropriate small-scale sites in the green belt specifically for starter homes. However, a Department for Communities and Local Government spokesman, said: There are no plans or policy to relax the strong protections that prevent inappropriate development on the green belt. Ministers have repeatedly been clear that demand for housing alone will not justify changing green belt boundaries. Councils are already expected to prioritise development on brownfield sites, with 90% of brownfield sites expected to have planning permission by the end of this parliament. It means that in 2014-15 just 0.02% of Green Belt was converted to residential use, and the Green Belt is actually 32,000 hectares bigger than it was in 1997, he said. According to the CPRE report, green belt boundaries are being changed to accommodate housing at the fastest rate in twenty years. The Conservative government, they say, have nearly doubled the number of homes planned for green belt land compared to the regional plans outlined by the Labour government in 2009. The countryside campaign group also says some cities have given the go ahead for green belt development, despite urban brownfield areas being available. The pod homes that sit on stilts above car parks designed to crack the housing crisis Show all 7 1 /7 The pod homes that sit on stilts above car parks designed to crack the housing crisis The pod homes that sit on stilts above car parks designed to crack the housing crisis Zed Pod A ZED Pod is a small, low cost energy efficient starter home intended for housing young people within city boundaries over existing areas of parking or garages. This avoids having to purchase land to create affordable homes. zedfactory The pod homes that sit on stilts above car parks designed to crack the housing crisis Who is ZED POD for? The occupancy will vary depending on the location of the ZED Pods. The Pods flexible nature allows them to serve as short term accommodation, such as for holiday makers, as well as in a long term scenario for young professionals, or single people wishing to get on to the property ladder in an affordable manner. zedfactory The pod homes that sit on stilts above car parks designed to crack the housing crisis Terraced-Pod By minimising the demand for energy and water, and placing a translucent waterproof solar canopy over the space between the homes, it is possible to provide zero energy bills for the these homes as well as providing zero emissions electricity to charge points integrated in the parking spaces zedfactory The pod homes that sit on stilts above car parks designed to crack the housing crisis The tiny homes could sell for between 50,000 to 60,000 or rented as one bed homes for young couples for around 750 month with around 50 bills on top, according to the architects estimates.The development costs are reduced as there is no need for land acquisition. zedfactory The pod homes that sit on stilts above car parks designed to crack the housing crisis Shanghai POD - Shanghai Art & Design Exhibition Further benefits extend to the prefabricated nature of the pod, which significantly increases speed of construction without effecting the durability of the pod. A typical Pod community can be erected and commissioned in under a month, and within a week on sensitive sites. zedfactory The pod homes that sit on stilts above car parks designed to crack the housing crisis Shanghai POD - Shanghai Art & Design Exhibition The eco-friendly houses, around 74 square feet of floor space, would be complete with solar panel roofs, water recycling systems and electric vehicle charging. zedfactory The pod homes that sit on stilts above car parks designed to crack the housing crisis Communal space under the canopy It is cheap to live in, gives young people privacy, has good shared communal spaces, has good access to public transport and saves key workers from long commutes into city centres with high property values, Bill Dunster OBE told the Independent zedfactory Paul Miner, CPRE's planning campaign manager, said: The Government is proposing to encourage further development in the green belt. Our green belt is invaluable in preventing urban sprawl and providing the countryside next door for 30 million people. We need stronger protection for the green belt, not just supportive words and empty promises. To build the affordable homes young people and families need, the Government should empower councils to prioritise the use of brownfield sites. Brownfield land is a self-renewing resource that can provide at least one million new homes. PA contributed to this report. Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Morning Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Lawrence of Arabias famous white robes and ornate dagger are set to be saved for the nation after lobbying by Foreign Office minister and Lawrence-admirer Tobias Ellwood. A temporary export bar had been placed on the historic items by the Government earlier this year, after they were bought at auction by a mystery foreign buyer. An alternative buyer would have to now match the considerable asking price of 122,500 for the dagger and 12,500 to save the robes for the nation. Government sources now say that they are hopeful a successful purchase will take place. The Arts Council, which administers temporary export bans on items of cultural significance, said serious expressions of interest had been received, and have extended the deferral period until 1 July to allow time for funds to be raised. Middle East minister Mr Ellwood an ex-army captain and admirer of First World War hero T.E. Lawrence is understood to have taken a keen personal interest in the items fate, and has insisted they should be put on display in the UK to spark interest in Lawrences exploits and his role in shaping UK-Arab relations to this day. Lawrence, whose role in the Arab Revolt of 1916-18 made him globally famous, wore the robes in some of the most famous portraits made of him at the time, crafting a heroic image of himself that was later immortalised in the classic 1962 David Lean film. Lawrence of Arabia 4k stills Show all 13 1 /13 Lawrence of Arabia 4k stills Lawrence of Arabia 4k stills Lawrence of Arabia 4k stills Lawrence of Arabia 4k stills Lawrence of Arabia 4k stills Lawrence of Arabia 4k stills Lawrence of Arabia 4k stills Lawrence of Arabia 4k stills Lawrence of Arabia 4k stills Lawrence of Arabia 4k stills Lawrence of Arabia 4k stills Lawrence of Arabia 4k stills Lawrence of Arabia 4k stills Lawrence of Arabia 4k stills The ornate dagger, a steel jambiya with a curved blade, gilded silver hilt and scabbard, was presented to Lawrence after the victory against the Ottoman army by Arab forces at Aqaba, now in present day Jordan, in 1917. It was given by Sherif Nasir, a cousin of Lawrences close ally Emir Feisal, who went on to become king of Syria and later Iraq. Culture minister Ed Vaizey placed the export bar on the items in February, calling Lawrence one of the most extraordinary figures of the 20th century. Such temporary pauses in export licencing decisions can be applied to items with special historical and cultural significance to the UK. The Arts Council could not confirm the identity of the potential buyers, but the Foreign Office said it was not directly purchasing the items. Lawrence explained the practical purpose for wearing Arab robes in his epic memoir Seven Pillars of Wisdom (Getty) Lawrence wore the robes and the dagger while sitting for a portrait by sculptress Kathleen Scott the widow of Antarctic explorer Robert Falcon Scott in 1921. After sitting, he left both items with her so that she could complete the work, but then never retrieved them. They remained with the family until they were sold at Christies auction house in July 2015. Although he faced accusations of deliberately cultivating a romantic image of himself, Lawrence explained the more practical purpose for wearing Arab robes, originally at Emir Feisals suggestion, in his epic memoir Seven Pillars of Wisdom. If I wore Meccan clothes, he wrote, [the Arabs] would behave to me as though I were really one of the leaders; and I might slip in and out of Feisals tent without making a sensation which he had to explain away each time to strangers. I agreed at once, very gladly; for army uniform was abominable when camel-riding or when sitting on the ground; and the Arab thingswere cleaner and more decent in the desert. Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Morning Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} A teenage girl who died after taking an ecstasy pill known as MasterCard has been named as Faye Allen. The 17-year-old from Liverpool died after taking the drug at the Victoria Warehouse in Trafford. Greater Manchester Police have made two arrests as part of their investigation into the girls death. A 19-year-old man and a 20-year-old woman from the St Helens area have been arrested on suspicion of possession with intent to supply a Class A drug. Faye had been at the Dont Let Daddy Know club night with her boyfriend when she took the drug. Her boyfriends father, who was not named, told the Manchester Evening News that this was the first time Faye had been to a nightclub and that she had not taken the drug before: She had never been to a rave or nightclub before. This was the first time. "They are a couple of young lovers who have gone to a club. Faye took a pill for the first time and disaster has struck. The whole family are absolutely devastated. We dont know how we are going to look after each other, he added. Police have urged anyone who may have taken the MasterCard pills to seek medical attention. They believe the pink pills may have contained a double dose of MDMA. Over the course of the night and in the early hours Faye appeared to have had an adverse reaction to the drug. After appearing very unwell she was treated outside the venue, Detective Chief Inspector Ben Ewart said. She appeared very disorientated and unsteady on her feet. Once she left the venue of her own accord, security were concerned for her welfare. The on-site medical staff then called an ambulance, he said. Two of Fayes friends who are understood to have taken the same tablets were taken to hospital as a precaution but were later discharged. Photo issued by Greater Manchester Police of a batch of ecstasy tablets known as 'MasterCard' (PA) The Liverpool Echo reported that this is the third tragedy to have hit Fayes family. Her mother, Maxine, lost a son named Jordan to cot death when he was aged 23 months in 2004. Just one month later Maxines daughter Neve died from cot death aged at 18 weeks. In a statement, Victoria Warehouse confirmed the incident took place at the venue and said it was working with investigators. It said: "The Victoria Warehouse would like to convey our deepest sympathies to the family of the deceased, and will continue to assist Greater Manchester Police with their inquiries." Additional reporting by PA LOS ANGELES, CA There are three brand new DVDs with Romi Rain on the cover, including the release of Deadly Rain by Brazzers. An original series created by the company, the action-packed movie shows Romi having to fight, flee and fuck on a whole new level. The scenes originally appeared on the Brazzers site last year. Im so excited for the entirety of Deadly Rain to be on DVD, Rain said. I worked very hard on the series, everyone did, and I loved every second of it! Some of my most intense scenes ever were for Deadly Rain and Id do it all over again! It features my second-ever DP/airtight scene since Brazzers House, which a lot of fans have said they wanted to see. Now its available for everyone to watch! Two other DVDs in the new release section with Rain on the cover are Big Titty Creampies 9 (Lethal Hardcore) and Inked MILF (Hustler). Additionally, RomiRain.com has officially relaunched this week. The layout has been completely revamped for your viewing pleasure, and is much more interactive, explains Rain. Now, along with dozens of exclusive scenes and photosets, you can like/comment on your favorite things and even make requests! I also have added a new blog area, and I'll be doing monthly members only free live shows! I'm so excited to share everything with you! Rains next feature dance appearance will be at the Cadillac Lounge in Rhode Island on May 20 and 21. Rain also has 2016 XRCO nominations for Female Performer of the Year and Superslut. The 2016 XRCO Awards will be held at OHM in Hollywood on June 22. For more information go to XRCO.com. Sign up to the Inside Politics email for your free daily briefing on the biggest stories in UK politics Get our free Inside Politics email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Politics email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} A group of Conservative MPs are 100 per cent prepared to rebel against the Government over its refusal to take in unaccompanied child refugees from Europe, one of their number said, as they prepared to meet the immigration minister on Wednesday. Around 30 Conservative MPs are expected to back a new House of Lords amendment to the Immigration Bill next week which would require the Government to take in an unspecified number of child refugees from the continent. South Cambridgeshire MP Heidi Allen, one of the group, told BBC Radio 4s Today programme that she and colleagues were absolutely prepared to vote against the Government if it did not back down. Downing Street has said it will look again at the issue, and the rebel MPs will meet immigration minister James Brokenshire today to discuss alternatives, including a potential deal to speed up reunions for refugee children in Europe with family members already in the UK. The meeting comes after Sir Erich Reich, chairman of the Kindertransport-Association of Jewish Refugees, who was one of 10,000 children taken into safety in the UK before the Second World War, made a personal appeal to David Cameron to accept 3,000 unaccompanied child refugees, calling on the UK to once again demonstrate our compassion. The Government rejected a previous amendment tabled by Lord Dubs, who was himself one of the 10,000 Kindertransport children. The amendment was defeated by just 18 votes last week, meaning that the Tory rebellion on the new amendment, which is also has the support of DUP MPs, would likely be enough to defeat the Government. Refugee crisis - in pictures Show all 27 1 /27 Refugee crisis - in pictures Refugee crisis - in pictures A child looks through the fence at the Moria detention camp for migrants and refugees at the island of Lesbos on May 24, 2016. AFP/Getty Images Refugee crisis - in pictures Ahmad Zarour, 32, from Syria, reacts after his rescue by MOAS (Migrant Offshore Aid Station) while attempting to reach the Greek island of Agathonisi, Dodecanese, southeastern Agean Sea Refugee crisis - in pictures Syrian migrants holding life vests gather onto a pebble beach in the Yesil liman district of Canakkale, northwestern Turkey, after being stopped by Turkish police in their attempt to reach the Greek island of Lesbos on 29 January 2016. Getty Images Refugee crisis - in pictures Refugees flash the 'V for victory' sign during a demonstration as they block the Greek-Macedonian border Refugee crisis - in pictures Migrants have been braving sub zero temperatures as they cross the border from Macedonia into Serbia. Refugee crisis - in pictures A sinking boat is seen behind a Turkish gendarme off the coast of Canakkale's Bademli district on January 30, 2016. At least 33 migrants drowned on January 30 when their boat sank in the Aegean Sea while trying to cross from Turkey to Greece. Getty Images Refugee crisis - in pictures A general view of a shelter for migrants inside a hangar of the former Tempelhof airport in Berlin, Germany Refugee crisis - in pictures Refugees protest behind a fence against restrictions limiting passage at the Greek-Macedonian border, near Gevgelija. Since last week, Macedonia has restricted passage to northern Europe to only Syrians, Iraqis and Afghans who are considered war refugees. All other nationalities are deemed economic migrants and told to turn back. Macedonia has finished building a fence on its frontier with Greece becoming the latest country in Europe to build a border barrier aimed at checking the flow of refugees Refugee crisis - in pictures A father and his child wait after being caught by Turkish gendarme on 27 January 2016 at Canakkale's Kucukkuyu district Refugee crisis - in pictures Migrants make hand signals as they arrive into the southern Spanish port of Malaga on 27 January, 2016 after an inflatable boat carrying 55 Africans, seven of them women and six chidren, was rescued by the Spanish coast guard off the Spanish coast. Refugee crisis - in pictures A refugee holds two children as dozens arrive on an overcrowded boat on the Greek island of Lesbos Refugee crisis - in pictures A child, covered by emergency blankets, reacts as she arrives, with other refugees and migrants, on the Greek island of Lesbos, At least five migrants including three children, died after four boats sank between Turkey and Greece, as rescue workers searched the sea for dozens more, the Greek coastguard said Refugee crisis - in pictures Migrants wait under outside the Moria registration camp on the Lesbos. Over 400,000 people have landed on Greek islands from neighbouring Turkey since the beginning of the year Refugee crisis - in pictures The bodies of Christian refugees are buried separately from Muslim refugees at the Agios Panteleimonas cemetery in Mytilene, Lesbos Refugee crisis - in pictures Macedonian police officers control a crowd of refugees as they prepare to enter a camp after crossing the Greek border into Macedonia near Gevgelija Getty Images Refugee crisis - in pictures A refugee tries to force the entry to a camp as Macedonian police officers control a crowd after crossing the Greek border into Macedonia near Gevgelija Getty Images Refugee crisis - in pictures Refugees are seen aboard a Turkish fishing boat as they arrive on the Greek island of Lesbos after crossing a part of the Aegean Sea from the Turkish coast to Lesbos Reuters Refugee crisis - in pictures An elderly woman sings a lullaby to baby on a beach after arriving with other refugees on the Greek island of Lesbos after crossing the Aegean sea from Turkey Getty Images Refugee crisis - in pictures A man collapses as refugees make land from an overloaded rubber dinghy after crossing the Aegean see from Turkey, at the island of Lesbos EPA Refugee crisis - in pictures A girl reacts as refugees arrive by boat on the Greek island of Lesbos after crossing the Aegean sea from Turkey Getty Images Refugee crisis - in pictures Refugees make a show of hands as they queue after crossing the Greek border into Macedonia near Gevgelija Getty Images Refugee crisis - in pictures People help a wheelchair user board a train with others, heading towards Serbia, at the transit camp for refugees near the southern Macedonian town of Gevgelija AP Refugee crisis - in pictures Refugees board a train, after crossing the Greek-Macedonian border, near Gevgelija. Macedonia is a key transit country in the Balkans migration route into the EU, with thousands of asylum seekers - many of them from Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq and Somalia - entering the country every day Getty Images Refugee crisis - in pictures An aerial picture shows the "New Jungle" refugee camp where some 3,500 people live while they attempt to enter Britain, near the port of Calais, northern France Getty Images Refugee crisis - in pictures A Syrian girl reacts as she helped by a volunteer upon her arrival from Turkey on the Greek island of Lesbos, after having crossed the Aegean Sea EPA Refugee crisis - in pictures Refugees arrive by boat on the Greek island of Lesbos after crossing the Aegean sea from Turkey Getty Images Refugee crisis - in pictures Beds ready for use for migrants and refugees are prepared at a processing center on January 27, 2016 in Passau, Germany. The flow of migrants arriving in Passau has dropped to between 500 and 1,000 per day, down significantly from last November, when in the same region up to 6,000 migrants were arriving daily. One compromise understood to be under consideration would see humanitarian visas issued to the children, allowing them to apply for indefinite leave to remain in the UK once they reach the age of 18. Criticising the Prime Ministers claim that refugees in Europe were already in relative safety, compared to those that the Government is supporting in Syria and the region, Ms Allen told Today: It is not relatively safe to be pulled into trafficking and prostitution. Talk to the doctors there from Medecins Sans Frontieres; they are literally stitching up children on a daily basis and sending them back to the camps. That is not the safety you and I think of when we think of Europe. These children are not safe at all and they need our help. Sign up to the Inside Politics email for your free daily briefing on the biggest stories in UK politics Get our free Inside Politics email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Politics email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} The Government has backtracked on its refusal to resettle refugee children who have already reached Europe by letting local councils take in more unaccompanied minors from Greece, Italy and France. Angus Robertson, the Scottish National Partys leader in Westminster, challenged David Cameron on the issue at Prime Ministers questions. While insisting he would stick to the principle of resettling children from refugee camps in the Middle East and North Africa because the Government did not want to encourage more treacherous sea journeys, the Prime Minister hinted at other changes. Were already taking child migrants in Europe with a direct family connection to the UK and we will speed that up, Mr Cameron said. Syrian refugee children stand at a fence in Nizip district near Gaziantep, Turkey (EPA) We are also talking to Save the Children to see what more we can do, particularly with children who came here (to Europe) before the EU-Turkey deal was signed. What I don't want us to do is to take steps that will encourage people to make this dangerous journey because otherwise our actions, however well-meaning they will be, could result in more people dying rather than more people getting a good life. He said the UK would not opt in to "failed" European Union resettlement quotas and argued that comparing the issue to the Kindertransport that saved children from the Nazis was an "insult" to the countries involved. But Mr Cameron confirmed that there is no longer a set number of refugee children in an amendment to the Immigration Bill, allowing the Government to "go round" British councils to see what more they can do. A spokesperson for Downing Street said children registered as asylum seekers in Greece, Italy or France before 20 March would be eligible for resettlement. Those deemed to be vulnerable to trafficking or exploitation will be prioritised as part of work with the UN Refugee Agency and Save the Children. Children play among cubicles that contain bunk beds in Berlin (Getty) "The Government is not putting a fixed number on arrivals, but will instead work with local authorities across the UK to determine how many children will be resettled," Downing Street said. "We will move quickly to consult local authorities, with the first arrivals expected before the end of the year." The initiative will be on top of a previous proposal for unaccompanied children and the UK's pledge to take 20,000 Syrian refugees over five years. Campaigners said the Government's existing plans to take in up to 3,000 children from refugee camps in the Middle East and North Africa were not good enough last month. That proposal was announced days before a crucial vote in the House of Commons on a rival plan to take in unaccompanied minors who have already risked their lives to reach Europe. Humanitarian organisations say thousands of children are trapped across the continent, sleeping rough or in squalid camps and detention centres where they are left vulnerable to exploitation and abuse. Mr Cameron has previously insisted the children who have succeeded in reaching Europe are not in immediate danger as they are no longer in a conflict zone and they should be looked after as near to their home countries as possible. David Cameron attacked over refugee vote Some ministers have also argued that taking in unaccompanied minors from camps such as the Jungle in Calais would simply encourage more to make treacherous journeys across the Mediterranean and Aegean seas. Tory backbencher Heidi Allen - who abstained when the issue was last debated by MPs - said that ministers faced defeat at the hands of Conservative rebels unless they gave ground. "It is not relatively safe to be pulled into trafficking and prostitution. Talk to the doctors there - Medecins Sans Frontieres - they are literally stitching up children on a daily basis and sending them back to the camps, she told the BBC Radio 4 Today programme. "That is not the safety that you and I think of when we think of Europe. These children are not safe at all. They need our help." Pressure on ministers intensified with the intervention of a former Jewish child refugees from the Nazis, urging them to offer sanctuary to those in need. In a letter to the Prime Minister, Sir Erich Reich, chairman of Kindertransport-Association of Jewish Refugees, appealed to him to "demonstrate compassion", while an amendment to the Immigration Bill to take refugee children from within Europe was started by another refugee from the Nazis, Lord Dubs. Refugee crisis - in pictures Show all 27 1 /27 Refugee crisis - in pictures Refugee crisis - in pictures A child looks through the fence at the Moria detention camp for migrants and refugees at the island of Lesbos on May 24, 2016. AFP/Getty Images Refugee crisis - in pictures Ahmad Zarour, 32, from Syria, reacts after his rescue by MOAS (Migrant Offshore Aid Station) while attempting to reach the Greek island of Agathonisi, Dodecanese, southeastern Agean Sea Refugee crisis - in pictures Syrian migrants holding life vests gather onto a pebble beach in the Yesil liman district of Canakkale, northwestern Turkey, after being stopped by Turkish police in their attempt to reach the Greek island of Lesbos on 29 January 2016. Getty Images Refugee crisis - in pictures Refugees flash the 'V for victory' sign during a demonstration as they block the Greek-Macedonian border Refugee crisis - in pictures Migrants have been braving sub zero temperatures as they cross the border from Macedonia into Serbia. Refugee crisis - in pictures A sinking boat is seen behind a Turkish gendarme off the coast of Canakkale's Bademli district on January 30, 2016. At least 33 migrants drowned on January 30 when their boat sank in the Aegean Sea while trying to cross from Turkey to Greece. Getty Images Refugee crisis - in pictures A general view of a shelter for migrants inside a hangar of the former Tempelhof airport in Berlin, Germany Refugee crisis - in pictures Refugees protest behind a fence against restrictions limiting passage at the Greek-Macedonian border, near Gevgelija. Since last week, Macedonia has restricted passage to northern Europe to only Syrians, Iraqis and Afghans who are considered war refugees. All other nationalities are deemed economic migrants and told to turn back. Macedonia has finished building a fence on its frontier with Greece becoming the latest country in Europe to build a border barrier aimed at checking the flow of refugees Refugee crisis - in pictures A father and his child wait after being caught by Turkish gendarme on 27 January 2016 at Canakkale's Kucukkuyu district Refugee crisis - in pictures Migrants make hand signals as they arrive into the southern Spanish port of Malaga on 27 January, 2016 after an inflatable boat carrying 55 Africans, seven of them women and six chidren, was rescued by the Spanish coast guard off the Spanish coast. Refugee crisis - in pictures A refugee holds two children as dozens arrive on an overcrowded boat on the Greek island of Lesbos Refugee crisis - in pictures A child, covered by emergency blankets, reacts as she arrives, with other refugees and migrants, on the Greek island of Lesbos, At least five migrants including three children, died after four boats sank between Turkey and Greece, as rescue workers searched the sea for dozens more, the Greek coastguard said Refugee crisis - in pictures Migrants wait under outside the Moria registration camp on the Lesbos. Over 400,000 people have landed on Greek islands from neighbouring Turkey since the beginning of the year Refugee crisis - in pictures The bodies of Christian refugees are buried separately from Muslim refugees at the Agios Panteleimonas cemetery in Mytilene, Lesbos Refugee crisis - in pictures Macedonian police officers control a crowd of refugees as they prepare to enter a camp after crossing the Greek border into Macedonia near Gevgelija Getty Images Refugee crisis - in pictures A refugee tries to force the entry to a camp as Macedonian police officers control a crowd after crossing the Greek border into Macedonia near Gevgelija Getty Images Refugee crisis - in pictures Refugees are seen aboard a Turkish fishing boat as they arrive on the Greek island of Lesbos after crossing a part of the Aegean Sea from the Turkish coast to Lesbos Reuters Refugee crisis - in pictures An elderly woman sings a lullaby to baby on a beach after arriving with other refugees on the Greek island of Lesbos after crossing the Aegean sea from Turkey Getty Images Refugee crisis - in pictures A man collapses as refugees make land from an overloaded rubber dinghy after crossing the Aegean see from Turkey, at the island of Lesbos EPA Refugee crisis - in pictures A girl reacts as refugees arrive by boat on the Greek island of Lesbos after crossing the Aegean sea from Turkey Getty Images Refugee crisis - in pictures Refugees make a show of hands as they queue after crossing the Greek border into Macedonia near Gevgelija Getty Images Refugee crisis - in pictures People help a wheelchair user board a train with others, heading towards Serbia, at the transit camp for refugees near the southern Macedonian town of Gevgelija AP Refugee crisis - in pictures Refugees board a train, after crossing the Greek-Macedonian border, near Gevgelija. Macedonia is a key transit country in the Balkans migration route into the EU, with thousands of asylum seekers - many of them from Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq and Somalia - entering the country every day Getty Images Refugee crisis - in pictures An aerial picture shows the "New Jungle" refugee camp where some 3,500 people live while they attempt to enter Britain, near the port of Calais, northern France Getty Images Refugee crisis - in pictures A Syrian girl reacts as she helped by a volunteer upon her arrival from Turkey on the Greek island of Lesbos, after having crossed the Aegean Sea EPA Refugee crisis - in pictures Refugees arrive by boat on the Greek island of Lesbos after crossing the Aegean sea from Turkey Getty Images Refugee crisis - in pictures Beds ready for use for migrants and refugees are prepared at a processing center on January 27, 2016 in Passau, Germany. The flow of migrants arriving in Passau has dropped to between 500 and 1,000 per day, down significantly from last November, when in the same region up to 6,000 migrants were arriving daily. The proposal was due to be voted on again next week but Mr Cameron said the step was no longer needed and the Bill would not be sent back to the House of Lords. Downing Street said on Wednesday that it had "responded" to the campaign and would accept the revised amendment put forward by Lord Dubs, when it returns to the House of Commons next week. Lord Dubs said he welcomed the Government's decision and hoped it would help "ease the plight of some of the unaccompanied child refugees in Europe". He added: I trust the Prime Minister will be true to his word and move swiftly to ensure the Home Office works closely with local authorities to find foster families to give these young people a stable and secure home. The Refugee Council said the announcement only raised the policy of "limited chances" for lone children to find safety in Britain. Dr Lisa Doyle, the charity's head of advocacy, said: However, we shouldnt be fooled into thinking the Government has suddenly discovered its conscience while its simultaneously vilifying asylum seekers who are already in the UK and doing its best to trap all other refugees in poor countries. The British public have made themselves clear refugees lives matter. The Government must stop trying to outsource its wider responsibilities and instead act quickly and generously to offer refugees safe passage. Additional reporting by PA Sign up to the Inside Politics email for your free daily briefing on the biggest stories in UK politics Get our free Inside Politics email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Politics email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} David Cameron and Jeremy Corbyn have exchanged verbal blows in an at times brutal clash over antisemitism and racism in the House of Commons. The Prime Minister launched a furious attack on the Labour leader, demanding he withdraws a previous description of Hamas and Hezbollah as friends. In the exchange, on the eve of elections taking place across the UK, Mr Cameron quoted the Labour leaders comments as a backbench MP, when he said he had invited "our friends" from Hamas and Hezbollah to speak at an event. "He referred to Hamas and Hezbollah as his friends. He needs to withdraw that remark, Mr Cameron said during Prime Minister's Questions. He then directly asked Mr Corbyn: "Are they your friends or are they not? Because these organisations in their constitutions believe in persecuting and killing Jews. They are anti-Semitic organisations, they are racist organisations. "He must stand up and say they are not his friends." Mr Corbyn responded: "Obviously, anyone who commits racist acts or is anti-Semitic is not a friend of mine. I am very clear about that." He insisted that the event Mr Cameron mentioned was intended to promote the peace process in the Middle East, and that "I absolutely do not approve of those organisations". But Mr Corbyn then turned to London mayoral race, accusing the campaign of Conservative candidate for London Mayor Zac Goldsmith of "systematically smearing" his Labour rival Sadiq Khan. The clash came as two more Labour councillors were suspended over allegations of anti-Semitism. Three were suspended on Monday. Miqdad Al-Nuaimi, a councillor in Newport, South Wales, and Terry Kelly, who sits on Renfrewshire Council, have been suspended "pending an investigation", a Labour spokesman said. Additional reporting by Press Association Sign up to the Inside Politics email for your free daily briefing on the biggest stories in UK politics Get our free Inside Politics email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Politics email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} David Cameron has refused to withdraw his condemnation of comments made by Donald Trump as "divisive, stupid and wrong". The Prime Minister has "no intention" of withdrawing his remarks, Downing Street has said. Last December, Mr Cameron criticised Mr Trump during a debate in parliament on whether to ban him from the UK over his call for a "total and complete shutdown" of Muslims entering the US. The PM told the House of Commons he opposed the travel ban, but added: "I think his remarks are divisive, stupid and wrong. "If he came to visit our country I think he would unite us all against him." Donald Trump's most controversial quotes Show all 14 1 /14 Donald Trump's most controversial quotes Donald Trump's most controversial quotes On Isis: "Some of the candidates, they went in and didnt know the air conditioner didnt work and sweated like dogs, and they didnt know the room was too big because they didnt have anybody there. How are they going to beat ISIS?" Getty Donald Trump's most controversial quotes On immigration: "I will build a great wall and nobody builds walls better than me, believe me and Ill build them very inexpensively. I will build a great, great wall on our southern border, and I will make Mexico pay for that wall. Mark my words." Reuters Donald Trump's most controversial quotes On Free Trade: "Free trade is terrible. Free trade can be wonderful if you have smart people. But we have stupid people." PAUL J. RICHARDS | AFP | Getty Images Donald Trump's most controversial quotes On Mexicans: "When Mexico sends its people, theyre not sending their best. Theyre sending people that have lots of problems. Theyre bringing drugs. Theyre bringing crime. Theyre rapists." Getty Donald Trump's most controversial quotes On China: "I just sold an apartment for $15 million to somebody from China. Am I supposed to dislike them?... I love China. The biggest bank in the world is from China. You know where their United States headquarters is located? In this building, in Trump Tower." Getty Images Donald Trump's most controversial quotes On work: "If you're interested in 'balancing' work and pleasure, stop trying to balance them. Instead make your work more pleasurable." AP Donald Trump's most controversial quotes On success: "What separates the winners from the losers is how a person reacts to each new twist of fate." Donald Trump's most controversial quotes On life: "Everything in life is luck." AFP Donald Trump's most controversial quotes On ambition: "You have to think anyway, so why not think big?" Getty Images Donald Trump's most controversial quotes On his opponents: "Bush is totally in favour of Common Core. I don't see how he can possibly get the nomination. He's weak on immigration. He's in favour of Common Core. How the hell can you vote for this guy? You just can't do it." Reuters Donald Trump's most controversial quotes On Obamacare: "You have to be hit by a tractor, literally, a tractor, to use it, because the deductibles are so high. It's virtually useless. And remember the $5 billion web site?... I have so many web sites, I have them all over the place. I hire people, they do a web site. It costs me $3." Getty Images Donald Trump's most controversial quotes On Barack Obama: "Obama is going to be out playing golf. He might be on one of my courses. I would invite him. I have the best courses in the world. I have one right next to the White House." PA Donald Trump's most controversial quotes On himself: "Love him or hate him, Trump is a man who is certain about what he wants and sets out to get it, no holds barred. Women find his power almost as much of a turn-on as his money." Getty Images Donald Trump's most controversial quotes On America: "The American Dream is dead. But if I get elected president I will bring it back bigger and better and stronger than ever before and we will make America great again." GETTY However, George Papadopoulos, an adviser to Mr Trump, hs called on Mr Cameron to apologise, after the withdrawal of his main rival Ted Cruz made it all but certain he would secure the Republican nomination. The adviser said Mr Cameron's remarks were "uncalled-for" and he suggested it would be "wise" for the Priem Minister to "reach out in a more positive manner". When asked if Mr Trump would forgive Mr Cameron's comments, Mr Papadopoulos told the Times: "I can't speak directly for him but it would seem that if Prime Minister Cameron is serious about reaching out, not only to Mr Trump's advisers but to the man himself, an apology or some sort of retraction should happen. "To see Mr Cameron come out as the most vocal opponent was uncalled for. "Considering that we believe that the UK-US relationship should be a cornerstone, not just of Nato policy but elsewhere, it would be wise for him to reach out in a more positive manner to Mr Trump." Trump on Muslims Responding to his comments, an official spokeswoman for the Prime Minister told the Press Association: "The PM has no intention of withdrawing his comments, which were made in response to comments that Donald Trump made calling for a ban on Muslims entering the US. That was the context for the PM's comments." Donald Trump celebrated a huge victory in the latest US primary in Indiana, making it all but certain he will face off against Hillary Clinton in the general election. In his victory speech, Mr Trump declared: "Weve been losing all the time, we lose with our military, we cant beat Isis, we lose with trade, we lose with borders, we lose with everything. Were not going to lose, we are going to start winning again and were going to win bigly. Sign up to our free Brexit and beyond email for the latest headlines on what Brexit is meaning for the UK Sign up to our Brexit email for the latest insight Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Brexit and beyond email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Voters should not let concerns about migration from Turkey affect their vote in the EU referendum, David Cameron has said, claiming that the countrys accession to the European Union is not remotely on the cards. Recommended Read more Higher turnout among older voters could tip Britain into Brexit Hitting back at close ally and friend Michael Gove, who claimed in a speech last week that staying in the EU would leave Britains doors open to millions of migrants from prospective members, the Prime Minister said that he did not believe Turkey would join the EU for decades. Facing questions on the referendum from MPs on the House of Commons Liaison Committee, Mr Cameron also issued a new warning over the consequences of Brexit for the City of London, claiming that the head of the London Stock Exchange had warned him 100,000 jobs could be lost in the banking and financial services sector if Britain left the EU because of changes to passport rules. If your vote in this referendum is being influenced by considerations about Turkish membership of the EU dont think about it

Prime Minister, David Cameron

Appearing relaxed as he faced questions from a number of prominent Eurosceptic MPs from his own party, Mr Cameron said that his views on Europe had evolved as Prime Minister, and that he was now more convinced than he had been that the UKs membership improves security against international crime and terrorism. He said that there was a patriotic case for remaining In, and claimed he did not feel less British because of the countrys EU membership. Challenged by Labour MP Frank Field over the likely impact of Turkish accession to the EU on UK immigration, the Prime Minister said: I dont think the accession of Turkey to the EU is remotely on the cards. I dont think it will happen for decades. I think if you look at the facts, the facts are it requires unanimity of all European members, the French for instance have said they would have a referendum on it. I would say very clearly to people: if your vote in this referendum is being influenced by considerations about Turkish membership of the EU dont think about it. However, he faced new questions over the decision to allow the civil service to support the Governments public arguments for a Remain vote, as senior Conservative MP Bernard Jenkin claimed that the Government could be breaking the law by allowing pro-Remain information to remain on official websites during the pre-referendum purdah period during which government organisations are not allowed to make announcements that could be advantageous to either side. Mr Cameron suggested would be an extreme move to have the web pages taken down, but said the Government would seek its own legal advice on the matter. Sign up to the Inside Politics email for your free daily briefing on the biggest stories in UK politics Get our free Inside Politics email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Politics email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} The imam branded an Isis supporting extremist by David Cameron has said he is a Conservative supporter and demanded an apology. Suliman Gani denied allegations he supports Isis and said he was surprised by the Prime Minister's comments, especially because he had been invited to a Tory event encouraging Muslims to become councillors. Attempting to link Labour's mayoral candidate to extremists during Wednesday's Prime Minister's Questions, Mr Cameron had said: The honourable member for Islington might be interested in this. He [Gani] describes women as subservient to men, he said that homosexuality was an unnatural act. "He stood on a platform with people who wanted an Islamic state. That is why his attempts to deal with antisemitism are utterly condemned to failure, because he wont even condemn people who sit on platforms with people like that. Watch the moment Corbyn corrects Cameron about Suliman Gani Hours after Jeremy Corbyn reminded Mr Cameron the man in question was a Conservative supporter, Mr Gani told Sky News he thought the allegations were "preposterous". The imam stressed he had never supported the terror group, saying: "I have openly condemned the barbarity and monstrosity of Isis." He also said he had no problems with homosexuality - as Mr Cameron had alleged - saying: "I have no problem with any person's personal inclination." Mr Gani also said he was a Conservative voter and had previously been invited to an event encouraging more Musilms to become Tory councillors. "I'm very surprised," he said, "I was invited to a Conservative Muslim forum, encouraging Muslims to become Councillors for the Conservative Party. "So how is it I am labelled as a person who is supporting IS? "This is really something I cannot accept. I demand a serious, immediate apology." Sign up to the Inside Politics email for your free daily briefing on the biggest stories in UK politics Get our free Inside Politics email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Politics email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Jeremy Corbyn has suffered an early wobble in his first electoral test as Labour leader after his spokesman was forced to "clarify" comments in which he said he did not intend to say the party would lose no seats in the local elections. Mr Corbyn surprised MPs on Tuesday when he said at a campaign event that the party was not going to lose seats. Independent experts and internal party polling have estimated Labour could lose somewhere in the region of 100 to 150 council seats in England. Asked about the comment, Mr Corbyns spokesman said it had been misinterpreted. What he said was he would make no prediction about the number of seats [that would be] won or lost in the local elections. Were not in the business of losing seats and well be fighting to win as many as possible, he said. Challenged over the exact wording of Mr Corbyns comment, which was explicit that the party would not lose seats, the spokesman said: Im telling you what he was intending to say. While the party could lose seats in the English council elections, Mr Corbyn will be boosted if Sadiq Khan wins the London mayoralty. The Labour candidate is polling well ahead of his Conservative rival Zac Goldsmith, with an Opinium poll on Tuesday giving him a nine-point lead. However, Labour MPs are also concerned that the party could perform badly in both the Welsh and Scottish Assembly elections. London Mayoral Election: Who's who The partys electoral performance is likely to have a bearing on whether rebel Labour MPs decide to launch a leadership coup against Mr Corbyn, with reports suggesting a challenge could emerge after the EU referendum in June. What are the May 5 elections? The devolved governments the Scottish Parliament, Northern Ireland Assembly, Welsh Assembly, and London Assembly are all being elected. The Mayor of London is also elected, as are some local councils in England, and police and crime commissioners. English councils to watch in the 2016 elections Show all 12 1 /12 English councils to watch in the 2016 elections English councils to watch in the 2016 elections Southampton Includes symbolic parliamentary seat (Southampton Itchen). Bad sign for Labour if it loses majority, probably to No Overall Control (NOC). Result expected 3am Friday Bob Balestri English councils to watch in the 2016 elections Cannock Chase Labour could lose majority to NOC. Not counting until Friday morning (results will come from late morning onwards) English councils to watch in the 2016 elections Crawley Con target (from Lab). Expected 3am Friday English councils to watch in the 2016 elections Redditch Con target (from Lab). Expected 3.30am Friday English councils to watch in the 2016 elections Dudley Con target (from Lab). Expected 3am Friday English councils to watch in the 2016 elections Rossendale Con target (from Lab). Counting Friday morning English councils to watch in the 2016 elections Kirklees Lab target (now NOC). Counting Friday English councils to watch in the 2016 elections Calderdale Lab target (now NOC). Counting Friday English councils to watch in the 2016 elections Three Rivers Con target (now NOC). Counting Friday English councils to watch in the 2016 elections Trafford Con could lose majority to NOC. Expected 3.30am Friday English councils to watch in the 2016 elections Plymouth Close fight between Lab and Con; Ukip could hold balance. Expected 3am Friday English councils to watch in the 2016 elections Thurrock Ukips best shot. Expected 3am Fri Why are these elections important? The Mayor of London election is arguably the highest directly elected office in the UK with a personal mandate. Whichever party wins it not only gets to run the capital but also gains a high-profile figure. The devolved elections are important to the places they take place in because a lot of important services like health and education are devolved the Scottish, Northern Irish, and Welsh governments theyre not run from Westminster. The local elections are of course important to peoples local communities they decide who runs local councils. But more importantly for national politics, theyre often seen as a barometer of opinion mid-election cycle. Why is everyone talking about Jeremy Corbyn? Labour leader, Jeremy Corbyn (Rob Stothard/Getty Images) The Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn is under attack by internal opponents within his own party and a bad showing in these elections could give them an opening to try and get rid of him. Will a bad showing by the Conservatives hurt David Cameron the same way? Probably not hes stepping down anyway soon, and has less organised resistance against him in his own party who would look to exploit a defeat. He has however personally associated himself with his partys campaign in London which has had to deny accusations of racism against Labours Sadiq Khan. What are the big things to watch out for? Scottish Labour leader Kezia Dugdale (left) and First Minister Nicola Sturgeon (Getty Images) In Scotland, the SNP are going to come first but the battle for second place and third place between Labour and the Tories is looking very close. A third place finish for Labour in its former heartland would be humiliating and symbolic. In Wales, the question is whether Labour can hang on as a majority government or whether it will have to do a deal with another party to stay in power. They will likely come first there, however. In London, taking back the mayoralty would be a big win for Labour theyve been out since Ken Livingstone lost in 2008. How many seats Labour loses or gains in the local council elections will also be important but this is harder to interpret objectively and everyone is going to be spinning the result to try and further their interests. The Northern Ireland political system operates in a bit of a bubble so its result wont affect the UK-wide parties in any big way. If the SNP win will Scotland go independent? No, but theres a good chance the might hold another independence referendum, which they might win in future. Sign up to the Inside Politics email for your free daily briefing on the biggest stories in UK politics Get our free Inside Politics email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Politics email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Jeremy Corbyn, David Cameron, and Ken Livingstone will be asked to give evidence to a committee of MPs inquiry into anti-Semitism. The Home Affairs Select Committee said it would summon the politicians to give evidence, after a week in which various Labour figures were accused of anti-Semitism. Recommended Read more This is what distinguishes antisemitism from other racism Mr Livingstone himself, a former Mayor of London, was suspended by the party after bringing Adolf Hitler into a radio discussion about criticism of the state of Israel. Labour has ordered an inquiry into alleged anti-Jewism racism in the party, which will be led by independent campaigner, Shami Chakrabarti. The dates of the Home Affairs Committee hearings is yet to be set and will be subject to the politicians availability. The same committee, which is chaired by Labour MP Keith Vaz, allowed Naz Shah, a Labour MP embroiled in the row, to stand aside from her role due to her close involvement. Ms Shah has also been suspended from the Labour Party over historical social media postings referencing Jews and the possibility of relocating Israel to North America. Mr Corbyn said the issue had been dealt with by the party. The Labour leader has claimed anti-Semitism is not a huge problem in the party and that a relatively small number of people were implicated. Labour has suspended all members accused of anti-Semitism shortly after or before their comments became publicly known. The Conservatives were embroiled in a race row last week after outgoing Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, suggested that US President Barack Obamas part-Kenyan heritage meant he had an ancestral dislike of Britain. He made the intervention in a column for The Sun newspaper responding to the Presidents advice that Britain should stay in the EU, which Mr Johnson is campaigning to leave. Sign up to the Inside Politics email for your free daily briefing on the biggest stories in UK politics Get our free Inside Politics email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Politics email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Jeremy Hunt and other Conservative front benchers have been scolded by the Speaker of the House of Commons for "fiddling" with their mobile phones during a debate in Parliament. John Bercow said the behaviour was "rank discourteous" when he caught the Health Secretary and his colleagues looking at their gadgets at the beginning of a discussion over NHS bursaries. Mr Bercow said: "I do very gently say that to sit on the bench... fiddling ostentatiously with an electronic device defies the established convention of the house that such devices should be used without impairing parliamentary decorum. They are impairing parliamentary decorum. "It's a point so blindingly obvious that only an extraordinarily clever and sophisticated person could fail to grasp it. When the Deputy Leader of the House Therese Coffey appeared to continue pressing buttons on her phone, Mr Bercow shouted: "Put the device away, and if you don't want to put it away, get out of the house. I'm telling her its discourteous to continue, a point most people would understand." How the Coalition carved up the NHS Show all 2 1 /2 How the Coalition carved up the NHS How the Coalition carved up the NHS Pg-22-nhs1-pa.jpg PA How the Coalition carved up the NHS Pg-22-nhs2-getty.jpg Getty Images Parliamentary legislature from 2007 states that: "Hand-held electronic devices (not laptops) may be used in the Chamber, provided that they are silent, and used in a way that does not impair decorum." Sign up to the Inside Politics email for your free daily briefing on the biggest stories in UK politics Get our free Inside Politics email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Politics email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} The American political scientist who posted the diagram that triggered an antisemitism row in the Labour Party has dismissed the furore as obscene. Norman G Finkelstein, a Jewish author whose parents survived concentration camps during the Holocaust, said he published the map shared by Naz Shah on his blog in 2014. Entitled Solution for the Israel-Palestine conflict relocate Israel to into United States, it went up on his website on 4 August, the day before the future Bradford West MP shared it on her Facebook page. Ms Shah has been suspended from Labour and quit two of her posts, while comments made by Ken Livingstone in her defence sparked a new row culminating in an independent review into antisemitism in the party. Corbyn slams 'obsessed' media Mr Finkelstein said he posted the map because he found it funny, claiming that such jokes are commonplace in the US. In an interview published by Open Democracy, he called comparisons to policies introduced by Holocaust organiser Adolf Eichmann sick, saying the Facebook post could not be likened to his parents experience of Nazi transportation. What are they doing? Dont they have any respect for the dead? he said. All these desiccated Labour apparatchiks, dragging the Nazi holocaust through the mud for the sake of their petty jostling for power and position. Have they no shame? Mr Finkelstein, whose work including a book called The Holocaust Industry has met with controversy, also said Mr Livingstone was more or less accurate with his subsequent claims about Adolf Hitler. Lets remember when Hitler won his election in 1932, his policy then was that Jews should be moved to Israel, said the former Mayor of London, who was also suspended from the Labour Party. He was supporting Zionism this before he went mad and ended up killing six million Jews. Labour antisemitism row: What Livingstone said Show all 14 1 /14 Labour antisemitism row: What Livingstone said Labour antisemitism row: What Livingstone said On Israel and Palestine The simple fact in all of this is that Naz made these comments at a time when there was another brutal Israeli attack on the Palestinians; and theres one stark fact that virtually no one in the British media ever reports, in almost all these conflicts the death toll is usually between 60 and 100 Palestinians killed for every Israeli. Now, any other country doing that would be accused of war crimes but its like we have a double standard about the policies of the Israeli government Labour antisemitism row: What Livingstone said On Antisemitism in the Labour Party As Ive said, Ive never heard anybody say anything antisemitism-Semitic, but theres been a very well-orchestrated campaign by the Israel lobby to smear anybody who criticises Israeli policy as antisemitic. I had to put up with 35 years of this Labour antisemitism row: What Livingstone said On Naz Shah Its completely over-the-top and rude, but who am I to denounce anyone with all of that. It was wrong. I dont think she is antisemitic, it was incredibly rude but I dont believe she is an antisemite. When the NEC investigation is finished they'll say it was rude and over the top but they wont find any evidence that she actually hates Jews. Weve got to investigate all these charges and the context in which they are made. If she is antisemitic like the other three or four members weve found who are antisemitic, shell be expelled Labour antisemitism row: What Livingstone said On other alleged antisemites in Labour That is part of the classic antisemitic thing about an international Jewish conspiracy that is the reason we need to have an investigation. Ive got an open mind. Ive seen nothing to suggest to me that she is antisemitic. I wouldnt have supported her if I [thought] she was antisemitic Labour antisemitism row: What Livingstone said On whether what Hitler did was legal, as stated by Naz Shah Thats a statement of fact Hitler, Im sure, passed all those laws that allowed him to do that its history literally, Hitler was completely mad, he killed six million Jews. Shes not saying its legal to kill six million Jews: what they were doing in that country allowed them not just to kill six million Jews, kill all the communists, kill all the leftists like me, my father almost died when a Nazi sub sank his boat. I have no sympathy with Hitler Labour antisemitism row: What Livingstone said On another alleged antisemite in Labour No, that is, and thats why shes been suspended or expelled. What Ive said is that in 47 years of the party in all the meetings Ive been in Ive never heard anyone say anything antisemitic. There are bound to be in a party of half a million people youll have a handful of antisemites, youll have a handful of racists. Youve managed to dig out virtually every antisemitic comment that Labour members have made out of half a million people. Ive never met any of these people. Theres not a problem. Youre talking about a handful of people in a party of half a million people. Jeremy Corbyn has moved rapidly to deal with them Labour antisemitism row: What Livingstone said On Jeremy Corbyns response to the allegations He met with Naz and she agreed she would stand down while the investigation is going on. He called her in to see her. Theres been a huge investigation of virtually everything that anybody put on the internet many of these people are quite new and recent members of the party that joined in the big influx. 300,000 new people came in Labour antisemitism row: What Livingstone said On his meeting a man accused of antisemitism in London This is the man who called for Muslims around the world to donate blood after the attacks of 9/11 when he came to London I went with him to the Regents Park mosque where he said no man should hit a woman and you should not discriminate against homosexuals. So I cant equate what I heard him say he made no antisemitic statement while he was here in London. I dont investigate people. Ive simply said what I believe to be true which is that Naz was not antisemitic. She was completely over the top, very rude, but that does not make her an antisemite Labour antisemitism row: What Livingstone said On John Manns comments He went completely over the top. I was actually doing a radio interview at the time that he was bellowing that Im a racist antisemite in my ear. Ive had that with John Mann before a few weeks ago screaming that I was a bigot down the phone. Im not an apologist for anyone who makes antisemitic statements. What Im saying is dont confuse antisemitism with criticism of the Israeli government policy Labour antisemitism row: What Livingstone said On calling a Jewish journalist a concentration camp guard whilst Mayor of London I cant tell if a journalist is Jewish or Catholic or anything. If a journalist is chasing you down the street at nine of clock at night you might be rude to them. Some people might have hit him! He said he was just doing his job. We went all the way to the High Court and the judge opened his judgement by saying I hope no one here is going to suggest that Mr Livingstone is antisemitic. We won the case Labour antisemitism row: What Livingstone said On claims about Hitler and Zionism I cant tell if a journalist is Jewish or Catholic or anything. If a journalist is chasing you down the street at nine of clock at night you might be rude to them. Some people might have hit him! He said he was just doing his job. We went all the way to the High Court and the judge opened his judgement by saying I hope no one here is going to suggest that Mr Livingstone is antisemitic. We won the case Labour antisemitism row: What Livingstone said On John Mann Id simply say to John Mann go back and check. Is what I say true, or is it not? The BBC, youve got a huge team of researchers, it will take just an hour or two to go back and confirm. I was asked a question, I answered it. I have never in 45 years since I won my first election, I have never lied. I have always answered the question Labour antisemitism row: What Livingstone said On raising the issue if Hitler It lays you open to people smearing and lying about you. Ive always answered the questions put to me and that simple fact is weve had a handful of people saying antisemitic things in the Labour Party, theyve been suspended, some of them are on their way to being expelled, some of them have been expelled already Labour antisemitism row: What Livingstone said On people calling for him to be suspended All my usual critics but the simple fact is I agree with them; there is no place for antisemitism in the Labour party. For them to suggest I am antisemitic is a bit bizarre considering we worked with Jewish groups and put on exhibitions about the scale of the holocaust, we worked with Jewish groups to tackling the scale of antisemitism back in the 1970s. Ive always opposed every form of racism whether its against black people or Jews. Im going to stay in the Labour party and continue to fight against all forms of racism and discrimination as I have my entire life Analysts have said that although Hitlers government explored various transfer agreements before the Final Solution, it did not amount to supporting Zionism because the Nazis opposed the self-determination at the heart of the movement. Mr Finkelstein called comparisons between the Israeli government and Nazis gratuitous and a distraction but said politicians should not be crucified over the issue. The Board of Deputies of British Jews said the divisive author, who was banned from entering Israel for 10 years in 2008, does not represent mainstream views in the UK. He might think the map was funny but most Jews in this country think the very opposite, the groups communications officer, Simon Round, told The Independent. It might have been treated as some kind of joke but there are sensitivities there and the context is vitalits not something that sits well. Mr Finkelstein was also sceptical of Labours antisemitism inquiry, arguing that finding a working definition of the term will be impossible. The UK-based Campaign Against Antisemitism told The Independent that being anti-Zionist is antisemetic. Mr Finkelstein said Naz Shah should not have been 'crucified' for her Facebook post (PA) Zionism is the Jewish people's right to self-determination in Israel, a spokesperson said. All people have the right to self-determination, so denying that right just to Jews is antisemitic. The group said it was not antisemitic to oppose Israeli policies but cited examples of hatred directed at Jewish peopledisguised as political discourse. But the Palestine Solidarity Campaign said there was a clear difference between antisemisim and anti-Zionism, calling the latter a political ideology that could be legitimately contested. While some seek to define Zionism as the right of Jewish people to self-determination, the Zionism of the Israeli state has resulted in the denial of basic human rights to Palestinians, a spokesperson said. To confuse whether deliberately or otherwise legitimate criticism of the Israeli government with antisemitism only serves to undermine the struggle against racism. Ms Shah stood down from her post on the Home Affairs Select Committee as the row continued on Tuesday. The committee is conducting the inquiry into antisemitism, which could see David Cameron and Jeremy Corbyn among the prominent politicians giving evidence. CYBERSPACEShemaleYum.com, which is celebrating 20 years as a leading transsexual website, is bringing back many original models, including Wendy Williams appeared on the site between 2002 and 2009. For the 20th anniversary celebration, she shot two solos, the first of which debuted May 2. Fans will be able to see Williams return to the site she debuted on by joining ShemaleYum.com. "Wendy is certainly an icon and her red hair, Southern accent and love of being a performer are matched only be her good business acumen and excellent promotion and marketing which she's learned from so many years in the business, said Stephen, founder of ShemaleYum.com. "Wendy has her own website, DVDs, and even a Doc Johnson toy! We welcome her back to Shemale Yum. Fans can also check out Wendy at her official website WendyWilliamsXXX.com to see her in hardcore and solo action. Currently she is doing PR work for BBWCon, Trans500 and TS model Kelli Lox. You can also read her monthly blog at Shemale.com or attend one of her monthly T-Girl and Admirers Parties held every first and third Friday in Lexington, Ky., at BlueGrass Connections. Follow Wendy on Twitter @tswendywilliams and Instagram.com/tswendywilliams. Check out her website WendyWilliamsXXX.com or her party website LexingtonTGirlParties.com. Sign up to the Inside Politics email for your free daily briefing on the biggest stories in UK politics Get our free Inside Politics email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Politics email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Whats being voted on? Between 100 and 200 local councils in England will hold elections, mostly so-called Metropolitan Boroughs like Birmingham and Sheffield. Some district councils are also up for election. Read our guides to the 2016 UK elections Most councils having elections will elect one third of their councilors, some will elect all of them at the same time. What are the main issues at stake? Local issues like planning, housing, parking, etc; some voters use local elections to have their say on how they think parties are doing at a national level, however. English councils to watch in the 2016 elections Show all 12 1 /12 English councils to watch in the 2016 elections English councils to watch in the 2016 elections Southampton Includes symbolic parliamentary seat (Southampton Itchen). Bad sign for Labour if it loses majority, probably to No Overall Control (NOC). Result expected 3am Friday Bob Balestri English councils to watch in the 2016 elections Cannock Chase Labour could lose majority to NOC. Not counting until Friday morning (results will come from late morning onwards) English councils to watch in the 2016 elections Crawley Con target (from Lab). Expected 3am Friday English councils to watch in the 2016 elections Redditch Con target (from Lab). Expected 3.30am Friday English councils to watch in the 2016 elections Dudley Con target (from Lab). Expected 3am Friday English councils to watch in the 2016 elections Rossendale Con target (from Lab). Counting Friday morning English councils to watch in the 2016 elections Kirklees Lab target (now NOC). Counting Friday English councils to watch in the 2016 elections Calderdale Lab target (now NOC). Counting Friday English councils to watch in the 2016 elections Three Rivers Con target (now NOC). Counting Friday English councils to watch in the 2016 elections Trafford Con could lose majority to NOC. Expected 3.30am Friday English councils to watch in the 2016 elections Plymouth Close fight between Lab and Con; Ukip could hold balance. Expected 3am Friday English councils to watch in the 2016 elections Thurrock Ukips best shot. Expected 3am Fri Whos going to win? The results will be a patchwork across the country; local elections like this are usually benchmarked compared to previous results and used as a barometer of how parties are doing. Labour is expected to lose seats, because it was at a polling high point last time these seats were up for elections. The partys leader Jeremy Corbyn has suggested that his party may in fact gain support, however. A particularly poor result may prompt calls for Mr Corbyn to step down from his opponents within the party. Expect a huge spin session from all sides, focusing on Labours results. Most counting will begin the next day, Friday. How do the elections work? It varies by local authority, but all are elected using the First Past the Post system. Some wards have multiple councillors representing them, others have only one councillor per ward. Because only some wards are up for election in most councils the balance of power will likely subtly shift in most areas of the country rather than dramatically change. Sign up to the Inside Politics email for your free daily briefing on the biggest stories in UK politics Get our free Inside Politics email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Politics email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Elections will be held across the UK on Thursday. Scotland will choose a new government, all the seats in the Welsh Assembly are up for grabs, and mayors will be elected in cities such as London and Bristol. In England, 2,743 seats in 124 local elections will be contested. Read our guides to the 2016 UK elections He we answer some questions to make your voting a little smoother: How can I vote? As the deadline for postal votes and voting by proxy has already passed youll now have to vote in person at your local polling station. When can I vote? The elections take place on Thursday 5 May and polls open at 7am. Voting closes at 10pm. Where is my polling station? To find this out, you will need to contact your local authority directly. If you've been sent a ballot paper in the post you should be able to see the address of your polling station on the front. Who are my candidates? There is no official source of information on candidates, so make sure you do some research on the candidates before heading to the polling station. You can do this by checking candidate websites and party websites. If you type in your postcode here, you'll be able to find the names of your local candidates. Staff at the polling station will give you a ballot paper listing all the candidates you can vote for. Do not write anything else (besides the cross next to the candidate you select) or your vote may not be counted. No need to rush to a stationery shop, as a pencil will be provided. If you make a mistake, tell one of the assistants theyll give you a replacement. Fold your ballot paper in half; pop it in the ballot box. Youre done! London Mayoral Election: Who's who Why are these elections important? The Mayor of London election is arguably the highest directly elected office in the UK with a personal mandate. Whichever party wins it not only gets to run the capital but also gains a high-profile figure. The devolved elections are important to the places they take place in because a lot of important services like health and education are devolved the Scottish, Northern Irish, and Welsh governments theyre not run from Westminster. The local elections are of course important to peoples local communities they decide who runs local councils. But more importantly for national politics, theyre often seen as a barometer of opinion mid-election cycle. Why is everyone talking about Jeremy Corbyn? Labour leader, Jeremy Corbyn (Rob Stothard/Getty Images) The Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn is under attack by internal opponents within his own party and a bad showing in these elections could give them an opening to try and get rid of him. English councils to watch in the 2016 elections Show all 12 1 /12 English councils to watch in the 2016 elections English councils to watch in the 2016 elections Southampton Includes symbolic parliamentary seat (Southampton Itchen). Bad sign for Labour if it loses majority, probably to No Overall Control (NOC). Result expected 3am Friday Bob Balestri English councils to watch in the 2016 elections Cannock Chase Labour could lose majority to NOC. Not counting until Friday morning (results will come from late morning onwards) English councils to watch in the 2016 elections Crawley Con target (from Lab). Expected 3am Friday English councils to watch in the 2016 elections Redditch Con target (from Lab). Expected 3.30am Friday English councils to watch in the 2016 elections Dudley Con target (from Lab). Expected 3am Friday English councils to watch in the 2016 elections Rossendale Con target (from Lab). Counting Friday morning English councils to watch in the 2016 elections Kirklees Lab target (now NOC). Counting Friday English councils to watch in the 2016 elections Calderdale Lab target (now NOC). Counting Friday English councils to watch in the 2016 elections Three Rivers Con target (now NOC). Counting Friday English councils to watch in the 2016 elections Trafford Con could lose majority to NOC. Expected 3.30am Friday English councils to watch in the 2016 elections Plymouth Close fight between Lab and Con; Ukip could hold balance. Expected 3am Friday English councils to watch in the 2016 elections Thurrock Ukips best shot. Expected 3am Fri Will a bad showing by the Conservatives hurt David Cameron the same way? Probably not hes stepping down anyway soon, and has less organised resistance against him in his own party who would look to exploit a defeat. He has however personally associated himself with his partys campaign in London which has had to deny accusations of racism against Labours Sadiq Khan. What are the big things to watch out for? Scottish Labour leader Kezia Dugdale (left) and First Minister Nicola Sturgeon (Getty Images) In Scotland, the SNP are going to come first but the battle for second place and third place between Labour and the Tories is looking very close. A third place finish for Labour in its former heartland would be humiliating and symbolic. In Wales, the question is whether Labour can hang on as a majority government or whether it will have to do a deal with another party to stay in power. They will likely come first there, however. In London, taking back the mayoralty would be a big win for Labour theyve been out since Ken Livingstone lost in 2008. How many seats Labour loses or gains in the local council elections will also be important but this is harder to interpret objectively and everyone is going to be spinning the result to try and further their interests. The Northern Ireland political system operates in a bit of a bubble so its result wont affect the UK-wide parties in any big way. If the SNP win will Scotland go independent? No, but theres a good chance the might hold another independence referendum, which they might win in future. Sign up to the Inside Politics email for your free daily briefing on the biggest stories in UK politics Get our free Inside Politics email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Politics email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Londoners will vote to choose the new Mayor of London on Thursday and it will bring an end to a contest that has been riddled with accusations of racism. The Conservative candidate Zac Goldsmith has been accused of running a negative campaign, employing dog-whistling tactics against the Labour frontrunner Sadiq Khan. David Cameron and Jeremy Corbyn clashed over the mayoral election in this weeks PMQs session. The Labour leader accused the Conservatives of running a smear campaign against Mr Khan with their continual reference to the Labour candidate sharing a platform with Suliman Gani, a London imam who Cameron insists is a supporter of Isis. Mr Gani has denied the allegations he supports Isis and said he was surprised by the Prime Minister's comments. In a statement, he writes: For the avoidance of any doubt, I state again that Islamic State is in no way compatible with my beliefs. I condemn IS wholeheartedly, and have done so repeatedly in public and in private since its inception. It has been revealed that Mr Gani is in fact a Conservative voter and previously been invited to an event encouraging more Muslims to be Tory councillors. Watch the moment Corbyn corrects Cameron about Suliman Gani Mr Corbyn told the Prime Minister: The gentleman concerned is actually a Conservative, so maybe he would care to think about that. Mayor of London 2016 - the candidates at a glance Show all 7 1 /7 Mayor of London 2016 - the candidates at a glance Mayor of London 2016 - the candidates at a glance Sadiq Khan - Labour The MP for Tooting, Sadiq Khan says the mayoral election will be a 'referendum on the Tory housing crisis'. He has also pledged to freeze fares until 2020. Son of a bus driver, and doesn't let anyone forget it. His Conservative opponent has made claims about people who he has previously associated with - but attacks so far have failed to stick Mayor of London 2016 - the candidates at a glance Zac Goldsmith - Conservative The MP for Richmond, Zac Goldsmith is a longstanding campaigner against the expansion of Heathrow airport. Despite his environment credentials - he once edited The Ecologist magazine - the Tory candidate has said he would 'rip out' Boris Johnson's cycle lanes if they don't work. A very wealthy man, his campaign has been dogged by accusations of racism against Sadiq Khan Mayor of London 2016 - the candidates at a glance Sian Berry - Green Party A councillor in the London Borough of Camden, Sian Berry is campaigning on improving homes for renters, cleaning up London's air pollution, and flattening fare zones to help Londoners. She previously ran as the party's mayoral candidate in 2008. In 2012, the Green Party came in third place Mayor of London 2016 - the candidates at a glance Caroline Pidgeon - Liberal Democrat A Liberal Democrat London Assembly member for eight years, Caroline Pidgeon has a strong record on the Assembly's transport committee standing up for commuters and cyclists alike. She wants to set up a 2 billion housing investment fund and make all the capital's buses zero emission Mayor of London 2016 - the candidates at a glance Peter Whittle - UKIP UKIP hasn't fared so well in London in previous elections, but is hoping for a breakthrough this time. Peter Whittle has been UKIP's culture spokesperson for two years. He tends to focus on the impact of immigration on London's housing crisis Mayor of London 2016 - the candidates at a glance George Galloway - RESPECT George Galloway has made a habit of defying the odds and pulling off stunning victories when standing for Parliament. His campaign - based on the slogan 'a London for all' has so far failed to make headway in the polls - has his luck run out? Mayor of London 2016 - the candidates at a glance Sophie Walker - Women's Equality Party A journalist, Sophie Walker is campaigning for the little-known Women's Equality Party. She is pledging to make 'equality and diversity the fuel that drives our nation's capital' with measures to increase women's representation in enterprise, more affordable homes and flexible childcare He might also consider that Shazia Awan, a former Conservative Parliamentary candidate, said this of the Tory mayoral campaign: Ill be voting Labour. A life-long Tory voter and ex-candidate, Im ashamed of the repulsive campaign of hate. Sign up to the Inside Politics email for your free daily briefing on the biggest stories in UK politics Get our free Inside Politics email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Politics email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Whats being voted on? Londoners will vote to choose the Mayor of London, who effectively runs the capital and most of its suburbs. Read our guides to the 2016 UK elections The Mayor jointly administers the city with the local borough councils but has powers over policing, transport, planning, housing, and the local environment. Voters will also elect the London Assembly a body that scrutinises the mayors policies and holds them to account. Nastiest moments in the London mayoral election What are the main issues at stake? Sadiq Khan poses next to his new campaign poster on March 29, 2016 in London (Ben Pruchnie/Staff) (Ben Pruchnie / Staff) Most voters in London are concerned with housing, which is very expensive in the capital. Transport is also a significant concern. The Conservatives have based their campaign around claims that Labours candidate Sadiq Khan is somehow associated with extremists, but voters seem fairly disinterested in these claims. Labour has proposed a freeze for transport fares and a new city agency to help build more houses. Mayor of London 2016 - the candidates at a glance Show all 7 1 /7 Mayor of London 2016 - the candidates at a glance Mayor of London 2016 - the candidates at a glance Sadiq Khan - Labour The MP for Tooting, Sadiq Khan says the mayoral election will be a 'referendum on the Tory housing crisis'. He has also pledged to freeze fares until 2020. Son of a bus driver, and doesn't let anyone forget it. His Conservative opponent has made claims about people who he has previously associated with - but attacks so far have failed to stick Mayor of London 2016 - the candidates at a glance Zac Goldsmith - Conservative The MP for Richmond, Zac Goldsmith is a longstanding campaigner against the expansion of Heathrow airport. Despite his environment credentials - he once edited The Ecologist magazine - the Tory candidate has said he would 'rip out' Boris Johnson's cycle lanes if they don't work. A very wealthy man, his campaign has been dogged by accusations of racism against Sadiq Khan Mayor of London 2016 - the candidates at a glance Sian Berry - Green Party A councillor in the London Borough of Camden, Sian Berry is campaigning on improving homes for renters, cleaning up London's air pollution, and flattening fare zones to help Londoners. She previously ran as the party's mayoral candidate in 2008. In 2012, the Green Party came in third place Mayor of London 2016 - the candidates at a glance Caroline Pidgeon - Liberal Democrat A Liberal Democrat London Assembly member for eight years, Caroline Pidgeon has a strong record on the Assembly's transport committee standing up for commuters and cyclists alike. She wants to set up a 2 billion housing investment fund and make all the capital's buses zero emission Mayor of London 2016 - the candidates at a glance Peter Whittle - UKIP UKIP hasn't fared so well in London in previous elections, but is hoping for a breakthrough this time. Peter Whittle has been UKIP's culture spokesperson for two years. He tends to focus on the impact of immigration on London's housing crisis Mayor of London 2016 - the candidates at a glance George Galloway - RESPECT George Galloway has made a habit of defying the odds and pulling off stunning victories when standing for Parliament. His campaign - based on the slogan 'a London for all' has so far failed to make headway in the polls - has his luck run out? Mayor of London 2016 - the candidates at a glance Sophie Walker - Women's Equality Party A journalist, Sophie Walker is campaigning for the little-known Women's Equality Party. She is pledging to make 'equality and diversity the fuel that drives our nation's capital' with measures to increase women's representation in enterprise, more affordable homes and flexible childcare Whos going to win? Sadiq Khan has a 20-point lead over the Tories Zac Goldsmith in all polls; for Khan to lose would be a major upset. Minor parties are expected to do quite well, with the Greens hoping to maintain their third place finish from 2012 and Ukip looking to make inroads possibly gaining a member of the London Assembly. London Mayoral Election: Who's who When will we know the result? Conservative mayoral candidate Zac Goldsmith visits Sidcup High Steet during his campaign tour on March 3, 2016 in Sidcup, England. (Ben Pruchnie / Staff) Counting starts on Friday morning, the votes having been cast on Thursday. Depending on how many recounts there are and how close it is, we might not know until early evening or it could be in by a late lunch. How do the elections work The London Assembly is elected using a system of proportional representation called the 'additional member system' (Ben Pruchnie/Getty Images) Voters elect the Mayor of London using a system called supplementary vote where they can make a first preference and a second preference. If a voters second preference isnt in the top two placed candidates, their second vote is activated. This system allows people to vote for a smaller party candidate without worrying that their vote might be wasted. The London Assembly is elected using a system of proportional representation called the additional member system members (AMs) are elected to represent particular part of London; but voters also have a second vote that elects AMs to represent the whole of London. The London-wide AMs are added to the result to make sure the final result is proportional to the votes cast, which helps smaller parties who dont have enough concentrated support to win a constituency. Sign up to the Inside Politics email for your free daily briefing on the biggest stories in UK politics Get our free Inside Politics email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Politics email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} The race for second place in the Scottish Parliament elections is on a knife-edge with less than 48 hours to go before polls close as the latest survey show Labour risks being relegated to third place. With the SNP set to dominate in Thursdays elections, the UK-wide unionist parties are battling for second position, with Kezia Dugdales party now trailing by one point. The Survation poll, conducted for Scotlands Daily Record newspaper, shows once-dominant Labour on 19 per cent in the regional list vote, with the Scottish Tories narrowly leading it on 20 per cent. Labour retains a narrow lead in the constituency vote, but because of Scotlands electoral system, the Tories would be likely to end up with more MSPs if such a result was repeated on polling day. Meanwhile Ukip, which has been hoping to make gains in other areas of the UK on Thursday appears to be in disarray north of the border. Polling two per cent below the threshold to win any seats the Eurosceptic party was described this weekend as being in all-out civil war by Alan Melville, its main candidate in Lothian. Leader David Coburn, the partys only MEP in Scotland, dismissed the warning as a lot of tosh. Some activists called for a change in leader earlier this year, but Mr Coburn has remained in post. Labour has tried to put clear red water between it and the SNP pledging to raise taxes to cancel cuts and attacking the SNPs reticence to raise the top rate of the highest earners. Ms Dugdale said her party was the only party with a plan to stop the cuts but the strategy has so far made few inroads into SNP support, with former Labour voters apparently backing the nationalist party in their hundreds of thousands. (Left to right) Scottish Green Party co-convener Patrick Harvie, Scottish Labour Party leader Kezia Dugdale, First Minister and leader of the Scottish National Party Nicola Sturgeon, Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson and Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Willie Rennie (PA) The Tories have conceded that they are unlikely to win, but have pitched to Scottish voters as the party most able to provide a strong opposition to the dominant SNP. A third place result in Scotland would be a humiliation for Labour with activists long having gloated at the Tories irrelevance there since the 1980s. Though the partys troubles there started under Jim Murphy and Ed Miliband, a symbolically poor result in its old heartland could increase pressure on UK Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn to quit and give succor to his internal enemies. Labour lost all but one of its seats in Scotland at last years UK general election; the Tories and Liberal Democrats also have one each. The other big winners on Thursday could be the Scottish Greens, who polls suggest are on course to triple or even better their number of MSPs, currently at two. Some SNP voters are reportedly lending their regional list votes to the Greens in order to maximise the number of pro-independence MSPs in the Scottish Parliament. The approach would work because parties that sweep the board in the constituency vote as the SNP is likely to do not tend to receive top-up seats on the regional list vote no matter what they score. SNP MPs have criticised the tactic however, and launched a social media campaign for their supporters to make #bothvotesSNP. The Survation phone poll has top-line list figures of SNP 43 per cent, Conservatives 20 per cent, Labour 19 per cent, Greens 7 per cent, Liberal Democrats 6 per cent, and Ukip 2 per cent. At the constituency level the SNP are on 49 per cent, Labour are on 21 per cent, the Tories are on 19 per cent and the Liberal Democrats are on 7 per cent. Sign up to the Inside Politics email for your free daily briefing on the biggest stories in UK politics Get our free Inside Politics email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Politics email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Tony Blair has said there is no place for antisemitism in the Labour Party as the furore continues to rage following the suspension of Naz Shah, Ken Livingstone and several local councillors. The former Prime Minister praised Jeremy Corbyns decision to set up an inquiry into the issue and introduce a new code of conduct. I know I speak for the overwhelming majority of Labour Party members when I say theres absolutely no place for antisemitism in our party, Mr Blair told Bloomberg during an interview in Los Angeles. Corbyn on Livingstone remarks On the contrary, we have always been strong and powerful campaigners against that type of prejudice and that sort of poison. Its been a difficult time but well have this inquiry take its course and Im sure it will come out with some very strong conclusions. Mr Blair was made the chairman of the European Council on Tolerance and Reconciliation last year, which combats antisemitism, racism and extremism. His successor insisted there was no crisis within the Labour Party last week, amid outrage over Mr Livingstones claim that Adolf Hitler supported Zionism. Labour antisemitism row: What Livingstone said Show all 14 1 /14 Labour antisemitism row: What Livingstone said Labour antisemitism row: What Livingstone said On Israel and Palestine The simple fact in all of this is that Naz made these comments at a time when there was another brutal Israeli attack on the Palestinians; and theres one stark fact that virtually no one in the British media ever reports, in almost all these conflicts the death toll is usually between 60 and 100 Palestinians killed for every Israeli. Now, any other country doing that would be accused of war crimes but its like we have a double standard about the policies of the Israeli government Labour antisemitism row: What Livingstone said On Antisemitism in the Labour Party As Ive said, Ive never heard anybody say anything antisemitism-Semitic, but theres been a very well-orchestrated campaign by the Israel lobby to smear anybody who criticises Israeli policy as antisemitic. I had to put up with 35 years of this Labour antisemitism row: What Livingstone said On Naz Shah Its completely over-the-top and rude, but who am I to denounce anyone with all of that. It was wrong. I dont think she is antisemitic, it was incredibly rude but I dont believe she is an antisemite. When the NEC investigation is finished they'll say it was rude and over the top but they wont find any evidence that she actually hates Jews. Weve got to investigate all these charges and the context in which they are made. If she is antisemitic like the other three or four members weve found who are antisemitic, shell be expelled Labour antisemitism row: What Livingstone said On other alleged antisemites in Labour That is part of the classic antisemitic thing about an international Jewish conspiracy that is the reason we need to have an investigation. Ive got an open mind. Ive seen nothing to suggest to me that she is antisemitic. I wouldnt have supported her if I [thought] she was antisemitic Labour antisemitism row: What Livingstone said On whether what Hitler did was legal, as stated by Naz Shah Thats a statement of fact Hitler, Im sure, passed all those laws that allowed him to do that its history literally, Hitler was completely mad, he killed six million Jews. Shes not saying its legal to kill six million Jews: what they were doing in that country allowed them not just to kill six million Jews, kill all the communists, kill all the leftists like me, my father almost died when a Nazi sub sank his boat. I have no sympathy with Hitler Labour antisemitism row: What Livingstone said On another alleged antisemite in Labour No, that is, and thats why shes been suspended or expelled. What Ive said is that in 47 years of the party in all the meetings Ive been in Ive never heard anyone say anything antisemitic. There are bound to be in a party of half a million people youll have a handful of antisemites, youll have a handful of racists. Youve managed to dig out virtually every antisemitic comment that Labour members have made out of half a million people. Ive never met any of these people. Theres not a problem. Youre talking about a handful of people in a party of half a million people. Jeremy Corbyn has moved rapidly to deal with them Labour antisemitism row: What Livingstone said On Jeremy Corbyns response to the allegations He met with Naz and she agreed she would stand down while the investigation is going on. He called her in to see her. Theres been a huge investigation of virtually everything that anybody put on the internet many of these people are quite new and recent members of the party that joined in the big influx. 300,000 new people came in Labour antisemitism row: What Livingstone said On his meeting a man accused of antisemitism in London This is the man who called for Muslims around the world to donate blood after the attacks of 9/11 when he came to London I went with him to the Regents Park mosque where he said no man should hit a woman and you should not discriminate against homosexuals. So I cant equate what I heard him say he made no antisemitic statement while he was here in London. I dont investigate people. Ive simply said what I believe to be true which is that Naz was not antisemitic. She was completely over the top, very rude, but that does not make her an antisemite Labour antisemitism row: What Livingstone said On John Manns comments He went completely over the top. I was actually doing a radio interview at the time that he was bellowing that Im a racist antisemite in my ear. Ive had that with John Mann before a few weeks ago screaming that I was a bigot down the phone. Im not an apologist for anyone who makes antisemitic statements. What Im saying is dont confuse antisemitism with criticism of the Israeli government policy Labour antisemitism row: What Livingstone said On calling a Jewish journalist a concentration camp guard whilst Mayor of London I cant tell if a journalist is Jewish or Catholic or anything. If a journalist is chasing you down the street at nine of clock at night you might be rude to them. Some people might have hit him! He said he was just doing his job. We went all the way to the High Court and the judge opened his judgement by saying I hope no one here is going to suggest that Mr Livingstone is antisemitic. We won the case Labour antisemitism row: What Livingstone said On claims about Hitler and Zionism I cant tell if a journalist is Jewish or Catholic or anything. If a journalist is chasing you down the street at nine of clock at night you might be rude to them. Some people might have hit him! He said he was just doing his job. We went all the way to the High Court and the judge opened his judgement by saying I hope no one here is going to suggest that Mr Livingstone is antisemitic. We won the case Labour antisemitism row: What Livingstone said On John Mann Id simply say to John Mann go back and check. Is what I say true, or is it not? The BBC, youve got a huge team of researchers, it will take just an hour or two to go back and confirm. I was asked a question, I answered it. I have never in 45 years since I won my first election, I have never lied. I have always answered the question Labour antisemitism row: What Livingstone said On raising the issue if Hitler It lays you open to people smearing and lying about you. Ive always answered the questions put to me and that simple fact is weve had a handful of people saying antisemitic things in the Labour Party, theyve been suspended, some of them are on their way to being expelled, some of them have been expelled already Labour antisemitism row: What Livingstone said On people calling for him to be suspended All my usual critics but the simple fact is I agree with them; there is no place for antisemitism in the Labour party. For them to suggest I am antisemitic is a bit bizarre considering we worked with Jewish groups and put on exhibitions about the scale of the holocaust, we worked with Jewish groups to tackling the scale of antisemitism back in the 1970s. Ive always opposed every form of racism whether its against black people or Jews. Im going to stay in the Labour party and continue to fight against all forms of racism and discrimination as I have my entire life The former Mayor of London was defending Ms Shah, the MP for Bradford West, after she was suspended over a Facebook post she shared in 2014 showing Israel being relocated to the US. Ms Shah stood down from her post on the Home Affairs Select Committee as the row continued on Tuesday. The committee is conducting a separate inquiry into antisemitism in the UK, which could see David Cameron and Mr Corbyn among the prominent politicians giving evidence. Sign up to the Inside Politics email for your free daily briefing on the biggest stories in UK politics Get our free Inside Politics email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Politics email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Whats being voted on? Voters in Wales will elect the Welsh Assembly, which decides the composition of the Welsh Government a devolved administration with powers over health, education, local government, and other areas of policy in Wales. Read our guides to the 2016 UK elections What are the main issues at stake? Sajid Javid speaks with steelworkers at Tata Steel's steel plant in Port Talbot on April 1, 2016. (AFP/Stringer) (AFP / Stringer) The election takes place while thousands of steel jobs at Port Talbot are hanging in the balance; Labour has backed nationalisation of the plant to save it from closure. Plaid Cymru, who support Welsh independence, are also calling for a referendum on further powers for the Assembly. Whos going to win? Wales First Minister Carwyn Jones outside Downing Street ( Ben Stansall/AFP/Getty Images) (AFP/Getty) Labour are almost certainly going to come first, the question is whether they retain their very narrow majority in the Assembly. If they cant they will have to form a coalition or do a deal, probably with the Liberal Democrats or Plaid Cymru. Polls are currently inconclusive and the result could go either way. When will we know the result? The votes will be counted overnight and the winner will become apparent in the early hours of the morning, depending on recounts and other delays. UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 23 October 2022 Britain's former Chancellor of the Exchequer, Conservative MP, Rishi Sunak leaves from an office in central London AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 21 October 2022 Sculptor Peter McKenna puts the finishing touches to a pumpkin that will form part of the Planet A Hebden Bridge Pumpkin Trail in the West Yorkshire town PA UK news in pictures 20 October 2022 Britains Prime Minister Liz Truss delivers a speech outside of 10 Downing Street in central London to announce her resignation AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 19 October 2022 Salmon leap up Stainforth Force on the River Ribble in the Yorkshire Dales as they swim upriver to their spawning grounds during the annual Salmon migration PA UK news in pictures 18 October 2022 Just Stop Oil protesters continue their protest for a second day on the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge, which links Kent and Essex and which remains closed for traffic, after it was scaled by two climbers from the group PA UK news in pictures 17 October 2022 Hundreds of students take part in the traditional Raisin Monday foam fight on St Salvator's Lower College Lawn at the University of St Andrews in Fife PA UK news in pictures 16 October 2022 A protester holds a placard during a march into central London at a demonstration by the climate change protest group Extinction Rebellion AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 15 October 2022 A member of the public drags an activist who is blocking the road during a "Just Stop Oil" protest, in London, Britain REUTERS UK news in pictures 14 October 2022 Germanys Womens double skulls during day one of the World Rowing Beach Sprint Finals at Saundersfoot beach, Pembrokeshire PA UK news in pictures 13 October 2022 Family and mourners arrive at St Michael's Church, in Creeslough, for the funeral mass of 49-year-old mother of four Martina Martin, who died following an explosion at the Applegreen service station in the village of Creeslough in Co Donegal on Friday PA UK news in pictures 12 October 2022 Motorists in Coventry pass trees showing autumnal colour PA UK news in pictures 11 October 2022 A woman and her dog in the the North Sea at Tynemouth Longsands beach before sunrise PA UK news in pictures 10 October 2022 Police officers remove a campaigner from a Just Stop Oil protest on The Mall, near Buckingham Palace, London PA UK news in pictures 9 October 2022 A drummer plays during the Diwali on the Square celebration, in Trafalgar Square, London PA UK news in pictures 8 October 2022 Timothee Chalamet attending the UK premiere of Bones and All during the BFI London Film Festival 2022 at the Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre, London PA UK news in pictures 7 October 2022 Two young male fallow deer lock antlers in Dublins Phoenix park as rutting season begins PA UK news in pictures 6 October 2022 The Princess of Wales during a cocktail making competition during a visit to Trademarket, a new outdoor street-food and retail market situated in Belfast city centre, as part of the royal visit to Northern Ireland PA UK news in pictures 5 October 2022 Greenpeace protesters interrupt Prime Minister Liz Truss as she delivers her keynote speech to the Conservative Party annual conference PA UK news in pictures 4 October 2022 Prime Minister Liz Truss and Britains Chancellor of the Exchequer Kwasi Kwarteng wearing hard hats and hi-vis jackets, visit a construction site for a medical innovation campus in Birmingham AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 3 October 2022 British artist Sam Cox, aka Mr Doodle, reveals the Doodle House, a twelve-room mansion at Tenterden, in Kent, which has been covered, inside and out in the artist's trademark monochrome, cartoonish hand-drawn doodles PA UK news in pictures 2 October 2022 Erling Haaland celebrates after scoring Manchester City's second goal against Manchester United at Etihad Stadium. Haaland went on to score a hattrick, his third of the season in the Premier League. City beat United 6-3. Manchester City FC/Getty UK news in pictures 1 October 2022 Protesters hold up flags and placards at a protest in London. A variety of protest groups including Enough is Enough, Don't Pay and Just Stop Oil all demonstrated on the day AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 30 September 2022 British Prime Minister Liz Truss, who has not been seen in days, leaves the back of Downing Street after a meeting with Office For Budget Responsibility following the release of her governments mini-budget Getty UK news in pictures 29 September 2022 The Virginia creeper foliage on the Tu Hwnt i'r Bont (Beyond the Bridge) Llanwrst, Conwy North Wales, has changed colour from green to red in at the start of Autumn. The building was built in 1480 as a residential dwelling but has been a tearoom for over 50 years PA UK news in pictures 28 September 2022 Criminal barristers from the Criminal Bar Association (CBA), demonstrates outside the Royal Courts of Justice in London, as part of their ongoing pay row with the Government PA UK news in pictures 27 September 2022 David White, Garter King of Arms, poses with an envelope franked with the new cypher of King Charles III 'CIIIR', after it was printed in the Court Post Office at Buckingham Palace in central London AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 26 September 2022 A gallery staff member poses next to a painting by Lucian Freud - Self-portrait (Fragment), 1956 - on show at a photocall for the Credit Suisse exhibition - Lucian Freud: New Perspectives at the National Gallery in London PA UK news in pictures 25 September 2022 Labour leader, Sir Keir Starmer is interviewed by Laura Kuenssberg in Liverpool before the start of the Labour Party annual Conference which he opened with a tribute to Queen Elizabeth II and sang the national anthem PA UK news in pictures 24 September 2022 Handout photo issued by Buckingham Palace of the ledger stone at the King George VI Memorial Chapel, St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle PA UK news in pictures 23 September 2022 A climate change activist protests against UK private jets while lighting his right arm on fire during the Laver Cup tennis tournament at the O2 Arena in London EPA UK news in pictures 22 September 2022 Woody Woodmansey, Lee Bennett, Kevin Armstrong, Nick Moran and Clifford Slapper attend the unveiling of a stone for David Bowie on the Music Walk of Fame at Camden, north London PA UK news in pictures 21 September 2022 A flock of birds in the sky as the sun rises over Dungeness in Kent PA UK news in pictures 20 September 2022 Flowers which were laid by members of the public in tribute to Queen Elizabeth II at Hillsborough Castle in Northern Ireland are collected by the Hillsborough Gardening Team and volunteers to be replanted for those that can be saved or composted PA UK news in pictures 19 September 2022 The ceremonial procession of the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II travels down the long walk as it arrives at Windsor Castle for the committal service at St Georges Chapel AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 18 September 2022 A man stands among campers on The Mall ahead of the Queens funeral Reuters UK news in pictures 17 September 2022 Wolverhampton Wanderers Nathan Collins fouls Manchester Citys Jack Grealish leading to a red card. City went on to win the match at Molineux Stadium three goals to nil. Action Images/Reuters UK news in pictures 16 September 2022 Members of the public stand in the queue near Tower Bridge, and opposite the Tower of London, as they wait in line to pay their respects to the late Queen Elizabeth II, in London AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 15 September 2022 Members of the public in the queue on in Potters Fields Park, central London, as they wait to view Queen Elizabeth II lying in state ahead of her funeral on Monday PA UK news in pictures 14 September 2022 The first members of the public pay their respects as the vigil begins around the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II in Westminster Hall, London, where it will lie in state ahead of her funeral on Monday PA UK news in pictures 13 September 2022 Crowds cheer as King Charles III and Camilla, Queen Consort arrive for a visit to Hillsborough Castle Getty UK news in pictures 12 September 2022 Crowds line the Royal Mile, Edinburgh, as King Charles III joins a procession from the Palace of Holyroodhouse to St Giles Cathedral following the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II Katielee Arrowsmith/SWNS UK news in pictures 11 September 2022 Members of the Public pay their respects as the hearse carrying the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II, draped in the Royal Standard of Scotland, is driven through Ballater AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 10 September 2022 Britain's Prince William, Prince of Wales, Britain's Catherine, Princess of Wales, Britain's Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, Britain's Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, wave at well-wishers on the Long walk at Windsor Castle AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 9 September 2022 King Charles III and Camilla, Queen Consort wave after viewing floral tributes to the late Queen Elizabeth II outside Buckingham Palace Getty UK news in pictures 8 September 2022 A screen commemorating Britain's Queen Elizabeth II in Piccadilly Circus, London Britain EPA UK news in pictures 7 September 2022 Police officers stand guard after Animal Rebellion activists threw paint on the walls and road outside the Houses of Parliament in protest, in London, Britain Reuters UK news in pictures 6 September 2022 Queen Elizabeth II welcomes Liz Truss during an audience at Balmoral, Scotland, where she invited the newly elected leader of the Conservative party to become Prime Minister and form a new government PA UK news in pictures 5 September 2022 Visitors at the PoliNations garden in Victoria Square, Birmingham, which is made up of five 40ft high tree installations and over 6,000 plants. The PoliNations programme aims to explore how migration and cross-pollination have shaped the UKs gardens and culture PA UK news in pictures 4 September 2022 Undergraduates at the University of St Andrews take part in the traditional Pier Walk along the harbour walls of St Andrews before the start of the new academic year PA UK news in pictures 3 September 2022 The Massed Pipes and Drums parade during the Braemar Highland Gathering at the Princess Royal and Duke of Fife Memorial Park PA How do the elections work? The Welsh Assembly elected using a system of proportional representation called the additional member system members (AMs) are elected to represent constituencies in Wales; but voters also have a second vote that elects AMs to represent larger regions. The regional AMs are added to the result to make sure the final result is proportional to the votes cast, which helps smaller parties who dont have enough concentrated support to win a constituency. Sign up to the Inside Politics email for your free daily briefing on the biggest stories in UK politics Get our free Inside Politics email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Politics email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Britain will take in lone child refugees from Europe, David Cameron has said, in a major reversal of Government policy that charities said should enable thousands of vulnerable young people to escape poverty and exploitation on the Continent. Downing Street said the Government would consult with local councils to determine how many children could be resettled. Refugee children who registered in Greece, Italy, and France prior to March 20th will be eligible for the scheme. The cut-off point coincides with the EU-Turkey deal to return refugees arriving in the EU, and would ensure that the new policy is consistent with the Governments determination not to provide a perverse incentive for refugees from the Middle East and North Africa to risk journeys to Europe, officials said. While the Government said it would not set numbers, Save the Children, the charity that has led calls for the UK to take in unaccompanied children, and which will work with the Government in implementing the plan, said that the lifeline should allow thousands of lone, vulnerable children to come to the UK. The first children granted sanctuary under the scheme are set to arrive before the end of this year. The U-turn by the Government comes after months of pressure from charities and MPs over the issue. Britain has already committed to taking in 20,000 refugees living in refugee camps in the Middle East, as well as 3,000 vulnerable children who will be resettled from the region, and from North Africa. But Mr Cameron had, till now, resisted calls from opposition parties and many of his own MPs to extend the offer of UK sanctuary to unaccompanied refugee children already in Europe. No country has done more than Britain when it comes to help for Syrian refugees, he told MPs. We are going to do more for children who were already registered in Europe before the EU-Turkey deal. But we must stick to the principle that we shouldnt be encouraging people to make that perilous journey. Thats been the cornerstone of our policy and that should remain the case. Refugee crisis - in pictures Show all 27 1 /27 Refugee crisis - in pictures Refugee crisis - in pictures A child looks through the fence at the Moria detention camp for migrants and refugees at the island of Lesbos on May 24, 2016. AFP/Getty Images Refugee crisis - in pictures Ahmad Zarour, 32, from Syria, reacts after his rescue by MOAS (Migrant Offshore Aid Station) while attempting to reach the Greek island of Agathonisi, Dodecanese, southeastern Agean Sea Refugee crisis - in pictures Syrian migrants holding life vests gather onto a pebble beach in the Yesil liman district of Canakkale, northwestern Turkey, after being stopped by Turkish police in their attempt to reach the Greek island of Lesbos on 29 January 2016. Getty Images Refugee crisis - in pictures Refugees flash the 'V for victory' sign during a demonstration as they block the Greek-Macedonian border Refugee crisis - in pictures Migrants have been braving sub zero temperatures as they cross the border from Macedonia into Serbia. Refugee crisis - in pictures A sinking boat is seen behind a Turkish gendarme off the coast of Canakkale's Bademli district on January 30, 2016. At least 33 migrants drowned on January 30 when their boat sank in the Aegean Sea while trying to cross from Turkey to Greece. Getty Images Refugee crisis - in pictures A general view of a shelter for migrants inside a hangar of the former Tempelhof airport in Berlin, Germany Refugee crisis - in pictures Refugees protest behind a fence against restrictions limiting passage at the Greek-Macedonian border, near Gevgelija. Since last week, Macedonia has restricted passage to northern Europe to only Syrians, Iraqis and Afghans who are considered war refugees. All other nationalities are deemed economic migrants and told to turn back. Macedonia has finished building a fence on its frontier with Greece becoming the latest country in Europe to build a border barrier aimed at checking the flow of refugees Refugee crisis - in pictures A father and his child wait after being caught by Turkish gendarme on 27 January 2016 at Canakkale's Kucukkuyu district Refugee crisis - in pictures Migrants make hand signals as they arrive into the southern Spanish port of Malaga on 27 January, 2016 after an inflatable boat carrying 55 Africans, seven of them women and six chidren, was rescued by the Spanish coast guard off the Spanish coast. Refugee crisis - in pictures A refugee holds two children as dozens arrive on an overcrowded boat on the Greek island of Lesbos Refugee crisis - in pictures A child, covered by emergency blankets, reacts as she arrives, with other refugees and migrants, on the Greek island of Lesbos, At least five migrants including three children, died after four boats sank between Turkey and Greece, as rescue workers searched the sea for dozens more, the Greek coastguard said Refugee crisis - in pictures Migrants wait under outside the Moria registration camp on the Lesbos. Over 400,000 people have landed on Greek islands from neighbouring Turkey since the beginning of the year Refugee crisis - in pictures The bodies of Christian refugees are buried separately from Muslim refugees at the Agios Panteleimonas cemetery in Mytilene, Lesbos Refugee crisis - in pictures Macedonian police officers control a crowd of refugees as they prepare to enter a camp after crossing the Greek border into Macedonia near Gevgelija Getty Images Refugee crisis - in pictures A refugee tries to force the entry to a camp as Macedonian police officers control a crowd after crossing the Greek border into Macedonia near Gevgelija Getty Images Refugee crisis - in pictures Refugees are seen aboard a Turkish fishing boat as they arrive on the Greek island of Lesbos after crossing a part of the Aegean Sea from the Turkish coast to Lesbos Reuters Refugee crisis - in pictures An elderly woman sings a lullaby to baby on a beach after arriving with other refugees on the Greek island of Lesbos after crossing the Aegean sea from Turkey Getty Images Refugee crisis - in pictures A man collapses as refugees make land from an overloaded rubber dinghy after crossing the Aegean see from Turkey, at the island of Lesbos EPA Refugee crisis - in pictures A girl reacts as refugees arrive by boat on the Greek island of Lesbos after crossing the Aegean sea from Turkey Getty Images Refugee crisis - in pictures Refugees make a show of hands as they queue after crossing the Greek border into Macedonia near Gevgelija Getty Images Refugee crisis - in pictures People help a wheelchair user board a train with others, heading towards Serbia, at the transit camp for refugees near the southern Macedonian town of Gevgelija AP Refugee crisis - in pictures Refugees board a train, after crossing the Greek-Macedonian border, near Gevgelija. Macedonia is a key transit country in the Balkans migration route into the EU, with thousands of asylum seekers - many of them from Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq and Somalia - entering the country every day Getty Images Refugee crisis - in pictures An aerial picture shows the "New Jungle" refugee camp where some 3,500 people live while they attempt to enter Britain, near the port of Calais, northern France Getty Images Refugee crisis - in pictures A Syrian girl reacts as she helped by a volunteer upon her arrival from Turkey on the Greek island of Lesbos, after having crossed the Aegean Sea EPA Refugee crisis - in pictures Refugees arrive by boat on the Greek island of Lesbos after crossing the Aegean sea from Turkey Getty Images Refugee crisis - in pictures Beds ready for use for migrants and refugees are prepared at a processing center on January 27, 2016 in Passau, Germany. The flow of migrants arriving in Passau has dropped to between 500 and 1,000 per day, down significantly from last November, when in the same region up to 6,000 migrants were arriving daily. The Government had been facing defeat in a House of Commons vote next week on the issue. Around 30 Conservative MPs were planning to back an amendment tabled by Lord Dubs who was himself one of 10,000 Kindertransport refugees who fled the Nazis in the 1930s which would have committed the Government to accepting lone minors from Europe. Downing Street said the Government would now be backing the Dubs amendment. Lord Dubs welcomed the decision, and urged the Prime Minister to move swiftly to ensure the Home Office works closely with local authorities to find foster families to give these young people a stable and secure home. Tanya Steele, chief executive of Save the Children, said the announcement echoes Britains proud history of offering safety at times of great crisis. Refugee children, many of whom have fled war and persecution and have made dangerous journeys to Europe alone are now living on the streets, in overcrowded camps or locked in police detention, she said. The Prime Minister has today offered a lifeline to these vulnerable children and we will work with the government and the UN to ensure that these commitments are rapidly implemented so that thousands of lone, vulnerable children can reach safety in the UK in the coming months. However, the Refugee Council was more critical. Its head of advocacy Dr Lisa Doyle said the plan would offer limited chances to lone children. Charities want to see the Government reconsider its policy of denying sanctuary to child refugees who have arrived in Europe after the March 20th cut-off point. Rates of arrival remain high despite the EU-Turkey deal, with Save the Children figures indicating that in one week in April, 633 unaccompanied refugee children arrived in Italy alone. The Local Government Association said councils stood ready to help, but called on the Government to clarify long-term funding arrangements and provide more detail for how the scheme would operate nationally. Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron, who first raised the issue of unaccompanied child refugees with the Prime Minister in October last year, said the announcement was a victory, but not the end of the story. The detail remains to be seen, he said. Tens or hundreds simply wont be good enough and would be a betrayal of the British public and Parliament...The Government must also ensure that local authorities are properly funded so that they can help these traumatised children rebuild their lives and achieve their full potential. Yvette Cooper, chair of Labours Refugee Taskforce also called for more detail on the plan. "The Prime Minister should not try to fudge this, she said. He was wrong to claim last week that child refugees alone in Europe don't need help, so I hope he will be clear about that now and set out what the Government will do next. That way everyone can welcome the Government's action and come together to support child refugees. Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} President Barack Obama addressed the people of Flint in his first visit to the Michigan city since news of the contaminated water supply broke out. Calling the water crisis in Flint "avoidable" and "preventable," Mr Obama said that the contamination "should not have happened in the first place" in a speech delivered at Northwestern High School. He spoke to the importance of investing in infrastructure - like citywide water systems and bridges - that ensure the safety of an entire town. "Part of what contributed to this crisis was a broader mindset a bigger attitude - a corrosive attitude - that exists in our politics that eixsts in too many levels of our government," he said. "And its a mindset that believes that less government is the highest good, no matter what. Its a mindset that says environmental rules designed to keep your water clean or your air clean are optional." "I hear you, I see you and ... I've got your back." In a press conference after his arrival, Mr Obama drank filtered water from a Flint to show residents that it is safe to drink following the years-long contamination. After he was briefed on the federal response to the water crisis, a reporter asked Mr Obama if he would drink the glass of water that was on the table in front of him, the Associated Press reports. This used a filter, Mr Obama said, holding the glass of water. The water around this table was Flint water and it just confirms what we know scientifically, which is, if you're using a filter, if you're installing it, then Flint water at this point is drinkable. The president landed in Flint Wednesday afternoon, on his first visit to the city since it was revealed that the water supply had been contaminated with lead and other chemicals. Michigan Gov Rick Snyder greeted Mr Obama on the tarmac of Bishop International Airport, as the president planned to tour the city and speak with residents. Earlier that day, Flint residents protested outside of the high school demanding that he declare Flint a disaster area. The White House announced the visit after Mr Obama responded to a letter from an 8-year-old activist, Mari Copena, commonly known as Little Miss Flint. I am one of the children that is effected (sic) by this water, and Ive been doing my best to march in protest and to speak out for all the kids that live here in Flint, she wrote. She added that she would like to meet the President and First Lady during a trip to Washington to watch the congressional hearing of Michigan Gov Rick Snyder. Mr Obama announced the Wednesday visit in his reply to Mari. I want to make sure people like you and your family are receiving the help you need and deserve, he wrote. Like you, I'll use my voice to call for change and help lift up your community. The contamination occurred after Flint witched its water supply from Detroit to the untreated Flint River in April 2014 as a move to save the city money. The water leached lead from old pipes, taking it to the sinks and showers of Flint homes. The revelation led to a criminal investigation that resulted in the indictment of three officials. Members of Congress have called for the resignation of Mr Snyder, who alleged in a hearing that he was made aware of the toxic water at least a year before it was made public. Mr Snyder has been urging Flint residents to begin drinking from their taps again, assuring them that new filters have made the water safer. To prove his point, he announced he would only drink water from Flint residencies for a 30 day period. Mr Obama declared a state of emergency in Flint in January, opening up federal resources to assist local relief efforts. Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Cinco de Mayo the Spanish translation of May 5th - is not the celebration of Mexican independence as many people believe. In fact, Cinco de Mayo is an annual celebration of the unexpected victory of the Battle of Puebla by the Mexican Republic. The battle took place on 5 May 1862, between a powerful French army (who were chasing unpaid debts) allied to conservative Mexican nobles and a liberal, republican Mexican force. The 6,000-strong French forces outnumbered the poorly equipped Mexican army of just 2,000 troops. Despite this, the native forces won a decisive victory, killing more than 400 French troops. Despite the republicans losing the rest of the conflict, with the French eventually withdrawing from Mexico, the Battle of Puebla came to represent courage and bravery against the odds and became a source of pride. World news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 World news in pictures World news in pictures 30 September 2020 Pope Francis prays with priests at the end of a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 29 September 2020 A girl's silhouette is seen from behind a fabric in a tent along a beach by Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 September 2020 A Chinese woman takes a photo of herself in front of a flower display dedicated to frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Beijing, China. China will celebrate national day marking the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1st Getty World news in pictures 27 September 2020 The Glass Mountain Inn burns as the Glass Fire moves through the area in St. Helena, California. The fast moving Glass fire has burned over 1,000 acres and has destroyed homes Getty World news in pictures 26 September 2020 A villager along with a child offers prayers next to a carcass of a wild elephant that officials say was electrocuted in Rani Reserve Forest on the outskirts of Guwahati, India AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 September 2020 The casket of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is seen in Statuary Hall in the US Capitol to lie in state in Washington, DC AFP via Getty World news in pictures 24 September 2020 An anti-government protester holds up an image of a pro-democracy commemorative plaque at a rally outside Thailand's parliament in Bangkok, as activists gathered to demand a new constitution AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 September 2020 A whale stranded on a beach in Macquarie Harbour on the rugged west coast of Tasmania, as hundreds of pilot whales have died in a mass stranding in southern Australia despite efforts to save them, with rescuers racing to free a few dozen survivors The Mercury/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 22 September 2020 State civil employee candidates wearing face masks and shields take a test in Surabaya AFP via Getty World news in pictures 21 September 2020 A man sweeps at the Taj Mahal monument on the day of its reopening after being closed for more than six months due to the coronavirus pandemic AP World news in pictures 20 September 2020 A deer looks for food in a burnt area, caused by the Bobcat fire, in Pearblossom, California EPA World news in pictures 19 September 2020 Anti-government protesters hold their mobile phones aloft as they take part in a pro-democracy rally in Bangkok. Tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters massed close to Thailand's royal palace, in a huge rally calling for PM Prayut Chan-O-Cha to step down and demanding reforms to the monarchy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 September 2020 Supporters of Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr maintain social distancing as they attend Friday prayers after the coronavirus disease restrictions were eased, in Kufa mosque, near Najaf, Iraq Reuters World news in pictures 17 September 2020 A protester climbs on The Triumph of the Republic at 'the Place de la Nation' as thousands of protesters take part in a demonstration during a national day strike called by labor unions asking for better salary and against jobs cut in Paris, France EPA World news in pictures 16 September 2020 A fire raging near the Lazzaretto of Ancona in Italy. The huge blaze broke out overnight at the port of Ancona. Firefighters have brought the fire under control but they expected to keep working through the day EPA World news in pictures 15 September 2020 Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny posing for a selfie with his family at Berlin's Charite hospital. In an Instagram post he said he could now breathe independently following his suspected poisoning last month Alexei Navalny/Instagram/AFP World news in pictures 14 September 2020 Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba and former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida celebrate after Suga was elected as new head of the ruling party at the Liberal Democratic Party's leadership election in Tokyo Reuters World news in pictures 13 September 2020 A man stands behind a burning barricade during the fifth straight day of protests against police brutality in Bogota AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 September 2020 Police officers block and detain protesters during an opposition rally to protest the official presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus. Daily protests calling for the authoritarian president's resignation are now in their second month AP World news in pictures 11 September 2020 Members of 'Omnium Cultural' celebrate the 20th 'Festa per la llibertat' ('Fiesta for the freedom') to mark the Day of Catalonia in Barcelona. Omnion Cultural fights for the independence of Catalonia EPA World news in pictures 10 September 2020 The Moria refugee camp, two days after Greece's biggest migrant camp, was destroyed by fire. Thousands of asylum seekers on the island of Lesbos are now homeless AFP via Getty World news in pictures 9 September 2020 Pope Francis takes off his face mask as he arrives by car to hold a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 8 September 2020 A home is engulfed in flames during the "Creek Fire" in the Tollhouse area of California AFP via Getty World news in pictures 7 September 2020 A couple take photos along a sea wall of the waves brought by Typhoon Haishen in the eastern port city of Sokcho AFP via Getty World news in pictures 6 September 2020 Novak Djokovic and a tournament official tends to a linesperson who was struck with a ball by Djokovic during his match against Pablo Carreno Busta at the US Open USA Today Sports/Reuters World news in pictures 5 September 2020 Protesters confront police at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne, Australia, during an anti-lockdown rally AFP via Getty World news in pictures 4 September 2020 A woman looks on from a rooftop as rescue workers dig through the rubble of a damaged building in Beirut. A search began for possible survivors after a scanner detected a pulse one month after the mega-blast at the adjacent port AFP via Getty World news in pictures 3 September 2020 A full moon next to the Virgen del Panecillo statue in Quito, Ecuador EPA World news in pictures 2 September 2020 A Palestinian woman reacts as Israeli forces demolish her animal shed near Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank Reuters World news in pictures 1 September 2020 Students protest against presidential elections results in Minsk TUT.BY/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 31 August 2020 The pack rides during the 3rd stage of the Tour de France between Nice and Sisteron AFP via Getty World news in pictures 30 August 2020 Law enforcement officers block a street during a rally of opposition supporters protesting against presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus Reuters World news in pictures 29 August 2020 A woman holding a placard reading "Stop Censorship - Yes to the Freedom of Expression" shouts in a megaphone during a protest against the mandatory wearing of face masks in Paris. Masks, which were already compulsory on public transport, in enclosed public spaces, and outdoors in Paris in certain high-congestion areas around tourist sites, were made mandatory outdoors citywide on August 28 to fight the rising coronavirus infections AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 August 2020 Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe bows to the national flag at the start of a press conference at the prime minister official residence in Tokyo. Abe announced he will resign over health problems, in a bombshell development that kicks off a leadership contest in the world's third-largest economy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 27 August 2020 Residents take cover behind a tree trunk from rubber bullets fired by South African Police Service (SAPS) in Eldorado Park, near Johannesburg, during a protest by community members after a 16-year old boy was reported dead AFP via Getty World news in pictures 26 August 2020 People scatter rose petals on a statue of Mother Teresa marking her 110th birth anniversary in Ahmedabad AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 August 2020 An aerial view shows beach-goers standing on salt formations in the Dead Sea near Ein Bokeq, Israel Reuters World news in pictures 24 August 2020 Health workers use a fingertip pulse oximeter and check the body temperature of a fisherwoman inside the Dharavi slum during a door-to-door Covid-19 coronavirus screening in Mumbai AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 August 2020 People carry an idol of the Hindu god Ganesh, the deity of prosperity, to immerse it off the coast of the Arabian sea during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Mumbai, India Reuters World news in pictures 22 August 2020 Firefighters watch as flames from the LNU Lightning Complex fires approach a home in Napa County, California AP World news in pictures 21 August 2020 Members of the Israeli security forces arrest a Palestinian demonstrator during a rally to protest against Israel's plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank AFP via Getty World news in pictures 20 August 2020 A man pushes his bicycle through a deserted road after prohibitory orders were imposed by district officials for a week to contain the spread of the Covid-19 in Kathmandu AFP via Getty World news in pictures 19 August 2020 A car burns while parked at a residence in Vacaville, California. Dozens of fires are burning out of control throughout Northern California as fire resources are spread thin AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 August 2020 Students use their mobile phones as flashlights at an anti-government rally at Mahidol University in Nakhon Pathom. Thailand has seen near-daily protests in recent weeks by students demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha AFP via Getty World news in pictures 17 August 2020 Members of the Kayapo tribe block the BR163 highway during a protest outside Novo Progresso in Para state, Brazil. Indigenous protesters blocked a major transamazonian highway to protest against the lack of governmental support during the COVID-19 novel coronavirus pandemic and illegal deforestation in and around their territories AFP via Getty World news in pictures 16 August 2020 Lightning forks over the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge as a storm passes over Oakland AP World news in pictures 15 August 2020 Belarus opposition supporters gather near the Pushkinskaya metro station where Alexander Taraikovsky, a 34-year-old protester died on August 10, during their protest rally in central Minsk AFP via Getty World news in pictures 14 August 2020 AlphaTauri's driver Daniil Kvyat takes part in the second practice session at the Circuit de Catalunya in Montmelo near Barcelona ahead of the Spanish F1 Grand Prix AFP via Getty World news in pictures 13 August 2020 Soldiers of the Brazilian Armed Forces during a disinfection of the Christ The Redeemer statue at the Corcovado mountain prior to the opening of the touristic attraction in Rio AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 August 2020 Young elephant bulls tussle playfully on World Elephant Day at the Amboseli National Park in Kenya AFP via Getty The Cinco de Mayo victory is primarily marked regionally in Mexico and is mainly only commemorated in Puebla state. However, the occasion is a well-known holiday in the US, celebrating American-Mexican relations. However, this has led to confusion for some Mexican immigrants north of the border. The first time I heard about Cinco de Mayo was in elementary school [in the US], when the teachers began talking about this holiday and teaching more about Hispanic culture. We [Mexican students] didnt even know what they were talking about, Jose Alamillo, professor of Chicano studies at California State University, told Atlanta news outlet AJC. However, the commercialisation of the holiday in the US has led to a rather unfortunate nickname. Before, it was a small celebration, and it was not focused on selling beer, said Mr Alamillo. Now, instead of Cinco de Mayo, they call it Drinko de Mayo. Cinco de Mayo is celebrated by Mexican-America citizens in the US with festivals, street parties, food, music and folk dancing. However, the American commercial instinct is not the only for its popularity in the US. General Ignacio Zaragosa, who led the Mexican forces to victory, was born in Texas when it was still Mexican territory. He is therefore considered by some to be the first Mexican-American hero. ALEXANDRIA, VAThe Woodhull Freedom Foundation announces the funding of a scholarship from sponsor Smitten Kitten for one person to attend the 2016 Sexual Freedom Summit. Held August 47 at the Hilton Mark Center in Alexandria, Virginia, the Summit is the one conference focused on sexual freedom as a fundamental human right in the US. Were grateful to Smitten Kitten for offering this fabulous scholarship opportunity to bring a new voice to the Summit, said Ricci Levy, President and CEO of The Woodhull Freedom Foundation. Its thanks to sponsors like Smitten Kitten that sexual freedom advocates are able to attend the Summit, when they may have otherwise not been able to, and then share what they have discussed and learned out into the worldall part of our goal to help create positive change. Smitten Kitten will be awarding a scholarship totaling $728, consisting of: Woodhull Sexual Freedom Conference Registration for one ($195) Travel stipend ($200) The cash equivalent of a three-night stay at the Hilton Alexandria Mark Center at the conference rate ($333.00) Based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Smitten Kitten is a sex positive, education focused sex toy store, where everyone is welcome. For more information, visit SmittenKittenOnline.com. Sex positive doesnt just mean were really enthusiastic about sex, noted Jennifer Pritchett, owner of Smitten Kitten. It means that we work to promote an inclusive, shame-free environment, where its okay to talk about all kinds of consensual sex. Peoples pleasure, consent, and physical and mental health are whats most important when it comes to sexuality. Continued Pritchett, Were also deeply committed to consumer advocacy in the sex toy industry. In 2005, we founded badvibes.org, an organization dedicated to demystifying the adult sex toy industry and positively transforming socially irresponsible, environmentally and personally hazardous sex toy manufacturing and sex toy sales practices. Our most recent project involves research around personal lubricants, their ingredients, and investigation of FDA regulations that limit the sale of body-safe lubes, while making potentially harmful lubes easily accessible. The Smitten Kitten scholarship will be provided to a person who is not otherwise eligible for conference expense reimbursement through their current employer, organizational affiliation, or university, and for whom the cost to attend would be prohibitively high. Priority will be given to candidates with intersecting and marginalized identities, especially people of color. The deadline for applications for the Smitten Kitten Scholarship is May 15, 2016. To apply, click here. The Scholarship Award Recipient will be notified the week of June 1, 2016. Now in its seventh year, the focus of the Sexual Freedom Summit is the goal of the sexual freedom movement: global recognition of our fundamental human right to sexual freedom. The Summit is for everyone interested in sexual freedom, from activists, educators, students, attorneys, and clinicians, to people who are simply curious about how to make the world a freer place for all. From gender expression to reproductive justice, LGBT rights to polyamory, sex work to spirituality, and much more, the Summit welcomes attendees to bring ideas and concerns to the table, all within a human rights framework. The four-day schedule of institutes and workshops, roundtable discussions and sessions cover a gamut of topics, ranging from geriatric sexuality, abuse, sex education, religion, gender identities, mental health, condom use, policy trends, intellectual and developmental disabilities, consent, sex work, and more. For more information on Woodhulls Sexual Freedom Summit, visit SexualFreedomSummit.org, or follow the Summit on Twitter and on Facebook. Those following the conversation on Twitter may do so by using the hashtag #SFS16. Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} A man who was recently fired returned to his former workplace on Wednesday, fatally shooting one person and injuring two others, before turning the gun on himself and taking his own life. The Harris County Sheriffs Office said that two people died, and one of the two persons injured was a police officer, who was hospitalized due to a knee injury. Police have not released the names of those injured in the shooting. Gunshots rang out at 8:43am local time, deputies responded to reports of an active shooter at Knight Transportation in Katy, a suburb 30 miles west of Houston. The gunman was fired from the trucking company several weeks ago and returned to the scene with a shotgun and handgun and opened fire on multiple employees. Yall ruined my life, the shooter yelled out, before shooting his former supervisor, then himself. Other than he was terminated, we don't know anything about him, Harris County Sheriff Ron Hickman told reporters. He parked right outside the building and came right in. Sheriff Hickman added that only the shotgun was fired during the shooting. "This was the action of a lone former employee, who also died as a result of todays events," Knight Transportation said in a statement. "One other employee was confirmed to have injuries, and was treated at the scene and released. According to the company website, the Phoenix-based Knight Transportation is one of the largest trucking companies in the country with more than 5,000 employees in 20 states. Franz Elementary and Morton Ranch High School, both located across the street from the business, went on a precautionary lockdown for nearly an hour after the gunman was reported. One Katy resident, who lives near the trucking company, shared images with KPRC that showed bullet holes in the windows of the Knight Transportation building. Texas Congressman Michael McCaul offered his condolences on Twitter. Praying for Katy right now. Thanks to the [Harris County Sheriff's Office] for the quick actions and response to the shooting. Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} A safe haven baby box facility allowing parents to anonymously drop-off unwanted new born babies has been introduced in Indiana. The box is accessed from the exterior of the Woodburn Volunteer Fire Department building by the parent and is padded with climate control inside. Emergency staff are notified when a baby is placed in the box via a security system and can get to the infant within minutes. Knights of Columbus, the worlds largest Catholic fraternal organisation, will pay for the first 100 baby boxes. Each box costs between $1,500 (1,030) and $2,000 (1,400). Monica Kelsey, founder of the Safe Haven Baby Boxes and an advocate for baby boxes in Indiana for a number of years, said the scheme is benificial as some people want total anonymity and yet know the baby is safe. This is not criminal, Ms Kelsey said. This is legal. We dont want to push women away. But critics of the baby boxes say it makes it easier to surrender child without considering other options, which can deprive parents of medical care if they need it. Health news in pictures Show all 40 1 /40 Health news in pictures Health news in pictures Coronavirus outbreak The coronavirus Covid-19 has hit the UK leading to the deaths of two people so far and prompting warnings from the Department of Health AFP via Getty Health news in pictures Thousands of emergency patients told to take taxi to hospital Thousands of 999 patients in England are being told to get a taxi to hospital, figures have showed. The number of patients outside London who were refused an ambulance rose by 83 per cent in the past year as demand for services grows Getty Health news in pictures Vape related deaths spike A vaping-related lung disease has claimed the lives of 11 people in the US in recent weeks. The US Centre for Disease Control and Prevention has more than 100 officials investigating the cause of the mystery illness, and has warned citizens against smoking e-cigarette products until more is known, particularly if modified or bought off the street Getty Health news in pictures Baldness cure looks to be a step closer Researchers in the US claim to have overcome one of the major hurdles to cultivating human follicles from stem cells. The new system allows cells to grow in a structured tuft and emerge from the skin Sanford Burnham Preybs Health news in pictures Two hours a week spent in nature can improve health A study in the journal Scientific Reports suggests that a dose of nature of just two hours a week is associated with better health and psychological wellbeing Shutterstock Health news in pictures Air pollution linked to fertility issues in women Exposure to air from traffic-clogged streets could leave women with fewer years to have children, a study has found. Italian researchers found women living in the most polluted areas were three times more likely to show signs they were running low on eggs than those who lived in cleaner surroundings, potentially triggering an earlier menopause Getty/iStock Health news in pictures Junk food ads could be banned before watershed Junk food adverts on TV and online could be banned before 9pm as part of Government plans to fight the "epidemic" of childhood obesity. Plans for the new watershed have been put out for public consultation in a bid to combat the growing crisis, the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) said PA Health news in pictures Breeding with neanderthals helped humans fight diseases On migrating from Africa around 70,000 years ago, humans bumped into the neanderthals of Eurasia. While humans were weak to the diseases of the new lands, breeding with the resident neanderthals made for a better equipped immune system PA Health news in pictures Cancer breath test to be trialled in Britain The breath biopsy device is designed to detect cancer hallmarks in molecules exhaled by patients Getty Health news in pictures Average 10 year old has consumed the recommended amount of sugar for an adult By their 10th birthdy, children have on average already eaten more sugar than the recommended amount for an 18 year old. The average 10 year old consumes the equivalent to 13 sugar cubes a day, 8 more than is recommended PA Health news in pictures Child health experts advise switching off screens an hour before bed While there is not enough evidence of harm to recommend UK-wide limits on screen use, the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health have advised that children should avoid screens for an hour before bed time to avoid disrupting their sleep Getty Health news in pictures Daily aspirin is unnecessary for older people in good health, study finds A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine has found that many elderly people are taking daily aspirin to little or no avail Getty Health news in pictures Vaping could lead to cancer, US study finds A study by the University of Minnesota's Masonic Cancer Centre has found that the carcinogenic chemicals formaldehyde, acrolein, and methylglyoxal are present in the saliva of E-cigarette users Reuters Health news in pictures More children are obese and diabetic There has been a 41% increase in children with type 2 diabetes since 2014, the National Paediatric Diabetes Audit has found. Obesity is a leading cause Reuters Health news in pictures Most child antidepressants are ineffective and can lead to suicidal thoughts The majority of antidepressants are ineffective and may be unsafe, for children and teenager with major depression, experts have warned. In what is the most comprehensive comparison of 14 commonly prescribed antidepressant drugs to date, researchers found that only one brand was more effective at relieving symptoms of depression than a placebo. Another popular drug, venlafaxine, was shown increase the risk users engaging in suicidal thoughts and attempts at suicide Getty Health news in pictures Gay, lesbian and bisexual adults at higher risk of heart disease, study claims Researchers at the Baptist Health South Florida Clinic in Miami focused on seven areas of controllable heart health and found these minority groups were particularly likely to be smokers and to have poorly controlled blood sugar iStock Health news in pictures Breakfast cereals targeted at children contain 'steadily high' sugar levels since 1992 despite producer claims A major pressure group has issued a fresh warning about perilously high amounts of sugar in breakfast cereals, specifically those designed for children, and has said that levels have barely been cut at all in the last two and a half decades Getty Health news in pictures Potholes are making us fat, NHS watchdog warns New guidance by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), the body which determines what treatment the NHS should fund, said lax road repairs and car-dominated streets were contributing to the obesity epidemic by preventing members of the public from keeping active PA Health news in pictures New menopause drugs offer women relief from 'debilitating' hot flushes A new class of treatments for women going through the menopause is able to reduce numbers of debilitating hot flushes by as much as three quarters in a matter of days, a trial has found. The drug used in the trial belongs to a group known as NKB antagonists (blockers), which were developed as a treatment for schizophrenia but have been sitting on a shelf unused, according to Professor Waljit Dhillo, a professor of endocrinology and metabolism REX Health news in pictures Doctors should prescribe more antidepressants for people with mental health problems, study finds Research from Oxford University found that more than one million extra people suffering from mental health problems would benefit from being prescribed drugs and criticised ideological reasons doctors use to avoid doing so. Getty Health news in pictures Student dies of flu after NHS advice to stay at home and avoid A&E The family of a teenager who died from flu has urged people not to delay going to A&E if they are worried about their symptoms. Melissa Whiteley, an 18-year-old engineering student from Hanford in Stoke-on-Trent, fell ill at Christmas and died in hospital a month later. Just Giving Health news in pictures Government to review thousands of harmful vaginal mesh implants The Government has pledged to review tens of thousands of cases where women have been given harmful vaginal mesh implants. Getty Health news in pictures Jeremy Hunt announces 'zero suicides ambition' for the NHS The NHS will be asked to go further to prevent the deaths of patients in its care as part of a zero suicide ambition being launched today Getty Health news in pictures Human trials start with cancer treatment that primes immune system to kill off tumours Human trials have begun with a new cancer therapy that can prime the immune system to eradicate tumours. The treatment, that works similarly to a vaccine, is a combination of two existing drugs, of which tiny amounts are injected into the solid bulk of a tumour. Nephron Health news in pictures Babies' health suffers from being born near fracking sites, finds major study Mothers living within a kilometre of a fracking site were 25 per cent more likely to have a child born at low birth weight, which increase their chances of asthma, ADHD and other issues Getty Health news in pictures NHS reviewing thousands of cervical cancer smear tests after women wrongly given all-clear Thousands of cervical cancer screening results are under review after failings at a laboratory meant some women were incorrectly given the all-clear. A number of women have already been told to contact their doctors following the identification of procedural issues in the service provided by Pathology First Laboratory. Rex Health news in pictures Potential key to halting breast cancer's spread discovered by scientists Most breast cancer patients do not die from their initial tumour, but from secondary malignant growths (metastases), where cancer cells are able to enter the blood and survive to invade new sites. Asparagine, a molecule named after asparagus where it was first identified in high quantities, has now been shown to be an essential ingredient for tumour cells to gain these migratory properties. Getty Health news in pictures NHS nursing vacancies at record high with more than 34,000 roles advertised A record number of nursing and midwifery positions are currently being advertised by the NHS, with more than 34,000 positions currently vacant, according to the latest data. Demand for nurses was 19 per cent higher between July and September 2017 than the same period two years ago. REX Health news in pictures Cannabis extract could provide new class of treatment for psychosis CBD has a broadly opposite effect to delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the main active component in cannabis and the substance that causes paranoia and anxiety. Getty Health news in pictures Over 75,000 sign petition calling for Richard Branson's Virgin Care to hand settlement money back to NHS Mr Bransons company sued the NHS last year after it lost out on an 82m contract to provide childrens health services across Surrey, citing concerns over serious flaws in the way the contract was awarded PA Health news in pictures More than 700 fewer nurses training in England in first year after NHS bursary scrapped The numbers of people accepted to study nursing in England fell 3 per cent in 2017, while the numbers accepted in Wales and Scotland, where the bursaries were kept, increased 8.4 per cent and 8 per cent respectively Getty Health news in pictures Landmark study links Tory austerity to 120,000 deaths The paper found that there were 45,000 more deaths in the first four years of Tory-led efficiencies than would have been expected if funding had stayed at pre-election levels. On this trajectory that could rise to nearly 200,000 excess deaths by the end of 2020, even with the extra funding that has been earmarked for public sector services this year. Reuters Health news in pictures Long commutes carry health risks Hours of commuting may be mind-numbingly dull, but new research shows that it might also be having an adverse effect on both your health and performance at work. Longer commutes also appear to have a significant impact on mental wellbeing, with those commuting longer 33 per cent more likely to suffer from depression Shutterstock Health news in pictures You cannot be fit and fat It is not possible to be overweight and healthy, a major new study has concluded. The study of 3.5 million Britons found that even metabolically healthy obese people are still at a higher risk of heart disease or a stroke than those with a normal weight range Getty Health news in pictures Sleep deprivation When you feel particularly exhausted, it can definitely feel like you are also lacking in brain capacity. Now, a new study has suggested this could be because chronic sleep deprivation can actually cause the brain to eat itself Shutterstock Health news in pictures Exercise classes offering 45 minute naps launch David Lloyd Gyms have launched a new health and fitness class which is essentially a bunch of people taking a nap for 45 minutes. The fitness group was spurred to launch the napercise class after research revealed 86 per cent of parents said they were fatigued. The class is therefore predominantly aimed at parents but you actually do not have to have children to take part Getty Health news in pictures 'Fundamental right to health' to be axed after Brexit, lawyers warn Tobacco and alcohol companies could win more easily in court cases such as the recent battle over plain cigarette packaging if the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights is abandoned, a barrister and public health professor have said Getty Health news in pictures 'Thousands dying' due to fear over non-existent statin side-effects A major new study into the side effects of the cholesterol-lowering medicine suggests common symptoms such as muscle pain and weakness are not caused by the drugs themselves Getty Health news in pictures Babies born to fathers aged under 25 have higher risk of autism New research has found that babies born to fathers under the age of 25 or over 51 are at higher risk of developing autism and other social disorders. The study, conducted by the Seaver Autism Center for Research and Treatment at Mount Sinai, found that these children are actually more advanced than their peers as infants, but then fall behind by the time they hit their teenage years Getty Health news in pictures Cycling to work could halve risk of cancer and heart disease Commuters who swap their car or bus pass for a bike could cut their risk of developing heart disease and cancer by almost half, new research suggests but campaigners have warned there is still an urgent need to improve road conditions for cyclists. Cycling to work is linked to a lower risk of developing cancer by 45 per cent and cardiovascular disease by 46 per cent, according to a study of a quarter of a million people. Walking to work also brought health benefits, the University of Glasgow researchers found, but not to the same degree as cycling. Getty A second box opened on Thursday in Michigan City. State Representative, Casey Cox, has supported the concept of baby boxes in Indiana and has been working with lawmakers and Governor Mike Pences administration on safety protocols. All 50 states and the District of Colombia have safe haven laws, which allow unharmed new-borns to be surrendered without fear of prosecution. Indianas law allows parents to drop off new-borns younger than 30 days old at police stations, fire stations and hospitals. Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} NEW YORK President Barack Obama is preparing to name New Yorks Stonewall Inn a national monument, the first honoring gay rights in US history. The president is expected to take action next month, The Washington Post reports, as Interior Secretary Sally Jewell, National Park Service Director Jonathan B Jarvis and New York Democrat Representative Jerrold Nadler will hold a listening session on May 9 to solicit feedback for the proposed monument. Next month is recognized as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Pride Month in the states. Stonewall became an iconic location for LGBT rights after police raided the Greenwich Village tavern in 1969, prompting employees and customers to fight back against the routine harassment from New York Police Department officers. Brian Sullivan, a 57-year-old former bartender at the tavern, said he witnessed the police raids, as well as iconic speeches from drag queen Marsha Johnson. Stonewall deserves to be remembered, Sullivan told The New York Times. When I started coming here, gay people were disowned by their families, so this is the place where we formed a new gay family of our own. This is the mecca; its where it all started, he added. Cellll-e-brate good times, come on! #stonewallin #newyork #lovewins #ding A photo posted by everettjohn (@everettjohn) on Jun 26, 2015 at 7:43pm PDT The national monument may include Christopher Park, a small area surrounding the Mahattan bar. Stonewall Inn was also given landmark status by the city of New York last year. LGBT groups applauded the upcoming announcement and the history the monument would represent. At a dark time in our nations history when LGBT Americans were targeted, marginalized, and oppressed by almost all of society just because of who they were, the brave individuals who stood up at Stonewall and said enough is enough sparked a movement to end unfair and unjust discrimination against LGBT people one that were unfortunately still fighting today, David Stacy, governor affairs director at the Human Rights Campaign, said in a statement. A Stonewall National Monument would pay tribute to the bravery that has made possible the pro-equality achievements we enjoy today, help tell their incredibly important stories, and continue to inspire fair-minded Americans across this country to stand up for equality. Ian Thompson, a legislative representative with the American Civil Liberties Union, also welcomed the President Obama's proposal. This would certainly be a welcome step, and a powerful way to permanently memorialize a landmark in the long struggle for basic dignity and equality for LGBT people," Thompson said. "Our focus at the ACLU remains on working to make the most of the time President Obama has remaining in office to, for example, protect the rights of transgender students to use bathrooms that reflect who they are and to make clear that existing federal laws that ban discrimination based on sex also protect LGBT people. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Yet again, Bernie Sanders has vastly outperformed expectations and yet again, cold hard maths makes it all but impossible for him to become the Democratic presidential nominee. The Vermont Senator overcame a seven-point poll deficit to beat Hillary Clinton in the Indiana primary last night, by a margin of more than five points. But while his victory in the Hoosier State should provide the necessary momentum to propel his campaign as far as the California primary on 7 June, it was insufficient to significantly diminish Ms Clintons commanding delegate lead. Before the Indiana vote, the former Secretary of State was more than 320 pledged delegates ahead of her rival, with the deficit rising to more than 800 after factoring in the Democratic Partys so-called super-delegates. Indianas 92 Democratic delegates will be distributed proportionally between the candidates, such that the arithmetic remains largely unchanged. Speaking in Louisville, Kentucky as the Indiana results rolled in, Mr Sanders reminded supporters once again that he had begun his campaign at least 60 points behind Ms Clinton in national polls. He has subsequently won some nine million votes and 18 primaries and caucuses including Indiana. We end up winning the vote of people 45 years of age or younger, he said. That is important because it tells me that the ideas that we are fighting for are the ideas for the future of America and the future of the Democratic Party. In an interview earlier yesterday, Ms Clinton said she was focused on moving into the general election. Promising to unify Democrats for the coming battle against Donald Trump, she told MSNBC, were going to have a tough campaign against a candidate who will literally say or do anything. And were going to take him on at every turn on whats really important to the people of our country. 'Now We Are Winning' - Sanders Marks Pivotal Moment in Campaign Mr Sanders has continued to argue that Ms Clinton cannot reach the necessary 2,383 majority to claim the nomination with pledged delegates alone, and that he could potentially flip super-delegates to his side at a contested Democratic convention. Despite laying off hundreds of campaign staff last week, he has vowed to pour the majority of his remaining resources into California. Ms Clinton is due to campaign in the Golden State later this week, where she is around 10 points ahead in recent polls. A closer race there would add weight to Mr Sanderss attempts to influence the Democratic party agenda. In recent days, he has shifted his focus from Ms Clinton to, in his words, [putting] together the strongest progressive agenda any political party has ever seen. Indiana provided favourable conditions for the Sanders campaign, which reportedly spent some $1.8m (1.2m) on advertising in the state, while Ms Clinton spent almost nothing. Indiana voters are overwhelmingly white, and the states open primary system permits independents to cast a ballot in the Democratic presidential contest. Mr Sanders has consistently outperformed the frontrunner among both white and independent voters. The California primary will also be open to independents. Latinos, who in previous states have split almost evenly in their support for the two Democratic hopefuls, outnumber non-Hispanic whites in the Golden State. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Get ready. America is bracing itself for what may well be one the ugliest, most unpleasant presidential elections in history. In addition to his populist appeal, Donald Trump defeated his Republican rivals by a mixture of attacks and personal slights, by employing nicknames that stuck and looking for vulnerabilities that he could cruelly expose. Her termed Ted Cruz Lyin' Ted, he dismissed former Florida Governor Jeb Bush as low energy, and mocked Senator Marco Rubio for constantly sweating. This past weekend, he continued to poke fun at his sole remaining rival, Ohio Governor John Kasich, by attacking his eating habits. Recommended Read more Trump set for showdown with Clinton as Cruz drops out Two words best describe what's coming: scorched earth, Larry Sabato, Professor of Politics at the University of Virginia, told The Independent. Both candidates have unfavourable ratings so high that the obvious tactic will be to destroy the opponent. Both may succeed, though one has to win - absent a surprising, unifying independent entry. Anyone looking for a flavour of just how unpleasant the 2016 showdown - all but certainly a battle between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton - will be, need look no further than last December as the two candidates were campaigning ahead of the Iowa primary. First, Mr Trump claimed the former secretary of state had got schlonged when she lost to Barack Obama in 2008. Ms Clinton then hit back, saying Mr Trump had a penchant for sexism. 10 of the scariest things Donald Trump has ever said The abrasive tycoon then took it to another level when he brought up some of the more notorious aspects of Bill Clintons personal behaviour while he was both president and governor of Arkansas. Mr Trump later bragged that he had silenced the Clinton campaign by targeting her husband. For the last week shes been hitting me really hard with the women card and I had to say, 'OK thats enough'. And we did a strong number, he said. He later added: You look at whether its Monica Lewinsky or Paula Jones or many of themthere were certainly a lot of abuse of women, he said, referring to Mr Clintons affair with then-White House intern Ms Lewinsky and various allegations of sexual misconduct that riddled his presidency. With an eye to the general election, Mr Trump has already started attacking Ms Clinton. After suggesting to a crowd that he start calling her Incompetent Hillary, he instead spelled for Crooked Hillary, a name that he can use to raise the issue her use of a personal email server, something that is still being investigated by the FBI, as well as allude to the many controversies surrounding the Clintons, from the Whitewater incident to donations from foreign government to the Clinton Foundation. Mr Trump will also raise questions about Ms Clintons physical ability to serve as president (last month he suggested she had little stamina), and given that most of his supporters are men, the tycoon will likely also question whether a woman is up to the job, something that will also turn many people off him. Trump has proven he will say absolutely anything. No proof required, said Mr Sabato. Yet Mr Trump had better expect to prepare to receive some attacks himself. Reports have suggested that Ms Clinton will avoid going overly negative herself in order to seek to retain a more positive, presidential image. But she will use surrogates or other senior Democrats to attack Mr Trump and raise questions about his temperament, his lack of experience and his own controversies. There is plenty to get into. Those looking to go negative on Mr Trump would be able to examine his failed businesses, including a series of casinos in Atlantic City and his failed Trump University, which is currently the subject of at least one lawsuit. Mr Trump will also be attacked over the controversial comments has made about women, Muslims and immigrants from Central America. One area Ms Clinton will take personal aim at Mr Trump is over his lack of readiness for the job. Indeed, in an interview this week with MSNBC, she said that raising questions about Mr Trumps suitability for the White House will be a big part of my campaign. Weve seen lots of rhetoric, weve seen lots of insults. He has given no indication that he understands the gravity of the responsibilities that go with being commander-in-chief, she said. She added: Were going to have a tough campaign against a candidate who will literally say or do anything. And were going to take him on at every turn on whats really important to the people of our country. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} John Kasich has called it quits. After trailing by nearly 900 delegates in the Republican race, and only winning his home state, the Ohio governor has suspended his presidential campaign. Kasich addressed the media on Wednesday night. I have always said that the Lord has a purpose for me as he has for everyone, Kasich told reporters in Columbus, Ohio. And as I suspend my campaign today, I have renewed faith, deeper faith, that the Lord will show me the way forward, and fulfill the purpose of my life. Recommended Read more Mutiny simmers as Donald Trump takes Republican crown Donald Trump has all but sealed the Republican nomination after a decisive win at the Indiana primary that first pushed Ted Cruz out of the race on Tuesday. After Cruz made his own exit, seeing no path to victory, Kasich said the Texas Senator should be "proud of his disciplined campaign." Earlier in the day, Kasich tweeted a message for Star Wars Day, saying that he is America's "only hope" against Trump and Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton. Reince Priebus, the Republican National Committee chairman, declared Trump the "presumptive nominee" on Twitter, adding that Republicans "must unite and focus on defeating Hillary Clinton." Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} It was the day when, in the unvarnished words of Donald Trump, that Ted Cruz went wacko. It ended with the Texas senator finally admitting he no longer had a viable chance to securing the partys nomination and ending his campaign. At his election night rally, the televisions had been turned off. Had he left them on, they would have shown that with more than 60 per cent of the polls having been counted, Mr Trump was on 53 points, with the Texas senator on just 37. John Kasich trailed in third place on eight points. Thank you to each of you who have fought so hard to save our nation, he said to supporters gathered at a hotel ballroom in Indianapolis. Ted Cruz announces he is ending his bid for the Republican presidential nomination after defeat in Indiana (Joe Raedle/Getty Images) Americans are desperate for change. I said Id stay in as long as there was a viable chance to victory. Tonight, Im sorry to say, there is not. On Tuesday morning, as he attended a final election rally in Evansville, an angst-looking Mr Cruz was unable to contain his rage about Mr Trumps latest, colourful swipe at him. The tycoon had repeated a tabloid magazine claim that Mr Cruzs father was somehow involved in the assassination of President John F Kennedy. Mr Trump, the Texas senator railed, was utterly amoral, a narcissist, a pathological liar and a serial philanderer. It was hard not to feel a degree of sympathy for Mr Cruz, a devout Christian who had hoped the states social conservatives could save his campaign. But, however correct he was to feel angry about the latest attack on him and his family, it was also clear that some of that anger came from the realisation that he was trailing Mr Trump and that his dream of securing the nomination was poised to be torn apart. Both Mr Trump and Mr Cruz has acknowledged the crucial importance of the state; just last week Mr Cruz wrote to voters saying that if Mr Trump won Indiana and its 57 delegates, he would be on his way to seeking the Republican nomination. Mr Trump was even blunter. If we win in Indiana, its all over, he boasted to supporters. No one could have criticised Mr Cruz for a lack of effort. He travelled all over the state and took his message to people relentlessly. He was supported by his wife, Heidi Cruz, and his recently-minted running mate, Carly Fiorina. But in the end, Mr Cruzs determination to campaign as a religious and social conservative and an non-establishment candidate, was insufficient to overcome the whirlwind of support and momentum that Mr Trump has managed to gather around him. At times, it appeared he believed that just by persuading people of his integrity and decency that it would be sufficient to win their vote. It was not, or at least not in enough cases. Among his supporters at Tuesday nights rally, there was sadness and anger. Vicky Vaughan said that for the first time, she was now considering not voting in the presidential election, so determined she was not to vote for Mr Trump. I dont have any respect for a man who swears like that, she said of Mr Tump. Mr Cruz came out to speak about ninety minutes after the television networks had called the race for the man with whom he had been engaged in a bitter and at times toxic battle. We gave it everything we got. But voters decided differently, he said. It is with a heavy heart, but with boundless optimism for the future of out nation, that we are suspending our campaign. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Donald Trump was the runaway winner in the Indiana primary, as expected. Polls, and the demographics of the state, had suggested as much. And as usual during this election, theyve been proven right. Less than three weeks ago, Mr Trumps odds had fallen to 55 per cent. Now, he is as likely to be the Republican nominee as Hillary Clinton is to be the Democratic nominee, with both a 98 per cent favourite in the betting markets. But the question remains: will he actually become President? Now that hes wrapped up the nomination, his chances of being Americas next president have shot up from 17 per cent to 29 per cent. But that still makes Hillary Clinton a 69 per cent favourite (Mr Sanders or some other Republican both have a 1 per cent chance). Trump has ways to catch up. That means Ms Clinton begins this six-month race more favoured than any other candidate in modern history: more than Mr Obama ever was against John McCain in 2008 or Mitt Romney in 2012, or George Bush was against Al Gore in 2000 and John Kerry in 2004. Ms Clinton leads Mr Trump by 7-8 points in the 40 or so hypothetical general election polls published in the past six weeks. If she won by such a margin her victory would be at least as convincing as Mr Obama's in 2008. Donald Trump: What are his actual policies? Yet a Donald Trump presidency is still a real possibility. A 3-in-10 chance is 1,450 times more likely than Leicester were to win the league this year - and we all know what happened there. And those percentages will change rapidly if the national polls start to change, or if Mr Trump proves formidable in swing states like Florida where he performed very strongly in the Republican primary and across the Rust Belt in places like Pennsylvania, Ohio and Michigan, where white and working-class voters may swing behind him. Donald Trump's most controversial quotes Show all 14 1 /14 Donald Trump's most controversial quotes Donald Trump's most controversial quotes On Isis: "Some of the candidates, they went in and didnt know the air conditioner didnt work and sweated like dogs, and they didnt know the room was too big because they didnt have anybody there. How are they going to beat ISIS?" Getty Donald Trump's most controversial quotes On immigration: "I will build a great wall and nobody builds walls better than me, believe me and Ill build them very inexpensively. I will build a great, great wall on our southern border, and I will make Mexico pay for that wall. Mark my words." Reuters Donald Trump's most controversial quotes On Free Trade: "Free trade is terrible. Free trade can be wonderful if you have smart people. But we have stupid people." PAUL J. RICHARDS | AFP | Getty Images Donald Trump's most controversial quotes On Mexicans: "When Mexico sends its people, theyre not sending their best. Theyre sending people that have lots of problems. Theyre bringing drugs. Theyre bringing crime. Theyre rapists." Getty Donald Trump's most controversial quotes On China: "I just sold an apartment for $15 million to somebody from China. Am I supposed to dislike them?... I love China. The biggest bank in the world is from China. You know where their United States headquarters is located? In this building, in Trump Tower." Getty Images Donald Trump's most controversial quotes On work: "If you're interested in 'balancing' work and pleasure, stop trying to balance them. Instead make your work more pleasurable." AP Donald Trump's most controversial quotes On success: "What separates the winners from the losers is how a person reacts to each new twist of fate." Donald Trump's most controversial quotes On life: "Everything in life is luck." AFP Donald Trump's most controversial quotes On ambition: "You have to think anyway, so why not think big?" Getty Images Donald Trump's most controversial quotes On his opponents: "Bush is totally in favour of Common Core. I don't see how he can possibly get the nomination. He's weak on immigration. He's in favour of Common Core. How the hell can you vote for this guy? You just can't do it." Reuters Donald Trump's most controversial quotes On Obamacare: "You have to be hit by a tractor, literally, a tractor, to use it, because the deductibles are so high. It's virtually useless. And remember the $5 billion web site?... I have so many web sites, I have them all over the place. I hire people, they do a web site. It costs me $3." Getty Images Donald Trump's most controversial quotes On Barack Obama: "Obama is going to be out playing golf. He might be on one of my courses. I would invite him. I have the best courses in the world. I have one right next to the White House." PA Donald Trump's most controversial quotes On himself: "Love him or hate him, Trump is a man who is certain about what he wants and sets out to get it, no holds barred. Women find his power almost as much of a turn-on as his money." Getty Images Donald Trump's most controversial quotes On America: "The American Dream is dead. But if I get elected president I will bring it back bigger and better and stronger than ever before and we will make America great again." GETTY We just dont know yet. The next six months are set to become one of the most contentious and aggressive political campaigns in history, between two figures who have each been in the limelight for more than 40 years. The primaries will drag on for another month (see here for an explanation of why Mr Trump has won, even though hes still short of the 1237 delegates he needs), with California and a few other states effectively wrapping up each race on June 7. Trump won tonight, as he did last week and the week before. Then the race will turn quiet in so far as a Mr Trump V Ms Clinton race ever could until the conventions in late July, which now look increasingly unlikely to be contested. Attention will be focused on who each candidate chooses to be their running mate, with Mr Trump purportedly short of options. Both will also try and unite their party, and ensure Mr Cruz or Mr Sanders supporters back them in the general election. August could see fierce protests across the US as Mr Trump holds rallies that will surely be even larger and more fractious than those so far. And in September and October the race reaches its final stretch, with three presidential debates over a fortnight (beginning on September 26). America will finally vote on November 8. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} With the Republican presidential race all over bar the shouting, it is Hillary Clinton once considered the most presumptive of nominees who must fight on against an insurgent challenger. Her rival for the Democratic nomination, Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, shed hundreds of his campaign staff last week, but he has vowed to throw his remaining resources into an attempted upset in the California primary on 7 June. In spite of Mr Sanderss slim victory in Indiana on Tuesday, the maths of the Democratic race is essentially unchanged. As she edged ever closer to the nomination, Ms Clinton said yesterday that she was focused on moving into the general election against Donald Trump. Mr Sanders picked up 43 delegates from the Hoosier State and Ms Clinton 37, maintaining her pledged delegate lead of more than 300 and an overall lead of 802, including super-delegates. Mr Sanders has admitted that he faces an uphill fight on a narrow path toward victory. His route is as steep and unforgiving as the South face of Annapurna. To have any chance of overtaking the frontrunner, he would have to win every remaining primary by significant margins. The largest left in the calendar are California and New Jersey; polls put Ms Clinton well ahead in both states, by around 10 and 15 points respectively, according to Real Clear Politics. Recommended Read more Mutiny simmers as Donald Trump takes Republican crown Until Ted Cruz suspended his campaign yesterday, the Golden State was bracing itself for a major GOP clash. Now, the Democrats are the only game in town. The Clinton campaign is leaving nothing to chance. Ms Clintons husband, former President Bill Clinton, was due to host organising events in San Diego and Los Angeles on Wednesday, to be followed by California rallies with the former Secretary of State herself on Thursday on Friday. In an unspoken acknowledgement of his diminishing chances, Mr Sanderss rhetoric has shifted perceptibly away from Ms Clinton to focus on pressing his progressive agenda. Speaking after his Indiana win, he noted that he had consistently won the support of younger voters. That is important because it tells me that the ideas that we are fighting for are the ideas for the future of America and the future of the Democratic Party, he said. The Sanders campaign has said it can keep Ms Clinton from the outright majority of 2,383 pledged delegates that she needs to claim the nomination ahead of the Democratic convention in Philadelphia in July. But to win a floor-fight in Philly, Mr Sanders would also have to flip many of the partys super-delegates, who so far overwhelmingly back Ms Clinton. Given the likelihood of a bruising battle with Mr Trump, the Vermont Senator will be under pressure to withdraw before the convention in the interests of party unity. He and his supporters have also clung to the claim that he would be the stronger general election candidate he polls better than Ms Clinton in hypothetical match-ups with Mr Trump. But that point, too, may be moot: either Democrat will begin the general election with a significant poll advantage over the race-baiting businessman. A national CNN/ORC poll conducted after the Indiana result found the former Secretary of State leading Mr Trump by 13 points. Speaking to MSNBC, Ms Clinton warned of a tough campaign against a candidate who will literally say or do anything, but added: Were going to take him on at every turn." Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} A new drug considered to be 10,000 times more powerful than morphine has hit the market in the US after being discovered in Canada. The synthetic opiate W-18 is a psychoactive substance and opioid similar to heroin, but is 100 times more powerful than fentanyl. It is now making its way to the US at a time when fentanyl-related deaths in Canada continue to rise. From 2009 to 2014, there were an estimated 655 deaths in Canada linked to fentanyl overdoses, according to Vice News. Science news in pictures Show all 20 1 /20 Science news in pictures Science news in pictures Pluto has 'beating heart' of frozen nitrogen Pluto has a 'beating heart' of frozen nitrogen that is doing strange things to its surface, Nasa has found. The mysterious core seems to be the cause of features on its surface that have fascinated scientists since they were spotted by Nasa's New Horizons mission. "Before New Horizons, everyone thought Pluto was going to be a netball - completely flat, almost no diversity," said Tanguy Bertrand, an astrophysicist and planetary scientist at NASA's Ames Research Center and the lead author on the new study. "But it's completely different. It has a lot of different landscapes and we are trying to understand what's going on there." Getty Science news in pictures Over 400 species discovered this year by Natural History Museum The ancient invertabrate worm-like species rhenopyrgus viviani (pictured) is one of over 400 species previously unknown to science that were discovered by experts at the Natural History Museum this year PA Science news in pictures Jackdaws can identify 'dangerous' humans Jackdaws can identify dangerous humans from listening to each others warning calls, scientists say. The highly social birds will also remember that person if they come near their nests again, according to researchers from the University of Exeter. In the study, a person unknown to the wild jackdaws approached their nest. At the same time scientists played a recording of a warning call (threatening) or contact calls (non-threatening). The next time jackdaws saw this same person, the birds that had previously heard the warning call were defensive and returned to their nests more than twice as quickly on average. Getty Science news in pictures Turtle embryos influence sex by shaking The sex of the turtle is determined by the temperatures at which they are incubated. Warm temperatures favour females. But by wiggling around the egg, embryos can find the Goldilocks Zone which means they are able to shield themselves against extreme thermal conditions and produce a balanced sex ratio, according to the new study published in Current Biology journal Ye et al/Current Biology Science news in pictures Elephant poaching rates drop in Africa African elephant poaching rates have dropped by 60 per cent in six years, an international study has found. It is thought the decline could be associated with the ivory trade ban introduced in China in 2017. Reuters Science news in pictures Ancient four-legged whale discovered in Peru Scientists have identified a four-legged creature with webbed feet to be an ancestor of the whale. Fossils unearthed in Peru have led scientists to conclude that the enormous creatures that traverse the planets oceans today are descended from small hoofed ancestors that lived in south Asia 50 million years ago A. Gennari Science news in pictures Animal with transient anus discovered A scientist has stumbled upon a creature with a transient anus that appears only when it is needed, before vanishing completely. Dr Sidney Tamm of the Marine Biological Laboratory could not initially find any trace of an anus on the species. However, as the animal gets full, a pore opens up to dispose of waste Steven G Johnson Science news in pictures Giant bee spotted Feared extinct, the Wallace's Giant bee has been spotted for the first time in nearly 40 years. An international team of conservationists spotted the bee, that is four times the size of a typical honeybee, on an expedition to a group of Indonesian Islands Clay Bolt Science news in pictures New mammal species found inside crocodile Fossilised bones digested by crocodiles have revealed the existence of three new mammal species that roamed the Cayman Islands 300 years ago. The bones belonged to two large rodent species and a small shrew-like animal New Mexico Museum of Natural History Science news in pictures Fabric that changes according to temperature created Scientists at the University of Maryland have created a fabric that adapts to heat, expanding to allow more heat to escape the body when warm and compacting to retain more heat when cold Faye Levine, University of Maryland Science news in pictures Baby mice tears could be used in pest control A study from the University of Tokyo has found that the tears of baby mice cause female mice to be less interested in the sexual advances of males Getty Science news in pictures Final warning to limit "climate catastrophe" The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has issued a report which projects the impact of a rise in global temperatures of 1.5 degrees Celsius and warns against a higher increase Getty Science news in pictures Nobel prize for evolution chemists The nobel prize for chemistry has been awarded to three chemists working with evolution. Frances Smith is being awarded the prize for her work on directing the evolution of enzymes, while Gregory Winter and George Smith take the prize for their work on phage display of peptides and antibodies Getty/AFP Science news in pictures Nobel prize for laser physicists The nobel prize for physics has been awarded to three physicists working with lasers. Arthur Ashkin (L) was awarded for his "optical tweezers" which use lasers to grab particles, atoms, viruses and other living cells. Donna Strickland and Gerard Mourou were jointly awarded the prize for developing chirped-pulse amplification of lasers Reuters/AP Science news in pictures Discovery of a new species of dinosaur The Ledumahadi Mafube roamed around 200 million years ago in what is now South Africa. Recently discovered by a team of international scientists, it was the largest land animal of its time, weighing 12 tons and standing at 13 feet. In Sesotho, the South African language of the region in which the dinosaur was discovered, its name means "a giant thunderclap at dawn" Viktor Radermacher / SWNS Science news in pictures Birth of a planet Scientists have witnessed the birth of a planet for the first time ever. This spectacular image from the SPHERE instrument on ESO's Very Large Telescope is the first clear image of a planet caught in the very act of formation around the dwarf star PDS 70. The planet stands clearly out, visible as a bright point to the right of the center of the image, which is blacked out by the coronagraph mask used to block the blinding light of the central star. ESO/A. Muller et al Science news in pictures New human organ discovered that was previously missed by scientists Layers long thought to be dense, connective tissue are actually a series of fluid-filled compartments researchers have termed the interstitium. These compartments are found beneath the skin, as well as lining the gut, lungs, blood vessels and muscles, and join together to form a network supported by a mesh of strong, flexible proteins Getty Science news in pictures Previously unknown society lived in Amazon rainforest before Europeans arrived, say archaeologists Working in the Brazilian state of Mato Grosso, a team led by archaeologists at the University of Exeter unearthed hundreds of villages hidden in the depths of the rainforest. These excavations included evidence of fortifications and mysterious earthworks called geoglyphs Jose Iriarte Science news in pictures One in 10 people have traces of cocaine or heroin on fingerprints, study finds More than one in 10 people were found to have traces of class A drugs on their fingers by scientists developing a new fingerprint-based drug test. Using sensitive analysis of the chemical composition of sweat, researchers were able to tell the difference between those who had been directly exposed to heroin and cocaine, and those who had encountered it indirectly. Getty Science news in pictures Nasa releases stunning images of Jupiter's great red spot The storm bigger than the Earth, has been swhirling for 350 years. The image's colours have been enhanced after it was sent back to Earth. Pictures by: Tom Momary While fentanyl is now a controlled substance, W-18 is yet to be prohibited in Canada or the US. It was made illegal in Sweden on 26 January, 2016. W-18 was first seized in Canada in August 2015, when police in Calgary seized a shipment of 110 pills thought to contain fentanyl, CBC news reported. A small number of those pills were actually found to contain traces of W-18. Over the last year, larger quantities of W-18 have been found in other locations across Canada and the US. In March, a man in Florida was found to have two and a half pounds of W-18 when he was arrested for selling fentanyl pills, the Sun Sentinel reported. Cheese triggers same part of the brain as drugs The drug is believed to be created in labs in China and then sold online. It was originally developed as a painkiller by scientists at the University of Alberta in 1981. After being deemed too strong, it was never picked up by pharmaceutical companies and was largely forgotten about. The effect of W-18 on humans is largely unknown, because the drug was only ever tesed on lab mice. It is currently unclear how addictive it may be, or what potential side-effects it may cause. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} The world is expected to suffer a major rice shortage after global production was hit by extreme weather patterns - potentially fuelling an international price crisis. Hot weather and droughts brought on by the El Nino system continue to affect production in India, Pakistan, Thailand and Vietnam, where 60% of the worlds rice is grown. Grain stocks in those countries are forecast to plummet to 19 million tons by the end of the year, down from a peak of 43 million tons in 2013. Dr Samarendu Mohanty from the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) told The Independent: There is no doubt that the supply situation is very tight, and this will inevitably cause a spiral in demand. The extent of this crisis all depends on what happens during the upcoming monsoon season. If it goes badly in India and Indonesia and the crops dont get the rain, there could be real trouble ahead. The monsoon season in India lasts from July to September and supplies up to four-fifths of the countrys annual rain. Giant El Nino wave flips SUV He continued: At the moment it looks like the situation wont be as serious as in 2008 but the countries affected must act more rationally this time rather than panicking, and they must learn from the mistakes of the past. El Nino is a major fluctuation in the Earth's climate system and see changes in the sea-surface temperature of the tropical Pacific Ocean every few years. During the 2008 crisis in Asia, lower rice output caused by El Nino prompted India to impose a blanket ban on exports and prices hit a record $1,000 per ton worldwide. The benchmark price for a ton of rice last month was $389.50, the strongest since July last year, and rates continue to increase. Top 10 islands in the world 2016 Show all 10 1 /10 Top 10 islands in the world 2016 Top 10 islands in the world 2016 10 - Fernando de Noronha, Brazil The archipelago of Fernando de Noronha is a UNESCO World Heritage Site with a delicate ecosystem. Visitors are restricted, but the lucky few are rewarded with unrivaled beaches and soothing warm waters filled with dolphins and sea turtles, making Noronha one of the worlds top diving destinations Find hotels in Fernando de Noronha EVARISTO SA/Staff Top 10 islands in the world 2016 9 - Bora Bora, Society Islands Turquoise lagoons, soft white sands, and deep tangerine sunsets set the scene for romance on the island so nice they named it twice Find hotels in Bora Bora Top 10 islands in the world 2016 8 - Phuket, Thailand Thailands largest island is an international magnet for beach lovers and serious divers, who enthusiastically submerge themselves in the Andaman Sea Find hotels in Phuket Top 10 islands in the world 2016 7 - Mauritius, Africa Mauritius is arguably Africas wealthiest destination, a tropical paradise with tons to do Find hotels in Mauritius Top 10 islands in the world 2016 6 - Majorca, Balearic Islands The dreamy island that provided inspiration to Chopin and Miro now has a reputation as a spring break beach destination Find hotels in Majorca Top 10 islands in the world 2016 5 - Bali, Indonesia Soak up the sun on a stretch of fine white sand, or commune with the tropical creatures as you dive along coral ridges or the colorful wreck of a WWII war ship Find hotels in Bali Top 10 islands in the world 2016 4- Providenciales, Turks and Caicos The most populated of the Turks and Caicos islands, Providenciales is one of the worlds top beach destinations Find hotels in Providenciales Top 10 islands in the world 2016 3 - Jamaica Jamaicas forests feature prime hiking and bird watching. History buffs can the heritage sites of Trelawny, while reggae and dancehall fans will love the authentic music clubs of Kingston. Montego Bay is perfect for snorkeling and shopping, while the spas of Ocho Rios can make any stresses melt away Find hotels in Jamaica Top 10 islands in the world 2016 2 - Santorini, Greece Even if youve never been to this Cyclades island in the Aegean Sea, youd still recognize it immediately candy-colored houses carved into cliffs, sapphire waters, gleaming white buildings topped with half-spheres the color of a stormy sky Find hotels in Santorini Top 10 islands in the world 2016 1 - Maui, Hawaii The Hawaiian island of Maui is a destination for true nature lovers Find hotels in Maui Thailands last major crop haul was around half the peak production from 2013 and output is expected to fall to just 15.8 million tons this year. Meanwhile, 593,000 acres of paddy fields have been destroyed by recent drought and salination in Vietnams Mekong Delta region. The situation has not been helped by the one million wells built in the country since the 1960s, which have worsened the saline problem and contaminated the Vietnamese product. The Phillippines is weighing up whether to import an extra 500,000 tons of rice this year in an effort to boost state reserve stocks in case of a future crisis. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Three men are being held by police after the brutal rape and murder of a young law student in India - prompting hundreds of angry protesters to take to the streets. The 30-year-old victim, named only as Jisha on social media, had her body mutilated during the assault and was found dead by her mother outside her home in Perumbavoor, Kerala. Officers said two of the three detained suspects were Jishas neighbours and the third worked at a nearby restaurant. The attacker or attackers used a sharp implement to remove the intestines of the victim and her chest was pierced on both sides. The cause of death was severe head injury. Jisha belonged to the Dalit or Untouchables sect, the lowest rank on Indias traditional caste system which accounts for 201 million of the countrys population. The vicious crime has drawn comparisons with the gang rape and murder of medical student Jyoti Singh on a Delhi bus in December 2012. Hundreds of human rights advocates launched a protest following the latest case, in an effort to pressure the government to tighten up the legal protection of Dalit women and sexual assault victims. They assembled outside the hospital where the victim's body had been taken with placards demanding justice. Meanwhile, Jishas traumatised mother reportedly remains bedridden under medical supervision and claims the family had previously complained to police about the danger to [their] lives. The hashtag #JusticeForJisha began trending in India on Sunday, with thousands tweeting their support for the cause. The countries with anti-women laws Show all 5 1 /5 The countries with anti-women laws The countries with anti-women laws The countries with anti-women laws The countries with anti-women laws The countries with anti-women laws The countries with anti-women laws Critics have claimed the police and UDF government initially tried to ignore the crime because of the upcoming local assembly elections in two weeks. In a statement, the Communist Party of India said: It is shameful that the state police and the Congress-led UDF government initially tried to cover up this heinous crime. It was thanks to a vigilant media and the massive public outcry that followed that forced the police to finally act. Outrage caused by Jyoti Singh's rape and murder in 2012 forced the government to rush through laws offering improved protection for women in sexual assault cases. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Indonesia is preparing to execute prisoners in a move which appears to signal the end of a suspension to capital punishment for a number of foreign nationals. Two Britons, as well as a Philippine maid many believe is innocent, are on death row on charges of drug-smuggling related offences. President Joko Widodo has said the policy of killing drug smugglers is necessary because of a problem with substance abuse in the country. But while the prisoners' fate had been delayed after an international outcry over executions in 2015, a police official has now said preparations are being made at the Nusa Kambangan island prison. "We have had a warning since last month to prepare the place," Aloysius Lilik Darmanto, a central Java police spokesperson, told The Guardian. "We carried out some rehabilitation of the location, like painting and repairs, because there will probably be more people who will be executed." Linsay Sandiford in prison (Getty) Mr Darmanto said he did not know which prisoners would be executed nor whether the two Britons, Lindsay Sandiford and Gareth Cashmore, were among them. Ms Sandiford, who is from Teeside, was convicted in 2013 of trying to smuggle 4kg of cocaine into Bali at a worth of 1.6 million, a claim she admitted but which she said she was coerced into after threats to her son's life. Gareth Cashmore, who is from Yorkshire, was sentenced to death after being found guilty of having 6.5kg of methamphetamine - or crystal meth - in his suitcase. He has a son. A Phillipine maid, Mary Jane Veloso, was given a last-minute "reprieve" by President Widodo after a woman turned herself in for planting the drugs in Ms Veloso's luggage, yet she remains in prison. Where most executions were carried out in 2014 Show all 10 1 /10 Where most executions were carried out in 2014 Where most executions were carried out in 2014 1. China (1000+) Getty Where most executions were carried out in 2014 2. Iran (289+) Getty Where most executions were carried out in 2014 3. Saudi Arabia (90+) Getty Where most executions were carried out in 2014 4. Iraq (61+) Getty Where most executions were carried out in 2014 5. USA (35+) Getty Where most executions were carried out in 2014 6. Sudan (23+) Getty Where most executions were carried out in 2014 7. Yemen (22+) Getty Where most executions were carried out in 2014 8. Egypt (15+) Getty Where most executions were carried out in 2014 9. Somalia (14+) Getty Where most executions were carried out in 2014 10. Jordan (11+) Getty There are a number of other prisoners on death row whose families have been trying to see them. Indonesia's stance on capital punishment and drugs has strained its relations with countries around the world. Ambassadors, heads of state and royals from Brazil, Malawi, the Netherlands, Nigeria and Indonesia were ignored by Mr Widodo after they personally contacted him to prevent executions of their citizens that went ahead in 2015. The president has also been accused of executing foreign nationals as a measure to increase his popularity at home - and of trying to secure the release of Indonesian nationals held for drug offences overseas. Meanwhile the Bali bomber, Umar Patek, who caused the death of 200 people in a nightclub in 2002, was acquitted of death by firing squad and sentenced to 20 years in an Indonesian jail. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} The infamous 500 note, long associated with money laundering and tax evasion, is to be phased out by the European Central Bank. The ECB decided to permanently stop producing the so-called Bin Laden banknote at a meeting in Frankfurt. It had acquired its distinctive nickname in Spain partly because it is favoured by criminals and terrorists for cash smuggling, and partly on the basis everyone knows what it looks like but few people have ever seen it. The large, violet bills are the most valuable Euro notes and also physically bigger than the others. A statement issued by the ECB said the note would no longer be issued from 2018, when 200 and 100 notes would be introduced. "In view of the international role of the euro and the widespread trust in its banknotes, the 500 will remain legal tender and can therefore continue to be used as a means of payment and store of valueThe Eurosystem, which comprises the ECB and the euro area national central banks, will take steps to ensure that the remaining denominations are available in sufficient quantities," the statement said. "The 500 banknote, like the other denominations of euro banknotes, will always retain its value and can be exchanged at the national central banks of the Eurosystem for an unlimited period of time." In February, a study by the EU Commission concluded the use of high denomination notes, in particular the 500 note, was a problem for law enforcement authorities". These notes are in high demand among criminal elements due to their high value and low volume," the study said. The ECB says 500 bills account for 28% of the value of banknotes in circulation, but only 3% of the total number of notes. In March, French finance minister Michel Sapin reportedly said of the unpopular note: They are used more for hiding things than buying them. It is used more to facilitate transactions which are not honest than to allow you and me to buy food to eat. Biggest business scandals in pictures Show all 20 1 /20 Biggest business scandals in pictures Biggest business scandals in pictures Volkswagen emissions scandal VW admitted to rigging its US emission tests so that diesel-powered cars would looks like they were emitting less nitrous oxide, which can damage the ozone layer and contribute to respiratory diseases. Around 11 million cars worldwide were affected. Getty Biggest business scandals in pictures Martin Shkreli and Turing Pharmaceuticals Martin Shkreli became known as the most hated man in the world after his drug company, Turing, increased the price of a 62-year-old drug that treated HIV patients by 5,000% to $750 a pill. He was charged with illegally taking stock from Retrophin, a biotechnology firm he started in 2011, and using it pay off debts from unrelated business dealings. Shkreli, who maintains he is innocent, and says there is little evidence of fraud because his investors didn't lose money. Biggest business scandals in pictures Panama Papers: Millions of leaked documents expose how worlds rich and powerful hid money - April 2016 Millions of confidential documents have been leaked from one of the worlds most secretive law firms, exposing how the rich and powerful have hidden their money. Dictators and other heads of state have been accused of laundering money, avoiding sanctions and evading tax, according to the unprecedented cache of papers that show the inner workings of the law firm Mossack Fonseca, which is based in Panama. Getty Biggest business scandals in pictures Google's tax avoidance Google reached a deal with the HM Revenue and Customs to pay back 130 million in so-called back-taxes that have been due since 2005. George Osborne championed the deal as a major success. But European MEPs have since called for the Chancellor to appear in front of the committee on tax rulings to explain the tax deal. Getty Biggest business scandals in pictures Rogue trader A French court cut the damages owed by rogue trader Jerome Kerviel from 4.9bn (4.2bn) to just 1m (860,000). The court ruled on that Kerviel was partly responsible for massive losses suffered in 2008 by his former employer Societe Generale through his reckless trades. Kerviel has consistently maintained that bosses at the French bank knew what he was doing all along. AP Biggest business scandals in pictures Barclays CEO under investigation for trying to identify whistleblower - Monday Paril 10 Authorities have launched an investigation into Barclays chief executive officer Jes Staley for trying to identify a whistleblower, the bank said on Monday. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and the Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) are both investigating Mr Staley after the bank notified them that Mr Staley had tried to identify the author of two anonymous letters, which were sent to the board and a senior executive in June 2016. Getty Biggest business scandals in pictures UK to crack down on bank money laundering after reports of 65bn Russian scam, City minister says - March 2017 The Economic Secretary to the Treasury has vowed that the Government will crack down on money laundering practices, after several of the UK's biggest banks were accused of processing money from a Russian scam, believed to involve up to $80bn (65bn). Reuters Biggest business scandals in pictures Former HBOS bankers convicted of bribery and fraud over 245m loan scam - February 2017 Two former HBOS bankers were among six people found guilty of bribery and fraud that cost customers and shareholders hundreds of millions of pounds, the BBC reports. Lynden Scourfield, 54, a manager at HBOS, forced struggling clients to use the services of his friends David Mills, 60, and Michael Bancroft, 73. In return, the two businessmen arranged sex parties, cash and lavish gifts. On Monday, the three were convicted at Southwark Crown Court on accounts including bribery, fraud and money laundering. Mark Dobson, another manager at HBOS, Alison Mills, and John Cartwright were also convicted. Getty Biggest business scandals in pictures Lloyds chief apologises for damage caused by affair allegations - August 2016 Antonio Horta-Osorio, the chief executive of Lloyds Bank, has broken his silence over allegations about his private life admitting he regrets any "damage done to the group's reputation". In a message sent to the bank's 75,000 employees, the banker said that anyone can make mistakes while insisting that staff had to maintain the highest professional standards. Getty Biggest business scandals in pictures Christine Lagarde faces court over 340m Bernard Tapie payment - July 2016 The head of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Christine Lagarde, must stand trial in France over a payment of 403 million (now 340m, then 290m) to tycoon Bernard Tapie, a France's highest appeals court has ruled. The court rejected Ms Lagarde's appeal against a judge's order in December for her to stand trial over allegations of negligence in her handling of the affair. Ms Lagarde could risk a maximum penalty of one year in prison and a fine of 15,000 euros if convicted. Reuters Biggest business scandals in pictures HSBC senior manager arrested in FX rigging investigation at JFK airport in New York - July 2016 A senior executive at HSBC has been arrested at New York's JFK airport for his alleged involvement in a conspiracy to rig currency benchmarks, according to reports. Mark Johnson, global head of foreign exchange cash trading in London, was reportedly arrested on Tuesday. He will appear before a federal court in Brooklyn on Wednesday charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, Bloomberg said. Getty Biggest business scandals in pictures Former PwC employees found guilty in 'Luxleaks' tax scandal - June 2016 Two ex- PricewaterhouseCoopers staffers were found guilty in Luxembourg of stealing confidential tax files that helped unleash a global scandal over generous fiscal deals for hundreds of international companies. Antoine Deltour and Raphael Halet face suspended sentences of 12 months and 9 months and were ordered to pay fines of 1,500 (1,230) and 1,000 (822) for their role in the so-called LuxLeaks scandal. Despite the minimal sentences, the ruling was described by Deltours lawyer as shocking and a terrible anomaly. The ruling puts on guard future whistle-blowers, Deltour told reporters.The LuxLeaks revelations sped beyond Luxembourg, causing European Union regulators to expand a tax-subsidy probe and propose new laws to fight corporate tax dodging, while EU lawmakers created a special committee to probe fiscal deals across the 28-nation bloc. Reuters Biggest business scandals in pictures Goldman Sachs dealmakers lavished Libyan officials with prostitutes to win contract - June 2016 A former Goldman Sachs dealmaker trying to persuade Gadaffi-era Libya to invest $1 billion with the investment bank procured prostitutes and invited Libyan officials to lavish parties in the hope of winning the business, the High Court heard on Monday June 13.The Libyan Investment Authority sovereign wealth fund is suing Goldman Sachs for inappropriately coercing its naive staff into giving its sovereign wealth fund cash to the bank to invest in products they did not understand. The products were designed to generate big profits for Goldman, the LIA claims.Goldman denies wrongdoing and says the LIA was treated as an arms-length customer Reuters Biggest business scandals in pictures Former boss of BHS said his life was threatened - June 2016 Darren Topp, the former boss of BHS, has said former owner Dominic Chappell threatened to kill him when he challenged him over a 1.5 million transfer out of the business. MPs on the Business, Innovation and Skills Committee asked Mr Topp about a 1.5 million transfer Mr Chappell made from BHS to a company called BHS Sweden. Getty Biggest business scandals in pictures Sports Direct founder Mike Ashley admits paying workers below the minimum wage - June 2016 Mike Ashley admitted paying Sports Direct employees below the minimum wage at a hearing in front of MPs. The company founder said that workers were paid less than the statutory minimum because of bottlenecks at security in an admission that could result in sanctions from HMRC. Reuters Biggest business scandals in pictures Mitsubishi admits improper fuel tests - April 2016 Mitsubishi has admitted to using false fuel methods dating back to 1991. The scale of the scandal is only just coming to light after it was revealed in April that data was falsified in the testing of four types of cars, including two Nissan cars. AP Biggest business scandals in pictures Quindell, the scandal-ridden insurance firm Quindell was once a darling of AIM but its share price fell in April 2014 when its accounting practices were attacked in a stinging research note by US short seller Gotham City. In August the group was forced to disclose that the 107 million pre-tax profit it had reported for 2013 was incorrect, and it had in fact suffered a 64million loss. Getty Biggest business scandals in pictures Toshiba Accounting Scandal The boss of Toshiba, the Japanese technology giant, resigned in disgrace in the wake of one of the countrys biggest ever accounting scandals. His exit came two months after the company revealed that it was investigating accounting irregularities. An independent investigatory panel said that Toshibas management had inflated its reported profits by up to 152 billion yen (780m) between 2008 and 2014. Biggest business scandals in pictures FIFA Corruption Scandal Fifa, football's world governing body, has been engulfed by claims of widespread corruption since the summer of 2015, when the US Department of Justice indicted several top executives. It has now claimed the careers of two of the most powerful men in football, Fifa President Sepp Blatter and Uefa President Michel Platini, after they were banned for eight years from all football-related activities by Fifa's ethics committee. A Swiss criminal investigation into the pair is ongoing. Getty Biggest business scandals in pictures Libor fraudster City trader Tom Hayes, 35, has become the first person to be convicted of rigging Libor rates following a trial at London's Southwark Crown Court. Hayes worked as a trader in yen derivatives at UBS before joining the American bank Citigroup in Tokyo. He was fired from Citigroup following an investigation into his trading methods. He returned to the UK in December 2012 and was arrested following a two-and-a-half year criminal investigation by the SFO. Getty One aspect of French intelligences reaction to the Paris attacks in November last year has been a concerted crackdown on terrorist financing. However, the prospect of losing the bill has not been greeted so readily in Germany, where an estimated 80% of transactions are still carried out in cash. The issue of whether removing the banknote will aid the fight against organised crime is also in doubt, with more gangs using illegal online bank accounts to transfer funds. The cost of removing the note from circulation was also a factor under consideration, with some experts putting the figure as high as 600 million to make the transition. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} European countries which refuse to take in refugees may be fined hundreds of millions of pounds, it has been reported. The proposal is reportedly due to be announced by Jean-Claude Junker on behalf of the European Commission today as part of a package of reforms of the EUs asylum rules amid the ongoing refugee crisis. The draft law will suggest countries pay a solidarity contribution of 250,000 Euros per asylum applicant which it does not take, The Daily Telegraph reports. The money would be paid to states which have accepted refugees. The Dublin convention, which holds countries responsible for refugees which arrive within their borders, would still apply outside of the fining system. The potential fines are designed to address growing tensions that the responsibility for the refugee crisis is disproportionately falling on a small number of countries, in particular Greece, Italy and Germany. Judith Dennis from the British Refugee Council told The Independent: "Its painfully clear that the current system for protecting refugees in Europe simply isn't working and that more needs to be done to help share responsibility for sheltering refugees more evenly." Turkey's two million Syrian refugees Show all 11 1 /11 Turkey's two million Syrian refugees Turkey's two million Syrian refugees There are already over 2.5 million Syrian refugees in Turkey, but their current camps can only hold 200,000 people ADEM ALTAN/AFP/Getty Images Turkey's two million Syrian refugees Turkish citizens protest a new deal, also criticised by human rights activists, which will see refugees who arrived in Greece after March 20 be sent back to Turkey AP Photo/Emre Tazegu Turkey's two million Syrian refugees An estimated 80% of Syrian refugee children already in Turkey are unable to attend school BULENT KILIC/AFP/Getty Images Turkey's two million Syrian refugees Refugee children beg for water near the Turkey-Syria border. Turkey has been accused of illegally deporting asylum-seekers back to Syria BULENT KILIC/AFP/Getty Images Turkey's two million Syrian refugees In Turkey, no-one from outside Europe is legally recognised as a refugee, meaning the 2016 deportations may not meet international legal standards for protecting vulnerable people BULENT KILIC/AFP/Getty Images Turkey's two million Syrian refugees A refugee child cries as she is searched by police at the Syria-Turkey border, where 16 refugees (including three children) have been shot dead in the last four months BULENT KILIC/AFP/Getty Images Turkey's two million Syrian refugees Many refugees are living rough on the streets of cities such as Istanbul or Ankara (pictured) ADEM ALTAN/AFP/Getty Images Turkey's two million Syrian refugees Turkish soldiers use water cannon on Syrian refugees BULENT KILIC/AFP/Getty Images Turkey's two million Syrian refugees Syrian refugees shelter from rain in the streets of Istanbul BULENT KILIC/AFP/Getty Images Turkey's two million Syrian refugees A derelict building housing Syrian refugees in Istanbul Carl Court/Getty Images Turkey's two million Syrian refugees Turkey houses around half of all the refugees who have currently fled Syria Carl Court/Getty Images A redistribution scheme was introduced to alleviate some of this pressure but has been described as flawed and faltering; as out of 160,000 refugees, just 937 were resettled within the first six months of the scheme. Countries including Hungary and Slovakia refused to participate citing a need to protect local cultural and customs. The UK would be exempt from the fines due to historically not subscribing to the European Commissions direction on justice matters. In 2015, the UK received 38,878 asylum applications and resettled 1,000 Syrian refugees UK under the Vulnerable Persons Relocation scheme. David Cameron has pledged to accept 20,000 Syrians over the course of the next five years. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} The organisation running the French railway system are investing in a 700mph inter-city super tube train which could make HS2 obsolete before it its built. The SNCF, creator of the high-speed train concept, have decided to invest Euros 80m in one of two American companies which are developing the hyperloop, a wheel-less train or capsule projected through a tube with relatively small energy needs. The idea, first proposed in 2013 by the South African-born billionaire-inventor Elon Musk, has been gaining credibility and financial backing in recent months. A pilot scheme is due to be built in Nevada later this year. The SNCF, which pioneered the TGV (train a grande vitesse) from 1981, is the first large European railway company to take the idea seriously. There are also vague plans to build a pioneer hyperloop system linking cities in Austria, Hungary and Slovakia. Hyperloop technology would shoot capsules or linked trains of capsules, containing passengers and cars through low pressure tube at up to 760 mph. This is more than three times faster than a conventional high speed train and double the speed of most commercial air-liners. The tubes could be placed underground in cities but would be erected on stilts in open country, possibly using the central reservation of existing motorways to save costs. Two competing American start-up companies which are developing the idea say that it would be much faster, cheaper to build, less intrusive and less greedy for energy than conventional steel-on-steel trains. They hope to have the first system working possibly linking Los Angeles and San Francisco in 30 minutes within 15 years. This would be roughly the same time scale as the opening of the first section of Britains second high speed line HS2 which will link London and Birmingham by 2026. Promoters claim that the 350-mile LA to San Francisco hyperloop would cost only 5bn to build compared to an estimated 43bn for HS2 which is much shorter. (Facebook (Facebook) Sceptics suggest, however, that hyperloop might prove to be as ephemeral and impractical for long distance travel as other non-conventional train projects such as monorails and trains floating on magnetic track beds (Maglev). The critics point out that the experience of being shot through a tube for half an hour or longer, without a view and without being able to move from ones seat, might not appeal to everyone. They also point out that a hyperloop system would be able to link conurbations but unlike a conventional high-speed train - would not be able to reach city-centre stations using existing tracks. The chief executive of one of the two companies developing the idea Dirk Ahlborn of Hyperloop Transportation Technologies told a conference in New York on Tuesday that such objections would prove groundless. Were trying to make travel suck less, he said. Were trying to fix public transport. Speed is one of the advantages (of hyperloop), but its not the only one. Building something that has economic sense, that has a good business model behind it, for me, is even more important. LA to San Francisco in 30 minutes: Paypal founder Elon Musk unveils 800mph Hyperloop 'trains' Show all 6 1 /6 LA to San Francisco in 30 minutes: Paypal founder Elon Musk unveils 800mph Hyperloop 'trains' LA to San Francisco in 30 minutes: Paypal founder Elon Musk unveils 800mph Hyperloop 'trains' hyperloop.jpg LA to San Francisco in 30 minutes: Paypal founder Elon Musk unveils 800mph Hyperloop 'trains' hyperloop-2.jpg Reuters LA to San Francisco in 30 minutes: Paypal founder Elon Musk unveils 800mph Hyperloop 'trains' hyperloop-3.jpg Reuters LA to San Francisco in 30 minutes: Paypal founder Elon Musk unveils 800mph Hyperloop 'trains' hyperloop-4.jpg spacex.com LA to San Francisco in 30 minutes: Paypal founder Elon Musk unveils 800mph Hyperloop 'trains' hyperloop-5.jpg spacex.com LA to San Francisco in 30 minutes: Paypal founder Elon Musk unveils 800mph Hyperloop 'trains' hyperloop-6.jpg spacex.com Hyperloop Transport Technologies signed an agreement with the Slovakian government earlier this year to explore the possibility of building a high-speed tube system which would link Bratislava, Budapest and Vienna. The French railways have decided, however, to invest Euros 80m in another start-up, Hyperloop Technologies, which will open a test-track in Nevada by the end of this year. The SNCF yesterday declined to discuss he investment, first reported by the French 24 hour news channel BFM TV. However, officials in the state-owned company confirmed that SNCF had decided to take part in a second round of fund-raising by Hyperloop Technologies. In September of last year, Guillaume Pepy, the boss of SNCF, said: Hyperloop is a project which is both far-fetched and visionary. We are watching it very closely. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} A German couple used personal adverts to lure women to their rural home where they tortured and killed at least two, authorities claim. Investigating officers say they have not ruled out further deaths at the property, dubbed the 'house of horrors', where a woman's body was allegedly cut up and burned in a fireplace. Police have arrested a 46-year-old man, identified only as Wilfred W, and his 47-year-old ex-wife, known as Angelika B last week. The pair are accused of tormenting a woman through nearly two months of captivity at a property in home in Hoexter, north west Germany. Police said the couple were "caught" after their car broke down with a severely wounded 41-year-old woman inside. She died later in hospital from a head injury. The second alleged victim was 33-year-old woman whose body was stored in a deep-freezer before being dismembered and burned in a fireplace - according to the police. Bielefeld Chief of Homicide Division, Ralf Oestermann told reporters "We are looking for more victims" that survived, AFP reports. Two policemen with a dog arriving at the house in Hoexter, northwestern Germany (Getty Images) Mr Oestermann said Angelika B had admitted to at least one killing while Wilfred W has denied any guilt. The pair married in 1999, filing for divorce in 2013 - the same year Wilfred W married the 33-year-old woman who later died, Oestermann added. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Who can blame a homeless man for stealing a small amount of food from a grocery store? Certainly, it seems, not Italy's Supreme Court. Five years ago, Ukrainian national Roman Ostriakov was homeless in Genoa when he was caught stealing cheese and sausage worth less than $5. He was fined 100 (80) and sentenced to six months in jail in 2015, a sentence that he appealed. On Monday, the Italian Supreme Court ruled in his favor. "The condition of the accused and the circumstances in which he obtained the merchandise show that he had taken the little amount of food he needed to overcome his immediate and essential requirement for nourishment," it ruled. "People should not be punished if, forced by need, they steal small quantities of food in order to meet the basic requirement of feeding themselves." The Italian newspaper La Stampa praised the verdict in a front-page editorial. "The courts decision reminds us all that in a civilised country no one should be allowed to die of hunger," it read. Another Italian newspaper, Corriere Della Sera, noted in an opinion piece that statistics show the ranks of Italy's poor grow by 615 people daily and that it was "unthinkable that the law should not take note of reality". The piece also took issue with how long the judicial system took to arrive at its final decision. The ruling is "right and pertinent," Italiaglobale.it wrote. The decision is rooted in a concept that "informed the Western world for centuries it is called humanity," it wrote, according to a BBC translation. Ostriakov's appeal was based on different reasoning than that employed by the court. His lawyers argued that his sentence should only be reduced from theft to attempted theft because he was caught before he exited the store. Copyright: Washington Post Sign up to our free fortnightly newsletter from The Independent's Race Correspondent Nadine White Sign up to our free fortnightly newsletter The Race Report Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the The Race Report email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} A woman pictured facing down hundreds of neo-Nazis has spoken of the anger that prompted her defiant gesture. The image of anti-racism activist Tess Asplund stood with her fist raised while staring directly into the eyes of one of the three white male leaders among 200 far-right extremists in the Swedish city of Borlange has gone viral across Scandinavia, being shared by thousands. But the 42-year-old , who lives in Stockholm, has said a group which was "spreading hate" should not have been given a permit to demonstrate in the first place. "Of course they shouldn't be allowed to march in the first place. They are Nazis," she told The Independent. "They are spreading hate. They want a white area. If they got control of the country they would kick me out, kick my family out." The Nordic Resistance Movement, one of many Swedish neo-Nazi groups which has seen its popularity increase, was granted permission by local officials and police to demonstrate in the city, which is 130 miles north of Stockholm. The Social Democrat Party, the Left Party and non-profit organisation Dalarna Against Racism, which were also allowed to demonstrate, reportedly outnumbered the neo-Nazi group. 10 things immigration has done for Britain Show all 10 1 /10 10 things immigration has done for Britain 10 things immigration has done for Britain The Mini The 1959 classic, that is, perhaps our greatest piece of industrial design, a miracle of packaging and revolution in motoring. Its genius designer was Sir Alec Issigonis, who was an asylum seeker. His family, Greek, fled Smyrna when Turks invaded this borderland in around 1920, and he wound up studying engineering at Battersea Polytechnic. He went on to create that most English of motor cars, the Morris Minor, as well as the Austin-Morris 1100, all much loved products of his fertile imagination. Getty Images 10 things immigration has done for Britain Marks and Spencer Once upon a time there was no M&S in Britain, difficult as that may be to believe. We have one Michael Marks to thank for our most famous retailer, and he was a refugee from Belarus, arriving in England in about 1882, and soon after set off to flog stuff around Yorkshire. He eventually teamed with Thomas Spencer to create the vast business we know today. Getty Images 10 things immigration has done for Britain Thunderbirds And many other TV shows created, funded and otherwise produced by that largest of larger-than-life characters, Lew Grade (also a world class tap dancer). The man who dominated commercial television gave us memorable entertainment such as The Prisoner, the Saint and brought the Muppets to Britain (a sort of fuzzy felt wave of immigration), as well as puppet shows where you could see the strings. All this from a penniless Jew from Ukraine, born Lev Winogradsky, who escaped the pogroms in Ukraine with his family in the 1890s. His nephew Michael Grade has also done his bit for British television. Rex Features 10 things immigration has done for Britain The House of Windsor Or the House of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha until George V prudently rebranded the family during the First World War. Well, our royals are a pretty German bunch, as well as having various types of French and other alien blue blood coursing around their veins. Twas ever thus. There was William the Conqueror, Norman French, who certainly broke the immigration rules; William of Orange, a direct import from Holland; the Hanoverian King Georges, the first barely able to speak English; Queen Victoria, who married a German, Edward VII, who couldnt stay faithful to his wife, a Danish princess; George V wed another German princess; Edward VIII married an American (though she hardly visited England and prompted his emigration and exile); and the Queen is married to man born in Corfu. The embodiment of the British nation, to many, but one thinks of them as quite multicultural really. Getty Images 10 things immigration has done for Britain I Vow To Thee My Country Our most patriotic hymn was the product of a man named Gustav Holst (pictured), born in Cheltenham, but of varied Swedish, Latvian and German ancestry, who adapted part of his suite The Planets to put a particularly stirring and beautiful poem to music, just after the Great War. As the second verse has it, there's another country/I've heard of long ago/Most dear to them that love her/most great to them that know. Imagine if the Holst family had been kept out because the quota on musical European types had been reached. Creative Commons 10 things immigration has done for Britain Curry and Cobra Chicken Tikka Masala is, so they say, a dish which not only the most popular in Britain but specifically designed to cater for European tastes. For that we probably have to thank an Indian migrant, Sake Dean Mahomed, who came from Bengal to open the first recognisable Indian restaurant, the magnificently named Hindoostanee Coffee House. History does not record if a plate of poppadoms and accompanying selection of pickles and yoghurts were routinely placed on the table for new diners, but we do know that we had to wait until 1989 to taste the ideal lager for a curry - Cobra. That brew was brought to us by Karan (now Lord) Bilimoria, a Cambridge law graduate who hailed from Hyderabad. Getty Images 10 things immigration has done for Britain That big red swirly sculpture at the Olympic Park Or Orbit, to give it its proper name, the work of Anish Kapoor, who arrived in 1973 from India and had the artistic imagination to fill a power station. Getty Images 10 things immigration has done for Britain The Sun Love it or hate it, and many do both, this has been a symbol of much that is successful and a lot that is awful in British journalism since its inception in 1969. In its turn it spawned the Page 3 Girl and some nastily xenophobic headlines. All the stranger when you consider its creator was, of course, Rupert Murdoch, born 11 March 1931 in Melbourne, Australia. Getty Images 10 things immigration has done for Britain Marxism OK, Karl Marxs philosophy was not much of a gift to the world, but for a while it seemed like a good idea. Though we might not dare admit it, Marxism still has a few insights to offer to anyone wanting to understand the workings of capitalism, though too few to excuse everything that was done in its name. Born in Germany spent much time in the British museum and the British pub, buried Highgate Cemetery. Oddly, his ideas never really caught on in his adopted homeland. Getty Images 10 things immigration has done for Britain The NHS They came from many, many backgrounds, including Ireland, the Philippines, east Europe, the Indian subcontinent, and Africa, as they still do, but the contribution of the black nurses who came to the UK from the Caribbean to heal and care for is a debt of honour that must be recognised. It so sometimes forgotten that it was Enoch Powell, then Minister of Health (1960-62), who campaigned to recruit their skilled nurses to come and work over here. One abiding legacy we can thank Enoch for. Getty Images But Ms Asplund said she was still shocked by how many right-wing extremists were present and had stood in their path "without thinking" out of anger. "That's the scary thing, there were more than 100 of them and that's too much, that's scary," she said. "I did it because I was so p***** off. I was standing there and I looked at him, and he looked at me. Then the police came and asked me to step away, which is their job of course." The raised fist salute has historically been used as a gesture of solidarity with oppressed peoples and defiance at their opressors, and became a symbol of the Black Power movement that began during the 1960s in the US. Russia warns against rise of far-right in Europe Members of the Nordic Resistance Movement, which is a registered political party, were marching with green flags that show an arrow pointing upwards. Their website says they aim to establish a Nordic national socialist government in a fight that may require "bloodshed". Stefan Dangardt, a Borlange police spokesperson, has defended the decision to allow the Nordic Resistance Movement to demonstrate. "There is a constitutional law in Sweden to freely express opinions and have meetings," he told Radio Sweden. Groups promoting anti-immigration and far-right ideologies have been on the rise in the traditionally liberal Scandinavian country, with rallies and PR activity for neo-nazi group doubling over three years, according to Reuters. The Sweden Democrats, a social conservative party in the Swedish Parliament, won a 14 per cent share of the seats in the last election with an anti-immigration rhetoric that has seen its popularity grow since the early 2000s. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} The suspected abuse by Israeli soldiers of three Palestinian boys who crossed the separation barrier from Gaza into Israel during clashes along the border is being investigated by Israeli military police, according to Haaretz. Claims the three boys were violently mistreated by Israel Defence Force (IDF) soldiers during their arrest are being looked into by the Military Polices investigation department. The boys testimony, told to a researcher for the Israeli Information Centre for Human Rights, includes allegations of being beaten, kept handcuffed for hours and deprived of sleep. The boys also alleged they had soft drink poured on their bodies and cigarettes extinguished on them. A report seen by Haaretz said all three boys had a severely traumatic experience while in IDF custody. A Palestinian boy stands behind a wall in Gaza City damaged during the 50-day war between Israel and Hamas-led militants in the summer of 2014 (Getty) (A Palestinian boy stands behind a wall damaged during the 50-day war between Israel and Hamas-led militants in the summer of 2014, on April 30, 2016, in Gaza City.) Clashes broke out along the border fence surrounding Gaza on 10 October, near the al-Bureij refugee camp, when Gaza Strip residents arrived at the fence and burned tires, with some throwing stones. At least two were killed during the altercations, and at one point a group of young men breached the iron gate in the border fence into Israeli territory, including the three Palestinian minors. The boys were found by IDF search dogs and taken to an Israeli army base where the alleged abuse took place. One of the boys, 16-year-old Abed, told Haaretz: "It was in the evening, and a short time later we felt that the soldiers had surrounded us and sent dogs that attacked us among the bushes." Abed says he was handcuffed and blindfolded along with two of his friends. "Here began a nightmare that lasted for three days. They stripped us, cursed and beat us all over our bodies whether by kicking or with the rifle butt. At night we fell asleep half naked on the floor, without any blankets or covering, he said. His friend Mohammed told Haaretz the soldiers extinguished cigarettes on them, and described being beaten, cursed at and forced to drink an alcoholic drink. All three boys reportedly had no prior criminal record. A probation officer reported two boys received a six-month sentence and the other a four-month sentence. All were released to the Gaza Strip in the past two months. An IDF spokesman confirmed to Haaretz that: After the arrest of the Palestinans, there were various complaints regarding the conduct towards them. When the IDF received the complaints an investigation was opened. The findings were recently sent to be examined by the MAG. Last month, an Israeli soldier was charged with manslaughter for shooting a Palestinian man in the head at close range in Hebron. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} The Syrian Army says it will implement a "regime of calm" in the northern Syrian city of Aleppo. The ceasefire is scheduled to begin on Thursday morning and last 48 hours. Earlier, US officials said the US and Russia had persuaded Syria's government and moderate rebels to extend a fragile truce to the country's biggest city. In pictures: Aleppo bombing Show all 14 1 /14 In pictures: Aleppo bombing In pictures: Aleppo bombing Bombing in Aleppo Smoke rises after airstrikes on the rebel-held al-Sakhour neighborhood of Aleppo, Syria April 29, 2016. Reuters In pictures: Aleppo bombing Bombing in Aleppo A Syrian family runs for cover amid the rubble of destroyed buildings following a reported air strike on the rebel-held neighbourhood of Al-Qatarji in the northern Syrian city of Aleppo, on April 29, 2016. AFP/Getty Images In pictures: Aleppo bombing Bombing in Aleppo A man reacts as he stands on blood stains at a site hit by airstrikes in the rebel held area of Aleppo's al-Fardous district, Syria, April 29, 2016. Reuters In pictures: Aleppo bombing Bombing in Aleppo The damage of the airstrikes in the rebel-held area of Aleppo on April 28 Reuters In pictures: Aleppo bombing Bombing in Aleppo The damaged the Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF)-backed al-Quds hospital after it was hit by airstrikes, in a rebel-held area of Syria's Aleppo Reuters In pictures: Aleppo bombing Bombing in Aleppo Syrians evacuate an injured man amid the rubble of destroyed buildings following an air strike on a rebel-held of Aleppo on April 29, 2016. AFP/Getty Images In pictures: Aleppo bombing Bombing in Aleppo People inspect the damage at a site hit by airstrikes, in the rebel-held area of Aleppo's Bustan al-Qasr AP In pictures: Aleppo bombing Bombing in Aleppo A man leads a woman in tears and child out of the scene after airstrikes hit Aleppo AP In pictures: Aleppo bombing Bombing in Aleppo Civil defence members search for survivors after an airstrike at a field hospital in the rebel held area of al-Sukari district of Aleppo Reuters In pictures: Aleppo bombing Bombing in Aleppo A Syrian boy is comforted as he cries next to the body of a relative who died in a reported air strike in the rebel-held neighbourhood of al-Soukour in the northern city of Aleppo Getty Images In pictures: Aleppo bombing Bombing in Aleppo A Syrian family walks amid the rubble of destroyed buildings following a reported air strike in the Bustan al-Qasr rebel-held district of the northern Syrian city of Aleppo Getty Images In pictures: Aleppo bombing Bombing in Aleppo Syrian civil defence volunteers and rescuers remove a baby from under the rubble of a destroyed building following a reported air strike on the rebel-held neighbourhood of al-Kalasa in the northern Syrian city of Aleppo Getty Images In pictures: Aleppo bombing Bombing in Aleppo Syrians help a wounded youth following an air strike on the Fardous rebel held neighbourhood of the northern Syrian city of Aleppo Getty Images In pictures: Aleppo bombing Bombing in Aleppo Syrian civil defence volunteers evacuate people from a damaged building following a reported airstrike in the rebel-held neighbourhood of Tareeq al-Bab in the northern city of Aleppo The Syrian government's bombing campaign in Aleppo over the last two weeks has been described as "the worst" among the five-year civil war, the UN political chief told an emergency meeting of the UN security Council. Jeffrey Feltman demanded the perpetrators be bought to justice at the International Criminal Court. He said the UN urges all parties "to abide by this immediately and comprehensively," noting "implementation has proven challenging even as it has led to an overall decrease in violence." Mr Feltman said Aleppo has been subject to "systematic destruction," including from opposition shelling of government-controlled neighborhoods. He also said the violence and killing must stop. Deadly attack hits hospital in Syria's Aleppo Germany's foreign minister welcomed the US-Russian agreement. Frank-Walter Steinmeier called for President Bashar al-Assad's government and all armed groups to respect the cease-fire in full and give the people of Aleppo "a respite from war and violence." Mr Steinmeier said in a statement that "if the cease-fire is kept to, that will be far more than a major relief for people in Aleppo." He said it would be an "important basis" for resuming peace talks in Geneva. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} The United Arab Emirates is planning to build a man-made mountain to increase rainfall. The desert nation is hoping the major project will recreate the effect of mountain ranges and force air to rise, creating clouds that will allow cloud-seeding. Cloud-seeding is a type of weather modification which aims to alter the amount and type of precipitation produced by clouds. Scientists from National Centre for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) run by the US-based University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR) are currently in the "detailed modelling study" phase. They are deciding on the most effective locations in the Emirate states to build it, while also pondering how wide and tall it should be. Roelof Bruintjes, an expert in weather modification programs from NCAR, told Arabian Business: "Building a mountain is not a simple thing. We are still busy finalising assimilation, so we are doing a spread of all kinds of heights, widths and locations [as we simultaneously] look at the local climatology. "If [the project] is too expensive for [the government], logically the project wont go through, but this gives them an idea of what kind of alternatives there are for the long-term future. "If it goes through, the second phase would be to go to an engineering company and decide whether it is possible or not." Does the sun still shine on Dubai? Show all 4 1 /4 Does the sun still shine on Dubai? Does the sun still shine on Dubai? 272044.bin Does the sun still shine on Dubai? 271655.bin Reuters Does the sun still shine on Dubai? 271654.bin AFP/Getty Images Does the sun still shine on Dubai? 271656.bin Reuters If successful, these man-made clouds will allow planes to deposit chemicals such as silver iodine, which will increase rainfall. The UAE already has a permanent weather modification department which spent $385,400 on cloud-seeding last year alone. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Saudi Arabia has decreed that women now have the right to own a copy of their marriage certificates. The decision, which was introduced by the Minister of Justice Waleed Al Samaani on Monday, aims to protect womens rights. Prior to the new legislation, only men were allowed to have a copy of the certificate. Now it is compulsory that a married womans guardian in Saudi Arabia gives her the certificate so she is aware of her rights and the conditions of the marriage. Last month, Saudi Arabia announced its plans on how to decrease its reliance on crude exports in its Saudi Vision 2030 plan. One of the reforms introduced is increasing the participating of Saudi women in the workforce, from 22% to 30% by the end of year 2030. The new vision, revealed by Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, also seeks to improve the education and training of Saudi citizens, both men and women, by equipping them with the skills needed to prepare them for the new opportunities to be provided. Recommended Read more Saudi women are registering to vote in elections across the country Saudi women were given the right to vote in 2011 by late King Abdulla Bin AbdulAziz Al Saud and run as candidates in municipal election in 2015. It is still illegal for women to drive or travel abroad without being accompanied by a male relative. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Continental Europes universities have presented a mixed picture in this years Times Higher Education (THE) World Reputation Rankings, largely down to the success of institutions from across Asia. Recommended Read more League tables reveal universities with the best graduate prospects While four of Germanys six institutions have dropped down the complete 100 list of the worlds most reputable universities, this year is the first time there are six German institutions within the top 90. This marks a generally positive trend, said THE, since four German universities appeared in the first set of reputation rankings in 2011. Top 10 reputable universities in mainland Europe: (with accompanying world ranking) ETH Zurich (Switzerland - 19) Lomonosov Moscow State University (Russia - =30) LMU Munich (Germany - =40) Ecole Polytechnique (Switzerland - 48) Delft University of Technology (Netherlands - 51-60) Heidelberg University (Germany - 51-60) Humboldt University of Berlin (Germany - 51-60) Karolinska Institute (Sweden - 51-60) Technical University of Munich (51-60) University of Amsterdam (Netherlands 61-70) With the UK having lost two institutions - Bristol and Durham - the Netherlands has also dropped back, with four of its five losing their positions in the list. Denmark and Finland, meanwhile, no longer make the top 100 at all, despite having one university each in last years rankings. However, Sweden has two universities in the top 100 for the first time since 2013, up from a single representative last year. Student news in pictures Show all 34 1 /34 Student news in pictures Student news in pictures South Korean policemen detain a student demonstrator during a protest against South Korean President Park Geun-Hye EPA Student news in pictures South Korean policemen detain student protestors during a protest against South Korean President Park Geun-Hye outside the National Assembly in Seoul, South Korea. The protesters demanded that the parliament takes steps to impeach President Park Geun-Hye EPA Student news in pictures Filipino demonstrators face off with anti-riot police during a protest near the US Embassy in Manila, Philippine EPA Student news in pictures Hundreds of protesters including Indigenous People, students and militant groups marched towards the US Embassy to protest against the presence of US military troops and condemning the violent dispersal which left at least forty people hurt including twenty police officers and three people who were run over by a police van EPA Student news in pictures A federal judge in Mexico has ordered that a once-fugitive police chief be held on charges of kidnapping in the disappearance of 43 students Student news in pictures A man holds up a photograph of a missing student with a caption reading 'We are missing 43,' during a meeting marking the 25-month anniversary of the disappearances of 43 students in the southern state of Guerrero, in Mexico City. A federal judge in Mexico has ordered that a once-fugitive police chief be held on charges of kidnapping in the disappearance of 43 students AP Student news in pictures Miguel Perez, an intern student from the University of Puerto Rico School of Medicine, puts away his cell phone before walking into the operating room at the Dr. Isaac Gonzalez MartInez Oncological Hospital in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Once they complete their general surgery training, many residents are moving to the United States in search of better wages, one of the main factors linked to the current shortage of specialists in the Island Student news in pictures Fewer EU students have applied to start university courses in the UK next autumn. There was a 9% fall in the numbers who had applied for courses, according to admissions service UCAS. PA wire Student news in pictures University students protest against President Nicolas Maduro, in Caracas, Venezuela. Masses of protesters jammed the streets of Venezuela's capital on the heels of a move by congress to open a political trial against Maduro, whose allies have blocked moves for a recall election AP Student news in pictures University students protest against President Nicolas Maduro, in Caracas, Venezuela AP Student news in pictures Thousands, most of them high school students, march during a demonstration in Madrid, Spain, on a one day strike to protest about the country's education law that increases the number of annual exams AP Student news in pictures Students gather on the west mall to confront the Young Conservatives of Texas student organization over a controversial bake sale on The University of Texas campus in Austin, Texas. The Young Conservatives of Texas chapter at the University of Texas-Austin sparked the protest with an affirmative action bake sale. The club encouraged students to buy a cookie and talk about the disastrous policy that is affirmative action Student news in pictures Donald Parish Jr, right, confronts Electrical and Computer Engineering senior Dewayne Perry over a controversial bake sale on The University of Texas campus in Austin, Texas. The Young Conservatives of Texas chapter at the University of Texas-Austin sparked the protest with an affirmative action bake sale. The club encouraged students to buy a cookie and talk about the disastrous policy that is affirmative action AP Student news in pictures Brigham Young University announced that students who report sexual assault will no longer be investigated for possible violations of the Mormon-owned school's strict honor code that bans such things as alcohol use AP Student news in pictures Students of secondary education march to protest against the final examinations and LOMCE (The Improvement Quality Education Law) law, after a call by trade unions, in Murcia, Spain EPA Student news in pictures South African police have used stun grenades and rubber bullets to disperse hundreds of protesters who had marched to the parliament building to call for free university education, where the finance minister was giving a budget speech AP Student news in pictures Police break up student protests outside the parliament in Cape Town, South Africa Reuters Student news in pictures South African Policemen fire rubber bullets at student protestors in Cape Town, South Africa AP Student news in pictures A student protestor is hit by a rubber bullet in Cape Town, South Africa AP Student news in pictures An injured student is helped by colleagues during protest outside the parliament during South African Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan's medium term budget speech in Cape Town, South Africa Reuters Student news in pictures Plaintiffs and bereaved families of elementary school students killed in the tsunami that followed a major earthquake in northeastern Japan in 2011, show banners that say 'victory in a suit filed with the Sendai District Court' in Sendai. A Japanese court ordered municipalities to pay $13.7 million dollars to families of school children who were swept away to their deaths by the 2011 tsunami Getty Student news in pictures A group of student at Ewha Womans University calls for a thorough investigation into those involved in years of engagement with state affairs backstage by Choi Soon-sil, a personal confidante of South Korean President Park Geun-hye, at the school's front gate in Seoul, South Korea EPA Student news in pictures Students raise placards during a strike action called by the student union, in Madrid against university entry exams Getty Student news in pictures Libyans throw a newly graduated student into a fountain as they celebrate during the graduation ceremony for students from the Faculty of Pharmacy at the Al-Arab University in the eastern Libyan city of Benghazi Getty Student news in pictures Libyans celebrate as they attend the graduation ceremony for students from the Faculty of Pharmacy at the Al-Arab University in the eastern Libyan city of Benghazi Getty Student news in pictures Libyans celebrate as they attend the graduation ceremony for students from the Faculty of Pharmacy at the Al-Arab University in the eastern Libyan city of Benghazi Getty Student news in pictures Thousands of Thai Catholic students take part in mourning tributes and in singing the Thai Royal Anthem to honour late Thai King Bhumibol Adulyadej at Saint Dominic School in Bangkok, Thailand EPA Student news in pictures Students of Silpakorn University paint portraits of the late Thai King Bhumibol Adulyadej at the university campus in Bangkok Getty Student news in pictures A student of Silpakorn University paints a portrait of the late Thai King Bhumibol Adulyadej at the university campus in Bangkok Getty Student news in pictures St Andrews University students take part in a foam fight known as Raisin Monday in the Lower College Lawn behind St Salvator's Quadrangle following the Raisin Weekend PA wire Student news in pictures St Andrews University students take part in a foam fight known as Raisin Monday in the Lower College Lawn behind St Salvator's Quadrangle following the Raisin Weekend, an annual tradition where student 'parents' inflict tasks on the unfortunate first-years they have adopted as 'children' as part of a mentoring scheme PA wire Student news in pictures Students at the Cuba's National Ballet School (ENB) in Havana, Cuba Reuters Student news in pictures Students at the Cuba's National Ballet School (ENB) take part in a practice in Havana, Cuba Reuters Student news in pictures Students at the Cuba's National Ballet School (ENB) wait in line to enter a classroom in Havana, Cuba Reuters France has also seen a strong performance with five of the nations institutions making the top 100 this year, and Insead in Fontainebleau making its first appearance. In many cases, THE said European universities achieved similar or higher scores than last year, but failed to improve as rapidly as those across Asia. Where last year, ten Asian universities made the top 100, this year, 18 have made the cut. Editor of the rankings, Phil Baty, described how the rise of Asia has become something of a cliche in recent times. The 20 hardest universities to get into However, he said THEs evidence - from six large global surveys over six years, including the views of more than 80,000 scholars - proves that the balance of power in higher education and research is slowly shifting from the West to the East. Mr Baty also described how reputation is the global currency of higher education, and said: It may be subjective, it may not always be fair, but it matters deeply. Making reference to the top six universities in the complete 100 list - which consist of four US and two UK institutions - Mr Baty said: The clear lesson is that we have a firmly entrenched elite group of global university superbrands. Click here to see the complete 100 list Sign up to Simon Calders free travel email for weekly expert advice and money-saving discounts Get Simon Calders Travel email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Simon Calders Travel email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Travel essentials Why go now? The Peruvian capital just got a lot easier to reach thanks to direct British Airways (0344 493 0787; ba.com) flights from Gatwick, which launched today the first since 1982. It will surely be an enticing prospect for the legions of travellers that dream of visiting this mystical land, home to ancient civilisations, crumbling citadels and the worlds most famous trek. But dont head off on the Inca Trail bound for Machu Picchu too hastily Lima is a city that surprises and delights. Furthermore, at this time of year, it hosts some of its most interesting religious and cultural events, including the Festival of the Crosses and the feasts of Saints Peter and Paul, on 29 June. Touch down Flights arrive at Jorge Chavez International Airport (1), located in the Callao district around 12km west of the city centre. The new BA service is scheduled to land at 8.25pm, when, in theory, the traffic choking Limas notoriously congested streets should be starting to ease. Indirect flights are offered by Air Europa (0871 423 0717; aireuropa.com) from Gatwick via Madrid, Iberia (0870 609 0500; iberia.com) from Gatwick and Heathrow via Madrid, Air France/KLM (0871 231 0000; klm.com) from a range of UK airports via Paris or Amsterdam and American Airlines (0844 499 7300; americanairlines.co.uk) from Heathrow via Miami. From the airport, make life easier for yourself by avoiding the complicated public transport system and taking a taxi. A ride to Miraflores District will cost 60 Peruvian sols (S60) and take at least one hour while the Centro Historico district is slightly cheaper at S50 but no speedier. I travelled to Lima with Journey Latin America (020 3393 7286; journeylatinamerica.co.uk), which offers tailored trips throughout Peru. The Barranco neighbourhood (Shutterstock) Get your bearings On first impressions, Lima is not the prettiest of cities. Home to flyovers, skyscrapers and 8 million people, its blanketed under an almost perpetually grey sky between April and October a fog known locally as garua but theres colour beneath the gloom, with colonial squares, busy fishing communities and lively nightlife to discover. Founded by Francisco Pizarro in 1535, it went onto become one of the most important cities in the Spanish Empire. Today, it is South Americas only coastal capital. Its heart remains the atmospheric Centro Historico, while the coastal and bohemian neighbourhoods of Miraflores and Barranco offer a flavour of Limas contemporary flair. The main tourist information office (2) is at Pasaje Santa Rosa 145 (peru.travel; 8.30am-5.30pm daily). Check in Plush rooms, a heavenly spa and sea views await at the Belmond Miraflores Park (3) on Avenida Malecon de la Reserva (00 51 1 610 4000; belmond.com), one of the most luxurious hotels in the city. Doubles start at US$418 room only. Hotel B (4) at Saenz Pena 204 (00 51 1 206 0800; hotelb.pe) may well be Limas most chic property, located in an early 20th-century Belle Epoque mansion in Barranco and filled with bold art. Doubles start at US$343, including breakfast. Situated in the heart of Miraflores is Hostal El Patio (5) at Calle Ernesto Diez Canseco 341 (00 51 2 444 2107; hostalelpatio.net) with just 23 rooms and a charming terrace. Doubles from US$55, including breakfast. Day one Take a view From up high in the historic heart of the city, downtown Lima is all cobbled streets, church spires, pretty squares and canary yellow colonial buildings and a pleasing contrast to its other less scenic parts. A good vantage point is the belltower in the Church and Monastery of Santo Domingo (6) at Jiron Camana 170 (00 51 1 426 5521; 9am-1pm; free). Take a hike From Santo Domingo church (6), wander south-east towards Plaza de Armas (also known as Plaza Mayor) (7), the grand birthplace of the city. Spanish explorer Francisco Pizarro laid the foundations of Lima here upon a site previously occupied by an indigenous tribe. Today its home to some of the citys boldest architecture, most notably the baroque stone cathedral (8) (00 51 1 427 9647; S15) which stands on the squares eastern side and is renowned for its gold-plated altar. The cathedral From Plaza de Armas (7), stroll east along Jiron Junin, turning left on Jiron Lampa heading towards the narrow Rimac River and pretty Parque la Muralla (9) (9am-6pm daily). Step inside to see the bronze statue of Pizarro and the excavated ruins of the old city walls. From there, its a stones throw to the mighty monastery of San Francisco (10) (00 51 1 426 7377; 9.30am-5.30pm daily; S15). Once inside, look out for the wooden staircase that dates back to 1625 and the spooky catacombs, formerly part of Limas first cemeteries. Its believed more than 75,000 bodies were buried here. Lunch on the run El Cordano (11) at Ancash 202 (00 51 1 427 0181; restaurantecordano.com, 8am-8pm daily) is a cosy spot with a brown and white tiled floor and old photos of past customers, all suited and booted, framed lopsidedly on the walls. It opened in 1905 and has long been popular with Peruvian presidents. Try the parihuela, a fish stew with boiled yucca and red onions (S28). Window shopping Theres no shortage of opportunities to pick up souvenirs and handicrafts in Lima. Choices range from Inca carvings to garments of the softest alpaca wool. Two recommended spots are the arcades around Santo Domingo church (6) or from the Mercado Indio market (12) on Avenida Petit Thouars (10am-8pm daily). Some shops are closed on Sunday. An aperitif Its widely agreed that the old-fashioned El Bolivarcito bar inside the Gran Hotel Bolivar (13) at Jiron de la Union 958 (00 51 1 427 2788; elbolivarcitoperu.com; 7am-9pm daily) is the place to go for the citys best pisco sour (S25) It was certainly among the first to serve it. This much loved drink a sharp tipple of pisco (the national spirit), bitters and citrus juice - was rumoured to have been invented here by a barman in the early 20th century. The place is now dubbed the Cathedral of the pisco sour. Judge for yourself. Dine with the locals Feast on Amazonian delicacies at Amaz Restaurant (14) at Avenida La Paz 1079 (00 51 1 221 9393; amaz.com.pe; 12.30pm-11.30pm Monday-Saturday to 4.30pm Sunday). The menu features yucca empanadas and churros pishpirones giant Amazonian snails stewed with chorizo and chilli. The jungle-themed interior, including bar stalls carved from fallen trunks from the worlds largest rainforest, completes the experience. Mains from S60. Fine dining Perroquet (15), part of the Country Club Hotel at Los Eucaliptos 50 (00 51 1 611 9007; hotelcountry.com; 6.30am-11.30pm daily), is regarded as one of the best restaurants in South America. Highlights of the menu include zesty sea bass with mashed corn. Mains from S70. Day two Sunday morning: go to church By now, having explored the Centro Historico neighbourhood, youll have already seen the cathedral (8) on Plaza de Armas, so head instead to arty Barranco, famed for its pretty central square with colourful flowerbeds and colonial buildings. La Iglesia Ermita (16) - located beside the wooden and well-known Bridge of Sighs footbridge built over a ravine in 1876 - was originally a small chapel used by local fishermen but was rebuilt after being burnt to the ground during the Chilean invasion in 1881. Its closed to the public but its handsome mustard-coloured facade and twin belltowers are worth admiring from outside. Out to brunch Across the road from Parque Municipal, Barrancos charming central square, and housed in a train wagon one of the first to come to Peru from Europe in 1909 is Cafe Expreso Virgen de Guadalupe (17) at Avenida San Martin 16 (00 51 1 252 8907; 9am-2am daily). Secure a small marble table in the charming interior, with stained glass windows, and order an omelette with cheese and mushrooms (S16) and a cup of coca tea (S7) or, perhaps, a Machu Picchu cocktail of orange juice, grenadine and, of course, pisco (S21). Mario Testino's Mate gallery Cultural afternoon See another side to Perus most celebrated contemporary photographer, Mario Testino, at Mate (18) at Avenida Pedro de Osma 409 (00 51 1 251 7755; mate.pe; 10am-7pm, closed Monday; S10), the museum dedicated to his work including portraits of stars such as Kate Moss, Princess Diana and the Rolling Stones. The Alta Moda collection focuses on Peruvians local to the Andes around Cusco in festive costume. Alternatively go back in time, to the pre-Columbian days at Museo Larco (19) at Avenida Bolivar 1515 (00 51 1 461 1312; museolarco.org; 9am-10pm daily; S30). Housed in a grand, former mansion and charting 5,000 years of history, its exhibits include erotic art and ancient archaeological finds as well as jewellery and textiles. Dont miss the Sacrifice Ceremony room detailing the unsavoury custom of spilling blood to appease the Gods in centuries gone by. A walk in the park Limenos (locals from Lima) have been fond of Parque de la Reserva (20) located between Avenida Arquipa and Paseo de la Republica (00 51 1 331 0353; parquedelareserva.com.pe; Tuesday-Sunday, 3pm-10.30pm; S4) since it opened in 1929. These days its more popular for the synchronised light show that takes place in the 13 fountains that dance to Peruvian music each night at 7.15pm, 8.15pm and 9.30pm. It remains a pleasant spot to stroll outside of these times, its eight hectares filled with large lawns and palm trees. Ceviche (Shutterstock) Icing on the cake The best ceviche in town? Opinions vary but the busy stands within Mercado Central (21) on Jiron Ucayali (8am-6.30pm daily) are testament to the quality of the food. Choose from the freshest grouper, tuna and tilapia drizzled copiously with zingy limes (S15) and washed down with a papaya juice (S6). The conversion rate at the time of publishing was 21 Peruvian sols / 1 and US$1.4/1 Sign up to Simon Calders free travel email for weekly expert advice and money-saving discounts Get Simon Calders Travel email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Simon Calders Travel email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Q My wife, who is 76 years old and has arthritic ankles, walks with a stick. At Milan Bergamo airport, she had her walking stick confiscated by security. They removed the rubber cushion at the end of the stick, and found a short spike with threads to hold the cushion on. That was deemed a hazard that would not be allowed on a Ryanair aircraft. When we had flown to Italy eight days earlier, it had not caused a problem. Mary was very distressed with the situation, especially with trying to get onto the bus to the aircraft, climbing the stairs and the very long walks through the terminal. We would not like other people to go through this type of embarrassment and discomfort. Should we inform the airport, the airline and our travel company? George Dean, Somerset A Sorry to hear about your wifes upsetting experience. The present regime of aviation security is fixated on detecting specific items that are perceived as dangerous. That makes such incidents as your wife endured depressingly frequent without, in my opinion, doing much at all to keep travellers safe. So why does the box-ticking exercise vary from one security checkpoint to another? Simply because different members of security staff interpret the rules in different ways. I have had an innocuous puncture repair outfit - containing nothing remotely sharp - confiscated at the security checkpoint La Guardia airport in New York. My mother-in-law had a run-in with security staff at Lyon airport because of some soft cheese in her hand luggage (though in subsequent discussions I was assured that all fromage of whatever consistency is regarded as a potential threat in France). And of course every day the cabin baggage of countless airline pilots is searched fastidiously for items regarded as dangerous. This check takes place a few minutes before they take responsibility for hundreds of lives, in command of an aircraft - aboard which one of the emergency tools of their trade is an axe. Conversely, shortly after the liquids ban came into effect worldwide, I inadvertently tried to take a bottle of wine through a checkpoint at a Spanish airport;. I had forgotten it was in my backpack. When the official spotted the bottle on his X-ray screen I said, Its all yours, senor. But he waved me and the wine through - a gesture that I fully support. He assessed whether the bottle and I posed a hazard and concluded we did not. Perhaps one day aviation security will embrace a holistic approach, with passengers demeanour and behaviour scrutinised as closely as their possessions. That would allow most travellers to enjoy a more dignified travel experience, But until that happens, I fear that the innocuous possessions of frail passengers will continue to regarded by zealous security staff as threats to the world as we know it. And I also fear that if you take the trouble to report your experience, the response will simply be, rules is rules. Every day, our travel correspondent Simon Calder tackles readers questions. Just email yours to: s@hols.tv or tweet @simoncalder Sign up to Simon Calders free travel email for weekly expert advice and money-saving discounts Get Simon Calders Travel email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Simon Calders Travel email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Heathrow has been a hub for aviation enthusiasts for nearly seven decades, and it is celebrating its 70th anniversary of the official opening on 28 May 2016. Before 1930, Heathrow was a hamlet an isolated row of cottages on Hounslow Heath called Heath Row, approximately where Terminal 3 is now. In pictures: 70 years of Heathrow Show all 22 1 /22 In pictures: 70 years of Heathrow In pictures: 70 years of Heathrow Inside one of the terminal tents in 1946 The year the airport opened. Comfortable armchairs and flowers try to distract from the conditions Graham Bridges collection In pictures: 70 years of Heathrow An aerial view of the airport in 1949 Construction of the runway layout and Central Area are under way In pictures: 70 years of Heathrow A Pan Am crew checks out the Boeing Stratocruiser N1029V Clipper Golden Eagle in 1954 During the early 1950s, Pan Am and American Overseas Airlines operated Statocruisers into London Airport in direct competition on the North Atlantic route operated by BOAC In pictures: 70 years of Heathrow One of the first official London Airport guidebooks C.1953, priced 1s In pictures: 70 years of Heathrow In 1950 a permanent concrete terminal building was built This replaced the tents previously used at London Airport North and is seen still in use for charter and cargo flights in this 1959 view via Graham Bridges In pictures: 70 years of Heathrow BOAC check-in desk in 1954 Inside the new London Airport North terminal building, just before the move to the Central Area Graham Bridges collection In pictures: 70 years of Heathrow Air traffic control tower in the 1960s Inside the visual control room CAA Archives via Pete Bish In pictures: 70 years of Heathrow Rear cover of the 1956 guidebook Showing a plan of the airport at the time, with entrance prices to the spectators viewing terraces and for airport coach tours In pictures: 70 years of Heathrow Spectators in 1958 How close can you get? As soon as the Central Area was open, spectators were afforded unprecedented views of the airliners In pictures: 70 years of Heathrow Terminal 3 was opened as the Oceanic Terminal on 13 November 1961 It was built to handle flight departures for long-haul routes. Renamed Terminal 3 in 1968, it was expanded in 1970 with the addition of an arrivals building In pictures: 70 years of Heathrow Inside Terminal 3 in 1969 Check-in desks for BOAC and QANTAS airlines In pictures: 70 years of Heathrow Plane spotting on Heathrows viewing terraces in the 1960s Wrap up warm, take your spotting logbooks, pen and binoculars and get your mum to pack your sandwiches In pictures: 70 years of Heathrow No 1 Passenger Building Also called the Europa Building. In this photo, taken on 22 June 1963, flags of the many airlines it serves are flown Lee Holden In pictures: 70 years of Heathrow Luggage-trailer-towing Routemaster buses When BEA and BOAC merged to form BA on 1 April 1974, both fleets had to be repainted in the new livery, but so did all the ground support equipment In pictures: 70 years of Heathrow The entrance to the traffic tunnel in 1974 A Lufthansa Boeing 737 is seen on the runway In pictures: 70 years of Heathrow A 40 per cent scale model of Concorde In September 1990 it was erected on the roundabout at the entrance to the tunnel that passes under the northern runway at Heathrow Airport. It was built in four main parts, with an 80ft-long central fuselage section, to which the wings and tail fin were attached. The completed model was placed on the roundabout in September 1990 and was monitored by CCTV and surrounded by an infrared perimeter alarm that was connected to the local Heathrow police station to ensure it was not vandalised In pictures: 70 years of Heathrow Heathrow Airport's 50th anniversary On 2 June 1996, Heathrow marked its anniversary with a flypast of representative airliner types that have served the airport over the years. This culminated in a formation flypast by Concorde with Hawks of the RAF Red Arrows aerobatic team In pictures: 70 years of Heathrow The roof of Terminal 3s car park One of the last bastions for plane spotters and spectators was here. This is the unfriendly notice that greets anyone who attempts this today Richard Vandervord In pictures: 70 years of Heathrow On 24 October 2003 BA withdrew its Concordes from service The final scheduled commercial flight was BA002 from JFK operated by G-BOAG. Here we see three of the Concordes parked together outside the BA hangar on 8 November 2003 following withdrawal John Hughes In pictures: 70 years of Heathrow The new control tower Costing 50 million to construct, it gives controllers an excellent 360-degree panoramic view NATS photograph In pictures: 70 years of Heathrow The new Terminal 2 The Queens Terminal In pictures: 70 years of Heathrow Looking due west down Runway 27L The history of Heathrow as an airfield can be traced back to 1929 and the Fairey Aviation Companys Great West Aerodrome. On a grass site, experimental and test flying was carried out during the 1930s, while Croydon was Londons main airport at the time. During the Battle of Britain, Heathrow became a satellite airfield for Northolt and operated Hurricane fighters. In the following years, RAF Transport Command and the Air Ministry started looking for sites close to London suitable for long-range transport operations. It was decided to establish Heathrow as Londons primary airport and expansion work continued. The work enlarged the pre-war airfield, demolishing Heath Row hamlet in the process to make room for it. The RAF never got to use the airport. Heathrow Airport was officially opened by the then minister of Civil Aviation, Lord Winster, on a very wet Thursday 31 May 1946 as "London Airport", with just the single runway. Heathrow in Photographs - Celebrating 70 Years of London's Airport, by Adrian M Balch, is published by The History Press (25, thehistorypress.co.uk). Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the View from Westminster email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} From the publication of the Panama Papers to the collapse of the Doha oil negotiations, recent news has not shown the political elites of post-Soviet countries in a positive light. Russia, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan nations that relied on natural resources for several decades are now looking vulnerable thanks to a lack of transparency in their economies and a worsening of financial conditions. In 2016, Russias economy will contract by 1.9 per cent, according to the World Bank, while Kazakhstan and Azerbaijans will barely grow (by 0.1 and 0.8 per cent). Budget deficits are on the rise. Local currencies fall as citizens prepare for a prolonged depression. Whats interesting is the different ways in which elites, at least in Russia and Kazakhstan, have reacted to the crisis. In Russia, the government seems not to care about the national economy at all. The so-called anti-crisis program, comprised of several random measures, is valued at a feeble 0.2 per cent of GDP. At the same time, the government raised military outlays to 19.8 per cent of overall budget spending while the Interior Ministry got another 8.2 per cent (both figures are at post-Soviet highs). Moreover, Mr Putin announced the creation of a new paramilitary service, the National Guard, directly answerable to the President. Fearing unrest, the government is putting in place measures to shut down a protest movement should one arise. Secondly, Russia continues to reinforce the states grip over the economy, extending its countersanctions, and questioning foreigners participation in a new wave of privatisation deals planned for this year. Russias imports are falling dramatically, decreasing from $27.4bn in June 2014 to $9.7bn in January 2016. The government, it seems, is preparing for a long defence against the whole world, economically as well as militarily. Only tax rises can fund this struggle. Thirdly, and perhaps most importantly, Russias financial elite is now primarily concerned not with supporting business, but by joining the political class. Its no wonder, given the main means of personal enrichment is now state contracts and purchases. In 2015, more than 70 per cent of budget-financed infrastructural deals were granted to just three companies. More and more officials are accused of corruption and dismissed, some of them fleeing Russia only to be extradited later, like the former chief of the State Border Control service Dmitriy Bezdelov. Plundering the state budget and the countrys wealth remains the main source of the Russian political elites private enrichment. If, however, one looks at other post-Soviet states, considered by some to be equally corrupt and badly managed, a better approach seems to be taking hold. For example Kazakhstan not a country renowned for human rights has started to prioritise economics over politics. The budget now devotes more than 55 per cent of outlays to the development of the national economy, up from 39 per cent last year. The anti-crisis action plan is set to receive over twice the amount of state funding as the military, which was cut by 17 per cent in 2015. In 2016, one per cent of GDP (4.8 per cent of the budget spending) will go to the military, 4.2 times lower than in Russia. After the 2009 crisis, the Kazakh economy grew 1.2 per cent while Russias dipped by 7.9 per cent. Then, Kazakhstan responded to the crisis by attracting foreign capital with new projects focused on interstate cooperation. There was the modernisation of the port of Aktau on the Caspian shore, a huge infrastructure project, with new highways connecting the port to the Chinese border. The main Kazakh oil projects giant Tengiz and Kashagan fields were developed by European, U.S. and Japanese companies (with combined investments valued at $65bn). Chinese investment is also growing, already exceeding the countrys investments in Russia and outstripping Russian-owned assets in Kazakhstan by 11 times. Overall tax revenues in Kazakhstan (as a proportion of GDP) are 1.6 times lower than in Russia, and there is no intention to push them up due to the current crisis conditions. Meanwhile a new, interesting trend is emerging. Increasingly, senior Kazakh officials are quitting positions in government to start their own businesses, aiming not to pillage the states finances but to encourage foreign investment in the country. Bulat Utemuratov, a senior official in the presidents administration, recently launched a joint venture for investing in Kazakh banking and telecom sectors. Another former bureaucrat, former Secretary General of the ruling Nur Otan party, Kairat Satybaldy, left government to become chairman of Alatau Capital Invest, which teamed up with Baring Vostok to put money into several projects in the banking sector. The company also cooperated with China National Machinery, which has invested $200m in developing an automobile production facility in Kazakhstan. Satybaldy, together with other former government officials, is also engaged in establishing a global financial centre in Astana. The paths of post-Soviet states, it seems, are diverging. The main reason for this is the countries is history, and geopolitical clout. While Russia used its moment to secure its dominant position in Eurasia, neglecting its economic needs, Kazakhstan embarked on a more realistic course trying to integrate itself into the regional economy and even sacrificing some of its elites interests for the sake of nations peaceful rise. They will reap the rewards. Vladislav INOZEMTSEV, Ph.D. (Econ.) is Senior Fellow with the Atlantic Council in Washington (DC) and Professor at the Higher School of Economics in Moscow Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the View from Westminster email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Something has changed inside the Labour Party during the bitter row over antisemitism. A few weeks ago, if a group of Labour MPs with no love for Jeremy Corbyn were chatting, they would have discussed whether he would lead the party at the 2020 general election. Today the same group would discuss when Corbyn will be forced out before then. The tectonic plates have shifted, said one Labour frontbencher. The widespread view across the PLP [Parliamentary Labour Party] now is that he is not going to last the course. Corbyns delayed response to the allegations of antisemitism will not in itself provoke an attempted coup. What the controversy did was to crystallise a feeling among many Labour MPs fewer than 20 out of 232 voted for Corbyn last year that he is not up to the job and must go. It is wrong to say that the claims are being invented by his internal enemies to pave the way for a leadership contest. The person who did most to fan the flames was Ken Livingstone, a friend of Corbyn. The critics of Corbyns handling of the affair are not all embittered Blairites, as Livingstone argued, but included his closest ally John McDonnell, the shadow Chancellor. Triggering a leadership contest would require the backing of only 51 MPs and MEPs. Although the critics have the numbers, it is far from certain they will deploy them. The antisemitism row has made a challenge more likely, and given the rebels a cause. However, they know they have only one shot before 2020 and they are not even close to rallying behind a single plan or alternative candidate. There are eight different plots; we need one that will work, said one Shadow Cabinet member. Some Blairites believe their best bet is to endorse a soft left figure, probably one serving on Corbyns frontbench rather than a backbench refusenik, to boost the chances of the party uniting behind him or her. Angela Eagle, the shadow Business Secretary, is the most likely to fit that bill. Lisa Nandy, the shadow Energy Secretary, also has her admirers. So does Hilary Benn, the shadow Foreign Secretary, but he is reluctant to put himself forward for the top job, and his support for bombing Isis in Syria alienated many party members. If the anti-Corbyn forces coalesce behind a new face, it could be Dan Jarvis, a former soldier now on leadership manoeuvres, but who some colleagues say is not yet ready for action. Despite brave talk about a coup, Corbyn still enjoys the overwhelming support of the Labour members who will decide the leadership and who gave him a huge 59 per cent mandate only eight months ago. A YouGov survey suggests that he would now win 43 per cent of first preference votes, and 62 per cent after second and third references were reallocated. Yet some MPs insist the grassroots mood is changing, that some members who voted for Corbyn last year now regret it not because of his left-wing views, but because of a lack of competence, of which the antisemitism row is a good example. A leadership challenge would not be launched until after the 23rd June EU referendum, since moving more quickly would divert Labours energies from the Remain campaign. A key factor in whether Corbyns critics press ahead will be Labours performance in Thursdays elections to English councils, the Scottish Parliament and Welsh Assembly, and for Mayor of London. Corbyns enemies have deliberately set the bar high, saying the Opposition should win 400 council seats at this stage of the electoral cycle. Independent experts predict that Labour could lose more than 100 seats because the party did well when the seats up for grabs were last contested. This week Corbyn refused to play the expectations game but naively gave a hostage to fortune by saying: Were not going to lose seats. His spokesman said afterwards that Corbyn didnt mean it. Any coup would need the tacit support of Tom Watson, the deputy leader, and Rosie Winterton, the chief whip. The first phase could be a wave of resignations by several Shadow Cabinet members, who would warn that Corbyn was leading the party to electoral disaster in 2020. The anti-Corbyn mood is now black enough for such hurdles to be cleared. But the fear stalking the plotters is that, even if they prise Corbyn out, another left-winger could win the ensuing leadership election. The most likely candidate would be McDonnell, who has dismissed as ludicrous nonsense growing speculation about a faultline between him and Corbyn, but would probably run if Corbyn stood down or was forced out. Corbyn reminds Cameron that "racism was endemic" in his Conservative party Corbyn said on Tuesday he is enjoying being leader but does not look like a man who is; some critics believe he might just walk away and try to hand over the baton to another left-winger. McDonnell might enjoy less grassroots support than Corbyn, yet it might still be enough to see off a challenger. Corbyns critics are not playing a clever hand. By advertising their plotting, they may help Team Corbyn blame poor election results on the MPs refusing to accept his mandate, deflecting criticism from his own performance. Indeed, the blame game has already begun in Labour circles. For Labour from now on, things can only get bitter. Sign up to our free fortnightly newsletter from The Independent's Race Correspondent Nadine White Sign up to our free fortnightly newsletter The Race Report Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the The Race Report email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} One of the leaders of the Rhodes Must Fall Campaign, Ntokozo Qwabe, has recently come to the attention of the media after he and a friend made a white waitress, Ashleigh Schultz, cry in a South African restaurant. Qwabe and his friend refused to give the waitress a tip and instead wrote on the bill that she could have one when you return the land. This act reduced the waitress to what Qwabe later referred to as typical white tears. The Facebook post which appears to be written by Ntokozo Qwabe. He says later 'go to your fellow white people and mobilise for them to give us our land back.' (Gofundme.org) Whilst revelling in the upset of Schultz may have been wrong, Qwabe raises a legitimate point about white tears and racism. One of the stumbling blocks in getting mainstream society to address racism is the brick wall response received when these issues are raised. Our concerns tend to be either dismissed as something from the past we need to move on from; or people are so racked with white guilt that all meaningful conversation is stilted. I have lost count of the number of times when confronted with the realities of racism, white colleagues have become overwhelmed, emotional and sometimes cried. When this happens it completely shuts down the debate and shifts the focus from the issue of racism, to the guilt and anguish expressed by the white tears. There could be no more inappropriate focus for a discussion of racism. Yes, there is a lot to feel guilty for, both historically and currently, but tears do not solve any of the continuing problems. In fact, white tears are a form of racial oppression themselves, a mechanism to attempt to share the pain of racism rather than accepting responsibility and addressing this oppression. To accuse Qwabe of racism is absurd. We entirely conflate racism and prejudice in discussions today. Even if Qwabe, or others, are prejudiced against white people, racism is a system of oppression. Racism systematically organises society in ways that structurally disadvantage communities of colour. Individual prejudice against any white person can never be equated to this systemic oppression. Qwabe may have been wrong to delight in the tears of Schultz, but his frustration is understandable. Until we can have a conversation about racism, in the absence of white guilt and tears, there will be no progress towards racial equality. Recommended Read more Generation Rent are being prevented from voting in London In his autobiography, Malcolm X famously regretted telling a white student that she had no role in combatting racial oppression. On reflection he argued that the place where really sincere white people have got to do their proving of themselves is not among the black victims, but out on the battle lines of where America's racism really is - and that's in their own home communities. White tears take us further away from doing the important work of confronting the legacy of racism. Racism should be an uncomfortable discussion for white people, but it needs to be addressed openly and move beyond the self-obsession of guilt. Caretaker Taoiseach Enda Kenny says a new minority government could be close to a deal Caretaker Taoiseach Enda Kenny has declared a new minority government could be "signed off tonight or tomorrow morning". His Fine Gael party is locked in talks with two factions of Independents to form an administration, more than two months after the country went to the polls. Fianna Fail agreed at the weekend to effectively support a Fine Gael-led minority government from the Opposition benches in return for some concessions. The deal, to be reviewed at the end of 2018, has paved the way for Mr Kenny to be re-elected premier - which would be a first for his party - if he can secure the support of at least another six TDs (MPs) from outside his own ranks. Party negotiators are trying to woo two groupings of 11 Independents. Despite a number of the Independents casting doubts on a deal being struck this week, Mr Kenny voiced his optimism. "I can confirm that (talks with Independents) are progressing with a sense of urgency," he told the Dail (parliament). "I'd like to think this matter could be concluded this week, but obviously I'm not in a position to confirm that finally. "But I do hope that today's discussions, that are currently under way following on from the discussions and agreement with the Fianna Fail party, can be brought to a conclusion and that the matter could be signed off on tonight or tomorrow morning." Mr Kenny added: "Hopefully that can be reached - I can't guarantee it, but the discussions are very real and are progressing with a sense of urgency." The country has been locked in a political stalemate since the February 26 general election split the vote like never before. Fine Gael and Fianna Fail, the traditionally dominant parties who swapped power for generations and whose bitter enmity stems back to the Irish civil war, balked at pressure to form a "grand coalition". Attention is already being focused on how long a new minority government will last. Under the arrangement, Fine Gael will have to rule and Fianna Fail oppose without either of them undermining the other too much. Teresa Devlin, chief executive of the watchdog, has described the disclosures as shocking A paedophile priest who admitted abusing more than 100 children was allowed unfettered access to youngsters for more than two years after allegations were first made against him. The cleric who served in Ireland, England, Australia and Rome, abused children up until at least 2004 despite his seniors being warned about him in 2002, the Catholic Church's own watchdog has found. After one of his own relatives came forward to say she was molested, the priest's senior moved him on from his Dublin parish without telling the Archbishop the "real reason" for his move. The then provincial of The Salvatorians congregation also failed to notify police, health chiefs and parishioners about the allegations - despite being duty-bound to under guidelines issued eight years previously. The revelations are among the latest tranche of reports as part of a massive child safety audit of religious congregations by Ireland's National Board for Safeguarding Children in the Catholic Church (NBSCCC). Teresa Devlin, chief executive of the watchdog, has described the disclosures as shocking. "The knowledge that he was abusing children was known in 2002 and we believe that he possibly continued to abuse for another two years," she said. "He was allowed to continue to do what he wanted to do and that is shocking. "It is so recent and there are still a number of young women who are dealing with the aftermath of this abuse." Based on the known behaviour of serial paedophiles, the NBSCCC said the priest possibly continued his child abuse right up until he was forced to undertake residential treatment in the UK in August 2004. The abuser - referred to only as Fr A - was eventually convicted and sentenced to prison in December 2007 for child sexual abuse over a 25-year period. He was released from prison in early 2009 and moved to the UK where he died later that year. The priest served as a teacher in the UK, as a parish priest in Australia and Dublin and as a hospital chaplain in Rome. The NBSCCC said the Salvatorians, officially known as The Society of the Divine Saviour, has to date received no complaints against him related to any of the three postings outside Ireland. But it has called on the congregation to seek to identify the paedophile priest's victims "within and beyond Ireland". The watchdog warned the religious congregation of the "considerable responsibility it still carries to ensure that the devastation perpetrated on his victims by Fr A is conscientiously, compassionately and effectively addressed". Salvatorian case files show knowledge of nine named victims. However, "by his own admission Fr A had abused in excess of 100 children, mostly girls in the age range 6 years to 9 years of age, in various parts of Ireland", the watchdog report states. It found the paedophile "did not provide the names of these children when making this admission". Despite his abuse, the priest is "still esteemed by some members of his congregation for his work and personal piety", the watchdog found. Fr A served as a Salvatorian priest from his ordination in the 1950s to the time of his death in 2009. The busy route was closed for a time and diversions put in place Two elderly women have been killed within minutes of each other while crossing the road in separate accidents. One the victims, aged in her early 80s, was hit by a car as she was attempting to get across the southbound carriageway of the N11 in Dublin. The incident occurred close to Cabinteely shortly before 1pm. The woman was pronounced dead at the scene and her body taken to St Columcille's Hospital in Loughlinstown for a post mortem examination. The busy route was closed for a time and diversions put in place. Around the same time, a woman in her 70s was killed after being struck by a lorry in Carrick on Suir, Co Tipperary. She was also trying to cross the road at the time on the N24 Limerick to Waterford road in the Townspark area. The woman was pronounced dead at the scene. The road was closed for several hours to allow Garda technical experts carry out a forensic examination. Investigating gardai have appealed for witnesses to come forward in both cases. The block on Dublin's North Quays has been on the market since last autumn but the sale process has taken much longer than expected (Stock picture) US property firm Hines has pulled out of a 242m purchase of PriceWaterhouseCoopers' (PwC) headquarters in Dublin, it is understood. Hines was expected to complete the deal for the 226,624 sq ft office block, located at One Spencer Dock D1, on a joint venture basis with two German pension funds. However, according to a report in The Irish Times, Hines has decided against proceeding with the deal with officials from the company indicating the firm's new take on the property. The block on Dublin's North Quays has been up for sale since last Autumn with the breakdown of the long-awaited deal coming as a surprise due to Hines' lengthy due diligence process. The office space is let to PwC on a 25-year lease, which has over 15 years left to run. It is understood the lease includes upwards-only rent reviews every five years. Competition in farm loans is expected to increase with a new entrant to the agri sector launching a 50m fund to provide 'low cost' finance for buying and leasing agri-equipment. First Citizen Finance has become the sixth lending partner to offer Stategic Banking Corporation of Ireland (SBCI) finance to the agri-sector. Nick Ashmore, CEO of the SBCI described the move as "another key step in delivering low cost, more flexible funding" to the Irish agri-sector. The area already accounts for 26pc of all SBCI loans which offers 800m of funding through three banks, AIB, Bank of Ireland, Ulster Bank, and three non-bank lenders, First Citizen Finance, Finance Ireland and Merrion Fleet. It does not fund land purchases. Discounted Chris Hanlon, MD, First Citizen Finance said the partnership with SBCI will enable them to offer loan facilities at discounted rates with repayment spreads of up to seven years for purchase or lease of machinery including tractors, combine harvesters and balers. EU Agriculture Commissioner, Phil Hogan said he was heartened by the announcement which should provide further benefits to the development of the agricultural sector which is experiencing "a significant competitiveness deficit" at the core of the problem". The ICMSA's Lorcan McCabe said farmers have been "starved of choice" for bank loans for too long. Meanwhile, following a meeting with the Financial Ombudsman to explore the options for farmers who feel they are getting a raw deal from banks and other financial entities, ICSA president Patrick Kent said they were increasingly concerned at the pressures faced by farmers in financial difficulty. One of the big lessons of the recent general election was not to presume too much about how people in different parts of the country are doing. Highlighting a 7pc growth rate in the economy to people who simply aren't feeling it is like having a political death wish. The outcome of the election has put the question of rural Ireland centre stage once again. But, having successfully grabbed the Dail's attention, the big question is what should be done about it. We aren't actually closer to solving the problems facing rural Ireland because there is little agreement on what those problems are. Broadband, lack of foreign multinationals, crime and health services are frequently mentioned. But there isn't even any agreement on what we mean by rural Ireland in the first place. Rural economies are increasingly plugged in to the major towns or cities in their region. There are around 170,000 fewer people farming than when we joined the EEC in the 1970s. Farmers are vital in a rural area because they work, generate income and employment, in the very parish in which they live. If anything there aren't enough of them and the numbers are expected to fall further in the future. They have great scope to act as future employers in rural areas. The cyclical nature of farming incomes and profit is a real challenge. Nationally, there is definitely a poor understanding of the dynamics of rural economies. Too often the economic performance of rural Ireland is seen exclusively through the lens of farming. Today, nearly half of all working people living in rural Ireland commute to towns or cities. So, if we want to work out a plan for rural economies, we have to think not just about the future of the post office at the crossroads, but also what happens to major towns like Athlone, Longford, Letterkenny or Dundalk. Some will argue there is no two speed economy between Dublin, and a couple of other cities, and the rest of the country. I have seen statistics used in recent weeks by commentators which "prove" that incomes in rural Ireland have grown by just as much as the capital city. Sometimes statistics don't tell the whole story. You could be lying down with your head in an oven and your feet in a deep freeze, and statistically speaking you are comfortable. Unemployment levels in rural areas might not tell the full story of how many people have left the place. Someone in Donegal with a similar income to a person in Dublin, faces a much bigger battle sending their children to a university that is hundreds of miles away. By 2030 around 60pc of the population will live within 25 miles of the east coast. That concentration of population will bring economic advantages not just to Dublin but to the entire eastern seaboard. This population growth shift will increase the economic advantages of the higher populated east coast over other places. Bigger populations get a bigger call on resources, investment and representation. For example, there are now 18 TDs representing Cork City and County, but there are only 20 for the entire province of Connacht. Of course Dublin and its environs have to plan for this change too or it will go hopelessly wrong. The current housing crisis in Dublin is just one early symptom of the problems that may await inhabitants of Dublin in the future. The debate shouldn't be about Dublin-bashing. Ireland needs a vibrant economy in the capital city but if as a society we also want parts of rural Ireland to be vibrant places too, then it will require some real planning. So where does the eastern population advantage leave places like Connacht, the Midlands and the North West? As a greater portion of people living in rural communities will actually work somewhere else, a commutable distance away, proximity to a city or vibrant large town is becoming more and more important. Rural Ireland has grabbed the nation's attention. But the problems facing rural Ireland are not just about what happens in their parish, but what economic, infrastructural and other plans are put in place for each region. The other part of the solution for rural communities is to look at developing entrepreneurship in their locality. Creating employment in a rural area can be done, and has been done successfully all around the country. The problem is that we don't have enough entrepreneurs. In Co Monaghan, more than one in five people working are self-employed. Seven of the county's top 10 employers are local companies. Necessity has been the mother of invention there, but other counties could learn from that experience. The best way to get more home grown employers is to target supports into these areas. But local people also have to make their community an attractive place to live. It stops people moving away and encourages others back again or to move there for the first time. If Dublin gets its population explosion wrong, and it looks like it is going that way, local rural communities can provide an attractive alternative for talented smart people to set up businesses. That is where all the other stuff comes in. These communities need broadband. People need to feel the nearest Garda isn't 25 miles way. They need access to health and community services and decent schools. Short term spending by government without long term thinking won't benefit anybody in the long run. There can be a fair and a bright future for rural places. But throwing a bit of money at very local social issues, without thinking through a wider economic plan, won't be enough. Richard Curran is a columnist with the Irish Independent Grass growth continues well below normal for this time of year on most farms away from the south of the country. The weather remains extremely cold by day and night with the average temperature recorded here beside us in Athenry for April reading just 7.4C, a massive 1.3 degrees below normal. This is the third consecutive month of below normal temperatures so there is nothing normal about this year as it continues to be extremely challenging across every area including cow care, calf rearing, grass growth as well as our own health and well-being. Grass is our only source of cheap feed for the dairy cow and is the one area where we have a competitive advantage over milk produced from grain fed cows. I believe the only way we can survive the low milk price of 2016 is to feed the cow as much grazed grass as possible. To graze it we must grow it and there is no doubt the missing ingredient continues to be heat. In the meantime we must ensure that there is enough Nitrogen available when the heat eventually arrives and in the knowledge that the lime, P and K status are already good. To date this year we have spread 97 units of N per acre and our last application was Sul can with 5pc sulphur. We farm on free draining sandy soil and research has shown large increases in grass grown when 20 units per acre is applied from April onwards. The ongoing milk price drops are unsustainable for any system and the only action we can take that is under our control is to reduce costs by feeding the cows as cheaply as possible. We farmers, along with the farm organisations and milk purchasers, must work together to improve our lot as primary producers. This must involve rationalisation and amalgamation to increase our strength. At EU level last year we saw them plunder a massive superlevy payment from Irish dairy farmers and what has been given in return? This year the shocking level of import tariffs we pay on fertiliser has been highlighted, but no reductions achieved. The sanctions imposed on Russia have impacted us more than any other sector yet no support is offered. A small number of retailers have control of the market and appear to enjoy the protection of the powers that be with regard to "hello money" or below cost selling. As John F Kennedy said in 1961, and the same still applies, "farmers buy retail, sell wholesale and pay the freight both ways". This must change to give farmers fair play. Back on the farm, we will start breeding both cows and heifers on May 3. The cows are milking 25 litres at 4.35pc fat and 3.52pc protein or 2kg/ms/day. Stocking rate is 3.4 cows/ha which gives us a demand of 58/kg per day. Currently we are growing over 40kg/DM/ha daily and still feeding an unprecedented 4kg of concentrate per day. With the weather forecast it is difficult to see when we will be able to reduce to a more normal 2kg and I am acutely aware of the need to achieve a rising plain of nutrition during the breeding season. While all the cows have been tail painted for pre heat detection activity has been low. We conditioned scored the herd and put 10pc of them on OAD. Our method is to put a green tape on the tail and they are not milked in the evening. We will put scratch cards on just over half the maiden heifers to assist with heat detection for AI. The rest will be let off with the JEX bulls to reduce workload as well as cost. I am intending to shorten the period of AI to the cows this year to five weeks and then let out the stock bulls. I may use AA straws also for a further two weeks to reduce the risk of infertility in the bulls. Henry and Patricia Walsh farm in Oranmore, Co Galway along with their son Enda and neighbour and outfarm owner John Moran FBD chief executive Fiona Muldoon has sought to reassure farmers that insurance premium hikes this year will be modest. Ms Muldoon told shareholders the company's AGM that its primary focus is on returning to profitability, and premiums would have to go up as a consequence. "Our farm book will see some increases, I do not expect them to be anything like the order that we have seen, but we will see low single digit increases in the farm book," Ms Muldoon said. "On motor, however, the motor increases are likely to be more than that," she added "Many of our shareholders will also be farmers and will know all about the issues in the industry particularly in the dairy sector where commodity prices are very challenged. We will judge it and we will judge it finely, and we are aware of our customer base and what they're going through, but FBD has got to protect its shareholders and it has got to return to profitability." Ms Muldoon was speaking at a lively AGM at which FBD chairman Michael Berkery revealed the company's former chief executive Andrew Langford is working on a secret FBD project outside the day-to-day affairs of the business, for which he is being paid 16,300 a month. Chairman Mr Berkery said that at the time Mr Langford resigned, the former boss was working on a "satellite project". "At that time in July, Andrew and the company had another commercial project outside of the day-to-day management of FBD, I would say something of a satellite project, underway. "We agreed as a board, and we agreed as a remuneration committee etc, that Andrew had a contribution he could make, not in the day-to-day management of FBD...that project is underway, he is engaged to deliver it, and I will report at another time about that." Ms Muldoon said she believed that FBD had "broadly stabilised" in the second half of 2015. "We have a clear strategy, it has been articulated, we continue to strengthen our customer base in the Irish agricultural and small business sectors." In a closing statement, Ms Muldoon said she believed FBD is "a fine business". "A lot of the difficulties and the anger and the hurt that has gone before needs to be put behind us and we need to be out fighting the competition, not each other," she added. Many discoveries are made by accident. Take, for example, the French classic, Tarte Tatin. The most common story of how it came about concerns a lady named Stephanie Tatin who, in the 1880s, ran a hotel south of Paris One day Stephanie was making a traditional apple pie when she left the apples cooking in butter and sugar for too long. Smelling the burning, she tried to rescue the dish. She whipped up a simple pastry, draped it on top and popped it into the oven. Voila, a classic was born. In 1941, a Swiss engineer Georges de Mestral was on a hiking trip when he found burrs clinging to his pants and also his dog's fur. On inspection, he found the burrs had hooks which would cling to anything loop-shaped. The seeds were sown for Velcro, a combination of the words "velvet" and "crochet". A few weeks back I attended a conference entitled Farming for a Resilient Landscape, which detailed a farmers' initiative in mid Wales named the Pontbren Project. The project began in 1997 when three neighbouring farmers came together because they realised their approach to farming wasn't working. Like most of upland Wales, the structure of farming in Pontbren had changed during the 19th and 20th centuries. Since joining the EU, farmers had embraced various schemes which encouraged higher production, by increasing stock numbers and introducing continental breeds. Pastures were drained and reseeded and new buildings erected. However, despite all the changes, these farmers concluded they were no better off. They were getting more for their stock but they were working harder while fertiliser and feed bills were growing. They were on a treadmill. This approach had moreover weakened the environment. The removal of hedges meant the landscape had become simpler, providing fewer habitats for wildlife. Dr Tim Pagella of Bangor University explained how the farmers switched from crossbred ewes to hardier local breeds such as Welsh mountain, Lleyn and Speckled Face. These have a lower requirement for housing but did require the establishment of shelter belts. While conifers had been widely planted previously, they now went for a range of native species including birch, rowan and alder. Over 120,000 new trees and shrubs were planted, with 16.5km of hedges created or restored. This led to improved live weight gains for livestock with no negative economic impact on farming incomes. But the farmers also realised that what they were doing was having other, beneficial, effects, in terms of slowing down water run-off. One day someone noticed that water running down across the grazed fields disappeared as soon as it reached the edge of the new woodland. Scientific investigation found that infiltration rates inside the woodland were 60 times those on the pasture ten metres away. This is one of a number of significant "accidental" flood management discoveries arising from the Project. Discoveries along the same vein are now being made in the Burren and Aran LIFE projects, which I hope to return to at a later date. A 71.5ac farm in the same family for 246 years in Co Offaly is to come under the hammer of auctioneer Matt Dunne over the next few weeks. Records show that a Mr Hugh Kelly lived on land located at Ballinakill, Walsh Island as far back as 1770. The farm is still in the Kelly name but this will more than likely come to an end at the executor sale of the property to be conducted by auctioneer Matt Dunne. The land will be sold in lots with a collective guide price of 330,000. "Unfortunately dynasties such as this come to an end sometime, but every grey cloud has a silver lining and this now gives young farmers in the area a 'rare opportunity' to extend their existing holding," said Mr Dunne. The auctioneer describes the land as surprisingly good, "being so close to the bog one would expect the land to be marginal and peaty - but , on the contrary, every inch of this land has been ploughed over the years with great results," said Mr Dunne. The vendor, Joseph Kelly, had been in poor health for some time, and the land was mainly rented for the past 10 years. Farmhouse The farmhouse, a spacious two storey residence, constructed in the 1950s is approximately 1,150sqft, with accommodation that includes three bedrooms, a living room, kitchen, bathroom and scullery. The farmyard includes a three-span hay shed with lean-to and a range of other outbuildings. For the purposes of the auction the farm will be offered in three lots. The first lot consists of the farmhouse on 13ac and is guided at 120,000. The second lot adjacent to the house comprises 41.5ac with turbary attached that has commercial potential and this is guided at 160,000. Lot three consists of 17ac of forestry planted in 2010 and made up predominantly of Norway Spruce with some Scots Pine, Ash, Alder and Birch. The annual premium is 3,100 with 14 years left to run. This is guided at 50,000. The final lot is comprised of the entire. The auction takes place at the Bridge House Hotel, Tullamore at 3pm on Tuesday, May 10. The ever-evolving nature of the global agri-food business was emphasised at the AGM of Glanbia plc when shareholders learned that the Performance Nutrition sector of its operations is now its biggest earner. During 2015, Performance Nutrition which comprises sports, health and other supplements and comes from food products such as whey, drew 135.6m globally for the Glanbia group. That compared to the Global Ingredients business which earned 106.6m for the food giant last year. What was once the foundation and core of Glanbia, dairy, accounted for 28.8m in earnings in 2015 while the group's joint ventures with other entities earned it 40m. Last year was Glanbia's sixth consecutive year of double-digit share growth while early indications for the first quarter of 2016 pointed to another strong year on a global level. Glanbia now employs over 6,000 people in 32 countries, many of them in the United States. Board chairman Henry Corbally said the group has "transformed itself into a global leader" and become a 5bn business. The group's aim is to maintain and grow its position as a global leader in Performance Nutrition, group MD Siobhan Talbot said, with the United States a key market. Glanbia has the number one position in the sector in the US while its recently-announced investment of $140m in Southwest Cheese in New Mexico, fully-funded by joint ventures, is set to consolidate its overall position across the Atlantic. Many of the questions from the floor of the AGM concerned the ongoing low prices being achieved by dairy farmers for their milk, with Ms Talbot warning that "it might get a bit worse before it gets better," while expressing the belief that milk prices will start to improve next year. Ms Talbot, who saw her remuneration increase by 16pc last year to 1.9m, was also asked about any possible implications for Glanbia of a potential Brexit that would see the UK depart the EU. "There's a lot of uncertainty, for sure," the MD replied, "and I suppose like any large corporate, we don't like uncertainty." The UK "wouldn't be our biggest market," she pointed out, particularly when compared to the scale of its operations in the USA, and the biggest impact of our neighbours leaving the EU would be on Glanbia's joint ventures. "We'll plan and manage like we always do. We'll navigate that as we get greater clarity, but ultimately the people will decide." Asked later by the Farming Independent if such a move by the UK is a worry for the group, Ms Talbot said: "It is of course. The potential for uncertainty, to the extent that that's there, is always a factor, but at the end of the day, though, it's one of a myriad of factors that we're always managing. "There's lots of change, always, in today's world." She was also asked about the long delay in forming a government in this country after the election and said that "like any corporate we like stability" and this was true for both the country and Glanbia. Ms Talbot said that while the milk price situation is "very challenging" at the moment, the "totality" of the Glanbia situation is very strong, with recent investments in its facilities in Monaghan and Portlaoise and upcoming in Wexford. It's important to have a "strong plc," she said, and the whole group is working hard to help milk suppliers through the current difficult period. "The reason we were able to give out 60m [to shareholders] in the last number of years was because the plc had such strong growth." Upcoming developments are an important aspect of continuing the group's growth, according to the MD. "The Avonmore brand is fantastic so we want to bring that to more global consumers." "Delivering Better Nutrition for Every Step of Life's Journey," is Glanbia's mission statement and Ms Talbot said it underpins activities at every level of the group. "It's important to us how we do business and not just what we achieve. We put our customer front and centre," she told shareholders, adding that the group values its 6,000 employees who show creativity, innovation and curiosity throughout their work. 'No one is suggesting that my one-year son is going to be a farmer, but the robots might maximise its appeal," said 42-year-old Waterford dairy farmer, Ken Murphy. He has gone a step further than most farmers in the country by not only investing in robotic technology to milk his 144 cow herd, but also to feed his calves, clean his passagewaysand even scratch his cows. "Lely threw in the back-brusher for free," admits Murphy, and given the 230,000 that the farmer spent with the Dutch-based firm, he was probably entitled to it. "A single robot costs about 120,000, but the second one is a lot cheaper at 90,000. The calf feeder was about 8,500, and the muck scraper was about 12,000. All those prices exclude VAT," he said. Another 100,000 was spent on extensions and modifications to the shed, but Murphy believes that he would have spent at least that on building a new shed on a greenfield site if he had opted to go for a herringbone parlour. "Even though I saw robots in operation on a college trip to Holland back in 1995, and thought they were great, I never really considered them for more than a moment as a real runner here. "I did initially run it past my Teagasc advisor, and he ruled it out on the basis that it was untested technology. He was right in that regard, and I wasn't brave enough to go it alone," remembers Murphy of the thought process that finally brought him and several farmers to the automated system. "So I was hankering after some kind of a parlour upgrade, and then realised that two of my neighbours, along with my cousin and a few other farmers locally were all in the same boat. So we decided to get together to pool our knowledge and see if our collective requirements could generate a bit of a discount. "Initially it was all about the conventional parlours, but after a Lely guy came to visit us, we decided to take a closer look." Two years later, six of the original seven have opted to buy Lely robots, with Ken's two machines heading into their first spring season. "We milked cows over the winter for the first time, basically because it wasn't me that had to do the milking," explains Ken. "We milked some of the later calving cows on through, and we'll probably do the same this year." Daily routine He has found that the daily routine is shorter, and more flexible. "I'm still starting at 7am, but I'll probably ease off on that once we get over the spring workload. But more importantly, I'm home at 5pm rather than 7pm. That's really important to me with a baby in the house. It's just nice to get a chance to be feeding him his tea." But how does he cope when he wants to take holidays? "Well I have a full-time man on the farm, but he doesn't work weekends, so I'm still on at the weekends, but there are lads in the area now that understand doing relief work with robots, so it's no different really from having a standard milking parlour. "You still have to brief them on the problem cows and grazing situation, but they know how the system works - basically check the robots once or twice during the day, check the filters and keep an eye on the phone. I think that the system is also a good way to ensure that you keep good staff onboard." Murphy is using an A-B-C grazing system where there are three grazing blocks on the go during any single 24-hour period, and he believes that the system might actually improve the grass utilisation by his 1,200 gallon cows. "The cows are definitely more content. Some of them love getting back into the machine to get out first to a new block of grass, but others are the opposite, preferring to hang back and graze out pastures really well before being moved on." And what about the higher running costs or the cost of further expansion? "There's no doubt that the robots are going to have higher running costs than a parlour. It's too early for me to quantify how much, but I'm happy to pay extra in that I'm paying for a machine to replace human labour. "With regard to further expansion, we could, in theory, go up to 160 cows, but that would be it. And I'm happy now sticking at 140. If I've 140 good cows, we'll have room for comfort, and not be chasing grass." A limit of 70 cows has always been mooted for a single robot, and he believes that his machines are at their limit now, albeit with an adequate amount of free-time to allow the shier cows access the machine. "The average number of milkings per day was averaging 2.2 last week, which I'd be happy with," he says. The calf feeders were purchased two years before the robots, again to take some of the drudgery out of the daily routine. "I used to have a milk-bar that fed about 30 calves on teats at a time, but I was always concerned about the slower drinkers only getting half the amount that the best drinkers got. "I only really need to check the machine once a day. It takes a bag of milk replacer and gradually increases the feed for each calf as they grow older to a point where you specify that you want it to taper off again before weaning. "Each calf has a transponder on her neck so the feeder knows when they've got enough, and then it shuts down access for that animal for a few hours." Farmers throughout the country are currently asking lots of questions about banks. Recent media coverage of loan sales, tactics by some sub-prime lenders and high profile repossessions have forced farmers to think about their own situations. The wall to wall coverage combined with poor weather, rock bottom commodity prices for milk, corn and pork have created an uneasiness amongst farmers. Should farmers be worried or not? There is absolutely no need for the vast majority of farmers to worry about their financial situations in Ireland. Worrying about the price of milk or the weather is frankly a meaningless exercise as one cannot change either. A farmer with a cashflow problem is better off dealing with it rather than worrying about it, there is a solution to every problem big or small. National Level The big picture according to the Central Bank is that Agriculture accounted for almost 19pc or 649m of credit advanced to Irish small and medium sized enterprises in 2015. Agricultural lending is firmly back in fashion since the end of the economic boom, all three of the main banks Allied Irish Bank, Bank of Ireland and Ulster Bank are active in the agricultural market and lending to farmers. They have employed agricultural graduates to better understand farmer needs and their applications for finance. Immediately after the property crash in 2008 all of the banks set up bad debt resolution departments or 'bad bank departments'. These initially dealt with the big money property loans in excess of 10m who were mostly in negative equity ie loans were greater than the value of the property held as security, there were very few farmers involved in this process, more recently theses departments are dealing with smaller loans of under 3m. A small number of farmers have ended up in these 'bad bank departments' having purchased expensive residential/commercial property or land during the boom. Many of these cases have been resolved or are presently being resolved, so much so that these bad bank departments are being closed or amalgamated in most of the banks. These cases tend to get much more publicity than their numbers would support. The reality is that Irish farmers have greatly reduced their level of bank debt since 2009. Irish agri-lending peaked at 5.2bn in Q1 of 2009 and has steadily fallen to less than 3.2bn by Q4 of 2015. The peak in bank lending happened when farmers borrowed to fund farm buildings done under the very popular Farm Improvement scheme and Dairy Hygiene grant schemes in 2007/2008. The reduction in lending since is quite spectacular especially given the reputed massive investment going into dairy expansion. Putting the 3.2bn of current agri-lending into perspective is interesting when one compares this level of bank debt with that of large property developers. A number of the top 10 property developers in the 2007 had individual bank borrowings in the region of 2bn each, two of them would have had the same bank borrowings as all the farmers in Ireland added together. Another interesting comparison is to look at the ratio of debt to equity or assets. When applying for a mortgage to buy a house in Ireland today you must have a 20pc deposit, therefore your mortgage or debt will be 80pc of the value of the house. If one adds up the value of all Irish farmers land, buildings, livestock and machinery it would come to 78bn and compare that to the level of bank and trade creditor debt of 3.7bn, the comparable debt to equity ratio is only 4.7pc. Farm level Even though Irish farmers as a whole are not heavily borrowed of course some individual farmers have high levels of bank debt. Low commodity prices like the current price of milk will exacerbate a deficit of cash to meet all financial commitments in a bad year. In fact many smaller dairy farms with no bank debt and a small Basic Payment Scheme entitlement will not make enough cash to meet personal drawings at a base milk price 22c/l, a price some of the banks are requesting as a base for 2016 cashflow budgets. So how does one kill the worry of not being able to feed your family or meet your bank repayments? The answer is simple, do not ignore it and hope it will improve or go away, DEAL WITH IT. Firstly get your 2015 financial accounts done, then do a farm business plan or cash flow budget for 2016 to see if you have a deficit of funds ie not enough cash generated to meet all financial commitments. It is important to be realistic when doing the projections for 2016, perhaps one should even be a little pessimistic, do not assume the milk price will rise at the backend of the year or that you will cut feed fed by 100kgs a cow, in fact assume it will not happen. It is better to over perform rather than over budget. When you have established your position you must then set about dealing with the problem as soon as possible. Some farmers have cash reserves in a deposit account to fund a deficit of cash, others have enough space in their current account overdraft facility to cover the bad year. Most will need to speak to their bank about getting an interest only repayment schedule or in some cases even a holiday from bank repayments altogether for a period of time. Of course there will be some who have a more serious cancer in their business which will need surgery but these are few and far between, there is a solution to every problem. I find the mere fact of talking about it helps every farm family it is never as bad as it appears inside your head, a problem shared is a problem halved. The majority of farmers are worrying unnecessarily about banks in the current climate, assess your financial position, stop worrying and deal with it. Mike Brady is an agricultural consultant and managing director of the Brady Group - email: mike@bradygroup.ie Europe wants quality food, cheap food and environmental protection - and all at the same time. Compliance with regulations and introduction of new legislation is now so commonplace that few questions are asked when yet another product is banned. Chlorpyrifos, which most knew as Dursban, had a final use by date of March 31, 2016. Last year tillage farmers were advised that if prethroids failed to control aphids in spring crops to follow up with either chlopyrifos or pirimicarb. So while we still have pirimicarb we are ok? I'm afraid not. Next year pirimicarb is likely to be banned. The result will be that according as resistance to pyrethroids increases we will have no chemical control to kill aphids that transmit Barley Yellow Dwarf Virus. Yields of late sown spring crops (mid April onwards) are likely to suffer a yield penalty of 2t/ha. That in itself should not be a problem for farmers as decreased supply should result in increased price. However the price of grain, nor of any agricultural product, is not determined by European supply. Price is determined by world supply and the world, outside of Europe, does not have a ban on chlopyriphos nor does it have a ban on many other products that we are not allowed to use - hormones to boost beef and milk production, GM varieties . Given that the rest of the world does not appear to be concerned about products that Europe has banned it is unrealistic to expect that we would get a premium price for our products except for niche markets. Our regulators, though, see fit - on environmental grounds and or risk to humans - to ban European farmers from using them. It would be logical then to expect that there would be a ban on the importation of raw materials or finished foods that have been produced using those substances. That is not the case. We have a strange situation where a tillage/beef farmer is not allowed to use GM varieties of maize when sowing a crop yet is buying a ration that contains GM maize. The farmer who grew that GM maize had a higher yield potential at lower cost/t than the European farmer yet the European farmer can use the product for animal production and put that animal into the European food chain. Has the European consumer won by getting an animal that has been produced at lower cost? Is it acceptable that Europe has taken a position on environment risk for some products and yet supports farmers in other parts of the world by buying that product from them. One of the first products to be highlighted as an environment risk was DDT - in 1962 with the publication of Silent Spring by Rachel Carson. DDT is now banned virtually everywhere as are many other chemicals. Chemicals are banned for several reasons - toxicity, carcinogenic risk (cancer causing), persistency (chemical very slow to degrade) or suspicion that it may be causing damage to something other than the target. All of the approved chemicals used in European agriculture have limitations as to usage. Restrictions These include individual crop permissions/restrictions, maximum rates, periods of permitted usage, conditions under which application is permitted, buffer zones in which application is permitted, condition of application equipment and usage restricted to persons who have undertaken a training course in pesticide application. The same level of controls are not in place for imported products. How much product are we importing in foodstuffs that does not meet our standards? Within Europe we have a very comprehensive residue testing in food products combined with records keeping by farmers of all products used and traceability of both animals and crops. Controls are rigidly enforced on farm. Can the same be said for imported product? If Britain exits the EU will we have different environmental standards for crops produced in the Northern Ireland? The issue of immediate concern is that the food we import in Europe should meet the same standards as Europe demands of it's farmers. Every standard that we must meet is putting additional costs on farmers and in many cases reduces their yield potential. We cannot be competitive on the open market while we have restrictions that other farmers do not have. Our tillage farmers would be in a far better position to compete if GM varieties and the full range of pesticides approved in other countries is allowed to them. If that is not going to happen we urgently need controls which will prevent access to product which does not meet the standards which we are achieving. PJ Phelan is a tillage advisor based in Tipperary and is a member of the ACA and ITCA Some 5,200 workers at Intel's Irish manufacturing facilities remain in the dark about the future of their jobs, two weeks after the multinational chip company announced 12,000 global layoffs. Staff at the Leixlip plant, where 4,500 are employed, had expected an announcement about specific redundancies last night, with senior management previously indicating lay-off news at that time. But workers say that they have received no information as bosses at the facility finalise the job cuts. However, Intel management have committed to telling individual staff within 72 hours of today. It is now thought that Intel may not issue a statement about its overall job cuts in Ireland, as it has already done in several US states. Instead, staff to be affected are set be told on a case-by-case basis. Sources close to the company have speculated that many of the imminent redundancies will be offered on a voluntary basis. "The company has done this before and previous packages have included six weeks' pay for each year worked," a source said. "I think there will be a lot of people interested in any offer." A spokesman for the Government declined to comment on the number of projected job losses. "Intel's processes have to be respected, it will still remain a key employer even after the projected job losses," he said. By law, Intel must communicate with the government about potential job losses within 30 days of cuts taking effect. In an email to staff last week, Intel's Ireland manager Eamonn Sinnott said that employees would be notified "within 72 hours of 4 May" if they were to lose their jobs. Those facing redundancy will be offered a range of supports from the Government including access to social welfare, retraining and advice on employment law in the event of any post-redundancy disputes. Intel has invested more than 4bn in Ireland in recent years with the overhaul of two of its factories. Ireland is considered to be less exposed than some of Intel's other global operations as its main plants here are producing chips used for high-end servers and data centres as opposed to PCs. It has already announced more than 2,000 cuts in its US plants. However, the company is also believed to produce mobile Atom chips, which are set to be discontinued. "What we are hearing is the jobs will probably be cut in the old technology areas of the business," one worker said. As well as 4,500 employees directly employed in Ireland, Intel also has some 700 long-term contract workers, most working out of Leixlip, Co Kildare. Businessman Denis O'Brien said he may draw a dividend from his Digicel Group over the next two years, after halting payments for now. Mr O'Brien last year shelved a share sale, citing volatility in equity markets. "In the last 18 months, two years we've spent more than than $1bn on capex," Mr O'Brien said in an interview with Bloomberg Television. "It seems out of kilter to be paying a dividend to myself. We probably will in the next year, two years, but there's no rush for that at all." In April, it was reported that Mr O'Brien had waived about $20m (17.5m) of cash dividends last year. Mr O'Brien told Bloomberg that Digicel remains "highly profitable" and plans to keep investing heavily, including through acquiring other businesses. Mr O'Brien founded Digicel in 2001 and turned it into a mobile-phone empire spread from El Salvador to Vanuatu, partly on the back of high-risk, high-yield debt. Corporate debt markets are still showing a "little bit of skittishness," he said. ''The market is getting a bit more solid, and looking at every credit for its own particular strengths. We have a great spread of assets.'' The yield on Digicel's April 2022 bond has dropped to 11.4pc from 14.3pc three months ago. Last October Mr O'Brien pulled the Digicel IPO set for New York in a move that surprised many analysts at home and abroad. The telecommunications company, which does business in the Caribbean and South Pacific, aimed to sell 142.8 million of Class A common shares at between $13 and $16 each, according to a regulatory filing. The company, built from scratch by Mr O'Brien after he secured a mobile licence to operate in Jamaica in 2000, had intended to raise between $1.8bn and $2bn (1.6bn and 1.8bn) on the New York Stock Exchange from the sale of about 39pc of Digicel's equity. Despite that, Mr O'Brien, who is chairman, would have retained almost complete control of the business. Mr O'Brien is worth $3.9bn, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. In the Bloomberg interview, Mr O'Brien also criticised the Government's decision to suspend water charges, saying a plan to set up a commission to examine the issue meant it had been "kicked in the air and down the field". An employee passes American oak barrels containing Jameson whiskey, produced by Irish Distillers Ltd., at the Pernod-Ricard SA distillery in Midleton, Co Cork Pernod Ricard affiliate Irish Distillers has entered into exclusive talks with Sazerac to sell Paddy, the fourth largest Irish whiskey brand in the world. If completed the deal would see the whiskey continued to be made at the Midleton Distillery with no impact on roles at the distillery expected. Pernod Ricard didn't disclose how much it would sell the brand for but the move is in line with its strategy to simplify its portfolio, which also includes Jameson and Powers. Irish Distillers chief executive Anna Malmhake said at the heart of everything the firm does is "a desire to see Irish whiskey grow". "This deal with Sazerac, if completed, would allow Irish whiskeys reputation and footprint to grow further internationally. The proposed deal would ensure that Paddy would continue to be produced with the same love and care by our team in Midleton, Cork. Paddy Irish Whiskey sells around 200,000 nine-litre cases across 28 countries every year. Its popularity is expected to grow in line with the Irish whiskey industry, which expected to expand by 100pc by 2020. Sazerac president Mark Brown said Irish whiskey has been outpacing all other spirits in terms of volume growth. "Consumers worldwide are seeing it as an alternative to other whiskies. If this deal goes through, we are confident that we will be able to take Paddy to the next level, building on its strong history and roots," Mr Brown said. Here are the main stories from this morning's papers: Irish Independent * Manufacturing growth in Ireland has slowed to a two and a half year low, with output, new orders and employment all posting weaker growth, while Brexit uncertainty drags down the sector in Britain. The sluggishness here is particularly acute in the crucial export sector, according to the latest Purchasing Managers' Index for the sector, with firms warning that there could be further volatility ahead of Britain's EU referendum in June. * Three landbanks in Cork will go on the market today, in one of the biggest sales of development land outside Dublin in recent years. "The Treasure Collection" is expected to fetch between 25m and 30m. The sale is being handled by Savills' Denis O'Donoghue and Peter O'Meara. Bids are due by June 8. * Shares in Anglo-Irish exploration firm Tullow Oil fell by as much as 12pc yesterday as both Goldman Sachs and Macquarie downgraded their ratings of the company. The fall comes off the back of a period of strong growth for the Irish and London-listed firm. Goldman Sachs downgraded Tullow to a neutral rating from buy, citing risks associated with planned expenditure in Africa. The Irish Times * Irish-based Lakeland Dairies has bought a Northern Irish co-op for an undisclosed sum that will allow the Cavan firm to process around 1.1 billion litres of milk a year. Following the acquisition Lakeland has now become Ireland's third biggest milk firm behind Kilkenny-based Glanbia and fellow dairy company Dairygold. * Irish Distillers has entered into exclusive talks with New Orleans firm Sazerac for the sale of the world's fourth most popular brand of Irish whiskey, Paddy. The firm did not disclose the value of the deal that would see the whiskey still being produced at the Midleton Distillery. * New figures from the European Commission predict Ireland's economy to be the fastest growing in the EU. The EU executive arm predicts the Irish economy to grow by 4.9pc this year, higher than the 4.5pc rate it predicted three months ago. Irish Examiner * Medical giant Pfizer has blown past analyst expectations in its latest quarterly results following a disappointing period for the firm that saw it scrap its proposed merger with Allergan. The 140bn deal was allegedly primarily driven by a tax inversion that would see Pfizer avail of Ireland's low tax scheme. * Shares in airline Lufthansa fell by as much as 7.1pc yesterday as the company said passenger fares as due to erode further this year. The airline is undergoing a restructuring of its European operations aiming to stem the flow of customers to discounted rivals. * Shares in Tullow Oil dropped by over 11pc on Tuesday after two major stockbrokers downgraded their ratings of the oil explorer. Concerns around the firm's proposed capital expenditure on two pipelines in East Africa have been seen as causes for concern in relation to the company's free cash flow. Low and middle-income workers are set to see a reduction in the Universal Social Charge (USC) in the minority government deal reached between Fine Gael and Fianna Fail. The agreement sees Fine Gael forced to rein in its pre-election pledge to abolish the charge for all earners over the next five years. The USC was brought in as an emergency measure by the Fianna Fail-Green Party coalition at the start of 2011 and raises about 4bn a year. The document states that the next government will: "Introduce reductions in the Universal Social Charge (USC) on a fair basis with an emphasis on low and middle income earners." This is closer to Fianna Fail's manifesto promise to eliminate USC for workers on the first 80,000 of earnings over five years, rather than Fine Gael's proposal to scrap it outright. During the election, Fianna Fail finance spokesman Michael McGrath had argued that his party's proposal was "fair, affordable and deliverable" and claimed it was in contrast to Fine Gael's plan. The minority government document also sees Fianna Fail agree to facilitate Budgets "consistent with the agreed policy principles in this document". It includes a version of Mr Noonan's pre-election plan to establish a 'Rainy Day' fund - although Fianna Fail also had proposals for such a fund. The document pledges to set aside cash for the fund but does not specify how much. The Government will seek to introduce a PRSI scheme for the self-employed "and provide a supportive tax regime for entrepreneurs and the self-employed". The parties agree to maintain the country's commitment to "meeting in full the domestic and EU fiscal rules as enshrined in law" and to keep Ireland's corporation tax rate. The documents pledges to "maintain Ireland's 12.5pc corporation tax, and engage constructively with any measures to work towards international tax reform while critically analysing proposals that may not be in Ireland's long term interests." It also recognises the full implementation of the Lansdowne Road Agreement. A Public Service Pay Commission is to be established to examine pay levels across the public service, including entry levels of pay. The deal also states that the Workplace Relations Commission and the Labour Court are the proper forum for State intervention in industrial relation disputes. Shannon Group's new CEO, Matthew Thomas, also worked for the same group as his predecessor. Shannon Group has again tapped Canada's Vantage Airport Group to find its new chief executive. The semi-state company, which operates Shannon Airport as well as tourism attractions around the country, said that it has appointed Matthew Thomas as its new CEO. He'll start the role next month. Mr Thomas (43) is currently chief commercial officer of Vantage. He succeeds Neil Pakey, who announced his departure as Shannon Group chief executive last year. Mr Pakey also worked as a senior executive with Vantage prior to joining Shannon Group as its CEO in 2013. Vancouver-based Vantage bought the UK-based Peel Airports in 2010, which included Liverpool Airport, Doncaster Airport, and Durham Tees Airport. Mr Thomas then joined Peel Airports as its chief commercial officer before becoming chief executive of Liverpool Airport. The airports were reacquired by the Peel Group in 2014, and Mr Thomas then returned to Vantage. Mr Pakey - who was paid a total of 255,000 as Shannon Group CEO last year - served as managing director of Liverpool Airport from 2002 to 2010, and was chief executive of Peel Airports until 2010, when Vantage acquired it. He then joined the Vantage group. Shannon Group said Mr Thomas - a UK national who spent part of his childhood in Co Donegal - has been responsible at Vantage for a number of projects, including involvement in the winning by the company of a $4bn redevelopment contract of the Central Terminal at La Guardia Airport in New York. Ms Hynes said that Mr Thomas brings "deep knowledge" of the aviation industry combined with significant commercial experience to his new role. Revenue at Shannon Group, which also operates Shannon Heritage, totalled 65.5m last year. That included 37.7m from aviation and commercial activities; 14.2m from commercial property rental, management and development; and 13.5m from tourism activities. It made a 7m operating profit after exceptional charges that included a 2.1m payment in settlement of the Irish Airlines Superannuation Scheme. Shannon Group operates attractions such as Bunratty Castle, the GPO 'Witness History' venue; and Malahide Castle in Dublin, and has a large commercial property portfolio. While Shannon Group's tourism arm has been performing well, Shannon Airport handled 1.71 million passengers in 2015, which was just 5pc higher than in 2014. The numbers are still lower than they were in 2010. Humans of Dublin offers no shortage of heart-warming stories, but a recent one about two sisters has left readers feeling particularly inspired. The photo, which was shared on the popular Facebook page yesterday, shows a pair of elderly women sitting in a car. One of the women smiles at the camera while the other stares out of the window. We've both seen a lot of the world. I've probably been around the globe about nine times already, the caption reads. My husband was an agriculture professor from Australia so he travelled a lot too, and after each trip he would take a holiday and show me around. This is my sister; she's 92. She used to live in New York. However, after years apart while they travelled the world, the two women have reunited at home in Ireland - in search of ice-cream. The touching story concludes: We spent a good bit of our lives separately, but here we are, back to the mother land again. We just stopped off for tea and ice cream, and found out they had no ice cream, so she's a bit grumpy. The sweet post has now gathered over 6,800 likes, along with plenty of comments from people tagging their friends and saying: This will be us! Oscar-winning actor Cate Blanchett has been appointed an United Nations goodwill ambassador. The United Nations high commissioner for refugees (UNHCR) made the announcement as the Hollywood star returned from a mission to Jordan where she witnessed the ongoing humanitarian operation for people displaced by the conflict in Syria. While there she met Syrian refugee families to hear first-hand about the perilous journeys they had undertaken and their daily plight. Blanchett said: "I am deeply proud to take on this role. There has never been a more crucial time to stand with refugees and show solidarity. We are living through an unprecedented crisis, and there must be shared responsibility worldwide. "It feels like we're at a fork in the road, do we go down the compassionate path or do we go down the path of intolerance? As a mother, I want my children to go down the compassionate path. "There's much more opportunity, there's much more optimism and there is a solution down that path." Prior to her appointment, Blanchett worked closely with UNHCR for more than a year to raise awareness about the forcibly displaced. It might be just as well Mattress Mick has already bought up the domain names containing his immortal moniker for the countries in the Far East. Because global domination now seems a matter of 'when', not 'if'. A new documentary on the eccentric Dublin businessman is to screen at the Hotdocs festival in Toronto next week and Mattress - or Michael Flynn as he introduces himself - couldn't be prouder. "A lot of people think I'm made up, a corporate character, but obviously I'm not," he tells me over coffee in his Pearse Street stomping ground. "A camera crew followed me around for three years and they've put this piece together. It's already been sold to Finnish television. We're just hopeful that one of the major networks will buy it up now. It's really about how one man survived the worst recession of our lifetimes." Survived and thrived. His business woes and money problems are now in the past - for a while the banks withdrew his credit - and the mattresses are walking out the door again; he'll help you test them on the floor of the shop ("the men too, I don't care"). With each passing year the sideburns get more absurdly fecund (he's not allowed cut them at this point, they're part of the brand), the self promotion more brilliantly ironic (budding pop stars can only dream of his YouTube hits) and his fan bandwagon is now standing room only - thank you Stephen Fry, Roddy Doyle et al. He has help with the videos from filmmaker Paul Kelly - "baldy Paul" - but of course nobody could invent this hallucinogenic composite of Saul Goodman, Del Boy and John McCririck. It was a lifetime in the making. Mick grew up in the inner city where his Dad owned a fishing supply shop and his mother's family owned a pub called Smyths on St John Rogerson's Quay. He went to school in Synge Street and then to work for the Royal Trust Company, a merchant bank, on Dawson Street, but moonlighted at a market stall in the Dandelion Market on Stephen's Green. When his Dad died, however, the burden of running the family business fell on him. He began selling furniture and bottled gas and for a few years it went really well. In his late 20s he opened a second shop and that was when things started to wobble. "I took my eye off the ball. I started to enjoy myself a bit too much. Leeson Street was just starting to take off. I was good with the ladies. The secret was: loads of bullshit. Also I wasn't a bad looking guy either, to be fair. I had the hair even then." His first girlfriend died of cancer recently after reaching out to him shortly before she passed away, which he found very hard. They had both married other people in the meantime, but you never forget your first love, he tells me. Video of the Day In his 20s he was also engaged to be married to the daughter of a prominent Dublin family. "We bought a house out in Monkstown together and we had everything to do with the wedding booked. It was just five weeks away and the invites had been sent out. I felt that her family were taking control of my life. They had all the money and they didn't like what I did for work; it was fine when I was a banker. "I'll never forget telling her. It was the hardest conversation of my life. I hurt her. I still loved her in my own way but I just didn't want to be controlled. It turned out ok in the end for her though. She married well." She must be kicking herself when she sees the YouTube videos though (the latest features a Back To The Future themed song with the lyrics "I'll fly my mattress rocket to the matressy stars"). Handily for alliterative branding purposes, everyone in the Mattress family has a name that begins with 'M'. He eventually married Margaret, a Dublin woman, and they had a daughter Michelle, who is now a psychotherapist in England. Margaret and Mick had trouble having more children and after becoming involved with the Chernobyl Children's Project they decided to adopt a little Russian girl, Marina, who is now 20 and studying to be a personal trainer. "I'll never forget the whole experience. The orphanage was so dilapidated. When we saw Marina's face it was just fantastic. You couldn't not take her. A lot of Americans in those years were going to Russia and finding kids to use their body parts - organ harvesting. We had to put their minds at ease on that score." He is religious and goes to mass in the city centre in Whitefriar Street ("it's the fastest mass in Dublin"). He says he has no interest in doing the Eurovision but he does see himself as a sort of budding Michael O'Leary, capitalising on free publicity wherever he can find it. He has registered Mattress Mick as a trademark now and the next plan is to licence it out to other furniture retailers around the country. "It's not a franchise, but for companies who want to sell beds, they can licence the name. There is one in Cork and one in Kilkenny. "They'll provide the merchandise and I'll provide the point of sale." And in lay person's terms, what does that mean? "It means there will be large cardboard cutouts of me. It will be a concession within their shop. Like, you know the way Brown Thomas has Helena Rubenstein within their shop?" I look at him, slightly dazed. "Exactly like that. Except, unlike Helena Rubenstein, I will make the odd appearance." www.mattressmick.com and ShootAudition on YouTube. Prince's death last week at the age of 57 shocked the music world A woman had reported Prince to police alleging he had an uncontrollable cocaine habit five years before his death. Newly released documents show that a 911 call was made on June 20, 2011 by a woman in Germany saying she was concerned about Prince's drug use, according to the Telegraph. The woman, who has not been identified, said she spoken to Prince a year previously and he had told her that he "cannot control his habit". The records, released by the Carver County Sherifff's Department in Minnesota, indicate that the woman was later advised to report the conversation she had had with Prince. However, the police did not pursue the information because the conversation had happened the previous year and the musician was not in any immediate danger. The records also show that the police received 46 calls relating to Prince and his Paisley Park estate in the interim five years, with most relating to traffic and trespassing issues. One call received in the hours after his death was from a woman who claimed she had a 17 year old son by the musician and wanted to know if the boy could attend Prince's funeral. Prince died last month at his home in Minnesota. He was 57. An investigation into his death has been launched into whether or not he overdosed on prescription medication. However, friends of the star, and his lawyer, have refuted claims that the artist used drugs. Read More Captain America: Civil War Review Does Spidey Belong In Marvel's Latest Movie? Tom Hollands new Spider-Man makes a spectacular entrance in Captain America: Civil War, carving out his own space in Marvels overpopulated movie-verse. He gushes at fellow super beings, oozing the wiliest charms a millennial fan boy has to offer as a perfect distraction while hes webbing feet or lining foes up for a full-swing, wide-screen kick. Suffice to say, Spidey owns during the lightweight bits he gets to swoop in on. But they are bits, so lightweight they can easily be plucked out. Actually, they dont even really belong here, dropping in during fever pitch in a high stakes internal feud between the Avengers. As amiable as he is, Spideys presence compromises the very stakes Civil War is trying to pitch. Lets backtrack a bit. The latest Avengers foray is mounted on an ideological battle between Chris Evans Steve Rogers, aka Captain America, and Robert Downey Jr.s Tony Stark, aka Iron Man. They need to account for the civilian casualties that have gone unseen under all that CGI kablooey from previous movies. The United Nations demand oversight when it comes to future Avengers missions. Stark, burdened with guilt over one particular victim, is all for it. Rogers is suspicious of overseers, because if he learned anything from his century-old history, its that they can be manipulative or manipulated. Evans and Downey Jr. make for perfect frenemies in this argument. Theyve invested enough in their characters opposing views during the franchises long haul that the slow disintegration in their relationship works like dynamite. It helps that weve seen the politics they wield as ammo used in real world scenarios, adding heft to their battle between caution and will, pragmatism and beliefs. Varying Avengers alums fall onto either side of the debate, either because of their personal history, loyalty, or the outcome of their interaction with Bucky Barnes. Hes at it again in brainwashed Winter Soldier mode, though the man within, once Steve Rogers best friend, is fighting to be lucid. All these moving pieces come together with the same Bourne-style momentum that made Captain America: The Winter Soldier a Marvel standout. And then the franchise gears get in the way. Before engaging on a mission to detain his friends, Tony Stark heads to Queens to recruit our new Spidey, a gambit that goes against the very reason hes fighting. If Stark wants to minimize unnecessary casualties by following due process with his superiors, why would he recruit a minor into a major battle without running it by anyone? It doesnt make sense in the storys terms but it makes perfect sense for the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Spider-Man, Marvels most cherished property, has just been returned to the franchise on babysitting terms from Sony Pictures (who hold the movie rights to the character). So Marvel needed to shove that kid into Civil War so he could promote his upcoming movie, Spider-Man: Homecoming, even though his appearance here works against what purity this story could have had. This is just another example of my biggest problem when it comes to Marvels recent outings. They cant focus on telling a good story and Civil War could have been one because halfway through, the franchise is already thinking about whats coming down the pipeline. So the beef between old friends and the real world politics presented so craftily early on fades away amidst pulled punches and chuckles, with Spidey and Paul Rudds Ant-Man joining the fray just because they were asked. Chadwick Bosemans fine take on TChalla (aka Black Panther) at least has a revenge story, though its hard to care considering how much he has to elbow his way in to get noticed. That the directors Anthony and Joe Russo manage to juggle all the promotional tie-ins with some rather slick action is impressive. They keep things ticking along, having fun despite the heavy baggage in a way that Joss Whedon couldnt with Age of Ultron. But the movie loses its heart, becoming less about a battle between ideas and beliefs, and more about breaking up the Avengers so that we can see them unite again in another franchise cycle. Civil War never had any stakes, because Marvel would have never let any of its lucrative properties die. It has been 18 long months since the second season of hit BBC period crime drama Peaky Blinders wrapped, and anticipation for the third is at fever pitch. Kicking off tomorrow on BBC One at 9pm, it will see the return of Cillian Murphy as Thomas Shelby, the head of a Birmingham gangster family trying to emerge from the grit and make it in 1920s Britain. The new series, set two years later in 1924, promises "to take the Shelby family onto the next level", according to writer Steven Knight. "Theyre richer and not necessarily happier," he recently told Deadline. "Tensions in the family are growing. The question of the whole series is, Can people from this background escape, become respectable, get away? "Were trying to dramatize the things that pull them back Cash you can get, the respectability could possibly take 500 years. It looks like they're moving up in the world and Helen McCrory has already revealed that Aunt Polly will move in bohemian circles and will attract an aristocratic admirer. Her son, who had been taken from her when he was five and adopted by a respectable family, was tracked down by Tommy in season two. Aside from Poll herself, he's the only one with the smarts to rival Tommy. Will Tommy come to rue the day he knocked on Michael's adoptive mother's door? Tommy's brother Arthur will also see some changes this season. The resident loose-cannon he was last seen shagging and snorting his way through Birmingham but this series sees him settling down with a wife. Linda (Kate Phillips) may not be all that she seems, however, according to Knight. Aside from those teasers, here are 7 more good reasons to get stuck into the series, if you haven't already... It's based on a real gang The Peaky Blinders were a Birmingham gang who sewed razor blades into the peaks of their flat caps and weren't afraid to use them as weapons in fistifuffs. Knight's father's uncle was a gang member and he has based his group of fictional characters on stories his parents told him. Knight has also drawn inspiration from Westerns, "I wanted to do was take something from my background and mythologize it in a similar way." Expand Close Cillian Murphy in Peaky Blinders / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Cillian Murphy in Peaky Blinders Video of the Day Cillian Murphy as Tommy Shelby Paddy Considine The In America actor is a new arrival for this third series and will play "the most evil character that Peaky Blinders has ever seen" in Father Hughes , according to Knight. Given throats have been slashed and men unceremoniously shot in their nether regions that's saying something. Tom Hardy will also return "with a bang" as Alfie Solomon towards the second half of the series. In fact, the cast is superb across the board from Murphy to Paul Anderson as elder brother Arthur Shelby, Joe Cole as the youngest, John Shelby, Richard McCabe as Churchill and newcomer Finn Cole as Michael Gray, Polly's biological son. The female cast is equally as impressive (see below). Expand Close Paddy Considine in Peaky Blinders / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Paddy Considine in Peaky Blinders Paddy Considine as Fr Hughes The soundtrack Read More You can feel the grit under your fingernails The collective efforts of the cinematographer, costume designer, hairstylist, production designer and more must be applauded for completely immersing the viewer in 1920s Birmingham, whether it's the grimy, industrial bleakness of the city streets, the gloomy, gloopy canals, or the technicolour vibrancy of a roaring 20s London club. Expand Close Peaky Blinders / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Peaky Blinders The Irish connection Thomas Shelby's mother was an Irish gypsy and he's close pals with Johnny Dogs (Irish actor Packy Lee), a Traveller, while his nemesis for the first two series was Northern Irish Detective Inspector Chester Campbell (Sam Neill, whose accent was pretty darn good), and his love interest (and possible wife - we'll find out on Thursday) Grace Burgess (Anabelle Wallis) is a Protestant Irish barmaid whose father was killed by the IRA. Expand Close Grace Burgess, Peaky Blinders / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Grace Burgess, Peaky Blinders Annabelle Wallis as Grace Burgess Speaking of Grace... While Peaky Blinders might outwardly seem like a blokey kind of series, it boasts some of the most interesting and layered female characters on the small, or indeed big, screen. Knight knows how to write women in all their complex, contradictory glory. Helen McCrory deserves special mention for her gripping portrayal of family matriarch Aunt Polly. She steals every scene, which is no mean feat given the calibre of talent. Last time we saw her she was shooting Detective Campbell in the aforementioned man bits. Natasha O'Keefe, who plays former prostitute Lizzie Starke was particularly impressive in a galling rape scene in the final episode of series two. Expand Close Helen McCrory in Peaky Blinders / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Helen McCrory in Peaky Blinders Helen McCrory Series three kicks off two years after the end of the second, with a potential love triangle. It's Tommy's wedding day although it's not clear whether he's marrying Grace, who declared she was pregnant with his child (despite being betrothed to another) or aristocrat May Carleton (Charlotte Riley), who offered herself to him despite knowing his heart (black as it is) belongs to Grace. Our money is on May. Expand Close Charlotte Riley as May in Peaky Blinders / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Charlotte Riley as May in Peaky Blinders Charlotte Riley as May and Cillian Murphy as Tommy It's digestible Who really relishes the thought of binge watching an entire series of Game of Thrones or some other such never-ending 20 episode series? Peaky Blinders boasts just six succinct episodes each series. That's just 12 episodes to get through between now and tomorrow, ahead of the new series premiere. They're all available on Netflix too so there's no excuse... Peaky Blinders series 3 kicks off on BBC Two at 9pm on Thursday May 5. Corrie fans will be thrilled to know that actress Beverley Callard, who plays Liz McDonald, has returned to the set of the ITV soap, according to reports. The writers sent Beverley's character to Spain in order to allow the 59-year-old star to take some time out from work to focus on her health. The departure involved some tough scenes in which Jason Grimshaw (played by departing actor Ryan Thomas) publicly blamed Liz for his father Tony's death from a heart attack. The funeral scenes for Tony had to be reworked due to the actress's time out. However, The Mirror reports that the much-loved star is back on the Weatherfield set in Manchester although producers are reportedly mindful of not placing too much pressure on her regarding storylines. The actress revealed she suffered from depression to Piers Morgan on his Life Stories show in 2014 and said she had even contemplated suicide. She said: "I tried maybe half a dozen times, but it wasn't a cry for help at all. I'd known for quite a while that I wasn't myself, but I didn't really know what to do about it. "I was going to work and I was still filming and I didn't really talk to anyone about it and on that day they took me into The Priory in the early hours of the next morning and ... my doctor said, I looked like a 100-year-old woman. "They tried different medications, but none of them seemed to work." She also previously told The Mirror that she struggled to keep her battle a secret at work but broke down one day when she felt she didn't have the confidence to portray her ballsy character. "I was getting worse and worse each day. I was getting ready in my dressing room and I couldn't take it any more. Liz had to be dressed up for a certain scene she had to wear a PVC outfit," she said. "Fear took over and I started to cry. I thought, 'I'm not confident enough to put this on. I can't do it". Video of the Day However, the star revealed to fans that she is seeing a new doctor and has "hope" in her battle with depression. Irish actor Packy Lee will be back with a bang for the highly-anticipated third series of Peaky Blinders - the BBC's post-First World War crime drama television series starring Cillian Murphy. The 34-year-old, from west Belfast - plays rough-and-ready Traveller honcho Johnny Dogs, best friend of charismatic gang boss Thomas Shelby, whos played by Murphy. Lee landed the role after sending a tape of his performance in the acclaimed Irish drama King of the Travellers to Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight. I thought I was too late for the auditions, but 24 hours after they got my tape, I was on a plane over to England to meet them, says Lee. It really is a dream role for me and, in this series, Johnny Dogs provides a bit of comic relief although he can also be serious. Hes not as violent as the Peaky Blinders, though. A father-of-three Sodhla (8), Seadhna (5) and Dallan (1) Lee has been acting for 20 years and starred in the Oscar-winning short film The Shore (2011) and in Killing Bono (2011). He has relatives in the Travelling community, who have given him positive feedback on his performance in both King of the Travellers and Peaky Blinders. Im from west Belfast Im the only one in the family into acting and Ive spent time with the Travelling community to get into character. I wanted to be 100% authentic for these roles, he says. I would never disrespect them. The accent I have in Peaky Blinders is something I created with the writer and director. I came in with a very strong Traveller accent and they asked me to make it lighter and add a bit of Liverpool, Birmingham and Cork into it. I came up with something thats all forward from the front teeth. I get this wonderful expansion of every word. Over the course of four years of filming Peaky Blinders, Lee has become good friends with its very generous star Cillian Murphy, whom he describes as a pleasure to work with. Video of the Day In the new series, he has also been filming alongside Tom Hardy and Paddy Considine and will appear in the dramatic wedding scene in the first episode tomorrow. And before he dashed off to the red carpet premiere in London last night while his wife Danielle was looking after their three children Lee confirmed the rumours that the late David Bowie was a Peaky fan, who wanted to get involved with the drama. Writer Steven Knight strongly hinted at Bowies potential involvement when he said in a recent interview: Ive had unsolicited communication from Michael Mann, the film director, from (the author) Dennis Lehane, Snoop Dogg hes such a fan. And the late David Bowie was a huge fan more of that to come. Lee says: Yeah, Bowie left a podcast for Cillian to listen to and all these pictures of him wearing Peaky Blinders caps years ago. He wanted to contribute to the show. I mean wow. For something that was such a slow-burner at the start, with very little hype, it has really taken off. But the writings so good, we knew it would. And this series is going to be more nail-biting and international than ever. Im living the dream. I really am. A former solicitor has been sent forward for trial accused of misappropriating about 255,000. Stock Picture Former solicitor Jacqueline Durcan leaves court after facing charges of misappropriating 255,000 A former solicitor has been sent forward for trial accused of misappropriating about 255,000. Jacqueline Durcan (47) previously based in Co Mayo but who now has an address at Rue Laubespin, 10 Laeken, Brussels, Belgium, appeared at Dublin District Court. The prosecution follows an investigation by the Garda Bureau of Fraud Investigation. She faces charges under the Theft and Fraud Act and the Solicitor's Act for alleged offences in Co Mayo from 2008 until 2010. Judge Anthony Halpin heard that the DPP consented to her being returned for trial on indictment to the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. A book of evidence was served and the judge said she was being sent forward for trial on 10 charges. She has not yet entered a plea. There was no objection to her remaining on bail. Judge Halpin told her she will face her next hearing on June 10 in the Circuit Court. He also made an order for disclosure of video evidence to the defence, and legal aid was granted. Ms Durcan is accused of dishonestly appropriating 100,000 and knowingly making a false entry in accounting records on October 21, 2008. She is also charged with dishonestly appropriating 51,000, 20,000 and 60,000 on separate dates in September 2010 and 24,000 in December 2009. She also has charges of making false entries in account records in December 2010 and failing to maintain records in a prescribed manner in September 2010. The parents of a baby boy who died four days after birth say their son was returned to them after his autopsy with blood seeping from his head. Parents Maree and Eoin Byrne said they were driving home when Maree noticed the blood. Holding a blood-stained baby's hat outside Dublin Coroner's Court after a verdict of medical misadventure was returned at an inquest into her son's death, she said: "No parent should ever have to see that." Baby Darragh Byrne was born at the Coombe Women's Hospital in Dublin but died four days later on February 19 2013. His parents, from Woodgrove Lawns, Portlaoise, Co Laois, said they faced "many difficulties, delays and setbacks" in their search for answers. "Our mission today was to seek the truth around baby Darragh's death and prevent a tragedy happening to any other family," Maree Byrne said. "We've lost our son Darragh... Our only comfort is that Darragh's short life will make having a baby in this country a safer place," she said. Dublin's Coroner's Court previously heard how the couple received a "letter of apology" from the hospital acknowledging "failings" in the care of their son. Holding a stained baby's hat, Maree told of a difficult drive from Dublin back to Co Laois. "This is my son's hat, returned to us after his post-mortem. This is the only thing I have left remaining belonging to my son, his blood-stained hat and the harrowing memories of how his perfect little body was cut up and handed back to us." Following three days of evidence, Coroner Dr Brian Farrell returned a verdict of medical misadventure based on the risk factors identified during the inquest. These included the loss of a cardiotocography (CTG) reading while oxytocin, a drug used to induce labour, was administered and accelerated. No medical review of the baby's condition was sought, despite hospital protocol that ensures oxytocin administration requires simultaneous CTG readings. No blood gas analysis or foetal scalp electrode was taken to determine the baby's condition during the period before birth, the court heard. Around an hour before Darragh was born, the registrar decided the baby needed to be born as quickly as possible. But he was unable to perform the C-section and the consultant on call was performing surgery elsewhere. This caused a 20-minute delay which was a matter of concern for the family, barrister Sara Antoniotti told the coroner's court. Baby Darragh was born in poor condition at 1.06pm and passed away four days later. The cause of death was multi-organ failure due to hypoxia, or lack of oxygen. The coroner said he would look at the current protocols around electronic foetal monitoring and the use of Oxytocin at the Coombe and would liaise with the hospital as requested by the family. The demand for Georgian investment properties in north Dublin resulted in intense bidding wars and high sale prices. A jobless man has been charged with an armed robbery at a south Dublin post office during which several gunshots were allegedly fired. Glen Kavanagh (40) was granted bail after he appeared in court today on charges following the incident last January. Judge Timothy Lucey remanded him in custody until he is able to take up bail. Kavanagh, with an address at Oriel Street, Upper North Wall, is facing four charges arising from the alleged incident on January 19 last. According to gardai, a number of shots were fired during the alleged robbery at the post office at Woodbine Park, Blackrock. Mr Kavanagh is charged with robbery, unlawful possession of a Makarov 9mm pistol and ammunition and discharging a firearm, recklessly endangering life. Sgt Trevor Hayes told Dublin District Court he arrested the accused today outside his partners address, where gardai knew where to find him. He was brought to Donnybrook Garda Station and made no reply to any of the charges after caution and was handed a copy of the charge sheets. The arrest followed an investigation by the Donnybrook Detective Unit. Sgt Hayes objected to bail being granted on grounds including the seriousness of the allegations. Applying for bail, defence solicitor Jenny McGeever said the defendant was unemployed and not a man with a drug addiction history. The court heard a doctor was called for him while he was being detained at the garda station but this was only because a burger he was given disagreed with him. He was prepared to abide by conditions if granted bail. Sgt Hayes said if the accused were granted bail, gardai were seeking an independent cash surety of 10,000. The defendant in evidence gave a sworn undertaking to turn up in court, abide by all conditions and get a mobile phone for contact with the gardai. Judge Lucey said he believed 10,000 was tooo much. He set bail in the accuseds own bond of 250, with no cash required. He must also have 5,000 independent surety and either half or all of this can be in cash. He must sign on daily at Store Street Garda Station, surrender his passport and not apply for any other travel documents. Mr Kavanagh was remanded in custody with consent to bail, to appear in Cloverhill District Court next week. George McKelvey (57), who is originally from Dundee in Scotland, leaving court Pic: Courtpix A sub-contractor for Cash and Carry Kitchens who deliberately didn't pay tax on his wife's income as a Weight Watchers leader has avoided a jail term. George McKelvey (57) who is originally from Dundee in Scotland, acknowledged that as he and his wife, Olive, were jointly assessed by Revenue it was his responsibility to disclose both their incomes. However, he failed to declare her profits from 2002 to 2009, which his accountant later estimated to be 309,813, and instead declared his wife as a home-maker with no income. Revenue has since assessed McKelvey as owing them 96,893 in income tax. With 61,213 in interest he has an outstanding tax bill of 158,106. McKelvey of Kenure Lawns, Rush, Co Dublin pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to four sample charges of knowingly or willingly delivering to the Office of the Revenue Commissioner an incorrect return in connection with income tax relating to year ending 2005, 2006, 2008 and 2009 on various dates between November 2005 and January 2010. He has no previous convictions. James Dwyer BL, defending, said 35pc of his client's income was withheld by Revenue and if that amount exceeded his own current tax liability the balance would be paid off his bill. He also had set up a monthly online payment to Revenue of 433. Judge Melanie Greally previously adjourned the case having heard evidence. She noted from a report from the Probation Service that McKelvey was considered a suitable candidate for community service. She suspended an 18-month sentence and ordered that he carry out 240 hours' work in the community within 12 months. McKelvey admitted he knowingly filed incorrect income tax in relation to his wife, referred to her as a home-maker and stated that she had no income. It came as quite a shock some years ago to learn that half the maths teachers in second-level schools were not qualified to teach the subject. But a new initiative is showing that, all over the country, inside teachers of geography, science, business, and other subjects there is a maths teacher waiting to get out. The finding, in 2010, that 48pc of maths teachers were not properly qualified, emerged in research conducted by Dr Maire Ni Riordain and Professor Ailish Hannigan at the then National Centre for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching and Learning (NCEMSTL), now called EPI*STEM, National Centre for STEM Education, based at the University of Limerick (UL). What made it more worrying was evidence that teachers qualified in maths were gradually disappearing: 65pc of maths teachers aged over 35 had a proper qualification, compared with 40pc among those aged under 35. At the time the report was published, only about 16pc of Leaving Cert students were sitting higher level papers, about half of the Government's target if the country is to have a pipeline of school-leavers and graduates with skills essential for a modern economy. There were also concerns that Irish teenagers were presenting as below average in maths in global surveys known as PISA, conducted by the international think-tank the OECD. Multi-national companies were demanding better. There was a national tendency to shrug and sigh that maths was not a strong point of the poetic Irish. But the NCEMSTL report presented an incontrovertible case to seek answers elsewhere - starting with doing something about the quality of teaching. Faced with a shortage of qualified teachers, principals tend to turn to someone with a degree, most likely in science or business, to fill the gap. Raising maths standards became a national priority. Among the Government responses was a programme to upskill what are known as 'out of field' maths teachers - those teaching maths whose main qualification is in a different subject. Many bring a significant background and commitment to maths teaching, but are fully qualified to do so. The programme was an historic step in terms of supporting maths teaching in post-primary schools. A contract to run what is called the Professional Diploma in Mathematics for Teaching (PDMT) was awarded to NCE-MSTL, now EPI*STEM. It is jointly accredited by UL and NUI Galway, and, most importantly, recognised by the Teaching Council. While EPI*STEM is responsible for course design and delivery, the programme involves a national consortium of higher education institutions, also including UCD, DCU and a number of institutes of technology and other colleges. The Department of Education awarded a four-year contract to run the part-time, two year programme, leading to a Level 8 qualification, which is fully funded by the State, so participating teachers pay no fees. Because it has to be accessible to teachers all over the country, it is delivered through a blended learning approach, with both online and face-to-face teaching, at a number of regional centres. As well as the network of third-level colleges, teacher education centres are also used and Google Ireland is a technology partner. It is deemed a huge success and, to date, 528 teachers have graduated. The third class is due to finish soon and the fourth group will complete their studies next year, bringing the original contract to an end. However, the Department of Education recently approved a fifth intake, to start next September, for which EPI*STEM is seeking applications. The course is open to 'out of field' maths teachers, who teach at least one maths class a week. While these are generally science, business or geography teachers, PDMT academic advisor, Dr Niamh O'Meara says they have also had students from other disciplines. PDMT director, Professor Paul Conway of the Faculty of Education and Health Sciences, UL, says one of the big issues in teacher supply, not only in Ireland, but internationally, is fully qualified teachers in all science technology, engineering and maths (STEM) areas, particularly maths. He says the graduation rate on the course is a very high, at above 90pc: "It is a demanding programme but supports are in place in so far as possible to ensure that everyone who starts, finishes." Prof Conway estimates that, when the first five cohorts finish by 2018, there will be about 1,000 graduates, who he says, will make very considerable contribution to maths teaching in Ireland. The roll-out of the programme coincided with the phasing in of the new Project Maths syllabus, providing an added benefit in ensuring that the newly qualified teachers are well equipped for that. The challenges in delivering a high-quality maths education was referred to in reports from the chief examiner on last year's Leaving Certificate and Junior Certificate maths exams, which were published last week by the State Examinations Commission (SEC). The reports noted that all countries grapple with the issue and acknowledge the range of initiatives put in place in Ireland in recent years, including the PDMT programme for 'out-of-field' teachers. 'The maths upskilling course was a great string to my bow' Fiona Keary was teaching maths without being properly qualified in the subject. The Mullingar, Co Westmeath, native graduated from the University of Limerick with a science teaching qualification, but with a shortage of qualified maths teachers, she stepped into the breach as the need arose, taking classes up to Leaving Certificate ordinary level standard. Maths was one of her strengths and she had covered a lot during her third-level studies but says "I fell short in terms of credits to have a Teaching Council qualification." Ms Keary, who works in Our Lady's Secondary, School, Mourne Road, Drimnagh, Dublin jumped at the chance to do the PDMT course and graduated in January. "It's a great string to my bow and it has definitely increased my confidence in teaching maths," says Ms Keary, who can now also take a Leaving Certificate higher level class. Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams has said he believes the late South African President Nelson Mandela would be understanding of his use of the N-word earlier this week. Adams, who was a pallbearer at Mandelas funeral in 2013, apologised for his tweet which featured the offensive word, and admitted he was stupidly and inappropriately trying to make a political point. Adams was applauded warmly at Mandela's funeral when his name was read to the assembled guests. Adams has also referred to Mandela as his hero. Mr Adams told RTEs Ryan Tubridy today: I think he (Nelson Mandela) would understand, I got to know him quite well, I met him numerous times and I had numerous conversations with him. He was loyal He argued for peace, he argued for talks he never wavered on any of those issues. Mr Adams said if he could turn the clock back, he wouldnt send the tweet. He admitted that he had a glass of wine with dinner before tweeting the N-word but he said he was sober. He tweeted Watching Django Unchained A Ballymurphy N*****!, before referring to the main character as an uppity Fenian. Today he explained: I took a glass with my dinner when I tweeted it. I was as sober as could be. Unconditionally it was wrong, he said. I was making a political point quite stupidly and inappropriately. I tapped it in just towards the end of the film (Django Unchained), the film wasnt quite over, the word is used at least 100 times in the film. No I certainly wouldnt do it [again] I was very moved by the film so I probably would have tweeted something about the film factored in my experience that day. Theres no excuse for it and it was silly and stupid, he added. Mr Adams explained he was trying to draw parallels in the similarities of the experiences of the African Americans and the Irish. The whole thing was to make a political point, It was done in a stupid and a clumsy way. He added: In a funny stupid way Im a wee bit colour blind on these issues. Were all human beings and our skin colour or gender or ethnicity beneath it all, we are human beings. With elections looming, politicians from across the political spectrum in Northern Ireland were quick to criticise the use of the racial slur. SDLP leader Colum Eastwood said he found it "absolutely bizarre" Mr Adams would put out a tweet "with such racist language in it". Nelson McCausland of the DUP said: "The comment is absolutely horrendous, not only in terms of the language by using the N-word, but also in that it shows what he really thinks of Northern Ireland." Plain package cigarettes to be sold from this summer after EU ruling The EU's top court has given the go ahead for the introduction of plain packaging on cigarette packets sold in Ireland from this summer. It dismissed objections from the tobacco industry to the life saving measure. The ruling was handed down by the European Court of Justice this morning. The packets will also contain warnings on the dangers of smoking. Branding will be removed from cigarette packets and warnings can be spread over two thirds of the box. Around one in five people in Ireland still smokes but the rate is higher in deprived areas. A male stripper has told of how he was brutally beaten by three men wearing ski masks while on his way to a job at the weekend. Renoir Taha (30), originally from Turkey but based in Dublin, was heading to the job in Co Louth on Saturday evening with his girlfriend when he was attacked by three men brandishing steel bars. Speaking on RTE Radio Ones 'Liveline', he said he couldnt find the house he had been booked to visit. When he tried to call the woman who had made the booking, a male voice answered and told him to wait in the housing estate. When I was waiting, three guys came in a black car. Two of them came to my side of the car, and one of them went to the passenger side. He asked me to get out of the car, and as soon as I got out the guy was aiming to hit me, so I jumped back into the car. Expand Close Renoir Taha / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Renoir Taha My girlfriend was already out of the car, she ran out because the third guy was hitting the windows with a steel bar, so she ran out and started screaming for help, he said. After his girlfriend had escaped, the men targeted Renoir and began to beat him with the bar, as he rushed back inside the car. At first, I thought it was a robbery but they werent trying to take my phone or my car, they were aiming to hit me. He managed to crawl out of the passenger side and started running as well. Expand Close The damage to the car / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp The damage to the car As his girlfriend called for help, several residents of the estate came out of their homes, but Renoir said they merely looked on. I called the Gardai myself and when they came, we were completely in shock. The three men fled, and they have not been caught, he added. Renoir works a minimum of five jobs every Saturday, each lasting between 15-25 minutes, and charges 100 per job. Donning costumes such as a police uniform, he travels all over the country for his work, visiting houses, pubs and hotels to perform for groups of women and men. Most of them are hen parties and birthday parties. I sometimes do baby showers, but thats very rare, he added. I am very professional, I dont head off with any girls. I respect the women, they are just there to have a good time, not some weird guy coming up and trying to get with them. I have good feedback, I always try to make the best out of it and ensure the girls are enjoying it to the maximum. Renoir is unable to return to work immediately due to his injuries. A 23-year old Mayo man is walking barefoot for 2,000 kilometres along the Irish coastline in aid of suicide and self-harm charity Pieta House. Eamonn Keaveney set off from Claremorris Co. Mayo on Sunday, shoe-less, for his three month odyssey. I will be camping out every night - unless I'm offered a place to stay - and only bringing what I can carry with me. I have walked barefoot before but never anything like this. I'm most dreading tender feet and camping in the rain and the cold. I'll probably miss my bed, family and reading books the most. I'd love to meet people along the way and have a chat, he said. Eamonn, who has a Masters in Anthropology, has raised 3,000 so far. Donations can be made here. The 23-year-old says Pieta House is a very worthy cause, helping people across Ireland cope with suicidal ideation and self-harm. I'd really appreciate your support in helping me to raise funds for this organisation. Any donation no matter how small is hugely appreciated. You can follow in Eamonn's footsteps on the Baring my Soles for Pieta House Facebook page. "If you or anyone you know would like to offer him a place to stay over along his journey, please message us [on Facebook]. We have some locations sorted already, thanks to people's generosity and kindness," a message on Facebook read. Independent TD Danny Healy-Rae has been branded Kerry's Sarah Palin following his remarks about climate change. Deputy Healy-Rae told the Dail chamber that mankind had no impact on climate change and that "God above" alone is is responsible for the weather. Galway TD Catherine Connolly drew comparisons between Sarah Palin, the former vice presidential candidate and supporter of climate change denial, and Mr Healy-Rae. "Unfortunately Kerry's Deputy Palin Healy Rae has left the chamber and I would refer him to the inter-governmental panel on climate change and on their assessment and in particular to their fifth assessment report," she told the Dail. Mr Healy-Rae caused controversy when he addressed a Dail debate on the issue. He denied that the burning of fossil fuels was a root cause of global warming despite widespread scientific agreement that it is. Independent TD Danny Healy-Rae told the Dail today that we "can't do anything" about climate change, because "God above" controls it all. The TD made his comments during out-going Environment Minister Alan Kelly's discussion on climate change in the Dail. God above is in charge of the weather and we here cant do anything about it," he said. Meanwhile, TD Kelly criticised Fianna Fail on climate change suggesting it thought pints with the people was more important. The Tipperary TD pointed out the issue was left out in the party's recent deal with Fine Gael. I find it deeply ironic that this house is debating climate change today as reports come through regarding a deal to support a minority government, he told the Dail today. The major issue now missing from this document is actually climate change. It's not in it. The global cause of our generation is missing from the now famous document. Mr Kelly said Fianna Fail did not have global focus as he claimed it did not consider the affect climate change on the poorest. Before he added, maybe pints with the people is more important than the world's poorest. He also hit out at the two largest parties length of time discussing the deal, also known as the Trinity Treaty. A third level college was the right location for these talks because the Trinity Treaty is the greatest example of Student politics at its worst, he said. Gerry Adams continued to drag modern politics and even water protesters into his attempts to justify the use of the phrase "Ballymurphy N****r" on Twitter. In a sometimes bizarre radio interview Mr Adams denied being a racist, saying: "I've never seen myself as white." But Mr Adams continued to draw comparisons between 19th century slavery depicted in the movie 'Django Unchained' and the Troubles. He stuck to using the 'Irish slave myth' to try and justify his shocking N-word outburst on Twitter. During a lengthy defence of his use of the toxic word in a tweet on Sunday night, he even brought the water charges protest into his argument. While apologising for his use of the N-word, the Sinn Fein president said: "I live a wee bit on the edge on Twitter. I enjoy it. I know it excites some comment. Some people see some of my tweets as a bit bizarre. "I know some people think I shouldn't be on Twitter at all, at all. But sure in the middle of it all, despite the seriousness of the discussion we're having, you have to have a bit of craic and be yourself every so often." Speaking on LMFM, Mr Adams insisted: "I saw a parallel as I have for a long time between the plight and the struggle for African Americans and people back here at home. I tweeted about that." He described the Quentin Tarantino film as a "very violent but very powerful movie". "I used the N-word, realised that was a mistake, deleted it and then apologised. But I stand over my main point, my substantive point which was to look at the broad parallels between what was happening in America with African American folks and what was happening in our own place," Mr Adams said. Rambling However, in a sometimes rambling explanation he then went on to drag modern day politics into the debate. He said penal laws were ended because people stood up for themselves. "People of my own home district, Ballymurphy, have stood up for themselves. And people in Louth whether it's water protesters, not trying to compare like with like, or demanding health services, or fighting for the hospital to be returned to Dundalk or better services in Drogheda, people standing up for themselves or their neighbours. "While they may not be like with like because if you're being horsewhipped or hanged that's a different matter. But in terms of the dignity of human beings. "I've never seen myself as white. That's only skin deep. I'm a human being. We're all human beings, whatever our skin colour, whatever our gender, whatever our ability or disability. The fact is we're all human beings and we all deserve to be treated properly. And it's all about rights and what was happening in America." With elections looming, politicians from across the political spectrum in Northern Ireland were quick to criticise the use of the racial slur. SDLP leader Colum Eastwood said he found it "absolutely bizarre" Mr Adams would put out a tweet "with such racist language in it". Nelson McCausland of the DUP said: "The comment is absolutely horrendous, not only in terms of the language by using the N-word, but also in that it shows what he really thinks of Northern Ireland." Police in Britain are investigating the tragic death of a young Irish father-of-one after a fight in the early hours of the morning. Kilkenny man Kevin Kelly (27) died from injuries he sustained about 5am last Sunday in Luton. Bedfordshire Police have launched an investigation called 'Operation Dubnium' and have appealed to the public for assistance. Police say Mr Kelly was in the Upper George Street area of Luton when "an altercation" broke out. He was taken to hospital, where he died from his injuries. Police have confirmed a man has been arrested in connection with the incident. Locals in the village of Skeoughvosteen, in rural Kilkenny, said they were only just coming to terms with the tragedy. His mother and father, two brothers and two sisters are said to be "completely devastated" by the news. It is believed the last time Mr Kelly returned home was just five weeks ago to attend a friend's wedding. Local Fianna Fail councillor Peter Cleere, who knew Mr Kelly and lives near his family home, said the entire community was shocked by the tragedy. "I knew Kevin very well, he was a couple of years below me in school. The whole area is stunned," Cllr Cleere said. "They are a well known family and well liked. He was a likeable fellow and a lovely chap. He was just a nice lad and everybody is stunned. "We are all devastated for the family. Everybody is shocked, a young man from a rural community. When the word came out, nobody knew what to say. "He loved going out for a few pints . . . he was just a typical rural Irish lad." It is expected Mr Kelly's remains will be returned to Kilkenny. Labour Party chairman Willie Penrose has revealed he is willing to provide free legal representation to householders who wish to launch legal action against the State over the water charges fiasco. The Longford/Westmeath TD last night said that he believes Irish Water customers who have paid their bills would be justified in launching the legal action if they are refused refunds. Mr Penrose, who is a qualified barrister, said such cases could be taken on "discrimination grounds" and that he is willing to provide legal representation "pro bono". "The Government is on a sticky legal wicket if they don't deal with this," Mr Penrose told the Irish Independent. "Law-abiding citizens are entitled to receive refunds and they should be given without delay. If not, our opinion is there could be a constitutional case on discrimination grounds. And I would be happy to provide representation pro bono," he added. Legal sources last night concurred that cases may be taken in the event of refunds not being issued. To date, more than 950,000 households have paid their bills. However, there is still confusion within political circles in relation to whether refunds will be issued, following the work of the independent expert commission. A number of Fine Gael ministers, including Heather Humphreys and Damien English, have publicly called for refunds to be issued. One source suggested that such a move would cost the State in excess of 250m. Politically, the decision to suspend charges is seen as a capitulation by Fine Gael to the demands of Fianna Fail. A woman who had 9,500 taken from her account by scammers says she is going to the Financial Ombudsman over the banks treatment of her case. The lady, named Carmel, fell victim to the fraud after she responded to an email purporting to be Bank of Ireland in February. She has not yet received any refund from her bank. Speaking to RTEs Liveline, she said she could understand why people would say she should have been more careful. If this was 100 or 200 youd say fair enough, she said. Given that its a substantial figure, I suppose I was expecting a completely different outcome. The problem first arose when Carmel responded to an email, which said Bank of Ireland wished to update her account details. She was then prompted to put her own name and her mothers maiden name in a pop-up box, which she did. She was not asked for her password or other security details. She was then alerted to a number of transactions via her banks text and email service. She then realised that her account had been emptied in three transactions, all within the space of an hour. What came back to me was that I had revealed sufficient information to allow [the scammers] to be able to use the data to withdraw the money, she added. She also stressed that she had the large sum in her account after she changed her car just prior the scam. The bank later told Carmel that since she had revealed her own information, they could do nothing about it. That decision did not change after Carmel made a complaint. While Carmel admitted that the bank did alert her to the problem, she said the procedure would lead you to believe if they alerted you they would do something about it. Carmel added that she thought telling the bank she had revealed her information in response to an email had reduced her chances of getting the money refunded. Im a customer for 20 years plus, she said. I have all of my banking with them. I have my mortgage with them. They are making more than [the money lost] from the interest on my mortgage. Carmel also expressed her dismay at not receiving a phone call from the bank, and dealing only through letters. My next step is the Financial Ombudsman, so thats what Im on with now, she added. That seems to be as much as I can do, she continued. But as I say, for such a substantial amount, I would have imagined a phone call at least. In a statement, Bank of Ireland said: Customers are always advised if they receive a fraudulent pop-up, email or webpage not to reply or follow any of the specified instructions, regardless of how genuine they may appear and report it immediately to the bank. It added that complaints are assessed on an individual basis. Carly Fleischmann has severe, nonverbal autism but that hasn't stopped her from interviewing one of Hollywood's biggest actors. The 21-year-old is challenging misconceptions about her condition. The young woman was diagnosed with autism and oromotor apraxia at the age of two when her parents noticed that her development was different from that of her twin sister. However, at the age of 10 she had a breakthrough and discovered that she could communicate through typing on a computer. Expand Close Carly Fleischmann interviews Channing Tatum. Photo: YouTube / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Carly Fleischmann interviews Channing Tatum. Photo: YouTube As part of her YouTube series, Speechless with Carly Fleischmann, the Canadian girl is fulfilling her dreams of becoming a TV host and brought Hollywood actor (and her biggest crush) Channing Tatum on board for episode one. He has been a stripper, a police officer, a secret agent, a reporter, a boyfriend to many, and soon he will dump his wife to be with me, she says. I welcome Channing Tatum. She gets the 36-year-old to open up about a number of topics, including the beliefs that he doesn't share with his wife Jenna, his childhood, his dream acting partner, his life as a stripper, his baby Everly and which president he'd most like to have a drink with. Carly made the Magic Mike star laugh throughout their session with her dry wit and cheeky sense of humour. But she wasn't there to joke, she was there to ask the tough questions. "How about that, Channing, would you date a 21-year-old with autism?" she asked. Tatum said yes, but only if he had permission from his wife. "All right," she responded. "I've got my lawyers working on your divorce papers as we speak!" AutismAwareness.com calls Speechless the first nonverbal talk show. The series launched on April 29 and will see Carly interview a number of famous faces over the course of its run. Carly, who uses a communication device, gained notoriety when a video giving insight to how she processes the world when viral in 2012. It's since been viewed more than two million times and brought well-deserved attention to her book Carly's Voice. Aer Lingus's new service to LA takes off today, in the latest boost for Dublin Airport's transatlantic connectivity. The year-round service, which sees four flights per week to LAX, will be operated on the airline's fleet of long-haul, Airbus 330 aircraft. It is the first of three new North American routes Aer Lingus is launching this year, to be followed by direct flights from Dublin Airport to Newark (New Jersey) from September 1, and Hartford (Connecticut) from September 28. One-way fares on the 11-hour flight start from 299, the airline said. The Aer Lingus route is the latest boost in connectivity to LA, with Ethiopian Airlines already operating direct flights as part of its one-stop service between Addis Ababa and LA, and Iceland's WOW air offering connections via Reykjavik. Ethiopian operates its three-times weekly service on a Boeing 787 Dreamliner with fares from 271 in June as we publish, although it does not offer US Customs and Border Preclearance in Dublin, as is the case with Aer Lingus. WOW's fares start from 189 each way, though its service includes at least an 80-minute stopover in Iceland and checked baggage fees from 54.99 (Aer Lingus and Ethiopian both include checked bags in their fares). However you get there, Los Angeles will enthrall. Enjoying something of a revival and about to get a new Metro line from Downtown to Santa Monica, the Californian city offers sun, sea, a tantalising food scene and a world-class arts district. And that's not even starting on Hollywood and its surrounding hills. Transatlantic travel is booming at Dublin Airport, which will operate over 290 flights per week to/from nine destinations in the US this summer. Read more: The fact that Irish Water is continuing to send bills to households at a time when charges are supposed to be suspended is a nonsense. But the blame does not lie with the utility. The law says that if a household draws water from the public mains, or discharges wastewater into a public sewer, they must pay. Irish Water's hands are tied. In fact, the law also says that not only must the utility send a bill, you must pay it. In the absence of legislative change, it's business as usual. But there is no doubt that payment rates, which currently stand at 61pc, will plummet. After all, why would anyone pay after Fine Gael and Fianna Fail made it abundantly clear that they plan to suspend the charge for at least nine months? And, given that there has to date been no action against non-payers, compliant customers might be forgiven for thinking Irish Water is giving them the two fingers when the latest bill lands on the mat. The message has also been sent that the Dail will ultimately decide if the charges will be re-introduced. Given the make-up of the house, there are two chances of this happening - slim and none. Sending these bills comes at a cost of at least 800,000. That's a lot of money which could be used to fund upgrades, including installing alarms in smaller plants to ensure that water is being treated to the required standard, protecting drinking water sources, or helping to reduce leakage. And, lest we forget, raw sewage continues to flow into the sea, so every cent does count. But because Fine Gael and Fianna Fail have so far failed to cobble together a government, the fiasco that is water continues and bills continue to be sent out. Money is being wasted because the parties haven't directly told people there is no legal requirement to pay their bills by enacting the necessary legislation. For this ridiculous and shambolic state of affairs, don't blame Irish Water. The public's ire should be directed at the politicians who have allowed this to happen. Premium John Downing Opinion Pension reforms are dicey territory but grand plan by minister Heather Humphreys just might win through Pension system changes all across the western world have a great propensity to infuriate those most feared by politicians: the grey brigade. And when the oldies take to the streets, they usually play for keeps. Sun's out, legs out Razors out? Body hair removal may appear to be quite a modern beauty invention - it's certainly true that female shaving and waxing has become mainstream since World War 2. However, hair removal actually has a 6,000-year history. The Egyptians removed all body hair apart from their eyebrows and eyelashes. In ancient Greece, body hair was deemed uncivilised and as such is completely absent from all their ancient artwork. These original beauty buffs used a form of depilatory cream called 'dropax', a mix of vinegar and earth to trim back body hair. While today we have a huge array of body hair removal options - Brazilians, Hollywoods, landing strips - something of a backlash has begun, with women shunning hair removal in the name of feminism. Celebrities including Cameron Diaz and Lena Dunham have made keeping their body hair a political statement, contributing to social media hashtags such as #armpithairdontcare. Gwyneth Paltrow (pictured) describes her bikini line as "working a '70s vibe", while Madonna posted a selfie proudly displaying her dyed underarm hair in an effort to encourage body positivity and autonomy. I wholeheartedly applaud their gumption and totally understand the point they're making. Ultimately, it comes down to personal aesthetic and choice. Wherever you stand on the issue of female body hair, I know very few women who would be comfortable with excessive or very visible facial hair. And I can't imagine any of those celebs above gracing the front cover of many magazines with their furry moustaches and chin whiskers blowing in the wind machine. So, if body hair is not your thing, take a look at the panels on the right for some pain-free and effective hair removal options. La Prairie Skin Caviar Luxe Eye Lift Cream, Brown Thomas Expand Close La Prairie Skin Caviar Luxe Eye Lift Cream 292 / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp La Prairie Skin Caviar Luxe Eye Lift Cream 292 292 The cult beauty brand delivers serious results, but with an eye-watering price tag. Lacura Caviar Video of the Day Expand Close Aldi Lacura Caviar / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Aldi Lacura Caviar 8.99 Illuminating Cream, Aldi This supermarket product is an impressive alternative. 3 of the best Hair Removal Products Remington Lady Shave, 19.99, pharmacies nationwide Expand Close Remington Lady Shave, 19.99 / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Remington Lady Shave, 19.99 For ladies not keen on waxing, this shower-proof battery-operated razor is a powerfully precise yet hypoallergenic alternative. Comes with a bikini line attachment. Dr Bronner 18-In-1 Castile Soap in Almond, 12.30, health food stores nationwide This fantastic brand is fully organic, vegan, biodegradable and has an industry-leading environmentally friendly ethos. This is their hard-working hero product - it has 18 different uses from cleaning skin and hair to cleaning floors, clothes and even the dog! Brilliant when used as a calming shaving cream - perfect for sensitive skin. Kiehl's Nurturing Oil for Mom & Baby, 21, department stores Expand Close Kiehls nurturing oil / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Kiehls nurturing oil For silky smooth baby soft skin post wax or shaving, smooth on this 100pc natural product. It acts as a nurturing and super-soothing post-shaving skin balm. (NOTE Mineral oil - is a petroleum based oil used in numerous skincare products. It is extremely unhealthy for skin. It is comedogenic (clogs pores, increases likelihood of acne and blackheads) It infuses the skin with zero nutrients and does not actually penetrate the skin' s surface - it may feel silky but actually it has been proven to merely sit on top of the skin. To be avoided) Treatment of the week What? Lycon waxing, available in beauty salons throughout Ireland. See lycon.ie for stockists. Where? Brazilia, South William Street, Dublin 2. (01) 675-0000, brazilia.ie Treatment? Lycon is an all-natural Australian soft wax that is 60pc less painful then strip waxing and threading. Areas that can be treated include the upper lip, chin, face, nose and nipples as well as bikini, leg and underarm areas. Cost? From 10-90. Ruths verdict? This was such a brilliant discovery for me. There was absolutely no redness or discomfort afterwards because this wax sticks to the hair not the skin, resulting in a much more gentle treatment. Lycon wax can be used on hair as short as 1mm so its ideal for facial waxing. It uses only natural ingredients, aromatherapy oils and a very low temperature. Results can last up to six weeks. Much less abrasive than strip waxing or threading. (TIP: Get waxing done a week after your period your pain threshold will be a lot higher!) Recommended product? Lycon Ingrown-X-It Soloution Smooth this lotion onto affected areas to decongest and minimise the occurrence of ingrown hairs after waxing. 21.50 at Brazilia Lord Patten said it would be "ridiculous" to stop the BBC showing popular shows at peak viewing times Lord Patten has said it would be "ridiculous" to bar the BBC from showing popular shows such as Strictly Come Dancing and The Great British Bake Off at peak viewing times. The BBC Trust's former chairman delivered a robust defence of the BBC in which he also criticised Culture Secretary John Whittingdale and sections of the press. As part of a speech at the Reuters' Institute Lecture on the future of the BBC, he also addressed reports that Mr Whittingdale is said to want a BBC that is more "distinctive". In response, Lord Patten said in his lecture: "Yes, it really would be 'distinctive' to strike Strictly or Bake-Off from the schedules because they're too good and too popular. It would also be ridiculous. A BBC One that's not popular wouldn't be the BBC that licence payers demand." Mr Whittingdale is being widely tipped to include a bar on the BBC going head-to-head with commercial rivals as part of the review of its charter. He is due to publish a White Paper within weeks that will set out a tougher new regime as part of a proposed deal to grant a new Royal Charter to safeguard the service for another 11 years. In the speech delivered at Oxford's St. Anne's College, Lord Patten said the forthcoming charter is "the one chance we have to stop the BBC becoming more and more the plaything of the government of the day". He called for the end of the link between Charter renewal and the new fixed term Parliaments. "How ridiculous it is that, because the Charter expires eighteen months after a general election, the BBC is bound to become a priority for any incoming government," Lord Patten said. Lord Patten also spoke of a "besieged" BBC and called for "everyone who cares" to "make our voices count." Video of the Day He said the corporation was under attack "by Government. By the Press. By Sky. By Google. By Apple". "Once a giant in the communications market" the BBC is "now dwarfed by multinational platforms who drive up the cost of content - of acquisition, of talent, of production, and of ideas - but have no interest in the UK except as a market". He added: "BBC's real income has fallen over the past decade by more than 15%," he said before adding, in the past five years alone, "BSkyB's revenues went up by more than 16%, and ITV's increased by 21%". He said that in order for the BBC to produce programmes and services that inform, educate and entertain, terms spelled out in its Royal Charter, it would require a BBC "not just free of political control but free of political threat". "A BBC that can stop looking over its shoulder and waiting for the next White Paper," he stated. On the subject of politicians who "grab an easy headline at the BBC's expense" he said "constituencies where the voters worry more about the BBC than they do about having a job ... don't exist." He also put forward the idea of a new Commission "to guarantee the independence not just of the BBC but of all broadcasting". Its roles, he said, would be to appoint the chairman and non-executive directors of the BBC. It would also recommend and publish proposals for future levels of BBC funding. Finally, it would appoint the chair and deputy chair of Ofcom. "Such a Commission would make it much more difficult for future governments to raid the licence fee," he said. Lord Patten also talked of the public's overwhelming support for the BBC. "The consultation exercise plainly failed to provide the answer Mr Whittingdale wanted," he said. The review of Mr Whittingdale's plans for a reform of the BBC, one of the largest-ever public consultations, saw 81% of respondents indicate satisfaction with the corporation's content. Lord Patten praised the corporation's output, including dramas such as Happy Valley, Wolf Hall, Sherlock and Line Of Duty and said: "No-one would invent the BBC today. But thank God our predecessors did. The BBC is one of this country's greatest institutions." Heidi Cruz, wife of Republican U.S. presidential candidate Senator Ted Cruz, bites her lip and closes her eyes as she listens to her husband drop out of the race for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination during his Indiana primary night rally in Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S., May 3, 2016 Republican U.S. presidential candidate and businessman Donald Trump pauses as he speaks to supporters after his rival, Senator Ted Cruz, dropped out of the race for the Republican nomintion following the results of the Indiana state primary, at Trump Tower in Manhattan, New York, U.S., May 3, 2016 Republican front-runner Donald Trump went from long-shot contender to become the party's presumptive nominee with a commanding win in Indiana, and the party began to coalesce around him as top rival Ted Cruz bowed out of the race. The New York billionaire, who has never held public office, had repeatedly defied pundits' predictions that his campaign would implode. He prevailed despite making outrageous statements along the way that drew biting criticism but still fed his anti-establishment appeal. Expand Close Heidi Cruz, wife of Republican U.S. presidential candidate Senator Ted Cruz, bites her lip and closes her eyes as she listens to her husband drop out of the race for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination during his Indiana primary night rally in Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S., May 3, 2016 / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Heidi Cruz, wife of Republican U.S. presidential candidate Senator Ted Cruz, bites her lip and closes her eyes as she listens to her husband drop out of the race for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination during his Indiana primary night rally in Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S., May 3, 2016 The former reality TV star now can prepare for a matchup in the Nov. 8 election with Hillary Clinton expected to be his Democratic opponent. Clinton's march to the Democratic nomination was slowed by rival Bernie Sanders' victory over her in Indiana. Trump's immediate challenge is to unite deep fissures within the Republican Party as many party loyalists are appalled at his bullying style, his treatment of women and his signature proposals to build a wall on the border with Mexico and deport 11 million illegal immigrants. "We have to unite the party if we want to win in November," said Henry Barbour, a Republican National Committee leader from Mississippi. "Donald Trump is the guy with the keys to the car. He's the one who needs to unite us. Now is his opportunity. The voters have picked him." Trump himself called for unity in a speech at a victory rally that was free of his usual bombast and flamboyance. Trump's victory put to rest a belief that Republicans would choose their nominee at a contested convention when party leaders gather in Cleveland July 18-21. At his victory rally at Trump Tower in New York, Trump walked on stage with wife Melania and other family members as the Rolling Stones' "Start Me Up" blared over loudspeakers. He is likely to formally wrap up the nomination on June 7 when California votes, although Ohio Governor John Kasich vowed to stay in the race as Trump's last challenger. Trump called Indiana a "tremendous victory" and immediately directed fire at Clinton. "We're going after Hillary Clinton," he said. "She will not be a great president, she will not be a good president, she will be a poor president. She doesn't understand trade." Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus called Trump the party's presumptive nominee in a tweet and said, "We all need to unite and focus" on defeating Clinton. CRUZ: "VOTERS CHOSE ANOTHER PATH" As the vote returns flowed in, Cruz announced that he has ended his campaign in Indianapolis, with his wife, Heidi, at his side. Cruz, 45, sounding beaten but defiant, said he no longer sees a viable path to the nomination. "We gave it everything we got. But the voters chose another path, and so with a heavy heart, but with boundless optimism for the long-term future of our nation, we are suspending our campaign," said Cruz, a U.S. senator from Texas. Clinton's campaign signaled the former secretary of state's approach to dealing with Trump in a statement issued by senior Clinton adviser John Podesta, who said Trump seeks to "bully and divide Americans." "Throughout this campaign, Donald Trump has demonstrated that he's too divisive and lacks the temperament to lead our nation and the free world. With so much at stake, Donald Trump is simply too big of a risk," he said. Cruz had hoped to show he was still a factor in the race. Some at his event expressed shock at the decision by Cruz, who had been the last serious challenger to Trump out of an original field of 17 candidates. Dan Follis, 62, was too rocked by Cruz's announcement to know for sure his next thought on the campaign. But he was sure of one thing: "I will not vote for Trump." Trump won at least 51 of 57 possible delegates awarded in Indiana, according to the Associated Press delegate tracker. His victory in the state pushed him to 1,047 delegates of the 1,237 needed to clinch the nomination, compared with 153 for Kasich. Cruz had 565 delegates before suspending his campaign. On the Democratic side, Clinton now has 2,202 of the 2,383 needed, while Sanders has 1,400. Trump declared Cruz a tough man to beat. "Ted Cruz, I don't know if he likes me or doesn't like me. But he is one hell of a competitor. He is one smart guy. And he has got an amazing future," Trump said. Trump also reached out to both Hispanics and African-Americans as he talked about ensuring jobs and saying he would "make America great again." "This is going to be a beautiful and loving country," Trump said. THIRD-PARTY ALTERNATIVE But anti-Trump groups said they would continue fighting, and Lanhee Chen, who had advised former Republican candidate Marco Rubio, broached the possibility of a third-party candidate. "Tonight's outcome raises seriousness & urgency of discussions about third-party alternative; how real it is depends on who steps up to run," he tweeted. Cruz had been counting on a win in Tuesday's primary to slow the New York businessman's progress toward the nomination. But Trump rode momentum from wins in five Northeastern states a week ago to wrest Indiana from Cruz, whose brand of Christian conservatism had been expected to have wide appeal in the state. The only hope Kasich has for becoming the Republican nominee is to somehow deny Trump the 1,237 delegates he needs to win the nomination outright and force Republicans at the July convention to choose one of them. Kasich vowed to stay in the race. "As long as it remains possible Governor Kasich will fight for the higher path," said Kasich senior strategist John Weaver. "Governor Kasich will continue to campaign and offer the voters a clear choice for our country." A furious Pakistan has condemned Donald Trump's "ignorant" claim that he could force Islamabad to free a doctor who helped the CIA track down Osama Bin Laden. Chuadry Nisar Ali Khan, Pakistan's interior minister, told Mr Trump that his country "is not a colony of the United States" and would decide for itself on the fate of Dr Shakil Afridi. It seems that even as the New Yorker was hoping that Indiana's nominating contest will make him unstoppable in what originally had seemed to many a quixotic quest for the Republican presidential nomination, new storm clouds were gathering for the famously blunt-spoken real estate mogul. Trump enjoys a double-digit polling lead over US Senator Ted Cruz of Texas, who has been campaigning in the Midwestern state almost non-stop since mid-April. Cruz has trumpeted Indiana, one of the last big states left in the fight to get onto the November ballot, as his golden moment to force a brokered nomination at the party's July convention. But it appears to be shaping up as his Waterloo. Dr Afridi is feted as a hero in the US for running a fake vaccination campaign that led to the raid on Bin Laden's Abbottabad compound in May 2011, but has been in jail in Pakistan for almost five years. Mr Trump told Fox News on Friday that he would make Pakistan cooperate in freeing Dr Afridi if he were elected as president because the South Asian country needs US aid money. "I think I would get him out in two minutes. I would tell them let him out and I'm sure they would let him out. Because we give a lot of aid to Pakistan," said Mr Trump. But Mr Nisar responded that Mr Trump's statement "serves to show not only his insensitivity, but also his ignorance about Pakistan." "Pakistan is not a colony of the United States of America. He should learn to treat sovereign nations with respect," he said. Since 2002, Pakistan has received around $13bn for its support of the US-led war in Afghanistan, in addition to billions more in humanitarian aid. But Pakistan maintains that it has made huge sacrifices in standing alongside the US since the 9/11 attacks, and suffered the losses of thousands of its citizens' lives as a result. "The peanuts the US has given us in return should not be used to threaten or browbeat us into following Trump's misguided vision of foreign policy," said Mr Nisar. Demands Mr Trump's promise to pursue the freedom of Dr Afridi is consistent with several US leaders' demands in recent years. Hillary Clinton, during her tenure as US secretary of state, denounced Dr Afridi's treatment as "unjust and unwarranted", while furious senators withheld $33m of aid in protest. Mr Afridi was arrested in July 2011 amid revelations that the CIA had organised a fake Hepatitis C vaccination campaign in the area they suspected bin Laden of living in, to try and get his family's DNA. He remains in prison charged with murder relating to a patient he had treated eight years previously. The row comes as the US Congress this week forced the withdrawal of a subsidy to Pakistan for the purchase of eight American F-16 fighter jets worth 880m, under intense Indian lobbying. A study says an overeating gene can explain why some Labradors become obese Labradors are often overweight because they have a gene linked to overeating, new research has suggested. The most common breed of dog in the UK and the US, Labradors are more likely to become obese than others. Scientists at the University of Cambridge have discovered that 23% of the loveable dogs have a variant of an obesity-related gene strongly associated with weight and appetite. In a study published today in the journal Cell Metabolism, a team of researchers studied 310 pet and assistance dog Labradors to look for variants of three candidate obesity-related genes. They also examined the dogs' "food motivation" by asking owners about their animals' relationship with food. The researchers found that a variant of one gene in particular, known as POMC, was strongly associated with weight, obesity and appetite in Labradors and flat coat retrievers. In both breeds, for each copy of the gene carried, the dog was on average 1.9kg heavier, an effect size particularly notable given the extent to which owners, rather than the dogs themselves, control the amount of food and exercise their dogs receive. Lead author Dr Eleanor Raffan said: "This is a common genetic variant in Labradors and has a significant effect on those dogs that carry it, so it is likely that this helps explain why Labradors are more prone to being overweight in comparison to other breeds. The gene affected is known to be important in regulating how the brain recognises hunger and the feeling of being full after a meal. "People who live with Labradors often say they are obsessed by food, and that would fit with what we know about this genetic change," says Dr Raffan. The scientists even believe that understanding how the gene - which is also found in humans - works in dogs might help tackle the obesity crisis. Professor Stephen O'Rahilly, Co-Director of the Wellcome Trust-Medical Research Council Institute of Metabolic Science, says: "Common genetic variants affecting the POMC gene are associated with human body weight and there are even some rare obese people who lack a very similar part of the POMC gene to the one that is missing in the dogs. "So further research in these obese Labradors may not only help the wellbeing of companion animals but also have important lessons for human health." The parents of missing Madeleine McCann have said "there will always be hope" in the hunt for their daughter despite doubt over the future of the British police investigation into her disappearance. Kate and Gerry McCann on Tuesday marked nine years since the little girl vanished, saying in a statement on their website that "information is still forthcoming" in the inquiry. It came after Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe revealed that British investigators have one remaining line of inquiry before the probe is wound up in the next few months. In their statement, the McCanns said: "As yet another anniversary comes around, we'd like to thank all our supporters for your continued help and commitment in the search for Madeleine, and the hope for her safe return. "It has been a very long time but the investigation continues, information is still forthcoming and our hope and resolve continue. Until we have answers, until there is news (real news!), there will always be hope and we will continue to do everything we can to help find Madeleine." According to the Daily Mirror, the couple marked the anniversary with a prayer meeting in the village of Rothley in Leicestershire where they live. Expand Close Madeleine McCann (right) and her mother Kate / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Madeleine McCann (right) and her mother Kate Madeleine vanished at the age of three while on holiday with her parents in Portugal on May 3 2007 and, despite a hugely high-profile international hunt, no trace of her has ever been found. Speaking on LBC last week, Sir Bernard said: "There is a line of inquiry that remains to be concluded and it's expected that in the coming months that will happen." The Home Office has granted 95,000 funding to keep the investigation - which now only has a handful of officers working on it - going for another few months. The McCanns are helping to promote a single, called I Hope, which is being released by the charity Missing People on May 20 ahead of International Missing Children's Day. It is performed by relatives of missing children alongside stars including Rick Astley, Chesney Hawkes and Lesley Garrett. Greek police in riot gear stand near refugees and migrants at the northern border point of Idomeni (AP) The European Union's executive commission has recommended that Turkish citizens be allowed to travel to Europe without visas on short holidays and business trips, a major step towards fulfilling a key part of an agreement with Turkey to deal with the migrant crisis. The European Commission said Turkey has met most of the 72 criteria needed for a visa waiver, and it invited member states and EU politicians to endorse the move by June 30. Commission vice-president Frans Timmermans said "there is still work to be done as a matter of urgency but if Turkey sustains the progress made, they can meet the remaining benchmarks". Turkey must fulfil the final five criteria before the visa waiver is approved. The move is part of a package of incentives offered to Turkey - including up to six billion euro (4.7 billion) in aid for Syrian refugees and fast-track EU membership talks - to persuade Ankara to stop migrants heading to Europe and take thousands back from Greece. That deal has raised legal and moral questions, as EU nations unable to agree among themselves about how to handle the refugee emergency chose instead to outsource it to Turkey, where almost three million refugees are staying, most of them people fleeing war in Syria. Visa liberalisation, which must come by June 30, would be an important sign that the Europeans are living up to their promises. Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan has warned that the whole agreement will collapse if the EU reneges on any pledge. Once the visa proposal is endorsed, only Turkish citizens with biometric passports including facial and fingerprint data would be allowed to enter, Mr Timmermans said. Visa-free travel would be possible in all EU member states except for Britain and Ireland, which have provisions for opting out of such policies, and would include four members of the Schengen passport-free travel area; Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. In a separate move, the commission proposed that EU countries refusing to accept refugees under new proposals to overhaul the EU's failed asylum laws face fines - dubbed a "solidarity contribution" - of 250,000 euro (197,000) for each asylum seeker rejected. The penalties are part of a new plan to more evenly share the burden of hosting hundreds of thousands of people fleeing conflict and violence in places such as Syria, with the current asylum system on the verge of collapse. The plan still has to be accepted by a large majority of member countries - around two-thirds under the bloc's qualified majority system - and EU politicians. The fine will prove controversial as some countries already vehemently oppose the current EU scheme to share 160,000 refugees in Greece and Italy. Hungary has even moved to hold a referendum on the issue. Under present EU laws, people seeking international protection in Europe must apply for asylum in the country where they first arrive. That effectively means Greece and Italy have been overburdened, and many of their EU partners have failed to help them cope. The new scheme would kick in automatically once a country comes under high migration pressure. Other member states would take in a share of any asylum seekers - not people trying to escape poverty or looking for jobs - calculated from each nation's population and economic strength based on gross domestic product. But members could choose not to take part for 12 months. "The member state which temporarily does not take part in the corrective allocation must make a solidarity contribution of 250,000 euros per applicant," according to the text, which is a draft legal proposal to EU states and the European Parliament. A new EU asylum agency would also be set up and be responsible for supervising the way the whole system is working. Israel has a vibrant food scene, melding flavours from Jewish immigrants around the world with local Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cuisine The leader of an organis-ation representing Jews across the world has asked the Michelin travel guide to evaluate Israeli restaurants with its famous rating system, implying that the decision to omit the country may be political. In a letter to the Michelin Guide, World Jewish Congress president Ron Lauder said it was a "concerning omission" that Michelin did not have a guide to Israel. "Israel today is a venerable amalgam of cultures and traditions, which come together to produce a distinctive and exceptional culinary scene," wrote Lauder. "Why, therefore, has your company refused to produce a guide to Israel's restaurants? "Though I am sure that it is not your intention, some have speculated that reasons other than merit colour Michelin's decision not to visit Israel," Lauder, a billionaire businessman and philanthropist, added. Israel, particularly Tel Aviv, has a vibrant food scene, melding flavours from Jewish immigrants around the world with local Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cuisine. Ted Cruz is out of the Republican presidential race (AP) Republican Donald Trump is all but clear to run for US president (AP) John Kasich is set to end his bid for the White House (AP) Ohio governor John Kasich is leaving the Republican US presidential contest, sources said, giving Donald Trump a clear path to his party's nomination. Mr Kasich will announce the end of his underdog White House bid on Wednesday, according to three campaign officials. The decision comes a day after Mr Trump's only other rival, Ted Cruz, dropped out. With no opponents left in the race, Mr Trump becomes the Republican Party's presumptive presidential nominee to take on the Democratic nominee in November - presumably Hillary Clinton. Though armed with an extensive resume in politics, the second-term Ohio governor struggled to connect with Republican primary voters in a year dominated by anti-establishment frustration. Mr Kasich was a more moderate candidate who embraced elements of President Barack Obama's healthcare overhaul and called for an optimistic and proactive Republican agenda. Even before news of Mr Kasich's decision surfaced, Mr Trump signalled a new phase of his outsider campaign that includes a search for a running mate with experience governing and outreach to one-time competitors in an effort to heal the fractured Republican Party. "I am confident I can unite much of" the party, Mr Trump said on NBC's Today Show, as several prominent Republicans said they would prefer Democrat Mrs Clinton over the New York billionaire. In a shot at his critics, Mr Trump added: "Those people can go away and maybe come back in eight years after we served two terms. Honestly, there are some people I really don't want." His comments on several networks came a few hours after Mr Trump, once dismissed as a fringe contender, became all but certainly the leader of the Republican Party into the autumn campaign against Mr Clinton. The former secretary of state suffered a defeat in Indiana to her rival, Bernie Sanders, but holds a definitive lead in Democratic delegates who will decide the Democratic nomination. The Republican competition changed dramatically with Mr Trump's Indiana victory and Mr Cruz's abrupt decision to quit the race. Mr Trump won the Indiana contest with 53.3% of the vote, to Mr Cruz's 36.6% and Mr Kasich's 7.6%, according to unofficial results. Some Republican leaders remain wary of Mr Trump and have insisted they could never support him, even in a face-off against Mrs Clinton. "The answer is simple: No," tweeted Nebraska senator Ben Sasse, who has consistently said he could not support Mr Trump. What is their plan moving forward? "Prayer," responded Republican strategist Tim Miller, a leader of one of the party's anti-Trump groups. "Donald Trump is just going to have an impossible time bringing together the Republican coalition." Some conservative leaders were planning a Wednesday meeting to assess the viability of launching a third party candidacy to compete with him in the autumn. Such Republicans worry about Mr Trump's views on immigration and foreign policy, as well as his over-the-top persona. Hours before clinching victory in Indiana, Mr Trump was floating an unsubstantiated claim that Mr Cruz's father appeared in a 1963 photograph with John F Kennedy's assassin, Lee Harvey Oswald - citing a report first published by the National Enquirer. Mr Trump defended his reference to the Enquirer article as "not such a bad thing", but the line of attack was the final straw for some Republican critics. "(T)he GOP is going to nominate for President a guy who reads the National Enquirer and thinks it's on the level," Mark Salter, a top campaign aide to 2008 Republican nominee John McCain, wrote on Twitter. He added Mrs Clinton's slogan: "I'm with her." On finding a running mate, Mr Trump told MSNBC's Morning Joe that he will "probably go the political route", saying he is inclined to pick someone who can "help me get legislation passed". Mr Trump did not identify any of the names under consideration. He also said he is hoping to decide within a week how to fund a general election campaign, but said he did not want to accept money from super PACs. He told ABC's Good Morning America that he would begin to accept more political donations. "I'm really looking at small contributions, not the big ones. I don't want anyone to have big influence over me," he said. A prominent Cruz donor, Mica Mosbacher, quickly signalled support for Mr Trump and urged others to follow. "I call on fellow conservatives to unite and support our new nominee Trump," said Ms Mosbacher, widow of a member of George H W Bush's cabinet. "My heart goes out to Cruz, who has a bright future. He did the unselfish thing to drop out." Vermont senator Bernie Sanders eked out a victory over Mrs Clinton in Indiana, 52.5% to 47.5%. But the outcome will not slow the former secretary of state's march to the Democratic nomination. Heading into Tuesday's voting, Mrs Clinton had 92% of the delegates she needs. "I know that the Clinton campaign thinks this campaign is over. They're wrong," Mr Sanders said. But Mrs Clinton has already turned her attention to the general election. She and Mr Trump now plunge into a six-month battle for the presidency, with the future of America's immigration laws, healthcare system and military posture around the world at stake. While Mrs Clinton heads into the general election with significant advantages with minority voters and women, Democrats have vowed not to underestimate Mr Trump as his Republican rivals did for too long. Mr Trump later said he would be willing to consider Mr Kasich as a running mate. He told CNN he would "be interested in vetting John," but added that even as governor, Mr Kasich would be "helpful" with swinging Ohio into the Trump column on Election Day. Mr Trump added he has a good relationship with Mr Kasich. SHARE Shown from left are Sheriff Mike Crenshaw, Sergeant Bryan Long and Captain Jeff Underwood of the Uniform Patrol Division. Sergeant Brian Long named Oconee Officer of the Year Oconee County Sheriff's Office Uniform Patrol Sergeant Bryan Long was awarded the Oconee Officer of the Year Award recently during the 11th annual Anderson, Oconee, and Pickens Law Enforcement Appreciation Banquet, held at T.L. Hanna High School. The Oconee officer of the year award is sponsored by 10th Circuit Solicitor Chrissy Adams. The banquet is held to benefit the criminal justice scholarship funds for the criminal justice programs at Anderson University and Tri-County Technical College. The keynote speaker was Republican 4th District U.S. Congressman Trey Gowdy. Long, who is the Road Sergeant for the Alpha shift patrol unit, has worked for the Sheriff's Office for almost 12 years and is a member of the Sheriff's Office SWAT team and is also an instructor in Firearms, Defensive Tactics, Ground Defense and Emergency Vehicle Operations. Long is also a member of the Dive Team, has gone through the Swift Water Rescue Program and is a volunteer firefighter. In nominating Long for the Oconee Officer of the Year award, Uniform Patrol Division Captain Jeff Underwood noted that under Sergeant Long's supervision, three deputies from the Alpha Shift have received Life Saving awards during 2015. Captain Underwood also wrote in the nomination paperwork, "There is absolutely nothing I would not trust Bryan to handle, take care of or get accomplished. If Sergeant Long is tasked with an assignment, it will get completed and in a timely fashion. Bryan has never received many accolades for his work because he does not need them or seek them." This is the second award that Long has received this year. Back in February, Long was awarded the 2016 Seneca American Legion Law Enforcement Officer of the Year at the annual Joseph Earl "Jake" Robinson Law Enforcement Dinner. SHARE PHOTOS BY KEN RUINARD/INDEPENDENT MAIL Lesly Temesvari, principal investigator for the Centers of Biomedical Research Excellence of the NIH, smiles at the Watt Family Innovation Center at Clemson University while talking about a $10.5 million grant from COBRE for research on eukaryotic pathogens. Officials said Wednesday that Clemson received a $10.5 million federal grant to fight infectious diseases that threaten people around the globe. A poster displays details about Clemson University's Eukaryotic Pathogens Innovation Center. Kerry Smith, co-investigator for a $10.5 million grant from COBRE to Clemson University for research on eukaryotic pathogens, speaks at the Watt Family Innovation Center in Clemson. Lesly Temesvari (left), COBRE principal investigator, smiles while standing with co-investigator Kerry Smith (middle) and Clemson University President Jim Barker before announcing a $10.5 million grant from COBRE to Clemson. By Mike Eads of the Independent Mail CLEMSON Clemson University researchers are getting a $10.5 million to fight infectious diseases that threaten people around the globe. The National Institutes of Health award to Clemson's Eukaryotic Pathogens Innovation Center was announced Wednesday at the Watt Family Innovation Center. The NIH money will be distributed through that organization's Centers of Biomedical Research Excellence to train and mentor young scientists and researchers to fight dysentery, fungal meningitis, African sleeping sickness and other diseases ravaging populations in the developing world. Those diseases may seem a world away, but they are closer than they may seem, said Kerry Smith, Clemson biology professor and director of EPIC. "It's very clear that as economic development occurs, travel becomes easier and the climate changes, these diseases that were once constricted to tropical and subtropical areas will start coming to the United States," Smith said. EPIC researchers collaborate with physics, biochemistry and chemistry researchers across the campus to understand parasites and improve drug delivery systems. Much of the work is done in the center's labs and offices on the top floor of Clemson's Life Sciences Facility, which, like EPIC, opened for business in 2013. Both Smith and EPIC co-founder Lesly Temesvari said having so many of the students and professors researching pathogens under one roof strengthened the grant proposal to the NIH. "It's the shared infrastructure, having all of the EPIC faculty are together except one and there's interaction not just between faculty, but also students, in the labs," said Temesvari, who will become associate dean for graduate studies and research for Clemson's new College of Science this summer. The NIH money comes from a bundle of grants to fund more opportunities for junior scientists, research technicians, graduate students pursuing doctoral degrees, administrative support and matching young scientists with mentors at other universities and research facilities. Vice President of Research Tanju Karanfil said the grant reflects well upon EPIC, Clemson University and the greater research community across the state. "To me, this shows that South Carolina and Clemson have the intellectual capital to train the students and conduct research with implications well beyond the state," said Karanfil, who took over recently for the now-retired Larry Dooley. "This shows we have the faculty who can train and the infrastructure for this research." Clemson University President Jim Clements agreed with Karanfil. "A grant of this nature can truly be transformational for a program, and I am grateful to the NIH for their support," Clements said Wednesday. "This grant is a testament to the outstanding research that our faculty is doing. What our faculty in EPIC are doing could someday make a difference for people around the world, and I am so proud that this type of work is happening right here at Clemson." This is Clemson's second COBRE award and the first to the university outright. In 2009, a $9 million grant helped establish the South Carolina Bioengineering Center of Regeneration and Formation of Tissue (SC BioCRAFT), collaboration with the Medical University of South Carolina. In 2014, SC BioCRAFT received a follow-up grant from the COBRE for $11 million. Follow Michael Eads on Twitter @MikeEads_AIM SHARE State Sen. Lee Bright By Tim Smith, tcsmith@greenvillenews.com COLUMBIA A proposal on Tuesday by Sen. Lee Bright to withhold funds to local governments that pass certain bathroom ordinances has failed, likely ending any legislative debate on the issue this year. Bright's proposal came as the state Senate began debating its version of the budget for the fiscal year starting in July. The proviso would have withheld funds from any local government if it adopted any ordinance or regulation "requiring a business to allow a person to use a restroom, dressing room, or shower room different than the restroom, dressing room or shower room designated for that person's sex as identified on that person's birth certificate." But senators asked that the proposal be ruled out of order, citing a rule that requires amendments be germane and not alter permanent law. Bright argued that because the state maintains a local government fund and often alters the amount of money going into the fund, there is precedent to amend the budget that way. But Lieutenant Gov. Henry McMaster, without elaboration, sustained the point of order, killing the proviso. Ted Pitts, the CEO of the South Carolina Chamber of Commerce, told The Greenville News that if lawmakers allowed Bright to address the issue in the budget it would be "bad for South Carolina jobs." "It's one politician's effort to try and be relevant in an election year where he is worried about his political career," he said. Bright was the chief sponsor of a controversial bill that would bar people from using public bathrooms, changing rooms and locker rooms that do not correspond with their biological sex and prevent local governments from passing legislation allowing such use. The bill failed to collect enough votes to get out of the Senate General Committee, which held two hearings on the matter. The legislation was modeled on a recently enacted North Carolina law that has spawned controversy, protests and a move to repeal the law. North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory issued an executive order several weeks ago addressing some provisions in the law though leaving unchanged the most talked about part that requires people to use bathrooms of their sex at birth. Opponents of the bill, including transgender adults and youth, said if passed the bill could trigger further harassment and violence against transgender people and was unnecessary. Three mayors spoke against the bill as well as former State Education Superintendent Inez Tenenbaum, who warned it could cost the state billions of dollars in federal funding because it violated federal law. Proponents of the bill said it was needed to protect children and adult females from people posing as transgender females. Gov. Nikki Haley has said the bill is unnecessary. 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No worries for refund as the money remains in investor's account." www.indiainfoline.com is part of the IIFL Group, a leading financial services player and a diversified NBFC. The site provides comprehensive and real time information on Indian corporates, sectors, financial markets and economy. On the site we feature industry and political leaders, entrepreneurs, and trend setters. The research, personal finance and market tutorial sections are widely followed by students, academia, corporates and investors among others. Star Ferro & Cement, holding company for cement manufacturing company, reported consolidated net profit of Rs.39.75 crore for the quarter ended March 31, 2016, registering decline of 27.71% yoy, but growth of 114.17% qoq. The companys revenue stood at Rs. 563.18 crore, up 11.09% yoy and 31.35% qoq. Its consolidated core operating profit of Rs. 126.70 crore for the quarter, declined by 18.13% yoy but clocked growth of 38.14% qoq. Operating profit margin for the current quarter at 22.5% contracted by 803 bps yoy but expanded by 111 bps qoq. For the year ended March 31, 2016, the company reported consolidated net profit of Rs. 91.98 crore, growing by 10.23% yoy. Its consolidated revenue for the period stood at Rs. 1,712.09 crore, registering growth of 19.69% yoy. Star Ferro & Cement 's core operating profit stood at Rs. 394.95 crore, recording decline of 9.22% yoy. Operating margin for the current period at 22.93% contracted by 749 bps yoy. On standalone basis,Star Ferro & Cement , reported standalone net profit of Rs.0.30 crore for the quarter ended March 31, 2016. However, it had reported net loss of Rs.0.74 crore in the corresponding quarter of the previous year and Rs. 0.42 crore in the preceding quarter. Its standalone core operating loss narrowed to Rs. 0.15 crore for the quarter compared to Rs. 0.73 crore in the same quarter of the previous year and Rs. 0.44 crore in the preceding quarter. For the year ended March 31, 2016, the company reported standalone net profit of Rs. 22.71 crore as compared to net loss of Rs. 1.38 crore in the corresponding period of the previous year. Star Ferro & Cements core operating loss widened to Rs. 1.49 crore from Rs. 1.39 crore in the corresponding period of previous year. Result Highlights: (Rs. in crore) Reported Results IIFL Estimates Variance (%) Consolidated Revenue 563.18 450 25.15 Consolidated Net Profit 39.75 35 13.57 Consolidated EPS for the quarter stood at Rs. 1.79. Stock Commentary: Star Ferro & Cement Ltd is currently trading at Rs. 119, down by 3.05 points or 2.5% from its previous closing of Rs. 122.05 on the BSE. The scrip opened at Rs. 121 and has touched a high and low of Rs. 122.45 and Rs. 118 respectively. So far 7929(NSE+BSE) shares were traded on the counter. The current market cap of the company is Rs. 2711.95 crore. The BSE group 'B' stock of face value Rs. 1 has touched a 52 week high of Rs. 175 on 22-May-2015 and a 52 week low of Rs. 96 on 12-Feb-2016. Last one week high and low of the scrip stood at Rs. 128.25 and Rs. 119.35 respectively. The promoters holding in the company stood at 66.64 % while Institutions and Non-Institutions held 0.12 % and 33.24 % respectively. The stock is currently trading below its 200 DMA. The Indian equity market yet again closed in the negative terrain extending its losing streak to the third consecutive trading session. Nifty closed near days low amid an absolute monotonous session as Nifty was stuck in a mere 50 point range. After a decline in the manufacturing PMI, sentiment was hit again today as services PMI fell to 53.7 in April 2016 from 54.3 in March 2016. Global cues too weighed on the indices. China manufacturing data and downgrade in Eurozone growth forecast led to resurfacing of fears about slower global growth in the future. The metals stocks, which were in momentum in the past week, were top losers for second consecutive session as the BSE metals index slipped by 3.5% followed by the realty, auto, telecom and banking index. The midcap and smallcap index lost further ground. Only the BSE IT index closed with modest gains. Finally, the BSE Sensex ended with a loss of 128 points at 25,102. The BSE Sensex opened at 25,211 touched an intra-day high of 25,246 and low of 25,061. The NSE Nifty closed with a loss of 40 points at 7,706.55. The NSE Nifty opened at 7,724 hitting a high of 7,749 and low of 7,697. The India VIX (Volatility) index was down 0.55% at 17.3650. The BSE Midcap index ended down 1.22% and Smallcap index closed lower by 0.98%. On the global front, China's Shanghai Composite index and Hang Seng ended lower. The Japanese stock market is closed until Friday for the Golden Week holidays. European stocks hovered near a three-week low on Wednesday, with shares in Dialog Semiconductor and BHP Billiton among the worst performers. The FTSE 100 is trading lower by 1.28%. DAX and the CAC 40 are trading down over 1% each. The Indian Rupee was trading down 22 paise at 66.63 per US dollar. HDFC, NTPC, Aurobindo Pharma, HCL Tech, Infosys, HDFC Bank, Idea Cellular and Sun Pharma were among the gainers on NSE, whereas Adani Ports, Tata Motors, Tata Motor DVR, Hindalco and BHEL were among the losers today. Out of 1,453 stocks traded on the NSE, 1,096 declined and 306 advanced today. Adani Ports and SEZ tumbled 11.9% to Rs. 207.65. The company posted a net profit of Rs. 9140.60 mn for the quarter ended March 31, 2016 compared with Rs.6607.30 mn for the quarter ended March 31, 2015. Tata Steel slipped 5.6% to Rs. 329 on BSE. The UK-based commodity trading firm Liberty House Group formally submitted the first bid for some of Tata Steel Ltds UK assets. Sun Pharmaceutical gained 0.6% to Rs. 802.75 on BSE. The company singed a global deal with ICGEB for treatment of Dengue. Under the deal, Sun Pharma is expected to produce novel Dengue drug for 17 countries. MEP Infrastructure gained 1% to Rs. 42. The Company received the Letter of Acceptance (LOA) dated May 03, 2016 from National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) informing that MEP has been engaged as the Contractor for the Project of "Collection of user fee through Fee Collection Agency on the basis of competitive Bidding for Paduna Toll Plaza at Km. 311.100 for the section Km. 278.000 to Km. 348.000 [Udaipur- Kherwada] of NH No. 8 in the State of Rajasthan". Tata Motors dropped 6.7% to Rs. 381 after its wholly-owned subsidiary Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) reported 2 per cent fall in US sales in April 2015 BASF India jumped 4% to Rs. 961.25. The companys standalone revenue stood at Rs.1,152.12 crore, up 7.44% yoy and 1.8% qoq. A total of 14 stocks registered a fresh 52-week high in trades today, whereas 22 stocks touched a new 52-week low on the NSE. Alankit Limited, Bharat Bijlee Limited, Biocon Limited, Cholamandalam Investment and Finance Company Limited, Essel Propack Limited, Gujarat Narmada Valley Fertilizers and Chemicals Limited, Maithan Alloys Limited, Orient Paper & Industries Limited, Parrys Sugar Industries Limited, Piramal Enterprises Limited, Petronet LNG Limited, Sagar Cements Limited, Supreme Petrochem were some of the prominent stocks to log a fresh 52-week high intra-day. Adhunik Metaliks Limited, ANG Industries Limited, Austral Coke & Projects Limited, Birla Cotsyn (India) Limited, Farmax India Limited, First Winner Industries Limited, GEI Industrial Systems Limited, Global Offshore Services Limited, Impex Ferro Tech Limited, Jaypee Infratech Limited Paras Petrofils Limited, Prakash Steelage Limited, Provogue (India) Limited, Rainbow Papers Limited, Radha Madhav Corporation Limited, Som Distilleries & Breweries Limited, SHRI ASTER SILICATES LIMITED, Sterling Biotech Limited, Surana Corporation Limited, Visesh Infotecnics Limited, Visagar Polytex, Zee Learn were some of the notable stocks to record new 52-week low intra-day. Dollar Industries Limited, one of the leading hosiery brands of the country, released their 5TV commercial featuring Brand Ambassador, Akshay Kumar shortly. The Bollywood action hero was seen wearing a Dollar vest and showcasing different stunts involving martial arts in the new TV commercial.The basic motto of the TV commercial is to highlight how fitness and flexibility helps to overcome challenges. Mr. Andzei Matsukevits, acclaimed International AD Filmmaker has directed the commercial. Sainath Saraban, who was earlier working as the Creative Head of Leo Brunnet has scripted the TVC.Akshay Kumar has been seen as a mix martial art specialist in the TVC, practicing with Winchu Wooden stand and suddenly challenged by a goon. The brand ambassador used a witty trick and won the fight without even touching him. The TVC ends up with the tagline Jiske Collar Ke Niche Dollar Hota Hain, Usse Panga Nehi Lete Hain. The film is a must watch for those who loves to watch witty flicks.With Akshay becoming the face of Dollar, the brands products have received widespread acceptance across millions of homes in India and abroad. The brands success lies behind its dedication and effort to keep its designs trendy, comfortable and stylish so that consumers are given nothing but the best.The association with Akshay Kumar has created the perfect brand image for our company and it has been a journey worth mentioning. In this period our company has witnessed exponential growth in terms of sales, customer base, dealer distribution network and has become one of the most popular hosiery brands of the country. This is our fifth TV commercial with him and we are very confident that the commercial will have an instant connect with the audience, saidThe concept of the TVC is catchy and in the same line of humour and using your brain. I am delighted that the company is growing day by day, flourishing each fiscal, said the brand ambassadorDollar as a brand always believes in having a fit body and a fearless mind. And the new TV commercial is a reflection of this belief,Dollar will have a 360-degree advertising campaign across print, electronic, outdoor & online media to promote their new commercial. The growth of the company is on an upswing with annual growth rates averaging more than 18% year-on-year.Dollar Industries Ltd., is today amongst the top three hosiery brands in India. The company has four manufacturing units in Kolkata, Tirupur (TN), Delhi and Ludhiana. Dollar Industries enjoys a 15% market share in the branded hosiery segment in India. Dollar Industries have recently started business in African market with Nigeria to reserve more export revenue. The companys existing export markets are in Gulf Middle East as well as Nepal. MetLife, Inc. (NYSE: MET) a leading global provider of insurance, annuities and employee benefit programs, announced that it has been recognized with awards for innovation in three categories at the 2016 Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards including: Category Award Country/Region/Product Award for the Innovative Use of Technology in Customer Service - Financial Services Industries Silver Stevie Winner MetLife Asia Advanced Data Analytics (ADA) Program Award for Innovation in Consumer Products & Services Silver Stevie Winner MetLife Korea GoldenCare Award for Innovation in Brand Development Silver Stevie Winner MetLife Hong Kong Pursue More From Life Campaign Ralph Brunner, Chief Marketing Officer, MetLife Asia said: MetLife is delighted that the Stevie Awards has recognized our industry-leading use of data technology and product innovation as we deliver on our commitment to enhance the experience of customers across Asia. Related to the Award for the Innovative Use of Technology in Customer Service, MetLife Asia established its Center of Excellence for Data Analytics (COEDA) in 2014 to transform big data into customer insights, deliver a more holistic customer experience, and drive improvements to business performance. Brunner added: Our innovative use of data analytics is transforming our understanding and engagement with the customer. We have seen a demonstrable improvement in customer satisfaction across Asia. For the Award for Innovation in Consumer Products & Services, MetLife Koreas GoldenCare Annuity, first launched in 2015, was recognized as a first-of-its-kind solution helping consumers build health and wealth for a better retirement particularly in the context of Koreas rapidly growing elderly demographic. For the Award for Innovation in Brand Development, MetLife Hong Kong was awarded for its successful Pursue More from Life brand engagement campaign. By implementing an integrated yet disruptive approach to challenge the traditional definition of happiness, MetLife successfully raised its brand awareness by harnessing mobile technology and the use of its online e-platform. Created in 2002, the Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards are among the worlds premiere business awards. The mission of the Stevie Awards is to recognize achievements in the workplace worldwide. More than 600 nominations from organizations across the 22 Asia Pacific countries were considered, with each category featuring up to three finalists (gold, silver and bronze). The awards will be presented to winners during a gala event in Sydney, Australia, on Friday, 27 May. About MetLife MetLife, Inc. (NYSE: MET), through its subsidiaries and affiliates (MetLife), is one of the largest life insurance companies in the world. Founded in 1868, MetLife is a global provider of life insurance, annuities, employee benefits and asset management. Serving approximately 100 million customers, MetLife has operations in nearly 50 countries and holds leading market positions in the United States, Japan, Latin America, Asia, Europe and the Middle East. For more information, visit www.metlife.com. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160426007041/en/ The government, through finance minister, had proposed a retrogressive tax and withdrawal clause on the EPF while delivering the budget speech in February 2016. In a recent address, the finance minister, Hon. Arun Jaitley, was quick to defend the move and explained the rationale behind the taxation and restricted withdrawal proposal. He said the governments aim was to achieve policy objectives through taxation. The minister was also categorical that the proposal would have affected the minority subscribers, not the over 3.2 crore subscribers who earn less than Rs 15,000 a month.EPF is Indias largest pension fund with assets value estimated at US$104bn. Apart from having a fairly decent interest return, which is almost same as bank fixed deposit, below are 4 reasons why citizens consider EPF to be the best long-term savings plan.The employer contributes 12% of the employees basic pay to the members provident fund. This is guaranteed by the EPFO who also ensure that these contributions accrue interest at a rate determined by the Central Government. A member can also withdraw from his accretions to cater for financial emergencies such as for education, purchase or construction of house or flat, settling an existing home loan, or to cater for medical expenses. Such expenditure must, however, be accounted for and if found to be misused a refund is demanded. A member can also settle the account upon resignation and receive his contribution, employer contribution, and interest accrued.Through the EPF members are eligible for a pension or to their family in case of death of the member. The member is also eligible for a scheme certificate that displays the service and family details of a member. This certificate is used to apply for the pension (for members who have attained service of over 10 years). A member is guaranteed of pension even if the employer does not contribute to the pension fund.Members who are not eligible for a pension can withdraw accumulated amounts in their pension account. This amount is calculated on the basis of the last average salary and service tenure and not on the actual amount existing in the pension fund account.Upon the death of a member the provident fund, pension, interests earned and Insurance (EDLI) amount are paid to the family or a nominee.These reasons make the EPF the preferred long term savings and investment plan for the working population in India. Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley will leave early morning tomorrow for Frankfurt, Germany in order to participate in the 49th Annual Meeting of the Board of Governors of Asian Development Bank (ADB). The Finance Minister Shri Jaitley will arrive early morning tomorrow at Frankfurt on a days visit. Thewill leave early morning tomorrow for Frankfurt, Germany in order to participate in the 49th Annual Meeting of the Board of Governors of Asian Development Bank (ADB). The Finance Minister Shri Jaitley will arrive early morning tomorrow at Frankfurt on a days visit. Soon after his arrival in Frankfurt, the Finance Minister Jaitley will attend the First Business Session of the ADB. In his Speech at the Session, the Finance Minister would focus on the performance of Indian Economy in the period of global slowdown. He would highlight the micro and macroeconomic indicators of the economy. Cooperation with ADB in development will also be on his agenda. Later, the Finance Minister Shri Jaitley will be meeting Mr. Hans-Joachim Fuchtel, Parliamentary State Secretary to German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development. During the bilateral meeting, the issues of mutual interest of India and Germany in ADB are likely to be discussed. Thereafter, Shri Jaitley will meet Mr. Lyonpo Namgay Dorji, Finance Minister of Bhutan and discuss about economic assistance packages from India to Bhutan, progress of work of hydropower projects funded by India and Sub-Regional Cooperation in the region. Before taking part in the CNBC debate as panelist, the Finance Minister Jaitley will attend other Round Table Meetings and Bi-lateral Meetings including meeting with Mr.Takeshi Kunibe, President and CEO, Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation. Asian Economic Outlook-2016 is the theme of this years CNBC debate being held in the evening tomorrow. In the debate, the Finance Minister Mr. Jaitley will be joined by Indonesia Finance Minister Bambang P.S. Brodjonegoro, Pakistan Finance Minister Mr Mohammad Ishaq Dar, Regional Head for Greater China and ASEAN, Commerzbank AG Ms. Agnes Vargas and ADB President Mr Takehiko Nakao. The 49th Annual General Meeting of Asian Development Bank is being held from 2-5 May, 2016 at Frankfurt, Germany. This Annual meeting has gained significance as Asian Development is playing a significant role in the development of Asia-Pacific region which remains a growth engine for the world. Though Asian Development Outlook 2016 predicts softening in the regions growth rates from 5.9% projected last year to 5.7% each in 2016 and 2017, India continues to maintain high growth rate with rising real incomes and domestic demand and is projected to grow at 7.6% in 2015-16 as compared to 7.2% in the previous year despite decline in exports and two consecutive years of unfavourable monsoons. In the statements released from Frankfurt, ADB President Mr Takehiko Nakao has also expressed confidence in growth story of India. India is going to play a major role in the development of the region. In this context, role of India gets significant importance in the AGM where the Finance Minister Shri Jaitley will be representing India along with Mr. Shaktikanta Das, Secretary. Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance. After participating in the day long events, the Finance Minister Shri Jaitley will start for return journey back home late in the evening and will return to national Capital on 5th May, 2016 after completing his one day official visit to Frankfurt. , has joinedas the Chief Medical Informatics Officer (CMIO) of the company. In his capacity as CMIO,will take on advising and overseeing the clinical operations of the company.Speaking about his new appointment,, Health infrastructure in India is skewed to deliver in Tier 1 cities There is roughly one doctor per every 1800 people and healthenablr is a tele health platform that is working toward connecting patients to verified doctors for trusted health information. I am excited to be part of a venture like this.Dr. Puthillath, MD is a practicing medical oncologist based out ofand is currently the co-chair of the, St Joseph Medical Center, California and Vice Chief of Staff Lodi Health, California. His experience also includes a fellowship in Medical Oncology and Hematology at Roswell Park Cancer Institute (RPCI), the oldest cancer center in the US.As a digital healthcare ecosystem, getting someone from the healthcare sector, especially someone as accomplished and senior as Dr. Puthillath on board, is a big step in the right direction for us. saidDr. Puthillath, has presented research papers in themeetings and has a deep interested in digital health technologies that improve health care delivery models and patient outcomes. He is also at present, part of the advisory board of several health care startups based out of the US and has published numerous articles in peer reviewed medical journals.said, Not only is Dr. Puthillath is a highly respected Oncologist with envious credentials, he is also very passionate about digital healthcare and extremely committed to the growth of Healthenablr. As the Chief Medical Informatics Officer, he will play a critical role in building our telehealth platform and advise us on incorporating the best practices in the fields of medicine and healthcare that he has learned over the years. We are thrilled to have him on board.The healthcare sector is one of the last sectors to be disrupted by technology of Indian doctors still use paper charting for documentation. The per capita expenditure on healthcare is estimated to increaseThe market size of the sector of India was estimated to beduring 2012-13 and is projected to reach, while hitting the7. In such a market, Healthenablr has developed a robust electronic and patient health record system `to seamlessly access data from any point of care.I look forward to working withto make them the preferred ecosystem for consumers to connect with doctors and makethe number one wellness platform for patients, for all their health needs. Tata Motors Ltd ended lower by 7% at Rs. 381. Jaguar Land Rover (JLR), the company's British luxury car unit, recorded decline in US sales during the month of April 2016. Fitch Ratings has affirmed India-headquartered Tata Motor Limited's (TML) Long-Term Foreign-Currency Issuer Default Rating (IDR) at 'BB'. The Outlook is Stable. The rating reflects TML's small size in relation to global auto majors and its profitable wholly owned subsidiary, Jaguar Land Rover (JLR, BB-/Positive), which accounted for 75% of TML's consolidated revenue and 90% of EBITDA in the financial year ended 31 March 2015 (FY15). The scrip opened at Rs. 406.75 and has touched a high and low of Rs. 406.75 and Rs. 394.8 respectively. So far 1995924(NSE+BSE) shares were traded on the counter. The current market cap of the company is Rs. 133492.92 crore. The BSE group 'A' stock of face value Rs. 2 has touched a 52 week high of Rs. 530.95 on 11-May-2015 and a 52 week low of Rs. 266 on 11-Feb-2016. Last one week high and low of the scrip stood at Rs. 425 and Rs. 395 respectively. The promoters holding in the company stood at 33.01 % while Institutions and Non-Institutions held 41.3 % and 25.69 % respectively. The stock is currently trading above its 50 DMA. BRIDGETON, Missouri They cant breathe. Residents of this community near Ferguson site of 2014s police-involved shooting death of teenager Michael Brown have complained for years about lung troubles caused by toxic fumes tied to radioactive waste linked to the atomic bombs that flattened Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Missouris Department of Health and Senior Services will release a study in June to gauge these concerns. Many here call this step positive, small and too late; a slow-moving, subterranean landfill fire that began in 2010, could boost the sites toxic-gas emissions. Some locals have been diagnosed with cancer, which they connect to nuclear waste illegally dumped at the West Lake Landfill by the Cotter Corporation in 1973. This radioactive refuse is from World War IIs top-secret Manhattan Project. Thanks to these conditions, residents who seek government-assisted relocation feel abandoned. Lengthy fights over who ultimately should control the site have slowed cleanup efforts. Paul Berry III, a local African-American small business owner running for the U.S. House as a Republican, has long raised awareness about the toxic waste. I take issue with President Obama and his focus on the Iran nuclear deal while we have nuclear waste sitting derelict in my community less than two miles away, said Berry, who grew up in the area. How are we going to be a steward for nuclear waste when were not even taking care of business in my backyard? asked Berry. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is reportedly investigating the issue following a September 2014 study by Missouris health department. It found that, between 1996 and 2011, the ZIP codes around the landfill included statistically significant, higher incidences of leukemia plus cancers of the colon, prostate, kidney, bladder and brain. [The] recent study by St. Louis County is actually the first time that a government entity has asked people if they feel ill, said Laura Barrett, executive director for the Center for Health, Environment and Justice. This is a hot mess, said Dawn Chapman, a local mother and co-founder of Just Moms STL, a non-profit organization made up of local mothers who worry that these radioactive materials are sickening their families. When Chapman bought a home in nearby Maryland Heights in 2005, she says she was never warned that her family would live near a radioactive waste site. She discovered their close proximity just three years ago when her family began experiencing what she called a horrible odor emanating from the site. A 1988 Nuclear Regulatory Commission study revealed that its inspectors discovered in 1974 that the Cotter Corporation which agreed to buy the atomic refuse from the federal government and dispose of it mixed this waste with 39,000 tons of topsoil. Cotter illegally covered the West Lake Landfill with this irradiated earth in 1973, according to the nuclear agencys report. Its not in barrels. Some of its mixed in the soil and the garbage, said Chapman. Some of its just lying on the surface for over 40 years, and none of us knew about this. Chapman, who lives with her husband and their three special-needs children, described the odor as a burning-electrical smell mixed with trash and petroleum. Two of her kids suffer developmental problems, Chapman said. She personally complains of breathing difficulties. Im 35 and have never had an issue in my life, said Chapman. These past couple of years, Ive found myself using and borrowing other peoples inhalers. Some, however, consider these fears overblown. Low-level radiation is generally a health benefit, said Dr. Jerry Cuttler, a scientist with more than 50 years of experience with nuclear radiation and an adviser to the New York-based American Council on Science and Health. The natural radon level in an open area is very low, said Cuttler. To find a harmful radon level, you would need to go into a uranium mine that has no forced ventilation. Despite ordering landfill owner Republic Services to build a barrier between the fire and the toxic waste, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency denies residents are at risk. St. Louis County, on the other hand, published a 2014 shelter-in-place plan due to concerns that the fire could reach and burn the toxic waste, increase pollution and hurt residents. The fire is expected to smolder until 2024. This plan dismays Chapman, whose home is located several miles from the landfill. Some locals live within half a mile of the site, and the odor penetrates their residences, according to Chapman. What are those people supposed to do? said Chapman. A lot of people here feel like theyre prisoners in their own homes. Situated in the Palpung Sherabling Monastic Seat in Himachal Pradesh's Kangra district, this Buddhist Stupa was built in remembrance of the late Freda Bedi. Famously known as sister Palmo, Freda Bedi was the mother of veteran actor Kabir Bedi. The stupa was built to exemplify her work and service towards her fellow beings. Freda Houlston Bedi was indeed an extraordinary woman with extraordinary deeds. She lived an active and purposeful life, and was very drawn towards Tibetan Buddhism, spending her entire life leading and looking after the welfare of Tibetans in India. A visit to Burma in 1952 while working for the United Nations persuaded her to follow Buddhism, where she learnt Vipassana meditation with Mahasi Sayadaw, apparently one of the first Westerners to be initiated into Vipassana. In 1959, when thousands of Tibetan refugees fled across the Himalayas to India, Freda played a vigorous role in their welfare, establishing schools and religious communities for young Tibetan Buddhists in the new land. She took to practicing Tibetan Buddhism of the Kagyu School under the direct guidance of the Karmapa. She also became the principal of a school established by the Dalai Lama in Delhi for young Tibetans, besides other organisations. In 1963, Freda helped in setting up Karma Drabgyu Thargay Ling, a nunnery for Tibetan women in northern India. In 1966, Freda Bedi became the first British woman to be ordained as a Tibetan Buddhist by the Karmapa. She was also one of the first nuns to reach the higher stature of Lama. Born in Austria, Freda got her education in England and married a Sikh (Kabir Bedis father) at Oxford in 1933, before moving to India in 1934. In the last decade of her life, she chanted and went to Sikkim. She was seen as a motherly figure and apparently, it was during her visit to Sikkim that Freda met 12th Chamgon Kenting Tai Situpa - the head of Sherabling Monastery - and took care of him when he was growing up in Darjeeling and Gangtok. Established in 1976, Tai Situpa envisioned the Palpung Sherabling Monastic Seat as a place to preserve and propagate the sacred teachings of Lord Buddha and to protect the ancient living Tibetan heritage. Palpung Sherabling has been categorically developed and designed keeping in mind the inspirations of the Chamgon Kenting Tai Situpa, blending in a perfect mix of traditional Tibetan architecture with modern materials. Today, it is one of the major learning and practice centers of the Kagyu Lineage as well as Tibetan Buddhism. Its existence has helped in the preservation of art and traditions - so much so that in 2004, the monks of Palpung Sherabling Monastic Seat received the Grammy Award for Best Traditional World Music Album for Sacred Tibetan Chant'! If a proposal by the government goes through, only Rs 2,500 might be charged per ticket for one-hour flights. This is what the government told the Lok Sabha on Tuesday, in the wake of concern over exorbitant airfares. Air Ticket Costs To Leave Chennai Inflated Up To Rs 50,000 As Flights Set To Resume Exorbitant airfares, charged by airlines when people are trying to evacuate, or reach disaster-struck regions might also be curbed. Roderick Eime flickr Economy fare of Rs 35,000 from Delhi to Thiruvananthapuram. Stop this disgraceful exploitation by a public airline! pic.twitter.com/2qNPMrZwQz Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) December 13, 2015 "The Ministry will commence the process of consultations with stakeholders, including airlines, to explore possibilities ... of containing fares," Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju said while replying to a debate on Demand for Grants for the Ministries of Civil Aviation and Tourism which was approved by the house later. These rates were seen recently the floods in Chennai and Srinagar, and the recent Jat community agitation samanthalh Raju reminded the members that the that the airlines did assist evacuations with flights from Arakonam airbase to Bengaluru and Hyderabad, during Srinagar floods, Nepal earthquake, and the Jat agitation in Haryana. Mr Raju said that during the Chennai floods, the airlines did help the government to evacuate stranded people by operating flights from Arakonam airbase to Bengaluru and Hyderabad. When a member from Kerala complained of exorbitant fares on the Gulf route, the minister remarked, "We can control only things in India". Minister of State for Civil Aviation Mahesh Sharma said the government is working on strengthening regional air connectivity and in this regard, there is a proposal to ensure that only Rs 2,500 per ticket is charged for one-hour flights. Mr Raju said a comparative study undertaken by the ministry for January-March 2013 and the same period during 2016 showed a reduction of 18.10 per cent in airfares. This shows that the airlines are passing the benefits from lower ATF (aviation turbine fuel) costs to the passengers, he added. In recent times, concerns have been expressed in various quarters about rising airfares despite fall in fuel prices, which account for over 40 per cent of a carrier's total operating costs. A 25-year-old woman from Manipur has been arrested by police in Mumbai for a 'crime' something that would have been otherwise lauded as an act of bravery. Her crime? She fought-off her molesters! YouTube/ Representational Image The incident happened on Sunday in Kalina when the woman along with three of her friends were returning from a birthday party. While they were waiting for an auto, a group of men approached them and began making comments at them, following which a scuffle broke out. Police said she was arrested as she threw a stone at one of her attackers. The woman was arrested as she threw a stone at one of her attackers as a result of which he started bleeding from a wound to his head, a police official said. The girl complained that the group made derogatory remarks on them including calling the victim 'Nepali'. Police have arrested two men over molestation charges, following the complaint by the girl. commons.wikimedia/ Representational Image I will have to check if the accused used words like 'Nepali'. It is possible the accused are uneducated and do not know it is an offence, Mahadev Wavale, senior police inspector, Vakola police station told Hindustan Times. The accused have been remanded in police custody for two days. The Manipuri woman and her friends were denied bail as they do not have a permanent address. Baba Ramdev has a new fan and it's none other than the former Bihar chief minister, Lalu Prasad Yadav. The two met in Delhi this morning where Lalu was seen endorsing Patanjali products and getting chummy with the Yoga Guru. What ensued thereafter was a riot of laughter. Praises were showered as if they were Delhi rains - completely unexpected. According to Lalu, "People are jealous of Baba Ramdev because he is highly successful." And he didn't stop there. Defending the man who courts controversy with every product his Patanjali makes, Lalu said, "There is conspiracy against Baba Ramdev. If a person becomes healthy by eating bones, no harm in that." Here's how the conversation made its course. 1. It has what now? 2. Healthy as a cow? 3. Umm, okay... 4. And your cow? 5. Is it available in flavours? Say, cow milk? 6. Successful at creating controversies? 7. Rabriji's cows? 8. Why buy Patanjali when one can buy a cow? At a time when the brutal rape and murder of a 29-year-old law student shook the conscious of Kerala, another incident of rape has been reported in the state. This time, the victim was a 19-year-old nursing student. She was raped by two men in an autorikshaw near the capital Thiruvananthapuram. Screengrab The girl who is currently admitted in a hospital after being found unconscious near a railway station has identified the two culprits. Police said one of the rapists, the auto driver was the friend of the victim. "We have clear leads and the accused will be arrested soon, said Deputy Superintendent of Police R. Chandrasekhar. The incident happened on Tuesday, while there were mass protest across the state demanding the arrest of the culprits in the rape and murder of law student Jisha, last week. Manorama Even though police is yet to make any formal arrest in the case, around seven people, including Jisha's neighbour has been detained for questioning. With elections just around the corner, the government has also swung into action. Top cabinet members including chief minister Oomman Chandi and home minister Ramesh Chennithala met the mother of the victim, who is hospitalised due to the trauma over the death of her daughter. The sate government has promised financial aid for the family to build a house and a job for the victim's sister. Meanwhile protests have intensified across the state on Wednesday with thousands holding marches demanding justice for the victim's family. PTI PTI PTI Many are even calling for boycott of the votes if the government and police fail to bring the culprits to justice. #NoVote until #JusticeForJisha, Keralites can we dare once for women's safety? sunitha krishnan (@sunita_krishnan) May 4, 2016 Appalled and saddened by the brutality. If our women and children are not safe from our men then what is?? #JusticeForJisha dulquer salmaan (@dulQuer) May 3, 2016 #JusticeForJisha Today once again Nirbhaya soul may be crying, we lost anthr Nirbhaya. All the rapist must be hanged immidetly. Pradeep Kumar (@pradeepkm2272) May 4, 2016 The Indian government has reportedly rejected smartphone giant Apple's request to sell refurbished iPhones in India. According to a report in Bloomberg, "The US company's application has been turned down." The report quotes telecommunications ministry officials. rollingstone.com Apple had sought permission from the government to import pre-owned iPhones for sale in India. In a written reply to Rajya Sabha telecom minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said, "An application from Apple regarding import of certified pre-owned iPhones for sale in India and manufacturing certified pre-owned iPhones for sale in India has been received in the ministry of environment and forests." The decision is said to have involved several ministries as well as the Prime Minister's Office. Earlier this month, the Department of Electronics and Information Technology had told the environment ministry and the director general of Foreign Trade that it does not support the import of second-hand consumer products as they contribute to electronic waste being dumped in India. cbsistatic.com A previous application by Apple was also rejected by the environment ministry on grounds that this would add to the local e-waste burden as the phones would be close to end of life. Android smartphone makers in the country too are said to be putting pressure on the government to reject Apple's application. According to them Apple's plan to sell 'used iPhones' in India will negate government's Make in India programme. iphonelife.com Mobile and Communications Council of India had written a directly to the government opposing Apple's application. The group's members include the largest phone brands In India like Micromax, Intex and Samsung. Sudhir Hasija, chairman of Karbonn Mobiles, had said, "Make in India could turn into Dump in India." Recently, Apple has also sent an application for approval to the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP) for setting up retail outlets in India. For this, a government panel has recommended exempting the iPhone and iPad maker from mandatory local sourcing norms. This would pave the way for the company to open single-bits brand retail stores in the country. phonearena.com As per the foreign direct investment (FDI) norms, the government may relax the mandatory local sourcing norms for entities undertaking single-brand retailing of products having state-of-the-art and cutting edge technology and where local sourcing is not possible. Rajasthan chief minister Vasundhara Raje is the latest Indian politician to join the growing list of leaders who are indifferent to the acute water crisis and suffering of the people. PTI At a time when the state is reeling under a heat-wave with temperatures hovering above 45 degrees and facing water crisis, lakhs of liters of water was spent on preparing a temporary helipad for the CM's visit to Ajmer. She was in Ajmer to inaugurate the first rope-way system in the state. Twitter The chief ministers visit was for a very short period. Keeping in mind her convenience, we ordered the construction of a new helipad, Ajmer sub-divisional magistrate HL Meena said. Locals the' preparation' of the helipad went on for days. Hindustan Times I was ordered by the officials to water the helipad area to settle the sand at the site. I have been watering the site for past three days. 40 tankers of 6,000-litre capacity each have been pouring water at the site, Shaitan Singh, a water tanker owner told Hindustan Times. The waste of water comes at a time when the state is already declared drought hit. As many as 19 of the total 33 districts are affected by the drought. Rjae is not alone when it comes to shocking insensitivity towards drought victims. Earlier Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah and Maharashtra relief and rehabilitation minister Eknath Khadse had come under fire for wasting water meant for drought victims. Another Maharashtra minister, Pankaja Munde had faced criticism over her 'drought selfie' in Latur. Nevsun Resources has been invited to attend BAMLs Global Metals, Mining & Steel Conference from Tuesday, May 10 - Thursday, May 12, 2016, in Miami Beach, Florida. This conference brings together global leaders from multiple sectors and consists of formal presentations and in-depth Q&A sessions, one-on-one and small group meetings, as well as evening networking receptions. TTIPAmerican Economic Imperialism By Paul Craig Roberts May 04, 2016 " Information Clearing House " - Greenpeace has done that part of the world whose representatives are so corrupt or so stupid as to sign on to the Trans-Pacific and Trans-Atlantic partnerships a great service. Greenpeace secured and leaked the secret TTIP documents that Washington and global corporations are pushing on Europe. The official documents prove that my description of these partnerships when they first appeared in the news is totally correct. These so-called free trade agreements are not trade agreements. The purpose of the partnerships, which were drafted by global corporations, is to make corporations immune to the laws of sovereign countries in which they do business. Any countrys sovereign law whether social, environmental, food safety, labor protectionsany law or regulationthat impacts a corporations profits is labeled a restraint on trade. The partnerships permit corporations to file a suit that overturns the law or regulation and also awards the corporation damages paid by the taxpayers of the country that tried to protect its environment or the safety of its food and workers. The law suit is not heard in the courts of the country or in any court. It is heard in a corporate tribunal in which corporations serve as judge, jury, and prosecutor. In other words, the partnerships give global corporations the power to overturn democratic outcomes. Allegedly, Europe consists of democracies. Democracies pass laws protecting the environment and the safety of food and labor, but these laws democratically enacted reduce profits. Anything less than a sweatshop, with starvation wages, no environmental protection, no safety legislation for food or worker, can be overturned at will by global corporations under the terms of the partnerships. Only a traitor, a well paid one, could sign such a pact. In my opinion, corporate taxation can also be overturned as it obviously reduces profits. The Trans-Atlantic and Trans-Pacific partnerships have been conducted in secrecy. The reason is obvious. Had people known how they were being sold out, there would have been a firestorm of protest. The corporate shills and their propagandists in the financial media could deny my revelations, because I had no official documents to release. The partnership agreements are treaties. Under the US Constitution, treaties are the prerogative of Congress, not the prerogative of an executive branch appointed Trade Representative who represents not the people but the corporations seeking the advantage. To avoid the US Constitution, the agreements are defined as non-treaties. You see how the groundwork for corruption is established. The way it works is that the appointed US Trade Representative negotiates with appointed trade representatives of other countries. Any resistance to the deal is overcome with bribes and intimidation. All of the negotiation is conducted in secrecy. When the trade representatives sign on to the deal, it is presented to the legislatures of the countries. The legislators are told that they must approve the pact and not endanger all the hard work that has gone on for so long and that is in everybodys interest as attested to by all of the bribed and coerced trade representatives. These trade pacts originate in the US, because American global corporations and the American mega-banks are the largest players in the world economy, and the agreements that the corporations walk through the process give the American companies economic hegemony over the countries that sign the agreements. The Trans-Atlantic and Trans-Pacific partnerships are tools of US financial imperialism. Today (May 3, 2016) I debated on Press TV Sean OGrady, the financial editor of the UK newspaper the Independent. It is extraordinary that OGrady took a line totally opposite to that of his newspaper. I suggested to him that perhaps he should read his own newspaper. Today an article in the Independent reported that the leaked documents show that US corporations will be granted unprecedented powers over any new public health or safety regulations to be introduced in future. If any European government does dare to bring in laws to raise social or environmental standards, TTIP will grant US investors the right to sue for loss of profits in their own corporate court system that is unavailable to domestic firms, governments or anyone else. For all those who said that we were scaremongering and that the EU would never allow this to happen, we were right and you were wrong. As I understand it, the situation is worse than the article describes. TTIP applies to laws already on the books, such as Frances laws against GMO seeds and food products. The Independent article continues: Todays shock leak of the text of the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) marks the beginning of the end for the hated EU-US trade deal, and a key moment in the Brexit debate. The unelected negotiators have kept the talks going until now by means of a fanatical level of secrecy, with threats of criminal prosecution for anyone divulging the treatys contents. Now, for the first time, the people of Europe can see for themselves what the European Commission has been doing under cover of darkness and it is not pretty. The leaked TTIP documents, published by Greenpeace this morning, run to 248 pages and cover 13 of the 17 chapters where the final agreement has begun to take shape. The texts include highly controversial subjects such as EU food safety standards, already known to be at risk from TTIP, as well as details of specific threats such as the US plan to end Europes ban on genetically modified foods. The leaked texts also reveal how the European Commission is preparing to open up the European economy to unfair competition from giant US corporations, despite acknowledging the disastrous consequences this will bring to European producers, who have to meet far higher standards than pertain in the USA. According to official statistics, at least one million jobs will be lost as a direct result of TTIP and twice that many if the full deal is allowed to go through. Yet we can now see that EU negotiators are preparing to trade away whole sectors of our economies in TTIP, with no care for the human consequences. The European Commission slapped a 30-year ban on public access to the TTIP negotiating texts at the beginning of the talks in 2013, in the full knowledge that they would not be able to survive the outcry if people were given sight of the deal. In response, campaigners called for a Dracula strategy against the agreement: expose the vampire to sunlight and it will die. Today the door has been flung open and the first rays of sunlight shone on TTIP. The EU negotiators will never be able to crawl back into the shadows again. For those of us in the thick of the EU referendum debate, the contempt shown by the TTIP negotiators to the people of Europe is the most potent reminder of the democratic deficit at the heart of the EU institutions. You can read the Independent article here: http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/ttip-leaks-shocking-what-are-they-eu-us-deal-a7010121.html The revelations are disconcerting for the British and European peoples. For example, the Independent reports that TTIP could cause the privitazation of the National Health Service and the UK Parliament would be powerless to stop it. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/news/ttip-could-cause-an-nhs-sell-off-and-parliament-would-be-powerless-to-stop-it-says-leading-union-a7006471.html See also: http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/comment/what-is-ttip-and-six-reasons-why-the-answer-should-scare-you-9779688.html In our debate Sean OGrady performed as a shill, a propagandist for the corporate interests behind TTIP. He said that it was a free trade agreement that benefitted everyone just as NAFTA and other such agreements have proved to be the case. Tell that to all the displaced American workers. He said that it was unfortunate that the secrecy had possibly hurt the agreements prospects and that it would have been better if the pacts provisions had been known as they were negotiated. That way, he said, the agreement would not be threatened by the shock effect of the leaked documents. OGrady also claimed that no one has thus far agreed to the pact despite the fact that the representatives have agreed to the pact. Perhaps what he means is that legislatures have not given their approval. The headline on the Independent article suggests that the leak will prevent approval: After the leaks showing what it stands for, this could really be the end for TTIP. If so, OGrady regards it as a great loss. For the global corporations, of course, not for the peoples it would exploit. The Greenpeace revelations should deep-six the pact, but I am uncertain. French president Hollande says, provisionally, that France will not sign the pact as it is. In other words, give us some fuzzy language to make it look like we got it fixed. The EUs chief negotiator, Ignacio Garcia Bercero, a likely recipient of a large bribe, rushed to the defense of TTIP by declaring Greenpeace to be flatly wrong. Berceros statement makes no sense. Greenpeace released the official documents. No one denies that the leaked documents are legitimate. So apparently Berceros position is that the official documents are wrong. He sounds like a guy working hard for his money. Bercero, went on to say, according to the BBC, that it is not correct to say the US is pushing for lowering of the level of protection in the EU. This is an amazing lie ! Those who are trying to put a good face on the leak themselves admit that this is precisely what the US is trying to do. They claim that the Europeans havent yet given in. It is disingeneous for Bercero or OGrady or anyone to pretend that TTIP has not been from the very beginning about establishing global corporate hegemony over the governments of democratic countries. I pointed this out when the corporations first made their move. There is no doubt whatsoever that the Trans-Atlantic and Trans-Pacific partnerships are about giving global capitalism immunity from the laws of sovereign countries. EU Trade Commissioner Cecilla Malmstroem is, according to the BBC, steering the TTIP talks. Malmstroem, another likely recipient of a large bribe, says: I am simply not in the business of lowering standards. http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-36185746 Her statement is misleading. She is not in the business of lowering standards. She is in the business of making it possible for global capitalism to overthrow all standards, high and low. From my encounter today with Sean OGrady, a person whose integrity I no longer respect, I expect the corporate bought-and-paid-for Western financial press and governments to close ranks and discredit the leaked documents as some kind of Greenpeace conspiracy theory. Even in my presence, a former Assistant Secretary of the US Treasury and Wall Street Journal editor, OGrady had no compunction about misrepresenting to my face the agreement as a good one harmed only by secrecy. If it hadnt been secret, said OGrady, it would have been OK. All of the blather about free trade and tariff reduction is mere cover for the only purpose of TTIP, which is to establish American economic imperialism over the peoples whose governments sold them out for money. Dr. Paul Craig Roberts was Assistant Secretary of the Treasury for Economic Policy and associate editor of the Wall Street Journal. He was columnist for Business Week, Scripps Howard News Service, and Creators Syndicate. He has had many university appointments. His internet columns have attracted a worldwide following. Roberts' latest books are The Failure of Laissez Faire Capitalism and Economic Dissolution of the West , How America Was Lost , and The Neoconservative Threat to World Order . May 04, 2016 " Information Clearing House " - How is it possible that a hospital is bombed, killing 42 people, including doctors and 2 children burned alive in their beds, and no one is held accountable, punished or has admitted to any wrongdoing? How is it possible that a policeman arrives at a playground, and in less than 2 seconds shoots and kills a 12-year-old, and no one is held accountable? The officer, who had been terminated from another police force for an inability to use firearms responsibly, is still on the job after killing a 12-year-old. No one will be charged, tried, or held accountable in any way. No one has admitted to any wrongdoing. How is it possible that a 12-year-old in a playground is shot dead in two seconds, and the authorities say no one did anything wrong? How is that possible? Let that be your 12-year-old, and have them say no one did anything wrong. How did we get here? This country has dramatically changed its core beliefs since conception. Most Americans are unaware the founding fathers feared, and did not want, a standing military. They were steeped in history and knew full well that strong militaries historically use their power against their own citizens, and the founders fought bitterly over whether there should be any army at all. It was the most bitter argument in the constitutional convention, but finally a small military was created out of fear that Britain would try to reconquer the colony. The military however, was loathed by clear thinkers and viewed as a necessary evil that had to be closely watched, contained, and monitored, which is also the view of this writer. Of course the military has served a useful protective function, but since the end of WWII the public has been led to believe the military must always expand and be honored. We have 1000 bases around the world and the military is out of control. We have lost the ability to solve problems diplomatically and military power is the only tool in our bag. We resort to war as the one solution to all problems. Today, citizens who have no concept of human history revere the military. Every sporting event has a salute to the military. We have "flyovers" and the like, which the founders would have loathed. You have been led to believe the military is a good thing, and you should honor the troops, which would be the last thing the founders would ever have imagined. So that said, here we are. Last October, the US bombed a hospital in Kanduz Afghanistan, and lied about it, then, because of overwhelming evidence, grudgingly admitted it, but called it a mistake. The hospital had given their exact GPS coordinates to the military many times, and had a huge hospital insignia on the roof, but that didn't mean a thing to the US military. The hospital, after the initial bombing, contacted the US military and told them the hospital was being bombed, yet the attack continued for another 45 minutes. Fleeing innocents were strafed. The military made up another pretext, saying there were fighters in the hospital, which also was proven to be false. The hospital and the Afghan government wanted an independent investigation, which the US blocked. We said "we" will investigate ourselves. Guess what they found. It was simply a mistake; no one was charged, tried or severely punished. This, by the way, is not an isolated event. The US has bombed several hospitals in the past, including a pediatric hospital in Iraq. Once might be an accident, but when there is a history of "accidents", something is wrong. Schools have been bombed, entire wedding parties have been obliterated and incinerated. All said to be "accidents", while at the same time bragging about how "smart" our bombs are. No one is ever held accountable for any of these countless horrific murders. The military is now viewed with awe. Years of groundwork have paved the way for the glorification of the military, and they are held high above any kind of law. They can do no wrong. But what happens, for example, to a school teacher who puts his/her hands a child? They are fired immediately and charged in court, as they should be. But police and the military can kill innocents, and not be held accountable. Meanwhile, back to the playground where the 12-year-old was gunned down by a renegade policeman. Our reverence for the military has carried over to anyone who wears a uniform. Most police recruits have a military background, have military weapons, and use military tactics against their own citizens. They can do no wrong; i.e. shooting down a 12-year-old. This is not an isolated example; just follow the Black Lives Matter movement for a few minutes, and you will conclude that blacks are just targets. A young man is simply walking down a stairwell, having done absolutely nothing wrong, and is gunned down by a policeman and no one is held accountable. An elderly man in CT accidentally triggered his Life Alert; the police show up, break down his door and shoot him to dead and no one is held accountable. A man is shot in cold blood while walking down a street having committed no crime. He is shot not just once, but 11 times. A man is shot 41 times by police in NYC. No officer was found to have did anything wrong. Space prevents me from continuing with the senseless slaughter by police. They are viewed as an extension of the military, and so, like the military, can do no wrong. How far we have strayed! It is too bad we have no appreciation for the history of mankind and the history of military forces. The military is so worshipped it consumes most of the available tax money. While cutting every social program possible, the military budget is increased every year. We spend more on the military and security than the rest of the world put together, while slashing all programs for people and infrastructure. This writer will undoubtedly be disparaged for distrusting the military, which proves the point of this article. Next time you watch a sporting event and see a "flyover" by machines that are designed to kill, stop and ask: What is the possible connection between a sporting event and a "flyover" by killing machines? The answer is simple. There isn't any, but it does reinforce the concept of reverence for the military. The True Anti-semites, Past and Present By Jonathan Cook May 04, 2016 " Information Clearing House " - We are desperately in need of some sanity as the British political and media establishment seek to generate yet another new anti-semitism crisis, on this occasion to undermine a Jeremy Corbyn-led Labour party before the upcoming local elections. Corbyn and his supporters want to revive Labour as a party of social justice, while Britains elites hope that in a period of unpopular austerity they can turn the Labour leaderships support for the Palestinians into its Achilles heel. This is nothing more than a class war to pave the way for a return of the Blairites to lead Labour. Israel and its supporters in the UK are only too willing to help fuel the hysteria, given their own fears that a Corbyn-led government would be bad news for an Israel committed to destroying any hope of justice for the Palestinians. I have analysed earlier efforts to foment panic about a new anti-semitism, including during the early years of the second intifada, when Israels popularity plummeted. As now, Israel tried to deflect attention from its increasingly clear abuses of Palestinians and its lack of interest in peace-making by suggesting that the problem lay with critics rather than its policies. You can see my articles about this here, here and here. Then, the chief targets of the new anti-semitism smear were supposedly leftist elements in civil society and the media who were concealing their true goal vilification of Jews behind criticism of Israel. The campaign, despite being patent nonsense, was successful enough that it cowed the few newly emerging critical voices in the media and terrorised senior editors at the BBC into supine compliance with Israels narrative. Thats why we should take this current campaign seriously and worry that Corbyn, who is already on the back foot, is in real danger of conferring credibility on this whole confected narrative of an anti-semitism problem in Labour simply by giving it house room. The only suitable response is derision. Instead Corbyn has suspended leading members of his party and has announced an inquiry. We should be particularly wary of the wolves in sheeps clothing. The Guardians Jerusalem bureau chief Peter Beaumont, for example, was set the task of bolstering absurd claims against Ken Livingstone for being an anti-semite after he stated admittedly clumsily a historical truth that for a period of time Hitler and the Zionist movement shared enough common ground that they held negotiations about transferring Jews to Palestine. Livingstone said the following on radio: When Hitler won his election in 1932 his policy then was that Jews should be moved to Israel. He was supporting Zionism before he went mad and ended up killing six million Jews. Theres a lot of information about this out there Lenni Brenner even wrote a book on the subject. Livingstones mistake was both to express himself slackly in the heat of the moment and to refer to a history that was supposed to have been disappeared down the memory hole. But what he is saying is, in essence, true. He could have gone further, in fact. A century ago, many European anti-semites, including most members of the British government that formulated the Balfour Declaration in 1917 to create a national home for Jews in Palestine, upheld the same logic as the Zionist movement. They saw the Jews as a race apart. They thought in terms of a Jewish question, one that needed solving. And for many, the solution was to export that problem far away, out of Europe. This was not surprising because Zionism emerged both in reaction to Europes ugly ethnic nationalisms where it was normal to speak of races and mirrored these nationalisms failings. The Zionists wanted to claim for themselves the same traits as other European races: nationhood and territory. And the European anti-semites were only too happy to oblige especially if the primary victims were going to be brown people in the colonies, whether in Uganda or Palestine. Fortunately, there is an antidote to Beaumonts kind of stenographic journalism, apparently written up after an afternoon at Israels Holocaust museum Yad Vashem, in the form of this interview with Norman Finkelstein. It is full of profound insights. Finkelstein puts into perspective both Livingstones comments and the orginal offending Facebook post by Labour MP Naz Shah that triggered the latest hysteria. Finkelstein notes that the post (one dredged up from two years ago), which shows a map of the United States with Israel superimposed, and suggests resolving the Israel-Palestine conflict by relocating Israel to the US, was clearly intended to be humorous rather than anti-semitic. I would make a further point. It is also obvious that the true target of the post is the US, not Jews or even Israel making the anti-semitism claim even more ridiculous. The posts implicit argument is that, if the US government and ordinary Americans are really so committed to the creation of a safe haven for Israeli Jews, then would it not be far wiser to locate them inside the US rather than supporting at great expense a garrison state in the Middle East that will always be at war with its neighbours? This is classic satire, and the fact that almost no one in the British media and political establishment can see this or, in the case of Corbyn and his allies, afford to admit it is the real cause for concern. In addition, Finkelstein concludes with a very powerful argument that the new anti-semitism canard is likely and possibly intended to fuel the very anti-semitism that it claims to be exposing and challenging. Here is what Finkelstein says: Our Corbyn is Bernie Sanders. In all the primaries in the US, Bernie has been sweeping the Arab and Muslim vote. Its been a wondrous moment: the first Jewish presidential candidate in American history has forged a principled alliance with Arabs and Muslims. Meanwhile, what are the Blairite-Israel lobby creeps up to in the UK? Theyre fanning the embers of hate and creating new discord between Jews and Muslims by going after Naz Shah, a Muslim woman who has attained public office. Theyre making her pass through these rituals of public self-degradation, as she is forced to apologise once, twice, three times over for a tongue-in-cheek cartoon reposted from my website. And its not yet over! Because now they say shes on a journey. Of course, what they mean is, shes on a journey of self-revelation, and epiphany, to understanding the inner antisemite at the core of her being. But do you know on what journey shes really on? Shes on a journey to becoming an antisemite. Because of these people; because they fill any sane, normal person with revulsion. Here is this Muslim woman MP who is trying to integrate Muslims into British political life, and to set by her own person an example both to British society at large and to the Muslim community writ small. She is, by all accounts from her constituents, a respected and honourable person. You can only imagine how proud her parents, her siblings, must be. How proud the Muslim community must be. Were always told how Muslim women are oppressed, repressed and depressed, and now you have this Muslim woman who has attained office. But now shes being crucified, her career wrecked, her life ruined, her future in tatters, branded an antisemite and a closet Nazi, and inflicted with these rituals of self-abasement. Its not hard to imagine what her Muslim constituents must think now about Jews. These power hungry creeps are creating new hate by their petty machinations. Jonathan Cook is a Nazareth- based journalist and winner of the Martha Gellhorn Special Prize for Journalism - http://www.jonathan-cook.net/blog A 17 year old chap named Agayo Lorzenda is currently cooling off in police custody after murdering his mother in cold blood. Lorzenda shot his mother with a locally made gun after accusing her of using witchcraft to make him impotent. The unfortunate incident occurred at Tse-Agbaigbe Ikyurav-Tiev 11, in Katsina/Ala Local Government Area,Benue state.The suspect was paraded at the Command Headquarters. State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Paul Yakadi, confirmed the incident. Speaking to newsmen, Lorzenda said; It was workers day a couple of days ago in Nigeria and every where across the world. But the question is what kind worker are we in Nigeria? It is based on this that INFORMATION NIGERIA has put together the 6 types of workers you would find in a Nigeria company. The end of the Month workers: These group of workers have no passion for whatever job they are doing. The do it just because of the end of the month package. The overzealous ones: These ones are so ambitious they put in their best on their job. The ones who do not add any value to the company: These one are in the company just like they are receiving their pension. They wont do anything all day. The selfie freaks: These ones would snap with everything they are doing and upload on their page. They may even turn their colleagues to photographer if given the chance. The informants: These league of workers are the ones who would spy on their colleagues, eavesdrop on conversations and go give the MD feedback. The Notice mes/eye service: These ones would suddenly become a super worker on noticing the presence of their superior even when they did not do any before the superior comes in. Former Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Partys (PDP) Board of Trustees, Chief Tony Anenih, has debunked rumours of his death, describing it as the handiwork of mischief makers. An online media reported that Anenih had died of cancer-related ailment in a London hospital on Tuesday night. But the Uromi chief told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on telephone from London where he has been for a while that he was well and strong. If I am dead, will I be talking to you? I am in London; I am alive and enjoying myself, he said. I am not going to issue any press release to debunk the rumour. God will punish them, and I believe that they will die before me. I will be back by Sunday, he said. According to another report, Anenih had slumped on Sunday while having breakfast at his Durham Broadway London home after being recently discharged from hospital. A former Minister of Works and erstwhile Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Peoples Democratic Party, Chief Tony Anenih is alive, his political associates have said. The associates said they spoke to Chief Anenih after the social media became agog with rumors that he had died of cancer in a London hospital. The associates Edo State PDP Chairman, Dan Orbih and Barrister Vincent Akhere, said they spoke with Anenih. They also described the rumored death as a total fabrication and handiwork of mischief makers. Akhere confirmed that Chief Anenih travelled to London on Tuesday and that he would be back in the country this weekend. Akhere said, I spoke with him on phone about 15 minutes ago. Chief is well, alive and kicking. We even joke over the matter. It is true that Chief had a surgery not too long ago but is fine now. In his reaction, Orbih simply said that the rumour was unfortunate, adding that the people behind it should ask God for forgiveness. President Muhammadu Buhari last night commended the people and government of Republic of Cameroon for hosting over 56,000 Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) from Nigeria since July 2014. These group of Nigerians were displaced while fleeing the Boko Haram insurgency that ravaged some Northeastern states. Buhari made the commendation at a dinner and cultural night organized in honour of the visiting President of Cameroon, Paul Biya and his wife, Chantal, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja. While expressing appreciation to the United Nations and other international donor agencies for their assistances to the IDPs across the country, the Nigerian leader also condoled with the families of those that lost their loved ones as a result of the murderous activities of the Boko Haram insurgents. He said: Our special condolences go to families of our fallen heroes who had sacrificed their lives to safe guard our territorial integrity and provide security of lives and property of our people Permit me to use this occasion of your Excellencys visit to Nigeria to once again extend my personal gratitude and that of the Federal Government for your countrys hosting of over 65,000 Nigerian refugees since July 2014. We also appreciate the assistance of the United Nations System, International donors, local and international non-governmental organisations and the ordinary Cameroonian families who share their meager provisions with the refugees in the spirit of African brotherhood. We thank them all. President Buhari said that a comprehensive rehabilitation and resettlement programme for the IDPs are being worked out by the Federal Government in collaboration with some international organizations, noting that data of the IDPs are being compiled for smooth implementation of the scheme. He also expressed satisfaction with the successes being recorded in the fight against Boko Haram insurgency by the Nigerian military in collaboration with the Multinational Joint Task Force against Boko Haram. Mr. Buhari specifically commended the Cameroonian security forces, who recently participated in a joint military onslaught against the terrorist sect along the border areas of the Lake Chad Basin. According to him, the battle against the terrorist group would soon be over as efforts had been intensified by various security agencies across member countries of the multinational joint task force. Nigeria and Cameroon, he said, would continue to maintain the path of dialogue and peace in addressing possible incident of social conflict or misunderstanding among the citizens of both countries. He also assured that Nigeria would continue to partner with Cameroon in growing the economies as well as to ensure the safety of lives, land and maritime borders of the both countries. In his remarks, President Biya, who spoke in French, reiterated the determination of his country to end the menace of the Boko Haram insurgency. Biya also hailed Buharis efforts in the fight against the activities of Boko Haram within and beyond Nigeria. He further called for joint agricultural programmes between Nigeria and Cameroon along their border communities to address the challenges of youth unemployment in their respective countries. The event was attended by dignitaries among them Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo, Senate President Bukola Saraki, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara. Others are Chief Justice of the Federation, Mahmud Muktar and top private sector and government functionaries. President Muhammadu Buhari has returned the 2016 Appropriation Bill to the National Assembly for further legislative work. This makes it the third time the president was rejecting the Bill sent to him for assent, after he reportedly picked holes in it. Vanguard reports that the re-worked budget was sent to the President at about 1.15 am, yesterday, but was returned to the National Assembly at about noon the same day. According to the newspaper, a source close to the budget review committee confirmed that the budget was actually submitted to the President but that he refused to touch it due to some issues he was not comfortable with. The budget got to the State House at about 1.10 am and Mr. President went through it early this morning (yesterday) and still had some issues with some of the figures, Vanguard quoted the source to have said. I cannot tell you exactly what it was but I think the insertions made by the lawmakers were not significantly altered. You know the lawmakers had moved some allocations for key projects that are dear to the President to other areas, especially to their constituency projects. Of course, they have changed some but I believe Mr. President is not satisfied with the reconciliation they made. I think this is one of the reasons it was returned. However, he held that if the required changes were made on time and the budget was sent back to the president, he would sign the documents. I can assure you, Mr. President is desirous to sign the budget because he is aware and has acknowledged that Nigerians are going through hardship. So, if the budget is cleaned up this night and sent to him, he will sign it as soon as possible. That I know very well, the source said. Some prominent chieftains of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, have called for the postponement of the partys national convention slated for May 21, 2016 in Port Harcourt, Rivers State. The group, comprising immediate past governor of Niger State, Dr. Muazu Babangida Aliyu and eight others, made the call under the aegis of PDP Concerned Group yesterday. In a communique issued at the end of their meeting in Abuja, Aliyu, who is chairman of the group, said the current zoning formula for the position of the partys national chairman as adopted by only 1/3 of the National Executive Committee, NEC, is inconsistent with the original PDP principles. The meeting, which had in attendance immediate past minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Senator Bala Mohammed; Honourable Zainab Maina, John Odey, Hon Sulaiman Abubakar, Captain Hassan Mohammed (rtd), Saidu Ndako Idris, Dr. Bolere Ketebu and Honourable Kaulaha Aliyu, also said that the procedure and conduct of the congresses nationwide were flawed with resultant disaffection and disagreements. According to the group, the postponement of the convention would enable the party to restrategise, organize and conduct a more cohesive and acceptable national convention to avert the situation whereby aggrieved members may be compelled to organize parallel congress and convention. The current zoning formula for the position of national chairman as adopted by only 1/3 (One-Third) of NEC is inconsistent with the original PDP principles. In consonance therefore, the group unanimously call for the postponement of the national convention and appeal to the leadership of the party to revisit these fundamental issues to enable the party to organize and conduct a more cohesive and acceptable national convention to avert the situation whereby aggrieved members may be compelled to organize parallel congress/convention, the group said. The group also observed a minute silence in memory of the late President Umar Musa YarAdua to mark the sixth year anniversary of his demise. Nigerian dynamo Ramsey Noah is one of Africas sexiest men alive but when he showed up at the opening ceremony for the Cameroon International Film Festival (CAMIFF) in Buea, on April 25, all hell let loose! The top Nollywood star arrived the red carpet event in a pair of short blue jeans, a rumple t-shirt and a face cap while others showed up in ball gowns and tuxedos. Ramsey Noah at CAMIFF 2016 Fans immediate jumped on social media slamming the Nigerian hunk for disrespecting the dress code for the event. One fan wrote, Is it me or is Ramsey Noahs outfit totally out of place?. Another followed with, He [Ramsey Noah] thinks we do not know fashion? Another added, He looks like he just came from a beach or a mountain tour. Another said, Lead by example. However, defending his look on the first day of CAMIFF, Noah told DECODED TV his look was in deed right for the event. Its a film festival not an award show, Noah said. I knew I had to move around a lot, greet and meet people and network so I didnt think I was wrong with what I chose to wear, he continued. After receiving serious backlash for his looks on Day one of the festival, the actor played safe for the rest of the six-day event wearing what many later considered appropriate. Source: Gist24 The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Chief Audu Ogbeh says the Federal Government will establish one agricultural extension office in each Local Government Area within the next three years. Ogbeh disclosed this while speaking at the ongoing Sectoral Debate on Nigeria Economy at the House of Representatives on Wednesday in Abuja. According to him, the extension offices would further keep the farmers abreast with daily research findings targeted at boosting agriculture in the country. He said extension officers would also convey challenges faced in the farm by the farmers to research institutes to find appropriate solutions. Ogbeh said delegates from the ministry would be touring all the research institutes in the country with the aim of finding out why they are not performing as expected. However, he decried the low budgetary allocation to the agriculture sector, currently 1.6 percent. If agriculture is going to come back to prominence again, it then means all of us will have to do whatever we can to sympathise with agriculture. The elites have generally walked away from this area of business and they even look down on it with scorn. Budget allocations are always pathetically low; the Maputo Declaration says 10 per cent of national budget. In future when we bring budget proposals, please show sympathy and understanding, the minister said. An Israeli court has handed down a life sentence to the ringleader of a Jewish gang who kidnapped, attacked and burned alive a Palestinian teenager in 2014. Yosef Haim Ben-David, 31, was handed a life sentence for killing 16-year-old Mohammed Abu Khdeir and was given a separate 20-year sentence for other crimes. Prosecutors said that he organised the killing of Khdeir. The court also ordered him to pay 150,000 shekels ($39,000) to Abu Khdeirs family. Two other Jewish youth who helped him abduct Khdeir were sentenced in February, one to life in prison and the other to a 21-year term. All three defendants had earlier confessed and said that the murder was revenge for the killing days earlier of three Israeli youths by Hamas, the Palestinian group, in the occupied West Bank. Al Jazeeras Mohammed Jamjoom, reporting from West Jerusalem, said the verdict did not come as a surprise even though it had taken quite a long time to reach. It was a high-profile case and it took a long time for it to get to this point. The trial was very much in the focus of the media and rights groups, he said. Even though the judgment gave a closure to the case and the family, Ben-David still has the right to appeal. Members of Abu Khdeirs family cursed Ben-David as he was taken away from court. Ben-David, wearing a burgundy yarmulke and a black shirt, earlier told the court he was sorry. I am sorry for the family. This is not me. I wasnt in control, he said. Stealing small amounts of food to stave off hunger is not a crime, Italys highest court of appeal has ruled. Judges overturned a theft conviction against Roman Ostriakov after he stole cheese and sausages worth 4.07 (3; $4.50) from a supermarket. Mr Ostriakov, a homeless man of Ukrainian background, had taken the food in the face of the immediate and essential need for nourishment, the court of cassation decided. Therefore it was not a crime, it said. A fellow customer informed the stores security in 2011, when Mr Ostriakov attempted to leave a Genoa supermarket with two pieces of cheese and a packet of sausages in his pocket but paid only for breadsticks. In 2015, Mr Ostriakov was convicted of theft and sentenced to six months in jail and a 100 fine. For the judges, the right to survival prevails over property, said an op-ed in La Stampa newspaper (in Italian). In times of economic hardship, the court of cassations judgement reminds everyone that in a civilised country not even the worst of men should starve. An opinion piece in Corriere Della Sera says statistics suggest 615 people are added to the ranks of the poor in Italy every day it was unthinkable that the law should not take note of reality. It criticised the fact that a case concerning the taking of goods worth under 5 went through three rounds in the courts before being thrown out. The historic ruling is right and pertinent, said Italiaglobale.it and derives from a concept that informed the Western world for centuries it is called humanity. BBC. Punch President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday evening disclosed that over 56,000 Nigerians are currently taking refuge in neighbouring Cameroon because of the activities of the Boko Haram sect in the North Eastern part of the country. Vanguard As the controversy over calls by organized labour for a N56, 000 minimum wage rages on, the national chairman of the All Progressives Congress APC, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun has said states should be allowed to fix their wages according to their capabilities The Sun A former minister, Sen. Iyabo Anisulowo, who was abducted on Wednesday, has described her experience as terrible and dehumanising. Thisday As a mark of respect for the Oba of Benin who recently transited to immortality, the Edo State Government has declared a five-day public holiday with effect from May 3, 2016, to mourn the revered royal father. Daily Times Senate President, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, on Tuesday, congratulated all practitioners in the media across the country and the world for their invaluable service to humanity as they celebrate the World Press Freedom Day. Guardian Again, court adjourns as prosecutor fails to produce Dasuki for trial A Federal Capital Territory High Court yesterday adjourned the trial of former National Security Adviser (NSA), Colonel Sambo Dasuki to May 23, 2016, for failure of the Federal Government to produce the accused in court for trial in corruption charges brought against him. Daily Trust The Speaker of Edo State House of Assembly, Victor Edoror and his deputy, Bright Osayande were yesterday impeached over alleged financial recklessness and highhandedness. Leadership The Ebonyi State governor, Chief David Umahi yesterday suspended indefinitely two Development Centres chairmen, and shut out three state executive council members and over 10 Development Centre coordinators for lateness during a security meeting held at the International Conference Centre (ICC) Abakaliki, the state capital. Tribune THE Diocesan Bishop of the Osun Anglican Diocese, Right Reverend James Afolabi Popoola, has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to take decisive measures in tackling the growing menace of Fulani herdsmen in the country Senators from the northern part of the country have warned against provocative statements that could fan the embers of division in the country following the recent killings by suspected herdsmen in Nimbo, Uzo-Uwani local government of Enugu State. They also frowned at the general categorization of all herdsmen as Fulani saying it is wrong and should be stopped. The Senators under the aegis of Northern Senators Forum, Wednesday said that they note and appreciate the steps that the Federal Government has taken so far to contain the problems of herdsmen/farmers clashes. They specifically asked community leaders (including governors) to be careful when making statements on these ugly incidences. Chairman of the Forum, Senator Abdullahi Adamu, who read the communique of the lawmakers in Abuja, said that they resolved to continue their complete support for President Muhammadu Buhari in order to bring about even development to all sections of the country. Adamu said that members of the Forum further resolved to work assiduously to enact laws and amend existing ones when and where necessary in order to promote the interest of Northern Nigeria in particular and Nigeria in general. He added that they noted specially the steps taken by the government to wipe out incidences of insurgency and are hopeful that in no distant time, we shall say bye-bye to the problem of insurgency. On tagging every herdsman a Fulani, Adamu said, We have tried to kill the idea that every herdsman is Fulani. I am a farmer but I am not Fulani by birth. It is very very wrong to say that everybody you find with a cow is Fulani. Adamu noted that when former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Chief Olu Falae was kidnapped, the news went round that the kidnappers were Fulani. He said that when those responsible for kidnapping the elder statesman were eventually arrested, it was discovered that they were not Fulani. The senator also noted that when he travelled to the western part of the country, he saw a lot of Yoruba cattle rearers. He insisted that cattle rearing is no longer the exclusive preserve of the Fulani. On inflammatory utterances, the Forum said that some groups in the South East have said that the Fulani should leave their part of the country, if people from the North say the same thing of people from the south East, we wonder where it will lead the country. Famous Nollywood actor, Ramsey Noah has shown that he can also be a philanthropist and encourage the film making in other parts of Africa. The talented actor reportedly dropped 500,000 frs CFA (175,000 Naira) as donation to promote film production in Cameroon at the closing ceremony of the Cameroon International Film Festival (CAMIFF) on April 29. Making good films is very important to every film maker, Noah said at the event. One of the major challenges we face is finance and real skill at acting, script writing, directing so any help from anyone who believes in the vision is most needed. Noah, who received a serious backlash for his poor look at the opening ceremony of the event in Buea, South West Region on April 25, explained to DECODED TV, Cameroon: Its a film festival not an award show, Noah said. I knew I had to move around a lot, greet and meet people and network so I didnt think I was wrong with what I chose to wear, he continued. However, the actor spent six straight days at the event holding talks with young film makers and actors, encouraging the art and promoting Nollywood. At least three people have been killed in a rebel rocket attack on a hospital in the northern Syrian city of Aleppo. The attack was part of a shelling that left at least 19 people dead in government-controlled areas of the city on Tuesday, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), the UK-based monitoring group, said. Rebels and forces of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad have been battling each other with rockets and bombs across Aleppo and its outskirts for days now. A partial truce is in effect in Syria but it does not cover Aleppo, the countrys largest city and the scene of its worst violence in recent weeks. Syrias conflict erupted in 2011 after the repression of anti-government protests and has since morphed into a complex, multi-faceted war. Staffan de Mistura, UN special envoy for Syria, recently estimated that 400,000 people have been killed in the conflict so far. He rose to the position of President of Egypt in 1981, after Anwar Sadat was assassinated. He is the longest serving Egyptian president, having held the office for 28 years. Mubarak is married and has two sons. Hosni Mubarak is also considered the most powerful Arab leader in the Middle East and is a close ally of the United States. Among his most prominent accomplishments is maintaining stability in the region, and that Egypt maintains semi-amicable relations with the Israeli state. Equally on this day in 2010: Royal Dutch Shell said it spilled nearly 14,000 tons of oil into the creeks of the Niger Delta area of Nigeria, blamed thieves and militants for the environmental damage. And on this day in 2012: Twenty three (23) Boko Haram suspects were arrested during an attack on a police station in Banki town, Borno State in Nigeria, Some students of the University of Lagos were forced to sleep out in the open on Tuesday after failing to complete their re-absorption forms. According to the university management, no student was allowed to stay in the residential halls without completing the forms which now include a hall of residence clearance form for students who reside on campus. The university, which resumed academic operations on Tuesday, refused to give students who could not complete their forms,access to the halls of residence. The University also banned squatting and any form of gathering in the halls of residence. A 29-year-old tricycle operator, who was arrested by the Lagos State Police Command for robbery has alleged that some of the arms used by robbers were given to them by politicians during campaigns. Some locally made pistols and live cartridges were recovered from the suspect Muyideen Ibrahim, who was arrested alongside others like Ramonu Sanusi, Rilawanu Ayinde , Sodiq Olaide and Kazeem Idris. I use my keke Marwa to convey weapons for the gang, he confessed to Vanguard in an interview. I am a political thug and not a robber. I work during elections only. Most of the guns were given to us by politicians. We get the guns from some honorables at Onike. They pay us at the end of the day. But some political thugs end up not taking the guns back to the politicians. Most of the thugs are cultists, he said. One of them (cultists) Dagbe Ahmed, stays with me. But I never knew he is an armed robber. I was arrested because the police got to know that he stays with me. Dagbe and I work for different politicians. I do not fight or kill like them, I only operate with my keke marwa after elections, he said. A website offering fake doctors notes to help customers get out of work, school or other duties is offering a 100-percent-refund guarantee. The website, BestFakeDoctorsNotes.net, offers phony excuses purporting to be from healthcare providers including general practitioners, dentists, gynecologists, oncologists and other types of doctors. The site offers purported testimonials from supposedly satisfied customers who used the faux doctors notes to get out of work and school commitments. There are even YouTube videos featuring blurred-out faces of alleged customers who praised the realism of the notes. The service includes call-back numbers that will play a pre-loaded MP3 message to anyone who tries to verify the authenticity of the notes. The site offers a one-year no questions asked refund guarantee for anyone whose notes fail to pass scrutiny. Attorney David Aylor, who is not associated with the business, said a disclaimer on the website protects BestFakeDoctorsNotes from any legal action stemming from illegal use of the fake notes. They state clearly that this is fictitious doctors and fictitious names, fictitious hospitals, Aylor told WCIV-TV. When you look at the promotion of it; what they are promoting is the authenticity of the looking in that it could be used as a form of trickery of an employer getting out of work and getting paid for it. He said the site would be unlikely to face any legal action from duped employers or customers whose fake notes fail to fool their targets. What you can claim as an owner of the website is that you have no idea what someone is using it for in that once you sell it, he said. What they determine what they want to do with it is their own decision. UPI. The Marion County Sheriffs Office says a woman wanted for taking her tenants dog named Isis following a bizarre dispute showed up in a limousine at the Marion County Jail to turn herself in. Deputies say it all began when Brooke Skoda-Kempton decided to kick her tenant, Kate Taylor, out for being disrespectful late last month. Taylor moved out of the home the day she was asked to leave,deputies say, and sold her horses that were being boarded at Kemptons mothers house as part of the rental agreement. Last Tuesday morning, deputies say Kempton went to Taylors fathers house on Marion Hill Road Southeast to confront the 61-year-old man, Kevin Taylor. Deputies say she told him that his daughter stole two saddles from her, and she was going to take Taylors dog, Isis, until she got her saddles back. Ms. Skodas brought nothing to us in regards to those allegations. Lt. Chris Baldridge, spokesman for the sheriffs office, told KATU on Monday. Kevin Taylor told KATU he jumped on the running boards of Kemptons truck in an attempt to stop her, but instead of stopping, she accelerated and he was thrown from the truck. He said he injured his hand and wrist, was taken to the hospital but is now OK. Deputies say they were able to make contact with Kempton, who agreed to turn herself in at the Marion County Jail Friday. Kempton pulled up to the jail in a limousine and walked in about 10 minutes later. The location of Isis the dog is still unknown, and deputies say Kempton refused to say where the dog is. Shes just declining to speak with us at all, Baldridge said. After being arrested on charges of theft and robbery Kempton was released on her own recognizance. Shes due in court on May 27. KATU. Last week I wrote about an odd security update, KB 3146706, that appeared to be bricking pirated copies of Windows 7 and locking horns with Microsoft's own EMET 5.5 malware blocker. Details are hazy, but apparently Microsoft released MS 16-044/KB 3146706 on April 12 as a "checked" Important update. Since it was checked, those who ran Windows Update or had enabled Automatic Update got the patch installed, sometimes to deleterious effect. Shortly after the patch was released, the auto update "check" disappeared from most -- if not all -- Windows 7 computers. Customers could install the patch, but only if they manually checked it first. KB 3146706 also raised a storm of complaints, particularly in China, among people using a particular pirated version of Windows 7 known by the name Ghost -- no doubt in reference to its origins as a Norton Ghost copy of a heavily modified (and sometimes malware infested) version of Win7. Suddenly, without any notification and not much explanation, KB 3146706 is back again. It appeared, checked, on many computers yesterday afternoon. (I have reports that on some systems it still isn't checked.) The KB article has been modified, raised to version 2 with this caveat added: After you install this security update on a Windows 7 SP1-based system, you may experience any of the following problems: The system slows down You cannot access folders under the Documents and Settings folder. You cannot modify permissions on the Security tab in a the Properties dialog box You may receive a disk write failure error message This problem may occur when certain third-party DRM software is installed. The problem is known to occur with certain DRM software from Fasoo.com. Contact the manufacturer of your software for more information about how to resolve this problem. Fasoo is a company based in Seoul that "provides data-centric security to protect data as it travels both within the organizational perimeter and beyond by limiting access to sensitive data according to policies that cover both users and activities." Microsoft's KB article doesn't mention the well-documented EMET 5.5 problems, nor does it say whether those problems have been solved. Tellingly, the published File Information shows that all of the modules were compiled on or before March 21. That's three weeks before original, buggy version of 3146706 rolled out. Whether the modules have been changed to fix the problem, whether there's a change in the "metadata" that controls the Windows Update behavior, or there's no change at all is simply unknown at this point. Microsoft also neglected to mention the change in the official Windows Update list. It would be a good idea to avoid installing KB 3146706 until we have a clearer understanding of the situation -- especially if you run EMET. Update: A Fassoo spokesperson has contacted us with this explanation: WSUS 2012 R2 admins may face a difficult day ahead if a report from Cliff Hogan, posted this morning on AskWoody.com, is any indication. Hogan reports: What a mess!!! Microsoft Update upstream for WSUS was down for about 12 hours for Windows 2012 R2 version. It was OK for Windows 2008 R2 and Windows Server 2016 Technology Preview 5. This is more than likely related to the failed patch last month KB3148812 which has now been pulled. The problem is the "new" WSUS distribution method that was supposed to take effect on May 1. Microsoft had warned about it, tried to put manual procedures in place to fix it, and ultimately pulled the bad patch, as I described two weeks ago. Right now, Microsoft's most recent update to its What you need to know about KB3148812, Part Two Technet post says: This update contains critical functionality that needs to be in place before the Anniversary Update, but it does not need to be installed this week (e.g., there is no security fix that patches a known vulnerability). Therefore, here are our recommendations: Until further notice, if you have not already installed this update, do not install KB3148812 We have identified the root cause for the issue and are currently testing a fix. We've gotten a good number of positive results from those that offered to test the package, and are working out some corner case scenarios with the few that had issues. It looks like the root cause has come home to roost. WSUS on Server 2012 R2 appears to be badly broken. I'm starting to see reports in Europe this morning that say WSUS 2012 R2 is throwing errors 7032 and 7053 when trying to connect to the WSUS server. Hogan (who's tackling these problems in Australia) says: While failing syncing, it still synchronised 10 Office Updates this morning. I am wondering if it fails on that new functionality only or it is just an outage at Microsoft or a last minute try to block some updates. It works for individual computers though. It is likely that Windows Server 2008 R2 is not aware of the new configuration while Windows 2016 TP5 supports it natively. It looks like the WSUS 2012 R2 Titanic just crashed into the new ESD-encrypted update stream iceberg. Microsoft really needs to get its patching act together. If it can't get KB 3148812 to work, there should be an alternative. Now. Give your admin a smile this morning. They may be in for a hellacious day. Fate of Q4 Rally Monica Kingsley - 26 minutes ago S&P 500 turnaround was driven by the WSJ article that painted 75bp Nov and 50bp Dec hikes as some kind of a pivot, when its not even a pause. While I had been for weeks of the opinion that this is the... 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The macro mood feels worse this week SpreadEdge Capital, LLC - 1 hour ago Soybean Oil and Lean Hogs were the biggest gainers in the agriculture complex Morning Cotton Weaker for New Week Barchart - Mon Oct 24, 7:22AM CDT Cotton futures are heading into the new week with 20 to 60 point losses. Cotton futures traded in a wide 413 point range from +253 to -160 (Dec). At the close the front months were 32 to 173 points in... CTZ22 : 76.17 (-3.74%) CTH23 : 75.96 (-3.30%) CTK23 : 75.89 (-2.89%) This content is from: Culture People investing in ESG funds want their money to have an impact. They just dont have a way to ask for that information, says Jason Saul of the Center for Impact Sciences. Last week marked a year since Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance received its licence to sell general insurance products in Australia.The arrival of Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance in Australia was anticipated for some time, given the Berkshire Hathaway name is inextricably linked to billionaire investor, Warren Buffett.To mark Berkshire Hathaways first year of business in Australia, Insurance Business caught up with Susan Donaldson, BHSIs head of Claims and Frank Costigan, CFO, COO to find out how the company is faring.According to Donaldson, so far, BHSI has had an overwhelmingly positive response from customers, brokers and (now) new team members their entry to the Australia market.People have been genuinely interested in the business were building, our differentiators, our products and service offering, she said.Weve had the opportunity to meet with hundreds of customers and brokers and work on their insurance solutions.She said theyve also had the ability to create meaningful long-term agreements and bespoke policy wordings which have met their clients needs.Donaldson also said that building the team had been a highlight, with BHSI having assembled a diverse team of experts a total of 56 across Australia and New Zealand.Each are committed to building a forever business from the ground up, she said.When it comes to challenges faced by BHSIs arrival in the Australian market, Costigan said the company had expected it to be hard work and it was, but he said thanks to their deliberate and focussed approach, they were able to quickly engage with local regulators to ensure everything was in place to meet their local reporting and licence requirements.The Berkshire Hathaway business has been involved with the Australian market for a long time and we were able to leverage that knowledge and local presence when building our plans, he said.He said the broker response had been intrigued, excited and curious but the company had been put through its paces testing their wordings, underwriting ability and claims service.Weve been impressed by the level of detail brokers have gone to with us and very pleased by the level of support, helping us to build a meaningful portfolio in a short space of time.And you can expect more of the same from BHSI in the future, Costigan said.Were all about building a forever business and our approach from one year to the next will be the same. Were about being wanted, not needed, by customers and delivering consistency: in pricing, in claims, in overall service standard, in responding to quotes and in everything we do.There are unlikely to be any surprises from BHSI in year two except perhaps in terms of the size of the team, he said. Australian insurer QBE could be anticipating some heated debate at its shareholder meeting today after an activist attack on Monday highlighted its support of the fossil fuel industry.Investment activist group Market Forces hijacked the insurers branding by plastering the slogan Made possible by QBE over images of coalmines and natural disasters from the QBE headquarters in Sydneys CBD.The group hoped the stunt would prompt the insurer to stop making climate change possible.Its about highlighting their role in the perpetuation and expansion of the fossil fuel industry, which is contributing to climate change, said Market Forces Dan Gocher, a former QBE analyst until last year. Because as their slogan tells you, they make it possible.Gocher said the inspiration came from QBEs own imagery, citing its 2012 annual report which had Made possible by QBE on the cover, over an image of an operating coalmine.In that report, the company said it was a major insurer of the mining sector in Australia and insured coalminers in the Queensland Bowen Basin and New South Wales Hunter Valley.Gocher said Market Forces planned to target other insurers but had started with QBE as it had revealed some of its involvement in the sector.He said they had already targeted banks and super funds so insurance companies were the next frontier, The Guardian reported.Market Forces said it was asking Australian insurers to divest from fossil fuel in their investment portfolios, begin withdrawing from underwriting fossil fuel companies and play a role in the public conversation about climate change.Gocher said Australian insurers lagged behind their foreign counterparts, who had recognised they were particularly exposed to the effects of extreme weather events.French insurer AXA and Germanys Allianz had divested from thermal coal because of climate change, and in 2015 Munich Re said it was convinced there were particular regions and hazards where climate change was already having a definite influence on losses.Indeed, QBE annual reports show it paid US$76 million for storms that hit the NSW coast in 2014; US$144 million for storms Desmond, Eva and Frank in the UK in 2015; and US$108 million for cyclone Pam, which hit Vanuatu in March.While the company cannot deny the imagery it has used previously, more recently in March of this year QBE Group CEO, John Neal , posted his views on climate change and insurance on LinkedIn, saying: So to me 1) climate change is real, 2) it is posing a serious threat to our environment. The release of Verizons 2016 Data Breach Investigations Report (DBIR) underlines the need for businesses to have robust cyber coverage and for brokers to have conversations with their corporate clients about cyber security, says a top cyber and financial institutions specialist.The highly anticipated annual report includes industry-specific information discussing the top threats for financial services, healthcare, hospitality, public sector, retail and technology, and how these sectors can mitigate risks.This years report points to repeating themes from prior-year findings such as the fact that 89% of all attacks involve financial or espionage motivations and exploit known vulnerabilities that have never been patched and that the top ten known vulnerabilities accounted for 85% of successful exploits.It also found that 63% of confirmed data breaches involved using weak, default or stolen passwords, 95% of breaches and 86% of security incidents fell into nine patterns and basic defences continued to be sorely lacking in many organisations. AIG s National Cyber and Financial Institutions Specialist, Liliana Uhrik said: With the risk of cyber-crime heightening every year, it is crucial that brokers and insurers are regularly talking to clients about uninsured exposures and the most suitable insurance solutions for their business.A cyber policy can provide everything from cover for fines, investigations costs, IT forensic services costs to public relations, breach notification and business interruption costs following a cyber-attack, she said.But its equally as important to assist clients in developing risk mitigation strategies for avoiding cyber risks, she said.Simple actions businesses can take include generating cyber-crime awareness among employees, ensuring firewall and IT security software is up to date, encrypting mobile devices and creating a business continuity plan.Any good insurer will strongly support the broker in helping the client understand the risk of cyber-crime and the potential solutions, she said.At AIG we do this by providing access to expert claims personnel who can talk through risk mitigation strategies, as well as access to useful sales tools that contain insightful thought leadership articles and whitepapers, claims stories and information about our insurance solution. A Newport surfing club and a Mona Vale insurance company have joined forces to offer a scheme in which surfers (or their next of kin) could claim up to $50,000 lump sum pay-out in the event of a shark-related injury or death.Newport surfing club 1 Love Surfing founder Benny Bradley said the scheme run via Carriers Insurance Brokers will help give surfers more peace of mind while theyre in the water.The policy, believed to be an industry first in Australia, covers a range of circumstances which lead to death or injury for surfers and costs $130 per annum for members.Bradley said surfers worrying about their increasing risk of shark attacks was one of the main drivers behind the initiative.I think everybody who surfs is always kind of thinking about sharks. Its just having that peace of mind it makes a big difference, he said. Capsicum Re, the London-based specialist reinsurance broker, announced it has launched Capsicum Re Latin America (CRLA). This is a major step in Capsicum Res strategy to become a full service, international, challenger reinsurance broker, said the company, adding that the unit will be led by Joe Smith, who has been appointed as CEO of CRLA and will be based in Miami. He is joined by Luiz Araripe, who has been appointed as managing partner of CRLA and CEO of CRLA Brazil and will be based in Rio de Janeiro. Smith was CEO of Aon Benfield Chile and brings over 20 years of reinsurance broking experience to this role. He joined Aon Benfield Latin America as managing director in 2003, following five years in Tokyo as executive vice president for Aon Re Japan. In 2010 he was appointed treaty director for Aon Benfield Chile before becoming the CEO in 2013. Araripe was chief commercial officer for Aon Benfield Brazil, a role he was appointed to in 2014 following five years as treaty director. Prior to this he was head of the claims department for Aon Benfield Brazil where he was responsible for negotiating the largest claim in Brazil for Aon. Araripe has also held roles with Prudente Seguros Retail and Bradesco Seguros. Launching CRLA heralds a new chapter in the Capsicum Re story, said Rupert Swallow, CEO of Capsicum Re. We have made fantastic strides in building out our offering since we established the business 30 months ago and have received an overwhelmingly positive response since our inception, demonstrating the widespread support for our customer centric proposition, he added. Joe and Luiz are market leading brokers who bring significant experience, an in-depth understanding of the region and a focus on relationships that complements our ethos. I look forward to working with them and collaborating with Arthur J. Gallaghers Latin America team, to deliver innovative solutions that fulfil the growing demand for specialist reinsurance products in this market, Swallow said. About Capsicum Re Capsicum Reinsurance Brokers is a reinsurance broker working in partnership with Arthur J. Gallagher as its primary treaty reinsurance broking outlet. Founded by Grahame Chilton and Rupert Swallow in 2013, the company operates out of offices in London and Bermuda. Source: Capsicum Re Related: Topics Agencies Reinsurance Aon Japanese insurers made more than $18 billion worth of acquisitions in the U.S. last year, and their spending spree isnt over yet, industry dealmakers said on Tuesday. Japan has a number of large, healthy insurers facing dim growth prospects at home, a panel of investment bankers said during a mergers and acquisitions conference in New York hosted by law firm Mayer Brown. The countrys aging population, devalued currency and low rates pressuring returns are all stunting domestic development, they said. These dynamics have spurred a wave of Japan-to-U.S. insurance dealmaking thats yet to crest, they said. The U.S. is the biggest place to go shopping, Meir Lewis, managing director in Morgan Stanleys insurance investment banking group, said during a panel discussion. I expect that to continue because these issues are continuing. Placid Market Japanese buyers willingness to keep striking deals in the U.S. should help buoy an otherwise slow market for U.S. insurance dealmaking in 2016, panelists said. New rules aimed at curbing so-called inversion deals have put a chill on cross-border deals involving reinsurers and, to some extent, property and casualty insurers. U.S. life insurers, meanwhile, have become skittish about pairing up in light of stiffer oversight of so-called systemically important non-banks, such as Prudential Financial Inc. The midsize companies that could merge among themselves are hesitant to do so, said Nandini Mongia, managing director with Deutsche Bank AG. The greater the size of the transaction, the greater the scrutiny. The Japanese foray into the U.S. has been led by four companies that together struck $18.4 billion in deals last year, according to data compiled by Bloomberg: Tokio Marine Holdings Inc., Meiji Yasuda Life Insurance Co., Sumitomo Life Insurance Co., and Dai-Ichi Life Insurance Co. Other Japanese insurers are likely to follow their lead and enter the U.S., while those that already have a presence will look to bulk up through additional deals, said Gautam Chawla, managing director and co-head of the global insurance group at Citigroup Inc. He noted that Dai-Ichi bought Genworth Financials life and annuity business last year, less than a year after acquiring Protective Life Corp. for $5.5 billion. This is just step one of what can can be step two and beyond, Chawla said. High Prices Japanese acquirers have been looking to buy high-quality companies run by competent managers that can oversee expansion into the U.S., Morgan Stanleys Lewis said. They have also shown that they are willing to pay high prices to close a deal, he said. Tokio Marine paid a premium of more than 30 percent to acquire HCC Insurance Holdings Inc. in a deal worth close to $7.5 billion that closed in October. Nippon Life Insurance Co. and Sompo Japan Nipponkoa Holdings Inc. are among Japanese insurers that may look for targets in the U.S. to boost profits, according to Bloomberg Intelligence analyst Steven Lam. MS&AD Insurance Group Holdings Inc. President Yasuyoshi Karasawa has also expressed interest in U.S. M&A. Related: Copyright 2022 Bloomberg. Topics Carriers USA Human Resources Michigans state worker safety agency didnt issue fines in the majority of asbestos abatement cases where it found serious violations during the past seven years, and not one company was fined the maximum $7,000, a newspaper reports. Fines werent issued in two-thirds of the more than 4,000 violations that the Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration closed between February 2009 and February 2016, the Detroit Free Press reported. The newspaper also found that 96 percent of safety violations resulted in penalties of $1,000 or less. MIOSHA spokeswoman Tanya Baker took issue with the report that two-thirds of the violations werent fined, saying the newspaper looked at each violation individually. She said the agency grouped related violations and assigned a penalty to just one of them. She also said the penalties are meant to correct violations and deter others. John Newquist, a former top official in the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administrations regional office in Chicago, which oversees Michigan, said he never grouped asbestos violations. Celeste Monforton, a former OSHA policy analyst, said if MIOSHA wants to use penalties as a deterrent effect, you wouldnt be grouping them. Both said each violation should be treated separately. Monforton, who spent 12 years at OSHA and at the Mine Safety and Health Administration, said MIOSHAs penalties overall are so minimal that they dont serve as an effective deterrent. He said weak enforcement encourages fly-by-night operations who risk peoples health because they may get away with it. Monforton, now a lecturer at the School of Public Health at George Washington University, also took issue with MIOSHAs assertion that it uses penalty reductions to encourage employers to remedy hazards quickly, noting that with asbestos, exposure has already happened and theres no way to abate that. Newquist said states that choose to oversee worker safety rather than have the federal government do it tend to go easier on employers. MIOSHA Director Martha Yoder, who recently retired, told the newspaper last year that her asbestos inspectors could not monitor all abatement projects in Michigan. The agency has four inspectors this year, down from five in fiscal 2015. Our job is to do spot-checking, Yoder said. Yoder said MIOSHA sees quicker abatement as more advantageous than collecting a larger penalty. Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Michigan Commercial property/casualty rates decreased across all size accounts in the first quarter of 2016, continuing a trend that has been evident since the first quarter of 2015. This year, first quarter rates decreased by an average of 3.7 percent. According to the Commercial P/C Market Index Survey by the Council of Insurance Agents & Brokers (CIAB) rate decreases in Q1 were the largest seen since the trend began, with the exception of large accounts. It does not come as a surprise that the soft market conditions weve seen over the past year have continued in the first quarter of 2016, said Ken A. Crerar, president and CEO of The Council. First quarter rates decreased by an average of 3.7 percent. Large accounts decreased at -4.6 percent, followed by medium-sized accounts at -4.4 percent and small accounts at -2.1 percent. Carriers were working hard not to lose their renewals. [They were] trying to put accounts to bed early if they could before they hit the market, a surveyed West Coast broker said. The decline in rates was consistent across most lines, with the exception of commercial auto, which increased 3.6 percent in the first quarter and has been increasing steadily since the third quarter of 2011. Auto was the only line pushing (and obtaining) rate increases. But there are still some competitive carriers who were writing auto because they were confident in their pricing, a Florida broker said. Another Southeast broker said that auto is getting difficult to place with loss activity. Directors & Officers Liability and Employment Practices Liability lines also saw a very slight uptick in rates of 0.2 percent and 0.7 percent respectively. While rates have been down, our members have told us that the market has increased capacity across the board and for coastal property coverage, particularly in the Southeast region, said Crerar. We have been fortunate to have quiet hurricane seasons the last few years but there is a lot of concern that these new markets will retreat after the first major loss event. While the increased capacity has kept rates low, buyers have shown interest in purchasing additional coverages such as cyber, according to the survey. Looking ahead, some see the price decreases coming to an end soon. A spring report from Willis Towers Watson said that the pricing declines are beginning to slow down, raising the likelihood that companies will experience some price increases in various commercial lines of insurance in the coming year. At the macro-level, the market remains stable and pricing is still considered soft, but we may be starting to see the bottom end of that softening, said Matt Keeping, head of broking for North America, Willis Towers Watson. CIAB survey respondents were asked to name the top developments in the industry that they believe have and will impact their business. They cited the following: The economy The price of oil Carrier and broker consolidation Cyberrisks and educating producers and clients Recruiting and retaining talent The continued impact of crude oil prices and the trajectory of the global economy weighed on our members sentiment at the start of 2016, said Crerar. Elevated economic volatility is likely to continue but our members are positive about the opportunities that lay before them to make up for the effects of the oil downturn felt most intensely by brokers in the last quarter of 2015. Topics Trends Agencies Commercial Lines Pricing Trends Property Casualty After fighting for more than two years to avoid paying almost $1 billion in oil spill damages to Gulf Coast shrimpers, oystermen and seafood processors it claimed didnt exist, BP Plc has thrown in the towel. We have withdrawn our claims seeking an injunction against payments by the Seafood Program so the program can be concluded, Geoff Morrell, a BP spokesman, said in an e-mail Tuesday. The company will keep pursuing fraud claims against lawyer Mikal Watts and his firm, Morrell said. Watts was indicted for allegedly making false claims in connection with the BP spill. A federal judge in New Orleans Monday allowed BP to drop its bid to avoid paying the second half of $2.3 billion in compensation promised to seafood interests harmed by the blown-out well. The subsea gusher pumped more than 4 million barrels of crude into the Gulf of Mexico in 2010, closing fisheries and blackening the shores of five states. BP claimed lawyers negotiating on behalf of the seafood industry fraudulently inflated the number of Southeast Asian immigrant fishermen and boat hands claiming damages from the spill. The overstatement jacked up BPs settlement by hundreds of millions of dollars, the company said. BP had paid out about $1 billion of the seafood fund when it balked at paying the remainder after discovering irregularities in a law firms client list. The seafood payout is a separate earmark within BPs larger settlement of all spill-related economic and property damage claims, which the company said in an April 26 earnings statement will now cost significantly more than $12.9 billion. Watts Indicted Watts, a Texas attorney, was indicted last year for allegedly lying about representing more than 40,000 mostly Vietnamese American boat captains and crew members in spill claims against BP. He was appointed to a lucrative seat on the lawyers steering committee largely on the strength of his client roster, which BP and federal prosecutors claim was riddled with fake names and Social Security numbers, dead people and even a dog. Watts is set to face trial in Mississippi in July. BP held onto its civil fraud claims against Watts and his San Antonio law firm, while dropping the rest of the fight against the seafood industry payout, according to court records. Tammy Tran, a spokeswoman and attorney for many in the Gulf Coast Vietnamese community, has submitted in a separate fraud lawsuit against Watts what she said is proof that most of the Vietnamese fishermen and women on the disputed client roster are real people with real claims against BP. The court order doesnt specify how quickly BP would pay the balance of the seafood fund. The case is In re Oil Spill by the Oil Rig Deepwater Horizon in the Gulf of Mexico on April 20, 2010, 10-md-02179, U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Louisiana (New Orleans). Related: Copyright 2022 Bloomberg. Topics Claims Fraud Energy Oil Gas An owner of a construction company in Orlando, Florida. is being charged with workers compensation premium fraud and engaging in an organized scheme to defraud, according to a statement from the Florida Department of Financial Services. Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater announced the arrest of Oscar Matute, owner of Orlando construction company Matute Express General Construction Inc. Matute is alleged to have misrepresented information regarding Matute Constructions employees and payroll when applying for a workers compensation policy, DFS said. By doing so, Matute allegedly avoided at least $300,000 in workers compensation premium payments. After discovering significant discrepancies between the amount in payroll checks that were being cashed and the amount of payroll that had been reported on the business workers compensation policy, workers compensation compliance officers working for DFS began questioning the companys number of employees and total payroll figures. After failing to comply with multiple requests for financial documents, compliance officers visited two different Matute Construction work sites and workers on both sites confirmed that they were paid by Oscar Matute. DFS alleges by utilizing multiple money service businesses in Orlando and Jacksonville to cash his companys payroll checks, Matute was able to conceal hundreds of thousands of dollars in unreported payroll; a common method used to bypass workers compensation statutes. By misrepresenting the amount of Matute Constructions payroll, employees and the businesses operations Matute was able to avoid more than $300,000 in workers compensation premium dues. Workers compensation policies are calculated by factoring in a companys total payroll and number of employees along with the risks associated with the companys field of work, among other factors. Investigators alleged that Matute lied when obtaining a workers compensation insurance policy from Commerce & Industry Insurance Company to cover Matute Express General Construction Inc. He did so by grossly underreporting the companys payroll. During the dates represented on the policy paperwork, more than $2.7 million in payroll checkers were cashed, far more than the $148,000 that was reported. Matute was arrested and charged with workers compensation premium fraud and engaging in an organized scheme to defraud, both of which are first degree felonies. This case will be prosecuted by the Office of the State Attorney Angela Corey of the Fourth Judicial Circuit and if convicted, Matute faces up to 20 years in prison. Source: Florida Department of Financial Services Topics Florida Workers' Compensation Construction A trial is underway in a lawsuit over whether the city of Columbia Falls in Montana is responsible for a mans death in a skateboarding accident on a subdivision trail system. The Daily Inter Lake reported Sara Kent sued the city in 2011 seeking damages for its role in the design and construction of the trail system, which includes a 24-degree slope on which Casey Kent suffered a fatal head injury in 2008. Kent argues the city had been notified about potential hazards with the trail system during construction. Marcel Quinn, the attorney for the city, said the city didnt design or construct the trail, that Casey Kent accepted the risk when he chose to ride a skateboard down the path and that the accident occurred on private property. Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Lawsuits A northern Utah woman whose husband and 4-year-old daughter were killed when a doghouse fell out of a mans truck and caused a highway pileup has filed a wrongful death lawsuit. Alyssa Chambers filed the suit last week seeking $300,000 in damages. She is suing the man who had the doghouse in his truck, a woman who rear-ended their car and the womans employer since she was driving for her job. The August 2015 crash started when a large wooden doghouse slid out of Joshua Sinykins truck during rush hour on Interstate 15 in Weber County, authorities said. Several cars were forced to slow down, including the Chambers vehicle carrying Alyssa and Ryan Chambers, their two daughters and the family dog inside, the lawsuit said. A car driven by Uchenna Uzoh smashed the Chambers vehicle, forcing it to collide with a semitrailer. Ryan Chambers and the couples young daughter, Evelynn Chambers died. The family dog, Archer, also died. Alyssa Chambers and their other daughter, Kaya Chambers, were injured but survived. The lawsuit alleges were negligent in their actions that day, failing to take reasonable care for others on the highway. The lawsuit was first reported by the Standard-Examiner of Oregon. Weber County prosecutors declined to bring criminal charges related to the deaths, but Sinykin and Uzoh are both charged with driving infractions that day. Sinykin paid a $310 fine for failure to secure loose cargo. The AP sought comment on the lawsuit from Sinykin, but could not verify whether he had a listed telephone number or an attorney. Uzoh was charged with speeding and following a vehicle too close. That case has yet to be resolved. Her attorney, Micah White, declined comment on those charges. He said the investigation is ongoing. Uzohs employer, Canyon Home Care and Hospice, declined comment through an office manager. Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Lawsuits Auto Four women are suing a southern Idaho doctor because they say they were given counterfeit breast implants and knock-off Botox without their knowledge. The women filed the lawsuit in U.S. District Court on last week, contending that Dr. Temp Patterson, a plastic surgeon in the southern Idaho town of Burley, used implants and injections that were imported from China and not FDA approved. Patterson did not immediately return phone calls requesting comment. Rick Hearn, an attorney and former medical doctor who is representing the women, says he believes that there are other women who remain unaware that they were given counterfeit medical products. Hearn said three women in the lawsuit are in the process of having the Chinese breast implants surgically removed. Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Lawsuits Johana Magnolia Paredes, 45, of Bellflower, Calif. was arrested by California Department of Insurance detectives on two felony counts of workers compensation insurance fraud after allegedly misrepresenting her injuries to collect $39,953 in disability payments that she was not entitled to. Paredes claimed she injured her right wrist while working at the UCLA Medical Center. An investigation by the CDI and video evidence reportedly revealed Paredes was able to exercise at the gym using her right hand and right shoulder with no limitations. Upon reviewing the video evidence, the medical examiner stated Paredes had misrepresented her injuries and he would not have authorized additional disability payments or medical treatment if he had witnessed the video surveillance earlier. The disability system is an important lifeline for people truly injured and unable to work, Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones said in a statement. People who take advantage of the system do so at the expense of business and taxpayers. Paredes was booked by the Los Angeles Sheriffs Department on May 2. Bail is set at $30,000. This case is being prosecuted by the Los Angeles County District Attorneys Office. Topics Workers' Compensation Fraud Medical Professional Liability American International Group Inc., the insurer burned by losses on hedge funds, has submitted notices of redemption for $4.1 billion of those holdings through the end of the first quarter. As of today, we have received $1.2 billion of proceeds from those redemptions, Chief Financial Officer Sid Sankaran said Tuesday in a conference call discussing results at the New York-based insurer. Hedge funds helped drive a $183 million first-quarter net loss, the insurers third-straight unprofitable period, AIG said in a statement Monday after markets closed. The company is scaling back from those holdings as lock-up periods expire and instead investing in highly rated bonds and property lending. That frees up capital that can be deployed in our core business, which is underwriting insurance risk, Chief Executive Officer Peter Hancock said in a televised interview with Bloombergs Betty Liu. The focus of the company is to improve our sustainable earnings, which comes from improved underwriting and improved cost efficiency and improved capital efficiency. Operating earnings were 65 cents a share, missing by 35 cents the average estimate in a Bloomberg survey of analysts. AIG dropped 2.5 percent to $55.18 at 10:24 a.m. in New York, extending its decline for the year to 11 percent. The loss on hedge funds widened to $537 million in the first quarter from $349 million during the same period last year. Average invested assets in hedge funds were $10.1 billion for the first quarter, compared with $11 billion in the last period of 2015, according to a supplemental filing on the companys website. Sankaran didnt identify which hedge funds the insurer is leaving. Related: Copyright 2022 Bloomberg. Topics Profit Loss Global Risk Partners Ltd. (GRP), the London-based insurance broking and managing general agent investment vehicle, has completed its second transaction in Northern Ireland by funding the acquisition of broker McGrady Ltd. by Abbey Bond Lovis Ltd. (ABL), a GRP subsidiary. In August 2015, GRP supported the management buyout of Northern Ireland broker ABL, as it continues to develop its retail broking business. As a result of this latest investment, GRP will control in excess of 35 million ($51.2 million) of insurance premium across ABL and McGrady. As McGrady Insurance, the broker transacts both commercial and personal lines business from its office in Downpatrick. Its present owner, Fintan McGrady, will continue to run the business day to day. Selling my business was a big decision. I am convinced GRP is the ideal vehicle for our business to prosper going forward, especially with the local knowledge they have gained through their involvement with ABL, said McGrady. I look forward to being part of an expanding retail broking business in Northern Ireland, whilst maintaining our local identity, he added. It was always in our plans to increase our footprint in Northern Ireland following our investment in ABL, and we are pleased to have been able to do this so quickly, and with the acquisition of a business of such quality. We are delighted to welcome Fintan and his colleagues to GRP, commented Mike Bruce, CEO Broking, for GRP. Following our MBO in 2015, GRP has proven to be a supportive investor in our business, said Maurice Boyd, managing director of ABL. We know Fintan and his business well, and they share our client focused approach, based around the provision of professional and locally delivered service. We look forward to working closely with the McGrady team and combining the strengths of our two businesses, Boyd added. Source: Global Risk Partners Related: Topics Mergers & Acquisitions Sandra Benedetto Ignacio Nunez As the framework for the global exchange of information regarding investments abroad is being moulded, Chile as the only South American member of the OECD has been highly committed to applying such principles and, in order to promote tax assistance and transparency, has signed international conventions and reformed domestic legislation at a legal and administrative level. Improving international assistance Chile signed the Convention of Mutual Administrative Assistance in Tax Matters in October 24 2013. Even though the aforementioned convention is not yet enforceable in the country, it has been passed by the Chilean Congress and is just awaiting presidential promulgation. Meanwhile, and on the understanding of creating a common framework, two instruments have been signed by Chile: the Multilateral Competent Authority Agreement on Automatic Exchange of Financial Account Information (CRS MCAA), signed in June 2015; and the Multilateral Competent Authority Agreement on the Exchange of Country-by-Country Reports (CbC MCAA), signed in January 2016. Related to the CRS MCAA, Chile would be required to send financial information since September 2018 onwards regarding commercial year 2017. Even though a specific date has not been provided in order to submit the CbC MCAA, it has been recommended by the final report on Action 13 of the BEPS Project, to provide the first country-by-country (CbC) report by December 31 2017 with the information pertaining to fiscal year 2016. It is expected that once the convention becomes enforceable, the Chilean IRS will proceed to regulate the implementation of the convention. Independently of those modifications, Chile has already made some administrative and legal modifications in accordance with the OECD principles and the BEPS Project. Disclosure of investments abroad in Chilean Legislation. At an internal legislation level, since Tax Reform Act No. 20.780 of September 2014, Chile has implemented different procedures in order for taxpayers to inform their investments abroad. As an example, a tax amnesty programme was available during 2015, which received 7,832 declarations, increasing the available information for the Chilean IRS. As part of these policies and in order to keep an updated register of investments abroad, in December 2016 the Chilean IRS issued a resolution extending the obligation to inform investments, insurances, assets and other operations abroad and related gains in Affidavit No. 1851, which applies to taxpayers whose yearly investments exceeded $100,000 (previously this obligation only applied to taxpayers whose incomes surpassed the amount of $1,000,000). The aforementioned affidavit must be submitted by taxpayers by June 30 2016 and is subject to a penalty which can ascend to approximately $800. The Chilean IRS has made some adjustments related to the CbC MCAA by creating Affidavit No. 1913 (affidavit of global tax characterisation) on December 2016, which has to be filed yearly by certain companies (for the most part this applies to big companies and major taxpayers), indicating if they are part of a holding company and detailing international transactions conducted during the previous year (with a series of other obligations that goes beyond such information request). Finally, from 2017 onwards and under the new taxation regime applicable in Chile, taxpayers under the attributed or semi-integrated regime must inform to the Chilean IRS, by June 30 of each year, of the investments made abroad during the previous year, indicating the amounts, the type of investments, the country in which the investments were made, the percentage of participation over those entities and its destination. The penalty in this case will consist of a fine and the possibility to consider those investments as withdrawals of profits, subject to a sole tax of 40%. We must indicate that these are just some of the current requirements or newly-introduced procedures by Chilean tax legislation, as there are other multiple obligations that are directly and indirectly related to the adoption of these principles. Therefore, this is a matter that we expect to continue to evolve swiftly and therefore should be tracked closely by any taxpayer performing cross-border operations with Chile. Sandra Benedetto Back (sandra.benedetto@cl.pwc.com) and Ignacio Nunez (ignacio.nunez@cl.pwc.com) PwC Website: www.pwc.cl Collection of tax is administered by imposing a 15% withholding tax obligation on the purchaser unless advance Revenue certified clearance is obtained. On 22 April 2016 Irish Revenue issued revised guidance on when clearance is not required. This is relevant to foreign investors in Irish loans secured on Irish property, loans purchased into Section 110 SPVs and property acquired in funds. In summary, the Irish tax authorities (Revenue) has adopted a position that a disposal of a debt secured on Irish property is a transaction on which a buyer needs to withhold unless: (a) the seller obtains advance Revenue certified clearance, (b) the sale is by a financial institution as part of its Irish trade, (c) the sale is by a person exempt from capital gains tax (eg Irish regulated fund), or (d) the sale is by a qualifying Section 110 company in the ordinary course of carrying on in Ireland a business of holding or managing or holding and managing certain qualifying assets. Where foreigners, including private equity houses, have purchased loans at a discount to face value and wish to realise the loans, they need to be conscious that there may be obligations of both the seller and purchaser to account for Irish tax. The Revenue position is based on the definition of the Interpretation Act 2005. This defines land to include any estate, right or interest in land and an argument that a debt secured over Irish property constitutes a right or interest in land in Ireland. Revenue has also taken the view that security over Irish land is equivalent to a shareholding in Irish land. Double tax treaties do not typically override the Irish taxing rights on Irish property related assets. Revenue has also confirmed disposals of a unit holder or shareholding in Irish tax exempt funds are outside the scope of withholding. Hence, where non-residents have established qualifying tax exempt funds, either as companies or unit trusts, the disposal of interests in these companies or unit trusts remains free of Irish tax. Separately, it should be noted that the acting Minister for Finance has indicated he intends to review the use of tax-exempt collective investment undertakings being able to obtain returns on Irish property free of tax. This article was prepared by Mason Hayes & Curran, International Tax Reviews correspondents in Ireland. For further information, please contact: John Gulliver Keogh, tax partner. T: +353 1 614 5007 E: jgulliver@mhc.ie Robert Henson, tax partner. T: +353 1 614 2314 E: rhenson@mhc.ie Maura Dineen, tax partner T: +353 1 614 2444 E: mdineen@mhc.ie Niamh Keogh, of counsel T: +353 1 614 5848 E: nkeogh@mhc.ie Noi siamo fiduciosi del fatto che la Clinton comprenda il ruolo degli Stati Uniti nel mondo, non abbiamo dubbi che lei affrontera in modo assiduo i problemi che il nostro Paese deve affrontare, e lei ha dimostrato la sua disposizione allanalisi ed al duro impegno. E un estratto delleditoriale con cui il magazine The Atlantic ha palesato il suo appoggio alla candidata democratica alle elezioni presidenziali, Hillary Clinton. Il magazine ha deciso di dare il suo endorsment alla Clinton definendola uno dei candidati piu preparati di sempre e, inoltre, ha bollato Donald Trump come demagogo, xenofobo, sessista, uno che non sa niente ed e un bugiardo, specificandolo che lo considera il candidato piu dichiaratamente non qualificato nei 227 anni della storia della presidenza americana e che sarebbe una minaccia esistenziale per la Repubblica. Fondata nel 1857, la prestigiosa e storica rivista solo in altre due occasioni si era apertamente schierata a favore di un candidato alla Casa Bianca: nel 1860 con Abraham Lincoln e nel 1964 con Lyndon B. Johnson. A sottolineare limportanza e leccezionalita della decisione e il direttore di The Atlantic, Scott Stossel, che paragona la scelta di sostenere la Clinton a quella fatta nel 1964 a favore di Johnson che si scontrava con il repubblicano Barry Goldwater. What Is Cumulative Exposure? In the insurance industry, the term cumulative exposure refers to situations in which a policyholder has been exposed to a hazard or source of damages over an extended period of time. In these situations, the policyholder may not become aware that they have been affected until long after the hazard first appeared. This can lead to complicated legal disputes in which the insurance company and policyholder disagree about which party is responsible for the related damages. Key Takeaways Cumulative exposure is a term used in the insurance industry that relates to situations where damages have been sustained over time, such as in the case of gradual exposure to pollutants or other sources of illness. Cumulative exposure can make it difficult to determine whether the insurance company is at fault for damages, since the timing and source of the exposure is often unclear. How Cumulative Exposure Works Oftentimes, policyholders can easily determine when they have been exposed to a source of damages that could prompt them to file a claim. For example, a home insurance policyholder would know to file a claim if they see that their home has been burgled. Likewise, an auto insurance holder would file a claim shortly after being involved in an accident. These cases are therefore relatively easy to process from the perspective of the insurance company, since the nature and timing of the incidents involved are clear and occur shortly before the claim is filed. Cumulative exposure, on the other hand, offers more room for disagreement. For instance, if a health insurance holder is exposed to toxic chemicals in their environment over a period of many years, it may be difficult for them to specify what caused the illness when they are filling out their insurance claim. After all, the insurance company could argue that it was a different factor, such as the policyholders lifestyle or genetics, that caused the sickness, or that the exposure to toxic chemicals occurred before or after the term of the insurance policy. Another area where cumulative exposure is often discussed is in relation to workers compensation insurance claims. Oftentimes, workers will develop ailments that result from repetitive tasks spread out over their careers. Carpal tunnel syndrome, for example, has become increasingly common in recent years as a growing percentage of workers are employed in office jobs involving typing and other repetitive manual tasks. This condition, which involves potentially severe pain in the hands and arms and a reduction of muscle control, has led to a slew of insurance claims under workers compensation policies. Although policyholders might argue that their office work exposed them to cumulative exposure ultimately leading to their illness, their insurance companies might argue that the condition was brought about or exacerbated by other factors, such as obesity or repetitive tasks performed outside of work hours. Real-World Example of Cumulative Exposure A recent example of cumulative exposure took place in 2018. In that case, the plaintiff argued that the decedents father was exposed to the asbestos-laden clothes of her father, who was employed as an electrician, with additional exposure taking place over many years of replacing the brakes on the family cars. The brakes in question were manufactured by the American multinational firm, Honeywell International Inc. (HON), leading the plaintiff to allege that the company was responsible for this cumulative exposure to asbestos. Although a jury initially sided with the plaintiff, finding Honeywell partially liable, this decision was later reversed on appeal. What Is Asia ex-Japan (AxJ)? Asia ex-Japan (AxJ) refers to the economic region of countries located in Asia, but not including Japan. These countries are generally considered emerging markets and are of interest to investors looking for high-growth investment opportunities. Meanwhile, Japan is often considered to be a developed economy. Key Takeaways Asia ex-Japan (AxJ) involves the Asian economic region but excludes Japan. Many Asian countries are considered to be emerging or developing markets, which many investors find attractive as growth drivers. Because Japan is a developed economy, emerging markets investors interested in the region would not want to hold securities from an advanced and mature economy. Several benchmark indices and ETFs are available that track AxJ. Understanding Asia Ex-Japan (AxJ) Asia ex-Japan is a popular strategy with numerous indexes and funds. These countries comprise a significant portion of the worlds emerging market countries. Emerging market countries are of interest to investors because of their potential for growth. These countries are seen to be in a high growth phase. Emerging market analysis typically considers macroeconomic conditions, rapidly increasing GDP rates, political stability, legal property rights, capital processes, and trading and settlement procedures when classifying a country as an emerging market. Asias emerging market countries have been exporting more commodities and increasing electronic manufacturing. Growth in China specifically has also been escalating with leading innovation and growing adoption of new financial technology offerings. Asias growing middle class has also been a significant factor for the regions growth. Mutual funds that are classified as Asia ex-Japan seek to focus on stocks in these countries exhibiting high growth potential. Japan is excluded from investment strategies focused on Asia because it is a highly developed economy. As the only developed economy in Asia, companies in the country will be found in developed market indexes alongside the stocks of Europe, the U.S. and Canada. Asia Ex-Japan Indexes To invest in the emerging market countries in the Asia ex-Japan universe many investors may look to indexes for passive management approaches. Top indexes include the MSCI All Country Asia ex-Japan Index, the FTSE Asia ex-Japan Index and the Markit iBoxx USD Asia ex-Japan Index. Asia Ex-Japan Funds Both equity and bond mutual funds are managed to include securities from countries in the Asia ex-Japan region. Two of the categories top performing funds are included below. Morgan Stanley Asia Opportunity Fund The Morgan Stanley Asia Opportunity Fund has a five-year average annual return of 12.02% as of April 20, 2022. The return for its benchmark, the MSCI All Country Asia ex-Japan Index, was 6.75% for the same timeframe. The Fund is actively managed and seeks to invest in top companies from the Asia ex-Japan universe. As of March 31, 2022, its greatest allocations were to consumer discretionary and financials. Fidelity Emerging Asia Fund The Fidelity Emerging Asia Fund has a one year return of -32.66% through March 2022. The comparable one year return for the MSCI All Country Asia ex-Japan Index during the same timeframe was -14.64%. The Fund primarily invests in Asian emerging market companies. As of March 31, 2022, 85% of the Fund was invested in Asian emerging market equities with 47% of that invested in China. Top holdings through March 31, 2022 were Alibaba Group, Taiwan Semiconduct, Meituan, and Samsung. Responsible Credit Card Uses Personal finance experts spend a lot of energy trying to prevent us from using credit cardsand with good reason. Many of us use credit cards irresponsibly and end up in debt. However, contrary to popular belief, if you can use the plastic responsibly, you're actually much better off paying with a credit card than with a debit card and keeping cash transactions to a minimum. Let's examine why your trusty credit card comes out on top, and certain credit card uses and strategies to employ. 1. One-Time Bonuses There's nothing like an initial bonus opportunity when getting a new credit card. Often times, applicants with good credit or excellent credit can get approved for credit cards that offer bonuses worth $150 or more (sometimes much more) in exchange for spending a certain amount (anywhere from $500 to several thousands of dollars) in the first several months the account is open. Other cards entice applicants with bonus reward points or miles that can be redeemed for travel, gifts cards, merchandise, statement credits, or checks (more on those below). In contrast, a standard debit card that comes with a bank checking account generally offers no initial bonus or ongoing opportunity to earn rewards. 2. Cash Back The cash-back credit card was first popularized in the United States by Discover, and the idea was simple: Use the card and get 1% of your purchases rebated in the form of cash back. Today, the concept has grown and matured. Now, some cards now offer 2%, 3% or even as much as 6% cash back on selected purchases, though such lucrative offers involve quarterly or annual spending caps. The best cash-back cards are those that charge minimal fees and interest, while offering a high rewards rate. Some cards, like the Fidelity Rewards card, offer a high 2% rate of cash back rewards on all spending but you must deposit your cash directly into a Fidelity investment account. 3. Rewards Points Credit cards are set up to allow cardholders to earn one or more points per dollar in spending. Many reward credit cards provide bonus points for certain categories of spending like restaurants, groceries or gasoline. When certain earnings thresholds are reached, points can be redeemed for travel, gift cards from retailers and restaurants, or for merchandise items through the credit card company's online rewards portal. Your credit card rewards options are almost endless. Get a co-branded card offered in partnership with a hotel chain, clothing retailer or even a nonprofit organization like AARP, and you can leverage your everyday spending to earn valuable rewards day in and day out. The trick is to find the card that best fits with your spending patterns. Doing the inversealtering your spending patterns to fit with a particular cardcan be counterproductive. But if you're already spending money on a regular basis with a certain retailer or have an affinity for a certain hotel, why not use the card that will encourage your continued patronage by offering you enhanced rewards, discounts and perks? 4. Frequent-Flyer Miles This perk predates almost all the rest. Back in the early 1980s, American Airlines began offering their consumers a novel way to earn frequent-flyer miles even when they weren't flying, by forming a partnership with credit card giant, Citibank. Now, all domestic and international airlines have at least one credit card offered, in a similar partnership, by major credit card issuers. Cardholders generally earn miles at a rate of one mile per dollar in net purchases, or sometimes one mile per two dollars spent for lower-end cards that have no annual fee. How valuable this reward actually is, depends on the type of airline ticket you purchase with your points or miles. Many frequent flyer cards are made immensely more valuable by their mileage-based introductory bonuses. These are often enough to put you 50100% of the way toward an award flight after meeting the card's initial spending requirement. 5. Safety Paying with a credit card makes it easier to avoid losses from fraud. When your debit card is used by a thief, the money is missing from your account instantly. Legitimate expenses for which you've scheduled online payments or mailed checks may bounce, triggering insufficient funds fees and affecting your credit. Even if not your fault, these late or missed payments can lower your credit score. It can take time for fraudulent transactions to be reversed and money restored to your account while the bank investigates. By contrast, when your credit card is used fraudulently, you aren't out any moneyyou just notify your credit card company of the fraud and don't pay for the transactions you didn't make while the credit card company resolves the matter. Credit card networks like Visa and Mastercard provide zero liability coverage for unauthorized purchases as a way to encourage usage of their cards over cash or check. Help with purchase refunds Credit card companies can also help resolve refund issues when consumers are unable to resolve merchant disputes on their own. 6. Keeping Vendors Honest Say you hire a tile setter to set some flooring in your entryway. Workers spend the weekend cutting, measuring, grouting, placing the spacers and tiles and letting the whole thing set. They then charge you $4,000 for their troubles. You draw upon your savings account and write a check. But what do you do when, 72 hours later, the tile starts to shift and the grout still hasn't set? Your entryway is now a complete mess, and that vein in your forehead won't stop throbbing. You can take up the issue with your state licensing board, but that process could take months and the contractor still has your money. That's why, if you can, you should pay for a big-ticket item like this with a credit card. The issuer has an incentive to discourage fraud among its vendors, and if there is a problem, they have a mechanism to try to resolve it. More important, if you dispute the charge, the card issuer withholds the funds from the tile setter, and not only will you get your money back, you might even get help finding a new contractor. 7. Grace Period When you make a debit card purchase, your money is gone right away. When you make a credit card purchase, your money remains in your checking account until you pay your credit card bill. Hanging on to your funds for this extra time can be helpful in two ways. First, the time value of money, however infinitesimal, will save you money. Delaying eventual payment makes your purchase a tiny bit cheaper than it would be otherwise. Beyond that, by paying with a credit card versus your debit card, cash, or check, your cash will spend more time in your bank account. And if you pay your credit card from an interest-bearing checking account, you will earn money during the grace period. The extra cash will eventually add up to a meaningful amount. Second, when you consistently pay with a credit card you don't have to watch your bank account balance as closely. 8. Insurance Most credit cards automatically come with a number of consumer protections that people don't even realize they have, such as rental car insurance (though often secondary to your personal auto insurance), travel insurance, and product warranties that may exceed the manufacturer's warranty. 9. Universal Acceptance Certain purchases are difficult to make with a debit card. When you want to rent a car or stay in a hotel room, you'll almost certainly have an easier time if you have a credit card. Rental car companies and hotels want customers to pay with credit cards because it makes it easier to charge customers for any damage they cause to a room or a car. Another reason is that, unless you have prepaid for your rental or hotel stay, the merchant doesn't know the final amount of your transaction. The merchant, therefore, needs to block out a certain amount of your available credit line to protect themselves from potential charges they didn't anticipate. So if you want to pay for one of these items with a debit card, the company may insist on putting a hold of several hundred dollars on your account. Also, when you're traveling in a foreign country, merchants won't always accept your debit cardeven when it has a major bank logo on it. 10. Building Credit If you have no credit or are trying to improve your credit score, using a credit card responsibly will help because credit card companies will report your payment activity to the credit bureaus. However, debit card use doesn't appear anywhere on your credit report, so it can't help you build or improve your credit. Even if you need to deposit some funds to get a secured credit card, this can help you build your credit history and eventually qualify for unsecured cards or larger loans. When Not to Use a Credit Card Paying with credit cards isn't always better than paying with cash. Retailers honor credit cards because they want to make it easy for you to shop there. But the merchants still have to pay the major credit card companies a portion of every sale in the form of a transaction fee. Since a cash sale means more to the retailer's bottom line than an equivalent credit sale, some retailers give discounts for the privilege of immediately taking your cash. On a big item, like a furniture set, for instance, the difference could be substantial. However, you'll forego the consumer protections offered by credit cards. There are other reasons when paying with credit isn't better, and they have to do with you and your spending habits. Using a credit card may not be right for you if: You can't pay your credit card balance in full and on time: If this tends to happen, stick with the debit card (or cash) to avoid falling into credit card debt and incurring interest charges. If this tends to happen, stick with the debit card (or cash) to avoid falling into credit card debt and incurring interest charges. You tend to spend more than you can afford: Paying with debit will limit you to spending money already earned. Paying with debit will limit you to spending money already earned. You can only get a credit card with a low credit limit and you have a hard time staying under the balance: Exceeding your credit limit results in costly fees, and doing this can also put a dent in your credit score. The Bottom Line Credit cards are best enjoyed by the disciplined, who can remain cognizant of their ability to pay the monthly bill (preferably in full) on or before the due date. If you already know how to use a credit card responsibly, shift as many of your purchases as possible to your credit card, and don't use your debit card for anything other than ATM access. If you do, the combination of rewards, buyer protection, and the value of cash-in-hand will put you ahead of those who pay with a debit card, check, or cash. Top News - Investor Idea Mullen (NASDAQ: MULN) Continues Acquisition Path With Purchase of ELMS Assets Including Factory in Mishawaka, IN., Enabling EV Production for Retail and Commercial Vehicle Lines BREA, Calif. - October 19, 2022 (Investorideas.com Newswire) Mullen Automotive, Inc. (NASDAQ: MULN), an emerging electric vehicle ("EV") manufacturer, announces the US Bankruptcy Court approval on Oct. 13th, 2022 of its acquisition of electric vehicle company ELMS's (Electric Last Mile Solutions) assets in an all cash purchase. Top EV Stock News - Investor Idea Breaking EV Stock News: Mullen (NASDAQ: MULN) Announces the I-GO, New Urban Commercial Electric Delivery Vehicle Available Now for European Markets BREA, Calif. - October 24, 2022 (Investorideas.com Newswire) Mullen Automotive, Inc. (NASDAQ: MULN), an emerging electric vehicle ("EV") manufacturer, announces today it has secured exclusive sales, distribution and branding rights to the new compact urban delivery electric vehicle, the I-GO, which is fully EU Standard homologated and certified for sale in select European Markets. Top EV Stock News - Investor Idea EV Stocks Driving Higher: (NASDAQ: $MULN) (NASDAQ: $TSLA) (NYSE: $NIO) (NYSE: $F) Vancouver, Delta, BC - October 20, 2022 (Investorideas.com Newswire) Investorideas.com, a leading investor news resource covering EV and automotive stocks releases a special report featuring Mullen Automotive, Inc. (NASDAQ: MULN), covering the continued growth of the EV market as government policy and infrastructure plans sync up with consumer and investor interest in the EV space. Top AI Stock News - Investor Idea Breaking AI Stock News: FatBrain (OTCQB: LZGI) Acquires Confidential Computing Platform ZeroTrust to Protect Data Privacy and Accelerate Innovation for Millions of Growth Businesses NEW YORK, NY - October 19, 2022 (Investorideas.com Newswire) FatBrain AI (LZG International, Inc.) (OTCQB: LZGI), the leader in powerful and easy-to-use artificial intelligence (AI) solutions for star enterprises of tomorrow, has acquired the confidential computing and privacy intellectual property (IP) plus software assets of Zero2A PTE LTD ("ZeroTrust Platform"), a software company based in Singapore. Check out our Podcasts for great investor ideas: Get new posts by email: Subscribe Powered by Investorideas.com Newswire: Subscribe to Investor Ideas Newswire Every once in a while, an Irish property comes on the market looking and sounding like something from beyond your wildest dreams - and at the lowered price of just over $2.1 million it just might be This waterfront retreat on Mermaid Isle in southern County Kerry is absolutely one of those properties. The stunning property went on the market in 2006 at $3.2 million but now appears listed on Daft.ie for $2,124,757. On the peninsula of Mermaid Isle, a protected inlet of Kenmare Bay, sit a stunning but incredibly cozy main house and a quaint guest house that was once a fishermans cottage. Also included in the listing? Illaundrane, a private island just off the shore; 4,000 ft of private shoreline with access to crystal clear water for swimming, bathing and snorkeling; and neighbors such as seals, dolphins, otters, and seabirds. The property was listed by Engel & Volkers, with an asking price of $3.4 million (2.95 million) but now appears on Daft.ie for $2,124,757 exactly! The 25 acres include a forest, Illaundrane Island, and two outdoor hot tubs. The three-story main house is an architectural masterpiece, lovingly and carefully built in 2001 with design elements from around the world: Californian Douglas Fir beams, stained glass windows, marble, limestone, doors, and wooden accents reclaimed from old churches and abandoned manor houses; French doors leading directly to the waterfront; an atrium tiled with Chinese slate. The house was built barn-style, with wide open spaces, vaulted ceilings, and sweeping, south-facing windows that flood with the sunshine. It includes an open plan kitchen and living area, a sunroom, an atrium leading on to a terrace, a library, a master bedroom with an en-suite bath boasting a soaking tub and a double shower, a second bedroom accessed by a wooden staircase leading from the library, and a large open plan area currently used as a studio and workspace which could be easily converted into additional bedrooms. The guest cottage, hidden in the woodlands, also boasts stunning views and is a renovated fishermans cottage with exposed stone walls. According to the listing description, Dolphins patrol in front of the house and curious seals bask on the rocks in the bay. The mature wooded groves and the island are home to many different kinds of seabirds, otters and many other animals. Speaking with the Daily Mail, Ron Krueger, the propertys agent described it as A perfect property for someone looking for a special retreat for their family and someone who loves the peace and quiet of Ireland. Nearby attractions include the lovely Kerry towns of Sneem, Caherdaniel, and Kenmare. Mermaid Isle is also a short drive away from Cork and Kerry Airports. To view the full listing, click here. If money were no object, would you snap up this property, or does your dream Irish home have different criteria? Share your thoughts in the comment section. * Originally published in September 2016. We can of course expect total decorum in the upcoming shoot out between Hillary and The Donald for the title of Most Important Person in the World that is, President of the United States. It will be Marquis of Queensbury rules Not! during the first debate. The Donald will spring out of the gate declaring during his presidency he will ensure people wish each other a Merry Christmas again as against Happy Holidays which will be a major policy initiative. If you are caught saying Happy Holidays you will be forced to watch every Trump and Clinton speech made during the primaries. Trump will say how kind and professional he will be towards women. In response Hillary Clinton will use some of Trumps quotes about women, such as Shes a fat pig, or as Megyn Kelly stated, You have called women you dont like fat pigs, dogs, slobs, and disgusting animals. Or Trumps presidential-like quote: You know, it doesnt really matter what [the media] write as long as youve got a young and beautiful piece of ass. Trump will also announce an immediate congressional inquiry about the widely respected National Enquirer revelations that Ted Cruzs father took part in the Kennedy Assassination in 1963. For her part Hillary will, no doubt, oppose that inquiry and be labeled a terrorist-coddler, covering up the truth about the assassination, by Fox News. Trump will also announce massive employment for bus drivers and airline pilots as it will take a minimum of 17,296 chartered flights and 30,701 chartered bus trips to accomplish sending 11 million immigrants home. Then there will be the $600 billion in costs to the federal deficit to hire all the federal workers, the buses, border agents, planes etc. Hillary Clinton will protest this and Fox News will say shes unAmerican for opposing getting rid of immigrants. Trump will also commit to building a wall between Mexico and the US about 2,000 miles long. Cripes our very own Berlin Wall. Not since Reagan told Gorbachev to tear down this wall has a piece of masonry been so controversial. It will add a mere $25 billion to the federal deficit. Then after seven years it will cost that much every year just maintain it, according to experts. Hillary Clinton will protest, but Fox will drown her out with protesters chanting Build That Wall. Trump will also reveal how Mexico will pay for the wall. He will license the rights to cartoon character Speedy Gonzalez which he secretly bought for $ 25 billion. Hillary Clinton will object on the basis that Speedy Gonzalez is a Latino stereotype. Fox News will bellow that Clinton is coddling illegals. Finally Trump will announce he has found a way to pay off Puerto Rico's massive debt. He will practice eminent domain and take over Hamilton Lin-Manuel Mirandas smash hit (Hes from Puerto Rico, so close enough.) Stay tuned. An Irish family from Tallaght is leading the campaign for a monument to be built to the victims of An Gorta Mor in Glasnevin Cemetery, which is the biggest mass grave of Irish Famine victims. The memorial, which is lobbied for by the Committee for the Commemoration of Irish Famine Victims (CCIFV), will represent all of the unmarked Famine graves in Glasnevin Cemetery, across Ireland and overseas. Micheal Blanch, from Raheen, who founded CCIFV with his family, said: Dublin was the epicenter of the Famine people flocking to the city for work, food, emigration and, sadly, dying when they got here. Read more: Ten most famous people buried in Dublin's Glasnevin Cemetery Thats how Glasnevin Cemetery holds the most victims of An Gorta Mor in the world, and its important the victims are remembered with a fitting memorial after more than 170 years of national amnesia. The memorial will symbolize all the victims of the Great Hunger who lie in unmarked grass on the island of Ireland, at the bottom of the sea in a watery grave and those overseas in unmarked graves they will all be remembered in our national cemetery in Glasnevin. Blanch, who designed the memorial with the support of his business, Craft Monuments, says he is frustrated over the delay in getting the memorial approved. CCIFV have asked county and city councils across Ireland to donate a flagstone with the countys name on it, with each local authority paying for their own flagstone. The organization is willing to pay for the memorial and is not seeking funding. This memorial will cost the Government or Glasnevin very little, so there really is no excuse, Blanch said. However, the memorial will only happen when the Government and Glasnevin are given a little hoosh by bringing it to the publics attention, bringing it out for discussion. It is hard to defend the biggest mass graves of Famine victims in the world and no memorial to them, what sort of society are we to allow this to go on? The computer image of the memorial has been shown to many independent people and they have all said it is a fitting memorial, let the people decide. A Glasnevin Trust spokesman said: Glasnevin Trust has had correspondence with Michael Blanch in which it has expressed its view that any famine memorial placed in Glasnevin Cemetery must be at the behest of the Irish Government and has advised that any application for such a memorial should have the full approval of the relevant government department together with agreed funding for the monument and its future upkeep. H/T: The Echo. Opposition to the site of the new National Children's Hospital is mounting. 80% of the country's County Councils have so far voted against the planned location on the grounds of St James' Hospital in Dublin. Building work is expected to be completed by the year 2020, at a cost of 650m. But opponents have the new facility should be moved to a green field site off the M50 motorway in Blanchardstown. Under the plans, the existing children's hospitals in Crumlin, Temple Street and Tallaght will shut, with staff transferred to the new city centre location. A maternity hospital will also be built on the same site - but retired pediatrician Dr Fin Breathnach has said it comes with many conditions attached: They have to knock down the lovely outpatient department in Jamess which is highly regarded. They actually have to build it someplace else because you cant do without an outpatient department. You have to knock down their intensive care unit and build a new one. You have to build a new adult accident and emergency department and a new facility management hub, that is going to cost you about 200m. Then you can start building your maternity hospital, I mean , you couldnt make it up. The Irish Cattle and Sheep Farmers' Association will protest today against two proposed trade deals which will affect Irish farmers. ICSA is against Mercosur and TTIP, saying the deals would threaten the future of the Irish beef industry. A tenth day of strike action by Luas workers is taking place today. 90,000 passengers are this morning affected by this industrial unrest that is showing no signs of abating. The light rail service is in its 10th day of shutdown as part of the long running pay dispute at the company. Even docking the pay of the striking workers has not deterred them with four more days of scheduled strike action this month. Both sides, the union and the company have reached deadlock with no immediate prospect of further meetings. Two pay offers have been rejected by the Luas drivers so far with the exception of a 13% deal with three non driver grades. Both the red and green lines will not be operating and the company is apologising for the inconvenience. As a nation, we have developed as an internationally leading manufacturing hub particularly in areas like biotechnology, pharmaceuticals and semiconductors but like many countries, Ireland faces increasing global competition from lower-cost economies. The quality of Irish scientific research is crucial in attracting multinationals in the manufacturing, technology, biomedical, pharmaceutical and energy sectors to our shores. The presence of world-class scientific research expertise is important in many ways; it provides the basis for research support many companies rely on, it provides access to infrastructure not routinely available in-house and provides the talent pipeline that high-tech companies require. Irelands reputation as international leaders in nanoscience research continues to grow. Investment in research equipment is critical to that reputation. The infrastructure directly benefits the ability of a nation to grow high-value manufacturing sectors. It has been shown that companies are increasingly reliant on academic collaboration to develop new products. It is clear that in order to anchor and attract both international and national manufacturing companies in Ireland, quality research programmes between industry and academia are crucial. These programmes allow Irish manufacturing sites to become centres for innovation and best-practice templates for global manufacturing. This aids national growth via revenue and job creation. Therefore, the delivery to CRANN, the nanoscience Institute based at Trinity College Dublin, this month, of a Nion UltraStem 200 microscope is a landmark in development for Irish scientific research. Funded by Science Foundation Ireland, this 5.7m microscope is the most expensive single piece of research infrastructure ever to be funded by the State. It is a purpose-built piece of equipment that will allow researchers in the SFI-funded Advanced Materials and BioEngineering Research centre (Amber) based at CRANN, as well as the wider Irish research community, to image and characterise materials at atomic and even sub-atomic resolution. The Nion UltraStem is such a powerful microscope that it can show an atom within a solid at 20m times its size. However, it is not just the scale of magnification that makes this microscope unique it is also the sharpness of the image and the instruments ability to provide elemental and chemical data about the individual atoms within the solid. The way the microscope works is by scanning a beam that has been focused down to the size of an atom, across a sample, providing chemical information on the sample. There are very few Nion microscopes around the world and it is arguably the equivalent of a Formula-1 car representing the pinnacle of innovation and design. Ambers Nion tool is not an off the peg microscope. This one has been tailored to our partner company requirements. It will allow us to provide opportunities for new kinds of experiments and we anticipate scientists will travel from all over Europe to use it; making Ireland a global centre of excellence for microscopy research. The Nion UltraStem 200 will allow Irish scientists to carry out world-leading research and impact sectors such as medical science, energy, agri-food and electronics and the return on investment will be significant. Whilst equipment of this scale is expensive, it is necessary and a landmark in the development of Irish science. The instrument will support the continued excellence of Irish research in the important areas of nanoscience and materials science that underpin a modern manufacturing economy. Excellence in areas such as the science of 2D materials and chemistry and electronic and magnetic materials are related to the manufacture of everything from mobile phones to cars. Through world-class facilities such as this, the Government is enabling the university system here to attract the leading talent to maintain and extend our global reputation. The impact of leading research infrastructure, such as the Nion UltraStem 200, in the area of product manufacturing and its contribution to the national economy, cannot be underestimated. The availability of the instrument is critical to research carried out within Amber industry partner companies such as Intel, Alcatel-Lucent (Nokia) and Western Digital. To support such partnerships Irish science must provide world-class research expertise and infrastructure, such as the nion. Investment by the Government in this instrument shouldnt be a one-off event but rather a landscape change in the way we value science nationally. Professor Michael Morris is director of Amber, the Science Foundation Ireland funded materials science centre based at Trinity College Dublin Latest data from specialist bank Investec Ireland shows that the manufacturing sector saw the slowest rise in new customer orders in nearly two and a half years in April. The sluggishness was most acute in the export sector, with new export orders expanding only marginally in the month. A general weakening in demand in international markets was blamed for the underwhelming performance. Seen as the chief barometer of health for the sector, Investecs manufacturing purchasing managers index (PMI) showed a reading of 52.9 points for April; down from a reading of 54.9 for March. While any reading above the neutral 50 point mark denotes an industry in growth mode, the reading marked the weakest for the sector since November 2013. Despite the disappointing month, Investec remained upbeat as staff hiring levels continued. While the rate of expansion in the employment index [firms hired more staff in April for the 34th straight month] has slowed to its weakest seen in 2016 so far, the ongoing increase in hiring activity suggests that Irish manufacturing firms expect that the current softness in new orders may not prove enduring, said Investec Irelands chief economist Philip OSullivan. However, he warned: With that being said, we think the second quarter is likely to prove to be a tricky period for many Irish manufacturing firms ahead of Junes EU referendum in the UK the destination for roughly one-seventh of Irish merchandise exports. "In this regard, firms should give careful consideration to strategies designed to provide some protection in the event of further sharp moves in the currency and/or commodity markets. Investecs PMI came a day after corresponding manufacturing sector data for the rest of the eurozone painted a mixed picture for the region. The surveys painted a mixed picture of the wider economy. Manufacturing growth was strong in Italy and Spain last month and Germany showed signs of reviving, but activity in France contracted at the steepest rate in a year. Markits manufacturing PMI for the eurozone rose to just 51.7 from Marchs 51.6, slightly better than an earlier flash estimate of 51.5. The Independent Alliance of six TDs is seeking to strike a new agreement over the banks balance sheets and secure a new deal for the many thousands who are struggling with home-loan debt. Documents have passed between Independent TDs and Fine Gael negotiators, including Justice Minister Frances Fitzgerald, over the last three weeks. Negotiations continued yesterday. But what could any deal look like? And why is it needed? Central Bank arrears figures published in March show the total number of mortgage accounts in arrears had fallen by the end of 2015, to 88,292 cases, or about 12% of all mortgage accounts for main homes in the State. Long-term arrears have fallen too. A huge number of all home mortgages, totalling 120,739 accounts, have been restructured. However, the experience of people at the sharp end of the mortgage crisis the debt and restructuring loan advisers say the problem is far from settled. Gerry Dowling of the Money Advice and Budgeting Service (MABS) of Dundrum and Rathfarnham, in Dublin, said new cases are still coming through his door every week. Mortgage debt has not gone away, Mr Dowling said. He favours a major housing agency to intervene to take on homes in some sort of shared-ownership arrangement with existing owners. His experience tells him that under the current restructuring regime lenders are offering solutions to distressed borrowers in an inconsistent way. The menu of solutions is cherry picked by banks to suit what is best for the banks, he said. Perhaps surprisingly, Mr Dowling said his experience is that so-called vulture funds or service providers, who bought distressed home loans or administrate mortgage loans of conventional lenders, are often willing to cut deals with homeowners in distress. But such lenders do not have split mortgages in their repertoire, he said. He said he deals with AIB, Bank of Ireland, KBC, Permanent TSB and Ulster Bank, as well as funds and service providers such as Start, Pepper, Mars Capital and Certus. Michael Dowling (no relation), chair of the mortgage committee at the Irish Brokers Association IBA said Ireland experienced a world-record slump in home prices during the crisis, and yet the solutions eight years on are not world-beating. He said that of 14 off the shelf solutions available that only four types of deals interest only; extending the length of the mortgage, capitalising arrears and split mortgages are commonly used in the Republic. It is still a significant problem for those who are two years or more in arrears on their family home, he said. There have to be solutions for that cohort. That number may not be rising but it is not falling significantly. "Repossession is not going to be a solution to the problem neither from the borrowers point of view or for the banks either, he said. And despite what people say, there is not going to be mass repossessions, Michael Dowling added. Lufthansas yield, a measure that reflects average ticket prices, suffered the biggest drop in at least four years in the first quarter, while airline revenue declined almost 4%. Europes third-largest airline, which is seeking to build its Eurowings discount arm into a rival for low-cost leaders Ryanair and EasyJet, said the intensity of competition and price pressure shows no sign of easing. The firm, headed by Airtricity founder Eddie OConnor has appointed US investment bank PJT Partners to raise at least 100m from one or more investors through an equity sale. The funding will be used to support its expansion in South America, Africa, and South-East Asia. The announcement came as the company reported after-tax profits of 96m. The result marks a significant turnaround in fortunes for the firm, which posted a 46.6m loss in 2014, which was achieved after a strategic review of its business. Last year was a landmark year of growth and progress for Mainstream. Following a review of our business activities in 2014, we implemented a business plan reflecting a renewed strategic focus; concentrating on the development of renewable energy platforms in growth markets, Mr OConnor said. I am delighted to attribute the robust financial turnaround made in 2015 to the diligent implementation of our new business plan, which reflects the value realised from the recent sale of certain offshore assets, payments received following delivery of projects to the Lekela platform and reductions to our cost base. This year has already seen us build on this momentum. We are currently planning a significant equity fundraise of at least 100m to take advantage of the growth opportunities available to us and following the indication of a significant level of appetite to become part of the Mainstream growth story from third party institutional and strategic investors. Mainstream is reducing its presence in the European market. As part of the strategy, the group sold its Hornsea 1 project in Q1 2015 for 82.9m (104.87m). Sales of its new cancer and arthritis treatments and the acquisition last year of hospital products company Hospira boosted the US pharmaceutical giant. The largest US drugmaker, which employs 4,000 people in Cork and across other centres in Ireland, also raised its revenue and earnings forecast for the year. It is the Republics tenth largest exporter, with 7bn in exports last year, according to the Irish Exporters Association and Investec Ireland. Its shares rose as much as 2.4% yesterday, valuing the US giant at $202.8bn. Global sales jumped 20% to $13bn in the first quarter, which was $1bn more than Wall Street had expected. But the quarter included five more days of sales in the US than the year-ago quarter, adding revenue of $900 million in the most recent period. Credit Suisse analyst Vamil Divan said the results were impressive, with most drug categories beating sales expectations. But Mr Divan said investors are eager to hear how Pfizers strategy might change, given its dashed hopes for Allergan. Pfizer walked away after the US Treasury issued rules curbing tax inversion deals. Many analysts believe Pfizer needs to buy new medicines or biotech companies to ensure competitive earnings growth. Sales of Pfizers generic medicines rose 17% in the quarter to $5.97bn, while sales of its array of patent-protected drugs jumped 23% to $7.03bn. Net income rose to $3.02 billion. The announcement late last year that Pakey was to leave the group when his contract expired was seen as a shock and potential blow to the company and wider region given his extensive experience. In Thomas, the group has landed a replacement with a remarkably similar record, however. Thomas joins from Vantage Airport Group where Pakey acted as a senior director before joining Shannon Group. The 43-year old Manchester native has also held the roles of chief commercial officer and subsequently chief executive of Peel Airports following its acquisition by Vantage. Peel comprises Liverpool John Lennon Airport, Doncaster Robin Hood Airport and Durham Tees Valley Airport. Pakey is a former managing director of John Lennon Airport and chief executive of Peel Airports. I am delighted to announce Matthews appointment as the new CEO of Shannon Group plc. "He brings to the role a deep knowledge of the aviation industry combined with significant commercial experience. He combines pragmatic, effective management with strategic purpose and has an excellent track record. We are very fortunate to have secured an executive of Matthews ability and proven international experience to drive our strategic agenda, not just for the benefit of Shannon Group, but for the benefit of the Irish economy as a whole, Shannon Group chairman Rose Hynes said. Transport Minister Paschal Donohoe also welcomed the appointment. As Vantage chief operations officer, the Sheffield University graduate played a leading role in winning the recent 3.48bn redevelopment contract of the Central Terminal at New Yorks La Guardia Airport, the largest public-private-partnership in the United States. He also had responsibility for the development of Vantages portfolio of eight airports in four countries, and was a board member of Lynden Pindling International Airport in Nassau, Bahamas and John C Munro Airport in Hamilton, Toronto. Mr Thomas, who has been appointed on a five-year term, said he is looking forward to moving to Ireland. Im excited to be coming to Shannon and Ireland at this time, and to have this opportunity to share my diverse experience with the Shannon Group. Shannon has an iconic place in aviation history. Im looking forward to working with my new colleagues in Shannon, the board of directors and all of the stakeholders to ensure the group grows and makes the impact the West of Ireland deserves, Mr Thomas said. This 'Jedi-friendly' mashup comes to you from the YouTube account of Nick Jack Pappas and is one of the best #MayTheFourthBeWithYou things we have seen all day. Hamilton, which has just received 16 Tony nominations, is becoming one of the most recognised sounds in musical theatre and this is the only way we want to see a Star Wars musical! Yom HaZikaron, Israel Memorial Day for the fallen soldiers and the victims of terror attacks, will be held at the Jewish Cultural Center, 5461 North Terrace Road, on Wednesday, May 11 at 6:45 p.m. There is no cost to attend this event. Attendees are asked to wear a white shirt. "Yom Hazikaron is an important day in Israel. Each year residents of Israel stop their daily routines and honor the lives lost. Most families have lost a family member or close friend in wars or during terrorist attacks within the country. This special program honors the memories of fallen Israeli soldiers and the victims of terror attacks whom gave their lives to protect Israel," officials said. Two guest speakers will present their personal stories of lost and experience: Amit Farkash and Major Gilad Pasternak. Ms. Farkash is 27 years old. At the age of two years, she was living with her family in Ramat HaSharon, Caesarea, Israel. At 13 she began to study singing. She became known in 2006 when she recorded the song "Millions of Stars" in memory of her brother, Captain Tom Farkash, who died in a helicopter crash during the Second Lebanon War in 2006. The song was written and composed by a friend of Captain Farkash, being sung by Ms. Farkash for the first time at his funeral. It gained fame on radio and became the song most closely identified with the war. Major Pasternak is 32 years old. He is a member of the Israeli Defense Force Nahal Brigade, and veteran of Operation Protective Edge. "They began the battle greatly outnumbered, lost two fighters with many more wounded, but Battalion 931 of the Nahal Brigade refused to surrender. A ground force of 16 fighters, including two dog handlers from the Oketz Unit and a team of engineering troops from the Yahalom unit, entered Beit Hanoun in the northern Gaza Strip in the late night hours of July 25, 2014.The force from the 931 Battalion, under the command of Major Gilad Pasternak, was preparing for an attack in a built-up area, without knowing that a much larger Hamas force was readying a strike against it," officials said. The Yom Haatzmaut celebration for Israels 68th birthday will begin at 6 p.m. on Thursday, May 12, also at the Jewish Cultural Center, 5461 North Terrace Road. The cost to attend is $18 and includes dinner, beverages and a live band. This is a 21-year-old plus event. RSVP to 493-0270 or rsvp@jewishchattanooga.com. Israeli Rock Band Exit 10 are the feature performers for the evening. All Israelis, the band members are coming from Atlanta and have performed in different venues across the United States. They have arranged a playlist that includes both Israeli and American rock greatest hits. Band members include Alon Zaibert (vocals), Lee Lis (vocals and acoustic guitar), Elad Gazit (lead guitar), Guy Tesler (bass), Tal Tzfani (drums) and Yinon Sahar (keyboards). A report from the Higher Education Authority (HEA), on how 2014 graduates are faring, shows employment rates for honours bachelor degree candidates rose from 45% in 2009 to 58% in 2014. The report, published each year, found 65% of all graduates are in employment, with 82% of that figure employed in Ireland. As education increases, so too does salary, with over half of honours bachelor degree graduates earning 25,000 or more. It increases to 91% for those with doctorates, with 31% of doctorate graduates earning over 45,000. Arts and humanities graduates are the least well-paid, with 25% earning less than 13,000. Computer science/ICT honours bachelor degree graduates are the highest earners, with 62% of such graduates earning 29,000 or over. The report found, overall, there was an increase in salary for honours bachelor degree graduates in 2014. Some 48% of 2013 honours bachelor degree graduates commanded an initial salary of 25,000 or more, compared to 51% for the 2014 cohort. Similarly, a higher proportion (49%) are earning between 25,000 and 45,000, when compared to the previous year (45%). The proportions gaining initial salaries between 25,000 and 45,000 have also increased for postgraduate diploma, taught masters, and research masters graduates. Dublin remains the region with most employment opportunities for graduates, followed by the South-West region. Commenting on the findings, HEA CEO Tom Boland said the report made for positive reading for graduates. The findings of this report highlight many positive outcomes for graduates, said Mr Boland. Overall, employment levels and employment in Ireland in particular have improved from last year, and fewer graduates are going overseas for work. Editorial: 10 Ms Owen was responding to an article in yesterdays Irish Examiner, in which Mr Mullen denied all of the allegations against him, and said that the affair has had a devastating impact on him and his family. Ms Owen has alleged that Mr Mullen was a member of a paedophile ring in Dalkey, Co Dublin, to which she was hired out as a child by her parents. She also claimed that Mr Mullen, a former garda, was involved in the cover-up of the murder of her daughter, to whom she gave birth as a result of rape in 1973, when she was aged 11. In an interview with the Irish Examiner, Mr Mullen denied all of the allegations, and said he had decided to tell his story in public in order to clear his name. Yesterday, Ms Owen said she stood over all the allegations. It is not for me to address every point Mr Mullen makes in his interview but, by his own admission, he has not been cleared of his involvement in the abuse I suffered and the murder of my daughter as a result of that abuse, said Ms Owen. Mr Mullen said he felt that the gardai had not properly vindicated his innocence, because, he claims, the allegations were not examined in full detail. Ms Owen went to say that she had been found to be credible by the HSE and by the psychologist hired by the gardai to assess my mental health. I have been calling for a sworn inquiry and now repeat that call as otherwise the truth will not come out, she said. Ex Garda Frank Mullen and his wife The allegations have been investigated a number of times by the gardai, but on eight occasions the DPP has ruled there was no case for a prosecution. A review of the case by a senior counsel in 2007 came to the conclusion that no further inquiry was merited. In 2011, a HSE inquiry stated that it found Ms Owen credible and consistent, but also told Mr Mullen that no allegations against him were proved. Just last year, a review panel set up to look at more than 200 cases of alleged malpractice by the gardai found there was no case for a fuller inquiry in relation to Ms Owens allegations. Frank Mullen, 78, told the Irish Examiner that he had come forward in order to clear his name. Were five generations in Dalkey, he said of his family. And I couldnt leave a legacy like that behind me. I had to clear my name before I departed this world. Monkstown resident Mark Elmes broke down more than once as he outlined how a lone farmer had taken on the might of pharma and the State in the past, and although the Supreme Court ultimately found in favour of John Hanrahan of Co Tipperary on three counts, the victory came at great personal expense to the Hanrahan family. Mr Elmes, former president of the Rotary Club of Cork, was comparing the plight of locals living in Cork Harbour opposed to incineration to the Hanrahan case. In this case, he said, the Supreme Court had established a precedent ruling that incineration of toxic chemicals, is, in law, to be understood as the most likely explanation for any appearance of ill health in the immediate area of the operation. Members of the public assisted gardai in catching two of four men arrested shortly before midday on February 11, 2015, in connection with a robbery which had taken place a short time earlier at Hartmann jewellers. One of the four men, Irmantas Paulauskas, aged 38, pleaded not guilty before Galway Circuit Criminal Court yesterday to the robbery of diamond rings and Rolex watches from Richard Hartmann, 29 William St, Galway, on February 11, 2015. He also denied a second charge of having an imitation pistol with a silencer fitted, in his possession with intent to commit robbery on the same date. Conor Fahy, prosecuting, told the jury Mr Hartmann was in his office upstairs at 10.42am, viewing the CCTV cameras when he saw men, wearing dark clothing, gloves and with their faces partially covered, enter the shop downstairs. He heard a loud bang and dialled 999, alerting gardai at Galway garda station to the robbery. Garda street cameras were trained on the front of the premises and the men were observed exiting the building 90 seconds later. They were carrying two holdalls, which contained 16 trays of diamond rings, with each tray holding 13 rings, along with 32 Rolex watches, all worth 1,139,653. Passersby noticed the men, walking quickly down Shop St. Garda cameras tracked the men as they turned left onto Abbeygate St, heading towards Middle St. Det Sgt John McElroy and Det Gerry Carroll, who happened to be in the area, chased them. Two members of the public helped the gardai restrain two of the suspects at Middle St, after a violent struggle. Mr Fahy told the jury that one of the two men caught at Middle St was the accused, and he advised jurors they need not be concerned with the other three men. A lump hammer and one of two imitation guns used during the robbery, were found on the shop floor by gardai afterwards, Mr Fahy said. The second imitation firearm was found on the other man caught in Middle Street with the accused, he added. The accused, Mr Fahy said, was wearing glasses and these glasses were found at Middle Street later on. The trial continues tomorrow. Limerick Circuit Court was told that accused, now 20, met the woman when they were students in China. When she returned to Ireland, he came a short time later to continue their relationship. In 2012, the victim became pregnant. They were at their apartment at Ducart House, Steamboat Quay, on September 8, 2013, when there was an argument. He struck the victim with part of a hoover and food fell on the floor. He then forced the victim to lick the food off the floor. The woman fled the scene and contacted gardai. Later that night, the accused turned himself into the gardai. He was contrite for what he had done. The accused returned to the US. When the case came to court, he returned. The court heard there had been a reconciliation and the couple are now together with their child. Judge Tom ODonnell said the violence used on the victim was not acceptable but the couple had made considerable advances since the assault. He imposed a 12 month suspended sentence. Judge ODonnell directed that the parties not be named. Shortlisted for The Great Town award by The Academy of Urbanism, it will be competing with Blackpool in Lancashire and Todmorden in West Yorkshire. A panel of five judges will visit all three centres this summer, using a range of assessment criteria from community, character, amenities and public spaces to connectivity, commercial success, local governance and viability. Separately, the European Commission has obtained a mandate to initiate arbitration under the EU-US Open Skies agreement in a bid to resolve the impasse over the US foreign air carrier permit for Norwegian Airlines Irish subsidiary, Norwegian Air International (NAI). The Dublin-based airline has been waiting more than two years for a decision. It is being opposed by a coalition of labour unions and US legacy airlines who have objected to NAIs business model, claiming it violates Open Skies under labour practices. The airline has consistently rejected the claims. The latest developments in the long-running saga comes just days after four US Congressmen introduced a bill in the House of Representatives in a bid to prevent the issuing of the permit. Cork Chamber has now ramped up its lobbying efforts in a bid to secure the historic transatlantic service from Cork Airport. It has begun urging its members to make submissions to the DoT stressing the importance and benefits of the proposed service on both sides of the Atlantic. NAI announced plans last September to launch a Cork-to-Boston service this year and a Cork-to-New York service next year. The Boston services May launch was postponed because of the licensing delays. The breakthrough came in mid April when the DoT announced tentative approval for NAIs licence, triggering a consultation process which was due to close on May 6, with answers to the submissions on May 13. However, the Transportation Trades Department of the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations, the largest federation of unions in the US, joined with the European Cockpit Association, the Air Line Pilots Association, the International Association of Machinists, the Association of Flight Attendants, and the Transportation Workers Union, to seek a 10-day extension of time to file objections. The Southwest Airlines Pilots Association filed a similar request. All parties said the extension is needed so they can submit as consolidated a response to the DoTs tentative licence approval plan as possible. The unions have also cited the novelty and complexity of the issues in this case. NAI objected to the request for an extension and said it is the consumer who will ultimately lose out. However, the DoT said an extension of time was reasonable and in the interest of ensuring procedural due process. It has now confirmed that it will take submissions until May 16, and will address them by May 23. Meanwhile, Aviation Daily reported over the weekend that the European Commissions transport directorate is now ready to trigger arbitration in a bid to resolve the long-running licensing issue. We are prepared to take the necessary steps to resolve the NAI issue. But we are confident that things will go as planned and look forward to the DOT granting the final approval, a source told Aviation Daily. If used, it would be the first time the dispute-settlement procedure has been used since Open Skies was signed in 2007. The Sinn Fein president caused international controversy when he compared the struggle against slavery in the US to the situation encountered by Irish nationalists. After watching a Quentin Tarantino film Mr Adams tweeted: Watching Django Unchained A Ballymurphy N*****!. Addressing the provocative tweet, which was quickly deleted but which drew much criticism Mr Adams yesterday said: Ive never seen myself as white. Speaking on LMFM radio Mr Adams said: Ive never seen myself as white. Thats only skin deep. Im a human being. Were all human beings, whatever our skin colour, whatever our gender, whatever our ability or disability. The fact is were all human beings and we all deserve to be treated properly. And its all about rights and what was happening in America. The political party leader was forced to apologise for his use of the six-letter word on Sunday but yesterday continued to defend the message being put forward. The 2012 film highlights the inhuman treatment of slaves in America in the 19th century. Describing the film as a very violent but very powerful, Mr Adams said: I saw a parallel, as I have for a long time, between the plight and the struggle for African Americans and people back here at home. I tweeted about that. Speaking of his twitter page which has 112,000 followers he said: I live a wee bit on the edge on Twitter. I enjoy it. I know it excites some comment. Some people see some of my tweets as a bit bizarre. Counsel John Scott told the court that in October 2014, Emma Olteanu had been swimming with her father Marius Olteanu at the Clarion Hotel in Clondalkin, Dublin, when the incident happened. Circuit Court president Mr Justice Raymond Groarke heard Emma had been wearing non-slip swimming socks but had tripped on the sharp edge of a mat inside the pool, falling and cutting her chin. Prospective and current students at Lee University will soon be able to take courses for a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics degree with a pre-engineering emphasis, thanks to a recent vote of approval by the faculty. The degree will be an option beginning this fall as part of Lees work towards an eventual dual-degree engineering major with partner institution Tennessee Technological University. The pre-engineering emphasis will be a starting point for students interested in both an engineering degree and Lees unique methods of holistic education including the global perspectives requirement and the religion core. According to Dr. Blayne Carroll, professor of mathematics, providing a full engineering major at Lee would require new laboratories, equipment, and robotics, so the dual degree partnership allows both institutions to continue to do what they do best. "Until now students who wanted both an engineering degree and the unique Christian liberal arts education that Lee provides were forced to choose between the two, said Dr. Carroll. We now have an option for those students, and we are moving forward with plans to make it even better." The dual degree would allow students to complete a general education core in three years and then move on to the partner school for another two years in the engineering discipline. So far, five new pre-engineering classes have been proposed to be added to the science and math department curriculum. For more information about this degree, call Lees Department of Natural Sciences and Mathematics at 614-8275. Rodney Daunt of Blackpool-based Daunt Instrumentation and Control said: You cannot control that which you cannot measure and if you are not measuring, nobody is going to know and corrective action will not be taken. Mr Daunt was speaking on day nine of the hearing into a proposal by waste management company Indaver Ireland to build a 240,000 tonne waste-to-energy facility in Ringaskiddy. Referring to Indavers environmental impact statement (EIS), which he said states that samples from the chimney stack will be analysed every two weeks, Mr Daunt said that, for failsafe accountability, continuous live online measurement and control of dioxin emissions is essential. Dara Fitzgerald, lecturer in analytical chemistry in UCC, said that despite Indavers voluminous EIS, there is no data to support or reassure the public of an adequate monitoring regime for the proposed incinerator. He called into question a paper previously presented on behalf of Indaver at the hearing, which he said showed none of the sampling points were even within 5km of the incinerator. The paper, by air quality expert Edward Porter, said modelling had shown there would be no adverse impact on public health or the environment as a result of the incinerator. Planning inspector Derek Daly said he would pose questions specific to air emissions later in the hearing and that Indaver would be given the chance to question Dr Fitzgeralds claims. Dr Fitzgerald also queried Indavers intention to monitor heavy metals on a regular basis, without stating the interval. As an expert in heavy metals I know that it is not possible to monitor metals in real time, he said. He added that the An Bord Pleanala must be made aware that incinerators are working to aspirational emission values. Una Chambers, spokeswoman for the Carrigaline branch Chase (Cork Harbour Area for a Safe Environment) said monitoring is not preventative, merely historical record of what has occurred. Professor of Analytical Chemistry at UCC, Jeremy Glennon, quoted from several research papers on the dangers of dioxins, including that they are known carcinogens which can take up to 11 years to break down in humans. Children exposed before birth to dioxins were reported to display hormonal and developmental changes and possible neurobehavioural effects (learning difficulties), Prof Glennon said. Colin Bradley, professor of General Practice at UCC and a part-time GP in Cobh, said he and several colleagues had concerns regarding the effect of proposed incineration on the health and wellbeing of the people of Cobh. He said the coastal town already has its share of health problems including respiratory, musculosketal problems and impairments of hearing related to working in previous industries such as Irish Steel, Verolme Dockyard, and IFI chemicals. While a link to cancers is disputed, it remains a fact that the incidence of certain cancers is higher in Cobh, Prof Bradley said. Indaver points out that, in 2011, the National Cancer Registry said that while the risks of some cancers in Cobh are above average, the risk of many others is below average. The registry said selective reporting of the high rates only serves to cause unnecessary worry to residents. The hearing continues. The opposition leader took the unpopular position as Fine Gaels acting Agriculture Minister Simon Coveney said his party should tell constituents to contact Mr Martin to find out why they are paying money despite the service continuing. Speaking to reporters last night after a four-hour meeting with his TDs and senators to discuss confirmation of the parties long-awaited government formation deal, Mr Martin repeatedly said it is his view that people who have yet to pay their first three water bills must address their debt to the State. Asked if this included the latest water bills, which have been sent out by Irish Water in recent days despite the fact the deal means they will be suspended in six weeks, Mr Martin said it did and urged people to comply with the soon-to-be-scrapped law. Yes [the latest bill should still be paid], the bottom line is weve been consistent people should uphold the law, he said. The Fianna Fail leader side-stepped questions on if the existing 500 threshold for when repayment of water-bill debts can be sought by the State should be lowered to ensure all debts are honoured, saying his party hasnt made any specific commitments on that, yet. However, he continued to hold firm to his partys election manifesto commitment that while Irish Water should end as a utility, existing bills are part of the laws and as such should neither be refunded nor ignored. If you want to refund people theres a [budget] cost involved, so we will have to make choices. One could not have a government formed if water wasnt dealt with. Its very simple. It would not have lasted two-to-three months, he said. Mr Martin rejected criticism from billionaire businessman Denis OBrien, one of whose companies is linked to the Irish Water service, over the decision to suspend water charges, saying that it was democracy in action. At an earlier four-hour meeting with his TDs and senators, Mr Martin faced further questions from Carlow-Kilkenny TD John McGuinness and others on the need to refund people who have paid. However, alongside environment spokesperson Barry Cowen, he said it was key to a government being formed and further rejected calls from Fianna Fail Dublin city councillor Daithi de Roiste for an emergency ard fheis on the deal last night. Meanwhile, the acting Agriculture Minister Simon Coveney told Fine Gael TDs to tell constituents who are asking about refunds for paying water charges to contact Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin. The business association said it is planning ahead to create flexible workspaces for new and small established companies in what is regarded as one of the countrys industrial powerhouses. Little Island Business Association (LIBA) is planning a three-phase development in Little Island on the eastern outskirts of Cork City the first phase of which will open on July 1. LIBA chief executive Michael Mulcahy said the new Little Island Business Centre will be specifically designed to cater for flexible workspaces. At its peak we hope it will have facilities for up to 50 separate businesses, said Mr Mulcahy. It is clear to us that in the past year the interest in flexible work spaces in Cork has risen sharply and the number of Dublin, Galway, London and other national and international based businesses looking for a base in Cork without the fixed costs associated with office leases and utility costs is on the rise. The LIBA Business Centre model is based on offering a desk and cubicle office within a shared office environment with full office facilities provided. Mr Mulchay said parking and meeting rooms will also be made available to occupants at exceptionally competitive prices. We expect to attract a wide variety of business users from local small businesses, start-ups, remote workers to large corporate customers, both national and international, who want to open satellite offices in Corks most vibrant business location, Mr Mulcahy added. He said that as well as offering a fixed-price solution for a new Cork office base for businesses, they will also offer all clients a complimentary membership of LIBA. At present, there are around 1,000 businesses of operating in the Little Island area. Michael Ryan, aged 25, of 7 Fairgreen, Rathkeale, was yesterday jailed for 18 months at Limerick Circuit Court for violent disorder and threatening to kill two gardai on June 7, 2013. Garda Tom Flavin told the court gardai went to Fair Hill to investigate a suspicious shed fire on June 7, 2013. They came on an English- registered Ford Mondeo, which was travelling at speed. On stopping this car, men wearing balaclavas got out and confronted gardai. The men got back into the car which reversed and crashed into a gateway where it got stuck. The men in the car then retreated into the Ryan home. The mother of the accused, Bridget Ryan, emerged from the house accompanied by a large group. Michael Ryan went nose to nose with one of the gardai and threatened to kill him. The situation was so hostile, gardai had to move back and call for backup assistance. One man drove a car at the Garda car as they tried to take possession of the Ford Mondeo and the gardai feared for their safety. Bridget Ryan was one of the main protagonists and instigators in trying to prevent gardai take possession of the Ford Mondeo. Following his arrest, Michael Ryan got High Court bail and fled to England. While there he was jailed for a burglary. On his release, he was extradited to Ireland. Passing sentence yesterday, Judge Tom ODonnell said the situation in which the gardai found themselves was very explosive. Bridget Ryan, the mother of the accused, he said, was the main spark who lit the fuse. He jailed Michael Ryan for three years with the final 18 months suspended. Bridget Ryan and another son have already been dealt with by the court in connection with the incident. Ann Doherty, whose twin sister Mary Boyle went missing from her grandparents rural Donegal home in 1977, met Mr Martin last week to relay her belief that her sister was murdered, and that the investigation into her disappearance has been the subject of Garda and political interference. The following day Ms Doherty wrote to Mr Martin to ask that he raise the matter in the Dail, and to claim that a Fianna Fail politician interfered in the investigation preventing the chief suspect from being arrested. By simply reporting these matters to the gardai, you are handing it back to the organisation which has covered up Marys murder for four decades and in whom I told you I have no trust, she said. A man sits in the meeting room of the Patrician Academy, a secondary school in Mallow, Co Cork. Hes here to talk about his 16-year-old son. The boy, an avid Real Madrid fan who likes to draw, isnt here his transition year class have gone for driving lessons, something he has been looking forward to. Normally, a parent being summoned to his sons school is a sign the boy has done something wrong, but not in this instance. In fact, the man sitting at the polished wood boardroom table is here at his sons request to tell how the boy is the one who has been wronged, along with his whole family. The mans name is Ahamad Al Raai and he is here to tell how he, his son Ahmed, and the rest of their family ended up in north Cork, having fled from their home in Syria. The Patrician Academy is one of a number of schools in the Blackwater Valley taking part in Operation Mayday, a community-driven initiative that aims to raise awareness of the consequences of the ongoing refugee crisis while raising money for Plan Irelands work in helping migrant children on the Mediterranean. When Ahmed heard of his schools involvement in Operation Mayday, he immediately volunteered to do something to help promote the events. Ahmed and Ahamads family are one of eight Syrian families to have been relocated to north Cork since leaving their war-torn home. The Department of Justice has yet to appoint the promised interpreter who is supposed to help these eight families integrate into an unfamiliar country which is unfortunate, given his limited English. Luckily one of his fellow countrymen has some English, and he acts as an interpreter for Ahamad. Ahamad was a successful businessman in his home country his company installed and serviced elevators. However his family of six left it, their extended family, and friends behind, to flee to Lebanon as the fighting between the Assad Regime and other factions grew closer to his home. Ahamad says his children are traumatised by the rockets that flew over their heads and the explosions that hit just metres from their home in Baba Amr, on the outskirts of Homs. Their 2013 departure from Syria was complicated by Ahamads arrest. He was caught outside Damascus by the Syrian Army when he was attempting to retrieve some furniture. They saw his ID and he wasnt in Baba Amr. Because of this, they think he may be wanted. If he wasnt from this area, they think he is dangerous, his friend explains. The consequences of this perceived misdemeanour made it all the more critical that the family made it out of Syria without getting caught away from home a second time. The Al Raai family subsequently travelled for two days through the mountains to Lebanon, where they stayed for a year and a half before poor living conditions and a hostile environment prompted another move. A family walks amid the rubble after a reported air strike in Aleppo last week. The Al Raai family was forced to flee the terror of living in a war-torn country At this point, the UN intervened and secured them passage to Ireland. They left for Ireland via Istanbul, and ended up in the orientation centre at the Hazel Hotel, in Monasterevin, Co Kildare last September. From there they came to North Cork, where they have been since the start of the year. Ahamad is entitled to work, and is willing, but his efforts are hampered by his poor English and lack of interpreter. He clutches a black A4 ring binder with picture stories and phrases to learn. Occasionally he will wait until his friend finishes interpreting what he has just said, and chips in with a few words for emphasis. So are the Ahamad family happy to be in Ireland now? He feels comfortable and safe, but he was very sad about his country, his friend interprets. He lost everything. We have lost our friends, our relatives, our neighbours, our houses. All our memories. We lost everything, he says. Ahamads brother was killed during the fighting in Syria. It is very difficult. We are in a new culture, a new people, a new language, new country, he says, adding that most Irish people he has met have been lovely. So what are his hopes for his family now? What would he like to see Ahmed do in future? He relays his answer to his friend, who repeats it back to him for clarity. He wishes for his son to be a doctor in the future, and his hope is to go back someday to Syria. It is his homeland. To work in a hospital to help the poor people and homeless. It is my dream, Ahamad adds. Operation Mayday begins on May 20 with an awareness exhibition and awards ceremony in Mallow GAA Complex from 7pm. Other events across the weekend include an event in Fermoy at which RTE broadcaster Valerie Cox will discuss her experience following her recent visit to Lesbos in Greece, where she worked on the frontline with refugees. For more information see facebook.com/Operationmaydayavondhu Known for his lack of patience with the trappings of success, Mr Blackshaw rarely gave interviews and shied away from publicity but one person who knew him very well was his model and muse of 30 years, Dr Judith Stephens of Queens University, Belfast. Dr Stephens said that one of the joys of modelling for Mr Blackshaw was watching him at work. He never kept still. He engaged in a way that was very dynamic; he moved continuously around his canvas, evaluating it from different angles as he worked, she said. Im going to miss the quiet philosopher, his mischievous sense of humour, his kindness, and his talent, but Ill be reminded of all of these things every time I look at one of his paintings, she said. Mr Blackshaws portraits included playwright Brian Friel, actor Clint Eastwood, and former SDLP leader John Hume, but he was perhaps better known for his depictions of rural life, influenced by his interest in greyhounds, racehorses, and cock fighting. One of Northern Ireland's greatest artists has passed away. @colin_davidson pays tribute to Basil Blackshaw.https://t.co/hcDhM7Ff72 BBC Newsline (@bbcnewsline) May 3, 2016 Having battled alcoholism, marital breakdown, and a studio fire in 1985, Mr Blackshaws life has been described by art critic Brian Fallon as an epic of survival. Despite occasional periods of low productivity, he continued to develop and experiment with his style well into his seventies, progressing towards a bold and increasingly abstract output, having been hailed in earlier work as an Irish Expressionist painter. Cork gallery owner Nuala Fenton paid tribute to Mr Blackshaw as an artist who really pushed the boat out throughout his career. Ms Fenton exhibited Mr Blackshaws work in her Cork gallery in 2005, with the painter creating a dramatic collection of 15 new paintings exclusively for the exhibition. It was a dream to work with someone of that vision and awareness. The scope of what he touched upon got philosophically more interesting all the time. He didnt like the commercial art world and he didnt like auction values, exhibition openings, hype; any of that stuff, she said. His retiring nature and lack of patience for publicity led to the artist jokingly donning a paper bag for publicity shots for the 2005 exhibition, which was shown in Paris the following year. Other examples of Basil Blackshaw's works painted over a period of years. Basil has a new perspective today. RIP pic.twitter.com/31QUtKcHfu Eamonn Mallie (@EamonnMallie) May 3, 2016 Mr Blackshaw is survived by his daughter, the artist Anya Waterworth, and his partner of 40 years, Helen Faloon. The deal was agreed by both parties last night, as Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin also said the issue of any refunds for customers who had paid could be decided under the next budget. Water charges are now set to be suspended in six weeks under the deal. However, several stumbling blocks for Independents, whose support is needed for a minority government, are delaying the deal, which was expected to pave the way this week for a final vote for Taoiseach. Instead, disagreements between Fine Gael and Independents over judicial appointments, turf-cutting, health, and education are thought to be some of the sticking points. The three-year deal stops Fianna Fail from supporting any motions of no-confidence against the government and commits Mr Martins party to supporting Fine Gaels budgets. Fianna Fail denies the deal is all but a partnership agreement, and says it will allow it implement its policies but from opposition. Members of the Independet Alliance The deal also commits the Fine Gael government with Independents to: Reducing USC for lower and middle income earners; Improving supports and services for older people, including possible pension increases; Publishing all agreements with Independent TDs or other parties in full; A 2:1 split between investment and in public spending and tax reductions; Speeding up social housing building, removing barriers to private housing, and extending mortgage interest relief; Planning to create a five-year health service plan; Employing 15,000 more gardai and instigating a review of where garda stations are located. However, a number of questions remain about the deal by the two parties when it comes to suspending water charges. Agriculture minister Simon Coveney last night told the Fine Gael parliamentary party that any constituents who had queries about refunds with water charges should ring Micheal Martin. Agriculture minister Simon Coveney However, Mr Martin said his party supported the idea of non-payers being pursued for water bills. He said no one could support breaking the law. He also hinted that the issue of any refunds for customers could be dealt with in the context of debate around the next budget. According to the deal though, charges could be abolished after a Dail vote is held next April. Under the deal, water charges will be suspended within six weeks of a government being formed. Within eight weeks, an independent commission will be set up to examine the future of charges and will have five months to issue findings. Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin At that stage projected as this December a cross-party Oireachtas committee will be established and asked to draw its own conclusions from the findings over the following three months. While this committees work timeframe can be extended if required, the deal states a Dail vote on the future of water charges must be held within one month of this committees work. This means a vote could be held next April. Meanwhile, billionaire businessman Denis OBrien has waded into the disagreement over water charges, criticising a climbdown by Fine Gael on the issue. A plan to get a commission to examine the future of charges meant it had been kicked in the air and down the field, he said. Denis OBrien The Government was wrong to back down on Irish water, he told Bloomberg Television. He said as much as 4bn is needed to upgrade the water system and that now was in question. Mr OBrien was drawn into the Irish Water fiasco when one of his companies was awarded a contract to install water meters in 2013. The Xperia X will set you back 599, boasting a 5-inch Full HD display, a "traditional" Sony design, a 13MP selfie camera, and a 23MP rear-facing camera. Meanwhile, the Xperia XA features a 5-inch 720p curved display, an 8MP front-facing camera, and a 13MP rear-facing camera. It costs 299, half the price of the Xperia X. Sony revealed that the Xperia X Performance will be available in a select number of European countries: France, Italy, Spain, Netherlands and Sweden. It features a 5-inch Full HD display, a Snapdragon 820 processor, 3GB RAM, and a 23MP camera. It will cost 699 in France and Netherlands, and 729 in Italy and Spain. Sony is yet to disclose availability in the UK and Germany. The Xperia X will be available from May 23, 2016. Chattanooga Community Housing Development Organization is offering forgivable grants for roof replacement to income qualified homeowners in the city of Chattanooga. CCHDOs Roof Replacement Program is designed to assist lower-income families in making this vital improvement. Since 2012 CCHDO has replaced 75 roofs on homes owned by low income Chattanooga homeowners. The homeowners who received assistance were living in homes with roofs that were leaking and were in risk of becoming uninhabitable. This program helps improve the quality of life for low income homeowners and allows them to maintain ownership of their homes, said officials. The roof is one of the most important parts of a homes structure," said CCHDO Executive Director Roya Evans. "A compromised roof, if not repaired in a timely manner, will deteriorate the house bit by bit and in a short time makes that house uninhabitable. The moisture damage to a house will create conditions that pose a serious threat to the health, safety and welfare of the household and affects the immediate livability of the home. CCHDOs funding for the roof replacement program is through federal Community Development Block Grant, which is provided through the city of Chattanooga. CCHDO provides a five year forgivable grant to homeowners who make below 80 percent of Chattanooga median income - approximately $34,000 for an individual and higher for larger households. Additional eligibility requirements may apply. Interested homeowners should call 668-9804 and ask about the roof replacement program. The applications will be treated on first come first serve basis. We accept applications throughout the year and when we receive funding we start replacing roofs until we run out of money," said Ms. Evans. "Those applicants who dont receive a roof in the current year will go on our waiting list for next funding cycle. We are hoping to replace more roofs this year than previous years." CCHDO is a private non profit organization with the goal to provide affordable homeownership for low to moderate-income families and revitalize neighborhoods within the city limits of the city of Chattanooga through partnership with the city of Chattanooga, and other community development organizations. For years after the 2003 American invasion, Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr had an outsized influence on Iraqs politics: He mobilised the Shiites in a way few other Iraqi leaders could, his followers created one of the most powerful militias during the civil war, and he played kingmaker in the selection of prime ministers. But after US troops withdrew from Iraq in late 2011, Sadr went into a self-imposed seclusion, even as his supporters ran for parliament and controlled key ministries. Sadr was waiting for his opportunity to play the saviour of Iraqs Shiites. Today, Sadr is making a comeback, as a nationalist who can both fight Islamic State and stand up to Irans growing influence over Iraq, especially through its support of Shiite militias. On April 30, after months of protests over political reforms, hundreds of Sadr supporters stormed the parliament in Baghdads heavily fortified Green Zone. The protesters withdrew after 24 hours, but Sadr has threatened another mass protest this week. As Iraqs Shiite-dominated government tries to retake territory from Islamic State militants and cope with the loss of revenue caused by the global collapse in oil prices, the country faces a new danger: An intra-Shiite conflict, among factions competing for power. While most attention has focused on the struggle between the weak prime minister, Haider al-Abadi, and his Shiite competitors including his predecessor, Nuri al-Maliki the once-renegade Sadr has again taken centre-stage. While Sadr is casting himself as a populist and reformer, he has a bloody history. His paramilitary force, the Mahdi Army, led a Shiite rebellion against American troops in Iraq, starting in 2004, and it carried out kidnappings and assassinations, and an ethnic-cleansing campaign against Sunnis during the subsequent civil war. In February, Sadr instigated a mass protest in Baghdad aimed against political corruption and financial mismanagement. In scenes reminiscent of uprisings in other Arab capitals, Sadr brought tens of thousands of Iraqis into the streets of Baghdad. The cleric demanded that Abadi keep his promises to form a new government and to impose political reforms (eliminating the three posts of vice-president, cutting government spending, and removing sectarian quotas in political appointments) that had stalled since last summer. Sadr did not call for Abadis ouster, but framed his protests as an effort to help the prime minister consolidate support. On March 31, Abadi announced a new cabinet, made up of technocrats, most of them unaffiliated with the powerful political parties that divvied up patronage jobs and government contracts. Sadr declared victory, called off his protests in the centre of the capital, and returned to his home in the southern city of Najaf. But, since then, Shiite parties have forced several of the proposed ministers to withdraw their candidacies and have pressured Abadi to replace them with political operatives. Iraqs parliament also failed to approve the new cabinet, setting off a new round of protests, led by Sadr, who is threatening to oust the weakened Abadi and to call for early parliamentary elections. Prime minister, Haider al-Abadi The months-long political paralysis is diverting the attention of Iraqi leaders from the fight against Islamic State. Iraqi military officials have been working with American counterparts to prepare a major operation to retake Mosul, Iraqs second-largest city. In June, 2014, Islamic State militants, backed by Sunni tribal fighters, captured Mosul and announced that they would march on to Baghdad, and the southern Shiite heartland of Karbala and Najaf. After the takeover of Mosul, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, the most revered cleric in Iraq, issued a call to arms, urging all able-bodied Iraqi men to join the security forces. Within weeks, tens of thousands of Shiite volunteers had signed up to join the Iraqi military, or to join one of a growing number of Shiite militias (two forces that became indistinguishable in the fight against Islamic State). With Sistanis appeal and the intervention of Iran, which armed the Shiite militias, Iraqis began to turn the tide against the jihadists. But the effort to retake Mosul has stalled, due to the political bickering and because Iraqs Shiite leaders have not shown a willingness to share power with the beleaguered Sunni minority. Since he reemerged this year, Sadr has portrayed himself as an agent of political reform, who can also make a nationalist appeal to Sunnis. But his overtures failed to generate support in the Sunni community. Today, I am among you to say, frankly and bravely, that the government has left its people struggling, Sadr told supporters at a rally in late February, against death, fear, hunger, unemployment, occupation, a struggling economy, a security crisis, poor services, and a major political crisis. The 42-year-old Sadr does not have the religious credentials of Sistani or of other senior clerics, but he is the son of a revered ayatollah and he has broad support among the Shiite masses. Sadr has emerged as the bad boy of Najaf, who challenges the religious hierarchy represented by Sistani. In the days after the fall of Mosul, Sadr called for peace brigades that would protect Shiite shrines, churches, and holy sites. But Sadrs peace brigades were simply a new label for his feared Mahdi Army, which had supposedly disbanded in 2008. In June, 2014, his militia returned to its stronghold, the capitals teeming Shiite slum in Sadr City. In its largest show of force in six years, thousands of Shiite fighters marched through the streets with machine guns, rocket-propelled grenades, and suicide explosives belts strapped to their chests. I will purify Mosul, I am a Sadrist, some of the fighters chanted. Sadr represents the triumph of a defiant brand of Shiism. Because Sistani and other senior theologians shun direct political involvement, they create a power vacuum among Iraqi Shiites one that Sadr is eager to fill. He wants to be both a respected cleric and a political broker. In the Shiite world, it is unusual for a young cleric with Sadrs limited theological credentials to gain such a wide following. Sadr is several ranks, and years, away from attaining the title of ayatollah. But he is the only surviving son of Grand Ayatollah Muhammad Sadiq al-Sadr, who was assassinated by the Iraqi regime in 1999. The elder Sadr was a leading Shiite scholar, and unlike Sistani he advocated a strong political role for the clergy. Sistani and the elder Sadr became rivals in the Shiite religious hierarchy. Aside from his pedigree, Sadr has another claim to leadership: He did not leave Iraq to live in comfortable exile during Saddam Husseins rule. Amid the euphoria that followed Husseins ouster in 2003, clergymen debated their role in politics. Sadr and his supporters argued that they should fill the void left by the Baathist system. They denounced the US occupation, and also Washingtons plan to install an interim government made up mainly of exiled Iraqi politicians, such as Ahmad Chalabi and Ayad Allawi. Sadr started out as a militia leader, with the populist appeal and credibility that comes from being heir to a family of martyrs. He then turned himself into one of Iraqs most effective politicians. The elder clerics watched from the sidelines, confident that their religious authority would be more enduring than Sadrs fleeting political power. Now, the renegade cleric is once again poised to command the Shiite street, and become kingmaker in Iraq. Mohamad Bazzi is a journalism professor at New York University, and former Middle East bureau chief at Newsday. A former fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, he is writing a book on the proxy wars between Saudi Arabia and Iran. He tweets @BazziNYU Three musical greats have died in 2016: Prince, David Bowie, and Merle Haggard. When Haggard died, US National Public Radio announced that Country music legend and icon, dies at 79. The terms are considered interchangeable, but are they? Many entertainers have been labelled icons Britney Spears is an example. But Prince, Bowie, and Haggard seem to be in a different realm. Our culture, and our world, are different because they existed. An icon can show us who we are. But a legend shows us who we could be. Prince, a child prodigy who taught himself to play more than 20 instruments, explored daring erotic themes in his music. He toyed with new ways of being a black man in America, showing off his feminine side in purple silk and diamonds. Prince blended pop, funk, blues, jazz and rock n roll. He set his own rules and branched out from music into film. His songs could be explicitly raunchy ( Darling Nikki), but could also bring passion to a spiritual plane (Adore). Prince, a Jehovahs Witness, broke with pop tradition to include religious motifs in his songs, such as in the messianic I Would Die 4 U. Philosopher Cornel West noted Princes strong social consciousness, which channeled rebellion against oppression, and care for societys most vulnerable, into his art. In 2015, Prince wrote Baltimore, a song lamenting the death of Freddie Gray, the unarmed African-American whose fatal encounter with Baltimore police sparked riots in the city and widespread outrage nationally. Princes lyrics became a mantra for protesters: If there aint no just, then there aint no peace. Prince not only remade the sonic landscape, but also left us with expanded notions of what it means to be male and female, black and white, erotic and spiritual. Bowie, too, changed musical and cultural paradigms. In his first TV appearance, in 1964, as the founder of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Long-Haired Men, the 17-year-old announced himself as an impish subvert, who would take society as he found it. For example, in 1983 Bowie challenged MTV to include more black musicians. Upon the news of his death, rap artist MC Hammer tweeted: Salute and Thank you to #DavidBowie for standing up for #BlackMusicians. Bowies views on societys wrongs emerged in songs such as Under the God, which depicts the rise of neo-Nazis and the horror of racism. From his incarnations as the glam Ziggy Stardust and the avant-garde Thin White Duke, to his nimble turns at rock n roll, disco, new wave, folk rock, industrial rock and electronica and his roles in films such as The Man Who Fell to Earth Bowie was an innovator and shape-shifter. Without David Bowie, electronica and dance musician Moby, said, popular music as we know it pretty much wouldnt exist. Prince and Bowie not only transcended the particularities of the decades associated with them (Bowie, the 1970s and 1980s; Prince, the 1980s and 1990s), they transformed their art form. They created fresh outlets for expression in music, in fashion, and in gender identity. The word icon comes from Latin, meaning a picture or statue, and from the Greek eikon, referring to a likeness or portrait, but also to an image in a mirror. Spears status as pop icon is easy to justify. If you were watching MTV in the 1990s, her pigtailed debut as a sexy Catholic schoolgirl, in Baby One More Time is etched into your brain. She launched a new phase of teen pop, grew to be world-famous, and her songs became ubiquitous earworms. While an icon mirrors trends in society, a legend offers something more. Spears might be the product of a specific time rather than an artist with a lasting legacy. Whereas the word legend has its roots in storytelling and map-making, of understanding and finding our way. Legends do not just reflect the culture; they reveal it and point society in new directions. Haggard is credited with helping to create the raw-edged Bakersfield sound of country music in the 1950s which influenced rock-and-rollers, such as the Beatles and the Rolling Stones. He brought the roughness of his hardscrabble background (including prison) to the genre and expressed solidarity with the working man, in songs such as Big City, which rails against economic inequality: Theres folks who never work and theyve got plenty/Think Ill walk off my steady job today. In 1969, his hippie-blasting hit, Okie from Muskogee, became the anthem for Americans angry with the left for protesting the Vietnam War. The song brought him wealth, fame, and the appreciation of US president Richard Nixon. But he wasnt just a cultural icon for conservative whites, because he also wrote Irma Jackson, about a white mans thwarted love for a black woman in a world that doesnt understand that love is colourblind. He released that song in 1972 years after he wrote it because his record company had feared it would hurt his image. Haggard was about healing wounds as much as challenging wrongs. Through their art, Prince, Bowie, and Haggard not only showed us new possibilities for our individual identities, but they also revealed to us how to better connect to one another. Such is the power of true legends. Lynn Stuart Parramore is a contributing editor at AlterNet, co-founder of Recessionwire, and founding editor of New Deal 2.0 and IgoUgo.com. Its not all context as Gerry Adams pleaded after he inappropriately tweeted the N-word last Saturday night. Tomorrows election for mayor of London may turn on the outburst of former Labour mayor Ken Livingstone. Charged with anti-Semitism, Livingstone is certainly anti-Zionist. His cack-handed suggestion that Hitler was somehow a proto-Zionist because he favoured deportation of Jews to Palestine was a crude conjunction of historical fact with political polemic. The politics were that he was defending a Labour MP, Naz Shah, who suggested on Facebook that, if Jewish Israelis moved to the US, it would be problem solved for Palestinians. The problem to be solved, though first it must be acknowledged, is that increased virulence and exceptionalism of criticism of Israel is giving permission for a resurgence of anti-Semitism across Europe. This criticism, at its most aggressive, is more and more the prerogative of the left, having once been a mainstay of the right. Our society is again becoming a cold house for Jews. Jewish institutions, including the synagogue, the shop, or school, increasingly require a police presence to exist. In north inner-city Dublin, the local community rightly protested after a series of gangland killings that armed Garda checkpoints stigmatised the community and meant their daily lives felt like a warzone. For many European Jews, this is daily life, and seemingly a permanent reality. French Jews especially are emigrating to Israel in ever greater numbers. I dont think Adams is a racist, and I hope Livingstone is not an anti-Semite. What both unquestionably are is ruthless polemicists who routinely annexe any other argument or cause to their own, as needs must. Hence Adams casual appropriation of the N-word. Slavery, as he told Aine Lawlor on RTEs News at One on Monday, is part of the preferred trope to justify sectarian murder after the fact. In West Ulster, the slaves revolt of Ballymurphy N****** was felt among rural Protestants as ethnic cleansing. So it is all the more important that key words and terms are owned, contextualised, and detoxified. Slaves are victims, not perpetrators. Its not what happened that really matters, it is what you call it now that counts politically. And so it is with Israel. The association of the state of Israel with a Nazi-like ideology is a disproportionate stigmatisation which, if partially distinct from, fuels anti-Semitism, and is partly rooted in it. The exceptionalism and singularity applied to the state of Israel is becoming ever more extreme. Standards which European countries, including the European left, routinely apply to themselves for their own security are labelled as racial in Israel. There is racism in Israel, as there is in Ireland. Regrettably, there are peace walls there, as there are here. They inflict hardship and injustice. The justification, if there is one, is that, rightly or wrongly, they are perceived as matters of life and death. It is not the argument against specific Israeli policies that is wrong indeed some have a basis; it is the singularity and invective with which they are deployed which has darkened the context within which European Jews now live. Ironically, this strengthens the hand of those in Israel who would pursue the very policies that are most objectionable in the irony-free zone of the politically correct. It is not the facts or fictions which outsized political characters such as Livingstone or Adams enunciate that matter, it is their self-colonisation of new truths about themselves which is at stake. Anti-colonial in posture, they relentlessly build an empire of self. The dispossessed are emblems to be worn like the scarf or keffiyeh, decorations earned during lives lived in struggle. Ken Livingstone When anti-Semitism was still largely a function of the European right, Zionism was generally high in favour with the left. A proto- Israel was Left-led with a utopian vision of socialist solidarity. Of course, there is no utopia. Statehood there, like the reality of government here for those willing to undertake it, brings responsibility, not least to defend from attack. The end of mixed communities; the forced separation of divided communities; sealing the border with the North, were all tactics applied with very mixed results, the consequences of which continue. But statehood slowly made Israel a pariah. It slotted neatly into a post-colonial analysis after the 1967 war, when it was attached on all fronts. Marxism and nationalism combined, not only in Adams and Livingstone, but around the world to regenerate a form of anti-Semitism, that transferred from the individual Jew, to the Jewish state an ultimate form of responsibility for what is wrong in the world. This is the core and purpose of anti-Semitism. In succeeding centuries, its purpose is to identify the cause of what is wrong, kill or expel it, and preferably profit from its expropriation. The Jews of North Africa, expelled after the establishment of the state of Israel, mainly came from Spain or Portugal centuries before. They were identified by the Inquisition as being what was wrong with society. Many of them now in Israel, with other Jews from around the Middle East and Europe, look out from a geographically small state. They look back on decades of characterised by an intermittent, unsuccessful peace process and ever increasing securitisation of a political problem. Electorally, many have decided, they were right. In the context of a region in conflagration, there is too little appetite to do anything except hunker down behind ever high walls. It doesnt advance the situation, but from a perspective we refuse to listen to, it makes sense. People only come out from behind walls when they feel safe. The boycott of Israel is the ghettoisation of what we do not wish to hear a self-colonisation of new truths about ourselves, at variance from home truths we are so uncomfortable with. We know that a fortress Europe is neither fair nor sustainable. It offends principles we hold dear. So the scapegoat is more intensely criticised. Refusing to take any chances with our own security, even at the cost of our principles, we uniquely insist on placing Israel in a state of double jeopardy where grudgingly it is still conceded as legitimate, but should not take effective means to defend itself. Israel may be wrong in many of its policies, especially in colonising the West Bank, but we are hypocrites. On the lips of polemicists, for whom words are weapons, it creates at one remove, a space in Europe where an older anti-Semitism can regrow, inoculated as anti-Zionism. Criticism of Israel is legitimate and necessary. But when by dint of virulence and repetition, anaesthetised by casualness in conversation, conversation which in the continuum between Naz Shahs Facebook post and Ken Livingstones comments, it undermines Israels right to existence at all, it is hard to see the distinction one should always be careful to look for. Because through anti-Semitism and anti-Zionism are not the same, they can be woven together. The 21-year-old woman was flown 4,500km from Nauru to the Australian city of Brisbane after setting herself on fire on Monday, the Nauru and Australia governments said. A 23-year-old man died in the same Royal Brisbane Hospital on Friday after setting himself alight days earlier in an apparent protest over Australias strict asylum seeker policies. His actions were a protest intended to coincide with a visit to the island by representatives of the UN refugee agency, Naurus government said. Both patients have received the utmost care, treatment and consideration both in Nauru and in Australia, Australian Immigration Minister Peter Dutton told reporters. Refugee Action Coalition spokesman Ian Rintoul said that in November the woman had suffered serious head injuries on Nauru and had been flown to Brisbane for treatment. She was among three refugees who were taken from a Brisbane immigration detention centre where she was recuperating on Wednesday last week and flown back to Nauru, Rintoul said. She was on 24-hour mental health watch because of a number of attempts at suicide inside the Brisbane Immigration Transit Accommodation, Rintoul said. Australia refuses to accept asylumseekers who try to reach its shores by boat and pays Nauru and Papua New Guinea to hold them in immigration camps instead. The divisive policy has faced fresh criticism in the wake of the mans death and a court decision last week that dubbed Australias detention of asylumseekers on Papua New Guineas Manus Island as unconstitutional. Papua New Guineas prime minister Peter ONeill said he would close the Manus centre after the island nations supreme Court ruled that detaining asylumseekers and refugees there was a violation of their constitutional right to personal liberty. The decision has sent Australian officials scrambling to find a solution. If we win Indiana, its over, Trump told a cheering crowd in Terre Haute, Indiana. The blunt-spoken real estate mogul holds a double-digit polling lead over US senator Ted Cruz of Texas, who has been campaigning in the midwestern state almost non-stop since mid-April. Cruz has trumpeted Indiana, one of the last big states left in the fight to get onto the November 8 presidential ballot, as his golden moment to stop Trump and force a brokered nomination at the partys July convention. But it appeared to be shaping up as his Waterloo. Fresh off a sweep of five northeastern states last week, Trump knows a win in Indiana will put him within reach of the 1,237 delegates required to lock up the Republican nomination before the convention. Top Trump aide Corey Lewandowski told CNN on Tuesday the campaign expected to win more than the required number of delegates 1,300 to 1,400. Cruz vowed to compete to the end but a loss in Indiana would be particularly crushing for the senator, who has argued that his brand of religious conservatism is a natural draw for heartland Republicans. He won the endorsement of conservative Indiana governor Mike Pence. Cruz had hoped for smoother sailing in Indiana after he and John Kasich reached a stop-Trump deal in which Kasich would steer clear of the state while Cruz would do likewise in Oregon and New Mexico. But the waters are looking choppier for Cruz, with the senator losing considerable ground against Trump in opinion polls as voting neared. Cruz last week also announced his choice for a prospective vice president, the former presidential contender and Hewlett Packard chief executive Carly Fiorina, during an event in Indiana that some criticised as premature. Trump has drawn both passionate support and vitriolic condemnation with his stands on immigration and national security including a call to build a 1,000-mile wall along the Mexican border that he says Mexico would pay for and a bid to temporarily ban Muslims from entering the country. Julie Blackwell Chase, a clerk treasurer in the town of Bedford in southern Indiana, said she voted early for Trump in part because she appreciated his willingness to break with conventional politics. We need new blood, she said. The outcome in Indiana may ride on the votes of evangelical Christians after Trump offered praise for planned parenthood family clinics and signalled support for gay and transgender rights views that rankled some Christian conservatives. The court sentenced Yosef Haim Ben David, aged 30, to life plus 20 years. The state prosecutor said the damage he caused Israel and the Palestinian teens family is irreparable. Ben David and two accomplices abducted 16-year-old Mohammed Abu Khdeir in his east Jerusalem neighbourhood, drove to a forest, and burned him to death. They said the abduction was revenge for the killing of three abducted Israeli teens by Palestinians earlier that summer. The killing was widely condemned in Israel, but fuelled violent clashes between Palestinians and Israeli police. On April 19, despite an eleventh hour insanity plea in December, the Jerusalem District Court convicted Ben David of the murder. Rejecting the plea, the court wrote that, at the time of the perpetrating of the crime, the accused was not psychotic, understood his actions well, was culpable for his actions, in control of them, had no disturbance in judging reality and had the ability to prevent commission of the crimes. In February, the court sentenced two minors who had already been convicted of the murder one to life and one to 21 years in prison. At the hearing, Mohammeds mother wore a pendant containing a picture of her son, and his father said the decision should have been made a long time ago. The boys father, Hussein Abu Khdeir, said in April: We knew that he wasnt mad. It was all a big lie to get off from the crime which he carried out. Even if they sentence him for life, this will never bring Mohammed back again. Our hearts are wounded from what happened. Meanwhile, the Israeli military demolished the home of a Palestinian attacker who killed two Israelis in front of their children last year. Ziad Amer, father of suspected killer Zeid, says dozens of Israeli vehicles raided the town of Nablus yesterday and demolished the familys apartment. He said his appeal to the Israeli Supreme Court against it was rejected. Israel says it carries out demolition to deter attacks by letting militants know their families will pay a price for their actions. The Palestinians consider it to be a form of collective punishment. Flower pots lined balconies along streets that have been tidied as part of a 70-day campaign for the first Workers Party congress in 36 years, which starts on Friday. Security has been stepped up ahead of the congress. The Daily NK, a website run by defectors with sources in North Korea, said that since mid-April, free movement in and out of the capital had been stopped and security personnel summoned from the provinces to step up domestic surveillance. At the congress, Kim is expected to declare isolated North Korea a nuclear weapons state and formally adopt his Byongjin policy to push simultaneously for economic development and nuclear capability. It follows Kims fathers Songun, or military first, policy and his grandfathers Juche, the Norths home-grown founding ideology that combines Marxism and extreme nationalism. Lets uphold Great Comrade Kim Jong Uns Songun revolutionary leadership with patriotism! one banner read. Isolated North Korea has conducted a series of weapons tests, including three failed launches of an intermediate-range missile, in the run-up to the Workers Party congress. One banner in Pyongyang extolled a February rocket launch that put a satellite in space. Overseas, however, the launch drew condemnation as a ballistic missile test in disguise. Kim has aggressively pursued nuclear weapons and could be looking to a successful fifth test this week as a crowning achievement, foreign analysts have said. South Korean Defence Minister Han Min-koo said Pyongyangs nuclear test may come before or around the time of the opening of the congress. North Koreas goal is to be internationally recognised as a nuclear weapons state, Han told a parliamentary hearing. We believe its nuclear capability is advancing. North Korea has invited foreign media to cover the congress, although journalists movements are closely managed and much of the country and its people remain off-limits to outsiders. Rebel fighters launched an assault in Syrias divided northern city of Aleppo yesterday and fired rockets on a hospital, in the latest violence to hit civilians as diplomats struggled to restore an unravelling ceasefire and resurrect peace talks. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a British-based group that monitors the conflict, said rebel rockets had killed 19 people in government-held territory, including an unspecified number at the al-Dabit hospital. It described a rebel offensive that led to casualties on both sides. Rebels had hit a government-gun position with a guided missile. The Syrian state-run Ikhbariya news channel said three women were killed at the hospital and 17 people wounded. A Damascus Information Ministry statement called it a crime against humanity. The rebel attack followed government air strikes on rebel areas, including one that hit a hospital last week, which medical charity Medecins Sans Frontieres said killed 55 civilians. Aleppo has been the scene of the worst surge in fighting in recent days, wrecking the first major ceasefire of the five-year-old civil war, sponsored by the US and Russia, which had held since February. In an effort to revive the ceasefire, temporary local truces have been put in place in two parts of Syria, but those have not been extended to Aleppo, Syrias largest city before the war and its biggest strategic prize now. UN Syria envoy Staffan de Mistura, who met US Secretary of State John Kerry in Geneva on Monday and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov yesterday, said he hoped the truce could be extended to Aleppo swiftly. We all hope that in a few hours we can relaunch the cessation of hostilities. If we can do this, we will be back on the right track, de Mistura said. If the truce were extended to Aleppo, peace talks could resume, he said. Lavrov said: The process of agreeing a ceasefire in Aleppo is being finished right now between Russian and American military personnel. He said he hoped it could be announced in the near future, maybe even in the coming hours. The Aleppo fighting threatens to wreck the first peace talks involving the warring parties, which are due to resume at an unspecified date after breaking up in April when the opposition delegation walked out. Washington and Moscow, co-sponsors of the ceasefire and peace talks, have announced a new joint centre in Geneva to monitor the ceasefire, to be staffed around the clock by US and Russian officers. The Observatory has reported 279 civilians killed on both sides in Aleppo since April 22, by intense government air strikes and rebel shelling, with 155 killed in opposition-held areas and 124 in government-held districts. Wilmore concluded his remarks noting progress on race and how much it meant to him that a black man was president. He concluded: Yo Barry, you did it, my n****. You did it. White House spokesman Josh Earnest said he talked with Mr Obama, and he appreciated the spirit of racial progress Wilmore was trying to convey. Burma Broadcasters Terminology in Arakan Conflict Coverage Irks Military Burmas military, known as the Tatmadaw, condemns a Burmese broadcaster for calling an ethnic armed organization the Rakhine Tatmadaw, in reference to the Arakan Army. RANGOON Burmas military, officially known as the Tatmadaw, strongly condemned a Burmese broadcaster for calling an ethnic armed organization the Rakhine Tatmadaw and referring to Tatmadaw troops as government forces, according to a military statement released Tuesday night. MRTV-4, a private broadcaster affiliated with Burmas Ministry of Information, aired a story on Friday in which it reported that 1,100 locals in Arakan State, also known as Rakhine State, were recently displaced by fighting between the Rakhine Tatmadawin reference to the Arakan Armyand government forces. The military took exception to the word Tatmadaw being used to describe any group that is not the state armed forces, officially translated as the Defense Services in English. Further stoking ire was the replacement of the word Tatmadaw with government forces, a term which the military apparently felt had diminished its authority. In every country in the world, there is only one armed forces to safeguard the country, read a statement from the Tatmadaw True News Information Team. And Section 337 of the 2008 Constitution states that the Tatmadaw is the main armed force assembled for the defense of the Union. This misuse of the word Tatmadaw defames the image and dignity of the Tatmadaw, and implies that MRTV-4 supports the Rakhine insurgent group, continued the Tatmadaw statement. MRTV-4 failed to follow media ethics and it was an unfair broadcast. On behalf of the Defense Services [Army, Navy and Air], we strongly condemn and call upon officials to take necessary action. The militarys indignationfumes was the verb chosen by English-language state media to describe the Tatmadaws moodwas not ineffectual. Shortly after the Tatmadaw statement was issued, MRTV-4 posted an apology on its official Facebook account. MRTV-4 unintentionally misused the term [Rakhine] Tatmadaw in reference to the AA insurgent group, according to the apology. The editorial team failed to properly check the story and apologizes to the Defense Services for upsetting them, it continued. With two children, four grandchildren, and one great-grandchild, 73-year-old Veronica Longwith has made the decision to take to the open road as she pursues a commercial truck driving career at Georgia Northwestern Technical College. Currently from Summerville, Ga., Ms. Longwith is originally from a military family and doesnt really claim a hometown. However, the soon-to-be long-haul trucker was born in Brooklyn, NY on March 20, 1943. Her parents, Edna Mae and Jack London Moore, are long-deceased, as is her only brother, Gerard. Hes the reason I left the trucking world the first time, said Ms. Longwith. Thats right, the silver-haired trucker has already worked on the open road from 1987-92 with Reeves Transportation in Calhoun, Ga. and DonCo Trucking out of Oklahoma City, Ok. My first time around, I found a local company out of Chattanooga that offered training for truck drivers. With me raising a young daughter at the time, I found it easiest to take their weekend classes all day Saturday and Sunday for three months. On the last day of class, Ms. Longwith got her license and was ready to begin orientation with Reeves. After finishing all of my training in Chattanooga, my first job with Reeves had me hauling carpet and flooring out of Dalton, Ga. to terminals all across the United States, said Ms. Longwith. I did that job for about five years and loved every minute of it. But, it was family that saw Ms. Longwith take her hiatus from a career she enjoyed and concentrate her efforts on caring for her only brother. Gerard got very sick and I needed to stay closer to home and take care of him when he really needed some help, said Ms. Longwith. It was a phone call out of the blue back in 1992. He told me about how bad his health had become and that the problems he was now facing would probably be fatal. I needed to be home. After his passing, Ms. Longwith owned and operated a couple of businesses. Then, she made the decision to return to commercial truck driving 24 years after her first stint as a big rig driver. Married once before, the now single senior had nothing but time and the open road ahead of her. So, this past winter, she enrolled into GNTCs ten-week Commercial Truck Driving program in Walker County, Ga. When asked what her family thought of this decision to be a commercial truck driver one more time, it was her son who was first to find out. I didnt tell anyone I was doing it, said Ms. Longwith as she smiled. He happened to see me on the highway one morning and saw me pull into the main entrance for GNTC. Thats when I realized that Id need to tell him. He wasnt happy about my decision. But, Im really happy about it. Her son, Patrick Clark, 52, works for Northwest Georgia Power out of Summerville, Ga. Also, her daughter, Jennifer Clark, is a 44-year-old cosmetologist from Knoxville. Ms. Longwith first broke into the industry at the age of 44-years-young. The father of a girlfriend of mine first told me about the trucking industry back in the mid-1980s and it sounded very exciting, said Ms. Longwith. And now, nearly 30 years later, Im coming back to trucking. With many of the students in GNTCs Commercial Truck Driving industry being nearly 50 years younger than Ms. Longwith, she has had a lot of wisdom for the newcomers. Ive tried to tell them throughout the program that you really have to have a passion for this or you wont last long in it at all, said Ms. Longwith. Like a lot of advice, Im not sure if the younger people listen. I know I didnt at that age. But, theyve been good classmates and weve learned a lot from each other. Ms. Longwith has already been pre-hired with Dart Transit Company. Provided she passes her testing, she would take part in the companys next orientation program beginning May 9. From there, she would go to Indiana for on-the-road training with the company as soon as the very next week. For more information on Commercial Truck Driving at Georgia Northwestern, contact them at 706-764-3698. Or, you can contact the main line at GNTC at 866-983-4682 (GNTC). Burma Burmas Media Landscape Through the Years In the wake of World Press Freedom Day, celebrated on Tuesday, The Irrawaddy revisits a history of Burmese media stretching back to the 1800s. Recent years have seen dramatic changes to Burmas media landscape, with the previous quasi-civilian government taking steps to unshackle a press corps long muzzled by successive military regimes dating back to 1962. In the wake of World Press Freedom Day, which was celebrated on Tuesday, The Irrawaddy revisits a media history stretching back to the 1800s. 2011 2015 2015 Much of the years news coverage is devoted to the Nov. 8 general election, Burmas first poll in more than half a century to take place in a relatively free media environment. The Myanmar Times, for 15 years a weekly, goes daily in March, taking up the mantle of Burmas only English-language daily newspaper, a title previously held by the now defunct Myanma Freedom Daily. 2014 The year begins inauspiciously for Burmas media with the detention of four journalists and the CEO if the Unity journal in connection with a January report alleging the existence of a government chemical weapons factory. Charged and convicted under the State Secrets Act, the men were sentenced to 10 years in prison, which was later reduced to seven. The men were released as part of a broader amnesty by the new government last month. March sees passage of two new media laws that are received with mixed reactions, while the press corps is rocked to its core in October by news that the freelance journalist Par Gyi was killed while in military custody. No one was ever convicted of a crime in the case. 2013 On April 1, four Burmese-language private dailies begin publishing after the government granted licenses to 16 private dailies. In August, Myanma Freedom Daily emerges as the first English-language daily in almost five decades. The paper folds less than a year later. According to government figures, the Information Ministry has so far issued 35 licenses for private and state-run dailies, and 22 are in publication. It has granted licenses for 32 news agencies, of which 23 are in operation. And 260 out of 437 licensed journals are being published. 2012 President Thein Seins government allows international news agencies, which were technically banned under the military regime, to conduct reporting in Burma. Exile media like The Irrawaddy are also allowed to return. Founded by Aung Zaw in 1993, The Irrawaddy distributed its magazine for the first time in Burma in December 2012, and also shifted its online operations to Rangoon while maintaining a small office in Thailands Chiang Mai. The Irrawaddy published its first Burmese-language weekly in January 2014, and switched to an all-digital format early in 2016. The Burma Press Council (Interim) is formed with 29 members on Oct. 17. As part of its media reforms, the government announces in December 2012 that it will allow the uncensored publication of private daily newspapers, dissolving its notorious Press Scrutiny and Registration Division under the Information Ministry in a follow-up move after it did away with decades-long draconian pre-publication censorship in August 2012. 2011 With the Thein Sein government coming to power, local publications in Burma are allowed to feature articles written byand interviews withpro-democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi for the first time. 1988 2010 * In 1988 Burma enjoyed press freedom for the short time of one month due to pro-democracy uprisings. In 1997 Burma was labeled as the regions number one adversary of the press. Today, it has about 100 publications, all censored by Press Scrutiny Boards. 2007 Kenji Nagai, a Japanese photojournalist seasoned in conflict reporting, is shot dead by a Burma Army soldier during the 2007 anti-government protests in Rangoon. The 50-year-old was the only foreign national killed in the protests. The military regime of the time, which ruled as the State Peace and Development Council, ultimately quashed the demonstrations and continued to hold a tight grip on the media until Thein Seins government came to power in 2011. April 28, 2004An international pro-democracy group, Freedom House, ranks Burma as one of the top five Worst of the Worst countries for press freedom in the world. February 2000The English-weekly Myanmar Times & Business Review is launched by an Australian businessman and military officials. Sonny Swe, the son of Brig-Gen Thein Swe who is a high ranking Military Intelligence officer, is the deputy CEO of the journal. Later, it starts to publish a Burmese-language version. 1997US-based Committee to Protect Journalists, or CPJ, describes Burma and Indonesia as the regions two foremost enemies of the press. Yet, since the fall of Suharto in the same year, Indonesias mass media blossoms, leaving Burma as the regions number one adversary of the press. Mid-1990sThe junta launches the Kyemon that was also nationalized in 1964. April 1993The regime changes the name of the Loktha Pyithu Nezin (the Working Peoples Daily) to Myanma Alin (the New Light of Myanmar) that was banned in 1969. 1989After taking power again, the military amends the 1962 Printers and Publishers Registration Act to heavily increase the fine payable by offenders. September 1988Immediately after the military ceases power on September 18, all newspapers are banned except for the Loktha Pyithu Nezin and its English version, the Working Peopls Daily. Strict censorship is imposed and many journalists are arrested. At first, foreign journalists are allowed into the country but later they are banned and only a few selected foreign journalists are given press visas. August September 1988After 26 years of silence, about 40 independent newspapers and journals, including the Light of Dawn, the Liberation Daily, Scoop, the New Victory and Newsletter, appear in Rangoon for about a month during the period of nationwide pro-democracy uprisings. The publications run political commentaries, biting satires and humorous cartoons of the rulers. Even the state-run newspapers like the Guardian and the Working Peoples Daily publish outspoken political articles. 1958 1970s * About 30 newspapers emerge. The year 1964 is said to be Burmas last year of press freedom. At this time, dictator Ne Wins Revolutionary Council shuts down some newspapers and nationalizes most newspapers. 1974The Socialist partys new constitution grants freedom of expression. However, all forms of public expression are subject to Press Scrutiny Boards to ensure that these freedoms are only expressed within the accepted limits of the Burmese Way to Socialism. 1969The right-wing Hanthawaddy and the Myanma Alin (the New Light of Burma) are nationalized. Eventually, only six newspapers are left: the Loktha Pyithu Nezin, the Botataung, the Kyemon and the Hanthawaddy, the Guardian and the Working Peoples Daily. The News Agency Burma controls the flow of news in and out of the country. All foreign correspondents, except those working for the Soviet Tass and Chinas Xinhua, are expelled. Visits by foreign journalists are officially banned. Locally based foreign news agencies are forced to appoint Burmese citizens as correspondents that must be approved by the authorities. In the late 1990s, the British Broadcasting Company and the Voice of America pull out after being unable to appoint their own correspondents. 1966The government announces that private newspapers are to be banned altogether.All Chinese and Indian language newspapers are stopped as printing is required to be done in Burmese or English language only. 1964Said to be the last year Burma enjoyed a free press, the government nationalizes all private newspapers, the liberal Kyemon (theMirror), Botataung (A Thousand Officers) and the Guardian. The left-wing Vanguard offers itself for nationalization. Smaller newspapers are shut down and several editors and journalists are arrested. October 1963The government launches the Loktha Pyithu Nezin (the Working Peoples Daily) to compete with exiting private newspapers. In January 1964, the English version of the Working Peoples Daily appears. July 1963The government establishes the News Agency Burma. 1963The military government closes down the Nation, an outspoken defender of press freedom, arresting its editor Law Yone three months later. 1962The Burma Press Council, or BPC, is founded to promote and preserve freedom of the press through a voluntary observance of a code of press ethics. Writers and journalists from 52 newspapers, journals and magazines signed the BPC Charter. Later that year, the Dictator Ne Wins Revolutionary Council revokes all existing press laws and enactes a single law, the Printers and Publishers Registration Act. The act establishes Press Scrutiny Boards to scrutinize all material prior to publication, or in some cases after publication. 1946 1957 * About 70 newspapers come out during this period. April 16, 1957The Mirror Daily, the Reporter Daily and the Pyidawsoe News Daily appear on Burmese New Year day. August 21, 1949The parliamentary government introduces a Bill in Parliament to limit press criticism, saying: Any person, making criticism, defamatory allegations or charges concerning public servants, including ministers, and officials, would be recognized as committing a criminal offense. 1948Burma gains independence. There are 39 newspapers published in various languages throughout the country. Seven of the papers are printed in English, 11 in foreign languages, five in Chinese and six in Gujarati, Urdu, Tamil, Telgu and Hindi. 1947Burmas first constitution guarantees citizens the right to freely express their opinions and convictions. This gives the country a reputation for having one of the freest presses in Asia. 1935 1945 * More than 60 newspapers emerge across the country, including Japanese-language and ethnic newspapers. 1943 1945Kanbawza newspaper, the Kachin-language Shi Laika Ningnan, the Rangoon Liberator, the Shwe Man Aung Si, Tai-4, the British government published New Age, the Tavoyan, the Lanhnyun Daily, the Freedom, the Morning Star, Burma Economic Daily, the Peoples Voice and the Guide Daily are all in circulation. Kachins Shi Laika Ningnan is printed in India and airdropped into the Kachin-inhabited area of northern Burma. September 1942Domei News Service publishes a Japanese daily newspaper. 1942The Tavoy Daily appears in Tavoy. The New Light of Burma and the Sun emerge again. Bamakhit and Mandalay Thuria appear. 1941A Christian newspaper, the Sower and the Daily Mirror appear in Rangoon. 1940The Mon Bulletin, the Student, World Telegrams Daily and Saturday News are published in Rangoon and Mandalay. 1939The Advance Daily, the Burmese News Mandalay, the Shwe Pyi Daw (Burma News), Thakin Thadinsa, the Local Bodies, Lu-Nge-Let-Yone Daily and the Nationally Daily are published in Rangoon and Mandalay. 1938The Progress, the Aazaanee, Burmas Voice, the Deedok Daily and the Leader emerge in Rangoon and Mandalay. The editor of Deedok, Ba Cho, is assassinated together with national leader Aung San on July 19, 1947. 1937Doat-Let-Yone (the Arm), claiming to be the only Arakan-language paper, is published in ArakanState. Asariya and the 10, 000, 000 (the Ten Million) are set up in Rangoon. 1935The Rakhine-Pyi-Thadinsa, an Arakan newspaper, is published in Sittwe for four years. Ye newspaper, the Myanmar Uzun, the Burma Daily Mail and the Burmese Improvement come out in Rangoon and Mandalay. 1924 1934 * About 40 new newspapers emerge, tripling the number of papers since the press laws of 1908 and 1910 are repelled and amended. 1934The Mawriya Daily appears. 1933Myanma Myochit, Daung-Settkya, the Laborer, the Success, Daung, the New Mandalay Sun Daily and the Evening Report appear. 1932Tharrawaddy, Anawyahtar, the Myanma Zeyyar, the Ma-Haw-Tha-Dha and the Rangoon Optic newspapers emerge. 1931Ratanathiha and Lawkasara Daily News come out in Sibaw, ShanState and Rangoon. 1929Kesara, the Burma Advertiser, the Burman and the Mandalay Daily Supplement to the Sun are set up in Rangoon, Mandalay and Moulmein. 1928The National Observer and the Shwenannyun Gazette are published in Rangoon and Mandalay. 1927The Bandoola, the Traders Spectacles, the pro-British Headmans Gazette, Essence of Buddhism and another Dhamma newspaper emerge in Rangoon. 1926The Myanma-Myo-Nwe, Aung Myanma, Mawrawadi News, the Shwe Pyi, the Ledi Religious Instructor are published in Rangoon. 1925The Independent Weekly, the Truth, the Market Report, the Victor (Zeya), the Trades Exchange and the Silver Moon come out in Rangoon and Mandalay. 1924The Burmese-language Yarmanya and the Myochit newspapers appear in Moulmein and Rangoon. 1913 1923 * One of the longest-running newspapers, still being published by the junta today, Myanma Alin (the New Light of Burma), appears in 1914. Associated Press of India, known as API, opens an office in Rangoon and a Muslim newspaper also emerges. 1923According to an official statement, there are 31 newspapers being published in Rangoon, Mandalay, Moulmein, Sittwe, Bassein and Tharawaddy. 1923The Associated Press of India, known as API, opens an office in Rangoon. 1923The Muslim Herald, the Comet, the Burmese Review and the Myanmahlut News are established. Fair Play (in Karen and English), the Rangoon Daily News and the Irrawaddy Times (in Burmese and English) are already being published. The Wunthanu (the Patriot) is also published in Rangoon with a circulation of around 5,000. 1922The Karen Times and the New Leader appear in Rangoon and Mandalay. The following year, the New Leader changes its name to Shae-saung. In October, the Servant of Burma emerges in Rangoon. The Myanma Myo Taw Saunt and Aungzeya newspapers also begin to be published. March 1922The Press Law Repeal and Amendment Act is enacted. The act allows the authorities to confiscate any newspaper that runs news and opinion pieces considered as instigating revolt against the government. 1921Burmas Progress is published by the British government but stops two years later. 1921The Home Rule is published in Mandalay. 1920The New Burma is set up in Rangoon and continues to be published until 1942. May 1919Myanma Alin Thadinsa Athit (a second New Light of Burma) is published in Rangoon. 1918The Knowledge (Pyinnya Alin) and the Burma Observer are published in Rangoon. The paper is halted in 1924 and again in 1929. 1917The Burma Guardian and the Rangoon Mail are published in Rangoon. The Tharrawaddy Record is set up in a town near Tharrawaddy, central Burma, with a female editor. 1914Thuria and Myanma Alin publish a newsletter called War Telegrams about World War I. Thurias circulation reaches about 10,000. August 1914Myanma Alin (the New Light of Burma), an outspoken newspaper, appears no later than May 1919. It is published three times a week in Burmese. In December 1924, it becomes a daily newspaper until its publication ceases in 1929. 1901 1912 * Reuters News Agency opens in Rangoon. Other outspoken newspapers appear, such as the Thuria (the Sun). By 1904, there are about 15 newspapers running with circulations of up to 1,500. New newspapers continue to be established. July 4, 1911One of the most outspoken Burmese-language newspapers, Thuriya (the Sun), emerges three times a week. In March 1915, it becomes a daily newspaper and continues to be published until October 14, 1954. In the same year, the Salween Times appears in English. Newspapers Running in 1910s: The Rangoon Gazette, the Rangoon Times, the Friend of Burma, the Rangoon Advertiser, Publicity, the Maha-Bodhi News, the Burma Herald, the Burma Printer News are all published in Rangoon. The Upper Burma Gazette, the Mandalay Herald, the Star of Burma, the Mandalay Times, Moulmein Advertiser, Moulmein Gazette and the Burma Times are all published in Mandalay. 1909The Dawkale, published in the Karen-language of Sagaw, is published once a week by Karen Magazine Press in Bassein, Irrawaddy Division. 1908The Burma Commercial Advertiser is published twice a week in Rangoon. November 1907The Burma Educational Journal is established. May 18, 1907The Burma Echo appears once a week in Rangoon. April 1907The Burma Critic begins publication in Mandalay. In the same year, a religious newspaper with the name of Dhamma Day-Tha-Nar Thadinsa appears. August 2, 1904The Burma Printer News emerges three times a week in Rangoon, but is stopped three years later. July 22, 1903The Myanmahitakari Fortnightly Journal is established. 1903A Reuters News Agency office opens in Rangoon. March 3, 1901The religious Maha-Bodhi News appears once a week in Rangoon and continues to be published up until 1926. 1880 1900 * King Thibaw, the last Burmese monarch, is removed and Upper Burma is annexed by the British. One of the most outspoken newspapers,Hanthawaddy Thadinsa, is established along with some other new newspapers. 1900The pro-British Burmese-language Star of Burma is published in Mandalay. It continues to be published up until 1948. 1899The Times of Burma and the Upper Burma Gazette are established in Rangoon and Mandalay. February 1895The Mawlamyaing Myo (MoulmeinTown) is published in Moulmein. 1894The English-language newspapers, the De Vaux Press Advertiser, the British Burma Advertiser, the Rangoon Commercial Advertiser and the Burma Chronicle News are all being published in Rangoon. De Vaux Press Advertisers circulation was said to be around 1,000 a day. The Karen National News, the Bassein Weekly News and the Advertiser are also published weekly in Bassein, Irrawaddy Division. The Karen National News written in the Karen-language of Sagu (Sgaw) reaches circulation of about 500. 1892The English-language papers, the Daily Advertiser, the Arakan Echo and the Arakan Advocate are established in Sittwe. Later, the Daily Advertiser and the Arakan Echo combine to form the Arakan Times. 1889The Hanthawaddy Thadinsa (the Hanthawaddy Weekly Review) appears twice a week in Rangoon. It is regarded as one of the most outspoken newspapers of its time. The newspaper covers foreign news from Reuters news agency through an agent. In 1904, its circulation reaches about 1,000. March 3, 1887The Mandalay Herald emerges three times a week in Mandalay. It becomes a daily in 1899 up until 1902, when the paper stopped being published. 1886The Mandalay Times newspaper appears twice a week in Mandalay. 1884The English-language weekly, the Maulmain Almanac, is published in Moulmein. The Burmese-language Friend of Burma is also set up in Rangoon and eventually becomes a daily newspaper before its publication stopped in 1929. 1869 1879 * Freedom of the press is guaranteed by King Mindon, the second last Burmese monarch, in an Act of 17 articles that is regarded as Southeast Asias first indigenous press-freedom law. The Kingdom publishes an official newspaper. March 11, 1878The British government enacts a law called the Vernacular Press Act to ban newspapers from reporting and picturing defamation of the government. 1878The Burma Herald is set up by the King of Mandalay to counter the pro-British views of Rangoon newspapers. Two other English newspapers, the Rangoon Daily Mail and the Daily Review, are established and halted six months later. 1876The Burmese-language Tenasserim Thadinsa (The Tenasserim News ) appears in Moulmein. March 20, 1875Yadanabon Nay-Pyi-Daw (with the heading of Mandalay Gazette in English on the masthead) is published weekly by King Mindon, possibly as early as 1874. Publication ceases in 1885 when Upper Burma is annexed by the British. 1875Yadanabon Thadinsa (British Burma News) appears in Rangoon. August 15, 1873King Mindon (1853 1878) bestowes immunity on the local press corps with the introduction of an act consisting of 17 articles that ensure freedom of the press. November 1874The Burmese-language Friend of Maulmain newspaper appears in Moulmein. January 11, 1873Law-Ki-Thu-Ta (the Worldly Knowledge) newspaper emerges in Rangoon. May 8, 1871The Burmese-language paper, the Burmah Gazette, appears in Rangoon. This weekly newspaper alters its name to the Burma News in May 1872. It ceases publication in 1916. 1869Myanmar Thandawsint Thadinsa (the Burmah Herald) is published once a week by Myanmar Thandawsint Press, possibly as early as 1871. It is the first Burmese-language newspaper in Rangoon. In 1884, it becomes a daily with a circulation of around 500. It ceases publication in 1912. 1858 1868 * At least three new newspapers emerge. There are six newspapers being published during this period. 1862The Dhamma Thadinsa (the Religious Herald), first published by the Baptist mission in 1843, changes its name to the Burman Messenger. The Times Commercial Advertiser, the Daily Advertiser, Pole Star, British Burma Gazette, the Mercantile Gazette and the Arakan News are still published during this period according to newspaper research conducted in 1868. 1861The Rangoon Gazette is established as a rival of the Rangoon Times. It is published twice a week and later daily. It ceases publication in 1942. June 2, 1858The English-language Rangoon Times is published, possibly as early as 1854. The newspaper began as a twice-weekly publication, however, it increased to three times a week by 1861 and later became a daily. It ceased publication in 1942, when the British left Rangoon. 1847 1857 * About four English-language newspapers emerge. One is published by ethnic Arakan in the capital of Sittwe, Arakan state. The British legislation council enacts a law, known as the law to shut mouth banning the publication of news without prior approval. June 13, 1857Lord Canning, the Governor General of India from 1856-1862, introduces a law banning the publication of any news without prior approval in an attempt to regulate the press. 1853The twice-weekly English-language Akyab (Sittwe) Commercial Advertiser is published in Sittwe, by Arakan Weekly News Press. The following year, the paper changes its name to the Arakan News. Circulation reached about 150. January 5, 1853The Rangoon Chronicle newspaper is published twice a week. Later, it changes its name to the Pegu Gazette. It ceased publication in May 1958. 1849A weekly publication, the English-language Friend of Burmah newspaper, starts in Moulmein. July 1, 1848The English-language paper, the Maulmain Advertiser, is published in Moulmein. It may have first appeared as early as 1846. The paper, published three times a week by W. Thomas & Co, altered its name to the Maulmain Times in 1850, but the following year it resumed its previous name. 1836 1846 * During this period the first English-language newspaper was launched under British-ruled Tenasserim, southern Burma. The first ethnic Karen-language and Burmese-language newspapers also appear in this period. 1846The Maulmain Free Press newspaper is published by an English merchant in Moulmein. January 1843The Baptist mission publishes a monthly newspaper, the Christian Dhamma Thadinsa (the Religious Herald), in Moulmein. Supposedly the first Burmese-language newspaper, it continued up until the first year of the second Anglo-Burmese War in 1853. In 1862 the paper resumed publication under a different name, the Burman Messenger. September 1842Tavoys Hsa-tu-gaw (the Morning Star), a monthly publication in the Karen-language of Sgaw, is established by the Baptist mission. It is the first ethnic language newspaper. Circulation reached about three hundred until its publication ceased in 1849. March 3, 1836The first English-language newspaper, The Maulmain Chronicle, appears in the city of Moulmein in British-ruled Tenasserim. The paper, first published by a British official named E.A. Blundell, continued up until the 1950s. References: Index of Burma Newspapers, Volumes 1 and 2, by Htin Gyi A Journalist, A General and An Army in Burma, (1995), by U Thaung Inked Over, Ripped Out, by Anna J. Allott Burma, Laos, and Cambodia, Status of Media in, by Bertil Lintner His Majestys Newspaper, by Htin Gyi Some Early Newspapers in Myanmar, by Hla Thein Research by Kyaw Zwa Moe. Additional Updates: Thet Ko Ko & Wei Yan Aung. Burma Lashio Residents Hope Slashings Will Stop After Drug Bust A major drug bust in Lashio, Shan State, results in 46 arrests, bringing hope to citizens recently terrorized by assailants armed with machetes and swords. RANGOON Counter-narcotics police in Lashio, Shan State, raided a drug trafficking camp early Wednesday morning, arresting 46 alleged drug traffickers and seizing methamphetamine pills, hypodermic needles, machetes and swords, according to Aung Myat Moe, a deputy colonel of the Shan State Police. The camp was located near Ma Nar village, eight miles outside of Lashio town. The state police officer said authorities were still cataloguing the confiscations and that an investigation had been launched. He declined to provide additional details about the arrests. Police forces burned down the camps 11 tents after arresting the people who had been allegedly using it as a base to trade drugs. They also seized more than 30 soap containers of opium, 80 bottles of cocaine and nearly 3,000 methamphetamine pills. The police have not yet calculated the total value of the seizure. We believe that some of the culprits also committed machete attacks, the state police colonel said. Ko Thet, a Lashio resident, said he assumed those apprehended had been responsible for several savage attacks recently, in which roadside assailants slashed bags from the backs of motorcyclists before disappearing into the jungle. Residents are very happy, Ko Thet said. Recently people have been frightened to walk alone at night. In April, at least 20 locals were wounded in machete and sword attacks in Lashio Township, said Sai Myint Maung, a National League for Democracy (NLD) member who unsuccessfully contested a regional legislature seat in the township in last Novembers election. Burma No Quick Return for Border Refugees Despite High Hopes for NLD Era Repatriation of refugees along the Thai-Burma border was discussed recently during a meeting of stakeholders, but there remains no firm timetable on a large-scale return. RANGOON The repatriation of some 120,000 refugees along the Thai-Burma border was discussed during a meeting of stakeholders last week, but an official from the United Nations refugee agency insists there remains no firm timetable on a large-scale return of the displaced despite talks on the matter between Burmas new government and its Thai counterpart. The main focus of the meeting was on refugee registration and resettlement [to third-party countries], which is winding down after 11 years. The subject of voluntary return was not on the agenda but was prompted by a question, said Vivian Tan, a spokeswoman for the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Bangkok. Karen Refugee Committee (KRC) spokesperson Naw Blooming Night Zar confirmed that the April 27 meeting, which included officials from both governments, NGOs and representatives of the UNHCR and from refugee camps, did not focus on repatriation of those living in nine camps on the border. We concentrated on how to handle those who are not yet registered with the United Nations and the Thai government, she told The Irrawaddy. We want to ensure that the Thai policy on refugee repatriation has not changed. There is no pressure on the refugees to return home. They will be required to return home only when there is genuine peace. She added that the Thai government acknowledged that it was not the right time for them to return to Burma, despite an abatement of conflict in eastern Burma. Even internally displaced people [IDPs] in Karen State cant go home, so it will be difficult for those living in Thailand to return, she said. At the meeting, Thai official and Tak province Deputy Governor Suttha Saivanid said the Thai government had been in contact with Burmas newly elected National League for Democracy (NLD) government to arrange for repatriation, according to Democratic Voice of Burma (DVB). DVB reported that Suttha said Thai officials expected repatriation of the refugees would take place within two to three years time. While the new NLD government has emphasized Burmas peace process and national reconciliation as core priorities, prospects for a lasting peace will to a large degree be determined by the Burma Army, which remains outside of civilian control. Karen State, where most of the border refugees fled from, has seen relatively little conflict in recent years, but elsewhere in Burma renewed fighting has cast doubt on the militarys stated commitment to peace. Tan said the UNHCR continues to talk with the governments of Thailand and Burma about options for the eventual, voluntary return of refugees. Our position remains unchanged: Any refugee return must be voluntary. It must be based on an individual, informed decision, and must take place in safety and dignity, said Tan. She said the UNHCR would only facilitate the voluntary return of refugees who approach the agency for support. We are not proactively promoting or encouraging returns, but will try our best to support those who have decided that they wish to return shortly. We are exploring how best to facilitate their return, said Tan. Details of that support are still being discussed on both sides of the border between governments, the United Nations, NGOs, ethnic groups and community-based organizations, she added. The KRC spokeswoman said NGOs had already begun preparing for repatriation back in 2012. The return wont happen overnight, said Naw Blooming Night Zar. We provided vocational training and skills for them to apply when they return home, spent three years preparing them in order to smooth the process and trained them to stand on their own feet, she added. She emphasized that before repatriation occurs, there should a stable nationwide ceasefire agreement, a guarantee for safety, household support and proper housing. She added that success would also depend on contributions from the West, but that a sluggish global economy and the varying interests of foreign donors had contributed to a decline of humanitarian support for the refugees. It depends on the interests of the donors. Some believe that Burma is peaceful, so they have [moved their focus] inside the country. But there are others who will continue supporting the refugees until they can return home, she said. Burma Religion Minister Raises Concerns Over Pagoda-Crazed Monk Burmas religious affairs minister worries that one monks recent spree of pagoda-building on other faiths lands is fueling religious tensions in Karen State. MANDALAY Unresolved religious tensions in Karen State could affect national peace, stability and reconciliation, according to Religious Affairs and Culture Minister Aung Ko, who was referring to one monks recent spree of pagoda-building on other faiths lands. U Thuzana, a Buddhist monk and spiritual leader to an ethnic Karen armed group, and his followers recently built pagodas in Christian compounds and near a mosque in Karen State, prompting the ministers comments at an event on Wednesday in Mandalay, where he met with members of an interfaith group based in the city. Since there are armed groups involved, solving these urgent problems could affect the peace and stability of the region, as well as the ongoing national reconciliation and peace process, he said, referring to members of the Democratic Karen Benevolent Army (DKBA), some of whom helped build the pagodas. He added that the matter is currently being handled by the regional Mahana, an association of appointed Karen State Buddhist monks that oversees and regulates local Buddhist clergy; however, resolution in at least one case may not come quickly due to a dispute over which of the groups, Christians or Buddhists, are the rightful claimants to the land. We need to be patient, wait for an appropriate time, and work step by step starting from within, Aung Ko said. After the Mahana makes their decision, the state government will step in. Despite protests from the Christian community, the monk continued his mission last month, believing that rebuilding on the sites of demolished pagodas would bring good Karma. Since he imposed on church compounds in Hlaingbwe and Hpa-an townships, and near a mosque in Mya Pyi village, hundreds of people have taken to social media to criticize and condemned the monks actions. Meanwhile, U Thuzana has plans to build additional structures in a church compound in Kondawgyi village, where monks chanted on Tuesday to bless the area marked for construction. The monk first built on the church property last month, despite objections from religious authorities. Tensions increased again when he recently began laying the foundation for Buddhist ordination and assembly halls nearby. Karen State Religious Affairs Minister Min Tin Win told The Irrawaddy that officials from his ministry and religious groups would visit Kondawgyi village on Wednesday night to see where U Thuzana intends to build on the Christian property and decide what to do afterwards. A Buddhist ordination hall should be built on Buddhist land, he said. But, this land belongs to Christians. Lawi Weng reported from Rangoon. The community is invited to a celebrate culture at Eastbrook Middle Schools 2nd Annual Latino Festival. The festival, scheduled for 10 a.m.-2 p.m. on Saturday, May 21, will include games and activities for all ages including: traditional, contemporary, Mariachi, and Andina music as well as the Eastbrook Band; folklore dance groups; $2 picture booth with funds going to Parent Resource Center; booths of community organizations and businesses; and guest speakers including Mr. Jerry Gonzalez, director of the Georgia Association of Latino Elected Officials (GALEO). GALEO will have a voter registration booth. If you plan on registering, bring any one of these acceptable forms of identification: - Any valid state or federal government issued photo ID - A Georgia drivers icense, even if expired - Valid employee photo ID from any branch, department, agency, or entity of the U.S. Government, Georgia, or any county, municipality, board, authority or other entity of this state - Valid U.S. passport ID - Valid U.S. military photo ID - Valid tribal photo ID Eastbrook Middle students will also attend to play music, give speeches, and display their artwork. Lunch will be available along with pin~atas and activities for children. Those who would like to volunteer to help during the festival should contact Ana Quintana at ana_quintana@whitfield.k12.ga.us or Kayla Almazan at kayla.almazan@whitfield.k12.ga.us. Both are available by phone at 706-278-6135. DSL (Digital Subscriber Line) is a common technology for bringing high-bandwidth (broadband) information to homes and small businesses over standard (copper) telephone lines. DSL comes in many different flavours, such asand. The most common forms of DSL in the UK, ADSL (Asymmetric DSL) and ADSL2+, splits a single telephone line into separate voice and data channels, allowing you to make a phone call while surfing the Internet at the same time. ADSL offers speeds of up to 8Mbps (Megabits per second) downstream and 448Kbps upstream (832Kbps on business lines). The technology is cheap, fast and easy to install (doesn't require an engineer) and reasonably reliable, although performance can suffer due to ISP congestion, distance from the local exchange (shorter lines are faster but anything over 6.5km is usually slow), poor home wiring and interference from other electrical devices. Each connection is fixed to a specific telephone line. The latest ADSL2+ (ITU G.992.5) technology is capable of pushing download speeds at up to 24Mbps and uploads at up to 1.4Mbps, it also supports port bonding (linking several lines together for faster speeds) and has an improved range over ADSL. Both ADSL and ADSL2+ are "best efforts" broadband services, which means that bandwidth is shared between many users and can be highly variable - especially over long distances and at off-peak times (i.e. busy afternoons will slow the performance). The following graph shows what impact distance can have on speeds. Users of these services should learn to understand common router statistics, which can help in diagnosing line problems. Figures for the following items will change depending on your line condition (e.g. expect them to be worse during thunderstorms that will cause extra interference): ADSL/ADSL2+ Router Terms and Statistics * Line Profile / Sync Speed This is the speed (usually in Kbps) at which your router connects to the local telephone exchange. The actual performance of your line will usually be around 20% less than this, possibly even lower due to ISP-side limits or environmental factors (e.g. interference from Christmas tree lights, microwaves and AC adaptors). * Line Attenuation (dB) High attenuation usually means you live further from your local exchange, thus lower is better (e.g. an attenuation of 60dB might give you a best speed of around 2Mbps). * SNR / Signal to Noise Ratio (dB) A high SNR usually means that faster speeds are possible and upgrading to a faster connection will often cause the SNR to drop. SNR can be improved by installing a special filtered faceplate on the line, such as BT's iPlate (Broadband Accelerator) device (not to be confused with Splitters / MicroFilters). * SNR Margin (dB) Related to the SNR above, an SNR Margin is a measure of the difference between your current SNR and the SNR that is required to keep a reliable connection speed. SNR Margins tend to range from around 6db to 12db, with higher being better. The figure will fluctuate during the day, especially at peak times. Note that significant fluctuations (e.g. going from 8db to 4db) may cause connection problems. It is sometimes possible to tweak this figure and keep it higher, depending on what make of router you have. Using your homes mastersocket for the broadband router is also helpful. Elsewhere some businesses still use(SDSL) technology, which is similar to HDSL via a single twisted-pair wire and can carry 1.544Mbps (U.S. and Canada) or 2.048Mbps (Europe) in each direction on a duplex line (the speed is the same in both directions). In addition, those looking for information on VDSL and VDSL2 (FTTC) services should look under oursection above as this is somewhat of a mixed technology. Furthermore BT has also introduced a special long-reach style of DSL called Broadband Enabling Technology (BET), which is based off Symmetric Hi-Speed Digital Subscriber Line (SHDSL). This is designed to deliver speeds of up to 2Mbps into rural areas that can reside up to 12km away from their local telephone exchange, where normal DSL services would fail. But this method is extremely expensive (costing up to 1,094 +vat to install), poorly supported by ISPs and requires two phone lines (twisted pairs) to achieve the best performance. ITs Role in Sales Force Transformation To date, people using the Internet to buy goods across state lines have not been charged sales tax. The question of whether this continues or is an idea whose utility has passed seems to be coming to a head. Its an important issue for businesses for one direct and one indirect reason. The direct reason, of course, is that companies ability to sell in this manner will be affected if the rules change. The indirect effect will be that usage patterns will change if Internet shopping slows. Technology and contention algorithms are computed against the heaviest usage patterns (telephone contention schemes are determined against the ultimate: if there is an earthquake on Mothers Day). If those extremes moderate, the algorithms and technology implementations to support them will change as well. Grant Gross at Computerworld reported yesterday that a new law in South Dakota requires out-of-state retailers to charge residents of the state sales tax on most purchases. That, he writes, could lead to a test of a 25-year-old Supreme Court ruling that prohibited the taxes. This could lead to a domino effect: Unless courts overturn the South Dakota law, it will embolden other states to pass similar Internet sales tax rules, critics said. The law could set the course for enormous tax and administrative burdens on businesses across the country, Steve DelBianco, executive director of e-commerce trade group NetChoice, said in a statement. The story says that the state has already filed lawsuits aimed at forcing online retailers to follow the law, which went into effect last Sunday, and that proponents of the new law argue that it is unfair to have an unequal playing field forcing brick-and-mortar stores to charge higher prices. Whether or not it is due to a push by legislators in South Dakota law, at least two states are moving in the same direction. KFOR reports that the Oklahoma House of Representatives has passed House Bill 2531, which is the Oklahoma Retail Protection Act. It changes the current law and allows the state to collect sales tax on purchases by Oklahomans from out-of-state online retail sites. The story quotes state representative Chad Caldwell, who said that the law mandates stronger enforcement of existing law and is not a new tax. The effect, at the end of the day, seems the same. In Louisiana, Speaker Pro Tem Walter Leger is working to strengthen existing tax laws. The legislation, which has been assigned to the Ways and Means Committee, would require online retailers to submit to the Department of Revenue a list of all customers who have made purchases greater than $250, according to the Greater Baton Rouge Business Report. Widespread changes to implement online sales taxes would be a big deal. Enabling online retailers to avoid sales tax was an idea that clearly made sense in an earlier time in the Internets history. The success of online shopping just as clearly justifies looking at these rules anew. Carl Weinschenk covers telecom for IT Business Edge. He writes about wireless technology, disaster recovery/business continuity, cellular services, the Internet of Things, machine-to-machine communications and other emerging technologies and platforms. He also covers net neutrality and related regulatory issues. Weinschenk has written about the phone companies, cable operators and related companies for decades and is senior editor of Broadband Technology Report. He can be reached at [email protected]ptonline.net and via twitter at @DailyMusicBrk. For the twelfth time in nine years, a Gates Millennium Scholar has come from Dalton High School. Senior Uriel Paniagua, 18, is the most recent Catamount to receive this prestigious scholarship. The Gates Millennium Scholars program was founded in 1999 and is funded by a grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. To qualify, a student must be of a minority race and show outstanding academic achievement, community service and leadership skills. Paniagua heard of the scholarship back in October when his counselor mentioned it to him. I was called in about something else, but then she told me to apply for Gates. I didnt understand how much you would get, he said. Everyone who has gotten it seemed happy, so I thought I might as well apply. The scholarship is very competitive and only given to 1000 students nationally every year. The Gates Millennium Scholarship covers any expenses related to collegeit overs tuition costs for as long as the student wishes to further their education, books, equipment, as well as everything down to supplies and living expenses. The average amount each recipient receives is $12,785 (the amount given depends on the financial need of the student). The application process can be rigorous for some students. Paniagua had to fill out an application, have both a Nominator form and a Recommender form, and write eight essays. The essays had a 1,000 word maximum and ranged from strengths and weaknesses to describing community service projects. For my strengths I wrote about math and science, and my weaknesses are history and English, said Paniagua. For his community service essay, Paniagua wrote about how he lends his time to the Save Program at Dalton Statethat program goes to local agencies such as the Boys & Girls Club. All of the materials for Paniaguas submission had to be submitted by Jan. 15. By mid-April, Paniagua received good news through the mailhe had been awarded the scholarship. I was surprised, he said. I wasnt expecting it. I spent a couple hours of my time writing essays, and I got free money. With the big determining factors being academic achievement, community service and leadership skills, Paniagua said the academic and community service aspects were what made him stand out. Besides his community involvement, Paniagua stands out at Dalton High with his strong academicshe is ranked first in the senior class, hes in the National Honor Society, Beta Club, and the French Club where he is on the advisory council, he is an Advanced Placement Scholar, was named Star Student, was a Governors Honors finalist in science, and he is a National Merit Commended Student. Paniagua also takes part in dual enrollment. During his senior year, he spends half his day at DHS and the other half taking college courses at Dalton State. Paniagua has taken 17 college credit hours per semester, and those long hours make for tiring days. Sometimes I get out at 2:00 p.m., Paniagua said of college classes, but other days Im there until 7:25 pm. Paniagua has been accepted to the University of Georgia, and will be going to Athens in the fall. He is undecided on a major (maybe something with math, science, or economics), and has yet to decide what he wants to pursue as a career. He hopes once he dabbles around in college classes that he will find something he loves. Paniagua said he has mixed emotions about his upcoming graduation. Im excited to be done, but Im nervous, because you have to think about what you want to do for the rest of your life. But for as long as he wants to continue his education, Paniagua will have the Gates Millennium Scholarship there to make sure he doesnt worry about college finances. Paniagua said hed like to say thank you to those who thought he was worthy of this honor. Its nice having everything paid for, he said. Im pretty grateful. Sony is in the front of the line of tech giant companies in filing a patent for a cutting-edge contact lens, which can zoom, shoot, record and store data within the lens itself. The patent, which was filed in February 2014 and was granted just last month, is still raw and theoretical as the technology for this small-scale device has yet to be integrated. The patent designed by seven Japanese inventors offers a technology making lens capable of recording through the use of blinking as the trigger; it is equipped with mechanics able to discern intentional from natural blinking to switch the device on and off. It is literally taking pictures with the blink of one's eyes. The idea of high-tech lenses first surfaced with Google's Glass in 2013, which has met criticisms for its privacy issues. The idea of capturing images without any visible device other than the eyes concerned consumers with potential privacy violations, even prompting the U.S. Congress to intervene. Sony has already made a promising marketing with the product and even added features such as focus, zoom, aperture and stability, just like a real camera would do. It also offers the storage of the data within the lens itself, and it can be transferred wirelessly to the next available device whenever one is ready. However, the technology of the camera lenses is only a mere prototype for now, and the patent does not guarantee anything yet. While the market is filled with other types of high-tech lenses offering a wide variety of advanced functionalities such as Google's patent for solar-powered lenses in January 2014, which reportedly helped detect health and body factors such as temperature and glucose levels, and another that could be directly injected to the eye, Sony stood its ground with its patent on the technology of the future. Microsoft is reportedly working on its purported Surface Phone, which is expected to replace the unsuccessful Windows Phone line. If rumors circulating online are to be believed, the device will be launched in April 2017 to coincide with the release of "Redstone 2," the second major Windows 10 upgrade for PC and mobile. The Redmond tech giant launched the Surface tablet and Lumin 950 phones in 2015. But while the tablet has been a huge success, the Lumia phones failed to entice customers. As a result, 23 million Lumia phones were shipped during FY 2016. Eventually, the company has dropped the idea of manufacturing any further Lumia phone models, Windows Central reported. It is worth mentioning here that the delay in launching the Surface Phone is not related to its hardware, but Microsoft wants to release the device with "Redstone 2," the follow-up to the first major upgrade to Windows 10. According to reports, "Redstone 1" is likely to be the Windows 10 Anniversary Update. The company has already released a beta last week along with some new features. Since "Redstone" will be a substantial update, a follow-up cannot be expected any time soon. Hence, it is understandable that "Redstone 2" may arrive in 2017. There are rumors that "Redstone 2" and "Redstone 3," which are yet to be announced by the company, are both likely to focus heavily on "innovation around mobile phones," Network World stated. This is in line with the remarks of Microsoft Windows chief Terry Myerson at Build conference last month that the company was not focusing on the Windows Phone this year. Consequently, the Surface Phone did not come up for discussion at the conference. Nevertheless, according to the report in Windows Central, Microsoft currently intends to concentrate on two areas. These include making the most secure phone available globally and making the most efficient smartphone. The Windows Phone is already considered to be rather secure, as there are no vulnerability complaints like in the case of Android or regarding malware. On the other hand, malware writers generally do not target platforms having a market share below 2 percent. Secondly, Microsoft has been endeavoring to develop the Windows Phone as a productivity device equipped with support for Microsoft products. Watch the video on "Microsoft Surface Phone - Leaked" below: Americans have shown great interest toward auto vehicles since time immemorial, hence the evident growth of auto sales in the past few years. The month of April this year, in particular, displayed huge numbers from U.S. consumers who purchased trucks and SUVs (also known as sport-utility vehicles). But despite the increase, analysts believe that the auto-market is left with nothing but a small room to breathe. According to the Los Angeles Times, U.S. consumers have purchased roughly 1.5 million vehicles just in the month of April alone. The figure was quite amassing that it dethroned the oldest auto sales record set in April 2005. In 2005, auto sales hiked due to automakers offering huge discounts and lease deals in hopes to keep their manufacturing plants running. However, this time around, it was the consumers who were responsible in driving auto sales to a massive hit. Among the major global automakers, Honda, led with a whopping 14.4 percent auto sales increase -- both in cars and SUVs. Nissan, on the other hand, rose at 12.8 percent. Fiat Chrysler and Ford also rode with 6 percent and 4 percent, respectively. Lastly, Toyota acquired a total of 3.8 percent auto sales, thanks to the notable RAV 4 small SUV (which just recently broke a monthly auto sales record of up to 32 percent). While this increase in auto sales numbers is fascinating, automakers should still be alarmed, as reported by Washington Post. Wall Street analysts reportedly said that the U.S. auto industry is nearing a cyclical peak, and as this enters, automakers must opt into more production cuts. Although this is only right in order to keep records of vehicles from inflating later this year, this could also affect auto sales profits. In fact, the shares for both General Motors and Ford have dropped by 1 percent, while Fiat Chrysler Automobiles plummeted to more than 2 percent. And although GM's (as well as Ford's) auto sales to individual consumers are still increasing, its overall U.S. auto sales in April have been decked by 3.5 percent. Analysts believe that the sluggish economic pace in the U.S. has been one of the major factors in this upcoming dilemma. While these auto sales forecasts can be proven in the following months to come, it is still a topic worth worrying about. For quite some time now, analysts keeping track of popular Internet browsers have been suggesting that Google Chrome was the most popular among the lot. But not everyone agreed, especially NetMarketShare. By virtues of its combination of different Internet Explorer (IE) versions, the Microsoft browser was successful in trumping Chrome in its quarterly statistics. While the Internet Explorer alone dominated the scene with its latest version, the previous editions also had strong followings, making other browsers like Chrome and Firefox small outliers. However, things have changed since the last month and now Chrome is the undisputed leader. Last month, Internet Explorer lost its No. 1 rank to Chrome. This not only marked a major milestone in the 21-year lifespan of Internet Explorer but also brought a significant change in the desktop browser guard, Computer World reported. Statistics made available by the U.S. analytical firm Net Applications showed that the IE and Edge, which were merged as "IE," dropped 2 percent point in April, enjoying 41.4 percent of the global browser user share. On the other hand, Chrome gained 2.6 percent points, increasing its global browser user share to 41.7 percent. Though the lead over IE is very slender, it is significant nonetheless. In fact, Computer World had forecast earlier that going by the long-term trends data offered by Net Applications, Chrome would become the No. 1 browser by May end. In fact, Mozilla's Firefox also dropped 0.8 percentage point to fall below 10 percent to 9.8 percent, compared to what was anticipated earlier. On the other hand, Apple's Safari and Opera Software's Opera remained static or witnessed slight increase last month, ending the month at 4.9 percent and 1.9 percent, respectively. All said and done, it is significant to note the continuous decline of IE and the simultaneous rise of Chrome. Statistics provided by NetMarketShare, however, emphasizes that while Chrome comes in with a 41.66 percent share of the market, all versions of the Internet Explorer together enjoy 41.35 percent global browser user share, Digital Trends reported. So what triggered the decline of IE? In August 2014, Microsoft forced customers to upgrade to the latest IE version, when Redmond tech titan told majority of the customers to migrate to IE11 if they wished to continue receiving security patches. This actually set off a catastrophic turn down in IE's user share. Considering the need to change browsers, users instead reviewed their choice and subsequently ditched Microsoft's browsers for Chrome. Watch "Web browser performance showdown - Edge vs. Chrome vs. IE11 vs. Opera" below: As Oculus Rift release date was getting near, the virtual reality craze was getting higher and the fan base of the industry was getting more and more excited. Now, according to the latest reports, the company decided to offer the upcoming virtual reality gadget on sales at Best Buy during this weekend. The launching of the Oculus Rift VR headset was rougher than expected, according to The BitBag. Experiencing delays in fulfilling the preorders, Oculus decided to offer free shipping to its early customers. Venture Beat reports that before fulfilling all of its preorders, Oculus decided to launch its retail plans for Rift before fulfilling all of its preorders. This leaves customers who preordered the $599.99 Rift unhappy. After all, the whole point of preordering some product is getting it before everybody else can. Now Oculus tries to appease these unhappy customers by offering them the possibility to get their Rifts on May 7, through retail at select Best Buy stores. Those customers who preordered the Rift would need to inform the company through this link that they have purchased their units from retail. Customers will still retain some preorder benefits like "EVE: Valkyrie Founder's Pack," but not all are happy with this measure. According to comments in the Oculus blog, many do find this quite a hassle. According to Yahoo!, those who have not preordered but still want to get their Rift can just walk into 48 Best Buy stores on May 7. It might be possible that some of those who did not preordered can even get their unit earlier than those who have preordered. Best Buy brick and mortar stores will also feature test units for customers to try. On May 6 starting at 9:00 a.m. Pacific Time, the Rift will also be available on Microsoft Store and Amazon. The company announced that there will be just an "extremely limited supply" of the Oculus Rift VR headsets for purchase. In case that some of the customers who preordered cannot make it to Best Buy in time to get their units, this could certainly add to their frustration. But at least there is at least a little hope of getting a VR unit for the large number of people who are still waiting on their Rift preorders. The Verge reported that a few dozen games are already available for the Rift. For instance, hacking puzzler "Darknet" is priced at $9.99, while "Elite Dangerous: Deluxe Edition" has a price tag of $59.99. Google finally wins it with FCA as the latter has agreed to consign 100 of its cars to use for Google's driverless car experiment. Varied news sources previously reported on the seemingly endless search for Googleand finally has named the car maker to which it would get its vehicles from. Yahoo! reported that Chrysler Pacificas would now be seen on road tests as part of Google's self-driving car experiment. The project is said to be a launching effort of the IT giant in its continuous efforts to improve autonomous car technology. FCA's collaboration with Google is considered a huge step for the latter as the company had previously built driverless Lexus RX 450h and Toyota prius prototypes. However, confirmed sources told on the lack of support for the project from the car maker itself. Google had also designed its own version of a self-driving car a few months' back; this time, John Krafcik of Google's automotive unit exerted all efforts to pair the company with a suitable car maker for the project. On the other hand, Fiat Chrysler also has some advantage with its partnership with Google regarding financing the experiment. CEO Marchionne himself stated that high-technology costs could spiral down the car industry in the future. FCA, in a way, has already stepped up in leveling the autonomous driving competition with Nissan, Ford and Volvo. In related news, Telegraph UK also mentioned the rise in sales for FCA units last month alone, which was a 6 percent increase for the same month last year. Reported sales of 199,631 was announced by Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, saying it was the company's best April sales of all time. The Chrysler Pacificas would not be sold to the buying public; more details on the specifics of the renewed self-driving experiment would be available soon. That yearly event of glitz and glamour at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, one cannot help with their "oohs" and "aaahs" over the unique creations worn by famous celebrities. At this year's Met Gala, Claire Danes literally lit up at the prestigious event. According to Vanity Fair, attendees were also in for a surprise as Claire Danes showed up at the venue in a bus and were in for another surprise when her Zac Posen gown glowed in the dark as well. The sky-blue ball gown was a beautiful hand-made creation by the actress' longtime friend-designer. Made of organza and dolled up with fiber optics, the elegant gown showed off its sheer beauty the moment Danes stepped inside. And because of the large skirt, Zac Posen arranged for Danes to arrive at the event in the rather unconventional mode of transport. Danes also stated having to stand up during the entire trip going to the Met Gala. She also had to be escorted by her husband, actor Hugh Dancy, and designer Zac Posen up the escalator as she walked up the red carpet in the glowy dress. USA Today also reported on the Marchesa dress worn by Karolina Kurkova, which designers Keren Craig and Georgina Chapman referred to as a "cognitive dress." The fashion designers also stated partnering with IBM Watson on the technical aspects of the LED-embedded dress. Sure, many other famous celebrities in their equally unique outfits had their own take on the theme for the 2016 Met Gala, "Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology," Claire Danes' ball gown was the clear standout of the night, says News AU. Fashion critics and media circuits have been all over social media giving a solid commendation to the Cinderella-esque gown. Zac Posen's high-tech creation perfectly showcased the Gala's theme of tech-inspired futuristic fashion and Claire Danes' simple, yet elegant coif provided the classic harmonious balance to the entire look. LG Innotek has developed an innovative fingerprint sensor module that can sit under glass and allows users to unlock their smartphones without a recognition button. According to Korea Times, this innovation coming from the South Korean tech giant LG will bring a paradigm shift in smartphone design. The world's largest smartphone camera module maker explained in a statement Sunday, May 1, that the module would not require an existing rectangular or circular fingerprint sensor button. An LG spokeswoman also said that the button-less fingerprint module will also help manufacturers of handsets to improve features such as dust and waterproofing protection. As it does not require a specific fingerprint recognition button, the new module could significantly reduce any smartphone malfunctions. The new module was designed as LG has succeeded in developing the required technology to attach a fingerprint sensor into the small space under smartphone's glass face. The South Korean company also announced that it is negotiating "with some handset manufacturers to commercialize the new modules within the year." The under-glass fingerprint scanner module can be customized by LG Innotek for any handset manufacturer upon their request. A high molecular substance has been compounded into glass, guaranteeing a high level of solidity and helping it to absorb external shocks. The company said that even after a 130 gram ball bearing was dropped on it from 20 centimeters the compounded glass did not break. As the in-glass fingerprint module comes with a 0.002 percent of error rate, the module's security level is also on par with that of other existing button-type fingerprint modules. According to Android Police, the new technology is somewhat similar to Qualcomm's Snapdragon Sense ID since it can be basically invisible. The difference is that LG's design appears to be of the traditional capacitive variety, while Qualcomm's solution uses ultrasonics to identify a fingerprint. Kim Chang-Hwan, LG Innotek's research and development center chief, said in a statement that the company is gathering all its capabilities with the aim of developing differentiated technologies for its customers. LG Innotek will keep offering innovative products that serve customers in more easy and convenient ways. The latest innovation is part of the LG Group's efforts to increase its market share on the fingerprint sensors sector that is experiencing a rapid growing demand. According to market analysts, it is estimated that the shipments for fingerprint sensor modules will be worth 1.6 billion won by 2020. According to market researcher HIS, this would represent a threefold increase from 499 million won as of the end of last year. The launch of the joint Russian and European ExoMars mission has been moved to 2020. The mission was initially planned for 2018. Russia and Europe have decided to launch the second phase of their ExoMars mission in 2020 instead of 2018, according to Engadget. In March, the first part of the mission took off on time. The second phase of the ExoMars mission will launch a Martian rover that will be capable of drilling up to 2 meters (6.5 feet) below the surface. ExoMars mission has been delayed because European Space Agency's engineers are challenged in putting together all the components and instruments ExoMars' second phase needs. At the same time, Roscosmos' engineers have been encountering difficulties in designing rover's landing mechanism, according to BBC. Gizmodo reports that the head of ESA's Robotic Exploration Coordination Office, Rolf de Groot, explained that his team has tried to evaluate whether it is still possible to make the 2018 launch. The scientists and engineers were analyzing if it is acceptable from a risk point of view to shorten the assembly, integration and testing (AIT) phase. However, according to de Groot, his team has come to the conclusion that this is not achievable without adding an unacceptable amount of additional risk to the mission. In these circumstances, they decided that it would be necessary to move the 2020 launch date. The statement released by the European Space Agency (ESA) said that they have been assessing the situation and took into account the delays in Russian and European industrial activities and deliveries of the scientific payload. In these circumstances, the best solution remains a launch in 2020. Due to the lack of a proper budget, the ExoMars project has been going through difficulties even from the start. At one time, the ESA even teamed up with NASA. Their collaboration ended when the two agencies found themselves with different priorities. Researchers from the University of Liege in Belgium have detected three new Earth-sized planets that may host alien life. According to the publication Business Standard, the team of astronomers led by Michael Gillon of the Institute d'Astrophysique et Geophysique used the Belgian TRAPPIST telescope to observe the star 2MASS J23062928-0502285. The star is also known by the name of TRAPPIST-1. The astronomers found that, at regular intervals, the TRAPPIST-1 star that is dim and cool faded slightly. This observation is an indicator that several objects were passing between Earth and the star. TRAPPIST-1 is an ultra cool dwarf star, barely larger than Jupiter and much redder than the Sun. After a more detailed analysis, the scientists deducted that there were three planets present with similar size to the Earth. Despite being so close to the Earth, researchers observed that the TRAPPIST-1 star is too red and too dim to be seen with the naked eye. The star cannot even be observed with a large amateur telescope. According to astronomers, TRAPPIST-1 is located in the constellation of Aquarius. The planets orbiting TRAPPIST-1 have very similar sizes to that of our planet. The orbital periods of two of the planets are about 2.4 days and 1.5 days, respectively. The orbital period of the third planet could be less well determined in the 4.5 to 73 days range. The dwarf star with the three Earth-sized planets orbiting planets is less than 40 light years away. This would make the first time when planets have been found around this type of star. The discovery opens up new possibilities in the search for extraterrestrial life. It is estimated that around 15 percent of the stars near our Sun are also similar ultra cool dwarf stars. Fox News reports that currently, scientists are making atmospheric observations of the three temperate exoplanets using NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope. Next week will also join in the study the Hubble Space Telescope. Chattanooga State will hold its annual Commencement exercises at Memorial Auditorium, 399 McCaliie Avenue, on Saturday, May 7, beginning at 10 a.m. (EDT). Mitch Patel, Vision Hospitality CEO and President, will present the commencement address to the 2016 graduating class that includes degrees and certificates awarded to 1,335 graduates. Dr. Flora Tydings, Chattanooga State President, will grant conferring of rights and privileges. 2016 graduates range in ages from 17-63 with more than 52 percent over age 25, while approximately two-thirds are women. A total of 330 students will be awarded academic honors. The top five College Division Programs with the highest number of graduates include Transfer Programs, 364; Nursing, 167; Tennessee Transfer Pathway, 139; Engineering Technology, 70; and Applied Science, 50. Among the top five College Technical Certificates, Acting, Emergency Medical Technicians, Dental Assisting, Paramedic and Pharmacy Technicians boast the greatest number of graduates. In the Embedded Certificate category, the top five include Entrepreneurial, Advanced Process Technology, Process Technology, Volume Non-Destructive Testing, and Surface Non-Destructive Testing. Hamilton County Collegiate High at Chattanooga State recognizes class leaders Chloe Rene Russell-Vernon, Valedictorian and Kara Cher Elaine Walsh, Salutatorian. A total of 49 graduates will receive their high school diploma with a number of college-credit classes under their belt, while 21 of these graduates also have earned enough credits to receive their Associate Degree. Also recognized during commencement will be this years Faculty Fellows: Jacqueline Smith, Dr. Jennifer Arbogast, Libby Farrelly, Lisa Legg, Dr. Lindsay Holland and Jimmy Jones. Faculty and staff Excellence Award winners include Vicki Headrick, Debbie Poteet, Ed Grun, Dr. Patricia Ochoa, and Dr. Kathy Trotter. With a combined total of more than 449 years, retiring faculty and staff for 2015-16 are: Billy Anderson, Cindy Birchell, Joan Byron, Karen Castleberry, Bill Chamberlain, Arlene Flerchinger, Alan Herweyer, Steve Huskins, Kathy Long, Paul Mangiofico, Dan Mayfield, Sharyn Moreland, Jeff Morris, Bill Norman, Charles Parks, Timmy Ross, Mickey Rountree, Margery Sanders, Marcia Sivley, Joyce Smith, Hartley Varnell, Vicki Von Schaaf, and Allen Wallace. MYOB CEO Tim Reed says initiatives announced by the Federal Government in Tuesdays budget will have a positive impact on SMEs but could have gone further and faster. While congratulating the Government on again recognising the power of SMEs in driving the Australian economy especially as it transitions away from a reliance on the mining boom, Reed says the plan to cut the company tax rate to 25% is an excellent one but the timeline could and should be shortened. The Governments economic plan deserves a 9 out of 10 for respecting the vital role SMEs play in the Australian economy. This is the second year in a row where small and medium businesses have been recognised and put front and centre in the budget. I have no doubt they will respond in the way the government hopes by investing more in innovation and creating high quality jobs.Reed said MYOB has for a long time called for a reduction to the company tax rate and welcomed the announcement to eventually reduce it to 25%, and to complement it with an increase in the tax discount for unincorporated businesses from 5% to 7%.MYOB also welcomes the move to widen eligibility for the $20,000 tax write off for small businesses however the Government should consider making this a permanent feature to better support the economy.Reed acknowledged that the Government has also listened to SMEs who have long called for a simplification of Business Activity Statements (BAS).Simplifying GST compliance has been a high priority for businesses for over a decade now so we heartily congratulate the Government for announcing a trial to streamline the process. This is something weve been lobbying the government about for years, it is great to see this is a government that listens to and responds to requests from small business.Reducing the G-Codes or tags on the BAS from seven to three as part of that trial is a great step forward.Reed says MYOB commissioned research with Australian and New Zealand small businesses to find out the cost of administering GST.The survey revealed that GST compliance costs Australian SMEs more than $13.7 billion a year, which is $6,778 a year for each of Australias two million SMEs and. according to Reed, this cost could be halved if the GST was revamped to reflect a simpler model, similar to that in New Zealand.If the Government had the conviction to fully address the GST issue once for all in this Budget, MYOB would have given it a 10/10, but we knew some time ago the government had no appetite to broaden the base of the GST that is the only way to truly make it simpler for small business owners. As if Australian politics is not overwhelming enough, CNN News has released a data-driven app to see if the US will come up trumps! Of course, Apple users are the only ones interested! Campaign 2016 is the data election, and CNN Politics is telling the story of every twist and turn of the race for the US White House in a new data-centric app now available to iOS users in the Apple app store. The CNN Politics app, built with CA Technologies API management and mobile analytics software, is a unique mobile experience that tracks the latest polling, delegate, voting and fundraising data behind the 2016 race. With personalized alerts and notifications, the app positions users at the forefront of this election and empowers them to analyze the data driving the political landscape to Election Day. Key features of the CNN Politics app include: Exclusive data-driven stories and visualizations, which will help voters understand who is winning the election and why Comprehensive election results, breaking news, enterprise and video reporting from the No. 1 online political news destination Personalized alerts and notifications to keep users up-to-date on the storylines and trend-lines defining the race From polling to fundraising to delegate counts, who is tracking well and who isnt, there is a wealth of data associated with this historic campaign, said Matthew Drooker, vice president of app development and technology, CNN. We partnered with CA Technologies to build a native mobile experience for users to digest the meaning behind the numbers in a compelling and entirely personal way. The result is an informative, immersive and indispensable multimedia experience. The CNN Politics app was built using CA API Management and CA Mobile App Analytics products. The CA API management software transfers and aggregates data points from numerous different sources, including CNN polling data, Federal Election Commission data, and the CNN/Pivit Political Prediction Market, to help users navigate the race and draw conclusions based on how the election is tracking. CA Mobile App Analytics provides the insight to gauge app use with advanced data visualization and optimize app performance to deliver a seamless user experience. The application economy has pushed the political discussion online and mobile. There is a tremendous appetite to know whats happening right now in this election, and the CNN Politics app satisfies that voter appetite with the tap of a single icon, said Otto Berkes, chief technology officer, CA Technologies. Were excited to partner with CNN to bring the CNN Politics app to life. Our API management technology ensured that the app was built efficiently, and our mobile analytics provide valuable insights into app performance and app use, so we can collectively ensure the user experience is what they expect and want. CA Technologies is a technology sponsor of the 2016 Americas Choice Election on CNN. The overall partnership extends across the global power of CNNs multi-platform footprint. On digital, CA is the exclusive sponsor of the CNN Politics app, as well as the hub on CNNPolitics.com that houses the apps content and includes CA branding. On television, there will be featured updates courtesy of the app and social polling segments to gauge viewer sentiment around key political announcements. It you are on a management board you may have heard of Diligent Boards the worlds leading software solution to securely create, distribute and collaborate on board meeting materials. Diligent in use by more than 120,000 Directors to aid in more effective board meetings. It manages current and archived materials, questionnaires, board resources, calendars, contacts and meetings and much more. It has been awarded the Gold Stevie Award winner 2016 for Innovation in Customer Service Management (Planning & Practice - Computer Industries), adding to the two Bronze Stevie Awards won by Diligent in 2015. The Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards are the only business awards program to recognise achievement in the workplace in all 22 nations of the Asia-Pacific region. The Stevie Awards are widely considered to be the worlds premier business awards, conferring recognition for achievement in programs, such as The International Business Awards, for more than a decade. Andrew Carrick, Director of Customer Success for Asia Pacific at Diligent comments, It is fantastic that we have been able to do even better than last years results. In my opinion, we have improved on near perfection. We strive to provide the highest level of innovative service to our customers and I think that we have really raised the bar for service excellence year after year. With the phenomenal growth within Diligent in the past year, its an achievement to see that our customer service has risen to the challenge to remain a key pillar of our offering worldwide. For Diligents users, every minute spent trying to resolve an issue is precious time spent away from board meeting preparation, said Carrick. Due to this time-critical work environment, we pride ourselves on always being accessible to our clients 24/7/365, and we are proud to now offer our support across multiple languages. The Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards are the only business awards program to recognise achievement in the workplace in all 22 nations of the Asia-Pacific region. The Stevie Awards are widely considered to be the worlds premier business awards, conferring recognition for achievement in programs, such as The International Business Awards, for more than a decade. The awards will be presented in Sydney on 27 May at the Westin Hotel. Tickets are here. EMC's Leap suite is a set of cloud-native content apps designed to deliver enterprise-grade content management capabilities with an intuitive experience for business users. Leap includes applications developed by EMC and by other companies. They work with existing content repositories, particularly Documentum, and content is managed in place, avoiding the need to make additional copies. During a media briefing, EMC enterprise content division president Rohit Ghai described the suite as "a giant leap for ECM." The first five applications are: Leap Courier (pictured above) - secure and structured document exchange, validation and tracking, even between organisations Leap Snap - automatically captures, categorises and organises documents and related document information in real-time Leap Concert - collaborative document creation Leap Express - browse, access, search and approve content,regardless of its location Leap Focus - document consumption on mobile devices, with automatic reformatting to suit the device. The Leap Together program provides maintenance-paying Documentum customers with free access to Leap applications. Otherwise, Leap applications are available on pay-per-use subscription basis. Leap Courier and Leap Snap will be generally available in June. Leap Concert, Leap Express, and Leap Focus will be generally availability in the second half of 2016. "Our goal with the EMC Leap family is to humanise the experience of interacting with business content," said Ghai. "Beautiful, intuitive, and purpose-built apps drive engagement, which has a ripple effect. Customer engagement drives loyalty; employee engagement improves productivity; and partner and supplier engagement fosters better collaboration across the value chain. "This level of engagement enables superior customer service, greater agility and new business opportunities, and is a key marker of a successful digital business." Disclosure: the writer attended EMC World as a guest of EMC Nuix says that petabyte sized Big Data sets will soon become the norm. Analytics needs to evolve to cope with the tsunami of big data. Nuix has released version 7 of its patented processing engine, which extends the companys big data capabilities to petabyte scale by giving customers the option of using Elasticsearch as the back-end database for Nuix case files. In parallel, Nuix will continue to update and support its existing architecture - which scales from the portability of a laptop to an enterprise data centre - to maintain the performance and reliability customers expect. The biggest data challenge every organisation faces, now and into the future, is how to find, analyse, and correlate critical facts from ever increasing volumes of complex data while retaining the accuracy and forensic precision theyre used to, said Eddie Sheehy, CEO of Nuix. With Nuix 7, we are investing in the future of our customers and our technology. Weve built an architecture that will address their needs today, tomorrow, and in years to come. By the way 1024 Terabytes = 1 Petabyte 1024 Petabytes = 1 Exabyte 1024 Exabytes = 1 Zettabyte 1024 Zettabytes = 1 Yottabyte 1024 Yottabytes = 1 Brontobyte (and after that Geopbyte). With Nuix 7, customers can: Hyper-scale processing and search capacityscaling within a single large server or across multiple high- or low-powered machines by combining the patented Nuix Engine with Elasticsearch as a database platform. Understand hidden relationships - using the redesigned Nuix Context interface that leverages the OrientDB graph database to connect items more efficiently. Get ready for real time - adding the advanced capabilities of Elasticsearch positions Nuix to make the transition to real-time search and analysis in future products. Dig deeper with greater forensic precision - going deeper into file system and forensic artifacts to assist with investigations, cybersecurity incident response, and eDiscovery. Apply enhanced image analysis - combining facial recognition with skin-tone analysis to quickly filter down to relevant images for investigation. Address more enterprise data - extending the power of Nuix to data in EMC Documentum document management systems and other enterprise sources. Combining Nuix 7 with Elasticsearch allows customers to take full advantage of the database platforms scalability, durability, and real-time searching and analysis. Customers can run tens or hundreds of Nuix workers - scaling vertically within a single server or horizontally across multiple machines - and seamlessly consolidate all that information into a single Elasticsearch index. This greatly improves the performance of processing, searching, and exporting. It also can search and correlate information across archives of historical Nuix cases and other information and intelligence sources. Even petabyte-scale data sets are no longer a challenge with Nuix and Elasticsearch working together, said Sheehy. Our customers can confidently plan to handle much larger data sets and more advanced searching capabilities, with Nuix reliably at the centre of those plans. Nuix has redesigned the Context investigative interface with input from specialists in digital forensics and user experience. The Context interface uses the OrientDB graph database to make connections between people, objects, locations, and events. Customers can use timeline analysis, context bubbles, and automatic linking to slice and dice evidence, said Sheehy. This makes it much easier for investigators to tell stories from large data sets and quickly understand the facts of the case, as the ongoing Panama Papers investigation has demonstrated in dramatic fashion. A new program initiated by CyberArk brings together enterprise software, it security, and services providers to build on the power of privileged account security and better protect customers from cyber threats. CyberArk , the company that protects organisations from cyber-attacks that have made their way inside the network perimeter, has announced the launch of the C3 Alliance . Inaugural members include BMC Software, Duo Security, FireEye, ForeScout, Intel Security, LogRhythm, Qualys, Rapid7, SailPoint, SecureAuth, Symantec, Tenable Network Security, Tripwire, and Varonis. C3 Alliance members have committed to incorporate privileged account security best practices into their offerings, leveraging CyberArks privileged account data to deliver more valuable insight and threat response to customers. Privileged account security has become increasingly critical since compromised privileged account credentials are a common denominator of many modern attacks, said Garrett Bekker, senior security analyst at 451 Research. With certified integrations between CyberArk and alliance members products, the C3 Alliance should make it easier for customers to extend the power of privileged account security across their organization and enhance their overall security posture. C3 Alliance members represent enterprise software, infrastructure and security solutions, including security information and event management (SIEM), identity and access governance, asset and vulnerability discovery, security management and authentication services that benefit from tighter integration with CyberArk for securing privileged accounts and using privileged data to detect and respond to threats. CyberArk is the leader in privileged account security and is pleased to work with a strong and growing ecosystem of partners that understand the importance of protecting and monitoring privileged accounts in the enterprise, said Adam Bosnian, executive vice president, global business development, CyberArk. The C3 Alliance brings together key enterprise and security software companies to deliver integrated, tested solutions to better protect our shared customers. C3 Alliance members typically integrate with the CyberArk Privileged Account Security Solution to deliver value to customers in the areas of proactive protection, detection and response: Proactive Protection Through certified CyberArk integrations with hardware and software applications, including vulnerability and compliance management solutions, DevOps tools and discovery and orchestration software, customers benefit from knowing that the privileged accounts used to access their systems, as well as the general targets and critical applications accessed, are better secured and monitored. Faster Detection Identity and access governance, SIEM and security analytics platforms benefit from access to detailed privileged activity data; and targeted analytics, as well as bi-directional communication to deliver improved, centralised, enterprise-wide monitoring and identification of critical security threats. Privileged activity data includes information such as who has access to what systems, why, and when certain actions were taken . from access to detailed privileged activity data; and targeted analytics, as well as bi-directional communication to deliver improved, centralised, enterprise-wide monitoring and identification of critical security threats. Privileged activity data includes information such as who has access to what systems, why, and when certain actions . Intelligent Response Analytics and response-focused members leverage privileged account activity information to help customers identify and respond to high-risk attacker activity in real time and carry out deeper forensics analysis and remediation activities. Inaugural C3 Alliance members had this to say. Ed Barry, vice president, Cyber Security Coalition at FireEye said, Our recent M-Trends report identified privileged account harvesting and abuse as the single most consistent attack vector witnessed during our engagements last year. Were pleased to be part of the CyberArk-led C3 Alliance and through tight integration of our respective solutions we enable our customers to respond much more quickly to these sophisticated attacks. Pedro Abreu, chief strategy officer, ForeScout said, The C3 Alliance fills a critical gap in the market by bringing vendors together to address privileged account vulnerabilities across the enterprise. ForeScout's CounterACT requires administrative credentials for all of our customers' network endpoints, servers, systems, and devices. With the CyberArk integration, we can securely store and manage these credentials, ensuring our customers' most privileged user accounts have around-the-clock protection. Joe Gottlieb, senior vice president of corporate development for SailPoint said, As an inaugural partner in the C3 Alliance, SailPoint is embracing CyberArks initiative to apply strong, policy-based controls to privileged credentials throughout the enterprise. The integration of SailPoint IdentityIQ and the CyberArk Privileged Account Security Solution gives our customers a unified view and centralised control of all identities, all accounts, and all privileges, enabling them to better assess risks and streamline operations. If you want a single source of common online security threats McAfee has bought them together in its new security hub. There were 5.1 million online fraud incidents and 2.5 million cybercrime offences reported in England and Wales in the last year alone. Despite this massive level of cybercrime and corresponding levels of publicity the average member of the UK public is still under-educated when it comes to protecting themselves online. McAfee (an Intel Security Company) has launched a new security hub - the Ultimate Guide to Security Threats - as part of a campaign to educate the general public about the increasing danger to their personal information online. At present its all UK oriented by security is a global issue. The hub covers virus, Trojan, worms, spam, spy/adware, DDoS, spoofing, phishing and botnet and offers practical advice to help protect against these. In a recent survey of 1,242 users 90% believed their online habits were secure, despite 35% of them either knowing someone who had been hacked or having been hacked themselves. McAfee also found that: 27.7% of people have not updated their internet security over the past 12 months. 34.6% read the terms and conditions when downloading an app. 90% of people selected an incorrect safety signal when asked to identify a safe and secure web page 37.8% of parents of children under 12 surveyed were not fully aware of what their children did online. A spokesman for McAfee commented on the data and the launch of the security hub. Our survey revealed that there was a disparity between how safe we believe we are online, and the reality of our online situation. 90% of us believe we are secure online, despite almost a third of us having not updated our internet security in over a year, leaving those users susceptible to the worst viruses out there. The security threats hub is designed to help educate people on what to look out for when online and to give them a better understanding of why being safe and secure on the web is so important. Weak demand for smart TVs has seen a 20.9% drop in shipments in Q1, 2016 time to bag a bargain! Global shipments of LCD TV sets in the first quarter of 2016 totalled about 48.32 million units, according to the latest report by WitsView, a division of TrendForce. This figure represents a 20.9% quarterly decline and also a 6.3% year-on-year drop. The reasons? Q1 is off season in the U.S. and Europe, the strong US dollar makes the prices higher (except in the US), the uncertain global economic outlook, and the saturation of the Chinese TV market have put significant pressure on the overall LCD TV shipments. Ricky Lin, WitsView research manager, said the February earthquake that damaged Innoluxs panel fabs in southern Taiwan, along with the issues that Samsung Display (SDC) has with its 0.4mm glass production, will affect the product launch schedules of new branded TV sets in the second quarter (April-June). He expects TV set shipments in the second quarter to grow 6.6% to 51.5 million units although much of that is due to the shorter base [sales] period of the first quarter. The outlook for annual shipments remains bleak mainly due to market saturation, and it is expected that around 219 million units will be shipped in 2016. Read on for individual performances. Samsungs shipments had a sharp drop of 34.4%. It managed to hold the top spot in the shipment ranking despite having to delay the shipments of its new TV models because of problems with its new 0.4mm production and the panel supply disruption caused by Taiwans earthquake. LG Electronics was ranked second place with 7.1 million units, representing a 13.4% drop from the previous quarter. Seasonality and weak sales depressed LGEs TV shipments during the period. Hisense benefitted from Sharps brand name license to take third place with 3.47 million units a 13.8% increase. The Chinese brand concentrated on developing overseas markets and struck a profitable deal with Sharp to acquire its factory in Mexico and the license to sell TVs in Americas under Sharps brand name. It is a growing brand in Australia. TCL shipped 3.2 million units growing 3.6%. TCL owns a variety of brands as well as Alcatel smartphones. Skyworth dropped 20.9% from fourth place to fifth. It sells in Australia via Harvey Norman and may well make the Toshiba brand under license. Sonys shipments dropped 33.3% - a major fall in recent years as the brand has shifted its focus from volume to margin. The Japanese TV vendor was knocked out of the top five by Skyworth. Japanese brands, on the whole, are gradually losing market shares to the rapidly growing Chinese brands. Lin said a recent notable trend in the TV market had been the rise of the Chinese Internet brands. By offering affordable premium products online, these Internet brands have seized much of the domestic market and upended the strategies of established TV makers. He added that due to changes in business models and consumer habits, holiday sales will not be as a powerful force in clearing inventories. Lin expects North America become the next target market of the Internet brands like LeTVs recent investments in TCLs subsidiary, TCL Multimedia Technology. Comment China remains the largest consumer market and the trend has turned to buying home-made over brand imports. HiSense and TCL are seen now as quality TV makers and premium brands like Sony and Toshiba are on a sharp decline even in their home markets. But the TV market problems run deeper. Tablets, smartphones, hybrids, and PCs are all increasing as content viewing devices. Analysts point to a raft of statistic indicating that at least 55% of content is now consumed mobile and its growing exponentially as people find that they have less time to enjoy long form content over short manageable chunks. The result is that the imperative of having that latest, greatest. TV has diminished. There is also a major long term concern that VR will spell the death of large screen TVs I cant see that but Augmented Reality (AR a.k.a. Microsoft Hololens) may succeed. But it is not just TVs and consumer electronics smartphones makers have recently been gobsmacked by two relatively new comers OPPO and VIVO taking out global fourth and fifth place. These companies are owned by BBK who also has a huge range of electronics interests (including OnePlus) and collectively beaten Huawei to the second spot. Apple has dropped 16.3% in sales in Q1 and the trend looks to continue. It is Asian Tiger time. As reported by iTWire on Tuesday, The Community Network was fined $230,000 by the Federal Court for breaching Australian Consumer Law (ACL) by engaging in unconscionable conduct in its dealings with one small business. The Federal Court declared that in its dealings with the small business The Community Network had refused to release it from its contract for advertising services when the company was not providing those advertising services - then pursuing the business for non-payment, threatening legal action and engaging debt collectors. In a statement issued on Wednesday from Brett Wilson of Adams Wilson Lawyers, Wilson said that The Community Network has accepted liability and has already undertaken measures to improve customer communication and overall satisfaction. Wilson said the consumer allegations could have been managed more effectively with more stringent customer service programs in place, and my client is working closely with the ACCC to develop processes that adhere to their requirements, but ultimately there was no intent to do the wrong thing and this was recognised by the court.And, The Community Network Managing Director Dave Ravenscroft says the company and its board of directors is cooperating with the ACCC with absolute transparency and is determined to rectify any deficiencies in procedure and policy.Customer service and client satisfaction is at the core of our business and we are committed to delivering a quality service and maintaining a high standard of practice."We take responsibility and accept the judgement handed down to us and have already started to take the necessary steps to improve our processes to ensure no further incidents like this arise.Ravenscroft said the company has already implemented a comprehensive compliance and training program which addresses each of the ACCCs requirements and has increased the number of customer service staff by 50%. It has also employed an internal quality controller and flagged that it plans to engage an independent company once a year to oversee the internal processes "to ensure nothing is missed".Ravenscroft also stresses that The Community Network has already integrated a new customer and partner feedback system - Listening Post Online - which streamlines the organisations management of customer feedback, complaints and general communication.And, he says the company has also addressed issues pertaining to the clarity of certain clauses within client contracts to prevent misunderstanding, in particular a rollover clause which required customers to give 12-months notice of contract termination.We have had an automatic, standard rollover clause in all contracts which was originally designed to promote customer loyalty."Ravenscroft said The Community Network has customers who have been with the company since 2004, who have enjoyed significant cost savings due to the rollover clause, however on the back of some criticism we have reduced the notice period to two months prior to the end of the advertising period.Customers now also have the option to commit to a standard two year contract or sign up to the new rollover agreement.Commenting on the breach of consumer law, Wilson said, If anything the whole matter has been a misunderstanding caused by some administrative issues that are being addressed and remedied. Basically this is a good product that a lot of small businesses see a real and valuable benefit from.Wilson says three clients of The Community Network submitted complaints to the ACCC regarding contract breaches over the provision of advertising services between 2013 and 2015, and the principle complaints related to The Community Network failing to provide the nominated advertising sites stipulated in the client contracts, within the agreed timetable.He also acknowledges that the consumer allegations could have been managed by The Community Network more effectively with more stringent customer service programs in place. Wilson also says that The Community Network is working diligently to implement new procedures to manage customer relationships and improve response times to customer enquiries, and they will continue to tune their systems to avoid any further customer dissatisfaction. The Community Network specialises in providing digital advertising and information systems using the latest technology to give exposure to local businesses, and says its "highly visible content information systems are installed in medical centres, hospitals, supermarkets, convenience stores, fitness centres, pharmacies and many other types of venues across the globe". In New York City, IT employees of EmblemHealth recently staged a protest over the decision to outsource their jobs. CEO Karen Ignagni told the employees the company needed to modernize its platforms and didn't have the money or expertise to do this work. Among those at this protest was Phillip Tsen, a former outsourcing project manager. It was once his job to move IT work to outsourcing firms. By joining the demonstration, Tsen wanted to show his support for EmblemHealth workers losing their jobs. Emblem's justifications for its wholesale layoff of its IT employees are similar to those Tsen once made as an outsourcing project manager. The difference is that he just doesn't believe in those arguments anymore. Tsen was a global leader of IBM offshore management for more than 15 years. He has a master's degree in computer science from Columbia University and earned a patent for his work on a knowledge transfer process. He left the industry in 2011. He now considers himself an unemployed writer. [Related story: Sold Out offers a new look at the H-1B debate.] Tsen has written a work of fiction inspired by his experiences of running outsourcing operations. This book, The PM Executioner: A Project Manager's Journey in Offshoring Jobs, describes what happened to one Peter Fallon, a project manager. (The book is available in both Kindle and softcover editions; Amazon price $2.99 - $16.95. What's this?) This book brings you inside the conference rooms where the decisions are being made. It explores the friction and dynamics among executives embarking on this course and shows its impacts on the affected workers. It helps you to understand their pain. It's a compelling read. Booklocker; jacket art by Todd Engel Published in December, former offshoring project manager Phillip Tsen has written a fictional account of his experiences. Fallon is increasingly troubled by the human consequences of his previous work and the questionable actions of executives paid large bonuses for eliminating jobs. Tsen began his professional career as an artist working as a designer at a textile firm. (You can see some of his work by scrolling down on this page.) But when the textile industry moved offshore, he changed careers and pursued studies in computer science, and joined Bell Labs when it was part of AT&T. He was a manager and distinguished engineer. In an interview, Tsen explains the reasons for writing this book, and talks about his hope that it might move executives to reconsider their direction. He describes the effort as a personal redemption. What follows are edited excerpts from an interview. What prompted you to write this book? Instead of being an executive, sitting in a war room, looking at a spreadsheet where decisions can be made easier, I worked in the field. You see people suffering. You see people trying to resist and fight [the outsourcing of their jobs]. I see all the things that are going on behind the scenes. You deteriorate inside your heart. I couldn't do it anymore, and took a leave of absence and wrote what's inside my heart. After a year, I went back to the job. I tried to get back to my work again. But I saw the affected IT workers, people with gray hair, with families, children in college, people who really need a job and I felt like: 'What am I doing here?" I quit and then wrote a book to get my voice out. What is the personal toll of this work? Some companies feel they have no choice [to outsource], and need to fix the processes and save the money. They are trying to do something that appears as if they are transforming the business to a better position. That seems like a good reason for it, but I'm still not sure that's the right solution. The savings (per job) are 30% -- if you offshore 100 people your savings is about $3 million. That's a quick savings. But then at the beginning of the next year, after you have done all the offshoring, the CEO and executives take million dollar bonuses. This is just not right at all. That's what is hurting me, this betrayal of loyal employees. The book's main character, Peter Fallon, argues that "we weren't responsible for firing hundreds of people; we were responsible for saving hundreds more by making this company solvent again." That's sounds like a moral justification for offshoring jobs. Isn't it? In 2001-2002, when the dot.com bubble burst, [saving a company] seemed like a good reason for outsourcing. I put my heart into it and did a good job. But in the years following the dot.com bubble, a lot of CEOs turned to outsourcing to appeal to Wall Street. In their hiring agreements there is a pre-set cash bonus and if you meet this number, you get this much in bonus. That's what I've seen happening. Not every every CIO or firm decides to offshore their IT department. What arguments are brought to bear by companies that reject offshore outsourcing? Some companies take moral responsibility, social responsibility and don't go offshore. Rather than lay off people, they try to retain their valuable, loyal employees. I don't mean job protection, because a company does not have the obligation to protect an employee's job. The employee needs to bring their value, and management also needs to bring its value. I'm not anti-offshoring because there are certain low-cost offshore skills that can help speed up the initial rollout of new technologies. But it's your loyal employees that know the best processes and the data. Phillip Tsen, author of "The PM Executioner" and former IBM global outsourcing manager. Companies that outsource their IT departments, and then announce job cuts, will call it a hard decision. To me, it's an easy solution to go offshore. They feel they can achieve business success by holding the service provider accountable to meet all the KPIs [Key Performance Indicators]. That's not the truth. Companies that retain their employees through a recovery retain their competitiveness. Companies that offshore are losing that competitiveness, that loyal employee -- you are losing the stability of a team in the long term. You put a lot of weight on loyalty. The premise is that a firm's IT employees will be adaptable and will act in the best interest of the company. You don't think that's true for offshore resources? Exactly, yes. When you offshore your knowledge, the person that you train will take your technical and business strategy knowledge and work for your competitors when they offshore their stuff. You never get a loyal, stable team offshore. Long-term, you are better off to keep your employees and use offshore for short-term work. There are some IT departments that outsource the vast majority of their IT work, if not all of it. What is the outcome for firms that take this path? A firm will say IT is not their core business. The drivers may be out-of-date systems, work backlogs, an understaffed IT department. They see their staffs as higher paid and decide that going offshore is cheaper. A lot of times managers [in other departments working with IT] are not following the best practices of project management. Requirements are vague because they don't understand the complexity, which leads to modifications, small releases and patching. A lot of IT employees feel they have become the scapegoats. To me that's a symptom. Outsourcing the IT department does not solve your problem, because the other departments in the firm are not following best practices. The offshore vendors will charge more for modifications. You think you are saving, but you're not saving. The culprits are the middle and higher managers -- they have not fostered a [company-wide] organization that follows good practices. Changing the pool of employees, from U.S. employees to offshore employees, does not say that you will have a better system. You are moving to a long-term headache. Are there moral consequences to these decisions? It's not morally correct that you just lay off your long-term employees, and you sacrifice and push them out door, then you take big bonuses. There are ways to do this -- everyone needs to bring value. Management is the culprit that fosters inefficient organizations. IT is not alone, and they are not the ones that should get the blame. People do not take the approach that "we are in this together" -- they do not all tighten up the belt. Outsourcing the employees is morally incorrect, and strategically not the right solution for the long-term. Your point is that a company that offshores believes they can improve their IT operations through vendor contract management, but what you are saying is they really can't. What are they losing? They will lose their competitiveness because their offshore IT department is unstable. They have a continuous turnover. When you implement a new strategy, the [IT] response time will be slower because you are dealing with a handful of new resources again. What impact will offshore outsourcing have, generally, on corporate IT? This is probably a dangerous path we are going down. Because of my experience, back in the 1980s, working as an art director [in a textile firm], everything went offshore so we lost the textile industry. At that time, telecom was booming. I hopped on that wagon right away because I have a can-do attitude. I join AT&T Bell Labs and become a manager and distinguished engineer. But my department went offshore to India. Now I ask: What's next if we continue this trend of offshoring? Do you think offshore will be cheaper forever? Years down the road, if you look at the percentages of increase, your Indiana labor cost will be lower than the India cost. But by then we won't have the capability anymore because nobody will be in that profession. That's what I worry about for the long term. I'm not anti-offshoring; I'm not pro-protectionism. But definitely the behaviors -- laying off people and then getting big bonuses -- those things need to be transparent. There needs to be a law to disclose that.... and to disclose how many H-1B holders are on-site for a purpose that's illegal. Will transparency make a difference? Transparency will make the moral issue more visible. Management will think twice because they also want to protect their brand image. There is an IT employee at New York Life who earned a computer science degree and is training her replacements from an IT services contracting firm. In an interview, she was asked: What would you say to any young person today who is considering a computer science major? Her recommendation was not to major in that because there's no future in it. Do you think that students should major in computer science today? I do not encourage that (majoring in computer science) because of the trend we are going down. Being a developer, tester or engineer of software -- those are jobs that will be offshored. Is "executioner" a word used by project managers in the offshore outsourcing industry? One person, early in my career, said to me, "You are the executioner." At one time I thought, that's just a way to survive [as a project manager in outsourcing engagements]. When I look back at that now, the person who called me an executioner actually had a much earlier sense of what I was getting into. That's why I used the word. A lot of what's in the story is based on facts. Here is an example: One person who lost a job because of an offshore outsourcing decision had a plaque in his office marking his 25th anniversary at the firm. He cleaned out his office, but the only thing he left behind was the anniversary plaque. That's an image that has haunted me for years. Get unlimited access to all content and features at ivpressonline.com with our Full Online Access Subscription. Read our E-Edition, the digital replica of the print newspaper online, access content in exclusive sections including Family, Teen, Business, Databases, Farm and more. This option does not include daily home delivery of the Imperial Valley Press newspaper. For home delivery service, please select Premium or Premium Plus. Email Links to our top local news stories of the day, Monday through Saturday. Chicago Public Schools Have A New Transgender-Friendly Bathroom Policy By Mae Rice in News on May 3, 2016 7:05PM The new policy doesn't quite mandate this, but it's a start. (Photo via AlexLMX on Shutterstock) Chicago Public Schools (CPS) has introduced a new policy that specifically allows transgender students, teachers and adults to use the bathroom that best aligns with their gender identity, school officials announced Monday. The regulations also allow students to use the locker rooms and overnight trip accommodations that best suit their gender identity. The guidelines released today will help ensure every student and adult in the CPS family can participate in an environment of complete tolerance and respect, CPS Chief Education Officer Dr. Janice K. Jackson said in a statement, adding that CPS has become "far more aware" of transgender issues in recent years, and hopes to reflect that in this policy. The new policy specifies that transgender people who request alternate, more private bathroom, locker room or field trip accommodations from CPS must receive them. It further requires schools to provide accommodation and support to gender non-binary students, and students questioning their gender identity. The new regulations piggyback on a CPS policy implemented in 2014. That was essentially a non-discrimination policy, mandating that transgender and gender nonconforming students receive the same opportunities in PE, sexual health, sports, and clubs as any other student. Springfield is currently considering a bill that would void this policy, though, and require every multi-student bathroom at schools to be reserved for one birth gender. As activists with the Chicago Restroom Access Project previously explained to Chicagoist, having to use the bathrooms that aligns with their birth genders can create health and safety issues for transgender people. The N.C. Court of Appeals overturned the conviction of a former Winston-Salem police officer for falsifying hours he worked off-duty as a security guard. Robert Lee Baker, 42, was a Winston-Salem police officer for six years until he was fired in 2012 over those allegations. On Feb. 1, 2013, he pleaded guilty in Forsyth District Court to two counts of felony obtaining property by false pretenses. As part of a plea arrangement, Baker entered a deferred prosecution program in which he was put on supervised probation for 12 months. The idea was that if he complied with all the conditions of the deferred prosecution program, Forsyth County prosecutors would voluntarily dismiss the charges. The appeals court said in a decision Tuesday that the way the deal was structured meant the charges couldnt be dropped. Because Baker pleaded guilty and a judge accepted the plea, he was convicted of the charges. And a conviction cant be voluntarily dismissed, the court said. The deal should have ended in two ways either Baker failed to comply and had the opportunity to be tried on the charges in front of a jury, or Baker complied and the charges were dismissed, the court said. But since Baker was considered a convicted felon, there was no way for him to benefit from the deferred prosecution program. The court ruled that Bakers convictions be vacated and the case be sent back to Forsyth District Court. Baker is currently serving four years and three months to six years and two months after he was convicted in 2014 of armed robbery, second-degree kidnapping, felonious entering, carrying a concealed weapon and communicating a threat. A second man wanted in connection with a fatal April shooting turned himself in to Lexington police on Wednesday. Jeramie Jamar Santiago, 25, of Lexington was charged with murder in the death of Christopher Eason, 24, of Lexington, police said. Eason was found April 12 lying in a parking lot at 817 Cotton Grove Road with serious injuries. At that time, Lexington police said that Eason had been assaulted. Eason died two days later at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center, police said. Lexington police identified Santiago and Quadarius Shaquille Kirkland, 23, of Lexington as suspects in Easons death. Kirkland turned himself in at the Lexington Police Department on April 18, police said. Kirkland was charged with murder, and he is being held without bond in the Davidson County Jail. Santiago also is being held in the Davidson County Jail with his bond set at $2 million, police said. Alexander Aguirre of New York City, Santiagos uncle, said that his nephew is sorry about Easons death. He is very distraught, Aguirre said. The confrontation between Eason and Santiago was part of a ongoing dispute between the men over a woman, Aguirre said. Aguirre didnt mention Kirklands role in the dispute. These two guys were fighting over a girl, Aguirre said. Santiagos family is heartbroken about Easons death, Aguirre said. Our family expresses condolences to the Eason family, Aguirre said. This is all a big tragedy. Ohio Gov. John Kasich is leaving the Republican presidential contest, giving Donald Trump a clear path to his party's nomination. Kasich will announce the end of his underdog White House bid on Wednesday, according to three campaign officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the candidate's plans. The decision comes a day after Trump's only other rival, Ted Cruz, dropped out. With no opponents left in the race, Trump becomes the Republican Party's presumptive presidential nominee to take on the Democratic nominee in November presumably Hillary Clinton. Though armed with an extensive resume in politics, the second-term Ohio governor struggled to connect with Republican primary voters in a year dominated by anti-establishment frustration. Kasich was a more moderate candidate who embraced elements of President Barack Obama's health care overhaul and called for an optimistic and proactive Republican agenda. Even before news of Kasich's decision surfaced, Trump signaled a new phase of his outsider campaign that includes a search for a running mate with experience governing and outreach to one-time competitors in an effort to heal the fractured Republican Party. "I am confident I can unite much of" the GOP Trump said Wednesday on NBC's "Today Show, as several prominent Republicans said they'd prefer Democrat Clinton over the New York billionaire. In a shot at his critics, Trump added: "Those people can go away and maybe come back in eight years after we served two terms. Honestly, there are some people I really don't want." His comments on several networks came a few hours after Trump, once dismissed as a fringe contender, became all-but certainly the leader of the Republican Party into the fall campaign against Clinton. The former secretary of state suffered a defeat Tuesday in Indiana to her rival, Bernie Sanders, but holds a definitive lead in Democratic delegates who will decide the Democratic nomination. The Republican competition changed dramatically with Trump's Indiana victory and Ted Cruz's abrupt decision to quit the race. Trump won the Indiana contest with 53.3 percent of the vote, to Cruz's 36.6 percent and Ohio Gov. John Kasich's 7.6 percent, according to unofficial results. Some Republican leaders remain acutely wary of Trump and have insisted they could never support him, even in a faceoff against Clinton. "The answer is simple: No," Tweeted Nebraska Sen. Ben Sasse, who has consistently said he could not support Trump. What's their plan moving forward? "Prayer," responded Republican strategist Tim Miller, a leader of one of the GOP's anti-Trump groups. "Donald Trump is just going to have an impossible time bringing together the Republican coalition." Some conservative leaders were planning a Wednesday meeting to assess the viability of launching a third party candidacy to compete with him in the fall. Such Republicans worry about Trump's views on immigration and foreign policy, as well as his over-the-top persona. Hours before clinching victory in Indiana, Trump was floating an unsubstantiated claim that Cruz's father appeared in a 1963 photograph with John F. Kennedy's assassin, Lee Harvey Oswald citing a report first published by the National Enquirer. Trump defended his reference to the Enquirer article on Wednesday morning as "Not such a bad thing," but the line of attack was the final straw for some Republican critics. "(T)he GOP is going to nominate for President a guy who reads the National Enquirer and thinks it's on the level," Mark Salter, a top campaign aide to 2008 Republican nominee John McCain, wrote on Twitter on Tuesday. He added Clinton's slogan: "I'm with her." On finding a running mate, Trump told MSNBC's "Morning Joe" that he'll "probably go the political route," saying he's inclined to pick someone who can "help me get legislation passed." Trump didn't identify any of the names under consideration. He also said he's hoping to decide within a week how to fund a general election campaign, but said he didn't want to accept money from super PACs. He told ABC's "Good Morning America" that he would begin to accept more political donations. "I'm really looking at small contributions, not the big ones. I don't want anyone to have big influence over me," he said. A prominent Cruz donor, Mica Mosbacher, quickly signaled support for Trump and urged others to follow. "I call on fellow conservatives to unite and support our new nominee Trump," said Mosbacher, widow of a member of George H.W. Bush's cabinet. "My heart goes out to Cruz who has a bright future. He did the unselfish thing to drop out." Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders eked out a victory over Clinton in Indiana, 52.5 percent to 47.5 percent. But the outcome will not slow the former secretary of state's march to the Democratic nomination. Heading into Tuesday's voting, Clinton had 92 percent of the delegates she needs. "I know that the Clinton campaign thinks this campaign is over. They're wrong," Sanders said defiantly in an interview Tuesday night. But Clinton already has turned her attention to the general election. She and Trump now plunge into a six-month battle for the presidency, with the future of America's immigration laws, health care system and military posture around the world at stake. While Clinton heads into the general election with significant advantages with minority voters and women, Democrats have vowed to not underestimate Trump as his Republican rivals did for too long. Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned, but apparently its also the foundation of a creative tour de force. The songs and accompanying visuals of Lemonade, a visual album released on HBO in April by Beyonce, are laced with interstitial poetry each offering historical, sociological, and psychological codes for hurt, betrayal, depression, and renewal. Where Paul is dead if you play Revolution 9 from The Beatles White Album backwards, the messages of death and rebirth surface the more we consume Lemonade. With slow, lingering sips. The story begins with her suspicions of a cheating husband. By the next vignette, we know hes been untrue. Its a betrayal that chips away at Beyonces self-identity and, at points, sanity. Who is in the house when shes not there? What secret is he hiding that creates this bifurcated husbandone thats a good father and one thats destroying every fiber of the family in the middle of the night. She knows hes been cheating because she sees her husband behaving in the same shady ways her father did when he was cheating on Miss Tina. Betrayal is a family heirloom that is inevitably passed down through the generations. Of course, she doesnt want that lamp in her house, but its her turn to be its keeper. Although, some would critique Beyonce for airing her dirty laundry on HBO/Tidal/iTunes, in reality she is doing what she can to destroy her birthright before it is handed to her daughter Blue Ivy. First, Beyonce is telling the story of recognition to rebirth to her daughter in the best way she knows how through song. Second, Blues mother is surrounding her girl with a support system that all women need as they navigate becoming women. Tennis icon Serena Williams, intersectional feminists/actors Amandla Stenberg, Zendaya, and Somali poet Warsan Shire all have stories to tell of being broken by others and then rebirthing themselves stronger, better. Women from all races can relate to stories of infidelity, but Lemonade isnt made for them. Instead, it is a mature lyrical epic of the journey black women take as we try to triumph in a world that frequently tells us we are not enough. She tells this story, all while interweaving the confounding societal structures that makes her husbands betrayal all the more poignant. As images of contented black women flicker across the screen, Malcom Xs reminds us that (T)he most disrespected person in America is the black woman. The most unprotected person in America is the black woman. The most neglected person in America is the black woman. Their smiles remind us that they, much like the city where they stand, are resilient in the face of nearly insurmountable odds. That disrespect is all the more profound when it comes from the man that vowed to love her. The idea that any man would turn away from the goddess Beyonce is, in itself, stupefying. She is the Queen Bey that just wakes up with all of the beauty, brains, and class we all wish we had when shut off the alarm clock. A guy, 12 years her senior, with a drug-dealing past could only dream of doing better. Perhaps the betrayal can also be explained in Lemonade. The mothers of Trayvon Martin, Mike Brown, and Eric Garner (symbols of the Black Lives Matters movement) remind viewers that the black man has been literally broken and beaten. How would any man even Jay Z retain his psychological security in a world that cultivates his insecurity? Of course, it is from Becky with the good hair. What more does a man who has everything need? More validation of his masculinity. By the end of the piece, it appears that Beyonce has forgiven her husband and father, deciding to let love heal the familial wounds. Her decision to forgive, but clearly not forget, is her choice. Beyonces black feminism celebrates her (and all of my upwardly mobile sisters) ability to choose out of love, not necessity. The story of Beyonce healing her black family is one of these moments where an artist rises to iconic status. Prince had Purple Rain. Michael Jackson had Thriller. Lemonade is that and more. She tells her truth to set herself, her mother and her daughter free. She takes what is bitter and gives it new life. Her Lemonade is authentic, self-reflective, and ultimately a masterpiece. Get Ready For Wicker Park's Rollicking Prince Tribute Parade This Friday By Tankboy in Arts & Entertainment on May 4, 2016 2:31PM Leave your motorcycle at home and get ready to dance during the 'Purple Walk.' We know letting go of Prince is proving harder than you thought it would be. His death on April 21 has led to a long outpouring of public grief, alongside a renewed interest and focus on his huge body of work. There have been a number of events and public artwork sprouting up to pay homage to Prince over the last weeks, and this Friday could offer the chance for the largest Chicago public party to celebrate his legacy yet. "A Night Of A Thousand PrincesThe Purple Walk" will take place on May 6, and hopes to draw a large crowd of Prince fans into the streets. According to the organizers' events page, this is what you can expect: So put on some eyeliner and your best 'Prince inspired' outfit, (Wear lots of Purple ;-) and meet us at Wicker Park, by the fountain around sunset. We will be playing his biggest hits, as we take it to the streets of Wicker Park around 9 p.m. We will walk down Damen to Division to Ashland to Milwaukee and end up at 6 corners. We will walk around the neighborhood and end our Prince tribute parade with LETS GO CRAZY!!! A similar event took place in the neighborhood following Michael Jackson's death, and we found that to be a celebratory and cathartic affair. It also showed that you can throw a huge party in the streets that stays positive and doesn't turn into a public disturbance, so we're hoping "The Purple Walk" celebrants and observers follows that previous example. So don your finest purple finery and meet by the Wicker Park fountain and meet at the Wicker Park Fountain at 8 p.m. to join the dance parade. Land and Space Journal Sentinel business reporter Tom Daykin talks about commercial real estate and development. SHARE By of the The developer who has converted much of downtown's former Pritzlaff Hardware Co. buildings into an event venue, offices and other commercial space is now proceeding with plans to create 99 apartments there. Ken Breunig will begin the renovations within a few weeks at the Pritzlaff complex, at W. St. Paul and N. Plankinton avenues. The work will create the Pritzlaff Lofts. The units, ranging from one to three bedrooms, will be on floors three through seven at the connected Cream City brick buildings, Breunig said. Also, construction work will begin later this year on a four-level parking structure, with 240 spaces, on a parking lot next to the Pritzlaff, he said. Both the apartments and parking structure are expected to be completed by July 2017. The apartments will likely draw millennials and baby boomers, Breunig said. Those same groups have filled Brenug's 42-unit Plankinton Loft Apartments, located in converted office space above the Grand Avenue mall's Plankinton Arcade. The units at Pritzlaff Lofts will be an average of 1,150 square feet, with monthly rents ranging from $1,163 to $2,500, Breunig said. Despite ever-growing numbers of downtown-area apartments, demand "is still pretty strong," he said. The new apartments will largely complete the redevelopment of the six Pritzlaff buildings, which were built from 1875 through 1919. Pritzlaff Hardware Co. was one of the nation's biggest hardware wholesalers before closing in 1958. The buildings were then used by Hack's Furniture, which closed in the late 1980s. Pritzlaff Events, which provides party and banquet space, occupies most of the first floor, which also has three commercial tenants. The second floor is occupied mainly by the 32,000-square-foot Ward4 Milwaukee business start-up office space, along with Miss Ruby Bridal and Crescent Grove Advisors. The project's financing includes the use of state and federal historic preservation tax credits. Markable Inc. raises $1.9 million in equity funding Markable Inc., a Madison fashion technology company, has raised $1.9 million of a proposed $2.8 million equity funding round, according to a filing with federal securities regulators. Markable has an app that helps users instantly buy fashion items they see online or on the street. The app analyzes a photo and finds instantly a shopping site and best matches for the item. The company was co-founded in 2014 by Joy Tang and Fiona Wang. Tang, chief executive officer, has an undergraduate degree in math and economice from MIT and was a 2002 China Math Olympic Gold Medalist. Wang, a vice president, has a graduate degree in finance from Illinois Institute of Technology. Both executives work in Chicago and Madison. Gearbox Express raises $1.5 million Gearbox Express LLC, a Mukwonago wind turbine service company, has raised $1.5 million to fund future growth, the company said Thursday. Privately-held Gearbox Express was founded in 2011 to remanufacture wind energy gearboxes and have them ready for utilities to install when their wind turbine gearboxes wear out or fail. The money raised was all equity, according to a filing with federal securities regulators. "Our growth is exceeding our expectations and the additional capital will fund more inventory and new products so we can better serve our customers," said Bruce Neumiller, chief executive officer. FluGen begins clinical trial on universal influenza vaccine FluGen Inc., a Madison biotechnology company that is developing flu vaccines, said Wednesday it has begun a clinical trial of its RedeeFlu universal influenza vaccine. The trial involves 96 healthy adult subjects between the ages of 18 and 49. It will evaluate the safety of the vaccine and the antibody and T-cell responses it prompts. The vaccine has in animals induced robust antibody and cellular immune responses without producing any infectious virus particles, the company says. "We believe that Redeeflu could be the first influenza vaccine to show robust protection from drifted or mismatched flu strains," said Paul Radspinner, the company's president and chief executive officer. Simple gizmos come from complex journeys The thing looks simple a gadget that holds small items tightly to a bicycle frame using industrial-grade rubber bands. But behind the "SuperBand," the latest product from a little Mequon firm called BiKASE, stands a complex mix of inspiration, doubt, sweat and trial-and-error. "These products, even though they don't look like much, they can be quite costly to develop," BiKASE owner Chad Buchanan said. Madison pharmaceutical company raises $3 million from investors Madison pharmaceutical technology company Invenra has raised another $3 million from 27 investors, according to a filing with securities regulators Wednesday. Invenra has a proprietary platform that allows for rapid screening of potential new drug candidates without using living cells. The new money will be used for "research and development and general corporate purposes," the company said in the filing. Chamber launches HealthTech Capitol website to promote Madison area The Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce announced Friday the launch of the HealthTech Capitol website healthtechcapitol.com as part of an initiative dedicated to establishing Madison as a leader for health innovation by allowing companies to leverage talent, capital and mentoring. "With a robust ecosystem of world-class research, the market leader in electronic medical records, entrepreneurs and a strong network of payers and providers, Greater Madison is already a leader in health innovation," said Chamber President Zach Brandon. "HealthTech Capitol will help build on these strengths by supporting companies and talent in our region and building an infrastructure that will amplify our health discoveries to the world." HealthTech Capitol represents efforts begun in 2012 by entrepreneurs to make greater Madison the best place to start and grow a health technology company. The effort brought together a group of emerging health tech companies and providers from the Madison area, including HealthX Ventures, Moxe, Healthfinch, Forward Health Group and Wellbe. HealthTech Capitol is sponsored by the Godfrey and Kahn law firm, with support from UW Health and CUNA Mutual Group. Xemex attracts attention from angel investors Xemex, a soon-to-be company that has developed an adhesive mixing nozzle with no moving parts, has attracted interest from four angel investing groups, a University of Wisconsin-Madison official said Tuesday. Xemex is one of seven projects that recently emerged from a program aimed at turning university research into commercial endeavors, said John Biondi, director of Discovery to Product, or D2P. D2P was formed as a partnership between UW-Madison and the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation in 2014. It has produced 12 start-ups so far, Biondi said. Neenah entrepreneur to appear on West Texas Investors Club James Oliver, a Neenah entrepreneur, will appear Tuesday night on CNBC's "West Texas Investors Club." In the episode, Oliver pitches his company, WeMontage Inc., to Rooster McConaughey and Butch Gilliam. The self-made Texas multimillionaires invest in those they view as promising entrepreneurs, but only on their turf and their terms. WeMontage has an online service that turns photos into large, removable wallpaper panels. The company raised $310,000 from angel investors in 2013. Madison chamber leader touts Wisconsins high-tech Third Wave Starting with his very first interview for the job of president of the Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce, Zach Brandon made it clear: His was not a traditional plan. Rather than focus solely on established businesses, Brandon wanted to embrace start-ups, the "scalable and salable" companies, as he called them. Some called it a flash-in-the-pan strategy. They criticized how he never even mentioned major local employer Oscar Mayer in his vision statement. Wisconsin got more venture capital deals in 2015, but amount invested fell At least 128 state companies raised more than $209 million of angel and venture capital in 2015, with the results indicating what the president of the Wisconsin Technology Council described as a generally improving picture for early-stage financing. "I think most of the trends here are quite good," said Tom Still of the council, which puts together the annual accounting. Angel and venture financing marks an important measure of how well a state is doing at growing high-potential companies, and Wisconsin's record has been mediocre at best. WMC launches contest to find 'coolest thing' made in Wisconsin To drum up interest in manufacturing and engage young people, Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce is holding a contest to determine the "coolest thing" made in the state. The Coolest Thing Made in Wisconsin contest will accept nominations through Aug. 31, organizers said. "We want manufacturers and Wisconsin residents to start nominating products on our website, and we want people, especially young people, to start a conversation about manufacturing and participate in voting in September," said Kurt R. Bauer, president and CEO of WMC, a major business lobbying organization that says it represents 3,800 employers in the state. Jendusa donates $1 million to UWM for entrepreneur-in-residence program Jerry Jendusa, co-founder of aerospace products maker Emteq LLC, has donated $1 million to the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee to fund an entrepreneur-in-residence program, the school said Wednesday. The Lubar Center for Entrepreneurship , which was establishged in 2015 with a $10 million gift from Marianne and Sheldon Lubar, is constructing a new building on UWM's campus. "I am proud to support entrepreneurs in residence, who will bring real-world experience to the classroom and introduce students to innovators who are shaping Milwaukee and our region," Jendusa said. "Big entrepreneurial ideas start as a dream, and I want to encourage students to chase their dreams." WISC Partners raises $8.2 million WISC Partners LP, a venture capital fund with an unusual, consulting-driven business model, has raised $8.2 million, according to a filing with federal securities regulators. The fund raised the money from 29 investors, the filing said. This brings to $9.2 million the total amount the fund has raised, according to www.formds.com. WISC Partners in April said it had, with Capital Midwest Fund of Mequon, led a $1.2 million funding of Pegasus Sustainability Solutions, a Fitchburg company that is building an online marketplace for buyers and sellers in markets such as hazardous waste, medical waste and environmental remediation. IDAvatars merges with Colorado company IDAvatars, a Mequon start-up that develops health care apps featuring an avatar, or animated character, has merged with CodeBaby, a company based in Colorado Springs, Colo., that develops so-called virtual assistants. The two companies, which combined will employ about 35 people and 10 contractors, have complementary technologies, said Norrie Daroga, the founder and chief executive officer of iDAvatars. CodeBaby, which also has an office in Edmonton, Canada, has focused on developing products for websites, while iDAvatars has focused on developing mobile applications. Badger Meter CEO Rich Meeusen. Credit: Journal Sentinel files SHARE By of the Badger Meter Inc., the Brown Deer-based maker of water meters and other flow measuring devices, said Wednesday that it is exploring "various options to enhance shareholder value," which could include the sale of the company. The statement was in response to a published report that said the company was considering a potential sale. "While it is the long-standing policy of Badger Meter Inc. not to comment on rumors in the marketplace or media reports, the company confirmed today that it is exploring on a preliminary basis various options to enhance shareholder value," the statement said. "There can be no assurance that any action will be taken as a result of this exploration, and the company does not intend to provide further comment at this time." The initial report of a potential sale was published by The Wall Street Journal. A call to Badger Meter seeking additional comment was not immediately returned. Badger Meter has a market capitalization the price of its stock multiplied by the number of shares it has trading in the market of $1.08 billion. The company is coming off a strong first-quarter financial report. Badger Meter's strong earnings, record quarterly sales and growth potential have contributed to a big increase in the price of the company's stock since the start of the year. The shares closed Wednesday at $74.28, spiking up nearly 4% following The Wall Street Journal's online report, on a day when U.S. stock markets overall were down just under 1%. Badger Meter stock closed 2015 at $58.59 a share. The company confirmed that it was exploring its options shortly after markets closed, and its shares rose another 2% in after-hours trading. The company reported record quarterly sales and profit on April 18. For the first quarter ended March 31, Badger Meter posted net earnings of $8 million, an 89.0% increase from the first quarter of 2015. At the time, the company said the results were driven in part by strong demand for its municipal water products. Net sales were $100.6 million, a record for any quarter for the company and an increase of 20.2% from the first quarter of 2015. During the first quarter, municipal water products represented 76.9% of Badger Meter's sales, while flow instrumentation products represented 23.1%, according to an April 21 report by Zacks Investment Research. Badger Meter designs and manufactures flow measurement, control and communications solutions that serve water utilities, municipalities, and commercial and industrial customers worldwide. The company's products measure water, oil, chemicals and other fluids. The company holds about 26% of the U.S. water meter market, according to an April 20 report from Milwaukee investment firm Robert W. Baird & Co. The report said Baird's analysts were concerned that Badger Meter's share price was too high, although Baird's growth forecast for the company was positive, with technology and products poised to grow "with increases seen across virtually all products." Badger Meter employs about 1,400 people worldwide. The company's headquarters is at 4545 W. Brown Deer Road in Brown Deer. It also has locations in Racine; Tulsa, Okla.; Scottsdale, Ariz.; and Los Gatos, Calif. Overseas, Badger Meter has locations in Asia, Mexico, Europe and the Middle East. Kathleen Gallagher of the Journal Sentinel staff contributed to this report SHARE Angel Medina-Santiago Milwaukee Police Department By , Angel Medina-Santiago, a 34-year-old Milwaukee man, was charged Wednesday with fatally stabbing 39-year-old Anthony Garcia-Cortez after a dispute that escalated Saturday outside a nightclub. Garcia-Cortez, of Milwaukee, died at 2 a.m. after being stabbed in the chest twice. Emergency responders were called after a female witness saw Garcia-Cortez go to the ground during a fight outside Tequila Night Club, 1460 S. Muskego Ave. A security guard from the bar identified Medina-Santiago from a series of photos as the man who stabbed Garcia-Cortez with a knife and said that the two had been arguing earlier that night before he had asked Garcia-Cortez to leave. Milwaukee Fire Department personnel administered CPR on Garcia-Cortez as soon as they arrived at the scene about 1:30 a.m., but he was pronounced dead at 1:58 a.m. Medina-Santiago remains at large. By of the A 20-year-old West Allis man was acting extremely paranoid before randomly opening fire on a family traveling home from Wisconsin Dells last weekend, killing a woman inside the vehicle, authorities say. Zachary T. Hays was driving an SUV when he rolled down his window and fired three shots at a passing car hitting Tracy Czaczkowski in the neck while her husband drove and her two children were in the back seat, according to a criminal complaint charging him with homicide. His brother, Jeremy Hays, described Zachary as acting paranoid ever since he smoked marijuana four days earlier, the criminal complaint says. Jeremy told police that he and another brother were in the SUV because Zachary, armed with a gun, had threatened to kill them if they left, according to the complaint. Hours before the freeway shooting, Zachary Hays was identified as a suspect in the fatal shooting of his downstairs neighbor, 42-year-old Gabriel Sanchez, at their West Allis apartment building. Few details have been released about that homicide. West Allis police say they have been in contact with Milwaukee County prosecutors, but charges have not yet been filed. 'Freaking out' Court documents and law enforcement officials have outlined the following chain of events: The shooting spree began shortly before 7 a.m. Sunday when someone called 911 to report a man had forced his way into two apartments in West Allis. When police arrived, they found Sanchez suffering a gunshot wound. His front door had been kicked in. Sanchez died from his injuries. West Allis police identified Zachary Hays as a person of interest in the homicide and sent alerts to other law enforcement agencies in the state. Meanwhile, Zachary Hays and his brothers apparently headed north. The brothers stopped at a gas station near a Burger King in Wisconsin Dells before getting on I-90/94 in Sauk County. Zachary Hays had a pistol in his lap and was pointing it at cars as they drove by, his brother said. He began driving erratically, flipping people off and was particularly paranoid about cars with tinted windows, the brother told investigators. Zachary Hays was watching a black car approaching their SUV and "freaking out" about its tinted windows before shooting toward the car, the brother said. Shot by deputies Czaczkowski's husband, who was driving, told investigators he saw an SUV driving erratically and tried to pass it. He said the driver pointed a gun at his family and fired three times. His wife was hit and he pulled over to call 911. Zachary Hays continued speeding on the highway for several miles until deputies used road spikes to stop his vehicle in Dane County. He got out of the car, walked toward authorities holding a gun and ignored orders to drop it, officials said. Two deputies fired and wounded him in the shoulder. He was taken to a hospital, and an update on his condition was not available Wednesday. His brothers were arrested and remained in Dane County Jail Wednesday. At some point he also is believed to have fired at a Nissan sedan that was struck by at least one round, but the Florida woman driving the car was not hit. Zachary Hays was charged Wednesday in Sauk County Circuit Court with first-degree intentional homicide and three counts of recklessly endangering safety. The homicide charge alone carries a mandatory life sentence. Sauk County court records do not provide any information about the West Allis homicide, nor do they give any insight about why the brothers went to Wisconsin Dells. Funeral arrangements for both homicide victims are pending. The Czaczkowski family has asked for privacy and a Sanchez family member reached Wednesday declined to comment. Online funds have been established to benefit both families. To donate to Gabriel Sanchez's family, go to crowdrise.com and search for "Gabriel Sanchez." To contribute to Tracy Czaczkowski's family, visit gofundme.com/CzaczkowskiFamily. A real estate project under construction in China. [File photo] China's housing market is on track for a soft landing as cities at different levels begin to promote balanced market development in line with their conditions. The home prices in major cities have been growing at a slower pace. According to statistics released by the China Index Academy on May 1, China's four biggest cities -- Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen -- were no longer in the lead in rising prices. In particular, home transactions in Shanghai and Shenzhen declined notably last month after local governments introduced a slew of regulations to tame the market. By April 26, one month after the regulations were imposed, the number of homes sold in Shanghai declined 50 percent, and the number in Shenzhen declined by 57 percent. With the housing market cooling off in top cities, investors have turned their eyes to big cities' satellite towns and second-tier cities. Langfang City, which is near Beijing in north China's Hebei Province, Nanjing City and Suzhou City, which are near Shanghai in east China's Jiangsu Province, and Huizhou City, which is near Guangzhou and Shenzhen in south China's Guangdong Province, were among the 10 cities with the highest price rise in April. Meanwhile, heavy investments have gone to second-tier cities. China's top 20 real estate developers, including Vanke and Evergrande, purchased land worth 63.65 billion yuan (US$9.83 billion) in second-tier cities in the first quarter. The investment accounted for 53.6 percent of their total. In comparison, their spending in these cities in the same period last year was 35.29 billion yuan (US$5.45 billion), accounting for 34.7 of the total. Major problems now remain in cities of smaller size. Ming Lu, a researcher at the real estate consultancy company Cushman & Wakefield said that, compared with Beijing, where homes are often sold in nine to 10 months, cities rated in the third and fourth tiers are under heavy pressure, as it takes as long as 31 months to sell homes there. In the future, local governments around the country will continue to develop regulation policies in line with their conditions as required by Chinese premier Li Keqiang in the annual government work report, the China Index Academy said. Restrictive measures will be taken in cities with overheating markets, while policies encouraging home purchases will be introduced in cities under heavy inventory pressure. The former Citation plant is in the process of being torn down. The site has been the scene of graffiti, gun fire, drug dealing and prostitution, according to Milwaukee Common Council President Ashanti Hamilton. Credit: Rick Wood By of the Prostitution. Drug use. Students waiting at nearby bus stops dodging gunshots. An abandoned plant near the corner of N. 27th St. and W. Capitol Drive in Milwaukee has festered for more than a decade, becoming a magnet for all kinds of crimes. But new Common Council President Ashanti Hamilton announced Wednesday the plant and other problem properties are being targeted for demolition as part of a new blight-fighting initiative dubbed "Out of Harm's Way." Hamilton said the effort will push for partnerships with private companies to help improve safety by demolishing abandoned and dangerous properties. "Students have to walk past this going to class every day. They have to stand on bus stops with gunfire flying over their heads as a normal way of life," Hamilton said, standing surrounded by the shuttered plant's broken windows. "Our tolerance is too high. We have to start having plans of alleviating these types of nuisances in neighborhoods early, because you have to make people feel like their community is valued." Hamilton was joined by Milwaukee County Executive Chris Abele, state Sen. Lena Taylor (D-Milwaukee) and Frank Crivello of Phoenix Investors. Phoenix has taken ownership of the property and plans to finish demolishing the building by the end of May. The manufacturing plant was previously owned by the Citation Corp., but it closed more than 10 years ago. Hamilton said a tour of the vacant building found evidence of prostitution and squatting. "When we walked through this place we found mattresses, we found children's toys...there were kids playing with these toys. Bags of clothes," Hamilton said. "All of this happening right up under our nose." Abele said the county is committed to finding help for people who are affected by that demolition and others by providing services, such as housing, job training and drug treatment. "It's not a challenge, it's a crisis," Abele said of Milwaukee's blight problems. "We want to make sure when the people who are squatting here, when the people who don't have hope, who are doing drugs, when the people who for right or wrong this is where they've been get pushed out, we don't drop the ball for them either," Abele said. "We're always excited to be able to help." In December, the city announced that it had sold more than 500 tax-foreclosed houses and commercial buildings in 2015, a record high number of properties returned to the tax roll since a nationwide real estate recession in 2007 was followed by a foreclosure crisis in 2008. Single-family homes and duplexes accounted for 480 of the sales, while 21 others were commercial buildings, including apartment buildings, a restaurant and one church, records show. Since 2014, the city's Strong Neighborhoods Plan has led to more than 1,000 sales of homes with about 55% being sold to owner-occupants and demolitions of more than 600 blighted properties. Patrick Curley, chief of staff for Mayor Tom Barrett, said the city would welcome help from the county. "The city has committed about $35 million to address the foreclosure crisis," Curley said. "We'd love to see the county come forward with some firm dollar commitment so we can all work together to address this problem." Curley added recent legislation passed by the state dealing with so-called "zombie" homes and another measure affecting the city's property inspection program, which he called the "gift to slumlords bill," didn't help Milwaukee's efforts. At the news conference, Crivello urged other companies to be more responsible with their properties, saying that when Phoenix bought the abandoned Citation plant it had long been home to gangs, drug users and homeless people. "In my 30 plus years in the commercial real estate business, I have never seen anything as bad as this," Crivello said. "Blighted property is like a cancerous tumor on the lung of a neighborhood." Crivello developed dozens of strip malls in the 1980s, but by the early '90s his holdings unraveled amid personal bankruptcy and he was convicted of felony fraud for lying to lenders. SHARE By of the The former South Shore YMCA, which closed last year after its parent organization's bankruptcy, has been sold to a nonprofit ethnic group. The Clifton, N.J.-based Federation of Balkan American Associations Inc. bought the property, 3244 E. College Ave., Cudahy, for $1,135,000, according to state real estate records posted Wednesday. The two parcels that make up the former YMCA total 12.8 acres, according to city assessment records. The building is around 53,500 square feet, according to LoopNet.com, a commercial real estate internet site. The Balkan American Association promotes activities that include lectures and seminars, language courses and cultural activities, including film festivals, according to the group. The association will use the former YMCA for its activities, said Roland Cinari, the organization's office manager. The group's members include people whose ethnic roots are in Kosovo, Bosnia and other Balkan countries, he said. Cinari said the group also plans to reopen part of the building as a fitness center for both the organization's members and the public. The sale comes several months after Grace Hmong Alliance Church, which has an office in Brookfield, outbid the Cudahy School District to buy the property. The church's attempt to complete the purchase apparently fell through, however. Grace Hmong worships in rented space at 4601 N. 84th St. in Milwaukee. The YMCA of Metropolitan Milwaukee filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in 2014. The Cudahy property was transferred in 2015 to a trust controlled by BMO Harris Bank, one of the organization's largest creditors. The Cudahy School District had hoped to acquire the YMCA facility to operate it as a community center, and expected to seek a referendum to help finance it. Facebook: facebook.com/JSBusiness Twitter: twitter.com/TomDaykin A proposal from Gov. Scott Walkers administration would shift multibillion-dollar programs serving more than 55,000 elderly and disabled people from long-standing nonprofits to national for-profit health insurance companies. Credit: Journal Sentinel files SHARE State Rep. John Nygren thinks the Walker administration's proposed changes to the state's Family Care program are a "no-brainer." Not quite. The changes actually require some thought and better information from the administration before legislators approve them. Yes, the pressure of Medicaid costs on the state budget is increasing; "medical assistance and related programs" at about $3 billion were the second highest expenditure in Gov. Scott Walker's proposed budget last year, taking up about 17% of the total budget (the feds pick up about another $5 billion right now). Nearly 1.2 million people in Wisconsin about one in five receive Medicaid benefits. And those numbers are only expected to go up at the same time that federal dollars are going down. And yes, the state should do what it can to mitigate those costs, including looking for innovation, efficiencies and consolidation where feasible. But it should move carefully to make sure the savings can be realized without hurting services to those who rely on these programs. The Walker administration's proposal would shift long-term care programs serving more than 55,000 elderly and disabled people from long-standing nonprofits to national for-profit health insurance companies. Officials say the plan, affecting the Family Care and IRIS programs, would expand the program statewide, save money for taxpayers and improve the health of patients by combining care for their long-term needs with attention to their immediate medical issues. Family Care includes personal care services, helping people with getting dressed, bathing, making meals and shopping. Such care can be costly but is less expensive than nursing homes, and allows people to stay in their homes. But what the administration really is proposing is an experiment in long-term care that may or may not play out as projected. Tom Frazier, co-chairman of the Wisconsin Long-Term Care Coalition, told the Journal Sentinel that the state took 16 years to develop the current Family Care model and the nonprofits within it and shouldn't move too fast on any overhaul. Critics also point out that the national insurers have sizable clout and deep political connections on their side, including a well-regarded executive at one company who is the former chief of staff to both Walker and his health secretary, Kitty Rhoades. And they argue the state hasn't yet proved the cost savings, better health outcomes or other basic premises of the sweeping changes. "We need to phase this in slowly to make sure it works," Frazier said. "The bottom line is we should not be disrupting the lives of nearly 60,000 frail elderly and disabled individuals unless we have a reasonable possibility that they're going to be as well off as they are now. The state says they'll be better off, but I think they've failed to prove that." We think Frazier has an excellent point. And state Sen. Alberta Darling (R-River Hills) may agree: She told the Journal Sentinel that Senate Republicans need time so they can get answers to their questions from the administration. Family Care and IRIS have been working just fine. Yes, changes may be warranted, but there is no need to rush through these changes. It's far more important to get this right than to do it fast, and legislators should take all the time they need. Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders waves to the crowd after arriving at a campaign rally on Tuesday in Louisville, Ky. Credit: Getty Images By Chareleston, W.Va. Bernie Sanders was declared the winner of the Indiana primary Tuesday, but Hillary Clinton was already looking ahead to the general election, and Sanders' victory was not enough to change her trajectory toward the Democratic nomination. Sanders, a Vermont senator, insists his goal remains to win the partys presidential nomination, even if it appears to be mathematically out of reach. Democrats distribute delegates proportionately in all states, so the only way for Sanders to close Clinton's delegate lead is to win all future contests by huge margins and convince many superdelegates party leaders and elected officials free to support either candidate to switch their votes to him, even in states Clinton won. Speaking in Louisville Tuesday night, Sanders said, "in primary after primary, caucus after caucus, we end up winning the vote of people 45 years of age and younger," proving that "the ideas that we are fighting for are the ideas of the future of America and the future of the Democratic party." But Clinton was looking past him. "I'm really focused on moving into the general election ... We're going to have a tough campaign," Clinton said during an interview with MSNBC Tuesday. In a swing through West Virginia and eastern Ohio Tuesday, Clinton campaigned as the presumptive nominee. During a stop at a diner in Athens, Ohio, with Sen. Sherrod Brown, she said the Indiana race had been "a great campaign, and we'll see how it goes." Clinton's aim in the two-day Appalachian trip is to begin outreach to underserved communities that may be ground zero for Donald Trumps attempts to build a bigger Republican coalition. However, she is facing questions about a remark she made during a March town hall on CNN when she said she would "put a lot of coal miners and coal companies out of business." She was asked during the MSNBC interview about an encounter she'd had the day before with Bo Copley, a former coal employee who lost his job, who pressed her on the coal comment and the impact the coal industry had on his family. She said she was "honored" that he'd been "so open and honest, emotionally" in explaining his experience in the coal business. "I think we've got to move both toward a clean energy future. ... But we also have to remember who turned on the lights and powered the factories and provided the energy we needed to build our country," she added. West Virginia is a solid Republican state, and is trending more so in recent cycles. She knows the politics of West Virginia, said Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., who joined her at a substance abuse forum. But it didnt stop her from caring and traveling to the state, he said. Sanders, meanwhile, held events in Kentucky on Tuesday, which holds its Democratic primary on May 17, and scheduled events Wednesday in West Virginia, which votes May 10. Republican presidential candidate, Sen. Ted Cruz hugs his father, Rafael Cruz and wife Heidi Cruz after announcing the suspension of his campaign on Tuesday night. Credit: Getty Images By New York Donald Trump easily won the Indiana primary on Tuesday, all but clinching the Republican presidential nomination and calling for party unity as rival Ted Cruz dropped out of the GOP race. "It's been some unbelievable day and evening and year," Trump told supporters at his building in midtown Manhattan, predicting that more and more skeptical Republicans will jump aboard the "Trump train" ahead of a tough fall election against Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton. "We're going after Hillary Clinton," Trump said to loud cheers. The Clinton campaign said it is ready for Trump. Campaign chairman John Podesta said that Trump "has demonstrated that he's too divisive and lacks the temperament to lead our nation and the free world." Although Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders was declared the winner of the Indiana primary Tuesday, but Clinton was already looking ahead to the general election, and Sanders' victory was not enough to change her trajectory toward the Democratic nomination. Cruz, who finished a distant second to Trump in Indiana, told supporters earlier in the evening that "we gave it everything we've got, but the voters chose another path." Republican Party chairman Reince Priebus, who spoke with Trump as the Indiana results rolled in, declared the New York businessman "the presumptive nominee," and said in a tweet that "we all need to unite and focus on defeating" Clinton. Hours after Trump and Cruz accused each other of being unhinged liars, the New York businessman called Cruz "one helluva competitor" after beating him in Indiana, and he added that the Texas businessman has an "amazing future." Trump also thanked the "incredible" people of Indiana for helping him overcome deficits in early polling and ignoring negative ads about his candidacy. Cruz, who had hoped for a rally that would help him force a contested convention in July, had argued earlier in the day that Trump is an unstable person who would drag Republicans down to defeat in November. "Donald Trump is such a narcissist that Barack Obama looks at him and says, 'Dude, what's your problem?'" Cruz told reporters in Indiana. The Indiana primary capped a remarkably angry campaign in which Trump and Cruz accused each other of being unhinged liars including a suggestion by Trump on Tuesday that Cruz's father was somehow linked to Lee Harvey Oswald, the assassin of President John F. Kennedy. Protesting the senior Cruz's criticism of him, Trump cited an (uncorroborated) report in The National Enquirer with a picture supposedly showing Rafael Cruz standing near Oswald. "It's horrible," Trump told Fox News. Cruz called Trump's claims "nuts" and "kooky," telling reporters that Trump "is utterly amoral morality does not exist for him." He called the GOP front-runner "a pathological liar" who "doesn't know the difference between truth and lies." Responding to what he called Cruz's "ridiculous outburst," Trump described "Lyin' Ted" as "a desperate candidate trying to save his failing campaign." He said the Texas senator "does not have the temperament to be president of the United States." Ohio Gov. John Kasich who pulled out of Indiana last week and vowed to take on Trump in upcoming states, indicated he would remain in the race. In a memo sent after Trump's win, Kasich's chief strategist, John Weaver, said, "Our strategy has been and continues to be one that involves winning the nomination at an open convention." Cruz had indicated earlier in the day he would stay in the Republican race even with an Indiana loss, and his campaign had announced appearances later this week in Nebraska and Washington. But he told backers in Indiana he would continue only "as long as there was a viable path" to the nomination. "Tonight, I'm sorry to say it appears that path has been foreclosed," Cruz said. Trump, meanwhile, is trying to unite Republicans behind his candidacy, even as he faces continued criticism from current and past rivals as well as a variety of "Never Trump" organizations. Katie Packer, who chairs an anti-Trump group called the Our Principles PAC, indicated it would not give up despite the Indiana results, noting that Trump is still short of the delegate majority he needs. "A substantial number of delegates remain up for grabs in this highly unpredictable year," she said, adding there is "more time for Trump to continue to disqualify himself in the eyes of voters as he did yet again today spreading absurd tabloid lies about Ted Cruz's father and the JFK assassination. State officials say 11 of 30 wells have tested positive for salmonella or rotavirus in Kewaunee County in northeastern Wisconsin a region that has become Wisconsins battleground over large-scale dairy farming and the potential of the farms to harm water resources. Officials suspect the contamination is coming from manure from the farms. Credit: Brian Holmes SHARE By of the State officials say 11 of 30 wells have tested positive for salmonella or rotavirus in Kewaunee County in northeastern Wisconsin a region that has become Wisconsin's battleground over large-scale dairy farming and the potential of the farms to harm water resources. Early indications suggest that the well contamination may have come from cattle, but state officials and the chief researcher in the study say it's premature to pinpoint the source of the contamination. The results were released by the Department of Natural Resources and the Department of Health Services. They are part of a larger $80,000, DNR-funded research effort to examine the extent and source of groundwater contamination in the county. The findings are the latest example of a possible link between farming and polluted groundwater. So far, no illnesses have been reported that could be linked to the polluted wells, according to a statement issued by the two agencies. Salmonella is estimated to be the source of 19,000 hospitalizations and 380 deaths annually in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Most people affected have diarrhea, fever and abdominal cramps for 12 to 72 hours after infection. Rotavirus usually affects infants and small children. People who are infected may have watery diarrhea, accompanied by vomiting, fever and abdominal pain, according to the CDC. Rotavirus vaccines have proved effective in preventing many of the symptoms caused by the virus. Kewaunee County's combination of fractured bedrock and a large cattle population have raised worries about the potential of manure to infiltrate groundwater. In October 2014, six environmental groups petitioned the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to use its authority to investigate water contamination in the county. That prompted the DNR to bring together different parties farmers, residents, environmentalists, an EPA representative and local officials to form work groups to find strategies aimed at reducing the risk of groundwater pollution. On Monday, DNR Secretary Cathy Stepp released an editorial to news organizations saying her agency, in addition to the efforts of work groups, is taking steps to address water issues in and around the county. Stepp said the DNR is hiring an environmental enforcement specialist who will concentrate on the region and is filling three vacant positions that will work on environmental permits for the largest farms. Stepp also said the agency is planning a "more robust approach" to auditing manure spreading practices. But Kimberlee Wright, executive director of Midwest Environmental Advocates, said the DNR's actions have come under legal pressure from groups like hers. "Unfortunately, it took tens of thousands of dollars' worth of citizen litigation against the state; over a decade of pressure from local residents concerned about problems with manure runoff and the lack of enforcement response from the DNR; and federal scrutiny from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency... to prompt these steps," Wright said in a statement. Russ Rasmussen, the DNR's point man on manure issues, said the agency is "trying to find exactly what the problem is, so that we can tailor a response so we have something that works. We are trying to find solutions. Some things don't happen overnight." As for the latest findings, the chief researcher, Mark A. Borchardt, a microbiologist with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, said Wednesday: "I am surprised by the level of contamination. I didn't think that we would be seeing this much." In addition to the 11 wells found to contain salmonella and rotavirus, another three wells also tested positive for two other types of microbial contaminants or almost 50% of the 30 wells tested. "In general, we have learned that we would expect a third of the wells to be contaminated," Borchardt said. The test took place the week of April 18 under dry soil conditions, prompting Borchardt to think that he would find little evidence of contamination. Borchardt contacted state officials this week and said he felt compelled to contact parties with water problems immediately after he learned of the results. Borchardt said he called them Tuesday night. "It was a pretty emotional night, last night," he said. They were advised to stop using the water for drinking and bathing and to have their wells treated with chlorine. Kewaunee County said it has advised property owners living within a half-mile of the tainted wells to test their water sources. The DNR said it will pay for the cost of testing. Don Niles, owner of Dairy Dreams in Casco, which milks about 2,800 cows, said he had read few details on the latest results but noted "any information that we have to find out what is happening will help us." Niles has launched a farmer-led initiative, Peninsula Pride Farms, to address water quality problems by emphasizing field and management practices that limit the potential of manure to pollute. "There is no doubt in my mind that we have the tools to improve our practices," Niles said. Obama trip comes as Dems try to energize young voters, voters of color Compared with the last Wisconsin midterm election, enthusiasm for voting is lagging among voters under 30 and non-white voters, according to polling. A visitor to the 2016 Beijing International Auto Expo, which was held last month, examines a new-energy vehicle made by Beijing Automotive Industry Holding Co. [Xinhua] Beijing Automotive Industry Holding Co, one of China's largest automakers in terms of sales, plans to produce up to 100,000 vehicles at its new manufacturing base in South Africa in 2018, the company's chairman said on Tuesday. Scheduled to break ground next month and begin production in November 2017, the Port Elizabeth plant will be the single-largest Chinese investment in all of Africa. With a 5-billion-yuan ($773 million) investment from BAIC, the plant will be operated as a joint venture with Industrial Development Corp, a South African financial company providing capital for various projects. Xu Heyi, the group's chairman, said continued investment in infrastructure development will be key for the company's sustained growth in Africa over the next decade as consumers there are keen to buy easily serviceable and inexpensive vehicles. Buoyed by the surging demand for new vehicles in Africa, BAIC established a minibus assembly plant that employs more than 500 people in Springs, also in South Africa, in 2013. "We will continue to invest in our South African factories and an assembly plant in Nairobi, Kenya, to make pickups and light trucks," said Xu. "Having factories in Africa will help the company move closer to the market and avoid it paying duties of up to 25 percent." BAIC's new manufacturing base will produce passenger vehicles, sport utility vehicles, minivans and vans. It will create 2,500 jobs directly, and more than 10,500 jobs indirectly. At its full capacity, the plant will generate an industrial added value of 12.4 billion yuan for vehicles and 6.2 billion yuan for parts. "More than 50 percent of the plant's products will be exported to contribute a trade volume of about 6.2 billion yuan to South Africa," said Xu. Zhao Ying, a researcher at the Institute of Industrial Economics of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences in Beijing, said in most African countries, where new vehicles are beyond the reach of most people, secondhand vehicles command a large share of the market. The proportion is about 70 percent in most Sub-Saharan countries such as South Africa, Ghana, Ethiopia, Angola and Kenya, Zhao said. "The disadvantage of such a big secondhand market is that the brand life of some cars can be as long as 20 years, and anyone with one of the old models can face problems in obtaining spare parts." For instance, Japanese carmakers including Toyota Motor Corp and Nissan Motor Co, the main source for secondhand vehicles in Africa, have stopped producing spare parts for some models from the 1990s. BAIC managed to sell 40,000 vehicles in global markets through its 24 overseas plants and 124 sales branches in 37 countries by the end of 2015. As China and other partners are accelerating the pace of the ongoing negotiations to upgrade the China-ASEAN Free Trade Agreement, Xu from BAIC said the company will add more products in its manufacturing base in Ruili of Yunnan province by the end of 2017 to compete with other established global rivals in the markets of Southeast Asia. The three survivors of six men credited with raising a flag on Mt. Suribachi on Iwo Jima, donned their Marine uniforms again in 1949 for small parts in the film, Sands of Iwo Jima. Here with sound trucks in the background are, from left to right, Ira H. Hayes of Babchule, Ariz.; John Bradley of Antigo, Wis.; and Rene Gagnon of Manchester, N.H. Credit: Frank Filan By of the By the time John "Doc" Bradley reached the summit of Mount Suribachi, he hadn't slept or eaten for three days. He had seen buddies cut down and saved the lives of countless Marines on the volcanic island of Iwo Jima. When he was sent on a combat patrol to capture the summit of Suribachi, someone in his platoon carried an American flag from the transport ship USS Missoula. The Navy corpsman from Wisconsin helped hoist the flag as a pole was pushed into the rocky ground and secured with small boulders. A photographer snapped photos of the grungy troops as the Stars and Stripes fluttered overhead. Those photos were rarely seen, though. They didn't end up in newspapers and magazines around the world or on a 3-cent postage stamp or in a larger-than-life sculpture. The first flag raising would be supplanted by a second flag raising, immortalized by Associated Press photographer Joe Rosenthal. Bradley helped raise both flags that day. He's one of many troops pictured next to the flags. But the Marines are investigating whether Bradley is in the famous photo, and his son James, who wrote a bestselling book made into a Clint Eastwood film "Flags Of Our Fathers" now is convinced the second man from the right is not his father. James Bradley thinks his father most likely got the first and second flag raisings mixed up when he was asked about it by Marine commanders. When Rosenthal transmitted his photo, it did not include the names of the men. In a 1945 version of going viral, the photo quickly became a nationwide symbol of heroism for a country tired of war and death. So the Marines scrambled to learn the identities of the flag raisers. By then Bradley was recuperating in a military hospital from shrapnel wounds to his feet and legs from an explosion on Iwo Jima 21/2 weeks after the flag raising. "It's important to realize my father didn't independently say, 'Hey, I raised the flag and I'm in the photo.' He was told months later in a hospital bed 'Here you are,'" James Bradley said in a phone interview Wednesday from his New York home. "For 70 years, the Marines sat on photos of the first flag raising that had never been seen. Those first photos reveal my dad was hidden in the official photo of the first flag raising, but in the new photos its obviously him, you can see him from head to toe." Those photos show Bradley with cuffed pants, no helmet liner and gear issued to Navy medics assigned to Marine infantry units. The man identified as Bradley in the second flag raising photo is wearing a helmet liner, pants with no cuffs and equipment around his waist typically issued to infantrymen. That's what amateur historians in 2014 first noticed and what eventually led to the Smithsonian Channel researching the photo with advanced digital technology. The Smithsonian Channel's findings were provided to the Marine Corps, which launched an investigation. The Smithsonian Channel is planning to air a documentary about the photographer this year. James Bradley does not think his father ever realized he wasn't in the famous flag raising photo. John Bradley, an Antigo funeral home director who died in 1994 at the age of 70, refused interviews and rarely spoke about the flag raising after he and the other two survivors finished a war bond drive in 1945. "He never wanted to be in the photo. I think if he had any inkling or evidence he wasn't in that photo, he would have been happy to say that," said James Bradley. "I have no evidence or reason to believe that he didn't believe he was in that second flag raising. The president of the United States, the government, the Marines all told him it was him." James Bradley is considering updating his book "Flags Of Our Fathers," but he said changes would be minimal because "everything is accurate except the re-identification of a few figures." James Bradley said videos and other photos taken on Mount Suribachi show his father helping secure both the first and second flags. The first flag was reportedly too small to be seen by men at nearby landing beaches. A second, larger flag was ordered sent up the mountain by a battalion commander and given to Rene Gagnon to carry. Rosenthal and two Marine photographers reached the summit just as men began attaching the second flag to a water pipe. One of the Marine photographers, Staff Sgt. Bill Genaust, was standing next to Rosenthal and captured the flag raising with a movie camera as Rosenthal clicked his Speed Graphic at 1/400 of a second. Genaust's video shows the flag being secured in the ground and a man, now believed to be Franklin Sousley, in the spot attributed to Bradley. Photos of Bradley taken at the first flag raising show him wearing suspenders and holding medical bags and a canteen, but those items are missing from the photo of the man identified as Bradley at the second flag raising. Another photo shows Bradley standing next to Sousley as ropes are attached to secure the second flag. "He's right next to the guys who raised the flag, that's why so many testified he was there. As soon as it goes up, he's right there with ropes holding the pole down. So he's involved in both events. But technically if you look at the photo of the second flag raising, he's not there," said James Bradley. President Franklin Roosevelt knew the image could be used for an upcoming bond drive to help pay for the war, and he ordered the flag raisers be sent to Washington, D.C. The problem was, no one knew who they were except for Gagnon, who carried the flag to the summit. Gagnon was asked to identify the other flag raisers in the photo. But by then only Gagnon, Bradley and Ira Hayes were still alive. The other three identified in the photo had been killed on Iwo Jima. Genaust, too, had died in combat. Bradley was found in a hospital and admitted he had helped raise the flag on Iwo Jima. And that's how, his son said, the wrong man was identified in the famous picture. If the Marine investigation determines what James Bradley now believes, it will not diminish his father's heroism. His family didn't know Bradley was awarded a Navy Cross, second only to the Medal of Honor, for his actions on Iwo Jima until after he died. "It doesn't matter who's in the photo. It matters that these guys were heroic. All this photo stuff is important many, many years later. At the time it wasn't a big event," James Bradley said. "What was a big event was saving lives and trying not to get killed." Reddit Email 0 Shares By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment)| Muslim fundamentalist rebels, including al-Qaeda, took revenge Tuesday on West Aleppo for the heavy government bombardment of East Aleppo that has killed dozens in the past week, including at a hospital run by Doctors without Borders. At the same time that the government was bombarding the slums of the east into yet more rubble, the rebels were lobbing mortar shells over on to the upscale West, also killing dozens over the past week (though probably fewer dozens than the government did). On Tuesday the Nusra Front (al-Qaeda in Syria) and its battlefield allies of convenience staged an attack on the al-Zahra Cooperative district, deploying a car bomb and medium weaponry to take some buildings from government troops. But then the government called in reinforcements and halted the breakthrough. Then al-Qaeda and allies targeted al-Dabit Hospital with rockets, killing at least 3 women and wounding 17. Some sources alleged that al-Qaeda sent 60 rockets in short period of time into the center of East Aleppo, killing and wounding non-combatants. In sum, the insurgents killed at least 19 and wounded over 50 in these attacks on the West. West Aleppo from the accounts of the few journalists who made it into there is damaged at the edges and here and there, but people there are able to live their lives; it has a population of some 2 million. The intrepid Declan Walsh, reported of the West: One of the most striking things about [West] Aleppo is how much of the city appears to be functioning relatively normally. Much of the periphery has been reduced to rubble. But in the city center, the sidewalks bustle, traffic flows, restaurants are busy and students pour from universities and schools. It has a Christian population, which is terrified of the Muslim fundamentalist militias in the East. East Aleppo is a bombed-out slum. Estimates of its population run from a few tens of thousands to as many as 300,000, but in any case it is tiny compared to the government-held West. It is also miserable. Some neighborhoods are controlled by al-Qaeda, some by the hard line Salafi Jihadi Freemen of Syria (Ahrar al-Sham), some by militias of, essentially, the Muslim Brotherhood. It is being gradually surrounded by the Syrian Arab Army and its Kurdish and Shiite allies. At that point where Turkey can no longer send in ammunition and arms and perhaps even food, East Aleppo will go under a deadly siege. It should be remembered that most people who live there are not insurgents. They are just families trapped on the wrong side of the city. It is no longer easy to get out. I say all this because outside the newspapers of record, the character of Aleppos division is seldom stressed. That the West is the size of Houston isnt mentioned. That the east is small and slummy and ruled by hard line Salafi fundamentalism isnt brought out. You see headlines talking about the humanitarian disaster in the city (where renewed fighting has killed perhaps 250 in the past week), but it is hard to know what those headlines are talking about. West Aleppo suffers casualties but it doesnt sound like it is exactly Stalingrad, at least nowadays. East Aleppo is regularly bombed by the regime and is probably the budding humanitarian disaster. But when al-Qaeda and its allies briefly cut off West Aleppo from food and munitions last October, before Russian air support allowed the Syrian army to restore the route into the city from the south, there wasnt any outcry at all in the Western press. But far more lives were at stake then. I think East Aleppo has poor military prospects but a lot of sympathetic Saudi and Turkish press outlets. The poor people of East Aleppo are indeed in danger, and are being indiscriminately bombed, which is a war crime. But they are under the control of militias, some of which are, like, al-Qaeda or allies of it, and these are perfectly capable of war crimes, too, as with the rocket strike on Dabit hospital Tuesday. John Kerry has now admitted that in order for the ceasefire to be restored in Aleppo, the Muslim Brotherhood militias (the Free Syrian Army) are going to have to throw the Nusra Front (al-Qaeda in Syria) under the bus. Al-Qaeda doesnt accept a ceasefire, doesnt want it, and is actively disrupting it. Free Syria Army units like Division 19 have followed its lead. The way to forestall a humanitarian disaster in East Aleppo is for the fighters there to kick out al-Qaeda and dicker with the other side. Otherwise, darker times yet are coming to that part of the city. Related video added by Juan Cole: Euronews: Rebels launch surprise attack on Aleppo Syrian state TV Reddit Email 0 Shares By Engy Abdelkader w/ research team Jordan Denari, Nathan Lean | (Bridge Initiative) | This report highlights trends and patterns surrounding Islamophobia since the start of the 2016 U.S. presidential election cycle. It does so in the broader context of hatred, violence and social hostilities confronting Muslims as a minority faith group in contemporary America and with a particular focus on acts and threats of violence. Since 2015, the Bridge Initiative has been chronicling Islamophobic political rhetoric by each presidential candidate irrespective of his or her party affiliation while finding Republican candidates to be the worst offenders to date. In this publication, however, we aim to contextualize such statements nationally and internationally while also exploring potentially violent effects. To that end, we examined two distinct but overlapping time periods: January 2015 through December 2015 (entire duration of 2015) and March 2015 through March 2016 (2016 presidential election season). Based upon our analysis, the following observations are noteworthy: The 2016 U.S. presidential season began against a backdrop of already rising Islamophobia in 2015, threatening American Muslim religious freedom. During the course of 2015, there were approximately 174 reported incidents of anti-Muslim violence and vandalism, including: 12 murders; 29 physical assaults; 50 threats against persons or institutions; 54 acts of vandalism or destruction of property; 8 arsons; and 9 shootings or bombings, among other incidents. Anti-Muslim violence remained significantly higher in 2015 than pre- 9/11 levels with American Muslims approximately 6 to 9 times more likely to suffer such attacks. The number of incidents in 2015 is also higher than the total number of anti-Muslim hate crimes reported in 2014: 154. In 2015, American Muslim men were twice as likely to be victims of physical assaults and 5 to 6 times more likely to be victims of murder than American Muslim women. Since the first candidate announced his bid for the White House in March 2015, there have been approximately 180 reported incidents of anti-Muslim violence, including: 12 murders; 34 physical assaults; 49 verbal assaults or threats against persons and institutions; 56 acts of vandalisms or destruction of property; 9 arsons; and 8 shootings or bombings, among other incidents. Since the start of the presidential election cycle, American Muslim men have been twice as likely to be victims of physical assaults and about 11 times more likely to be the victims of murder than their female counterparts. Also during each period, Muslim murder victims were most likely to be aged 18 to 24. Children and youth as young as 12 years old were among those responsible for acts and threats of anti-Muslim violence. Although Islamophobia made an appearance during the first GOP debate in August 2015, the first surge of anti-Muslim political rhetoric occurred in September 2015. It corresponded with an international development: the Syrian refugee crisis. The deepening crises dominated news media headlines in the U.S. and Europe potentially highlighting the media impact on political discourse. This surge in September 2015 was accompanied by approximately 10 reported incidents or threats of violence, including 3 murders. In comparison, there was one (1) such incident in August 2015 representing a significant increase in anti-Muslim violence over the course of one month. Donald Trump, the GOP presidential front-runner at the time of publication, escalated anti-Muslim vitriol in the wake of the terrorist attacks in Paris, France in November 2015 rather than urge calm or international unity. The attacks signify an international event that triggered a second surge in Islamophobic rhetoric in addition to the uptick in bias attacks. Trump made many anti-Muslim statements during televised appearances on mainstream news media outlets, impacting millions of viewers across the U.S. and around the world. As Mr. Trump called for shutting down mosques in the wake of the Paris terrorist attacks and the mass shootings in San Bernardino, California in December 2015, anti-Muslim attacks initially tripled with nearly half of those attacks directed against mosques. Anti-Muslim attacks surged once more in December 2015. There were 53 total attacks that month, 17 of which targeted mosques and Islamic schools and 5 of which targeted Muslim homes. By comparison, when the presidential election season began just 9 months earlier, there were only 2 anti-Muslim attacks. Attacks on Muslims during this month constitute approximately 1/3 of all attacks last year. In fact, in December 2015, anti-Muslim attacks occurred almost daily and often multiple times a day. At least three separate incidents of violence involved perpetrators who were public supporters of presidential candidate Donald Trump. There was otherwise a strong perception among American Muslim leaders that political rhetoric created fertile ground for threats and acts of anti-Muslim violence. While anti-Muslim political rhetoric gives cause for alarm, the ensuing violence has inspired expressions of solidarity with the American Muslim community, too. Download a PDF of the full report here, which includes a complete list of sources Via Bridge Initiative at Georgetown University Reddit Email 0 Shares Leila Alikarami | (Open Democracy) | The problem was the Guardian Council, a body which has veto authority over any legislature, which in this case rejected all 33 bills introduced by women deputies. Parvaneh Salahshouri in the conference of elected moderates and reformists of Iran, March 2016. Wikicommons/ Hamed Malekpour. Some rights reserved.Seventeen women are going to be elected to office as a result of the recent parliamentary election in Iran. While this marginal increase in womens representation will not change the overwhelmingly masculine character of the Iranian Parliament, it is still fair to wonder whether these newly elected women deputies and reformists will have an impact. Will they be able to usher in laws that advance gender equality? The Supreme Leaders position on womens rights is not clear. Ayatollah Khamenei encouraged women to take part in this years election by stating that, There is no need for women to take permission from their husbands to take part in the elections. But will he issue similar statements in support of amendments to the discriminatory laws currently in place? His voice is crucial if the laws that require women to ask their husbands permission before taking jobs, obtaining passports and traveling outside the country are ever to be taken off the books. These are laws that most women can hardly fathom living under. For his part, President Rouhani has said that he admired the Iranian people who showed their power once again and gave more credibility and strength to their elected government. Rouhanis government received a major boost in this election, but we still need more clarity as to whether or not he will stand up for the rights of women, who constitute half of the electorate in the Islamic Republic. The experience of the Sixth Iranian Parliamentelected in 2000, comprised predominantly of reformist leaders, and yet unable to bring about meaningful reformcould serve as a telling indicator for how to achieve better results 16 years later. The reformists then, aspired, in their own words, to make use of the capacities of the Constitution to modify the power structure of the Islamic Republic and to bring transparency and accountability into the political arena. To address the gender inequalities in Sharia law, some reformist figures advocated for a pluralistic and tolerant Islam, based on human rights and democratic values. The 13 woman deputies of that parliament, all of whom were aligned with the reformists, challenged the traditional written and unwritten roles of women in Iran. They had little difficulty in persuading their male counterparts to vote for bills which addressed gender inequalities. Their problem, however, was the attitude of the Guardian Council, a constitutionally mandated and politically appointed body which has veto authority over any legislature, which in this case rejected all 33 bills introduced by women deputies. However, with the intervention of a separate government entity designed to resolve disputes between these two bodies, 16 of these proposed bills eventually became law. Among them were: removing the condition that required a woman to be married and accompanied by her husband before getting a scholarship to study abroad, and amending articles of the civil code to increase the minimum marriage age for girls from 9 to 13. Thus, the key takeaway from the eslahat or reform era was that within the legal and political system of the Islamic Republic, womens rights is a contested issue which cannot be modified even within an Islamic framework. The clash between Islamic provisions perpetuating gender discrimination and articles that are theoretically able to create full societal equality within Irans Constitution fundamentally hinders any reform of Irans legal system. Another unavoidable impediment to changing Irans legal system (and the introduction of a new interpretation of Sharia) is the absolute power of the Supreme Leader and the discretionary power of the Guardian Council over Parliament. As long as these contradictions exist, the possibilities for reform are feeble. Still, I have hope. Parvaneh Salahshouri, one of the new women elected to the Iranian Parliament, recently gave an interview in which she expressed her views regarding economic growth, sustainable development, the eradication of violence against women at home and within society, womens unemployment, the growing number of divorces, and more. Salahshouri is the first member of parliament in the history of the Islamic Republic of Iran to state that she considers wearing a hijab as a matter of choice for women. At the same time, she acknowledged the difficult process that women face in order to reach the level in which they will be able to decide for themselves. The only way to reach sustainable change in favour of women is the amendment of the Constitution and the removal of the kinds of substantial legal obstacles outlined above. Pressure from society, and especially from women, might eventually compel the Supreme Leader and the government to revise the Constitution to facilitate the process of gender equality. Via Open Democracy - Related video added by Juan Cole: Press TV: Reformists win 42% of seats in Iran parliament VANCOUVER, British Columbia, May 3, 2016 /CNW/ -- Tahoe Resources Inc. (TSX: THO, NYSE: TAHO) ("Tahoe" or the "Company") today announced financial and operating results for the three months ending March 31, 2016 and provided a production update for operations in Guatemala, Peru and Canada. Financial and operating data for the Company's Canadian operations, acquired on April 1, 2016, are not included in the first quarter 2016 results. Highlights for the first quarter of 2016 include the following (all amounts in U.S. dollars unless otherwise stated): Adjusted net earnings (1) for the quarter amounted to $35.5 million or $0.16 per share. for the quarter amounted to or per share. Earnings and total comprehensive income were $37.8 million or $0.17 per share. or per share. Operating cash flow before changes in working capital was $69.3 million or $0.30 per share. or per share. Revenue totaled $132.1 million at total operating costs of $77.5 million leading to mine operating earnings of $54.6 million . at total operating costs of leading to mine operating earnings of . Silver production from Escobal amounted to 5.7 million ounces ("moz") in concentrate. Gold production from La Arena and Shahuindo amounted to 46,576 and 7,590 ounces in dore, respectively. Sales of 4.6 moz silver, 50,598 ounces gold, 2,386 tonnes lead and 3,336 tonnes zinc. Total cash costs (1) net of byproduct credits were $4.51 per silver ounce produced and $638 per gold ounce produced. net of byproduct credits were per silver ounce produced and per gold ounce produced. All-in sustaining costs (1) ("AISC") net of byproduct credits were $5.97 per silver ounce produced and $825 per gold ounce produced. ("AISC") net of byproduct credits were per silver ounce produced and per gold ounce produced. $13.7 million was returned to shareholders through the monthly dividend. was returned to shareholders through the monthly dividend. Cash and cash equivalents at quarter-end were $90.8 million . Subsequent to the end of the first quarter, a number of key developments were achieved. On April 1, 2016, the Company completed the acquisition of Lake Shore Gold Corp. ("Lake Shore Gold"), a low-cost gold producer with operations and growth projects located in the Timmins Gold Camp of Northern Ontario, Canada. On May 3, 2016, plans were announced for a new development project in Timmins, the Bell Creek Shaft Project, and for increased exploration drilling this year at a number of key targets in the area (see "New Capital Programs Approved" section). Also on May 3, 2016, the Company announced that construction and commissioning of the 10,000 tonne per day Phase 1 Shahuindo gold mine operation had been completed, with commercial production being achieved effective May 1, 2016. Kevin McArthur, Executive Chair and CEO of Tahoe, commented: "We had a strong first quarter in 2016, with production levels very much in line with expectations and total cash costs for both silver and gold averaging better than our target ranges for the year. Driven by low unit costs, we generated significant internal cash flow and solid earnings. We also continued to return capital to shareholders during the quarter, paying $13.7 million through our monthly dividend." "Very importantly, we took steps to ensure the long-term financial and operating success of our company. In Peru, the commissioning of Shahuindo continued on schedule during the quarter, with commercial production being achieved on May 1, 2016. Our development team at Shahuindo has done an excellent job, and we expect continued strong execution as we prepare for Phase 2 of the project, which is targeted to bring total annual gold production in Peru to approximately 300,000 ounces. "The acquisition of Lake Shore Gold on April 1st is a key development for our company, through which we have added 170,000 to 180,000 ounces of annual low-cost gold production, as well as quality growth projects, in Timmins, Ontario. We are already moving ahead with plans to increase production at the Bell Creek Mine in Timmins and to accelerate exploration drilling in the area. With the addition of Lake Shore Gold, as well as the continued advancement of Shahuindo, we are targeting growth in gold production from 174,000 ounces in 2015 to over 550,000 ounces by 2020. We also expect to add mine life at all of our operations, with a specific target of increasing mineral reserves and mineral resources in Canada by two to four million ounces over the next four years." Escobal Operations Update Average mill throughput at the Escobal mine was 4,264 tonnes per day with an average silver head grade of 524 grams per tonne ("gpt") compared to average mill throughput of 3,724 tpd with an average silver head grade of 500 gpt in the first quarter of 2015. The mine produced metal concentrates containing 5.7 million ounces of silver, 3,298 ounces of gold, 2,738 tonnes of lead and 4,224 tonnes of zinc during the first quarter of 2016 compared to 4.6 million ounces of silver, 2,542 ounces of gold, 2,258 tonnes of lead and 3,410 tonnes of zinc for the same period in 2015. The average silver recovery to concentrates was 87.1% versus 85.0% in the first quarter of 2015. During the first quarter of 2016, 5,474 dry metric tonnes of lead concentrate and 7,018 dry metric tonnes of zinc concentrate containing approximately 4.6 million payable ounces of silver were shipped and sold to third party smelters. Concentrate sales during the quarter generated $78.2 million in revenues at mine operating costs of $46.5 million resulting in mine operating earnings of $31.7 million. Total cash costs per ounce of silver produced in concentrate, net of byproduct credits, for the first quarter of 2016 averaged $4.51, compared to $7.10 per ounce in the first quarter of 2015. AISC per ounce of silver, net of byproduct credits, averaged $5.97 per ounce versus $9.78 per ounce for the same period a year ago. Cost and productivity improvements in the mine and mill, coupled with favorable diesel fuel prices, continue to drive production costs lower. Escobal Unit Costs ($/Tonne) 2014 2015 Q1/16 Mine Operations $42.76 $38.66 $34.91 Process Operations $31.20 $20.59 $18.38 Site G&A $21.84 $19.86 $16.32 Total Operating Costs $95.80 $79.11 $69.61 A total of 1,870 metres of development was completed during the first three months of 2016, with mining during the quarter concentrated on the Central Zone. Production in the East Zone commenced in April 2016. The new paste backfill plant was commissioned in March 2016 and is fully operational. Installation of paste delivery lines to the East Zone was completed during the first quarter. La Arena Operations Update A total of 3.6 million tonnes of ore at an average grade of 0.48 gpt was placed on the leach pad during the first quarter of 2016. Ore tonnes mined also totaled 3.6 million at a strip ratio of 2.30 tonnes of waste per tonne of ore mined. There were 46,576 gold ounces produced in dore and 46,143 gold ounces sold during the first quarter of 2016. Gold sales during the first quarter of 2016 generated $54.0 million in revenues at mine operating costs of $31.1 million resulting in mine operating earnings of $22.9 million. Total cash costs per ounce of gold produced, net of byproduct credits, averaged $638 in the first quarter of 2016, while AISC for the same period averaged $825 per ounce. Sustaining capital projects advanced in the first quarter of 2016 included planned extensions of the leach pads and the waste dump. At the end of the quarter, these projects remained on schedule to meet 2016 production targets. Shahuindo Operations Update Construction and commissioning was completed on schedule with commercial production commencing effective May 1, 2016. Gold produced in dore during the first quarter of the year from pre-commercial production operations totaled 7,590 ounces. A total of 790,608 tonnes was placed on pads during the first quarter of 2016 at an average grade of 0.97 gpt gold. The strip ratio was 0.29 tonnes of waste rock per tonne of ore mined. Bulk heap leach tests and geologic mapping conducted in 2016 have resulted in the conclusion that the deposit contains a higher percentage of siltstone than originally estimated and that dump leaching of blended siltstone and sandstone ores will not achieve acceptable metallurgical or geotechnical results for long-term operations. Design, procurement, and construction of the crushing and agglomeration plant have begun and are expected to be completed in two phases. The first phase with a capacity of 12,000 tpd is projected to be constructed and operational in the first quarter of 2017 with an additional 24,000 tpd of capacity scheduled to be installed and operational by the second quarter of 2018. The estimated cost to complete the expansion to 36,000 tpd by the end of the second quarter of 2018 remains in the range of $140 to $160 million including expansion capital spent during the first quarter of 2016. Compared to the feasibility study filed for Shahuindo in January of 2016, crushing and agglomeration are expected to begin one year earlier which will increase operating costs and gold recovery in 2017. Minimal impact to project economics is anticipated relative to the feasibility study. Canadian Operations Update On April 1, 2016, the Company completed the acquisition of Lake Shore Gold (the "Transaction"). In connection with the closing of the Transaction, the Company issued an aggregate of 69,239,629 commons shares of Tahoe to the former shareholders of Lake Shore Gold and authorized the issuance of up to an additional 1,621,877 common shares issuable upon the exercise of the stock options held by former option holders of Lake Shore Gold. Financial and operating data from Lake Shore Gold are not included in Tahoe's first quarter 2016 results. During the first three months of 2016, the operating assets of Lake Shore Gold produced 36,800 ounces of gold by processing 305,900 tonnes at an average grade of 3.90 gpt. Other highlights during the first quarter included the release of an initial resource at the 144 Gap Deposit, a new deposit identified approximately 700 metres from existing underground infrastructure at Timmins West Mine. The resource includes 1.7 million tonnes at an average gold grade of 5.41 gpt for 301,700 ounces of gold in the indicated category and 1.9 million tonnes at an average gold grade of 5.19 gpt for 319,200 ounces in the inferred category. Initial drill results were released at the Whitney Project ("Whitney") during the first quarter of 2016. Whitney is located adjacent to the Bell Creek Complex and is a joint venture with Goldcorp Canada Ltd., with Tahoe being the operator. The initial drill results included high-grade intersections which extended the known mineralization around the historic Hallnor Mine to the west, to the north and to depth. Over 30,000 metres of drilling is planned at Whitney in 2016, with the project being advanced using an open-pit model with the potential to transition to underground mining. New Capital Programs Approved On May 3, 2016, the Tahoe Board of Directors approved the Bell Creek Shaft Project, an initiative to re-commission and deepen the historic shaft at the Bell Creek Mine. The shaft currently extends to a depth of approximately 300 metres and is used for secondary escape and ventilation. The shaft project, when complete, will extend the shaft to the 1080 metre level elevation and equip the shaft to hoist ore and waste. The benefit of deepening the shaft is to allow lower-cost production at higher production rates and accelerated delineation of the deep resources as well as exploration at depth. The project is anticipated to cost approximately $80 million and is expected to be executed over the next 2.5 years. The Board of Directors also approved additional spending to accelerate exploration and delineation of the 144 Gap area, Gold River, and Whitney projects. 2016 guidance remains unchanged, as the capital for the shaft project in 2016 and the additional exploration spending have been offset with other savings and do not result in spending outside of the ranges reflected in prior projections. Treatment of Lake Shore Convertible Debentures On April 1, 2016, as a result of the completion of Tahoe's acquisition of Lake Shore Gold, Lake Shore gave notice of its offer to purchase for cash all of its outstanding 6.25% convertible unsecured debentures (the "Debentures") at 100% of the principal amount plus accrued and unpaid interest (the "Change of Control Offer"). The Change of Control Offer expired on April 18, 2016 with no Debentures tendered. Concurrently with the Change of Control Offer, Lake Shore Gold gave notice of its election to redeem the Debentures on May 16, 2016 at a price equal to their principal amount plus accrued and unpaid interest. Tahoe and Lake Shore Gold have elected to satisfy the obligation to repay the principal amount of the Debentures by issuing Tahoe shares to the holders of the Debentures. The number of Tahoe shares to be issued will be determined by dividing the aggregate principal amount of the outstanding Debentures which are to be redeemed by 95% of the volume weighted average trading price of Tahoe shares for the 20 trading days ending on and including May 9, 2016. The accrued and unpaid interest on the Debentures will be paid in cash. Debentureholders maintain the right to convert the Debentures at any time prior to 5:00 pm (Toronto time) on May 13, 2016 at a conversion price of CAD$9.5433 per Tahoe share, being a conversion rate of 104.7856 Tahoe shares per $1,000 principal amount of the Debentures. If all of the outstanding Debentures are converted by debentureholders at this conversion price, a total of approximately 10,811,895 Tahoe shares will be issued on conversion. 2016 Guidance(1)(2)(3)(4)(5)(6) The Company's revised guidance to reflect the acquisition of Lake Shore Gold was first reported in a press release dated April 4, 2016 and is provided below. The financial and operating results for Tahoe's Lake Shore Gold Division are included in the Company's consolidated results effective April 1, 2016. 2016 Silver Production 18 21 moz 2016 Gold Production 370 430 koz Total cash cost per silver oz produced $7.50 $8.50/oz AISC per silver oz produced $10.00 $11.00/oz Total cash cost per gold oz $675 $725/oz AISC per gold oz produced $950 $1,000/oz Sustaining capital (incl. capitalized exploration) $115 $135 million Project capital $80 $105 million Exploration expense $15 $20 million Corporate G&A (includes non-cash stock-based compensation) $45 $50 million Footnotes: (1) See the "Cautionary Note on Non-GAAP Financial Measures" and "Forward-Looking Statements" sections of this press release. (2) Assumes the following metals prices: $16.00/oz silver; $1,300/oz gold; $2,094/tonne lead; $2,094/tonne zinc. (3) Assumes payable by-product metal production: 8,462 oz gold; 8,117 tonnes lead; 10,266 tonnes zinc. (4) By-product credits per ounce of silver: gold $0.52; lead $0.82; zinc $1.02; total $2.36. (5) All per ounce costs are based on silver ounces contained in concentrates (silver) and gold ounces in dore (gold). (6) Gold production guidance is based on 12 months of production from La Arena as well as the Company's Canadian operations and eight months of production from Shahuindo. Conference Call Tahoe's senior management will host a conference call to discuss the first quarter results on Wednesday, May 4, 2016 at 11:00 a.m. ET (8:00 a.m. PT). To join the call please dial 1-800-319-4610 (toll free from Canada and the U.S.) or +1-604-638-5340 (from outside Canada and the U.S.). A recording of the call will be available later in the day on the Company's website. Complete financial results as well as the Company's management discussion and analysis and other filings will be filed on SEDAR (www.sedar.com) and the Company's website(www.tahoeresources.com). About Tahoe Resources Inc. Tahoe's strategy is to responsibly operate mines to world standards, to pay significant shareholder dividends and to develop high quality precious metals assets in the Americas. Tahoe is a member of the S&P/TSX Composite and TSX Global Mining indices and the Russell 3000 on the NYSE. The Company is listed on the TSX as THO and on the NYSE as TAHO. Qualified Person Statement Technical information in this press release has been approved by Charlie Muerhoff, Vice President Technical Services, Tahoe Resources Inc., a Qualified Person as defined by NI 43-101. Cautionary Note on Non-GAAP Financial Measures The Company has included certain non-GAAP financial measures throughout this presentation which include total cash costs and all-in sustaining costs per silver and per gold ounce ("all-in sustaining costs"). These measures are not defined under IFRS and may be calculated differently by other companies depending on the underlying accounting principles and policies applied. As such, these Non-GAAP financial measures should not be considered in isolation. The Company's Escobal mine produces primarily silver in concentrates with other metals (gold, lead and zinc), produced simultaneously in the mining process, the value of which represents a small percentage of the Company's revenue and is therefore considered "byproduct". The Company's La Arena, Timmins West and Bell Creek mines produce primarily gold with other metals (primarily silver), produced simultaneously in the mining process, the value of which represents a small percentage of the Company's revenue and is therefore considered byproduct. The Company believes these measures will provide investors and analysts with useful information about the Company's underlying earnings, cash costs of operations, the impact of byproduct credits on the Company's cost structure and its ability to generate cash flow, as well as providing a meaningful comparison to other mining companies. These measures are intended to provide additional information and should not be substituted for GAAP measures. Consolidated adjusted earnings (loss) and consolidated adjusted earnings (loss) per share The Company has adopted the reporting of consolidated adjusted earnings (loss) ("adjusted earnings (loss)") and consolidated adjusted earnings (loss) per share ("adjusted earnings (loss) per share") as a non-GAAP measure of a precious metals mining company's operating performance and the ability to generate cash flow from operations. This measure has no standardized meaning and the Company's presentation of adjusted measures are not meant to be substituted for GAAP measures of consolidated net earnings (loss) or consolidated net earnings (loss) per share and should be read in conjunction with such GAAP measures. Adjusted earnings (loss) and adjusted earnings (loss) per share are calculated as net earnings (loss) excluding i) non-cash impairment losses and reversals on mineral interest and other assets tax, ii) unrealized foreign exchange gains or losses related to the revaluation of deferred income tax assets and liabilities on non-monetary items, iii) unrealized foreign exchange gains or losses related to other items, iv) unrealized gains or losses on derivatives, v) non-recurring provisions, vi) gains or losses on sale of assets and vii) any other non-recurring adjustments and the related tax impact of these adjustments calculated at the statutory effective rate for the same jurisdiction as the adjustment. Non-recurring adjustments from unusual events or circumstances are reviewed periodically based on materiality and the nature of the event or circumstance. The Company calculates adjusted earnings (loss) and adjusted earnings (loss) per share on a consolidated basis. Total cash costs and total production costs The Company reports total cash costs and total production costs on a silver ounce and a gold ounce produced basis. The Company follows the recommendation of the cost standard as endorsed by the Silver Institute ("the Institute") for the reporting of cash costs (silver) and the generally accepted standard of reporting cash costs (gold) by precious metal mining companies. The Institute is a nonprofit international association with membership from across the silver industry. The Institute serves as the industry's voice in increasing public understanding of the many uses and values of silver. This remains the generally accepted standard for reporting cash costs of production by precious metal mining companies. Total cash costs and total production costs are divided by the number of silver ounces contained in concentrate or gold ounces recovered from the leach pads to calculate per ounce figures. When deriving the production costs associated with an ounce of silver or gold, the Company deducts byproduct credits from sales which are incidental to producing silver and gold. All-in sustaining costs The Company has adopted the reporting of all-in sustaining costs as a non-GAAP measure of a precious metals mining company's operating performance and the ability to generate cash flow from operations. This measure has no standardized meaning and the Company has utilized an adapted version of the guidance released by the World Gold Council, the market development organization for the gold industry. The World Gold Council is not a regulatory industry organization and does not have the authority to develop accounting standards or disclosure requirements. All-in sustaining costs include total cash costs incurred at the Company's mining operation, sustaining capital expenditures, corporate administrative expense, exploration and evaluations costs, and reclamation and closure accretion. The Company believes that this non-GAAP measure represents the total costs of producing silver and gold from its operation, and provides additional information of the Company's operational performance and ability to generate cash flows to support future capital investments and to sustain future production. For additional information regarding these non-GAAP measures (including reconciliations to IFRS measures and by-product credit calculations, as applicable), see Tahoe's management's discussion and analysis for the three months ended March 31, 2016 available at www.tahoeresources.com and on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. For information on how Lake Shore Gold has historically disclosed these non-GAAP measures (including reconciliations to IFRS measures, as applicable), see Lake Shore Gold's management's discussion and analysis for the year ended December 31, 2015, also available on SEDAR. Forward-Looking Statements This release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation, and "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (collectively referred to as "forward-looking statements"). All statements, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking statements. The words "believe", "expect", "anticipate", "contemplate", "target", "plan", "intend", "continue", "budget", "estimate", "may", "will", "schedule" and similar expressions or statements identify forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements related to the following: the 2016 operations outlook and production guidance, including estimates related to gold and silver mineral reserves and mineral resources, production, total cash cost per ounce, all-in sustaining cost per ounce, capital expenditures, corporate general and administration expenses and exploration expenses; growing gold production to over 550,000 ounces by 2020; increasing mineral reserves and mineral resources in Canada by 2 to 4 million ounces over the next four years; increasing mineral reserves and mineral resources in order to add mine life in all operations; growing the Lake Shore Gold Division production to over 250,000 ounces per year by 2020; meeting targeted total annual production in Peru at 300,000 ounces; re-commissioning and deepening the shaft at the Bell Creek Mine to more than double production at that operation; advancing the Whitney Project, including accelerating exploration drilling; advancing the 144 Gap Deposit, including accelerating exploration drilling and moving into commercial production in 2017; advancing an exploration drilling program at Gold River; possible expansion of the Bell Creek Mill to 5,500 tonnes per day; completing drilling programs at Escobal to support an increase in reserve life to over 20 years; the timing for the feasibility study for the development of the sulfide deposit at La Arena; planned extensions of the leach pads and the waste dump at La Arena; the continued commercial production at Shahuindo; the installation of underground dewatering wells and the commencement of underground exploration drilling at Escobal; the timing of sustaining capital projects; the expectation of meeting production targets; the preparation of a new geological model and project scoping study at La Arena during 2016; and the timing and cost of the design, procurement, and construction of the crushing and agglomeration plant at Shahuindo. Forward-looking statements are based on the reasonable assumptions, estimates, analyses and opinions of management made in light of its experience and its perception of trends, current conditions and expected developments, as well as other factors that management believes to be relevant and reasonable in the circumstances at the date that such statements are made, but which may prove to be incorrect. Management believes that the assumptions and expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable. Assumptions have been made regarding, among other things: the Company's performance and ability to implement operational improvements at the Escobal, La Arena, Timmins West and Bell Creek mines; the Company's ability to carry on exploration and development activities, including construction; the timely receipt of required approvals; the price of silver, gold and other metals; prices for key mining supplies, including labor costs and consumables, remaining consistent with the Company's current expectations; production meeting expectations and being consistent with estimates; plant, equipment and processes operating as anticipated; there being no material variations in the current tax and regulatory environment; the Company's ability to operate in a safe, efficient and effective manner; the exchange rates among the Canadian dollar, Guatemalan quetzal, Peruvian sol and the United States dollar remaining consistent with current levels; and the Company's ability to obtain financing as and when required and on reasonable terms. Readers are cautioned that the foregoing list is not exhaustive of all factors and assumptions which may have been used. Forward-looking statements are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such risks, uncertainties and other factors include but are not limited to: the fluctuation of the price of silver, gold and other metals; changes in national and local government legislation, taxation and controls or regulations; social unrest, and political or economic instability in Guatemala and/or Peru; the availability of additional funding as and when required; the speculative nature of mineral exploration and development; the timing and ability to maintain and, where necessary, obtain necessary permits and licenses; the uncertainty in the estimation of mineral resources and mineral reserves; the uncertainty in geologic, hydrological, metallurgical and geotechnical studies and opinions; infrastructure risks, including access to water and power; the impact of inflation; changes in the administration of governmental regulation, policies and practices; environmental risks and hazards; insurance and uninsured risks; land title risks; risks associated with illegal mining activities by unauthorized individuals on the Company's mining or exploration properties; risks associated with competition; risks associated with currency fluctuations; contractor, labor and employment risks; dependence on key management personnel and executives; the timing and possible outcome of pending or threatened litigation; the risk of unanticipated litigation; risks associated with the repatriation of earnings; risks associated with negative operating cash flow; risks associated with the Company's hedging policies; risks associated with dilution; and risks associated with effecting service of process and enforcing judgments. For a further discussion of risks relevant to the Company, see the Company's Annual Information Form available on SEDAR under the heading "Description of Our Business Risk Factors". Although management has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There is no assurance that forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking statements, except as, and to the extent required by, applicable securities laws. For further information, please contact: Tahoe Resources Inc. Mark Utting, Vice President, Investor Relations This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Tel: 416-703-6298 SOURCE Tahoe Resources Inc. VANCOUVER, May 4, 2016 /CNW/ - Barsele Minerals Corp. (TSX-V: BME) ("Barsele") is pleased to report to its shareholders recently-released operational progress on the current exploration program within the Barsele Au-VMS Project area in Vasterbottens Lan, northern Sweden (the "Barsele Project") contained in Agnico Eagle Mines Limited's (TSX, NYSE: AEM) ("Agnico Eagle") press release announcing its first quarter 2016 results. The exploration program at the Barsele Project is being operated by joint venture partner Agnico Eagle. Ownership in the Barsele Project is 55% Agnico Eagle and 45% Barsele. In its press release, Agnico Eagle stated that the drilling results from the Barsele Project extended the known mineralization at depth and joined the Central Zone with the Skirasen Zone. The press release also suggested that the Barsele Project has the potential to become a Goldex type deposit, which is one of Agnico Eagle's existing gold mines. Equally noteworthy, is the illustration that accompanied the press release, which shows the potential growth of the known deposit to the south-east as a result of the latest drilling, and also that the deposit remains open in three directions. Highlight intercepts from drill results to date and drill hole coordinates from this program are set out in the tables below and the drill hole pierce points are also shown on the Barsele Project composite longitudinal section below. All intercepts reported for the Barsele Project show capped grades over estimated true widths, based on a preliminary geological interpretation that is being updated as new information becomes available with further drilling. Recent exploration drill results from the Barsele Project Drill hole Location From (metres) To (metres) Depth of midpoint below surface (metres) Estimated true width (metres) Gold grade (g/t) (uncapped) Gold grade (g/t) (capped)* CNT15-007 Central Zone 437.0 449.0 310 9.0 12.37 3.28 CNT15-009 Central Zone 106.0 168.0 90 46.5 1.12 1.12 and 383.0 432.0 300 36.8 1.15 1.15 CNT15-010 Central Zone 223.0 252.0 230 21.8 1.59 1.59 and 494.0 589.0 515 71.2 0.88 0.88 CNT15-013 Central Zone 473.5 492.0 370 13.9 3.00 3.00 and 519.2 526.0 400 5.1 5.02 5.02 CNT15-015 Central Zone 23.0 34.0 20 8.2 8.06 6.74 CNT15-016 Skirasen Zone 270.0 277.0 215 5.2 5.06 5.06 and 339.0 451.0 310 84.0 2.07 2.01 CNT15-017 Central Zone 623.0 632.0 540 6.8 1.72 1.72 SKI15-001 Skirasen Zone 323.0 384.0 260 45.8 1.94 1.61 and 405.0 434.0 310 21.8 1.42 1.42 SKI16-001 Skirasen Zone 101.0 108.0 75 5.2 4.85 4.85 and 120.0 140.0 95 15.0 3.92 3.23 and 276.0 312.1 210 27.1 3.06 2.40 SKI16-005 Skirasen Zone 193.0 213.0 170 15.0 1.19 1.19 and 399.0 504.0 370 78.8 1.25 1.25 and 593.0 609.0 485 12.0 1.86 1.86 *Holes at Barsele use a capping factor of 20 g/t gold. Barsele Project exploration drill collar coordinates of selected holes Drill collar coordinates* Drill hole ID UTM North UTM East Elevation (metres above sea level) Azimuth Dip (degrees) Length (metres) CNT15-007 7214686 618733 321 360 -53 725 CNT15-009 7214671 618829 317 360 -57 701 CNT15-010 7215040 618808 291 180 -70 655 CNT15-013 7214613 619033 306 333 -55 597 CNT15-015 7214601 619133 296 360 -52 523 CNT15-016 7214525 619127 302 360 -55 664 CNT15-017 7214895 618859 293 290 -60 902 SKI15-001 7214598 619125 296 040 -48 580 SKI16-001 7214515 619222 300 040 -50 557 SKI16-005 7214516 619221 300 360 -57 645 Recent drilling has connected the Central Zone with the Skirasen Zone. The combined Central-Skirasen Zone has a strike length of approximately 1,400 metres, and extends from surface to a depth of at least 540 metres and ranges in width from 10 to 150 metres. Mineralization remains open at depth and along strike. Results include hole CNT15-016 that intersected the Skirasen Zone with two intercepts: 5.06 g/t gold over 5.2 metres at 215 metres depth, and 2.01 g/t gold over 84.0 metres at 310 metres depth. Almost 300 metres away at the southeast extent of the zone, hole SKI16-001 intersected the zone with three intercepts: 4.85 g/t gold over 5.2 metres at 75 metres depth, 3.23 g/t gold over 15.0 metres at 95 metres depth and 2.40 g/t gold over 27.1 metres at 210 metres depth. The deepest intercept to date in the Skirasen Zone is hole SKI16-005 that intersected 1.86 g/t gold over 12.0 metres at 485 metres depth, as well as two shallower intercepts. Recent drilling has extended the depth of the Central Zone to 540 metres. Highlights include hole CNT15-015 that intersected 6.74 g/t gold over 8.2 metres at 20 metres depth. Hole CN15-013 intersected 3.00 g/t gold over 13.9 metres at 370 metres depth and 5.02 g/t gold over 5.1 metres at 400 metres depth. Hole CN15-007 intersected 3.28 g/t gold over 9.0 metres at 310 metres depth. In 2016, Agnico Eagle indicated that it plans to spend approximately US $4.9 million on exploration to further evaluate the mineral potential of the property. This includes 19,000 metres of diamond drilling, a recently completed Titan-24 induced polarization geophysical survey, till sampling and hyperspectral core scanning. A basic environmental assessment will be done, as well as ongoing community relations programs to engage the various stakeholders in the region. Drilling is expected to resume in early May after spring breakup. Barsele's President, Gary Cope says, "I am very pleased to see the mineralized zone has expanded so significantly in this report, and that Agnico Eagle has planned expenditures which will in aggregate fulfill the full phase one commitment per the joint venture terms and in so doing will advance us to the second phase which ultimately leads to a preliminary resource estimate for the project." Art Freeze, P.Geo. and Ben Whiting, P.Geo., are Qualified Persons as defined in NI 43-101 and take responsibility for the technical disclosure contained within this news release. About the Barsele Gold Project The Barsele Project is located on the western end of the Proterozoic "Skellefte Trend," a prolific volcanogenic massive sulphide deposits belt, where it intersects with the "Gold Line" in Northern Sweden. Both polymetallic deposits and intrusive hosted orogenic gold deposits are present in this region and on the property. Current and past producers in the region include Boliden, Kristineberg, Bjorkdal, Svartliden, and Storliden. In September of 2015, mineral resource estimates by Barsele were released for the Barsele Project in four zones, the Central, Avan and Skirasen Gold Zones and the Norra VMS Zone (Orex News Release dated 21 November 2012). The resource estimate for the Central-Avan-Skirasen Zones states an Indicated Resource of 14.1 million tonnes grading 1.21 g/t gold for 547,000 contained ounces, plus an Inferred Resource of 20.2 million tonnes grading 0.97 g/t gold for 627,000 contained ounces. The polymetallic Norra Zone contains an Indicated Resource of 110,000 tonnes grading 3.13 g/t gold, 30.3 g/t silver, 0.53 % copper and 0.72 % zinc, plus an Inferred Resource of 310,000 tonnes grading 1.62 g/t gold, 12.7 g/t silver, 0.26 % copper and 0.42 % zinc. All zones were estimated at a gold cut-off grade of 0.6 g/t. About Barsele Minerals Corp. Barsele is a Canadian-based junior exploration company comprised of highly qualified mining professionals. Barsele's main property is the Barsele Gold Project in Vasterbottens Lan, Sweden, a joint venture with Agnico Eagle Mines Limited. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS Gary Cope President This News Release may contain forward-looking statements including but not limited to comments regarding the timing and content of upcoming work programs, geological interpretations, receipt of property titles, potential mineral recovery processes, etc. Forward-looking statements address future events and conditions and therefore involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ materially from those currently anticipated in such statements and Barsele undertakes no obligation to update such statements, except as required by law. Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. SOURCE Barsele Minerals Corp. Barsele Project - Composite Longitudinal Section VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(Marketwired - May 4, 2016) - IDM Mining Ltd. (TSX VENTURE:IDM) ("IDM" or the "Company") is pleased to announce the 2016 drilling program, along with engineering and environmental studies planned for the Red Mountain Gold Project ("Red Mountain" or the "Project"), located in northwest British Columbia near the town of Stewart. Additionally, IDM wishes to announce that Premier Gold Mines Limited (TSX:PG), a leading North America-focused exploration and development company, participated in the Company's recently completed private placement, acquiring 9.43% of IDM on a partially diluted basis. Rob McLeod, President and CEO, stated, "Our upcoming program will target extensions and upgrade current resources of the wide, high-grade gold mineralization at Red Mountain, as well as complete detailed engineering and environmental work for inclusion in our Feasibility Study and Environmental Assessment Application. Also, we welcome Premier Gold as a significant shareholder; we look forward to working with them, as we advance Red Mountain to a potential construction decision in 2017." 2016 Red Mountain Program The Company has planned an infill and step-out underground core drilling program using two rigs. Step-out holes will be completed along strike and down-dip from existing resources, primarily at the JW Zone, as well as to upgrade inferred and indicated resources in the JW zone and AV zone, respectively. This drilling will also gather additional material for metallurgical testwork, as well as geotechnical and hydrological data. The program is expected to total approximately 5,120 meters of drilling in 36 holes, pending receipt of all necessary approvals. Prior to drilling, IDM will rehabilitate and dewater the production sized decline that was driven by previous operators. IDM will also complete a comprehensive surface program of mapping and sampling, including targeting new areas of the 17,000 hectare property that have recently been exposed by rapid glacial melt. In conjunction with relogging and additional sampling of historic drill core, the objective of the surface program will be to identify new drill targets within the widespread alteration and mineralizing system at Red Mountain. Additionally, the Company will complete extensive, detailed engineering and environmental work on the Project. This will include a geotechnical drilling program at the proposed Bromley Humps tailings management facility, mill, and ore stockpile location. Further detailed engineering and survey work will be completed along the road and proposed powerline right-of-way, as well as planning for surface facilities. Ongoing hydrological and environmental studies will also be completed in support of the Environmental Assessment Application. IDM intends to fully consult with the Nisga'a Nation (Nisga'a), who hold Treaty rights in the Project area, regarding the proposed activities. IDM has shared detailed, technical information with Nisga'a representatives and looks forward to discussing the proposed activities with Nisga'a during the permitting process. IDM is committed to engaging with Nisga'a and supporting Nisga'a's full participation in the environmental and regulatory reviews of the Project, as well as in the employment and business opportunities related to the Project and the proposed 2016 work programs. Premier Gold Investment The Company welcomes Premier Gold's investment of 14.25 million common units, representing 6.49% of IDM's common shares, and 9.43% on a partially diluted basis, in the private placement completed by the Company on April 27th 2016. Premier Gold is a well-respected gold exploration and development company, with significant, advanced projects in world-class mining districts in Ontario and Nevada. Premier Gold will be in production later in 2016 with their first operation at the South Arturo mine at the northern extent of the Carlin Trend, Nevada. QUALIFIED PERSON Technical Aspects of this News Release have been reviewed and approved by Robert McLeod, P.Geo, President and CEO of IDM Mining Ltd., and Qualified Person as defined by NI 43-101. ABOUT RED MOUNTAIN IDM Mining is currently earning an option to acquire a 100% interest in the 17,125 hectare Red Mountain property, located 18 kilometers northeast of Stewart, BC. Numerous gold and silver deposits and exploration prospects have been identified by IDM and previous operators over a 15 km by 4 km trend of strong alteration and mineralized prospects. Since discovery in 1989, in excess of $45 million has been spent on the Project including a production-sized underground ramp. ABOUT IDM MINING LTD. IDM Mining Ltd. is a mineral exploration and development company based in Vancouver, BC, Canada. The Company's current exploration and development activities are focused on precious metals in British Columbia and Yukon with a primary focus on the high grade underground Red Mountain Project which has entered the BC and Canadian environmental assessment process. Further information can be found on the Company's website at www.IDMmining.com. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD of IDM Mining Ltd. Robert McLeod, President, CEO and Director "Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release." Forward-Looking Statements: Some statements in this news release contain forward-looking information or forward-looking statements for the purposes of applicable securities laws. These statements include, among others, statements with respect to the proposed exploration and development activities and their timing and expected results, resource estimates and potential mineralization, the Company's plan to complete an Environmental Assessment Application and a feasibility study and a potential construction decision. These statements address future events and conditions and, as such, involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the statements. Such factors include, among others and in addition to those described elsewhere in this release, timing and success of future exploration and development activities, exploration and development risks, delays in obtaining or inability to obtain required government or other regulatory approvals, permits or financing, the risk of unexpected variations in mineral resources, grade or recovery rates, of failure of plant, equipment or processes to operate as anticipated, of accidents, labor disputes, and unanticipated delays in completing other development activities, the risk that estimated costs will be higher than anticipated and the risk that the proposed mine plan and recoveries will not be achieved, equipment breakdowns and bad weather, the timing and success of future exploration and development activities, exploration and development risks, mineral resources are not as estimated, title matters, third party consents, operating hazards, metal prices, political and economic factors, competitive factors and general economic conditions. In making the forward-looking statements, the Company has applied several material assumptions including, but not limited to, the assumptions that: required regulatory approval, permits and financing will be obtained; the proposed exploration and development will proceed as planned; with respect to mineral resource estimates, the key assumptions and parameters on which such estimates are based; that the proposed mine plan and recoveries will be achieved, that capital costs and sustaining costs will be as estimated, and that no unforeseen accident, fire, ground instability, flooding, labor disruption, equipment failure, metallurgical, environmental or other events that could delay or increase the cost of exploration or development will occur, and market fundamentals will result in sustained metals and minerals prices. The Company expressly disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise except as otherwise required by applicable securities legislation. VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(Marketwired - May 4, 2016) - Cypress Development Corp. (TSX-VENTURE:CYP)(OTCBB:CYDVF)(FRANKFURT:C1Z1) ("Cypress" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that the Company has acquired, via staking, an additional 12 placer claims as a compliment to Cypress' existing land package located in the heart of the Clayton Valley, Nevada lithium brine exploration area. Cypress Clayton Valley Lithium Project, Nevada location map: Cypress' 1520 acre Clayton Valley Project is located on the south flank of "Angel Island" and immediately southeast of the Albemarle Silver Peak lithium mine. Cypress' Clayton Valley claims share their western boundary with claims controlled by Pure Energy Minerals. Cypress Clayton Valley Lithium Project, Nevada claims map: The newly acquired placer claims are ideally located immediately adjacent to the east of Pure Energy Mineral's CV-4 and CV-5 spudded brine wells that were completed in January and February 2016. Cypress believes that the 2 new groups of claims will have an impact on the area of influence of any potential lithium brine production from the eastern portion of Clayton Valley south. The Company will assess all available and pertinent data for this latest land package to be able to determine what exploration programs could be initiated at the same time as Cypress is carrying out its planned Phase 3 drill program targeting lithium brines at the Company's Clayton Valley Project which will also include the drilling of shallow auger holes targeting areas of strongly lithium mineralized claystones recently discovered at surface. Cypress Clayton Valley Project Proposed Drill Hole Locations: Robert Marvin, P.Geo., Exploration Manager for Cypress Development Corp. is the Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101 and has approved of the technical information in this release. About Cypress Development Corp.: Cypress Development Corp. is a publicly traded lithium and zinc-silver exploration company developing projects in Nevada, U.S.A. Cypress Development Corp. has approx. 24.1 million shares issued and outstanding. To find out more about Cypress Development Corp. (TSX VENTURE:CYP), visit our website at www.cypressdevelopmentcorp.com. CYPRESS DEVELOPMENT CORP. DONALD C. HUSTON President NEITHER THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDER ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THE CONTENT OF THIS NEWS RELEASE. This release includes certain statements that may be deemed to be "forward-looking statements". All statements in this release, other than statements of historical facts, that address events or developments that management of the Company expects, are forward-looking statements. Although management believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance, and actual results or developments may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. The Company undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements if management's beliefs, estimates or opinions, or other factors, should change. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements, include market prices, exploration and development successes, continued availability of capital and financing, and general economic, market or business conditions. Please see the public filings of the Company at www.sedar.com for further information. Vancouver, British Columbia (FSCwire) - Kapuskasing Gold Corp. (TSX-V: KAP) (the Company or KAP) is pleased to announce the signing of a memorandum of understanding (the MOU) with Flying Post and Mattagami First Nations (the First Nations) with respect to KAPs recently acquired West Keefer Property located in Northern Ontario, near the town of Timmins. The MOU establishes the desire for First Nations and KAP to work together, creating a long-term, mutually beneficial, cooperative and respectful relationship with the spirit of social, ecological, cultural and economic well-being. The MOU also signals a commitment by KAP to identify opportunities for businesses and citizens of the First Nations communities to participate in KAP's exploration activities through business, employment and training opportunities. In addition, the Company has granted 50,000 common shares (the Shares) and 50,000 share purchase warrants (the Warrants) of the Company to Mattagami First Nation. Each Warrant will be exercisable into one Share at $0.055 for a period of 5 years. The Warrants will vest 25% on the approval of the TSX Venture Exchange and 25% after six months, 12 months and 18 months respectively from the effective date of the MOU. Flying Post First Nation is not receiving shares and warrants for the signing of this MOU, as it received 50,000 shares and 50,000 warrants as signatory to a Memorandum of Understanding with KAP for the Borden North, Borden South, Golden Route, Rollo, Schewabik, and West Chapleau Projects. New Director & Officer Appointment The Company also announces the resignation of Andrew Davidson as Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and the appointment of Mr. James (Jim) Fairbairn as a director and as Chief Financial Officer of the Company. Mr. Fairbairn is a finance professional with over 25 years of experience in corporate governance, leadership, mergers and acquisitions, corporate finance, financial management and financial and management reporting. He is a Chartered Accountant who brings strong financial skills and who has served as a senior officer and/or a director in both public and privately - held companies. Mr. Davidson will continue to serve as a director for Kapuskasing Gold Corp. About the Company Kapuskasing Gold has 7 gold properties located along extensions of the Destor-Porcupine or Borden Gold project. All of the properties, with the exception of Rollo and West Keefer, are situated within the Kapuskasing structural zones and have potential similarities to Goldcorp's Borden Gold project. A detailed map and property descriptions can be viewed on the Company's website: www.kapgold.com. On behalf of the Board of Directors Kapuskasing Gold Corp. Jonathan Armes President & CEO Phone 1 (416) 708-0243 Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this press release. This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable Canadian and U.S. securities laws and regulations, including statements regarding the future activities of the Company. Forward looking statements reflect the current beliefs and expectations of management and are identified by the use of words including will, anticipates, expected to, plans, planned and other similar words. Actual results may differ significantly. The achievement of the results expressed in forward-looking statements is subject to a number of risks, including those described in the Companys management discussion and analysis as filed with the Canadian securities regulatory authorities which are available at www.sedar.com. Investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance upon forward-looking statements. This news release shall not constitute an offer to sell or solicitation of an offer to buy the securities in any jurisdiction. The common shares will not be and have not been registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933 and may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or applicable exemption from the registration requirements. Dancers at Yinchuan Hedong Airport in the Ningxia Hui autonomous region welcome a Boeing 777 from the Middle East on Tuesday, when Emirates Airline launched its first direct flight between Dubai and Yinchuan, capital of Ningxia.[China Daily] Clad in traditional clothing and holding the sweet tea that local Hui people serve guests, a group of dancers welcomed a Boeing 777 from the Middle East to Northwestern China on Tuesday. Yinchuan, capital of the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region and home of one of China's largest Muslim communities in the landlocked region, has eagerly awaited the landing of the first-ever Emirates flight. The Dubai-to-Yinchuan flight is scheduled for every Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday. "Ningxia is joining hands with Emirates Airline to launch China's westernmost logistics center on the Silk Road to develop itself into a strategic highland in the country's westward opening-up and a strategic transit point on the Silk Road Economic Belt,"said Li Jianhua, Ningxia's top official, at the opening ceremony. He said China and Arab countries have great potential for cooperation in trade, finance, tourism and real estate, and this flight serves as a good start. Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, chairman and chief executive of the airline and Emirates Group, said the route provides fast and convenient connections to Middle Eastern, African and European destinations via Dubai. "We are confident that this air link will also help boost the flow of trade and tourism to growing central and western parts of China," he said. After landing at Yinchuan Hedong Airport, the flight will continue farther east to Zhengzhou, capital of Henan province, before returning. The Dubai-based carrier already flies to Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou. New routes have been scheduled to make seamless connections to destinations in the Middle East, Europe and Africa, helping local Chinese to travel to most cities in the world, via Dubai. The new flight is the latest fact or boosting Ningxia's positioning of itself as a gateway from China to the Arab world and a strategic point in the Belt and Road Initiative. Follow China.org.cn on Twitter and Facebook to join the conversation. You are here: Home Six people were killed in a coal mine gas blast in southwest China's Yunnan Province Tuesday, local authorities said. Six people were killed in a coal mine gas blast in southwest China's Yunnan Province Tuesday, local authorities said.[Photo/weibo] The explosion happened at around 11:10 a.m. at Shaba Coal Mine in Yanjin County. Rescue work is underway. So far, it is not clear how many people were injured or trapped after the explosion. Cause of the accident is being investigated. Police from east China have captured four suspects related to a major hacking case, in which children's vaccination information were leaked and sold. A photo taken on April 25, 2016 shows health workers introduce vaccination-related knowledge in a primary school in north Chinas Hebei province. [Photo: hebei.com.cn] Jinan police began their operation in early April, after the mobile app of Qilu Evening News, a mainstream newspaper in the region, reported that some 200 thousand pieces of children's information in Jinan have been sold in package, with one piece worth only between 10 and 20 cents. The first suspect, surnamed Ye, was held in late April, with the help of police in Chengdu in southwest China. Ye admitted that he profited from information he stole from the hard disks of relevant institutions. He achieved this via a corporate computer-related software he purchased online. Police said the second and third suspects, both surnamed Su, were involved in obtaining and selling passwords of vaccination system or personal information, including that of children, by hacking. The fourth suspect, surnamed Chen, was involved in selling children's information online by means of instant message software. Reports say local police have vowed to strengthen measure to better cope with such cases. You are here: Home With jagged mountain ranges, lush forests and rare tropical plants, its no wonder Nyingchi was chosen by ancient Tibetans to settle almost 5,000 years ago. Several millennia later, the prefecture is hoping to expose its primal beauty to the world as a global ecotourism wonderland. Compared to other Tibetan regions, which mainly feature snow mountains and high mountain meadows, Nyingchi is a priceless valley area facing the Indian Ocean in the southeast, where warm Indian current moves upstream to meet the cold air from the north, allowing the co-existence of tropical, sub-tropical, temperate and frigid zones. With an average altitude of 3,100 meters above sea level, much lower than the average of more than 4,000m in Tibet, and more green vegetation, Nyingchi has long been a recommended resort for first-time visitors looking to acclimate to the high-altitude plateau environment. Scenic spots include the 7,780-meter-highNamjagbarvwa Peak, the 15th highest in the world awarded as the most beautiful peak in China by the Chinese National Geography magazine, and the 490-km-long precipitous Yarlung Zangbo Grand Canyon. Lunang Forest known as the little Europe of China in the township of Lunang, the home of deities in Tibetan, is a popular getaway for tourists. Pasang Tsering, a local in Tashigang Village, said elsewhere in Tibet, people could barely make ends meet because of the adverse natural environment. But here in Lunang, our life is getting better just because of the nature, he said. Because of the thin air, barren land and cold weather, Tibetans have long struggled with their harsh living environment. Agriculture and stockbreeding, the traditional pillar industries of Tibet, are vulnerable to bad weather. Villager Penpa from Tashigang said the tourism boom had greatly improved peoples living standards. Last year he earned more than 20,000 yuan (US$3,100) renting tents and other services. Other villagers run family inns and earn 900,000 yuan a year, he said. Nyima Khamtrul, 28, a mother of two, who lives in Dongbacai Village of Lunang Township ran a small shop dealing in special local products and earned more than 30,000 yuan last year. Selling Chinese alpine rush plants, which can only grow in unpolluted areas, Nyima Khamtrul said she is always reminding people not to litter. If the environment is damaged, there will be no way out for us. We must protect the ecology, said she. In 2015, Nyingchi posted a record high gross domestic product of 10.4 billion yuan, up 11 percent from the previous year. The burgeoning tourism industry employs 5,000 people and there are 219 households running family inns. Nyingchi also has some of the most beautiful peach flowers, with an annual festival held in March. Fan Hui, who traveled from northeast Chinas Liaoning Province to attend the festival last year, said the wild peach flowers are different from those on the Tibetan plains. Flash Chinese shoppers in the Akihabara electronics shopping district in Tokyo. (Source: China Daily) Recently, a number of Chinese tourists were overcharged in Japanese duty-free shops. The customers paid high prices for health care products and were then unable to return the items. Based on recommendations from tour guides and sales assistants, many Chinese tourists bought products such as natto extract, enzymes and deep sea fish oil. The price for one box of these products was about 20,000 yen (1,200 yuan), and tourists were required to buy at least four boxes. None of the products were refundable. How could the enzyme, which is sold for just several thousand yen per box in drugstores, jump so extremely in price in duty-free shops? Why were refunds not allowed in these shops? It seems that the duty-free shops and tour guides were collaborating to cheat Chinese tourists. Such traps often target group tours. The tour guides exaggerate the effect of the products, and sales assistants claim that the products are monopolized commodities. Poor supervision by relevant authorities in Japan also helps the tourist trap to thrive. The consular section of the Chinese embassy in Japan has negotiated with the consumer affairs and tourism departments of Japan many times on this matter; however, the answer is always the same: "There is nothing we can do." In 2015, 4.99 million Chinese tourists visited Japan, spending a total of 1.42 trillion yen (86.3 billion yuan) for a per capita consumption of 284,000 yen (17,000 yuan). Chinese tourists spend the most out of any group of foreign tourists. Meanwhile, many of the deceived Chinese tourists said they would never visit Japan again. Flash Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Tuesday a joint Russian-U.S. center to monitor the ceasefire in Syria will be launched in the next few days in Geneva, Switzerland. After meeting here with the visiting United Nations Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura, Lavrov said at a press conference that Russia maintains daily contacts with the U.S. side on Syrian issues. "The military of the two countries are literally in daily contact mode, and this interaction, which is now being carried out via videoconferencing, acquires direct nature with the creation in the next few days in Geneva of a joint Russian-U.S. center for a rapid response to ceasefire violations," Lavrov said. The minister also said that an agreement was expected to be hammered out soon by Russia and the United States on a ceasefire in Aleppo, a major city in northern Syria. "I hope that the decision will be announced soon, maybe even in the next few hours," Lavrov said, noting that the two countries are making joint efforts to ensure a "broadened and consolidated" truce regime in Syria. On the Geneva Intra-Syrian talks, Lavrov urged the United States to use its influence over opposition forces, put an end to the use of ultimatums as well as prevent the "brute-force scenario." The minister in particular criticized the opposition High Negotiations Committee, which withdrew from the meeting held from April 13 to 27, for being "non-constructive." For his part, de Mistura expressed the hope that the ceasefire regime in Syria could be re-launched in the next few hours, stressing both Russia and the United States should help "all of us to make sure that this (the truce) is brought back on track." "May is going to be an important month for all of us. If Aleppo is returning to the cessation of hostilities status, meanwhile we will be re-starting and pushing for humanitarian access and intra-Syrian talks. Everything is interconnected," de Mistura said. The envoy said the Russia-U.S. monitor center in Geneva should "become an immediate real-time containment" of violations of the Syrian ceasefire. De Mistura visited Russia as the ceasefire in Syria was in danger of falling apart, especially with recently intensified violence in Aleppo. The envoy met in Geneva with U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry on Monday and re-emphasized his appeal to Washington and Moscow to renew their efforts to protect and restore the cessation of hostilities in Syria nationwide. On Friday the United States and Russia agreed that a "regime of silence" take place near the capital Damascus and the northwestern province of Latakia to shore up the falling truce. Flash The African Union (AU) and China have reiterated to further strengthen cooperation in different areas towards augmented relationship between China and Africa. This came on Tuesday during a reception organized on the AU premises in Ethiopia's capital Addis Ababa, to mark the first anniversary of the establishment of Chinese mission to the pan-African bloc. Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, Chairperson of the AU Commission, other senior officials of AU, diplomats based in Addis Ababa, as well as representatives of international organizations and Chinese companies have attended the event, which was color with the accompany of Chinese folk performance, and which AU hailed a pleasant event. In his remarks on the occasion, Kuang Weilin, Chinese Mission Head to AU, said the cooperation between China and AU has made great strides in different aspects. "Exchanges at all levels have gained momentum; practical cooperation has yielded new concrete results; and China-AU cooperation in peace and security is now faced new opportunities," said Weilin. During the latest summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) last December in Johannesburg, South Africa, Chinese President Xi Jinping announced ten major areas of China-Africa cooperation, for which China has also pledged 60 billion U.S. dollars in a three-year implementation period. The summit was a milestone event in the history of China-Africa relations and cooperation, mapping out a blueprint for China's long-term cooperation with Africa, said the ambassador. "China has been working closely with African countries to expedite the implementation of the big plans of FOCAC summit," he added. According to the diplomat, discussions have been held with more than 30 African countries on ways of speeding up the materialization of some early harvest items within the FOCAC framework. He noted that China's relations and cooperation with Africa and with AU are at new historical chapter. He also said the sound and steady development of China's economy is in the interest of promoting China's cooperation with African countries. Kuang expressed China's commitment to working with Africa and AU to seize and maximize opportunities for win-win cooperation and common development. Erastus Mwencha, Deputy Chairperson of the AU Commission, has commended China for enabling improved relationship and strengthened ties with AU by establishing mission to the pan-African bloc. The establishment of the Chinese mission to AU demonstrates China's commitment to the relationship with Africa, reiterated Mwencha. He noted that the FOCAC summit held last year illustrated the heightened cooperation between China and Africa. The Deputy Chairperson has also hailed China's support to Africa in peace and security; human capital development by providing scholarship and training; and in the effort made to halt Ebola crisis on the continent among others. "We acknowledge the 1.2 million dollars donation to the peace funds and continue to seek greater counter-terrorism cooperation to contain the scourge caused by these radical and extreme elements who continue to pose a grave risk not only to Africa but international community living and working in Africa." "The partnership between the AU and China is grounded on the areas of collaboration to walk hand in hand with Africa in our visions agenda 2063. Our cooperation, therefore, must strive to enhance the overall environment and conditions for socio-economic development for purposes of poverty reduction." "Our bilateral trade has grown to about 220 U.S. billion dollars at the end of 2015. China's foreign direct investment to Africa has grown to over 30 billion dollars and prospects are even bigger. Security threat is a global phenomenon but calls for an all inclusive approach. Africa is keen to continue its partnership with China to address security hotspots," he said. Expressing AU's commitment to strengthening relations with China, Mwencha has called for further cooperation in areas including among others addressing negative impacts of climate change, green development technology, and disease control and prevention initiatives. Flash King Felipe VI of Spain on Tuesday morning signed a decree to dissolve the Spanish parliament and convoke a new general election for June 26. The signature was a matter of protocol after Spain's main political parties failed to reach agreement over the formation of a coalition government by midnight on Monday, meaning parliament had to be dissolved under the terms of the Spanish Constitution. Felipe signed the decree in the presence of parliamentary speaker Patxi Lopez, meaning Spaniards are heading for the polls for the second time in just about six months following the inconclusive vote on December 20 last year. Lopez lamented that the country's political leaders had been "unable to fulfil the mandate the people gave us." The December vote saw the People's Party(PP) of Mariano Rajoy won 123 seats in the 350-seat Congress, while the Socialists won 90. The recently formed left wing party Podemos won 69, while center-right formation Ciudadanos took 40. Although the Socialists and Ciudadanos did sign a post electoral pact, the antipathy between Ciudadanos and Podemos meant chances of a "progressive coalition" failed, while no party was willing to pact with the PP. Latest opinion polls suggest little chance in voter intentions over the past four months, but with the Spanish people tiring of political debate there could be a lower voter turnout in June -- something which traditionally favors the PP. Stating that he was alarmed by a scathing state audit, the chairman of the Nebraska Tourism Commission pledged Tuesday to get to the bottom of problems that the audit revealed. I cannot stress how seriously the commission takes these (audit) findings, said John Chapo, chairman of the nine-member, appointed commission. We take seriously our responsibility of being good stewards of the states financial resources. Chapo commented as the commission discussed the audit, made public Friday. The audit roundly criticized the four-year-old state agency for poor accounting of spending, for allowing the states ad contract to be overspent by $4.4 million, and for spending excessively on convention speakers and moving expenses for one employee. During Tuesdays meeting, the commission held a 40-minute, closed-door discussion of the audit. Chapo declined to say whether the discussion included the job status of State Tourism Director Kathy McKillip, who was singled out in the audit for acting unilaterally at times, without approval of the board. But four members of the Tourism Commission were appointed as a committee Tuesday to review the audit and report back to the full board. That review will include the performance of McKillip, who is paid $86,364 a year to lead an 11-employee office, which directs the states tourism promotion efforts. Chapo declined to say whether he thought the directors job was in jeopardy. McKillip said she had not been asked to resign and said she doesnt believe she should be fired. Theres lots of opportunity for me to tighten up things in the office, she said. There are lessons to be learned. Who wants this kind of press? Its National Tourism Week. Chapo, who is director of the Lincoln Childrens Zoo, in reading a statement about the audit at Tuesdays meeting, criticized a lack of information provided by McKillip. We can only act on the information presented to us by the director, he said, noting that in his own job he must provide accurate and honest reports to his board of directors so they can make informed decisions. He said the audit committee would meet soon and said he would call a special meeting of the full board when the committees review is done. Tuesdays meeting was the commissions first since the audit was issued Friday. The nearly 80-page audit was a scathing review of a lack of accountability. It also faulted the Tourism Commission for reimbursing a state ad contractor, Bailey Lauerman, for spending on alcohol and cigarettes, in violation of state rules. And it questioned spending $18,000 to move one employee and $44,000 paid to a speaker for a 90-minute presentation at a conference last year. The audit also said that the hiring of McKillips daughter as a model for a tourism photo shoot was a potential violation of a state law that prohibits a state official from getting something of value for a family member, or of a state law that prohibits a contractor from offering something of value in exchange for favorable treatment on contracts or legislation. Both McKillip and an official with Bailey Lauerman have denied that any laws were broken and denied that the hiring was a special favor. State Auditor Charlie Janssen said he has forwarded the results of the audit to the Nebraska Attorney General to determine whether a law has been violated, as he does with every audit. The hiring of the daughter who ended up being pictured on the cover of the 2016 State Tourism Guide did not come up during a presentation by the State Auditors Office on Tuesday, nor did commissioners mention it during the open portion of the meeting. Craig Kubicek, who managed the audit, used the phrase lack of documentation several times during his presentation. He recommended the Tourism Commission adopt policies and procedures on how to spend its funds and account for its spending and reimbursements to its contractors. Kubicek also said that by state law, the commissioners, not just the director, must review and approve spending. On Monday, Gov. Pete Ricketts said he was appalled by the audit and would reconsider whether the Tourism Commission should remain an independent state agency. Before 2012, it was a division within the State Economic Development Department, an agency overseen by the governor. But in 2012 the Legislature and the governor at the time, Dave Heineman, approved a law that made the Tourism Commission independent, overseen by a nine-member board appointed by the governor. The result of moving the agency outside the governors reach, Ricketts said, was a lack of oversight. State Sen. Heath Mello of Omaha, who supported making the Tourism Commission independent, attended Tuesdays meeting but did not speak. He has said he supports keeping the agency independent and hopes it will be more accountable now that it has been ordered to contract with a state agency that regularly deals with accounting, the Department of Administrative Services. On Tuesday, McKillip said that she expects that contract with the department will cost $12,000 to $14,000 a year to review Tourism Commission contracts and bills. This will help us greatly, she said of the additional oversight. Also appointed Tuesday: a four-member committee that is to begin drafting policies and procedures for the Tourism Commission. The committee is made up of the same members who will review the audit: Deb Loseke of the Columbus/Platte County Visitors Bureau; Lisa Burke of the North Platte/Lincoln County Visitors Bureau; Tony Moody of John Q. Hammons Hotels and Resorts; and Carol Schlegel of the McCook/Red Willow County Tourism. McKillip said starting an agency from scratch has been a challenge but said that was not an excuse for the problems uncovered in the audit. Chapo said that his heart was heavy in realizing that the Tourism Commission had let down Nebraskans. It is our job to fix this and regain the public trust, he said. We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on! Go to form Pump prices likely on the rise in coming months Gas prices are likely to go back up following the OPEC+ decision to cut oil production by 2 million barrels a day, starting in November.... Spindle Items .. ETERNAL HAPPINESS All of us are chasing happiness. None of us wants to be miserable, angry, frightened , depressed or the like. If... Out of the Past 25 Years AgoOct. 22, 1997 Zoning laws in the Town of Tonawanda received much needed updating Monday as Councilman Raymond Sinclair presented amendments in underground... Family fun for everyone Halloween is every kids dream holiday, with costumes and candy, tricks and treats. Some of my favorite memories with my family have centered around Halloween,... When it comes to pursuing a career path, todays young workers are concerned about far more than simply the size of their paycheck. Generational differences are leading to a new and growing segment of a workforce that is more often concerned with life outside of work and their experiences within the workplace than about how much money theyll earn or even how they will earn it. Young people entering todays workforce are demanding greater mobility and flexibility in their careers, as well as new and different fringe benefits which seem to make the day-to-day grind all the more meaningful. Take Serena Wagner, for instance. She graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire in 2014 with a degree in graphic design. Wagner landed a job at Volume One in Eau Claire shortly after that, but she will be the first to tell you it could have easily been different. Among the friends she knew at college, only two besides herself stayed in Eau Claire. The reason is simple: at present the Chippewa Valley doesnt offer the ready access to the cultural and art scenes which are so important to young people starting out on a creative career path. Most of Wagners friends headed towards the Twin Cities in Minnesota, and that even included the ones who did not have jobs. The message is clear, job or no, culture and amenities are important to todays young workers. Theyre looking for a place to belong, a place to fit in, Wagner said. You have to build that culture yourself here. No matter where one goes, for younger generations it does not mean they will stay there for long. That trend reflects one that has been going on in society for some time, as the countrys population becomes more mobile and families spread out across the U.S. I still think about leaving, Wagner said, suggesting that like her friends, she is drawn towards Minneapolis and St. Paul, and she also spoke of Brooklyn, N.Y. Priorities change Shaughnessy Murphy graduated from UW-Eau Claire several years before Wagner, but he tells a similar story. Murphy spent a good chunk of his childhood in the Chippewa Valley, but recalls that very few of his friends wanted to stay in Eau Claire. At the time, there simply wasnt enough going on here. Community is very important in the 21st century economy, he said. The employer doesnt matter as much. After graduating in 2006, Murphy departed Eau Claire for law school. When I was in college there was never any desire among my friends to stay in Eau Claire, he said. After law school, Murphy ended up in Washington D.C., where he stayed for a while. Its a great town for young professionals, he said. It has lots of arts and culture. You name it. Thats the sort of thing that draws young employees and new college graduates. Flexible jobs, fringe benefits The 40-hour work week has long been the standard of American employment, and along the way a few benefits have been added in such as retirements, insurance and even paid vacation. But those things arent always enough to entice young workers. They dont want to do what people were doing 20 years ago, said Kelsie Beckfield, president of the Chippewa Valley Society of Human Resources Management. SHRM is a member-based organization that promotes networking and the use of best practices in the human resources field. All told, the group has between 250 and 300 member HR professionals throughout the Chippewa Valley. For Beckfield, SHRM is only something she does on the side. In her full-time job she works in human resources for Nestle in Eau Claire. That company recently began offering up to 14 weeks paid maternity leave. Federal law only mandates that employers offer 12 weeks of unpaid maternity leave. Its just to say, Hey, we know work-life balances are important, Beckfield said of her employer. Other fringe benefits likely to be seen more often in coming years include things like telecommuting and more casual work environments. Youre going to see more and more flexible perks like that used as recruiting tools, she added. Work still matters This doesnt mean, though, that the work is unimportant. Staci Heidtke, associate director of career services at UW-Eau Claire, explained that college graduates have long wanted to find jobs closely related to their major and in line with their interests, and that hasnt changed. Students tell me they want to do work thats interesting and thats fulfilling, Heidtke said. For the most part, (students) are trying to figure out what makes them happy. While the desire for flexible work schedules and fringe benefits has certainly escalated in the last several years, Beckfield said that members of the SHRM know that those things are nothing new. Its always been a factor, she said. Not only that but it isnt just the entry-level employees that are enticed by these perks. Its not only millennials and younger workers that want this. If its brought to the area, the older workers want this, too, Beckfield said. It is merely that the younger generations are leading the charge for these benefits in ways that older workers have not done so or are not likely to. Another change in the way younger workers approach their career lies in how they view the importance of longevity with employers. New graduates do really think about the job they get after graduation as their first job, Heidtke said. Its not their only job. Thats different from even just 10 or 15 years ago. You are going to have your first job and then you are going to have another job. Things are a little different over at Chippewa Valley Technical College. Many of its students are non-traditional, and so are more likely to already have roots in the local community. They often arent going anywhere. Several of the companies SHRM works with communicate directly with CVTC to fill their technical jobs. (Companies) are actually bringing their machines to the tech and putting them directly in the curriculum, Heidtke said. That kind of cooperation ensures the companies get workers with the skills they need. As a result, CVTC has a very high post-graduation employment rate. Practically everyone who is about to graduate already has a job offer, she said. Change is coming While Wagners friends may have left the home of their alma mater in search of greener creative pastures, the 25-year-old Eau Claire native said that big things are happening in the Chippewa Valley that are helping to turn it into the type of community that offers those amenities that young people want. Between the downtown renovations in Eau Claire that include the Confluence Project, to revitalization efforts throughout other cities in the Chippewa Valley, the areas communities are coming together in a big way to stand out from the pack. The middle-of-nowhere feel that one gets in some cities is not anywhere to be found here. Another reason for that is the group of new venues for the arts and culture that are beginning to appear around the Chippewa Valley. Those things are coming to fruition, Wagner said, likening some more recent developments in Eau Claire to amenities that already existed in larger cities. (The city) is opening up to a new and different scene. Those ideas are starting to come out of the woodwork. And thats part of what has kept Wagner here: the realization of those non job-related aspects of her life. I have a certain motivation to stay and watch the scene grow, she said. Murphy, who recently moved back to Eau Claire and now works for the Ruder Ware law firm, agreed. Downtown (Eau Claire) is a diamond thats being shined up, he said. Heidtke said the recent development is making the Chippewa Valley a more viable post-graduation destination for the universitys students. That really appeals to students to have something to do when they arent working, she said. The changes have come quickly. Just a decade ago when Murphy was accepting his diploma, Eau Claire looked very different. He described a city that didnt have much of an arts or culture scene. Young professionals dont want to hang out on Water Street, but they are also not the family restaurant crowd, he added. Theres places to do that now, where 10 years ago there was Water Street and Applebees. The following editorial was published by The Janesville Gazette on Friday, April 29: It was disappointing but not surprising the Janesville School Board again shot down a spousal surcharge for health care. The surprise was that the reasonable proposal fell so soundly, on a 6-3 vote. Kevin Murray, Cathy Myers, Carla Quirk, Dale Thompson, Greg Ardrey and newcomer Jim Millard rejected it. Most or all of them have enjoyed union support in their election campaigns. Most have worked in the district, have ties to the district or work in education elsewhere. Most were or still are in unions. Some helped lead unions. Five years after Gov. Scott Walkers Act 10 supposedly devastated public employee unions statewide, union influence is still clear in Janesville. Board member Steve Huth retired from the Janesville district. Yet he joined longtime surcharge advocate Bill Sodemann and newcomer Michelle Haworth in voting for this modest $50 fee. Last spring, after the election but before newly elected members were seated, the board approved a $150 monthly surcharge for employees whose spouses have insurance available through their employers but instead choose to use the school districts generous coverage. After Huth and other newcomers were seated, the board voted again and this time rejected the surcharge. At an earlier benefits committee meeting, Huth said he thought that fee $1,800 per year was too high. But employees he recently spoke with thought $50 was fair and reasonable. Myers, an Illinois teacher, noted that the Janesville staff is paying more for premiums and deductibles and advocated shared sacrifice a union mantra. What message are we sending people if we target the spouses of employees? Myers said Tuesday. Why would they stay, is my concern. I think instead of begrudging our employees a good health plan, I think we need to be selling it as a way to attract people to this field and to this district. But what message does this decision tell taxpayers, the vast majority of whom work in the private sector and wonder why district benefits shouldnt be more like what companies offer? What message does this send to single district employees? If you assume the district has only so much money for health care, which now costs $9.8 million, why should single people pay a little more in premiums or deductibles to subsidize those who keep spouses on the plan? Its clear why couples would want to use the plan. After all, last year a consultant suggested Janesvilles plan might have the lowest employee costs and best benefits statewide. No one begrudges a good health plan. Even had the fee passed, its so generous that it would attract rather than chase employees. Thats why, after the $150 fee passed, three-fourths of affected couples would have paid the fee. The modified $50 surcharge proposal was good in principle, a small step in the right direction. Advocates suggested it would affect about 300 employees and save $180,000 through the fees and spouses leaving the plan. Each spouse costs the district about $400 per month for health care. Remember that savings number during future budget talks, when the board must cut teachers or programs or cant afford to hire instructors for enrollment spikes. District money is limited, and residents expect the board to balance reasonable benefits against spending that educates kids. As Sodemann and former board member David DiStefano whom the union managed to vote out of office last year have suggested, why should district taxpayers subsidize businesses by covering health care for their employees whose spouses work in the district and tap its generous benefit? That, Sodemann said Tuesday, is very logical and very sound. Unfortunately, not in the minds of most board members. Egyptian native Michael Youssef returns to homeland to preach while government protestors clamor outside church 03 May, 2016 by Tobin Perry , | CAIRO, Egypt (Christian Examiner) Michael Youssef's Leading the Way ministry says at least 500 people came to faith in Jesus during a three-day evangelistic event in Cairo, Egypt, last month. According to the ministry's website, more than 5,000 people attended one of the services in person along with "millions more watching live via satellite television." "Whatever your bondage may bewhether it's alcohol, gambling or pornography, sexual addictions or drug addictionsJesus can set you free tonight." "My beloved friends, a day is comingand it may be sooner than we thinkwhen there will be only two lists, those who are saved and those who are lost, those who have received Jesus as their only Savior in life and those who had their own ideas of who God is and what He should be," Youssef told the audience on the first day. "Where will your name be?" Youssef's messages, which were translated from English into Arabic, focused on "salvation in Christ and victory over sin and addiction," according the ministry website. Youssef grew up in Egypt and later moved to Australia and attended Moore Theological College. In 1977 he moved to the United States where he received a master's degree from Fuller Theological Seminary and a Ph.D. from Emory University. In 1987 he started The Church of The Apostles in Atlanta, an independent Anglican congregation. Youssef's sermons at Cairo's Kasr El-Dobora Church were broadcasted on two satellite channels and reached 160 million homes worldwide, says Joshua Youssef, executive vice president of Leading the Way. He also added that people came to faith in Christ on the first evening of the event despite government protests outside of the church. Yousef's messages directed at those struggling with addictions come during a critical time in the Middle Eastern country. The L.A. Times reported in 2013 that the social upheaval since 2011 has led to an increase in drug addiction in Egypt. GulfNews.com cites "official figures" claiming five million of the country's 90 million people are addicted to drugs. Pornography, which Youssef spoke about multiple times during the four sermons over three days, has also increased in the Middle East in recent years. A 2015 article on Salon.com said that six of the eight highest porn-searching countries were predominantly Muslimincluding Egypt at number two. During the fourth of Youssef's Cairo sermons he assured the people that he had come to Egypt to bring them Good News. "Whatever your bondage may bewhether it's alcohol, gambling or pornography, sexual addictions or drug addictionsJesus can set you free tonight," Youssef said. "He is the God of power and might. If you don't allow Jesus to deliver you from whatever you are hooked on, you will end up being cynical in life." Youssef asked Christians to pray for those who made commitments during the Cairo events and that those who came to faith will find opportunities for personal discipleship. He also asks Christians to pray that God will bring a mighty move of His Spirit to the city and country. One hundred and ninety troops from James Stephens barracks are Lebanon-bound having completed their ministerial review at the Castle yesterday. Under the command of Lt Col Stephen Ryan, the 53rd Infantry group were inspected by Minister of State at the department of dDefence, Paul Kehoe TD before marching down The Parade, up High Street, through the Market Yard and back to barracks via Johns Bridge. Families, friends and well-wishers atttended the function at the Castle Park where the army band played, and also marched in front of the infantry group through the city. Among the 190 strong group were Sergeant Ruth Comerford and private Matty Comerford, brother and sister and travelling on their first mission together. Sergeant Comerford is one of nine women in the 190 strong force which has an average age of 34. Intensive training The soldiers, 68 of whom are on their first mission overseas, have undergone intensive training and they will join 335 Finnish troups deployed as part of the Finn Irish battalion. Also in attendance were Cathaoirleach of Kilkenny County Council Mary Hilda Cavanagh, Mayor Joe Malone, local councillors and Chief Executive of Kilkenny local authority Colette Byrne. The dignatories took the salute at the Tholsel which was specially prepared for the march past. Battery Sergeant Patsy O' Driscoll is about to embark on his 15th mission. Debt is an ugly four-letter word. It comes in all shapes and sizes, and generally includes mortgages, auto and student loans, credits cards and more. In fact, as of December 2015, an average American household was estimated to have $130,922 in debt (opens in new tab), with $15,762 belonging to credit cards. Even more staggering is the total $733 billion of credit card debt owned by U.S. consumers coming into this year. As credit card debt is considered to be a costly threat to your financial success (and one of the worst kinds of debt), it's often reviewed first when putting together a financial plan. One overlooked question, however, is what comes next. What if you stuck to your plan and got those pesky credit card balances down to zero? What steps can you take to ensure you don't rack up those bills again? Below are my top three recommendations for keeping those credit card balances in check now that you've greatly reduced or eliminated your debt. Subscribe to Kiplingers Personal Finance Be a smarter, better informed investor. Save up to 74% Sign up for Kiplingers Free E-Newsletters Profit and prosper with the best of Kiplingers expert advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and more - straight to your e-mail. Profit and prosper with the best of Kiplingers expert advice - straight to your e-mail. Sign up Cut Up Those Credit Cards As cliche as that image has become, this is an essential first step. There are a lot of psychological factors that go into acquiring debt, and if you were prone to racking up debt in the past, chances are you are prone to do it again. Don't take the risk. Cut up your credit cards and rely on a bank debit card. This will ensure you only spend the money you actually havenot the funds your credit card company so generously lets you borrow. Check Yourself and Remain Accountable Accountability is key when it comes to keeping credit card balances in check. At a minimum, schedule an annual financial check-up to build in that accountability. This can be done in a variety of waysbe it with a family member, a spouse, financial planner or even YOURSELF. Knowing that this event is on the calendar will hopefully provide you with the needed motivation to stay on track. With the advent of technology, mobility and online resources, it's now possible to find solutions to virtually anything using tech tools. Why not leverage technology to get a comprehensive view of your financial well-being? You can do this with the help of a financial professional or even complimentary sites, such as mint.com. Use these tools to track your spending or set budgets, and make it a habit to log in once per week to ensure consistency and results. While there are plenty of reasons people fall into debt, more often than not, debt begins to spiral out of control because people neglect their finances. They are afraid to look, and by the time they get the courageit's too late. Be proactive, take control and use the necessary tools to stay on track of your debt. The less you owe, the more you own, and the better chances of a successful financial life. Taylor Schulte, CFP is founder and CEO of Define Financial (opens in new tab), a San Diego-based fee-only firm. He is passionate about helping clients accumulate wealth and plan for retirement. New Homeschool Courses Teach the Next Generation About Biblical Calling and Economic Thinking Contact: Kristin Brown, Institute for Faith, Work & Economics, 703-962-7877 MCLEAN, Va., May 4, 2016 /Christian Newswire/ -- Two new high school courses released Wednesday by the Institute for Faith, Work & Economics (IFWE) seek to equip the next generation of young people to make an impact in the world for Christ through their work. Understanding God's Calling and Biblical Foundations for the Economic Way of Thinking are courses designed for homeschool students but can be used in a variety of educational settings, including Christian schools, churches, and small groups. "It's encouraging that young people today are driven to make a difference in the world," said author and theologian Dr. Art Lindsley, who authored the course on calling. "Sadly, few have a biblical framework for understanding God's calling in work, family, church, and community." Without that biblical underpinning, tremendous potential is lost, he said. Lindsley's curriculum, Understanding God's Calling, is a 17-module course that guides high school students through an in-depth biblical exploration of calling, vocation, and personal gifting. Lindsley serves as the vice president of theological initiatives at IFWE and is also the author of C.S. Lewis' Case for Christ, True Truth, and Love, the Ultimate Apologetic. Economist Dr. Anne Bradley is driven to help others, particularly young people, understand the importance of the economic way of thinking in the everyday choices of life. "Economics is just a fancy word for understanding the process of making choices under conditions of scarcity," she said. "Guess what? You already do this on a daily basis." Bradley explained that economics is important to learn at an early age because it helps children integrate God-pleasing decision-making into their lives. "Making God-pleasing decisions is what we're called to do," she said. "It's why we're here, and it's how we're going to make lasting contributions to God's kingdom." Bradley's course, Biblical Foundations for the Economic Way of Thinking, introduces high school students to economics as a critical element for pursuing God's will and wise decision-making. This 17-module course is unique in its emphasis on learning the biblical foundations for economics. Dr. Anne Bradley serves as vice president of economic initiatives at the Institute for Faith, Work & Economics (IFWE) and is a mom of two young children. IFWE is offering 50% off both the economic and calling courses through May 31, 2016. Use code IFWENEWS50 in the IFWE bookstore. Free downloadable sample lessons from both courses are available at IFWEHomeschool.com. Share Tweet Personal finance experts love to tell people how much they can save by giving up Starbucks. And its true. A cup-a-day habit can add up to a thousand bucks or more every year. But well spare you the speech. Instead, well teach you a few tricks for spending less at Starbucks. That way, you can keep more money in your pocket without giving up caffeine cold turkey. The simplest way to save is to join the Starbucks Rewards Program. Members get a birthday freebie and free in-store refills. Plus, youll earn a free drink once you spend enough. Subscribe to Kiplingers Personal Finance Be a smarter, better informed investor. Save up to 74% Sign up for Kiplingers Free E-Newsletters Profit and prosper with the best of Kiplingers expert advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and more - straight to your e-mail. Profit and prosper with the best of Kiplingers expert advice - straight to your e-mail. Sign up Another thrifty trick is ordering a short coffee. The smaller, cheaper serving size isnt advertised, but its usually available. You can also save by bringing your own re-usable cup. Yet another trick: Buy discount Starbucks gift cards online. We recently found some selling for 10% off face value on Cardpool.com. Check out more ways to save money at Starbucks. (Kitco News) - Gold prices are modestly lower in early U.S. trading Wednesday, on some follow-through selling and profit-taking pressure that surfaced Tuesday. However, gold prices are up from the overnight low following a disappointing U.S. ADP jobs number that was just released. June Comex gold futures were last down $1.50 an ounce at $1,290.40. July Comex silver was last down $0.039 at $17.46 an ounce. The U.S. ADP national employment report just issued showed a gain of 156,000 in April, which was well below expectations of a rise of around 200,000. The weak number immediately gave a boost to the gold market, which had been trading down over $10 an ounce on the day. Traders and investors are looking ahead to Fridays U.S. jobs report for April from the Labor Departmentarguably the most important U.S. economic report of the month. The key non-farm payrolls number is expected to show a rise of 205,000 in April. However, the just-released ADP number calls into question whether the Friday jobs number can meet expectations. World stock markets were mostly weaker overnight in lackluster trading. Japans markets were closed for a holiday. U.S. stock indexes are pointed toward lower openings when the New York session begins. The key outside markets on Wednesday find the U.S. dollar index higher on more short covering after prices hit an eight-month low on Tuesday. The rebound in the greenback at mid-week has put some selling pressure into raw commodity markets. Nymex crude oil prices are slightly higher in early U.S. trading Wednesday and hovering just below $44.00 a barrel. There is a heavy slate of U.S. economic data due for release Wednesday, including the weekly MBA mortgage applications survey, the ADP national employment report, preliminary productivity and costs, the U.S. services PMI, manufacturers shipments and inventories, the ISM non-manufacturing report on business, the weekly DOE liquid energy stocks report, and the international trade report. (Note: Follow me on Twitter--@jimwyckoff--for breaking market news.) Wyckoffs Daily Risk Rating: 2.5 (Trader and investor market risk aversion is not elevated today.) (Wyckoffs Daily Risk Rating is your way to quickly gauge investor risk appetite in the world market place each day. Each day I assess the risk-on or risk-off trader mentality in the market place with a numerical reading of 1 to 5, with 1 being least risk-averse (most risk-on) and 5 being the most risk-averse (risk-off). Technically, June gold futures bulls still have the solid overall near-term technical advantage. Bulls next upside near-term price breakout objective is to produce a close above solid technical resistance at this weeks high of $1,306.00. Bears' next near-term downside price breakout objective is closing prices below solid technical support at $1,250.00. First resistance is seen at $1,300.00 and then at $1,306.00. First support is seen at the overnight low of 1,277.30 and then at $1,272.40. Wyckoffs Market Rating: 7.5 July silver bulls have the firm overall near-term technical advantage as prices hit a 15-month high Monday. However, a bearish key reversal down on the daily chart that has just occurred does hint that a near-term market top is in place. Silver bulls next upside price breakout objective is closing futures prices above solid technical resistance at this weeks high of $18.06 an ounce. The next downside price breakout objective for the bears is closing prices below solid support at $17.00. First resistance is at Tuesdays high of $17.76 and then at Mondays high of $18.06. Next support is seen at the overnight low of $17.215 and then at $17.00. Wyckoff's Market Rating: 7.0. By Jim Wyckoff, contributing to Kitco News; jwyckoff@kitco.com Follow @KitcoNewsNOW (Kitco News) - Although David Einhorn, president of Greenlight Capital has yet to speak at the Sohn Investment Conference, which raises money for charity, gold has already been the hot topic of the day. Earlier in the afternoon, billionaire investor Stanley Druckenmiller and former chief executive officer of Duquesne Family Office, extensively criticized the Federal Reserve and recommended investors sell stocks and buy gold. He warned that the U.S. central bank has no end game and that its policies are raising the odds of the economic tail risk that it is trying to avoid. He also said that the Feds dovish policies has created "recklessness at the government and corporate level. He added that the easy money that led to the housing bubble doesnt even compare to the current environment. Looking at the stock market, he noted that the seven-year bull market has exhausted itself and that investors should get out and buy gold. Three years ago on this stage I criticized the rationale of Fed policy but drew a bullish intermediate conclusion as the weight of the evidence suggested the tidal wave of central bank money worldwide would still propel financial assets higher. I now feel the weight of the evidence has shifted the other way; higher valuations, he said in his 20-minute presentation. Druckenmiller was also fairly negative on China, saying that credit growth has accompanied a sharp fall in the nations nominal gross domestic product, a toxic combo. The gold market appears to have liked Druckenmillers comments, the metal got a small rally, off the session lows at the same time as his presentation. In electronic markets, June Comex Gold Futures last traded at $1,281.5, down $10.30 on the day but well off its lows. For 21 years the Sohn Investment Conference has brought together some of the biggest hedge funds in the world to present their best investment ideas for the year, in an effort to raise money pediatric cancer research. According to the foundations website, last year it raised $4 million for cancer research. Although gold prices are $1,300 an ounce and off their 15-month highs seen earlier in the week, the market is still up almost 21% since the start of the year. By Neils Christensen of Kitco News; nchristensen@kitco.com Follow @Neils_C LARRY STEAGALL / KITSAP SUN Jake Angel talks with a customer at Jake's Pickup, his gourmet takeout restaurant located in the same building as the Chevron station on High School Road on Bainbridge Island. By Terri Gleich, Special to the Kitsap Sun BAINBRIDGE ISLAND Jacob Angel cooks mostly organic comfort food in a state-of-the art kitchen that just happens to be in the back of a Bainbridge Island gas station. It's the kind of road food that he and wife Kristi searched for in vain during a decade of crisscrossing the country for high-end catering jobs. Angel calls it gourmet fast food. He bakes his own bread, including sinfully buttery rolls for his Memphis-style pulled pork sandwiches, and buys produce, eggs and meat directly from local farmers, who deliver to the gas station daily. "We make everything from scratch, all our own bread, buns, pizza crust, sauces and pastries. We smoke, braise, roast or fry all the meats in-house. It's a tremendous amount of prep," he said. Angel's style reflects his Memphis upbringing, his mother's Brooklyn roots and the Pacific Northwest chops he earned as head chef at The Orcas Hotel and Christina's Food and Wine, a ritzy Orcas Island eatery that drew celebrity guests. Thin and bounding with energy, Angel has known his way around a kitchen since he started helping his mom, Barbara Angel, at age 3. He was working for a Memphis barbecue restaurant by age 15 and put himself through the University of Alabama with his culinary talents. Originally, he dreamed of being a children's book illustrator, but his mom said he was always drawn to the kitchen. "I would come home from work and he'd have made a five-course meal," Barbara Angel recalled. "I told him, wouldn't it be fun to do what you love for a living." Deciding to channel his creativity into cooking, Jacob Angel went to culinary school and studied baking with a French pastry chef in Colorado before heading to the San Juan Islands. Now Angel's mom works for him, baking treats that include gluten-free oatmeal, chocolate and chocolate chip cookies dubbed "better than gluten" by the customers who devour them. And Jacob Angel satisfies his artistic side by creating multihued chopped salads and picture-perfect entrees. Kristi Angel also is an artist and also works at the restaurant, covering the busy lunch shift while their son, 4-year-old Jaydin, is at preschool. The couple decided to leave Orcas Island to be closer to family and to have more opportunities for the little guy. Angel first planned to start a food truck that's where the name Jake's Pickup comes from but when he approached the owners of the Bainbridge Chevron about parking at their station, they had a better idea. They bought a gas station in foreclosure across the street, gutted it and built a new convenience store with a kitchen for Angel. That station now is the Chevron, and the old location on the southwest corner of Highway 305 and High School Road has been razed. Angel designed his workspace from scratch, fitting a full-scale kitchen and bakery into 350 square feet. He calls it his permanent food truck and said, "It rivals any high-end kitchen I've ever worked in." Situated about a mile from the Bainbridge ferry terminal, the 2-year-old cafe is perfectly positioned to feed ferry passengers. Some restaurants gear up for breakfast, lunch and dinner; Angel said he focuses on ferry sailings. "Every hour, every boat, there's a surge of excitement that runs through Jake's." One of Angel's signature dishes is hickory-smoked pulled pork, which he also serves at his Bainbridge Island Farmers Market stand. The sauce is a fragrant mix of local tomatoes, honey, maple syrup and molasses. Sandwiches run $9 and are topped with coleslaw and served on rolls that took Angel a year to perfect. The pulled pork is also available with two eggs as a breakfast dish for $7. Smoked pork shoulder shines through in Jake's popular Tri-Power Burger, which also includes bacon and grass-fed beef in a quarter-pound patty that's topped with roasted tomato remoulade. Angel calls it "a serious ride to flavor town" and likes to think it might attract Guy Fieri of the Food Network show "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives." Breakfasts run $4 to $10 and he offers a $5.99 egg sandwich special from 6-8 a.m. Most lunch entrees cost around $10. Many menu items are family recipes with a twist. He serves his mom's tuna salad, which replaces most of the mayonnaise with cottage cheese, but ups the gourmet quotient by using sushi-grade tuna. He makes her roasted turkey his own by serving it with basil aioli on a house-made French hoagie roll. On Thursdays, his grandmother's salmon cakes are on the menu. "Everything I do has got something in it from someone who helped raise me," Angel said. There is one creation that's all his, though the Sconenut. A cross between a scone and a doughnut, Angel said it's moister than a scone, but healthier than a doughnut because it's not fried. The treats come in various flavors and he said they are small enough that customers can eat one a day without feeling guilty. In addition to his standard menu items, Angel is also inspired to create daily selections based on whatever's delivered fresh by the farmers. That might be collard greens sweetened naturally with carrots and carrot tops or a "chop shop" salad with purple shooting broccoli sprouts, radish, cauliflower shoots, mint and homemade ranch dressing. "Jake is as enthusiastic about local food and incorporating it into his product as any chef I've experienced in 40 years," said Brian MacWhorter of Butler Green Farms, who supplies the restaurant with chicken, eggs and vegetables. "He's just doing amazing things and he's serving that food in a gas station." The cafe recently expanded its hours to be open on Sundays and stay open later on Saturdays. When the place is closed, customers can still get Angel's cooking from a grab-and-go cooler and freezer in the convenience store. Eventually, the chef hopes to use the diner to launch his own products. He's already partnered with a local roaster to develop Jake's Pickup coffee blend. In keeping with the car theme, it's available "leaded" or "unleaded." Customers are enthusiastic about his efforts: "All three generations of my family are regulars here," said Bill McCoy, who is often accompanied to Jake's by his mom and his teenage son. "Any place that can get a 13-year-old to eat caramelized onions and goat cheese is a pretty good place." Jake's Pickup Where: 406 High School Road NE, Bainbridge Island Hours: 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily Info: 206-842-5595 or jakespickup.com SHARE By Ed Friedrich of the Kitsap Sun BANGOR The Navy can't discuss how it's trying to prevent drones from illegally flying over Naval Base Kitsap-Bangor, home to eight ballistic-missile submarines. Officials did provide a few more details Tuesday about several incidents involving unmanned aircraft over the past few months. Most important, the overflights haven't posed a physical threat, said Navy Region Northwest spokeswoman Sheila Murray. An unspecified number of drones have been spotted by service members and civilians on base. They've been seen at all times of day, in a variety of places and have come from off base. The Federal Aviation Administration designated the airspace above the base as "prohibited" in May 2005 at the Navy's request. Besides the base, the area extends to the water across Hood Canal and the Navy-owned portion of Toandos Peninsula. Penalties range widely, from $1,000 to $250,000, with additional fines for damages or injuries caused by the device, Murray said. Aircraft must fly at least 2,500 feet over the base, which eliminates drones because they're restricted to no more than 400 feet off the ground. They also must remain in the pilot's sight. Navy officials wouldn't speculate on the operators' motives, preferring only to emphasize how hazardous the behavior could be. The officials also don't give away tactics. "We don't discuss our security posture, but we are committed to the safety and security of our community, our personnel and our installation," Murray said. The ability to track drones is considered force protection. The Navy doesn't talk about specific capabilities and locations of those systems. It also doesn't discuss specific rules for use of force. "However, we always have the right and responsibility to self-defense," Murray said. Navy officials are working with the FAA and local law enforcement agencies to investigate and eventually prosecute those who fly drones into the national security area. Some drones can be seen on radar, but others can't because they fly too low or are too small, FAA spokesman Allen Kenitzer said. All drones of more than 0.55 pounds must be registered with the agency. Kenitzer suggested the Bangor culprits are just exploring. "I think it's more likely that people are just curious," he said. "They have this (new) capability. It's cool to fly and look at the neat stuff they (the Navy) have over there, even though they're not supposed to." The Navy re-emphasized that if anyone sees a drone to call 360-396-4444. If possible, take a photo or video for the security team. Drones operating illegally also can be reported to Kenitzer at 425-227-2015 or allen.kenitzer@faa.gov, or the operations center at 425-227-02015. SHARE By Ed Friedrich of the Kitsap Sun BREMERTON Kitsap Transit's board of commissioners renewed a Rich Passage beach monitoring contract for $204,000 Tuesday, including $44,000 from non-ferry funds. Monitoring is necessary to maintain an up-to-date baseline of shoreline conditions to compare with those after potential future passenger-only ferry operations, Executive Director John Clauson said. The board voted April 5 to place a measure to provide fast ferry service from Bremerton, Kingston and Southworth to downtown Seattle on the November ballot. It would require a sales tax increase of 3 cents per $10 purchase. Board member and Port Orchard Mayor Rob Putaansuu asked whether the agency should wait to see if the measure succeeds. The beach baseline needs to be kept current to accurately measure the effects of the ferry, Clauson said. Is it insurance against a lawsuit like one that shut down the state fast ferries, board member and Bremerton Councilman Richard Huddy asked. "That's probably one way to look at it, yes," Clauson said. "It maintains that confidence level in the science." The agency had $160,000 in its capital budget to put toward the monitoring. The remaining $44,000 must come from local transit funds. For that reason, board member and Poulsbo Mayor Becky Erickson voted against it. Since Kitsap Transit took over the low-wake research project from Washington State Ferries in 2005, it has emphasized that no bus money be diverted to the ferry. The agency received $13 million in federal grants to design, build and test a low-wake vessel the 118-passenger Rich Passage 1 capable of sailing between Bremerton and Seattle in 30 minutes without harming the beaches. Those federal funds have been exhausted, Clauson said Tuesday. Erickson earlier questioned the legality of a sole-source contract with Golder Associates, which has performed the monitoring since 2007. Agency attorney Ron Templeton said it's OK because Golder is the only firm with the history to continue the monitoring in an economical and timely manner. Erickson said she'd still like to get fresh eyes on the research. The contract extension runs through the end of the year. Should the ballot measure pass, the contract would need to be renewed again. Service between Bremerton and Seattle would begin in the summer. Golder scientists monitored the beaches in fall 2012 when Rich Passage 1 carried passengers for four months as part of the wake research. The ferry made five round trips six days a week. Golder published a report afterward stating that beach response to the ferry's wake was within seasonal variations. The lead scientist recommended not starting with more than 30 round trips a week, the same as during testing, and watch for effects as sailings are gradually added. Tibetan Buddhist monks Lobsang Tsundu (left) and Konchuk Jampa work on the Medicine Buddha sand mandala Tuesday at the Bainbridge Island Museum of Art. The monks are visiting from Gaden Shartse Phukhang Monastery in India and will be creating the mandala throughout the week. MEEGAN M. REID / KITSAP SUN SHARE Tibetan monk Lobsang Tsundu works on the intricate detail of the Medicine Buddha sand mandala Tuesday at the Bainbridge Island Museum of Art. MEEGAN M. REID / KITSAP SUN Tibetan monk Lobsang Tsundu works on the intricate detail of the Medicine Buddha sand mandala Tuesday at the Bainbridge Island Museum of Art. MEEGAN M. REID / KITSAP SUN Geshe Phuntsho clasps his hands together as he and his fellow Tibetan Buddhist monks from Gaden Shartse Phukhang Monastery in India hold a blessing ceremony before starting their Medicine Buddha sand mandala Tuesday at the Bainbridge Island Museum of Art. MEEGAN M. REID / KITSAP SUN Museum patrons look on as Tibetan Buddhist monks Konchuk Jampa (left) and Lobsang Tsundu work on the Medicine Buddha on Tuesday at the Bainbridge Island Museum of Art. MEEGAN M. REID / KITSAP SUN By Terri Gleich, Special to the Kitsap Sun BAINBRIDGE ISLAND Working silently and with intense concentration, two Buddhist monks began creating an intricate sand mandala Tuesday at the Bainbridge Island Museum of Art in an exhibition that is both art and a sacred meditation on healing. Also known as lamas, the monks from the Gaden Shartse Phukhang Monastery in Southern India are expected to work until noon Saturday creating the Medicine Buddha design a few grains of colored sand at a time. Once completed, museum visitors will have only a few hours to appreciate the finished work before it is swept away in a reminder of life's impermanence. The exhibition is part of a two-year Sacred Arts of Tibet Tour that is aimed at cultural outreach as well as fundraising for the monastery, which provides refuge and education for exiles from Tibet and other parts of the world. Geshe Phuntsho, one of six monks visiting Bainbridge on the tour, said that about 80 percent of the lamas in his overcrowded monastery are fleeing China's repressive rule of Tibet and most are between 10 and 25 years old. Money raised on the tour will be used for building improvements, medical needs, teachers' salaries and day-to-day operations. The college at the monastery has more than 1,600 resident students, teachers and spiritual practitioners and is considered a leader in the field of Buddhist and Tibetan studies, according to the tour website. A documentary about the monastic college is playing this week in the museum auditorium. Sand mandalas are a specialized art form, and it takes monks who choose to learn the practice up to six years to become masters. Only two of the six lamas visiting Bainbridge are creating the symmetrical sand design. After a blessing ceremony Tuesday morning with all of the monks chanting and praying to purify the space, the two artists deftly began placing the sand along lines drawn Monday on a blue cloth-covered platform. They rubbed pointed foot-long silver pipes against each other, creating a gentle hum. The resulting vibrations released almost imperceptible streams of yellow, pink, green, black, periwinkle and burnt sienna sand. The specific design is of the Buddha of Healing and is considered a manifestation of the healing energy of all enlightened beings. Channing Peters, a Bainbridge Buddhist who planned a private Tuesday night fundraiser for the monks, was enthralled by the display and plans to be at the museum every day this week to watch the mandala develop. "This is an absolute thrill for me. I never thought in my lifetime I would get to experience a sand mandala creation live," she said. Bob Ruch, who sponsored the monks' visit, said he hopes to raise $5,000 for the monastery this week. In addition to the Peters' event, the lamas are raising money by offering house-blessing ceremonies for $350. This is the fourth time Ruch has brought the monks to Bainbridge, and the second time they've created a mandala. The last visit was in 2008. A student of Buddhism, Ruch said he wanted to expose Bainbridge Island residents to the ritual of the mandala, which is considered a container for blessings, power and well-being. One of the most striking things about the spiritual practice is that the monks quickly erase their hours of work. Phuntsho said the lamas will perform a sweeping ceremony at the museum at 3 p.m. Saturday. Everyone who attends will receive a few grains of sand as a blessing. The rest will be poured into Eagle Harbor to send healing energy out into the world. The destruction of the mandala underscores both the impermanence of life and its importance, said Phuntsho, who is available during the mandala creation to answer questions about Buddhism, meditation and the Medicine Buddha. "You have a precious opportunity to make proper use of this life to create peace or happiness or harmony or prosperity and to make the world more beautiful," he said. "The more we try to make use of our own life, the more there's a beauty to our life." Sacred Arts of Tibet Where: Bainbridge Island Museum of Art, 550 Winslow Way E. Cost: Free Hours: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday; noon to 8 p.m. Friday; 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday Sweeping ceremony: 3 p.m. Saturday followed by a walk to Eagle Harbor to pour the sand into the water. Info: To contribute to the Gaden Shartse Phukhang Monastery or schedule a house blessing by the monks, contact Bob Ruch at 206-842-7845 or 206-795-9556. SHARE Erik Nervik, Grapeview Lose the supermajority on bonds Now twice in a season voters have rejected a bond to build a much-needed second high school in South Kitsap. The first measure had more than 59 percent in support, and the current looks to be about 59 percent as well. However, bond require 60 percent in order to pass. I believe the Legislature should revisit this philosophy and revise this to a simple majority. We have a system set up where 41 percent can veto a measure that is widely supported. I graduated from South Kitsap High School and personally observed the overcrowding, but it goes beyond that one issue. Education is essential to society, and maintaining adequate schools should not be an issue where a minority can log jam the majority. After all, this bond received more "yes" votes that most elected officials in Kitsap County get! I will be writing my legislators to ask that they 60 percent majority for bond be revisited. home World American senator calls for U.S. to open its doors to more Syrian Christian refugees American senator Tom Cotton from Arkansas calls for the United States to open its doors to Syrian Christian refugees who have fled their homes due to religious persecutions. Cotton told the senate back in March that "Christianity is the most persecuted religion in the world." He shared the story of a Syrian Christian minister and his 12-year-old son who were executed six months ago for not renouncing their faith. The terrorists cut off the boy's fingers and challenged his father to renounce his faith as a Christian and go back to Islam to save the boy from further suffering. They were both murdered, however, by means of crucifixion. The cross is a symbol of salvation to Christians because it was on the cross that Jesus Christ suffered and died for the sins of many. Today, the terrorists use the cross to strike fear among Christians. Prior to Cotton's statement, John Kerry, Secretary of State, had already testified in House subcommittee that there is a need to reevaluate the Islamic State's (IS) practice of genocide. Kerry later on declared that the IS was actually practicing genocide. He made this declaration the same day that Cotton made his statement. However, despite the fact that Syrian Christians are facing massive genocide, these Christians have very slim chance of being admitted into the United States as well as other Western countries as refugees, as pointed out by The Guardian. In his speech before the senate, Cotton pointed out that according to the State Department, no more than one percent of Syrian refugees admitted into the United States are members of religious minorities, according to the State Department. The senator added that this underrepresentation, however, is not because of discrimination. The members of these religious minorities reportedly chose not to register under their organization because of fear. Consequently, Cotton introduced "Religious Persecution Relief Act." This act proposes to allow the entry of around 10,000 Christian refugees and members of other religious minorities from Syria into the United States each year for the next five years. To ensure security, they will still go through the same scrutiny as other refugees from Syria. Amy Adams has announced: Communications Minister Amy Adams has welcomed todays signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between InternetNZ and the Ministry of Business, Innovation, and Employment (MBIE) on the management of the .nz domain name. The agreement will help ensure this important resource continues to be managed in a transparent way that supports the interests of the local internet community and end users of digital services, says Ms Adams. The Memorandum of Understanding sets expectations for how InternetNZ will operate the domain name in the interests of New Zealand internet users, and sets out a process for dealing with any concerns between parties. It provides a clear statement of how the relationship between InternetNZ and MBIE should operate. A stable, reliable, and responsive domain name system is a key part of a modern communications infrastructure. The success of the .nz domain name lies in consulting with, and being accountable to, New Zealand internet users, says Ms Adams. That accountability is key, and I think it is great to have this agreement. In many countries Governments run the country code top level domain or have passed laws dictating how it should be run. In New Zealand, we have an open multi stakeholder approach to Internet policy. The MOU is here. It is almost unique in the world to have a Government sign an agreement recognising that the country code top level domain should be run in accordance with RFC1591. They have also recognised the seven principles for top level domains that InternetNZ is guided by: Domain name markets should be competitive. Choice for registrants should be maintained and expanded. Domain registrations should be first come, first served. Parties to domain registrations should be on a level playing field. Registrant data should be public. Registry / Registrar operations within a TLD should be split. TLD policy should be determined by open multi-stakeholder processes The agreement also increases accountability for InternetNZ by setting out a process any complaints can be heard, and also requiring InternetNZ to regularly test the views of the Internet community on key issues. Its really pleasing to be in a country where the Government has such good policies towards the Internet. NB I am Chair of the .nz Domain Name Commission but wasnt involved in negotiating the MOU however I was one of those consulted on its details Share this: Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Reddit WhatsApp More Pinterest Print Tumblr Jeff Bohanan SHARE By Bob Fowler of the Knoxville News Sentinel OAK RIDGE The U.S. Department of Energy has declared as excess property 19.5 acres off Bethel Valley Road, and that's the key first step in a proposal to make the land available to a nearby, landlocked company in an expansion mode. Whether the move will lock in the Protomet Corp.'s plans to grow in place remains uncertain, and a spokesman for the company was noncommittal. "Protomet made its desire to remain in Oak Ridge clear from the beginning of this process," company spokesman Rick Laney said in an email. "We view this as a good first step, and as responsible business owners, we continue to explore all options and opportunities that could be advantageous to Protomet moving forward through this expansion and beyond." The company in February announced plans for a $30 million expansion to include a 100,000 square-foot addition and 200 new jobs over five years. The company is in Bethel Valley Industrial Park, next to the DOE property. Company CEO and founder Jeff Bohanan said in February that his company is on a tight timetable, needs to expand to meet customer demand, and that contracts are involved. Bohanan said then other locations for the expansion have been eyed. With the DOE decision, its excess property sought by Protomet can be conveyed to the Government Services Administration, which can then sell it to the industrial development board. That maneuver can shave several weeks off the ultimate plan for the board to sell the property to Protomet. An initial step, to have the property surveyed, would be undertaken by the Economic Development Initiative, a branch of the Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce that's underwritten by the city. The survey costs would be repaid through the land sale. Protomet doubled its Oak Ridge operation in 2013 by opening a $7 million, 40,000 square-foot expansion. The company specializes in high-precision production manufacturing and finishing and has in recent years expanded its presence in the boating industry. SUBMITTED An artist's conception of a $5 million expansion underway at Brookdale Sandy Springs Senior Living Facility in Maryville. SHARE By Ed Marcum of the Knoxville News Sentinel Alcoa-based Hickory Construction Inc. is nearing its 40th year in business and well into a $5 million expansion of the Brookdale Sandy Springs Senior Living Facility. in Maryville. "We should be out of there by December," John McMillan, vice president of marketing for the construction firm said Wednesday. "We actually have two jobs going there," he said. "One is a new building, the other is a renovation." Kyle David, project manager for PDC Midwest Inc., construction manager on the project, did not want to speculate on when Brookdale Sandy Springs would be able to start moving people into the additions. Two months of rain has delayed the project, he said. The project, which Hickory Construction began in September, will add a 14,848 square-foot addition with 14 bedrooms, an updated dining room, and nurse call stations to the 511 Pearson Springs Road facility. The 24,772 square-foot memory center will have 32 units, a courtyard, dining room and administrative office space, and will be used for the center's Clare Bridge program for Alzheimer's and dementia-related care. Hickory Construction hopes the project will mark a trend. The company has done residential, commercial, industrial and medical facility projects, mostly offices and clinics for doctors and dentists. As the population ages, assisted-living construction will be a growing opportunity for Hickory Construction, McMillan said. "There is a big demand right now," he said. "There are probably two or three at least in Blount County alone." Aside from doing more such projects, a main goal for the company in the coming years is to expand its geographic footprint, McMillan said. Most of the company's projects are within an hour's drive of its headquarters at 124 Kent Place. The company wants to do more work in the Tri-Cities area, Crossville, Chattanooga and elsewhere in East Tennessee, McMillan said. The company was founded in August 1977 by Chuck Alexander and Rick Foden. It now employs about 65 people. Time to make room in your coupon binder for all those inserts you got Sunday! If you have not thinned your coupon binder since the last time we talked about this, you can throw away all your 2015 inserts. I looked through all the January and February 2016 inserts and found only 13 valid coupons. So, take a few minutes and clip those and you can recycle those inserts too. If your expired coupons are less than six months past their expiration date, then U.S. military families who are stationed overseas can use them. Organizations like Coupons To Troops (www.couponstotroops.com) or Troopons (www.supportourtroops.org) provide information on how to donate. Ingles 5/4/16-5/10/16 General Mills Cheerios (8-12 oz.) are on sale for $1.88. The 50 cents off 1 coupon from the April 24 SmartSource will double to make these 88 cents. If you need to stock up, the $1 off 2 coupons from the May 1 SmartSource would make these $1.38 when you buy two. Pillsbury Grands Biscuits (8 count) cinnamon or crescent rolls (4-5 count) are on sale for 98 cents. Buy three, and the $1 off 3 coupon from the March 20 SmartSource will make these 65 cents each. Eight O'Clock Coffee (11-12 oz.) is on sale for $4.48. The $1 off 1 coupon from the May 1 SmartSource will make this $3.48. Tide Laundry Detergent (42-50 oz.), regularly $7.98, is on sale for $5.98. The $2 off 1 coupon from the May 1 Procter & Gamble will make this $3.98. Publix 5/5/16-5/11/16 Dove Promises Chocolate (7-8.87 oz. bags), regularly $3.39, are on Buy One Get One Free sale for $1.69. The $1 off 1 coupon from the May 1 RedPlum will make these just 69 cents. I'm thinking this is a definite Mother's Day buy. Kraft Barbecue Sauce (17.5-18 oz.), regularly $1.79, is on Buy One Get One Free sale for 89 cents. Buy two, and the $1 off 2 coupon from the May 1 SmartSource will make these 39 cents each. Crystal Light Drink Mix (7-10 count), regularly $2.99, are on Buy One Get One Free sale for $1.49. The $1 off 2 coupon from the April 1 SmartSource will make these 99 cents when you buy two. Duncan Hines Perfect Size cake mix, regularly $3.19, is on Buy One Get One Free sale for $1.59. The 55 cents off 1 coupon from the May 1 SmartSource will make this $1.04. Arnonld Dutch Country Bread, regularly $3.49, is on sale for $1.74. The 55 cents off 1 coupon from the March 6 or May 1 SmartSource will make this $1.19. Ken's Steakhouse Dressing (24 oz.), regularly $4.79, is on Buy One Get One Free sale for $2.39. Look in your May 8 SmartSource for a $1 off 2 coupon that will make these $1.89 each when you buy two. Purina Fancy Feast Cat Food (3 lbs), regularly $7.39, is on Buy One Get One Free sale for $3.69. The $1 off 1 coupon from the May 1 SmartSource will make this $2.69. Tide Laundry Detergent (42-50 oz.) is on sale for $5.99. The $2 off 1 coupon from the May 1 Procter & Gamble will make this $3.99. Food City 5/4/16-5/10/16 Ken's Salad Dressing (16 oz.) is on sale for $1.99. Buy two, and the $1 off 2 coupon from the May 8 SmartSource will make these $1.49 each. Old El Paso refried beans (16 oz.), flour tortillas or taco shells are on sale for 99 cents. Buy three and the $1 off 3 coupon from the April 17 SmartSouce will make these 66 cents each. Old El Paso Dinner Kits are on sale for $2. Buy three, and the $1 off 3 coupon from the April 17 SmartSouce will make these $1.66 each. Land O Frost Simply Delicious Lunchmeat (13 oz.) is on sale for $4.49. The 75 cents off 1 coupon from the April 17 Smartsource will make this $3.79. Kroger 5/4/16-5/10/16 Angel Soft bath tissue (4 rolls) is on sale for $1. The 45 cents off 1 coupon from the May 1 RedPlum will double to make this 10 cents. Seattle's Best coffee (12oz bag) is on sale for $4.99. The $1 off 1 coupon from your May 8 SmartSource will make this $3.99. Kroger continues a Buy 4, Save $4 sale. You can add these deals to the ones listed last week. Prices assume you are mixing and matching participating items in multiples of four. Duncan Hines Decadent Cake Mix or Perfect Size Cake Mix are part of the sale for $1.99. The 55 cents off 1 coupon from the May 1 SmartSource will make this $1.44. Kraft Mayonnaise or Miracle Whip (22-30 oz.) is part of the sale for $2.49. The 50 cents off 1 coupon from the March 20 or May 1 SmartSource will double to make this $1.49. Glucerna Snack Bars (6 count) are part of the sale for $2.99. The $1.50 off 1 coupon from the April 3 SmartSource will make these $1.49, just 24 cents a bar. Katie Van Dyke is the mother of five and writes the Coupon Katie blog (www.couponkatie.com). SHARE OYSTERFEST Oysterfest May 7 at Concord Marina The 21st annual Oysterfest will be 6-10 p.m. Saturday, May 7, at Concord Marina, 10903 South Northshore Drive. The Childhelp Tennessee fundraiser will feature a select menu of oysters as well as shrimp n' grits, barbecue chicken, jambalaya, fried okra, steamed mussels with crusty bread, a french fry bar, mac n' cheese, gourmet Popsicles and plenty of beer, wine margaritas, water and soft drinks. Cost is $95 per ticket and can be ordered online at www.childhelp.org/2016-childhelp-tennessee-oysterfest/ . SUMMER BIRDS Join Ijams Nature Center naturalist Stephen Lyn Bales at 9 a.m. Saturday, May 7, for a lighthearted look at the birds that can only be found in the summer in our area, including the wood thrush, indigo bunting, great-crested flycatcher and common yellowthroat. A light brunch will be servedduring the program. The fee is $5 for Ijams members and $8 for non-members. Call 865-577-4717, ext. 110 to register. INSIDE/OUTSIDE A Woman's Willpower Adventure will be held at 9 a.m. Saturday, May 7, at Ijams. Willpower guru Angelique Medow and Sierra Club leader Mac Post will lead programs geared to women on the first two Saturdays in May to tap into the power of nature. Learn about native plants and ways to feel safe and comfortable in nature while enjoying the great outdoors on Ijams' nature trails. A jewelry craft also will be included. Cost is $40 for two friends or $40 for one mother and up to 4 daughters. Call 865-577-4717, ext. 110 to register. GET FIT The Fit Family Challenge launches from 1-2 p.m. Saturday, May 7, at the CVS Pharmacy at 6005 Kingston Pike. It is a free 8-week online healthy lifestyle program that helps participants track healthy habits, and offers expert advice and free fitness classes in communities throughout North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Kentucky and Virginia. The program runs until June 26 with weekly prize giveaways, free online tools, fitness classes and special events. A live leaderboard tracks each region's progress, making the Challenge a fun competition among twelve regions in five states. Learn more about the Challenge at myfitfamilychallenge.com. Like us at www.facebook.com/knoxvillefamily and www.facebook.com/knoxvilledotcom. Knox County Health Department is the first in the state to receive national accreditation from the Public Health Accreditation Board. SHARE Restaurant scores for May 2 The following restaurants were recently evaluated by the Knox County Health Department. Restaurant scores may change with follow-up visits. For more information on health scores visit http://health.state.tn.us/EHinspections Perfect score Hana Sushi and hibachi, 11145 Kingston Pike: 100 New Full House, 3507 W. Emory Road: 100 Shoney's, 315 E. Emory Road: 100 Archer's BBQ Commissary, 311 S. Weisgarber Drive: 100 Gosh Ethiopian Restaurant, 3609 Sutherland Ave.: 100 Five Guys, 7531 Barnett Way: 100 Salsarita's, 105 Moss Grove Blvd.: 100 The Casual Pint, 2045 Thunderhead Road: 100 Five Guys, 3023 Town Center Blvd.: 100 McDonald's, 7030 Kingston Pike: 100 Taco Bell, 11217 Kingston Pike: 100 Full Service BBQ, 104 Cedar Lane: 100 10535 Kingston Pike: 100 Coffee and Chocolates, 327 Union Ave.: 100 Pedal Java (Mobile), 6018 Warren Park Lane: 100 D'Vine Delights, 7780 Oak Ridge Highway: 100 Priority item violations The Egg & I, 5018 Kingston Pike. Violation: Improper cold holding temperatures: 95 Arby's, 6903 Kingston Pike. Violation: Toxic substances improperly stored and identified: 95 Burger King, 127 N. Northshore Drive. Violation: Food-contact surfaces improperly cleaned and sanitized: 95 Sonic, 5722 Kingston Pike. Violation: Improper date marking and disposition: 95 Yassin's Falafel House, 706 Walnut Street. Violation: Improper cooling time and temperature: 95 Wendy's, 11136 Kingston Pike. Violation: Improper cleansing of hands: 94 Burger King, 1605 Schaeffer Road. Violation: Improper date marking and disposition: 94 Stock and Barrell, 35 Market Square. Violations: Improper hot holding temperatures; improper cold holding temperatures: 94 Calhoun's, 400 Neyland Drive. Violation: Improper cold holding temperatures: 94 Shoney's, 4020 Rutledge Pike. Violation: Improper cold holding temperatures: 94 Colonel's Cafe, 4809 Newcomb Ave. Violation: Improper cold holding temperatures: 93 The Coop Cafe, 3701 Sutherland Ave. Violation: Improper cold holding temperatures; improper hot holding temperatures: 93 Rollin' Smoke Catering (Mobile), 7103 South Road. Violation: Food-contact surfaces improperly cleansed and sanitized: 93 Lakeside Tavern, 10911 Concord Park Drive. Violation: Toxic substances improperly stored and identified: 92 El Charro, 10240 Kingston Pike. Violation: Toxic substances improperly stored and identified: 92 Cracker Barrel, 2920 S. Mall Road. Violation: Food products in poor or unsafe condition: 92 We're Cooking, 7664 Oak Ridge Highway. Violation: Improperly cleansed and sanitized food-contact surfaces: 92 Pepper's Grill and Pizzeria, 7501 Tazewell Pike. Violation: Toxic substances improperly stored and identified: 92 Burger Stop, 3001 Knoxville Center Drive. Violation: Noncompliant with consumer advisory for raw and undercooked food: 92 Ruth's Chris Steak House Banquet and Catering, 950 Volunteer Landing. Violation: Noncompliant with consumer advisory for raw and undercooked food: 91 The Egg & I, 111 Lovell Road. Violation: Noncompliant with procedures and record keeping for time as a public health control: 90 McDonald's, 327 Lovell Road. Violations: Noncompliant with procedures and record keeping for time as a public health control; improper cleansing of hands and contact with ready-to-eat foods: 90 Cazzy's Corner Grill, 2099 Thunderhead Road. Violation: Noncompliant with in-charge personnel being knowledgeable of duties: 90 Brown Bag, 800 S. Gay St. Violation: Food-contact surfaces improperly cleansed and sanitized: 89 Jimmy John's, 6718 Papermill Road Violation: Improper cold holding temperatures; toxic substances improperly stored and identified: 88 Waffle House, 5416 Asheville Highway. Violation: Improper cold holding temperatures; improperly cleansed and sanitized food-contact surfaces: 88 Rice King, 12564 Kingston Pike. Violation: Improper date marking and disposition; noncompliant with in-charge personnel being knowledgeable of duties: 87 Tracy's Restaurant, 3913 Western Ave. Violation: Improper cooling time and temperature procedures; improper cold holding temperatures; improper date marking and disposition; noncompliant with employee health criteria; noncompliant with consumer advisory for raw and undercooked foods: 83 McDonald's, 11205 Kingston Pike. Violation: Noncompliant with procedures and record keeping for time as a public health control; Toxic substances improperly stored and identified; improperly cleansed hands and violation of bar hand contact with ready-to-eat foods: 83 China Pearl, 115 Brooklawn St. Violation: Improper date marking and disposition; toxic substances improperly stored and identified; food-contact surfaces improperly cleansed and sanitized: 80 Blackhorse Pub & Brewery, 4429 Kingston Pike. Violation: Improper cold holding temperatures; noncompliant with consumer advisory for raw and undercooked food; noncompliant with in-charge personnel being knowledgeable of duties; food-contact surfaces improperly cleansed and sanitized: 76 The Sushi Spot, 7535 Barnett way. Violation: Noncompliant with in-charge personnel being knowledgeable of duties; improper bare hand contact with ready-to-eat foods; improper cold holding temperatures: 74 SHARE This dress, the bodice of which is made of recycled plastic bottle caps, won second place in an exhibit at the Knoxville Museum of Art. West Knoxville artist and fashion designer Angel Blanco says Knoxville is his home now. The bodice of this dress, from Angel Blanco's "One World" 2014 collection, is also made of recycled plastic bottle caps. West Knoxville artist Angel Blanco isn't afraid of change, and his life and work illustrate the point with both his creativity and his travels. "If you can't change, nothing can change around you," he said recently. "Let's change together; we can all make it." His enthusiasm for all things creative, from art and fashion to life and travel, is contagious. Blanco was born in the small coastal town of Higuerote, Venezuela (population: about 32,000). He knew he wanted to leave, but he also wanted to be prepared to succeed, so he studied business administration. However, he said he knew that, ultimately, his vocational calling would have to be more artistically oriented. He began modeling, and that career took him to Hong Kong and, later, to New York City. While in Hong Kong, he began exploring his creative side with painting and designing women's clothing. He also writes music and poetry, mostly in Spanish. "I like to mix everything I know," Blanco said. His modeling career didn't take off in the Big Apple as it had elsewhere, so he migrated to Knoxville and began working with friends who own Casa Don Gallo on Northshore in Rocky Hill. He said he's adopted Knoxville as his hometown. "The people are all so nice, and it's beautiful here. I love it. So many beautiful people," he said. Blanco's been in Knoxville for almost four years and hasn't been back to Venezuela to see his two brothers, two sisters and parents in the five years since he left. "It's very dangerous there," he said, explaining that poverty has resulted in rampant crime. "People will kill you just for your shoes." While he does hope to be able to visit his family next year, Knoxville is just about perfect as far as Blanco is concerned. "It's not expensive here, it's growing. If you work hard, you can save money and travel. How wonderful is that?" And he does work hard. In addition to his artwork, some of which is displayed in the mayor's office at the City-County Building, he is also hard at work on his third fashion collection. He designed his first collection, titled One World, in the fall of 2014. In 2015, a white dress from that collection, which had a bodice made from recycled bottle caps, won second place at the Frutos Latinos exhibit at the Knoxville Museum of Art. His 2016 collection, Me Myself & I, featured 12 garments and attracted the eye of talent scouts who recruited him to feature his next collection, Hello, New York! at Fashion Week in Asheville in August, and Chattanooga in October. All of his work is couture, so if you're interested in purchasing, you must visit AngelBlancoArtwork.com to inquire. Meanwhile, here at home, his art will be on display May 6-27 in the International Latino Art Exhibition at the Emporium Center on Gay Street. Blanco said he wants to be famous one day to have a platform to speak for those who can't. The 29-year-old artist said: "I am young I know what I want and I'm fighting for this. People support me, and I support others who need me. The feeling is wonderful." The Atomic Elks Lodge 1301 of Oak Ridge sponsored the winning contestant in the Oratorical Contest and is represented by Local Education Director Mabrey Duff with Daughter Ruler of Roberta Bohanon Temple #1381 Oak Ridge, Amie Henderson, and contest winner Darryl Bonner with his parents Darryl Sr., and Jeanne Bonner. SHARE Darryl Bonner, a junior at Oak Ridge High School, added $1,500 to his college fund by winning first place in the annual Elks Oratorical Contest at Crown Plaza in downtown Knoxville recently. The competition was part of the 71st Convention of the Tennessee State Association of the Improved Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks of the World that was hosted by the local James Derrick Lodge #1152, at 3919 Holston Drive in East Knoxville, and the daughter Amarse/Della Love Allen Temple 810. Bonner earned the judges' support with his delivery, presentation and content on a nationally assigned topic: "Is racism the underlying cause of police brutality or the results of hereditary, learned behavior or societal constructs?" "No one is born with hate, discrimination or prejudice in their heart," was Bonner's summation. He supported his 10-minute, memorized narrative on the topic with statistical data from the Centers for Disease Control, The Huffington Post, and documented past and present social activities. He also used the following quote from Nelson Mandela: "No one is born hating another person because of the color of his skin or his background or his religion. People must learn to hate, for if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite." Bonner said he enjoys math and science and intends to pursue a career in chemical engineering. His parents, Darryl Sr. and Jeanne Bonner of Oak Ridge, expressed the pride and confidence they have in their son and his accomplishments thus far. "There are not many competitions for them (youth) to speak publicly and get comfortable with it. It's important that they learn how to express and present themselves, said Bonner's mother Jeanne. In addition to the $1,500 college scholarship, Bonner will represent the Tennessee State Association of Elks at the regional competition in Austin, Texas, for a chance to earn a $5,000 scholarship. If he prevails, he will compete for a $10,000 college scholarship in the National Oratorical Contest at the 117th Grand Lodge Convention in New Orleans later this year. Over $130,000 will be given to winners across the country, according to local Present Grand Exalted Ruler John Goss. The education department was started 89 years ago and continues to be an important component of the organization, which says it's among the largest and oldest organizations in the world. Additional programs recognized during the convention included a Beauty and Talent Contest, Encourage the Blind Program, Special (Needs) People and Breast Cancer Support Fund. For more information, visit www.ibpoew.org. SHARE Pete McCarroll By News Sentinel Staff COALFIELD, Tenn. The family and friends of Jerry "Pete" McCarroll are offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of whoever fatally beat, shot and robbed the elderly man early on April 18. McCarroll, 71, was killed outside Allied Metal Recovery and Refining, Gouge Hollow Road, in Morgan County. He had worked there and was known to carry around cash, according to the 9th Judicial District Attorney General's Office. Authorities suspect the killing was carried out by someone with knowledge or access to knowledge about McCarroll's schedule and habits. Authorities asked that anyone with information in the case call the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation hotline at 1-800-TBI-FIND or Morgan County Sheriff's Office Investigator Mike Wren at 423-346-0911. SHARE Donald E. Taylor (Knox County Detention Facility) Natalie Taylor Alleah Taylor By Hayes Hickman of the Knoxville News Sentinel KNOXVILLE An 8-year-old girl critically injured in a crash Monday that killed her younger sister and left their father charged with DUI was sitting in a metal lawn chair between the two front seats of the family van at the time of impact, according to a police report. Natalie Taylor remained in critical condition at East Tennessee Children's Hospital on Wednesday night following the single-vehicle crash, reported about 5:30 p.m. Monday in the 4900 block of Millertown Pike. The girl was thrown into the dashboard and the windshield when the Chevrolet van veered off the roadway and struck a mailbox attached to a steel pole, Knoxville Police Department spokesman Darrell DeBusk said. The van then sideswiped a wooden utility pole, breaking apart the mailbox pole and forcing that pole into the passenger side of the vehicle, according to the report. Four-year-old Alleah Taylor, who was sitting in a forward-facing car seat in the front passenger seat, was struck by the pole and suffered "major head trauma," DeBusk said. Alleah died from her injuries Tuesday at the University of Tennessee Medical Center. DeBusk said investigators are still working to determine whether Alleah and the child restraint seat were properly secured. A witness told police the van left the scene at high speed, the report states. The girls' father, Donald E. Taylor, 40, of Knoxville, pulled the van over about two-tenths of a mile away at the intersection of South Mall Road, near Knoxville Center Mall. He later admitted to police to drinking a six-pack of beer before getting behind the wheel, according to a KPD news release. Taylor remained jailed Wednesday in lieu of $62,000 total bond on charges of DUI, aggravated assault, leaving the scene of an accident and driving without insurance. Police have said other charges are pending, but charges against Taylor had not been amended as of Wednesday afternoon. A family member has created a fundraising page, through gofundme.com, for funeral expenses for Alleah on behalf of her mother. On Wednesday, the girl's uncle, Shannon Keener, and the fundraising page's creator, said on the page that Natalie had been taken off life support and was breathing on her own. "Please keep praying for her, my sister, and my family as we mourn for 1 but have hope and faith for the other," he wrote. SHARE Until May 15, Facebook users can enter to win $200 worth of local meats from a nearby farm as part of the annual "Fill Your Grill" contest from Pick Tennessee. To enter, visit the Pick Tennessee Facebook page and click on the "Fill Your Grill" posting. Contestants must choose which farm they would visit to collect their meats and then submit that choice with their contact information. Winners can choose what kinds of meats they want to purchase. Contestants simply need to be sure to choose the farm that offers what they want, whether it's beef, pork, lamb, goat, poultryor some of everything. There is no cash prize. Entrants win the opportunity to go to a farm or local meat business and choose up to $200 of Tennessee meats. All funds will go directly to the farmer or business to reimburse them for their products. A total of 12 winners will be randomly chosen at noon on May 16 and notified by Pick Tennessee Products. This year's contest is funded by the Tennessee "Ag Tag." All proceeds from the Ag Tag go back to Tennessee's farm community, supporting programs for local farmers, farmers' markets, and youth organizations like 4-H and FFA. The Tennessee Ag Tag celebrates its 20th anniversary this year. Last year's "Fill Your Grill" garnered a total of 4,504 entries completed from each of Tennessee's 95 counties with more than 700 towns represented. More information about the contest is available on the "Fill Your Grill" contest pages. Follow Pick Tennessee on Facebook, Twitter, and on the web. The Pick Tennessee Products website, www.PickTnProducts.org, also has a link to the contest on the home page. SHARE Trey Hollingsworth on Tuesday, May 3, 2016, won the Republican nomination to fill Indiana's 9th District congressional seat. (David Snodgress/The Herald-Times via AP) By Tim Evans, USA TODAY NETWORK, The Indianapolis Star Joseph Albert "Trey" Hollingsworth III, the young multimillionaire who ruffled feathers when he filed to run for Congress shortly after moving to Indiana last fall, then spent $2 million of his own money to woo voters, won the Republican nomination to fill the 9th District congressional seat. Trey Hollingsworth, 32, who grew up in Clinton and attended Webb School of Knoxville, won the nomination by portraying himself as a political outsider and knocking off three seasoned Republican politicians: Attorney General Greg Zoeller and state Sens. Erin Houchin and Brent Waltz. Hollingsworth picked up the win with 34 percent, with 520 of 571 precincts reporting. He could not be reached for comment Tuesday night. Houchin received 25 percent of the vote; and Zoeller had 22 percent. See also: Trey Hollingsworth rich carpetbagger or breath of fresh air? He will square off in November against Indiana University professor Shelli Yoder, who won the Democrat primary with 70 percent of the vote. Todd Young, the Republican who held the 9th District seat since 2011, won the GOP nomination to run for U.S. senator. Young's decision to vacate his congressional seat led to a rush to replace him in the strongly Republican district that stretches from Johnson County to the Ohio River. The primary attracted five Republicans and four Democrats. Hollingsworth, who moved to Indiana from Tennessee last year, out-spent his competitors by a wide margin and got a boost from a super PAC funded primarily by his father, who spent about $500,000 on ads attacking Zoeller as a political insider. It was an approach, political observers said, that played perfectly to a Republican electorate fed up with Washington politics the same voters who propelled Donald Trump to a decisive Indiana win that knocked Ted Cruz out of the race. In the final weeks of the campaign, Houchin and a new super PAC, funded primarily by Indianapolis businessman Bill Oesterle, struck back at Hollingsworth. The one-two punch included mailings and radio commercials labeling Hollingsworth as "Tennessee Trey," a rich carpetbagger who moved to Indiana to buy a seat in Congress. Hollingsworth won't necessarily have the same "outsider" advantage over Yoder, who was the party's candidate in 2014 and lost to Young. A statement from her campaign indicates Hollingsworth is likely to face more questions about his motives and credentials in the race with Yoder. "Our opponent thinks he can buy a seat in Congress. He moved to Indiana less than a year ago, and has spent over a million dollars of his own money to get elected, said Alex Rosselli, campaign manager for Yoder. Shelli was born and raised in Indiana, and she understands the challenges facing middle-class Hoosier families. She knows how difficult it is to start and run a small business because she saw her parents struggle to make ends meet while running their family business when she was young. She has a proven record of sound fiscal leadership on the Monroe County Council, where she has worked towards a balanced budget every year, as well as in her position as a non-profit executive director responsible for keeping the organizations fiscal house in order. John Zody, chairman of the Indiana Democratic Party, also released a statement critical of Hollingsworth. Tonight, Trey Hollingsworth tried to pull one over on the 9th Congressional District by clinching the Republican nomination for Congress. Hes convinced that being an absentee candidate supported by dark money will get him over the line in November," Zody said. "Well, Tennessee Trey needs to think again. Hoosiers in Southern Indiana admire hard workers, not someone who relies on handouts to slide by. Yoder added she was "thrilled and humbled" by the support of district voters. And while she may challenge Hollingsworth's background, she said her campaign is about something more important. This campaign is about our shared vision for bringing commonsense solutions to Congress to solve the challenges facing our country," she said. "In too many communities across Central and Southern Indiana, families are working hard but struggling to make ends meet, while living paycheck-to-paycheck. College graduates are desperately trying to find a job that will allow them to pay off their student loans. Small businesses and entrepreneurs need the red tape cut and the tax burdens eased. In the GOP race, Zoeller and Waltz both conceded around 10 p.m. "I've called all of the candidates who sought the Republican nomination in Indiana's 9th Congressional District to congratulate them on their efforts. In my conversation with Trey Hollingsworth I offered both congratulations and also my full support for the fall election," Zoeller said in a statement. "Over the next few days I plan on thanking all those who supported my campaign and focus my full energy on continuing to work each and every day as Attorney General to serve Hoosiers to the best of my skill and ability." Waltz posted a concession statement on his Facebook page and said that would be his only comment Tuesday night. In it, he congratulated Hollingsworth and thanks his family and supporters. "We fought hard and we did our best," Waltz said. "We did everything in our power to win." Houchin could not be reached for comment late Tuesday. SHARE U.S. Rep. Chuck Fleischmann U.S. Rep. Phil Roe Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump is joined by his wife Melania, right, daughter Ivanka, left, and son Eric, background left, as he speaks during a primary night news conference, Tuesday, May 3, 2016, in New York. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer) Donald Trump waves to the crowd on stage at the Knoxville Convention Center on Monday, November 16, 2015. (SAUL YOUNG/NEWS SENTINEL) By Michael Collins of the Knoxville News Sentinel WASHINGTON Tennessee Republicans in Congress began falling in line behind Donald Trump Wednesday, now that the New York real-estate mogul has effectively clinched the GOP presidential nomination. "It looks like the presumptive nominee of the party is going to be Donald Trump, and I think Republicans need to unify and get behind the Republican nominee," U.S. Rep. Chuck Fleischmann of Ooltewah said. Fleischmann, who initially backed former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, had declined to endorse another candidate after Huckabee dropped out of the race. That changed after Trump decisively won Indiana's primary on Tuesday and Texas Sen. Ted Cruz ended his campaign. "I will back the Republican nominee for president 100 percent," Fleischmann said. "If that is going to be Donald Trump, I will certainly get out and campaign for him and support him 100 percent." U.S. Reps. Phil Roe of Johnson City and Diane Black of Gallatin also pledged to support Trump. "As I've said from the beginning, I will support our nominee," said Roe, who initially backed Florida Sen. Marco Rubio. "It's time for the Republicans to unite, and I am enthusiastically supporting Donald Trump. I look forward to helping him in any way that I can to take back the White House in November." Black said "the three scariest words in the English language today are 'President Hillary Clinton.'" "I will support our presumptive nominee, Donald J. Trump, in the general election and call on Republicans across Tennessee to do the same," she said. "After eight years of failed liberal policies, this is a time for our party to unite and put a conservative in the White House." Speaking to reporters in Kingsport, U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander of Maryville suggested he also would back Trump. "My focus will be on keeping a Republican majority in the U.S. Senate so we can do more things like the law we passed fixing No Child Left Behind, which was the largest transfer of power from Washington to the states in the last 25 years," he said. Alexander stressed that Trump was not his first choice for president. For months, the senator had resisted getting involved in Tennessee's GOP primary, but threw his support to Florida Sen. Marco Rubio two days before voters went to the polls on March 1. After Rubio dropped his bid, Alexander announced he would back Ohio Gov. John Kasich. But with Kasich on the verge of ending his campaign on Wednesday, Alexander said, "The people have a right to their choice. I will support the Republican nominee for president when we have one." U.S. Rep. Marsha Blackburn of Brentwood didn't mention Trump by name, but said, "I will support the Republican nominee, and I look forward to seeing a Republican in the White House." Two other Tennessee congressmen Scott DesJarlais of South Pittsburg and John J. Duncan Jr. of Knoxville endorsed Trump prior to the Indiana primary. In February, DesJarlais became the first Tennessean in Congress to endorse Trump, saying he's the candidate best poised to make America great again. Duncan threw his support behind Trump last week, citing his views on trade, immigration and conflict in the Middle East. In an emailed statement, U.S. Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tenn. said, "My plan always has been to support the Republican nominee. It is my hope that the national conversation will shift to what the candidates will do to solve the problems our nation faces. I do believe Donald Trump's foreign policy speech last week was an important step in that direction." Meanwhile, the head of the Tennessee Democratic Party slammed Republicans on Wednesday for getting behind Trump, whom she called "the most dangerous nominee in history." "Donald Trump has built his campaign on fear, stoking the embers of racism, sexism and xenophobia that still remain in this country, but that hasn't stopped the Tennessee Republicans from endorsing and actively campaigning for him," Democratic chairwoman Mary Mancini said. The GOP congressional lawmakers' endorsement of Trump "reveals their true priorities, which have nothing to do with solving problems or governing Tennessee effectively and everything to do with the politics of pleasing the extremists in their own party," Mancini said. "It is beyond sad that our state's Republicans are standing behind someone who continues to do so much harm to our country," she said. Ina Hughs So let's think this over. Laws passed in North Carolina and Mississippi make it so transgender people (look up the definition) have to use the restroom of the sex indicated on their birth certificate. Why? Because they are or might be predators getting their jollies out of watching other people of the gender from which they have "trans-gendered" go to the bathroom. Meanwhile, some 49 million people across Africa are starving. Hundreds of thousands of refugees are loose in the world with no place to go. The Islamic State continues its death grip in the Middle East. China is getting away with selling expired and unrefrigerated vaccines. North Korea now has the ability to mount nuclear warheads on long-range missiles. Another war broke out between Azerbaijan and Nagorno-Karabakh. And the Ebola virus has made a comeback in Guinea and Sierra Leone. Here at home, classes are canceled for some 400,000 students in Chicago after a teacher walk-out over school funding. The Supreme Court is divided over whether or not religiously affiliated institutions can be exempt from the Affordable Care Act's contraception mandate. We remain the only civilized nation that doesn't require maternity leave. Our House of Representatives kills a bill allowing students to borrow at .75 percent and advances a bill that gives a multi-billion dollar tax cut to the rich. According to figures from the U.S. Department of Labor, since 1978 the cost of college tuition has increased by 1,120 percent, medical care by 601 percent, food by 244 percent and housing by 380 percent. In that same period of time, the pay of a typical worker rose by just 10 percent and minimum-wage workers' fell by 5.5 percent but the average CEO's income rose by 937 percent. Just recently Congress said it needs a raise because members cannot afford to live "decently" on $174,000 a year. And yet North Carolina calls an emergency meeting to deal with a problem that doesn't exist. What restroom do they think trans people have been using all these years? How many little girls or boys have been raped or sexually abused by transgender people in these bathrooms? None. Zero. Wrapping bigotry in such bogus fear is sophomoric, unkind, self-serving and a brand of idiocy that flies in the face of democracy and in this case is ungrounded in any kind of reality. How can Republicans justify disallowing transgender people to use their appropriate bathroom as a matter of public safety while allowing even encouraging people to carry assault weapons into grocery stores, bars and parks? (But not their own convention.) A police officer in Texas just last week posted on Facebook: "I'd beat a trans woman unconscious if she tried to share a bathroom with my daughter." It takes only a teaspoon of sensitivity and compassion to imagine the emotional suffering of people who know themselves to be different than they appear physically, soft targets for bullying and the brunt of jokes from the cruel-minded. "Republicans who fear going to the bathroom with transgender people certainly realize, at least in their saner moments, that they do it all the time and just don't know it. If Caitlyn Jenner walked into a men's bathroom, there would be bedlam. Chaz Bono in a ladies' room would cause a ruckus. Emergency meetings to "fix" potty problems born out of bigotry and fear make a mockery of civility and political responsibility. People who are so threatened by the idea of transgender people using their rightful bathroom can pee at home, just in case. We should get our minds out of the toilet and tackle the real problems. SHARE Tennessee Attorney General Herbert Slattery III has decided to appeal a federal judge's ruling ordering a recount of the 2014 vote on a state constitutional amendment that excludes a right to abortion. The appeal is the right reaction, regardless of the fate of the amendment. The case shows the need to clarify how Tennesseans can change their governing charter. The amendment, Amendment 1 on the 2014 ballot, stated that no right to abortion exists in the Tennessee Constitution. Despite its language, the amendment would not allow the Legislature to outlaw abortion because of the U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Roe v. Wade. The amendment, however, does make it easier for new state abortion restrictions to withstand legal challenges. The amendment passed with 53 percent of the vote. Eight opponents quickly filed a legal challenge over the state's method of counting votes. Under the state constitution as revised in the Constitutional Convention of 1953, amendments must be ratified by a "majority of all citizens of the state voting for governor." Officials traditionally have interpreted the passage to mean that to be ratified, an amendment would have to receive votes equal to a majority of votes in the governor's race. In other words, if 1 million people vote in the governor's race, then at least 500,001 would be needed for passage. U.S. District Judge Kevin Sharp ruled last month that the historically used method is "fundamentally unfair." The plain language of the passage, he determined, requires that only the ballots cast in the governor's race be counted toward the amendment. Election officials first would have to pull the ballots with votes cast for governor and then count the votes on those ballots for or against an amendment. He ordered a recount on Amendment 1 using that method. Amendment 1 showed the significance of the tabulation method. Several anti-abortion groups urged supporters to forego voting in the gubernatorial race, in which Republican Gov. Bill Haslam had token opposition, to lower the number of votes needed for the amendment's passage. The strategy apparently worked. More people voted on Amendment 1 than in the gubernatorial race the first time that has happened since the language was adopted in 1953 by a margin of 32,627. While it is mathematically possible a recount could result in the failure of the amendment, the chances are slim. A total of 76,389 people voted in the 2014 election but not in the governor's race. Under the method ordered by Sharp, none of their votes for or against the amendment would be counted. If 52,299 of them nearly seven of 10 voted "yes" on Amendment 1 but bypassed the governor's race, the amendment would fail. Complicating matters is a 2015 fire in Van Buren County that destroyed that county's election records. The Secretary of State recorded that 1,512 Van Buren County residents voted in the governor's race. According to Sharp, the traditional tabulation method violates the due process and equal protection clauses of the 14th Amendment. Slattery's appeal should result in an answer to this vital constitutional question for future amendments. More than $300K grants awarded to Tennessee universities Grants totaling $308,700 will be awarded this year to 12 universities across Tennessee from the Tennessee Department of Commerce & Insurances (TDCI) Board of Architectural and Engineering Examiners. The Boards annual grant awards help support and foster greater interest in the fields of architecture, engineering, landscape architecture, and interior design among Tennessee students. Since the programs inception in 2002, the Board has awarded over $3.2 million that may be used by universities to purchase computers for students, laboratory or instructional equipment, library resources, or to pay intern development program fees or examination fees for students in accredited programs. Funding is provided from the Boards revenues or reserve funds. Education is the foundation for developing the knowledge and skills needed to practice the design professions and to protect the publics health, safety, and welfare, said Board Executive Director John Cothron. The Board welcomes the opportunity to assist in the education of architecture, engineering, landscape architecture, and interior design students across all of Tennessee. The following universities will receive funding: Christian Brothers University $14,738 to the School of Engineering. Funds will be utilized to purchase triaxial testing equipment for soils, electronics laboratory hardware, and a computer with software. Lipscomb University $13,691 to the College of Engineering. Funds will be utilized to pay Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) examination fees for students and to purchase a bench top hole saw tube and pipe notcher, a circuit board printer, and a shop hydraulic press. The FE exam is typically the first step in the process leading to licensure as a Professional Engineer (PE), and may be taken by students in the senior year of an engineering curriculum. Middle Tennessee State University $3,000 to the College of Behavioral and Health Sciences for the interior design program. Funds will be utilized to purchase a student computer for the resource library, reference materials, and computer-related items. OMore College of Design $3,000 to the School of Interior Design. Funds will be utilized to purchase a 3D laser printer. Tennessee State University $19,915 to the College of Engineering. Funds will be utilized to purchase equipment for the Architectural Engineering laboratory for structural and materials testing, including laboratory mixers, a curing box, molds, a compressometer/extensometer, a digital strain gauge set, and a concrete corrosion mapping system. Tennessee Technological University $37,322 to the College of Engineering. Funds will be utilized to purchase video teleconferencing equipment to facilitate distance education partnerships with other higher-education institutions in Union University$12,161 to the Department of Engineering. Funds will be utilized to pay FE examination fees for students and to purchase a vertical mill and accessories. University of Memphis $22,136 to the College of Engineering; $24,476 to the College of Communication and Fine Arts for the architecture and interior design programs. Funds will be utilized to purchase laser traffic sensors for the College of Engineering, and computer workstations for the architecture and interior design programs. University of Tennessee, Chattanooga $26,761 to the College of Engineering and Computer Science; $3,000 to the College of Health, Education and Professional Studies for the interior design program. Funds will be utilized to purchase Chemical Engineering laboratory equipment for a new biology-related lab station and a new materials synthesis lab station, and student workstations, computer monitors, and design studio supplies for the interior design program. University of Tennessee, Knoxville $45,124 to the College of Architecture and Design; $43,512 to the College of Engineering. Funds will be utilized pay FE examination fees for students and to purchase a gas chromatograph system and SMART podium interactive displays for the College of Engineering, and computer software, a plotter, and large LCD displays for the College of Architecture and Design. University of Tennessee, Martin $14,749 to the College of Engineering and Natural Sciences. Funds will be utilized to purchase a traffic monitor and multifunction data acquisition devices. Vanderbilt University $25,115 to the School of Engineering. Funds will be utilized to pay FE examination fees for students and to purchase a printed circuit board (PCB) prototyping system. Published May 4, 2016 Department of Defense chooses Environmental Award recipients The West Walker River is rated as one of the worlds top fly-fishing spots and runs through the 60,000 acres of land that is home to the training areas of the Marine Corps Mountain Warfare Training Center in Bridgeport, Calif. The training center makes great efforts to ensure the land and wildlife is preserved and protected from contaminants and hazardous waste as part of the Defense Departments environmental protection policy. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Ali Azimi. WASHINGTON Nine individuals, teams or installations have been selected to receive the 2016 Secretary of Defense Environmental Award in recognition of their exceptional achievements and innovative, cost-effective environmental practices, according to a DoD news release issued yesterday. Our men and women work hard to keep environmental stewardship a top priority, while simultaneously advancing our national defense mission, Undersecretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics Frank Kendall said in the release. "The awardees efforts 'foster a special type of innovation worthy of national recognition'". For more than 50 years, DoD has recognized the work that the men and women within the department do each day to protect the environment and the nations resources, the release said. Military services and defense agencies submit nominations for each of the nine award categories, the release said. A diverse panel of judges representing federal and state agencies, academia, and the private sector select the winners, according to the release. The nine award recipients chosen from a total of 30 nominations are: -- Natural Resources Conservation, Small Installation: Camp Dawson Army Training Site, West Virginia Army National Guard -- achieved key natural resources conservation goals through strategic local partnerships and efficient resource management. -- Natural Resources Conservation, Individual/Team: Fort McCoy Natural Resources Branch, Wisconsin -- demonstrated sound natural resources stewardship while supporting and sustaining a military training environment, biological diversity, and commercial and recreational opportunities. -- Environmental Quality, Non-Industrial Installation: Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms, California -- implemented a collaborative and innovative environmental management program to reduce water usage, minimize waste, and positively impact the community. -- Environmental Quality, Individual/Team: Eglin Air Force Base Environmental Quality Team, Florida -- demonstrated a holistic environmental management approach to exceed waste diversion and renewable energy goals, maintain compliance, and minimize impacts to the mission. -- Sustainability, Industrial Installation: Marine Corps Support Facility Blount Island, Florida -- displayed environmental leadership by exceeding DoD goals in energy intensity reduction, e-waste disposal, and high performance and sustainable buildings. -- Environmental Restoration, Installation: Beale Air Force Base, California -- used an objective-focused restoration approach and collaborative partnerships to protect human health and the environment, and make significant progress in cleaning up contamination from past defense activities. -- Environmental Restoration, Individual/Team: Vieques Environmental Restoration Program Team, Puerto Rico -- addressed unique restoration challenges through accelerated and innovative cleanup activities, groundbreaking technologies, and strategic partnerships. -- Cultural Resources Management, Large Installation: White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico -- collaborated with local stakeholders to ensure preservation of White Sands Missile Range cultural history and streamlined cultural resources management. -- Environmental Excellence in Weapon System Acquisition, Large Program: KC-46 Program Environment, Safety and Occupational Health Team, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio -- employed a cross-functional team to integrate cost-effective environment, safety, and occupational health measures into the full system design lifecycle of the replacement aircraft for the Air Forces aging tanker fleet. In fiscal year 2015, DoD invested approximately $3.8 billion for its environmental programs: $1.8 billion to cleanup contamination from past DoD activities; $1.3 billion to comply with environmental laws; $377 million to protect natural and cultural resources; and $184 million for research and development to reduce environmental impacts of DoD activities and improve the efficiency and effectiveness of environmental solutions, the release said. These investments help DoD to continue ensuring the protection of human health and the environment, and to sustain the resources required to support the readiness of the nations armed forces, according to the release. Published May 4, 2016 9:14 a.m. May 4, 2016 Gerdau funds 5,695 meals for preschools kids Steel recycler Gerdau celebrates its school year-long sponsorship of the Food for Kids program at Sam E. Hill Preschool on April 20, 2016, coordinated by Second Harvest Food Bank of East Tennessee. During the school year, children are provided backpacks of healthful, kid-friendly fare to take home each weekend. Pictured from left: Gerdau representatives Gwen Reichel, Damien Rose, Ron Fritz, Steve Nash and Vice President and General Manager Johnny Miller; Second Harvest Food Bank donor relations coordinator Rachael Ellis; and Sam E. Hill Principal Wendy Laman and social worker Deanna Gnage. KNOXVILLE Steel recycler Gerdau recently contributed funds to sponsor Second Harvest Food Bank of East Tennessees Food for Kids program at Sam E. Hill Preschool in Lonsdale. Because of Gerdau, we can provide 5,695 meals to children in need by giving them backpacks filled with kid-friendly foods for an entire school year, said Elaine Streno, executive director of Second Harvest. In so many cases, our Food for Kids program is the only food some children will have over an entire weekend, while for others it provides a meal that would otherwise have been skipped. Backpacks come filled with healthful, kid-friendly fare for all three daily meals as well as snacks. Among the items included are instant breakfast, granola bars, cereal bars, oatmeal, peanut butter crackers, beef ravioli, spaghetti and meatballs, mixed veggie cups, macaroni and cheese, sunflower seeds, raisins, pudding cups, mandarin oranges, and even toothbrushes. Gerdau Vice President and General Manager Johnny Miller said the company welcomes the opportunity to support the children of Lonsdale. This contribution covers the current school year. We are so excited for the opportunity to sponsor the Food for Kids program at Sam E. Hill Preschool, Miller said. In addition to providing much-needed food, the program offers children in difficult situations the comfort that comes from knowing there are people out there that truly care about them something most kids take for granted, but something not all children get to experience. Schools participating in Food for Kids say that the program leads to improved self-esteem, behavior and concentration among the children. The donation supports Gerdaus robust social responsibility program that focuses on providing community support in the locations where it operates. For more information about Gerdau, visit www.gerdau.com/northamerica. Published May 4, 2016 10:00 a.m. May 4, 2016 Young-Williams Animal Center selects development coordinator and marketing coordinator Sophie Nguyen, new development coordinator at Young-Williams Animal Center.. Courtney Kliman, marketing coordinator at Young-Williams. Sophie Nguyen has been named as development coordinator at Young-Williams Animal Center and Courtney Kliman has been promoted to marketing coordinator. Nguyen has volunteered with the shelter since 2013. Kliman previously served as development coordinator. Because of the unique nature of our business, it is important that we have employees who are not only well-qualified but also passionate about the work that we do, said Jeff Ashin, CEO for Young-Williams Animal Center. Courtney and Sophie have the commitment and experience needed to serve our organization well, and we are fortunate to have them on our team. Nguyen has a Bachelor of Science degree in animal science and a Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology from the University of Tennessee. She also spent a semester studying in the University of Dublins Animal Science program. Her broad background includes work with the Catholic Charities of East Tennessee childrens emergency shelter, University of Tennessee reptile laboratory and, most recently, the Wesley House Community Center. Kliman earned her Bachelor of Science degree in communication from the University of Tennessee and embarked on a career in journalism. She served as overnight and morning anchor for WVLT Local 8 News before joining Young-Williams Animal Center. Klimans communications background is beneficial in delivering the message about the important work of Young-Williams Animal Center. To learn more about Young-Williams Animal Center, visit www.young-williams.org. Published May 4, 2016 By Choi Sung-jin "There are no institutions in Korea that can carry out industrial restructuring better than the Korea Development Bank," said Financial Services Commission Chairman Lim Jong-ryong Friday. The top regulator was referring to KDB's long involvement in the troubled shipping and shipbuilding companies as the state-run lender. Not many experts seem to agree with Lim, however. On the contrary, some private analysts say the government-run bank has neither the ability nor moral justification to reform the troubled industries and companies, given KDB's history smeared by government-dictated lending and rampant cronyism and nepotism in personnel management. "Unless Korea starts by reforming these state-run banks, it would end up filling a bottomless vessel," a commentator said. There is no dearth of examples. In February 2013, a regional branch head of KDB moved to the position of vice president of Gangnam Beltway, in which KDB had equity. The bank invested 200 million won ($173,500) into this company the following month, immediately followed by a 3.8 billion-won loan. Ssangyong Cement Industrial ushered in another KDB official as its vice president in April 2015, and was allowed to roll over its 100 billion-won loan. A KDB manager transferred to vice president of Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering (DSME) in March last year. DSME received investment funds of 50 billion won from KDB at that time. The state-run bank has many affiliated companies through debt-to-equity swaps. There are 377 firms in which KDB has equity of 5 percent or more. Retired KDB officials and politicians have taken positions in many of these, hampering their restructuring. Between 2008 and the first half of last year, 102 former KDB officials transferred to affiliated firms, most of which received additional loans or extensions of payment deadlines for existing borrowings. It has been nearly a decade since experts raised the need for the shipbuilding industry's restructure because of the global business slump and rapid chase of Chinese shipyards. The government and state-run banks, however, have kept providing funds for marginal companies without trying to restructure them. In 2014, officials discussed the proposal to merge two ailing companies STX Ocean & Shipbuilding and Sungdong Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering and increase its company value by trimming surplus manpower and equipment before selling it. But their main creditor banks, KDB and the Export and Import Bank of Korea (Eximbank), failed to narrow their differences over sharing losses from consolidation. When the industry fell into a deeper slump, Eximbank extended an additional 300 billion won to Sungdong to extend its life. KDB's ratio of non-performing loans soared to a record-high 5.68 percent at the end of last year, nearly five times the average 1.14 percent for commercial banks. According to a report by the Korea Development Institute, state-run banks entered into the restructuring of marginal businesses about 2.5 years later than commercial banks, on average. When talking about KDB's lax management and shaky financial structure, it is impossible not to mention the government's control in lending and personnel appointment. KDB's top managers, including its former and incumbent governors, are the political allies of President Park Geun-hye. Regulators are not free from blame. The Financial Supervisory Service attempted to discipline 12 former and present KDB officials in August 2014 for causing bad debts of 300 billion won related to STX, but ended up slapping the wrist of just one official. "KDB should have put STX into court receivership years ago but its former governor did not want to take the responsibility for the loss of trillions of won to be caused by such a move," said a former KDB official. "He and other bank officials just kept dragging their feet, hoping a boom would return to the industry, which never happened." The KDI report said: "State-run banks just continued to pour money into ailing businesses and industries, just watching the faces of bureaucrats and politicians instead of positively dealing with crises." The bigger problem is the vicious circle, in which leaders regard state-run banks as little more than political trophies and send unqualified people to run them, and these banks dispatch their officials to companies receiving policy loans, a critic said, adding this practice needs the most urgent restructuring. Hanjin Shipping's debt repayment deferred for 3 months By Yoon Ja-young The government and Bank of Korea (BOK) agreed Wednesday to recapitalize state-run banks to support restructuring of ailing shipbuilders and shipping companies. At the same time, creditors of Hanjin Shipping accepted the company's self-rescue plan and agreed on a debt rescheduling program to keep the firm afloat. The seven creditors including Korea Development Bank (KDB) held a meeting where they agreed to defer repayments of loans owed by Hanjin for three months on top of preparing a debt restructuring plan. The self-rescue plan by Hanjin includes restructuring the debt of private lenders and negotiating cuts in charter fees paid to ship owners overseas, as well as remaining in the global alliance of shippers. Due to contracts signed years ago, the shipper has been paying up to five times higher charter fees than the current rates. The company will start negotiation with ship owners overseas next week. Creditors have been demanding that private lenders and ship owners also should shoulder the burden before they restructure the debt for Hanjin. In the meantime, the government and BOK have agreed to draw up concrete measures on how to increase the lending resources for state banks by the end of next month. A special task force on recapitalization of the banks held its first meeting Wednesday to discuss how to fund KDB and the Export-Import (Exim) Bank that will lead restructuring of troubled shipyards and shippers as their main creditors. The country's top three shipbuilders including Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering (DSME) had a combined 7.7 trillion won in losses last year amid oversupply and falling demand following the global recession. Top shipping firms Hyundai Merchant Marine and Hanjin are also sitting on trillions of won in debts. As their main creditors, the state banks are scheduled to lead corporate restructuring, but they don't have enough money. Representatives of the BOK, Financial Services Commission, Financial Supervisory Service, KDB and Exim Bank participated in a meeting presided over by Vice Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok,. "The participants agreed that the state-run banks need more capital as a contingency for uncertainties that may arise during corporate restructuring," the finance ministry said in a press release afterwards. "After considering both the government's fiscal measures and the central bank's diverse policy measures, we will seek the most effective means," it added. The government has been suggesting that the BOK print more money to supply liquidity to the state-run banks in support of the debt restructuring of shipyards and shippers, including purchasing bonds to be issued by the banks. The central bank was negative about the plan, insisting that it required a public consensus, but BOK Governor Lee Ju-yeol recently seemed to back off from this stance, saying he was ready to play an active role. The government added that since recapitalizing the banks requires some taxpayers' money, they will aim to minimize this. "We will prepare a concrete measure within the first half of the year, through meetings of the task force," it added. Analysts estimate between 5 and 10 trillion won will be needed for the state-run banks. Cargo loading is underway at the Hyundai Merchant Marine Terminal in Pusan Port in this photo taken on May 1. / Yonhap By Nam Hyun-woo Hyundai Merchant Marine's (HMM) talks with shipowners over cutting charter fees are picking up momentum, with the company saying it is making "last pitches" to meet a May 20 deadline set by the government. Reducing the rental costs for the company's 83 chartered vessels is the top priority in salvaging the debt-riddled shipping giant. The government, which runs HMM's main creditor Korea Development Bank (KDB), announced that the shipper must get a 30 to 35 percent cut in its charter fees or it would fall into court receivership. "We cannot tell when we can wrap up negotiations with shipowners, but what we can say is we are pushing the owners as hard as we can," a ranking official at the company said. According to him, the company has sent its due diligence documents to shipowners to show them it is paying for self-rescue efforts and needs charter fees cut to avoid being placed in receivership. Receivership is one of the worst-case scenarios not just for HMM but also the ship owners, who may lose out on their charter fees entirely. The charter fee talks have picked up speed under the government's and creditors' brinkmanship. Since Feb. 22, HMM's negotiation teams have been visiting 22 shipowners, mostly based in Europe, to negotiate. According to the company, it initially sought to wrap up deals by April, but it continued to fail in narrowing the differences with shipowners, some of whom refused to reduce charter fees, citing Hyundai Group, which controls HMM, having sold its securities unit for a substantial price. The group has agreed with KB Financial Group to hand over Hyundai Securities for 1.25 trillion won. As the government adheres to a hard-line approach, some shipowners reportedly withdrew their demands for a payment guarantee from creditors, which Financial Services Commission (FSC) Chairman Yim Jong-yong said last month was "absolutely unacceptable." Though the company cannot tell the exact date, the HMM official said the company will likely wrap up talks near May 20. "We do hope so," an official at the FSC said, adding that the government has set May 20 as the deadline for HMM to give a "concrete answer" about the possibility of reducing charter fees. "The deadline does not necessarily mean that the company should finish the negotiations by then. But we want the company to give an answer about the negotiations by that date," the government official said. Should the charter fee talks conclude in HMM's favor, then the company should engage in debt rescheduling talks with creditors. After leveraging charter fee cuts, the company will ask creditors to allow debt-equity swaps and extend the deadlines for urgent loans. That meeting is expected to be held as early as the end of this month. By Kim Jae-kyoung SINGAPORE The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is gaining attention, following the launch of the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) at the end of last year. The region has not only rich natural resources and a high population but also huge development opportunities. With a combined GDP of $2.6 trillion, the ASEAN economy is the seventh-largest in the world and its population is the third-largest in the world with 622 million people. According to a report by auditing company KPMG, an estimated $60 billion is needed per year until 2022 to fulfill all the infrastructure needs of the region. The energy and transport sectors are expected to make up the biggest proportion of this investment. However, South Korea looks to be getting left behind in the global race to get the upper hand in this promising market. It is not because the country lacks global brands or powerful culture but because it has a weak political presence there. ASEAN experts say that Korea's economic and cultural visibility is improving a lot on the back of hallyu, or the Korean wave. But they are hesitant to say that Korea's diplomatic and political relations with ASEAN are solid. "Korea has seen robust growth in its economic and cultural presence in Singapore and other ASEAN nations but the country is lacking in political presence," a Singapore-based political analyst said on condition of anonymity. "I don't think ASEAN leaders get the feeling that Korea has as solid a relationship with them as Japan and China do." This should be taken as a serious problem because such a perception could culminate in Korea losing out opportunities in the region, such as multibillion-dollar infrastructure deals. A country's political influence and lobbying ability play a critical role in winning such deals. Many argue that President Park Geun-hye's foreign policy may be held accountable. She has not shown commitment to building relations with ASEAN, while placing greater emphasis on four great powers surrounding the Korean Peninsula the U.S., Japan, China and Russia. Japan and China have pursued an ASEAN-centered strategy for a long time. Japan has already been a massive player in the region and China is expanding its efforts to build relationships there. Even the U.S. is paying close attention to ASEAN countries. Compared to her counterparts from Japan and China as well as the United States, Park's foreign policy has created the impression that she has less interest in ASEAN than in other areas. For example, Japanese Prime Minister Shinjo Abe visited nearly all ASEAN countries since taking office, but Park has visited only a few of them and even some of her trips were not state visits but for special events, such as the funeral of Singapore's late Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew. Also, Park and her administration are not making use of ASEAN media to improve its political presence in the region. "Singapore-based Channel NewsAsia, one of the most influential television networks in Southeast Asia, has asked for an interview with Park a couple of times but she rejected it every time," said a source in Singapore, asking not to be named. "Then they asked for an interview with a foreign minister but it was also rejected. ASEAN media is seeking to broadcast more voices from Korean leaders but they are discarding opportunities." In February, U.S. President Barack Obama granted an interview to Channel NewsAsia to share his views on ASEAN and stress the importance of the market. Japan's ministerial-level officials often appear on media here to express their voices. President Park and her ministers have no obligation to sit down with ASEAN media but this kind of effort is very conducive to solidifying relationships and strengthening a political presence in the region. Once Japan and China become more entrenched in the region, it would be more challenging for Korea to make forays into the 10-member bloc. The Korean government should acknowledge its role to lay the foundation to help Korean companies win mega deals coming from the AEC by building relationships and improving Korea's image there. With the growing presence of Korean brands and culture, ASEAN leaders want to see a more sincere commitment from the Korean President and leaders and to expand exchanges beyond business and culture. The AEC is a single market, with a free flow of goods, capital and skilled labor across borders in ASEAN, which consists of Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam. Park Shin-hye and Lee Jong-suk / Courtesy of Park Shin-hye's Instagram By Kim Da-hee Hallyu actors Lee Jong-suk and Park Shin-hye have made special appearances in Korean-Chinese collaboration web drama "Gogh, The Starry Night," showing loyalty to their former director, Jo Soo-won, who directed "Pinocchio" in 2014. Park finished shooting last month and Lee filmed Sunday. The romantic comedy-drama is Jo's first web drama, starring K-pop band Girls' Generation's Yuri and actor Kim Young-kwang, who played Seo Beom-jo in "Pinocchio." The drama will first air in China in June via website Sohu.com. Meanwhile, Park is scheduled to return to the small screen with SBS's new Monday-Tuesday drama "Doctors" in June. Lee will star in MBC's new Wednesday-Thursday drama "W" in July. By Jun Ji-hye North Korea has begun a massive crackdown on its people and has tightened security along its border with China with just a week before the start of the seventh congress of the ruling Workers' Party, sources said, Friday. The Kim Jong-un regime also has been restricting entry into the capital Pyongyang and has ordered residents not to hold ceremonial occasions such as weddings or funerals. The party is scheduled to hold the congress on May 6 the first time in 36 years, since the four-day congress in 1980 under the rule of Kim Il-sung, the grandfather of Kim Jong-un. Sources say complaints from North Korean people are increasing because the regime's "special surveillance" is causing enormous trouble to their work and livelihoods. The measures appear to be aimed at creating an atmosphere of fear before the event, as North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is apparently seeking to reaffirm his tight grip on power and build the foundations for a prolonged one-man rule. The regime also apparently believes that such measures can reduce crime before the national event. "The North has completely blocked its capital and the border area after declaring a special surveillance period," a source told the Yonhap News Agency. "The regime is conducting random inspections of houses in Pyongyang and ordering visitors, including relatives, to immediately return to their own homes." The source said those who refuse to comply will be treated as "rebellious elements" and face severe punishment, including forced labor. Another source said authorities from the security department are inspecting factories and institutes, checking when workers come to and leave work. Those who are absent or late, or leave early, are asked to write down their reasons, the source said, adding the regime also has been strengthening traffic controls in the capital. Unification ministry spokesman Jeong Joon-hee said in a regular briefing: "North Korea seems to have increased its vigilance in areas, including Pyongyang." He said the move appears to be aimed at raising security to allow smooth preparations for the party congress. Pyongyang has been forcibly mobilizing residents to prepare for the event, during which the regime wants to continue promoting idolization of Kim Jong-un and eulogize his achievements, such as improving nuclear capabilities, according to the ministry. The communist state is forcing people to pay money and work night and day to build facilities designed to display Kim's achievements, it said. However, the people hold out little hope for better economic conditions, which have been deteriorating since the United Nations Security Council imposed harsher sanctions in early March for the regime's nuclear test in January and a long-range rocket launch in February, the ministry said. According to the National Intelligence Service, many North Koreans are expressing skepticism about the nuclear program, asking questions such as, "What is the use of nuclear weapons when people are not able to put food on the table?" By Kang Seung-woo Defense Minister Han Min-koo Defense Minister Han Min-koo said Wednesday that the military will strengthen its capabilities for countering North Korea's asymmetric threats such as nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles. His remark means a shift in Seoul's military buildup from the current conventional warfare-focused armament amid intensifying nuclear threats from Pyongyang. "The military will put top priority on securing countermeasures against North Korean nuclear weapons and missiles," Han said during a defense forum in the capital. "We will continue to build up the indigenous Kill Chain pre-emptive missile, and Korean Air and Missile Defense (KAMD) system." The two air shield systems are scheduled to be deployed by the mid-2020s, according to the defense ministry. "South Korean people say that the military seeks a buildup only after North Korea has come up with new threats and relies on the U.S. military due to a lack of its proper countermeasures," Han said. "In addition, they complain that although the South spends more on its defense budget than the North, the former cannot satisfactorily respond to the threats, which triggers security concerns among South Koreans." In relation to this, the defense minister outlined a plan to change the paradigm for strengthening military power. While developing counter-responses to the asymmetric threats, the military plans to counter the North's small-scale provocations and boost its latent capabilities against the rogue state's potential threats. "We also plan to develop our own asymmetric military power as the nation seeks to develop a significant military buildup in the run-up to the planned transfer of the U.S.-held wartime operational control (OPCON) of South Korean forces back to Seoul in the mid-2020s," he said. In October 2014, the allies agreed to postpone the OPCON transition until South Korea is more able to counter threats from the North. The mid-2020s has been identified as the new target for transition. The minister said the North's defense spending reached $10 billion in 2013, accounting for 30 percent of the South's defense budget. "Under the guidance of the government, North Korea has beefed up its military capabilities, depending on offensive weapons such as multiple rocket launchers and submarines as well as the nuclear and missile capabilities," he said. North Korea has deployed some 300 new multiple rocket launchers along its border with South Korea, which can hit Seoul and the surrounding areas, according to military sources, while it has repeated test-firings of submarine-launched ballistic missiles, posing a new threat to the United States as well as the South. In addition, the North is expected to conduct a fifth nuclear test in the lead-up to its planned Seventh Workers' Party Congress starting Friday. By Choi Sung-jin The number of experts who view North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's regime as unstable has doubled, a survey shows. Hyundai Research Institute, which recently surveyed 100 experts, said 32 percent of them regarded the North under the young leader as unstable. The negative views more than doubled the 14.4 percent in a similar opinion poll last year, the institute said. Expectations for reform and openness declined. Six out of 10 experts believed the Kim Jong-un regime's will for reform and opening up the communist state is similar to that of his father's. Those who said the regime's intention is stronger than the previous one accounted for 28 percent of respondents, sharply lower than the 49.6 percent in a 2014 survey. Those who thought the trend toward reform and openness would expand stood at 29 percent, compared with 42.7 percent in the 2014 survey. The experts predicted the seventh congress of the Workers' Party will likely emphasize the military (41 percent) and economy (38 percent). Congress participants are expected to stress Kim Jong-un's military accomplishments, as shown by recent nuclear and missile provocations, and reaffirm the country's status as a nuclear power, they said. They will also likely try to present a new economic vision. Nearly nine out of 10 experts also believed the concentration of political power on Kim Jong-un will deepen through the congress. On the inter-Korean relationship, the experts predicted the North would not extend an olive branch to the South during the event. Nearly 60 percent said it would be difficult to find a breakthrough in the relationship between the two Koreas this year. Some 65 percent said there would be little change in the relationship between North Korea and the United States, too, in the near future far outweighing the 27 percent who expected an improvement. By Kim Bo-eun City officials said Wednesday they will enforce a scaling down of the sit-in protest by relatives of the Sewol ferry disaster victims at Gwanghwamun Square in downtown Seoul. Under the plan, they will gradually remove city-owned tents used with permission by the protesters, a move anticipated by the city to generate a backlash. The Seoul Metropolitan Government (SMG) outlined its plan after City Councilor Sung Joong-gi asked about the city's stance on the tents at the square. "We will discuss the issue with the protesters and gradually reduce the area they are occupying," a city official said. The protesters first occupied the square a few months after the ferry disaster occurred in April 2014, upon being refused an audience with President Park Geun-hye. The city government started supporting them in July that year. "We assisted the sit-in by installing 11 tents in order to protect the protesters in the summer heat," the official said. However, the protesters have set up three additional tents and a sculpture without city approval. The SMG has been fining the protesters for the extra tents, collecting 3.12 million won from July 2014 to July 2015, and another 1.82 million won from August to December 2015. The Sewol disaster sit-in has been taking place for 22 months, but voices have been growing over the need to create a separate space for the protests and commemoration of the victims. Additionally, the bereaved family members are no longer camping out there they come and go daily leaving the tents empty when they are away. "Gwanghwamun Square's purpose is to serve as an area for citizens as well as various rallies and events, and Sewol protesters have been occupying the space for too long," Sung said. The city agreed, citing that the 11 tents are city property which it has the right to remove. But a struggle with bereaved family members is expected. They are refusing to leave, demanding that the national government reveal the full truth behind the accident and take responsibility for botched rescue operations. The Coalition 4.16 on the Sewol Ferry Disaster, a civic group, continues to collect signatures from citizens there to revise a special act related to the official investigation. "We will continue to come out here until we learn the truth about the disaster," said a mother who lost her high school daughter. The Sewol ferry disaster killed 304 passengers, sinking off the coast of the South Jeolla Province island of Jindo, en route to Jeju Island from Incheon. Most of the passengers were students from Danwon High School in Ansan, Gyeonggi Province, who were on a school trip. By Kang Seung-woo President Park Geun-hye descends from her airplane after arriving at Seoul Airport in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, Wednesday. / Joint press corps President Park Geun-hye expressed hope, Wednesday, that improved ties with Iran will create growth momentum for the South Korean economy. Park returned home from her historic trip to Tehran she was the first South Korean leader to visit the Middle East country since the establishment of bilateral diplomatic relations in 1962. "I believe Iran can become a land of opportunity for many South Korean firms," Park told reporters on a plane back to Seoul. "I will make efforts to create the second Middle East boom.'" She referred to extensive construction orders won by Korean companies in the 1970s and 1980s, which laid the foundation for the country's rapid rise to economic prosperity. Her trip was initiated to upgrade the ties between Korean and Iran as the latter is emerging as a land of opportunity for foreign investment after the lifting of international sanctions in January. During her visit, the two countries signed 66 memoranda of understanding that could lead to contracts worth $37.1 billion to revitalize Iran's economy, stunted by the sanctions. "Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and President Hassan Rouhani expressed a strong desire for Iran to improve the strategic cooperative ties with Korea in a variety of areas," Park said. "We have agreed to expand cooperation in fresh sectors including health care, medicine and energy as well as in large-scale infrastructure development projects." Also, the President said her meetings with Khamenei and Rouhani have created wiggle room for the two nations to resolve the North Korean nuclear issue. The Iranian president voiced his country's opposition to nuclear development on the Korean Peninsula in a joint press conference after his summit with Park, Monday. Pyongyang and Tehran have maintained close relations especially in the development of nuclear materials but Rouhani's comment supporting a nuclear-free Korean Peninsula may be a bitter blow to the North, according to diplomatic experts. "I think his statement is very rare and significant in resolving the issue given their close relations," Park said. Although Khamenei did not mention North Korea and its nuclear program in a meeting with Park, his call for the settlement on terrorism and insecurity around the world was translated as him standing in agreement with Rouhani. President Park has urged the Kim Jong-un regime to follow in Iran's footsteps in curbing its nuclear activities and joining the international community. In July last year, Iran reached a landmark deal with world powers to rein in its nuclear program and sanctions were lifted in January. However, the repressive state has rejected the call, saying the North Korean and Iranian situations are "quite different." Migrant workers and their Korean sympathizers call on the government not to crack down on undocumented laborers during a protest rally in front of Seoul City Hall last month. / The Korea Times photo By Choi Sung-jin Sherpa Lha Dorje Rai Udaya Madhusdan Ojha Sherpa Lha Dorje studied business management at Kathmandu Valley College in Nepal's capital city. In Korea, he has been making aluminum packaging foil at a company in Uijeongbu, north of Seoul, for the past year and a half. Dorje, 24, receives about 1 million won ($870) a month, way below than the 1.2 million won which is the monthly equivalent of the legal minimum wage here. Still his biggest problem is not the salary. "There is no fixed time," he said. "My boss forces me and two other Nepalese workers to do work regardless of the time, until 9 p.m., 11 p.m. or even midnight sometimes, with no extra pay." Protests or complaints bring forth the same reply, "Go back to your country if you don't like it." Dorje said he sends 800,000 won a month to his family, whose home was ravaged by an earthquake last April, and who now lives in a cottage. He holds out with the remaining 200,000 won. "Yet what I cannot stand is not the salary," he said. "What makes life really difficult for me and my colleagues are demands made on us to work at all hours and bad behavior' of the boss." Dorje said the president of his company always pays salaries a month late for God knows why, he is always angry, and has never said "thank you" to his foreign employees. Asked what he wants most now, the young college graduate said, "Let me go (to other workplaces)." However, this is a wish that's hard to make a reality. The rules of the employment permit system call for allowing migrant workers to change their workplaces up to three times in three years, but few Korean employers abide by that rule by writing a letter of consent, as they hate workers moving to other companies as soon as they acquire relevant skills. Nor do they want to keep other provisions in the system, such as those that oblige them to treat foreign workers fairly. "These employers think alien workers should not complain as long as they can earn several times more money than in their countries," said Rai Udaya, president of the Migrants Trade Union. "The migrant laborers are doing work that Koreans would rather not do, especially at the wage levels foreigners get. Contrary to some Koreans' complaints that foreigners take away their jobs, few would choose to work in these dirty, difficult and dangerous jobs if foreigners leave. Why discriminate against immigrant workers that fill a void in the workforce?" Going back to their homelands cannot be an option given the considerable time and money these guest workers spent on coming to Korea. Each guest worker spends at least a couple of million won on visas, brokerage fees and airfare. The whole process may take a year but applicants spend another year preparing for it, learning the Korean language and receiving job training. They often have to stop all other work or activities to focus on preparations. The "opportunity cost" is too high for them to pack up and leave, as economists put it. The situation facing Madhusdan Ojah was little better if not worse. Last October, Ojah injured his back while lifting heavy materials at a metal-processing company on the outskirts of Incheon. Since then, he has not been assigned normal work and consequently not been paid normal wages. When he reported to work each morning, his boss asked whether or not his back bothered him. When Ojah said yes, the boss told him to go back to his lodge. "I could do 95 percent of the work but was afraid the boss would make me lift heavy things again if I had told him I was completely healed to return to normal work and be paid full wages," he said. The company had a forklift to carry heavy materials and equipment but the manager made immigrant workers do most of the lifting, saying that was faster and more efficient. Since he injured his back, Ojah has received little pay and even had to pay for his lodging and part of his medical fees because he could not work even if he desperately wanted to. The 34-year-old Nepalese with a wife and two children in his country has slips of paper written by his boss to specify these costs, which will later be deducted from his severance pay. Korean employers do not usually pay a retirement allowance until one year passes after migrant workers return to their country. These employers say if they give severance pay within two weeks as they do for Koreans, migrant laborers do not leave Korea and continue to work elsewhere as illegal aliens. From the standpoint of foreign workers, however, that is a lame excuse for overdue payments. "As we see it, however, what turns a number of immigrant workers into illegal aliens and undocumented laborers are the inhumane system and employers who make the most of it," said Udaya, the union leader. At the center of all these abuses of basic rights and rampant discrimination is the "employment permit system," which some civic activists say is little different from "modern-day slave labor," by allowing long work hours in poor conditions and disallowing in principle the right of foreign workers to freely change their place of employment. The system went into effect in 2004 to improve the previous "industrial trainee system," a different name for labor exploitation as it introduced foreign workers under the pretext of teaching them skills but forced them to do simple labor at very low almost no wages. Although the current system guarantees labor rights and equal treatment in principle, these provisions are not being observed in reality because the system restricts free changes of workplaces. Employers can silence protesting workers by disallowing them to move to other workplaces and threatening to expel them. This explains why the migrant workers' union, which began its work a decade ago but was legalized only last year, has persistently called for replacing the employment permit system with a "work permit system." The two systems do not seem to be vastly different from each other, in that they both call for basic labor rights and nondiscrimination. As their names indicate, however, the focus of each system is different: the employment permit system gives business owners the right to employ immigrant workers while the work permit system gives foreigners the right to work. Unlike the former, the latter stipulates the freedom to change workplaces and equal pay for work of equal value, which makes a world of difference between the two. Some Koreans say the work permit system, if introduced, will make their country a paradise or a lawless world as they see it for foreigners, while pointing out the high youth unemployment rate. But Udaya asks back, saying, "How many Koreans will endure 12- or 16-hour-long workdays without extra pay and job-related injuries with no medical insurance?" There is an old Korean saying, "An old frog never thinks it was a tadpole." In the 1960s-70s when Korea's per capita income was a fraction of what it is now, young Korean men and women worked as miners and nurses in Germany, sending hard cash to help revive the economies of their families and country, as described in the 2014 mega-hit film "Ode to My Father." Unfortunately, these foreign workers' "Korean Dream" will likely remain a story of the distant future. The responses from the employers of the two Nepalese workers to fact-checking calls were as cold as ice. An official responsible for migrant labor policy at the Ministry of Employment and Labor, when asked to answer to a set of questions by e-mail, repeatedly asked the purpose of the reporting but never answered our questions. Ojah, the worker with a back injury, was finally allowed to leave his workplace last week but only after the union uncovered other problems with the company and threatened to hold a protest rally in front of it. How many more such threats and protests should they make to bring the same "luck" to Dorje and tens of thousands of other struggling migrant workers? By Kim Se-jeong Reckitt Benckiser (RB) in the United Kingdom, the parent company of Oxy Reckitt Benckiser, accused of causing the deaths of more than 100 Koreans through a toxic humidifier disinfectant, issued an apology to the victims and their families Monday (local time). "Oxy RB and RB express our sincere apologies to all the victims of the humidifier sterilizer tragedy in Korea and state absolutely our determination to do the right thing for the victims and their families," it said in a statement posted on the company's website. The statement was posted on the same day that its Korean unit director, Ataur Rashid Safdar, apologized to the victims in a televised news conference. The headquarters in London said that it "accepted full responsibility for the role that this product played in these health issues, including the deaths in Korea" and will provide "full resolution to these cases." Previously, the victims and bereaved families called for RB headquarters to take responsibility directly, demanding RB CEO, Rakesh Kapoor, fly to Korea to apologize. Despite the apology, families of victims pledged to carry on with a campaign against the company, including a boycott. Kim Deok-jong, the father of a child victim, and Choi Ye-yong, director of the Asian Citizen's Center for Environment and Health, left for the U.K. Wednesday to protest against RB. The company will have a shareholders' meeting in Slough, Thursday. "We are going to tell them (shareholders) what the company has done," the two said in a press briefing at Incheon International Airport. The Korean prosecution raided the office of professors of Seoul National (SNU) and Hoseo universities who allegedly falsified test results to help Oxy's claim that its product was not toxic. The prosecution detained the SNU professor on suspicions of accepting a bribe from Oxy in exchange for falsifying the results. Oxy used the results to make its case in court that the chemical PHMG it used in its product was not harmful. Prosecutors also said they obtained testimony from Oxy officials that Shin Hyun-woo, former Oxy head in Korea, was involved in the company's advertisements about the disinfectant, which included the statement: "This product carries no health risks and is safe when used around children." The company did not conduct safety studies on the effects of inhaling the chemical used in the product. The nation's worst biocide scandal has killed at least 146 people, among whom 103 used the Oxy brand. While it was first brought to light in 2011, it took prosecutors until January this year to start an investigation. Under pressure, Oxy, Lotte and Home plus, disinfectant manufacturers, apologized to surviving victims and family members of the deceased, with an offer of compensation. The victims refused to accept the apologies and compensation, saying they came too late, and that they don't look sincere. They began a boycott of Oxy products, which has spread quickly across the country. By Lee Kyung-min The Incheon District Court sentenced a woman to three years in prison, Wednesday, for buying a newborn baby for 950,000 won. The 42-year-old woman, whose name was withheld, was indicted for buying the baby boy from his mother at a Daejeon hospital last May 18. She came into contact with the mother, aged 28, who had posted online about adoption procedures, hoping to sell the baby to a sterile couple. The mother, who was separated from her husband, had a relationship with another man and the baby was his, according to the court. "The woman bought the three-day-old newborn that had no choice but to remain dependent upon the caretaker," the court said. "There is no excuse to condone such behavior." But the court showed leniency to the mother giving her a 10-month prison term suspended for two years as well as 80 hours of community service. "Although her act deserved condemnation for failing to show a minimal level of responsibility, we considered that she admitted to the crime and showed remorse," it said. Another female college student, 21, was also indicted for attempting to sell her baby to the woman. She was also sentenced to 10 months in jail suspended for two years. By Lee Kyung-min A large-scale shopping and tourism district will be built by 2018 in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province, authorities said Wednesday. The project is partially funded by Chinese capital. Officials at the Yellow Sea Free Economic Zone Authority said they will set up the Chinese-friendly city on 2.32 square kilometers of land in Hyeondeok Township, a coastal area on Asan Bay slightly smaller than Seoul's Yeouido. "Korea China Castle Development, a special purpose company jointly set up by Chinese and Korean investors, submitted the business plan last July," an official at the authority said. "We will soon approve the project as we have finished our on-site inspection and discussions with 79 related bodies over the last nine months." The company is 50 percent owned by Legions Group, 20 percent by Chinese individuals and 30 percent by Korean private investors. It plans to build luxury hotels with 4,000 rooms, business hotels with 6,000 rooms, conference venues, shopping malls, duty free shops and large-scale multipurpose cultural performance halls. Apartments as well as other facilities, including medical institutions, international schools, shopping centers for mid-sized companies and warehouses are also planned. "Facilities and businesses related to China, such as tourism, services and logistics, will be gathered here, so that the district can become a one-stop venue for China-related business," the official said. Upon the authority's approval, Korea China Castle Development, valued at 50 billion won ($43 million), plans to attract more investors to secure 750 billion won for the project. Construction will be completed by 2018, and tenants will move in by the end of 2022. The district is expected to attract 30,000 residents and create more than 40,000 jobs, the official said. "By 2025, we expect the district to attract more than 20 million tourists from both Korea and abroad, and by 2035, it will become as much of a tourism attraction as Hong Kong or Macau," he said. When it comes to policy on South Korea, Donald Trump has long made several points that, when put together, could reduce the Asian nation to an erstwhile ally that hosts no American troops, develops its own nuclear weapons and struggles to save a free trade deal with the U.S. Previously shrugged off as something warranting no serious thought, these arguments appear to have slowly been unnerving experts -- and presumably policymakers as well -- as Trump looks headed toward the Republican nomination and some polls even suggest he could beat Democratic rival Hillary Clinton and win the White House. Trump has so far won 996 delegates, about 80 percent of the magic number of 1,237 necessary to win the nomination. He is expected to further solidify the lead should he win 57 delegates up for grabs in the state of Indiana on Tuesday. "Trump's treatment of America's alliance relationships in the speech is deeply troubling," Evans Revere, a former senior State Department diplomat, said, referring to last week's foreign policy speech in which Trump said allies should pay more for U.S. defense support or defend themselves. Defense cost-sharing with allies has been one of the highest foreign policy priorities for Trump. In last week's address, Trump renewed accusations that allies are not paying their fair share, saying the U.S. "must be prepared to let these countries defend themselves" unless they pay more. "We have no choice," he said. The real-estate tycoon has long made the case for having allies pay more, but the address was seen as carrying more weight than before because it was the first time Trump has outlined his foreign policy priorities in such a formal and refined manner. Though he made no mention of South Korea, the remark suggested that, if elected, he could pursue U.S. troop withdrawal from the Asian ally unless Seoul agrees to pay more. About 28,500 American troops are stationed in South Korea to deter North Korean aggression, a legacy of the 1950-53 Korean War. As a way to reduce American security burdens, Trump has even suggested allowing South Korea and Japan to develop their own nuclear weapons for self-defense in the face of growing nuclear and missile threats from the North. "He regards these alliances as mere transactional 'deals,' ignoring the fact that they are time-tested partnerships that serve the security interests of both America and its partners," said Revere, who currently serves as senior adviser for the Albright Stonebridge Group. Trump has turned a blind eye to the fact that South Korea has long shared the cost of stationing U.S. forces. Gen. Vincent Brooks, commander of U.S. Forces Korea, said recently that Seoul is shouldering a "significant load" of the cost and it would cost more to keep those troops stationed in the U.S. than it does in Korea. "In repeating his erroneous arguments in his speech, he has ignored the facts and sent the wrong message to our allies," Revere said. "His implicit threat to end America's alliances contains within it the seed of a policy approach that would end America's leadership and predominance in the international security arena." A Trump presidency could also upset economic ties between the two countries. Trump has said he would seek to break or renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and other trade deals. The Korea-U.S. free trade agreement is not expected to be any exception, though he didn't directly mention it. Moreover, Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL), considered a key foreign policy adviser for Trump, has expressed deeply negative views of the agreement, saying it brought no benefits to the U.S. and ended up increasing South Korea's exports to the country. "We didn't get any increase at all -- virtually none. They had a huge increase to us, and our trade deficit with our allies and friends in South Korea increased 280 percent. This is a serious matter," Sessions said during a Senate plenary meeting last week. South Korea's Foreign Ministry said it believes the U.S. support for the alliance with Seoul is firm, adding that it is trying to strengthen communication with the Trump camp and other candidates to convey Seoul's position on key foreign policy issues. Some experts say that despite all such talk, Trump's policy on alliances won't be much different. "I'm not at all sure that in the end, if Trump is elected, it would mean all that much of a change. The issue of host nation support is hardly new, and it doesn't surprise me that Trump (and others) will continue to advocate greater support from allies," said Alan Romberg, a distinguished fellow at the Stimson Center in Washington. "But the realities of the security challenges in Asia will, I believe, cause any president to stay with our alliance relationships in the region, not move away from them," he said. David Straub, associate director for the Korean Studies Program at Stanford University, said it is "understandable that Koreans are concerned about even the slightest possibility of a Trump victory in the presidential election." "Most Americans are far more concerned about the possibility," he said. Any effort by Trump to renegotiate the Korea-U.S. FTA or threaten to end the alliance unless the ROK provides more financial support for USFK "would be fiercely opposed by the ROK and by most of the American establishment," he said. "His notion of supporting the acquisition of nuclear weapons by the ROK and Japan is simply lunatic and has zero support among American leaders," Straub said. "Given the extreme unlikelihood of Trump becoming president, the best path for Korea is mostly to 'lie low' during the presidential campaign, that is, say as little as possible about Trump and his candidacy and let the American people defeat him," he said. (Yonhap) South Korea and the United States plan to hold an annual high-level defense meeting in Washington next week to build up their deterrence plan against North Korea's growing nuclear and missile threats, the Ministry of National Defense here said Wednesday. The two-day Korea-U.S. Integrated Defense Dialogue (KIDD) will kick off on Monday and bring together South Korea's Defense Deputy Minister for policy Yoo Jeh-seung and U.S. Assistant Secretary of Defense David Shear, along with Abraham Denmark, deputy assistant secretary of defense for East Asia, and Elaine Bunn, deputy assistant secretary for nuclear and missile defense policy. The South Korean foreign ministry's director-general for North America Yeo Seung-bae and U.S. Special Representative for North Korea Policy Sung Kim will also join the bilateral talks. The focus of the forthcoming dialogue will be on building up the allies' joint policies to deter North Korea's nuclear and missile intimidation and provocations, the ministry said. As part of the efforts, the officials will further develop their so-called 4D Operational Concept and relevant implementation guidelines. The alliance plan encompasses joint operations to detect, disrupt, destroy and defend against North Korea's potential nuclear and missile attacks, including the option to launch a preemptive attack on key military facilities in the communist country. Also high on the agenda are ways to prepare for the smooth transfer of Washington-held wartime operational control of South Korean forces back to Seoul. The allies have previously agreed to conduct the transfer in the mid-2020s. The partners will also draw up how to manage their Deterrence Strategy Committee, a joint consultative body on deterrence against North Korea's evolving missile capabilities, which the allies launched in April last year, the defense ministry said. (Yonhap) South Korea and Australia agreed Wednesday to enhance bilateral collaboration in military supplies and armament maintenance during talks in Canberra, the defense ministry here said. The agreement was reached during annual bilateral talks in the Australian capital earlier in the day, according to the Ministry of National Defense. The two sides also concurred on the need to establish a joint working group to share results of their innovation measures on the defense supply sector and to expand cooperation in the fields of military logistics and armament maintenance, the ministry said. The bilateral defense supply talks have been held every year since the two countries forged a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on military supply exchanges in 2010. The MOU calls for the countries to provide military supplies and services to each other for the purposes of peacekeeping and humanitarian operations, as well as disaster relief. (Yonhap) Iran's plan to invest a total of $2 billion in a major biotech complex in South Korea has received boosts from eased foreign currency transaction rules here and President Park Geun-hye's trip to Tehran, officials said Wednesday. Last year, a consortium led by the Iranian government signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the government of North Chungcheong Province to pour $2 million in initial investment into Osong Biovalley inside the province's free economic zone. Located some 130 km south of Seoul, Osong aims to become a global biotech and medical industry hub. Under the MOU, Iran plans to build a joint research center, drug production lines and a clinical trial hospital in Osong over the next decade. The long-term project, however, seems to have made little progress, although local officials said the related paperwork and other preparations are still underway. They held out expectations that it will gain speed as it has become easier for Iranian firms to set up entities here and vice versa thanks to the revised foreign exchange transaction regulations. The new rules, effective on Monday, allow South Korean and Iranian companies to carry out capital transactions through won-dominated accounts. Previously only current transactions stemming from exports or imports were permitted. "As the financial conditions have been improved to enable the remittance of investment money, we will actively help the Iranian side implement remaining procedures so that the investment plan can be carried out at an early date," said an official of the North Chungcheong provincial government. Gov. Lee Si-jong is scheduled to visit Iran and Turkey from May 14-20 as part of efforts to draw investment and help companies based in the province to launch businesses there. Lee is seeking to forge sisterhood ties between his province and Iran's Mazandaran Province during his trip. On a landmark visit to the Middle Eastern country earlier this week, Park also produced a set of summit deals to promote economic cooperation between the two sides. (Yonhap) Republican presidential frontrunner Donald Trump speaks to supporters and the media following his victory in the Indiana primary at Trump Tower in Manhattan, New York, Tuesday. Ted Cruz dropped out of the White House race after suffering a crushing defeat, leaving the road wide open for Trump to seize the Republican nomination. / AFP-Yonhap Concerns growing over 'America 1st,' 'free ride' rhetoric By Yi Whan-woo The likelihood of "Trump risks" becoming a significant problem for Korea is increasing after the billionaire property tycoon became the de-facto Republican presidential nominee Tuesday. Unlike President Barack Obama and Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton, Donald Trump has said that he is unhappy with the status of the military alliance and economic cooperation with Seoul and called for these to be overhauled. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Wednesday that the two nations will continue to develop their alliance based on "democracy and the market economy" regardless of the results of the U.S. presidential election in November. However, many analysts say that if elected president, Trump, would demand the renegotiation of the terms for the U.S. "protection" of South Korea from North Korea and their trade deal. He is expected to ask Seoul to shoulder more costs for maintaining the 28,000 U.S. troops here. "It's possible that he can order the pull out of U.S. forces from the Korean Peninsula if South Korea fails to meet his demands," said Park Won-gon, a professor of international relations at Handong University. Kim Hyun-wook, a Korea-U.S. relations expert at the Korea National Diplomatic Academy, said, "Trump may try to resize, restructure and alter the posture of the American military here even if he learns later that withdrawing all the troops is unrealistic." "One possible way could be downsizing the ground forces," he said. Trump, the Republican front-runner, is only 190 delegates away from securing the presidential nomination after a landslide victory in Indiana and the withdrawal of his party rival Ted Cruz. He has won 1,047 of the 1,237 delegates required so far. On his campaign trail, the entrepreneur-turned politician has accused South Korea of getting a "free ride" on U.S help to defend it from North Korea while increasing American security burdens. In line with his "America First" rhetoric, he said in a January interview with CNN that Seoul should pay "very substantially" to keep the U.S. forces. Although Seoul agreed to pay 920 billion won ($886 million) in 2014 to maintain the U.S. troops here, the billionaire real estate mogul said this was "peanuts." Citing criticism of his business-oriented diplomacy policy, Park speculated that Trump may let Korea go for nuclear armament despite concerns that it could trigger a nuclear arms race in East Asia. "Trump is all about profit first and everything else second, including diplomacy, and he is unlikely to care about a nuclear arms race in the region as long he thinks it can save money for the U.S." Trump hinted that there could be a withdrawal of the U.S. military from South Korea and Japan and that the two Asian allies should develop their own nuclear weapons as deterrents against North Korea's growing nuclear threats. "We can't be the policeman to the world and have $19 trillion in debt, going up to $21 trillion," Trump said. Defying the U.S. government's view on the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons, he also said, "We are better off frankly if South Korea is going to start protecting itself." Meanwhile, former Foreign Minister Kim Sung-han said that Trump will face opposition within his country if he pushes for the approval of nuclear armament in the East Asia. "Such an approval would mean a collapse of the U.S.-led treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons. I'd say that Trump will coordinate his nuclear policies if he becomes a presidential candidate." Park also claimed that Trump may attempt to revise the Korea-U.S. Free Trade Agreement , which has been effective since 2012, to safeguard American manufacturers. Trump apparently has supported the idea of U.S. isolationism in a range of fields, including trade. In his Indiana campaign, he said the U.S. cannot continue to allow China, the world's second largest economy, to "rape" the country with trade deficits. Senator Jeff Sessions (R-AL), who is regarded as a key foreign policy adviser to Trump, said the Korea-U.S. trade deal "came nowhere close to being beneficial to the U.S." He claimed U.S. imports from South Korea rose by $12 billion as of last year while U.S exports were "less than a couple of hundred million dollars more than in 2011." "In this climate, we can't rule out the possibility that Trump will target South Korea first over China to test his anti-free trade policies," Park said. "Our government needs to contact and build close relations with Trump's aides to convince them that our military and economic policies are in alignment." By Lee Han-soo North Korea recently invited foreign news agencies to cover the 7th Congress of the Workers' Party, but correspondents are seeing what the North does not want them to see. BBC reporter Rupert Wingfield-Hayes has released a documentary exposing what really is happening before Friday's congress. As Hayes arrives in Pyongyang, he is greeted by guides that he explains as minders. During the bus ride to his guesthouse, the minders do not reply to Hayes' questions about changes in Pyongyang. When he visits an amusement park, Hayes describes what he says are exaggerated expressions on the faces of the people. When Hayes asks a North Korean citizen if he has ever seen a foreigner, the citizen replies that it is his first time, although speaking fluent English. When Hayes follows the International Peace Foundation (IPF) to a children's hospital, the North Korean doctors are unable to answer questions about childhood cancer. "I think these are not doctors," the Chairman of the IPF, Prince Alfred of Liechtenstein, says, after having doubts about the hospital. Hayes said every interview he had was closely monitored by "men in suits" and people tended to flee when approached. "This country appears obsessed with portraying an image of strength and perfection," Hayes said. "But the level of control and nervousness we experienced portrays the weakness and insecurity that lies beneath." /Courtesy of Twitter By Lee Jin-a North Korea is extending surveillance of its people to cyberspace. According to sources, the reclusive state recently upgraded the state-developed operating system "Red Star OS" to track computers using it. The program is installed in all computers available in the country. This reflects the North's increasing anxiety that information smuggled in through the Internet could "spoil" its people. "The state seems like it wants to watch every bit of the lives of North Koreans," Florian Grunow, a researcher at ERNW, a German security consultancy, said in a report Tuesday. "The computer system will allow the government to fulfill this goal." Red Star OS is a Linux-based system developed by the Korea Computer Center, North Korea's leading information technology research center. Grunow said he could download the 3.0 version of the program from the Internet after a Russian student who visited Pyongyang last year made it public. "When I turn on the computer (with the Red Star OS), the system automatically searches for files that have errors,'" Grunow said. "If I try to change the basic programs or download documents that include negative information about the North Korean government, it reboots endlessly." He said the North Korean government is also collecting the private information of users through an anti-virus program that automatically adds watermarks to documents, videos and pictures. The state can track information about the dates and users who create, edit and distribute the files through the program, he said. /Courtesy of Twitter By Lee Jin-a A total of 197 North Korean defectors have arrived in the U.S. as refugees in the past 10 years, the Voice of America (VOA) reported, citing government data Wednesday. Nearly 60 percent, or 118, were female and 79 male, according to U.S. State Department data. Many have settled in California and Kentucky, while others are now calling New York and Colorado home. Of them, 56 were in their 30s, the largest group by age, followed by those in their 20s (49) and 40s (33). More than 70 percent had a qualification equivalent to a secondary school diploma or higher. "I'm really grateful (for living in the U.S.) and I feel responsible to return the favor through helping those in need," a North Korean defector who arrived in the U.S. in 2008 told the VOA. The U.S. started granting refugee status to North Korean defectors after its Congress approved the North Korean Human Rights Act in 2004. By Moshaddique Al Ameen In 2008, when my friends first learned about my intention to go to Korea, almost all of them asked the same question, "Why Korea?" A few relatives from smaller towns inquired another dreaded question, "Where is Korea?" The hallyu wave might have given Korea a sense of brand pride to its people, but in reality, it is only limited to a few of the countries in the eastern part of Asia. The rest of the world is still hearing more news on North Korea's theatrics than South Korea's glorious achievements although it was labeled as an Asian economic tiger. "Made in Korea" was nowhere near the brand of its neighbor "Made in Japan." I remember a TV ad showing the ignorance of the fellow classmates of a Korean boy on the whereabouts of Korea on the world map. It was another reality check. A nation with such great advancements in social and cultural fields along with science and technologies is falling far behind in brand visibility among its peers. It felt to me that this country is not as serious about the value of its brand as its western counterparts are. People are content with knowing that Japan and China and a few Southeast Asian countries value them. How about the rest of the world, Africa, North and South America, Europe and the rest of western Asia? LG may be a Korean company, but a few years back, I met many people who thought it was a North American corporation. I remember repeating to several guests in conferences that Samsung, LG, Hyundai, Daewoo, Doosan and Lotte are great South Korean corporations. Country brand value in today's world is very important. It shows the trueness of an advanced society. I am happy to see that finally Korea is trying to be serious in making itself a great nation brand. I witnessed in the same ad of the children, the hope to make Korea a better brand in the future. In 2009, the Presidential Council on National Branding was established to increase Korea's global brand value. Unfortunately, the program was discontinued once statistics showed improvements in. In the new smart age, smartphones from Samsung and LG, and even the famous K-pop song "Gangnam Style" are greatly contributing to the country's brand value. Korean beauty and digital products are helping to make people aware of it. Korea's brand value is visible in many places that had not heard of it just 10 years ago. However, to increase and maintain its image and brand, the following points are necessary. Efforts from the government: This is an obvious fact. A concerted, sustained and well-focused effort from the government to promote Korea as a brand is necessary. Instead of doing what others do, without any "wow" factor it cannot bring the desired results. A permanent office to handle this task is required. The efforts should be multilevel and multidirectional to sustain the growth of Korea's brand name. Efforts from the private sector: Korea has some of the top corporations in the world along with thousands of entrepreneurs. These companies should strongly attach the name Korea to their brand. For example, LG while promoting its products can insert a tagline, "a Korean company" in its ads, similar to what Volkswagen does. Efforts from individual Koreans: Individuals are the best representative of a country's culture. Through the use of new age technologies and personal interactions, they can contribute to its brand. Travelling abroad, social media are great tools for this. I have seen Koreans mostly confined to regional and local blogs and social media. However, the use of international sites and social media can improve it. Efforts from foreigners who visit Korea: This is very simple. Foreigners who visit Korea are ready to be brand ambassadors. If their experience is satisfactory, word of mouth advertisements that they bring to their own countries, friends and social media can greatly contribute to the brand value of Korea. Concerted efforts can ultimately bring the desired results. Believe it or not, some of my friends still ask me, "North or South?" I wish for a time and place where I never hear that again. The writer is a Ph.D. scholar at Kyung Hee University. Write to ameen@khu.ac.kr. By Shim Jae-yun Will Iran be an El Dorado for the ailing Korean economy? Spurred by President Park Geun-hye's visit there, expectations have been growing over Tehran's possible role as savior of an economy suffering from multiple problems. The answer may be yes, given the $45.6 billion in business deals signed between the two countries. But the recent performance does not necessarily mean that the nation is poised to completely overcome its economic debacle. It faces tough tasks in carrying through corporate restructuring. The good news is that many memoranda of understanding (MOUs) are concerned with infrastructure such as in the construction, petroleum and electricity sectors where national enterprises have relatively high competitiveness, and the need to advance into overseas markets more briskly. Cultural familiarity seems to have contributed to the results. It is noteworthy that the Korean drama "Daejanggeum" (Jewel in the Palace) recorded a 90 percent viewing rate in Iran in 2007, followed by "Jumong" with 85 percent. The dress code for women is similar coupled with the dedication toward the king in making a royal dish. The legendary love story between a Persian prince and Shilla princess some 1,400 years ago symbolizes the bilateral kinship. A book entitled "Kush Nama" preserved in the British Museum refers to the marriage of the two. Seoul has Tehran Road in the most prosperous Gangnam district in southern Seoul while Iran has Seoul Road in downtown Tehran. Park's recent visit to Iran will surely boost bilateral economic cooperation and exchange, and help struggling companies find a breakthrough. But that is not the omnipotent pill that can cure the chronic disease Korea is suffering from. Further, the materialization of the MOUs, which are not legally binding, is not certain and depends on the situation. The Iranian side could possibly shift to other business partners for better conditions. Despite the urgent need to speed up corporate restructuring, the relevant parties have failed to come up with a proper contingency plan. The government has yet to show a strong leadership to push for restructuring. The discrepancy between the Ministry of Finance and the Bank of Korea (BOK) over the possible implementation of Korean-style quantitative easing has fueled the conflict. Though the central bank succumbed to government pressure to join efforts toward restructuring, many question have yet to be resolved over the properness of spending money for ailing shipbuilders and shipping companies. The trade union of the BOK went all out in condemning the concession. It says it is rare and inappropriate for the central bank to print money to bail out certain companies. Experts point out the possibility of trade conflicts with other countries which are competing with the nation in shipbuilding and shipping. Hyundai Merchant and Marine and Hanjin Shipping are now desperate to cut leasing fees for the ships. But if the government decides to inject funds into them, it would mean failure in the crucial negotiations to lower the fees. Massive layoffs are expected in the course of carrying out restructuring. Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering announced a plan to dismiss 2,000 to decrease its number of employees by 15.4 percent by 2018. But the number of dismissed workers will likely increase further to reach even 50,000 in the shipbuilding sector, including those from subcontracting companies, according to Bae Gyu-shik, a researcher at the Korea Labor Institute. Unless there are appropriate measures to tackle possible layoffs, there could be another disaster as seen in the case of Ssangyong Motor, which led to the suicides of 25 workers and their family members. The government's steps are relying on pensions and the creation of a special law to bolster hiring. There is a need to learn from many European countries which have adopted the "transfer company" system to educate the workers to find a new job. By any means, the restructuring should be done in a fair and just manner to prevent only the workers from taking all responsibilities. Regulators should strictly find and punish major shareholders and managerial executives for any mismanagement and dominating role in crumbling companies. In this vein, Hanjin Shipping's former CEO Choi Eun-young should be held responsible for selling stock allegedly using undisclosed information about the company's application for bank receivership. Responsible CEOs and conglomerates including Hanjin Shipping Chairman Cho Yang-ho should donate their personal property in a sign of their efforts toward sharing the pain. As the U.S. Department of Defense goes in quest of a larger piece of the overall budget, its claims of threats to America's security grow in amplitude and volume. Its latest ambitions are for 40 percent more submarines than it and some of the American media claim Russia has, as opposed to the 25 percent more the U.S. Navy has now. The other is a desire by the U.S. Africa Command for money to use larger numbers of U.S. forces to fight Boko Haram, a group of terrorists in northeastern Nigeria, Cameroon, Chad and Niger. The claim is that these African states are U.S. allies. In reality they are African states that have the resources and should have sufficient motivation to fight off Boko Haram themselves. What occurs in that landlocked region of Africa is the responsibility of the people located there and poses no threat to the United States. They are countries; they are not U.S. allies, as even some U.S. media profess to believe. Cameroon has had the same president, Paul Biya, for 33 years; Chad's president, Idriss Deby, has been in office for 25 years. Niger is somewhat democratic. Nigeria, an oil state, is noted for corruption. The United States doesn't need the new submarines. The Navy wants them because it feels it has not had a big enough role in recent wars (Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Syria, Yemen) to have put enough money into its pockets. Overstating the Russian threat, it hopes, will remedy that shortfall. It is worth noting that the new ships and the tanks, missile batteries, artillery and other hardware being sought by President Barack Obama for use in Eastern Europe against Russia also represent important purchases from the U.S. defense industries, large donors to current political campaigns. The budget will be in imbalance already, without the new military expenditures, and the U.S. national debt currently stands at $19 trillion and rising steadily, with $6 trillion about a third of it owed to China, Japan, Saudi Arabia and other foreign countries. Wouldn't it make more sense to reduce our financial vulnerability to them, as opposed to increasing our military exposure in Africa and buying more hardware that we don't need? This editorial appeared on the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and was distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Choice for Kim Jong-un: embrace change or else North Korea has had one of its last remaining friends turn their back on it. Iran is a long-term ally of the North, having helped each other in their respective pursuit of weapons of mass destruction. The two were so close that Pyongyang gave Tehran missile technology in return for help in making nuclear weapons. The two were grouped in what U.S. President George W. Bush called an "axis of evil" together with Iraq. Now, their statuses can't be more divergent. Iran has cut a deal with the United States and other big powers in which it decided to freeze its nuclear program in return for the lifting of international sanctions, gaining access to tens of billions of dollars in frozen assets around the world and selling oil for billions more. In this new era of opportunity, Iran welcomed President Park Geun-hye, offering her and her business entourage a chance to cash in on up to $45.6 billion in business deals. Being determined to push for openness and prosperity, its leaders reformist President Hassan Rouhani and the theocracy's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei promised to be more friendly with Seoul, giving their support to its efforts to denuclearize the Korean Peninsula in what appeared to be nothing less than a repudiation of Pyongyang's nuclear program. Of course, Rouhani's remarks targeted Israel's nuclear weapons as well. Ahead of the Seventh Workers' Party Congress, the first in 36 years, Kim Jong-un, the 33-year-old leader of the international pariah nation, should wonder why his country's friends are leaving it. . Above all, it's the change of zeitgeist. In the time of his father and grandfather, it was the confrontation of ideology: capitalism vs. communism. Communism lost. China has adopted the "black-cat-white-cat" pragmatism, which is a form of capitalism at its core. Now, the new game lies about how to prosper for individuals and the nation. Iran has been engrossed in it, while China is so good that it is now rivaling the United State in the latter's own game of becoming wealthy. Remaining friends with the North is getting in their way. Now, the North should think carefully about what options it has, and stop being hysterical about President Park's successful Iran tour. First, it can continue to press ahead on its nuclear and missile programs at the risk of alienating its "remaining friends," if there are any, and bringing itself to the brink of financial and existential collapse. Already the signs are unmistakable as a virtual global blockade is in place, threatening to bring the country to a complete halt. The other option is to follow Iran's model. The international community has promised the North the start of negotiations about security guarantees as it has demanded, and a massive rescue plan to transform its economy. It is true that the North is different from Iran, being rich in oil and quite open to the outside. It is possible for Kim to get deposed and end up like Saddam of Iraq or Gaddafi of Libya but it is worth remembering that in either way, he doesn't have time on his side. Unless he commits to the first option and soon, he will end up with no options at all. If he is not sure, he can ask his former Iranian friends about it. LINE Chief Globalization Officer Shin Jung-ho speaks during a press meeting at the Banyan Tree Hotel in central Bangkok, Tuesday. / Courtesy of Naver By Yoon Sung-won BANGKOK, Thailand "A software service provider seeking to enter a foreign market needs to localize its services to blend into the native culture," said LINE Chief Globalization Officer (CGO) Shin Jung-ho. He further explained that service providers should try to see a market from the perspective of the native culture and seek out what is best for the customers in their target markets. "At LINE we use the term acculturation instead of localization because we believe that it can be arrogant to define the local and central cultures," Shin said during a press meeting in Bangkok, Tuesday. "The concept is based on the view that all cultures should be equally respected. We should see the Thai market from the perspective of Thai culture when we provide our services in Thailand." Shin said Lee Hae-jin, the chairman of LINE and its parent company Naver, has long emphasized the importance of remaining unbiased in doing business in an overseas market. "When I was leaving for Japan to begin the LINE business there in 2008, Lee wanted me to start from scratch and heed what people said in the Japanese market," he said. The CGO said service providers should focus on what they can do best and try to make it attractive to consumers. "The basic protocols of Internet services have been made by U.S. businesses, but under their order and values, neither Naver nor LINE would survive the competition in terms of the economies of scale," he said. "So we have thought hard about localization and reached the present point in LINE's global business. I think we will have a chance once we complete LINE's business shift from that of a mobile messenger service to an integrated smart portal." Shin said a smart portal refers to an intelligent integrated platform service that recommends what users may want at the moment, freeing them from actively making search inquiries. In line with such ideas on cultural localization and the smart portal, the CGO said the company is pushing to establish separate systems in each target market in Korea, Japan, Taiwan and Thailand for planning, development and design. "We have already set the systems in Korea, Japan and Taiwan and are working to do so in Thailand," he said. "We are hiring more developers even if this will take more time." The CGO said the LINE Man service, a mobile delivery agent service, and mobile game Cookie Run, developed by Korean game studio Devsisters, are successful examples that benefited from independent operation by a Thai subsidiary and its efforts for cultural localization. Shin underlined the significance of the Thai market, which has recently replaced Taiwan to become Korea's second-largest strategic overseas market after Japan. "We decide on the priority of each market in terms of the number of daily active users," he said. "Thailand has recorded rapid growth in the smartphone penetration rate recently which has made us look more into this market." Ryan Serhant, the American real estate salesperson and reality television star gained popularity when he was featured on Bravo's ''Million Dollar Listing New York'' as a real estate agent. The first season was aired on Mar. 7, 2012. Houston Chronicle did a story on this dynamic actor. And the popularity of the show pulled it to season 5 which was aired on Apr. 21, 2016. This was the 48th episode in the series and first one for this season. This episode was named as "50 Shades of Greystone" and as per TV by the numbers, 0.99 million US viewers watched this episode. In 2014 E news reported that Serhant proposed to his lawyer girlfriend Emilia Bechrakis. "No one has ever done something like this. But I'm only going to propose once in my life, so I wanted to make sure that I did something special," Ryan told E news about his proposal. Grapevine is abuzz with the news of Serhant planning to tie the knot to his long-term girlfriend Bechrakis. "[Emilia's] dad and his dad are named Leonidas, and he's from Sparta, which is a real thing. Her mom is Despina and her brother is Stratos. They're very, very Greek. It'll be this summer," Serhant told the Daily Dish. The wedding will happen in Greece. So can we think about ''A big Fat Greek Wedding?'' "We're doing it in Greece. We're doing it on an island, off an island, off an island. So we're not having a lot of people there - it's kind of a pain to get to. It's going to be very, very pretty, and elaborate," Serhant added. "It took us a year and a half to put it together. But like I told her after the proposal, 'Listen, I'm only ever doing this once in my life. So we're gonna do this once. It's going to be awesome and you're just gonna have to kill me 'cause I can't afford to do this ever again.' Same thing for the wedding. So it'll be cool, it'll be good." So what's next for this popular TV actor? Where are they planning to take a honeymoon? All the hoteliers will surely be glad to give a great discount to the newly wedded couple. Lancaster, Depew natives awarded RIT scholarship funding A School of Performing Arts that opened this year at the Rochester Institute of Technology is offering nonmajors in that field more opportunities to continue their performing passions in college.... LHS students receiving scholarships from Baldwin Wallace University Three students from the Lancaster area were among over 700 students who earned scholarships at Baldwin Wallace University this fall. The school has a long history of scholarship support from alumni,... The price of LITRO gas cylinders would be further reduced in the first week of November in accordance with the Read more The SLFP does not condone the continuation of the Emergency Regulations (The Public Security Ordinance) more than a day necessary Read more PRESS RELEASE Joint Estonia-NATO Military Exercise Begins on Russias Border May 2, 2016 (EIRNS)In yet another provocation against Russia, today Estonian troops will join with military personnel from ten NATO nations to begin the Spring Storm exercises in the southeastern part of Estonia, right on the border with Russia. The exercise will continue until May 20, Sputnik reported today. Of the 6,000 soldiers participating, 1,500 of them will come from NATO members Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Germany. According to RT, Finish staff officers and Canadian "teams of specialists" will also participate. NATO countries will also provide military hardware for the exercise, which is the largest to take place this year in Estonia. In a statement quoted by Sputnik, Lt. Gen. Riho Terras, Commander-in-Chief of the Estonian Defense Forces, said that Spring Storm will provide military units with important training, "preparing them for war-time." PRESS RELEASE Puerto Rican Governor Announces: Human Beings Come Before Debt Payment May 2, 2016 (EIRNS)In a nationally-televised speech last night, Puerto Ricos Governor Alejandro Garcia Padilla announced that the Government Development Bank (GDB) would not pay $370 million of the $422 million debt payment that came due May 1. "This has been a very difficult decision," the Governor said, "one that, frankly, I would have preferred not to make." But in the absence of any solution from Washington, and the continued suffering of the Puerto Rican people, "I had to choose, and I chose," he said. The island government can barely fund crucial public serviceseducation, medical care, police and firemen. When the choice came down to providing these desperately-needed services or paying the debt, the choice was clear, Garcia explained. "You," the Puerto Rican people, "are and will continue to be my priority." He underscored that he had been very clear last June when he publicly announced that Puerto Rico could not pay its debt. All we ask for is the legal toolsrestructuringwith which to deal with this crisis, he added. "We need the House to act. We need [Speaker] Paul Ryan to keep his word. We cant wait any longer. We need restructuring now." "We know that Puerto Ricos enemies are powerful," Garcia stated, and that with brutal racist attacks, they have convinced "members of Congress that what Puerto Rico needs is collective punishment. Some of the so-called vulture funds and their lobbyists want to deny Puerto Rico access to the legal tools" it needs. "This is an act of pure greed." As for the proposed control board, he admonished, if some form of federal oversight can help Puerto Rico in balancing its budget or improving its fiscal discipline, thats fine. But, he warned, "we are firmly opposed" to having Federal officials make financial decisions or have the right to "overturn our laws at whim, with no accountability" to the Puerto Rican people. "We are committed to the principles of democracy and freedom and justice for all," Garcia concluded, but "if Congress acts differently, that would reestablish a colonial power over Puerto Rico." And this, he warned, "would open a Pandoras box of very dangerous consequences." Puerto Rico and its institutions must be respected. Garcia Padilla also recalled that over the decades, Puerto Ricans serving in the U.S. military have "shed their blood" for the United States." Its now time for the United States to demonstrated that the shedding of that blood wasnt in vain. PRESS RELEASE Backlash Builds Against Obama-Brennan 9/11 Coverup May 3, 2016 (EIRNS)Following Sundays blatant public admission by CIA Director John Brennan that President Obama has no intention of declassifying the 28 pages from the Joint Congressional Inquiry, and his lying misrepresentations of the 28 pages as unsubstantiated leads that were dismissed by the 9/11 Commission, there is a groundswell of opposition to the continuing cover-up of the Anglo-Saudi terror apparatus. Paul Sperry, writing in todays New York Post was blunt, in an article headlined The Establishment is Lying about 9/11 Report. Sperry not only debunked Brennans lies. He produced a CIA document dated Aug. 2, 2002, which he said is quoted on the first page of the sealed 28-page chapter, which declared there is incontrovertible evidence there is support for these terrorists from the Saudi government. Sperry, who has been obviously leaked at least segments of the 28 pages, reminded Brennan that he was Deputy Director of the CIA at the time that report was produced. Sperry went on to attack Tom Kean and Lee Hamilton, the two co-chairs of the 9/11 Commission, for reversing their earlier stance that the 28 pages and all the files from the Commission that are still classified, to their recent claim that the Commission exonerated the Saudis and the release of the 28 pages would muddy the waters. Sperry picked apart one egregious lie by Brennan and the commissioners, that there was not even evidence against the Saudi cleric Al-Thumairy, who was based in Los Angeles and had contact with Saudi intelligence operative al-Bayoumi and the two San Diego terrorists al-Hazmi and al-Mihdhar. Dan Christensen, whose lawsuit against the FBI to release the 80,000 pages of documents on the Sarasota, Florida, 9/11 cell is still pending before a Federal Judge, posted a story in his Florida Bulldog web publication today, quoting from an interview he had conducted May 2 with former CIA Director and Joint Inquiry co-chair Porter Goss, in which Goss continued to demand the release of the 28 pages, in stark contrast to Brennan. Christensen titled the article Its spy versus spy as CIA directors differ on making public 28 hidden pages of 9-11 report. In his interview with the Bulldog, Goss described a meeting he and Sen. Bob Graham had with then-FBI director Robert Mueller, who shocked them both by insisting that the 28-page chapter had to be suppressedwithout any further explanation. Kristen Breitweiser, the widow of one of the 9/11 victims, penned yet another article for Huffington Post, in which she meticulously picked apart the statements by Kean and Hamilton, under the headline Uproar Over the 28 Pages: The Saudi/CIA Connection? referring to none other than John Brennan, who was CIA Station Chief in Saudi Arabia, after serving there earlier in his career as well. A slew of other publications picked up on the same theme: Obama and Brennan are covering up for the Saudis. This included a townhall.com article by Larry Provost and new articles in Breitbart News and other conservative outlets. If Obama and Brennan thought they could bully their way through their cover-up of the crimes of 9/11, they were dead wrong. As Lyndon LaRouche has been warning for weeks, Obama is nothing but a British agent who will do what he is told by the British Monarchyand will never do anything to jeopardize the Anglo-Saudi empire. Until Obama is removed, this battle is likely to continue, and Obamas refusal to release the 28 pages is more than sufficient cause for his impeachment now! When it was announced this week that Oprah Winfrey will star in the film adaptation of Rebecca Skloots The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, much of the Internet could barely contain its glee. The news, first reported by Deadline, was particularly sweet to fans of Skloots 2010 book about Lacks, an African American woman whose cells were taken without her knowledge while she was being treated for cervical cancer at Johns Hopkins Hospital in 1951; she died shortly thereafter. Lacks cell line, known to scientists and biology students everywhere as HeLa, was the first -- and for decades the only -- set of human cells that could reproduce over and over in a lab environment, like a petri dish. Advertisement HeLa cells became a vital tool for scientists and doctors, who used them to research diseases such as polio, cancer and AIDS. As Skloot explained in her book, despite the many scientific advances made because of her cells, Lacks family wasnt notified of their use, nor were they compensated for it. Part of this was due to scientific assumptions at the time, and later, when the family did hear from scientists and journalists, they were alarmed and concerned. It was in this environment that Skloot endeavored to reach the family and understand their story, and became friends with Lacks adult daughter Deborah. Winfrey will play Deborah in the HBO film, and two of Henrietta Lacks sons, and one of her granddaughters, will consult on the movie. But who will play Skloot? When the author solicited unofficial suggestions on Twitter, and received quite a few. Skloots followers nominated Tatiana Maslany, Anna Kendrick, Emma Stone, Aubrey Plaza, Rachel McAdams and Skloot herself (No chance, responded Skloot). The filmmakers could look to other films that have featured actresses playing the writers their movies were based on. Most recently, Reese Witherspoon starred as Cheryl Strayed in the 2014 film adaptation of Strayeds memoir Wild. Witherspoon was nominated for an Academy Award for her portrayal. Director Michael Winterbottom looked to Angelina Jolie to play Mariane Pearl in the 2007 film version of A Mighty Heart, based on Pearls memoir about the kidnapping and murder of her husband, Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl. Jolie received widespread praise and a Golden Globe nomination for her performance. Winona Ryder was given good reviews for her role as Susanna Kaysen in Girl, Interrupted, the 1999 film based on Kaysens memoir about her 18-month stay in a psychiatric hospital. It was Jolie, however, who stole the movie with her Academy Award-winning role as another patient in the hospital. Similarly themed, but much less successful with critics, was the 2001 adaptation of Elizabeth Wurtzels Prozac Nation, which featured Christina Ricci as the author. Riccis performance was praised by some critics, but the movie received generally negative reviews. Perhaps the oddest performance of a writer in a film based on her book was Meryl Streep in Adaptation, the 2002 movie (kind of) based on Susan Orleans The Orchid Thief. The film is about screenwriter Charlie Kaufmans attempt to write a screenplay based on Orleans book; Meryl Streep plays a fictionalized version of Orlean as a drug-using borderline sociopath who sleeps with the subject of her book and tries (unsuccessfully) to murder Kaufman. Theres still time to cast Rebecca Skloot. The film, which will be written and directed by George C. Wolfe, is scheduled to begin shooting this summer. ALSO Singalongs and shenanigans with the authors at the young adult reading festival Yallwest Walt Whitman discovered to be Americas first paleo poet A rare interview with Don DeLillo, one of the titans of American fiction A hyperloop, the super-fast transit system dreamed up by Elon Musk, was envisioned as a way to get passengers from Los Angeles to San Francisco in minutes instead of hours. But it could also transport tens of thousands of cargo containers from L.A.s ports to inland distribution centers and rail yards. That would dramatically cut the number of trucks on Southern Californias freeways and potentially slash pollution. You can make [a port] a lot easier on the local community, said Brogan BamBrogan, a co-founder of Hyperloop Technologies, one of two local companies working to realize and commercialize Musks concept. Advertisement BamBrogan was among the speakers Tuesday on a panel at the Milken Institute Global Conference exploring how new technologies could reshape Los Angeles and other cities. L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti speculated that the advent of self-driving cars could cut down on the amount of space needed for roads and parking lots, freeing up more land for development and possible cutting down on the cost of housing. What the panel didnt touch on is what those changes might mean for the workers who will inhabit these cities of the future. Thats been a focus of other panels at the Beverly Hills conference, where technologists, hedge fund managers and other experts have talked at length about the potential perils of a world where technology continues to make human workers obsolete. Though self-driving cars and ports that need fewer trucks have benefits, they also represent huge numbers of job losses. Technological innovation has always changed the labor market, but usually in ways that create more jobs than are destroyed. Some still think the same will ultimately be true this time around. Is this any different than the same shifts we saw during the Industrial Revolution? asked Shivon Zilis, a partner at Bloomberg-backed venture capital firm Bloomberg Beta, speaking at a Monday panel about the promise and potential pitfalls of artificial intelligence. But others worry the current wave of tech-driven automation is different, destroying jobs without creating more. I need to hope well come up with high-value things [for people] to do. But I dont think we can assume itll happen, said David Siegel, co-chairman of hedge fund Two Sigma Investments, who was among the artificial intelligence experts. Before the internal-combustion engine, horses were needed by the workforce. No one ever came up with anything more economical for horses to do. After Tuesdays panel, Garcetti said the question of how technology is changing employment keeps him up at night. Many workers, he said, will help build new rail lines, Hyperloops and other infrastructure, but its less clear what will happen to others. Theres no question automation displaces some workers, he said. But he added that whatever changes are coming, its the job of a city or any government to adapt to them. The question isnt change or not, he said. The question is how you manage it. Twitter: @jrkoren Thousands of SunEdison Inc. employees and customers packed the House of Blues at Disneyland on a Wednesday night last September. The big developer of renewable energy projects had set aside the last night of the largest solar trade show in North America to unveil a new brand campaign and colorful logo. Special T-shirts and lanyards were ordered up for the occasion. But that night, the new logo went unmentioned. Also conspicuously absent: SunEdisons top brass, including CEO Ahmad Chatila. Advertisement It quickly became clear that SunEdison executives had more important things to worry about. A onetime Wall Street star and growth champion, SunEdison would soon lay off more than 1,000 workers. Contracts to buy several power projects and developers would be canceled. By March 22, when Debtwire broke the news that the company was in talks to restructure its debt, shares had plunged 95% from their 52-week high. Today, SunEdison is in bankruptcy. The Securities and Exchange Commission and the Department of Justice are investigating its financial activities. The company faces a slew of lawsuits, including one from its own subsidiary claiming that SunEdison misappropriated $231 million, using it to pay off a loan instead of solar developments, as it had said it would. Interviews with the companys founder and former CEO, and with former employees, give a sense of SunEdisons mad scramble for growth, which required a nonstop supply of acquisitions and debt. Early on, banks were more than happy to provide the necessary financial fuel. But when the company pushed the limits of its new financial structure and tried to grow too large, too fast, investors turned on it and the money hose was shut off. In the end, SunEdison had drifted far from the relatively simple idea that its founder, Jigar Shah, first envisioned in a paper he wrote as a University of Maryland MBA student. SunEdison at its core is a boring construction company, that earns the trust of its institutional investors by being boring and managing risks, Shah, now 41, said in an interview. But the companys senior executives didnt want to be boring, they wanted to be a technology company. Spokespeople for SunEdison and its subsidiaries declined to comment. Life has been anything but boring for SunEdison and its investors. For more than a decade, the company dominated the business of developing, financing, building and operating renewable energy projects for companies, institutions and utilities. For instance, SunEdison owns the 82-megawatt Regulus solar facility in Kern County, which supplies Southern California Edison. And in January it agreed to supply 25 California elementary, middle and high schools with solar parking canopies. Last year MIT Technology Review voted SunEdison the sixth smartest company in the U.S., on the basis of aggressively expanding its renewable energy products and building a business to provide electricity to the developing world. Since 2012 the company has developed more than 4.3 gigawatts of renewable projects, enough energy to power more than 700,000 homes. The company said last year it had a further 2.9 gigawatts under construction and another 7.9 gigawatts in its development pipeline. Shahs original idea was that there was a gap in the nascent solar-energy market that could be filled by a company that sold the energy without shouldering the cost of building a solar farm. The two parties would sign a contract called a power-purchase agreement. That would enable the customer to buy solar power generation at a fixed cost with no money down. Construction would be paid for by investors, whose return would be guaranteed by the cash flow from the project. Shah kept the idea in the back of his head until 2003, when he left a job at BP Solar to start his own firm. His first customer was Whole Foods. SunEdison arranged the financing to build a solar system on the roof of an Edgewater, N.J., store. The supermarket chain agreed to buy the power on a long-term contract. We were off to the races, Shah said. The company suffered a setback when the financial crisis forced it to table a planned initial public stock offering. Disagreeing with the board over its plans to raise money and dilute his ownership, Shah left soon after. He now is president of Generate Capital, which invests in renewable energy. SunEdison was bought by MEMC Electronic Materials Inc. of St. Peters, Mo., which sought to grow its production of silicon wafers used both in semiconductors and solar panels while generating revenue from solar developments. CEO Chatila moved his office and the companys board meetings to Belmont, Calif., in the heart of Silicon Valley. The company spent heavily on its materials business, including building factories in Italy and Malaysia. But when the price of silicon crashed in 2011 its revenues fell off. In 2013, MEMC changed its name to SunEdison and the company kept developing solar projects. We were the driving engine of the company, recalled one person who had worked on the companys project development side. He and other former SunEdison employees spoke on the condition of not being named, in some cases because they still work in the industry and fear repercussions. The final transformation of SunEdison began the following year when it created the first of two publicly traded subsidiaries called yield companies, or yieldcos. Rather than sell operational projects to third parties, SunEdison would develop and sell them to its subsidiaries TerraForm Power Inc. and TerraForm Global Inc.. In theory, the yieldcos would raise cash from public shareholders to buy operational power projects from SunEdison. The cash flows generated by the projects would pay a dividend to the subsidiarys shareholders. SunEdison would be paid for the assets it sold to the yieldco. A competitor, NRG Energy Inc., had already shown how lucrative the strategy could be, raising nearly $450 million from the IPO of its own yieldco. But to keep the cash dividends high, the yieldcos had to keep acquiring projects. SunEdison went on a spending spree, announcing the purchase of billions of dollars of renewable projects and companies in Europe, Asia, Africa, Latin and North America. It also expanded beyond solar to wind, hydro and storage facilities. TerraForm Power was the first of SunEdisons yieldcos to go public, in July 2014. In a low-interest-rate environment, investors flocked to the offering. The company, which has bought up 2.75 gigawatts of power projects, saw its share price soar more than 21% over the next nine months. But as growth exploded, so did debt. By September 2015, SunEdison owed $16.1 billion. SunEdisons bid for more assets helped drive up renewable valuations, according to market participants. SunEdison and TerraForm Power announced in November 2014 they would buy First Wind Holdings, a wind and solar project developer, for $2.4 billion. It was the companys largest acquisition and marked its expansion into wind power. SunEdison and TerraForm Powers share prices immediately rose following the news. However, First Winds owners are listed in SunEdisons bankruptcy as some of its biggest creditors, claiming $231 million in disputed contractual payments. SunEdison went bonkers on the acquisition front, said one former SunEdison employee. There was no management around the table to say this does or doesnt make sense financially. No one ever touched the brakes. God forbid you hit the brakes. But investors were backing away from energy, and solar wasnt spared. SunEdisons shares began to slide in July, soon after the company announced it was acquiring the residential solar rooftop company Vivint Solar for $2.2 billion. That was more than a 40% premium to the companys market capitalization. Confirmation that shareholders were souring on yieldcos came two weeks after the Vivint deal was announced, when the second yieldco, TerraForm Global, went public. Its shares were priced below their original range, and kept falling. They now trade at about a fifth of their IPO price. The Vivint deal hinged on TerraForm Power buying Vivints portfolio of rooftop solar systems from SunEdison for about $922 million. But the hedge fund Appaloosa, which held 9.5% of TerraForm Powers shares, tried to block the deal with a court injunction. SunEdison, scrambling to make the deal work as its share price crumbled, said it would cut the price paid for Vivint and reduce the asset sale to TerraForm Power. But SunEdisons share price continued to nosedive, and the company announced in its third-quarter earnings call in November 2015 that it would go back to selling assets to third parties, instead of its yieldcos. Around the same time, SunEdison quietly approached potential buyers to offload a 400-megawatt portfolio of late-stage development projects, said several sources who asked to remain anonymous. Several previously announced deals fell through as partners terminated agreements because, they said, SunEdison failed to deliver financing. In November the company said it had access to approximately $1.4 billion in cash or cash equivalents. But three senior executives at TerraForm Global who doubted the accuracy of SunEdisons financial statements had already raised their concerns with the board, according to a lawsuit filed on April 4 by TerraForm Global against SunEdison. The suit contained a more explosive allegation: that more than $231 million allocated for project development in India had been misappropriated and used instead to repay a loan. As a result, SunEdison abandoned construction of the projects, the lawsuit claims, even though TerraForm Global had paid for them. Vivint terminated its acquisition agreement with SunEdison on March 8 and is suing SunEdison for breach of contract. SunEdison contends that an internal investigation has cleared the company management of fraud or willful misconduct. It has secured a $300-million loan to continue operations and pay its employees, and it has appointed a chief restructuring officer. See more of our top stories on Facebook >> The yieldcos, which are not part of the bankruptcy, say they have plenty of liquidity. Competitors, meanwhile, are watching closely to see what valuable renewable projects get sold off as SunEdison works its way through Bankruptcy Court. The company has already started to offload assets in the United Kingdom and Latin America. Shah, the founder, says its gives him great pain to see a company that revolutionized the industry and had so much value squandered away. SunEdison overextended itself. Its a pity, he said. But the company has a track record that nobody else has done before. Olivia Feld is a freelance writer who specializes in covering the energy industry. @oliviafeld business@latimes.com MORE BUSINESS NEWS Tesla Motors expected to post wider quarterly loss amid Model X delays Pom Wonderful case not wonderful enough, Supreme Court says United Airlines pays $37 million to ex-CEO who quit amid a corruption investigation Tesla Motors Inc. is a proven standout at generating hype for cars it plans to build. But the electric-car makers current production will be the focus of Teslas first-quarter financial results, due to be announced after the stock market closes Wednesday. UPDATE: Tesla Motors posts a bigger loss, and two key executives plan to leave Advertisement The Palo Alto company is expected to post a much larger quarterly loss than it did a year earlier, in good part because of delays in building its new Model X sport utility vehicle. Tesla has said most of those problems have been fixed and Model X production has accelerated. The companys other vehicle is its mainstay Model S sedan. Both vehicles cost $70,000 or more. Teslas quarterly results will come out one month after the ballyhooed unveiling of its Model 3, a mass-market sedan thats scheduled to arrive in late 2017 with a base price of $35,000. As the unveiling approached, thousands of would-be buyers lined up outside Tesla dealerships to deposit $1,000 and reserve the four-door Model 3 even before they saw what it looked like. Tesla Chief Executive Elon Musk said a month ago that those reservations exceeded 325,000, and he is likely to provide an updated number Wednesday. At the same time, Tesla is expected to report another quarterly loss using both standard generally accepted accounting rules and on a non-GAAP basis, which factors out costs such as employee stock-based compensation. Tesla is forecast to report an adjusted non-GAAP loss of 60 cents a share, compared with a loss of 36 cents a share a year earlier, according to analysts surveyed by FactSet Research Systems Inc. Teslas first-quarter sales are forecast to jump 45%, to $1.6 billion from $1.1 billion. In February, when the company last reported its quarterly results, Tesla posted an adjusted loss of 87 cents a share, much larger than analysts had expected. But analysts also see Tesla turning profitable on an adjusted basis starting in this years second quarter, according to FactSet. A key factor behind the fourth-quarter loss was delays in shipments of the Model X, which Tesla blamed on shortages of a few parts and its own hubris in adding far too much new technology to the SUV, which is known for its stylish falcon-wing doors and race-car like acceleration. The Model X problems also resulted in Teslas overall first-quarter deliveries of 14,820 vehicles (12,420 Model S cars and 2,400 Model X vehicles) falling well short of expectations. Tesla said it resolved the Model X problems and that Model X shipments improved dramatically to 750 vehicles per week by late-March, which would equal roughly 9,000 to 10,000 a quarter. As a result, Tesla said it remained on track to deliver 80,000 to 90,000 new vehicles overall this year. But analysts will be listening closely to Musk on Wednesday for reassurance about that production schedule. Efraim Levy, an analyst with S&P Global Market Intelligence, said the Model X snags are one reason Ive become less confident of their achieving objectives that theyve set out. Analyst Colin Rusch of Oppenheimer & Co. said in a note to clients Monday that investors will be looking for [second-quarter] shipment guidance to reflect some amount of acceleration to support Teslas full-year production forecast. Theyll also be listening for anything Tesla says about whether the Model 3 launch has affected orders for the Model S, Rusch wrote. The outlook is crucial to investors because Teslas volatile stock is so richly priced. When Tesla reported its 2015 results Feb. 10, its shares had slumped to $143.67. But the stock then soared more than 80% in the following weeks it reached $265.42 on April 6 amid the buzz surrounding the Model 3. The stock has since pulled back, and it closed Tuesday at $232.32, down $9.48, or 3.9%. That still gives Tesla a market valuation of nearly $32 billion. james.peltz@latimes.com Twitter: @PeltzLATimes See more of our top stories on Facebook >> MORE BUSINESS NEWS Behind the collapse of SunEdison, a solar supernova Pom Wonderful case not wonderful enough, Supreme Court says United Airlines pays $37 million to ex-CEO who quit amid a corruption investigation A choreographer known for improvisational dance, a playwright with a darkly comic streak and an artist whose work straddles social practice and installation are among the winners of the 2016 Herb Alpert Award in the Arts. The five recipients, announced Tuesday, are musician Dohee Lee, playwright Anne Washburn, artist Simone Leigh, choreographer Ishmael Houston-Jones and filmmaker Cauleen Smith, each of whom will receive a $75,000 prize as part of the honor. ------------ FOR THE RECORD Advertisement May 4, 4:46 p.m.: An earlier version of this article said that filmmaker Cauleen Smith was affiliated with UC San Diego. That is no longer the case. This fall, she will serve as a visiting professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago. ------------ Since 1994, the award, a collaboration between the Herb Alpert Foundation and the California Institute of the Arts, has honored five exceptional mid-career artists on an annual basis. Last year, the winners included controversial Cuban-born artist Tania Bruguera, composer Julia Wolfe and Los Angeles visual artist Sharon Lockhart. We are proud to support their creative energy, freedom of thought and hard work, foundation President Rona Sebastian said. These unique, often unconventional artists, have proven to have powerful impact. All five recipients will be honored with a luncheon at the Herb Alpert Foundation offices in Santa Monica on Friday. For more information on the recipients and the Herb Alpert Award, go to herbalpertawards.com. Find me on Twitter @cmonstah For a significant proportion of its 174-year history, Americas oldest orchestra has been its most important. That includes such obvious years as those when Mahler and Toscanini and Bernstein and Boulez were music director. But there has never been a time when the New York Philharmonic hasnt mattered. Brahms, say, premieres his Second Symphony in Vienna in 1877 and less than a year later, the New York Philharmonic plays it in New York. That was, even back then, business as usual. Tuesday night the orchestra began a short West Coast tour at the Renee and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall in Costa Mesa with its music director, Alan Gilbert, and a program that included Brahms Second. Surprisingly, the program notes made no note of the orchestras bragging rights for the Seconds U.S. premiere. Advertisement The program which also featured the orchestras principal cellist, Carter Brey, in Schumanns Cello Concerto was a repeat of what the orchestra played at home last week, with one exception. The original program opened with the world premiere of a commissioned score, Frank Krawczyks Apres. For the tour more Brahms, the Tragic Overture, replaced little-known Krawczyk (reportedly at the insistence of one of the other tour presenters, not Costa Mesas Philharmonic Society). Sure, ticket-wise, its a tough world out there. But this is the New York Philharmonic! Since when is that not reason enough to go? There is worry in orchestra-land that the New York Philharmonic has, for the historical moment, lost its way. Now in his penultimate season as music director, Gilbert has not fully managed to instill a sense of purpose in the orchestra, although not for want of trying. He has significantly revitalized the repertory and given a meaningful prominence to new music that had been lacking in the last two music directors, Kurt Masur and Lorin Maazel. On May 23, the orchestra begins a three-week biennial, a Gilbert initiative, with a massive amount of relevant new work played all over New York City. Gilberts latest recording with the New York Philharmonic documents vivid performances of four intense orchestral pieces by its previous composer in residence, Christopher Rouse. The current composer in residence and consultant on the biennial is Esa-Pekka Salonen. Enough said. The question on many critics lips is how much of Gilberts progressive spirit will incoming music director Jaap van Zweden be able to, or even care to, sustain? From the evidence of the Brahms performances Tuesday, the New York Philharmonic remains a top-flight ensemble, strong in every section. Equally heartening is the fact that Gilbert, who had seemed too green for the job when he began in 2009 at age 42, has grown considerably as a conductor. He brought expressive muscle to both Brahms scores, emphasizing rich low string sonorities and spectacular brassiness. Despite having no business being on the program, the overture was particularly compelling. But that is not enough said. There was little about the evening that said New York Philharmonic. The ensemble may display an identifiable American brashness, but this concert was not all that different from what any number of American, European or Japanese orchestras might have produced. The Brahms-Schumann program was shockingly conventional. (It has a barely more imaginative companion program that will be played in San Diego and San Francisco, pairing the seventh symphonies of Beethoven and Sibelius.) The fearless thing to have done would have been for Gilbert to show us the New York accent he and his orchestra give Salonens LA Variations, which they performed earlier this season. Another obvious choice might have been a Rouse symphony as an excellent New York companion to Brahms. Instead we were left with German music written within a less than 30-year span in the second half of the 19th century and a disappointing Schumann concerto. Hiring Brey as principal cellist in 1996 was a coup for the orchestra. At the time he was a rising young soloist, especially eloquent in recital and chamber music. But he seemed curiously out of place as soloist in the Schumann. His careful tone and understated phrasing hardly suited the orchestra when it entered into bruising mode. Gilberts effectively forthright and often quite loud Brahms had no problem wowing its audience. And in that, Brays cello section proved a Brahmsians dream, deep amber in tone and never mushy. The horns let you know they were there, most of the time in a good way. But Gilbert also puts himself in contention with history with Brahms Second, which the orchestra has recorded many times. Fritz Reiners in 1960 and Bernsteins two years later are ones that burst with personality. On the New York Philharmonic website you can find a copy of Bernsteins annotated score, showing the way he created his luscious lilt and irresistible panache. There is no expectation that Gilbert might or need to live up to this. His perfectly satisfying Brahms is good enough for the needs of modern audiences and orchestras for a routine night at the symphony. The New York Philharmonic is not, however, an ordinary orchestra and must never, as it is doing on this humdrum tour, act like it is. mark.swed@latimes.com The next time you sit down to watch Star Wars (and, with this being May the Fourth, that could well be tonight), try this little experiment. Instead of focusing on Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher and the rest of the films marquee stars, shift your attention to the movies peripheral players. All those extras dressed up as Jawas and Tusken Raiders and other alien creatures. All those Stormtroopers. All those nameless X-wing fighter pilots. Whats their story? With his documentary Elstree 1976, which opens in 25 theaters nationwide on Friday, director Jon Spira set out to put a face to some of the faceless denizens of that galaxy far, far away. Actor Angus MacInnes, who played Gold Leader a.k.a. Dutch in Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope, and Jeremy Bulloch (Boba Fett) discuss the Star Wars fame hierarchy. Advertisement From the ill-fated bounty hunter Greedo (played by Paul Blake) to the Stormtrooper (played by Anthony Forrest) who was persuaded that these werent, in fact, the droids they were looking for, Spira turns the spotlight on the supporting players and extras of the Star Wars universe and explores the unexpected, and sometimes awkward, ways in which their brief involvement in George Lucas space opera has altered their lives. For most of these people, this was a moment in their lives, a job they did for a couple of days, Spira said by phone from his native England. That this thing that was seemingly insignificant to them in their younger days is the thing that everyone lauds them for and gives them endless kudos for I think that sits uncomfortably with some of them. That internal conflict is really what interested me and why I wanted to make this film. At the best-known end of the films spectrum are the actors David Prowse, who physically embodied Darth Vader but whose voice was dubbed by James Earl Jones, and Jeremy Bulloch, who played the bounty hunter Boba Fett in both The Empire Strikes Back and The Return of the Jedi. At the other, virtually anonymous end are the extras, such as Laurie Goode, known to fans as that one Stormtrooper who bumps his head walking through a door, and Derek Lyons, who is seen for a fleeting moment standing beside Princess Leia as she hangs a medal around Han Solos neck in the final scene of Star Wars. Spira was drawn into the world of Star Wars by happenstance a few years ago when a student in a screenwriting class he was teaching named John Chapman mentioned by chance that he had been a nameless X-wing pilot in Star Wars. Though his role had been utterly minuscule and he had never acted in anything of note afterward, Chapman told Spira he had, nevertheless, attended numerous Star Wars conventions over the years, signing autographs for die-hard fans, something about which he felt a great deal of ambivalence. I went out to Johns car, and he had all these cardboard boxes full of stacks of 8-by-10 glossy photos of him, Spira recalled. I went home that night and stuck Star Wars on, and I realized that all you could see was the back of his head, and for two frames you can kind of see the side of his face. I just thought that was fascinating. As revealed in Elstree 1976" (named for the production studio outside London where much of Star Wars was filmed), even among the less well-known figures in the films, there are subtle hierarchies at play. Extras and supporting players of varying degrees of recognizability in the universe jockey with one another for fans attention and cash on the convention circuit. For an actor like Angus MacInnes, who played the X-wing fighter known as Gold Leader, finding himself spurned by autograph-seekers in favor of an actor like Bulloch, whose face was never shown on screen, can sting. For his part, Bulloch, 71, initially felt reluctant to participate in Spiras film and be placed on the same level as extras. After all, his fearsome bounty-hunter character is a longtime fan favorite a Boba Fett spinoff film is rumored to be in the works and he himself has had a distinguished acting career dating to the late 1950s. I was against it, straightaway, he said. Having acted for 50 years, you start getting proud about the work youve done in theater 30 different plays. But then I thought, Well, these people are going to show that this amazing thing happened to them, that they were a part of Star Wars. 'That part of it is terrific. Spira funded the film through Kickstarter and never approached Lucasfilm at any point for its input. This isnt a film about Star Wars, he said. Its a film about these people and Lucasfilm doesnt own these people. He admits that he isnt sure how the universe of Star Wars fandom will receive Elstree 1976, which approaches the beloved franchise from a far different angle than the typical adoring making-of documentary. Star Wars meant a huge amount to me growing up, but I didnt come to this film as a fan at all, he said. Part of what were struggling with at the moment is people misunderstanding it and I think some people being disappointed because they think its going to be a fan film and it ends up being this bizarre, melancholy, bittersweet look at peoples lives. Indeed, the film doesnt shy away from some less-than-rosy aspects of life as a relative small-timer in the world of Star Wars. Actor Garrick Hagon admits his wounded feelings at seeing nearly his entire performance as Luke Skywalkers close friend Biggs Darklighter left on the cutting room floor. And Prowse speaks of being persona non grata at official Star Wars events such as Star Wars Celebration. (Ask Mr. Lucas, he says. Ive obviously upset him at some stage or another.) Blake bemusedly reflects on the fact that a single turn in a rubber alien mask nearly 40 years ago has somehow overshadowed the entire rest of his acting career: Im a serious actor. Ive played Macbeth. And on my tombstone, it will say, Here Lies Greedo! That said, all those interviewed express their love and respect for the Star Wars franchise that has had such an enduring impact on their lives. Were all very lucky, Bulloch said. My youngest granddaughter was watching Star Wars and she said, Can I watch the bit with you in it? Im like, Well, I wasnt in it much ... there, thats me. She said, Well, now youve gone you went in a ship somewhere! He laughed. Its lovely to get that kind of reaction from the grandchildren. josh.rottenberg@latimes.com ALSO: Lego Star Wars: The Force Awakens reveals what happened before Episode VII Oscar Isaac on Star Wars: Episode VIII: It feels like were making an independent film Original Star Wars trilogy will be rereleased in theaters in a rare movie roadshow In his final weeks, Prince hid signs of trouble from his fans, stonewalling reports of an overdose that required an emergency plane landing and making a brief public appearance to reassure them. But privately, the superstar was in crisis, seeking help from a prominent addiction expert that ultimately came too late. The day before he died, Princes representatives reached out to a prominent California doctor who specializes in treating addiction and set up an initial meeting between the two, the doctors Minneapolis attorney, William Mauzy, said Wednesday. He said the doctor, Howard Kornfeld, couldnt leave right away so he sent his son, Andrew, who flew out that night. It was Andrew Kornfeld who called 911 the next morning after he and two staffers found Prince unresponsive in an elevator at his Paisley Park studio complex, the lawyer said. Prince was declared dead shortly thereafter on April 21. He was 57. Advertisement The details about Princes death that emerged Wednesday raise questions about whether he received appropriate care and whether those who sought to provide it could face legal consequences for their actions. Although autopsy results havent been released, Mauzys revelations, which were first reported by the Star Tribune, buttress reports that Prince had been fighting and ultimately lost a battle with prescription painkillers. Mauzy confirmed that Andrew Kornfeld, whom he also is representing, flew to Minnesota on behalf of his father in the hopes of connecting Prince with a local physician the morning he was found dead. He said Dr. Kornfeld hoped to get Prince stabilized in Minnesota and convince him to come to Recovery Without Walls in Mill Valley. That was the plan, referring to Howard Kornfelds California treatment center. SIGN UP for the free Essential Arts & Culture newsletter >> Mauzy said Andrew Kornfeld was carrying a small amount of buprenorphine, which Howard Kornfeld says on his website is a treatment option for patients with addiction issues that offers pain relief with less possibility of overdose and addiction. But he said Andrew Kornfeld never intended to give the medication to Prince, and instead planned to give it to the Minnesota doctor who was scheduled to see the musician. Mauzy said Andrew Kornfeld was taken into custody and interviewed and told it was a criminal investigation. When asked by reporters about the legality of his carrying buprenorphine, Mauzy declined to answer. But he said he believes Minnesota law would protect Andrew Kornfeld from any potential charges related to Princes death. He said Kornfeld was released the same day and returned to San Francisco. Under the law, a person who seeks medical assistance for someone who is overdosing on drugs may not be prosecuted for possessing or sharing controlled substances, under certain circumstances. Andrew Kornfeld is listed on his fathers centers website as a consultant, and Mauzy said it wasnt uncommon for Howard Kornfeld to send Andrew on his behalf. He said Andrew Kornfeld is a pre-med student and that convincing people to seek treatment at the center is something he has done for years. The Drug Enforcement Administration and the U.S. attorneys office are joining local officials in investigating Princes death, the U.S. attorneys office said Wednesday in a written statement. A law enforcement official briefed on the investigation has told the Associated Press that investigators are looking into whether Prince died from an overdose. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he wasnt authorized to talk about the investigation. The same official also said investigators are looking at whether Prince had suffered an overdose when his plane made an emergency landing in Moline, Ill., less than a week before he died. Mauzy said Princes representatives told Howard Kornfeld that the singer was dealing with a grave medical emergency. He declined Wednesday to detail the emergency, and also declined to identify the Minnesota doctor who was supposed to see Prince on April 21. Stuart Gitlow, an addiction medicine expert speaking without direct knowledge of Princes case, questioned whether Howard Kornfeld and his son acted appropriately. If a physician feels that a patient is having an emergency, his obligation is to call an ambulance and get the patient to emergency personnel who can assess the situation not to fly to the patient, Gitlow said. Its not routine for doctors to fly across the country to start people on buprenorphine, said Gitlow, a former president of the American Society of Addiction Medicine and a faculty member of the University of Florida. Thats something that can be handled locally. Authorities havent released a cause of death. An autopsy was done the day after Princes death, but its findings, including the toxicology results, werent expected for as many as four weeks. Prince had a reputation for clean living, and some friends said they never saw any sign of drug use. But longtime friend and collaborator Sheila E. has told the Associated Press that Prince had physical issues from performing, citing hip and knee problems that she said came from years of jumping off risers and stage speakers in heels. MORE: 911 call reveals concern that Prince was using drugs in 2011 9 hits that had the Prince touch -- but werent done by Prince Investigators look at overdose in Prince death Princes estate to be temporarily managed by trust company Inside Paisley Park: Purple everything and lengthy talks with Prince No less than his ravishing 2009 melodrama I Am Love, Luca Guadagninos A Bigger Splash is a swooning cinematic appeal to the senses two hours of al fresco lovemaking, gorgeous scenery and simmering erotic warfare. Which is not to suggest that the movie short-circuits rational thought or inquiry; on the contrary, its teasing, sun-drenched surfaces are likely to prompt a series of questions. When was the last time you sampled a freshly made ricotta? Whats the going rate for a villa rental in Pantelleria? When exactly did Ralph Fiennes become one of the greatest actors working today? Those inclined to measure a movie stars worth in Oscar nominations might point to Fiennes mid-'90s breakthrough with Schindlers List and The English Patient. But if a truer measure of an actors greatness is the ability to surprise over the long haul, Id set the date about a decade later, around the time he quietly walked away with the Keira Knightley vehicle The Duchess, and well into his galvanizing five-film run as Lord Voldemort. By the time he stepped into The Grand Budapest Hotel, brilliantly skewering and deepening his own costume-drama repertoire, it was clear that he was just beginning to explore the full measure of his protean gift. That gift is on glorious, supremely uninhibited display in A Bigger Splash, a moody Mediterranean-noir cocktail that would be worth imbibing if for no other reason than to witness Fiennes show of pure, untrammeled id. Whether strutting about in the nude with a magnificent lack of embarrassment, seducing a crowd with a karaoke cover of Deep Fishs Direction NYC, or cheerfully antagonizing everyone in sight, he is an impudent, insistent life force in a movie that slowly and meticulously charts a course for death. Advertisement That grim outcome wont surprise anyone who has seen Jacques Derays 1969 film La Piscine, whose tale of a romantic quadrangle on the French Riviera (starring Alain Delon, Romy Schneider, Maurice Ronet and Jane Birkin) furnishes the movie with a loose narrative template. The title of A Bigger Splash, though inspired by a 1967 David Hockney painting, might just as well describe Guadagninos desire to one-up his source material. Availing himself of a starry cast featuring Tilda Swinton, Matthias Schoenaerts and Dakota Johnson, and sampling a range of cinematic influences that includes Michelangelo Antonioni, Claude Chabrol and early Roman Polanski, this Italian auteur has made one messy but satisfying cannonball plunge into the Hollywood deep end. In a nod to her oft-noted resemblance to David Bowie, Swinton plays a world-famous rock star, Marianne Lane, who is recuperating on the Sicilian island of Pantelleria after a recent throat operation. Shes under strict orders not to use her voice, which is just fine for her and her documentary-filmmaker boyfriend, Paul (Schoenaerts), a sensitive hunk who easily matches Mariannes reticence. Silence is golden and life is bliss, at least until a snake appears in this private Eden first literally, and then in the form of an old friend named Harry (Fiennes). Overstaying his welcome the moment he arrives, Harry is a record producer and Mariannes ex-lover; as it turns out, hes also the guy who introduced her to his friend Paul. The affection that once united the three of them still flickers in the present, though too weakly to dispel the clouds of lust, jealousy and thinly veiled hostility that begin to gather. Making matters worse and further complicating the sexual geometry, Harry has brought along Penelope (Johnson), the sultry-sullen young daughter hes only just met for the first time. The fact that people keep mistaking her for his girlfriend delights him no end, and is clearly meant to keep us similarly guessing. The trappings of musical stardom as seen in brief flashbacks to Mariannes concerts and recording sessions, and heard intermittently on the soundtrack do more than isolate the characters in a cocoon of luxury. As they lounge around poolside or make occasional visits to a nearby village, their every word and gesture seems to reflect an entire history of drunken nights, sexual conquests, paralyzing addictions and unspoken tragedies, all of which make Marianne and Pauls contentment seem all the more hard-won. Harry, operating with a take-no-prisoners abrasiveness that is inseparable from his charm, has every intention of disrupting the lovers idyll. When he lip-syncs to the Rolling Stones Emotional Rescue (Is there nothing I can say, nothing I can do to change your mind?), his entire body vibrating with ecstasy, there can be no mistaking what he means. Penelope, whose hobbies include disrobing, diving and oozing a general air of femme-fatale menace, is quieter but no less threatening. Almost unrecognizable as the shy virginal heroine of Fifty Shades of Grey, Johnson seems to carry the older characters grudges and resentments in a dangerously concentrated form. Schoenaerts, no stranger to playing bruised, brooding slabs in films such as Rust and Bone and Bullhead, makes an equally compelling screen presence here, matching Fiennes libidinous excess with his own sexy restraint. And Swinton, even when robbed of one of an actors most expressive tools, somehow turns that deprivation to her advantage: Her hoarse, watchful silence sets her apart in more ways than one, and Marianne becomes both an object of desire and a figure of unexpected depth and compassion. Swinton was also the radiant center of Guadagninos I Am Love, in which she played a woman slowly awakening to her deepest longings and shedding the pretenses of her rigid upper-class existence. A Bigger Splash, which approaches the pursuit of pleasure from a more jaundiced angle, doesnt have that earlier films neo-Viscontian sweep or its delirious formal ecstasy. (It does, however, reveal a similar distrust for swimming pools.) Yorick Le Sauxs camera is duly magnetized by the lovely faces and bodies that cross its path, but Guadagninos visual construction feels more prosaic this time, in thrall to a busy narrative machinery that occasionally creaks as it pushes the characters toward their respective fates. The final act, though anticlimactic in its tying up of loose ends, also delivers an unexpected shift in perspective, possibly forcing a reassessment of who the real victims of the story might be. Does A Bigger Splash end with a cathartic affirmation of its characters happiness, or a cynical indictment of their privilege? Guadagnino isnt telling. But hes made the rare movie that, for all its delight in its own beautiful surface, turns out to be altogether less shallow than it appears. justin.chang@latimes.com ------------ A Bigger Splash MPAA rating: R for graphic nudity, some strong sexual content, language and brief drug use Running time: 2 hours, 4 minutes Now playing: In limited release A fast-moving wildfire forced tens of thousands of residents to flee the Canadian oil town of Fort McMurray on Tuesday as flames threatened to destroy the city. Roads were jammed with people as officials ordered the evacuation of the entire population, which has grown rapidly in recent years and is estimated at nearly 80,000. The isolated city, about 400 miles north of Calgary, sits near some of Canada's largest tar sand oil operations. Officials are calling it the largest wildfire evacuation in Alberta province's history. Photos from residents and local media showed flames igniting the hills around the city, and Alberta emergency officials said an unknown number of buildings had been destroyed. https://twitter.com/jstuffcocrimlaw/status/727626031318753280 https://twitter.com/TerryReithCBC/status/727631638385975297 https://twitter.com/RMWoodBuffalo/status/727633673189793792 https://twitter.com/CullenBird/status/727632450617122817 https://twitter.com/ReidFiest/status/727614038872449025 No casualties have been reported. About 100 firefighters were ordered to pull back Tuesday afternoon as temperatures rose too high to safely fight the fire. Officials said they were worried that fire conditions could worsen Wednesday. "Our focus is completely and entirely right now on ensuring the safety of people, of getting them out of the city and ensuring they are safe and secure," Alberta Premier Rachel Notley said Tuesday afternoon in a televised news conference. "All Abertans are watching this; all Albertans are with the people of Fort McMurray," Notley said. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau tweeted his sympathies. https://twitter.com/JustinTrudeau/status/727626433443594241 "Please please please stay calm and share the road," Fort McMurray Mayor Melissa Blake tweeted after the city was ordered evacuated. Fort McMurray is located along the Athabasca River in northeastern Alberta, which is the heart of Canada's tar sand country and a large source of American oil. The town had rapidly grown in recent years to support oil workers. The fire began Sunday afternoon but changed direction late Monday evening. Officials said trees and brush in the area were dry -- a bad combination along with low humidity and temperatures nearing 90 degrees. It was not immediately clear whether the fire was threatening any oil operations in the region. https://twitter.com/NovaCanuck/status/727629942385606656 https://twitter.com/JSJamato/status/727606795309457408 ALSO Navy SEAL killed in combat in Iraq, U.S. officials say You can buy Cognac at North Korea's airport, but a SIM card? Not so much. 100 million Brazilians lose WhatsApp after a judge orders a 72-hour shutdown How many North Koreans does it take to sell a SIM card? It sounds like a bad joke, but the answer Tuesday afternoon at the Pyongyang airport seemed to be four, or maybe five. A dozen or so foreign journalists were queued at a window marked Currency, having landed on a flight from Beijing about 3:30 p.m. Kim Jong Uns government has invited 130 overseas reporters to the North Korean capital this week for the biggest political gathering the country has seen in 36 years: a Korean Workers Party Congress. https://twitter.com/JulieMakLAT/status/727511790867853313 Since my last visit in 2008 when I traveled to North Korea as a tourist the capital appears to be better off financially, with much more capitalist-style amenities than before. Traffic is much heavier, though any L.A. driver would still describe the roads as blissfully empty. Taxis ply the streets. Dozens of snack stands line main streets in the city center. And the new Pyongyang airport, opened by Kim last summer with great fanfare, offers services previously unavailable to air passengers arriving in the city. Sanctions notwithstanding, theres not one but two duty-free shops, offering a fairly wide selection of Cognacs, whiskeys and vodka including brand names like Courvoisier, Chivas Regal and Hennessy (a liter of VSOP was going for about $140 at the official exchange rate). Smokers can select from cartons of Swiss-made Chesterfields and other brands, including Marlboros and Phillip Morris. The duty free shop at the international airport in Pyongyong, North Korea (Julie Makinen / Los Angeles Times) (Test) Fortunately, the duty-free shops are located before passengers clear customs, where the intensive screening process might drive one to toss back a shot or three. It took dozens of customs workers in blue-and-brown military-style uniforms more than two hours to process the 40 or so foreign reporters who arrived from Beijing carrying all manner of electronic devices equipment that Kims government still deems an existential threat. Portable Wi-Fi routers, GPS devices and satellite phones are a definite no-no; they had to be handed over to authorities, with a promise that theyd be returned when we depart the country. Cellphones were inventoried, along with laptops, cameras, external hard drives, English-to-Korean tourist phrase books, iPads, Kindles and portable battery banks. I typically carry two portable battery chargers, including one whimsical one in the shape of a blue-and-yellow Minion from the Universal Pictures cartoon films. The item stumped the inspectors. See the most-read stories this hour >> What is this? a tall, burly supervisor asked me, trying to screw off the Minions lone protruding eyeball which is not removable. I had to plug my phone into the battery to demonstrate to him that it was not something capable of bringing down a government though Gru, the supervillain of Despicable Me, might beg to disagree. After clearing my Minion, the agents demanded to look at my Kindle. They apparently were not happy with some of my recent downloads, including 2012 Complete Guide to North Korea published by the CIA. One male agent expertly navigated through the pages, swiping through the history and statistics sections, while a female agent translated some lines for him. After about five minutes, he declared that I had illegal materials on the device and would have to deposit the item with him until I returned to the airport for my departing flight. Although I was impressed to some degree with the agents familiarity with foreign electronic gadgetry, the concept of the cloud may still be a bit murky in North Korea. It seemingly did not occur to my inquisitors that once I arrived at the hotel media center and could connect to the Internet, I could easily and merrily re-download my forbidden 600-page CIA tome to my laptop from Amazons website if I so chose. Or maybe they just wanted to make a point. And so I quickly agreed and moved on to the next task: procuring a SIM card to have some connection to the outside world over the next 10 daysas our minders schlep us around the capital by bus, working double time to keep our eyes focused on what they want us to see. Apparently North Koreans havent figured out what all parents know: that if were all glued to our devices, we wont have much time to look out the window, let alone complain or ask pesky questions like, why isnt that giant, pyramid-shaped Ryugyong hotel in downtown Pyongyang complete yet, nearly three decades after construction began? Many North Koreans have cellphones these days, but they are intended to work only within North Korea and dont connect to the global Internet. A limited apparently very limited number of SIM cards that connect to the real Internet are available for foreigners willing to part with substantial sums: $200 for a card and then $200 for a few hundred megabytes of data. See more of our top stories on Facebook >> Off I went to be gouged for a SIM card. About 10 journalists were already ahead of me. Five minutes turned into 10, then 15, then 20. We amused ourselves by discussing the apparently brand-new, but out-of-service, Ryugong Commercial Bank ATM such machines are still a rare sight anywhere in the country. I looked over the offerings at the two snack stands, the coffee shop and the closed gift shop. We took note of a small notice posted behind the currency clerks window: All the users of the DPRK Internet system cannot access to the anti-republic false propaganda websites. Sex and Adult websites.For example, access to South Korean Websites including South Korean Newspaper websites ... such as chosun.com, donga.com, kbs.co.kr, and anti-republic false propaganda websites such as rfa.org, voanews.com, Adult websites, Gambling websites and websites being used for distribution of malwares is blocked. In addition, access to Social Network Service such as Youtube, Facebook, Twitter is blocked for a certain period of time. A sign at the airport in Pyongyong, North Korea (Julie Makinen / Los Angeles Times) (Test) Surely North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, who was educated in Switzerland, knows that most of the foreign media here to chronicle his big coming-out party plan to cover the event in large measure via such networks. But hey, Kims got some face to maintain, so whats a little firewall-leaping VPN software between friends? The SIM card line wasnt budging. Two women and two men huddled behind the counter, staring at phones and paperwork. One of the women occasionally spoke into a Bluetooth headset on her right ear. A fifth man walked back and forth from the clerks room to a side office. As the clock ticked past 6:20 p.m., a Bloomberg correspondent near the window said, Theyre down to the last one! At first, I thought it was a typical reporters prank. Good one! I said. But it was true: sold out. Perhaps 20 people had gotten cards, if that. The SIM card counter, Pyongyong airport, North Korea (Julie Makinen / Los Angeles Times) (Test) From counterfeiting to narcotics-making and coal-mining, North Korea works hard for its foreign cash. So I was a bit surprised that given such an easy opportunity to earn scarce greenbacks, Euros and Chinese renminbi, the North Korean machine had fallen down on the job. After all, Kim has been inviting foreign journalists to North Korea with some regularity, including scores for Octobers massive military parade, and other events like missile tests or when he wants to parade a foreign detainee in front of TV cameras. Im a bit surprised, I said to my government-assigned minder-interpreter. Officials clearly knew how many of us were coming and surely expected all of us would want SIM cards. It is likely to be one of the many slightly awkward exchanges we have over the course of the week: I will ask about something that doesnt quite add up, and she armed with no real information will do her best to try to say something that sounds like an explanation but isnt. https://twitter.com/JulieMakLAT/status/727388497057820672 Maybe they knew how many passengers, but not how many foreigners or foreign journalists, she said, though somehow they dispatched precisely the right number of minders and buses. Maybe you can buy one tomorrow at the hotel, she said. Lets go to the bus. Follow @JulieMakLAT for news from Asia MORE ON NORTH KOREA A North Korean farm may not be what it appears At a North Korean nursery school, tots get an early education in weaponry North Korean capital in throes of '70-Day Speed Battle' to prepare for political confab The 2016 Met Gala was filled with plenty of armor-like, heavy metallic creations worn by Taylor Swift, Alicia Vikander, Kylie Jenner, Kim Kardashian West, Jourdan Dunn, Cindy Crawford, Ciara and Julie Macklowe as well as a few actual high-tech designer creations such as Zac Posens illuminating high-tech gown worn by Claire Danes. All of these fashion looks were occasion appropriate (with a few misses) considering this years gala theme, Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology, which brought fashion-forward, almost robot-like embellishments to Mondays red carpet in New York. However, wearing a gown with sparkle wasnt the only way to make a bold statement. Beauty trends on the red carpet had an equally standout moment thanks to the use of silver and shimmer. See Ciaras silver hair and Rita Oras chignon with mirrored appliques. Advertisement And speaking of added shimmer, Dunn and Hailey Baldwin used high-wattage cheek highlighter for their Met Gala looks. If you can get your hands on the fast-selling Pat McGrath Labs Skin Fetish 003 ($72, patmcgrath.com), you can achieve similar red carpet glamour for special occasions. Hailey Baldwin arrives at the Met Gala on Monday in New York. (Charles Sykes / Invision / Associated Press ) Silver eye shadow Take a Met Gala lesson from Jessica Hart, Rita Ora, Elle Fanning, Lara Stone, Olivia Wilde and Kristen Stewart all of whom had silver sparkle around their eyes, and opt for eye drama with silver eye shadow. To get started, dab the inner corner of your eye or your eyelid with a silver eye shadow using products such as MAC Eye Shadows in Silver Ring or Knight Divine ($16 each, maccosmetics.com); NYX Cosmetics Baked Shadow in Silver Haze ($6, nyxcosmetics.com); or Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics Glitter in Mirrorball ($15, occmakeup.com). Silver nail art If having professionally colored silver hair is too much for you, then go with a touch of silver via your silver nail art, and follow the Met Gala nail looks of Kate Hudson or Selena Gomez. Hudsons manicurist, Alicia Torello, said she used OPI Infinite Shine in the color Were in the Black, OPI Infinite Shine in Silver on Ice and OPI Nail Lacquer in Samoan Sand to help create Hudsons nail look (Infinite Shine, $12.50 each and Nail Lacquer, $10 each, ulta.com). Metallic nail polish is a growing trend that I incorporated into her look for the Met Gala theme Fashion in an Age of Technology, Torello said Tuesday. "[Kate Hudson] is terrific. If youre looking for a do-it-yourself beauty project, here are the step-by-step instructions on how to achieve a nail look similar to Hudsons: Step 1: Prime the nails with one coat of OPI Infinite Shine Base Coat. Step 2: Then coat the nail in OPI Infinite Shine in Samoan Sand, and at the base of nail, make a moon shape with Infinite Shine in Were In The Black. Then leave negative space and create a deeper moon shape in black toward the tip of the nail. Step 3: Using OPIs Silver on Ice, create the shape of the moon at the base of the nail with a striping brush and trace the silver color along the outside of the moon. Step 4: At the tip of the nail, follow the same deep moon shape and trace the silver along the outside edges of the tip. Step 5: Finish the look with one coat of OPI Infinite Shine Gloss Top Coat. image@latimes.com Bob Hope Airport officials voted 8 to 1 on Monday to change the airfields branding name to Hollywood Burbank Airport in an effort to increase recognition with passengers outside of Southern California, especially those east of the Colorado Rockies. The airfield has been named after the famous comedian since 2003. Bob Hope isnt doing it, Commissioner Don Brown said. The name of the airport Bob Hope is just not. Weve been told by our travel agencies here and been told by the airlines that weve got to do something, and the name Bob Hope just doesnt identify with this airport. Advertisement Although the airfield will take on a new branding name, its legal name will remain Bob Hope Airport. See the most-read stories this hour >> The authority contracted with South Pasadena-based branding firm Anyone Collective to come up with the name and to implement the marketing of the airfields new identity to the masses. Were happy the commission made a decision to move forward, and were happy to get ready to rebrand and market this airport, said Michael Fiore, co-founder of Anyone Collective. Step One is brand development and logo identity. Weve already done a lot of work on how were going to create awareness for the airport. Well work diligently to make a difference. Authority commissioners agreed that the airport needed a geographical identifier to attract more passengers to fly into the local airfield instead other airports in Southern California. However, Commissioner Steve Madison did not agree with adding Hollywood to the branding name because he said passengers would not know where Hollywood is and that having Los Angeles in the name would attract the most number of passengers. The problem this is all trying to solve is that many people in the country and beyond dont know that Burbank is so [close] to L.A., he said. If we want to cure that, adding a name like Hollywood is just going to be more confusing. I think we have to bite the bullet and use Los Angeles and Burbank to get people to see how close we are [to each other]. Interested in the stories shaping California? Sign up for the free Essential California newsletter >> Many Burbank residents, including Brown, have said that they do not want to see Los Angeles in the airports name. Los Angeles does not belong in Burbank, Brown said, adding that his experience working with L.A. officials has been less than satisfactory. Ive been here too long to all of a sudden put the name Los Angeles with Burbank, Brown said. We have our own water and power, and we dont have to rely on Los Angeles for that. We have our own airport and we dont have to rely on Los Angeles for that. I dont think we need Los Angeles. Brown added that he understands that the name Los Angeles draws people to the region, but the Los Angeles name doesnt have to be branded all over Southern California to find out a location. Anthony Clark Carpio writes for Times Community News. ALSO Biker who hopped farm fences, popped wheelies on 101 will not be cited, CHP says Four arrested in killing of father, two sons in South Sacramento Bill Clinton to deliver Loyola Marymount commencement speech The Los Angeles City Council voted unanimously Wednesday to allow construction of a long-stalled Target shopping center in Hollywood to resume, nearly two years after a judge ordered work halted at the site. On a 13-0 vote, the council revised the planning and zoning rules that govern the Sunset Boulevard site, ensuring that Targets 74-foot-tall retail center would be permitted on the property. Superior Court Judge Richard L. Fruin Jr. struck down the councils approval of the project in 2014, leaving the three-story structure an empty and partly finished husk. In his decision, Fruin said the council had failed to show Target would suffer an unnecessary hardship if it was forced to comply with the citys height rules, which limited shopping centers to no more than 35 feet at that location. Advertisement Councilman Mitch OFarrell, who represents part of Hollywood, welcomed Wednesdays vote, saying construction should resume within weeks. But foes of the project, who have been challenging the development since 2008, said they will file another lawsuit this time arguing that an environmental impact report should have been prepared on the changes to city planning rules. Its just going to go back to court, said Hollywood resident Doug Haines, who belongs to the La Mirada Avenue Neighborhood Assn., the entity that sued over the Target project. Rather than change the project to comply with the judges orders, he added, they just decided to change the law. See the most-read stories this hour >> OFarrell said the city has lost out on much-needed tax revenues as a result of the long-running Target fight. After the vote, he voiced confidence that the latest council decision will withstand another challenge. This process underwent such scrutiny that Im sure we will be on firm legal ground next time around, he said. The saga has upset business leaders and a number of residents, who say the shopping center has widespread support. Everyone who lives in the community needs this Target and wants it, said Hollywood businessman Brian Folb, appearing before council members earlier this week. And its just a shame that these technicalities had to keep this important amenity for the community from the residents. Targets partly finished shopping center has served as a glaring reminder of the citys struggle to ensure that its development decisions can withstand court challenges. Last year, city officials ordered a 22-story apartment building to be vacated after a judge struck down the councils approval of the project. A judge also invalidated the citys approval of the Millennium skyscraper project, saying the city had failed to properly assess the projects effects on nearby neighborhoods. Both are in Hollywood. In recent weeks, Target also had become enmeshed in a debate over a city requirement that a child care facility be included as part of the project. Join the conversation on Facebook >> Critics said the facility should be located at the Target site. OFarrell said Target will pay a fee to pay for child care services near its store. The exact amount will be determined by the Board of Recreation and Parks Commissioners, he said. Target officials said the project will provide the area with 250 full- and part-time permanent jobs. The councils decision should allow the project to be finished sometime next year, said John Dewes, the companys regional development manager. We look forward to resuming construction and opening the store, he said. Follow @DavidZahniser for whats happening at Los Angeles City Hall. ALSO Man takes selfie, then steals iPhone at Huntington Beach AT&T store, police say Police shooting in Hollywood leaves LAPD on tactical alert while suspect is sought Cooler temperatures and possible thunderstorms sweeping across Southern California this week A Long Beach teenager was shot and killed Tuesday night in what police say may have been a gang-related attack. The victim, identified only as a 16-year-old male, suffered a gunshot wound to the torso around 6:50 p.m. in the 3300 block of East 65th Street near Ramona Park, Long Beach Police said in a news release. The teen died at the scene. MORE: Get our best stories in your Facebook feed >> Advertisement He may have been involved in a physical altercation with the shooter or shooters earlier in the night, according to the release. Police said the suspect or suspects left the area, then returned and shot the boy. The shooting is being investigated as possibly gang related, police said in a statement. Follow @JamesQueallyLAT for crime and police news in Southern California. ALSO San Andreas fault locked, loaded and ready to roll with big earthquake, expert says UCLA wide receiver Ishmael Adams gets probation in plea deal over attack on Uber driver Man takes selfie, then steals iPhone at Huntington Beach AT&T store, police say Officials investigating a car crash that occurred about a block from Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center on Tuesday morning discovered a mysterious scene: a man stabbed behind the wheel. The crash was reported about 11:15 a.m. at Valley Boulevard and Soto Street, LAPD officials said. A black Honda sedan smashed into a tree, uprooting it, then came to a stop, KABC reported. LAPD traffic investigators found the driver fatally stabbed, authorities said. Advertisement Paramedics rushed the man to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Police provided no further information about the circumstances of the death. For breaking California news, follow @JosephSerna. Seven women are suing Urth Caffe in Laguna Beach for discrimination, alleging they were targeted last month for being visibly Muslim while wearing head scarves and ordered to leave the restaurant before they finished eating. The April 22 ouster left us shaken, disrespected and shocked, said Soondus Ahmed, a software engineer. Ahmed said her group was ushered out by two police officers after a manager said they had violated the eaterys policy allowing just a 45-minute stay during peak times. We committed no crime, and it felt surreal that we were escorted out. Another plaintiff, Sara Farsakh, said the manager came up to us and said it was rush hour, but around us, there were at least 20 empty tables. Farsakh, a college student, said she had gone to the cafe once before with her husband without a problem. Advertisement All the plaintiffs live in Orange County or were born there. Six of the seven regularly wear a head scarf or hijab as an expression of their religion, said Mohammad Tajsar, their attorney. He cited a pattern of neighborhood hate crimes against Muslims, including egg-throwing, tire slashings and racial taunts during March and April this year, even though the restaurant is popular with the large Muslim American population in Orange County as well as tourists and students visiting from the Middle East. These women were singled out and targeted because Urth Caffe chose not to make this location a welcome space, he said. His clients seek to end alleged discriminatory practices and to hold those responsible accountable, so these incidents do not happen again. They are also seeking compensation for loss of dignity. Restaurant managers on Tuesday declined to comment, and calls to Urth Caffe headquarters in Los Angeles did not receive a response. Muslims women from the Los Angeles area share what its like to wear hijabs. Laguna Beach police officers who arrived at the scene that evening did see empty tables, but there was no survey done of how many people were in the restaurant, department spokesman Jason Kravetz said. The manager called police complaining that the women did not respond to requests to leave. Accompanied by the officers, they very respectfully left, having paid their bill, Kravetz said. According to the lawsuit filed in Orange County Superior Court, the women had gathered on a Friday night to meet old and new friends over pizza, pecan pie and coffee when a manager interrupted them about 8 p.m. to ask if they were waiting for more orders. The same manager returned before 8:15 p.m., saying he expected a busy evening and needed to clear tables of patrons who had been seated for longer than 45 minutes, according to the lawsuit. I felt so embarrassed because we were just talking among ourselves, not doing any harm, yet he demanded that we leave, Farsakh recalled. Other customers expressed support for her group, but management wouldnt budge, she said. I am doing this for Muslim American women who did not have courage or means to speak up when this happens to them, Ahmed added. Local residents said they were surprised at allegations of discrimination in their town. Goff Stepian, a surfing instructor who has called Laguna Beach home for more than 30 years, said: Im bitter and sorry that happened to them. Everybody wants the right to express their culture. Courtney Burleigh, lunching with her parents, said she and her family meet at Urth Caffe weekly. Were just an open community, Burleigh said. I hope this doesnt reflect badly of the place that we all love. Carol Duquesnel, her mother, said she has dined at the cafe so many times when there are people wearing burkas and no one gives them another look. We are welcoming. anh.do@latimes.com Twitter: @newsterrier ALSO Help wanted: Volunteers needed to gather L.A. coyotes scat Bob Hope Airport will be branded Hollywood Burbank Airport Biker who hopped farm fences, popped wheelies on 101 will not be cited, CHP says The radio as I drive is tuned to KUSC, so I can enter his world even before I arrive. The music of the masters softens Los Angeles, bringing order to chaos. Lampposts are treble clefs; birds sit on power lines like the notes of an unfinished symphony. I park on 17th Street in Santa Monica and push through the lobby of the assisted living center. I stroll the length of a long hall. Advertisement The last door on the left bears a gold nameplate. Maestro. I knock, and the maestro is in. It is a pleasure to meet you, he says. The pleasure is mine. Alvin Mills is 94. Two conductors batons rest on the tray of his walker, within arms reach. He might drop or misplace one you never know and its good to have a backup. Mills has a round, kind face, with patient eyes. Teach music to public school children for 30 years, and patience finds a way into your being. That job, performed primarily in Glendale schools, was not Mills only contribution to the world of music in Los Angeles. The other began the year Dwight Eisenhower took up residence in the White House. Mills wanted to start a community orchestra. He and a musician friend, Robert Turner, settled on the Westside. And so began the Brentwood Symphony Orchestra, which soon became the Brentwood-Westwood Symphony Orchestra. The United States has had 10 presidents since 1953. The orchestra has had but one conductor in its entire 63-year existence. May 15 will be that conductors final concert. Ill be very sorry its over, Maestro Mills tells me. Its as simple as that. Health is an issue now for the man who had three wives and has five children, nine grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. He has conducted from a sitting position in recent years, and hes shared more duties with associate conductor Diego Miralles, to whom he will pass the baton. Music was a matter of destiny for Mills, who grew up west of downtown L.A. with a father who was a drummer and a mother who was a pianist. He played a pretty good violin, but at 13, he attended his first concert at the old Philharmonic Auditorium on Pershing Square in downtown Los Angeles and it wasnt a violinist who caught his eye. It was Pierre Monteux, the conductor of the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra. A new idea became open to me, Mills says, eyes shining, as if it were last week. I didnt realize somebody could stand up there with a hundred musicians and do such marvelous things. Mills went home and dashed off a letter to Monteux, who promptly replied on Hollywood Hotel letterhead. The typewritten note was dated Dec. 11, 1935. I am sure, loving music like you do, that you will be a very good conductor one day, wrote Monteux. Mills studied music at USC, and as a violinist, he played with Leopold Stokowski and the Hollywood Bowl Symphony Orchestra. But he set down his violin when he got a chance to study conducting with the man who had been his inspiration. Under Monteux, he learned how to draw out the warmth of his musicians, to unite them in a shared mission, and to use humor when things did not go well. Mills occasionally wondered in later years what it might have been like to conduct a major orchestra. But he found joy in working on a smaller stage public school auditoriums, usually shaping an orchestra made up of local talent. That might be your son or daughter in the orchestra, or your mother or father. And theres the fact that its the community orchestra. It belongs to the people, Mills says. Concerts staged by the nonprofit, which relies on donations, have always been free, and over the years, Mills brought his orchestra to audiences on the Westside and beyond. He also held an annual youth competition, with winning musicians landing scholarships and seats in the BWSO orchestra alongside adult professionals. Hes been a father-type person to me, says flautist David Shostac, 74, who first performed in Mills orchestra at 13 and is now about to retire from the L.A. Chamber Orchestra. In 1992, Shostac and other musicians came to Mills defense during a coup attempt. The musicians marched outside the home of an orchestra board member who thought it was time to dump the aging founder and bring in fresh leadership. The reason I play with the Brentwood-Westwood Symphony is out of love and respect for Alvin, Shostac told a Times reporter back then. Mills and his loyal supporters prevailed, several board members resigned, and the band played on. Not that its easy to keep a community orchestra alive. Janise White, director of the Afro-American Chamber Music Society, tells me each month is a challenge, even after 28 years of commitment. And I know of youth orchestras that struggle to survive. I feel that in the world today, classical music is dying unless people fight for it, says Bob Engelman, the current BWSO board chair. His father served in the same role for decades and helped Mills keep the nonprofit alive. Mills, he says, has been loved by his musicians and audiences. Hes kind of spiritual, says Engelman, and he believes that if you do good things and create good energy and good music, everything will work out. Its worked out pretty well for him. Mills last concert will be at University Synagogue in Brentwood, and details are available at BWSO.org. He still has some prep work to do, the maestro tells me as we sit together, his cat Harley at our feet. Mills asks about the musician friend Ive written about. I tell him that when I hear Tchaikovskys Serenade for Strings, I think of my friend practicing that piece when he was a student at Juilliard, looking through the windows of his New York City apartment at falling snow. I play Serenade on my phone and Mills swoons. He tells me Brahms is probably his favorite composer, and we watch Leonard Bernstein conduct his First Symphony. Maestro Mills holds one of his batons. A smile takes form. He raises the baton, as he has a million times, and says: Its like a magic wand. steve.lopez@latimes.com Twitter: @LATstevelopez See more of our top stories on Facebook >> ALSO A Santa Barbara safe parking program for homeless people may be coming to L.A. Seven Muslim women sue Laguna Beach cafe for discrimination after they were ordered to leave California voters getting chance to fully legalize marijuana The Philippines presidential elections are on Monday, and the country is in the grip of election fever. In Manila, campaign posters flutter from overpasses, newspapers carry breathless headlines about polls, and coffee shops are abuzz with conversations about the countrys future. On a recent scorching-hot morning, about 30 blue-and-white-clad campaigners for presidential candidate Grace Poe blazed through the New Pritil Public Market a sprawling bazaar in an impoverished quarter of the Philippines capital city distributing T-shirts, rubber bracelets, aprons and handheld fans bearing the candidates smiling visage. Were optimists, were very hopeful, said Malu Gamboa, the 47-year-old head of the group, as vendors and shoppers swarmed the volunteers, grasping for merchandise. Its been the most positive campaign. Were just really, really hopeful. Advertisement Yet the two front-runners in the race could not be more different, and the flurry of colorful, kinetic campaigns belies darker political divides. Poe, a first-term senator and former U.S. citizen, has made compassion and inclusive growth pillars of her campaign; her campaign slogan is Government with a Heart. Meanwhile, her main opponent Rodrigo Duterte, the famously foul-mouthed mayor of Davao City in the countrys south has made jokes about rape, disabled people and infidelity. According to local media, he has boasted of overseeing hundreds of extrajudicial killings during his 22-year mayoral tenure. His campaign posters bear the image of a giant fist. So far, the fist is winning. Malu Gamboa, the head of a small team of Grace Poe supporters, gives out free pro-Poe merchandise to store vendors at the New Pritil Public Market in an impoverished area of Manila. (Sunshine de Leon / Los Angeles Times ) Im going to vote for Duterte, said Linda Abalos, a 53-year-old T-shirt vendor at the Pritil market, as Poe volunteers distributed merchandise nearby. Duterte, as president, [would be] very aggressive about corruption and drugs. Poe is a good leader, she continued, but she has very feminine actions. The Philippines needs a man, because the Bible says follow your husband. Duterte is leading polls with 33%, followed by Poe with 24%, according to a late April survey by the polling organization Social Weather Station. In the Philippines, a candidate needs only the highest percentage of votes not a majority to win the race. The details of how we intend to achieve inclusive growth sometimes get lost in the sea of messages from the various camps, but I suppose that is to be expected, Poe said in an email. Sensational, dramatic and shocking statements get more airtime. Campaign posters for presidential front-runner Rodrigo Duterte, the famously tough and foul-mouthed city mayor. (Sunshine de Leon / Los Angeles Times ) Poe has vowed to address the ripple effects of widespread poverty through social programs, such as providing free school lunch. Dropout rates are high in the Philippines, where many parents cant afford even basic meal costs and many dropouts spend more time on the streets, where theyre more vulnerable to drugs and crime. Duterte, according to local media, has vowed to execute suspected criminals. Yet its Poes powerful personal story one of abandonment, loss, and rising to defy the odds that has attracted the most attention in her campaign. Poe was orphaned at birth. She was left outside of the Jaro Metropolitan Cathedral in Iloilo City, a major urban center on the island of Panay. A priest named her Grace, believing she had arrived by the grace of God. Before long, she was adopted by an A-list movie star couple: Susan Roces and Fernando Poe Jr., who is often considered a Filipino John Wayne. Poe studied political science at Boston College, married a Filipino American and, after graduating, lived in Fairfax, Va., for 12 years, working for much of that time as an officer at the U.S. Geological Survey. In 2004, her father ran for the Philippine presidency and lost. Soon afterwards, he suffered a stroke and died. Presidential candidate Sen. Grace Poe shakes hands with supporters. (Bullit Marquez / Associated Press ) Poe returned to the Philippines in 2005 and later reclaimed her citizenship. In 2013, she ran for the Senate and won with the highest number of votes among more than 30 candidates. Although Poes story has inspired her followers, it has also bred controversy. Critics have attacked her legal qualifications to run for president, because as an abandoned child she lacks proof of being a natural born citizen. They also questioned whether she met a 10-year residency requirement for presidential candidates. The thing that has really damaged her otherwise I think she would probably be the front-runner has been the citizenship controversy, said Mark Thompson, a professor and director of the Southeast Asia Research Center at City University of Hong Kong. In March, the Supreme Court of the Philippines deemed her a natural-born Filipino citizen and declared that she met the residency requirements, ending a long, complicated legal battle over her eligibility for the office. Even though she won the case, it damaged her because of her opponents ability to describe her as out of touch, Thompson continued. Not so much because [shes lived abroad] many Filipinos live abroad but because shes cast as somebody who doesnt understand normal Filipinos plight. This is one of the problems, because her father was widely seen as somebody who understood the poor, because he played an action hero who stood up for poorer people. Many Poe supporters deny the characterization, casting their candidate as someone who has beat the odds to become a champion of the poor. She is very inspiring, said Mia Padilla, another Poe supporter. The circumstances of her birth [were] not ideal [I] find it heartbreaking it was used against her. Its not really her fault. I think she can help us, she continued. She really has compassion for the people. De Leon is a special correspondent. Times staff writer Julie Makinen contributed to this report from Beijing. Four dozen members of the violent Gangster Disciples gang, including a leader in California and a police officer in Georgia who acted as a hit man, have been charged with running a ruthless nationwide enterprise responsible for at least 10 homicides, federal prosecutors said Wednesday. The Justice Department unsealed two indictments, one in Memphis, Tenn., and the other in Atlanta, that allege that the gang members reaped large profits from crimes including drug dealing and credit card fraud. The gang protected its turf and operations through intimidation and violence, prosecutors said. The indictments were significant because at least half of those arrested were considered gang leaders, top Justice Department officials said. Advertisement There are a lot of people out there willing to join gangs, and eager to get easy money from criminal activity, said Assistant Atty. Gen. Leslie Caldwell, who leads the departments criminal division. But there are far fewer people with the wherewithal to lead organizations like the Gangster Disciples. These are the people who keep gangs like the Gangster Disciples alive, year in and year out, generation after generation. The Gangster Disciples, which started in Chicago in the 1970s and is now active in 24 states, is known for its discipline and rigid leadership structure. The gangs top member, known as the chairman and identified in court papers as L.H., is incarcerated but still communicates with his leadership team, prosecutors allege. His description in the indictments matches that of Larry Hoover, 65, who was convicted in 1997 of running the Gangster Disciples and is serving a life sentence in a federal prison in Colorado. The gang is ruled by board members who oversee state and regional leaders known as governors and governor-of-governors, federal prosecutors said. See the most-read stories this hour >> One board member was indicted Shauntay Craig, 37, of Birmingham, Ala. and several other top members were charged in the indictments unsealed Wednesday. Alonzo Walton, 47, was accused of overseeing operations in Georgia, Florida, Texas, Indiana and South Carolina. Adrian Jackson, 37 of San Jose, ran the gangs network in western states and served as national treasurer, federal prosecutors said. Among the most shocking allegations involved a police officer in Georgia. Vancito Gumbs, 25, of Stone Mountain, who admitted that he had killed people as a hit man for the gang while serving as a DeKalb County police officer, the indictment says. ALSO Underage Mexican drug mules are in for a shock in one Arizona county U.S. government: North Carolina LGBT law violates civil rights Man takes selfie, then steals iPhone at Huntington Beach AT&T store, police say Twitter: @delwilber On Wednesday afternoon, President Obama put a glass of filtered Flint, Mich., drinking water to his lips and took a sip. His message was clear. Ive got your back, Obama told residents in a televised address, drawing cheers from the audience. I want all of you to know that Im confident Flint will come back, Obama said, jabbing the air with his finger as his voice rose. I will not rest, and Im going to make sure that the leaders at every level of government dont rest, until every drop of water that flows to your homes is safe to drink, and safe to cook with, and safe to bathe in, because thats part of the basic responsibilities of a government in the United States of America. Advertisement Obamas visit to Michigan this week was a gesture of support for Flint residents, after government regulators allowed the citys drinking water to be poisoned with toxic lead after improper treatment. But his arrival also underscored a painful truth: Michigan is still lurching from crisis to crisis years after the decline of manufacturing jobs in the state first began sending local governments into a tailspin. This week, Detroit public schools shut down for two days, when teachers protesting a funding crisis that has left the states largest school district almost $500 million in debt took their sick days en masse. They were concerned the district might not have enough money to pay their salaries for the next two months. Its astonishing that teachers and other school employees have been working diligently to educate our kids in under-resourced schools with deplorable conditions, yet they had to fight to get what theyre due, Ivy Bailey, president of the American Federation of Teachers, said in a statement. Michigans House of Representatives is considering a Republican-backed package that would send $500 million in state aid to the school district. But state Democrats are concerned the funding isnt substantial enough, according to the Detroit News, and would impose too many restrictions on collective bargaining. The school systems funding crisis comes three years after the city of Detroit -- which operates separately from the school district -- filed for Americas largest-ever municipal bankruptcy. Once one of Americas mightiest cities, Detroit had accumulated $18 billion in debt. What happened in Detroit must never happen again, Judge Steven Rhodes said when the city emerged from bankruptcy in 2014. Though each crisis has been distinct in its particulars, there are recurring themes: fleeing residents and budget shortfalls following the decline of Michigans once-mighty manufacturing industry. The urban decay, the abandonment of Detroit and Flint is the common denominator, said Eric Lupher, president of the Citizens Research Council of Michigan, a nonpartisan think tank. Between the 2000 and 2010 censuses, Michigan was the only state to lose population. Detroit has fewer than half of the 1.8 million residents who lived there during its heyday. Flint had more than 200,000 residents in the 1960s; now it has fewer than 100,000. The cities tax bases shrank as residents fled to the suburbs, leaving government officials holding the bag on retirement obligations and other pricey services, with fewer people to pay for them. Republican Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder, a venture capitalist first elected in 2010, has called Michigan the comeback state in recent years, pointing to declines in unemployment, a return of some manufacturing jobs and a more stable state budget. But the crisis in Flint in particular has threatened the final term of Snyders administration. The water switch-over plan was approved by a state emergency manager appointed by Snyder to help stabilize the citys precarious financial situation. The move was meant to save money and cut down on rate increases for Flints impoverished residents. See the most-read stories this hour >> An investigation led by Michigan Atty. Gen. Bill Schuette, a Republican, brought felony conspiracy charges against two state environmental employees accused of falsifying lead tests as Flint River water corroded old pipes and released toxins. Investigators did not identify a motive for the alleged coverup. But a Flint city employee who was also charged, Michael Glasgow, said previously that they were under pressure from state officials to quickly complete the switch to Flint River water. Glasgow pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor charge of neglect of duty Wednesday, as part of a plea agreement with the state attorneys office in which he agreed to cooperate in the ongoing investigation that will probably focus on the states role. In a state budget proposed in February, Snyder identified Flint and the Detroit school crisis as two of the biggest challenges facing the state. Detroits public schools have been near bankruptcy after nearly half its students fled the district since 2002 -- either to follow their parents out of town, or to go to charter schools. That posed a particularly painful budget problem for the district, since the state ties funding to student enrollment. It sounds good in theory, Lupher of the model. But when the funding plan was implemented more than two decades ago, I dont think they had in mind the sort of economic decline that the state would go through the first decade of the century, and the effect of charter schools on the whole thing. ALSO Michigan charges three officials with felonies in Flint water crisis Op-Ed: Flints toxic water crisis was 50 years in the making A man-made disaster unfolded in Flint, within plain sight of water regulators matt.pearce@latimes.com Follow @mattdpearce Suddenly, Republicans are confronting a reality that seemed fantastically implausible not long ago: Donald Trump as their all-but-official presidential nominee. The response Wednesday in some quarters was a combination of denial and resistance that was unlike anything seen in recent history. Republican leaders, including some who sparred with Trump, pleaded for unity. Prominent GOP lawmakers announced their support. So did some tea party activists. Advertisement But many Trump detractors were unmoved. Talk of finding a third-party alternative continued unabated. Big-money donors, including the Koch brothers and casino mogul Sheldon Adelson, were notably silent, as was Mitt Romney, Republicans last presidential nominee and a fierce Trump critic. The overwhelming sentiment at least within the party establishment, which Trump vilified but now must work alongside to win in November seemed to be resignation mixed with a determination to make the best of things. The final stage is acceptance, which I think a lot of people will get to, said Josh Holmes, a Republican strategist unaligned with any candidate. But, he added, I dont think were going to see a seismic shift in people supporting Trump. The prospect of a primary fight extending all the way to a contested July convention instantly vanished Tuesday night after Trump roared to victory in Indiana and his closest contestant, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, unexpectedly stepped aside. Trumps sole remaining rival, Ohio Gov. John Kasich, followed suit on Wednesday, becoming the last to abandon a field that once comprised 17 hopefuls including many of the partys most acclaimed leaders. Pointedly, Kasich made no mention of the presumptive nominee. Trump must still collect the 1,237 delegates he needs to officially clinch the nomination, which will take him until the end of the primary season on June 7, when California and four other states vote. His critics werent yielding, despite the lack of any Republican opponent. Ample time remains for Trump to disqualify himself, said Katie Packer, a GOP consultant and head of Our Principles PAC, which has spent millions on advertisements across the country attacking Trump. We continue to give voice to the belief of so many Republicans that Trump is not a conservative, does not represent the values of the Republican Party, cannot beat Hillary Clinton, and is simply unfit to be president of the United States, she said in a statement that defied party efforts to rally behind the nominee-in-waiting. Trump will enter the general election, presumably against Clinton, as a decided underdog. There are a few Democratic-leaning states he might make more competitive, such as Pennsylvania, with its large population of disaffected working-class whites. But there are others that have been reliably Republican, like Arizona and Georgia, that could come into play if Latinos and other minorities, antagonized by Trumps insults, turn out in high numbers. In Nevada, a major battleground in the last few elections, the state Democratic Party sent a taunting letter Wednesday urging Trump Dear Dangerous Donald to campaign there, figuring it would hurt his candidacy and other Republicans as well. General election, wrote Nevada Democratic Party Chairwoman Roberta Lange, here we go! Trump spent much of Wednesday looking ahead to the November election, including how he might finance a campaign costing up to $1 billion. Do I want to sell a couple of buildings and self-fund? the Manhattan real estate developer mused on MSNBC. I dont know that I want to do that necessarily. Later, in an interview with the Wall Street Journal, Trump said he would not self-fund his general election campaign but rather create a world-class finance organization. The move carries some risk. After spending months accusing rivals of trading government favors for donations and claiming, inaccurately, that he alone was paying for his candidacy, Trump faces the danger of undermining his outsider image by accepting big campaign contributions. He has raised more than $12 million, mostly in small sums. Trump also said he was searching for a seasoned politician with expertise in navigating Congress to be his vice presidential running mate. I have the business lets call it talents, Trump said on MSNBC. And I think Ill probably go the political route. First, Trump must pull his party together, which will not be easy. Some, more or less grudgingly, said they were coming around to the idea of supporting the businessman and reality TV star, even if he was not their first, second or third choice. Donald Trump has struck a chord with a lot of people, said Jonathan Barnett, a member of the Republican National Committee from Arkansas and a longtime supporter of the states former governor, Mike Huckabee, who quit the presidential race in February. Even though they may not care for him and may not like him personally, and he may not represent their values ... they want to give him a chance to try to work these issues out. But others insisted, in the words of Rory Cooper, a spokesman for the Never Trump political action committee, that never means never. In a highly unusual snub, the partys last two presidents, George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush, have both ruled out a Trump endorsement, the Texas Tribune reported Wednesday. Trump was relentless in mocking Jeb Bush, the former Florida governor, during his unsuccessful attempt to follow his father and brother into the White House. Social media were filled Wednesday with images of voters burning their Republican registration cards, professing their abandonment of the party or vowing to cross party lines to support Clinton. Among them was Mark Salter, a former top aide and confidant to Arizona Sen. John McCain, the 2008 Republican nominee. The GOP is going to nominate for President a guy who reads the National Enquirer and thinks its on the level, Salter wrote on Twitter, referring to Trumps embrace of an unsubstantiated report that linked Cruzs father to President Kennedys assassination. Im with her, Salter said of Clinton. The resistance to Trump extends beyond party elites. Even as he rolled to victory in Indiana, more than 4 in 10 of those who voted in Tuesdays Republican primary said they were scared or concerned about the prospect of a Trump presidency, a finding consistent with previous exit polls. Curt Anderson, who worked for another of the unsuccessful 2016 GOP candidates, former Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, said some in the professional political class will never support Trump. The question is ... will it just be a couple hundred of these folks? Anderson said. Or will it be millions of normally reliable Republican voters who refuse to come over to Trump? mark.barabak @latimes.com Twitter: @markzbarabak lisa.mascaro@latimes.com Twitter: @LisaMascaro Barabak reported from San Francisco and Mascaro from Washington. Times staff writers Melanie Mason in Indianapolis and Michael Finnegan and Seema Mehta in Los Angeles contributed to this report. ALSO: Analysis: GOP voters wanted an outsider who could fix the economy, and Trump fit their bill Ted Cruz was right: GOP voters wanted an anti-establishment candidate, just not him Trump ties Cruzs father to JFK assassination. His source? The National Enquirer UPDATES: 6:21 p.m.: This story has been revised throughout for additional details and for clarity. This story was originally posted at 10:12 a.m. The White House announced President Obama's decision to visit Flint, Michigan by posting a letter he wrote to 8-year-old Flint resident Mari Copeny, known locally as Little Miss Flint, who had asked to meet the president. I want to make sure people like you and your family are receiving the help you need and deserve, Obama told her. Copeny's letter to President Obama Mr. President, Hello my name is Mari Copeny and Im 8 years old, I live in Flint, Michigan and Im more commonly known around town as Little Miss Flint. I am one of the children that is effected by this water, and Ive been doing my best to march in protest and to speak out for all the kids that live here in Flint. This Thursday I will be riding a bus to Washington, D.C. to watch the congressional hearings of our Governor Rick Snyder. I know this is probably an odd request but I would love for a chance to meet you or your wife. My mom said chances are you will be too busy with more important things, but there is a lot of people coming on these buses and even just a meeting from you or your wife would really lift peoples spirits. Thank you for all that do for our country. I look forward to being able to come to Washington and to be able to see Gov. Snyder in person and to be able to be in the city where you live. Thank You Mari Copeny President Obama's reply Bushes to Trump: Low energy? Well give you NO energy! Blood, it seems, is thicker than party loyalty. Donald Trump was merciless in his attacks on rival Jeb Bush, tagging the former Florida governor as low energy and hectoring him each time they shared a debate stage. In the Bush family, where there is no greater virtue than faith to ones own, the taunting did not go unnoticed. On Wednesday the Texas Tribune reported the two Presidents Bush have ruled out endorsing Trump, the presumptive nominee of their lifelong political party. At age 91, President Bush is retired from politics, said Jim McGrath, a spokesman for the nations 41st president. Similarly, George W. Bush does not plan to participate in or comment on the presidential campaign, his aide, Freddy Ford, told the publication. Jeb Bush tried and failed to become the third family member to win the White House, quitting the contest in February. In making their sentiments (subtly) known, the two former presidents were more forthright -- or at least less confusing- - than many in the party, who insisted their vote for Trump should not be construed as an endorsement. The verbal loop-de-loop has become all the rage this election season. No word on what former First Lady Barbara Bush intends to do. But with a nickname of The Enforcer, its not hard to guess what direction she is leaning. Im Davan Maharaj, editor-in-chief of the Los Angeles Times. Here are some story lines I dont want you to miss today. TOP STORIES Cruz Is Out as the Trump Train Rolls On Advertisement This cake is baked. Thats how one consultant summed up the prospects of Donald Trump securing the GOP nomination, and that was before Ted Cruz had officially dropped out. Though John Kasich vowed to fight on, party chairman Reince Priebus declared Trump the presumptive nominee. Can the GOP unite behind a man who tried to tie Cruzs father to the JFK assassination? Sanders Digs Deep for a Victory Much like the Energizer Bunny, Bernie Sanders just keeps going and going and going. His victory in Indiana over Hillary Clinton is keeping his agenda front and center as she tries to sew up the Democratic nomination. Given the way delegates are doled out, Sanders would need overwhelming victories in the remaining primaries to overtake Clinton. But dont tell those odds to his supporters. More From the Campaign Trail -- Poor California: The competitive June 7 primary that suddenly isnt anymore. -- County-by-county results from Indiana. -- What do you think of the latest developments? Join the conversation on Facebook. L.A. Limits Solitary Confinement for Juveniles Nineteen states and the District of Columbia have banned it; so have the federal prisons. Now, L.A. County has restricted the use of solitary confinement for juvenile detainees, ending the practice except as a temporary response to behavior that poses a serious and immediate risk of physical harm to any person. Read on to see how widespread it had become. Led by Hamilton, Its #TonysSoDiverse With its blend of hip-hop and history, the musical Hamilton has won a Pulitzer Prize, helped keep the first secretary of the Treasury on the $10 bill and racked up the most Tony Award nominations ever. But as Times theater critic Charles McNulty writes, its the most prominent contender in a field that is packed with the kind of diversity the Oscars have only dreamed of till now. In Search of the Perfect Wave, 110 Miles Inland Surfers around the globe daydream about catching the perfectly shaped wave. But would they go for it if it was created by a machine in the desert? A recent video of Kelly Slater carving across a wave at his secret spot 110 miles from the California coast has made artificial waves a hot topic among those who like to hang 10 and stirred a debate over the soul of surfing. CALIFORNIA -- A group says it has 600,000 signatures to qualify a recreational pot initiative for the state ballot. -- Take a closer look at Santa Barbaras safe parking initiative, a homelessness program that L.A. is studying. -- Claustrophobic? Dont even think of joining the Border Patrols tunnel rats. -- Alvin Mills has conducted the Brentwood-Westwood Symphony Orchestra since it began 63 years ago. Hes retiring this month. NATION-WORLD -- An Islamic State offensive has killed a Navy SEAL in Iraq, U.S. officials say. -- How the U.S. government got BP to pay the biggest environmental penalty in history. -- Treasury Secretary Jack Lew says the Puerto Rico crisis is immediate and real. -- You can buy cognac at North Koreas airport, but a SIM card? Not so much. -- A study says medical errors are the No. 3 cause of death in the U.S., after heart disease and cancer. HOLLYWOOD AND THE ARTS -- Bob Dylan, the Rolling Stones, Paul McCartney, the Who, Neil Young and Pink Floyds Roger Waters will play at a mega-concert in Indio. -- Stories referencing Prince and drugs continue to surface, as the results of an autopsy are still pending. -- May the Fourth Be With You: The documentary Elstree 1976" shines a spotlight on the forgotten members of the Star Wars franchise. -- Movie review: With A Bigger Splash, an Italian director makes a messy but satisfying cannonball plunge into the Hollywood deep end. -- Video: Anna Faris and Allison Janney discuss the TV show Mom and more. BUSINESS -- How SunEdison got away from its founders original idea and eventually went into bankruptcy. -- Tesla Motors is expected to post a large quarterly loss amid delays in building the new Model X SUV. -- Adult coloring books face a threat from app rivals such as Colorfy, Recolor and more. SPORTS -- Former Kentucky Derby contender Uncle Mo has an unheard-of legacy in this years race. -- The L.A. Galaxys academy mixes high school studies with elite soccer training. OPINION -- A triumph for Donald Trump, a disaster for the GOP. -- Californians deserve more transparency on bullet train finances. -- Is racial bias to blame for the high number of Asian Americans charged with espionage? WHAT OUR EDITORS ARE READING -- Edward Snowden writes an essay about whistle-blowing. (The Intercept) -- Heres how Wall Street makes big money off German dividends but avoids taxes in Germany. (ProPublica) -- Is the Klingon language copyrightable? A legal brief uses Klingon to argue that it is not. (The Hollywood Reporter) ONLY IN L.A. Skateboarding is not a crime except where its prohibited by law. And that would certainly include the freeway. The California Highway Patrol has launched an investigation after videos of people skateboarding on freeways have emerged in recent weeks. These are not safe places and werent designed for that kind of thing, said one officer who added that last year there was a spate of bicyclists doing the same thing. Please send comments and ideas to Davan Maharaj. Tuesday was a triumph for Donald J. Trump and a disaster for the Republican Party, which faces grim general-election prospects if the blowhard businessman is its presidential nominee. Trumps lopsided victory in the Indiana primary, which moved Sen. Ted Cruz to suspend his campaign, is also ominous for the country. Armed with a major-party nomination, even a woefully unqualified underdog could squeak into the Oval Office if the breaks go his way. We shed no tears for Cruz, a demagogue, obstructionist and conservative culture warrior who would have been a disaster as president. But his withdrawal from the race makes it easier for Trump to argue that his nomination is inevitable. We arent ready to accept that proposition. Quixotic as it may seem, Republicans who have been saying never Trump shouldnt abandon the effort to deny Trump a first-ballot victory at the national convention in Cleveland. Republican voters in Californias primary on June 7 have a special role to play in that rescue operation by supporting Ohio Gov. John Kasich, Trumps remaining rival for the nomination. His hair-trigger temper, personal pettiness and bigoted comments about women and minorities are the antithesis of the qualities America ... has a right to expect in a president We concede that arresting Trump at this point is the longest of long shots. Tuesdays victory was the latest installment of a spectacular winning streak in which he has eliminated one opponent after another. The casualty list includes Jeb Bush, a former governor from a political dynasty with ample financial resources, and two senators who were regarded as rising stars in the party: Cruz and Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida. Moreover, whatever the party rules say, the expectation for decades in both parties has been that the candidate with the most delegates heading into the convention would be the nominee. But if there is ever a candidate who should be the exception to that rule, it is Trump. Not only is he devoid of experience in government, his hair-trigger temper, personal pettiness and bigoted comments about women and minorities are the antithesis of the qualities America and the world have a right to expect in a president. We understand that Trump has an outsiders appeal at a time of deep dissatisfaction with the political establishment (as does Sen. Bernie Sanders, who kept his campaigns flickering hopes alive by defeating Hillary Clinton in Indiana). We recognize too that Trump has channeled anxieties about cultural change, a long-stagnant economy, globalization and a series of failed military interventions. Even so, it is profoundly disheartening that so many voters would support a candidate whose signature issues include building a wall on the Mexican border and temporarily banning the entry into the United States of every member of a single religion. Advertisement The Republican Party can do better. The question is whether the leaders and rank and file of that party are willing to make the effort at this point against odds that may be impossible. Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion and Facebook Rick Scott, Floridas Republican governor, is in California this week as part of a trade mission to lure away companies that want to avoid Californias scheduled minimum-wage hike. Gov. Jerry Brown welcomed Scott in his typically tart way, pointing out that Californias economy is booming right now and creating jobs faster than other states can steal them, thank you very much. California is the 7th largest economic power in the world. Were competing with nations like Brazil and France, not states like Florida, Brown wrote in a letter to Scott. Rather than traipsing around California seeking to take away other peoples jobs, Brown suggested that Scott should be concerning himself with the significant economic effects of climate change on his low-lying, swampy state. Floridians might be better served if their governor used his taxpayer-funded trip west as an educational opportunity. Advertisement What Brown didnt say to Scott and should have is that although California is used to periodic interstate poaching, the premise of this particular trip is especially offensive. Scott should be at home in Florida (where the minimum wage is $8.05 an hour) trying to create well-paying jobs, instead of trolling for low-wage ones that he can steal in California, undermining this states efforts to pay a living wage to more of its low-skilled workers. That doesnt seem to concern Scott, who said: By raising the minimum wage in California, 700,000 people are going to lose their jobs, there are a lot of opportunities for companies to prosper in Florida and compete here, and thats what Im going after. Thats a message that is also being pushed in radio spots in Los Angeles and San Francisco paid for by Enterprise Florida, a public-private economic development agency. Thats some big talk for someone whose past fishing trips to the Golden State have not paid off. Scotts claims are dubious as well. The 700,000 figure comes from a quick and dirty calculation by a deregulation-minded Washington, D.C.-based think tank, American Action Forum. Yes, there will likely be some negative effects of hiking the minimum wage to $15 by 2022. But many experts argue that such costs will be offset by other gains in the economy. A study by UC Berkeleys Labor Center, for example, concludes that the wage hike will result in no net job loss in L.A. Floridians might be better served if their governor used his taxpayer-funded trip west as a learning opportunity. Surely theres a lesson for him in why despite having the highest state income tax rates in the U.S., despite its famously progressive labor policies, despite having the toughest pollution laws in the nation California continues to create so many jobs that governors of other states cant help but try to spirit them away. Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion and Facebook We thought America was the best in the world. This cant be happening. Thats how Saw Marvellous Soe and Eh Wah described their astonishment after police seized more than $53,000 in cash from Eh Wahs car in Muskogee, Okla., in February. Eh Wah is tour manager for a Christian rock band led by Marvellous that played in 19 U.S. cities, raising money from concerts to support an orphanage in Thailand and a Christian college in Burma. Worthy causes, no doubt. But when law enforcement found the cash during a routine traffic stop, a little-known legal process known as civil asset forfeiture allowed police officers to seize it, and whatever other property they wanted, without having to prove that Eh Wah was guilty of a crime. Drug proceeds, the officer wrote on the property receipt, even though no weapons, no drugs or even drug paraphernalia were found. Advertisement Stories such as this one happen all the time. Civil asset forfeiture allows police to seize property as long as they believe that the assets in question were somehow connected to criminal activity. As long as they believe thats the key part. Authorities dont have to actually prove the person was guilty of a crime. They dont have to even file charges. The presumption of innocence is thrown to the wayside. Its an egregious violation of the 4th Amendment, but thats not even the most glaring problem with the system. Under current law, most states allow police departments to absorb up to 100% of the value of the confiscated property whether its cash, cars, houses or guns and use the proceeds to pad their budgets. Its an obvious conflict of interest and boy, is it profitable for law enforcement agencies. Authorities dont have to actually prove the person was guilty of a crime. They dont have to even file charges. In 2014, the latest year for which data is available, police officers took more property from American citizens under civil asset forfeiture ($5 billion) than criminals took in burglaries ($3.5 billion), according to research from the Institute for Justice. Granted, theres a lot of nuance to these statistics. The numbers dont include state seizures just federal seizures and they exclude other types of theft, such as larceny. But the central point here remains: Civil asset forfeiture is dangerously profitable, prompting civic leaders, lawmakers and state legislatures to consider significant reform. In 1994, California attempted to rein in civil asset forfeiture abuse, passing a bill that requires a criminal conviction before police can seize assets worth up to $25,000, and that caps the amount of money authorities can keep at no more than 65% of the total. But unless Congress takes action, state efforts to stop civil forfeiture abuse mean very little. A program run by the Department of Justice known as equitable sharing in effect allows state and local police to circumvent state restrictions on civil forfeiture. Through equitable sharing, local police departments can seize assets under federal, rather than state, law and keep 80% of the proceeds. (The Justice Department gets the rest.) It should come as no surprise that in states that have implemented caps and limits, law enforcement simply relies on the federal program instead. In 2015, the Drug Policy Alliance found that whereas revenue collected under Californias forfeiture laws had remained constant over the previous 10 years, revenue under the federal program had more than tripled. As more and more states reconsider their civil forfeiture systems, the federal government needs to set a framework for smart reform. That starts with closing the equitable-sharing loophole, and requiring police to satisfy a higher burden of proof to a judge before seizing property under federal law. Police of course need the ability to seize and protect property as evidence for trial. But the current system which allows police to go treasure hunting, beefing up their budgets on the backs of innocent Americans stands in stark contrast to constitutional principles of due process and property rights. Darrell Issa is a Senior Member of the House Judiciary Committee and the U.S. Representative for Californias 49th Congressional District. Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion and Facebook. MORE FROM OPINION Never give up, #NeverTrump Even if the name Redskins is hateful, it deserves 1st Amendment protection Is racial bias to blame for the high number of Asian Americans charged with espionage? In recent years, federal prosecutors have brought a number of high-profile criminal cases against Asian Americans accused of economic espionage or theft of trade secrets. Announced with great fanfare, many of these cases later collapsed. Is it possible that these prosecutions were driven at least in part by racial profiling rather than solid evidence? Last year, more than 40 members of Congress sent a letter to Atty. Gen. Loretta Lynch asking that question. The Justice Department has not yet responded, but last month it adopted a new policy requiring experienced national security prosecutors in Washington, instead of local U.S. attorneys, to oversee all espionage-related cases. Its of course too early to know whether this change will reduce the number of problematic cases brought against Asian Americans. Although theft of trade secrets by foreign countries certainly occurs, the government has focused overwhelmingly on China. Of the 55 trade secret and economic espionage cases involving a foreign country brought since 1997, more than 70% targeted China. The government, however, seems to have a hard time bringing these cases to a successful conclusion, suggesting that such disproportionate attention is misplaced. Advertisement From 1997 to 2015, federal prosecutors had an average conviction rate of about 91% for all criminal cases. In federal white-collar cases, the conviction rate was more than 90%. But of the 39 trade secret and economic espionage cases involving China since 1997, federal prosecutors won convictions in only 66.7% of cases. In contrast, for cases involving other countries, prosecutors had a conviction rate much closer to its other cases about 87%. Is it possible that these prosecutions were driven at least in part by racial profiling, rather than solid evidence? Under pressure to stop Chinese spying, prosecutors seem to file espionage-related charges without fully understanding the facts. Last May, Xiaoxing Xi, former head of the physics department at Temple University, was arrested by FBI agents, who burst into his suburban Philadelphia home with guns drawn. Xi was handcuffed in front of his family and charged with sharing schematics for a piece of secret laboratory equipment, which it later turned out was not secret at all. Four months later, prosecutors dropped the case, saying additional information came to the attention of the government. In the very first economic espionage case to go to trial, in San Jose in 2009, prosecutors accused two Chinese American engineers of seeking to benefit the Chinese government, simply because the engineers had applied for research funding from Chinese agencies to help their startup. The jury rejected the prosecutors argument and concluded that this was just normal business activity. One recurring issue in Chinese trade secret cases is that local U.S. attorneys, many of whom know little about the major role that state institutions play in the Chinese economy, misinterpret normal contacts with government banks or research institutes as evidence of spying. To many observers, the governments unjustified suspicion of Asian Americans became apparent in 1999, when Wen Ho Lee, a Taiwanese American nuclear physicist employed at the Los Alamos National Laboratory, was accused of sharing nuclear secrets with China. Lee, who was included on a shortlist of suspects because of his frequent trips to Asia and his access to classified information and, critics claim, his ethnicity consistently denied he had given sensitive information to China. The case fell apart, and seven years later, Lee won a civil judgment against the prosecutors and media organizations that had tarnished his reputation. In case after case, the governments allegations of improper motives perhaps fed by suspicions of China have failed to withstand scrutiny. In 2014, a jury found former Texas Instruments engineer Ellen Chen Yeh not guilty of all charges in a trade secret case. Yeh, who had left Texas Instruments to work at a company in China, was accused of wrongfully downloading computer chip designs and taking them to China with the intent to steal them. Yeh explained that she kept the designs which she had developed herself because she hoped to resume working with Texas Instruments someday. The jury believed her. The way prosecutors bring China-related trade secret cases causes immense damage to those accused. By publicizing these cases before they can prove them, prosecutors destroy reputations. In October 2014, Sherry Chen, a 60-year-old Chinese American water scientist, was arrested by FBI agents at a National Weather Service office in Ohio. Chen, who had been a U.S. citizen for more than 15 years, was accused of downloading data on U.S. dams and passing it to a Chinese government official. The charges against her carried 25 years in prison and a $1-million fine. Prosecutors dropped the charges against Chen shortly before her trial was set to start because they realized they had misinterpreted the evidence, but that did not undo damage to her good name. Undeterred by the collapse of its case, the government says it still intends to bar Chen from her job, a decision she is fighting. There is also growing evidence that prejudice may affect the sentencing process for those found guilty of trade secret theft. An analysis of cases over the last two decades shows that, for individuals convicted of trade secret theft, the average sentence for people with Chinese surnames is more than twice that for those with non-Chinese surnames. This translates to an average of an extra 17 months in prison for Chinese Americans. The strength of the U.S. economy is based largely on innovation and competition. A more careful approach to these prosecutions can protect the rights of Asian Americans, minimize wrongful prosecutions and help ensure an economic environment that continues to foster innovation. George Koo is a global business advisor. Daniel Olmos is a criminal defense attorney who has successfully defended several trade secret cases at trial. Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion and Facebook Rarely in modern history has a party appeared as divided over its nominee as Republicans are over Donald Trump. But will his GOP critics really keep their backs turned through November, or will they come around? Some leaders of the conservative movement claim they will never vote for him not only think-tank intellectuals, but also members of Congress, such as Sen. Ben Sasse of Nebraska. Columnist George F. Will, once a backstairs advisor to Ronald Reagan, says good Republicans shouldnt merely withhold their votes, but work to make sure Trump loses all 50 states to make sure Trumpism is discredited forever. And yet, as Trumps nomination becomes more certain, more Republicans are finding nice things to say about the businessman. Advertisement Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich said Trump had done an impressive job attracting new voters to GOP primaries. Former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman said Trumps centrist positions might have bipartisan appeal. Sen. Bob Corker of Tennessee, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said Trump was showing promise as a foreign policy thinker. Rep. Duncan Hunter, one of Trumps earliest backers in Congress, offered a more practical assessment: People like to be with the winner. And that is whats really going on here. Republicans arent falling in love with Trump; they just figure that, since the real estate promoter is about to become the leader of their party, its better to grit their teeth and hope for the best than to fight a losing battle. Even Jeb Bush, whose presidential hopes were demolished by Trump, now says he will support the nominee. He just wont say his name. But the never-say-#NeverTrump Republicans have a problem: In private, many of them perhaps most of them dont think Trump can win the general election. The structural problem of the Trump candidacy is his unfavorable numbers, GOP pollster David Winston told me. Among women, who did I mention? are the majority of the electorate, his unfavorables are in the 70s. Those arent easy numbers to turn around, particularly when a candidate has had as much exposure as Trump. Thats why even if, in the end, few Republican politicians will actively oppose Trump, many wont actively support him either. One bellwether to watch: how many Senate candidates in tough races decide to skip the Republican National Convention, which is likely to be a weeklong celebration of everything Trump. Youre going to see a lot of Senate candidates staying home and doing their own knitting that week, GOP strategist Scott Reed told me. Instead of focusing on the presidential campaign, many in the GOP not just candidates, but also activists and donors will focus on congressional races. Republicans arent falling in love with Trump; they just figure that ... its better to grit their teeth and hope for the best than to fight a losing battle. Republicans are terrified that a Trump defeat would lose the GOP its majority in the Senate, which they gained only two years ago. Some even worry that a Democratic landslide could endanger the GOPs majority in the House of Representatives. In some states, candidates are going to depend on people who are voting for [Democrat Hillary] Clinton to switch sides and vote for the other party when it comes to Congress, Winston noted. Thats hard to do. One answer: the program House Speaker Paul D. Ryan plans to unveil next month, aimed at giving GOP congressional candidates a list of conservative policies they can campaign on, whether they correspond to Trumps positions or not. In effect, the GOP could enter the fall campaign with two different platforms: one espoused by its mercurial presidential candidate, the other by the more orthodox conservatives around Ryan. House candidates are going to need a sense of direction, and they dont necessarily want to rely on Trump to provide it, Winston said. If Trump appears headed for defeat, the Ryan program could give them a lifeline. Political parties can of course recover from bad elections even from campaigns that divide them internally. Four years after the 1964 election, which Republican candidate Barry Goldwater lost in a landslide, the GOP won the White House. And four years after Democrat George McGovern lost in the landslide of 1972, the Democrats came back too. Everybody writes off a party after it has a bad election, Winston said. After 2008, when Obama won, people said it was the end of the Republican Party. But two years later we had 2010 and won a majority in the House. To many Republicans, the prospect of a loss to Clintons Democrats looks painful, but it also presents a familiar, even comfortable problem: At that point, their mission will be to make Clinton a one-term president. The greater dilemma the fear they wont acknowledge, at least in public is that Trump might actually win. If that happens, conservatives who dont love their candidate will face four years of having to defend his policies and trying to tame his excesses. Thats when their real troubles would begin. doyle.mcmanus@latimes.com Twitter: @DoyleMcManus Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion and Facebook The announcement, on a Sunday night five years ago, from President Obama: Tonight, I can report to American people and to the world that the United States has conducted an operation that killed Osama bin Laden, leader of Al Qaeda, and the terrorist responsible for the murders of thousands of innocent men, women and children. Terrorism is as old as humankind, and as new as Twitter, and keeping up with its faces and changes has occupied Brian Michael Jenkins for four decades. Hes a senior adviser to the president of the RAND Corporation, and one of the worlds foremost analysts and experts on terrorism, as his body of writings and his work consulting for national and international agencies attest. Here, he sizes up the new direction and demands of terrorists, and how this country is coping with them. CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO THIS INTERVIEW ON THE PATT MORRISON ASKS PODCAST>> What, for your purposes and ours, is terrorism? Advertisement Terrorism is violence or the threat of violence thats calculated to create an atmosphere of fear and alarm that will cause people to exaggerate the threat posed by the terrorists and the importance of their cause. In the 40 years youve been studying this, whats the arc of how terrorism has changed? In terms of the basic tactics there have been incremental changes, but this is still about killing people, its about taking hostages. The basic arsenal of the terrorists has remained pretty much the same, with striking exception: and that is when we think about arsenals, we tend to think only about weapons, when in fact communications are very much part of the struggle. Because terrorism itself is about the manipulation of perceptions, its about communication. When we were, back in the late 1970s, trying to figure out what would be the weapons of the future that terrorists might incorporate into their tactics, one we missed of course was the Internet. That has had a tremendous impact on the trajectory of terrorism. Indeed, if this is violence aimed at the people watching, then the ability to reach an audience of global proportions through the news media enhances the utility of terrorist tactics. But the Internet took it further, because that enabled these groups to reach audiences unmediated by an editor, and with social media, to go even a step further and to have terrorists talking directly to their supporters and others they want to recruit into their cause. Have the goals of terrorists, and who they are, substantially changed? In some cases, yes. Certainly terrorist activities associated with the anti-colonial struggles of the 1950s and 1960s; it was associated with ideological conflicts, and separatist movements in the 1970s and 80s, the Basque separatists in Spain, the Irish Republican Army, other groups like that. There was a shift, however, in that in the 80s we began to see increasingly ideologies drawn from religion become the driving force of much of the terrorism. If the violence was carried out on behalf of either an ideology or a specific set of political goals, then that meant there was a constituency. The existence of a constituency imposed constraints on the terrorists themselves. Terrorists worried, If we go too far, we will alienate our supporters -- and they imagine themselves to have legions of supporters. But if you move it into the realm of ideologies drawn from religion, then your constituency is God. That reduces the constraints. And what we saw beginning in the 1980s was an escalation in terrorism, not just an increase in the volume. You know, the worst incidents of terrorism measured in terms of lives lost in the 1970s were in the scores of individuals: 70 people, 80 people, 90 people. In the 1980s, this ascended into the hundreds of people and it kept creeping upward. Of course on September 11, it went into the thousands. How well have understandings of this threat evolved? There has been a great deal of resistance in this country to even using the word understanding, and where theyre coming from, which is necessary of course to combat it. People dont want to understand -- they say, We just want to get em. The word understanding is slippery and therefore dangerous in this territory. If you say we need to understand our terrorist adversaries -- how do they view the world? On the one hand, of course, thats something obviously you would do in any type of an armed struggle. We paid a great deal of attention during the Second World War to understanding the strategy and tactics of the German generals. I mean, General Patton said of his foe General Rommel, when he defeated him in North Africa, Rommel, I read your book! During the Cold War, we devoted a great deal of scholarship to trying not simply to count the number of Soviet nuclear armed missiles that were pointed at the United States, but to understanding how the Soviets thought about the world. In fact, our strategies were based upon that understanding. But when it comes to terrorists, theres a tendency to say, Terrorists are evil, witches are wicked, why are we wasting our time understanding them? And indeed, that slides into the perception that one is being understanding OF terrorists, which is completely unacceptable. Much of what we do in terms of our own counter-terrorism measures are based upon an understanding of our adversaries. Now we do face a dilemma in this country. We agree that we will use military force against terrorism. And Im a former soldier. Im not squeamish about the use of military force when its absolutely necessary, and appropriate. Its one component of the things we do. But at the same time we now find ourselves in a state of perpetual war. I remember testifying before the Senate only months after 9/11. I was asked by one of the senators, Mr. Jenkins, its been three months since 9/11, nothing has happened are we through it yet? And I responded that this wasnt some episode of The West Wing. That was a question you could ask me in ten years. Well, were coming up to the 15-year mark now and its still ongoing. Perpetual warfare is new territory for Americans. Its not just a matter of patience; its what does this begin to do to our institutions? You know, if we were in a finite battle, we would say, Okay there are certain specific measures we have to take, security measures, measures to enhance our ability to collect intelligence. At the end of the war we would then say, alright, the threat is over, we can now dismantle this. As we did in the Second World War declare victory and go home. Thats the kind of war that we like. But if its open-ended, an involves not only threats from abroad but the possibility of radicalization and recruitment of people in this country into terrorist activity, then these measures that we put into place become a permanent feature of the landscape. And we really have to take care that we dont incrementally walk ourselves into a tyranny. So were not doing very well, then, in being realistic about whats out there? In some cases we dont have a realistic view of it. And by the way, I am ferociously nonpartisan in terms of politics. But understanding terrorism and how to combat terrorism is very difficult in an election year, because it s popular to pound the podium and to use very tough-sounding language about what were going to do. When people actually arrive in office they find out that its not that easy. If it was easy, we would have solved this one decades ago. We have done, actually, in many respects, remarkably well. It would be erroneous to say that we have savaged civil liberties since 9/11. We Americans fortunately are a cantankerous bunch. We push back when we think our privacy is being invaded too much, or when security gets too heavy-handed. Our intelligence has been remarkably successful in terms of uncovering and thwarting terrorist plots since 9/11. Our FBI and police departments are batting about 900; about 90% of the plots are being uncovered and thwarted. Only a handful are slipping through. The United States has liked to position itself as morally superior, that we have civil liberties in this country, that we have due process, versus people who will as soon kill you as look at you. How much does that factor into the larger war on terrorism? There is a moral issue in terrorism. Even in warfare, nations have agree that there will be certain rules which will for example try to limit violence against civilian non-combatants, that they will not harm hostages, that there be certain kinds of targets that will not be attacked. And over the centuries, we have agreed upon these rules. Terrorist tactics deliberately violate those rules. And so therefore there is a moral quotient when we look at combating terrorism. It is important that we maintain the moral high ground. First of all, in part, the terrorists hope to create this atmosphere of fear and alarm which will provoke us into taking extreme measures which then will attract recruits to their cause, and say, Theyre no different than we are. How good have we been at not taking the bait? It clearly is a mixed record. I dont want to set the bar so high; the idea that one can apply surgical military force is not realistic. We do, in the United States armed forces, really go out of our way to try avoid or minimize the risk of civilian casualties. Can I say therefore that all U.S. military operations are absolutely clear of any civilian casualties? No. you cannot say that. Thats simply not realistic. But we do make an effort in doing so; we dont always succeed. As to broader values -- and I would say here American values, things that we value in our society, courage, self-reliance, tolerance it is extremely important that we hold on to those. Its not a matter that those are some sort of luxuries that were going to toss overboard when we get into stormy waters. It is those values that motivate our own soldiers and sailors and marines. It is those values that, despite the mistakes we have made in the world, that still have many of the people in the world desperate to come to the United States. It is those values that prevent us from alienating populations that could otherwise provide support to our adversaries. So these arent luxuries; they are weapons. And we want to be very careful about not giving those up. As a student of the humanities and a historian, you would know to some extent whether this century becomes the critical century the way, say, the 14th century was. There are several directions we could go. The hopeful one is that we will keep this in perspective, we will effectively deal with it. At times its going to be scary, its going to be tough, were not always going to get it right. But ultimately, we will contain this threat and our society as we understand it will prevail. Other, darker futures include sort of the re-creation of a neo-medieval society in which we are surrounded by walls. They may be modern electronic forms of walls, but we are surrounded by walls, live behind moats, dash from inner perimeter to inner perimeter. Another dark vision is that ultimately we will decide that our freedom is a luxury, that we will impose upon or own society whatever surveillance is necessary to maintain our everyday security. This has been something we have been struggling with now in its contemporary form for 40, 50 years. Its the admonition from Ben Franklin that those who would sacrifice essential liberty in exchange for a little security deserve neither liberty nor security. I think ultimately, one, we are a tough nation; that ultimately we will prevail not because of how many bollards we plant in front of public buildings or how many procedures we install at airports or how many cameras we put up. We will prevail because of our essential values. You fly tens of thousands of miles year. Do you ever get exasperated with TSA? You know, not really. I understand it, and therefore you adopt the position that I know why these procedures are here. I can take you through a security checkpoint like an archaeological dig: I can point to every machine and every procedure and say, That came about because of that incident in 1988, that came about because of that incident in 2001. We take off our shoes because there was a shoe bomber, we have restrictions on liquids because there was a plot involving liquid explosives. Now, having said that, on a busy day when youre waiting in line, yes its annoying. I think we are becoming smarter about this with some of these new programs like Precheck, that basically says, Look, everyones not an equal threat. We know more about some people than others. So we can distribute our limited resources in a way thats going to be more effective in getting people through this. Some day, we may have an x-ray for a mans soul and we wont need all of this elaborate stuff. But until we have that, were going to face these more burdensome requirements. Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion and Facebook To the editor: I agree that the Japanese people deserve an apology for the devastation wrought during World War II, and not just for the horrendous atomic bombings, but also for the many fire bombings that were also horrible. (Japan doesnt want the U.S. to apologize for bombing Hiroshima. Heres why, April 29) But the apology should come from their own emperor and military leaders, whose predecessors instigated the horror by refusing to surrender when their cause was already hopeless. Estimates of Allied casualties for an invasion were upward of 1 million, leaving little choice whether to drop the bomb. My oldest brother was an infantry first lieutenant who was in the first wave landing after Japans surrender and would almost certainly been one of those casualties. Instead, he and his comrades were greeted peaceably and welcomed by the people. Advertisement The atomic attacks provided Japanese leaders a face-saving excuse that they were defeated by a magical force and not by a superior military. Only when the Soviet Union belatedly declared war did Japan realize it was hopeless. Larry Mason, Santa Barbara Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion and Facebook The Republican race for president will go on through the mighty contests of early June, but it ended Tuesday. Donald Trump is the presumptive Republican nominee for president because of two imperatives that GOP voters clung to all through the primary season. They were desperately concerned about the economy. And they wanted an outsider to fix it. All the other things Trumps disdainful and insulting treatment of varied voter groups, his huge levels of unpopularity, his last-minute attack against Ted Cruzs father, alleging, with no evidence, a tie to a presidential assassination was just background noise to Republican voters unleashing a communal scream at establishment politics. Advertisement Californias June primary, which was to be the first momentous Republican presidential balloting here in a half century, may serve to get Trump officially over the line of 1,237 delegates he needs for the nomination. But at this point that is not much more than a formality. TRAIL GUIDE: All the latest news on the 2016 presidential campaign >> Trumps victory in Indiana was just as sweeping as his five northeastern victories last week and his giant New York win two weeks ago, delivering a sense that GOP voters have decided that they would not brook any more delays in awarding him the nomination. Cruz got the message and dropped out of the race Tuesday night, saying that his chance of winning the nomination has been foreclosed. The last official Trump opponent, Ohio Gov. John Kasich, planned to drop out of the race Wednesday, according to a senior advisor. The New York businessmans strength rested on the two linked voter concerns, according to exit polls of Tuesday voters. Two-thirds of Indiana GOP voters said they were very worried about the economy, and another quarter said they were somewhat concerned. Trump won both groups easily. (Overall, voters cited the economy as the most pressing issue.) Asked whether the next president should be an experienced politician or an outsider, about 6 in 10 went for an outsider and Trump won nearly 8 in 10 of those voters. Among the 17 major Republican candidates who began the race, only Trump could plausibly fulfill both demands, and he pressed that message daily. Every Trump speech has included a broadside against trade deals that hurt American workers and specifically the North American Free Trade Agreement, which was negotiated by President George H.W. Bush, but signed into law by President Bill Clinton and supported by Trumps likely general election opponent, Hillary Clinton. Trump also targeted American companies like Carrier, the Indiana air conditioning firm, for planning to move to Mexico. He said he would impose huge tariffs on companies that tried to leave the country during his administration. Cruz, his last major competitor, had a much more diffused appeal in the last few weeks. He launched a big assault on Trumps shrugging acceptance of the right of transgender Americans to use the bathroom of their choice a last grab by Cruz for the votes of evangelical voters. He cut a short-lived deal with the candidate in distant third place, Kasich, that drove Kasich out of the Indiana race. He named a vice presidential running mate, former candidate Carly Fiorina, in a bid to add some pizazz. None of it worked. Trump, in somewhat subdued remarks from New York on Tuesday, went after Clinton almost immediately in a preview of what will be a highly contentious fight to November. She will not be a great president; she will not be a good president; she will be a poor president, he said. He called NAFTA the single worst trade deal ever done. Ive witnessed what its done, really firsthand, and it has been indeed carnage, and were gonna change it around. While that issue may prove potent, Trumps downsides as the nominee were glaringly evident Tuesday. On Tuesday night, he lauded the retiring Cruz as one hell of a competitor; he is a tough smart guy and he has got an amazing future. Election 2016 | Live coverage on Trail Guide | Indiana primary election results | Track the delegate race | Sign up for the newsletter But earlier in the day in an interview on Fox News, he had repeated unsubstantiated accusations made in the National Enquirer that Cruzs father Rafael had been pictured with Lee Harvey Oswald at a pro-Cuba demonstration shortly before Oswald assassinated President Kennedy. The younger Cruz responded in an epic, angry news conference in which he called Trump a pathological liar, a serial philanderer and other insults that probably will resurface in Democratic ads. Cruz, who had defended Trump until very recently in hopes of attracting Trumps voters if he stumbled, would not say whether he would support him as the partys nominee. Trump used Cruzs angry riposte to insult him further, saying that the comments proved Cruz does not have the temperament to be president of the United States. The presumptive nominees decision to level an unsupported accusation against an opponents family member underscored the volatility at the core of Trumps candidacy. His brazen behavior hasnt hurt him in the primary season, when it was offset by his assets and the greater shortcomings of his opponents. But even as his support among Republican primary voters has increased, his unpopularity keeps plumbing new depths in the much larger general election voter pool. More clearly than the primary season, the general election carries with it a test of whether voters can see each candidate as president and commander in chief. Clintons campaign chairman, John Podesta, made precisely that point in a brief statement issued Tuesday night. Donald Trump has demonstrated that hes too divisive and lacks the temperament to lead our nation and the free world, Podesta said. With so much at stake, Donald Trump is simply too big of a risk. That argument has some heft even among Republican voters, exit polls showed Tuesday. More than 4 in 10 Republican voters said they would be concerned or scared if Trump was elected president. A quarter of GOP voters said they would not vote for him in the general election. Clinton has already started to go after those voters, particularly women. Her campaign reported raising more than $2 million immediately after Trump accused her last week of playing the womans card. She has made pitches to Republican women who may be put off by Trumps gibes at her and others, including Fox News anchor Megyn Kelly and former candidate Fiorina. That sort of early poaching into another candidates base is unusual in todays polarized politics, when the fight is usually to turn out loyal party members and persuade the ever shrinking number of swing voters to take a look. Clinton may be unpopular with a broad general election audience, but she is popular within her party, and Democratic voters by huge margins are prepared to rally around her candidacy once she officially wins the nomination. Trump has an entirely different challenge. The general election audience is out there, and hes making efforts, as with the trade conversation, at appealing to Democrats. But first he has to convince voters starting with the Republicans who have been wary of him -- that he has the goods to serve as president. cathleen.decker@latimes.com Follow me on Twitter: @cathleendecker For more on politics, go to latimes.com/decker ALSO As Republicans pitch to California GOP, Trumps message: Im a winner A Trump-Clinton general election poses the question: Which one does America hate less? Donald Trump and the womans card: Not the way the GOP wanted to attract women Live coverage from the campaign trail Ohio Gov. John Kasich, who tried to position himself as the adult in the room of presidential contenders, dropped out Wednesday, becoming the final casualty in Donald Trumps takeover of the Republican Party. Trump became the presumptive nominee after his big win in the Indiana primary Tuesday night and the subsequent withdrawal of Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, but Kasichs exit eliminated the 16th and final hurdle to Trumps coronation as the partys new standard-bearer. The spirit, the essence of America lies in the hearts and souls of us, Kasich said during a 20-minute speech in Columbus, Ohio, announcing his withdrawal. Some missed this message. It wasnt sexy. It wasnt a great sound bite. Advertisement Kasich did not name Trump or any of his former rivals. But the tone and message a call for lifting one another up, searching for Gods purpose, and slowing down our lives served as an implicit rebuke of Trumps combative style. Kasich praised the country as he recalled his months on the trail, even pronouncing himself lucky to sit in traffic in Los Angeles over the course of the campaign. Kasichs chances of gaining the nomination never really materialized. Many politicos had joked that he was the only candidate who had managed to come in fourth in a two-man race. Trump, Cruz and Florida Sen. Marco Rubio who dropped out more than six weeks ago all have more delegates than Kasich. His only primary victory came in his home state of Ohio. Election 2016 | Live coverage on Trail Guide | Track the delegate race | Sign up for the newsletter Still, Kasich has long been convinced, despite the electoral math, that he could win, if only voters would take the time to get to know him. He emphasized his broad experience as both the governor of a swing state and an influential member of Congress who crossed party lines during the Clinton administration to forge a balanced budget deal. Kasichs campaign events were generally intimate affairs. He liked town halls where he could talk to small groups of voters about policy and finding meaning in their lives, and occasionally give them hugs. It was a contrast to Kasichs prior reputation as a prickly politician, but an even bigger contrast to Trumps rowdy rallies in large arenas. The people of our country changed me, Kasich said Wednesday, recalling a man whose son had cancer and other poignant encounters. They changed me with the stories of their lives. Many inside the rooms came away moved and impressed, but there were not enough of them to make much of a dent in Trumps campaign. Exit polls showed Republican voters valued outsiders who could take on Washington over establishment figures like Kasich who had worked the inside game. Kasich spent most of the campaign ignoring Trump, declining to criticize or engage him in most debates and public speeches. That allowed him to stick around longer than his rivals, drawing him closer to the two-person race he was seeking. But the risk in that strategy that Trump would keep building strength was apparent from the outset. And even as other candidates dropped out, Kasich gained little while Cruz won endorsements and donations from many leading Republicans bent on stopping Trump. It was only in the final days of the campaign that Kasich attempted to halt Trumps path to the nomination, agreeing to a last-ditch pact with Cruz to divide their assets among a few remaining states. The candidates both believed that if they could deny Trump from getting a majority of the partys delegates, they could win the nomination at a contested convention this summer. Now, however, there is little doubt that Trump will claim the partys nomination. Kasichs cheerful campaign style made him few enemies on the campaign trail. I like John. Ive had a good relationship with John, Trump said on CNN on Wednesday, raising the specter he might choose him as a running mate. But Democrats in his home state feasted, accusing him of pursuing his presidential ambitions and ignoring the needs of the people of Ohio and demanding that his campaign tally its cost to state taxpayers so they could be reimbursed. Times staff writer Seema Mehta in Los Angeles contributed to this report. Twitter: @noahbierman ALSO: Analysis: GOP voters wanted an outsider who could fix the economy, and Trump fit their bill Ted Cruz was right: GOP voters wanted an anti-establishment candidate, just not him Trump ties Cruzs father to JFK assassination. His source? The National Enquirer UPDATES: 3:05 p.m.: This story was updated with Kasich announcing his campaigns end. This story was originally published at 9:36 a.m. Conspiracy theories and baseless charges are nothing new for Donald Trump. His latest claim made hours before he won the Republican presidential primary in Indiana and Ted Cruz dropped out of the race is that Ted Cruzs father had something to do with the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. Trump cited unsubstantiated allegations in a National Enquirer article last month tying the Texas senators father, Rafael Cruz, to Lee Harvey Oswald. Advertisement The supermarket tabloid quoted top D.C. insiders as saying Rafael Cruz was photographed with Oswald in New Orleans three months before the 1963 assassination. What was he doing with Lee Harvey Oswald shortly before the death before the shooting? Trump said in an interview on Fox & Friends. Its horrible. That was reported, and nobody talks about it, he said. His comments came after Fox News aired a video clip of Rafael Cruz, a Cuban-born pastor, saying Indiana voters should cast their ballots according to the word of God and that not voting for his son would ensure the destruction of America. The National Enquirer has endorsed Trump. David Pecker, chairman and chief executive of its parent company, American Media, is a friend of the candidate. Campaigning in Indiana, Cruz told reporters that Trump was a pathological liar spreading falsehoods printed in a tabloid that lets the New York developer use it to smear adversaries. I guess I should go ahead and admit yes, my dad killed JFK, he is secretly Elvis, and Jimmy Hoffa is buried in his backyard, Cruz said. Donald was dismayed that the folks in the media werent repeating this latest idiocy, so he figured hed have to do it himself, he added. In March, the National Enquirer ran a story with uncorroborated accusations that Cruz had extramarital affairs. Trump said at the time that while the tabloid was right about O.J. Simpson, John Edwards, and many others, I certainly hope they are not right about Lyin Ted Cruz. The adultery story quoted longtime Trump political advisor Roger Stone, who wrote on Twitter Tuesday that the Oswald story was 100% correct. Mark Salter, a longtime political advisor to Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), cited the incident in announcing he would cross party lines to back Democrat Hillary Clinton for president. Republicans, Salter wrote on Twitter, are going to nominate for President a guy who reads the National Enquirer and thinks its on the level. Im with her. Radio host Rush Limbaugh condemned the accusation against Cruzs father and defended the mainstream media for ignoring the National Enquirer report. Its absurd, he told listeners. Trump has routinely launched attacks that would normally be deemed out of bounds even in the most contentious campaigns. He has displayed little concern about spreading falsehoods. When Trump was mulling a presidential run in 2011, he fueled the conspiracy theory that President Obama was born in Kenya and thus ineligible to serve as president. Trump dispatched private eyes to investigate the matter in Hawaii, where Obamas birth certificate shows he was born. Trump has also implied the Christian president is secretly a Muslim. He tweeted in February: I wonder if President Obama would have attended the funeral of Justice [Antonin] Scalia if it were held in a Mosque? Trump questioned authorities conclusion that the Supreme Court justice died in his sleep of natural causes. He also has suggested vaccines cause autism, a theory debunked by scientists. And he has spread a story discredited by historians about U.S. Army Gen. John Joseph Pershing using bullets dipped in pig blood to execute 49 Muslim terrorists around the time of the Philippine-American War of 1899-1902. In March, after a man tried to rush the stage at a Trump rally in Ohio, Trump accused him of having ties to the Islamic State terrorist group. But Trump had no evidence apart from a doctored video of the man in a student protest that had nothing to do with the Middle East. The latest dust-up underscored Trumps unpredictability in a potential general election contest against Clinton. Lynn Vavreck, a UCLA political science professor, said Trumps willingness to use anything he can find to defeat his rivals would keep [her] up at night if she were a Clinton advisor. I think it makes it harder to anticipate what is going to come your way in the general election campaign, she said. michael.finnegan@latimes.com Twitter: @finneganLAT Today, 10 people were honored by the White House as Champions of Change for Asian American and Pacific Islander Art and Storytelling. Among them are three Angelenos Tanzila Taz Ahmed, an activist and co-host of the #GoodMuslimBadMuslim podcast, Jenny Yang, a writer and stand-up comedian, and Jason Fong, a high school student and creator of the #MyAsianAmericanStory hashtag. Theyre all from fairly different backgrounds, and I wanted to know what drove them to do work in their communities. So, I got them on a conference call. We had a conversation about comedy, working with other communities, why they care about whitewashing in Hollywood, being woke, and the Peter Liang trial. Below is our conversation, lightly edited for clarity. DEXTER: Jenny, were you surprised to get the invitation to come to the White House to be honored? JENNY: I was! I definitely didnt grow up thinking that one day, Id be a champion of change. Im just doing what I always do. Im a good friend of Taz, though, so I can see why she is worthy. She and I were part of a delegation for solidarity with Black Lives Matter. We went to Ferguson to work with Hands Up United. Taz was part of that. Shes always involved with things, across the community. DEXTER: Taz, you also met Jason early on, right? TAZ: Yeah. So here's why Jason is cool. I was working for an organization, helping get people to vote, and Jason came in to help with the phone banks. He was just 12 then. JENNY: Wait, what? TAZ: Yeah, he came in at 12, and remember, he cant even vote until hes 18. People would hear his cute young voice and of course they couldnt hang up on him. Hes still only 16 now. And seeing him grow into a young leader, its amazing. DEXTER: Jason, youve got a little more bass in your voice now. Have people started hanging up on you yet? JASON: [laughs] Yeah, they have a little more excuse to, because Im older now. But I would say I was really surprised to be called up by the White House. What Im doing isnt really traditional activism. People say, Thats nice what you did on Twitter, but they dont consider it to be hardcore grass-roots activism, even though the #MyAsianAmericanStory tag did galvanize a lot of people. I guess that would be my question to Taz and Jenny, because youve actually been organizers how do you all define activism? TAZ: I think one of the things I had to understand growing up was that when I was trying to get people engaged in politics, they wouldnt engage with me until I made it fun. One of the biggest tools for getting people woke is art. You can move people with art, and once you move them, you can create consciousness, and change. You can't just tell people to register to vote and be done with it. JENNY: Yeah, I think political activism operates from your heart, your hands, your mind. Most people dont change because you give them a rational argument. We know this. They change because they are personally touched. And the only way we can do that, without being their friend or relative, is through communication and art. Thats what is so powerful. Once you know my story, you know me. And if you have an opportunity to speak out, or vote, your relationship with me might affect that in a positive way. TAZ: Thats what Jenny is doing with her comedy. Comedy is great because its disarming. It catches you unaware. I think theres something special about moving people through comedy. People may be guarded in their beliefs, but you can get around that wall, and before you know it, their minds are more open. JENNY: Thats the goal. DEXTER: All three of you have done a lot with social media. I think when we talk about movements and social media, we have to talk about Black Lives Matter. Jason, youve been pretty open about your taking inspiration from Black Lives Matter. JASON: Yeah, seeing how people used #BlackLivesMatter and how hashtags can give different things in the movement a signal boost has been eye opening. I thought maybe I could do something similar with a hashtag for my community. After a few weeks, #MyAsianAmericanStory kinda died down, but the Black Lives Matter movement hasnt gone anywhere. The fact that the hashtag is still being continually used to talk about inequality or police brutality, the fact that it was able to have permanence, Im trying to learn from that. I think its awesome to see hashtags like #WhiteWashedOUT and #MyYellowFaceStory. But we have a lot of work to do. The Peter Liang trial DEXTER: Youve also been writing a lot about anti-black racism within the Asian American community, specifically with the death of Akai Gurley, and the Peter Liang trial. JASON: Actually, I was pretty surprised about the pro-Peter Liang response among some Asian Americans, because that section of our community is usually not very politically engaged. I didnt think it would resonate with so many people. Thats part of the reason I try to write a lot about it. I want to show that theres a side of the Asian American community that does not support police brutality. To a lot of people outside of the community, who arent as familiar with us, it might appear that we as a people all support Peter Liang. I wanted to disprove that. DEXTER: So your writing is also faced toward the outside, not just inside the community? JASON: Maybe, but not just outside. The pro-Peter Liang protests also revealed something about us that was disturbing to me. It showed that a lot of Asian Americans want to raise themselves to white privilege, instead of everyone coming down to an equitable level. It was pretty disheartening. But thats why storytelling is so important. It puts a human face on it. My parents are pretty woke, but other people, sometimes family members, I have to talk to them. JENNY: The AAPI community is so diverse. Even just within East Asians, its so diverse. Different economic classes, different cultures, everything. I read something about people who were using Weibo [a Chinese language, Twitter-like service] to talk about the Peter Liang trial, to say that he was being scapegoated. And I thought, oh my gosh, of course. Thats part of the problem, that were not even using the same networks to talk to each other! Theres such a splintering of how we communicate within our own community. Theres separate communication channels being used to support something thats the complete opposite of what I believe. Thats one of the challenges we have as Asian Americans, to create a community out of something that isnt a community. DEXTER: What do you mean by that? A community that isnt a community. JENNY: Were so diverse, and were all just lumped in together. A big thing that unites us is our invisibility. But we have to see each other as partners, and develop a place of solidarity. We need a numerical power, a political power. Thats why 18 Million Rising, where Taz works, is so important. We're the fastest growing minority population. But were a drop in the bucket for mainstream media, who doesnt recognize us. Who cares about Ghost in the Shell? DEXTER: That makes me think of the conversations weve been having about whitewashing, with Scarlett Johansson being cast in "Ghost in the Shell," when the original character was Japanese, and things like that. How important is representation to you all? TAZ: Its the tip of the iceberg. Its such a small part of the picture. JASON: Media representation is one issue that brings a lot of people who are quote unquote woke. It does get attention. Thats why what Jenny does is cool, being an Asian American woman in the arts and getting others to participate in different media. JENNY: I think sometimes people dismiss the talk about whitewashing, or yellowface. People wonder why we get so upset about that. They say that at least were not dying, it could be worse. But it does matter. We have a lot of problems in Asian American communities. Mental health, suicide, depression. Its our job as storytellers to raise those issues. Otherwise well fool ourselves into thinking that these things are something to be ashamed of, and be silent about them. TAZ: Im going to speak as a Muslim American. My concern now is Im going to walk down the street and people will attack me because of my brown skin. This is stuff thats been pushed by people like Donald Trump. Hes used his candidacy to fearmonger, painting Muslims as villains. We were already feeling unsafe, and its just gotten worse. We cant even fly anymore. Our lives are being controlled by how media is representing us. Were not able to shape our own narrative, because others are doing it for us. Its horrible to be afraid for your life constantly. Thats what I mean when I say that representation in media, its just the tip of the iceberg. But its visible, so we should focus on it. JENNY: It has real consequences for our lives. A movie casting isnt all we think about, thats not where our activism ends. But movies, TV, everything has an impact, its visible. So we might as well use that as a tool, as a starting point to address everything else. DEXTER: That makes sense. I think a lot of people have been missing that point. But if you think about it within the larger context, making sure that you arent left out of the picture is important. White vs. Other JENNY: Dexter, you write about a lot of different communities. Whats your take on what is happening with Asian American activism right now? DEXTER: This is obviously just my perspective, but I think a big part of what is making things difficult is that when we talk about race, almost always, its white versus other. How black people interact with white people, how Asian people interact with white people, how Latinos interact with white people. Its almost like in the mainstream imagination, people of color cant interact without it being mediated through white people somehow. I think thats part of the reason that there wasnt a lot of good reporting on the Peter Liang trial. There's some good analysis out there, but a lot of people just dont know how to talk about race when it gets complicated. The concept that different people of color talk to one another seems to be completely lost on people. TAZ: Thats true. DEXTER: I blame a lot of things for that. I blame schools, I blame history books, I blame the media in general for that. I think a lot of Asian American kids, especially, have never heard of the history of organizing across Latino, black, Asian American communities. They have no idea. So their first step into wokeness is thinking that I gotta stand up for my people, when that actually might be a little simplistic, or misplaced. JENNY: I agree. People feel like they need to speak up for themselves. That impulse to fight for your own rights is great. Speak up about not being oppressed. But lets take a step further to see how your rights are being stepped on, and how that relates to everyone else who has a similar experience. TAZ: I just learned that there was a Muslim Yemeni man who was working alongside Cesar Chavez. Theres Yuri Kochiyama, Grace Lee Boggs. So many examples of interracial solidarity work. Its important that we understand the legacy of what were doing. Doing solidarity work is building on something that has been happening for a long time. Its part of how we got here. DEXTER: So how do we get further? How do these bridges get built? TAZ: We need more storytellers. More resources. JASON: We need to make connections. If we can do that, we can change attitudes of feeling entitled to white privilege. It will cause people within our own community to step back and ask, what are issues that Im facing, and how are these similar to things other people of color are dealing with? We need to encourage greater self-reflection. JENNY: Heres the thing. Were just ten people who are being honored today. But the only reason I can do what I do is because Im connected to hundreds of people in the comedy world. Im a political Asian, people dont think we exist! But we do. There are a lot of people who care about the community. They may not think of themselves as political, but they are doing important work. We should shine a light on that. Follow me @dexdigi for more on the intersection of culture and the Internet. ALSO Op-Ed: Is racial bias to blame for the high number of Asian Americans charged with espionage? Here is why Hollywood also has an LGBT diversity issue When Prince bended gender, he gave black men permission to be free Im Christina Bellantoni, and it was going to be great. But it wasnt meant to be. California voters readying for their chance to make history are going to need to start getting excited about the Senate race instead. Dont roll your eyes there are plenty of contests on June 7 to be interested in. But for today, Essential Politics is mourning the competitive presidential primary that wasnt. Advertisement It was over swiftly, as Donald Trump captured all of Indianas delegates and won the state by more than 182,000 votes. A day that started with accusations by Trump that Sen. Ted Cruzs father had something to do with the JFK assassination and rounded out with Cruz calling Trump amoral and a pathological liar ended with subdued, thoughtful words. He is a tough, smart guy, and he has got an amazing future, Trump said, calling Cruz one hell of a competitor. For his part, the Texas senator who was the first to enter the race called for healing. We want to bring unity to the Republican party. We have to bring unity, he said. As Lisa Mascaro writes, Cruz was right all along that Republicans were looking for an outsider. It just wasnt him. Cruz was in the race 407 days, winning 10 states and 565 delegates. He had a vice presidential running mate for six days. He said his average donation was $60. In the end, as he told supporters Tuesday, There is no substitute for victory. Ohio Gov. John Kasichs team pledged to keep up the fight until someone has 1,237 delegates, and the Never Trump movement also refused to bow out. As the GOP race winds down, we will continue to track the race on Trail Guide and via @latimespolitics. SANDERS VICTORY Sen. Bernie Sanders remains on track to lose the Democratic nomination race, but he nonetheless managed to keep his agenda at the center of it as he toppled Hillary Clinton in Indiana. The Vermont senator bested his rival by about 32,000 votes, earning six more delegates than Clinton in the process. That was enough for him to soldier forward. Sanders issued a defiant statement: The Clinton campaign thinks this campaign is over. Theyre wrong. Clintons team ignored Sanders and kept up attacks against Trump, calling him too big of a risk to become president. LEGALIZING POT HEADS TO NOVEMBER BALLOT A measure to legalize marijuana for recreational use in California appears headed for the Nov. 8 ballot. A coalition that includes former Facebook President Sean Parker on Tuesday said it has collected 600,000 signatures, more than enough to qualify the initiative. Democratic Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom and other supporters plan to kick off a campaign for voter approval of the Adult Use of Marijuana Act on Wednesday in San Francisco. Were tracking all of the initiatives on our Essential Politics news feed. CRUZ DOWN, SANCHEZ UP? With the Republican presidential race now a lot less interesting, that might douse the expected surge in GOP turnout forecast for the June 7 primary. And that, in the twisted world of politics, could help Democratic Rep. Loretta Sanchezs bid for the U.S. Senate, Phil Willon reports. TODAYS ESSENTIALS Mark Z. Barabak examined the tortured language Republicans have been using as they endorsed in the presidential race. Basically, no one is all that excited about the candidates this cycle. Lawmakers and advocacy groups on Tuesday debated the merits of a gun control initiative backed by Newsom after 600,000 signatures were turned in last week to qualify the measure for the November ballot. Rep. Tony Cardenas has poured more than $300,000 from his re-election campaign fund into legal services with five Los Angeles law firms in the past year, but his attorney says there is no indication the congressman is the subject of a rumored federal investigation. The amount is 40% of the $780,898 Cardenas has spent on his re-election campaign in a race where the only other candidate to have raised a significant amount of money, Richard Alarcon, is facing legal troubles of his own. Oops! Visitors to San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconers page on the citys newly redesigned city website were directed for some time to a Facebook account created to get him re-elected. What do you think of Trump? Readers can weigh in with our quick survey. LOGISTICS Miss yesterdays newsletter? Here you go. Did someone forward you this? Sign up here to get Essential Politics in your inbox daily. And keep an eye on our politics page throughout the day for the latest and greatest. And are you following us on Twitter at @latimespolitics? Please send thoughts, concerns and news tips to politics@latimes.com. Political tension ramps up at legislative hearing on Newsoms gun control initiative Backers of a gun control initiative proposed for the November ballot argued during a legislative forum Tuesday that it is needed to make California safer, while opponents said it will unfairly harm law-abiding gun owners and is primarily aimed at getting Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom elected governor. Newsom turned in 600,000 signatures last week for an initiative that would require background checks for ammunition purchasers, ban large-capacity magazines, make gun thefts a felony and require those convicted of serious crimes to give up their firearms within 14 days. The Assembly and Senate Public Safety committees held a joint hearing on the proposal Tuesday in anticipation of the measure qualifying. Craig DeLuz, head of the Firearms Policy Coalition, told lawmakers that most of the provisions in the initiative have been rejected by the Legislature or the governor as too extreme or unworkable. He said the real purpose of the initiative is to get Newsom elected as governor in 2018. Its for one individual to get his name in the paper so he can run for higher office, DeLuz told the lawmakers. That drew a rubuke from state Sen. Loni Hancock (D-Berkeley), chair of the Senate panel. I do take offense at the personal attacks on the proponents of the intiative, Hancock said during the hearing. Assemblywoman Melissa Melendez (R-Lake Elsinore) responded, saying the initiative is unnecessary. I am equally offended that the person who came up with this initiative isnt here today to address this body, she said. Thats incredibly disrespectful. Newsom, who has fueded with legislative leaders who are pursuing their own gun control bills, did not attend the hearing, instead participating in a memorial service held for California Highway Patrol officers, a representative said. Attorneys for the Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence, which co-wrote the initiative, told lawmakers it will plug serious loopholes in Californias tough gun laws. We believe reasonably that more can and should be done to protect California families and keep lethal weapons out of dangerous hands, added Ari Freilich, a staff attorney at the center. The initiative was criticized by Los Angeles County Deputy Dist. Atty. Michele Hanisee, president of the Assn. of Deputy District Attorneys of Los Angeles, who predicted many people will not obey the new laws requiring them to get rid of high-capacity magazines. The initiative places additional burdens on an already overburdened court system, she added. None of the lawmakers at the hearing commited to endorsing the initiative. Lawmakers raised questions about the cost of enforcing the initiative, but the Legislative Analysts Office said the bulk of costs may be recovered by fees authorized by the measure. Hancock said she is interested in alternative approaches to addressing gun violence, including a look at improving mental health services. A measure to legalize marijuana for recreational use in California appears headed for the Nov. 8 ballot. A coalition that includes former Facebook President Sean Parker on Tuesday said it has collected 600,000 signatures, more than enough to qualify the initiative. Democratic Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom and other supporters of the measure plan to kick off a campaign for voter approval of the Adult Use of Marijuana Act on Wednesday in San Francisco. Advertisement The measure would allow adults ages 21 and older to possess, transport and use up to an ounce of marijuana for recreational purposes and would allow individuals to grow as many as six plants. This November, California voters will finally have the opportunity to pass smart marijuana policy that is built on the best practices of other states, includes the strictest child protections in the nation and pays for itself while raising billions for the state, Newsom said in a statement. The coalition, which includes some law enforcement and civil rights leaders, needed to collect 365,880 signatures of registered voters to qualify the initiative, which would also place a 15% tax on retail sales of the drug. The use of marijuana in public and while driving would remain illegal. Parker, a billionaire who also co-founded the file-sharing service Napster, donated more than $1 million to the campaign to collect signatures and qualify the initiative. If elections officials verify that the signatures turned in Wednesday are sufficient and voters approve the initiative, California would join Colorado, Washington, Alaska and Oregon as states that allow recreational use of marijuana. Opposition is already organizing behind groups such as Citizens Against Legalizing Marijuana, which formed to defeat a 2010 legalization initiative that was rejected by 53% of voters. Marijuana is a very dangerous drug, said Scott Chipman, a San Diego businessman who is the Southern California chairman of the group. The state has not proven it has the capacity or the will to properly regulate marijuana and so they wont. The measure is also opposed by the California Police Chiefs Assn., in part, because of problems that have arisen in Colorado. Ventura Police Chief Ken Corney, president of the association, said extremely potent marijuana is being sold in Colorado that he fears will lead to high addiction rates and high incidents of psychosis. This is bad for our communities. This is bad for our youth and its a broad commercialization [of drugs], a for-profit, money-making model, Corney said. More than 55% of California voters allowed the use of marijuana for medical purposes in 1996 when they approved Proposition 215. Despite the defeat of a 2010 legalization initiative, a poll last year by the Public Policy Institute of California found that 55% of likely voters in California favor full legalization. Im excited to be a part of one of the largest coalitions of cannabis and non-cannabis organizations to come together to push this initiative forward, said Nate Bradley, executive director of the California Cannabis Industry Assn. Bradley, who backed the failed 2010 initiative, said voters have since seen how well [legalizing recreational use] has worked in other states. Newsom, who is running for governor in 2018, formed a blue ribbon commission on marijuana policy that made recommendations, many of which were incorporated into the initiative. The measure is supported by the Drug Policy Alliance, Marijuana Policy Project, California Cannabis Industry Assn., California Medical Assn. California NAACP, and the national Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws. The medical association said in a statement that it supports the measure because the most effective way to protect the public health is to tightly control, track and regulate marijuana and to comprehensively research and educate the public on its health impacts, not through ineffective prohibition. Supporters hope to build on the momentum from the Legislatures action last year to set up regulations for the medical marijuana industry in California. The new initiative would expand on that, renaming the state Bureau of Medical Marijuana Regulation as the Bureau of Marijuana Control. patrick.mcgreevy@latimes.com Follow @mcgreevy99 on Twitter. ALSO Federal prosecutors drop case against Bay Area pot dispensary Only one of Californias pot initiatives has the green that counts Driving while high? Lawmakers want police to be able to check Updates from Sacramento Among the littlest people diagnosed with attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder--ADHD--nearly half get no more help dealing with their distractedness, impulsiveness and hyperactivity than that provided by prescription medication, says a new government report. Thats despite the fact that for these patients--children ages 2 to 5 diagnosed with ADHD--behavior therapy can help children develop self-control, organizational skills and coping mechanisms, tools that would help them over the long run. More than 6 million American kids--about 11%--have been diagnosed with ADHD, and a third of those kids, generally those most severely affected by the disorder, got a diagnosis before they even entered first grade. For kids this young, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that psychological services be tried first before medications are prescribed. Advertisement See the most-read stories in Science this hour >> But 3 in 4 such children receive prescription medication, generally stimulant medication that can disrupt sleep patterns, cause irritability and stomachaches and blunt appetites. And about half do not, in any given year, see a psychologist. That pattern of over-reliance on medication alone has changed little over recent decades, even as rates of pediatric ADHD diagnoses have soared. A 2015 study in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry reported a 43% jump in ADHD diagnoses among American schoolchildren in a recent eight-year stretch alone. Among girls, the hike in diagnoses was even steeper. Dr. Anne Schuchat, principal deputy director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, told reporters Tuesday that the benefits of behavior therapy can last for years. At the same time, Schuchat said the effects of long-term ADHD medication use by young children is unknown. The CDC is therefore encouraging pediatricians and other healthcare providers to work with families to make sure children with ADHD are receiving the most appropriate treatment, she said. And that should include a discussion about behavior therapy as a first step, Schuchat added. In addition to psychological services aimed directly at helping the child, services that help train parents to deal with and mold a childs behavior can be highly effective in managing a childs ADHD symptoms. Schuchats comments came against the backdrop of a CDC report that tracked the healthcare claims data of at least 5 million children from the age of 2 to 5. It found that children on Medicaid, the federal healthcare program for low-income families and the disabled, are more likely than children who are privately insured to receive psychological services if they are diagnosed with ADHD. Among young kids on Medicaid with ADHD, 54% received such services. Among those who are privately insured, just 45% did. Schuchat acknowledged that behavioral training is not available everywhere and is not covered by all insurance plans. Some centers base their fees on income or offer group sessions, which are less costly than individual sessions, she said. While states oversee the expansion of services available to children with ADHD, Schuchat added, physicians should stress to parents the desirability of getting such help for their children with ADHD. Follow me on Twitter @LATMelissaHealy and like Los Angeles Times Science & Health on Facebook. Heart disease, cancer ... and medical errors? A new tally of mistakes made in American hospitals suggests that medical errors are the No. 3 cause of death in the U.S. At least 250,000 deaths each year can be attributed to medical care that has gone awry, according to a report published Tuesday in the British Medical Journal. That means deadly mistakes are responsible for more fatalities than chronic respiratory disease, which currently ranks third on the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Preventions list of leading causes of death. See the most-read stories in Science this hour >> Advertisement In 2014, 147,101 deaths in the U.S. were caused by chronic lower respiratory diseases, according to the CDC. Heart disease was the top killer that year with 614,348 deaths, and cancer ranked second with 591,699 deaths. Fatal medical errors include cases in which patients received medications they were allergic to and instances in which patients died of preventable infections, among many other possibilities. Doctors and nurses are not necessarily involved, experts said sometimes a faulty computer program may be to blame. Medical care has become really complex, said Dr. David Classen, an associate professor of medicine at the University of Utah who was not involved in the study. Its no longer one single physician taking care of a single person at a hospital. Its these huge groups of people now, and mistakes get made. The authors, from the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, said that while human error is inevitable, medical errors dont have to be. The CDC currently has no good way of tracking deaths that result from medical mistakes, the authors wrote. The agencys statistics are pulled from the International Classification of Diseases codes that appear on death certificates. These codes were instituted in 1949 and do not include any that indicate a death was the result of a mistake in the hospital. At that time it was under-recognized that diagnostic errors, medical mistakes and the absence of safety nets could result in someones death, Dr. Martin Makary, the surgeon who led the study, said in a statement. Because of that, medical errors were unintentionally excluded from national health statistics. The estimate in the new report is based on four previous studies that analyzed death rate data from 2000 to 2008. Makary and coauthor Michael Daniel, a research fellow in the Hopkins department of surgery, extrapolated those findings to the total number of hospital admissions in 2013 to arrive at the 250,000 figure. They note, however, that this estimate is probably low. The studies they relied on considered only errors that could be documented in health records, and included only deaths of patients being cared for in hospitals, they said. One way to get a better picture of the toll of medical errors would be to create death certificates that ask whether a preventable complication in the patients medical care contributed to the death, the authors wrote. That could help experts predict when and where medical errors are most likely to occur and take steps to prevent them. Standardized data collection and reporting processes are needed to build up an accurate national picture of the problem, they wrote. Measuring the consequences of medical care on patient outcomes is an important prerequisite to creating a culture of learning from our mistakes. Do you love science? I do! Follow me @DeborahNetburn and like Los Angeles Times Science & Health on Facebook. About 400 people, including many members of the Armenian community, filled up the Glendale Hiltons grand ballroom Saturday for the Armenian Relief Societys 29th annual fashion show. This years designer was Kevork Shadoyan, a Syrian-Armenian who traveled from Armenia to bring his Shadoyan Fashion Couture House line to attendees, who sat down for a three-course meal at tables circling a white runway. NEWSLETTER: Stay up to date with whats going on in your community>> This year, its very special, said Zharmen Mirzakhanyan, a society member. Each [piece] has meaning behind [it]. The show opened with the 12 models sporting national Armenian costumes, with modern twists added. 1 / 14 Olga Gure (Ms. Russia L.A.) models at the Armenian Relief Society Sepan Chapter Fashion Show at the Hilton in Glendale on Saturday, April 30, 2016. (Raul Roa / Staff Photographer) 2 / 14 Edgar Rostomyan, left, and Madezhda Hovhannisyan, right, walk the runway at the Armenian Relief Society Sepan Chapter Fashion Show at the Hilton in Glendale on Saturday, April 30, 2016. (Raul Roa / Staff Photographer) 3 / 14 Maya Zohrabian models for the crowds at the Armenian Relief Society Sepan Chapter Fashion Show at the Hilton in Glendale on Saturday, April 30, 2016. (Raul Roa / Staff Photographer) 4 / 14 Lali Nebier models at the Armenian Relief Society Sepan Chapter Fashion Show at the Hilton in Glendale on Saturday, April 30, 2016. (Raul Roa / Staff Photographer) 5 / 14 Designer Kevork Shadoyan, center left, with his crew and models at the Armenian Relief Society Sepan Chapter Fashion Show at the Hilton in Glendale on Saturday, April 30, 2016. (Raul Roa / Staff Photographer) 6 / 14 Designer Kevork Shadoyan, center, talks to his models at the Armenian Relief Society Sepan Chapter Fashion Show at the Hilton in Glendale on Saturday, April 30, 2016. (Raul Roa / Staff Photographer) 7 / 14 Maya Zohrabian models at the Armenian Relief Society Sepan Chapter Fashion Show at the Hilton in Glendale on Saturday, April 30, 2016. (Raul Roa / Staff Photographer) 8 / 14 Maya Zohrabian models at the Armenian Relief Society Sepan Chapter Fashion Show at the Hilton in Glendale on Saturday, April 30, 2016. (Raul Roa / Staff Photographer) 9 / 14 Sheila B. models at the Armenian Relief Society Sepan Chapter Fashion Show at the Hilton in Glendale on Saturday, April 30, 2016. (Raul Roa / Staff Photographer) 10 / 14 Glendale plastic surgeon Dr. Susan Chobanian, left, and Glendale mayor Paula Devine at the Armenian Relief Society Sepan Chapter Fashion Show at the Hilton in Glendale on Saturday, April 30, 2016. (Raul Roa / Staff Photographer) 11 / 14 Attendees wait for the models at the Armenian Relief Society Sepan Chapter Fashion Show at the Hilton in Glendale on Saturday, April 30, 2016. (Raul Roa / Staff Photographer) 12 / 14 Olga Gure (Ms. Russia L.A.) models at the Armenian Relief Society Sepan Chapter Fashion Show at the Hilton in Glendale on Saturday, April 30, 2016. (Raul Roa / Staff Photographer) 13 / 14 Roshana Edwards models at the Armenian Relief Society Sepan Chapter Fashion Show at the Hilton in Glendale on Saturday, April 30, 2016. (Raul Roa / Staff Photographer) 14 / 14 Adela Amirian at the Armenian Relief Society Sepan Chapter Fashion Show at the Hilton in Glendale on Saturday, April 30, 2016. (Raul Roa / Staff Photographer) A man and woman modeled traditional Artsakh clothing, ethnic styles worn by Armenians living in what is known also as the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, a separatist region in Azerbaijan. Deadly clashes in the disputed territory last month between Armenian and Azerbaijani troops left a few dozen dead. Mirzakhanyan said some of the proceeds will go directly to the families of Armenian soldiers killed in the fighting. Sheila B. models at the Armenian Relief Society Sepan Chapter Fashion Show at the Hilton in Glendale on Saturday, April 30, 2016. (Raul Roa / Staff Photographer) She said additional money raised from tickets and sponsorships will go to fund local community projects, offer financial aid to local students and assist victims of national disasters and war. After showcasing the traditional Armenian garb, models took the runway in stylish evening wear, gowns and even a wedding dress. Many in the audience turned into fashion photographers, whipping out smartphones to snap a few shots of the models in their stylish attire. Burbank resident and first-time attendee Lourdes Thangtamsativ said the designs were gorgeous, especially the wedding dress. I love the fashion, she said. Everything was beautiful. -- Ryan Fonseca, ryan.fonseca@latimes.com Twitter: @RyFons -- ALSO: Bye bye, Bob Hope: Airfield rebrands as Hollywood Burbank Airport County commissioners vote to remove welcome sign from Hindenburg Park Racial slurs by law enforcement are a legacy thats becoming more unacceptable Theyre denied an education, kidnapped, gang-raped and sold in the market. Theyre forced to cart water and theyre married off early to old men. Then one extraordinary girl, Malala Yousafzai, escaped the fate of others and soared to freedom, voicing the pain and terror of adolescent girls across large parts of the world. Malala, who was jointly awarded the Nobel Peace Prize on Friday with Indian childrens rights activist Kailash Satyarthi, has become a symbol of hope in her homeland, Pakistan, where girls are sometimes slain by their families in honor killings if they dare to marry for love, or are kept out of school in deeply conservative communities. Advertisement The award comes as girls are under attack by extremists in countries such as Nigeria, Iraq and Afghanistan, and are routinely abused in nations including India, Somalia and South Africa. In Nigeria, hundreds of schoolgirls kidnapped by the violent Islamist militia Boko Haram are still in captivity, including nearly 219 seized in April, whose fate was highlighted in the #BringBackOurGirls Twitter campaign this year. In Iraq, the militant group Islamic State has kidnapped hundreds of girls of the minority Yazidi sect in recent months, who are raped and sold like cattle or given to commanders as gifts, activists say. In India, where horrific cases of sexual abuse of girls and young women surface regularly, two girls were raped and killed in a village in Uttar Pradesh state in May. Their bodies were found hanging in a mango tree. They had gone outside their home at night to relieve themselves in a field because of a lack of bathrooms. This award is for all the children who are voiceless, whose voices need to be heard, Malala, 17, said after she became the youngest recipient in history of a prize that is infrequently awarded to women. Spotlighting the struggles of boys as well as girls, the Nobel committee announced in Oslo that the award was also being given to Satyarthi, 60, founder of Bachpan Bachao Andolan, or the Save the Childhood Movement, which has campaigned to free thousands of children from forced labor and human trafficking. Both Malala and Satyarthi have made exceptional sacrifices, facing the very real possibility of death for their work as advocates for children. The decision was packed with symbolism: a shared award for a Pakistani and an Indian, each struggling for childrens rights in neighboring rival nuclear nations, whose disputed borders in Kashmir have been racked by intense shelling in recent days. The difference in the two recipients ages illustrated that the struggle for fundamental human rights is everyones concern. The committee announced that the pair would receive the award for their struggle against the suppression of children and young people and for the right of all children to education. It said it regards it as an important point for a Hindu and a Muslim, an Indian and a Pakistani, to join in a common struggle for education and against extremism. Malala, a high school student, was at school in Birmingham, England, when the prize was announced and made the world wait until after school for her comments. This is not the end.... I want to see every child going to school and getting an education, she said. The daughter of a school administrator in the town of Mingora, she had bristled against a Taliban rule against education for girls when she was as young as 11. Despairing at the thought of a life stuck at home, she wrote a blog, campaigning for girls education, and appeared on TV and in an international documentary. In October 2012, she was aboard a school bus in the Swat Valley, in northwestern Pakistan, when Taliban gunmen asked for her by name and opened fire. A bullet to the head nearly killed her. Malala has impressed television audiences with her soft-spoken philosophy of forgiveness and peace, and with the steely strength behind it. Her comments to the United Nations last year voiced her hope for something better for girls, The terrorists thought that they would change our aims and stop our ambitions but nothing changed in my life except this: Weakness, fear and hopelessness died. Strength, power and courage was born. I am the same Malala. My ambitions are the same. My hopes are the same. My dreams are the same, she said. Shahidullah Jan, a Peshawar-based activist of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, an independent organization, said Friday that Malalas campaign had helped improve girls access to education in Pakistan but had done little to change entrenched practices such as early marriage and honor killings in deeply conservative regions like the Swat Valley. It will take time for the girls inspired by Malala to become educated and start speaking for their rights. It will take time to bring change, but she at least has started the process, Jan said. Liesl Gerntholtz, Human Rights Watch director for womens rights, said the fact that Malala was awarded the prize was indicative of growing global awareness of abuses against girls. She said it was important to be aware that boys were vulnerable to violence, forced labor and other abuses, but added that girls were more vulnerable. The fact that Malala, a 17-year-old Pakistani girl, should win a Nobel Peace Prize is an important indication that the world is recognizing that this is a problem that we need to address, she said. Progress is being made. But a lot more needs to be done. Terrorism, sexual violence and the threat of abduction are the depressing, everyday reality for many adolescent girls. When conflict surges in deeply unequal societies, as it has in Syria, Iraq and Nigeria, girls and women often become plunder of war. In Iraq last month, a 14-year-old Yazidi girl detailed her experience, in an interview widely published, offering a firsthand account of attacks on Yazidi girls in northern Iraq as they tried to flee the war: She was seized as a concubine by an overweight, much older, bearded Islamic State commander in northern Iraq. He kicked and beat her daily when she resisted his advances, until she managed to escape. Twelve-year-old girls, raped. Ten-year-old girls, raped. This girl could be your daughter, she could be your sister, she could be your neighbor, Yazidi lawmaker Vian Dakhil said in a recent interview with Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. Some are at prisons here, still in Iraq, and some have been taken to Syria, and some are in Mosul. They are taken to be raped, and they are selling them, $150 for a girl. In Nigeria, hundreds of girls have been abducted in recent years, with the numbers surging as Boko Haram launched an aggressive advance, taking control of villages and towns in the northeast. In the town of Chibok, in eastern Nigeria, 276 girls who were at a school to take final exams were seized in April; 57 escaped in the early days of captivity, but 219 are unaccounted for. Im the one that captured your girls. Ill sell them in the market, by God. Theres a market for selling people. God has commanded me to sell, Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau said in a chilling video soon after the abduction. In July, Malala met with girls and their families in Nigeria and pressed President Goodluck Jonathan to do more to free those still captive. In March, a Human Rights Watch report said the rape of women and girls in Somalia had become normal, with the large proportion of women displaced by conflict particularly vulnerable. The U.N. reported 800 cases of sexual violence in Mogadishu, the capital, in the first six months of 2013. About a third of Somali rape victims are children, according to the U.N. Theres a correlation between countries that have a high level of inequality between men and women and violence against women, said Gerntholtz. There are countries like Afghanistan, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Somalia where you have conflict-related violence that affects women and girls. There are also countries that have very low levels of equality between men and women and you see violence related to womens subordination, like Saudi Arabia and many parts of the Middle East. Key issues, she said, are ensuring that girls are not married or forced to drop out of school to go to work at a young age and are able to finish high school. But even when countries are not at war, girls are more likely to face violence and rape at school, according to the U.N. Girls Education Initiative, making education a terrifying experience for abuse victims. When a researcher for a study on girls education last year asked girls in rural Uganda what their biggest problem was, the response came back, The biggest problem is these men who disturb us, begging for sex when walking to school, UNGEI director Nora Fyles said in a blog last year. She said U.N. reports indicated that girls at secondary education levels increasingly face sexual violence, including forced marriage, abduction and sexual exploitation, taking advantage of the fact that girls have limited financial and material means. Girls from impoverished families are more likely to drop out of school to earn money for the family, with an estimated 90 million girls in harmful child labor, the U.N. says. Early marriage with the bride often paid for in cows cuts girls education short in countries such as South Sudan and consigns them to lives of drudgery and often domestic violence. In Malawi, where the legal marriage age is 15, more than 51% of girls are married before 18, according to the U.N. In India, the figure is 47% and in both Nigeria and Afghanistan, its 46%. In Chad, the figure is 72%. For Malala, the life she escaped but which millions of others endure represents a prison. I didnt want my future to be just sitting in a room and be imprisoned in my four walls and just cooking and giving birth to children, she said in a BBC interview last year. I didnt want to see my life in that way. Dixon reported from Johannesburg, South Africa. Special correspondents Aoun Abbas Sahi in Islamabad, Pakistan; Zulfiqar Ali in Peshawar, Pakistan; Parth M.N. in Mumbai, India; and Christine Mai-Duc in Los Angeles contributed to this report. For more international news, follow @RobynDixon_LAT on Twitter. Theres a buzz in the air in Pyongyang this week, a certain frisson that seems a combination of anticipation, tension and exhaustion. North Koreans are gearing up for something they havent seen in more than three decades a Workers Party Congress, the highest-level political gathering in the reclusive one-party state. Since January, Kim Jong Uns government has been doing its utmost to set the stage: Hes tested a nuclear weapon, launched a satellite into low-Earth orbit and fired off some missiles. Although many countries are aghast at the moves, even going so far as to pass new sanctions at the United Nations, in North Korea theyre portrayed as feats of strength. See the most-read stories this hour >> Advertisement When the congress opens Friday, theyll be celebrated as great achievements, examples of how Kim has purportedly brought this impoverished country of 24 million into some sort of parity with superpowers such as the United States. But one man cannot a party make, so Kim has been exhorting all citizens to take part in a 70-Day Speed Battle to prepare for the event. The drive kicked off in late February, and since then, across the capital, workers have been painting buildings in bright pastels and otherwise spiffing up their city. New propaganda banners have sprung up across the spartan metropolis of 2.5 million. Let us strengthen our partys might and fighting strength! exhorts one red-and-green billboard. Single-hearted unity! Clusters of red flags with yellow communist sickles have appeared on street corners like bouquets. Brigades of gardeners are hastily planting real flowers at major intersections. The last Workers Party Congress took place in Pyongyang in 1980. (Korea News Service / Associated Press ) The state-run newspaper Rodong Sinmun declared Wednesday that the battle had been an absolute success. Join the conversation on Facebook >> Unceasing in the spirit of success, all workers are rushing like a storm to make the Seventh Party Congress the congress of victors and glory, the paper claimed. The article further asserted that the 70-day battle had resulted in the miraculous production of an additional 160 million kilowatts of electricity, 360,000 tons of coal and 49,000 tons of cement. Adults and schoolchildren have been ordered to participate in a variety of performances. On Wednesday afternoon, scores of young men were huddled in a pedestrian underpass near the Arch of Triumph, whittling sticks apparently to be used in some sort of a candlelight procession; when a government minder caught a Western journalist taking photos of the scene, she ordered her away from the area, directing her gaze instead across the street, where teenage girls in white blouses and dark skirts practiced twirling red flags. In front of the Gwangbok department store, creaking streetcars stuffed to the gills disgorged a constant stream of women in traditional Korean dresses and men in suits or military uniforms returning from rehearsals of some sort involving artificial flowers. The party congress will kick off at the April 25 House of Culture, a massive edifice adorned, like all major government buildings, with large portraits of founding father Kim Il Sung and his son and successor, Kim Jong Il. Such a confab has not been held since 1980, when Kim Il Sung was still at the helm. Kim Jong Il did not care much for such gatherings, doing away with many party formalities and instead ruling through a small circle of aides while in power from 1994 to 2011. 1 / 13 Girls practice a flag routine to be performed during celebrations for the Workers Party Congress. (Julie Makinen / Los Angeles Times) 2 / 13 People participating in rehearsals for performances at the upcoming Workers Party Congress head home. (Julie Makinen / Los Angeles Times) 3 / 13 Flowers are being planted at a major intersection in front of a propaganda billboard for the party congress. (Julie Makinen / Los Angeles Times) 4 / 13 The April 25 House of Culture, where the congress is to be held. (Julie Makinen / Los Angeles Times) 5 / 13 A poster for the 7th Workers Party Congress. (Julie Makinen / Los Angeles Times) 6 / 13 People head home after taking part in rehearsals for performances at the political gathering. (Julie Makinen / Los Angeles Times) 7 / 13 A propaganda billboard in Pyongyang. (Julie Makinen / Los Angeles Times) 8 / 13 Schoolgirls heading home from rehearsals. (Julie Makinen / Los Angeles Times) 9 / 13 Some Pyongyang residents check a national flag hanging along a street in the capital. The city is being heavily decorated for the Workers Party Congress and generally spiffed up. (Julie Makinen / Los Angeles Times) 10 / 13 People participating in rehearsals for a candlelight procession wait in an underpass near the Arch of Triumph in Pyongyang. (Julie Makinen / Los Angeles Times) 11 / 13 A mural featuring founding father Kim Il Sung near the stadium named after him in Pyongyang. (Julie Makinen / Los Angeles Times) 12 / 13 A worker cleans the street in the run-up to the congress. (Julie Makinen / Los Angeles Times) 13 / 13 People participating in rehearsals before the congress head home. (Julie Makinen / Los Angeles Times) But Kim Jong Un, who took over in December 2011 after the death of his father, Kim Jong Il, appears to be trying to govern more in the relatively ritualized style of his grandfather, outside analysts say. The party congress will gather delegates from across the country, and they are expected to bestow formal titles upon Kim and perhaps consider revisions to the party charter. Some overseas observers say the event may also offer signals as to what economic policy changes the young leader may decide to pursue, including a possible re-introduction of a taxation system as the country adopts more market-style enterprises even as it pursues nuclear weapons and missiles in defiance of U.N. resolutions. Exactly what will transpire when the curtain goes up Friday remains a closely guarded secret. But analysts outside the country expect it to be a formal coronation of sorts for Kim Jong Un, who has been consolidating his rule for the last four years. NEWSLETTER: Get the days top headlines from Times Editor Davan Maharaj >> And if Kim has any plans for significant changes in North Korea, the party congress is when he would be expected to announce them. Writing last fall on 38 North, a website of the U.S.-Korea Institute at Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, one North Korea expert said the congress would be a good time for Kim Jong Un to lead his country on the path of gradual but real reform. He could go down in history as the man who unleashed the vast economic potential of his country and turned it into the next East Asian dragon the man who brought lasting peace to Korea and prosperity to his people, wrote Ruediger Frank, the head of East Asian studies at the University of Vienna. Perhaps thats not what will happen. But as Kim has amply demonstrated, he is a man who likes to keep things interesting. MORE FROM NORTH KOREA A North Korean farm may not be what it appears At a North Korean nursery school, tots get an early education in weaponry You can buy Cognac at North Koreas airport, but a SIM card? Not so much. For more details on the Congress, check out our Q+A with an expert on the North Korean leadership. Follow @JulieMakLAT for news from Asia. The dead started washing up in April: miles and miles of fish, countless clams, the occasional whale. Government researchers eventually concluded that toxic elements were responsible for the die-off, which Vietnamese officials described as unprecedented. Now people are wondering whether the seabirds dying along Vietnams central coast are also victims of industrial pollution. Fears that tainted fish collected off the beaches are entering this fast-developing nations food supply have inspired outrage on social media and a wave of rare public demonstrations, putting pressure on a government that is accused of failing to protect public health in its push for industrial growth. Authorities have acknowledged a slow response as public scrutiny focuses on a massive Taiwanese-owned steel plant accused of pumping untreated wastewater into the sea. Advertisement My family has decided not to buy sea fish at this time, said Le Ngoc Bich, a clothing vendor in a traditional open-air market in Ho Chi Minh City. Fish vendors are the ones who suffer. Everyone is anxious. We dont know what is safe to eat. Vietnamese protesters demonstrate against Taiwanese conglomerate Formosa during a rally in downtown Hanoi on May 1, 2016. (Hoang Dinh Nam / AFP/Getty Images) Thousands of Vietnamese have signed a petition calling for President Obama to raise their concerns during his long-anticipated visit to Vietnam, expected this month. The environmental calamity, observers say, could also complicate the Obama administrations efforts to win final congressional approval for the Trans-Pacific Partnership, or TPP, a 12-nation trade pact that is touted in Vietnam as an economic boon. This is a test for the government to get to the bottom of this and take appropriate action, said attorney Fred Burke, Vietnam managing partner of the international firm Baker & McKenzie. He is also chairman of the TPP Committee of the Hanoi Chapter of the American Chamber of Commerce. Vietnam, known as a leading exporter of rice and coffee, attracted $14.5 billion in direct foreign investments in 2015, continuing a trend that is credited with helping lift the country of 90 million people to middle-income status as measured by the World Bank. The steel plant suspected of releasing contaminants, owned by Taiwans Formosa Plastics Group, represents a $10-billion investment. The government, I think, doesnt care very much so we have to do something. Vietnamese protester Vu Quan Vietnams citizenry and foreign investors alike, Burke said, should hope for strong government action against corporate wrongdoers who fail to comply with international environmental standards and laws. If the government is not stringent on this, it tarnishes all foreign investors by association, Burke said. A governmental failure to enforce environmental laws could give Vietnam the reputation of a bad actor in foreign trade and provide another argument for congressional opponents of the TPP. The die-off was first noticed on April 6 as thousands, and later millions, of fish washed ashore along a 125-mile stretch of coastline in north-central Vietnam, including some popular beaches that ordinarily attract Vietnamese tourists. Witness accounts described how many people collected large numbers of dead fish and placed them in refrigerated compartments, presumably to sell. Over ensuing days, the Vietnamese military was ordered to help clean up the beach and bury the dead fish. This picture taken on April 20, 2016 shows a man walking among dead fish lying on a beach in Quang Trach district in Vietnams central coastal province of Quang Binh. (Stringer / AFP/Getty Images) Vietnams communist leadership acknowledged fault in its response, including a public apology from new Environment Minister Tran Hong Ha. The initial handling was passive, the government said in a statement last week, and described environmental monitoring as untimely, inaccurate and infrequent. In addition to penalties imposed by the government, Burke said, wrongdoers would face civil suits from fishermen and others whose businesses have been devastated by the die off. But many Vietnamese have complained that authorities have been slow to follow up on allegations that Formosas steel plant poured untreated wastewater into the ocean. Authorities announced that scientists from the U.S., Germany and Israel are joining in efforts to analyze wastewater from all factories in north-central Ha Tinh province. Environmental consultant Bui Minh Lanh, who has worked with dioxin and wastewaters, suggested that the chemical sleuthing should have been completed within a week and delays will make it harder to trace the original source. Formosa has handled the controversy clumsily. While emphasizing there was no proof of its responsibility, a company public relations official also suggested that Vietnam may have to accept environmental trade-offs for industrial growth perhaps a choice between steel or fish. That prompted a social media backlash and the hashtag #Ichoosefish. Formosa management soon apologized for the comment and said the official who made the statement would be punished. In a statement on April 26, Formosa said it was deeply surprised and sorry about the fish deaths. Formosa said its $10-billion investment in the steel factory included $45 million for a wastewater treatment system. Formosas reaction fueled public demonstrations from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City rare in a communist-run country where protesters who lack permits are often jailed. On Sunday, hundreds of Vietnamese gathered at the landmark Hanoi Opera House holding protest signs. Security forces elected to watch as protesters later marched for three hours around nearby Hoan Kiem Lake. Protester Vu Quan told a wire service that he believed the authorities were complicit in a coverup. The government, I think, doesnt care very much so we have to do something. Some Vietnamese are already stockpiling fish sauce, a culinary staple. My concern is that fish from contaminated areas will be used as raw materials, said Tran Thi Dan, owner of a small fish sauce business. It will cause a huge impact on my business because people are afraid of poisoning. Id love to know the reasons of the mass fish death, she added. Perhaps the results have not been published due to political reasons. Harris is a special correspondent. MORE FROM WORLD At a North Korean nursery school, tots get an early education in weaponry North Korean capital in throes of 70-Day Speed Battle to prepare for political confab In the Philippines, a government with heart versus the rule of the fist To Russian President Vladimir Putin, the mammoth Vostochny cosmodrome in the far eastern Siberian taiga illustrates the nations ongoing role as a space pioneer. The desolate area six time zones from Moscow provides ample space away from most communities to launch rockets carrying small cargo such as satellites and, eventually, larger rockets and manned missions. The facility also is expected to help ease Russias dependence on the historic Baikonur cosmodrome, which is in formerly Soviet Kazakhstan and costs Moscow $115 million a year to lease. The Baikonur complex is where the worlds first artificial satellite, Sputnik 1, and the rocket that carried Yuri Gagarin, the first human in orbit, were launched during the Cold War. Advertisement But the road to Vostochny, which means Eastern, has not been smooth since Putin signed a 2007 decree to build the multibillion-dollar spaceport. The construction turned into a public relations nightmare and a symbol of Russias post-Soviet space failures caused in part by brain drain, erosion of scientific and technological standards and corruption. Unpaid construction workers started hunger strikes, held rallies and painted gigantic cries for help on the roofs of their barracks before a Putin inspection visit last year. More than 80 audits identified 1,651 violations of the labor code and triggered 20 investigations into several subcontractors and hundreds of officials. Almost 180 of them were demoted and reprimanded, three were sentenced to jail and four more have been arrested. It symbolizes the degradation of the system of making and implementing decisions, Pavel Luzin, an independent space industry analyst, said in an interview. Although Russia plays a key role in the operation of the International Space Station, which has been continuously occupied since November 2000, Moscow has faced a string of humiliating failures. Since 2010, it has lost dozens of domestically manufactured and foreign-made commercial satellites worth hundreds of millions of dollars and a cargo ship in a series of malfunctions and crashes. Kliper, a reusable spacecraft for up to six cosmonauts, has been grounded. Phobos-Grunt, an automatic research station designed to deliver samples from the Martian moon Phobos, failed to leave Earths orbit in 2011 and burned down a year later. Last month, Yuri Milner, a Russian billionaire who was named after Gagarin, teamed up with theoretical physicist and cosmologist Stephen Hawking to announce a plan to send ultralight spacecraft to Alpha Centauri. He did not say a word about using Russian space expertise although his announcement was made on the 55th anniversary of Gagarins flight. As recently as last week, Russian officials were embarrassed by a glitch that caused a delay in the nations first rocket launch from Vostochny and generated reprimands from Putin, who had traveled to the site for the occasion. A day later, Putin watched the successful launch of an unmanned Soyuz 2.1a rocket carrying three satellites that separated and headed to their orbits, the state-run Roscosmos space agency said. Really, like they say, the proof of the pudding is in the eating, and the proof of the cosmodromes readiness for operation is the first launch. And you did it, Putin, who watched from about a mile away, told officials. I want to congratulate you. We should be proud. Its a serious and important contribution to the development of the Russian space industry. As part of his enthusiasm for the project, Putin previously renamed the town closest to Vostochny after Konstantin Tsiolkovsky, a czarist-era schoolteacher who postulated the use of rockets for space travel and dreamed of spreading human life across the universe. Moscow wants Tsiolkovskys population to reach 40,000, but so far there are only three dozen apartment buildings and a wooden Orthodox church. The existing launchpad was initially designed for a super-heavy rocket that has yet to be built, then was prepared for Soyuz, an old Soviet workhorse. More launchpads are expected to be constructed, with plans calling for several launches a year. Russia also expects to continue using Baikonur, which is leased until 2050, even as it relies more on Vostochny, officials said. The Baikonur site remains the primary location for civilian and commercial launches for now, while other sites are used for military launches. Even in the twilight years of the U.S.S.R., Moscow managed to launch a space shuttle and for years after the 1991 Soviet collapse and economic crisis kept sending satellite and manned missions from Baikonur, running the worlds only cheap and reliable space taxi after the U.S. docked its space shuttles in 2011. Some analysts said Russias space program remains driven by the obsolete priority of expensive manned flights over cheaper robotic probes. Instead of promoting competing research facilities, Moscow preferred to centralize the industry around state-run corporations. The point of it all is flying to space for the sake of flying. Research objectives that give real and long-term results remain secondary, Luzin said. Thats all because an emphasis on science, on progress will have to change the entire industry, will require rejection of the existing model, where the spending of the budget is a top priority. As for Vostochny, which occupies about 270 square miles near the border with northern China, the future remains unclear. Construction is ongoing at the sprawling complex. Plans call for the first manned mission from the facility to the space station to happen after 2023. Since retiring its space shuttle program, NASA has paid Russia to ferry its astronauts to the space station. But last year, the aerospace firm SpaceX and Boeing Co. won contracts from NASA to transport astronauts, with the first of such launches planned for 2017. SpaceX already carries cargo to the space station via unmanned flights under a separate contract with NASA. Other nations also have space programs. Nevertheless, former Soviet cosmonaut Alexey Leonov, who pioneered spacewalks in 1965, recently sounded optimistic in televised remarks after he visited Vostochny, saying he looked forward to Angara, the yet-to-be-built heavy booster rocket, and upcoming space exploration by Russia. It will all be done from here, Leonov said. Mirovalev is a special correspondent. The U.S. Navy commando who was killed Tuesday in northern Iraq was part of quick reaction force sent to help U.S. military advisors and Kurdish militias during a fierce firefight with Islamic State militants. Special Warfare Operator 1st Class Charles H. Keating IV, 31, was shot and killed during a two-hour battle with about 125 militants who had stormed the Kurdish-held town of Tel Skuf, about 20 miles north of Mosul. Col. Steve Warren, spokesman for the U.S.-led military coalition in Baghdad, said Keating was killed in a complicated, complex attack by Islamic State militants more than two miles behind the front lines after the insurgents breached Kurdish defenses. Advertisement It was a big fight, one of the largest weve seen recently, he told reporters by teleconference Wednesday from Baghdad. The Kurds ultimately regained control of the town. Keating is the third member of the U.S. military killed in combat in Iraq since the Obama administration launched its war against Islamic State in mid-2014. Tuesdays battle erupted when Islamic State militants used truck bombs and mortar fire to punch through the Kurds defensive positions at 7:30 a.m. local time near Tel Skuf. Inside the town, U.S. military advisors were assisting Kurdish peshmerga forces that are involved in the long-delayed effort to retake Mosul, the militants self-declared capital in Iraq, Warren said. NEWSLETTER: Get the days top headlines from Times Editor Davan Maharaj >> The Quick Reaction Force prepared themselves to quickly react should force be required, and in this case it was, he said. As the militants advanced, the U.S. force was sent in to extract the Americans and to help the Kurdish fighters, who have been key allies in the U.S.-led coalition against Islamic State. Keating got hit just in the course of his gun battle. Whether it was a sniper or some fighter with his [rifle] is unclear, Warren said. This was a gunfight so there were bullets everywhere. Keating suffered a gunshot wound at 9:32 a.m. and was airlifted within an hour to an airfield in Irbil, but he died on the way, Warren said. The medevac helicopter was hit by gunfire as well. To help push the militants back, 11 U.S. warplanes were scrambled and delivered 31 airstrikes. The aircraft included B-52 bombers, A-10 attack aircraft, F-15 and F-16 fighter jets, as well as armed drones. Warren said at least 58 Islamic State militants were killed. Keatings death was the latest indication that U.S. troops are moving out of bases and closer to the front lines of the war. President Obama has stressed that U.S. troops are not deployed as ground troops. The Pentagon instead has launched thousands of airstrikes and given training, weapons and financial support to Iraqi and Kurdish forces in Iraq and various proxy forces in Syria. Defense Secretary Ashton Carter announced last month that the Pentagon would send 217 more advisors to Iraq and allow them to accompany Iraqi troops at the battalion level instead of being confined to Iraqi division headquarters. Keating, who was born and raised in Arizona, was the grandson of the late Arizona financier Charles H. Keating Jr., who was involved in a savings and loan scandal that swept in members of Congress in the late 1980s . Based in Coronado, Calif., Keating was a decorated special operator, according to his military records. He enlisted in the Navy in February 2007 and graduated from Basic Underwater Demolition, or SEAL, training in June 2008 Keating deployed twice to Iraq and once to Afghanistan. He was on his third deployment to Iraq when he was killed. Among the dozen awards he earned was the bronze star in the form of a V for valor. It is awarded to members of the military who are exposed to personal hazard during direct participation in combat operations, according to the Pentagon. ALSO Despite Syrian truce, Aleppo residents live in state of terror Israeli justice minister proposes controversial West Bank settlement legislation The Donald Trump of Asia? Brash, unrepentant mayor leads Philippine presidential race william.hennigan@latimes.com Follow me on Twitter @wjhenn The Indiana presidential primary provided some Latino groups a clearer picture of the general election as Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, suspended his campaign, which improves Donald Trump's bid for the White House. GOP Results from the Hoosier State With 98 percent of the precincts reporting, Trump easily won Indiana's Republican presidential primary with 53.3 percent, just over 589,000 votes, and snagging at least 51 of the available 57 pledged delegates available. Cruz, who campaigned hard in the state, placed second with 36.6 percent, or approximately 406,000 votes, but it's unclear if he'll win delegates. Ohio Gov. John Kasich, who withdrew substantive campaigning efforts in Indiana, placed third with 7.6 percent, receiving nearly 84,000 votes. Once the results started to pour in on Tuesday evening, the Cruz presidential campaign saw the writing on the wall and the junior Texas senator announced his campaign's suspension. "From the beginning, I've said that I would continue on as long as there was a viable path to victory. Tonight I'm sorry to say it appears that path has been foreclosed. ... We gave it everything we got but the voters chose another path. And so, and with a heavy heart, but with boundless optimism, for the long-term future of our nation, we are suspending our campaign," Cruz said on Tuesday night with his wife, Heidi, by his side. Trump celebrated his Indiana win from Trump Tower in New York City, where he commended Cruz as a tough competitor and called for unity within the Republican Party. The businessman also welcomed the title as the presumptive presidential candidate for the GOP. Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus tweeted about Trump's status in the GOP and also echoed the call to unite the party for the goal to defeat former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. .@realDonaldTrump will be presumptive @GOP nominee, we all need to unite and focus on defeating @HillaryClinton #NeverClinton Reince Priebus (@Reince) May 4, 2016 Reaction to Cruz Dropping Out "It's unfortunate that Ted Cruz chose to stand with the extreme wing of the Republican Party instead of supporting policies that would expand opportunities for Latinos, working families, and immigrants," said Cristobal Alex, president of Latino Victory Fund, an organization that supports Latinos to become politically engaged, in a statement on Tuesday night. According to Alex, Cruz, the son of a Cuban immigrant, turned his back on the Latino community by following Trump's lead and support anti-Latino and anti-immigrant policies. "Now that Donald Trump is the presumed Republican nominee, the Latino community must stand together against hate and make our voices heard -- let's send a message to the GOP that we won't stand for their bigotry, and throw our support behind Hillary Clinton, who has proven that she has our back and that she will do right by our community," added Alex, who has endorsed Clinton for president last February. Ben Monterroso, executive director of Mi Familia Vota, a Latino civic engagement group with operations in Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Nevada and Texas, acknowledged that while Cruz followed a similar policy path as Trump, the New York businessman is now leading a political party based on "hateful rhetoric and attacks on immigrant, Muslim, Latino and minority communities." "Our community has paid close attention to the proposals, values, and words that Mr. Trump has used to try to secure the GOP nomination, and our community will not forget," Monterroso shared on Tuesday night. "We are organizing, mobilizing and getting ready to hold accountable at the ballot box those candidates and elected officials who have supported the attacks presented during the campaign trail against our families." Sanders Building a Comeback? Democrats also had a presidential primary in Indiana on Tuesday. With 83 pledged delegates at stake, it was a narrow finish that favored Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt. Sanders won with 52.7 percent, or nearly 331,500 votes, to Clinton's 47.3 percent, or approximately 297,000 votes. The delegate count, however, was also narrow. Sanders is expected to win 43 delegates, while Clinton will have 38 delegates. Clinton does have additional support from seven superdelegates from Indiana. "The Clinton campaign thinks this campaign is over. They're wrong," said Sanders, thanking Indiana voters for his 18th primary election victory. "Maybe it's over for the insiders and the party establishment, but the voters in Indiana had a different idea. The campaign wasn't over for them. It isn't over for the voters in West Virginia. It isn't over for Democrats in Oregon, New Jersey and Kentucky. It isn't over for voters in California and all the other states with contests still to come." Sander said he will campaign until the last vote is cast and would like to defeat Trump, adding the businessman is "someone who must never become president of this country." The Clinton campaign was quiet on primary night, but a statement from Clinton campaign chairman John Podesta took aim to Trump and November's general election. "Fundamentally, our next president will need to do two things: keep our nation safe in a dangerous world and help working families get ahead here at home. Donald Trump is not prepared to do either," said Podesta. "Throughout this campaign, Donald Trump has demonstrated that he's too divisive and lacks the temperament to lead our nation and the free world. With so much at stake, Donald Trump is simply too big of a risk." He continued, "Hillary Clinton has proven that she has the strength to keep us safe in an uncertain world and a lifelong record of fighting to break down the barriers--economic and social--that hold working families back. While Donald Trump seeks to bully and divide Americans, Hillary Clinton will unite us to create an economy that works for everyone." The next Republican primary is May 10 in Nebraska and West Virginia. Democrats will also have a contest in West Virginia on May 10, but a caucus is scheduled in Guam on May 7. __ For the latest updates, follow Latin Post's Michael Oleaga on Twitter: @EditorMikeO or contact via email: m.oleaga@latinpost.com. This week is National Small Business Week, and in celebration, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) launched the third annual round of its Growth Accelerator Fund competition to award accelerators and startup ecosystems that empower aspiring startups. "As we celebrate National Small Business Week this week, it is only fitting that we launch our third annual Growth Accelerator Fund competition to empower more of America's small businesses," said Mark Walsh, associate administrator for the Office of Investment and Innovation. "Accelerators provide valuable resources to potential startups: a physical infrastructure to work in their infancy, mentoring, business-plan assistance, networking, opportunities to obtain venture capital, and introductions to potential customers, partners and suppliers," Walsh added. "All critical elements to ensuring that small businesses flourish and succeed." Seeking Women & Underrepresented Accelerators Through the competition, the SBA supports successful models of startup and small business development throughout the country, especially those that work in underrepresented or underserved sectors of the economy. The SBA, for example, is calling out for accelerators that are headed by women or other underrepresented groups. For last year's competition 44 percent of the winners were run by women and 41 percent were classified as underrepresented groups, such as Latino-run accelerators. Special consideration is also given to startup accelerators that fill geographic gaps, so if your accelerator, incubator, or startup community is working outside of the usual hotbeds of economic activity, it's definitely worth applying. Qualifications That said, the competition is open to any organizations that provide networking, mentorship, and a working environment (online or physical) for startups. It's not limited to the technology industry, nor is it restricted to the standard accelerator or startup incubator model. Providing equity to startups is optional for qualification, but winners must demonstrate plans, or the ability, to raise a 4 to 1 match of prizes awarded, either in cash, donations, or sponsorships. Applicants also have to have an entrepreneurial program modeled on a timeline, in which the startups in their program "graduate" and move on to independently operating in the small business economy. Apply: There's a Big Prize Pool Winners are awarded $50,000 in prizes each, out of a total fund of $3.95 million -- so there's plenty of winner spots to go around. A panel of expert judges from both the private and public sectors will select winners. You can read more about qualifications and apply at the SBA's 2016 Growth Accelerator Fund page here. The deadline for this year's applications is June 3. SBA Expanding Partnerships This year is the third year of the Growth Accelerator Fund, and the SBA has expanded to partner with several other federal agencies after the success of the past two years. "Last year's competition was so successful, we've added more federal partners including our very own Office of Native American Affairs and Office of Veterans Business Development to help bring more Native-American-owned, veteran-owned, women-owned and minority-owned small businesses into the fold," said Walsh. Native American-owned accelerators applying only need to demonstrate the ability or plans to match the winning funds on a one to one basis. Other partnering agencies and organizations this year include the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation, the Department of Education and the Department of Agriculture. The SBA's Office of Investment and Innovation is also partnering with the Inter-American Development Bank to provide prizes that assist African descendant startups in Latin America. Cinco de Mayo is fast approaching and there will a number of events that will allow the celebration of this American made holiday. Many restaurants will be hosting parties and some will have some great drink and dinner specials. Best of all, there will be great music. Here is a list of great spots that will be great for the celebration: Horchata This is one of the most popular spots in the West Village of New York City. Horchata will start its festivities at 5 p.m., local time, and the specials will include five menu items or five drink items for just $5. The items include tacos, mini chicken quesadillas and many more. This famous restaurants is a delightful place to celebrate the holiday. Nobu Nobu, also in New York City, will be celebrating this year with its Sushi Tacos. They will be serving the sushi taco special all night long alongside Margaritas. The lounge will be playing incredible music and it will be selling its incredible Japanese-Peruvian menu.This is a wonderful spot that is often visited by celebrities and many business people. Haven Rooftop Party For tourists around the Times Square area, Haven will be having a party all night with some great specials. Located in the famous Sanctuary Hotel, the rooftop will be serving five dollar drinks and will be opened all night. While it's supposed to be somewhat cold, the weather is supposed to hold up and this could be a refreshing area. The Lively What's a better way to celebrate than dancing some salsa? At The Lively, there will be salsa all night with great food and drink specials. It's your chance to learn how dance this famous Latin music and enjoy a cultural experience. Cinco de Mayo Phoenix Festival For those not in New York and close to Arizona, head over to Phoenix where there will be the annual Cinco de Mayo Festival which will be held this weekend. It will feature live music, lucha libre, ballet folklorico, a kid's zone and traditional Mexican food and drinks. There will also be cash prizes and there will also be a celebration of Latin American culture. Hillary Clinton? If you are in Los Angeles, Hillary Clinton will be in the area holding a fundraiser. Tickets are $2,700 but it could be life changing. There could be photo opportunities with the presidential candidate. There is also the option of waiting outside the event to see if you could get a selfie with the candidate. Police arrested the most wanted drug lord in Peru, Gerson Galvez, in a restaurant in Medelllin, western Colombia last Saturday. Colombian authorities deported Galvez the next day to Peru. Galvez is alleged of 101 murders in Peru. Galvez, also nicknamed Caracol which means "snail," received an arrest warrant since last December. He was one of the most feared drug lord in the region, a Latin America equivalent to notorious Mexican drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman. According to Peru Report, Galvez was arrested with a false Ecuadorean passport. Prior to his arrest, authorities had acknowledged of his arrriving in Ecuador in March. He then stopped in Panama before going to Medellin. He also grew his hair and beard in order to change his appearance. President of Colombia Juan Manuel Santos celebrated the captivity of the crime lord, and Colombian Defense Minister Luis Carlos Villegas also applauded the police force. "I congratulate our national police for this important capture. Peruvian Interior Minister Guadalupe Perez contacted me to thank the police for their work in capturing this delinquent," said Minister Villegas. According to Deutsche Welle, the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) described Galvez as Latin America's new El Chapo. Peru, on the other hand, is recorded as one of the world largest cocaine producers and cultivator of the coca, as per US State Department report. "Peru remained the world's top producer of cocaine and was the second-largest cultivator of coca, with an estimated 59,500 hectares of coca under cultivation in 2013," the report said. Prior to his arrest, the most wanted Mexican drug lord who went by nickname El Chapo, Joaquin Guzman was arrested in in January this year. Mexican Marine arrested El Chapo Guzman in Sierra Madre mountain in western Mexico after a a heavy gun fight which killed five of Guzman's bodyguard and wounded one Marine. Gerson Galvez's gang is believed to have controlled drugs smuggling operation in the seaport of Callao, the port district of Lima. Police also said that Galvez's organization also used the port to control construction unions, in order to charge extortion payments from real estate developers in Callao. TeleSUR reported that he is also wanted for the attempted murder of a rival in Peru. His rival drug lord, Gerald Oropeza, was attacked by armed men with a gunfire and grenade in the evening on April 1. He survived the attack while he was riding his Porsche SUV in a Pueblo Libre major avenue. Now, Gerson Galvez, the most wanted drug lord in Peru, has been in custody. Last Saturday, Colombian police arrested him in a restaurant in Medellin, Colombia. The authorities immediately deported Galvez to Peru on Sunday. The United Nations has appointed Oscar-winning actress Cate Blanchett as the global ambassador for the organization's refugee agency. The appointment was announced on Monday as Blanchett returned from a humanitarian mission to Jordan. As a goodwill ambassador, Blanchett will help raise awareness about the plight of refugees, especially amid the ongoing massive global displacement crisis, as noted by The Guardian. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) reported that a record of 60 million people across the world were displaced from their homes. From that number, more than one third of them are living as refugees. Blanchett expressed her delight in taking the role. "I am deeply proud to take on this role," she said. "There has never been a more crucial time to stand with refugees and show solidarity. We are living through an unprecedented crisis, and there must be shared responsibility worldwide. It feels like we're at a fork in the road, do we go down the compassionate path or do we go down the path of intolerance?" she expressed in a video interview following her appointment as ambassador for UNHCR. UNHCR considered Blanchett as a the right figure for the role as she has been working with the agency for over a year now, as reported by ABC News. She has been contributing in raising awareness about the refugees that are forcibly displaced away from their homes. The U.N. high commissioner for the refugees Filippo Grandi said the actress has already demonstrated great commitment to the cause. By the time she was appointed as ambassador, Blanchett has just returned from Jordan where she met Syrian refugees escaping from prolonged the war. "Goodwill ambassadors play a pivotal role in creating better public understanding and support for refugees, and never has there been a greater need to build these bridges," Grandi stated. "We look forward to seeing her inspire many more people in her new role," he added, as quoted by CBS News. The similar role was previously granted to another prominent Hollywood actress, Angelina Jolie. She was a goodwill ambassador for UNHCR for years before being elevated to be a special envoy for the refugee agency in 2012. The U.N. refugee agency, the UNHCR, has appointed Oscar-winning actress Cate Blanchett to be its goodwill ambassador for refugees. Blanchett has been working for the cause for more than a year, and the agency hopes that more people will be inspired by the actress in her new role. The Vermont House rejected a marijuana legalization proposal on Tuesday, May 3 turning down the hopes of legalization advocates for major drug reform after promising votes in the State senate earlier this year. According to Boston, the Vermont House voted 121-28 on Tuesday to reject marijuana legalization bill which was passed by the state Senate at the urging of Governor Peter Shumlin in February. The bill would have legalized, regulated, and tax marijuana for those 21 and older. However, it was more restrained than legalization ballot initiatives in many ways such that, it wouldn't have legalized edibles, wouldn't have allowed for home cultivation, and legal sales wouldn't go into effect until 2018. Representative Chip Conquest, a Wells River Democrat, offered an agreement package that the House has debated. Conquest stated, "They could grow for themselves. It's not legal, but a civil penalty. It doesn't put them in the world of committing a crime and avoids the collateral consequences that go with that. We're not in the business of saying a person who grows a plant should have criminal record", The Hemp Street Journal cited. On the other hand Don Turner of Milton, the Vermont House Minority leader, who opposes the legalization introduced an amendment that would put a non-binding referendum before voters to gauge their opinion on marijuana legalization. The said amendment was also voted on Tuesday afternoon, Seven Days reports. Tuesday's vote came with only a few days remaining in the legislative session, meaning there won't be time for the House and Senate to hammer out their differences. Because of the majority's decision, marijuana reform advocates including Governor Peter Shumlin were not happy. If the legalization proposal is passed, Vermont would have been the 1st state to legalize marijuana through the legislature, rather than by referendum. It would also have brought legalization closer to New England, the region considered the next frontier for major marijuana policy reform. Racist City Employees Are on Notice, and 9 Other Greater Cincinnati News Stories You May Have Missed This Week Catch up on local government, politics, sports, celeb sightings and Halloween fun. Irish Water, working in partnership with Laois County Council, is investing 2.7 million in the construction of a new water treatment plant for Portarlington and the surrounding areas. The water company says this investment is part of the Portarlington Water Supply Scheme and the new treatment plant will be constructed at the existing La Bergerie, Wellfield site. The investment will provide a reliable and sustainable water supply for Portarlington and the surrounding areas. The contract for the project was signed last week by Irish Water and Veolia Water Ireland. Work on the new treatment plant is expected to start in the coming months and it will take about 12 months to complete. Irish Water says the investment will deliver a modern treatment plant and a reliable service to support future growth and development in the area for residential and commercial expansion. Providing a safe and secure water supply for the communities and businesses in Portarlington and the surrounding areas is a key objective for Irish Water. We are pleased to deliver this project that will provide real benefits for the community in terms of security, quality and reliability of supply, said William McKnight of Irish Water. Laois TD and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade Charlie Flanagan welcomed the announcement. This is good news for Portarlington and the surrounding areas. The new water treatment plant will ensure that customers in the Portarlington area will receive a high standard of quality drinking water. Providing a safe and secure supply of water is a matter of importance. This upgrade will ensure drinking water in Portarlington is in compliance with National Drinking Water Guidelines, said the Fine Gael Minister. Minister Flanagan added that he has been informed that works are expected to commence in June 2016. Cllr Aidan Mullins welcomed the news. With water quality frequently very poor in the town, hopefully this upgrade will ensure a reliable supply of high quality drinking water, he said. The existing plant has a capacity to supply water to 5,000 people from three wells. A historic site in west Kildare is believed to be 8,000 years old, an exciting new archaeological survey has revealed. Its likely a prehistoric ceremonial site was based at Lullymore monastery prior to 512 AD, the year it was first recorded in the annals. Archaeologist Coilin O Drisceoil said all the evidence, including the existence of wooden trackways, some dating back 8,000 years, suggests the monks reoccupied an existing Neolithic bronze age site. This is internationally significant what has been found here. Its really important to archaeologists. I am really glad to say the results of the survey have been stunning, he said. Speaking at the launch at Lullymore Heritage and Discovery Park on Thursday April 21, he pointed out there are only about 50 such sites in Ireland. By using magnetic and resistance techniques, he was also been able to pin point the location of the underground foundations of the stone church, stone huts, the kilns, the metal work area and burial grounds. One of the wooden tracks had previously been identified as one of the oldest in Europe. The monastery was located where Lullymore graveyard is today. The archaeologist also found there were ditches on the inner side of the two enclosure boundaries, which also suggested the settlement was older than previously thought. Coilin paid tribute to the graveyard committee for their upkeep of the site and the Doyle family, custodians of the burial ground, who allowed him unrestricted access. I am just flabbergasted by the community spirit that exists here in Lullymore, he added. A large crowd turned out for the event, which also saw the opening of the parks boardwalk extension and new signage. Drehid grant funding was provided for the survey, and also contributed towards the boardwalk extension. Newly elected TD, Fiona OLoughlin performed the official opening while Fr. Gerard OByrne blessed the site and made special reference to the late Sean Judge who founded the park. OLoughlin also paid tribute to Sean pointing out his wife Geraldine and the staff could take inspiration from his vision and tenacity. Deputy OLoughlin said coming to Lullymore was like coming home, as she had grown up just up the road. Johnny Judge said it was very fitting the park was able to show the results of the graveyard survey. The fact that Sean now rests in this ancient site, which the Lullymore Poet referred to as the Angels seat seems right to me, he said. Geraldine made a presentation to the new TD and thanked Bord na Mona, Kildare County Council, Coilin O Drisceoil from Kilkenny Archaeology and the Doyle family. She said the survey was a joint initiative between the park and Lullymore Graveyard Committee. Today is all about community and what can be achieved by working together, she said. Manager, Ray Stapleton thanked the local retired Bord na Mona employees who helped record the audio-crank up signs including Kevin McCormack, Tom Daniels, Tom Higgins, Pat Gorey, Joe Keogh, Mick Gorey, Dan Walsh, Lar and Mary Costello, John Nooney, John Bardon, and Mattie Considine. He also thanked Dick Warner for his contribution. From very ancient times to a monastery, which provided seclusion and safety to monks for a thousand years, a hiding place and training camp for rebels in 1798, to more recent times when Lullymore was central to an industrial and social revolution for a young Irish Republic with the Turf development board and later with Bord na Mona. This is all of our story and we are the best people to tell it, he said. Sean ODonoghue said he had been involved in the graveyard committee for 30 years and welcomed the results of the survey, which was backed by the committee and the park. He thanked Bord na Mona, KCC, and the Doyle family. He praised Johnny Judge, Geraldine, Ray and Helen for their enthusiasm. New exhibits are currently being installed under the Ancient East initiative and will be launched soon. Newbridge girl and Down Syndrome Ireland (DSI) member, Amy Purcell recently got the chance to rub shoulders with President Michael D Higgins. Amy was joined by fellow DSI member Cathal Griffin from Glenbeigh, Kerry and CEO Pat Clarke at the Irish Association for Contemporary European Studies lecture on the future of European Union. Both Cathal and Amy attended the event following their input in the organisations My Opinion My Vote education programme, which is a two-year course aimed at empowering people with Down syndrome through active citizenship and participation in elections. As part of the course, the pair have studied the EU and visited Brussels. They are also members of Down Syndrome Irelands National Advisory Council, a nationally elected body which represents the voice of people with Down syndrome in Ireland. Amy said: I do the My Opinion My Vote course every Monday in Naas. I really love learning about politics in Ireland and in Europe. Meeting politicians is good and the trips to visit the Dail and the European Parliament in Brussels last year were the best. I understand all about politics now and I definitely say to people it is really important to vote. Ask the questions and make up your own mind. La Commission europeenne a ouvert la voie mercredi a une exemption de visas pour les Turcs dans l'espace Schengen, et devoile une proposition aussitot decriee de sanctions financieres contre les pays refusant un partage de l'accueil des refugies. L'avis favorable sur les visas reste sous reserves de nouvelles mesures du gouvernement turc, alors qu'Ankara a fait de cette exemption une condition pour continuer d'appliquer son accord migratoire controverse avec l'UE. Meme en cas de feu vert complet ulterieur de la Commission, le Parlement europeen, comme les Etats membres, devront encore donner leur aval a cette mesure, dans un contexte de mefiance grandissante vis-a-vis du regime islamo-conservateur turc. Ils auront aussi leur mot a dire sur la reforme proposee du reglement Dublin, qui definit quel pays de l'UE est responsable d'une demande d'asile. La Commission a propose mercredi des retouches plutot qu'une revolution, avec un mecanisme de repartition automatique entre pays europeens, en fonction de leur population et de leur PIB. -"Chantage"- Declenche seulement en cas de pression "disproportionnee" sur un Etat membre, il serait assorti d'une sanction de 250.000 euros par personne non accueillie par un Etat membre ne s'y pliant pas, versee a celui qui prendra cet accueil en charge. En situation normale, la regle principale resterait celle du pays de premiere arrivee. C'est du "chantage", a immediatement reagi le chef de la diplomatie hongroise a propos de la sanction financiere, denoncant un projet "inacceptable" et demandant a la Commission europeenne "de ne pas s'engager dans cette impasse". Le Premier ministre turc Ahmet Davutoglu (g), salue le president de la Commission europeenne Jean-Claude Juncker, a Bruxelles, le 29 novembre 2015 EMMANUEL DUNAND AFP/Archives Le gouvernement turc a lui salue une "nouvelle page" dans les relations avec l'UE apres la proposition de Bruxelles d'integrer la Turquie dans la liste des pays exemptes de visas" pour les courts sejours (90 jours maximum) familiaux, de voyages d'affaires ou touristiques. Ankara en a fait un enjeu de politique interieure et menace, s'il n'obtient pas satisfaction, gain de cause, de remettre en cause son pacte migratoire du 18 mars avec l'UE, prevoyant le renvoi en Turquie de tous les nouveaux migrants arrivant sur les iles grecques. Combine a la fermeture de la route migratoire des Balkans, l'accord a fait baisser la pression sur l'Union, meme si la situation reste inquietante en Grece ou sont bloques des dizaines de milliers de refugies. En 2015, l'UE a ete ebranlee par l'arrivee d'un nombre sans precedent de 1,25 million de demandes d'asile, deposees principalement par des Syriens, Irakiens et Afghans fuyant la guerre et l'insecurite. D'ou la crainte que Bruxelles fasse preuve d'une indulgence interessee vis-a-vis de la Turquie, que l'ONG Amnesty International accuse d'avoir renvoye des dizaines de personnes en Syrie, ravagee depuis 2011 par la guerre. Mais la Commission a assorti son avis favorable de conditions : parmi une serie de 72 criteres pour rendre la mesure possible, Ankara doit encore en respecter cinq "d'ici a la fin juin", a explique le vice-president de la Commission Frans Timmermans. Ils concernent notamment la lutte des autorites turques contre la corruption, ou encore une revision de la legislation du pays sur le terrorisme. "Aucun citoyen turc n'entrera dans l'UE sans visa s'il n'a pas de passeport biometrique", a en outre assure M. Timmermans. Tojours pour rassurer, la Commission a repris la proposition franco-allemande d'une procedure permettant de suspendre rapidement une exemption de visas, notamment face a un eventuel un afflux de migrants venant de pays exemptes. Le chef du principal groupe politique du Parlement europeen, l'Allemand Manfred Weber (PPE, centre-droit) a salue cette mesure. Mais il a aussi prevenu que les eurodeputes ne transigeraient pas sur le respect "de tous les criteres", dans un communique commun avec ses homologues des autres groupes politiques et le president du Parlement. -Controles prolonges aux frontieres- Egalement sur le terrain migratoire, la Commission a donne son aval mercredi a une prolongation exceptionnelle des controles aux frontieres interieures de la zone Schengen de libre-circulation, retablis par plusieurs pays au plus fort de la crise migratoire. L'Autriche, le Danemark, l'Allemagne et la Suede vont aussi pouvoir poursuivre les controles sur certaines zones frontalieres precises, alors que la duree maximale de ces derogations a la libre circulation arrivait a son terme (le 13 mai pour l'Allemagne, le 16 pour l'Autriche). La Commission, tout en louant les "efforts significatifs" de la Grece, a constate que de "graves deficiences" persistaient dans la gestion de la frontiere greco-turque, justifiant le declenchement de cette procedure inedite. Mais l'executif europeen a aussi insiste sur l'objectif de voir cesser ces controles "d'ici la fin de l'annee", et a pris soin de souligner que ces mesures n'etaient pas synonymes d'une exclusion de la Grece de l'espace Schengen. 04/05/2016 18:26:44 - Bruxelles (AFP) - 2016 AFP I live in Rotherham and on May 5th I will vote to elect a Police and Crime Commissioner for South Yorkshire. Since its inception in 2012 the post of South Yorkshire PCC has been held by Labour. The first incumbent, Shaun Wright did not stay the course and was forced to resign in 2014 following a report into the Rotherham child abuse scandal. His successor, Labours Dr Alan Billings has fared little better and was last week caught up in the aftermath of the Hillsborough inquest verdict. He bungled the suspension and replacement of the South Yorkshire Police chief constable and has subsequently failed to answer questions about the 18m of public money his office authorised to be spent on lawyers who unnecessarily presented false allegations against innocent people throughout the Hillsborough inquest. Incredibly Dr Billings failed to see any of this coming. On the very day of the Hillsborough verdict he was occupied launching his re-election campaign by declaring war on litter. If the ballot papers for the election had not already been printed it seems unlikely that Dr Billings would have survived to fight another day and his ill-timed poor performance has placed Labour in an impossible position. They must back their candidate 100%, but if successful they can hardly be looking forward to the prospect of facing a growing crisis that seems likely to lead to Dr Billings resignation. Win or lose Labour is in trouble. The electorate will decide the good doctors immediate fate, but if a historic turnout for South Yorkshire PCC elections of under 15% is maintained a Billings victory is unlikely to convince the general public that he has a legitimate mandate. With the Hillsborough families blaming Dr Billings for failing to hold the force to account over the way it conducted the inquests into the Hillsborough disaster, even the most ardent Labour supporter must surely now be forced to balance party loyalty against the interests of justice and consider voting for an alternative candidate. Not least, tactical voting would allow Dr Billings to exit gracefully and would spare further embarrassment for Labour. But who to choose? Assuming that most Labour supporters would want to keep out UKIP and the EDL the choice is between the conservative and Liberal Democrat candidates and few people supporting an opposition party would consider voting for a government party candidate in a local election. The Liberal Democrat candidate is Councillor Joe Otten who currently serves on Sheffield City Council and is a member of the panel that holds the police commissioner to account. Joes number one priority is to restore public trust in South Yorkshire Police by holding the force to account for Hillsborough, Orgreave and the Rotherham child exploitation scandal. As Joe puts it, Above all my fight is not against the other candidates or parties my fight is to restore trust in our police force and make our area safer for all of us. No one can doubt Joes suitability for the post. One final thought, if anything worthwhile were to come out of Billingsgate it would be a public realisation that the role of PCC is a vitally important job that requires a tough-minded and exceptional individual who is aware that they are accountable to the people and only the people. Dr Billings is a decent man, but he is clearly unsuited to the mounting challenges of South Yorkshire PCC which is arguably the toughest political policing job outside of the Home Office. * Phil Aisthorpe has been a Lib Dem member since September 2015 having previously been a life-long Labour supporter. In a previous life, Phil worked as an IT planning manager and business strategy manager with a leading UK financial services organisation. Inspired by a post in one of those Lib Dem Facebook groups, I thought it would be a good idea to give a special shout-out for these wonderful new members of the party who have become so involved that they are standing for election this year. This is by no means an exclusive list, so please feel free to add to it. The enthusiasm of our new members has really invigorated the party the length and breadth of the country this year. In Scotland, people like Rebecca Plenderleith, a fantastic campaigner for mental health who has written for us about why she became a Lib Dem, Charity Pierce, Giovanni Caccavello, Bryn Jones, Lauren Jones, Kaitey Blair are flying the Lib Dem flag. Rebecca and colleagues are pictured above campaigning in the worst snow the Scottish Winter had to throw at us. Another of our regular contributors Alex H is standing and co-ordinating campaigns across his town. Greg Webb is running for the Council in Derby and gaining valuable experience for the future. In London, Rachel Waitt is standing in a Council by-election in Figges Marsh ward in Mitcham tomorrow. Julie Ireland is standing for the constituency of Bexley and Bromley. @JulieIreland @bexleylibdem Great to hear a taxi driver state he & his fellow drivers will support @CarolinePidgeon pic.twitter.com/g0Dm9ruSQA Simrey (@SimRey14) April 30, 2016 Georgia Harvey could be a councillor in Maidstone by Friday. Ben Midgley, who wrote for us here is standing in South West Wiltshire. Another LDV contributor, Helen Belcher, who made an amazing speech in the diversity debate in York, is finding the Tory vote softening in her Wokingham ward. Andy Nash is fighting a target ward in Sheffield with a broken wrist. Jim Hodgson is standing in Brislington East. Rebecca Plenderleith told us why shes standing and what the experience has been like for her: Im standing because I would like to represent the Liberal Democrats in parliament first and foremost. We have the strongest manifesto and we have shown time and again that we care about Scotland. Id like to be able to continue to Lib Dem track record of talking about the real issues rather than just hiding behind a politician persona that mandates you can only parrot party line. Im also very honoured that as a new member Ive been not only trusted to do this and was made to feel very at ease in the licensing interview but that Ive been encouraged by many in the party to stand as well. The experience has been really eye opening to the whole process of elections. But speaking with voters has been a mainly very positive experience and Ive loved interacting with voters who had never considered voting for us in the past but told me they really liked what I had to say. Good luck to all our new members standing for election. As I said, this isnt an exhaustive list, so please add any others in the comments. * Caron Lindsay is Editor of Liberal Democrat Voice and blogs at Caron's Musings You dont often find me quoting from the pro-independnece paper The National, but Im happy to do it today because theyve done a really good profile of our top West of Scotland list candidate, Katy Gordon. She explains the influence Charles Kennedy and Jo Swinson had on her and how they inspired her campaigning spirit. I had always voted Liberal but sometimes you need a push to join, and I wanted to make sure Kennedy was leader, Gordon remembers. I did not join because I wanted to be involved in party politics but because of the Liberal ideas Charles Kennedy articulated. However, her abilities were soon recognised and she was asked to be a candidate in 2005 in Glasgow South West against Ian Davidson. While her chances of winning were minimal, she discovered through campaigning with Jo Swinson in East Dunbartonshire that she loved hearing about what people were thinking, what their concerns were and what they needed. My professional life is all about helping people to aspire to look at what is possible, help them to overcome obstacles and give them confidence to achieve what they are aiming for. It is often about giving hope to young people that they can change their lives. In political campaigning that is what we are doing too, and that is what I would do as an MSP. A key point in her political career came in 2007, when post offices were being closed all over the country. There were two in particular that Gordon thought could be saved Hyndland and Kelvindale so, although she had never run a campaign before, she knocked on doors, started a petition and involved the community council and the media. To her delight, both post offices were saved. Tomorrows vote is your chance to make a difference for your community. Before you cast it, I want you to ask yourself: who has delivered the most for you and your family? More often than not, the people I talk to across Wales arent interested in the cheap party-political point-scoring. What they always ask me is, What have you done to make my life better? As a Welsh Liberal Democrat, I always have a long list of things to tell them about. When Labour wanted to cut the numbers of apprenticeships in Wales, we used our influence to stop them. When rural councils were getting a raw funding deal, it was us who secured more money. When our poorest pupils were consistently underachieving in our schools, it was us who stepped in and gave them that extra support. Unlike the other parties, were not content with whinging from the sidelines. Welsh Liberal Democrats always roll up our sleeves and get things done for our communities, and for the people of Wales. If our record over the last five years shows anything, its that a vote for the Welsh Liberal Democrats is a vote for our policies being put into action. Tomorrow will be no different your vote could help make our ideas a reality. If you support smaller class sizes, if you want more nurses on hospital wards, if you want an Opportunity Economy that enables people to get on life, then you have to vote for it you have to vote Welsh Liberal Democrat. Only then can we begin to deliver a Wales that works for you. Peter Skinner, the former Labour MEP for South East England has now been sentenced. He was given 4 years by Mrs Justice McGowan, sitting at Southwark. He was found to have misused 100,000 of public funds. There will be a further hearing under the Proceeds of Crime Act. If the Crown apply the lifestyle assumptions in that Act, the burden of proof will be on Skinner to show that any money he received for any source in the last 6 years was legitimate. If he cant show that it was then the court can assume it to represent criminal gain and confiscate any assets he has to an equivalent value. Corrupt public officials, whether elected or unelected, should always be dealt with severely. Their status gives them a certain protection against being caught. When they are convicted deterrent sentences are needed as a warning to others. I notice in this and many other parliamentary expenses cases is that the defendants are typically people who have either: a) Not had a substantial professional career outside of politics, and/or b) Served in parliament for a long time. On the first point, most professions in the UK have high standards of ethics. Proper behaviour towards clients money or public funds is drilled into you that is certainly my experience in the legal world. I suspect that a risk of long service in Parliament, for some individuals, is that they lose touch with reality, get a sense of entitlement, to the point that their moral compass no longer works. * Antony Hook was #2 on the South East European list in 2014, is the English Party's representative on the Federal Executive and produces this sites EU Referendum Roundup. In October 2015 I used my first PMQ as leader to urge David Cameron to give a home to 3,000 vulnerable unaccompanied children who had fled war and persecution and were now in Europe. Save the Children, who launched the campaign, had calculated that 3,000 was the UKs fair share of the 26,000 unaccompanied children estimated to have arrived in Europe since the start of the refugee crisis. Six months on and with the numbers of unaccompanied children in Europe having skyrocketed to 90,000 the Government has finally capitulated in principle to take some children from Europe.What started as a Liberal Democrat led campaign in Parliament has drawn cross party support including from the Governments own backbenches and today we should rightly congratulate all of those who have worked tirelessly on this campaign. But I am clear that whilst this is a victory it certainly isnt the end of the story. The Government has a long history of announcing things and then failing to deliver. For example, in January of this year it announced that the Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner would visit the hotspots in Greece and Italy to assess the conditions there; today we discover that he hasnt yet made that trip. So you will understand when I say that, given the very broad brushstrokes of the Governments announcement today, I wont be holding my breath. If the Government ultimately only offers tens or hundreds of places rather than the thousands we have all campaigned for it will be a betrayal of the public and Parliament. They will argue that they are taking the lead from local authorities, but I am clear that it is the Government that should offer leadership. David Cameron must make it clear that he will fully fund local authorities who step up to the plate and offer sanctuary to these vulnerable kids. When I hosted the roundtable with experts, including those from local government, it was clear to me that councils didnt feel confident stepping forward when there was no clear outline from central government about funding arrangements. David Cameron must also clarify what status he will offer these children. It would not be right to take them and then leave them in limbo with a huge cloud of uncertainty hanging over their heads that they might be deported when they reach 18. They have been through enough already. Of course, many will want to return to their country of origin when the situation allows, but we must offer them a home for as long as they need it. In the Blueprint I launched last month I was clear that indefinite leave to remain was the gold standard but at the very minimum these kids must be offered humanitarian protection. Finally, it is yet to be determined how the Government will select these children. I have always been clear that those children who are unaccompanied in Europe but have family relations in the UK should be offered sanctuary quickly. However, there are plenty of children who are unaccompanied, vulnerable and at risk and the Government should set out how they will support them. The saying better late than never comes to mind today, but in this case it is a bittersweet victory. In the six months it has taken the Government to act many vulnerable unaccompanied children will have fallen into the hands of traffickers, sold into sex work or forced labour. Some of the children I met on my visits to Calais, Lesbos and Northern Greece may have already vanished. The Government must now act quickly to make up for lost time. * Tim Farron is Liberal Democrat Spokesperson on Agriculture and MP for Westmorland and Lonsdale. The best way to help Ecuador is to visit Ecuador, pleads Quito mayor Mauricio Rodas in the aftermath of an earthquake on the countrys eastern shore. International tourism always takes a hit when a natural disaster strikes, which is why the mayor of the countrys capital city took the podium this week asking the world, Please visit us. He confirmed that the city of Quito is safe to visit. The capital only suffered minor damage to some buildings on its south side but the historic Old Quito is untouched. The city is operating normally, with all hotels, restaurants open and flights to Quito Airport operating normally. Rodas also called for Ecuadorians to welcome international visitors with friendship, saying Now, more than ever, we need to open our doors, lay out a welcome mat, and enthusiastically promote all Ecuador has to offer. As the gateway to Ecuador, we welcome you with open arms. The best way to help Ecuador is to visit Ecuador. Img: Quito by doridelsarto / Flickr cc. A YOUNG man has received a lengthy prison sentence for his role in a violent robbery in the city centre last year. Christopher Higgins, aged 20, who has an address at Parnell Place in the city centre pleaded guilty to robbing a wifi dongle and around 80 in cash from a man at Pery Square in the early hours of March 17, 2016. During a sentencing hearing, Limerick Circuit Court was told that shortly before 1am Higgins and another man sat into a car which was parked near Limerick City Gallery of Art. A knife was held against the throat of the owner who was then ordered to hand over whatever money and valuables he had. It was accepted that Higgins did not use the knife but Detective Garda John Keane said he did threaten him before taking a substantial quantity of coinage from the car as well as the dongle. In a victim impact statement, the injured party said he was outgoing and trusting prior to the incident but that his confidence in people has been shattered as a result his his ordeal. He revealed he still suffers from nightmares and was only recently able to put the incident behind him after Higgins co-accused also pleaded guilty. Imposing sentence yesterday, Judge Tom ODonnell noted that Higgins is a contrite young man who has a good work history and that he has had a difficult upbringing. He noted the previous evidence of Moyross Parish Priest, Fr Tony ORiordan, who indicated his support for the defendant and his willingness to assist in whatever way he can. The judge said there was an element of pre-meditation to the offence and he added it was an aggravating factor that Higgins had changed his clothes a short time after the incident. He commented that while the victim was not physically injured, it was an extremely frightening experience for him. He said the appropriate sentence was one of six years imprisonment but given the circumstances he was willing to suspend the final two years for six years. The sentence was backdated to May 21, 2015. Higgins co-accused is due to be sentenced for his role in the incident next week. Apr 29, 2021, 3 AM Editor's note: The following is a sponsored article brought to you by Vidiforms. As the official publication of World Stamp Show-NY 2016, Linns Stamp News is putting together a series of posts profiling some of the stamp dealers who will be on hand at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Centerlocated on 11th Avenue between 34th and 40th streets in Manhattanfrom May 28 to June 4. Lets learn a little bit about Vidiforms Company, a stamp-collecting supplies seller that was founded more than 55 years ago. Company: Vidiforms Company World Stamp Show Booth: 764 Address: 115 N. Route 9W; Congers, NY 10920-1722 Phone Number: 877-507-5758 Email Address: showgard@optimum.net Website: www.showgard.com Owner: James Michalek Company History: Most business success stories begin with a tale of invention and innovation and Vidiforms Company of Congers, NY, is no exception. Now located in the rolling hills of Rockland County on the west bank of the Hudson River 25 miles north of New York City, Vidiforms was founded in 1958 in Brooklyn by Dr. Robert Weisberg, an optometrist by profession who enjoyed stamp collecting. He had purchased a Schaubek album for a collection of German stamps he had started with his daughter and had discovered a sample of a mount. Having tried many of the different mounts on the market and being unsatisfied with the results, he tried the sample of the twin seam, split back clear mount and was immediately won over. He set out to buy some but was unable to find them anywhere. He finally wrote directly to Schaubek who referred him to Hans Widmaier of Hawid mounts, their supplier. Hawid was producing this mount only for Schaubek for use in their hinge-less album. Widmaier supplied the requested mounts and Dr. Weisberg was so pleased with the results that he decided to promote and sell them to collectors. The initial reaction from collectors was favorable. The mounts were a higher quality and safer product than others on the market in the U.S. One collector wrote and suggested it be supplied with a black background. Dr. Weisberg liked the idea but Widmaier needed a sizable order commitment to proceed. In exchange for a large order, Dr. Weisberg requested and received an exclusive agency for sales to the United States and English-speaking countries. The first shipment of Showgard mounts with a black background arrived in America in January 1960. Collector reception was favorable, so favorable that production was barely able to keep up with demand. Since then, Showgard mounts have been the most popular, most widely used, and most respected stamp mounts in the U.S. market. The Showgard product line has expanded to include first-day cover albums, stamp tongs, and other philatelic accessories. The close association with Hawid continues to this day. Vidiforms also distributes Hawid mounts in the U.S. These Days: A new generation now runs the enterprise. James Michalek, Dr. Weisbergs son-in-law, bought Vidiforms in 1986. In 1994, Vidiforms Company purchased the product lines of La Mor Corporation with stamp and coin products under the Supersafe banner and the U.S. distributorship for Hagner Pages. Showgard mounts are still the companys best selling products and the line is constantly updated to keep up with the latest stamp issues. The Supersafe line has expanded offerings of stamp, coin, and currency collecting supplies and accessories. With the wider range of products the company offers, the name Vidiforms has become synonymous with archival quality protection for paper collectibles. Are you a World Stamp Show-NY 2016 dealer who would like to be featured? Email associate publisher Stephanie Campana. Apr 30, 2021, 12 AM David Pitts in front of part of the display of Bermuda postal history he showed at a recent meeting of the Royal Philatelic Society London. The following is a press release from the Royal Philatelic Society London: The display and presentation given to The Royal Philatelic Society London on April 28 focused on the postal history of Bermuda, from the forerunners up to the time Bermuda entered the UPU in April, 1877. Giving the presentation was David Pitts, who acknowledged the help he had received from Arthur Groten with the research and acquisition of material. Heading the display was the earliest known cover from Bermuda in private hands, sent to England in 1617 (the earliest known cover, sent in 1615, is held by the National Trust of Bermuda). Connect with Linns Stamp News: Sign up for our newsletter Like us on Facebook Follow us on Twitter To close David showed an equally impressive cover, the so-called Moncrieff cover, sent from Bermuda on 26 May 1875 addressed to H. Moncrieff in London. It is the only recorded cover with all three of the 1875 One Penny provisionals, namely four of the One Penny on 4d, and singles of the One Penny on 2d and One Penny on One Shilling. Congratulating David on the beautiful material shown, Chris Harman commented that Bermudas strategic position made it a centre for business. Those wishing to visit The Royal Philatelic Society London at 41 Devonshire Place, London W1G 6JY, or be a guest at one of its meetings, are asked to contact the Administrative Office (020-7486-1044). Related Articles: Apr 29, 2021, 10 PM The philatelic library built by the earl of Crawford will be made available online beginning May 30 on the Global Philatelic Library. The library, which covers the period between 1861 and 1913, has been conserved by the British Library in London. The major philatelic library built up by the 26th Earl of Crawford will be made available online at the Global Philatelic Library from May 30 (subject to some copyright constraints), according to a press release from the Royal Philatelic Society London. This digitization program will be launched Monday, May 30, during World Stamp Show 2016-NY at the Javits Center 655 W. 34th St., New York. A presentation by Frank Walton, president of the Royal Philatelic Society London, will be given at 2 p.m. in Room 1E07. All are welcome. The Crawford philatelic library comprises more than 1.3 million pages and represents approximately 95 percent of the worlds published philatelic knowledge at the time it was created. James Ludovic Lindsay, the 26th Earl of Crawford, was born July 28, 1847. In addition to collecting stamps and books, he was interested in astronomy and other sciences. Connect with Linns Stamp News: Sign up for our newsletter Like us on Facebook Follow us on Twitter When he died in 1913, the Earl of Crawford left his magnificent philatelic library to the British nation. It has been conserved ever since by the British Library in London, where it is available for researchers in the Reading Room. The British Library said that it is probably the most complete collection of philatelic literature covering the period 1861 to 1913, comprising approximately 4,500 volumes. Thanks to creative thinking and information technology development by staff at the British Library and volunteers from the Royal Philatelic Society London, a project to digitize every page of every volume is now well advanced. The work has been aided by funding from the British Library, the former British Philatelic Trust, the Philatelic Fund, and the Royal Philatelic Society London. More details of this project were given by David Beech, in a supplement published with the March edition of The London Philatelist, journal of the Royal Philatelic Society London. The text can be downloaded from the Global Philatelic Library website. The Global Philatelic Library is an initiative to provide a consolidated listing of philatelic publications, archives, museum items, etc. held by libraries. Began as a project by the Royal Philatelic Society London, the online library is now a collaboration between the Royal, the American Philatelic Research Library, and the Smithsonian. So far, 25 libraries have contributed their listings. We and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device. We and our partners use data for Personalised ads and content, ad and content measurement, audience insights and product development. An example of data being processed may be a unique identifier stored in a cookie. Some of our partners may process your data as a part of their legitimate business interest without asking for consent. To view the purposes they believe they have legitimate interest for, or to object to this data processing use the vendor list link below. The consent submitted will only be used for data processing originating from this website. If you would like to change your settings or withdraw consent at any time, the link to do so is in our privacy policy accessible from our home page. This artist's illustration depicts an imagined view from the surface of one of the three newfound TRAPPIST-1 alien planets. The planets have sizes and temperatures similar to those of Venus and Earth, making them the best targets yet for life beyond our solar system, scientists say. Three potentially habitable Earth-size planets have been discovered orbiting a dim, cold nearby star that is barely larger than Jupiter, researchers say. "These kinds of tiny, cold stars may be the places we should first look for life elsewhere in the universe, because they may be the only places where we can detect life on distant Earth-sized planets with our current technology," study lead author Michael Gillon, an astronomer at the University of Liege in Belgium, told Space.com. Astronomers focused on a star originally named 2MASS J23062928-0502285 that was discovered using TRAPPIST (TRAnsiting Planets and PlanetesImals Small Telescope), a telescope in Chile. This dim cold red star, now known as TRAPPIST-1, is located in the constellation of Aquarius about 39 light-years from Earth. In comparison, Alpha Centauri, the nearest star system, is about 4.3 light-years from Earth. [Watch: See how the 3 TRAPPIST-1 Planets Might Support Life] TRAPPIST-1 is 2,000 times less bright than the sun, a bit less than half as warm as the sun, about one-twelfth the sun's mass, and less than one-eighth the sun's width, making it only slightly larger in diameter than Jupiter. TRAPPIST-1 is a type of star known as an ultracool dwarf that is very common in the Milky Way, making up about 15 percent of the stars near the sun. Scientists spotted the three planets by observing TRAPPIST-1 dimming at regular intervals as the worlds crossed in front of it. This is the first time that distant planets, called exoplanets, have been found around an ultracool dwarf, the researchers said. Scientists have found three alien planets orbiting an ultra-cool dwarf star about 40 light-years from Earth and they might have the potential to support life. This artist's illustration depicts a view of the three TRAPPIST-1 system planets, with one of the worlds crossing the face of its sun (Image credit: ESO) "So far, the existence of such 'red worlds' orbiting ultracool dwarf stars was purely theoretical, but now we have not just one lonely planet around such a faint red star, but a complete system of three planets," study co-author Emmanuel Jehin, an astronomer at the University of Liege, said in a statement. These three planets are each only about 10 percent larger in diameter than Earth. "The kind of planets we've found are very exciting from the perspective of searching for life in the universe beyond Earth," study co-author Adam Burgasser at the University of California, San Diego, said in a statement. The two innermost planets are about 60 to 90 times closer to their star than the Earth to the sun, with orbits only 1.5 and 2.4 days long, respectively. The orbit of the third planet is currently less certain, ranging between 4.5 and 73 days long. The small size of the star and its planets' orbits means "the structure of this planetary system is much more similar in scale to the system of Jupiter's moons than to that of the solar system," Gillon said in the statement. Although all three planets orbit very near their star, the inner two planets receive only four times and two times, respectively, the amount of radiation that Earth receives, since their star is much fainter than the sun. The third outer planet probably receives less radiation than Earth does, the researchers said. Given how close TRAPPIST-1's trio of planets are to its star, the researchers suggest TRAPPIST-1's gravitational pull likely forced these worlds to become "tidally locked" to it. When a planet is tidally locked to its star, it will always show the same side to its star, just as the moon always shows the same face to Earth. This causes those worlds to each have one permanent dayside and one permanent nightside. The third of TRAPPIST-1's planets, the one farthest from the star, may lie within the star's habitable zone the area around a star where planets have surfaces warm enough to have liquid water, a key ingredient to life as it is known on Earth. The two planets closest to TRAPPIST-1 may have daysides that are too hot and nightsides that are too cold to host any kind of life as it is known on Earth, but the researchers suggest that the borders of the planets' day- and nightsides may be sweet spots temperate enough for life. For the most part, exoplanet-hunting missions have focused on finding systems around sun-like stars emitting visible light, but these stars can be so bright, they can drown out key features of their planets, the researchers said. In contrast, cold dwarf stars emit mostly infrared light, and are so faint they would not overwhelm details of their planets. TRAPPIST was designed to look for planets around 60 nearby ultracool dwarfs. [7 Ways to Discover Alien Planets] "The detection of these planets [around TRAPPIST-1] should intensify the search for more systems around ultracool dwarfs," Gillon said. "Exciting scientific adventures are now beginning." Since the planets around TRAPPIST-1 are relatively nearby, scientists can in principle analyze the compositions of their atmospheres, "and further down the road, which is within our generation, assess if they are actually inhabited," study co-author Julien de Wit, a planetary scientist at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, said in a statement. "All of these things are achievable, and within reach now. This is a jackpot for the field." The masses of these worlds remain unknown, but future research can pinpoint how much each of these planets gravitationally pulls at its siblings when they get close to each other, Gillon said. The strength of each planet's gravitational pull will help scientists deduce its mass, which in turn will help them estimate the planets' densities and, thus, compositions, he added. "We can tell if the planets are probably rocky, or rich in ice like the moons of Jupiter, or rich in metal like Mercury," Gillon said. The researchers noted that the Hubble Space Telescope and the forthcoming James Webb Space Telescope could help analyze the atmospheres of those planets for molecules linked with life, such as water, carbon dioxide and ozone. "Now we have to investigate if they're habitable," de Wit said in the statement. The scientists detailed their findings online today (May 2) in the journal Nature. Follow Charles Q. Choi on Twitter @cqchoi. Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebook and Google+. Original article on Space.com. Spring is in the air for this pair of red foxes. The subject of numerous fables and folklore, red foxes are synonymous with sly and cunning behavior. But just how cunning are these canids when it comes to chasing tail? Red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) are found throughout the Northern Hemisphere and Australia. Despite this huge range, the mating behaviors of different red fox populations may be the same, according to Graziella Iossa, a zoologist at the University of Lincoln in the United Kingdom. However, the social system of these carnivores varies depending on the environment. That is, red foxes often live in mating pairs that share a territory but forage alone. If key resources such as food, shelter and den sites are just right, they may live in small social groups with a dominant mating pair the group shares a territory and hunts alone, but the subordinate members help the mating pair raise their cubs. [See Photos of the World's Cutest Baby Animals] Mating among red foxes typically takes place in the spring, and adults locate one another through different communicative cues. "Foxes find mates via vocalizations, and also utilize scent marking to communicate," Iossa told Live Science. "Although, we are unsure of any role of scent marking with regards to mate searching." If two male red foxes, called dog foxes, incidentally meet up while searching for mates, fights can be violent and dangerous. But red foxes are territorial animals, so encounters between dog foxes aren't likely to happen very often. "Territories are there to signal to other foxes, 'Move out, that's my space!'" Iossa said. It's unclear how, exactly, red foxes choose their mates or what's involved in sexual selection. The animals don't engage in any courtship dances or displays, Iossa said. Research suggests that large dominant dog foxes copulate more than smaller males, but scientists don't know whether females, called vixens, have a choice in their mates, she added. Like other canids, copulation occurs when the dog fox mounts the vixen from behind. The penis only becomes erect after the dog fox penetrates the vixen; an erectile tissue called the bulbus glandis expands while the vixen's vagina contracts, locking the penis in place. [The 7 Weirdest Animal Penises] The dog fox will then lift a leg and swing it over the vixen's back so that the pair's hind ends are touching. This copulatory lock, or copulatory tie, can last for quite a while, sometimes up to half an hour or more, and ends when the dog fox ejaculates and his erectile tissue no longer swells. During copulation, and throughout the two-week mating season in general, vixens may give off human-like high-pitched vocalizations called "screams." Dominant mating pairs tend to stay together for life, and the dog fox guards his partner throughout the mating season to try to prevent any other males from mating with her. But this doesn't mean the "monogamous" animals have any code of fidelity. In fact, dog foxes are known to frequently seek out other nearby sexual partners, who are generally already paired, Iossa said. But research suggests that large males are more likely to seek out extra partners, possibly because this unfaithfulness is energetically costly. Follow Joseph Castroon Twitter. Follow us @livescience, Facebook& Google+. After being confined in shoes and socks or sometimes heavy boots for months, your feet probably welcome warmer weather. Come summer, people like to kick off their shoes and feel the soft grass or warm sand beneath their feet. And although many of us go barefoot in short stints while at the beach or the pool, for example some make it a more regular occurrence. Take Daniel Howell, for instance. Howell, a biology professor at Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia, likes to walk, hike or run in his bare feet as much as possible, and has been doing this for about 10 years. An advocate for barefoot living, Howell grew up on a farm and often went barefoot all summer long. After taking his first professional job, he found he couldn't stand wearing socks and shoes because his feet got too hot. In his opinion, the risks of wearing shoes all the time are greater than the risks of going barefoot. He is not "anti-shoe," he just believes that going barefoot is "a more natural state of being" and "better for the body," he told Live Science. "The shoe is useful for a particular set of circumstances," Howell said. For example, he puts on shoes when they are required, and wears them in extremely cold temperatures, or in areas where there are known hazards, such as sharp rocks or broken glass. But Howell, who has written a book and maintains a website about going barefoot, said he has traveled to a number of places, such as London, New York City and Seattle, without taking his shoes along. [5 Wacky Things That Are Good for Your Health] During his decade-long experience of going barefoot, Howell said he's never had a serious injury. In fact, he argues that the vast majority of foot problems can be traced to wearing shoes. (Image credit: Sukpaiboonwat/Shutterstock.com) When a person regularly goes barefoot, paying attention to where and how you walk becomes second nature, Howell told Live Science. Stubbed toes, blisters and burns from hot, black pavement are some common injuries at first, but in a few weeks, tender feet toughen up and adapt, and you learn to be more careful, he said. However, other experts disagree. Although some people like the freedom or feel of being barefoot, there are not too many upsides to going without shoes in public because there are a lot of hazards out there, said Dr. Andrew Shapiro, a podiatrist in private practice in Valley Stream, New York, and spokesman for the American Podiatric Medical Association. Going barefoot not only potentially exposes feet to rusty nails, glass, thorns and bacteria, but it also causes the foot to lose some stability, support and grip, making it easier to slip, Shapiro said. A proper shoe with good support provides shock absorption for the rest of the body and reduces stress on bones and ligaments, he said. And for people with an underlying disease such as diabetes or vascular disease, which can both cause poor circulation, going barefoot is even more of a hazard, Shapiro said. These individuals may be at greater risk of infection even if they get a small injury because healing in the foot is slowed, he said. And people who have diabetes may lack sensation in the foot, making them unable to feel something sharp if they step on it, he said. Shapiro also said he recommends that parents not let their kids go barefoot at the park because they may step on glass or accidentally kick playground equipment. He even advised people against going barefoot in their own yards because of not knowing what's hidden in the grass. Although it is easier to see what's on the sidewalk, it can still be so hot that it burns skin on the soles of the feet. Pool decks can have slightly rough surfaces that are designed to preventing slipping, but can be rough on the feet, he said. [7 Common Summer Health Concerns] Padding around a locker room or public shower in bare feet could lead someone to contract athlete's foot, a fungus that is easily transmitted in moist environments, Shapiro told Live Science. Going barefoot on a sandy beach may be generally safe, he said, because sand can be somewhat forgiving on feet. But still, wearing some protection like a water shoe is a good idea when the sand is cluttered with shells or strewn with glass bottles, he suggested. Thick skin (Image credit: iravgustin/Shutterstock.com) The skin on the feet is thicker than almost anywhere else on the body, said Dr. Lauren Ploch, a dermatologist in Augusta, Georgia. So, in theory, the skin on the feet should be a great protective barrier, she said. But without shoes, anything and everything could get into skin on the feet, especially skin that is dry or cracked, Ploch said. In addition, the feet are difficult to treat for infections, and injuries to the feet and legs can take longer to heal than injuries on other parts of the body, she said. Ploch recommends that people don't go barefoot outside. "It's too risky and there's too much out there that people can step on," she said. Ploch thinks that it's safe for kids and adults to go barefoot in their own homes if the flooring is suitable and no one in the household has athlete's foot. People with athlete's foot should wear flip-flops indoors, she said. There are other infections that feet can pick up, too. For example, the same fungus that causes athlete's foot is also responsible for toenail fungus, Ploch said. Toenails that are dry, cracked and brittle can give the fungus an easy entry into the nailbed, and once there, it's hard to get rid of, Ploch said. Plantar warts are caused by a very hardy virus that people can catch from going barefoot in public areas, Ploch told Live Science. These warts can grow inward and become painful, and can hide from the immune system's usual defenses, making them difficult to treat, she said. [Tiny & Nasty: Images of Things That Make Us Sick] Pseudomonas bacteria can also be contracted by people going barefoot, and this infection is common in people exposed to a lot of water, such as soldiers on patrol in wet areas, Ploch said. Hookworm is a parasitic infection that can be picked up when people go barefoot in developing countries and walk on soil contaminated with feces from animals or people, although Ploch noted she has never treated any cases of it in the United States. Howell, the barefoot enthusiast, said he is not too worried about picking up some of these infections. He figures that spending less time in close-toed shoes and socks, conditions where his feet would be in a hot, moist and dark environment conducive to fungal growth, and enjoying more time with his dry feet exposed to the sun and air is better for him. "Going barefoot feels good," Howell said. Follow Live Science @livescience, Facebook & Google+. Originally published on Live Science. The Australian government recently announced an unusual initiative to eradicate a long-standing animal pest problem. To rid their streams and rivers of invasive European carp crowding out native freshwater species, officials plan to begin introducing a strain of the herpes virus Cyprinid herpesvirus 3 (CyHV-3), or "carp herpes" into fish populations. In a statement released May 1, Australian Department of Agriculture and Water Resources (DAWR) officials described their National Carp Control Plan, which will be developed over the next two and a half years at a cost of approximately AU$15 million (about US$11.2 million) and potentially deployed by 2018. [Alien Invaders: Photos of Destructive Invasive Species] Research by the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) has already determined that the virus kills European carp quickly, and that it does not develop in native fish, in other introduced fish species or in other animals including humans. Also known as Koi herpes virus (KHV), this viral infection has only ever been observed as naturally occurring in carp, according to a diagnostic manual published online by the European Union Reference Laboratory for Fish Diseases (EURLFD). The virus progresses quickly, with the rate of mortality in carp increasing during an outbreak, the EURLFD explained. Inflammation of the organs and gills, and secondary bacterial infection are the primary causes of death in infected fish. European carp (Cyprinus carpio) are also called common carp or koi. They originated in central Asia but have been introduced in other countries so successfully that they are currently the most widely distributed freshwater fish species on Earth. Carp have been known to reach lengths of 3.9 feet (1.2 meters) and can weigh up to 132 lbs. (60 kilograms). However, on average, they're much smaller and lighter 1 to 3 feet (0.3 to 0.9 m) and 9 to 11 lbs. (4 to 5 kg). Carp were first brought to Australia over a century ago, and were designated as a notable aquatic pest species in the 1960s, the DAWR said in a statement. Under the right conditions, carp can breed very rapidly, and their ability to tolerate a range of freshwater conditions including rivers that are briny or low in oxygen allowed them to increase dramatically in Australian waters, outcompeting native fish and gaining a presence in every Australian state except the Northern Territory. In fact, the DAWR estimated that in one freshwater region the Murray-Darling Basin carp make up approximately 80 to 90 percent of the resident fish. But carp herpes could provide an effective means to target the invasive species, according to the DAWR. "Under optimal conditions, carp herpes virus will kill up to 95 percent of individual carp," DAWR officials said in a statement. The Australian government considered using carp herpes to combat the invasive fish over a decade ago; years of testing went into determining whether this could be done safely. But before launching the initiative, much more research will be required to test how the virus would be managed, the level of risk involved to amphibians and other animal species, and other possible ecological impacts. To that end, government officials will collaborate with representatives from environmental groups and the local industry, as well as residential communities that might be affected, DAWR officials said. Follow Mindy Weisberger on Twitter and Google+. Follow us @livescience, Facebook & Google+. Original article on Live Science. In a highly unusual move, NAMA has responded to remarks made by councillors at a recent meeting of Longford County Council. The National Assets Management Agency issued a terse response this week to comments made by Cllr Mae Sexton and Cllr Micheal Carrigy at the meeting. At that meeting, Cllr Sexton claimed agreements were being reached with certain high profile debtors to the detriment of others. The Independent councillor said she decided to raise the issue after learning how one local constituent had unsuccessfully tried to purchase a premises in Longford. What is happening is that some people are going into NAMA and are getting a third party to purchase back their property at a phenomenally low rate, she said. Responding, NAMA roundly dismissed Cllr Sexton's remarks and said the non-party local politician was mistaken. In a statement to the Longford Leader, NAMA said it was not in the business of conducting shady or underhand deals. All NAMA assets are openly marketed and sold to the highest bidder to ensure that the highest achievable price is obtained for the taxpayer, read the statement. The agency said Section 172 of the NAMA Act precluded debtors or parties associated with them from buying back properties. The agency also said that it was precluded from disclosing information about borrowers. For more on this story, see this week's Longford Leader. Family & Parenting, School & Education, Local News, Community, Charity & Cause, Health & Wellness, Press Releases By Long Island News & PR Published: May 04 2016 In conjunction with The Green Vale Schools Annual Blood Drive, the New York Blood Center visited the schools fifth grade to discuss the importance of donating blood. Old Brookville, NY - April 25, 2016 - In conjunction with The Green Vale Schools Annual Blood Drive, the New York Blood Center visited the schools fifth grade to discuss the importance of donating blood. The Blood Centers Little Doctors program sends a representative to the school to give students information on how blood drives work and who is eligible to donate. This opportunity also affords the students to make an academic connection back to their science coursework. "Little Doctors" program in conjunction with the NY Blood Center at the Green Vale School. The kids really enjoyed the speaker, Science Teacher Aisha Daley said. This was a great introduction as we move towards talking about the circulatory system in science. The presentation reinforced the fifth grade science curriculum on the circulatory system as well as helping the students to understand the life-saving importance of donating blood, Technology Teacher Julie Rooney said. Mrs. Rooney and Aimee Adamo, a nurse and Green Vale parent, organized this years blood drive on campus, which collected 46 pints of blood. The Green Vale School, located in Old Brookville, Long Island, is an independent school specializing in Early Childhood through Middle School situated on a 40-acre campus on the doorstep of New York City. Green Vale has been providing students with an uncommon core of academic excellence and character development since 1923 inspiring students to excel, to lead and to care. Nature & Weather, Local News, Press Releases By Long Island News & PR Published: May 04 2016 As part of I Love My Park Day on Saturday, May 7, approximately one hundred volunteers will begin tree restoration efforts at Connetquot River State Park Preserve on Long Island, New York State Department of ... Volunteers for I Love My Park Day will plant 600 native trees to reforest Connetquot River State Park in the wake of trees lost to the southern pine beetle. Oakdale, NY - May 3, 2016 - As part of I Love My Park Day on Saturday, May 7, approximately one hundred volunteers will begin tree restoration efforts at Connetquot River State Park Preserve on Long Island, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) announced today. Under this restoration effort, volunteers will plant 600 native trees to reforest the park in the wake of those trees lost to the southern pine beetle with DEC Forest Health, Trees for Tribs, and State Parks staff. Southern pine beetle is a bark beetle that infests and kills pine trees. "Since southern pine beetle arrived on Long Island in 2014, DEC, along with help from the Excelsior Conservation Corps, has removed more than 8,000 trees to suppress the beetle population," said Acting Commissioner Basil Seggos. "This tree suppression effort has left sections of Long Island needing tree restoration. As tree canopies open, and sunlight hits the ground, seeds from the parent trees will begin sprouting new trees for future generations." To accelerate this regrowth, two year-old seedling pitch pine and white pine trees will be planted. The new trees are provided by DEC's Saratoga Tree Nursery, which has been reforesting New York since 1911. Planting these seedlings will ensure trees will close the canopy in future years, should natural regeneration be delayed due to drought or other weather conditions. These trees are an insurance that trees will replace those lost by this forest pest. Restoration efforts to reforest this area are important as Connetquot River State Park Preserve is home to some of New York's most treasured species, including trout. Trout rely on trees to shade and cool waters as well as to drop leaves, which feed the aquatic insects that the fish eat. By restoring trees to the Park, DEC is working to ensure the future of this fish and the important habitat it needs to survive. Connetquot is also pine barren habitat, which is rare in New York State. Replanting pine barren species such as white pine and pitch pine ensure that these open areas are filled with native species. Native trees also provide water quality benefits, reducing runoff of harmful pollutants into nearby streams. Native trees will also provide important wildlife habitat for birds and mammals, which rely on these species for nesting habitat and food. Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation Commissioner Rose Harvey said, "Our partners at DEC and the ECC have done a fantastic job in halting the spread of the Southern Pine Beetle, and now I encourage park visitors to join us Saturday in this important work to reverse the damage at Connetquot River State Park." Additional volunteers are still needed to help restore this important place for the future. DEC encourages those available to help restore Connetquot River State Park Preserve to volunteer in this important effort. Those interested should arrive at 9 a.m. at Connetquote River State Park Preserve on May 7. To register for I Love My Park Day, please click here. The New York State ECC is a New York State AmeriCorps program run by the Student Conservation Association, created under the vision of Governor Cuomo to address the environmental and stewardship needs of New York State while inspiring the next generation of conservation leaders through environmental education programing. ECC members help State parks organize and implement I Love My Park Day projects. Local News, Press Releases By Long Island News & PR Published: May 04 2016 Senator Todd Kaminsky released a statement after being sworn in as New Yorks newest State Senator. Albany, NY - May 3, 2016 - Senator Todd Kaminsky released the following statement after being sworn in as New Yorks newest State Senator. I am honored by the confidence my community has placed in me, and I will work day and night to restore honor and trust to our State Government. Today, I pledge to continue my fight in the State Senate to ban outside income, close the LLC loophole, reform our campaign finance system, and end pay-to-play politics. My priorities are my constituents priorities: cleaning up Albany, helping the South Shore recover from superstorm Sandy, increasing school aid for Long Island districts, fixing Common Core, and holding the line on taxes. Working together, we can achieve tremendous results for South Shore taxpayers and I look forward to getting to work right away. Looking to stay up to date about all of the news stories and local headlines that are important to Long Islanders? We've rounded up the top coverage for all of the important topics from multiple sources around Long Island, so you can be sure you've got the most recent update on the top stories for Long Island. Have an idea for a news story? Email us at news@longisland.com Columnists Press Releases Pure Radio Kaos looks at new releases from the Fatherland, Motherland and just about Anyland. Bobby Marquis has a website on Facebook called Frank Zappa on Pure Radio Kaos - Canada , where fans can join in and enjoy the music and legacy of Frank Zappa. Interviews with FZ Alumni , plus rare musical finds from the Zappa Archives. PRK can also be heard online at www.ckcufm.com Click "LISTEN LIVE" for streaming. ON DEMAND is a new feature which allows the listener to go back and listen to a program that he or she , or it missed. Time Zones : Every Wednesday UK: 8:30 pm - 9:30 pm Europe: 9:30 pm - 10:30 pm Canada / USA EST 3:30 pm - 4:30 pm Canada / USA PST 12:30 pm - 1:30 pm Frank Zappa is featured during the months of November and December every year. Pure Radio Kaos explores various artists who performed with Zappa with interviews from musicians , fans , rare concerts and new releases from the archives! Podcast: Frank Zappa Alumni Interviews: Pauline Butcher [Listen Here] Arthur Barrow [Listen Here] Bob Harris [Listen Here] Patrice Zappa-Porter [Listen Here] Ike Willis [Listen Here] Tom Fowler [Listen Here] Robert Martin [Listen Here] Ed Mann [Listen Here] Don Preston [Listen Here] Nick Didkovsky (Doctor Nerve) [Listen Here] Man to be on veterans flight Lt. Al Crook and his men were making their way through a dense jungle in Vietnam when they were ambushed. Under heavy machine gun fire, Crook ordered his men to fall back. About eight moved with him to set up a line of defense. Within minutes, men were being killed by gunfire. Crook was hit in the leg and had a heavily bleeding wound. He put a compression bandage on it knowing one of two things would happen: Either the bleeding would stop after a while or if the femoral artery had been hit hed bleed to death in 10 to 15 minutes. More than 50 years after that ambush near the Michelin Rubber Plantation, Crook and his wife, Lois, sat in the kitchen of their Fremont home. He paged through a photograph album with snapshots of him as a young soldier. Nearby, caps with the label Veteran hung on a coat rack. Some of his medals could be seen in a shadow box. Like many Vietnam veterans, Crook didnt talk about the unpopular war for years. He never thought he could handle seeing the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall. But on June 6, he will be on the first Nebraska Vietnam Combat Veterans Flight by Patriotic Productions to see memorial monuments and Arlington National Cemetery in Washington D.C. He looks forward to seeing the wall and meeting other veterans, who served their country so many miles away from home. Crook, who grew up on a farm near Rising City, was about 10 years old when he decided to serve his country. I saw the Korean War veterans returning and I felt theyd helped civilians in other countries to stay free and thats what I wanted to do, he said. Crook was in the ROTC program and commissioned as a second lieutenant when he graduated from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. He and Lois had married in 1964. In September 1965, he was headed to Vietnam. At that time, troops were transported by ship. There were nine lieutenants in a 12- by 12-foot room on the ship. The men took bets on who would get seasick first. I lost, Crook said. Crook weighed about 145 pounds when he and other soldiers, each carrying about 90 pounds of gear, entered Vietnam via a naval landing craft and walked onto a beach. They boarded army trucks which convoyed to the rubber plantation, where they set up a permanent base camp. There were approximately 1,500 men. Each unit was responsible for a sector of the perimeter that surrounded the plantation. They put up concertina wire, dug trenches and foxholes and constructed bunkers. From there, they went on missions, many lasting five to 10 days. Crook was the third platoon leader of Bravo Company, 2nd Battalion, 2nd Infantry, 1st Infantry Division, U.S. Army. His platoon had 43 men at the start. That was before the ambush and major battle on Dec. 5, 1965. It happened in the early afternoon. Thats when about 350 men of three infantry companies would face approximately 1,200 enemy soldiers. Crooks platoon was the point unit (the leading platoon). The enemy opened fire with multiple heavy machine gun fire. It was evident that wed been ambushed, he said. Crook gave the fall back order and men around him moved back about 20 yards to a slight depression in the terrain. In those first moments of setting up our small perimeter, three to four of those men were killed by gunfire, he said. Crook had a radio telephone operator next to him so he could communicate with his company commander. In another 10 minutes, my RTO was shot, said Crook, who pulled open the mans shirt and saw massive bleeding. He died several minutes later in my arms. More death followed. In the next 30 minutes, all nine men of my three machine gun teams were killed by heavy machine gun fire, he said. During this time, the enemy was releasing trip wires, hooked to grenades, in the trees above us. We did luck out in one sense that only about half of (the grenades) exploded around us. The men were pinned down and as Crook crawled around the area, directing fire, he was shot in the thigh. The bullet went through the inner side of his leg. It actually rolled me head over heels, he said. Crook ripped open his pant leg and saw heavy bleeding. After putting on the compression bandage, he wrapped it with tie-down tape, knowing he might bleed to death. The platoon medic was hit in the next half hour. The man wasnt killed, but could no longer treat the wounded. In another hour or so, Crook was hit again this time with shrapnel in his right upper back and shoulder area. As the battle continued, enemy soldiers yelled at the top of their lungs. Their leaders gave commands with a series of whistles. Thick smoke filled the air. Concussions from the exploding grenades were almost unbearable. In the heat, the smell of decomposing flesh produced a stench unlike anything Crook had ever known. The slightest movement from American soldiers was met with accurate gunfire. Just as we were close to being overrun, I was asked to throw smoke to mark the area so the Air Force could strafe it with napalm, Crook recalled. Crook said hed throw a smoke grenade as best he could. Minutes after Crook threw the only red smoke grenade he had, the Air Force dropped the napalm. It was mighty hot, but we were glad they showed up, he said. It was a deciding factor in the battle. By nightfall, the enemy finally broke off their engagement after six hours of pure hell. Replacements arrived to gather the wounded, who were taken back to their base camp. Approximately 15 of Crooks men had been killed and another 15, including him, were wounded and evacuated. Crook, the last to be treated, went to a naval hospital in Saigon and recuperated for 10 days before being sent back to his unit. Other firefights followed, producing casualties so that only seven of the original 43 survived and four of those were wounded twice. Crook would spend 10 more months in Vietnam, chasing Charlie (the enemy), getting shot at, losing more men, before finally heading home in late September 66. He would be awarded four Bronze stars. I would gladly give all those back and everything I own to have those young men alive today, he said. War is hell. Too bad it is wasted on the young. The man known as Abu Ubaydah Al Lubnani (the Lebanese) is one of the most senior al Qaeda leaders to defect to the Islamic State since the two jihadist organizations split in early 2014. Lubnani was once a top security official for al Qaeda in Afghanistan and Pakistan. But after being demoted from his sensitive post, he joined Abu Bakr al Baghdadis organization. Lubnani quickly became a thorn in al Qaedas side, revealing details about his former employers inner workings. Earlier this year, Lubnanis story was featured in several editions of the Islamic States Al Naba newsletter. The contents of his testimony are so explosive that an al Qaeda operative known as Abu Karima al Khorasani was forced to respond. One issue, more than any other, loomed large in their debate: Al Qaedas relationship with Iran. In the 19th edition of Al Naba, an interviewer asked Lubnani how he managed to travel from the Khorasan (an area that encompasses Afghanistan and Pakistan) to the caliphates home in Syria after his falling out with al Qaedas leadership. The matter was relatively easy, Lubnani responded. Coordinators from al Qaeda oversaw the entry of members to Iran and the [t]ravelers remained there in guest houses for some time until the completion of their travel arrangements to Sham [Syria]. This was with the knowledge of the Rafidi [Shiite] government in Iran, even under the eye of its intelligence services, Lubnani stressed. Simply put, once a traveler entered one of the guest houses, intelligence services knew of his arrival through those in charge of these guest houses. The safe house operators would meet with the Iranian intelligence services weekly and the phones of the guest houses were tapped and under their [the Iranians] control. Lubnani told Al Naba that he emigrated this way and his stay in Iran was prolonged, until the al Qaeda coordinators confirmed that he was not going to travel to the lands of the Islamic State. (Although he did just that.) He claimed that he escaped from the fist of Iranian intelligence, which learned of his presence through the coordinators of al Qaedas guest houses. Al Qaedas response Abu Karima al Khorasani penned a blistering critique of Lubnani that was published online by a jihadist media outfit in late February. The piece was promoted with the banner seen on the right. Lubnani served as al Qaedas security official in South Asia for only several months before he was completely dismissed for deceiving al Qaeda commanders, according to Khorasani. An al Qaeda sharia court even ruled that Lubnani should be harshly punished for his alleged crimes. Al Qaedas defender took exception to Lubnanis accusation that al Qaeda works with Pakistani intelligence, arguing that al Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinents first attack targeted the Pakistani Navy. Khorasani did not deny that al Qaeda has safe houses in Iran. Instead, Khorasani threw the allegation back in Lubnanis face. If you live in a glass house, do not throw stones at people, Khorasani wrote. Khorasani then asked a series of rhetorical questions. Lubnani mentions the story about Iranian intelligence, and if this [is] true as he claims, then why did he go to the Islamic State via the same route of Iranian intelligence? The al Qaeda loyalist continued: Why was he able tofreely walk the streets of Tehran? Give us a fatwa, O religious scholars of the [Islamic State], on the judgment regarding your fellow who came to you via the help of the Iranian Intelligence, knowingly and willingly? Continuing to address the Islamic States scholars, Khorasani added: Then give us a fatwa regarding the judgment of [Lubnani], who met with Iranian intelligence at the same table before fleeing to you? Khorasanis questions are intended as a dig at the Islamic State. Given its unrelenting demonization of Shiites, it is embarrassing for one of the so-called caliphates own leaders to have benefitted from al Qaedas deal with the Iranians during his travels. According to Khorasani, there is something even more problematic in Lubnanis background. Khorasani claimed that Lubnani is a former member of a movement supported by Iran. Lubnani also allegedly concealed the identity of the group to which he [Lubnani] belonged before he entered al Qaeda. This same group, Khorasani insisted, does not hide its relationship with Iran! Khorasani does not name the organization Lubnani belonged to, but it is possible he was once a member of Hezbollah or an affiliated group. As a native of Lebanon, Lubnani could have belonged to an Iranian proxy in his home country before converting to Sunni Islam, joining al Qaeda and eventually defecting to the Islamic State. Khorasani also wrote that Lubnani had left the Islamic State since he was interviewed by Al Naba, implying that he had problems with Baghdadis men as well. US terror designations have targeted al Qaedas network inside Iran Lubnanis testimony regarding al Qaedas hub inside Iran has been corroborated by an independent source: the US government. Since July 2011, the US Treasury and State Departments have repeatedly targeted al Qaedas facilitation network inside Iran by sanctioning its key leaders. On July 28, 2011, Treasury designated six members of the network, including the jihadist who was overseeing it at the time: Yasin al Suri. Treasury described Suri as a prominent Iran-based al Qaeda facilitator, operating under an agreement between al Qaeda and the Iranian government. Treasury and State have exposed various aspects of the network on multiple occasions in the years that followed. [For more, see LWJs reports on al Qaedas network inside Iran.] The most curious aspect of the Iran-al Qaeda deal is that the two are at odds in Syria and elsewhere. Yet, according to the US government, al Qaedas leaders have used the Iranian pipeline to shuttle cash and fighters from various destinations through Turkey and into Syria. The jihadists then join Al Nusrah Front, which is al Qaedas official branch in Syria. Al Nusrah seeks to topple Bashar al Assads regime. Al Qaedas men also regularly fight Iranian forces and Irans proxies. This raises a key question: Why has Iran allowed al Qaeda to continue operating its network even as the two are at war in Syria? Lubnani provided an answer. Although it might seem odd coming from me to say that Iran permitted the passage of fighters to Sham, despite the fact that they are going to fight its army, its militias, and its allies there, this is the reality, for Irans biggest concern is that no operations happen on its soil, Lubnani told Al Naba. Lubnani said that Iran has secured the loyalty of al Qaeda by hosting the majority of al Qaedas leaders in its lands. Some of them, like Atiyah Abd al Rahman, have been allowed to travel freely. Rahman, who served as Osama bin Ladens chief of staff, was killed in a US drone strike in August 2011. The Treasury Department noted weeks before Rahmans death that he had previously served as al Qaedas emissary in Iran, a position which allowed him to travel in and out of Iran with the permission of Iranian officials. Lubnani also mentioned the presence of Saif al Adel and Abu Mohammed al Masri inside Iran. In 2015, both Adel and Masri were reportedly freed in exchange for an Iranian diplomat who had been kidnapped by al Qaeda operatives inside Yemen. These [al Qaeda] leaders have not acknowledged the Rafidah [Shiites] as infidels and they even eat their slaughtered meat, Lubnani told Al Naba. Moreover, some of them consider [the Iranians] friends or allies in the war against America, and Iran further expects to benefit from al Qaeda by putting pressure on America and its allies, the tyrants of the Gulf States. Lubnani pointed to the Abdullah Azzam Brigades (AAB), which he said Iran has supported. The AAB supposedly split from al Qaeda after executing an operation that targeted an oil tanker in the Arab Gulf a few years back. Lubnani was likely referring to the AABs July 2010 attack on a Japanese oil tanker, the M. Star, in the Strait of Hormuz. More than three years later, in November 2013, the AAB launched twin suicide attacks outside the Iranian embassy in Beirut, Lebanon. As The Long War Journal reported at the time, this may have been a form of blowback. Multiple reports indicated that the AAB had its own network inside Iran in the years beforehand. Al Qaedas two lines of operation in Syria There are additional interesting nuggets in Lubnanis testimony. He confirmed that al Qaedas senior leadership rejected the Islamic States manhaj, or methodology, for waging jihad. It is well known that al Qaedas leadership criticized Abu Musab al Zarqawi and his successors, who founded the Islamic State, for their indiscriminate attacks on Shiites. Lubnani noted that al Qaedas leaders were rejecting the manhaj of the mujahidin in Iraq even before the establishment of the State. He also said that al Qaedas senior leadership privately believed it was premature to declare an Islamic nation in Iraq, given that the whole country was in a state of war at the time. The Islamic State of Iraq was formally declared in 2006. Lubnanis version of events actually cuts against the Islamic States anti-al Qaeda arguments in important ways. Abu Bakr al Baghdadis men often claim that they represent the true legacy of Osama bin Laden and that al Qaeda, under Ayman al Zawahiris leadership, has supposedly deviated from its original manhaj. As Lubnani explained, however, the disagreements began during bin Ladens time, even though the Islamic State of Iraq remained a part of al Qaedas network. According to Lubnani, al Qaeda did not want to repeat the Islamic State of Iraqs experience in Syria, meaning they didnt want to declare an emirate in Syria or follow the same manhaj that was employed there. Lubnani said that al Qaeda followed two lines of operation to build up its own cadres in Syria and thwart the Islamic States plans early on in the war. The first was with Ahrar al Sham, through which Abu Khalid al Suri was working with them [al Qaeda], communicating with Zawahiri and informing him of the situation, Lubnani told Al Naba. Al Qaeda also named Abu Maryam al-Azdi to act as al Qaedas representative to Ahrar al Sham, but he was arrested, preventing them from carrying out this part of the plan. The leadership in South Asia counted on Abu Khalid al Suri to groom factions to work with al Qaeda. Suri was in touch with al Qaeda leadership in Khurasan and he was conveying to them the news of what was happening in Sham, Lubnani explained. Suri incited against the Islamic States fighters, demanding that al Qaedas leadership work on expelling them from Sham, so that they would return to Iraq. This is, in fact, the course Ayman al Zawahiri pursued. Zawahiri was hoping that the work of Abu Khalid al Suri in leading Ahrar al Sham would bring al Qaeda closer to the factions, Lubnani said. Zawahiri asked Suri in one of his letters to gather the factions and seek their promise to cooperate with al Qaeda. But Suri refused, claiming that the situation did not permit it or that the time was not suitable. Nevertheless, Suri was still doing al Qaedas bidding. While Suri was working within Ahrar al Sham, al Qaeda was simultaneously pursuing another lane, infiltrating the Islamic States effective group in Sham, meaning Al Nusrah Front. Abdullah al Adam, the organizations intelligence chief (who was killed in April 2013), also began sending cadres from al Qaeda in Khorasan to Sham, preparing for the movement of first tier al Qaeda leaders to Sham. Zawahiris plan, according to Lubnani, was to take control of Al Nusrah, which began as the Islamic States Syrian wing, and then merge it into Ahrar al Shams model. Lubnani likely means that Zawahiri wanted to create a single jihadist entity focused on the Syrian war. This did not take place because of the killing of Abu Khalid al Suri, who was the leader of the project of bringing both al Qaeda and Ahrar al Sham together, Lubnani said. Indeed, Suri was killed by the Islamic State in February 2014, just weeks after al Qaedas general command disowned Baghdadis organization. The Long War Journal first reported that Suri was embedded in Ahrar al Sham in Dec. 2013. The deaths of other senior al Qaeda leaders also helped prevent Zawahiris scheme from becoming successful, Lubnani told Al Naba. Some al Qaeda members in Syria joined Jund al Aqsa, an al Qaeda front group, because of personality conflicts. While parts of Lubnanis story are influenced by the Islamic States spin, much of it rings true and can be verified by other sources. It remains to be seen if Lubnani surfaces again in the Islamic States media, or if he has already left the caliphate, as Khorasani alleged. Note: The Long War Journal translated Lubnanis interview in Al Naba magazine earlier this year. Subsequently, the Islamic State released its own English-language version of part of the interview. The Long War Journal also translated Abu Karima al Khorasanis response, which was disseminated on the @hedayh_femto Twitter feed prior to it being taken down. Are you a dedicated reader of FDD's Long War Journal? Has our research benefitted you or your team over the years? Support our independent reporting and analysis today by considering a one-time or monthly donation. Thanks for reading! You can make a tax-deductible donation here. Luton is a large town, borough and unitary authority area of Bedfordshire. Luton and its near neighbours, Dunstable and Houghton Regis, form the Luton/Dunstable Urban Area with a population of about 258,000. Luton is home to Championship team Luton Town Football Club, London Luton Airport and The University of Bedfordshire. You can find us on Facebook and Twitter. For all the latest news from Luton sign up to our newsletter here. Bureau Veritas has acquired international consultancy TMC Marine Ltd. TMC has provided pre- and post-casualty advice and support to the marine industry since 1979. The business focuses on marine claims and accident investigations, salvage and wreck removal consultancy and marine expert witness services for a client base that spans P&I clubs, law firms, marine insurers, salvage companies and ship owners. Headquartered in London, TMC has a network of offices in the U.S., China, Singapore and Australia. It employs more than 50 people and generated revenues of 8.5 million in 2015. Didier Michaud-Daniel, CEO of Bureau Veritas, said, Our Marine & Offshore business, the historical activity of Bureau Veritas, is one of our eight key growth initiatives to 2020. As such, it is evolving rapidly. We are diversifying our service portfolio and developing our technological leadership in order to meet all our clients expectations in risk management. TMC is a recognized brand that enables the Group to enhance its offering to the marine insurance consultancy market, thereby expanding the services that we already provide in offshore to the maritime market. We are very happy to be joining the expanding Marine & Offshore division of Bureau Veritas, a leading service provider to the international marine industry, said Tony Bowman, Chairman of TMC. This is a strategic alliance that will provide TMC with technical synergies and greatly enhance the services we can offer to new and existing clients while at the same time continuing our plan of further geographic expansion. Fragmented sector chasing alliances to cut costs; Maersk has plenty of cash for deals - CEO. A.P. Moller-Maersk returned to profit at its main container shipping business in the first quarter, putting the cash rich company in a strong position as the struggling industry consolidates. The group's shares were up by 5.6 percent at 1127 GMT on Wednesday after Maersk Line confounded expectations of a loss at the container shipping business as the sector grapples with a downturn brought on by overcapacity. Rates for shipping containers transporting anything from flat-screen TVs to sportswear have been at a loss-making level for more than a year, denting profits and opening the highly fragmented sector to consolidation in an effort to cut costs and build scale. With more than 600 vessels, Maersk Line is the global market leader with a market share around 15 percent and has previously played down its ambitions, but the Copenhagen-based company acknowledged on Wednesday that recent acquisitions and vessel-sharing alliances bring new opportunities. "We still have a very strong balance sheet and have plenty of liquidity reserves for unexpected and expected investments," CEO Nils Smedegaard Andersen said. The group's cash reserves stand at about $12 billion. Recent high-profile mergers and acquisitions in the industry include the creation of China COSCO Shipping through a state-led merger and French shipping group CMA CGM SA's deal to acquire Singapore's Neptune Orient Lines (NOL). Container lines have also been restructuring debt and forming vessel-sharing alliances to counter the downturn. "Consolidation ... is positive when viable, stable alliances are formed, because it enables everyone to concentrate on the customer and not fight exclusively on rates," Andersen said, adding that smaller players would be vulnerable. "The small and mid-sized companies will need to consider their strategies very radically, in my opinion, if they're not in an alliance that has a future." COSTS DOWN In the first quarter Maersk reduced costs for moving a 40 ft container to $2,060, down 16 percent from a year earlier and about a third lower than four years ago. Group net profit dropped 86 percent to $224 million in the quarter, beating analysts' average forecast of $55.6 million, with the company's oil division also faring better than expected in weak energy markets. Low freight rates and weak oil prices brought revenue down by 19 percent, though this was partly offset by a 7 percent rise in container volumes and a 15 percent increase in oil production, Maersk said. "Results were better than feared," ship brokerage firm Fearnleys wrote in a note. Maersk Line made a profit of $37 million in the first three months of 2016, compared with an average forecast for a loss of $121 million in a Reuters poll of analysts. That was still down from a $714 million profit in the same quarter last year, however. Maersk reiterated its forecast for the container business to achieve full-year underlying profit significantly below last year's due to lower rates, but it forecast global demand for seaborne container transportation to rise between 1 percent and 3 percent from growth of less than 1 percent last year. The oil division made a loss of $29 million, against a consensus analyts' forecast for a $59.5 million loss. Maersk said its breakeven price for oil production had been lowered to $40-$45 a barrel from a previous range of $45-$55. Benchmark Brent crude was steady at around $45 on Wednesday morning. By Ole Mikkelsen The Baltic Exchange's main sea freight index, tracking rates for ships carrying dry bulk commodities, continued to dip on Wednesday due to sluggish demand across vessel segments. The overall index, which factors in rates for capesize, panamax, supramax and handysize shipping vessels, fell 30 points, or 4.4 percent at 652 points. Shipping activity is expected to remain thin for the week due to the upcoming holidays in Japan and Korea, ship brokerage firm Clarksons Platou Securities said in a note on Tuesday. The capesize index fell 101 points, or 9.57 percent to 954 points. Average daily earnings for capesizes, which typically transport 150,000-tonne cargoes such as iron ore and coal, decreased $891 to $7,418. The panamax index was down 19 points or about 3 percent at 621 points. Average daily earnings for panamaxes, which usually carry coal or grain cargoes of about 60,000 to 70,000 tonnes, fell $146 at $4,963 on Wednesday. Among smaller vessels, the handysize index slipped three points to 365 points, while the supramax index remained flat at 583 points. Reporting by Apeksha Nair 1917 - Destroyer Division 8, commanded by Cmdr. Joseph K. Taussig, arrive at Queenstown, Ireland, to protect convoy escorts against German U-Boats. 1942 - Battle of the Coral Sea begins when TF 17 attacks the Japanese Tulagi Invasion Force at Tulagi, Solomons. 1945 - Marine Sgt. Elbert L. Kinser throws himself upon a grenade during the Okinawa Campaign and saves his fellow Marines. He is posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor. 1945 - During the Okinawa Campaign, the Japanese attempt to land on Okinawa but are repulsed by the Allied naval forces. Kamikazes attack and sink: USS Luce (DD 522), USS Morrison (DD 560), USS LSM 190, USS LSM 194. Damaged by the suicide bombers are USS Birmingham (CL 62) and USS Sangamon (CVE 26). 1961 - Cmdr. Malcolm D. Ross, pilot, and medical observer Lt. Cmdr. Victor A. Prather, Jr, ascend in two hours to more than 110,000 feet in Strato-Lab 5, setting altitude record for manned open gondola. 2013 - USS Anchorage (LPD 23) is commissioned in her namesake city. The San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock is the second ship to be named after the Alaskan city. She is homeported in San Diego, Calif. (Source: Naval History and Heritage Command, Communication and Outreach Division) The global company ESI Group, a virtual prototyping and testing software developer, has joined efforts with SENER, a company in marine engineering and the development of CAD/CAM system for the shipbuilding industry, with the aim of marketing and integrating their respective solutions, IC.IDO and FORAN. Nowadays shipbuilding is dominated by vessels with highly complex and sophisticated designs. There is also a growing trend of distributing the engineering tasks between multiple remote agents, and a need to produce integrated designs for effective ships with no margin of error. In this global environment, where the engineering work is ever more frequently divided among different companies, ships need to be designed in a way that helps to integrate their engineering. FORAN, by SENER, is the only system that brings together all the design disciplines in a single solution, within a single work environment. Thanks to the agreement with ESI Group, SENER and ESI will begin a partnership to develop IC.IDO in the global marine market and will begin working to integrate this leading virtual reality product into FORAN. This will allow physical simulation in real time and guarantee realistic behavior, as well as an immersive user interface. The ability of the product to simulate movements, collisions and human models makes it possible to verify the entire assembly line and all the manufacturing and maintenance processes. As regards the partnership, Emilio Mencia de Miguel, COO of ESI Group, Hispania & South America, commented that: The agreement reached between ESI Group and SENER for the shipbuilding is a strategic alliance that will exploit the synergies of both companies across the world, both on a commercial level and in terms of product development. FORAN is the most complete, advanced shipbuilding system on the market and its integration with the IC.IDO virtual reality system will create unique opportunities for collaboration and process integration in an immersive 3D environment that will further assist the decision-making processes of the different teams in the shipyard, or decision-making between these teams and the different design offices. Meanwhile, Rafael de Gongora, General Manager of SENER Marine, stated that: SENER is aware that the CAD/CAM system has become another standard tool in the ship production process and operational life cycle and therefore, to continue offering the best service to the marine industry, it seeks agreements with companies that have state-of-the-art technology solutions that complement FORAN and can be integrated into the system. And this is the case of IC.IDO. The Liebherr offshore crane division installed a board offshore crane, type BOS 35000 on the heavy lift barge Giant 7. The state of the art offshore crane will be used for wind plant installation in the Baltic Sea region. The entire project starting from design through manufacturing to final assembly and testing has been conducted in the companys production site in Rostock, northern Germany. The crane was especially developed for the use on the Giant 7, a heavy lift barge. On arrival at the Liebherr Rostock facility in January, the crane installation started immediately. The biggest challenge when assembling heavy lift giants like the BOS 35000 is the handling of oversized parts. The lattice boom is 78 meters long. Its weight amounts more than 250 tonnes. With 390 tonnes, the machinery house is even heavier. Because of these dimensions two Liebherr mobile harbour cranes, type LHM 600 were necessary to assemble the components. Installation of steel ropes, hydraulics, electronics as well as the main hook completed the crane. The dimensions both in weight and size are also for us, far away from being usual. For this reason we attach the greatest importance to safety during assembly. We had 25 experienced engineers and technicians constantly occupied with the project. Including work preparation, their task took around 5000 working hours, comments Gordon Clark, Liebherr Sales Director Offshore Cranes. The assembly of the BOS 35000 on the Giant 7 took 412 weeks. After this period the final phase started. Before delivery, every product goes through an extensive testing process. Testing includes measurements of luffing and hoisting speeds, boom movements as well as the static and dynamic behaviour of the crane structure. The stability and reliability is tested by lifting weights up to 660 tonnes 10 percent more than the regularly working load. The tests are fulfilled in accordance to all relevant offshore regulations. Assembling and testing the BOS 35000 on the Giant 7 could be finished after just 6 weeks. The barge is currently on the way to its new operation site in the Baltic Sea. The BOS 35000 will be used for installing offshore wind parks. Experiencing continued success and growing demand for the supply of marine lubricants, LUKOIL Marine has launched an additional supply barge named LUKOIL Marine. With a length of 45m and a capacity of 800 dwt divided into several compartments, the barge LUKOIL Marine will supply a variety of products including Navigo TPEO 30/40, Navigo TPEO 40/40, Navigo 40 MCL, Navigo 100 MCL, Navigo 70 MCL and Navigo 6 SO. The barge is the companys third in a fleet delivering lubricants in Singapore, including the 100 dwt capacity Transwift and 350 dwt capacity Marine Success. The launch ceremony for LUKOIL Marine was held on January 20, 2016 at 1-Altitude Gallery & Bar in Singapore, where an audience of more than 120 industry guests were welcomed by LUKOIL Marines CEO Victor Zhuravskiy to celebrate the launch. During the evening, Otsuki Noriyoshi, CEO of LUKOIL Marines transport partner Lee Huat Yap Kee Pte Ltd, was invited onto the stage and presented with a plaque to commemorate the partnership between both companies. After equipping more than 20 purpose supply vessels (PSV)/multipurpose supply vessels (MPSV) for Eastern Shipbuilding, GE has once again been chosen by the builder to equip Hornbeck Offshore Services (HOS) next generation of U.S. flag, Jones Act-qualified MPSVs, constructed at Eastern Shipbuilding. The scope of GE technology onboard these two vessels include the first MKII MV3000 Active Front End (AFE) drive. Manufactured in Kidsgrove U.K., these drives have one of the highest power density of any drive ever produced by GEs Marine Solutions, providing performance comparable to a much larger solution while occupying far less space onboard. In addition to the drives, GE has also provided its latest generation dynamic positioning (DP) system. With the help of HOS input, the SeaStream DP system has a completely redesigned and improved user control interface. The new interface puts the control of the ship back into the hands of the mariner with simpler, intuitive controls allowing critical information to be delivered in an easy to comprehend manner for the user, which results in more efficient DP operations. GE will provide its solutions for two of HOS MPSVs, both of which were delivered by the yard in January and April of this year, respectively. GE will also provide training to enable operators to use the new technology efficiently. A tanker that an oil company set up by Libya's eastern government prevented from loading has left the eastern port of Marsa el-Hariga, a port official said on Wednesday. The Seachance, which had been due to load 600,000 barrels of oil for the National Oil Corporation (NOC) in Tripoli, left the port of its own accord, the official said. The stand-off at Hariga, part of a broader political struggle between factions in eastern and western Libya, threatens to further diminish Libya's oil output. An NOC Tripoli official said production could drop by 120,000 barrels per day if it is unable to load at Hariga. The parallel Benghazi-based NOC ordered port workers not to load the Seachance after seeing a its first attempted oil export shipment blacklisted by the United Nations, and returned to be unloaded in western Libya. The Tripoli NOC and its Western backers warn that efforts by the eastern NOC to sell oil independently risk dragging the country further into crisis. But eastern politicians, who have not formally endorsed a U.N.-backed unity government trying to establish itself from the capital, insist that the Benghazi company is the country's legitimate NOC. On Wednesday the head of the Benghazi NOC, Nagi al-Maghrabi, said there was no plan to close Hariga, and suggested the refusal to load the Seachance was made for bureaucratic reasons. There is "no plan to shut down the port, the revenue is for all Libyans," Maghrabi told Reuters. "We just ask to have for the document for any shipment in advance ... otherwise it will not be allowed to load. We still respect all contracts." Seachance had been initially due to load on April 26-28. No-one at the Tripoli NOC could immediately be reached for comment. Libya's oil output is currently less than a quarter of the 1.6 million barrels per day it was producing before the uprising that toppled Muammar Gaddafi five years ago. Reporting by Ayman al-Warfalli and Ahmad Ghaddar The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) completed its review of the draft final rule entitled Inspection of Towing Vessels, also known as "Subchapter M." The document has been returned to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the US Coast Guard for final preparation prior to promulgation in the Federal Register. According to the U.S. Coast Guard, this rulemaking would implement a program of inspection for certification of towing vessels, which were previously uninspected. It would prescribe standards for safety management systems and third-party auditors and surveyors, along with standards for construction, operation, vessel systems, safety equipment, and recordkeeping. In a nutshell, it also represents some of the most sweeping changes in this sector in decades, as well as being one of most siginificant rulemaking efforts in recent memory. The Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2010 requires that a proposed rule be issued within 90 days after enactment and that a final rule be issued within 1 year of enactment. Statement of Need: This rulemaking would implement section 415 of the Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Act of 2004. The intent of the proposed rule is to promote safer work practices and reduce casualties on towing vessels by ensuring that towing vessels adhere to prescribed safety standards. This proposed rule was developed in cooperation with the Towing Vessel Safety Advisory Committee (TSAC). It would establish a new subchapter dedicated to towing vessels, covering vessel equipment, systems, operational standards, and inspection requirements. The federal government has estimated the anticipated costs and benefits of the rulemaking. As a result of this rulemaking, owners and operators of towing vessels would incur additional annualized costs, discounted at 7 percent, in the range of $14.3 million to $17.1 million. According to the Coast Guard, the cost of this rulemaking would involve provisions for safety management systems, standards for construction, operation, vessel systems, safety equipment, and recordkeeping. Our cost assessment includes existing and new vessels. The Coast Guard developed the requirements in the proposed rule by researching both the human factors and equipment failures that caused towing vessel accidents. We believe that the proposed rule would address a wide range of causes of towing vessel accidents and supports the main goal of improving safety in the towing industry. The primary benefit of the proposed rule is an increase in vessel safety and a resulting decrease in the risk of towing vessel accidents and their consequences. Beyond this, the government estimates an annualized benefit of $28.5 million from this rule. The exact date of the final rule is not yet known, but yesterday's OMB announcement brings the subchapter M drama closer to its final resolution. The American Waterways Operators (AWO) have long pushed for the rule's enactment on behalf of its considerable membership. The German navigation system manufacturer Raytheon Anschutz was awarded a retrofit contract of steering gear control systems for two luxury cruise ships chartered by Noble Caledonia Ltd. The cruise ships will be retrofitted with the Anschutz NautoSteer AS advanced steering gear control system. Salen Ship Management, as the technical manager of the cruise ships Island Sky and Hebridean Sky, has decided to replace the manual steering gear control systems with a redundant NautoSteer AS steering gear control system from Raytheon Anschutz. In addition to providing follow-up and non-follow-up control, NautoSteer AS also integrates the existing autopilot systems onboard. Raytheon Anschutz received the contracts via their Norwegian distributor Syberg AS. Systems will be replaced during Spring 2016. Olav Denker, product manager at Raytheon Anschutz, states: Safety was the main aspect for the development of the NautoSteer AS, making the system ideally suited for safety sensitive cruise ships. In addition, we focused on a user-oriented operating concept, which supports the crew in their fast and safe decision making in critical situations. A key feature supporting increased safety is the simplified selector switch for two independent steering modes. A Direct NFU tiller controls the steering gear directly without the use of electronics and a Main steering position for all other controls based on redundant CAN-bus technology. In the main steering mode, NautoSteer AS allows taking-over control from any steering position. The supplied system includes advanced features, such as integrated steering failure monitoring, wire-break monitoring and data integrity monitoring standard features of NautoSteer AS. NautoSteer AS can be adapted to and integrated into the most varied ship system environments. It is further optimized for simplified installation by providing easier wiring of standard power and bus connections, less cabling as well as quicker PC-based commissioning and system set-up - a perfect solution for new and retrofit installations. Raytheon Anschutz received the contracts via their Norwegian distributor Syberg AS, who sold the systems to the ships service provider, Triton Marine Services of Norway. NORTH BEND After nearly three decades, a comprehensive study and a myriad of factors ranging from wetlands to farmland to traffic, the proposed route for the expansion of U.S. Highway 30 finally hit the limelight. Taking into account all the other factors ... this is it, this is the alignment were going with, said Tim Weander, a Nebraska Department of Roads engineer. Tuesday night in the North Bend City Auditorium, highway designers, engineering interns, biologists, traffic analysts, hydraulic engineers and various other Nebraska Department of Roads officials assembled for a public information open house regarding the North Bend-to-Fremont section of the highway. It is part of a larger 21-mile segment of road between Rogers and Fremont slated for relocation 1.5 to 2 miles north of the existing Highway 30, with an additional upgrade to a four-lane expressway. Establishment of the Nebraska Expressway system in 1988 set in motion the long process of creating an expressway between Columbus and Fremont. Since then, only the section between Columbus and Schuyler has reached completion. Through the years the project suffered setbacks in funding and disputes over the route. In 2011, with the passage of the Build Nebraska Act, funding became available and the project picked up momentum. It will all be done in about 4 1/2 years, said Pat Sward, a biologist with the NDOR who monitors preservation of wetlands along the new route. Cecilia Harry, executive director of the Greater Fremont Development Council, was among the upwards of 200 people who showed up Tuesday night to learn about the project. Improvement to infrastructure provides opportunities for communities, Harry said. However, she added, with a project of this magnitude its difficult to address everyones concerns. One issue involves what will become of the new intersection of Highway 79 and Highway 30. North Bend residents are concerned about the heavy school traffic in that part of their city and many would like to see a stoplight or overpass. However, Weander explained that traffic counts on both roads do not yet warrant lights; and currently the NDOR does not have the budget to construct an approximately $12 million overpass. At the Fremont end, Dodge County Supervisor Terry Synovec has some concern over access to parts of the Fremont area from the new highway. He explained that because the new road would run about 1.5 miles farther north, vehicle access to and from the Fremont lakes and other areas might become a bit more cumbersome. County Roads 18 and 20, which are mainly gravel, would be the only access routes to the lakes, and he would like to see the state cover the cost of paving those roads to facilitate improved traffic patterns. Dodge County has a lot of things on our plate to budget for ... and it would help if the state would pave 18 and 20, Synovec said. Maynard Flamme, a farmer in the North Bend area, holds other concerns. The new highway would bisect part of his land, creating a division in some of his fields and requiring an awkward traverse of the expressway with heavy, slow-moving farm equipment. The open house served as a public information session, allowing people to express their questions and concerns. We want the publics input ... were excited to listen, Weander said. Were trying to get all the issues resolved. Construction on the project is scheduled to begin in the spring of 2018 with completion by the fall of 2020. Singapore has launched an initiative to attract more locals to take up a career as a marine engineer. The joint venture between unions, government and industry aims to address an acute shortage. A new S$1.2 million Tripartite Engineering Training Award (TETA) Programme was launched by Lim Swee Say, the Minister for Manpower. According to a press release, TETA is a joint initiative by Singapore Maritime Officers Union (SMOU), Singapore Workforce Development Agency (WDA), National Trades Union Congress Employment and Employability Institute (e2i). Speaking at the Devan Nair Institute, Lim said: "Seafarers form a key segment of our maritime workforce... With an increasing use of technology, we must equip our seafarers with a higher level of knowledge and skills, and attract more to join this sector." TETA is targeted at Singaporean citizens and permanent residents with at least Higher National Institute of Technical Education Certificate qualifications, though there were also cadets with diplomas, said organisers. The programme's first intake of nine cadets have already started the first phase of classroom-based training last year. This phase will last nine months, following which the cadets will spend 15 months at sea. The final phase of the programme is a seven-month preparatory course and examinations, before cadets who pass the course graduate to become officers. This programme, which is part of the Continuous Education and Training (CET) route, is targeted at those who have completed their National Service with an engineering background from ITE Higher Nitec and for those who are looking for a career switch. Over the years, we have noticed the manpower issues, in particular the dwindling number of Singaporean seafaring officers and marine engineers willing to embark on this career, SMOU General Secretary, Mary Liew said. Kalmar, part of Cargotec, is to deliver nine diesel-electric straddle carriers to EUROGATE, Europe's leading shipping line-independent container terminal operator, for use in their Hamburg Container Terminal. The order was booked in Cargotec's 2016 first quarter order intake, with delivery taking place during quarter four in 2016. Peter Zielinski, Managing Director, EUROGATE Container Terminal Hamburg, says: "Protecting the environment is a high priority at EUROGATE, and investing in Kalmar diesel-electric straddle carriers contributes to our goal of continuously reducing the company's ecological footprint by cutting fuel usage and exhaust emissions." Mikko Mononen, Director, Sales and Project Management, Intelligent Horizontal Transportation Solutions at Kalmar, says: "As a long-standing customer, we highly value the relationship with EUROGATE and it is a privilege to be involved in their development activities. We're delighted that they have once again chosen Kalmar equipment to support their business operations." EUROGATE Container Terminal Hamburg is a modern facility that operates state-of-the-art container gantries and straddle carriers. The AR5 Life Ray UAS, developed by TEKEVER, has been selected by the European Space Agency (ESA) and the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) to demonstrate the first European maritime surveillance system where drones are integral to operations. The first demonstration will be performed this summer over the Maltese waters of the Mediterranean sea, said Pedro Sinogas, TEKEVER CEO, at the AUVSI Xponential show in New Orleans, La. Maritime operations have been brought into focus in Europe by the unprecedented migrant crisis. As part of the response to this crisis the EU border patrol agency FRONTEX has recently announced that it is in the planning phase of adding remotely piloted aircraft to its existing portfolio of satellite and sensor technologies for monitoring vessel traffic and migrant flows. During the demonstration in Malta, TEKEVERs systems will be deployed from land and will perform operations across a range of maritime scenarios during the four to six weeks of testing, Sinogas said. This project is demonstrating the benefits of deploying unmanned aircraft in the dual roles of pollution monitoring and search and rescue, according to TEKEVER, who said the project has developed the business case to deploy unmanned aircraft to augment, or even replace, existing assets such as satellites, manned aircraft and ships. TEKEVER said it is working with maritime authorities from across the EU, coordinated with EMSA and will demonstrate operations in the Atlantic Ocean, the North Sea and the Mediterranean Sea across a wide range of environmental conditions. Crowley Maritime Corp.s Seattle-based naval architecture and engineering firm, Jensen Maritime, reports it has designed a new tractor tug for Vessel Chartering LLC that features some of the first Tier IV engines meeting higher federal air emissions standards among U.S. tugboats. The multipurpose tractor tug, engineered to support ship escorts, assists and towing, was jointly developed by Vessel Chartering LLC and Jensen and is being built by JT Marine of Vancouver, Wash. The tug is planned for delivery in the second quarter of 2017 to Vessel Chartering LLC., a wholly owned division of Baydelta Navigation Ltd. According to the designer, the new 110-foot-long, 40-foot-wide vessel will feature the ship assist and escort capabilities of smaller harbor tugs, while delivering the improved towing performance and increased range of larger oceangoing tugs. Escort capability is enhanced to provide support for assisting large, 18,000 TEU containerships due to an increased future demand in West Coast ports of call. The vessels engines meet the federal Tier IV standard, which incorporate the emissions-reducing performance requirements by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). To meet the requirements, the two engines on this vessel use systems that clean exhaust gases after they have left the engines. Jensen Maritime said this tug is the third it has designed with engines meeting the Tier IV requirement. The development of the Tier IV engines for this tug demonstrates our commitment to innovative, environmentally friendly design while continuing to deliver powerful, high-quality performance, said Johan Sperling, vice president, Jensen Maritime. This tug will meet our industrys demands for strong, yet nimble vessels with the quality design people expect from us. The vessel will be powered by a pair of 3,385-horsepower Caterpillar 3516 Tier IV engines. With an electrically powered, double drum tow winch aft by Rapp USA and an electrically powered hawser winch forward by Markey Machinery as deck machinery, the vessel will be capable of a 93-to-95 short-ton bollard pull. Both winches electrical power will remove any chance of a hydraulic oil spill on deck. The tug was designed without any ballast tanks, thereby eliminating the need for ballast water discharge and the potential transfer of invasive species. In lieu of ballast tanks, the tug will transfer fuel, as necessary, in order to maintain proper trim. The tug is designed to carry up to 123,000 gallons of fuel, 4,300 gallons of fresh water, and up to 4,500 gallons of urea, which is used for treatment of the main engine exhausts in order to meet Tier IV emissions requirements. A water maker is being installed for potable water when out at sea. A large pilot house will provide all-around visibility, and the deckhouse has an open feel with a large mess and lounge area along with accommodations for a 10-person crew. A manufacturer of two-stroke engines has agreed to validation tests of an Alfa Laval hydraulic control oil (HCO) filter . The approval to test the final HCO filter design comes after concept testing on the crude oil tanker Stena Suede. Alfa Laval describes its HCO filter as a high-performance solution for the new generation of two-stroke engines where traditional camshafts have been replaced by hydraulic control systems. The hydraulic control system core components are dedicated valves fed with oil from the main system flow, which must be finely filtered with minimal pressure drop. Due to the sensitivity of the large centrifugal main pumps used to move the oil, additional pressure drop across the HCO filter would ultimately risk engine damage. The Alfa Laval HCO filter, now set to begin validation testing, easily achieves this balance of fine filtration and excellent flow passage, the manufacturer said. Between its high performance and its compact nature, the Alfa Laval HCO filter will remove much of the cost and installation complexity associated with hydraulic control system protection, said Herve Gourdon, Business Manager, Filters at Alfa Laval. Extensive filter area is critical for filtration at 6 m, the very fine grade required for hydraulic control oil. Using new Alfa Laval Atrium technology, the Alfa Lava HCO filter provides an increase in filtering surface with virtually no impact on pressure drop. This is possible through the special patented shape of the Atrium filter elements, as well as their smaller and highly optimized flow distribution system. With Alfa Laval Atrium technology, the Alfa Laval HCO filter reliably achieves the 6 m filtering needed to protect hydraulic control valves, Gourdon said. Yet the flow and pressure through the filter remain practically unaffected, which ensures a safe margin for the engine. A further advantage of the ample flow through the Alfa Laval HCO filter is the ability to backflush continuously. Unlike sequential backflushing, continuous backflushing prevents even temporary accumulation of pollutants. This, too, ensures there is no increase in pressure drop. Because the backflushing is treated in a diversion chamber in the filter, it also contributes to a compact and easily installed solution. No additional tank or separator is required, nor is any air or electrical connection needed, since backflushing is driven by the hydraulic motor. With approval from a major manufacturer of two-stroke engines, the Alfa Laval HCO filter will now undergo validation tests. The final design will be evaluated in three installations, each to be put through 3,000 hours of testing. This follows 14,000 hours of concept testing aboard the tanker Stena Suede, whose chief engineer Paul Ash confirms, The filter is basically maintenance-free, the backflush cleaning works well and the operating pressure is steady. The effectiveness of the Alfa Laval HCO filter and its Atrium filter technology are already clear, Gourdon said. In fact, we see potential for the Atrium technology across multiple filter applications. Hydraulic control oil is only the beginning. Todd Coleman, CEO of Port of Vancouver USA, step down from his position May 19, after 15 years with the port. Coleman, a Professional Engineer, began his career with the port in 2001, when he was hired as Facilities Manager. After three promotions, he earned the position of Deputy Executive Director in 2005. The ports Board of Commissioners appointed him CEO in 2012. Coleman plans to spend some time with his family this summer before seeking a new opportunity. The Board of Commissioners will appoint an interim CEO while the port moves through the hiring process. Venezuelan crude sales to the United States declined 8.3 percent in April to 734,700 barrels per day (bpd) compared with the same month of 2015, amid delays at PDVSA's main ports, according to Thomson Reuters trade flows and vessel tracking data. State-run oil firm PDVSA and its joint ventures sent a total of 45 crude cargoes to customers in the United States last month versus 54 cargoes in April of 2015 and 52 in March. Equipment malfunctioning at Jose port has been occurring since March, causing delays to load and discharge tankers. This has also resulted in a backlog of vessels around PDVSA's Bullenbay terminal in the Caribbean island of Curacao. PDVSA this week said it is installing three new loading arms to speed up operations at Jose. PDVSA's refining unit in the United States, Citgo Petroleum, was the main receiver of Venezuelan crude in April with 13 cargoes, followed by Valero Energy with 11 cargoes and Phillips 66 with 7 cargoes. Delays at Curacao to discharge imports of U.S. light crude that is being used as diluent for Venezuela's extra heavy oil caused a decline in sales of blend crudes such as Merey, one of PDVSA's main grades for exports. Exports of traditional crudes to the United States such as Boscan, Corocoro, Morichal and Hamaca also fell, according to the data, made with preliminary figures. As of May 4, more than 30 dirty tankers were waiting to load and discharge oil at Jose and Bullenbay terminals, including five U.S. crude cargoes sold to PDVSA by British BP and China Oil. Wait times have shortened in Jose in recent days, but loading or discharging at Bullenbay is taking more than five days, the data say. (Reporting by Marianna Parraga; Editing by Diane Craft) Sailors from across Marine Forces Reserve and the U.S. Navy Reserve participated in a Fleet Marine Force reconnaissance corpsman screening hosted by 4th Reconnaissance Battalion, 4th Marine Division, Marine Forces Reserve in San Antonio, April 19-22, 2016. The screening identified potential reserve corpsmen for selection in the FMF reconnaissance corpsman training pipeline through a series of challenges designed to replicate the stress of reconnaissance training. The purpose of the training is to challenge the Sailors both physically and mentally, said Chief Petty Officer Eric S. Gilmet, the chief instructor for the screening and a FMF reconnaissance corpsman with Inspector-Instructor medical staff, 4th Reconnaissance Battalion, 4th Marine Division, Marine Forces Reserve. "They are exposed to a little bit of what the pipeline has to offer, to determine if this is really something they want to do." To complete the screening, the Sailors spent multiple days in the training, which included a physical screening test, a physical fitness test, water confidence training, an open-water fin swim, land navigation, patrolling, and a tactical combat casualty care practical application at various training sites in the San Antonio area. However, the four-day training only scratched the surface of what the actual pipeline consists of. For corpsmen who have already been through the field medical training battalion, the pipeline can take up to two years, said Gilmet. To complete the pipeline, corpsmen must attend the Marine Corps basic reconnaissance primer course, the basic reconnaissance course, Marine combatant dive school, the amphibious reconnaissance corpsman course, U.S Army airborne school and special operations combat medic course. Critical Shortfalls With the pipeline as grueling as it is, there is a shortage of qualified corpsmen, especially on the Reserve side. The reconnaissance corpsman Navy enlisted classification is critically undermanned right now. said Gilmet. In order for a reconnaissance battalion to even leave the wire and conduct missions, they need a reconnaissance corpsman with them or someone who has been through the special operations combat medic course. To remedy this shortage, Gilmet created this screening to help identify reserve candidates for the pipeline. I started this in April 2015, but it only consisted of the physical screening test, some classroom work, and a final training exercise, said Gilmet. After receiving more funding for this program, the screening has evolved into the four-day training it is today. This screening is unique because a lot of these guys are being exposed to training they have never experienced, said Gilmet. They are being pushed harder than they have been pushed in their naval careers. The reason why we push them is because if they attend the basic reconnaissance primer course, the instructors look at everyone the same as active duty. We need to make sure that the Reserve sailors who attend this understand the expectation and are prepared to meet it. To expand the course, Gilmet recruited other active duty and Reserve FMF reconnaissance corpsmen to serve as instructors and help assess the Sailors attending the screening. We are trying to select individuals we believe have the drive to make it through the pipeline, said Petty Officer 1st Class Austen C. Hubbard, a FMF reconnaissance corpsman with 4th Reconnaissance Battalion and the lead instructor for the screening. For a lot of people who dont finish the pipeline, its because of a lack of preparation or because they didnt have it in their heart to do it in the first place. Among the ranks of students, there are several individuals determined to make the most out of this training. Coming here, I really wanted to see what the basic reconnaissance course was going to be like, so I could better prepare myself and see what I need to work on, said Petty Officer 3rd Class Bruce C. Stephen, a hospital corpsman with 3rd Battalion, 25th Marine Regiment, 4th Marine Division, Marine Forces Reserve. With the intensity of this screening, the students receive valuable insight into the FMF reconnaissance corpsman pipeline. "Everything here has been hard, Stephen said. You are constantly getting your body thrashed to the max, then being told to push even further. You'd be surprised how much you can push if you really put your mind to it." For those few Sailors who are able to push themselves past the pain and hardship of this training, a coveted endorsement to the pipeline awaits them. For the even fewer Sailors who eventually make it through the pipeline and receive the title of FMF reconnaissance corpsman, an elusive membership into an elite brotherhood awaits them. "This is a brotherhood that I am fortunate enough to be a part of for the rest of my life," said Hubbard. "When you leave this community, the only thing you take with you is a lifetime membership to this brotherhood, and a paddle that your fellow Marines and corpsmen make for you. More Media Marines with Headquarters and Service Company, 2nd Tank Battalion honed their firepower capabilities during a machine gun range at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, April 29. The company divided its sections into three groups that, over the course of two weeks, would utilize the vast training area of SR-10 to become more proficient with using the M240B medium machine gun and .50-caliber machine gun. The first day, we shot with our tripods both day and night, and then more recently mounted them on top of our Humvees, said Lance Cpl. Casey Hall, a motor transport vehicle operator with the company. The previous sessions with the weapon systems left Marines feeling prepared to conduct several run-throughs of navigating the range and its targets from within a Humvee on the move. The range demanded more than just marksmanship skills, with the responsibilities of the driver and radio operators accompanying him being an integral part of the range as well. This is the type of training to help us know what to do if we ever find ourselves facing any enemy in the future, Hall said. Other Marines in the company regarded the exercise as necessary following the previous deactivation of the battalions Charlie Company, and something that will allow the Marines of the battalion to maintain readiness despite the shrink in size. For me as a tanker, driving the Humvee is different, along with using tracer rounds to spot your targets and not the tools in the tank, said Lance Cpl. Cody Nagy, a tank crewman with the company. But with the loss of one of our tank companies, we need more of our Marines better prepared to accurately engage targets. More Media Mays upon us, and so are numerous articles debating the benefits of sell in May. In the earliest form we can find, the saying went, Sell in May, and go away; come again on St. Legers Day. It originated in Londonthen the economic center of the worldat a time when markets would virtually shut down in the summer, while brokers and other financial professionals vacationed. Supposedly, the end was tied to a mid-September horse race (the St. Legers Stakes). As a result, trading volumes were much thinner. Thinner volumes can mean less liquidity, and less liquidity can mean tougher price discoveryhence, more volatility. But nowadays, liquidity isnt much a problem at any time of the year, thanks to new technologies and growing markets. Yet sell in May continues to garner headlines. The old adage that may have started with May as an exit and St. Legers Day as a reentry point has evolved to mean ... well ... we dont exactly know what. You see, adherents seem to have many different ideas of the timing. And sell in May itself doesnt lay out when the actual selling should occurMay Day? May 31? Or sometime in between? Even if an investor figures out when to sell, theres conflicting advice about when to buy back in. Some advocate September, others October, some a strict six months and still others November. Ultimately, this debate stems from claims summer(ish) average returns are worse than winter(ish) returns. And theres a grain of truth to that: returns from May to October have been slightly lower than returns the rest of the year ... but, even with big down years dragging down the averages for some months, cumulative returns in each half of the year were positive. Taken on a monthly basis, only average returns for September are negative, and not by much. (And that fact is skewed by a few big bad Septembers dragging down the average. A function of math, not calendar causation.) Exhibit 1: Monthly Average Returns Source: Global Financial Data, Inc.; S&P 500 Total Returns 12/31/1925 - 3/31/13, as of 5/8/13. Yet some may argue corrections in the last three years around the summer months are fine evidence sell in May works. Wed argue otherwise. Had you sold in May 2010 and returned to markets in, say, October, not only would you have still been in the market for the beginning of that years correction (04/15/2010), youd have been out of the market for the three months of a sharp snap higher after the corrections bottom (07/05/2010). 2011s correction may fit the adage best. Its pre-correction high was hit in April and selling ran until early October. 2012s correction, however, didnt, lasting only from 04/02/2012 to 06/04/2012. Weve never heard anyone argue re-entry should be in early June. And just three years earlier2009had huge positive returns during the summer months. So in reality, during this bull market, you could say summers been weak in one of four years. In two of the others, corrections began before May and the troughtheoretically, the best reentry pointwas during the period the adage says to be out. If you exited stocks attempting to time this, you needed to reenter at some point before St. Legers Day (in mid-September). If not, the market had topped earlier highs and youd missed successive months of 7.5%, 1.35% and 2.5% positive returns.i Selling in May is little more than playing a game of short-term market timinga difficult thing to do, especially when trying to time the right exit and entry points. Were not aware of anyone who has a track record of repeatedly timing corrections. Especially when theres really no discernible piece of unique knowledge you have to guide those choices. The bottom line is no matter how tempting or rhymey a seasonal saying seems, selling based on a calendarinformation known to nearly anyone in the western worldjust isnt a good investment strategy. Rather, investors should look to fundamentals to make investing decisionslike a strong US private sector, healthy corporations, a more stable eurozone and overall global growth. Those are much more influential to market returns than a fuzzy, old, calendar-based adage with a nifty rhyme. Hello readers, it's May, and you know what that means-pundits across the financial internets are bombarding the world with reasons they should or shouldn't follow that tired seasonal adage, "Sell in May and Go Away." Our take is the same as ever: Don't do it. Seasonal tropes like Sell in May, the January Effect, the Santa Claus Rally and Financial Hurricane Season are hogwash. Their occasional hits are coincidence without causality. The turn of a calendar page is never reason to buy or sell. We've spilled many pixels on Sell in May over the years-see here, here, here, here, here, here and here. Here are some more pixels and pictures-pictures that show just how much investors can miss by sitting out the summer. "Sell in May" has many iterations, but most involve selling sometime in May and returning sometime in autumn. The original saying, "Sell in May and go away, and come back at St. Leger Day," refers to brokers' tendency to take the summer off back in the old days, returning around the time of Britain's St. Leger Day horse race in September. Courtesy of the Stock Trader's Almanac, that morphed into selling on April 30 and getting back in on October 31, after Financial Hurricane Season (September and October). Regardless of the timeframe, the underlying belief is this: Stocks are a bummer in the summer, so best to just get out, go on vacation, and laugh maniacally at everyone else when markets inevitably slide. The very scant supposed evidence for this is the fact returns from April 30 - October 31, on average, trail returns from October 31 - April 30. Add in some cherry-picked years where selling in May would have worked-most recently, 2011 and 2008-and the adherents consider the case closed. But it isn't. For instance: Some say Sell in May worked last year, citing the correction's May 21 start date and the S&P 500's -9.1% decline from Memorial Day through Labor Day.[i] But that's cherry picking dates, friends, and using the benefit of hindsight. Follow the increasingly standardized April 30 - October 31 blueprint, and you'd have missed a 0.8% S&P 500 total return. And lost out on transaction costs and potentially taxes, depending on account type. May is just a month. So are the other 11. The May through October window is an arbitrary six-month stretch, no more special than any other six-month stretch. All rolling six-month stretches have positive average long-terms. So does May. So does every month but September, which is skewed by four data points (1930, 1931, 1937 and 2008). The May-October period happens to be the weakest six-month stretch, but that's a statistical quirk, nothing more. And it misses the point, because a 4.12% return is still up and nothing an equity investor should aim to avoid. Exhibit 1: Average Monthly Returns, 1926 - 2015 Source: Global Financial Data, Inc., as of 4/28/2016. S&P 500 Total Return Index. Exhibit 2: Average Rolling Six-Month Returns, 1926 - 2015 Source: Global Financial Data, Inc., as of 4/28/2016. S&P 500 Total Return Index. 1926 isn't an arbitrary start date-it's when verified market data begin, thanks to the dedicated folks on the Cowles Commission. But for kicks and grins, if we go back all the way to 1800, using the less-reliable-less-liquid-but-still-entertaining-and-sorta-useful-for-illustrative-purposes dataset of antique returns, May is still positive, and there still ain't no such thing as the summertime blues.[ii] Exhibit 3: Average Monthly Returns, 1801 - 2015 Source: Global Financial Data, Inc., as of 4/28/2016. S&P 500 Total Return Index. Exhibit 4: Average Rolling Six-Month Returns, 1801 - 2015 Source: Global Financial Data, Inc., as of 4/28/2016. S&P 500 Total Return Index. One chart we encountered claimed to show owning the S&P 500 in only the May - October window of each year since 1950 would have lost you money, taking $10,000 down to $8,071, while investing in only the other six months would have caused that $10,000 to soar to $626,764. But we crunched the numbers, again using S&P 500 total returns, and we got wildly different results. Exhibit 5: Growth of $10,000 Two Ways Source: Global Financial Data, Inc., as of 4/28/2016. S&P 500 Total Return Index. Yes, sitting out the Sell-in-May window would have generated far higher returns than investing only from 4/30 - 10/31, but again, the summer stretch isn't negative. Investing in summer only still more than quintupled your hypothetical money. That is a moneymaker, not a money-loser. Which, of course, means you miss big returns over time if you follow Sell in May to the letter. Those missed returns are far, far greater than the $44,308.74 implied by Exhibit 5, because you also miss the potential for those gains to compound over time. That adds up. A lot. Exhibit 6 shows just how much. Exhibit 6: Selling in May Hurts Source: Global Financial Data, Inc., as of 4/28/2016. S&P 500 Total Return Index. Yes, if you invested $10,000 on 12/31/1949, the opportunity cost of being a "Sell in May" devotee since then is $8,853,120.63. Or, if you prefer, 46.9 median US homes. Or 32.8 Ferrari 458 Italia convertibles. Or 7,370.72 round-trip tickets from San Francisco to Paris. Or 10,943.3 Vail season passes. Or 273.2 years of room and board at the average US private university. Or 170.45 years' worth of the US median household income. Ouch. Some say this is the year to sell in May because it's an election year, citing May's not-so-great average return in election years since 1952. But the average 0.07% S&P 500 total return in election-year Mays from 1952 on means election-year Mays are quite variable, not uniformly weak. Returns were positive 11 of 16 times. The spectrum ranges from -6.3% (1956) to 2.79% (1952), with a median of 1.3%. But last we checked, "Sell in May and come back in June" isn't a thing. Using the traditional May - October window, election years average 3.31%. Toss out 2008, when "Sell in May" would have avoided a -29.28% decline that had much more to do with an accounting rule-driven financial crisis than with anyone running for office, and the average rises to 5.48%.[iii] Now, maybe Sell in May does work this year. Broken clocks and all. But short-term moves are impossible to predict, and selling now because short-term volatility might strike at some point in the next six months is not a recipe for success. That astronomical growth of $10,000 in Exhibit 6 includes all manner of pullbacks, corrections and even bear markets. We aren't fanatical buy-and-holders, as it does make sense to take cover if you are darned sure-based on strong fundamental evidence-a bear market is forming. But other than that, if your long-term goals require market-like returns over time, then you should own stocks no matter what month it is. That's how you get market-like returns. Chris Vermeulen is an experienced and successful trader, educator and author. Involved in the markets since 1997, he is the author of several financial trading and educational newsletters. He is also the founder of Technical Traders Ltd. As an active trader and investor, Chris soon recognized the huge potential that online investing and algorithmic trading systems held for individual investors. The development of Chris Technical Trading Mastery resulted from his obsession with the market. Through years of research and testing, he created the AlgoTrades Investing system. Chris has been described as a gifted technical analyst who can navigate the financial markets in any market condition. His list of personal and professional relationships approaches 25,000 people with whom he connects and nourishes out of his passion for trading. Chris has been interviewed, published or written about in Futures Magazine, The Street, Trader Interview, Kitco, Financial Sense, Dick Davis Investment Digest and hundreds of online sites. Chris Vermeulen Join my email list FREE and get my next article which I will show you about a major opportunity in bonds and a rate spike www.GoldAndOilGuy.com Chris Vermeulen is Founder of the popular trading site TheGoldAndOilGuy.com. There he shares his highly successful, low-risk trading method. For 7 years Chris has been a leader in teaching others to skillfully trade in gold, oil, and silver in both bull and bear markets. Subscribers to his service depend on Chris' uniquely consistent investment opportunities that carry exceptionally low risk and high return. Disclaimer: Nothing in this report should be construed as a solicitation to buy or sell any securities mentioned. Technical Traders Ltd., its owners and the author of this report are not registered broker-dealers or financial advisors. Before investing in any securities, you should consult with your financial advisor and a registered broker-dealer. Never make an investment based solely on what you read in an online or printed report, including this report, especially if the investment involves a small, thinly-traded company that isnt well known. Technical Traders Ltd. and the author of this report has been paid by Cardiff Energy Corp. In addition, the author owns shares of Cardiff Energy Corp. and would also benefit from volume and price appreciation of its stock. The information provided here within should not be construed as a financial analysis but rather as an advertisement. The authors views and opinions regarding the companies featured in reports are his own views and are based on information that he has researched independently and has received, which the author assumes to be reliable. Technical Traders Ltd. and the author of this report do not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any content of this report, nor its fitness for any particular purpose. Lastly, the author does not guarantee that any of the companies mentioned in the reports will perform as expected, and any comparisons made to other companies may not be valid or come into effect. What thieves go through to steal art can rival the plot of any Hollywood thriller, according to stories Anne Kenny-Urban told Tuesday night at Piedmont Arts. Kenny-Urban, the Executive Director of Richmonds Agecroft Hall, gave the program Stranger Than Fiction: Great Art Heists in History to an audience of about 50. She gave dozens of examples of art heists. Art theft is usually very serious business, she said. It happens much more often than you would expect. About 6 to 8 billion dollars worth of art is stolen each year, she said. That makes art theft the third or fourth most lucrative crime in the world, behind only drugs, money laundering and gun running. Art often is used as collateral in drug deals, she said. Only 15 percent of art stolen is removed from museums, she said. Most is taken from homes, churches and small organizations with less security than in major museums. Art theft often is linked to other criminal activities, she said. An example she gave of someone who stole art simply to build a personal collection was of Frenchman Stephane Breitwieser, now 44. His looting started in 1995 with the theft of a portrait from a castle in Switzerland; he had his girlfriend keep guard while he cut a portrait from a frame. By the time authorities caught up with him, they discovered 239 items from 172 museums stored in his bedroom in his mothers house. Eventually, he was sentenced to three years in prison for the thefts; his mother was sentenced to three years for destroying the art (as evidence); and his girlfriend served 18 months for receiving stolen goods. In 2006, he published an autobiography, Confessions of an Art Thief. In April 2011, he and his mother were arrested again, and now he is serving his second three-year prison term. Much art is stolen as plunders of war, such as the four Horses of San Marco. Originally, they were in the Hippodrome in Constantinople, Kenny-Urban said. They were taken to St. Marks Basilica in Venice after Constantinople was pillaged by invaders in 1204, and there they remained for 800 years. Then they were taken to Paris. In 1815, they were returned where they belonged Venice, with no thought that perhaps they really belonged in Constantinople. Wartime looting continues today, she said, showing pictures of a museum recently gutted after the fall of Baghdad. She talked about cultural colonialism by academics in America or England who take art from its native regions. Yale University and Peru have been in long conflict over artifacts taken a century ago from Machu Picchu by Yale professor Richard Burger. They were supposed to be on loan in the United States for only one year, but only now have they been returned to Peru. A small (easy to hide) Rembrandt painting from 1632 was stolen four times since 1966, she said. It has been recovered each time. Even a large item is not immune to theft. An 11-foot, 2-ton Henry Moore sculpture was stolen in December 2005 by three men in a Mini-Cooper and a stolen truck. Three years later, the 4 million dollar metal sculpture was sold as melted down scrap metal for $2,500. Insurance companies are likely to pay ransom for a museum to get a painting back, because that can be considerably cheaper than paying out the value of a painting. Three Van Goghs stolen in Holland were worth $90 million. The insurance company paid the ransom of $2.2 million to get them back, she said, and they were recovered by the next year. Insufficient security gives opportunity for theft, she said. She gave a few examples of museums where the security alarm system was not working, and thieves were able to trick security guards who were watching on video or on foot. In one case, one of the security guards offered to watch the security cameras while his tired co-workers took naps. In another, a security guard just didnt notice the video footage. The thieves left a note which read, Thanks for the poor security. In a third, the security systems were working fine, but the museum staff believed a fake phone call in which the caller stated he was from the security company, and that parts of the system would be shut down that night for maintenance. The two critical components of security, technological and human, need to work in tandem for effective security, she said. Many art thefts take place during holidays, because the best security staff are not scheduled, and people are distracted one happened while guards threw a Christmas Eve party Kenny-Urban said. Some take quite a lot of effort and planning. In 2002, a major art exhibit was set to open in Paraguay. Thieves rented a shop building across the road from the museum and dug a tunnel to the museum. The stolen art never was recovered. Sometimes when art is found it can be very difficult to determine to whom it belongs. That is the case in 1,200 works found which were claimed to have been destroyed in World War II but recently found in an apartment. Then again, there are some funny twists. In 2002, thieves, including one known as The Monkey, made a simple theft in Holland by climbing a ladder left outside a museum by a workman. They broke windows with their arms, which had towels around them, and scampered down the ladders and away with their loot. They were arrested two years later, and convicted because of DNA matches, but the art never was found. Perhaps an old Dutch law will help them in the future, she said: An art thief can claim ownership 30 years after the crime as long as he can claim hes the thief. The citys planned $119,500 reduction in its annual allocation to the Martinsville-Henry County Economic Development Corp. (EDC) is the largest change in funding to organizations outside city government included in Martinsvilles proposed fiscal 2017 budget. The new fiscal year will start July 1. A total of $1,755,393 is budgeted for 25 organizations for the new fiscal year. That is 5.5 percent less than the $1,856,585 budgeted for outside agencies as city officials call them for the current year. Each year, the city provides funding to area organizations that provide services to the community that it likely would have to totally fund itself if the organizations did not provide the services. The city aims to reduce its contribution to the EDC, the lead local business and industry recruiting organization, by 54.4 percent, from $219,500 to $100,000. The reduction comes as part of the citys efforts to trim expenses in what officials anticipate will be an extremely tight budget year. As part of the reduction, the city is to see its representation on the EDCs board drop from two seats to one. But officials maintain that the organization will not see its services from the organization suffer as a result of the drop. Nineteen of the organizations are set to receive level funding or a slight decrease for fiscal 2017. The Piedmont Virginia Dental Health Foundation, which runs a dental clinic in uptown Martinsville for indigent people, requested $13,711 from the city for the coming fiscal year. But the citys proposed budget includes $4,832 for the foundation. That is the sum that it received for fiscal 2015. The foundation did not request any city money for the current fiscal year, so it did not get any, said city Finance Director Linda Conover. When it requested funds for fiscal 2017, officials determined that the foundation is worthy of funding but $4,832 is a sufficient amount, she said. The Martinsville-Henry County 911 Centers allocation is to jump by 4.9 percent, from $438,992 to $460,383. City Manager Leon Towarnicki said the extra $21,391 is to help the center replace an outdated electronic console. Henry-Martinsville Social Services allocation is to rise by 3 percent, from $322,193 to $331,812, which is what the agency requested. Conner said the $9,619 increase stems from an employee pay raise that the state mandated. Under state requirements, were obligated to fund our fair share of the agencys expenses, she said. The city-county magistrates offices allocation is to increase by 16.7 percent, from $3,000 to $3,500, which is what the office requested. Conover said the city helps the office pay miscellaneous expenses such as supplies. Theyve been requesting $3,000 from us (per year) since 2009, so when the request increased modestly, city officials took notice and believe the office needs the extra money, Conover said, noting that it spent all city funds that it received in the past fiscal year. They do a lot of work for us, she said. Eight organizations are not set to receive as much money from Martinsville as they requested. Two requested less money from the city. The Blue Ridge Regional Library originally asked for $295,695 but reduced its request to $292,197, which is level funding, after realizing some savings in employee health insurance costs, the proposed budget shows. The Henry-Martinsville Health Department asked for and is to receive $198,401. That is $4,609, or 2.3 percent, less than the $203,010 it received for the current fiscal year. Martinsville City Council has adopted the proposed fiscal 2017 budget on first reading. When the council meets at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, adoption on second reading which will make the budget official will be considered. They say Virginia is for lovers and now you can document that in pictures, if youre so inclined. Just bring your camera and your loved one(s) to the corner of Mulberry Road and Starling Avenue, near Piedmont Arts, and pose with the 16-foot wide and 7-foot tall letters which spell out LOVE. The letters, called the LOVEwork, will be on display on the corner lot for one week, ending May 11. They were set up on Tuesday. Rooster Walk Music and Arts Festival brought in the letters, at a cost of $500, with funding from a recent marketing grant, said Jason Lagesse, Rooster Walks Director of Administration. Theyre neat to take pictures at, Lagesse said. We want to raise awareness and promote Rooster Walk and Piedmont Arts at the same time. Rooster Walk is holding a photo contest with the LOVE letters, said Johnny Buck of Rooster Walk. Contestants will have their pictures taken at the letters, then post those pictures on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter, tagging both Piedmont Arts and Rooster Walk, and write a reason why they love Rooster Walk or Piedmont Arts. (In order to be able to tag an organization, Facebook users first have to like that organizations page.) A winner will be chosen randomly among all the entries on May 20. The prize will be two single-day tickets to Rooster Walk and a certificate for any two Piedmont Arts On Stage performances. Tim Oliver and Lydia Mayes work for the Virginia Tourism Corporation delivering, setting up and then taking down the LOVEworks. There are four large ones such as in Martinsville now, and two smaller ones, they said. We carry it all over the state for any organization or special events, Oliver said. It gets a lot of attention. People love it. Localities generally display the letters for about a week, he said. On Tuesday, the pair picked up the LOVEwork from where it last was displayed at the Harvester Performing Arts Center in Rocky Mount for that towns Moonshine Festival, then drove the letters to Martinsville, where they set them up on the corner lot. The letters have been traveling Virginia since June 2011, Oliver said: From Virginia Beach to Bristol, we do it all, and everywhere in between. Moseley Architects on Tuesday presented several revised options for a new Henry County Jail to county officials. The Henry County Board of Supervisors, members of the sheriffs office and other county staff met with representatives from the Richmond-based building design firm at Henry County Public Safety. Cary Gill and Mike Jones from Moseley Architects presented options for a 250, 300, 350, and 400-bed facility. Their presentation covered both operational and construction costs. Gill told the board that their next steps in the process, should they choose to construct a new jail, are to acquire the land it would be built on and decide the level of occupancy. Once the board has decided whether it wants to build a jail that can accommodate 250, 300, 350 or 400 inmates, Moseley can move forward with a more detailed proposal. One topic of conversation hinged on the idea of implementing an emergency bed management plan commonly known as double bunking if the need should arise in the future. While some of the eighty square foot rooms could legally house two inmates, adding more than one bed in a room is not an ideal situation, Gill said. Also, reverting to an emergency bed management setting would not change the rating of the facility. For example, he said, if a jail rated as a 300-bed facility with one bed per cell decided to add a second bed to fifty percent of the rooms, the jail would still be rated as a 300-bed facility as opposed to a 450-bed facility. The state provides reimbursements based on a facilitys rating, not its number of occupants. Cary Gill said, Jails double bunk out of necessity because they have no choice; it is never desirable. With some inmates forced to sleep on mattresses on the floor due to overcrowding in the current Henry County Jail, Sheriff Lane Perry expressed his opinion on the matter. You dont want to have two hot tempered individuals in one room, Perry said. Perry, county staff and representatives from Moseley Architects recently visited jails in Virginia to see a variety of layouts. One thing that Perry noticed was that many jails are based on a 40-20-40 plan. Roughly forty percent of inmates are minimum security; twenty percent are maximum security, and forty percent are medium security. Speaking to the board about the condition of Henry Countys current jail, Gill said, Classification is very important. Unfortunately, these guys dont have the facility to do it. Moseley Architects presented three jail styles for the consideration of the board. The jail in Warren County had what Gill called an ideal shape and configuration, being nearly square. Like the jails in Augusta County and Amherst County, the jail in Warren County had an outdoor recreation area in the center of the facility with the walls of the jail surrounding the space. This enclosed style not only cuts down on noise, but it also eliminates the possibility of the public throwing contraband over the fence to inmates. Gill said that one positive feature about the jail in Warren County was that the facility had separate parking lots and entrances for visitors and staff, as well as additional loading docks and entrances for work-release inmates. The adult detention center in Amherst County has visitation by video instead of face to face interactions between inmates and the public; this practice limits security issues. Gill said that another important feature to have in a jail was direct supervision. Henry Countys jail has what Gill called old style linear indirect supervision. The only way staff can see things in your jail is literally to walk down the hall, open the door, and see in, Gill said. Additionally, the officer manning the control room needs a clear line of sight. The construction costs of the new facility that Moseley Architects presented to the board were ninety percent bricks and mortar, Gill said. Given Virginias current state reimbursement rate of twenty-five percent, Gill encouraged the board to move quickly with their decision, as the state may not offer as much reimbursement in 2017. Therefore, if Henry County spent the proposed $44,266,752 on a 300-bed facility, the state would offset the costs by twenty-five percent, bringing Henry Countys total cost to $33,200,064. This total is based on costs estimated by the book, R.S. Means 2016 Square Foot Costs for Jails, Gill said. With no site yet chosen for the proposed jail, Gill encouraged members of the board to tour facilities to get ideas of what they would like to implement in Henry County. Please try to schedule a trip, Gill said. Its worth it. Additionally, the Board of Supervisors approved a transfer appropriation in the amount of $9,600 to cover the cost of installation of new overhead bay doors at the Summerlin Station. In their closed session, the Board of Supervisors exercised the option to evaluate approximately fifty acres of land beyond the runway at the Blue Ridge Airport. If purchased, the airport could expand in the future. Beginning at one minute to midnight on the 3rd May, the 1926 General Strike shook the ruling class of Britain to its foundations. Lasting for nine days, the strike showed the enormous power and solidarity of the working class. 4 million trade unionists - out of a total of 5.5 million - responded to the TUCs call to halt work. Despite no real preparation by the TUC leadership, workers organised - through their own initiative - strike committees up and down the country. Nothing moved without the workers permission. However, despite the strike growing stronger and stronger, the TUC leadership did everything they could to bring the strike to an end, resulting in a crushing defeat. The Communist Party failed to play the revolutionary role required by it, and sowed confusion amongst the advanced workers. The betrayal of the TUC Lefts came like a bolt from the blue, and set the movement back for years. As the crisis of capitalism deepens, we will see the return of general strikes across the world. In Britain, with workers facing austerity and attacks across the board, the demand for a general strike is clearly a necessary one. It is therefore vital that we study the lessons of the 1926 General Strike, in preparing ourselves for such titanic events in the future. Showdown looming The explosive situation that gave rise to the strike had been prepared for years in advance. British capitalism had emerged from the First World War considerably weaker with respect to that of the USA. By the mid 1920s, the German coal industry was also outstripping that of Britain, which relied on antiquated machinery and techniques. Rather than investing to raise productivity, the British ruling class responded by attacking wages and conditions. In 1925, the Tory Prime Minister, Stanley Baldwin, announced at a meeting with the Miners Union: All the workers in this country have got to take reductions in wages to help put industry on its feet". The miners in particular were expected to accept a 13% reduction in their wages to starvation levels, and to work an extra hour each day. Feeling the pressure from below, the Trade Union Congress (TUC) responded by threatening a general strike. Unprepared for such a showdown, the government retreated temporarily, in order to prepare for an all out struggle. A subsidy was given to the coal barons for nine months, whilst the Samuel Commission was established to examine the industry. During this time, the government prepared a scab army by the name of the Organisation for the Maintenance of Supplies (OMS). This included Special Constables and fascists, organised with its sole purpose to confront the working class. After nine months of preparations, the Samuel Commission recommended the same policy that the miners and trade unionists generally had rejected that of increased hours and reduced wages. With the labour movement swinging to the left after the coming to power of the Tories in 1924, the General Council of the TUC was under enormous pressure to act. Workers in all industries correctly saw the miners struggle as their struggle. If the miners were defeated, others would be soon to follow. On May 1st 1926, the decision to strike was carried by 3,653,527 votes to 49,911 votes at the TUC. However, behind the scenes, the General Council, desperate to avoid a struggle, appointed a committee to try to negotiate with the government. The General Council were even prepared to accept a reduction in the miners wages, in order to reach a negotiated settlement. However, the right wing government was determined for a showdown, and used various pretexts in order to call off negotiations. Their aim was to defeat the workers, in order to restore profitability for the ruling class and hold onto their share of the world market. All Out! On the morning of 4th May, millions of workers responded to the call to strike. The first sections to be called out were the miners, dockers, seamen, plus workers in construction (except housing and hospitals), transport, heavy chemicals, and the production of electric light and gas for industry. Although the leaders of the Seamens union refused to join the strike, the rank and file joined in, and thus the strike was solid. The TUC leaders, believing that they would reach a settlement with the government, had made no preparations for the strike. To their surprise, and to the shock of the ruling class, the workers showed their magnificent capacity to improvise and organise from below. Trades Councils in every area formed Councils of Action and strike committees. Nothing could happen without the permission of the working class. The Councils organised picketing, communications, permits for the supply of basic goods, and even workers defence corps to protect against the violence of the state. As the strike developed further into a struggle against the government, the Councils of Action developed increasingly into organs of self-government. In reality they were the embryos of workers power. Unstoppable power Militant demonstrations took place in all the main towns and cities. Clashes with the police were commonplace, and thousands of workers were arrested and imprisoned. Alarmed at the power of the working class, the government sent battleships to the Mersey, the Clyde, and off the coast at Swansea and Cardiff. Two battalions of the army were dispatched to Liverpool, and Hyde Park in London was turned into an armed camp. Despite these attempts to intimidate workers, the strike was unstoppable, with more and more workers coming out each day, including even unorganised workers. On the eighth day of the strike, the engineers and other sections of the working class were called to join the action. In many cases, workers were already out on strike before being called, such was the mood for solidarity across the working class. TUC betrayal Rather than fearing the resistance of the ruling class, who proved impotent in the face of millions of organised workers, the General Council of the TUC were more terrified of the revolutionary implications of the strike. The government spared no time in declaring the strike a challenge to the constitution. The right wing members of the General Council such as Jimmy Thomas, however, rejected this claim, falling over themselves to downplay the militancy of the strike and deny that it was political. They insisted, instead, that it was merely a dispute over wages, terms and conditions. Thomas even went so far as to declare that if the strike was a challenge to the constitution, then God help us, unless the government won. The leadership of the Labour Party, right-wingers such as Ramsay MacDonald, shared the same view. A general strike inevitably poses the question of power. Either it will lead to the conquest of power by the working class, or a severe defeat for the workers. Since even the Lefts on the General Council lacked any perspective of taking power and overthrowing capitalism, they too rejected the political nature of the strike. They did everything they could to compromise with the government, i.e. restore order for the capitalists. It is examples such as this that led Leon Trotsky to assert that betrayal is inherent in reformism. Behind the scenes, the General Council completely capitulated to the government, accepting a reduction in the miners wages, with no guarantees against victimisation. Baldwin announced on the radio that there were no conditions, and that the TUC had accepted this unconditional surrender. This news came as a complete shock to the workers, who could feel the enormous power they wielded during the strike. In response to the sell out, the railmen, dockers, engineers, and other sections renewed the strike, in order to prevent it from ending as a complete rout. Thus two days after the strike had been officially called off, over 100,000 more workers had joined the strike! Faced with this growing anger, Baldwin announced that the employers must take back the workers without victimisation. With the back of the strike broken by its own leadership, workers returned to work in one section after another. The miners held out for another few months, but eventually were starved back to work. Communist Party mistakes Although the most conscious workers expected the betrayal from right wing leaders such as Thomas - and MacDonald - the betrayal of the Lefts on the General Council such as Purcell, Hicks, and Cooke came as a complete surprise. Responsibility for this lies with the mistaken tactics of the Communist Party, who, under orders from Moscow, failed to offer any criticism of such leaders. Instead, they gave revolutionary illusions in such leaders by maintaining the Anglo-Russian Committee: a united front between the revolutionary trade unions in Russia, and the so called left trade union leaders in Britain. They failed to provide any perspective for a struggle beyond the limits of the strike. Had the Communist Party prepared the rank and file for such a betrayal, they could have significantly increased their influence in the trade unions, even in the event of the defeat. Instead, the CPGB could not escape their share of the blame for the sell-out, and therefore suffered as part of the general demoralisation that followed. Lessons for today With capitalism in crisis on a world scale, huge anger is building up against the ruling class everywhere, including in Britain. Workers and youth are being forced to pay for the crisis through attacks to their jobs, wages, terms and conditions, and pensions. This is a finished recipe for class struggle everywhere. Feeling the pressure from below, the TUC passed a resolution in 2012 to look into the practicalities of organising a 24-hour general strike. Yet despite years of considering the practicalities, nothing came of this, since the TUC leaders are terrified of unleashing a real struggle. This was confirmed in 2013, when Len McCluskey led a complete capitulation over the lock-out at the Grangemouth oil refinery, rather than mobilise workers to confront the bosses. Despite this lack of leadership, pressure for a general strike will not go away, as has been evidenced by the junior doctors struggle. Already the teachers union, the NUT, has expressed its desire for joint action against the government. At a recent rally in support of the junior doctors, Mark Serwotka, the general secretary of PCS (the civil servants union), also called for a national day of action in support of the striking medics and in defence of the NHS. With workers everywhere under attack, pressure will build to link up separate struggles with coordinated action. In contrast to 1926, a general strike today would be immeasurably more powerful. In 1926, formerly middle class layers such as teachers, civil servants, doctors, and students attempted to scab the strike. Decades later, these sections of the workforce have been proletarianised and are now organised in some of the most left wing unions. Even if Britains largest union, Unite, called out all its members, it would bring the country to a standstill, given that Unite organises key power, transport, and logistics workers. Added to that, with the power of the rest of the trade union movement, such a strike would be unstoppable, if led by resolute leaders. Given the numerous strikes by many unions over the past period, we support the demand to take such action to the next level with a 24-hour general strike against the Tory government. Such a strike would galvanise the mood of the working class, and give it confidence to go forward in struggle. It is on the basis of big events such as these that workers feel their own strength, and that their consciousness as a class in conflict with the bosses develops. As the class struggle heats up in the future, the question of an indefinite general strike may well emerge. As the 1926 General Strike showed, it must be prepared for with a leadership that is determined and willing to take power. Despite all the magnificent capacity for organisation; despite creating the embryos of workers control: unless the working class has a leadership that is prepared to break with the bankers, capitalists, and landlords, a general strike that does not go all the way will end up with a defeat. The best way that we can commemorate the 1926 General Strike is by taking these lessons on board. 1926 may represent the first General Strike in Britain, but it is unlikely to be the last. Only by struggling to build the Marxist Tendency within the labour movement will we develop a leadership capable of taking future struggles to victory. Captain-America-and-Iron-Man-in-Captain-America-Civil-War.jpg Steve Rogers/Captain America (Chris Evans), left, and Tony Stark/Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.) star in "Captain America: Civil War." (Marvel Studios) FAMILY FOCUS "The Jungle Book" (PG) "Miracles From Heaven" (PG) "Ratchet and Clank" (PG) "Zootopia" (PG) 10 CLOVERFIELD LANE - THREE STARS - (PG-13) Directed by first-timer Dan Trachtenberg, "10 Cloverfield Lane"is not a full-blooded sequel to 2008's "Cloverfield," though it evokes plenty of chills. John Goodman and Mary Elizabeth Winstead star. (106 min.) BATMAN V SUPERMAN: DAWN OF JUSTICE - TWO STARS - (PG-13) All this gloom and doom is just the pits. Ben Affleck and Hery Cavill are just stiffin' around, significantly immobilized by costumes and the screenplay, which overflows with the ham-handed psychosomatic muck that defines them, poorly. Later, both their eyes will glow as they glower at each other, Batman's acting as headlights in his helmet, Superman's burning red with his heat vision, and the imagery is, like, symbolic of things and stuff lurking somewhere in all this unfocused thematic slop. (151 min.) CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR - THREE STAR - (PG-13) In the ashes of "Avengers: Age of Ultron," the brain trust behind Marvel Studios and directors Joe and Anthony Russo have built what is easily one of the strongest films of their so-called cinematic universe with "Captain America: Civil War," an engaging, lively and just flat out fun use of the characters we've gotten to know across the last eight years and 12 films. (147 min.) DEADPOOL - ONE AND A HALF STARS - (R) Nothing is sacred to either "Deadpool" or this character (played with "I'm so naughty" abandon by Ryan Reynolds), which pokes fun at superhero movie culture, Hollywood itself, Reynolds, director Tim Miller, love and human decency -- and that's just in the opening credits. On the page, it sounds like a lot of fun, and it starts out strong with a cheeky, self-awareness, but that wears thin very quickly. (108 min.) THE DIVERGENT SERIES: ALLEGIAN - TWO STARS - (PG-13) The first two films were all Faction-this and Divergent-that, and now that Tris has helped topple the fascist authority lording over her post-apocalyptic home of Chicago, the lingo is different, all Fringe-this and Council-that, a smidgen less cumbersome and pervasive, but just as dull. (121 min.) EYE IN THE SKY - THREE AND A HALF STARS - (PG-13) Helen Mirren and the late Alan Rickman in military thrillers about a top secret drone operation to capture terrorists in Kenya. (102 min.) HELLO MY NAME IS DORIS - THREE AND A HALF STARS - (PG-13) Doris is an aging eccentric who's one trash-pile treasure away from being a hoarder, one Harlequin fantasy away from being a table-for-one lonelyheart, one trip to the shelter away from being a crazy cat lady. She's also the type of movie character who's one mistimed joke away from being the subject of a nasty, point-and-laugh trainwreck. But that doesn't happen. As the title character in "Hello, My Name is Doris," Sally Field finds the sweet spot between mooshy cliche and mean-spirited caricature. (95 min.) THE HUNTSMAN: WINTER'S WAR - TWO STARS - (PG-13) A fairy-tale action adventure, and a sequel to 2012's "Snow White and the Huntsman," in which the titular huntsman leads a mission to stop two warring queens bent on conquering the land. (113 min.) THE JUNGLE BOOK - THREE STARS - (PG) An engaging live-action remake of Disney's animated favorite, though it lacks the charm of the original at times and may be too intense in spots for small children. Vocal talents of Bill Murray, Scarlett Johansson and Christopher Walken are a plus. (105 min.) KEANU - THREE STARS - (R) "Keanu" is about the kitten, and how easy it is to love something so sweet and innocent. You'd think a ridiculous comedy written by and starring Jordan Peele and Keegan-Michael Key - the first cinematic effort from the TV sketch-comedy duo - might be all about the laughs. And although there are many to be had, you'd be wrong. It's about the human inability to resist irrepressible cuteness. (98 min.) LOUDER THAN BOMBS - THREE AND A HALF STARS - (R) On the eve of an exhibition celebrating the career of a deceased war photographer, a New York Times writer plans to publish an article that will reveal what many do not yet know about her death: that the car crash that killed her was a suicide. At the center of the story is the woman's now-teenage son, who still accepts what he was led to believe at age 12, that her death was accidental. (109 min.) MOTHER'S DAY - ONE AND A HALF STARS - (PG-13) Director Garry Marshall continues his insipid travels through the calendar, celebrating holidays with cliche parades and sugary feasts of treacle and contrivance. Like 2010's "Valentine's Day" and 2011's "New Year's Day," the film is ostensibly a comedy, and features a large ensemble of actors gamely trudging through the screenplay equivalent of knee-deep maple syrup. (118 min.) MY BIG FAT GREEK WEDDING 2 - ONE AND A HALF STARS - (PG-13) Recycled jokes and characters from the first movie and the short-lived TV series "My Big Fat Greek Life." (94 min.) ZOOTOPIA - FOUR STARS - (PG) Disney's animated cop buddy movie set in the metropolis of Zootopia. Fung gags mixed with social commentary and an underlying message of tolerance. (100 min.) The Portland Pirates will leave Maine and move to Springfield, replacing the Springfield Falcons, according to a report from Portland-based WCSH. The Pirates are the AHL affiliate of the Florida Panthers. The Portland Press Herald also reported the news on Wednesday, with Mitch Berkowitz, chair of the board of trustees for the team's arena - Cross Insurance Arena - confirming the report that the team would be moving to Springfield. The team had been based in Portland since 1993. The Falcons have been sold to their parent club, the Arizona Coyotes, and are expected to move to Tucson, Ariz. to be closer to the Coyotes this coming season. For the 2015-16 season, the Falcons ranked 30th in the league in attendance, with an average of 3,108 per game. The Pirates ranked 29th, averaging 3,363 per game. Generic school bus A recent study showed that students are more likely to encounter a security guard than a counselor in four of the 10 largest school districts nationwide. Columnist Robert Bardwell discusses the issue of school safety in his latest column. (FILE PHOTO / THE REPUBLICAN) By ROBERT BARDWELL Special to The Republican When I saw the headline, "Miami-Dade Schools Have Twice as Many Security Guards As Counselors," I thought how can that be? Have our schools become so unsafe that we need that many security guards? Or, could it be that counselors are not important enough to have more of them than safety officers? I thought it had to be just a fluke, an outlier, just a random school somewhere out there. But other news outlets also reported that a recent study showed that students are more likely to encounter a security guard than a counselor in four of the 10 largest school districts nationwide. It makes you think and wonder why. Can that really be true? Does this mean that in these four districts (Miami-Dade, Houston, New York and Chicago) schools are that unsafe that the personnel hired to protect students outnumber the very people who are trained to help students successfully navigate the school environment, support academic achievement, provide crisis counseling services and reduce bullying incidents? Granted these are urban districts and more likely to deal with a vast array of issues such as assaults, weapons, illegal contraband and arrests but big doesn't automatically mean unsafe. Conversely, does it mean that counselors are not thought of enough to warrant a greater number? Perhaps a person in a position of authority doesn't feel that they are making a difference or they get paid too much and we can get by without more of them. There is plenty of research to show that appropriately trained and the right number of students to counselor can have highly positive impact on student achievement, career and college opportunities and social emotional development. By the way, the American School Counselor Association recommended student-to-school counselor ratio is 250-to-1. In 2013-2014 the national average was one counselor for every 471 students. A discussion about the ridiculousness about of that statistic will have to wait until a future column however. Either way, the data doesn't make me feel that these are school districts where I would want my children enrolled. Yet, they are some of the biggest districts in the country. Do the majority of families have a choice in where they live? No wonder why so many families seek alternative options such as charter schools. Who wouldn't want a smaller, more secure learning environment where students are safe and have access to high quality and the appropriate ratio of students-to-counselors? Now don't get me wrong; I am all about making sure that our schools are safe and whether it be a trained police officer or security guard, I think they are absolutely critical to maintaining a healthy, positive and secure school environment. I'm not suggesting we eliminate security personnel as we are all in this together and have to work collaboratively to ensure students have all of the resources needed for success. Kids today are much more complex than they were in the past. Just think about the creation of social media, the increase in domestic violence and the number of parents incarcerated or the increase in mental health and ADHD diagnoses. The daily issues that they face and the baggage they bring to school often significantly inhibits learning. Counselors can help address such issues, and security officers provide a sense of safety which is critical to positive student development. But, who is more important? That's an unfair question, and only pits the two groups against each other. Obviously, if money grew on trees, then we could just hire the necessary number of counselors and cops, but we know that is not likely to happen. We have to figure out a solution with few-to-no additional resources since they simply do not exist in most places. If they did, the problem would already be solved. Like many challenges in education there are no easy answers, and it takes visionary leadership to find ways to get more done with fewer resources. Here's to hoping that such leaders exist in all school districts, but especially in those large urban districts where it is obvious the right number of support staff are not in place to ensure safety and success for all students. Robert Bardwell is school counselor and director of guidance and student support services at Monson High School. You can learn more about him and his work online at bobbardwell.com. CHICOPEE -- Police said they arrested a woman, a man and a teenager and seized more than 1,000 packets of heroin in a raid on a home in the Willimansett section of the city Tuesday night. The raid at 131 Crescent Drive was executed after a long investigation by multiple law enforcement agencies into suspected drug dealing, said Michael Wilk, public information officer for the Chicopee Police Department. Police armed with a warrant searched the home at about 8:35 p.m. and uncovered the heroin and drug paraphernalia, he said. Luz Martinez and Ramon Vega, both 35, of 131 Crescent St., were charged with trafficking in heroin and conspiracy to violate drug laws. Both were arraigned in Chicopee District Court on Wednesday, but details of their arraignments were not immediately available, Wilk said. Police also arrested a 17-year-old juvenile on three counts of distribution of heroin, trafficking in heroin and conspiracy to violate drug laws. The teenager, whose name was not released, was held at an alternative lockup overnight before appearing in Hampden County Juvenile Court in Springfield on Wednesday morning, Wilk said. Another resident who was also at home at the time of the raid of the home will be summoned to court, Wilk said. The Department of Children and Families was also contacted to alert officials that a 3-month-old child was living in the apartment, he said. The joint investigation included Chicopee narcotics officers and members of the Holyoke Police Department, the Massachusetts State Police and the Hampden County Sheriff's Department, all working together with Hampden District Attorney Anthony Gulluni's Narcotics Task Force, Wilk said. "Great work by all of the officers involved in getting this junk off the streets before it can hurt anyone. Also, remember, if you see something, please say something. Your assistance in this war on heroin is appreciated," Wilk said. The heroin epidemic has hit Chicopee hard. Statistics released Monday by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health show 18 people died of opioid overdoses in the city in 2015, which is more than double the six who died of overdoses in 2014. Nine people died of overdoses in Chicopee 2012 as well as in 2013. Le Stewards Report de la HRD de la 11e journee hippique est public et le Stewards Panel compose de R. M. Khan (Chairperson), D. Moodley (Boardroom), T.s. Mahendher (Main Tower) et S. Thakan, a mis a lamende K Teetan. Ce dernier aurait enfreint la regle 208(d) et aura a payer Rs 5000.00, reprimande pour R. Boutanive pour avoir mis les mauvaises couleurs. A noter que Soul Connection a ete euthanasiee apres avoir cassee son fore fetlock Partager et informez vous aussi...... 0 shares Share Tweet LinkedIn Articles similaires The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has launched a consultation into whether changes should be introduced to the chilling requirements of Qurbani meat and offal supplied from slaughterhouses in England and Wales during the period of Eid al-Adha. TORs of Natural Resource Management Specialist for DR Congo Job Title: Natural Resource Management Specialist Network: GENDR (Environment and Natural Resources) Hiring Manager: Benoit Bosquet Department / Division: GEN07 Grade: GF Location Kinshasa, Congo Democratic Republic Appointment Type: Term (2 years, Local Hire) HR Contact: Dorcas Lasme Adou Language Preferences: English [Essential], French [Essential] * If the selected candidate is a current Bank Group staff member with a regular or Open-Ended appointment, s/he will retain his/her Regular or Open-Ended appointment. All others will be offered a 2 year renewable term appointment. 1. Background / General description Sustainable environment and natural resources management (ENRM) is at the heart of the World Bank Groups (WBG) poverty agenda. Biodiversity and natural resources constitute the social safety net of the poor, representing a food bank and often their only source of livelihood. Sustainable ENRM promotes a green clean, and resilient world where natural resources - from forests to fisheries, freshwater, oceans, coastal zones and ecosystems - are managed to support livelihoods and strong economies. Sustainable ENRM builds a world better prepared for shocks and global challenges, helping countries limit their exposure to resource scarcity, more-volatile weather patterns, and the long-term consequences of climate change. Forests play a key role in the national development of African countries and are central to poverty reduction efforts and economic development. Forest products provide a significant share of the livelihoods of the poorest people. They create employment and have the potential of creating more and better jobs. If managed well, the share of the forestry sector in GDP and tax revenues could increase considerably. This would require improved governance, stricter law enforcement, but also more investments in the forestry sector. In addition, key economic sectors such as agriculture, mining and transport can become more forest-friendly so that forests can occupy a more secure place in the landscape and national development plans. The Environment and Natural Resources (ENR) Global Practice has been set up to deliver on the opportunities, benefits and outcomes offered by enhanced management of the environment and natural resources. The ENR GP has close to 300 operations under management, representing $7 billion, and a growing pipeline of new investments under active development. ENRM activities in Sub-Saharan Africa represent a substantial part of the ENR GP Portfolio. Sub-Saharan Africa, with a population of around 875 million people in 47 countries, is home to 36 of the worlds poorest countries. Making headway against poverty in sub-Saharan Africa continues to present the world with its most formidable development challenge. The World Banks Environment and Natural Resources Global Practice for Africa (GEN07) covers the following business lines: GREEN: Forests, Watersheds & Sustainable Landscapes - managing renewable natural capital across landscapes; BLUE: Marine, Coastal & Aquatic Resources - unlocking the wealth of marine, coastal and fresh water economies; BROWN: Pollution Management & Environmental Health - reducing pollution to improve environmental conditions; Clean and Resilient Growth: - fostering economics and institutions for sustainable and sustained growth; and Environmental Risk Management & Sustainability: Managing risks and creating opportunity to advice sustainable development. Within the ENR Global Practice, the GEN07 unit covers West and Central Africa and Indian Ocean islands). This unit develops and manages operations in a variety of areas such as natural resources management, coastal zone management, forestry, pollution, landscape and terrestrial and marine natural resources. More specifically the mission of GEN07 is to work with national and local governments and with communities to improve sustainable management of natural resources and improve preparedness to natural disasters in 26 countries, including the Democratic of Republic of Congo. In this country, GEN07 is in charge of cross-cutting themes such as carbon finance and reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation, forest carbon stock conservation, sustainable management of forests and enhancement of forest carbon stocks (REDD+). To this end, the Bank manages a growing portfolio of projects from a variety of funding sources, such as the Forest Carbon Partnership Facility (FCPF), the Forest Investment Program (FIP) and its Dedicated Grant Mechanism for Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities (DGM), the Central African Forest Initiative (CAFI), and the Global Environment Facility (GEF). These projects address cross-cutting themes such as carbon finance and reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation, forest carbon stock conservation, sustainable management of forests and enhancement of forest carbon stocks (REDD+). The Bank task team is blending funding from these various sources to provide programmatic support to the Democratic Republic of Congo. 2. Duties and Accountabilities The Bank is recruiting an Environmental Specialist to: 1. Support the GEN07 in the preparation and implementation of lending operations in coordination with the government of the Democratic Republic of Congo, donors and other stakeholders particularly in the areas of forests, natural resource management, and biodiversity conservation. More specifically the staff to be hired will be expected to: Support and/or lead operational and analytical work on REDD+, forests and the links to poverty reduction and development in the context of economic development and rational land use across sectors. Support the Democratic Republic of Congo in finalizing its Emission Reductions Program Document in accordance with the FCPF Carbon Fund Participants expectations. Support the preparation of projects or programs up to contract signing (Emission Reductions Payment Agreement under the FCPF, Grant Agreements under the CAFI and the GEF). Support the task team leaders in project supervision (FCPF, FIP, DGM, and GEF projects) Facilitate and maintain effective communication with local partners, NGOs, civil society, the private sector, as well as specialized international organizations. Contribute to GENDR and corporate tasks related to forests in the Democratic Republic of Congo and beyond. Contribute to country team discussions (SCDs, CPFs, etc.). Support engagement around environmental issues with focus on environmental management and forests and contribute towards translating these dialogues into proposals for IDA, GEF or international climate financing opportunities. Contribute at the corporate level to knowledge sharing, particularly in the area of forests and natural resources and share experience through participation to BBLs, thematic groups meetings, etc. 2. Provide environmental safeguards support to investment operations under preparation and supervision by other Global Practices in the Democratic Republic of Congo, which may involve: During project preparation: identify which of the Banks safeguards policies will be triggered; assist the borrower/project implementation agency in preparing these instruments and review them for quality; contribute well-written summaries of key safeguards instruments for inclusion in project documentation. During project implementation: supervise compliance with the Banks safeguards policies by building effective working relationships with the borrower/project implementation agency to ensure proper understanding of the policies; help the borrower/implementing agency apply the safeguards policies effectively. During both preparation and implementation: go beyond narrow policy compliance to look for opportunities to improve the environmental outcomes of the project he/she is supporting; work closely with the Social Safeguards Specialist assigned to each operation and provide back up support as required. The proportion of time spent on 1) and 2) could be 75-25%, but it would depend on business needs and may vary over time. 3. Selection Criteria Competencies Knowledge and Experience in Development Arena - Understands policy making process; distills operationally relevant recommendations/lessons for clients. - Understands policy making process; distills operationally relevant recommendations/lessons for clients. Policy Dialogue Skills - Identifies and assesses policy issues and plays an active role in the dialogue with the government and/or other stakeholders. - Identifies and assesses policy issues and plays an active role in the dialogue with the government and/or other stakeholders. Integrative Skills - Working to develop an integrated view across all facets of current sector. - Working to develop an integrated view across all facets of current sector. Environmental Policy, Strategy and Institutions - Familiarity with environmental policies, strategies, institutions, and regulations. - Familiarity with environmental policies, strategies, institutions, and regulations. Environmental Sciences - Depth in at least one area: water; ecosystems; forests; conservation; agriculture concerns, etc. - Depth in at least one area: water; ecosystems; forests; conservation; agriculture concerns, etc. Lead and innovate - Develops innovative solutions. - Develops innovative solutions. Deliver Results for Clients - Proactively addresses clients stated and unstated needs. - Proactively addresses clients stated and unstated needs. Collaborate within Teams and Across Boundaries - Collaborates across boundaries, gives own perspective and willingly receives diverse perspectives. - Collaborates across boundaries, gives own perspective and willingly receives diverse perspectives. Create, Apply and Share Knowledge - Applies knowledge across WBG to strengthen solutions for internal and/or external clients. - Applies knowledge across WBG to strengthen solutions for internal and/or external clients. Make Smart Decisions- Interprets a wide range of information and pushes to move forward. Other Selection Criteria In addition to the above the above core competencies the following criteria will have to be satisfied for the position of Environmental Specialist: Masters degree or equivalent academic qualification in a relevant discipline with a preference given to forestry, and as alternatives environmental science, environmental economics, biology, public policy, or equivalent; Minimum of 5 years of professional experience in the environmental sector, including proven experience in forest landscape projects; Good knowledge of environmental legislation and institutions in Central African countries; Familiarity with the application of the World Banks environmental safeguards policies; Familiarity with social safeguards issues and particularly an understanding of social issues related to forests. In addition the following skills will be particularly considered during the selection process: Understanding of the programmatic approach to forests; Understanding of the Banks assistance to the forest sector in the Democratic Republic of Congo, including of the various funding instruments that make up the Banks support to the government; Strong understanding of REDD+ as a policy instrument, including of the use and design of jurisdictional REDD+ emission reductions programs; Field experience in the forest sector; Capacity to articulate the role of forests in economic development and to position forests in national development plans, in relation to other development priorities; Strong client orientation with the ability to build an understanding with implementing agency counterparts on the value-added of Bank operations; Ability to work in multidisciplinary teams on diverse and complex tasks; Drive for results while working with limited supervision and under tight timelines; Ability to solve problems rather than merely identify them; Ability to think innovatively and negotiate effectively; Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English and French; Willingness to travel internationally as necessary. Electronic Applications For the full position description and complete selection criteria and required competencies, qualified candidates are requested to submit an on-line application at www.worldbank.org/careers. Click on > Current job openings >job # 161091. The World Bank is committed to achieving diversity of gender, nationality, culture and educational background. Individuals with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply. Closing date for receipt of applications is May 31, 2016. Only selected candidates will be contacted. Anybody all misty about the traditions of televisions Upfronts abandoned by digitals NewFronts would have been cheered by Defy Medias advertiser presentation on Tuesday. It started with a big screen run down of the the daily schedule---dozens of shows that with new episodes that arrive at the same time, every time, like TVs schedule board. We are committed to all of these shows, said Defy President Keith Richman, about the titles behind him. Most of the similarities between TV and Devy end there because Defys content is edgier and totally focused on millennials (and, of course, usually shorter). At NewFronts, Defy said it would introduce 30 new programs over its seven brands, and tweaked other NewFronts presenters by repeatedly pointing out that unlike some of the others, Defy actually produces the content it announces. Matt Diamond, the CEO, asked buyers in the audience to sit back at other NewFronts and ask whether theyre at a programming presentation or are you literally sitting in green-lighting conference hoping to use NewFronts to find backers. Defy, which claims 100 million social followers and 800 million video viewers across all of its channels, thinks the discipline in its operation, including the scheduling, creates and builds viewer loyalty. Diamond said after the session that Defy shows always get their biggest swell of viewers on their original release days. (Those schedules are relentless, too. Afterward, SMOSH star Ian Hecox said he and his partner Anthony Padilla, have not skipped a week from their Friday schedule and that show is celebrating 10 years on YouTube.) The brand announced new packages for advertisers in which it can buy advertising in all four of Defys main platforms and know exactly when and what content it will appear with, or work directly with Defy program creators to craft specific brand campaigns. Another ad avenue, called badging, allows advertiser to essentially buy a brought to you by ID, similar, once again, to televisions ages-old sponsorship ad buys. Among the new shows announced was These 5 People, a sketch series from Defys best known brand, SMOSH, in which five people will play out five normal but opposed reactions to a situation, as in a romantic break-up where reactions range from vengeful to catatonic to elation. (An improvised episode videotaped from the actors New York hotel rooms Monday night quickly gathered in a quarter-million viewers when it was posted on Facebook, Defy said.) On its Clevver channel, Defy will debut Beauty Trippin in which hosts Joslyn Davis and Lily Marston are taken to experience bizarre beauty and fitness treatments, the hook being they dont know what it is until they get there. Another show Diss-Track, lets comedians and lyricists seemingly from the ]Weird Al Yankovic School of Music, and actors impersonating famously feuding stars, sing nasty songs to each other, in a kind of musical version of the poisonous tweets celebs tend to aim at other celebs these days. by Larissa Faw , May 3, 2016 MDC Partners today downplayed Gotham City Research's 40-page report that questions its worth equating the advertising holding company to Valeant Pharmaceuticals, but with understated debts. On a call with analysts to discuss its first quarter financial results, MDC CEO Scott Kauffman called the Gotham report "misleading and inaccurate." "We take strong issue with every single element of this report," said Kauffman. The report "raises issues that have long been addressed" in a way that is designed to "destroy shareholder value." Still, the company's revenue growth missed analyst expectations for the first quarter, with a gain of 2.3% to $309 million. Wall Streets consensus estimate was between $320 million-$323 million. Organic revenue increased 2.2% and net new business wins totaled $19.8 million (on a revenue basis). The company added clients including Campbell's, Jose Cuervo, and Four Seasons. It expects to make two to three acquisitions this year. advertisement advertisement We remain on track to achieve our annual financial guidance despite uneven organic revenue growth in the first quarter," said Kauffman. "Adjusted [earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization] grew 5.3% and the underlying business fundamentals and our prospects remain as solid as ever. While investors have become concerned about MDCs balance sheet, the company says it is in a "competitive and enviable position." The company's net loss attributable to shareholders was $23.3 million compared to $32.1 million in Q1 2015. MDC addressed specific issues raised by Gotham City's report saying the research "cherry-picked" numbers and that it represented a "fundamental lack of understanding of our industry." Kauffman added that the SEC investigation remains on-going without any expectations of when it will officially be resolved. Although Gotham City Research continues to stand by its findings, other Wall Street analysts are lining up behind MDC. BMO's Dan Salmon issued an equity report that advises "putting aside the Homer Simpson quotes, typos, and flamboyant comparisons to Valeant and others, we found miscalculations and mostly old news." Although "we may examine the report in more detail, an early read provides no materially new or compelling arguments." Responding to a query late Tuesday, Gotham issued this response via email: After listening to the call, we are more confident that we are (at least) approximately right. It's better to be approximately right, than precisely wrong." Gotham added, "You will note that [in response to] every single article we published [the target company has] reacted in the same manner. The fraudsters always behave the same way. They never admit to their deceptions." Albert Fried's Richard Tullo says that since MDC added cash to the balance sheet and a recent debt offering was well received in the market, "we think the credit rating agencies will view the move as modestly positive to positive and may even upgrade MDCA sometime in late 2016 or early 2017." However, Tullo's bounty on uncovering the identity of Gotham City's founder continues to remain unclaimed. Tullo notes "no one in the media has been able to or willing to vet Gotham City - a blog site with no SEC registrations, address, or telephone number," he says. "Right or wrong, Gotham City, if it actually exists needs to be transparent." Each year, more than 250,000 deaths in the United States occur as a result of medical error, making it the third leading cause of death in the country. This is the conclusion of a new study published in The BMJ. Share on Pinterest Researchers say medical error is the third leading cause of death in America, after heart disease and cancer. Each year, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) compile a list of the leading causes of death in the U.S., based on information recorded on death certificates. However, medical error does not currently feature on death certificates. This is because there is no International Classification of Disease (ICD) code a tool used to classify causes of death, adopted in the U.S. in 1949 assigned to medical error. At that time, it was under-recognized that diagnostic errors, medical mistakes and the absence of safety nets could result in someones death, and because of that, medical errors were unintentionally excluded from national health statistics, explains study co-author Martin Makary, of Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in Baltimore, MD. Since the ICD system is used to inform mortality statistics for 117 countries including the U.S., the United Kingdom, and Canada there is limited data on the number of deaths attributable to medical error. Medical error kills more people than chronic respiratory illness With the aim of addressing this data gap, Makary and his colleague Michael Daniel also of Johns Hopkins School of Medicine analyzed the results of four studies that assessed the rate of medical death in the U.S. between 2000-2008. Share on Pinterest This infographic highlights medical error as the third leading cause of death in the U.S. Image credit: The BMJ 2016 One of these studies, the authors note, was from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. Combining that data with the number of hospital admission rates that occurred in the U.S. in 2013, the researchers estimated that 251,454 deaths occur as a result of medical error each year. They point out that the CDC list of the leading causes of death in the U.S. puts heart disease at the top (responsible for 611,105 deaths), cancer as the second leading cause (548,881 deaths), and chronic respiratory disease as the third leading cause of death (149,205 deaths). Therefore, the annual rate of medical error deaths of 251,454 estimated in this study suggests medical error is the third leading cause of death in the U.S. Based on their results, the authors call for medical errors to be classified as a separate cause of death on medical certificates a move that would enable researchers and public health organizations to better understand the scale of the problem. Top-ranked causes of death as reported by the CDC inform our countrys research funding and public health priorities, notes Makary. Right now, cancer and heart disease get a ton of attention, but since medical errors dont appear on the list, the problem doesnt get the funding and attention it deserves. Aedes mosquitoes carrying the bacterium Wolbachia - found inside the cells of 60 percent of all insect species -are drastically less able to transmit Zika virus, say researchers at Brazil's Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (FIOCRUZ) in a study published in Cell Host & Microbe. This is the first report on the effect of Wolbachia bacteria on Zika virus. Originally inserted into Aedes eggs as part of the Eliminate Dengue Program, the bacterium is passed on from mother mosquitoes to offspring, so it is a sustainable control agent. The approach is already being piloted to control Dengue virus transmission and, with the proper resources and approvals, there's infrastructure in place to increase the scale of current trials to also help tackle the Zika epidemic. Wolbachia bacteria were first identified in 2005 as a way to combat mosquito-borne infections. After four years, researchers were successful in their attempts to isolate the bacterium from fruit flies and get it inside Aedes mosquitoes' eggs, without using any genetic alteration. They expected Wolbachia to shorten mosquitoes' lifespans, but the bacterium provided an added bonus, in that it heavily reduced the Dengue virus replication in the mosquito. The bacterium, it seems, has the same effect on Zika transmission. The same effect was previously seen on Chikungunya virus, also transmitted by Aedes mosquitoes. "The idea has been to release Aedes mosquitoes with Wolbachia in the field over a period of a few months, so they mate with Aedes mosquitoes without Wolbachia living in the place and, over time, replace the mosquito population," says senior author Luciano Moreira of the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation. He is also actively involved in the Eliminate Dengue Program, a non-profit that is testing the approach in 40 locations around the world. "Zika and Dengue belong in the same family of viruses, so with the outbreak in Brazil, the logical idea was to test the mosquitoes carrying Wolbachia by challenging them with Zika virus and see what would happen" he says. Moreira's team gave Brazilian field mosquitoes and Wolbachia-infected mosquitoes Zika virus by feeding them human blood infected by two recent strains of the virus that is circulating in Brazil. After two weeks, the researchers saw that mosquitoes carrying Wolbachia had fewer viral particles in their bodies and saliva. The tests showed that the virus present in the mosquito saliva was not active - meaning that, after biting, the mosquito would not be able to transmit Zika virus. The reason for this drop in viral reproduction is unknown, but one theory is that because Wolbachia lives inside of the mosquito's cells, if the virus goes inside the cell to replicate, then there is an internal competition for resources. Surprisingly, this drop held true no matter how many Wolbachia the mosquito carried. "Wolbachia showed to be as effective on Zika as the most important Dengue experiments we did," Moreira says. He cautions that the strategy is not 100 percent effective nor will it eliminate the virus. "We know that there will not be only one solution for Zika - we have to do this alongside different approaches, like vaccines or insecticides, besides the public measures to control Aedes breeding sites." He is currently discussing the Wolbachia approach with the Brazilian Ministry of Health, hoping to raise the resources and public support to test its effect on Zika in the field. This work was supported by FAPEMIG, CNPq, CAPES, the Brazilian Ministry of Health (DECIT/SVS), and a grant to Monash University from the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health through the Vector-Based Transmission of Control: Discovery Research (VCTR) program of the Grand Challenges in Global Health Initiatives of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Millions of people around the world use herbal health remedies, following a tradition that began millennia ago. Many believe that herbs are safe because they have been used for many years, but researchers from Baylor College of Medicine and Stony Brook University are raising awareness that long-term use of herbal remedies is no guarantee of their safety. The invited commentary appears in EMBO reports. Dr. Donald M. Marcus, professor emeritus of medicine and immunology at Baylor, and Dr. Arthur P. Grollman, distinguished professor of pharmacological sciences at Stony Brook University, discuss the scientific evidence showing that the plant Aristolochia can cause aristolochic acid nephropathy (AAN). People with this condition experience interstitial nephritis, renal failure and cancers of the urinary track. The authors remark that in Taiwan, according to the national prescription database, between 1997 and 2003, 8 million people were exposed to herbals containing Aristolochia. Studies of patients with renal failure and cancer in Taiwan and China show that tens of millions of people in those countries are at risk of AAN. In genetically susceptible people, consuming Aristolochia can lead to the formation of complexes between aristolactam, a compound in Aristolachia, and DNA in renal tissues. These complexes lead to mutations in the TP53 tumor suppressor gene, which in turn initiate the process toward kidney cancer. Additional studies have shown that this process may also lead to the development of cancer in the liver and the bladder. Marcus and Grollman indicate that other herbals and traditional medicines are responsible for severe adverse events in Africa and Asia, but in these cases epidemiological data are lacking. Although Aristolochia has been used as a herbal remedy for more than 2000 years, "the intrinsic toxicities were not recognized, owing, in large part, to the latency period between exposure and the onset of symptomatic disease, and, in part, to genetic determinants that confer susceptibility to only approximately 5 percent of those exposed to this herb," said the authors. The long-term scientific study of AAN revealed the association of the disease with Aristolochia. Almost all carcinogens and many toxins require a long period of time before symptoms appear. This makes it very difficult for a layman or a professional to identify a particular compound as the cause of an illness when it was taken months or years earlier. "The history of Aristolachia indicates that other herbs that have been used for a long time may also have toxic and/or carcinogenic compounds," said the authors. "It is prudent to assume that many herbs may contain toxic or carcinogenic substances that can cause subsequent health problems for humans." Marcus and Grollman disagree with the World Health Organization's endorsement of the use of traditional herbal remedies on the premise that traditional medicine is of proven quality, without mentioning the lack of scientific evidence supporting the efficacy of herbal remedies or their demonstrated hazards, as in the case of Aristolochia. The authors emphasize that their primary concern is "the prevention of toxicities associated with herbal medicine and not a categorical rejection of traditional healing practices. Herbal remedies pose a global hazard. We encourage the global health community to take actions that will evaluate both long- and short-term safety, as well as the efficacy of botanical products in widespread use." Global hazards of herbal remedies: lessons from Aristolochia. Arthur P Grollman, Donald M Marcus. EMBO reports. DOI:10.15252/embr.201642375. Published online April 25, 2016. A large cross-sectional study focused on women with migraines with aura and compared their brain MRI images with those of women not suffering from migraine. No differences between these two groups of women were found with regard to number of silent infarcts and white matter hyperintensities (WMH). The findings were published in Brain. More than 10% of the female population suffers from migraines. Migraines with aura is seen in one out of three of these patients, who experience transitory neurological symptoms in connection with their migraine attacks. Previous studies raised concern with regard to a possible connection between migraines and an increased risk of silent brain infarcts and white matter hyperintensities, particularly in women suffering from migraine with aura. Silent brain infarcts and WMHs have been reported to increase the risk of dementia. "This prompted us to evaluate whether women with migraine with aura might be more likely to have evidence of silent brain infarcts and an increased load of white matter hyperintensities on their brain scans," says research team leader Dr David Gaist of the Odense University Hospital and University of Southern Denmark. The researchers identified women between 30 and 60 years of age through the Danish Twin Registry. This nationwide registry enabled them to identify 172 women with migraine with aura (cases), and 139 unrelated women with no migraine (controls) who underwent MRI brain imaging at a single centre. Thirty four co-twins who, unlike their participating twin sisters, did not suffer from migraine with aura, were also scanned. "We found no evidence of an association between migraine with aura and silent brain infarcts or white matter hyperintensities," says Dr Gaist. "This held true for the main analyses comparing cases with unrelated controls, and for analyses focusing on twin pairs where one twin suffered from migraine with aura, and the other did not." "We believe patients suffering from migraines with aura and their physicians should find these results re-assuring," says Dr Gaist. This study was conducted in collaboration with the Danish Research Centre for Magnetic Resonance and the Danish Headache Center. The study received support from the Lundbeck Foundation, Novo Nordisk Foundation & Fabrikant Vilhelm Pedersen & Hustrus legat, Fonden til Lgevidenskabens Fremme A.P.Mller og Hustru Chastina Mc-Kinney Mllers Fond til Almene Formaal, and Odense University Hospital. Migraine with aura and risk of silent brain infarcts and white matter hyperintensities: an MRI study. David Gaist, Ellen Garde, Morten Blaabjerg, Helle H. Nielsen, Thomas Krigard, Kamilla Ostergaard, Harald S. Mller, Jacob Hjelmborg, Camilla G. Madsen, Pernille Iversen, Kirsten O. Kyvik, Hartwig R. Siebner, Messoud Ashina Brain. DOI:10.1093/brain/aww099. Published online 2 May 2016. Researchers have found that a variety of conditions are more common in women before and after sexual assault. Compared with women without a known assault experience, those who experienced sexual assault were more likely to have diseases of the circulatory and respiratory systems, epilepsy, and liver disease, both before and after the assault. They were also more likely to develop cervical cancer after the assault. The investigators also found that the number of visits to a general practitioner was significantly higher in exposed women both before and after the assault. Complications associated with childbirth were not statistically different between the groups. "The susceptibility of women exposed to a sexual assault is demonstrated by an increased somatic morbidity before as well as after the assault," said Dr. Mie-Louise Larsen, lead author of the Acta Obstetricia et Gynecologica Scandinavica study, which included 2,501 women who attended the Centre for Victims of Sexual Assault in Copenhagen and 10,004 women without a known assault experience. In a cross-national study of what European schools are doing to support student mental health and well-being, 47% of surveyed schools indicated that mental health provision is a high/essential priority, but more than half did not implement a school policy regarding mental health. Half the 1346 surveyed schools - which were located in France, Germany, Ireland, Netherlands, Poland, Serbia, Spain, Sweden, UK, and Ukraine - reported not providing sufficient support, with barriers including limited staff capacity, funding, and access to specialists and local mental health services, as well as a lack of national policy. Responses varied by country with 8% to 19% between-country variation across the study outcomes. For example, just over a third of Serbian and French schools indicated having sufficient support in school for their students' mental health compared with more than four-fifths of responding Dutch schools. "With the increasing focus on schools as the setting for early identification and support for children's mental health, our findings highlight the need for greater resources, training, and access to specialists and services in schools," said Dr. Praveetha Patalay, lead author of the Child and Adolescent Mental Health study. Clinical equivalence of partial breast irradiation (PBI) and whole breast irradiation (WBI) has been demonstrated in two key phase III randomized trials: the Groupe Europeen de Curietherapie European Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology (GEC-ESTRO) trial administering PBI in five days with multicatheter interstitial brachytherapy ( published in the Lancet ), and the IMPORT-Low trial administering PBI in three weeks with IMRT (presented at the 10th European Breast Cancer Conference). Additional results from the GEC-ESTRO trial (abstract #OC-0481), a multicenter phase III study comparing APBI with interstitial multicatheter brachytherapy to WBI were presented by Prof. Csaba Polgar MD, PhD, MSc, Professor and Head of the Radiotherapy Center at the National Institute of Oncology in Budapest, Hungary and co-lead study author, at ESTRO. The primary objective of the GEC-ESTRO trial was to assess the role of APBI brachytherapy alone compared to WBI with boost in a defined group of patients with invasive (stage I-IIA) breast cancer or ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS; stage 0) who underwent breast-conserving surgery. Researchers evaluated a total of 1,184 patients aged 40 years and above who were randomized to a standardized treatment arm (WBI, n=551) or an investigational treatment arm (APBI, n=633). The median follow up in the study was 6.6 years. "My colleagues and I are pleased to share the data from the GEC-ESTRO trial which further validate the established and growing body of clinical evidence supporting APBI with multicatheter interstitial brachytherapy as a safe and effective alternative to WBI," says Prof. Polgar. "The convenience of this five-day treatment coupled with excellent cosmetic outcomes make this a very attractive treatment option for women with early breast cancer." Previous findings from the multicenter study conducted by GEC-ESTRO, already published in the Lancet, demonstrate that APBI with multicatheter interstitial brachytherapy has an equivalent rate of overall survival, disease-free survival and local and regional cancer control as compared to traditional WBI with boost after breast conserving surgery for selected patients with stage 0-II breast cancer. At five-year follow-up, cumulative recurrence rates for WBI and APBI were 1.44% and 0.92% (p=0.42) respectively. Five-year overall survival was 95.55% with WBI versus 97.27% for APBI and a low incidence of all serious late side effects (around 3% in both arms) was noted. The new data presented provide additional insights into the late side effect and cosmetic results. Among the 1,184 original study patients, five-year follow-up records on late toxicities and cosmetic results were available for 969 patients (82%). The five-year toxicity profile was similar for patients treated with breast conserving surgery followed by either APBI using interstitial multicatheter brachytherapy or conventional WBI with tumor bed boost. However, a trend towards fewer late skin side effects and better cosmetic results was observed in the APBI arm. There were no grade 4 toxicities reported. The cumulative incidence of grade 2-3 late skin toxicity at five years was 5.7% with WBI vs 3.2% with APBI (p=0.08). The cumulative risk of grade 2-3 late subcutaneous tissue effects at 5 years was 6.3% with WBI vs 7.6% with APBI (p=0.53). The cumulative incidence of severe (grade 3) fibrosis at five years was 0.2% with WBI and 0% with APBI (p=0.46). The cumulative incidence of grade 2-3 breast pain was low in both the WBI and APBI arms (3.2% vs 1.4%;p=0.04). The rate of excellent/good cosmetic results judged by patients was 87.2% with WBI vs 90.4% with APBI ,and 86.7% with WBI vs 88.2% with APBI (p=0.07) when scored by physicians. However, significantly more patients (43.6% vs 30.9%; p=00002) experienced excellent cosmetic results after APBI. "APBI with interstitial multicatheter brachytherapy offers a significantly shorter treatment course with equivalent local tumor control, less late skin side effects, and better cosmetic results compared to conventional WBI," concludes Prof. Polgar. "Early stage breast cancer has high unmet medical needs and places an enormous physical, emotional and economic burden on women, families and health care systems," notes Prof. Vratislav Strnad, MD, PhD, chair of the GEC-ESTRO Breast Cancer Working Group and radiation oncologist at the Department of Radiation Oncology of University Hospital in Erlangen, Germany. "We anticipate these data will drive significant changes in how clinicians approach early stage breast cancer treatment in patients 50 years and older and place APBI multicatheter brachytherapy as an accepted standard alternative to whole breast irradiation." About APBI with Brachytherapy Accelerated partial breast irradiation with brachytherapy (APBI brachytherapy) is a shortened course of high-dose radiation therapy for early-stage breast cancer patients where radiation is delivered directly into the tumor bed. APBI brachytherapy is delivered as part of breast conservation therapy (BCT), which consists of lumpectomy surgery followed by radiation. The traditional approach for radiation therapy as part of BCT has been whole breast irradiation (WBI). A full course of WBI exposes the entire breast and surrounding critical structures to radiation and requires daily treatments for three to seven weeks where radiation is delivered from outside the breast. APBI brachytherapy delivers radiation only to the lumpectomy cavity and immediate surrounding tissue. APBI brachytherapy offers three significant advantages over WBI: a reduction in total radiation exposure, particularly to the heart, lungs and skin, a reduced treatment time and the preservation of future organ sparing treatment options. Researchers at Johns Hopkins All Children's Hospital report the results of a double-blinded randomized controlled trial of the "Xiao procedure" in children with spina bifida. The multidisciplinary research group studied children and adolescents with myelomeningocele or lipomyelomeningocele who underwent spinal cord detethering with or without addition of the Xiao procedure to assess the procedure's effectiveness in achieving bladder control. Children with these types of congenital spinal cord defects frequently suffer from neurogenic bladder dysfunction, which may lead to lifelong urinary incontinence. The Xiao procedure was touted for many years in China as being more than 80 percent effective in such patients. In the present study population, the researchers found the procedure to be ineffective in all patients at producing bladder control. Full details of this study can be found in the article "Lack of efficacy of an intradural somatic-to-autonomic nerve anastomosis (Xiao procedure) for bladder control in children with myelomeningocele and lipomyelomeningocele: results of a prospective, randomized, double-blind study," by Gerald F. Tuite, MD, and colleagues, published today online, ahead of print, in the Journal of Neurosurgery: Pediatrics. Background Myelomeningocele and lipomyelomeningocele are two forms of spina bifida, a neural tube defect in which spine components fail to develop normally during the first few weeks of gestation. In most cases of spina bifida, the lower portion of the spinal cord becomes tethered to inelastic structures, limiting its movement within the spinal canal. This can cause pain, muscle weakness, foot and spine deformities, and bladder and bowel incontinence. Although surgery is regularly performed to detether the spinal cord, some patients continue to have limitations in their walking ability and/or bladder and bowel function. The inability to control bladder and bowel functions hugely diminishes a person's quality of life. The potential of normalizing bladder function would be extremely valuable to patients affected by spina bifida, and this is what the Xiao procedure offered when first proposed. The Xiao procedure, developed by Dr. Chuan-Guo Xiao, is designed to achieve bladder control in patients who suffer bladder incontinence due to spinal cord injury or spina bifida. During the procedure, a motor nerve leading from the spinal cord to the leg is rerouted and attached to a nerve leading to the bladder, creating a new reflex arc. If formation of the new reflex arc is successful, patients reportedly have been able to initiate urination by scratching their skin, which initiates the new spinal cord reflex. According to reports by Xiao and coworkers, the results of this procedure were excellent in 85 percent of patients with spina bifida after one year. Other surgical teams have had varied results, but the present study is the first in which a control group was used for a comparison. Present Study Tuite and colleagues studied the effectiveness of the Xiao procedure in pediatric patients (younger than 21 years of age) with neurogenic bladder dysfunction who required detethering of the spinal cord related to a myelomeningocele or lipomyelomeningocele. The researchers enrolled 20 patients into the study between 2009 and 2012, randomly assigning them to one of two surgical groups: 1) patients undergoing detethering of the spinal cord alone (DT, the control group) or 2) patients undergoing detethering of the spinal cord plus the Xiao procedure (DT+X, the experimental group). The study was double blinded because neither the patients, their families, nor research personnel who performed follow-up evaluations knew whether a particular patient had undergone spinal cord detethering alone or with the Xiao procedure. Before the study commenced, members of the research team traveled to China to observe Dr. Xiao perform the procedure, and Dr. Xiao supervised the first seven operations at the study center, Johns Hopkins All Children's Hospital, in Florida. The primary outcome of the study was the patient's ability to urinate voluntarily and/or in response to skin scratching. Before surgery, all of the patients were bladder incontinent and none could void urine voluntarily or in response to a stimulus. During the three-year follow-up period, six patients--four in the DT group and two in the DT+X group--were able to urinate in response to skin scratching; however, this effect was sporadic and seemingly not directly attributable to the Xiao procedure. The authors state, "no patient in either group was able to void normally, reproducibly, or consistently during urodynamic testing at any point during the study period." In fact, the authors tell us that all patients required diapers or Pull-Ups throughout the 3-year period. The negative finding of this study "raises doubts about the clinical applicability of [the Xiao] procedure." The authors believe that a return to basic science and animal studies should occur before future human trials of the procedure are performed. They emphasize the importance of further research to study the Xiao procedure and other nerve reinnervation techniques because of the major impact that bladder incontinence has on quality of life in patients with spina bifida, spinal cord injury, or other forms of neurogenic urinary incontinence. Lack of efficacy of an intradural somatic-to-autonomic nerve anastomosis (Xiao procedure) for bladder control in children with myelomeningocele and lipomyelomeningocele: results of a prospective, randomized, double-blind study. Journal of Neurosurgery: Pediatrics. Gerald F. Tuite, MD, Ethan G. Polsky, MD, Yves Homsy, MD, Margaret A. Reilly, PT, Carolyn M. Carey, MD, MBA, S. Parrish Winesett, MD, Luis F. Rodriguez, MD, Bruce B. Storrs, MD, Sarah J. Gaskill, MD, Lisa L. Tetreault, RN, CCRP, Denise G. Martinez, MPH, and Ernest K. Amankwah, PhD. DOI:10.3171/2015.10.PEDS15271. Published online May 3, 2016. Implementation of a guideline-based telephone cardiopulmonary resuscitation (TCPR) program was associated with improvements in the timeliness of TCPR, survival to hospital discharge, and survival with favorable functional outcome for patients who experienced an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, according to a study published online by JAMA Cardiology. Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) is a major public health problem in the United States. Bystander CPR (BCPR) has been shown to double or even triple survival from OHCA. Despite decades of public CPR training, in most communities fewer than half of all individuals with cardiac arrest receive any BCPR, and bleak survival rates persist. In response, both the American Heart Association and the Institute of Medicine have emphasized the importance of telecommunicators (9-1-1 call takers and dispatchers) identifying cardiac arrest and assisting lay rescuers in providing BCPR to improve survival. Bentley J. Bobrow, M.D., of the Arizona Department of Health Services, Phoenix, and colleagues examined the effect of implementing a bundle of care, including a guideline-based telephone CPR protocol, interactive telecommunicator training, detailed data collection with 9-1-1 call auditing, and telecommunicator feedback for OHCA in 2 regional dispatch centers serving metropolitan Phoenix. Audio recordings of OHCA calls were audited and linked with emergency medical services and hospital outcome data. The study was a before-after, observational analysis of patients with OHCA between October 2010 and September 2013. There were 2,334 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests in the study group. The researchers found that the TCPR program was associated with significant improvements in several important aspects of resuscitation care, including increased TCPR rates (from 44 percent to 53 percent), a reduction in the time to first bystander chest compression (from 256 to 212 seconds), an increase in survival (from 9 percent to 12 percent); and an increase in favorable functional outcome (from 5.6 percent to 8.3 percent). "These results suggest that the TCPR bundle, deliberately implemented and measured as part of a system-wide public health intervention, was an effective method to increase BCPR rates and survival on a large scale. This observation is a key finding because most previous work evaluating the effect of TCPR has been done in high-performance systems in the setting of strict research randomization protocols, where the investigators were closely linked to the functioning of the local systems. Therefore, our findings add momentum to the current literature by being implemented in the real world across a large number of emergency medical services (EMS) agencies and communities and thus may carry optimism that successful implementation is possible in typical EMS systems," the authors write. Autistic children are capable of following someone's eyes as they name an object. A new study has found that children with autism are capable of learning new words the same way any child would - by following someone's gaze as they name an object. They just take longer to pick up the skill. The study, which appears in the International Journal of Language & Communication Disorders, showed that autistic children scored almost exactly the same as neurotypical children (those who don't have autism) in tests of learning new words, and were able to follow their teachers' eye movements 75 percent of the time, compared to neurotypical children's 78 percent. Researchers have long known that neurotypical children as young as 18 months old look at a person's eyes and follow their gaze in order to associate a spoken word with the object the person is looking at. Though autism spectrum disorder isn't easily explained in generalities, most children with the disorder have some kind of difficulty making eye contact with other people under certain conditions. For this reason, therapists have been taught to actively encourage a child to make eye contact - for instance, by repeatedly telling the child to "look at me" while teaching. "A lot of good work has gone into targeting this skill in kids with autism. It's considered a pivotal skill - looking at other people and monitoring eye movement. Our findings are really exciting, because they suggest that maybe we don't need to directly target whether kids follow their partner's gaze," said Allison Bean Ellawadi, assistant professor of speech and hearing and director of the Autism & Child Language Learning Laboratory at The Ohio State University. "We found that if we use eye gaze in a meaningful way, and in a consistent pattern, kids with autism will pick it up on their own, and they'll learn new words." The pattern is key, she said. The idea may sound simple, but it's rooted in some of the most advanced theories of how humans learn. The brain works in nonlinear ways that are extremely difficult to model mathematically, so over the last 20 years, researchers have tried to use statistical methods with nonlinear equations to create models of how children learn - neurotypical children, that is. To Bean Ellawadi's knowledge, this study is the first to use an advanced statistical model of learning to teach children with autism, and shows that these methods could lead to helpful new teaching strategies. Statistical analysis is useful for modeling natural systems, because it allows for complex behavior and so-called "tipping points," when a number of factors that may seem at first unrelated come together in just the right way to cause a dramatic shift in behavior. It helps researchers explain natural systems that seem unpredictable, from quantum mechanics to climate change. Bean Ellawadi says she's an advocate for applying statistical learning theory to children with autism, "because it explains a lot of the instability we see in their skills." "Sometimes they'll develop a great behavior in a specific context, but not in other contexts," she explained. "If we think of the behavior as being a combination of factors in just that one particular moment, we can begin to ask how we might use those factors to create more learning success across different environments." She and study co-author Karla McGregor, professor of communication sciences and disorders at the University of Iowa, compared the learning skills of 15 children with autism to those of 15 neurotypical children. The children's ages ranged from 18 months to 7 years old. The researchers placed a tray of toys and a bucket in front of each child. Then they looked at a particular toy - say, a stuffed duck - and asked the child to put that toy in the bucket. The researchers chose this format because it's similar to a study done by another research group in 2009. But that study consisted of only one trial; children had only one chance to put the right toy in the bucket. Children with autism made eye contact less often, and failed at the task more often than neurotypical children, so much research since has assumed that autistic children needed instruction to make eye contact before they could learn objects. In contrast, Bean Ellawadi and McGregor gave the children in their study five "warm-up" trials followed by up to 20 more trials that counted for the study. When the child put the right toy in the bucket, the researchers praised him or her. When the child put the wrong toy in the bucket or just didn't respond, the researchers didn't give any negative feedback. They just pointed to the right toy or demonstrated the task for him or her, and asked again. Then they moved on to a new toy. As in the 2009 study, neurotypical children out-performed the autistic children on the first trial. But by the end of the experiment, the autistic children had caught up. Children with autism looked at the researchers' eyes 75 percent of the time, and neurotypical children looked 78 percent of the time. Both groups were able to choose the right toy more than half the time, with an overall performance of 50-60 percent, depending on how many toys were on the tray. Bean Ellawadi and McGregor had bet that the autistic children would pick up on patterns in their teachers' behavior to learn the names of new objects, and it worked. "Little kids are amazing statisticians," Bean Ellawadi said. "They do a really good job of tracking the statistics of regularity in their environment." Bean Ellawadi completed this study to earn her doctoral degree at the University of Iowa. She'll continue the work at Ohio State. Next, she wants to examine whether autistic children can recognize patterns with a less structured learning task, and whether they would come to follow a teacher's gaze spontaneously. Online information on pancreatic cancer overestimates the reading ability of the overall population and lacks accurate information about alternative therapy, according to a study published online by JAMA Surgery. The degree to which patients are empowered by written educational materials depends on the text's readability level and the accuracy of the information provided. A patient's health literacy or ability to comprehend written health information can impact clinical outcomes. Reading materials are rarely written at the recommended sixth-grade reading level. Tara S. Kent, M.D., of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School, Boston, and colleagues compared the readability and accuracy of patient-oriented online resources for pancreatic cancer by treatment method and website affiliation. The researchers conducted an online search of 50 websites discussing 5 pancreatic cancer treatment methods (alternative therapy, chemotherapy, clinical trials, radiation therapy, and surgery). The website's affiliation was identified. Readability was measured by 9 standardized tests, and accuracy was assessed by an expert panel. The researchers found that within the sample, the median readability level of all website categories was higher than recommended, requiring at least 13 years of education to be comprehended (only 58 percent of the adult U.S. population has attained this level of education). "These data indicate that online information on pancreatic cancer is geared to more educated groups. The general population and vulnerable groups with particularly low health literacy will likely struggle to understand this information." The authors also found appreciable differences among website affiliations and among websites discussing treatment methods. Websites discussing surgery were easier to read than those discussing radiotherapy and clinical trials. Websites of nonprofit organizations were easier to read than media and academic websites. Nonprofit, academic, and government websites had the highest accuracy, particularly websites relating to clinical trials and radiotherapy. Alternative therapy websites exhibited the lowest accuracy scores. Websites with higher accuracy were more difficult to read than websites with lower accuracy. "This illustrates one of the challenges incurred in the creation of accurate, yet understandable online information about a complex disease and its treatment options." "In the absence of an Internet librarian, health care professionals should acknowledge that online information on aggressive diseases such as pancreatic cancer could be misleading and potentially harmful, and, thus, they should assume an active role in the evaluation and recommendation of online resources, selecting readable and accurate online resources for their patients, as an instrument to empower patients in the shared decision-making process," the authors write. Advertisement The team behind the research, from the Universities of Birmingham, Edinburgh and Sheffield, believe that the study demonstrates a need to improve patient safety in low income countries, and revisit the use of the surgical safety checklists - the standard global marker of hospital safety.Dr Aneel Bhangu, from the University of Birmingham, explained, "The association between increasingly mortality and lower income countries might be explained by differences in prognosis, in treatment, or maybe both. What we can say is that our study highlights the significant disparity between countries, and an urgent need to address it."It is believed that less than a third of the world's population have access to safe, timely and affordable surgery. Only 6% of the 300 million surgical procedures performed each year take place in low or middle income countries, despite a third of the world's population living there.Surgical death rates are routinely collected in high income countries, such as the United Kingdom and United States, but there is little to no surveillance in as many as 70% of low and middle income countries.Mr Ewen Harrison, from the University of Edinburgh, described the importance of collecting this data in order to understand what influences surgical outcomes; "Improving surgical access and safety can only be achieved if we really understand what influences surgical outcomes on a global scale".The team behind the research have developed a novel model of data collection, forming an international collaboration of doctors known as 'GlobalSurg'. This network was created largely using social media, and data capture during the study was improved by use of a novel platform accessible from mobile internet devices.Dr Edward Fitzgerald, from the GlobalSurg committee, added, "By creating an international network of surgeons it has been possible to collect data on real patients, at the bedside. To measure surgical outcomes we reversed the traditional research model and recruited study collaborators via social media and other avenues. This established a data-sharing platform that is accessible from smartphones."The team also analysed the types of surgery being conducted. Regardless of income setting, the most commonly performed emergency abdominal operation was removal of appendix.Source: Newswise Please complete this form and we'll send you a personalised information that is requested You may use this for your own reference or forward it to your friends. Please use the information prudently. If you are not a medical doctor please remember to consult your healthcare provider as this information is not a substitute for professional advice. On April 21, 2016, the pro-Kremlin daily Izvestia published an article by Russian political analyst Sergey Karaganov;[1] in it, Karaganov states that the disintegration of the Soviet Union created the illusion that the era of "ideologies and ideological struggle was over." However, he adds, the end of the Cold War marked a further deterioration of relations between Russia and the West. After the fall of the Soviet Union, Karaganov writes, Russians were attracted by Western ideals: "Most of the Soviet elite and people, weary of the scarcity and lack of freedom of the era of real socialism, yearned to be in Europe." He adds that Russians were eager to join Europe, its thinkers, Christianity, and traditional values, from which they had been separated for 70 years under the Soviet regime. However, the post-Cold War Europe gradually lost its attraction for the Russian political class, as it started to support NATO's expansion eastwards and European Union policies that did not involve Moscow as an equal partner; additionally, the EU never seriously considered Russia's project to create a common economic space from Lisbon to Vladivostok.[2] On Europe's part, there was a definite fear that Russia was too big an entity to be truly integrated - a fear supported by the belief that integrating Russia into Europe would lead to the disintegration of Europe. However, according to Karaganov, the idea that eventually prevailed was that "the West was using Russia's weakness to eradicate its centuries-old gains and make it even weaker." Karaganov explains that at this stage, Russia wants to "reclaim its own self" and adds that it could offer the world more attractive values than the West can. He notes that in the Lisbon Treaty, on reform in European integration and cooperation, which came into force on December 1, 2009, the EU included "only" the values of pragmatism, consumerism, democracy, human rights, and law, and added: "Essentially, these values are quite attractive, but may provoke a degradation of both humans and their values if detached from a person's customary devotion to some higher purpose." In contrast, Russia, he says, emphasizes as main values "national dignity" and "courage" - which, he adds, are no longer part of Europe's ideals because they are "perceived as part of [Europe's] dangerous past - from the wars [it] unleashed and lost." Thus, he says, fear of its own past has attracted Europe to concepts such as "nonviolence" and "pacifism," which he considers completely inadequate for facing the challenges of the modern world. Pursing ideals such as pacifism will lead Europe into trouble, he says, as one result of it, mass migration, can deeply damage the West. Therefore, Karaganov suggests, Europe must, in order to survive, begin to pursue "a harsher and more right-wing policy" and "give up some of its democratic freedoms for the sake of order and security." Russia is different from Europe and proud of it, Karaganov explains. He notes, for example, that Russia is ready to use force to protect its sovereignty and values, while Europe is not. Russia supports Christianity and is ready to defend Christians around the world, while the EU has lost its faith and failed to even mention its Christian roots in the Lisbon Treaty. This is ironic, because the Soviet Union was criticized by the West for its "godless and amoral communism," he says, and asks, "Can one trust those [i.e. the West] who espouse godless 'democratism' and liberalism?" Russia does not need to "export" its ideology, he notes, since this is already "happening de facto" as the Russian approach to the world is becoming more attractive to public opinion. The West, he says, has tried to export "democratism" in an "aggressive manner," so there is now a need for the "non-Western" Russian policy, in order to stop the West's geopolitical expansion. This view of Europe and the West is shared by Russian President Vladimir Putin, who, during his annual live Q&A session on the Direct Line program on April 14, 2016, criticized European liberalism and freedom of movement in the 26-nation border-free European Schengen Area.[3] He said: "Europe is facing serious challenges, and you probably feel safer in Siberia than, say, in Paris or Brussels. I say this without any irony, on the contrary, I am totally serious, giving due credit to our colleagues, who are making attempts to effectively tackle terrorism amidst the complicated conditions of European liberalism. The freedom of movement, the Schengen Area, and many other things related to today's freedoms are used effectively by terrorists, and it is quite difficult to combat this under [European] present laws."[4] The following are excerpts from an English translation of Karaganov's article published on the website of the Russian foreign affairs journal Russia in Global Affairs:[5] Image source: Globalaffairs.ru, March 1, 2016 "The Disintegration Of The Soviet Union Created A[n]... Illusion That The Era Of... Ideological Struggle Was Over" "The disintegration of the Soviet Union created a decade-long illusion that the era of ideologies and ideological struggle was over and that the world was moving towards a single system of values based on Western liberal democracy and capitalism. Europe and America fascinated the world with their freedom and [their] winning political system. The perception of the final victory of Western values was backed up by America's massive military supremacy, but, most importantly, by the Western countries' affluence that everyone, including the Soviet and Russian people, desired. This desire was sustained by a widely spread and [widely] cultivated view that wealth and prosperity were a result of democracy, not vice versa. Western ideology prevailed in international relations as well. But new realities came into view in the 2000s. Russian President Vladimir Putin with Russian political analyst Sergey Karaganov (Source: Karaganov.ru) "Flush with victory, the West started to impose its political positions and values even with the use of military force (in Afghanistan, Iran, and Libya) and lost. Its support for the Arab Spring further destabilized the Middle East and made democracy less attractive. The success of a new (actually very old) model of capitalism, which leaned in politics on authoritarian and non-liberal leader's democracy regime regimes of varying degrees, became obvious. The economic model based on the Washington Consensus lost its appeal after the crisis of 2008-2009, while the Chinese-style model profited.[6] It also turned out that most of the new successful countries had not followed the Washington Consensus recipes. "Europe, and to a lesser extent the United States, began to drift away from the values they had always offered to the world, at least the Christian world, and started imposing values that were unacceptable for the majority of countries - multiculturalism, excessive tolerance, and unusual sexual and family relations. The ages-long drift [away] from Christianity and Christian values in Europe accelerated dramatically over the past 25 years, and was codified when the European Union did not mention its Christian roots in the draft EU Constitution that was never adopted, and in the Lisbon Treaty, which replaced it. It only left pragmatism, consumerism, democracy, human rights, and law. Essentially, these values are quite attractive but may provoke a degradation of both humans and their values if detached from a person's customary devotion to some higher purpose. When the Soviet Union was criticized for godless and amoral communism, it was offen[sive] but essentially true, and many people in the country knew it. The communist practice rejected traditional moral values. Now, ironically, it is the other way round: Can one trust those who espouse godless 'democratism' and liberalism? [Russian author Fyodor] Dostoevsky's well-known... [statement by] Ivan Karamazov [in The Brothers Karamazov],'If there is no God, everything is permitted,' still sounds relevant. "The approach towards international relations, proposed by the Europeans quite sincerely... and more duplicitously by the Americans - i.e. the rejection of the use of force and spheres of influence and the appeal to the supremacy of international law - began to falter, too. It first failed when Germany and eventually the EU unlawfully recognized Croatia's and Slovenia's secession from Yugoslavia, triggering a civil war in that country, followed by barbaric bombings by NATO of what remained of it in 1999. Then there were acts of aggression against Iraq and Libya. Besides, the new emerging countries had no intention to follow the EU's example and give up their sovereignty. "There is yet another core value in Western Europe that is rendered inadequate in a new, harsher, and less predictable world: non-violence and pacifism. The Europeans, who had over[reached] in two horrible world wars, not only eagerly and successfully cultivated this value among themselves, but also tried to offer it to the rest of the world. But the world chose another path, and, worse still, began to intrude into the European world through the mass migration of people belonging to other cultures, which started quite a few years ago. Europe will have to adapt and pursue a harsher and more right-wing policy, and give up some of its democratic freedoms for the sake of order and security. This process is extremely painful, and, predictably, provokes a defensive ideological reaction..." "Most Of The Soviet Elite And People, Weary Of The Scarcity And Lack Of Freedom Of The Era Of Real Socialism, Yearned To Be In Europe" "The Russian alternative appeared particularly remarkable and challenging against this Western background. Most of the Soviet elite and people, weary of the scarcity and lack of freedom of the era of real socialism, yearned to be in Europe, while being quite unaware of what democracy and capitalism were really like. Private ownership was promptly introduced, without protection by law. This led to the emergence of oligarchic capitalism and large private holdings, morally illegitimate and not defended and legitimized by law - which [in turn] became the main cause of systemic corruption. Democracy was introduced from above, slowing down reforms and precipitating the near disintegration of the country by the end of 1990s. And yet, even unsuccessful economic and political reforms gave the majority of Russian people what they generally associated with 'Europe'- an abundance of goods in shops, and personal freedom. "But things did not go any further. Deep-rooted values and habits of Russian society came into play: almost unconditional striving for independence and security, consolidated by Vladimir Putin as 'patriotism,' and the aspiration for justice with disrespect for formal rules and laws; as well as the sense of belonging to a great power that followed the reforms and military successes of the 18th and 19th centuries. Add to this the drive for centralization of power, induced by centuries of fierce struggle for survival. This fear was amplified immensely by the 1990,s which became a time of losses for everyone except the new bourgeoisie and a small part of the intelligentsia. Most groups of Russia's population and elites, including the meritocrats- scientists, engineers, teachers, military officers - lost everything. And yet, further movement towards European democracy and some of its values would still have been possible, had it not been for two major circumstances. "Patriotism in Russia is...responsibility for our country and our people" Sharzhipero.ru, undated. "First, the West saw itself as a victor and started...pushing Russia off the political, security and economic stage. The enlargement of the Schengen Area even reduced visa-free travel opportunities for Russians. The interests and objections of the temporarily enfeebled great power [i.e. Russia] were ignored. NATO's expansion was a symbol of that policy. But eventually it became clear that the EU's enlargement did not benefit Russia either, as it was not, as had been promised and expected, accompanied by efforts to create a common and equal human and economic space from Lisbon to Vladivostok. The Western geopolitical expansion reduced the possibility of gains for the Russian people from relations with Europe, and weakened pro-European sentiment in the [Russian] political class. The idea that eventually prevailed was that the West was using Russia's weakness to eradicate its centuries-old gains and make it even weaker. The defense reflex prevailed. "The second circumstance was even more unexpected. Russians were eager to join the Europe of nation states, Christianity, and traditional values, from which they had been separated for 70years - the Europe of [UK prime minister Winston] Churchill and [French president Charles] de Gaulle, of [GFR chancellor Konrad] Adenauer, of knights and of great persons and ideas. The Russian people were arduously reclaiming the religious values and faith that had been eradicated for decades. But Europe had changed. Most importantly, since the 1980s and 1990s, it had taken one more giant leap from old values to new values, and had stubbornly imposed them. "The majority of Russian society and elite and most of the European elites simply diverged in their cultural development, and until recently they did not even want to discuss their differences; they only began to trade recriminations when these differences came to the surface. In addition, unsuccessful reforms in Russia required an external enemy. From the start of the multidimensional crisis of the European project in the early 2010s, European elites, too, began to look for an enemy, in a bid to consolidate member countries and turn their energy inwards. Judging from the intensity of anti-Russia propaganda [in the West] - that had not been seen since the 1950s - it seems that Europe needed an enemy even more than Russia does. Before long, it went further and nearly demonized Putin. "At first, Russia's ruling elite did not retaliate geopolitically, and responded with counterpropaganda against Western values being imposed. But then used its muscle." Anti-Europe cartoon. Sharzhipero.ru, undated. "The Conspicuous 'Non-Western' Russian Policy May Be Temporary - Necessary To Stop The West's Geopolitical Expansion" "What makes the Russian challenge so strong for European elites is probably that Russia, which is currently seeking its identity and desiring to reclaim its own self, might be offering an attractive model of behavior and set of values to the rest of the world. In international relations, this means all-round support for state sovereignty, cultural identity and political pluralism, which objectively comes into conflict with the policy of Western universalism and single ideology that has been imposed over the last couple of decades. "Russia emphasizes such notions as national dignity and courage. To many Europeans, these values seem obsolete, as they are perceived as part of their dangerous past - from the wars they unleashed and lost. But Russia won them at an enormous cost, and is ready to use force to protect its sovereignty and values. In 'the Putin world,' it would be unthinkable for most men not to defend women, as was the case in Cologne during the assaults by migrants.[7] But Europeans are apparently afraid of this harsh new world, which is largely represented by today's Russia. "Tolerance in Europe is...when migrants can do everything." Sharzhipero.ru, undated. "Russia's second ideological message to the world, which is at odds with many Russian realities but which is becoming increasingly obvious, is that consumption is not a goal in itself. Human and national dignity and a commitment to fulfilling some purpose higher than one's own are more important. Internal, not external, success matters. Hence the broad support for religions, especially Orthodoxy, and readiness to defend Christians. "The third message is readiness to follow traditional foreign-policy principles, including protection of national interests by force, especially if it is morally justified. This set of messages and values provides Russia with potentially strong 'soft power' even though the country is relatively poor and 'unfree.' "Information war is... when 'barbaric' Russia refuses to preach the values of the 'civilized' West." Sharzhipero.ru, undated. "The current ideological clash may become even fiercer. It involves the West, which won at first but is now beginning to lose, and Russia, which has taken on the burden of symbolizing non-Western policy and which appeals to the majority of people, including perhaps those in the West. This fight is raging not only between countries, but inside them as well. Russia also has a minority that shares new European values. "The intensity of this confrontation is implicitly but strongly amplified by the mounting feeling that the current model of development based on growing consumption, inequality, and declining morals is pernicious for the planet. There is a moral vacuum and it is expanding. The purpose of the fight is to either fill this vacuum or to prevent others from doing so. "The conspicuous 'non-Western' Russian policy and ideology may be temporary - necessary to stop the West's geopolitical expansion and its attempt to export 'democratism' in such an aggressive manner. (Remarkably, such policy was practiced by the Soviet Union which exported its model to the controlled and subsidized socialist camp, countries of 'socialist orientation' and other states through communist parties.) "Russia does not seem to be making plans for the purposeful export of its ideology. But it is happening de facto. Meanwhile, messianism is strong in some Western countries, and they feel defeated after their victory and want to take revenge. Russia's alternative, that I have outlined, is not final. It clearly comes out of the past, out of modernity, and out of the Westphalian or Vienna inter-state systems. Yet it appeals to the majority, while the European and Western post-modernity, though it appears to be more humane and progressive, is losing. This is probably because its model leads nowhere, or because the majority of countries are not prepared to accept it. "Following Russia's forceful actions against Western expansion in Ukraine, German Chancellor Angela Merkel was said to have accused the Russian leader of living in an unreal world. It seems, however, that the German chancellor is the one living in such a world, and that she has now received a harsh wakeup call. It would probably be better for everyone to live in a world of post-modernist, humane, nonviolent, and tolerant unreality. But it seems that it has failed to materialize. "History does not go along linear paths; it twists and turns. It will, at any rate, keep moving, barring thermonuclear catastrophe. Values evolve and change, and there are many more turns ahead. With regard to relations between Russia and Europe, this means that we have unfortunately but predictably missed each other. "We have missed the chance to create a common space from Vladivostok to Lisbon. Mutual resentment is quite strong right now, but we must keep it at bay and build good neighborly relations while understanding that we are different. And we should certainly try hard to avoid the new systemic military-political confrontation that is desired by many forces that are possessed either by the demons of the past or by the old geopolitical fears of the emergence of a truly united and peaceful Europe or Eurasia. "Our societies may change again a decade from now, with Europeans becoming more nationalistic and realistic, and Russians more tolerant. And if we try to learn more about each other in a respectful way, we may get a chance for a new rapprochement." Endnotes: Introduction The controversial French comedian Dieudonne M'bala M'bala has been prosecuted several times for antisemitic statements and incitement; in 2009 in Paris he was fined 10,000 for making such statements, and, most recently, in 2015, he was sentenced in Belgium to two months' imprisonment and fined 9,000 for inciting to hatred in a 2012 show he gave in that country.[1] In other shows, and in videos, Dieudonne depicted Jews as "Zionists" in black religious garb, and mocked the Nazi gas chambers as fake.[2] Despite the trials and condemnation, Dieudonne remains very popular among a growing number of French young people, many of whom follow French conspiracy theorist Alain Soral and are affiliated with either the extreme-right Front National or the extreme left in France. Dieudonne's followers have created "Quenelle" pages on Facebook, with variations in spelling, named for the "f*ck-you" gesture that Dieudonne invented and popularized and that has sparked protests because of its resemblance to the Nazi salute.[3] One of the "Quenelle" Facebook pages that post incitement content is the "Quenelle+" page; as it states on its "About" page, its name is aimed against France's Canal+ television channel, which it attacks for "acting like the whore" of the French "oligarchy," that is, the wealthy and powerful in the country. The Quenelle+ Facebook page is very active; it posts daily, gets plenty of comments, and has more than 23,400 "likes" as of this writing. The many antisemitic and conspiracy-theory posts on this page originate from sources such as the conspiracy-theory Panamza website, Alain Soral's anti-U.S. conspiracy-theory Egalite et Reconciliation website, and others. Quenelle+ attacks a wide range of politicians and public figures, but focuses particularly on Jewish figures such as French philosophers Bernard-Henri Levy and Alain Finkielkraut; the latter invariably prompt antisemitic comments, which are allowed to remain on the page. For example, French Jewish philosopher Alain Finkielkraut was invited to "leave and go to Israel," and Levy was ordered "to shut up physically and forever." Any mention of Israel is followed by antisemitic statements and furious commentary. Following are examples of antisemitic posts and comments from April 18 to May 1, 2016 on the Quenelle+ Facebook page: On French Jewish Philosopher Bernard-Henri Levy French Jewish philosopher Bernard-Henri Levy is a favorite target of Quenelle+. A post with photos of Levy and dog excrement got over 100 "likes." Commenter "Mehdy Le Juste" wrote "Beautiful! I can smell his [Bernard-Henri Levy's] shit even in my home." "Joel Cois" responded with a cartoon of a stereotypical antisemitic depiction of a hook-nosed Jew rubbing his hands in glee with the text "Never Forget, I am THE VICTIM." The previous day, a video of Levy titled "Shabbathurbate" was posted on Quenelle+ with the text "The shitty finger of a masterful Zio-Jewish millionaire..." The video, which was first posted on the Facebook page "Cidre Vicious," shows Bernard-Henri Levy animatedly gesturing with his hand and speaking, with no words heard and a soundtrack of flatulence sounds and music added for comic effect. In the comments, "Laurent Guillouet" posted a graphic of Dieudonne and the statement "Shut up - physically and forever." "Sylvain Caro" wrote: "May the bastard [i.e. BHL] die out!!!!" "Wahid WaAyari" wrote: "A video that hurts one's ass! On French Jewish Philosopher Alain Finkielkraut The page posted a photo of the renowned French philosopher Alain Finkielkraut in a pose reminiscent of typical antisemitic depictions of Jews, along with the text: "This country (France) deserves our hatred: what it did to my parents is far more violent than what it did to Africans. What did this country (France) do - only good." "Fabrice Haro" commented on the post: "'France, love it or leave it,' one 'major' politician [i.e. former French president Nicolas Sarkozy] used to say... so just leave - why not go to Israel!" "Moktar Benhamid" wrote: "[You] dung, your hatred of France is inside [you]! You know how to pretend, you big hypocrite, like your ilk!!!!!!" On French Jewish Journalist Patrick Cohen A post of a quote from the French magazine Le Nouvel Observateur praising the well-known French journalist Patrick Cohen and calling him "the best interviewer in Paris" and a very hard worker triggered hostile commentary. "Joel Cois" wrote: "ahahahaha, I chitted a shoananas [when I read this]!!" -"shoananas," or "Holocaust Pineapple," is a derisive term coined by Dieudonne that first appeared in a song he wrote mocking the Holocaust.[4] On The Stereotype Of Freemason Jews A cartoon posted by Quenelle+, that was originally published in July 2013 by the French extreme right-wing newspaper Rivarol, which is openly antisemitic, shows a speaker identified as a Freemason Jew saying different things to the world and to the Jews. To the world, he says: "Peoples of the world, in order to establish peace, you need to fight nationalism, defend secularism, and mix with other races"; to the Jews, he says in an aside: "People of Israel, in order to dominate the world, you need to do the opposite." On Israel, In Antisemitic Language A YouTube video alleging a "connection" between 9/11 and Israel was posted on the page under the title "Israel and September 11 - The Great Taboo." Quenelle+ also shared an April 28 article reporting on a suggestion by British Labour MP Naz Shah on her Facebook page that Israel be relocated to the U.S. Following a controversy about her post, she was suspended from the Labour Party and apologized before the House of Commons.[5] The Quenelle+ post triggered openly antisemitic comments: "Jack Dupont" wrote: "No need to move. They are at home everywhere in the world. As [the Jewish economist Jacques] Attali clearly put it, France, for instance, is a hotel." "Henri Lebo" wrote: "Not a bad idea! They will be able to use Hollywood full blast to make the goyim cry." "PinoNuzzaci" wrote: "Israel controls the media of our allegedly free country." "Alain Detreloin" re-shared the antisemitic cartoon posted by "Joel Cois" above, of the hook-nosed Jew with the caption "Never forget, I am the victim." In mid-April, Charlie Hebdo cofounder Philippe Val visited Israel and gave a lecture, titled "Jerusalem and Athens: Sources of Democracy" at a French-language conference on Jerusalem; in a subsequent interview with the Tel Aviv-based French-language radio station TAF he expressed friendship towards Israel. An April 18, 2016 post on Quenelle+ with quotes from the interview prompted the following comments: "Olifrugi Vore" wrote, "A big lick on the masters' ass"; "Gamenga Losso" wrote, "[That] son of a bitch, it should have been him who was shot [i.e. in the January 2015 terror attack on the magazine's Paris headquarters]." *Nathalie Szerman is Director of MEMRI French. Endnotes: The Foreign Ministry, via the competent Directorate General for International Economic Relations, is promoting the innovative actions and efforts of Greek agencies and enterprises aimed at increasing the countrys exports. Export-oriented agencies and enterprises will be called upon to submit their proposals and ideas to the Foreign Ministrys B8 Directorate, in an effort towards comprehensive promotion of Greek exports. The proposals submitted will be assessed by the Ministrys competent departments, with the aim of their being announced to the countrys exporters on the AGORA web portal. The detailed process to be followed has already been posted on the AGORA site. We remind you that the this action is part of the Foreign Ministrys plan for supporting the extroversion of Greek enterprises and the attraction of foreign investments to Greece. It should be noted that the Foreign Ministry actions that have been carried out or are in the process of implementation also include the following: Restructuring of the Commercial Affairs Sections and opening of new CASs in new markets (Far East, Gulf countries, etc.). Competition for the entry of 15 CAS employees into the National School of Public Administration (the first since 2007). 13 Joint Interministerial Committees (JICs) and 17 business missions (October 2015-December 2016). Strengthening of cooperation with chambers of commerce, bilateral chambers of commerce, and the Commercial Affairs Sections of embassies in Athens. Upgrading of the AGORA web portal, drawing up of Entrepreneurship Guides and completion of the CASs ISO certification system. Posting on the AGORA portal of the contact information for delicatessens in 70 countries. Posting on the AGORA portal of contact information for importers in 24 sectors in 40 countries. Talks and presentations at investment funds and think tanks, as well as with individual investors (Over 100 such meetings have already taken place, since December 2015). Co-hosting with TIF-HELXPO, SEV, FING, PEA, SEVE and chambers of commerce of three symposia, by geographical zone (Balkans, Black Sea, Mediterranean countries). 1st Symposium to be held on 7-8 July 2016, in Thessaloniki, with Balkan countries. Activation of the Erasmus+ programme for university students, with the aim of their completing internships at the Foreign Ministrys CASs (pilot implementation with 60 students). Submission of report to the Governmental Council on Economic Policy regarding tax measures that favour exporters but do not conflict with state assistance regulations. Mapping of the course of 18 major foreign investments and the licensing obstacles they met with. Programme for attracting patients from Arab countries and Russia, within the framework of cooperation with rehabilitation clinics in Greece. Strategic plan for the development of thermal springs in Greece, in collaboration with the Tourism Ministry. (The relevant plan has already been submitted to the Tourism Ministry.) Presentation of the project for creating the Island of Art and Culture, in which there is already lively investment interest. WindowtoGreece: hosting of extroversion actions abroad by the COSs, with the first effort held in London, on 20 April 2016 being a wine exhibition attended by 300 connoisseurs, importers, and reporters from trade magazines. Market twinning programme (Monastiraki-Plaka, Istanbuls Grand Bazaar, Isfahan, Cairo and Marrakesh). The relevant invitations have been presented to the Ambassadors to Athens of the countries of the markets in question, with a positive response already having been received from the Turkish side. Asked about the laws at the Education Writers Association national conference in Boston, King called them hateful and said gender identity should be protected. He said the laws send a problematic message to students and he is calling on state legislatures to repeal them. "My hope is legislators will realize they've made a terrible mistake," he said. The North Carolina law requires transgender people to use bathrooms in state government buildings and public schools and universities that correspond to the gender on their birth certificates. It also established statewide anti-discrimination protections that exclude LGBT people, and it bans communities from passing anti-discrimination ordinances that go further. Last month, President Barack Obama called for the law to be overturned. Transgender advocates and the Obama administration have argued federal anti-discrimination law requires that transgender students be able to use the restroom and locker room that correspond with their gender identity. A federal appeals court ruled last month in a Virginia case that a high school discriminated against a transgender teen by forbidding him from using the boys' restroom. The U.S. 4th Circuit Court of Appeals sent the case back to a lower court for trial rather than issuing a definitive decision. In a court filing in that case, the U.S. Education Department and the Justice Department argued that preventing students from using restrooms that correspond with their gender identity violates Title IX of federal law. "Treating a student differently from other students because his birth-assigned sex diverges from his gender identity constitutes differential treatment on the basis of sex under Title IX," the departments said in a friend-of-the-court brief. The Mississippi law allows religious groups and some private businesses to deny services to same-sex couples and transgender people. It takes effect July 1. Any employer or school could refuse to allow transgender people to use the bathroom of their choice. Bathrooms have been a focal point as schools around the country grapple with how to balance the rights of transgender students with privacy issues. Students at Santee Education Complex worked to establish the first multi-stall, gender-neutral restroom at the Los Angeles Unified School District, the nation's second-largest. Adults protested the move. In Ocala, Florida, the Marion County School Board voted to limit restrooms to students based on their birth sex. Ospina has spent almost half his life in the U.S. after emigrating from his native Colombia, becoming eligible for citizenship in 1990. But with Donald Trump becoming a more likely presidential nominee by the day, Ospina decided to wait no more, rushing the paperwork required to become a citizen. "Trump is dividing us as a country," said Ospina, owner of a small flooring and kitchen remodeling company. "He's so negative about immigrants. We've got to speak up." Nationwide, immigrants like Ospina are among tens of thousands applying for naturalization in a year when immigration has taken center stage in the presidential campaign, especially in the race for the Republican nomination. Trump, the GOP front-runner, has pledged to deport the estimated 11 million people living in the U.S. illegally. He's also vowed to bar Muslims from entering the country and threatened to cut off remittances that Mexican immigrants in the U.S. send back home. And he's called for building a border wall among other proposals to deal with unlawful immigration, saying the federal government has failed to protect the border from people and drugs illegally entering the country. That rhetoric, immigrant advocates and lawmakers say, is driving many foreign-born residents to seek citizenship. "There is fear of a Trump presidency," said Maria Ponce of iAmerica Action, a Washington-based immigrant rights group that is teaming up with other organizations to help those seeking citizenship part of a national campaign called "Stand Up To Hate." They've sponsored naturalization workshops from Washington state to Nebraska and Massachusetts. Nationwide, naturalization applications are up 14 percent in the last six months of 2015 compared with the same period in 2014, according to the government. And the pool of future U.S. citizens is large. Nearly 9 million legal permanent residents, or green-card holders, are eligible to become Americans. Of those, about 4 million are Hispanic. Rep. Luis Gutierrez, D-Ill., was featured in a public service announcement encouraging immigrants to become citizens so they can vote in November. He mocked Trump's slogan, suggesting it was really: "Make America Hate Again." "We've seen it in the past and we are seeing it again many times over this year," he said. "When immigrant communities feel they are under attack they react with a large number of eligible immigrants becoming citizens and a large number of eligible citizens becoming voters." Erica Bernal of the National Association of Latino Elected Officials said the tenor of the presidential campaign is galvanizing Latino immigrants. She said today's movement is reminiscent of the 1990s when Latinos in California rose up against Proposition 187, which sought to deny government services to those in the state illegally. The courts overturned it. Her group and several local ones in Los Angeles recently launched a regional campaign to encourage Latino immigrants to become citizens. About 775,000 legal immigrants in the L.A. area are eligible for citizenship. To qualify, immigrants must have been in the country five years, complete a 21-page application, get fingerprinted, pass a civics and English exam and pay almost $700 in fees. Ivan Parra, citizenship coordinator with the Florida Immigrant Coalition said immigrants laugh when he asks why they want to become Americans. "'You know why,' they say, 'I want to vote against racism and hate,'" said Parra. He says immigrants this year are "desperate to be part of the political process." Maria Cristina Giraldo, originally from Colombia and already a U.S. citizen, said she is so fearful of Trump becoming president that she brought five relatives to a naturalization workshop in South Florida. "Trump is anti-immigrant," said Giraldo, who works cleaning houses. "I don't know if it's because he's such a brute in his speeches or that he isn't careful in what he's saying, but he's very nasty toward Hispanics." Her sister, Gladys Ceballos of Hollywood, Florida, agreed. She's trying for the second time to become a citizen after failing to pass the English exam. She says she's not fearful of Trump, but she doesn't trust him. John Haughton, 66, a Jamaican immigrant, said: "Trump is a man who would say one thing today and may modify his views tomorrow." "I want my voice heard," said Haughton, a legal permanent resident since 2008. Seung Baik, 43, who was born in South Korea and brought to the U.S. as a teenager, said he too believes Trump is too divisive. "It took me a little longer to become a citizen because I didn't want to apply and treat this as a membership to something, like joining a club," said Baik, a church pastor. "The world and this nation are changing, and my vote matters." Baik said he won't be registering as a Democrat or Republican but remains independent. He's undecided about whom he will vote for in his first presidential election as a U.S. citizen, but "it won't be Donald Trump." The poll by Transparency International also found that courts have the worst bribery rate out of six services that were surveyed. The watchdog interviewed nearly 11,000 people or about 1,200 people in each of the nine countries and found that bribery was especially rampant in Yemen. In the impoverished Arabian Peninsula country, 77 percent of respondents said they had to pay a bribe to access public services. The interviews in Yemen were carried out before the start of March 2015 Saudi-led airstrikes targeting Yemen's Shiite rebels, after which the country's crisis descended into war. Around 50 percent of people surveyed in Egypt, Sudan and Morocco said they paid bribes for public services. Transparency International also surveyed people in Lebanon, Algeria, Tunisia, Jordan and the Palestinian territories. The poll was carried out in direct interviews at various times in 2014 and 2015, and gave a 3 percent margin of error. Public anger over corruption among government officials, social inequality and the lack of justice and transparency were catalysts of the 2011 Arab Spring movements that ousted longtime leaders in Tunisia, Egypt, Yemen and Libya. Transparency International's chief Jose Ugaz said that failing to stop bribery also affects people's human rights. "It's as if the Arab Spring never happened," he said in a statement accompanying the report. The poll results show that on average, almost one in three people surveyed paid bribes in dealings with courts, while one in four paid bribes to police and around half or more of those who paid bribes to the courts and police had to pay multiple times. About one in five people surveyed said they had to pay a bribe for public medical services. In Morocco, that figure was 38 percent. Transparency International noted the case of a man who called the watchdog's local anti-corruption hotline after he was told by a nurse to pay $60 in addition to the hospital fee for his partially blind daughter to get an urgent brain scan. He was advised to call the attorney general's office and two undercover officers returned with him to the hospital, where the nurse was arrested and imprisoned for two months. Around 30 percent of people polled in Lebanon said they paid a bribe for public services, while a staggering 92 percent said they thought corruption had increased. The Lebanon part of the survey was conducted before an eight-month-long trash collection crisis erupted in July 2015. Thousands protested and campaigners blamed corruption and government paralysis for the delay in solving the problem. Speaking to The Associated Press over the telephone, Middle East regional coordinator for Transparency International Kinda Hattar said the institutions of justice and law enforcement should be the least corrupt because they should be the ones prosecuting corruption. "Unless the government and the state work for the independence of the judiciary ... then we will not be able to have a system that builds trust with the people," she said. Though only nine percent in Tunisia and four percent of respondents in Jordan said they paid a bribe in the year preceding the survey, Hattar said there are often other problems that exist in Mideast countries that cannot be quantified and measured in surveys. One such issue, she said, is nepotism, or what is known as a "wasta" in Arabic. Getting a job or gaining access to public services can depend on a person's "wasta," or relationship with someone who is well-connected. ANN ARBOR The state wont enforce a law that blocks local government officials from talking about a ballot question before an election, under a deal approved by a federal judge, the Associated Press reported. Im very pleased, Huron County Board of Commissioners Chair John Bodis told the Tribune. Government and school officials lined up last December urging the governor to veto a bill they say would impose a gag order due to a section prohibiting a public body from airing details of ballot questions to voters on radio, TV, phone or mail 60 days before a vote. Huron County commissioners also sent a resolution to request the governors veto. Come January, the governor signed into law SB 571, introduced by Senate Majority Floor Leader Mike Kowall, R-White Lake. Gov. Rick Snyder said he would work with the Legislature to clarify the section that irked many critics. U.S. District Judge John Corbett OMeara stopped the law in February with a preliminary injunction, saying the so-called gag order was vague and violated free speech rights. Tuscola County Commissioner Matthew Bierlein joined 17 other plaintiffs in a suit filed in January against defendants Secretary of State Ruth Johnson and the State of Michigan. The complaint filed Jan. 26 in the U.S. District Court for Eastern Michigan said the 60-day cutoff violates the First Amendment because it prohibits the free flow of objectively neutral, core political speech. This law keeps voters from getting the information they need to make informed decisions, Bierlein said. Now, the Secretary of States office says it wont fight the lawsuit any further, the Associated Press reported. Sometimes state legislators forget we are the voters who sent them to Lansing to represent our point of view, not Lansings point of view, Bodis said, adding this hasnt been a problem with Hurons senator and representative. Sometimes there seems to be a disconnect there, he said. Rep. Ed Canfield, R-Sebewaing, and Sen. Phil Pavlov, R-St. Clair, voted in favor of SB 571. Pavlov said past abuses around the state allowed taxpayer money to fund advocacy efforts for local millages. I wouldnt categorize it as a gag order, Pavlov previously said. Its not designed to stop information from flowing to voters. We want informed voters. However, commissioners echoed the bills opponents, who dubbed it a gag order. The section drawing criticism was buried in the last page of the bill, Commissioner David Peruski previously said, adding he really couldnt believe that they did that. Bodis, viewing the bill as whittling away at the First Amendment, said he found it really repulsive. We are the ones who are out and around and get asked a lot of questions (from voters), Bodis said. They were, in essence, saying we couldnt talk about it. Commissioner Clark Elftman, realizing Hurons opposition may not hold much weight, said last December it will at least let (Snyder) know we think hes doing something stupid. A dozen veterans groups and support organizations are rallying behind legislation that would enable the Veterans Affairs Department to offer in vitro fertilization services to veterans with wounds and injuries prevent them from fathering children. The measure, which has been championed for years by Sen. Patty Murray, a Democrat from Washington, was approved by the Senate Appropriations Committee last month and is now part of the omnibus veterans and military construction bill working its way through the full Senate. Backers want to make sure the legislation sepasses. "Much is said about honoring the sacrifice that veterans make for our families," the groups wrote. "With your vote, you can demonstrate that commitment, making a real and fundamental difference in the lives of veterans and their families." The coalition includes the Disabled American Veterans, Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, Blue Star Families, Military Officers Association of America, National Military Family Association, Paralyzed Veterans of America, The Veterans Health Council, Vietnam Veterans of America, Wounded Warrior Project, Bob Woodruff Foundation, Elizabeth Dole Foundation and the Quality of Life Foundation. In their letter, members note that numerous veterans have experienced pelvic, abdominal, urogenital and spinal cord injuries that left them unable to have children after being attacked by roadside bombs and improvised explosive devices in countries such as Iraq and Afghanistan. Between 2005 and 2010, the Joint Theatre Trauma Registry recorded 1,525 genitourinary injuries, which can impair the physical, reproductive and mental health of the wounded. In 2010, the letter states, 12.7 percent of all battlefield injuries were recorded as relating to the GU system. "This is tragic for many reasons, but especially because, for so many wounded warriors, families are what drives reintegration into civilian life," the groups say. Murray's amendment to the massive Military Construction and Veterans Affairs bill would provide for $88 million -- $18 in fiscal 2017 and $70 million in 2018 -- for fertility treatments for veterans and their spouses if the veteran has a service-connected condition making it impossible to have children without the use of the treatment. Murray, who has been advocating for IVF and other family services for veterans since at least 2012, said last month she was proud that her amendment came out of the committee with strong bipartisan support. The vote was 23-7 in favor of the amendment. "This amendment is about fulfilling our promise to the military families who we ask to sacrifice and serve our country on our behalf," Murray said afterward. "I know this is just the first hurdle. I will be fighting to see this through to the end so this country can keep up its commitment to care for our veterans and their spouses who dream of having a family." In previous bills, including one from February 2015 that remains in committee, Murray also pushed for authorization and funding for veterans and families to be assisted with adoption services, third-party donor and surrogacy as options. Murray pulled it from the floor after some Republican lawmakers threatened to insert into it several so-called poison-pill amendments that would doom the entire package when it came to a vote. An official with one veterans group backing the current legislation said the pared down amendment offered by Murray last month is the kind of assistance that most lawmakers can agree on. The veteran's advocate, who spoke on background, said there is always a concern that the other types of assistance would catch strong opposition from more conservative lawmakers, not only in the Senate but in the House when the bill reached there. Some of these same groups that sent the recent letter to senators previously announced support for Murray's provision last month, along with other organizations. These include the Veterans of Foreign Wars, The American Legion, AMVETS, the Service Women's Action Network, American Society for Reproductive Medicine, and RESOLVE -- The National Infertility Association. In testimony last year on Murray's original bill, VFW Senior Legislative Associate Carlos Fuentes said the group supported the broad range of options available to veterans and service members in creating their families after a trauma that makes natural conception not possible. Both the Defense Department and the VA, he said, "must have the authority to provide veterans the fertility treatment options that are best suited for their particular circumstances." -- Bryant Jordan can be reached at Bryant.jordan@military.com. Follow him on Twitter at@BryantJordan. Despite Flipping in Surf 4 Times in a Year, Marines Say New ACV Is the Future of Amphibious Warfare Some Marine veterans familiar with the vehicle and its operations have worried about the reliability of the ACV. Navy SEAL Charles Humphrey Keating IV was fatally wounded in a "gunfight" with ISIS attackers while coming to the rescue of other Americans who were trapped behind enemy lines in the assault. "This was a gunfight, a dynamic gunfight. He got hit in the course of this battle," Army Col. Steve Warren said Wednesday of the close-up firefight with ISIS attackers north of Mosul. "It was a bad day for us here yesterday," Warren said on behalf of the more than 4,000 U.S. troops in Iraqi, but the attack was eventually beaten back by furious U.S. airstrikes including B-52 bombers and A-10 ground attack aircraft, killing an estimated 58 enemy fighters. However, fighting continued Wednesday where Keating fell in the small town called Tel Skuf by the Kurds, and Teleskof by the Iraqis, according to the Kurdish news agency Rudaw. At least 12 fighters with the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, or ISIS, remained in the town 14 miles north of Mosul when the main insurgent force, estimated at about 135, fled toward Mosul under the U.S. air attack. "Their cell was broken up today, but one of them detonated his explosives, killing a Peshmerga officer," Muzafar Derki, a Peshmerga commander, told Rudaw. "Two other militants surrendered and the rest were killed in gun battles," he said. In a video briefing from Baghdad to the Pentagon, Warren, a spokesman for Combined Joint Task Force-Operation Inherent Resolve, gave the following timeline and description of the battle for Tel Skuf: A small team of U.S. military advisers -- Warren wouldn't say how many -- was in Tel Skuf for meetings with Kurdish Peshmerga commanders on the ongoing operations to seal off northern routes into Mosul as part of the long-term plan to retake the ISIS stronghold. Keating was part of a Quick Reaction Force, or QRF, of fewer than 12 special operators who were not in the town but were on standby in case the advise and assist team needed help. Their primary mission then would be to evacuate the advisers and not to aid the Kurds in repelling the attack. At about 5:30 a.m. local time , according to the Kurds, a force of more than 400 ISIS fighters, led by suicide truck bombers and bulldozers, broke through Peshmerga front lines, which Warren described as a series of lightly-armed checkpoints and observation posts. Their main objective appeared to be to take Tel Skuf, about 3.5 kilometers, or a little over two miles, behind the front lines. At about 7:30 a.m. local time, ISIS fighters swarmed into Tel Skuf and twenty minutes later, the U.S. advise and assist team joined the Kurds in fighting back while calling on the QRF for help. Warren wouldn't say how or when the QRF arrived, but a commander of a Christian militia allied with the Kurds told The Washington Post that they came in four vehicles. The ISIS fighters did not appear to know that Americans were in the town and they were not the target of the attack -- "there was no indication of that, no," Warren said. At about 9:32 a.m., Keating was shot and mortally wounded in the firefight. Warren said it was unclear whether Keating was hit by a sniper or by fire from a close-up enemy since "there were bullets everywhere. It was a big fight, one of the largest we've seen recently," he said. Two UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters were called in for a medical evacuation and, in a sign of the intensity of the firefight, both were shot up as they lifted off but managed to reach a field hospital about 50 miles east in Irbil, the capital of the Kurdish Regional Government, where Keating died. The medevac was carried out "within the golden hour' but his wound was not survivable," Warren said. As the firefight continued, the U.S. Joint Operations Center in Irbil mounted a major air assault, using aircraft on station and others that took off to join the attacks. Warren said the air assets included drones, F-15s, B-52s and A-10s. Joint tactical air controllers in the operations center coordinated the airstrikes using video feeds from surveillance drones and guidance from Peshmerga fighters at the scene, Warren said. In all, the U.S. aircraft carried out a total of 31 strikes, destroying a mortar system and a bulldozer and killing an estimated 58 enemy fighters, he said. "He is an American hero," Warren said of the 31-year-old Keating, the grandson of the late Charles Keating, Jr., who served time in prison as a result of the 1980s savings and loan scandals. The Pentagon has yet release the younger Keating's name officially, but he was identified Tuesday night by Arizona Republican Gov. Doug Ducey and Keating's relatives who live in Arizona, where Keating was a star distance runner at a Phoenix high school. Keating had been an instructor at the SEAL base in Coronado, California, before deploying to Iraq earlier this year but he "felt called" to return to do what he could to stop the ISIS' atrocities, said another grandfather, Bill Holmes. Holmes told The Wall Street Journal that his grandson, who was to be married this fall, joined the SEALS "because it was the hardest thing to do," and "he decided he wanted to go back" to Iraq. Sen. John McCain, an Arizona Republican and chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, was one of five senators known as the "Keating Five" who were alleged to have intervened on behalf of Charles Keating Jr., in the savings and loans scandals. McCain was cleared of acting improperly but the Senate Ethics Committee said he had exercised "poor judgment" in his relations with Charles Keating, Jr. In a statement, McCain mourned the death of Charles Keating IV. "Like so many brave Americans who came before him, Charlie sacrificed his life in honorable service to our nation for a cause greater than self-interest, which we can never truly repay," McCain said in a statement. "It is a combat death," Defense Secretary Ashton Carter said Tuesday of Keating's fatality, and it was the third in combat action for U.S. forces in Iraq. The first U.S. combat death was that of Master Sgt. Joshua L. Wheeler, 39, of Sequoyah County, Oklahoma, who was killed last October while coming to the aid of Kurdish forces in a raid on an ISIS prison in northern Iraq that freed about 70 hostages. In March, Staff Sgt. Louis F. Cardin, 27, of Temecula, California, and the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit, was killed by ISIS rocket fire at a Marine fire base near Makhmour that was set up to support a staging area for Iraqi Security Forces gathering for a Mosul offensive. The combat deaths have again called into question the Obama administration's strategy for Iraq and Syria in the campaign against ISIS which is intended to avoid "boots on the ground" combat while training, advising and assisting local forces and backing them up with airstrikes. At his daily press briefing Tuesday, White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest defended the strategy while stressing that Keating' death was "a vivid reminder of the risks that our service members are taking." "But the President has been clear, time and time again, exactly what their mission is," Earnest said. "That mission is to support Iraqi forces on the ground who are taking the fight to ISIL on the frontlines," he said, using another acronym for ISIS. "Iraqi forces must fight for their own country," Earnest said. "United States forces cannot be a substitute for those Iraqi forces" to meet the overall goal of inflicting a lasting defeat upon ISIS, he said. In Iraq, "our mission remains to advise, assist, train and equip our partner forces," and the U.S. has trained about 22,000 Iraqis since ISIS invaded in 2014 and backed them up with "devastating airpower," Warren said. Of the more than 4,000 U.S. troops in Iraq, about several hundred are involved in the advise and assist teams that gr forward with local forces, Warren said. "It's a handful of teams that go in and advise and assist," he said. "Our intent is that they do not encounter the enemy. As we learned Tuesday, no plan is perfect." -- Richard Sisk can Be reached at Richard.Sisk@Military.com. GRAND RAPIDS, MI- Now in it's third year, Beer City Spring Fest will feature mostly new breweries this time around. So, if you haven't been able to get out to visit these places personally, you have the opportunity to experience them all in one place. That place being Hudsonville, a rural suburb of Grand Rapids. The location of Spring Fest was at first greeted with disbelief, as Hudsonville was the last place in Michigan to remain a dry city. Dating back to Prohibition, you were unable to purchase alcohol in the city until 2007. Yes, you read that right. Prohibition was alive and well in West Michigan until just 9 years ago. Times have indeed changed. Hudsonville is now home to two breweries, Pike 51 and White Flame Brewing. They also have a winery, Hudsonville Winery, as well as a cidery, Farmhouse Cider. All will be in attendance at Spring Fest. Each year, Spring Fest has tried to offer something new and different. Event organizer Joe Boyer is looking forward to the beer education events they have planned for this year. "We've got Ben Darcie from Experience Beer West Michigan, Jason Lummen from The People's Cider, as well as a wine expert, providing casual educational experiences this year for fest goers. And there is no extra charge, it's all included in your ticket." I attended the event last year for the first time, and appreciated the ease of a small festival such as this one. Not really any lines for beers, the opportunity to chat with the brewers or owners, and lots of fun fest goers (plus a fantastic sunny day) made this a great festival in my book. This year, the focus on new or up and coming breweries is an interesting twist. I haven't been able to visit every new brewery that's opened in the last year or two, so the chance to get to try their beers all in one place is appealing. You can try beers from such places as: This year, tickets are available online at Beer City Festivals, and are $35 for a regular ticket which includes 8 samples, or a VIP ticket for $45, which gets you in the fest an hour early and 12 tasting tickets. There will be a special "enthusiast" class at 12:30 with Ben Darcie that only VIP's will be able to attend. Food will be available as well, from Slow and Low BBQ. A chance to check out a bunch of newer breweries in a relaxed setting? The Spring Fest is a good choice. Amy Sherman is on the Life + Culture Team for MLive. She covers food, beer, travel and Michigan's Best along with John Gonzalez. Email her at asherma2@mlive.com or follow her on Twitter, Facebook, or Periscope. Arbor Hills.JPG Lole is scheduled to open in the Arbor Hills mall soon. (Melanie Maxwell | The Ann Arbor News) ANN ARBOR, MI -- A new tenant is expected to open later this month at the Arbor Hills mall in the 3000 block of Washtenaw Avenue in Ann Arbor. "Lole is a women's fitness and fashion apparel line that's based out of Montreal," said Christina Gaskins, the store owner. "This will be the third location in Michigan." With a variety of apparel options, Gaskins says the brand is popular with women because it offers comfortable clothing that serves several uses. The store carries fitness wear, dresses, casual clothing, sweaters, shoes and even bathing suits, Gaskins said. "We sell stuff that women can wear every day, whether it's out on a date or running errands," Gaskins said. "We have everything. The concept is a one-stop shop for women." Gaskins owns another Lole location in Rochester and is in the process of opening a store in Royal Oak as well. There is a Lole store in Grand Rapids as well, but Gaskins does not own that location. She is hopeful the store will open later this month. The build out of the 3,000-square-foot space is now complete and once the fixtures are delivered, staff can begin setting the store and preparing to open. Included in the space is a 600-square-foot meeting space that will be used for free classes available to customers, meetings and other event, Gaskins said. Hiring is still ongoing for the store and Gaskins said she is still looking to hire a store manager and key holders for the location. "The majority of our staff will likely be part time. We're looking for anyone who loves fitness and fashion," Gaskins said. "Lole is all about promoting a healthy lifestyle and getting out there and meeting people." Bringing the brand to Ann Arbor makes sense for Gaskins, because she says the lifestyle of the community matches the philosophy behind Lole. "When we looked at the demographics of our customers, we felt that Ann Arbor fit that very well," Gaskins said. "It's a very active community and very family oriented as well. We just felt all the signs were pointing in the right direction." The brand was briefly marketed last year as a tenant in the Washtenaw Commons development just a bit further down Washtenaw Avenue. However, Gaskins said once she saw space was available in Arbor Hills, she though it was a perfect fit for the brand. In particular, Gaskins said the types of shops and stores in the mall attract a lot of the same clientele as Lole. Lole first opened in 2002 in Montreal and has since expanded across Canada and into the U.S. and Europe. A more aggressive expansion into the U.S. is ongoing as the brand becomes more popular across the country. Matt Durr is a business reporter for The Ann Arbor News. Email him at mattdurr@mlive.com or follow him on Twitter. IMG_0820.jpg This AT&T store, operated by an authorized dealer, opened in Plainfield Township, at 5300 Northland Dr. Suite., in March 2016. (Courtesy photo) GRAND RAPIDS, MI -- AT&T is expanding its retail presence across Michigan. The second-largest U.S. wireless carrier, based in Dallas, has opened 21 stores across the state in the last 15 months. But most are not corporate-owned locations. Nearly two-thirds of the 152 stores are authorized retailers, which operate similar to franchises. Over the weekend, Billy Reffitt had a grand opening for his new AT&T store located in Plainfield Township, at 5300 Northland Drive. The nearly 1,300-square-foot store is owned under his company, Great Lakes Mobile. He has opened four stores in Michigan in the past five months. The others are located in Marshall, Battle Creek and Traverse City. He previously owned 11 AT&T stores in Indiana before selling them to GameStop. Reffitt says he has been in the cell phone industry since 2003 when he went to work for Centennial Wireless, which was acquired by AT&T in 2008. He eventually rose to a district manager for AT&T before leaving to open his own stores in Indiana in 2011. Reffitt sees potential in the Michigan market. "There is a lot of areas that the customer base is a little bit underserved," Reffitt said. Customers won't be able to tell the difference between a corporate-owned and authorized dealer other than the sign on the door, he adds. "There used to be a big difference. Now employees have the same training," Reffitt said. He is counting on customers to pick AT&T stores like his for the expertise, over going to national retailers like Costco, Wal-Mart, Best Buy and Sam's Club that carry AT&T phones and products. "The biggest benefit is you are talking to someone who is really an expert for the carrier," Reffitt said. "It's hard enough to just keep up on AT&T than to master all the carriers. You are getting the best advice (on AT&T products) when you come to an AT&T store." Recent new store openings across counties such as Oakland, Wayne, Kent and Calhoun coincide with AT&T's upgrades in the local wireless network infrastructure in those geographies, the carrier said. The improvements include new cell sites, greater wireless capacity and increased data speeds. "AT&T continues to invest in Michigan," said Jim Murray, president of A&T Michigan. "This new store for Grand Rapids, and ones like it in neighboring communities, help better connect residents with devices and services they are asking for." Stores hours are usually 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday to Friday; 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and noon to 5 p.m. Sunday. Where AT&T has opened stores in the past 15 months: 550 N. Beacon Blvd., Suite D, Grand Haven, 49417 2160 Anderson Rd. Suite 160, Petoskey, 49770 5457 Gull Road, Suite B, Kalamazoo, 49048 2970 Center Avenue, Essexville, 48732 5570 28th St. SE., Grand Rapids, 49512 8671 W. Grand River Ave., Brighton, 48116 1931 W. Grand River Ave, Okemos, 48864 2140 Metropolitan Parkway, Sterling Heights, 48310 35354 East Michigan Ave., Wayne, 48184 4501 Woodward Ave., Detroit, 48201 1347 W. 8 Mile Rd., Detroit, 48203 6325 Sashabaw Rd Suite I, Clarkson, 48346 1359 Mall Dr., Benton Harbor, 49022 23328 Farmington Rd., Farmington, 48336 3157 Ann Arbor Saline Rd., Ann Arbor, 48103 18845 Traditions Dr., Northville, 48168 3985 Beitner Rd., Traverse City, 49685 615 S Clinton St., Grand Ledge, 48337 15869 W. Michigan Ave., Marshall, 49068 589 Columbia Ave. W. Suite B, Battle Creek, 49015 2323 S I-75 Business Loop, Grayling, 49738 Shandra Martinez covers business and other topics for MLive. Email her or follow her on Twitter @shandramartinez. GRAND RAPIDS, MI - Kansas City-based Commerce Bank announced it will open a commercial banking office at 99 Monroe Ave. NW in downtown Grand Rapids. The new office will be led by West Michigan native Michael Hollander, senior vice president of Commerce Bank, according to a news release issued by Commerce Bank on Tuesday, May 3. The office will not have any retail functions. "We are eager to join the Grand Rapids community and bring our sound legacy and values to an area of like-minded businesses," said Robert Holmes, president and CEO of Commerce Bank's St. Louis market. Hollander, a former executive with Fifth Third Bank in St. Louis, will be joined by Mike Pratt, who will focus on the healthcare industry throughout Michigan and the upper Midwest, and Rob Cutler, senior account executive for Commerce Bank's commercial card portfolio. "Hollander will be responsible for overseeing all commercial banking activities in the region including, but not limited to, Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo, Lansing, Holland and Traverse City," according to the news release. "The success of Commerce, which continues today under fifth and sixth generation family leadership, has been dependent on this relationship-focused approach to doing business and we look forward to serving the Western Michigan business community in this way," Holmes said. Commerce Bank, a subsidiary of Commerce Bancshares, Inc., is a regional bank holding company serving customers in 191 branch locations in Missouri, Kansas and central Illinois as well as Tulsa and Oklahoma City, Okla. and Denver. The $24.5 billion bank holding company also has commercial banking offices in Dallas, Nashville, Cincinnati and Des Moines. Its two largest markets are St. Louis and Kansas City, which serve as the central hubs for the company. Jim Harger covers business for Mlive Media Group. Email him at jharger@mlive.com or follow him on Twitter or Facebook or Google+. One day after firing two scouts, the Detroit Lions added former New England Patriots college scouting director Jay Muraco as an area scout. A 19-year scouting veteran, Muraco most recently served as the East Coast scout for the Chicago Bears. He was dismissed from that role last May, as part of the shakeup following the hiring of general manager Ryan Pace. Prior to a two-year stint wit the Bears, Muraco worked four years in Kansas City and nine in New England, where he served as the team's college scouting coordinator from 2000-08. During that period, he would have managed current Lions general manager Bob Quinn, who held various college scouting roles in New England 2004-08. On Monday, the Lions dismissed a pair of regional scouts, Darren Anderson and Chad Henry. Henry, who had been with the Lions for 20 years, most recently served as the teams East Coast scout. Muraco, given his familiarity with the region, would be an obvious fit as a replacement. -- Download the Detroit Lions MLive app for iPhone and Android -- Follow Justin Rogers on Twitter -- Follow MLive Sports on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram UPDATE: 7:33 a.m. May 5: Target says there was no contamination at its Ann Arbor store. ANN ARBOR, MI -- Ann Arbor-area grocery stores are investigating potential mouse poisoning contamination after the FBI alleges a man sprayed a liquid on food in three stores. A man is in FBI custody after pouring a a mixture of an alcohol-based hand sanitizer, water and Tomcat mouse poison on fresh and prepared food and produce at Whole Foods Market, 990 W. Eisenhower Parkway; Meijer, 3145 Ann Arbor-Saline Road; and Plum Market; 375 North Maple Road. Now, the FBI is looking at other stores in Ann Arbor, Pittsfield Township, Flint, Birch Run and Midland to see if the man had done the same at several grocery stores (see the full list below). The Michigan Department of Agriculture say the man may have poured liquids on food in stores during the past two weeks. Paul Tsai, manager of Tsai Grocery at 3115 Oak Valley Dr. in Ann Arbor, said FBI and Michigan Department of Agriculture officials were at his store Wednesday morning checking over surveillance footage to see if the man had been in the store. "It's going to take a while," Tsai said. "They are doing their due diligence." At Tsai Grocery, he said, 95 percent of food is wrapped and packaged. The only food items unwrapped include roots such as ginger and potatoes, which customers typically wash and/or peel before using, he said. The store doesn't have any prepared foods. Busch's Fresh Food Market at 2240 S. Main St. in Ann Arbor, is conducting an internal investigation and working with state and local officials, said Mort Meisner, a spokesman for Busch's. Plum Market, 375 North Maple Road in Ann Arbor, removed all exposed produce and prepared food including produce, bulk and prepared food bars from both its Ann Arbor locations as a precaution, the company said in a statement. Employees also are cleaning and sanitizing the potentially-affected areas. The store is working with the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development to investigate the situation. The Michigan Department of Agriculture also named Walmart, 7000 E. Michigan Ave. in Pittsfield Township as a potentially affected store. "We take the safety of our fresh produce and other merchandise very seriously, and are investigating this matter further to help ensure the safety of our produce," said Erica Jones, senior manager of communications for Walmart. "If a customer is unsure about produce purchased from the two stores in question, they may return it for a full refund." Target spokeswoman Erika Winkels stated the company has no confirmation the man contaminated any food at the store at 2000 Waters Road in Ann Arbor. The company is working with law enforcement and other agencies that are investigating the incidents. Whole Foods Market on Eisenhower threw out all food in the salad and hot bars and sanitized the stations after seeing the man in the store, a spokeswoman previously told The Ann Arbor News. The other potentially-impacted stores have not responded to the Ann Arbor News' request for for comment. Health department officials say the liquid is unlikely to cause any health problems, and poison control hasn't seen an increase in illnesses. Anyone who has heath concerns regarding the contamination can contact their healthcare provider or call Michigan Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. See the full list of potentially-affected stores: Whole Foods Market - 990 W. Eisenhower Parkway - Ann Arbor Meijer - 3145 Ann Arbor-Saline Road - Ann Arbor Plum Market - 375 North Maple Road - Ann Arbor Busch's - 2240 S Main Street - Ann Arbor Cupcake Station - 116 E Liberty - Ann Arbor Family Fare - 2026 North Saginaw - Midland Kroger- 3838 Richfield Road - Flint Meijer, #108 - 7300 Eastman Ave - Midland Meijer, #213 - 9515 Birch Run Rd - Birch Run Millers Mini Mart - 3001 Bay City Rd - Midland Target - 2000 Waters Road - Ann Arbor Tsai Grocery - 3115 Oak Valley Drive - Ann Arbor Walmart - 910 Joe Mann Blvd - Midland Walmart - 7000 E Michigan Ave - Saline Whole Foods - 3135 Washtenaw Ave - Ann Arbor Business reporter Matt Durr contributed to this report. Lindsay Knake is a cops and courts reporter for The Ann Arbor News. Follow her on twitter or contact her at 989-372-2498 or lknake@mlive.com. busch's Busch's representatives say there are no signs from their investigation that show any of their stores were impacted by the suspect accused of spraying mouse poison on food in Michigan grocery stores. (The Ann Arbor News File Photo) ANN ARBOR, MI - As law enforcement continues to investigate the possible contamination of food at several Michigan grocery stores, one local grocer says their stores are safe. John Hunter, the director of marketing for Busch's, said there is no evidence that their stores were affected by the suspect, despite one of the locations being named as a possible target by law enforcement. "We reviewed video very carefully and I can assure you that we were not impacted," Hunter said. Hunter confirmed the suspect was in the Busch's located at 2240 S. Main St. in Ann Arbor on April 2, but there was nothing on surveillance tapes that suggested he contaminated any foods in the store. Thus far, the investigation has shown no signs any other Busch's were impacted by the suspect either. "He was in our store on April 2, but it looks like he was just in there shopping. Never did anything (to products) or poured anything like that (on products)," Hunter said. The company has been working with local and state agencies to determine if the suspect poisoned any products in their stores, Hunter said. "We take food safety and the safety of our guests very seriously and never is that taken lightly," Hunter said. The suspect, who was taken into custody Tuesday, is accused of spraying a mixture of an alcohol-based hand sanitizer, water and Tomcat mouse poison on produce and fresh and prepared food at three Ann Arbor grocery stores. The FBI confirmed the suspect sprayed the mixture at Whole Foods Market, 990 W. Eisenhower Parkway; Meijer, 3145 Ann Arbor-Saline Road; and Plum Market; 375 North Maple Road. Hunter said Busch's rotates all products used in their fresh and prepared foods areas daily along with performing nightly cleanings and sanitation of the food bars. In a statement sent to The Ann Arbor News, Plum Market confirmed it threw away product at both Ann Arbor stores as a precaution. "Plum Market has proactively removed all exposed produce and prepared foods from its Ann Arbor locations due the investigation involving a suspect using a potentially hazardous material to contaminate food in Ann Arbor area grocery stores," the statement reads. Among the items discarded are: exposed produce, bulk foods, and prepared food items from the Plum Market located at 375 N. Maple Road in Ann Arbor. Similar items were destroyed at the store located at 3601 Plymouth Road as well. "In addition to exposed produce and prepared foods bar products being destroyed, produce, bulk, and prepared food bar areas have been sanitized against potential contaminants," the statement continues. Plum Market is encouraging customers to dispose of any produce, salad bars, olive bars, ready-to-eat hot and cold food items they may have purchased from both Ann Arbor locations areas between mid-March and the end of April. The full list of potentially-affected stores: Whole Foods Market - 990 W. Eisenhower Parkway - Ann Arbor Meijer - 3145 Ann Arbor-Saline Road - Ann Arbor Plum Market - 375 North Maple Road - Ann Arbor Busch's - 2240 S Main Street - Ann Arbor Cupcake Station - 116 E Liberty - Ann Arbor Family Fare - 2026 North Saginaw - Midland Kroger- 3838 Richfield Road - Flint Meijer, #108 - 7300 Eastman Ave - Midland Meijer, #213 - 9515 Birch Run Rd - Birch Run Millers Mini Mart - 3001 Bay City Rd - Midland Target - 2000 Waters Road - Ann Arbor Tsai Grocery - 3115 Oak Valley Drive - Ann Arbor Walmart - 910 Joe Mann Blvd - Midland Walmart - 7000 E Michigan Ave - Saline Whole Foods - 3135 Washtenaw Ave - Ann Arbor Whole Foods Market on Eisenhower threw out all food in the salad and hot bars and sanitized the stations after seeing the man in the store, a spokeswoman previously told The Ann Arbor News. Representatives of Tsai Grocery and Walmart have also issued statements regarding the possible contamination. Calls placed by The Ann Arbor News to Meijer seeking comment have not been returned. Matt Durr is a business reporter for The Ann Arbor News. Email him at mattdurr@mlive.com or follow him on Twitter. DEXTER, MI -- Dexter Community Schools alumnus Ryan Bruder will return to the district as principal of Bates Elementary School, effective July 1. Ryan Bruder Bruder is currently the project-based learning coordinator and lead teacher at Ann Arbor STEAM School at Northside. He spent several years as an elementary teacher and is a graduate of the University of Michigan and Eastern Michigan University. Dexter's board of education voted Monday to hire Bruder. "Ryan Bruder will be an incredible addition to DCS," said Superintendent Christopher Timmis, in a press release. "His extensive experience, energy, passion for education and dedication to Dexter is evident in every interaction. ... We are fortunate to have Mr. Bruder joining DCS and returning to lead the elementary school that once provided him a high-quality education, Bates Elementary." Bruder will begin on a one-year probationary contract, as is customary for the district, with an annual salary of $88,977. He was selected from a pool of 147 applicants. For the 2015-16 school year, Jess Stevenson acted as interim principal of the elementary school, following the August 2015 resignation of previous principal Tim Authier. "It's great to be back home," Bruder said in a press release. "I look forward to collaborating with staff, students and families to develop, educate and inspire the Bates and DCS community. ... The opportunity to serve as leader of Bates is truly a dream come true." Lauren Slagter covers K-12 education for The Ann Arbor News. Contact her at 734-255-1419, lslagter@mlive.com or on Twitter @LaurenSlagter. YPSILANTI, MI -- The local health department doesn't know of anyone sickened by the mouse poison mixture a man has sprayed on foods at Ann Arbor-area grocery stores. Susan Cerniglia, Washtenaw County Public Health Department spokeswoman, said the department is actively working with state officials and the FBI on the investigation into the incident. The FBI says a man sprayed a mixture of an alcohol-based hand-sanitizer, water and Tomcat mouse poison and contaminated produce in three Ann Arbor grocery stores in the last two weeks. The stores are Whole Foods Market, 990 W. Eisenhower Parkway; Meijer, 3145 Ann Arbor-Saline Road; and Plum Market; 375 North Maple Road. On Tuesday, May 3, the FBI took the man into custody after receiving tips from the public about his identity. Officials have not yet released his identity. State officials believe he may have sprayed the mixture also at stores in Saginaw and Midland. Cerniglia and Michigan Department of Health and Human Services officials say they don't believe people will become ill. "We're not aware at this point of any illnesses associated with the incident," Cerniglia said. Jennifer Eisner, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services a public information officer, said the department has not seen an increase in its syndromic surveillance system or any increase in reports from poison control in the area. The chemicals are a form of anti-coagulant, similar to those in medicines that have an anti-clotting function, according to state officials. Cerniglia advised anyone who may have eaten salad bar or hot food from those stores to watch for any indication of illness. "Because they were fresh foods impacted, they've probably passed useful consumption time," Cerniglia said. "Hopefully there is no ongoing threat in any way." Anyone who has heath concerns regarding the contamination can contact their healthcare provider or call Michigan Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. See the list of stores potentially-impacted stores: Whole Foods Market - 990 W. Eisenhower Parkway - Ann Arbor Meijer - 3145 Ann Arbor-Saline Road - Ann Arbor Plum Market - 375 North Maple Road - Ann Arbor Busch's - 2240 S Main Street - Ann Arbor Cupcake Station - 116 E Liberty - Ann Arbor Family Fare - 2026 North Saginaw - Midland Kroger- 3838 Richfield Road - Flint Meijer, #108 - 7300 Eastman Ave - Midland Meijer, #213 - 9515 Birch Run Rd - Birch Run Millers Mini Mart - 3001 Bay City Rd - Midland Target - 2000 Waters Road - Ann Arbor Tsai Grocery - 3115 Oak Valley Drive - Ann Arbor Walmart - 910 Joe Mann Blvd - Midland Walmart - 7000 E Michigan Ave - Saline Whole Foods - 3135 Washtenaw Ave - Ann Arbor Lindsay Knake is a cops and courts reporter for The Ann Arbor News. Follow her on twitter or contact her at 989-372-2498 or lknake@mlive.com. WASHTENAW COUNTY, MI -- The Washtenaw Intermediate School District special education millage passed Tuesday with support centered in Ann Arbor Public Schools and Dexter Community Schools districts. Precincts in Ann Arbor and Salem townships, the City of Chelsea, parts of the City of Ypsilanti and Ypsilanti Township, the City of Saline and the City of Milan also supported the millage, which will raise property taxes by 1.5 mills for the next 10 years. "I'm so proud to be a member of the community where quality education is valued for all students," said Jeanice Swift, superintendent of Ann Arbor Public Schools. "We're just thrilled that this is going to benefit children across the system." Countywide, voter turnout for the special election was 12.1 percent. Ballots tallied at 113 precincts showed 19,180 voters (59.1 percent) supported the millage proposal, and 13,273 voters (40.9 percent) opposed it. Also on Tuesday's ballot, Chelsea School District's sinking fund renewal request passed with 61.7 percent voter support. Live election results: Voters consider school proposals in special election Whether people voted yes or no on the proposal, all Washtenaw County students will benefit from the additional revenue coming in for special education services, said WISD Superintendent Scott Menzel. "That's how the system is set up. The students in every school district are the beneficiaries," Menzel said. "The information was communicated. People had the opportunity to consider whether or not they wanted to support it. We're so grateful for the support of the residents in Washtenaw County." Menzel said he plans to complete a district-by-district review of the election results. A preliminary look at the results shows overall voter turnout was slightly higher (13 percent) when the WISD asked for a simple renewal of the millage in 2011, Menzel said, and the participation rates in each district are similar. The special education millage increase will generate about $22 million a year that has to be spent on special education services. The revenue will compensate local school districts for the combined $24 million they spend annually from their general funds to cover the cost of special education. In all, Washtenaw County schools spend about $121 million a year educating nearly 6,500 students who qualify for special education services. The state and federal government provides $40 million, and the WISD's previous special education millage generated another $57 million. The millage increase lessens the burden on local school districts to cover the cost of special education services at the expense of general education programs. For Dexter Public Schools, that means avoiding a $1.5 million deficit going into the 2016-17 school year. The district expects to receive about $1.3 million from the additional special education levy. Superintendent Chris Timmis said Dexter educators consistently look at the individual needs of special education students and provide services based on that. The millage increase gives them more flexibility in those efforts. "What it means is we're not going to have to cut from our general education programs to do that," Timmis said. "It's just a sign [that] living and raising kids in Washtenaw County is a good place to be. As a county, and our parents, they really do value good education and they know it doesn't happen for free." The special education millage increase will cost the owner of a $300,000 market value house another $225 a year. AAPS will receive about $9.4 million from the special education millage increase, which Swift said will be incorporated into the district's typical budget process this spring. The board of education has established general priorities for spending: programs, employee compensation, building up the district's fund balance and infrastructure upgrades. Ypsilanti Community Schools Superintendent Ben Edmondson also saw the millage's approval as a "decisive indication" of residents' support for the school district, he wrote in a letter to parents. Ypsilanti is slated to receive $2.4 million for special education services from the new millage. "As good stewards of YCS, we will be certain to honor the trust you have in us to operate the district in a sound, fiscally responsible manner," he wrote. Lauren Slagter covers K-12 education for The Ann Arbor News. Contact her at 734-255-1419, lslagter@mlive.com or on Twitter @LaurenSlagter. BAY CITY, MI -- A group that aims to bring a food cooperative to Bay City took an important step forward last month by securing more than 30 members, allowing them to hire a company to develop a market study and business plan for the venture. To date, 35 households have paid a $200 fee to become member-owners of the Bay City Cooperative Market. The co-op board advertised a goal of 30 members by the end of April. It has since put a down payment for a market study Cooperative Development Services (CDS), a Minnesota- and Wisconsin-based consulting company with experience helping communities start new co-ops, said Jessica McQuarter, secretary for the Bay City co-op's board. "CDS is going to help us research properties, obtain all the information on demographics and figure out what kind of co-op our community can support," McQuarter said. "They're going to work with us all the way until the doors open." That includes writing the business plan that the co-op could use to secure a loan from a bank or credit union, and for other fundraising efforts. The challenge going forward, McQuarter said, is convincing people to pay $200 before a brick-and-mortar location has even been selected. Board members have said they understand the reluctance to sign up, but said a base of local support is needed. Those interested can sign up at www.baycityfood.org. The board's next goal is to secure 61 members -- or 26 more to date -- by June 1. "We're committed to this and we're not going to give up," McQuarter said. While a location hasn't been determined, the co-op board wants to see the store located in downtown Bay City. A food co-op is a grocery store owned and controlled by its members. Those members, who pay a fee to join, have a say in what shows up on the shelves and receive benefits, such as discounts on food. The public can purchase groceries from the co-op, just as they would at Kroger or Meijer, but the goal would be to get them to join, to contribute to the growth of the business. As much of the food as possible would come from local farms within an hour of Bay City. Products not grown in Michigan, or not grown during certain seasons, could come from National Coop Grocers, a national, independent distributor of natural, organic and specialty foods that has a strong history of doing business with food co-ops. Members of the Bay City co-op board attended a conference in March to learn about other ways of raising funds for their venture. McQuarter said it could be as traditional as securing loans through a bank, but is more likely going to be a combination of alternative funding methods, including grants and owner loans. "Some co-ops have used the owner loan route, where an owner could invest $1,000 or $2,000, and then get paid back with some interest," McQuarter said. "We plan to secure funding from many different sources." In the coming weeks, the co-op board hopes to form subcommittees focused on accounting, real estate and other aspects of the venture. Those interested in volunteering can email info@baycityfood.org. Food co-ops have exploded across the country in the past decade. Officials estimate 350 to 375 across the country, according to the Food Co-op Initiative. More than 120 communities, including Bay City, are working toward increasing that number. This Account has been suspended. The president of the Chinese-led Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank plans to visit Myanmar this year to start identifying potential projects, he told The Myanmar Times. The AIIB has not yet begun talks with the new government, but Jin Liqun intends to travel to Myanmar to start investigating initiatives for the bank to work on before the year is out, he said on the sidelines of the annual Asian Development Bank meeting in Frankfurt. Mr Jin said the new development bank, which started operations earlier this year, would identify a batch of potential projects across its member states at its third board meeting in June, but had not yet considered how to balance operations across different countries, regions or sectors. We will process the projects that are ready and bankable, so countries that have those [types of] projects would be the best candidates, he said. But as Myanmar is an AIIB member country the bank also has a duty to help finance infrastructure in Myanmar, Mr Jin said. Even in low-income countries [like Myanmar] I believe we can have profitable, productive infrastructure projects, he said, identifying power and transport as the two most likely sectors for early AIIB involvement in Myanmar. The AIIB signed an MoU with the Asian Development Bank this week, which sets the stage for jointly financing projects, and has already signed a similar agreement with the World Bank. Mr Jin told delegates in Frankfurt this week that the AIIB plans to sign an agreement with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development later this month. These agreements will facilitate joint-financing projects in Myanmar, although the AIIB is also searching for solo projects, Mr Jin told The Myanmar Times. If the existing development institutions like the World Bank or ADB have identified a good project and if they want us to be involved we are happy to co-finance, he said. Meanwhile, we are identifying projects on our own, so we hope the government institutions will propose some bankable projects for us to work on. In furthering its economic development Myanmar could also develop a close relationship with China to take advantage of that countrys economic growth, Mr Jin said. China is already Myanmars largest trading partner and one of its biggest investors. But Chinese-led projects, like the Letpadaung copper mine in Sagaing Region and the multi-billion-dollar Myitsone hydropower dam in Kachin State, often attract criticism. On March 29, the last full day in office for the previous government, the Myanmar Investment Commission (MIC) approved a Chinese-led US$3 billion oil refinery project. Local groups have already voiced resistance. China holds just over 26 percent of the AIIBs shares giving it far more voting power than any other member state. This has led to concerns that the development bank could be a vehicle for furthering Chinese influence across Asia. When asked if existing concerns about Chinese firms and Chinese influence could be an issue for the AIIBs operations in Myanmar, Mr Jin pointed to the banks standards on awarding tenders. We practise internationally competitive bidding [for project tenders], he said. For any AIIB-financed project in Myanmar or any other country Chinese firms can participate but only through an international-standard competitive bidding [process]. Thats the key. The AIIB is still developing some of its policies, including its energy strategy, he said. That strategy will determine whether the bank can fund coal-fired power plants, and if so under what conditions, Mr Jin said. Because of concerns around global warming there are some issues we need to discuss as we move forward, he said. Myanmar only has one coal-fired power plant, located in southern Shan State. This has been out of use for several years, although Chinese firm Wuxi Huagaung Electric Power Engineering plans to restart operations later this month, officials from the Ministry of Electricity and Energy said recently. ADB and World Bank officials told The Myanmar Times earlier this year that they would not fund coal-fired power plants in Myanmar. Unlike the ADB and the World Bank, the AIIB will not offer concessional funding aimed at poverty reduction. But it is building a separate fund that will help improve local institutions, Mr Jin said. Well have a special fund [provided by] China, and maybe some other countries, he said. This can be used to help prepare projects and for institutional capacity building. Im sure it will materalise soon, and of course Myanmar will be eligible. Bakeries will soon be on the rise in Myanmar, as real estate giant Shwe Taung Group has signed a deal to set up and run local outposts of Singapores BreadTalk chain. The agreement between BreadTalk and Shwe Taung Groups Myanmar Bakery Co marks the international firms first foray into the Myanmar market and Shwe Taungs first try at the food and beverage business. BreadTalks first bakery will open in early 2017 in one of Shwe Taungs shopping centres, according to a press release. The local construction-focused conglomerate runs the Junction Centre malls in Yangon and Nay Pyi Taw. BreadTalk is far from the only franchise to notice Myanmars blossoming food and beverage sector. The bakery follows pasta, pizza and fried chicken chains that have opened in Yangon in the belief its middle class is blooming. With a growing middle class and rising retail consumption, there are immense growth opportunities for BreadTalk in Myanmar, said Bakery Division CEO Tan Aik Peng in a statement. We are confident that BreadTalk will introduce a new lifestyle of bread appreciation. For now, however, rice wins out as the most popular grain in Myanmar. BreadTalk has spread to nearly 800 locations in Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia and other countries. Meanwhile, Shwe Taung Group sees a bright future ahead for its food and beverage sector ambitions. We envision ourselves [becoming] a premier food and beverage operator in Myanmar by introducing exciting and trendy concepts in new cafes and restaurants, fast food chains and modern food courts, said deputy managing director Daw Sandar Htun. Factory owners tired of electricity cuts say they will build their own power station in Yangons Hlaing Tharyar industrial zone. Owners say they will cover the construction cost if the government agrees to sell them the gas needed to power the plant. The owners had complained in an April 25 meeting with Yangon Regions new chief minister, U Phyo Min Thein, that an inadequate and unreliable electricity supply was one of the factors holding back further development in the countrys largest industrial zone. Another constraint was bridge tolls, with container companies spending almost as much on getting their containers across the Bayintnaung Bridge as transporting them to Singapore. On April 25, the chief minister announced that he would work with the Union government and the owners of the bridge to lower the toll rates. U Myat Thin Aung, chair of the Hlaing Tharyar Industrial Zone Administration Committee and of the AA Group of Companies, told The Myanmar Times on April 29 that companies in the zone are paying far too much for electricity, even when it is working. Although there are 663 transformers in the zone, which require about 270 megawatts of power, only about 50MW is available, he said. Most companies have to run their own diesel-powered generators. Every factory has from one to three generators. They are paying about K250-K300 per unit of electricity, he said. Companies in the zone are willing to pay K1 million each to contribute to the construction of a power plant in Hlaing Tharyar that would produce electricity for K120 per unit, and could sell power to the public as well, as soon as the government agrees to sell the natural gas to us. U Myat Thin Aung said the 50MW plant could be built with an investment of US$50 million for the land and the international-standard equipment required. The funds would be put up by local companies, who are also prepared to invest in the power company formed to run the station. If the pilot project is a success, the companies may consider building another plant to meet the energy gap, he said. During the April 25 meeting, U Phyo Min Thein said, A reliable electricity supply is vital for industry. But [our existing supply of] energy from hydropower and natural gas is not enough, and it will be difficult to raise electricity charges. Noting that factories in industrial zones are unable to run efficiently, he said he would negotiate with the countries that buy natural gas from Myanmar, inviting them to invest in industries that produce finished goods, enabling the country to evolve from being just an exporter of raw materials. I welcome all businesspeople to report each and every difficulty to me. We will coordinate and work together transparently, he said. According to the Hlaing Tharyar industrial Zone Administration Committee the zone includes 250 beans and pulses factories, 74 garment factories, 18 fisheries products factories and 14 timber-related factories, together employing more than 200,000 workers. U Phyo Min Thein said, Electricity should be provided by private companies in a competitive market. If they can provide regular, adequate electricity at a low price, we will buy it. This will enable the government not only to collect the tax, but also to help factories increase productivity. He said the 15 gas-powered power plants serving Yangon Region produced electricity at K57 a unit, but were not running at full efficiency because of the quality of the machinery. The public is being charged K35 a unit and factories are paying K75 a unit. Translation by Mee Mee Myint Thu After a Facebook photo essay raised an outcry, the Kyaikhtiyo Pagoda trustee board has come up with a new trash collection plan to replace the old method of simply tossing debris down the mountain. The famous Golden Rock Pagoda in Mon State draws roughly 2 million visitors each year, many of them Buddhist pilgrims from in-country and abroad. The volume of visitors, however, has led to a river of trash flowing down the hillside. Photos of the debris went viral on social media in mid-April, with more than 4500 people sharing the images and blaming the Mon State government and pagoda trustee board for failing to implement a trash collection strategy. In the April 28 Weekend issue, The Myanmar Times ran a story on the conditions, noting that no garbage removal system appeared to be in place. In a recent statement, the Kyaik-htiyo Pagoda trustee board has announced that they are now collecting trash and trucking it down the mountain. Now we are sending all trash to the foot of the hill each day by cooperating with the climbing trucks organisation, said U Saw Hla, general secretary of the Kyaikhtiyo Pagoda trustee board. The state government instructed us to handle the trash more systematically. He said two climbing trucks are dumping the debris near the Kamon Chaung Village at the base of the hill, with plans for implementing a system to burn the trash in the near future. Environmental sustainability is a driving factor in the changes. Nowe we are trying to make the right decisions for our pagoda to be in a stable, long-term situation, he said. We are also drawing up more ideas to solve our trash problem. We will report that project to the state government. See more In Pictures: The trashing of Kyaik Htee Yoe Pagoda Aung Myint Maw is the assistant chief engineer of the population control and cleaning department of YCDC. He told The Myanmar Times yesterday that he has drawn up a first draft for a trash-burning system. His plans would enable the burning of 5 tonnes of garbage per day at the base of the Kyaikhtiyo hillside. He noted that the debris can produce a mineral liquid that destroys soil quality, tree roots and water sanitation. This trash also produces carbon dioxide and methane gas, which can be air pollution that destroys the beauty of the mountain, he said. It is very dangerous from an environmental standpoint. Aung Myint Maw, who holds a PhD in environmental studies, said the most suitable way to handle the issue, for the time being, is to burn the trash in dug-out holes. Mon Halsey, originally Myat Thiri Kyaw, sees art and creative opportunity where others see debris and a trash heap. And in her second-ever solo exhibition, entitled Our Beloved World, Halsey hopes to show that greener living is a moral duty. The main purpose of this exhibition is to spread the message that the earth is what we all have in common, she said. Things we use and throw away daily are harmful to the earth its like we are destroying our own home. The exhibit, which opens May 7 at The Yangon Gallery, will feature five months worth of her work, all of which relates to environmental conservation. She said that recyclable materials are a mainstay in the collection. No surprise there Halsey is also the host of The Green Corner, an MITV program that educates viewers on uses for recycled material. Naturally, arts and crafts are a big part of the programming. But Halsey wasnt always an eco-friendly artist. The art designer and Myanmar Studies teacher at Yangon Academy International School started out as a mere art fan. For years, she said, she has admired artists and enjoyed watching them transform raw materials into shapes and decorations. I used to watch what other people make and then try to make the same thing, she said. Im just applying the concept of what other people have done to decorate around my own home. My friends say that its like a small art museum. After they encouraged her to take the art a step further, she established her own studio in 2012. Mons Arts & Crafts, in 9 Mile, is her art sanctuary, a studio filled with papier mache, art books and an assortment of bottles, card boxes, stones, fabrics and beads. I make things like flowers, vines and trees with paper, for decorating shops or events, she said. Her arts and crafts have been featured at weddings, birthdays and opening ceremonies. All of the products are posted to her Facebook page, a simple advertising scheme that has paid dividends as her work generates more popularity. Most of the customers come to me wanting something different, something new, she said. Ive also done a lot of seasonal decorations for many shops. In her first solo exhibition, last November, she showed some varieties of this type of work, including mixed media art on canvas and a few installations. Looking forward, she said she wants to continue demonstrating the power and value of recyclables, and mentioned visiting orphanages and monastic schools as one avenue for teaching. In her mind, anyone could do what she does. Arts and crafts that I make are not that difficult to create, she said. You just need serious focus, attention and joy. Ignoring the denials and rising tempers of Tatmadaw MPs, the Arakan National Party has proposed bringing victims of the armys forced porter scheme into parliament. During a debate in the upper house yesterday on the ongoing skirmishes in Rakhine State, MP U Khin Maung Latt said he would invite former porters to speak to the hluttaw. What people displaced by the war fear most is being forced to work as porters, U Khin Maung Latt said. Porters have to carry heavy loads of provisions, patients and weapons. The exact number of people being forced to work as porters for the Tatmadaw in the current clashes with the Arakan Army is 20. He added that he has video and audio footage of Rakhine State villagers testifying that they have been forced to work for the Tatmadaw. Those who have been forced to work as porters are now in refugee camps. You can directly ask them there. If parliament wants to hear from them, I can invite them to come here, he said. The latest round of fighting between the Arakan Army and the Tatmadaw erupted on April 16. The renewed clashes have pushed over 1100 civilians into eight temporary camps, according to figures from the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. An Arakan National Party MP initially proposed addressing the clashes in parliament, saying that since the fighting was about the right to self-determination, the clashes would have to be handled on the political floor. Yesterday, five MPs discussed the need to bring the fighting to a halt, and the demand that the Arakan Army be invited in to the peace process. The Arakan Army was excluded from the nationwide ceasefire signed last October, and in January the Tatmadaw pledged it would eliminate the ethnic force. U Khin Maung Latt told parliament that peace can only be achieved in the state when federal rights are obtained and a ceasefire brokered. He pressed for immediate action given that since the beginning of Thingyan the number of IDPs has continued to grow. The numbers keeps getting higher. The civilians lose their cattle, poultry and cultivated farmland, he said, adding that some of the displaced civilians have not been able to reach temporary shelters. The refugees left hiding in the jungle are in trouble as they cannot get foods, medicines and required commodities. The bombings reach near villages. People have to take shelter in schools in safe villages, he said. Rainy season will arrive soon, so they need provisions. Though donors and charities are providing aid, it is not enough for the refugees. The MPs, including military representatives, are slated to continue discussing the clashes today. Translation by Thiri Min Htun Bowing to nationalist pressure, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday requested the US embassy in Yangon refrain from using the term Rohingya, according to an official. The move follows increasing dissent from nationalist protesters after the US embassy released a statement expressing condolences for victims of a boat sinking accident who were reported to be Rohingya. Nationalists swarmed the US embassy in an unauthorised march along University Avenue Road on April 28. The nationalist activists and monks, backed by Ma Ba Tha or the Committee to Protect Race and Religion as it is formally called in English demanded the embassy retract the statement and accused the US of interfering with Myanmar affairs. Rohingya are not recognised as among the 135 official ethnic groups and are referred to as Bengalis by those who do not support their right to self-identification. In a statement released on May 2, Ma Ba Tha encouraged people to ignore the US embassy statement, and treat the country as if it had broken diplomatic ties with Myanmar. The term Rohingya is fake and those who use it violate the sovereignty of the state, the statement said. The nationalists planned to stage another, much larger rally outside the embassy on May 5, with a protest column marching in from Ayeyarwady Region. But the organisers said if the Myanmar government denounced the embassy for meddling in identity politics beforehand, the protest could be called off. U Soe Lynn Han, deputy director general of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said yesterday that the US embassy was advised to avoid using the term Rohingya in the future. We told them that the use of the term by the US embassy is not supportive of national reconciliation in Myanmar. They said they have noted the request, he said. The US embassy was not able to confirm the request or provide a statement in response by press time yesterday. Spokesperson for the Presidents Office and the State Counsellor U Zaw Htaw previously told The Myanmar Times that the dispute over the terminology would be handled behind closed doors through diplomatic channels. U Soe Lynn Han said high-level talks were held over the issue, but he did not go into detail about what was said or who was present. He said only that the discussion had clearly produced positive results. When asked whether the new government had an official policy on the use of the word Rohingya and if the official terminology would be distributed to all the embassies, the ministrys deputy director general said he could not comment. I can say only that this [request to the US] was the policy of the minister, U Soe Lynn Han said. The US has repeatedly defended its use of the word Rohingya. In a press conference on the same day as the nationalist protest at the gates of the embassy, the new US ambassador Scot Marciel said it was not a political decision but normal practice to call people what they wish to be called. Asked if he would continue using the term Rohingya, Mr Marciel said, We have used that term before, President Obama has used that term before, but throughout the interview with the press he did not himself use the word Rohingya. US President Barack Obama has repeatedly called on Myanmar to end discrimination against Muslim Rohingya in Rakhine State where many are confined to temporary IDP camps built four years ago. Mr Obama repeatedly used the term Rohingya when he came to Myanmar in 2014, on his second visit to the country. Mr Obama was the first US president to visit Myanmar while in office, and his administration counts the rapprochement of relations with Myanmar as a major foreign policy success. The National League for Democracy has disciplined one of its MPs for making an unauthorised mission to the Wa stronghold of Panghsang where he discussed the peace process with Myanmars most powerful ethnic armed group. Former Tatmadaw officer U Soe Htay who served as a deputy commander in Panghsang led a delegation to meet the United Wa State Army (UWSA) last week. He said he had hoped to use his friendly relations with the groups commander-in-chief for the benefit of the peace process. But the NLD MP had failed to inform the partys central committee about his trip and was reprimanded upon returning. The NLD stripped him of any important duties for a year, including his place on parliaments peace and ethnic affairs committee. U Soe Htay said he accepted the punishment but dismissed rumours that the party had expelled him. I am not dismissed from the party. They will not assign important duties to me for one year. I can appeal, but I wont, U Soe Htay told reporters in parliament yesterday. Lower house Speaker U Win Myint announced that the partys MP U Saw Victor Kalite would replace U Soe Htay, who represents Kawkareik township in Kayin State, on the peace and ethnic affairs committee. Though dismissed from the committee, U Soe Htay said he had travelled to the remote rebel-held area on a fact-finding mission for the peace process and he was still able to report his findings and suggestions to the committee. I have no separate duties for the peace [and ethnic affairs] committee. But I can make suggestions and submit my findings, he said. As U Soe Htay visited the UWSA headquarters, State Counsellor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi called for a second Panglong Conference in the spirit of her fathers legacy during a meeting with the Joint Monitoring Committee of the nationwide ceasefire accord. The conference would include groups, such as the UWSA that had refused to sign the controversial agreement. U Than Soe Naing, a political commentator, criticised the disciplining of U Soe Htay. I dont think it is a good decision, he said. As far as I know, the purpose of the trip was based on good sense. They discussed the peace process and building unity in the country. The trip could bring good things for better negotiations between the NLD and the UWSA. So Im wondering why the NLD made the wrong decision. Are they afraid of someone? Im not sure, said U Than Soe Naing. Another political commentator, U Yan Myo Thein, said the NLD trumpeted national reconciliation and efforts to build a federal union but this was belied by the partys actions. He said it appeared the party was talking more about reconciliation with the military rather than with ethnic groups. It is unnecessary to take serious action [against the MP], U Yan Myo Thein said. I think the NLD and parliament are worried about relations with the Tatmadaw. So they dont allow any member to get the Tatmadaw angry. The UWSA, which maintains close ties to China, used the occasion of U Soe Htays visit last week to press its own demands. In an eight-point statement carried by Chinese media, senior Wa official Xiao Ming-liang called on the government to hold a peace conference in which the United Nations and China would participate as witnesses. He also urged the government to set up liaison mechanisms with ethnic armed groups and to amend the constitution. Translation by Khine Thazin Han Information Minister U Pe Myint has pledged to reform the controversial broadcasting law passed by the previous government, according to the Myanmar Media Council. Council secretary U Thiha Saw told The Myanmar Times yesterday that the new minister had promised to hold workshops throughout the year to decide how the law should be changed, suggesting that reform would be a lengthy process. A meeting between the minister and the council on May 2 also discussed how to build a better relationship between the Ministry of Information and media organisations, and how the complaints mechanism between the media and the public should be handled. We should have a better relationship than before with the Ministry of Information, said U Thiha Saw, a former chief editor of The Myanmar Times. Myanmars Broadcasting Media Law was approved by parliament on August 28 last year but accompanying legislation to activate the law has not been implemented. A Broadcasting Council, the focus of criticism of the law, should have been formed within six months. Editors and journalists have complained that the Broadcasting Council lacks independent members as they are to be selected by the president and the two parliamentary speakers. The Council is also answerable to the industry regulator in the shape of the minister for information who has to work with the deputy minister for home affairs and the directors of psychological warfare and public relations under the Ministry of Defence. The law was also criticised for favouring state broadcasters in providing public services, and for limiting cross-media ownership. Under the law a print media organisation cannot hold more than a 30 percent share in a broadcaster. Members of the ruling National League for Democracy have previously pledged that the new government would give all media organisations an equal chance in the industry. Private shipping companies have been profiting from the governments failure to resume ferry operations off southern Rakhine State since the Aung Takon 3 disaster of March 2015, a local MP has charged. Pyithu Hluttaw representative for the Arakan National Party U Ba Shein, an ethnic Rakhine, told parliament yesterday that local residents were being forced to use private vessels at great expense since all three government-operated routes had been closed after the sinking, which killed at least 72 people. Eyewitnesses say the real toll was far larger, as the boat was seriously overcrowded far beyond the official. Despite an outcry at the time, no proper investigation has yet been carried out into the disaster. U Ba Shein said the government ferry had charged fares of K3000 along the Sittwe-Myebon-Kyaukphyu route, but the going rate for a private speedboat was K16,000. As The Myanmar Times recently found while trying to cross on a speedboat from Sittwe to Buthidaung, the journeys are also lengthy, overcrowded and lacking in a safety measures. Again the official manifest was sorely short of the official number of passengers crowded, without tickets, through the only door to the lower deck. U Ba Shein asked whether the delay to restarting the states ferry network was intentional, so that the private companies could make a bigger profit. Responding, Transport Minister U Thant Sin Maung said he could not set a date for the resumption of the government ferry service. Youll just have to be patient, he said. The minister told parliament the government was trying to build new coastal ferries, with 200 million yen (US$1.88 million) worth of Japanese assistance. All our existing fleet is about 20 or 30 years old. We are responsible in the event of an accident, so we want the highest standards of safety, he said, adding that local engineers were working on ship designs. All three lines running coastal ferries off southern Rakhine State, Aung Takon, Alin Yaung and Along Phayar, have been suspended since the sinking of the Aung Takon 3. Other parliamentary questions raised today were from Daw Cho Cho Win, who asked for repairs to be made to the Chindwin River route, and U Pike Ko, who requested information on the public health impact of communications towers. Translation by Khine Thazin Han A bill banning by-elections in the first and last year of a governments term was submitted to parliament by the National League for Democracy yesterday. The NLD is proposing the changes for elections to both houses, as well as the state and regional parliaments. Election laws currently rule that by-elections be held within six months of a seat becoming vacant, but the NLD proposes to change this to a year from when a new government takes office. Seats that become vacant in the last year of the five-year term would not be filled until the next general election, according to the proposal. Seats fall vacant when MPs are appointed to ministerial and other executive positions after a government takes office, as well as when incumbents die or are removed. U Hla Tint, a member of the Union Election Commission, said that holding by-elections in the first and fifth years would be difficult, because the committee would be busy reviewing objections resulting from the general election or preparing the next election in those years. Political commentator U Than Soe Naing said he supported the changes to the law. I am in favour of the decision. The first of the five years is a very busy time. It is better not to have the by-elections in the fifth year, because that would be a waste of time, energy and money, he said. Other observers have criticised the law, saying it would leave possibly hundreds of thousands of voters including State Counsellor Daw Aung San Suu Kyis own constituents without representation in parliament for at least a year. The Bill Committee said it discussed the proposed changes with the Pyidaungsu Hluttaws Legal Affairs and Special Issues Commission, the Pyithu Hluttaw Legal Support Team and the Union Election Commission. Sai Mauk Kham, the former vice- president who now represents Lashio township in parliament, refused to say whether he would support the bill. On the day when MPs debate the bills you will see what our opinion is, he said. MPs who want to submit amendments to the proposal need to register by May 6, after which the bill will be discussed. Additional reporting by Lun Min Mang, translation by Thiri Min Htun Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida pledged his ongoing support for Myanmars development as his government continues its large-scale assistance to the country. Mr Kishida vowed to help with the peace process and national reconciliation during a joint press conference with State Counsellor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, who he met for an hour at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday morning. He also pledged Japans aid for the employment, education, agriculture, infrastructure and financial sectors. He said he would further discuss Myanmars needs with the government before taking action. I am very happy about Japans help for Myanmar. I appreciate the kindness of Japans citizens on behalf of Myanmars citizens, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi said during the press conference. As the foreign minister arrived in Nay Pyi Taw, the United Nations issued a statement thanking Japan for its US$31.7 million donation to their operations in Myanmar. The funding will be used predominantly to help vulnerable communities in Myanmars Rakhine and Chin states. The donations are going to the Food and Agricultural Organization, the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat), the UN High Commissioner for Refugees and the World Food Programme. Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, who is also foreign minister, reportedly requested aid from Japan in February this year. The Japanese government has put aside more than 100 billion yen (US$910 million) in loans and grants as development assistance which it hopes to finalise in June according to the Japan Times. Daw Aung San Suu Kyi visited Japan in 2013 as the chair of the NLD. Yangon City Development Committee is breathing new life into the proposed new city project, a massive extension of Yangon that would create seven satellite cities over the next quarter-century. A city planning official told The Myanmar Times that the committee wants to revamp the project and reorient its priorities to the Northeast sector. Until now, attention has focused on the proposed Southwest New City, across the Hlaing River opposite Ahlone and Kyeemyindaing townships. Though the three companies selected to build the new city were ready to proceed on the basis of approval from the outgoing government, the incoming National League for Democracy government made it clear that it was prepared to cancel the project if it found that residents would not benefit sufficiently. The three companies have been asked to submit detailed plans and the chief minister has suspended the order to confiscate land because compensation details are unclear. Speaking to The Myanmar Times, U Toe Aung, deputy head of the City Planning and Land Administration Department of Yangon City Development Committee, said Northeast New City would be located between the future Hantharwaddy International Airport near Bago city and the Thilawa Special Economic Zone. U Toe Aung said YCDC wanted the regional government to prioritise the Northeastern development, in Hlegu township, over Southwest New City, which had been favoured by the previous administration amid criticisms over lack of transparency. The project priorities were initially outlined in the 2040 Greater Yangon development plan, which foresees the citys population doubling to 10 million by then. The 2040 plan drawn up by the Japan International Cooperation Agency [JICA] calls for Northeastern New City to be developed first. The last government changed that priority, but we will ask the government to change it back, he said. U Toe Aung added that the Northeast project would require no new bridges and had better existing road access than the proposed Southwest New City zone. At his April 25 meeting with industrialists, Yangon Region Chief Minister U Phyo Min Thein had reiterated that his administration intended to take another look at the city development projects to ensure that they were in line with the 2040 plan. Many projects not related to the JICA plan have been found, so were going to review the project systematically, he told journalists. Northeast new city would cover 17,375 acres of land valued at K491.13 billion and would accommodate about 1 million people. But the previous government allowed some private companies to build factories in the area near No 7 Road in East Dagon township and in Hlegu township near the Yangon-Mandalay road that were not envisaged in the JICA plan. U Toe Aung said YCDC objected to those zones, but without success. They did what they want, he said, referring to the outgoing government. He added that the farmers who owned land in the project area would receive K10 million an acre compensation, in addition to the K5 million he said was paid when the land was confiscated by the military government in 1996. YCDC had already identified possible sites for roads and housing in the proposed new city area. Ma Lit village resident Ko Win Naing said on April 29, We heard three years ago there would be a new city built here, but nobody confirmed it. Were looking forward to it. Translation by Emoon and San Lay Media organisations urged the government to implement a Freedom of Information Act during a World Press Freedom Day ceremony in Yangon. Media representatives emphasised the importance of access to information in a democratic country in an address to Information Minister U Pe Myint yesterday. The new government was soundly criticised for its lack of communication with the media during its first month in office. For not the first time, the National League for Democracy issued a ban preventing MPs from speaking to the media and also closed off parts of the parliament from reporters. U Thiha Saw, chair of the Journalists Association, said that media organisations are still hoping that new government will introduce the Freedom of Information Act which would give any person the right to access government information to develop the media industry. I hope the government will introduce it so that our media will become strong and independent, he said. He added that would be good for the governments image. Media organisations denounced the current media law, which they say they should have been consulted on together with civil society groups. U Zaw Thet Htwe of the Myanmar Journalists Union said that the minister for information needs to address the need for spokespersons from all ministries to fulfil the right to information. The information minister pledged to improve press freedom in his term and said he will work together with the media to develop Myanmars media industry. Every ministry will appoint a spokesperson to make information public. Also, the ministers will hold a press conference if they have something special to announce, he said. I want press freedom because I have also worked in the media industry. Therefore, I will work with my colleagues to develop the media, he added. Reporters Without Borderss 2016 Press Freedom Index ranked Myanmar 143 out of 180 countries, revealing the limits of the reforms and measures taken to improve media freedom and safety. Kenya is about to destroy its entire stockpile of elephant ivory. More than 100 metric tonnes of white gold both illegally harvested (confiscated from poachers or traders) and naturally accruing (from natural mortality) will go up in smoke this weekend. In China where the majority of the worlds ivory is consumed or stockpiled - the recently reported price is US$1100 per kilogram, putting the total value of the material to be burned at roughly $110 million. To most economists, the idea of destroying something with so much value is anathema. But there are good reasons for a country even one as poor as Kenya to surrender its ivory wealth to the flames. For starters, stockpile destruction fortifies the credibility of demand-reduction campaigns in East Asia, without which the poaching problem will never be solved. Demand reduction aims to weaken the market for the product by changing consumer tastes. As prices drop, so does the incentive for poachers to kill elephants. When countries keep their stockpiles, however, they signal that they anticipate being able to sell ivory in the future. This undermines the credibility of demand-reduction efforts. If the trade is likely to be legalised one day, any stigma associated with ivory consumption will be eroded. Proponents of a regulated, legal international ivory trade argue that demand-reduction efforts can co-exist with a limited legitimate supply. But this line of reasoning has a dangerous weakness: It assumes that a legal cartel one proposed model for regulating supply would crowd out illegal suppliers by providing ivory to the market at a lower cost. This assumption is dubious at best. The quantities traded through a legal mechanism would be insufficient to flood the market and suppress the price. Indeed, with legalised trade undermining demand-reduction efforts, the price of ivory is likely to remain high, ensuring that poaching continues. Some southern African countries argue that they should be allowed to sell their ivory in CITES-permitted, one-off sales to fund conservation efforts aimed at maintaining healthy elephant populations. But, aside from the low probability in some countries that the revenue would be directed to that end, it is not clear that much money would be made. Under CITES regulations, governments are permitted to sell only to other governments. But what other governments are willing to pay may be as low as one-tenth of the illicit value. And even then, governments can sell only naturally accrued ivory, not what was confiscated from poachers or illicit dealers. China and the United States are in the process of formulating bans on domestic ivory trade, so it is not clear which governments would be interested in purchasing African stockpiles. Vietnam and Laos are likely candidates, but they are also part of the infamous golden triangle, where illegal trade in wildlife and wildlife products continues to thrive. The possibility of the legal ivory trade shifting to poorly regulated markets calls for a concerted international response, spearheaded by African governments through coalitions like the Elephant Protection Initiative, together with countries such as China. Preserving rather than burning stockpiles is the inefficient choice. Maintaining a stockpile is administratively and operationally expensive, and often pointless. Inventory management is labour-intensive and technologically demanding. The ivory also must be air-conditioned to prevent the tusks from cracking or becoming brittle (important factors for attracting higher prices). Given the low probability of being able to sell ivory in the future, the cost of storing and protecting it is unlikely to be recouped. Meanwhile, criminal syndicates need only corrupt a handful of local officials to make off with the goods. Then there are the high opportunity costs of investment in maintaining stockpiles. The scarce human and financial resources allocated toward stockpile management could be more efficiently directed toward landscape preservation efforts, which can become self-sustaining over time through payment for ecosystem service. Finally, burning ivory worth millions of dollars has an undeniable symbolic impact. It sends a clear message: Ivory belongs to elephants and to no one else. And it makes clear that elephants are worth more alive than dead. Indeed, elephants value is anything but symbolic. Elephants are a keystone species for preserving important ecosystems. And yet rampant poaching is destroying elephant populations across Africa, killing, on average, 30,000 a year. Poaching also has a negative impact on communities, benefiting a few at the expense of the many. Recent research has shown that community conservancies (areas set aside for wildlife conservation) in northern Kenya are highly effective forms of landscape and therefore elephant preservation, provided the right incentives are in place. This is important because in countries like Kenya and Tanzania, the majority of wildlife exists outside formally protected areas. Kenya should be commended for making a wise and efficient decision. Its neighbours, as well as countries farther south, should follow its example. Ideally, all range-state countries should destroy their stockpiles to overcome the regional collective action problem. Doing so would send an unmistakable signal to the global market: Ivory is not for sale, not now and not in the future. Project Syndicate Chris Alden is a professor at the London School of Economics and Political Science and a senior researcher with the South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA). Ross Harvey is a senior researcher with SAIIA and a PhD student at University of Cape Towns School of Economics. Say the word leader and most people think of confident, take-charge and charismatic individuals or icons such as Nelson Mandela, John F Kennedy and Margaret Thatcher among others. So many books have been written on leadership, but what really makes a leader? Is a leader considered someone with seniority, someone with a position in the hierarchy of a group or someone who carries a title? Can you not be a leader in your workplace, in the community and in your family all without having a title or seniority? Do you need to be charismatic or popular to lead? Do leaders need followers? A true leader in my opinion is someone who does not use power, force or authority to manipulate others, someone who uses social influence for the greater good, someone with integrity, someone who has the natural ability to inspire. Leaders say Do as I do rather than Do as I say because they lead by example. Leaders are willing to hear what others have to say and they are open to feedback and criticism. A leader communicates often that the team is important to him or her. A leader does not control people but inspires them to do great things by delegating, then encourages them to make their own choices, to try things and, yes, allows them to make a few mistakes. Otherwise how else could they improve? I have worked in different Myanmar-related organisations over the years, attended numerous meetings and noticed that there are always people ready to obey, bystanders who will not rock the boat, but very few who would challenge or question the leader. Because of this general behaviour of the majority accommodating, oftentimes the so-called leader of the group or the manager of an organisation gets comfortable being served. This is where trouble begins. During my two years at a diplomatic mission many of my Burmese colleagues would literally drop what they were doing to immediately accommodate the ambassador, fearing that he would be vexed if they refused. A polite suggestion would suffice if you were in the middle of doing something. Additionally during meetings, when given the chance to express matters that concern everyone, many wouldnt. And a few who wished to speak up were often dissuaded by others. As a result, the ambassador and many in his team became comfortable receiving immediate attention while many Burmese, although dissatisfied, continued to tolerate the situation. This scenario also takes place in many government institutions. But, on one occasion during a discussion with a few Western consultants, a deputy minister chided his personnel for not asking questions when he had repeatedly requested them to speak up and warned openly that he would not tolerate receiving queries for clarification later on. The atmosphere changed immediately. Sometimes it is the entourage of a leader who creates the unwarranted behaviour. In 2010, I had escorted a high-ranking German official on his first visit to Myanmar. Every Western official to Myanmar had to see Daw Aung San Suu Kyi. I had already expected that a translator would not be needed but I was requested by the official to be by his side. Despite my explanation, her entourage sternly and abruptly dismissed me at the doorstep while, with all smiles, they ushered away the German official. She was standing there, just a few steps from the entrance. Unfortunately that was not the only time that I encountered such treatment. It is disappointing to be treated as a second-class citizen in front of your own leader. This double standard is still prevalent in Myanmar despite the so-called time for change. But to be fair, this also takes place in other countries. Sadly it is still the norm in Myanmar that if you are no one, you are often forced or expected to obey and do things without questioning. It is my hope that leaders of our country do not expect us to constantly obey them. We have been asked to cooperate but I hope we will be treated as equals. We would welcome the opportunity to challenge without being reprimanded. Help us become better citizens, promote us to be leaders, because every one of us, I believe is a leader in our own right. Whatever the cause, we should motivate and inspire others around us to achieve their full potential. Khaing Tun is an independent consultant and interpreter in Nay Pyi Taw. Today UNICEF and the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) of the Government of South Korea donated a Newborn Care Unit and 75 new motorcycles to support Ghana Health Services. The donation will provide critical newborn care for babies within their first 30 days of life and enable the transportation of health workers during outreach missions in the Northern and Upper East Regions of Ghana. KOICA has partnered with UNICEF and the Government of Ghana for three years to support newborn care, pre-school education, teacher training and HIV awareness in the Upper East Region and Northern Region under the human development lifecycle approach project. Neonatal mortality continues to be a challenge here in Ghana where one new-born dies every fifteen minutes. That means ninety babies every day die within their first month of life and this cannot be acceptable said Susan Namondo Ngongi. Districts in the Upper East and Northern regions are among the most deprived in terms of quality education and the survival of newborns. The program focuses on improving new-born care for babies in their first month of life and improving the quality of education in these districts. The South Korean Ambassador, H.E. Ambassador Lyeo, Woon-Ki, KOICA Country Director, Mr. Woochan Chang and UNICEF Representative Susan Namondo Ngongi met with the Regional Minister of the Upper East Region, Hon. Albert Abongo and Regional Minister of the Northern Region, Hon. Abdallah Abubakari as part of the visit. The delegation also handed over a total of 75 motorcycles to the Ghana Health Services department, 45 for the Northern region and 30 for the Upper East Region. The newborn care unit and motorcycles are part of a $4.5 million package from the Government of South Korea to reduce newborn deaths in the Northern and Upper East Regions. In his remarks, H.E. Ambassador reiterated that through KOICA, the Government of Korea pledges its commitment to strengthen the cooperative ties particularly in the Northern Ghana and to create a platform for a dynamic partnership with other Development Partners. We are happy for the people and mothers in Builsa and beyond for the chances of survival of neonates are improved and they will grow into healthy adolescents and adults. Who knows, one of these neonates benefiting from this new born care unit will one day be the President of Ghana said Dr. Kofi Issah, Regional Health Director- Ghana Health Service, Upper East Region. This donation will strengthen efforts by the Government of Ghana to ensure more children are saved at birth and more communities are reached with vital health services in these regions. We are confident that new-born lives will be saved, thanks to this program, and thanks to the Government of South Korea. Ensuring that Ghana's youngest citizens can survive and thrive is fundamental for a greater future Ghana said Susan Namondo Ngongi, UNICEF Ghana Representative. The elections in Equatorial Guinea, while held in a generally orderly manner and calm atmosphere, were a missed opportunity for the democratisation of the country. The campaign was held without any debate on national issues. There was an inequitable access of candidates to public media and financial resources as well as incidents of harassment against opposition candidates, including an attack carried out by security forces against the headquarters of an opposition party. This environment challenges the conclusions of the national dialogue process held in 2014, notably regarding the aim to facilitate the establishment and work of political parties and to open political space. The confirmation of presidential election results opens the way for President Obiang to serve another term. We note the President's public undertaking that this would be his last term. The Preliminary declaration issued by the African Union Election Observation Mission, which the EU acknowledges, contains important recommendations. They include the need to reinforce political dialogue and consensus building among all stakeholders in the electoral process and the reform of the National Electoral Commission with the objective of making it a permanent, more inclusive, impartial and independent body in accordance with the Constitution. Equatorial Guinea's ratification of the revised Cotonou Agreement would allow comprehensive political relations and full co-operation to match those which the EU enjoys with other African, Caribbean and Pacific states. The Dubai-based airline, Emirates has been adjudged the Best Airline-Foreign Company of the Year at the Business Executive Excellence Awards held at the Labadi Beach Hotel in Accra, Friday. Emirates was selected for the accolade by a committee of experienced entrepreneurs, economists, accomplished corporate strategists and seasoned journalists. We are extremely pleased that Emirates has been honoured with this award. The aviation industry in Ghana has grown competitively over the last few years, and it is, therefore, a source of great pride that Emirates has been recognised in this manner said Hendrik Du Preez, Country Manager of Emirates in Ghana. For the past 12 years, Emirates has been committed to enhancing the travel experience of our valuable customers in Ghana. We look forward to many more years of affording customers the opportunity to explore the world for less and experience Emirates award-winning products and services, he continued. Under the theme Recognizing Resilience and Creativity in Business Operations, the airline has adjudged the award based on amongst others, their managerial ability to drive the business forward in the current challenging operating environment, tangible evidence of commercial success as well as their strong corporate reputation and public image. Emirates, a global connector of people and places, has received more than 600 international awards and accolades for excellence. Emirates flies to 150 destinations in 81 countries across six continents and is the worlds largest airline in available seat kilometres. Operating 250 wide-body Airbus and Boeing aircraft, including the industry leading aircraft A380. Emirates currently flies daily from Accra to Dubai utilizing the Boeing 777-300ER which offers 8 luxurious First Class seats, 42 flat-bed seats in Business Class and 310 generously-sized Economy Class seats. Derala (Ethiopia) (AFP) - Stuck on a track in eastern Ethiopia, trucks carrying food for the starving are forced to turn back. After one of the worst droughts for decades, the rains have finally arrived, but now only add to the complication of the delivery of food aid. Flash floods have effectively transformed dry dirt tracks into impassable quagmires, adding to the woes of the victims in remote areas, some of whom have received no help for weeks. A year of drought has pushed 10.2 million Ethiopians into dire conditions needing food aid to survive, according to the United Nations. Here in Sitti province, in the far east of the Horn of African nation, times were tough even before the drought. The region is classified as "emergency", according to UN monitors, one step short of famine. In the small village of Derela, cattle herders come from far for aid. Dozens of carcasses of goats and cattle testify to the magnitude of the drought. "All my animals died," said Ali Boor, installed in a makeshift camp with his wife and their seven children. From his 200 cows, only six survived. "Without any help, there was no hope," he said. "We heard that here we could have food and water." Floods and failed rains caused by the El Nino weather phenomenon have sparked a dramatic rise in the number of people going hungry in large parts of Africa, with southern Ethiopia an area of especial concern. - Food and funding gaps - Food insecurity is a sensitive issue in Ethiopia, which enjoys near-double-digit economic growth, but which has struggled to change its image following the famine of 1984-85 which followed an extreme drought. "A drought like this is unheard of," added Mohamed Aden, the leader of the community, a few huts away. In two years, three consecutive seasons of rains were abnormally low, a situation attributed to El Nino. "At the beginning, we sold the livestock to buy food. Without help, we would have only the skin of animals to eat," said Aden. Children receive a bowl of porridge a day at school, and their families get wheat rations distributed by the UN, often irregularly. Despite these efforts, malnutrition has reached grim levels: 350,000 children under five years were treated for severe malnutrition in Ethiopia in 2015, a figure expected to reach 450,000 in 2016, according to the UN children's agency UNICEF. In Malkashek, amidst a vast expanse of desert, the mobile clinic set up by Save the Children is always busy. Aid worker Abd Rahman Adan measures the children to identify the most malnourished. Last month, 136 cases of severe malnutrition were registered in this district alone. "Since the beginning of the drought, we have seen many more cases of malnutrition," said Adan, who hands out packets of super-sweet and specially fortified peanut paste. "Some children regain a normal weight, but others must be sent to a stabilisation centre," he added. - 'Last hope' - Aisha Nour, the mother of a malnourished two-year-old girl leaves with a few packs of food supplements and bags of wheat loaded onto a donkey. "We eat pancakes from sorghum and wheat, that's all, no milk or oil," she said. The rains are making things worse. "Roads are turning into raging rivers and our trucks carrying food assistance are unable to reach many communities," warned the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) aid agency. Weakened without water and food, the lashing cold rains are now killing the livestock that provides for many people their last lifeline. "The rain has led to livestock deaths that in their weakened state are more susceptible to illnesses. For many this was the last hope they had," said Mohamed Hassan, NRC operations chief in the eastern Jigjiga district. Faced with the food crisis, the Ethiopian government has allocated $766 million in emergency aid. Donor countries have also promised aid, but there is still a worrying $600 million shortfall from the $1.4 billion needed. "The Middle East and the migrant crisis has diverted attention from our partners," said Minister for Food Security Mitiku Kassa. Aid agencies are worried too. "Last year, many farmers had little or no harvest," said Save the Children's chief in Ethiopia, John Graham. "There are millions of people who will be increasingly hungry until the next harvest, September at the earliest." Troofe Festival, an event which showcases traditional African cuisine will host some of Africas best chefs at the 5th soup fair slated for Friday 1st July to Saturday 2nd July,2016, at Mmofra park Foundation located at Dzorwulu in Accra. The festival has been remarkably successful over the years in attracting over 1,000 festival goers of different nationalities. For four consecutive years, The Troofe Soup Fair has brought together African and European community in Accra to an exciting African food bazaar. In 2015, Troofe Festival had the participation of the following countries through its culinary contest: Cote dIvoire; Benin; Gabon; Ghana, Togo and Nigeria. In her Address, Edwige Eppromo, Troofe Project Manager, the brain behind the initiative said: We have always been witnessing all kinds of promotions of the African wealth, but there is no platform designed for the real African gastronomy. This is therefore the opportunity for us to value the gastronomic culture mainly based on soups and which is the pride of Africa. This culinary value will make our young girls the women of tomorrow. Africa abounds in a multitude of flavors, our last motivation is the desire to bring together all Africans and all other foreign nationals, longing to meet with brothers in a traditional and friendly musical ambience. The Fair also offers young women from the African continent the opportunity to exhibit their culinary skills in a cooking contest. The Culinary Contests between girls from 19 to 25 years of different nationalities is organized. At the last fair, the Ghanaian candidate Jamilatu Issa emerged top at the contest winning. As her prize took-away, she won a return ticket to Cote dIvoire which was sponsored by Air Ivoire The Troofe village, an exciting attraction of the fair offers the platform for African artists to perform and make participants enjoy the depths of African traditions. Participants are invited to play traditional games such as Oware, Ludo, and Draughts. The fair also creates opportunities for the private and public sectors to get visibility on their brands and achieve their strategic communication goals. Alhaji Dr Mahamudu Bawumia 04.05.2016 LISTEN Dear Manasseh Azure Awuni: Re: A Letter to Suicidal Bawumia I will keep it shorter. I will neither call you names nor describe you with adjectives. I want to know what you think is the reason why political parties lately (in the Fourth Republic Ghana) choose Southern-Northern tickets. I think it's for FAIR REPRESENTATION, because Ghana is mainly divided into South and North. Another common and visible demographics however are Youth and Aged, Christianity and Islam, and Male and Female. It is noteworthy to state that political parties must consider these demographics when selecting a Presidential ticket that will be balanced and represent fairly the entire country. Again, imperative to mention is the fact that Dr. Bawumia's comment is rather advocating for the all-inclusive government we have so been yearning for as a people of Ghana. All-inclusiveness should not be confused to mean that all the political divides are considered for the formulation of governments. It stretches further to imply that the government should picture the demography of Ghana. Every sector of this country must feel well represented! Interestingly, government and NDC communicators have both written and spoken against Dr. Bawumia; some claiming his statement is not factual. Take Kofi Adams and Dr. Clement Apaak as examples. They either did not understand the line, intent and context of the admonition; or deliberately twisted and shed the facts for propaganda expediency. The intent and context of the statement was limited and restricted to the Presidency (President and Vice-President) and not the government apparatus in its entirety. It is improper and unfair to compare the statement of Dr. Bawumia with any of those espoused by Dzifa Attivor, Fiifi Kwetey or President Mahama, separately and jointly. The one made by Dr. Bawumia sought to advocate for all-inclusiveness or integration. In contrast, the rest made by the NDC bigwigs were divisive or advocated exclusion. Unfortunately, I noted in your article on Dzifa Attivor's ethnocentric comment loads of facts according to you that sought to justify the NDC's view of NPP as Akan party. But it remains your opinion and forever your entitlement. Unless we are going to conclude that any statement by a politician that makes mention of religion or ethnicity must be condemned to ethnocentrism or divisive, Dr. Bawumia said nothing out of order. I pray that you open your heart and mind to the facts of the matter. It is my fervent prayer, again, that you understand my letter in the same context of my best intentions to shed more light and enlighten the discussion. I implore you and other discussants to limit the matter to the merits and demerits. Thank you in advance. Best regards, Mohammed A. Razak Wumpini (NPP Activist and Citizen of Ghana) Like all market economies, the Ghanaian economy needs competition law and policy to ensure a proper functioning of the market in the interest of consumers and producers. It is thus of legitimate public policy interest to ascertain the health of competition law and policy in Ghana and West Africa, at both the national and sub-regional levels including the interactions between the national and regional policy process on this issue, said Justice Samuel Kofi Date-Bah, Board Chair of CUTS. Justice Samuel Kofi Date-Bah was speaking at a Capacity Building Workshop for High Court and Appeal Court Judges in Accra, Ghana. He emphasised the importance of a Competition law and Policy in Ghanas development agenda. He added that the Protection against Unfair Competition Act 2000 (Act 589) does not regulate anti-competitive behaviour that generate a significant social cost, including loss of efficiency and innovation in the economy as well as higher prices passed onto consumers, hence the urgent need for a more comprehensive competition law. The facilitator for the workshop Pradeep S. Mehta, the Secretary General for CUTS International said as a key ingredient for an inclusive growth, Ghana requires a robust competition law to regulate the market to ensure a win-win for both consumers and producers in the country. Competition in the market would result in easing market entry and exit, promote innovation and increased investment possibilities for the Ghanaian economy. Mr. Pradeep Mehta said competition is not an automatic process and it needs to be nurtured. It is essential for government to put in place a functional competition policy and law. Competition policy, refers to governments commitment to promote competition across all the sectors of the economy, while Competition Law seeks to curb anti-competitive practices and enforce the competition in the market. In illustrating the benefits of competition, Mr. Mehta said the consumers and producers benefit from when competition is present in a sector. He praised the competitive nature of the telecommunication sector. He illustrated how competition and liberalization in the telecom sector has reduced the cost of making phone calls in the country and created jobs for many people. He said though Ghana is yet to have a Competition Law in place, but it was important for judges and justices to be abreast with an emerging discipline in Law. He emphasized the important role that the judiciary plays in the promotion of competition in developing countries. Justice Dennis Adjei, the Director, Judicial Training Centre and an Appeal Court Judge on his part said competition law is an important dimension to Ghanas socio-economic development agenda, and the fact that policy makers have realized this gap in itself is an indicative of the innumerable benefits that such a regime would bring to both consumers and producers. Mr. Vincent Emmanuel, Partner at [email protected] in his closing remarks lauded CUTS for taking the initiative to organize the workshop for the members of the judiciary. He reiterated the need for a competition law in the country and most importantly, the need to adequately train judges who would ultimately be interpreting the Law when it becomes operational. Mr. Appiah Kusi Adomako, the Centre Coordinator for CUTS in his closing remarks stated that an enactment of a National Competition Law will infuse a level playing field in key markets and enhance the predictability and certainty in markets, thereby stimulating entrepreneurship and economic growth. He added that CUTS would be interested in becoming a knowledge partner with the Judiciary when it comes to Competition Law. The workshop which took place at the Judicial Training Institute was well attended by judges from High Court and Appeal Courts from Ghanas judicial service. The event took place under the aegis of the CREW Project with support from the DFID and GIZ. The CREW Project is being implemented in four countries namely, Ghana, Zambia, India and the Philippines with the focal research sectors being the staple food and the bus transport sector. The CREW Project aims to develop an approach, which will help in assessing the benefits of competition reforms on consumers and producers in these two sectors. 04.05.2016 LISTEN I must applaud the management of AdomTV for the nice, interactive as well as edutainment programmes shown on their platform, most especially Kumkum Bhagya which has caught the attention of many Ghanaians as they are glued to their seats between the hours of 7:30pm to 9:00pm every working day, which seeks to straighten the relationship lives of people, marriage couples and those planning to marry as well as bringing family together. It's a good innitiative, which I know most people will agree with me. However, Kumkum Bhagya seems to cause more harm than good, I must confess. As mentioned earlier, the primary aim of Kumkum Bhagya is shown on T.V. to help married and would-be couples. But "kids" are now attratcted and committed to this programme more than their books, and I wonder if these "kids" are "Marriage Counsellors". A week ago, I asked a primary three student what she studied in school. This young girl fumbled and couldn't tell me exactly, what she learnt in school. Amazingly, this young girl narrated to me what happened previously on Kumkum Bhagya from A-Z and I was shocked. Majority of school "kids" are now lazy to read their books and it's affecting their academic performance in school all because of Kumkum Bhagya. 7:00pm - 9:30pm is a good time for "kids" to watch evening news and educative programmes, get to know what is happening in and around the world, and remain updated. But the introduction of Kumkum Bhagya on TV is making "our future" leaders lose interest reading, watching educational programmes and news bulletin(s) on TV is now a taboo for them. They are now committed to Kumkum Bhagya than their books, ignore their assignments and later sleep during classes hour(s) the next following day. Interestingly, some students in this country don't know the names of our Ministers of States, not even the name of the name of our current Education Minister nor the President of Ghana but they can easily identify the names of all the Characters in Kukum Bhagya. Moreover, some scenes in Kumkum Bhagya which are not meant for children will be shown in full glare for them. And the possibility of them adopting these bad lifestyles such as excessive drinking, insults, etc from this programme is very high. Are they learning the right thing on Television? It's awful and also surpising to see boarding students in some of our various senior high schools in this country, most especially the female students scaling the fence and dodging to town just to catch a glimpse of Kumkum Bhagya. Yes! You have the absolute right to say "Its their life" but let's not forget that, the introduction of Kumkum Bhagya has caused this canker. In addition, most vibrant Christians have stopped going to church and evening prayers all because of Kumkum Bhagya. They've stopped attending evening prayers because, the time in which Kumkum Bhagya starts isn't favoring them to go and listen to the word of God or to pray. Some Pastors are also lazy to engage and teach their members because they won't come for them to leave in the middle of the service to watch Kumkum Bhagya. Lots of churhes are collapsing these days and Pastors are afraid to complain, for fear of losing members. Others now resort to changing meeting days and time just to enable church members and prayer "warriors" watch Kumkum to their satisfaction. Kindly conduct an "inquisitive checks" to Churches and prayer grounds between the hours of 7:30pm - 9:30pm (Mon - Fri), 12:30pm - 4:00pm on Sundays and you'll only find "Old men and women" worshipping and praising God, whiles those who are active with "strong bones" won't be found. It's either they won't go to church or they'll "vanish" immediately 7:30pm clocks. You will quiz "How does it concern me?" Well, people are going wayward and you don't care? Come On! This development isn't the best and should be curbed. The youth will murmur when they're being asked to sing church hymns or tasked to give bible quotations during service. But, these same people won't find it difficult singing the theme song of Kumkum Bhagya neither will it be difficult for them to form Love quotes from the Telenovela. Wow! Sadly, some parents encourage and even call their children to come and sit when Kumkum Bhagya starts. Others will turn their wards into narrators incase they are not readily available to watch Kumkum Bhagya. As a parent, do you expect your brilliant kid(s) to study after school or complete and submit his/her assignment the next day when Kumkum Bhagya is ongoing? Certainly No! You are rather destroying the future. These parents will blame the devil when their children fail. Why blame the devil? When your actions and inactions caused it? I will also urge Parents to discourage their wards from watching Kumkum Bhagya and encourage them to read their books. Alternatively, channels can be passworded to discourage "kids" from watching programmes which are meant for the adults. "Kumkum" has also compelled some workers to be extra lazy at work. Do you doubt me? Ok! Find time, visit any office or work place and you'll see majority of workers, especially the young ladies wasting their precious time disscussing "Kumkum Bhagya", ignoring tasks' assigned to them. And when they lose their job or being fired from their post, "the old men and women in their family are always in trouble." Some Teachers are fond of disscussing the episodes of Kumkum Bhagya wiith their students during classes hours. Teachers doing that should please put a stop to it. It won't help but "kill" the zeal and spirit of our future leaders to sit and read. In summation, I'm not saying the management of AdomTV to stop showing Kumkum Bhagya neither should it be banned from the screens since it has helped a lot of people especially those who are married . However, "we" will be glad should there be a change of time in showing this popular T.V. series. This will prevent christians from dodging church activities and also help students to find ample time and learn, so as to perform well in Class and during Exams. There is always time for everything. Thank You. Nambe Patrick - Sunyani B/A. File Photo 04.05.2016 LISTEN We leaders and members of the 13th parliament of the University of Ghana Parliament House (UGPH) are flabbergasted and highly astonished to learn of the unfortunate actions of some students of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology who publicly screened a sex video of an alleged level 100 student at the "Independence Hall" of KNUST. We want to condemn in no uncertain terms this shameful act. Such awful actions are objectionably disgraceful and must not be given solace at any level of human existence. It is disgusting and ignominious to our educational system and we must fiercely object to such irresponsible acts of the notorious few, who are bent on bringing down the hard carved reputation of our educational system. We entreat the University's authorities to as a matter of urgency liaise with the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service to probe into the matter and let the perpetrators of such uncouth behaviour face the full rigours of the laws to bring sanity, respect and also serve as deterrence to others with similar intents. We want to use this opportunity to also admonish the youth of this country especially students in the tertiary institutions to stay away from deeds that bring shame to themselves, their family and the nation at large. If Ghana will succeed it depends on the actions or inactions of its youth. If we chose the right actions, we will not only hoist high the flag of Ghana our motherland but also cause a renaissance that we will be proud of in our old age. Signed: Rt. Hon. Manuel Annobil Speaker - 0279411471 Hon. Richard Anim Kwasi Majority Leader - 0244893767 Hon. Elijah Bonsu Turkson Minority Leader - 0243343596 UGPH - DEMOCRACY FROM BELOW! Guwahati: Senior journalist of northeast India and a member of Guwahati Press Club, Naba Sarma (79) passed away on 3 May 2016. Sarma, who worked both in regional and national media outlets, breathed his last at Gauhati Medical College Hospital on Tuesday morning after a massive heart attack. He left behind his wife Anima Sarma, only daughter Karishma Sarma and a granddaughter. A resident of Guwahati, Sarma hailed from Dibrugarh of eastern Assam. He started his journalistic career from Dainik Asom of Assam Tribune group of publications and later worked with Janambhoomi group, Economic Times, Hindu Business Line with few others. He was also involved with All India Radio as a news reader theatre artiste in radio dramas. Soon after his demise, Sarma was taken to his residence for necessary rituals. His body was also taken to All India Radio Guwahati, The Assam Tribune and Guwahati Press Club, where his former colleagues, fellow journalists and Assam students union leaders paid last tributes before his cremation in the city. Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi also expressed his profound grief at Sarmas sudden demise. 04.05.2016 LISTEN Recent reports from both local and international media have highlighted strains between a small atheist group, Atheists in Kenya (AIK) and mainly christian religious organisations in the country. These reports have focused mainly on the controversies surrounding the efforts of the group to gain local recognition and be registered under the Kenyan law. This move has elicited opposition from religious organisations and state officials. In this piece, I argue that these controversies, though understandable, are completely unnecessary and unhelpful to the nation of Kenya. The hostile reactions that the registration of AIK has generated are clear indicators of intolerance, fear and fanaticism. This is highly unexpected of a democratic Kenya that claims to uphold the rights and freedoms of its citizens. So what then could have been the reason behind the hateful and discriminatory attitudes against atheists in this country? There has been tension in the country after an unsuccessful attempt by the AIK to get the government to cancel a public holiday and a day of prayer which it declared during the papal visit to Kenya in November last year. Harrison Mumia, the leader of the group, argued in court that to observe such a holiday was unfair, contemptuous of the constitution and discriminatory because it violated provisions in article 8, 9 and 32 of the Kenyan constitution. Some segments of the Kenyan press have described the demand as ludicrous, disrespectful (of the Pope) narrow-minded and a publicity stunt. In the suit that was filed at the court, Mumia argued that not all Kenyans were catholic and thus the entire population should not be compelled to observe a public holiday and a day of prayer in honour of the visit of the head of the Catholic Church. What is wrong in filing such an action? Is this not an issue that the Kenyan court and the public should have critically considered without casting aspersions on the atheist group? Considering that the Kenyan constitution guarantees equality of all Kenyans before the law, and the fact that no Kenyans should be discriminated against on grounds of religion or belief. This could be interpreted to mean that Kenya should observe a public holiday when all heads of theistic or non theistic groups are visiting or observe no such public holidays at all. If the government of Kenya does not observe a national holiday and a day of prayer in honour of such visits, does that not amount to discrimination? What is wrong in opposing the observance of such a holiday on grounds of discrimination against atheists and other faith/belief minorities? Does opposing the observance of a public holiday in honour of the Popes visit discriminate only against atheists? Is it not an endorsement of religious privilege? Is privileging a religion not against the nations secular constitution? What is wrong in seeking to address this conflict in the court of law? Well the Pope visited and the public holiday was observed. However, the move that the atheist group made left a bitter taste in the mouths of many 'faithful' Kenyans. Similar hostile reactions were accorded the atheist group when they demanded that the teaching of Christian and Islamic religious education in schools be scrapped. To put it in proper perspective, the group is actually demanding for an end to religious indoctrination in schools because that is what these subjects, as currently taught in schools across Kenya, are about. AIK is not opposed to informing pupils about religion, about the social and historical facts but they are against coercing children to accept religious myths and dogmas as facts under the guise of Christian or Islamic religious education. The nation of Kenya is today suffering as a result of religious indoctrination of youths. Jihadist members of al Shabaab are products of Islamic indoctrination. They pose serious danger to peace, security and development in Kenya. Al Shabaab militants have attacked the country several times and killed many of its citizens. If there is one country in Africa that should seriously consider this proposal to revise religious education in schools, it is Kenya. Thus this proposal is not merely for the good of atheism. It is for the benefit of all Kenyans. The atheist group has also questioned the practice of praying for patients at state hospitals. Lets face it. Prayer has been proven to have no medical value and given the assumed mechanics of prayers, people who conduct them do not really need to be physically present at the premises of state hospitals to let people know that they are really doing something that could enhance the recovery of patients. AIK is demanding that education and religious indoctrination, prayers and evidence-based medicine be kept separate. Are these not legitimate demands? Unfortunately, certain groups of people in Kenya have observed that by making these demands, AIK was overstepping its constitutional boundaries. However, Kenya is a free and democratic society. Isnt it? The constitution guarantees freedom of thought and expression of its citizens. Thus the AIK has not violated the provisions of the constitutions in any way. In fact by making these thoughtful demands, the members of this group are actually exercising their constitutional rights. Furthermore, the atheist groups effort to register the body has attracted heated debates. To operate as a legal entity, AIK has to register with the relevant authorities. However, this did not augur well with the authorities, at first. They refused the application on the ground that incorporating the group would undermine 'peace' and 'good order' in the society. AIK protested the decision and the authorities eventually issued AIK a certificate of incorporation. However, many Christian evangelical groups and religious believers in the country have received this news of the registration with mixed reactions. There have been several calls for de-registration of the AIK. One of the Christian clerics, Bishop Margaret Wanjiru described the registration as unconstitutional. She based her opposition on the notion that the constitution of Kenya acknowledged the existence of the sovereign God and the atheists did not. In the same vein, the Vice Chair of the Kenyan National Congress of Pentecostal Ministries, Stephen Ndichu, described the registration of AIK as abominable. He stated that it was foolhardy to act as if there was no God and worse still to try and 'validate that theory by registering an association'. Also, some Kenyans have equated the registration of the AIK to licensing devils worship . Many religious believers in the country entertain this absurd notion that atheists are Satanists and devil worshippers. They have forgotten that atheists do not see any evidence for the existence of a god or the existence of the devil. For atheists, both god and satan are figments of human imagination. Put simply, there is no devil for atheists to worship. Thus it is evident that the opposition to the registration of the AIK is baseless and misinformed. Hence, it was surprising to read that following the complaints from the religious and theistic public in Kenya, the authorities have suspended the registration of the AIK . The attorney general said that the nations Supreme Court would determine the legality of the registration of AIK. As a religiously plural society it is imperative that the state of Kenya remains secular and not biased for or against those who believe in god and those who do not. The state of Kenya exists for all citizens and should treat all citizens equally and fairly whether they are theists or atheists. Atheists are human beings and the rights of atheists are human rights. One of the hallmarks of a state that is committed to secularism is the recognition and respect of the full human rights of atheists and non-believers and that includes protecting their rights to association, conscience and expression. I therefore urge the government of Kenya not to bow to this campaign of blackmail and pressure from those who endorse the discrimination against atheists because their holy scriptures and traditions say so. Opposition to the registration of AIK is informed by creedal insecurity and fanaticism of those who, for no just cause or reason, are afraid of atheists and atheism. The government should not allow itself to be used to legitimize religious intolerance, fear and hatred of atheists in Kenya. Kennedy Ohene Agyapong 04.05.2016 LISTEN New Patriotic Party Member of Parliament for Assin Central Kennedy Agyapong has endorsed the alleged assault of colleague MP for Manhyia North in Kumasi, Collins Owusu Amankwah by the Regional Chairman of the party Bernard Antwi Boasiako. It is good he [MP] has been beaten, he deserves it, he even deserves more slaps, Mr. Agyapong said in an interview on Asempa FM Tuesday. According to Mr. Agyapong, Owusu Amankwah is working against the flagbearer of the party Nana Akufo-Addo, refusing to contribute financially to the cause of the NPP and therefore deserves more beatings. Mr. Agyapong commended Antwi Boasiako popularly known Chairman Wontumi for disciplining the lawmaker, adding that the party needs people of Wontumis caliber. Chairman Wontumi reportedly attacked the MP and his constituency secretary, whilst monitoring the ongoing limited voter registration exercise. The MP later reported the matter to the police at Tafo Pankrono. Subsequently, the Ashanti Regional Police Command issued a warrant for Wontumis arrest to assist in investigations. Chairman Wontumi on Tuesday reported himself to the police but was later detained forcing party supporters to besiege the Police station demanding the Chairmans release. He is likely to be arraigned before court Wednesday to be charged for assault of a public officer. But according to Mr. Agyapong, Chairman Wontumi is only being detained based on the orders of the President John Dramani Mahama. He alleged that the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) was using some NPP members including the Manhyia North MP to foment trouble within the NPP. 04.05.2016 LISTEN It is time Africans identified the difference between market seeking industries and intrinsic industrialization. When international food, beverage, motor vehicle and information technology companies set foot on African soil, they do so to access domestic markets. Such initiatives do not necessarily lead to industrialization. To industrialize, Africa must invest in growing its own productivity character, a form of African capitalism. Productivity character requires that Africans patiently study what drives Western and Asiatic industrial powerhouses such as Japan and China. What type of individual and societal habits do these industrial centers exhibit? The Japanese are nurtured to focus on personal reflection and how one connects to the entire society. Amongst the Chinese, man is at the center of all things as long as he is balanced with the universe. The West is driven by the notion of the original sin that prompts man to seek to redeem oneself. Sub-Saharan Africa exhibits a strong sense of extractive entitlement to ethnic and extended family networks. The safety or security provided in ethnicity blunts the thirst of individuals to surface innovation and industry. Safety in extractive entitlement is analogous celebrating the ownership of a big piece of family land but waiting for someone else to develop it. Progress is slow for those who merely celebrate ownership of physical, human and intellectual resources and stop at that. Can the attitude of the continents urbanized folks who are always quick to transform challenges to opportunities evolve African capitalism? It is easier to blame thriving industrial centers that thwart the ability of others to surface in order to protect their domestic producers. Africa has no excuse but learn from China, Japan and other Asian Tigers that have successfully navigated Western roadblocks to industrialize. The continent should adopt the urbanized mindset and forge carefully calculated steps that will lead to rapid modernization by studying the systems of successful economies. This quest should urgently replace the political electoral cycle that is driven by short term focus. Long term strategies should exploit the current dominance by Anglo-American industrial initiatives and the USD $ 10 billion China-Africa Industrial Capacity Cooperation Fund. The West and Asiatic characteristics will not by themselves set Africans on the path of industrialization. Africas industrialization dream is held back internally by the lack of a competitive African character. Imagine if the continents 1.2 billion people reversed their sense of extractive entitlement to the over 2,000 ethnic groups and encouraged individual productive obligation to the numerous challenges facing thousands of ethnic groups! The continent would become a bubble chamber of innovations that address ethnic and by extension global challenges. Intrinsic industrialization requires deliberate and proactive steps to put the African at the center of problem solving. It entails getting rid of the prevalent notion of externalizing all African problems. Collaboration with successful industrialized centers has to be about borrowing tools that will enable Africans fix their problems but not about transfer of industrial units. Transfer of whole industrial units to Africa devoid of growing an African industrial character is likely to breed monuments of failure in the long run. One can transplant industries to Africa but not industrialization. The responsibility is on Africans to build a unique character that can effectively compete globally. Such a character must address the coziness the continent has with benevolence. Individual Africans obligation to society should be to offer solutions to challenges rather than simply seeking security in ethnicity. The continents industrialization remains a mirage as long Africans are suffocated by extractive entitlement to ethnic coalitions and external fixers. The Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party, Bernard Antwi Boasiako has been granted bail after he was detained overnight by the Police. The Asokwa District Magistrate court granted him bail in the sum of 20,000cedis with two sureties. The judge Owusu Korkor adjourned proceedings to June 1, 2016. Egbert Faibille acting as counsel for embattled NPP Ashanti regional chairman, Bernard Antwi Bosiako had asked for two-week period to settle out of court a case of assault. He says the alleged assault by the NPP regional chairman against an MP is a family matter. It can be resolved in the interest of the opposition NPP. Mr. Boasiako popularly referred to as 'Chairman Wontumi' was hailed by party supporters who had camped at the police station after he was detained Tuesday afternoon. Mr Antwi-Boasiako allegedly slapped MP for Manhyia North, Collins Owusu Amankwah, and constituency secretary Felix Ibrahim at a polling center during a during the limited voter registration exercise, Sunday. Mr Boasiako reported at the Central Police Station in Kumasi, Tuesday after being declared wanted. Some supporters of the NPP besieged the Central Police Station to protest his detention hours after he reported. They considered it a simple assault which should be handled by party executives and not the police. But Mr Boasiako who is also known as "Chairman Wuntumi was charged with assaulting a public officer and was set to be arraigned before a court Wednesday. 04.05.2016 LISTEN From the hard work and creativity of a Ghanaian, a powerful Social Media Network - www.kalahsocial.com has been born. A visit to this platform depicts www.kalahsocial.com as the first Social Media Website with a focus on promoting Socialization and Businesses within the Black and Minority groups around the globe. A platform giving individuals the avenue to invite friends, post views and comments, make unlimited video and audio calls, Instant chat and organize events. Individuals and Businesses can also upload their items and products and sell them online for free and much more. A tour to this Social Media Network will make one very happy. Going further, Kalahsocial is designed for everyone. WHY JOIN KALAHSOCIAL? I believe the question above just flashed through your mind. There are loads of reasons to be part of the Biggest Platform. Kindly check it out below FREE UNLIMITED VOICE AND VIDEO CALLS Kalahsocial is a platform to enjoy free Voice calls and also experience quality video calls with friends, family, co workers and more. INSTANT MESSAGING : Kalahsocial provides a quick and easy way to interact with others. No matter the location, one can send and receive messages instantly. Messages are always safe and secured on the platform. UNLIMITED PHOTOS AND UPDATES : Logging on to kalahsocial helps you to share memorable stories with friends. Adding a location, uploading UNLIMITED photos and creating unlimited albums, sharing and posting comments on all updates and more is absolutely perfect. FREE ADVERT AND PROMO I have realized that, Kalahsocial allows Companies, Musicians, Actors/Actresses, Media Platforms, Celebrities and much more an opportunity to connect with their fans and clients, advertise and promote their works online for free. SHARE COLLABORATIVE DOCUMENTS AND FILES: Kalahsocial enables its users to share important documents and PDF files with friends. Once a document is been sent to a receiver on Kalahsocial, the receiver can print it out. Sharing files on Kalahsocial is fast and very simple. A MULTI LANGUAGE PLATFORM : Users can also connect with people in a language they find it much more easier to use and understand. ONLINE SHOPPING : Individuals and Businesses can also upload their items and products and sell them online for free. BROWSE UNLIMITED JOBS : Individuals and businesses can also list their jobs online for free. Kalasocial provides people with an amazing platform to seek companies searching for workers and much more.. Confidently, I confirm that www.kalahsocial.com is one of the powerful Social Media Websites in the world. Dont just read, but Lets tell the World about KALAHSOCIAL introduced by our own Hardworking Ghanaian. IN SUMMATION Connect with Friends, Family, Class mates, CoWorkers, and Business associates on KALAHSOCIAL - The biggest Social Media Network made for everyone. . Chat with friends and Family . Send Instant Messages (IMs) . Make free video and audio calls . Browse unlimited updates . Upload and browse unlimited photos . Upload and send videos and movies . Create chatrooms . Create and join groups and events . Create unlimited photo albums . Create articles and blogs . Send files in any format to friends and family . Share collaborative documents on KALAHSOCIAL . Access and expand your community directory . Advertise and promote business for free. . Advertise and promote products for sale . Advertise properties for sale or rent .... and much more. I urge all DJs, Radio And Tv Presenters, Bloggers, Media Houses, Celebrities, those in High Offices and anyone reading this post to get connected on www.kalahsocial.com , share activities and updates and also invite friends and family as well. www.kalahsocial.com SIGN UP NOW ITS FREE Lets support and use our own innovative and #Kalahful Ghanaian Social Media Network as well Long Live Ghana Nambe Patrick - Sunyani B/A (0508160521/0245875125) The UK Minister for the Cabinet Office and Paymaster General, Rt. Hon Matt Hancock, is visiting South Africa where he attended the British Council Going Global event, an open forum for education world leaders to debate international higher and further education issues and challenges, at which the Minister delivered a keynote speech in conjunction with Dr Blade Nzimande, South African Minister for Higher Education and Training see attached press release on the opening plenary session of Going Global. Mr Hancock will also attend the Open Government Partnership (OGP) steering committee meeting hosted by the South African Government as Chair of the OGP. At Going Global, Mr Hancock highlighted UK contributions to collaboration and innovation in international education, speaking about the UK's commitment to globally enhance the reach and quality of higher education for all. At the OGP meeting, Mr Hancock joined Ministers from other countries to discuss their commitment to making governments more open, accountable, and responsive to citizens. The UK is a world leader on open data, recently being ranked first in the world on the World Wide Web Foundation's Open Data Barometer. The UK government is committed to being the most open and transparent government in history - remaining at the forefront of a global transparency revolution that is changing governments for the better. The UK recently surpassed 27,000 datasets of published data on data.gov.uk. The UK was the first country to commit to a publicly available register of information about the real owners of companies and is a Lead Steward for the International Open Data Charter. This builds on the G8 Open Data Charter, with principles that for the release of open data that all governments can adopt. We are now working with civil society on the UK's third Open Government Action Plan to take our transparency plans even further. The UK will host an international Anti-Corruption Summit on 12 May. As well as agreeing a package of actions to tackle corruption across the board, it will deal with issues including corporate secrecy, government transparency, the enforcement of international anti-corruption laws, and the strengthening of international institutions. This is the first summit of its kind, bringing together world leaders, business and civil society to agree a package of practical steps to expose corruption so there is nowhere to hide, punish the perpetrators and support those affected by corruption and drive out the culture of corruption wherever it exists. Minister for the Cabinet Office and Paymaster General, Matt Hancock, said: The UK is a leader on transparency. I'm proud to be in South Africa supporting this very important agenda. In the UK we are completely rethinking how we use and open up our data to benefit the citizens we serve. We are the most transparent government ever, using the best data to develop the best services for citizens. By releasing more data, we are also helping our companies prosper by create new services for the public such as apps to reduce travel time and every day we get better at publishing more data for businesses. Increasing openness and tackling corruption are two sides of the same coin. Corruption is a huge challenge. Next week the UK will host our first ever anti corruption summit where we will step up global action to expose, punish and drive out corruption in all walks of life. Notes for editors Going Global Held by the British Council, Going Global, now in its 12th year, is the largest open conference for higher education leaders. After great success in the Middle East (2013), Americas (2014) and London last year, we are bringing this leading forum to Africa for the first time. Going Global is expecting more than 800 VCs, Pro-VCs, Presidents, Rectors, Ministers and Chief Executives from around 75 countries including Afghanistan, Ethiopia, Saudi Arabia, Colombia, China and Ukraine. Speakers will include Dr Blade Nzimande, Minister for Higher Education and Her Excellency, Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka. Open Government Partnership The Open Government Partnership was launched in 2011 to provide an international platform for domestic reformers committed to making their governments more open, accountable, and responsive to citizens. Since then, OGP has grown from 8 countries to 69 participating countries. In all of these countries, government and civil society are working together to develop and implement ambitious open government reforms. To become a member of OGP, participating countries must endorse a high-level Open Government Declaration, deliver a country action plan developed with public consultation, and commit to independent reporting on their progress going forward. South Africa is currently chairing the OGP, and the Africa Regional Meeting is taking place from 4 to 6 May. London Anti-Corruption Summit The London Summit in May 2016 will be the world's first international Anti-corruption Summit with the aim of stepping up international action to expose, punish and drive out corruption in all walks of life. Over forty countries are expected to attend with fifteen leaders confirmed so far. The 2016 Summit will bring together leaders from across the world, and focus on international action to meet the following key objectives: deterring corruption; ending impunity for those who commit corruption; and supporting and empowering those who have suffered from it. Minister Hancock The Minister for the Cabinet Office has overall responsibility for the policy and work of the department. Responsibilities include: public sector efficiency and reform; digital transformation of government; civil service issues; industrial relations strategy in the public sector; government transparency; civil contingencies; civil society; cyber security; and UK statistics. The DA in the Western Cape supports Metrorails bid for a permanent interdict barring its employees from striking over issues that are being negotiated at national level. Workers engaged in protest action last month despite an interim order preventing them doing so. We call on the South African Transport and Allied Workers Union (SATAWU) in the Western Cape to put their own interests aside in favour of that of the many commuters who rely on rail transport to get to work and school. Since the regional labour conflict erupted early last month, 160 employees failed to show up to work, and there has been a flare-up of vandalism and sabotage. These actions have cost our commuters and our local economy dearly. In my capacity as Chairperson of the Standing Committee of Transport and Public Works in the Western Cape Provincial Parliament, I will write to the Regional Manager for Metrorail in the Western Cape, Richard Walker, requesting that he furnishes the committee with a report on the impact of the damages. The report must include: - The extent of the material damage caused by vandalism. - The total cost of all damage caused by the recent vandalism. - Details regarding any plans for replacing the material vandalised beyond repair. - The projected cost for replacing material that has been vandalised beyond repair. - The plans that are in place to deal with the impact on commuters by the vandalism. Strike action is an important tool in pursuing workers interests. It is protected by the constitution, but it must not be abused. SATAWU in the Western Cape is holding commuters hostage with illegal strike action. Employers have affirmed that late-coming due to train delays will not result in loss of employment. Yet the losses that business will suffer as a result of delays will surely be to the detriment of the workers in the province. We must ensure that ours is a democratic and fair society, where everyone can access jobs and education through effective public transport. We cannot allow for an illegal strike to prevent us from making progress in the Western Cape. Kinshasa (AFP) - Attackers armed with machetes and axes hacked at least 16 civilians to death in a nighttime assault on their village in the volatile east of the Democratic Republic of Congo, UN and local officials said Wednesday. Local administrator Bernard Amisi Kalonda said the brutal attack took place late Tuesday in the Beni region of North Kivu province, an area which has witnessed numerous massacres in the past. "Between 8 pm and 10 pm (1900 GMT and 2100 GMT), the enemy managed to get past army positions and kill peaceful residents in their homes, slashing their throats," he told AFP. "The 16 bodies are in front of me, killed by machete or axe." He was not able to say if the attackers were Ugandan rebels from the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), who have long been active in the region. The area has suffered chronic unrest for two decades, fuelled by local armed groups and others committing ethnic-related violence, or disputes over land and the region's mineral wealth. "Around 8 pm, we heard people shouting and the sound of bullets," said Adona Lesse, head of Eringeti village, adding that a search was continuing for more possible victims. General Jean Baillaud, the military chief of the UN mission in the DR Congo known by its French acronym MONUSCO, said there were 17 dead. ADF rebels have been accused of carrying out numerous bloody attacks on civilians in Beni and the neighbouring Ituri region which the United Nations says have cost the lives of more than 500 people since 2014. 04.05.2016 LISTEN Ghana, the land of my birth, is collapsing socio-economically, if not already collapsed, under the weighty blatant official corruption, cluelessness and incompetency spearheaded by President Mahama and a few of his NDC party gurus and government appointees. Do we have elsewhere to go when the country has completely sunk into the financial abyss by the intentional official thievery in perpetration by the current government? No! Even if there were any such places, it should be understood that there is no place like home. The nation and the people therein have been let down by the nations security forces that have become politicized. They have taken sides with the current government to collapse the nation. Instead of standing up to defend the nation, the safety and security of the citizens, they are rather assisting the government in her practice of selective justice to reintroduce the culture of silence in Ghana with the motive of perpetuating harmful corruption without any obstructions from whomever. They have become effective weapons of intimidation to employ by President Mahama and the NDC to oppress the good, but already suffering people of Ghana. Is the ongoing fate of Chairman Wontumi not a perfect example of the outrageous length the security forces can go in aiding the government to implement its ridiculously oppressive policies of the culture of silence? Should we sit on our lap doing nothing, as discerning citizens of Ghana, while rogues drive us into perpetual economic, political and social darkness? No!!! There is no single person who can liberate Ghana alone. It takes concerted efforts by many citizens to salvage Ghana from her current deplorable state. Kennedy Agyapong, Ernest Owusu Bempa, Chairman Wontumi, Rev. Dr Otabil, Rockson Adofo and their likes cannot do the job alone when acting as individuals. They need the collective assistance of many Ghanaians including you the reader, your family and friends. Fellow Ghanaians, now is the time to rise up to save Ghana for ourselves and the yet unborn generations. Posterity and the departed forebears will hold us accountable should we allow the country to collapse as all current signs point to. Do we allow the likes of Kwaku Akosah, a Kumawu Ankaase family member residing in London to dissuade us from doing the right thing through pretences and intimidations? No! We should rather chase him into the forest behind the Kumawu palace, called sofialine (surveyors line) to manifest his animalism with the wild beasts living there. I do not think the monkeys, let alone the chimps, living in the forest, will associate themselves with this person because they may see him to be of lower I.Q. Anyway, we have the obligation to save Ghana from stomach politicians whose vision of governance is clouded by corruption, selfishness and insatiable greediness. When the price of petroleum products go up with the concomitant hike in transportation fares, the ordinary Ghanaian, be you a member of NDC, NPP, PPP, NDP etc., you pay the same rate of fare. There is no tag on your forehead to tell the driver or the drivers mate that you belong to NDC so you have to pay less fare than the NPP, PPP, and NDP etc. member on the same bus. When utility bill goes up, you pay the same rate like any other citizen in the country. You can only benefit from such price hikes only if you are a beneficiary of the ongoing official corruption in Ghana, making easy money like some well-placed NDC members. When the country goes into dumsor, you suffer equally like any other ordinary citizen living in Ghana regardless of you being an NDC member, especially when you are just one of the teeming ordinary poor members. When the dumsor gives rise to armed robberies, regardless of which political party you are affiliated with, you stand the same misfortune of becoming a victim when the armed robbers strike with you happening to be at the wrong place at the wrong time. Do you allow the likes of Dzifa Attivor, Asiedu Nketiah, Kuko Anyidoho, Kofi Adams, etc. to fool you into voting to keep President Mahama in power come 7th November 2016 election for them to continue to live affluent lives through official corruption while you on the other hand live in utter penury? Please, do not be deceived anymore by the NDC propaganda. Let us face reality. Ghana is fast collapsing under President Mahama. Despite our tribal, political and social differences, now is the best time to unite as one people to save Ghana from looming total collapse. I count on you, oh dear fellow Ghanaian, to vote out President Mahama and the NDC party come election 2016. We should not allow Charlotte Osei, that corrupt and biased Chairperson of the Electoral Commission to have a field day on 7th November 2016. Let Ghanaians prove to her on that day that even though she could plan to rig the elections, Ghanaians who know better, have foiled her attempts. Let us vote to get rid of those who have taken, and continue to take, Ghanaians, for big time fools! Please, cogitate about the following self-explanatory quotation from the late Emperor Haile Selassie of Ethiopia; Throughout history, it has been the inaction of those who could have acted; the indifference of those who should have known better; the silence of the voice of justice when it mattered most; that has made it possible for evil to triumph. Let the content of the quotation be the light that guides your brains and feet in joining me to fight to liberate Ghana from the hands of the evil ones. We have to act. We have to speak out now that it matters most and surely, the evil shall vanquish. Rockson Adofo Mr. Nuhu Eliasu 04.05.2016 LISTEN Among your peers, you stand tall in your chosen profession. In recognition of your distinguished performance, your employer, Islamic University College - Ghana (IUCG), has promoted you to the class of seniors in the Faculty. The genesis of the unprecedented promotion has been an unparalleled and accumulated effort at teaching and learning, research and publication, mentorship and service (to community). Indeed, these are the global criteria of academic promotion. Your publications in internationally reputable journals, which were assessed by an external authority at University of Ghana, Legon as part of the requirements for the promotion, attracted a mark of excellence. Certainly, in those publications and many others you never committed academic crimes such as plagiarism and falsification of scientific data to suit your whims and caprices. Undoubtedly, you would continue to produce more scientific papers of exceptional quality to accelerate your journey to professorship and maximize your service to scholarship. African youth are proud of you. Ghanaian youth are proud of you. Northern young intelligentsia are proud of you. The Academic Community are proud of you. Other segments of the Knowledge Industry are proud of you. May Allah continue to bless you. Abubakar Mohammed Marzuq Azindoo Executive Director, Literary Discourse. Airtel Ghana, Best CSR Company for Education and Community Relations has commissioned and handed over a state of the art reconstructed and furnished a 3-unit classroom block to the management of the Dubila Primary School in the Bolgatanga Municipality. The project, funded under Airtel Ghanas flagship CSR initiative, Touching Lives involved a complete reconstruction of the dilapidated school building that posed danger to the pupils and teachers of the school. The commissioning was attended by the Member of Parliament for Bolgatanga East Constituency and Deputy Attorney General, Hon. Dr. Dominic Ayine, the Regional Minister, Hon. Albert Abongo, traditional leaders of Dubila, pupils, parents and teachers from the school. Hannah Agbozo, Legal & Corporate Affairs Director at Airtel Ghana, Kwame Osafo-Amoah, Airtel Zonal Business Manager- Northern Ghana and Hon. Dominic Ayine were joined by the Chief of Dubila and the Regional Minister to commission the befitting edifice that will shelter and groom hundreds of pupils from the Dubila Township and its environs. The State of the art facility comprises a 3 unit classroom block and offices for the teaching staff. . Airtel Ghana committed to fund the project when Hon. Dominic Ayine, MP for the area solicited for the ChangeMaker companys support for the school through the Airtel Touching Lives initiative. The telecom company in addition distributed school uniforms, bags and stationery to over 250 students present at the ceremony to augment the students interests in education. In her address at the ceremony, Hannah Agbozo said: We are delighted that this project has been completed and we have no doubt that it will contribute to shaping the lives and the future of our children in Dubila and its environs. As a company that firmly believes that every individual has an innate ability to fully realise their potential, we have been investing in education adopting schools, building many and creating an enabling environment for effective teaching and learning. We believe education is not only a fundamental human right, it is also an empowerment tool and the best investment we can make in the lives of our children and the future of our country and continent. This is why investing in education is one of the cardinal pillars in our CSR strategy at Airtel Ghana. Hon. Dr. Dominic Ayine, Member of Parliament for the Constituency and Deputy Attorney General remarked, The benefits of this project to the pupils and the community are immeasurable. Airtel Ghana has through this investment created the opportunity that will enhance the development of the children in this community. On behalf of this community, I extend my profound gratitude to Airtel Ghana and its employees for the commitment they have shown in putting up this facility. Education is very important in todays society and these children deserve the same chance as any other child in this country, they deserve to remember their school days with joy and not with relief that they escaped with their lives, he explained. Airtel Ghana has gained recognition for its meritorious role in the promotion and improvement of education and infrastructural developments across the country as the Best CSR Company of the Year for Education by Ghana CR Excellence Awards. The companys flagship CSR programme- Airtel Touching Lives has also won CIMG TV Programme of the Year, IPR Best Community Programme of the Year on three consecutive occasions and Bharti Change Marker Award (Gold Category) in 2014 and 2015. About Bharti Airtel Bharti Airtel Limited is a leading global telecommunications company with operations in 20 countries across Asia and Africa. Headquartered in New Delhi, India, the company ranks amongst the top 3 mobile service providers globally in terms of subscribers. In India, the company's product offerings include 2G, 3G and 4G wireless services, mobile commerce, fixed line services, high speed DSL broadband, IPTV, DTH, enterprise services including national & international long distance services to carriers. In the rest of the geographies, it offers 2G, 3G and 4G wireless services and mobile commerce. Bharti Airtel had over 353 million customers across its operations at the end of January 2016. To know more please visit, www.airtel.com About Airtel in Africa Airtel is driven by the vision of providing affordable and innovative mobile services to all. Airtel has 17 operations in Africa: Burkina Faso, Chad, Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Republic of the Congo, Gabon, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Madagascar, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia. Airtel International is a Bharti Airtel company. For more information, please visit www.airtel.com , or like the Airtel Ghana Facebook page via www.facebook.com/airtelgh or follow us on Twitter via the handle @airtelghana. The responsible usage of mobile technology and the Internet by users remains a great challenge that many societies face across the globe. Yet, the narrative has been on expanding access to Internet facilities in less advanced communities with little emphasis on advocating for a respectful, kind and responsible use with the greater good of the society in mind. Nonetheless, many organisations have taken up the challenge to stand up and promote a safer internet environment for all especially the youth. In advanced Countries like the United States, President Obama issued the Cyberspace Policy Review, which tasked the Department of Homeland Security with creating an on-going cyber security awareness campaign Stop. Think. Connect. to help Americans understand the risks that come with being online in 2009. Unfortunately, in societies where challenges such as access to affordable health, electricity, water, housing and other essential facilities remain a stumbling block to sustainable development, proactive efforts to campaign for such a worthy cause are more often than not relegated to the background. However, non-profit organisations such as the Ghana Internet Safety Foundation (GISF) in partnership with the National Cyber Security Alliance (NSCA) in the US and the UK Safer Internet Centre (UKSIC) have been working assiduously to ensure that the digital Ghanaian society is built by responsible and alert Internet users with direct ramifications on the physical sociocultural terrain around the country. We have also reached out to the National Communications Authority (NCA), the National Information Technology Agency (NITA) and the Department of Children in a concerted effort to deal categorically with malicious issues on social media across the country. We understand that it is our duty to be more vigilant about practising safe online habits to persuade Ghanaians to view Internet safety as a shared responsibility in the home, workplace and in our communities. No individual is outside the scope of this clear and present phenomenon. Across the globe, there exists several grey areas in the enforcement of legal tools to track and punish perpetrators of malicious online activities which aim to cause physical or emotional damages to victims and their families. The tall list of activities includes but are not limited to cyber bullying, cybercrime, SPAM, identity theft, browser hijacking, pharming, phishing, sexting, online pornography and revenge pornography. It is worrisome to note that daily reports of leaked sex tapes across the country are on the ascendency and it is more horrifying to grapple with the realty that our university campuses have become the hotbed of such demeaning and distasteful behaviour. Revenge Pornography, product of sexting, seems to be leading the trend whereby a disgruntled partner releases a recorded video of a previous private sexual encounter publicly for retributive purposes. Sexting is an act of exchanging explicit sexual material such as naked pictures and short videos between two or more people using a mobile device. Shamefully, this has become a common practice within the confines of many senior secondary and tertiary institutions in Ghana where ironically, the hallmarks of intellectual excellence are meant to be celebrated. This casts a dark cloud on the institutions reputation and its affiliates. It begs the question, what kind of sociocultural and moral education are we as a society subscribing to in recent times? More often than not, we have witnessed many such tapes flaunted on social media and hosted by many websites in total disregard to the code of conduct and ethics in the country. The Ghanaian society has inadvertently turned a blind eye to this social canker with hopes that it would evaporate into thin air. Be that as it may, the potential of the Internet cannot be overemphasized on both sides of the coin and that it is the more reason why all stakeholders from parents to public officials have a critical role to play in curbing these distasteful activities wherever they occur. A case in point which is currently trending on several news outlets both online and offline has to do with reports of the public display of a leaked sex tape on the campus of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) in Kumasi on 2nd May 2016. The alleged video had been in circulation on social media platforms for days during the examinations period prior to the public premiere thereby provoking a public outcry for an immediate end to the online victimisation of the young female student in the video. Thus, on 3rd May 2016, the Ghana Internet Safety Foundation carried out its own investigations to ascertain the veracity of reports from several grapevine sources. It was found out that the video which revealed the identity of only the young female partner was indeed in circulation and hundreds of students had thronged to the Hall of residence of the lady in an attempt to get her to reveal the identity of the male partner in the video. Shocking as it sounded, GISF rushed to the studios of Focus 94.3 FM to alert the student community to desist from disseminating the video on social media platforms as it infringed on a tall list of ethical and legal statutes as well as the dignity of a woman in our society. We did not mince words to totally condemn the public display of indecent content of a sexual nature as well as the public shaming attempts by self-appointed moral police on the campus as well as imploring the authorities to act swiftly to protect and punish those involved as a deterrent to all within the university fraternity. Later in the day, GISF joined the Diary with David on LUV 99.5 FM to signal our legal, technical and moral concerns regarding an issue which has far-reaching ramifications on our daily activities. Throughout these engagements, the highlight was that the societal apparatus has done very little to protect members from the negative tendencies of social media activities whereby education, monitoring and enforcement have been carried out in a laissez-faire manner. We could not but appeal for compassion for every victim of such heinous crimes and proactive efforts to mitigate the inherent consequences. These things take place to the detriment of the aspirations of parents, teachers, leaders and Ghanas future potential. It was therefore conceded that our society needs a complete reorientation towards the current template for tackling issues regarding the use of the Internet and digital technology in general as a step towards finding a lasting solution to the situation. In light of this and more, we use the opportunity to shed light on a few preventive tips relative to online safety for the benefit of the general public: Watch your back whenever you are about to post something online, pause and think about someone in authority or respect reading your post Think twice before you post or say anything online; once it is in cyberspace, it is out there forever Keep personal information about yourself private, including your family members, your school, your telephone number, or your address On social media platforms, check your privacy and security settings to ensure your audience is restricted to your comfort level. If you engage in any sexual activity, especially the ladies, make sure there is no active laptop or digital camera set up in the room. Do a casual scan of the place and demand the man about any recording devices beforehand. Dont just jump into bed! Delete immediately suspicious emails and ignore questionable links and posts Stop any questionable online behaviour; only do and say things online that you would do in real life Keep all software or applications up to date. Speak up. If you see something inappropriate, let the website know and tell an adult you trust. Dont stand for bullyingonline or off. Be a good online citizen! Securing cyberspace begins with YOU! Think Before You Share! Stop.Think.Connect! Get informed and get involved now! Contact the Ghana Internet Safety Foundation to Increase and reinforce awareness of cybersecurity Work with national organisations in educating the public about cybersecurity Engage the Ghanaian public to acknowledge and commit to the shared responsibility of securing our cyberspace Promote science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education to build the cyber workforce educate the youth, parents and all stakeholders about combatting the evils of social media. Together, can positively influence this and future generations to be informed and responsible users of digital technology. About Ghana Internet Safety Foundation Ghana Internet Safety Foundation (GISF) a non-profit, non-religious organization that is working to ensure a safer and better Internet in Ghana .The Ghana Safer Internet Day Committee is headed by the Ghana Internet Safety Foundation operating the Child Online Protection Initiative (COP) which has become a leader in educational presentations and workshops teaching social media skills, critical thinking and internet safety to over 5,000 students, religious organizations, educators, parents and professionals. Its registered charity number is CG124582014. (https://www.saferinternetday.org/web/ghana/sid). Learn how to engage GISF and connect with us on our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/GISFGH , on Twitter at @ teamGISF , and the email at [email protected]. Kwasi Mensah Nyarko Senior Policy Analyst Ghana Internet Safety Foundation +233205763300 04.05.2016 LISTEN This article was first published in the Dangme newspaper and the online version www.dangmenews.com . I write with spiritual conviction and my only misfortune in life is my pen. After the launching of the Dangme Newspaper, everywhere I went to thank those who graced the occasion, we are met with lots of suggestions, some being positive others negative. In fact, one issue that came up was when people started telling me that the name Se (Shai) means that Noko se wo? When I was told this, I felt very sad about this and you may be wondering why I should feel bad about this development. I asked someone that, could this be the reasons why Se state is not developing because the name itself has a negative effect on the people and the community and yet any negative thing that might come our way, the people quickly attribute it to the name Se. Indeed, I am asking our leaders to tell me the meaning of Se? Noko Se wo? If it is so, then I think it is time we started looking at finding a new name and rename the Se state. Indeed. Se state is a failed one as all the various aspects that make up a community or state has failed. The chieftaincy institution is one area that has to be looked at. No paramount chief, the major divisions that have the paramouncy are also struggling to even elect a legitimate divisional chief before eventual paramount chief. Osudoku has a paramount chief, so what did they do right to elect a new paramount chief immediately after the demise of their paramount chief and Se is still struggling to have theirs. Any community or state without a head is a failed one as everyone believes he or she is the King Kong! The major divisions where the paramouncy rotates have no divisional chiefs, Agomeda, Doryumu and Kordiebe. So even if Doryumu or Kordiebe is supposed to take over they have no legitimate chief who will eventually become the paramount chief. As other Dangme tribes are doing everything possible to solve their problem to aid development, Se is practically nowhere to be found. As I tour the Dangme land, I realized that, the Klo people have done immensely well; though there are some lapses, you see massive development going on there. The youth are very vibrant, they are taking their education very serious, in fact, in Klo, I can confidently tell you young men who are doing PhD programs, their associations, the likes of Kloma Hengme and Kloma Gbi are doing great and putting their leaders on their toes, yet what can Se boast of, in terms of education and purposeful organizations? Organizations crop up and they become white elephants because of financial constraints and lack of commitment from the people. Imagine, Dodowa is on government white paper to become the regional capital of greater Accra. Yet we have had Members of parliament who cannot even champion this course and no one is even talking about this. The youth not rising up to fight for their rights to get their due share of the national cake. I dont think this thing can happen in Klo land and the youth will sit down without championing this opportunity to develop their land, let alone the youth in Ashanti or other tribes. We have good tourist destinations-the Tsenku waterfalls, Dodowa Forest and others we can develop to generate funds. Our quarries have been crippled and only few people benefit from the quarry. Meanwhile, these companies export the stones from the quarry. We have lots of things to focus our attention on but today, we are caught in the web with unnecessary augments. Today, Tribalism has taken the center stage in the Se land, even if we dont kill people spiritually; we use our mouths to say certain things which eventually can kill someone. I actually didnt know we have become a laughing stock in the country because our members of parliament have failed to live to expectations. We dont love ourselves; if our chiefs will unite, we shall see development. I also dont blame our members of parliament in anyway because the most significant problem affecting the Se land is the chieftaincy problems, so if you become a member of parliament and you cannot handle or deal with this chieftaincy problems, I bet you, there is no way you can succeed during your tenure. If any Member of Parliament is able to deal with this issue properly then there is hope for the constituency otherwise forget it, mark my words. Pot holes grace motorists and we have bad roads everywhere whilst other Dangme tribes are benefitting from massive road infrastructure. Where do we go from here Seli? I think the first thing to do now is to change the name Se, if indeed the meaning of the name is we dont deserve anything good. For me I deserve something good but I dont know about you? So I have programmed my mind that I am not part of that meaning of the name but however names are very powerful and did it occur to you "Why did God sometimes change a person's name in the Bible?" Okay, you see when God changed a persons name and gave him a new name; it was usually to establish a new identity. Se land needs a new identity. God changed Abrams "high father" name to Abraham, "father of a multitude" ( Genesis 17:5 ) and his wifes name from Sarai, my princess, to Sarah, mother of nations ( Genesis 17:15 ). We know from history that the descendants of Abraham and Sarah formed many nations, including the Jews and Muslims. God changed Jacobs "supplanter" name to Israel, having power with God ( Genesis 32:28 ). He changed Simons "God has heard" name to Peter, "rock" ( John 1:42 ). Why did Jesus occasionally call Peter Simon after He had changed His name to Peter? Probably because Simon sometimes acted like his old self instead of the rock God called him to be. The same is true for Jacob. God continued to call him Jacob to remind him of his past and to remind him to depend on Gods strength. Why did God choose new names for some people? The Bible doesnt give us His reasons, but perhaps it was to let them know they were destined for a new mission in life. The new name was a way to let them in on the divine plan and also to assure them that Gods plan would be fulfilled in them. We need a new name in the Se land, dont you believe it? Along the line some countries change their names. For instance, New Amsterdam to New York (1664). The most populous city in the US and the financial center of the world, this massive port city was first settled by Dutch trappers in 1624 who named it after their capital in Holland (The Netherlands). When the English took it over in 1664, a proper English name was bestowed on it, and the home of the Yankees became New York City. Constantinople to Istanbul (1930). One of the worlds most historic and major cities, Constantinople was the capital of four empires and was fought over numerous times. The name change in 1930 was to reflect the Islamic nature of Turkey, whereas the original name was in honor of Constantine, a Christian. Istanbul has the third largest urban area by population in the world. Prior to being called Constantinople, the city was a Greek colony called Byzantium (660 BCE to 324 CE). Persia to Iran (1935). The name Persia was never really the name the people that lived in that country called it, but was the accepted name the rest of the world called it. In 1935, the reigning Shah changed the name of the country to Iran and requested the world to recognize the change. By 1959, popular sentiment caused many to start referring to their country as Persia again, and both names were used. Siam to Thailand (1939). Another place given a name by outsiders, the name Siam was never historically what the Thai people called their country. Changed in 1939 to reflect the name the native people used, the name actually went back to Siam from 1945 to 1949 when it was changed back once again to Thailand. The King of Thailand has reigned since 1946, the longest time a country has been ruled. Russia to Soviet Union (1922) to Russia (1991). Any time the largest country in the world changed names that mean a lot of new maps are sold! Changed from variations of Russia to the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics in 1922 shortly after the communist takeover, the collapse of communism and the Soviet Union resulted in a reversal back to Russia. Of course, with the USSR breaking up, many other countries that had previously not been independent countries became their own nation, just ask Borat. Peking to Beijing (1958). The many dialects of the Chinese languages compounded by European mistranslations had resulted in most of the rest of the world calling the capital of China Peiping, Pekin, or Peking, when the natives of the city have consistently called it Beijing. China made the name Beijing official in 1958 and western countries were slow to follow. Beijing has a metropolitan population of over 21 million people and is the longest running political and or cultural capital city in the world, over 3000 years! (Note: Tokyo, changed from Edo in 1868, has a metropolitan population of over 32 million. Do you remember that even Ghana was once called Gold Coast until 1975? So I have made my arguments for renaming of Se land and I leave it to our leaders. Transforming the Se Paramountcy I also think that the Se land paramountcy itself should have a well-laid down succession plan and the major three divisions should all be less than one umbrella. Anyone who becomes a paramount chief should not control any division. In fact a paramount chief should not also be a divisional chief at the same time. You cant be a president of Ghana, and at the same time a member of parliament. So with the chieftaincy issues from these major divisions, something should be done to separate their powers. If we have our paramountcy, they should be noted for only paramountcy. The reason is that these three major divisions must elect a legitimate chief before that chief becomes a paramount chief when it gets to his turn. So if these divisions are also fighting amongst themselves how do we draw the line? Meanwhile it is their turn for the paramountcy, once they have not been able to elect a chief there can be no paramountcy and when this happens that division is punishing the whole state. Meanwhile the community must move on. Tradition can be amended and as early as possible this issue and recommendation should be taken seriously before time runs out. So the paramountcy needs one umbrella, it could be a family or anything and they must be separated from any major division. They should only concentrate on their paramountcy, so suppose we have this and there is a problem in any division concerning electing a chief, once there is a paramount chief, this problem will be dealt with amicably. Now Agomeda as it stands now is the only hope for the entire Se land and yet they are not reaching any consensus. So development has stalled and this is what I want us to avoid in the near future. You cant take the whole community to ransom. Till then I say Nyetsum. Dr. Raphael Nyarkotey Obu: ND,MSc, PhD(A.M) Addis Ababa (AFP) - A ban on smoking at public gatherings has been announced by the mayor of Ethiopia's capital Addis Ababa, according to local media reports on Wednesday. The new law makes smoking illegal in bars, cafes, restaurants, schools, hospitals and stadiums as well as cultural and religious events, but smoking on the streets is still permitted. Tobacco advertising is also banned, according to the state-controlled Fana Radio. "Due to tobacco, people are dying and being exposed to several health hazards," said mayor Diriba Kuma. "For these reasons, the public have the responsibility to fight tobacco smoking in public gatherings. Offenders face a fine of 2,000 Ethiopian biir ($92), rising to 2,500 Birr ($116) for smokers who send children under the age of 18 to buy cigarettes for them. Addis Ababa is applying a law passed by Ethiopia's parliament in 2014 that has so far only been implemented in the northeastern town of Mekelle, where it has been rigorously enforced with local authorities reporting a sharp decline in tobacco consumption. The law will be more difficult to apply in the large and growing capital, home to around four million people. Tobacco use in Africa (excluding South Africa) increased by nearly 70 percent between 1990 and 2010, according to research by the American Cancer Society. With the number of African smokers predicted to increase by 40 percent by 2030 many tobacco companies see Africa as a growing market with fewer restrictions than in parts of Europe and North America. Several countries, including Kenya and Niger, have introduced restrictions on smoking in public places in recent years, but enforcement of the bans is often lax. The former Kenyan Prime Minister, Raila Odinga, told Al Jazeera Englishs Mehdi Hasan that he was very worried that next years general election could turn violent and that he would not participate if the Electoral Commission is not reformed in time. We need to address factors that may lead us to a state of violence that we witnessed in 2008, the opposition leader told Al Jazeeras Head to Head. We will not go into the gallows, Odinga said. If the Electoral Commission is not properly reformed, there would definitely be no reason for us to participate in the coming elections. Next years polls come a decade after a disputed election, which left 1300 people dead and 650,000 people displaced. Odinga ran for President back then, but believed the election was stolen from him. He became Prime Minister in a unity government in 2008 until 2013, when he stood unsuccessfully again for President, losing to Uhuru Kenyatta. During the interview with Head to Heads Mehdi Hasan at the Oxford Union, Odinga also discussed the issue of corruption within the country. He admitted that every Kenyan, including himself, has had to pay a bribe to get things done. The question is when, its not if he quipped. While in government, Odinga was offered bribes but said that he always resisted taking them. He added that he will certainly jail corrupt officials if he is elected President. On the recent collapse of the International Criminal Court (ICC) trial of Deputy Vice President William Ruto (his ally at the time of the disputed 2007 election), for crimes against humanity, Odinga said it would have been better for Ruto to have gone through a full trial and then discharged for lack of evidence rather than a mistrial. Odinga slammed the Kenyan government for an intolerable amount of interference in the ICC case and also criticised the African Union (AU) for having a hypocritical relationship with the ICC, which it has previously threatened to withdraw from. The AU has not been honest with themselves because they are saying that ICC targets African leaders, and Ive said its hogwash Most of the African leaders who were before the ICC have been referred there by Africans themselves. On the issue of Kenyas military involvement in Somalia, Odinga said that if he were to become President he would bring the troops home within one year of taking office. Odinga and Hasan were joined by a panel of three experts: Nic Cheeseman, Professor at the African Studies Centre at Oxford University; Agnes Gitau, commentator and trade and investment advisor; and Parselelo Kantai, editor of The New African. This series of Head to Head also includes interviews with former British Chancellor of the Exchequer Norman Lamont and Martin Indyk, former US Ambassador to Israel, advisor to President Bill Clinton and US Special Envoy for Israeli-Palestinian Negotiations in 2013-2014. In each episode, Hasan goes head to head with a special guest, asking the probing and hard-hitting questions few dare to ask. Kenya: Democracy on Trial? with Raila Odinga will be broadcast on 6 May 2016 at 20:00 GMT and repeated on the 7th of May at 12:00GMT, the 8th of May at 01:00 GMT and 9th of May at 06:00 GMT. This episode will be available online immediately after it first airs on YouTube and http://aje.io/l9tf . Watch . For more information, visit http://www.aljazeera.com/programmes/headtohead/ or follow Head to Head on Twitter: @AJHeadtoHead 04.05.2016 LISTEN By Patience A. Gbeze, GNA Accra, May 3, GNA - Ghana's stable and formidable position on the World Press Freedom Index since the Fourth Republic is an indication that the media climate in the country is highly favourable to free expression and media practice. Mr Affail Monney, the President of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA), who made the assertion, said in Africa, Ghana currently occupies the second spot after Namibia and the 26th position in the world, ahead of even some developed democracies. Speaking at this year's celebration of the World Press Freedom Day in Accra on the theme: 'Access to Information and Fundamental Freedoms: This is Your Right,' Mr Monney expressed the media's gratitude to the framers of Ghana's 1992 Constitution for guaranteeing freedom and independence of the media. 'We congratulate the various governments under the Fourth Republic for the contributions they have made towards respect for press freedom and above all, salute Ghanaians for their encouragement through their forbearance of even excesses by the media, I believe for the sake of freedom,' he added. Mr Monney said as a country, there is the need to take advantage of press freedom to bring about the necessary qualitative change with regard to issues such as media content, sanitisation of the airwaves, greater transparency in the allocation of frequencies and training of media personnel, among others. He said, failure to do so could lead to stagnation, which would undermine media relevance and encourage media terrorism. This year's celebration was done in conjunction with the European Union, which also launched its European Week: 'Ghana-EU - Partners in Sustainable Change'. UNESCO, the Accra Brewery Limited and Voltic Ghana Limited were the traditional sponsors of the World Press Freedom Day celebration in Ghana. The GJA President said many of the tenets and human rights required under the EU Treaty are very much in unison with those under Ghana's 1992 Constitution. It therefore came as no surprise that EU member state in Ghana have demonstrated their commitment to support programmes that would strengthen the culture of freedom and independence of the media in Ghana. He said as a result of the commitment, various media institutions and organisations in Ghana have in one time or the other been beneficiaries of EU assistance, or exchange programme. In a speech read on her behalf Ms Irina Bokova, the Director-General of UNESCO, called for strong environment of press freedom and well-functioning systems to ensure the people's right to know. She said, at this time of turbulent and changes across the world, including new challenges that require global cooperation and action, the need for quality information has never been so important. Ms Bokova said the day highlighted the importance of free and independent journalism for advancing the 2030 Agenda, which includes the safety of journalists, at the time when, tragically, a media professional is killed every five days. 'This cannot stand, and guided by the UN Plan of Action on the Safety of Journalists and the Issue of Impunity, UNESCO is working with Governments around the world to create a free and safe environment for journalists and media workers everywhere. In this spirit, I call on everyone to stand united in defending and encouraging press freedom and the right to access to information. This is essential for human rights and dignity, for our aspirations for sustainable development, for common determination to build lasting peace,' she added. Mr Cyrus DeGraft Johnson, Corporate Affairs Manager, Accra Brewery Limited, called on Parliament to speed up the passage of the Right To Information Bill to pave the way for not only journalists, but other users of public information, to access such without any let or hindrance. He said journalists in the pursuit of truth, facts and realities on the ground, fulfill the well-known crucial role of giving a voice to the voiceless or a face to those invisible. The UN General Assembly in 1991 declared May 3 every year, as a World Press Freedom Day. That day is the anniversary of the declaration of Windhoek, which acknowledges that media pluralism and press freedom are essential to development. GNA By Osei Frempong, GNA Tema, May 4, GNA - The Tema Central seat would be won by the National Democratic Congress (NDC) because constituents want a more dedicated person who appreciates their aspirations. Mr Ben Dzakuma, Tema Central Constituency Chairman of NDC, told the Ghana News Agency in an interview that "enough ground" has been covered within four years to dislodge the New Patriotic Party (NPP). "Tema Central is no longer a safe seat for the New Patriotic Party because after four years of its occupancy, constituents are earning for a change that would bring about the kind of leadership they deserve." According to him, Ms Ebi Bright, the NDC parliamentary candidate, has already won the hearts of the constituents due to her humility and maturity. Mr Dzakuma said in 2012, when the constituency was created, the NDC gave itself sometime to prepare the grounds to annex it in 2016. "Although we planned politically to take the seat, it is now clear that we owe the people a moral obligation to rescue them from the poor leadership being offered ny the current Member of Parliament." GNA A retreat of Ambassadors of the African Group on WTO issues, jointly organized by the Permanent Delegation of the African Union in Geneva and the Economic Commission United Nations for Africa (ECA) was held at Chavannes-de-Bogis, Switzerland from 25 to 26 April 2016. This retreat aimed at bringing together the stakeholders of trade negotiations at the WTO, and many experts on trade issues to take stock of the results of the Tenth Ministerial Conference held in Nairobi from 15 to 19 December 2015, with a view to preparing the common position of the African Group as part as the Post Nairobi Programme, and in order to exchange views on the negotiations towards the creation of the Zone of continental free trade Area (CFTA). This retreat was attended by 125 delegates and representatives of intergovernmental organizations and numerous resource personalities, including Representatives of the African Union Commissioner, UNCTAD, ITC, ECA, the WTO, and the Ambassadors to the WTO of the European Union, the United States, Brazil and China and the Chairman of the negotiating Group on agriculture of the WTO. Legal issues set out in Part III of the Nairobi Ministerial Declaration, were addressed at length discussed and analyzed by the Ambassadors, Experts of the GA, and lecturers from institutions such as the South Centre, the Graduate Institute, University of Manchester, the Advisory Centre on WTO law (OLAC), and the legal Affairs Division of the WTO. A legal analysis on issues of interest to the African Group in respect of specific elements of the DDA, the legal value of the contents of the Nairobi Declaration and its enforceability was thus conducted. A number of recommendations were made by the Ambassadors at the conclusion of this important retreat. On issues related to public stocks for food security purposes, domestic support and market access, the Ambassadors recommended continuing negotiations and maintaining Rev.4 as a valid basic document for all the pillars of Agriculture. They also recommended that outstanding issues be addressed as a matter of priority in the forthcoming negotiations before embarking on new issues. Ambassadors recognised that Nairobi has helped making significant progress on market access and the gradual elimination of export subsidies. However, the cotton negotiations have not resulted in a binding decision regarding the issue of domestic support. In this regard, the African Group recommended to continue negotiations on the cotton issue to achieve a fair and balanced agreement for all players and to deal with the issue of domestic support as a priority for future negotiations. C4 urged the GA to take on the cotton issue and make it a priority in view of the CM11. The Nairobi Ministerial Conference has not yielded the expected results. In this regard, the ambassadors believe that the Group must set priorities for all areas that have not reached consensus. They stressed the importance of the regional integration agenda as a growth engine and the structural transformation of the continent. In this context, consistency between the agenda of continental integration and multilateral negotiations at the WTO was highlighted. They suggested that a new retreat be devoted to regional integration and reaffirmed their commitment to the establishment of the CFTA by 2017 to better engage African Ambassadors accredited to the WTO in the regional integration agenda. The Nairobi Final Declaration recognizing both that many member states are determined to go to the end of the Doha Round, while other members are not, considering that new approaches are needed to achieve significant results in multilateral negotiations. The ambassadors believe that African countries need to accelerate negotiations within the WTO, form strong alliances, rely on their own achievements, set priorities and propose solutions based on these priorities. To hope to weigh in the balance of power, more coordination and solidarity between African countries is definitely needed. Ambassadors reaffirmed the need to maintain Special and Differential Treatment, whilst stressing that it is important for some African countries to maintain subsidies in such sectors as small-scale fishing where the need for strengthening capacity remains a major challenge. More generally, the Ambassadors reiterated the centrality of the Doha Round objectives, and recommended to work towards the resumption of negotiations for the purpose of obtaining new results acquired outside of Nairobi. They reaffirmed that the DDA remains a reference point as there was no consensus to abandon it. Africa must make its regional integration (CFTA) a top priority for circumventing the detrimental mega agreements. Close cooperation should be established with ECA, ITC, UNCTAD, the Commonwealth, the IMF, World Bank and OECD for the establishment of a statistical database that is essential to any rational study. 04.05.2016 LISTEN The Asokwa Magistrate Court in Kumasi on Wednesday morning granted the Ashanti regional chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Mr Bernard Antwi Boasiako a GhE20,000 bail. This was after he was charged with assault. He has been accused of assaulting a public officer. Antwi Boasiako, also known as Chairman Wontumi, is alleged to have beaten the Member of Parliament for Manhyia North, Mr Collins Owusu Amankwah and the NPP constituency secretary, Mr Felix Ibrahim last Sunday. He is to re-appear in court on June 1, 2016. On Wednesday, lawyers for the two alleged victims, wrote to the Ashanti Regional Police Commander, copied to the Chief State Attorney in Kumasi to serve notice the complainants have opted for settlement. 'Our clients are complainants in the above mentioned case against the Ashanti regional chairman of the New Patriotic Party Mr. Bernard Antwi Boasiako. Our clients have instructed us to their decision to pursue settlement and have accordingly instructed us to serve you notice of their said intention,' said the letter in part. On Wednesday morning as the security convoy drove out, scores of party supporters were at the Central Police Station where he was kept overnight . Chairman Wontumi, bespectacled and wearing a black shirt over which hanged a large bling and a crucifix, temporarily emerged from the open-top vehicle he was being driven in to acknowledge the cheers of party supporters. 04.05.2016 LISTEN The issue of graduate unemployment, which the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) has been hammering on, over the last few years, goes beyond political mantra. The subject has now gained socio-economic acceptance as a national problem that ought to be tackled from the roots. The Chronicle published a heart-wrenching story about the problem last week, with the headline: Methodist Church Warns Mahama Ghana on a Time Bomb As Graduate Unemployment Hits Staggering 271,000. According to Right Reverend Bishop Christopher Nyarko Andam, Bishop of the Kumasi Diocese of the Methodist Church, the Mahama-led government is on notice to deal with the alarming rate of unemployment in Ghana, describing it as a ticking time bomb that could threaten the political stability of the country. Rt. Rev Bishop Andam was of the opinion that the general economic slowdown in Ghana has worsened the already unacceptable high unemployment situation, particularly, among the youth. I am aware that some efforts are being made to solve this problem, but it seems the efforts are taking a longer time to yield results, Bishop Andam complained. We have hundreds of young graduates idling around and still depending on their parents to feed, clothe and provide them with shelter, even though they have successfully graduated from various tertiary institutions. According to the Bishop, as at 2015, graduate unemployment in Ghana stood at 271,000 which figure, he said, relates to only tertiary institutions. Those who could not continue with post-secondary education is another matter altogether. It is mandatory for all of us to address this worrying trend before it explodes, the head of the Methodist Church in Kumasi warned. In the first place, we should all appreciate that this is a very serious national problem. It has not been manufactured from the cassock, as some fanatical followers of this administration would want us to believe. In the opinion of The Chronicle, the way forward is to give priority attention towards finding a lasting solution to the problem, if this society is going to be successful in diffusing this 'ticking time bomb' and stop 'increasing social vices' associated with keeping trained hands perpetually idle. In his 14-page submission at the 55th Synod of the Kumasi Diocese of the Methodist Church, Rt. Rev Bishop Andam asserted: Today, we even have a graduate unemployment movement in Ghana, with national executives, adding that: the repercussions of high unemployment have proven to be the cause of a number of social ills and challenges. Like the Bishop, The Chronicle believes the solution to the problem lies with the John Mahama administration, creating the enabling environment for more jobs to be created, to absorb the hundreds of youth currently idling about. We are not unaware of pontifications from official sources alluding to several jobs created in society. Quite recently, government communication officials bandied about the creation of as much as 600,000 jobs in the country within the last three years. Unfortunately, most of these jobs appear to have their genesis in lip-service delivery, rather than being firmly on the ground, which further complicates the issue. The Chronicle has not lost sight of the fact that graduate unemployment in Ghana is not a recent phenomenon. Even in the 1980s, when economic development was said to have been positive, graduate unemployment was high. However, the question that naturally arises from this fact is, why has the country not been able to resolve this problem or why has the situation been so persistent? For some people, successive governments have not done enough, while others blame our universities for using the kind of curriculum that could not be relevant to job creation. Others have also blamed the graduates for failing to make themselves relevant to take advantage of the job market. The Chronicle believes that the panacea to this canker, first and foremost, lies with the private sector, which has been tagged as the engine of growth, to lead the way by creating jobs for the teeming unemployed graduates parading the streets of the country. Of course, that depends on the economic climate. We are also aware that many industry players have questioned the calibre of graduates churned out from our tertiary institutions for the job market. The Chronicle wishes to advise Ghanaian industry to liaise with our tertiary institutions to come out with tailor-made programmes that would mould potential complete graduates for their respective markets. The Chronicle further wishes to advise our graduates to look for opportunities available, and go into self-employment to establish their own businesses and create wealth; for example, turning to the agricultural sector where there are abundant opportunities. It is encouraging to note that high-ranking members of society, including politicians, musicians, bankers and university professors among others have taken to agriculture and are eking out a meaningful living out of it. In all these, the role of the government is paramount. It has to create the enabling environment to encourage the private sector players to thrive and help the job creation endeavour. And former president Kuffour wept for the first time when a sitting president came to Dodowa, because our forefathers fought the Ashantis and won the battle of Katamanso in the Dodowa forest, hence, Most of the Dangme stools have Ashanti names- Nene Addo Ofosu Oblim(II). You cant enter into the Dodowa forest with Sandals if you are not a traditional chief, never try it he warned. He is not a fan of alcohol, but if you asked him his favorite food, his wife will laugh when she is around because she knows her man. His favorite food is fufu and light soup , cocoyam and plantain and above all, he believes in God and also believes in his son Christ Jesus. He has no fears in life at this stage because he speaks the truth, if you dont believe in his son how can you go to the father, you cant bypass the son and go to the old man We both laughed with the white lady, Anna Maria, from the Netherlands. He loves reading, storytelling and volley ball, married with two wives, one given to him as stool wife with six (6) children, three (3) males and three (3) females. According to him, married life is not easy but it is good and anything he realized that it appears abominable he will scream and say NO! A courageous man, probably, I will say because he was once with the Ghana police service, this is the man I bring to Dangme readers today, Nene Addo-Ofosu Oblim(II) an active member of the Shai traditional council and Numerse Djase. Born and bred in Koforidua in the eastern region on the 25th October 1948 to the late Mr. and Mrs Phobi. The father was from Dodowa Numerse and mother from Manya. The young Nene Addo Ofosu (II) who is 68years but yet looks younger than most young men in this current world, started his elementary education at the Anglican school in Asamankese in 1957-1967 and later went to Agona Swedru to obtain his O level in 1972 and after teaching as a pupil teacher joined the Ghana Police service on 1st August 1977. According to Nene Addo -Ofosu Oblim(II), in the olden days the training for police service was between15-18months and they were 100 in number and he placed 6th and was posted to Nima Police station and was appointed as a detective(CID)because of his cleverness. This is evident when one gets closer to him. At Nima police station, he was appointed a Lance Corporal in 1979 and in 1985 a full corporal and later transferred to community one and later worked at Ada , Kasseh junction under the Tema division for six years. He was later transferred to Nsuta Manpongten in the Ashanti region and rose to the rank of inspector. In 2006, he was transferred from Nsuta to Koforidua and became the regional station officer and was promoted as the chief inspector before his retirement from the police service. He served 35years as a detective (CID). From his rich background, we caught up with him at his residence to tell us about the Shai traditional council and the journey forward for the Shai State. So on Tuesday 16th of February, a white lady came to visit us at the Dangme news office, she was a masters degree student in Anthropology at the University of Ghana working on her thesis. She came for assistance, so I told her to wait for me. I picked up my phone and I called Nene Addo-Ofosu Oblim(II). Hello Nene, are you home? Yes am home, I am coming there with a visitor, she is a white lady. Nene said, my son, just wait for a while and let me prepare myself. Eeii these chiefs, he would welcome a white lady. Later, Nene called. My son, am done and well prepared, you can come now. I picked my car keys and drove straight to Nene. Agoo, and they responded and we greeted them traditionally and we were given a seat. I saw Nene and I was amazed to see him in his royal wear. Here is the man, dressed majestically and sitting royally on his throne and enjoying fully the benefits of being Nene. He asked us our mission and we told him about it and we decided to go straight to the point. We are here to learn about the people of Shai and the chieftaincy way forward. The white lady, Anna Maria from the Netherlands picked up her video and we started the interview. The Dangme Tribes According to Nene, Adangme means Krobos with seven (7) tribes namely, Ningo-Prampram, Ada, Kpone, Osudoku, Shai, manya Krobo and Yilo Krobo. According to him, we are few, so the government decided to add the Gas to the Dangmes. Divisions in the Shai area We greeted Nene, led by his wife as tradition demands, and we introduced ourselves. He responded with his nicely dressed royal wear. According to Nene, Osudoku is not part of the Shai traditional council but administratively it is part of the Shai -Osudoku district assembly. According to Nene, Kordiebe, Ayikuma, Doryumu, Agomeda, Dodowa constitutes the Shai state and three major divisions in terms of chieftaincy area exist: namely, Hiowe, Hiome and Lekpeje constitute the major divisions and all chiefs are under one of these divisions. According to Nene who is well versed in the Se traditions said that, Hiome is Agomeda, Doryumu is Hiowe and Lekpeje is Kordiebe. The divisional head of Lekpeje is Nene Nonor Sodje(V) who doubles as the acting president of the Se traditional council. Numerse, Manya is under the Hiome division of Agomeda, Aperko, Ayikuma are under Mla-Lekpeje division at Kordiebe. Every chief controls a division but the actual division is called Mla division, eg. Mla-Hiome, Mla- Hiowe and Mla-Lekpeje, so all others are subdivisions and they come under one of these major divisions Land ownership in Shai state According to Nene, lands are owned by families and there is nothing like traditional lands. However he said all lands are under traditional councils. So if one wants to purchase a land, according to Nene, one has to go to the traditional council to prepare a document to make it genuine. Organogram in the Traditional council Finally, Nene told me about the Organogram in the traditional council. According to Nene, the head is the paramount chief who is the supreme authority of all divisional chiefs. Secondly, are the divisional chiefs who control a division and finally the sub divisional chiefs who include; Asafoatse, Oyeheko Mantse and others in the traditional settings. Job descriptions of the leaders Chief: Is someone who is properly enstooled by his people, community and serves the paramount chief Oyeheko Mantse: According to Nene, Oyeheko Mantse was traditionally not part of the Se state but was created in Agomeda by Nene Nagai Kassah(VII) and nowhere else in the Se state to assist the then acting paramount chief in his work . Dzase: Controls the properties of the chief including his families. Asafoatse: meaning youth leader who leads war whilst the chiefs stay behind Setse: stool father and every stool has its own father. He is amongst the kingmakers. According to Nene, every stool has a black stool signifying his authority. They are kept in the room and securely locked with three locks. According to Nene, as a chief you dont have to see your black stool. Death occurs if you see it. The black stool is your powerhouse as a chief and sitting on the black stool is done in the night and is always covered with a white cloth. According to Nene, there are some avoid list you must do before sitting on your black stool. He mentioned that you must remain chaste. However he said the black stool could be stolen and if this happens a special tradition is performed and the stool is returned. A new one could be created but it comes with huge repercussions Queen mother: He said, a queen mother assists the chief and she is the leader of the women in the community. He said as a chief it is a big taboo to sleep with your queen mother. Death results from doing this he stated. He further warned that many chiefs died because of this. Suapolor: He said traditionally, it was not part of Se state but along the line it was created in Kordiebe as Nene Adamtey Drolor(I) was a native mainly because he started some developmental project. But he said that Manya krobo state has Suapolor as a legitimate position. He said Suapolor means leading and cleaning the way for the chiefs if they are embarking on journeys. In respect of this event I asked: Then it means tradition itself can be amended and he answered in affirmative. According to him, their division in Numerse is considering the position of Simpim and Oyeheko Mantse. Simpim: According to Nene Simpim is the least in the traditional cycle under an Asafoatse and accordingly, in the absence of the subchief Simpim acts. Christianity and Tradition He stated that, most pastors mislead the public and claimed that some pastors send their children for Dipo rite yet they criticise others for doing it. He also said that, they chiefs are not Pagans and they believe in God but they cannot leave their house stool to become vacant and therefore it must be filled. He said for instance previously, it was a taboo for a girl to become pregnant in Krobo land without the Dipo rite and this led most of the girls into hiding in Larteh and married the men there and they became relatives with the Larteh people. Future of Shai- State According to Nene, the future is bright for Shai state and very soon there is going to be a paramount chief. At this juncture the Dangme news team departed. Stay tuned and read Dangme newspaper as I take you to the Yilo traditional council in our next edition. Dr. Raphael Nyarkotey Obu: ND,MSc, PhD(A.M) I dont want to have imaginative vision if today your son refused to go to school, you have seen the future already and you know what your son will be already. If someone gets 68-70years and used his land to exchange cars, and that person dies, what will the future generation feed on, are they now going to leave on someones territories Kwesi Akoto is the name and he is popularly known as Rasta man or Burning Rock at Dodowa-Rhama Town, all you need to do is to go to Rhama Town and ask of the Okada boys to drive you to Rastas residence. Leaving in his own world, Burning Rock is a married man with children and he loves talking and his favorite food is also quality talking. We caught up with Burning rock at his residence at Rhama town in his serene environment. He lamented and especially critized the Dangme leaders for selling their lands in exchange for cars. Dangme leaders should think about their future leaders and develop their land because they are positioned on a good land with good tourist destination yet their people are leaving in abject poverty. He spoke bitterly on the bad roads in the entire Dangme enclaves. According to Kwesi Akoto, he never believed the town and country planners in the Dangme community. He blasted them for their poor planning of the community. He told Dangme news team on how the real estate developers convinced the chiefs to sell all their lands including their farm lands. He was worried about future food shortage in the area. He claimed to have ideas on how the lands in the Dangme community should be sold and developed. He also revealed the tactics and tricks he claimed being used at the various assemblies by some workers to secure permits for the clients. His personal Philosophies in life The spirit of the prophet is subject to the prophet, Burning Rock dont believe in learning, but he claimed to believe in discovering I think say, going to school is like borrowing someones knowledge and I dont understand why something I know already I have to pay before I acquire he told Dangme news. Burning rock has seven (7) albums and his best track is Too Much Problems in the World. He said Politics is a small boy, we can educate politics to behave well when we are focused, and we have to go beyond politics he stated. His fear in life Burning Rocks great fear in life is religion. He said my greatest fear in life is religion when asked by Dangme news why? He said, Religion is the greatest poison in this world he further stated that, human beings have succeeded in changing the things of God to suit our desire. We have changed our culture, we have changed our environment. He was furious and asked why others critisize the Dipo rites in the Dangme land and other cultures in the world. According to him it is religion that has created divisions amongst the human race in the world Religion has changed everything Burning Rock stated. He gave a typical example that, me being a Rasta man, I dont want you to be a Rasta man so if we all understand this concept we can live happily. We must all live with one accord but the moment religion sets in, a problem arises. All our religion is imported, both Christianity, Muslim et al . Burning Rock was not happy that we live in our country and we speak another mans language or wasting our time studying someones culture. He also became furious with teachers in Ghana who cane their students because they spoke local language, he explained when this happen, we are only changing Gods plan and according to him it is different in Europe. His concerns on Fraud boys According to Burning Rock, today, young boys are happy that they are game or fraud boys. He said, this is sad and he blamed parents for not checking their childrens source of income and further blasted families that accepted any man to marry their daughters without further investigating their source of wealth. Today boys are desperate for anything, all that matters to them is the money and immediately they graduate from the school they look for laptops to start frauding. On my village Touching on his bar at Dodowa, he said, he established the place for the elderly in the town because when he came to Dodowa, he realized that there is no place for the elderly to relax and think of themselves. He is more than happy to see how the elderly have patronized the place. He plans adding food and guinea fowl to the joint very soon but he is looking at pure organic food stuffs and he doesnt want to hear the phrase poultry because it is poison. On the music Burning Rock is concerned about the recent music code named youthful music. According to Burning, music is the food for the soul, hence music is to motivate and not destroy. He was not happy to see the youth of today sing unhealthy soul. He gave example that, when Bob Marley and co were in the olden days, they were in their youthful periods, so it is therefore wrong to say that todays generation are in their youthful age so there music is different. He further said that any country without good music is in crisis and when the soul is hungry, it needs music and when the stomach is also hungry, it needs food Dr. Raphael Nyarkotey Obu: ND,MSc, PhD(A.M) Food heals, food kills! The body is just like a computer and it does exactly what you tell it to do and not what you want it to do, this is what I term compensatory adaptation at work. Our cells need good nutrition and our cells are also like the iron roofing sheet, it can rust because of oxidation, our cells can also rust if it is deprived of the right nutrition and the right water, and this is termed oxidative stress. Oxidative stress accounts for over 70% of degenerating diseases like cancers, high blood pressure, diabetics etc. cancer is not a disease of the genes, it is a disease where cells evolved and are made to behave in abnormal way needing gene alteration to get there. Cancer therefore happens when genes within a cell loses its ability to regulate the cell growth, this disobedient cells dont know how to die but move on to invade other organs. The food we eat accounts for about 80% of cancer growth because we all have cancer cells lying dormant in our system and our lifestyle can awaken them. Doc, Is that your base when you want to eat waakye? I answered yes! Then, I will buy my waakye here. Day in out, I buy my waakye from this joint. Born in Dodowa, Zongo and currently leaving in the Dodowa library area, Alimatu Gariba has made a mark for herself in her waakye business. Situated just at the road side at the heart of Bawaleshi, Alimatu started her basic education at the Presbyterian Primary school and Methodist Junior high school in Dodowa. She later went to OIC catering school to study catering and had her national services at the SSNIT Guest house nears Sankara. Alimatu, a mother of two children, later worked at the Pantang Hospital Kitchen as a casual worker before she later decided to venture into her own waakye business. Her Waakye joint was given the name Onaapo by one Ghanata senior high school student who bought waakye from her and later came with other colleagues to taste her food. According to madam Alimatu, after the food, the students told her that, Eeii this waakye, Wonyampo and the student quickly told her to give them money to enable them design a banner for her, but she told them that, because the community is predominantly a Ga one, they should use the version Onaapo, a Ga one. Onaapo therefore became the name till today. Alimatu Gariba has a future plan to become a famous joint like Aunty Muni in Cantonment and Ali Muntaris mother in Koforidua. According to Madam Gariba, her advice to those in relationship is to exercise patience as patience is the key to success in every relationship, though she is yet to finally tie the knot with her fiancee. She is also using this medium to advise the young girls who want to venture into the Waakye business to first go to school so they can be fluent in the English language. she explained this with a good experience where a police commander came to her joint with his colleague and when she was about to parcel the food, the man told her not to worry in the parceling of the food in the local language but she responded in the English language saying Let me wrap it nicely for you According to Alimatu, the man looked at her and said wow, we will meet again. She further attested that this made the commanders friend to always visit her and buy from her anytime he was in town. Onaapo, is always filled with people of different backgrounds, schools and professionals buying from her mainly because of the way she prepared the food. On Sundays, Onaapo is always packed with cars to eat the Sunday Omotuo special. We at Dangme News salute Onaapo and we urged her to climb higher. For those looking for a good place to purchase their waakye, then Onaapo at Bawaleshie is the place to go. Dr. Raphael Nyarkotey Obu:ND,MSc, PhD(A.M) 04.05.2016 LISTEN From Richard Owusu-Akyaw, Kumasi The Ashanti Regional Police Command has arrested the Ashanti Regional Chairman of New Patriotic Party (NPP) Bernard Antwi Boasiako, better known as Wontumi, over an assault charge, the Regional Police Commander, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCOP) Kofi Boakye has announced. The Chronicle gathered that at 11: 45am yesterday, the Tafo Pankrono Police apprehended the firebrand NPP Chairman. The NPP regional chair is said to have assaulted the Manhyia North Member of Parliament and his Constituency Secretary. In what looked like a Hollywood movie scene, the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party, (NPP) Bernard Antwi Boasiako, last Sunday, reportedly assaulted the Member of Parliament for the Manhyia North Constituency, Collins Owusu Amankwah, in the full glare of the public at a registration center called Fordwuor House at Krofofrom. Reports had it that the regional chairman, referred to as Wontumi, unleashed a hefty slap to the Manhyia North legislator after accusing the latter of flouting his orders. This was after Chairman Wontumi, accompanied by his private bodyguards, numbering about 15, had pounced on the helpless Constituency Secretary, Felix Ibrahim and beaten him to pulp for assisting the legislator to flout his orders in replacing agents he had assigned to that particular polling station. Last week, based upon an agreement, the regional executives, led by the party chair had reached with the incumbent MP, some persons were recommended to partner others the MP had also suggested to man the polling stations in the Manhyia North for the limited registration exercise by the Electoral Commission. But, ironically, the agents the regional chairman selected from the Manhyia-South Constituency to man the polling stations with Amankwah's men were allegedly demanding monies from NDC party executives who used to come around during the exercise. Finding this occurrence odd for a serious party as the NPP who has its eyes on the upcoming presidential and parliamentary elections in November, one agent assigned from the MP's camp accosted the regional party assignee and told him that the practice of collecting monies from their opponents camp was bad. However, the agent, who felt he was disgraced by the MP's man, went to tell a different story that he had been assaulted and his material given him to observe the exercise had been destroyed by some agents of the MP. Obviously incensed by this half-truth story and without crosschecking, Wontumi decided to storm the registration ground the following day to inquire why that happened and it was during this inquisition that the Chairman is alleged to have violently accosted both the constituency secretary and the MP, despite the presence of the three armed Policemen at the polling station Lawyer Egbert Faibille Jnr. has explained there is nothing wrong with obtaining an out-of-court settlement for a politician accused of assaulting a Member of Parliament (MP). The lawyer who is counsel for New Patriotic Party (NPP) regional chairman, Mr. Bernard Antwi Bosiako explained that an out-of-court settlement he secured for his client does not mean the law has been stopped from taking its full course. A magistrate court in the Ashanti regional capital, Kumasi, granted Mr. Bosiako bail to the sum of 20,000 with two sureties. Mr. Bosiako allegedly assaulted Manhyia North MP, Collins Owusu Amankwah last Sunday. But the lawyer told the court the incident is a family matter. Sections of the public are calling for Chairman Wontumi to be punished. The NPP regional Chairmans bail and subsequent out-of-court settlement have also been interpreted as preferential treatment for a politician. It has been suggested that the possibility of punishment for Chairman Wontumi has been removed. But Egbert Faibille has dismissed these suggestions. He said the law is also interested in promoting reconciliation and not retribution. The reconciliation option is also part of the rule of law, he explained, noting that the NPPs brand as a promoter of a rule of law has not been damaged by the out-of-court settlement. There are no double standards. There is a single standard, which is the law of Ghana and the law of Ghana promotes reconciliation he said. He said Mr. Bosiakos supposedly gentle treatment by the law was not because he is a politician. The charge sheet does not indicate that Mr. Bernard Antwi Bosiako is a politician, he said. The law only recognizes Wontumi as a private citizen, he noted. He also said the withdrawal of the complaint by the MP is also not an abuse of his rights. A mans rights is not enhanced by exacting punishment, he suggested. We should not reduce peoples rights under the law to an equalization conundrum, the lawyer said. His client was entitled to bail by the nature of his offence stated as a misdemeanor under the law and out of court settlement is an option available to persons if the law so permits. We should not be emotional about some of these things, he dismissed suggestions of double standards. Story by Ghana|myjoyonline.com|[email protected] 04.05.2016 LISTEN Wednesday, May 5, 2016 My good friends, if there is anything to reinforce my poor opinion about the tribal cabal called the NPP, it won't take long to emerge. It won't take long to assuage all doubts that the NPP is indeed a party of frustrated and ill-tempered characters at the helm of its shattered affairs. Be it at the local, regional, or national level, the party is being led by those who don't know how to do clean politics to survive in contemporary times. If I am being harsh, it is for a good cause. Having cried wolf all these years on the political scene, these NPP people are abroad again, this time, turning their own internally-generated crisis into an opportunity for intensified rabble-rousing and threats. Their Ashanti regional Chairman Wontumi slapped the Manhyia North NPP MP (Collins Amankwah) and Felix Ibrahim, the Constituency Secretary. They lodged a formal complaint against Wontumi and he was invited by the police to assist investigate the offence; but he played hide-and-seek with the police only to report himself when declared wanted by the police. When official action began against him, supporters of the NPP rushed to the Central Police station to behave as if the offence for which Wontumi was being detained for investigation and prosecution wasnt a criminal one. They followed him to court today, where he was bailed out. Even before the matter got to this point, we heard the NPP people accusing the Ashanti regional Police Commander (DCOP Kofi Boakye) of being dictated to by the government to deal with Wontumi. We also heard some comments that by helping politicize this issue, DCOP Boakye had lost the chance to become the next IGP under an Akufo-Addo government. Tweeeeeaaa! Not to be left out, other NPP Concert Party actors made their voices heard. The Minority Leader, Osei Kyei Mensah is reported to have accused the government of masterminding Wontumis arrest. Then, the real comedian in the person of Fraudie Blay released his thunderbolt of stupidity: anyone who touches the partys Ashanti Regional Chairman, Bernard Antwi Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi touches the party. He contends Chairman Wontumi has the backing of the party and anyone who attempts to wrestle with him should be prepared to deal with the party itself (See http://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/NewsArchive/Touch-Chairman-Wontumi-and-you-have-touched-the-NPP-Freddie-Blay-435959). MY COMMENTS Folks, do you see how paranoid these NPP people are? Who is touching Wontumi but Wontumi himself? Or who is stoking the fire if not Kennedy Agyapong, who has been quick to praise Wontumi for slapping the MP and suggesting that Wontumi did a fantastic thing and should have dealt more slaps to the MP and Constituency Secretary? What for? We note that the Manhyia North Constituency is still boiling. Attempts by the NPP leaders to manipulate the primary election of a candidate for Election 2016 have provoked enmity, rancour, and bitterness among the NPP followers. Now that the incumbent MP has been slapped by one of those working hard to get rid of him, I can only imagine the ugly turn of events. Isnt it bewildering that the NPP people cant see anything wrong about what Wontumi did? Slapping an MP and being commended by those thinking and acting as Wontumi does? And for the partys leaders to have the case withdrawn for settlement speaks volumes. Will they do the same for those who brutalized Baah Achamfuor too? What is becoming of this doom-laden party at all? After suspending high-ranking officials opposed to the Gestapo-politics being done by the Akufo-Addo faction, are they now using assault as a weapon to intimidate their own vocal followers? What sort of crude politicking is this? While Dr. Bawumia is leading the campaign of lies, lies, and outright lies or falsification of reality to whip up tribal and religious sentiments, those who think they have the urge to brutalize those with opposing views are up-and-doing. Is this political party really prepared to help us grow our democracy? We wait to see how the matter pans out. But for now, I say a big SHAME unto these NPP people. Politics is about witticism and not hooliganism; it calls for decency, not their kind of impudence and bullying. I shall return By Francis Ameyibor, GNA Accra, May 4, GNA - The Government has applauded the achievement of Ghana Oil Company Limited (GOIL) the foremost indigenous Oil Marketing Company describing it as 'a vibrant downstream operator in the country'. Mr Seth Emmanuel Terkper, the Minister of Finance and Economic Planning and Mr Emmanuel Armah Kofi Buah, Minister of Petroleum jointly lauded the company at the launch of GOIL Rights Issues, in Accra. GOIL intends to raise GH 155 million through a renounceable rights issue through the issuance of 13,639,640 shares of no par value, and at a price of GH 1.24 per share and in a ratio of 0.5536 new shares for one held by a qualified shareholder. The online resource, Investopedia, explains: 'When a company needs new capital, one way they can raise money is to sell more shares to existing shareholders. This is called a share rights issue as only existing shareholders will have the 'right' to buy the new shares. 'Rights issues can be used by companies who are cash strapped and who need to cover debt or by solid companies with clean balance sheets to fund acquisitions and growth. 'Sometimes shareholders can sell the 'right' to buy the new shares on the stock market. This is called a renounceable rights issue'. Mr Buah who launched the Rights Issue commended the company for its leadership role in the downstream oil sector, especially immediately after the deregulation of petroleum product. He said progress made in the downstream sector in a deregulated regime would not have been possible but for the strategic role of GOIL. The Petroleum Minister commended GOIL's Board of Directors, Management and Staff for the prudent managerial skills and commitment to transform GOIL. Mr Patrick Kwame Akpe Akorli, the Managing Director, said the rights issue would begin on May 3 and end on May 18, 2016. He said the price of GH 1.24 represents a discount of 15 per cent on the closing price of GH 1.46 per share as at March 21, 2016, which was the last predictable date before the printing of the offer circular. He said proceeds from the offer would be used to strengthen GOIL's balance sheet, expand its current retail outlets, acquire a lubricant blending plant, and expand facilities at the Takoradi Harbour, among others. Mr Akorli said all the necessary approvals had been received from the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Ghana Stock Exchange. He said the offer had been fully underwritten by Belstar Capital Limited under the bought deal model. He explained that the forum provided a platform to keep investors up to date on GOIL's share price performance, investor news and the Company's financial communications. Dr Adu Anane Antwi, the Director General, Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) noted that the rights issue would increase the capitalisation of GOIL and the market as a whole. He stated: 'We need a lot of such issues to increase the size of our stock market; to enhance investment variety in our capital market and create a competitive and liquid market. 'We should work towards expanding the investment vehicles in the country by creating more financial products on the market.' Dr Antwi said the SEC had proposed amendments to the Securities Industry Act to enable it to introduce Real Estate Investment Funds into the market. 'These funds will link the capital market to the Real Estate Sector by providing the sector with long-term funds to increase housing delivery in the country,' he said. GNA Accra, May 4, GNA - The Peoples National Convention (PNC), has called on workers to reflect on the difficult road they have traversed since the overthrow of the third republic under the administration of Dr Hilla Limann and vote rightly. A statement signed by Mr Emmanuel Wilson Jnr, PNC Communication Director and copied to the Ghana News Agency in Accra explained that from its very inception as a political party, the PNC has championed the cause of the working people. 'Indeed, the PNC remains the only genuine working class party in the country, having consistently defended the cause of workers, and this was clearly exhibited during the 27 -month rule when it was in government under the PNC and throughout the fourth republic, even as an opposition party. 'As this year is an election year, the PNC takes this opportunity to call on all workers to stand up in defence of their rights and not to allow themselves to be used as political pawns by those who glibly speak of workers' rights,' the statement stated. The statement accused the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the main opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) for only speaking about workers welfare, but in actual fact only seek to improve their own political nest. The PNC statement said the meager salary increases that have been seen under the NDC and the NPP government in the fourth republic certainly does not auger well for the working people especially when seen against the background of hefty salary increases for those in the corridors of power. There has been a clear indication of a slowing down of the economy these past three years, which most certainly has impacted adversely on job creation and economic stability. The statement noted that in recent months, hundreds of workers have lost their jobs both in the public and private sector. Youth unemployment is on the ascendency and this is a recipe for disaster. 'The PNC do recognise the plight of Ghanaian workers and cannot ignore the fact that many from the public sector have lost their jobs due to political considerations in this fourth republic. 'We are proud of Ghana's working class credentials and called on Ghanaian workers to remain fully committed to the cause of a strong and united labour movement,' the statement said. GNA IVA Struggling with debt? Compare your debt options and write off up to 80% of your unsecured debts from 80 per month Get Started for free What is an IVA? With an Individual Voluntary Arrangement (IVA) you can make affordable monthly payments towards a percentage of your debt for 5 years. At the end of the 5 year plan, your remaining debt will be completely written off. Benefits of an IVA Here is a list of the cost common advantages of an Individual Voluntary Arrangement (IVA): Affordability You will only be asked to pay back what you can afford, with allowances taken into account for food, bills, entertainment, travel, childcare and others. You may be sacrificing certain essential costs at the moment. With an IVA they are budgeted for so they will no longer be neglected No upfront costs When you set up an IVA, there are no upfront costs whatsoever. This means that you can put a debt solution in place today without spending a penny You have a finishing line Do you feel like there will be no end to your debt problems? With high interest costs and charges, the balances of your credit accounts may not reduce as you need them to. With an IVA you will become totally debt free at the completion of the IVA (usually 5 years). You can use this as an opportunity to change your financial life, for good Confidential Your IVA is not advertised in the London Gazette or local newspaper. It is your decision whether you would like to disclose it to other people or not No more contact from creditors When you are in an IVA, your creditors will no longer have the right to contact you or refer the debt on to debt collectors/bailiffs. This is a great benefit for most people as it will take away the stress caused by constant calls/texts/emails and home visits Stay in your house Unlike some debt solutions, an IVA will allow you to stay in your current home. This is even the case if the property has a mortgage or is owned outright Your pension An IVA does not have an impact on your pension. You will not have to surrender your pension or withdraw money from it to pay into your IVA Risks of an IVA Here is a list of the cost common disadvantages of an Individual Voluntary Arrangement (IVA): Equity Release If you own your property and it has value, you may be asked to release the equity in the property Credit Rating If you have a perfect credit rating, this will be damaged and you will not be allowed to take out more debt whilst in an arrangement You must keep up with repayments If you do not keep up with your monthly repayments, there is a risk you will be made bankrupt Who qualifies for an IVA? There is no office guidelines to who qualifies for an IVA. It is a legally binding, Government legislation designed to help all people. Generally speaking, insolvency practitioners (IP) will look at your situation if they think the IVA proposal they submit is beneficial to both yourself (the debtor) and your creditors. This often restricts people to a certain criteria which you will have to meet: Over 5000 worth of unsecured debt You must have 2 or more creditors of 2 or more lines of credit Must live in England, Wales or Northern Ireland Must be insolvent Must be willing to pay at least 70 per month into their IVA Must have some type or types of regular income What debts can I include in an IVA? You can include a wide range of unsecured debts within your IVA. These include: Credit card debt/credit cards Loans/loan debt Payday loans Council tax arrears HMRC debt Overpaid benefits Catalogues Gas and electricity arrears Overdrafts/overdraft debt Water arrears Income tax arrears Debts to friends and family Other unsecured debts Note: If you are a resident of Scotland, you will need to apply for a Scottish Trust Deed (legally binding). Speak to our advisors for Scottish Debt Advice. What debts cant be included in an IVA? Secured loans Your mortgage (if you still live in the house) Car finance (if you still have the car) Rent arrears for your current property Court fines/Police fines Hire purchase arrears (if you still have the product) Log book loans (if you still have the vehicle that the debts are secured on) Student loans Other secured debts What does I.V.A stand for? IVA stands for Individual Voluntary Arrangement. It is a formal way to consolidate your debts into one affordable monthly repayment, resulting in the debtor becoming debt free at the end of their payments. Can I apply for an IVA online? Use the IVA Calculator to check your eligibility Prepare your IVA proposal and apply for your IVA. When your IVA is accepted, your creditors can no longer contact you. Pay 60 low monthly payments. After 5 years, you are out of your IVA and completely debt free. Will an IVA affect my employment? In most occupations, your credit rating or credit scoring is not a factor and it may never have been checked in the past, it may also be likely that it is not checked in the future either. There is no law to tell you that you must advise your employer that you have entered an IVA or that you owe money. They will not be notified by your insolvency practitioner. If you wanted to keep it a private matter, in most cases this would be absolutely fine. With some roles such as financial advisors, solicitors or bank workers it may make up part of your contract to advise them of changes like this. In these situations we would advise to inform your employers of your intentions before you enter into any arrangements. This way there will be no nasty surprises for you later down the line. More often than not, we find that your employer would not be concerned by your IVA and that it would not affect your employment status. An IVA is a formal solution and could affect some employments, such as if you were a solicitor or accountant for example. We would always recommend that you receive approval from your employers that your job isnt affected before you sign up for anything. Will an IVA impact my partner? There are certain situations where you may not want to involve your partner at all in your IVA proposal due to personal reasons. Insolvency Practitioners are very aware of these circumstances and can operate solely via telephone and email and at your convenience, so rest assured that your matters can be kept completely private. If the debts which you are looking to place into your IVA are in joint names, then this would be different. Your IP would look to place all of your debts into an IVA, including joint debts therefore you would have to inform your partner of your plans. If your debts are solely yours, then there would be no negative impact on your partner, their credit score would remain unaffected and they would not be entered onto any registers or be tainted in any way. Will an IVA affect my credit score/credit file? Whilst you are in your arrangement, you will not be able to get any credit. An IVA will stay on your credit file for 6 years, so 12 months after a typical IVA. When this time has passed and your monthly payments have ended, you will be able to rebuild your credit rating. What proof will I need to apply for an IVA? Proof of ID Passport/driving license/birth certificate/utility bills/national insurance identification/credit agreement Bank statements 3 months bank statements with all transactions displayed Proof of income 3 months payslips/P60/proof of benefits How long does it take to set up an IVA? Your initial call will only last around 5-10 minutes. The IVA process will be explained to you and you will be told what further information you will need to provide to proceed with your IVA proposal. Once you have returned the required information, an IVA will usually take between 7-14 days to get into place. You will be protected from creditors within this time, your advisor will provide you with documentation via email. How long does an IVA last? Most IVAs will last for a length of five years. The i v a will remain on your credit file for a period of six years and is placed on the Insolvency Register for that period. You can work out what date it will be removed from your credit file, it will be six years from the start date of the IVA term. So if the IVA started on 1 January 2000, it should be removed from your credit file six years from that date, which would be 1 January 2006. When you apply for an individual voluntary arrangement your Insolvency Practitioner (IP) will tell you if you qualify for an IVA, how long it lasts, how much it costs and provide you with any other debt advice which you may need. How much will debt advice cost for an Individual Voluntary Arrangement? The advice cost for individual voluntary arrangements is free of charge. Your I.V.A company will tell you if you qualify for an IVA. They will talk to you about your different debts, provide you with free debt advice and check if your creditors are likely to approve your proposal for your IVA for debt. How does an IVA affect your life? By taking out an IVA you may affect your overall financial position. You will not be allowed to take out credit for 6 years. You will struggle to get a mortgage or remortgage your existing property. It also may affect any future increase in earnings or windfalls you may receive, as these will need to be paid to your insolvency practitioner. Your insolvency practitioner will take control of your debts for this period, they will deal with all of your creditors and this is legally binding. That means you will not be allowed to take out any more debts whilst in the IVA. Once the plan is completed, any debts which you accrue will be managed by yourself. Your ability to take out further debts in the future will not be impacted once the IVA has completed. What is the IVA protocol? The I.V.A protocol is a voluntary set of guidelines which your Insolvency Practitioner (IP) can sign up for which improves the efficiency of Individual Voluntary Arrangements. When you apply for debt advice, it is important that you understand the steps of the debt solution, so you can decide whether or not the solution is the best one for your circumstances. How do I know if creditors will accept my IVA? Generally speaking, most creditors will approve voluntary arrangements for unsecured debt. But some debts can not be included within one formal debt solution. Your Insolvency Practitioner will tell you how likely it is that your creditors will be willing to accept your proposal, based on the voting creditors. Can I pay in one lump sum? There are occasions when you may be eligible for a debt solution which is payable in a one off lump sum as a final settlement to your creditors. This is usually when the money is being gifted from some one else, or you have received inheritance or a windfall for example. With a one-off lump sum payment, the advice is usually the same as when you normally apply for an IVA. You wouldnt have to make regular payments into the solution, your IP can provide you with more advice on one off lump sum solutions for your debts. Your IP will provide you with more advice on the debt IVA and explain what is IVA to you. Who regulates the debt industry? At present the debt industry is not regulated. Some Insolvency Practitioners offices choose to sign up to the Insolvency Practitioners Association (IPA) or register with the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). You can contact the IPA using the contact details or email address on their website. Your creditors do not regulate the debt industry and your creditors will not be able to impact any decisions which the IPA or FCA make. In our experience, the regulators will take assertive action on any advisers or businesses which do not comply with their strict codes of practice. To check if a person is regulated by the FCA, enter their name into the search box in the FCA website. Should I use a debt charity? There are thousands of companies which provide debt help in the UK. You may be looking for an alternative to a private company. You should know that charities usually pass their fee charging products to sister companies which charge fees and disbursements, just like private companies. So what you initially thought was a good option, on further analysis could be different to what you originally thought. Charities do have their part to play though. They can help you if you have a problem with your bank accounts, maintenance arrears, living costs, credit reference agencies, child support arrears, bankruptcy, assets, accountancy issues, mortgages, creditor issues, insurance providers, mobiles, your bank account, rates arrears, PAYE contributions or if you want to work out your expenditure. They can make sure that you speak to an adviser or supervisor and look at proposals to offer your lender. A petition has started with the possibility of a debate in parliament about how charities represent themselves and their services. Which charities help with debt? You can contact Money Advice Service, National Debtline, Step Change, Shelter or a combination of the three. Charities are particular useful for a low debt level under 1,000. If the debt is high (such as a debt value of 10,000 or more) you would usually seek an assessment from a professional adviser. If you do decide to use a charity to guide you, make sure you check their charity number and the registration number on their website to make sure you are content that their team can answer your questions in the right ways. A lot of clients of charities have a minimum debt level which does not meet the basis for an IVA, so you could always chat to a charity that is happy to act on your behalf for low debt levels. Although an I.V.A could be the answer to your debt problem, its important to understand the monthly payment so call us on our free phone number. Anyone customers can receive expert feedback on their rights from debt charities, if they cant help they will usually point you in the director of firms which help with IVAs. We are homeowners, will lenders see my proposal differently? In some cases yes. In the majority of cases, if you are a homeowner you will not need to remortgage or take out any additional finances that will effect your property. You will need to sign a additional restrictions which remove your ability to take out additional credit tied to your property, which is something that is restricted once you are in an i.v.a. There are exceptions to this, such as when you have a lot of equity in your property/properties. If you own half of a property and another party owns the other half, only your equity will be affected. If you are landlord and you are in a position of equity, your IP may review your trading position or business to make sure the figures in question are in order. This is usually the case if you have two or more properties, as sometimes the equity can be used to form a repayment to your creditors. But this usually depends on the amount of value built up in your properties. Banks and building societies will not change the terms of your mortgage as long as a contribution is still being made for the duration of your arrangement. Your mortgage payments will be added to your expenses and accounted for within your budget, as long as you can provide evidence that you can afford to continue to make payments into your mortgage for duration of the plan. LOOKING FOR HELP? 100% Confidential. Thousands Helped. No upfront fees you are here: business Sun Pharma inks pact with ICGEB for dengue drug Cipa Cipa will help in treating about 7.5-34 million people, the number of cases reported for dengue, says Kirti Ganorkar, Senior VP - Business Development & Portfolio Management at Sun Pharma. current-affairs-trends SC asks Delhi govt to submit a plan for phasing out diesel cabs The SC ban order on diesel cabs will affect thousands of operators says the government, and has suggested that the apex court permit gradual phasing out of diesel cabs in Delhi, reports Ashmit Kumar of CNBC-TV18. business Barring catastrophe, market won't retest Feb lows: Nilesh Shah Markets globally had been looking for a reason to correct but any fall only accentuates the appeal of Indian shares, says Nilesh Shah, Managing Director of Kotak Mahindra Asset Management Company. Australian Pharmaceuticals are expected to rise even higher. And it will be powered by Chinas growing middle class. One of the biggest industries in the world is pharmaceuticals. Its market size numbers in the trillions of dollars. The pace of its growth doesnt seem to be slowing down. Pharmaceuticals are expected to rise even higher. And it will be powered by Chinas growing middle class. Last year, in October, China overtook the US in terms of the size of each countrys respective middle classes. Chinas middle class population reached 109 million. This was 18.5% above the USs total. Source: Credit Suisse Since the early 2000s, China has added 43.4 million middle class adults to their growing population. The US has only added just over half this number, 22 million, by comparison. By 2022, McKinsey suggests more than 75% of Chinas urban consumer base will earn 60,000229,000 renminbi a year (US$9,000$34,000). It might not seem like much to us. But the average wage in China is around 57,361 renminbi annually. This means that more than 75% of urban consumers will earn at a minimum over and above the average wage today. This growth in Chinas middle class is fuelling growth across various industries. One Australian industry capitalising on this is healthcare. A major health expo is expected to be held in Melbourne mid-2016. The expo will attract more than 400 Chinese pharmacy owners. The goal for Chinese pharma owners will be to strike as many deals as possible. Australian companies involved in vitamins and other healthcare related products believe the expo will be a huge opportunity. They will all be trying to tap into Chinas hugely expansive healthcare market. Chairman of the China Medical Pharmaceutical Material Association, Ma Shoujun, stated: This is not like the way Chinese delegations are traditionally done come here, have a look, talk and then nothing happens. This time something will happen, contracts will be signed business to business. And the business will be ongoing. We want to form partnerships. Mr Mas association represents 240,000 pharmacy outlets. Theyre at the frontline of Chinas healthcare industries. And theyre estimated to be worth $1.6 trillion. Thats right not billion, but trillion. The pharmacy outlets are looking to source vitamins, infant formula, health drinks, lambs wool and allergy resistant bedding. And, in addition to these products, Mr Ma said they may be looking to adopt something else from Australia. The Chemist Warehouse model could be revolutionary in China. Under its model, a majority of products get sold over the counter. But in China, the complete opposite has been used for years now. Around 70% of products in Chinese pharmacies are sold through the dispensary. Mr Ma is seeking to convert these sales to over-the-counter. Why? Its easier for customers to buy. And, by changing pharma models in China, they might not be the only ones benefiting. Aussie pharma would likely share in the profits. How? More sales equal more orders to source Australian-made pharmaceuticals. According to Mr Ma: The health industry is a huge market for China, worth 8000 billion yuan, so the big opportunity for us is to share part of the pie. The Australian products are reliable, good products and they [Chinese pharmacies and customers] feel comfortable with them. A slice of that pie could very well go to Australia. Australia is also a favoured option for China because of the Sino-Australia free trade agreement signed last year. Under the agreement, tariffs of up to 10% on pharmaceuticals will be progressively eliminated by January 2019. One of the key findings from PwCs 2015 report Challenges and Change was that the Australias pharma industry needs future investment. In the report, PwC surveyed various pharmaceutical professionals. Of those surveyed, 66% are anticipating growth in the next few years. And China may just be the driver behind those expectations. IBISWorld estimates annual revenues for Australias health services industry total $116 billion. In the past five years, the industry has been growing at 4.1%. Lets do a quick comparison. Australias mining industry totals annual revenues of $193 billion. Over the past five years, it hasnt been growing. In fact, its average five-year growth is -1%. Therefore, its not that hard to believe health services could be the next big Aussie booming sector. Harje Ronngard, Junior Analyst, Money Morning PS: If youre interested in investing, but not sure where to get started, dont worry. The principles of investing are actually very easy. The only reason people make it complicated is because of greed. It is very difficult to get rich quickand then to stay rich. Especially when investing. Usually, when you hear of people making millions in a short matter of time, its short lived. More often than not, sustainable wealth is created over a long period of time. While this might be frustrating to the impatient, it is also less stressful. Ask yourself why you want to be wealthy? Most people would say its because they want to be stress free. This is why its important to understand that taking on unnecessary amounts of risk isnt a sustainable investing strategy. Sure, you could wake up tomorrow with a million dollars. But you could also wake up with nothing. And, more often than not, very few extreme risk-takers succeed. Thats why you shouldnt be willing to bet the farm. Instead, you should be comfortable with each of your investments. Money Mornings small-cap specialist, Sam Volkering, has written a report all about simple investing. In his report, How to Become a Great Investor in Two Simple Steps, Sam will simplify investing for you. Included in Sams report is a list of big mistakes made by investorsand how you can avoid them to succeed with your investments. Sam also explains why a set and forget strategy might not be the best in todays market. To get your free copy of Sams report, click here. Emerging market pioneer Sir John Templeton set out the case for contrarian investing with one of the most oft quoted truisms of investment: If you want to have a better performance than the crowd, you must do things differently from the crowd. Following Sir Johns logic, emerging market equities appear to be a classic contrarian opportunity. Once a favourite of asset allocators looking to tap into the rapid development and growth of these economies, emerging market equities have more recently fallen out of favour as investors focus on the short-term ills affecting these markets. This has led to capital flight from funds investing in this part of the capital markets, as evidenced by figure 1 below, which shows the global net inflows of capital into emerging market funds as estimated by Morningstar. While acting differently from the crowd is a pre-requisite for long-term investment success, fundamental analysis is equally important, as those wishing to adopt a contrarian approach need to establish a sound rationale for opposing the consensus view. For most contrarian investors, this rationale typically rests upon constructing an accurate assessment of the fair value of the asset, which itself rests on expectations of the future cash flow of an asset and the likely variability of that cash flow. For investors in emerging markets, this latter step is especially challenging due to the breadth of the opportunity set. Heterogeneous Emerging Markets Despite often being represented in portfolios by a single fund or portfolio allocation, the emerging markets are a huge and diverse investment area. In terms of size, emerging economies account for approximately 80% of the global population and 45% of global output when adjusted for purchasing power. From a diversity perspective, the MSCI Emerging Markets index comprises 838 companies from 23 countries with a market capitalisation of $3.4 trillion. It is therefore overly simplistic to consider these markets as a homogenous block and expect to develop a coherent expectation of fair value sufficiently robust to support a contrarian investment case. Evidence for this diversity is abundant and encompasses all aspects of both the emerging markets and the economies in which they reside. Perhaps the most obvious current fault line in emerging markets is between the key resource producers and consumers. While investors in Russia may be rightly concerned about the negative impact of falling oil prices on both the Russian economy and stock market, the reverse is true for India, which is one of the worlds largest importers of oil and a net beneficiary of a falling oil price. Equally, a decline in the economic growth rate in China is having a negative impact on commodity-producing stocks in South America while lowering the input prices and supporting profitability for Chinese manufactures. Consequently, when seeking to adopt a contrarian approach in these markets, we must first acknowledge that opportunities are unlikely to be uniform but rather focused in certain unpopular sectors, markets or regions. Second, we need to recognise that we do not invest in economies but rather in the securities of companies and governments. These must be valued using a consistent framework if we are to identify attractive opportunities within this broad swathe of investment options. Where are the Value Opportunities? When viewed in this way, it is striking that the key value-driven opportunities appear to be concentrated in a small number of markets and sectors. Of the eleven emerging equity markets for which we compile bottom-up valuation models, only five appear sufficiently attractive to deliver positive real returns, in local currency terms, over the next seven years[1]. Of these, the two most attractive markets, Taiwan and Russia, are both highly concentrated with the largest holding in each country accounting for more than 18% of the index. This concentration is also evident at the sector level with the dominant sector technology in Taiwan and Energy in Russia for example accounting for over 50% of the index in each case. There are three clear messages to be drawn from this concentration. The first is that a broadly diversified emerging markets portfolio may not be able to fully capture the current value available in emerging markets. The best value opportunities often stem from economic concentration in key industries at the country level. In order to fully access these opportunities it is necessary to adopt an unconstrained approach. Second, short term investment trends are by their very nature driven by behavioural rather than fundamental factors and, consequently, can become surprisingly extreme. Therefore, contrarian investors wishing to access the value in unpopular markets must adopt a long-term approach and accept shorter periods of underperformance as opportunities to acquire additional holdings more cheaply. Third, we must appreciate that assets are seldom cheap without reason and acknowledge the existence of systemic, geo-political and institutional risks in emerging markets. As a result, the expected returns from companies operating or listed in these markets is subject to greater uncertainty than equivalent companies in developed markets. What Should Investors Do? Investors can address this greater level of uncertainty in several ways. One of the most common is to adjust the discount rate used to determine the value of future cash flows. This approach naturally leads investors towards higher-quality holdings and quality orientated strategies have prospered within these markets. As a result, many of these funds have become extremely popular and large. While we would expect a focus on quality to continue to deliver superior returns as these economies and their institutions continue to mature, it is important to note that quality stocks and defensive industries can become relatively overvalued during periods of market stress and negative investor sentiment. It is therefore important that investors in emerging markets consider lower-quality industries such as energy and basic resources when the implied returns from these investments more than fully compensate for the likely downside risk. This willingness to investigate areas of the market that are deeply unappealing to the majority of investors is the true mark of the contrarian. A version of this article appeared in International Investment magazine One of the nations hottest housing markets just broke a record in April. There were a reported 12,085 home sales in Toronto last month, according to the Toronto real estate board, who argues that figure could have been even higher had there been more supply. While Aprils sales result represented a new record for sales, that number could have been even higher if we had benefitted from more supply, Toronto Real Estate Board President Mark McLean said. In the City of Toronto in particular, some households have chosen not to list their home for sale because of the second substantial Land Transfer Tax and associated administration fee. The lack of available inventory, coupled with record sales, continued to translate into robust annual rates of price growth. Sales increased 7.4% year-over-year in April, according to TREB, which set a monthly sales record. As we move into the busiest time of the year, in terms of sales volume, strong competition between buyers will continue to push home prices higher, Jason Mercer, TREBs Director of Market Analysis, said. A greater supply of listings would certainly be welcome, but we would need to see a number of consecutive months in which listings growth outpaced sales growth before market conditions become more balanced. The lack of supply is likely one reason prices continue to sky-rocket as well. The average price in the City of Toronto increased from $690,058 to $766,472 over the past year. Prices in the GTA also saw an increase, settling in at an average of $739,082 up from $636,094 a year ago. Even pacifists agree that cancer needs its butt kicked. More and more people realize how cancer affects family members, friends, co-workers etc. Its hard to find someone that cancer hasnt touched in one way or another. So we are asking you to help us Pick a Fight with Cancer. This Thursday, May 5th at the Engineers Club of Dayton, Mike Nichols will be hosting the Pick a Fight with Cancer Wine tasting from 6 9 pm. This great event is to celebrate those who have survived cancer, those angels cheering on from heaven and to support the Leukemia Lymphoma Society. Mike Nichols states: Wine tasting event honoring the FIGHTERS. What better venue to lead the charge to support blood cancer research than the historic Engineers Club of Dayton. This historic venue was founded by innovators such as Edward Deeds and Charles Kettering whose inventions changed our world. We ask you to join us for an evening of hope to help render this disease powerless. With every sunrise there is hope and a world of possibilities. Along with food and delicious wines to sample, craft beer will also join the party. Giveaways and auction items will attend as well to help round out this wonderful soiree. Dr. James Budde from the Rahn Dental Group has provided a zoom whitening gift for one of our attendees. Square One Salon has graciously donated an Aveda Gift basket, Elsas South will provide several treats, dance lessons from Arthur Murray, skin creams from Tel Aviv, Israel and gifts from Rodin and Fields have been donated as well. Tickets are available at this link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/pick-a-fight-with-cancer-tickets-22797351492 or if you would rather pay at the door, tickets are $30 for one person or $50 for couple (couple meaning significant other, family member or bring a friend!) So come out, join us and the FIGHTERS as we celebrate their triumphs and lend our support in picking a fight with cancer! EXCLUSIVE! Drywall is being demolished. New equipment is being installed. Things are just beginning to take shape at Archers Taverns second location, soon to be opened in Kettering. The new restaurant will be where the old Tumbleweed restaurant was located on Dorothy Lane. Food Adventures has the first peek inside the renovations, you wont see anywhere else. And one thing is for sure this restaurant is gonna be big, both in size and excitement. The ownership team of Dan Apolito, Mike Fullenkamp and Scott Dorsten are bringing their winning formula across town, but for now, they have been putting some sweat equity into the project. Most of the work so far has been done in the kitchen area. Hammering and tossing of scrap material can be heard on any given day, and the owners arent shy on grabbing tools themselves, and diving in on the teardown. It isnt hard to imagine the new location being packed with new fans of their burgers, pizza, wings, beer selection and so much more. Being across from Delco Park, Archerss 2 is a perfect place for that after softball game dinner and drinks. Archers Taverns reputation is good food and reasonable prices, from their salads to their chili, the menu is delicious. Want the scoop on the new location? ONLY FOOD ADVENTURES HAS THIS EXCLUSIVE SNEAK PEEK! HERES THE SKINNY: ARCHERS KETTERING will be located at 2030 E Dorothy Lane The new location will bring that same signature menu that the crowds in Centerville have grown to love over the past 5 years. The restaurant will feature 24 draft beer taps, and an eclectic selection of local, familiar and rare beers. Archers will continue to feature Buckeye Vodka in many of its cocktails and special events. The seating area will be much larger than the Centerville restaurant The owners plan to open the eatery in July, given that the permits and construction finish on schedule. MUST EATS: SWEET and SEXY WINGS: You wont hear about these on any other food site, because they arent on the menu it is a special request. Sweet and Sexy Wings are wings with Dry Rub spice, drizzled with Spicy Garlic sauce, then tossed in Sweet BBQ sauce. The result is tangy and slightly hot taste of joy. Probably the best wing sauce we have ever tasted. THE STICKY BURGER: A burger with peanut butter on it? YES! The result is a unique taste, reminiscent of a Thai Peanut Sauce. This burger is the Big Ragus Favorite. It also comes with bacon and smoked pepper jack cheese. This is a curiously good burger that you wont soon forget. THE CHILI They have a chili cookoff each year, and the winner gets their chili on the menu. In other words, it is the best of the best. You gotta get a cup of this chili, great flavor and zing guaranteed ! THE TACO PIZZA: Muey Bueno ...They use enchilada sauce for the pizza sauce. They add taco beef, cheddar and Monterey cheeses, onion, tomatoes, jalapenos and cilantro. Hot, spicy and ooh so nicey! THE MARGHERITA PIZZA: Fresh Mozzarella and a smooth tomato sauce is the key to this pizza. Fresh basil leaves and Roma tomatoes top off this vegetarian pie nicely. We cant believe we ate the whole thing! THE PHILLY CHEESESTEAK: A massive, heaping sandwich filled with meat, peppers and melted provolone cheese. You can also request cheese whiz on this monster. We say, go for it. This is how they do it in Philadelphia. Your choice of shaved ribeye steak or sliced chicken breast for the meat. ARCHERS BREAD PUDDING: Made with Bills Donuts need we say more? Honorable Mention: The Gourmet Grilled Cheese omg the dijon mustard is brilliant and makes the sandwich, as does the buttery bread and chewy cheese combo. Food Adventures is excited for this next chapter in the lives of Archers ownership. They give a lot back to the community, and we wish them continued success. SPEAKING OF HELPING THE COMMUNITY, TOMORROW WE FOLLOW UP THIS STORY WITH A CHARITY EVENT THAT ARCHERS HAS HELPED ORGANIZE THAT NEEDS YOUR HELP !! Do you know the Food Adventures Crew? The Big Ragu, Chef House and Hungry Jax would like to take a minute and invite you to like them on Facebook by clicking HERE. From food photos, to restaurant events around Dayton, our blog is a foodies paradise. Bank of America is limbering up its checkbook to settle legal woes once again. The bank said that its reached a $190 million settlement to resolve claims from Federal Home Loan Bank of Seattle over mortgage-backed securities it sold before the financial meltdown. BoA disclosed the settlement in a regulatory filing, according to a Bloomberg report. The bank said it had already set aside funds to cover the settlement. Seattle Bank, which merged last year with Federal Home Loan Bank of Des Moines, was one of a dozen government-sponsored regional lenders that supply financing to member banks and finance companies, Bloomberg reported. The lender accused BoA of omitting information and making misstatements about the quality of the mortgages backing the securities BoA sold. Bank of Americas settlement is just the latest in a string of payments to Seattle Bank, which filed suit against more than 10 lenders in 2009. Goldman Sachs last month reached a $37.5 million settlement with Seattle Banks successor, Des Moines Bank, as part of a $5.1 billion settlement with the Department of Justice, Bloomberg reported. Bank of America has faced numerous legal woes in the last few years. When the bank purchased subprime lender Countrywide Financial Corp. in 2008, Countrywides considerable legal problems became BoAs. Bank of America has paid more than any other U.S. lender to resolve claims over the sale of residential mortgage-backed securities, according to Bloomberg data. Subway Restaurants revenue fell in 2015 for the second straight year, a sign one of the fast-food industry's stalwarts is losing ground to newer chains. Revenue dropped 4.3 percent to $1.11 billion last year, according to the company's Franchise Disclosure Document, which was filed with the Minnesota Department of Commerce last week. Subway owner Doctor's Associates Inc. also is slowing its pace of new restaurant openings and shuttering hundreds of underperforming locations. Fast-casual chains such as Panera Bread Co. have been taking share from Subway restaurants in the U.S., bringing its once-torrid growth phase to a halt. Founded in 1965 by Fred DeLuca and Peter Buck, the submarine sandwich shop had expanded quickly over the decades by aggressively franchising. It now has more than 44,000 locations worldwide. Lately, though, Subway has struggled to keep pace with more modern rivals, which cater to millennials with items such as quinoa salads and Greek yogurt. While Subway opened 911 new locations in the United States last year, it closed 877. That means it netted just 34 restaurants in 2015, a slowdown from 313 the year before. Subway had a total of 27,129 domestically at the end of 2015, all of them franchised. Net income declined 87 percent to $1.15 million from $9.19 million in 2014. Last year, the company said it was putting new store development on the back burner while it focused on making its restaurants more profitable. "That hasn't changed," Subway said in a statement on Tuesday. "The outlook for 2016 is more optimistic based on the terrific feedback we received from our guests about our culinary improvements and exciting new menu offerings," the company said. Still, Subway is feeling more pressure from traditional fast-food chains. McDonald's is luring back customers with an all-day breakfast push and aggressive discounts, such as offering two sandwiches for $5. To fight back, Subway just started promoting a buy-one-get-one-free sandwich deal in the morning during May. The Milford, Connecticut-based chain had a tumultuous 2015. DeLuca, the co-founder and chief executive officer, died in September, putting the company in the hands of his sister, Suzanne Greco. In November, former spokesman Jared Fogle was sentenced to more than 15 years in prison after pleading guilty to child-pornography charges, capping a scandal that had rocked the sandwich chain for months. In December, the company named former Coca-Cola Co. veteran Joseph Tripodi as its global chief marketing officer, a sign it's looking to revamp its image. Subway's longtime "Eat Fresh" slogan lost cachet in an industry where most every chain now touts its ingredients. SHARE expands services SHARE -- Sharing Hands A Respite Experience -- will be expanding its respite care program to include families that have children with medical needs, or those considered medically fragile, according to a press release from the nonprofit. To apply for SHAREs services, submit a completed application to Monika Lozano at mlozano@sharewtx.org. The application is at www.sharewtx.org under the documents tab. For more information, call 818-1253. Couplet care Midland Memorial Hospital is in the process of developing a family-centered maternity care program. One of the facets of this is couplet care, according to a press release from the hospital. In couplet care, or mother-baby care, healthy newborns will be cared for in the mothers room and one nurse will care for both mother and baby. MMH began this program on Tuesday. MMH events Advance Care Planning Training (Part I of II), 1:30-3:30 p.m., today, Midland Memorial Hospital main lobby. For more information, contact Collette Underwood at 221-1166 or collette.underwood@midland-memorial.com Weigh to Success Support Group Meeting, 6-7 p.m., Thursday, Midland Memorial Hospital-West Campus, 4214 Andrews Highway. For more information, contact Sundae Adkins at 638-8081 or sundae.adkins@midland-memorial.com Update on Zika and Other Arboviruses, 12:15-1:15 p.m. Monday, Midland Memorial Hospital conference rooms B and C. For more information, contact Rebecca Pontaski at 221-1625 or rebecca.pontaski@midland-memorial.com Joe Tye Presents 12 Core Action Values, 11 a.m.-3 p.m., May 11, Midland Colleges Alison Fine Arts - Wagner & Brown Auditorium, 3600 N. Garfield St. For more information, contact Danielle Doerr at 221-1185 or danielle.doerr@midland-memorial.com Support groups this week -- Coffee Break for Men, 9 a.m. today, HospiceMidland 911 W. Texas Ave., 682-2855. -- New Beginnings cancer support group, 8:30 a.m. Thursday, Texas Oncology - Allison Cancer Center, 400 Rosalind Redfern Grover Parkway, Suite 100, 218-8714, fatima@giftsofhopemidland.org. -- ODESSA Tourettes syndrome support group, 2 p.m. Sunday, Neuroscience Institute, 3610 22nd St.; Pam Weaks, 806-438-6601, pzweaks@yahoo.com, or Rene Howell, 806-549-7788. -- Midland Memorial Hospitals Better Breathing Club, 11:30 a.m. Tuesday, Midland Memorial Hospital Scharbauer Tower meeting room. Don at 221-4864 or Joanna at 682-4229. -- The Knot Adoption Support Group, 11:30 a.m. May 11, First Presbyterian Church; Kathy Hagler, Kathy@WTIE.net -- Caregiver support, noon May 11, HospiceMidland 911 W. Texas Ave., 682-2855. Weekly support groups -- TOPS (Take Off Pounds Sensibly) 5:30-7:30 p.m. Thursdays, Christian Church of Midland, 2609 Neely Ave. 694-8643. -- Overeaters Anonymous; 7-8 p.m. Tuesdays and 3-4 p.m. Sundays; B&J Plaza, 206 N. Midkiff Road, Suite 1-D; 553-1031. survivors of sexual abuse; interactive Bible study to help deal with the consequences of sexual abuse meets Tuesdays. Child care available; House of Hope, 570-5935. -- Peer to Peer support group for veterans, active duty, guard, reserves and their families, 6 p.m. Tuesdays, Permian Basin Community Center, 401 E. Illinois Ave., Suite 403; Wil Hoggard, 213-5342, william.hoggard@wtcmhmr.org. * * * Alcoholics Anonymous hotline 580-7868. Serenity Group, 8 p.m. daily, 3101 N. A St., Building C; 685-3100. 710 Group, 7 a.m., noon and 8 p.m. Wednesdays, 710 Ohio Ave.; 682-8162. Alpha Omega, 8 p.m Tuesdays and 11 a.m. Saturdays and Sundays, 311 S. Pecos St. --12-Step Group of Alcoholics Anonymous, 7:30 p.m. Mondays and Tuesdays, 10 a.m. Saturdays; 206 N. Midkiff Road; 697-0272. Narcotics Anonymous hotline 582-2926. Laundry Group, 8 p.m. daily and noon Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, 104 N. Marshall St. Xodus Group, 5:30 p.m. Sundays, Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays, 7 a.m. and 8:30 p.m. Wednesdays and 8:30 p.m. Saturdays, 206 N. Midkiff Road. -- CODA Group, 12-step program for relationships, 7 p.m. Thursdays, 206 N. Midkiff Road; 697-0272. -- La Hacienda Alumni, support group for former patients, 7 p.m. Thursdays, 206 N. Midkiff Road; 697-0272. *** MH payment options Midland Memorial Hospital recognizes that our community is facing challenging financial times. Resources are tight and families are having to make important decisions about what to spend money on now and what has to wait. Realizing health care can be expensive and the increasing deductibles make it hard to manage, the hospital has adjusted its payment procedures. We want to make sure you receive the care you need, when you need it. To find out about the new options now offered to better accommodate your payment needs, call 221-4705. Source: Midland Memorial Hospital *** How sick are you? Midland Memorial Hospital offers a a nurse triage program 68-NURSE. The program is designed to help people determine whether their health situation warrants a trip to the emergency room. Midland residents can call the line by dialing 686-8773. The program is free and available 24 hours a day-365 days a year. Local nurses are available to help you determine the best place to receive care for your situation. 68-NURSE can help you save time and money by directing you to the most appropriate healthcare option, whether its a neighborhood clinic, urgent care center, emergency room or just staying home. * * * Contact your Hospital District representative Midland Memorial Hospital 400 Rosalind Redfern Grover Parkway, Midland, TX 79701 Phone: 221-1111 Website: www.midland-memorial.com President Russell Meyers 221-1584 Directors -- District 1: Dwain Tomlin, District 2: Dorothea Logan, District 3: Tommy Lent, District 4: Cressinda Hyatt, District 5: Alison King, District 6: Joe Kiowski, District 7: Jeffrey Beard Street Corner Symphony, the popular a cappella group that was a finalist during the second season of NBCs vocal competition The Sing-Off, is heading to Carlisle. The group will perform at the Carlisle Theatre for a 7:30 p.m. performance on Saturday. The theater is located at 40 W. High St., and tickets can be purchased through the theaters website, carlisletheatre.org, or by calling 717-258-0666. Six years ago Street Corner Symphony blew TV audiences away with its renditions of such favorites as Credence Clearwater Revivals Down on the Corner and Coldplays Fix You. During the The Sing-Off season finale, the groups mesmerizing stage presence and impressive vocal arrangements netted it a second place title. Since then, the group has been making records and bringing its a cappella magic to audiences around the country. Street Corner Symphony has appeared on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and has toured with The Sing-Off judge, Ben Folds, as well as other popular artists. The group has recorded two albums, UnPractice Makes Perfect and the most recent, Southern Autumn Nostalgia which features all original music. Street Corner Symphony is a six-member, male a cappella group from Nashville, Tennessee, who formed for the sole purpose of auditioning for The Sing-Off. Its members come from several Southern states including Tennessee, Alabama and Florida. After several line-up changes, the group currently features three founding members, Mark McLemore and Jeremy and Jonathan Lister. They are joined by Adam Chance, Kurt Zimmerman and Kaleb Jones as the vocal percussionist. The group performs a wide variety of styles including gospel, barbershop, rock and pop and appeals to a wide range of audiences. In concert, audiences can enjoy exquisite harmony and a good deal of playfulness and humor on stage. Some popular songs that the group sings include Hey, Soul Sister and a medley of Beatles tunes. Shows like The Sing-Off and the movie Pitch Perfect have contributed to the rise of interest in a cappella singing in many high schools, colleges and beyond. The size of a cappella groups vary, but generally touring groups have six or fewer members. Street Corner Symphony is considered one of best a cappella groups touring today. Elizabeth Torres doesnt like the way many doctors jog from one exam room to another, their eyes focused on an electronic tablet where they tick off insurance company checklists and move their patients along as quickly as possible. She chooses to slow things down to let her patients talk about their job, children and home life. She knows thats what a good diagnosis and treatment plan requires. Its medicine, not whack-a-mole. Were not here just to fill in boxes, the 62-year-old said. Youve got to know what environment they are in, what are they eating, do they have stressful jobs, a stressful family situation? Torres job is to keep her patients as healthy as possible, the most important job in American health care. But her industry treats primary care physicians so badly that their numbers are shrinking, and there are consequences for all of us if conditions dont improve. Stress, bureaucracy and case load have left 64 percent of doctors with a negative view of their industry, according to a survey commissioned by the Physicians Foundation, an advocacy group for doctors. Less than 20 percent of physicians say they can accommodate more patients. Primary care physicians are particularly unhappy, facing the heaviest paperwork burden and the lowest pay. Forty-four percent of doctors say they plan to retire early, cut back on patients or seek a job that doesnt involve patients. Were at the bottom of the payment totem pole, for sure, Torres said. The amount of work we have to do is far greater than the specialist. We have to do a lot of tedious work. Torres calculates she works about 70 hours a week, which is typical, according to the survey. More than 80 percent of Texas physicians work more than 40 hours a week, with some averaging 80 hours or more. Torres is also one of the shrinking number of doctors who operate as small businesses. Only 29 percent of Texas doctors still own their practice, and nationwide the number has dropped to 17 percent as physicians join large partnerships or work as employees of hospitals where patients are too often seen as statistics. The key word right now is efficiency. But do you want someone who is going to listen to you and take care of you, or do you want someone who will be efficient? she said when asked why she doesnt work for someone else. I may not be doing financially the best that I can do, but I am able to pay my bills, Im happy with how I take care of the patients, and that to me is the important part. Torres recruited her husband to handle the billing, and they work together to pay her assistant and the other overhead costs. About 20 percent of her time is spent doing paperwork for the 22 patients she sees a day. Not surprisingly, few new doctors want to go into primary care, also known as family medicine. Texas ranks 47th in the nation for primary care doctors per capita, according to the Centers for Disease Control. The federal Department of Health and Human Services anticipates a national shortage of 20,000 primary care physicians by 2020. Thats bad news because routine visits to a primary care doctor who knows you are the single most important factor in preventing chronic health problems. When more Americans have a so-called medical home, the less the country spends on health care, studies show. If we want to keep people out of the hospital, we need more doctors in the community. But weve created a system that discourages doctors from taking the most important jobs of keeping people healthy, and encourages them instead to become specialists who treat people after they get sick. Reversing this problem requires rethinking how we train and compensate doctors, said Dr. Richard Olds, who has taught at many medical schools and is currently president of St. Georges University in Grenada. About 25 percent of U.S. doctors graduated from international medical schools like St. Georges, and two-thirds of them provide primary care. Olds said part of the problem is that professors at American medical schools tell students they are too smart for family medicine. U.S. medical students largely want to become specialists, and we need to start addressing those kinds of issues, he said. Medical students at St. Georges perform their clinical training and residencies in primary care settings rather than in large medical centers in urban areas, Olds said. They go into the fields that society needs, and they are twice as likely to practice in under-served areas, Olds said of St. Georges graduates. Closing the pay gap between primary doctors and specialists is critical. The United Kingdom has plenty of primary care doctors and provides an example, he said. They pay their primary care doctors twice what our doctors are paid, though they also pay their specialists considerably less, Olds said. That sounds good to Torres, who gets paid $75 to $100 per patient visit. For an additional $15, she could hire a physicians assistant to make sure patients follow treatment plans and to help analyze data generated by her electronic health record system, she said. Despite the current working conditions, Torres said she has no plans to retire anytime soon. She simply hasnt made enough money yet, she said. No doubt shell have plenty of patients, because until we treat primary care doctors better, she wont face much competition. KATY, Texas (AP) Authorities say a recently fired employee opened fire at a transportation company near Houston, killing one employee and injuring another before fatally shooting himself. Harris County Sheriff Ron Hickman said during a news conference Wednesday that the gunman was fired earlier in the day, then returned with a gun to the Knight Transportation office in Katy, about 20 miles west of Houston. Hickman says the man opened fire, killing one person and injuring another. Hickman says the man then shot himself. The sheriff didn't release the name of the gunman or the victims. Numerous patrol vehicles are surrounding the facility. A nearby high school is on lockdown as a precaution. A message left with Phoenix-based Knight Transportation also wasn't immediately returned. The company provides truckload transportation services. CIUDAD VICTORIA, Mexico (AP) Mexican authorities say they have rescued three American citizens who were kidnapped in the northern state of Tamaulipas, which borders Texas. The Tamaulipas state government says the victims were freed from captivity Monday from a criminal band's camp along the highway between Ciudad Victoria and Zaragoza. It says the alleged leader of the band was killed in the operation and two suspects were detained. Latin American Launches for comScore and Kantar comScore and media measurement specialist Kantar Media IBOPE have partnered to launch a series of cross-platform solutions in Latin America. Since announcing their partnership in February 2015, comScore and Kantar have launched measurement services in Spain, the Netherlands and the Czech Republic. The new LatAm partnership will kick off with the roll-out of TGI Clickstream. This will integrate data from Kantar's TGI product and media usage measure with data from comScore's MMX platform, which provides unduplicated accounting of audience size and demographics across multiple devices. TGI Clickstream is already available in the UK, France and Turkey, and will be launched in Brazil in 2016, followed by Colombia, Argentina, Peru and Chile in 2017. Orlando Lopes, CEO of Kantar Media IBOPE, says the partnership will address an increasing need for cross-device measurement solutions in the region. Alejandro Fosk, SVP of comScore Latin America, adds: 'The proliferation of screens has made content consumption easier, but on the other hand, the way we measure this consumption has become more complex, and innovative approaches are needed to understand consumers, advertising and content'. Web sites: www.kantaribopemedia.com and www.comscore.com . The Carlisle Kiwanis Club found out Tuesday where exactly their blueberries for their annual sale come from and how they get from the New Jersey fields to the hands of borough residents. In the last five years under co-chair Steve Martson, the Kiwanis Club has sold approximately 150,000 pounds of the fruit loaded with antioxidants, resulting in a little over $132,000, according to the clubs president Barrie Ann George. But many members of the club didnt know before Tuesday how exactly the berries got to Carlisle; thats why club officials arranged for the grower of the berries they use for the fundraiser each year, Jeffrey Whalen of New Jersey-based Whalen Farms LLC, to speak at the weekly noon meeting and answer any questions those in attendance had. Whalen was accompanied by Chad Puschel, special projects manager of Sunny Valley International, the produce wholesaler Whalen uses to sell his goods. One of the first questions was whether the berries are organic or not. The berries are sprayed, a lot of people ask about being organic. The big thing about organics, is they are sprayed, but they are sprayed with organic compounds, Whalen explained. We have scouts in the field and theyre only sprayed when necessary. We spray them for disease, for insectsonly spray when necessary. Currently, Whalen Farms operates 185 acres of blueberries as well as 194 acres of cranberries. The lifelong farmer dished on how both fruits are raised and picked, even answering a question on whether or not the berries can be washed prior to eating them. You should wash all of your produce before consuming them, but personally, I just pop them right in, he joked. The use of migrant workers After mentioning that the berries are handpicked by about 250 migrant workers, a firestorm of questions erupted, with Kiwanians curious about those who are the driving force behind getting the berries out of the fields and into their hands. Whalen revealed that he provides housing for the 250 migrants each year for six weeks during harvesting season, referring to the setup as a nightmare. We have a lot of state regulations we have to follow, the camps are all inspected, and even though theyre in tip-top shape when the workers get there, they kind of destroy them, he said. Its quite a chore. According to Whalen, state and federal inspectors arrive at his property to ensure the living quarters are adequate, make sure all of the workers are adults and that theyre receiving the correct payment for their work, which he said was minimum wage. The blueberries are sold for $31 for a 10-pound box and can be purchased by contacting any Kiwanian by calling 243-6800 and leaving a message or by emailing carlisleblueberries@yahoo.com. Blueberries can then be picked up at Project SHARE, 5 N. Orange St. in Carlisle, on or about July 6, according to the Kiwanis Clubs website. Police continue to investigate Monday nights shooting in Carlisle that sent one man to the hospital, according to Borough Manager Matthew Candland. One of the real critical things that we need, and we have received in a number of these cases, is we really need the community who are often times the eyes and ears of law enforcement out in the community to help, to provide tips, to provide witnesses, to provide anything information that may help lead to resolving some of these crimes, he said. Around 7:30 p.m. Monday, Carlisle Police responded to the 300 block of North Pitt Street for reports of shots fired. When police officers arrived they found a 22-year old man had been shot in the back of his right shoulder, police said. The man was flown to Hershey Medical Center where he was treated with what are believed to be non-life threatening injuries, according to police. Sgt. Adolfo Heredia said Monday the public was not in any danger because the shooting was not random in nature. Anyone with information is asked to contact the borough police department at 243-5252. Witnesses can be interviewed discreetly to protect their identity. Mondays shooting comes more than three months after two people were shot and sent to the hospital in the 500 block of North Hanover Street in January. The shooter in that incident has not been charged. Carlisle Police also investigated a string of shootings around Thanksgiving last year. While multiple people were charged with weapons violations around the time of those incidents, the majority of the shootings have not directly resulted in charges. As I understand, over the last several years there have been some shootings. Some of them have been resolved. Some of them have not, Candland said. Thats just kind of the nature of police work. Sometimes our officers are able to solve these crimes and sometimes they are not. ... I think our police have done a great job in resolving a number of them. Now, have they resolved them all, no. But thats not atypical for many of the crimes that occur, some of which, unfortunately, go unresolved. Nationally, 57 percent of all aggravated assaults resulted in an arrest in 2011, the most recent data available, according to the FBI. That number is higher for the Middle Atlantic Region, which includes Pennsylvania. Nearly half of all violent crimes and 62 percent of aggravated assaults in the Middle Atlantic Region resulted in an arrest, according to the FBI. Id imagine there is a goal for CPD to clear every crime, especially the violent ones like shootings, Carlisle Mayor Tim Scott said via email. And yes, this is the second one this year and I have every confidence it will be cleared. From my brief time overseeing the Department, I learned how things work and its not like on TV. Investigations take time. Witnesses are interviewed, crime scenes are analyzed and evidence is gathered. All three are important in an investigation. It takes a combination of all three to solve a crime. This is something the public needs to understand and (to a certain degree) the media too. In an attempt to intimidate his nephew, Aemond threatened to take out Lucerys' eye and later went after the young prince on dragon's back. The situation escalated to a bad one when Lucerys' dragon Arrax blew fire on Aemond's dragon Vhagar. Three men, including one from Shippensburg, were indicted in three separate heroin cases by a federal grand jury, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced Wednesday. U.S. Attorney Peter Smith said Eddie Viera, 42, of Shippensburg, was charged with distribution and possession with intent to distribute heroin. He was arrested by State Police in February on Interstate 81 after a high-speed pursuit that stretched over nearly 20 miles. Police said along the route of that pursuit, troopers found more than 950 individual packets of heroin, which Viera had allegedly thrown out of the window of the car. Viera was already the subject of an arrest warrant after members of the Franklin County Drug Task Force saw him allegedly distributing heroin and found more than 70 packets of heroin in his apartment in December 2014, the attorney's office said. The maximum penalty for Viera's offense is up to 30 years in prison, a term of supervised release following imprisonment and a fine. The two others whose indictments were announced are Curtis Mitchell, 37, of Harrisburg, and Brandon Brooks, 26, of York. Both were arrested in November. These cases were brought as part of a district-wide initiative to combat the use and distribution of heroin. Asked/Answered is a weekly feature for reader-submitted questions. Follow the blog online at www.cumberlink.com: What ever happened with the Bosniak Islamic Cultural Center of Carlisles cemetery that was planned in West Pennsboro Township? In March 2015, the Bosniak Islamic Cultural Center of Carlisle was denied plans to build a plot cemetery in the 300 block of McAllister Church Road in West Pennsboro Township by the township supervisor. In denying the plans the supervisors cited that the group had not assured the township that water supplies of surrounding properties would not be contaminated by the burial process that involves washing the body, wrapping it in cloth and burying it without a casket, according to court records. The supervisors denial came a month after the township zoning board recommended its approval over the objections of residents who raised concerns about possible water contamination. The Bosniak Islamic Cultural Center of Carlisle appealed the townships decision in April 2015. Although the Township previously zoned the property to explicitly allow a cemetery, the Townships craven caving in to public opposition under the pretext that a cemetery apparently could jeopardize the water supplies of surrounding properties, resulted in a denial that is completely unjustified under Pennsylvania law, the appeal stated. The appeal alleged that the denial was not based on evidence and that the supervisors overstepped their authority in reaching the decision. On May 1, 2015, former Cumberland County President Judge Kevin Hess overturned the townships denial and granted approval for the groups land development plan. Bosniaks are an ethnic group primarily from the European nation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Send us your questions Need an answer? We can help. The Sentinel wants to know what you have always wanted to know. Whether its politics, crime, history or just something youve always been curious about, if you have questions, The Sentinel will look for the answer and provide it in our online blog and as a weekly feature in the Sentinel print edition. Shoot us an email at frontdoor@cumberlink.com, call 240-7125 or stop by the office to submit your questions. The best questions will be featured in weekly Asked/Answered columns online and in print. Someone should sue the President for ... : , Former judges and top legal officials are calling on the Florida Supreme Court to impose life sentences on nearly 400 people now awaiting execution on death row. The group, which includes three former state Supreme Court justices and two former presidents of the American Bar Association, filed a legal brief Tuesday in a case that could determine the fate of Florida's death penalty. In January, the U.S. Supreme Court declared Florida's death penalty sentencing law unconstitutional, prompting the state Supreme Court to halt two executions. The Florida Legislature responded by overhauling the law. But the Florida Supreme Court still hasn't decided what should happen to those sentenced to death under the previous sentencing scheme. The court will hear arguments from lawyers this week on what should be done. GET OUR APP Our Spectrum News app is the most convenient way to get the stories that matter to you. Download it here. SunRail is facing yet another delay for the planned expansion to DeLand in Volusia County. SunRail managers pulled a grant application to pay for the DeLand expansion FDOT says a new funding source for the DeLand SunRail expansion is needed Congressman John Mica, R-Winter Park, said the project's planners pulled an application for a federal TIGER Grant that could've been used to help fund the rail extension. SunRail wanted the federal government grant to pay for 50 percent of the project, with the other 50 percent coming from state and local funding. This could mean another big delay for the 12-mile expansion. Riders tonight have mixed reactions. Its still worth it to drive from DeLand to DeBary," said SunRail rider Karen Moss. "Itd be nice in Deland but I think its kind of far out from the central downtown." I take it from DBbary to Church Street so it doesnt affect me," said SunRail rider Ashley Fillmore. "I live two minutes from here. Steve Olson with the Florida Department of Transportation says withdrawing the grant application means they will have to find a new funding source. An Ormond Beach man and current corrections officer in Volusia County was arrested Tuesday after deputies said he molested a young girl several years ago at the day care he and his wife ran out of their home. Corrections Officer David Bugno arrested Accused of molesting a girl at a day care he ran with his wife Investigators are looking for more victims The Volusia County Sheriff's Office said David Darin Bugno, 49, was arrested without incident and charged with lewd or lascivious molestation. Deputies said Bugno and his wife, who ran the day care, have since divorced and the day care is no longer in business. Investigators said they were alerted to the case in April 2015 after a girl told her mother about the abuse. The girl, who is now 9 years old, told deputies Bugno touched her private parts and showed her pornographic videos when she was at Bugno Daycare between 2008 and 2010. At the time, the girl would have been between the ages of 1 and 4. The day care is closed now, but once operated in the Plantation Pines neighborhood off State Road 40 near Ormond Beach. Investigators said the victim's mother told them she thought she could trust Bugno because he was a corrections officer at Tomoka Correctional Institution in Daytona Beach. He was in a position of authority. He was a corrections officer, she thought that he was trustworthy," explained Volusia County Sheriff's Office spokesman Andrew Gant. George Wilson lives down the street from Bugno. He cant believe what Bugno is accused of. Im really surprised about Dave. Ive known Dave about 10, 12 years and hes always been that standup guy. Ive helped him do work at his house," said Wilson. I would never picture Dave putting himself in that position, knowing the position hes in, a jail guard and the consequences that would come with that," Wilson added. Investigators want to remind parents that people may seem good but you should always be careful. Parents need to educate their kids about whats a good touch, whats a bad touch and make sure their kids are comfortable coming to them when something bad has happened to them," Gant said. Investigators are asking anyone who believes they have information about this case, or knows of other victims at Bugno Daycare, to call the Volusia County Sheriffs Office at 386-254-1537. A former Brevard County high school drama teacher will spend two decades behind bars for having a long-term sexual relationship with a student. Dennis Turner got 20 years for sexual battery on a child Relationship with 15-year-old lasted for 3 years Turner apologized in court The student now a woman with two daughters took the stand Wednesday and described herself as a lonely teen with a troubled home life who was taken advantage of more than a decade ago by Dennis Turner, a teacher 33 years older than her. She said he promised her security, purpose and a sense of belonging, but it ended up an act to satisfying his own desires. "A man extended his hand and offered his caring support. Later, that same hand would be used against me, and that support would become like payment for my silence and my services," she told the court. Turner listened to that Wednesday after pleading guilty to 10 counts of sexual battery on a child. The relationship began in 2003, when the girl was a freshman at Merritt Island's Edgewood Junior-Senior High School, and lasted for three years. "She was 15. She was so impressionable," prosecutor Julia Lynch said. Some of the acts happened at school, others at the teen's home. In court, Turner was surrounded by family, friends and former colleagues, some of whom testified on his behalf asking the judge for leniency. "He is not truly being seen for the genuine person that he is, the love that he offers," said one of them. "It's not appropriate in our society; however, his actions were sincere and out of love, and not a sense of trying to be a predator," Turner's attorney, Greg Eisenmenger, said. Turner apologized in court, saying he made a mistake and was sorry for the hurt he caused. "I had empty nest syndrome, I had difficulties in my marriage and I had someone who needed me," he said. The judge sentenced him to 20 years in prison and 10 years probation as a registered sex predator. If he violates that probation, he could face life in prison. Turner's family declined to comment. A traffic stop in Ocala on Tuesday afternoon resulted in the seizure of 75 pounds of marijuana valued at $250,000. The Ocala Police Department said drug agents assigned to the Unified Drug Enforcement Strike Team conducted a traffic stop on a blue Ford F350 pickup truck at 26 NW 10th Street. Investigators say the bed of the pickup truck contained large pieces of used furniture and multiple cardboard boxes. Ocala Police K9 Rocky conducted a drug sniff of the pickup truck, and police said he quickly alerted on the vehicle, detecting the odor of an illegal substance. Police said agents searched the bed of the pickup truck and discovered four large cardboard boxes packed with marijuana. The driver, 47-year-old Lee Alan Minchew, and his pickup truck were taken to the Ocala Police Department, where agents went through the truck and found the boxes contained 72 vacuum-sealed bags of high-grade marijuana. Minchew was arrested and booked into the Marion County Jail for trafficking marijuana (more than 25 pounds). Minchew posted a $25,000 bond and was released from the Marion County Jail on Wednesday. K9 Rocky with the 75 pounds of marijuana he alerted on. (Ocala Police Department) Investigators say the bed of the pickup truck contained large pieces of used furniture and multiple cardboard boxes. (Ocala Police Department) SpaceX has delayed the launch of a Japanese communication satellite by a day because it anticipates inclement weather. SpaceX to send Japanese communications satellite into orbit Launch pushed back a day due to possible bad weather New launch window opens at 1:21 a.m. Friday The JCSAT-14 satellite was built in California and transported to Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. It was scheduled to launch early Thursday, May 5. The new launch window begins at 1:21 a.m. EDT Friday. The satellite will provide broadcast, data and Internet service for Asia, Russia, Oceania and the Pacific Islands. The Falcon 9 completed a static fire test this past weekend, ensuring the rocket is ready for launch from Space Launch Complex 40. After the satellite is safely on its way to space, the company again will try to land its first-stage booster on a floating remote-controlled ship hundreds of miles off Florida's coast. Last month, SpaceX successfully landed the first stage of its Falcon 9 rocket on the barge about nine minutes after its launch. It was a major step in SpaceX's goal to make its rockets reusable. The company said a successful landing attempt this time is less likely, because the rocket will be traveling faster and sending the payload to a much higher orbit. The government is expanding the recall of vehicles that have Takata airbags -- to over 60 million air bags. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration expanded the recall to include 35-40 million air bags.There are already 28.8 million air bags subjected to the recall. The problem is linked to the Takata air bag inflators. The agency confirmed a combination of time, environmental moisture and fluctuating high temperatures affects the ammonium nitrate propellant in the inflators. If the propellant burns too quickly, it will rupture the inflator module, causing shrapnel to fly through the air bag and into the people in the vehicle. The ruptures have been tied to 10 deaths and more than 100 injuries in the United States. Replacement inflators are being made available to the highest-risk vehicles first. The recall is being done in phases between May 2016 and December 2019. The complete recall schedule was released on the NHTSA website. Schedule for Future Recalls Takata Defect Filing Date Zone A Vehicles Zone B Vehicles Zone C Vehicles May 16, 2016 MY 2011 & Older MY 2008 & Older MY 2004 & Older December 31, 2016 MY 2012 & Older MY 2009 & Older MY 2008 & Older December 31, 2017 MY 2013 & Older MY 2010 & Older MY 2009 & Older December 31, 2018 All remaining vehicles All remaining vehicles All remaining vehicles December 31, 2019 All like-for-like replacement parts All like-for-like replacement parts All like-for-like replacement parts Recall Zones Based on Temperature & Humidity Zone A: Hot & Humid Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan), and the U.S. Virgin Islands Zone B: Less Hot & Humid Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia Zone C: Least Hot & Humid Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming It's considered the largest and most complex safety recall in U.S. history. To find out if your vehicle is affected, head to the NHTSA website. Four days after a small colony of sugarcane aphids were found to have successfully overwintered near Hale Center within the safe confines of a predator exclusion cage, the problematic pest has been discovered in the wild six miles east of New Deal in Lubbock County. Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Entomologist Dr. Pat Porter and Katelyn Kowles spotted several sugarcane aphids Tuesday morning, May 3, amid a stand of Johnsongrass. In a post on the Texas Sugarcane Aphid News blog, Kowles wrote, We found adults, several nymphs and even on alatoid (a nymph that will soon become a winged adult). They confirmed the identification by using a microscope and noting the pests characteristic dark-tipped antennae, cornicles and feet. This finding on May 3 is almost a full eight weeks before the first sighting of Sugarcane Aphids in Lubbock County on July 27 last year, Kowles wrote. What this means is that the whole area can likely expect light populations (of Sugarcane Aphids) moving into sorghum real soon, Blaine Reed, A&M AgriLife Extension IPM Agent for Swisher, Floyd and Hale counties, said Wednesday morning. It also gives us an opportunity to begin our control efforts to hopefully limit their spread into sorghum. Reed said many sorghum growers planted early this year in hopes of having their crops much further along toward maturity when the Sugarcane Aphid made its expected appearance this year. Now, those early-planted acres have for the most part germinated and are now sprouting. With the Sugarcane Aphid arriving so much earlier than we had expected, its that much more important that growers consider planting varieties that have shown some resistance to the pest as well as use seed treatments, which will give them several weeks of protection, Reed said. They also need to begin scouting hard so we can keep on top if these aphids. They particularly need to be on the lookout for Sugarcane Aphids which have developed wings, since the increased mobility vastly improves its ability to spread. A Civil War living history camp will be held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday at the Battle of Pilot Knob State Historic Site in Pilot Knob. The reenactors will be in Civil War uniforms and attire to portray life in military and refugee camps just prior to the Battle of Pilot Knob. This is an encampment of the 47th Missouri Infantry, Company E, said Christopher Warren, who serves as company commander. They were originally recruited in the Iron County area just prior to the Battle of Pilot Knob. The battle the opening engagement of Price's Missouri Raid during the American Civil War took place Sept. 27, 1864, just outside the town of Pilot Knob in Iron County. Although outnumbered by more than 10 to one, the Union defenders managed to repulse repeated Confederate assaults on their works, and were able to slip away during the night by exploiting a gap in the Southern siege lines. The attacking Rebels took possession of the fort the next day, but Price's recklessly extravagant expenditure of men and ammunition ended his goal of seizing St. Louis for the Confederacy. Since the 47th was raised in August and September 1864 and was mostly made up of local boys and men as well as the location being so near the end of the rail lines women were often seen visiting the encampment, Warren said. The free event will allow visitors to experience a small taste of camp life with cooking demonstrations and the opportunity to observe the daily lives and duties of a Union soldier. For more information about the event, contact the Battle of Pilot Knob State Historic Site at 573-546-3454. After nearly 38 years with the agency, William Bill Bunch, executive director of East Missouri Action Agency (EMAA) of Park Hills, is retiring July 31. As a young college student in 1971, Bunch joined the U.S. Navy after receiving notice that his draft number was 45. I didnt go to Vietnam, though, he said. In fact, I was in the Navy for four years and never set foot on a ship ... I was a communications technician. After being discharged from military service, Bunch went back to college and began working on a degree in art education at Southern Illinois University at Carbondale before changing his major to political science and transferring to the University of Missouri-Columbia, where he completed his bachelors degree. After missing a deadline to apply for law school, he decided to stay in the Parkland area and look for a job. It wasnt very long before he was hired by EMAA for a position as a community service representative. He was 28 years old at the time. I actually had four job interviews in the same week, said Bunch, and I had one other offer, but that wasnt very appealing to me. So he called me in and said, you know, youre way over-qualified for this job but theres an opportunity for advancement here. Bunch accepted the position with plans for seeking advancement later on. I was an outreach worker, a community service rep, in Washington County and Potosi, he said. I was there for about a year-and-a-half and they transferred me over to St. Francois County and Ive been in St. Francois ever since then. In the early 1980s and until 1989, Bunch worked for the agencys housing program until the position for community services director opened up. He was promoted into that position, where he stayed for about 10 years until the executive director retired. I applied and was promoted to executive director, said Bunch, and Ive been in this position for about 16 years. I was here 37 years this past December, so (it will be) about 37-and-a-half years. But it doesnt seem that long. Bunch said there are many of his staff members who have also been with the agency for many years. Weve all grown up together here, he said. Were just as close as family. And its going to be hard to leave, but its time. Im tired Its very stressful. Every year we have to struggle for funding and are under the constant threat of having programs cut. And Im just tired. Bunch does not intend to completely retire, however, and says he will continue to work part-time, although exactly where is still up in the air. The first thing Im doing though, the very first week Im not working anymore, he said, Im going to go spend a week (in Kansas City) with my grandson. Hell be three years old in June and hes at the age where hes really fun now. Bunch is also planning on spending some of his new-found freedom pursuing his creative interests. People who know him and those who have worked with him are aware of his talent as an artist. Many of his paintings and drawings decorate his office and the hallways of the EMAA facility. Ive done a series of (drawings of) railroad stations in St. Francois County, he said. Ive done about every one in St. Francois County and am only missing a couple. Bunchs artwork, in fact, has helped fund the programs and services of EMAA. As a fundraiser, we sell them on our agency website for a $15 donation plus $5 shipping, he said. Although Bunch graduated from college with a degree in political science, he said he earned enough credits in art education to qualify as his minor. Although I havent contacted anybody there yet, I wouldnt mind teaching some art classes out at MAC (Mineral Area College), he said. (Art education) is what I (originally) set out to do. However he ends up spending his retirement, Bunch said he intends to make himself available to his successor and the EMAA staff for advice and questions for as long as they may need him. Keri McCrorey, currently the EMAA community services director, has been named as Bunchs successor and began her transition into the executive director office on April 1 and will fully take the helm on Aug. 1. I have every confidence in her, said Bunch. Keri has been here for shes been community services director for 16 years and I think she was here for about four years prior to that She was my first hire (as executive director). I replaced myself with her. According to available resources, EMAA recognizes McCrorey as an experienced leader in non-profit administration with a proven track record. She is an accomplished executive with more than 26 years of distinguished service helping EMAA clients, increasing organizational efficiencies and building strong relationships with partners. In her current role as community services director she has provided direction and oversight for programs serving economically challenged communities and families, impacting 18,000 individuals annually. In 2008, McCrorey won the Charles Braithwaite Community Action Leadership Award for her hard work to assist the survivors of Hurricane Katrina. McCrorey is a Certified Community Action Professional (CCAP) and holds a Master of Science Degree in Community and Economic Development. She is currently the secretary of the board of directors of the Missouri Association for Community Action (MACA) and sits on the boards Long-Term Planning Committee. McCrorey is a life-long resident of St. Francois County. She is married to Mike McCrorey and has two children, Olivia and Lexxi. Tom Reel /San Antonio Express-News Bexar County added 4,350 jobs in 2015 as companies such as Alorica Inc. and Cytocentrics Inc. expanded in the area, according to a study published by the San Antonio Economic Development Foundation. The jobs come with a total payroll of $176 million, according the Institute for Economic Development at the University of Texas at San Antonio, which wrote the report. In 2014, the county added 4,762 jobs with a payroll of $178 million. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate HAVANA, CUBA Generations spent shrouded from the American eye allowed Cuba to maintain a distinctive way of life. Though cultures between the United States and Cuba differ greatly, similarities in some aspects, art being one of them, exist. However, the subject matter proves a stark contrast. While locals and tourists make pit stops at San Antonios I love tacos so much wall near The Pearl for a lighthearted Instagram photo opportunity - the walls in Havana make the life Americans know little of, bluntly realized as soon as foot hits Cuban soil. RELATED: 19 elements of Cuban life that may not be found in the United States The sprawling gallery of street art commences early on in a tour of the area. The words SOCIALISMO O MUERTE on wall near the roadway exiting the airport greet visitors, followed by another, promoting CONTROLDISCIPLINAEFICIENCA in bold lettering to reiterate the first. A stroll through the residential areas neighboring El Malecon emanate love and adoration on every corner, wall and light post as Havanas amorous use any free space to profess tenderness for their loved ones. The public displays are obviously a popular sign of courtship within the Cuban community, especially at El Cristo de La Havana. The site's breathtaking scope of Havana, paired with the a blanket of scribblings on the parks benches, sets a romantic feel and makes it a growing, living art scene where Te quiero messages are added daily. RELATED: What happens when you let Instagram become your tour guide around Cuba Though narrow and dimly lit, the streets of Havana Vieja create a vivacious, robust backdrop where the chatter of various languages float through the evening air as visitors count pockets of CUC to exchange with locals for handcrafted goods. While Cubans go about the housework of their beautiful, yet dilapidated dwellings, newcomers marvel at the colonial architecture and art encircling it. Murals of revolutionary leader Che Guevara look over the interchange. Along with being a picturesque travel photo, the setting is a symbol of another transition. Reminders of the past remain in the corridors artworks, setting the scene while foreigners including Americans trade smiles and handshakes with locals as relations between the once embroiled nations normalize. El Callejon de Hamel (Hamel's Alley) is a showcase in itself. Locals explain their pride in the stretch of Havana streets, which has been transformed into a living art piece created by the Cuban artist, Salvador Gonzales Escalona. The intricate work of Escalona, tactfully incorporates recycled items like bathtubs, broken tile and pieces of cars. His creative labor has transformed the run-down neighborhood into a center for the Afro-Cuban community, locals said. Hamel's Alley is Havana's version of Barcelona's Park Guell. Click through the gallery above for a glimpse into the wide array of murals Cuban artists have created using Havana as their canvas. mmendoza@mysa.com Twitter: @MaddySkye One of three people accused of holding a family hostage last March and stealing their financial information was charged Tuesday in the case. Anthony Ray Mari, 32, faces three counts of aggravated robbery, according to the Bexar County central magistrates office. His bail totaled $225,000. Armed with firearms and knives, a man and two juveniles broke into a home in the 2800 block of Fred Haise in the suburban city of Kirby early on March 26, according to an affidavit. Investigators said the assailants restrained a family of three. Once tied up, the father was forced to give his captors the PINs for his credit cards and sign the familys SUV over to the man, the affidavit said. The family told detectives the man identified himself only as Necio. He left in the SUV, according to the affidavit, and returned with a rental truck and an unidentified fourth person. The captors moved the family into the truck and left one of the juveniles to watch them, but the father managed to break free and overpower the juvenile, and then a family member called police, detectives said. Police detained a juvenile, who was charged with three counts of aggravated robbery. A few days after the incident, the San Antonio Police Department SWAT unit arrested Mari and another juvenile, who was listed as a runaway, at a home in the 200 block of Earl Street, according to the affidavit. It was unclear if the raid was related to the home invasion or if Mari was held on other charges. One of the victims of the home invasion later identified Mari in a photo lineup, the document said. jbeltran@express-news.net Twitter: @JBfromSA This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate A jury deliberated most of Tuesday before sentencing a San Antonio man to 50 years in prison for sexually abusing a relative. Ivan W. Sanchez, 42, was convicted Friday. He was sentenced to 50 years on one count of aggravated sexual assault of a child, a first-degree felony, and 20 years for each of three counts of indecency with a child by contact, a second-degree felony. The prison terms are to be served concurrently, state District Judge Ron Rangel said in passing the sentence. The charges are a decade old and the crimes date to 2001. Sanchez was charged in a 17-count indictment in 2006 and was found guilty of four counts of indecency with a child by sexual contact and one count of aggravated sexual assault of a child, in another court. He served four years of a 28-year sentence. His lawyers appealed because the judge allowed the outcry witnesss testimony from a pretrial hearing to be read to the jury. The Fourth Court of Appeals denied the appeal, ruling the testimony was admissible, but the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals reversed that decision in 2011 and sent the case back for retrial. Prosecutor Stephanie Boyd told the jury that the victim was younger than 17 at the time of the abuse, and that the case was about betrayal and retaliation. The child lived with mom and the defendant and always thought the defendant was her father, Boyd said. When mom started using drugs, the defendant would go to her bedroom and assault her. Boyd said the girl eventually went to live with an aunt and even at that home, was so afraid that her brother would sleep at the foot of her bed to protect her. She needed a light to sleep, and she would put on extra clothes, Boyd said. Defense attorney Robert Porter told the jury that Sanchez and his wife were caring for six children, and when he moved out of the house because of his wifes heroin abuse, and subsequently restricted some of the childrens visits to their mom, the children started conspiring to run away, and the allegations of abuse surfaced. During the punishment phase, prosecutors called a cousin of the victim, who testified that Sanchez tried to kiss her on two occasions when she was 13, a court official said. Sanchez will have to serve at least 25 years before he is eligible for parole. The Farmington Regional Chamber of Commerce, along with Washington-Franklin Elementary, planted a butterfly bush in front of the school in memory of MaKennah Barron, 8, who recently lost her battle with cancer. Farmington Regional Chamber of Commerce Events Coordinator and Member Services Manager Brittany Gladbach said they really didnt have a certain plan with the butterfly bush Tuesday morning. We knew God would take us through it and we want to thank the pastor, Mike Harrison, from Parkland Chapel, who was MaKennahs pastor, for leading us through the program, said Gladbach. As we thought, he made it such a smooth transition and it was a beautiful thing to be a part of. Gladbach wanted to thank the community, as well as the Barron family, and Fox Farm Nursery for the donation of the butterfly bush. I also want to thank the Parkland Chapel for being a part of it and everyone who came out, said Gladbach. The teachers, the Farmington School District and also Gary (Phillips) for preparing the area where the bush was planted. The butterfly bush that was planted had pink/purple flowers on it and it will grow to be approximately 5 feet tall and 5 feet wide. The school district plans to redo the landscaping in front of the elementary building where the bush was planted and have the bush be the center focus of the area. Gladbach has said they decided to do this because MaKennah was so fascinated with butterflies and she really touched everyone's hearts. She also said the Farmington Chamber loves to support their community. She said MaKennah was an inspiration for all and they wanted to leave a mark where she went to school. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate A man accused of holding a family hostage and stealing their financial information during a home invasion in March has been arrested. Anthony Ray Mari, 32, faces three counts of aggravated robbery, according to the Bexar County Central Magistrate's Office. His bail totaled $225,000. Mari and the two alleged accomplices, both juveniles, broke into a home in the 2800 block of Fred Haise in Kirby in the early morning hours of March 26, according to an arrest warrant affidavit. Investigators said the three were armed with firearms and knives as they restrained the family of three. Once tied up, the father was forced to give his captors the pin numbers of his credit cards and sign the familys SUV over to Mari, the affidavit said. The family told detectives that Mari only identified himself as Necio. He left in the SUV, according to the affidavit, and returned with a rental truck and a fourth person who was not identified in the affidavit. The captors moved the family inside the truck and left one of the juveniles to watch them, the affidavit stated. Thats when the father managed to break free of his restraints and overpower the juvenile, and then a family member called police, detectives said. When police arrived, they were able to arrest one of the juveniles and transfer him to a juvenile detention center. A few days after the incident, the San Antonio Police Department SWAT unit arrested Mari and another juvenile, who was listed as a runaway, at a home in the 200 block of Earl Street, according to the affidavit. Mari was later identified by one of the victims in a photo lineup, the document said. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate SAN ANTONIO A former nurse convicted of killing a 15-month-old girl and trying to kill another baby in San Antonio during the 1980s could walk free in 2018 even though she was sentenced to 99 years in prison. Genene Jones, called the "Angel of Death" by some headline writers, is projected to be released from the Dr. Lane Murray Unit prison in Gatesville on March 1, 2018, according to the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. But, law enforcement officials are looking to tie her to any of the dozens of infant deaths that occurred during her time at hospitals in San Antonio and Kerrville during the early '80s. "I absolutely believe she has killed more babies and we are looking for any legal and ethical way to hold her accountable. Period," Bexar County District Attorney Nico LaHood said in an interview with mySA.com Tuesday. LaHood added, "She deserves to die in prison." RELATED: Sheriff: California mother connected to 'horrific' child abuse case in San Antonio Jones could walk free because of a state mandatory sentencing law designed to prevent prison overcrowding that was on the books when she was convicted in 1984. The law allowed inmates convicted of violent crimes to be released if their calendar time served and accrued "good time" added up to equal their entire sentence. Jones, 65, has been eligible for parole but was last denied parole in August 2014. RELATED: San Antonio police officer charged with sexually assaulting child weekly for 4 years The former nurse worked at hospitals in San Antonio and Kerrville including University Hospital, formerly Medical Center Hospital, during 1981 and 1982. Jones was sentenced to 99 years in the death of 15-month-old girl named Chelsea McClellan, who was given a fatal dose of muscle relaxers in 1982. She was also convicted in Bexar County on a charge of injury to a child. The infant survived in that case. RELATED: Good Samaritan in Texas killed by soldier who allegedly shot wife at Walgreens However, Jones has long been suspected in the deaths of more than 40 infants. Some estimates say more than 60 deaths could be possibly be traced to Jones, LaHood told mySA.com. He acknowledged that "everybody has a different opinion" regarding the exact tally. LaHood would not discuss specific allegations or details regarding possible charges, citing an ongoing investigation. LaHood said that his office has appointed a prosecutor to oversee the efforts, which include examining old case files and speaking to former medical examiners and families of the infants. RELATED: Officials: New Mexico couple shot son with pellet gun, stomped on daughter's stomach The district attorney's office hopes to file additional charges before Jones' projected 2018 release date, but said charges could also be filed after her release. Murder, LaHood noted, does not have a statute of limitations. "We're working hard to hopefully bring charges before she's released," LaHood said. "I don't want this lady walking the streets. She deserves to die in prison and that would be our goal." jfechter@mySA.com Twitter: @JFreports An inmate sentenced to life terms for the murders of two women in the 1970s and 1980s died Tuesday morning at a St. Louis hospital. Robert Lohman, 58, was incarcerated at ERDCC in Bonne Terre for two counts of murder from Madison and Greene counties. He was received into the Missouri Department of Corrections on Aug. 10, 1983. He died of apparent natural causes at Barnes-Jewish Hospital early Tuesday, according to Corrections officials. According to a 2005 St. Louis Post-Dispatch article, Lohman, was sentenced to life in prison for the murder of a 22-year-old woman from south St. Louis whose body was recovered from a lake in Washington County, Mo., in August 1982. Authorities alleged that Lohman and his older brother, Gene, killed Donna A. Roberts because she had refused to pose for pictures showing her engaging in sex acts with the Lohman brothers. Robert Lohman later was charged with the 1975 fatal stabbing of Sabrina Cattron, 16, whose body was found in a deserted barn near Bonne Terre, in October 1976. In a plea deal, Lohman pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in exchange for a promise from prosecutors not to seek the death penalty. Who can argue against making higher education in Texas more affordable? A college degree or a post-high school certificate is a must in todays competitive job market, but it comes with a hefty price tag. Many middle-income families who dont qualify for need-based financial aid are finding themselves priced out of the market. Most families, even those that have set aside college funds for their children, are finding they must dig deeper to meet tuition costs, which have grown by 147 percent since 2002. We can understand Lt. Gov. Dan Patricks outrage over skyrocketing tuition costs and support his call for keeping tuition at the states institutions of higher education in check, but he needs to come up with a better plan for getting the job done. Limiting tuition growth at state colleges and universities and eliminating a state law that requires universities to set aside 20 percent of tuition for financial aid play well to a certain constituency, but they do not adequately address the issue. Where is the funding to make up for those cuts going to come from? Texas is trying to build more top-tier universities to remain competitive in a global market. Ordering schools to cut back and reducing funds for scholarships, work-study jobs and other financial aid are counterproductive measures. At a recent Austin news conference, Patrick railed against the administrators of public higher-education institutions, questioning their fiscal-management skills and their pay. He questioned why they were raising tuition when the Legislature increased university funding by $282 million in 2015. On its face, $282 million appears to be a lot of money, but the sum needs to be put into context. There are 38 state universities; each individual schools share of that wasnt particularly generous. As state budgets get leaner, universities reliance on tuition has grown. In 1990, tuition covered about 25 percent of the costs; today it is about 46.5 percent. State funding per college student in Texas has dropped $1,800 since 2008. At present, the state only spends $7,748 per year for each college student; it was spending $9,548 a year in 2008, according to the State Higher Education Finance report released late last month by the State Higher Education Executive Officers Association. This was not unique to Texas. State funding for higher education also dropped in 44 other states during the same period. Texas cannot afford to shortchange higher education. For the last 15 years, the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board has worked diligently to close the gap in higher education among Texas and other states. The state is hoping to build on that success under its new 60X30TX education plan to have at least 60 percent of Texas residents between the ages of 25 and 34 with a certificate or degree by 2030. We support efforts to make higher education more affordable for Texas families, but it must not be achieved by compromising the quality of education or reducing funds for financial aid. Finding the right balance will require the finger-pointing to cease and lawmakers to make some tough decisions when they convene in January with budget estimates looking far less robust than they did in 2015. Quality higher education is crucial to building the Texas economy in the 21st century. Any retreat from higher educations needs will damage the states future economy. The TV ads flash the noble faces of American retirees and urge Washington to help protect their savings. The back story is kept rather vague. Its that many older people invested in Puerto Rican bonds. The U.S. territorys economy is in deep crisis, and it has begun defaulting on this debt. The question here: What prompted ordinary investors to put their savings into Puerto Rican bonds? But first lets look at who is running the ads. No, the retirees havent pooled their Social Security checks to make their case. These ads are being run by hedge funds and other big Wall Street players who made their own bad bets on Puerto Ricos debt. They are now hiding behind the average Joes to press Washington for a bailout. The obvious solution to this crisis is to let the island restructure its debt under U.S. bankruptcy rules alongside a federal oversight board that would keep a close eye. Municipalities are allowed to declare bankruptcy, but as a U.S. territory, Puerto Rico needs congressional approval first. A bankruptcy would not cost the U.S. taxpayer anything. This approach would also be the most humane. The setbacks for investors pale next to the trauma being suffered by Puerto Ricans. The islands government has already raised taxes and cut spending on social services to the bone. Thousands, meanwhile, are fleeing to the U.S. mainland. Turning the language around, the big financial interests are now calling the bankruptcy route a bailout. Its not the first time theyve forgotten the clause in capitalism saying that when an investment goes sour, the investors are expected to lose money. Many average buyers of Puerto Rican bonds didnt quite know what they were getting into. The bonds may have been rated as fairly safe at the time, but they were not something to put in a drawer and forget about. In 2012, Morningstar issued a warning after the rating agency Moodys downgraded Puerto Ricos general obligation debt to just above junk bond level. Moodys does not believe that Puerto Rico enjoys the same level of fiscal stability as any of the official 50 states, Morningstar wrote. Even lowly Illinois GO debt is rated firmly within the investment-grade spectrum at A2. Study after study shows that the general public poorly understands the nature of risk. Small investors scooped up Puerto Rican bonds because they offered higher yields than U.S. municipal bonds and were exempt from local, state and federal taxes. When an investment with super tax advantages offers an unusually good yield, theres a reason: It comes with risk. Again we see the limitations of the ownership society, the doctrine that Americans should be managing their own money for retirement rather than relying on Social Security to send monthly checks. Remember President George W. Bushs push to let workers direct some of their Social Security taxes to stock funds and other privately run accounts? Skeptics questioned whether ordinary Americans had the expertise, but Bush assured them in fatherly fashion that he wouldnt let them do crazy things with their money. There would be a list of acceptable investment vehicles. Fortunately, the plan never got off the ground. In 2008, the market tanked, humbling the most conservative stocks alongside the high fliers. Yes, we should all save and invest, albeit with great care. At the same time, let us give thanks for boring old Social Security. Its something to fall back on, just in case. fharrop@gmail.com For the third consecutive year, most homeowners across Bexar County have opened their annual tax appraisal notices to find that their property values and thus probably their tax bite have gone up. Bexar County Appraisal District officials said this week that residential real estate values have risen an average of 7.5 percent, compared with 2015, which comes on the heels of an 11 percent jump last year and a 7 percent increase in 2014. Thats a three-year tax jolt that generally mirrors the reheated San Antonio housing market. The average market value for a single-family house in Bexar County was $188,000 for this year. The total 2016 value of all property in the county was roughly $163 billion, an increase of $13 billion over 2015. RELATED: 2015 average residential property value increases in Bexar by ZIP code Owners of some 532,000 properties of all kinds received notices that their valuations had gone up by $1,000 or more. People are very upset, said Mary Kieke, the districts deputy chief appraiser. The tax system is absolutely broken. But they have been exceedingly civil at our offices when they come in to complain. A 12-year veteran with the district, Kieke said Texas property tax system has been manipulated by an army of tax agents and lobbyists at the Legislature who have defeated any effort to require disclosure of real estate sales prices, making it nearly impossible to systematically know the fair market value of larger commercial properties shopping centers, corporate campuses, resorts and to tax them accordingly. Sales prices are sometimes available from secondary sources. For example, Kieke said, the Bank of America building at 300 Convent sold in December 2014 for $105 million. We had it valued at $57 million. That happens all over the city. Virtually every (hotel) sues us every year (to lower their valuations.) So do the apartment complexes. They always have. They always will. She said Bexar County had $19 billion in 2015 commercial valuation tied up in litigation. All of this shifts the tax burden to homeowners, Kieke said. A record 89,000 property owners protested their valuations last year, but the sad fact is that commercial property owners do so much better than residential people in tax protests, she said, adding that most middle-class homeowners cant justify paying some professional and taking time off work to come down here and fight. Daniel Gonzalez, legislative director for the Texas Association of Realtors and a longtime opponent of real estate sales price disclosure, rejected Kiekes argument. I think its unfortunate, said Gonzalez, that your great city has to put up with people like the Bexar County Appraisal District. Sales price ultimately has no bearing on what market value is of the property. We think all property in Texas is fairly valued (because) the state comptroller says it is within a 5 percent margin of error. The system isnt broken. But maybe there is a lack of knowledge at the local level. By sector, Kieke said, there were across-the-board increases. Industrial property valuations went up 24.6 percent, apartments 15.7 percent, offices 15.9 percent, raw land 20 percent, hotels 21 percent and residential 7.5 percent. Asked if those numbers contradict her belief that commercial property owners arent pulling their weight, Kieke said the figures reflect valuations for commercial owners, not what they actually pay after lengthy protests and lawsuits. In 2015, she said, commercial property owners were able to reduce their valuations by $4.16 billion, while tens of thousands of residential owners managed reductions totaling only $639,000. Suzanne Simpson, a real estate agent who lives in Olmos Park in a 1930s-era, four-bedroom stone and stucco home with a big yard and pool, felt slightly conflicted by the appraisal notices. She benefits from increased sales in the active market but saw her home appraisal jump some $76,000, or 9 percent, compared with 2015. Im disappointed, Simpson said. But I wasnt surprised. Ill go downtown to fight it again. They dont take into account the actual condition of the home just the neighborhood. My kitchen and bathrooms are outdated. We live on a very busy street. I dont think we could ever sell our house for what they appraised it at. Tim Brown, a broker with RE/MAX Corridor who has sold several homes in Schertz and Cibolo, said that while he thought most county appraisals were roughly equal to market values, he agreed that protesting homeowners should document the actual condition of their houses. If the valuation is way too high for the neighborhood, Brown said. They need to work with a Realtor to get comps (comparable values) of similar nearby homes and protest it. The appraisal district is responsible for supplying fair market valuations to some 63 taxing entities within the county, including 17 school districts, 27 cities or towns, the Alamo Colleges district and the San Antonio River Authority. Bexar County Tax Assessor-Collector Albert Uresti, who at this time of year is quick to remind voters that he does not set their tax rates or their tax appraisals his office just collects the money said he must constantly remind senior citizens, the disabled and disabled veterans that they are often entitled to exemptions on their property taxes. Uresti also offers what he said is the states only 10-month, interest-free payment program for property taxes. Those unhappy with their propertys appraisal have until May 31 to file a protest. It can be done my mail, fax or in person at the appraisal district at 411 N. Frio St. Email is not accepted. Details are available at www.bcad.org. bselcraig@express-news.net Victoria Forsythe Victoria Forsythe has been selected to receive the MAC Board of Trustees Scholarship to attend Mineral Area College for the 2016-2017 Academic Year. Forsythe is planning to pursue an Associate of Arts Degree, in General Studies. Hannah Lewis Hannah Lewis has been selected to receive the MAC Board of Trustees Scholarship to attend Mineral Area College for the 2016-2017 Academic Year. Lewis is planning to pursue an Associate of Arts Degree, in Biological Science. Gabriel Landrigan Gabriel Landrigan has been selected to receive the MAC Board of Trustees Scholarship to attend Mineral Area College for the 2016-2017 Academic Year. Landrigan is planning to pursue an Associate of Arts Degree, in Education. Taylor Jones Taylor Jones has been selected to receive the MAC Board of Trustees Scholarship to attend Mineral Area College for the 2016-2017 Academic Year. Jones is planning to pursue an Associate of Arts Degree, in Education. Michaela Williams Michaela Williams has been selected to receive the MAC Board of Trustees Scholarship to attend Mineral Area College for the 2016-2017 Academic Year. Williams is planning to pursue an Associate of Science Degree, in Nursing. Bayli Rawson Bayli Rawson has been selected to receive the Judy Steska-Latham Scholarship to attend Mineral Area College for the 2016-2017 Academic Year. Rawson is planning to pursue an Associate of Science Degree, in Nursing. Garrett Wilfong Garrett Wilfong has been selected to receive the Scholastic Scholarship and the MAC Foundation Charles & Velma McCord Memorial Scholarship to attend Mineral Area College for the 2016-2017 Academic Year. Wilfong is planning to pursue an Associate of Applied Science Degree, in Engineering Technology. Megan Cheney Megan Cheney has been selected to receive the Scholastic Scholarship to attend Mineral Area College for the 2016-2017 Academic Year. Cheney is planning to pursue an Associate of Science Degree, in Nursing. Ericka Sumpter Ericka Sumpter has been selected to receive the Scholastic Scholarship to attend Mineral Area College for the 2016-2017 Academic Year. Sumpter is planning to pursue an Associate of Science Degree, in Nursing. Garrett Jackson Garrett Jackson has been selected to receive the Scholastic Scholarship to attend Mineral Area College for the 2016-2017 Academic Year. Jackson is planning to pursue an Associate Degree. Kaitlyn Moore Kaitlyn Moore has been selected to receive the MAC Board of Trustees Scholarship to attend Mineral Area College for the 2016-2017 Academic Year. Moore is planning to pursue an Associate of Arts Degree, in Education. Jacklyn McClain Jacklyn McClain has been selected to receive the Caledonia/Valley High School Alumni Scholarship to attend Mineral Area College for the 2016-2017 Academic Year. McClain is planning to pursue an Associate of Arts Degree, in Psychology. Krista Firebaugh Krista Firebaugh has been selected to receive the Scholastic Scholarship and the William Jay and Roney Louis (OBannon) Parsons Educational Scholarship to attend Mineral Area College for the 2016-2017 Academic Year. Firebaugh is planning to pursue an Associate of Arts Degree, in Education. Caleb Earney Caleb Earney has been selected to receive the Scholastic Scholarship to attend Mineral Area College for the 2016-2017 Academic Year. Earney is planning to pursue an Associate of Arts Degree. Jennifer Walter Jennifer Walter has been selected to receive the Scholastic Scholarship to attend Mineral Area College for the 2016-2017 Academic Year. Walter is planning to pursue an Associate of Applied Science in Horticulture. Dillon Carl Dillon Carl has been selected to receive the Scholastic Scholarship to attend Mineral Area College for the 2016-2017 Academic Year. Carl is planning to pursue an Associate of Arts Degree, in Education. Lilly Pecaut Lilly Pecaut has been selected to receive the Scholastic Scholarship to attend Mineral Area College for the 2016-2017 Academic Year. Pecaut is planning to pursue an Associate of Arts Degree, in Education. Emily Gipson Emily Gipson has been selected to receive the Scholastic Scholarship to attend Mineral Area College for the 2016-2017 Academic Year. Gipson is planning to pursue an Associate Degree. Morgan Smith Morgan Smith has been selected to receive the Bob Ward Political Science Scholarship to attend Mineral Area College for the 2016-2017 Academic Year. Smith is planning to pursue an Associate of Arts Degree, in Political Science. Molly Strothmann Molly Strothmann has been selected to receive the Robert A. (Bob) Burns Memorial Scholarship and the Viola J Elvins Memorial Scholarship to attend Mineral Area College for the 2016-2017 Academic Year. Strothmann is planning to pursue an Associate of Arts Degree, in Elementary Education. Makayla McEntire Makayla McEntire has been selected to receive the MAC Alumni/Buck a Month Scholarship to attend Mineral Area College for the 2016-2017 Academic Year. McEntire is planning to pursue an Associate of Arts Degree, in Education. Jason Parker Jason Parker has been selected to receive the Kathy Wright Memorial Scholarship to attend Mineral Area College for the 2016-2017 Academic Year. Parker is planning to pursue an Associate of Arts Degree, in Education. Alissa Ballew Alissa Ballew has been selected to receive the Rob Skaggs Memorial Scholarship to attend Mineral Area College for the 2016-2017 Academic Year. Ballew is planning to pursue an Associate of General Studies Degree. Elizabeth Bacar Elizabeth Bacar has been selected to receive the William Hunter Memorial Scholarship to attend Mineral Area College for the 2016-2017 Academic Year. Bacar is planning to pursue an Associate of Arts Degree, in Pre-Medicine. Lana Stegall Lana Stegall has been selected to receive the Ellen Volner Memorial Nursing Scholarship and the First State Community Bank, Bonne Terre Branch, Board of Directors Scholarship to attend Mineral Area College for the 2016-2017 Academic Year. Stegall is planning to pursue an Associate of Arts Degree, in Nursing. Charles Gaines Jr. Charles Gaines Jr. has been selected to receive the Charles Bess English Scholarship to attend Mineral Area College for the 2016-2017 Academic Year. Gaines Jr. is planning to pursue an Associate of Arts Degree, in Teaching. Carly Conway Carly Conway has been selected to receive the Bond Prevalence Scholarship to attend Mineral Area College for the 2016-2017 Academic Year. Conway is planning to pursue an Associate of Arts Degree, in Psychology. Rebecca Tyler Rebecca Tyler has been selected to receive the Classified Staff Scholarship to attend Mineral Area College for the 2016-2017 Academic Year. Tyler is planning to pursue an Associate of Arts Degree, in Business. Adrianne Klempert Adrianne Klempert has been selected to receive the Esther Rose Batten Teacher Education Scholarship to attend Mineral Area College for the 2016-2017 Academic Year. Klempert is planning to pursue an Associate of Arts Degree, in Education. Sarah Ferrell Sarah Ferrell has been selected to receive the Glen and Louise Pettus Scholarship to attend Mineral Area College for the 2016-2017 Academic Year. Ferrell is planning to pursue an Associate of Arts Degree, in Nursing. Emily Krastanoff Emily Krastanoff has been selected to receive the James and Grace Faulkner Memorial Scholarship to attend Mineral Area College for the 2016-2017 Academic Year. Krastanoff is planning to pursue an Associate of Arts Degree, in Education. Travis Stam Travis Stam has been selected to receive the James Wilkinson Memorial Scholarship to attend Mineral Area College for the 2016-2017 Academic Year. Stam is planning to pursue an Associate of Applied Science Degree, in Paramedic Technology. Ashlee Blunt Ashlee Blunt has been selected to receive the Jewel Wood Elementary Education Scholarship to attend Mineral Area College for the 2016-2017 Academic Year. Blunt is planning to pursue an Associate of Arts Degree, in Education. Kayla McClain Kayla McClain has been selected to receive the Missouri Natural Gas Company Scholarship to attend Mineral Area College for the 2016-2017 Academic Year. McClain is planning to pursue an Associate of Arts Degree, in Education. Christian Pozo Christian Pozo has been selected to receive the Phi Theta Kappa Scholarship to attend Mineral Area College for the 2016-2017 Academic Year. Pozo is planning to pursue an Associate of Arts Degree, in Nursing. Elijah White Elijah White has been selected to receive the Rob Skaggs Scholarship to attend Mineral Area College for the 2016-2017 Academic Year. White is planning to pursue an Associate of Arts Degree, in Nursing. The latest Convenience Matters podcast focuses on trends that could affect your business. ALEXANDRIA, Va. The U.S. convenience store industry had a very good year in 2015, with record in-store sales and profits. Retailers are also optimistic about their sales in 2016, both because of their enhanced food offer and broader consumer trends. The latest Convenience Matters podcast looks at a few trends that made 2015 so successful and those that could impact the retail landscape this year. Dae Kim, NACS vice president of research, discusses in the episode both the trends within the convenience retailing industry and the broader economic trends that affect the industry as a whole. Can any other industry say its sales dropped by $100 billion yet they had a great year? said podcast co-host Jeff Lenard, NACS vice president of strategic industry initiatives. And retail analysts project that convenience stores will be the strongest brick-and-mortar channel over the next five years. It was great to get insights into why the channels future continues to be so bright. Kim is the featured guest in this weeks podcast, The State of the Industry Is, which can be downloaded on iTunes by searching for Convenience Matters. It also is available at www.nacsonline.com/podcasts. A new Convenience Matters podcast will be released every week, focusing on topics related to convenience stores. NACS Daily announced the podcasts in late January. SAN FRANCISCO The Fuels Institutes Annual Meeting in San Francisco last week attracted 100 industry professionals from oil companies, research labs and advocate organizations. The disparate but cohesive group came together for two and a half days to attend field trips, discuss the future of fuels and listen to finalists from three universities present in the annual University Case Competition. The meeting kicked off on Wednesday, April 27 with a field trip to the Joint BioEnergy Institute and Advanced Biofuels Process Demonstration UnitLawrence Berkeley National Lab (ABPDU) in Emeryville, California. Participants toured the facility and heard about the organizations quest to grow plants, break them down for their sugars, and create biofuels. In the afternoon, field trip participants toured a hydrogen refueling station, as well as an operational Loop convenience store and one under development, allowing them an up-close look at a fueling infrastructure. A staff member of True Zero hydrogen brand demonstrates how to refuel a Toyota Mirai. Fuels Institute Annual Meeting attendees toured a hydrogen distributors station on the first day of this years conference. On Thursday, presentations focused on the future of fuel retailing and liquid fuel, quality assurance and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) standards, and the future of powertrains and technology, including autonomous vehicles. The day concluded with presentations from the three University Case Competition finalists: Duke University, Morgan State University and the University of California at Berkeley. Each school spent 30 minutes presenting and fielding questions from attendees about their vision of an ideal future transportation sector, including both mass transit and consumer vehicles. UC Berkeleys proposed natural gas and electricity model took home the top prize this year. Students from the University of California at Berkeley took home the top prize in the 2016 Fuels Institute University Case Competition. Keynote speakers from the fuels industry included Paul Machiele of the EPA and John Melo, CEO of Amyris Biotechnologies. Ellen Peters, psychology professor and director of the Decision Sciences Collaborative, presented the closing keynote session on Friday, April 29, titled Consumer Decision Making Processes. Founded in 2013 by NACS, the Fuels Institute is a nonprofit, research-oriented think tank dedicated to evaluating the market issues related to consumer vehicles and the fuels that power them. Its governing structure incorporates a diverse set of stakeholders including, but not limited to, fuel retailers, fuel producers and refiners, alternative and renewable fuel producers, automobile manufacturers, environmental advocates, consumer organizations, academics, government entities and others with expertise in the fuels and automotive industries. The Fortune 100 Best Company to Work For will host open interviews in three states this month. ALTOONA, Pa. On the heels of investing more than $15 million in 2016 to increase employee wages, Sheetz announced yesterday it plans to hire more than 8,000 employees companywide. The initiative aims to increase the company's total employee count and full-time positions by creating and filling jobs at stores throughout Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Virginia, Maryland, Ohio and North Carolina. Stores in select Pennsylvania, West Virginia and North Carolina market areas will host open job interviews in May for prospective employees to learn about Sheetzs commitment to offering employees sustainable careers built on an inspiring culture, community engagement and disrupting the convenience category. Sheetz is proud to attribute our significant companywide growth to our dedicated employees, and we are thrilled to roll out an extensive hiring initiative aimed at adding thousands more to our Sheetz family, said Stephanie Doliveira, vice president of Human Resources of Sheetz, Inc., in a press release. At the heart of our hiring efforts is an unwavering commitment to stay ahead of the curve and to do what is right for our people. Sheetz offers competitive benefits packages to employees, including medical and dental insurance, a 401(k) retirement plan, flexible schedules, opportunities for advancement, adoption assistance, wellness and gym reimbursement, bonuses, vacation time and more. Even though California was first to have a state official propose path-breaking private equity transparency legislation, as weve written, that effort was already falling short of its promise due to the lack of definition of key terms in the bill. That lapse allows crafty private equity general partners and their captured investors wriggle room to circumvent a key aim of the bill: to report fees and expenses paid by the portfolio companies to the general partner and any related parties, since those monies do not flow through the limited partnership and are thus not subject to disclosure and oversight. The California initiative, led by California Treasurer John Chiang, who also sits on the boards of CalPERS and CalSTRS, has been seriously outclassed by a bill that was introduced via amendment yesterday in the Illinois Senate. Sponsor Daniel Biss, a mathematics professor turned legislator, has proven to be an extremely quick study of the private equity industry. Weve embedded the text of HB6292 at the end of the post. You can also read it here. It is a vastly more ambitious and painstakingly drafted bill than its California counterpart, AB 2833. A key difference is that Biss bill opens new terrain by requiring disclosure of some of the most troubling terms of private equity limited partnership agreements, specifically, the indemnification provisions, the clawback language and management fee waivers. As weve discussed, typical private equity indemnification provisions are tantamount to a waiver of fiduciary duty. Its incomprehensible how fiduciaries like public pension funds, which insist on strict adherence to fiduciary duty by contractors who exercise discretion or provide important advice, deviate from this practice so radically with the managers of one of their highest-risk investment strategies. And the indemnification language is often unconscionable. For instance, we discussed how the terms of the Apollo VIII fund indemnify the operators for criminal acts if they can muster a case that they didnt know their conduct was against the law. In other words, the new dog ate my homework is I didnt understand what my lawyer told me. Similarly, we have been advised that the limited partnership agreement for one of the Bain flagship funds (and presumably others) indemnifies Bain even in the event of SEC violations, meaning investors are explicitly on the hook for SEC fines. The Illinois measure also requires disclosure of any indemnification payments, indemnification-related deductions made against monies owed to the limited partners, as well as documents justifying the demand for payment. Clawbacks, another target of HB6292 disclosure, are problematic because they are designed not to work as popularly understood. The high concept is that a clawback provision is supposed to remedy for a defect in how carry fees are paid. In US-style deals, the carry fee, which is what tax mavens call a profits interest and is a share of the gain, typically 20%, once a hurdle rate is met, is calculated and paid on the sale of each portfolio company. Since investors have incentives to realize profits on at least some well-performing deals early in the funds life, this raises the possibility that early stars can be offset by later dogs, with the result that the carry fees withheld were excessive in light of the funds eventual performance. There are several problems with clawback language. The first is that the limited partners will not recoup the full amount of over-payment. Typical terms provide get back the amount after deducting the general partners tax liabilities, calculated at the highest applicable rate. Since when is a vendors tax problem made a customer tax problem? Only in the heads I win, tails you lose world of private equity. Second, as we observed yesterday, clawbacks are pretty much never paid. General partners will simply not sell the last dog asset in a fund so as to avoid triggering the clawback, or alternatively, will offer the limited partners a special deal in the next fund in lieu of a cash payment. Third, limited partners seldom, if ever, keep tabs on what if any clawbacks they are owed. For instance, SEC examiners have warned that private equity waterfalls, which among other things, determine how carry fees are computed, need further scrutiny. HB6292 also lifts the veil on management fee waivers. This is an abuse that the IRS is in the process of ending via recent guidance. Hence it is fair game in current agreements. HB6292 requires both that the management fee waiver provisions in limited partnership agreements (including all definitions necessary to understand how the provision operates) be among other things, published material on its website, and the amount of all management fee waivers made be disclosed annually. The bill also provides for disclosure of the signature block of the executed limited partnership agreement. On the fee transparency front, while the Illinois bill focuses on issues similar to Chiangs legislation, the approach is dramatically different. HB6292 has an exacting set of definitions. I spoke to Senator Biss about his approach and whether he had conferred with Chiangs office. Biss said that hed not known about the shortcomings with private equity disclosure until Chiang announced his intention to sponsor legislation last fall: I thought I should learn more about it. I spoke to as many people as I could. The more I learned, the more troubling I found it. I didnt think it was sustainable in the long run. I thought there was an opportunity and I wanted to play a role in this change. The bills terms are precise and detailed; you can see a great deal of thought has been given to cutting off general partner escape routes. I encourage you give the language a look. Heres an example: (d) External manager group means (1) the external manager, (2) its affiliates, (3) any other parties described in the external managers marketing materials for the relevant alternative investment fund as providing services to or on behalf of portfolio holdings, and (4) any other parties described in the external managers affiliated advisers SEC Form ADV filing as receiving portfolio holding fees or portfolio holding other compensation. External manager group does not include the affiliated alternative investment fund in which the public retirement system is an investor, nor does it include an alternative investment fund used to effectuate investments of the affiliated fund in which the public retirement system is an investor. If youve been following media coverage of private equity abuses, youll recall that one of them was that the general partner would present a team when marketing its fund. Investors would naively assume all were employees of the entity that was acting as the manager to the limited partnership and therefore their compensation (ex participation in the carry pool) came out of the management fee. That matters because many investors look at the size and composition of the team and compare it to the management fees to assess the reasonableness of that charge. As we and others have discussed, in fact, its commonplace for many of these team members to be contractors, which means they are instead billed as expenses to the portfolio companies. The net effect is to enable the general partner to treat the management fee, which was intended only to cover overheads, as a source of profit. Biss explained his approach: Vagueness has been an opportunity for the industry. He volunteered that he didnt pretend to be able to write a bill that would put a fence around all misconduct. But this is a very impressive effort. Because Illinois has a shorter legislative calendar that California, if this bill stays on track, it will pass both houses before its West Coast cousin. That could pressure California legislators to up their game. One has to wonder if California and Illinois are blazing trails for the rest of the nation because their public pensioners have much better legal protection of their benefits than in the vast majority of states. That means that any pension fund shortfalls hit taxpayers, rather than being subject to renegotiation, as in cuts. The taxpayer risk is turning out to have the upside of giving state legislators strong incentives to ride herd on cognitively captured public pension fund employees and trustees. HB6292 is due to come up for hearings this month. If you are in Illinois, I hope youll e-mail, call, or write your state Senator and Representative and urge them to back HB6292. If you have family, friends, or colleagues in that state, please send them this post and encourage them to voice their support. It would also be helpful to cc or call Biss as well. You can find contact information for the Illinois Senate here and the House, here. And again, thanks for your interest and help! You can see how the efforts of Naked Capitalism readers, which were a major impetus to Chiang proposing his bill in California, are having even broader effects. So keep up the good work! Illinois-General-Assembly-Full-Text-of-HB6292 Illinois General Assembly Full Text of HB6292 Second strongest shock wave found in merging galaxy clusters (Nanowerk News) The discovery by a physics doctoral student at The University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH) of the second-strongest merger shock in clusters of galaxies ever observed has generated excitement that is opening doors to further scientific exploration. Sarthak Dasadia, who is advised by assistant physics professor Dr. Ming Sun, discovered the very strong shock in the merging galaxy cluster Abell 655 using observations from the Chandra X-ray Observatory. Sarthak Dasadia explains his research in his office. The shock to the north of this cluster is second in strength only to the Bullet Cluster shock. The shock is traveling with an astonishing speed of 2,700 kilometers per second, about three times the local speed of sound in the cluster. By comparison, NASAs Juno spacecraft in 2013 became the fastest man-made object when it was slingshot around Earth toward Jupiter at a relatively pedantic 40 kilometers a second. Studying mergers of galaxy clusters has proven to be crucial to our understanding of how such large scale objects form and evolve, says Dasadia. Shocks provide unique opportunities to study high-energy phenomena in the intra-cluster medium the hot plasma between galaxies. This could open a door, where people can do a number of different studies based on what I have found, Dasadia says. Already, scientists are targeting shocks in galaxy clusters to study dark matter, the magnetic field in the intracluster space, particle acceleration and energy transfer in the intracluster medium. In only 10 days, Dasadias research was accepted for publication by The Astrophysical Journal Letters ("A Strong Merger Shock in Abell 665"). Dasadia recently received one year of research support from the Alabama EPSCoR Graduate Research Scholars Program (ALEPSCoR). He also gave an oral presentation on his research in August at the International Astronomical Union (IAU) General Assembly in Honolulu, Hawaii. The universe is populated with galaxy clusters that are relaxed and unrelaxed, Dasadia says. The relaxed ones are mellow theyve been around a lot longer, have seen lots of past mergers and really arent dynamically active. Its the unrelaxed clusters like Abell 665 that are good candidates to study merger features such as shocks and turbulence. These galaxy clusters are not boundary objects, he says. They do not have a very well-defined boundary around them. When the undefined boundaries of massive clusters of galaxies 3 million light-years across are drawn together in a slow-motion collision, their cold cores and surrounding hot gases are disrupted into shock waves and gas fronts of various temperatures. When two cold cores collide, they may create a shock of heated gas, Dasadia says. Such mergers are actually among the most energetic events in the universe, other than the Big Bang itself. If talking about fronts and shock waves and temperature differentials sounds lot like the weather on Earth, Dasadia says thats because there is not much difference as far as the physics involved. Technically, we observe the same features in space that we do on Earth, he says. This area has been studied extensively before at small scales, but few had done the work to discover what I found here at such big scales. He was able to measure the velocity of the collision and the dynamics of what is happening in it or rather, what was happening in it. It took 3.2 billion years for the light in the observations to reach Earth, so the events all happened that far back in time. Dynamic observations included the energy in the collision, the gas movement, and measurements of the discrepancy between the visible and dark matter involved. It amazes me how long it takes for this information to even reach the Earth, Dasadia says. Then I am also amazed by our technology, by how much we have advanced in developing the telescopes and equipment it takes to be able to observe and study these interactions. Americans consume half the world's coffee supply, and 52 percent of Americans over the age of 10 drink coffee. Doris Reynolds Let's Talk Food Doris Reynolds is the author of When Peacocks Were Roasted and Mullet was Fried and a four-part DVD, A Walk Down Memory Lane with Doris Reynolds. They are for sale in the lobby of the Naples Daily News. SHARE It was during the ninth century in Ethiopia that Kaldi, a goat herder made a discovery that changed the drinking habits of millions (or should I say billions) of people. Kaldi has been credited with the discovery of coffee, although no authoritative recognition exists and this world-changing incident has no monument to mark the incident. While herding his goats in a forest where trees and bushes were awash with red berries, he noticed that his charges were suddenly animated and energized after eating them. Well, this guy was no dummy. He surmised that if these magic berries worked for his goats, surely they were a panacea for his own sluggishness. Kaldi eagerly shared his secret beans with his neighbors who used the coffee beans to achieve success in raiding forays. They wrapped the beans in animal fat to preserve them and used them as a stimulant while conquering their enemies. The Turks were the first to adopt coffee as a drink, often adding spices such as cloves, cinnamon, cardamom and anise to the brew. Coffee mavens are thankful to the participants of the Boston Tea Party for successfully making coffee popular among former tea drinkers. After the chaos, there was no alternative but to turn to coffee as the national drink, and the two beverages have been competing ever since. In 1876, the first ground coffee was offered to American coffee drinkers by Chase and Sanborn. These entrepreneurs also were responsible for marketing the beverage and became one of the pioneers of advertising in newspapers and magazines. President Theodore Roosevelt, in 1907, provided the famous slogan for Chase and Sanborn coffee when he finished a cup of the brew and pronounced it "good to the last drop." Americans consume half the world's coffee supply, and 52 percent of Americans over the age of 10 drink coffee. These coffee drinkers imbibe in 100 billion cups of the brew, which means an astonishing 23.5 gallons per person. Coffee is mainly enjoyed as a beverage, but numerous gourmets have found it a rich and satisfying addition to other foods. German bakers often add coffee to their pumpernickel bread, and what would red-eye gravy be without the addition of the blessed brew. Cooks and chefs have found that coffee adds zest, flavor and color to spice and fruit cakes, custards, gravy, mousses, ice cream, dessert sauces and cake frostings. "A cuppa Joe" has been elevated to gourmet status. Coffee has gone upscale and the 5-cent brew is just a memory. Coffee now is some kind of religion to those dedicated to finding just the right beans and a friendly coffeehouse to read the paper and discuss politics. Coffee houses have become the new country club and confessional to many of the herd of coffee addicts who are up to date on the latest offerings in the realm of coffees. Now that I have turned you on to coffee, I've a bit of advice for the uninformed regarding its brewing. Studies have determined that for optimum flavor and body, water temperature should be slightly less than boiling, or about 200 degrees. Higher temperatures extract too much of the coffee solids and result in a bitter brew. We have much to thank Kaldi, the goat herder. He brought coffee into our lives and joy to those who relish and appreciate a liquid blessing from those tiny, red beans. Just the aroma of brewing coffee sets our minds on our energy and appreciation for those blessed coffee moments. ASK DORIS Q: Every time I go out to eat fish I order it blackened. It is a favorite and now I would like to know how to fix it at home. Gerald Malnick, Estero A: Be sure you have a good exhaust fan when you cook the fish and remember the fish cooks very quickly. Also, a cast-iron skillet is necessary. BLACKENED FISH Ingredients cup unsalted butter, melted 4 tablespoons vegetable oil 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper teaspoon freshly ground black pepper teaspoon dried thyme teaspoon paprika 4 fish fillets (about 2 pounds) each inch thick Directions 1 Place a cast-iron skillet over high heat until white hot (about 10 minutes). 2 Combine butter with oil in a shallow bowl. 3 In another small bowl mix salt, cayenne, black pepper, thyme and paprika. 4 Dip each fish fillet in butter-oil mixture and sprinkle with about 1 teaspoon seasoning mixture. 5 Place fish in hot pan for exactly 2 minutes. 6 Turn fillet over and cook second side for exactly 2 minutes. 7 Remove from pan and serve immediately, drizzled with remaining butter. Serves 4. FEEDBACK FOOTNOTE Sharing a letter from a reader concerning last week's column on Greek cuisine: "Your article was great. I would like to note that there are more people of the Orthodox faith, not only Greeks: Serbian Orthodox, Russian Orthodox, Rumanian, Bulgarian, Macedonian and many others. It would be nice to have them mentioned once in a while. I do admit that the rest of us do not do as good as the Greeks in promoting ourselves. I really appreciate your article, it was well researched. My best, Spiro Jankovich." Doris Reynolds is the author of "When Peacocks Were Roasted and Mullet was Fried" and a four-part DVD, "A Walk Down Memory Lane with Doris Reynolds." They are available for sale in the lobby of the Naples Daily News. All proceeds of these sales go to the Doris Reynolds-Naples Daily News Scholarship Fund. Contact Doris Reynolds at foodlvr25@aol.com Whiskey Park opened April 26 in the space formerly occupied by The Captain's Cabin, 3380 Mercantile Ave., East Naples. (Tim Aten/Daily News staff) Tim Aten In The Know SHARE Whiskey Park opened April 27, 2016, in the former space of The Captain's Cabin, 3380 Mercantile Ave., East Naples. (Tim Aten/Daily News staff) The outdoor patio at Shea's at Lansdowne Street, a neighborhood bar that opened Monday, May 2, 2016, at 720 Fifth Ave. S. in downtown Naples. (Tim Aten/Daily News staff) The recent opening of two new pubs provides two more casual dining opportunities for lunch, dinner and late-night bites in the Naples area. Although both are bar-centric establishments, each offers a menu beyond typical taverns. Whiskey Park opened April 26 in the space long occupied by the Captain's Cabin in East Naples, and Shea's at Lansdowne Street launched Monday off Fifth Avenue South in downtown Naples. Whiskey Park The rustic look inside Whiskey Park almost has the feel of an Old West saloon. Large whiskey barrels provide the base for many of the tables, and naked bulbs, some in chandeliers, hang overhead. It's hard to see any resemblance to the local bar that occupied this space in the industrial park off Airport-Pulling Road for nearly 30 years. Tearing out the old drop ceiling gives the new place at least another 10 feet overhead and provides the entire business with a spacious look. Patrons will notice a big difference between Whiskey Park and Hoelzer's original bar, Grumpy's Ale House, which closed last year after it operated eight years in The Pavilion shopping center. "We went into a totally different direction with this place, having food and a whiskey list and a beer list," Hoelzer said. "That was more of a bar. This is a restaurant." The menu, created by chef and co-owner Chris Prattini, was inspired by dishes from his past, such as a smokehouse brisket he recalled from before he went to culinary school. Born in New Orleans, Prattini gave many items on the menu a Cajun twist. "When I was putting it together, I really took some of things I grew up with and some of the things that influenced me," he said. "I kind of re-created each dish to be my own." An executive chef at Truluck's for several years, Prattini was the original chef when it opened in Naples years ago. He also was assistant general manager for eight years at Brio Tuscan Grille in Waterside Shops. The menu showcases Prattini's culinary roots. It's hard to overlook a couple of chicken-and-sausage rice dishes: gumbo ($7.99) and jambalaya ($15.99). Muffuletta sliders ($8.99) feature olive salad, sliced ham, salami, provolone and mozzarella. Three different po'boy options provide a choice between fried shrimp with remoulade ($9.99), cold turkey with a garlic aioli, ($8.99) and thinly sliced roast beef with horseradish aioli, mashed potatoes, pickles and au jus ($10.99). "Chris has done an amazing job with the food. He's got a lot of positive feedback," Hoelzer said. The top-selling appetizer so far has been the fried green tomatoes ($6.99), Prattini said, while the most popular entrees have been the burgers ($8.25 to $11.99), and roast beef po'boy and sliced brisket sandwiches (both $10.99). The roast beef is slow-cooked for eight hours, while the brisket is slow-roasted for 12 hours overnight, Prattini said. Other entrees include four-cheese ravioli ($12.99), braised pot roast ($13.99), a fried or scampi-style shrimp platter with fries and coleslaw ($16.99), and bow-tie pasta ($14.99) with olive oil, white wine, Parmesan, andouille sausage, shrimp, tomato and peas. Starters range from spinach and artichoke dip ($6.99) to cilantro and lime shrimp cocktail ($11.99). Wraps roll from Buffalo chicken or portobello ($8.99) to spicy Gulf shrimp ($10.99). Salads are available from $6.99 to $8.99. Of course, Whiskey Park's name immediately tells you it's more than a restaurant. The new bar has more than 50 different whiskeys to choose from, including specialty whiskey cocktails. It claims to be the only place in Southwest Florida with Jameson Irish whiskey on tap, and is planning to add Jack Daniel's on tap, as well, Prattini said. Whiskey Creek has 30 beers on tap at its large horseshoe bar, which offers happy hour 3 to 7 p.m. weekdays. A couple of pool tables provide splashes of color, and leather couches are tucked away for lounging. Outdoor seating is planned near its entrance. Whiskey Park, 3380 Mercantile Ave., is open 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. every day. For information, call 239-263-6777, or go to www.whiskeypark-naples.com. Know more For the latest in local restaurants coming and going, see Tim Aten's "In the Know" columns archived at naplesnews.com/intheknow, and on Facebook at facebook.com/timaten.intheknow. Money Talks SHARE By William F. Hague This time of the year rings in yet another round of the relatively quiet summer season here in paradise. By now, we all know that Southwest Florida is synonymous with all things real estate. Yes, this sacred cow has long been the standard by which all things are measured, economically speaking. On the heels of a nearly unheard of run up in prices only matched by the real estate bubble from nearly a decade ago, we are now seeing at least some similarities with both stocks and real estate. Both have had "unnatural" growth patterns during the last six years. Both are now experiencing what any market can expect after such a massive run up in values, and that is the corrective actions which should not only be expected, but accepted as part of the natural order of cycles. Recent headlines in the real estate industry have confirmed what many have previously observed, and that is that we are now experiencing a slowdown in not only price appreciation but one recent front page headline actually used the word "overpriced." Now before the Kool-Aid drinkers get all up in arms, these headlines and quotes are from sources within the real estate industry, neutral third party research with no agendas for buying or selling here in paradise. A national economist as well as Realtytrack and others have simply stated the obvious in that where we go from here is likely to be a cooling down from the white hot appreciation we have seen in recent years. Now, this is not to say that another crash is inevitable, rather simply that prices cannot and will not sustain current levels. As far as what's next, well we can confidently expect both the stock and real estate markets to take a collective breathe. Speaking of the stock market and money management, we are beginning to hear from more high profile names in the industry as to what we may expect next. Just this week Warren Buffett came out with a warning that, " no one can predict the effects of prolonged low rates because it has never happened before " He goes on to state; " very few people in 2009 would have dreamed that we could have this duration of low rates " In other words, in addition to the warnings that we all have become acquainted with regards to pending downward pressure that rising rates can and will have on the stock markets, the reality is that this too is unprecedented territory. What is next from here may be an unknown, yet at the same time we do not necessarily need to know the exact direction of markets to design and implement an investment plan which can weather all storms. History has shown us that there are options with proven track records that are available for retired investors who are simply fed up with the same old mutual fund and stock investing. We have encountered numerous retired investors who have complained about the lack of meaningful returns while paying an "adviser" for the privilege of ownership. The time has come for investors to embrace strategies other than the same old tired stock and bond investing. Mutual funds have perhaps lead the way in the category of "lackluster performance" as a direct result of the compounding effect that the annual fees can have on already watered down performance. The only thing worse than investing losses is compounding those losses with useless annual fees. Meanwhile, the fee friendly world of both insured index investing combined with the power and risk management of managed futures offers retired investors relevant options from both ends of the investing spectrum. The insured index generates the confidence that comes with safety, while the managed futures offer not only effective risk management, but also offer perhaps the best performance alternative with documented annual returns far greater than that of the stock markets, with significantly less risk. Going back to 1980, which by the way, represents the last 36 years of our investing lives, we have seen as much as four times more return with four times less risk. What's next is the confidence that comes with the life of a SWAN, Sleep Well At Night. William F. Hague is a managing partner of Hague Wealth Management; 239-389-1999 or WFHague@earthlink.net. As part of its seasonal Sicilian menu, Campiello Ristorante & Bar in Naples offers this pasta dish with spaghetti, tomato, bell peppers, eggplant and capers. Campiello SHARE Regional menu Campiello's monthly regional menu for May explores Sicily, the large island at the base of Italy. Chef Mike Dalton's menu includes Sicilian-style calzone, grilled tuna, and spaghetti with tomato, bell peppers, eggplant and capers. Dessert features cannoli cheesecake with lemon, ricotta and dark chocolate. 1177 Third St. S., Naples. 239-435-1166 Wine dinners Ristorante Ciao will feature fine wines from Badia Coltibuono during a special wine dinner May 12. Roberto Stucchi, the owner and winemaker of the vineyard, located in Tuscany, will be at the dinner to discuss his wines that will be paired with each of the four courses prepared by Chef Gianfranco Loreti. A welcome reception will begin at 6:30 p.m., with dinner to follow. Cost to attend is $75 per person. For more information or reservations, 239-263-3889. 835 Fourth Ave. S., Naples. ristoranteciao.com Sea Salt restaurant features a special dinner 7 p.m. Wednesday, showcasing special wines from the Donnafugata winemaking family with centuries of experience in the heart of Sicily. The wine-inspired menu is created by Corporate Chef Jason Goddard and Executive Chef Josh Zeman. Each course is paired with a wine that evokes the authentic flavors and fragrances of Sicilian terroir. The wine dinner is $95 per person, plus tax and gratuity. 1186 Third St. S., Naples. SeaSaltNaples.com. Reserve at 239-434-7258. Watermelon fest Seed-spitting, speed-eating competitions and sweet local watermelon will be featured at Fleamasters Sixth Annual Watermelon Festival, May 27 to 29. This year's free festival will have activities for the entire family. Enjoy free slices of sweet, local grown melon and purchase a melon or two to take home. 4135 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Fort Myers. 239-334-7001 Sunset cruise dinner Chez Boet and the Sweet Liberty sailing catamaran are now offering a special sunset cruise dinner package for $64 per person. The package includes a two-hour sunset cruise on the Sweet Liberty, a 53-foot sailing catamaran, followed by a two-course dinner at nearby Chez Boet. Advance reservations are required. A package for children 12 and under is offered at $26 per child. Groups are welcome to participate. The Sweet Liberty is docked at the Naples City Dock and Chez Boet is located at 755 12th Ave. S., Naples. 239-595-7002 Jimmy Keys returns Comedic entertainer Jimmy Keys returns to perform at Barbatella at 9 p.m. Saturday. Keys' audience-involved act showcases his talents as a piano player, vocalist, comedian, and visual impressionist. His high-energy comedy shows include popular Broadway songs and impressions of celebrities such as Elton John, Rod Stewart, Mick Jagger, Prince Charles, Willie Nelson and more. 1290 Third St. S., Naples. 239-263-1955. barbatellanaples.com Mother's market Whole Foods Market is celebrating Mother's Day early this year with an in-store celebration, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday. Shoppers will be able to take part in gift-making activities such as decorating a heart-shaped cookie cake ($11) with the Whole Foods Market bakery team and creating hand-drawn Mother's Day cards with store artists. Activities recommended for children ages 5 and up. Ladies will also be treated to complimentary mimosas by the Florida Whole Foods Market specialty teams. Compiled by Sebastian Gonzalez, sebastian.gonzalez@Naplesnews.com, 239-435-3432 A 23-year-old Naples man was arrested Tuesday on charges of attempted robbery and making false reports of a bomb after trying to rob a Golden Gate Estates bank, according to the Collier County Sheriff's Office. An arrest report states that Aaron Brown went to a BB&T on Collier Boulevard and Immokalee Road around 3:30 p.m. Tuesday, demanded $100,000 and told a bank employee he was the leader of ISIS. Brown threatened to blow the bank up if employees didn't give him the money, according to the report. A bank employee asked Brown if he had an account with the bank, and he stormed off and left in a red Ford Explorer, according to authorities. Sheriff's deputies found Brown down the street from the bank. The FBI, the Southwest Florida Bomb Task Force, CCSO K-9 and crime scene units searched the area and found no bomb. By Ben Brasch, The News-Press David Levin thought he was doing the right thing. Instead, he ended up in handcuffs on state charges and jailed for six hours Wednesday. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement accused the 31-year-old Estero man of hacking into the state elections website Jan. 4 and Jan. 31. He hacked into the Lee County elections website Dec. 19. Levin, a political consultant and owner of Vanguard Cybersecurity, turned himself in to FDLE on Wednesday for three third-degree-felony counts of property crimes. Levin was the youngest person to run for the Estero village council when The News-Press profiled him in February 2015 two months before his 30th birthday. He was booked into Lee County Jail just before 10 a.m. and was released just after 3:40 p.m. on a $15,000 bond. The FDLE described the attacks in an arrest report: "An SQL (Structured Query Language) is a code injection technique used to attack data-driven applications. An SQL injection enables an individual to obtain secure information, such as usernames and passwords, from vulnerable sources." DOCUMENT: Read the arrest warrant. Levin told the elections office what he did under the auspices of helping its cybersecurity and explained how he hacked into the databases in a YouTube video also featuring Dan Sinclair, who is one of the candidates running for the supervisor position against incumbent Supervisor of Elections Sharon Harrington. This all started, Sinclair said, when Levin called him in December after taking an online federal course that included some Department of Defense officials and penetration testing of online systems. Levin told him that he could easily get into the Lee elections website. The arrest report was clear that Sinclair did not ask Levin to hack into the sites, but that Levin called him to tell him what he had done afterward. Still, Harrington said she feels this is a political stunt by Sinclair, and added that "the timing of it was interesting." "I wasn't surprised," Harrington said Wednesday of the arrest. "It's not really closure ... It just think it's unfortunate this is happening." According to the report, Harrington reported the "intrusion" and the Lee County sheriff's deputies directed her to the FDLE. After investigating, state agents seized Levin's MacBook and iPhone 6S Plus along with other digital storage from his home on Feb. 8. Larry Long, FDLE spokesman, said during a press conference Wednesday that there are no other suspects in the case. Sinclair also attended the press conference and ask several questions of Long about particulars of the case. Between questions by reporters and Sinclair, Long said: "FDLE is not in the business of politics." Harrington said she first heard about the hacking in a short voicemail Sinclair left her and then when she started to get media inquiries about it. "I had nothing to do with it. They opened the door and walked through it," Harrington said. Sinclair accused Harrington of using her office for personal gain by smearing Sinclair and Levin. "Dave didn't do anything wrong," Sinclair said. "This is political corruption." When asked to respond, Harrington said: "I just sat back and let the FDLE do what they need to do." SHARE A sea turtle nest sits marked off on the beach behind a Port Royal home on Wednesday, May 4, 2016, in Naples. The nest is the first discovered by sea turtle monitors in Collier County this sea turtle nesting season. (David Albers/Staff) A sea turtle nest sits marked off on the beach behind a Port Royal home on Wednesday, May 4, 2016, in Naples. The nest is the first discovered by sea turtle monitors in Collier County this sea turtle nesting season. (David Albers/Staff) A sea turtle nest sits marked off on the beach behind a Port Royal home on Wednesday, May 4, 2016, in Naples. The nest is the first discovered by sea turtle monitors in Collier County this sea turtle nesting season. (David Albers/Staff) A sea turtle nest sits marked off on the beach behind a Port Royal home on Wednesday, May 4, 2016, in Naples. The nest is the first discovered by sea turtle monitors in Collier County this sea turtle nesting season. (David Albers/Staff) By Eric Staats of the Naples Daily News It's happening again on Southwest Florida beaches. A loggerhead sea turtle emerges from the darkness of the Gulf of Mexico, digs a hole with its rear flippers, lays 100 or so ping-pong ball-sized eggs in it, covers it with sand, and then crawls back below the waves. Mama was long gone by the time turtle trackers found the telltale flipper tracks at daylight Tuesday. They came out of the Gulf in front of a mansion in the 2600 block of Gordon Drive leading monitors to the first nest of the young turtle nesting season in Naples. One of Southwest Florida's most awaited natural cycles officially began Sunday and runs through Oct. 31, along with lighting restrictions that are meant to keep beachfront lights from discouraging nesting sea turtles or confusing hatchlings racing to make it back into the Gulf. As of Wednesday morning, monitors also had found two nests on Keewaydin Island including one that could be from a loggerhead the Conservancy of Southwest Florida has been tracking since 1988 one at Lovers Key State Park, two on Fort Myers Beach and four on Captiva Island. Loggerheads are not storming the beach like they were last year in Collier, where turtles laid 16 nests in the first week of nesting compared to just one nest this year, said the county's sea turtle program coordinator Maura Kraus. "We're hoping for a good one," Kraus said. "It's off to a slow start, but we always hope for a good one." There's still a long way to go: Last year, countywide turtle monitors counted 1,511 nests, of which 921 hatched. That compares to 1,378 nests laid in 2014 on Collier beaches. The number of nests only tells part of the story. Last year, of the 881 nests monitored by Collier County, predators destroyed 116 of them, an increase from 59 in 2014. And, of the nests that hatched, monitors estimated 43,500 baby sea turtles made it to the Gulf, a decrease from 2014, when monitors estimated almost 58,000 hatchlings climbed out of the nests. Only one in 1,000 baby sea turtles survives to adulthood. Florida's loggerheads, which are considered one step removed from endangered species status, have been posting improved nesting numbers since a low of 28,000 in 2007 on the state's core index beaches. Last year, monitors counted more than 47,000 nests on those beaches in 2015, still fewer than peak years of almost 60,000 nests in 1998 and 2012. Of all the thousands of turtles, there's Emily. That's what Conservancy of Southwest Florida senior biologist David Addison calls her. He's been watching her comings and goings from Keewaydin Island since 1988, at first using flipper tags to keep track of her, and then electronic chips. But when they put a satellite tag on the back of Emily's shell in 2009, that's when she really showed her stuff. Trackers watched on computer screens, ping by ping, as Emily made the slow migration from Keewaydin Island, through the Florida Straits to Andros Island in the Bahamas, a roughly 350-mile journey. She wouldn't come back until 2011. Monitors almost missed her. Addison said Emily's satellite tag had failed, leaving trackers in the dark, but she still had her electronic chip. Monitors routinely scan nesting turtles for the chip, and when they scanned Emily, she was re-revealed to them. They replaced her satellite tag and let her go on her way, which was back to Andros Island. She came back to Keewaydin Island in 2013. Curious, monitors replaced her satellite tag again. Emily returned to Andros Island. Then trackers waited, and watched, as Emily missed the 2014 nesting season at Keewaydin. She missed last year, too. And then she started moving again. She was pinging off the Keewaydin coast, between Naples and Marco Island, last week and over the weekend, about the same time monitors found the new nests there. Addison can't say for sure they are Emily's. The nests are due to hatch in late June. Addison said monitors will check the nests for dead hatchlings or embryos, take a sample of tissue and compare it with Emily's DNA. Then he will know. "They do what they do, and if you're patient, they'll tell you a story," Addison said. By Patrick Riley of the Naples Daily News If the state won't buy Edison Farms a 4,000-acre swath of environmentally sensitive land in south Lee County the county might. Lee Commissioner Larry Kiker said Tuesday he would go after Edison Farms under that scenario. The county could use money from its own conservation fund, he said. "It is important and has been for a long time," Kiker said. "It might be in a position now where we might be able to do something." Edison Farms, east of Interstate 75 between Corkscrew and Bonita Beach roads, consists of more than 3,500 acres of wetlands. Conservation groups have long described the stretch of land as significant, both as a habitat for rare species and as a resource to help restore flowways and enhance water quality. In 2014, Florida voters approved Amendment 1, a conservation provision that sets aside one-third of money collected through taxes on real estate document stamps to protect land and water. It will collect funds for the next 20 years. Lee County's preservation program predates Amendment 1. In 1996, Lee voters created Conservation 20/20, a taxpayer-funded program that purchases open land and protects it from development. It set aside 50 cents per $1,000 of taxable property value for land preservation. The county has eyed Edison Farms in the past. In 2011 the county agreed to vet the land through the Conservation 20/20 process, but its $170 million asking price and pending foreclosure litigation brought the parties to an impasse. The property is owned by Investors Warranty of America Inc., a real estate investment firm that won a judgment against the site's former owners in 2012. Kiker may find support for his plan in Bonita Springs, where a number of councilors have indicated that preserving the Density Reduction Groundwater Resource area, which includes Edison Farms, is a top priority. Bonita Springs Deputy Mayor Peter O'Flinn told fellow councilors during a Tuesday workshop that Kiker was "extremely supportive" of preserving Edison Farms. O'Flinn met with Kiker on Monday to talk about a variety of issues, including the county's plans to purchase and conserve lands in south Lee County. Those acquisitions could include Bonita Springs parcels near Edison Farms, O'Flinn said. Kiker "was very open-minded with respect to that, the possibility of considering that collectively with Edison Farms," O'Flinn said. Kiker said Rep. Ray Rodrigues, R-Estero, was the one "carrying the flag" to try to secure Amendment 1 money to buy Edison Farms. But Rodrigues' efforts fell short. "It did not happen this year," Kiker said. "Sometimes you have to sit through two legislative sessions." City of Naples seal SHARE By Joseph Cranney of the Naples Daily News The Naples City Council signaled support Wednesday for a new assistant chief position in the city's fire department, considering adding a job after previously rejecting proposals to increase staff. Acting Chief Pete DiMaria will ask the council to approve the new position during budget talks in September. The deputy chief would be in charge of operations, review the work of subordinate firefighters and respond to complaints from the public, among other responsibilities, according to a draft of the job description. A majority of council members during Wednesday's regular meeting said they favored adding the position. "I think it's needed," Mayor Bill Barnett said, even though the council voted against former Chief Steve McInerny' request to add at least four new firefighters to the department in 2012. But after a city-paid consultant released a report last year recommending the department add staff, including a deputy chief, "it changed a lot of our thinking," Barnett said. Councilman Doug Finlay, who opposed adding staff in 2012, said he was leaning in favor of the new position because he's comfortable "putting my faith" in DiMaria. "I have confidence that he'll only ask for what he needs," Finlay said. Councilmen Reg Buxton and Sam Saad also said they favored adding the position. "This gives the chief the opportunity to do more of what we expect of the fire chief, not just to be a great firefighter, but an administrator and run the department," Saad said. The new position could also allow for internal promotions. McInerny has suggested a lack of promotional opportunities was the reason the union stood against him. The deputy's projected salary hasn't been determined, but the department is working on a cost-benefit analysis and looking at pay ranges of deputies in other fire departments in the county, DiMaria said. In the Naples fire department, battalion chiefs, who report to DiMaria, have a base salary of up to $99,000. McInerny was paid $124,345 last year. The council agreed last fall to staff two of its fire stations with six more firefighters when it pulled the firefighters from their regular shifts at the airport. The fire department now uses overtime to provide service at the airport from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. McInerny was fired in March after the union president told an investigator that McInerny gave orders to increase the intensity of the department's fire responses to convince the council to give the department more money. McInerny, who was hired in 2009 from Ft. Lauderdale, lobbied the council for additional staff. In 2010, he said it was "dangerous" that the fire department's number of personnel had stayed virtually the same for two decades. The council added two firefighters to the department in fiscal year 2010-11. In 2012, he told the council that 12 additional firefighters would be ideal for the department, but requested an increase of four as "a step in the right direction." The council voted, 4-3, against the new firefighters. DAVID ALBERS/STAFF - The Collier County Government Center on Dec. 30, 2013. SHARE By Greg Stanley of the Naples Daily News The five candidates vying to represent most of eastern Collier on the county commission squared off Tuesday, discussing development and affordable housing for an area expected to see the most growth. Three Republicans, a Democrat and an independent write-in candidate are fighting for the commission's District 5 seat, which covers Immokalee, Ave Maria, Everglades City and most of Golden Gate Estates. As the county prepares for expected growth in the area, commissioners need to make sure firefighters, police officers, teachers and other working-class families have a place to live, the candidates said. But the question is, how? Democrat Tamara Paquette pointed to the county's impact fees, which are among the highest in the state. Impact fees work like one-time taxes imposed on developers and homebuilders as they erect new buildings. For years the county charged impact fees on a sliding scale, Paquette said. Smaller homes worth $60,000 paid less impact fees than waterfront mansions. "Now the county charges a flat rate," said Paquette, who runs a general contracting business with her husband. "So for a builder there's a sweet spot where the incentive to build is a $500,000 home. That's why you see so many bird houses for snow birds. We need to fix that impact fee system, so if you want a lower cost house you should be able to build one." To really spur affordable housing, the county needs to require developers to build a certain percentage of affordable units when their projects are approved, said Republican Randy Cash. "Especially in larger developments, they need to be held to a standard," Cash said. "The situation is abysmal." Republican Bill McDaniel, owner of a mining and excavation company and chairman of the Collier County Housing Authority, said he would work to reduce impact fees on new development and introduce a plan to incentivize, not require, developers to build units teachers and police officers could afford. "You do this through density transfers, so they could build more units," McDaniel said. "As chair of the Collier County Housing Authority, we oversee Section 8 housing and rental-based assistance. I can say that government subsidization doth not be the answer." Republican Doug Rankin, an attorney and local Habitat for Humanity board member, said he knows firsthand the problems impact fees can cause when trying to build affordable housing. "We have one of the most successful Habitat for Humanitys in the country and, until recently, we didn't even get impact fee waivers," Rankin said. "I would suggest that large developments have to set aside an area for affordable housing or make some contribution to it. If we're going to bring in a lot of high-income people, there is going to be demand for services. Our affordable housing problem can't just go up to Lee County." Marvin Courtright, a longtime Immokalee aviator and flight-instructor who is running as a write-in candidate, didn't directly say how he would spur affordable housing, but said the county needs to take better advantage of assets like the Immokalee airport to bring money into the area. He proposed that Immokalee consider incorporation to become its own city. "Immokalee has been a cash cow to Collier for years," Courtright said. "There's a lot of money in Immokalee. Let's incorporate it. Changes might come." SHARE H.H. Hermann, Naples Behind the facade Collier County School Board member Erika Donalds' recent guest commentary in the Naples Daily News in support of Florida's recent legislative provisions on education is just another cover-up through verbiage and euphemisms. Behind the facade of concern for the education of children lies the motives to privatize public education through charter schools and to facilitate private profits and control of government educational funding. George Orwell would have loved titles like "personal learning scholarships" or "competency-based learning." Even the animals in his novel "Animal Farm" would be impressed by new public programs, but on close examination still are based on two plus two equals five. When referring to public education, it means taxpayers' dollars for charter schools. What the Legislature is doing is creating a system increasingly controlled by firms bent on privatization of the entire system, promoting high profits and a packaged curriculum. Talk about Common Core. Their design is to habituate students to a model of economic and social inequalities. The tea party efforts to gain control of school boards is a poisonous assault on public education. They will flood us with a culture of anti-intellectualism, commercialism and privatization. Watch the tea party representatives in action at a Collier School Board meeting. They work to strip education of its civic values and its role as a democratic public good. It is shameful that the Florida Legislature has enabled them to shamelessly parade under the banner of new educational opportunities. SHARE Kathy Lowers, Naples Solidifies my opinion I see that David Goldstein, who is with the American Civil Liberties Union of Collier, started his attack (in a letter to the editor) on conservative candidate John Brunner, who is running for Collier County School Board, District 2. That the ACLU activist sees Brunner as a threat makes me all the happier to vote for him. I am tired of a small group of radical liberals trying to make our school system an expense-bloated, politically correct mess. Brunner is a pro-family values, fiscal conservative who is a father of young children. For 18 years, Brunner worked as a teacher and administrator in both public and private schools. For only one of those 18 years did Brunner teach at Mason Classical Academy, which hardly makes him a representative of that form of schooling, as Goldstein's letter insinuates. And although Goldstein dismisses Brunner's time running a private Christian school, voters like me appreciate someone with private sector educational experience being on the board. That means Brunner knows what it is like to operate on a real life, limited budget and he knows how to listen to parents. I cannot wait to line up and cast my vote for Brunner and I hope everyone who finds the ACLU a blight on the country does, too. SHARE Linda Chan, Naples Wasting taxpayer money As an avid watcher of the Collier County Commission meetings, it appears to me that for over a year Commissioner Georgia Hiller has used the commission meetings for self-promotion, ingratiating herself to county staff by attacking the clerk and interfering with his authority to audit county expenses. Isn't this campaigning on taxpayers' dime? On the Golden Triangle issue on the April 26 agenda, Hiller expressed no opinion on the issue until after the other commissioners enthusiastically supported the proposal. Hiller then said that she would support the plan only if the county manager hires a private escrow company, instead using the clerk. When the county attorney stated that the clerk is the most appropriate agent, Hiller interrupted, insisting that the county hire an escrow company. She was unconcerned that her proposal would waste taxpayers' money. The clerk can do the job competently; proof being that the clerk has received numerous awards of excellence from the state. Hiller's propensity to place herself above all else should be cause for concern. If she becomes clerk, will she continue to acquiesce to county staff or will she re-assert the clerk's authority? Enough tax dollars have been spent on challenging the clerk's authority to audit the county's expenditures. This matter has been settled by the courts. As a taxpayer, I do not wish Hiller to use my tax money to litigate again. Our Florida Constitution separates the powers of the County Commission and the Clerk of Courts to ensure checks and balances in government. The clerk's primary responsibility is to protect taxpayers' money. Taxpayers should be alarmed when the clerk is too chummy with the county staff. SHARE Nick Lichter, Naples Why we need Dixon A year ago, when U.S. News and World Report released its national high school rankings for 2015, the Naples Daily News decided it was front-page worthy news to announce Collier County placed three high schools Barron Collier, Gulf Coast and Naples High in the top 1,000. Not only was it front-page news, the Daily News published the story on the morning of a scheduled School Board meeting, so Superintendent Kamela Patton could be showered with praise by the local ACLU, and other organizations that support the status quo. Fast forward to the 2016 release of the U.S. News rankings, and the Daily News published the results on page 3A, the morning after the School Board meeting. Why? Because the 2016 results clearly demonstrate Patton's stated goal to marginalize, and eventually phase out teachers, via her transformation to "digital learning" has been an unmitigated, billion-dollar disaster. Specifically, Barron Collier dropped from 545 to 608; Naples dropped from 883 to 1,846 and Gulf Coast went from 953 to unranked, out of 2,500+ schools that were ranked. Couple this with, since her arrival in 2011, she has presided over an 83 percent reduction in the number of Collier County students scoring a 5, the highest score, on AP Biology, AP Chemistry and AP Physics, and Collier County taxpayers have quite possibly funded the most expensive educational failure in Florida history. This is why we need to elect School Board members like Lee Dixon. He wants to return control of classroom content back to teachers, rather than Patton's bloated administration. This August, vote Lee Dixon for School Board. Our children, teachers and your wallet will thank you. SHARE Michael A. MacDowell is the managing director of the Calvin K. Kazanjian Economics Foundation. He lives in Estero. By Michael A. Macdowell, Estero President Emeritus, Misericordia University Conflicting policies of the Obama administration are placing some institutions of higher education in very difficult positions. One such policy is the Department of Labor's proposal to substantially raise the salaries of those with mid-level and graduate positions at our nation's colleges and universities. While the new rule applies to all employees, it would hit higher education particularly hard. Colleges and universities are already under tremendous pressure to keep tuition rates from rising. The proposed rule would, in many instances, double the pay for graduate students and staff without any commensurate increase in productivity. Colleges and universities employ many graduate students whose benefits, such as tuition waivers, housing and board, are not counted as part of their salary by the government. These individuals are usually paid less than the $50,440 salary level that the Labor Department's proposed policy considers minimum. How significant a problem is this? The University of California system alone estimates that the cost will exceed $39 million a year. The vast majority of those funds will need to come from increased tuition. This places colleges and universities on the horns of a dilemma. Should institutions raise salaries, or should they instead reduce their mid-level workforce substantially and by so doing offer significantly fewer services to students? If they comply with higher salaries, they will undermine the president's goal of making colleges more affordable. According to the Wall Street Journal, the administration would not comment on this obvious dilemma. To be sure, however, the policy, once enacted, will inevitably increase tuition and the amount of debt with which students will graduate. Some have suggested it would be easy to address a dilemma by simply cutting back on highly paid administrators and faculty. But these are not the employees who will be directly impacted by the new policy. Rather, lower-level staff and students will suffer. Many of them will be graduate and postdoctoral students. Most are in the process of honing their skills to qualify for research grants, teaching or other positions in the private and public sector where they will help create the nation's wealth of tomorrow. New state policies regarding minimum wages will also harm colleges because they employ many student workers who are paid the minimum wage. This will be particularly true in California and New York, where a gradual rising yet substantial increase in the minimum to $15 an hour has been put into place. Competing studies exist, but the generally held opinion of economists is that a significant increase in the minimum wage causes unemployment among those it is supposed to help. A survey of 166 U.S. economists, conducted by the University of New Hampshire for the nonpartisan Employment Policies Institute, found that 83 percent thought the new $15 minimum wage would have a negative impact upon youth employment, 52 percent believe it will diminish adult employment and 76 percent said it would lower the number of jobs available overall. Faced with increasing labor costs, employers will inevitably reduce the number of employees usually starting with those working at close to minimum wage. This will certainly be true with colleges whose student workers are paid minimum wage. It is not only the Democrats who are advancing dichotomous economic policies. Leading Republican presidential candidates advocate significant limits on immigration from Mexico and Central America. This will inevitably raise the cost of labor and hence the prices we pay for goods and services, stunting economic growth so important to the nation. It would be a refreshing change if those advocating new policies spelled out the intended and unintended consequences of their recommendations. It is not a matter of who will pay for the new Department of Labor salary increases. Students and their parents will. Nor are the consequences of a significant jump in the minimum wage unknown. Restricting immigration will raise labor costs in this country and the price of the goods and services we enjoy. So when a new policy is advanced or a new program is put into place, remember to think through its implications. It may sound good but there really is no such thing as a free lunch. __ MacDowell is the managing director of the Calvin K. Kazanjian Foundation The Florida Department of Healths Tobacco Free Florida program and Tobacco Free Collier are launching a new initiative, Secondhand Smoke Exposed, as part of the eighth annual Tobacco Free Florida Week, taking place May 8-14, to educate Collier County residents about the dangers of secondhand smoke. This years theme, Secondhand Smoke Exposed, focuses on dispelling the common myth that secondhand smoke is harmless. The fact is that breathing even small amounts of secondhand smoke can be dangerous. Many people are unaware of how detrimental secondhand smoke exposure can be to ones health, said Tobacco Free Florida Bureau Chief Valerie Lacy. The goal of this years Tobacco Free Florida Week is to make sure all Floridians are aware of the dangers of secondhand smoke. The Tobacco Free Collier Partnership supports local tobacco-related interventions, including raising public awareness about subject areas related to secondhand smoke. Partnership members in Collier County offer guidance and support services, from guiding a multiunit housing property through the process of going smoke-free, to presenting the benefits of a tobacco free college campus.* Despite the growing trend of smoke-free policies and the substantial decrease of smokers in the state, many of Collier Countys most vulnerable are still involuntarily affected by secondhand smoke, which has hundreds of toxic chemicals including about 70 that are known to cause cancer. Secondhand smoke greatly increases the risk of lung cancer, which is Floridas number-one cancer killer. Each year, primarily due to secondhand smoke exposure, an estimated 7,300 non-smoking Americans die of lung cancer. Local housing communities and businesses in Collier County are taking action to protect residents and employees from harmful secondhand smoke. Two communities, Vanderbilt Towers II and Moorings Park, have taken steps in recent months to become smoke-free properties. Residents in Collier County and throughout the state benefit from the Florida Clean Indoor Air Act (FCIAA), which was amended in 2003 to prohibit smoking in indoor workplaces and restaurants. Floridians can help protect themselves and their families by reporting unlawful smoking through a Department of Health phone line (1-800-337-3742), making the state an even better place to live. May is also Asthma and Allergy Awareness Month, and tobacco smoke is one of the most common asthma triggers. Children with asthma who are exposed to secondhand smoke are likely to experience more frequent and more severe attacks, which can put their lives in danger. In fact, more than 40 percent of children who go to the emergency room for asthma attacks live with smokers. If you smoke, the best thing you can do to protect your loved ones is to quit. Floridians who want to quit smoking are encouraged to use Tobacco Free Floridas free and proven-effective services. More information is available at tobaccofreeflorida.com. The eighth annual Tobacco Free Florida Week takes place from May 8-14. Join the conversation on social media using #SHSExposed. The Florida Department of Healths Tobacco Free Florida campaign is a statewide cessation and prevention campaign funded by Floridas tobacco settlement fund. Tobacco users interested in quitting are encouraged to use one of the states three ways to quit. Since 2007, more than 137,000 Floridians have successfully quit, using one of these free services. To learn more about Tobacco Free Florida and the states free quit resources, visit www.tobaccofreeflorida.com or follow the campaign on Facebook at www.facebook.com/TobaccoFreeFlorida or on Twitter at www.twitter.com/tobaccofreefla. The department works to protect, promote and improve the health of all people in Florida through integrated state, county and community efforts. Follow us on Twitter at @HealthyFla and on Facebook. For more information about the Florida Department of Health please visit www.floridahealth.gov. Professional Pilot magazine named Naples Municipal Airport the 23rd best fixed-base operator and the 12th best independent FBO in the United States in its May issue. An FBO provides fuel, hangar space, parking and other services to private and corporate aircraft and other general aviation operators. We are honored by this ranking, which reflects our commitment to safety and providing outstanding customer service from arrival to departure, said Chris Rozansky, executive director of Naples Municipal Airport. The magazines 48th annual Preferences Regarding Aviation Services and Equipment survey rankings are selected from ballots that are completed by qualified Professional Pilot readers and carefully vetted. The data was analyzed and tabulated independently by Conklin & de Decker, an industry-leading aviation consultancy. Professional Pilot is a monthly business-aviation trade magazine founded in 1967. Readership includes professional pilots and other flight-crew members, maintenance technicians, and ground support staff. Naples Municipal Airport welcomed the return of scheduled airline service on Feb. 27 when Elite Airways began flights to Newark, New Jersey, and Portland, Maine. The airport is home to flight schools, air charter operators, car rental agencies and corporate aviation and nonaviation businesses, as well as fire/rescue services, mosquito control, the Collier County Sheriffs Aviation Unit and other community services. During the 2014-15 fiscal year, the airport accommodated 99,569 takeoffs and landings. All funds used for the airports operation, maintenance and improvements are generated from activities at the airport or from federal and state grants; the airport receives no property tax dollars. The Florida Department of Transportation values the airports annual economic impact to the community at $283.5 million. For more information or to subscribe for email updates about the airport, visit www.FlyNaples.com. Banks that feast on commercial real estate better have plenty of capital set aside. Many institutions stacked their balance sheets with CRE loans in recent years, particularly in areas such as multifamily lending. Now there is evidence regulators may soon require those banks to maintain higher capital ratios. Suffolk Bancorp in Riverhead, N.Y., expects the Office of Comptroller of the Currency to require its bank to maintain a 12% total risk-based capital ratio, Howard Bluver, the $2.3 billion-asset company's chief executive, said in a press release tied to quarterly results. Suffolk, as a result, will "temporarily pull back" from CRE lending, despite having ample capital, he said. Bluver's comments come five months after federal regulators sounded a warning about increasing concentrations and loosening underwriting standards in certain CRE sectors. While it is unlikely Suffolk is facing a formal regulatory order, Collyn Gilbert, an analyst at Keefe, Bruyette & Woods, wrote in a note to clients that it is possible that regulators are quietly pushing new capital requirements on other CRE-heavy lenders. Regulators have been paying close attention to banks where CRE loans make up 300% of total risk-adjusted capital, particularly as a result of ramped-up originations over the last three years, industry experts have said. Those trends are evident at more than two dozen banks covered by KBW. While several institutions are multifamily lenders in New York, the list also includes California companies such as Opus Bank, BBCN Bancorp and PacWest Bancorp, as well as Bank of the Ozarks, BNC Bancorp and Stonegate Bank in the Southeast. At Suffolk, CRE loans were equal to 356% of total risk-adjusted capital, based on Sept. 30 data compiled by KBW that includes loans for multifamily projects and farmland. Bluver, who once worked for the Office of Thrift Supervision, also said he expects the OCC to require Suffolk's bank to maintain a 9% Tier 1 leverage ratio and an 11% Tier 1 risk-based capital ratio. He said Suffolk, where capital levels current exceed those targets, could sell selected investment securities and multifamily loans, if necessary, to maintain those ratios. Those capital requirements would be significantly higher than the typical standard for well-capitalized banks, which have to maintain a 5% Tier 1 leverage ratio, an 8% Tier 1 risk-based capital ratio and a 10% total risk-based capital ratio. An OCC representative declined to comment. So far, no other bank has publicly discussed higher capital requirements, though First of Long Island, another company with significant CRE concentrations, recently disclosed plans to raise $35 million to support organic growth. Gilbert called the timing of the $3.2 billion-asset company's stock offering "interesting," given Suffolk's disclosure. "While we do not believe that [First of Long Island] is explicitly subject to similar minimums at this point, this capital raise will bolster regulatory ratios and should allow for continued CRE growth," she said. A call to First of Long Island, where CRE loans were equal to 330% of total risk-based capital at Sept. 30, was not immediately returned. Why hospitals are a safe haven for hacking The empire hacks back (NaturalNews) An anonymous member of Kaspersky Lab's research team has disclosed how easy it is for cyber-criminals to alter the way medical devices work , putting the lives of patients at risk, and potentially costing hospitals hundreds of thousands of dollars.Computer hackers have deployed a malicious piece of malware known as ransomware against hospitals in both the U.S. and Canada in recent months. Ransomware works by locking computers and thwarting users from accessing vital information until they pay a ransom. Bitcoin is usually the type of currency demanded by hackers, since it is difficult to trace.Hospitals are an ideal target for ransomware, because they offer critical care and are dependent upon the most current information from patient records. Without easy access to a patient's drug, medical and family history, patient care can be stymied, which puts pressure on hospitals to succumb to the hackers' demands. Interfering with patient hospital care jeopardizes the lives of hospital patients and is considered low even by hacker standards.Kaspersky Lab, an international software security group, was able to hack a hospital in an experiment in order to demonstrate that they could obtain access to hospital machines, and in turn, patient data. As a result, hackers can change patient information, resulting in the prescription of potentially gratuitous and dangerous treatments.Conventional clinics and hospitals harbor advanced medical equipment dependent upon working computers equipped with an operating system and several applications. Since medical equipment is expensive, difficult to fix and is not updated regularly, it is particularly susceptible to the malicious activities of computer hackers The anonymous expert claimed that internet hackers could implement the Shodan search engine to seek particular medical equipment connected to the internet, including MRI scanners and defibrillators. Hackers could have easy access to medical devices dependent on outdated operations system too, like Windows XP.In particular, the software firm was able to access several medical devices listed on Shodan, which did not require an access password because the local network was trusted. While navigating the network, the experts at Kaspersky Lab discovered a "common shell" in the device's user interface, enabling the hacker to obtain potentially sensitive patient data.A computer hacker could use the same method to access patient medical records, including their addresses and ID information, which they could in turn sell or change. Even more disturbing, hackers could alter the way in which medical devices routinely function, which could potentially harm and even kill patients.According to Sergey Lozhkin, senior researcher at Kaspersky Great Lab: "Clinics are no longer only doctors and medical equipment, but IT services too."The work of a clinic's internal security services affects the safety of patient data and the functionality of its devices."Medical software and equipment engineers put a lot of effort into creating a useful medical device that will save and protect human life, but they sometimes completely forget about protecting it from unauthorised external access."When it comes to new technologies, safety issues should be addressed at the first stage of the research and development process. IT security companies could help at this stage to address safety issues." 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Ireland United States Minor Outlying Islands United States of America Uruguay, Eastern Republic of Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of Viet Nam, Socialist Republic of Wallis and Futuna Islands Western Sahara Yemen Zambia, Republic of Zimbabwe Cows, monkeys, chickens, dogs ... 'What else is in there?' (NaturalNews) Physicians in training learn a great deal about disease processes, signs, symptoms and potential treatments many of which involve the use of vaccines . But they are not actually taught about the controversy surrounding them, or what damaging ingredients vaccines actually contain.As noted in this video , Americans are simply fed the mantra that " all vaccines are safe and effective ," and that all doctors are "expert" scientists when it comes to vaccination.Dr. Suzanne Humphries, MD., speaking at a podium in the video, says that many people don't know that doctors are not taught about vaccines in medical school."Doctors are not taught about vaccines in medical school. We are not taught what's in vaccines in so far as the adjuvants. We are not taught how vaccines are manufactured, as far as what kind of animals go into them. We are not taught the potential dangers of vaccination, and we are basically given a piece of paper that says when the vaccines are due, and when to give them."A geneticist, Dr. Mark Geier, MD, Ph.D., then noted:"I've been in vaccines for 35 years. I didn't know that rhogam [given to mothers whose blood types are Rh-negative] had Thimerosal in it, so, I think a lot of the doctors were unaware; they were unaware that even the word 'Thimerosal' meant mercury ."Dr. Geier, along with his son, David, produced a study that was published in the Spring 2003 issue of the, tying Thimerosal found in some childhood vaccines, to neurodevelopment disorders like autism and heart disease in the United States. The study essentially confirmed that with increasing doses of mercury, there were greater risks that children would develop autism and other disorders.Next, Dr. Sherri Tenpenny, D.O., a long-time vaccine truth advocate , noted in the video that in her "first life," she was an emergency medicine physician and emergency department director at a hospital in Ohio for about 12 years, who thought that vaccines only contained "a little sterile water and a little dead virus or a little dead bacteria." One day she decided to look into vaccine ingredients a little further, just by reading the inserts, and she learned that many vaccines were made using various animal serums cows, monkeys, chickens, dogs and even human embryos.Dr. Tetyana Obukhanych, Ph.D., an immunologist, states in the next portion of the video that researchers like her don't read any studies other than those that pertain directly to their, because they either don't have the time, or don't want to get bogged down with information that doesn't pertain to their work."We don't really deal with [the] real world," she says. "We do research in labs, a sort of Ivory Tower profession, and we don't really even read these [other] publications, because this is too far away from our field. We only read what is specific to our research, and usually it's immunization and how antibodies are generated, and details of the immune responses."Dr. Lawrence Palevsky, MD, says that when he graduated medical school in 1983, he knew nothing about what was actually in vaccines. But about 15 years later, he says, he found out that there was mercury in some vaccines, and wondered why he was not taught as much in class."So my question was, 'Well, whatis in there?'" he said. "So I just started to explore more of the package inserts, more of the manufacturing processes, more of the adverse effects , and started reading the literature [on vaccines] that doesn't get near medical schools and residency programs. And I started to realize that there was more information to learn than what I was originally taught."Mind you,in their respective medical and medical research fields; they are not kooks, crazies or lunatics. They are just ordinary people with extraordinary qualities curiosity and an open mind who are not prepared to simply swallow the standard medical lines about vaccines.Watch the full eight-minute video here Despite the email, residents in that jurisdiction were later notified of the high lead level. The Chateaux Du Lac Condominiums, a homeowners association in Fenton, Michigan, operates on a private water system. Since its inception, records show, the association has struggled with high lead levels time and again. The system has exceeded federal lead action levels, set to trigger remediation efforts such as public education campaigns or expensive corrosion control, eight times over the past 20 years. "Bump this one out" (NaturalNews) In recent days so-called "smoking gun" evidence has surfaced in the Flint, Michigan, lead contamination scandal.is reporting that a state environmental official suggested that a water collection technician who was gathering samples for a suburban Detroit private water system 'bump out' a test result that contained very high levels of lead by testing more homes.By doing so that could eliminate the need to send out a "lead public notice," according to the 2008 email, which would then have alerted residents that their water contained dangerously high levels of the neurotoxic heavy metal "Oh my gosh, I've never heard [it] more black and white," Marc Edwards, a Virginia Tech professor and lead expert who helped uncover the Flint water crisis."In the Flint emails, if you recall, it was a little bit implied... this is like telling the strategy, which is: 'You failed, but if you go out and get a whole bunch more samples that are low, then you can game it lower,'" he continued. "It just shows that this culture of corruption and unethical, uncaring behavior predated Flint by at least six years."reported further:Many of the water pipes in and around Detroit and Flint were installed early in the 20th century.In September 2008, a water lab technician gathered five samples from the nearly 45 homes in the association, which was the minimum amount of samples required for analysis. As per protocol, the technician submitted the five samples to the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality for testing.Of those five, one registered 115 parts per billion (ppb) of lead, 10 times higher than the federally mandated level of 15 ppb, when enforcement action is triggered. That level technically put Chateaux's water system out of compliance,noted."On 16 September 2008, Adam Rosenthal , an MDEQ environmental quality analyst, sent an email to the technician to discuss the results. He copied Mike Prysby, the state employee who was criminally charged last week for his role in the city of Flint's two-year lead contamination crisis, along with state employee Stephen Busch," the news site said. Prysby and Busch have been accused of "improperly [manipulating] the collection of water samples" and for "removing from samples to be included" in federal reports by the state attorney general's office."I just saw the results 115 ppb for lead is a bit high," Rosenthal wrote in the email. "Since this is an annual round of monitoring, which ends 9/30/08, there is still time to collect more samples and possibly bump this one out."As Natural News has reported, the state of Michigan is not solely to blame for this mess. The federal Environmental Protection Agency was aware of the problem but did not intervene. The regional EPA director, Susan Hedman, was not prosecuted, however, or even charged with criminal negligence. Rather, she was just allowed to resign.And it's not just the EPA that is guilty of this kind of malfeasance. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention continues to cover up the link between MMR vaccines and autism,When some Americans argue for more and bigger government at the local, state and federal level, you have to wonder why, considering how often government entities fail us, lie to us and cover up wrong-doing.Could your family unknowingly be drinking or bathing in water contaminated with toxic chemicals? Visit EPAwatch.org to learn how you can find out while helping to contribute to a safer water supply for all Americans! Large coalition of anti-glyphosate activists rally outside White House Science shows widespread glyphosate contamination (NaturalNews) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is currently conducting a "registration review" of glyphosate to determine if the chemical is safe to use for another 15 years. For it to be approved, the chemical must be in compliance with the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act, which requires that under proper use the chemical "will not generally cause unreasonable adverse effects on the environment."Though the agency says its cancer assessment on glyphosate is not yet finalized, on Friday, the EPA published what appeared to be their conclusion, which stated that the weed killer is not carcinogenic to humans, contradicting earlier reports from the World Health Organization stating that it is.In a peculiar move, the EPA quickly yanked the documents from the web, saying they were "inadvertently" published, according to Reuters. The documents, which were retrieved, show the agency based its assessment entirely on industry data, including slideshow presentations from none other than Monsanto.Though disappointing, activists are hopeful the EPA will make true on its promises, including a pledge it made to have its data peer-reviewed before reaching a final decision regarding the carcinogenicity of glyphosate, Alexis Baden-Mayer, Political Director for the Organic Consumers Association, toldHowever, individuals concerned with the health and environmental impacts of glyphosate don't intend to wait for more bad news. Today at 11:30 a.m. EST, citizens, activists, and scientists will spring into action and rally outside the White House demanding the EPA revoke the license for glyphosate.Following the rally, a large coalition of national organizers will march over to the EPA headquarters located at 1200 Pennsylvania Ave NW at 1:00 p.m. EST to deliver 400,000 petitions demanding the government immediately halt the use of glyphosate on American's farmland, parks, and schools.The event was organized by Moms Across America and Care2, and has received assistance from the Organic Consumers Association, Beyond Pesticides, Friends of the Earth, SumOfUs, CREDO Action, and Food Democracy Now.The rally is scheduled just one week after the European Union voted to renew the license of glyphosate for another 10 years, in light of fierce opposition.The EPA's premature and unofficial ruling that glyphosate is not likely to be cancerous to humans has led event organizers "to believe the EPA will renew the license of glyphosate, an act which many say, due to health implications, America cannot afford," according to the event's press release "The EPA is simply ignoring hundreds of scientific studies showing harm. The fact is that plenty of science shows that the contamination of glyphosate in our wine, beer, tap water, urine, breast milk, cotton products, cereal and breakfast foods is a major contributing factor to America's skyrocketing illnesses," said Zen Honeycutt, with Moms Against America."This widespread contamination of this probable carcinogen, neurotoxin and endocrine disruptor must stop. The EPA MUST revoke the license of glyphosate now and protect the people, not the profits of the chemical companies."This is a pivotal moment for the EPA and the United States government, where they have the chance to show how much they value the health and safety of the people of the United States by revoking the license of glyphosate," said Honeycutt."More than 400,000 concerned citizens have signed petitions demanding that the EPA take responsible action against this toxic chemical. There is an outpouring of concern and anger about our government's continued appeasement of corporations that do not have our best interests at heart. We will hold the EPA accountable, and we challenge the EPA to demonstrate its commitment to democracy and to our well-being."Stayed tuned ascontinues to follow this important event Monsanto celebrates renewal of glyphosate license More proof regulatory agencies serve industry, not the people The epidemiological evidence at this time does not support a causal relationship between glyphosate exposure and solid tumors. There is also no evidence to support a causal relationship between glyphosate exposure and the following non-solid tumors: leukemia, multiple myeloma, or Hodgkin lymphoma. Co-formulants more dangerous than glyphosate Activists rally outside White House, demand an end to glyphosate use (NaturalNews) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is currently assessing the toxicity of the widely used herbicide, glyphosate, the active ingredient in Monsanto's Roundup. The agency reviews each registered pesticide every 15 years to determine its safety and whether or not it's still in compliance with the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA).Though the EPA says it has not officially completed its review of glyphosate, the agency published what appeared to be the results of the assessment to its website Friday, which claimed to find that glyphosate is not carcinogenic to humans, contradicting earlier reports from the World Health Organization stating that the weedkiller is a "probable carcinogen."In a surprising and strange twist, the EPA quickly pulled the assessment results, which were labeled "FINAL," from its website, saying the documents were "inadvertently" published and that it had not yet finished its review.Though disappointed in the premature ruling, activists are hopeful the EPA will complete a thorough and fair review and make good on its promise to have its data peer-reviewed before reaching a final decision regarding the carcinogenicity of glyphosate, Alexis Baden-Mayer, Political Director for the Organic Consumers Association toldDespite the EPA's statement that their cancer review on glyphosate is incomplete, Monsanto quickly began celebrating the news, confirming the agency did in fact rule the widely used weed killer is not cancerous to humans.The EPA's document was "clearly labeled and signed as the final report of EPA's Cancer Assessment Review Committee," said Monsanto.Documents deleted by the EPA include summaries of three meetings in 2015 between agency officials and Monsanto; "preliminary ecological risk assessments of glyphosate on milkweed;" "a report discussing possible label amendments to two of Monsanto's Roundup products when used on oilseeds, fruit and other crops; and a six-slide Monsanto presentation to the EPA officials," according to "EPA has not completed our cancer review," the agency told Reuters. "We will look at the work of other governments as well as work by (the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services') Agricultural Health Study as we move to make a decision on glyphosate."But the damage was already done, as the documents reveal once again that the agency used industry-funded research to determine the "safety" of glyphosate. "All they're doing is reviewing studies that are funded by the industry," said Jennifer Sass, a senior scientist at Natural Resources Defense Council."EPA's determination that glyphosate is non-carcinogenic is disappointing, but not terribly surprisingindustry has been manipulating this process for years," said Nathan Donley, a scientist with the Center for Biological Diversity (CBD). "The analysis done by the World Health Organization is more open and transparent and remains the gold standard."As reported by, the documents EPA deleted from its site include the following statement:The analysis cited data from "private biochemical firms like Inveresk Research International, Nufarm, and Arysta Life Sciences," according toThe Center for Biological Diversity highlights the fact that the EPA's assessment focused only on glyphosate as a singular ingredient, ignoring its co-formulants, or other ingredients used to increase the chemical's effectiveness that could potentially be more toxic than the primary ingredient Little is understood about the health effects of co-formulant chemicals. However, French researcher Gilles-Eric Seralini showed that glyphosate's co-formulants are often endocrine disruptors and are 1,000 more toxic than glyphosate alone.On Wednesday, May 4 at 11:30 a.m. EST, citizens, activists, and scientists will spring into action and rally outside the White House demanding the EPA revoke the license for glyphosate.Following the rally, a large coalition of national organizers will march over to the EPA headquarters located at 1200 Pennsylvania Ave NW at 1:00 p.m. EST to deliver 400,000 petitions demanding the government immediately halt the use of glyphosate on American's farmland, parks, and schools.The event was organized by Moms Across America and Care2, and has received assistance from the Organic Consumers Association, Beyond Pesticides, Friends of the Earth, SumOfUs, CREDO Action, and Food Democracy Now."The EPA is simply ignoring hundreds of scientific studies showing harm. The fact is that plenty of science shows that the contamination of glyphosate in our wine, beer, tap water, urine, breast milk, cotton products, cereal and breakfast foods is a major contributing factor to America's skyrocketing illnesses," said Zen Honeycutt, with Moms Against America [PDF]."Tragically, the EPA's preliminary cancer finding doesn't only contradict the WHO determination that glyphosate is a probable carcinogen. It also contradicts the lived experience of many members of the Organic Consumers Association and people in the US around the world who have been exposed to glyphosate and now have cancer," said Baden-Mayer."There's a word for the harm Monsanto has caused with poisons like Roundup and Agent Orange: ecocide. Ecocide should be a crime and Monsanto should be charged. That's why OCA is helping to organize the Monsanto Tribunal at the Hague on World Food Day."Stay tuned ascontinues to follow this important event. The process of commercializing the discoveries made in university laboratories has come a long way over the past 30 years or so. I didn't even know what that meant when I started out, says biomedical engineer David Kaplan at Tufts University in Medford, Massachusetts. Fifteen years and eight companies after his first patent, for a knee ligament made of silk, Kaplan is now well versed in the ways of technology-transfer offices (administrative infrastructure for ushering innovations out of the lab and into private development). The wisdom he has gained boils down to a few simple words: It's an evolution, he says. And with shifting economic pressures, a drive to accelerate public access to innovations and changes to intellectual property law, technology transfer may be on the cusp of a major evolutionary leap. Working with the Structural Genomics Consortium, researchers at the University of Oxford, UK, study new and often difficult to target proteins. Credit: Peter Canning Most historians agree that patent legislation originated in the Italian city of Venice in 1474. But for many centuries, universities in Europe and the United States were not involved in bringing new inventions to society. Because many universities were publicly funded, discoveries were published in the scientific literature, but were not patented. Industry and academia operated in vastly different spheres. Licensing of inventions by academics became more prevalent in the early twentieth century. US chemist Frederick Cottrell received a patent for his device to reduce industrial pollution an electrostatic precipitator in 1908. The University of WisconsinMadison founded its technology-transfer office in 1925 to disseminate biochemist Harry Steenbock's discovery that irradiating food to increase vitamin D could treat rickets. Steenbock paid his own patent fees of US$300 (equivalent to roughly $4,000 today). When Quaker Oats offered him $1 million for his invention, Steenbock worked with university administrators to create an office that would allow the academic institution to benefit financially. The office licensed Steenbock's technology to Quaker Oats in 1927, leading to the introduction of breakfast cereal fortified with vitamin D. Bodies such as the US National Science Foundation, established in 1950, and the German Research Foundation, founded in 1951, increased government funding for academic research, but legislation allowing the commercialization of discoveries did not keep pace. Discoveries made by scientists through publicly funded research grants became the property of the governments that provided the money. A few pathways from public invention to private commercialization did exist. The UK established the National Research Development Corporation (NRDC) in 1948 a government body that led to innovations such as the first hovercraft in the late 1950s. In the United States, private companies could enter into institutional patent agreements with universities, but it was a fraught process, with rules varying among universities and government agencies. By the late 1970s, of the estimated 30,000 patents accrued by the US government through federally funded research, only around 1,200 were licensed and even fewer had made it to market. In Europe, legislation was mostly lacking. Germany's Employees' Inventions Act of 1957 gave more autonomy to academic inventors, but in general there was little interest across Europe in commercializing publicly funded research. In the United States, the 1980 BayhDole Act catalysed a surge of interest in commercializing academic research. The landmark legislation continues to provide a legal framework for patenting discoveries made using federal grant money. In the United Kingdom, the biggest shift came in 1985, when the government eliminated the monopoly that the British Technology Group, a public body, had on commercializing publicly funded innovations a move that was followed by an increase in academic entrepreneurship. Several other European countries, including Germany, Denmark and Belgium, also have technology-transfer legislation, but laws governing this practice vary widely. Some are more restrictive on individuals, allowing universities to retain ownership of an invention instead. Others permit inventors to own patents derived from publicly funded research. This variation led the international group the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development to consider whether a BayhDole-type policy should be adopted by the organization's member countries. Since BayhDole was enacted, technology-transfer offices have proliferated at universities in the United States and elsewhere. In 2014, at least 6,300 licences were secured by technology-transfer offices in the United States. Technology transfer has made available discoveries such as cancer drugs, recombinant DNA, imaging diagnostics and nanotechnology in the United States alone, more than 23,000 patents have been filed by universities. But technology transfer is facing several challenges. In the United States, which is the largest generator of academic innovations, federal grant budgets have shrunk or at best remained flat since 2003. In the United Kingdom, despite some capital investment, the budget for basic-science research has remained at 4.7 billion (US$6.7 billion) annually for the past 6 years. And how changes to the US patent system will impact commercialization is unknown the United States has adopted a first-inventor-to-file rather than a first-to-invent structure, initiated by the 2011 LeahySmith America Invents Act, bringing it more in line with the rest of the world. The first-to-invent system awards patents to the individual who first conceived the idea, created a workable prototype and then filed a patent. The first-to-file approach awards the patent to whoever submits the paperwork first, regardless of when the idea was conceived. The change to the US system may reduce interference proceedings lengthy and costly battles that follow claims to a patent by separate parties, as is currently happening between the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard and the University of California, Berkeley, over CRISPRCas9 gene-editing technology. However, the first-to-file approach could shift the focus away from carefully ensuring that an innovation is workable in favour of racing to file paperwork on an incomplete idea. The change could also favour large companies with the resources, such as staff and attorneys, to handle large volumes of patents over smaller companies or independent inventors. We can never forget that we are, at core, an academic institution. We're at another inflection point, says John Swartley, executive director of the Penn Center for Innovation (PCI), the technology-transfer office at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. To face these challenges, technology-transfer offices need to find new ways to work with private companies, scientists and outside investors, while maintaining their own integrity. We can never forget that we are, at core, an academic institution, says Swartley. Coping strategies One of the most difficult aspects of moving a technology from academic concept to valuable product is crossing the chasm between early innovation and readiness for licensing a stretch often referred to as the 'valley of death'. One of the greatest challenges for academic technology transfer is trying to interest either established companies or venture investors in our early-stage discoveries, says Fred Reinhart senior adviser in the technology-transfer office at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Almost all of them have gone to later-stage, less risky investments. High-volume crystallization plates used by the Structural Genomics Consortium. Credit: Ella Hughman That hurdle also exists outside the United States. There's always been a relative shortage of cash at this early stage, says Steven Schooling, director of engineering and physical sciences at University College of London Business (UCLB), the technology-transfer office at UCL. Many universities are providing internal funding to bridge the valley of death, along with seed funding for even earlier stages of research when no other grant support exists. At North Carolina State University in Raleigh, the Chancellor's Innovation Fund provides awards of up to $75,000 to researchers whose work has garnered encouraging feedback from an outside company. It's not huge money, acknowledges Kelly Sexton, director of the office of technology transfer at the university. But the amount is enough to help academics through the proof-of-concept stage. There's kind of a sweet spot where this can be useful, says Sexton. In January 2016, UCL launched a 50-million UCL Technology Fund, which can be used to support researchers through the proof-of-concept stage. The money is provided by the European Investment Fund (EIF) and technology-commercialization company Imperial Innovations, and will be managed by the venture-capital firm Albion Ventures, which is also a contributor. The aim is to overcome the challenge of attracting and sustaining interest from investors who generally have to wait a long time to see a return. To make the long-term investment more attractive, the fund will pay out an annuity over 1520 years an approach that may avoid the drop-off that is frequently seen with the conventional venture-capital model of raising capital in multiple rounds with the hope of reaping benefits from a trade sale or initial public offering. UCLB and Albion decide which researchers receive the funds, but follow strict return-on-investment criteria set by the EIF. This isn't charity money, says Schooling, and that means we have to be selective. Charitable foundations that focus on a single disease are also becoming an increasingly prominent piece of the tech-transfer puzzle a variety of venture philanthropy (see page S43). The approach has already led to several drug licences. For example, an experimental treatment for multiple myeloma, ricolinostat, was created as a result of research at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, and the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The investigators formed Acetylon to develop the technology, and the US-based Leukemia and Lymphoma Society contributed $5 million towards the phase I clinical trial. US biotech firm Celgene subsequently invested $100 million in the development of ricolinostat, a payment that included an exclusive option to buy the licence from Acetylon. The drug is now in phase II trials for multiple myeloma. The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society have also partnered with Celator Pharmaceuticals in Ewing, New Jersey, to speed up the study of the acute myeloid leukaemia drug CPX-35, including an initial $4.1 million for the phase II study followed by an additional $5 million for the phase III trial. Some technology-transfer offices are changing their entire approach to working with private companies. At the Penn Centre for Innovation, the focus is shifting towards cultivating a few strong business relationships, rather than cold-calling hundreds of companies for every invention, says Swartley. At some institutions, pharmaceutical companies enter into research agreements with a specific laboratory or investigator, this offers a more collaborative approach to academic research. The trend towards a more holistic relationship, as Reinhart puts it, is allowing technology-transfer offices to avoid investing too much time in specific deals. Focusing instead on a long-term relationship between universities and companies enables a better understanding of mutual needs, says Reinhart. That's what the smart universities are doing these days. Reinhart cites the Office of Industry Engagement at Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta, the Office of Innovation and Industry Engagement at Michigan Technological University, and the Office of Technology Commercialization at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana, as examples of technology-transfer offices moving towards this approach. Start-up companies launched by principal investigators are becoming increasingly common, particularly when large companies are unwilling to assume the risk, even after the proof-of-concept stage. Building a successful product through a spin-off company can lead to lucrative deals later and allow the original researcher to continue working largely autonomously. In the United States, 818 start-up companies were formed on the basis of academic patents in 2013, a 16% increase from 2012 (L. Pressman et al. The Economic Contribution of University/Nonprofit Inventions in the United States:1996-2013; BIO, 2015). Model of the CRISPRCas9 gene-editing complex. Credit: Molekuul/SPL The increase partly stems from universities being seen as sources of innovation and job creation, not merely sheltered places of learning, teaching, and getting degrees, says Schooling. We've moved beyond that. According to the US Association of University Technology Managers, 4,000 start-up companies in the United States have formed as a result of university innovations since 1980, and these have led to 3 million jobs. Schooling recalls that in the early 1990s, when he and fellow researchers founded a spin-off for work they had done at Manchester Metropolitan University, UK, his group was viewed as slightly failed academics. Colleagues questioned their commercial activity. Nowadays its part of how university academics are assessed, he says. More serious repair Although these approaches are changing how technology-transfer offices operate, some researchers see the need for a more severe overhaul. For medical advances in particular, profit-driven privacy and competition spurred by the licensing infrastructure may be obstructing progress. The current way we're doing drug discovery is too costly, too risky and too slow, says Chas Bountra, a member of the Structural Genomics Consortium (SGC) at the University of Oxford, UK. The whole process is incredibly inefficient. Companies duplicate efforts and a large proportion of the compounds developed fail to show a benefit in clinical trials. Most troubling of all, he says, is that patients are sometimes treated with experimental medications that would already have been shelved, if data were shared earlier and more openly. It's a horrendous waste of money, a waste of people's careers, and a waste of patients' willingness to participate in research, says Bountra. As part of the SGC, Bountra is taking a radically different approach to therapeutic innovation. The consortium receives funding from several pharmaceutical companies, charities and government organizations. The large collection of funders means that resources are pooled and risk is shared, so that no single investor is shouldering the burden of early-stage development. Research is focused solely on novel proteins often substances that have been deemed impossible to target. The tools developed to generate a potential drug are then made freely available. Data from preclinical studies are published immediately. We tell the whole world about it, says Bountra. He is not alone in encouraging the open-innovation approach. The Harvard Stem Cell Institute and the Biodesign programme at Stanford University, California, for example, are also taking steps towards a more open approach. David Brindley, who studies health-care translation at the Centre for the Advancement of Sustainable Medical Innovation (a partnership between Oxford and UCL) contends that the translation of technology from lab to bedside has been slowed by disincentives for people along the chain to communicate and work together effectively. Brindley says that changes that better align the interests of academia with industry would help. Tenure applications, for example, could take entrepreneurial activities into consideration. He also advocates altering the conventional financial arrangements that surround university-born innovation. Academia shouldn't expect industry to pay huge licensing revenue for research they funded in the first place, says Brindley, and industry needs to be more reasonable in their expectations of research timelines. Whatever route technology-transfer offices take, the most important need is to stay flexible, particularly in light of the increasing number of gene-based discoveries that raise ethical and proprietary questions that may not have been accounted for when the Bayh-Dole Act was passed. Who owns a gene? Can a gene be owned? The current legal battle over the patent for CRISPRCas9 may have a considerable impact on scientific innovation. The gene-editing technique is allowing all manner of genome alterations that could bring huge benefits, such as cures for disease and pest-resistant crops. Although the financial stakes for the opposing parties are high, the broader relevance of the case may be minimal. Interference proceedings are connected with the first-to-invent patent system, and so when the ruling is made, it may not carry much weight in the first-to-file era. Still, the case could have broader ramifications on university-driven innovation, potentially forcing the creation of new legal frameworks for gene-based discoveries, such as the right to patent these innovations or to specify what can be done with them. Whether the quest to fill personal and university coffers will delay broader distribution of the lifesaving fruits of taxpayer-funded research remains unclear. Sango, a 3-year old male lion at Denver Zoo, has recently passed away after experiencing severe medical condition. Sango began experiencing seizures late last month. Despite the tremendous efforts of animal care and veterinary staff, performing several full examinations with extensive and intensive treatment, Sango's condition didn't get better. His muscle tremors worsen and become so unbearable that Sango started to have difficulties in walking and positioning his body for a drink. According to the report of Denver Post, Sango's medical condition is most likely caused by liver disease. Using an abdominal scope, veterinarians at Denver Zoo has discovered that Sango has a highly abnormal liver and enlarged gall bladder. After all options were exhausted, veterinarians decided to put an end in the misery of Sango. He was subjected to euthanasia last April 30. "This is devastating for us. Our time with Sango was way too short. His condition worsened so quickly and so severely that euthanasia was our only option," said Staff Veterinarian Betsy Stringer in a statement. Sango is one of the three adult lions being cared at Denver Zoo. The other two are females namely: Neliah and Sabi, both are also 3-year olds. Last September, Sango fathered male and female cubs Kalu and Kamara to Neliah. According to the zookeepers the cubs gave Sango boosts in confidence. Sango was a very patient father. He lets the cubs play with his mane and used to chase them around their yard. "This is truly a tragedy. Sango was adored by staff and delighted guests. He will be dearly missed," said Denver Zoo Vice President for Animal Care and Association of Zoos and Aquariums Lion Species Survival Plan Coordinator Hollie Colahan. Sango was born July 28, 2012 at Ellen Trout Zoo and was hand-reared by zookeepers after being shunned by his mother. He was transferred to Denver Zoo in 2013. Lions being held and cared at zoos are expected to have an average life span of 16.8 years, making Sango's passing untimely and surprising. There are less than 100 days before a manmade spacecraft reaches the biggest planet in the Solar System. Jupiter, known to be the King of the Planets, has always been a goal for NASA. In 2015, they completed a successful flyby which produced various high-resolution images of the planet. This year will also be a momentous year for Jupiter exploration projects as Juno, NASA's spacecraft, is about to arrive at its destination this July. Although some argue that the motive of NASA to explore Jupiter is questionable, whether they are searching for alien life or planning to develop the planet, it is not surprising that experts would want to explore Jupiter. It is the biggest planet in the solar system with a dozen moons. Clapway said that the Jupiter Mission, with Juno Spacecraft is part of the $1 billion New Frontier space program by NASA. They said once Juno reaches Jupiter, scientists will begin a more extensive study on the planet. "Interestingly, the pressing questions they want to be answered have a "possible existence" ring to them. Does the planet have a core? How much water is there? Why is the weather so stable? How about the magnetic field and plasma of the planet? It really seems that alien exploration may be underway, or Jupiter is simply another candidate to support human life and future colonization." According to NASA Juno was launched in spaced in 2011 and is expected to arrive in Jupiter by July 2016. Juno is also equipped with solar panels to aid its 5-year journey through space. NASA said Juno is a record-breaking spacecraft "NASA's Juno mission to Jupiter has broken the record to become humanity's most distant solar-powered emissary. " It also has a "JunoCam" which consistently sends images of its journey back to Earth. And because of its proximity to Jupiter, NASA said the JunoCam was able to catch a glimpse of its destination as early as 2013. Last March, Juno was approximately 659 million kilometers from Earth. According to NASA, Juno has already managed to travel 1.73 billion miles since 2011 and still needs to complete 34 million miles before entering Jupiter's orbit. "The Juno spacecraft is in excellent health and is operating nominally." It is expected to arrive in Jupiter on July 4, 2016 at exactly 8:35pm. NASA added that the ETA of Juno in Jupiter within schedule and they will be able to initiated further studies (possibly discover some alien life forms?) on the largest planet in our solar system. Ringling Bros and Barnum & Bailey Circus elephants are now officially retired after their final performance on Sunday at Pennsylvania and Rhode Island. After their 145 years of circus life, the last group of elephants from the circus bid farewell to their fond viewers, and say hello to their new home and join their fellow retired elephants. After receiving a series of criticism from animal rights groups, the company finally decided to let all their circus elephants stop from performing and enjoy the rest of their lives at the company's Center for Elephant Conservation in Florida. "They are missing the most important experience, which is freedom in the wild," said a spokesman for the Performing Animal Welfare Society, according to Huffington Post. In what seemed to be like a very emotional farewell performance, Ringmaster Johnathan Lee Iverson expressed his grief over the girls' separation from the team and gratitude for their more than a century of service and performance. "That's history tonight there, ladies and gentlemen, true American icons," Iverson said as the show ended. Audiences from different parts of the city came that night to watch as the last batch of elephants said goodbye to the circus. Sheila Oliver, of East Providence even brought her daughter for her last chance of seeing an elephant perform live in a circus. But not everyone came to watch. Prior to the show, a group of protesters waited outside in objection to Ringling's animal use, as per The Denver Post. Ringling's Florida center has been receiving demands from The Humane Society to stop the breeding program on their site. They area also requested to surrender the elephants to accredited sanctuaries having two acres of land. These sanctuaries can be found in Tennessee and California. Ringling's Center for Elephant Conservation have been called "flat and treeless," by a National Geographic reporter. He found that the elephants are staying inside the cages and some of them are in chains at night to prevent from stealing one another's food. These exercises however have been proven to be unnecessary to elephants and could possibly be making them uncomfortable, as reported by the Associated Press. Take a glimpse at the Ringling Bros and Barnum and Bailey Circus elephants' final performance through this video. ABC'c late night host Jimmy Kimmel lashes out on Sarah Palin regarding the former Alaska governor's skepticism on climate change during the program "Jimmy Kimmel Live." Sarah Palin is one of the die-hard supporters of the documentary "Climate Hustle", a film suggesting that climate change is a hoax and that people don't need to be concerned about it. In a clip shown in the program, Palin commented that climate change is perpetuated and repeated so often that too many people believe that "Oh, well, if 97 percent of all scientists believe that man's activities are creating changes in the weather, who am I to question that?" Kimmel responded to the video saying, "Exactly, who are you to question that?" The late night show host then theorizes that maybe Sarah Palin wanted global warming because it's cold in Alaska. In addition, Kimmel noted that the idea of Sarah Palin knows more than 97 percent of the scientist is offensive and dangerous. "No matter what Sarah Palin and these geniuses she surrounds herself with try to tell you, climate change is not a liberal versus conservative thing, but the people who profit from ignoring it want you to believe it is," Kimmel continued. Kimmel then proceeded to explain that climate change is not a matter of political opinion, but a matter of scientific opinion, which in this case overwhelming scientific opinion. For Kimmel, people can know that climate change is real when the hottest year in record is whatever year it currently is. But still, Kimmel don't have that much credibility to talk about climate change. That is the reason why Kimmel showed a 2-minute video of climate scientist and experts talking about climate change. Just last month, during the preview of "Climate Hustle," Sarah Palin questioned the credibility of the Bill Nye, the science guy, saying that he is as much as a scientist as she is. Captain Cook's ship HMS Endeavour Bark which disappeared 230 years ago may have been found near the Coast of Rhode Island in Narragansett Bay. Endevour also known as Lord Sandwich was one of the 13 intentionally sunk ships by the British force prior the Battle to Rhode Island. Rhode Island Marine Archaeology Project or RIMAP believes that the nine archaeological sites they mapped may be related to the ruins of the ship. RIMAP is now partnering with Australian National Maritime Museum for this quest, as per The Daily News. The organization considers all the 13 ships as important parts of the American history yet considers it something to call for a national celebration if they will be able to identify the Endeavour with the ruins they have cited. Although Cook, a British explorer was not the first European to come to Australia, his team's journey to the country marked a significant part of history. They were the first ones to do an extensive study on the eastern coastline of the country for four months, according to The Daily Mail. The ship was originally named Earl of Pembroke when it was first launched in 1764. Four years later it was purchased by the British Royal Navy and was named His Majesty's Bark the Endeavour. In August 1768, it was sent to the Pacific Ocean to search for the continent called Terra Australis Incognita also called the unknown Southern Land. Its journeys gave many contributions to scientists and astronomers by providing information about the solar system and the universe. A fight with the Hawaiians on the island marked the end for Cook's life. The Endeavour then became a transport ship and just before the beginning of the Revolutionary War was sold to a shipping industrialist. When the British demand for ship increased, Endeavour was attempted to be sold back but the attempt failed because of the ship's physical condition and age. After some repairs and renovations, the ship was renamed The Lord Sandwich and was finally sold back to the British navy to serve as a prison ship, as Fox News reported. An announcement is set to be released by the RIMAP this week on the final results of their investigation. "For RIMAP to be closing in one of the most important shipwrecks in world history, for that ship to be found in Newport, and for it to have an international reputation, should be an intriguing birthday gift for all of Rhode Island," wrote the organization. Find out more about the historical ship and its discovery through this video. The United States of America Jury ordered the multinational medical devices, pharmaceutical and consumer packaged goods manufacturer, Johnson & Johnson to pay $55 million to a woman who contracted ovarian cancer after she used the company's talc powder products for feminine hygiene on Monday The 62-year-old woman in South Dakota, Gloria Ristesund, was diagnosed with cancer in 2011 after she used J&J's talc-based feminine hygiene products for almost 40 years. On Monday, the state court jurors decided to award $5 million in compensation and $50 million in punitive damages to Ristesund. Ristesund's lawyer Allen Smith told jurors on Friday that his client was unaware about the health risk of talc powder that she was using for four decades. "Science has been simple and consistent over the last 40 years: There's an increased risk of ovarian cancer from genital use of talc,'' Smith said. Bloomberg reports that the company lost $72 million verdict to the family of a woman named Jackie Fox who died of the disease. J&J plans to appeal, however, they lost the second straight trial. Reuters reports that the company is now facing 1,200 lawsuits accusing them of not giving warning to consumers about its talc-based products' cancer risks, and ignoring studies linking its Shower-to-Shower product and Johnson's Baby Powder to ovarian cancer. The giant company of health-care products denied the link between talc and ovarian cancer, and any need to warn women about the health risk. A J&J spokeswoman Carol Goodrich said in an e-mailed statement that the company will appeal to the verdict. Talcum powder is made from talc. According to Cancer.org, talc is a mineral made up of the elements oxygen, magnesium, and silicon. This mineral is used in cosmetic products such as baby powder and adult facial powders because it absorbs moisture to keep the skin dry and helps prevent rashes. About the talcum powder causing cancer issue, the source said that it is important to distinguish if the talcum powder is asbestos-free or contains asbestos. If the talc contains asbestos there is a chance it can cause cancer if it is inhaled. In the latest report by NASA Spinoff, they recognized the contribution of Ames research in developing a "miracle suit" which treats new mothers' postpartum hemorrhaging. It is part of NASA's technology transfer program to "bring NASA technology down to earth". In an article by Space Coast Daily, they recounted an incident which happened in 1969 when the NASA Ames research center received a call asking for help when a mother was bleeding non-stop despite nine surgeries after giving birth. Ames responded to the call for help and suggested to apply pressure to the entire lower body using an inflated anti-gravity suit similar to tightly wrapping a wound. The Ames team modified an anti-gravity suit and rushed it to the hospital and 10 hours later, the woman started showing signs of recovery, and she was fully healed after three months. Ames managed to convert the anti-gravity suit into a pressure suit which is more useful for applications on Earth. The astronauts use the anti-gravity suits to put pressure on arms and legs during re-entry to push blood back to the head. It also prevents pilots from blacking out during "extreme acceleration". Ames thought this technology could work to stop postpartum hemorrhage. NASA said in their own press release that there are at least 700,000 new mothers who die from obstetric hemorrhages in developing countries annually. Because of that incident in 1969, NASA further studied the use of the suit in helping new born mothers who are suffering from hemorrhaging, they stated that "the realization that even lower pressures could be used effectively to decrease bleeding and shift blood back to the heart and brain." This study became the inspiration behind the California-based Zoex Corporation to make a suit specifically designed for this purpose. "The company scrapped the old-style G-suits for a non-pneumatic version using simple elastic compression." By 2004, the study by Ames researchers and Standford professor Paul Hensleigh found out that in a 2004 "The garments saved 13 out of 14 patients in Pakistan who were in shock from extreme blood loss." In Egypt and Nigeria, the suit was able to reduce blood loss and mortality rate by 50 percent in 2007. Suellen Miller, Founder of the Safe Motherhood Program, said "In the field of maternal health, we generally don't see that kind of a reduction, and even more so when it's the result of a single, simple intervention." She proceeded to create a low-cost version of the pressure suit called LifeWrap. "We've determined that these suits can be used at least 70 times...So we're looking at a life-saving device that costs less than a dollar per use." Miller's new low-cost version of the "miracle suit" enabled more developing countries to purchase the cheaper version. In 2013, LifeWrap donated suits in the Philippines to aid women from the disaster prone areas. Today, it can be said that it is one of the most beneficial spinoff from NASA. LifeWrap continue to provide affordable help for new mothers in Africa, Tanzania, Philippines and many other developing countries. But despite the success of their modified pressure suit, Miller never forgets to give thanks to NASA and Ames research who helped developed the "miracle suit" which is saving lives today. "We're taking this suit to the village, we're taking it to the hut, we're taking it to the poorest, most vulnerable, voiceless, powerless people grounded into the Earth, and making a difference for them...Thank you, NASA." With various space technologies sending satellites, rocket ships and other spacecraft into outer space, it is inevitable that some debris may get left behind. That's the problem this Singaporean startup wants to address, cleaning the manmade debris in space using a satellite. The debris can be parts and fragments of old satellites and once they accumulate, it can create pollution in space. It can pose a threat to mathematically and scientifically calculated functions of existing systems and satellites in space. Motherboard recently introduced the Singapore-based startup called Astroscale who built a satellite not intended to beam any information back to earth, but to clean the debris in space. Miki Ito said in an interview that "In March, after a series of tests, we finally made a glue that manages to trap bits of space debris while withstanding harsh space environments." According to their website, ASTROSCALE "is a Singapore-based satellite services company that was founded in 2013 with the objective of developing innovative solutions against the growing number of space debris." They are currently preparing for their first missions IDEA OSG and ADRAS 1. IDEA OSG 1 will be tasked to collect data. To perform the waste collecting process in space, ADRAS 1 satellite is equipped with the technology Astroscale have developed. ADRAS 1 can automatically detect and maneuver towards space waste. And then the two-piece satellite will separate from each other sticking out an adhesive pad to pull the debris inside. What's interesting is that ADRAS 1 is designed to disintegrate by itself upon re-entry on earth so that both itself and the wastes collected will burn said Ait-Mohammed Nori, engineer at Astroscale. Because space is a harsh environment exposed to cosmic radiations, solar light and other unpredictable elements, Ito said it wasn't easy to produce a glue strong enough to survive the harsh environment ADRAS 1 is scheduled to be launched in 2018. Last March Astroscale was able to secure $35 million in funding. Their mission is to prevent manmade problems from hindering further development in space and to promote interest in space technology with the younger generation of Asian kids. She said based on her Japanese roots, space technology should not be developed for profit. "They want to be part of something that will benefit the world, and getting rid of human-caused space debris will ensure the safety of future space missions." United Nations' Independent Expert Ikponwosa Ero warns during her first official visit in her new role, that people with albinism could be completely extinct in Malawi because of the systemic killings, UN reported. Over 10,000 albinos in Malawi are being hunted like animals because of the cultural belief that they are bad omen and they possess black magic. "In some African countries, albinos' body parts are believed to bring wealth and good luck. As a result, attackers chop off their limbs and pluck out organs, and sell them to witchdoctors, CNN noted. Emphasizing that the attack rates are alarming and the current predicament of Albinos should be called an emergency, Ero, who recently visited Malawi said, at least 65 cases of violence against albinos have been recorded by police since late 2014. "Persons with albinism, and parents of children with albinism, constantly live in fear of attack. Many do not sleep peacefully and have deliberately restricted their movement to the necessary minimum," UN press release said, quoting Eros. To make things worse, the statistics showed that albinos are also attacked even by their relatives, making them dread for their lives more because even their own blood cannot be trusted. Even after their death, attackers go as far as stealing from their graves because an Albino's limb can be sold to hunters for $2,000 and an entirecorpse amounts to $75,000. Ero said while there's already a response plan to address the issue, the absence of resources in the plan has delayed the implementation. Moreover, penalties are not much grave, saying that stealing a cow may attract a higher penalty that albino killing. The killings are atrocious and vile as most of the people in Malawi believe that the body parts will be more effective in black magic if the victim screams louder. Furthermore, they believe that children have more potent body parts for the potion. "We talk about protecting wildlife while not even prioritizing efforts in protecting people with albinism," she told CBC in a phone interview. According to Albinism.ohchr.org, albinism is a rare, non-contagious, genetically inherited condition which occurs worldwide regardless of ethnicity or gender. It most commonly results in the lack of melanin pigment in the hair, skin and eyes (oculocutaneous albinism), causing vulnerability to sun exposure. World Health Organization estimates there are at least 1 in 5,000 to 1 in 15,000 people in Sub-Saharan Africa affected with the disease. In the United States, about one in 20,000 people have some type of albinism. The Google Self-Driving Car Project, together with Fiat Chrysler Automobiles confirmed their collaboration for integrating Google's self-driving technology, and the all-new 2017 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid minivans will be used for this project. The Chrysler Pacifica minivans, which are set to start rolling by the end of 2016, will utilize Google's self-driving later this year according to PR Newswire. The engineering responsibilities include designing cars and intergration, and these will be shared based on the expertise of the two giant companies who collaborated for this project. FCA will design and engineer around 100 vehicles uniquely built for Google's self-driving technology, and Google will be the one to integrate the suite of sensors and computers that the vehicles will rely on to navigate roads autonomously. The goal of this self-driving project, according to Gizmodo, is to allow unprecedented independence for people who are blind, deaf, and disabled, catering even to the aged. The minivan can be easily adapted for wheelchairs and other assistive devices so it will be easier for disabled and aged people to get in and out of the car. Aside from that, the minivan can be easily shared so it will function like public transportation. "The minivan design also gives us an opportunity to test a larger vehicle that could be easier for passengers to enter and exit, particularly with features like hands-free sliding door," wrote on SelfDrivingCar's official Google plus. The collaboration project will help FCA and Google to be leaders in developing self-driving technology that will get automated cars onto the world's roads according to FCA chief executive officer Sergio Marchionne. "The experience both companies gain will be fundamental to delivering automotive technology solutions that ultimately have far-reaching consumer benefits," he said The latest Chrysler minivans were unveiled on Monday at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, CBC reports. The Research vessel (R/V) Falkor successfully completed its research mission to explore the newest island in the Kingdom of Tonga found in the Southwestern Pacific. R/V Falkor is equipped with state-of-the-art mapping capabilities which enabled the completion of the study in record time. It was deployed to map a large area of the undersea section of the newly discovered volcanic island which is currently unofficially called Hunga Tonga Hunga Ha'apai (HTHH). NASA partnered with Schmidt Ocean Institute and Columbia University to produce high-resolution map of the submerged part of a volcano which was initially discovered in January 2015. With the help of NASA's technology, Schmidt and Columbia University was able to "produce a high resolution submarine topographic map" of the undersea portion of the volcano discovered in 2015. The images will provide scientist with better view of the typographic details of the land which is significant for further studies and in understanding the new island as a whole. The RV Falkor completed its 28-day expedition in the Southwestern Pacific. RV Falkor surveyed the Hunga Tonga Hunga Ha'apai Island with the help of with Dr. James Garvin, Chief Scientist at NASA' Goddard Space Flight Center. NASA is committed to bring their technology for Earth-bound projects so that the expertise, machinery and skills may also be beneficial to projects concerning the Earth. According to the press release by Schmidt, the landscape dynamics concerning new oceanic island volcanoes occur underwater. "This unique project of opportunity provides scientists at NASA and Columbia's Lamont Doherty Earth Observatory with an integrated view of the three dimensional character of the new island from the seafloor to its approximately 130 meters tall summit above sea-level, all at spectacular meter-scale resolution." This study will also help scientists understand future assignments and in recognizing the topographical behaviors of newly discovered volcanic islands. It may also be of help to NASA's space exploration since the " hydro-volcanic processes on planets such as Mars where similar-appearing volcanic have been observed." Volcanic islands are known to develop and diminish rapidly. Based from the initial findings by Dr. Vicki Ferrini and the Goddard Space Flight Center, they found out that the new island lost almost 30 percent of its land area in less than two years since its active eruptive phase in January 2015. This means the surrounding environment of HTHH affects the island drastically. Because of the rapid changes in this volcanic island the orchestrated work of experts and agencies geared towards a common goal is intrinsic in producing factual findings in the fastest and most effective way possible. Just like the High-Resolution 3D Mapping Technology used by experts in studying the newest volcanic island Hunga Tonga Hunga Ha'apai. A hiker has made an incredible discovery in the hills north of Barcelona when he found a well-preserved footprint of a dinosaur that wandered the area about 230 million years ago. According to Mirror UK, the hiker discovered the prints at Olesa de Montserrat area, about 25 miles from the city. Catalonia's Department of Culture said that the footprint is the best preserved print they have seen so far in Iberian Peninsula. #Enterate: Hallan huella de #dinosaurio de 230 millones de anos. La huella de un reptil llamado Isochirotherium https://t.co/7xaWMqGPww El Universal Ciencia (@Univ_Ciencia) May 3, 2016 Experts who validated the print said it might be from an extinct species called Isochirotherium, an ancestor of both crocodiles and dinosaurs - a massive reptile which lived in the Middle Triassic era. In an interview with The Local, Eudald Mujal, a paleontologist at Barcelona's Autonomous University (UAB) who is studying the imprint said the prehistoric reptile may have existed about 240 million years ago. "The reptile that left its mark has been dubbed a type of 'hand beast' because its tracks have five fingers with a small toe extending outwards like a thumb. It is thought this morphology allowed it to get a grip in slippery mud during the Triassic, 252 to 201 million years ago," Daily Mail notes. They also believe that the prehistoric reptiles has long legs that make it appear as if they walked straight and upright whenever hunting for prey. With the skin and claw impressions being visible on the imprint, it is claimed as one of Spain's biggest discoveries unlocking the history of the area For further investigation, plaster cast of the print was handed over to the region's archaeology and paleontology department by the council. Meanwhile, this is not the first time a hiker has come across a dinosaur footprint. In 2014, a hiker has discovered over 200 footprints left behind 125 million years ago by a number of different dinosaurs. Palo Alto residents are demanding action from city leaders to increase oversight of a program intended to protect teens. In March, the NBC Bay Area Investigative Units hidden cameras captured video of security guards, hired to watch for at-risk youth, missing from their posts for more than an hour at a time. Now, more than a month after our investigation, parents, a former teacher, and a city council candidate say the problems persist. New photos taken this week and sent to the Investigative Unit, revealed empty guard posts during hours when the trains are running. Its a life or death issue, former Gunn High teacher Marc Vincenti told NBC Bay Area. After losing several students as a teacher, Vincenti formed Savethe2008, a community group dedicated to addressing mental health. Those empty chairs cant help but sent out a discouraging signal to the kids who pass by, the motorists that pass by, that something is not being taken care of. Guards for Cypress Security are supposed to stand watch around the clock at four train crossings throughout the city. These sites include locations where more than a dozen teens have taken their own lives since 2009. But over the last seven days, Vincenti and Palo Alto City Council candidate Todd Collins say they documented 27 instances of guards absent from their posts. Their spot checks come on the heels of our four days of surveillance in March where NBC Bay Area undercover cameras captured guards sleeping, texting, and missing from duty. Following our report, the Investigative Unit received an outpouring of viewer comments and emails sharing similar findings. Our situation here in Palo Alto has disturbed the nation, Vincenti said. In February, a team of researchers and mental health experts with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention spent two weeks studying teen deaths in the city. Just last month, another recent high school graduate ended her life on the tracks at an unguarded location. The city has now added a new post there to prevent future tragedies. Palo Alto City Manager Jim Keene declined to be interviewed for our previous reports on this issue. The city has yet to respond to our request for comment on these new concerns. Meanwhile, Vincenti and others are calling for more accountability to address the issue before anyone else is hurt. The city and the school district must do whatever it takes to make sure that there are guards out there. The only way to do that is to have someone going out and checking," Vincenti said. Adding to the problem, residents tell us theyre also worried about the working conditions for the guards who expressed theyre working overtime and double shifts. The owner of Cypress Security has not responded to our request for comment, but said he intends to later in the week. SUICIDE PREVENTION: If you know someone who needs help, you can contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline by calling 1-800-273-TALK (8255). If you have a tip for Vicky Nguyen about this or any other story, you can email her directly at vicky@nbcbayarea.com or you can email theunit@nbcbayarea.com or call 888-996-TIPS. Follow Vicky Nguyen on Twitter www.twitter.com/VickyNguyenTV and Facebookwww.facebook.com/VickyNguyenTV Click here to submit tips online It's right around the beginning of May when some devoted Disneyland regulars get down to the business of setting a few important summer #goals. For instance, how many times can a person ride the Matterhorn Bobsleds over the course of a 16-hour day? (Answer: Probably at least two dozen, factoring in bathroom breaks, meals, and parade-watching, if the person frequents the single-rider line.) Of course, Disney-based goals can stretch beyond a day, and even a single theme park. Look to Christopher Wing, a Seattle-based Disney buff, for inspiration. Nope, he didn't just take on one attraction over the course of a day. Rather, Mr. Wing visited every Disney park on the planet in one long, plane-tastic, stay-mostly-awake stretch. It took the theme park adventurer under 80 hours, in fact. (Should you want to think of his Mouse-major plan as a contemporary adventure akin to Jules Verne's "Around the World in 80 Days," well then, go for it.) But Phileas Fogg didn't start his 19th-century jaunt in Anaheim, like Mr. Wing did at the very beginning of April 2016. From Disneyland Resort, where he visited both Disneyland and Disney California Adventure, Mr. Wing took wing for Florida, where he called upon the quartet of Walt Disney World Resort parks in Orlando. Disneyland Paris followed, then Hong Kong Disneyland, then Tokyo Disney Resort, with a return to Disneyland at juuuust about 75 hours after the clock started ticking. If your first question "but did he ride something in every park?" the answer is "yes, he did." (Mr. Toad's Wild Ride was his pick at the Happiest Place on Earth.) Mr. Wing's grand 'n Goofy dream truly has a way of upping any fan's Disneyland ambitions. Remember the couple who visited Disneyland every day in 2012? Which made for 366 days in a row, as 2012 was a leap year? Mickey mavens do bring the popcorn-scented passion when they get a notion as big as Sleeping Beauty's Castle. Mr. Wing's big notion has a Disney-cute title -- "Mouse Around the World" -- and details on how he mapped out his trip and made it happen (including, of course, the funds) can be viewed at his site. Want a peek at the process, Disneyians? There are videos, natch, including this one shared on the Disneyland blog: A Mill Valley, California doctors office became Ground Zero for all-things Prince on Wednesday, a day after a newspaper reported that the late pop artist had been trying to get drug recovery help from him the day before he died. But Dr. Howard Kornfeld, who runs Recovery Without Walls, did not answer the door or phone at his practice, which became a media stakeout in the affluent Marin County city. News outlets from NBC News to Extra! were there, all trying to get an interview with the man who reportedly was trying to help Prince overcome his problems. While Kornfeld didn't want to speak, his attorney in Minneapolis did speak with reporters. "Dr. Kornfeld felt his mission was a life-saving mission," William Mauzy said. "He felt it to be urgent." At Kornfeld's home nearby, a Do Not Disturb sign hung on the door. When a reporter went to the door of the doctors home, a man came out to say no comment. [[378148331, C]] The Minneapolis Star Tribune first reported that Mauzy said Prince had been trying to seek Kornfelds help on April 20. But Kornfeld was busy, the newspaper reported. So the doctor sent his son, Andrew Kornfeld, from San Francisco International Airport to Paisley Park in Minneapolis to help. "Andrew's purpose for being there was to describe the Recovery Without Walls Program to familiarize Prince with that," Mauzy later told a bank of reporters on Thursday. "Prince could go there for pain management and any addiction issue." It was Andrew Kornfeld, a consultant at the practice, who made the 911 call when he found the 57-year-old unresponsive. Prince died on April 21. "He arrives to see him dead in the elevator," Mauzy said, deeming it "certainly a difficult time." Complicating matters, however, is that Andrew Kornfeld, who is not a doctor, brought pills with him to help Prince and carried them over state lines. Mauzy said that Andrew Kornfeld intended to deliver the pills to a Minnesota doctor, who would administer them to Prince. Andrew Kornfeld never gave Prince any drugs, Mauzy said. The Kornfelds hoped that Prince would agree to go to California for long-term care, Mauzy said. Prince's Purple Shadow in San Francisco, Oakland The artist had performed in San Francisco and Oakland, less than a month before he died. On his website, Kornfeld described his practice as a personalized outpatient clinic, specializing in innovative, evidence-based medical treatment for chronic pain and drug and alcohol addiction. Kornfeld described himself as a nationally recognized leader in the utilization of the opioid pain medication, specifically buprenorphine, also known as Suboxone or Subutex. In 2013, he was profiled in the San Francisco Chronicle in an article called "Controlling Chronic Pain Without Dangerous Drugs." Kornfeld is a graduate of Northwestern University School of Medicine and teaches at the University of California, San Francisco School of Medicines Pain Medical Fellowship Program. According to his biography, Kornfeld is the founding medical director at the Alameda County Medical Center, Pain Management and Functional Restoration Clinic. His son, Andrew Kornfeld, is a University of California at Santa Cruz graduate, where he studied neuroscience and psychology. He has worked on several papers with his father, his biography states, and occasionally, he's acted as a peer mentor to younger patients. Riders were stuck on the California Screamin' ride Monday at California Adventure, the sister park to Disneyland, after someone took out a selfie stick and the ride was halted, officials said. The riders were escorted off the ride by 6 p.m. after waiting for 20 minutes, a Disneyland spokesperson said. Disneyland officials said someone whipped out a selfie stick, which is banned from the park and rides. Disneyland officials said the ride is stopped any time a selfie stick is taken out as it poses a safety risk. The ride was to resume shortly after evacuating riders. Selfie sticks were banned from Disneyland and California Adventure in 2015. In a similar incident in June, California Screamin' was stopped because a rider pulled out a selfie stick. Free trade has been a loaded topic this campaign season, and one Bernie Sanders has drawn on numerous times to criticize his opponent, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. On Monday, the Vermont senator launched this claim leading up to the Indiana Primary on Tuesday. "Secretary Clinton,as you know, has supported virtually every one of these disastrous trade agreements," he said. "And that is an area of strong disagreement that the voters of Indiana and America will have to consider, I think." Is Clinton actually tried-and-true on free trade? NBC Bay Area reviewed Senate voting records and found that Clinton largely supported free trade while in office as a Senator from New York. Of the nine free trade agreements that came across her desk, Clinton voted yes on six, no on one and abstained from two. Thats not to mention NAFTA, the North American Free Trade Agreement. Hillary Clinton didnt vote on that, but she was first lady when it was passed into law by her husband, former President Bill Clinton. Hillary Clinton was an outspoken supporter of the agreement and wrote about it in her memoir, "Living History." "Creating a free trade zone in North America the largest free trade zone in the world would expand U.S. exports, create jobs and ensure that our economy was reaping the benefits, not the burdens, of globalization," she wrote. The reality is, she also backed off this position in recent years, criticizing NAFTA for not delivering on its promise. Sen. Ted Cruz, who despite an early victory in the Iowa caucus struggled to stop Donald Trump from cutting into his support from evangelical Christian voters, dropped out of the race for the Republican presidential nomination Tuesday. Cruz lost the primary in Indiana on Tuesday, the latest in a string of defeats to the billionaire from New York, who considers himself the party's presumptive nominee. "I've said that I will continue on as long as there is a viable path to victory. Tonight, I'm sorry to say that it appears that path has been foreclosed," Cruz said at a rally in Indianapolis. "We gave it everything we've got, but the voters chose another path," he continued, vowing to continue to fight for liberty, a constant theme of his campaign. Cruz and Ohio Gov. John Kasich had battled to be the alternative to Trump. Kasich said in a statement Tuesday night that he continues to seek the nomination at an open convention. "Gov. Kasich will remain in the race unless a candidate reaches 1,237 bound delegates before the Convention," his statement said. But the head of the Republican party indicated for the first time Tuesday night that the establishment was finally ready to back Trump. Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus tweeted that Trump will be the party's presumptive nominee. "We all need to unite and focus on defeating @HillaryClinton," Priebus said. Reversing course after weeks of calling Cruz "Lyin' Ted," Trump said Tuesday night that the senator has "an amazing future" and congratulated him on the race he ran. "I don't know if he likes me or if he doesn't like me, but he is one hell of a competitor. He is a tough, smart guy," Trump said in a speech at Trump Tower. Cruz based his campaign on appealing to the most hardline conservatives and evangelical Christians. He outlasted over a dozen other Republican contenders, but despite winning 10 states, including his home state of Texas, Cruz was losing ground to Trump by March. When an outright win proved out of reach, Cruz turned to a strategy of forcing a contested convention preventing his rival from amassing the 1,237 delegates needed to clinch the nomination. But after Indiana, Trump was less than 200 delegates shy of doing so, with California among the states left to vote. Cruz had expected to leverage his role as a Washington outsider where he is known for stalling legislation and insulting other members of the Senate and where he planned to shut down the government his first year in office in a protest over Obamacare. Cruz was popular among voters who described themselves as very conservative but Trump outdid him with white evangelical voters, including in the Indiana primary, according to NBC News exit polls. And in the contest for the nomination, he was quickly overshadowed by Trumps outsized personality and non-political standing. On Tuesday morning, Cruz attacked Trump as "a braggadocious, arrogant buffoon." He didn't mention Trump in his concession speech Tuesday night. Cruz is unpopular among his fellow senators and others in the Republican establishment, some of whom worked quietly on behalf of Sen. Marco Rubio, who dropped out of the race in March. Afterward, the so-called "Never Trump" movement turned to Cruz, but some in the Senate still only managed lackluster endorsements. Sen. Lindsey Graham, himself a former candidate, called Cruz a reliable conservative he endorsed over Trump, but said Cruz was "certainly not my preference." Cruz was born in Canada to an American-born mother and a father from Cuba. The legitimacy of his candidacy was challenged, particularly by Trump who threatened to go to court. Following news that the George Lucas museum may not be built in Chicago due to a lawsuit filed by a group aiming to protect park land in the city, Mayor Rahm Emanuel said hes concerned the city could face a similar problem when it comes to building Barack Obamas presidential library. The presidential library is expected to be built in one of two parks on Chicagos South Side -- Jackson Park or Washington Park -- but Emanuel said Wednesday hes worried once an announcement on the location is made, Friends of the Parks may file another lawsuit. "In about two months, hopefully, the president of the United States will pick -- because it could have been in New York, Chicago -- and he will either pick Jackson Park or Washington Park for his library," Emanuel said. "Jobs, economic development. Either one of those are Olmsted parks. God willing, there wont be a lawsuit." Friends of the Parks did not immediately respond to a request for comment on whether they plan to file such a suit. On Tuesday, the group announced that it opposes any site on the citys lakefront, including the recently announced McCormick Place Lakeside Center plan, for the highly-anticipated Lucas Museum. The plan would put the "Star Wars" creator's museum on the site of a parking lot south of Soldier Field. The move prompted the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art to say it is now seriously pursuing locations outside of Chicago. "You have someone ready to donate almost a billion dollars and we are arguing about whether it will remain a parking lot," Emanuel said Wednesday. Mellody Hobson, the wife of George Lucas, claimed efforts to build the museum have been co-opted and hijacked by Friends of the Parks. When the Friends of the Parks sued the city in order to preserve a parking lot, we were offered a different and feasible solutionthe replacement of an underutilized and outdated convention space that would also add more than 12 acres of new parkland, Hobson said in a statement. Yet, even with this additional park space, an organization that claims to preserve, protect, improve and promote the use of parks and open space' now opposes this as well. The Barack Obama Foundation announced the location of the future Barack Obama Presidential Center last May, capping an intense campaign for the library. The city of Chicago was instrumental in demonstrating to the President and First Lady the advantages of locating the future Obama Presidential Center in the city, and the University of Chicago brought to life the broad potential and vital energy of the South Side, foundation chairman Martin Nesbitt said in a statement. Emanuel called the project a "unique opportunity" for Chicago and advocated aggressively for the selection. It is expected to be completed in 2020 or 2021. A Civic Federation report released Tuesday found that Gov. Bruce Rauners recently proposed Fiscal Year 2017 budget has an operating deficit of $3.5 billion. The Civic Federation, a non-partisan research organization that focuses on Illinois governments, said it opposed the governor's budget saying it presented an "insufficiently detailed plan for closing the gap." The $3.5 billion figure appears to be understated because it does not fully account for the actual cost of essential state services and is based on projected saving that are unlikely to be realized," the report reads. Rauner proposed his FY 2017 budget in February. The proposal was dubbed the Unbalanced Budget Response Act. Rauner previously vetoed FY 2016 budget proposals for being unbalanced. Illinois has been without a budget since July of last year. The impasse has largely hinged on a battle between Rauner and Democratic lawmakers over the governors pro-business, union-weakening Turnaround Agenda. "Governor Rauner inherited years of fiscal mismanagement and has proposed the clear path to turnaround the state," Rauner spokeswoman Catherine Kelly said in a statement. "The preferred option is to work together with members of the General Assembly to pass structural reforms and a balanced budget ensuring priorities are funded." Last week, the governor said he was hopeful that a grand compromise for a 2016 and 2017 state budget could be reached before the legislature adjourns in June. If not, he said his staff was looking into the possibility of him picking up the tab for additional special sessions. The Civic Federation report also highlights concerns about the states pressing unpaid bill backlog. The Federation cannot support a financial plan that allows the States backlog of unpaid bills to stand at $9.3 billion at the end of FY2017 if the operating deficit is eliminated and rise to $12.8 billion id the gap is not closed, the report reads. Because of the backlog, the State begins each fiscal year in a hole, using revenues from the current year to pay off the previous years obligations. The group is also unsupportive of Rauners plan to reduce General Funds pension contributions by nearly $750 million for FY2017 by deferring payments to later years. Additionally, the Civic Federation is opposed to a projected reduction of $445 million in group insurance payments. The savings depend on the outcome of labor negotiations or the removal of health insurance from collective bargaining, the report reads. The projection follows a long history of underfunding health insurance contributions, which has fueled growth in the backlog of claims. The group also voiced concern over a plan to save nearly $198 million on the Community Care Program, which works to keep the elderly out of nursing homes, by creating a new program for seniors who do not qualify for medicaid. That plans details have yet to be made public. The report also notes that Rauners proposal relies on $475 million in one-time revenues, including the entire balance of the Budget Stabilization Fund and the sale of Chicagos James R. Thompson. In response, the group opposes the depletion of Illinois rainy day fund and the use of money from an asset sale to fund operating costs. The Civic Federation report calls for a comprehensive plan including increased revenues and spending restraints. "Although Illinois' financial condition has been precarious for years, the current situation represents a new low in fiscal management by the General Assembly and the governor," the report reads. The Illinois General Assembly reconvened Tuesday after a week-long break. According to Politico, two bipartisan groups are currently working on separate budget proposals, one of which accounts for the remainder of FY 2016 and FY 2017. Governor Bruce Rauner was set to attend his first GOP Presidential Convention as the governor of Illinois. But on Wednesday-- as Donald Trump is declared the likely nominee -- there is silence from his office on whether Rauner will actually go to the Cleveland convention in July. "We don't have anything on the record at this time," a Rauner spokesperson told Ward Room. In March, Rauner said he would support Trump if he becomes the Republican presidential nominee. Texas Sen. Ted Cruz and Ohio Gov. John Kasich suspended their campaigns after Trump won Tuesday's pivotal Indiana primary, leaving the billionaire as the last candidate in the GOP field. The Illinois Republican Party meets in Peoria in a few weeks to pick delegates to the convention, and Rauner was expected to be at that meeting, but now there's no confirmation on whether he will actually attend. Other GOP elected officials from Sen. Mark Kirk to Congressman Bob Dold have already decided they will skip the national convention in July. Four men were killed and at least 13 other people were wounded in South and West side shootings Tuesday. Most recently, a man was killed and another man wounded in a drive-by shooting late Tuesday in the South Side Pilsen neighborhood. The men, ages 43 and 35, were standing on the sidewalk near South Halsted and West 18th streets at 11:40 p.m. when a male suspect fired shots from a silver-colored SUV, according to Chicago Police. The 43-year-old, identified as Jesus Juarez, was shot in the chest and pronounced dead at the scene at 12 a.m., according to police and the Cook County medical examiners office. He lived in the 5400 block of South Luna. The 35-year-old was shot in the left knee and taken to Stroger Hospital, where his condition was stabilized, police said. About 9:10 p.m., another man was shot to death in the Chicago Lawn neighborhood, police said. Jeremy Parker, 21, was standing in the street in the 7400 block of South Maplewood about 9:05 p.m. when someone in a passing vehicle shot him in the chest, authorities said. Parker, of the 7900 block of South Damen, was pronounced dead at the scene at 9:40 p.m. Another man died after he was shot Tuesday night in the Bronzeville neighborhood on the South Side. At 8:24 p.m., a 25-year-old man was shot multiple times in the South Side Bronzeville neighborhood. Timothy Hill was standing in the back yard of a home in the 600 block of East Bowen Avenue when another male walked up and opened fire, authorities said. He suffered multiple gunshot wounds and was taken to Stroger Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 12:14 a.m. Wednesday, according to the medical examiners office. Hill lived in the 500 block of East 40th Street. Shortly before 2 a.m. Tuesday, two men were shotone fatallyin the West Side Austin neighborhood. The men were sitting on a front porch in the 4900 block of West Monroe at 1:52 p.m. when someone walked up and opened fire, according to police. Antonio White, 29, was shot twice in the chest and taken to Stroger Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 2:37 p.m., according to police and the medical examiners office. Whites home address wasnt known Tuesday night. The other man, an 18-year-old, was shot in the back and right leg and taken in serious condition to Stroger, police said. The most recent nonfatal shooting was reported at 11:25 p.m. in the South Side Gresham neighborhood. A 30-year-old woman was standing on the street in the 8800 block of South Laflin when she heard shots and realized shed been hit, according to police. She suffered a graze wound to the back and was taken to Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, where her condition was stabilized. About 10 minutes before that, a man was beaten and shot in the Marquette Park neighborhood on the Southwest Side. The 27-year-old was walking on the sidewalk in the 6300 block of South Artesian at 11:15 p.m. when several males started beating him, police said. During the attack, he was shot in the right shoulder. He was taken to Holy Cross Hospital, where his condition was stabilized. A police source said the man is a documented gang member. Another male was shot about 10:35 p.m. in the Chatham neighborhood. The victim, whose exact age was not immediately known, was shot in the foot in the 8200 block of South Maryland, police said. He refused medical attention and additional details were not available late Tuesday. About 90 minutes earlier, a woman was shot in the Greater Grand Crossing neighborhood on the South Side. The 22-year-old woman was in a vehicle in the 7000 block of South Wabash about 9:05 p.m. when a male on the sidewalk shot her in the left knee, police said. She was taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center, where her condition stabilized. Two men, both thought to be in their 20s, were outside on a porch in the 6800 block of South Throop Street just before 6 p.m. when two males walked up and shot them, according to police. One of the victims suffered gunshot wounds to both legs and shoulder, and the other was shot in the left leg and abdomen, police said. They were both taken to Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn in serious condition. A man was shot in the West Pullman neighborhood on the Far South Side Tuesday night. The 31-year-old was walking in the 12100 block of South Emerald shortly before 6 p.m. when someone in a passing vehicle shot him in the back, police said. He was taken to Advocate Christ Medical Center, where he was listed in serious condition. Two men, 31 and 34, were outside shooting dice at 3:15 p.m. in the 200 block of North Lockwood Avenue in Austin when a male suspect walked up and shot them, police said. The 31-year-old suffered a gunshot wound to the hip and was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, where his condition was stabilized. The 34-year-old suffered a gunshot wound to the back and was also taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, where his condition was stabilized. A man was shot in the leg Thursday afternoon in the Grand Boulevard neighborhood on the South Side. The shooting happened around 1:30 p.m. in the 5100 block of South Prairie, according to police. The 41-year-old was shot in the leg and taken to Stroger Hospital in good condition. Tuesdays first non-fatal shooting was reported about 11 a.m. A 41-year-old man was shot in the leg in the 4200 block of West Iowa, police said. He was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, where his condition stabilized. We all have the traditions we share with our visitors who come to Chicago the architecture tour, the Signature Room, a trip to the ballpark, Navy Pier but Choose Chicago says it's time for the city to raise its game. On Wednesday two Chicago businessmen unveiled a new vision to increase tourism along the Chicago River: a suspended gondola system that would travel from Chinatown to Navy Pier, offering unprecendented views of the skyline. Its an investment that would reportedly generate millions in tourist dollars. Also, the Choose Chicago board has a desire to bring the opera to the people with new video projections that would play on the Lyric Opera House coordinated with the live broadcast. In addition, the board wants to re-think lighting and video elements in the citys subways to allocate all the money at night. Last week, Mayor Emanuel announced Chicago broke tourism records in 2015. For the first time in the citys history, 50 million domestic tourists visited Chicago in a single year. According to the mayors office, the total number of visitors to the city, including international travelers, is set to exceed 52 million for the year. Cook County Clerk of the Circuit Court Dorothy Brown has requested a pay increase from Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle and the Cook County Board of Commissioners, according to a letter from Brown obtained by Politico. I am writing to advise you of a gross inequity between the salary of the position of Clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County, in comparison to the salaries of other Cook County Public Safety officials, the Clerks of the Court of the next two largest counties in Illinois (Dupage and Lake), and other Cook County-wide elected officials, Brown wrote in the letter, dated May 3. The comparison relates to the number of employees managed by each official, which is indicative of his or her level of responsibility. Brown added that her $105,000 salary is lower than other Cook County public safety officials, like public defenders ($194,574), states attorneys ($192,789), sheriffs ($160K) and chief judges ($188,076), despite the fact that some manage fewer than the Clerk's 1,684 employees. Brown also claimed that other officials elected county-wide, like assessor, county clerk, treasurer, and recorder of deeds, receive similar salaries to that of the Clerk of the Circuit Court but are responsible for fewer employees. Again, there is no logical explanation for the salary inequity of the Clerk of the Court, who is responsible for managing such a large number of employees compared to the other county-wide elected officials, Brown wrote. Brown asked Preckwinkle and the board to add an ordinance to the May 11 Cook County Board agenda that would adjust the Clerk of the Circuit Court's salary to with an amount that would "be fair and equitable to close the disparity gap." "Understandably, this is not the most opportune time to make this request, but it is only being made at this time because Illinois law requires that an increase for this position be made at least 180 days prior to the commencement of the next term," she wrote. Brown recently beat out Ald. Michelle Harris and attorney Jacob Meister in the March Democratic primary. She will face Republican Diane Shapiro in the Nov. 15 general election. Brown was first elected to the role in 2000. In 2015, Brown's cell phone was seized by the FBI as part of a federal investigation into a 2011 land deal involving a campaign donor. Brown and her husband made tens of thousands of dollars from the deal. Additionally, a former Brown employee pleaded guilty last month to lying to a federal grand jury about the sale of jobs and promotions within the clerks office. Sivasubramani Rajaram admitted to lying about the corruption in Browns office last July. He will be sentenced in September and faces up to 16 months in prison. A group of Illinois congressmen wrote a letter Monday to Boeings CEO Dennis Muilenburg addressing the aircraft manufacturing companys ongoing conversations with Iran about the sale of airplanes. Rep. Bob Dold, Rep. Peter Roskam and Rep. Randy Hultgren wrote that they fear that a relationship between Boeing and Iran could lead to the country turning American planes into Iranian warplanes. The companys international headquarters are located in Chicago. It is our strong belief Western companies should not sell, lease, or otherwise aid (Iran) in the procurement of aircraft, parts, or related services, the letter reads. Such commercial transactions would effectively subsidize the worlds leading state sponsor of terrorism, significantly augmenting the regimes ability to sow the seeds of death and destruction around the globe. The letter references 2015's Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, which removed certain sanctions previously imposed on Iran over their illegal nuclear program. An exemption in the plan was made for the sale of aircrafts. We are confident Boeing is in compliance with the law, the letter reads. This is not about doing what is legal- it is about doing what is right. Roskam, the chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, has been a staunch opponent of American companies doing business with Iran. Last week, he introduced a bill which looks to prohibit the Department of Defense from offering contracts to any company that does business with Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and other hostile entities. Roskam also recently spoke out about a potential $25 billion deal between French aviation company Airbus and Iran. In addition, Roskam penned a Wall Street Journal opinion piece last month urging companies not to do business with the country. Boeings board is expected to meet this week in Chicago. The company did not immediately respond to Ward Rooms request for comment. Three corrections officers were placed on administrative leave after a 22-year-old inmate escaped from a northwest Indiana jail and made it more than 1,000 miles before he was caught. Richard N. Campos and his girlfriend Elysia Jeronimo, were arrested in San Antonio, Texas while attempting to flee law enforcement, according to the Lake County Sheriff's office. Police alleged Campos escaped from the jail with Jeronimo's help after being arrested a week earlier for DUI. Campos was last seen working as a trustee assigned to laundry detail at the Lake County Jail complex in Crown Point, according to a statement from the sheriffs office. Authorities believe the escape was planned in advance and that Campos slipped passed security guards and met Jeronimo, who was waiting in a parking lot in a getaway car. "Investigators learned through three different recorded phone calls that Campos and his girlfriend Elysia Jeronimo planned the escape in advance," said Lake County Sheriff John Buncich. Campos, a member of the Latin Kings, was arrested April 25 for operating a vehicle while intoxicated, and also on active warrants from Whiting and Hammond, according to the sheriffs office. An intense manhunt followed and pair were arrested three days later and more than a thousand miles away. But Buncich said a preliminary investigation revealed "there was an improper classification of a prisoner and failure to properly supervise an inmate." Three corrections officers at the jail were placed on administrative leave and Buncich is seeking to have them terminated. Both suspects remain in Texas and are expetced to extradited back to Indiana. A student at the University of Iowa is recovering after a violent assault that he believes to be a hate crime. Marcus Owens says he was on his way back to his dorm around 10 p.m. Saturday night after going to a pub with friends when out of nowhere a man yelled a racial slur and began punching him. The college freshman was left with a busted lip, damaged eye socket and cracked front teeth, but Owens says he is determined to fight back. Owens family met with the University of Iowas dean of students Wednesday as police continue investigation into the incident. It's appalling in the year of 2016 we're still dealing with such ignorance, Pastor Melvin Owens Jr. said. Wednesday morning the University of Iowa commented on the claims on Twitter: UI officials first learned of the incident when called by a Chicago television station and are working to learn more, the tweets wrote. We are deeply disturbed by the incident & concerned for the student. We will inform the campus community as soon as we know more. Iowa City Police said the incident remains under active investigation and asks if anyone has any information related to this incident, or may have been a witness, to call 319-356-5276. A 22-year-old inmate who escaped from a jail Saturday afternoon in northwest Indiana with the help of his girlfriend was taken into custody Tuesday evening, police said. Richard N. Campos, 22, and his girlfriend Elysia Jeronimo, were arrested in San Antonio, Texas while attempting to flee law enforcement, according to the Lake County Sheriff's office. The department plans to file for extradition for both suspects. Campos was last seen working as a trustee assigned to laundry detail at the Lake County Jail complex in Crown Point, according to a statement from the sheriffs office. Authorities believe the escape was planned in advance and that Campos had assistance from his girlfriend, 20-year-old Jeronimo of Hammond. Campos, a member of the Latin Kings, was arrested April 25 for operating a vehicle while intoxicated, and also on active warrants from Whiting and Hammond, according to the sheriffs office. He is described as 5-foot-3 and 135 pounds, with a tattoo of a rose/diamond on his left hand. Jeronimo is described as 5-foot-1 and 140 pounds. The escape is under investigation, but the sheriffs office said human error may have occurred. A suburban Chicago family said a known defect with their Nissan vehicle left them stranded on a cold, wintry day and with a nearly $1,000 repair bill the car company refused to pay. Nissan owners across the country have reported an issue with some of the companys vehicles, saying a defect has left them stranded and in potentially dangerous situations. Widespread problems in the Electronic Steering Column Lock (ESCL) can disable the push button ignition on 2009 Nissan Maximas and Altimas. A similar issue exists on the 2009 Cube and 2009-2011 370Zs. It was that very problem that left Kristen Kuchyt and her 7 year-old daughter, Nicole, stranded in the cold in Lockport, without warning. It was in the middle of January and I was very cold, the 7 year-old recalled. I got kind of nervous and I thought nobody would come and help us. Kristin Kuchyt says she tried repeatedly to start the 2009 Nissan Altima, but it wouldnt budge. Thats when she called her husband, Chris. I received a call from my wife saying that she was stranded at swim practice with my daughter, so I quickly raced out there, Chris Kuchyt said. Chris says he had the car towed to a nearby Nissan dealer, where he was stunned to learn two more Nissans had just been brought in with the same problem. As I was talking with service manager, Im noticing that a couple other cars are being brought in, Kuchyt said. There was two other cars being brought in that same exact day with the same exact issue. And so I went over to the tow truck driver and said, Hey whats going on? And sure enough he said, The ladys button wouldnt start the car. NBC 5 Responds uncovered 746 similar complaints on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administrations website, from drivers who say they were stranded without warning, some in the middle of nowhere, and could have been in life-threatening danger, insisting Nissan should be held accountable. Nissan has issued technical service bulletins to dealerships about this problem, and because of it, extended its 3 year/36,000 mile warranty to 72 months/unlimited miles on 2009 Maximas and Altimas. The automaker never issued a recall. Chris Kuchyt says his extended warranty had just expired when his family got stranded. He called Nissan and says he got nowhere, fast. "They just kept giving me the runaround. Theres nothing we can do, Chris Kuchyt said. "And for a consumer to have to repair a faulty part that Nissan has acknowledged is a problem, that's concerning." Stuck with a nearly $1,000 repair bill neither the carmaker nor the dealer would cover, he turned to NBC 5 Responds. In response to our questions, Nissan issued this statement: Nissan Consumer Affairs team reviews and considers every customer request on a case-by-case basis, taking into account many factors. Mr. Huchyt has been a loyal customer of Nissan, and Nissan decided to reimburse Mr. Huchyt for the cost of his repairs. As for any other complaints that were not addressed to our company directly, we have no comment. NHTSA tells NBC 5 Responds it is aware of the issue, is monitoring it, and will take action as warranted. Chris Kuchyt believes Nissan should further address this issue that he says puts many drivers in a dangerous situation. The Chicago Cubs are dealing with yet another injury on their roster, as outfielder Matt Szczur has been placed on the 15-day disabled list. Szczur, who was filling in for the injured Jason Heyward in right field for the Cubs, sustained a hamstring injury while running the bases in Mondays victory against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Szczur underwent an MRI on the injury on Tuesday morning, and the team elected to place him on the disabled list after the examination. The Cubs made a corresponding roster move as they shift Szczur to the DL, with outfielder Ryan Kalish coming up to the big league team from triple-A Iowa. Kalish last made an appearance in a big league game in 2014 with the Cubs, when he drove in five RBI and stole three bases in 130 plate appearances with the north siders. This season, Kalish has already scored 15 runs and driven in four RBI in 70 plate appearances with the Iowa Cubs. He is also sporting a .368 batting average and an excellent .471 on-base percentage in the limited sample size. With both Heyward and Szczur out of the mix, the Cubs will turn to Kris Bryant for the start in right field on Tuesday night. Bryant is still dealing with some lingering effects from an injury himself, having suffered a sprained ankle last week. Not long after she was born, Caryn Tatelli recognized that her newborn daughter Susan had a serious peanut allergy. We had an emergency landing on a flight, and then 9 months later she had a reaction while sitting next to me in a movie theater," Tatelli, who lives in Highland Park, said. Susan is now 13 years old, and remembers vividly the days when her allergy dictated her every move. I couldnt go to the movies. I couldnt fly on an airplane. It was hard to go to friends' houses and sleep over, Susan said. But 18 months ago, the Tatelli family discovered a clinical trial at Lurie Childrens Hospital in Chicago, where doctors used oral immunotherapy to help battle Susan's lifelong allergy. It made sense to me, the idea of starting with a really, really miniscule amount of the allergen and then slowly teaching the body tolerate it. That made sense," Caryn said. At first, Susan had a bad reaction to the therapy, but as the trial went on, her tolerance for peanuts began to increase. Now, her allergy has subsided to the point where she can enjoy life in ways she never thought possible. Ive gone to the movies. Ive been on a plane and I can eat things that have been made in a facility with cross contact," Susan said. While the therapy is not a 100 percent cure for the allergy, she can now live without fear of an allergic reaction from simply being in the same room as a peanut product. And that, her mother says, is a great source of comfort and relief. I can actually envision sending her off to college, doing things I never imagined being possible for her," Tatelli said. Dakota Yorke has dreamed about being prom queen since she was little, and now shes finally getting that chance. The transgender teen from northwest Indiana is in the running for prom queen at Portage High School and with just days before the big dance, the senior student took her excitement to social media. I cant even say it because I get like teared up even talking about it, Yorke said in a YouTube video that has since received more than 2,000 views. Yorke asked her school if she could run for the coveted title, and was given a green light by school officials, according to the Post-Tribune. Yorke told the publication she attended the dance last year sporting a tuxedo, but felt embarressed by the decision. Now, shes taking her senior year to show off who she really is. I just want to show people that no matter who you are, no matter what kind of label society wants to try to put on you that you can truly do whatever it is you want to do, she said. I just want to show people that no matter who you are, no matter what kind of label society wants to try to put on you that you can truly do whatever it is you want to do. Yorke fully transitioned last summer, identifying as female, the Post-Tribune reports. She has since been attending cosmetology classes and routinely posts videos on her YouTube channel. Everyone needs to break out of their shell, everbody just needs to be confident, love themselves, love the body theyre in, love their thoughts, love their soul, love their heart, love people, she said, adding that she doesnt want people to be scared of being judged. Yorke was recently named one of four finalists for the prom queen title based on student votes. The school's dance is scheduled to take place May 7, when the winner will be announced. Aeropostale, once the vibrant epicenter of the U.S. mall scene, is seeking Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. The New York company said Wednesday it will close 113 of its 739 U.S. stores and all 41 locations in Canada. Going-out-of-business sales at those U.S. stores will begin this weekend. In Canada, sales will begin during the week of May 9. Aeropostale expects to emerge from bankruptcy protection within six months as a smaller company after renegotiating contracts and resolving an ongoing dispute with the investment firm Sycamore Partners, a major shareholder that pushed through changes in company leadership. "We appreciate the loyalty and support of our customers, employees and business partners as we complete this process," CEO Julian Geiger said in a statement posted on the company's website. Aeropostale says it has also filed a series of motions that, pending court approval, will allow the company to pay employee wages and benefits without interruption and honor all gift cards in full. The company's shares traded for more than $30 six years ago, when annual sales exceeded $2 billion. Two weeks ago, it was delisted from the New York Stock Exchange with shares having failed to break the $1 barrier since last year. Aeropostale's market capitalization by this week had fallen to around $14.4 million. Early this year, Aeropostale said it would cut expenses by $35 million to $40 million annually and trimmed its corporate staff by 13 percent, about 100 jobs. "Fast fashion" outfits like H&M and Forever 21, with more inexpensive clothes, have emerged in recent years to take a growing market share from former mall staples Aeropostale, Abercrombie & Fitch and American Eagle Outfitters. A complete list of stores closing is available here. In the latest in a string of incendiary and often conspiratorial comments, Donald Trump on Tuesday linked Ted Cruzs father to President John F. Kennedys assassin. Trump, on the day Indiana went to the polls, repeated assertions made by the National Enquirer that the Cuban-born Raphael Cruz was pictured with Lee Harvey Oswald handing out pro-Cuba pamphlets in New Orleans in 1963. "I mean, what was he doing what was he doing with Lee Harvey Oswald shortly before the death? Before the shooting?" Trump asked in an interview with Fox News. "Its horrible." Cruzs campaign called the article garbage. From Muslims celebrating en masse after the World Trade Center fell to disparaging the qualifications of his rivals for the presidency, here are some of Trumps most provocative statements. "Thousands of people were cheering" Trump claimed to have seen thousands of Muslims rejoicing in Jersey City when the Twin Towers fell during the 2001 terrorist attacks. "Hey, I watched when the World Trade Center came tumbling down," he said at a rally in Alabama in November. "And I watched in Jersey City, New Jersey, where thousands and thousands of people were cheering as that building was coming down." "So somethings going on," he said. "Weve got to find out what it is." There were no verified reports of mass jubilation on Sept. 11 though NJ.com found some residents and a police officer who said they saw small groups of people celebrating. Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop tweeted that Trumps statement was "absurd." Either @realDonaldTrump has memory issues or willfully distorts the truth, either of which should be concerning for the Republican Party Steven Fulop (@StevenFulop) November 22, 2015 Cruzs Canadian birth Before the Iowa caucuses, Trump speculated that Cruz was not eligible to run for president because he was born in Calgary, Canada, and had held both American and Canadian citizenship. According to the Constitution, the president must be a "natural born citizen" though it does not specify what that term means. The Texas Republican is a U.S. citizen because his mother is one and some scholars say the Constitutional issue is not settled. In February, angry over ads, Trump threatened to sue Cruz. If @TedCruz doesnt clean up his act, stop cheating, & doing negative ads, I have standing to sue him for not being a natural born citizen. Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 12, 2016 And what about Rubio? In another tweet in February, Trump raised questions about whether Marco Rubio could run for the White House. But the Florida senator, who has since dropped out of the race, was born in Miami, though to parents who had immigrated from Cuba. Trump claimed simply to have retweeted an argument that neither Rubio nor Cruz were eligible. "@ResisTyr: Mr.Trump...BOTH Cruz AND Rubio are ineligible to be POTUS! It's a SLAM DUNK CASE!! Check it! https://t.co/NjqWP0pP6X" Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 20, 2016 "I've never looked at it, George," Trump told George Stephanopoulos, on ABCs "This Week." "I honestly have never looked at it. As somebody said, he's not. And I retweeted it. I have 14 million people between Twitter and Facebook and Instagram, and I retweet things and we start dialogue and it's very interesting." Born in Kenya? Trumps birther claims began with President Barack Obama in 2012, when the New York businessman repeatedly questioned whether Obama was indeed born in the United States. At one of his campaign events, he allowed a false claim that Obama is Muslim to go unchallenged. Pigs blood Another discredited story that Trump repeats: Gen. John Pershing shot Muslim extremists in the Philippines with bullets dipped in pigs' blood. [NATL] Highlights From the 2016 Campaign Trail Top lawmakers in the Connecticut General Assembly said Wednesday night that they would not consider a revised budget for the 2017 fiscal year until after its adjournment deadline. "Were going to come back and make sure everybody has had a chance to read it and review it," said Bob Duff, the Majority Leader of the State Senate Wednesday night. Senate President Pro Tem Martin Looney told reporters that there wasn't enough time for the budget bill to be printed, distributed to members and debated in an fast or adequate fashion to justify passage before the statutory midnight deadline. Instead, lawmakers will return to the state capitol early next week when debate, discussion, and passage are expected on the more than $18 billion spending package. Republicans criticized Democrats early Wednesday afternoon, complaining that the budget had been crafted in secret, but they later stood shoulder to shoulder with top Democrats pleased by the delay. Theres a lot of numbers, a lot of commas, a lot of info, a lot of periods" said Sen. Len Fasano, the Minority Leader. "Youve got to get them right and you know taking a step back and saying this is a big document, lets hold off, lets let it sit out there. Lets let people read it, take a glance at it makes a lot of sense. House Speaker Brendan Sharkey said Wednesday of the spending plan, In my 16 years in the legislature this is the most fully vetted public transparent that Ive ever voted for. "One hundred percent, we would pass the budget," he declared, before later announcing they would delay to a special session. Governor Dannel Malloy said in a statement late Wednesday that the move to pass the budget during a Special Session is not an excuse to change the agreed upon budget by him and legislative leadership. He said, If this delay begins a discussion about re-opening the agreement in order to find a way to avoid difficult decisions, thats unacceptable." NBC Connecticut Responds found several laws many consumers didnt even know about when it comes to buying a used car. I just feel like they took advantage of me, said consumer, Maria Hart. Hart is a hard working single mother, trying to put her daughter through college. We share a car, she goes to college full-time I work full time and she works part time and we needed something reliable that we both could share and use, said Hart. She poured her hard-earned cash into a 2008 Nissan Altima. It looks shiny and new but its a clunker that didnt come cheap. She bought the car for $7,500 at Empire Auto in South Windsor. A couple days after I bought the car, I noticed that the breaks were squeaking and there was a grinding noise and I brought it back it was within that week that I bought the car, said Hart. Hart said Empire Auto told her the problem was fixed but it wasnt long before the car was back in their shop. It was six times over the course of five months; once for a broken catalytic converter, next for a bad transmission, then again for a leak in the new transmission. Each time, she was without a car and relying on friends for transportation. Frustrated, she filed complaints with the Better Business Bureau, the Department of Consumer Protection and NBC Connecticut. The manager at Empire Auto declined to speak on camera but said he sold the car in as is condition. According to Connecticut law, a dealer has the right to sell a vehicle in as is condition, if the car is more than six model years old or bought for under $3,000. Harts car is eight years old. The dealership is still required to do a comprehensive safety inspection and theyre supposed to give the consumer a certification that the vehicle is safe and proper for use on Cpnnecticut highways and roads, said Dan Blinn with the Consumer Law Group. Blinn with the Consumer Law Group said if dealers dont provide that documentation, its considered unfair trade practice and they can be fined $500. I showed Hart a copy of the inspection form Blinn said she should have received. She said shes never seen it before. When we asked Empire Auto for a copy of the inspection for Harts car, they said they would send it but they never did. NBC Connecticut calls havent been returned. For their own protection, consumers can print the inspection form right from the DMVs website, and have the dealer sign it. They should also ask about the history of the car and if its been in an accident. But make sure to get it all in writing. Dan Blinn with the Consume Law Group said every car MUST pass emissions. He also said that state law requires dealerships to allow an independent mechanic to perform an inspection upon request. It can be on the premises or at their mechanic shop. He said if the dealership refuses to allow the consumer to take the car off the lot to have the inspection, thats a pretty good sign that maybe this is a dealership that you dont want to do business with. Consumer groups met with a White House policy adviser today to discuss the three biggest issues in the retail industrys transition to chip card readers. Groups in attendance included the Electronic Transactions Association, Merchant Advisory Group, Consumer Policy Solutions and American Consumer Institute Center for Citizen Research, alongside White House adviser Camille Fischer of the National Economic Council. All parties agreed that both consumers and retailers have expressed concerns amid the rollout. One concern: banks havent upgraded 600 million credit or debit cardsroughly half of the cards out there. If this trend is consistent with what the United Kingdom faced during its decade-long chip card transition from 2004-2014, consumers can expect fraud to increase significantly during this in-between period. Retailers have also had issues switching to the new card readers. Most blame the delay on a backlog in the certification process. The third major complaint comes from consumers who say the new process of inserting the card, rather than swiping it, takes too long. To that, officials urge shoppers stay patient. Companies like Visa are working on ways to expedite the process, but in the meantime, experts say the added layer of security is worth the wait. When you put the card reader in, it takes a few seconds to register and authenticate, said Fischer. And it takes those few seconds because it is actually authenticating, creating an additional security step. Kerrville, TX (78028) Today Cloudy skies early, then partly cloudy this afternoon. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 86F. Winds SSW at 10 to 20 mph.. Tonight Some clouds early. Mostly clear skies along with windy conditions overnight. Low 48F. Winds NW at 20 to 30 mph. Higher wind gusts possible. Governor Dannel Malloy's Second Chance 2.0 initiative to raise the age of a juvenile has hit a snag in the state Senate. Debate on the issue was delayed and now it's unclear whether the issue will come up for a vote at all before the midnight deadline Wednesday. The House approved the measure in April. What were trying to do is align the law with the new knowledge that we have, so those of us who are supportive of Second Chance, raise the age, think this is the proper way for the state to move forward," said Sen. Gary Winfield. The bill would make Connecticut the first state in the country to raise the age of a minor from 17 to 20 in one-year steps by 2019. Winfield agrees with the governor's proposal, which is based on recent research completed in Europe and the United States that showed that human brain doesn't fully develop until age 25. Winfield contends that shows many people who commit crimes, may not quite understand both their actions and potential consequences. I think at its core what weve been trying to deal with is young people that might do some foolish things dont find themselves in our system," Winfield said. Opponents, like minority leader Sen. Len Fasano, said there are many circumstances where even 17-year-olds need to be prosecuted as adults. He also said the current system leaves a gap when it comes to punishment. "They want to treat them as a separate group so if they get probation and they violate probation, they cant go to a juvenile jail which we have, or an adult jail which we have, so theres no place to put them," Fasano said. Fasano said as a whole, the bill is, "not well thought out". Winfield said raising the age will lead to decreased recidivism. What we know is that when young people find themselves in our system, they tend to come back to our system and thats a cycle that were trying to avoid in the state of Connecticut. Three people traveling from South Carolina to Connecticut were killed when the small plane they were in crashed on Long Island on Tuesday. The tail number on the plane is registered to a Bristol, Connecticut resident. Two men and a woman were on board the single-engine Beech BE35 aircraft when broke up mid-flight on Cold Spring Road in Syosset just after 2:30 p.m., the FAA said. The plane took off from Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, at 12:45 p.m., and was headed to Robertson Field in Plainville, Connecticut, according to the FAA. During the flight, the pilot made a distress call over Farmingdale, New York, reporting some type of instrumentation problem -- something to the effect of, "'I have a partial panel loss,'" according to NTSB senior investigator Robert Gretz. The plane then disappeared off the radar and broke up in flight, leaving behind a debris field of about two miles. "Sometimes the higher up it breaks up, the larger the debris field," Gretz said. Recordings between responding police officers and dispatch revealed the sheer amount of wreckage that was scattered on the ground. Gretz said it's not clear why the plane broke apart in the sky. "It's not a common investigation for us," Gretz said of the plane breaking apart in the sky. "It does happen. In 18 years, I've probably worked five or 10 of them." Officials are looking at several factors in the crash, including whether the pilot was caught in bad weather. If the pilot didn't have functioning instrumentation in bad weather, it would be like driving through fog without lights or a dashboard, Gretz said. Gretz said Nassau, New York police was assisting in the investigation by documenting each piece of plane debris. A preliminary report is expected to be issued within five to 10 business days, and a final report, including a probable cause, will be issued in about nine to 12 months. The FAA will investigate the crash and the National Transportation Safety Board will determine the cause. State lawmakers are taking action to try to help hundreds of homeowners struggling with crumbling foundations. Late Tuesday night, the Senate unanimously approved House Bill 5180, which will provide homeowners in Hartford, Tolland and Windham counties a measure of relief, while they grapple with this financially devastating problem. Last July, the NBC Connecticut Troubleshooters first uncovered an issue that's plaguing hundreds of homeowners across eastern Connecticut. Their foundations are crumbling beneath them and experts said there's no fix. The only remedy is replacing the concrete at a cost of $150,000 and up. The bill looks to give the homeowners short term relief by requiring local towns to revalue homes with foundation problems. That could save owners thousands in taxes while they wait for a permanent solution. The bill also requires the state keep any records related to the failing foundations confidential for at least seven years. According to State Senator Cathy Osten, that's the key to getting reluctant homeowners to register with the state and set the wheels in motion for a long-term financial solution. "We need to have the real numbers where the problems are. Anecdotally, we think about 2000 homes that have crumbling foundations yet we only have about 200 homeowners who've come forward," said Osten. House Bill 5180 also establishes increased record keeping related to newly poured concrete foundations moving forward. Now, the bill move on to the Governor's desk. If he signs it into law, most of the provisions in the measure would take effect July 1. The greatest climatic scene in any superhero movie yet didn't involve explosive violence, at least not of the physical variety. At the end of Captain America: The First Avenger, the star-spangled soldier wakes up in what appears to be a World War II-era hospital recovery room. But the Brooklyn Dodgers game playing on the radio a game he remembers attending tips him off that he's a character in a play of someone else's making. He flees the building to find himself in 2011 Times Square. The chilling scene set the stage for the subsequent ascent of the most unlikely superstar of the movie superhero world: a 1940s patriotic throwback whose strength pales next to most of his contemporaries, but whose character is as unbendable as his mighty shield. Former milquetoast Steve Rogers faces his toughest fight in "Captain America: Civil War," which opens nationally Friday and pits factions of The Avengers one led by him, the other by Iron Man in a battle over a government bid to regulate superheroes. But as we've seen with the champion of the red, white and blue, things are never as black-and-white as they appear. Captain America fights his wars on multiple fronts, battling time and even himself as hes morphed during his initial four movie outings from a straight-arrow do-gooder to the most deceivingly complex figure in the Marvel Universe. Hes an independent hero and perhaps an anti-hero for our times, an era filled with political turmoil, upended expectations and more than our share of ambiguity. As embodied by actor Chris Evans, who effectively conveys brains and brawn, Steve Rogers is a case study in innocence lost. The government created Captain America to fight the good fight, without question, against a defined enemy with the world at war. Now, hes heading the Avengers crew thats resisting government interference spurred by the destruction wrought in battles with the likes of the Tony Stark-created Ultron. Rogers determination to save his World War II sidekick, Bucky Barnes, from a fate as a brainwashed assassin also drives his defection from authority. The film brims with parallels, not only to real-life tensions over war, weapons and human rights, but to the recent "Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice," which also centers on the conflicts over unchecked superhero powers. Like DC stalwarts Batman and Superman, who were born in the late 1930s, 75-year-old Captain America has endured thanks to constant reinvention. The Marvel star got his first comic book case of future shock when Jack Kirby and Stan Lee yanked him out of a state of suspended animation in early 1964, shortly after the assassination of President Kennedy and on the eve of a new era of upheaval. Steve Rogers movie persona has been similarly updated, keeping the spirit of the comic book original while upping the intricacy of what it means to be an American hero. He seems determined to redefine not only himself, but also loyalty and winning. Civil War is shaping up as Captain Americas turn to deliver a rude awakening of his own. Jere Hester is Director of News Products and Projects at the City University of New York Graduate School of Journalism. He is also the author of "Raising a Beatle Baby: How John, Paul, George and Ringo Helped us Come Together as a Family." Follow him on Twitter. Radiohead has put out a new song ahead of a world tour that opens later this month. The alternative rock band put out snippets of "Burn The Witch" on social media Tuesday before posting the full music video to its website and YouTube. The claymation-style video has fueled speculation that a new studio album could be forthcoming. It would be its first since 2011's "The King of Limbs." Radiohead begins a world tour May 20 in The Netherlands. The band will visit New York and Chicago in July and California in August. Documents obtained by NBC 5 Investigates detail how the Texas National Guard has spent $62 million and counting on a mission to help secure the Texas/Mexico border. National Guard receipts detail millions spent to rental cars, televisions, copy machines and office trailers. Troops also racked up tens of thousands of dollars in state credit card charges buying office supplies used to set-up remote work locations for guard troops. The guard deployed very quickly when Gov. Rick Perry first ordered them to the border in 2014; records show that set off a flurry of spending. Some of the expenses are for things you might expect, like hotels. Records show more than $10 million was spent to house the troops at hotels near the border. The records also detail expenses for items including basics like food, bottled water and bug spray. And then there are rental cars. A lot of rental cars. The records show the guard has already spent $1.8 million on rental cars and some of the priciest rentals were not driven very far. Receipts show one van was rented for $1,100 and only driven 47 miles. Another receipt shows a van traveled just nine miles and they paid $1,300. Brig. Gen. Patrick Hamilton is in charge of the mission. In an interview, NBC 5 Investigates asked if it was a good use of taxpayer money to spend $1,300 for a rental car only driven nine miles. "We activated very rapidly. We made estimates on what it was going to take to get our guys around," said Hamilton. It turns out the guard didn't need as many rentals as they initially thought. "We rented that first set of vehicles as we noticed we weren't using them we turned them in," said Hamilton. The guard was sent to the border to be a visible deterrent, so why not drive military vehicles? Hamilton decided his troops should travel through neighborhoods more low key, so people who live near the border didn't feel like they were living in a militarized zone. Plus he said the rentals saved wear and tear costs on military trucks. "It was more efficient and it was also less obtrusive, less noticeable," said Hamilton. Still, for $1.8 million the state could have bought more than 50 vans like the ones they rented. Or that money could have paid the first year salaries for about 30 DPS troopers the state is hiring to bolster border security. Documents obtained by NBC 5 Investigates detail how the Texas National Guard has spent $62 million, and counting, on a mission to help secure the Texas/Mexico border. NBC 5 Investigates found cars aren't the only thing the guard rents. Through an open records request with the Texas National Guard, NBC 5 Investigates obtained more than 3,500 pages of expense reports and receipts detailing the guard's expenditures for Operation Strong Safety. Records show more than $85,000 on copy machine rentals and hundreds of thousands of dollars to rent office trailers and portable toilets. The guard even went to places like Rent-A-Center, spending more than $12,000 at various outlets to rent TV monitors. Which raises questions about whether renting will cost more over time than buying. Hamilton told NBC 5 Investigates they "didn't know how long the mission was going to go." Records show more than $27,000 was spent on office supplies like pens, staplers, binders, tape, shredders, highlighters and other items bought by guard members using state purchase cards. The general insists all of it necessary to set-up remote officers for soldiers on the ground. "Three shifts a day, 45 locations, over 100 miles. That requires some office supplies," said Hamilton. "With any operation there's always, there's always a certain amount of waste, mismanagement and maybe misspending," said Texas Sen. Juan Hinojosa (D-Dist. 20), who represents the McAllen area along the border. Hinojosa said a senate committee plans to look closely at all of the border expenses. "We intend to ask those questions because we need to make sure taxpayer money was spent wisely," said Hinojosa. That may include questions about some costly mistakes. Records obtained by NBC 5 Investigates show the state guard had to cut a $117,000 check to the federal government to pay for damage to spotting scopes mounted on top of federally-owned Humvees. Texas National Guard Troops smashed them driving under low bridges not once, but twice. "We have to reimburse the federal government for the damage," said Hamilton. Whatever the cost, rancher Mike Vickers said the mission is worth it. He's seen fewer illegal immigrants crossing his land since the guard arrived in 2014 along with more Department of Public Safety State Troopers and Border Patrol agents. "If the state can provide those resources with DPS agents and National Guard, I'm all for it, regardless of the cost," said Vickers. "There's always money involved. These operations are not simple," said Brooks County Chief Deputy Benny Martinez. Sheriff's deputies in Brooks County said the number of illegal immigrants dying while making the trek through the country is down by about 20 percent compared to last year. Martinez is convinced the guard is helping. "There are a lot of moving parts and they're just one part of that. You've got your Border Patrol too where they increased their assets," said Martinez. But other local sheriffs argue the National Guard expenses are ridiculous. "It's just a waste of money. You're throwing the money down the drain because you're not accomplishing anything," said Cameron County Sheriff Omar Lucio. Lucio is part of the Texas Border Sheriff's Coalition who believe the money would have been better spent to build up local law enforcement agencies in the Rio Grande Valley, a more permanent solution than the Guard's short-term deployment. "This is not a fix, not even a temporary fix," said Lucio. The guard has no power to arrest anyone so it's dependent on other agencies to help capture people. When a guard unit spots someone trying to sneak across the border, they call the Texas Department of Public Safety. DPS then often notifies the Border Patrol -- which has authority to enforce federal immigration law. In April, NBC 5 Investigates uncovered records that show when the guard calls, sometimes the Border Patrol does not respond or doesn't respond fast enough to catch people -- raising questions about coordination and whether the guard is the most effective solution. "They don't have arrest powers. They are not very cost effective," said Hinojosa. "I'm confident that we have been the best stewards of taxpayer dollars that we could be on this mission," said Hamilton. Hamilton said the mission is actually under budget but some legislators still vow to look closely at where the millions went. "There will be situation where money maybe could be put to better use and we intend to review all of those costs and expenses," said Hinojosa. The $62 million the guard spent so far is just for one part of a much larger $800 million state border security plan. Much of that money is being spent by DPS which has sent state troopers to the border. The DPS has declined to release expense receipts. The agency is now suing the Texas Attorney General after the AG ruled NBC 5 should be able to see the records. [[378049801,C]] Last year, 359 liver transplants were made possible by live liver donation. Its a number that has grown over the past three years and experts say it may be evidence that more people are learning about what can be, for some, the only life-saving option. Twenty-one-year-old Ashley Ray suffered from liver disease since age nine. When she was 19, her liver failed. I deteriorated very fast, and Dr. Hemming said I wouldnt have made it waiting on the transplant list, said Ray. Her uncle, Keith Garcia, found out he was a blood type match and he volunteered to donate half his liver. I felt confident that I would survive what the surgery entailed, said Garcia. Alan Hemming, M.D., chief of transplantation at UC San Diego Health says live liver donation allows patients to get transplants before they get too sick. It doesnt take away the risk of transplantation, it just takes away the risk of dying on the waiting list, Hemming explained. In an eight-hour surgery, Hemming and his team removed 60 percent of Garcias liver and transplanted it into Ray. Both halves of Garcias liver will grow back to nearly full-size. It was just a once-in-a-lifetime experience to see my uncle standing on the other side with half of his liver inside me, keeping me alive, said Ray. Donors risk complications or death, but Garcia recovered quickly, returning to work in two weeks. Despite the live liver option, the American Liver Foundation says about 17,000 people are on the waiting list to get a liver transplant. Only a third of them will get a liver, and every year, as many as 1,700 people die waiting. Doctors say because of the increased risk, live liver donation is still rare. Less than 5 percent of liver transplants have a live donor. Patients and their families should only make a decision about living donor transplantation after being fully informed of the risks and benefits from a physician. To become an organ donor, a blood test will have to be done to determine if a donors blood and tissue types are compatible with the organ recipient. All thats needed to match is blood type to be a live liver donor. A donor will also go through a thorough physical examination and psychological evaluation and several other tests to ensure that they in good health and that their liver can be safely divided. Since the liver does not grow back as well in older people, donors must be less than 55-years-old. To register to be an organ donor, click here. An injured worker at a construction site near American Airlines Center in Uptown Dallas had to be rescued by firefighters Wednesday. Dallas Fire-Rescue said they were called to perform a technical rescue at the site along the 2500 block of Alamo Street. The condition of the worker, and the cause of the injury, is not yet known. The rescue took place where a large, multi-story building is being constructed east of the arena on the corner of Houston and Payne streets. Check back and refresh this page for the latest information. Dallas Police are investigating an early morning shooting in Deep Ellum. Police responded just before 6 a.m. to reports of shots fired at a recording studio in the 2800 block of Main Street. According to police, people were inside the studio working when someone rang the bell or knocked on the door. Before someone inside could open the door a single shot was fired through the glass door striking someone inside. The victim was taken to a local hospital with non-life threatening injuries. Police crime scene documented the damage, before officers left the scene around 7 a.m. No motive or suspect description has been given as of yet. The building houses two recording studios, with the one in question called Legacy. The door way glass was shattered with a visible bullet hole on Wednesday morning. The Tarrant Regional Transportation Coalition got an update Wednesday on a proposed high-speed rail route connecting Dallas, Arlington and Fort Worth. A high-speed rail line connecting Dallas to Houston, being put together by Central Texas Railway, has been talked about for a number of years and currently faces some legal battles with opponents and the eminent domain being used to secure its route. The DFW high-speed route is being planned by local governments, including the cities of Dallas and Fort Worth and the counties of Dallas and Tarrant. Bill Meadows is the chairman of the Commission for High-Speed Rail in Dallas-Fort Worth. He provided the coalition with an update on where things stand, most notably highlighting meetings with federal transportation and rail authorities in Washington D.C. late last year. The irony of high-speed rail is that it is a slow moving process to take from dream to reality. In March of this year the DFW line began seeking private sector proposals for the planned line. Routes are currently being analyzed and could be picked by the end of the year or in 2017. The Dallas to Arlington to Fort Worth route would tie-in to the Houston line, creating a system of high-speed rail. Its something Meadows said is important to the regions transportation needs. I think people recognize the importance of some alternatives as we begin to recognize that our effort to continue to build roadway infrastructure is not going to meet the demands of the Texas in 2030 or 2040, Meadows said. Meadows told the coalition you have to believe in these projects and work on the next steps to make it a reality one day. He highlighted the decades long desire to build what is now the Chisholm Trail Parkway in Tarrant County. Currently a local government corporation is being developed by the partners on the DFW line. That corporation would put the local project together. The local entities are also working on a memorandum of understanding with Central Texas Railway. Meadows said its critical to that line to have the two million or so residents on the western edge of the Metroplex to have access to it. A forum on high-speed rail in DFW is slated to take place later this summer. Meadows said Texas Gov. Greg Abbott is supportive of the line because it is a local or regional initiative, not a state or federally created transportation network. A 20-year-old man has been convicted of aggravated assault over the 2014 death of his prom date at a Houston hotel following the dance. Eddie M. Herrera faces up to life in prison after being convicted Wednesday in the case involving the death of 17-year-old Jacqueline Gomez. She attended MacArthur High School in the Aldine Independent School District. The couple went to the prom at the same hotel where they later shared a room. Houston police say the boyfriend said the couple drank alcohol before falling asleep. Prosecutors say Herrera and his girlfriend took prescription painkillers and the girl was choked during sex. Herrera's mother, Melissa Ann Martinez, awaits trial on charges of providing drugs and alcohol to the underage couple. The Texas legal drinking age is 21. Three American citizens abducted last month in the northern state of Tamaulipas, across the border from Texas, were rescued by Mexican police in a confrontation in which a suspected kidnapper was killed, authorities said Tuesday. The victims were said to be from Dallas and described as in good condition. The Tamaulipas state government said the victims were freed Monday from a criminal band's camp along the highway between Ciudad Victoria and Zaragoza. It said the alleged leader of the band was killed in the operation and two suspects were detained. It added that the Americans, two women and a man, are members of the same family and are of Mexican descent. They were kidnapped April 13 while driving to a relative's funeral in the central state of San Luis Potosi, and their captors demanded a ransom. The following day U.S. consular officials sought help from Mexican authorities to search for the victims, who were located Monday evening. The Tamaulipas government said the suspects are under investigation for other abductions along the highway. The area is being fought over by two warring factions of the Zetas drug cartel. Midlothian police released the search warrant issued the day after 45-year-old Terri "Missy" Leann Bevers was killed inside the Creekside Church of Christ last month. The warrant issued late in the afternoon of April 19 and obtained May 3, states that Bevers "had multiple puncture wounds found on her head and chest" that "are consistent with tools the suspect was carrying throughout the building." // BEVERS-SW16-060 (PDF) BEVERS-SW16-060 (Text) Midlothian police released surveillance video showing a person of interest in the Bevers case walking through a church shortly before the married mother of three was killed on April 18. The warrant describes the person as wearing "a black helmet, black balaclava, dark pants, dark long sleeve shirt, black gloves, and a black vest with Police in white lettering on the front and back." The warrant says the subject is seen "walking throughout the building holding a hammer, breaking windows and going through offices." Bevers was attacked after arriving just after 4 a.m. to teach an early-morning Camp Gladiator workout class, police said. Police released a few frames of the video, noting the person's distinctive gait and mannerisms, hoping it would help identify the unknown person. "We are just hoping that somebody will see something that piques their interest and spurs their memory, so that they may make a connection to somebody they know and provide us that tip," said Midlothian's Assistant Police Chief Kevin Johnson. Midlothian police released a longer clip showing the person walking through different parts of the church and swinging what appears to be a large hammer. Police indicated it was found near her body along with other tools from the church. "Detectives would like the public to focus in on the mannerisms and distinguishing walk of the suspect," Johnson said, "Investigators believe that someone still has information or may recognize the suspect in this case." Police said the indoor surveillance system at the church is motion-activated and that results in different time sequences. If there was no movement captured by the camera system, the video would stop recording. Video surveillance times are approximate, police said. Investigators first said the person in the video is a man. They later backed away from that assertion and said they weren't sure of the person's gender. When asked about potential suspects, Johnson said they were considering a long list of people. Bevers is believed to have been in the church only moments before she ran into the person in black. Her students later found her unresponsive inside the church she was later declared dead by a Justice of the Peace. Police said in a previous search warrant that Bevers had a head wound, but offered no other details about her death. Anyone with information is asked to contact the department's tip line at 972-775-7624. Tipsters may be eligible for a cash reward and can also remain anonymous by contacting Ellis County Crime Stoppers at 972-937-PAYS (7297). Oak Farms Dairy has offered a $10,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and grand jury indictment of the person or persons responsible. Tuesday was eviction day at the homeless encampment under Interstate 45 and Interstate 30 near Fair Park known as "Tent City." At one point this year, several hundred people called it home. They even had portable restrooms and a makeshift store with food and drinks for sale. But early Tuesday morning, Dallas police officers and city workers kicked out the last 80 people from the last section of the encampment. "They came over and shut one section down, gated it off. Woke us all up this morning and said, you gotta go. If you dont, go youre going to jail. So we all came down here," said Rhonda from Indiana, who declined to give her last name. Rhonda is one of roughly 60 people who are setting up a new encampment roughly 500 yards away under a different underpass---near Good Latimer Expressway and Logan Street. "So, is this now the new Tent City?" asked NBC 5."Actually, from what I hear, this was the old Tent City," she replied. There is frequent violence in those camps, according to residents--shootings and stabbings, largely because of drug sales. "They need to let us be. Theres rowdy people who do their drugs or whatever. Im not one of them, I drink. I stay to myself," Rhonda said. But city officials say it's a public health and public safety issue to let these homeless villages grow. And after increasing complaints from nearby homeowners and community groups, the city is re-focused in fencing those areas off. Yet, new tent-encampments are starting to pop up in that same area near Fair Park. Within an hour of the official City of Dallas tweet announcing that "all sections of Tent City are closed", NBC 5 spotted dozens of people shuffling down the street, trying to find a new spot to set up a tent, all while trying to avoid being stopped by patrolling police officers or city staffers. "This is my opinion. Let the people be that dont make no problems. But the people who come down here and shoot off guns and stuff, thats who they need to do deal with, that sell dope," Rhonda opined. The City of Dallas in recent weeks has helped dozens of homeless Tent City residents. Volunteers have helped get IDs for folks, offered them rides to shelters, provided information on long-term housing and helped connect homeless veterans with VA resources. Elected city leaders, county leaders and health officials have made frequent visits to the Tent City camp to speak with residents and try to get them into better situations. On Tuesday, Dallas street crews put up many new signs on concrete pillars that warn people to stay away; and in recent weeks, many new chain-link fences have gone up to close off those underpasses. The message is clear-- underneath Dallas overpasses, is not a place to call home. Ted Cruz is ending his campaign for president, putting Donald Trump on a glide path to claim the Republican Party's nomination. "The movement that you have started is incredible. From the beginning I said I will continue on as long as there is a path to victory. Tonight Im sorry to say that path has been foreclosed," Cruz told a group of Indiana supporters Tuesday night. "Together we left it all on there on the field in Indiana. but voters chose another path. With a heavy heart we are suspending our campaign." The conservative firebrand and Texas senator had tried to cast himself as the only viable alternative to the billionaire businessman. But his campaign said he was to announce his decision to drop out of the race after losing to Trump in Tuesday's Indiana primary. Trump took a major step toward sewing up the Republican presidential nomination Tuesday with a victory in Indiana's primary election, dashing the hopes of rival Ted Cruz and other GOP forces who fear the brash businessman will doom their party in the general election. Donald Trump took a major step toward sewing up the Republican presidential nomination Tuesday with a victory in Indianas primary election, dashing the hopes of rival Ted Cruz and other GOP forces who fear the brash businessman will doom their party in the general election. While Trump can't mathematically clinch the GOP nomination with his victory in Indiana, his path now becomes easier and he has more room for error in the remaining primary contests. The real estate mogul will collect at least 45 of Indiana's 57 delegates, and now needs less than 200 more in upcoming contests. "Thank you Indiana, we were just projected to be the winner," Trump wrote on Twitter. "We have won in every category. You are very special people -- I will never forget!" Cruz, who hasn't topped Trump in a month, campaigned vigorously in Indiana, securing the endorsement of the state's governor and announcing businesswoman Carly Fiorina as his running mate. But he appeared to lose momentum in the final days of campaigning and let his frustration with Trump boil over Tuesday, calling the billionaire "amoral" and a "braggadocious, arrogant buffoon." Tuesday evening, Cruz dropped out of the race. Cruz formally suspends campaign Julie Fine (@JulieFineNBC5) May 4, 2016 Trump responded by saying Cruz "does not have the temperament to be president of the United States." Earlier Tuesday Trump had rehashed unsubstantiated claims that the Texan's father, Rafael Cruz, appeared in a 1963 photograph with John F. Kennedy's assassin, Lee Harvey Oswald -- citing a report first published by the National Enquirer. Whether a united Republican Party is even possible with Trump at the helm remains highly uncertain. Even before the Indiana results were finalized, some conservative leaders were planning a Wednesday meeting to assess the viability of launching a third party candidacy to compete with Trump in the fall. One outside group trying to stop Trump suggested it would shift its attention to helping Republicans in other races. Rory Cooper, a senior adviser to the Never Trump super PAC, said the group will help protect "Republican incumbents and down-ballot candidates, by distinguishing their values and principles from that of Trump, and protecting them from a wave election." Only about half of Indiana's Republican primary voters said they were excited or even optimistic about any of their remaining candidates becoming president, according to exit polls. Still, most said they probably would support whoever won for the GOP. The exit polls were conducted by Edison Research for The Associated Press and television networks. A fall showdown between Clinton and Trump would pit one of Democrats' most experienced political figures against a first-time candidate who is deeply divisive within his own party. Cruz and other Republicans have argued that Trump would be roundly defeated in the general election, denying their party the White House for a third straight term. Trump has now won seven straight primary contests and has 80 percent of the delegates needed to secure the GOP nomination. With his victory in Indiana, Trump now has at least 1,041 delegates. Cruz has 565 and Ohio Gov. John Kasich has 152. Pace reported from Washington. Associated Press writer Stephen Ohlemacher contributed to this report from Washington. Oakland could very well be the most pot-friendly city in the United States. In the wee hours of Wednesday morning, the Oakland City Council voted unanimously to approve sweeping new medical marijuana expansions and combat the racial equity issue that has plagued people of color, siding with those who have most been hurt by the War on Drugs. Perhaps most notably, the council voted to give half the business licenses to applicants who live within parts of Oakland that have a reputation for having higher marijuana-related arrest rates. Oakland Magazine and the East Bay Times were the first to report the news. As far as councilwoman Desley Brooks knows, Oakland is the first city in the United States to present an Equity Amendment ordinance in respect to marijuana. When you look at cannabis industry across nation, Brooks told NBC Bay Area on Wednesday, its dominated by people who are white and they make money. And the people who go to jail are black and brown. I wanted some parity. There needs to be equity in this industry. Brooks authored the amendment. Adam Steinberg, the business manager at Flow Kana a marijuana collective that stands to financially benefit from the new rules, was at the meeting. He told NBC Bay Area he thinks it's a good idea to give back to "a community that's been negatively impacted by the 'War on Drugs' and our nation's failed drug policies." In addition, the council voted to add eight medical marijuana dispensary permits each year, and an unlimited number of marijuana-related type businesses to operate within city limits, giving a nod to the fact that delivering pot to medical card holders on bikes and Uber has been taking off recently. All this is great news for Steinberg's company. "Oakland now has a huge opportunity to take the lead," he said, "to be the cannabis capital of California." Even though he is white, Steinberg said he thinks the move by the council is the right one in terms of racial justice. The decision, no matter how controversial, also means more medical marijuana money for Oakland. Last year, the eight dispensaries already operating in the city generated roughly $4 million in taxes, Greg Minor, an assistant to the city administrator, told the council. Just imagine, he said, how much more money the city would glean with nearly 100 more pot-related businesses. At the meeting, nearly all of the people who addressed the council were pro-cannabis, the East Bay Times and Oakland Magazine reported. But, many also were critical of a late-agenda add that requires half of the business licenses be issued to applicants living within certain swaths of the city identified as having higher marijuana-related arrest rates. Under the amendment, applicants who live in those neighborhoods would be required to maintain at least a 51 percent ownership in the business. A second amendment also includes people who had previously been arrested in Oakland and incarcerated for marijuana-related offenses. Brooks downplayed any worries that giving business licenses to those who have been arrested for pot would yield any harm. Sixty seven percent of people in Oakland voted for marijuana to be a low-level priority, Brooks said, meaning that most people in the city dont consider being arrested for having pot a big deal. Coincidentally, the federal government decided not to prosecute Harborside Health Center in Oakland on Wednesday, after a four-year effort to seize the dispensary. She also cited the most recent news, where a coalition that includes former Facebook President Sean Parker and backed by Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom and the nation's leading marijuana advocacy groups says it has collected 600,000 signatures, a lot more than the 365,000 needed, well ahead of the July 5 deadline. Legalizing marijuana is most likely going to be put to California voters in November. The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors Tuesday approved a $1.3 million settlement for the family of a father of three who was struck and killed by a sheriff's patrol car during a pursuit. On Oct. 8, 2012, Alfonso Cerda was riding his bike when sheriff's deputies tried to make an arrest. The squad car from the South Los Angeles station collided with Cerda about 1:25 a.m. in the 3500 block of West 107th Street in Inglewood. Cerda, 44, was pronounced dead at a hospital. The Sheriff's Department initially reported that deputies believed Cerda was armed with a gun, but later retracted that statement. "While the deputies exited their vehicle, the suspect fled on his bicycle," according to the original statement released by the Sheriff's Headquarters Bureau. "Seconds later, the suspect brandished a gun toward the deputies. One deputy took cover, while the other deputy followed the suspect in his marked unit. The deputy attempted to get ahead of him, and a traffic collision occurred between the marked unit and the suspect." Four days later, the Sheriff's Department issued a statement saying the earlier report of a gun was inaccurate. "No weapon was recovered or was believed to be in Mr. Cerda's possession at the time of the incident," according to the later statement, which failed to disclose the original reason deputies tried to make an arrest. At a vigil for his father, Alfonso Cerda Jr. said his dad never carried a weapon. "If he was on his bike he had a flashlight, his wallet, and that's it and his happiness," his son said. Cerda died of blunt force upper body injuries, according to records on the county coroner's website, which also listed "cardiomegaly; probable methamphetamine effect" under "other significant causes." Cardiomegaly is an enlarged heart. Citing the risks and uncertainties of litigation, county lawyers recommended settlement. Requests for the board to approve a settlement in excess of $100,000 typically include a Corrective Action Plan that includes some detail about the incident that sparked the lawsuit, a review of investigations that followed and actions taken in order to avoid similar future incidents, including disciplinary action. In this case, the Corrective Action Plan was not publicly disclosed because it contains "confidential peace officer personnel matters," according to a county spokesman. Streets were closed in a Hollywood neighborhood Wednesday morning during a search following a shooting that involved an off-duty officer. The officer on his way to work opened fire at about 5:30 a.m. near Van Ness and Franklin avenues during what police described as a confrontation with a man. Details regarding the confrontation and the man's description were not immediately available. Other officers responded to the area after a call for help from the officer, a 20-year veteran. Residents reported the sound of at least one gunshot followed by a police response. "Other residents were out, trying to figure out what was going on," said resident Clay Summers. Authorities said they are searching for at least one person in the area. SWAT and K-9 units responded to the neighborhood, just northeast of the 101 Freeway. Police called off the search by 5 p.m. No injuries were reported. It was not immediately clear whether the subject sought by police has a weapon. Franklin Avenue was closed near Taft Avenue during the search. Students at Cheremoya Elementary School were re-directed to Le Conte Middle School due to the police activity. A 24-year-old Southern California artist who painted a portrait of Republican presidential hopeful Donald Trump in the nude said she was punched in the face by an attacker who yelled "Trump 2016." The Los Angeles Police Department was investigating the assault Tuesday, but Illma Gore said the attack wasn't the first she has dealt with since painting Trump in a portrait depicting the GOP front-runner with small genitals. "I have received threats of violence and people say they were coming to kill me," Gore said. Illma Gore On Friday, Gore was suddenly confronted by a violent, shirtless stranger in broad daylight. She was walking to an art supply store near La Cienega Boulevard at the time. "All I could hear was 'Trump 2016,'" Gore said. A group of men traveling in a black Honda Civic stopped beside her on the sidewalk, according to Gore. "He got out and punched me in the face and said 'Trump 2016' then he drove off," Gore said. Gore went to the LAPD and immediately reported the assault. "She sustained severe injuries," said Mike Lopez of the LAPD. "We are aware of the incident and we are investigating." Gore's controversial pastel drawing of a naked Donald Trump titled "Make America Great Again" shows the Republican front-runner with small genitals because of how he was "boasting" about his endowment during the March presidential debate, she said. [NATL] Highlights From the 2016 Campaign Trail "I have no regrets. I would do it all over again," Gore said. But it does make her concerned about free speech. "I am scared for America, and for the future for myself and for artists," Gore said. "Whoever hit me should take responsibility for their actions as well. It's cowardly not to." In an interview with police, Gore described the man who hit her as shirtless and wearing a red cap and red shorts. She estimated he was about 25 years old. The LAPD is looking into whether any surveillance from the area may help lead to an arrest. More than a month after Verizon sold off its landlines by the millions, angry customers are reaching out to NBC4 to say that the problems persist. Eighty-three-year-old Santa Fe Springs resident Marlene Vernava said her service was out for seven days. On an oxygen tank 24 hours a day, Vernava said her landline is critical because it is connected to her medical alert system that tells family and doctors if something is wrong. The day after NBC4 investigated Vernava's story, Frontier and Verizon technicians came out to fix the problem the next day, she said. On Sunday, her line which she calls quite literally her "life line" went dead again. "I've no phone, no Lifeline. Zippo!" Vernava said Tuesday night. And she is not the only one complaining since Frontier switched over more than a million Verizon customers on April 1. Weeks ago, dozens of Verizon customers now Frontier customers reached out to NBC4, frustrated with the switch over. Two weeks prior, Vernava thought her problems were solved when the technicians helped her. "I'm going, 'Oh no, not again. Don't do this to me,'" Vernava said. Vernava says it's not anything she's doing wrong. "I've had this same phone number for 50 years," Vernava said. The only change she says is the phone company. Frontier Communications responded to NBC'4s inquiries about Vernava's phone Tuesday night. The communication company said her phone wasn't working initially because the plug was accidentally knocked out. Vernava's family said that claim is not true. Frontier Communications issued the following statement to NBC4 in the original story: "As you know, Frontier Communications is in the process of completing the transition of over one million voice, video, data and FiOS customers in California to the Frontier network. We are working quickly to restore any service issues. We apologize for any inconvenience and thank you for your patience. If any of your viewers are expressing concern over Video on Demand (VOD), please let them know VOD content has been available since Saturday, April 2. We are working to complete the transition of more content to our VOD library and the most popular titles are available now. "Residential customers in need of assistance should call 1-800-921-8101. Business customers should dial 1-800-921-8102. Customers can also contact Frontier Customer Service via Live Chat, by going to the Contact Us page in the Help Center at www.MeetFrontier.com." Following NBC4 sharing Vernava's story, her sister reported Wednesday that the phone was fixed at 8 a.m. She also said a Frontier Executive, Conrad Christian, apologized and gave them his personal line to call if they have future issues. Dozens more customers reached out to NBC4 via email, social media and more expressing frustration over the takeover after Vernava's story aired. Assemblyman Mike Gatto also issued a statement, saying: "These problems need to be resolved swiftly. Cities are unable to live stream council meetings and residents are at risk because of the inability to dial 911 in an emergency. My committee will hold hearings on the impact on our constituents and the appropriate government response if these problems persist." Editor's Note: This story was originally posted on Tuesday, May 3, 2016. A man has been arrested in the abduction and death of an 11-year-old girl whose body was found on the Navajo Nation land in New Mexico, the FBI announced Tuesday night, NBC News reported. The arrest was made hours after the FBI pledged to "leave no stone unturned" in the hunt for whoever abducted Ashlynn Mike near her home Monday. The child's body was found Tuesday morning near the Shiprock monument. Tom Begaye, 27, of Waterflow, New Mexico, was arrested late Tuesday and is due to appear in court Wednesday, the FBI said. Further details were not immediately released. The girl was kidnapped along with her 9-year-old brother at around 2:30 p.m. MT Monday outside their San Juan County home, and the boy was later found walking on a road south of the monument, officials told NBC affiliate KOB. Her body was found at around 11:30 a.m., the Navajo Nation and FBI said. What to Know Police say man who attacked a Metrobus driver and hijacked his bus is now in custody. A pedestrian was fatally struck in gas station parking lot. The bus driver managed to get off the bus, but suffered a back injury in the process. A man attacked a Metrobus driver with needle-nose pliers Tuesday morning and took control of the bus, D.C. police said. The hijacker then crashed the bus into a gas station parking lot, hitting a man who later died. Over the course of just three minutes, the hijacker boarded the bus in Northeast D.C., attacked the driver and ran over the pedestrian, D.C. Police Chief Cathy Lanier said. "People were just screaming, 'Somebody hit, Somebody hit,'" said Darius Johnson, a worker at a nearby Wendy's restaurant. "When we looked, it was just chaos." The victim, Anthony Payne, 40, of northwest Washington, was rushed to a hospital and pronounced dead. Police said the hijacker, Keith Loving, 30, of northeast Washington boarded the bus in the 3800 block of Jay Street in Northeast D.C. about 10:30 a.m. When the bus arrived at its next stop, Loving got up and attacked the driver with the tool, police said. The driver managed to get off the bus but suffered a back injury. He was expected to recover. Passengers on the bus saw the attack and ran out the back door, Lanier said. Loving then drove the bus a short distance, causing several crashes along the way, police said. He sideswiped a van carrying senior citizens, its driver told News4. "We were trying to call the police and let the police officer know that this bus was being attacked. The person that hijacked the bus, he was going so fast," the van driver said, asking that her name be withheld. A short time later, police said Loving veered over a curb into the parking lot of a gas station at the corner of Minnesota and Nannie Helen Burroughs avenues. The bus ran over a gas station worker, identified later as Payne, who had been taking out the trash. Payne was rushed to a hospital and pronounced dead. He picked up odd jobs and had been working for the gas station, employee Isas Haile said. "He's honest. He's very good guy. He's good person," he said. Police officers surrounded the bus, guns drawn, and were able to subdue and arrest Loving, police and witnesses said. "He was violent and resisting the officers when they took him off the bus," Lanier said. "It's a bizarre incident," she added. It wasn't immediately clear if Loving had an attorney. Police initially said juveniles hijacked the bus, but later said just one man committed the crime. Loving is known to police in the area, sources said. Police said he was charged with second-degree murder. The hijacking is raising questions about the safety of bus drivers and their passengers. No protective shield separated the bus driver from passengers. All new buses purchased by Metro will be equipped with the shields, Metro Transit Police Chief Ron Pavlik previously said. Fewer than one quarter of Metrobuses were equipped with the shields as of Tuesday, a Metro representative said. Of the 1,542 buses Metro operates, 326 buses have the shields. Another 531 buses will have the safety devices by the end of 2016. The shields are typically used in areas where drivers have previously had trouble, the Metro representative said. Metrobus drivers suffered at least 170 assaults on the job within a three-year span, a 2014 report by the News4 I-Team found. Bus passengers have assaulted drivers in broad daylight, in front of children and because they didn't want to pay bus fare. Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren blasted Republican front-runner Donald Trump after his victory Tuesday in Indiana, saying the billionaire businessman has more support from the KKK than the GOP. "There's more enthusiasm for @realDonaldTrump among leaders of the KKK than leaders of the party he now controls," Warren, a Democrat, tweeted after Trump was declared the winner of Indiana's primary and rival Ted Cruz ended his bid for the White House. Warren criticized Trump for "[building] his campaign on racism, sexism, and xenophobia." [NATL] Highlights From the 2016 Campaign Trail She also called him out for "cheerleading illegal torture" and fostering warm relations with Russian President Vladimir Putin. In her final thought, Warren vowed to fight "to make sure Trump's toxic stew of hatred & insecurity never reaches the White House." The senator has yet to endorse a candidate, but her name has been floated as a possible vice presidential pick for both Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders. Trump has not publicly responded to Warren's criticism. The mother of one of the three teens charged in the killing of a young boy in Miami-Dade who is accused of tampering with evidence will be allowed to post bond. Tameka Thompson appeared in court Wednesday where a Miami-Dade judge agreed to a $40,000 bond with house arrest. She's also been ordered to stay away from her son, 18-year-old Leonard Adams. Detectives said Adams, Irwen Pressley and Tamar Teems got into a shootout sparked by a social media feud in February. King Carter, 6, was outside the apartment complex where he lived and was caught in the crossfire. Police said Thompson tried to get rid of the car used in the shooting, which was full of bullet holes, by paying an acquaintance $50. The black Lexus was later found at a junkyard. Thompson has been charged with one count of tampering with physical evidence and witness tampering in a capital felony. Adams, Pressley and Teems are all being held without bond. The senseless death of the young boy angered the community and many held vigils and marched in Carter's memory. Wealthy fashionistas and celebrities from around the world flocked beneath klieg lights on a grand Havana colonial avenue transformed into a private runway for French fashion house Chanel. With hundreds of security agents holding ordinary Cubans behind police lines blocks away, actors Tilda Swinton and Vin Diesel, supermodel Gisele Bundchen and Cuban music stars Gente de Zona and Omara Portuondo watched slender models sashay down Prado boulevard in casual summer clothes that seemed inspired by the Art Deco elegance of pre-revolutionary Cuba. With the heart of the Cuban capital effectively privatized by an international corporation under the watchful eye of the Cuban state, the premiere of Chanel 2016/2017 "cruise" line offered a startling sight in a country officially dedicated to social equality and the rejection of material wealth. Chanel welcomed the chance to show its creations in an unusual spot. "To explore new horizons is a way to fire imaginations and renew the vision of our brand while sharing the culture and heritage of the locations chosen for our fashion shows," it said in a statement. The show was the most extreme manifestation to date of the hot new status Cuba has assumed in the international art and cultural scene since the December 2014 declaration of detente with the United States. President Barack Obama visited in March, the Rolling Stones performed in Havana the same week, the first U.S. cruise in nearly four decades docked Monday and the latest installment of the multibillion-dollar "Fast and Furious" action movie franchise is filming here now. Many Cubans say they are delighted their country is opening itself to the world, offering ordinary people a firsthand look at celebrities and extravagant productions. But the rampant display of wealth on the streets of Havana is providing fodder for many already disenchanted by Cuba's failure to deliver on promises of socialist equality. Mabel Fernandez, a radio announcer, arrived four hours before the start of the show eager to give her 14-year-old daughter a taste of a world of international fashion that the girl had only seen on television and in movies. "We need this type of novel event so people can know more of culture," she said. But as police swarmed the area in the hours before the show, virtually all residents of the capital were swept behind yellow barricades and unbroken lines of uniformed and plainclothes police at least a block away. Reinaldo Fonseca, a local model, stood with a group of friends similarly trying to make their careers in fashion and watched as rich foreigners with invitations arrived at the event in specially rented antique American sedans. "It's a shame they don't let us pass," she said. Firefighters were able to rescue a man who nearly drowned while trapping crabs in a canal in North Miami Beach Wednesday. The incident happened in the area of Biscayne Boulevard and 163rd Street. The man, identified as Alfredo Ramon, got tied up in a rope when he went to retrieve a trap. When firefighters arrived they say he was in eminent danger as the current was moving fast. Firefighters were able to bring Ramon back to shore where he was checked out. Police say the grandson of a couple found slain inside their north Florida home is a person of interest in the case. The Ocala Star-Banner reports 32-year-old Terrance Hurst was arrested Monday in Pinellas County on an unrelated charge of driving with a suspended or revoked license. He remained in jail there and records don't indicate whether he has a lawyer. The bodies of 81-year-old Robert Roy Schwamberger and 77-year-old Ruth Amelia Schwamberger were found Sunday in their Ocala home. The newspaper reports detectives drained the couple's pool on Tuesday, but didn't say what they were looking for. The cause of death has not been released either. Police in Largo stopped Hurst on Monday after spotting him driving the couple's car. Detectives spoke to him on Monday night. Investigators with the National Transportation Safety Board have released new details after a small plane to crashed into a Pompano Beach neighborhood last week. According to the NTSB report, the Beech 76 twin-engine airplane was destroyed just after takeoff from the Pompano Beach Airpark on Monday, April 25. Smoke was seen for miles after the plane went down around 3 p.m., crashing next to several houses in the 900 block of Harbour Drive. Two men and a woman were on board the plane. All three survived the crash but suffered severe injuries with burns on 30-40 percent of their bodies, according to officials. According to the Broward Sheriff's Office, 40-year-old Geoffrey White was piloting the plane. Students Sylvia Mena, 23, and Fernando Diaz, 25, were also on board. Mena remains at Jackson Memorial Hospital in good condition. The NTSB report indicates that an air traffic controller cleared the plane for takeoff and watched it make a normal departure and right turn. When the plane was about 400 to 500-feet in the air, it made a sharp right then a sharp left then took a steep nose down toward the ground. The plane then disappeared behind a tree line followed by an explosion. The controller told investigators he didn't hear the plane but said the landing gear was retracted. A second controller on the ground told investigators that the plane made a "hard left turn from a southerly heading to a northerly heading" before disappearing behind trees and appearing to level out. That controller also reported seeing smoke and fire soon after. Investigators also looked at the plane wreckage and determined that the plane initially hit a home. The plane's fuel tank breached, causing a section of that home to catch fire. As the plane continued to descend, investigators say it hit a wooden fence, several trees and a concrete wall of another home before landing in a backyard. They say the plane finally came to rest about 150 feet away from that initial point of impact. A fire started in the plane's cockpit, fuselage and portions of the left and right wings. The plane also sustained damage from the impact of the crash. The report indicates that the flight instructor was certified and had reported 1,000 flight hours in his last first class FAA medical. The male student had logged about 218.6 hours, 2.4 of which were on the plane involved in the crash. No information was available on the female student. The report did not specify what caused the plane to crash. Officials say it could take up to a year for that information to be determined and released. The plane was registered to N6709Y LLC and operated by Florida Aviation Academy in Pompano Beach. According to FAA representatives, the instructor was providing multi-engine training for the two students at the time of the crash. This is a developing story and will be updated as new information becomes available. Billionaire Thomas Golisano is suing his New York-based interior decorator, claiming she overcharged him hundreds of thousands of dollars for furnishings for his 240-foot Palm Beach County, Florida yacht. The Democrat and Chronicle reports that Golisano, founder of Rochester-based payroll processing firm Paychex Inc., has filed a civil lawsuit against Norma Goldman in state Supreme Court in Rochester. Golisano claims Goldman's $845,000 bill for work she did on the West Palm Beach-based Laurel was $400,000 too high. The furnishings reportedly included $7,692 on four chaise lounges and $2,252 for "dream cushions" to cover them, as well as a $3,338 ottoman that cost $600 to upholster. He says the decorator overcharged him by reneging on a verbal agreement to sell Golisano the furnishings at her wholesale price. Goldman denies promising that the furnishings wouldn't be marked up. The 74-year-old Golisano's main residence is in Florida. The former owner of the NHL's Buffalo Sabres also has a home in suburban Rochester. Laurel, a 240-foot, custom-built "superyacht" sleeps 12 and has a crew of 22. Interested customers can lease Laurel for roughly $605,000 per week. A Pompano Beach, Florida, homeowner, whose backyard was obliterated after a small plane crash in April, said Tuesday he is lucky the plane missed the house. Robb Shannon's backyard was annihilated eight days ago when a single-engine plane tore through his property. "We're so lucky it didn't hit our house," Shannon told NBC 6. "Our neighbor's house got hit and there's damage over there. So tough because it's really inconvenient for them." Two men and a woman were on board the plane. All three survived the crash but suffered severe injuries with burns on 30-40 percent of their bodies, according to officials. The plane was piloted by 40-year-old Geoffrey White and flight students Sylvia Mena, 23, and Fernando Diaz, 25, were also on board, according to the Broward Sheriff's Office. Cellphone video shows how fierce the flames were after the crash. Neighbors tried to put the fire out with hoses. Shannon rushed home to find his backyard ruined and covered in soot. But his neighbor to the south got it much worse. The back-end of the house was torched; a pile of mangled metal that used to be furniture now sits in the backyard. "The plane clipped the wires and between the fire and damage to the electrical, they'll have to do a total remodel. So it might be weeks before they even have power reinstalled," Shannon said. Contractors have been working nonstop to clean up the mess and repair fences. Crews even drained Shannon's pool to make sure there were no submerged plane parts. The entire wreckage was removed and loaded onto tow trucks last week. The FAA and NTSB are trying to figure out what caused the plane to come down, although a pilot flying behind the aircraft reported the engine stalled. Despite all the damage, Shannon said he's not worried about it happening again. "They say lightning only strikes once in the same place so, the plane is out of the way. It's time to put everything back together and it'll be better than before," he said. Florida Aviation Academy owns the plane. Shannon said the company's insurance, AIG, had been quick to respond. An animal farm on Stock Island in Key West has a very uncommon set of caretakers. From a pig named Wilbur to an alpaca named Snowflake, those are just some of the welcoming faces you'll see at the Monroe County Sheriff's Office Children's Animal Farm. But this isn't your every day petting zoo. In true Key West style, there is something a little different. The animals are taken care of by inmates. "It is very unique to actually be in jail and at the same time be out in the open, in the air, enjoying. So it's kinda like a positive alternative to a negative consequence," said Seth Beckman, inmate. "This is a unique, unusual situation at the jail and it's really the only one in the country that has a petting zoo," said Jeanne Selander, animal farm supervisor. The sprawling farm is located underneath the Stock Island Detention Center which is elevated 11-feet above the ground to withstand hurricanes. "We take in animals which have been abandoned, abused, confiscated or donated and we provide a forever home and one of the unique things about this farm is that the inmates actually provide the labor to care for the animals," Selander explained. All the inmates who volunteer in the program are serving time for non-violent offenses. They leave their cells daily to feed and tend to the animals and even build and improve their enclosures. They say it's a win-win, with benefits for the animals and the inmates. "You could say it's therapeutic in a way. It's peaceful. It's actually a cool feeling. When a bull runs up to you because he knows you're bringing him food, so it is a pretty cool feeling," said Adam Korzen, inmate. "I feel free. I feel like I can escape without technically escaping. So it's always a plus to get outdoors, interact with animals," Beckman said. "Animals give unconditional love and you can really see the changes in the inmates from when they start working on the farm until they leave," Selander said. The farm started in 1994 with just a few ducks and now it's expanded to over 150 animals. "We have a ring tailed lemur, we have two kinkajous, we have a sloth named Mo who is our famous animal on the farm," Selander said. The South Florida SPCA has donated some of the animals. But the cuddly creatures have had some tough lives too, either being abandoned, rescued or confiscated, so they live out their days in these forever homes, a life sentence of sorts. As for the inmates, they say they are grateful for this time with the wildlife which helps get their minds off being behind bars. Some inmates even want to come back after they've served their time, wearing different clothes of course. "I'll come down and visit the animals not wearing orange," Korzen said. "They bring their kids back to the farm which is amazing because who wants to come back to the jail? And I love an open house day where I see inmates come back in regular clothes with their families and they're proud of what they did," Selander said. Selander wants to keep improving the farm and hopes to inspire more programs like this one, "You don't feel like you're at a jail when you come here. You do see razor wire, you do see a couple of inmates in orange, but they're very respectful." The animal farm relies completely on donations. If you are interested in checking out the animals, the farm is open to the public every 2nd and 4th Sunday of the month from 1-3 p.m. For more information, call (305) 293-7300 or click here. The farm is located at 5501 College Road. A man who abducted a woman at gunpoint outside her Hollywood home and forced her to drive to an ATM was arrested after the woman jumped from her moving car to escape, police said. Bernard Deandre Owens, 21, was arrested Tuesday on charges including kidnapping, armed robbery and possession of a weapon by a convicted felon, according to a Hollywood Police report. Owens appeared in court Wednesday where he was ordered held without bond. It's unknown if he's hired an attorney. According to the arrest report, the victim said she had picked up her mail and was sitting in her car talking to her husband in the 5800 block of Lincoln Street Tuesday evening when she was approached by Owens, who was on a bicycle. Owens pointed a handgun at her and told her to open the back door of her car or he would kill her, the report said. He then jumped in the back and ordered her to drive and she started driving while he pointed a gun at her head, the report said. The woman's husband who was still on the phone was asking what was happening but she was too afraid to tell him, the report said. The husband called 911 and officers responded to their home. Owens took the woman's purse and cellphone and demanded she drive to an ATM, where he made her withdraw $400, the report said. He then ordered her to drive back home and called someone and told the person that the woman was doing good and that the person should meet him at the home, the report said. The woman said when she turned onto her street she saw police cars in front of her home and she jumped out of her moving car, the report said. Owens also jumped out of the car and tried to flee on foot but was quickly caught, the report said. "Thank God I'm alive," victim Priscilla Cercone said Wednesday. Carcone also said she had compassion for Owens' family. "He has family I believe because nobody comes out of nothing and he probably has family and he doesn't know how his family is right now," she said. The report said Owens is a convicted felon in Florida for robbery with a weapon. Sean Penn has settled a defamation lawsuit he filed against "Empire" co-creator Lee Daniels over remarks that accused him of domestic abuse. The confidential settlement Wednesday ends the case filed after Daniels made comments comparing Penn to "Empire" star Terrence Howard, who's been repeatedly accused of domestic violence. Daniels apologized to Penn and retracted his statements. He also made a donation to Penn's charity. No details of the size of the donation to Haitian relief were made public. Penn accepted the apology. The statements were contained as exhibits in the legal paperwork. Penn filed a $10 million defamation lawsuit against Daniels in Manhattan civil court in September denying he had abused women, including ex-wife Madonna. Madonna filed a sworn declaration in December supporting Penn and saying the two-time Oscar-winning actor had never physically abused her. Penn won best actor awards for "Mystic River" in 2004 and "Milk" in 2009. Schools in several New Jersey town were placed on lockdown Wednesday morning because of reports about an escaped prisoner in the area, a law enforcement source told NBC 4 New York. Barnegat Township police announced that schools in the Ocean County town were being placed on lockdown at about 11 a.m. but said there was no threat to the schools. Police were also urging motorists and pedestrians to avoid West Bay Avenue while the looked for the escapee, identified as Arthur Buckel. Surf City police also said that schools there were placed on lockdown. Corrections Department spokesman Matt Schuman said the 38-year-old inmate was missing when guards at the Ancora unit of Bayside State Prison in Winslow Township did a count at 6 a.m. Tuesday. Schuman said Buckel, whose last known address was Clifton, was serving a sentence at the minimum security lockup for aggravated assault. He was scheduled to be paroled on May 21. It wasn't clear how -- or if -- Buckel could have made the more than 40 miles journey from the Camden County prison to the Ocean City township. Schuman said Buckel could face an addition 3 to 5 years in prison for escaping once he's recaptured. Anyone with information should call the Barnegat Township Police Department at 609-698-5000. A vigil has been held for a New Jersey Institute of Technology student shot to death during a burglary at a fraternity house near the school. Joseph Micalizzi was killed early Monday at the Tau Kappa Epsilon house. People formed a ring at the Newark campus Tuesday night, lighting candles in Micalizzi's memory and sharing memories they had with him. The Freehold man had been a member of the fraternity and a mechanical engineering major. He was in his second year at NJIT after transferring from Brookdale Community College in Monmouth County. The university says it plans to ramp up patrols and distribute information on safety resources, including campus police escorts. Essex County prosecutors say no arrests have been made and no suspects have been identified. A Connecticut race car driver was among the three people killed in the small plane crash on Long Island Tuesday afternoon, NBC Connecticut reports, citing multiple friends of the man. David Berube was one of three people on board the single-engine Beech BE35 plane when it broke apart in the air and crashed onto the ground in Syosset, friends told the Connecticut news station. The bodies of Berube, another man and a woman were recovered from the scene. Berube is also the registered owner of the plane. The Hartford Courant reports Berube, 66, raced at numerous tracks in New England between 1990 and 2013. He was also a small business owner in Bristol. Berube drove in the Valenti Modified Racing Series from 2004 to 2013, the Courant reported. The organization mourned his death in a Facebook posting, calling him a "true gentleman." Nassau County Police Chief of Department Steven Skrynecki said police tentatively identified the three victims in the crash, but that they were not yet releasing their identities. The families have been notified. Skrynecki said that the bodies of the three victims were found near a school. One was found in a school parking lot, a second was discovered in the woods nearby, while the third was located about 50 yards from that. The revelation comes less than an hour after National Transportation Safety Board senior investigator Robert Gretz said Wednesday that the nose, tail and wings from the plane, and that they'd been able to clean up enough of the wreckage from the one-third-mile debris field to reopen roadways. But he added that they still don't know what caused the plane come apart and crash. That determination could take six to 12 months as investigators look into the mechanical, weather and human factors that may have played a part. "This is day two of an investigation that will take six to 12 months," he said. Gretz said that most of the debris from the plane -- which was traveling from Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, to Plainville, Connecticut -- collected around five sites over the 1/3 mile site, making cleanup and preliminary investigation difficult. He said there was no evidence that there was an explosion midair, and that the spread of the wreckage suggested the plane came apart while it was flying. Gretz said that while it's not unheard of for a plane to come apart midair, it's not a routine investigation. "It's not a common investigation for us," Gretz said. "It does happen. In 18 years, I've probably worked five or 10 of them." Gretz said that they're looking into the failure of instruments in the plane's instrument panel -- similar to a car dashboard -- before the plane broke apart. In mayday calls, the pilot of the craft mentioned the plane's vacuum pump, which controls pressure to several parts of the instrument panel, failing. Police said that there was only minor property damage at one house that was hit by a falling wing in Tuesday's crash. No other damage or injuries were reported. They also asked anyone who found small pieces of debris over the next several days to call police or turn the wreckage into local police precincts. The NTSB confirmed the Beech plane was 43 years old but said that wasn't unusual for a general aviation plane. NTSB records show the typat of plane has been involved in two prior fatal crashes in the past decade, and in one of those cases, the plane broke apart when the pilot lost control. A man with Alzheimers disease who went missing on Long Island this week has been found, police said. Thomas Webb, 81, was last seen at his home on Middle Island Boulevard in Middle Island on Tuesday afternoon. Police say he left his home in a red 1999 Chevy Suburban. He was found unharmed sometime Tuesday or Wednesday. A middle school student was stabbed while walking to school in Westchester County Wednesday morning, police said. The 14-year-old boy was stabbed in the abdomen by another student during a fight near Isaac E. Young Middle School on Centre Street in New Rochelle, police said. He was taken to Jacobi Medical Center in the Bronx where authorities said he was being treated for minor injuries to his abdomen. Shaketta Johnson was dropping her child off at school when she saw the 14-year-old hunched over. She and crossing guard Veronica Brown rushed over to help as the child fell down. Brown radioed for police, as Johnson aided the child. "We lifted up his shirt and saw that he had a stab wound," Johnson said. She added that it was "a nasty wound." The other student, a 13-year-old boy, was taken into custody at the scene and will be charged as a juvenile, police said. He was released into his mother's custody Wednesday. Both students are eighth graders at the school, the principal told NBC 4 New York. Parents of Isaac E. Young students have been notified of the stabbing and were allowed to take their children home Wednesday. One dad, Derek Dunston, went to check on his son after hearing about the stabbing. "I'm a single dad," Dunston said. "My son means the world to me and I just wanted to know if he was all right." The school was placed on lockdown after the stabbing. Anyone who might've witnessed the stabbing should call the New Rochelle Police Department at 914-654-2318. Kenyan police said Wednesday they have foiled a "large-scale" biological attack using anthrax by an ISIS-linked terror group, NBC News reported. Mohammed Abdi Ali, an intern at a hospital in the south of the country, is accused of radicalizing and recruiting university students and other young people into "terrorism networks," Kenya's National Police Service said in a statement. Ali was arrested under the country's terror laws in connection with the alleged plan, the statement said. Police added that Ali's wife, Nuseiba Mohammed Haji a student at Uganda's Kampala International University and her alleged "accomplice," Fatuma Mohammed Hanshi, were also arrested in Uganda. The statement did not provide further details on their alleged involvement in any plot. A Turkish parliamentary committee has approved a contentious ruling-party proposal to strip legislators of their immunity from prosecution despite punches being thrown and water bottles hurled during the debate. The proposed constitutional amendment, which could pave the way for the trial of several pro-Kurdish legislators on terror-related charges and their possible ouster from parliament, was cleared by the committee late on Monday. Pro-Kurdish party lawmakers walked out of the meeting following the brawl, which left one person with a dislocated shoulder and a second with a bloodied nose. Video filmed by legislators inside the committee room showed people throwing water bottles at each other and engaging in fist-fights. One legislator jumped into the fight from a table top and another was seen kicking an opponent. Pro-Kurdish lawmaker Mithat Sancar was heard saying that the party "would not be part of this theater that is being staged," before he and his colleagues stormed out. The amendment, which still needs to be approved by the full assembly, was proposed by the ruling party after President Recep Tayyip Erdogan accused the pro-Kurdish party, People's Democratic Party, HDP, of being an arm of the outlawed Kurdish rebels and repeatedly called for their prosecution. The move comes amid a surge of violence in Turkey's southeast after a fragile, more than 2-year-old peace process with the rebels collapsed. Hundreds of people, including close to 400 security force members, have died in the renewed fighting, which also displaced tens of thousands of people and left some towns and districts in ruins. The HDP, which backs Kurdish and other minority rights, denies accusations that it is the political arm of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK. It has called on the government to end security forces' operations in the southeast to resume peace efforts. The PKK is considered a terror organization by Turkey and its Western allies. Although the measure would lift the legal immunities of all lawmakers who have legal cases pending against them, critics say the proposed amendment particularly aims to oust HDP lawmakers from parliament. The party's two co-leaders, Selahattin Demirtas and Figen Yuksekdag, face possible prosecution for making statements last year in support of calls for Kurdish self-rule in southeastern Turkey. On Tuesday, both the ruling party and the HDP blamed each other for the violence. "They are attacking our legislators in order to prevent the process," Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said. "They are trying to show parliament as a place for fighting, chaos and deadlock." Pro-Kurdish leader Demirtas said of the ruling party: "They are trying to shape Turkey through violence, arms, bullying." He also suggested that expelled legislators could form their own de-facto Kurdish parliament. "If our colleagues are arrested, their terms as legislators are ended, then all options are open for discussion," Demirtas said. "It's not the parties that create parliaments, it's the people, and if the people want it they can create more than one parliament." Ruling party lawmaker Bulent Turan said the debate on the amendment was likely to take place on May 16, with a vote two days later. Five lawmakers were hurt last week on the first day of the discussions on the amendment, which also ended in a fight. Ohio Gov. John Kasich, the last of Donald Trump's rivals for the Republican nomination, suspended his presidential campaign Wednesday. "The Lord has a purpose for me as he has for everyone, and as I suspend my campaign today, I have renewed faith, deeper faith, that the Lord will show me the way forward and fulfill the purpose of my life," Kasich said in Columbus. Kasich, 63, launched his campaign last summer, the 16th Republican to join the field. The Ohio governor has been under pressure to drop out, as Texas Sen. Ted Cruz did on Tuesday, following Donald Trump's decisive victory in Indiana. His campaign has struggled to build on a strong second-place finish in the Republican primary in New Hampshire. He was unable emerge from a primary field of candidates who were more conservative, had more money and got more attention. Kasich canceled a news conference in Virginia earlier in the day, as senior campaign advisers told NBC News he would end his run for president. Kasich announced he was suspending his campaign at the end of a nearly 20- minute speech in which he extolled the virtues of America and reflected on some of the more touching moments of his campaign, mentioning a despondent supporter who asked for a hug in South Carolina. "We are, as human beings, hard-wired to give someone else a lift, to give someone else an opportunity," Kasich said, summing up his campaign message. Trump said Wednesday he would consider Kasich for the vice presidency, because he would be helpful in taking Ohio in a general election. Kasich made no mention of whether he would accept such an offer. A veteran congressman as well as governor, Kasich has consistently pointed to his experience in three broad areas of political leadership: the federal budget, national security and state government. He also spent nearly a decade at the Lehman Brothers financial services firm. As budget chairman in the House, he became an architect of a deal in 1997 that balanced the federal budget. Kasich, now in his second term in swing-state Ohio, embraces conservative ideals but bucks his party on occasion. During the campaign, Kasich has rarely offered up the type of red meat that his rivals placed at the center of their speeches. He told voters, for example, that he doesn't believe in deporting the millions of people living here illegally, because ripping people out of their homes and away from their children is un-American. And he readily admitted that working with Democrats is essential to getting things done. In April, in a last-ditch attempt to stop Trump from getting the delegates he needed for the nomination, Kasich and Cruz announced they would coordinate their primary strategies. Kasichs campaign was to cede to Cruz in Indiana, while Cruzs side would do the same for Kasich in Oregon and New Mexico. But within hours of the announcement, the alliance was already fraying when Kasich said voters in Indiana "ought to vote for me" even if he would not campaign there. Kasich, who has won only Ohio, trails badly in the delegate count, with 153 delegates toward the 1,237 needed to win. Trump has 1,053 and Cruz earned 546 before ending his campaign. When Trump became the likely Republican nominee with his win in Indiana on Tuesday, Cruz quit but Kasichs side insisted he would stay in the race. His chief strategist, John Weaver, looked ahead on Twitter to the California primary on June 7. On Wednesday, after news emerged that Kasich was dropping out, David Axelrod, the chief strategist for President Barack Obama's presidential campaign, praised the Ohio governor in a tweet. The U.S. Attorney's Office in Minneapolis is joining the investigation into the death of famed singer Prince, according to NBC News. "The US Attorneys Office and DEA are joining the Carver County Sheriffs investigation," the office's spokesperson said. "The DEA and US Attorneys Office are able to augment this local investigation with federal resources and expertise about prescription drug diversion. While this remains an ongoing investigation, we will have no further comment. Prince had arranged to meet a California doctor to try to kick an addiction to painkillers shortly before his death, according to a newspaper report published Wednesday. Prince's representatives called Dr. Howard Kornfeld on April 20, the day before the musician died, to seek emergency help, attorney William Mauzy told the Minneapolis Star Tribune. Mauzy, who is representing the Kornfeld family, said Kornfeld couldn't immediately meet Prince, so he sent his son Andrew on a flight from San Francisco that night to discuss treatment in a meeting planned for the next day. Mauzy said it was Andrew Kornfeld who called 911 when the 57-year-old's unresponsive body was found in an elevator at Paisley Park, Prince's suburban Minneapolis compound. Mauzy and Howard Kornfeld haven't responded to messages from The Associated Press on Wednesday morning. NBC News has not independently confirmed Mauzy's claim. A law enforcement official briefed on the investigation has told AP that investigators are looking into whether Prince died from an overdose. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he wasn't authorized to talk about the investigation. The same official also said investigators are looking at whether Prince had suffered an overdose when his plane made an emergency landing in Moline, Illinois, less than a week before he died. Federal law enforcement officials told NBC News prescription painkillers were found on Prince and in his home. It is unknown if they played a role in his death. Prince's longtime lawyer, Londell McMillan, has disputed reports suggesting the iconic singer had problems with drugs or that his death was narcotics-related. Kornfeld runs Recovery Without Walls in Mill Valley, California. His website describes the practice as "specializing in innovative, evidence-based medical treatment for chronic pain and drug and alcohol addiction." Mauzy told the newspaper that Prince representatives called Kornfeld the night of April 20 because Prince "was dealing with a grave medical emergency." Howard Kornfeld sent his son to explain how the confidential treatment would work, Mauzy said. "The plan was to quickly evaluate his health and devise a treatment plan," Mauzy said. "The doctor was planning on a lifesaving mission." Mauzy said Andrew Kornfeld arrived at Paisley Park at 9:30 a.m. on April 21 and was one of three people who found Prince's body. Mauzy said it was Kornfeld who called 911. A record of the 911 call shows the caller didn't know the address of the compound and mistakenly said it was in Minneapolis, rather than in the suburb of Chanhassen. Authorities haven't released a cause of death. An autopsy was done the day after Prince's death but results, including toxicology results, weren't expected for as many as four weeks. Mauzy said Andrew Kornfeld had been interviewed by Carver County investigators. Deputy Sheriff Jason Kamerud didn't immediately respond to an email message before business hours Wednesday. A tip led the NBC 10 Investigators to an unlicensed funeral home in Chester, Pennsylvania. When our cameras captured bodies prepped for burial it led to questions [of oversight and enforcement] for those watching Pennsylvanias funeral industry. We met Leychawne Johns inside an unlicensed funeral home. He was standing over a body in a casket. Another corpse lay in a back room. According to state records Leychawne Johns is a licensed funeral trainee, meaning he can only practice under the supervision of a licensed funeral director. There are two bodies in the process of being prepared for viewing, Deputy Chester Police Commissioner Otis Blair said. Police arrived when the buildings owner, licensed funeral director Louis Hunt, called them. Hunt rents an upstairs apartment to Johns. For months now Ive been trying to let the board know that theres unlicensed activity going on in the building, Hunt said. Im calling my attorney, Johns said when asked about his license status. Johns did not provide his attorneys name or contact number. It is not the first time recently weve seen unlicensed funeral activity in a Pennsylvania funeral home. Last summer, we saw it twice in one week in Philadelphia. First police discovered decomposing bodies in Blair Hawkins unlicensed funeral home. Days later they found three decomposing in an unrefrigerated Philadelphia garage. State records show Janet Powell-Dailey ran an unlicensed funeral home for three years. Both Powell-Daily and Hawkins were charged with abuse of a corpse and are awaiting trial. Hawkins said he wont talk to us until his trial ends. Powell-Dailey and her lawyer havent returned our calls for comment. You know what, this is a tough industry, former state funeral board chairman Gregory Burrell said. Burrell has been a member of the state funeral board for six years. As chairman he was in charge of overseeing the industry. When the NBC10 Investigators went to Harrisburg to see how the board enforces unlicensed activity we watched them remove Burrell as chairman. State records show he allowed his West Philadelphia funeral homes license to lapse for four days in February. I think its a technicality because the license was gone for three days and I mean the checks and the applications were in the mail to get there on time so we would not be late, Burrell said. According to the Department of State, Burrell ran the Terry Funeral Home in West Philadelphia without a license from February 1, 2016 to February 5, 2016. The Terry Funeral Homes website shows two funerals performed during that time. Burrell said he thought the license was active. It is just baffling to me because I know we wrote the checks way in advance. Way in advance, he said. The funeral board can issue fines and revoke licenses but whether its the board chairman or someone, such as Leychawen Johns, our investigation found the state powerless to stop the unlicensed from performing funerals. We do not have the statutory authority to actually stop a person from practicing, Deputy Secretary Peter Speaks said. Speaks is in charge of Pennsylvanias professional licensing. Court records show the state regulator tried to shut down Powells funeral home last fall in Philadelphia but couldnt. State law requires proof of immediate and irreparable harm to the living. We can be effective to the extent that we are bringing attention to the fact that they are practicing without a license, Speaks said. CLICK HERE to check for a funeral home or funeral director's license. An international flight bound for Philadelphia suddenly turned around before leaving Europe Wednesday morning so that an ill passenger could get medical treatment. American Airlines Flight 717 took off from Munich, Germany shortly after noon (6 a.m. EST) bound for Philadelphia but it never made its way over the Atlantic Ocean as it made a sudden U-turn over the United Kingdom before landing in Manchester, England about 2 and half hours later. Crews would do routine safety checks of the Airbus A330-200 before allowing it continue the trip toward America. It is scheduled to take off from Manchester shortly after 3 p.m. local time and then arrive in Philadelphia, said American Airline spokesman Justin Franco. The plane wound up actually taking off again around 3:30 p.m. and was expected to land in Philly around 6:20 p.m. EST. American Airlines didn't reveal the nature of the medical emergency. As the search for an inmate who escaped from a minimum security prison weeks before he was due for parole continued Wednesday, police advised all Barnegat Township residents to stay inside their homes and keep their doors locked. Police also said a helicopter would be in the air during the search. The advisory was sent out the same day some South Jersey schools were put on lockdown. Barnegat Township Police sent out a Nixle alert that all schools in town were on lockdown "however there is not threat to schools." The Surf City Police Department also put out an alert that LBI Schools, including EJ School, were put into a "shelter in place" as a precaution with "no immediate danger" to anyone. Wednesday night Barnegat Township Police announced all schools in the district would be open Thursday. They also said police officers would be present at each of the district schools during the entire day. The lockdowns in the Ocean County Township came as police searched for escapee Arthur Buckel in the area, said police sources with knowledge of the investigation. Corrections Department spokesman Matt Schuman said the 38-year-old inmate was missing when guards at the Ancora unit of Bayside State Prison in Winslow Township did a count at 6 a.m. Tuesday. Schuman said Buckel, whose last known address was Clifton, was serving a sentence at the minimum security lockup for aggravated assault. He was scheduled to be paroled on May 21. Barnegat Police posted surveillance photos of Buckel at a CVS Wednesday morning. Buckel -- who stands 5-foot, 9-inches tall and weighs around 180 pounds -- worked as a janitor in the prison. On Tuesday, Winslow Township Police sent out a Nixle alert about the escapee and asked anyone who spots Buckel to immediately call 911. It wasn't clear how (and if) Buckel could have made the more than 40 miles journey from the Camden County prison to the Ocean City township. Schuman said Buckel could face an addition 3 to 5 years in prison for escaping once he's recaptured. The driver of a minivan shot to death by a Philadelphia police officer early Wednesday morning was identified as Richard Ferretti from a northeast Pennsylvania town. Ferretti, 52, of Andreas, which is about 15 miles north of Allentown, allegedly failed to listen to plainclothes officers as they stood in front of his minivan and yelled at him to stop as he drove on Overbrook Avenue near Lancaster Avenue. "Police received several calls" from college students concerned about the man "casing the area," said Philadelphia Police Commissioner Richard Ross. "Police arrived and they saw the male doing just exactly what the callers indicated," said Ross. "They attempted to stop the male, initially he tries to flee." Homicide detectives investigated the shooting. It was one of two police-involved shootings late Tuesday night into early Wednesday morning. Another man, allegedly armed with a gun, was shot in Southwest Philadelphia two hours earlier. The incident that left Ferretti shot occurred shortly before 1 a.m. Crews rushed him to Penn Presbyterian Hospital but he was dead on arrival. Plainclothes officers cut off the driver around the corner and told him to stop, said Ross. "Apparently (the driver) attempts to flee from them, trapping one of the officers between the car and some other area where (the officer) didn't feel he could escape and he discharged his weapon," said Ross. "That male was struck, one time I think, and he was subsequently pronounced dead." "I heard a screeching sound and I heard a loud boom," said witness Gregory McCowin. "So I got up and I heard 'freeze, stop!'" "It's way too early" to determine if the shooting was justified, said Ross. An internal affairs investigation would determine the exact circumstances leading to the incident. [[378080781, C]] The incident played out on police radio. "All cars standby... shots fired," said police band traffic around the time of the shooting. "Do we have an offender hit?" asks one voice. "It's all under control," can be heard a short time later as officers are told to resume with regular police work. Investigators focused on the crashed minivan with its airbag deployed. Ross said officers didn't find a weapon in the vehicle. About 90 minutes earlier, officers on patrol heard gunshots then found a man shooting into the air from the back porch of a home along Grays Avenue near Lindbergh Boulevard in Southwest Philadelphia and asked him to drop the weapon, said Philadelphia Police. "Police are in the area in this case and they hear gunshots," said Ross. "They approach the male, tell the male to drop the weapon, and that male aims and fires one shot at police, misses," said Philadelphia Police Lt. Ray Evers. "And then one of the officers fires two times back and shoots the man in the leg" The man, later identified as 50-year-old Desmond Abernathy, then made his way inside the house where police arrested him and took him to Presbyterian Hospital in stable condition, investigators said. They also took another man who was inside the home, later identified as 47-year-old Curt Joseph, in for questioning. Philadelphia Police Police say they recovered a weapon and ballistic evidence at the scene. Abernathy is charged with attempted criminal homicide, aggravated assault, simple assault, violation of the uniform firearms act and related offenses. Joseph is charged with hindering apprehension, violation of the uniform firearms act, tampering with evidence, obstructing justice and other related offenses. A man's body was found in the backyard of a home in the Holmesburg neighborhood of Philadelphia Wednesday morning. Police said the man may have suffered some type of fatal head injury. He appeared to be in his late 50s and was pronounced dead at the scene in the 8100 block of Crispin Street. That block of Crispin runs right by the James Ramp Memorial Recreation Center and is about a block away from Father Judge High School. The body was discovered before 7 a.m. Police were working to identify the man. Investigators on the scene told NBC10 the death appeared to be a suicide. SUICIDE PREVENTION HELP: The National Suicide Prevention Hotline (1-800-273-8255) is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Privacy Overview This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful. Three spooked deer ran into the ocean at a New Jersey beach and one got caught in a rip current. Adam Holloway and a friend were headed to Manasquan beach to catch bluefish when they saw the trio on Monday. Holloway tells the Asbury Park Press two of the deer turned back and paddled back to the beach. But the third was pulled away by the current that runs near the jetty. Holloway says he ran along the jetty trying to turn the deer around, but the animal climbed up on the rocks. Holloway says the deer ran at him before jumping back into the ocean. The deer paddled ashore and headed off down the beach. Tractor trailers, many emblazoned with soda name brands on their sides, surrounded Philadelphia City Hall two hours before a public hearing Wednesday evening on Mayor Jim Kenney's proposed "soda tax." The drivers were joined by other groups who objected to the tax, including corner store coalitions and beverage distributors, which rely on soda and other sugary drinks for revenue. Most of the organizations and businesses against Kenney's proposed 3-cents-per-ounce tax on sugary drinks are part of an umbrella group called Philadelphians Against the Grocery Tax Coalition. Protesters with that group spoke at a rally outside City Hall before the 5 p.m. budget hearing in council chambers. The hearing was one of two chances the public will get to speak to council about the entire city budget proposal for the 2016-2017 fiscal year. The budget would begin July 1, if approved by council. Speakers at the rally included Dany Vinas, owner of CTOWN Supermarket; Anne McNally, owner of McNally Tavern; Danny Grace, business manager for the Philadelphia Teamsters; and Miguel Martinez, the head of the Dominican Merchants Association. Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg joined in on the soda tax debate, contributing an undisclosed sum to a nonprofit group starting an $825,000 ad campaign in support of the tax. Bloomberg tried unsuccessfully to ban oversized sodas in New York, and supported successful soda-tax efforts in Mexico and Berkeley, California. The American Beverage Association has already spent more than $1.5 million on its Philadelphia anti-tax campaign. A former Louisiana television personality known as "Mr. Wonder", arrested in San Diego County on charges he sexually abused young children decades ago at a free camp, will be extradited to Louisiana to face charges. U.S. Marshals arrested Frank Selas, 76, at his home on Casa Verde Court in Bonita on Jan. 25. Selas has pleaded not guilty to a fugitive charge. Since his arrest, Selas has fought extradition and claimed marshals arrested the wrong man. Wednesday, a spokeswoman for the San Diego County District Attorney's office said Selas advised the court he did not wish to file a writ to challenge a governor's warrant. The move removes legal impediment to his extradition and he will now be extradited back to Louisiana. Selas was initially arrested on a warrant stemming from the late 1970s, when Selas was accused of abusing children during a camping trip near Valentine Lake at Kisatchie National Forest in Louisiana. At the time, Selas hosted the "Mr. Wonder" show on KNOE-TV in north Louisiana. Louisiana law enforcement officials obtained a warrant for Selas' arrest in relation to two counts of obscene behavior with a juvenile. When officials went to his home, his wife told them her husband had fled in the family car. In the coming days, officials would find Selas' car in Dallas. Selas, then 39, allegedly fled the country and flew from Dallas to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, before investigators could arrest him. When Selas returned to the U.S., investigators say he changed his last name and Social Security number. The judge ruled at a previous hearing prosecutors and marshals proved Selas is the man wanted in Louisiana. Now, prosecutors say they will await a governor's warrant to proceed with extradition. Investigators say Selas spent the last three decades living in San Diego and volunteering with community organizations including the Cub Scouts and the American Red Cross. An officer with the Oceanside Police Departments Harbor Unit is being hailed a hero for rescuing a group of experienced canoers from rough waters over the weekend. In an exclusive interview with NBC 7 Tuesday, a group of San Diego canoers said theyre alive and well thanks to Oceanside Harbor Officer Dave Cunniff. On Sunday, Dave Hanson one of the founders of the Oceanside Outrigger Canoe Club went out for a recreational paddle with five friends off the waters of Oceanside in north San Diego County. When the group first paddled out, Hanson said the waves were not very big. But a short time later a buoy sounded off, meaning a big set was coming. Hanson said his group tried getting back in the safety of the harbor but things turned scary, quickly. We got pushed in at this angle, the wave break-over from behind filled the canoe full of water, Hanson recounted. So now were sitting at water level, all six of us in the canoe. And the next wave is coming. I told everybody, Out of the canoe! he continued. And then I reached around trying to pull the canoe straight down the wave so that the wave would pass it. And the first couple of waves, I can do that. And then all the paddlers began to disperse with the riptide. Moments later, Oceanside Harbor Police Officer Cunniff a 14-year veteran of the department got a call on his radio of a flipped canoe. He picked up two lifeguards en route to the scene. The officer told NBC 7 he was expecting to see one person, perhaps a fisherman, next to the flipped vessel. However, he said what he encountered was more like a horrifying scene straight out of a movie. As we come around the corner, it was something like out of the Pirates of the Caribbean movie where you first see where they're coming out of the fog and then all of a sudden there's that big burning ship in debris all over the water. It was something like that, Cunniff explained. I see debris all over the water and I just see bodies scattered across the entire harbor entrance. At that moment, Cunniff said 12-foot surf was pounding the area but he was determined to make his way through the waves to get to the canoers. He and the lifeguards began pulling the canoers onto the boat but the choppy conditions proved extremely challenging. In the middle of the rescue, just as another big wave came crashing down, the engine on Cunniffs boat died. The officer quickly fired up another engine and got his boat over the wave. At that moment, Hanson said the officers boat felt as if it was completely upright in the water. The canoers, now in Cunniffs boat, were terrified. The officer reassured them they would make it out alive. I said, Hey, its going to be okay. I promise you, youre going to be alright, Cunniff recalled. Indeed, Cunniff stuck to his word. All six canoers survived. Hansons outrigger canoe named Makana, which means precious giftwas destroyed by the force of the ocean, breaking into three different pieces. "The seats in the outrigger all broke out," Hanson explained. Hanson said the canoe weighs about 400 pounds without the outrigger. The extensive damage to the vessel goes to show how powerful the ocean can be, he said. Hanson said he and his fellow paddlers are incredibly grateful that Cunniff was the officer on the boat that day and credits him and the lifeguards for saving their lives. "They deserve it they totally do. It was amazing, Hanson said. At this point, Hanson isnt sure Makana is repairable. If the canoe cant be fixed, hes hoping it can eventually be restored and displayed in a museum since the vessel has a long history in Oceanside. A homeless man was beaten and killed in Santee, California following a dispute over a paintball gun, his wife told NBC 7 San Diego. Penny Lowery said her husband was killed because he tried to protect another homeless man a week before his death. "They were shooting him with a paintball gun. My husband took the paintball gun from him, Penny Lowery said in an interview with NBC 7 the day her husband was taken off life support. Two Santee brothers face charges or murder, robbery, kidnapping and torture in the death of George Lowery. Lowery, 50, was beaten with "fists and feet" in an assault that homicide investigators describe as "a very horrific event." He was hospitalized with head injuries after his wife found him unconscious April 24 near Chubb Lane and N. Magnolia Avenue. Lowery died five days later. Penny Lowery said her husband was hogtied and covered up by a piece of plywood. I seen a piece of plywood that goes to where we stay, Lowery said. I heard gurgling. When I picked it up he was gurgling for his life. Preston Mostrong, 19, and his brother Austin Mostrong, 20, have pleaded not guilty to charges in the case. Prosecutors told a judge Monday that the defendants gave statements to San Diego County Sheriffs Deputies putting them at the scene of the assault. Investigators have not released information on a motive and would not confirm the details surrounding a previous altercation between the defendants and the victim. A closer look at the criminal records of the Mostrong brothers reveals both were on probation for prior misdemeanor offenses. A 2014 criminal complaint shows Preston Mostrong pleaded guilty to petty theft. He was fined and given three years of probation. His older brother, Austin, was charged with two counts of battery and resisting an officer just four days before the alleged riverbed attack. He pleaded guilty to the misdemeanors and given probation. "This was a brutal, heinous, just cold-hearted case, and as the evidence comes out, Id say the murder charges and the torture charges are very much warranted in this case," said Deputy District Attorney George Modlin. In a post on an online fundraising site, family described George Lowery as someone who didn't have much but still managed to help others. "If someone was in need he would do what he could to help, no matter how hard the task. If he came across good fortune, he shared it," they wrote. Anyone with information about the incident can call the homicide detail at 858-974-2321 or after hours at 858-565-5200. A teacher from San Diego who contracted H1N1 on a school trip to Ireland remains hospitalized overseas with one wish: to come home in time to watch his teenage daughter attend prom. Officials with the Poway Unified School District confirmed Wednesday that Westview High School English teacher Bob McHeffey is recuperating in a hospital in Ireland. In mid-April, McHeffey accompanied a group of students including his daughter, Delaney McHeffey, on a spring break trip to Ireland. During the trip, he suddenly became very ill. He came down with a cough and soon enough he had a fever and could barely walk with us around the various towns, McHeffeys daughter, Delaney, wrote on an online fundraising blog. On April 19, McHeffeys condition took a turn for the worse and he had to be rushed by ambulance from his hotel to a hospital. McHeffey tested positive for the H1N1 strain of the Swine Flu. He was also diagnosed with Bi-Lateral Pneumonia, according to his family. GoFundMe/McHeffey Family The students flew back to San Diego but, due to his condition, McHeffey had to stay hospitalized in Ireland. His wife traveled to Ireland and has been by his side ever since. The Poway Unified School District told NBC 7 McHeffeys family started a GoFundMe fundraiser page online to help cover his medical care costs. As of 1 p.m. Wednesday, the family had raised nearly $23,000, surpassing their fundraising goal of $20,000. Now, McHeffey is working to get better so he can return to San Diego. We are hopeful to be home in time to see Delaney go to prom, said a message posted to the familys fundraising page Tuesday. The post said McHeffey is continuing to improve daily and is now able to get out of bed, get dressed and hold a conversation. Hes taking short walks every day and working to be more independent. Doctors are monitoring McHeffey for a rash and fever. Hes remains on oxygen support, but the family is hopeful he will soon be released from the hospital. In the meantime, students and faculty at Westview High School created an 18-minute video to cheer McHeffey up dubbed, We Miss You, Bob! The sweet video features many of McHeffeys students expressing how their beloved teacher is sorely missed. Class just has not been the same without you, honestly. The energy just is not the same anymore, said one student. You are the reason for coming to school for us. We really miss you every single day. Several students also talk about how much McHeffey has helped them with their English skills and influenced their writing. Basically, class is not actually class anymore without you sitting there in your chair, said one girl. Its not the same, her friends chimed in. Theres just no motivation to actually write. Theres no point of writing unless Bob is actually there watching us! the group agreed. We need you! McHeffey's influence has certainly made an impact on Westview High School senior Emmit Pert. Pert was recently named among 160 students in the 52nd class of U.S. Presidential Scholars. He told NBC 7 that, as part of the application process for the prestigious award, a teacher had to write a letter of recommendation for him. That teacher was McHeffey. Pert said McHeffey is due to travel with him next month to Washington, D.C., to attend the U.S. Presidential Scholars awards ceremony. The teen hopes the teacher is home and well enough by then to accompany him. The mother of the late rapper Tupac Shakur has died in Sausalito, California, according to the Marin County Sheriffs Office. She was 69. Deputies responded to the home of Afeni Shakur Davis around 9:30 p.m. Monday, after receiving the report of a person possibly in cardiac arrest, according to Lt. Doug Pittman. Davis was taken to the hospital, where she died about an hour later, Pittman said. The coroners office will lead the investigation into her death and a forensic autopsy is planned Tuesday afternoon, according to a statement. Officials said, however, that toxicology results won't be available for several weeks. Pittman called her a "well-loved and well-respected" woman in the community who served as a leader and activist, especially in southern Marin County. "This is a tragic loss to this community," he said. Pittman held a news conference Tuesday to assure the public that no foul play was suspected at this point. Davis was in the company of her friend when she started experiencing discomfort, he said. At that point, her friend called 911. Born Alice Faye Williams in Lumberton, North Carolina, Davis was a reformed drug addict and member of the Black Panther Party, according to biographer Jasmine Guy. Davis served nearly a year in prison for allegedly conspiring to bomb police stations and department stores in New York City just before giving birth to Tupac in 1971. She served as her own defense attorney and was acquitted multiple times, according to an account of her trial in a book called "The Briar Patch" by former attorney Murray Kempton. Davis was the subject of Tupac's Billboard hit "Dear Mama," released in 1995. Her fans on social media referenced that song in their tweets and posts. A year later, she founded the now-defunct Tupac Amaru Shakur Center for the Arts in Stone Mountain, Georgia, to preserve her son's legacy. Tupac, also known by his stage names 2Pac and Makaveli, was killed in a drive-by shooting in Las Vegas in 1996. The hip-hop legend's best-selling albums include "All Eyez on Me" and "Greatest Hits." Shakur attended Tamalpais High School in Mill Valley and lived in public housing in Marin County. He started his career in the early '90s with Digital Underground, an alternative hip hop group from Oakland. On Cinco de Mayo -- May 5 -- people across the U.S., Mexico and the world will indulge in Mexican food and drinks in celebration of Mexico's history. The holiday remembers the historic Battle of Puebla, when Mexican military forces led by Ignacio Zaragoza turned back a French army in 1862. We've found 10 awesome events that are serving up unique food, creative drinks and great music: A.G. Kitchen (931 Ellsworth Drive, Silver Spring, Maryland) A.G. Kitchen will host free salsa lessons beginning at 9 p.m. Food specials include $5 guacamole and $5 shrimp tacos. You can also grab a margarita for $5 and some cervezas (beers) will be two for $5. Alero (1724 Connecticut Ave. NW and 1301 U St. NW) Alero is promising non-stop music, plus drink and food specials 11 p.m. to 1 a.m. for Cinco de Mayo. The U Street location will feature DJ Dregonzales and DJ Silenzio. BLT Steak (1625 I St. NW) This modern steakhouse plans to feature several special drinks and a $30 flight with three special tequilas and paired sangritas. The whole BLT Steak Cinco de Mayo party will be a celebration of sangrita, a Guadalajaran drink made with fruit, juice and chili power, is chased with shot of tequila. El Centro D.F. (1819 14th St. NW and 1218 Wisconsin Ave. NW) Of course one of D.C.'s favorite taco stops is celebrating Cinco de Mayo. Specials include $20 for "endless" Mexican food, $6 margaritas and $5 cervezas. Dress your best -- El Centro D.F. is known to enforce a dress code on busy nights. Hugo at WK Hearth (130 Purcellville Gateway Drive, Purcellville, Virginia) The Cinco de Mayo celebrations at Hugo kick off at 6 p.m. with food and drink. The main attraction is a favorite drink with a Latin twist: the tequila Old-Fashioned. Bar bites including oysters, hummus and steak will be available for between $5 and $7. Morton's Georgetown (3251 Prospect St. NW) Morton's Georgetown is celebrating Cinco de Mayo with an event where you can make your own margaritas, learn about tequila marking and sample different tequilas. Tickets are $60 on Eventbrite and include drinks and hors d'oeuvres like tacos, steak quesadillas and more. The Prospect (1214 U St. NW) Slow-braised goat, crispy cod and a pineapple and citrus-braised pollo asado topped with a fresh slaw make up the unique taco fillings that the Prospect plans to show off. Two tacos are $6; drink specials include $4 Coronas and Tecates, $5 tequila shows and $6 margaritas. The deals last from 5 p.m. until 10 p.m. Tico (1926 14th St. NW) Latin tacos with an American twist? Sounds delicious. Tico's tacos will cost you just $5 on Cinco de Mayo, including their specials like shrimp salad with Old Bay, crunchy edamame with tomatillo salsa, duck with mango salsa and crunchy fried chicken tacos. Pair those bites with some unique margaritas for $10. Running of the Chihuahuas (600 Water St. SW) This is probably one of the few (only?) places you can watch 96 chihuahuas race for the finish line while sipping a beer. The event was rescheduled due to the weather, but the beer, food trucks and dog competitions will take over the Wharf (600 Water St. SW) on Saturday, May 7 between 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. Bonus: All proceeds from the race will go to Rural Dog Rescue, a group that saves dogs from high-kill shelters. The Wine Kitchen on the Creek (50 Carroll Creek Way #160, Frederick, Maryland) You can munch on tacos with a twist in Fredericksburg -- the chef at the Wine Kitchen will serve up mini tuna tartare tacos for only $14. You can get them for lunch or dinner. Yum. NOTE: The Washington Regional Alcohol Program is offering free cab rides home (up to a $30 fare) from 4 p.m. Thursday to 4 a.m. Friday. Call SoberRide at 1800200TAXI. The mother of a man accused of killing a popular University of Mary Washington student activist last year took the stand for the defense Tuesday to explain her text messages with her son that day and describe his worrisome behavior in the previous weeks. Steven Briel, 30, pleaded not guilty to charges of first-degree murder, strangulation and abduction in the April 17, 2015, death of 20-year-old Grace Mann at the Fredericksburg, Virginia, home they shared with two other roommates. Police say Briel strangled Mann, and the defense is trying to show Briel was insane at the time. Mary Briel testified she began to worry about her son in the weeks before Manns death. When he sent his parents a rambling, troubling email, Mary Briel testified she thought he might kill himself. He also expressed concerns about his roommates. His mother recalled a visit home five days before Manns death. "He did mention he felt the girls were going to kill him and make it look like a suicide," she testified. Briels parents urged him to give his roommates notice and move out. The morning of Manns death, Briel confirmed plans with his mother to take the train home, she testified. That afternoon, he sent a text message saying he was cleaning the house. During the following 30 minutes, Mann was strangled. Then Briel sent another message to his mother, writing, Hey, made a mess. Someone's at the door knocking. What should I do? Run?" She wrote back, "Are you serious? Don't answer. A few minutes later she wrote, What the hell are you on? This is not funny. I know. I'm scared, he replied. Pack your clothes and get to a coffee place until the next train comes. Stat!!!! Mary Briel texted back. She testified Tuesday she did not know what he was scared about at that moment. He would send her another text, writing, Hey, I'm in the woods. What should I do? Get to the bus. You still have time, she wrote back. When she got home a short time later, she got a message from Fredericksburg Police and learned her son was accused of murder. Grace Manns Best Friend Testifies About Confronting Accused Killer Before the defense began its case Tuesday, Manns roommate Kathryn Erwin testified for the prosecution about confronting Briel, introducing herself as Manns best friend. She testified she received puzzling text messages from Briel as she and another roommate walked home that afternoon. "I made a mess in Holly's room," texted Briel, referring to roommate Holly Aleksonis. Once the roommates were in the house, Briel emerged from a room. "He'd sweated through his shirt. He seemed confused, Erwin testified. Briel then asked what she would you do if Mann wasn't there anymore. Erwin testified she demanded to know what was going on, and Briel answered, Grace came home and was a b---- to me. I slapped her. She bit me. So I strangled her. Erwin said she ordered Briel to go upstairs to his room, then she spotted Mann, whose skin was blue. Manns parents broke into tears as prosecutors played Erwins 911 call. She can be heard counting out her CPR compressions -- the number rising higher and higher -- with no response from Mann. Grace Mann's Roommate Testifies on First Day of Murder Trial Aleksonis testified Monday about returning to the home and finding Briel drenched with sweat and speaking very quickly. She testified he stood before a closed bedroom door and said, "Grace and I got in an altercation. She hit me so I had to defend myself ... She bit me. What would you do if she weren't here anymore?'" Aleksonis opened the door and saw her purple comforter on the floor. "I pulled the comforter off," Aleksonis testified, "and Grace was there with a plastic bag over her head. I pulled it off and screamed and ran from the room." As many in the courtroom sobbed, prosecutors played the 911 call from Aleksonis that day. She was so distraught, the dispatcher had trouble getting information until Aleksonis finally shouted, "My roommate strangled her!" Two Maryland police officers recently killed in the line of duty were honored Wednesday with the additions of their names to memorials. Montgomery County Police Officer Noah Leotta's name was added Wednesday morning to the Public Safety Memorial on Edison Park Drive in Gaithersburg, Maryland. The names of 20 fallen heroes were read aloud and a bell tolled as family members lit candles in their memory. Leotta died Dec. 10 after a suspected drunk driver crashed into him as he conducted an anti-drunk driving enforcement. Police Chief Thomas Manger said the 24-year-old officer has a lasting effect. "Officer Leotta's impact on public safety continues. This is a powerful, powerful legacy," he said. Leotta's family worked tirelessly to get Maryland lawmakers to pass Noah's Law, which requires ignition interlocks to be installed in the cars of convicted drunk drivers. "I know he's honored and he's proud, but it's still too great a sacrifice for my family and all the other families that have lost loved ones," Leotta's father, Rich Leotta said. Prince George's County Officer 1st Class Jacai Colson's name was added Tuesday night to a memorial in the County Administration Building on Governor Oden Bowie Drive in Upper Marlboro. Colson was killed March 13 after a man opened fire on police officers and officers returned fire. Colson, 28, was shot by a fellow officer who mistook him for a suspect, police said. A candle was lit for Colson in a ceremony held to remember the 54 officers that have died in the line of duty since 1932 in the county. Colson's parents fought back tears during the ceremony and were embraced by officers as his name was added to the memorial. He was an outstanding young man and an excellent role model for a lot of youths coming up," the narcotics officer's father said at the viewing of his body. Law enforcement officers from across the country are paying their respects to fallen officers during National Police Week, which runs from May 3 to 16. For a full schedule of events, see the website for the week. Here we go again. District citizens are going to be asked this November to vote on whether they support statehood for the District. Before the fall, the city intends to hold public hearings on a proposed constitution that would be the foundation for the state of New Columbia. As a citizen, your Notebook wants the full voting rights enjoyed by other Americans. Theres no practical reason New Columbia couldnt carve out a modest federal enclave for the seat of government. There are plenty of political reasons against statehood. Therell be no shortage of opposition. The Notebook just wants to point out that statehood efforts and excitement have risen and fallen more than the Kennedy Center curtains. Mayor Muriel Bowser has helped set off the latest and most aggressive round in a couple of decades. She is supporting the creation of the constitution, its passage in November and its presentation to Congress. The city could make public the constitution later this week. Therell be public hearings and, possibly, revision during the summer. Even the name New Columbia is not set in constitutional stone. WAMU reporter Martin Austermuhle has done a good job of wrapping up this entire subject in an easy-to-read report. You can find it at tinyurl.com/wamu-statehood. Bowser on WAMU. And you can join the Notebook and host Kojo Nnamdi by tuning in on Friday at noon. Mayor Muriel Bowser will be our guest on the Politics Hour, WAMU 88-5. We welcome your questions. Email us at kojo@wamu.org or tweet us at @kojoshow. LGBTQ suicide. At-large D.C. Council member David Grosso is being honored Friday night for his work with suicide prevention. The Trevor Project is honoring Grosso at the Monaco Hotel for the first law in the nation that requires school suicide prevention policies to specifically address gay and lesbian students. The Trevor Project is a national group focused on crisis intervention and suicide prevention for LGBTQ youth. Security camera cash. It seems with cellphones and security cameras, were all on camera all the time. Ward 6 Council member Charles Allen has been to more community meetings than you can count. He said when it comes to crime, anxious community members come back time and again to the idea that home and business security cameras help prevent and solve crimes. Now, the city is in the midst of Allens $500,000 security camera rebate program. More than 200 individuals and businesses have applied for rebates that are given once the cameras are installed. Homeowners neighborhoods can get up to $500 for their cameras, commercial and nonprofit groups $750, with priority given to police service areas with known crime issues; in Northwest, these are PSAs 103, 202, 207, 208, 302, 303, 305, 307, 308, 402, 403, 404, 405, 406, 407, 409 and 501. Visit tinyurl.com/ovsjg-cameras to learn more and apply through the Office of Victim Services and Justice Grants. Resisting Trump. As weve pointed out before, the TV version of the Notebook is going to the Republican National Convention in Cleveland in July. Weve been watching Maryland Republican Gov. Larry Hogan. He was an early supporter of Chris Christie in his partys presidential sweepstakes. But since Christie dropped out, Hogan has steadfastly avoided endorsing anyone else. At a news conference last Friday, the governor had had it with questions about whether hed end up supporting Donald Trump, who is closing in on the nomination. Im not going to answer any more stupid questions about Donald Trump, said Hogan, as quoted in The Baltimore Sun. The newspaper reported Hogan restated his intention not to endorse a candidate or be involved in the presidential race. Back in mid-March, Hogan had told The Associated Press he didnt think Trump should be the nominee. Im not a Trump fan, Hogan told the AP. I dont think he should be the nominee. At this point in time, I have no idea who the candidates are going to be or who Im going to vote for. The Maryland governor said he had no plans to attend the Republican National Convention this summer in Cleveland. I dont even want to be involved, he said. Its a mess. I hate the whole thing. You cant blame him. Hogan has tried to keep to a moderate-conservative, Maryland-oriented path. Hell want to run for re-election in 2018. As a Republican in a mostly Democratic state, he doesnt want to unnecessarily muddy his own political waters. Tom Sherwood, a Southwest resident, is a political reporter for News 4. It's possible you've biked or jogged past it. The Netherlands Carillon is a little-known structure with a towering view of Washington D.C.'s monuments -- and right now, it's in need of some major repairs. For more than half a century, the 127-foot-tall carillon has stood on Arlington Ridge between Arlington National Cemetery and the United States Marine Corps Memorial (also known as the Iwo Jima Memorial). The carillon's 50 bells, the most recent added in 1995, chime throughout the hour, and the path in front of the carillon offers an incredible view of D.C., including the Lincoln Memorial, the Washington Monument and the U.S. Capitol dome. News4 was offered a TV exclusive tour to the observation deck of the carillon, where National Park Service (NPS) guides pointed out some of the structural repairs badly needed. Along the carillon's exterior, water has corroded around the bolts and caused the structure's shell to noticeably peel off. "It really shows what's happening here at the carillon," said Aaron LaRocca of the NPS. "So you have a protective paint here that's failing, because it hasn't been painted in a number of years.... What we're seeing here is the deterioration of the skin [and] what we're concerned about are the bones." An observation platform that was once opened for the public to summit has been closed for several years now due to its deteriorating condition. The only person allowed up -- aside from NPS officials -- is the carillonneur, who plays the chimes and bells on a keyboard similar to an organ or piano. "Our hope is once it's restored or rehabilitated that we can allow access to the top viewing platform," said Alex Romero, superintendent of the GW Memorial Parkway of the NPS. The structural repairs would cost some $2.7 million and would take about two years to complete. Once funding is in place, officials hope to do a full assessment to determine how deep the corrosion goes. That will also determine the extent of the repairs needed. The assessment will also be able to help officials figure out whether the viewing platform is structurally sound to be reopened to the public. The Trust for the George Washington Memorial Parkway is hoping to raise money for educational aspects of the project. "Our goal is to bring back that educational component, bring back the life in the park," its chairman, Duncan Blair, told News4. "By doing that then you create a donor base to help sustain it." The carillon, a gift from Queen Juliana of the Netherlands, was given to the United States in 1952 as a sign of gratitude after World War II. "It was moved here in 1960, and it tells that story of 'thank you,' a story of gratitude," said Romero. The Dutch see it similarly. "We were liberated by the Americans and the Canadians," said Ambassador Henne Schuwer of the Royal Netherlands Embassy. "And this was our gift to the American people to say 'thank you' for liberating us." Seventy years after World War II, Schuwer hopes eventually more visitors will make the carillon a destination -- if anything, to remind future generations of the past. "We have to tell, especially the younger people, that it is not a given that we live in a free world like we live [in] today. That you have to defend that freedom... we're doing that," Schuwer said. Thursday marks the Day of Remembrance on which the Dutch reflect and honor the lives lost fighting in WWII. On Friday, they will celebrate the role the United States and other Allied nations played in liberating the Netherlands. Go here to find out when you can hear the Netherlands Carillon's bells chime. The driver of an SUV appeared to deliberately ram the entrance of a diner in McLean, Virginia, during the lunchtime rush Wednesday, hitting a man and causing the vehicle to burst into flames, witnesses said. A man driving a Hummer crashed three times into the front of the Silver Diner restaurant in Tysons Corner Center about 12:30 p.m., witnesses told News4. A Fairfax County Police spokesman said he could not confirm whether the crash was deliberate. The driver hit a man the second time he crashed into the Fletcher Street restaurant, witnesses said. The third time, the SUV burst into orange flames with the driver inside, sending a huge plume of black smoke over the diner. Raw video of a Hummer on fire after hitting the Silver Diner in Tysons Corner. (Courtesy Dan Hughes) "There was total pandemonium in the restaurant," witness Will Yeatman said. He was inside having coffee when the man slammed into the front door and customers scrambled to leave. Video Yeatman recorded shows people screaming and dragging people away from the fire and crash. The driver was a cook for the restaurant who had taken bereavement leave, Silver Diner spokeswoman Matilde Ott said. Neither she nor police immediately identified the driver. The mayhem began when the driver crashed into the front door and then backed up, witnesses said. He then rammed into the restaurant a second time, trapping a man between the SUV and the door. [NATL-DC] Fire at Silver Diner in McLean "Some people got inside quickly. He wasn't able to and he got pinned against the front door," Yeatman said. "It was really horrible. It was full-force. It looked like as soon as he got hit, he kind of passed out." The driver then slammed into the restaurant a third time. The SUV burst into flames, sparking a roaring fire. The flames appeared to start between the driver's seat and passenger-side seat, Yeatman said. Orissa Morgan was at the hostess stand when the driver slammed into the entrance. "It scared me to death. I thought the whole building was going to blow," she said. "I thought he was going to run those people over. He just didn't stop." People on the scene said they cut the driver's seat belt to free him, but he asked to be left in the burning car. "He was fighting. He said, 'Get away from me. Leave me alone, leave me alone,'" witness Janie Watkins said. Customers and workers managed to extricate the man the driver hit and pull victims into the parking lot before first-responders arrived. Three people were taken to a hospital, including the driver, police said. A fourth person was treated at the scene. Information wasn't available immediately on whether the man hit by the SUV was taken to the hospital. The driver, who had been a diner employee for two years, was fired after the crash, the Silver Diner spokeswoman said. He took bereavement leave starting April 5. Police did not say whether the driver will be charged with a crime. The crash is under investigation. The wreckage of the Hummer remained in front of the closed restaurant Wednesday evening. Silver Diner said in a statement issued Wednesday night that the company had "no indication that the employee would harm himself or others." "Our hearts go out to the families and friends of those injured," the statement said. The company is offering trauma counselors to affected employees and customers. Anyone desiring that service was advised to call 703-239-3324. Silver Diner has 11 locations in Maryland and Virginia, plus outposts at BaltimoreWashington International Airport and in New Jersey. Anyone with information on the incident is asked to call police at 703-691-2131. Stay with NBCWashington and News4 for more on this developing story. Some area bus drivers are questioning their safety, one day after a man attacked a bus driver, stole the bus and fatally struck a man at a gas station in Northeast Washington. Police said the hijacker, Keith Loving, 30, boarded the bus in the 3800 block of Jay Street in Northeast D.C. Tuesday morning. When the bus arrived at its next stop, Loving got up and attacked the driver with a tool, police said. But the bus was missing one thing that may have helped the driver -- a protective shield. Fewer than one quarter of Metrobuses were equipped with the shields as of Tuesday, a Metro representative said. Of the 1,542 buses Metro operates, 326 buses have the shields. Another 531 buses will have the safety devices by the end of 2016. The shields are typically used in areas where drivers have previously had trouble, the Metro representative said. "He would've had to climb the dashboard to get over onto the bus driver, but the shield would've been of some help," said a Metrobus driver who didn't want to be identified. According to WTOP, the driver was able to hit an emergency button before he got off the bus. He suffered a back injury while getting off of the bus, but he is expected to recover. Passengers on the bus saw the attack and ran out the back door, D.C. Police Chief Cathy Lanier said. A short time later, police said Loving veered over a curb into the parking lot of a gas station at the corner of Minnesota and Nannie Helen Burroughs avenues. The bus ran over 40-year-old Anthony Payne, a gas station worker who had been taking out the trash. Payne was rushed to a hospital and pronounced dead. "It's just unbelievable. I'm just loss for words," said the Metrobus driver who didn't want to be identified. "I just stay prayed up. Before I enter these gates, I pray." The union representing bus drivers said they want more officers to patrol buses. "This union, representing more than 9,000 of the operators, station managers, clerks and mechanics of Metro, is calling upon Metro to take action and immediately increase police presence," Amalgamated Transit Union Local 689 said in a statement. "The lives of transit employees and our riders are depending on it." Metro deploys officers based on where they see spikes in crime. Attacks on drivers have declined by about 30 percent in the past year, the Metro representative said. Two people have been hospitalized following a shooting in Boston. Boston Police said they responded to 65 Bailey St. Tuesday night around 9 for a report of a person shot in the head. Boston EMS said one victim was transported to Boston Medical Center with life-threatening-injuries. A second victim transported himself to an undisclosed hospital. No other information was immediately available. Nine more employees of a now-closed Massachusetts school for boys with autism and behavioral disorders have been charged with physically abusing students, raising the number of employees charged to 16. The Berkshire Eagle reports that eight former Eagleton School employees were arraigned on assault and battery and other charges in Southern Berkshire District Court on Monday. A warrant is out for the arrest of a ninth. All pleaded not guilty and were released on personal recognizance. Sixteen former employees of the private Great Barrington school have now been charged in the case. The state closed the school last month despite staff efforts to correct problems cited by state education officials. Forty-two students have been relocated to other facilities or schools. Police say the investigation is ongoing. (NECN) - All week long we have taken you to "secret islands" along New Englands coast. We finish our week-long special with a gem. You need a sense of adventure to get to this island. From Boston, it's about a three-and-a-half hour journey to mid-coast Maine and then a one-hour ferry trip to Monhegan Island. As our Marnie MacLean showed us, many people believe it is well worth the effort. Watch the attached video for your online tour. Check out these websites for ferry services to the island from Monhegan Boat Line, Hardy Boat Cruises and Balmy Day Cruises. One thousand trout have a new home in Jamaica Pond thanks to the efforts of Republican Gov. Charlie Baker, state environmental officials and local schoolchildren. Wednesday's annual spring restocking is one of several that occur during the year at Boston's largest freshwater pond. The 800 rainbow trout, 50 brook trout, 50 brown trout and 100 tiger trout were trucked in from state hatcheries in Belchertown and Sandwich, where they were raised. An enthusiastic Baker waded into the pond several times with a bucket of trout and tossed the fish into the shallow waters. He was helped by second-graders from the John F. Kennedy Elementary School. The pond, home to other species such as largemouth bass, chain pickerel and yellow perch, is open to fishermen with valid Massachusetts fishing licenses. A husband and wife were hospitalized one with life-threatening injuries after being attacked by a boar Tuesday night at their small farm in Townsend, Massachusetts, authorities said. Police and fire officials responded to the farm at 188 Fitchburg Rd. around 6 p.m. after the 150-pound male pig attacked 38-year-old Shannon Hernandez, according to the Townsend Police Department. "It was scary, because, you know, blood coming down, I didn't know how bad I was," Shannon Hernandez said. She said the 5-year-old boar she's had for three years escaped from his stall and went after her female pigs. "The girls come into heat every 21 days, so it's my responsibility to keep him quarantined enough that he's not going to break through. And he did, he broke through," she said. That's when she said the animal turned on her, goring her arm, leg and wrist. She was taken to Leominster Hospital, but less than two hours later, the same animal attacked her husband, 50-year-old Jose Hernandez, leaving him with serious, life-threatening injuries. "He had went over to pick up the water to clean it out and refill it. And Boss (the pig) just came at him and gashed him," Shannon Hernandez said. Two main arteries in his right hand were cut during the attack, she said. Jose Hernandez was rushed by Townsend EMS to UMass Memorial Medical Center in Worcester. A witness said he was conscious and alert on the way to the hospital. "He's lost a lot of blood. They said they put two pints of blood into him at the hospital," his wife said. Jose Hernandez was upgraded to "stable" condition on Wednesday and police said he is expected to survive." The pig is currently quaraintined on the Hernandez's property. Townsend Animal Control announced Wednesday afternoon that it had decided to euthanize the pig at some point on Thursday. A rabies test is also being conducted as a precaution. The mother of a Boston firefighter was forced to jump from her burning home in the city's Dorchester neighborhood on Wednesday. Her son rushed to her house as soon as he heard the call but only arrived after Regina Robinson was safely on the ground, thanks to a guardian angel and, she said, some help from above. "It's only by the grace of God, and God's mercy, that He helped me to get out of that house, because there was no other way out," Robinson said. Robinson says she's lucky to be alive, praising a man doing a gutter estimate at a neighbor's home for spotting the flames pouring from her home and hearing her frantic screams. "I was yelling, 'Somebody help, I can't get out.' So he said, 'Ma'am, can you get on the ledge?' and when I tried to raise up the screen, it wouldn't go up," Robinson said. "I had to wiggle my way to get out the window, and I was on the ledge. He said, 'Ma'am, you have to jump.'" Robinson said she was scared. Black smoke was filling her hallway, and "there was no other way but to go out that window." Robinson jumped to the ground from a landing right below the window. The fire was caused by a short circuit in a bedroom. The home is a now completely gutted inside, with damages estimated at $250,000, fire officials said. Necn spoke with the Edwin Julia, who alerted Robinson, over the phone. "I didn't catch her, but I broke her fall," he said. Robinson's son, Boston firefighter Steven Perry, was on duty in Dorchester at the time. He heard his mom's address over the box alarm and rushed to the scene. "Fires aren't kind to nobody," Perry said. "Just saying to myself, 'Please no, no no no,' just, 'Deny, deny, deny,' you know?" He got to the scene just as his mom was on the ground. "Just hugged and cried and was glad to see her," Perry said. "He was just in tears," Robinson said. "He's one of the macho men, don't cry a lot, but he was breaking down, and he was just holding me, saying, 'Ma, you are alright.'" Now Robinson has a message of thanks for her guardian angel. "God sent him for a purpose and a time to help me get out of that house," she said. Robinson is staying with her daughter. Her family is accepting donations at the Kingdom Church at 234 Norfolk St. in Dorchester. A New Hampshire business owner says vehicles outside are covered in human ashes due to a crematorium next door. Doug Frederick, owner of the Motorcycle Museum in Meredith, said the ashes come from the chimney of the Mayhew Funeral Home. "This was our dream, to come here and have this motorcycle museum," said Leslyee Frederick, Doug's wife. That dream became a reality for the couple six years ago, which has now, they said, become a nightmare. "To be thinking of wiping up someone's human remains, it's just disgusting," Leslyee Frederick said. Doug Frederick has documented the alleged problem with photos. He says ashes from the crematorium are landing on his property and that's not all. "Sometimes, the smell is so intense, it's nauseating," he said. He's taken his complaint to Meredith Town Manager Phillip Warren, who says the funeral home has the proper permits and isn't doing anything wrong. "It's similar to neighbors who can't agree on on a fence or an installation," Warren said Wednesday. "It really isn't an issue town gets involved in." In New Hampshire, crematoriums are inspected at least every three years. The owner of Mayhew Funeral home, Peter Mayhew, has an active state license. "The Mayhew family has been operating funeral homes in New Hampshire for over 45 years," he said in a statement to necn Wednesday. "Our crematorium is closely regulated by the state and inspected frequently. We have received no indication of violations of any law or regulation. While Mr. Frederick is clearly upset with us and disappointed with the town of Meredith, we will continue to serve the community as we have for decades." But according to the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services, emissions from crematoriums should be rather clear and are usually odorless. Wednesday, a museum visitor caught a whiff while necn's cameras were rolling. "It wasn't of a diesel truck going up the road or someone's furnace malfunctioning. It was definitely a different odor," Brian Keating said. "It kind of turned my stomach a little bit." The office of Gov. Maggie Hassan tells necn that Frederick's latest complaint has made it's way to officials at the DES. "It's just affected our lives deeply," Frederick said. "All we want to do is get this problem corrected." DES will be meeting with Mr. Frederick in the near future. Meanwhile, Mr. Mayhew says he will continue serving this community as he has for decades. Boston Police have arrested a Roxbury man accused of pointing a rifle at delivery men over a refrigerator dispute. Police responded to 2 Folsom Ave. on Saturday morning for a report of a person with a gun. When they arrived they met with two delivery men from an appliance store who were scheduled to deliver a fridge. The two male residents allegedly became upset that the fridge was not the same size as their old fridge. One resident, identified as John Mahoney, 48, came out of a room with a rifle and pointed it at the delivery men, telling them to get out. Police arrested Mahoney and charged him with Assault by Means of a Dangerous Weapon. Police also charged him with Unlawful Possession of a Firearm and Unlawful Possession of Ammunition after finding more guns and ammunition in the home. It was not immediately known if Mahoney has an attorney, Police in South Portland, Maine, arrested three people for robbery and aggravated assault, as well as drug trafficking. According to the police, officers responded to the Days Inn located on the Main Mall Road for a report of man bleeding from the head on Tuesday morning. Once on scene, officers found Abdallah Dud, age 29, of Saco, Maine, who told officers he had been assaulted by two males while in his motel room. Dud had a severe laceration to his scalp area and was transported to a hospital with non-life threatening injuries. A female was also reportedly involved. Around 11:50 p.m. that night an officer conducted a traffic stop on the I-295 on ramp near outer Broadway and determined the vehicle's occupants, a male and female, were at least two of the suspects involved in the earlier assault. After discovering evidence at the scene of the stop, officers arrested Kokou Noulilo, age 24 of Lewiston, Maine, and Breanna Lee, age 25, also of Lewiston. Noulilo and Lee were charged with Robbery (a Class A crime) and Aggravated Assault (a Class B crime). Officers recovered a substantial amount of money inside the vehicle. Investigators later learned the money found in the vehicle was taken from the motel room during the assault. A search warrant was served to search the arrested suspects motel room and officers found 8 grams of suspected cocaine base under one of the beds. The attack was allegedly a drug rip off. No innocent guests were harmed. Noulilo and Lee were out on bail when they were stopped and were charged with Violating Conditions of Release (a Class C crime) as well. Both are being held without bail pending their arraignment which should occur on Friday. The victim, Abdallah Dud, was released from the hospital and charged with Trafficking in Scheduled W Drugs (a Class B crime) and Violating Conditions of Release (a Class E crime). He is also being held without bail. Stoneham Police say they will be filing charges against a man who allegedly entered the police station, assaulted an officer and made a bomb threat on Tuesday. The 35-year-old Stoneham man was taken to a local hospital for a mental health and physical evaluation. His name has not been released by police. Police said the suspect will be issued a summons to Woburn District Court for issuing a false bomb threat and assault and battery on a police officer. Around 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, police said a man entered the Stoneham Police Station at 47 Central St. wearing a backpack. He approached the dispatch window in the lobby and made a bomb threat to a police officer at the window. The man then walked away from the window toward a training room where a community group was set to hold a meeting. Police officers attempted to calm the man, who allegedly tried to strike an officer multiple times. The man was ultimately restrained with the help of pepper spray. No explosives were found inside the man's backpack. The suspect had also been seen inside Town Hall earlier in the day, but a sweep of the building came up empty. "Thankfully, the public was never in danger, but the actions of this individual caused considerable concern," Police Chief James McIntyre said. "I commend our officers for bringing this situation to a successful resolution with no one injured and no disruption to the community." The Massachusetts congressional delegation is questioning a push by the Swedish government to declare American lobsters an invasive species. Sweden wants the European Union to bar imports of live American lobsters into the 28-nation bloc, a response to the appearance of 32 American lobsters in Swedish waters. Massachusetts' delegation has sent a letter to Secretary of State John Kerry and others saying the Swedish claim needs to be backed up with scientific evidence. Massachusetts has the second largest lobster fishery in the country. The delegation says a ban on imports to Europe would hurt the state's economy. The U.S. State Department has said the administration is working to ensure that U.S. lobster exports are not "unjustifiably restricted." One woman was killed and two other people were injured in a car accident in Milford, New Hampshire, on Tuesday afternoon. According to the Milford Police Department, two cars were involved in a head-on collision on Route 101 on the overpass of Route 13. A grey 2011 Nissan Rouge was traveling eastbound and a white 2007 Kia Spectra was traveling westbound when the two collided. The driver of the Nissan, 52-year-old Roberta Odell of Winchester, New Hampshire, attempted to pass in a legal passing zone and struck the Kia head-on. The occupants of the struck Kia were a male and female, the male, 74-year-old Thomas Robbs of Belmont, New Hampshire was driving, and the female, 69-year-old Susan Robbs, also of Belmont, New Hampshire. passed away. Odell was air lifted from the scene to Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical center in Dartmouth, New Hampshire. She is listed in serious condition. Thomas Robbs was also transported to an area hospital for non-life threatening injuries. There are no charges filed at this time and the accident is still under investigation. The road was closed from 10:30 a.m.- 3:30 p.m. but the scene is now clear. Now that Donald Trump is officially the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, Massachusetts' governor, like many moderate New England Republicans, is not quite sure what he'll do on Election Day. "I've already said before that I'm not going to vote for Mr. Trump," said Gov. Charlie Baker. "I sincerely doubt I'll be voting for Hillary Clinton, either." Baker was asked if he'd do a write-in vote. "It'll depend who else is on the ballot, I suppose," he said. The governor's remarks came on the same day that John Kasich suspended his campaign for the Republican presidential nomination. Ted Cruz dropped out of the race on Tuesday night after losing Indiana to Trump. That leaves Trump as the only Republican contender still in the race, all but ensuring that he will be the Republican nominee. Baker at least plans to vote. Former Massachusetts Republican chair Jennifer Nassour says she won't. She is incredulous, but mainly sad, she says, that her lifelong party has gotten behind the reality TV star. "I think that he's unstable," Nassour said. "I think that he's going to be dangerous. I think that the best case scenario is that he just damages the Republican Party." Nassour expects many Republicans to vote for Hillary Clinton - like Mark Salter, a former strategist to Republican Senator John McCain. "The GOP is going to nominate for President a guy who reads the National Enquirer and thinks it's on the level," he tweeted. "I'm with her." The "vote for Hillary" option is definitely not happening for Republican political consultant Patrick Griffin, who opposes Trump and is hoping he will now start to channel his ability to energize the electorate in a positive direction. "It seems to me Trump has an opportunity," Griffin said. "The question is can he pivot into acting presidential, which so far he has not done." "It's odd and it's disappointing," Baker said of the situation he's now in. "I certainly have found this to be one of the most troubling election cycles across the board I've seen in my lifetime." New Hampshire Senator Kelly Ayotte plans to support Donald Trump if he is the GOP's nominee for president. However, according to the Associated Press who obtained a statement from Liz Johnson, a spokeswoman for Ayotte, the senator will not endorse Trump. The statement also said Ayotte, "plans to support the nominee" but did not mention Trump's name specifically. Ayotte previously stated she would support whomever the Republican party nominated for president. According to a spokesperson for MSNBC, Ayotte intends to follow through on that promise. On Saturday St Stephens in Norwich hosted Bouncing Forwards as part of a national tour by the mental health charity Kintsugi Hope. On Saturday St Stephens in Norwich hosted Bouncing Forwards as part of a national tour by the mental health charity Kintsugi Hope. Painting and biblical feasting in Overstrand There will be opportunities to improve your painting skills and indulge in some biblical feasting next month at the Pleasaunce in Overstrand in North Norfolk. Read more National award for Dereham Christian bookshop The Green Pastures Christian bookshop in Dereham has won a national award for providing boxes of Christian books to 21 local schools. Read more Norma's care home jigsaw challenge complete A resident at Norwich-based care home Corton House has completed an incredible 70 jigsaw puzzles in celebration of the homes 70th anniversary this year. Read more Norwich charity's appeal to support Palestinian students A Norwich educational charity, set up in memory of a Norwich Anglican priest, to support students from a Palestinian refugee camp, is inviting people to support its Christmas appeal to be launched on November 29. Read more Norfolk drug and alcohol charity pays tribute to its founder Andy Sexton, CEO of the Matthew Project, introduces a series of tributes from the charity to its founder, Peter Farley. Read more Cliff look alike at Cromer Church breakfast Cliff Richard tribute performer Will Chandler will be the speaker at a special Mens Breakfast at Cromer Parish Hall next month, and all men are welcome to come along. Read more Heartsease Lane Methodist church to close As part of a reorganisation of the Norwich Methodist Circuit, Heartsease Lane Methodist Church will be closing towards the end of the year. Read more Free Julian of Norwich reflection and prayer day The Friends of Julian of Norwich present a free Quiet Half-Day with Robert Fruehwirth, author and former Priest Director of the Julian Centre, on Saturday November 12, 10.30am-2pm. Read more What it means for us to repent Nigel Fox believes that now is the time for a tide of repentance, and shares his thoughts about what that actually means for our society. Read more Christmas card shop opens in Norwich church Thousands of Christmas cards from around 30 local Norfolk charities have gone on sale today (October 19) at the Original Norwich Charity Christmas Card Shop inside St Peter Mancroft church in Norwich city centre. Read more Revelation Christian Resource Centre and Cafe Revelation in Norwich is a Christian resource centre, offering a bookshop, a meeting place and a welcoming refuge for refreshment open to visitors of any faith or none. Read more Farewell as Yarmouth church leader moves on Captain Marie Burr, the Salvation Army leader in Great Yarmouth, has paid tribute to everyone at the church and charity after she left her post at the end of last month to move to a new role. Read more Norwich Cathedral chorister in BBC final Norwich Cathedral chorister Alice Platten has her sights set on being crowned BBC Young Chorister of the Year after reaching the final stages of the prestigious nationwide competition. Read more Norwich to hear pastor, Policeman and tramp tale Essex Baptist Pastor Dave McDowell has been a Policeman, fed orphans in India and lived under a boat as a tramp. He will tell his remarkable story at the October dinner of Norwich FGB on Wednesday October 26. Read more Pioneer UK leader speaks at Sheringham church Ness Wilson, national leader of the Pioneer network of churches, was the main speaker at a day of teaching and worship held at Lighthouse Community Church in Sheringham on 12 October, to be followed up by Word and Worship sessions at October half term. Read more Norwich event to give tips on bouncing forwards St Stephens in Norwich will be hosting an evening in October with Patrick Regan OBE, as he explores themes from his book Bouncing Forwards. Read more Youth for Christ lights a fire in north Breckland North Breckland Youth for Christ will be putting on a mini residential camp this year to coincide with Bonfire Night. Read more Thursday, May 5, is World Password Day 2016. For the fourth year, youll surely see plenty of articles reminding you why you should change all of your passwordsa strong and unique password for every site where you loginand to start using a password manager if you dont do so yet. I still highly encourage you to get 2FA for Mothers Day. Intel/McAfee is again trying to persuade people to tweet a password confession. While Im not encouraging you to do so, I would like to pick two as examples. World Password Day is as good a day as any to talk about password sharing. Ah, yes, being in love is where password sharing may start. Or it could be a roommate or friend asking for your password so they can watch some show. Im not concerned with whether or not password sharing costs video on demand (VOD) services $500 million worldwide in 2015, or if 46 percent of American adults share logins for streaming media services with people who are not part of their household. But because the service is shared, that password might be one you hesitate to update to something new. At the rate that companies get hacked, that is an especially dangerous practice for people who reuse the same blasted password on other sites. ConsumerReports gave an example of how, for several years, an entire family had been logging into HBO Go using the credentials of a sisters ex-boyfriend. Apparently the breakup was amicable, or the guy who paid for HBO Go didnt believe in changing his password. The latter is the most likely, as nearly half of the people in one poll admitted to not changing their password for five years. A different study found that although 78 percent believe that its risky to share passwords with family members, 37 percent are likely to do so. The majority of respondents (54 percent) also admit to sharing their login information with family members so they can access their computers, smartphones and tablets. It's unrealistic to think password sharing doesn't happen. Share but follow good security practices Regarding the claim that a third of American Netflix watchers are moochers, Netflix CEO Reed Hastings isnt too worried about it. At CES this year, Hastings said, We love people sharing Netflix. Thats a positive thing, not a negative thing. Netflix handles shared passwords for streaming by limiting the number of simultaneous streams, not IP addresses accessing accounts. Currently it costs $9.99 to watch Netflix on two screens at the same time, or $11.99 for four. If you share your password and dont hit the streaming limit, you might not remember to change the password after a breakup. Amazon Prime previously was accused of not breaking up with your ex when you do, but there was a change to how Prime operated last year and an option was added to remove an adult from your household. Otherwise, like Netflix, Prime handles shared passwords for streaming by limiting the number of simultaneous streams. HBO CEO Richard Plepler previously said HBO was not unmindful of password sharing, but it just has no impact on the business. In fact, he called it a terrific marketing vehicle for the next generation of viewers. Were in the business of creating addicts. Then last year, Emmy Award show host Andy Samberg went so far as to share his HBO Now account credentials with everyone watching. While HBO is not too specific about the precise number of simultaneous streams allowed for HBO Nowother than a subscription applies to your entire householdit does have a limit, as it has a help page for subscribers who get simultaneous stream error warnings. Hulu and Dishs Sling TV allow only one stream at a time per account, so password sharing isnt as likely to happen. You should still change those passwords. Its not the smartest security/privacy move you could make, but I dont care if you share your VOD password with others. Keep in mind, however, that it is tied to an account tied to financial information to pay for it. I do care if you dont change that password regularly. If you share, then give those people the new password. What are they going to do, grumble excessively for needing to update the password they use to watch free TV? If someone else mooched the password from them, or if an ex was using it, do you really care if they get cut off? The video below is about password sharing, but it has some cussing so if that upsets you, dont watch it. Impossible password prank Hopefully you change your passwords more often than once a year. Hopefully you will change your shared password for your streaming accounts. When you do, please steer clear of the worst passwords such as 123456 or password. If you dont like password managers, you should try to create a password with no fewer than eight characters, preferably at least 12, with a mix of numbers, symbols, capital and lowercase letters. Intermixing those in a phrase is even better. Using a sentence, or a phrase, will make unique passwords easier to remember. For example, Level 3 said the password OnceUponATime could be changed to 0nce3Up0nAT!M3. But weve all visited websites with varying password rules for length and the use of special characters. That brings us to the second password confession. If the person couldnt figure out the rules to create a new password in two tries without giving up, then imagine the frustration experienced by the people in impossible password prank. Please change your passwords! NASA said that for the first time it has demonstrated that a wireless system can communicate sending route options and weather information for example -- with a jet on the ground. NASA said it tested a demonstration system known as Aircraft Access to System Wide Information Management (SWIM), to wirelessly send aviation information to an FAA Bombardier Global 5000 test aircraft taxiing 60 to 70 miles per hour on the Cleveland Hopkins International Airport runway. They sent the information over a prototype wireless system called Aeronautical Mobile Airport Communications System, or AeroMACS, developed by Hitachi. +More on Network World: NASA algorithms keep unmanned aircraft away from commercial aviation+ The Hitachi system is based on WiMAX wireless communication standards, but uses different frequencies --in protected AM(R)S spectrum (5091-5150 MHz)-- for airport surface applications to enable connectivity on the ground, according to NASA. The system includes authentication, encryption, digital certificates and a number of other communication controls. Pilots now rely on voice communication with air traffic control or their airline operations center for this type of information because traditional wireless technologies dont support high data throughputs. Together, AAtS and AeroMACS will improve situational awareness and reduce the potential for human error by giving pilots access to the information they need to make decisions, NASA said. This was the first time we provided this type of information to an airplane over a ground wireless network, said Paul Nelson, Glenns project manager for Cyber-Security and Secure Communications, Navigation and Surveillance (CNS) in a statement. The new wireless technology could allow airports to grow and change more affordably by replacing old underground systems, Nelson said. +More on Network World: NASA details bleeding edge communications ideas+ Airport communication systems use a lot of underground cables, which makes repairs and changes difficult. Replacing and eliminating the underground infrastructure with wireless technology will reduce maintenance costs and downtime and allow airports to enhance capabilities more quickly, Nelson said. The next steps for AeroMACS will include end-to-end testing involving multiple airports and evaluation of security. Check out these other hot stories: Massive identity theft schemer gets 4 years in slammer FBI: Ransomware threat at all-time high; protect company jewels CIA: Learn how to make invisible ink, photos from 1918 More protection needed to guard grid from electromagnetic storm threat Headaches likely to grow over auto cybersecurity concerns US Marshals set to auction fraudsters $1.5M high-end auto collection NASA gives solar ionic propulsion a monster boost DARPA: Researchers develop chip part that could double wireless frequency capacity Pangbourne Co-op stocked food ten days past use by date Supermarket giant Co-operative Food has pleaded guilty to stocking food as much as 10 days past its use-by date at a Pangbourne store. Representatives of the former Somerfield store at The Square, Pangbourne, were at West Berkshire Magistrates Court on April 21. The group, now owned by the Co-op, pleaded guilty to contravening food safety requirements. The offence related to an unannounced inspection in March, which found a number of food items on the market that were unsafe as use-by dates had expired. Prosecuting, Sarah Clarke of West Berkshire Councils legal services, said: Officers identified 10 items of food that were past their use-by-date. She said that two of the items both soups were 10 days past the maximum date when they could be safely eaten, and one other was five days out of date. The court heard that the Co-op has in place procedures and training to identify and check foods that are at the end of their life. However, when trading standards investigated they found that certain procedures had not been followed, including a crucial close of business check. Ms Clarke said: The COB check hadnt been completed on any day during that week. Store colleagues should have completed processes in line with procedures and staff should have raised this to the manager. She added: This is not a case where the defendant had a blatant disregard for food safety. Systems were in place. But the number of items found in the inspection below their use-by date is a further indication that this was not a one-off. The food products were deemed to be unsafe and they may have had an adverse effect on individuals if used. This is noted in the defendants own training manual. She warned that the level of harm could have been great if the items had been purchased and then consumed by the elderly. The court went on to hear that, after the incident, internal audits were conducted at the store and the manager, James Lee, has since left the business. Defending, Richard Banwell said: As far as culpability is concerned, first of all the group provides induction and ongoing training to all staff. It is not for want of procedures or lack of training. He added: This company has comprehensive systems and policies in place, but unfortunately there will be a need for store managers to do their job properly. There had been no complaints from this store in the six months before the incident occurred. He called the incident a case of human error and argued it was in the low-range penalty bracket. The case was ultimately sent to crown court for sentencing as the magistrates felt their powers were insufficient for an appropriate sentence. Sentencing will be made at Reading Crown Court at an undetermined date.